[ TOWN OF GREENBURGH OFFICE OF THE TOWN BOARD 177 Hillside Avenue, Greenburgh, NY 10607 Tel: 914-989-1500 Fax: 914-993-1541 Email: JDudek@Greenburghny.com https://ny-greenburgh.civicplus.com/485/Watch-Live-Board-Meetings]
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SO, UH,
THANK YOU, UH, MR. SUPERVISOR AND TAB BOARD MEMBERS, UH, AS YOU INTRODUCED ME.
I'M A PARTNER WITH THE FIRM OF P K F O'CONNOR DAVIES.
AND SITTING BESIDE ME IS MY PARTNER, JEFF SHAVER, AND HE WAS THE ONSITE PARTNER WHO, UH, CONDUCTED THE AUDIT.
YOU HAVE BEFORE YOU A FEW, UH, BOOKLETS.
AND MATTER OF FACT, YOU ALSO HAVE THE FINANCIAL REPORTS.
SO IN THE SPIRAL BOUND BOOKLET, UH, YOU HAVE THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS AS WELL AS OUR AUDIT OPINION, AND I'LL REFER TO THAT IN, UH, JUST A MOMENT.
UH, YOU ALSO HAVE, WHAT WE'VE DONE IS WE'VE EXTRAPOLATED FINANCIAL INFORMATION SO THAT THIS PRESENTATION, UH, COULD BE ALSO SHARED WITH THE PUBLIC.
AND I BELIEVE YOUR TOWN CONTROLLER, ROBERTA, SHE HAS MADE ARRANGEMENTS TO HAVE THAT SHOWN, UH, ON THE SCREEN, AND I'M SURE, UH, IT'S VISIBLE FOR THE PUBLIC AT LARGE.
UM, IF YOU WOULD JUST START WITH THE SPIRAL BOOKLET AND YOU TURN TO PAGE ROMAN NUMERAL FOUR, PROBABLY ABOUT FIVE OR SIX PAGES IN, UH, YOU'LL SEE THAT THE, UH, TOWN OF GREENBURG HAS ONCE AGAIN BEEN AWARDED THE CERTIFICATE OF ACHIEVEMENT FOR EXCELLENCE IN FINANCIAL REPORT BY THE, UH, GOVERNMENT FINANCE OFFICERS ASSOCIATION, THE NATIONAL ORGANIZATION HEADQUARTERED IN CHICAGO.
AND AS WE HAVE SAID BEFORE, THIS IS A, A, A TREMENDOUS PLUS FOR THE TOWN.
UH, IT'S ALL DUE TO THE HARD WORK OF YOUR FINANCE TEAM LED BY ROBERTA, YOUR TOWN CONTROLLER, TO, UM, PRESENT THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS IN A FORMAT THAT ENABLES THE TOWN TO GET THIS AWARD.
AND JUST FOR YOUR INFORMATION OR A REMINDER, THERE AREN'T MANY MUNICIPALITIES IN THE STATE OF NEW YORK WHO ACTUALLY RECEIVED THIS REPORT OUTSIDE OF THE CITY OF NEW YORK.
THERE MAY BE MAYBE 23, 25 MUNICIPALITIES THAT, UH, GET THIS AWARD.
AND WE'RE VERY PROUD AS A FIRM TO SAY WE PROBABLY HAVE THE MAJORITY OF THOSE MUNICIPALITIES.
IF WE TURN TO PAGE ONE, WHICH IS TWO PAGES BEYOND THAT AWARD, WE'RE COMING TO THE INDEPENDENT AUDITOR'S REPORT.
WE'VE, UH, ISSUED THAT REPORT.
IF YOU READ THE FIRST PARAGRAPH, IT SAYS, WE'VE ORDERED THE FINANCIAL, UH, STATEMENTS OF GOVERNMENT ACTIVITIES, BUSINESS TYPE ACTIVITIES, UH, AS WELL AS A DISCREETLY PRESENTED COMPONENT UNIT FOR THE YEAR ENDED DECEMBER 31ST, 2021.
AND IF YOU GO TO THE SECOND PARAGRAPH, YOU'LL SEE THAT WE'VE ISSUED AN UNQUALIFIED OPINION, WHICH IN LAYMAN TERMS IS KNOWN AS A CLEAN OPINION.
UH, IT SAYS BASICALLY THAT BASED UPON OUR AUDIT AND THE REPORT OF ANOTHER AUDITOR, UH, THE ACCOMPANY FINANCIAL STATEMENTS REFERRED TO ABOVE PRESENT, FAIRLY IN ALL MATERIAL RESPECT, THE FINANCIAL POSITION OF GOVERNMENT ACTIVITIES, BUSINESS TYPE ACTIVITIES, DISCREETLY PRESENTED COMPONENT UNIT, EACH MAJOR FUND, AND THE AGGREGATE REMAINING FUND INFORMATION FOR THE TOWN AS OF DECEMBER 31ST, 2021.
SO, UH, THAT'S VERY, VERY IMPORTANT.
AND IF YOU LOOK AT THE LAST PARAGRAPH ON THAT PAGE, IT DESCRIBES THAT MANAGEMENT IS RESPONSIBLE FOR THE FAIR PRESENTATION AND PREPARATION OF THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS, UH, THAT WE'VE, UH, AUDITED.
SO, WITH THAT SAID, WHAT I'D LIKE TO DO IS NOW TURN TO THE, UH, POWERPOINT PRESENTATION TO GO OVER SOME OF THE FINANCIAL INFORMATION.
AND WE'RE ACTUALLY GOING TO SKIP THE FIRST COUPLE OF PAGES, AND WE'RE GONNA START WITH PAGE FIVE.
AND, UM, JEFF IS GONNA START TAKING YOU THROUGH THIS.
NOW, MORNING IN PROGRESS, ONE OF THE, ONE OF THE, ONE OF THE, THAT'S IT, YEAH.
ONE OF THE THINGS THAT, UH, I JUST WANNA POINT OUT THAT FUND BALANCE IS, UH, AKIN TO EQUITY FOR A PRIVATE COMPANY OR A, A COMMERCIAL ENTERPRISE.
BUT UNLIKE COMMERCIAL ENTERPRISES, FUND BALANCE IS BROKEN INTO FIVE DISTINCT CATEGORIES.
AND THERE'S A DEFINITION OF FUND BALANCE IN, IN THE FOOTNOTES OF THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS.
ALL FIVE CATEGORIES ARE IN PLAY HERE.
UH, NONS, SPENDABLE, RESTRICTED, COMMITTED, ASSIGNED, AND UNASSIGNED.
AND JEFF IS GONNA TAKE YOU THROUGH SOME OF THE FINANCIALS.
UH, AND WHAT WE'VE DONE IS WE'VE ACTUALLY PUT THREE YEARS OF HISTORY HERE.
SO YOU CAN SEE PRE PANDEMIC, MORNING AND PROGRESS PANDEMIC, AND YOU COULD SEE,
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UM, 2021.WITH THAT SAID, JEFF, THANK YOU, NICK.
SO YOU CAN SEE HERE WE HAVE A, UH, A THREE YEAR PRESENTATION, 2021 IN THE SECOND COLUMN, 2020, AND THEN 2019, UH, THE TOTAL FUND BALANCE AT THE END OF 2019 WAS 26.4 MILLION.
UM, IT WENT DOWN DURING THE PANDEMIC IN 2020 TO 18.9.
UM, IT DID INCREASE QUITE A BIT IN 2021 BY $4.6 MILLION UP TO 23.5 MILLION.
AS NICK SAID, WE HAVE THE VARIOUS CATEGORIES, THE NONS SPENDABLE, WHICH IS, UM, IN THE CASE OF THE TOWN PREPAID EXPENDITURES SET ASIDE TO INDICATE THAT THE MONEY'S ALREADY ALREADY LEFT THE DOOR, SO TO SPEAK, AND IT CAN'T BE SPENT ON ANYTHING ELSE.
YOU HAVE SOME LEGAL RESTRICTIONS, UH, IN YOUR CASE, IT'S THE, UH, RESERVE FOR COMPENSATED ABSENCES OR EMPLOYEE BENEFIT ACCRUED LIABILITY.
YOU HAVE A COMMITMENT, A BOARD COMMITMENT FOR TAX, TERTIARY OF 200,000, AND THE, THE LARGE CATEGORY ASSIGNED ENCOMPASSES PURCHASES ON ORDER OF 180,000.
AND MORE IMPORTANTLY, THE AMOUNT USED TO BALANCE THE NEXT YEAR'S BUDGET.
SO WHEN THE TOWN BOARD ADOPTED ITS 2022 BUDGET, IT'S SET ASIDE 10 MILLION, 69,000 OF THE GENERAL FUND FUND BALANCE TO BALANCE THAT BUDGET.
THAT NUMBER'S A DROP FROM THE PREVIOUS YEAR OF 15.3 MILLION.
UM, THE LAST CATEGORY UNASSIGNED FUND BALANCE IS 12,579,000.
THAT'S THE RESIDUAL FUND BALANCE AFTER WE TAKE THE TOTAL AND SUBTRACT OUT ALL THE OTHER CATEGORIES.
SO THAT'S THE FUND BALANCE THAT WOULD BE AVAILABLE FOR USE IN FUTURE YEARS.
IT HASN'T BEEN COMMITTED TO ANY PURPOSE BY THE BOARD.
AND, AND NOTE THAT THERE WAS A SIGNIFICANT INCREASE IN THE UNASSIGNED FUND BALANCE, UM, FROM 2020 OF ABOUT $10.3 MILLION.
SO CERTAINLY A SIGNIFICANT INCREASE.
SOME OF IT CAME FROM RECURRING OPERATIONS, AND SOME OF IT CAME BECAUSE WHEN THE BOARD ADAPTED ITS 2022 BUDGET, LESS AMOUNT OF FUND BALANCE WAS USED TO BALANCE.
SO A COMBINATION OF THE TWO INCREASED YOUR UNASSIGNED BY ABOUT $10.3 MILLION.
SO WE CAN GO INTO SOME OF THE SUBSEQUENT PAGES TO SEE HOW WE, YOU WERE ABLE TO DERIVE THE INCREASE IN THE FUND BALANCE.
SO BEGINNING ON PAGE SIX, PAGE SIX IS A SNAPSHOT OF THE GENERAL FUND REVENUES, EXPENDITURES, AND CHANGES IN FUND BALANCE.
UH, THIS IS A FOUR COLUMN PRESENTATION, THE ORIGINAL BUDGET AS ADAPTED BY THE BOARD FINAL BUDGET ENCOMPASSING ANY AMENDMENTS OR TRANSFERS, ACTUAL RESULTS.
AND THEN THE VARIANCE BETWEEN THE FINAL AND THE ACTUAL, YOU CAN SEE WHEN THE BUDGET WAS CRAFTED, IT WAS ANTICIPATED 17.5 MILLION OF REVENUES WOULD BE COLLECTED.
ACTUAL REVENUES FOR THE YEAR WERE 21 MILLION.
SO YOU DID BETTER THAN ANTICIPATED BY $3.5 MILLION ON THE APPROPRIATION SIDE OF THE BUDGET.
30.9 MILLION WAS THE, WAS THE BUDGET ACTUAL EXPENDITURES, 14.4 MILLION? UH, THE VARIANCE THERE IS 16.5 ON THE NEXT SLIDE.
SO I'LL, I'LL GO INTO SOME OF THAT.
UM, OTHER FINANCING USES IS ESSENTIALLY TRANSFERS OUT TO OTHER FUNDS OF $2 MILLION.
AND THOSE WERE, UH, FOR THE MOST PART MADE, UH, DURING THE YEAR.
AND YOU CAN SEE, UM, THIRD NUM, THIRD ROW UP IN THE ACTUAL COLUMN, THE NET CHANGE IN FUND BALANCE, OR THE INCREASE IN FUND BALANCE, 4 MILLION, 600, 11,000.
UM, SO THAT BRINGS US TO THE ENDING FUND BALANCE OF THE YEAR 23 AND A HALF MILLION.
THE THIRD NUMBER UP FROM THE, UH, BOTTOM ON THE RIGHT HAND COLUMN, THE VARIANCE COLUMN SHOWS 20,097,000.
THAT ACTUALLY WAS THE BUDGET SURPLUS.
AND AS WE GO THROUGH SOME OF THE REVENUES AND EXPENDITURES, WE'LL BE ABLE TO ASCERTAIN HOW THAT IMPACTS THE GENERAL FUND.
ONE OF THE THINGS I JUST WANTED TO MENTION, NOT FOR THE PURPOSES OF THE TOWN BOARD, BUT FOR THE VIEWERS THAT THE TOWN OUTSIDE VILLAGES FUND IS A LARGER FUND THAN THE GENERAL FUND.
SO I, I JUST DIDN'T WANT PEOPLE TO THINK THAT, UH, THIS WAS THE EXTENT OF THE, UH, BUDGETARY, UH, OPERATIONS OF THE TOWN.
SO WE GO TO THE NEXT PAGE, WHICH IS PAGE SEVEN, JEFF.
PAGE SEVEN IS, UH, MORE DETAILS ON JUST THE REVENUE SIDE OF THE GENERAL FUND BUDGET.
UM, I'LL JUST POINT OUT A FEW OF THE VARIANCES HERE.
THERE'S A POSITIVE VARIANCE OF $1 MILLION INTEREST IN PENALTIES ON REAL PROPERTY TAXES, UH, DID BETTER THAN THE BUDGET BY ABOUT 840,000.
AND ALSO GAIN ON SALE OF TAX ACQUIRED PROPERTY, UH, WAS 150,000 GREATER THAN THE BUDGET.
THERE WAS ALSO, UM, THE CATEGORY IS DEPARTMENTAL INCOME.
THAT'S GENERALLY THE FEES CHARGED, UH, BY THE VARIOUS DEPARTMENTS
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WITHIN THE TOWN.ENGINEERING FEES WERE APPROXIMATELY 1.1 MILLION MORE THAN THE BUDGET.
UM, AND FINALLY, ON THE STATE, A CO UH, ON THE STATE A LINE, UM, MORTGAGE TAX WAS 1.3 MILLION GREATER THAN THE BUDGET.
SO IF YOU RECALL ON THE PREVIOUS PAGE, I MENTIONED THAT THE BUDGET SURPLUS WAS $20 MILLION.
SO THREE AND A HALF MILLION OF THE 20 MILLION CAME FROM THE REVENUE SIDE.
THE BALANCE OF THAT BUDGET SURPLUS CAME FROM NOT SPENDING MONEY ON THE APPROPRIATION SIDE.
AND WE'LL START DESCRIBING THAT ON PAGE EIGHT.
SO ON PAGE EIGHT, AGAIN, WE SEE THE APPROPRIATION SIDE.
UH, THE LARGEST VARIANCE COMES IN THE GENERAL GOVERNMENT SUPPORT CATEGORY.
UM, THERE'S TWO SIGNIFICANT BUDGETARY VARIANCE IN THERE.
UH, THE RE THE RESERVE FOR THE COURTHOUSE, OR THE COURTHOUSE APPROPRIATION, WHICH WAS UNSPENT DURING THE YEAR OF $12.4 MILLION, IS MOST OF THE POSITIVE DEPOSIT SURPLUS.
AND THERE'S ALSO A POSITIVE SURPLUS ON UNCOLLECTED TAXES.
SO IF TAXPAYERS COME IN AND PAY BACK TAXES MORE SO THAN THEY HAD IN PREVIOUS YEARS, THAT'S, THAT, THAT WOULD BE A POSITIVE REVENUE TO THE TOWN.
'CAUSE THE, THE, THE TOWN BUDGETS FOR UNCOLLECTED TAXES AND IT'S GENERAL FUND.
SO WHEN PEOPLE COME IN AND PAY IT THROWS IT INTO A POSITIVE SURPLUS.
IF THEY, IF THEY PAID SLOWER OR PAID LESS, YOU COULD HAVE A NEGATIVE VARIANCE, UM, IN, IN THAT CATEGORY.
SO 15 MILLION OF THAT, UH, 16,000,578 VARIANCE IN THE RIGHT COLUMN.
THE, UH, FOURTH NUMBER UP FROM THE BOTTOM IS MADE UP OF THOSE TWO ITEMS, THE UNCOLLECTED TAXES, AND NOT SPENDING THE MONEY ON THE COURTHOUSE.
SO MANAGEMENT HAS DONE A VERY GOOD JOB IN OVERSEEING THE BUDGET THAT WAS ADOPTED AND KEPT WITHIN THE APPROPRIATION CATEGORIES BECAUSE IT'S THOSE SMALL AMOUNTS THAT YOU SEE THAT ARE THE VARIANCES, UH, IN THAT RIGHT HAND COLUMN IN FOR THE BUDGET THAT YOU'VE ADOPTED.
I, ON PAGE NINE, WE GO TO THE TOWN OUTSIDE VILLAGES FUND.
NOW, THIS IS ACTUALLY, UH, LARGER, IT'S A LARGER BUDGET, OBVIOUSLY, THAN THE GENERAL FUND.
AND JEFF WILL TAKE YOU THROUGH, UH, WHAT THE RESULTS WERE FOR 2021 IN THIS FUND AS WELL.
SO, SAME PRESENTATION FOR THE TOWN OUTSIDE VILLAGES FUND, 75,230,000 WAS ANTICIPATED TO BE COLLECTED IN REVENUES.
ACTUAL REVENUES 82.6 MILLION FOR A SURPLUS OF 7.4 MILLION.
ON THE APPROPRIATION SIDE, THERE WAS A POSITIVE SURPLUS OF 5.6 MILLION.
AND THE OTHER FINANCING USES, WHICH IS MOSTLY AGAIN, TRANSFERS TO OTHER FUNDS, 1,453,000.
SO THE BUDGETARY SURPLUS WAS JUST UNDER $15 MILLION FOR THE YEAR IN THE, IN THE TOWN OUTSIDE FUND.
AND ACTUAL INCREASE IN FUND BALANCE, 1,264,000.
SO YOU SEE WE STARTED THE YEAR AT 27.4 MILLION IN FUND BALANCE AND THE YEAR AT 2020 8.7 MILLION.
SO AGAIN, THIS FUND A LITTLE DIFFERENT THAN THE GENERAL FUND.
WE SEE THAT THE REVENUES MAKE UP ABOUT HALF OF THE BUDGET SURPLUS.
UH, OKAY, THE REVENUES, IF YOU LOOK AT THE REVENUE, UH, VARIANCE, THE, UH, FIRST NUMBER AT THE TOP OF THE EXTREME RIGHT COLUMN VARIANCE, 7 MILLION 4 0 9 IS THE REVENUE VARIANCE.
AND THE EXPENDITURE VARIANCE IS THE 5.6 AS WELL AS THE 1,000,453 FROM OTHER FINANCING SOURCES.
SO NOW WE'LL GO INTO SOME OF THE SIGNIFICANT THINGS THAT CAUSED THOSE VARIANCES, AND SOME ARE GONNA BE VERY OBVIOUS TO YOU.
SO THIS IS THE DETAIL OF THE, UM, REVENUE CATEGORIES OF THE TOWN OUTSIDE VILLAGES FUND.
I'LL JUST AGAIN, POINT OUT SOME OF THE SIGNIFICANT VARIANCES.
UM, THE SALES TAX COLLECTIONS ARE IN THERE, AND THAT WAS GREATER THAN THE BUDGET BY ABOUT $3.6 MILLION.
SO THAT MADE UP JUST ABOUT HALF OF THE REVENUE VARIANCE IN THE TOWN OUTSIDE VILLAGES FUND.
AND OF COURSE, UH, NO ONE COULD HAVE EXPECTED THE ECONOMY TO REBOUND FROM 2020 AND 21 AS WELL AS IT DID.
UH, AND, AND THAT'S SHOWN AS A RESULT OF SALES TAX.
THE SECOND, UH, SIGNIFICANT VARIANCES, VARIANCE WAS IN LICENSES AND PERMITS.
AND THAT WAS, UM, 3 MILLION OF BUILDING PERMITS.
SO OBVIOUSLY US TOWN BOARD MEMBERS AND TOWN SUPERVISOR, YOU KNOW, WHAT ACTIVITY OCCURRED IN THE TOWN INSOFAR AS BUILDING PERMITS DURING 21,
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THAT GENERATED FAR MORE THAN THE PREVIOUS YEAR IN BUILDING PERMITS.UH, SO YOU, YOU TOOK IN $3 MILLION OR MORE.
AND THEN SOME OF THE OTHER SMALLER NUMBERS, UH, ARE, ARE SIMPLY, UH, SELF-EXPLANATORY BETWEEN BUDGET ESTIMATING NUMBERS AND ACTUAL REVENUES WHEN THEY COLLECTED PAGE 11.
THIS IS THE EXPENDITURE SIDE AGAIN, FOR TOWN OUTSIDE VILLAGES MM-HMM.
THERE WAS SOME UNSPENT CONTINGENCY FUNDS, ABOUT A MILLION AND JUDGMENTS AND CLAIMS 1.3 MILLION UNDER THE BUDGET.
UM, MAKING UP THE, THE BULK OF THAT, UM, THE CULTURE AND RECREATION CATEGORY, THERE WAS THE RECREATION ADMINISTRATION DEPARTMENT, 285,000, AND THE COMMUNITY CENTER, UH, 493,000 LESS THAN THE BUDGET.
AND FINALLY THE TRANSFERS OUT 1,000,415.
UM, THE TRANSFERS OUT TO THE RISK RETENTION FUND WERE 1.3 MILLION LESS THAN ANTICIPATED.
SO YOU CAN SEE FROM BOTH THOSE OPERATING FUNDS, THE GENERAL FUND AND THE TOWN OUTSIDE VILLAGES FUND, YOU'RE IN GOOD FINANCIAL CONDITION.
YOU HAVE A SIZABLE AMOUNT OF FUND BALANCE, OBVIOUSLY, UH, THINGS ARE HAPPENING TODAY THAT MAY IMPACT WHAT THE 2022 BUDGET, HOW IT'LL TURN OUT AND HOW THINGS MAY, UH, PRESENT THEMSELVES FOR 2023.
UH, THERE'S SOME CHALLENGES HAPPENING, UH, IN THE MARKETPLACE TODAY.
STOCK MARKET TODAY IS ONE PLACE AND INFLATION.
SO THESE ARE THINGS THAT YOU AS A TOWN BOARD HAVE TO TAKE INTO CONSIDERATION AS YOU HAVE THIS GOOD FINANCIAL POSITION GOING INTO THE 2023 BUDGET.
SO IT SEEMS LIKE WE'RE IN BETTER SHAPE THAN A LOT OF OTHER COMMUNITIES.
UH, YOU, YOU'VE, YOU'VE WISELY BUDGETED YOUR FINANCES AND SPEND THEM WISELY.
ARE THERE ANY THINGS THAT, UH, FROM YOUR AUDIT THAT YOU KNOW, WE COULD DO BETTER? YOU KNOW, ANY, UH, SUGGESTION, CONSTRUCTIVE, UH, SUGGESTIONS AS TO WHAT YOU DIDN'T LIKE US, YOU DIDN'T APPRECIATE WHAT WE'RE DOING AND HOW WE CAN IMPROVE? UM, JEFF, DID YOU NOTICE ANYTHING FROM THE OPERATIONAL POINT OF VIEW? YOU KNOW, THE FEW RECOMMENDATIONS THAT WE HAD, I WOULD SAY WAS QUITE MINIMAL.
I WOULDN'T, I WOULDN'T EVEN COUNT THEM TO MM-HMM.
NOW INTEREST RATES ARE, COURSE NOW INTEREST RATES HAVE CHANGED, THEY'VE GONE UP.
SO YOU WOULD HAVE TO WEIGH WHETHER YOU'RE GOING TO USE YOUR CASH FROM YOUR APPROPRIATE, FROM YOUR FUND BALANCE, UH, TO UNDERTAKE THE COURTHOUSE IF YOU'RE GONNA UNDERTAKE THE COURTHOUSE, OR WHETHER OR NOT IT MAKES SENSE TO PERHAPS BORROW SOME MONEY.
EVEN THOUGH INTEREST RATES HAVE INCREASED, YOU MIGHT USE SOME SHORT TERM, UH, INSTRUMENTS, UH, BEFORE YOU LOCK IN, UH, UH, A LONG TERM SERIAL.
SO WOULD YOU THINK WHEN WE DO, BECAUSE I WAS SPEAKING TO ROBERTA YESTERDAY, BECAUSE WE'RE STARTING TO, YOU KNOW, WORK ON THE 2023 BUDGET, WE HAVE LIKE $7 MILLION THAT IS BASICALLY CASH FOR, UH, THE COURTHOUSE.
UM, AND THE, A BUDGET IS TIGHTER THAN, YOU KNOW, THE, THE B BUDGET.
WOULD IT MAKE SENSE TO, UH, UH, CONTINUE TO KEEP THE MONEY IN RESERVE? OR, YOU KNOW, IF WE'RE NOT GONNA BE DOING THE COURTHOUSE IMMINENTLY, YOU KNOW, TO BASICALLY USE THAT TO OFFSET ANY, ANY POSSIBLE TAX ISSUES, YOU KNOW, REDUCE, REDUCE THAT AMOUNT? YOU KNOW, THIS IS A VERY DIFFICULT ADVICE TO GIVE YOU ON, ON THIS BECAUSE ONE, IT'S A POLICY DECISION ON THE COURTHOUSE AS TO WHAT YOU'RE GONNA CONSTRUCT, HOW YOU'RE GONNA FURNISH IT, WHAT THE ESTIMATES ARE TO ACTUALLY CONSTRUCT IT AND BUILD IT, AND THEN TO SEE WHAT THE BEST WAY OF FINANCING IT MAY BE.
BUT IF YOU DON'T THINK YOU'RE GONNA DO IT IN 2023, UM, I, I, I WOULD ENCOURAGE YOU NOT TO BUDGET THE MONEY FOR THE COURTHOUSE IN 2023.
'CAUSE ALL IT DOES IS CREATE A LARGE VARIANCE WHEN YOU LOOK AT YOUR BUDGET AT THE END OF THE YEAR, THAT THE MONIES WERE NOT SPENT.
SO IT KIND OF SPEAKS TO THE FACT, WELL, WHAT DID YOU INTEND TO DO THAT YOU BUDGETED THIS $10 MILLION AND THEN YOU DIDN'T DO IT RIGHT? AND I, I WOULD BE INTERESTED IN KNOWING WHETHER THE, THE, IF WE'RE TALKING THE CURRENT COURTHOUSE AND THE REPAIRS, WHETHER THAT'S ROLLED UP INTO THAT MONEY, IN WHICH CASE WE CAN'T JUST GET RID OF IT BECAUSE THE
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REPAIRS ARE ONLY GONNA COST MORE AS GOES ON.WELL, WE KNOW WE HAVE TO DO SOME REPAIRS, RIGHT.
SO, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE TO SEPARATE THAT OUT IF THAT IS WITHIN THAT TRENCH OF MONEY.
AND, AND, AND YOU SHOULD TALK TO YOUR BOND COUNSEL WITH RESPECT TO THE REPAIRS AS TO WHAT, I MEAN, WE USE THE WORD REPAIRS, BUT MAYBE SOME OF IT IS REPLACEMENTS, WHICH EXTEND THE LIFE OF THE ASSET AND MAY LEND ITSELF TO BE BONDED.
THE OTHER, YOU KNOW, REPAIRS GENERALLY ARE NOT, DON'T LEND THEMSELVES TO BE BONDED.
AND YOU WOULD HAVE TO USE THAT MONEY THAT YOU'VE ACCUMULATED IN FUND BALANCE TO, UH, UH, DO IT.
ONE OF THE THINGS YOU MAY WANT TO DO, RATHER THAN IF YOU'RE NOT GONNA UNDERTAKE USING UP ALL THAT $10 MILLION, WHAT YOU CAN DO IS YOU CAN ASSIGN, YOU CAN MOVE THAT MONEY FROM THE UNASSIGNED CATEGORY INTO THE ASSIGNED CATEGORY FOR THE COURTHOUSE.
AND IT, IT ALSO, IT, IT ALSO DOESN'T REQUIRE A VOTE OF THE TOWN BOARD TO DO THAT.
MANAGEMENT CAN MAKE THAT CHANGE FOR YOU WHEN WE, UH, DO THE NEXT YEAR'S AUDIT MM-HMM.
YOU CAN MOVE IT FROM ONE CATEGORY TO, UH, THE OTHER CATEGORY.
AND I THINK IT MAKES FOR A BETTER PRESENTATION OF WHAT YOUR INTENT IS AND HOW YOU'RE MANAGING YOUR MONEY.
THE OTHER QUESTION I HAVE IS WE HAVEN'T LIKE ASSIGNED THE ARPA FUNDS YET.
RIGHT? THAT'S MY NEXT QUESTION.
THE, THE, THE, THE QUESTION, YOU KNOW, THAT I HAVE GOING INTO THE 2023 BUDGET, UH, YOU KNOW, TO KEEP TAXES AS YOU KNOW, LOW AS POSSIBLE.
I'M WONDERING IF YOU WOULD HAVE ANY ADVICE OR ANY OBSERVATIONS WHAT OTHER COMMUNITIES ARE DOING.
SO THE FIRST THING WE WANNA SHOW THE TOWN BOARD MEMBERS, UH, SUPERVISOR IS THE, UH, WHERE THE UPPER FUNDS ARE IN THE TOWN OUTSIDE VILLAGES, PAGE 76.
YOU CAN SEE, UM, IN, IN THE MIDDLE OF THE PAGE UNDER LIABILITIES, UNEARNED REVENUES, UM, 2,284,000.
THE VAST MAJORITY OF THAT, IF NOT ALL, IS THE UNSPENT ARPA FUND.
THAT'S THE FIRST HALF THAT WAS RECEIVED IN CASH IN 2021 AND UNSPENT.
THERE'S ANOTHER HALF THAT DEADLINE.
AND DON'T WE HAVE TO SPEND IT BY, YOU HAVE TO SPEND IT BY DATE CERTAIN, YEAH.
YOU HAVE TO SPEND IT BY DATE CERTAIN BASED UPON A PLAN THAT YOU HAVE, UH, FILED WITH THE OVERSIGHT AGENCIES.
AND I'M SURE, UH, THE CONTROLLER ROBERTA CAN TELL YOU EXACTLY, UH, WHAT THAT MIGHT BE AND WHO YOU HAVE TO, UH, PRESENT THAT TO.
HOW MUCH TIME DO WE HAVE TO MAKE A DECISION? IT IT'S SUPPOSED TO BE SPENT BY THE END OF 2024.
BUT THE THING IS, WE REALIZE, AGAIN, YOU KNOW, A LOT OF THE THINGS THAT WE'RE DOING ARE, WOULD BE ELIGIBLE FOR, YOU KNOW, FOR ARPA.
AND I'M TALKING ABOUT WHEN I'M COMING UP WITH A 2023, UH, YOU KNOW, BUDGET.
THIS IS MONEY, YOU KNOW, FOR EXAMPLE, THE PUBLIC WORK, THERE'S INFRASTRUCTURE.
THERE'S A LOT OF, THERE'S A LOT OF, SO BECAUSE WE ARE UNDER THE $10 MILLION THRESHOLD, WE CAN PRETTY MUCH USE THE APA FUNDS IN ANY WAY WE CHOOSE TO DO IT.
THERE REALLY AREN'T RESTRICTIONS.
BUT I'M JUST SAYING THAT COULD HELP US KEEP THE, THE B BUDGET SIGNIFICANTLY DOWN.
NOW, IS THERE ANY APA FUNDS IN THE A BUDGET OR IT'S ALL B NO, IT'S ALL ALL B, IT'S ALL AT THE B.
IT'S ALL B, IT'S ALL RECORDED B, AND THE, THE VILLAGES GOT THEIR OWN.
SO, SO BASICALLY FOR THE B BUDGET, WE COULD REALLY, FOR WHEN I'M PREPARING A PROPOSED BUDGET FOR NEXT YEAR, COULD WE USE, YOU KNOW, A GOOD CHUNK OF IT, YOU KNOW, FOR, UH, YOU KNOW, TO REDUCE, TO REDUCE THE TAXES.
YOU KNOW, IT DOESN'T MAKE SENSE TO HOLD THE MONEY WHATEVER WAY.
YOU KNOW, IF YOU'RE, YOU'RE PUTTING THE MONEY IN FROM INTO INFRASTRUCTURE, YOU'RE NOT SPENDING OTHER MONIES FOR THAT.
SO, SO JUST KEEP IN MIND THAT, THAT, UM, AND I THINK, UM, YOU MIGHT HAVE HEARD IN NEW YORK CITY, THEY'RE ALREADY BEGINNING TO CUT THE BUDGET BECAUSE THEY USE FEDERAL FUNDS PERCENT FOR THEIR OPERATIONS, AND THEY'RE ANTICIPATING A BIG BUDGET GAP IN TWO OR THREE YEARS WHEN THE ARPA FUNDS ARE COMPLETELY SPENT AND DIMINISHED.
SO IF YOU USE THE APA FUNDS FOR RECURRING OPERATING EXPENSES, YOU ARE TAKE INTO CONSIDERATION WHAT'S GONNA HAPPEN WHEN YOU NO LONGER HAVE THOSE FUNDS.
IF YOU'RE USING APA IN PLACE OF FUND BALANCE, THEN YOU SHOULD SAVE THAT FUND BALANCE FOR WHEN THE
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OFFER IS NO LONGER AVAILABLE TO YOU.AND THEN YOU FEATHER IT IN THE, THE FUND BALANCE.
IF YOU WANTED TO USE THE APA FUNDS FOR CAPITAL PROJECTS, WHICH ARE A ONE-TIME EXPENSE, THAT'S ALSO A VERY GOOD WAY OF USING THE FUNDS.
BUT IT DOESN'T, IT IN A SENSE, IT GIVES RELIEF TO THE TAXPAYER BECAUSE YOU'RE NOT BORROWING MONEY AND ADDING IT TO YOUR DEBT SERVICE, WHICH HITS SUBSEQUENTLY AS BUDGETS.
SO I'M SURE ROBERTA CAN GIVE YOU SOME ALTERNATIVES BASED UPON, YOU KNOW, AND WE'D BE HAPPY TO GO OVER THOSE ALTERNATIVES.
BUT, YOU KNOW, I, I, ROBERTA, WE, WHEN IT MAKES SENSE AS WE'RE PREPARING THE 2023 BUDGET TO NOT, WE DON'T HAVE TO, YOU KNOW, USE EVERYTHING YOU IF, BUT TO USE SOME OF THE ARPA FUNDS TO KEEP THE TAXES DOWN, YOU HAVE TO LOOK AT ALL THIS SCENARIO.
RIGHT? THAT'S WHAT I'M SAYING.
WE DON'T HAVE TO, WE DON'T HAVE TO USE EVERYTHING.
AND THEN LIKE A YEAR FROM NOW, OR TWO YEARS FROM NOW, I'LL SAY, OH, OH, NOW WE USED UP EVERYTHING.
WE WANT TO HAVE LIKE A, A GOOD SENSIBLE PLAN.
AND IF YOU BACK OFF ON THE FUND BALANCE A BIT, UH, THAT HELPS TOO.
BUT I MEAN, I THINK ROBERTA PROBABLY CAN GIVE YOU SOME OF THE SCENARIOS AND IF NEED BE, WE'D BE HAPPY, JEFF, AND I'D BE HAPPY TO GO OVER THEM, YOU KNOW, WITH YOU THOSE SCENARIOS.
AND, YOU KNOW, AND THEN OBVIOUSLY THAT'S, WE WE'RE LOOKING AT IT FROM A FINANCIAL POINT OF VIEW.
YOU HAVE TO LOOK AT IT FROM A POLICY POINT OF VIEW MM-HMM.
AND IF YOU ASSUME THAT INFLATION'S GONNA GO DOWN, AND THEN WE'RE GONNA BE GETTING, YOU KNOW, REVENUES, YOU KNOW, FROM, THERE'S GONNA BE BE, YOU KNOW, YOU HAVE THE ELMWOOD CONSTRUCTION, YOU HAVE, YOU KNOW, OBVIOUSLY REGENERON, I MEAN, THERE'S A LOT OF POSITIVE THINGS.
BRIGHTVIEW, THERE'S A LOT OF CONSTRUCTION ACTIVITY IN THE TOWN.
SO THE, THE TOWN'S FINANCIAL SITUATION, YOU KNOW, IS PROBABLY GOING TO CONTINUE TO GET BETTER.
AND, AND I DON'T THINK YOU'RE GONNA GET THE WINDFALL IN SALES TAX SHARING THAT YOU RECEIVED IN 21, DURING 22 BACK.
I THINK, UH, WHAT, WHAT WE'RE SEEING NOW, IT'S STARTING TO SLOW ON A, THE GROWTH OF IT IS STARTING TO SLOW A BIT ON A COUNTYWIDE BASIS.
UM, SO WHAT, IN TERMS OF THE SALES TAX AND SAY MORTGAGE TAX, WHY WOULD YOU THINK, YOU KNOW, YOU KNOW, SOME OF THE, I I WOULD BE CONSERVATIVE IN YOUR ESTIMATES ON IT BECAUSE, UH, RIGHT NOW, I THINK EVEN ECONOMISTS CAN'T PREDICT WHICH WAY THE NATIONAL, UH, ECONOMY IS, IS, IS HEADING.
SO CERTAINLY ON YOUR LEVEL, ON THE LOCAL LEVEL, YOU RELIED PRINCIPALLY ON PROPERTY TAXES FOR MO FOR MOST OF YOUR OPERATIONS.
AND SOME OF THESE, THE BUILDING PERMITS, THE SALES TAX, THE MORTGAGE TAX ARE SORT OF LIKE THE ENHANCEMENTS THAT HELP YOU NOT, UH, OVERBURDEN THE TAXPAYERS WITH PROPERTY TAXES.
BUT I THINK THAT, YOU KNOW, RIGHT NOW, WATCH THE ECONOMIC NUMBERS THAT ARE BEING REPORTED TO YOU WITH RESPECT TO YOUR REGION IN SO FAR AS HOME SALES, MORTGAGES, SALES TAX, AUTO SALES.
WE ALREADY KNOW THAT GUESS GASOLINE PRICES ARE COMING DOWN AND THAT THAT GASOLINE HEATING OIL ARE PROBABLY COMING DOWN FROM THE HIGHS THAT HAPPENED DURING THE YEAR THAT GENERATED SALES TAX.
SO YOU ALREADY HAVE SOME REDUCTION THAT THAT IS OCCURRING AS COMPARED TO WHAT HAPPENED EARLIER IN 2022.
AND SO FAR, AND, AND THERE ARE EXPENSES THAT MAY GO UP BECAUSE OF ESCALATIONS ABOUT SU SUPPLY CHAIN ISSUES AND YEAH.
I'M ESTIMATING LIKE THE MIDDLE OF OCTOBER HERE, PEOPLE ARE STILL SUBMITTING THE NUMBERS IN TERMS OF THE ESTIMATED, YOU KNOW, POTENTIAL LOSSES, BECAUSE THAT DOESN'T GIVE US A LOT OF TIME BETWEEN MID-OCTOBER AND END OF OCTOBER FOR THE BUDGET.
ABOUT, IF WE JUMP TO PAGE 14, WHAT WE'VE, WE'VE EXTRAPOLATED IS THE, UH, DEBT SERVICE SUMMARY OF ALL THE OUTSTANDING BONDS.
AND YOU CAN SEE YOU HAVE 95.5 MILLION OF OUTSTANDING BOND, AND YOU HAVE THE VARIABLE RANGES OF INTEREST RATES, UH, WHICH NOW IS UP, UP TO ANYTHING NEWLY ISSUED, UH, MORE THAN LIKELY IS GONNA BE BEYOND THE, UH, RANGE AT SCALE.
AND I THINK THE ANNUAL DEBT SERVICE, JEFF, IF I'M REMEMBER CORRECTLY, IS ABOUT $20 MILLION
[00:30:01]
A YEAR, WHICH APPEARS WHAT, ON THE NEXT PAGE? 12, 12 MILLION ON, ON THE NEXT PAGE? YEAH.AND THE BUSINESS TYPE ACTIVITIES IS, IS YOUR WATER FUND.
SO THE TOTAL, UH, YOU KNOW, ANNUAL PAYMENT IN 2022 IS 11.8 MILLION MM-HMM.
SO IT'S PRETTY MUCH STEADY THAT IT'S, IT'S FAIRLY STEADY AT THAT LEVEL.
SO, AND, AND FOR YOU TO KNOW IS THAT, YOU KNOW, THERE'S NO MAJOR REDUCTION IN THE DEBT SERVICE.
A LOT OF TIMES AS DEBT GOES DOWN, AS IT'S BEING PAID OFF, NEW BORROWINGS COME IN AND BRING IT BACK UP TO A LEVEL DEBT SERVICE LEVEL, BUT I'M SURE ROBERTA, WITH YOUR FISCAL ADVISOR, YOUR BOND COUNCIL AND YOUR BOND ADVISOR CAN, UH, IF YOU HAVE TO BORROW, THEY CAN STRUCTURE IT IN A FAVORABLE WAY FOR YOU.
SO WITH OUR AAA BOND RATING, YOU KNOW, THAT WE'VE HAD FOR A NUMBER OF YEARS MM-HMM.
NOW, THE GOVERNANCE PORTION WITH THE TOWN OF GREENBERG, EVERYONE'S KNOWN FOR A LONG TIME.
THE QUESTION IS, DO YOU HAVE ENVIRONMENTAL DISCLOSURES AND SOCIAL POLICIES THAT SATISFY THE RATING AGENCIES IN ASSIGNING YOUR RATING? SO, UH, THERE ARE FIRMS THAT ARE GIVING ADVICE ON THOSE, UH, ITEMS, THE ENVIRONMENTAL, SOCIAL AND GOVERNANCE.
UH, YOUR FINANCIAL ADVISOR MAY BE ABLE TO HELP YOU.
UM, WE HAVE A CONSULTING DIVISION THAT ALSO HAS, UH, BEGUN TO ASSIST SOME OF OUR MUNICIPAL CLIENTS IN GATHERING THE APPROPRIATE, APPROPRIATE INFORMATION THAT CAN APPEAR IN THE OFFICIAL STATEMENTS SO THAT, UH, YOU'RE NOT PENALIZED FOR NOT MEETING THE STANDARDS OF ENVIRONMENTAL, SOCIAL AND GOVERNANCE AS IMPLICIT IN YOUR DISCLOSURES.
SO LIKE, IF WE'RE DOING SAY, SO WORKING WITH SUSTAINABLE WESTCHESTER, THAT COULD BE HELPING US WITH YEAH.
UH, THEN ENVI ENVIRONMENTAL, OR IF WE'RE BUILDING AFFORDABLE HOUSING YEAH.
AGAIN, THESE, THESE ARE THINGS THAT NEED TO BE PULLED TOGETHER.
SOME OF IT HAS TO DO WITH ENVIRONMENTAL COULD ALSO MEAN INFRASTRUCTURE, YOU KNOW, THINGS THAT YOU'RE DOING TO MITIGATE CERTAIN ISSUES LIKE SIDEWALKS.
I MEAN, I, I DON'T KNOW EXACTLY WHAT ISSUES YOU MAY HAVE IN THE TOWN, BUT LIKE, SAY WESTCHESTER COUNTY, IT HAD A PROBLEM WITH THE SOUTHSHORE COMMUNITIES.
SO, YOU KNOW, THEY HAVE PUT TOGETHER PLANS THAT ADDRESS THAT, AND THAT GETS DISCLOSED, UH, IN THEIR OFFERINGS.
PERFECT EXAMPLE, FLOOD CONTROL.
YEAH, WE'RE DOING A LOT ON THAT.
SO THOSE ARE THINGS THAT YOU, YOU, YOU WOULD WANT INCORPORATE INTO YOUR DISCLOSURES WHEN YOU PREPARE YOUR OFFICIAL STATEMENT.
AND, AND, AND THOSE THINGS WOULD HELP YOU.
AND AS I SAID, UH, THERE ARE, UH, CONSULTANTS THAT CAN HELP YOU DO IT.
UH, SOME, IT'S A LITTLE BIT D IT'S, THIS IS NEW AND, AND UNLESS YOU HAVE SOMEBODY ASSIGNED TO DO THAT, UH, IT MAY, UH, DRAW AWAY FROM THE OPERATIONS OF YOUR ENGINEERS OR YOUR, YOUR, YOUR TOWN CONTROLLER OR, BUT, BUT, YOU KNOW, TO PULL THAT INFORMATION TOGETHER.
WITH THAT SAID, JEFF, DO WE HAVE ANYTHING ELSE? NO, I BELIEVE THAT'S EVERYTHING.
I FEEL LIKE I'M IN SCHOOL AND THIS IS THE REPORT CARD.
BUT NO, THIS IS REALLY HELPFUL.
I MEAN, I, I JUST THINK THAT WE REALLY HAVE TO WORK ON THE ARPA FUNDS.
I THINK THAT'S REALLY SHOULD BE LIKE A PRIORITY FOR, YOU KNOW, THE NEXT, YOU KNOW, FEW MONTHS, UH, FIGURE OUT HOW MUCH WE WANT TO USE AND WHAT WE'RE GONNA USE IT, YOU KNOW, FOR, AND WE JUST HAVE TO CREATE SCENARIOS IN DIFFERENT YEAH.
BUT I THINK THAT COULD REALLY HELP US DECIDE, WHICH IS THE, THAT COULD HELP US HAVE LIKE A, A BUDGET THAT ISN'T GONNA, THAT'S GONNA BE, WE WANT HAVE A TAX, A BUDGET THIS YEAR, NEXT YEAR THAT WILL BE AFFORDABLE FOR PEOPLE, YOU KNOW, TO LIVE HERE.
EVERYBODY'S LIKE REALLY STRESSED.
I MEAN, BUT, YOU KNOW, KEEPING IN MIND JUST AS SAID THAT AFTER THE ARPA FUNDS DRY UP, THEN THERE'S ALL OF A SUDDEN BIG CHANGE AND WE DON'T KNOW WHAT THE, WHAT THE CIRCUMSTANCE WOULD BE IN TERMS OF THE ECONOMY, BUT WE DON'T WANNA ALSO HAVE A BIG GAP BETWEEN WHAT WE HAVE ONE FROM ONE YEAR TO THE NEXT ONE, SO, RIGHT, RIGHT.
[00:35:01]
THIS IS A, IF WE'RE COMING UP WITH A BUDGET IN TWO, 2023, WE REALLY HAVE TWO BUDGET CYCLES TO USE THE ARPA FUNDS.NOT, YOU KNOW, WE DON'T HAVE, IT'S NOT AN INDEFINITE, RIGHT? WE'LL, WE HAVE TO, SO IF WE USE LIKE HALF OF IT, SAY THIS YEAR, HALF OF IT THE FOLLOWING YEAR, THEN WE'LL BE IN GREAT SHAPE.
WE APPRECIATE THE OPPORTUNITY TO, UH, SERVE YOU, AND WE LOOK FORWARD TO OUR CONTINUED RELATIONSHIP.
IT'S HOT TO HEAR, DOESN'T IT? YEAH, SURE.
DID THAT TAKE CARE OF OUR DISCUSSION ABOUT ARPA FUNDS? YEAH, THAT'S WHY.
NEED YOU ANYMORE? THANKS, ROBERTA.
I GUESS I'LL LEAVE THE SIGNATURE NOW.
SO, JUDITH, FOR THE, UH, VICTOR, UH, UH, 10, UM, LEVI'S, UM, PRESENTATION, WE'LL KEEP THAT TO 10 MINUTES.
YOU INITIALLY SAID 15, SO IT'S BEEN PLANNED FOR WITHIN 15 MINUTES.
AND MAYBE YOU COULD TELL, BECAUSE PEOPLE WERE COMPLAINING AT THE LAST, YOU KNOW, PRESENTATION THAT WAS GOING ON AND ON, AND WE WANT TO NOW TIGHTEN IT UP.
SO IF WE JUST TELL ALL THE SPEAKERS TO, UH, YOU KNOW, TO BE AS QUICKLY AS BRIEF AS THEY CAN, BUT, YOU KNOW, WE WANNA MAKE THIS A MEANINGFUL PRESENTATION.
AND, UM, HOW LONG, UH, SHOULD THE POLICE DEPARTMENT CEREMONY BE, WOULD YOU THINK? 15 MINUTES.
UNDER DECISIONS, THE LOCAL LAWS IN REGARDS TO THE LEAF BLOWERS, UM, THOSE WILL HAVE TO BE REINTRODUCED THAT SENT AN EMAIL OUT EARLIER TODAY.
WE HAD MADE CORRECTIONS TO THOSE LAWS, AND ALSO THEY'RE OUTDATED AT THIS POINT.
WE HAD A FINAL DATE OF OCTOBER 15TH.
SO, UH, I WOULD SUGGEST THAT THEY ARE EITHER WITHDRAWN OR, OR REMOVED, AND I WILL, UH, SET A NEW PUBLIC HEARING FOR THE, FOR THE REVISED LAWS AS LONG AS ALL BOARD MEMBERS AGREE WITH HOW IT'S CURRENTLY STRUCTURED.
I, I HAD ORIGINALLY, UM, THOUGHT THAT, NOT TODAY'S WORK SESSION, BUT THE NEXT WEEK'S WORK SESSION THAT WE WOULD DISCUSS THE LEAF BLOWERS AND THEN WE COULD BASICALLY SAY WE'RE GONNA ENFORCE IT NEXT YEAR.
I SENT OUT OUR, MY, ACTUALLY, I NEED TO MAKE MINOR CORRECTIONS, BUT YOU'LL GET THEM BEFORE NEXT WEEK'S WORK SESSION, AND THEN WE CAN POST IT AND THEN WE'LL BE DONE WITH THAT FOR, AND WE'LL TEST IT OUT FOR A YEAR.
UM, IN TERMS OF THE TOBACCO, UH, LEGISLATION, THE E C C SENT US A EDGEMONT COMMUNITY COUNCIL SENT US A EMAIL, UM, UM, YOU KNOW, WITH SOME CONCERNS, AND I SPOKE TO JOE EARLIER.
SO I, I APPRECIATE CC'S CONTINUED EFFORTS IN TRYING TO GET SOMETHING PASSED AND, AND MAKING, UM, STREETS SAFER FOR, FOR THE CHILDREN.
I RESPECTFULLY DISAGREE WITH SOME OF THE CONTENTIONS THAT THEY'RE MAKING.
I BELIEVE THIS IS AN ENFORCEABLE LAW, ONE THAT WILL HELP THE TOWN.
UM, I, I DON'T BELIEVE THE LANGUAGE IN VA IS VAGUE.
I, I THINK IT'S ENFORCEABLE BY OUR BUILDING DEPARTMENT.
UM, BASED ON TOWN LAW 1 38, THE BUILDING INSPECTOR HAS THE RIGHT TO ENFORCE OUR CODES, ORDINANCES, RULES AND REGULATIONS.
SO I FEEL LIKE IT WOULD BE WITHIN THE RIGHTS OF THE BUILDING INSPECTOR, UM, TO, TO ENFORCE THIS.
AND I'VE SPOKEN TO, UH, THE BUILDING DEPARTMENT AND THEY HAVE BEEN EAGER TO MAKE SURE THAT THIS IS ENFORCED.
UM, IT'S, IT'S UNFORTUNATE THAT WE HAVEN'T COME TO AN AGREEMENT AT THIS POINT.
I, I'D BE WILLING, IT DEPENDS WHAT THE BOARD WANTS.
I'D BE WILLING TO GO BACK AND, AND MAKE IT A, ANOTHER ATTEMPT AT DRAFTING IT.
I, I PERSONALLY BELIEVE THAT IT'S ALSO APPROPRIATE AS DRAFTED.
[00:40:01]
LIKE TO REMIND EVERYONE THAT WE'RE ALSO CONSIDERING, UH, MAKING AMENDMENTS TO THE ZONING LAW.YOU REFERRED A CHANGE TO THE PLANNING BOARD, WHICH THEY HAVE YET TO REVIEW AT THIS TIME.
THERE'S ALSO BEEN SOME DISCUSSIONS ON POSSIBLY HAVING A SPECIAL PERMIT, POTENTIALLY, BUT I WOULD OF COURSE HAVE TO SPEAK TO THE CLERK, WHICH HAS NOT BEEN DONE YET.
AND THAT'S JUST ONE SUGGESTION THAT'S OUT THERE.
UM, NO WORK HAS BEEN DONE ON THAT YET.
BUT WITH THE ZONING CODE THAT WAS REFERRED TO THE PLANNING BOARD, SO THIS WOULDN'T BE THE ONLY LAW PASSED THAT WOULD REGULATE TOBACCO SALES WITHIN THE TOWN, POTENTIALLY, DEPENDING ON WHAT THE PLANNING BOARD DECIDED.
ARE THERE ANY, UH, ASPECTS OF THE EDGE ONE COMMUNITY COUNCIL'S, UM, YOU KNOW, COMMENTS TO YOU THAT YOU COULD LIVE WITH? WELL, I ALREADY MADE CHANGES BASED ON WHAT WE HAD DISCUSSED.
THEY WERE CONCERNED THAT MY ORIGINAL PROPOSAL DID NOT INCLUDE CERTAIN TOBACCO AND VAPOR PRODUCTS SUCH AS AEROSOL AND, UM, SYNTHETIC, UH, T UH, EXCUSE ME, SYNTHETIC TOBACCO AS WELL.
WE INCORPORATED THOSE CHANGES.
UM, I'M NOT SURE WE, WE WOULD, IF, IF ANY CHANGES WERE TO OCCUR, WE WOULD HAVE TO SCHEDULE A FURTHER DISCUSSION WITH THE B, C, C AND ANY OTHER MEMBER OF THE PUBLIC WHO IS, YOU KNOW, WILLING TO TAKE A LOOK AT THIS AND OFFER THEIR ADVICE AS WELL.
SO ANYBODY ON THE BOARD HAVE ANY THOUGHTS.
IT'S ALSO ON, FOR A PUBLIC HEARING TOMORROW TO ALLOW FOR OTHER MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC TO REVIEW THE LAW ONLINE RIGHT NOW AND COME OUT AND VOICE THEIR OPINION AS WELL.
SO I GUESS IF I POST SOMETHING TODAY, YOU KNOW, THE EDITED VERSION, I SHOULD HIGHLIGHT THE FACT THAT WE'RE HAVING A PUBLIC HEARING AND WE WANT TO HEAR FROM THE PUBLIC.
AND, YOU KNOW, WE WILL LISTEN TO COMMENTS AND WE COULD ASK, AND THIS WAY, IF, IF YOU HAVE SOME CONCERNS THAT ARE HIGHLIGHTED BY THE OUN COMMUNITY COUNCIL, YOU COULD BRING IT UP AND THEN EVERYBODY COULD HEAR THE PLUSES AND MINUSES OF DOING WHAT THEY WANT AND WE'RE NOT DOING WHAT THEY WANT.
LET'S SEE, WHAT ELSE? UM, GOOD EVENING.
JUST A QUICK NOTE, UM, ON THE AGENDA UNDER DECISIONS, AND I CAN SPEAK TO JOAN ABOUT THIS, IF YOU GIMME THE AUTHORIZATION, UM, IT INDICATES THAT THERE'S SCHEDULED TO BE A DECISION OF SCARSDALE GOLF CLUB.
UM, I THINK THAT SHOULD BE REMOVED.
THERE IS NO RESOLUTION THAT MATCHES IT.
THERE IS NO RESOLUTION INTENTIONALLY, UM, THE ZONING BOARD IS YET TO ACT.
SO, UM, THAT WILL BE ON A SUBSEQUENT MEETING.
I'LL COORDINATE WITH JOAN AND HAVE THIS, UH, REMOVED.
THE CD ONE, UH, THE AUTHORIZATION AUTHORIZING IMPLEMENTATION OF FUNDING.
IN THE FIRST INSTANCE, A HUNDRED PERCENT OF THE FEDERAL AID ELIGIBLE CROSS OF A TRANSPORTATION FEDERAL AID PROJECT KNOWN AS THE EAST WEST HARTSDALE, UH, CORRIDOR PEDESTRIAN IMPROVEMENTS.
PART OF THE GRANT THAT WE JUST GOT? YES.
CD ONE IS THE, UH, EAST WEST HARTSDALE AVENUE GRANT, UM, WHICH THE TOWN IS THE RECIPIENT OF.
SO NEW YORK STATE WANTS TO SEE THAT THE TOWN WILL PUT FORTH THE FUNDS ON NEXT YEAR'S BUDGET TO START IMPLEMENTING THAT PROJECT, WHICH WILL BE, UH, ENGINEERING STUDIES AND FEASIBILITY.
SOON ENOUGH, THERE WAS SOMEBODY WHEELING A BABY CARRIAGE UP THE HILL AND THE ROADWAY MUCH NEEDED, UH, SIDEWALK THERE.
AND CD TWO IS, IS COMPARABLE, UM, TOWN AS A RECIPIENT OF A $1 MILLION GRANT FOR DOBS FERRY ROAD.
SO THE STATE WANTS TO, UM, SEE THAT THE TOWN IS PUTTING UP THE ENGINEERING FUNDS, UH, FOR, UH, NEXT YEAR'S CAPITAL BUDGET.
AND CONGRESSMAN ONE DAY, JONES SENT US AN EMAIL EARLIER THAT HE WANTS TO HAVE AN EVENT, YOU KNOW, WHERE HE'S ANNOUNCING THE GRANT.
I THINK IN, UH, OCTOBER THEY WERE, THEY WERE SEEKING, SO IF THE BOARD MEMBERS COULD LOOK AT YOUR CALENDARS, THAT THEY WOULD
YOU KNOW, IF YOU CAN'T MAKE IT, JUST TELL GARRETT OR MYSELF.
HE DIDN'T GIVE ANY, HE SAID THEY JUST WANT TO GET WHATT.
YOU GIVE US A COUPLE, A FEW DATES SO THAT WE CAN THEN LOOK AND COMMENT.
RIGHT NOW, IT SEEMS OPEN-ENDED ON THEIR END.
SO, UH, WE'LL, WE'LL CIRCULATE SOME POTENTIAL DATES.
UH, MORNING IN OCTOBER WAS THE GENERAL REQUEST.
UM, IF WE COULD STAY AWAY FROM THEM THURSDAY THE 13TH THROUGH SUNDAY THE 16TH, THAT WOULD BE GREAT.
AND I'M NOT GOOD FOR ANY TUESDAY MORNINGS.
[00:45:01]
OCTOBER, AND I HAVE SOME OTHER THINGS SCHEDULED, BUT JUST COME UP WITH SOME DATES AND GREAT.AMONG US, WE'LL FIGURE IT OUT.
BOARD TUESDAYS AND, UH, THE 13TH TO THE 16TH.
AND THEN I HAVE MY RADIO PROGRAM ON FRIDAYS AND FRIDAY MORNINGS, UH, RESOLUTION OF THE TOWN BOARD, OF THE TOWN OF GREENBURG, DECLARING INTENT TO BE LEAD AGENCY FOR THE PURPOSES OF SEEKER REVIEW.
YEAH, CD THREE, UH, PERTAINS TO METROPOLIS COUNTRY CLUB, AND, UM, THEY'VE SUBMITTED A SITE PLAN APPLICATION.
UH, THEY WANT TO BUILD A, UH, ENVIRONMENTAL CENTER ON THEIR GOLF COURSE TO HOUSE, UH, EQUIPMENT AND, UM, CHEMICALS AND THINGS.
SO, UH, THAT WILL START THE PROCESS, AND THEN THAT'S A REFERRAL TO THE PLANNING BOARD.
AND FOR CD FOUR, APPROVING COMPENSATION FOR CONTRIBUTING ARTISTS SUPPORT OF THE MANHATTAN AND NEW WORLD MURAL PROJECT, UM, YOU KNOW, WE'VE ALL, I MEAN, THAT'S SOMETHING THAT, UM, YOU KNOW, WE'VE DISCUSSED.
THE QUESTION I HAVE IS I'VE WRITTEN LIKE THE ARTISTS LIKE TWO OR THREE TIMES IN THE PAST FEW DAYS, YOU KNOW, OR SAYING, YOU KNOW, I COULD PERSONALLY LIVE WITH LIKE, ANYTHING AS LONG AS THERE'S NO ANTISEMITIC, YOU KNOW, REPRESENTATIONS THAT'S, YOU KNOW, ME, UM, YOU KNOW, SPEAKING AND HE NEVER RESPONDED.
AND I'M WONDERING IF IT WOULD BE APPROPRIATE FOR THE BOARD TO FIND THAT HE'S IN DEFAULT OF THE, HIS CONTRACT AND SENT HIM A NOTE.
YOU KNOW, WOULD WE BE ABLE TO DO THAT AND THEN WE COULD TAKE STEPS TO, UH, REMOVE THE UNAUTHORIZED, UH, RIGHT.
IMAGES? WELL, WELL, HOPEFULLY, UM, THE ARTIST WILL RESPOND AND WE COULD COOPERATE TO GET THIS TAKEN CARE OF.
HOWEVER, IF NOT, UM, I AM PREPARED TO SEND THE BREACH OF CONTRACT LETTER.
UH, YOU KNOW, A LOT OF PEOPLE, IF HE'S, I JUST WANNA, I JUST WANNA PUT IT OUT THERE.
IF HE'S IN DEFAULT, IT'S BECAUSE HE IS VIOLATED THE CONTRACT.
IT'S NOT BECAUSE OF ANY PARTICULAR PERSON THAT'S UP ON THERE.
HE IS VIOLATED THE CONTRACT AND, AND, AND AFFECTS MORE THAN ONE PERSON.
BUT I'M SAYING IF THE, THE ISSUE THAT, YOU KNOW, I HAVE IS, YOU KNOW, PEOPLE ARE CALLING ME, YOU KNOW, MULTIPLE TIMES, LIKE EVERY DAY.
UM, AND PEOPLE ARE SAYING, YOU KNOW, IT'S, WE SAID WE'RE GONNA TAKE DOWN THE IMAGES.
UM, AND, YOU KNOW, THEY JUST WANNA SEE LIKE SOME, SOME SORT OF ACTION.
AND I'M JUST WONDERING, YOU KNOW, WHAT'S, IF IF HE'S IN DEFAULT, YOU KNOW, WHAT'S THE SOONEST WE COULD TAKE ACTION AND, YOU KNOW, REMOVE, IS HE IN DEFAULT? HOW, HOW WOULD HE BE IN, HE'S IN, HE DIDN'T COMPLY WITH THE CONTRACT.
YOU KNOW, THE, IF HE'S, IF HE'S NOT COMPLYING AND HE'S NOT RESPONDING, SO THEN THOSE, THE UNAUTHORIZED IMAGES HAVE TO COME DOWN.
I, I THINK WE'VE GIVEN PLENTY OF TIME FOR THE IMAGES TO BE REMOVED AT THIS POINT, AND WE SHOULD BE PREPARED TO ACT IMMEDIATELY IF WE DON'T RECEIVE A RESPONSE.
THAT'S IN A GREAT RESPONSE BY WHEN IT WAS SUPPOSED TO BE TODAY, WASN'T IT? THAT'S CORRECT.
AND YOU'VE SENT THOUGH ANOTHER NOTE SAYING, UH, POSSIBLY MEETING TOMORROW, BUT HE'S NOT RESPONDING.
I, I WOULD SUGGEST ALLOWING HIM MAYBE ONE MORE NIGHT TO, TO RESPOND TO A REQUEST TO SEE IF HE'LL COME IN TOMORROW SINCE WE'LL ALL BE MEETING.
UM, AND THAT TO BE THE FINAL OPPORTUNITY.
YOU KNOW, I THINK FRANCIS, I THINK SOMEBODY MENTIONED, YOU KNOW, LIKE POWER WASHING THE UNAUTHORIZED IMAGES INSTEAD OF JUST PAINTING OVER.
I MEAN, IS THAT SOMETHING THAT, YOU KNOW, YOU KNOW, COULD BE DONE? YOU KNOW, WE KEEP MO MOST OF THE MURAL AND WE JUST REMOVE THE UNAUTHORIZED, UM, IMAGES BECAUSE I, YOU KNOW, I JUST SORT OF FEEL THAT WE'RE GETTING PEOPLE FROM OUT OF GREENBERG COMING IN TELLING US WHAT TO DO.
YOU KNOW? YOU KNOW, AND I JUST SORT OF FEEL THAT IT LOOKS LIKE, YOU KNOW, WE'RE AFRAID TO TAKE ACTION, AND I JUST FEEL THAT IF WE'RE GONNA DO SOMETHING, WE HAVE TO DO IT, YOU KNOW, QUICKLY.
OTHERWISE PEOPLE ARE GONNA THINK WE'RE JUST BLUFFING.
PAUL, WHY DON'T YOU, AS I SUGGESTED, HAVE A MEETING, BRING PEOPLE TOGETHER, THE BOARD, THE ARTISTS.
HE'S NOT REALLY, HE'S NOT RESPONDING.
I, I, BECAUSE I THINK THAT I, YOU KNOW, IF PEOPLE ARE HEARD, THEN THAT GIVES THEM A SENSE OF DIGNITY, GIVES THEM A SENSE OF RESPECT AND, AND, AND VALIDATION WHEN THEY'RE GIVEN THE OPPORTUNITY TO BE HEARD.
NOW, THE DECISION OF THE BOARD MAY, I MEAN, WILL PROB YOU KNOW, WILL BE WHAT IT IS, BUT AT LEAST THE OPPORTUNITY TO BE HEARD IS, REPRESENTS RESPECT AND DIGNITY.
I BASICALLY, YESTERDAY I EMAILED THE ARTIST.
I COPIED EVERYONE, YOU KNOW, WHO'S CONTACTED ME.
I SAID, PLEASE, YOU KNOW, I DON'T WANT TO TAKE DOWN, YOU KNOW, WE DON'T, WE WANT THIS MURAL TO BE SOMETHING THAT EVERYBODY'S PROUD OF, BUT MM-HMM.
[00:50:01]
KNOW, HE HAS TO AGREE TO COMPLY WITH THE, THE CONTRACT.SARAH ACY WHITE SENT ME A NOTE SAYING HE'S DEFINITELY NOT COMPLYING WITH WHAT, WHAT WE HAD ASKED HIM TO DO.
SO, YOU KNOW, ONE OF THE REASONS I WANTED TO BRING THIS UP AT THE PUBLIC MEETING IS, YOU KNOW, I'M HOPING THAT HE OR SOMEBODY, YOU KNOW, WHO LIKES A MURAL IS LISTENING, AND THEY REALIZE THAT THIS IS NOT A JOKE.
YOU KNOW, THERE'S GONNA BE A DAY WHEN THE UNAUTHORIZED IMAGES ARE GONNA COME DOWN IF HE DOESN'T RESPOND.
AND, YOU KNOW, I'M, I'M, I'M ACTUALLY BRINGING THIS UP NOW, HOPING THAT HE DOES RESPOND AND AGREES TO MEET AND, AND WORKS WITH US.
BECAUSE YOU KNOW WHAT? THE MURAL WAS A GREAT IDEA.
YOU KNOW, WE SPENT TWO YEARS, THE WHOLE BOARD SPENT TWO YEARS WORKING ON IT.
THERE WAS A LOT OF PLANNING THAT WENT ON.
WE SHOULD ALL BE PROUD OF THIS, THIS, YOU KNOW, THE BLACK LIVES MATTER MOVEMENT, IT MEANS A LOT TO EVERYBODY ON THE SPORT.
AND, AND, YOU KNOW, THE MURAL MEANT A LOT TO EVERYBODY.
SO IT'S HURTING EVERYBODY WHEN, UM, WHEN THE CONTRACT THAT WE REACHED WASN'T COMPLIED WITH.
THE ONLY PROBLEM HERE, THOUGH, IS THAT THERE WAS NEVER A REQUEST FOR A FINAL DRAFT.
WHAT WAS APPROVED, WHAT EVERYONE WENT ALONG WITH WAS A DRAFT.
AND THAT ARTIST SAID, YOU KNOW, UH, I'LL PROBABLY MAKE SOME ADDITIONS.
SO THAT'S WHY I'M, I'M WONDERING, IS HE REALLY IN BREACH OF, OF THE CONTRACT, IF, IF THERE WAS NEVER A FINAL DRAFT, UM, REQUESTED OR IT, BASED ON MY INTERPRETATION, CURRENTLY HE IS, BUT HE'S ALSO HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO COME SPEAK TO US, WHICH HE'S DENIED TO COME IN.
SO, AS I SAID EARLIER, I, I WOULD SUGGEST GIVING HIM ONE MORE OPPORTUNITY BY THE END OF THE NIGHT TO CONTACT US AND SCHEDULE SOMETHING TOMORROW.
SHOULD WE MOVE ALONG TO, YEAH, I JUST, AND I'LL SHARE WITH YOU, I'M GONNA COPY YOU AN EMAIL THAT SARAH, UH, BRACY WHITE SENT, UH, TO ME, YOU KNOW, YESTERDAY WITH HER IMPRESSIONS.
AND CINDY, I'M SENDING IT TO YOU RIGHT NOW.
I JUST WANNA GO BACK TO, LET'S SEE, I JUST WANNA GO BACK TO THE, UM, CLERK RESOLUTIONS AND, UM, GIVE THE BOARD A, A HEADS UP.
UH, PAUL BRIAN SIMMONS, UH, TOM ENGINEER, UH, ASLE SUBER, WHO IS THE, UM, SPONSOR OF THE, UM, COMMEMORATIVE STREET SIGN CEREMONY FOR ANDRE LEON.
WE MET TODAY AND DISCUSSED SOME LOGISTICS.
UH, AND IT WAS AGREED THAT, UM, THE STREET BE CLOSED BETWEEN WHITE HOUSE LANE AND SAW MILL RIVER ROAD BECAUSE OF THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE WHO ARE EXPECTED.
SO I JUST, WELL, YOU KNOW, I'M JUST SHARING THAT TO SAY THAT WE SENT AN EMAIL TO SERGEANT REON AND CHIEF POWELL, UH, TO MAKE THAT REQUEST.
SO THE RESOLUTION, IF THEY AGREED TO IT, IF OUR POLICE DEPARTMENT AGREES TO IT, THEN THAT RESOLUTION WILL BE ADDED TO TOMORROW'S AGENDA WE DON'T HAVE, 'CAUSE IT WOULD, IT WOULD HAVE TO BE, UH, AGREED.
IT HAS TO BE VOTED ON SINCE THE, UM, EVENT IS NEXT WEDNESDAY.
WHAT EVENT IS THIS? IT'S THE COMMEMORATIVE STREET SIGN CEREMONY ON WORTHINGTON AND SAWMILL RIVER ROAD THAT ALL THE TOWN BOARD MEMBERS WERE INVITED TO AS WELL AS WELL, IT WOULD BE GOOD, SINCE THE TOWN BOARD'S, THE ONE THAT'S DEDICATING THE STREET, AGAIN, THE TOWN BOARD MEMBERS WERE INVITED AS WERE SEVERAL OTHER, UH, ELECTED OFFICIALS FROM OUR CONGRESSIONAL REPRESENTATIVE TO, TO EVERYONE, INCLUDING EVERYONE.
SO THE POINT IS JUST THAT, TO GIVE YOU A HEADS UP THAT A NEW RESOLUTION REGARDING A STREET CLOSING, UM, MAY BE ADDED TO TOMORROW'S AGENDA.
JUST WAITING TO HEAR FROM SERGEANT ZEN AND CHIEF POWELL REGARDING THAT REQUEST ON P O THREE.
IT'S, UH, FOR HAVING A SCHOOL OF RESOURCE OFFICER AT THE HOWARD ROAD SCHOOL, I DON'T KNOW WHETHER OR NOT IN OTHER SCHOOL RESOURCE OFFICERS, WE ONLY GET PAID AT THE END OF THE YEAR.
WE HAVE TO PAY THE POLICE OFFICER FOR THE ENTIRE YEAR, AND THEN THEY'LL PAY US BACK IN JUNE AT THE END OF THEIR SCHOOL YEAR.
THAT DOESN'T MAKE SENSE TO ME.
THAT WAS REVIEWED BY SOMEONE ELSE IN MY OFFICE.
I WILL, UH, PULL IT UP NOW, FORWARD
[00:55:01]
TO YOU AND BRIAN.ON PW FIVE, WE'VE NEVER DONE IN AN AMOUNT NOT TO EXCEED THE HOURLY BILLING RATE OF $250.
IT'S USUALLY NOT TO EXCEED A TOTAL AMOUNT.
THERE'S NO, THERE APPEARS TO BE NO CAP ON HOW MANY HOURS CAN BE GENERATED.
DO YOU HAVE AN ESTIMATE OF HOW MUCH THIS IS GOING TO ACTUALLY COST? UH, WE DON'T RIGHT NOW.
SO, UM, THE REASON THIS RESOLUTION OBVIOUSLY IS, IS, IS TO, UM, ASSIST US IN ENGINEERING DEPARTMENT, ESPECIALLY WITH THE PASSING OF OUR COUNTY ENGINEER.
AND SO RIGHT NOW WE'RE WORKING VERY CLOSELY WITH THE PERSONNEL OFFICE AND WITH, UM, WESTCHESTER COUNTY HUMAN RESOURCES TO, UH, FILL POSITION AS SOON AS WE CAN.
UM, SO WE'RE, WE'RE TRYING TO BRIDGE THIS GAP IN BETWEEN WHEN WE CAN PERMANENTLY FILL THAT POSITION AND WHEN WE CAN GET SOME ASSISTANCE IN BUILDING.
SO WE NEED SOME KIND OF A CAP.
WE CAN, WE, I CAN'T VOTE FOR SOMETHING THAT HAS NO LIMIT TO IT.
YOU KNOW, WE COULD ALWAYS HAVE ANOTHER RESOLUTION DOWN THE LINE IF WE EXCEED WHATEVER THAT AMOUNT IS, BECAUSE WE STILL NEED TO HAVE THE CONSULTING COMPANY HELP OUT, UH, WITH OUR ENGINEERING SERVICES.
UM, BUT I DON'T LIKE SETTING A PRECEDENT THAT WE'RE, WE'RE AUTHORIZING AN HOURLY RATE NOT TO EXCEED, BUT NOT STATING HOW MANY HOURS THAT COULD BE OR HOW MANY DAYS THAT COULD BE, OR HOW MANY MONTHS THAT COULD BE.
WE COULD CERTAINLY APPROXIMATE HOW MANY HOURS IT'S GOING TO BE.
I MEAN, WE HAVE A, A TIMELINE RIGHT NOW BASED UPON HOW, HOW LONG IT TOOK US PREVIOUSLY TO FILL THAT POSITION WHERE IT WAS ABOUT THREE MONTHS.
UH, WE COULD ESTIMATE HOW MANY HOURS THAT'S GONNA BE.
IT IS IMPORTANT TO NOTE THAT THAT NOT TO, UM, EXCEED THAT 2 55 PER HOUR.
THAT'S FOR A, A PRINCIPAL ENGINEER.
SO SCHOOL ENGINEER ISN'T GONNA BE NECESSARILY WORKING, UM, ALL DAY EVERY DAY ON, ON SOME OF THESE PROJECTS THAT, THAT WE HAVE.
UM, THAT'S JUST THE, THE MAXIMUM, UM, NUMBER.
IT COULD VERY WELL BE AN ASSISTANT OR IT COULD BE ENGINEER IF THEY HAVE ON.
UM, BUT WE CAN CERTAINLY COME UP WITH AN APPROXIMATION, UM, AND WE CAN GET THAT INFORMATION.
UH, DO YOU ENVISION THAT THERE WOULD BE A PRINCIPLE AS WELL AS JUNIOR PEOPLE WORKING ON THIS? SO IT ACTUALLY WOULD EXCEED $250 PER HOUR? NO.
SO $200 PER HOUR IS, IS THE MESS.
SO THERE VERY WELL COULD BE FOR SOME OF THE, UH, LOWER TIER WORK.
THERE COULD BE A JUNIOR OR AN ASSISTANT THAT'S WORKING ON IT.
UM, YOU KNOW, AND THIS, THIS ISN'T, THIS IS FOR ENGINEERING CONSULTING, SO IT VERY WELL INCLUDES, UH, JUST GENERAL CIVIL ENGINEERING WORK, WETLAND CONSULTATION, INSPECTION WORK, UM, ANYTHING THAT REALLY PERTAINS TO ANY MUNICIPAL PROJECTS, UH, AND OR EMERGENCIES THAT, THAT MAY COME UP.
FOR PO THREE, COUNCIL MEMBERS CHIN, UH, YOU'D PREFER THAT THE CONTRACT IS CHANGED TO REFLECT PAYMENT THROUGHOUT THE YEAR AS OPPOSED TO WELL, QUARTERLY, MONTHLY SOMETHING.
'CAUSE IN THE CONTRACT IT TALKS ABOUT IF THE PERSON GETS CALLED AWAY BY OUR CHIEF TO DO SOMETHING TOWN RELATED, IT GETS DEDUCTED.
THAT'S GONNA GET A LOT OF PAPERWORK, YOU KNOW, THAT WE'RE TRYING TO, TO DEAL WITH FOR WHAT HAPPENED IN OCTOBER IN JULY OF THE FOLLOWING YEAR.
UM, SIMILARLY, IF THEY NEED THE RESOURCE OFFICER TO STAY LATE BECAUSE THERE'S AN EVENT, UH, THEY PAY US MORE.
THEY'RE PAYING US 800, $800 AN HOUR.
UH, AND $800, I BELIEVE FOR THE, FOR THE DAY.
SEE, I DON'T THINK $800 A DAY COVERS THE EXPENSES.
$800 AN HOUR WOULD CERTAINLY BE
SO, UH, BUT ANYWAY, IT JUST, I DON'T KNOW WHAT WE DID WHEN WE HAD A RESOURCE OFFICER AT, UH, ANOTHER SCHOOL, BUT IT JUST DOESN'T MAKE SENSE TO ME THAT WE WOULD GO AN ENTIRE YEAR BEFORE WE GET A PAYMENT.
AND, UH, BRIAN, YOU WANT JUST, UH, GO THROUGH THE ENGINEERING CONSULTANT WE JUST DID TALKING ABOUT? THAT'S WHAT WE WERE JUST TALKING ABOUT.
UNLESS YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT WE'RE UP 80.
NO, I WAS TALKING ABOUT THE CONSULTANT.
YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT PW FIVE HERE? YEAH, THAT'S, WE JUST TALKED ABOUT PW THREE ALSO.
[01:00:09]
PW THREE REFERRING TO THE, UM, YEAH, THAT'S MORNING HEARING SERVICES FOR THE BRIDGE WORK.THAT'S, THAT'S, THAT'S A, YOU KNOW, STANDARD CONSULTANT, RIGHT? PRETTY AS WELL AS PW TWO.
AND, AND JUST SO EVERYONE KNOWS, SO PW TWO IS FOR THE FAIRVIEW PARK BRIDGE.
THAT'S A BRIDGE THAT GETS INSPECTED ON A, THAT BIANNUAL BASIS BY THE NEW YORK STATE DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION.
AND SO THEY NOTIFIED US, UH, FOR THEIR LAST INSPECTION THAT THERE ARE SEVERAL, UM, ITEMS THAT DO REQUIRE REPAIR.
AND SO THAT PROPOSAL IS, UM, UH, IT WAS ON, ON JUNE 24TH, THERE WAS EIGHT PROPOSALS IN TOTAL.
AND KSS ENGINEERS WAS THE MOST ON THE JACKSON AVENUE.
YOU KNOW, THE, I KNOW EVERY TIME, YOU KNOW, I SPEAK TO THE FIRE CHIEFS AND HASTINGS, THEY, THEY MENTIONED THERE'S HYDRANT ISSUES.
IS THAT SOMETHING THAT COULD EVER BE, YOU KNOW, ADDRESS? IS THAT SOMETHING THAT YOU'RE, YOU KNOW, AWARE OF? BECAUSE WHENEVER I SEE THEM, THEY, THEY MENTION THAT.
SO THIS PW RESOLUTION FOR THE OLD JACKSON AVENUE, UH, BRIDGE, THIS IS NOT, THIS IS, THIS PERTAINS DIRECTLY TO THE BRIDGE, UH, REPAIR.
UH, THERE'S A PARAPET WALL ON JACKSON AVENUE.
THIS IS RIGHT IN FRONT OF, UM, UH, ST.
UH, THAT REQUIRES, UH, REPLACEMENT.
SO THAT'S WHAT THIS RESOLUTION IS FOR.
UM, UM, THE, THE FIRE HYDRANTS, THE ONES THAT ARE, ARE IN THE OLD JACKSON AVENUE AREA AND AS WELL AS THE HASTINGS AREA.
THAT'S ACTUALLY A PART OF, UM, SUEZ THAT'S OUTSIDE OF THE TOWNS WATER CONSOLIDATED, UH, WATER DISTRICT.
AND SO, UM, THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE CAN REACH OUT TO SUEZ.
WE HAVE TO GET SOME MORE INFORMATION FROM THEM, BUT UNFORTUNATELY WE DON'T HAVE VERY MUCH, UM, INFORMATION OR, UM, REALLY ANY DATA ON ANY OF THEIR FLOW TESTS OVER THERE.
I NEVER, SO THAT WOULD ALWAYS, SO ACTUALLY IF I WANT TO FOLLOW UP ON THAT, THAT WOULD BE
IT'S NOT CALLED SUEZ NAME EITHER.
I THINK IT'S VIOLA, VIOLA, VIOLA WATER OR SOMETHING.
THAT'S, NO, THAT'S GREAT TO KNOW.
THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE SHOULD REALLY FOLLOW UP ON.
ANYTHING ELSE WE HAVE ED? JUST GIVE THE BEST FOR LAST I THINK ED.
SO THANK YOU FOR SEEING ME TONIGHT.
I JUST WANTED TO TALK ABOUT TWO PROPOSED LEGISLATION FOR TOWN LAWS.
ONE WOULD BE THE SENIOR CITIZEN EXEMPTION, AND THAT IS FOR SENIORS WHO ARE OVER 65 YEARS OLD, UH, WITH LIMITED INCOMES AND DISABLED, AND I HAVEN'T GOTTEN THERE YET.
IT'S BASED ON A SLIDING SCALE, AND IT GOES FROM 5% TO 50%.
SO THE MORE MONEY YOU MAKE, THE LESS OF AN EXEMPTION THAT YOU GET.
AND IT'S BEEN PROPOSED INTO LEGISLATION THE GOVERNOR RECENTLY SIGNED IT, THE COUNTY IS READY TO PASS IT, AND WE WILL BE GOING FROM 37,400, WHICH IS THE MAXIMUM EXEMPTION ALLOWABLE TO $58,000.
SO ANYBODY CURRENTLY THAT MAKES FROM ZERO TO 29,000 IS RECEIVING A 50% EXEMPTION.
IF THE LEGISLATION IS ENACTED IN THE TOWN, THEY WILL GO FROM ANYBODY WHO'S MAKING $0 TO $50,000.
WE'LL RECEIVE A 50% EXEMPTION.
SOMEBODY JUST GIVE YOU A QUICK EXAMPLE.
I REDACTED THE NAMES, UM, AND THE ADDRESS.
WE HAVE A TAXPAYER IN TOWN WHOSE INCOME IS $37,000.
THEY'RE CURRENTLY RECEIVING A 5% EXEMPTION OFF THEIR PROPERTY TAX BILL.
THEIR PROPERTY IS ASSESSED AT 440 SOMETHING THOUSAND DOLLARS.
AND THEIR TAXES, IF THINGS STAND THE WAY THAT THEY ARE CURRENTLY, THEIR TAXES ARE, ARE $10,118.
TOWN COUNTY SCHOOL, IF THIS LEGISLATION IS ENACTED, THIS INDIVIDUAL, BECAUSE THEIR INCOME IS 37,300, WILL JUMP FROM A 5% EXEMPTION TO A 50% EXEMPTION.
THAT WILL CHANGE THEIR TAX EXPOSURE FROM $10,118 TO $3,400.
SO IT WOULD HELP TREMENDOUSLY.
[01:05:01]
LITTLE BIT OF HISTORY ON THIS.UM, MAYBE I'LL ANSWER IT, IS THAT THE LEGISLATURE, I'VE BEEN DOING THIS A LITTLE BIT TOO LONG, BUT THE LEGISLATURE WAY BACK WAS CHANGING THE LIMITS EVERY YEAR BY A THOUSAND DOLLARS.
SO IT WAS 20,000 AND THEN IT WAS 21, AND THEN IT WAS 22, AND THEN IT WAS 33.
THIS WAS HAPPENING EVERY YEAR ABOUT 18 YEARS AGO.
I CAN'T SPEAK FOR THE LEGISLATURE, SO I'LL LEAVE IT AT THIS, THAT, THAT AMOUNT HAS NOT CHANGED IN ABOUT 18 YEARS.
SO WHILE IT SEEMS THAT IT'S A HUGE JUMP FROM 37,000 TO 58,000, WHICH IT IS, BUT IT'S BEEN FROZEN FOR 18 YEARS, I'M NOT EVEN QUITE SURE, STRUGGLING AT 50,000, $58,000, LET ALONE SENIORS WHO ACTUALLY LIVE, UM, ON 37,000.
WE HAVE ABOUT, AT RIGHT NOW ABOUT 560 SENIOR CITIZENS WHO ARE MAKING LESS THAN THE 37.
HOW MANY? ABOUT 550 SENIORS WHO FALL IN THIS CATEGORY, 75% OF WHICH ARE ALREADY AT THE 50% EXEMPTION AMOUNT.
THEIR EXEMPTION AMOUNT WILL NOT CHANGE.
UM, SO THAT'S ABOUT ANOTHER 20, 25% THAT INCLUDES CO-OPS.
I'M NOT SURE THAT, THAT THAT'S FACT RIGHT NOW BY INCREASING THIS AMOUNT.
'CAUSE WE'D BE ONE OF THE FIRST ONES TO DO THIS.
HOW MANY NEW SENIORS WOULD FALL WITHIN THESE CATEGORIES? SO I'M A LITTLE BIT NERVOUS ABOUT GUESSING, SO I DIDN'T THIS ALSO, SO BASED ON WHAT, YOU KNOW, WHAT WOULD BE THE SHIFT? SO I BROKE IT OUT INTO TWO COMPONENTS.
ONE WAS THE, BECAUSE WE HAVE TWO DIFFERENT TAX RATES, UNINCORPORATED AREA AND VILLAGES, THE RESIDENTS IN THE VILLAGE, IF EVERYTHING REMAINS CONSTANT, JUST WE HAVE THESE, UM, IT'S ABOUT $21,000 TOTAL, THE SHIFT.
UM, AND IN THE UNINCORPORATED AREA, IF WE JUST REMAIN WITH THESE, IT'S ABOUT $57,000 SPREAD OUT.
SPREAD OUT OVER ALL THE TAXPAYERS.
AND $24 BILLION IT WOULD BE SPREAD.
SO I THINK OUR BUDGET, I THINK OUR, UM, REVENUE IS 63 MILLION.
SO THAT WOULD, THE 57,000 WOULD I I THINK THAT'S RIGHT.
VERSUS GONNA KILL ME IF I HAD IT WRONG, IT'S CLOSE.
UM, IT WOULD BE THAT 57,000 WOULD BE SPREAD OVER THE 63 MILLION.
SO THIS ALSO INCLUDES, WHICH IS INCLUDED IN THE TWO NUMBERS THAT I JUST GAVE YOU.
UM, IT'S CALLED 4 59 C AND THAT IS PEOPLE WITH PERSONS WITH DISABILITIES AS WELL AND LIMITED INCOMES.
SO, AND THANK I THANK GOODNESS WE DON'T HAVE THAT MANY IN TOWN, BUT WE DO HAVE A FEW, WE DON'T HAVE MANY WHAT PERSONS WITH DISABILITIES WITH LIMITED INCOMES.
BUT THE, BUT AGAIN, UM, I DO DEFINITELY ANTICIPATE ACCEPTING AND IMPLEMENTING ADDITIONAL, UM, APPLICANTS BECAUSE THE INCOME LIMITS HAVE, ARE GOING TO BE INCREASING SO MUCH SO.
AND THAT, THAT, THAT APPLIES WILL APPLY ONCE ALL THE, ONCE IT'S PASSED BY THE VARIOUS TO, UM, TOWN TAXES AND COUNTY TAXES ONCE THEY ACCEPT THAT, WHICH YOU MENTIONED, I, I'M SORRY FOR NOT SAYING THAT.
UM, THIS INCREASE WILL BE APPLICABLE TO TOWN, COUNTY, SCHOOL AND VILLAGE TAXES.
BECAUSE YOU'RE AFFECTING THE ASSESSMENT MM-HMM.
AND THEY DON'T HAVE A SAY CORRECT? THEY DO ACTUALLY.
UH, THE VILLAGE, ALL SIX VILLAGES ARE AWARE THAT THIS, UH, CHANGE HAS BEEN IMPLEMENT, UH, APPROVED, SIGNED BY THE GOVERNOR, AND THAT I WOULD BE COMING IN FRONT OF THE TOWN BOARD TO DISCUSS THIS.
AND THEY'RE ALL IN AGREEMENT WITH THE INCREASE IN WRITING OR VERBALLY? NOT YET.
AND THE SCHOOL DISTRICTS ARE ALSO AWARE.
I WANTED TO PRESENT IT HERE FIRST.
AND WHAT THEY'RE AWARE, ARE THEY, THEY'RE AWARE NOTHING IS IN WRITING, BUT NOT, BUT THEY'RE NOT NECESS THE, THE, YOU SAID THE VILLAGERS WERE IN AGREEMENT.
YOU DON'T KNOW WHETHER THE SCHOOLS ARE IN AGREEMENT.
THE DIFFERENCE WOULD BE IF THE TOWN AGREES TO ADOPT THIS NEW SCALE AND THE SIX VILLAGES AGREE TO ADOPT THE NEW SCALE.
IT'S ONE ADMINISTRATION ON MY PART.
IF EACH OF OUR 10 SCHOOL DISTRICTS DECIDE TO CREATE DIFFERENT LEVELS, WHICH THEY HAVE THE LEGAL RIGHT TO DO, THEN THE ADMINISTRATION GETS A LITTLE BIT HAIRY ON MY PART, BUT IT'S
[01:10:01]
STILL IMPLEMENTABLE.IS THAT A WORD? SO JUST SO CLARITY, YOU SAID, YOU SAID DIFFERENT LEVELS.
WHAT ARE THE LEVELS? I UNDERSTAND WHAT YOU SAID.
THE LEVELS RANGE ANYWHERE FROM LOOKING CURRENT FROM, FROM THE 29,000 AND LESS TO THE 37,400, YOU HAVE THE AUTHORITY TO CHOOSE A SLIDING SCALE ANYWHERE FROM 29 TO 37, FROM 50 TO 58.
SO ANYWHERE IN BETWEEN THERE, YOU CAN CHOOSE THOSE SLIDING SCALES.
IT'S MY UNDERSTANDING, UM, AT THE MOMENT THAT THE COUNTY IS ADOPTING THE $58,000 MAXIMUM.
AND WE ALSO WERE THE TOWN THAT ACTUALLY LOBBIED FOR THIS.
SO YOU, I THINK THE BOARD PASSED A RESOLUTION IN EARLIER THIS YEAR.
AND WE LOBBIED TOM AVAN STEWARD COUSINS TO APPROVE IT.
I, I KNOW THAT I SPOKE AT THE LEGISLATURE AND IT WOULD BE LIKE AWKWARD IF WE WOULDN'T PASS IT WHEN WE ASK FOR IT.
ANY QUESTIONS? THAT MAKES SENSE.
JOE, YOU GOOD? YEAH, I'M GOOD.
UM, AND, AND, AND JUMP RIGHT IN PERFECTLY.
THE NEXT PIECE, UH, PROPOSED LEGISLATION FOR THE TOWN TO CONSIDER, OR AT LEAST GIVE ME DIRECTION TO PROCEED, IS LEGISLATION MANDATING SOLAR PROJECTS TO COMMENCE PILOT AGREEMENTS WITH THE TOWN, COUNTY, AND SCHOOL.
THEY'RE NOT THE PILOT AGREEMENTS THAT YOU'RE FAMILIAR WITH THAT HAVE TO GO THROUGH THE WESTCHESTER COUNTY I D A.
IT'S NOT LIKE THAT THESE, UH, AGREEMENTS ARE, UM, APPROVED BY THE GOVERNOR AND THAT LOCAL MUNICIPALITIES CAN DO THIS AND WE CAN CREATE A PILOT IN ANY FASHION THAT WE WANT.
WHAT THIS LEGISLATION WILL DO IS MANDATE THAT THESE COMPANIES COMING INTO TOWN,
RIGHT NOW, THE WAY THAT IT, IT EXISTS, SORRY, I SPENT A LONG DAY.
THE, RIGHT NOW, THE WAY THAT IT EXISTS, ANY SOLAR PROJECTS ARE AUTOMATICALLY EXEMPT FROM TAXATION UNLESS, AND THAT'S THE VERBIAGE.
SO THEY HAVE TO INTRODUCE THE, UM, THEIR PROJECT TO THE HIGHEST RANKING OFFICER IN THE TOWN.
THE TOWN THEN HAS TO NOTIFY THEM THAT THEY WANT TO AT LEAST CREATE A PILOT OR NOT.
IF THE OR NOT EXISTS, THEN THEY'RE EXEMPT FROM TAXES.
WE HAVE TO THEN NOTIFY THEM THAT WE HAVE TO CHASE AFTER THEM FOR THIS, THIS LEGISLATION WILL ELIMINATE THE CHASING, IT WILL ELIMINATE, UH, THERE'S A 60 DAY LIMIT.
IF IT'S 60 DAYS AND ONE MINUTE WE LOSE.
UM, IT JUST ELIMINATES ERROR, ROOM FOR ERROR, HUMAN ERROR, WHICH IS REALLY MY ULTIMATE GOAL HERE.
AND UM, AND THEN THERE'S NO TIME CONSTRAINTS TO BE ABLE TO WORK ON THE PILOT.
WE ARE NOT THE FIRST JURISDICTION TO PUT THIS INTO LEGISLATION LOCAL.
AND UM, THE OTHER MUNICIPALITIES, MY COLLEAGUES THAT I'VE SPOKEN TO AND OTHER MUNICIPAL ATTORNEYS, ONE OF WHOM, UM, IS OUR SPECIAL COUNSEL AT THE MOMENT IS EXTREMELY KNOWLEDGEABLE ABOUT CREATING THESE PILOTS.
SO, UM, I'M EXCITED ABOUT WORKING WITH HIM ON THIS.
SO WHAT I WOULD NEED FROM YOU AT THIS POINT IS TO GIVE ME DIRECTION TO PURSUE THIS AND BRING YOU BACK A DRAFT OF A LOCAL MM-HMM.
SO ARE YOU EXEMPTING, UM, SYSTEMS THAT ARE 50,000 KILOWATTS OR LESS? OR ARE YOU INCLUDING EVERYBODY? UH, FIVE KILOWATTS OR EXEMPT? FIVE UHHUH
IS THAT WHAT IT SAYS? DOES IT SAY 50 50? MAYBE IT'S 55 IS NOT MUCH
SO THE TYPICAL, JUST SO PEOPLE UNDERSTAND, THE PEOPLE THAT ARE PUTTING SOLAR PANELS ON THEIR ROOF TO SUPPLY ENERGY TO THEIR HOMES, THIS IS NOT GOING TO APPLY TO THEM.
I'M GONNA SAY THAT ONE MORE TIME BECAUSE, UH, BECAUSE THANK YOU FOR BRINGING THAT UP.
UM, THIS WILL NOT TYPICALLY APPLY TO A RESIDENTIAL PROPERTY UNLESS THEY HAVE A RIDICULOUSLY LARGE HOUSE.
'CAUSE NOBODY PUTS IN THE 50 KILOWATTS OR MORE.
SO IT WON'T APPLY TO THE RESIDENTIAL PROPERTIES, BUT IT WILL APPLY TO THE COMMERCIAL.
AND IT WILL NOT ONLY APPLY TO THE SOLAR.
UM, EVEN IF THERE'S BATTERY STORAGE FACILITIES THAT ARE COMING TO TOWN, UH, IT WILL APPLY TO THEM AS WELL.
SO TO PUT THIS INTO PERSPECTIVE, THE TYPICAL BACK, UH, GENERATOR THAT PEOPLE COULD PUT FOR, THEY CALL IT A WHOLE HOUSE GENERATOR YES.
UH, YOU'RE EXEMPTING UP TO 50 KILOWATTS.
[01:15:01]
AS YOU SAY, OF A SINGLE FAMILY HOMEOWNER, UM, OR EVEN A, UM, YOU KNOW, A TOWNHOUSE TYPE SETTING, UH, FOR THOSE, FOR THOSE TWO UNITS, UH, THIS WOULD NOT APPLY.BECAUSE WHAT WE DON'T WANT TO DO IS DISCOURAGE PEOPLE FROM PUTTING UP SOLAR PANELS.
THEY'RE LOOKING FORWARD TO GET CREDITS FOR PUTTING UP THE SOLAR PANELS, AND THEN THE TOWN OF GREENBURG COMES IN AND TAXES THEM AND TAKES AWAY THE VALUE OF THE CREDITS SO THAT WE'RE NOT DOING THAT.
I JUST WANT TO PUT OUT THAT FIRE BEFORE IT STARTS.
UH, SINCE YOU WERE TALKING ABOUT PILOTS, UM, THE FAIRVIEW FIRE DEPARTMENT GOT A, A PAYMENT BECAUSE OF A PILOT OF ABOUT $900.
WOULD THAT BE ANNUALLY, MONTHLY? UH, IT'S FOR THE WEST.
WHAT THE WHERE REPLACE THE WEST HELP.
AND THAT'S ALL THAT WAS, THAT'S ALL IT WAS, WAS $900.
THAT'S WHAT I WAS SURPRISED BECAUSE IT'S PROBABLY THEY HAVEN'T BEEN ASSESSED YET.
THAT WAS THE AGREEMENT WITH THE PILOT IS THAT IT WAS BEING ASSESSED FOR ALL OF US TOWN COUNTY SCHOOL.
THE, THE WAY THE ASSESSMENTS WORK, IT PROBABLY WAS FOR THE PRIOR YEAR BEFORE THERE WAS ACTUALLY ACTUALLY STRUCTURES ON THE PROPERTY.
I BELIEVE WE ENDED UP GIVING THEM TWO YEARS TO CONSTRUCT AND ABSORB.
AND THE ABSORB MEANS TO BE RENTED OUT.
AND WHAT ARE WE GONNA DO WITH THE MASKS? WE WERE TALKING, UH, ELLEN, YOU HAD, YOU KNOW, MENTIONED, UM, YOU KNOW, THE STATE IS, UM, YOU KNOW, WE DO SOME MASK REQUIREMENTS.
SOME OF THE C S E A HAS ASKED US TO MAKE IT OPTIONAL.
SOME EMPLOYEES HAVE ASKED US TO MAKE IT OPTIONAL.
SO I JUST WANT TO ASK THE BOARD IF WE WANT TO CONTINUE TO KEEP THE MASS REQUIREMENT.
UH, IT'S REALLY NOT, YOU KNOW, I MEAN, WHEN, WHEREVER I'M GOING, YOU KNOW, PEOPLE ARE, EVEN IF YOU TELL PEOPLE TO PUT IT ON, A LOT OF PEOPLE JUST ARE NOT IN COMPLIANCE ALL OVER.
I THINK IT, IT, IT SHOULD BE OPTIONAL.
AND WITH THAT, IF YOU ARE FEELING ILL OR IF YOU'VE HAD AN EXPOSURE THAT YOU PLEASE WEAR, BUT YOU CAN'T DEMAND THAT THEY DO.
AND YOU KNOW, I'M THINKING FOR THE BOARD MEETINGS, MAYBE WE COULD DO WHAT WE DID, YOU KNOW, A FEW MONTHS AGO AND HAVE, UH, YOU KNOW, ONE SIDE MASKS, ONE SIDE, UH, YOU KNOW, UH, NON MASKS, YOU KNOW, JUST SO THIS WAY, YOU KNOW, IF SOMEBODY WANTS TO SHOW UP TOMORROW, THAT JUST KIND OF MIGRATED.
IT DIDN'T HOLD AND WE DIDN'T ENFORCE, I DON'T KNOW.
I THINK IF PEOPLE WANNA WEAR MASKS, ALLOW 'EM TO WEAR MASKS.
IF THEY DON'T, THEN SO SHOULD WE BASICALLY DO AWAY WITH THE MASKS POLICY THEN? BECAUSE IT'S BEEN LIFTED? I THINK SO.
THAT DOESN'T MEAN WE DON'T OPTIONAL.
IF IT'S OPTIONAL, WE CAN CONTINUE TO WEAR MASKS.
SO THEN, ALTHOUGH SAY OF EMPLOYEES KNOW THAT THE MASK POLICY IS OPTIONAL, A PROBLEM WITH THAT.
IT'S EASY ENOUGH NOW TO GET AN N 95 REAL N 95, WHICH PROTECTS THE PERSON.
UM, SO I'M PROTECTING EVERYBODY AROUND ME, BUT I'M ALSO PROTECTING MYSELF.
THAT WASN'T THE CASE EARLY ON WHEN WE HAD THE, THE, THE SNORKEL TYPE MASKS.
UM, BUT NOW FOR SOMEBODY WHO'S CONCERNED THAT
UH, BUT NOW IF SOMEBODY'S CONCERNED, THEY CAN WEAR AN N 95 AND IF THE PERSON NEXT TO 'EM, YOU KNOW, HAS, HAS AN ISSUE, UH, YOU'RE PROTECTED.
AND SO WE, I THINK THAT, I THINK IT'S SHIFTED TO THE POINT WHERE SOMEBODY HAS BEEN, HASN'T BEEN VACCINATED, HASN'T BEEN DOUBLE BOOSTED AND SO FORTH.
IT'S, IT'S REALLY ON THE PERSON WHO'S NOT VACCINATED AND DOUBLE BOOSTED.
YOU KNOW, THAT'S TAKING THE CHANCE AND OKAY, THAT'S FINE.
I'LL, I'LL SEND THE EMAIL TO EMPLOYEES.
BUT I, I, I JUST WANT TO SAY THE FACT THAT PEOPLE ARE MA UH, VACCINATED AND DOUBLE BOOSTED DOES NOT MEAN THAT IF YOU GET COVID, PARTICULARLY WITH THE LATEST VARIANTS AND ANOTHER ONE COMING, UH, IT'S NOT AN EASY RIDE, RIGHT? MM-HMM.
SO THE MORE PEOPLE PROTECT THEMSELVES.
SO I'M GOING TO ENCOURAGE PEOPLE TO WEAR MASKS, UM,
[01:20:01]
FOR THEIR OWN BENEFIT, BUT I DON'T THINK WE CAN REQUIRE IT ANYMORE.AND THERE'S A NEW BOOSTER BOOSTER.
AND I WOULD ENCOURAGE PEOPLE BECAUSE IT, IT'S MORE GEARED TO THE VARIANCE.
I'D ENCOURAGE PEOPLE TO SEE GETTING THOSE BOOSTERS.
I'M GONNA GET MINE MAYBE THIS WEEK FROM THAT.
HAS ANYBODY GOTTEN THE LAST BOOSTER HERE? DON'T, DON'T YOU HAVE TO WAIT TILL THE, THE SIX MONTHS RIDES OUT OF THE BOOSTER.
ISN'T IT REALLY? SIX MONTHS, I BELIEVE FROM THE PREVIOUS SHOP.
TWO MONTHS FROM WHEN YOU PREVIOUSLY HAD COVID, I BELIEVE.
DOUBLE CHECK ME ON THAT, GARY.
SO, SO WHAT'S GOING TO BE THE, UM, PROTOCOL FOR TOMORROW? NO.
ANYBODY COULD, IT'S OPTIONAL, BUT THAT DOESN'T MEAN, YOU KNOW, WE DON'T HAVE TO WEAR MASKS.
AND ALSO, YOU KNOW, JUST A REMINDER TOO, THAT WE DID PASS, UH, WE DID HAVE RESOLUTION NOW THAT THE GOVERNOR HAS LIFTED THE COVID 19 OTHER COVID 19 RESTRICTIONS ON PUBLIC MEETINGS.
SO NOW WE HAVE TO DEFAULT TO OUR LOCAL LAW, UH, WHICH MEANS, AND WE GOTTA SEE HOW THE ZONING BOARD'S GONNA HANDLE THIS.
'CAUSE THEY HAVE A MEETING THIS WEEK WE'RE IN PERSON, SO IT DOESN'T REALLY AFFECT US, BUT IT DOES AFFECT THE ZONING BOARD, WHICH WAS INTENDING, I BELIEVE, TO BE ON ZOOM.
SO RIGHT NOW, IF WE WANT TO, IF SOMEBODY WANTS TO PARTICIPATE BY ZOOM, THEY CAN, THEY STILL CAN, RIGHT? YOU HAVE TO MEET THE REQUIREMENTS OF THE LAW, OF THE LOCAL LAW THAT YOU PASSED IN JULY.
THERE ARE CERTAIN RESTRICTIONS FOR, THERE ARE CERTAIN CIRCUMSTANCES YOU WOULD HAVE TO MEET.
YOU CAN'T JUST DECIDE, I'D LIKE TO ATTEND FROM ZOOM.
YOU HAVE TO FALL WITHIN THE GUIDELINES OF THE LAW.
WE PASSED, UM, I BELIEVE OUR HISTORIC LANDMARKS AND PRESERVATION BOARD MEETING WAS CANCELED TONIGHT.
UM, SINCE THE EXECUTIVE ORDER WAS, IS IT DEFINITELY IN EFFECT, RIGHT? WAS IT IMMEDIATELY IN EFFECT EXPIRED LAST NIGHT? COULD YOU GO OVER WHICH GAVE US NO, NO, NO ONE GOT NOTICE.
AT LEAST GIVE TWO, TWO WEEKS NOTICE.
SO YEAH, IT'S EVERY 30, IT'S EVERY 30 DAYS.
BUT YOU COULD TELL US TWO WEEKS AND AHEAD.
SO AT THIS POINT, YOU NEED TO HAVE QUORUM FOR ANY PUBLIC BODY IN A PUBLIC SETTING WHERE THE, UH, PUBLIC CAN ATTEND.
AND IF YOU ARE TO HAVE A VIRTUAL HEARING AND, AND A BOARD MEMBER WOULD LIKE TO ATTEND VIRTUALLY, UM, I DON'T WANNA SAY IT OFF THE TOP OF MY HEAD, BUT THERE ARE CIRCUMSTANCES SUCH AS SICKNESS, WHETHER, UM, BUSINESS TRAVEL, THERE ARE OTHER CIRCUMSTANCES.
YOU COULD, YOU COULD VIDEO CONFERENCING.
UM, YOU WON'T BE CONSIDERED PART OF THE QUORUM.
NOW THE QUORUM HAS TO BE, BUT YOU CAN VOTE.
UH, BUT YOU ALSO HAVE TO LET THE PUBLIC KNOW IN ADVANCE THAT YOU'RE HAVING A TELECONFERENCE, UM, PART PORTION AS WELL.
AND ALLOW THEM TO PARTICIPATE.
UM, AND POST THE MINUTES ONLINE.
AND ALSO, UH, RECORDING NEEDS TO BE SAVED FOR A CERTAIN AMOUNT OF TIME.
SO SOMEBODY HAS A COLD OR A COUGH OR WHATEVER THEY AND YOUR BOARD MEMBER, YOU'RE BETTER OFF PARTICIPATING REMOTELY.
AS LONG AND THEN AS LONG AS YOU HAVE QUO, YOU DON'T HAVE TO CANCEL THE MEETING.
AND, BUT AS SOON AS WARM IN PERSON, AS SOON AS LET'S JUST USE THE TOWN BOARD.
AS SOON AS ONE OF US PARTICIPATE REMOTELY, THEN YOU MUST ALLOW THE PUBLIC TO DO THE SAME AND TO GIVE THEM AN OPPORTUNITY TO, TO PARTICIPATE AS YOU WOULD GIVE ANYBODY WHO IS IN PERSON THE OPPORTUNITY TO PARTICIPATE.
IF NONE OF US ARE COMING IN REMOTELY, THEN WE, WE HAVE THE OPTION AS TO WHETHER OR NOT THEY'LL BE, UH, REMOTE OR ZOOM FOR THAT PARTICULAR MEETING.
SO THEN THE MEETING'S OVER FIVE, NINE.
I JUST WANNA TALK ABOUT NEXT EV EVERYBODY, I JUST WANNA, UM, GET YOUR INPUT REGARDING THIS, UM, RECEPTION THAT'S GOING RECORDING, STOPPED THIS DECEPTION FOR.