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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]
WELCOME TO OUR TOWN BOARD WORK SESSION AND, UM, IT'S, UH, DECEMBER 6TH AT, UH, FIVE 15.UM, SO, UM, WE, WE, THE FIRST ITEM IS A FOIL APPEAL.
I DON'T BELIEVE THE APPLICANT IS HERE.
UM, THERE WAS A FOIL REQUEST, UH, FROM A FEW WEEKS AGO.
UM, THE, IT WAS SENT TO THE POLICE DEPARTMENT AND SERGEANT FERNANDEZ HAD TIMELY AND PROPERLY RESPONDED TO THAT ORIGINAL REQUEST, WHICH INCLUDED A, A COUNTY LAW, WHICH EXCLUDES THE, UH, REQUEST FROM BEING SUBMITTED TO THE APPLICANT.
I DON'T SEE ANYTHING IN THE RECORD TO CONTRADICT THAT.
THAT LAW SHOULD NOT APPLY IN THE PRESENT CASE.
AND I, I DON'T SEE THE APPLICANT HERE TODAY TO PRESENT ANY FURTHER EVIDENCE.
SO, UM, WHAT SHOULD WE DO? WE SHOULD BE, I, I COULD DRAFT YOU A PROPOSED DECISION FOR YOUR REVIEW, AND, AND IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS, PLEASE LET ME KNOW.
AND THEN WE SUBMIT THE, ONCE YOU DECIDE YOUR FINAL DECISION, WE SUBMIT THAT TO THE APPLICANT AND ALSO SEND A COPY TO THE COMMITTEE ON OPEN GOVERNMENT.
I WOULD SUGGEST IF THE PERSON DOES SHOW UP IN THE NEXT, YOU KNOW, 15, 20 MINUTES OR WHATEVER IT IS, UH, WHILE WE'RE HERE, THAT WE LISTEN TO HER.
NEXT, UH, WE HAVE, UM, THE, THE BUDGET, THE BUDGET DISCUSSION, AND, UH, FIRST ON THE LIST IS, UM, OUR RECEIVER OF TAXES.
SO YOU'RE IN CHARGE OF GIVING US THE MONEY, RIGHT? OH, YES.
I GOT WHAT I HAD FOR, I DIDN'T ASK FOR MUCH, AND EVERYTHING IS FINE.
YOU'RE A MODEL, A MODEL PUBLIC OFFICIAL
AND YOU MENTIONED, UH, BEFORE THAT, UM, UH, WE GOT ABOUT 700,000, A LITTLE OVER $700,000.
DOES THAT, DOES THAT, WHAT IS, WHERE DOES THAT LEAVE THE ARREARS? I DON'T, YOU HAD THE TOTAL NUMBER.
IT WAS LIKE ABOUT 18 MILLION, SO NOW IT'S 17 SOMETHING.
SO WE'RE COMING ALONG 7 53 SO FAR, AND IT'S SUPPOSED TO BE, UM, A MILLION COMING IN THIS MONTH.
AS A PROPERTY THAT'S BEING SOLD.
LET ME ASK YOU A QUESTION, UM, BECAUSE WE HAD THIS DISCUSSION AND, UM, YOU KNOW, IN MOST COMMUNITIES, UM, ARE ABLE TO SELL THE TAX LIS AND IN 1994, THE LEGISLATURE SAID COMMUNITIES HAD UNTIL LIKE, SAY JULY OF, YOU KNOW, 2000 TO OPT IN, 1994 TO OPT IN.
GREENBERG AT THAT TIME DIDN'T OPT IN.
SO WE'VE BEEN BASICALLY JUST COLLECTING TAXES, UH, ARREARS THROUGH THE FORECLOSURE PROCESS.
IF, IF, WHAT I'M SORT OF THINKING IS, UM, IF WE ASK THE STATE LEGISLATURE, UH, TO CHANGE, TO DO A HOME RULE REQUEST TO GIVE US, UM, YOU KNOW, THE AUTHORITY TO SELL TAX LIENS, UH, THEN WE COULD CLEAR UP, YOU KNOW, MOST OF THE ARREARS, YOU KNOW, VERY, VERY QUICKLY, YOU KNOW, THE POSITIVES IS, YOU KNOW, WE WOULD, WE COULD, WE WON'T HAVE $18 MILLION OWED TO US BECAUSE WE WOULD SELL THE, THE LIENS.
THE NEGATIVE IS THAT, UM, YOU KNOW, SOMEBODY WHO BUYS THE LIENS WOULD FOR, YOU KNOW, WILL FORECLOSE ON SOME OF THE PROPERTIES.
SOME OF THE PEOPLE WHO ARE REALLY STRUGGLING, THERE'S A BETTER CHANCE THAT THEY WOULD BE, YOU KNOW, YOU KNOW, FOR, YOU KNOW, FORECLOSED.
BUT, YOU KNOW, SO, SO IT IS A TWO-WAY THING, BUT FROM THE STANDPOINT OF THE TOWN, YOU KNOW, IF WE HAVE MONEY THAT'S BEEN OWED TO US SINCE 2013 AND YOU KNOW, IT'S GOING ON AND ON AND ON, YOU KNOW, I DON'T FEEL THAT IT'S GREAT.
UH, YOU KNOW, I, I FEEL THAT, YOU KNOW, WE, WE SHOULD NEVER HAVE SUCH A BACKLOG.
OH, THAT'S DEFINITELY, I DON'T THINK SO EITHER.
IT'S NOT, IT'S NOT GOOD FINANCE, BUT I'M NOT SURE ABOUT SELLING WOUNDS.
I HAVE TO LOOK MORE INTO THE SELLING OF THE WOUNDS.
I DON'T KNOW HOW THAT WOULD BE FOR MY DEPARTMENT.
WELL, YOU, THE OTHER THING WE COULD DO IS MAYBE WE COULD, UH, YOU COULD FIND OUT FROM SOME OF YOUR COLLEAGUES IN OTHER COMMUNITIES, UM,
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AND OR, OR MAYBE WHAT I COULD DO IS I COULD REACH OUT TO OTHER COMMUNITIES AND ASK THEM HOW LONG, YOU KNOW, HOW, HOW MUCH THE PROCESS LEEWAY, ARREAR THEY HAVE.AND WE COULD COMPARE WHAT OTHER COMMUNITIES ARE DOING TO.
DOES THAT MAKE SENSE? AND WE PROBABLY WOULDN'T HAVE TO SELL, YOU KNOW, ALL THE LIENS.
WE COULD PROBABLY PICK AND CHOOSE WHICH LIENS WE WOULD SELL.
OH, WE HAVE TO HAVE SOME KIND OF METRIC IN ORDER TO MAKE THAT DECISION, WHETHER IT'S A TIMEFRAME, YOU KNOW, IF THEY'RE IN ARREARS BEYOND FIVE YEARS OR THREE YEARS OR WHATEVER.
WOULD WE EVER THINK OF DOING THE AMNESTY AGAIN? I'M SORRY, THE WHAT? THE AMNE.
WE HAD AN AMNESTY A FEW YEARS BACK.
I THINK YOU WERE HERE FOR THAT.
I'M NOT SURE, BUT SO JUST ONE OF THE TAXPAYERS HE HAD ASKED ME, HE SAID, I KNOW YOU DID THAT A FEW YEARS AGO.
IS THAT SOMETHING THAT THE TOWN WOULD LOOK INTO AGAIN? AND I SAID, I DO NOT KNOW.
WELL, I WOULDN'T SUPPORT THAT BECAUSE WHEN WE DID THE AMNESTY, WE SAID IT WAS A ONE TIME THING MM-HMM.
AND IF WE MAKE IT THAT IT'S ROUTINE, DOING IT EVERY FIVE YEARS, WE'RE GONNA GIVE AMNESTY.
WE'RE GOING TO HAVE PEOPLE NOT PAYING THEIR TAXES.
AND BECAUSE THEY KNOW IN ANOTHER FIVE YEARS, OR THEY THINK IN ANOTHER FIVE YEARS WE WOULD DO THAT.
I'M NOT A BIG FAN OF SELLING THE LIENS BECAUSE, UH, WE DID NOT REASSESS SINCE THE SEVENTIES IN OUR LAST REASSESSMENT.
THERE WAS A LOT OF PEOPLE THAT OWED DOZENS OF YEARS IN BACK TAXES.
WE SHOULD NEVER GET TO THAT KIND OF BACKLOG AGAIN, BECAUSE THOSE PEOPLE WE EMAILED, EMAILED, AGAIN, I MEAN, MAILED MALE, MALE, MALE MAILED.
AND WE WERE QUITE SUCCESSFUL IN GETTING MANY OF THEM THAT IF WE WOULD'VE SOLD THE LIEN, THEY DON'T CARE ABOUT THE PEOPLE.
THEY'RE NOT THEIR NEIGHBORS AND RESIDENTS IN THE TOWN.
THEY WOULD JUST FORECLOSE ON 'EM AND DRIVE THE PEOPLE OUT OF THEIR HOMES.
BECAUSE IT'S, THAT'S WHAT IT IS.
BUT WE WERE ABLE TO, UH, CONVINCE PEOPLE THAT, YOU KNOW, YOU HAVE SOME EQUITY IN YOUR HOME.
YOU MIGHT NOT REALIZE IT, BUT YOU HAVE SOME EQUITY.
YOU KNOW, YOU'RE BETTER OFF SELLING YOUR HOME THAN JUST LETTING IT GO TO FORECLOSURE AND LOSE IT ALL.
RIGHT? AND SO THERE WERE PEOPLE THAT WERE ABLE TO KEEP THEIR HOMES THAT WOULD NOT OTHERWISE KEEP THEIR HOMES IF WE WOULD'VE SOLD THE LIENS.
SO I WOULD LIKE HAVE TO SEE SOMETHING THAT SHOWS THAT WHAT WE DID LAST TIME REALLY WASN'T DEFECTIVE.
AND I DON'T THINK THAT'S GONNA BE ABLE TO BE SHOWN, UH, BEFORE I, WE WANT TO SAY, YOU KNOW, JUST BECAUSE THE COW CAN GET A LOT MORE MONEY REAL QUICKLY, YOU KNOW, WE'RE GONNA SELL THE LIENS.
UH, THERE WAS A REASON WHY THEY WEREN'T SOLD IN THE PAST AND WHY WE'RE IN THE SITUATION WHERE WE GO THROUGH A FORECLOSURE PROCESS.
UM, WHICH BASICALLY I THINK TAKES TWO YEARS TO JUST GET A LIEN ON YOUR PROPERTY ONE YEAR.
BUT BY THE TIME WE ACTUALLY DO SOMETHING, IT'S THE SECOND YEAR.
UM, SO I'M NOT IN FAVOR OF ANOTHER AMNESTY FOR THE REASON I JUST SAID MM-HMM.
IS IT? IF THERE IS SOMETHING THAT WE CAN DO TO NUANCE IT, I DON'T KNOW, YOU KNOW MM-HMM.
BUT IF THERE IS, YOU KNOW, WHETHER IT'S A TIMEFRAME AND OR AFTER X AMOUNT OF ATTEMPTS TO, TO NEGOTIATE THIS, THE PROBLEM, OR BOTH, IF WE CAN DO THAT, THEN IT, WE'VE GIVEN PEOPLE MULTIPLE CHANCES.
SO WE COULD CONTINUE THE DISCUSSION.
I'LL, I'LL TRY, UH, WRITING A LETTER TO THE OTHER MUNICIPALITIES AND SAYING, YOU KNOW, TRYING TO LEARN WHAT THEY'VE DONE.
IS THERE A RECEIVER OF TAXES ASSOCIATION? YES.
I WOULD, THAT WOULD BE GOOD AT OUR NEXT MEETING.
IT IS AT THIS POINT, BY THE WAY, DRIVE SAFELY.
IT'S AT THIS POINT BY THE WAY THAT THE RECEIVER OF TAXES USUALLY SAYS, I JUST RECEIVED THE TAXES.
I DON'T IMPOSE, I ALWAYS USE THAT.
YOU'RE NOT JUST GONNA SAY DITTO.
NO, HE'S GONNA GET DO, HAVE PRESENTATION.
DO YOU HAVE MAPS? DO YOU HAVE NO, JUST KIDDING.
SO WELCOME AND THANKS FOR HAVING ME.
OUR OVERALL 2023 BUDGET IS, IS ACTUALLY ABOUT $200 LESS THAN THE 2022 BUDGET.
SO, UM, WE SOUGHT TO KEEP WITHIN THE FRAMEWORK, WHICH, YOU
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KNOW, THE TOWN BOARD LAID OUT.UM, WE ARE A DEPARTMENT THAT TAKES IN REVENUE.
UM, WE PROJECT THE REVENUE THAT WE'RE GONNA TAKE IN EACH AT THE BEGINNING OF EACH YEAR.
UH, WE DID PROJECT 175,000 IN REVENUE, UH, THIS 2022.
AND RIGHT NOW WE'RE AT 170,000 AND THERE'S A LITTLE OVER A MONTH OF, I GUESS, BACK DEPOSITS THAT ARE IN PROCESSING.
SO, UH, WE'RE CONFIDENT THAT WE'LL BE, I GUESS CLOSER TO 180,000.
UM, UH, SO THAT, THAT SEEMS TO, TO BE IN LINE.
AND I DON'T SEE ANY REASON WHY NEXT YEAR, UM, WE WOULDN'T BE CONSISTENT.
UM, WE ALSO, YOU'RE KEEPING THE PROJECTION THE SAME FOR NEXT YEAR.
UM, I'D HAVE TO DOUBLE CHECK, BUT, UH, WE PROBABLY ARE, UM, WHAT PAGE ARE WE ON, ROBERTA? WE'RE ON.
WELL, WE DID REVENUE BECAUSE THEY'RE PROJECTING HOW MUCH THEY'RE GETTING IT.
I I DON'T WANNA SAY 200 AND THEN COME IN LOWER ON 85.
THIS COMMUNITY FEES 75, WHAT YOU PUT UP FOR 2023 TOTAL YEAH.
IS HOW MUCH YOU PLAN BOARD FEES.
UH, BUT THERE, THERE'S OTHER, YOU KNOW, TREE FEES AND ALL THAT, BUT, SO WE CAN REVISIT IT, BUT I MEAN, I THINK, UH, 1 75 SEEMS TO BE A GOOD APPROACH.
UM, YOU KNOW, AT LEAST FOR THE TIME BEING.
UM, HAVING SAID THAT, UH, WE'RE ALSO MINDFUL OF, YOU KNOW, OPPORTUNITIES OUT THERE.
SO, UM, I'VE, I'VE APPRISED THE BOARD OVER THE COURSE OF THE YEAR, WHAT WE'VE BEEN DOING WITH REGARD TO GRANTS.
UM, NYSERDA THIS YEAR WE TOOK IN, UH, $30,000 IN GRANTS, WHICH WE USED TO PURCHASE AN ELECTRIC VEHICLE.
UM, SO THAT WAS, THAT ELECTRIC VEHICLE COST, I THINK LIKE 30,000 AND LIKE, YOU KNOW, A HUNDRED DOLLARS.
SO ESSENTIALLY GOT A, YOU KNOW, A BEAUTIFUL CHEVY BOLT FOR A HUNDRED DOLLARS.
UM, CAN I ASK YOU A QUESTION ABOUT ELECTRIC? YEAH.
UH, YOU, THERE WAS AN ARTICLE THAT THERE'S VERY FEW, AND, AND I THINK IN THE NEW YORK TIMES OR THE WALL STREET JOURNAL ABOUT ELECTRIC CHARGING STATIONS, THAT THERE'S AN INADEQUATE NUMBER IN THE AREAS.
ARE WE, WHEN THERE'S A NEW DEVELOPMENT ASKING, UM, UH, THE DEVELOP DEVELOPER TO PUT IN, UH, ELECTRIC CHARGING STATIONS WE HAVE, AND, UM, THAT'S NOT CODIFIED.
UH, I THINK THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE MAY CODIFY, UH, WITH THE, THE SUSTAINABILITY COMMITTEE.
THAT'S ONE OF THE CHARGES THAT WE'LL LOOK INTO, UM, IS CODIFYING THAT, BUT YES.
UM, HOW MANY STATIONS ARE THERE IN GREENBURG WOULD YOU SAY NOW ABOUT NOT ENOUGH.
UM, I WOULD SAY I'D BE SURPRISED IF THERE WAS MORE THAN 50.
UM, UH, SO, UM, SO THE QUESTION IS, WOULD WE BE ABLE TO POSSIBLY HAVE LIKE A MAP OF LIKE, YOU KNOW, OR LIKE A LISTING OF ELECTRIC STATIONS, BECAUSE MAYBE, YOU KNOW, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE COULD DO IS WE COULD COME UP WITH LIKE A SAY, UH, THE GREENBERG HAS BEEN PROMOTED, YOU KNOW, 50 IS AT THIS POINT IS NOT, NOT REALLY THAT BAD.
SO IF WE HAVE LIKE A LIST AND WE BASICALLY SAID, THIS IS WHERE YOU COULD GET YOUR CARS CHARGED.
UH, AND, AND THEN, UM, AND THEN WE COULD USE THAT TO MOTIVATE OTHER, YOU KNOW, BUSINESSES.
YOU KNOW, I WAS EVEN THINKING LIKE THE MIDWAY, UH, YOU KNOW, IT IS SUCH A, I MEAN, THEY'RE TALKING RIGHT NOW, THEY'RE ASKING FOR SOMETHING AND MAYBE WE COULD, YOU KNOW, YOU KNOW, SAY, LISTEN, IF YOU'RE GONNA BE MAKING IMPROVEMENTS, WHY DON'T YOU PUT IN ONE OR TWO ELECTRIC CHARGING STATIONS CHARGE? WILL YOU EAT? YEAH.
NO, IT, IT IS AN IMPORTANT CONSIDERATION.
UM, SO WE'LL, WE'LL, WE'LL TAKE THAT UNDER ADVISEMENT.
WHAT I WAS GONNA INDICATE IS, UH, WITH REGARD TO NYSERDA, WE'RE IN LINE FOR $45,000 OF NO MATCH FUNDING.
AND, UM, WE DO WANNA SEE IF THERE'S AN OPPORTUNITY TO PUT SOME, UH, CHARGING STATIONS AT THE LIBRARY OR HERE AT TOWN HALL OR BOTH MM-HMM.
UM, ALSO IN TERMS OF OPPORTUNITIES, BROUGHT THIS TO THE BOARD, UH, ROUGHLY A MONTH OR TWO AGO.
UM, BATTERY ENERGY STORAGE, WORKING WITH CON EDISON, UM, LIKELY WILL TAKE 18 MONTHS OR LONGER TO COME TO FRUITION, BUT THERE WILL BE A TIME, TWO YEARS FROM NOW, WE'RE GONNA COME BACK TO YOU AND SAY WE'RE WE'RE THERE.
AND, UM, WE COULD HAVE BATTERY ENERGY STORAGE ON MUNICIPALLY OWNED PROPERTY GENERATING 80,000 ANNUALLY.
SO, YOU KNOW, WE, WE TRY AND, YOU KNOW, WE'RE MINDFUL OF THE DEPARTMENT EXPENDITURES, BUT WE'RE, WE TRY AND BE CREATIVE AND TAKE ADVANTAGE OF WHAT'S OUT THERE AND HELPING THE GRID AND HELPING THE GRID, IT'S RIGHT.
IT'S NOT LIKE YOU'RE TAKING ON A NUISANCE.
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THE CD AND C BUDGET, IF ONE LOOKS AT IT, IT'S NOT JUST AS LEAN AS, UH, SALARIES AND EQUIPMENT.UM, WE, WE HAVE BEEN MORE ACTIVE AS, AS WE ALL KNOW WITH, WITH GRANTS.
UM, WE GET A LOT OF SUPPORT FROM ENGINEERING.
UM, SO WE'RE, WE'RE LOOKING TO, WE, WE HELP THEM OUT AND WE WORK TOGETHER AS FAR AS INFRASTRUCTURE PROJECTS.
SO ACTUALLY A PROJECT LIKE THE HAWK SIGNAL, UM, WE ACTUALLY GENERAL CONTRACTED THAT OUT OF MY DEPARTMENT.
UM, SO, UH, THAT PROJECT IS ALMOST DONE
WE'RE STILL WAITING ON A PART, BUT THE REASON I MENTION THAT IS, YEAH, SO THERE ARE SOME SIGNIFICANT, UM, LINES IN THEIR PROFESSIONAL FEES, CONSULTING REQUESTED PROJECTS, BUT THAT MONEY ALLOWS US TO, FOR INSTANCE, PAY THE, THE INSPECTOR THAT'S MANDATED BY NEW YORK STATE TO BE ON SITE.
SO, UM, I ALWAYS FIND IT AS A CHALLENGE, BUT I DO WORK CLOSELY WITH ROBERTA TO HAVE THAT LINE, NOT BE TOO HIGH, BUT HAVE IT HIGH ENOUGH WHERE I'M NOT ALWAYS COMING WITH HIGHER CAPITAL BUDGET, UM, REQUESTS, WHICH, YOU KNOW, THERE'S BONDING FEES IN, IN, IN, I GUESS, YOU KNOW, OTHER EXPENDITURES LIKE THAT.
UM, BUT THAT MONEY DOES, YOU KNOW, GIVE US THE FLEXIBILITY TO WORK WITH CONSULTANTS LIKE THE MUSEUM READINESS PROJECT, THAT TYPE OF THING.
AND OF COURSE, ALL, UM, FEES THAT WE COME TO THE BOARD WITH AND GET APPROVED.
SO IT'S NOT LIKE, YOU KNOW, IT'S A, IT'S AN OPEN CHECKBOOK OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT.
SO, UM, SPEAKING OF GRANTS, GIVING CREDIT, WHAT CREDITORS DUE, YOU ARE CLEARLY THE GO-TO PERSON WHEN IT COMES TO GRANT WRITING, UM, OF THE TECHNICAL NATURE.
AND I KNOW YOU'VE BEEN HERE VERY LATE AT NIGHT.
YOU'VE ACTUALLY SLEPT OVER TO GET GRANTS DONE BY THEIR DEADLINE.
IT SEEMS LIKE EVERY GRANT THAT COMES UP, IT'S DUE FRIDAY, RIGHT?
AND, UH, IT DOESN'T GO UNNOTICED.
AND, UM, FORTUNATELY THERE'S A LOT OF GRANTS OUT THERE AND, UM, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE A COMPREHENSIVE PLAN.
UH, WE HAVE A LOT OF THE PLANNING DOCUMENTS THAT HELP US GET THESE GRANTS, SO THAT, THAT IS LIKE HALF THE BATTLE RIGHT THERE.
UM, THANK YOU FOR SENDING THAT, THAT EMAIL TODAY, PAUL FROM THE COUNTY, UM, YOU KNOW, ABOUT THE OPPORTUNITY FOR $250,000.
I ALREADY SENT AN EMAIL OUT FOR INFORMATION ON THAT.
WE WANNA REALLY, UM, POTENTIALLY, IT JUST SEEMS TAILOR MADE TO GET FUNDING FOR FOUR CORNERS, UM, TO WORK ON SEEKER AND REZONING, WHICH IS, YOU KNOW, I DIDN'T WANT TO COME TO THE TOWN BOARD FOR THAT.
I, WHEN I SAW THAT AND I READ IT, I WAS LIKE, THIS IS EXACTLY WHAT WE NEED.
SO I THINK WE'LL BE SUPER COMPETITIVE FOR THAT.
SO, YOU KNOW, OUR DEPARTMENT'S GONNA BE ALL OVER THAT, BUT YEAH, SO THANK YOU.
UM, ALRIGHT, SO IN THERE WHERE IT SAYS THE DIRECT DIRECTLY THE C UH, C D B G FUNDS, WE DON'T GET IT DIRECTLY SINCE WE GO THROUGH JUST TO THE COUNTY.
AND THAT WAS A CRITICAL, UM, POLICY DECISION FOR THE TOWN.
UM, ACTUALLY EARLY ON WHEN I BECAME COMMISSIONER, BECAUSE WE COULD HAVE COMBINED WITH THE VILLAGES AND UM, AND DID JUST THAT, MADE OUR OWN CONSORTIUM AND WENT STRAIGHT TO THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT AND IT PROBABLY WOULD'VE BEEN GUARANTEED MONEY THAT OUR CONSORTIUM WOULD'VE GOTTEN IT.
WE WOULD'VE HAD TO SHARE THAT WITH THE VILLAGES.
BUT IN THE LONG RUN, I FEEL LIKE, YOU KNOW, IT'S A GOOD PARTNERSHIP TO HAVE WITH THE COUNTY.
UM, AND IT'S SORT OF LIKE, UH, I DON'T KNOW.
I JUST FEEL LIKE THE CENTRALIZED EXPERTISE THAT THE COUNTY HAS, WHY NOT TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THAT? SO WE MADE THAT POLICY DECISION NOT TO GO DIRECT TO THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT.
AND, UM, I FEEL LIKE WE'VE, YOU KNOW, WE'VE DONE WELL WITH COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT BLOCK GRANT AND YOU COULD SEE IT DOESN'T BOX US OUT OF THIS OPPORTUNITY.
AND IT IS A CONSORTIUM TOO OF 20 SOME ODD, UM, COMMUNITIES THROUGHOUT WESTCHESTER.
SO WE BENEFIT FROM, FROM THAT.
UM, OTHER THAN THAT, I MEAN, I JUST APPRECIATE THE BOARD SUPPORT AND ROBERTA'S SUPPORT.
I REALLY HAVE NO COMPLAINTS, SIR.
THE MAYOR OF LAWRENCE, UH, ASKED FOR AN UPDATE ON THE ONE LAWRENCE, AND IT'S BASICALLY THE SAME THAT BASICALLY D E C IS CLEANING IT UP AND THERE'S NO DEVELOPMENT ACTIVITY THAT WE KNOW OF.
YEAH, I THINK THAT'S ACCURATE.
WE DID A SITE VISIT WITH THE MAYOR.
UM, THE, THE CLEANUP THERE IS, IS ALMOST DONE.
THIS IS THE SITE ACROSS FROM LIFE PLACE TO BE.
UM, AND THE CLEANUP'S ALMOST COMPLETE.
IT'S BEING, UH, REMEDIATED TO A, A NON-RESIDENTIAL USE STANDARD.
UM, BUT I DON'T KNOW WHAT THAT END USE IS.
I KNOW THAT THE OWNER SPECIALIZES IN, IN ENTERING THE BROWNFIELD CLEANUP PROGRAM.
SO THEY'RE, THEY'RE GREAT AT GETTING FUNDING FROM THE STATE CLEANING UP SITE, AND THEN THEY REALLY JUST WANNA FLIP IT TO SOMEBODY THAT'S GONNA BRING IT TO AN END USE.
I DON'T KNOW IF THAT'S, YOU KNOW, THE, THE PEOPLE THAT, UH, UM, BID ON THE AUCTION OR SUBMITTED FOR THE AUCTION THAT THEY CAME UP WITH, THE USE THAT IS CONCRETE BECAUSE THEY HAVEN'T COME TO US WITH ANY REAL END USE.
UM, BUT WHATEVER DOES COME, UH, I JUST WANNA MAKE IT CLEAR THAT IT WILL BE SUBJECT TO SITE PLAN APPROVAL AND CCRA, SO YOU WILL KNOW ABOUT IT AND YOU'LL BE ABLE TO, YOU KNOW, AND TRAFFIC STUDY DELIBERATE TRAFFIC CONCERNS AND THINGS LIKE THAT.
BUT YEAH, NO END USE THAT I KNOW OF, BUT WHAT WE'LL CONTINUE TO REACH OUT, BUT I BELIEVE IT'S CLOSE TO BEING CLEAN, MAYBE LIKE FIRST QUARTER NEXT YEAR, THE PROJECT TO BE DEEMED CLEAN,
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UM, TO THE NON, NON TO THE COMMERCIAL STANDARD.DO YOU EXPECT THE BRIGHTVIEW, UH, YOU KNOW, WHICH WE APPROVED A YEAR AGO TO ACTUALLY BE CONSTRUCTED LIKE NEXT YEAR? SO BRIGHTVIEW, WE'RE TALKING ABOUT THE C C F, IT'S COMBINED ASSISTED LIVING AND THE SENIOR HOUSING THAT THE TOWN BOARD APPROVED, UM, IN FRONT OF METROPOLIS.
I, I GET THE SENSE THEY, THEY WILL COME IN FOR, UM, PERMITS SOMETIME NEXT YEAR, UM, PERHAPS WITH THE GOAL OF MAYBE BREAKING GROUND, UH, IN 2024.
I, I KNOW THEY'RE ACTIVE, THEY'RE DOING WORK WITH, UH, THE STATE ON, ON, ON THE ROADWAY.
SO THAT, THAT'S, THAT'S GONNA BE A GOOD PROJECT, UH, SIDEWALK, UM, SUBSTANTIAL PROJECT AND YEAH.
AND WHAT ABOUT THE ELMWOOD ELMWOOD BEFORE THE PLANNING BOARD? RIGHT NOW FINISHED WITH THE TOWN BOARD, ALL THE SECRET WORK IS DONE.
SO YEAH, THEY HAVE THAT 113 SINGLE FAMILY, UH, PROPOSAL.
I BELIEVE THEY'RE GONNA BE ON PROBABLY, MAYBE, UH, SOME TIME IN JANUARY OR FEBRUARY WITH THE PLANNING BOARD.
AND, UM, I, YOU KNOW, I, I THINK THEY'LL, THEY'LL BREAK GROUND AS THEY WORK WITH A DEVELOPER.
I THINK THEY'RE, YOU KNOW, THEY'RE GONNA GET THE APPROVALS AND THEN GET WORK WITH A, A DEVELOPER THAT IS GONNA BUILD THAT PROJECT OUT.
BUT, UM, I, IT'S TOUGH TO SPECULATE.
I DON'T KNOW THAT THEY'RE GONNA BREAK GROUND.
NEXT YEAR MIGHT BE A LITTLE TIGHT, BUT PROBABLY 2024 YOU'LL SEE SOME ACTIVITY ON THAT SITE.
OKAY, NEXT, UH, WE HAVE THE COURT SEND THEM TO, UH, DEEPAK OR SOMEONE MM-HMM.
SOMEONE THEIR PHONE OVER AND OVER AND OVER AGAIN.
AND THERE'S NO TWO NUMBERS AND THERE'S NO, UM, HEATHER.
GOOD, HOW ARE YOU? HOW ARE YOU? HELLO, YOU GOOD, HOW ARE YOU? GOOD.
SO DID YOU WANT TO COME UP AS WELL THAT SHE'S COURT CLERK? YEAH, I WAS JUST GONNA SUGGEST YOU MAKE A LITTLE WARM.
SO, UH, YOU COULD TELL US WHAT WE COULD CUT FROM YOUR BUDGET.
NO, IT'S ALREADY BEEN CUT, SO, UH, THAT'S WHY I HAVE A BOOKLET.
I'M JUST GOING TO START OFF, UH, WITH THE INDICATING AS OF WHAT THE COURT IS DOING.
SO FROM THAT I'M GOING TO HAVE SOME BUDGET ISSUES THAT I WOULD LIKE TO ADDRESS, WHICH IS, INCLUDES THE, UH, UM, PERSONAL ISSUES.
IF THERE ARE PERSONNEL ISSUES, NAMING SPECIFIC PEOPLE, THEN WE SHOULD BE GOING INTO DEFINITELY EXECUTIVE SESSION.
BUT I'M NOT NAMING ANYONE'S SPECIFIC.
I'M JUST PROVIDING SOME INFORMATION TO THE TOWN BOARD TO LOOK INTO THE, UH, C SS C A, UM, SALARY, UH, INFORMATION.
SO WHAT THE SALARY, YEAH, I THINK WE'D BE ABLE TO PROBABLY BE ABLE TO TELL BASED ON TITLES WHO WE'RE REFERRING TO.
ARE THERE MORE, IS THERE MORE THAN ONE PERSON IN A TITLE OR? YES.
SO WHY DON'T WE SCHEDULE SOMETHING FOR, I'LL HAVE TO DO THAT ANOTHER TIME.
UH, I REALLY WOULD LIKE TO HANDLE THIS BEFORE WE, UH, UM, PUBLISH THE, UH, BUDGET FOR 2023, UM, MEETING WITH THE TOWN BOARD REGARDING THE, UH, REGARDING THE SITUATION I'M JUST MENTIONED.
UM, I'LL GIVE YOU A OVERALL WITH THE, WHAT'S HAPPENING WITH THE COURT.
SO YOU HAVE EVERYTHING TO HAVE WITH SOME IDEA WHAT WE ARE DOING, WHERE WE ARE, AND HOW THINGS ARE GOING.
AS YOU ALL KNOW THAT WE WERE DOING THINGS VIRTUALLY FOR A VERY LONG TIME.
IF WE ARE BACK TO NORMAL, AS OF, UH, AS OF NUMBER 30, 20, 22 TOTAL IN COLLECTION FOR FINES ARE 2.3.
IT'S NOT QUITE THREE, BUT 2.283.
AND DO YOU KNOW WHAT WE ANTICIPATED? THAT'S THE TOTAL COLLECTION.
I DON'T KNOW THE PORTION OF THE, UH, TOWN YET.
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OKAY.WHY WE PROJECTED JUST TO SAY WE ARE MINUSING THE DECEMBER, THOUGH, WE'RE STILL COLLECTING MORE FORFEITURES 1.75.
SO WE, WE DOING THAT MUCH BETTER.
NOW WE ARE KIND OF, UM, EVEN THOUGH WE ARE IN PANDEMIC TIME, WE ARE DOING ALL OUR MAIN COLLECTION VIA VIRTUAL COURT SESSIONS, BUT, UM, WE ARE MAKING A GREAT DEAL OF IMPROVEMENT OF TO COLLECTING THE FINES FROM EVERYONE.
UM, D UH, D M V MADE A HUGE, UM, CHANGE IN D M V UH, COLLECTIONS.
WE CANNOT SUSPEND THE DEFENDANTS ANYMORE.
SO CAN YOU TALK A LITTLE LOUDER? I KNOW I LOST MY VOICE.
I DON'T KNOW WHETHER I SHOULD BE BRING THE MICROPHONE CLOSER.
UM, D M V HAD CHANGED THE LAW AS TO COLLECTION OF, WE COULD ONLY SUSPEND PEOPLE FAILURE TO APPEAR NOT ON FINES ANYMORE.
WE, ANYONE WHO DID NOT PAY A FINE, IT'S KIND OF PUT IT ON A CORNER.
WE ARE NOT, SO YOU CAN'T SUSPEND LICENSE, WE CAN'T SUSPEND THEM.
BUT WHAT WE ARE DOING IS WE ARE SENDING OUT A, A FINE LETTER INDICATING THERE IS AN OVERDUE ON, UM, CASES THAT'S PENDING BEFORE THE COURT.
THIS IS ONLY STRICTLY ON RETAIL CASES, NOTHING ELSE.
WE ARE ALL SEEN IN PERSON, UM, JAIL CASES, ALL IN PERSON, NOTHING VIRTUAL ANYMORE.
UM, CIVIL CASES, THERE ARE SOME THAT'S BEING SEEN.
SO THERE ARE HUGE CHANGE IN LAW AS TO CIVIL CASES.
BUT THINGS THE, SOME OF THE CHANGES THAT WAS MADE BEFORE PANDEMIC, DURING PANDEMIC, ALL THOSE CHANGES THAT WERE MADE, IT'S KIND OF A, A BACK TO PRE, UH, BEFORE COVID TIME.
SO THINGS ARE MOVING, BUT THERE ARE STILL PENDING BECAUSE OF COVID TIME.
THERE'S NO PENDING, UM, THERE IS NO BACKLOG.
UM, I'M ONLY GOING TO SAY 99%.
THERE IS ALWAYS A 1% CHANCE THAT THERE ARE CASES STILL OUTSTANDING BECAUSE OF, YOU KNOW, MOVEMENT OF ITEMS IN THE OFFICE.
WHAT 99% OF CONFIDENCE I COULD TELL INFORMED THE TOWN OR THAT 99% OF THE CASES ARE BEING, UM, CALENDAR HANDLED, DISPOSED, ALL THAT STUFF.
UM, ARE ALL ALL OF THE JUDGES APPEARING IN PERSON TO HEAR CASES NOW? YES.
ALL THE JUDGES ARE APPEARING, ONLY VIRTUAL CASES ARE BEING DONE IF SOMEBODY MAKE A REQUEST.
UM, IF ANYBODY MAKE A REQUEST TO THE CIVIL CRIMINAL CALENDAR, WHAT WE ARE DOING IS, UH, WE ARE GETTING AN APPROVAL FROM THE TOWN, UH, UM, SUPERVISING JUDGE TO HANDLE THEM VIRTUALLY MM-HMM.
VERY FEW PEOPLE STILL HAVING TROUBLE ON A CIVIL MATTERS COMING BEFORE THE COURT BECAUSE OF, UH, JOB ISSUES OR, YOU KNOW, UM, PEOPLE ARE USED TO VIRTUAL COURT SESSIONS MM-HMM.
AND IT'S VERY DIFFICULT TO FINDING, UM, BABYSITTERS TO, UH RIGHT.
COME IN TO, I'LL JUST ADD TO THAT.
LIKE SOMEBODY JUST HAD A BABY OF COURSE.
LIKE FOR EXAMPLE, SOMEONE JUST HAD A BABY, SOMEONE HAS COVID SYMPTOMS. THANK YOU.
AND IF THEY REQUEST THE COURT, UH, LETTING THEM APPEAR VIRTUALLY, IT'S BETTER THAN ADJOURNING THE CASE AND POSTPONING THE CASE.
SO THAT'S AN ADVANTAGE FOR THE VIRTUAL COURT THAT THE JUDGES ARE A LITTLE FLEXIBLE, BUT IT'S MAYBE ONE OR TWO PER CALENDAR.
SO IT'S NOT LIKE A TREND MM-HMM.
SO THAT'S ALL I WANTED TO ADD.
SO AS FAR AS THE COURT IS CONCERNED, WE ARE PRETTY MUCH, UH, UH, DOING THE, UH, COMING BACK TO THE NORMAL COURT SESSION, WE ARE DOING ANYTHING AND EVERYTHING TO TAKE CARE OF KENDALL, THE CASES PROMPTLY AND THE TOWN ATTORNEY'S OFFICE IS ALWAYS THERE TO TAKE CARE OF THE TOWN CASES AND THE VEHICLE AND TRAFFIC CASES.
WE ARE DISPOSING THEM IN TIMELY FASHION AND UH, POLICE DEPARTMENT IS THERE TO ISSUING TRAFFIC TICKETS, UH, INCLUDING TROOPERS AND EVERYONE.
SO THINGS ARE A LITTLE BIT OF THERE.
I AM SEEING A NORMALCY, NOT A HUNDRED PERCENT, BUT THERE ARE THINGS ARE REALLY NORMAL THESE DAYS.
UM, STAFF STAFFS ARE IN ON TIME DOING WHAT NEEDS TO BE DONE.
WITHOUT THEM, WE WOULDN'T BE DOING WHAT WE ARE DOING RIGHT NOW.
'CAUSE IT'S A LOT OF HARD WORK WITH THE PEOPLE
[00:30:01]
THAT'S IN THE OFFICE.THEY'RE A PLUS TO WORK WITH THEM.
THEY DO CHIP IN BEING THERE DOING WHAT NEEDS TO BE DONE.
AND JUDGES ARE ALWAYS THERE TO SUPPORT THE STAFF TO DO WHAT NEEDS TO BE DONE.
WITHOUT THE JUDGES, WE WON'T BE ABLE TO DISCLOSE, I MEAN, OUR CASES AND EVERY SINGLE AREA OF THE STAFF DOING WHAT NEEDS TO BE DONE TO DO WHAT, WHAT WE NEED TO DO TO ACCOMPLISH FOR THE COURT.
SO I HAVE NOTHING, UM, BAD TO SAY ABOUT THE COURT AT THIS TIME, BUT UNLESS YOU GUYS HAVE ANY QUESTIONS, CONCERN ABOUT THE COURT, PLEASE DO TELL IF YOU WANNA WAIT ABOUT THE BUDGET, LIKE FIVE MINUTES OR SOMETHING.
WE HAVE JUST A FEW ITEMS, BUT THEY'RE GONNA BE LIKE VERY QUICK.
SO WE COULD BASICALLY, UM, UH, DO AN EXECUTIVE SESSION FOR THE PERSONNEL MATTERS IF THAT YOU WANT, IF YOU WANT JUST WAIT, LET'S SAY, BUT IS THERE ANYTHING, I JUST DON'T WANT TO GO INTO EXECUTIVE SESSION AND YOU START TO TALK ABOUT SOMETHING THAT YOU COULD HAVE DONE OUT HERE.
SO IS THERE ANYTHING THAT YOU'RE GONNA GO DIFFERENT LINES, YOU NEED MORE MONEY HERE, NEED MORE OTHER THAN SALARY? SALARY'S THE ONLY ONE THAT I'M FOCUSING ON.
IS, UM, THERE HAVE BEEN, UH, SEVERAL TURNOVERS WITH REGARD TO THE CHIEF OF POLICE MM-HMM.
HAS THAT AT ALL AFFECTED THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THE COURT AND THE POLICE DEPARTMENT, OR HOW IS THE RELATIONSHIP NOW BETWEEN THE COURT AND THE POLICE DEPARTMENT? IT'S, IT'S THE SAME AS IT WAS BEFORE.
WE ALWAYS BEEN WORKING TOGETHER.
WITHOUT THEM I WOULDN'T BE ABLE TO ACCOMPLISH WHAT I NEED TO ACCOMPLISH VICE VERSA.
SO IT'S A TEAM, BUT THEY DO HELP ME OUT WITH THE, WITH THE TIME I NEED HELP AND I DON'T HAVE A COURT OFFICER THERE.
THEY ALWAYS THERE TO HELP ME OUT, BUT MM-HMM.
BUT THOSE ARE THE LITTLE THINGS THAT I DO WANNA ADDRESS IN THE EXECUTIVE SESSIONS.
UNLESS ANY ONE OF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS FOR THE COURT? NO, I THINK WE'RE GREAT.
SO, OKAY, SO THE DEPARTMENT HEAD EVALUATIONS, WE JUST WANTED TO SEE IF WE COULD, WAS THE NATURE, WAS THE NATURE CENTER COMING? THEY'RE SUPPOSED TO COME.
UM, YEAH, THEY SAID THEY WERE COMING LAST NIGHT.
SO I JUST WANTED TO SEE IF WE COULD ASK JOAN TO SCHEDULE AND IF WE WANT TO PICK LIKE A, A DAY TO BE JANUARY, IT COULD BE FAIR, YOU KNOW, AS LONG AS WE SAY YOU'RE GONNA DO IT, AND THEN JUST FOLLOW UP ON YOU.
SO JUST TO, TO, SO IN OTHER WORDS, EVALUATION TIME, TIME IS COMING UP AGAIN AND IT'S TIME TO EVALUATE THE DEPART HEADS DO IT EVERY YEAR.
SO IT'S JUST A MATTER OF, BUT IT'S NOT MEETING WITH THEM.
WE HAVE TO SEND OUT THE PAPERWORK.
THAT'S JUST PUTTING HER ON THE LIST, HOW SEND THEM OUT.
WHAT WAS THAT? SEND OUT THE DOCUMENTS.
WE HAVE TO DO THEIR SELF APPRAISAL.
THE SELF APPRAISALS HAVE TO BE DONE FIRST.
SO IT'S UPDATING THEM FOR THIS YEAR MM-HMM.
WHO WOULD, WHO WOULD DO THAT? SEND THAT OUT.
AND THEN AFTER THAT, SHOULD WE TRY, WHEN DO YOU THINK WOULD BE, UM, YOU KNOW, A REASONABLE TIME PERIOD WHEN WE THINK WE COULD HAVE THE DEPARTMENT HEADS IN? WELL, THEY GOTTA DO THEIR SELF-ASSESSMENT.
THIS IS, SO WE GOTTA FIGURE OUT WHAT THE TIMELINE'S GOING TO BE, SO RIGHT.
WE SHOULD, WE SHOULD DISCUSS THE PROCESS.
I'M JUST TRYING TO FIGURE OUT LIKE A WAY SO IT DOESN'T FALL THROUGH THE CROSS.
I THOUGHT THE, IT'S NOT GONNA FALL THROUGH CRACK.
DID IT LAST YEAR WITH NO PROBLEM.
UM, THE, RELATING TO WHAT I PUT ON THE AGENDA, THE PROPOSED RESOLUTION, CONDEMNING ANTI-SEMITISM.
I GOT AN EMAIL FROM ELLIE HEIMER FROM THE JEWISH COUNCIL, AND HE BASICALLY SAID THAT, UM, THEY'RE GONNA BE DRAFTING A RESOLUTION FOR THE COUNTY LEGISLATURE.
AND THEN AFTER THE COUNTY APPROVES A RESOLUTION, THEN THEY'RE GONNA ASK, UH, LOCAL GOVERNMENTS TO, UH, ADOPT SOMETHING SIMILAR.
DIDN'T WE ALREADY DO THAT? WE DID THAT.
I NEED TO, DIDN'T WE ALREADY DO THAT? THIS WAS MORE, UM, WE DID IT THIS YEAR IS RIGHT.
BUT THIS IS NOW BECAUSE OF, YOU KNOW, UH, UH, WHAT'S HIS NAME? UH, YAY.
YOU KNOW, HIS, HE WAS PRAISING HITLER AND SAYING HE WAS A GREAT MAN, SO WHY WOULD IT BE? OKAY.
I SENT THE EMAIL AND I'M JUST NOT UNDERSTANDING WHAT KANYE'S COMMENTS HAS TO DO WITH THE TOWN BUSINESS, QUITE HONESTLY.
BUT WE ALREADY HAD A RESOLUTION SPEAKING TO THIS EXACT POINT, SO I'M NOT SURE WHAT MORE DO WE WANNA DO.
WE SPENT A LOT OF TIME ON THAT.
I MEAN, WE CAN, WE CONDEMNED THE ANTI-SEMITISM IN, IN ALL ITS FORMS. MM-HMM.
THE SAME AS THIS THAT WE DID FOR, UM, I MEAN, IF WE'RE GOING TO PASS ANOTHER RESOLUTION EVERY TIME SOMEBODY, YOU KNOW, MAKES A STATEMENT THAT IS JUST DISGUSTING.
[00:35:01]
WE, WE, IT TOOK US MONTHS TO PUT TOGETHER THE ANTI-SEMITISM ONE BECAUSE WE WANTED TO MAKE SURE DIFFERENT JEWISH GROUPS AGREED WITH IT.UM, BECAUSE THEY WERE CONTROVERSIAL EVERY TIME WE DID IT, BUT WE DID IT.
UH, BUT WE DIDN'T DO ONE FOR ASIAN AMERICANS.
THE SENIORS WHO WERE GETTING SUCKER PUNCHED BECAUSE THEY'RE BEING ASSOCIATED WITH THE CORONAVIRUS.
WE DIDN'T COME OUT OPPOSING THAT.
AND FOR HISPANICS WHO WERE SEPARATED FROM THEIR CHILDREN AT THE BORDER IN A WAY THAT THEY COULD NEVER BE REUNI, UH, BE REUNITED.
AND NOW YOU WANTED ONE, WANTED ONE YEAR PASSED, TWO RESOLUTIONS OPPOSING ANTISEMITISM.
WELL, I GET IT BECAUSE, UH, IT BASICALLY, I WOULD, I WOULD SUPPORT, UH, RESOLUTIONS, UM, OPPOSING ANY FORM OF HATE OR BIGOTRY AGAINST WHOEVER IT IS, WHETHER IT'S THE HISPANICS, WHETHER IT'S THE ASIAN COMMUNITY, UM, YOU KNOW, THE REASON WHY, UM, SO DRAFT THAT RESOLUTION, DRAFT THAT RESOLUTION, SO DRAFT THAT RESOLUTION.
CAN I JUST, WE ALREADY DRAFT, DID WE MOVE ON? BECAUSE I DON'T FEEL THIS IS REALLY A FIGHT.
I FEEL THAT NOT EVERYTHING IS A FIGHT.
YOU KNOW, I FEEL IN TERMS OF, YOU KNOW, THE JEWISH COMMUNITY, THE PEOPLE WHO HAVE CALLED ME, PEOPLE FEEL THAT ANTI, YOU KNOW, IN JANUARY THERE WAS SOME ANTI-SEMITISM.
NOW IT'S GETTING MUCH MORE NORMALIZED.
AS A MATTER OF FACT, 63% OF RELIGIOUS HATE CRIMES WERE MOTIVATED BY ANTISEMITISM.
AND THAT IS FOR A POPULATION OF ABOUT 2.4% OF THE AMERICAN POPULATION.
AND THIS IS CHRISTOPHER RAY, HE'S OUR F B I DIRECTOR, SAYING THAT HE'S RAISING THE THREAT OF ANTISEMITISM TO A NATIONAL PRIORITY.
SO THIS IS WHY THE JEWISH ORGANIZATIONS ARE SO CONCERNED.
AND WHILE I I AGREE, WE, WE SLAVED OVER THAT WHEN I FIRST CAME ON THE BOARD, WE SLAVED OVER THAT, UM, RESOLUTION.
AND THAT WAS REALLY IMPORTANT.
I THINK MORE SPECIFICALLY, HE, THEY'RE ASKING FOR AN, AN ADOPTION OF THE I H R A, WHICH IS THE INTERNATIONAL HOLOCAUST.
UM, I'M FORGETTING EXACTLY THE, THE TERM, BUT THERE HAVE BEEN ABOUT A DOZEN NEW NEW YORK STATE COMMUNITIES THAT HAVE ADOPTED THIS, THIS DEFINITION OF ANTISEMITISM, ONE OF WHICH IS THE, IT'S NEW YORK STATE.
SO I THINK, ISN'T IT, IS IT MORE SPECIFIC TO ADOPTING THE I H R A DEFINITION OR IS IT A WHOLE, BECAUSE OTHERWISE IT'S NOT CLEAR WHAT YOU'RE ASKING.
WELL, YOU KNOW, BASICALLY, UH, AFTER RECEIVING AN EMAIL FROM ELLIOT, YOU KNOW, FROM ELLIOT, YOU KNOW, YOU KNOW, HE'S RECOMMENDING THAT THEY FIRST GO TO THE COUNTY AND THEN THAT, WELL, LOCAL GOVERNMENTS ADOPT THE SAME THING, WHICH IS FINE WITH ME.
SO THEN MAYBE YOU'RE JUMPING THE GUN LET'S, IT IS JUMPING TO THE COUNTY, COUNTY EXECUTIVE ORDER OR RESOLUTION, UM, COMES OUT.
WHEN THE COUNTY DOES IT, THEN I FEEL WE COULD JUST SAY, AND THEN WE CAN DISCUSS IT AFTER.
PAUL, CAN YOU ALSO FIND SOME WAY OF WORKING IN THERE, UM, UH, LANGUAGE WITH REGARDS TO AFRICAN AMERICANS? YEAH, BECAUSE THE NEWS ALL WEEK LONG AND, AND THE SAME REPORT ABOUT THE INCREASE IN, UH, ANTISEMITISM IS ALSO INCLUDED, UM, UH, UH, A RISE IN IN COMMENTS AND ATTACKS MADE TOWARDS AFRICAN AMERICANS TOO.
SO I, YOU KNOW, I JUST THINK THAT THIS IS SOMETHING THAT HAS TO ADDRESS, UM, YOU KNOW, EVERYONE WHO IS, UH, UM, EXPERIENCING, UM, UM, RACIST OR, UH, ATTACKS ON THEIR CULTURE.
AND, UM, YEAH, HAVING IT BE SOMETHING THAT IS MORE GENERAL SHOULD TO INCLUDE, BE EXPANSIVE TO STOP ALL HATE AND JUST, I MEAN, WE KEEP SEGMENT SEGMENTING, STOP DOING THAT TO STOP ALL HATE.
I MEAN, I MEAN, ENOUGH, WHICH IS, WHICH IS ACTUALLY WHAT WAS IN THE NAACP'S RESOLUTION THAT, UM, THEY ASKED US TO ADOPT AND WE DID ADOPT THIS YEAR, BUT THAT INCLUDED THERE ALL FORMS OF HATE.
UM, AND HERE, YOU KNOW, I JUST SEE THIS AS ANOTHER EXAMPLE OF CREATING A CONTROVERSY WHERE NONE EXISTS.
OH, THERE IS A CONTROVERSY ON ALL SIDES.
IT'S A MAJOR NATIONAL PROBLEM.
AND I WILL SAY THAT I WAS JUST ON THE RECEIVING END OF A VERY ANTISEMITIC CREED RECENTLY.
AND, UM, WHICH IS QUITE OBJECTIONABLE IN ANY, ANY, UH,
[00:40:01]
VENUE, WHETHER IT'S FOR AFRICAN AMERICANS OR CHINESE OR ASIAN AMERICANS, ANYONE FROM THE APEC COMMUNITY, UM, FOR, UH, L B G T Q FOR SENIORS AS AS, AS YOU MENTIONED THERE FOR PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES.SO YES, THIS IS SOMETHING THAT WE SHOULD LOOK AT MORE CAREFULLY.
AND TELL, TELL, I WOULD LIKE TO KNOW WHAT IS IN THE RESOLUTION WE PASSED THAT DOES NOT COVER WHAT YOU WANT TO COVER, BECAUSE WE CAME OUT EARLY, YOU KNOW, BEFORE THERE WAS AN INCREASE NATIONALLY REGARDING THIS DIDN'T SEEM TO DO ANY GOOD.
BECAUSE THERE HAS DEFINITELY BEEN AN INCREASE.
UM, BUT IT MAKES IT SEEM LIKE WE, WE HAVEN'T TAKEN A POSITION ON ANTISEMITISM AND WE REALLY HAVE, AND WE SPENT
IT'S JUST REALLY, IT'S JUST REALLY HIGHLIGHTING OUR CONCERNS ABOUT, UH, ABOUT, YOU KNOW, RACISM.
AND EACH TIME, RIGHT NOW, THERE'S A, I READ A REPORT TODAY THAT IN NEW YORK CITY, THE AMOUNT OF ANTI-SEMITISM IS SKYROCKETING.
THERE'S MORE ANTI-SEMITIC HATE CRIMES IN RECENT MONTHS IN NEW YORK CITY THAN IN, IN RECENT YEARS.
SO I SORT OF FEEL THAT, UM, PASSING A RESOLUTION BY ITSELF ISN'T GONNA SOLVE THE PROBLEM, BUT IT BASICALLY SENDS A MESSAGE THAT IT REMINDS PEOPLE, UH, TO BE, UH, MORE UNDERSTANDING OF OTHER PEOPLE.
AND YOU KNOW WHAT, I FEEL THAT WE SHOULD BE DOING THE SAME THING FOR THE ASIAN COMMUNITY, THE AFRICAN AMERICAN COMMUNITY, BUT WE DID IT FOR THE AFRICAN AMERICAN.
WE'RE SENDING THOSE MESSAGES ALREADY.
I MEAN, FIRST WITH THE ONE WITH AFRICAN AMERICAN AND NAACP WE PARTNER WITH.
AND THAT WHAT WE DID WITH, UM, THE ANTISEMITISM THAT WE DID EARLIER THIS YEAR.
BUT JUST BECAUSE YOU DID SO I THINK, I THINK, I THINK IF ANYTHING, THEN MAYBE WE JUST DO EVERYTHING.
I JUST THINK IF ANY, IF, IF WE'RE GOING TO MAKE AN EFFORT AT THIS POINT, DO ONE THAT'S INCLUSIVE, INCLUSIVE OF EVERYONE, INSTEAD OF JUST HAVING IT JUST SEPARATED OUT, WE HAVE ALREADY STARTED WITH TWO NOW WE JUST DO ONE FOR ALL.
AND THEN, AND THEN, BECAUSE UNFORTUNATELY WE, UNFORTUNATELY, THIS IS NOT GOING AWAY.
AND THAT'S WHAT OUR FRUSTRATION AND YOU KNOW WHAT DIVID, WE NEED REUNITE.
AND I THINK IT'S CLEAR THAT THERE, THERE IS A RISE IN HATE CRIME IN GENERAL IN GENERAL FOR THE PAST EIGHT OR SO YEARS.
SO I, WE SHOULD HAVE THE SAME ENERGY FOR EVERYONE, NOT JUST ONE PER NOT WAS JUST ONE POPULATION.
BUT, YOU KNOW, ONE OF THE OTHER THINGS THAT WE COULD ALSO DO IS AT THE ENTRANCE TO THE, YOU KNOW, TO ALL THE SECTIONS OF THE TOWN FOR THE BLACK LIVES, YOU KNOW, MATTER SIGNS ARE, WE COULD BASICALLY BE PUTTING UP A SIGN ALONGSIDE THAT SAYING GREENBERG WELCOMES, YOU KNOW, EVERYBODY, YOU KNOW, WE COULD HAVE SOME, DON'T WE HAVE THAT? ALSO INCLUSIVE IS NOT WELCOME HERE.
I THINK WE'VE OUT THERE, WE'VE BEEN VERY FORWARD WITH EVERYTHING THAT WE HAVE DONE HERE.
NO, I'M JUST, I'M JUST GIVING YOU MY OWN THOUGHTS, BUT THAT'S WHAT I'M SAYING.
IT MAKES IT SEEM LIKE WE'RE, WE'RE NOT DOING ANYTHING OPPOSED TO ANTISEMITISM.
NO, I'M SAYING, I'M SAYING WE, WE WANT TO TELL PEOPLE WHO ARE, UH, YOU KNOW, AND WE HAVE FACILITATE THAT WE WANT TO KEEP REMINDING PEOPLE, WE CAN SEND SOME STAFF COPY OF THE, OF THE RESOLUTION.
AND WE HAVE, WE HAVE GONE FARTHER THAN ANY MUNICIPALITY THAT I'M AWARE OF, VERY AGGRESSIVE IN, IN MAKING IT CLEAR THAT RACISM IS NOT WELCOME IN THIS TOWN.
YOU KNOW, UM, WE, WE HAVE THE SIGNS, WE HAVE GREENBERG AGAINST SYSTEMIC RACISM COMMITTEE.
WE, YOU KNOW, SO, YOU KNOW, WE'RE, WE'RE, WE'RE BEHIND YOU.
IT'S JUST A QUESTION OF WHAT, WHAT FORM, YOU KNOW, THE NEXT ITERATION TAKES.
AND, AND I THINK WE AND WHAT MESSAGE DOES IT SAY TO OTHER GROUPS THAT WE DO NOT RECOGNIZE LIKE THIS? ABSOLUTELY.
WE DON'T, AS I MENTIONED, WE WANNA PASS AS MANY RESOLUTIONS AS POSSIBLE, BUT THOSE, BUT, BUT THAT'S, WINDOW DRESSING ISN'T, ANYWAY.
NATURE CENTER NATURE CENTER NATURE, NATURE CENTER, CHOP.
UM, LET'S TABLE THE DISCUSSION UNTIL THE COUNTY'S, UM, ITERATION COMES OUT AND GET A LITTLE BIT MORE SPECIFICS FROM ELLIOT.
HOW ARE YOU? ARE YOU HELLO AGAIN.
MY HUSBAND WANTS TO KNOW HOW THE TURTLES ARE.
IT'S JUST, HE WAS COMMUNING WITH THEM LAST NIGHT, AS ALWAYS.
WE JUST GOT A BABY GOAT YESTERDAY.
SO ADDING TO OUR, COME CLOSER TO THE MIC.
[00:45:01]
MIC CLOSER TO YOU ALSO.JUST TO, UH, CLARIFY, IS THIS A PUBLIC SESSION? YES.
WHAT ABOUT A BEER? WE HAVE BEER IS ALL OVER THE TOWN NOW.
NO, I THOUGHT YOU WERE ASKING THEM TO OFFER US A BEER
NO, BUT I'M THINK GIVE THEM A LOT OF INSTANCES WHERE PEOPLE HAVE SEEN BEERS IN THE BACKYARD.
WE HAVE NOT SEEN ANY AT THE NATURE CENTER.
AND WE DO HAVE WILDLIFE CAMERAS.
IF THERE'S, BECAUSE THE STATE D E C WON'T LET US, YOU KNOW, MOVE, TRANSPORT THE, THE BEARERS, UM, I'M SORT OF WONDERING, BUT, YOU KNOW, PEOPLE ARE STILL NERVOUS BECAUSE THEY GET OUT, YOU KNOW, THEY GO IN THE BACKYARD AT AT NIGHT AND THEY SEE A BEER.
AND, YOU KNOW, I'VE GOTTEN LIKE AT LEAST FOUR OR FIVE COMPLAINTS IN RECENT WEEKS.
UM, IS THERE ANYTHING, YOU KNOW, IN THE STATE LAW WHERE WE WOULD NOT BE, THE POLICE WOULD NOT, LET'S SAY THE NATURE CENTER SAID, OKAY, WE COULD PUT, CREATE AN AREA FOR A BEER.
UH, WOULD WE BE ABLE TO TRANSPORT A BEER TO THE NATURE CENTER? OR IS THAT ALSO PROHIBITED? RIGHT.
YOU CANNOT TRANSPORT WILDLIFE, SO YOU HAVE TO BE A LICENSED TRANSPORTER TO BE ABLE TO MOVE ANY WILDLIFE, RIGHT? MM-HMM.
SO THE BEST THING TO DO IS TO CONTACT THE D E C AND THE CONTINUAL CONTACTING OF THE D E C WILL HELP THEM UNDERSTAND WHAT'S HAPPENING AND THEN THAT SHOULD PUT PRESSURE ON WHAT SHOULD WE DO? WELL, THEY WANT TO DO NOTHING.
HAVE YOU BEEN CONTINUALLY CONTACTING THEM ABOUT EACH, UH, YEAH.
I THINK THERE WAS ONE WHERE YOU LIVED IN MS. HALL.
YEAH, I TURNED DOWN MY, I TURNED INTO MY DEVELOPMENT AND THERE WAS BEAR RIGHT IN FRONT OF ME.
I, I, UH, I HAVE TWO LABRADOR RETRIEVERS.
ONE IS BLACK, ONE IS YELLOW, AND I WALK THEM EVERY DAY AT HARTSBURG.
AND ONE DAY, UM, ANOTHER PERSON WALKING IN HARTSBURG SAW MY BLACK LAB AND THOUGHT SHE WAS A BEAR.
MAYBE YOU'RE OVERFEEDING YOUR DOG
WHEN YOU SAW THE BEER IN FRONT OF YOU, WERE YOU SCARED? YEAH, I WAS, YOU KNOW, SURE.
THAT WAS A, THAT'S A BETTER WORD.
'CAUSE YOU'RE NOT USED TO SEEING IT.
BUT HE, HE OR SHE DISAPPEARED VERY QUICKLY.
SO YOU COULDN'T, UH, TRACK AND THE LOUDER YOU ARE AND THE SORT OF BIGGER YOU SEEM, THEY'RE NOT INTERESTED IN YOU AT ALL.
THEY DIDN'T WANNA MESS WITH ME BEHIND THE WHEEL OF MY CAR.
WELL, THANK YOU FOR INVITING US BACK.
DO YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS OR ISSUES WITH YOUR BUDGET? WE DO.
OH, SO SPECIFICALLY TO OUR BUDGET? MM-HMM.
WE WERE, UM, LITTLE MISCOMMUNICATION THERE,
UM, IF I KNEW THAT WE HAD A GREAT BUDGET BUDGET PRESENTATION YESTERDAY AT OUR BOARD MEETING MM-HMM.
WHERE WE PASSED OUR BUDGET FOR 2023.
SO NOW THE, THE TOWN'S CONTRIBUTION IS LESS THAN 20%.
YOU KNOW, YOU SAID IT WAS, UM, WELL, I MEAN, WHEN WE WERE YOUNGER, THE CONTRACT SAYS IT CAN'T BE MORE THAN 40%.
UM, AND I THINK WHEN THE ORGANIZATION WAS A LOT YOUNGER, IT WAS CLOSE TO THAT, UM, NEAR NEARING 40%.
BUT NOW FOR THE LAST TWO YEARS AND SINCE, SINCE I JOINED, IT'S BEEN UNDER 20%.
UM, THE MAJORITY OF OUR FUNDING WERE PRETTY TRADITIONAL IN THAT WE BRING IN MAJOR DONOR AND GRANTS AND SPONSORSHIPS.
WE HAVE MEMBERSHIPS, AND THEN ALL OF OUR EARNED REVENUE, WHICH IS OUR CLASSES THAT WE RUN OUR PROGRAMMING, WESTCHESTER COUNTY IS A FUNDER AS WELL.
2022 I THINK WAS OUR BEST YEAR EVER, UM, IN TERMS OF, UM, REVENUE.
UM, AND IT WAS THE FIRST YEAR OF A, UH, THREE YEAR STRATEGIC PLAN THAT WE DEVELOPED.
WE DEVELOPED THAT PLAN IN SEPTEMBER 21, 21, AND WE, UH, WE VIEWED IMPLEMENTING THE STRATEGIC PLAN TO BE, UM, AT MINIMUM A THREE YEAR, UH,
[00:50:01]
TIMEFRAME.AND A PERIOD OF INVESTMENT WOULD BE REQUIRED TO BRING THE, THE STRATEGIC PLAN TO LIFE.
IN 2022, OUR PLAN WAS TO ACTUALLY RUN A DEFICIT OF ABOUT $125,000 AS A PART OF THAT INVESTMENT.
THE, OUR ACTUAL RESULTS WERE SUBSTANTIALLY MORE POSITIVE IN THAT WE ACTUALLY, UM, DID A LITTLE BETTER THAN BREAK EVEN.
SO WE, WE SPENT THE MONEY, WE INVESTED, YOU KNOW, BEHIND THE PRIORITIES THAT WE HAD AGREED TO WITHIN THE STRATEGIC PLAN, BUT OUR RESULTS WERE BETTER, FASTER THAN WE ANTICIPATED.
FOR 2023, WE HAVE COMMITTED THAT SAME KIND OF INVESTMENT POSTURE AGAIN.
UM, SO WE'RE BUILDING OFF OF THE SUCCESSES AND THE LESSONS LEARNED THAT WE HAD IN 2022, AND WE'RE CONTINUING TO IMPLEMENT THAT, UM, STRATEGIC PLAN.
SO WE'RE VERY, VERY ENCOURAGED BY THE PROGRESS, UM, THAT WE'VE MADE.
AND, UM, I DON'T KNOW HOW MUCH TIME I HAVE BECAUSE I CAN TALK A LOT AS YOU KNOW,
THE, UM, THE KEY, THE THE, THE MOST SIGNIFICANT INVESTMENT WE'RE MAKING IN OUR 2023 BUDGET IS IN OUR PEOPLE AND OUR, OUR CORE ASSET.
OUR, THE THING, THE HOW WE RELATE TO OUR COMMUNITY IS THROUGH OUR PEOPLE.
UM, PRIMARILY OUR EDUCATORS, OUR NAT NATURALISTS, OUR SUSTAINABILITY TEAM.
AND, UM, THEY ARE THE CORE ASSET THAT, UM, THAT WE HAVE.
AND, UM, BECAUSE OF THE COMBINATION OF INFLATION AND THE FACT THAT THESE ARE ALL YOUNG, SMART, WELL EDUCATED, GENERALLY ADVANCED DEGREE PEOPLE THAT WE HAVE UNDERPAID FOR YEARS, WE HAVE DECIDED TO, UM, UP OUR COMMITMENT TO THEM THROUGH COMPENSATION.
AND, AND SO THAT'S A BIG PART OF OUR INVESTMENT IN 2023, BECAUSE THAT HAS IMPLICATIONS NOT JUST IN 2023, BUT EVERY YEAR GOING FORWARD, BECAUSE THAT'S A COMMITMENT WE'RE MAKING LONG TERM MM-HMM.
UM, WE ARE ALSO, UM, INVESTING IN THINGS THAT WILL INCREASE MEMBERSHIP AND REVENUE.
SO WE'RE INVESTING ON THE MARKETING SIDE.
'CAUSE IT'S EASY TO SPEND MONEY, IT'S EASY TO SPEND MONEY ON PEOPLE, IT'S HARD TO FIGURE OUT HOW TO PAY FOR THAT, UH, LONGER TERM.
SO THOSE ARE THE TWO MAIN LEGS OF OUR INVESTMENT PLAN FOR 2023.
JUST BEFORE YOU GO, SO YOU MENTIONED THAT YOUR INVESTMENT IN YOUR PEOPLE, SO YOU SAID BY COMPENSATION, IS IT ONLY JUST COMPENSATION? ARE YOU DOING THINGS AS IT RELATES TO TRAINING? ANY TYPE OF EDUCATION AS, YES, WE'RE DOING A COMBINATION.
SO WE LOOKED AT EVERYTHING THAT WE OFFER, SO EVERYTHING FROM SALARY TO BENEFITS TO RETIREMENT, TO THEN ALSO WHAT WE CALL PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT MM-HMM.
AND THAT ALLOWS FOR AN INDIVIDUAL TO SIGN UP FOR A CLASS, GET A BOOK, YOU KNOW, DO WHATEVER THEY NEED TO DO.
SO WE HAVE A PRETTY BIG BUDGET WHEN IT COMES TO THAT, AND THEN WE SHARE IT ACROSS THE ENTIRE ORGANIZATION.
UM, THAT IS A, THAT IS A REALLY GOOD QUESTION BECAUSE THAT'S IMPORTANT FOR PEOPLE ABSOLUTELY.
TO FEEL THAT THEY CAN GO BACK TO A CLASS THAT THEY JUST WANT TO GET A LITTLE BIT MORE INFORMATION ON, WHICH IS VERY IMPORTANT.
I WANNA ADD TO WHAT, UM, JIM SAID, 'CAUSE YOU MAY BE THINKING LIKE, HOW DO YOU DO THAT? HOW DO YOU MEET THAT, YOU KNOW, THAT GOAL THAT YOU WANT? AND SO ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE'VE PRIORITIZED IS DIVERSIFYING HOW WE BRING REVENUE IN.
UM, WHEN THE, YOU KNOW, THE ORGANIZATION WAS YOUNGER, IT RELIED A LOT ON THE, ON THE TOWN, IT RELIED A LOT ON MEMBERS.
IT WAS A MEMBERSHIP BASED ORGANIZATION.
BY DIVERSIFYING YOUR REVENUE STREAMS, WHAT YOU DO IS YOU PREPARE THE ORGANIZATION FOR THE WHAT IFS.
SO, UM, TRADITIONALLY IN NONPROFIT, IF YOU SEE THE STOCK MARKET GO DOWN, THAT AFFECTS YOUR FOUNDATIONS.
FOUNDATIONS DON'T GIVE AS MUCH.
YOU HAVE TO BE PREPARED FOR WHEN THAT HAPPENS.
THERE ARE ALSO TIMES WHEN GOVERNMENT CAN'T GIVE AT THE LEVEL THAT THEY HAVE BEEN GIVING.
YOU'VE GOT TO BE ABLE TO CHANGE COURSE AND THEN APPLY FOR A DIFFERENT TYPE OF FUNDING OR GIVE MORE BACK TO THE COMMUNITY.
SO THE COMMUNITY IS ASSISTING IN SUPPORTING YOU ON YOUR EARNED REVENUE SIDE.
[00:55:01]
THOSE ARE YOUR WEEKEND EVENTS.ALL OF THE OFFERINGS THAT WE HAVE BEEN DOING OVER THE LAST YEAR OR SO THAT HAVE BEEN VERY, VERY SUCCESSFUL AND FUN.
WE ALSO, UM, WE HAVE A CAPITAL BUDGET PLAN FOR 2023 AND, AND, UH, AND I THINK IT'S THE FIRST YEAR WE'VE HAD AS SIGNIFICANT CAPITAL BUDGET AS WE HAVE.
WE'RE, WE'RE, WE'RE PLANNING ON, UH, BUILDING A NEW WELCOME CENTER, UM, AS YOU ENTER THE NATURE CENTER, NOT RIGHT ON BROMO ROAD, BUT MORE UP AS YOU EXIT YOUR CAR IN THE PARKING LOT MM-HMM.
UM, WE HAVE NOTHING OF SUBSTANCE REALLY TO WELCOME VISITORS, TO ORIENT VISITORS, TO SHARE OUR STORY, WHO WE ARE, WHAT WE DO, WHY WE EXIST, WHAT OUR MISSION IS, ALL OF THOSE THINGS.
SO WE'RE, THAT, THAT WILL ALL BE EMBODIED IN THIS NEW WELCOME CENTER.
THE WELCOME CENTER WILL BE AN OPEN AIR STRUCTURE.
UM, IT WON'T HAVE ANY, UM, UH, INFRASTRUCTURE REALLY OTHER THAN ELECTRICITY BECAUSE, UH, THAT WOULD COST A LOT MORE MM-HMM.
UM, AND, BUT WE, WE THINK IT WILL BE A VERY SIGNIFICANT IMPROVEMENT IN THE VISITOR EXPERIENCE.
UH, AND IT WILL ALLOW US TO HAVE A MUCH SA UH, SAFER, UM, APPROACH TO ALLOWING KIDS COMING OFF OF SCHOOL BUSES TO EXIT THE SCHOOL BUSES AND WAIT FOR THE SCHOOL BUSES RATHER THAN BEING, YOU KNOW, KIND OF OUT IN THE OPEN PARKING LOT.
SMALL P THERE WOULD BE, WE ACTUALLY, WE, WE'VE HIRED AN ARCHITECTURAL FIRM AND LANDSCAPE FIRM TO, UH, TO, UM, MAKE RECOMMENDATIONS ON THIS.
THE CONCEPT WE HAVE IS A ONE STRUCTURE THAT WOULD BE THE WELCOME CENTER THAT WOULD HAVE AN ORIENTATION MAP, UH, YOU KNOW, DESCRIBE OUR MISSION, DESCRIBE WHAT'S GOING ON TODAY, WHAT'S GOING ON NEXT WEEKEND.
BUT THEN WE WOULD HAVE POTENTIALLY A SEPARATE STRUCTURE NEARBY WHERE, UM, KIDS MAINLY COULD CONGREGATE, EITHER WAITING FOR A BUS OR THAT'S WHERE THEY WOULD GO AFTER THEY GOT OFF THE BUS.
AND THAT STRUCTURE WOULD ALSO BE COVERED.
IT WOULD BE ATTACHED IN SOME WAY WITH A RAMP TO THE FIRST STRUCTURE I DESCRIBED.
UM, SO WE'RE VERY EXCITED ABOUT THAT.
WE HAVE A DONOR THAT IS, UM, UH, HAS, UH, COMMITTED TO FUNDING THIS, YOU KNOW, UP TO SOME LEVEL.
AND SO THAT'S HOW WE'RE ABLE TO, UM, UH, CONSIDERED DOING THIS KIND OF THING.
WE'RE ALSO, UH, PLANNING ON A NEW EXTERIOR EXHIBIT, UM, THAT MAYBE YOU CAN DESCRIBE.
UM, WE HAVE SOTA TORTOISES THAT WILL GROW TO BE BEYOND WHAT WE CAN CARRY THEM.
UM, AND RIGHT NOW THEY'RE, THEY'RE ALWAYS A HUGE HIT WITH THE KIDS IN THE PUBLIC.
SO WE ARE BUILDING AN OUTDOOR ADA TORTOISE ENCLOSURE WHERE, UM, OUR TORTOISES WILL BE ABLE TO LIVE OUTSIDE.
UM, IN THE WINTER THEY WILL BE SHELTERED AND IN THEY WILL BE INSIDE A STRUCTURE.
UM, BUT DURING THE WARMER MONTHS THEY WILL BE OUT AND FOR THE PUBLIC TO VIEW AS PART OF, UM, REALLY KIND OF THE FRONT ENTRANCE.
UM, AND SOMETHING THAT WE'RE PRETTY WELL KNOWN FOR PEOPLE COMING TO SEE.
UM, SO WE'RE GONNA BE PROVIDING THAT, UM, OUTDOORS.
HOW BIG DO THE TORTOISES GET? OH, 150 POUNDS.
YOU KNOW, THEY GET VERY, VERY HEAVY.
A COUPLE OF THEM ARE 30 POUNDS, RIGHT.
SO THEY'RE GETTING A LITTLE BIT HEAVY TO LIFT.
AND THEY ALSO NEED ROOM, UM, TO BE ABLE TO STRETCH OUT THE IDEA OF A WELCOME CENTER IS A FANTASTIC IDEA.
AND I CAN ATTEST TO THAT EXPERIENCE.
UH, THIS SUMMER I HAD ABOUT 48 STUDENTS, 40 INTERNS OUT THERE.
FORTUNATELY IT WAS A BEAUTIFUL DAY, BUT THERE WERE ALL OVER AS THE, THE, UM, GUIDE, THE, UH, GUIDE WAS TRYING TO, TO SPEAK AND, UM, ABOVE THEIR VOICES.
SO HAVING A, A, A COMMON GATHERING AREA ABSOLUTELY.
AND, AND ALSO THERE WERE VEHICLES GOING ON, PASSING BY AS WE WERE OUT THERE WAITING FOR THE STORE TO BEGIN.
IF YOU NEED FOR SOMEONE TO ATTEST TO
[01:00:01]
YOU NEED THAT WORK CENTER, I'D BE MORE THAN WILLING TO DO IT.WE JUST SUBMITTED A GRANT TODAY.
IN FACT, UH, RIGHT BEFORE I CAME OVER HERE FOR SUPPLEMENTAL FUNDING FOR THIS.
AND THE TOWN DID SEND A SUPPORT LEVER LETTER, SO EXCELLENT COMMISSIONER OF, UH, PARKS AND REC AND HIS TEAM, UH, WE PULLED TOGETHER A LETTER.
SO, UM, WE HA WE DO HAVE THAT SUPPORT, SO, ABSOLUTELY.
UM, YES, AND YOU'RE EXACTLY RIGHT.
WHEN, WHEN THE INTERNS CAME OVER, YOU KNOW, YOU NEED A SPOT.
UM, IT'S SUCH A LOVELY PLACE AND SOMETIMES PEOPLE DON'T KNOW WHERE TO GO OR THEY DON'T KNOW WHERE TO LOOK.
AND BY HAVING A CENTRAL LOCATION FOR PEOPLE TO COME TO AND THEN BE ADDRESSED BY OUR NATURALISTS IS REALLY, AND IT'S SUCH AN AMAZING VISIT.
IT WAS JUST AMAZING AND SO INFORMATIVE AND EDUCATIONAL.
THANK YOU FOR ALL THAT YOU DO FOR OUR YOUNG PEOPLE.
THOSE ARE OUR LAND STEWARDS OF THE FUTURE FOR SURE.
WE HAVE TO DEFINITELY DO OUR EDUCATION.
UM, ONE, ONE THING, UH, LET ME, LET ME BE HONEST.
WE THOUGHT WE WERE COMING HERE FOR A CONTRACT DISCUSSION AND WE CAN RECONVENE AT A LATER DATE.
DISCUSS MORE BOARD, AND I'LL SPEAK TO YOU IN FIVE MINUTES.
SO WE DIDN'T COME WITH A BUDGET PRESENTATION.
SINCE THAT, NOW I GET WHY YOU ASKED IF THIS WAS OPEN SESSION.
THAT'S A LEGAL THAT WOULD BE RIGHT.
UM,
AND IT'S AN ISSUE, UM, THAT IT, IT AFFECTS OUR BUDGET, BUT IT, I'M NOT BRINGING IT UP BECAUSE OF THE BUDGET DISCUSSION, BUT BECAUSE OF YOUR ROLE, AND THAT IS, UM, PARKING, UH, FOR ESPECIALLY, UM, LARGE EVENTS THAT WE HAVE.
UH, THE GOOD NEWS IS THAT WE HAVE BEEN VERY SUCCESSFUL IN CREATING DEMAND FOR WHAT WE DO.
AND, UH, AND WE LEARNED THAT IN SPADES AND MORE WITH, WITH OUR FALL FESTIVAL IN THAT WE WERE, WE WERE OVERRUN BY THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE THAT SHOWED UP.
AND NOW WE PLANNED ON HAVING HIGH VOLUMES OF PEOPLE BECAUSE WE'VE, WE'VE RUN SIMILAR EVENTS HISTORICALLY, BUT THE, THE DEMAND HAS RADICALLY INCREASED FROM ANYTHING WE'VE SEEN BEFORE.
WE FILL UP OUR PARKING LOTS AT THE NATURE CENTER VERY QUICKLY.
SO WE, FOR A BIG EVENT, PLAN AND WORK WITH A, UM, A, UM, SHOPPING CENTER, OFFICE BUILDING ACROSS CENTRAL AVENUE, SO WE CAN USE HOW MANY SPOTS.
ANOTHER 150 SPOTS, 150 SPOTS OVER THERE.
BUT THOSE SPOTS FILLED UP VERY, VERY QUICKLY.
ALSO, THE OTHER THING THAT, UH, WE LEARNED THAT WAS DIFFERENT THAN HISTORICAL EXPERIENCES WAS THAT HISTORICALLY PEOPLE WOULD COME TO SUCH AN EVENT AND STAY FOR AN HOUR, AN HOUR AND A HALF, AND THEN LEAVE.
THIS TIME, THIS FALL, THEY CAME AND STAYED FOR HOURS AND HOURS AND HOURS.
SO WHEN WE ANTICIPATED THAT PARKING SPOTS WOULD TURN OVER, YOU KNOW, LIKE A RESTAURANT
AND, UH, SO IT WAS, IT WAS, IT WAS, UM, IT, IT, IT CREATED, YOU KNOW, A DIFFICULT THING IN TERMS OF VISITOR EXPERIENCE.
WE HAD TO TURN A NUMBER OF PEOPLE AWAY.
SO PARKING IS SOMETHING THAT WE NEED TO SOLVE FOR LONGER TERM.
THERE, THERE ARE, UH, PARKING LOTS AVAILABLE IN THE AREA, BUT THEY'RE NOT KIND OF AVAILABLE TO US AT A, UH, YOU KNOW, MUCH OF THE REAL ESTATE.
AND THIS IS STILL, UH, ACTUALLY THIS IS PUBLIC SESSION, SO I, I NEED TO BE CAREFUL, BUT MY, ANYWAY, MY POINT IS WE COULD USE HELP WITH, UH, WITH PARKING AND THERE ARE IDEAS WE HAVE, BUT THEY WOULD NEED TO BE TALKED ABOUT SEPARATELY.
UH, WE CAN SCHEDULE AT ANOTHER TIME, UH, TO GO INTO THIS IN DEPTH.
I'VE NEVER MET THE ARE YOU EVAN? LESLIE IN THE BACK? NO.
THANK YOU FOR ALWAYS BEING A SUPPORTER OF THE NATURE CENTER.
SO NOW WE'RE GONNA MAKE THE MOTION TO GO INTO THE EXECUTIVE SESSION.
WE, WITHOUT WAIVING OF INTERVIEWS FOR BOARD COMMISSION
[01:05:01]
MEMBERS, I WANTED TO MENTION THAT, YOU KNOW, I SORT FEEL THAT WHEN WE'RE TALKING ABOUT THE BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS, YOU KNOW, WE SPEND SO MUCH TIME ON, YOU KNOW, AT SOME OF THESE INTERVIEWS AND, YOU KNOW, WE, IF SOMEBODY'S MET WITH US, UM, YOU KNOW, IF THEY'D BEEN ON A BOARD, I THINK WE SHOULD JUST, YOU KNOW, CON MAYBE HAVE LIKE A WRITTEN, UM, FORM.YOU KNOW, WE ASKING THEM WHAT THEY, YOU KNOW, HAVE THEY ATTENDED ALL THE MEETINGS, WHAT THEIR GOALS ARE, WHAT, YOU KNOW, WHY THEY WANT TO BE ON THE BOARD.
UM, AND THEN, YOU KNOW, WE WON'T HAVE A BACKLOG OF, UM, OF, UM, APPOINTMENTS BECAUSE PEOPLE ON THE PARKS AND RECREATION BOARD ARE FEELING LIKE HEARD AND UPSET BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, THEY'VE BEEN HOLDOVERS FOR, UH, FOR, FOR MONTHS.
SOME, SOME OF THEM, SOME PEOPLE ARE FOR RON, HAVEN'T THEY BEEN SCHEDULED? I'VE ASKED, I'VE ASKED AT LEAST ONCE TO HAVE EACH, ALL OF THE MEMBERS OF THE PARKS AND RECREATION BOARD SCHEDULED IN THE SAME MANNER THAT WE SCHEDULE OTHERS.
AND FOR SOME REASON THAT IT HASN'T BEEN DONE.
SO I DON'T KNOW WHY THAT HASN'T BEEN DONE.
DON'T WITHOUT THE, THE SCHEDULING OF, YOU KNOW, PEOPLE, BECAUSE THERE'S SO MANY ISSUES THAT GET THROWN ON TO THE AGENDA THAT THEY DON'T GET HURT.
AND I THINK WE NEED TO PRIORITIZE THAT, YOU KNOW, THAT'S IMPORTANT TOWN BUSINESS.
AND, YOU KNOW, WE SPENT AN HOUR, YOU KNOW, WITH ONE PERSON LAST WEEK BASICALLY EXPLAINING THE POSITION TO THAT PERSON AS OPPOSED TO JUST HAVING AN INTERVIEW AND SAYING THANK YOU.
UM, WE COULD HAVE INTERVIEWED JUST ABOUT ALL OF THE, UH, PEOPLE THERE, BUT I, I LIKE ACTUALLY INTERVIEWING THEM BECAUSE WE LEARN A LOT.
BECAUSE WE ASK THEM, YOU KNOW, WHAT IS IT, YOU KNOW, THAT WE CAN DO TO HELP YOU, YOU KNOW, ON THERE? AND ALSO PEOPLE SHOULDN'T FEEL LIKE THEY, UH, YOU KNOW, ONCE YOU'RE APPOINTED, IT'S YOURS FOREVER, RIGHT? WE SHOULD KNOW WHAT THEIR ATTENDANCE IS, ARE THEY SHOWING UP AND THINGS LIKE THAT.
AND SO, BUT I, I DON'T THINK IT SHOULD BE THIS LABORIOUS IN ORDER TO GET THEM, UM, INTERVIEWED.
WE ALSO HAVE TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY'VE HAD, YOU KNOW, THEIR SEXUAL HARASSMENT TRAINING AND THEIR, THEIR CODE OF ETHICS TRAINING BEFORE THEY'RE REAPPOINTED.
I DON'T KNOW IF THAT'S THE CASE WITH THOSE THAT ARE, THAT ARE BEFORE US.
DO WE KNOW IF THAT'S, THEY'VE HAD THAT? I, I DON'T KNOW IF THEY'VE HAD THAT.
ALRIGHT, SO, BECAUSE THAT'S ONE OF THE THINGS WE SAID THAT, UH, WE NEEDED TO DO GOING FORWARD.
AND WE, UM, WE SAID THAT WE WOULD DO THAT FOR THE ETHICS BOARD TOO, BECAUSE IT'S HARD TO GET PEOPLE ONCE THEY'RE APPOINTED TO ACTUALLY, UH, GO FOR THE TRAINING.
SO THE WAY TO ADDRESS THAT IS YOU ADDRESS IT IN THE REAPPOINTMENT PROCESS.
BUT I THINK WE JUST, UM, UH, AND I DON'T HAVE TO TELL YOU THE TOPICS, BUT THEY, YOU KNOW, THE SAME TOPICS COME UP EVERY TWO OR THREE YEARS AND WE REHASH THEM OVER AND OVER AND OVER AGAIN.
UM, BUT WE ALSO HAVE TO GET BACK TO THE BASICS OF PAYING RESPECT TO THE PEOPLE THAT PUT IN THEIR TIME VOLUNTARILY WITHOUT PAY, UH, AND DO GREAT WORK FOR THE TOWN.
SO, CAN I MAKE A SUGGESTION? RIGHT.
AS A COMPROMISE, WHY DON'T WE SAY THE FIRST MEETING IN JANUARY, WHY DON'T WE, UH, LOOK AT ALL THE BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS AND THEN DO THE INTERVIEWS AT ONE MEETING FOR EVERYBODY AND THEN WE'LL BE CLEARED UP.
AND I THINK WE SHOULD ALSO ESTABLISH A CLEAR POLICY ON BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS.
YOU KNOW, HOW OFTEN WE UPDATE HAVING EXPIRATION DATES, LOOKING AT THOSE, LOOKING AT THOSE PEOPLE WHOSE, UM, WHOSE TERMS HAVE EXPIRED AND DECIDING WITH AND WITHOUT THEM, IF WE WANT TO RE-UP, DEPENDING ON ATTENDANCE, KEEPING ATTENDANCE.
SO THERE, THERE ARE NUMBER OF ASPECTS THAT WE COULD IMPLEMENT TO MAKE SURE IT RUNS MORE SMOOTHLY.
WE COULD ALSO HAVE IDENTIFIED THE PROCESS WE HAVE.
WE'RE NOT GONNA BE ABLE TO DO EVERYBODY.
ONE THAT WE HAVE INFORMED THAT WE SENT TO EVERYBODY, UM, WHEN THEIR TERM EXPIRES.
AND DO YOU WANT TO BE, YOU KNOW, REAPPOINTED, HAVE YOU TAKEN THE, UH, THE SEXUAL HARASSMENT, UH, THE RIGHT.
WELL LET'S, WE CAN WORK ON ALL THAT PROCESS AND PUT IT IN PLACE.
WE DON'T HAVE TO, YOU KNOW, AD HOC SET IT UP IN THIS INSTANT.
ALRIGHT PAUL, YOUR MOTION I'D, I CAN MAKE A MOTION FOR EXECUTIVE SESSION FOR THE PURPOSE OF DISCUSSING PERSONAL MATTERS INVOLVING SPECIFIC INDIVIDUALS AND SEEK LEGAL, UM, ADVICE ON DEAREST MATTERS.
AND I GUESS WE'LL FIRST CALL THE COURT SECOND FAVOR.
AND WE WON'T BE COMING BACK THIS EVENING.