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OUR TOWN BOARD, UM, UM, YOU KNOW, WORK SESSION.I'M, UM, PARTICIPATING TODAY REMOTELY BECAUSE, UM, I, UM, YOU DON'T HAVE TO SAY WHY.
WELL, I CAN SAY THAT I WAS IN CONTACT WITH SOMEBODY WHO HAD COVID, SO I THOUGHT, WELL, OKAY.
YOU SAID WHY
I DON'T WANNA BREATHE ON ANYBODY.
UM, SO THAT'S THE, UM, THAT'S GOTTA BE THE CASE TOMORROW NIGHT THEN AS WELL.
NO, I THINK TOMORROW I DON'T HAVE ANY SYMPTOMS, SO I JUST THOUGHT TODAY WOULD BE, UH, BE A LITTLE BIT MORE CAREFUL.
THIS WAS OVER, OVER THE WEEKEND.
SO I THINK YOU SHOULD JUST STAY HOME TOMORROW TOO, ON SATURDAY.
YOU COULD BE IN COMPLIANCE SATURDAY, SUNDAY, MONDAY, TUESDAY, WEDNESDAY.
YOU COULD BE IN COMPLIANCE WITH, UH, OUR TOWN CODE LAW 5 95, UM, AND STILL BE AN ACTIVE MEMBER OF TOMORROW'S MEETING.
AND ELLEN'S, UH, PARTICIPATING REMOTELY AS WELL, BUT WE DO HAVE THREE MEMBERS OF THE BOARD, WHICH IS A QUORUM PRESENT IN A PUBLIC PLACE.
SO EVERYBODY, EVERYBODY CAN VOTE.
SO, UM, AND THEN, UH, JOE, UH, I HAVE, UM, A PRO, YOU KNOW, PROCLAMATION, UM, YOU KNOW, FOR TOM VINTE.
UH, SO MAYBE YOU COULD, IF I'M PARTICIPATING REMOTELY, YOU COULD, UM, MAYBE YOU COULD PICK IT UP FROM, UH, IT'S ON KRISTA'S DESK.
UM, SO I JUST WANTED TO, UM, WELCOME EVERYBODY TO THE MEETING AND WE'RE, UH, LET ME JUST SEE THE AGENDA.
WE'RE GONNA BE STARTING WITH THE, THE BUDGET REVIEWS.
PURCHASING, PURCHASING, PURCHASING IS FIRST GOOD EVENING.
UH, THE PURCHASING BUDGET, IF YOU ALL HAVE A COPY OF IT IN FRONT OF YOU.
UH, THERE REALLY ISN'T ANYTHING CHANGED FROM LAST YEAR OTHER THAN OFFICE SUPPLIES.
I HAD TO INCREASE THAT LINE BECAUSE THE COST OF TONERS THAT I USE, UH, HAS INCREASED.
UM, THE, UH, AS FAR AS THE BUDGET, IT'S BASICALLY THE SAME AS IT WAS LAST YEAR.
UH, SALARY, LONGEVITY, OFFICE SUPPLIES, PRINTING, UH, THERE'S NOTHING REALLY EXTRA THAT WE'RE LOOKING FOR OTHER THAN THE FACT THAT, AS WE ALL KNOW, UH, IT IS A ONE PERSON OPERATION RIGHT NOW.
UH, I BELIEVE IN 2023, WE SHOULD GO TO A TWO PERSON DEPARTMENT.
UH, WE'D HAVE TO LOOK AT INCREASING THE BUDGET BY ONE PERSON.
NOW WE DO HAVE, UH, I BELIEVE THREE TITLES THAT ARE ALREADY IN THAT PURCHASING AREA, WHICH IS DIRECTOR OF PURCHASING, UM, PURCHASING AS, UM, AGENT AND STAFF ASSISTANT.
SO WE DO HAVE THREE POSITIONS THAT ARE ALREADY ASSOCIATED WITH THE PURCHASING DEPARTMENT.
IS THAT, SO WE WOULD JUST HAVE TO FILL THEM.
THEY'RE ALREADY IN THE BUDGET OR WE HAVE TO ADD THEM TO THE BUDGET? NO, THEY HAVE TO GO INTO THE BUDGET.
THEY ARE ASSIGNED TO THE PURCHASING DEPARTMENT.
SO WE HAVE TO, THE TITLES ARE FINE.
WE JUST HAVE TO DECIDE WHAT WE'RE GOING TO DO WITH THE LINE.
IS THAT SOMETHING THAT WE NEED TO PUT IN THIS BUDGET? MM-HMM.
SO WHICH ONE OF THOSE PEOPLE AND HOW MUCH DO THEY COST? WOULD YOU, DO YOU WANT TO ADD TO BE THE SECOND PERSON IN THE DEPARTMENT? OR IS THAT FOR US TO DECIDE? WHAT DO WE, WHAT, WHAT, WHAT, WHAT, WHAT PERSON DO YOU THINK WOULD BEST I, I THINK COMPLIMENT YOU, PETE, RIGHT NOW, THE STAFF ASSISTANT, UH, I BELIEVE WOULD BE A, A GOOD MATCH FOR WHAT'S GOING ON IN THE DEPARTMENT.
'CAUSE I, AS YOU ALL KNOW, I'LL BE LOOKING AT RETIREMENT THIS YEAR.
UH,
LAST THINKING LAST THURSDAY, YOU SAID JANUARY.
WAIT, IS IT JANUARY? IS IT APRIL? IT MAKES A DIFFERENCE.
HE WAS SAYING THAT AT THE, UH, DAC PART.
SO, JA, SO ANYWHERE BETWEEN JANUARY AND APRIL YOU'RE LOOKING TO RETIRE? EXACTLY.
SO YOU JUST, YOU JUST SAID TO KEN'S, TO COUNCILMAN JONES' QUESTION, YOU SAID, TO BEST COMPLIMENT YOU NOW DURING THESE FOUR MONTHS, THAT YOU WOULD NEED A STAFF ASSISTANT.
SO IF YOU WAS LOOKING FORWARD, IS THAT GONNA
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BE THE BEST POSITION FOR, FOR THAT? I THINK THE BE THE BEST POSITION.YOU MAY WANT TO CHANGE THINGS AROUND.
UH, I DON'T KNOW IF YOU WANT TO HIRE A DIRECTOR OF PURCHASING TO REPLACE THE, UM, PURCHASING AGENT.
I DON'T KNOW IF YOU, LET ME, LET ME ASK THE QUESTION.
IF YOU'RE GONNA BE RETIRING, WOULD WE BE, WOULD IT MAKE SENSE TO, UM, YOU KNOW, START CANVASSING FOR YOUR REPLACEMENT AND THEN YOU WOULD BASICALLY BE ASSISTING, YOU KNOW, HELPING WITH THE TRANSITION BETWEEN NOW AND, UM, AND SAY APRIL? UM, YOU KNOW, YOU COULD HELP US, UH, CHOOSE THE PER PERSON WHO YOU THINK, YOU KNOW, WOULD BE, WOULD BE GOOD.
BECAUSE IF WE HIRE, YOU KNOW, HAVE JUST AN ASSISTANT IN, IN THE BUDGET RIGHT NOW, THAT PERSON MAY NOT BE THE PERSON WE, YOU KNOW, WE'RE ULTIMATELY GOING TO SELECT AS, AS THE DIRECT, YOU KNOW, AS THE DIRECTOR AND, AND THE HEAD OF THE DEPARTMENT.
THE PURCHASING, THE PURCHASING AGENT TEST.
THE C S E A TEST IS COMING UP, I BELIEVE IT'S JANUARY 23RD OR 25TH.
UM, I HAVE ALREADY TALKED TO MILAGROS.
I WILL PROBABLY HANG IN UNTIL THE OUTCOME OF THAT TEST.
UH, NORMALLY THE TESTS, UM, TAKE APPROXIMATELY TWO TO THREE MONTHS TO GET, GET THE, UH, THE OUTCOME.
UH, ACCORDING TO MILAGROS, SHE KIND OF LOOKED AT ME AND SAID MAYBE LONGER THAN THREE, FOUR MONTHS TO GET THE OUTCOME OF THE TEST.
SO I PLAN ON STICKING HERE UNTIL THAT TEST COMES OUT AND YOU CAN MAKE A DECISION AS TO, UH, CANVAS THE, YOU KNOW, THE TOP THREE OR FOUR OR WHATEVER.
BUT IS, SO IS PURCHASING AGENT, THE DIRECTOR OF PURCHASING THE SAME THING? I DIDN'T THINK SO.
YOU WOULD HAVE TO CONVERT THE PURCHASING AGENT TO THE DIRECTOR.
NOW I SEE A PART-TIME POSITION HERE.
IS THAT WHAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT? TO SUPPLEMENT TO BE THE SECOND POSITION.
IS THAT THE STAFF ASSISTANT, ALAN? IS THAT THE STAFF ASSISTANT? OH, I'M SORRY.
BUT IF WE HAVEN'T HAD A LINE, ROBERTA, OH, MY MISTAKE.
WHAT TO SAY? WHAT? NO, PAGE EIGHT.
I TOLD HER IT WAS PAGE SEVEN ON PAGE EIGHT.
DO WE KNOW THAT THE COUNTY STILL HAS US AS HAVING THOSE LINES? 'CAUSE IF WE HAVEN'T FILLED THE LINES, WE'VE HAD DISCUSSION.
WE WE'RE GONNA TALK ABOUT AN EXECUTIVE SESSION.
'CAUSE YOU MAY, WE MAY HAVE LOST THOSE LINES WITH THE COUNTY.
RIGHT NOW WE DO HAVE SOMEBODY THAT IS CURRENTLY A BACKUP TO ME.
UH, THE PERSON COMES FROM, UH, RECREATION AND, UH, SHE'S BEEN DOING A, A PRETTY GOOD JOB.
UH, OF COURSE YOU CAN'T TEACH SOMEBODY EVERYTHING, BECAUSE EVERY DAY THERE'S, UH, SOMETHING DIFFERENT THAT COMES UP.
UH, BUT AS FAR AS THE NORMAL WORKLOAD MM-HMM.
I, I THINK WE'RE GETTING INTO A LITTLE BIT MORE DETAIL.
I'M SAYING SHE'S NO, I'M JUST WONDERING IF SHE'S SOMEBODY THAT'S FINE.
WE'LL, WE'LL HAVE TO DISCUSS THAT BECAUSE CAN I, IT'S NOT HARD TO FIGURE OUT ISSUE WHAT SHE'S ASKING.
IF IT'S, IF A STAFF, STAFF ASSISTANT IS A PART-TIME POSITION, I IT COULD BE.
WELL, IS THAT WHAT'S IN THE BUDGET? BECAUSE IT HAS A HARD TIME POSITION AT 30,000.
IS THAT THAT POSITION, RIGHT? MM-HMM.
NO, THAT'S THE PERSON THAT PETE REFERENCED WHO'S ASSISTANT NOW.
IT WASN'T CLEAR WHETHER THAT WAS MM-HMM.
ANYTHING ELSE, DEAN? THAT'S IT.
THAT'S, I APPRECIATE YOU TAKING YOUR TIME.
WE DON'T HAVING YES, WE SHOULD.
SO, UH, OUR NEXT, UH, LEMME JUST SEE WHO'S OUR NEXT, UH, M M I S.
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I'M SORRY, I COULDN'T HEAR YOU.I'M SURE YOU'RE BUMMED OUT ABOUT THAT.
HE SMILE
THAT WAS HER HOLIDAY GREETING FOR YOU IN CASE YOU NEEDED A REMINDER.
YOU GOT WHAT PAGES THAT WERE BROKEN? 17TH.
SO OUR BUDGET IS PRETTY MUCH SAME AS LAST YEAR EXCEPT OUR SERVICE CONTRACTS BECAUSE, UH, AFTER I DID THIS BUDGET, I FOUND OUT THAT I GOT TO PUT THE LASER PHASE.
SO WE UP THE AMOUNT LIKE 25,000, RIGHT? I THINK 25 7 87.
SO OUR SERVICE CONTRACT LINE, I'M ASKING FOR LIKE 25,787 MORE IN THAT LINE.
SO, I MEAN, DOES ANYBODY HAVE ANY CONCERNS OR BESIDES THAT, THERE'S NOTHING ELSE.
PRETTY, OTHERWISE EVERYTHING IS SAME AS THIS YEAR.
WELL, I DON'T THINK WE HAVE MUCH OF A CHOICE BECAUSE WE'VE ADOPTED THE, THE NEW SOFTWARE.
SO, BUT IT'S, IT'S MAINTAINED BY HIS DEPARTMENT, SO THAT'S WHY HE NEEDS THE MONEY IN HIS BUDGET.
AND YOU WERE SAYING ABOUT, UM, YOU KNOW, EMERGENCY, UH, BACKUP, UH, SOFTWARE AND THE, THE COST OF THAT, IS THAT BUILT IN? THAT'S BUILT IN HERE.
SO SINCE YOU'RE LEAVING, WHERE CAN WE DRAMATICALLY SLASH THIS BUDGET?
YOU NEED GOOD, IT, IT'S ALL DONE IN THE BACKGROUND.
THAT'S THE THING IS, YOU KNOW, YOU DON'T SEE ALL OF THE QUALITY OF THE I, YOU KNOW, THE, THE BACKBONE BECAUSE NOBODY CARESS.
SO UNTIL IT DOESN'T WORK, UNTIL IT DOESN'T
WHERE IS, UM, CYBER SECURITIES THAT JUST COVERED IN THE INSURANCE'S NUMBER OR CYBERSECURITY? THE ONE WE ARE TALKING ABOUT, LIKE A DISASTER RECOVER AND EVERYTHING IS UNDER THE SERVICE CONTRACT.
YOU'VE BEEN DOING A LOT IN TERMS OF CYBERSECURITY, RIGHT? DAK? I'M SORRY, CAN YOU REPEAT THAT? YOU'VE BEEN DOING AN AWFUL LOT IN TERMS OF, UH, ADDRESSING CYBERSECURITY.
WE CONSTANTLY, LIKE CONTINUOUSLY WORKING ON IT.
LIKE, UH, YOU KNOW, LIKE SECURITY AWARENESS TRAINING.
AND THEN RECENTLY WE DID, UH, SECURITY ASSESSMENT, LIKE BY THIRD PARTY COMPANY, TRISTAN.
AND WE WERE JUST GOING TO THE REPORTING AND WE, WE HAD A MEETING WITH THE GUY.
THEY CAME OVER HERE AND THEY DID THE PENETRATION TEST, OUR NETWORKING AND EVERYTHING.
AND, UH, THEY GAVE US ALMOST LIKE PRETTY GOOD REPORT.
YOU KNOW, WE HAD A MEETING LAST WEEK AND THEY SAY LIKE, THEY TRIED TO BREAK INTO THE SYSTEM AND EVERYTHING.
THEY COULDN'T SO BETTER THAN LAST YEAR.
AND, AND YOU KNOW, ALSO WEA AT WEA, THE, THE, UM, FROM THE CLERK'S, STATE CLERK'S OFFICE, NO CONTROLLER'S OFFICE, EXCUSE ME, STATE CONTROLLER'S OFFICE, THEY SAID THAT THEY WOULD DO, UH, HELP OUT WITH CYBERSECURITY ASSESSMENT.
THAT WOULD BE NOT A COST TO US, I DON'T THINK.
I REMEMBERING CORRECTLY, PAUL, YOU WERE THERE, JUDITH.
AND FOR THOSE LISTENING, WELL, MOA IS THE WESTCHESTER MUNICIPAL OFFICIALS ASSOCIATION.
IT'S A GUY, IT'S A LITTLE BIT TOO MUCH INSIDE BASEBALL.
BUT THE, THE STATE, THE DISCUSSION GUEST FROM THE STATE, A REPRESENTATIVE OR, UM, ACTUALLY A SEC, ONE OF THE SECOND LEVEL COMMAND IN COMMAND TO THE CONTROLLER.
AND UM, AND HE IS THE ONE THAT MADE, MADE THAT AVAILABLE TO ALL THESE COUNTIES.
WELL, WE CAN LOOK INTO THE, I, YEAH, WE DEFINITELY WORK WITH THE STATE AND YOU KNOW, THE COUNTY THAT, OH, WE DEFINITELY WORK WITH THE STATE AND THE COUNTY REGARDING ALL THE STUFF.
SO WE'RE, WE'RE CONSTANTLY UPDATING STUFF AND IF, IF THEY HAVE A PROGRAM WE CAN USE, WE USE IT, STUFF LIKE THAT.
UM, BUT WE ALSO LIKE TO DO IT ON OUR OWN AS WELL, FROM OUTSIDE PRIVATE COMPANIES ONLY BECAUSE THE MORE TESTS WE GET, THE BETTER IT IS.
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YEAH.BUT WE DEFINITELY, I MENTION IT BECAUSE IF YOU GOT MORE TESTING THAT'S FREE, THEN WHY NOT? DEFINITELY WE'RE LOOK INTO THIS IDEA.
AND IF THEY COULD HACK HILLARY CLINTON, I'M SURE THEY COULD HACK ANYBODY.
I THINK WE SHOULD MOVE ON BECAUSE THE REALITY IS IT SEEMS LIKE WE'RE CHALLENGING HACKERS JUST TO, TO TEST US OUT.
YOU HAVE ANY MORE QUESTIONS, OTHERWISE? YEAH.
YOU KNOW, WE SHOULD HAVE RETIREMENT PART.
NO, THANK YOU EVERYONE FOR COMING INTO, YEAH, THANKS.
APPRECIATE IT, JOE, YOU'RE GOOD.
UM, NO, WE HAVE
ALRIGHT, WE GOTTA PUT THE BARE BULB ABOVE HER AND
OKAY, SO THIS IS ON PAGE FIVE.
AND PRETTY MUCH IT'S THE SAME BUDGET AS LAST YEAR.
AND YOU'RE OKAY WITH THAT? MM-HMM.
THE ONLY DIFFERENCE, RNA, EXCUSE ME, THAT GOT A LITTLE BIT, UM, ED IN TRANSLATION BECAUSE OF THE INTERNET.
WHAT DID YOU SAY WAS THE ONLY DIFFERENCE? IT, IT WAS JUST THE MANAGEMENT INCREASES THAT WERE PUT THROUGH IN ALL THE DEPARTMENTS.
THE CONTRACTUAL INCREASES WE HAD, NO, IT'S NOT CONTRACTUAL COST OF LIVING.
WE HAVE SPOKEN, UH, BEFORE, BEFORE I NEEDED, I'M, I'M SORRY, BUT YOUR SALARIES WENT UP BY THE CONTRACTUAL INCREASES IN THE CONTRACT, CORRECT? WELL, MANAGEMENT DOESN'T HAVE A CONTRACT.
THE MANAGEMENT CONTRACT, WE ARE PUT IN 2.5%.
UM, YOU KNOW, WE FIGURED THAT THAT WOULD BE THE C S E A CONTRACTS HAVEN'T BEEN OUT, YOU KNOW, YET.
AND I FIGURED IT WOULD PROBABLY BE AT LEAST, YOU KNOW, 2.5%.
SO MAYBE WE'RE SAYING THE SAME THING A DIFFERENT WAY.
NO, IT'S JUST THAT YOU MENTIONED THAT THE MANAGEMENT GETS INCREASES, BUT SO DOES THE STAFF, THE STAFF WILL BE GETTING IT WHEN THEY GET THE CONTRACT? WHEN, WHEN THE CON YES.
BUT MANAGEMENT DOESN'T GET IT UNTIL STAFF GETS IT.
WE'RE NOT GIVING MANAGEMENT INCREASES WITHOUT THE WELL, IT'S THE ELECTED OFFICIALS.
I PUT MANAGEMENT AND ELECTED OFFICIALS UP TO 2.5%.
UH, YOU KNOW, RATE ELECTED OFFICIALS CAN, UM, INCREASE SALARIES, UM, YOU KNOW, DURING THE, YOU KNOW, WITHOUT A PUBLIC HEARING.
SO THAT'S WHY I PUT IN THE ELECTED OFFICIALS AND 2.5 AND MANAGEMENT OF THE 2.5.
SO WE'LL HAVE TO, WE'LL HAVE TO LOOK, LOOK AT THAT.
WHAT, WHAT I LIKE, IT'S NOT YOUR DEPARTMENT, BUT SINCE YOU'RE THE CONTROLLER, UM, TWO WEEKS PRIOR TO THE BUDGET, WE WOULD, THE BOARD WAS TOLD THAT THERE WOULD BE AN INCREASE, A TAX INCREASE, BUT WE WOULDN'T GO OVER THE BUDGET CAP.
AND THEN TWO WEEKS LATER, OUTCOMES, THE BUDGET MESSAGE, AND THERE'S A 6% DECREASE.
HOW WAS THAT ACCOMPLISHED? IT, WHAT HAD HAPPENED WAS WE HAD CONVERSATIONS WITH THE OUTSIDE AUDITORS AND IT WAS DECIDED THAT THE AMOUNT THAT WE WERE PUTTING IN FOR THE COURT, THE RESERVE FOR COURTHOUSE, WE WERE NOW GOING TO MOVE IT FROM AN UNASSIGNED FUND BALANCE CATEGORY TO AN ASSIGNED FUND BALANCE CATEGORY.
AND BECAUSE OF THAT CHANGE, NOW, THE NEXT YEAR'S OPERATING BUDGET WAS LOWER, AND THAT'S WHY WE COULD MEET THE FUND BALANCE POLICY.
AND ARE WE ADDING TO OR SUBTRACTING FROM THE RESERVE OR THE SET ASIDE FOR THE POLICE STATION AND COURTHOUSE? ARE WE ADDED TO IT OR REMOVING FROM IT? BECAUSE WE, IT'S, WE DROPPED 5 MILLION OVER THE PAST FEW YEARS.
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ASSIGNED FUND BALANCE.AND NOT UNASSIGNED FUND BALANCE.
AND OUR FUND BALANCE POLICY SPEAKS TO UNASSIGNED.
BUT I THINK IF I UNDERSTOOD FRANCIS' QUESTION, I'M INTERESTED UHHUH
IT'S A RECLASSIFICATION TO BEAT THE FUND BALANCE.
I MEAN, THE SAME, THE MONEY IS THE SAME, BUT IT'S A REFL CLASSIFICATION.
UM, BUT WE DREW DOWN $5 MILLION.
AND IT DOESN'T SEEM LIKE WE'RE TRYING TO RESTORE THAT.
ROBERTA, DIDN'T YOU SAY TO US, TO ME, THAT THE CONTROLLER'S OFFICE HAS SUGGESTED THAT WE, YOU KNOW, WE'VE NOT LIKE SA PUT, HAVE A SAVE, YOU KNOW, SAVE IN TERMS OF THE, THE CAPITAL BUDGETS AND IF MONEY IS ALLOCATED, IT SHOULD BE SPENT, YOU KNOW, SOONER RATHER THAN, YOU KNOW, HELD UP.
BECAUSE LOTS OF TIMES WHAT HAP WHAT'S BEEN HAPPENING IS WE'RE BORROWING FOR THESE DIFFERENT PROJECTS AND SOMETIMES THEY GET, UM, HELD UP FOR WHATEVER REASON.
SO WE MIGHT NOT NECESSARILY NEED THE MONEY AT THAT POINT IN TIME.
SO WHAT WE'VE BEEN DOING IS WE'VE BEEN TRYING TO, UM, CLEAN UP A LOT OF OLD CAPITAL PROJECTS.
PLUS THERE'S BEEN MONEY THAT'S BEEN PUT IN THROUGH THE OPERATING BUDGET THE PAST COUPLE OF YEARS.
SO THAT'S BEEN GETTING UTILIZED.
AND THEN PLUS WE GET GRANT REIMBURSEMENTS DOWN THE ROAD, WE LAY OUT THE MONEY AND THEN WE GET THE GRANT.
SO THAT'S ALSO PART OF THE REASON.
SO IT'S KIND OF A CULMINATION OF ALL OF THAT.
SO HOW, SO WHEN YOU SAY CLEANED UP MM-HMM.
THE MONEY WASN'T, MONEY WASN'T RIGHT.
IT WAS IN A SEPARATE ACCOUNT OR A SEPARATE, THEY'RE IN THE DIFFERENT CAPITAL PROJECT LINES, DIFFERENT LINES.
ONCE IT, ONCE IT'S DETERMINED THAT THE CAPITAL PROJECT IS NOT GOING TO, UM, IT'S NOT GONNA BE COMPLETED.
WHAT WE DO IS, DEPENDING ON WHICHEVER FUND IT IS THAT HAS FUNDED THAT PARTICULAR PROJECT, WE CAN TRANSFER IT TO A DIFFERENT PROJECT LINE THAT WOULD BE FUNDED BY THAT SAME FUND.
WELL, YOU, YOU'RE, YOU HAVE TO USE IT FOR WHAT NOT PROJECT TWO PEOPLE ARE TALKING
OKAY, SO YOU, SO AM I UNDERSTANDING YOU'RE TAKING MONEY THAT WAS UNUSED FROM A PROJECT THAT WILL NOT HAPPEN MM-HMM.
SO SOMEWHERE, SO ARE WE SAYING THAT THE POLICE STATION IS NOT GONNA HAPPEN? 'CAUSE THIS IS NO, THIS IS, NO, I'M NOT, NO.
BEFORE EVERYBODY, EVERYBODY JUST LEMME JUST UNDERSTAND.
SO YOU SAID THAT WE ARE MOVING THE MONIES TO AN UNASSIGNED, OR IT'S UNASSIGNED.
NOW WE'RE MOVING TO AN ASSIGNED.
FOR EXAMPLE, LET'S SAY WE HAVE, IN 2017, WE SAY WE'RE GONNA BORROW $2 MILLION FOR ROAD RESURFACING.
AND IT ONLY COSTS US $1.5 MILLION.
THAT ADDITIONAL 500,000 MM-HMM.
SO THERE ISN'T A NEED TO GO OUT AND BORROW MORE MONEY BECAUSE WE'VE GOT YES.
SO THAT'S WHAT I MEAN BY WE'RE CLEANING, WE'RE CLEANING THEM UP, WE'RE GOING THROUGH OLD PROJECTS.
SO WHAT'S HAPPENING WITH THE POLICE STATION? THE POLICE, THE MONIES, THE MONIES THAT WE'RE SETTING ASIDE FOR THE POLICE STATION, THEY IT'S STILL THERE, RIGHT? IT'S STILL THERE.
IT'S JUST NOT AND HOW MUCH IS IT THAT'S THERE? IT IS.
WAIT, I DON'T WANNA LOOK LIKE A LIAR.
I THINK IT WAS 7 MILLION, RIGHT? YEAH.
WAIT, I'M LOOKING, I'M LOOKING.
I'M MORE POSITIVE BECAUSE I'M TRYING TO UNDERSTAND THE LOGIC.
IF IT WASN'T APPROPRIATE TO ACCUMULATE MONEY FOR FUTURE PROJECTS,
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BECAUSE YOU SHOULD SPEND IT WHEN YOU NEED IT, THEN HOW IS IT APPROPRIATE TO HAVE 7 MILLION IN THERE? WHY WAS IT INAPPROPRIATE TO HAVE 12 MILLION IN THERE? BUT IT'S OKAY TO HAVE 7 MILLION IN THERE.WE SPENT DOWN FROM 12 MILLION DOWN TO, TO, RIGHT.
SO LAST YEAR, YEAH, LAST YEAR IT WAS PUT IN THE OPERATING BUDGET THAT WE WERE GOING TO USE $12.5 MILLION.
I'M SORRY, THE YEAR BEFORE WE, WE SAID WE WERE GONNA SPEND $12.5 MILLION, THEN THE FOLLOWING YEAR WE NEEDED MONEY TO PAY FOR THINGS.
IT WAS THE PANDEMIC AND ALL OF THAT.
AND TO HAVE A 0% TAX INCREASE.
SO THEN, THEN WE BROUGHT IT DOWN TO THE 7.4 MILLION.
NOW WHAT WE'RE DOING IS WE'RE TAKING IT OUT OF THE OPERATING BUDGET, AND WE'RE PUTTING OUT OF THE UNASSIGNED FUND BALANCE AND PUTTING IT INTO A SIGNED FUND BALANCE.
SO THE MONEY IS STILL THERE AND IT'S 7.4 MILLION.
AND NOW THAT IT'S BEING EARMARKED, CAN IT, CAN IT BE TAKEN FOR SOMETHING ELSE? NO, NO, NO.
THE ONLY, THE ONLY WAY IT CAN BE MM-HMM.
SO WE WON'T REPLENISH THE $5 MILLION TOWARD THE, THE POLICE.
THE POLICE, UM, THE POLICE HEADQUARTERS.
LIKE WE TOOK US, WELL, WE, WE WOULD BOND.
IT DOESN'T, WHEN WE COME UP WITH A DECISION, WE'LL JUST GO AND BOND AND, UM, AND THEN, UH, UH, PROCEED WITH, UM, YOU KNOW, WITH THE COURT AND, AND POLICE HEADQUARTERS.
WE HAVE TO HAVE A PLAN THOUGH, THAT EVERYBODY FEELS IS AFFORDABLE AND MAKES SENSE FOR THE TOWN.
THE TROUBLE IS NOW IS THE INTEREST RATES ARE MUCH HIGHER AND WE HAVE LESS MONEY TO PUT DOWN, BUT, OKAY.
SO NOW THERE ARE SOME BUDGETS THAT IF THEY DON'T SPEND ALL THE MONEY MM-HMM.
LIKE FOR THE ZUCKERBERG MONEY MM-HMM.
WHICH IS WHAT WE LEARNED, I LEARNED FOR THE FIRST TIME THIS YEAR.
BUT WE'VE BEEN, WE'VE BEEN DOING IT FOR THREE YEARS.
IT'S NOT ONLY THE ZUCKERBERG, IT'S BEEN DONE BY THE TOWN BOARD ALSO WHO, SO WHOEVER.
SO IN THIS PARTICULAR CASE, THE PERSON WHO DONATED THE MONEY AGREED THAT THAT MONEY COULD BE SPENT FOR THAT PURPOSE.
IT WAS, IT WAS GIVEN TO THE TOWN FOR PURPOSE A AND THAT DIDN'T, THAT MONEY WASN'T SPENT.
SO THE MONEY WAS IN THAT ACCOUNT.
SO WE CHECKED WITH THE PERSON WHO DONATED THE MONEY, AND THEY SAID THAT IT WAS OKAY TO SPEND IT IN THAT WAY.
ANSWERED MY UNES QUE QUESTION.
IT WAS MY UNDERSTANDING THAT THERE'S MONEY IN THIS.
THERE'S MONEY IN THIS FUND THAT GOES BACK MANY YEARS MM-HMM.
SO I, I, I GUESS WHAT I'M TRYING TO DO IS TIGHTEN UP ON, AND I THINK WE'RE DOING THAT NOW MM-HMM.
'CAUSE ONCE WE FOUND OUT ABOUT THIS, WE ACTED ON IT.
SO NOW THERE'S RESOLUTIONS FOR SPENDING THAT MONEY.
UM, BUT I RAISED THIS BECAUSE YOU MENTIONED THAT BOOSTED CAPITAL PROJECTS MM-HMM.
BUT, BUT, UH, ROBERTA, DIDN'T WE USE THE SAME FUNDS FOR THE PARKS? YOU KNOW, THE, THE PROGRAMS THAT, UM, THAT WE HAD IN THE PARKS, UH, THE SUMMER.
UH, SO, AND THAT WAS SOMETHING THAT THE TOWN BOARD WANTED TO USE.
SO IT'S NOT ONLY THE ZUCKERBERG AND I THINK WE'VE USED IT OVER THE YEARS FOR OTHER, YOU KNOW, OTHER PURPOSES AS WELL THAT THE TOWN BOARD WANTED.
WELL, THERE WAS A RESOLUTION TO THAT.
DID YOU HAVE RESOLUTIONS FOR THE MONIES ALLOCATED FOR ZUCKERBERG? THE BOARD KNOW ABOUT IT BECAUSE IT WAS PUT, YOU KNOW, I MENTIONED IT AT THE TOWN BOARD MEETINGS.
UM, I PUT IT ON THE, THE E LIST.
IT WASN'T SOMETHING THAT WAS HIDDEN TO ZUCKERBERG.
UM, UM, YOU KNOW, INITIATIVE GOT A LOT OF POSITIVE ATTENTION.
THERE'S A LOT OF PEOPLE FROM, UH, ALL OVER THE TOWN, UM, WHETHER IT'S EDGEMONT, IRVINGTON, BUT THE ALLOCATION THAT WAS AN ELLEN'S QUESTION IS, WAS
[00:30:01]
EVERYBODY ON THE TOWN BOARD KNEW ABOUT IT? BECAUSE WAS THERE, WAS THERE MONEY, THERE WAS A RESOLUTION, THERE WAS NOT.I'M NOT SURE IF THERE WAS A RESOLUTION OR IF THERE WASN'T.
BUT I JUST KNOW THAT, UM, IT WASN'T SOMETHING THAT WAS, UM, DONE IN SECRET BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, I DID TREMENDOUS AMOUNT OF PUBLICITY.
UM, AND YOU ALL THE BOARD MEMBERS KNEW ABOUT IT.
I, I MENTIONED IT AT BOARD MEETINGS PUBLICLY.
I'LL, I'LL BE QUITE HONEST IN THAT, WHENEVER YOU TALKED ABOUT ZUCKERBERG MONEY, I THOUGHT ZUCKERBERG WAS GIVING US MONEY.
I DIDN'T REALIZE WE HAD TO PAY ZUCKERBERG.
WE, IT WAS, IT WAS, WELL, YOU KNOW, FANTASTIC.
WE'RE PAYING $69,000 TO USE ZUCKERBERG'S NAME ON A PROGRAM AS OPPOSED TO ZUCKERBERG FUNDING SOMETHING THAT SEEMED LIKE A GOOD CAUSE.
IT WAS A GOOD CAUSE BECAUSE WE HELPED SOME BUSINESSES, UM, UM, UM, THRIVE AND DO BETTER.
UH, WE ENGAGED, UM, STUDENTS FROM, UH, ALL THE SCHOOL DISTRICTS IN, UM, IN GREENBERG, UM, HELPING, UH, UH, STRUGGLING BUSINESSES WITH SOCIAL MEDIA.
THIS WAS A, A, A REALLY FANTASTIC, UM, YOU KNOW, INITIATIVE THAT GOT A LOT OF, UH, THANKS FROM THE, THE MERCHANTS AS WELL AS, UM, THE STUDENT PARTICIPANTS.
IN FACT, WE EVEN, WE EVEN RECOGNIZED, UM, THE STUDENTS AND THE ZUCKERBERG INSTITUTE, THEY DID A PRESENTATION AT THE TOWN BOARD MEETING EXPLAINING WHAT THEY DID.
THAT THE END, THAT'S NOT TALKING ABOUT WHERE THE MONIES CAME FROM, WHICH SEEMS TO BE RATHER OBSCURE.
AND I WAS JUST MAKING THE DISTINCTION BETWEEN MONEY SET ALLOCATIONS, WELL GOING FOR, GOING FOR GOING FORWARD, ALL DONATION DONATIONS, YOU THIS, THAT ACCOUNT, THERE'LL BE RESOLUTIONS.
FOR EXAMPLE, THERE WAS A BUS ORDERED, UH, $1,340 OUTTA WHAT ACCOUNT DID THAT COME THIS YEAR FOR THE INTERNS TO GO FROM TOWN HALL TO NINE A.
WHAT, WHAT ACCOUNT DID THAT COME FROM? I BELIEVE IT CAME FROM THAT SAME ACCOUNT, BUT I'M NOT POSITIVE.
I'D HAVE TO DOUBLE CHECK THAT.
AND WOULD THE PEOPLE WHO DONATED THE MONEY HAVE BEEN ASKED WHETHER OR NOT THEY AGREED TO A LUXURY BUS TAKING INTERNS FROM TOWN HALL TO NINE A? YES.
THAT'S MY RECOLLECTION, FRANCIS.
THAT'S A, THE INTERN PROGRAM WAS A FANTASTIC PROGRAM.
UM, YOU KNOW, UH, WE'VE HAD FOUR, FIVE STUDENTS FROM ALL FROM EVERY SCHOOL DISTRICT.
UM, YOU KNOW, THE EDGEMONT, LEY, WOODLANDS, ELMSFORD, UH, YOU KNOW, EVERY SCHOOL, PRACTICALLY EVERY SCHOOL DISTRICT IN GREENBURG.
IT'S, IT WAS A GREAT OPPORTUNITY FOR YOUNG PEOPLE FROM DIFFERENT SCHOOL DISTRICTS, UH, UM, TO, UM, TO WORK TOGETHER, UM, YOU KNOW, TO LEARN ABOUT GOVERNMENT, UM, TO, UM, INTERACT WITH NATIONAL, STATE, AND LOCAL, UM, UM, YOU KNOW, PEOPLE, UH, JUDITH VILLE DID A FANTASTIC JOB ORGANIZING.
UM, YOU KNOW, YOU, YOU, THAT PROGRAM, WE'VE GOTTEN ZERO COMPLAINTS FROM, LIKE ANYONE.
WE HAD MEREDITH FIERA, UM, WHO WAS A HOST ON THE TODAY SHOW.
I THINK WE WE'RE TALKING ABOUT THE BUDGET NOW.
SO, NO, BUT YOU DON'T ASKING QUESTIONS.
BUT YOU KNOW WHAT? THAT I FEEL THE MONEY THAT WE, FIRST OF ALL, WE DID A PROGRAM THAT NORMALLY, UH, TAXPAYERS WOULD HAVE ON HOW TO, UM, YOU KNOW, WE DID IT FOR BASICALLY FOR FREE.
UM, WE, WE DIDN'T HAVE STAFF HELPING US ON IT.
WE BASICALLY, UM, ARRANGED THE SPEAKERS.
UM, WE BASICALLY, UM, RAN A FANTASTIC PROGRAM.
UM, AND EVERYBODY APPRECIATED IT.
AND, YOU KNOW, THIS PROGRAM, IF WAS A NORMAL GOVERNMENT PROGRAM, WOULD'VE PROBABLY COST A HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS.
SO WE DID HAVE SOME EXPENSES, BUT NOT A LOT.
AND, YOU KNOW, I'M REAL, I'M REALLY VERY, VERY PROUD OF, UM, OF THE FACT THAT WE, WE GAVE MANY STUDENTS FANTASTIC OPPORTUNITIES, AND, YOU KNOW, PEOPLE REALLY APPRECIATE IT.
THIS, YOU KNOW, WE'VE GOTTEN MANY, MANY THANK YOUS FROM, FROM THE STUDENTS WHO GOT A REALLY GREAT TASTE OF GOVERNMENT.
[00:35:01]
WHAT, NO MATTER WHAT I SAY, YOU'RE GONNA TELL ME HOW GREAT A PROGRAM IS.WHAT I'M, WHAT I'M ASKING ABOUT IS THE ACCOUNTABILITY OF MONIES.
UH, COUNCILWOMAN HENDRICKS STATED OR ASKED, WHY CAN'T THESE INTERNS TAKE THE FREE BUSES THAT WERE BEING OFFERED DURING THE SUMMER TO GO TO NINE A AND THAT WAS DEEMED TO BE INAPPROPRIATE FOR THE INTERNS.
SO AT $1,340 LUXURY BUS, THE TYPE THAT WOULD TAKE YOU TO ATLANTIC CITY WITH TINTED WINDOWS, HIGH SEATS, A BATHROOM, TOOK THE INTERNS FOR AN HOUR AND A HALF FROM TOWN HALL DOWN TO REGENERON ON NINE A AND BACK $1,340.
I'M QUESTIONING THE VALIDITY OF THAT KIND OF AN EXPENSE, PARTICULARLY WHEN THEY WERE ADVOCATING THAT WESTCHESTER COUNTY SHOULD RUN THE BUSES FOR FREE AND EXTEND THAT AMOUNT OF TIME.
AND AT THE SAME TIME, THEY WERE TAKING A LUXURY BUS WITH A BATHROOM TO GO SIMPLY DOWN TO NINE A I'M ASKING OUT OF WHAT ACCOUNT DID THAT MONEY COME PERFECTLY APPROPRIATE FOR THE BUDGET DISCUSSION? YOU CAN DISCUSS AS MUCH AS YOU WANT ABOUT HOW WONDERFUL THE PROGRAM IS, BUT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT MONEY NOW.
YOU'RE SAYING THAT THAT CAME OUT OF A TRUST AGENCY ACCOUNT? I BELIEVE IT DID, BUT I'M NOT POSITIVE, ROBERTA.
I THINK THAT I HAD PUT IN THE BUDGET MONEY LAST YEAR FOR THE ZUCKERBERG.
AND I THINK THAT, I HAVE SAID MY, THIS IS MY RECOLLECTION THAT SINCE WE WEREN'T DOING THE ZUCKERBERG, UH, BUT THE ZUCKER, THE MONEY THAT THE TOWN BOARD HAD APPROVED FOR INTERN, YOU KNOW, FOR THAT PROGRAM, WHICH WAS SIM WAS SIMILAR TO THE INTERNSHIP PROGRAM.
'CAUSE THE PROGRAM HELPING STUDENTS.
I SAID, YOU KNOW, WHAT WE NEEDED, UM, UM, TO PROVIDE TRANSPORTATION, YOU KNOW, TO THE STUDENTS.
UM, UM, YOU KNOW, I DON'T KNOW IF THERE'S A DIRECT BUS FROM THE TOWN HALL, THE PUBLIC BUS FROM THE TOWN HALL TO REGENERON, YOU KNOW, AND BACK.
UM, AND AGAIN, WHEN YOU HAVE THESE PROGRAMS, YOU KNOW, THERE'S A RESPONSIBILITY ON PART OF THE TOWN TO MAKE SURE THAT THE KIDS, UM, THE STUDENT INTERNS GET TO THEIR, UH, THE DESTINATION SAFELY AND GET BACK SAFELY.
UM, SO I DON'T KNOW IF THERE'S ANY DIRECT BUS FROM HERE TO REGENERON.
UM, AND THIS WAS WHAT WE THOUGHT WAS, UM, YOU KNOW, YOU KNOW, WAS SAFE.
I I JUST WANT TO MENTION TO PEOPLE LISTENING, WE, WE HAD, UM, UH, SOMEBO, WE PAID NO HONORARIUMS, UH, TO ANY OF THE SPEAKERS.
UH, WE HAD A NUMBER OF PEOPLE WHO ARE WORLD FAMOUS, UM, UM, YOU KNOW, UH, SPEAKERS WHO SPOKE TO THE INTERNS, UM, UM, YOU KNOW, SOMEBODY WHO WON THE TONY AWARD FOR THE BEST PLAY.
UM, AGAIN, MEREDITH FIERA, WE HAD MANY PEOPLE.
SO I FEEL WHEN YOU LOOK AT THE WHOLE INTERNSHIP PROGRAM AS A PACKAGE, PEOPLE GOT TREMENDOUS VALUE, UM, FOR, FOR THE PROGRAM.
AND I'M REALLY, YOU KNOW, VERY, VERY PROUD.
UM, AND I, I THINK THAT SOME OF THE STUDENTS WILL GO INTO PUBLIC SERVICE AS A RESULT OF THE POSITIVE EXPERIENCES THAT THEY HAD.
SO IT'S A MATTER OF, YOU KNOW, WHERE YOUR PRIORITIES ARE IN A YEAR WHEN WE DIDN'T HAVE BUSES FOR THE AFTERSCHOOL PROGRAM CHILDREN, AND A YEAR WHEN WE DIDN'T HAVE BUSES FOR SENIORS TO GO ON THEIR TRIPS, APPARENTLY THERE WAS A PRIORITY FOR A ONE AND A HALF HOUR TRIP TO REGENERON TO SPEND $1,340 ON A LUXURY BUS WHEN THESE OTHER PROGRAMS, THE SENIORS AND THE CHILDREN WERE TOLD FOR ALMOST A YEAR THAT THEY WOULD NOT HAVE BUS SERVICE.
AND SO, I'M JUST RAISING IT AGAIN, I'M GONNA FIND OUT ABOUT THIS THE TRUSTED AGENCY ACCOUNTANT CAME FROM AND WHO GAVE
WELL, I MENTIONED IT WAS FROM THE, I'M PRETTY SURE IT WAS FROM THE ZUCKER THAT FROM THE ZUCKERBERG FUNDS THAT WAS ALLOCATED IN, IN THE BUDGET THAT WE DIDN'T SPEND, BECAUSE WE DIDN'T WANT, WE DIDN'T, WE DIDN'T SPEND IT THIS YEAR, BUT WE USED, UM, SOME OF THE FUNDS FOR, UM, THE INTERNSHIP PROGRAM.
WHEN YOU SAY THE ZUCKERBERG FUNDS, THOSE ARE NOT ZUCKER I HAVE PUT IN THOSE ARE THOUSAND, THOSE ARE NOT TWO BUDGETS.
THOSE ARE NOT MONIES FROM ZUCKERBERG.
THAT'S MONIES WE PAID TO ZUCKERBERG TO BE ABLE TO USE THE NAME.
AND THAT CAME OUT WHEN, WHEN SOMEBODY FOILED INVOICES AND MADE THAT VERY CLEAR THAT WE WERE PAYING
[00:40:01]
ZUCKERBERG AS OPPOSED TO ZUCKERBERG.SO THAT WAS TAXPAYER MONEY BECAUSE IT WAS OBVIOUSLY IN YOUR BUDGET, UH, WHICH THE OPERATING BUDGET IS BASED ON, YOU KNOW, TAXPAYER MONEY.
SO NO, LAST YEAR, THE 2021 BUDGET DID NOT, WE, WE DID NOT USE, UM, WE DID NOT USE TAXPAYER DOLLARS.
THAT WAS THE DONATION, YOU KNOW, FUND IN TWO TH I THOUGHT THE ZUCKERBERG PROGRAM WAS REALLY, YOU KNOW, GREAT.
AND I, I, I REALLY, UH, THOUGHT THAT STUDENTS WHO PARTICIPATED GOT A TREMENDOUS AMOUNT OF, YOU KNOW, POSITIVES FROM, YOU KNOW, FROM THAT EXPERIENCE.
SO I PUT IN THE 2022 BUDGET MONEY FOR THE ZUCKERBERG INSTITUTE, AND THEN WE DECIDED, UM, THAT WE WERE GONNA USE, WE, WE DIDN'T, UH, WE DIDN'T, UH, CONTINUE THE PROGRAM IN 2022.
SO WE DECIDED TO FOCUS ONLY ON THE INTERNSHIP PROGRAM, UH, YOU KNOW, THIS SUMMER.
AND, UM, AND THEN WE USED SOME OF THE FUNDS THAT HADN'T BEEN SPENT, YOU KNOW, THAT WAS ALLOCATED FOR ZUCKERBERG ON, YOU KNOW, ON INTERNS.
I THINK WE, WE HAVE OVER, I THINK WE HAVE 45 STUDENTS FROM ALL OVER THE COUNTY.
IT WAS NORMALLY SUCCESSFUL PROGRAM.
I MAY, SINCE THIS IS A BUDGET DISCUSSION, RIGHT.
UH, JUST AS LONG AS WE ARE CLEAR THAT ALLOCATIONS OF MONIES, WHETHER IT, EVEN IF THEY'RE FROM THE TRUST FUND, ARE TRANSPARENT AND ARE CALLED OUT IN A RESOLUTION EVERY TIME WE ALLOCATE, SPEND MONIES FOR SOME, UH, TO SOME PROJECT OR, OR CAPITAL PROJECT OR ANOTHER.
OH, I AGREE WITH YOU GOING FORWARD.
1000%, PAUL, I JUST WANT TO ADD THAT, UM, THE USE OF THESE MONIES TO TRANSPORT THE INTERNS, UH, WAS CLEARLY TRANSPARENT.
UM, AND IT WAS FOR SAFETY PURPOSES, UH, IT'S, IT'S NOT THE SAME HAVING, UM, INDIVIDUAL PERSON STANDING AT A BUS STOP WAITING FOR TO TAKE A PUBLIC BUS.
UH, THE DIFFERENCE IS THAT WE HAD 45 TO 48 YOUNG PEOPLE THIS PAST SUMMER, AND, UM, AT LEAST ONE, PERHAPS TWO, BUT I KNOW AT LEAST ONE, UM, HAD SOME, UH, PHYSICAL CHALLENGE AND IT WOULD'VE BEEN ABSOLUTELY UNSAFE TO HAVE 45 YOUNG PEOPLE STANDING OUT HERE ON THE SIDEWALK WAITING FOR A PUBLIC BUS TO COME ALONG.
UM, THE, THE BUSES WOULD NOT HAVE BEEN NEEDED IF THE TOWN BUSES WERE AVAILABLE.
AND THERE WAS A, UH, UH, AN AN ISSUE THERE WITH REGARDS TO, UM, A CONTRACTUAL ISSUE THERE, OR A COURT ISSUE.
AND IF WE, IF, IF, IF THAT, YOU KNOW, HAD BEEN RESOLVED BEFORE THE, THE SUMMER, THEN THERE WOULD NOT HAVE BEEN A NEED FOR, UM, UH, YOU KNOW, BUSES TO, TO BE PAID TO TRANSPORT THE INTERNS.
I THINK THAT THIS IS REALLY A LUDICROUS, UM, LEMME JUST DEBATE BECAUSE WHAT, WHAT YOU DID WAS TO MAKE A DECISION IN THE BEST INTEREST OF THE SAFETY AND WELFARE OF THE CHILDREN OF THIS TOWN.
LET ME JUST READ SOMETHING I GOT, I JUST LOOKED BECAUSE EVERYBODY'S MAKING A FUSS OVER THE ZUCKERBERG INSTITUTE.
THIS IS A LETTER DATED OCTOBER 17TH FROM JONATHAN BREWSTER.
UM, I REACHED OUT A FEW WEEKS AGO OVER THE PHONE, BUT DIDN'T BE HERE BACK.
I WANT TO THANK YOU FOR, FOR, OH WAIT, I'M SORRY.
UH, UH, SPRING 2020 WAS ONE OF THE MOST CHALLENGING PERIODS I CAN RECALL.
IN THE 17 YEARS I'VE BEEN ALIVE BECAUSE OF THE DEATH DEVASTATION CAUSED BY THE PANDEMIC THROUGH LOSS OF, UH, HUMAN LIVES, LOSS OF BUSINESSES THAT NEVER RECOVERED FROM THE SHUTDOWN AND THE UPENDING OF OUR WAY OF LIVING.
MORE THAN A YEAR LATER, WE CONTINUE TO STRUGGLE WITH EFFECTS OF THE PANDEMIC.
WHILE VACCINATIONS HAVE HELPED SIGNIFICANTLY SLOW DOWN THE RATE OF DEATHS, BUSINESSES CONTINUES TO STRUGGLE WITH THE RECOVERY, ESPECIALLY SMALL BUSINESSES DURING THE SHUTDOWN.
SMALL BUSINESSES GREATLY SUFFERED BECAUSE OF THE RESTRICTIONS AND INCREASED COSTS, WHICH PREVENTED THEM FROM PERFORMING THE LEVEL THEY DID PRE PANDEMIC.
I HAVE WITNESSED THE DEVASTATION TO SMALL BUSINESSES IN THE TOWN OF GREENBURG WHERE I LIVE.
[00:45:01]
BUSINESSES HAVE CLOSED PERMANENTLY.YOU CAN SEE IT WITH NUMEROUS VACANCIES IN THE LARGE WALLS LIKE THE WESTCHESTER, THE GALLERIA, AND STRIP WALLS WHERE BUSINESSES WERE ONCE THRIVING.
THE COMPANIES, UM, THAT HAVE SURVIVED THE SHUTDOWNS CONTINUE TO STRUGGLE TO RETURN TO PRE, UH, PANDEMIC LEVEL OF OPERATION.
DURING MY JUNIOR YEAR AT THE HACKLEY SCHOOL, I CAME ACROSS THE ZUCKERBERG INSTITUTE POST PANDEMIC TASK FORCE PROGRAM FOR THE TOWN OF GREENBURG, AN INNOVATIVE PROGRAM CREATED THROUGH A PARTNERSHIP WITH TOWN SUPERVISOR PAUL FINER AND HIS TEAM, AND RANDY ZUCKERBERG AND HER TEAM OF CO-FOUNDERS AND BUSINESS LEADERS AT THE ZUCKERBERG INSTITUTE.
THROUGH THE ZUCKERBERG INSTITUTE, I WOULD MEET WITH EXPERTS IN THE BUSINESS FIELD AND GAIN EXPERIENCE TO DEVELOP STRATEGIES THAT WOULD HELP STRUGGLING BUSINESSES IN MY COMMUNITY RECOVER FROM THE, FROM THE PANDEMIC.
I WAS EXCITED AND VERY INTERESTED IN THIS EXCELLENT PROGRAM BECAUSE IT WOULD HELP ME GAIN REAL WORLD BUSINESS EXPERIENCE, HELP MY COMMUNITY AND POSITIVELY IMPACT GREENBERG.
AS AN AFRICAN AMERICAN YOUTH, I WAS KEENLY AWARE OF HOW C OVID 19 HAS DISPROPORTIONATELY IMPACTED MY COMMUNITY.
I WANTED TO HELP SMALL BUSINESSES RECOVER FROM THE PANDEMIC, ESPECIALLY THOSE OWNED AND OPERATED BY AFRICAN AMERICANS, ONE SUCH BUSINESS AS GOLDEN, UH, CRUST.
THEIR CUSTOMERS ARE PREDOMINANTLY AFRICAN AMERICAN AND PRIMARILY OF CARIBBEAN DESCENT.
AS AN AFRICAN AMERICAN OF CAR CARIBBEAN DESCENT, I WAS PERSONALLY AWARE OF GOLDEN, UH, CRUST AS A FREQUENT AND SATISFIED CUSTOMER.
ONCE I WAS ACCEPTED, UH, TO THE ZUCKERBERG INSTITUTE, I MET WITH THE OWNER OF GOLDEN CRUST, MRS. CHARMAINE GOLDING.
SHE EXPLAINED HOW THE BUSINESS HAS EXPERIENCED A SIGNIFICANT DROP IN SALES, MAINLY CATERING ORDERS, INCREASED COSTS AND RESTRICTIONS.
THAT WAS DEVASTATING FOR ME TO HEAR BECAUSE I'VE GONE TO GOLDEN CRUST ALMOST EVERY WEEKEND, AND IT'S TOO FAR FROM WHERE I LIVE.
I COULD NOT IMAGINE THEM CLOSING.
SO I BEGAN RESEARCHING WAYS TO HELP SMALL BUSINESSES, ESPECIALLY RESTAURANTS WITH FINANCIAL PROBLEMS. STEMMING FROM C OVID 19.
WHILE WORKING WITH THE ZUCKERBERG INSTITUTE, I WAS INTRODUCED TO ANOTHER BUSINESS IN GREENBERG CALLED TOP ASIA.
WHEN WORKING WITH TOP ASIAN, MARK, MY COLLEAGUES AND I HELPED THE BUSINESS OWNERS MARKET THEIR PRODUCTS, ADVERTISE TO THE LOCAL COMMUNITY, AND CLEAN UP THE STORE AS EXTERIOR INTERIOR.
WHILE WORKING WITH ASIA TOP ASIAN MART, WE WERE ABLE TO ENLIST OUR MEMBERS OF OUR COMMUNITY TO COME AND HELP CLEAN THE STORE, UM, AND UP AND CAPTURE THE TRANSFORMATION ON SOCIAL MEDIA.
AFTER THAT PROJECT ENDED, I, UH, REFOCUSED MY EFFORTS IN GOLDEN TRU, UH, TRUST SPECIFICALLY HOW TO INCREASE TAKEOUT AND CATERING ORDERS.
I LEARNED THAT RESTAURANTS THAT DID NOT RELY ON DIME AND SALES AND RESTAURANTS WITH A HIGHER PERCENTAGE OF TAKEOUT ORDERS HAD HIGHER SURVIVAL, UH, RATES POST PANDEMIC.
FORTUNATELY GOLDEN CRUST FIT THAT CATEGORY.
I INTRODUCED GOLDEN CRUST TO MY COLLEAGUES AT ZUCKERBERG INSTITUTE, WHO THEN WORKED ON ENHANCING ITS DIGITAL MARKETING STRATEGY, INCLUDING SOCIAL MEDIA CAMPAIGNS AND OTHER IDEAS TO INCREASE AWARENESS OF GOLDEN TRUST.
WHILE I MET WITH MRS. GOLDEN AND DISCUSSED ESTABLISHING THEIR ONLINE ORDER, ORDER ORDERING CAPABILITIES THROUGH RESEARCH, AS WELL AS MY FAMILY'S OWN PERSONAL EXPERIENCE, MOST OF OUR SHOPPING WAS NOW BEING DONE ONLINE.
SO I KNEW HAVING ONLINE ORDERING CAPABILITIES WOULD BE IMPORTANT TO OVERALL RECOVERY.
IN ADDITION, UH, TO ORDERING ELECTRONICS AND CLOTHING, WE WERE ALSO ORDERING FOOD ONLINE DUE TO PHYSICAL DISTANCE AND OTHER COVID 19 MANDATES.
THIS WAS A BIG CHANGE IN OUR HABITS.
WE, ALONG WITH OTHER CONSUMERS, HAVE BECOME MORE DIGITAL DURING THE PANDEMIC.
IN MY DISCUSSIONS WITH MS. GOLDING AS A FRANCHISE OWNER, WE RECOGNIZE IMPROVING, UH, THEIR ONLINE, UH, ORDERING CAPABILITIES, WHICH WOULD REQUIRE MORE LONG-TERM APPROACHES AND COORDINATION WITH THE CORPORATE OFFICES.
I LOOK FORWARD TO CONTINUING TO WORK, UM, UM, UH, WITH MRS. GOLDING AND EXECUTING THEIR ONLINE, UM, STRATEGIES.
JOINING THE ZUCKERBERG INSTITUTE, I GOT THE OPPORTUNITY TO HELP SMALL BUSINESSES FINANCIALLY RECOVER FROM THE PANDEMIC.
I WORKED WITH THE BUSINESS OWNERS AS COLLEAGUES.
WE STRATEGIZED TOGETHER ON IDEAS TO STABILIZE THE BUSINESS AND RECOVER FROM THE LOSSES THEY SUFFERED DURING THE PANDEMIC.
UM, HIS LONG-TERM, UH, GOAL IS TO STUDY BUSINESS MANAGEMENT AND WORK AS A BUSINESS CONSULTANT.
THIS HAS BEEN A REWARDING ENDEAVOR THAT HAS GIVEN ME VALUABLE EXPERIENCE, WHILE ALSO HELPING SMALL BUSINESSES IN MY COMMUNITY IMPROVE THEIR OPERATIONS AND SALES.
IT'S ALSO ALLOWED ME TO FORGE RELATIONSHIPS WITH BUSINESSES AND COMMUNITY LEADERS.
OTHER HIGH SCHOOLS STUDENTS CAN BENEFIT FROM A PROGRAM LIKE THIS, WHILE ALSO HELPING LOCAL BUSINESSES IN THEIR COMMUNITIES.
I WOULD RECOMMEND THAT HIGH SCHOOLS CONSIDER INCLUDING A BUSINESS CONSULTING PROGRAM AS PART OF THEIR CURRICULUM,
[00:50:01]
TO PROVIDE STUDENTS INTERESTED IN BUSINESS AND, AND ENTREPRENEURSHIP WITH REAL WORLD EXPERIENCES WHILE HELPING LOCAL BUSINESSES BY PURSUING A PROFESSION IN BUSINESS.UM, AND I WISH TO CONTINUE TO ASSIST MY COMMUNITY.
AND YOU KNOW, THAT, SO THIS IS SUCH AN AMAZING, AND IT'S, IT'S QUITE YOUNG MAN, PAUL.
AND, AND WHAT HE DID IS WONDERFUL, AND WHAT HE LEARNED IS WONDERFUL.
WHAT DOES THAT HAVE TO, TO DO WITH THE BUDGET? BECAUSE FRANCIS IS CRITICIZING THE ZUCKERBERG, UH, NO, HE'S NOT.
I I DON'T THINK HE'S CRITICIZING THAT HE'S, THAT'S DIFFERENT FROM, HE'S CRITICIZING HOW MONIES ARE ALLOCATED AND NOT THAT THE MANNER IN WHICH IT WAS ALLOCATED, NOT WHAT IT WAS ALLOCATED FOR.
SO LET'S GET BACK TO BUDGET NOW.
SHALL WE MOVE FORWARD ON BUDGET, PLEASE? SURE.
SO THAT, THAT PERSON THAT YOU WERE JUST SPEAKING ABOUT, WAS THAT ZUCKERBERG 2021? 'CAUSE YOU SAID THAT THAT'S ZUCKERBERG 2021, RIGHT? AND THERE WAS NO ZUCKERBERG 2022, CORRECT? NO.
AND YET IN THE ADOPTED BUDGET FOR 2022, UH, IT WAS $20,000 IN THERE.
UM, AND AS OF THE END OF OCTOBER OF 2022, UH, $9,847 WAS SPENT OUT OF A PROGRAM.
AND THE FOOTNOTE FOR THAT LINE, UH, 30 54, 5 0 3, AND THE 2022 BUDGET WAS, UH, IT WAS ZUCKERBERG RELATED TO ZUCKERBERG.
SO FOR A PROGRAM THAT NEVER RAN, WHAT WAS THE MONEY USED FOR? WELL, BASICALLY, UM, WE HAD JUDITH BEVILLE AND I, WE HAVE A, UM, UH, A POLICY THAT ANY STUDENT IN THE TOWN, UM, AUTOMATICALLY WHO WANTS TO BE A SUMMER INTERN, HAS THE ABILITY OF BECOMING A SUMMER INTERN.
AND SINCE IN THE OVER A DOZEN YEARS WE'VE HAD THE PROGRAM, WE'VE NEVER TURNED AWAY ANYBODY.
SO, UM, WE BASICALLY, UM, USUALLY WE HAVE, MAYBE WE'VE HAD AS LITTLE AS 15 STUDENTS OR 20 STUDENTS.
THIS YEAR, I THINK WE HAD OVER 45 STUDENTS.
SO SINCE THERE WERE, WERE MANY MORE STUDENTS THAN WE HAD, UM, ANTICIPATED, WE USED THE UNUSED ZUCKERBERG FUNDING, UM, TO PAY THEIR, UH, STIPENDS.
AND AGAIN, I JUST WANT TO SAY, 'CAUSE THIS IS THIS, IT'S VERY MISLEADING.
'CAUSE IT MISLEAD ME WHEN YOU SAY THE ZUCKERBERG FUNDING, ZUCKERBERG IS FUNDING NOTHING, WE'RE PAYING ZUCKERBERG.
RIGHT? AND THAT'S, THAT'S, THAT'S THE POINT I'M TRYING TO GET OUT HERE IS ZUCKERBERG IS GIVING US NOTHING.
WE PAID $69,000 TO ZUCKERBERG TO BE ABLE TO USE THE NAME AND HAVE THAT PROGRAM, WHICH, YOU KNOW, I JUST FIND AMAZING.
BUT IT, BUT IT'S ALSO HIGHLIGHTING IN THE BUDGET WHERE MONEY IS SPENT AND IT'S NOT, YOU KNOW, THAT WAS SUPPOSED TO BE FOR ZUCKERBERG, ACCORDING TO THE BUDGET, IT SHOWS A DRAWDOWN OF $9,847.
IT'S ESTIMATED TO BE 17,000 606 0.
BUT I UNDERSTAND FROM SPEAKING TO ROBERTA IN ADVANCE, 'CAUSE NONE OF MY QUESTIONS ARE A SURPRISE TO HER.
UM, 'CAUSE WE SPOKE EARLIER, RIGHT? UM, THAT'S A MISTAKE.
UM, AND SO IN, IN THIS BUDGET, UM, IT HAS FOR THAT LINE.
NOW, THE EX EXPOSURE SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM, THE TOWN BOARD DID NOT AUTHORIZE THE EXPOSURE SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM, BUT NOW THERE'S A LINE FOR CONSULTING AND THE SUPERVISOR'S BUDGET, UH, FOR $10,000 FOR HAVING THE EXPOSURE PROGRAM BE A CONSULTANT TO THE SUPERVISOR.
WHAT IS THAT ABOUT? OKAY, BA BASICALLY I HAVE INCLUDED, FIRST OF ALL, THIS IS A PROPOSED BUDGET, UM, WHICH THE TOWN BOARD HAS EVERY RIGHT TO, UM, MODIFY.
IF YOU DON'T LIKE WHAT'S BEING PROPOSED.
I, UM, HAVE INCLUDED IN THE BUDGET, UH, 10 TH $10,000 FOR THE EXPOSURE PROGRAM.
UM, AND THE REST WOULD COME FROM, UM, FROM GRANTS.
UM, BASICALLY, UM, IN RECENT YEARS, UM, WE HAD PREVIOUSLY HAD A CONTRACT WITH EXPOSURE TO PROVIDE, UM, UH, STUDENTS SOME 12, 13, 14 YEAR OLDS WITH OPPORTUNITY TO LEARN, UM, YOU KNOW, HOW TO PRODUCE, UM, TV SHOWS, NEWS SHOWS, UM, AND, UM, THE EXPOSURE, UH, FOUNDATION
[00:55:01]
OR, OR INSTITUTE.THEY'VE, UM, THEY'VE BEEN SO SUCCESSFUL AROUND THE METROPOLITAN AREA THAT THEY'VE ALREADY WON, UM, I BELIEVE, UM, OVER THREE EMMYS EMMY AWARDS.
SO WHAT I'D LIKE TO DO IS TAKE, UH, TALENTED YOUNG PEOPLE FROM, UH, SCHOOLS ACROSS THE TOWN, UH, YOU KNOW, 12, 13, 14 YEAR OLDS, UM, TRAIN THEM, UM, YOU KNOW, HAVE THEM PRODUCE, UM, UH, A CABLE TV PROGRAM THAT WOULD BE, UH, INTERESTING, INFORMATIVE, YOU KNOW, EDUCATIONAL.
UM, AND, UM, YOU KNOW, NOT EVERYBODY, UH, WOULD BE ABLE TO, UM, YOU KNOW, A AFFORD THE PROGRAM IF, IF WE, UM, CHARGE SOME PEOPLE, UH, YOU KNOW, FOR THE PROGRAM.
AND I THOUGHT THAT WE WOULD HAVE A $10,000 SCHOLARSHIP, UH, FOR A LOWER INCOME BACK.
AND THAT'S BASICALLY WHY THE $10,000 WAS, WAS FOR, I WOULD TRY GETTING THE, THE BALANCE FROM DONATIONS.
AND I THOUGHT THAT, UM, IF WE HAD, UM, THE $10,000 IN THE BUDGET FOR SCHOLARSHIPS, THAT THAT WOULD BE, UM, YOU KNOW, SOMETHING THAT WOULD BE GREAT BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, THERE'S, STUDENTS WOULD BE FANTASTIC IF WE HAVE STUDENTS FROM LOWER INCOME BACKGROUNDS WHO WOULD'VE THE SAME OPPORTUNITIES TO GET AN MA AWARD, UH, WHEN THEY'RE 12 OR 13 YEAR OLDS, UH, OR BE NOMINATED FOR AN MA UM, AS PEOPLE FROM WEALTHIER FAMILIES.
MAY I MAKE A SUGGESTION? SOMETHING LIKE THAT, THAT IN LOOKING THROUGH THE BUDGET CAREFULLY, UM, FRANCIS SAW A, A AN ALLOCATION OF MONIES THAT WHAT WERE, THAT WASN'T CLEAR THAT HE HAD QUESTIONS ABOUT.
CAN YOU, WHEN YOU HAVE IDEAS LIKE THIS, INDICATE THAT AS A SEPARATE SHEET FOR THE BOARD MEMBERS SO THAT WE KNOW WHAT THOSE OBSCURE SOMETIMES TUCKED AWAY IN BUDGET WITHIN, YOU KNOW, TO A BIG BUDGET BOOK.
UM, THAT WAY WE CAN KNOW WHAT THEY ARE WITH REFERENCE TO THE LINE ITEM, THE PAGE NUMBER, SO THAT WE ARE CLEAR ON SOME OF THE PLANS THAT YOU HAVE, SUCH AS THAT AHEAD OF TIME THAT WE ARE SIGNING OFF ON WHEN WE SIGN OFF ON THE BUDGET.
AND THE LAST, UH, THING I HAVE IS, UH, AND THE SUPERVISOR'S BUDGET HAS $3,000 FOR DEVELOPING AND PRINTING.
AND WITH THE COST OF POSTAGE AND THE NUMBER OF MAILS GO OUT, THAT CAN'T POSSIBLY BE A REALISTIC NUMBER.
THAT IS THROUGH, UM, CENTRAL SERVICES BUDGET.
AND DOES IT BREAK OUT EACH OF THE BOARD MEMBERS? NO.
WHERE IS IT POSTAGE? IT'S ACCOUNT 5 4 0 1 0.
BUT DOESN'T THAT ALSO INCLUDE THE POSTAGE FOR DOING THE TAX BILLS? YEP.
SO HOW MUCH IS ACTUALLY SPENT ON THOSE MAILINGS? THE PUBLIC WOULD NEVER KNOW.
WE COULD, WE COULD GET A BREAKDOWN OF THAT, I BELIEVE.
YEAH, THAT WOULD BE, THAT ONE OF THOSE OBSCURE ALLOCATIONS.
THAT WOULD BE HELPFUL TO KNOW.
THAT'S ENOUGH BY DEPARTMENT, CORRECT? BY DEPARTMENT, I GUESS.
I THINK TOWN ATTORNEY IS NEXT.
SO THE TOWN ATTORNEY BUDGET IS ON PAGE 11 OF YOUR BOOKLET.
IF YOU LOOK AT THE, YOU WERE LISTENING
UH, JUST ABOUT $30,000 SEPARATES THE THREE.
UM, I PRESENTED MY BUDGET A FEW MONTHS BACK WITH THE HELP OF, UH, MY SECRETARY, MARTHA, WHO HAVE, WHO HAS BEEN THROUGH THIS BEFORE.
IT'S BEEN, WAS MY FIRST TIME, UM, WE RECEIVED THIS PACKET AND WE SAW, UH, A FEW CUTS TO OUR PROPOSALS.
UM, SINCE RECEIVING THIS PACKET, I, I'VE GONE OVER WITH
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MY STAFF.UM, AND WE BELIEVE THAT WE CAN ACCEPT THOSE CHANGES.
WE RESPECT THE DECISIONS OF THE CONTROLLER AND THE SUPERVISOR.
UM, AND WE BELIEVE WE HAVE, UH, ENOUGH MONEY AVAILABLE EVEN WITH THOSE CUTS TO, UH, MOVE FORWARD IN 2023 APPROPRIATELY.
SO I DON'T HAVE ANY REQUESTS HERE TONIGHT.
UH, JUST IF ANYONE HAS ANY QUESTIONS, I'M AVAILABLE.
SO I GUESS A QUESTION FOR EDIE, UH, WOULD BE ON THE ARY DISBURSEMENTS, IT SEEMS FAIRLY CONSTANT.
UH, WE HAD A YEAR TO YEAR AND IS THAT THE BEST WE'RE GONNA DO POST, UH, REASSESSMENT OR, UH, I HAVE TO GO BACK QUITE FRANKLY AND TAKE A LOOK AND SEE WHAT IT WAS SAY IN 2016 AND 2017 ON THAT LINE, BUT IT SEEMS FAIRLY CONSTANT AND I WON.
I'M WONDERING IF THAT IS A TYPICAL BASELINE FOR PEOPLE, UM, FILING TERTIARIES.
SO, AND, AND I STARTED HERE IN 2016, SO I STARTED DURING THE REEVALUATION.
SO I, I HAVE SEEN A CONSTANT LINE.
I'M NOT SURE WHAT IT WAS BEFOREHAND.
WE ARE A LITTLE BIT UNDER, UM, THE, THE PROPOSED BUDGET AT, AT THIS POINT, UM, OR THE ACTUAL, WE WERE BELOW.
SO YEAH, WE'LL, WE'LL END UP ABOUT THE CORRECT AMOUNT.
UH, BUT I'M NOT SURE PRIOR TO REEVALUATION.
AND ALSO NOT SHOWN HERE IS WHEN WE HIRE OUTSIDE COUNSEL, UM, NONE, NONE, NONE OF THESE NUMBERS COME CLOSE TO WHAT WE'RE PAYING AN OUTSIDE COUNSEL.
SO THAT'S, THAT'S ON A SEPARATE SECTION.
BUT IS IS THAT, THAT'S WITHIN THE CS FUND, WHICH IS THE RISK RETENTION FUND.
UM, SHOULD WE BE REFERENCING SOMETHING ON THIS PAGE THAT THAT'S WHERE THEY GO TO LOOK FOR IT? 'CAUSE SOMETIMES THE PUBLIC THINKS, OKAY, WE'RE HIDING SOMETHING.
AND IT'D BE BETTER IF WE STATE WHY IT'S IN THAT OTHER FUND.
IS THAT BECAUSE OF RETIREMENT? YEAH, I PAY A LOT OF LONGEVITY.
I KNOW ONE OF THE PEOPLE THAT'S THERE 6 25.
THAT IT, THAT'S ALL FOR MY OFFICE.
OKAY, SO NOW, UH, WE'LL DO THE BUDGET, UH, THE AGENDA REVIEW.
SO I'LL BE REFERRING TO PAGE 10, UH, IN THE COUNTS TENTATIVE BUDGET.
IF NO ONE HAS, UH, COPIES HERE, UH, PLEASE SHARE.
DO YOU HAVE A COPY, JOE? I HAVE ON THE COMPUTER.
SO, UM, LAST YEAR, UH, 2022 BUDGET, I HAD REQUESTED TO, UM, EXTEND TO BE ABLE TO EXPAND THE PART-TIME POSITION IN, IN THE CLERK'S OFFICE TO A FULL-TIME POSITION.
AND, UH, THAT WAS, UH, NOT GRANTED IN 2022.
THE NEED IS STILL THERE AND EVEN GREATER IN, UH, AT, AT THIS TIME.
UM, WE HAVE TWO FULL-TIME PERMIT CLERKS AND, UH, A DEPUTY.
THE PRIOR TO HAVING, UM, TWO FULL-TIME PERMIT CLERKS, WE HAD ONE PERMIT CLERK AND A, UM, SENIOR OFFICE ASSISTANT, SENIOR OFFICE ASSISTANT IS ABLE TO DO DUTIES, A TASK THAT, UM, PERMIT CLERKS ARE, ARE LIMITED BY.
AND, UM, THAT POSITION WAS TAKEN OUT OF THE CLERK'S OFFICE WHEN,
[01:05:01]
UH, THE DEPUTY CLERK WAS REMOVED IN 2018 AND A TITLE WAS CREATED FOR HER AS TOWN COUNCIL AID.WE REALLY NEED THE SENIOR OFFICE ASSISTANT TITLE AND WE REALLY NEED FOR THE CURRENT PART-TIME POSITION IN THE CLERK'S OFFICE TO BE EXPANDED TO A FULL-TIME POSITION.
AND MY REQUEST WAS MADE LAST YEAR WITH ABOUT
AND THEIR REQUESTS WERE ALL GRANTED, THE CLERK'S OFFICE WAS THE ONLY ONE THAT WAS NOT GRANTED.
UM, THE CLERK'S OFFICE IS, HAS THE SECOND, UH, UM, LOWEST BUDGET IN THE TOWN WITH THE MOST FOOT TRAFFIC OF ANY OTHER DEPARTMENT IN THE TOWN.
OUR OFFICE IS EXTREMELY BUSY WITH RESIDENTS ON A REGULAR BASIS ALL DAY LONG.
THERE ARE ANOTHER, THERE ARE OTHER BUDGET LINES WHERE WE NEED AN INCREASE.
SO THAT WOULD BE ABOUT 40, 40, 40, 40 $5,000.
DOES IT SAY, IS THIS READING CORRECTLY THAT AT THE END OF OCTOBER, $700 WAS SPENT ON THE PART-TIME LINE THIS YEAR THROUGH OCTOBER? THAT'S YEAH, WE HAVE A PART-TIME PERSON IN THE OFFICE RIGHT NOW.
SO ONLY 700 HAS BEEN SPENT, RIGHT? PART-TIME.
YEAH, BUT IT'S PROBABLY MUCH HIGHER THAN THAT BY NOW.
AND THEN THE ESTIMATE WAS GONNA BE 8,000, I THINK.
BUT IT'S NOT GOING TO REACH 8,000 BEFORE THE END OF THE YEAR FOR, FOR, UM, THAT LINE.
WE ARE ALSO IN THE PROCESS OF PLACING A SEASONAL PERSON IN THE OFFICE.
SO YOU WANT INCREASED PART-TIME BY $45,000? YES.
WE NEED TO MAKE THAT PART-TIME LINE.
AND SO THEN YOU'RE MAKING PART-TIME ZERO AND PUTTING IT INTO FULL-TIME.
I, I DON'T UNDERSTAND YOUR QUESTION.
WHAT DO YOU MEAN MAKING IT ZERO? YOU'RE SAYING YOU'RE NOT GONNA HAVE A PART-TIME PERSON, YOU'RE ONLY GONNA HAVE FULL-TIME PEOPLE, IS THAT WHAT YOU'RE SAYING? WE WILL STILL NEED A SEASONAL POSITION TO BE AVAILABLE.
THERE WILL, THERE WILL ALWAYS BE A NEED FOR SEASONAL HELP.
SO, AND I DON'T WANNA ELIMINATE THAT A POSSIBILITY.
SO SEASONAL WILL GET PAID OUT OF THE PART-TIME LINE? YES.
SEASONAL, HOW MUCH DO YOU THINK YOU'RE GOING TO NEED FOR A SEASONAL PERSON? THE AMOUNT THAT WE HAVE NOW, WHICH IS ABOUT 20,000.
AND THE 40 TO 45 EXTRA, JUST WHAT WAS THE POSITION THAT YOU SAID IT WAS FOR HIM RIGHT? THAT YOU WANTED TO TALK ABOUT? TO EXPAND THE CURRENT PART-TIME POSITION TO A FULL-TIME POSITION.
THE NAME OF THE POSITION, RIGHT.
WHAT'S THE NAME OF THE POSITION? THE NAME OF THE, THE PER THE TITLE.
BUT A SENIOR OFFICE ASSISTANT.
YOU'RE NOT, IT'S GONNA BE MORE THAN $45,000, CORRECT? YES.
SO WHAT IS A SENIOR OFFICE? IT'S A FULLTIME POSITION, RIGHT? SO WHAT IS A SENIOR OFFICE ASSISTANT? WELL, LAST YEAR WE BUDGETED FOR ABOUT 65,000.
UM, I MEAN, WE, WE HAVE TO BE COMPETITIVE.
WE LOST A PERMIT CLERK IN OUR OFFICE THIS YEAR WHO, UM, WHEN THE CIVIL SERVICE EXAM CAME UP FOR A PERMIT CLERK, SHE HAD TO TAKE IT AND SHE SCORED SO WELL ON IT.
UM, BE, YOU KNOW, SHE SCORED EXCEPTIONALLY WELL.
SHE SCORED AMONG THE TOP THREE IN THE COUNTY.
AND ANOTHER, UH, COUNTY MUNICIPALITY HIRED HER, OFFERED HER MORE MONEY THAN WHAT SHE WAS MAKING HERE IN THE TOWN.
AND SO, YOU KNOW, WE'RE IN THE PROCESS RIGHT NOW OF INTERVIEWING TO FILL THAT POSITION AS WELL.
SO YOU HAVE TWO PERMIT CLERKS ALREADY? TWO, TWO PERMITS.
RIGHT NOW IN THE BUDGET YOU HAVE TWO PERMIT, THEY'RE FUNDED.
[01:10:01]
PERMIT CLERKS.SO YOU ARE ASKING FOR, IN ADDITION TO THOSE TWO PERMIT CLERKS? YES.
A SENIOR OFFICE ASSISTANT? YES.
WHO YOU WANNA PAY $65,000 TO? YES.
SO YOU WANT TO INCREASE PART-TIME BY $5,000 BECAUSE YOU'RE SAYING YOU WANT IT TO BE $25,000.
WE CAN ACTUALLY KEEP IT AT 20 FOR PART-TIME.
OKAY, SO THEN WE'RE LEAVING PART-TIME.
SO WE'LL GETTING RID OF INCREASED PART-TIME.
AND YOU JUST WANT TO ADD ONE FULL-TIME POSITION, A SENIOR OFFICE ASSISTANT FOR 65,000? YES.
THAT'S THE FIRST TIME YOU'VE SAID JUST, AND YOU JUST WANT TO ADD
SO WAIT, SO WAIT, THE SEASONALS COMING OUT.
THE PART-TIME THAT'S, SO THAT'S WHAT WE'RE GONNA PUT THE PART-TIME.
UH, SHE WANTS TO LEAVE THE PARTTIME.
SHE WANTS TO ADD A POSITION, A FULL-TIME POSITION.
SHE MENTIONS YOU WANT SEASONAL.
SO SEASONAL IS COMING OUT OF THE PART-TIME LINE.
SO AT $20,000, IS THAT, IS THAT WHAT YOU'RE YES.
SO JUST SO I'M CLEAR, THERE'S, THERE ARE THREE FULL-TIME PEOPLE CURRENTLY, INCLUDING THE DEPUTY.
YOU HAVE THE DEPUTY AND THE TWO PERMIT CLERKS.
SO THAT'S THREE FULL-TIME PEOPLE.
AND THERE'S ONE PART-TIME IN PERSON, CORRECT? MM-HMM.
AND WHAT YOU'RE LOOKING FOR ARE FOUR FULL-TIME PEOPLE AND ONE PART-TIME PERSON.
AND HAS THERE EVER IN THE HISTORY OF THE TOWN CLERK'S OFFICE BEEN FOUR FULL-TIME PEOPLE AND ONE PART-TIME PERSON? YOU KNOW, FRANCIS, YOU, YOU HOLD THE CLERK'S OFFICE TO A DIFFERENT STANDARD.
UH, EVERY OTHER DEPARTMENT ASK A QUESTION.
EVERY OTHER DEPARTMENT THAT HAS REQUESTED ADDITIONAL STAFFING HAS BEEN GRANTED THAT REQUEST.
YOU ARE ASKING ME IF THERE'S EVER BEEN BEFORE IN THE HISTORY OF THE TOWN CLERK'S OFFICE, THE NEED FOR THE STAFFING THAT I'M ASKING FOR.
I'M ASKING HAS EVERY OTHER DEPARTMENT'S PERSONNEL NEEDS REMAINED STAGNANT FOR 30 YEARS OR 40 YEARS, 50 YEARS, 60 YEARS? NO, THE NEED HAS, UH, INCREASED FOR ADDITIONAL STAFFING.
AND THAT'S THE SAME SITUATION WE ARE FACING IN THE GREENBERG TOWN CLERK'S OFFICE.
UH, JUDITH, I JUST HAD A QUESTION THAT I THOUGHT OF A FOLLOW UP.
UM, HAS THE STATE IN RECENT, SAY YEARS, UM, ADDED MORE, UM, YOU KNOW, UM, REQUIREMENTS ON, ON LOCAL CLERKS? I MEAN, IS THERE, ARE THERE DIFFERENT, UM, INITIATIVES THAT YOU HAVE TO DO THAT, YOU KNOW, WERE NOT REQUIRED SAY, 20 OR 30 YEARS AGO? ABSOLUTELY.
THERE'S ALWAYS DIFFERENT, UM, UH, REQUIREMENTS.
I MEAN, JUST RECENTLY WE RECEIVED A LETTER FROM THE STATE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH SAYING THAT, UM, THE, THE CLERK'S OFFICES THROUGHOUT THE STATE ARE NOW RESPONSIBLE FOR VARIOUS TASKS THAT THE OFFICE OF HEALTH, DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH USED TO DO WITH REGARDS TO, UM, OVER, UH, REVIEWING LICENSES, UH, MARRIAGE LICENSES.
AND, UH, YOU KNOW, IT'S, THAT'S, BUT THAT'S JUST ONE.
UM, SO DO YOU KNOW, MAYBE MINOR? THAT'S JUST ONE MINOR, UM, UH, ADDITION.
BUT PAUL, THIS CLERK'S OFFICE, GREENBURG TOWN CLERK'S OFFICE IS THE LARGEST CLERK'S OFFICE IN THE ENTIRE TOWN.
I'M SORRY, IN THE, IN WESTCHESTER COUNTY, BECAUSE THE TOWN OF GREENBURG IS THE LARGEST TOWN, I'M SORRY, NOT THE TOWN OF GREENBURG IN WESTCHESTER COUNTY.
THE TOWN OF GREENBURG IS THE LARGEST TOWN IN WESTCHESTER COUNTY.
THIS OFFICE, YOU KNOW, IS, IS RESPONSIBLE FOR NOT AT ALL, ONE, NOT ALL AT ONE TIME, BUT 90,000 PEOPLE.
AND THERE ARE TIMES IN THE COURSE OF ANY GIVEN DAY WHEN WE HAVE PEOPLE LINED UP HERE IN THE LOBBY, AS WELL AS PEOPLE SITTING IN OUR CHAIRS IN THE OFFICE, BECAUSE SENIORS AND PEOPLE COMING FOR MARRIAGE LICENSES ARE NOT ASKED TO STAND UP ONLINE IN, IN THE HALL.
SO OUR OFFICE COULD HAVE RESIDENTS SITTING IN CHAIRS IN THE OFFICES BEING SERVED AS WELL AS RESIDENTS STANDING OUT IN THE LOBBY WAITING TO BE SERVED.
UM, YOU KNOW, I, I'M OKAY WITH JUSTIFYING MY REQUEST FOR ADDITIONAL STAFF.
CAN I JUST MAKE A SUGGESTION, AND THIS IS A FOLLOW UP TO, UM, YOU
[01:15:01]
KNOW, COUNCILMAN SHAN'S, YOU KNOW, COMMENTS WOULD, MAYBE YOU SHOULD CONTACT THE TOWN CLERK, THE STATE, LIKE THE TOWN CLERKS ASSOCIATION AND SEE IF YOU COULD GET, GIVE US LIKE A LIST OF, UM, ALL THE NEW REQUIREMENTS AND ADDITIONAL RESPONSIBILITIES THAT HAVE BEEN IMPOSED DONE.PAUL, I'M SAYING THAT EXISTING DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES REQUIRE, REQUIRE, SAYING PAUL DOES, DOES THE, DOES THE TOWN, WHEN THE TOWN ASSESSOR COMES BEFORE THE BOARD AND ASKS FOR ADDITIONAL STAFFING, OR WHEN SOMEONE FROM THE DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC WORKS OR, UH, ANY OTHER COMMISSIONER COMES BEFORE THE BOARD AND ASKS FOR ADDITIONAL STAFFING, ARE THEY REQUIRED TO CONTACT THE STATE AND, AND ASK WHAT ADDITIONAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES WOULD JUSTIFY, WOULD JUSTIFY THIS ADDITIONAL STAFFING IN THE TOWN OF GREENBURG? NO, LET JUST SAY, LET ME JUST SAY SOMETHING.
THE TOWN BOARD HAS THE, UM, HAS THE ABILITY OF MAKING A DECISION ON THEIR OWN, WHETHER OR NOT THEY FAIL REQUESTS ARE JUSTIFIED.
I SWIFT FEEL THAT IF YOU, THE MORE INFORMATION YOU PROVIDE, THE MORE INFORMATION EVERY DEPARTMENT PROVIDES.
THE TOWN BOARD SAYING, I NEED MORE STAFF BECAUSE OF THESE REASONS, AND YOU GIVE BACKUP INFORMATION, THE BETTER THE CHANCES ARE THAT IT WILL BE A COMPELLING CASE.
UM, IF IF THERE'S ALL THESE ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS THAT ARE BEING IMPOSED ON, ON YOU, CERTAINLY THAT REQUIRES MORE STAFFING.
UM, IF THERE, IF THERE, IF SO, I SORT OF FEEL THAT.
BUT, BUT PAUL, IT IS NOT THE ADDITIONAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES FROM THE STATE BEING IMPOSED UPON THE CLERK'S OFFICE THAT JUSTIFIES THE NEED FOR AN ADDITIONAL STAFF PERSON.
IT'S THE CURRENT DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES AND THE LEVEL OF, OF, UH, UM, OF REQUIREMENTS, UH, UM, IN THE CLERK'S OFFICE THAT REQUIRES THE ADDITIONAL STAFFING.
AND I, YOU KNOW, I I JUST THINK THAT, UM, YOU KNOW, THIS BOARD TURNED DOWN MY REQUEST LAST YEAR FOR, UH, AN ADDITIONAL FULL-TIME POSITION.
YOU KNOW, I, I, I MEAN, I, I DON'T KNOW WHAT GOING TO THE STATE IS GOING TO DO TO CHANGE THEIR MINDS.
THEY, THEY HAVE TO BE OF A MINDSET OF EQUITY, OF EQUITABLE TREATMENT WITH REGARDS TO THE CLERK'S OFFICE AND OTHER DEPARTMENTS IN THIS TOWN.
LEMME, I JUST WANNA ASK, SO THEN THE, WHAT WE'VE COME TO IS THAT THE 65,000, WOULD THAT THEN BE ADDED TO THE FULL-TIME SALARY LINE RATHER THAN THE MM-HMM.
I HAD THAT STRAIGHT IN MY HEAD.
SO THE ASSESSOR PERSONNEL CHANGES KEEP COMING UP.
AND WHEN THE ASSESSOR, UH, CAME, BUT LAST TIME, NOT JUST THE ASSESSOR, I DIDN'T INTERRUPT YOU.
WHEN THE, UH, ASSESSOR CAME TO US, SHE CAME UP WITH PERSONNEL CHANGES, WHICH RESULTED IN $90,000 IN SAVINGS.
IT DID NOT RESULT IN AN INCREASE OF ADDING A LINE.
SECONDLY, WHEN THE, YOU WANTED A SENIOR OFFICE ASSISTANT PREVIOUSLY, NOT TOO LONG AGO, UH, THE COUNTY WAS ASKED TO DO AN EVALUATION, AND THE COUNTY CAME IN AND SAID, BASED ON THE WORKLOAD THAT YOU PROVIDED, JUDY, UH, TO THE COUNTY OF WHAT EACH PERSON DOES, THEY SAID, YOU DON'T QUALIFY FOR A SENIOR OFFICE ASSISTANT.
WHAT YOU NEED ARE TWO PERMIT CLERKS.
THAT WAS NOT DONE BY THE TOWN BOARD.
THAT WAS DONE BY HR AT THE COUNTY LEVEL.
YOU'RE NOW SAYING THAT THAT'S INCORRECT AND THAT YOU WANT A SENIOR OFFICE ASSISTANT, BUT MOST OF THE WORK THAT'S COMING OUT OF YOUR OFFICE IS DEALING WITH PERMITS AS THE COUNTY RECOGNIZED IT.
SO YOU'RE ASKING FOR SOMETHING THAT HAS NOT BEEN DONE, NOT HAPPENED IN THE HISTORY OF THE TOWN CLERK'S OFFICE HAVING FOUR FULL-TIME PEOPLE AND A PART-TIME PERSON.
UH, DIDN'T HAPPEN UNDER FRIDA WILLIAMS. DIDN'T HAPPEN UNDER SUSAN TOLSON.
UM, AND BACK THEN IT WAS ALL MANUAL AND DOING THINGS ON TYPEWRITERS AND WITHOUT COMPUTERS AND THE BENEFIT OF COMPUTERS.
UM, BUT IF YOU CAN JUSTIFY IT, THEN THAT'S FINE.
WE HAVE ASKED YOU TO PROVIDE A WORKLOAD BREAKDOWN FOR THE MEMBERS IN YOUR OFFICE TO JUSTIFY WHAT YOU'RE ASKING FOR.
[01:20:01]
BUT I DON'T WANT TO GIVE THE IMPRESSION THAT IT'S THE TOWN BOARD WHO TOOK OFF, TOOK AWAY A SENIOR OFFICE ASSISTANT THAT WASN'T DONE BY US.THAT WAS AN EVALUATION DONE BY THE COUNTY.
AND ROBERTA IS OUR CONTROLLER, AND SHE'S NODDING HER HEAD THAT THAT IS CORRECT.
NOW, THE TOWN CLERK'S OFFICE FOR THE INFORMATION OF PUBLIC, OF THE PUBLIC AND ANYONE ELSE WHO IS VIEWING THIS MEETING, IT IS FACTUAL THAT THE TOWN CLERK'S OFFICE UNDER SUSAN TOLSON, UNDER ALFRE WILLIAMS AND UNDER, WHO ELSE? I, I, I DON'T KNOW, ALWAYS HAD A SENIOR OFFICE ASSISTANT.
THAT POSITION WAS REMOVED FROM THE CLERK'S OFFICE WHEN THE TOWN BOARD LED BY FRANCIS SHAN REMOVED THE DEPUTY CLERK FROM MY OFFICE IN 2018 AND HAD TO COME UP WITH A JUSTIFICATION FOR HER JOB.
NOW, A RESOLUTION WAS PASSED, STATING THAT IN HER NEW DUTIES AS A TOWN COUNCIL AIDE, SHE WOULD CONTINUE TO DO SOME OF THE WORK THAT SHE WAS DOING IN THE CLERK'S OFFICE RELATED TO THE TOWN BOARD.
THEREFORE, THE COUNTY DID NOT SEE, APPARENTLY THEY NEVER CAME INTO MY OFFICE AND CON NOBODY FROM THE COUNTY EVER CAME INTO MY OFFICE AND CONDUCTED AN EVALUATION.
AND I DON'T RECALL THIS BOARD EVER ASKING ME FOR A WORK, WHATEVER YOU SAID, BREAKDOWN OF WHAT THE STAFF DOES.
BUT MY POINT IS THAT WHEN SOMEONE IS REMOVED FROM WHEN, WHEN THE STAFF PERSON WAS REMOVED FROM MY OFFICE, WHO WAS DOING ADMINISTRATIVE TASKS, IN ADDITION TO HAVING THE SKILLS TO DO PERMIT, PERMIT CLERK, UM, DUTIES, RESPONSIBILITIES, SHOULD ONE, ONE, AND ANYONE IN THAT TITLE WAS ABSENT DUE TO ILLNESS OR WHATEVER, THIS PERSON HAD THE ABILITY TO COVER BROADER RESPONSIBILITIES IN THE OFFICE.
THAT TITLE WAS TAKEN AWAY FROM THE CLERK'S OFFICE BECAUSE IT HAD TO BE USED, OR SOME OF THE RESPONSIBILITIES HAD TO BE USED TO JUSTIFY THIS TOWN COUNCIL POSITION, WHICH HAD NEVER EXISTED IN THE HISTORY OF THE TOWN.
UM, MAYBE, UH, YOU KNOW, I, I DON'T, I DON'T KNOW, PRIOR TO, PRIOR TO MY COMING ALONG, I THINK THERE WAS SOMEONE WHO HAD A COUNCIL ASSISTANT TO THE COUNCIL OR WHATEVER, BUT IT DID NOT, UM, CHALLENGE THE STAFF IN THE CLERK'S OFFICE TO CREATE THAT PERSON'S POSITION.
IN 2018, WHEN MY DEPUTY WAS REMOVED FROM MY OFFICE TO JUSTIFY HER NEW TITLE, THE, SOME OF THE ADMINISTRATIVE RESPONSIBILITIES WERE, UM, GO, WERE TAKEN AND ASSIGNED WITH HER.
BUT THAT DOES NOT MEAN THAT THERE IS STILL NOT A NEED IN MY OFFICE FOR THOSE DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES, BECAUSE THAT PERSON IS NOT PERFORMING THEM IN MY OFFICE, IN THE CLERK'S OFFICE.
ANYBODY HAVE ANYTHING ELSE? NO.
UM, WE NEED AN INCREASE ON A FOURTEEN, TEN FIVE, FOUR, ONE TWENTY THREE EASY, UH, EASY PASSES.
I THINK THE INCREASE IN THE BUDGET NOW IS 1500.
WE NEED THAT TO BE INCREASED BY A COUPLE OF HUNDRED DOLLARS BECAUSE OF THE, UH, NUMBER OF ORDERS THAT WE, UM, HAD TO MAKE THIS YEAR.
UH, WE WERE BARELY ABLE TO COVER WHAT WAS BUDGETED.
SO, UM, SO WE DON'T, WE DON'T GET REIMBURSED.
IN OTHER WORDS, PEOPLE DON'T PAY FOR THEIR EASY TAG EZPASS TAGS.
THE MUNICIPALITY HAS TO PICK THAT UP.
BUT THEN WE GET REIMBURSED AND THERE IS A REIMBURSEMENT, FRANCIS, BUT THE CLERK'S OFFICE HAS TO ORDER THE EASY PASSES.
SO THEN IT SHOULD BE ON A REVENUE LINE
[01:25:01]
THAT, FOR THOSE EASY PASSES.SO WHATEVER WE PUT THERE, WE'RE GONNA PUT A REVENUE LINE.
WE NEED A COUPLE OF HUNDRED DOLLARS.
SO JUST SO THAT WE DON'T HAVE TO GO TO ROBERTA, UH, WHEN WE RUN OUT OF THE MONEY TO COVER THESE PASSES, UM, WHAT NUMBER WOULD THAT BE? I'M LOOKING EASY PASS.
IT'S ON PAGE 42, AND IT'S, UM, A 1 4, 1 0 1 OH.
IT'S ABOUT THE MIDDLE OF THE PAGE.
SO CAN WE PUT A FOOTNOTE AT THE BOTTOM? OH, BUT ACTUALLY THERE'S NOTHING IN THERE.
WHERE DOES IT GO? THAT'S WHERE IT SHOULD BE GOING, BUT I UNDERSTAND, BUT THAT'S MY POINT, IS WE'RE PUTTING MONEY IN.
SO WE HAND OUT EPASS, THEY THEN GIVE US MONEY.
WHERE IS THE MONEY THAT THEY'RE GIVING US GOING? IT'S BEING RECORDED IN THIS, IF YOU GO TO PAGE 42, BUT YOU'RE SAYING THAT THERE'S NOTHING THERE? NO, IN THE BUDGET, THERE'S NOTHING IN THERE, BUT THERE SHOWS ACTUALS THAT SHOWS THE MONEY COMING IN.
SO WE NEED TO PUT IT IN FOR THIS YEAR YES.
SO WHATEVER THIS NUMBER IS, SHOULD BE THERE.
AND WE SHOULD PUT A FOOTNOTE AT THE BOTTOM TO THAT LINE STATING THAT THAT'S REIMBURSED.
ROBERTA, WHAT NUMBER AGAIN, IS THAT ON PAGE 42? THAT'S THE AFTER THE DASH 4 2 5 4 1 1.
SO BUDGET LINE, UH, EIGHT FOURTEEN, TEN FIVE TWO ONE HUNDRED.
APPROXIMATELY 80% OF RESIDENTS WHO WALK INTO OUR OFFICE ANYWHERE BETWEEN 70 TO 80%, BUT IT'S THE MAJORITY WHO WALK IN AND NEED TO SIT DOWN TO BE SERVED ARE OUR SENIORS.
SO APPROXIMATELY 80% OF THE PEOPLE WHO WALK IN ON A DAILY BASIS ARE SENIOR CITIZENS.
WE HAVE SOME BEAUTIFUL CHAIRS IN OUR OFFICE THAT WERE DONATED SEVERAL YEARS AGO.
THE CHAIRS WERE FROM A, A LOUNGE, A BAR LOUNGE.
THEY'RE, THEY'RE BEAUTIFUL LEATHER, BUT THEY ARE EXTREMELY LOW.
AND THE SENIORS WHO COME INTO OUR OFFICE HAVE MAJOR DIFFICULTIES STANDING UP.
ONCE THEY'RE ABLE TO SIT DOWN IN THESE CHAIRS.
WE NEED CHAIRS THAT BETTER ACCOMMODATE OUR RESIDENTS, PARTICULARLY OUR SENIORS.
SO WE DID SOME RESEARCH, LOOKED AT, UM, WENT TO STAPLES.
WE, WE DID SOME RESEARCH LOOKING FOR LIKE LOW PRICE, BUT QUALITY CHAIRS.
AND WE FOUND, UM, CHAIRS AT, AT, AT, UH, STAPLES THAT WITH THE CURRENT PRICE IS 225 PER CHAIR, BUT, UM, A DISCOUNTED PRICE WOULD BE, UH, 199.
AND, UM, WE NEED TO INCREASE THIS LINE BY $2,000 TO REPLACE THE CHAIRS IN OUR OFFICE.
YOU'RE BUYING 10 CHAIRS THAT, THAT ARE NOT, THAT ARE NOT COMFORTABLE OR SAFE FOR OUR SENIOR CITIZENS AT $200 A SHARE.
THAT MEANS YOU'RE BUYING 10 SHARES.
WE CAN ACTUALLY, I MEAN, THERE'S, YOU KNOW, I MEAN, I, I DON'T, I DON'T KNOW.
I DON'T WANT TO, UM, UH, BUDGET IT TO THE EXACT PENNY.
BUT WE HAVE, WE HAVE THE SAME CHAIRS THAT ARE IN OUR CONFERENCE ROOM, BUT I WOULD BE WILLING TO JUST GO ALONG WITH REPLACING THE SIX CHAIRS IN THE FRONT MAIN OFFICE, JUST SO THAT OUR SENIORS DON'T HAVE TO STRUGGLE THE WAY THEY DO TO SIT DOWN OR TO GET UP.
MANY OF THEM COME IN WITH, WITH, UM, UH, WALKING APPARATUS AND, UH, YOU KNOW, IT'S, IT'S REALLY, REALLY DIFFICULT FOR THEM TO SIT DOWN IN THOSE EXTREMELY
[01:30:01]
LOW CHAIRS THAT ARE IN THE OFFICE.SO YOU'RE SAYING MAKE THE FURNITURE AND FURNISHINGS LINE $1,300? NO, BUT, UH, WE NEEDED, YES.
HOW DOES THAT WORK, THOUGH? IF THE CHAIRS ARE $200 A PIECE AND SHE NEEDS SIX, ISN'T THAT 1200? SO JUST 1200 IN CASE THERE'S LIKE TAX OR WHATEVER, RIGHT? YEAH.
SO WE'RE INCREASING IT BY THE, BY THE 1300? NO, WE'RE MAKING IT 13 OR 1400.
SHE THREW THAT IN THERE FOR OTHER THAN CHAIR.
OH, SO SO THAT, SO THEN, RIGHT.
THAT'S, THAT'S 8 14, 10, UH, 5 2 100 MM-HMM.
SO I'M GONNA MAKE YOU, YOU'RE REQUESTING THAT, THAT BE $1,300 RATHER THAN 500.
I'M REQUESTING THAT IT BE, UM, INCREASED TO INCREASE BY $1,400.
RIGHT NOW, THE, THE AMOUNT ON THAT LINE, IT IS JUST 2000.
NO, IT'S, IT'S 500 OFFICE EQUIPMENT IS 2005.
SO YOU GET ANOTHER FURNITURE AND FURNISHINGS, RIGHT? RIGHT.
THAT'S THE LINE I'M TALKING ABOUT.
AND WOULD YOU CHANGING THAT TO 1300? I'M LOOKING AT THE TENTATIVE BUDGET IN MY HAND HERE.
SO YES, IT DEFINITELY NEEDS TO, TO TO BE INCREASED BY $1,400, WHICH WOULD BRING IT TO, TO, TO $1,900.
AND, UM, THEN A 14 55 4 614 50 A ONE FOUR.
THE 500 HAS BEEN REPLACED FOR THIS YEAR.
THAT'S ALL WE WERE GOING TO ASK FOR.
WE SET THAT 500 BE REPLACED BECAUSE SOME, I DON'T KNOW.
UM, IT WAS ZERO IN THE REVISED BUDGET FOR 2022.
AND, UH, I SEE WHERE IT'S BEEN REPLACED.
WHAT PAGE IS IT? SUNDRY? 1455.
OKAY, SO NEXT WE HAVE THE AGENDA REVIEW.
SINCE, SINCE, SINCE WE'VE STARTED TALKING ABOUT THE TOWN SUPERVISOR'S BUDGET, UH, AND WE DIDN'T GET TO REVIEW IT AS WE'RE REVIEWING ALL OF THE OTHER DEPARTMENT HEADS BUDGETS, I'D LIKE TO GO BACK TO THE TOWN SUPERVISOR'S BUDGET ON PAGE FOUR.
UH, THERE'S $150 FOR A FINANCE DIRECTOR WHO 150,000, $150,000
I, I, I, I OBJECT TO THE HIRING OF SOMEONE WITH THE TITLE OF FINANCE DIRECTOR.
I THINK WE NEED SOMEONE WHO IS, IS GOING TO FOCUS ON OPERATIONS.
AND I KNOW THAT YOU SAID THAT, OH, THIS PERSON CAN FOCUS ON OPERATIONS EVEN THOUGH THEY'RE CALLED THE FINANCE DIRECTOR.
BUT I, I THINK THAT WITH THE EXPERIENCE THAT WE'VE HAD IN THIS TOWN OF PEOPLE WORKING OUT OF TITLE AND NOT BEING ABLE TO BE PROMOTED BECAUSE THEY'VE WORKED OUT OF TITLE FOR SO MANY YEARS, THAT WE NEED TO LEARN OUR LESSON.
LOOK AT YOU AND HIRE PEOPLE, HIRE PEOPLE, HR, WHOSE TITLES ARE, ARE, ARE CONCURRENT WITH THE WORK THAT THEY DO.
AND WHAT WE NEED IS SOMEONE WHO'S GONNA FOCUS ON OPERATIONS AND HUMAN RESOURCES.
[01:35:01]
WE'RE DOING A VERY GOOD JOB WITH FINANCES.YOU KNOW, ROBERTA AND, AND BETWEEN ROBERTA AND EDEDIE AND, AND SHERRY AND CLAY AND SHERRY, YOU KNOW, AND, AND, AND, AND, AND, UM, THAT A RECEIVER OF TAXES.
WE'RE DOING A VERY GOOD JOB WITH OUR FINANCES.
THE DEPARTMENT HEADS HAVE COME IN, THEY'VE CUT THEIR BUDGETS THE WAY MOST OF THEM, AS WE'VE ASKED YEAR AFTER YEAR AFTER YEAR.
SO I DON'T SEE THE POINT IN SOMEONE CALLED A FINANCE DIRECTOR.
WE NEED A DIRECTOR OF OPERATIONS, OR A DIRECTOR OF HUMAN RESOURCES OR SOME SUCH TITLE THAT INCLUDES A PERSON'S THAT, THAT INCLUDES AS THAT PERSON'S DUTIES WORKING ON OPERATIONS.
THIS WHOLE FINANCE DIRECTOR, I NEED TO SAY OPERATIONS.
'CAUSE YOU NEED TO SEPARATE HUMAN RESOURCES WITH OPERATIONS.
PLEASE 'CAUSE THIS SPECIFIC 'CAUSE YOU NEED SOMEONE THAT'S DOING THE DAY-TO-DAY STUFF.
BUT MY UNDERSTANDING, I KNOW, CORRECT ME IF I'M WRONG, KEEP SAYING NO, NO, NO.
BECAUSE MY UNDERSTANDING WAS THAT SOMEONE WHO WORKED IN OPERATIONS AT OPERATIONS WOULD INCLUDE A HUMAN RESOURCES FUNCTION.
IF THAT'S NOT THE CASE, THEN IS THIS TWO POSITIONS THAT WE, THAT WE NEED? I, I BELIEVE IT'S TWO.
WHAT, WHAT DO WE NEED MORE? IF YOU'RE LOOKING, IF YOU'RE LOOKING AT THAT, BECAUSE WE DON'T HAVE, AND THIS IS NOT TO TAKE ANYTHING AWAY FROM, FROM MILAGROS, BUT WE NEED SOMEONE OVER MILAGROS THAT CAN HANDLE THE POLICIES AND PROCEDURES AND, AND KEEP UP WITH THE CHANGING IN THE LAWS AND STUFF THAT'S HAPPENING, UM, EACH DAY.
SO WE NEED TO MAKE SURE WE HAVE THAT PERSON, AND YOU HAVE TO STAY ON TOP OF THAT.
THAT'S NOT SOMETHING THAT YOU CAN JUST BE IN A ROLE FOR 20 PLUS YEARS AND NOT GO TO ANY TYPE OF TRAINING OR SEMINARS, ANY TYPE OF STUFF LIKE THAT.
UM, SEPARATELY FROM WHAT YOU'RE SEPARATELY FROM, SEPARATELY FROM WHAT YOU'RE REFERRING TO AS THE OPERATIONS PERSON, YOU NEED SOMEONE THAT'S LOOKING AT THE DAY-TO-DAY STUFF.
SOMEONE CAN HANDLE, UM, THE CHALLENGES THAT ARE FACED WITHIN PUBLIC WORKS, FACED WITHIN PLANNING, ANYTHING THAT CAN HANDLE THAT DAY TO DAY, JUST TO MAKE SURE THAT WE CONTINUE TO RUN SMOOTHLY.
YOU KNOW, IT'S NOT, IT'S NOT A, A FIRE A FIRE CHIEF, IF YOU WILL.
UM, BUT YOU REALLY NEED SOMEONE THAT'S REALLY, THAT CAN GET INTO THE WEEDS OF STUFF.
AND WHEN THERE'S REALLY SERIOUSLY THINGS THAT, SERIOUS THINGS THAT HAPPENS THAT THEY CAN GO AHEAD AND ADDRESS IT.
SO RIGHT NOW, THAT ROLE IS NOT THERE.
IT GETS FARMED OUT, BUT THERE'S NO ONE MANAGING THAT PIECE OF IT AND NOT MANAGING, YOU KNOW, AND HELPING OUT AND WORKING TOGETHER WITH THE DEPARTMENT HEADS.
SO THAT, SO THAT IS, SO THAT'S WHAT, THAT'S THE SEPARATION OF THE TWO ROLES.
BUT YOU, YOU UNDERSTAND WHAT I'M SAYING? NO, NO, NO, NO.
I MEAN, BUT I HEAR YOU TYPICALLY.
BUT TYPICALLY, SO IF YOU WERE IN LIKE A, ALMOST A PLANT, IF YOU WILL MM-HMM.
AND TYPICALLY YOU HAVE YOUR UNIONS AND STUFF INVOLVED AS WELL, SO MM-HMM.
BUT FOR WHAT WE DESCRIBE AND WHAT'S NEEDED HERE AT THE TOWN, YOU NEED BOTH POSITIONS.
WHAT, UH, CAN YOU GO ALONG WITH SAY, A DEPUTY SUPERVISOR WHO WOULD REPORT TO ME, UH, WHO WOULD DEAL JUST WITH OPERATIONS, HELPING WITH OPERATIONS? BECAUSE I FAIL, I'M THE TOWN MANAGER.
I WAS ELECTED AS TOWN SUPERVISOR.
UM, YOU KNOW, WE BASICALLY HAVE EXCELLENT SERVICES.
UM, WE, YOU KNOW, THERE'S NOT THAT MANY COMMUNITIES THAT HAVE AAA BOND RATING, BUT IT'S NOT ABOUT, IT'S NOT ABOUT, IT'S NOT ABOUT THE SERVICES THAT WE PROVIDE.
IT'S ABOUT THE SUPPORT THAT WE'RE PROVIDING FOR OUR EMPLOYEES AND OUR DEPARTMENT HEADS AND THE GUIDANCE.
AND, AND SO I TRY, I WOULD LIKE TO TAKE RESPONSIBILITY FOR OVERSEEING THAT PERSON, BECAUSE ONE OF THE PROBLEMS RIGHT NOW IS YOU HAVE THE, THERE'S NOBODY WHO BASICALLY UNDER THE LAW, THE TOWN SUPERVISOR IS ONE OF FIVE TOWN BOARD MEMBERS.
AND WE'VE MADE SOME, YOU KNOW, MISTAKES.
UH, YOU KNOW, WE, THERE'S BEEN, AND I WOULD LIKE TO, UH, HAVE THE RESPONSIBILITY, UM, AND TAKE THE, THE BLAME IF THERE'S THINGS THAT GO WRONG FOR, UM, FOR, UM, ALL THE ADMINISTRATIVE ASPECTS OF THE TOWN.
UM, AND I, I FEEL THAT IF, UM, THE POSITION REPORTS TO ME AND I GET TO HIRE THE PERSON, OBVIOUSLY, YOU KNOW, I'LL, I'LL CONSULT WITH, YOU KNOW, WITH THE BOARD.
AND, UH, BUT I WOULD LIKE THE RESPONSIBILITY AND IT SHOULD COME BE UNDER MY OFFICE.
AND, AND THE ONLY REASON I, I CALLED IT A FINANCE, UM, DIRECTOR, WAS BECAUSE, UM, UNDER THIS, THE TOWN, UM, LAW, I'M ABLE TO HIRE AND APPOINT A DEPUTY TOWN SUPERVISOR.
UM, AND I'M ALSO ABLE TO APPOINT, UM, A FINANCE DIRECTOR.
AND, YOU KNOW, MY UNDERSTANDING IS THAT, UH, I WOULD HAVE MORE LEEWAY THAN GOING THROUGH THE TYPICAL CIVIL SERVICE, UM, UM, JOBS.
YOU KNOW, IF, IF YOU HAVE TO GO THROUGH SOMEBODY WHO JUST TAKES A TEST, YOU MAY NOT REALLY GET THE, THE RIGHT PERSON.
AND SO WHAT IS THE, WHAT IS THE, WHAT IS THE JOB DESCRIPTION FOR A DEPUTY TOWN SUPERVISOR? IT
[01:40:01]
COULD BE BASICALLY THE DEPUTY WOULD BE SOMEBODY WHO WOULD, YOU KNOW, ASSIST ME IN DOING, UM, IN DOING, UH, THE JOB.UM, THERE'S OTHER, THE JOB THAT'S, THAT'S NOT WHAT'S, SO DO YOU HAVE A WRITTEN JOB DESCRIPTION SO WE CAN REVIEW IT? PAUL? NO, I, I WOULD, I COULD ASK, UH, MAAD GROSS.
UM, AND, AND JOE TO, UH, LOOK, THIS, THE STATUTE SAYS THE TOWN SUPERVISOR CAN APPOINT A DEPUTY TOWN SUPERVISOR.
WE UNDERSTAND THAT, PAUL, I PROMISE YOU, WE UNDERSTAND THAT YOU HAVE THE POWER TO, UH, UM, AT A DEPUTY TOWN SUPERVISOR, ALL WE NEED TO SEE IS WHAT THE JOB DESCRIPTION LOOKS LIKE.
'CAUSE WE NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT LINE RIGHT.
THAT'S WHAT, THAT'S WHAT WE'RE ASKING.
THE THING IS, I, MY MY UNDERSTANDING FROM OTHER MUNICIPALITIES THAT I'VE SPOKEN TO, YOU KNOW, OVER THE YEARS IS THAT PEOPLE HAVE HAD, DEPUTY SUPERVISORS COULD USE THAT PERSON IN ANY ROLE THAT THEY WANT.
SO MY FAILING IS, I MEAN, LAST YEAR WE SPENT A FULL YEAR, WE SPENT A LOT OF TIME SAYING, WE WANT A HUMAN RESOURCES PERSON.
WE PUT IT IN THE BUDGET IN DECEMBER, IT WAS APPROVED IN THE, IN THE BUDGET IN DECEMBER, AND NOTHING EVER HAPPENED.
UM, YOU KNOW, SO THE THING IS, WE DIDN'T SPEND A PENNY OF IT DURING THE YEAR.
AND BECAUSE THE BOARD, WE KEEP GETTING SIDETRACKED ON AND DEALING WITH ALL THESE OTHER ISSUES, IT'S NOT THE FAULT OF THE BOARD.
BUT I FEEL THAT IF I HAD A DEPUTY SUPERVISOR AND THE BOARD BASICALLY HAS THE DIRECTION THAT THEY WANT TO HUMAN RESOURCES PERSON VEN MY RESPONSIBILITY TO MAKE SURE THAT HAPPENS.
UM, AND THAT I WOULD ASSIGN, I, I WOULD ASSIGN, UM, UM, YOU THE PERSON, UM, YOU KNOW, TO ADDRESS, TO ADDRESS SOME, YOU KNOW, THAT PROBLEMS. IF THERE'S BEEN, UM, YOU KNOW, SOME, UM, YOU KNOW, MISTAKES THAT WERE MADE, UM, IN TERMS OF REGISTRATIONS AND THINGS LIKE THAT, I WOULD, UM, ASSIGN THAT PERSON TO REGISTRATION WORK TO MAKE SURE THAT, UM, WE'RE ALWAYS IN COMPLIANCE WITH ALL STATE RULES AND, YOU KNOW, AND, AND, AND REGULATIONS.
UM, UM, YOU KNOW, THERE'S, THERE'S A LOT OF DIFFERENT THINGS THAT, THAT COME UP RIGHT NOW, BUT THINGS, THE THINGS THAT YOU CITE, WHAT, THAT'S GREAT, BUT THAT'S GREAT.
IT'LL BE NICE IF WE CAN HAVE AN OFFICIAL JOB DESCRIPTION SO WE CAN TAKE A LOOK AT OKAY.
THEN, THEN THERE'S NO NEED TO ROLL OFF OR RATTLE OFF ALL THE STUFF THAT YOU'RE MENTIONING.
IT'LL BE NICE TO, SO WE CAN TAKE A LOOK AND SEE EXACTLY WHAT THIS POSITION ENTAILS AT YOUR PROPOSAL.
SEE YOU WITHIN THE NEXT FEW DAYS.
ALAN, WHAT WERE YOU GONNA SAY? YOU KNOW, COMPAR, WHAT WE'RE ASKING FROM JUDITH TO, TO HAVE SOME SORT OF JOB DESCRIPTION MM-HMM.
SO IT'S, IT'S, WE WOULD NEED TO UNDERSTAND WHAT WE'RE ALLOCATING TAXPAYER MONIES FOR.
KAI, I MAKE A SUGGESTION ALSO.
WOULD IT MAKE SENSE, UM, TO ASK EACH OF THE DEPARTMENT HEADS, YOU KNOW, I'M JUST THROWING OUT AN IDEA TO ASK EACH OF THE DEPARTMENT HEADS TO OUTLINE SOME OF THE AREAS THAT THEY FEEL THAT THEY, SOME OF THE ADMINISTRATIVE ISSUES WHERE THAT THEY FEEL COULD USE SOME ADDITIONAL HELP AND OVERSIGHT.
AND THAT IF THE BOARD, BASICALLY, SO WE COULD SAY, YOU KNOW, ONE OF THE PROBLEMS IS HUMAN RESOURCES.
YOU KNOW, WE, WE HAVE A PROBLEM THAT TAKES TOO LONG.
UM, WE MAY NOT ALWAYS, UM, YOU KNOW, THERE'S, THERE MAY BE VACANCIES THAT THAT COULD BE ONE ISSUE.
ANOTHER ISSUE COULD BE, UH, WE NEED TO TIGHTEN UP IN TERMS WE NEED TO HAVE A BETTER HANDLE ON HOW MUCH MONEY WE HAVE AT ANY GIVEN TIME.
YOU KNOW, FRANCIS MENTIONED AT THE BEGINNING OF THIS MEETING, YOU KNOW, TWO WEEKS BEFORE THE BUDGET, WE THOUGHT THERE, THERE COULD HAVE BEEN A TAX INCREASE.
NOW WE HAVE A 6% TAX RATE DECREASE.
NOW IT COULD HAVE GONE THE OTHER WAY.
YOU KNOW, WE MIGHT HAVE, UM, UM, IF WE DON'T HAVE ACTUALS ON A QUARTERLY BASIS, WE DON'T KNOW, UH, AT ANY GIVEN POINT WHERE WE REALLY ARE.
AND I SORT OF FEEL THAT IT WOULD BE HELPFUL TO THE TOWN BOARD TO GIVE YOU AC ACCURATE, UH, UH, PROJECTIONS, UH, WHERE OUR BUDGET IS AT ANY GIVEN PERIOD OF TIME.
SO IF THERE'S A CRISIS, UM, YOU KNOW, WE CAN HANDLE IT IF THERE'S, UM, UH, IF EDGE MINE IS SUCCESSFUL BECAUSE THEY'RE PROBABLY GONNA FILE A PETITION TO, UH, BREAK AWAY, UM, IN JANUARY.
UH, THAT'S WHAT I'VE BEEN TOLD.
UM, YOU KNOW, IF THEY DECIDE IF THEY ARE SUCCESSFUL AND, UH, THEY BREAK AWAY, WE'RE GONNA NEED SOMEBODY WHO WILL BE ABLE TO OVERSEE, UM, THE TRANSITION TO MAKE SURE THAT RESIDENTS OF UNINCORPORATED GREENBURG ARE GETTING EVERY PENNY THAT WE, WE DESERVE, THAT WE'RE NOT BEING TAKEN ADVANTAGE OF.
UM, THAT, UM, THAT, UH, ALL THE DEBT THAT IS OWED IS, IS, IS PAID TO UNINCORPORATED
[01:45:01]
GREENBURG.WE'RE GONNA HAVE TO, UM, IF, UH, EDGEMONT DECIDES THAT THEY'RE GONNA CONTRACT FOR SERVICES, WE'RE GONNA HAVE TO DECIDE WHAT'S A FAIR, UM, YOU KNOW, PRICE, UM, UH, TO CHARGE.
UM, YOU KNOW, I MEAN, THERE'S, THERE'S GONNA BE A TREMENDOUS AMOUNT OF WORK.
SO, BUT I, YOU KNOW, MY UNDERSTANDING IS THAT CAN TAKE, IF THAT IN FACT HAPPENS BY THE TIME IT COME, WE, WE GO THROUGH THE WHOLE PROCESS, IT COULD BE TWO, THREE YEARS.
SO WE DON'T, WELL, IT'S ACTUALLY, NO, IT'S, IT IS NOT 2, 2, 3 YEARS.
IT BASICALLY, UH, HAPPENS VERY, VERY QUICKLY BECAUSE, UM, BECAUSE THEY WOULD THEN HAVE, UM, AND JOE, MAYBE YOU COULD DO SOME, UM, YOU KNOW, RESEARCH AND UPDATE THE BOARD ON, UM, THE TRANSITION.
YOU KNOW, UH, MY RECOLLECTION WAS LIKE AN 18 MONTHS OR, UH, THE WHOLE TRANSITION BEFORE THAT, THERE WOULD HAVE TO BE AN ELECTION.
SO, YOU KNOW, THI THIS IS SOMETHING, YOU KNOW, WE DON'T KNOW, DO THEY, WHAT HAPPENS TO THE PARKING, YOU KNOW, DISTRICT, UM, UH, DO THEY HAVE PARKING? DON'T THEY HAVE PARKING? UM, YOU KNOW, WHY AREN'T THERE RES WHY ARE THINGS OKAY? BUT WE'VE, WE'VE SEGUED WE'VE, WE'VE, WE'VE SEGUED AWAY FROM THE BUDGET ONCE AGAIN.
BUT I'M TALKING ABOUT, I UNDERSTAND.
SO, YOU KNOW, THIS IS A JOB THAT I, I FEEL THAT IF MONT BREAKS AWAY, OKAY, BUT WAIT A MINUTE, WAIT A MINUTE, WAIT.
OKAY? BUT IT'S NOT, I, I'D LIKE TO FOCUS ON THE LINE ITEM THAT WE'RE DISCUSSING, RIGHT? SO IF WE ARE IN AGREEMENT, THE JOB RESPONSIBILITY, IF WE'RE IN AGREEMENT, IF WE ARE IN AGREEMENT SHE'S NOT LISTENING, STOP, STOP.
THE ONLY THING THAT, THAT, SO IT SEEMS TO ME THAT WE ARE IN AGREEMENT THAT WE SHOULD HIRE SOMEONE WHOSE JOB IT IS TO FOCUS ON OPERATIONS AND HUMAN RESOURCES, AND THAT THAT PERSON CAN BE A DEPUTY TOWN SUPERVISOR WHO WILL DO THAT IN ADDITION TO SUBBING FOR YOU WHEN YOU'RE NOT AVAILABLE, RIGHT? IS THAT, ARE WE, ARE WE, DO WE AGREE ON THAT? RIGHT? SO, SO, SO WE'RE NOT, IT'S NOT THAT WE'RE OPPOSED TO THE $156,000 OR WHATEVER IT IS, IT'S THAT WE'RE OPPOSED TO THE, THE TITLE AND THE DUTIES.
SO THE FOOTNOTE SHOULD BE CHANGED TO REFLECT NOT A FINANCE DIRECTOR, BUT A DEPUTY TOWN SUPERVISOR WHOSE DUTIES WILL INCLUDE OPERATIONS AND HUMAN RESOURCES O OVERSIGHT OR DEVELOPMENT OR, UM, AND, AND THAT, UH, A JOB DESCRIPTION WILL BE FORTHCOMING OKAY.
WE'LL TALK BY NEXT BEFORE YOU KNOW.
I'LL TRY GETTING THAT, YOU KNOW, QUICKLY.
AND JOE, MAYBE WE CAN WORK ON THIS TOO.
THE TOWN LAW, IT'S, IT'S SECTION 42.
IT ACTUALLY DOESN'T HAVE A DESCRIPTION OF A, OF A DEPUTY SUPERVISOR.
SO IT WOULD REALLY BE UP TO MILAGROS TO LOOK ON THE COUNTY LEVEL, WHAT THE REQUIREMENTS AND WHAT THE FUNCTIONS OF THAT ROLE ARE.
THE LAW DOES NOT POINT TO ANY, UH, DUTIES OF A DEPUTY SUPERVISOR.
BUT I THINK WHAT WE
SO I, I'M NOT, I, I HAVE VERY STRONG FEELINGS ABOUT THIS BECAUSE I HAD ASKED EARLY ON WHEN I FIRST SAW THIS IN THE BUDGET FOR THE FIRST TIME, UM, WE HAVE A CONTROLLER WHO'S A C P A.
IT MAKES A BIG DIFFERENCE TO ME THAT OUR CONTROLLER IS A C P A, BECAUSE IF SHE ACTS UNETHICALLY, SHE HAS HER LICENSE ON THE LINE, IT MAKES A BIG DIFFERENCE.
AND THAT'S WHY SHE IS THE WAY SHE IS
RIGHT? AND SHE'S, SHE'S NOT GONNA JEOPARDIZE, UM, HER CERTIFICATION.
WE HAVE A DEPUTY CONTROLLER, WE HAVE AN ACCOUNTANT, WE HAVE A JUNIOR ACCOUNTANT, WE HAVE AN ASSESSOR, AND WE ALSO HAVE THE RECEIVER OF TAXES.
WE ASKED ALSO FOR JOB DESCRIPTION AS TO, OKAY, A LOT OF IT LOOKS LIKE WHAT THE CONTROLLER DOES.
WHAT WOULD THE CONTROLLER BE DOING THEN WE HAVEN'T GOTTEN ANY OF THAT AS TO WHAT THE JOB DESCRIPTIONS OF THE DIFFERENT PLAYERS ARE.
YOU KEEP INSISTING THAT THE PERSON ANSWER ONLY TO YOU.
AND MY RESPONSE HAS BEEN SOMEWHAT FLIPPANTLY, BUT HONESTLY, WE HAVE A CONTROLLER, A DEPUTY CONTROLLER, AN ACCOUNTANT, A DEPUTY, UH, DEPUTY, UH, JUNIOR ACCOUNTANT, ADDING ONE MORE PERSON THAT YOU COULD IGNORE THEIR ADVICE WHEN YOU DON'T LIKE IT.
WHAT DOES THAT GET US? OTHER THAN A LOSS
[01:50:01]
OF $150,000? THERE MAY BE GOOD REASON FOR WHY WE NEED SOMEBODY TO HANDLE THE FUNCTIONING OF THE DEPARTMENTS AND THE DEPARTMENT HEADS AND JUST THE GENERAL EVERYDAY DAY TO DAY OPERATION.UH, I HAVEN'T, I HAVEN'T HEARD SOMETHING THAT I BELIEVE SO FAR IS A WORKABLE SOLUTION.
YOU KNOW, BRINGING IN A DEPUTY TO WORK WITH YOU, WHO'S SUPPOSED TO FILL IN, IN YOUR ABSENCE.
WELL, THEY CAN'T BE WORKING WITH YOU BECAUSE THEIR ONLY FUNCTION IS WHEN YOU'RE NOT THERE.
SO, UH, YOU HAVEN'T EXPLAINED, ANOTHER QUESTION THAT I RAISED WAS THERE ARE 904, UH, 32 TOWNS IN THE TOWN OF GREENBURG.
YOU'RE ENTITLED TO HAVE A DIRECTOR OF FINANCE.
UH, THAT'S THE CORRECT TERM, RIGHT? THE TITLE, UM, IN THE PREVIOUS TOWN LAW.
SO YOU'RE ENTITLED TO HAVE A DIRECTORY OF FINANCE, AND YOU KEEP SAYING THAT OVER AND OVER AGAIN.
I'D LIKE TO KNOW IF THERE'S ANY OTHER TOWN, 932 TOWNS IN THE TOWN OF GREENBURG IN WESTCHESTER.
WHAT'S THAT? AND THE STATE, SORRY, STATE OF YORK.
YOU KEEP SAYING TO GREENBURG 932 TOWNS IN THE STATE OF NEW YORK.
STATE OF NEW YORK, WHAT DID I SAY? IN THE TOWN? OH, NO, NO.
SO THERE ARE 932 CORRECTED IN NEW YORK STATE.
I'D LIKE TO KNOW WHAT OTHER MUNICIPALITY, WHAT OTHER TOWN HAS A CONTROLLER WHO'S AT C P A, A DEPUTY CONTROLLER, A AN ACCOUNTANT, A JUNIOR ACCOUNTANT, PLUS YOU ADDING $150,000.
WE'RE WELL OVER A HALF A MILLION DOLLARS IN FINANCIAL ADVICE.
WHAT OTHER THE MUNICIPALITY HAS THAT NEEDS THAT, AND WHY DO WE NEED THAT, QUITE FRANKLY, WHEN WE HAVE ALL OF THESE OTHER PEOPLE AND OUR FINANCES SEEM TO BE IN FAIRLY GOOD SHAPE.
WELL, OBVIOUSLY WE'VE MADE, OVER THE YEARS, THERE'S BEEN, YOU KNOW, I, I THINK BY AND LARGE, WE'VE DONE A FANTASTIC JOB OF PROVIDING SERVICES FINANCIALLY.
WE'RE IN GOOD SHAPE, BUT WE ALSO HAVE MADE SOME, YOU KNOW, MISTAKES.
AND, YOU KNOW, THEY'RE, EVERY GOVERNMENT MAKES MISTAKES.
UM, AND, YOU KNOW, I SORT OF FEEL THAT WITH ADDITIONAL OVERSIGHT, I THINK WE COULD DO EVEN BETTER.
WE COULD GET CLOSER TO PERFECTION, YOU KNOW? NOW ONE OPTION IF YOU WOULD WANT, BECAUSE I DON'T THINK THAT, UM, WE HAVE TO, UM, YOU KNOW, IF, IF WE'RE, IF YOU KNOW THE BOARD IS UNCOMFORTABLE AND YOU DON'T FEEL THAT, YOU KNOW, WE, I'VE MADE A CASE, YOU KNOW, I, I AM CONVINCED THAT IT WILL SAVE MONEY.
BUT IF YOU FEEL THAT'S UNCOMFORTABLE, ANOTHER THING YOU COULD DO IS YOU COULD TAKE THE 150,000, PUT IT IN A CONTINGENCY, UM, AND THEN IN THE COMING, UH, YOU KNOW, WEEKS, UM, YOU KNOW, I COULD, YOU KNOW, WE COULD DO MORE RESEARCH.
WE COULD COME UP WITH, UH, UH, YOU KNOW, THE MORE, UH, DETAILED, UM, YOU KNOW, PROPOSAL.
AND THEN IF I CAN MAKE THE CASE, UM, UH, IN JANUARY OR IN, OR SOMETIME IN, IN THE YEAR, WHY THIS IS IMPORTANT, UH, YOU KNOW, WE, WE'LL ALL GET OUR HEADS, YOU KNOW, PUT OUR HEADS TOGETHER.
AND IF, IF EVERYBODY IN THE BOARD THINKS THAT THIS COULD BE HELPFUL, THEN UH, WE COULD ALWAYS EDIT.
AND, UM, AND IF YOU FEEL THAT IT'S NOT, YOU KNOW, I, I, I HONESTLY BELIEVE THAT IF YOU GIVE ME THE TOOLS, I'LL BE ABLE TO, UM, UM, SAVE MORE, MUCH MORE THAN $150,000 AND AVOID, YOU KNOW, MISTAKES GOING, GOING FORWARD.
UM, YOU KNOW, I THINK THAT ALL, IT WILL GIVE THE BOARD, YOU KNOW, MORE INFORMATION ON A TIMELY BASIS.
UM, YOU KNOW, UH, EARLIER ON TODAY, ROBERTA WAS MENTIONING JUST AN EXAMPLE, CAPITAL BUDGETS, YOU KNOW, WE PUT IN, THE DEPARTMENT HAS PUT IN REQUESTS, UM, AND, UM, MANY TIMES IN THE PAST THEY, AFTER WE'VE FUNDED THE, THE CAPITAL BUDGET, UM, UH, IT NEVER WAS IMPLEMENTED.
THE REQUESTS WERE NEVER IMPLEMENTED.
BUT, BUT SOMEONE WHO'S, SOMEONE, SOMEONE WHO'S, BUT THAT, THAT'S, THAT'S, UH, THAT HIGHLIGHTS THE FACT THAT MORE OVERSIGHT OF DEPARTMENT HAS IS NEEDED.
AND HAVING SOMEBODY, NO, I'M JUST GIVING YOU MY, BUT THAT'S YOUR FAULT, BUT THAT'S YOUR ROLE.
PAUL, OR A PERSON WHO'S FOCUSED ON OPERATIONS, A PERSON.
I, I WANNA GET SOMEBODY IN WHO HAS A FINANCE BACKGROUND, WHO BASICALLY UNDERSTANDS ALL THESE THINGS.
WHO COULD DO, WHO COULD HELP ALL OF US DO A BETTER JOB.
YOU KNOW, WE WOULD INTERNAL ISSUES AND THAT PERSON WOULD WORK ON IT.
I'M THE INTERNAL, I'M ADDRESSING INTERNAL PROBLEMS. AGAIN, IF YOU DON'T WANNA PUT
[01:55:01]
IT IN, YOU CAN TAKE IT OUT.AND, UH, UH, WE'LL, CARL, CAN I ASK A QUESTION? UM, SO YOU REP REFERENCED MISTAKES, BUT IN THE PAST, THEY'RE ALL FIN FINANCIAL MISTAKES WITH THIS HIGH CAR TEAM, OR ARE THEY MORE GENERAL ISSUES? YOU MENTIONED WITH DEPARTMENT HEADS PUTTING IN MONIES, NOT SPENDING THEM SO FORTH, SOMETHING THERE'S, THERE'S NEED FOR, OR SOME OF IT'S FINANCIAL, SOME OF IT IS, UM, YOU KNOW, ADMINISTRATIVE.
BUT, BUT THEN WHY WOULD WE NEED ANOTHER FINANCIAL PERSON SOLELY FINANCIAL? NO, I WAS JUST OBJECTION TO AN OPERATIONS PERSON.
I WAS JUST, I JUST BASICALLY TOOK, I JUST BASICALLY, I FEEL THAT THE BIG PROBLEM ALSO IS I FEEL THAT, YOU KNOW, MY JOB AS TECH, IT IS SORT OF CONFUSING BECAUSE I'M THE TOWN SUPERVISOR.
I'M THE CHIEF ELECTED OFFICIAL IN THE TOWN.
UM, BUT UNLIKE SAY, THE COUNTY EXECUTIVE, UH, WHO BASICALLY HAS VETO HIRING AND FIRING ABILITIES, I DON'T HAVE ANY REAL ADMINISTRATIVE, UH, YOU KNOW, POWER.
SO THE, SO NOTHING COULD GET DONE WITHOUT THREE OUT OF FIVE VOTES ON THE, THE, ON THE TOWN, THE TOWN BOARD.
SO I SORT OF FEEL THAT IF I AM GIVEN, YOU KNOW, MORE RESPONSIBILITY BY THE TOWN BOARD, I WILL BE ABLE TO DO A BETTER, BETTER JOB IF I HAVE A DEPUTY SUPERVISOR OR FINANCE PERSON, SOMEBODY WHO COULD, UM, HELP DO THE DAY-TO-DAY ADMINISTRATION.
I, I DON'T THINK, I DON'T THINK WE'RE ARGUING THAT WE NEED SOMEONE, SO I'M NOT SURE WE ARE ARGUING AGAINST, THERE'S NO, I'M NOT ARGUING WITH ANYBODY INVEST THAT, THAT, THAT WE WOULD LIKE TO HAVE SOMEONE WITH A GREATER REACH THAN JUST THE FINANCIAL ASPECT WHEN WE HAVE, UM, A STRONG FINANCIAL TEAM AND WOULD LIKE A JOB DESCRIPTION OF THAT, GET THAT IN ORDER FOR US TO MAKE THAT JUDGMENT.
I THINK WE'D ALL LIKE TO SEE A PERSON.
SO I'LL, I'LL, I'LL WORK WITH ROBERTA AND JOE ON, UM, ON A JOB DESCRIPTION THAT WAS HAPPENING A COUPLE WEEKS AGO.
I THOUGHT WE ALREADY HAD THIS CONVERSATION.
I THOUGHT WE HAD THIS CONVERSATION A COUPLE WEEKS AGO THAT THIS IS NOW SAYING IN TERMS OF DEPUTY SUPERVISOR AS OPPOSED TO DIRECTOR OF FINANCE.
I APPRECIATE YOU THAT, JOE, BUT WE HAD THIS CONVERSATION THAT WE WANTED TO OUTLINE EXACTLY WHAT HE WAS REQUESTING FOR SO WE CAN SEE ALL OF HIS NEEDS.
WE HAD ASKED THAT WAY BEFORE WE ASKED THAT MAYBE A MONTH AGO WHEN WE, WHEN THIS WAS, LET ME, I, I GAVE IT TO YOU, PAUL.
SO IF YOU CAN RESURRECT THAT AND THAT, I DON'T, I DON'T REMEMBER SEEING THAT.
IF ANY OF ANYBODY ELSE REMEMBERS SEEING THAT, I DON'T REMEMBER SEEING THAT.
BUT I THINK THAT THAT'S GONNA BE HELPFUL AND THAT'LL HELP US FIGURE OUT WHAT'S GOING FORWARD.
THE, I I KEEP HEARING OVER AND OVER AGAIN, LIKE AS IF IT'S OUR DEPARTMENT HEADS THAT HAVE MADE A MISTAKE, BECAUSE THEY HAVEN'T, THEY HAVEN'T COME FORWARD, THEIR FORWARD WITH THEIR PROJECTS IN THE CAPITAL BUDGET.
ALL IT WOULD'VE HAD TAKEN PAUL, WAS FOR YOU TO PUT OUT AN EMAIL SAYING GO FORTH AND SUBMIT THEM.
BECAUSE AS WE HEARD AT THE TOWN BOARD MEETING FROM THE PUBLIC, THE PUBLIC PRESUMES THAT WE DID NOT GO FORWARD WITH THE CAPITAL BUDGET, UM, EXPENDITURES BECAUSE WE WOULD'VE HAD TO GO TO BOND AND THAT WOULD'VE PUT OUR BOND RATING, AAA BOND RATING IN JEOPARDY.
AND I DO BELIEVE THAT DEPARTMENT HEADS MAY THINK THE SAME.
SO I DON'T KNOW WHY BRINGING IN SOMEBODY ELSE WHO, UM, WOULD ADD ANOTHER LAYER AND $150,000 OF TAXPAYER MONEY, UH, WOULD ADDRESS THAT ISSUE.
BUT IF YOU WANTED PEOPLE TO, YOU KNOW, START REALLY BEING AGGRESSIVE ON THEIR CAPITAL BUDGETS AND, AND GOING OUT AND DEALING WITH THAT, UH, IT WOULD'VE HAPPENED.
'CAUSE IT TAKES A LOT OF WORK FOR THE DEPARTMENT HEADS TO PUT TOGETHER THESE PROJECTS.
SO SHOULD WE PUT THIS $156,300 IN CONTINGENCY SUBJECT TO FIGURING OUT WHAT THE POSITION IS THAT WE WANT, WHAT IT'S CALLED, AND WHAT DUTIES IT ENTAILS? I GUESS SO, YEAH.
I THINK THAT'S, IF WE DON'T, IF WE'RE NOT READY, WE HAVE TO JUSTIFY NEXT WEEK.
WHY DON'T WE, WHY DON'T WE HEAR FROM THE PUBLIC TOMORROW NIGHT FIRST? OH.
BECAUSE EVEN IF IT'S IN FUND BALANCE, IT'S NOT LIKE WE CAN'T GET ACCESS TO IT DURING THE YEAR.
[02:00:01]
ANYTHING, SAY THAT AGAIN.IF IT'S IN, IF IT GOES, IF IT DOESN'T GO INTO CONTINGENCY, IT WOULD BE IN OUR FUND BALANCE, RIGHT? YEAH.
AND THEN WE WOULD'VE TO DO A BUDGET AMENDMENT AND THEN WE'D HAVE TO DO A BUDGET AMENDMENT.
PLUS AND MINUS THERE PROS AND CONS TO EITHER APPROACH.
WELL, BUDGET AMENDMENT IS PRETTY MUCH CHANGING.
UM, YOU'RE PULLING THE MONEY OUT OF THE FUND BALANCE MM-HMM.
SO IT'S JUST REDUCING THE FUND BALANCE.
IT WASN'T WHAT YOU'VE PRESENTED TO THE PUBLIC.
USUALLY YOU TRY TO STAY WITHIN THE OPERATING BUDGET MM-HMM.
SO IN OPTICS WISE, IT MAY BE BETTER TO PUT IT IN CONTINGENCY.
CORRECT? WELL, IT'S, IT'S EASIER.
IT'S, IT'S JUST A BUDGET TRANSFER THAT VERY FEW PEOPLE READ AS OPPOSED TO DOING A FULL BLOWN AMENDMENT
BUT AGAIN, IT'S, IT'S JUST WHAT, OKAY.
BUT YOU KNOW, WHAT MIGHT ALSO MAKE SENSE IS I THINK I'M GOING TO CALL A DEPARTMENT HEAD MEETING, ASK THE DEPARTMENT HEADS TO OUTLINE WAYS THAT THEY THINK AN OPERATIONS PERSON MIGHT BE ABLE, YOU KNOW, WHO WOULD BE A DEPUTY SUPERVISOR MIGHT BE ABLE TO BE HELPFUL, YOU KNOW, TO THEIR DEPARTMENTS AND TO THE ADMINISTRATION, YOU KNOW, OF THE TOWN.
AND THEY COULD WORK WITH ME IN COMING UP WITH A, UM, A, YOU KNOW, A A JOB DESCRIPTION THAT, UH, THAT, YOU KNOW, MAKES SENSE.
AND THAT COULD BE, COULD PERSUADE THE BOARD THAT THIS POSITION, UH, COULD BE, UH, COULD BE USEFUL.
BECAUSE ALSO, YOU KNOW, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT'S REALLY IMPORTANT IS, UM, YOU KNOW, IF YOU, YOU, YOU REALLY NEED TO HAVE AS MUCH BUY-IN FROM, YOU KNOW, EVERYBODY, THE TOWN BOARD, THE DEPARTMENT HEADS.
THIS IS REALLY A POSITION THAT'S GONNA BE, UM, BENEFICIAL TO EVERYBODY.
AND IF, IF THE MORE BUY-IN WE GET, THE MORE SUCCESSFUL THE PRO THE, UH, THE, THE PERSON'S GONNA BE AND, UH, THE MORE THAT PERSON WILL BE ABLE TO, UM, SAVE THE TOWN MONEY AND HELP US MANAGE THE MORE EFFICIENT OPERATION.
YOU KNOW, KEN, YOU MENTIONED, UM, UH, YOU KNOW, A COUPLE WEEKS AGO YOU SAID, UM, YOU KNOW, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE ALSO SHOULD BE LOOKING AT IS MORE SHARING, UH, WITH, UH, WITH, UH, WITH OTHER, UH, LAYERS OF GOVERNMENT.
YOU KNOW, THAT'S SOMETHING THAT, UH, WOULD BE A, A, A, YOU KNOW, A GOOD ROLE, BUT THE MORE, UH, SHARED SERVICES, UM, WE COULD DO REDUCING, UM, GOVERNMENT WASTE AND INEFFICIENCY.
THAT'S, THAT'S ANOTHER ROLE THAT COULD BE, UH, COULD BE EXTREMELY, YOU KNOW, HELPFUL TO, TO THE TAXPAYERS.
WELL, WHY DON'T YOU PUT THAT TOGETHER HOWEVER IT IS THAT YOU'RE GOING TO ACHIEVE IT.
YOU KNOW, IT SOUNDS LIKE A GOOD IDEA TO, TO GET SOME INPUT FROM THE COMMISSIONERS AS WELL.
NO, I, I, I I'M GONNA TRY TO, I, THIS, I THINK THIS WAS A VERY USEFUL MEETING TODAY.
I, I GUESS I JUST, UH, I GUESS I DON'T UNDERSTAND WHY YOU NEED TO GO TO THE DEPARTMENT HEADS TO ASK WHAT COULD THIS PERSON DO FOR THEM? BECAUSE PRESUMABLY IF YOU PUT $150,000 IN THE BUDGET FOR THIS PERSON, YOU SHOULD HAVE ALREADY WORKED THAT OUT AS TO WHY THIS PERSON IS NEEDED.
I, I DID PRESENT THE BOARD, UH, WITH, UM, AN OUTLINE OF WHAT I WANTED, BUT, AND HOW MY VISION, BUT YOU KNOW WHAT, I FEEL THAT IT'S ALWAYS USEFUL TO, UM, UH, MAKE THIS AS INCLUSIVE A PROCESS AS POSSIBLE BECAUSE WE COULD GET, YOU KNOW, BETTER IDEAS, MORE IDEAS, UH, FIND OUT WHAT, YOU KNOW, UH, WHAT, HOW THEY THINK THE TOWN COULD BE.
THERE'S NOTHING FOR A FINANCIAL PERSON.
WE ARE ASKING YOU TO PUT TOGETHER SOMETHING FOR AN OPERATIONAL PERSON.
YOU, I HAVE NO PROBLEMS WITH THAT.
UNFORTUNATELY, THE TEMPLATE WAS NEEDS TO BE CHANGED EACH TIME.
SO I JUST WANNA YOU SAY ROLL CLIP AFTER THE
YEAH, BECAUSE WE ALWAYS, WE ALWAYS SAY REMAIN STANDING, THEN WE SIT DOWN AND THEN WE HAVE THE ROLL CALL FOR THE, FOR THE TOWN BOARD MEETING SINCE I, UH, WAS IN CONTACT WITH SOMEBODY WITH COVID.
EVERYBODY WANTS ME TO, UH, MEET REMOTELY TOMORROW.
WHAT, WELL HOW LONG HAVE YOU AT THE BEGINNING OF THE MEETING, UH, YOU KNOW, YOU INDICATED THAT I SHOULD, UM, YOU KNOW, DO THE MEETING TOMORROW REMOTELY BECAUSE I HAD CON CONTACT WITH SOMEBODY WHO HAD COVID.
WELL, YOU SAID YOU'RE NOT HERE TODAY BECAUSE YOU WERE EXPOSED.
AND IF YOU WERE EXPOSED TODAY, IF YOU'RE NOT GONNA KNOW.
SO OVER THE WEEKEND I WAS EXPOSED AS LONG AS YOU ARE MASKED
[02:05:01]
BECAUSE YOU ARE EXPOSED, UNLESS YOU SPENT A GREAT DEAL OF TIME WITH THAT PERSON.UM, AND, AND IT WOULD BE LIKELY, BUT IF YOU HAD A SHORT EXPOSURE, IT WAS A SHORT EXPOSURE.
THEN AS LONG AS YOU'RE MASKED, THERE'S NO REASON FOR YOU TO BE REMOTE.
IS THAT, IS THERE CONSENSUS OF THE BOARD? WELL, YOU DON'T SIT NEXT TO ME SLY
I MEAN, I'M NOT COUGHING, YOU KNOW, I DON'T HAVE TEMPERATURE, I DON'T HAVE ANY SYMPTOMS. SO ALL WELL THAT'S, THAT'S THE C D C RECOMMENDATION.
THOSE ARE MEDICAL PROFESSIONAL RECOMMENDATION.
UM, HAS IT BEEN FIVE DAYS? HAS IT BEEN FIVE DAYS? YES, FIVE DAYS NOW.
SO YOU SAID IT WAS THE WEEKEND? YEAH, THAT'S TODAY IS SUNDAY, MONDAY, TUESDAY.
YOU KNOW, AGAIN, FRANCIS, THE, THE C D C NOW SAYS THAT IF YOU HAVE HAD AN EXPOSURE, BUT IT'S NOT A CONTINUOUS EXPOSURE, YOU CAN, AS LONG AS YOU'RE MASKED, THAT SHOULD BE SUFFICIENT.
I MEAN, IF YOU'RE MORE COMFORTABLE WITH, WITH US BEING, NO, IT'S, IT, IT, IT'S REALLY EVERYBODY'S INDIVIDUAL CHOICE AT THIS POINT.
THAT'S THE WAY IT'S, IT'S GONE TO, UH, IT'S, I DON'T KNOW WHAT LONG AND SHORT MEANS, YOU KNOW, THOSE ARE NOT QUANTITATIVE TERMS AS FAR AS EXPOSURE, BUT, BUT IT WAS, IT WAS ENOUGH OF A CONCERN THAT HE IS NOT HERE TONIGHT, BUT ALL OF A SUDDEN TOMORROW IT'S GONNA BE OKAY.
OH, I BASICALLY, UH, YOU KNOW, ORIGINALLY I SAID, YOU KNOW, I DIDN'T REALLY THINK ABOUT IT.
THEN WHEN ELLEN, WHEN YOU GOT YOUR, YOU SENT US THE EMAIL SAYING YOU'RE DOING THE MEETING REMOTELY, THEN I SAID, YOU KNOW WHAT, YOU KNOW, MAYBE I SHOULD BE, I'LL BE EXTRA CAREFUL AND YEAH, I DON'T REALLY WANT TO PUT THE OTHER BOARD, MAKE THE OTHER BOARD MEMBERS UNCOMFORTABLE.
SO IF YOU, I DON'T HAVE ANY PROBLEM, UH, PARTICIPATING REMOTELY.
YOU KNOW, IF YOU, IF YOU PREFER, IF YOU KNOW, I DON'T, YOU KNOW, I KNOW THAT I'M FEELING PERFECT, SO, YOU KNOW, I HAVE TO PARTICIPATE REMOTELY TOMORROW.
AND SO I IT SHOULD, IT'S NOT UP TO ME TO DECIDE.
YEAH, I MEAN IT'S, IT COULD BE WHATEVER.
I MEAN, IF THE BOARD MEMBERS WOULD FEEL MORE COMFORTABLE WITH ME BEING EXTRA CAREFUL, THAT'S FINE WITH ME.
I WOULD LOVE FOR YOU TO BE CAREFUL 'CAUSE IT IS HOLIDAY AND I WOULD LIKE TO MAKE SURE
I WOULD, YOU KNOW, SO I WOULD LOVE FOR YOU TO BE ON A SAFER SIDE PLEASE.
THEN I'LL DO IT REMOTELY TOMORROW.
AND, AND ALL THREE OF US WILL BE THE COURT ALL LIVE, BE IN PERSON.
SO WHAT I DID WAS I MOVED, 'CAUSE WE HAD THE, UH, WE HAD THE MO UH, MEMORY OF JANET KEARNEY, UM, CONEY THAT WAS UP AT THE TOP.
BUT THEN WE WOULD SAY EVERYBODY ELSE, AND THEN WE WOULD SIT DOWN AND THEN THERE'D BE A PRESENTATION REGARDING, SO I MOVED, UH, TO THE END.
AND SO WE GO RIGHT INTO THE PRESENTATION WITH APPARENTLY THE, UH, HARTSDALE, UH, GREENBERG ROTARY IS GONNA HAVE A TRIBUTE TO JANET, UH, KUNI.
AND IT MAKES SENSE TO DO THAT RIGHT AFTER WE SAY IN MEMORY OF, RIGHT? MM-HMM.
WE HAVE, UM, IN, IN MEMORY OF ANOTHER RESIDENT, UM, THEN PERHAPS SHOULD BE ADDED BEFORE JANET COONEY ON NELLY KING.
AND, UH, UM, I, I DON'T KNOW WHY SHE WASN'T ADDED TO THE AGENDA.
UM, A FEW WEEKS AGO, PAUL ASKED JOAN TO MAKE SURE SHE WAS ADDED TO THE AGENDA UNDER MOMENT OF SILENCE.
AND UM, I WILL PROVIDE THE WRITEUP FOR THAT GOES ALONG WITH THE MEMORY FOR NELLY KING.
AND WE, WE HAVE MIDI ON THERE, RIGHT? WHO WE DON'T MIDI, YOU KNOW, FROM, UH, YOU KNOW, UH, THE CASINOS.
I GAVE THAT TO JOAN LIKE OVER THE WEEKEND.
JOHN HAS BEEN, JOHN HAS BEEN SICK.
UM, I POSTED IT ALSO ON THE WEBSITE.
HE WAS, UM, THE ONE WHO ALWAYS TOLD EVERYBODY THAT THEY WERE THE, THE GREATEST, UH, EVEN THE OWNER OF PAST BEFORE PAST'S, THERE WAS MINI'S RESTAURANT OF VERY WELL-KNOWN RESTAURANT.
VERY FEW PEOPLE, I'M SURE IF THEY'VE EVER GONE TO CAST'S, HAS NOT MET 'EM.
UH, BUT WHAT YOU WROTE IS EXTREMELY LONG.
IF YOU COULD CUT IT DOWN, YOU KNOW, TO A FEW SENTENCES OR A PARAGRAPH OR SO, THAT WOULD BE GREAT.
[02:10:01]
OKAY.IS THERE A DEADLINE FOR THE CHANGES AT 12 NOON, ONE O'CLOCK, WHATEVER.
WHAT'S, WHAT'S BEST? YEAH, NOON TO ONE O'CLOCK, SO, OH, I GOT, THAT'S GOOD.
UH, THE APPOINTMENTS TO THE BOARD OF ASSESSMENT REVIEW HAVE DIFFERENT EXPIRATION DATES.
RIGHT? I'M NOT SURE IF THAT WAS INTENTIONAL.
THEY, UM, THERE ARE FIVE MEMBER BOARD, THEY HAVE TO HAVE STAGGERED TERMS. YEP.
AND THEY'RE, THESE ARE REPLACING PEOPLE WHO, THAT'S WHAT I FIGURED.
THANK YOU FOR THE EXPLANATION.
SO WE'RE GONNA HAVE A PUBLIC HEARING ON THE BUDGET AND THEN THE CONSERVATION ADVISORY COUNCIL MEMBERS AND ALTERNATES.
THAT'S THE DROPPING IT FROM NINE TO SEVEN 10.
I DON'T SEE THAT BEING MUCH OF AN ISSUE.
UH, WE HAVE, UH, FOR A PUBLIC HEARING RATE INCREASE FOR THE CONSOLIDATED WATER DISTRICT.
IS THERE, UH, WILL SOMEBODY BE MAKING A PRESENTATION? SO BRIAN AND I WILL BE THERE.
WE'LL HAVE PHIL SPON FROM RALPH TELLIS, WHO'S OUR CONSULTANT.
UM, WE HAVE BEEN BACK AND FORTH WITH THE CONSERVATION BOARD.
UM, THEY DO NEED SOME MORE TIME TO REVIEW SOME ADDITIONAL INFORMATION THAT'S BEEN SENT TO THEM.
YOU MEAN THE WATER DISTRICT ADVISORY REPORT? YES.
I SAID 932 TOWNS IN GREENBURG.
DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA HOW LONG THAT PRESENTATION WILL BE? WHAT DO YOU THINK, BRIAN? ABOUT A HALF HOUR.
HE, HE'S GOT A POWERPOINT THAT HE'LL BE GOING THROUGH.
YEAH, I DON'T THINK THE CONSERVATION ADVISORY COUNCIL THING IS GONNA TAKE MUCH OF TIME AT ALL.
AND THE BUDGET, WHO KNOWS? I'M TRYING TO, I THINK GARRETT, UH, WENT AWAY FROM HIS COMPUTER FOR A MOMENT.
WHY ARE YOU, WERE YOU HOME AND CA CAME BACK OR? NO, I'VE BEEN UPSTAIRS WORKING.
I JUST, UH, IS IT COLD UPSTAIRS? WHAT? HE WANTS TO GO HOME.
SORRY, YOU FORGOT TO I'M SO OFF.
OKAY, SO YOU SIGNED ON UPSTAIRS? YEAH, BUT THEN I DECIDED TO COME DOWN.
I'M GONNA TAKE OFF AFTER THIS.
JUST WANNA MAKE SURE THERE WERE NO QUESTIONS.
UM, AND I KNOW IT'S BEEN DIFFICULT WITH JOAN.
ILL, I HOPE SHE'S FEELING BETTER.
UM, I WILL COORDINATE WITH EITHER JOAN AND OR FRANCIS.
UH, THE HEADERS SHOULD REFLECT, UH, NUMERIC 4 7 2.
IT SHOULD BE WHAT, 4 4 72 FOR BOTH CD THREE AND CD FOUR OH.
AND, UH, ON THE OFF CHANCE THAT THE RESOLUTIONS, THE HEADERS,
[02:15:01]
UH, THERE'S ALSO THAT, UH, SIMILAR, UH, TYPO.UM, I WILL RECIRCULATE THOSE, UH, RESOLUTIONS, BUT NOTHING, UH, SUBSTANTIVE HAS CHANGED IN, IN THOSE RESOLUTIONS.
CD TWO IS C FROM WHAT'S BEEN POSTED.
ONE AND TWO ARE BOTH CORRECT WITH THE, UH, 4, 5, 3 NUMBER.
IT'S REALLY JUST THREE THAT NEEDS TO BE CHANGED.
HOW OFTEN DO WE MAKE THAT MANY NEW CHAPTERS? RIGHT.
BRIAN OR RICH, DO YOU WANNA SPEAK, UH, RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING THE WATER TREATMENT CHEMICALS TO THE LOWEST BIDDERS.
DO YOU WANNA EXPLAIN ANYTHING ABOUT, YOU KNOW, ANY KIND OF PRICE INCREASES WE MAY HAVE EXPERIENCED? WELL, I WILL TELL YOU THAT IF YOU TALK TO CHUCK MARTINS, OUR, UH, CHIEF WATER OPERATOR, THAT THE PRICES HAVE GONE THROUGH THE ROOF, THEY'RE VERY UNSTABLE.
UM, I MEAN, THIS PAST YEAR HAS BEEN ABSOLUTELY INCREDIBLE WITH, WITH BIDS AND PEOPLE NOT BEING ABLE TO HONOR BIDS, NOT BEING ABLE TO GET MATERIAL.
UH, IT'S BEEN AN EXTREMELY, EXTREMELY DIFFICULT YEAR, ESPECIALLY IN THE WATER INDUSTRY.
I KNOW THESE, THE VARIOUS DEPARTMENTS THROUGH THE COUNTY, UH, YOU KNOW, THEY'RE ALL IN CONTACT WITH EACH OTHER, SO THEY'RE ABLE TO, THANK GOD, UH, SOMETIMES BORROW MATERIAL OR, OR YOU KNOW, AND AT SOME POINT RETURNING IT.
BUT IT'S, UH, THANK GOD FOR THAT SYSTEM BECAUSE THEY'RE REALLY STRUGGLING, ESPECIALLY ON THE CHEMICAL, ON THE CRISIS.
WHAT WAS THE PERCENTAGE THAT IT, IT INCREASED FOR THE CHEMICALS.
RICH NC GOT A, THERE WAS, YEAH, I HAVE THAT.
SO, UH, FOR, UH, TREATMENT CHEMICALS, UH, OBVIOUSLY ONE OF THE BIGGEST, UH, CHEMICALS THAT WE USE, UH, LIQUID ZINC ORTHOPHOSPHATE, THE 2022 BID PRICE WAS 93 CENTS.
AND 2023 WENT UP TO A DOLLAR 46.
SO THAT, I THINK THAT WAS THE LARGEST INCREASE THAT WE SAW.
IT WAS ABOUT 58% INCREASE IN COSTS, UNIT COSTS AT LEAST.
UH, THE LIQUID CHLORINE OBVIOUSLY, WHICH IS ANOTHER, UH, TREATMENT
UM, YOU KNOW, THESE ARE CHEMICAL COSTS.
THERE'S, THERE'S NOT MUCH YOU CAN REALLY DO ABOUT THAT.
IT'S KIND OF SUPPLY AND DEMAND AT THIS POINT.
I THINK WE'RE JUST FORTUNATE THAT THE SUPPLIERS EVEN HAVE IT IN STOCK.
AND THEN THE OTHER THING IS THE WATER SUPPLIES.
UM, YOU KNOW, A LOT OF THAT'S JUST MATERIAL COSTS THAT HAVE GOTTEN UP.
SO YOU'RE DEALING WITH, UH, BRASS FITTINGS, UH, BRASS VALVES, UM, YOU KNOW, A LOT OF THAT STUFF.
AGAIN, IT'S, IT'S JUST, IT'S SUPPLY AND DEMAND.
SO WE'VE SEEN PRICE INCREASES ANYWHERE FROM 12% UP TO 27% FOR SOME OF THE, UH, THE, UH, VALVES AND FITTINGS THAT WE PUT OUT.
AND THE, THE ZINC ORTHOPHOSPHATE, JUST TO PUT IT IN PERSPECTIVE, EVEN THOUGH WE'RE TALKING IN SENSE, WE USE A LOT OF IT.
SO THAT DIFFERENCE IN, UH, IN SENSE, UH, MAKES, MAKES A BIG DIFFERENCE OVERALL.
'CAUSE WE HAVE TO CONSTANTLY, UH, TREAT OUR WATER WITH THAT BECAUSE OF THE, UH, CONDITION OF THE PIPES AND ARE, AND ARE WE ABLE TO EVEN LOCK SOME OF THESE RATES AS WE SEE THAT THE PRICES ARE INCREASING? ARE WE ABLE TO LOCK THE RATES ONCE WE, UH, ISSUE A CONTRACT OR THAT WE GO INTO A CONTRACT AS OF RIGHT NOW? UH, THAT, THAT COULD CHANGE.
LIKE RICH MENTIONED, UH, LAST YEAR THERE WAS TIMES WHERE, UH, SUPPLIERS WEREN'T ABLE TO HOLD THEIR PRICES AND, UM, BECOME A SITUATION WHERE IF YOU WANT THE, UH, CHEMICALS, YOU GOT ANOTHER CHOICE BUT TO PAY FOR IT OR FIND ANOTHER SUPPLIER.
UM, SO IT'S, IT'S A CHALLENGE AS OF RIGHT NOW.
LIKE I SAID, WE'RE FORTUNATE ENOUGH THAT THEY HAVE IT IN STOCK, THAT THEY'RE, THEY CAN PROVIDE US WITH THESE, UH, CHEMICALS.
BUT, UM, YOU KNOW, AND THIS IS AN ANNUAL CONTRACT, SO THIS IS THE PRICE THAT THEY PROVIDE US FOR THE NEXT YEAR.
UH, BUT AGAIN, YOU KNOW, OR YOU'RE JUST SEEING, THE MARKETS JUST VERY VOLATILE RIGHT NOW.
UH, I MEAN, YOU KNOW, THERE, YOU OBVIOUSLY, UH, ACCOUNT FOR CERTAIN THINGS TO INCREASE, ESPECIALLY THROUGH INFLATION, BUT
[02:20:01]
I MEAN, 58%, YOU WOULD NEVER ASSUME THAT SOMETHING'S GONNA GO UP THAT MUCH YEAR OVER YEAR.UM, SO THAT'S JUST ONE OF THOSE ANOTHER, UH, YOU KNOW, REASON AS TO WHY YOU ALWAYS GOTTA MAKE SURE YOU STAY ON THE CONSERVATIVE SIDE.
WHENEVER, WHENEVER YOUR BUDGET WASN'T ONE OF THE CHEMICALS, IT WENT UP 73% OR SO.
THAT WAS THE 58%, THAT WAS THE HIGHEST THAT WE SAW.
AND THE, THE CHLORINE WASN'T QUITE AS BAD AS WE THOUGHT IT WAS GOING TO BE, BUT IT WAS STILL FAIRLY SIGNIFICANT.
THAT WENT UP THE, IT WAS 36.7% THAT WENT UP.
UM, SO YEAH, IT, IT, YOU KNOW, WE, WE WERE, WE WERE STRUCK LAST YEAR BETWEEN THE, UH, RAIL STRIKE THAT WAS GOING ON AS, AS THERE WAS, YOU KNOW, A FEW, UM, PRODUCTION ISSUES WHEN IT CAME TO CHLORINE.
AND, AND I KNOW OTHER INDUSTRIES WERE DEMAND OF CHLORINE, SO THERE WAS A SHORTAGE AT ONE POINT.
AND SO THAT'S WHAT KIND OF DROVE SOME OF THE PRICES UP.
UM, SO WE KNEW IT WAS GONNA GO UP AND UH, I THINK WE'RE FORTUNATE THAT IT, IT DIDN'T GO UP NEARLY AS HIGH AS THE
WE REALLY HAVE BEEN, YOU KNOW, WHEN YOU LOOK AT OUR, OUR BUDGET LINES, WE'VE BEEN BASICALLY SCRAPING EVERYTHING TOGETHER TO, TO GET THINGS TO WORK.
I MEAN, YOU'LL LOOK AT DIESEL, I THINK WE'RE $300,000 OVER THIS YEAR.
I MEAN, WE REALLY HAVE BEEN HIT.
EVERYBODY'S BEEN HIT, NOT JUST US.
COULD YOU GIVE, COULD YOU GIVE US A ONE MINUTE VERSION OF WHY THERE WAS A WATER PROBLEM OVER BY PAYNE STREET, ABBOTT? THERE WAS A WATER LEAK LAST NIGHT.
IS THAT THE TECHNICAL TERM? THERE WAS A WATER LEAK AND PEOPLE DIDN'T HAVE WATER.
I THINK BRIAN DURING THE STORM WAS OUT THERE WITH THE WATER DEPARTMENT.
THAT WAS, THAT WAS A CHALLENGE.
'CAUSE WE, WE WEREN'T, WE WERE IN THE MIDDLE OF SNOW OPERATIONS AND, AND PLOWING AND WE GOT A REPORT FROM THE POLICE DEPARTMENT THAT THERE WAS WATER RUNNING ALONG THE, THE CURB LINE ON ABBOTT.
BY THE TIME, YOU KNOW, WITH THE, THE SNOW STILL FALLING, UM, I, I THINK WATER DEPARTMENT WAS ABLE TO RESPOND.
THEY, THEY GOT OUT THERE WITHIN, UH, I WANNA SAY IT WAS ABOUT A LITTLE OVER AN HOUR, UH, FROM THE TIME THAT WE CALLED 'EM.
UM, SO I THINK WE WERE FORTUNATE TO, TO RESPOND IN THE MANNER WE DID.
AND, AND I KNOW THEY WORK PRETTY MUCH ALL NIGHT THROUGH THE STORM ACTUALLY IN THE, YOU KNOW, IN THE, UH, THE SNOW AND THE FREEZING RAIN.
UM, AND DIDN'T FINISH UP UNTIL EARLY THE NEXT MORNING ON MONDAY.
SO, UM, THEY WERE FORTUNATE ENOUGH IT WAS, IT WAS JUST, UH, THEY HAD A PIECE, A SMALL PIECE OF PIPE, UM, AND THEY WERE ABLE TO MAKE THE REPAIR AND AND RESTORE SERVICE.
YOU KNOW, WHEN, WHEN YOU THINK ABOUT THE THINGS THAT THE WATER DEPARTMENT AND GOES THROUGH ON A, UH, A DAILY BASIS, I KNOW PAUL'S BEEN GETTING A LOT OF EMAILS ABOUT A WATER MAIN LEAK IN THE AREA OF WARRANTY FOR S OF THE ROAD.
AND THERE'S THREE DIFFERENT, UH, COMPANIES OUT THERE, ONE OF US, ONE INCLUDING US, THAT HAVE WATER MAINS.
AND EVERYBODY WAS CHASING THIS LEAK TRYING TO FIND OUT WHO IT WAS.
THEY WERE TESTING THE CHEMICALS IN THE WATER TO DETERMINE WHICH, UH, WHICH COMPANY IT WAS ENDED UP BEING US.
UM, AND THEY UNBELIEVABLY FOUND THAT THIS, WE HAVE A SIX INCH PIPE UNDER ANOTHER JURISDICTIONS 30 INCH PIPE.
SO AT SOME POINT IT WAS A 30 INCH WATER MAIN PUT ON TOP OF OUR SIX INCH WATER MAIN THAT WE NOW HAVE TO REPAIR.
AND, YOU KNOW, YOU THINK ABOUT, UH, WHAT THEY GO THROUGH AND, AND YOU KNOW, AGAIN, WHEN YOU START TO TALK ABOUT COSTS AND HOW THINGS COME AT YOU AND YOU KNOW WHICH WAY YOU'RE GONNA GET HIT AND WHICH DIRECTION, YOU KNOW, IT'S THINGS LIKE THAT THAT HAPPEN THAT ARE, IT, IT'S INCREDIBLE WHAT'S OUT THERE UNDER THE GROUND.
AND I THINK THE TOWN IS REALLY, UH, VERY LUCKY NOT ONLY WITH THE WATER HIGHWAY SANITATION TO HAVE UH, THE STAFF THEY HAVE OUT IN THE FIELD DOING WHAT THEY DO EVERY DAY.
NO, WE DEFINITELY REALLY DO, DEFINITELY DO, I GUESS MAY COMMEND YOU LA LAST THING ON THE AGENDA.
UH, WE PUT IT THIS WAY BECAUSE WE DIDN'T KNOW WHETHER OR NOT THE PEOPLE THAT ARE LISTED HERE HAD THEIR OF CODE OF ETHICS TRAINING AND THEIR SEXUAL HARASSMENT PREVENTION TRAINING.
UH, I'M NOT A FAN OF POINTING PEOPLE CONDITIONALLY AND HOPE THAT THEY GO FOR TRAINING.
'CAUSE THAT'S WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO AVOID.
UM, COULD YOU FIND OUT FROM EMORY EMORY TOMORROW WHETHER OR NOT PEOPLE THAT ARE ON THE AGENDA LISTED FOR APPOINTMENT HAVE HAD, ARE UP TO DATE WITH THEIR TRAINING AND THE NEW, UH, I SAW, UH, UH, MR. SUSSMAN AND I THINK HE TOLD ME, UM,
[02:25:01]
A FEW DAYS AGO HE WAS AT THE BUILDING DEPARTMENT.UM, HE SAID THAT, UH, HE DID TAKE IT GOOD.
WELL, OKAY, WE'LL WE'LL CHECK.
I WOULD PREFER, UH, THAT WE DON'T PUT PEOPLE ON UNTIL THEY'VE HAD THE TRAINING.
WE MEET FREQUENTLY ENOUGH THAT, BECAUSE I THINK IT MAKES IT HARD TO TRACK AS TO THAT SOMEBODY WILL LOOK AT THIS AND SAY, OH, THEY'RE A FULL NUMBER, UH, AND NOT SEE AT THE BOTTOM THAT IT'S CONDITIONAL.
AND SO, UH, IS THE BOARD OKAY WITH HAVING ONLY THE NAMES OF THE PEOPLE WHO HAVE HAD THE TRAINING AND THEN AS THEY GET THE TRAINING, WE HAD THEM, WE CAN APPOINT THEM ON FUTURE AGENDAS.
IS THAT GONNA BE THE PROCEDURE GOING FORWARD? WELL, THAT'S BEEN THE PROCEDURE SO FAR.
IT'S JUST, YOU KNOW, NOW THAT WE'VE STARTED WITH THAT, WE HAVEN'T PUT ANYBODY ON THE AGENDA UNLESS THEY HAD THE TRAINING.
BUT WE DIDN'T KNOW IF THESE PEOPLE HAD THE TRAINING.
'CAUSE REMEMBER THIS WAS ALL HAPPENING OVER THE WEEKEND.
UM, AND SO THAT'S, WE PUT 'EM ON THERE JUST SO THAT THEY WOULDN'T BE ADDED AT LAST MOMENT.
BUT I'D RATHER, I'D RATHER, FRANKLY, THEM HAVING THE TRAINING, WE JUST WANNA MAKE SURE WE STICK TO THE PROCEDURE.
SO WHATEVER THE WRITTEN PROCEDURE IS, JUST, WELL, WE DON'T HAVE A WRITTEN PROCEDURE.
AND WE MADE THAT CLEAR TOO TO THE EVERY ONE OF 'EM.
THE ONE THE PEOPLE AS WE INTERVIEWED.
SO IF YOU COULD CHECK FOR TOMORROW MM-HMM.
IF, IF I COULD JUST QUICKLY JUST BRIEF THE BOARD, 'CAUSE YOU'RE GONNA HEAR THIS.
AT SOME POINT THE LIBRARY HEAT WENT DOWN, UM, AND TONIGHT, UH, OUR MAINTENANCE STAFF, RICH MCG ELLIOTT AND, UH, BUILDING INSPECTOR FRANK MODO OVER THERE, THEY WERE ABLE TO HOOK UP, UH, THE TEMPORARY HEAT THAT WE WERE USING AT THE COURT, AT THE CONTEMPORARY AC UNIT THAT WE WERE USING AT THE COURT IS NOW SERVING AS TEMPORARY HEAT FOR THE, THE LIBRARY.
SO WE'VE BEEN ADVISED THAT THAT BUILDING IS WARMING UP AS WE SPEAK.
AND THE, UH, FAIRVIEW FIRE DEPARTMENT HAS ALSO BEEN NOTIFIED OF, OF THE GENERATOR THAT'S RUNNING OUT THERE IN CASE ANYBODY HEARS ANYTHING.
DID YOU FIND THE, THE PROBLEM THAT CAUSED IT? 'CAUSE I UNDERSTAND THAT A, A NEW CONDENSER WENT DOWN OR, YES.
SO, UM, AGAIN, FRANK AND RICH WERE OUT THERE.
UH, THERE WAS A SHORT, UM, HAD BEEN ADVISED THAT THIS WILL ALL RUN FOR INSURANCE.
BUT THERE WAS A, A BREAKER THAT WENT THAT WAS JUST REPLACED.
AND THERE'S A QUITE A BIT OF WORK THAT NEEDS TO GET DONE OUT THERE.
RELEASE IS TEMPORARY, BUT THEY'RE ABLE TO, THEY'RE ABLE TO STAY WARM EVEN BACK WITH THE HOOKUP.
THE STAFF, BECAUSE I UNDERSTAND THE STAFF OFFICES WERE STILL COLD.
I'VE BEEN ADVISED THAT THE BUILDING IS WARMING AS WE SPEAK.
IS THAT IT? MOTION FOR EXECUTIVE SESSION.
I'D LIKE TO MAKE A MOTION TO GO INTO EXECUTIVE SESSION FOUR.
FOUR FOR PERSONNEL, CONTRACTUAL LEGAL ISSUES AND THE PERSONNEL ARE INVOLVING INDIVIDUAL PEOPLE.
AND WE WON'T BE BACK UNTIL TOMORROW NIGHT.