[00:00:07]
RIGHT.WELL, PAUL, BETTER MAKE, MAKE THE MOTION AGAIN.
SO SHE HAS ALL THAT ON THE RECORD.
WHAT, WHAT MOTION? WELL, IT'S OPEN THE HEARING, THE HEARING, THE HEARING.
[ To consider the 2022 Preliminary Budget. (The 2022 Tentative Budget, which is considered the 2022 Preliminary Budget at this point, may be found on the GreenburghNY.com homepage at the bottom under Quick Links.)]
AYE.THAT'S FOR THE PRELIMINARY BUDGET.
WHY DON'T YOU PUT THE, UH, MEETING DATE AND TIME ON THE AGENDA THERE? IT'S UH, NOVEMBER 22ND AND NOW IT'S 10.
TONIGHT PRELIMINARY CONTINUES TO IMPACT OPERATIONS.
THIS BUDGET ANTICIPATE PARTIAL RESTORATION PRIOR YEARS.
THE BUDGET IS A BOUNCING ACT BETWEEN IMPROVING TOWN SERVICES WHILE AT THE, I'M SORRY.
WAS STENOGRAPHER'S HERE? WE MIGHT AS WELL LET HER SET UP.
WHY DON'T YOU WAIT JUST A MOMENT.
SHE'S GONNA, SHE'S GONNA DO IT FROM THE BACK.
SHE'S GONNA DO IT FROM THE BACK BECAUSE SHE CAN COME UP.
DOES ANYONE, ROBERTA, IS YOUR MICROPHONE ON? OH, IT'S NOT.
THAT'S, THAT'S WITH THE ISSUE.
GARRETT, CAN YOU HELP HER? CAN YOU TURN IT ON PLEASE? THERE WE GO.
YOU CAN BLAME JOAN FOR THAT, UH, TEST FOR THE ZOOM FEED.
IF YOU COULD PLEASE LET ME KNOW HOW THIS SOUND QUALITY IS.
JOHN, CAN YOU TELL IF THE PODIUM IS WORKING CORRECTLY NOW? YES.
IS WE READY SOON AS BARBARA'S SET UP? SO WE'RE RESUMING, UH, THE BUDGET HEARING ROBERTA.
YEAH, I WOULD START OVER FOR HER.
FOR HER BENEFIT, I WOULD START OVER.
DO YOU WANT TO JUST MAKE THE MOTION OPEN? UH, I MOVE THAT WE OPEN THE HEARING ON THE BUDGET.
HONORABLE TOWN BOARD MEMBERS OF THE TOWN GREEN AND PRESENTS YOU TONIGHT WITH PRELIMINARY BUDGET FOR CONSIDERATION.
PANDEMIC CONTINUES TO IMPACT TOWN OPERATIONS.
THIS BUDGET ANTICIPATES PARTIAL RESTORATION AND REVENUES, BUT REDUCED IN THE PRIOR YEARS.
THE BUDGET IS A BALANCING ACT BETWEEN IMPROVING TOWN SERVICES WHILE AT THE SAME TIME KEEPING WITHIN THE CONSTRAINTS OF OUR RESOURCES.
[00:05:01]
FOR THE MOST PART, THIS YEAR'S BUDGET IS AN AS BUDGET 2022 BUDGET, 9.8 MILLION IN TOWN AND TIRE, AND 2.7 MILLION IN TOWN OUTSIDE USE OF FUND BALANCE THAT STILL REMAINS IN FUND BALANCE POLICY ESTABLISHED BY THE TOWN, THE BUDGET AIMS TO MEET THE GROWING DEMAND OF TOWN SERVICES TAX LEVY AND BOTH THE TOWN IS HIGHER AND THE TOWN OUTSIDE REMAINS THE SAME AS 2021.THE BUDGET CALLS WERE A 5.17% TAX RATE DECREASE TOWN AND HIGHER TOTAL APPROPRIATION, 28.7 MILLION AND A 4.8% TAX RATE DECREASE IN UNINCORPORATED GRIEVER WITH TOTAL APPROPRIATIONS OF 90.2 MILLION.
BASED ON THE SEPTEMBER, 2021 TAX ROLL ASSESSED VALUES TRANSLATED INTO DOLLARS AND CENTS.
A HOME WITH AN ASSESSED VALUE OF 500,000 IN TOWN AND TIRE WOULD PAY $214 AND 62 CENTS IN 2022 VERSUS $226 AND 31 CENTS IN 2021.
AND IN TOWN OUTSIDE WOULD PAY $2,914 11 CENTS IN 2022 VERSUS $3,060 AND 92 CENTS IN 2021.
SINCE INCEPTION, THE TOWN OF GREENBURG HAS REMAINED UNDER THE NEW YORK STATE TAX CAP.
I'D LIKE TO THANK ALL FINER AND THE TOWN BOARD FOR YOUR LEADERSHIP.
CONTINUED COMMITMENT TO PRUDENT FISCAL MANAGEMENT AND HARD WORK BUDGET PREPARATION IS A TEAM EFFORT.
I WOULD ALSO LIKE TO THANK THE DEPARTMENT HEADS AND EMPLOYEES OF THE TOWN FOR THEIR WILLINGNESS TO SUBMIT CONSERVATIVE BUDGET REQUESTS AND TO DEVELOP ALTERNATIVE WAYS TO MEET THE TOWN'S PRIORITIES.
WOULD ANYONE COMMENT ON BUDGET OR ASK QUESTIONS? YES.
I WOULD LIKE TO COMMENT ON BUDGET TOWN SUPERVISOR.
MY NAME IS JUDITH BEVILLE GREENBERG TOWN CLERK.
IN 2018, MY OFFICE EXPERIENCED A MAJOR DISRUPTION OVER THE COURSE OF THE LAST THREE YEARS, THERE HAS BEEN A LACK OF CLARITY WITH REGARDS TO DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES THAT ARE BEING PERFORMED BY THE TOWN COUNCIL AIDE.
A NEW POSITION CREATED BY THE TOWN BOARD IN 2018 AND DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES IN MY OFFICE IN 2021.
ADDITIONAL FUNDS WERE GIVEN TO THE TOWN ASSESSOR AS PER HER REQUEST, EVEN THOUGH THE TOWN COMPTROLLER STATED THAT SHE WAS AGAINST GRANTING THESE FUNDS, WHICH BASICALLY AMOUNTED TO $40,000.
THE SAME AMOUNT OF MONEY THAT I HAVE BEEN REQUESTING FOR OVER TWO YEARS TO EXPAND A PART-TIME POSITION IN THE CLERK'S OFFICE TO A FULL-TIME POSITION TO MEET QUOTE UNQUOTE AS THE COMPTROLLER JUST STATED, THE GROWING DEMANDS OF TOWN SERVICES.
I FEEL THAT THE PUBLIC SHOULD KNOW THAT ANYTIME AND EVERY TIME I HAVE REQUESTED AN EXPANSION OF ONE PART-TIME POSITION IN MY POSITION IN MY OFFICE, IT'S BEEN BLOCKED AND TURNED DOWN.
I WAS TOLD THAT THIS POSITION WOULD BE PUT INTO THE BUDGET AND EXPANDED INTO A FULL-TIME POSITION.
AND THEN WHEN I ASKED THE TOWN COP COMPTROLLER TODAY, WHY WASN'T IT ADDED? SHE STATED TO ADD THIS TO YOUR DEPARTMENT WOULD CREATE CONTROVERSY.
NOW I'M WONDERING WHY ADDING ADDITIONAL 40,000 FUNDS AS DOLLARS IS WHAT I'VE ASKED FOR IN MY DEPARTMENT WOULD CREATE CONTROVERSY AND YET THOSE FUNDS WERE GRANTED TO THE TOWN ASSESSOR IN THIS SAME YEAR.
I'M WONDERING WHAT THIS IS ALL ABOUT.
IS IT A QUESTION OF EQUITY? IS IT A QUESTION OF SYSTEMIC RACISM OR
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IS IT SIMPLY A QUESTION OF DEVALUING THE SIGNIFICANCE OF THE CUSTOMER SERVICE AND COMMUNITY SERVICE AND CIVIC ENGAGEMENT PROVIDED THROUGH THE TOWN CLERK'S OFFICE? I AM ASKING THE PUBLIC FOR YOUR SUPPORT.I AM GOING TO MARCH FORWARD WITH THE REQUEST FOR THESE FUNDS TO SUPPORT THE EXPANSION OF A PART-TIME POSITION INTO A FULL-TIME POSITION IN THE OFFICE OF THE TOWN CLERK.
ANYBODY ELSE LIKE TO COMMENT? MR. SAMS PEOPLE
OH, ARE YOU? DO YOU WANNA SPEAK ON THE BUDGET? OKAY, COME ON.
HOW SAMIS WAS THE FIRST TO SUBMIT A REQUEST FOR PUBLIC COMMENT? OH, NOW YOU DID SAY BUDGET HERE.
OKAY, I'M SORRY ERIC, WOULD YOU LIKE TO COME FORWARD ALSO? OKAY, ALL WELL, WE HAVE A BUDGET, WHICH REALLY IS NOT SO MUCH DUE TO THE EFFORTS OF THE TOWN BOARD.
IN FACT, WE HAVE A BUDGET AND NO TAX INCREASE BECAUSE WHAT THE TOWN BOARD OR MR. FINER OR WHATEVER DID WAS TAKE $9 MILLION AWAY FROM THE FUND BALANCE.
NOW THE FUND BALANCE GROWS ONLY BECAUSE YOU TAXPAYERS ARE ASKED TO PUT IN MORE MONEY EACH YEAR AND YOU'RE REQUIRED.
THAT'S HOW YOU GET A FUND BALANCE.
BECAUSE WE HAVE ACCESS THAT WE MOVE AROUND FROM DEPARTMENT TO DEPARTMENT.
AND WHEN WE TAKE THE $9 MILLION AWAY AT THE SAME TIME AS THE TOWN ATTORNEY'S OFFICE IS VERY LOW TO TELL US ABOUT WHAT'S HAPPENING ON THE POLICE COURT CAMPUS, THE ACQUISITION THEREOF, WE'VE ALREADY TAKEN THAT AWAY BECAUSE IT'S GONE NOW SO THAT NEW PEOPLE DON'T HAVE TO RAISE YOUR TAXES THIS YEAR.
WE ALSO HAVE A BUDGET, WHICH IS WHAT IT IS SOLELY BECAUSE WE HAVE PROJECTIONS FOR THINGS THAT ACTUALLY HAVEN'T HAPPENED YET, BUT ARE PUTTING TOGETHER NUMBERS WHICH MAKES IT LOOK LIKE EVERYTHING IS GONNA BE HUNKY DORY GOING FORWARD.
WE HAVE FEDERAL AID, WHICH WE DIDN'T HAVE LAST YEAR ANYWHERE NEAR THIS OF $2,275,000.
WE HAVE LICENSES AND PERMIT FEES FOR $6 MILLION.
WE HAVE SALES TAX FOR $3,500,000.
WE DON'T HAVE THIS MONEY IN HAND.
WE ARE HOPING FINGERS CROSSED THAT THAT'S WHAT WE'RE GOING TO GET.
SO IN TERMS OF BEING SHREWD ON TERMS OF HOW YOUR MONEY IS BEING SPENT, THAT'S NOT WHAT THIS BUDGET IS ABOUT.
IT'S ALL HOPING THAT WE GET THE INCOME TO COVER THE RISING EXPENSES THAT WE HAVE ENCOUNTERED.
NOW, WHAT ARE SOME OF OUR RISING EXPENSES? MR. BEVILLE JUST TOLD YOU SHE'S BEGGING HER $40,000 TO TAKE A PART-TIME EMPLOYEE UP TO A FULL-TIME STATUS.
MR. FINER HAD A LITTLE CHANGE OVER AT HIS OFFICE THIS YEAR.
HIS CONFIDENTIAL SECRETARY LEFT AND HE HAD A REPLACEMENT COME IN.
THE CONFIDENTIAL SECRETARY WAS PAID.
WELL, YOU AUTHORIZED 30,000, BUT YOU ONLY SPENT $27,000 OF THAT TO TRAIN THE NEW CONFIDENTIAL SECRETARY.
THE NEW CONFIDENTIAL SECRETARY, BY THE WAY, IS STARTED AT $85,000 AND IN LESS THAN A YEAR'S TIME, SHE'S PARTICIPATING IN THE INCREASES THAT EVERYONE IS GETTING.
NOW IF SOMEONE LEAVES THE POLICE DEPARTMENT AND IS REPLACED BY SOMEONE ELSE, THEY'RE REPLACED AT THE STARTING SALARY OF POLICEMEN, NOT THE PRICE THAT YOU PAY THE OFFICER THAT LEFT.
SO IF YOU THINK THAT $87,000 AND THE FIRST YEAR IS A LOT FOR A CONFIDENTIAL SECRETARY, AND IF YOU GO THROUGHOUT TOWN HALL, YOU'LL DISCOVER THAT TOWN HALL IS DISCOVERED VOICEMAIL.
SO YOU DON'T ACTUALLY GET ANY SECRETARIES OR CONFIDENTIAL SECRETARIES.
NOW THE TOWN COUNCIL IS ALSO, YOU KNOW, VOTED TO GIVE THEMSELVES MONEY TOO.
REMEMBER COVID, THIS YEAR IN 2021, WE HAD LESS SERVICES BECAUSE EVERYBODY WAS HOME.
[00:15:01]
SO I UNDERSTAND THE RANK AND FILE AND YOU'RE MATCHING THE UNION INCREASES, WHICH YOU CONTRACTED FOR, BUT YOU PEOPLE DON'T HAVE TO TAKE IT.IN FACT, THE FOUR PEOPLE ON THE TOWN COUNCIL WHO WORKED PART-TIME, IF THEY WERE TO REJECT THEIR INCREASES, THEY THROW ANOTHER $8,000 BACK INTO THE TOWN'S BUDGET AND THAT $8,000 WOULD BUY NEW CHAIRS IN THE ENTRANCEWAY TO TOWN HALL, WHICH ARE ONLY THERE IN THE FIRST PLACE BECAUSE THEY WERE DONATED.
ANYONE WHO COMES TO GREENBURG TOWN HALL FOR THE FIRST TIME FACES THESE THINGS THAT SHOULD EVEN BE ACCEPTED BY THE SALVATION ARMY.
SO GIVE BACK AT YOUR RAISES BECAUSE YOU DIDN'T EARN THEM.
NOW THE QUESTION IS, WE HAVE A FUND BALANCE LEFT OF $2,735,000, WHICH I GUESS IS ADEQUATE UNDER ALL THE THINGS.
A FUND BALANCE IS REALLY A RAINY DAY FUND.
YOU CAN'T GET BELOW THAT 2,000,007.
SO THE QUESTION THEN I WOULD ASK WHILE WE GO THROUGH THE CHARADE ABOUT A POLICE AND A COURT EXPANSION, WHERE'S THAT MONEY COMING FROM? YOU'VE ALREADY THROWN INTO THE BUDGET FOR 2022.
ERIC ZINGER, GOOD EVENING TOWN BOARD.
YOU KNOW, UH, EVERY TIME I'VE COME UP HERE FOR THE ANNUAL PUBLIC HEARING, I'VE ALWAYS TALKED ABOUT HOW THIS IS THE MOST IMPORTANT PUBLIC HEARING OF THE YEAR.
UM, YOU KNOW, IT'S WHERE OUR TAX DOLLARS ARE SPENT.
IT'S WHERE MOST CITIZENS WILL SEE THE DIRECT IMPACT.
IT'S THE BIGGEST PUBLIC HEARING OF THE YEAR, AND YET NOT A SINGLE EMAIL WAS SENT OUT IN ADVANCE OF THIS WHEN THE BUDGET WAS FIRST ANNOUNCED BY SUPERVISOR FEINER.
SINCE THEN, HE SENT TWO EMAILS ABOUT ALI.
HE SENT AN EMAIL ABOUT PICKLEBALL AND HE SENT AN EMAIL ABOUT A LOST DOG.
AT NO POINT DID HE THINK IT WAS WORTH MENTIONING ON THIS EMAIL CHAIN THAT WE WERE HAVING A PUBLIC HEARING ABOUT THE BUDGET BUDGET.
YOU DIDN'T THINK THAT THAT WAS RELEVANT INFORMATION FOR TONIGHT'S MEETING.
NO AGENDA WAS POSTED UNTIL I BELIEVE SATURDAY AFTERNOON.
SO UNLESS YOU WERE COMBINING THROUGH PREVIOUS RESOLUTIONS OR ATTENDING PRIOR BOARD MEETINGS, YOU HAD NO IDEA THAT THIS WAS GOING TO HAPPEN.
THEN AT THE VERY LAST MINUTE, RESIDENTS ARE TOLD THAT THEY MUST PRE-REGISTER IN ORDER TO ATTEND TOWN BOARD MEETINGS.
THE OPAQUENESS, THE LACK OF PUBLIC INPUT, ARE HALLMARKS OF THIS ADMINISTRATION AND NO NUMBER OF EMAILS ABOUT PICKLEBALL OR LOST WILL CHANGE THAT.
I WANNA START WITH THE, A BUDGET PROJECTED SPENDING WILL DECREASE BY 4 MILLION IN THE TIME WIDE BUDGET.
BUT THIS IS REALLY AN ACCOUNTING MOVE AS IT PROJECTS LESS MONEY TO BE SPENT ON THE POLICE COURTHOUSE.
2021 BUDGET PROJECTED 12.5 MILLION 2022 HAS 7.4.
LAST YEAR, ONLY 160,000 WAS SPENT.
IT'S UNREALISTIC TO THINK THAT ANY SIGNIFICANT SPENDING WILL OCCUR IN 22 20 22.
AND THE REASON I BRING THAT UP IS BECAUSE OF THE MALICIOUS AND DUPLICATIVE ACTIONS THAT OCCURRED IN 2019 WHEN THE URGENT NEED FOR A NEW POLICE AND COURTHOUSE WAS SUDDENLY BROUGHT UP BY SUPERVISOR FINER ONLY WEEKS BEFORE A SCHEDULED VOTE FOR THE GREENBURG CENTRAL SCHOOL DISTRICT BOND THAT WAS URGENTLY NEEDED TO IMPROVE THE INFRASTRUCTURE OF THE SCHOOL THREE YEARS LATER.
AND COVID OBVIOUSLY PLAYED AN IMPACT, BUT EVERYONE KNOWS THAT THERE WAS NO REALISTIC CHANCE OF THAT HAPPENING IN THAT YEAR.
AND THE WAY THAT THAT WAS BROUGHT UP SPECIFICALLY TO DERAIL THE BOND VOTE AND GET VOTERS TO BE CONCERNED ABOUT INCREASED SPENDING COMING DOWN THE LINE WITH I THINK A REAL BLACK STATE.
NEXT I WANNA TALK ABOUT THE ROOF NINE A KIT DISTRICT.
IF YOU'VE EVER ATTENDED ONE OF THESE PUBLIC HEARINGS ON THE ANNUAL BUDGET, YOU KNOW, I BRING THIS UP EVERY YEAR.
EVERY YEAR WE PUT $300,000 INTO A FUND.
THERE'S ALMOST $7 MILLION IN THAT FUND.
AND I SUGGESTED LONG AGO THAT WE DISBAND THAT DISTRICT.
WHEN I FIRST SUGGESTED WE WOULD'VE HAD $1.2 MILLION ADDITIONAL TO COVER THE MONEY THAT WE NEED FOR PARKS IF YOU'RE YOUNG, COMMUNITY CENTER, ROAD PAVING SIDEWALKS, ALL THE THINGS THAT WE URGENTLY NEED INSTEAD, YEAR AFTER YEAR, WE ARE DUMPING MONEY INTO A POT THAT WILL LIKELY NEVER GET USED.
AND IF IT DOES EVER GET USED, YOU KNOW, WE'RE ONLY GONNA END UP PICKING MORE OF OUR SHARE UP FROM THE COUNTY.
I URGE THE TOWN BOARD TO PASS THE ROOF SOLUTION TO SPANNING THE ROUTE NINE A TIP DISTRICT RETURNING THOSE ANNUAL TAX DOLLARS EACH YEAR TO THE, UH, REGULAR BUDGET.
AND OBVIOUSLY THE REMAINING $7 MILLION IN THE FUND WILL STAY THERE TO BE USED WHENEVER THIS ROUTE NINE A TIP DISTRICT WILL BE, UH, OR, UH, THE NINE EIGHT BUY THROUGH WILL BE, UH, BUILT.
NEXT I WANNA TALK ABOUT THE DEPARTMENT OF COMMUNITY RESOURCES.
THE DEPARTMENT OF COMMUNITY RESOURCES SEEKS TO IMPROVE THE QUALITY OF LIFE FOR GREENBURG RESIDENTS BY PROVIDING A VARIETY OF EDUCATIONAL, CULTURAL, RECREATIONAL, AND SOCIAL PROGRAMS. THIS APPROACH WITH WHICH WE ENDEAVOR TO LESSEN PROBLEMS BOARD BY
[00:20:01]
POVERTY, RACISM, AND CULTURAL DEPRIVATION.IT IS AN EMBARRASSMENT THAT YEAR AFTER YEAR THAT THIS PROGRAM IS FUNDED ONLY BY THE B BUDGET AND NOT THE A BUDGET.
IF THOSE THINGS LESSENING THE PROBLEMS CAUSED BY POVERTY, RACISM AND CULTURAL DEPRIVATION ARE NOT PRIORITIES FOR ALL TOWN RESIDENTS, THEN I'D LIKE TO HEAR 'EM STAND UP AND SAY WHY IT SHOULDN'T BE THAT MONEY THAT BUDGET BELONGS IN THE, A BUDGET WHERE IT COULD BE FUNDED BY A MUCH, MUCH LARGER TAX BASE PROGRAMMING WOULD BE LESS AT RISK FOR FUNDING CUTS POTENTIAL EDGEMONT CORPORATION, WHICH IS STILL VERY MUCH DOWN THE ROAD.
AND I THINK THAT THIS TOWN BOARD NEEDS TO SERIOUSLY CONSIDER MOVING THAT OVER TO THE A BUDGET, THE LITIGATION THAT RESULTED NEVER SAID THAT IT COULDN'T GO TO THE A BUDGET, IT JUST SAID IT DIDN'T HAVE TO BE IN THE A BUDGET.
I'D LIKE TO KNOW WHAT THE PROJECTED 2022 SPENDING FOR THE KRISTEN KRISTEN STEIN LAWSUIT AGAINST THE TOWN OF GREENBERG AND POLICE DEPARTMENT IS SCHEDULED TO BE.
I BELIEVE WE'VE ALREADY SPENT, WE'RE AUTHORIZED CLOSE TO $400,000 IN LEGAL FEES.
DOES THE TOWN BOARD HAVE ANY IDEA WHAT PROTECTED LEGAL FEES WOULD BE FOR BRINGING THIS CASE TO TRIAL? IF THEY DO, THAT NUMBER SHOULD BE PUBLICLY STATED.
AND AS PART OF THE BUDGET, WE KNOW THIS LAWSUIT IS REAL.
WE SHOULD PUT THAT IN THE BUDGET EXPLICITLY.
I'M SORRY THAT HAL AND UH, AND ERIC REQUEST TO SPEAK ON THIS HEARING.
DOES ANYBODY ON ZOOM WANT TO SPEAK? IF YOU DO, PLEASE RAISE YOUR HAND ELECTRONICALLY A SECOND.
I HAVE NO PROBLEM WITH PEOPLE SPEAKING A SECOND TIME.
NO ONE ON ZOOM HAS ASKED TO SPEAK.
CAN YOU HEAR ME? HELLO? HELLO? HELLO? CAN YOU HEAR ME? TASHA, DO YOU WISH TO SPEAK? YES.
CAN YOU HEAR ME? CAN YOU HEAR ME? YOU SEEM TO HAVE PROBLEMS WITH THEIR MICROPHONE.
CAN YOU HEAR ME NOW? HELLO? SO SHOULD WE HEAR FROM THE PEOPLE WHO WANNA SPEAK A SECOND TIME? FIRST? THERE'S ONE MORE PERSON NOW.
MICHELLE, DO YOU WISH TO SPEAK? YES, I DO.
CAN YOU HEAR ME NOW? HELLO? CAN YOU HEAR ME? INTERESTING.
OH, CAN YOU HEAR ME NOW? BECAUSE I CAN'T HEAR YOU.
I DON'T KNOW IF YOU CAN HEAR ME.
UH, MICHELLE? YES, WE YES, WE CAN HEAR YOU.
YEAH, IF YOU COULD START WITH YOUR COMMENT PLEASE.
I JUST WANTED TO KNOW, UM, WHEN DOES JUDITH GET THE GET, GET A RESPONSE? I MEAN, IT'S BEEN TWO YEARS.
I KNOW THERE'S COMMENTS AND GENERALLY PEOPLE DON'T ANSWER.
HOW DO WE KNOW WHAT THE RESULT OF THIS IS? I MEAN, UM, I BELIEVE SHE'S BEEN ASKING FOR TWO YEARS.
I BELIEVE THAT $40,000 IS THE SAME AMOUNT THAT WAS ALLOCATED TO ANOTHER, UM, DEPARTMENT.
AND I BELIEVE THAT, UM, IT MIGHT BE SYSTEMIC RACISM.
I'M JUST TRYING TO UNDERSTAND HOW DOES IT GET RESOLVED? BECAUSE TO KEEP TALKING ABOUT
[00:25:01]
IT AND NOT REALLY HAVING A CONVERSATION, UM, TO COME TO RESOLUTION.UM, I, I THINK THAT'S NOT HOW SHE WORKS.
SO I'M JUST ASKING HOW DO YOU RESOLVE THIS? BECAUSE SHE'S, SHE'S SAYING SOMETHING I DON'T UNDERSTAND.
DO WE WANNA TRY, UH, TASHA ONE MORE TIME? OKAY.
WELL WELCOME MS. YOUNG, IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO UNMUTE YOUR MIC AND PLEASE SPEAK.
I JUST WANNA KNOW IF THERE'S ANOTHER OPPORTUNITY FOR THE PUBLIC TO COMMENT, UM, ON THE BUDGET AS ERIC HAD POINTED OUT.
UM, I WAS NOT AWARE AND PERHAPS I'M NOT ALONE THAT THIS WAS THE PUBLIC PRELIMINARY BUDGET.
IS THERE ANOTHER OPPORTUNITY? THERE'LL BE ANOTHER OPPORTUNITY AT THE NEXT MEETING.
CAN WE HAVE THAT DATE IN ADVANCE? IS THAT DATE AVAILABLE NOW? WHEN'S DECEMBER? EIGHTH? EIGHTH.
ANYBODY ELSE? HEY MR. THIS SAYS
EVERYONE IS TALKING ABOUT PRELIMINARY BUDGET.
NOW LET'S TALK ABOUT SOMETHING THAT YOU THINK IS IN THIS DOCUMENT, BUT IT ISN'T.
TALKING ABOUT OUTSIDE LEGAL COUNSEL.
I'M TALKING ABOUT THE AMOUNT WE PAY IN FEES.
I'M TALKING ABOUT IF THERE ARE ANY JUDGMENTS THAT THE TOWN PAYS.
AND I'M TALKING ABOUT A WHOLE BUNCH OF THINGS WHICH AREN'T IN THIS BUDGET.
SO WHEN THE PUBLIC LOOKS AT IT, THEY'RE NOT GETTING A TRUE PICTURE BECAUSE IT'S HIDDEN.
LAST YEAR, THE TOWN, WELL, I'M SORRY, IN 2021, WHICH I GOT BY ADDING UP ALL YOUR RESOLUTIONS, JUST THE NEW AMOUNTS AND CONTINUING LITIGATION.
AND I GOT SOMETHING LIKE 1,000,100 $70,000.
A LOT OF MONEY THAT YOU DON'T, PEOPLE DON'T KNOW IS BEING SPENT BUT ALSO INCLUDES $50,000 THAT WE PAID TO FOR EDGE MONTH.
IT ALSO INCLUDES, UM, $72,000 THAT WE SPENT TO LOBBY ALBANY REGARDING EDGE FUND.
WHAT YOU'RE GOING TO VOTE, INCLUDING WHAT YOU'RE GONNA SPEND TONIGHT TO STUDY THE BUILDING DEPARTMENT, BUILDING INSPECTOR DEPARTMENT.
BIG MYSTERY ABOUT WHY THAT GUY LEFT.
RIGHT? WELL, LET'S SEE WHAT'S IN THAT REPORT.
AND IT ALSO SAYS, WELL LET'S TALK ABOUT THE DRILL MORE CELLS.
MR. FINER EVEN ACKNOWLEDGES THAT WE SPENT FOUR THOUSAND FOUR MILLION TWO HUNDRED NINETY FOUR THOUSAND IN LITIGATION.
MR. LEWIS, IN ALL THE RESOLUTION WAS SAYING TO THE PUBLIC, DON'T WORRY, IT'S COVERED BY INSURANCE.
IT WASN'T BECAUSE IN FACT WE HAD TO SPEND $560,000 TO INSURE, TO SUE THE INSURANCE COMPANY TO GET THE SETTLEMENT THAT FOR THEIR LEGAL COVERAGE THAT WE GOT, WHICH WAS $2,750,000.
MEANWHILE, WHAT LITIGATION COST, THE TOWN WAS 9,000,005.
AND BY THE WAY, WE PAY THE INSURANCE COMPANY INSURANCE PREMIUM.
SO IF YOU WANNA ADD ALL UP, WHAT WE GET WENT INTO GET THE $2,750,000,
[00:30:01]
THAT'S THE $560,000 THAT WE HAD TO SUE THEM FOR THEIR SHARE OF IT.THAT'S AN UNKNOWN NUMBER FOR THE INSURANCE PREMIUMS THAT WE PAID FOR THE INSURANCE.
AND OUR PREMIUMS ARE GOING UP BECAUSE WE HAVE A LOT OF HIGH TICKET LITIGATION AGAINST US.
FORTRESS BIBLE FOR EXAMPLE, THAT'S PART OF THE COMPETENCY OF THIS TOWN IN TERMS OF WHERE IT FITS YOU IN THE BUDGET.
IF WE WEREN'T IN COURT EVERY WEEK, WE HAVE A POLICE DEPARTMENT.
IT'S A NEW GROWTH INDUSTRY NOW TO SUE THE POLICE DEPARTMENT.
WE HAVE I THINK THREE CASES GOING RIGHT NOW.
INTERESTING ISN'T IT THAT EVERYONE SITS HERE QUIETLY AND HIS FINER TOLD HIM, TOLD YOU BEFORE, WHAT A GREAT JOB WE'RE DOING ON OUR BUDGET.
IT'S THE BUDGET THAT HE TELLS YOU THAT THEY'RE DOING NOT THE BUDGET AS IT REALLY IS.
SO WE DON'T HAVE A TAX INCREASE PER SE BECAUSE WE'RE USING THE TAXPAYER'S FUNDS THAT THEY PUT IN IN PREVIOUS YEARS TO PAY DOWN THE COST OF RUNNING THE TOWN.
AND I'D LIKE TO HEAR FROM MR. FINER TONIGHT, WHAT'S GONNA HAPPEN ABOUT A POLICE AND A COURT BUILDING? WHERE IS THE MONEY GONNA COME FROM? ARE WE STILL GOING AHEAD? YOU KNOW, I STARTED COMING TO TOWN BOARD MEETINGS IN THE YEAR 2000 AND WE WERE TALKING ABOUT IT THEN.
AND IT'S A SEESAW THAT GOES ON PERIODICALLY.
WE BUILD A FUND BALANCE UP, WE TAKE IT AWAY AND EVERY TIME IT'S ALWAYS TALKED, IT'S MONEY THAT WE'RE SAVING TOWARDS THIS NEW POLICE AND THE COURT CAMPUS.
THERE ARE DEFINITE PROBLEMS WITH THE EXISTING BUILDINGS, THEIR SIZE AND EVERYTHING ELSE.
YOU ACKNOWLEDGE IT IN THE PAST.
SO WHEN ARE WE GONNA GET IT? I MEAN, YOU'VE LIED TO US ABOUT EVERY ASPECT ABOUT THAT PROJECT, INCLUDING ITS COST, INCLUDING ITS LOCATION.
I JUST, I'M SAYING IN TERMS OF THE POLICE AND COURTHOUSE, NO DECISIONS BEEN MADE AND WE'RE CONTINUING TO, UH, REVIEW, UM, YOU KNOW, OPTIONS.
WHERE ARE WE PAYING? HOW ARE WE PAYING WORK, PAUL? WE HAVE TO HAVE A PROPO.
WE WE HAVE NOT COMMITTED TO ANYTHING RIGHT NOW, SO, SO WE DON'T HAVE THE MONEY FOR IT, WHICH IS WHY WE'RE NOT COMMITTED ANYTHING.
WILL YOU REFRAIN FROM USING FOUL LANGUAGE, MR. SAMIS? IT'S A PROBABLY FUNCTION.
BUT FOR BULLS, NOT FOR HUMANS.
AND THEN, AND THEN ERIC UH, CALL YOU FOR THE SECOND.
UM, I'M THE SUPPORT OF JU HILL AND I CAN REMEMBER, IT MIGHT HAVE BEEN A COUPLE OF YEARS AGO, CLIFF, APRIL, I CAN REMEMBER A COUPLE OF YEARS AGO WHEN THE PERSON THAT WAS IN JUDY'S OFFICE LEFT, IT WAS A POSITION MADE UP FOR HER.
AND IF JUDITH NEEDS A FULL-TIME WORKER AND THE TOWN CLERK OFFICE DEPARTMENT IS SO A APART, I DON'T KNOW WHY THE TOWN BOARD WOULDN'T WANT SUPPORT THAT.
SO I AM IN SUPPORT OF IT AND I WOULD LIKE TO KNOW WHY JOE WOULDN'T WANT TO SUPPORT SOMETHING LIKE THAT.
THEN LISTENING TO ERIC, THE A AND B BUDGET.
WOW, I'M GLAD I SHOWED UP TODAY.
AND IT'S NOT A COMMUNITY CENTER'S, A DEPARTMENT OF COMMUNITY RESOURCE, WHICH IS EVERYBODY IN THE TOWN OF GREENBURG, LIKE PAUL
BUT LEMME JUST SAY, RIGHT, I JUST WANNA SAY YOU'RE RIGHT NEXT TO THE SNO.
COULD YOU PUT THE MASK OVER YOUR NOSE? NO, I'M OKAY.
APOLOGIZE, I'M SO GOING LIKE THIS TO YOU.
OKAY, LET, SO YOU KNOW, AND, AND THAT STILL IS CONFUSING TO RESIDENTS 'CAUSE A LOT OF RESIDENTS STILL THINK THE CENTER IS A COMMUNITY CENTER, WHICH I RECOMMEND, I SHOULD REMEMBER LIKE YEARS AGO SAYING LIKE, HEY, I UNDERSTAND THIS DEPARTMENT OF COMMUNITY RESOURCE, BUT AT NIGHTTIME IT SHOULD BE TURNED BACK INTO A COMMUNITY CENTER WHERE THE YOUTH AND THE YOUNG ADULTS COULD COME DOWN THERE WITH A CENTER CARD AND BE
[00:35:01]
ABLE TO USE A COMPUTER LAB, WHICH IS A STATE OF THE ART.AND I DON'T KNOW, I'VE BEEN TALKING ABOUT THIS FOR YEARS.
I DON'T KNOW IF PEOPLE CAN COME FROM THE COMMUNITY DOWN TO THE CENTER AND LET'S USE THE
IF I'M WRONG, I'M WRONG ENOUGH TO LEMME KNOW ABOUT THAT.
BUT I KNOW AS A, AS FOR THE LAST FIVE, EIGHT YEARS, THEY HAVEN'T BEEN THAT WAY.
THEY'VE BEEN TO AFTERSCHOOL PROGRAMS BEING USED.
I ALSO ASKED THAT AFTER SCHOOL PROGRAM WHAT USED TO BE, I KNOW IT'S NOT THERE NO MORE FOR $800 TO BE A PART OF THE EXPOSURE PROGRAM.
DENTIST CENTER TOLD ME THEY GOT THEIR OWN PROGRAM FOR 400
AND I DON'T KNOW WHY WE JUST CAN'T HAVE A PROGRAM THAT WE CAN USE COLLEGE STUDENTS.
MOST KIDS WANT TO GET THEIR HOMEWORK DONE AND THEN HAVE FUN AND I DON'T KNOW WHY WE HAVE TO CHARGE PEOPLE 800 AND $400.
SO, BACK TO WHAT I WANT TO SAY THAT WITH THE A BUDGET, I LIKE Y'ALL EXPLAIN THAT BECAUSE THAT WAS VERY IMPORTANT.
NOW, THE A BUTTON, A BUDGET AND THE B, SO IF THE CENTER CLAIM, THEY DON'T HAVE CERTAIN MONEY, EXCUSE ME, IT'S AN DEPARTMENT OF COMMUNITY RESOURCE CLAIM.
THEY DON'T HAVE CERTAIN MONEY TO DO SOCIAL PROGRAMS THAT PROGRAM, BUT WE NEED SOCIAL PROGRAMS FOR OUR YOUTH.
AND MAYBE THE A, UM, BUDGET WOULD HELP OUT TO GIVE 'EM MORE MONEY TO DO THE THING THEY NEED TO DO.
I JUST WANNA GO BACK AND I WANNA REITERATE ON TWO POINTS THAT I MENTIONED EARLIER.
YOU KNOW, I, I DON'T, I'M NOT, I'M NOT, I THINK WE CAN CUT THROUGH THIS.
I DON'T THINK THERE'S A SINGLE PERSON ON THAT BOARD RIGHT NOW THAT THINKS WE'RE GONNA SPEND $7.4 MILLION ON THIS COURTHOUSE NEXT YEAR, RIGHT? LIKE, THAT'S NOT REALISTICALLY HAPPENING.
LIKE, WE DON'T EVEN HAVE A SITE AND NOW EVERYONE KNOWS WE REALLY HAVE A SITE, BUT WE DON'T OFFICIALLY HAVE A SITE.
LET'S BE TRANSPARENT, LET'S BE HONEST, AND WE'LL PUT 12.5 MILLION IN THE BUDGET.
WE KNOW THAT MONEY'S NOT GETTING SPENT.
WE KNOW WE'RE NOT SPENDING $7.4 MILLION ON A POLICE AND COURTHOUSE BACK HERE.
IS THERE ANYONE OUT THERE THAT REALLY THINKS THAT WE'RE GONNA SPEND THAT MONEY? IF SO, I'D LOVE TO HEAR YOUR LOGIC BEHIND IT BECAUSE WE DON'T EVEN HAVE A LOCATION.
SO I I I THINK IT INFORMATIONAL ACCURACY IN THE BUDGET IS IMPORTANT, ESPECIALLY WHEN WE'RE DOING SO MUCH OF THIS.
AS I POINTED OUT BEHIND CLOSED DOORS, I'D REALLY LIKE TO HEAR A REASON TO SUPERVISE THE FIRE.
WHY NO EMAIL WENT OUT ABOUT TONIGHT'S BUDGET.
BUDGET IS THE MOST IMPORTANT THING THAT THE TOWN DOES.
IT SETS THE COURSE FOR THE REST OF THE YEAR FOR THE SPENDING.
THIS IS WHAT YOU GUYS DO IS, IS AUTHORIZE AND DISTRIBUTE THE MONEY THAT GETS USED AND DISTRIBUTED BY OUR DEPARTMENT SUPERVISORS AND BY ALL OF OUR VARIOUS DEPARTMENTS.
SO WHY WAS THERE NO NOTIFICATION OF THIS, UM, MEETING TO HAPPEN? THE AGENDA? WHY WASN'T THE AGENDA ONLINE UNTIL SATURDAY AFTERNOON? THERE HAS TO BE A REASON FOR THAT.
AND THERE'S ONLY ONE OF TWO EXPLANATIONS.
IT'S EITHER INCOMPETENCE OR IT'S INTENTIONAL.
EVERYONE KNEW THIS MEETING, WHO WENT TO THE LAST ONE WHEN IT WAS SCHEDULED KNEW THIS, YOU KNOW, THIS PUBLIC HEARING WASN'T A SURPRISE TO PEOPLE LIKE ME WHO PAY ATTENTION 'CAUSE I ATTEND THESE MEETINGS.
BUT THAT'S THE VAST MINORITY OF PEOPLE.
SO WHEN WE KNOW THAT WE HAVE AN IMPORTANT PUBLIC HEARING, LIKE THE BUDGET ON THE CALENDAR, WHY IS THE RED AGENDA NOT AVAILABLE EVEN ONE BUSINESS DAY IN ADVANCE? AND WHY IS NOBODY IN THE TOWN BEING NOTIFIED? GUYS, I'LL GIVE CREDIT ALL THE CREDIT IN THE WORLD TO PAUL.
'CAUSE OUT OF EVERYONE UP THERE, HE IS AT LEAST TRYING SOMETIMES TO NOTIFY PEOPLE.
YOU GUYS CAN ALL MAIL THE GV LIST.
EVERY SINGLE ONE OF YOU HAS ACCESS TO THAT.
EVERY SINGLE ONE OF YOU CAN HAVE YOUR OWN NEWSLETTER.
EVERY SINGLE ONE OF YOU CAN HAVE YOUR OWN COMMUNICATION DISTRIBUTION NETWORK, RIGHT? THIS IS NOT EXCLUSIVELY PAUL'S TERRITORY.
IF YOU WANT THEM TO GET THE WORD OUT AND TELL PEOPLE ABOUT THE BUDGET, YOU COULD DO THAT ON YOUR OWN WEBSITE, ON A FACEBOOK PAGE, ON A TOWN NEWSLETTER.
THIS IS NOT JUST PAUL'S JOB, THIS IS EVERYONE'S JOB.
I WOULD URGE EVERYONE, IF EVERYONE WAS AS COMMUNICATIVE AS PAUL NORMALLY IS, I DON'T THINK THESE KINDS OF THINGS WOULD SLIP THROUGH THE CRACKS.
SO WE HAVE ANOTHER OPPORTUNITY FOR THE PUBLIC TO COMMENT ON THE BUDGET.
I THINK EVERYONE WOULD AGREE THAT IT'S BEST INTEREST OF THE ENTIRE COMMUNITY THAT NOTICE FOR THAT EVENT GO OUT.
AND BEFORE THE DECEMBER 8TH HEARING, I WILL, UH, MAKE IT A POINT TO, UH, SEND A REMINDER, UH, TO
[00:40:01]
RESIDENTS BECAUSE WE DO BASICALLY TRY, UH, REACHING OUT TO THE COMMUNITY.I DID REACH OUT TO CIVIC ASSOCIATION LEADERS ASKING FOR THEIR INPUT.
I INDICATED THAT WOULD BE WILLING TO, UH, MEET WITH GROUPS, MEET WITH INDIVIDUALS, UM, YOU KNOW, ANSWER QUESTIONS.
AND YOU KNOW, AGAIN, YOU KNOW, THIS BUDGET BECAUSE IT'S A 0% INCREASE, REALLY HASN'T BEEN, YOU KNOW, THAT THAT CONTROVERSIAL ON THE TOWN BOARD HASN'T, UM, AS OF YET MADE, UH, SOME OF THE MAJOR, UH, OR OR MINOR, UH, YOU KNOW, CHANGES IN THE, IN THE BUDGET.
BUT I WILL BEFORE DECEMBER 8TH, UM, REMIND PEOPLE THAT I THINK THAT'S VALID, VALID, CONTROVERSIAL, OR NOT THESE IMPORTANT THINGS.
AND JUST IN TERMS OF, YOU KNOW, THE ISSUE THAT YOU HAVE RELATING TO, UH, UH, OR CLIFF HAS RELATING TO THE COMMUNITY CENTER DEPARTMENT OF HUMAN RESOURCES, WHY IT'S IN THE B BUDGET RATHER THAN THE A BUDGET.
AND HISTORICALLY, UM, YOU KNOW, ALMOST EVERYBO, MOST OF THE PEOPLE WHO USE THE COMMUNITY CENTER LIVE IN UNINCORPORATED GREENBURG.
UM, YOU KNOW, IT'S A CENTER THAT REALLY TARGETS PEOPLE IN THE FAIRVIEW AREA.
UM, UH, NORTH ELMSFORD, WHICH IS, YOU KNOW, UNINCORPORATED GREENBURG.
THERE'S SOME PEOPLE IN THE VILLAGES, BUT THE OVERWHELMING MAJORITY IS, UM, IS UNINCORPORATED GREENBURG.
UM, AND GREENBURG, RESIDENTS PAY FOR, UM, SERVICES OFFERED BY RESIDENT OFFERED TO, UM, YOU KNOW, RESIDENTS OF UNINCORPORATED, YOU KNOW, GREENBURG, THE VILLAGES HAVE THEIR OWN, UM, YOU KNOW, OWN PROGRAMS. THEY HAVE THEIR OWN COMMUNITY CENTERS, UM, THEY HAVE THEIR OWN RECREATION PROGRAMS AND THEY PAY THEIR TAXES TO, UH, TO THE VILLAGES FOR THE THAT SERVICE.
MY FEELING IS THAT, UH, IF THIS WOULD BE, UM, FUNDED IN THE A BUDGET, YOU KNOW, WHICH IS DEFINITELY, YOU KNOW, AN OPTION.
I THINK THAT IN THE LONG TERM, THE COMMUNITY CENTER WOULD GET LESS MONEY THAN THEY'RE GETTING, YOU KNOW, NOW BECAUSE WHEN THERE'S A, YOU KNOW, EVERYTHING GOES AND, YOU KNOW, THERE'S IN PHASES, YOU KNOW, THERE RIGHT NOW PEOPLE MAY SAY, OH, WE WANT TO HELP THE CENTER.
WE, WE WANNA HELP, UM, PEOPLE WHO ARE IN LOWER INCOME IN HOUSEHOLDS.
BUT, YOU KNOW, PEOPLE IN DOS FAIR, MOST PEOPLE IN DOS FAIR ARE NOT GONNA WANNA FUND, UM, A COMMUNITY CENTER BECAUSE THEY DON'T USE IT.
UH, MOST PEOPLE, YOU KNOW, IN IRVINGTON, YOU KNOW, AND ANY, THE VILLAGES, THEY, THEY DON'T HAVE ANY TIES TO REALLY.
THE, THEY DON'T USE THE CENTER.
SO THE QUESTION IS, IF YOU PUT IT IN THE A BUDGET, UM, I THINK THAT AT SOME POINT IN THE FUTURE, PEOPLE IN THE COMMUNITY, YOU KNOW, IN THE ENTIRE, AND ESPECIALLY IN THE VILLAGES WOULD SAY, YOU KNOW, WHY DON'T, INSTEAD OF GIVING THE CENTER THE FUNDING THAT WE'RE GIVING NOW, I THINK THEY'D BE, IT WOULD BECOME MORE CONTROVERSIAL.
AND I PREDICT THAT, UM, THAT THERE WOULD BE LONG-TERM CUTS IN THE PROGRAMS THAT ARE OFFERED TO PEOPLE IN THE COMMUNITY.
NOW, SOME PEOPLE MAY DISAGREE WITH THAT.
UH, YOU KNOW, IF, IF, UH, ERIC OR IF YOU WANNA REACH OUT TO, UH, MAYORS AND VILLAGE BOARDS AND SAY, WOULD WE WOULD LIKE TO FUND THE COMMUNITY CENTER? YOU'RE, YOU'RE, YOU'RE ENTITLED TO DO SO.
AND IF ALL THE VILLAGES SAY, WOULD LIKE TO SEE OUR TAXES GO UP IN THE VILLAGES, THEN THE TOWN COULD, YOU KNOW, CONSIDER PUTTING IT AN A BUDGET.
I DON'T, I I HAVE, I HAVE A QUESTION.
I'VE HEARD YOU, I'VE HEARD YOU GIVEN, I HEARD YOU SAY THAT A COUPLE OF TIMES, BUT WHAT I HAVEN'T HEARD IS, HAVE WE EVER ASKED THE VILLAGES, HAVE WE EVER REACHED OUT TO THE VILLAGES JUST TO GET THEIR CONSENSUS? AND THAT'S, AND, AND I'M PUTTING THAT OUT THERE, AND THIS IS BECAUSE I'VE, I'M TROUBLED BY THAT.
YOU KNOW, SO WE NEVER, WE, WE ANTICIPATE, WELL, DO WE EVER JUST ASK THE QUESTION SO WE CAN HEAR FROM THEM TO SAY WHETHER THEY WOULD WANNA FUND IT OR NOT, INSTEAD OF US MAKING THAT DECISIONS FOR THEM? YOU KNOW WHAT? THAT'S JUST, THAT'S JUST MY COMMENT.
THAT'S A VERY VALID, UH, POINT.
AND YOU KNOW, WHAT I COULD DO IS I COULD, UM, YOU KNOW, UH, REACH OUT TO THE VILLAGES, UM, YOU KNOW, I COULD, AND I'LL SAY, WOULD YOU LIKE TO SEE THE, A BUDGET, UH, YOU KNOW, GO UP? UH, AND BECAUSE YOU KNOW WHAT, IF THAT'S NOT WE NO LINE, BUT THE QUESTION, BUT THE QUESTION, THE BOTTOM LINE QUESTION, THE BOTTOM LINE, THAT WASN'T A QUESTION ABOUT ANY INCREASE THE BUDGET.
THE QUESTION WAS LIKE, WOULD YOU MIND FUND, WHOA, WE HAVE A SONOGRAPHY HERE.
LET, I'M GONNA TRY TO FINISH, I'M GONNA TRY TO FINISH TO SEE IF THEY WOULD FUND THE, THE COMMUNITY, THE COMMUNITY RESOURCE CENTER.
THE QUESTION IS NOT, WOULD YOU WANT YOUR BUDGET TO GO UP? GO.
BUT THAT'S NOT, IF YOU SELL, IF SOMEONE SOLD THAT TO ME IN THAT MANNER, I, I WOULDN'T WANT IT EITHER.
[00:45:01]
THAT'S NOT, I MEAN, YOU KNOW, WE'RE NOTS WE'RE NOT EXPLAINING THE PURPOSE AND, AND, AND, AND IT'S WHAT'S BEHIND THE COMMUNITY OF RESOURCES.THAT'S JUST, THAT'S JUST MY COMMENT.
NO, YOU, YOU'RE, ALL I'M SAYING IS THAT THE, IF IF THE ONLY WAY, IF WE'RE GOING TO REACH OUT TO THE VILLAGES, AND I WON'T, I, I'LL SAY, YOU KNOW, THE, THE BOTTOM LINE IS WE WOULD HAVE TO INCREASE THE, THE BUDGET, THE, THE A BUDGET, WHICH WOULD MEAN THE PEOPLE IN THE VILLAGES WOULD START CONTRIBUTING THEIR TAX DOLLARS TO THE COMMUNITY CENTER, WHICH, WHICH THEY'RE NOT DOING RIGHT NOW.
I COULD ASK THAT IF YOU WANT TO COME UP WITH A WORDING, UM, AND UH, UH, I'LL USE THE WORDING THAT YOU PRESENT.
IT'S THE BOARD CONCERN NOW TO SPEAK.
AND SO THE BOARD SHOULD SPEAK NOT PEOPLE FROM THE UM, UH, OR AUDITORIUM.
UM, PAUL, YOU KNOW, UM, I'M DONE.
WHEN YOU SAY LIKE LOW INCOME AND YOU TALK ABOUT THE DEPARTMENT OF COMMUNITY RESOURCE, WHICH WAS A COMMUNITY, YOU KNOW, I PUT DOWN THERE A LOT.
I DON'T SEE LOW INCOME PEOPLE.
YEAH, I SEE PEOPLE FROM ALL OVER.
AND FAIRVIEW IS NOT JUST MANHATTAN AVENUE.
FAIRVIEW IS A BIG, IS A BIG COMMUNITY.
AND I'M SURE YOU KNOW THAT WITH A WHOLE BUNCH OF TAXPAYERS.
SO YOU KNOW, WHEN YOU SAY LOWER INCOME, IT'S NOT LIKE EVERY TIME YOU TALK ABOUT WHAT IT COME TO PEOPLE OF COLOR, YOU ALWAYS END UP LOW INCOME.
YOU KNOW, EVERYBODY THAT LIVE IN FAIRVIEW AIN'T LOW INCOME, YOU KNOW? AND IT UPSETS ME SOMETIMES BECAUSE EVERY TIME YOU SIGN, I DON'T THINK YOU EVEN KNOW THAT YOU'RE DOING IT.
SO I'M JUST REMIND YOU JUST IN CASE YOU KNOW THAT.
WELL, WE TALK ABOUT FAIRVIEW'S ALWAYS PEOPLE WITH LOW INCOME AND I GO DOWN THE CENTER, I DON'T SEE THE PEOPLE THAT YOU CLAIM ARE LOW INCOME.
THEY'RE NOT A PART OF THAT CENTER NO MORE.
A SENATOR WAS A COMMUNITY CENTER.
IT WAS THE FAIRVIEW GREENBURG COMMUNITY CENTER FIRST BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, FAULT.
AND WHEN YOU GOT ELECTED, IT CHANGED OVER TO THE DEPARTMENT OF COMMUNITY RESOURCE.
THAT'S WHEN IT CAME EVERYBODY, THAT'S WHEN IT CAME.
DEPARTMENT OF COMMUNITY RESOURCE.
EVEN THOUGH THE NAME IS THERE, THE YOUNG COMMUNITY CENTER, BUT WE KNOW THAT'S THE BUILDINGS.
BEFORE YOU USED TO PICK T D Y C C, NOW IT IS DEPARTMENT OF COMMUNITY RESOURCE AND LOW LETTER AT THE T D Y C C.
SO I'M ASKING THAT WHEN YOU SPEAK ON IT, STOP ACTING LIKE
NO, I THINK YOU'RE, I THINK YOU'RE RIGHT.
ALL I'M SAYING IS THAT TO ME THE, YOU KNOW, ONE OF THE PURPOSES OF THE COMMUNITY CENTER IS TO GIVE OPPORTUNITIES TO PEOPLE WHO, UM, BUT NOT NO, BUT I'M SAYING THAT'S BUT IT'S NOT DOING THAT.
RIGHT? I'M GONNA GO, BUT I WANNA LET YOU KNOW IT'S NOT DOING THAT.
IT'S NOT SERVICING THE COMMUNITY.
I'M NOT SAYING THEY DON'T DO GREAT PROGRAM.
I'M SAYING I SEE KIDS WALKING UP AND DOWN MANHATTAN AVENUE HANGING ON OAK STREET, JUST HANGING OUT AND THEY DON'T HAVE A BUILDING TO GO TO.
THAT'S WHERE THE COMMUNITY IS THERE ANYONE ELSE ELSE IN THE AUDIENCE WHO WISHES TO SPEAK? WE DO HAVE SOME ON ZOOM.
FAIRVIEW IS NOT JUST LOW INCOME FOR ONE THING AND I BELIEVE ISN'T FAIRVIEW PAYING FOR MOST? THIS IS ON THE BUDGET.
I UNDERSTAND WE'RE TALKING ABOUT THE BUDGET.
I'M TALKING CAN I FINISH? PLEASE NOT IF YOU'RE NOT TALKING ABOUT THE BUDGET.
PAYING FOR THE COMMUNITY CENTER.
IS IT FAIRVIEW THAT'S PAYING FOR THE COMMUNITY CENTER? I'M TALKING ABOUT THE BUDGET.
WHAT PART OF BUDGET IS ALLOCATED FOR THE COMMUNITY? FOR, FOR FAIRVIEW? THAT COMMUNITY CENTER.
WE'RE DISCUSSING WHAT LINE ITEM, SPEAKER, SINCE YOU'RE ANSWERING QUESTIONS, KEN, WHOSE TAXES PAY FOR THAT? WHAT PART OF THE COMMUNITY PAY?
[00:50:01]
HELLO? I WANT, I WONDER IF YOU TILT THE MICROPHONE DOWN.GAR JUST, CAN YOU HEAR ME NOW? HELLO? YES, PLEASE PROCEED.
DID, DID THEY HEAR ANY PART OF WHAT I ASKED REGARDING THE BUDGET? WHAT LINE ITEM ON THE BUDGET REFERS TO THAT CENTER AND WHAT PART OF THE TAXPAYER'S DOLLARS IN THE COMMUNITY PAYS FOR IT? IS IT FAIRVIEW RESIDENTS PAYING FOR THAT? IS THAT COMING FROM WHEN YOU SAY A AND B BUDGET? I'M TRYING TO UNDERSTAND.
THE COMMUNITY CENTER BUDGET IS, COMES FROM PEOPLE IN UNINCORPORATED GREENBURG.
LET FINISH COMMENT IS, ARE FAIRVIEW HOMEOWNERS? ARE FAIRVIEW HOMEOWNERS PAYING FOR THAT COMMUNITY CENTER? THE LOW INCOME PEOPLE YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT? MICHELLE, I WOULD ASK THAT YOU, UH, MICHELLE, I WOULD JUST PLEASE ASK THAT YOU, UH, RAISE ALL YOUR COMMENTS AND QUESTIONS AND THEN, UM, WE WILL JUST GO TO THE NEXT SPEAKER HERE FROM THE BOARD.
IT'S UNINCORPORATED GREENBERG.
MICHELLE IS, HAVE YOU CONCLUDED YOUR COMMENTS AND QUESTIONS OR DO YOU HAVE MORE TO SAY? NO, I HAVEN'T.
I APOLOGIZE DUE TO THE FORMAT, WE CAN'T HAVE IT BACK AND FORTH.
SO, UH, IT'S JUST DUE TO THE, UH, TECHNICAL DIFFICULTY.
SO I WOULD JUST ASK THAT YOU PLEASE, UH, RAISE ALL YOUR COMMENTS AT THIS TIME.
WELL, MY COMMENT IS WHAT PART OF THE BUDGET, A OR B, WHICH, WHICH BUDGET PAYS FOR THE COMMUNITY CENTER? I'M SURE IT'S CALLED SOMETHING ELSE.
I CAN'T THINK OF THE NAME RIGHT NOW.
AND IT'S FAIRVIEW PAYING FOR THE MAJORITY OF IT.
'CAUSE I BELIEVE IT IS, UNLESS SOMETHING'S CHANGED AND IF IT IS PAYING FOR THE MAJORITY OF IT, IT DEFINITELY DOES NOT SERVE AS THAT PART OF THE COMMUNITY.
IT'S THE ENTIRE UNINCORPORATED GREENBERG IS PAYING.
PAUL, PAUL, LET LET GARRETT SHUT DOWN SPEAKER.
YEAH, LET'S DO THE, JUST A MOMENT.
HEY JUDITH, I THINK THERE'S, WE STILL HAVE SOME MORE ON ZOOM.
UH, THIS QUESTION IS, UM, RELATED TO THE BUDGET AND THE, THE TAXES.
I DON'T KNOW IF THE CONTROLLER CAN ANSWER IT, BUT WE HAVE A LOT OF CAR DEALERSHIPS IN GREENBURG.
SO FOR INSTANCE, IF SOMEONE COMES AND BUYS A CAR, THAT SALES TAX, UM, GOES BACK TO I, I BELIEVE WHERE THE PERSON IS FROM.
IN THE CASE OF GREENBERG, THERE ARE SO MANY DIFFERENT ZIP CODES.
CASE IN POINT WOULD BE ZIP CODE 1 0 5 9 1 THAT IS SHARED WITH BOTH UNINCORPORATED THE VILLAGES OF TARRYTOWN AND IRVINGTON.
HOW IS THAT DETERMINED IF IT'S A TOWN OF GREENBURG? UM, LIKE HOW IS THE SALES TAX DETERMINED? I I, I'M NOT SURE IF I'M ASKING THE RIGHT QUESTION, BUT HOW, WHAT MEASURES DOES THE TOWN HAVE TO MAKE SURE THAT THE SALES TAX THAT BE BELONGS TO THE TOWN IS COLLECTED PROPERLY WHEN, WHEN THE ADDRESS SHARES A, A ZIP CODE WITH OTHER MUNICIPALITIES? MS. YOUNG, WE'RE GONNA ASK THAT YOU, UM, RAISE ALL YOUR QUESTIONS AND COMMENTS, UH, AT THIS TIME DUE TO THE TECHNICAL DIFFICULTIES AND, UH, WE'LL EITHER RESPOND AT THIS MEETING OR AT A SUBSEQUENT MEETING.
DID YOU HEAR THE QUESTION? WAS I CLEAR? YES, WE DID.
SO WHY CAN'T IT BE ANSWERED MR. SAMS? MR. SAMS STOP CALLING OUT ANOTHER ANSWER.
IT'S A PUBLIC COMMENT, NOT A QUESTION AND ANSWER SERIES.
[00:55:07]
CAN YOU HEAR ME? 4, 3, 2, 1.IT IS WITH GREAT RELUCTANCE THAT I SPEAK TONIGHT ABOUT MONEY AND THE BUDGET.
THE BODEN FAMILY HAS BEEN CLEANING CLOTHES FOR PEOPLE FOR ALMOST A HUNDRED YEARS.
MY SON IS THE LAST, MY GRANDFATHER, MY FATHER, ME MY SON.
I TELL YOU THAT BECAUSE THE ONE THING THAT YOU'RE NOT ADDRESSING ABOUT MONEY IS THE FIRE DISTRICTS.
WE PAY ABOUT THE SAME FOR FIRE PROTECTION AS WE PAY FOR THE REST OF THE TOWN'S BUDGET.
IF YOU COMBINE FIRE DISTRICTS, WHICH IS A NO-NO SO FAR, YOU WOULD ELIMINATE THREE OR FOUR FIRE CHIEFS.
THEY WOULD BE FINISHED THE SAME AS MY POINT IS FINISHED IN THEIR BUSINESS.
THIS HAS BEEN GOING ON FOR YEARS.
THERE ARE NO VOLUNTEER FIREMEN THAT'S OVER.
THE SAME GOES FOR VOLUNTEER AMBULANCES.
REALITY IS GLOBAL WARMING REQUIRES WE DO THINGS DIFFERENTLY.
THE AMOUNT OF MONEY SAVED BY COMBINING FIRE DISTRICTS WILL MAKE EVERYTHING THAT WAS DISCUSSED TONIGHT.
THEY CAN ALL BE ADDRESSED EASILY.
THE AMOUNT OF MONEY, IF YOU SAVED HALF THE AMOUNT OF MONEY IN THE FIRE DISTRICTS, WHICH IS QUITE POSSIBLE.
WE HAVE FIRE HOUSES WHERE THEY WERE BUILT WHEN WE WERE USING HORSE AND WAGONS TO GET THE FIRES.
THERE'S A FIREHOUSE ON CENTRAL FOUR CORNERS.
ABSOLUTELY NO NEED FOR IT TO BE THERE YET.
IT'S STILL THERE AND IT'S PAID FOR.
I'M 88 YEARS OLD AND I HAVE ADMITTED TODAY I AM FUNCTIONALLY DEAF.
I CAN'T HEAR WHAT PEOPLE MEAN WHEN THEY TALK TO ME ON THE PHONE.
AND IF YOU THINK THAT'S EASY TO ACCEPT, IT AIN'T.
I'M NOT THERE TONIGHT BECAUSE I SPENT AN HOUR THIS AFTERNOON IN PHYSICAL THERAPY AND I AM RECOVERING FROM IT RIGHT NOW.
I LIVE IN A DIFFERENT THANK YOU.
ONE MORE PERSON ON ZOOM, PATRICIA WILLIAMS. ONE RECOMMENDATION WOULD BE AS QUESTIONS COME IN, WE CAN PICK THEM UP TRANSCRIPT AND DIRECT THEM TO THE RIGHT STAFF OR TOWN BOARD MEMBER SOMETHING OUT.
PAT, YOU HAVE TO ACCEPT NUMBER WILL BE RECOGNIZED.
WOULD YOU HAS TO ACCEPT, UH, MS. WEEMS. IF YOU CAN HEAR ME, I BELIEVE YOU WILL GET A PROMPT TO ACCEPT.
CAN YOU HEAR ME NOW? I HAVE, I, I'VE UNMUTED.
MS. WILLIAMS, WE CAN HEAR YOU.
UH, MY FIRST QUESTION IS, UM, WHEN MR WAS TALKING, SOMEBODY TOLD MUTE YOURSELF.
MS. WEEMS, I BELIEVE YOU HIT THE MUTE BUTTON BY ACCIDENT.
CAN YOU HEAR ME NOW? YES, PLEASE START AGAIN.
UM, SOMEONE TOLD MR. SAMS TO SHUT HIS MOUTH.
IS THAT A PAID EMPLOYEE? IS THAT ONE OF THE COUNCIL PERSONS WHO SAID THAT? BECAUSE
[01:00:01]
MY TAX DOLLAR DOESN'T PAY FOR ANYBODY SITTING UP THERE THAT'S GONNA TELL A TAXPAYER WHO'S SITTING HERE TO SHUT YOUR MOUTH.IT IS ILL MANNERED AND IMPOLITE.
NOW, WE ON THIS END CAN DO THAT.
I DON'T EXPECT ANYBODY SITTING UP THERE TO DO THAT.
SO WHOEVER DID IT, YOU NEED TO STOP DOING IT.
AND I THINK IT'S THE PERSON WHO TOOK, UM, MR. LEWIS'S UM, UM, SPOT AS THE ATTORNEY IS.
AM I CORRECT? IS THAT THE INDIVIDUAL? BECAUSE I CAN'T EVEN TO ASK A QUESTION ABOUT THE BUDGET, NOT TO DISCUSS AN INDIVIDUAL TELLING SOMEBODY TO SHUT THEIR MOUTH BECAUSE THAT PERSON NEEDS TO SHUT HIS NOW MY QUESTION IS, UM, I'M HAVING PROBLEMS FINDING IN THE BUDGET ANYTHING THAT I WANNA SEE ON THE POLICE DEPARTMENT'S BUDGET.
IS THERE A POSSIBILITY THAT I CAN SPEAK TO SOMEBODY OTHER THAN MYSELF AND LIKE THE PURCHASER OR UM, THE COMPTROLLER TO ANSWER SOME QUESTIONS? IS THAT POSSIBLE? BECAUSE I DON'T THINK Y'ALL CAN ANSWER THE QUESTIONS I WANNA FIND OUT ABOUT THAT IS MY QUESTION.
CAN YOU TELL US WHAT THE QUESTIONS WERE TO HAVE SOMEBODY THAT I CAN SPEAK TO, LIKE THE PURCHASER AND FIND QUESTIONS AND FIND OUT WHERE, WHAT IT IS THAT I'D LIKE TO FIND IN THE BUDGET.
I'VE GONE THROUGH THAT BUDGET AND IT'S LIKE GOING DOWN A RABBIT HOLE.
I'M CHASING LOOKING FOR THINGS.
WHATEVER IT IS I WANNA FIND, I CAN'T FIND.
LIKE WHAT, LIKE WHAT, CAN YOU GIVE US AN EXAMPLE? UM, YES, LET'S TAKE THE, UM, THE MILITARY VEHICLE, UM, THAT WE HAVE.
I WOULD'VE WANTED TO FIND OUT HOW MUCH TIRES WERE, BUT THEY'RE LIKE FIVE DIFFERENT PLACES ABOUT TIRES.
AND I DO KNOW IF WE HAVE FIRETRUCK FIRED TIRES, THOSE RUN LIKE $800 FOR ONE.
SO I WANTED TO KNOW THINGS OF THAT NATURE, HOW THE BUDGET GETS TO BE SO LARGE.
I WANTED TO FIND OUT ABOUT DRONES AND I CAN'T FIND OUT ANYTHING THAT ACTUALLY TELLS ME HOW MUCH IT COSTS TO ACTUALLY USE ANY OF THOSE.
SO I WANTED TO KNOW, IS IT POSSIBLE TO SPEAK TO, MY QUESTION IS ABOUT THE BUDGET.
CAN I SPEAK TO SOMEBODY LIKE THE PURCHASER OR, UM, I THINK HER NAME IS ROMERO, THE CONTROLLER.
DO THEY, CAN WE, CAN I MEET WITH THAT PERSON? THAT'S MY QUESTION.
PURCHASE ORDERS ARE, YOU HAVE ACCESS TO, UH, THOSE RECORDS, SO IF YOU HAVE QUESTIONS, UM, I COULD ARRANGE A MEETING WITH THE PURCHASING DIRECTOR.
SO NOBODY ELSE, RIGHT? OH, AND I JUST WANTED TO TELL CLIFF ABRAMS, THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR MAKING THAT STATEMENT BECAUSE I WOULD'VE HATED TO HAVE COME IN ON THAT ONE BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, I'M NOT MARGINALIZED.
I'M NOT, UM, LESSER THAN, AND I DON'T LIVE IN A BLIGHTED COMMUNITY.
SO, YOU KNOW, UH, GOOD EVENING.
AND, UM, I GUESS FIRST OF ALL, I CAME UP HERE THE LAST TIME I WAS HERE HER, I HAD A COVID SCARE AND I'M GLAD IT'S A LITTLE MORE DISTANCE AND EVERYTHING TONIGHT.
AND I CAME UP HERE BECAUSE WHEN I TRIED TO FIND A ZOOM, IT SAID I MUST PRE REGISTER TO GET INTO THE, TO GET A ZOOM LINK SENT TO ME.
AND, AND JUST AS I WAS GETTING LOOKING AT THAT, I HEARD ERIC UP HERE SAYING, IS THIS, WHY AM I HERE? IF IT'S ON, WHY CAN'T I GET THE LINK IS A PUBLIC MEETING.
SO I QUICKLY GOT MYSELF TOGETHER AND GOT UP HERE.
THE QUESTION THOUGH IS ABOUT, IS ABOUT THE COMMUNITY SEMINAR AND WHY IS IT ON A B BUDGET AND NOT ON A BUDGET? IT REALLY, IT REALLY, I STRUGGLED A LOT TO PUT MY DAUGHTER THROUGH THOSE PROGRAMS. EVEN WHEN MR. UM, CARVER WAS THERE AND HE WAS DOING, AND HE WAS, YOU KNOW, VERY, HE WAS KIND OF GENEROUS WITH, UM, SCHOLARSHIPS AND STUFF, IT STILL WAS VERY, VERY DIFFICULT TO PAY FOR.
LIKE I WOULD EAT AT SOUP KITCHENS WHILE MY DAUGHTER WAS AT THE CAMP TO EAT MY MEAL, TO GIVE HER DINNER TO HAVE BUNNY.
[01:05:01]
IT WAS A HUGE CHUNK OF MY BUDGET BACK THEN TO SEND HER THERE.AND IT SHOULDN'T BE LIKE THAT BECAUSE IT, LOOK AT THE COMMUNITY WE'RE SERVING.
I DON'T SEE KIDS FROM, THERE'S NO KIDS FROM SCORES THAT ARE COMING THERE TO THE, TO THE AFTERSCHOOL PROGRAMS OR TO THE SUMMER CAMPS.
AND, UM, YOU KNOW, UM, I'M JUST BAFFLED ALL THE TIME OF WHY IT'S JUST THE SHRINKING BUDGET SINCE I'VE MOVED HERE AND WHY IT'S ALWAYS SUCH A THREAT THAT IF EDGEMONT GOES AWAY, WE ARE NOT GONNA HAVE THAT ANYMORE.
AND I'M AT THE POINT WHERE I'M WITH ERIC.
I, I WISH WE COULD SECEDE GREENBERG.
I WISH WE COULD BREAK AWAY SOMETIMES BREAK, BREAK, BUT FAIRVIEW BE ITS OWN TOWN.
BUT, UM, ANYWAY, YOU KNOW, AS WELL, I WANTED TO COMMENT TONIGHT, SO THANK YOU.
I JUST WANTED TO, IN REFERENCE TO PAT WILLIAMS COMMENT, THE TIRES ARE IN THE REPAIR LINE FOR THE TOWN GARAGE.
JUST WANTED TO, UH, YOU MENTION THAT.
SO I'D LIKE TO MOVE THAT WE CLOSE THE PUBLIC HEARING.
WE'RE LEAVING IT OPEN FOR ALL PURPOSES.
UH, WE LEAVE, WE ADJOURN THE HEARING AND LEAVE IT OPEN TO DECEMBER 8TH.
[ To consider a Local Law which would add a new section (Chapter 335) to the Code of the Town of Greenburgh, entitled “Cannabis,” regarding local municipal opt-out of adult use cannabis on-site consumption businesses (and Cannabis retail dispensaries)]
NEXT.UM, TO CONSIDER A LOCAL LAW, WHICH WOULD ADD A NEW SECTION, CHAPTER 3 35 OF THE CODE OF THE TOWN OF GREENBURG ENTITLED OF CANNABIS REGARDING LOCAL MUNICIPALITY, OPT OUT OF ADULT USE, CANNABIS ONSITE CONSUMPTION BUSINESSES AND CANNABIS RETAIL DISPENSARIES.
WANNA OPEN THE HEARING? UH, I'D LIKE TO MOVE, MOVE WE OPEN THE HEARING.
MEMBERS OF THE TOWN BOARD FOR THE RECORD, GARY
ON OCTOBER 27TH, 2021, THE TOWN BOARD HOSTED A PUBLIC DISCUSSION ON ALL ASPECTS OF THE NEW YORK STATE MARIJUANA LEGISLATION AND RECEIVED MANY QUESTIONS AND COMMENTS FROM THE PUBLIC.
THE VIDEO RELATED ATTACHMENTS OF THAT MEETING ARE ALL ABOUT ON THE TOWN WEBSITE, SOLE PURPOSE AND FOCUS OF THE PUBLIC HEARING THIS EVENING, HOWEVER, IS REGARDING THE POTENTIAL THAT ALL LOCAL GOVERNMENTS HAVE TO OPT OUT BY LOCAL LAW BY DECEMBER 31ST OF THIS YEAR OF ALLOWING CANNABIS RETAIL DISPENSARY USES AND OR ON SITE CANNABIS CONSUMPTION LOUNGES BOTH RE WITH RESPECT TO RECREATIONAL USE OF CANNABIS, I USE THE TERM AND OR BECAUSE LOCAL GOVERNMENTS CAN OPT OUT OF BOTH CANNABIS RETAIL DISPENSARIES AND ONSITE LOUNGES OR LOCAL GOVERNMENTS HAVE THE AUTHORITY TO OPT OUT OF ONE, NOT THE OTHER.
SIMILARLY, LOCAL GOVERNMENTS CAN OPT INTO BOTH DISPENSARIES AND LOUNGES OR OPT INTO EITHER OR OPTING OUT BY A LOCAL GOVERNMENT IS AN ACTIVE LEGISLATIVE ACT.
THE LOCAL GOVERNMENT MUST DRAFT A LOCAL LAW OPTING OUT, HOLD A PUBLIC HEARING ON THAT LOCAL LAW, PASS THE LOCAL LAW, AND THEN FILE AN OPT OUT FORM WITH THE NEW YORK STATE OFFICE OF CANNABIS MANAGEMENT PRIOR TO OPTING IN IS A PASS ACT REQUIRING NO ACTION BY THE LOCAL GOVERNMENT OTHER THAN TO LET THE DECEMBER 31ST DEADLINE PASS WITHOUT APPROVING AN OPT-OUT LOCAL LAW.
THE OPT-OUT LOCAL LAW THAT HAS BEEN POSTED THIS EVENING IS STRUCTURED TO BE RESPONSIVE TO WHATEVER DECISION THE TOWN BOARD IS IN FAVOR OF.
WHETHER THAT IS TO OPT OUT OF BOTH DISPENSARIES AND NOS OR TO ONLY OPT OUT OF ONE OF THESE USES.
NO DECISION WILL BE RENDERED BY THE TOWN BOARD THIS EVENING AS THE BOARD WILL HEAR COMMENTS FROM THE PUBLIC AND POTENTIALLY IN WRITING FOLLOWED THIS YEAR.
AND ALSO, IF THE COURT OPS TO PASS NO OPT OUT WILL THE LAW, THAT WOULD BE I GUESS, A THIRD DECISION, A BRIEF RETAIL DISPENSARY OVERVIEW.
AS A RESULT OF THE NEW YORK STATE LEGISLATION, IT IS ANTICIPATED THAT THERE COULD BE HUNDREDS OF RETAIL DISPENSARIES IN NEW YORK STATE.
NEW YORK STATE LICENSE FROM THE OFFICE OF CANNABIS MANAGEMENT WILL BE REQUIRED.
RETAIL DISPENSARY MAY ONLY SELL TO SOMEONE 21 OR OVER TO VIRTUE OF MARIJUANA FOR OFFSITE CONSUMPTION, THESE FACILITIES MAY NOT SELL ALCOHOL AND ARE SUBJECT TO LEASE INSPECTION.
THE TOWN BOARD DECIDES TO NOT OPT OUT.
I WOULD RECOMMEND A LOCAL LAW REGULATING DISPENSARIES.
AN EXAMPLE OF A POTENTIAL LOCAL LAW PROVISION WOULD BE TO REGULATE DISPENSARIES BY SPECIAL PERMIT WITHIN SPECIFIED ZONING DISTRICTS, OR A ZONING DISTRICT FROM THE TOWN OPTING OUT, WHICH IS THE EQUIVALENT OF AN
[01:10:01]
INDEFINITE MORATORIUM LEGALLY ALLOW THE TOWN TO PRECLUDE THE PRESENCE OF RETAIL DISPENSARIES TO THE UNINCORPORATED AREAS OF TOWN.GREENBURG, ALL LOCAL LAWS PASSED BY MUNICIPALITIES OPTING OUT OF ALLOWING ADULT USE.
RETAIL DISPENSARIES ARE SUBJECT TO A PERMISSIVE REFER REGARDING ONSITE CONSUMPTION.
SECTION 77 OF THE NEW YORK STATE LEGISLATION PROVIDES LICENSING REQUIREMENTS FOR ONSITE CONSUMPTION BUSINESSES.
THESE ARE ANTICIPATED TO BE LOUNGES WHERE CANNABIS CAN BE CONSUMED, BUT WHERE NO ALCOHOL IS PERMITTED IN THESE LOCATIONS.
THIS IS THE SECOND AND LAST CATEGORY WHERE A LOCAL GOVERNMENT OPT OUT FOLLOWING SIMILAR PROCEDURES AS NOTED ABOVE THE RETAIL DISPENSARIES.
ALSO WITH THAT DECEMBER 31ST CUTOFF DATE.
SIMILAR TO THE RETAIL DISPENSARY CONSIDERATION, MUNICIPALITIES DECIDING NOT TO OPT OUT TO REGULATE TIME, PLACE MANNER.
IT SHOULD ALSO BE NOTED THAT FOR LOCAL GOVERNMENTS THAT OPT OUT, ONE OR BOTH OF THE CANNABIS USES, THE LOCAL GOVERNMENT RESERVES THE RIGHT TO OPT BACK IN AT A LATER DATE, WHEREAS THE OPTOUT PROVISION HAS A ONETIME ONLY ENACTMENT DEADLINE DATE.
AS NOTED PREVIOUS DECEMBER 31ST, IF ANYONE LIKE TO TALK.
UM, THE REQUEST CAME, I'M, I'M JUST CALLING ON THE REQUEST AS THEY CAME INTO TO MY OFFICE AND THE ORDER IN WHICH THEY CAME IN.
GUY NOVO, THEN ERIC ZINGER, AND THEN A STATEMENT FROM GARY RAPPAPORT AND THEN ANYONE ELSE AFTER THAT? YES, LOUISE.
GOOD EVENING AND THANK YOU FOR HEARING ME.
I'D LIKE TO REMIND THE TOWN BOARD THAT THE POSSESSION AND SALE OF MARIJUANA IS STILL ILLEGAL UNDER FEDERAL LAW.
AND TO THE EXTENT THAT THERE ARE CANNABIS LOUNGES THAT'S USE TO THE EXTENT THAT THERE ARE CANNABIS DISPENSARIES, UH, THEY WOULD SELL IT.
AND IT IS STILL ILLEGAL UNDER FEDERAL LAW.
I'M AWARE, AND I'M SURE YOU ARE AWARE IN THE STATES AWARE THAT THAT FEDERAL LAW IS RARELY ENFORCED EXCEPT FOR MAJOR AMOUNTS, BUT IT IS STILL ILLEGAL.
AND I THINK IT'S A VERY BAD REFLECTION ON THE TOWN OF GREENBERG AND THE TOWN BOARD.
IF YOU VOTE IN FAVOR OF CONDONING AN ACTIVITY, WHICH IS PATENTLY ILLEGAL UNDER FEDERAL LAW, WE HAVE BIG PROBLEMS WITH PLACES THAT SELL TOBACCO OR ALCOHOL AND SELL IT TO UNDERAGE PEOPLE.
THAT PROBLEM IS NOT GOING TO GO AWAY IF WE ADD MARIJUANA, CANNABIS DISPENSARIES AND LOUNGES.
AND IT WOULD BE ANOTHER PROBLEM FOR THE POLICE TO ENFORCE.
WE CAN'T PREVENT UNDERAGE PURCHASES OF LIQUOR, UNDERAGE PURCHASES OF TOBACCO.
HOW ARE WE GOING TO PREVENT UNDERAGE PURCHASES AND USE OF MARIJUANA? AND I'D LIKE TO REFLECT ON MY EXPERIENCE WHEN I WAS IN THE ARMY.
I WAS IN THE ARMY QUITE A WHILE AGO, BUT I WAS OUR SQUADRON SPECIAL ASSISTANT FOR ALCOHOL AND DRUG ABUSE.
AND PART OF OUR TRAINING WAS PRESENTATIONS BY ADDICTS JUST LIKE ALCOHOLS ANONYMOUS.
THESE WERE, UH, ADDICTS AND THEY SAID A COUPLE THINGS THAT ARE RELEVANT TO CANNABIS DISPENSARIES AND LOUNGES.
FIRST, PEOPLE WILL TELL YOU THAT MARIJUANA IS NOT AN ENTRY DRUG THAT BRINGS YOU TO OTHER DRUGS AS USE AND FROM ADDICTS WHO TRAINED US.
THE FACT IS, A DISPENSARY DEALER THAT WILL SELL YOU MARIJUANA WILL TELL YOU THAT YOU CAN FEEL EVEN BETTER IF YOU USE SOMETHING ELSE.
WHETHER THAT'S SOMETHING ELSE IS HARROWING, COCAINE, WHATEVER THERE IS THAT PUSH TO BE MORE DAMAGING DRUG.
THAT'S SOMETHING YOU SHOULD BEAR IN MIND WHEN THINKING ABOUT AUTHORIZING LOUNGES OR DISPENSARIES.
ALSO, WE WERE TOLD THERE'S AN ENORMOUS DIFFERENCE BETWEEN DRUNK ON ALCOHOL AND HIGH ON MARIJUANA.
A PERSON WHO'S DRUNK ON ALCOHOL WILL WALK DOWN A RAILROAD TRACK, SEE A TRAIN COMING AND SAY, OH MY GOODNESS, A TRAIN IS COMING.
MAYBE TOO DRUNK TO DO SO, BUT IS AWARE.
PERSON ON MARIJUANA WHO'S HIGH ON MARIJUANA, SEES NICE BRIGHT LIGHTS COMING TOWARDS IT.
THE PERSON WHO'S DRUNK WALKING OFF A PIER SAYS, OH MY GOODNESS.
I WALK OFF THE END OF THE PIER.
[01:15:01]
PERSON WHO'S HIGH ON MARIJUANA JUST KEEPS RIGHT ON WALKING.THEY URGE YOU AS THE TOWN BOARD TO OPT OUT AND NOT ALLOW CANNABIS LOUNGES AND THIS DISPENSARIES IN THE TOWN OF GREENBURG.
I WOULD IMAGINE THAT WE'RE HERE TONIGHT BECAUSE THE TOWN HAS, YOU KNOW, MOST LIKELY DECIDED TO OPT OUT OR IS CONSIDERING OPT OUT IN SOME CAPACITY.
UH, IF YOU RECALL MY COMMENTS FROM THE PUBLIC DISCUSSION, I THINK THAT WOULD BE A MISTAKE FOR MANY REASONS.
UM, EARLIER GENTLEMEN IS IN TOWN TO HIS OWN OPINIONS ABOUT MARIJUANA, BUT UNFORTUNATELY HE'S NOT ENTITLED TO HIS OWN FACTS.
THE C D C ESTIMATES THAT ALCOHOL CAUSES 30,000 DEATHS ANNUALLY AS A RESULT OF HEALTH EFFECTS.
THEY DON'T EVEN HAVE A CATEGORY FOR MARIJUANA.
MARIJUANA IS SAFER THAN ALCOHOL BY EVERY SINGLE STATISTICAL MEASURE OF RISK THAT EXISTS.
BUT I THINK, I THINK THAT WOULD BE A MISTAKE FOR MANY REASONS, BECAUSE SOME OF WHICH INCLUDE VILLAGES GETTING TO KEEP 100% OF THE TAX REVENUE.
WE KNOW ALREADY THE TIRE TOWN AND HASTINGS ARE LOOKING TO, UM, LIKELY OPT IN.
AND IF WE DO NOT OPT IN AS WELL, THEY WILL GET TO KEEP 100% OF THE REVENUE, WHEREAS THEY WOULD'VE TO SHARE WITH US INCREASE QUALITY CONTROL AND PROTECTION FOR USERS IN THE HIGHLY REGULATED INDUSTRY, AND AGAIN, LESS LIKELY TO SELL TO MINORS.
A REGULATED LICENSED SHOP REQUIRES A TREMENDOUS CAPITAL INVESTMENT.
THEY'RE NOT GOING TO RISK OUT LICENSE TO SELL TO MINORS, WHEREAS DRUG DEALERS DON'T CARE HOW OLD YOU'RE, SO WITH THAT IN MIND, I WANNA PIVOT FOR A SECOND AND TALK ABOUT THE RESOLUTION THAT'S ON TONIGHT AGENDA.
AND THERE'S ANOTHER RESOLUTION THAT'S ON TONIGHT'S AGENDA.
IT READS WHERE THE TOWN OF GREENBERG CONDEMNS RACIST ACTS, PRACTICES
SO THIS IS ONLY THE PUBLIC HEARING, I'M AWARE THIS IS ABOUT THE PUBLIC HEARING OF MARIJUANA, STRUCTURAL RACISM THAT TARGETED BLACK INDIGENOUS PEOPLE OF COLOR AND OTHER OPPRESSED COMMUNITIES FOR TOO LONG.
AND WHEREAS THE TOWN OF GREENBERG SUPPORTS SOUND AND UNBIASED LAW ENFORCEMENT POLICIES THAT ELIMINATE THE DISPARATE IMPACT OF BRUTALITY AND USE OF FORCE ON BLACK AND OTHER HISTORICALLY OPPRESSED COMMUNITIES ON, WE CANNOT TALK ABOUT SYSTEMIC RACISM WITHOUT TALKING ABOUT THE WAR ON DRUGS.
THE TALK ABOUT SYSTEMIC RACISM AND TAKING ACTION ABOUT IT ARE TWO DIFFERENT THINGS.
WE KNOW THAT THE IMPACT ON THE WAR ON DRUGS HAVE BEEN BRUTAL, AND IT'S BEEN RAISED ALMOST EXCLUSIVELY ON POOR COMMUNITIES OF COLOR.
IN THE LAST TWO YEARS, 90% OF THOSE ARRESTED BY GREENBURG POLICE FOR MARIJUANA OFFENSES WERE EITHER HISPANIC OR AFRICAN AMERICAN.
THAT'S 90% MINORITY ARRESTS WHEN THEY MAKE UP LESS THAN 35% OF THE POPULATION.
AND WE KNOW FROM STUDIES THAT WHITES CONSUME MARIJUANA AT THE SAME RATE AS THEIR ETHNIC GROUPS.
ADDITIONALLY, THERE WERE 29 ARRESTS FOR PUBLIC APPEARANCE UNDER THE INFLUENCE OF DRUGS, AND 23 OF THOSE 29 WERE IDENTIFIED AS BLACK.
IF GREENBURG WANTS TO BE LEADERS IN ADDRESSING SYSTEMIC RACISM IN AMERICA AND ADDRESSING SYSTEMIC RACISM IN GREENBURG, WE NEED TO TALK THE TALK AND WALK THE WALK.
WHEN IT COMES TO THE TRUMP WAR, I BELIEVE THAT GREENBURG OPTING OUT AS A MISTAKE.
THIS LEGISLATION LEADS TO BELIEVE THAT THE TOWN BOARD IS CONSIDERING OPTING OUT.
AND FOR A VARIETY OF REASONS I, UH, SPOKE ON TONIGHT.
I WOULD ENCOURAGE YOU TO OPT IN OR PASSIVELY OPT IN TO ALLOW FOR RETAIL DISPENSARIES.
LET'S HAVE, LET'S HAVE YOUR COMMENTS AND THEN I'LL READ STATEMENT FROM GARY RAPPAPORT.
BARBARA, IS THAT SPEED OKAY FOR YOU? YEAH.
IT WOULD BE A MISTAKE TO OPT OUT JUST ON TAX PURPOSES ALONE.
MY FRIEND HAS LIVED IN DENVER, COLORADO, AND SHE SAID THE DIFFERENCE IN SERVICES BEFORE, SHE DOESN'T USE, SHE DOESN'T SMOKE, DOESN'T EVEN DRINK THE DIFFERENCES IN SERVICES AND THE QUALITY OF LIFE BEFORE THEY LEGALIZE MARIJUANA.
AND THEY, AND AFTER IS A HUNDRED PERCENT DIFFERENT.
IT IS LIKE A 180 BECAUSE THEY WERE ABLE TO GET MORE TAX REVENUE.
THINGS ARE FUNDED BETTER, THE ROADS ARE DONE, THEY'RE NOT, THERE'S SURPLUSES AFTER SURPLUS IS EVERY YEAR IN COLORADO.
SO THERE'S DRY STATES, THERE'S DRY COUNTIES.
IF, IF, YOU KNOW, IF, IF, YOU KNOW, IS, IS THAT WHAT WE SHOULD DO? BECAUSE SOMEBODY ELSE IS A DRY COUNTY.
WE'VE BEEN THROUGH THIS, WE SAW THIS MOVIE ALREADY ABOUT, YOU KNOW, UH, PROHIBITION.
IT ENDS UP WITH A LOT OF PEOPLE IN JAIL AND A
[01:20:01]
LOT OF PEOPLE DEAD FOR VIOLENCE.ALSO, I, MY HUSBAND IS VERY SICK.
HE WAS RECENTLY APPROVED FOR A MEDICAL MARIJUANA CARD.
THE ONLY PLACE THAT I CAN GO IS THAT'S THE CLOSEST TO ME IS YONKERS.
I KEPT SAYING JUST BUY IT OFF THE STREET.
I KNOW IT SOUNDS CRAZY, RIGHT? BECAUSE IT'S CHEAPER.
IT'S NOT EVEN COVERED BY INSURANCE.
I'M STILL PAYING CASH FOR IT, A LOT OF MONEY.
AND, UM, HE HAS TO TAKE IT BY DROP BECAUSE IT'S, HE CAN'T, HIS LUNGS ARE BAD.
AND, UM, IT'S VERY DIFFICULT TO GET AND TO GET THERE.
IT MEANS THERE'S NO OTHER DRUGS IN THERE THAT ARE ADDED WHEN THINGS ARE REGULATED.
WHEN, WHEN ALCOHOL WAS UNDER PROHIBITION, PEOPLE ARE DYING OF POISON WHEN IT BECAME LEGAL.
AND ALSO, I WANNA MAKE ANOTHER CORRECTION.
I HAVE A LOT OF EXPERIENCE IN THIS, BUT I ALSO STUDIED TO BE A CASE SAG MARIJUANA'S NOT THE GATEWAY DRUG.
IT'S ALCOHOL, IT'S NOT MARIJUANA.
AND, UM, YOU KNOW, I JUST, I I JUST, I OF YOU TO, TO NON-OP OUT BECAUSE THERE IT WILL BE EXACTLY LIKE ERIC SAID.
IT'LL BE IN SCARSDALE, IT'LL BE IN IN HEART IN DALE, IT WILL BE IN HASTINGS, IT WILL BE IN MOUNT KISCO AND BEDFORD.
AND DO YOU KNOW WHAT MY NEIGHBOR WILL BE DOING? STILL SELLING AND ILLEGALLY WHILE IT'S LEGAL? SO WE'RE SOMEBODY SELLING BATHTUB GIN WHEN IT'S LEGAL.
AND THAT THAT'S A REAL THREAT BECAUSE THEY'VE OFFENDED IT ALL IN, IN MARIJUANA NOW.
OKAY, SO WE DON'T HAVE ANY FURTHER REQUESTS TO SPEAK.
OH, HOUSE SAM, SOMEBODY ON ZOOM.
AND THEN WE HAVE SOMEBODY ON ZOOM.
ONCE AGAIN, I WASN'T PLANNING TO SPEAK ON THIS, BUT IN MARCH, PEOPLE ON THE TOWN BOARD WERE AWARE OF THIS.
WHY ARE WE CRAMMING EARRINGS INTO THE LAST WEEKS OF THE YEAR WHEN YOU COULD HAVE BEEN TACKLING, TACKLING THIS FOR MONTHS? SOME OF THE PEOPLE WHO ARE AGAINST IT ARE ONLY AGAINST IT BECAUSE THEY'RE CONCERNED OF WHAT KIND OF LEGISLATION THE TOWN NEEDS TO PASS.
AND IN THAT INTERIM TIME, WE COULD HAVE MADE STEPS TOWARDS SOLVING THOSE CONCERNS.
BUT YOU DIDN'T WANT TO DO THAT, DID YOU? YOU WANTED TO GO THROUGH THIS LITTLE SHOW THAT THE PEOPLE WHO WANTED AGAINST THE PEOPLE WHO DON'T, WHEN YOU'VE ALREADY DECIDED IN YOUR OWN MIND WHAT IT IS YOU WANT TO DO.
THE BIG CONCERN SEEMS TO BE THAT EVERYONE IS GOING TO USE THIS DRUG TO ACCESS.
NOW, I HAVEN'T SPOKEN SINCE I WAS IN COLLEGE AND I BEMOAN THAT FACT, BUT THE FACT IS ALSO TRUE THAT I CAN'T AFFORD TO PAY IT AT THESE PRICES.
I AM PUZZLED WHY IT SELLS FOR SO MUCH.
WHY DOES IT COST MORE TO GROW THAN TOBACCO? SO HOW MANY PEOPLE ARE GONNA BE ABLE TO AFFORD $400 AN OUNCE THAT YOU'RE SO WORRIED ABOUT? THE ILL EFFECTS OF THIS UPON THE GENERAL POPULATION, PEOPLE DO CONSUME IT.
THEY ARE CONSUMING IT ILLEGALLY, BUT IT'S NO MORE THAT $30 $60 BAG THAT YOU COULD BUY FROM KNOWING SOMEONE.
IT'S A HIGHLY REGULATED INDUSTRY TODAY.
SO AGAIN, I HAVE TO QUESTION WHY THE TOWN BOARD JUST IGNORED IT.
LIKE THEY DO EVERYTHING ELSE AND PUT THE PRESSURE ON THE
[01:25:01]
END OF THE YEAR SO THAT THEY CAN SAY, WELL, THERE'S TOO MANY CONFUSED QUESTIONS ABOUT COMING DOWN THE ROAD.WHAT HAPPENS IF WE DO DO IT? WHAT'S GONNA HAPPEN AFTER? BECAUSE WE COULD HAVE WORKED ALL THOSE OUT IF THERE WAS A GENUINE INTEREST IN WANTING TO WORK IT OUT.
AND YES, OTHER COMMUNITIES HAVE ADOPTED IT.
I REALLY DID WANNA MAKE THE TAX ARGUMENT.
I DON'T THINK THAT'S REALLY A GOOD CAUSE FOR, TO DO ANYTHING THAT HAS SERIOUS AFTER EFFECTS AND A DE DELETERIOUS EFFECT ON SOCIETY AT LARGE.
WE HAVE A BUDGET WHICH IS GOING NOWHERE IN TERMS OF A POLICE STATION.
THIS MIGHT BE THE PUSH TO RESTORE THE FUND BALANCE.
AND APPARENTLY IF THE ARGUMENT IS THAT NO ONE'S GOING TO BUY IT, THEN WE WON'T HAVE THE TAXES.
AND DO WE WANT THE TAXES? YES.
AND I'M NOT SURE THAT I QUITE UNDERSTAND WHY IN USE WHAT THE GREAT PROBLEM IS, GIVEN THAT WE ALLOW EVERYTHING ELSE, WHAT ARE YOU GOING TO DECIDE AND WHAT IS YOUR THINKING? BECAUSE YOU HEAR THE COMMENTS FROM THE PUBLIC HERE, BUT WE REALLY DON'T KNOW YOUR THINKING ON IT UNTIL YOU VOTE.
I JUST WANNA MENTION TO MR. CHARCO, UM, YOU HAD ASKED, UM, UH, THE ME MEDICAL MARIJUANA DISPENSARIES AND THERE'S ONE AT, UH, 2 21, 2 23 EAST POST ROAD IN WHITE PLAINS.
IT'S, UM, THE NAME OF THE COMPANY.
IT'S TWO, IT'S 2 21, 2 23 EAST POST ROAD.
UM, YEAH, WE, WE CAN'T GO BACK AND FORTH LIKE THAT.
I WAS THE NAME OF THE COMPANY THAT OPERATES THE WHITE PLAINS LOCATION.
OKAY, SO, SO, UH, CONTRARY TO THE STATEMENTS MADE, IT'S NOT THAT WE WAITED UNTIL THE LAST MOMENT TO HAVE THIS DISCUSSION AND PIT THOSE THAT ARE FAVOR IN FAVOR OF IT AGAINST THOSE WHO ARE OPPOSED TO IT.
UH, WE HAVE CHARGED OUR STAFF WITH LOOKING UP, UM, THE LEGISLATION ON THIS MATTER, RESEARCHING OTHER COMMUNITIES ON THIS MATTER, CREATING AN F A Q, REVISING THAT F A Q, REVISING IT, REVISING IT, AND REVIS REVISING AGAIN.
AS MORE INFORMATION WAS CAME AVAILABLE TO KEEP THE BOARD VISED UH, MEMBERS OF THE BOARD HAVE MET WITH, UH, UH, UH, OFFICIALS FROM OUR VILLAGES TO HAVE A DISCUSSION ABOUT WHAT THEY'RE DOING OR NOT DOING, OR HAVEN'T DECIDED.
AND QUITE FRANKLY, I HAVEN'T MADE UP MY MIND.
MY MY POSITION TODAY IS DIFFERENT THAN IT WAS FOR THE LAST HEARING THAT WE HAD.
AND THAT'S WHY YOU SEE A REVISION TO THE PROPOSED LOCAL LAW WHERE IT HAS OPTIONS.
IT HAS A BRACKETED SECTION REGARDING DISPENSARIES OF NOT OPERAT, NOT OPTING OUT OF DISPENSARIES, BUT OPTING OUT OF LOUNGES.
SO WE'RE STILL GATHERING INFORMATION AND WE HAVE TIME.
WE HAVE UNTIL THE END OF THE YEAR, IF I ASSURE YOU, IF WE LAST MARCH DECIDED TO OPT OUT, OPT IN, DO WHATEVER, WE WOULD BE ACCUSED OF RUSHING IT TO TRY AND GET EITHER THE TAX MONEY OR NOT GETTING THE TAX MONEY BECAUSE WE DIDN'T STUDY IT LONG ENOUGH.
WHAT WAS THE RUSH? AND SO WE'RE GONNA CONTINUE TO HEAR FROM THE PUBLIC AND AT SOME POINT WE'LL HAVE TO MAKE A DECISION AND WE HAVE TO MAKE THAT DECISION PRIOR TO THE END OF THE YEAR.
SO WE HAVE IN THE, IN THE, UH, ZOOM, MICHELLE BROWN.
YEAH, WE DISCUSSED THIS BEFORE AND I THINK IT'S A GREAT OPTION, UM, FOR PEOPLE TO BE ABLE TO ACCESS MARIJUANA AS PART OF THE, THEIR HEALTHCARE.
UM, I KNOW SEVERAL PEOPLE WITH MENTAL HEALTH ISSUES AND, UM, AS LOUISE WAS STATING, UM, PEOPLE THAT ARE BEING, UM, GIVEN IT FOR OTHER ISSUES, UM,
[01:30:01]
DO, DO, TO DO WITH HEALTHCARE AND IT'S JUST A RESOURCE THAT THE COMMUNITY WOULD BE ABLE TO OFFER THEM.UM, IT'S LIKE GOING TO C V S WHERE SOMEONE LIKE LOUISE WOULDN'T HAVE TO GO TO YONKERS, YOU KNOW, IT IS JUST ANOTHER OPTION FOR PEOPLE TO USE TO, UM, ASSIST THEM IN IN THEIR HEALTHCARE.
SO I'M, I'M ASKING THAT YOU NOT OPT OUT.
WE, UH, WAIT, WE HAVE MORE PEOPLE.
UH, ACTUALLY PAUL, WE HAVE, UH, LUIS IKA WHO WOULD LIKE TO SPEAK A SECOND TIME ON THIS HEARING.
SO THERE WAS, THERE'S ONE IN WHITE PLAINS THAT MEANS MY TAX DOLLARS ARE GOING WHITE PLAINS AND NOT BACK INTO MY OWN COMMUNITY.
I, AND QUITE FRANKLY, I DO ALL MY TAXOLS GO TO WHITE PLAINS BECAUSE THERE'S NOTHING, THERE'S NO SUPERMARKET HERE.
AND ONCE I, ONCE I HAVE TO GO SHOPPING SOMEPLACE, I'M DOING EVERYTHING ELSE THERE.
I DON'T USE NOTHING ELSE HERE IN GREENBURG EXCEPT THE LAUNDROMAT.
AND YOU KNOW WHAT IT, IT'S LIKE THAT'S ANOTHER MORE MY MONEY THAT'S NOT GOING INTO MY COMMUNITY WHERE I GREW UP IN TARRYTOWN AND ALMOST EVERY TIME I SPENT, BECAUSE IT WAS A WORKING CLASS TOWN, HAD ALL, EVERY STORE YOU NEEDED TO GO TO, EVERY PENNY WE SPENT IN OUR COMMUNITY WENT RIGHT BACK INTO OUR COMMUNITY.
AND IT'S DEPRESSING THAT I ALWAYS HAVE TO GO OUTTA TOWN AND NOT SEE MY OWN MONEY COME BACK AND NOT SUPPORT MY OWN BUSINESS, MY OWN COMMUNITY.
ARE WE GONNA CLOSE THE HEARING? I, I, I THOUGHT WE SAID THAT WE WERE GOING TO KEEP BOTH HEARING.
GARY'S COMMENT IS RELATED TO TB TWO.
SO WE'RE GONNA, UH, ADJOURN THE HEARING TO, UH, DECEMBER 8TH.
IS THAT OKAY? I'D LIKE TO MAKE THE MOTION.
[ PUBLIC COMMENT Advance signup via PublicComment@GreenburghNY.com is required. See instructions on first page. A three minute limit per speaker will be strictly enforced. No interruptions by Town Board members, the Town Clerk or the public will be permitted. Any questions on agenda items should be asked at this time. Department Heads have the option of leaving the meeting following Public Comment. Therefore, if anyone has questions that are related to resolutions/items on the agenda involving a specific Department Head, those questions should be raised at this time]
NEXT YOU'RE DONE.WE'LL HAVE PUBLIC, UH, YOU KNOW, COMMENTS.
DOUBLE, DOUBLE PUBLIC COMMENTS.
ANYONE? NO ONE, UH, HAL SAMS? YEAH, WE HAVE TWO.
OKAY, LET'S TALK ABOUT THE BOARD OF ETHICS.
TALK ABOUT TIM HAYES, THE REPUBLICANS
BUT HE'S ASKED FOR A WAIVER FROM THE CODE OF ETHICS.
BUT YOU VOTE ARE ALL SUPPOSED TO BE FOLLOWING.
YOU'VE ALL TAKEN YOUR ETHICS TRAINING.
YOU'VE ALL BEEN GIVEN A COPY IN THE ETHICS CODE.
TIM HAYES IS ON THE ETHICS BOARD.
HE'S TAKEN HIS ETHICS TRAINING.
HE HAS A COPY OF THE CODE, AND YET HE'S ASKED FOR A WAIVER FROM THE CODE.
NOW, APPARENTLY HE'S AN EDUCATED PERSON.
HE CAN READ THE CODE JUST LIKE I'VE READ IT FOR TWO YEARS AND TOLD YOU ABOUT IT.
BUT INTERESTING ENOUGH, IN HIS REQUEST FOR A WAIVER, HE SAID WHEN HE WAS INTERVIEWED BY YOU, MR. FINER AND MEMBERS OF THE TOWN BOARD IN YOUR EXECUTIVE SESSION INTERVIEWS, SO THE PUBLIC DOESN'T KNOW WHAT GOES ON.
SO WHAT IS HIS WAIVER ABOUT? IT SAYS IN THE ETHICS CODE, NOT WHAT LAY AZI READ TO THE PEOPLE AT THE ETHICS BOARD MEETING.
BUT THE PART THAT HE DIDN'T READ IS THAT YOU'RE NOT SUPPOSED TO BE AN OFFICIAL ON ANY, ANY POLITICAL PARTY, WHICH MR.
[01:35:01]
HAYES IS, HAS ADMITTED.YOU HAVE KNOWN ABOUT IT FOR TWO YEARS.
I HAVE BROUGHT IT TO YOUR ATTENTION FOR TWO YEARS AND YOU'VE IGNORED IT.
JUST LIKE YOU IGNORED EVERYTHING ELSE.
HOW CAN THAT BE? YOU ALL PRETEND TO BE HONEST PEOPLE, YOU ALL PRETEND TO THAT YOU BELIEVE IN THE EPIC CODE.
MR. SHEHAN, YOU WERE ONE OF THE WRITERS OF IT.
HOW COULD YOU APPOINT HIM TO THE BOARD OF ETHICS KNOWING THAT HOW CAN I KEEP BRINGING THAT ISSUE UP BEFORE YOU AND YOU PRETEND IT DOESN'T EXIST? THE ONLY THING I LIKE ABOUT MR. HAZELNUT IS THAT IN HIS WAIVER REQUEST, HE ACTUALLY ACKNOWLEDGED THAT YOU PEOPLE KNEW ABOUT IT.
HE ALSO WAS A GREAT FRIEND OF MR. FINER FOR OVER 20 YEARS IN HIS OWN WORDS, HE ALSO SAID AS HEAD OF THE LOCAL DE REPUBLICAN PARTY, THAT HE WOULD NEVER BRING A CANDIDATE TO RUN AGAINST MR. FRYER.
SO THAT CERTAINLY IS, UH, SOME EVIDENCE WHY YOU WOULD APPOINT HIM BECAUSE THE ETHICS BOARD, WHICH IS SUPPOSED TO ADMINISTER THE CODE AGAINST YOU PEOPLE.
SO HAVING GOOD FRIENDS ON THE INSIDE, CERTAINLY, OH, LOOK MR. FREE FORWARD BECAUSE HE'S VERY INTERESTED HERE.
WELL ANYWAY, BOTTOM LINE IS WHAT ARE YOU GONNA DO ABOUT IT? WHAT ARE GONNA DO? ANYONE ELSE? WE HAVE PEOPLE ON ZOOM.
OH, CLIFF ABRAMS OH'S, PLEASE COME FORWARD.
UM, IF YOU DON'T MIND, CAN I GET EIGHT MINUTES AND I PROBABLY WON'T TAKE EIGHT MINUTES.
I KNOW YOU HAVE DONE THIS FOR CAN YOU STOP AND I'M NOT GOING TO TAKE THE EIGHT MINUTES BECAUSE I JUST WANNA GO THROUGH, I NEED TO GO THROUGH AND IF I DON'T HAVE TO SIT THERE DOWN, COME BACK UP FOR THE NEXT FIVE JUST TO REPEAT MYSELF, WHICH I DON'T MIND BECAUSE I SAW IT HAPPEN TO OTHER ALLOW TO HAVE MINUTES.
IT'S THE PLEASURE OF THE BOARD.
WHAT SHOULD WE DO? YOU WANNA DO, UH, ONE EIGHT MINUTE FOR AND THEN WE'LL JUST DO THE AGENDA AND THEN WE'LL BE DONE.
DO THEY HAVE ANY PEOPLE HERE? YEAH, THAT'S FINE WITH ME.
I JUST WANNA, I ALWAYS WANNA MAKE SURE THE RULES 'CAUSE WE WANT NO, I JUST WANNA MAKE SURE.
I JUST WANNA MAKE SURE THE RULES, SO NO, NO, NO.
BUT THEN WE HAVE TO GIVE MR. THOMAS ANOTHER FIVE MINUTES, RIGHT? SO I NO, NO, NO, NO, NO, NO, NO.
ARE WE GONNA, ARE WE GONNA DO THE EIGHT MINUTES AND THEN WELL, I'D RATHER JUST DO THE EIGHT MINUTES AND THEN, BECAUSE WE'RE SPENDING 20 MINUTES ON THIS, ARE WE, ARE WE ALL, ARE WE ALL, WELL, WELL, DOES ANYBODY OBJECT? BECAUSE YOU'RE GONNA BE WAITING LONGER TO MAKE YOUR COMMENT.
'CAUSE THEN WE'LL HEAR WHAT, WHAT WE'VE HEARD WHEN WE DID EIGHT MINUTES IS, YOU KNOW, I WAS HERE UNTIL 11 O'CLOCK IN ORDER TO MAKE A COMMENT AS OPPOSED TO GIVEN AN OPPORTUNITY FOR THREE MINUTES AND THEN COME BACK FOR FIVE MINUTES.
WELL, LET'S JUST DO THE EIGHT MINUTES AND THEN BE YOUR, BUT I HAVE DONE MANY GOOD TIMES.
YOU KNOW, THEY HAVE TO SAY, THEY CALLED CRITICAL RACE THEORY AND ALL IT MEANS IS THE TRUTH.
AND FOR SOME ODD REASON, LIKE AMERICA DON'T WANT TO HEAR TRUTH, THEY PICK AND CHOOSE THE TRUTH THEY WANT TO HEAR.
AND MAY OF NO, IN JUNE OF 2020, I CAME TO THIS BOARD HERE AND I ASKED FOR THE BLACK LIVES MATTER
[01:40:01]
MURAL ON MANHATTAN.HE GOT PUSHBACK FROM COMMUNITY LEADERS.
HE GOT PUSHBACK FROM I GUESS PEOPLE TO GO RESPECT OR WHATEVER.
AND THE ONLY ONE WHO ACCEPTED IT WAS MR. FINER.
HE SAID, HEY, I FELT IT SHOULD BE, BUT THE REST OF THE BOARD DIDN'T AGREE WITH IT.
BUT THAT DIDN'T STOP ME FROM COMING BACK EVERY SECOND OR FOURTH, TUESDAY, WEDNESDAY, EXCUSE ME.
THEN IN JULY OR 2020 OR THE BOARD PASSED, IT DID A RESOLUTION FOR THE BLACK LIVES MATTER MURDER.
BUT WHAT HAPPENED WAS I WANTED IT ON MANHATTAN AVENUE ON THE STREET, IT CAME TO ME THAT PUBERTY WARRANT ON THE STREET.
I GET A CALL FROM MR. TERRANCE JACKSON, WHO IS A COMMISSIONER OF THE DEPARTMENT OF COMMUNITY RESOURCE AT THE YOUNG COMMUNITY CENTER.
HE SAID, CLIFF, I HEARD THAT GARY WON'T MIND IF YOU, HE COULD PROBABLY HELP YOU OUT AND DO IT UNDER THE UNDERPASS BECAUSE HE THE TOWN, BECAUSE WE WERE TALKING ABOUT THE TOWN DON'T OWN THE ROAD, THE STATE ON THIS AND THAT.
AND THEN GARY SAID, OH, WELL I CAN GET THE, UM, UNDERPASS BECAUSE WE, WE GET THE TOWN AND THE STATE RIGHT THERE.
SO I SAID, I THOUGHT ABOUT IT AND I SAID, WOW, YOU KNOW WHAT? MAYBE IT WON'T BE THAT BAD HAVING IT UNDER THE UNDERPASS, BECAUSE WHEN I WAS A TEENAGER, WE USED TO, BEFORE THEY PICKED THE WALL UP, WE USED TO HANG OUT UNDERNEATH IT,
AND THEN WHAT THEY DID, THEY END UP LOCKING IT AND PUT WALLS UP SO WE WOULDN'T BE ABLE TO ALLOW FOR US TO BE UNDERNEATH THERE DOING WHAT WE WAS DOING.
SO I SAID, WOW, YOU KNOW WHAT? THEY STOPPED US FROM GOING UNDER THERE.
NOW I CAN GO AHEAD AND BRING A BLACK LIVES MATTER WORLD AND TELL THE HISTORY OF THE CRIMES AND THE POLICE BRUTALITY TO BLACK AMERICANS ON A WALL FROM ROYALTY TO 1600 TO PRESENT.
THEN GARRETT CALLED ME AND SAID, DO YOU MIND IF SARAH BRAY WHITE MEET WITH YOU? I SAID, NO PROBLEM.
BECAUSE I REALLY DIDN'T KNOW SARAH AT THE TIME.
WE MET AT THE UNDERPASS AND SARAH BEEN SO AMAZING AND SO SUPPORTIVE BECAUSE WHERE I'M WEAK AT, SHE'S STRONG AT.
AND IT END UP, WE END UP HAVING IT TOMORROW.
I HAD A COMMITTEE, THE BOARD HERE DID A RESOLUTION AND THEN FOR THAT RESOLUTION, IT ENDED UP BEING, THAT WAS JULY OF 2020.
AND THEN IT ENDED UP BEING A THREE PART OUTTA NOWHERE.
I KNOW THE RESOLUTION, SAY BLACK LIVES MATTER, MERL, I DON'T KNOW WHERE THE SIGN AND THE BAND CAME IN AT, BUT I KNOW HOW SOMEWHERE IT WAS ADDED ON.
AND I JUST SAW MR. FIND, HE PUT OUT EMAILS, WHEREVER.
AND I HATE SAYING I, 'CAUSE I'M A WE PERSON, I'M A MAN OF GOD, YOU KNOW WHAT I'M SAYING? BUT IT SEEMS LIKE PEOPLE, WE JUST DO WHAT THEY WANT TO DO.
THEY TAKE CREDIT, THEY DON'T MENTION PEOPLE NAMES.
SO IT FORCED ME TO SAY, I, SO WHAT HAPPENED WAS I CAME AND I ASKED GARY, HEY MAN, BECAUSE HE WROTE THE RESOLUTION SAYING COMMUNITY LEADERS, CIVIL SERVICE, UM, PEOPLE AND, AND I GUESS PASTOR, WHATEVER HE WROTE ON THE RESOLUTION.
I SAY, HEY CAROL, LOOK, IT'S MY IDEA.
CAN YOU JUST DO A AMENDMENT TO SAY, INITIATED BY CLIFTON EARL A WAS SUPPORT OF ALL THE PEOPLE THAT HE CHOOSE TO WANNA PIN IN IT.
HE SAID, WELL, I GOTTA TALK TO THE TOWN BOARD.
[01:45:01]
AND I'M LIKE SAYING, WHAT'S THE BIG DEAL? WELL TELL THE TOWN BOARD AND I WANT THEM TO TAKE A BOOK.I COULD KNOW WHY WOULDN'T SOMEBODY WANT TO HAVE THE TRUTH BE TOLD THAT IT WAS MY IDEA, MY VISION AND MY CONCEPT.
I CALL YOU UP, MR. FINER, YOU SAID THE BOARD GOT TALK.
I DON'T KNOW IF THE BOARD EVEN KNOW THIS CONVERSATION THAT I SENT AN EMAIL TO YOU ON THAT.
SO, BUT I THEN I WATCHED LAST TUESDAY, I'M SEEING THE NAACP UP HERE AND THEY DID A RESOLUTION AND THE TOWN BOARD SAID, WELL, WE WANT TO MAKE SOME AMENDMENTS TO IT.
SO YOU GOT NO PROBABILITY AMENDMENTS TO THAT RESOLUTION.
WHY CAN'T YOU MAKE AN AMENDMENT TO THE RESOLUTION THAT WAS WRITTEN ABOUT THE BLACK LIVES MATTER MURDER? BECAUSE THROUGH THE BLACK LIVES MATTER MURAL, THAT'S WHERE THE SIGN AND BANNERS CAME FROM.
OF COURSE, THE RESOLUTION ON I WAS HERE, IT WAS LIKE THE BLACK LIVES MATTER, UM, RESOLUTION THAT DEREK SHOWED ME.
SO I'M TRYING TO FIGURE WHERE'S THE RESOLUTION FOR THE SIGN AND THE BANNERS AND I'M WANNA KNOW WHY, WHY IS IT A PROBLEM TO ADD THE PERSON? BECAUSE I DON'T MR. FINDER.
YOU TALK ABOUT THE HISPANIC LADY THAT YOU WERE HAVING AT THE LIAISON AND THE GREAT WORKSHEET.
DID YOU GOT NO PROBLEM KNOWLEDGE IN THAT.
I PUT A LOT OF WORK IN
WASN'T JUST THE S AT CLARE CLEMONS.
SHE GOT THE WHOLE SCHOOL AND MR. SMITH, THE PRINCIPAL.
AND THEY DID IT IN THREE DAYS.
THEY BEEN IN A SCHOOL PROJECT.
I WENT AND PICKED THE ROCKS OUT WITH MY DAUGHTER.
I DID A LOT OF WORK AND IT DISGUSTED ME THAT I CAN'T GET ACKNOWLEDGEMENT FOR SOMETHING.
I PUT A LOT OF WORK INTO YOU, YOU KNOW, I JUST WANNA MENTION, YOU KNOW, SAID THIS BEFORE, YOU KNOW, I APPRECIATE YOUR HARD WORK.
YOU KNOW, WE'VE DISAGREED AT TIMES.
I WANT, I WANT THAT YOU HAD AS A
NO, BUT I, I I THINK YOU DESERVE A LOT OF, UH, CREDIT FOR YOUR HARD WORK AND FOR YOUR PASSION ABOUT, UM, ENHANCING THE LIVES OF PEOPLE IN, IN THE COMMUNITY.
I THINK, YOU KNOW, I'VE ALWAYS, UH, ADMIRED, UH, YOU KNOW, WHAT YOU'VE DONE AND HOW YOU'VE OVERCOME CHALLENGES AND YOUR DEDICATION, UH, TO, UH, THE, THE COMMUNITY.
MR. MAR, MARY BOIN IS NEXT MINUTES.
UH, MR. BO BODEN HAS BEEN WAITING.
THE ISSUE FACING, UH, THE WORLD TODAY IS GLOBAL WARMING.
YOU NEED TO PUT ON THE THE SPEAKER, CAN YOU HEAR ME? SORRY, WOULD YOU START AGAIN PLEASE? THE ISSUE FACING, UH, THE WORLD TODAY IS GLOBAL WARMING.
EACH COUNTRY IS TRYING TO FIND A WAY TO DEAL WITH IT SUCCESSFULLY.
IT'S RATHER DIFFICULT TO GIVE UP THE LIFESTYLE THAT PEOPLE HAVE HAD FOR YEARS AND YEARS AND YEARS.
PEOPLE HAVE TO STOP DIGGING COAL AND DRILLING FOR OIL.
BUT THE TEMPERATURE KEEPS RISING AND THERE ARE MORE FIRES OUT WEST AND THE RAIN IS JUST COMING DOWN IN DROVES.
AND MOST OF YOU KNOW WHAT'S GOING ON.
AND YET THE PEOPLE WHO'VE BEEN DIGGING COAL FOR ALL THEIR LIVES SAY, I'M GONNA LOSE MY LIVELIHOOD.
AND THOSE PEOPLE WHO WERE FARMING AND GETTING FLOODED OUT, SOMEBODY'S GONNA HAVE TO DEAL WITH IT.
THERE SHOULD BE NO NEW GASOLINE STATIONS BUILT.
IF YOU READ THE NEWS, EVERY AUTOMOBILE AGENT COMPANY MANUFACTURING IS TRANSITIONING TO ELECTRIC VEHICLES.
BMW'S GOING HYDROGEN, BUT THAT'S NOT USING OIL.
VERY DIFFICULT TO TO DEAL WITH.
MY GENERATION ESPECIALLY CAN'T GIVE IT UP.
THEY USE A PHONE IN WAYS THAT I
[01:50:01]
CANNOT BEGIN TO IMAGINE.WE HAVE TO THINK ABOUT FUTURE GENERATIONS AND WHAT KIND OF A WORLD WE LEAVE THEM.
WE HAVE TO GIVE UP EATING OUR HOUSES WITH OIL.
IT WILL TRANSITION TO WHAT? I'M NOT SURE BECAUSE THERE'S A MORATORIUM ON CON EDISON.
THEY'RE PLUGGING EVERY GAS LEAK THEY CAN BECAUSE I SUSPECT THEY'RE GONNA RAISE THE PRESSURE IN THE TRANSMISSION LINES.
YOU ALL SEE THE CON EDISON'S ALSO RAISING THE POLES SIX FEET.
AND THEY CAME AROUND HERE AND THEY PUT SOME STUFF IN THE POLE TO KEEP IT FROM ROWDY.
'CAUSE THERE'S JUST NOT ENOUGH NEW LONG POLES BEING GROWN FAST ENOUGH.
WHAT KIND OF A WORLD DO WE LEAVE TO OUR GRANDCHILDREN'S GENERATION? CERTAINLY NOT THE WORLD WE GREW UP IN.
SO THINK CAREFULLY ABOUT WHETHER OR NOT YOU ARE INCLINED TO APPROVE ANY NEW GAS STATION OR ANY UPGRADE TO A GAS STATION.
VERY FEW CARS HAVE BEEN MANUFACTURED THIS MONTH AND WILL BE MA WILL NOT BE MANUFACTURED IN UNTIL NEXT YEAR.
I REMEMBER THE DISCUSSION ABOUT THAT PLACE ON SILVER RIVER ROAD WHERE THEY WENT TO DELIVER CARS AND PREP 'EM FOR ALL OVER THE COUNTY.
HAVE YOU GONE BY IT A LOT LATELY? IT IS VIRTUALLY EMPTY.
HOW COME? BECAUSE EVERY CAR THAT'S MANUFACTURED TODAY IS GONNA LAST TOO LONG AND YOU'LL HAVE TO TAKE IT OFF THE ROAD.
AND SO IF YOU DON'T MAKE THE CARS WITH GASOLINE ENGINES OR DIESEL ENGINES, YOU DON'T HAVE TO TAKE 'EM OFF THE ROAD.
SO MY GENERATIONS, ME PARTICULARLY, ARE BE GONE FROM THE SCENE NOT TOO LONG, COULD BE ANY DAY.
SO THINK ABOUT THE WORLD THAT YOU WANNA LEAVE TO THE FUTURE GENERATIONS TO THE YOUNG PEOPLE WHO ARE IN HIGH SCHOOL AND COLLEGE AND THINK ABOUT USING LESS OIL.
AND I WANNA THANK, UH, THE CREW WHO FI WHO ARRANGED THIS HYBRID PART OF THE MEETING, THE WORKS AS WELL AS IT DID.
AND I THINK YOU HAVE TO CONSIDER CUTTING DOWN THE PUBLIC COMMENT AT THE END OF THE MEETING FROM FIVE MINUTES TO THREE.
WE HAVE TO LEARN HOW TO SAY IT MORE QUICKLY AND NOT REPEAT OURSELVES AS MUCH.
AND I THANK THE STAFF FOR THEIR EXCELLENT JOB AND THE WAY THEY WORK TONIGHT.
UH, MY CONGRATULATIONS FOR YOU TO PRESENTING THE MEETING AS WELL AS IT WENT OFF TODAY.
WHY DON'T WE LET HIM FINISH IT? HOW HAL SAND.
LET'S GO BACK AND TALK ABOUT THE BOARD OF ETHICS AGAIN.
THERE'S A VACANT SEAT OVER THERE THAT BELONGS TO DAVID FREE SITTING IN FOR TIM LEWIS.
MAYBE YOU'LL COME BACK IN TIME IN JUNE.
YOU KNOW THAT IN THE CODE OF ETHICS AND FRANCIS, YOU AGAIN ARE THE AUTHORS.
THERE IS SOMETHING CALLED A VERIFIED COMPLAINT IN WHICH A PUB MEMBER OF PUBLIC CAN MAKE A COMPLAINT AGAINST PEOPLE WHO HE BELIEVES ARE VIOLATED THE CODE OF ETHICS.
THE VIOLATION CAN BE MANY THINGS.
GENERALLY BULK OF THE, UH, IS AGAINST YOU.
WHO MIGHT HAVE TAKEN CONTRIBUTIONS SHOULD BEAR, BUT THERE ARE OTHER ASPECTS OF THE CODE AS WELL.
AND ONE ASPECT OF THE CODE IS THAT THE PUBLIC IS ENTITLED TO CERTAIN INFORMATION ABOUT DOCUMENTS THAT ARE REQUIRED IN THE F IN THE CODE OF ETHICS.
AND ONE OF THEM IS THE FINANCIAL DISCLOSURE FORM PART OF THE CODE.
WHEN IT WAS CHANGED A COUPLE OF MONTHS AGO, IT WAS CHANGED IN A PUBLIC HEARING BECAUSE THE ETHICS CODE IS PART OF TOWN LAW, PART OF THE GREATER TOWN CODE.
SO IT HAS SOME SERIOUSNESS ATTACHED TO IT.
AND HERE'S THE MAN, DAVID FREE.
DON'T YOU WANNA SIT UP ON THE DATA SO YOU CAN TAKE THE PUBLIC MR. FREE ON HIS OWN TAKING DECIDES TO REDACT INFORMATION ON THE FINANCIAL DISCLOSURE FORM A FORM WHICH IS MEANT TO BE READ BY THE PUBLIC SO THAT THEY WILL KNOW WHETHER THERE'S ANY CONFLICT OF
[01:55:01]
INTEREST BY ANYONE WHO'S REQUIRED TO EXECUTE A FINANCIAL DISCLOSURE FORM.AND THEY CAN'T DO THAT WHEN INFORMATION IS REDACTED.
YOU HAD A FO REQUEST A FEW WEEKS AGO IN WHICH THE VERY ISSUE WAS DISCUSSED WITH THE TOWN ATTORNEY PRESENT.
AND THE REALITY WAS, YES, THE PERSON WHO MADE THE FOIL COMPLAINT AND AN APPEAL OF IT WAS CORRECT.
THERE IS NO RIGHT TO REDACT INFORMATION ON THE FINANCIAL DISCLOSURE FORM.
NEVERTHELESS, THAT'S WHAT MR. FREE DID.
AND I FILED A COMPLAINT IN JUNE OF THIS YEAR AND BECAUSE IT'S A MEMBER WHO WAS ATTACHED TO THE BOARD OF ETHICS, THEY COULDN'T HANDLE IT.
IT WAS SENT TO YOU, THE TOWN BOARD PER THE CODE OF ETHICS.
AND YOU HAVE SAT ON IT EVER SINCE WHEN YOU ARE SUPPOSED TO ACT ON IT, EVEN WHERE THE CODE, THE TOWN, WELL THE BOARD OF ETHICS WERE DEFINED HIM GUILTY, THEN THERE WOULD BE SOME PUNISHMENT OF SOME MANNER.
IT'S STILL THE TOWN BOARD UNDER THIS CODE THAT WOULD HAVE TO PASS THE FINAL SANCTION, IF ANY.
SO HERE'S THIS COMPLAINT HANGING OUT THERE WAITING FOR YOU TO GET AROUND TO IT.
SINCE JUNE, DO YOU HAVE A CODE OF ETHICS OR NOT? ARE YOU NOT REQUIRED TO FOLLOW WHAT THE CODE OF ETHICS SAYS? YOU ARE VIOLATING THE CODE OF ETHICS BY YOUR INACTION.
OBVIOUSLY I COULD FILE A VERIFIED COMPLAINT AGAINST ALL OF YOU THAT WOULD HAVE THE SAME EFFECT OF GOING NOWHERE.
SO YOU PRETEND WHEN YOU SIT THERE THAT YOUR INTERESTED IN THE TOWN OF GREENBERG, YOU PRETEND THAT YOU'LL OBEY THE LAWS.
YOU PRETEND THAT YOU HAVEN'T TAKEN AN OATH WHEN YOU ASSUMED YOUR OFFICES TO DO THE VERY SAME THING AND YET YOU IGNORE IT.
WHY IS THAT? OH, MAYBE YOU DIDN'T HEAR ME.
WHY DO YOU DISOBEY THE CODE OF ETHICS? ISN'T IT PART OF YOUR RESPONSIBILITY TO OBEY ALL TOWN LAWS? LOOK AT THAT THERE.
MS. JENMAN LOOKING VERY SERIOUS.
THE SMARTEST PERSON ON THE TOWN BOARD IN THAT SHE'S NEVER OPENED HER MOUTH ABOUT ANYTHING.
SO NO ONE CAN DISLIKE HER OR FINE CRITICISM WITH HER.
DO YOU HAVE ANY COMMENTS? GINA JACKSON, YOU'RE NEW, BUT DO YOU HAVE ANY COMMENTS? KEN JONES, YOU WANNA BE A JUDGE? IT'D BE HARD TO DO WHEN YOU VIOLATE THE TOWN CODE FOR STARTERS, WOULDN'T YOU? I WOULD LIKE TO, UH, SPEAK, UH, ONE MORE SPEAKER ON ZOOM.
THE CO THE BOARD OF ETHICS DISMISSED THE COMPLAINT AGAINST ME.
MR. SAMS DOESN'T BELIEVE THAT, BUT THAT WAS THE WORDS OF THE, UH, THE BOARD OF ETHICS.
WHEN THEY DISMISSED IT, THEY WERE INDICATED.
IF HE WANTED TO DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT, HE COULD GO TO THE TOWN BOARD AND THAT WOULD BE TO FILE AN APPEAL.
HE'S FAILED TO FILE THE APPEAL.
THERE'S NO COMPLAINT AGAINST THIS.
YOUR BOSS CALLS ME THAT THE TOWN BOARD HAS COMPLAIN.
I WANTED TO SAY, UM, A COUPLE OF THINGS, BUT I THINK WE SHOULD THINK ABOUT THIS.
IN A RACIST SOCIETY, IT IS NOT ENOUGH TO BE NON-RACIST.
I I SAY THIS BECAUSE THERE ARE A LOT OF RACIAL SLURS AND THINKING ABOUT BLACK PEOPLE AND IT'S, IT'S, IT'S COMING FROM THE BOARD WHEN
[02:00:01]
MR. FINER SAYS THINGS LIKE, AND I'M JUST GONNA SAY, WHEN YOU DESCRIBE BLACK PEOPLE IN YOUR COMMUNITY, YOU SAY THINGS LIKE POLICE, YOU SAY THINGS LIKE LOW INCOME, YOU USE WORDS LIKE HELP, ASSIST, DO FOR, UM, LIKE IT'S CHARITY.LIKE THESE AREN'T HUMAN BEINGS THAT CONTRIBUTE TO GREENBERG.
UM, IN MANY WAYS THAT BLACK PEOPLE ARE ONLY LOW INCOME, UM, ARE THE, YOU KNOW, YES WE ARE BEING THE ONES TARGETED BY POLICE, BUT WE'RE SO MUCH MORE THAN THAT.
THIS IS WHERE IT REALLY GETS TO ME BECAUSE THERE ARE BLACK MEMBERS ON THAT BOARD AND WE HAVE TO OPPOSE THIS KIND OF SPEECH BY ENLIGHTENING AND EDUCATING, BY SAYING SOMETHING.
YOU KNOW, WHEN YOU HEAR YOUR COLLEAGUES SPEAK PEOPLE IN A WAY THAT'S DISCERNING AND NEGATIVE AND NOT TRUE, YOU HAVE TO SAY SOMETHING THAT'S ANTI-RACISM IS NOT ENOUGH TO BE, YOU KNOW, IF THE SOCIETY IS RACIST, OKAY? AND EVERY TIME WE SEE IT, WE HAVE TO SAY SOMETHING.
AND I THINK THAT WE HAVE TO HELP OUR WHITE NEIGHBORS THAT HAVE INDOCTRINATED THIS WAY OF THINKING ABOUT BLACK PEOPLE BY EDUCATING THEM EVERY STEP OF THE WAY.
EVERY TIME YOU HEAR IT AND YOU SEE IT, YOU HAVE TO SAY SOMETHING.
OTHERWISE WE ARE PERPETUATING IT TOO.
I DON'T FEEL IT'S MY JOB REALLY TO EDUCATE RACISTS ABOUT THEIR HISTORY.
BUT YOU KNOW, I HAVE A DAUGHTER AND AS MURRAY WAS SAYING, WE HAVE TO THINK ABOUT OUR FUTURE OF OUR CHILDREN.
THIS LANGUAGE AND THIS WAY OF THINKING IS, IS OBSTRUCTING CHANGE? BECAUSE CHANGE CAN'T HAPPEN IF THE VIEW OF THE CHANGE YOU'RE TRYING TO MAKE DOESN'T CHANGE.
AGAIN, AS I SAID BEFORE, WE ARE MORE THAN LOW INCOME MARGINALIZED PEOPLE, DERELICTS INCARCERATED PEOPLE.
AND IN ORDER FOR YOU TO REALLY KNOW THAT YOU HAVE TO CHANGE THE WAY YOU THINK.
AND, AND I IMPLORE OUR BLACK TOWN BOARD MEMBERS TO EDUCATE AND AND ENLIGHTEN BECAUSE THESE LAWS AND THESE POLICIES AND THESE PROCEDURES ARE FOR EVERYONE IN GREENBURG, INCLUDING THE BLACK PEOPLE THAT HE THINKS IS LOW INCOME.
I MEAN, ARE YOU BLACK PEOPLE UP THERE? LOW INCOME? IS HE TALKING ABOUT YOU WHEN HE SAYS THAT? I DON'T KNOW.
HOW DOES HE SEE YOU? LET'S JUST BEGIN THERE.
SO I REALLY THINK THAT THAT HAS TO STOP.
AND AGAIN, WHAT CLIFF WAS SAYING, I AGREE WITH WHY WOULD YOU NOT HAVE HIS NAME IN THE RESOLUTION IF HE'S THE ONE WHO BROUGHT IT THERE? I MEAN, WHY WOULDN'T YOU? THAT IS PART OF HIS FUTURE.
HE HAS, YOU KNOW, A FAMILY, HE HAS A LEGACY, HE'S PROTECTED.
WHEN THEY LOOK BACK ON THAT MURAL A HUNDRED YEARS FROM NOW, HIS NAME SHOULD BE THERE.
SO, AND IT'S A SHAME THAT HE HAS TO ASK FOR THAT BECAUSE SO MUCH IS GIVEN TO PEOPLE THAT ARE NOT BLACK BY GREENBERG THAT DON'T EVEN ASK FOR IT.
AND YOU HAVE TO LOOK AT THAT TOO.
[02:05:01]
THIS IS ON ZOOM.I'M GRATEFUL WE CAN HAVE THESE KINDS OF CONVERSATIONS.
THEY'RE NECESSARY, BUT IT'S NOT JUST SOMEONE TALKING AT SOMEONE.
YOU HAVE TO REALLY LISTEN AND LEARN AND PLEASE REMOVE THOSE TERMS FROM YOUR VOCABULARY BECAUSE THEY DON'T APPLY TO ALL BLACK PEOPLE AND WHITE PEOPLE ARE LOW INCOME TOO.
YEAH, I'D LIKE TO MOVE THAT WE
[ BOARDS & COMMISSIONS Appointment of Nandini Singh to the Water Advisory Board, for a term to expire December 31, 2023]
BEGIN WITH THE AGENDA, THE BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS APPOINTMENT OF D N A SAYING TO THE WATER ADVISORY BOARD FOR A TERM TO EXPIRE DECEMBER 31ST, 2023.[ TB 1 - 11/22/2021 Resolution of the Town Board of the Town of Greenburgh in Support of Black Lives]
THE TOWN BOARD OF THE TOWN OF GREENBURG, SUPPORT OF BLACK LIVES.[ TB 2 - 11/22/2021 Resolution of the Town of Greenburgh ratifying the retention of Andrew A. Rubin., Esq. to represent a member of the Town’s Board of Ethics who was accused of misconduct during the course of his duties as an Ethics Board member; for an amount not to exceed $2,500]
RESOLUTION OF THE TOWN OF GREENBURG GRATIFYING THE RETENTION OF ANDREW RUBIN.REPRESENT A MEMBER OF THE TOWN'S BOARD OF ETHICS WAS ACCUSED OF MISCONDUCT DURING THE COURT OF HIS DUTIES AS AN ETHICS BOARD MEMBER FOR AN AMOUNT NOT TO EXCEED 2,500.
A LIKELIHOOD OF THAT SECOND IN FAVOR, AYE RESOLUTION
[ TB 3 - 11/22/2021 Resolution approving a petition by Game On 365 Land, LLC, to extend the Finmore Sewer District onto a portion of property located at 701 Dobbs Ferry Road (P.O. White Plains, NY) in the Town of Greenburgh]
APPROV THE PETITION BY GAME ON 365 THAT NEEDS TO BE HELD OVER.[ TB 4 - 11/22/2021 Resolution authorizing the payment of $27,539.78 to Harfenist Kraut & Perlman for additional services rendered related to an independent evaluation conducted of building department practices]
AUTHORIZING PAYMENT OF 27,000 5 39 78, UH, TO DENNIS TRO AND PEARLMAN FOR ADDITIONAL SERVICES RENDERED RELATED TO AN INDEPENDENT EVALUATION CONDUCTED BY, UM, BUILDING DEPARTMENT PRACTICES.[ AT 1 - 11/22/2021 Resolution authorizing tax certiorari settlement with petitioner Holy Spirit Association of the Unification of World Christianity for property located at 740 So. Broadway. The Town’s share of the refund is $526±; the County’s share is $3,920±; the Saw Mill Valley Sewer District’s share is $549±; the Irvington Union Free School District’s share is $22,067±. Refunds from all sources total $27,061±]
AUTHORIZED TAX TERTIARY SETTLEMENT PETITIONER'S FAVORED ASSOCIATION OF THE UNIFICATION OF RURAL OF CHRISTIANITY FOR PROPERTY WORKING AT SEVEN 40 SOUTH BROADWAY.I'D LIKE TO MOVE THAT SECOND IN FAVOR, AYE.
[ AT 2 - 11/22/2021 Resolution authorizing tax certiorari settlement with petitioner Lock Up Ardsley LLC for property located at 630-642 Saw Mill River Rd. The Town’s share of the refund is $3,332±; the County’s share is $24,940±; the Saw Mill Valley Sewer District’s share is $3,707±; the Ardsley Union Free School District’s share is $161,506±. Refunds from all sources total $193,485±]
AYE.RESOLUTION AUTHORIZED TAX TERTIARY SETTLEMENT.
THE PETITIONER LOCK UP ORLEY FOR PROPERTY LOCATED, UM, AT 6 36 42 SILVER RIVER ROAD.
[ AT 3 - 11/22/2021 Resolution authorizing tax certiorari settlement with petitioner WFHA Westchester LP for property located at 2 Main Street. The Town’s share of the refund is $761±; the County’s share is $5,679±; the No. Yonkers Sewer District’s share is $896±; the Irvington Union Free School District’s share is $33,973±. Refunds from all sources total $41,308± ]
RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING TECH ARY SETTLEMENTS, THE PETITIONER W F H A WESTCHESTER FOR PROPERTY LOCATED TO MAIN STREET.[ CL 1 - 11/22/2021 Resolution authorizing closing Edgemont Road from Round Hill Road to the triangle at Edgemont Place for the Edgemont Association to hold its annual Christmas Tree Lighting at Crane Pond on Sunday, December 5, 2021, from 4:30 PM until 6:00 PM]
RESOLUTION CLOSINGONE PLACE FOR THE EDGE LINE ASSOCIATION.
TOLD IT ANNUAL CHRISTMAS TREE LIGHTING AT CRANE POND ON SUNDAY, DECEMBER 5TH.
[ CL 2 - 11/22/2021 Resolution authorizing street closing of Edgemont Road, from the triangle with Edgemont Place to the East End of Round Hill Road for the Edgemont Association to hold its annual Christmas Eve caroling on friday, December 24, 2021, from 4:30 PM until 6:00 PM]
AYE.RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING, UH, CLOSING OF EDMONT ROAD FROM THE TRIANGLE WITH EDMONT PLACED TO THE EAST END OF GROUND HOLE, UH, ROAD FOR EDGEMONT ASSOCIATION.
TOLD IT'S, UM, ANNUAL CHRISTMAS EVE CAROLING ON FRIDAY, DECEMBER 24TH.
I'D LIKE TO MOVE THAT SECOND ON FAVOR.
[ CL 3 - 11/22/2021 Resolution authorizing bid to Graphic Image Inc. for the printing and typesetting of the Town of Greenburgh's Spring/Summer 2022 and Fall/Winter 2022/2023 guides to Programs, Activities and Services, for an amount not to exceed $18,000]
AUTHORIZING IT'S A GRAPHIC IMAGE FOR PRINTING AND THAT NEEDS TO BE HELD OVER BECAUSE WE DIDN'T HAVE SOME OF THE DOCUMENTS.[ CL 4 – 11/22/2021 Resolution scheduling a Public Hearing for Wednesday, December 8, 2021 at 7:30 PM, to consider a rate increase for the Consolidated Water District #1]
A PUBLIC HEARING FOR DECEMBER, IT'S CONSIDER A RATE INCREASE FOR THE CONSOLIDATED WATER DISTRICT.[ CD 1 - 11/22/2021 Resolution declaring the intention of the Town Board of the Town of Greenburgh to be Lead Agency for an Amended Site Plan and related applications of Loop Road Holdings, LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Regeneron Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (“Regeneron”), located at 555 Saw Mill River Road (P.O. Tarrytown), and referring the Amended Site Plan Application to the Planning Board for review and recommendation]
RESOLUTION FAIRING THE INTENTION OF THE TOWN BOARD OF THE TOWN OF GREENBURG TO BE LEAD AGENCY AS AMENDED SITE PLAN.UNRELATED APPLICATION OF GROUP ROAD.
UM, HOLDINGS OF WHOLLY, UM, SUB OWNED SUBSIDIZED SUB CITY AREA OF GENERALIZED, UM, AND REFERRING TO MEND SITE PLANS AS A PLANNING BOARD TO REVIEW AND RECOMMENDATION.
[ PW - 1 - 11/22/2021 Resolution approving additional professional services in connection with the design and implementation of phase two improvements to the heating, ventilation, and air-conditioning system and the building management system at Town Hall with OLA Consulting Engineers (OLA), for an additional amount not to exceed $26,400 (Held over)]
RESOLUTION IMPROVING ADDITIONAL PROFESSIONAL SERVICES IN CONNECTION WITH DESIGN IMPLEMENTATION OF PHASE TWO, UH, IMPROVEMENTS TO THE HEATING, VENTILATION, AIR CONDITION SYSTEMS AND BUILDING MANAGEMENT SYSTEM AT TOWN HALL WITH O L A CONSULTING FOR AN AMOUNT EXCEED 26,400 DEBT.WAS THERE AN ISSUE WITH PW ONE? YES.
UM, UM, SOMEHOW IN THE POSTING ON THE WEBSITE, WHEN YOU PULL DOWN THE RESOLUTION FOR PW ONE, IT WAS THE SAME RESOLUTION FOR PW THREE.
SO WE ASK THAT THAT BE PUSHED OFF TO THE NEXT MEETING.
WELL, WHILE YOU'RE UP HERE, UM,
[ PW 2 - 11/22/2021 Resolution authorizing the adoption of the 2022 Westchester County, NY Hazard Mitigation Plan Update (Held over)]
THE RESOLUTION PW TWO SAYS THAT WE ARE ADOPTING THE WESTCHESTER COUNTY HAZARDOUS MITIGATION PLAN UPDATE AND WILL ABIDE BY ITS TERMS, BUT WE HAVEN'T SEEN THE DOCUMENT.YOU THINK YOU COULD GET TO THAT TO US THIS WEEK OR SO? YES, AND I APOLOGIZE.
[02:10:01]
YEAH.SO YOU THINK YOU COULD GET IT TO US BY NEXT, UH, NEXT TUESDAY? ABSOLUTELY.
UM, IF WE CAN, YOU KNOW, PUT EVERYTHING TOGETHER, WE COULD DEFINITELY GET A FEW.
COULD YOU DO PW ONE AS WELL AT THE TIME? THAT WOULD BE GREAT.
UH, YOU KNOW, I KNOW IT'S CRITICAL.
I KNOW WHAT, YEARS AGO WE WORKED ON WHAT WE CALL THE COMPREHENSIVE ALL HAZARD MITIGATION PLAN, BUT IT WAS GREENBERG AND NOW THIS IS ALL ENCOMPASSING.
UM, BUT WE CAN'T VOTE ON SOMETHING WE HAVEN'T READ.
ALRIGHT, WHEN, WHEN DO YOU THINK YOU COULD GET IT TO US SO WE COULD READ IT BEFORE WE VOTE THIS WEEK? IS THAT TOMORROW? IS THAT OKAY? THANKSGIVING,
SO ON THANKSGIVING, SO I WOULD MOVE THAT WE HAVE A SPECIAL MEETING NEXT TUESDAY.
UM, I THINK WE'RE HAVING A WORK SESSION.
WE HAVE A WORK SESSION NEXT, UH, A SPECIAL MEETING, UM, TO VOTE ON, UM, RESOLUTIONS.
UM, UH, BUT WE NEED TO GET EVERYTHING IN ADVANCE.
SO THAT'S, SO, SO WHAT ABOUT PD
[ PW 3 - 11/22/2021 Resolution amending the agreement for Professional Asset Maintenance, Inspection, Repair and Painting Services for Glenville, Juniper Hill, and East Irvington Water Storage Tanks for the Town of Greenburgh Consolidated Water District to add the Knollwood Water Storage Tank for an initial Fee of $2,815,328 ]
PW THREE? PW THREE.WE CAN VOTE ON PW THREE RESOLUTION LENDING THE AGREEMENT, UH, FOR PROFESSIONAL ASSET MAINTENANCE INSPECTION, PREPARE AND PAINTING SERVICES FOR, UH, THE MILLWOOD WATER, UH, STORAGE TANK.
WHEN YOU READ THAT 2,000,815, YOU COULD ACTUALLY TELL THE, UH, THE AMOUNT BY JUST THE WAY YOU READ IT.
YEAH, THAT'S WHAT WATER TANKS CAUSED.
AND I, I WE SHOULD RECOGNIZE THOSE THAT ARE IN THE FRONT ROW, UM, WITH HELPING US WITH THE, UH, TB ONE.
THERE WAS A, A CONSIDERABLE EFFORT, UH, TO, TO WORKING ON THE DOCUMENT AND, UH, I GREATLY, UM, GREATLY APPRECIATE, UH, THE EFFORT.
AND I ALSO NOTED THAT EVEN THOUGH YOU GAVE US THE RESOLUTION FROM THE N A A C P, NOWHERE IN THAT DOCUMENT DO YOU MENTION N N A A C P, UH, YOU WANTED IT TO BE FROM THE TOWN OF GREENBURG.
AND SO, UM, I, I THANK YOU FOR ALL THE WORK THAT YOU PUT INTO IT.
UM, PAUL, BEFORE YOU GO ANY FURTHER, I, I HAVE TO APOLOGIZE.
THERE WAS A COMMENT REGARDING TB TWO AND, UH, I'M GOING TO, I WAS ASKED TO READ IT FROM GARY RAPPAPORT.
I KNOW EVEN THOUGH THE BOARD ALREADY VOTED ON IT, UH, HE WOULD LIKE FOR HIS COMMENT TO BE INCLUDED IN THE RECORD.
THE GREENBERG INDEMNITY STATUTE IN QUESTION FIVE 60 DASH TWO MAKES NO MENTION OF REIMBURSEMENT FOR CRIMINAL CONDUCT.
INSTEAD, THE STATUTE SPEAKS SOLELY OF INDEMNITY IN A CIVIL ACTION OR PROCEEDING.
NO SUCH CIVIL ACTION OR PROCEEDING HAS BEEN BROUGHT TO MY KNOWLEDGE.
ACCORDINGLY, TB TWO IS AN IMPROPER ALLOCATION OF THE PUBLIC PURSE TO INDEMNIFY COUNSEL FOR CRIMINAL CONDUCT.
AT MINIMUM, IT SHOULD BE HELD OVER FOR A FORMAL LEGAL OPINION AS TO WHETHER SUCH INDEMNITY IS PERMITTED UNDER BOTH NEW YORK STATE LAW AND THE GREENBERG TOWN TOWN CODE.
I FURTHER NOTE, THE CRIMINAL INVESTIGATION OF THE CONDUCT AT ISSUE, WHICH INVOLVES A CLAIM OF AGGRAVATED HARASSMENT INVOLVING A SENIOR CITIZEN, IS ONGOING.
FINALLY, I NOTE THE CAMERAS IN THE AREA WHERE THE ALLEGED INCIDENT TOOK PLACE IN TOWN HALL, WERE NOT OPERATING.
WHAT HAS BEEN DONE TO ADDRESS THIS? NOW, GIVEN THIS STATEMENT, DO YOU FEEL YOU SHOULD RECONSIDER TB TWO? NO, WE, WE, NO, IT'S ALREADY VOTED.
AND I I JUST WANNA MAKE IT CLEAR FOR THE AUDIENCE.
TB TWO IS NOT TB ONE AND TB ONE IS THE ONE THAT I WAS JUST, UH, UM, RECOGNIZING, UH, JANICE AND JOE FOR THE, UH, THE WORK THAT THEY DID.
[02:15:06]
DURING THE COURSE OF THE MEETING, SAY THAT AGAIN.EMAIL CAME IN IN SUPPORT OF TB ONE.
I THANK YOU FOR LETTING ME SPEAK.
I WOULD LIKE TO ENTHUSIASTICALLY SUPPORT THE ADOPTION OF THE RESOLUTION TO PROTECT BLACK LIVES.
THE TOWN OF GREENBURG IS AT A HISTORICAL TIME WHERE THE ENTIRE WORLD HAD TO STOP TO DEAL WITH RACISM IN AMERICA.
SADLY, THE TOWN HAS NOT DONE AS MUCH AS IT CAN TO PRESERVE THE SAFETY.
MORE PHYSIC AND PSYCHOLOGICALLY BLACK PEOPLE.
ALTHOUGH I SPEAK ABOUT SAFETY THAT CAN BE MEASURED BY ACTS OF VIOLENCE AND INTIMIDATION EXPANDS INTO ALL ASPECTS OF BLACK LETTER SADDENS ME THAT THE MANAGEMENT OF G H A STILL HAS BEEN SILENT IN ANSWERING QUESTIONS.
SOME BROUGHT FORWARD BY MICHELLE BROWN IN AN EMAIL.
THIS MANAGEMENT THAT HAS LED TO A SUSPENSION OF TRANSPORTING PROGRAM PARTICIPANTS IN THE TOWN, IN TOWN VEHICLES, THIS NEGATIVELY AFFECTS T D Y C C, LACK OF TRANSPARENCY IN THE PROCUREMENT PROCESSES IN THE TOWN GOVERNMENT, DECADES OF HOUSING SEGREGATION, WHO COULD LIVE WHERE, WHO CAN GO TO SCHOOL, WHERE PROPERTY VALUES AND OTHER THINGS THAT CONTINUALLY NEGATIVELY AFFECT BLACK PEOPLE IN THE TOWN.
IT MUST ADDRESS THE BEHAVIORS AND PRACTICES THAT ARE ALSO NAMED IN THIS RESOLUTION.
SO YES, WE NEED THE SIGN BACK UP TO SAY, RACE RACIST, THAT ACTS OF INTIMIDATION AND VIOLENCE WILL NOT BE TOLERATED HERE.
BUT WE ALSO NEED TO ADDRESS HOW PRACTICE AND BEHAVIOR IS CONDUCTED TOWARD BLACK PEOPLE THROUGHOUT ALL SYSTEMS OF TOWN GOVERNMENT, OR ALL BLACK PEOPLE WHO LIVE OR DO BUSINESS.
HERE WE HAVE COME UPON A PERIOD WHERE IMPLICIT AND EXPLICIT BIAS IS CALLED OUT AND THE PUBLIC HAS AN EXPECTATION THAT A CORRECTION WILL TAKE PLACE.
SAME AS WITH OVERT RACIAL TERROR, RACIAL DEHUMANIZATION AND RACIAL DEVALUING OR OTHERING.
WE'LL CONTINUE TO CALL OUT MICROAGGRESSIONS, WHETHER THEY BE MICRO INSULTS, LIKE CALLING SOMEONE AN ADJECTIVE THAT IS MEANT TO DEHUMANIZE OR DEVALUE WHAT THEY HAVE TO SAY OR, OR THEIR FEELINGS OR MICRO ASSAULTS OR MICRO INVALIDATION.
ALL OF IT IS ADDRESSED IN THIS RESOLUTION.
IN DIFFERENT WORDS, THIS RESOLUTION MUST PASS AS WRITTEN IN AND IN ITS ENTIRETY AS A FIRST STEP TOWARD THE REAL WORK THAT IS ANTI-RACISM PRACTICES THAT INTENTIONALLY DISRUPT WHITE DOMINANCE AND BLACK OPPRESSION.
AFTER THE PASSAGE OF THIS RESOLUTION, THERE SHOULD BE TRAINING AND THE FISCAL RESPONSE FROM THE TOWN TO INVEST IN ANTI-RACIST TRAINING FOR STAFF AND ELECTED OFFICIALS.
THAT HELPS TO CREATE A LENS AS TO HOW RACISM PLAYS OUT WHEN YOU HOLD A POSITION OF POWER.
THIS IS NEEDED FOR EVERYONE REGARDLESS OF RACE AND OR LIVED EXPERIENCE.
PEOPLE OF COLOR PARTICIPATE IN OPPRESSION.
ALSO, SOMETIMES UNKNOWINGLY JUST LIKE WHITE PEOPLE AND OTHER TIMES PEOPLE OF COLOR ARE VERY AWARE OF HOW THEIR ACTIONS CAN HARM BLACK PEOPLE.
AGAIN, JUST LIKE WHITE PEOPLE CAN FULLY BE AWARE OF.
IMPRESSION IS SOMETHING ALL OF US CAN PARTICIPATE IN OR FIGHT AGAINST.
THE FACT OF THE MATTER IS THAT WE NEED TO MOVE FORWARD IN THE FIGHT FOR OUR OWN HUMANITY, WHICH IS REFLECTED IN HOW WE TREAT THOSE WHO NEED ACTION FROM US.
WHEN ASK THE BOARD TO MOVE FORWARD, TO BE FIRST IN THE COUNTY, TO TAKE SUCH A BOLD STANCE AGAINST RACISM.
I I I JUST WANNA APOLOGIZE BECAUSE I WAS THE ONE THAT SUGGESTED YOU READ THAT, BUT WE DO HAVE A POLICY THAT IF YOU SPEAK AT THE MEETING, YOU DON'T ALSO HAVE A LETTER READ.
UH, BECAUSE IT'S NOT FAIR TO THOSE WHO ONLY, WHO ONLY TOOK FIVE MINUTES OR EIGHT MINUTES.
UM, AND IT SHOULD NOT SET A PRECEDENT.
AND ALSO WE FORGOT TO ACKNOWLEDGE, I KNOW FRANCIS BEGAN TO ACKNOWLEDGE YOU, JANICE, PRESIDENT OF THE WHITE PLAINS GREENBERG NAACP FOR THE RESOLUTION.
YOU HAD HELPED AN AUTHOR AND JOE, I APOLOGIZE, I JUST CAN'T, I'M YOUR LAST NAME'S ESCAPING ME.
I DO NOT WANNA GO WITHOUT ACKNOWLEDGING YOU AS WELL.
AND JOE, YOUR LAST NAME AGAIN, I'M SORRY.
SO I JUST WANNA SAY TOO, UM, WE SPENT A LOT OF TIME ON FRIDAY, FRIDAY, FRIDAY, I'M SORRY, I DIDN'T EVEN KNOW WHAT DATE WAS.
SEEMS AGO FRIDAY WAS TO MAKE SURE THAT, YOU KNOW, THIS RESOLUTION WAS PASSED AND IT WAS TO EVERYONE'S.
SO WE JUST WANNA SAY THANK YOU FOR WORKING WITH US AND MAKING SURE THAT WE CONTINUE TO, UM, MOVE FORWARD WITH THIS.
AND THE, THE UNFORTUNATE PART IS THAT WE HAVE TO HAVE THIS TYPE OF RESOLUTION IN PLACE TODAY.
THAT'S THE UNFORTUNATE PART OF ALL OF THIS.
BUT, YOU KNOW, BUT WE HAVE TO CONTINUE MOVING ON WITH THE GOOD FIGHT.
SO, AND JANICE, MADAM, PRESIDENT OF THE END OF A C P I, I JUST FEEL IF I WOULD BE REMISS IF I DID NOT SAY THAT THIS WAS AN AMAZING WORK OF, THAT YOU PUT TOGETHER AND, AND, UH, WITH THE SUPPORT OF YOUR TEAM.
UM, MY ONLY COMMENT IS ON THE PHRASE WITH
[02:20:01]
A REFERENCE TO THE PHRASE BLACK RACISM, SUCH A PHRASE IS, UM, AN OXYMORON.THERE IS NO SUCH THING AS BLACK RACISM.
I THINK THAT THAT PHRASE IN THE RESOLUTION REQUIRES SOME, A CLARIFICATION AND HOPEFULLY YOUR COMMITTEE WILL RECONSIDER CLARIFYING THAT PHRASE AND COMING OUT, COMING BACK WITH A, AN AMENDMENT TO THE RESOLUTION BECAUSE THERE IS NO SUCH THING AS BLACK RACISM.
YOU MOVING? YOU CLOSING THE MEETING? I DIDN'T HEAR ADJOURN, DID WE? DID WE BOTH? YEAH, WE, YEAH, WE, WE MOVED TO ADJOURN THE MEETING.
WHO SECONDED IT? WHAT? ANA? I DO NOT HAVE A VOTE.
RIGHT? I DON'T HAVE AN AYE FOR PW.
THOSE TWO VOTE FOR NEXT TUESDAY.
ONE AND TWO, BUT WHAT ABOUT THREE VOTED.
OKAY, SO WHAT WAS THE VOTE? UH, UNANIMOUS.
I DON'T KNOW WHO SECONDED IT THOUGH, FRANCIS.
I'M GONNA HEAD OUT, OKAY? OKAY.