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[ 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]
OCTOBER 18TH.IT'S AFTER 5:00 PM AND BASICALLY, UM, THE THOUGHT I HAD AS I'M WORKING ON THE BUDGET, UM, YOU KNOW, WE'RE DEFINITELY GONNA BE THE, YOU KNOW, BUDGET SEEMS TO BE, UH, NO MAJOR, UM, YOU KNOW, PROBLEMS, YOU KNOW, WITH, WITH THE BUDGET.
YOU, I THINK, I DON'T THINK IT'S GONNA BE THAT, THAT CONTROVERSIAL, BUT ONE OF THE, UM, YOU KNOW, ISSUES THAT, UM, YOU KNOW, I SEE IS THE TOWN IS GETTING MORE, YOU KNOW, COMPLEX.
AND ALTHOUGH, UM, WE'VE, UM, BEEN SUCCESSFUL IN PASSING, UH, THREE CONSECUTIVE YEARS WITHOUT ANY TAX HIKES AND MAINTAINED, UM, OUR, UM, AAA BOND RATING, THERE'S A LOT OF FISCAL INFORMATION THAT WE AS A BOARD REQUIRE US TO MAKE IT, TO MAKE.
AND WE DON'T ALWAYS HAVE ALL THE INFORMATION THAT WE NEED AS QUICKLY AND IN THE FORM WHICH PROVIDES, UH, COMFORT.
SO ONE OF THE THREATS I HAD IS UNDER STATE LAW, UM, THE TOWN SUPERVISOR IS AUTHORIZED TO, UM, APPOINT SOMEONE OF THE SUPERVISOR'S, UH, CHOICE AS LIKE DIRECTOR OF FINANCE WHO REPORTS TO THE TOWN SUPERVISOR.
AND IF THE BOARD WOULD AGREE, I WOULD THEN INCLUDE IN MY PROPOSED BUDGET, UM, $150,000 FOR THAT.
AND I THINK THAT THE CREATION OF THIS POSITION WOULD PROVIDE AN ADDITIONAL LAYER OF OPERATIONAL FISCAL OVERSIGHT AND ACT AS A BRIDGE BETWEEN THE DEPARTMENT HEADS AND THE CONTROLLER'S OFFICE AND AS A RESOURCE, UH, TO THE TOWN BOARD SUPPORTING OPERATIONS, CAPITAL PROJECTS, AND BUDGET, UH, DECISION MAKING.
AND I THINK THAT, YOU KNOW, WE ALL RECOGNIZE THIS IS A THE TOWN AND, UM, WE WANNA MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE USING THAT WE'RE AS EFFICIENT AS POSSIBLE.
UM, YOU KNOW, SO THAT'S BASICALLY, YOU KNOW, MY THOUGHTS, YOU KNOW, IF THERE'S ANY, UH, YOU KNOW, OBJECTIONS TO IT, UH, YOU CAN THINK ABOUT IT AND YOU CAN LET ME KNOW BEFORE, UM, I SUBMIT THE BUDGET AND, YOU KNOW, THERE'S OBVIOUSLY THREE BOARD MEMBERS WILL HAVE TO, UH, VOTE FOR THE FUNDING.
UM, YOU KNOW, WHERE IT COULD BE A REITERATION, YOU KNOW, I DO FEEL THAT THE TOWN IS WELL RUN AND I DO FEEL THAT, UH, YOU KNOW, THE ADMINISTRATION OF THE TOWN IS, IS WELL RUN, BUT I, I DO THINK THAT THERE'S ROOM FOR IMPROVEMENT.
SO THIS PERSON WOULD HAVE THE JOB DESCRIPTION THAT'S ON THE COUNTY WEBSITE FOR THE DIRECTOR OF FINANCE, RIGHT? OR, YOU KNOW, WE COULD, UH, IF YOU PREFER, I, I WOULD WANT TO BASIC, I DON'T WANT TO BE POINTING FINGERS AT PEOPLE.
I FEEL THAT WHAT WE REALLY NEED IS SOMEBODY TO HELP WITH THE OPERATIONS.
UM, YOU KNOW, THERE'S ISSUES THAT ARE COMING UP AND, YOU KNOW, I WANT TO TAKE RESPONSIBILITY FOR IMPLEMENTING THE DECISIONS OF THE, THE BOARD.
SO IF THERE'S OPERATIONAL ISSUES, YOU KNOW, I WANT TO BASICALLY BE ABLE TO FOLLOW UP AND THEN REPORT BACK RATHER THAN, YOU KNOW, CONSTANTLY HAVE, UH, YOU KNOW, THE, YOU KNOW, FURTHER DISCUSSIONS, YOU KNOW, ON THIS.
IS THERE A REASON TO CALL THIS POSITION DIRECTOR OF FINANCE RATHER THAN DIRECTOR OF OPERATIONS? THE ONLY REASON I, I HAVE NO, THE ONLY REASON I PUT DIRECTOR OF FINANCE IS BECAUSE OF REPORTS TO THE TOWN SUPERVISOR BY STATE LAW.
AND, AND IF, IF THE, IF YOU HAVE A DIRECTOR OF OPERATIONS WHO WOULD, YOU KNOW, YOU KNOW, I WANT TO BASICALLY TAKE CHARGE OF THE, THE, OF THE ADMINISTRATION OF, YOU KNOW, OF THE, OF THE TOWN.
AND I FEEL IF THE, IF WE HAD A DIRECTOR OF OPERATIONS WHO REPORTS TO THE TOWN SUPERVISOR AND, AND WORKS, YOU KNOW, WITH ME SO I COULD FOLLOW MY DUTIES, I WOULD HAVE NO PROBLEM.
AND YOU KNOW WHAT? AND OBVIOUSLY I JUST WANNA SAY WHAT I'M SAYING REPORTS TO ME, YOU KNOW, I'M, I RECOGNIZE THAT THE INDIVIDUAL WILL BE WORKING WITH ALL THE BOARD MEMBERS AND ALL THE DEPARTMENT HEADS.
UM, YOU KNOW, WE'RE, YOU KNOW, I'M NOT THE TYPE THAT SAYS, OH, YOU KNOW WHAT? I'M NOT GONNA INVOLVE THE THE BOARD, BUT I JUST WANT TO BE IN A POSITION WHERE IF WE SAY, IF WE IDENTIFY A PROBLEM THAT, YOU KNOW, PERSON WILL BASICALLY, UM, YOU KNOW, I'LL BE ABLE TO SPEAK TO THAT PERSON.
AND, UM, AND YOU KNOW, AND, AND, YOU KNOW, AND FOLLOW UP, YOU KNOW, ON THAT.
AND THERE'S, YOU KNOW, A LOT OF LITTLE ISSUES THAT COME UP EVERY SINGLE DAY, AND YOU HAVE A BUNCH OF RETIREMENTS IN DIFFERENT DEPARTMENTS.
SO WE, YOU KNOW, WE'VE HAD VACANCIES THAT HAVE TO BE FILLED.
UM, YOU KNOW, AND, YOU KNOW, THERE'S A LOT OF LITTLE ISSUES THAT KEEP COMING UP DAILY.
AND, YOU KNOW, I DON'T WANT TO, YOU KNOW, I WANNA MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE QUICKLY RESPONDING
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TO THEM.I THINK OPERATIONS IS WHERE THE CRITICAL DEFICIT IS.
SO IF WE WERE GOING TO MAKE A NEW HIRE, YOU KNOW, THAT WOULD BE WHERE THAT PERSON SHOULD BE FOCUSED.
IF WE CALL IT DIRECTOR OF OPERATIONS AND, AND IT COULD BE IN MY, UNDER MY, YOU KNOW, BUDGET LINE, THEN I, I WOULD THEN, I WOULD HAVE NO PROBLEM WITH WITH IT.
AND AGAIN, YOU KNOW, I THINK, YOU KNOW, I THINK IT WILL MAKE, I THINK WE'LL SAVE MONEY FROM THIS AND, YOU KNOW, YOU DON'T HAVE TO THINK OF, YOU CAN THINK ABOUT IT IF NOBODY HAS TO MAKE A DECISION RIGHT NOW.
BECAUSE THERE, THERE ARE A LOT OF, THERE'S SOME THINGS THAT I'VE BEEN THINKING ABOUT, WHICH I WANT TO RIGHT.
YOU CAN FLESH IT OUT A LITTLE FURTHER.
AND THEN, SO WHEN DO WE HAVE TO GET BACK TO YOU, PAUL? BECAUSE I KNOW WE'VE BEEN TALKING ABOUT THIS FOR A LONG TIME, THAT WE NEEDED THIS TYPE OF POSITION.
SO I'M JUST CURIOUS TO, I'M JUST CURIOUS TO KNOW WHEN DO WE HAVE TO GET BACK TO, BECAUSE THERE'S A LOT OF THINGS I WISH YOU HAD AN OPPORTUNITY TO TALK ABOUT AND BEING, THIS IS THE FIRST TIME I'M HEARING ABOUT IT, I'M JUST CURIOUS TO SEE, SO WHAT IS THE TIMEFRAME THAT WE NEED TO GET BACK TO YOU ABOUT? WELL, WITHIN A HALF HOUR WOULD BE NO, NO, UH, UH, YOU KNOW, BY THE BUDGET HAS TO BE SUBMITTED BY OCTOBER 30TH.
SO, UH, AND OBVIOUSLY SO WITH TWO WEEKS.
BUT YOU KNOW WHAT, IT DOESN'T EVEN HAVE, WE COULD, IF THE BOARD WANTS TO REALLY THINK ABOUT IT AND REFLECT ON IT, UM, WE COULD, WE HAVE TILL DECEMBER 20TH TO, UM, TO DECIDE, YOU KNOW, WHAT TO DO WHEN THE BUDGET IS, UM, WAS, IS APPROVED.
SO THERE'S NOTHING, THERE'S NOT, YOU KNOW, SO, YOU KNOW, I, I'M BRINGING UP THE IDEA, YOU KNOW, I THINK THAT IT'S WORTH, UM, HAVING A DISCUSSION.
YOU KNOW, WE ALL BASICALLY WANT THE SAME THING.
WE WANT THE TOWN TO BE RUN EFFICIENTLY AND, UM, AND EFFECTIVELY, PAUL, I THINK THIS IS AN EXCELLENT IDEA.
UM, A FEW WEEKS AGO, DEPARTMENT HEADS MET AND ONE OF THE RECOMMENDATIONS OUT OF THAT MEETING WAS A POSITION SIMILAR TO WHAT YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT.
UM, IF, IF THE PERSON WERE TO BE, UH, UM, DIRECTOR OF FINANCE, YOU KNOW, THEY WOULD STILL MEET WITH, UH, EACH DEPARTMENT HEAD TO, TO TALK ABOUT AND, AND COMMISERATE WITH THAT DEPARTMENT HEAD WITH REGARDS TO WHAT THEIR FINANCIAL PRIORITIES WERE, AND TO BE ABLE TO THEN, UM, SHARE THEM WITH YOU AND, AND, AND WITH THE BOARD SIMILAR TO, UM, POSITION OF, UH, DIRECTOR OF OPERATIONS, WHICH WOULD INCLUDE THE SAME KIND OF CONVERSATIONS.
AND, UM, SO MY ONLY RECOMMENDATION AS, AS YOU KNOW, ONE OF THE ELECTED OFFICIALS IN THE TOWN AND ALSO A DEPARTMENT HEAD, IS THAT PERHAPS YOU, YOU GET SOME, HAVE SOME CONVERSATIONS OR THE BOARD WOULD HAVE SOME CONVERSATIONS WITH DEPARTMENT HEADS SET UP, A DEPARTMENT HEADS MEETING TO GET SOME FEEDBACK.
BUT I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT, AND I AGREE THAT THIS PERSON REPORT TO YOU.
I THINK THIS IS A, THAT'S A VERY IMPORTANT, UM, ASPECT OF WHAT YOU'RE PROPOSING.
AND WE HAVE A DAY, A DEPARTMENT HEAD MEETING SCHEDULED FOR ONE WEEK FROM TODAY.
OCTOBER 25TH ALREADY SCHEDULED.
AND I'D JUST ALSO LIKE TO POINT OUT THAT, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER JACKSON IS PRESENT VIA TELECONFERENCE, UH, BECAUSE OF, UH, PUBLIC OFFICER'S LAW SEVEN, AND OUR TOWN CODE 5 95, UM, SHE'S ON A BUSINESS, UH, WORK SESSION RIGHT NOW, SO THAT'S WHY, UM, WE'RE HAVING HER TELECONFERENCE IN TODAY.
SO WANNA POINT THAT OUT FOR THE RECORD.
AND SHE DOES, UH, SHE DOESN'T NORMALLY WEAR A SEATBELT, UH,
SO, SO SHE, SHE TRULY IS, UH, TRAVELING AND OH, I THOUGHT THAT WAS A FASHION ACCESSORY
IT MIGHT, IT VERY WELL MIGHT BE, BUT THE MINUTES HAVE TO REFLECT THAT SHE'S PARTICIPATING BY, BY TELE, UH, VIDEO CONFERENCING HOUSE HAWAII.
AND WE DO HAVE A QUORUM PRESENT IN A PUBLIC SPACE.
OKAY, SO NOW YOU HAVE A MOTION.
UM, DO WE WANT TO DO THE, UM, YOU CAN'T DO THE SPECIAL MEETING YET? THAT'S FINE.
I WANT TO GO, UH, SO BEFORE YOU DO THE, BEFORE YOU DO THAT, CAN WE JUST HAVE YOU MOVE TO OPEN THE MEETING AND, AND SOMEONE SECOND THAT MOVE BECAUSE, UH, THERE WAS NO, THERE WAS NO MOTION TO OPEN THE MEETING AT FIVE 30.
PAUL, YOU SAID, YOU SAID WE'RE HERE AT THE MEETING AT FIVE 30.
IT'S, IT'S MY, MY, OKAY, YOU'RE GOING TO A DEAD SPOT.
SO CAN YOU JUST MOTION TO MOTION AT FIVE 30 YEAH.
NOW TO GO INTO EXECUTIVE SESSION.
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ALL IN FAVOR? NO, YOU'RE MAKING A MOTION.MAKE THE MOTION SECOND BY YOU NEED TO HAVE, NEED TO HAVE A REASON.
MAKE THE MOTION FOR DISCUSSING PERSONAL MATTERS INVOLVING SPECIFIC INDIVIDUALS, CONDUCT PERSONAL INTERVIEWS AND SEEK LEGAL ADVICE ON VARIOUS MATTERS.
AND WE WILL BE COMING BACK, UM, APPROXIMATELY, UM, SIX O'CLOCK.
SO WE'RE READY TO RESUME OUR MEETING.
AND, UM, SHOULD WE START WITH THE SPECIAL MEETING OR THE, UH, THE WORK SESSION? YEAH.
THIS WILL ONLY TAKE A FEW MINUTES.
UM, SO T ONE REVOLUTION ADOPTING A LOCAL LAW OPEN.
OPEN, UH, I MOVED TO OPEN THE MEETING, UH, TUESDAY, OCTOBER 18TH, UM, AT 6:23 PM DOES THAT ROLL ALL IN FAVOR? AYE.
THE ROLL CALL TOWN SUPERVISOR PAUL FINER.
PRESENT COUNCILWOMAN GINA JACKSON.
PRESENT, COUNCILMAN FRANCIS SHAN PRESENT INTERIM TOWN ATTORNEY JOE DANKER.
AND ONCE AGAIN, JUST FOR SPECIAL MEETING PURPOSES, COUNCILWOMAN JACKSON IS PRESENT TONIGHT, UH, TELECONFERENCING AS PER CHAPTER 5 95 OF THE TOWN CODE AND OF PUBLIC OFFICERS LAW, ARTICLE SEVEN, BECAUSE SHE'S ON A BUSINESS TRIP, UM, AS PER THE EXCEPTIONS TO ATTENDING IN PERSON BECAUSE WE HAVE A QUORUM WITH OTHER MEMBERS.
PAUL, YOU MOVED IT OVER A SECOND.
SO, TB ONE RESOLUTION ADOPTING A LOCAL LAW MODIFYING CHAPTER FOUR 80 OF THE CODE OF THE TOWN OF GREENBURG ENTITLED LIEUTENANT REVIEW BOARD, REDUCING THE NUMBER OF MEMBERS TO THREE AND CREATING AN ALTERNATE MEMBER, UM, POSITION.
AND YOU KNOW, WE, I INDICATED THAT IT WOULD BE NICE IF WE COULD ALSO ADVERTISE FOR THE POSITIONS, YOU KNOW, SO THIS WAY MAYBE IF THERE'S A LOT OF INTEREST, WHICH THERE MAY NOT BE, UM, THEN AT LEAST WE'RE OPENING UP IN THE FUTURE MM-HMM.
NEXT WE HAVE, UM, UM, ROSE STREET HISTORICAL TAX ASSESSMENT.
DO YOU NEED THE CARD DOWN? YES.
HI, NICE TO MEET YOU IN PERSON.
SO MAYBE YOU COULD GIVE US LIKE A LITTLE, UH, PRESENTATION.
SHE IS THE OWNER OF 28 ROSE STREET.
I'M THE FORMER OWNER OF 26 ROSE STREET.
WE RECENTLY SOLD THE PROPERTY, UM, WHICH IS ACTUALLY WHEN WE KIND OF REALLY DISCOVERED THAT THE PROPERTY HAD BEEN ASSESSED AS A SINGLE FAMILY HOME.
UM, AND WE HAD FOUND THAT BASED ON THE VALUATION THAT WAS THERE, UH, IT WAS OUR UNDERSTANDING THAT SINGLE OR SORRY CONDOS WERE ASSESSED AT 70% OF THE FAIR MARKET VALUE OF THE PROPERTY.
UH, BEING A FIRST TIME HOMEOWNER IN WESTCHESTER AND NEW TO NEW YORK, WHEN WE FIRST SAW THAT, UH, SAW OUR ASSESSMENT COME THROUGH, UH, WE DIDN'T KNOW.
WE KNEW THAT ALL OF THE STATE FILINGS WERE CORRECT, THAT THIS WAS IN FACT A CONDOMINIUM WAS A NEW CONSTRUCTION.
I WAS THE FIRST OWNER, UM, LIKEWISE.
AND SIERRA MOVED IN SHORTLY THEREAFTER INTO THE SECOND UNIT.
UM, SO IN MARCH WE HAD REACHED OUT TO ED AND HER OFFICE LOOKING AT, UH, WHAT WE CAN DO TO FIX THE TAXES LOOKING FORWARD.
AND THAT HAD SINCE BEEN RESOLVED.
UH, AND THEN ED AND HER TEAM ALSO WORKED WITH US AND LOOKED BACK AND REALIZED THAT THERE HAD BEEN AN ERROR.
AND IT WAS MY UNDERSTANDING THAT THAT HISTORICAL ERROR HAS BEEN CORRECTED.
UM, WHICH, SO THEN, UH, ED AND HER TEAM PUT FORWARD THE, UM, THE NOTE, I'M NOT SURE THE OFFICIAL LANGUAGE ON IT, BUT THEY PUT FORWARD THE PETITION THAT THIS HISTORICAL ERROR HAD BEEN CORRECTED.
AND IT WAS, EXCUSE ME ONE SECOND.
THAT'S THE CORRUPTION OF ERRORS THAT WAS SENT TO THE COUNTY, JUST TO, YES.
AND THIS IS FOR THE 2021 ASSESSMENT ROLE.
THIS, I BELIEVE THIS WAS FOR THE 2020 ASSESSMENT ROLE, BUT LET ME PULL UP MY NOTES TO BE SPECIFIC HERE.
SO THIS WAS THE YEAR THAT WAS THE MAIN OVERPAYMENT WAS 20 20, 20 21 TAXES.
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UM, SO THAT WENT OVER TO THE TAX OFFICE, UM, AND WE WERE THRILLED THAT THIS WAS GETTING RESOLVED.THE OVER TAX, IT WAS ABOUT $10,000 EACH, APPROXIMATELY, FOR EACH OF OUR UNITS.
UM, SO WHEN IT WENT TO THE TAX, UH, TAX OFFICE, THEY INFORMED US THAT THEY DID NOT HAVE THE JURISDICTION TO APPROVE THIS, UM, FOR OUR REFUND, UH, BASED ON, BECAUSE IT WAS A HISTORICAL TAX ERROR.
SO THEY TOLD US THAT WE NEED TO REACH OUT TO SUPERVISOR FINER, AS WELL AS TO YOU ALL HERE ON THE TOWN BOARD TO TALK ABOUT WHAT THE ISSUE AND POTENTIAL RESOLVE COULD BE FOR THE, CAN I STOP YOU AGAIN? SURE.
SO THE, BRING THE MICROPHONE CLOSER.
THE, THE ISSUE AROSE WAS BROUGHT TO MY ATTENTION AND WHAT SHE'S REFERRING TO IS THAT THE CORRECTION OF ERRORS THAT I DID WAS SENT TO WESTCHESTER COUNTY TAX COMMISSION.
SO IT WAS OUT OF THE TOWN'S REALM, AND THEN THAT'S WHAT HAPPENED.
SO THE CORRECTION OF ERRORS WAS SENT TO THE COUNTY, AND THE COUNTY DENIED FOR IT TO BE MADE A RECOMMENDATION FOR IT NOT TO BE CORRECTED.
YOU SEND IT TO THE COUNTY AND THE COUNTY MAKES A RECOMMENDATION REGARDING THE CORRECTIONS OF ERROR.
SO WHAT HAPPENS IS, AFTER THE TAXES ARE LEVIED, UM, IT IS OUT OF MY RESPONSIBILITY AND IT HAS TO GO TO THE COUNTY BY LAW.
SO THAT'S EXACTLY WHAT HAPPENED.
THE TAXES HAD BEEN LEVIED ON THE PROPERTIES FOR THE, FOR THE PRIOR YEARS.
AND SO IT HAD TO GO THROUGH THE COUNTY PROCESS.
AND WHEN THE COUNTY DENIED IT, UM, BECAUSE THEY DIDN'T FIND THAT I HAD MADE AN ERROR, AND THAT, UM, YOU GUYS HAD NOT FILED THE GRIEVANCE APPLICATION TO MAINTAIN YOUR POSITION, THAT'S WHY THEY MADE THE RECOMMENDATION NOT TO, UM, CORRECT IT AND EXCUSE ME.
SO THAT'S NORMALLY WHERE IT WOULD STOP UNLESS THERE'S AN APPEAL, WHICH THERE IS.
AND IT'S ONLY A RECOMMENDATION FROM THE WESTCHESTER COUNTY TAX COMMISSION, AND THAT'S WHY THEY'RE SITTING IN FRONT OF YOU TODAY.
IN MY 34 YEARS OF, OF BEING IN THIS POSITION, UM, A TOWN BOARD HAS NEVER OVERRODE THAT, UH, THE COUNTY'S DECISION.
DOESN'T MEAN IT CANNOT BE DONE, BUT I AM NOT AWARE OF, OF IT EVER HAPPENING.
SO, AND JUST FOR THE RECORD AS WELL, VICTOR MALISON, UM, DID NOT SHARE WITH ME THAT SAME EXACT OPINION.
AND MAYBE I'M MISUNDERSTANDING THAT THE EMAIL THAT I HAVE FROM HIM, WHICH I HAVE FORWARDED TO SEVERAL OF US IN THIS GROUP, UM, SO THAT EVERYONE IS ON THE SAME PAGE FOR THE BASIS OF HAVING THE SAME UNDERSTANDING OF THE FACTS.
UH, IT WAS THAT COMING TO THE TOWN BOARD AND DISCUSSING THIS AS WE'RE ALL TAX POWER.
ANY OF YOU WHO LIVE IN THE COUNTY AS WELL, WE'RE ALL TAXPAYERS HERE, THAT THERE COULD BE A, A RESOLVE AND AN OPTION.
UM, SO I GUESS, GUESS IT'S, IT'S A BIT FRUSTRATING TO TO NO, AND I UNDERSTAND YOUR FRUSTRATION.
UM, MR. MALISON IS THE WESTCHESTER COUNTY TAX COMMISSIONER.
THAT'S WHO SHE'S REFERRING TO.
COULD I ASK, HOW LONG DID YOU OWN THE PROPERTY? UH, SO I OWNED THE PROPERTY FOR TWO YEARS.
SO YOU HAD A CERTAIN ASSESSMENT AND A CERTAIN TAXES, UH, ASSESSED, AND THEN YOU WERE TAXED ON THAT, AND THE NEXT TIME, THE SECOND YEAR YOU OWNED IT, YOU HAD IT, WHEN DID IT CONVERT OVER TO CONDO? IT WAS CONVERTED TO A CONDO BEFORE I PURCHASED IT.
SO THE FIRST YEAR THAT WE PAID TAXES ON THE PROPERTY, AS I PURCHASED THE PROPERTY IN MAY OF 2020, AND SIERRA MOVED IN IN OCTOBER, IN OCTOBER OF 2020, THAT YEAR, WE ACTUALLY HAD TO PAY OUR TAXES TOGETHER BECAUSE IT WAS STILL ASSESSED AS ONE NEW CONSTRUCTION.
AND WE WERE TOLD THE FOLLOWING YEAR, WHICH WOULD'VE BEEN THAT 2020 ASSESSMENT YEAR IS THE FIRST TIME THAT WE'D BE ASSESSED SEPARATELY.
SO ON THAT NOTE, UM, YOU ARE CORRECT.
AND ON THAT NOTE, WHAT HAPPENED WAS IT DOESN'T OFFICIALLY BECOME A CONDOMINIUM UNTIL A CERTAIN PERCENTAGE OF THE UNITS ARE SOLD, SEEING AS THOUGH THERE'S ONLY TWO UNITS FOUR DAYS AFTER YOU CLOSED ON YOUR UNIT IS WHEN IT BECAME AN OFFICIAL CONDOMINIUM RIGHT AFTER THAT, THAT WAS IN MAY OF 2020.
SO WHAT HAPPENED WAS, I WAS STILL UNDER THE IMPRESSION THAT THE CONDOMINIUM LAW THAT WAS PASSED BY THE TOWN BOARD, UM, WAS IN EFFECT.
AND IN EFFECT IT WAS NOT BECAUSE IT WAS NEVER SENT UP TO THE DEPARTMENT OF STATE, UM, TO BECOME EFFECTIVE MM-HMM.
SO, UM, BECAUSE OF THAT, THEY'RE IN THIS SITUATION.
SO WHILE IT REFLECTED IT'S A CONDOMINIUM ON THE ASSESSMENT ROLES, IT'S STILL VALUED AS A TWO FAMILY.
IT WASN'T A SINGLE FAMILY, IT WAS A TWO FAMILY.
ARE WE ABLE TO DO THE SAME THING? UM, YOU KNOW, THAT, YOU KNOW, HAS BEEN RECOMMENDED IN THE PAST WHERE WE COULD REACH OUT TO, UH, SENATOR COUSINS AND SAY, MARY JANE CHIMPSKY, UM, AND ASK IF WE COULD HAVE A SPECIAL ONE PERSON VOTE.
THERE'S NO NEED FOR THAT BECAUSE YOU HAVE THAT PREROGATIVE RIGHT NOW.
YOU HAVE THAT OPPORTUNITY RIGHT NOW.
UM, THIS IS THE SAME SCENARIO,
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SAME CONVERSATION WE'RE HAVING WITH REGARD TO THE LANDING.IT WAS NOT ASSESSED AS THE CONDO BECAUSE I THOUGHT THE LAW WAS IN EFFECT, UM, BECAUSE WE DID WHAT WE HAD TO DO, BUT IT WAS NEVER SENT UP TO NEW YORK STATE.
SO, BUT WESTCHESTER COUNTY, I THINK HAS TAKING THE POSITION THAT THEY'RE TAKING IN, THAT THERE WAS AN OPPORTUNITY TO GRIEVE YOUR TAXES AT THE APPROPRIATE TIME, BUT YOU DIDN'T.
AND THAT'S WHY THERE'S CALLED A HISTORICAL BECAUSE IT'S GOING BACK MORE YEARS THAN WE'RE ALLOWED TO GO BACK.
SO ALMOST HAD IT, UM, WESTCHESTER COUNTY FELT THAT, THAT THEY SHOULD, THE REASON WHY THEY DIDN'T AGREE IS BECAUSE YOU SHOULD HAVE FILED THE GRIEVANCE APPLICATION TO HOLD YOUR POSITION AND YOU DIDN'T.
AND THAT WAS YOUR OBLIGATION AS A HOMEOWNER OR A PROPERTY OWNER.
UM, IF THERE'S AN OFFICIAL TO, TO CLARIFY WITH THE LANDING THAT WE JUST SAID, THEY DID FILE A GRIEVANCE AND PETITIONS YES.
AND THAT'S WHY THAT'S THE DIFFERENCE.
WE, WE MADE THE DETERMINATION THAT THEY WERE ALLOWED A REDUCTION.
WHEN WAS THAT GRIEVANCE? WHEN SHOULD HAVE THAT, SHOULD THAT GRIEVANCE HAVE BEEN FILED IN IN 2020? IN 2020 BEFORE, OR 21 BEFORE IN 2021? NO, YOU WON, YOU BOUGHT IT IN MAY OF JUNE.
IT WOULD'VE BEEN, THE GRIEVANCE IS DUE IN JUNE.
AND THEN THE PETITION IS FROM SEPTEMBER TO OCTOBER OF 2020.
BOTH NEED TO BE FILED TO KEEP A PETITION MOVING IF THE ORIGINAL GRIEVANCE IS DENIED OR DISMISSED.
AND SO WITH THAT, THAT'S A VERY IMPORTANT PIECE OF INFORMATION IS THAT SINCE I ONLY OWNED HALF OF THE CONDOS, RIGHT.
I OWN MY ONE HALF, THE BUILDER WOULD'VE BEEN THE ONE WHO WOULD'VE RECEIVED THAT INFORMATION AS THEY WERE THE ONE WHO GAVE ME, WHEN WE PAID TAXES, EVERYTHING THAT I PAID WAS DONE AT CLOSING WITH THE BUILDER.
AND THEN WE DID NOT PAY THE TOWN OF GREENBURG WITHOUT THE BUILDER BEING INVOLVED.
WE DID THAT DIRECTLY FOR DECEMBER WHEN THAT NEXT PAYMENT WAS DUE.
SO I NEVER RECEIVED THAT ASSESSMENT AS THE BUILDER WAS STILL HOLDING THAT.
SO I WOULDN'T HAVE HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO FILE IT.
UM, YOU WOULD'VE, BECAUSE REGARDLESS OF WHETHER WE SEND YOU OUT THAT LETTER OR NOT, IT'S STILL YOUR RESPONSIBILITY.
I HATE TO BE THE BEARER OF BAD NEWS.
NO, I, BUT IT'S BEEN RECTIFIED FOR THE, FOR GOING FORWARD.
'CAUSE YOU'RE STILL THERE, RIGHT? MM-HMM.
UM, SO GOING FORWARD INFORMATION, WHERE CAN I FIND THAT INFORMATION AS A NEW TAXPAYER IN THE COUNTY AS A NEW MOVER? IF IT'S SOMETHING THAT I'VE MISSED, I'M, I'M, AGAIN, I'M EAGER TO FIX IT.
I JUST, I'M UNAWARE OF WHERE THOSE PIECES ARE.
AND CANDIDLY, WHEN WE SAW THE ASSESSMENT COME OUT FOR THE FOLLOWING YEAR, WHEN I SAW THAT IT WAS VERY CLOSE TO WHAT I PAID FOR MY CONDO AS A HOMEOWNER, I SAID, OKAY, WELL THAT SEEMS LIKE A FAIR MARKET VALUE ASSESSMENT OF MY HOME THAT IS CLOSE TO WHAT I PAID FOR IT.
NOT REALIZING THAT THE CALCULATION WASN'T THEN BACKED OUT WITH THAT 30% REDUCTION AFTER THE FACT.
WE, WE BECAME AWARE OF IT AND AS SOON AS WE BECAME AWARE OF IT, WE REACHED OUT RIGHT AWAY.
MY, UM, THE TOWN OF GREENBERG HAS A, AN AMAZING WEBSITE.
I CAN BRAG ABOUT THAT 'CAUSE ONE OF MY STAFF PEOPLE WORKS ON IT AS WELL.
UM, IF YOU GO ON THE ASSESSOR'S WEBSITE, BASICALLY IN ANY JURISDICTION, IT WILL BE VERY CLEAR AS TO THE STEPS.
IT'S EXTREMELY CLEAR LIKE I HAVE HIGHLIGHTED.
AND, AND THIS IS WHAT YOU HAVE TO DO.
THIS IS WHEN YOU HAVE TO DO IT.
AND, AND WITHOUT ME TALKING TO EVERY SINGLE TAXPAYER THAT COMES INTO TOWN AND LETTING THEM KNOW, UM, FIRST TERM AS WELL, IT'S AVAILABLE THERE THE FIRST TERM.
NO, I'M JUST SAYING THAT THE NEXT TOPIC PERSON IS YOUR OH, OKAY.
SO I THINK THAT THE BOARD NOW, YOU NO LONGER OWN YOUR PROPERTY.
YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT THE BACK, BACK ALSO.
THE PEOPLE LOOKING, YOU'RE ALSO TALKING ABOUT THE BACK.
I, AND, AND AS SHE SAID, I MOVED IN OCTOBER.
SO, YOU KNOW, BOTH OF US ARE NEW HOMEOWNERS.
BOTH OF US JUST MOVED TO WESTCHESTER TO RAISE OUR FAMILIES.
SHE'S NOW PREGNANT WITH HER SECOND.
WE ARE OBVIOUSLY DOING OUR BEST TO BE, YOU KNOW, UPSTANDING CITIZENS HERE AND DO DO RIGHT BY ALL OF YOU.
AND YOU KNOW, BOTH OF US HAVE THE INTENTION OF STAYING HERE A LONG TIME AND AS SOON AS WE FIGURE THIS OUT, YOU KNOW, I MEAN, I WOULD JUST APPRECIATE A LITTLE BIT OF PATIENCE IN, IN THAT THIS IS A LITTLE BIT OF A COMPLICATED SITUATION GIVEN THAT IT IS A UNIQUE CONDO.
THERE'S A LOT OF SORT OF LEGAL THINGS THAT WE'VE BEEN, YOU KNOW, NAVIGATING.
BUT, UM, WE'VE BEEN WORKING REALLY HARD TO DO RIGHT.
BY ALL OF YOU AND BY WESTCHESTER AND, YOU KNOW, WE ARE UPSTANDING TAX PAYING CITIZENS AND IT WAS AN HONEST MISTAKE.
AND THE SECOND WE FIGURED IT OUT WITHIN ONE YEAR, IT COULD HAVE GONE FOR YEARS AND THEN IT WOULD'VE BEEN A HUGE, YOU KNOW, HICCUP.
SO, UM, I, I ALSO, I JUST WANT TO ADD THAT, UM, THIS PROPERTY IS LOCATED IN HASTINGS MM-HMM.
SO OUR TAX EXPOSURE HERE FOR THE ONE YEAR IS A, I DIDN'T DO YOURS.
YEAH, IT'S PROBABLY THE SAME THING.
UM, IT'S PROBABLY ABOUT $1,400.
THE BIG ISSUE WOULD BE THE VILLAGE TAX ON THE SCHOOL TAX.
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HAPPENS.SO AGAIN, IT HAS BEEN RECTIFIED GOING FORWARD.
AND JUST FOR THE RECORD, I AM STILL A RESIDENT OF GREENBURG.
AS WE WERE EXPANDING, OUR FAMILY NEED A LITTLE MORE SPACE, SO I'M STILL ALSO A RESIDENT HERE IN THE COUNTY.
SO, UM, JOE, I THINK THE BOARD WILL MAKE A DECISION AND THEN WE'LL NOTIFY YOU.
DO, DO YOU HAVE AN IDEA WHEN WE CAN GIVE THEM AN IDEA? OKAY.
ARE THERE ANY OTHER QUESTIONS OR CLARIFYING POINTS THAT WE CAN HELP WITH SOME OF THE, THE BACK INFORMATION? I KNOW WE'VE BEEN IN PROCESS ON THIS SINCE MARCH OF THIS YEAR, SO IT'S BEEN A LOT OF TIME AND A LOT OF RESEARCH UNDERSTANDING WHERE EVERYTHING IS.
WHAT QUESTIONS CAN WE ANSWER FOR YOU? I I I I I THOUGHT THAT YOU DID A GOOD JOB.
FRANCIS', I THINK WE KNOW PRESENTED WELL.
I THINK WE KNOW THE FACTS AND THE QUESTION IS, YOU KNOW, DO WE OVERRIDE THE, UM, RECOMMENDATION OF THE, OF THE COUNTY? AND UM, YOU KNOW, AND THE FACT THAT IT'S NOT A VERY SIGNIFICANT AMOUNT OF MONEY FOR THE TOWN.
IT'S REALLY THE, UM, YOU KNOW, WHETHER OR NOT WE'RE SETTING A PRECEDENT THAT I DON'T THINK WE'VE SET BEFORE OUR DECISION IMPACTS.
OUR DECISION STANDS FOR HASTINGS AND FOR THE SCHOOL TAX, THIS IS A DIFFERENT TYPE OF LEGAL MATTER, BUT TYPICALLY WHEN IT COMES TO ANY OTHER TYPE OF PROPERTY TAX, UM, IT'S DISCUSSED WITH THE SCHOOL DISTRICT AND THE VILLAGES ADMINISTRATION AS WELL.
THIS IS A DIFFERENT SCENARIO, SO I'M NOT QUITE SURE HOW THAT WORKS.
BUT A DECISION HERE WOULD DEFINITELY IMPACT THE SCHOOL AND THE VILLAGE BECAUSE WHAT'S BEING ASKED FOR HERE IS TO CHANGE THE ASSESSMENT CORRECT.
OF THE TAXES AND THE ASSESSMENT WOULD APPLY TO THE SCHOOLS AND COUNTY, EVERYBODY.
THAT WAS A HUNDRED PERCENT CORRECT.
I STILL HAVEN'T FIGURED OUT THE, I STILL HAVEN'T FIGURED OUT THE 1% ON THE OTHER ONE.
I CAN'T LET YOU THINKING YOU'RE PERFECT.
I DON'T THINK I'M PERFECT, BUT THAT'S OKAY.
SO WHY DON'T WE, WHY DON'T WE SPEAK TO OUR LEGAL COUNSEL? HE ACTUALLY HACK AS AN EXPERT IN AND TAXER THE FIRST TIME I'VE EVER BEEN CALLED THAT.
SO, UH, THEY DO THEY HAVE A RECOURSE WHERE THEY COULD, UH, REACH OUT TO PEOPLE FROM THE STATE? REAL REAL ESTATE? I MEAN, IS THAT ANOTHER, THAT'S A KIND OF LIKE A GIVING LEGAL NO, I'M, I'M JUST WONDERING IF THERE'S LIKE ANOTHER, YOU KNOW, LET'S SAY, UH, YOU SAY, OKAY, DR.
SPERRY, THERE WAS A PRESIDENT, UM, AND LET'S SAY YOU, THE TOWN ATTORNEY COMES UP WITH THE ANSWER THAT'S NOT SATISFIED, THAT YOU'RE NOT PLEASED WITH.
DO THEY, IS THERE ANY OTHER RECOURSE THAT THEY WOULD HAVE? NOT THAT I KNOW OF.
AND SO I GUESS, YOU KNOW, AND AGAIN, THANKING YOU ALL FOR YOUR TIME HERE AND, AND TO HEAR THIS OUT AS WE'VE BEEN PURSUING IT, IS ULTIMATELY WE ALL PAY OUR TAXES.
WE JUST WANT THEM TO BE RIGHT.
AND I, I'M HAPPY TO PAY THE TAXES AND WE PAY TO LIVE HERE.
WE LOVE LIVING HERE AND RAISING OUR FAMILIES HERE.
THEY'RE CERTAINLY BENEFITING FROM THE, WELL MINE WILL SOON, BUT BENEFITING FROM THE WONDERFUL PUBLIC SCHOOLS HERE.
SO WITH ALL OF THAT, WE, WE JUST WANT IT TO BE CORRECT, THAT'S ALL.
SO WE APPRECIATE YOUR TIME AND CONSIDERATION ON THE MATTER AND WE APPRECIATE IT.
ANYTHING, THANK YOU FOR COMING IN.
HAPPY TO COME BACK NEXT WEEK IF I'M NOT TRAVELING HERE.
ALRIGHT, SO WE HAVE THE LEAFBLOWER ALLURE.
LAURA, CAN WE, UH, I DON'T KNOW WHAT YOU WANNA EXPECT TO DO WITH THAT, BUT WE YEAH.
YOU KNOW, WE'RE NOW, UH, 11 MINUTES INTO THE FIRST INTERVIEW.
I'M JUST WONDERING FOR THE LEAFBLOWER LAW IF, UM, I JUST RECOMMENDED THAT WE JUST CHANGE THE DATE FROM JULY TO, TO JUNE, UM, BECAUSE WE, IT'S PRETTY MUCH THE SAME, UH, YEAH.
LAW THAT WE WERE TALKING ABOUT.
SO, SO THERE MAY BE TWO PROPOSED LAWS.
ONE IS A NEW LOCAL LAW CREATING A CHAPTER TO REGULATE THE TIMES THAT LEAF BLOWERS CAN BE USED WITHIN THE TOWN.
AND THERE WOULD BE A SECOND, UH, LOCAL LAW AMENDING THE NOISE ORDINANCE OF THE TOWN CODE.
BOTH OF THESE LAWS, PROPOSED LAWS WOULD HAVE TO BE REINTRODUCED AT AN UPCOMING TOWN BOARD MEETING TO SET A PUBLIC HEARING.
AND WE'D ALLOW THE PUBLIC TO COME OUT UPON POSTING THE LAWS TO THE WEBSITE, UH, THE PUBLIC WOULD BE ABLE TO, TO VIEW THEM AND COME OUT AND GIVE EITHER THEIR SUPPORT OR THEIR OPINIONS, UM, AND THEN WE COULD MOVE FORWARD FROM THERE.
AND WHY DO YOU WANNA CHANGE IT TO JUNE? WHAT IS IT THAT MADE? WELL, WE, WE ORIGINALLY, UH, MADE IT JULY BECAUSE WE BASICALLY WERE, YOU KNOW, WE KEPT TALKING ABOUT THE,
[00:30:01]
UM, PROPOSED LEGISLATION AND YOU KNOW, BY TIME WE WOULD ENACT ANYTHING THAT WAS GONNA BE IN JULY, IT, IT WAS REALLY, I MEAN, WE WOULD TALK ABOUTBUT THEN, SO WHAT IS THE REASON THEN TO MOVE IT BACK TO JUNE? BECAUSE BASICALLY IT WOULD GIVE UP, IT WOULD PROVIDE MORE, UH, QUALITY OF LIFE PROTECTIONS AS OF JUNE RATHER THAN JULY.
DO THE EXTRA MONTH LESS NOISE.
COULD I SUGGEST WE HAVE THIS DISCUSSION NEXT WEEK BECAUSE IT'S REALLY NOT THAT TIME SENSITIVE BECAUSE WE'RE, PEOPLE ARE BLOWING LEAVES NOW AND THIS WILL NOT APPLY.
UM, WE'RE NOW, WE DO THAT NEXT WEEK.
WE'RE NOW 13 MINUTES INTO THE FIRST INTERVIEW.
AND, YOU KNOW, IT'S GONNA BE VERY CUMBERSOME TO RESCHEDULE EVERYBODY 14 MINUTES LATER, UM, BECAUSE WE CAN'T HAVE THEM IN AT THE SAME TIME.
SO I'M JUST MAKING THAT SUGGESTION.
ARE YOU MAKING A MOTION? I DON'T THINK WE HAVE TO, SINCE IT'S NOT REALLY ON A, YOU KNOW, THERE'S, THERE'S NO MOTION TO DO IT.
I JUST THINK WE SHOULD DO THIS NEXT WEEK.
DO WE HAVE TO GO BACK INTO MOTION TO GO BACK INTO EXECUTIVE SESSION? YEAH, THERE WILL BE A MOTION TO GO BACK INTO EXECUTIVE SESSION TO CONDUCT, UH, INTERVIEWS WHEN MAKE A MOTION.
ALL IN FAVOR? UH, TO DO WHAT EXECUTIVE YOU MOTION.
WE'RE CONDUCT WELL, UH, WHY DON'T YOU READ THE WHOLE THING? 'CAUSE IT INCLUDES EVERYTHING THAT WE'RE GONNA BE DOING.
MOTION FOR EXECUTIVE SESSION FOR THE PURPOSE OF DISCUSSING PERSONNEL MATTERS INVOLVING SPECIFIC INDIVIDUALS, CONDUCT PERSONNEL INTERVIEWS, AND SEEK LEGAL ADVICE ON VARIOUS MATTERS.
AND WE WILL NOT BE COMING BACK THIS EVENING.