[00:00:01]
IN PROGRESS.WELCOME, UH, TO THE GREENBERG, UH, TOWN, UH, BOARD MEETING.
TODAY IS MAY 25TH AT 7:00 PM WHICH HENRY AND, UM, UH, WE'RE ASKING DUE TO THE ELEVATED TRANSMISSION RATE OF COVID 19, THAT ALL PERSONS ATTENDING TONIGHT'S MEETING, UH, WOULD BE, SHOULD WEAR, UM, YOU KNOW, A MASK.
[ PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE]
DO THE PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE.PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE TO THE FLAG OF THE UNITED STATES AMERICA AT TO REPUBLIC, WHICH IT STANDS, ONE NATION UNDER GOD IN LIBERTY AND JUSTICE FOR ALL.
[ MOMENT OF SILENCE In memory of the 1,002,726+ individual victims of COVID-19 who have died in the United States, 6,281,260+ deaths worldwide, each leaving family members and friends too soon. In memory of the people in Ukraine killed during Russia's invasion and targeted bombing of civilians in apartment buildings, hospitals, train stations, schools and children centers, resulting in cities being flattened, mass civilian killings continuing, and more mass graves being found. May they rest in peace and peace be restored to Ukraine]
A MOMENT OF SILENCE.PLEASE DON'T, PLEASE DON'T SIT, PLEASE, PLEASE STAND A MOMENT OF SILENCE AND MEMORY OF THE 1 MILLION, UM, UM, 200,000 SE 726,000 INDIVIDUAL VICTIMS OF C OVID, UH, 19 WHO HAVE DIED IN THE UNITED STATES.
6 MILLION 2 81, 200 60,000 DEATHS WORLDWIDE, EACH LEAVING FAMILY MEMBERS AND FRIENDS TOO SOON.
AND A MEMORY OF THE PEOPLE OF UKRAINE KILLED DURING RUSSIA'S INVASION AND TARGETED BOMBINGS OF CIVILIANS AND APARTMENT BUILDINGS, HOSPITALS, TRAIN STATION SCHOOLS, AND CHILDREN'S CENTERS RESULTING IN CITIES BEING FLATTENED, MASS CIVILIAN KILLINGS CONTINUING AND MORE, UM, MASS GRAVES BEING FOUND.
MAY THE ARREST IN PEACE AND PEACE WILL RESTORE TO UKRAINE.
AND WE ALSO HAVE A MOMENT OF SILENCE AND MEMORY OF THE VICTIMS OF, UM, UH, YESTERDAY'S TEXAS SHOOTING AND THE SHOOTINGS IN BUFFALO AND AROUND, UM, AROUND THE COUNTRY.
AND NOW WE'LL DO THE ROLL CALL COUNCIL SUPERVISOR,
[ ROLL CALL: Town Clerk]
PAUL FINER, UH, HERE, COUNCILWOMAN ELLEN HENDRICKS.PRESENT COUNCILWOMAN GINA JACKSON.
COUNCILMAN FRANCIS SHAN, PRESENT AND TOWN ATTORNEY TIM LEWIS PRESENT.
[ PRESENTATIONS 7:10 PM - TDYCC Falcons Dance Team (Kylah Brooks, Demi Donaldson, Kimora Foster, Natalia Gabriele, Melanie Goldstein-Lika, Abrielle Hussey, Jaylen Inniss, Bailey Kilpatrick, Kailani Ledesma, Vanessa Nyambi, Gabrielle Walters, Misa Washington, and Coach Jessica Parris) 7:20 PM - Presentation by Jordan Copeland on the History of Systemic Racism in Greenburgh (45 Minutes Includes Question & Answer Segment) Greenburgh Against Systemic Racism Task Force Update - Councilwoman Gina Jackson]
TERRANCE JACKSON.DO YOU WANNA, UH, INTRODUCE THE FALCON'S DANCE TEAM? THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
I WON'T TAKE MUCH OF YOUR TIME, BUT THIS EVENING, THE DANCE TEAM FROM THE THEODORE D YOUNG COMMUNITY CENTER, THE T D Y C C FALCONS DANCE TEAM WOULD LIKE TO GIVE YOU A PRESENTATION, UH, AND WE'LL TELL YOU A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT IT ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THAT PRESENTATION.
SO NEXT GROUP COMING IN WILL BE THE THEODORE D YOUNG COMMUNITY DANCE TEAM.
YOU KNOW, WHEN I WAS YOUNG LIKE THAT, I USED TO DANCE.
Y'ALL DON'T TELL I COULD DANCE.
IT DOESN'T LOOK LIKE I COULD DANCE.
[00:07:35]
OH MY GOODNESS, MY GOSH.OKAY, SO THIS IS OUR T D Y C C FALCONS DANCE TEAM.
UM, WE'RE SUPER PROUD OF THEM.
THIS IS THEIR FIRST YEAR GOING TO COMPETITION.
WE WENT TO THE ROYAL DANCE COMPETITION ON SATURDAY, MAY 7TH, UM, LOCATED AT J F K HIGH SCHOOL, AND WE WON THE JUDGES AWARD OF BEAUTIFUL MOMENTS.
WE WON THE DIAMONDS ADJU ADJUDICATION TROPHY.
AND THEN OVERALL WE WON SECOND PLACE IN THE JUNIOR NOVICE LARGE GROUP.
I THANK THE PARENTS, UM, COMMISSIONERS AND OR STAFF.
AND I JUST WANNA NAME OUR DANCERS.
WE HAVE KYLER BROOKS, DEMI DONALDSON, KIMORA FOSTER, NATALIA GABRIEL, MELANIE GOLDSTEIN.
GABRIELLE HUSSEY, JALEN IN THIS BAILEY, KILPATRICK, KEHLANI LEDESMA, VANESSA NEAMBI, GABRIELLE WALTERS, MISA WASHINGTON.
AND I'M JESSICA PARIS, THEIR CHOREOGRAPHER.
I JUST WANNA QUICKLY THANK YOU AGAIN, THE BOARD FOR ALLOWING THAT TO HAPPEN.
IT'S, UH, SO, YOU KNOW, IT'S SO GREAT TO SEE THOSE MANY THINGS BECAUSE THERE ARE MUTE THOUSANDS OF MOMENTS LIKE THAT, THAT HAPPEN IN THE CENTER THAT PEOPLE DON'T ALWAYS GET TO SEE.
BUT THERE ARE MANY DIFFERENT TYPES AND KINDS, AND THAT'S WHAT MAKES GREENBERG GREAT, THAT WE HAVE THOSE TYPE OF EXOTIC MOMENTS THAT OUR CHILDREN CAN LIVE BY.
UH, THIS IS DEFINITELY, UH, THE BEST, UH, TOWN BOARD MEETING, UH, WE'VE HAD SINCE, UH, CAMP CALLAWAY'S.
UH, DAUGHTER, SON, HEIDI, HEIDI HO, DO YOU REMEMBER THAT, JUDITH? UM, AND, UM, I JUST WANTED TO ASK, UH, IF YOU COULD COME BACK AT EVERY, EVERY MEETING, BECAUSE, UH, WE NEED IT.
IN FACT, IF YOU, WE CHARGED ADMISSION, WE WOULDN'T EVEN HAVE TO RAISE, UH, TAXES.
UM, YOU KNOW, WE COULD, BUT THIS, THERE ARE MEETINGS COULD BE THE MOST POPULAR, UH, GOVERNMENT MEETINGS ANYWHERE, BUT, YOU KNOW, LIKE, AMAZING.
AND WHEN I SAW IT ON TV, THEY REALLY LOOKED INCREDIBLE.
SO WE'LL HAVE TO, UM, CIRCULATE THE VIDEO AND THE NEXT TIME,
[00:10:01]
THE MORE, UH, YOU COULD COMMENT AS OFTEN AS YOU WANT, YOU KNOW, YOU'LL SEE AGAIN, THAT'S RIGHT.NOW, I'M DEFINITELY COMING TO JUICY.
THOSE, THOSE OF YOU WHO AT HOME WATCHING THIS ALREADY SAW IT.
BUT THOSE OF YOU HERE, WHEN YOU SEE THIS REPLAYED THE WAY OUR CABLE DIRECTOR ACTUALLY SHOT THAT WITH THAT CENTER CAMERA, IT, IT'S REALLY BEAUTIFUL.
I WAS WATCHING IT ON THE SCREEN HERE.
IT ABSOLUTELY BEAUTIFUL, THE COORDINATION, HOW THE SYMMETRY FROM LEFT TO RIGHT.
IT WAS JUST, IT WAS JUST REMARKABLE.
YOU KNOW, I REMEMBER, UH, WHEN, YOU KNOW, A NUMBER OF YEARS AGO, PEOPLE, THERE WERE SOME, UH, SCHOOL BANDS, UH, I THINK SPRINGHURST, THEY WROTE TO THE WHITE HOUSE AND THEY GOT INVITED.
AND YOU SHOULD LIKE, SEND SOME VIDEOS, LIKE TO THE WHITE HOUSE, TO THE GOVERNOR'S MANSION, BECAUSE SOMETIMES, UH, THEY'LL, YOU KNOW, THEY WOULD WANNA, UH, TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THE TALENT.
AND YOU NEVER KNOW, IF YOU SEND THEM A COPY OF THE VIDEO, MAYBE, UH, MAYBE THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES WOULD WANNA, UH, YOU GONNA BE DISTRACTED FROM ALL THE TROUBLES IN THE WORLD,
SO I'M, I'LL SEND THE VIDEO TO, UH, THE LINK.
I, WE'LL CREATE A YOUTUBE AND I'LL SEND IT TO EVERYBODY I COULD THINK OF.
AND I COULD BE YOUR PRESS AGENT.
THANK YOU TO THE DANCERS, YOUR EXPRESSION REPRESENTED COMMITMENT TO STUDY YOUR DISCIPLINE AND FOCUS.
THAT'S WHAT YOU PRESENTED TO US, TO YOUR EXPRESSION OF CULTURAL AND SPIRITUAL MESSAGE OF A CULTURAL AND SPIRITUAL MESSAGE.
THANK YOU TO THEIR LEADER FOR HER ABILITY TO EMPOWER YOUNG PEOPLE, TO BRING THEM TO THIS POINT, TO THESE HIGHER HEIGHTS OF ABILITY AND EXPRESSION.
AND GINA, YOU HAVE CERTIFICATES YOU'D LIKE TO PRESENT THEM.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH, SUPERVISOR.
I SEE SO MANY OF THE YOUNG LADIES WHO GROW WITH MY SON.
I SEE MOMS IN THE AUDIENCE WHO GREW UP, WHO WE ALL GOT TOGETHER AND PRAYED, RIGHT? SO,
YOU GUYS DID A WONDERFUL, WONDERFUL JOB.
I GOT TO SEE IT NOT ONLY ON THE SCREEN, BUT JUST TO SEE YOU LIVE AND IN PERSON.
SO I'M A LITTLE, LITTLE EXCITED AND MAYBE A LITTLE TEARY EYE BECAUSE THE ENERGY THAT YOU BROUGHT TO THE ROOM THIS EVENING WAS SO AMAZING, SO HIGH, JUST SO GORGEOUS.
SO JUST BE SO PROUD OF YOURSELVES.
UM, BUT I'M NOT GOING, UH, KEEP YOU TOO MUCH LONGER.
I DO HAVE SOME CERTIFICATES THAT I DO WOULD LIKE TO GIVE OUT TO YOU.
UM, SO I'M GONNA CALL YOU BY YOUR NAME.
PLEASE, PLEASE FORGIVE ME IF I MISPRONOUNCE YOUR NAME.
COMMISSIONER JACKSON DIDN'T GIVE ME, UM, ENOUGH TIME TO PRACTICE.
YOU WANNA GO DOWN? YOU WANNA GO? AND, AND AS YOU'RE GETTING CALLED, IF YOU COULD COME UP AND THEN WE, WE CAN TAKE A COVID RESPONSIBLE PHOTOGRAPH WITH OUR MASKS ON.
UH, AND BECAUSE WE'D LIKE TO HAVE EVERYBODY SO THAT WHEN YOU'RE STARS AND YOU FORGET ABOUT US, WE WILL HAVE A PICTURE OF SAYING, WE KNEW YOU WHEN, YES.
KYLA BROOKS, DON'T, TYLER, DON'T GO TOO FAR.
[00:15:02]
CONGRATULATIONS.NOW KIM, I KNOW YOU'RE NOT SHY.
OH, ELLE WALTERS, GABBY, I KNOW YOU TOO.
JUST WANNA TAKE THE CERTIFICATE.
AND THIS TEAM COULD NOT BE AS FABULOUS, AS FABULOUS AS IT IS WITHOUT THEIR COACH.
JUST SO IT'S NOT, UH, UH, FORGOTTEN AT ALL.
JESSICA, AS OF COURSE, A, A GREAT COACH OF THIS TEAM, BUT SHE ALSO SERVES AS OUR YOUTH AID IN OUR YOUTH DEVELOPMENT TEAM.
AS WE'RE STARTING TO GET READY FOR OUR SUMMER CAMP, WE ARE FULL OF STAFF AND GETTING MORE KIDS BY THE DAY, AND IT'S GONNA BE A GREAT TIME.
WE'RE STARTING OUR MARKET, I THINK THE SECOND IN LIKE TWO WEEKS.
AND I'M WONDERING, WE'RE TRYING TO GET ENTERTAINMENT, AND I'M WONDERING IF YOU MIGHT BE WILLING.
UH, YOU, UH, YOU KNOW, AND IT GOES TILL ABOUT SIX O'CLOCK, BUT MAYBE ONE THURSDAY.
UH, I THINK THE STARTING, I THINK IT'S THE 16TH OR, OR KNOW, DAY AROUND THURSDAY, AROUND THE 16TH.
IF YOU'D BE WILLING TO, WE'LL SEND OUR AGENT YOUR WAY.
AND IF YOU GUYS WANT, IF ANYONE WANTS TO SEE THIS FABULOUS TEAM AGAIN, PLEASE MAKE SURE YOUR COMES TO JUNETEENTH ON JUNE 17TH, FIVE O'CLOCK, TERRANCE.
COME ON, TERRANCE, LET GET SET UP.
WHERE ARE YOU GOING? STAND UP.
THANK YOU SO MUCH BOARD FOR LETTING US, UH, UH, PRESENT TONIGHT AS SCHOOL IS STILL ON.
OUR LADIES ARE, OUR TEAM IS GOING TO LEAVE OUT AT THE MOMENT.
AND LADIES, THERE'S HAND SANITIZER AT THE BACK IN THE LOBBY.
[00:20:03]
OKAY.NEXT, UM, WE'RE GONNA HAVE A PRESENTATION, UM, BY, UH, JORDAN COPELAND ON THE HISTORY OF SYSTEMIC RACISM IN GREENBURG.
UM, THANK YOU FOR, UH, TAKING THE TIME TO, UH, UH, TO BE WITH US AND TO MAKE THIS IMPORTANT PRESENTATION.
I'M, I'M, UH, GRATEFUL FOR THE OPPORTUNITY.
UM, HOPEFULLY, UH, I THINK, UH, THE INVITATION ALONE AND THE AMOUNT OF TIME THAT YOU'VE DEVOTED TO THIS, I THINK SHOWS THAT YOUR, YOUR COMMITMENT TO MAKING THINGS BETTER FOR ALL, UH, ALL OF YOUR CONSTITUENTS.
SO, I'LL, UH, SHARE MY SCREEN REAL QUICK.
UM, ACTUALLY LET ME DO THE DESKTOP.
UM, SO I'M FOCUSING TODAY ON, UM, IT'S, UH, ON SYSTEMIC RACISM, BUT IT'S REALLY ABOUT HOUSING.
UH, HOUSING IS REALLY, I THINK, THE KEY.
KING'S, A LOT OF WHAT HE TALKED ABOUT, A LOT OF THE THINGS THAT WE HAVE TO PAY ATTENTION TO TODAY IN SYSTEMIC RACISM, WHICH CAN BE JOBS AND, UH, CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM AND SO ON, IN AN INTEGRATED SOCIETY THAT TAKES CARE OF A LOT OF THOSE PROBLEMS OR SHOULD TAKE CARE OF IT.
SO THAT THE WAY I SEE THINGS IS A LOT OF IT STEMMING FROM THIS.
AND JUST A BRIEF, UH, INTRODUCTION TO WHO I AM.
SO I WAS A, A PUBLIC DEFENDER IN THE BRONX FOR, UM, 10 YEARS.
UH, THEN AFTER THAT I TAUGHT FIFTH GRADE IN THE BRONX IN A VERY MULTICULTURAL SETTING.
SO I'VE BEEN AROUND THESE ISSUES OF, OF RACE, UM, FOR, UH, QUITE A WHILE, A COUPLE DECADES NOW.
AND THE GENESIS OF THIS PROJECT WAS A COUPLE OF YEARS AGO, I WAS, UH, ASSOCIATE HISTORIAN IN SCARSDALE.
I WAS ASKED TO DO A PRESENTATION ABOUT SOMETHING ELSE FOR A GROUP.
AND, UH, IT WAS THE SUMMER AFTER, UH, GEORGE FLOYD WAS MURDERED AND THE PROTESTS AND MY HEART JUST WASN'T IN IT.
UH, SO, UM, I WANTED TO AMPLIFY THE CONTRIBUTIONS THAT BLACK PEOPLE HAD MADE IN SCARSDALE.
SO WHAT YOU'RE GONNA SEE TODAY IS REALLY ONLY A PART OF THAT.
IT'S A LITTLE BIT LIGHTER ON THE CONTRIBUTIONS.
IT'S A LITTLE BIT MORE ON THE SYSTEMIC AND GOVERNMENT FEDERAL POLICY THAT, UH, INFLUENCED SO MUCH OF THIS.
UM, BUT ALL THAT'S ON YOUTUBE, IF YOU'D LIKE TO LEARN MORE.
SO, UM, THIS, UH, IS SOMETHING THAT I'M SURE YOU, YOU PROBABLY ALREADY KNOW, BUT JUST IN A COUPLE OF GRAPHIC, UH, MANNERS TO SHOW THE, UM, SEGREGATION IS A LITTLE BIT OF A LOADED WORD, BUT THE UNEQUAL DISTRIBUTION FOR BLACK RESIDENTS WITHIN GREENBURG THAT YOU SEE THAT THE RIVER TOWNS AND EDGEMONT ARE IN THE LOW SINGLE DIGIT, UH, UH, REPRESENTATION.
WHEREAS ELMSFORD IS A QUARTER AND THE ENTIRE UNINCORPORATED GREENBURG IS A QUARTER.
BUT I'M SURE IF YOU BROKE IT DOWN EVEN NARROWER AND FOCUSED ON, SAY, THE CORRIDOR AROUND, UM, UH, FAIRVIEW, WHERE WE ARE AROUND 2 87, UH, TARRYTOWN ROAD, THAT NUMBER WOULD ACTUALLY BE MUCH HIGHER AND IN THE SOUTHERN PART WOULD BE LOWER.
SO YOU CAN SEE THAT IT'S A VERY, A VERY UNEQUAL DISTRIBUTION AS A WHOLE.
GREENBERG IS ACTUALLY MIRRORS AMERICA, UH, BEING ABOUT 12% BLACK, UH, ALL OF AMERICA BEING ABOUT, UH, 13, 14% BLACK.
BUT WHERE PEOPLE ARE, UM, HAS NOT BEEN, BEEN AN EQUAL, EQUAL JOURNEY.
SO JUST, UH, ZIPPING BACK TO THE BEGINNING, UM, ALL I WON'T SPEND A LOT OF TIME IN THIS WAS SLAVERY IN GREENBURG, OF COURSE, UM, IN 1770, THERE WERE, UH, MORE ENSLAVED PEOPLE IN NEW YORK STATE THAN IN GEORGIA.
UM, AND IT SAID THAT THE O ONLY REASON THAT NEW YORK DIDN'T TURN INTO GEORGIA AND SHEER IN SHEER NUMBERS OF ENSLAVED PEOPLE LATER WAS NOT AN ISSUE OF MORALITY.
IT WAS AN ISSUE OF CLIMATE THAT WE DIDN'T HAVE A YEAR ROUND GROWING SEASON HERE.
SO IT BECAME A LITTLE BIT, UH, MORE CUMBERSOME.
SO THIS IS A, UH, SLAVE QUARTER ON, UH, OLD ARMY ROAD IN EDGEMONT, NOT FAR FROM, UH, CENTRAL AVENUE.
THIS IS WHAT THE INSIDE OF IT, UH, LOOKED LIKE.
UM, SLAVERY WAS AS MAINSTREAM AS IT GOT IN THIS HOUSE LIVED.
UH, JUST JUDGE, UH, RICHARD MORRIS, WHO WAS THE SUPREME COURT JUSTICE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK.
HE ENSLAVED, UH, 12 PEOPLE OVER A PERIOD OF TIME.
AND SLAVERY WASN'T PHASED OUT UNTIL 1827, PERHAPS FOR SOME MORAL REASONS AND FOR THE OTHER REASONS THAT WITH THE INFLUX OF IMMIGRATION, PARTICULARLY IRISH IMMIGRATION, IT COULD HAVE BEEN OFTENTIMES CHEAPER TO, UM, PAY PEOPLE DAY WAGES AND HAVE THEM GO BACK THAN TO SUPPORT THEM YEAR ROUND, UM, IN CASE YOU THINK THAT THEY WERE BEING TOO, UH, BENEVOLENT AT THE TIME.
SO, UM, MOVING FORWARD INTO THE POST-SLAVERY ROLE ERA, THIS IS A, A STRIKING PHOTO DEPENDING ON HOW MUCH YOU CAN SEE.
THIS IS JUST OVER THE LINE IN SCARSDALE, AND IT IS IN THE QUAKER
[00:25:01]
REGION OF SCARSDALE.BUT THIS IS A MORE INTEGRATED SCHOOL THAN YOU WOULD SEE IN MOST AREAS TODAY.
IN THE LOWER RIGHT HAND CORNER, YOU SEE, UH, FIVE BLACK CHILDREN IN A SCHOOL OF PERHAPS 20 CHILDREN TOTAL, UM, IN THE RURAL AREA.
I'M NOT GONNA PRETEND THAT EVERYTHING WAS GREAT, BUT, UH, IT SEEMED THAT THERE WAS SOME LEVEL OF, OF INTEGRATION THEN.
AND THAT'S EVIDENCED BY, I'LL HIGHLIGHT ONE FAMILY FROM EDGEMONT.
ABRAHAM AND SADIE WERE THE PARENTS.
THEY ARRIVED AROUND 1920 FROM THE MID-ATLANTIC STATES.
ABRAHAM MAY HAVE BEEN BORN INTO SLAVERY, BUT HE COULD READ AND WRITE.
HE OPENED UP A LAUNDRY ON WHAT'S NOW ARDSLEY ROAD.
AND HERE HERS TWO BOYS, UH, CHARLESTON LEWIS.
SO, UH, IN COMBING THROUGH THE CENSUS RECORDS, IT'S A VERY, UH, INTERESTING AND A LONG STORY FOR THEM.
SO I, I, I WANNA HIGHLIGHT THEM A LITTLE BIT.
SO THEY ORIGINALLY RENTED A HOME ON FORT HILL ROAD, AND, UH, THEN, UM, THEY BECAME FULLY A PART OF THE COMMUNITY.
SO THIS IS A, A PHOTOGRAPH OF LEWIS IN HIS TWENTIES.
BUT, UM, THEY ATTENDED THE GREENVILLE REFORMED CHURCH, WHICH STILL EXISTS TODAY.
THEY WENT TO THE PUBLIC SCHOOL AND COME THE MID TWENTIES, LEWIS WANTS TO JOIN THE VOLUNTEER FIRE COMPANY.
AND THE BYLAWS AT THAT TIME SAID THAT, UH, MEMBERS OF THE FIRE COMPANY HAD TO BE FREE WHITE AND 21, WELL, EVERYBODY KNEW LEWIS.
HE'D GONE TO SCHOOL WITH THEM.
HE'D GONE TO CHURCH WITH THEM.
AND, UH, THE GREENVILLE FIRE COMPANY WOUND UP CHANGING THE BYLAWS IN ORDER TO ALLOW HIM IN WHICH HE WAS IN FOR OVER A QUARTER CENTURY.
HE WAS HONORED AT A DINNER IN THE FORTIES, UM, FULLY A PART OF IT.
HE WAS ALSO PARTNERS WITH A WHITE MAN IN RUNNING A DAIRY ON, UH, LEY ROAD.
SO IF THE STORY STOPPED THERE, I THINK YOU WOULD GET A VERY DIFFERENT PERSPECTIVE OF HOW THINGS WOUND UP CONTINUING TO GO, UM, IN GREENBURG.
UM, BUT WHAT HAPPENED, AND I'LL, I'LL JUST SHOW YOU HERE, EVAN, ANOTHER HIGHLIGHT IS THAT IN THE TWENTIES, THIS IS CENTRAL AVENUE ON THE LEFT, THIS IS OLD ARMY ROAD ON THE RIGHT.
AND HERE YOU SEE IN THE MIDDLE THROUGH COMING THROUGH MAPS.
AND, UH, SPEAKING TO SOMEBODY WHO WAS THERE IN THE FIFTIES, UM, LEWIS STEWART BOUGHT TWO AND A HALF ACRES OF LAND IN EDGEMONT, UM, AND WAS THERE AT LEAST THROUGH THE FIFTIES.
I DON'T HAVE THE CENSUS RECORDS FOR LATER.
HE DIED IN, UH, NEW ROCHELLE IN 1977.
HE LIVED THERE WITH HIS BROTHER AND HIS BROTHER'S WIFE.
UM, SO, UM, IF THE STORY ENDED THERE, YOU'D THINK WE WERE ON THE PATH TO GREATER INTEGRATION.
SO WHAT HAPPENED WAS SUBURBIA, SUBURBIA WAS A NEW CONCEPT AT THE TIME.
BEFORE THIS ERA, YOU PRETTY MUCH HAD TO LIVE WHERE YOU WORKED.
IF YOU WORKED IN NEW YORK CITY, YOU LIVED THERE.
IF YOU WERE FARMER UP HERE, AND MOST OF WESTCHESTER, UH, CENTRAL WESTCHESTER WAS A FARMING COMMUNITY.
BUT WITH ADVANCES IN TRANSPORTATION, THE TRAINS IN PARTICULARLY THE BRONX RIVER PARKWAY, THE SAWMILL PARKWAY THEN COMES THE OPPORTUNITY FOR PEOPLE TO COMMUTE FROM THE CITY.
AND WITH THAT COMES THE INVENTION OF SUBURBIA.
SO WHAT HAPPENS IN SUBURBIA, PEOPLE, DEVELOPERS GRID UP LAND, PEOPLE COME IN AND BUY IT, AND PEOPLE ARE LOOKING FOR QUOTE, THE RIGHT SORT OF NEIGHBORS BE.
UM, SO I WANNA INTRODUCE YOU SHORTLY AFTER, UH, UH, LEWIS STEWART BUYS TWO AND A HALF ACRES OF LAND.
ELD KALIMORE, WHO'S ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT FIGURES IN WESTCHESTER HISTORY, BUYS A HOUSE IN WHITE PLAINS OFF OF POST ROAD THROUGH AN INTERMEDIARY 'CAUSE THAT WAS THE ONLY WAY TO DO IT.
UM, HE'S KNOWN IN THE COMMUNITY, HE BUYS IT.
AND WHEN IT'S REVEALED THAT HE'S THE OWNER, THERE IS A SEVEN FOOT HIGH CROSS BURNED ON HIS LAWN.
HE COMES OUT WITH A CAMERA IN ONE HAND AND A SHOTGUN IN THE OTHER HAND.
UH, THE NEIGHBORS GET TOGETHER, UH, 500 OF THEM, UH, GET TOGETHER TO PROTEST.
UM, THEY OFFER TO BUY HIM OUT.
HE REFUSES, UH, HIS PROPERTY IS VANDALIZED GASOLINE POURED IN HIS GARDEN, UH, ALL SORTS OF EXTRAORDINARY PRESSURE TO GET HIM TO LEAVE.
ANY WHITE PERSON, NOT ANYBODY.
MANY WHITE PEOPLE WHO EMPLOYED BLACK PEOPLE TRIED TO PRESSURE THEIR EMPLOYEES TO NO LONGER USE HIM AS THEIR DENTIST TO STARVE HIM OUT OF TOWN.
HE WAS ON THE, UH, NEGRO BOARD OF THE Y M C A, UH, WHITE PEOPLE SAID, WE WILL NO LONGER DONATE TO THE Y M C A UNLESS YOU KICK HIM OFF THE WHITE PLAINS.
AND HE WAS KICKED OFF OF THAT.
HE STAYED PUT, HE WOUND UP FORMING THE WHITE PLAINS DOUBLE, UH, NAACP DOING ALL SORTS OF GREAT THINGS FOR WESTCHESTER COUNTY.
BUT SO WHAT WAS THE REASON FOR THAT? HE WAS A KNOWN
[00:30:01]
PERSON IN TOWN.HE WASN'T PERSONALLY DISLIKED, BUT IT COMES FROM THIS FICTION, THIS SELF-CREATED PROPHECY OF PROPERTY VALUES.
THAT, THAT THE BELIEF THAT THE PEOPLE ARE TALKING ABOUT THERE, THE BELIEF THAT A BLACK PEOPLE COME IN YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD, THAT YOUR PROPERTY VALUES WILL GO DOWN.
SO THEY'RE NOT EXPRESSING PERSONAL, UH, HATRED TOWARDS HIM.
THEY'RE SAYING, IF, IF, IF MORE BLACK PEOPLE MOVE IN, UH, OUR VALUE IS GONNA BE DESTROYED, WHAT ARE WE GOING TO DO ABOUT THAT? AT THAT TIME, THEY HAD LIMITED OPTIONS ABOUT WHAT THEY COULD DO, PARTICULARLY WITH SOMEBODY WITH AS STRONG A BACKBONE AS DR.
SO, UH, THEY JUST HAD TO LUMP IT AND THAT THAT WAS THE WAY IT GOES.
BUT COMING ALONG INTO THE NEXT DEVELOPMENT IN SUBURBIA, WHICH IS RACIALLY RESTRICTIVE COVENANTS, THESE WERE THINGS, UH, THAT WERE ATTACHED TO THE DEEDED THAT WERE, UM, AUTHORIZED AND CONDONED BY THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT.
SO THE NEXT, UH, FAMILY THAT I WOULD HIGHLIGHT WAS THE FAMILY OF, UH, JOSHUA AND PAULINE COBURN.
THEY MOVED INTO, ONTO, UH, FORT HILL ROAD IN EDGEMONT.
HE WAS A WEALTHY SHIP CAPTAIN.
UM, THEY BOUGHT THE LAND IN 32.
AND AFTER THEIR HOUSE WAS BUILT, THEY WERE SUED BY THEIR NEIGHBORS BECAUSE THERE WAS A RACIALLY RESTRICTIVE COVENANT THAT SAID, UM, AND I KNOW THIS IS A LITTLE TIGHT, AND THIS ISN'T THE ACTUAL RESTRICTION FROM THIS DEVELOPMENT, BUT IT SAYS THAT NO PROPERTY SHALL BE HELD, UM, BY ANY PERSON WHO'S NOT OF THE WHITE OR CAUCASIAN RACE.
UM, USUALLY OFTENTIMES JEWS WERE ALSO EXCLUDED AT THAT TIME 'CAUSE THEY WERE BELIEVED TO ALSO HARM PROPERTY VALUES.
UM, AND, UH, IT WENT TO COURT.
KALIMORE, COMES THE SAME ARGUMENT.
WE DON'T BELIEVE HE'S GOING TO DO ANYTHING UNNEIGHBORLY, BUT WE JUST DON'T WANT BLACK PEOPLE HERE BECAUSE IT'S GOING TO EVISCERATE OUR PROPERTY VALUES.
SO YOU HAVE THIS SYSTEMIC RACISM UNDER THE GUISE OF RESPECTING THE MARKET OR PRETENDING TO, UH, RESPECT THE MARKET.
SO, UM, WHAT HAPPENS? IT'S UPHELD, IT WASN'T UNTIL 1948 THAT THE SUPREME COURT DECREED THAT, THAT THIS IS RACIALLY, UH, DISCRIMINATORY, IMPERMISSIBLE, UM, THROUGH SOME LEGAL WRANGLING, THEY WERE ABLE TO STAY IN THEIR HOME FOR, UM, A FEW MORE YEARS.
UM, BUT AGAINST THE WISHES OF ALL THE NEIGHBORS, THIS WAS HONORED.
SO THEY LOST THE RIGHT TO LIVE IN THE HOUSE THAT THEY THEMSELVES HAD BUILT.
UM, THE HUSBAND JOSHUA WAS QUOTE, OBVIOUSLY, UH, BLACK, BASED ON HIS APPEARANCE, THE WIFE WAS BELIEVED TO BE ONE EIGHTH BLACK.
SO WE'RE GOING BACK TO THE ONE DROP RULE.
THAT MEANS SHE WOULD'VE HAD ONE BLACK, UH, GREAT-GRANDPARENT, AND THAT WOULD BE ENOUGH TO, UH, BORROW HER FROM LIVING THERE IN A HOME THAT THEY BOUGHT THE LAND AND BUILT THE HOUSE.
UM, THE HOUSE IS STILL THERE TODAY.
AND IF YOU GO DOWN FORT HILL ROAD, I'LL, I'LL ZIP IN REAL CLOSE.
WHAT'S AMAZING IS THAT, UH, JOSHUA COBURN'S ANCHOR, UH, IS STILL CEMENTED TO THE ROCK IN FRONT OF HIS HOUSE, UH, SYMBOLIZING HIS, I THINK NOT ONLY HIS MARITIME PAST, BUT HIS DETERMINATION TO MAKE THIS HIS HOME TO SAY, I'M, THIS IS WHERE I'M GOING TO BE LIVING.
SO, UM, A LOT OF WHAT THIS GOES TO IS, UH, THE NATURE OF SUBURBIA.
I'M TALKING ABOUT WITH THESE PROPERTY VALUES THAT JUST A DECADE OR TWO EARLIER, A COUPLE DECADES BEFORE, ACTUALLY EVEN LESS, UH, THEY ARE CHANGING THE BYLAWS TO LET SOMEBODY IN THEIR COLLEAGUE, INTO THEIR VOLUNTEER FIRE COMPANY.
HE'S BUYING TWO AND A HALF ACRES.
AND WE SEEM TO BE GOING BACKWARDS.
UH, WHEN I WAS A KID, UH, I ALWAYS THOUGHT PROGRESS MOVED ONE WAY.
UM, IT'S OBVIOUSLY NOT THE CASE.
UM, THINGS WERE BACKING UP AND NOW YOU'RE GETTING THINGS MORE RESTRICTIVE, MORE EXCLUSIONARY, UM, IN TERMS OF BINDING RACISM.
UH, FEDERALLY GOVERNMENT, UH, ENDORSED.
UM, THERE WERE, THERE WAS AN INFLUX OF LIVE-IN DOMESTIC SERVANTS COMING UP FROM THE MID-ATLANTIC STATES AT THE TIME, OFTEN BLACK, BUT THEY LIVED IN THESE AREAS AT THEIR EMPLOYER'S PLEASURE, DIDN'T HAVE THE SAME STAKE IN THE COMMUNITY, OFTEN DIDN'T SEND THEIR KIDS TO THE SCHOOLS.
SO, UM, I'LL POINT OUT ONE MORE, UH, STRUCTURAL EFFECT.
I DON'T HAVE THE MAP FOR GREENBURG, BUT THIS IS A RED LINING MAP FOR THE AREA JUST SOUTH.
SO HASTINGS IS RIGHT UP HERE, AND EDGEMONT IS OVER HERE.
UM, AND YOU MAY BE FAMILIAR IF YOU'RE, IF, UH, ANYBODY ISN'T.
UM, SO THERE WAS A FOUR TIERED SYSTEM OF GOVERNMENT.
ASSESSORS WOULD COME IN AND LOOK AT A NEIGHBORHOOD AND DECIDE HOW MUCH OF A
[00:35:01]
RISK IT WAS TO INVEST IN.AND THEN THE BANKS WOULD TAKE THAT LEAD AND THEY WOULD INVEST AND GRANT LOANS IN MORTGAGES IN THE NEIGHBORHOODS THAT WERE CONSIDERED LOW RISK.
AND THE HIGHER THE RISK, THE LESS CHANCE THEY WOULD INVEST.
AND RED, RED LINED AREAS NOT HAPPENING.
SO YOU CAN SEE WHAT WAS RED LINED JUST SOUTH OF GREENBURG, WEST OF, UM, THE WEST PART OF, UH, YONKERS WAS OFTEN REDLINED AND PARTS OF NEW ROCHELLE.
THE WHITE PART THAT, THAT DRIFTS UP TOWARDS, UM, UH, UH, EASTCHESTER AND SCARSDALE WAS NOT, THAT WAS CONSIDERED TO BE THE, THE LEAST RISKY PLACE TO INVEST.
UM, SO I DON'T HAVE THE MAP FOR, UM, UH, GREENBERG, BUT I CAN KIND OF GUESS, UH, HOW IT WOULD LOOK.
PRETTY MUCH ALL BLACK NEIGHBORHOODS, REGARDLESS OF WEALTH, WOULD BE REDLINED IN, IN THAT ERA.
SO, UM, AND THAT, UH, CONTINUES TILL TODAY THAT EVEN THROUGH THE DECADES PAST, AS PEOPLE MOVED IN FROM AREAS THAT WEREN'T GRIDED UP, MORE RURAL AREAS, BLACK PEOPLE TODAY STILL OFTEN LIVE IN REDLINED AREAS.
WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO LIVE IN A REDLINED AREA? IT MEANS YOU CAN'T GET A MORTGAGE.
IT MEANS THAT YOU'RE A RENTER.
SO THAT MEANS THAT OVER THE SUBURBAN ERA, PARTICULARLY IN AREAS LIKE THE RIVER TOWNS OR EDGEMONT OR PROPERTY VALUES INCREASED DRAMATICALLY OVER THE 20TH CENTURY.
BLACK PEOPLE WERE OFTEN NOT ABLE TO IN BECAUSE THEY WERE RENTING, NOT ABLE TO HAVE THAT ASSET AND PASS IT ON DOWN TO THEIR CHILDREN.
UM, AND NATIONALLY, WE STILL EXPERIENCE THAT TODAY.
UH, THE LEGACY OF THAT, THAT THE WHITE HOME OWNERSHIP RATE IS ALMOST TWICE WHAT THE BLACK HOME OWNERSHIP RATE IS NATIONALLY.
IT'S 70, UH, 3% FOR WHITE FAMILIES, 44% FOR BLACK FAMILIES.
UM, AGAIN, ANOTHER GOVERNMENT SANCTIONED, UM, YOU KNOW, POLICY.
SO, UM, ONE MORE ISSUE THAT CAME IN WAS THE ISSUE OF STEERING.
UH, AND I'LL CON CONFINE THIS TO SCARSDALE AT THE MOMENT, BUT, UM, THERE'S A QUOTE FROM THE PAPER, EVEN AS LATE AS THE SIXTIES PAST THE POINT WHEN THIS WAS, UH, YOU KNOW, SUPPOSED TO BE, UH, PERMISSIBLE ANYMORE, WHERE A BROKER IS BEING QUOTED IN THE PAPER AS SAYING THE FIRST BROKER TO SELL A HOUSE TO A NEGRO IS GOING TO FIND HIS NAME AS MUD.
THE NEIGHBORS ARE GOING TO BLAME THE BROKER, NOT THE PREVIOUS OWNER OF THE HOUSE.
SO THE BROKERS THAT THE, THE PEOPLE SELLING WERE, WERE RELUCTANT, IF NOT COMPLETELY RESISTANT.
THE, UH, BROKERS WORK ALSO AS WELL.
UM, A REAL QUICK, A ONE MINUTE CLIP OF A WOMAN DESCRIBING HER FAMILY'S, UM, ENTRANCE TO SCARSDALE IN 1969.
HER MOTHER, HER MOTHER LOOKED AT HOUSES, SOME OF THE, SOME OF THE HOUSES.
MY FATHER DIDN'T LOOK AT, UM, IF THE FAMILY WAS GONNA BE HOME.
OKAY, OKAY, YOU NEED TO SHUT OFF YOUR LOBBY.
WE'LL HAVE TO FIGURE THIS OUT.
UM, I'LL JUST, I'LL JUST PLAY IT.
HER MOM WAS VERY LIGHT SKINNED.
SO HER MOM WOULD GO WITH, TO CHECK THINGS OUT.
AND THEN, SO MY PARENTS LOOKED AT, UM, THE HOUSE, THE HOUSE AND THE OWNERS WERE NOT HOME.
THEY WENT TO CONTRACT AND CONTRACT.
UM, AND THAT WAS THE FIRST TIME THAT THE OWNERS HAD SEEN MY PARENTS.
AND SO THEY ACTUALLY SIGNED THE CONTRACT AND THEN THAT EVENING THEY GOT HOME AND MY FATHER RECEIVED A PHONE CALL FROM THE OWNER OF THE HOME SAYING, MY WIFE IS THREATENING TO KILL HERSELF.
SHE'S GOING TO PULL UP ALL THE PLANTS OUTSIDE THE HOUSE.
UM, WE HAD NO IDEA THAT YOU WERE BLACK AND SHE CAN'T DO IT.
I'M GOING TO GIVE YOU $10,000.
THINK OF THAT, THE HOUSE IS $40,000 IN 1969, WHICH IS A LOT OF MONEY NOW.
AND I'M GONNA GIVE YOU $10,000 TO GET OUTTA THIS DEAL THAT MY FATHER SAID TO HIM, I'M VERY SORRY YOUR WIFE IS GONNA KILL HERSELF, BUT THAT IS OUR HOUSE.
SO IT'S A TRAUMATIC WELCOMING TO THE COMMUNITY.
UM, THEY WOUND UP, UH, WHEN THEY MOVED IN, UH, THEY PULLED IN AND THE WIFE DID IN FACT PULL UP ALL OF THE PLANTS OUTSIDE THE HOUSE AS A, UH, REALLY A SYMBOL OF HER, OF HER RACISM.
AND TO SHOW THEM THAT THEY WERE UNWELCOME THERE.
THAT, UM, ANOTHER ISSUE, UH, THAT CAME UP, UH, IN THE SIXTIES IS, AS YOU KNOW, THAT, UH, GREEN, UM, WITHIN GREENBERG, UH, EDGEMONT HAS PERIOD PERIODICALLY SOUGHT TO INCORPORATE,
[00:40:01]
UH, IN THE 1960S.THAT WAS A, SAILED BY A BLACK LEADER OF GREENBERG.
QUOTE, THE ONLY REASON THEY WANT TO INCORPORATE IS TO AVOID HAVING LOW COST HOUSING FOR NEGROES.
UM, THIS WAS THE LEADER OF GREENBERG AND THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF THE TOWNS YOUTH SERVICE ORGANIZATION.
UM, IT'S A, IT'S A TOUGH ISSUE.
AND I KNOW THAT THE GREENBERG BOARD ONLY HAS CONTROL OVER THE, UM, UNINCORPORATED PARTS OF GREENBURG, NOT THE VILLAGES OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT.
UM, I'LL JUST SAY FROM AN ASIDE, UH, IF YOU GO TO SAY HASTINGS, THE RIVER TOWNS, I THINK THAT THERE ARE SOFTER THINGS AS WELL TO BE DONE ON THIS.
UM, I THINK THE APPETITE IS THERE.
YOU SEE A LOT OF BLACK LIVES MATTER SIGNS AND SO ON.
AND I THINK EVEN IF THERE'S, UH, THE BOARD DOESN'T HAVE CONTROL OVER THE ZONING, THERE, THERE ARE SOFTER WAYS THAT TO TELL PEOPLE, OKAY, YOU CAN PUT UP THE SIGN, BUT THIS IS, THESE ARE THE NEXT STEPS YOU NEED TO REALLY MAKE YOUR, UH, COMMUNITY INCLUSIVE, UH, WITHOUT CHANGING THAT OR WITH, WITH CHANGING, CHANGING ZONING ON YOUR OWN.
UM, SO, UM, AND ON THE TOPIC OF ZONING, IF YOU LOOK TODAY, I DIDN'T MAKE THE CHART ON THE LEFT, EXCUSE ME, EXCUSE ME, PLEASE.
THAT WAS AT 1967 ARTICLE WHERE EDGEMONT WAS TRYING TO INCORPORATE, CORRECT.
IT SEEMS LIKE EVERY FEW DECADES IT'S BEEN, UH, THERE'S BEEN AN EFFORT.
SO AT THAT POINT, YOU KNOW, IN THE SIXTIES, UM, CONVERSATIONS ABOUT RACE WERE REALLY OUT IN THE OPEN.
IF YOU LOOK BACK IN THE PAPERS, MUCH, MUCH MORE THAN TODAY.
SO YOU WOULD SEE IN THE TIMES VERY EXPLICIT.
BUT YES, THAT'S, THIS WAS IN 1967.
OBVIOUSLY AN UNSUCCESSFUL EFFORT, UM, TO INCORPORATE AT THAT TIME.
UM, IF YOU LOOK FORWARD TODAY, TODAY, ONE OF THE OTHER ISSUES, THE STRUCTURAL ISSUES IS, UH, MULTIFAMILY HOUSING OR THE ABSENCE OF IT.
UM, THE CHART ON THE LEFT IS THE PRESENCE OF MULTIFAMILY HOUSING, RED BEING MULTI ZONED FOR MULTIFAMILY.
SO AREAS LIKE SOUTHERN GREENBURG AND EDGEMONT ARE NOT ZONED FOR MULTI-FAMILY HOUSING.
IT CERTAINLY SEEMS TO CORRELATE AS YOU LOOK AT THE CHART AS WELL, LIKE WITH HASTINGS AND IRVINGTON BEING SO LOW.
AND THE CHART ON THE RIGHT IS THE PERCENTAGE OF BLACK PEOPLE IN EACH COMMUNITY.
UM, YOU MIGHT SAY, WELL, WHY WOULD MULTI-FAMILY HOUSING HAVE ANYTHING TO DO WITH, UH, BLACK PEOPLE IN YOUR COMMUNITY? SO, AND THAT GETS TO REALLY AN AMERICAN ISSUE, NOT NECESSARILY A GREENBERG ISSUE IN TERMS OF THE UNEQUAL DISTRIBUTION OF WEALTH IN AMERICA BETWEEN PEOPLE OF RACE.
SO THIS IS THE RACIAL A CHART.
UM, IT'S, IT'S, IT'S A VERY BLAND CHART TO LOOK AT.
AND WHAT IT REPRESENTS IS, UH, IS TERRIBLE, IS TERRIBLE.
SO IN EACH DECILE AS YOU GO, THE BLUE DECILE, BLUE BARS REPRESENT THE WHITE POPULATION.
UH, THE YELLOW BARS REPRESENT LATINO.
GREEN IS OTHER, OFTEN ASIAN, UH, AND THE RED BARS ARE THE BLACK.
AND AS YOU CAN SEE, AS I THINK MOST PEOPLE PROBABLY KNOW JUST FROM BEING AWARE OF THINGS, HOW OVERREPRESENTED THE, UH, I THINK IT'S 14%, UH, BLACK POPULATION IN THE UNITED STATES, HOW OVERREPRESENTED THEY, UH, BLACK PEOPLE ARE AT THE LOWER END AND HOW UNDERREPRESENTED THEY ARE AT THE UPPER END.
THE TOWN BOARD HAS NO CONTROL OVER HOW FEDERAL TAX POLICY OR WEALTH.
BUT, UH, I THINK THE ARGUMENT IS THAT THIS IS WHY YOU WOULD NEED MULTIFAMILY HOUSING.
IT'S AN ISSUE OF AFFORDABILITY.
WESTCHESTER IS EXPENSIVE, GREENBURG IS EXPENSIVE, AND PARTICULARLY THE SOUTHERN, UH, AND WESTERN EDGE OF GREENBURG IS EXPENSIVE.
SO THIS IS ONE MORE OF THOSE STRUCTURAL, UH, BARRIERS TO THE FULL, UH, INVOLVEMENT IN THE AREA.
HERE'S A REALLY INTERESTING, UH, CHART.
I DIDN'T MAKE THE ONE ON THE LEFT, BUT I'VE LOOKED THROUGH THE CENSUS RECORDS.
THESE ARE, THIS IS, UH, UH, A MAP OF THE BLACK HOMEOWNERS IN GREENBURG IN 1940.
AND ON THE RIGHT IS THE REPRESENTATION TODAY.
IT'S A STRIKINGLY, STRIKINGLY SMALL, UH, LOW LEVEL OF MOBILITY.
IN 80 YEARS, THE, THE WHERE BLACK PEOPLE LIVED BEFORE WORLD WAR II IS LARGELY WHERE THEY'RE LIVING TODAY.
UM, AND THERE'S OF COURSE A BUNCH OF REASONS FOR IT.
UM, AND IN SOME WAYS WE'RE GOING IN THE WRONG DIRECTION.
IN THE SIXTIES, THE AVERAGE WHITE FAMILY, UH, WAS SAID TO HAVE FIVE TIMES THE WEALTH OF THE AVERAGE BLACK FAMILY THAT HAS INCREASED TODAY TILL EIGHT
[00:45:01]
TO 10 TIMES THE AVERAGE WEALTH OF THE, OF THE AVERAGE BLACK FAMILY.BUT, UM, YOU CAN'T SAY THAT THINGS ARE STAGNANT IN EVERY WAY.
BECAUSE, FOR EXAMPLE, IF I WERE TO PLOT ON THE LEFT WHERE PEOPLE OF ASIAN DESCENT WERE, UM, THE, UH, VERY, VERY, VERY FEW PEOPLE OF ASIAN DESCENT, ALMOST NO HOMEOWNERS IN 1940 AND TODAY, UH, THEY HAVE BEEN LARGELY ACCEPTED IN MORAL.
IT SEEMS TO BE ANY COMMUNITY THAT THEY WANT TO BE IN.
YOU COULD SAY THE SAME ABOUT PEOPLE OF JEWISH DESCENT, THAT THEY SUFFERED A LOT MORE IN THAT TIME.
AND I'M NOT LOOKING TO PIT GROUPS AGAINST EACH OTHER.
I'M ONLY LOOKING TO SHOW THIS AS AN ILLUSTRATION THAT THERE'S, THERE'S A SUBSTANTIAL DEGREE OF MOBILITY FOR MANY GROUPS, BUT APPARENTLY NOT FOR BLACK PEOPLE.
AND THESE, THESE, UM, STRUCTURES IN PLACE HAVE BEEN, UH, RESILIENT, UH, FOR ALMOST PRETTY MUCH ALL OF OUR LIFETIMES.
UM, I'LL, I'LL RUN THROUGH, UH, YOU KNOW, I'M GOING TO GIVE YOU, I WANT TO, WOULD YOU CONSIDER THIS LIKE ECONOMIC RACISM RATHER THAN COLOR RACISM? BECAUSE SAY THE ASIAN POPULATION, UH, IS ACCEPTED AND IT'S A VERY WEALTHY, YOU KNOW, POPULATION.
UM, SO WOULD, WOULD YOU SAY THAT, THAT THAT WOULD BE A FACTOR? I WOULD, AND IN FACT, I WOULD TIE, I THINK AMERICA IS REALLY CONCERNED MORE WITH WEALTH IN GENERAL.
WELL, I I DON'T WANNA SAY THAT THAT'S, THAT'S WAY OVER BROAD.
I THINK IT'S ALMOST EASIER TO GO BACK AND LOOK AT THE PATH OF JEWS BECAUSE JEWS WERE ONCE IN THE SAME POSITION.
SO IN THE HOUSE THAT I GREW UP IN HASTINGS, THE DEEDED RESTRICTED BLACKS AND JEWS IN SCARSDALE IN 1940, I'M SORRY, 19, 20, YOU WOULD HAVE ALMOST NO JEWISH PEOPLE.
THE ONLY JEWISH PEOPLE WOULD BE, LIKE, FOR EXAMPLE, LIKE AL JOLSON WHO HAS SO MUCH MONEY IN FAME, HE PRETTY MUCH CAN'T BE DENIED, RIGHT? UM, SO AS JEWISH PEOPLE ROSE UP IN WEALTH, THEY KIND OF BECAME PART OF THE MAINSTREAM IN A MORE, IN A, IN A, IN A, IN A WAY THAT THEY DIDN'T, WHEN THEY WERE MORE RECENT IMMIGRANTS IN MY GRAND GRANDPARENTS WOULD'VE BEEN WORKING IN SWEATSHOPS.
THEY WERE CONSIDERED TO BE, UH, TO KIND OF DRAGGING THINGS DOWN.
BUT WHEN YOU'RE SURROUNDED BY JEWISH DOCTORS AND LAWYERS, IT'S HARDER TO MAKE THAT ARGUMENT OUT OF ANYTHING OTHER THAN JUST PLAIN OLD RACISM.
SO, UM, I THINK THERE'S AN, I I THINK THAT'S PROBABLY CORRECT, THAT IT'S LARGELY WEALTH.
THERE'S REALLY TWO THINGS, TWO, TWO COMPONENTS TO THAT.
WHY BLACK PEOPLE ARE NOT LIVING IN A, SAY A COMMUNITY LIKE EDGE MONITOR, HASTINGS IRVINGTON.
SO THE FIRST ONE IS CLEARLY WEALTH, BUT THERE ARE WEALTHIER BLACK PEOPLE WHO ARE CHOOSING NOT TO LIVE THERE.
AND PART OF THE PROBLEM IS THE INTERVIEWS OF ALL THE PEOPLE WHO I TALKED TO, I CONDUCTED ABOUT A DOZEN ONE TO TWO HOUR INTERVIEWS.
IF YOU ARE BLACK AND YOU WANT TO COME TO HASTINGS OR EDGEMONT OR IRVINGTON, YOUR KID WILL PROBABLY BE THE ONLY BLACK KID IN THEIR CLASS, POSSIBLY THE ONLY BLACK KID IN YOUR GRADE, WHICH GIVES YOU A HARDER DECISION THAN OTHER PEOPLE.
OTHER PEOPLE SAY, WELL, I JUST NEED TO BE ABLE TO AFFORD IT, AND WILL I BE ABLE TO FIT IN? THIS IS A LITTLE BIT MORE, SO I'M ACTUALLY GONNA PLAY FOR YOU A, A, A SHORT VIDEO OF, UH, OF A WOMAN IN SCARSDALE TALKING ABOUT HOW IT FELT TO BE ONE OF THE ONLY BLACK PEOPLE IN TOWN.
SHE WAS SURROUNDED BY PEOPLE WHO WERE PERHAPS WELL-MEANING, BUT IGNORANT BECAUSE THERE WERE SO FEW BLACK PEOPLE AROUND.
SO IT'S SORT OF THIS DOUBLE HURDLE OF, UM, DO I WANT TO BE A PIONEER AND DO I WANT MY KIDS TO BE THE ONLY ONE? AND I HAVE A WHOLE BUNCH OF VIDEOS WHERE PEOPLE ARE TALKING ABOUT WHERE THERE'S TRASH TALKING ON A BUS AND SOMEBODY SAYING, SHOULD I SPEAK UP? OR, THERE'S A NASTY LETTER IN THE SCHOOL NEWSPAPER, SHOULD I SPEAK UP? I'M THE ONLY ONE.
UH, BUT, BUT THEN ECONOMIC IS CLEARLY, UM, A MAJOR DRIVER OF THAT.
THIS IS, UH, JUST A MINUTE AND A HALF WHAT IT'S LIKE TO BE THE ONLY, OR ONE OF THE FEW BLACK PEOPLE, UH, IN A, IN A LARGELY WHITE COMMUNITY.
ON MY PAPER ROUTE, LEMME POP UP ON MY PAPER ROUTE.
I WOULD BE ON MY PAPER ROUTE AND THEY, THE PEOPLE WOULD OPEN THE DOOR AND SAY, TURN THE MIC OFF LIKE A COOKIE OR WHATEVER.
AND THEN THEY WOULD, THEY WOULD SAY, YOU KNOW, I JUST LOVE YOUR HAIR.
CAN I TOUCH IT? AND SO THEN I WOULD LIKE BOW MY HEAD DOWN AND LET THEM TOUCH MY HAIR, LET THEM LIKE,
[00:50:01]
LIKE, LIKE, LIKE PAD IT.AND IT HAPPENED MORE THAN ONCE.
AND UH, AT THAT POINT, YOU KNOW, I KNEW I WAS THE AMBASSADOR FOR MY RACE, RIGHT? BUT, UM, YEAH, THAT KIND OF LIKE SOLIDIFIED LIKE, OKAY, UM, I GUESS I'M GONNA HAVE TO HAVE MY AFRO TOUCHED BECAUSE OF THEIR CURIOSITY, BECAUSE THEY DON'T KNOW ANYBODY.
AND SO MAYBE THEY'RE GONNA THINK IT'S STEEL WOOL OR, AND THEY WOULD ALWAYS SAY, AFTER THEY TOUCHED MY HAIR, IT'S SO SOFT, LIKE, LIKE, YOU KNOW, SURPRISE, LIKE AS IF IT COULD BE STEEL WOOL OR SOMETHING.
UM, AND ANOTHER THING THAT WOULD REALLY BOTHER ME, UM, UH, UH, IS AFTER VACATION TIME, YOU KNOW, A A LOT OF THE KIDS WOULD GO ON THESE REALLY NICE VACATIONS, ESPECIALLY IN THE WINTER, GO TO GO TO THESE ISLANDS AND THEY'D GET TAN MM-HMM.
I MEAN, AND THAT HAPPENED ALL THE TIME.
UM, THAT, THAT MIGHT NOT BE A SURPRISE TO SOME PEOPLE.
UH, HAVE, SOME PEOPLE MAY HAVE HAD THOSE, THOSE EXPERIENCES.
AND, BUT I THINK IT ALSO HIGHLIGHTS, UM, TO ME, THE LOSS IN THOSE COMMUNITIES TO THE NON-BLACK PEOPLE.
I DON'T THINK ANYBODY WANTS THEIR KIDS DOING THIS OUT OF, UH, SOME MISGUIDED CURIOSITY OR, OR, OR SO, OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT.
IT DOESN'T, YOU KNOW, IT'S, IT'S A, IT'S A TREMENDOUS LOSS TO NOT, UH, HAVE YOUR KIDS HAVE A CULTURAL UNDERSTANDING OF AMERICA AND UNDERSTANDING DIFFERENT PEOPLE.
UM, SO I'M GONNA GIVE YOU, I THINK ONE MORE CLIP THEN IF THERE'S ANY QUESTIONS, GREAT.
BECAUSE I, I'D, I'D REALLY LIKE TO END WITH SOMETHING POSITIVE.
UM, SO THIS IS A LEGENDARY TEACHER IN SCARSDALE, RASHEED VERA.
HE'S GONNA BE TALKING ABOUT WHAT HAPPENS WHEN BLACK STUDENTS DO HAVE ACCESS AND ARE ABLE TO CONNECT WITH OTHER PEOPLE, PARTICULARLY BLACK ROLE MODELS.
SO KIND OF WHEN IT ALL, UM, WHEN IT ALL COMES TOGETHER, JORDAN, THIS IS ALL POSITIVE, OKAY? BECAUSE IT IS ABOUT AWARENESS AND EDUCATION AND BRINGING US ALL TOGETHER THROUGH UNDERSTANDING.
SOMETIMES I FEEL LIKE I'M, I'M, I'M, I DON'T WANT, UM, I DON'T WANT BLACK PEOPLE TO BE SEEN AS VICTIMS BECAUSE IN MY LARGER PRESENTATION, IT'S, THAT'S, THAT'S, THAT'S NOT WHAT IT IS.
THAT IN THE THEME OF MOST OF MY VIDEOS, WHAT YOU SEE IS, UH, THE INTERVIEWS INCREDIBLE RESILIENCE AND STRENGTH, UH, SUCCESS.
UM, SO, UH, THIS ONE IS A LITTLE BIT MORE SHADED TOWARDS, UH, GOVERNMENT STUFF, BUT THANK YOU FOR THAT.
GO TO CLASS, GO TO CLASS ONE DAY.
AND THIS BLACK GIRL SITTING IN CLASS, SHE'S SITTING, SHE'S SITTING RIGHT UP FRONT.
AND JORDAN, I DON'T KNOW IT ALL OF A SUDDEN CAME TO ME THAT WOO, THAT ALL OF THE BLACK STUDENTS, THE BROWN STUDENTS THAT I HAD HAD AT SCARSDALE HIGH SCHOOL WOULD COME INTO CLASS AND ALWAYS SIT UP FRONT.
IN OTHER WORDS, IN OTHER WORDS, ONCE AGAIN, I GET THE LUCK OF THE DR YOU KNOW, THEY WEREN'T HIDING.
THEY WANTED ME, THEY WANTED THE ONE DAMN THING THEY'RE GONNA DO.
THEY'RE GONNA SAY, CONNECT WITH ME.
I ATTRIBUTE THAT TO THEIR PARENTS A GREAT DEAL.
'CAUSE PARENTS CAN SOMETIMES TELL YOU, OR CAN SOME SUGGEST THAT YOU DON'T WANT TO BE INVISIBLE HERE.
YOU DON'T WANT TO GO RALPH ELLISON HERE.
YOU DON'T WANT TO GIVE THAT S**T ANYMORE.
YOU INVISIBLE MANSION ANYMORE FUEL.
IN OTHER WORDS, THIS CAT, GO GET IT.
YEAH, HE'S THE, HE'S, HE'S NOT THERE BY MISTAKE.
SO I THINK, UH, THAT'S ABOUT IT FOR ME.
I'LL JUST PUT UP, UH, MY EMAIL IF ANYBODY WANTS TO KNOW MORE.
[00:55:01]
IF YOU GO TO, I'VE GOT A WHOLE PLAYLIST OF VIDEOS, UH, TO REALLY KIND OF UNDERSTAND MUCH MORE IN DEPTH ABOUT, UM, JUST, UH, BLACK EXPERIENCES.AND MANY OF YOU HAVE LIVED BLACK EXPERIENCES.
YOU DON'T NECESSARILY NEED TO WATCH A VIDEO TO SEE IT, BUT I THINK IT'S, UH, INTERESTING TO SEE, UM, NONETHELESS, IF ANYBODY'S INTERESTED.
IF YOU HAVE QUESTIONS, I'M HAPPY TO TAKE 'EM.
OR ANY QUESTIONS FROM THE AUDIENCE? YES.
CAN YOU COME UP TO THE MICROPHONE PLEASE? YOU KNOW WHAT, IT MIGHT BE A CHALLENGE FOR THESE RESIDENTS TO COME FRONT.
SO IF, IF WE CAN, UM, SHOW SOME, UH, SOME EMPATHY TOWARDS THIS RESIDENT AND NOT HAVE TO BRING HER UP FRONT, THAT WOULD BE GREATLY APPRECIATED.
UM, PATRICIA WAYNE'S QUESTION, UM, REDLINING, DID YOU COVER THAT TO THE EXTENT OF NOT ONLY CAN WE NOT BUY WHERE WE WANT TO, BUT ALSO THAT IN SO DOING, YOU CAN COMPLETELY REMOVE ALL POLITICAL POWER BY FLOODING INTO MY COMMUNITY AND KNOWING VERY WELL THAT ONCE YOU DO THAT, YOU GO TO REDLINING, YOU GO TO GERRYMANDERING.
SO ALL THE WAY AROUND, UM, NOT VICTIMIZED, BUT CONTROLLING EVERY ASPECT.
AND THAT IS WHAT IS MOST FRUSTRATING, BECAUSE YOU ALWAYS WANT TO SAY, THIS PERSON DESERVES NOT TO BE, YOU KNOW, AND, AND YOU TEND TO STEP BACK, BUT WE CANNOT STEP BACK.
I HAVE NO INTENTIONS OF BEING POLITE AND CHANGING THE VENUE, SO YOU WON'T FEEL UNCOMFORTABLE.
YOU SEE, WHEN YOU ARE UNCOMFORTABLE, THAT MEANS THAT YOU ARE WILLING TO LOOK AT THE PROBLEM AND YOU ARE GONNA START SAYING, WHAT CAN I DO TO CHANGE THIS? BUT YOU SEE, WHEN YOU GET A PUSHBACK, YOU KNOW THAT I'M GONNA PUSH RIGHT BACK MM-HMM.
SO IN YOUR PRESENTATION, WITHOUT STATING, WELL, LET ME DO IT THIS WAY, UM, IS REALLY CAN'T CON THE EMMANUEL CON AND HE, BUT WE'RE GONNA BREAK IT DOWN EVEN FURTHER.
AND, UM, TRUTH WITHOUT COMPASSION IS BRUTALITY ON THE OTHER HALF OF THAT IS COMPASSION WITHOUT HONESTY IS HYPOCRISY.
SO I'M GONNA GO ALONG WITH THE BRUTALITY SIGN BECAUSE I DON'T WANNA LIE TO YOU ANY LONGER.
AND I'M FORTUNATE BECAUSE I GREW UP IN GREENBURG AND I HAVE THE BACKGROUND OF BEING IN TOTALLY INTEGRATED SCHOOLS.
THE PROBLEM IS WITH THE LAWS THAT WE MAKE THAT AREN'T ENFORCED.
DID YOU COVER THAT ONE SPECIFICALLY TO THE ORDER OF WHEN YOU BECAME, WHEN AFTER THE CIVIL RIGHTS ACT WE HAD VOTING, BUT WE ARE STILL FIGHTING THE SAME BATTLE 50, 60 YEARS LATER.
SO HOW DO YOU DEAL WITH THAT IN YOUR PRESENTATIONS? I'M, UH, I WAS FOCUSING ON, UH, HOUSING ISSUES, BUT ALL OF THOSE CERTAINLY ARE ISSUES.
IF YOU CAN, UH, IF YOU GROUP PEOPLE IN ONE AREA, UH, EVERYTHING THAT YOU'RE SAYING IS I, I COMPLETELY AGREE WITH, UM, IF I A COMPLETE PRESENTATION, I COULD TAKE ALL DAY ON, UH, ALL THE POLITICAL RAMIFICATIONS, UM, AND SO ON.
SO I'M, ALL I'M SAYING IS I AGREE WITH YOU.
I THINK THOSE ARE GREAT POINTS.
ANYBODY ELSE YOU WANT WANNA COME UP OR COME UP? CAN YOU HEAR ME FROM HERE? NO.
THE PEOPLE AT HOME CAN'T HEAR YOU.
THE PEOPLE, THE PEOPLE LISTENING, IT'S TELEVISED.
I'M FROM BILOXI, MISSISSIPPI, BUT I LIVE IN GREENBURG, MARRIED TO A WONDERFUL GENTLEMAN, MY HUSBAND MONTE SUVA.
I WANNA ASK YOU SOMETHING, WHAT I SAW, BECAUSE
[01:00:01]
BY ME BEING FROM BILOXI, MISSISSIPPI IN THE 60, MY GRANDMOTHER WAS A SLAVE AND SHE WAS IN THE PLANTATION.SO I LEARNED ABOUT, BUT I SAW IN THE RED WHERE YOU SAID, IS GREENBURG STILL, UH, WHAT I'M HEARING THAT GREENBURG STILL HAVE A LITTLE BIT OF PROBLEM WITH HOUSES AND AFRO AMERICAS GETTING WONDERFUL RESIDENT, MEANING THAT THE LOW INCOME PEOPLE HAVE TO STAY TO A CERTAIN LEVEL AND THE RICH OR THE WEALTHY LIVE ON.
IS THIS STILL GOING ON IN GREENBURG OR ANY SPECIFIC GREENBURG? I WANTED TO KNOW, SO I'LL, I'LL HOP TO THE MIC.
UM, THE SHORT ANSWER IS, IS YES, 100%.
SO, UM, THE REASON FOR THAT, A LOT OF THE REASON FOR THAT IS A LOT OF THE COMMUNITIES ARE ZONED FOR SINGLE FAMILY HOMES, RIGHT? SO IN, IN MANY OF THE COMMUNITIES, A SINGLE FAMILY HOME IS A MILLION DOLLARS TO START AND $30,000 A YEAR IN TAXES TO START WITH.
NOT A LOT OF MULTIFAMILY WITHIN THOSE SAME AREAS.
SO WITHIN CERTAIN AREAS, THAT'S EXACTLY WHAT YOU'RE SAYING IS EXACTLY TRUE.
THAT THERE'S NOT OPPORTUNITY FOR PEOPLE WHO DON'T HAVE A MILLION DOLLARS OR CAN PAY THAT IN THE, IN THE, IN THE MORTGAGE.
AND WITHOUT $30,000 TO PAY IN TAXES EVERY YEAR, THERE'S NOT A LOT OF OPPORTUNITY FOR THEM TO LIVE IN THOSE COMMUNITIES.
SO YOU'RE SAYING WHAT I'M HEARING, AND WE MIGHT HAVE TO DO SOMETHING ABOUT THIS.
SO OUR NEW GENERATION THAT'S COMING UP IS GOING TO GO THROUGH THIS WITH, IF THEY WANT TO, THEY SEE A BIG FINE HOUSE IN GREENBURG ARE YOUNGER MM-HMM.
BUT IT'S OUR YOUNG GENERATION THAT'S GOING TO BE, MAKE A DIFFERENCE FOR US.
IS THEY GOING TO GO THROUGH THIS WITH THE HOUSES I OR THEY GOING TO GO THROUGH SOMETHING WORSE THAN THIS? RIGHT? THAT'S WHAT WE, YEAH.
I MEAN, I HOPE, LOOK, DON'T SAY HOPE.
THERE'S, THERE'S SO MANY INDICATORS, RIGHT? I, I CAN'T PREDICT THE FUTURE.
THERE'S INDICATORS THAT ARE SHOWING THAT INCOME INEQUALITY IS GETTING WORSE, IT'S GETTING WORSE THAN IT WAS BEFORE.
THAT'S, THAT'S, UM, REGAR EVEN WITHOUT RACE INVOLVED, THE WAY THE TAX SYSTEM SEEMS TO BE WORKING.
WE HAVE MANY, MANY MORE BILLIONAIRES THAN WE USED TO AND MORE PEOPLE AT THE BOTTOM.
SO, BUT BECAUSE OF THE UNEQUAL DISTRIBUTION OF BLACK AND WHITE INCOME AND ASSETS, THAT PROBLEM I BELIEVE IS ALSO GETTING WORSE.
AND WITHOUT SOME SORT OF FEDERAL, UH, LOOK AT THE TAX CODE AND, UH, BENEFITS AND SO ON, THAT'S GONNA BE A DIFFICULT NUT TO CRACK.
SO I THINK WE HAVE TIME FOR ONE MORE, UH, COMMENT.
MR. BERNSTEIN, DID YOU WANNA COME UP? GOOD EVENING.
UH, MR. JORDAN, UH, MR. JORDAN, MR. COPELAND? THAT'S FINE, THAT'S FINE.
BOB, BOB, I KNOW YOU WANT TO ADDRESS IT TO HIM, BUT IF YOU COULD SPEAK INTO THE MIC.
IT'S THE ROLE THAT WAS PLAYED AND CONTINUES TO BE PLAYED BY THE TOWN OF GREENBERG IN PERPETUATING SYSTEMIC RACISM IS ONE THAT SHOULD BE ADDRESSED.
FOR EXAMPLE, YOU OMITTED ANY MENTION OF THE ROLE PLAYED BY THE TOWN OF GREENBERG IN EDGEMONT, FOR EXAMPLE, AS ONE OF THE LARGEST LANDOWNERS IN THE 1940S, WHERE GREENBERG SUBDIVIDED LAND IN ORDER TO POPULATE EDGEMONT.
AND WHEN IT DID SO EACH AND EVERY PARCEL THAT WAS SOLD WAS SOLD WITH A RESTRICTIVE COVENANT WHITES ONLY.
AND PEOPLE WHO LIVE ON THE GREENVILLE SIDE OF EDGEMONT KNOW THIS BECAUSE IT'S IN THEIR DEEDS.
NOW, THOSE THINGS ARE UNENFORCEABLE TODAY, BUT IT'S PART OF THE HISTORY.
WHY DID THE TOWN DO THAT? BECAUSE THE TOWN WANTED TO BE ABLE TO GET MORTGAGES TO BANKS, TO BE ABLE TO FINANCE THE CONSTRUCTION OF HOMES.
AND BECAUSE OF REDLINING, THAT'S HOW THEY DID IT.
THAT GETS PERPETUATED NOT JUST IN EDGEMONT, BUT THROUGHOUT THE TOWN OF GREENBERG, BECAUSE AS YOU RIGHTLY POINT OUT, GREENBERG HAS SIX VILLAGES.
[01:05:01]
SIX VILLAGES ARE LARGELY WHITE.YOU WILL NEEDED TO MENTION THAT THE GREENBERG LIBRARY COULD ONLY BE BUILT BY AN ACT OF THE STATE LEGISLATURE BECAUSE THE VILLAGES WOULD NOT PAY FOR THEIR SHARE OF THE COST OF BUILDING A LIBRARY.
AND IT HAD TO BE LOCATED WHERE IT WAS BECAUSE THE AFRICAN AMERICAN FAMILIES WHO LIVED ALONG IN FAIRVIEW HAD NO ACCESS TO THE LIBRARIES IN THE VILLAGES BECAUSE THEY WERE BLACK AND THEY WEREN'T PERMITTED TO USE THE LIBRARY IN WHITE PLAINS.
SO IT TOOK AN ACT OF THE STATE LEGISLATURE TO ALLOW THAT TO OCCUR, WHICH PERPETUATED A TAX SYSTEM, A PROPERTY TAX SYSTEM THAT'S INHERENTLY RACIST AND IT EXISTS TODAY, BUT IT'S NOT JUST THERE.
YOU ALSO OMITTED, FOR EXAMPLE, THE RESPONSE OF THE TOWN OF GREENBURG TO THE SITUATION IN THE 1960S WHEN EDGEMONT WANTED TO INCORPORATE AS A VILLAGE.
THERE'S A WHOLE STORY ABOUT WHAT THE TOWN OF GREENBURG DID AND THE LEGACY THAT WAS CREATED BY THOSE ACTIONS IN ORDER TO PERSUADE EDGEMONT PEOPLE NOT TO VOTE TO INCORPORATE BACK THEN.
IN FACT, THERE WAS A STATE ASSEMBLYMAN WHOSE, UH, VIDEO WAS TAKEN ABOUT TWO YEARS AGO, AND I THINK YOU HAVE A COPY OF THAT, WHERE THAT STATE ASSEMBLYMAN TOOK CREDIT FOR BLOCKING AFFORDABLE HOUSING IN EDGEMONT, CLAIMING THAT BECAUSE HE, AS A FORMER MEMBER OF THIS TOWN BOARD ACTED WITH, WITH, UH, I THINK AT LEAST ONE OF YOU ON THIS BOARD TO BLOCK HOUSING IN EDGEMONT, HE FELT THAT THE PEOPLE OF EDGEMONT SHOULD THEREFORE RETURN THE FAVOR AND NOT INCORPORATE BECAUSE HE HELPED BLOCK AFFORDABLE HOUSING IN EDGEMONT.
NOW TODAY, LET ME ASSURE YOU, NO ONE IN EDGEMONT THAT I KNOW BELIEVES THAT THAT SHOULD EVER HAPPEN.
THAT THAT IS THE LEGACY THOUGH OF A TOWN OF GREENBURG PERPETUATING THIS SORT OF RACIST BEHAVIOR TODAY.
PEOPLE
AND, AND, AND, AND YOU KNOW, THE REASON FOR THOSE SKEWED POPULATIONS HAS A LOT TO DO WITH THE LEGACY OF GOVERNMENT, LOCAL GOVERNMENT PERPETUATING RACIST BEHAVIOR.
AND PART OF ENDING THAT IS DISCUSSING OPENLY WHAT THE HISTORY WAS, THE HISTORY THAT UNFORTUNATELY YOU OMITTED IN YOUR CONVERSATION.
YEAH, SO THAT'S WHAT THE COMMENT I WANTED TO MAKE.
SO, UM, JORDAN, BEFORE YOU RESPOND TO THAT, I JUST WANNA ADVISE THE BOARD THAT WE HAVE REACHED OUR 45 MINUTE LIMIT.
AND DOES THE BOARD WANT TO EXTEND THAT FOR JORDAN TO COMMENT? THERE ISN'T PRACTICALLY NOBODY HERE, SO IF PEOPLE WANNA SPEAK, I THINK WE SHOULD JUST CONTINUE.
JORDAN, DID YOU HAVE ANY RESPONSE TO I DON'T DISAGREE WITH BOB.
I MEAN, THE, UH, I DON'T HAVE, UH, PERSONAL KNOWLEDGE OF GOING BACK.
SO I HE HESITATE TO SOMETIMES POINT AT, AT THOSE THINGS BECAUSE I KNOW THROUGH OUR EMAILS WE'VE TALKED ABOUT THIS AND STUFF LIKE THAT, AND IT'S, UM, PERPETUATING SYSTEMIC RACISM HAS HAPPENED AT EVERY LEVEL OF THE GOVERNMENT.
SO I TALKED A LOT ABOUT THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT AND STUFF LIKE THAT.
UH, I'M A LITTLE HESITANT MYSELF, DISAGREE.
I'M A LITTLE HESITANT TO PUT THIS BOARD BACK ON THEIR HEELS IN TALKING ABOUT WHAT THEIR PREDECESSORS DID, UH, AS A MATTER OF, UM, BEING INVITED HERE TO SPEAK AND SO ON AND SO FORTH.
BUT I DON'T DISAGREE WITH WHAT YOU'RE SAYING AT ALL.
AND I, I THINK THE FACTS, UH, SPEAK FOR THEMSELVES.
BUT I THINK, I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT TO NOTE THOUGH, THAT THAT'S NOT UNIQUE TO THE TOWN OF GREENBURG.
THAT HAPPENED IN MUNICIPALITIES ACROSS THE UNITED STATES, UH, FROM THE EAST COAST TO THE WEST COAST, FROM THE NORTHERN MOST TO THE SOUTHERN MOST.
THAT WAS JUST THE WAY OF, OF THE GOVERNMENT, UH, FEDERAL, LOCAL, YOU KNOW, IN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, YOU KNOW, AND ONE OF THE, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE, WE DON'T TALK ABOUT, UH, IN FACT IS THAT THE ROLE OF GOVERNMENT, THAT THE ROLE THAT GOVERNMENT PLAYED, UH, IN KEEPING BLACK PEOPLE IN THEIR PLACES, UH, AND THEN, AND THEN TAKING NEIGHBORHOODS WHERE, UH, THEY WERE, HAD BEEN SEQUESTERED THAT HAD BEYOND, UH, YOU KNOW, THAT HAD AGAINST ALL ODDS BECOME SUCCESSFUL, AND WHERE THE PEOPLE WERE HAPPY AND NOT THINKING ABOUT WHITE PEOPLE, AND THEY JUST, YOU KNOW, DECIDED TO BUILD A HIGHWAY THROUGH THEM, UH, DIVIDE THOSE NEIGHBORHOODS, UH, YOU KNOW, DESTROY THEM, UH, AND THEN NOT, UH, NOT PROVIDE THEM WITH MUNICIPAL SERVICES SO THEY BECOME RUN DOWN.
SO YOU HAVE THIS CREATING THE IMPRESSION THAT WHERE BLACK PEOPLE LIVE IS SOMEHOW, YOU KNOW, THE BLACK PEOPLE CAN'T KEEP UP THEIR NEIGHBORHOODS BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, THEY'RE SOMEHOW DIRTY AND DISHEVELED WHEN THE REALITY IS, IT'S A, IT'S
[01:10:01]
A, IT'S ALL A GOVERNMENT BLUEPRINT, UH, TO MAKE SURE THAT BLACK PEOPLE ARE NOT ABLE TO ATTAIN ANY ECONOMIC SUCCESS.UM, I THINK THAT JUST PLAYED ITSELF OUT, YOU KNOW, IN LOCAL GOVERNMENTS ACROSS THE COUNTRY.
UH, GREETINGS AND GOOD EVENING TO EVERYBODY.
I, I APPRECIATE THE, UM, INFORMATION THAT YOU PRESENTED TONIGHT.
AND FROM A PERSONAL PERSPECTIVE, I, I WOULD LIKE TO SEE THIS DONE MORE OFTEN.
I THINK INFORMATION IS, IS THE GREATEST TOOL TO ADVANCEMENT.
IF WE DON'T KNOW WHERE WE COME FROM, WE DON'T KNOW WHERE WE ARE, WE ARE GOING.
UM, AND, AND SO DON'T EVER THINK THAT OUR HISTORY IS AN INSULT TO US.
WE NEED OUR HISTORY AS BLACK PEOPLE, BECAUSE OVER AND ABOVE ALL OF THE HURDLES THAT HAS BEEN PUT IN FRONT OF US, WE HAVE OVERCOME.
AND WE NEED TO KNOW THAT THAT SONG NEED TO BE SANG TO OUR CHILDREN.
UH, A FEW MONTHS AGO, UM, A COUPLE OF MONTHS AGO, MR. F ASKED ME TO WRITE A PIECE TO PUT ON THE TOWN WEBSITE, AND I DON'T KNOW HOW MANY READ THAT, BUT I KNOW WHAT RACISM IS.
I'VE EXPERIENCED IT PERSONALLY.
MY FATHER, MY FATHER'S FATHER WAS A SLAVE.
MY GRANDFATHER WORKED FOR THE LARGEST WOOD MANUFACTURING COMPANY IN THE WORLD.
HIS CHECK WAS $10 AND 90 CENTS, AND HE WAS A CHEROKEE INDIAN.
SO THIS, THIS SYSTEMIC RACISM IS NOT ONLY A HAVOC TODAY.
AND I WAS TALKING TO MY, MY FRIEND, AS YOU WERE GIVING YOUR PRESENTATION, I SAID, SOUND JUST LIKE WHAT WE ARE TODAY.
WE'RE STILL DOING THE SAME THING.
WE HAVE SYSTEMS IN PLACE TO KEEP US WHERE WE ARE.
ONE OF THE SYSTEMS AND THIS, AND, AND, AND MOST ENTITIES USE IT, IS THE WAY THAT WE GIVE RAISES AND WE TALK ABOUT THE ECONOMIC DIVIDE.
BUT EVERY TIME YOU USE THE SYSTEM OF, OF A PERCENTAGE TO EVERYBODY, AND YOU CALL IT EQUAL, IT IS THE MOST UNEQUAL WAY TO BRIDGE THE ECONOMIC DIVIDE.
BECAUSE IF SOMEBODY IS MAKING $250,000 AND THEN SOMEONE ELSE IS MAKING $60,000, YOU GIVE THEM BOTH 5%.
EVERY TIME YOU DO THAT, YOU WIDEN THE ECONOMIC GAP.
AND NOT ONLY DO YOU WIDEN THE ECONOMIC GAP, YOU ALSO INCREASE THE POVERTY LEVEL.
AND, AND THIS IS A SYSTEM THAT WE HAVE IN PLACE.
AND I HAVE ON MY DESK AT MY OFFICE, I WISH I HAD TIME, BUT I HAD TO, I WAS LEAVING ANOTHER MEETING, COME TO THIS MEETING WHEREIN A STUDY WAS DONE IN GREENBURG.
AND IN THAT STUDY IT SAYS THAT BLACK PEOPLE MAKE AN AVERAGE OF 40% LESS THAN AVERAGE WHITE PEOPLE IN GREENBURG.
SO IF YOU USE THE, THE, THE SCENARIO THAT I, UH, WITH THE FACT THAT I GAVE, EVERY TIME YOU GIVE A RAISE, YOU'RE CAUSING MORE PROBLEMS. I BELIEVE WE KNOW IT.
I BELIEVE IT'S BEEN DONE BEFORE.
THIS IS NOT THE FIRST TIME I SAT IN THIS KIND OF INFORMATION.
HOUSING IS THE NUMBER ONE INVESTMENT FOR ANYBODY.
AND HOUSING HAS BEEN THE NUMBER ONE CONTROLLING TOOL BY EVERY GOVERNMENTAL ENTITY IN THIS COUNTRY.
NOT TO LET BLACKS HAVE HOUSING WE'VE BEEN PROMISED, BUT THE BOAT NEVER CAME WHEN 2 87 WAS PUT ACROSS, TOOK BLACK PEOPLE'S PROPERTY, THEM A BETTER PLACE.
WHERE IS IT? SO WE GOTTA LOOK AT, LOOK DEEP INTO WHAT WE'RE DOING AS GOVERNMENTAL ENTITIES.
THE OTHER PROBLEM I HAVE WITH OUR GOVERNMENT PRACTICE IS, FOR SOME REASON, WHEN WE PUT, WHEN THE GOVERNMENT OR THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT PUT A LAW IN PLACE, WE THINK WE HAVE TO FOLLOW IT LETTER BY LETTER.
BUT YOU CAN GIVE A RAISE TO A BLACK PERSON OVER AND ABOVE THE MINIMUM WAGE IN ORDER TO HELP BRIDGE THAT GAP IF YOU CHOOSE TO.
AM I RIGHT? IT'S NOTHING THAT KEEPS YOU FROM DOING THAT, BUT THERE IS NO HEART, NO SPIRIT OR NO CONCERN ABOUT THOSE THINGS.
SO AFTER THIS INFORMATION, MY QUESTION TO THIS BOARD AND TO THIS AUGUST BODY, IT'S, WHAT ARE YOU GOING TO DO WITH THIS INFORMATION? NOW? YOU GONNA TAKE IT AND LIKE THE INFORMATION THAT A COMMITTEE FROM THIS TOWN DID AS A STUDY AND JUST LAY
[01:15:01]
IT ON YOUR DESK.YOU CAN, YOU CAN START THE CLOCK, BECAUSE THIS IS WHAT I WOULD'VE SAID IN PUBLIC COMMENT, SO I'M NOT TAKING ANY OTHER TIME.
YOU HAVE A BID OUT THERE FOR THE RECONSTRUCTION OF SIDEWALKS AND STOLEN CONCRETED CURBINGS AT VARIOUS STREETS IN TOWN OF GREENBURG.
THAT'S RACIST RELATED TO MR. UH, JORDAN'S, UH, TOPIC.
MR. BOWDEN, OR IS THIS UH, THIS IS ON WHAT HE SPOKE ABOUT.
HE SPOKE ABOUT RACISM IN THE TOWN.
WHEN YOU REPAIR AND WAIT, PUT THE MONEY INTO THE AREAS WITH CURBS, INSTEAD OF PUTTING A ASPHALT SIDEWALK WHERE PEOPLE ARE ACTUALLY ON WEST HARTSFIELD AVENUE, YOU'VE GOT THE PEOPLE IN THE ROAD.
SO WHAT YOU SHOULD DO IS WHERE YOU CAN, IN THOSE AREAS, PUT IN A PLACE FOR PEOPLE TO WALK.
PEOPLE ARE WALKING IN A ROAD NOW, AND YOU'RE GOING TO REPAIR IN THE AREAS THAT THEY'VE JUST SPENT AN HOUR TALKING ABOUT.
YOU ARE GONNA PUT THE MONEY IN THOSE AREAS INSTEAD OF THE AREAS WHERE YOU NEED TO GET OUT OF THE ROAD AND NOT BE HIT BY A CAR.
YOU SHOULD TAKE THIS BID FOR REPAIRING SIDEWALKS BECAUSE IT'S RACIST, AND TAKE THE MONEY AND PUT A PATHS, ASPHALT PATHS FOR PEOPLE TO WALK OUT OF THE LAND OF TRAFFIC.
NOW WHAT ARE YOU TELLING ME? THE CURBS ARE PROTECTING HIM ON SEA ROAD, ON VARIOUS PLACES.
'CAUSE THERE'S NO PLACE TO GET OFF THE ROAD.
THIS BID FOR CONTRACT FOR REPAIRING SIDEWALKS IN STONE HAS TO BE RECALLED AND THE MONEY INVESTED IN AREAS WHERE THERE ARE NO PLACES TO WALK EXCEPT IN THE ROAD.
JORDAN, DO YOU HAVE ANY FINAL COMMENTS? WE HAVE ONE PERSON ON, UH, ON ZOOM.
MS. WILLIAMS, DO WE HAVE SOMEONE ON ZOOM? I BELIEVE.
WHO WANTS TO SPEAK ALL? MICHELLE? HI, THIS IS MICHELLE.
I'M, UM, I HAD A QUESTION ABOUT WHEN YOU SPOKE ABOUT, AND I KNOW IT'S ECONOMIC.
AND I ALSO, UM, UNDERSTAND THAT WE DON'T REALLY WANNA, UM, DIRECT THINGS TO THE TOWN BOARD.
AND LIKE MR. PRESTON WAS SAYING, YOU KNOW, THINGS DON'T HAVE TO STAY THE SAME.
I MEAN, YOU KNOW, YOU GUYS HAVE THE POWER TO CHANGE THINGS AND MICHELLE, YOU'RE MUTED YOURSELF.
IT'S SOMETHING YOU ALL HAVE THE POWER TO DO.
BUT BECAUSE THINGS ARE OPERATING ON A SYSTEMIC WAY, RACIST SYSTEM DOESN'T MEAN YOU CAN'T GET OFF THE HAMSTER WHEEL AND MAKE THE CHANGE AND BE THE LEADERS AND SHOW PEOPLE THAT IT CAN BE DONE.
I WANNA THANK YOU, JORDAN, FOR TAKING THE TIME OUT TO COME AND, AND, AND, YOU KNOW, UM, GIVE THIS WONDERFUL PRESENTATION TO EDUCATE AND EMPOWER AND TO, UM, YOU KNOW, INFORM AND THE WAY YOU PUT IT TOGETHER.
UM, I THINK A LOT OF PEOPLE WILL BE ABLE TO FOLLOW WHAT'S GOING ON HERE AND COMPLETELY UNDERSTAND WHAT'S STILL HAPPENING.
IT'S JUST ONE, UH, THING THAT I, I'D WANNA HIGHLIGHT.
SO I'VE BEEN INVITED NOW, JUST A GLIMMER OF HOPE.
I'VE BEEN INVITED NOW TWICE AND SPOKEN IN EDGEMONT HIGH SCHOOL, JUNIOR, SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL.
AND THE, THAT YOUNGER GENERATION SEEMS PARTICULARLY, UM, INTERESTED IN THIS.
UH, SO I'M HOPING THAT THEY'LL GO BACK, TALK TO THEIR PARENTS AND KIND OF EXPAND THINGS A LITTLE BIT MORE IN THEIR UNDERSTANDING.
THEY SEEM TO BE THE YOUNGER GENERATION IN TERMS OF UNDERSTANDING SYSTEMIC RACISM SEEMS TO BE A STEP AHEAD, OFTENTIMES OF THEIR PARENTS.
UM, SO THAT'S A, HOPEFULLY THAT'LL CONTINUE.
WELL, LET ME ASK, WHAT ACTION STEPS WOULD YOU THINK, YOU KNOW, SHOULD BE TAKEN, YOU KNOW, GOING FORWARD? UM, YOU KNOW, BISHOP PRESIDENT SAID, YOU KNOW, WE WANT ACTION.
WE DON'T WANT TO JUST HEAR EVERYBODY SAY WE'RE AGAINST, UH, YOU KNOW, RACISM IN TERMS OF, UH, FROM THE STANDPOINT OF THE TOWN.
WOULD YOU HAVE ANY RECOMMENDATIONS GOING FORWARD? AND, AND OTHER QUESTION I HAVE, PLEASE, IS WITH ALL THE ANGER AND, YOU KNOW, BIGOTRY,
[01:20:02]
UH, YOU KNOW, AROUND THE COUNTRY, DO YOU FEEL THAT, YOU KNOW, AND IT HAS, YOU KNOW, AND IT HAS PROBABLY RAMIFICATIONS OF FILTERS, UH, DOWN, YOU KNOW, LOCAL, YOU KNOW, TO ALL LEVELS.ARE YOU HOPEFUL THAT WE'RE GONNA BE MAKING PROGRESS IN THE FUTURE? OR DO YOU THINK THE COUNTRY IS NOW MOVING BACKWARDS? IT'S, IT'S, IT'S HARD, AGAIN, TAKING YOUR SECOND ONE FIRST.
THESE, THESE QUESTIONS ARE BOTH ABOVE MY PAY GRADE.
BUT, UH, THE SECOND QUESTION FIRST, WHEN YOU SEE PROTESTS ABOUT SUPPOSED CRITICAL RACE THEORY IN HALF THE COUNTRY, I HONESTLY DON'T EVEN KNOW WHAT TO THINK BECAUSE THAT CERTAINLY DOESN'T LOOK LIKE PROGRESS TO ME TO EDUCATE PEOPLE ABOUT THEIR PAST OR TO CREATE IT AS SOME SORT OF A BOOGEYMAN THAT'S SUPPOSEDLY GONNA MAKE THEIR KIDS.
UH, I DON'T, I DON'T EVEN KNOW WHAT THAT IS.
BUT, UM, SO I, I CAN'T SPEAK TO THE COUNTRY AS A WHOLE, UM, AROUND HERE.
I, I THINK THERE'S AN APPETITE FOR IT.
WHERE IT REALLY COMES DOWN TO IS IT REALLY COMES DOWN TO YOUR TOWN, YOUR STREET, YOUR BLOCK.
UM, DO YOU WANT TO HONOR THAT BLACK LIVES MATTER SIGN THAT YOU PUT OUTSIDE YOUR HOUSE? THAT'S A PRETTY EASY THING TO DO.
YOU BUY ONE YOU PUT IN FRONT OF THE SHRUBS AND YOU GO ABOUT YOUR BUSINESS.
WELL, I MEAN, WHAT DOES THAT REALLY MEAN, UM, IN TERMS OF HOW YOU, HOW YOU WANT THINGS TO BE? SO SEGWAYING INTO THEN INTO YOUR, YOUR, YOUR FIRST QUESTION, YOU KNOW, WHAT'S NEEDED IS, UH, I MEAN THE, THE STEP THAT'S NEEDED IS AFFORDABLE HOUSING, UH, MULTIFAMILY HOUSING IN A LOT OF THESE COMMUNITIES THAT, WITH THE, WITH THE MARKET RATE ARE INACCESSIBLE TO ANYBODY WHO'S NOT IN THAT TOP DECILE.
AND AS WE SAW FROM THAT CHART, UM, BLACK PEOPLE ARE SO, IN OUR CURRENT AMERICAN SYSTEM, THEY'RE SO UNDERREPRESENTED IN THAT TOP DECILE.
IT'S DIFFICULT TO GO TO THE PLACES AND, AND PLUNK DOWN YOUR MILLION DOLLARS, UM, OR YOUR, YOU KNOW, AND JUST TO AFFORD THE TAXES IS, UM, VERY, VERY DIFFICULT TO ACHIEVE.
SO I KNOW THAT THIS GROUP HAS NO CONTROL OVER THE LAND USE DECISIONS MADE, FOR EXAMPLE, IN THE RIVER TOWNS.
BUT I THINK, UH, TO THE EXTENT THAT THERE'S A BULLY PULPIT OR A WAY TO CONVENE PEOPLE TO SAY, UM, WE NEED TO, YOU KNOW, YOU NEED TO TALK TO YOUR CONSTITUENTS, UNDERSTAND WHAT THE SITUATION IS, AND SAY, THIS ISN'T GONNA REMEDY ITSELF BY PUTTING UP LAWN SIGNS.
LIKE IT'S TIME TO PUT YOUR MONEY WHERE YOUR MOUTH IS.
THAT THERE NEEDS TO BE A OPPORTUNITIES FOR DIFFERENT PEOPLE OF DIFFERENT INCOME LEVELS TO COME INTO THE COMMUNITY, UM, AND ENJOY THE BENEFITS OF THAT.
BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, IF YOU GO BACK JUST, YOU KNOW, HISTORICALLY FROM, SAY THE TWENTIES UP THROUGH WORLD WAR I, WORLD WAR II, WHITE, WHITE CHRISTIAN PEOPLE WERE THE BENEFITS OF ENORMOUS ENGINES OF SUCCESS IN THE RIVER TOWNS.
PLACES LIKE EDGEMONT, PLACES LIKE SCARSDALE, THEN POST WORLD WAR II, JEWISH PEOPLE BENEFITED FROM THESE ENGINES OF SUCCESS.
PEOPLE GOING OFF TO IVY LEAGUE SCHOOLS IN THE RECENT COUPLE DECADES.
PEOPLE OF ASIAN DESCENT HAVE BENEFITED FROM THAT.
BUT THE, THE BLACK PEOPLE HAVE BEEN UNDERREPRESENTED IN THOSE ENGINES OF SUCCESS.
THEY'VE CONTRIBUTED IN, IN LOWER NUMBERS TO THOSE TOWNS, AND THEY'VE BENEFITED IN LOWER NUMBERS FROM THOSE VILLAGES.
UM, BUT THIS, THIS THE LAISSEZ-FAIRE APPROACH, UH, IT'S NOT WORKING.
IT'S, IT'S, IT'S CONCENTRATING WEALTH IN AREAS.
UM, IT DOESN'T SEEM TO BE RESOLVING ON ITS OWN BASED ON WHAT WE'VE SEEN IN THE 50 YEARS SINCE THE SIXTIES.
SO IT ALMOST HAS TO BE, I WOULD, I WOULD THINK PARTICULARLY IN THE TOWNS OVER WHICH YOU DON'T HAVE LAND USE, UH, AUTHORIZATION TO EDUCATE, EDUCATE PEOPLE AND BUILD MOVEMENTS.
I KNOW THERE'S SOME PEOPLE, FOR EXAMPLE, IN IRVINGTON WHO HAVE STARTED TO INCREASINGLY TALK ABOUT THIS ISSUE AND TO TALK ABOUT THAT.
LIKE, WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO HAVE A COMMU A DIVERSE COMMUNITY? IT DOESN'T MEAN THAT WE WILL ACCEPT ANYBODY IF THEY CAN AFFORD IT, BECAUSE IN OUR SOCIETY, THERE ARE SOME PEOPLE WHO CAN'T AFFORD IT.
AND THAT'S GOING TO PROHIBIT YOU.
YOU'RE NOT GONNA GET TO THE DIVERSITY THAT HOPEFULLY YOU WANT, UM, JUST BY HAVING OPEN BORDERS OPEN.
UM, SO THAT'S, UM, THAT WOULD BE THE FIRST STEP IS HAVING CONVERSATIONS AROUND AFFORDABLE HOUSING.
I THINK THAT WOULD BE, THAT'S WHAT I WOULD SAY.
IT'S THE PLEASURE OF THE BOARD AT THIS POINT.
ARE WE DONE OR, I THINK I, I THINK THAT'S THE PERFECT SEGUE.
YOU KNOW, THE QUESTION, THE, THE QUESTION OF WHAT, WHAT CAN THE TOWN BOARD DO? WHAT IS THE TOWN BOARD DOING? RUNNING IN PROGRESS, UM, IS IS THE PERFECT SEGUE FOR COUNCILWOMAN JACKSON TO BEGIN TO TALK ABOUT WHAT, UH, SHE HAS LEAD, HOW SHE HAS LED US THROUGH THE GREENBERG AGAINST SYSTEMIC RACISM TASK FORCE, UH, AND WHAT THE TASK FORCE HAS DONE, UH, WITH RESPECT TO,
[01:25:01]
UM, POLICING AND HOUSING, UH, IN THE PAST.I DON'T KNOW, HAS IT EVEN BEEN A YEAR? IT'S OVER A YEAR.
JORDAN, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR PRESENTATION.
UM, YES, IT'S BEEN OVER A YEAR AND, UM, THIS IS A HARD TOPIC FOR ME 'CAUSE AS MUCH AS I AM, AND THEY SAID, YOU HAVE TO BE MINDFUL HOW YOU USE THE WORD PASSION.
UM, IT'S A REALLY DIFFICULT TOPIC BECAUSE I REALIZE, AND I REALIZE THESE EVEN MORE, THAT INDIVIDUALLY MYSELF, I JUST CAN'T MAKE THE CHANGES THAT I REALLY WANNA MAKE.
UM, AND SO WHEN FORMER GOVERNOR CUOMO CAME OUT WITH HIS, UM, REQUIREMENT TO DO POLICE REFORM AFTER THE DEATH, WELL AFTER THE MURDER OF GEORGE FLOYD, YOU KNOW, I REALLY HAD TO SIT BACK AND MANY CONVERSATIONS WITH FAMILY AND FRIENDS AND I SAID, WHAT CAN I DO NOW THAT I'M SITTING IN THIS ROLE? UM, AND THAT'S WHEN I CAME UP WITH THE IDEA OF GREENBERG AGAINST SYSTEMIC RACISM AND TO REALLY DO THE RESEARCH TO REALLY UNDERSTAND SYSTEMICALLY WHAT'S BEEN AFFECTING OUR TOWN.
UM, IT WAS SUPPOSED TO BE JUST STARTED OFF WITH JUST LOOKING AT THE POLICE DEPARTMENT, BUT I FELT IT WAS NECESSARY TO MAKE SURE THAT WE EXPAND THAT BY LOOKING AT OUR LAW ENFORCEMENT AS A WHOLE.
HOUSING, EDUCATION, HEALTHCARE AND EMPLOYMENT.
SO WE HAVE SPENT A VOLUNTEERS FROM THE TOWN HAS COME TOGETHER AND HAS WORKED OVER A YEAR, I FEEL LIKE ALMOST CLOSE TO TWO YEARS NOW, UM, TO TALK ABOUT LAW ENFORCEMENT AND COMPLETE THE MANDATE PUT OUT BY, UH, GOVERNOR CUOMO TO TAKE A LOOK AT LAW ENFORCEMENT AND, AND POLICE REFORM.
AND WE SPENT PROBABLY ABOUT A GOOD 10 MONTHS.
I WOULD, I WOULD ASSUME, BECAUSE WE NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT WE MADE OUR DEADLINE BY APRIL 1ST, 2021.
AND WE CAME UP WITH OVER 20 PLUS RECOMMENDATIONS AFTER REALLY TAKING A LOOK AT AREAS IN OUR TOWN AND IN OUR POLICE DEPARTMENT AND WHERE WE KNOW WE NEEDED TO MAKE SOME SERIOUS CHANGES.
UM, AND, AND THESE ARE GOING TO BE ONGOING CHANGES BECAUSE THERE'S NOTHING CAN BE CHANGED OVERNIGHT.
UM, AND I WILL SAY WE STILL HAVE A LOT OF WORK TO DO, BUT WE HAVE MADE SOME PROGRESS.
UM, WE HAVE PUT OUT, UM, WE ARE NOW WORKING ON REVIEWING AND RE REWRITING OUR RULES AND REGULATIONS, WHICH WAS ONE OF OUR RECOMMENDATIONS AND OUR POLICE REFORM.
WE ARE PURCHASING SOFTWARE TO IMPLEMENT DIGITIZED RULES AND REGULATIONS TO MAKE SURE THAT IT'S EA EASILY ACCESSIBLE AND USABLE FORMS AND MEMOS.
WE HAVE CREATED A WEBSITE THAT CONTAINS THE CIVILIAN COMPLAINT FORM AND A P D F AND ALSO AS A SURVEY, A POLICE SERVICE.
YOU CAN ALSO GO ON OUR WEBSITE AND YOU CAN TAKE A LOOK AT OUR ARREST STATISTICS, WHICH AGAIN, RECOMMENDATION THAT CAME OUT OF, UM, THE POLICE REFORM COMMITTEE.
UM, ALSO, WE ARE BEEN DOING A LOT OF DEPARTMENTAL TRAINING, UM, ESPECIALLY AS A REPEAT, AS A RE RELATES TO, UM, UH, AND BY, UH, IMPLICIT BIAS TRAINING.
AND INSTEAD OF MAKING SURE THAT, YOU KNOW, IT'S JUST THIS ONE OFF ONE HOUR, ONE DAY, WE'RE MAKING SURE THIS IS ONGOING.
AND SO FAR WE HAVE COMPLETED AN EIGHT HOUR.
MOST OF THE, UH, DEPARTMENT HAS COMPLETED AN EIGHT HOUR TRAINING FOR IMPLICIT BIAS TRAINING AND ALSO HAVE TAKEN A TWO HOUR POLICE ETHICS CLASS.
NOW I KNOW PEOPLE ARE NOT GOING TO CHANGE OVERNIGHT, AND I KNOW AN EIGHT HOUR CLASS AND A TWO HOUR CLASS, BUT IT'S A START AND IT'S SOMETHING.
AND WE'RE EDUCATED AND WE'RE BRINGING AWARENESS.
UM, WE ALSO, IN WORKING WITH, UH, COMMUNITY AFFAIRS TRAINING WITH THE COMMUNITY, UH, WE HAVE OUR YOUTH CAMP STARTING UP, UM, SOON WE HAVE OUR NATIONAL NIGHT OUT, WHICH IS TENTATIVELY SCHEDULED FOR AUGUST, 2020, AUGUST 2ND, EXCUSE ME.
UM, WE ALSO HAVE, UM, MAKE SURE THAT WE HAVE RECRUITMENT OUT THERE.
WE HAVE A RECRUITMENT TEAM THAT WE CREATED.
SO WE ARE RECRUITING POSTERS AND SCHOLARSHIPS.
[01:30:01]
TO MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE CR UH, RECRUITING OFFICERS OR RECRUITING PEOPLE THAT LOOK LIKE US, THAT'S GONNA SERVE OUR COMMUNITY.UM, IN ADDITION, WE HAVE GIVEN OUT, UH, NEW, WE CREATED NEW BUSINESS CARDS.
SO EACH OFFICER HAS A BUSINESS CARD WITH A QR CODE THAT HAS THEIR INFORMATION ON THAT CODE.
SO IF YOU HAVE AN INCIDENT WITH AN OFFICER, WHETHER GOOD OR BAD, YOU ARE ABLE TO GET THEIR INFORMATION AND YOU CAN CONTACT THE POLICE DEPARTMENT AND YOU CAN MAKE A COMMENT ABOUT THEM OR SURVEY THEM.
AND, AND WE LOOK AT THAT FEEDBACK.
UM, ALSO WE HAVE, UM, PUT ALL OF WHICH WAS A RECOMMENDATION AS WELL TO MAKE SURE WE HAVE A ROSTER OF ALL OF OUR SWORN OFFICERS ON THE WEBSITE.
UM, WE HAVE DONE OFFICER WELLNESS TRAINING, YOU KNOW, BECAUSE WHILE WE ARE OUT IN THE FIELD, WE NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY ARE, OUR OFFICERS ARE ABLE TO CREATE A PEER SUPPORT POLICY SO WE CAN MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE SUPPORTING ONE ANOTHER IN THIS.
UM, THE INTERIM CHIEF, UH, GEORGE LONGWORTH, AND THANK YOU FOR HIM.
HE HAS BEEN VERY INSTRUMENTAL IN MAKING SURE THAT OUR RECOMMENDATIONS HAVE BEEN GETTING PUSHED FORWARD, UM, HAS CREATED AND CHANGED WHAT WE CALLED A PROFESSIONAL STANDARDS DIVISION.
AND WHICH THAT WOULD MAKE IT AN OPPORTUNITY FOR, UM, AN INCREASING SUPERVISOR RANK AND PERSONNEL ASSIGNED.
ONE CAPTAIN, ONE SERGEANT ONE DETECTIVE ARE NOW INTERVIEWING NEW POLICE OFFICERS.
SO WE ARE DOING A LOT OF DIFFERENT THINGS, UM, AND MAKING SURE THAT EVERYTHING THAT WE HAVE LISTED OUT IN THAT POLICE REPORT REFORM, THAT WE'RE MAKING SURE THAT, UM, WE ARE IN, WE ARE MAKING SURE THAT EVERYTHING, EVERY RECOMMENDATION IS BEING TAKEN CARE OF AND BEING ADDRESSED.
WE'RE ALSO CONTINUALLY MO MO, UM, MEETING TO MAKE SURE THAT IF ANY OF THE THINGS THAT COMES UP AFTER THIS REPORT THAT WE HAVE GIVEN OUT THAT WE CONTINUOUSLY WORK ON, UM, IMPROVING, ENHANCING AND WORKING TOGETHER WITH OUR POLICE DEPARTMENT BECAUSE WE UNDERSTAND THE IMPORTANCE OF IT.
UM, I'M GONNA JUST TOUCH ON REALLY QUICKLY, WE HAVE OUR HOUSING COMMITTEE, UM, WHICH WE ARE ALSO TAKING A LOOK AT GREENBURG AS A WHOLE AND SEEING EX WHERE ARE OUR DISPARITIES, ESPECIALLY WHAT JORDAN HAD PORT HAD POINTED OUT OF HOME HOME OWNERSHIP WITHIN GREENBURG AND THE CHALLENGES AND WHERE WE ARE FAILING AT, AND THE OPPORTUNITIES WE HAVE FOR, UM, OUR DIVERSE RESIDENTS.
SO WE, WE ARE WORKING TOWARD CHANGE.
IT IS NOT EASY, AS WE ALL KNOW.
IT WAS AN EASY SITTING HERE LISTENING TO JORDAN'S, UM, PRESENTATION.
AGAIN, IT IS NOT EASY HEARING THE COMMENTS COME IN WHEN UM, IT IS FELT WE'RE NOT DOING ANYTHING WHEN WE ARE TRYING OUR BEST.
IT'S, IT'S NOT HARD SITTING IN THIS SEAT BECAUSE WE WANNA MAKE SURE, WE WANNA SAY, OH, THIS IS WHAT'S GOING ON.
WE WANNA CHANGE IT RIGHT AWAY.
'CAUSE WE SEE WHAT'S WRONG HERE.
BUT IT'S, IT'S JUST NOT THAT SIMPLE.
UM, BUT WE DON'T GIVE UP THE FIGHT.
YOU KNOW, I WON'T GIVE UP THE FIGHT.
I'M GONNA CONTINUE TO PEAK PUSHING ON TO MAKE SURE THAT WE PUSH FORWARD AND MAKING SURE THAT WE DO ERADICATE ALL THE SYSTEMIC, UM, POLICY AND PROCEDURES THAT ARE CURRENTLY IN PLACE THAT ARE NOT ALLOWING FULL, UM, EQUITY ACROSS THE BOARD.
YOU KNOW? SO WE ARE GONNA CONTINUE, YOU KNOW, I AM VERY PROUD AND, AND, UM, GRATEFUL, UH, THE VOLUNTEERS, UM, OF THE RESIDENTS THAT CAME OUT EVERY WEEK, EVERY MONDAY FOR MY POLICE REFORM ON THURSDAYS FOR THE HOUSING COMMITTEE WHO ARE COMMITTED TO MAKING SURE THAT WE LOOK AT OUR ISSUES THAT WE HAVE IN GREENBURG AND TRY TO MAKE CHANGE.
SO I THINK I SEE SOME OF THE MEMBERS FROM, UM, THE LAW ENFORCEMENT COMMITTEE.
YOU KNOW, YOU HEAR ME TELL YOU ALL THE TIME, 'CAUSE YOU CAN'T DO THIS WORK BY YOURSELF.
AND AGAIN, AND I'M GONNA CONTINUE TO, TO SAY IT AGAIN, THINGS ARE NOT GOING TO CHANGE OVERNIGHT.
I WISH I HAD A MAGIC WAND AND I CAN JUST MAKE IT GO AWAY AND MAKE IT AND MAKE IT EASIER AND, AND JUST AS IT SHOULD BE ACROSS THE BOARD AND TAKE OUT ALL OF THIS AND FIGHTING AND, AND THE HATRED THAT IS JUST FELT, UM, AND THIS COMMUNITY.
AND IT'S, IT'S, IT'S, IT'S A HARD, IT'S A HARD PILL TO SLEEP AT NIGHT.
BUT, YOU KNOW, WE ARE GONNA CONTINUE TO WORK TOGETHER AND HOPEFULLY ONE DAY WE CAN OPEN OUR EYES AND SAY IN THIS LIFETIME THAT WE DON'T HAVE THE ISSUES THAT WE ARE EXPERIENCING NOW.
BUT UNFORTUNATELY, WHAT WE'RE SEEING TODAY, IT'S, YOU KNOW, THE LIGHT GETS A LITTLE DIMM.
SO, AGAIN, I THANK YOU FOR THIS TIME AND THANK YOU, UM, COUNCILMAN JONES FOR THE INTRODUCTION.
AND I THINK COUNCIL, I THINK MY COUNCIL PARTNERS HERE, UM, WHO HAVE BEEN SHARING, HAVE BEEN ON THE BOARDS WITH ME OR IN THESE COMMITTEES WITH ME AND SUPPORTING ME IN THIS EFFORT.
[01:35:01]
'CAUSE THIS HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH ME.THIS IS, THIS IS ALL ABOUT THE TALENT I'M JUST PROVIDING AND WAS SO ABLE TO PROVIDE A PLATFORM SO WE CAN ADDRESS THIS IMPORTANT ISSUE.
AND THAT'S WHAT I HAD PROMISED TO DO AND THAT'S WHAT I'M GONNA CONTINUE TO DO.
THANK YOU FOR YOUR LEADERSHIP.
[ TOWN CLERK COMMENTS]
MAKE A PRESENTATION? YES.UH, TOWN SUPERVISOR PAUL FINER.
UH, I, I'M ALSO GOING TO RECOMMEND THAT WHEN STRUCTURING THIS AGENDA, WE MOVE TOWN CLERK COMMENTS UP TO UNDER, UNDERNEATH SUPERVISOR AND TOWN COUNCIL REPORTS.
IT JUST MAKES MORE SENSE FOR IT TO BE THERE.
SO MY STATEMENT IS ABOUT TWO MINUTES LONG, AND I KNOW THIS BECAUSE I TIMED IT.
ON THIS OCCASION OF THE UPCOMING MEMORIAL DAY, FORMER AFRICAN AMERICAN ENSLAVED INDIVIDUALS STARTED MEMORIAL DAY IN AMERICA.
THIS OCCURRED AT THE CHARLESTON RACETRACK IN CHARLESTON, SOUTH CAROLINA AFTER THE CIVIL WAR TO HONOR 257 DEAD UNION SOLDIERS, BLACK AND WHITE, WHO HAD BEEN BURIED IN A MASS GRAVE IN A CONFEDERATE PRISON CAMP.
THE NEW YORK TRIBUNE, A UN A UM, A NATIONWIDE, UH, NEWSPAPER AT THE TIME DESCRIBED THE DAY AS FOLLOWS.
THIS WAS THE FIRST MEMORIAL DAY AFRICAN-AMERICANS INVENTED AT AMERICANS INVENTED MEMORIAL DAY HERE IN CHARLESTON, SOUTH CAROLINA.
WHAT YOU HAVE HERE IS BLACK AMERICANS RECENTLY FREED FROM SLAVERY ANNOUNCING TO THE WORLD WITH THEIR FLOWERS, THEIR FEET MEANING DANCE, AND THEIR SONGS, WHAT THE WAR HAD BEEN ABOUT.
WHAT THEY BASICALLY WERE CREATING WAS THE INDEPENDENCE DAY OF A SECOND AMERICAN REVOLUTION.
WELL, SERENDIPITOUSLY OR IRONICALLY, HOWEVER YOU CHOOSE TO LOOK AT IT, TODAY, WE HAD THIS PRESENTATION ON RACISM TODAY, MAY 25TH, THE TOWN OF GREENBURG HEARD A PRESENTATION ON SYSTEMIC RACISM IN THE TOWN OF GREENBURG.
TODAY ALSO MARKS THE SECOND YEAR OF THE MURDER OF GEORGE FLOYD AND THE UNIVERSAL OUTCRY FOR HUMANITY WITH RESPECT TO HOW AFRICAN AMERICANS OR AMERICANS OF AFRICAN DESCENT ARE CRIMINALIZED AND TREATED WITHIN THE CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM OF AMERICA.
A SYSTEM THAT BY THE 13TH AMENDMENT OF THE US CONSTITUTION JUSTIFIES SLAVERY IN THE PRISON SYSTEM.
THE UNIVERSAL OUTCRY GAVE BIRTH TO THE NEW AGE OF ENLIGHTENMENT, THE NEW AGE OF ENLIGHTENMENT, BECAUSE THE ORIGINAL AGE OF ENLIGHTENMENT CREATED AROUND THE 18TH CENTURY, WAS FOUNDED TO PROMOTE THE IDEA CREATED AT THAT TIME THAT EVERYONE WAS OF EQUAL VALUE AND HAD EQUAL RIGHTS.
SO HERE WE'RE IN 2022, BRINGING FORTH FOURTH THE NEW AGE OF ENLIGHTENMENT WITH REGARDS TO, AS BOB BERNSTEIN SAID, DISCUSSING OPENLY THE HISTORY OF RACISM.
[ To consider a Local Law amending the Code of the Town of Greenburgh Chapter 380, entitled “Noise,” to limit the use of leaf and garden blowers in the Town of Greenburgh while allowing their use during specified spring and fall clean-up periods]
WE HAVE, UM, PUBLIC HEARINGS.UM, THE FIRST ONE IS ON, UM, TO CONSIDER ELITE LOCAL LAW AMENDING THE CODE OF THE TOWN OF GREENBURG, CHAPTER THREE 80 ENTITLED NOISE TO LIMIT THE USE OF LEAF AND GARDEN BLOWERS IN THE TOWN OF GREENBURG, WHILE ALLOWING, UM, THEIR USE DURING SPECIFIED SPRING
[01:40:01]
AND FALL CLEANUP PERIODS.I'D LIKE TO MOVE THAT WE OPEN THE HEARING.
PAUL, YOU ALSO HAVE TO INTRODUCE, UM, THOSE LOCAL LAWS BECAUSE, UM, ON THE PREVIOUS PAGE, BY, BY TOWN LAW, YOU HAVE TO INTRODUCE THE LAW AND GET A SECOND, AND THEN, UM, WE CAN START THE PUBLIC HEARINGS.
I'D LIKE TO, UH, INTRODUCE, UH, LOCAL LAW AMENDING THE CODE OF THE TOWN OF GREENBURG, CHAPTER THREE 80 ENTITLED NOISE TO LIMIT THE USE OF LEAF AND GARDEN BLOWERS IN THE TOWN OF GREENBURG, WHILE ALLOWING THE USE DURING SPECIFIED SPRING AND FALL CLEANUP PERIODS, AND INTRODUCE, UM, UH, LOCAL LAW, CREATING A NEW CHAPTER OF THE CODE OF THE TOWN OF GREENBURG, CHAPTER 3 74, ENTITLED LEAF BLOWERS REGULATION OF YARD AND LEAF BLOWERS TO RESTRICT, PROHIBIT THE USE OF LEAF FLOWERS IN THE TOWN OF GREENBURG.
SO JUST A, I I JUST, I DIDN'T HEAR WHO SECONDED THAT, GINA.
GINA, COULD YOU PLEASE SPEAK A LITTLE LOUDER? DID YOU, COULD YOU PLEASE SAY SECOND? SECOND.
SO JUST BRIEFLY, UM, WE HAVE, UH, TWO LOCAL LAWS THAT WE'RE HAVING PUBLIC HEARINGS ON TONIGHT.
BOTH OF THOSE LOCAL LAWS ADDRESS, UH, LEAF BLOWERS OR YARD AND GARDEN BLOWERS.
UM, IN SHORT, UH, WE'RE CREATING A NEW CHAPTER AND AMENDING AN OLD CHAPTER.
THE AMENDMENTS BOTH NOW LIMIT LEAF BLOWING TO TUESDAYS AND THURSDAYS AND WEEKENDS.
ON TUESDAYS AND THURSDAYS, STARTING JUNE 1ST AND ENDING OCTOBER 15TH, YOU CAN ONLY USE LEAF BLOWERS BETWEEN THE HOURS OF 9:00 AM AND 5:00 PM AND ON WEEKENDS YOU CAN ONLY USE LEAF BLOWERS FROM 11:00 AM TO 3:00 PM.
SO WE ARE CREATING A NEW CHAPTER THAT MEMORIALIZES THAT, AND WE'RE GONNA TAKE SOME PUBLIC COMMENT, AND ULTIMATELY THE BOARD IS GONNA DECIDE IF THEY WANNA CREATE THIS NEW CHAPTER AND AMEND THE OLD CHAPTER TO ADDRESS THE ISSUES OF NOISE AND ENVIRONMENTAL CONCERNS.
UH, SINCE THE, UH, TWO LOCAL LAWS ARE SO INTERTWINED, PERHAPS WE INTRODUCED THE SECOND ONE AS WELL, AND WE TAKE BOTH OF THEM AT THE SAME TIME AS A PUBLIC HEARING.
SO THERE'S ACTUALLY GONNA BE TWO PUBLIC HEARINGS TOGETHER.
ANY INITIAL COMMENTS OR COMMENTS FROM MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC? OKAY.
SO I JUST NEED TO, UH, DOCUMENT WHAT'S GOING ON HERE.
UM, WE JUST, PAUL MOVED TO INTRODUCE THE LOCAL LAW.
ALL I, AND NOW, UH, IS PAUL OPENING THE HEARING? YES.
ON THIS TOPIC, IT OPEN HEARING.
I'D LIKE TO MOVE THAT WE OPEN UP, UH, THE PUBLIC HEARINGS AND DIDN'T HE OPENED IT? UH, GINA'S SECOND, BUT THERE WAS NOT A OF AYE.
THE LATEST VERSION, THE, YEAH.
WHAT'S ONLINE? ANYBODY LIKE TO SPEAK? UH, SO IT APPEARS THIS IS A PUBLIC HEARING, UH, UH, BOB BERNSTEIN WOULD LIKE TO SPEAK, AND THAT IS THE PUBLIC HEARING OF LOCAL LAW AMENDING THE CODE OF THE TOWN, CHAPTER THREE EIGHT AND THE NEW CHAPTER RECENTLY, MY SUGGESTION, BUT ARE HERE, ARE WE COMBINING? YES.
THEN WE NEED TO INTRODUCE THE OTHER ONE.
SO WE NEED TO, I WOULD LIKE TO THEN WE DID THAT.
NO ONE TOOK ME UPON THE SUGGESTION.
SO I'D LIKE TO COMBINE BOTH A PROPOSAL.
WE, UH, COMBINE BOTH HEARINGS.
WELL INTRODUCE, INTRODUCE THE, UH, WE DID INTRODUCE, YES, WE DID INTRODUCE IT.
YOU GOT A SECOND? AND BOTH INTRODUCE THE SECOND, SECOND ONE.
YEAH, WE DID DO THE SECOND, THE SECOND ONE.
AND THEN WE, WE CAN HAVE THE COMBINATION.
NO, WE, WE INTRODUCED BOTH OF THEM.
AND THEN WE GOT SECONDS ON BOTH OF THEM.
SO NOW I'D LIKE TO MOVE THAT WE OPEN THE PUBLIC HEARING, WHICH IS A COMBINED PUBLIC HEARING PROPOSED LOCAL LAWS.
OKAY, MR. STEIN, GOOD EVENING.
AGAIN, I, UH, I FIND THIS, UM, PROCEDURE TO BE, UH, BIZARRE.
UH, YOU ARE, YOU HAVE A HEARING SCHEDULED TONIGHT ON TWO CHANGES IN THE CODE.
UH, ONE AMENDING THE CODE WITH, UH, CHAPTER 80 DEALING WITH NOISE AND ANOTHER CREATING A NEW CHAPTER.
THE ONLY LOCAL LAW THAT'S BEEN PUBLICLY NOTICED IS THE ONE CREATING THE NEW CHAPTER, UH, 3 74,
[01:45:01]
WHICH IS, UH, AS TIM SAID, UH, UH, ESSENTIALLY, UM, ONLY PERMITS LEAF BLOWERS TO BE USED ON TUESDAYS AND THURSDAYS GOING FORWARD AND BARS THEM THE REST OF THE WEEK.UH, YET YOU'VE JUST INTRODUCED AND OPENED A PUBLIC HEARING ON TWO NEW LAWS THAT WE'VE NEVER SEEN.
USUALLY WHEN YOU DO THAT, I, I CHECKED, THERE'S USUALLY A COPY OF WHATEVER IT IS YOU'RE INTRODUCING OUTSIDE, SO WE CAN READ IT AND SEE WHAT IT IS.
UH, SO I HAVE NO IDEA WHAT YOUR LOCAL LAW THAT YOU JUST INTRODUCED AND OPENED THE PUBLIC HEARING ON PURPORTS TO DO.
IT MATTERS BECAUSE THE PUBLIC SHOULD SEE WHAT THE, WHAT'S GOING ON HERE.
UH, THIS LEAF BLOWING THING IS CONTROVERSIAL, AS YOU KNOW.
UM, MY PERSONAL VIEW IS THAT THERE OUGHT TO BE SOME KIND OF ACTION TAKEN, BUT I DON'T THINK THE ONE YOU'VE PROPOSED REALLY DOES THE TRICK.
UH, I THINK A MORE INCREMENTAL CHANGE IS PROBABLY APPROPRIATE.
I THINK THAT BANNING GAS BLOWERS, UH, THE USE OF GAS BLOWERS FOR, UH, A TIME, UH, FOR DURING THE SEASON MAY MAKE SENSE.
BUT ALLOWING ELECTRIC BLOWERS, I THINK IS A GOOD IDEA.
BARRING THEM ALL, I THINK IS OVERREACH AND WILL OFFEND PEOPLE AND WILL BE HONORED IN THE BREACH.
THE, THE, UH, THE PROBLEM THAT YOU HAVE WITH THIS PROPOSAL IS THAT IT'S REALLY ONLY ENFORCEABLE BY NEIGHBORS REPORTING OTHER NEIGHBORS.
THEY DO THAT IN TEXAS WITH THE ABORTION LAW.
YOU REALLY NEED A CLEAR MANDATE AND THEN ANNOUNCE IT AND ALSO KNOW THE IMPACT OF IT BY CONSULTING WITH THE MERCHANTS WHO PROVIDE THE SERVICES THAT RESIDENTS PAY FOR TO HAVE THEIR LAWNS THROUGH YARDS MAINTAINED.
UH, AS WELL AS HEARING FROM THOSE WHO, WHO MAINTAIN THEIR, THEIR YARDS THEMSELVES.
WHAT IS THE COST OF THIS? WHAT IS THE IMPACT? DOES IT APPLY TO ONLY RESIDENTIAL HOME HOMEOWNERS? UH, OR DOES IT APPLY TO COMMERCIAL ESTABLISHMENTS? DOES IT APPLY TO THE TOWN? THE TOWN IS ONE OF THE LARGEST PROPERTY OWNERS IN THE TOWN.
IT HAS LOTS OF, UH, 600 ACRES OF PARKLAND.
DO THOSE FOLKS HAVE TO BE ABLE TO MA UH, COMPLY WITH THIS TOO? UH, WHAT ABOUT GOLF COURSES AND OTHER COMMERCIAL ESTABLISHMENTS? ARE THEY UNDER THIS, THIS MANDATE? HAVE YOU CHECKED TO SEE WHAT THEIR, THE IMPACT ON THEM IS GOING TO BE? UH, SINCE THEIRS IS A BUSINESS THAT REQUIRES DAILY MAINTENANCE, UM, TO ME THIS IS TOO MUCH TOO SOON.
NO PUBLIC IMPACT, UH, UH, DISCLOSURE.
UH, THAT WHICH IS ENFORCED, REINFORCED BY THE ACTION TONIGHT OF INTRODUCING TWO NEW LOCAL LAWS, WHICH THE PUBLIC HASN'T EVEN SEEN, AND HOLDING A PUBLIC HEARING ON THEM.
ALTHOUGH THE ONLY PUBLIC HEARING THAT WE KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT IS ABOUT, AS I SAID, THIS, THIS, THIS PROPOSAL TO, UH, UH, TO HAVE A ONE YEAR, UH, UH, BAN ON, ON, ON ALL LEAF BLOWERS, WHETHER IT'S GAS OR ELECTRIC ON, UH, AND ONLY PERMITTING THEM TWICE A WEEK DURING THE SEASON, UH, DURING THE, UH, UH, UH, EXCEPT DURING FALL AND SPRING CLEANUP.
UH, BUT PROHIBITING THEM DURING THE YEAR, UH, DURING THE SUMMER SEASON.
I THINK THAT YOU WILL BE HONORED IN THE BREACH.
I THINK THAT YOU WILL BE ANNOYING A LOT OF PEOPLE WITH NO REAL JUSTIFICATION.
I UNDERSTAND THE VIEWS OF THE C A C, THAT, THAT, THAT THEY FEEL THAT THIS IS, UH, YOU KNOW, SOMETHING THAT THE PUBLIC REALLY HAS TO LEARN ABOUT, THAT IT'S A HORRIBLE PLAGUE, UH, ON OUR COMMUNITIES, THAT, THAT THE LEAF BLOWERS EXIST.
BUT, YOU KNOW, THE SAME COULD BE SAID FOR LAWNMOWERS AND OTHER THINGS THAT ARE SUBURBAN NUISANCES TO SOME.
BUT I DO THINK THAT THE C A C MAKES A VALID POINT THAT GAS POWERED BLOWERS IS A PROBLEM.
AND YOU SHOULD, I THINK, USE THE MODEL, SAY THAT SCARSDALE HAS DONE WHERE THEY HAVE SUCCESSFULLY IMPLEMENTED THAT KIND OF A BAN, BUT THEY'VE DONE IT WITH CLEAR DISCLOSURE TO EVERYONE.
AND I WOULD URGE YOU TO REJECT THIS.
AND AGAIN, THIS IS A PUBLIC HEARING WHERE PEOPLE CAN MAKE COMMENTS, AND THIS LAW IS NOT FINALIZED YET, AND THAT'S WHY WE'RE GETTING GOOD COMMENTS ON IT.
PATRICIA WEEMS WOULD LIKE TO COMMENT, HOWEVER,
[01:50:01]
WE NEED TO BRING A, UM, MICROPHONE TO HER.GEORGE, COULD YOU BRING A HANDHELD MICROPHONE OUT? THANK YOU.
GEORGE, WE, WE ARE, THANK YOU.
IT'S ON, IT'S ON THE PUBLIC HEARING.
NO, I WANTED TO DO THE PUBLIC COMMENT THAT'S AT THE BOTTOM.
NO, THIS IS ABOUT LEAF BLOWERS.
I JUST, I KNOW, BUT I JUST WANTED, I FEEL THIS IS PUBLIC SPEAKING.
HEY, IT'S YOUR EXERCISE PROGRAM FOR THE NIGHT
AND WHILE THE PERSON IS COMING IN ON ZOOM AGAIN, IT'S, UM, YOU CAN USE LEAF BLOWERS FOUR TIMES DURING THE WEEK, TUESDAYS AND THURSDAYS FROM NINE TO FIVE.
AND ON THE WEEKENDS FROM 11 TO THREE, YOU CAN'T USE IT ON HOLIDAYS.
AND AGAIN, THIS LOCAL LAW HAS A SUNSET PROVISION.
AND IN A YEAR WE WILL REEVALUATE THE LAW AND MAKE CHANGES IF NECESSARY.
SO YOU'RE, YOU'RE MODIFYING TWO LAWS THAT ARE ALREADY THERE AND YOU'RE CREATING TWO NEW ONES.
SO WHERE DO YOU GET TO SEE THE TWO NEW ONES AT? OR AM I NOT HEARING THIS PROPERLY? AND TIM, I'M ASKING YOU IF YOU COULD JUST PLEASE ANSWER ME, BECAUSE I'M REALLY CONFUSED.
I MEAN, I'M FOLLOWING THIS BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT, BUT I JUST DON'T UNDERSTAND HOW YOU CAN OPEN SOMETHING UP AND NOT BE FULLY TRANSPARENT.
SO MAYBE YOU ARE, AND I JUST DON'T, I MISSED IT, SO I'M NOT JUDGING.
CAN SOMEONE HELP ME WITH THAT, PLEASE? YES.
SO THIS LAW, OR THESE LAWS HAVE HAD SEVERAL ITERATIONS BY MY COUNT, THIS IS PROBABLY THE SEVENTH ITERATION.
SO I THINK THE FINAL VERSION PROBABLY DIDN'T MAKE IT TO THE WEBSITE.
AND THAT'S WHY I'M TAKING THE TIME OUT TO JUST, YOU KNOW, EXPRESSED THAT IT'S REALLY TUESDAYS AND THURSDAYS FROM 9:00 AM TO 5:00 PM THAT PEOPLE CAN USE LEAF BLOWERS.
AND ON THE WEEKENDS FROM 11:00 AM TO 3:00 PM WITH A VIEWPOINT THAT THAT GIVES, UH, PEOPLE AN OPPORTUNITY TO HAVE SOME RESTFUL QUIET TIME UP UNTIL 11:00 AM.
ALSO, UM, THE DECIBEL LEVERS OF ANY KIND OF LEAF BLOWER CANNOT EXCEED 75 DECIBELS AT ANY TIME.
ALRIGHT, SO IT'S MY UNDERSTANDING.
SO THANKSGIVING SOMETIMES FALLS ON A THURSDAY.
I'M JUST, YOU KNOW, AND, AND YOU KNOW, SO WHAT, WHAT HAPPENS ON A HOLIDAY? YOU CAN'T USE IT ON A HOLIDAY.
SO HOW ARE WE GONNA NOTIFY EVERYBODY THAT'S NOT WATCHING? WELL, FIRST WE'RE GOING TO, UM, HAVE AN EDUCATION PROGRAM, AND WE'RE STILL WORKING ON THAT.
I THINK INITIALLY PEOPLE WILL BE GIVING VIOLATION NOTICES, SO THEY WON'T BE GIVING SUMMONSES.
OH, WARNINGS, WARNINGS, WARNINGS, WARNINGS.
UM, AND THAT'S HOW WE'LL NOTIFY PEOPLE.
WE'RE NOT LOOKING TO, UH, PENALIZE PEOPLE, BUT WE'RE LOOKING TO CHANGE HABITS AND CULTURE.
AND, AND WHEN, WHEN DID WE START? WHEN IS IT EFFECTIVE? MAY I ASK? I'M SORRY.
IF WE'RE ABLE TO ADOPT THE LAW BY THAT PERIOD OF TIME.
ALRIGHT, SO I, I THINK THE CONFUSION IS THAT THERE WERE ITERATIONS MADE BETWEEN THE FIR THE LAST PUBLIC HEARING AND THIS PUBLIC HEARING.
BUT, UM, WHEN THE BOARD REALIZED THAT THOSE WERE KIND OF GETTING A LIFE, THAT'S NOT THE WAY TO HOLD A PUBLIC HEARING.
SO WHAT THIS IS SUPPOSED TO BE ON IS THE SAME VERSION THAT WAS AT THE LAST PUBLIC HEARING.
AND WE WERE, AND THIS IS WHAT WE DISCUSSED AT THE WORK SESSION YESTERDAY, UH, IS THAT WE ARE CONTINUING ON THE SAME VERSION THAT WAS BEFORE US AT THE LAST PUBLIC HEARING, GETTING COMMENTS ON THAT.
AND THEN IF THERE IS A CHANGES TO BE MADE, WE WILL THEN PUBLISH THOSE CHANGES.
THIS IS, THIS IS, THIS IS A CONTINUATION OF A PREVIOUS PUBLIC PUBLIC HEARING.
AM I CORRECT? SO YOU CAN MAKE LAW, YOU CAN MAKE LAWS BASED OFF OF PUBLIC HEARINGS WHEN BEFORE YOU TELL THEM YOU'RE GONNA DO IT.
LIKE, SO YOU MAKE THE LAW, YOU SAY IT'S GONNA HAVE TO JUNE, HYPOTHETICALLY, THIS IS WHAT I'M UNDERSTANDING, YOU'VE ALREADY IMPLEMENTED AND YOU COME BACK AND SAY, LET'S HAVE A PUBLIC HEARING, AND THEN YOU CAN MODIFY IT.
THAT'S WHAT YOU'RE SAYING YOU CAN DO.
IS THAT WHAT WE'RE DISCUSSING? I'M TRYING TO FOLLOW YOU, FRANCIS.
I THINK THAT'S WHAT YOU SAID, RIGHT? FIRST OF ALL, FRANCIS, IS YOUR MIC ON? BECAUSE IT, MY MIC IS, OR, OKAY, SO WE NEED TO MAKE CLOSE IT.
THE, THE QUESTION IS, DOES THE VERSION THAT WE HAVE NEED TO BE MODIFIED? THAT'S THE FIRST QUESTION.
[01:55:01]
ARE PROCEDURAL ISSUES THAT WE HAVE TO DO.IF WE'RE GOING TO MODIFY THAT, THAT, THAT LAW, THAT'S BEFORE US.
CAN YOU HEAR? OKAY, NOW THERE'S ANOTHER SPEAKER.
ANYBODY ELSE? NOBODY ELSE WANTS TO SPEAK.
SO MR. BERNSTEIN AND JTH, YOU HAVE TO START THE CLOCK FROM FIVE MINUTES AGO.
I DON'T WANNA BELABOR THIS, BUT TIM JUST SAID THERE IS AN ORDINANCE PROPOSED THAT DEALS WITH, UH, REGULATING THE, UH, NUMBER OF DECIBELS THAT ARE PERMISSIBLE.
I'VE NOT SEEN THAT ORDINANCE, THAT'S NOT BEEN ANYTHING THAT'S PUT ON THE, BEEN PUT ON THE WEBSITE.
I DON'T KNOW HOW THAT'S GONNA WORK.
UM, AND I'VE BEEN FOLLOWING THIS.
THE ONLY LOCAL LAW THAT'S EVER BEEN PUBLICIZED IS THE ONE THAT'S ON THE WEBSITE TODAY, WHICH DEALS WITH THIS, UH, UH, PROPOSAL, IF YOU WANT TO CALL IT THAT, FOR HAVING, UH, UH, TUESDAYS AND THURSDAYS, UH, AND, AND WEEKENDS FOR, FOR, FOR PRIVATE INDIVIDUALS TO USE BLOWERS.
BUT, UH, OR, OR NOT USE BLOWERS, I FORGET.
AND, AND THEN, UH, IT'S, IT, THAT'S THE ONLY PROPOSAL THAT'S OUT THERE.
AND THAT'S THE ONLY THING YOU CAN HAVE A PUBLIC HEARING ON, BECAUSE THAT'S THE ONLY THING THE PUBLIC'S BEEN TOLD YOU'RE GONNA TALK ABOUT.
NOW, IF YOU'RE MODIFYING IT, YOU HAVE DIFFERENT IDEAS, DIFFERENT PROPOSALS, WELL THEN PUT 'EM ON THE TABLE IF YOU INTRODUCE THEM.
HOW COME YOU COULDN'T GO TO THE FRONT, TO THE BACK OF THE ROOM AND, AND, UH, WHEN WE CAME IN, HAVE IT PRINTED SO WE CAN READ IT.
W WHY, WHY, WHY NOT? WHY, WHY IS THAT NOT HAPPENING HERE? AND HOW CAN YOU THEN GO BACK AND DELIBERATE ABOUT THE MERITS OF THAT PROPOSAL WHEN THE PUBLIC HASN'T EVEN SEEN IT, AND YET YOU'VE OPENED A HEARING ON THAT PROPOSAL, WHICH YOU HAVE INTRODUCED, BUT NOT DISCLOSED ON THE WEBSITE TO THE PUBLIC, PRINTED IT OUT, NOBODY KNOWS WHAT IT IS.
AND YOU WANNA ADOPT THIS LAW BY JUNE 1ST.
I MEAN, THIS IS TURNING TRANSPARENCY ON ITS HEAD.
THIS IS A CONTROVERSIAL THING.
YES, THERE HAVE BEEN SEVEN DIFFERENT PROPOSALS OVER THE YEARS.
UH, A LOT OF PEOPLE LIKE IT, UH, OR WANT SOMETHING DONE.
UH, I TOLD YOU WHERE I'M, WHAT CAMP I'M IN, BUT I, I, I DON'T THINK YOU CAN PROCEED FAIRLY WITHOUT PUTTING YOUR CARDS ON THE TABLE.
UH, ARE YOU EMBARRASSED ABOUT THE NEW LAW? IS THERE SOMETHING IN IT THAT YOU DON'T WANT PEOPLE TO SEE? IS THAT WHY YOU DIDN'T MAKE IT AVAILABLE FOR US TO READ? UM, YOU INTRODUCED IT AND YET YOU OPEN A PUBLIC HEARING ON IT.
BUT MAYBE THAT'S GREENBERG AND THAT'S THE WAY YOU DO THINGS THESE DAYS.
BUT THAT DOESN'T MAKE SENSE TO ME.
AND I'D LIKE TO SEE SOMETHING HAPPEN, BUT I CAN'T SEE HOW YOU CAN DO IT AND DO IT FAIRLY, UNLESS OF COURSE, YOU JUST DO IT AND YOU LET THE CHIPS FALL WHERE THEY MAY, WHICH SOMETIMES IS YOUR POLICY, AND THEN YOU END UP ANNOYING A WHOLE SEGMENT OF THE POPULATION.
I MIGHT POINT OUT THAT, YES, WHILE IT DOES, THE PROPOSAL THAT YOU'D HAVE PUT ON THE WEB DOES SAY, INITIALLY WE'RE JUST GONNA GIVE OUT VIOLATIONS, OR, YOU KNOW, NOTHING PUNITIVE.
BUT IT CERTAINLY THEN ESCALATES TO PUNITIVE BECAUSE NOT ONLY DO YOU HAVE A PROVISION THAT SAYS THAT YOU FIND THE COMMERCIAL OPERATOR THAT OPERATES A GAS BLOWER, OR ANY BLOWER, I SHOULD SAY GAS OR ELECTRIC.
NOT ONLY WILL YOU FIND THAT PERSON WHO COMES ONTO YOUR PROPERTY TO DO IT, BUT YOU, THE PROPERTY OWNER, YOU GET FINED TOO.
YOU GET THE SAME FINE THAT THE PERSON WHO'S OPERATING DOES.
THAT'S, THAT'S PRETTY ONEROUS.
AND HOW IS IT ENFORCED? BECAUSE YOU HAVE TO KNOW THAT SOMEBODY IS DOING IT.
AND THESE GA THESE PEOPLE WHO COME IN ARE USUALLY IN AND OUT OF PEOPLE'S PROPERTY IN 10 MINUTES, 15 MINUTES.
SO IT'S ONLY ENFORCEABLE BY A NEIGHBOR WHO'S OBJECTING CALLING ON, ON THE OTHER NEIGHBOR.
SO THEN YOU'RE GONNA HAVE NEIGHBOR AGAINST NEIGHBOR TO ENFORCE THIS SORT OF THING.
AND I DON'T THINK THE PUBLIC KNOWS THAT THAT'S WHAT YOU INTEND.
WHICH IS WHY TIM SAYS, OH, WE'RE GONNA HAVE AN IN EDUCATION INFORMATION TO, TO LIKE EDUCATE PEOPLE.
'CAUSE WE WANT TO CHANGE THE CULTURE.
THAT'S A RATHER DRAMATIC WAY OF DOING IT.
UH, AND, AND EVEN THE LEGISL, THE WORDING, I THINK YOU CALLED IT EDUCATIONAL, INFORMATIONAL, WHATEVER THOSE WORDS MEAN, BUT YOU DON'T LAY IT OUT.
THERE IS NOTHING OUT THERE THAT ACTUALLY EXPLAINS HOW YOU'RE GONNA INTRODUCE THIS, THIS, THIS THING.
IT DIFFERS SUBSTANTIALLY FROM WHAT'S PERMITTED IN SAY, SCARSDALE AND OTHER MUNICIPALITIES.
SO IT'S NOT LIKE SOMEONE CAN SAY, WELL, YOU
[02:00:01]
KNOW, YOU SEE WHAT THEY'RE DOING IN SCARSDALE, SO WE'RE JUST DOING THE SAME THING.YOU ARE NOT, YOU'RE DOING SOMETHING COMPLETELY DIFFERENT.
AND IT'S ENFORCEABLE BY PITTING RESIDENT AGAINST RESIDENT.
I DON'T THINK THIS IS READY FOR PRIME TIME.
I DON'T THINK YOU HAVE YOUR DUCKS IN A ROW ON THIS.
I THINK YOU NEED TO, TO, I THINK YOU NEED TO DO SOMETHING, BUT NOT WITH THIS.
I WOULD PUT THIS OFF AND GET, GET YOUR DUCKS IN A ROW AND GET SOME CONSENSUS, AND THEN PUT IT OUT THERE FOR THE PUBLIC TO REVIEW AND, AND COMMENT ON, AND THEN ADOPT SOMETHING FOR NEXT YEAR.
WELL, I JUST WANNA MENTION, YOU KNOW, YESTERDAY WHEN I CAME UP WITH ANOTHER, YOU KNOW, OPTION, EVERYBODY SAID, UM, YOU KNOW, THAT, UM, WE WANTED TO CONTINUE, YOU KNOW, THE EXISTING, YOU KNOW, HEARING AND, UH, HEAR FROM THE PUBLIC.
OBVIOUSLY THERE'S NOT GONNA BE A LAW APPROVED BY JUNE 1ST, BECAUSE JUNE 1ST IS NEXT WEEK.
UM, I'VE SPOKEN TO LIKE LOTS OF PEOPLE, UH, AND THIS IS A VERY, VERY DIFFICULT ISSUE BECAUSE PEOPLE HAVE VERY, YOU KNOW, SCARSDALE IS A WEALTHIER COMMUNITY.
UM, YOU KNOW, EVERYBODY COULD AFFORD, YOU KNOW, PE MOST PEOPLE HAVE LANDSCAPERS IN GREENBURG.
NOT EVERYBODY, UH, CAN AFFORD A LANDSCAPER.
SO IF YOU BASICALLY SAY, YOU KNOW, ONLY ELECTRIC, UH, YOU KNOW, BLOWERS OR WHATEVER, IT'S A DIFFERENT DEMOGRAPHIC.
AND PEOPLE HAVE, YOU KNOW, PEOPLE HAVE, YOU KNOW, DIFFERENT, YOU KNOW, D YOU KNOW, DIFFERENT CONCERNS.
UM, ONE OF, UM, UM, YOU KNOW, THE THOUGHTS THAT I HAD JUST TO GET SOMETHING MOVING WAS, UM, YOU KNOW, RIGHT NOW YOU HAVE BASICALLY THREE DIFFERENT CAMPS.
YOU HAVE PEOPLE WHO ARE VERY UPSET ABOUT THE NOISE, AND THAT'S A LEGITIMATE ISSUE BECAUSE THEY'RE WORKING AT HOME AND THEY CAN'T TAKE IT.
YOU KNOW, THEY CAN'T, THEY'RE HEARING NOISE ALL, ALL DAY LONG.
THAT'S WHAT, OR THEY JUST WANNA RELAX.
THEN YOU HAVE ANOTHER GROUP THAT BASICALLY FEELS THAT GOVERNMENT SHOULD NOT BE TELLING PEOPLE WHAT THEY COULD DO, UH, ON THEIR PROPERTY.
AND, YOU KNOW, THEY RESENT, UM, THE TOWN PASSING A LAW SAYING YOU CAN'T USE A LEAF BLOWER.
YOU KNOW, WHEN THEY TAKE PRIDE IN THEIR PROPERTY, UM, YOU KNOW, THEY CAN'T, MAY NOT BE ABLE TO AFFORD A LANDSCAPER.
OR IF THEY HAVE A LANDSCAPER, THEY DON'T WANT, YOU KNOW, THE LANDSCAPER RAISING THEIR, UH, UH, YOU KNOW, THE, YOU KNOW, THE FEES.
THEN YOU HAVE THE CONSERVATION ADVISORY COUNCIL SAYING, WE DON'T LIKE THE SCARSDALE LAW BECAUSE ON ELECTRIC BLOWERS, ON, AND NON-ELECTRIC BLOWERS BOTH CREATE HEALTH RISKS.
SO THESE PARTICLES THAT ARE GOING INTO YOUR LUNGS, AND THEY SAY, YOU KNOW, THEY'VE SAID TO ME AND THEY SAID TO EVERYBODY, IF YOU ADOPT SOMETHING SIMILAR TO SCARSDALE, THE CONSERVATION ADVISORY COUNCIL IS GONNA SAY YOU'RE MISSING THE BOAT.
THIS IS NOT A GOOD LAW BECAUSE YOU'RE DEALING WITH ONE OF TWO ISSUES.
YOU'RE DEALING WITH NOISE, BUT YOU'RE NOT DEALING WITH HEALTH.
SO ONE OF THE THOUGHTS THAT I HAD, JUST FOR STARTERS, AND I'M NOT SAYING THAT ANYTHING THAT I DON'T FEEL THAT, I THINK WHATEVER WE DO, EVERYBODY'S GONNA HATE.
BUT I'M SAYING FOR JUST TO GET SOME, SOMETHING GOING IS WHAT IF WE SAID TWO DAYS A WEEK, ONLY TWO DAYS A WEEK, NO LEAF BLOWERS, UM, ALLOWED, YOU KNOW, IN THE TOWN.
SO THERE'S A TWO DAY A WEEK LEAF BLOWER, YOU KNOW, BASICALLY ON A HOLIDAY.
NOBODY HAS A NOISE, THERE'S NO, UH, LEAF FLOWING.
UM, YOU KNOW, THE POLICE COULD ENFORCE IT.
THEN I SORT OF FEEL THAT, UM, WE COULD, UM, MODIFY, WE COULD BASICALLY CHANGE THE HOURS DURING, YOU KNOW, DURING THE REST OF THE WEEK AND SAY, NO, LEAFBLOWER BLOWING.
THIS IS JUST A CONCEPT, YOU KNOW, BEFORE SAY 10 O'CLOCK.
UM, YOU KNOW, YOU KNOW, DURING, YOU KNOW, DURING THE WEEK.
UM, AND THEN, THEN ANYBODY, YOU KNOW, NOBODY, YOU KNOW, THE LANDSCAPERS, THE PROPERTY OWNERS, UM, THEY WOULD BE ABLE TO, UH, USE, YOU KNOW, FIND TIME DURING THE WEEK WHERE THEY COULD USE THE LEAF BLOWERS AND THERE'D BE TWO DAYS A WEEK WHERE IT WOULD BE NICE AND QUIET AND PEOPLE COULD GET USED TO IT.
AND IF, IF, IF THE CONCEPT WORKS NEXT YEAR, WE COULD KEEP, WE COULD TWEAK IT MORE.
AND, YOU KNOW, WE COULD SEE HOW IT GOES.
YOU KNOW, MAYBE IT'S A BAD IDEA.
BUT THAT'S, THAT'S WHAT I, I THOUGHT FROM SPEAKING TO PEOPLE, AND AGAIN, NOT SAYING, EXCUSE ME HERE.
[02:05:07]
EXCUSE ME.I THINK PAUL, AS, AS WE FOR THE, FOR THE STENOGRAPHER, PLEASE STATE YOUR NAME.
AND IF YOU COULD PULL THE MICROPHONE DOWN A LITTLE BIT.
CAN YOU HEAR ME? YEAH, THAT'S GREAT.
TELL I I WHAT THE GENERAL WAS SPEAKING PAUL.
I THINK WHAT HE'S SAYING, JUDY AND THE, HE'S SAYING YOU CALLING A HEARING, BUT IT'S NO DOCUMENT THAT EVERYBODY IS NOT, DON'T KNOW NOTHING ABOUT.
AND I'M GONNA MAKE A SHOUT WHAT HE'S SAYING, THAT LIKE, WE SHOULD HAVE DOCUMENTS ON WHAT YOU, WHAT THE HEARING'S ABOUT.
WE HERE TONIGHT AND NOBODY KNOWS ANYTHING ABOUT IT.
THIS IS SOMETHING WE SAW IT ON THE, ON THE PAPER WHEN WE LOOK IT UP ON OUR COMPUTER, BUT IT'S NO DOCUMENT WHAT HE'S SAYING.
I'M GONNA SAY THIS TO YOU, PERRY, ME GIVE DOCUMENTS.
I MEAN, HE'S A LAWYER AND WHEN HE'S GOING TO SPEAK FOR THE PUBLIC, HE GIVE EVERYBODY A DOCUMENT.
WHAT WE GOING TO READ A HEARING? SO THIS IS WHAT THEY SAYING, PAUL, NO ONE KNOW NOTHING ABOUT IT.
WE'RE NOT GOING TO, I'M WITH HIM ON THE THING, BUT WE NEED TO SEE WHAT'S GOING ON.
WE NEED TO READ IT YOU JUNE 1ST.
I ALL I'M ASKING YOU IS, DO YOU, BECAUSE I'M, I'M SORT OF DISAPPOINTED THAT THERE'S NOT MORE PEOPLE, YOU KNOW, SPEAKING 'CAUSE THIS IS SUCH A CON CONTROVERSIAL ISSUE.
I'M WONDERING, IF YOU WERE IN OUR SHOES, WHAT RECOMMENDATION WOULD YOU RECOMMEND THE TOWN? DO YOU KNOW, FORGETTING THE, IF WE HAD TO WRITE ALL LAW ON, OR WE'RE INTERESTED, YOU KNOW, WHAT, WHAT WOULD YOUR ADVICE BE? MY ADVICE, MY ADVICE WOULD'VE BEEN, I WOULD'VE GOT THE BOARD AND THE COMMITTEE.
WE ALL WOULD GOT TOGETHER AND SIT DOWN AND, UH, PUT SOME PAPER, UH, PUT GIVE US SOMETHING.
NO, BUT I'M SAYING IN THE CONCEPT, WHY WOULD YOU RECOMMEND THAT? WE DO? OH, WELL, NO, IN TERMS OF, IN TERMS OF THE LEGISLATION, IS THERE SOMETHING THAT YOU COULD, THAT YOU WOULD, UM, YOU KNOW, UH, YOU KNOW, LIVE WITH, THAT YOU'D BE ABLE TO LIVE WITH? WOULD YOU RESTRICT CERTAIN DAYS? AND IF SO, WHAT HOURS IN THOSE DAYS? BECAUSE WE HAVE GOT, WELL, I'M GONNA TELL YOU'VE, WE'VE GOTTEN TREMENDOUS INPUT, TREMENDOUS INPUT, AND THERE'S NO AGREEMENT ON ANYTHING.
WELL, I THINK MONDAYS, WHEN PEOPLE AT WORK, I THINK IT SHOULD BE SHORT HOURS ON SATURDAYS.
I LIKE TO WATCH MY COWBOYS AND I THINK, I DON'T THINK NOBODY SHOULD BE AT EIGHT O'CLOCK IN THE MORNING BLOWING WHEN I'M WATCHING MY COWBOYS.
AND I'M, I'M, I'M, I'M A AND I WATCH RIFLE MAN AND I WAGON TRAIN AND GUN SMOKE.
SO I'M REALLY GONNA TELL YOU IT'S ANNOYING.
'CAUSE I GOT TO TURN MY TV UP TO HERE ON SATURDAY MORNING AND THEY COME EIGHT O'CLOCK IN THE MORNING.
THEY DON'T COME AT NINE, THEY COME EIGHT O'CLOCK.
SO IF I WAS, I WOULD DO IT MONDAYS TWO DAYS A WEEK AND WEEKENDS.
I JUST THINK WHEN PEOPLE WORK, IT SHOULD BE HOME RELAXING.
NO ONE SHOULD BE BLOWING ON SUNDAY.
THEY COME ON SUNDAYS AND YOU SHOULD BE AT HOME RELAXING.
SO I THINK THAT THE COMMUNITY SHOULD GET TOGETHER AND SPEAK ON IT BECAUSE YOU GETTING A LOT OF COMPLAINTS.
SO, BUT YOU SHOULD DO IT DURING MONDAYS AND TUESDAY.
IT SHOULD BE, I DON'T THINK, NO ONE SHOULD BE WORKING A WEEKEND TO ME.
BUT SOME PEOPLE WHO WORK DURING THE WEEK WHO DO THEIR OWN GARDENING ONLY HAVE THE WEEKENDS TO DO IT.
BUT GARDEN IS DIFFERENT THAN THE BLOWS.
WELL, THE BLOOD MAKE A LOT OF NOISE.
NO SPEAKING AT THE TIME BECAUSE RIGHT.
I'M SPEAKING TOO, I'M GONNA SAY THIS TO YOU.
GARDEN IS DIFFERENT FROM THE BLOWER.
THE BLOOD MAKES A LOT OF NOISE.
CHOPPING TREES DOWN MAKE A LOT OF NOISE.
SO IF YOU GOT A HOME AND YOU GOT A BLOWER, YOU KNOW THE DIFFERENCE.
WELL, I DO NOT, SO I'M JUST SAYING, I'M JUST SAYING MY OPINION.
NO, I KNOW YOU GOT, I KNOW, YOU KNOW, I KNOW, OF COURSE I GOT ME A BIG BEAUTIFUL HOME IN MISSISSIPPI AND WE KNOW HOW TO DO THE RULES ROAD.
BUT I DO KNOW SINCE I LIVED HERE, IT IT IS NOISY.
BUT LET ME ASK YOU A QUESTION.
LET'S SAY FOR SATURDAYS AND SUNDAYS, BECAUSE YOU MADE A VALID POINT THAT THERE'S SOME PEOPLE WHO BASICALLY WANNA DO THEIR GARDENING AND THEY CAN'T, THEY MAY NOT BE ABLE TO AFFORD A LANDSCAPER AND THEY WANT TO DO OR THEY MAY ENJOY IT.
[02:10:01]
QUESTION IS, IS DIFFERENT.SO INSTEAD OF SAYING, WHAT IF WE HAVE SAY, A LIMITATION SAY ON SATURDAYS AND SUNDAYS, UM, YOU SAY 11 TO THREE, RIGHT? YOU COULD DO IT.
UM, YOU KNOW, I'M, I'M SAYING COME UP WITH A TIME, RIGHT? RIGHT.
IT COULD BE 11 TO THREE AND UM, SAY TWO DAYS A JUST FOR ONE YEAR AND SAY TWO DAYS, UM, YOU KNOW, A WEEK, NO LEAF FLOWING OF ANY KIND MM-HMM.
SATURDAYS AND SUNDAYS 11, YOU KNOW, SAY 11 2, 3.
UM, UH, YOU KNOW, SOMETHING LIKE THAT BECAUSE THEN I FEEL IT'S LIKE EASY FOR PEOPLE TO UNDERSTAND.
UM, AND WE'RE GETTING OUR, YOU KNOW, I DON'T LIKE THE IDEA OF WAITING ANOTHER YEAR BECAUSE WE'VE BEEN SAYING THAT FOR LIKE 30 YEARS, OVER 30 YEARS.
UM, YOU KNOW, YOU KNOW, FOR DECADES, YOU KNOW, I BASICALLY WOULD LIKE TO SEE US TEST SOMETHING OUT.
AND IF IT DOESN'T WORK, UM, WE'LL DO SOMETHING BETTER NEXT YEAR.
SO LET, LET ME, LET ME, LET ME PROPOSE THIS.
HOW, HOW ABOUT, HOW ABOUT WE DO A 30 DAY TRIAL BECAUSE WE NEED SEE THE, THAT MAKES SENSE.
WE NEED TO SEE THE IMPACT THAT IT'S GOING TO BE FOR OUR LANDSCAPERS.
'CAUSE WE'RE FORGETTING THAT POINT, RIGHT? WE'RE FORGETTING THAT PART OF IT.
WE'RE FORGETTING ABOUT THOSE WHO UTILIZE THIS AS THEIR LIVELIHOOD.
SO WE ARE CUTTING THEIR LIVELIHOOD, RIGHT? SO MAYBE WHAT WE SHOULD DO IS DO MAYBE 30 DAYS, PICK A, PICK A MONTH MM-HMM.
AND THE NEIGHBORS ARE ROUNDING WHO ARE WATCHING THE COWBOYS AND ALL THE OTHER SHOWS ON SUNDAY, SATURDAY, ONE OF THOSE DAYS ON THE WEEKEND.
AND THEN THOSE WHO ARE WORKING DURING THE WEEK.
MY DAY WAS MONDAY BECAUSE MY, MY MONDAYS ARE CRAZY, RIGHT? SO I NEED THE QUIETNESS FOR MONDAYS.
BUT THERE'S, BUT WE NEED TO JUST, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE TO, WE HAVE TO, WE HAVE TO TEST THAT OUT INSTEAD OF DOING THE WHOLE YEAR.
I THINK THAT'S A, I THINK, I THINK IT'S A, YOU GOT TOO MANY PEOPLE TALKING.
THE STENOGRAPHER CAN'T TAKE THE MINUTES.
I JUST, I I THINK YOU'RE, I THINK THIS IS A REALLY BRILLIANT IDEA, YOU KNOW, CONCEPT.
BECAUSE BASICALLY IT'S GONNA GET US TO DO SOMETHING.
BUT INSTEAD OF SAY 30 DAYS, I'M THINKING OF SAY THE MOUNT JOY, YOU KNOW, SIDEWALKS BECAUSE IT'S ALREADY BEEN A MONTH, YOU KNOW, MOUNT JOY THE ONE WAY BECAUSE, UM, YOU KNOW, UH, YOU HAD RECOMMENDED THAT WE DO A TWO MONTH, YOU KNOW, TRIAL AND YOU KNOW, I WAS ON THERE TODAY AND YOU KNOW, EVEN YESTERDAY THEY MADE SOME CHANGES.
SO I FEEL A MONTH MAY NOT BE, AND LET'S SAY WE DO A TWO MONTH TRIAL, 60 DAY PERIOD, AND THEN WE SEE HOW IT WORKS BECAUSE THIS RATE NO PROBLEM.
IF PEOPLE THINK IT'S A HORRIBLE LAW, WE HAVEN'T REALLY LOST A LOT.
UM, AND IF PEOPLE THINK IT'S A GOOD CONCEPT, THEN WE COULD BUILD, WE COULD BUILD ON IT.
SO LET'S SAY WE, WELL PAUL, CAN I JUST SAY THIS SHOULD BE ABOUT, THIS SHOULD NOT BE ABOUT LANDSCAPERS, RIGHT? BECAUSE LANDSCAPERS DO NOT ALL LIVE IN THE TOWN OF GREENBURG.
MY LANDSCAPER COMES FROM YONKERS.
AND THIS REALLY SHOULD BE ABOUT THE QUALITY OF LIFE FOR RESIDENTS IN THE TOWN OF GREENBURG.
THE ISSUES ARE NOISE, THE ISSUES ARE POLLUTION.
THIS SHOULD NOT BE ABOUT THE LANDSCAPERS UNLESS WE HAVE CONDUCTED A STUDY TO DETERMINE WHERE ALL THE LANDSCAPERS WHO SERVE ALL THE PROPERTIES IN GREENBURG LIVE.
AND IF WE CAN PROVE THAT WE ARE IMPACTING HAVING AN ADVERSE IMPACT ON, ON THEIR INCOME, WELL THAT'S ONE THING.
BUT THEY DON'T ALL LIVE IN, IN GREENBURG, BUT THEY WORK IN GREENBURG.
THEY MIGHT WORK, WORK IN THEY IN GREENBURG.
BUT IT'S THE RESIDENTS OF THE TOWN OF GREENBURG WHO REPRESENT OUR CONSTITUENCY, AND THAT'S WHO OUR PRIMARY, UH, UM, PRIORITY SHOULD BE ON THE RESIDENTS.
SO THESE ARE ALL GREAT WORK SESSION TYPE DISCUSSIONS AND WE CAN DISCUSS THIS AT A WORK SESSION.
SO MAYBE AT THIS POINT WE CAN HAVE THAT DISCUSSION AND COME BACK WITH A NEW LAW THAT YOU FEEL COMFORTABLE.
BUT YOU KNOW WHAT, I THINK THAT THE CONCEPT OF A, A SHORT TERM, UH, TRIAL, UM, LIKE A TWO MONTH, YOU KNOW, TRIAL MM-HMM.
YOU KNOW, WE'RE MAKING NO COMMITMENTS THAT IT'S GONNA BE PERMANENT.
UH, WE'LL LEARN FROM THE EXPERIENCE.
WE'LL BE, YOU KNOW, IT MAY BE, YOU KNOW, LET'S SAY WE PASS THE LAW AND IT'S NOT ENFORCED, THEN PEOPLE ARE GONNA SAY, YOU KNOW, THIS IS, YOU KNOW, THIS IS RIDICULOUS.
ON THE OTHER HAND, IF WE DO ENFORCE IT, UM, WE'LL GET, WE'LL, WE'LL, WE WILL GET A SENSE, WE'LL FIND OUT FROM THE POLICE, YOU KNOW, THEIR EXPERIENCES.
IF, UM, IF PEOPLE GET TO ENJOY SOME DAYS OF, OF QUIET
[02:15:01]
OR IT MAY TURN OUT THAT PEOPLE REALLY JUST LIKED THE IDEA OF BEING ABLE TO WAKE UP LATER IN THE DAY WITHOUT HEARING THE, THE, THE BLOWERS.I MEAN, I SEE A LOT OF POSITIVES AND WE COULD HAVE IT AS A GOAL.
WE COULD HAVE A GOAL IN JUNE 15TH.
YOU KNOW, PAUL, I THINK, I THINK THAT TIM PROPOSED A GOOD IDEA, WHICH IS WHY NOT START FRESH IN OUR WORK SESSION HERE ON TUESDAY IN OUR WORK SESSION ON TUESDAY.
NOT THURSDAY, NOT TUESDAY, NOT THIS TUESDAY, BECAUSE IT'S THE DAY AFTER THE HOLIDAY.
NO, WE JUST HAVE A, SO, RIGHT.
SO TWO WEEKS FROM YESTERDAY, ONE TUESDAY, RIGHT.
AND WHY DON'T WE ALL THINK ABOUT THE, THE SEVENTH.
WOULD IT BE POSSIBLE TO SEE IF WE COULD COME UP WITH LIKE A CONCEPT OF A TWO MONTH TRIAL JUST TO TEST IT OUT? LET'S, LET'S DISCUSS THAT IN TWO WEEKS AND LET'S HAVE A FULL DISCUSSION.
LET'S KEEP THE AGENDA, LET'S KEEP THE PUBLIC HERE.
THAT'S THE MAIN THING TO KEEP THAT, LET'S KEEP THE AGENDA AS SMALL AS POSSIBLE AS YOU KNOW, AS SO THAT WE CAN DEVOTE ENOUGH TIME.
AND MAKE SURE YOU JUST HAVE THE PUBLIC REACH OUT.
MAYBE YOU COULD, UH, EMAIL SOME, SOME CONCEPTS YOU HAVE, JUST LIKE YOU SAID AND OTHER PEOPLE, BECAUSE YOU KNOW WHAT? WE'LL LISTEN, OKAY.
SO MICHELLE WANTS TO SPEAK ON THIS.
YOU'LL GET, YOU'RE GETTING THE SAME SALARY YOU GOT ON, UH, YESTERDAY'S PROPOSAL.
THANK, WAIT, I THINK MICHELLE WANTED TO SPEAK.
YOU SAID, RIGHT? IT'S THE PUBLIC HEARING.
I DON'T KNOW HOW YOU'RE STILL TALKING ABOUT THIS, BUT EVERYBODY EVEN KNOW WHAT YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT.
LIKE YOU NEED TO SHOW WHAT YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT TO PEOPLE SO THEY CAN MAKE INFORMED DECISIONS.
THEY MIGHT AGREE WITH WHAT YOU'RE SAYING, BUT THEY DON'T KNOW WHAT YOU'RE SAYING.
AND I THINK THAT THIS HEARING SHOULD NOT HAPPEN ON THIS RIGHT NOW, THIS MOMENT SINCE THE PUBLIC NOTIFIED PROPERLY, BUT FEW PEOPLE, THOUSAND PEOPLE.
WE NEED TO CORRECT THE RECORD FOR JUST TWO SECONDS HERE.
YESTERDAY AT WORK SESSION, WE JUST PUBLICLY THAT WHAT, WHAT WAS CURRENTLY POSTED ON THE WEBSITE.
WE WERE NOT GOING TO MAKE ANY CHANGES.
WE WERE GOING TO TAKE EVERYTHING THAT WE GATHERED TONIGHT AND THEN COME BACK AND PUT THAT TOGETHER.
SO WE WANTED TO INCORPORATE WHATEVER, WHATEVER COMMENTS.
I HEAR YOU BOB, WHATEVER COMMENTS CAME OUT FOR THIS EVENING, THEN PUT UP WHAT THE PROPOSED LAWS.
BOB, I KNOW YOU'VE BEEN WATCHING US, WE'VE BEEN BACK AND FORTH A COUPLE TIMES ON THIS AND YOU KNOW, A COUPLE OF VERSIONS ON THIS, AND I'M NOT TALKING DIRECTLY TO BOB, BUT I SEE YOU, BUT WE JUST NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT WE CORRECT THE RECORD THAT WE DECIDED YESTERDAY THAT WHAT WAS CURRENTLY ON THE BOARD ON THE WEBSITE, AND WE DID NOT TAKE IT DOWN.
WE'RE GONNA HAVE A DISCUSSION ON THAT AND INCORPORATE WHATEVER CAME OUT OF THIS DISCUSSION TONIGHT, AND THAT WHAT WAS GONNA BE POSTED ON THE BOARD.
THAT'S WHAT THE INTENT WAS TODAY.
THAT'S WHY THEY THAT HOLD ON, BOB.
THAT'S WHY NOTHING WAS CHANGED.
SO WHAT'S, WHAT'S UP THERE? WHAT'S UP THERE RIGHT NOW IS WHAT WE'RE LOOKING AT.
AND THEN WE'RE GONNA TAKE THAT'S WHAT, THAT'S WHAT WE'RE WORKING FROM.
THAT'S WHAT WE DIDN'T SEE THEM.
I'M NOT, I'M REFERRING TO THE I KNOW.
I, YOU KNOW WHAT I'M REFERRING TO.
I KNOW, BUT, BUT YOU, I CAN'T TALK TO YOU LIKE THIS, BOB.
WE CAN DO THIS OVER HERE BECAUSE WE, WE NEED TO GET THIS, THIS CLEAR THIS.
AND WHEN WAS THIS, UH, CONVERSATION PRIOR TO THE OPENING OF THE PUBLIC HEARING, YOU INTRODUCED TWO NEW LOCAL LAWS, ONE AMENDING THE NOISE ORDINANCE, ONE CREATING A NEW CHAPTER, UH, FOR THE LEAF BLOWERS.
YOU WENT THROUGH THE PROCESS OF DOING THAT BEFORE YOU OPENED THE HEARING.
IF THE LAW HAD ALREADY BEEN INTRODUCED, YOU WOULDN'T HAVE HAD TO DO THAT.
UM, THE, THE ONLY THING THAT WE SAW WAS ON THE WEBSITE.
AND THEN HAVING THE OP, THE HEARING OPENED ON THOSE TWO NEW PUBLIC LAWS THAT NO ONE HAS EVER SEEN.
WHILE THE ONLY THING WE, WHICH WE HAVE SEEN IS EVIDENTLY GONNA BE GONNA BE SUPERSEDED BY WHATEVER IT IS YOU'RE GONNA COME UP WITH.
IT'S THE FACT THAT YOU OPENED, THAT YOU INTRODUCED TWO NEW LOCAL LAWS WITHOUT SHARING.
THAT'S WHAT'S CREATING THE APPEARANCE OF A LACK OF TRANSPARENCY.
AND, AND I RESPECT AND AGREE WITH THE WORK YOU GUYS DID IN WORK SESSION YESTERDAY.
UH, YOU CANNOT KEEP CHANGING THE LAWS WHILE A PUBLIC HEARING, UH, IS, IS ONGOING.
BUT WHAT YOU NEED TO DO IS SEPARATE OUT THE NEW PROPOSAL FROM THE PUBLIC HEARING THAT YOU HAVE.
[02:20:01]
HAD YOU NOT STARTED THE OPEN, THE, THE, THE PUBLIC HEARING TONIGHT BY INTRODUCING THOSE TWO NEW OPEN LOCAL LAWS.WE WOULDN'T HAVE HAD THAT PROBLEM.
YOU WOULD'VE HAD THE SAME ISSUE, BUT I THINK YOU'RE A HUNDRED PERCENT RIGHT.
AND WE APOLOGIZE IF WE DIDN'T FOLLOW THE, UH, THE PROCESS THAT WE SHOULD HAVE AND IT WON'T HAPPEN AGAIN.
AND I, AND YOU KNOW, I LIKE THE PART ABOUT A HUNDRED PERCENT, RIGHT?
WE'LL TAKE THAT SNIPPET OUT OF THE MEETING.
YEAH, LET'S JUST LEAVE IT AT THAT.
JUST, JUST, JUST TO BE CLEAR, WHAT IS POSTED ON THE WEB AND WHEN WE INTRODUCED THE NEW LOCAL LAWS, THAT'S BECAUSE THE TOWN ATTORNEY SAID TO US YESTERDAY, WE HAVEN'T INTRODUCED THE LAWS.
SO WHEN WE SAY THE NEW LOCAL LAWS, THOSE WERE THE LOCAL LAWS THAT WE WERE USING, THE LOCAL LAW THAT WE WERE USING ON THREE, THE NEW LOCAL LAW, I WASN'T BIG FAN OF MAKING A NEW CHAPTER.
AND JUST BECAUSE IT'S, IT GETS A BIG CONVOLUTED HERE.
UM, BUT MAKE A NEW CHAPTER AT 3 74.
WHAT THAT IS, THAT IS, AND STILL IS UP ON THE WEB, AND IT HAS A MAY 4TH TWO, UH, 22 DATE AT THE BOTTOM OF IT.
SO THAT'S WHAT WE DECIDED YESTERDAY, IS WE WERE GOING TO GO BACK TO WHAT WAS AT BEFORE THE PUBLIC THE LAST TIME AT THE PUBLIC HEARING.
THAT DOCUMENT IS UP ON THE WEB, AND IT TALKS ABOUT THE DAYS AND THE HOURS OF WHEN YOU CAN USE THE LEAF BLOWER THAT'S BEING PROPOSED.
WHAT I POINTED OUT WAS THAT WE ALREADY HAVE A LEAF BLOWER PROVISIONS IN OUR CODE, AND THAT'S IN THE NOISE ORDINANCE.
AND SO YOU CAN'T HAVE TWO INCONSISTENT LEAF BLOWER LAWS IN ON THE BOOKS.
AND SO THERE'S ANOTHER LOCAL LAW THAT WE, THAT WAS, UH, DRAFTED, I GUESS, UH, TO TAKE OUT BASICALLY THE EXISTING LEAF LEAFBLOWER LAW SO THAT THIS ONE WILL BE STANDALONE AND NOT HAVE ANY CONFLICT TO IT.
BUT THE ACTUAL PROVISIONS THAT ARE BEFORE US TONIGHT WERE, AS THE TOWN ATTORNEY MENTIONED WITH THE TUESDAY AND THURSDAY, AND THE HOURS THAT HE MENTIONED.
UH, BUT ALL, YOU KNOW, ALL ALL OF THIS IS SUBJECT TO CHANGE.
AND THE FACT THAT THERE AREN'T MANY PEOPLE TONIGHT DOESN'T MEAN THAT WE HAVEN'T GOTTEN A LOT OF COMMENTS.
I MEAN, I, I REMEMBER HAVING A DISCUSSION WITH, UH, SUPREME COURT JUSTICE JUDGE LES ADLER, WHO SAT UP ON THIS BOARD, YOU KNOW, DECADES AGO.
AND I ASKED HIM, WHAT DO YOU REMEMBER MOST ABOUT IT? AND IT WAS LEAF BLOWERS, RIGHT? THEY WERE TRYING TO DEAL WITH THIS, YOU KNOW, 25, 30 YEARS AGO.
AND YOU CAN SEE WHY THERE, THERE WE HAVE VERY DIVERSE COMMUNITY.
SOME PEOPLE HAVE LANDSCAPERS DO THEIR PROPERTY, OTHERS THEY DON'T HAVE A CHOICE, OR THEY JUST, THEY JUST ENJOY DOING IT THEMSELVES.
BUT, AND YOU SAY, WELL, OKAY, UH, LEAF BLOWERS, YOU DON'T HAVE, WELL, IF YOU'RE GONNA CLEAR THE, THE, THE, THE CLIPPINGS OFF OF YOUR DRIVEWAY, YOU CAN'T MOW ON A SATURDAY AND THEN WAIT UNTIL TUESDAY, YOU KNOW, OR YOU KNOW, TO DO IT.
AND SO WE'RE TRYING TO, WE'RE TRYING TO DO SOMETHING.
AND AS I SAID YESTERDAY AT THE WORK SESSION, NO MATTER WHAT WE DO, WE'RE GOING TO MAKE 50% OF THE PEOPLE UNHAPPY AND 50% OF THE PEOPLE SOMEWHAT HAPPY.
SO, YOU KNOW, SO, BUT THERE'S A MOVEMENT TO DO SOMETHING TO SHIFT WHO'S HAPPY AND WHO'S NOT HAPPY.
AND WE'LL DISCUSS IT AT SOME WORK SESSION.
BUT I WANTED TO CLARIFY WHAT'S UP ON THE WEB.
SO I'D LIKE TO MOVE THAT WE, UH, SHOULD WE CONTINUE THE HEARING OR WHY DON'T WE, WHY DON'T WE CLOSE THE HEARING? WHY CLOSE THE HEARING? WE CAN LEAVE THE RECORD OPEN FOR 10 DAYS.
AND THAT'LL GET US TO THAT WORK SESSION THAT'S IN TWO WEEKS.
UH, YOU'RE MAKING THAT MOTION, PAUL.
NOW, UH, CONSIDER ONE YEAR, UH, UH, THOSE ARE BEING HELD OVER.
[ PUBLIC COMMENT Advance signup is required. A continuous five minute limit per speaker will be strictly enforced. The clock will start when a speaker begins speaking and will not be stopped for any reason until the speaker is finished or five minutes has elapsed, whichever occurs first. Interruptions by Town Board members, the Town Clerk or the public will not be permitted. If a speaker insists on an immediate answer, should an answer be provided, it shall be part of the speaker's five minute allocation and not be interrupted. There will not be a second five minute round. Any written comments sent to PublicComment@GreenburghNY.com by 6 PM the day of the hearing will be forwarded to all Town Board members in advance of the meeting for their consideration. Written comments will not be read at the meeting unless the original author is present to do so.]
THAT'S NOW, UH, THE PUBLIC COMMENTS.ANYBODY WANNA SAY ANYTHING? YES.
BOB, DO YOU WANNA COME FIRST? THANK YOU.
UH, SINCE I'M HERE, UH, AND PUBLIC COMMENT IS HAPPENING, AND IT DOESN'T SEEM TO BE A LOT OF PEOPLE HERE, UH, I WANTED TO, UM, ASK WHAT THE STATUS IS OF THE REQUEST THAT I MADE,
[02:25:01]
UM, UH, MORE THAN TWO MONTHS AGO, NEARLY THREE MONTHS AGO, THAT THE TOWN WRITE AN ORDINANCE CREATING A SET ASIDE FOR AFFORDABLE HOUSING FOR SINGLE FAMILY HOMES, UM, FOR NEW DEVELOPMENTS OF SINGLE FAMILY HOMES.UH, WHEN I PROPOSED THAT THREE MONTHS AGO, I SAID, THERE OUGHT TO BE A 20% SET ASIDE.
UH, I DID THAT KNOWING FULL WELL.
THE TOWN HAS, UH, A, A 10% SET ASIDE FOR MULTIFAMILY HOUSING, UM, BUT ZERO SET ASIDE FOR SINGLE FAMILY HOMES.
AND I POINTED OUT THAT, UH, UH, 20% IS AMBITIOUS, BUT CIRCUMSTANCES WARRANTED.
UH, YOU PROUDLY DISCLOSED YESTERDAY THAT THE DEVELOPER OF ELMWOOD IS, UH, PROPOSING, UH, A CLUSTER OF 113 SINGLE FAMILY HOMES.
NOT ONE OF THEM BEING AFFORDABLE.
IF IT WERE 10% SET ASIDE, YOU'D HAVE, YOU KNOW, UH, 13 OR, OR OR OR 11, UH, SINGLE FAMILY HOMES, 20%.
YOU'D HAVE 22 THAT WOULD BE AFFORDABLE, BUT YOU DIDN'T DO ANYTHING.
UM, YOU KNOW, I LISTENED TO YOUR, UH, COMMISSIONER, UH, GARRETT, TALK ABOUT HOW IT'S HARD TO DO IT.
BUT THERE ARE A NUMBER OF THINGS YOU WANNA TAKE INTO ACCOUNT.
YOU WANT THE DEVELOPERS OF HIGH-END PROPERTIES TO BE ABLE TO BUY OUT, AND THEN YOU MIGHT WANT TO HAVE A FUND CREATED TO SUPPORT AFFORDABLE HOUSING, UH, OVERALL FOR THE TOWN.
AND PART OF THE PROCESS, PART OF THE, THE PROGRAM THAT YOU USE TO SET THIS UP, WHITE PLAINS HAS IT, BUT THE TOWN HAS THE OPPORTUNITY TO DO THIS.
NOT ONE OF YOU PUT PEN TO PAPER TO DRAFT ANYTHING.
UM, ANY OF US COULD HAVE DONE IT, BUT YOUR TOWN ATTORNEY DIDN'T DO IT.
UH, AND HE HAS A STAFF THAT GETS PAID TO DO THESE THINGS.
GARRETT COULD DO IT, BUT HE'S NOT AN ATTORNEY.
BUT THIS IS SOMETHING YOU COULD HAVE DONE AND YOU STILL CAN DO.
YOU COULD DO IT TONIGHT, YOU COULD DO IT TOMORROW.
IT DOESN'T TAKE THAT LONG TO WRITE.
BUT IT DOES, IT WOULD ADDRESS A CRITICAL NEED.
IT WOULD CREATE SWEEPING CHANGE.
IT WOULD BE SOMETHING THAT WOULD DEMONSTRATE LEADERSHIP IN AN AREA WHERE THE REGION NEEDS LEADERSHIP AT THE LOCAL LEVEL.
YOU HAVE THIS OPPORTUNITY AND YOU SQUANDERED IT.
NOW, MAYBE IT'S IN THE OFFING, MAYBE IT'S COMING.
I HEAR THE PLANNING BOARD IS, UH, HAS, HAS HIGH HOPES FOR DOING SOMETHING OR MAKING A RECOMMENDATION, BUT IT SHOULD ORIGINATE WITH YOU.
YOU CAN WRITE THIS AS A PROPOSED LAW RIGHT AWAY TO CREATE A SET ASIDE FOR AFFORDABLE HOUSING.
IT'S GOVERNED BY HUD REGS, A SET ASIDE FOR AFFORDABLE HOUSING FOR SINGLE FAMILY DEVELOPMENTS.
AND YOU CAN SPECIFY THE MINIMUM NUMBER OF UNITS PER DEVELOPMENT, WHETHER THE ORDINANCE WOULD KICK IN, BUT IT SHOULD BE DONE.
THE REASON IT'S NOT DONE, AND THE REASON IT HASN'T BEEN DONE, IS TAKE A LESSON FROM JORDAN COPELAND.
IT'S SYSTEMIC RACISM TO, TO LEAVE OUT SINGLE FAMILY HOMES FROM ANY MANDATE ON AFFORDABLE HOUSING IS A PRESUMPTION THAT SINGLE FAMILY HOME OWNERSHIP IS RESERVED ONLY FOR THE WEALTHY.
AND THAT DOESN'T NEED TO BE THE CASE BECAUSE THERE ARE PEOPLE AT DIFFERENT, UH, RUNGS OF THE ECONOMIC LADDER WHO COULD DESERVE THE RIGHT TO HAVE A SINGLE FAMILY HOME, NOT BE RELEGATED TO MULTI-FAMILY HOUSING.
AND, AND THAT SHOULD BE THE POLICY OF EVERY LOCAL GOVERNMENT, IN PARTICULARLY IN A REGION AS IMPACTED BY THE SCARCITY OF AFFORDABLE HOUSING AS THIS ONE.
AND YET NONE OF YOU DID IT, BUT YOU STILL CAN.
AND I URGE YOU TO DO IT BECAUSE THE TOP, THIS IS SOMETHING THAT REALLY WOULD IMPACT PEOPLE'S LIVES AND, AND SEND A MESSAGE.
WE'RE TALKING ABOUT WHAT YOU CAN YOU DO NOW TO ADDRESS SYSTEMIC RACISM.
THAT'S SOMETHING YOU CAN DO AND YOU SHOULD DO.
AND I SUGGEST THAT YOU DO IT IMMEDIATELY.
I, I, UH, SUPPORT, UH, A SET ASIDE FOR SINGLE FAMILY HOMES.
YOU KNOW, I'VE, I'VE SPOKEN TO GARRETT, YOU KNOW, I'D LIKE TO SEE THE TOWN BOARD, UM, AND ENACT LEGISLATION THAT WOULD CREATE A, UH, AFFORDABLE HOUSING FOR SINGLE, YOU KNOW, FAMILY HOMES, JUST LIKE WE'VE DONE FOR MULTI-FAMILY HOMES.
ONE OF THE FIRST ACTS I TOOK AS
[02:30:01]
TOWN SUPERVISOR WHEN I, I FIRST GOT IN, I THINK GREENBURG WAS THE FIRST TOWN IN THE STATE TO HAVE, UM, A SET ASIDE FOR MULTI-FAMILY HOUSING.AND I THINK WE SHOULD, I, IT REALLY WOULD MAKE, YOU KNOW, SENSE TO, UH, UM, TO REQUIRE A CERTAIN AMOUNT OF AFFORDABILITY.
AND, UM, YOU KNOW, WITH SINGLE FAMILIES.
NOW, I THINK THAT, YOU KNOW, IF WE'RE GONNA DO THE SINGLE FAMILY AT THIS POINT, YOU KNOW, I'D RECOMMEND THAT, YOU KNOW, WE EITHER GO WITH THE 10% OR, UH, WHITE YONKERS DID.
UM, YOU KNOW, I COULD, BECAUSE I FEEL THAT IF YOU GO MUCH HIGHER, UH, THE DEVELOPERS ARE JUST NOT GONNA, THEY'RE JUST NOT GONNA DO, YOU KNOW, DO ANYTHING.
AND IF YOU MAKE IT LIKE MANAGEABLE, I THINK WE PROBABLY COULD GET, YOU KNOW, GET SOME, UH, YOU KNOW, HOME OWNERSHIP, WHICH I THINK WOULD BE REALLY, THAT'S AFFORDABLE, WHICH I THINK WOULD BE REALLY FANTASTIC.
SO I DEFINITELY, YOU KNOW, AM VERY, VERY ENTHUSIASTIC ABOUT THE, THE PROPOSAL MS. WEEMS EVENING, EVERYONE HATE IS A CONTAGIOUS DISEASE THAT IS SPREADING LIKE A PLAGUE IN THE UNITED STATES.
THE ACTIONS FROM DISCRIMINATORY PRACTICES ARE DICTATING A RESPONSE.
AND THE NRA SAY, IT SAYS THAT GUNS DON'T KILL, AND THEY ARE CORRECT.
I WAS A FOUNDER AND THE CAPTAIN OF THE WOMEN'S RIFLE TEAM AT VIRGINIA STATE COLLEGE, AND I KNOW WHAT KILLS WORDS.
WORDS BECOME ACTION AND THEY WILL START A WAR.
ENSLAVEMENT IS A WORD THAT PEOPLE DON'T LIKE TO USE, BUT WHAT IS SEX TRAFFICKING? WHAT IS SEPARATING CHILDREN FROM THEIR PARENTS AT THE UNITED STATES, MEXICO BORDER BY AN EDICT OF THE FORMER PRESIDENT TRUMP, AND THEN REPRESENTATIVE DI DIANE FEINSTEIN OR NATIONAL AND INTERNATIONAL MEDIA STATES CATEGORICALLY THAT AMERICA DOES NOT DO THESE ATROCITIES SUCH AS SIS NO ONE CONTRADICTED HER.
SO WHAT MESSAGES ARE WE SENDING TO THE WORLD? WHAT WE SAY IN THE UNITED STATES IS GLOBAL.
THE UKRAINIAN SOLDIERS TOLD PEOPLE OF COLOR TO GET OFF THE TRAIN, GET OUT OF LINE, AND GO TO THE REAR.
AND THE PRESIDENT OF THAT COUNTRY APOLOGIZED.
AND DO YOU REALLY THINK THAT WAS SUFFICIENT? THE AMERICAN UKRAINIANS, UM, GAVE PRESENTATIONS AT TOWN HALL REQUESTING AMERICAN FINANCIAL AID, AND THEY GOT WHAT THEY REQUESTED.
THEY ALSO HAVE THE UKRAINIAN FLAG FLYING NEXT TO THE AMERICAN FLAG AT THE SAME HEIGHT IN THE UNITED STATES.
AMERICAN CITIZENS, BLACK ONES ESPECIALLY, TAKE A KNEE AND BOW AT THE AMERICAN FLAG, A FLAG THAT WHICH DISCRIMINATES AGAINST BLACK PEOPLE.
AND A LOT OF THEM, THE ATHLETES LOST THEIR JOBS AND RAISES CEN LOST DEALS FOR ADVERTISING, ATTEMPTING TO BRING ATTENTION TO DOUBLE STANDARDS.
AND WHAT DOES THE TOWN OF GREENBURG DO? YOU RAISE THE UKRAINIAN FLAG.
AND WHAT MESSAGE DO YOU THINK THAT SENT? WHAT MESSAGE DID PRESIDENT BIDEN SEND? BLACK PEOPLE DON'T COUNT WORLDWIDE.
EVERYBODY, THE WHOLE TOWN COUNCIL, YOU WERE CLAPPING AND YOU WERE MAKING STATEMENTS, YOU KNOW, LIKE, THIS IS WONDERFUL.
WELL, HOW WONDERFUL DO YOU THINK WE FELT? YOU KNOW, THINK ABOUT IT.
WE GET OUT HERE FIGHTING FOR EQUALITY, NOT EVEN EQUALITY EQUITY.
I DON'T WANNA BE EQUAL WITH EVERYBODY.
YOU HAVE RENT CONTROL FOR WHITE PEOPLE AND BLACK PEOPLE ARE PAYING HIGH $2,000 A MONTH RENT.
EVERY TIME THEY GET A RAISE, THE RENT GOES UP, THEY GET NO AMENITIES.
AND, UM, THE WORD SECOND CLASS CITIZEN, I REFUSE TO BE ONE.
AND YOU ARE MAKING ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS, CITIZENS, HOW THEY'RE
[02:35:01]
LIVING IN MY NEIGHBORHOOD BECAUSE IT'S BEING RED LINED, THEY CAN'T VOTE.AMERICAN CITIZENS ARE LIVING WHERE IN THE STREETS AND IN SHELTERS CAN'T VOTE BECAUSE THEY DON'T HAVE AN ADDRESS.
AND IT'S, AND INCLUDING EDUCATION.
THE CHILDREN WHO ARE HERE ILLEGALLY GET A GOOD EDUCATION.
AND I WANT THEM TO HAVE ONE BECAUSE THEY HAVE TO RETURN TO THEIR COUNTRIES AND BEGIN TO FIGHT TO CHANGE, CHANGE REGULATIONS AND RULES THERE.
IT'S NOT GONNA HAPPEN IF WE CONTINUE AS WE ARE GOING.
AND WHAT REALLY BOTHERED ME IS THAT TO HAVE JORDAN, UM, COPELAND HERE, WE HAD TO WRITE LETTERS.
THEY STARTED AT SEVEN 30, BUT THAT MEANT THAT PEOPLE COULDN'T GET OFF FROM WORK AND GET TO THEIR TELEVISIONS.
DOUBLE STANDARD MEANS, ALRIGHT, NOW, WHO'S, WHO'S NEXT? DO WE HAVE ANY OTHER SPEAKERS? NO, I DON'T BELIEVE THAT, BUT I, I I WILL ACCEPT IT.
WE HAVE HOUSE AM SAMS S HELLO? HELLO.
I LOST ONE SESSION YESTERDAY AND I WAS TRUTH ABOUT SOMETHING THAT WENT ON TOWARDS THE ETHIC REGARDING THE INTERN PROGRAM WHERE MS.
AND MS. HENDRICKS SAID, SHADOWING MARINE THREAT, LET THEM BE PAID, LET THEM TAKE THE BUS.
SO I WAS CURIOUS WHY WE DON'T HAVE TRANSPORTATION FOR THE INTERNS TO GO PLACES THAT PROBABLY SEND THEM.
AND WHAT I DID WAS I
UH, MR. LEWIS, WHO I, MR. LEWIS, TIM LEWIS, TELL AN ATTORNEY, UH, I TRIED INFORMATION FIVE TIMES A DAY, ATTORNEY ON THE CAUSE.
SO I'M GOING TO ASK YOU THE QUESTION.
WHAT I UNDERSTAND HAPPENED IS THAT THE TOWN WAS
AND I'M WONDERING WHY ONE IN THE TOWN MORE HAS EVER MENTIONED THIS PUBLICLY, THAT SINCE OCTOBER, 2021, THE BUSES AT THE COMMUNITY CENTER ARE NOT ALLOWED TO BE USED.
SO MR. LEWIS, WOULD YOU PLEASE EXPLAIN TO ME AND THE PUBLIC WHY THIS WAS SO, YES, I WANT YOU TO EXHAUST YOUR PLEASE EXHAUST YOUR TIME.
MR. UH, MR. SAMS, I HAVE THREE MINUTES SHOWING LEFT.
YEAH, I JUST WANT YOU TO GET ALL YOUR QUESTIONS OUT AND THEN I'LL RESPOND.
THAT WAS MY, THAT WAS MY QUESTION MR. LEWIS.
YES, THE BUSES, UM, HAVE BEEN SUSPENDED.
MY UNDERSTANDING IS THEY'LL BE BACK IN OPERATION IN AUGUST AND THE BUSES WERE SUSPENDED BECAUSE CERTAIN MEDICAL INFORMATION WAS SUPPOSED TO BE PROVIDED TO THE DEPARTMENT OF MOTOR VEHICLES DURING, UH, THE C OVID 19 PANDEMIC.
AND THAT INFORMATION WASN'T PROVIDED BECAUSE WE DIDN'T HAVE ACCESS TO SOME OF THE DRIVERS.
SO THAT'S REALLY THE ANSWER TO YOUR QUESTION.
IT WASN'T A COURT CASE, IT WAS A D M V PROCEEDING THAT LED TO THAT SUSPENSION.
MY QUESTION WAS FURTHER THAT THIS IS WHY I DIDN'T WANT, WHY DIDN'T WANT INFORMED.
NO, THIS IS WHY, THIS IS WHY I DIDN'T WANT TO HAPPEN.
SO I ASKED THE QUESTION AS TO THOSE, AND YOU CAN ANSWER, WHY WASN'T THE PUBLIC TOLD THIS FROM OCTOBER, 2021? AND IF YOU WANT, LOOK BY YOUR RULES, I SUGGEST AT THE TIME
SO MR. YOU NEVER REMAIN SILENT AND NOT
[02:40:01]
TELL YOU WHY THIS WAS NEVER REVEALED TO THE PUBLIC.DO YOU HAVE ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? ARE WE TRAINING MARKS HERE? I'M ASKING YOU TO ANSWER MY QUESTION.
ADD YOU UP WITH THE OTHER ISSUES, SOME OF WHICH ARE COMING INTO LAB AND NOW WE HAVE THE TOWN
THE TOWN BOARD ALSO BEING RESPONSIBLE FOR NOT LETTING THIS INFORMATION OUT TO THE PUBLIC.
SO ALL THE MEETING CAN LOOK VERY SILENTLY AT, AT THE BOARD.
AND WE WILL WA IT OUT FOR YOUR RESPONSE.
WHY HASN'T THAT INFORMATION BEEN REVEALED TO THE PUBLIC? THIS ALSO AFFECTED THE SENIORS PROGRAM AT THE THEATER YOUNG CENTER.
AND APPARENTLY IT WILL HAVE AN IMPACT UPON THE INTERNS WHO WILL NOT BE ABLE TO USE IT.
AND ALTERNATIVELY, WHAT
SO, MR. SIMMONS, IN RESPONSE TO YOUR LAST QUESTION, I JUST WANT YOU TO KNOW THAT I HAVE, UM, BEEN SPENDING SEVERAL HOURS, I'VE SPENT SEVERAL HOURS TODAY LOOKING AT, INTO BUS COMPANIES, UM, AND I WILL BE PRESENTING A PROPOSAL TO THE TOWN BOARD.
THANK YOU FOR ASKING THOSE QUESTIONS.
OKAY, WHO'S NEXT? ALRIGHT, WELL, LEMME JUST LET, LEMME JUST ADDRESS THIS.
OBVIOUSLY THE PEOPLE THAT WERE USING THE BUSES AREN'T USING THE BUSES.
SO THIS, THIS WAS NOT KEPT A SECRET BECAUSE WE HAD TO TELL THE PEOPLE THAT WERE USING THE BUSES OR EXPECTED TO USE THE BUSES, THAT THOSE BUSES WERE NOT AVAILABLE.
SO AS FAR AS I KNOW THAT THIS WAS NOT KEPT SECRET TO ANYBODY BECAUSE WE TRANSPORT QUITE A FEW PEOPLE AND THEY HAD TO KNOW THAT THERE'S NO BUS FOR THEM TO GET ON.
AND WE, WE HAD TO TELL THEM, AND IT'S MY UNDERSTANDING, EVEN THOUGH I'M NOT DIRECTLY INVOLVED IN THIS, UH, THAT THAT'S WHAT HAPPENED BECAUSE THEY KNEW NOT TO GET ON A BUS THAT WASN'T THERE.
UH, MICHELLE BROWN IS WANTS TO SPEAK.
UM, I DON'T THINK HE'S ASKING ABOUT THE PEOPLE THAT COULDN'T GO US.
I THINK HE ASKED THE TAXPAYERS WHO INVEST IN THE COMMUNITY CENTER WHY THEIR MONEY WASN'T GOING TOWARDS THE BUS.
THEY THOUGHT THEY WERE PAYING FOR THIS FISCAL YEAR OR NOT MAKING FISCAL YEAR.
I MEAN, NOBODY TOLD REFUND FOR THAT.
YOU KNOW, WHEN YOU PAY ANY, YOUR TAXES AND IT'S ALLOCATED THROUGHOUT THE COMMUNITY, YOU'RE MONEY BEING MARRIED IN A DIFFERENT WAY.
THE TOWN NEEDS TO KNOW THAT NOT THAT PEOPLE ARE NOT GETTING SERVICES BECAUSE WE KNOW BLACK PEOPLE IN GREENBURG ARE NOT GETTING SERVICES AND YOU DON'T TELL THEM THE ARE WE'RE TALKING ABOUT THE WHOLE COMMUNITY THAT PAY TOWARD THOSE BUSES TO KNOWN THAT THOSE BUSES WERE UN OPERATIONAL.
UM, I LISTENED TO THE REASON HE DONE AND I'M GLAD THAT WE WERE ABLE TO HAVE THIS, UM, DISCUSSION TONIGHT.
UM, I HOPE A LOT OF PEOPLE LEARN FROM THAT, BUT IT WASN'T REASON TO GETTING THAT DONE.
YOU KNOW, I MEAN, WE HAD TO NEGOTIATE.
WE, YOU KNOW, UM, PEOPLE, PEOPLE IN THE COMMUNITY THAT, UM, THAT LIVE THERE AND NEGOTIATE TO HAVE THE TRUTH BE TOLD.
SO I GUESS WHAT I'M SAYING IS I HOPE THAT WE CAN FIND A WAY TO WORK TOGETHER BECAUSE WHAT'S HAPPENING IS PEOPLE ARE BEING ALIENATED AND THAT MEANS ISOLATION.
AND NOBODY DRIVES IN THAT KIND OF ENVIRONMENT.
AND AT THE END OF THE DAY, UNTIL SOMEONE CHANGES, NOTHING CHANGED.
AND IT DOESN'T MATTER WHAT YOUR NEIGHBOR IS DOING BECAUSE THAT'S THE PROBLEM.
SOMEBODY HAS TO STEP OUT AND BE WILLING TO DO THE RIGHT THING FOR THE RIGHT REASONS, FOR PERIOD FREE HEALING.
[02:45:01]
IT CAN'T EVEN, BECAUSEANYWAY, WHAT DOESN'T MATTER IF THEY'RE ASKING FOR 20%, THAT'S A NEGOTIATING TOOL.
YOU CAN ASK FOR 20% FROM ANYBODY WHO WALKS IN.
THERE'S NOTHING BEYOND LAW AND YOU CAN BE NEGOTIATING FROM THERE.
WHY ARE YOU AFRAID OF ECONOMIC, UM, UNDERDEVELOPMENT.
WHY ARE YOU AFRAID OF THAT, PAUL? IT NOT HELPING BLACK PEOPLE.
YOUR FEAR OF HELPING BLACK PEOPLE.
IT'S BETTER TO SAY, LET'S DO SOMETHING AS
HOW ABOUT WE TRY THAT? WHERE YOUR 20% ON NEW DEVELOPMENT, WHY DON'T YOU PROPOSE SOMETHING LIKE THAT INSTEAD OF JUST SAYING 12? BECAUSE DOES THAT YOU ARE NOT YOUNGER.
YOU GOT A LOT OF PROBLEMS RIGHT HERE, PERIOD.
NOW, IF SOMEONE GIVES ME PHONE, I DON'T UNDERSTAND, BUT I KIND OF YOU HOW YOU DON'T GET BACK TO THEM.
YOU HAVE PEOPLE HERE GOING WORK WITH YOU TO MAKE THE SITUATION BETTER AND YOU ANSWER THEM, IGNORE THEM.
AND WE NEED TO LOOK LIKE THEY'RE THE ONES THAT DON'T WANNA BE A PART OF THE SOLUTION.
BUT THAT'S THE PERPETRATOR OF LIE I'VE BEEN TOLD ON EDGEMONT.
AND PAUL, REGARDLESS OF WHO THE BOARD IS, YOU ARE THE SUPERVISOR FOR A REASON.
YOU HAVE TO MAKE SOME DECISIONS AND RALLY PEOPLE AROUND YOU TO GET IT DONE.
AND IT'S NOT ABOUT, UM, WHAT OTHER PEOPLE IN DO, IT'S ABOUT WHAT THE COMMUNITY MEMBERS ASKING YOU FOR.
AND JUST, GINA, YOU KNOW, I REALLY DON'T UNDERSTAND YOU BECAUSE DURING THIS PRESENTATION, PRIOR TO THIS, YOU SAT ON BED TONIGHT, LIKE, WAS EVERYBODY HERE AND BLAH, BLAH BLAH AND BLAH, BLAH, BLAH.
BUT YOU WERE ONE SAYING YOU DIDN'T WANT IT TO HAPPEN ON A CERTAIN DAY, YOU PUSHED BACK.
SO STOP TRYING TO PERPETRATE LIKE YOU'RE SITTING THERE AND YOU'RE FOR YOUR PEOPLE BECAUSE NOT I SEE YOU.
SOME LOT OF PEOPLE YOU PUSHED BACK ON THIS EXPERIENCE.
THAT I I JUST WANNA SAY IN TERMS OF THE, YOU KNOW, SET ASIDE THE, THE REASON WHY I THINK WE SHOULD STICK WITH SAY 10% OR 12% MAXIMUM IS I FEEL THAT IF WE HAD A 20%, UM, REQUIREMENT THAT NO DEVELOPER WOULD BUILD ANYTHING.
SO IT WOULD TURN OUT THAT WE WOULD HAVE SOMETHING ON THE BOOKS THAT SOUNDS GOOD.
BUT BASICALLY THERE'D BE LESS AFFORDABLE, UM, HOUSING THAT ACTUALLY WOULD BE BUILT.
AND MY GOAL AS TOWN SUPERVISOR IS, UH, TO GET HOUSING BUILT, AFFORDABLE HOUSING BUILT TO GET SOMETHING ACCOMPLISHED.
NOT TO JUST GO THROUGH THE MOTIONS AND MAKE PEOPLE THINK WE'RE GETTING SOMETHING, YOU KNOW, DONE AND, AND, AND NOT SEE PROGRESS.
YOU KNOW, IF, AGAIN, IF, UM, YOU'RE PROPOSING SOMETHING THAT'S NEW AND A CHANGE IN APPROACH, UM, WE HAVE TO, YOU KNOW, AND WE, YOU KNOW, LET'S SAY WITH THE ELMWOOD, IF WE HAD A 10% REQUIREMENT AND THERE'S 113 UNITS OF HOUSING, YOU KNOW, THAT'S REAL AFFORDABLE, UH, OWNERSHIP, WHICH WOULD BE FANTASTIC.
THE, THERE'S OTHER, UM, YOU KNOW, PROPERTIES THAT ARE GONNA BE DEVELOPED, YOU KNOW, IN THE FU IN THE FUTURE.
I THINK WE COULD REALLY MAKE SOMETHING HAPPEN.
AND YOU KNOW, WE, AFTER MR. BERNSTEIN, YOU KNOW, MADE, UM, UM, HIS PROPOSAL A COUPLE WEEKS, YOU KNOW, A COUPLE MONTHS AGO OR WHATEVER, I DID, UH, SPEAK TO GARRETT AND I SAID, YOU KNOW, THIS IS SOMETHING THAT I REALLY, UM, WOULD LIKE TO SEE, UH, HAPPEN.
YOU KNOW, HE IS GOING TO, HE IS GONNA WORK ON, UM, YOU KNOW, THE, YOU, UH, DEVELOPING A LOCAL LAW AND YOU KNOW, I THINK THERE SHOULD BE A, A GOAL OF OF, YOU KNOW, THE TOWN, OF THE TOWN BOARD AND IT REALLY SHOULD BE DONE RIGHT, YOU KNOW, CORRECTLY.
UM, YOU KNOW, AGAIN, YOU KNOW, I THINK YOU CAME UP WITH A, A GOOD CONCEPT THAT WE SHOULD FOLLOW UP ON AND WE WILL.
PAUL, I WOULD JUST LIKE TO THANK, UH,
[02:50:01]
TWO OF OUR UH, SPEAKERS THIS EVENING.UM, MICHELLE BROWN, UH, SHE UH, WORKED VERY HARD FOR SEVERAL WEEKS TO BRING JORDAN COPELAND HERE, UH, AS A PRESENTER.
AND, UM, SHE SHOULD BE ACKNOWLEDGED FOR THE HARD WORK, THE PERSISTENCE AND THE DETERMINATION THAT IT TOOK TO BRING THAT GENTLEMAN HERE AS A GUEST SPEAKER.
I ALSO WANT TO THANK HOUSE SAMAMI FOR RAISING THE QUESTIONS ABOUT TRANSPORTATION FOR OUR, OUR SUMMER INTERNS.
THESE ARE CHILDREN FROM THROUGHOUT THE TOWN, UH, HIGH SCHOOL AND COLLEGE STUDENTS FROM EVERY VILLAGE AND VARIOUS PARTS OF UNINCORPORATED GREENBURG.
WE OWE IT TO THEM FOR SAFE TRANSPORTATION AND JUST SUGGESTING THAT THEY SHOULD GET ON COUNTY BUSES BECAUSE THE BUSES ARE FREE.
UM, IS LUDICROUS TRYING TO TRANSPORT 30 YOUNG PEOPLE ON A COUNTY BUS TO GO TO VARIOUS PLACES THAT WE TAKE THEM AS PART OF THE SUMMER INTERNSHIP PROGRAM.
FIRST OF ALL, IT IS NOT SAFE TO HAVE 30 YOUNG PEOPLE STANDING ON THE STREET CORNERS WAITING TO GET ON A BUS AND GETTING OFF OF A BUS.
AND I AM JUST APPALLED BY SUCH A SUGGESTION.
SO THANK YOU HAL, FOR YOUR QUESTIONS.
AND I AM DETERMINED TO LOOK FOR AN ALTERNATIVE SOURCE, UH, UH, A BUS COMPANY THAT HOPEFULLY IS REASONABLE TO PROVIDE SAFE TRANSPORTATION TO THE CHILDREN SO THAT THEIR PARENTS CAN FEEL COMFORTABLE IN KNOWING THAT THEIR CHILDREN WILL BE SAFELY TRANSPORTED THROUGHOUT THIS INTERNSHIP PROGRAM.
ALRIGHT, PAUL, I DON'T THINK THERE ARE ANY OTHER SPEAKERS AND MAYBE WE CAN MOVE
[ TB 1 - 5/25/2022 Resolution adopting a Local Law amending Chapter 440, "Taxation," of the Code of the Town of Greenburgh, pursuant to NY State Constitution Article IX, and NY Municipal Home Rule Law § 10, which shall be known as the "Veterans Alternative and Cold War Veterans Exemptions Amendments."]
EACH OTHER.SO NEXT, UH, TB, UH, ONE ADOPTING A LOCAL LAW AMENDING CHAPTER FOUR 40 TAXATION OF THE CODE OF THE TOWN OF GREENBURG PURSUANT TO NEW YORK STATE CONSTITUTION, UM, WHICH SHALL BE KNOWN AS VETERANS ALTERNATIVE AND CALLED WAR VETERANS EXEMPTION AMENDMENTS.
[ AT 1 - 5/25/2022 Resolution approving the retention of Thomas J. Troetti, Esq., to represent Greenburgh Police Officer Robert Francis in the matter of Luis Padilla v. Greenburgh Police Department and Town of Greenburgh, for an amount not to exceed $25,000]
RESOLUTION APPRO THE RETENTION OF THOMAS FRIDAY TO REPRESENT GREENBURG POLICE OFFICER ROBERT FRANCIS IN THE AMOUNT OF, UH, LU DILLA VERSUS GREENBURG POLICE DEPARTMENT IN TOWN OF GREENBURG FOR AN AMOUNT NOT TO EXCEED 25,000.I'D LIKE TO MOVE THAT SECOND IN FAVOR.
[ AT 2 - 5/25/2022 Resolution authorizing tax certiorari settlement with petitioner 60-104 Owners Corp. for property located at 60-104 Pinewood Rd. The Town’s share of the refund is $51,141±; the County’s share is $28,505±; the Bronx Valley Sewer District’s share is $3,832±; the Greenburgh Central School District’s share is $134,985±; the Hartsdale Fire District’s share is $47,118±. The Consolidated Sewer Mtc. District’s share is $1,867±. Refunds from all sources total $267,448±]
RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING TAX ARY SETTLEMENT WITH PETITIONER 61 0 4 OWNER'S COURT FOR PROPERTY LOCATED AT 61 0 4 PINEWOOD ROAD REFUNDS FROM WALL SOURCES TOTAL 2 67 4 4 8.[ AT 3 - 5/25/2022 Resolution authorizing tax certiorari settlement with petitioner Central 183 LLC for property located at Hillcrest View. The Town’s share of the refund is $19,689±; the County’s share is $10,845±; the Bronx Valley Sewer District’s share is $1,460±; the Greenburgh Central School District’s share is $51,739±; the Hartsdale Fire District’s share is $18,054±. The Consolidated Sewer Mtc. District’s share is $739±. Refunds from all sources total $102,524±]
ON FAVOR, AYE AYE.RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING TAX, ARY SETTLEMENT WITH PETITIONER CENTRAL, UM, 180 3 L L C FOR PROPERTY LOCATED AT HILLCREST VIEW, UH, UH, TOTAL AMOUNTS 1 0 2 5 2 4.
[ AT 4 - 5/25/2022 Resolution authorizing tax certiorari settlement with petitioner Dorac Petroleum Corp. for property located at 25 East Hartsdale Avenue. The Town’s share of the refund is $968±; the County’s share is $556±; the Bronx Valley Sewer District’s share is $74±; the Greenburgh Central School District’s share is $2,534±; the Hartsdale Fire District’s share is $896±. The Consolidated Sewer Mtc. District’s share is $33±. Refunds from all sources total $5,060±.]
AYE.RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING TAX
[ CL 1 - 5/25/2022 Resolution authorizing street closing of East Hartsdale Avenue between Central Avenue and Fenimore Road, Monday, May 30, 2022, from 9:00 AM until 11:00 AM, for the Hartsdale Fire Department to hold a Memorial Day Parade]
AYE.RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING STREET CLOSINGS OF EAST HARTSDALE AVENUE BETWEEN CENTRAL AVENUE AND FENNEMORE ROAD, UM, FOR THE HARTSDALE FIRE DEPARTMENT ON MEMORIAL DAY, UH, PARADE, UM, FROM 9:00 AM UNTIL 11:00 AM I'D LIKE TO MOVE THAT SECOND.
UM, RESOLUTION, UH, UH, I WOULD LIKE TO, UH, CONGRATULATE, UH, FRANCIS, YOUR, UH, SON ON BEING NAMED THE CAPTAIN.
THE FIRE DEPARTMENT, UM, OH, CONGRATULATIONS.
AND IN, UH, IN SCARSDALE, SO CONGRATULATIONS.
NOT IN THE TOWN OF GREENBURG, RIGHT? WELL, HE CAN MAKE SURE THAT DURING THE FIRE THE PARADE
[ CL 2 - 5/25/2022 Resolution scheduling a Public Hearing for 7:30PM, Wednesday, June 8, 2022, to consider an Amended Site Plan application by Scarsdale Golf Club, which is located at 1 Club Way (P.O. Hartsdale, NY)]
WE'RE VERY PROUD OF THE CEREMONY WAS TODAY GREAT.UH, RESOLUTION, SCHEDULING A PUBLIC HEARING FOR SEVEN 30, UH, PM WEDNESDAY, JUNE 8TH TO CONSIDER AN AMENDED SITE PLAN APPLICATION, UH, BY SCARSDALE GOLF CLUB, WHICH IS LOCATED AT ONE CLUB WAY.
I'D LIKE TO MOVE THAT SECOND IN FAVOR, AYE.
[ CD 1 - 5/25/2022 Resolution declaring the intention of the Town Board of the Town of Greenburgh to be Lead Agency for the Amended Site Plan and related applications of Midway Shopping Center, LP, and referring the Amended Site Plan Application to the Planning Board for review and recommendation]
AYE.RESOLUTION DECLARING THE INTENTION OF THE TOWN BOARD OF THE TOWN OF GREENBURG TO BE LEAD AGENCY FOR THE AMENDED SITE PLAN AND RELATED APPLICATIONS OF MIDWAY SHOPPING CENTER AND REFERRING THE AMENDED SITE PLAN APPLICATION TO THE PLANNING BOARD, UH, FOR REVIEW AND RECOMMENDATION.
WOULD LIKE TO MOVE A SECOND? ALL IN FAVOR? AYE.
[ CD 2 - 5/25/2022 Resolution of the Town Board of the Town of Greenburgh approving a professional planning/engineering consultant to perform grant support related services in connection with a Hazard Mitigation Grant Program associated with flood mitigation strategies in the Hartsdale Four Corners and East Hartsdale Avenue portions of the Town]
AYE.RESOLUTION OF THE TOWN BOARD OF THE TOWN OF GREENBURG APPROVING A PROFESSIONAL PLANNING ENGINEERING CONSULTANT TO PERFORM GRANT, UM, SUPPORT RELATED SERVICES IN CONNECTION WITH THE HAZARD MITIGATION GRANT PROGRAM ASSOCIATED WITH FLOOD MITIGATION STRATEGIES IN THE HARSDALE FOUR CORNERS AND EAST HARSDALE AVENUE PORTIONS OF THE TOWN.
[02:55:02]
IN FAVOR, AYE.[ CD 3 - 5/25/2022 Resolution approving Change Orders in connection with the Odell House-Rochambeau Headquarters Shoring Project, for an amount not to exceed $36,754.88]
AYE.RESOLUTION APPROVING CHANGE ORDERS IN CONNECTION WITH ODELL HOUSE, UH, MBO, UM, HEADQUARTERS SHOWING PROJECT FOR AN AMOUNT NOT TO EXCEED 36,000 7 5 4 AND 88 CENTS.
I'D LIKE TO MOVE THAT SECOND ON FAVOR, AYE.
[ CR 1 - 5/25/2022 Resolution authorizing the purchase of T-Shirts to the lowest bidder, Express Press, for the Theodore D. Young Community Center Summer Camp, Senior Program, Maintenance, and Transportation, at a total cost of $4,101.88]
AYE.AUTHOR, THE PURCHASE OF T-SHIRTS TO THE LOWEST BIDDER EXPRESS PRESS AFTER THE DATA, YOUNG COMMUNITY CENTER, UH, SENIOR PROGRAM MAINTENANCE AND TRANSPORTATION FOR AN AMOUNT NOT TO EXCEED 4,000 1 0 180 8.
I'D LIKE TO MOVE THAT SECOND IN FAVOR, AYE.
[ LB 1 – 5/25/2022 Resolution approving a Professional Services Agreement for Architectural Services for the Rehabilitation of the Greenburgh Public Library Front Entrance Vestibule and Inclusion of an Addition for the New Book Vending Room to Fuller and D’Angelo P.C., for an amount not to exceed $35,950, and allowances of up to $14,100 for Contracting Services in support of the design]
OF APPROVING A PROFESSIONAL SERVICES AGREEMENT FOR ARCHITECTURAL SERVICES FOR THE REHABILITATION OF THE GREENBURG LIBRARY FRONT ENTRANCE FESTIVAL FOR AN AMOUNT NOT TO EXCEED 35,950 IN ALLOWANCES OF UP TO 14,100 FOR CONTRACTING SERVICES IN SUPPORT OF THE DESIGN.I'D LIKE TO MOVE THAT SECOND ON FAVOR, AYE
[ PR 1 - 5/25/2022 Resolution accepting a $1,678.79 donation from the Multipurpose Matinee Club, represented by Doris Pollowitz, to assist the Department of Parks and Recreation in beginning a New Program to Take Seniors to Broadway Plays]
AYE.RESOLUTION ACCEPTING $1,678 AND 79 CENTS DONATION FROM THE MULTIPURPOSE MATINEE CLUB REPRESENTED BY DORIS POLLITZ TO ASSIST THE, UH, PARKS, UM, DEPARTMENT, UM, IN BEGINNING A NEW PROGRAM TO TAKE SENIORS TO BROADWAY PLAYS.
[ PH 1 - 5/25/2022 Resolution of the Town Board of the Town of Greenburgh (1) Supporting the submission of a Hazard Mitigation Grant Program (HMGP) Project sub application related to Flood Mitigation of the Manhattan Park Brook Stream Resoration in the Town of Greenburgh; and (2) Committing to meet the local matching funds requirements of 10% for this project]
AYE AYE.RESOLUTION OF THE TOWN BOARD OF THE TOWN OF GREENBURG SUPPORTING THE SUBMISSION OF A HAZARD MITIGATION GRANT PROPO PROJECT SUB APPLICATION RELATED TO FLOOD MITIGATION OF MANHATTAN PARK BROOK STREAM RESTORATION IN THE TOWN OF GREENBURG AND COMMITTING TO MEET THE LOCAL MATCHING FUNDS REQUIREMENTS OF 10% FOR THIS PROJECT.
I'D LIKE TO MOVE THAT SECOND ON FAVOR A AYE AYE.
[ PO 1 - 5/25/2022 Resolution authorizing the Supervisor to enter into an Inter-Municipal Agreement with Westchester County and Westchester Community College to Assist in the Clinical Training of Paramedic Students]
AYE.RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING SUPERVISOR TAN INTO INTER MUNICIPAL AGREEMENT WITH WESTCHESTER COUNTY AND WESTCHESTER COMMUNITY COLLEGE TO ASSIST IN CLINICAL TRAINING OF PARAMEDIC STUDENTS.
[ PO 2 - 5/25/2022 Resolution adopting the recommendation of the Greenburgh Police Department to Reduce the Posted Maximum Speed Limit on Edgemont Road, from White Oak Lane to Ardsley Road, and Edgemont Place from Pipeline Drive to Edgemont Road, amending Chapter 460 of the Greenburgh Town Code]
RESOLUTION ADOPTING RECOMMENDATION OF GREENBURG POLICE DEPARTMENT TO REDUCE THE POSTED MAXIMUM SPEED LIMIT ON EDGEMONT ROAD FROM WHITE OAK, UH, LANE TO LEY ROAD AND EDGEMONT PLACE FROM PIPELINE DRIVE.UM, EDGEMONT, I'D LIKE TO MOVE THAT SECOND.
[ PW 1 - 5/25/2022 Resolution awarding the 2022 Annual Contract for Emergency and Scheduled General Construction Services to A & J Construction of NY, Inc., the lowest bidder, in an amount not to exceed the hourly labor rate of $109.82 on an as needed basis]
AWARDING 2022 ANNUAL CONTRACT FOR EMERGENCY AND SCHEDULE, UH, GENERAL CONSTRUCTION SERVICES TO A AND J CONSTRUCTION OF NEW YORK, THE LOWEST BIDDER IN AN AMOUNT NOT TO EXCEED THE HOURLY LABOR RATE OF 1 0 9 82 ON AN AS NEEDED BASIS.I'D LIKE TO MOVE THAT SECOND, SECOND IN FAVOR, AYE.
[ PW 2 - 5/25/2022 Resolution awarding the 2022 Annual Contract for Emergency and Scheduled HVAC Plumbing Services to Joe Lombardo Plumbing & Heating of Rockland, Inc., the lowest bidder, in an amount not to exceed the hourly labor rate of $390.00 on an as needed basis]
AYE.AWARDING THE 2022 ANNUAL CONTRACT FOR EMERGENCY AND SCHEDULED H V A C PLUMBING SERVICES TO JOE LOMBARDO PLUMBING AND HEATING OF BROOKLYN, UH, FOR AN HOURLY RATE OF THREE 90 ON AN, ON AN AS NEEDED BASIS.
I'D LIKE TO MOVE THAT SECOND ON FAVOR,
[ PW 3 - 5/25/2022 Resolution awarding the 2022 Annual Contract for Emergency and Scheduled Electrical Services to Morabito Electric, Inc., the lowest bidder, in an amount not to exceed the hourly labor rate of $122 on an as needed basis]
AYE.UM, RESOLUTION, UM, AWARDING THE 2022 ANNUAL CONTRACT FOR EMERGENCY AND SCHEDULED ELECTRICAL SERVICES TO MODO ELECTRIC, THE LOWEST BIDDER FOR AN AMOUNT NOT TO EXCEED THE HOURLY LABOR RATE OF $122 ON A NA AS NEEDED BASIS.
[ PW 4 - 5/25/2022 Resolution awarding bids for Emergency and Scheduled Sewer, Water and Street Excavation Repair and Restoration Services-2022, on an as needed basis to the appropriate bidder]
UM, RESOLUTION AWARDING BIDS FOR EMERGENCY AND SCHEDULED SEWER, WATER AND STREET EVACUATION REPAIR AND RESTORATION SERVICES ON AS NEEDED BASIS TO THE APPROPRIATE.[ PW 5 - 5/25/2022 Resolution of the Town Board of the Town of Greenburgh (1) supporting the submission of a Hazard Mitigation Grant Program (HMGP) Project Sub-application related to Flood Mitigation along Babbitt Court and Saw Mill River Road in the Town of Greenburgh; and (2) committing to meet the local matching fund requirement of 10% for the project ]
AND FINALLY, RESOLUTION TOWN BOARD OF THE TOWN OF GREENBURG SUPPORTING THE SUBMISSION OF A HAZARD ION GRANT PROGRAM PROJECTS SUB APPLICATION RELATED TO FLOOD MITIGATION.YEAH, SO IT WAS, IT'S DOUBLE LISTED.
IT'S UNDER PH ONE AND UNDER PW FIVE, SO ON, SO FOR ON.
UH, WE, WE VOTED ON PH ONE, BUT IT SHOULD BE, UH, PW FIVE.
THAT'S GOOD ONLY BECAUSE WE'VE BEEN CONSISTENT.
THESE ARE ALL THE BABBITT COURT, UH, MITIGATION MEASURES THAT WE'VE BEEN TRYING TO DO BY, UH, JUNE 1ST.
AND SO IF WE COULD JUST, UH, SO WE SHOULD VOTE ON A DISCIPLINARY JUST, UH, REVOTE, UM, RE REVOTE, UH, PH ONE AS PH PW FIVE.
WE HAVE TO CHANGE SO WE HAVE TO REVOTE IT ALL OVER AGAIN.
NO, I JUST THINK WE HAVE TO AGREE THAT, UH, PH ONE IS PW FIVE.
EVERYBODY AGREE? EVERY, YOU ALL AGREE? AYE? YES.
HAVE A NICE WEEKEND EVERYBODY.