[00:00:01]
WELCOME TO OUR GREENBERG, UH, TOWN BOARD MEETING.
UM, I'M SORRY THAT I'M UNABLE TO BE HERE IN, UH, PERSON TODAY, BUT I WAS, UM, UM, EXPOSED TO SOMEBODY WHO HAD, UM, YOU KNOW, COVID.
AND YESTERDAY THE BOARD MEMBERS SAID THEY DIDN'T WANT ME TO, UH, UM, IN FACT THEM.
SO I'M MEETING, UH, YOU KNOW, REMOTELY, BUT, UM, I HOPE EVERYBODY IS HEALTHY AND, AND, AND SAFE.
[ PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE]
WE'RE GONNA START UP TODAY'S MEETING.IT'S DECEMBER 14TH AFTER SEVEN 30, UM, WITH THE PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE.
SO IF YOU COULD PLEASE RISE FOR THE PLEDGE, PLEDGE ALLEGIANCE TO THE FLAG OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA PUBLIC FOR WHICH IT STANDS, ONE NATION, NATION UNDER GOD, INDIVISIBLE, WITH LIBERTY.
JUST SCROLL AND, UM, UH, THE TOWN CLERK.
JUDITH, COULD YOU, UH, DO THE ROLL CALL? ARE WE GONNA DO THE MOMENT OF SILENCE OR WE GONNA DO THAT? WE'LL DO THAT ROLL CALL AND THEN WE'LL DO THE,
[ MOMENT OF SILENCE In memory of the 1,074,367+ individual victims of COVID-19 who have died in the United States, 6,636,278+ deaths worldwide, each leaving family members and friends too soon In memory of the people in Ukraine killed during Russia's invasion and relentless intentional targeted bombing of civilians in apartment buildings, hospitals, train stations, schools and children centers, with mass graves being found after invaded areas have been retaken, all in Russia's effort to destroy Ukraine and its people, who are forced to fight for their land, their freedom, and general democratic principles. May they rest in peace and peace be restored to Ukraine In memory of all the victims of the Sandy Hook Elementary School Massacre (10th Anniversary) In memory of “Americo Carpenito” ("Mitty"). Mitty owned several restaurant establishments in the region over the years and assisted his daughter Tina for more than 30 years at Pas Tina's Ristorante on Central Ave in Hartsdale. An enormous persona he endeared himself to all who knew him. He was known for making every patron feel good by telling his patrons - "you are the best." He was a great businessman, a kind and considerate human being who made many people happy during his life In memory of Nellie King, longtime resident, Town of Greenburgh. Mrs. King and her husband were the first African American family to purchase a home in the Juniper Hill community of Greenburgh. Nellie was the first African American woman to hold an Administrative Assistant position in Greenburgh Public Schools. A leader in her own right, she collaborated with the district administration to help facilitate the hiring of more women into similar positions. Throughout her life in Greenburgh, Mrs. King was actively involved in community service and was instrumental in encouraging many other residents to become engaged in civic activities In memory of Janet Kuney - Hartsdale Greenburgh Rotary. Janet was a long-time Rotarian, in fact she was one of the first women to join the club and served multiple terms as the treasurer]
OKAY.WELL, ACCORDING TO THE AGENDA, WE A NEXT, UH, IS THE MOMENT OF SILENCE.
WE COULD DO THE MOMENT OF SILENCE.
UM, AND, UM, THERE'S MANY FAMILY MEMBERS AND FRIENDS WHO LOST THEIR LIVES ARE TOO SOON.
AND WE ALSO ARE HAVING A MOMENT OF SILENCE, UM, IN MEMORY OF THE PEOPLE OF UKRAINE KILLED DURING RUSSIA'S INVASION AND RELENTLESS INTERNATIONAL TARGETED BOMBINGS, THE CIVILIANS AND APARTMENT BUILDINGS, HOSPITALS, TRAIN STATIONS, SCHOOLS, AND CHILDREN'S CENTERS WITH MASS GRAVES BEING FOUND, UM, AFTER INVADED AREAS HAVE BEEN RETAKEN, ALL IN RUSSIA'S, UM, EFFORT TO DESTROY THE UKRAINE.
AND ITS PEOPLE WHO ARE FORCED TO FIGHT FOR THEIR LAND AND THEIR FREEDOM AND GENERAL DEMOCRATIC PRINCIPLES.
AND WE ALSO HAVE A MOMENT OF SILENCE, UM, IN MEMORY OF THE VICTIMS OF SANDY HOOK ELEMENTARY SCHOOL MASSACRE.
UM, AND, UM, WE HAVE A MOMENT OF SILENCE, UM, TODAY IN MEMORY OF A REALLY GREAT, UM, YOU KNOW, GREAT MAN.
UM, WE, UH, RECENTLY, UM, LOST, UM, UM, UH, THE LIGHT OF, UM, MIDI, UM, WHO, UM, OWNED, UM, UM, UH, SOME RESTAURANTS IN, IN GREENBURG MII IS SOMEBODY WHO MADE EVERYBODY SMILE.
UM, HE SAID TO EVERYBODY THAT THEY'RE THE BEST, AND HE WAS THE BEST.
THE NAME AMERICA CARTO MIGHT NOT BE READILY RECOGNIZABLE TO MANY OF OUR RESIDENTS, BUT EVERYBODY IN TOWN KNEW MIDI AND HE BROUGHT MANY FOND THOUGHTS TO MANY PEOPLE IN THE TOWN.
HE HAD A LOT OF GREAT CLASS, A LOT OF WARMTH, AND HE ASSISTED HIS DEVOTED AND LOVING DAUGHTER TINA FOR MORE THAN 30 YEARS AS CHRISTINA'S RESTAURANTE ON CENTRAL PARK AVENUE AND HARTSDALE.
AND BEFORE THAT HAD, UM, A RESTAURANT MIDS RIGHT NEAR, UM, YOU KNOW, T'S AND OTHER RESTAURANTS.
UM, UM, IN YONKERS, UM, MIDI PASSED AWAY AT THE AGE OF 94, UH, JUST A FEW WEEKS AGO.
THE FAMILY WAS, OF COURSE, DEVASTATED BY THE PASSING OF THEIR BELOVED FATHER, GRANDFATHER, GREAT-GRANDFATHER BROTHER AS WERE AND OUR THOUSANDS AND THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE WHO MADE, HE TOUCHED OVER HIS LONG AND FULFILLING LIFE.
AFTER I POSTED A TRIBUTE TO MITTY ON, UM, THE TOWN WEBSITE.
UM, UH, THIS WEEKEND I RECEIVED MANY, MANY EMAILS TELLING ME AND, AND PHONE CALLS TELLING ME HOW MUCH MINTY MEANT TO THEM AND WHAT A GENTLEMAN AND JUST A TERRIFIC HUMAN BEING.
HE WAS, HE WAS ELEGANT, IMPECCABLY DRESSED, ELOQUENT, CHARMING, HANDSOME.
UM, HE LOVED PEOPLE AND, UM, HE AND PEOPLE LOVED HIM.
AND ALTHOUGH HE WASN'T, UM, TALL, UH, HE WAS A MAN OF SMALL PHYSICAL, UM, STATURE, HE HAD AN ENORMOUS PERSONA AND ENDEARED HIMSELF TO ALL WHO KNEW HIM.
UM, MIDEA FAMILY MEMBERS HAVE BEEN RESIDENTS AND SUPPORTERS OF GREENBURG FOR DECADES.
AND WITH TINA'S RESTAURANT PAST'S BEING A LOCAL INSTITUTION, WHILE CHRISTOPHER, UH, TINA'S SON AND TY'S GRANDSON, UM, THEY ALSO SHARED AN, AN EXTRAORDINARY BOND WITH HIM AND DEEP LOVING RELATIONSHIP.
AND, UM, CHRIS NOW SERVES IN GREENBERG,
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UH, YOU KNOW, POLICE DEPARTMENT.I WROTE TO THE LANDLORD TODAY, UM, SUGGESTING THAT, UM, UH, THEY CONSIDER NAMING THE ENTRANCE TO THE PARKING AREA AND THE SHOPPING PLAZA, UM, IN HONOR OF MIDI BECAUSE, UM, YOU KNOW, HE JUST MADE EVERYBODY SMILE AND DID SO MUCH FOR THE COMMUNITY AND MADE EVERYBODY FEEL GOOD ABOUT THEMSELVES.
SO I'M HOPEFUL THAT, UM, UH, WE COULD HAVE A MORE PERMANENT MEMORIAL, UM, TO SOMEBODY WHO JUST WAS A WONDERFUL HUMAN BEING.
AND I THINK TINA'S HERE IN THE AUDIENCE AND HER GRAND, HER SON CHRIS.
AND WOULD YOU WANNA SAY ANYTHING BEFORE WE MOVE ON TO THE OTHER MOMENTS OF SILENCES? UH, JUST THANK YOU FOR SHARING THAT WITH EVERYBODY.
UH, YOU KNOW, NEXT, UM, WE HAVE A MOMENT OF SILENCE IN MEMORY OF, UH, NELLY KING, A LONGTIME RESIDENT OF THE TOWN.
SHE AND HER HUSBAND WERE THE FIRST AFRICAN FAM AMERICAN FAMILY TO PURCHASE A HOME IN THE JUNIPER HELD COMMUNITY OF GREENBURG.
SHE WAS THE FIRST AFRICAN-AMERICAN WOMAN TO HOLD AN ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT POSITION IN THE GREENBURG PUBLIC SCHOOLS.
SHE WAS A LEADER IN HER OWN RIGHT.
SHE COLLABORATED WITH THE DISTRICT ADMINISTRATION TO HELP FACILITATE THE HIRING OF MORE WOMEN, UM, AND TO MAJOR, UM, YOU KNOW, POSITIONS.
AND THROUGH HER LIFE IN GREENBURG, UM, MRS. KING WAS ACTIVELY INVOLVED IN COMMUNITY SERVICE, AND, UM, SHE ALSO ENCOURAGED MANY OTHER RESIDENTS TO BECOME ENGAGED IN CIVIC ACTIVITIES.
AND FINALLY, WE HAVE A MOMENT OF SILENCE, UM, IN MEMORY OF JANET KEARNEY, UM, WHO WAS VERY INVOLVED IN THE HARTSDALE GREENBURG ROTARY.
SHE WAS A LONGTIME ROTARIAN, AND SHE WAS ONE OF THE, UH, WOMAN TO JOIN THE CLUB AND SEVERAL MULTIPLE TERMS AS A, AS TREASURER.
SO I'M, I'M GONNA RE-ASK A REPRESENTATIVE OF THE HARSDALE ROTARY, UM, TO, UM, SAY A FEW WORDS ABOUT HER.
WE'LL DO THAT AFTER THE ROLL CALL.
PAUL WILL DO THAT AFTER THE ROLL CALL.
[ ROLL CALL: Town Clerk]
GREAT.COUNCIL SUPERVISOR, PAUL FINER HERE.
PRESENT COUNCILWOMAN GINA JACKSON PRESENT.
COUNCILMAN FRANCIS SHEEN PRESENT AN INTERIM TOWN ATTORNEY JOE DENKO PRESENT.
AND I'D JUST LIKE TO STATE FOR THE RECORD THAT SUPERVISOR FINER AND COUNCILWOMAN HENDRICKS, OUR ATTENDING TONIGHT IN COMPLIANCE WITH THE TOWN CODE SECTION 5 95, UM, THEY BOTH HAVE, UH, VOTING RIGHTS TONIGHT AND PARTICIPATION RIGHTS AS WE HAVE THREE COUNCIL MEMBERS, UH, PHYSICALLY PRESENT IN ATTENDANCE TODAY.
SO WE HAVE A QUORUM AT TOWN HALL, AND I JUST WANNA AGAIN, MENTION THAT BOTH OF US HAVE SIMILAR REASONS.
UH, WE WERE EXPOSED TO SOMEBODY WHO, UM, HAD, UM, HAD COVID, AND WE DON'T WANT TO GET ANYBODY ELSE SICK.
AND WE'RE JUST ASKING IF, UM, YOU'RE NEAR SOMEBODY WHO, UM, TESTED POSITIVE OR HAS THE FLU, UM, IT WOULD BE BETTER TO STAY HOME AND WATCH THE MEETINGS, UM, UH, FROM THE COMFORT OF YOUR HOME BECAUSE, UM, THE VIRUSES ARE, ARE SPREADING.
A LOT OF PEOPLE IN THE AREA ARE GETTING IT.
AND, YOU KNOW, WE DON'T WANT ANYBODY ELSE, UM, UH, TO BE SICK.
IN FACT, TODAY, THIS MORNING, I HAD BEEN INVITED TO, UM, A MEETING WITH THE CARDINAL, AND I WAS REALLY LOOKING FORWARD TO IT BECAUSE MARIA REGINA WAS CELEBRATING THE 65TH ANNIVERSARY.
UM, AND I HAD TO, UM, UM, CANCEL THAT BECAUSE I DIDN'T WANT TO GET THE CARDINAL SIGNAL.
[ Tribute to Janet Kuney - Joe Gardner, President, Hartsdale-Greenburgh Rotary]
SO NEXT, UM, WE HAVE, UH, JOE GARDNER, UM, WHO WILL BE, UM, HAVING A TRIBUTE IN MEMORY OF JANET.I'M THE, UH, CURRENT PRESIDENT OF THE HARTSDALE GREENBERG ROTARY.
UM, FOR THOSE OF YOU WHO DON'T KNOW, ROTARY IS AN INTERNATIONAL SERVICE ORGANIZATION, NOW 117 YEARS OLD WITH CLUBS AROUND THE WORLD WHO DO PRETTY MUCH THE SAME AS WHAT WE DO.
[00:10:01]
FOCUS ON SERVICE TO OUR LOCAL COMMUNITIES, OUR REGIONS, OUR COUNTRIES, AND THE WIDER WORLD.ROTARY'S MOTTO IS SERVICE ABOVE SELF.
AND I CAN'T THINK OF ANOTHER PERSON WHO BETTER EXEMPLIFIES THE ROTARY MISSION THAN THE ONE THAT MY FELLOW CLUB MEMBERS AND I ARE HERE TONIGHT TO HELP CELEBRATE AND REMEMBER.
THANK YOU FOR GIVING US A FEW MINUTES TO SPEAK ABOUT OUR DEAR FRIEND JANET CUNY, WHO PASSED AWAY LAST WEEK AT THE AGE OF 74.
JANET WAS ORIGINALLY FROM ITHACA, NEW YORK.
SHE WAS RAISED IN A LOVING FAMILY, TO WHOM SHE REMAINED CLOSE HER ENTIRE LIFE.
SHE RAISED A FAMILY, UH, WAS A BUSINESSWOMAN, HELPING TO START TWO SUCCESSFUL BUSINESSES, ONE IN ITHACA AND ONE IN HARTSDALE HERE WITH HER SISTER PEGGY PAYNE, WHO, UH, SOME OF YOU MAY REMEMBER AS OUR PARKS COMMISSIONER.
JANET WAS PASSIONATE ABOUT HER FAMILY, AND FORTUNATELY FOR US, SHE WAS ALSO PASSIONATE ABOUT ROTARY.
JANET WAS A LONG TIME ROTARIAN, AS PAUL WAS SAYING.
AS A MATTER OF FACT, JANET WAS ONE OF THE FIRST WOMEN, UH, TO BECOME A ROTARIAN.
UM, IT PROBABLY WILL NOT SURPRISE YOU TO KNOW THAT, UH, WOMEN WERE ONLY ADMITTED TO ROTARY STARTING IN ABOUT 1989.
AND, UH, THAT'S ABOUT THE TIME THAT JANET BEGAN.
UH, OVER THE YEARS, JANET PERFORMED MANY SERVICES, UM, UH, WITH ROTARY, WITH AND FOR ROTARY SERVING AS CLUB PRESIDENT ON MULTIPLE OCCASIONS.
AND IN THE LAST YEARS, SETTLING IN AS OUR MORE OR LESS PERMANENT TREASURER.
THERE'S A, UM, CHILDHOOD STORY ABOUT JANET THAT I PARTICULARLY LIKE.
UM, UH, SHE WAS A CHEERLEADER.
AND, UH, AS A TEENAGE GIRL, SHE HAD TO LEARN HOW TO TWIRL A BATON.
SO HER SIBLINGS TELL A STORY OF HER PRACTICING THIS IN THE YARD.
SHE'S GOT THE BATON IN THE YARD, AND SHE'S TRYING TO TWIRL IT WITH HER HAND, AND IT FALLS TO THE GROUND, AND SHE PICKS IT UP AND STARTS TWIRLING IT AGAIN, AND IT FALLS TO THE GROUND, AND SHE PICKS IT UP AND STARTS TWIRLING AGAIN.
SO SHE GETS THE TWIRLING, AND THEN SHE STARTS TO THROW IT UP IN THE AIR, AND IT FALLS IN THE GROUND AND THROWS IT UP IN THE AIR AGAIN.
SO IT GOES UNTIL SHE GETS IT RIGHT.
SHE WAS TIRELESS, AND SHE WAS DETERMINED.
SINCE THE BEGINNING OF THE PANDEMIC, OUR CLUB HAS FOCUSED MOST OF ITS EFFORT ON FIGHTING FOOD INSECURITY.
UM, THOSE OF YOU WHO KNOW ABOUT THE WORK OF THE HARTSDALE GREENBERG ROTARY IN THE TOWN KNOW THAT WE DO MANY THINGS.
WE WERE, UH, RESPONSIBLE FOR THE NINE 11 WALL.
WE, UM, WERE RESPONSIBLE FOR SOME OF THE, UH, FLOWER PLANTING AND DOWNTOWN HARTSDALE ALL BEFORE THE PANDEMIC.
UH, SINCE THE PANDEMIC BEGAN, UM, WE HAVE FOCUSED ON, UM, PRETTY MUCH THIS SINGLE THING.
UM, AND WE'VE WORKED WITH SEVERAL PARTNERS, INCLUDING THE THEODORE DE YOUNG COMMUNITY CENTER, UH, FEEDING WESTCHESTER, THE GREENBERG HEALTH CENTER, AND FOOD PANTRY, AND BRIDGING DOTS.
BRIDGING DOTS, UM, YOU PROBABLY KNOW, IS A STUDENT RUN ORGANIZATION THAT HAS HELPED US FORM A TOWN WIDE TEAM TASK FORCE TO MOBILIZE, UH, BEHIND THESE EFFORTS.
THE TEEN TASK FORCE IS A MENTORING ORGANIZATION MEANT TO ENCOURAGE TEENS IN OUR TOWN IN GREATER GREENBERG TO BECOME INVOLVED IN COMMUNITY SERVICE.
WE'VE ALSO BEEN WORKING WITH A COMMUNITY CENTER ON STARTING A COMMUNITY GARDEN.
THE GARDEN IS DESIGNED TO BE A LEARNING CENTER, A MULTI-GENERATIONAL LEARNING CENTER, WHERE FOLKS OF ALL AGES CAN GET TOGETHER AND LEARN ABOUT GROWING FOOD, ABOUT HEALTHY FOODS, UH, GROWING HEALTHY FOODS, AND IT'S MEANT TO BE A SOURCE, ULTIMATELY, OF NUTRITIOUS FOOD FOR THE LOCAL AREA.
UM, SO FAR WE'VE RAISED $10,000 OF THE $15,000 STARTING BUDGET, AND JANET'S FAMILY HAS ASKED THAT IN LIEU OF FLOWERS OR OTHER REMEMBRANCES DONATIONS BE MADE TO THIS FUND TO HELP US REACH OUR GOAL.
AND FINISH JANET'S LAST ROTARY PROJECT.
THANKS VERY MUCH FOR YOUR TIME.
UM, IS, UH, TOM ANTE HERE? HE IS.
[ 7:45 PM - Presentation - Honoring Assemblyman Thomas Abinanti]
TODAY IS OUR,[00:15:01]
UM, UM, ONE OF THE LAST MEETINGS OF THE TOWN BOARD.AND, UM, WE'RE GONNA EXPRESS OUR APPRECIATION TO TOM AVAN FOR HIS VERY EFFECTIVE LEADERSHIP AND FOR HIS HARD WORK, WHICH HAS HELPED MAKE GREENBERG A MUCH BETTER PLACE.
UM, TOM WILL BE RETIRING AS OUR ASSEMBLYMAN ON DECEMBER 31ST.
TOM HAS SERVED THE RESIDENTS OF GREENBURG AS OUR ASSEMBLYMAN SINCE 2011.
PRIOR TO HIS ELECTION TO THE STATE ASSEMBLY, TOM SERVED AS A MEMBER OF THE BOARD OF LEGISLATORS, AND HE SERVED, UM, HE WAS ELECTED THREE TIMES BY HIS COLLEAGUES TO THE POWERFUL AND IMPORTANT POSITION OF MAJORITY LEADER.
PRIOR TO THAT, HE TWICE SERVED AS A MEMBER OF THE GREENBERG TOWN BOARD.
UM, TOM HAS FOUGHT SUCCESSFULLY TO PRESERVE HUNDREDS OF ACRES FOR PARKS AND OPEN SPACE.
HE HAS FOUGHT TO PROTECT WOMEN'S RIGHTS, AND HE WAS A CHAMPION AND STRONG ADVOCATE FOR PEOPLE WITH SPECIAL NEEDS.
AS A MEMBER OF THE NEW YORK STATE ASSEMBLY, TOM HAS FOUGHT HARD TO INCREASE FINANCIAL AID TO SCHOOL DISTRICTS IN GREENBURG AND OBTAIN FINANCIAL HELP FOR GREENBURG TO CONSTRUCT, UM, NEW SIDEWALKS.
FOR EXAMPLE, THE SIDEWALK ON, ON CENTRAL AVENUE FROM MARION TO WEST HARTSDALE AVENUE WAS BUILT, UH, BECAUSE OF HIS EFFORTS.
HE, UH, HELPED RENOVATE THE GREENBERG LIBRARY.
HE HELPED IMPROVE MACERO PARK AND NEW THE NORTH ELMER THROUGH FUNDING.
TOM HELPED THE TOWN FINANCIALLY BY PASSING LEGISLATION TO PROVIDE HOTEL TAX REVENUE AND ADDITIONAL SALES TAX TO THE TOWN OF GREENBURG.
AND THE MILLIONS OF DOLLARS OF THE TOWN HAS RECEIVED AN ADDITIONAL REVENUE, HAS HELPED THE TOWN AVOID TAX HIKES FOR FOUR CONSECUTIVE YEARS.
WE HAVE NOT INCREASED THE TAX RATES FOR FOUR YEARS.
AND, UM, THE PROPOSED, UM, BUDGET FOR 2023 INCLUDES A 6% TAX REDUCTION, WHICH WOULD NOT HAVE BEEN MADE POSSIBLE WITHOUT THE ADDITIONAL REVENUE, ANNUAL REVENUE THAT TOM HAS HELPED US GET.
SO WHENEVER TOM, WHENEVER WE NEEDED TOM, UM, HE ALWAYS SAID YES.
NOT ONLY DID HE GO THROUGH THE MOTIONS OF HELPING, BUT HE LOBBIED TIRELESSLY AND ACTUALLY GOT RESULTS FOR, UM, FOR THE DISTRICT.
SO WE'RE RECOGNIZING, UM, TOM, UM, FOR BEING A SERVANT OF THE PEOPLE AND AN EFFECTIVE LAWYER LAWMAKER WHO GOT RESULTS FOR THE TOWN OF GREENBURG.
AND WE THANK HIM FOR HIS, UM, HARD WORK AND DEDICATION.
AND, UM, I GAVE, UM, JUDITH, I LEFT ON YOUR DESK.
AND, UH, WE'D ALSO LIKE TO, UM, IF ELISA JACOBS IS HERE, ELISA HAS HELPED.
UM, SHE ALSO DID AN AMAZING JOB.
UM, EVERY TIME THE TOWN NEEDED HELP, UH, SHE WAS THE FIRST PERSON IN TOM'S, UM, OFFICE WE WOULD CALL.
UM, SHE, UM, HELPED, UM, HUNDREDS OF PEOPLE HELP WITH, UM, CONSTITUENT WORK, UM, AND RESOLVED MANY, MANY, UM, YOU KNOW, PROBLEMS. AND, YOU KNOW, WE WOULD ALSO LIKE TO HONOR HER.
I HAVE A CERTIFICATE OF APPRECIATION FOR HER.
SO, TOM, WOULD YOU LIKE TO COME UP, UM, AND SAY A FEW WORDS? I WOULD JUST LIKE TO SAY ON BEHALF OF, UM, PAUL FINER AND THE TOWN BOARD, IT IS MY HONOR TO PRESENT THIS PROCLAMATION TO YOU.
TOM, I'VE KNOWN YOU THROUGHOUT THE DURATION OF MY TENURE, HAVE WALKED WITH YOU, HAVE, UH, BEEN IN EVENTS WHERE YOU HAVE BEEN A GUEST SPEAKER TO THE VARIOUS POINTS THAT YOU'VE, THAT PAUL MENTIONED IN THIS PROCLAMATION AND THE SUCCESS THAT YOU HAVE BROUGHT TO THE TOWN OF GREENBURG, AS WELL AS, AS AN ASSEMBLYMAN IN THE STATE OF NEW YORK.
IT IS, MY HONOR, HONORABLE ASSEMBLYMAN TOM ANTE TO PRESENT THIS PROCLAMATION TO YOU.
THANK YOU, UH, MADAM TOWN CLERK.
IT'S AN HONOR TO TAKE IT FROM YOU, UH, MR. SUPERVISOR MEMBERS OF THE TOWN BOARD.
I'M REALLY MOVED, UH, THAT YOU'VE GONE OUT OF YOUR WAY TO HONOR ME.
I REALLY, REALLY APPRECIATE IT.
UM, AS MANY OF YOU KNOW, I WAS A LONG TIME RESIDENT OF, UH, GREENBURG.
I LIVED IN GREENBURG FOR 35 YEARS, UH, IN HARTSDALE AND IN ORCHARD HILL.
AND IT WAS, UM, I WAS ABLE TO SEE WHAT WAS NEEDED IN GREENBURG AND WAS ALWAYS HAD GREAT COOPERATION WITH THE, UH, OTHER MEMBERS OF THE TOWN BOARD WHEN I WAS ON THE TOWN BOARD, UH, AND WHEN I WAS A COUNTY LEGISLATOR.
AND, UH, AS, AS AN ASSEMBLY MEMBER, UH, I THINK BACK TO
[00:20:01]
THE DAYS IN THE OLD TOWN HALL, UM, WHICH IS NO LONGER THERE NOW, THE LIBRARY HAS BEEN EXPANDED INTO THAT LOCATION.AND I THINK BACK TO WHAT THE TOWN OF GREENBURG AND THE TOWN OF GREENBURG GOVERNMENT WAS LIKE IN THOSE DAYS.
AND NOW LOOK AROUND AND SEE A MAJOR, MAJOR DIFFERENCE, A MAJOR IMPROVEMENT.
UH, THE TOWN BOARD THAT I WAS ON WAS THE FIRST TOWN BOARD TO INITIATE, UM, CURBSIDE RECYCLING.
THERE WAS A WHOLE BIG DEBATE OVER THAT ISSUE.
WE PASSED THE FIRST STEEP SLOPE ORDINANCE.
WE PASSED THE, SO MANY OTHER ENVIRONMENTAL MEASURES THAT ARE TAKEN FOR GRANTED TODAY.
UM, AND I THINK BACK, AND WE WERE ABLE TO DO THAT BECAUSE OF THE, THE DEDICATION OF THE TOWN BOARD AT THAT TIME, THE LEADERSHIP OF THE SUPERVISOR AT THAT TIME, AND THE GREAT STAFF THAT WE HAD.
AND I LOOK FORWARD, I LOOK TODAY AND I SEE MEMBERS OF THE TOWN BOARD WHO HAVE THE SAME DEDICATION, WHO SPEND THEIR TIME BECAUSE THEY REALLY CARE ABOUT THE TOWN OF GREENBURG AND WANNA MOVE US FORWARD.
AND I SEE A SUPERVISOR WHO WORKS DAY AND NIGHT ON BEHALF OF THE PEOPLE OF THE TOWN OF GREENBURG.
UM, I LOST AN ELECTION TO PAUL FINER FOR THE COUNTY BOARD, AND I WAS VERY ANGRY WITH HIM FOR A PERIOD OF TIME,
BUT I'VE LEARNED TO RESPECT HIM, AND WE'VE LEARNED TO WORK TOGETHER VERY WELL.
I KNEW THAT I WAS IN HIS GOOD GRACES WHEN HE STOPPED SENDING ME LETTERS SAYING, MRS. SO-AND-SO WANTS SOMETHING AND CHANGED THOSE LETTERS TO SAY, MRS. SO-AND-SO WANTS SOMETHING, HERE'S HER ADDRESS.
SO I WAS ABLE TO CONTACT HER
BUT I, I, I REALLY DO APPRECIATE, UH, HAVING MY HOMETOWN HONOR ME THIS WAY.
UM, ESPECIALLY FROM THIS TOWN BOARD AND THIS SUPERVISOR, UH, YOU KNOW, UM, AND THIS TOWN CLERK WHO I'VE WORKED WITH ALSO, WHO HAS, UH, DONE A MARVELOUS JOB FOR US.
UM, YOU KNOW, A LOT OF PEOPLE TODAY ARE, ARE CONCERNED ABOUT THE STRENGTH OF OUR DEMOCRACY.
AND I WILL TELL YOU THAT, UH, I HAVE SIMILAR CONCERNS ABOUT WHAT'S GOING ON IN WASHINGTON AND WHAT'S GOING ON, ON THE FRINGES OF THE TWO PARTIES, WHETHER IT'S THE REPUBLICAN PARTY OR THE DEMOCRATIC PARTY.
BUT, YOU KNOW, I I I'M SOMEWHAT OPTIMISTIC THAT OUR, OUR DEMOCRACY WILL, WILL SURVIVE AND FLOURISH.
AND WHY AM I OPTIMISTIC? I'M OPTIMISTIC BECAUSE OF PEOPLE LIKE YOU.
UM, OUR GOVERNMENT IS DESIGNED AS A FEDERAL SYSTEM.
SO WE HAVE A FEDERAL GOVERNMENT THAT'S SEPARATELY ELECTED A STATE GOVERNMENT THAT'S SEPARATELY ELECTED, A COUNTY GOVERNMENT THAT'S SEPARATELY ELECTED, AND A LOCAL GOVERNMENT THAT'S SEPARATELY ELECTED AND PROVIDES THE SERVICES TO THE PEOPLE ON THE GROUND.
YOU HAVE YOUR OWN POLICE DEPARTMENT, YOU HAVE YOUR OWN COURT SYSTEM, YOU PROVIDE THE SANITATION AND ALL OF THE OTHER BASIC SERVICES THAT PEOPLE NEED.
YOU SEE PEOPLE IN THE SUPERMARKETS, YOU HEAR WHAT IT'S ALL ABOUT.
THAT'S WHAT KEEPS THIS COUNTRY STRONG AND WILL KEEP IT AS A DEMOCRACY.
YOU AND OTHERS, LIKE YOU, WILL NOT LET OUR DEMOCRACY FADE AWAY.
THERE'S A CHECKS AND BALANCES, AND IT COMES FROM THE LOCAL LEVEL WHERE YOU ALL HAVE DEVOTED YOUR TIME AND EFFORT AND WILL CONTINUE TO DO SO.
SO, I WANT TO THANK YOU ONE FOR THE PROCLAMATION.
TWO, I WANT TO THANK THE PEOPLE OF GREENBERG FOR ALLOWING ME TO SERVE THEM FOR, I GUESS IT'S 37 YEARS IN DIFFERENT CAPACITIES.
AND LASTLY, UM, I WANNA SAY THAT I, I VERY MUCH APPRECIATED AND HOPE THAT WE WILL BE ABLE TO CONTINUE TO MOVE FORWARD AND NOT BE DISTRACTED BY ALL OF THOSE OTHER THINGS OUT THERE THAT PEOPLE WANT TO TALK ABOUT.
BUT LET'S JUST KEEP GOING WITH DOING THE THINGS THAT WE'VE BEEN DOING.
SO THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR GIVING ME THIS HONOR.
AND I HOPE YOU'LL, UH, CONTINUE TO BE INVOLVED IN PUBLIC SERVICE.
AND, UH, JUST BECAUSE YOU'RE LEAVING, UH, ASSEMBLY DOESN'T MEAN YOU HAVE TO LEAVE.
LEAVE YOUR, UH, YOUR, UH, PASSION FOR CONTINUED PUBLIC SERVICE.
IS ELISA HERE? NO, SHE'S NOT HERE.
I GAVE HER, I GAVE HER CERTIFICATE TO TOM.
[ Proclamation honoring Central Turf Family/Company]
UM, INDIVIDUAL, UM, OR BUSINESS THAT WOULD LIKE TO HONOR IS REALLY, UM, A BUSINESS OF THE MONTH.UM, TODAY WE'RE RECOGNIZING CENTRAL TURF AND IRRIGATION SUPPLY.
THEY DID SOMETHING VERY, VERY SPECIAL DURING, UH, THE THANKSGIVING HOLIDAY SEASON.
[00:25:01]
THEY DONATED 1000 MEALS TO THE HUNGRY ON THANKSGIVING.THEY HAVE A CORPORATE CULTURE WHERE EMPLOYEES HELP EACH OTHER WHEN COLLEAGUES HAVE, UM, HAVE PROBLEMS. BERNARDO LUCIANO, OWNER OF CENTRAL TURF AND IRRIGATION SUPPLY IS A MODERN DAY, UM, LIVING SAINTS.
HE, HIS BUSINESS IS HEADQUARTERED IN ELMSFORD.
UM, AND YOU KNOW, I WAS JUST STUNNED WHEN WE GOT THE CALL SAYING THAT THEY WANT TO DONATE A THOUSAND MEALS TO RESIDENTS AND, AND PEOPLE IN THE COMMUNITY WHO ARE HUNGRY.
CAM ILLA, UM, IS HIS DAUGHTER.
AND, UM, WE WERE TALKING, UH, DURING THE PAST FEW WEEKS ABOUT THE AMAZING CORPORATE CULTURE BECAUSE NOT ONLY DO THEY, UM, HELP, UM, THE HUNGRY, THEY HELP FELLOW EMPLOYEES WHO FACED PROBLEMS IN THEIR LIVES.
THE COMPANY HAS SPONSORED MANY CHARITABLE CAUSES OVER THE YEARS OF EMPLOYEES OF THEIRS, HAVE INDIVIDUAL, UM, YOU KNOW, PROBLEMS. UH, THEY'LL RAISE FUNDS FOR CHARITIES DEALING WITH, UM, WITH THE EMPLOYEES, UM, UH, PASSIONS.
UM, THE OPERATION OF FEEDING SO MANY WENT SMOOTHLY.
AND THERE WERE MANY PEOPLE, UM, AND ORGANIZATIONS WHO ASSISTED.
UM, OUR TOWN BOARD, UM, MEMBER, UM, UH, GINA, UM, JACKSON, UM, SPENT SOME TIME, UM, HELPING, UH, MAKE THE EVENT SUCCESSFUL.
OUR COUNTY LEGISLATOR, JEWEL WILLIAMS JOHNSON WAS THERE, UH, TOWN CLERK, UM, GINA, JACK, UH, TOWN CLERK, UH, UM, JUDITH DEVILLE WAS THERE.
UH, WE HAD WOODLAND HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS AND OLMS OXFORD GIRL SCOUT, UH, TROOPS.
UM, THERE WERE SO MANY PEOPLE WHO, UM, WHO REALLY CARED AND MADE THE EVENT, UM, YOU KNOW, VERY, VERY SPECIAL.
SO, UM, I WOULD LIKE TO, UM, THANK, UM, UM, OUR, UM, UH, OUR HEROES, BERNARDO LUCIANO, AND, UM, AND HIS DAUGHTER CAMIL CILLO.
AND, UH, JUDITH, WOULD YOU GIVE THEM THE PROCLAMATION? ABSOLUTELY.
AND MS.
WOULD YOU LIKE TO SAY ANYTHING? YEAH, WE JUST WANT TO THANK YOU FOR, RECOGNIZED US FOR WHAT WE DID, AND THANK YOU FOR, ALLOWED US TO DO WHAT WE WANTED TO DO FOR A LONG TIME.
AND, UH, YOU, YOU MADE IT POSSIBLE.
I'M GONNA ACTUALLY TALK FOR A MINUTE BECAUSE I WANT PEOPLE TO UNDERSTAND WHAT HAPPENED.
SO MY DAD HAD A VISION OF DOING THIS IN THE TOWN OF GREENBURG.
UM, WE'VE BEEN HERE FOR CLOSE TO 40 YEARS, UM, IN LIVING WITH, AND WE OF OUR BUSINESS IN THE TOWN OF GREENBURG.
SO HE HAD A VISION TO FEED PEOPLE, AND I KNEW THERE WAS ONLY ONE PERSON I CAN CONTACT FOR THAT, PAUL FINER
AND I WAS, WELL, LIKE I WAS SAYING ANOTHER TIME, IT TOOK ABOUT FIVE MINUTES AND I GOT A RESPONSE.
I MEAN, THAT'S UNHEARD OF FOR A TOWN SUPERVISOR TO RESPOND THAT QUICKLY.
BUT HE PUT EVERYTHING INTO MOTION AND WE WERE ABLE TO DO IT.
SO IT IS SOMETHING WE WANT TO CONTINUE TO DO FOR FUTURE YEARS.
UM, MAYBE INCREASE IT, MAYBE DO SOME OTHER STUFF WITHIN THE COMMUNITY.
SO, UH, WE LOOK FORWARD TO DOING MORE.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR, UH, SO THANK YOU ALL.
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR SERVICE.
[ To consider the 2023 Preliminary Budget. https://www.greenburghny.com/DocumentCenter/View/9811/2023-Tentative-Budget?bidId=]
NEXT, UH, WE HAVE, UM, PUBLIC, YOU KNOW, HEARINGS.UH, THE FIRST PUBLIC HEARING IS ON, UM, THE TOWN BUDGET.
I'D LIKE TO MOVE THAT WE OPEN THE HEARING.
UM, ROBERTA, DO YOU WANT TO GO THROUGH THE, UH, THE SLIP SHEETS? SURE.
SO THESE ARE THE PROPOSED CHANGES SO FAR TO THE TENTATIVE BUDGET.
I'M JUST GONNA READ THROUGH THEM.
THE FIRST ONE IS, UM, THE SALARIES AND ON ROBERTA, COULD YOU MOVE THE MICROPHONE ON? HOLD ON.
CAN YOU CLOSE THE DOOR AND MOVE THE MICROPHONE IN FRONT OF YOU AS BEST YOU CAN? THANK YOU.
[00:30:04]
OKAY.UM, THE FIRST ONE IS AN INCREASE TO THE ASSISTANT COURT CLERK'S SALARIES FOR $10,000.
THE NEXT ONE IS AN INCREASE TO PART-TIME SECURITY GUARDS OF $33,000.
THE NEXT CHANGE IS LAW CLERKS FOR THE THREE JUDGES OF $90,000.
THE NEXT ONE IS A REDUCTION OF $150,000 TO MOVE THE FUNDS TO CONTINGENCY UNTIL A POSITION IS DETERMINED.
THE NEXT ONE IS THE EXPOSURE PROGRAM WAS NOT FUNDED IN 2023.
THAT'S RE A REDUCTION OF $10,000, AN INCREASE IN PART-TIME DUE TO INCREASED INSPECTIONS, $16,000, A REDUCTION OF $50,000 FOR NOT DOING THE REASSESSMENT.
IN 2023, A DEDUCTION OF $4,800 FOR A CORRECTED AMOUNT, AN INCREASE OF $4,000 BECAUSE THEY NEED THE AMOUNT TO COVER THE COST OF SERVICES IN, IN THE PROFESSIONAL SERVICES WITHIN THE ASSESSOR'S OFFICE.
THE NEXT ONE IS AN INCREASE TO COVER CONFERENCES ALSO IN THE ASSESSOR'S OFFICE.
THE NEXT ONE IS A REDUCTION OF $10,000 FOR, TO, FOR THE SUMMER INTERNS.
SO THAT'S CONSISTENT WITH 2022 AMOUNT THAT WAS IN THE BUDGET.
NEXT ONE IS AN INCREASE OF 25,000 7 87 FOR THE LASER FEE SOFTWARE BOARD APPROVED IN 2022.
NEXT ONE IS AN INCREASE OF $2,100 TO INSURANCE BECAUSE WE GOT THE UPDATED PREMIUM AMOUNT.
NEXT ONE IS THE INCREASE TO CONTINGENCY OF THE $150,000, WHICH IS MOVING THE FUND FROM THE SUPERVISOR'S SALARIES LINE.
NEXT ONE IS AN INCREASE OF $40,000 FOR THE NEW FOOD CONTRACT.
AND THE OFFSET IS IN THE CN FUND, WHICH IS THE NUTRITION PROGRAM.
THE FIRST ONE IS AN ADJUSTMENT OF 62,900 FOR INSURANCE WITH THE UPDATED PREMIUM, A REDUCTION OF $57,000.
THIS WAS CARRIED OVER FROM THE PRIOR YEAR IN ERROR.
NEXT ONE IS AN INCREASE OF SALARIES OF 45,631 FOR AN ADDITIONAL OFFICE ASSISTANT, WHICH IS REQUESTED IN THE BUILDING DEPARTMENT.
AN INCREASE OF $50,000 FOR RETIREMENTS AND PAYOUTS AND PERSONAL TIME IN THE BUILDING DEPARTMENT.
AN INCREASE IN PART-TIME OF $3,000 IN THE BUILDING DEPARTMENT, AN INCREASE OF $400,000 FOR THIRD PARTY INSPECTOR SPECIALTY CONSTRUCTION IN THE BUILDING DEPARTMENT.
NEXT ONE IS AN ADDITION OF $34,218.
AND THESE ARE ADDITIONAL FUNDS REQUESTED FOR SPECIAL EVENTS.
NEXT IS, THIS IS ALL WITHIN, UM, PARKS AND REC MAINTENANCE.
SO WHAT THEY WANNA DO IS THERE'S AN ARBORIST POSITION.
SO THAT'S A REDUCTION OF 39,301.
THE MOTOR EQUIPMENT OPERATOR, THEY WANNA CONVERT TO A HEAVY MOTOR EQUIPMENT OPERATOR.
SO IT'S A REDUCTION OF THE 76,541 FOR THE MOTOR EQUIPMENT OPERATOR AND AN INCREASE OF 81,624 FOR THE HEAVY MOTOR EQUIPMENT OPERATOR.
THIS IS WITHIN THE COMMUNITY CENTER.
AND PART TIMELINE IS BEING INCREASED BY 20 2004 65, WHICH WAS REQUESTED TO, UM, MATCH WHAT'S BEEN ACTUAL IN THE PAST.
SAME THING WITH PART-TIME SEASONAL, AN INCREASE OF $17,000.
NEXT ONE IS AN INCREASE TO THE PLANNER SALARY OF 4,716.
NEXT ONE IS THE REDUCTION OF THE, UM, REQUESTED PROJECTS.
AND THAT'S JUST TO CORRECT THE AMOUNT THAT'S NEEDED.
NEXT ONE IS AN INCREASE FOR THE MEDICAL INSURANCE.
THE NIGHT SHIP RATE INCREASE IS 1 MILLION 387 800.
NEXT ONE IS TRANSFER TO THE HIGHWAY FUND OF 251,000 AND TRANSFER OF THE LIBRARY OF 97,800.
NEXT DEPARTMENT IS NUTRITION, AND THAT'S THE REQUEST OF THE $40,000 FOR THE NEW FOOD CONTRACT AND NIGHT SHIP RATE INCREASE OF 11,600.
AND THEN THE TRANSFER FROM THE BEEF FUND, THAT'S THE OFFSET.
AN UPDATED INCREASED PREMIUM WITHIN THE HIGHWAY DEPARTMENT OF 33,900 AND A NIGHT SHIP INCREASE OF TWO THOU
[00:35:01]
217,100.AND THE OFFSET IS THE TRANSFER FOR TOWN OUTSIDE IN THE WATER DEPARTMENT.
WE'VE GOT THE UPDATED INSURANCE PREMIUM, 29,600, AND THEN THE NIGHT SHIP RATE OF 1 0 5 3 74.
THEN THE PUMP HOUSE EQUIPMENT, THE CHEMICALS, THE BID CAME BACK HIGHER THAN EXPECTED, SO WE NEED TO INCREASE IT BY 133,000.
AND IN THE TRANSFER TO THE G FUND IS AN INCREASE OF 44,926.
NOW THE BERG STATION, SO WE'VE GOT THE INCREASE TO THE INSURANCE PREMIUM 6,700, THE BID THAT CAME BACK, THE $40,000, WHICH WAS NOTE OF ABOVE.
AND THEN THE MEDICAL INSURANCE, THE NIGHT SHIP RATE INCREASE OF 4,000 9 26, THE I FUND, WHICH IS, THEY ARE REQUESTING AN ADDITIONAL CLEANER.
AND THE NICE SHIP RATE INCREASE 100, SORRY, I CAN'T SEE IT THAT WELL, 86,400.
AND THEN THE OFFSET IS THE TRANSFER TO TOWN OUTSIDE.
WITHIN THE LIBRARY, WE'VE GOT THE ADJUSTMENT FOR THE UPDATED PREMIUM OF 1,300.
NICE SHIP RATE INCREASE, 97,800.
WE'VE GOT NEXT, WE'VE GOT WITHIN THE REVENUES A RECLASS OUT OF THE APPROPRIATED FUND BALANCE INTO MISCELLANEOUS INCOME.
AND THEN THE INCREASE TO THE TRANSFER FROM TOWN OUTSIDE WITH THE 97,800 TO COVER THE EXPENSES THAT WERE INCREASED.
AND THE LAST ONE IS IN THE SEWER FUND INSURANCE EXPENSE THAT WAS INCREASED BY 1,400.
AND THE NIGHT SHIP RATE INCREASED 8,500.
AND THE OFFSET IS APPROPRIATED FUND BALANCE OF 9,900.
AND THAT'S ALL THE PROPOSED CHANGES AS OF TODAY.
AND I JUST WANNA, UM, ASK YOU, UM, IN TERMS OF THE, THE IMPACT FIRST PROPOSED, UH, THE BUDGET, UH, THERE WAS A 6%, UH, TAX RATE REDUCTION MM-HMM.
AND, AND BOTH BUDGETS? MM-HMM.
I ALSO WANTED TO MENTION, AND HOW, HOW ARE WE DOING THAT? ARE WE DOING THAT BY DRAWING FROM FUND BALANCE? YES.
WELL, SO THAT'S OBVIOUSLY, WE COULD ALWAYS MAKE IT TO BE 6%, 6% IF WE KEEP DRAWING FROM FUND BALANCE, WHAT WOULD THE RATE BE IF WE DIDN'T DRAW FROM FUND BALANCE FOR THESE ADDITIONS WITHOUT THESE ADDITIONS, WITH THESE ADDITIONS NOT DRAWING FROM UN BALANCE, WHAT WOULD BE THE, UM, THE DECREASE? OR WOULD IT BE, WOULD IT BE ZERO? IT, IT, UM, I DON'T HAVE THE EXACT AMOUNT FOR THE A FUND, THE INCREASE IS ABOUT 500,000.
SO I BELIEVE THAT WAS AROUND 1%.
YOU KNOW WHAT, LET ME LOOK IN HERE.
WELL, IF YOU DON'T KNOW, DON'T GUESS.
YOU CAN ALWAYS, YOU CAN ALWAYS LET US KNOW.
I CAN GET BACK TO YOU ON THAT.
LET ME, UM, MENTION ONE OTHER THING.
YOU KNOW, I, THE ONE THING THAT REALLY BOTHERS ME IS, UM, THE REDUCTION IN, UM, $10,000 FOR THE INTERNSHIP PROGRAM.
UM, AND EARLIER TONIGHT, I GOT A EMAIL FROM JT ROGERS WHO EMAILED ME, UM, FROM HIS FILM SET IN TOKYO.
HE EMAILED ME AT 6:28 PM UH, TONIGHT, JT ROGERS LIVES IN HASTINGS, AND HE WON A TONY AWARD FOR THE BEST PLAY OSLO A NUMBER OF YEARS AGO.
A FEW YEARS AGO, UH, JUDITH VILLE AND I HAD INVITED HIM, UM, TO BE A GUEST SPEAKER, UH, AFTER HE WON THE TONY AWARD, HE IMMEDIATELY RESPONDED.
UH, THIS YEAR HE CAME BACK AND HE SENT ME A REALLY NICE EMAIL SAYING, GOOD MORNING.
FROM MY FILM SET HERE IN TOKYO, READING THE BELOW, IF I MAY BE PRESUMPTUOUS AND WEIGH IN AS A FORMER INTERN IN A PROGRAM LIKE YOURS, THE EXPERIENCE CHANGED MY LIFE FURTHER.
ONE OF YOUR INTERNS REACHED OUT TO ME AFTER MY TALK, AND I HAVE BEEN MENTORING HER SINCE SETTING HER UP WITH AN LA CASTING DIRECTORS AND MORE IN HOPES OF HELPING HER BEGIN A CAREER IN FILM AND TELEVISION.
AND I'M MENTIONING THAT BECAUSE I THINK MOST PEOPLE IN GREENBURG MOVED TO THE TOWN BECAUSE OF THE SCHOOL SYSTEM, AND BECAUSE THEY WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT THEIR KIDS HAVE OPPORTUNITIES THAT THEY DID NOT HAVE.
[00:40:01]
THE INTERNSHIP PROGRAM, UM, IN GREENBURG, THAT JUDITH AND I HAVE, UM, HEADED UP FOR OVER A DOZEN YEARS, HAS PROVIDED STUDENTS, UM, FROM EVERY DEMOGRAPHIC AREA IN THE TOWN, EVERY SCHOOL DISTRICT IN THE TOWN, WITH AN OPPORTUNITY TO, UM, LEARN ABOUT GOVERNMENT TO INTERACT WITH TOWN, COUNTY, STATE, NATIONAL, UH, LEADERS.UM, IN ADDITION TO MEREDITH, IN ADDITION TO, UH, JT ROGERS, UM, THIS YEAR THEY, UH, HEARD FROM MEREDITH VIERRA, THE FORMER TODAY SHOW HOST WHO LIVES IN IRVINGTON.
THEY'VE INTERACTED WITH NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER AUTHORS, UH, HILLARY CLINTON.
UM, A FEW YEARS AGO, WE'VE HAD WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENCE FROM TIME MAGAZINE FROM NEWSWEEK.
UM, UH, WE HAD LEON TALLEY WHO, UM, UH, WE JUST NAMED DISCRETE AFTER SPEAK TO, UH, THE INTERNS.
PHIL WISER, THE ATTORNEY GENERAL IN COLORADO, MET WITH THE ATTORNEY, THE INTERNS LAST YEAR.
WHAT MAKES THE GREENBERG INTERNSHIP PROGRAM SO SPECIAL AND UNIQUE IS, I THINK WE'RE THE ONLY INTERN PROGRAM OF ITS KIND, PROBABLY ANYWHERE THAT HAS NEVER TURNED AWAY ANYONE.
WE HAVE PROVIDED INTERNSHIP OPPORTUNITIES TO ANY STUDENT IN THE TOWN, HIGH SCHOOL OR COLLEGE STUDENT WHO ASKED TO BE A MEMBER OF THE INTERNSHIP PROGRAM.
SO, UH, THE 2022 BUDGET, UM, WHILE WAS PROPOSED, UM, YOU KNOW, WE DID NOT, AND ANTICIPATE LAST YEAR AT THIS TIME, THAT WE WOULD HAVE OVER 45 STUDENTS WHO WANTED TO BE PART OF THE INTERNSHIP PROGRAM.
SO WE HAVE FUNDS, OTHER FUNDS IN, IN THE BUDGET THAT WE DIDN'T SPEND, AND WE USED THAT TO, TO HAVE TO PAY EVERY INTERN.
UM, YOU KNOW, WE HAD OVER 45, UM, I THINK 45 OR 46 STUDENTS.
AND, UM, AND AGAIN, I FEEL THAT, UM, I'M ONLY, WE'RE ONLY ASKING FOR $10,000.
WE, WE DON'T WANNA TURN ANYBODY AWAY NEXT YEAR.
AND, UM, MAYBE WE WON'T NEED, UH, THE ADDITIONAL $10,000.
IF WE DON'T NEED IT, WE'RE NOT GONNA SPEND IT.
BUT I, I REALLY FEEL YOU NEVER KNOW, ESPECIALLY WITH AN INTERNSHIP PROGRAM, WHAT IMPACT IT'S GONNA HAVE ON THEIR LIFE.
WHEN WE INVITED JT ROGERS, WE NEVER ANTICIPATED THAT HE WOULD BE HELPING ONE OF THE STUDENTS WHO, UM, ATTENDED THE PROGRAM.
UM, SETTING HER UP WITH AN LA CASTING DIRECTOR.
THERE'S PROBABLY A LOT OF OTHER, UM, UH, SPEAKERS WHO ARE MENTORING, YOU KNOW, FORMER, UM, STUDENT INTERNS FROM GREENBURG.
SO WE'RE CHANGING LIVES NOW WITH THE EXPOSURE PROGRAM, WHICH, UM, SOME OF THE BOARD MEMBERS WANT TO CUT.
I THINK THAT'S A BIG MISTAKE ALSO, BECAUSE, UM, WE HAD, UM, FUNDED AN EXPOSURE PROGRAM FOR MANY YEARS.
AND ONE OF THE PROGRAM, ONE OF THE, UH, INITIATIVES THAT THEY HAD WAS, UH, THEY HAD LIKE A, A RADIO PROGRAM AND TV PREPARATION PROGRAMS FOR STUDENTS.
A FEW YEARS AGO, UM, OUR GREENBERG INTERNS, WHO WERE LIKE ONLY 12 YEARS OLD, GOT NOMINATED FOR EMMY AWARDS, THE EXPOSURE PROGRAM.
UH, SINCE THEN, UH, THEY'VE, UH, THEY'VE WON THREE EMMY AWARDS.
I'M 12 YEARS OLD, 13 YEARS OLD, 14 YEAR OLDS.
THEY GET EMMY AWARDS BEFORE THEY'RE EVEN IN HIGH SCHOOL.
AND, YOU KNOW, MY FEELING IS THAT, YOU KNOW, WHEN YOU'RE LOOKING AT, SAY, THE GREENBERG SCHOOL DISTRICT OR THE ELMSFORD SCHOOL DISTRICT, UM, IF WE COULD, UM, SHOW OUR RESIDENTS THAT SOME OF THE STUDENTS, UM, FROM THOSE SCHOOL DISTRICTS ARE EMMY AWARD RECIPIENTS, BY TIME THEY'RE IN MIDDLE SCHOOL, UH, OR, OR HIGH SCHOOL, THAT IS GOING TO CREATE SUCH A POSITIVE IMPRESSION ON PEOPLE WHO ARE LOOKING AT POSSIBLY MOVING INTO THE COMMUNITY.
I WANNA GIVE ALL GREENBURG KIDS AN OPPORTUNITY TO EXCEL, UM, TO REACH THEIR DREAMS, TO HAVE OPPORTUNITIES THAT KIDS IN OTHER SCHOOL DISTRICTS DON'T HAVE.
AND, YOU KNOW, I REALLY FEEL WHEN WE ARE LOOKING AT A BUDGET AS MUCH AS A TOWN, TO BE PENNYWISE AND POUND FOOLISH, AND TO REDUCE FUND, REDUCE FUNDING FOR, FOR CHILDREN MAKES ABSOLUTELY, YOU KNOW, NO SENSE.
YOU KNOW, WE HAVE, UM, PRO, UH, A POLICE SUMMER YOUTH CAMP, UM, WHICH WE STARTED YEARS AGO, UH, WHICH WE'VE BEEN FUNDING.
WE'VE HAD PROGRAMS AT THE THEATER YOUNG COMMUNITY CENTER.
WE'VE HAD PROGRAMS AT THE PARKS AND RECREATION CENTER, AND THE INTERNSHIP PROGRAM THAT WE RUN OUT OF TOWN HALL, BESIDES JUDITH AND ME, WE BASICALLY AREN'T PAYING ANYBODY
[00:45:01]
TO RUN THE PROGRAMS. WE'RE DOING IT OURSELVES.UH, THERE'S NO REAL ADMINISTRATIVE, VERY LITTLE ADMINISTRATIVE OVERHEADS.
YOU KNOW, THERE'S SOME, YOU KNOW, MINOR EXPENSES, BUT YOU KNOW, BY, BY FAR, FOR THE 45 STUDENTS, IT'S STILL LEAST EXPENSIVE.
UM, INTERNSHIP, YOUTH DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM OF ITS KIND IN THE TOWN AND PROBABLY ANYWHERE IN WESTCHESTER COUNTY.
SO I'M, I INTEND TO, YOU KNOW, I, I ASKED THE BOARD TO CONSIDER RESTORING, UH, FUNDING FOR BOTH PRO PROGRAMS. AND, UM, AT THE TIME, UM, WE HAVE, UM, THE, THE VOTE, I, I WOULD LIKE TO MAKE AN AMENDMENT TO THE BUDGET AMENDMENT AND, AND WE WOULD HAVE A VOTE ON RESTORING, UH, THOSE FUNDS BEFORE WE APPROVE, UH, BEFORE WE APPROVE THE BUDGET.
BUT I, I WOULD PREFER THAT THE BOARD JUST REMOVE THE REDUCTIONS.
UM, SO WE DON'T HAVE TO HAVE A VOTE, YOU KNOW, ON JUST THOSE THINGS.
IT'S JUST, IT'S JUST SUCH AN IMPORTANT PROGRAM.
AND, YOU KNOW, I JUST FEEL, WE FEEL TERRIBLE IF WE WOULD NOT GIVE PRIORITY TO OUR CHILDREN, THE CHILDREN OF GREENBURG WHO, WHOSE LIVES COULD BE CHANGED FOREVER WITH A GREAT PROGRAM.
SO TO BE CLEAR, WHAT YOU PROPOSED IN YOUR TENTATIVE BUDGET WAS A 50% INCREASE IN THAT BUDGET LINE.
THE SLIP SHEET STATES TO RESTORE IT TO THE 2022 LINE, BECAUSE WE WENT OVER THE LINE.
I I DID, I DID, I DID NOT INTERRUPT YOU, PAUL.
AS DEPARTMENT HEADS CAME, YOU PROPOSE CUTTING THEIR BUDGETS, INCLUDING SERVICE CONTRACTS, WHICH, YOU KNOW, THE VENDORS ARE NOT GONNA SAY, OH, THE TOWN HAS GOT A FINANCIAL PROBLEM.
WE'LL GIVE YOU THE SERVICE CONTRACT FOR A THOUSAND DOLLARS LESS.
SO YOU ARE SLASHING THOUSAND DOLLARS HERE, TRAVEL FUNDS, TRAINING FUNDS, BUT FOR THE INTERNSHIP PROGRAM, YOU PROPOSE A 50% INCREASE.
SO WHEN YOU'RE SAYING WE'RE CUTTING FUNDS FROM THE CHILDREN, WHAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT IS TO RESTORE THE FUNDING TO 2022 LEVELS AS OPPOSED TO YOUR 50% INCREASE IN THAT LINE WHEN OTHER PROGRAMS FOR VAST MAJORITY OF THE CHILDREN THAT WE SERVE, UH, DO NOT ENJOY A 50% INCREASE.
WELL, FIRST OF ALL, YOU'RE ABSOLUTELY WRONG BECAUSE, UM, UH, BASICALLY THE FUNDS FOR THE INTERNSHIP PROGRAM, UH, IT WASN'T WHAT WAS APPROPRIATED.
WE, WE HAD MORE STUDENTS WHO WANTED TO BE PART OF THE INTERNSHIP PROGRAM DURING THE SUMMER OF 2020, UM, TWO.
SO WE BASICALLY PAID, UH, WE PAID MORE THAN WHAT WAS APPROPRIATED.
WE DID NOT SPEND MONEY, UM, UH, FROM A LINE IN MY BUDGET.
AND WE TOOK FROM THAT LINE, UH, AND BASICALLY, UM, YOU BASICALLY, YOU KNOW, PAID ALL THE STUDENTS WHO WANTS TO BE PART OF THE INTERNSHIPS.
SO I ASKED, UM, ROBERTA IF SHE COULD GIVE THE BOARD AN ACCOUNTING OF ACTUALLY HOW MUCH WAS SPENT, NOT HOW MUCH WAS APPROPRIATED IN DECEMBER, BUT HOW MUCH WAS SPENT IN 2022 FOR, UH, FOR THE INTERNS.
AND WHAT I'M RECOMMENDING THAT WE DO IS THAT WE, UM, FUND THEM AT THE, WE COULD FUND THEM AT THE SAME LEVEL AS TWO 2022.
WE HAD THE HIGHEST PERCENTAGE OF, UM, PARTICIPANTS THIS YEAR.
AND, YOU KNOW, MY, MY GUT FAILING IS THAT PROBABLY ON IN 2023, WE WOULD, UM, WE WOULD STAY, NOT EXCEED, UH, THE NUMBER OF STUDENTS WE HAD IN, IN 20, YOU KNOW, 22.
BUT AGAIN, YOU KNOW, YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT $10,000.
YOU'RE NOT TALKING ABOUT, YOU KNOW, MILLIONS OF DOLLARS.
AND I, I BELIEVE THAT, UH, THIS IS PROBABLY ONE OF THE BEST PROGRAMS THAT, THAT WE HAVE.
AND I KNOW THAT IT'S GOING TO MAKE, UH, IT, IT, IT'S, IT'S MADE AND WILL CONTINUE TO MAKE A WORLD OF A DIFFERENCE IN PEOPLE'S LIVES.
UM, AND, UM, AND THE THING IS, THE GOAL IS TO, UH, IS TO CHANGE LIVES.
THE GOAL IS TO GIVE CHILDREN AN OPPORTUNITY TO REACH THEIR DREAMS, TO EXPOSE THEM TO PEOPLE, UH, WHO COULD HELP THEM, UH, TO GIVE THEM OPPORTUNITIES THAT KIDS IN OTHER TOWNS, VILLAGES, AND CITIES ACROSS THE COUNTRY DON'T HAVE.
UM, SO I THINK THAT, YOU KNOW, WE HAD, UM, ABOUT A YEAR AGO WE HAD THE HEAD OF ZOOM SPEAK TO THE STUDENTS.
THIS IS THE C I O OF ZOOM INTERNATIONAL, SPOKE TO GREENBERG STUDENTS.
UM, WE'VE HAD STUDENTS, UM, WE'VE HAD SO MANY WORLD FAMOUS PEOPLE, UH,
[00:50:01]
WHO LIVE IN THE COMMUNITY, WHO HAVE BEEN HELPING STUDENTS.WE'RE GIVING THEM OPPORTUNITIES THAT NOBODY ELSE ANYWHERE IN THE UNITED STATES GETS.
AND, AND I JUST FEEL THAT, UM, WHEN YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT A $10,000 PROGRAM, YOU $10,000 DIFFERENCE, UM, YOU KNOW, I THINK IT'S, IT WOULD BE TOTALLY RIDICULOUS TO, TO CUT THE FUNDING WHEN WE KNOW THAT THIS IS, THESE ARE PROGRAMS THAT ARE, UH, SO SUCCESSFUL AND SO MEANINGFUL TO SO MANY PEOPLE.
BUT YOU KNOW WHAT? THE BOARD COULD BASICALLY DO WHATEVER THEY WANT BECAUSE IT, YOU KNOW, I CAME UP WITH A BUDGET.
I, YOU KNOW, FOR MOST OF THE BUDGET I COULD LIVE WITH, UH, THE CHANGES THAT YOU'VE MADE, EVEN IF I DISAGREE WITH IT, YOU KNOW, I DISAGREED WITH SPENDING MONEY ON, UM, ON ADDITIONAL CONFERENCES, BUT, YOU KNOW, I'M NOT GONNA MAKE A WORLD CASE.
UM, YOU KNOW, YOU KNOW, PROBLEMATIC.
BUT, UM, BY AND LARGE, UM, YOU KNOW, I UNDERSTAND THAT, YOU KNOW, BOARD MEMBERS, WE COULD ALL DIFFER.
BUT, UM, BUT AGAIN, WITH THE INTERNSHIP PROGRAM, I JUST THINK THAT THIS IS SOMETHING THAT EVERYBODY HAS TO, UM, DECIDE AND VOTE YES OR, OR DOWN.
AND, YOU KNOW, I, I REALLY THINK IF YOU THINK ABOUT IT, UH, MOST OF THE BOARD MEMBERS, I THINK WILL, WILL, WE'LL HOPEFULLY DECIDE THAT KIDS HAVE TO COME FIRST.
WELL, THERE'S A PUBLIC HEARING AND WE SHOULD PROBABLY HEAR FROM THE PUBLIC.
ANYBODY LIKE TO SPEAK? DID YOU HAVE ANYTHING MORE? NO, THAT WAS, THAT WAS EVERYTHING, YOUR HONOR.
WE, WE, UM, HAVE A, UH, FIRST PERSON THAT, UH, SENT ME A NOTE TODAY INDICATING THAT HE WOULD LIKE TO SPEAK ON THE BUDGET IS ERIC ZINGER.
UM, GARRETT, DO WE HAVE ERIC ON ZOOM? UH, NO.
UM, GARRETT, DO WE HAVE ERIC ON ZOOM? WHILE WE'RE LOOKING FOR MR. ZINGER, I'D JUST LIKE TO POINT OUT MR. ZINGER IS NOT ON ZOOM.
SO FOR EVERY, UH, EACH OF THE PUBLIC HEARINGS TONIGHT, I'D ASK THAT WHEN THE SPEAKER APPROACH THE PODIUM OR, OR SIGN ON TO ZOOM, THAT YOU SUBMIT YOUR NAME, STREET NAME, WHERE YOU RESIDE, AND WHETHER YOU ARE INCORPORATED OR INCORPORATED.
GREENBURG ALSO WILL BE, UM, FOLLOWING THE FIVE MINUTE LIMIT.
WE HAVE CLOCKS ON, ON BOTH SIDES HERE TONIGHT, AND THERE WILL BE A SECOND FIVE MINUTE ROUND, UNLESS THE HEARING WILL BE ADJOURNED TO A SUBSEQUENT HEARING DATE.
UM, MR. HOWELL SAMIS, AND ERIC, IF YOU ARE LISTENING, ONCE YOU, UM, CONNECT WITH ZOOM, WE WILL CALL ON YOU HOW SAMAMI SO MANY RULES, MR. DANKO.
I'M KIND OF CURIOUS IN, IN THE PROCESS, BECAUSE THESE SLIP SHEETS, I'VE WATCHED THE WORK SESSIONS WHERE YOU'VE DISCUSSED THINGS, BUT IT DIDN'T APPEAR THAT ANY OF THESE ITEMS WERE ACTUALLY APPROVED BY THE TOWN BOARD AS ADDITIONS TO THE TENTATIVE BUDGET OF THE SUPERVISOR.
SO HOW DO ITEMS NOW APPEAR ON THE SLIP SHEET? DO YOU VOTE FOR THEM? IS THAT SOMETHING THAT'S DONE IN AN EXECUTIVE SESSION AS A CONTRACT OR PERSONNEL? HOW DO SLIP SHEET CHANGES ACTUALLY APPEAR FOR BETWEEN THE WORK SESSION AND TODAY? AS FOR TONY AWARDS, WELL, I'D LIKE TO NOMINATE MR. FINER AS BEST ACTOR IN A CONTINUING SERIES BECAUSE THIS BUDGET IS AN ANNUAL OUTING, WHICH REALLY MAKES NO SENSE.
FIRST OF ALL, THE BOND RATING, WHICH APPEARS ON EVERY AGENDA, MR. FINER KNOWS THAT THE TOWN DOES NOT HAVE AA BOND RATING.
A BOND RATING IS ONLY GIVEN WHEN BONDS ARE ISSUED.
THE LAST TIME WE WENT TO THE BOND MARKET WAS APRIL, 2021, AND IT WAS THAT SET OF BONDS, WHICH WAS GIVEN AAA BOND RATING.
CIRCUMSTANCES HAVE CHANGED SINCE THEN, AND I THINK IT'S INCUMBENT UPON THE RESIDENTS TO RECOGNIZE THAT AT THE CURRENT MOMENT, THROUGH NO FAULT OF THE TOWN, IT DOES NOT HAVE AAA BOND RATING.
NOW, WHY DON'T WE HAVE A CAPITAL BUDGET IN APPLICATION? WELL, THE QUESTION HERE IS PERHAPS WE ARE AFRAID THAT IF WE WERE ACTUALLY TO GO TO THE MARKET TO SELL THE BONDS, THE $19.7 MILLION WORTH OF CAPITAL BUDGET, WHICH WAS APPROVED BY THE TOWN BOARD IN JANUARY, 2022,
[00:55:04]
NONE OF THOSE ITEMS HAVE BEEN BONDED.THIS IS KIND OF CURIOUS, ISN'T IT? BECAUSE IN 2021, WE DIDN'T HAVE A CAPITAL BUDGET DUE TO COVID.
AND CAPITAL BUDGETS GENERALLY CONSIST OF ITEMS WHICH NEED REPLACEMENT OR ARE NEW TO THE TOWN.
AND YET WE HAD NONE IN 2021, WE HAD NO NEED, OBVIOUSLY IN 2022.
AND IN 2023, I SUSPECT WE'RE GONNA HAVE MORE NEW THINGS THAT HAVE WORN OUT.
SO WHAT THE BOND, THE BALANCED BUDGET LOOKS LIKE IS, UH, INCLUDING DEBT SERVICE, WHICH SHOULD EXIST BUT DOESN'T BECAUSE WE HAVEN'T SOLD BONDS AND DEBT SERVICE, WHICH HAS EXPIRED BECAUSE THE BONDS HAVE BEEN PAID OFF.
SO THAT'S A BIG BOOST TO BALANCING.
NOW, FRANCIS WAS ACTUALLY CORRECT WHEN HE BROUGHT UP THE 6% TAX DECREASE BECAUSE NOTHING IS REALLY APPEARING IN THE BUDGET, WHICH IS PERMANENT ON THE AGENDA TONIGHT.
UNDER CO ONE, THE COMPTROLLER'S OFFICE, IT'S A RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING FISCAL 2022 BUDGET TRANSFERS.
IT'S NOT THE ACTUAL BUDGET TRANSFERS THAT I'M CONCERNED ABOUT, IT'S THE LANGUAGE OF WHAT GOES ON BEHIND THE SCENES.
WHEREAS DURING THE CONDUCT OF OPERATIONS BY DEPARTMENTS, VARIOUS EXPENSES OCCUR THAT ARE NECESSARY TO EFFICIENTLY AND EFFECTIVELY PROVIDE SERVICES TO THE PUBLIC THAT WERE NOT ANTICIPATED WHEN THE BUDGET WAS PREPARED, OR THAT THE COST EXCEEDED THE AMOUNTS ANTICIPATED WHEN THE BUDGET WAS PREPARED.
AND WHEREAS SOME OF THE AMOUNTS BUDGETED BY A DEPARTMENT MAY NOT BE REQUIRED IN THE CONDUCT OF THE OPERATIONS OF THE DEPARTMENT IN PROVIDING SERVICES, OR THE DEPARTMENT MAY NEED FUNDING IN EXCESS OF THE AMOUNT BUDGETED AND WHEREIN IT IS NECESSARY FOR THE AMOUNTS IN A DEPARTMENT'S BUDGET BE TRANSFERRED BETWEEN LINES WITHIN A DEPARTMENT'S BUDGET, OR AMOUNTS BE TRANSFERRED FROM THE CONTINGENCY ACCOUNT TO ALIGN WITHIN A DEPARTMENT'S BUDGET, AND NOW THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED.
SO REALLY ALL THE DISCUSSION DURING THE BUDGET, THE BOOK ITSELF, EVERYTHING YOU'RE LOOKING AT CAN CHANGE TOMORROW.
AND I'D LIKE TO SAY THAT IF THIS IS, I'M THE ONLY SPEAKER ON THE BUDGET, AND IF YOU ARE TRYING TO LIMIT PUBLIC COMMENT BY WITHHOLDING A SECOND ROUND, BECAUSE THE BUDGET MAY BE ADJOURNED TO ANOTHER MEETING, THAT'S AN EXAMPLE OF AN AUTHORITARIAN STRUCTURE OPERATING RIGHT IN PUBLIC.
I DON'T KNOW IF THERE'S ANYBODY ELSE.
WELL, ERIC, ERIC'S NOT IN ERIC ZINGER, ARE YOU TUNING INTO ZOOM? OKAY, SO APPARENTLY HE'S NOT HERE YET.
UM, SO LET'S HAVE A SECOND ROUND.
NOW LET'S LOOK AT THAT FUND BALANCE.
WE HAVE ALL THESE ITEMS ON THE BUDGET AT THE MOMENT, WHICH ARE BEING PAID FOR BY USING THE FUND BALANCES.
SO WE'VE GONE FROM TENTATIVE BUDGET WITH 8,300,000 BEING USED, TAKING ANOTHER 2,246,000, BRINGING IT UP TO 10,580, TAKEN FROM THE FUND BALANCE SO THAT THE SUPERVISOR CAN TELL THE PUBLIC, GEE, LOOKY WHAT A GREAT BUDGET I'M DOING.
YOUR TAXES WON'T GO UP, MAY EVEN GO DOWN.
WELL, THERE'S A COST TO THAT BECAUSE THERE ARE MANY ITEMS THAT THE TOWN HAS NEEDED FOR A LONG TIME AND WILL NO LONGER ONCE AGAIN, BE ABLE TO HAVE.
WE'VE HEARD ABOUT A POLICE HEADQUARTERS AS SOON AS EARLY AS AUGUST THIS YEAR WHEN WE HAD A ONE WEEK PERIOD WHERE WE WERE FURIOUSLY RUSHING TO ACQUIRE A PIECE OF PROPERTY FOR A NEW POLICE HEADQUARTERS.
AND A WEEK LATER THAT DISAPPEARED FOR A VARIETY OF REASONS.
BUT IN THE APPLICATION TO CONVINCE THE PUBLIC THAT IT NEEDED TO DO THIS, IT WAS REPEATEDLY MENTIONED HOW ESSENTIAL IT WAS TO HAVE THIS NEW POLICE HEADQUARTERS,
[01:00:01]
HOW WE SHOULD HAVE BEEN DOING IT FOR YEARS, IF NOT DECADES BEFORE AND NEVER DID.AND NOW, ONCE AGAIN, WE NEVER WILL BECAUSE YOU'VE JUST TAKEN $10 MILLION TO MEET THE OPERATING EXPENSES.
IT'S AN ODD SITUATION TO HAVE TO STATE IT IN THESE TERMS, BUT ACTUALLY WHAT THIS TOWN SHOULD BE DOING TO MEET RISING OPERATING EXPENSES IS RAISING TAXES DESPITE THE HARDSHIP THAT IT MAY BRING TO BEAR UPON RESIDENTS
SO WE'RE GETTING FURTHER AND FURTHER AWAY FROM NECESSARY GOALS FOR THE TOWN BY STEALING THIS MONEY FROM THE TOWN BUDGET TOWN, UH, FUNDS.
AND WHERE DOES THE TOWN FUNDS COME FROM? THERE'S NO EXPENSE LINE ON ANY OF THIS THAT SAYS WE'RE GONNA USE AS AN EXPENSE, 10 MILLION, 5 MILLION, $20, WHATEVER TO CREATE A FUND BALANCE.
IT'S ALL THE CHANGES THAT OCCUR THROUGHOUT THE YEAR, WHICH BILL THE FUND BALANCE IN THE FIRST PLACE.
SO THE BOTTOM LINE OF THIS IS, HOWEVER YOU LOOK AT IT, THE WHOLE BUDGET SHOW IS A CHARADE AND CERTAINLY SENATOR MR. FINDER'S DIRECTION ELIGIBLE FOR AN EMMY.
NOW, FOR THE TOWN'S LEGAL DEPARTMENT, I'D LIKE TO KNOW, WHICH I HAVE ADVISED, SENT TO THEM IN ADVANCE, WE SEE ON THE BUDGET ON THE AGENDA TONIGHT, A WHOLE BUNCH OF RESOLUTIONS ADDRESSING LITIGATION AGAINST THE TOWN, PRIMARILY THE POLICE DEPARTMENT.
AND WE SEE ON THAT STATEMENT WHEN WE LOOK INTO IT, THAT THERE IS AN AMOUNT THAT THE TOWN IS RESPONSIBLE FOR IN ALL OF THAT LITIGATION.
IN OTHER WORDS, WE HAVE POLICIES WITH A DEDUCTIBLE OR COPAYMENT ON THE PART OF THE TOWN.
SO I'D LIKE TO KNOW FROM THE TOWN ATTORNEY AT WHAT POINT THE TOWN'S DEDUCTIBILITY ENDS, WHERE IS THE INSURER RESPONSIBLE ABOVE THAT POINT? AND WHERE IN THE BUDGET DO WE SEE ANY OF THIS? WE SEE INSURANCE.
WHAT IS THE COST OF THE INSURANCE POLICY THAT PROVIDES US THE SAFETY NET? WHERE IN THE BUDGET IS IT? AND I WOULD LIKE THAT ANSWER, AND I'LL EVEN GIVE MY 50 SECONDS TO THE TOWN ATTORNEY TO ANSWER.
I DIDN'T CREATE THE BUDGET, SO I CAN'T TELL YOU WHERE IN THE BUDGET THAT LIES.
DO YOU, DID YOU ARE FAMILIAR WITH THE INSURANCE POLICY THAT YOU WRITE ABOUT IN EACH, IN EACH OF YOUR RESOLUTIONS? I AM.
WE HAVE REACHED OUR RETENTION CITY INSURANCE IS COVERING THE CURRENT COST.
WOULD YOU REPEAT THAT? WE'VE REACHED OUR MINIMUM RETENTION.
SO INSURANCE IS COVERING ANY ADDITIONAL COSTS AT THIS POINT.
AND HOW MUCH IS OUR MINIMUM RETENTION? $150,000.
AND, AND YOU, AND DO YOU KNOW THE COST OF THE INSURANCE POLICY? I DON'T OFF THE TOP OF MY HEAD, NO.
SO WITH ALL THE LITIGATION GOING ON AGAINST THE TOWN, YOU'RE TELLING THE PUBLIC THAT THE ONLY COST TO THE PUBLIC TAXPAYER IS $150,000 FOR ALL OF THE LAWSUITS IN ANY ONE YEAR? NO, THAT'S NOT WHAT I'M SAYING.
WELL, THAT'S WHAT YOU JUST SAID.
JOE, WE, WE SAID THAT WE DON'T WANNA HAVE, UH, PEOPLE INTERRUPT.
THEY MAKE THEIR FIVE MINUTES WITH NO INTERRUPTIONS.
THERE, THERE IS A NOTE ON THE AGENDA TONIGHT THAT IF THEY WANNA DIRECT ANSWER THAT, THAT I SHOULD ANSWER BACK, BUT I WILL WAIT.
IF THAT'S THE POLICY OF THE BOARD, THAT'S WHAT I'D PREFER, BECAUSE OTHERWISE IT GETS, UH, VERY DIFFICULT TO CONTROL.
ERIC? ERIC, WE HAVE BEEN CALLING OUT INTO THE UNIVERSE FOR YOU AND HERE YOU ARE.
I'M PARKED IN THE HANDICAP SPACE.
I'M GONNA MOVE IT IN A SECOND.
THERE'S LIKE FIVE EMPTY SPACES.
WELL, DON'T PUT THAT IN THE PUBLIC HEARING.
I, ERIC, YOU HAVE A POLICE OFFICER IN THE BACK.
WHY DON'T YOU JUST MOVE IT? OKAY.
IS THERE ANYBODY ELSE WHO WANTS TO SPEAK WHILE HE MOVES HIS CAR OUT OF THE HANDICAPPED SPOT? ANYBODY? THIS IS LIKE FIVE EMPTY SPOTS.
NO ONE'S COMING AT NINE CLOCK.
ERIC, YOU I'M, I'M GONNA CONTINUE.
I DID NOT WANNA MISS, UH, MY CONSECUTIVE STREAK OF SPEAKING AT TOWN BUDGETS.
UH, SO I DO HOLD THE CURRENT, UH, OUTSTANDING RECORD.
I WAS A LITTLE RUSHED GETTING HERE.
DID NOT HAVE A CHANCE TO MAKE MY USUAL PREPARED COMMENTS, BUT I DID WANNA FOCUS ON A NUMBER OF ITEMS IN THE BUDGET.
[01:05:01]
THE FIRST ITEM, AND THIS IS AN ITEM THAT I SAY EVERY YEAR, THE FUNDING FOR THE DEPARTMENT OF COMMUNITY RESOURCES BELONGS IN THE A BUDGET.IT DOES NOT BELONG IN THE B BUDGET.
LEGAL OPINIONS HAVE BEEN RENDERED ON THIS, AND THEY SAID THAT IF THE TOWN BOARD CONSIDERS THIS A RECREATION DEPARTMENT, THEN IT MUST BE IN THE BEAD BUDGET.
I DON'T CONSIDER THE DEPARTMENT OF COMMUNITY RESOURCES TO BE A RECREATION DEPARTMENT.
WE HAVE A HUGE SEPARATE LINE ITEM ON OUR BUDGET FOR OUR ACTUAL RECREATION DEPARTMENT.
I REMEMBER WORKING WITH COUNCILMAN JONES AND SITTING DOWN WITH HIM FIVE, SIX YEARS AGO AT THIS POINT TO TRY AND ENCOURAGE THE TOWN BOARD TO MOVE AT LEAST A PORTION OF THE BUDGET TO THE, A BUDGET.
WE KNOW EDGEMONT INCORPORATION IS COMING.
DEPARTMENT OF COMMUNITY RESOURCES DOES IMPORTANT WORK.
THEIR BUDGET SHOULD BE FUNDED TOWN WIDE.
THEY PROVIDE SERVICES TO RESIDENTS TOWN WIDE.
THE BUDGET SHOULD BE FUNDED TOWN WIDE.
ON ANOTHER NOTE, I'D LIKE TO TALK ABOUT THE, UM, NEW POSITION THAT'S PROPOSED, THE DIRECTOR OF FINANCE.
I AM BOTH ENCOURAGED BY THE POSSIBILITY OF THE DIRECTOR OF FINANCE AND INCREDIBLY DISCOURAGED.
YOU KNOW, ON ONE HAND, IT WOULD BE GREAT TO HAVE SOMEONE LEADING OUR TOWN WHO HAS JUST EVEN A REMOTE BASIC UNDERSTANDING OF FINANCIAL TERMS LIKE TAX RATE, TAX LEVY.
ON THE OTHER HAND, THIS IS ALREADY THE JOB OF THE TOWN SUPERVISOR.
IT'S LITERALLY DEFINED IN NEW YORK STATE TOWN LAW SECTION 29.
THE TOWN SUPERVISOR SHALL ACT AS TREASURER THEREOF AND SHALL DEMAND, COLLECT, RECEIVE, AND HAVE THE CARE AND CUSTODY OF MONIES BELONG OR DUE TO THE TOWN FOR EVERY SOURCE.
THIS IS THE TOWN SUPERVISOR'S JOB.
IF THE TOWN SUPERVISOR CANNOT DO THE JOB, WE SHOULD BE ASKING WHY.
TONIGHT WE ARE APPROVING LEGAL FEES IN THE KRISTEN STEIN LAWSUIT AGAINST THE TOWN OF GREENBERG AND THE POLICE DEPARTMENT.
THAT BRINGS THE TOTAL COST TO ALMOST $600,000.
WHAT A BLIGHT AND STAIN ON OUR COMMUNITY.
GINA JACKSON, YOU'RE GREENBERG AGAINST SYSTEMIC RACISM REPORT, HAD A NUMBER OF RECOMMENDATIONS IN IT, INCLUDING PUBLISHING AN ANNUAL LIST OF, UM, THIS IS WHERE I, UH, LIKE, UM, COMPLAINTS AGAINST DEPARTMENT PERSONNEL AND THINGS LIKE THAT.
I, I WOULD LOVE TO SEE THAT BE MADE PUBLIC.
WE ARE ONE OF THE FEW TOWNS IN GREENBURG THAT IS FIGHTING A LAWSUIT AGAINST THE GANNET FOR, UH, POLICE DISCIPLINARY RECORDS.
THE VILLAGE OF IRVINGTON COMPLIED, THE VILLAGE OF LARGELY COMPLIED.
WHY ARE WE INTERESTED IN SPENDING? ARE WE, ARE WE INTERESTED IN HIDING BAD ACTORS, BAD ACTORS THAT ARE COSTING US HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS IN LEGAL FEES? WE SHOULD BE PUTTING THIS IN THE OPEN CONTINUED PAYMENT OF LEGAL FEES FOR BAD ACTORS WHILE WE'RE HIDING AT EVERY TURN TO TURN OVER.
DISCIPLINARY RECORDS IS A BLIGHT THAT IS JUST SHAMEFUL.
THE LAST ITEM I'D LIKE TO TALK ABOUT IS GREATER COOPERATION BETWEEN THE TOWN AND FIRE DEPARTMENT REGARDING E M S.
UH, I KNOW IN THE BUDGET THAT WE'RE HIRING FOUR ADDITIONAL EMTS.
YOU KNOW, I JUST CAME BACK FROM THE HARTSDALE FIRE DISTRICT, UH, MEETING, THAT'S WHY I RAN OVER HERE SO LATE.
YOU KNOW, 53% OF THEIR CALLS ARE E M SS RELATED, 53%.
YOU KNOW, WE TALK ABOUT, I I I, I UNDERSTAND A TIERED RESPONSE SYSTEM.
I'M NOT SAYING IT'S A DUPLICATE RESPONSE SYSTEM, BUT IT SEEMS TO ME THAT WHEN WE HAVE, YOU KNOW, THREE, UH, PROFESSIONAL FIRE DEPARTMENTS AND THE MA YOU KNOW, THE MAJORITY, BECAUSE IT'S OVER 50% OF THEIR RESPONSES ARE E M S RELATED, THAT THERE COULD BE BETTER COORDINATION BETWEEN THE TOWN AND THE FIRE DISTRICTS THERE TO RESULT IN SAVINGS.
UH, IT DOES NOT SEEM LIKE THE LEFT HAND IS TALKING TO THE RIGHT HAND THERE AT ALL.
AND I, I WOULD ENCOURAGE THE TOWN BOARD TO LOOK FOR THAT GREATER COOPERATION IN THAT AREA.
I, I, I'D JUST LIKE TO RESPOND, UM, TO THE ISSUE OF, UM, THE PERSON WHO I RECOMMENDED, THE, THE POSITION THAT I RECOMMENDED BECAUSE I HAVE NO PERSON, UM, IN MIND RIGHT NOW, UH, FOR, UM, EITHER DEPUTY SUPERVISOR, UM, UH, WHO WOULD HELP ME WITH OPERATIONS OR, UH, FINANCE, UM, YOU KNOW, DIRECTOR.
UM, I HAD INCLUDED IN, UH, MY PROPOSED BUDGET A SALARY OF $150,000.
THE BOARD, UH, REMOVED IT, UH, BUT THEY SAID THAT THEY WANT BASICALLY SPEND A LITTLE BIT MORE TIME ANALYZING, UH, WHETHER IT SHOULD BE, UM, YOU KNOW, APPROVED.
AND THAT'S THE PREROGATIVE OF THE BOARD.
YOU KNOW, MY FEELING IS THAT, UM, IN THE PAST, UM, YEAR, WE'VE, UM, GIVEN OTHER DEPARTMENTS, UM, ADDITIONAL RESOURCES, WE ADDED ANOTHER, UH, CAPTAIN TO THE POLICE DEPARTMENT.
WE NOW HAVE, UH, FOUR CAPTAINS INSTEAD OF THREE.
WE'VE ALWAYS HAD THREE BUILDING DEPARTMENT HAS ASKED FOR ADDITIONAL, UM, RESOURCES, WHICH THE BOARD, UM, UM, FELT IS, UM, WORTH, UM, YOU KNOW, WORTH FUNDING.
UM, MANY TIMES DEPARTMENT HEADS WILL SAY THAT THEY NEED MORE, UM, RESOURCES SO THEY
[01:10:01]
COULD DO, UH, THE JOB.UM, THE NEW HIRE, UM, IN MY OPINION, UH, WOULD NOT DO WORK THAT I'M DOING, BUT BASICALLY WOULD COMPLIMENT THE WORK THAT I'M DOING AND REPORT DIRECTLY, UH, TO ME.
UM, YOU KNOW, I FEEL THAT, UM, WE WOULD BE ABLE TO ESTABLISH A PROCESS WHICH WOULD ENJOY IN EACH DEPARTMENT, HEAD, THE SUPERVISOR, MYSELF, THE CONTROLLER AND TOWN ATTORNEY'S OFFICE, IN STRUCTURING PLANS AND ESTABLISHING POLICIES WHICH WOULD PROMOTE EFFICIENT AND EFFECTIVE RESOLUTION TO FISCAL AND OPERATIONAL ISSUES.
RECOMMENDATIONS WOULD BE BROUGHT BEFORE THE TOWN BOARD FOR CONSIDERATION AND FINAL DISPOSITION.
AND, UM, YOU KNOW, I THINK GOING FORWARD, UM, THIS, THE POLICIES ACCOMP THAT WOULD BE ACCOMP ACCOMP WOULD BE, UM, ACCOMPLISHED BY WORKING GROUPS WOULD PROVIDE STABILITY, UM, AND CONTROL FOR THE TOWN BOARD GOING FORWARD.
THERE ARE, YOU KNOW, MANY, UH, SITUATIONS THAT I COULD THINK OF WHERE THIS PERSON COULD BE HELPFUL.
FOR EXAMPLE, WE HAVE RIGHT NOW ABOUT $18 BILLION IN OPEN TAX LIENS, EFFECTIVE DECEMBER 31ST, 2021.
AND IT'S IMPERATIVE THAT THE TOWN BOARD ESTABLISH A NEW PLAN FOR COLLECTION AND INEQUITABLE AND BUSINESS-LIKE PROTOCOL FOR THE FUTURE.
UM, AS ERIC, YOU KNOW, MENTIONED A FEW MINUTES AGO THAT ERIC AND CORP, THE EDGE MINE INCORPORATION COMMITTEE HAS ANNOUNCED THAT IT WILL BE SUBMITTING THEIR LATEST PETITION TO THE TOWN.
UH, WE ANTICIPATE THAT THAT PETITION PROBABLY WILL BE FILED AT THE BEGINNING OF JANUARY.
AND, UM, THEY HAVE ALSO SAID THAT IF THEY DO INCORPORATE, THEY PLAN TO PURCHASE SOME SERVICES, BUT NOT ALL SERVICES FROM THE TOWN OF GREENBURG.
UM, THIS NEW POSITION THAT I'M RECOMMENDING WOULD BE KEY IN ASSISTING IN THE NEGOTIATION OF CONTRACTS, DETERMINING PROPER EDGEMONT LIABILITIES, UH, THAT ARE DUE TO THE TOWN.
AND THEY WOULD ALSO OVERSEE THAT FISCAL RELATIONSHIP.
EDGEMONT INCORPORATION WOULD BE A HARD HIT FOR THE TOWN.
WE ALL KNOW THAT THE, THAT RESIDENTS OF THE TOWN ARE OF UNINCORPORATED GREENBERG ARE GONNA SUFFER, AND IT'S GONNA REQUIRE MANY PAINFUL CHANGES AND FISCAL AND PERSONAL OPERATIONS.
SO IT WOULD BE HELPFUL FOR THE TOWN TO HAVE SOMEBODY WHO HAS EXPERTISE, UM, ON THESE TYPES OF THINGS AND THE, THE TIME, UH, TO SPEND.
SO WE COULD HAVE, IF THEY DO INCORPORATE THE SMOOTHEST AND LEAST PAINFUL TRANSITION THAT'S POSSIBLE.
FINALLY, YOU KNOW, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT, YOU KNOW, I'VE NOTICED, UM, IS, YOU KNOW, I THINK THE CONTROLLER IS DOING AN AMAZING JOB.
WE'VE HAD FOUR CONSECUTIVE YEARS WITH NO TAX RATE INCREASE.
UH, THIS YEAR THE BUDGET IS, UM, HAS A 6% TAX RATE, UH, DECREASE.
UM, YOU KNOW, SHE, UM, UM, MANAGES A TIGHT SHIP, UM, BUT AGAIN, YOU COULD ONLY DO AS MUCH AS SHE'S DOING WITH THE STAFF THAT WE PROVIDE HER WITH.
SO, ONE OF THE, YOU KNOW, WEAKNESSES, UH, FOR THE TOWN BOARD IS WE DON'T HAVE UP TO DATE INFORMATION AT ANY GIVEN TIME HOW MUCH, UM, REVENUE WE'VE TAKEN IN AND HOW MUCH, UM, EXPENSES WE'VE, WE'VE SPENT SOMETIMES, YOU KNOW, THERE COULD BE A SIX TO EIGHT MONTH, UH, YOU KNOW, DELAY.
AND, UM, AND, UM, AND AGAIN, THAT TAKES AN ADDITIONAL PERSON WHO COULD HELP US, HELP GIVE US THE ANALYSIS OF THE OPERATIONS, UM, AND, UM, AND HELP THE BOARD KNOW EXACTLY WHAT WE HAVE, WHAT WE'RE, WHERE WE ARE AT ANY GIVEN TIME.
SO THIS YEAR WE HAD A 6%, YOU KNOW, DECREASE.
BUT WHAT HAPPENED IF THERE WOULD'VE BEEN A SURPRISE AND WE DIDN'T GET THE, YOU KNOW, THE, IF THE SALES TAX WAS WAY DOWN, IF THE MORTGAGE WAS WAY, WAY DOWN, IF THE REP, THE BUILDING DEPARTMENT FEES WERE WAY DOWN MUCH LESS THAN WE HAD ANTICIPATED, UM, WE NEED TO KNOW EARL MUCH EARLIER ON SO WE CAN MAKE DO PROPER UNIT PLANNING.
UM, AN ADDITIONAL, UH, FINANCIAL PROFESSIONAL COULD ASSIST THE DEPARTMENT HEADS IN THEIR BUDGET SUBMISSIONS TO THE CONTROLLER'S OFFICE BY REVIEWING FISCAL REQUESTS FOR OPERATIONAL AND CAPITAL FUNDS AND DISCUSSING NEEDS AND OPTIONS.
AND ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I ALSO WOULD LIKE TO DO IS USE THE PERSON TO REVIEW THE STATUS OF ALL CAPITAL PROJECTS.
SO YESTERDAY AT THE WORK SESSION, IT WAS REPORTED THAT SOME CAPITAL BUDGET ITEMS THAT GET APPROVED, UM, NEVER GET IMPLEMENTED, UM, EVEN THOUGH THE BOARD APPROVED IT.
SO I WOULD LIKE TO HAVE WORK PLANS, UM, AND KNOW EXACTLY THE TIMETABLE THAT DEPARTMENT HEADS, UM, HAVE WHEN THEY'RE MAKING, UM, BUDGET, UH, SUBMISSIONS.
AND ALSO, UM, UM, YOU KNOW, BE ABLE
[01:15:01]
TO TRACK WHETHER THE TIME PERIOD, UH, TIME WORK PLANS THAT ARE PROPOSED ARE ACTUALLY, UH, YOU KNOW, KEPT.SO, YOU KNOW, THE WORK, UH, IF IT'S FUNDED, UM, IT'S NOT GONNA MAKE MY JOB EASIER.
IT'S GONNA MAKE MY JOB HARDER BECAUSE THERE'S GONNA BE MUCH MORE, UM, ANALYSIS THAT'S GONNA BE DONE.
UH, THERE'LL BE, UM, YOU KNOW, MUCH MORE WORK.
UM, YOU KNOW, I THINK THE OPERATIONS WILL BE, YOU KNOW, MUCH, MUCH TIGHTER.
UM, YOU KNOW, WE DO HAVE BUDGETS THAT ARE CO MORE COMPLEX THAN EVER BEFORE.
UH, I THINK IT'S ALWAYS IMPORTANT FOR GOVERNMENT TO, UM, UH, REINVENT THEMSELVES TO LOOK FOR MORE OVERSIGHT, MORE CONTROL, UH, NEW PROTOCOLS, UM, TO REPLACE OUTDATED OR INEFFECTIVE ONES.
UM, YOU KNOW, I, I DO THINK THAT THERE'S AN AWFUL LOT OF POSITIVES.
AGAIN, YOU KNOW, PRACTICALLY EVERYBODY I SPEAK TO WHENEVER, WHEREVER I GO IS JUST RAVES ABOUT THE SERVICES.
THEY FEEL THAT THE, THE TOWN, UH, SERVICES THAT WE OFFER ARE AMAZING.
THEY FEEL THAT OUR STAFF IS GREAT.
THEY FEEL THAT THE PERSONNEL WE HAVE, IT'S VERY, VERY DEDICATED.
UH, YOU KNOW, VERY FEW PEOPLE SAY, UH, THEY DON'T LOVE THE POLICE OR LOVE THE SANITATION PEOPLE WORKING, YOU KNOW, HERE BECAUSE THEY'RE JUST VERY, VERY PLEASED WITH THE WAY THE TOWN IS, IS RUN.
BUT, YOU KNOW, WE CAN'T SAY, OKAY, WE'RE DOING A GREAT JOB.
IT'S GONNA, WE'RE GONNA DO THE SAME.
WE HAVE TO KEEP CHALLENGING OURSELVES AND WE HAVE TO TRY GETTING CLOSER TO PERFECTION.
AND, UM, AND AGAIN, IF THE BOARD, YOU KNOW, FUNDS IT, FUNDS THE POSITION AND GIVES ME THE ABILITY TO, UM, UM, UH, TO WORK, UM, WITH THAT PERSON, I'M 100% CONVINCED THAT, UM, THAT THE PERSON'S GONNA DO A GREAT JOB AND THAT THE TAXPAYERS WILL, UH, WILL GET TREMENDOUS AMOUNT OF, UM, YOU KNOW, SAVINGS, UM, YOU KNOW, FROM THIS.
AND AGAIN, IF YOU DON'T WANT, YOU KNOW, IF YOU TRY IT FOR A YEAR AND IT DOESN'T WORK, YOU COULD ALWAYS, UM, UH, YOU KNOW, REMOVE IT.
BUT AGAIN, YOU KNOW, YESTERDAY EVERYBODY ON THE BOARD SAID THE FINANCIAL HEALTH OF THE TOWN IS GOOD.
EVERYBODY SAID, OH, THE SERVICES ARE GOOD.
EVERYBODY SAID, OH, YOU KNOW, THE AAA BOND RATING IS GREAT.
OR THEY, THEY LIKE THE FACT THERE'S NO TAX HIKE.
SO THERE'S A LOT OF FANTASTIC THINGS THAT ARE HAPPENING IN THE TOWN, BUT WE NEED TO DO BETTER.
ERIC, DID THAT ANSWER YOUR QUESTION,
WHAT'S THE, WAS THERE ANYBODY ELSE? TOWN SUPERVISOR? FINE.
THERE ARE NO OTHER REQUESTS TO SPEAK ON THIS PUBLIC HEARING.
ERIC, DID YOU SPEAK A SECOND TIME? DID SPEAK SECOND? UNLESS ERIC WOULD LIKE TO SPEAK A SECOND TIME.
SO THERE ARE NO FURTHER REQUESTS TO SPEAK ON THIS PUBLIC HEARING.
SO I MOVE THAT WE CLOSE THE HEARING, UM, AND, UM, WE'RE GONNA BE MEET, UH, HOLDING OUR NEXT TOWN BOARD MEETING ON MONDAY.
IS THAT RIGHT? SO LEAVE THE RECORD OPEN UNTIL FRIDAY AT FIVE O'CLOCK.
AND WHEN IS THE BUDGET VOTE GONNA BE MONDAY, MONDAY EVENING.
SHOULD WE SAY, SHOULD WE SAY MONDAY AT, UM, 7:30 PM THERE'S NO WAY WE'RE GONNA BE ABLE TO TURN AROUND SLIP SHEETS AND DO A CALCULATION.
WE NEED IT FRIDAY AT FIVE O'CLOCK, AND THEN THE CONTROLLER CAN WORK OVER THE WEEKEND.
SO WHY DON'T WE CLOSE THE CLOSE TO THE HEARING.
LEAVE THE RECORD OPEN UNTIL FRIDAY AT FIVE O'CLOCK.
[ To consider a Local Law amending Chapter 520 of the Code of the Town of Greenburgh as it relates to the number of Conservation Advisory Council members and alternates]
THE NEXT PUBLIC HEARING? OKAY.I'D LIKE TO MOVE THAT, UH, WE OPEN THE HEARING AS IT RELATES, UH, TO, UH, AMEND CHAPTER FIVE 20 OF THE CODE OF THE TOWN OF GREENBURG AS IT RELATES TO THE NUMBER OF CONSERVATION ADVISORY COUNCIL MEMBERS AND ALTERNATES.
FINER AND TOWN BOARD MEMBERS FOR THE RECORD.
GARY TUQUE, COMMISSIONER OF THE DEPARTMENT OF COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT AND CONSERVATION.
THE CONSERVATION ADVISORY COUNCIL, OR C A C IS A DEDICATED GROUP OF COUNCIL MEMBERS.
THEY'RE APPOINTED BY THE TOWN BOARD AND THE, THE COUNCIL PRESENTLY CONSISTS OF NINE MEMBERS, UH, THAT COUNCIL, THAT, THAT NUMBER REQUIRES A QUORUM OF FIVE.
AND IT IS CHALLENGING AT TIMES.
SO, UM, IN WORKING WITH THE C A C AND COUNCILMAN JONES AS LIAISON, UM, WE'VE CRAFTED A LOCAL LAW FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION.
AND WHAT THE LOCAL LAW DOES, IT'S RATHER SIMPLE.
IT TAKES THE NUMBER OF, UH, APPOINTED
[01:20:01]
MEMBERS BY CODE IN CHAPTER FIVE 20 FROM NINE TO SEVEN MEMBERS REQUIRING FOUR FOR A QUORUM.UH, THE LOCAL LAW ALSO DOES INTRODUCE THE PROSPECT FOR TWO, UH, ALTERNATES TO BE APPOINTED BY THE TOWN BOARD.
AND, UH, THIS IS SOMETHING THAT WE'VE, UH, AGAIN, WE'VE ALSO WORKED WITH THE C A C CHAIR CHAIRWOMAN ON THIS.
AND, UM, IT'S SOMETHING THAT WE AS STAFF SUPPORT.
AND I THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME.
ANYBODY LIKE TO SPEAK? NO, WE DO NOT HAVE ANY REQUESTS TO SPEAK ON THIS PUBLIC HEARING.
CAN I MOVE THAT WE, UH, JUST A MOMENT.
IF THERE'S ANYBODY ON ZOOM WHO'D LIKE TO SPEAK, IF YOU COULD JUST RAISE YOUR HAND.
WE CLOSE THE HEARING AND LEAVE THE RECORD OPEN.
[ To consider a Rate Increase for the Consolidated Water District #1]
LAST, UH, WE HAVE A HEARING ON, UH, THE, THE WATER RATES, UH, WATER RATE PROPOSED INCREASE.I'D LIKE TO, UH, MOVE THAT WE OPEN UP THAT HEARING.
WE DO HAVE ONE REQUEST TO SPEAK.
I'M NOT SURE IF HE'S OUT IN THE LOBBY.
WELL, WHY DON'T WE HAVE, UH, RICH FA, UM, START AND GIVE US A PRESENTATION ON, UM, ON WHAT THE RATE INCREASES ARE ABOUT.
WHO'S DOING? IS IT RICH OR IS IT BRIAN OR IS IT PHILIP? I'M HERE.
I BELIEVE, UH, RICH SHOULD BE JOINING SHORTLY AS WELL.
LOU, CAN I BE HEARD? YES, WE CAN HEAR YOU RICH.
AND, UH, MR. SAPONE, UH, IS HERE READY WITH HIS PRESENTATION AS WELL.
GOOD EVENING, MEMBERS OF THE BOARD TOWN ATTORNEY JOE ANCO, TOWN CLERK JUDITH PAVE, MEMBERS OF THE AUDIENCE FOR THE RECORD.
I'M THE COMMISSIONER OF PUBLIC WORKS FOR THE TOWN OF GREENBERG.
WITH ME TONIGHT ARE BRIAN SIMMONS, PROFESSIONAL ENGINEER AND DEPUTY COMMISSIONER OF PUBLIC WORKS, AND PHILIP SAPONE, A SENIOR CONSULTANT WITH REP TELLIS AT THE, UH, THE TOWNS FINANCIAL WATER CONSULTANT.
TONIGHT WE ARE HERE TO PRESENT A PROPOSED RATE INCREASE FOR THE, UH, INCREASED PLAN FOR THE CONSOLIDATED WATER DISTRICT.
THE TOWN WATER SYSTEM CURRENTLY CONSISTS OF SIX WATER TANKS RANGING IN SIZE FROM 1 MILLION TO 325,000 GALLONS.
TWO WATER PUMP STATIONS OVER 200 MILES OF WATER MAINS 1,811 FIRE HYDRANTS.
WE PUMP APPROXIMATELY 7.17 MILLION GALLONS OF WATER PER DAY TO OVER 40,000 PEOPLE TONIGHT.
FIRST WE'LL ASK PHIL TO MAKE HIS POWERPOINT PRESENTATION, AND THEN BRIAN WILL FOLLOW UP AFTER THAT.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR YOUR TIME AND CONSIDERATION.
DO WE HAVE A TOWN BOARD MEETING? OKAY.
THREE MEMBERS THAT PRESENT? YEAH.
UH, WE DO, WE DO HAVE THREE MEMBERS PRESENT.
PHIL, COULD YOU, UH, ACTUALLY RUN IT AS A SLIDE SO THAT WE DON'T HAVE ALL THE WHITE SPACE ON THE SIDE AND IT'LL BE BIGGER FOR THE PEOPLE THAT ARE WATCHING ON TELEVISION? SURE.
DOES THAT, DOES THAT SHOW UP AS A SLIDE FOR YOU? IT, IT'S, IT'S SHOWING UP AS YOUR WORK, BASICALLY YOUR WORKSPACE.
IF YOU GO TO SLIDESHOW, I THINK IT'LL MAKE IT BIGGER.
IT POPS UP FOR ME ON A DIFFERENT SCREEN.
HOW'S THAT? YOU HAVE TO SHARE AGAIN.
CAN I GO AHEAD? YES, GO AHEAD.
UM, WELL MY NAME IS PHILIP SAPONE.
I'M FROM REF TESS, AND I'M THE TOWN'S RATE ANALYST AND HAVE BEEN FOR THE PAST SEVEN YEARS.
AND, UH, AS I GO THROUGH THIS, IF I GO TOO FAST OR NEED TO SPEAK UP, UM, JUST LET ME KNOW.
I'LL SLOW DOWN AND, AND, UH, FOCUS IN ON WHAT YOU'D LIKE ME TO FOCUS IN ON.
[01:25:01]
NEXT, NEXT SLIDE.SO LAST YEAR AT THIS TIME, I, UH, I CAME, UH, AND PRESENTED A, UM, I GAVE A PRESENTATION TALKING ABOUT THE FISCAL YEAR, 2022 WATER RATES.
AND THEN I PRESENTED A FIVE YEAR, UH, RATE PROJECTION.
AND, UH, THE TOWN WENT AHEAD AND IMPLEMENTED AN 8% INCREASE IN 2022.
AND, UM, ACKNOWLEDGED THE PLANNING LEVEL WATER RATE INCREASES, UM, IN FISCAL YEAR 23 THROUGH, I BELIEVE FISCAL YEAR 26.
SO WHAT WE WANTED TO DO HERE TONIGHT WAS SHOW, UM, THE UPDATED PROJECTIONS FOR FISCAL YEAR 2023 AND THE UPDATED PLANNING LEVEL INCREASES, UH, WATER RATE INCREASES BEYOND THAT YEAR.
SO LET ME JUST EXPLAIN THIS SLIDE.
WE'RE TALKING ABOUT 2023 TONIGHT.
SO WE HAVE THE FISCAL YEARS ALONG THE BOTTOM, AND WE HAVE THE PROJECTED RATE INCREASE HERE ON THE Y AXIS.
SO WHAT THIS SH WHAT THIS SLIDE IS SHOWING IS THAT FOR 2023, WE'RE PROJECTING A WATER RATE INCREASE OF 7%.
BEYOND THAT, IN FISCAL YEAR 2024, WE'RE PROJECTING AN INCREASE OF 6.5%, 2025, 5%, FOUR AND A HALF PERCENT IN 26, 4% IN 27.
AND I TACKED ON ANOTHER YEAR IN 2028, ABOUT 4%.
SO WHAT YOU CAN SEE HERE IS WE'RE TRENDING DOWN THE INCREASE, THE PROJECTED INCREASE INTO THE WATER RATES ARE DECLINING, UM, AS WE PROJECT WATER RATES INTO THE FUTURE.
SO THIS SLIDE HERE IS SHOWING A COMPARISON TO THE PRIOR RATE PLAN.
WHAT I MEAN BY THE PRIOR WATER RATE PLAN WAS THE PLAN THAT I PRESENTED LAST YEAR THAT'S SHOWN ALONG THE TOP AS THE 2021 FIVE YEAR RATE FORECAST.
SO THAT HAD OUR PROPOSED INCREASE LAST YEAR OF 8%, WHICH WAS ADOPTED.
AND IT HAD THE PLANNING LEVEL INCREASES OF 7%, SIX POINT A HALF PERCENT, 5%, AND FOUR POINT A HALF PERCENT THROUGH 2026.
THE SECOND LINE IS THE UPDATED FIVE YEAR RATE PLAN, THE ONE WE'RE DISCUSSING TONIGHT.
AND THAT'S SHOWING, THAT'S PROJECTING AN INCREASE, A PROPOSED INCREASE OF 7% IN 2023, SIX POINT A HALF PERCENT, 24 5% IN 25, 4 POINT A HALF PERCENT UNTIL 26 AND 4% IN 2027.
AND WHAT YOU CAN SEE HERE IS THAT WE'RE, WE'RE GOING ON ACCORDING TO PLAN.
SO WE HAVE HAD SOME MINOR CHANGES, UH, FROM LAST YEAR AS EXPECTED, BUT THE CURRENT, THE CURRENT FIVE YEAR RATE PLAN, UH, STILL WORKS.
AND WE STILL EXPECT IT, WE STILL EXPECT TO ADHERE TO THAT GOING FORWARD.
CERTAINLY THE PROJECTIONS FOR 2024 THROUGH THROUGH 2027, OUR PLANNING LEVEL, THEY'RE SUBJECT TO CHANGE.
AND LIKE WE'RE DOING TONIGHT, WE'LL REASSESS WHAT THE RATE NEEDS ARE, UM, YEAR BY YEAR AS WE GO FORWARD.
THIS SLIDE HERE, I JUST WANT TO FOCUS ON 2023.
WHAT THIS IS SHOWING IS THE QUARTERLY RESIDENTIAL BILL IMPACT, OR WHAT IT'S SAYING IS, HOW MUCH WOULD A RESIDENTIAL CUSTOMER BILL GO UP GIVEN THE PROPOSED 7% INCREASE TO THE WATER RATES? SO WHAT IT'S, WHAT THE BARS ARE SHOWN HERE IN 2023 IS THAT FOR A CUSTOMER THAT USES 9,000 GALLONS PER QUARTER, THEIR QUARTERLY BILL WOULD GO UP $5 IF THE WATER RATES WERE TO INCREASE BY 7% IN 2023.
IF A CUSTOMER WHO USES 15,000 GALLONS OF WATER PER QUARTER, ALRIGHT, UM, IF RATES, IF WATER RATES WERE ANTICIPATES INCREASE BY 7%, THAT CUSTOMER'S QUARTERLY BILL WOULD GO UP $8.
AND FOR A CUSTOMER THAT USES 26,000 GALLONS OF WATER PER QUARTER WITH A 7% INCREASE, THEIR QUARTERLY BILL WOULD GO UP $15 PER QUARTER.
SO WHAT I'M TRYING TO DO IS TRANSLATE THE, THE 7% INCREASE THAT I SHOWED YOU A FEW SLIDES AGO INTO ACTUALLY HOW MUCH SOME EXAMPLE CUSTOMER BILLS WOULD CHANGE.
AND THAT'S WHAT, AND THAT'S WHAT I'M SHOWING HERE IN 2023.
THIS SLIDE IS PUTTING THE TOWN OF GREENBERG'S WATER RATES INTO CONTEXT WITH THE WATER RATES OF OTHER MUNICIPAL WATER PROVIDERS IN THE LOCAL AREA.
SO HOW DID THE TOWN OF GREENBURY WATER RATES COMPARE? SO WHAT I DID WAS I WENT AND RESEARCHED THE WATER RATES OF OTHER NEARBY WATER PROVIDERS.
MOST OF THESE ARE MUNICIPALITIES, BUT OBVIOUSLY WE CAN SEE SUE AS, UH, HERE.
AND WHAT I DID WAS I CALCULATED AN ESTIMATED BILL GIVEN EVERYBODY'S WATER RATES,
[01:30:01]
AND ASSUMING A CUSTOMER THAT USES 5,000 GALLONS PER MONTH, WHICH IS A GENERALLY A TYPICAL USAGE LEVEL.SO I PLUGGED 5,000 GALLONS OF USAGE INTO EVERYBODY'S WATER RATES HERE AND CALCULATED ESTIMATED BILLS AND THEN ORDERED THEM BY MAGNITUDE.
SO THE MUNICIPALITY OR THE WATER PROVIDER WITH THE HIGHEST BILL OR THE HIGHEST WATER RATES GIVEN THIS USAGE LEVEL WAS RANKED OR WAS PUT UP ON TOP AND THEN RANKED, UM, IN SUCCESSIVE ORDER AS AS THE BILLS DECREASE.
SO HERE'S THE TOWN OF GREENBERG AND WE HAVE TWO LINES HERE AND I'LL EXPLAIN WHAT THEY MEAN.
SO THE TOWN OF GREENBERG EXISTING HAS TO DO WITH THE TOWN'S EXISTING WATER RATES.
SO IF I ASSUMED 5,000 GALLONS OF WATER USE PER MONTH AND APPLY THAT TO THE TOWN'S EXISTING WATER RATES, I'D GET A MONTHLY BILL OF $38 AND 98 CENTS UNDER THE PROPOSED INCREASE, WATER RATES WOULD INCREASE 7%.
I THEN CALCULATED A BILL GIVEN 5,000 GALLONS OF WATER USE PER MONTH WITH WATER RATES THAT WERE 7% HIGHER, WHICH YIELDS A BILL OF $41 AND 71 CENTS, AND THAT'S 7% HIGHER THAN THE EXIST THAN THE BILL ON THE EXISTING RATES.
SO THE MAIN TAKEAWAY FROM THIS SLIDE IS THAT TOWN OF GREENBERG, TOWN OF GREENBERG'S WATER RATES ARE VERY COMPETITIVE WITH THEIR WATER RATES IN THE LOCAL AREA.
AND AS MANY OF YOU PROBABLY KNOW, THE WATER RATES GO UP AS A CUSTOMER USES MORE WATER.
WE REFER TO THAT AS AN INCLINING BLOCK RATE STRUCTURE.
SO WE DIDN'T WANNA JUST RUN THE COMPARISON, THE BILL COMPARISON AT 5,000 GALLONS PER MONTH.
WE SAID, WHAT ABOUT A HIGHER USAGE LEVEL? DO THE, ARE THE TON OF RIVERS WATER RATES STILL COMPETITIVE AS YOU AS ONE USES MORE WATER? BECAUSE WE KNOW THOSE RATES GO UP AS YOU USE MORE WATER.
AND WITH MANY OF THESE OTHER UTILITIES HERE, THEY ALSO HAVE INCLINING BLOCK RATE STRUCTURES THAT ARE SIMILAR TO THE TOWN.
SO THEIR BILLS GO UP AS YOU MOVE, AS YOU USE MORE WATER TOO.
SO THIS IS THE SAME COMPARISON AS I, AS I SHOWED YOU IN THE PRIOR SLIDE, I JUST DID IT WITH MORE WATER USE TO TO JUST TO SHOW THAT EVEN AS YOU USE MORE WATER, THE TOWN'S WATER RATES ARE STILL VERY COMPETITIVE WITH OTHER MUNICIPAL WATER PROVIDERS IN THE LOCAL REGION.
AND IT'S NO SURPRISE THAT THE PRIVATE WATER COMPANIES, SUEZ IS THAT OR NEAR THE TOP OF HIS LIST.
FOR THE PEOPLE WHO DON'T KNOW, SUEZ IS ANOTHER WATER DISTRICT IN THE TOWN OF GREENBERG, RIGHT? THAT'S WHY HE KEEPS SINGLING OUT SUEZ.
AND DISTRESSINGLY SUEZ DOES MY PROVIDER
SO WHEN I MAKE THESE RATE FORECASTS, AND WE STARTED DOING THIS I THINK BACK IN SEPTEMBER OR OCTOBER, I BEGAN WORKING WITH RICH AND BRIAN IN THE TOWN.
I HAVE AN EXCEL WORKBOOK AND WE PUT A LOT OF A LOT OF FINANCIAL INFORMATION FROM THE WATER DISTRICT INTO THAT AND MAKE, DO A LOT OF CALCULATIONS WITHIN THAT.
IT'S SET UP TO DO A LOT OF CALCULATIONS AUTOMATICALLY AND MAKE THESE FORECASTS.
SO THERE'S A LOT OF INFORMATION AND A LOT OF ANALYSIS THAT'S DONE.
I JUST WANTED TO HIT ON A FEW OF THE KEY ASSUMPTIONS THAT I USED TO PREPARE THESE RATE PROJECTIONS AND RATE FORECASTS.
SO FOR, WE'RE TALKING 2023, WHERE DO I GET THE OPERATING EXPENSE INCOME FOR THE WATER DISTRICT? WELL, I GET IT FROM THE PRELIMINARY 2023 OPERATING BUDGET FOR THE WATER DISTRICT.
I THINK IT'S FUN TO HAVE AND I INPUT THAT AS OPERATING EXPENSES FOR FISCAL YEAR 2023.
AND THEN I MAKE PROJECTIONS 'CAUSE WE WANNA LOOK AHEAD JUST TO SEE WHAT THE LANDSCAPE LOOKS LIKE FOR, FOR RATE INCREASE NEEDS AS WE, AS WE LOOK FORWARD, AND I PROJECT BASED OFF THE 2022 BUDGET, I HAVE A LOT OF HISTORICAL INFORMATION, UH, THAT INDUSTRY-WIDE IN THE WATER INDUSTRY.
OPERATING EXPENSES FOR WATER UTILITIES TYPICALLY INCREASE ABOUT THREE TO 4% PER YEAR.
SO THAT WAS THE ASSUMPTIONS I MADE IN MY FORECAST.
PURCHASED WATER COSTS FROM NEW YORK CITY, SIGNIFICANT PART OR A SIGNIFICANT PORTION OF THE WATER DISTRICT'S, UH, TOTAL EXPENSES.
SO WHAT I DO IS I GO AHEAD AND I LOOK AT THE UPSTATE RATE REPORT FROM THE NEW YORK CITY WATER BOARD, AND I SEE WHAT THEY'RE PROJECTING TO INCREASE THE UPSTATE WATER RATE BY OVER THE NEXT FEW YEARS, WHICH WAS ABOUT THREE TO 5% PER YEAR.
AND I INCORPORATE THAT INTO THE FORECAST AS WELL.
THE TOWN PROVIDES ME WITH A CAPITAL BUDGET FOR THE WATER SYSTEM, TOTAL CAPITAL INVESTMENTS OF ABOUT 42 MILLION OVER THE NEXT FIVE YEARS.
AND IT RANGED FROM ABOUT 3.8 MILLION PER YEAR, 22 MILLION PER YEAR DEPENDING ON THE PROJECT.
SO THE CAPITAL PLAN IS LUMPY, UH, IT JUST MEANS IT CHANGES YEAR TO YEAR.
THAT'S VERY COMMON WITH CAPITAL PLANS.
UM, AND WE HAVE TO FORECAST RATES TO ACCOMMODATE THAT.
THE TOWN ALSO PROVIDES ME INFORMATION ON HOW IT INTENDS TO PAY FOR PROJECTS, WHICH IS WITH A MIX OF CASH FROM RATES, CASH FROM RESERVES, BOND MONIES THAT IT BORROWED IN THE PAST, UH, BUT THAT IT HAS NOT SPENT OR DOES NOT INTENDED TO SPEND.
[01:35:01]
SO WE WANNA USE THOSE AND THEN NEW DEBT IF NEEDED.THIS IS THE CAPITAL PLAN HERE.
AND JUST TO EXPLAIN IT QUICK, UH, OR BRIEFLY HERE, THESE ARE THE YEARS ACROSS THE TOP FISCAL YEAR 23 THROUGH FISCAL YEAR 27 PROJECTS DOWN THE SIDE HERE, AND THEN THE ANTICIPATED, UH, COST FOR EACH PROJECT.
SO YOU CAN SEE THE 3.8 MILLION, UH, THAT I MENTIONED BEFORE IS FOR 2023, IT'S WATER MAIN REPLACEMENT PROJECT.
AND, UH, THE 22 MILLION IS THE NOEL WOOD PUMP STATION REPLACEMENT PROJECT.
AND BRIAN, I THINK YOU WANTED TO SAY A FEW THINGS, UH, ABOUT THE CAPITAL PLAN.
UH, PHIL, IF YOU COULD, IF YOU COULD JUST GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE FIRST.
JUST WANNA GIVE AN OVERVIEW OF THE EXISTING SYSTEM.
BRIAN, COULD YOU IDENTIFY YOURSELF? SO, GOOD EVENING EVERYONE.
I'M THE DEPUTY COMMISSIONER OF PUBLIC WORKS FOR THE TOWN OF GREENBURG.
UH, FIRST I JUST WANTED TO GIVE AN OVERVIEW.
I KNOW RICH TOUCHED ON IT EARLIER.
UH, BUT FOR ANYONE THAT IS NOT AWARE, UH, THE CONSOLIDATED WATER DISTRICT, UH, CONSISTS OF ABOUT 40,000, UH, PEOPLE, UH, PROVIDES WATER SERVICE THROUGH ABOUT 10,500, UH, WATER SERVICE CONNECTIONS.
AND IT WAS CREATED IN, UH, 1954 AND IT CONSOLIDATED A FEW, UH, SEPARATE WATER DISTRICTS INTO ONE.
UH, IT RECEIVES ALL OF ITS WATER FROM THE NEW YORK CITY, UH, CATSKILL AND, UH, DELAWARE AQUEDUCT SYSTEM.
AND IT DOES NOT OWN ANY SURFACE OR GROUNDWATER, UH, SOURCE WATER.
UH, THE WATER IS DRAWN FROM THOSE AQUEDUCT SYSTEMS. IT'S, UH, TREATED, UH, HERE IN THE TOWN IN GREENBURG AND THEN DISTRIBUTED TO, UH, THE CONSUMERS THROUGH, UH, APPROXIMATELY 190 MILES OF WATER DISTRIBUTION MEANS THAT RANGE IN SIZE FROM TWO INCHES TO 24 INCHES IN DIAMETER.
UM, WITHIN THAT SYSTEM, THERE'S SIX ELEVATED, UH, STORAGE WATER TANKS, UH, THAT HELP, UH, TO PROVIDE ADDITIONAL, UH, CAPACITY TO THE SYSTEM DURING HIGH DEMANDS.
UH, THERE'S TWO PUMP STATIONS, THE NORWOOD AND THE BROOK.
UH, THERE'S OVER 1700, UH, FIRE HYDRANTS AS WELL AS OVER 3000, UH, WATER VALVES WITHIN THAT DISTRIBUTION SYSTEM.
UH, THE SYSTEM, AS I MENTIONED, HAS SIX UH, WATER STORAGE TANKS.
THEY ARE THE GLENVILLE ELEVATED WATER STORAGE TANK, WHICH WAS BUILT IN 1995.
THE NORWOOD, UH, ELEVATED WATER STORAGE TANK, WHICH WAS BUILT IN 1928 EAST IRVINGTON WATER TANK, WHICH WAS BUILT IN 1977.
THE HARTSDALE WATER TANK, WHICH WAS BUILT IN 1950, THE FAIRVIEW ELEVATED WATER TANK BUILT IN 1925, AND THEN THE GREENVILLE ELEVATED WATER TANK IS BUILT IN 1977, THE DAILY AVERAGE OF WATER THAT WAS PUMPED AND TREATED INTO THE DISTRIBUTION SYSTEM IN 2021.
SO LAST YEAR WAS, UH, 7.1 MILLION GALLONS OF WATER PER DAY.
BILL, IF YOU COULD GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE.
SO, AS A, UH, A WATER, UH, DISTRIBUTOR AND, AND PURVEYOR.
SO OBVIOUSLY THE PRIMARY RESPONSIBILITIES ARE PROVIDE CUSTOMERS WITH, UH, PLENTIFUL SUPPLY OF HIGH QUALITY WATER, UH, BEING ABLE TO SATISFY THOSE CHEAP WATER DEMANDS, UM, BOTH OVER THE COURSE OF A, AN AVERAGE DAY, AS WELL AS DURING EMERGENCY EVENTS SUCH AS, UH, FIRES.
AND THEN TO ALSO MAINTAIN THE ADEQUATE PRESSURE UNDER, UH, MAXIMUM HOURLY DEMANDS.
SO TYPICALLY IN THE MORNING TIME AND, UM, TYPICALLY AT NIGHT, THE PROPOSED CAPITAL IMPROVEMENTS, UH, THAT WE'RE SPEAKING ABOUT TONIGHT INCLUDE THE HIGH POINT ROAD WATER MAIN REPLACEMENT IN, UH, FISCAL YEAR 2023.
THIS INCLUDES THE REPLACEMENT OF APPROXIMATELY 5,000 LINEAR FEET OF WATER MAIN ON HIGH POINT ROAD WITH BRAND NEW DUCTILE IRON WATER MAIN.
UM, THE, AS I MENTIONED, DISTRIBUTION PIPES, UH, CONVEY THE WATER FROM THE POINTS OF SUPPLY DIRECTLY TO THE CUSTOMERS AND THROUGHOUT OUR SYSTEM.
VARIOUS AREAS OF THESE PIPES ARE, UH, GREATER THAN 75 YEARS SOLD IN SOME CASES.
UH, THIS PROJECT WILL INCREASE THE RELIABILITY OF THE DISTRIBUTION SYSTEM AND ELIMINATE, UH, WATER MAIN BREAKS AND ANY FUTURE OUTAGES THAT, UH, WOULD OCCUR IN THAT AREA IN 2024.
THE CAPITAL EXPENDITURES INCLUDE THE REHABILITATION OF THE FAIRVIEW ELEVATED WATER TANK.
UH, AS I MENTIONED, THIS IS A TANK THAT WAS CONSTRUCTED IN 1925.
IT'S A CYLINDRICAL TANK MADE OF RIVETED STEEL AND HAS A CAPACITY OF APPROXIMATELY 400,000 GALLONS.
THE ELEVATED WATER TANKS SUCH AS THIS ENABLE THE WATER SYSTEM TO SATISFY THE DEMAND
[01:40:01]
THAT CANNOT BE MET BY THE, THE PUMP STATIONS DURING THE PEAK PERIODS OR EMERGENCIES.AND THE APPROXIMATE COST OF THIS PROJECT IS ESTIMATED TO BE $8 MILLION.
THE CAPITAL PLAN IN 2025 INCLUDES THE REPLACEMENT OF THE NORWOOD PUMP STATION, WHICH IS THE CONSOLIDATED WATER DISTRICT'S PRIMARY SOURCE OF WATER.
THE STATION WAS BUILT IN THE MID 1950S AND THEN LATER UPGRADED IN 1960.
IT HAS NINE PUMPS THAT RANGE IN CAPACITY AND IT BOOSTS WATER FROM THE NEW YORK CITY AQUEDUCT INTO THE TOWN'S DISTRIBUTION SYSTEM.
THE REPLACEMENT OF THIS PUMP STATION WILL INCREASE THE EFFICIENCY OF THE PUMPING OPERATIONS, REDUCE THE MAINTENANCE, AND BETTER ENABLE THE WATER DISTRICT TO MEET BOTH CURRENT AND FUTURE WATER DEMANDS, UH, ON THE SYSTEM.
THE TOTAL ESTIMATED COST OF THIS PROJECT IS $22 MILLION.
NOW, PHIL, IF YOU COULD GO BACK TO THE TABLE, I THINK IT WAS SLIDE NUMBER SEVEN SURE.
SO THESE CAPITAL IMPROVEMENTS ARE SUMMARIZED IN THIS, THIS TABLE.
UM, AS MENTIONED, THE, THE WATER MAIN REPLACEMENT IS SCHEDULED FOR 2023, THE WATER TANK REHAB IN 2024, THE LARGE PUMP STATION PROJECT IN 2025.
IN 2026, THE CAPITAL EXPENDITURES INCLUDE THREE AND A HALF MILLION DOLLARS FOR ADDITIONAL WATER MAIN REPLACEMENT.
UH, IT'S THE INTENT OF THIS PROJECT TO ELIMINATE ANY DEAD ENDS THAT ARE CURRENTLY WITHIN THE SYSTEM AND INCREASE THE WATER FLOW AND ULTIMATELY THE WATER QUALITY, UH, THROUGHOUT THE SYSTEM.
AND FINALLY, IN 2027, UH, THREE AND A HALF MILLION DOLLARS IS ADDED AS A PLACEHOLDER FOR FUTURE CAPITAL WORK.
UM, AND THIS WOULD BE FOR ANY ADDITIONAL WATER MAIN REPLACEMENT OR ANY OTHER WORK, UH, THAT COMES UP DEPENDING UPON THE NEEDS OF THE, THE DISTRICT AT THAT TIME.
THE, THE CAPITAL IMPROVEMENTS THAT WE HAVE OUTLINED IN THIS PLAN, UH, ARE NECESSARY TO MEET BOTH THE SHORT TERM AND THE LONG TERM INFRASTRUCTURE NEEDS OF THE, OF THE DISTRICT AND TO ENSURE THE CONTINUED AVAILABILITY OF HIGH QUALITY WATER TO, UH, THE CUSTOMERS AS WELL AS TO PROVIDE, UH, FIRE FLOW FOR, UM, ANY EMERGENCIES THAT MIGHT COME UP.
I WILL NOW TURN IT BACK OVER TO, UH, PHIL AND HE CAN SPEAK ON THE PROJECTED DEBT SERVICE COSTS.
SO THIS SLIDE ANSWERS THE QUESTION THAT, UM, THAT ONE MAY HAVE.
AND WHEN THEY LOOK AT THE WATER RATE INCREASES, WHEN THEY SAY WHAT IS THE REAL NEED FOR THESE, YOU KNOW, WHAT IS THE MAJOR NEED FOR THESE INCREASES? WHAT'S DRIVING THESE INCREASES? AND CERTAINLY THE YEAR OVER YEAR INCREASES TO OPERATING EXPENSES OF ABOUT 4%.
THAT'S CERTAINLY DRIVING PART OF IT.
BUT THE OTHER PART IS, UH, PROJECTED DEBT SERVICE.
SO LEMME JUST EXPLAIN WHAT DEBT SERVICE IS.
WHEN THE TOWN BORROWS MONEY, IT HAS TO REPAY IT, UH, PERIODICALLY.
SO IT REPAYS THE PRINCIPAL PORTION THAT IT'S BORROWED, AND IT REPAYS THAT WITH INTEREST, VERY SIMILAR TO HOW AN INDIVIDUAL REPAYS A MORTGAGE.
SO IF YOU BUY A HOME, YOU TAKE OUT A MORTGAGE, YOU MAKE MONTHLY PAYMENTS, OR YOU PAY BACK THE PRINCIPAL WITH INTEREST.
SO THE WATER SYSTEM, IT'S ANNUAL PRINCIPAL AND INTEREST PAYMENTS ON MONIES, IT'S BORROWED THROUGH THE TOWN DOLLARS PER YEAR.
NOW THE TOWN INTENDS CURRENTLY TO FINANCE THE PUMP STATION REPLACEMENT PROJECT, THE $22 MILLION PROJECT THAT BRIAN WAS MENTIONING BEFORE, UM, IN 2025.
SO THAT IS A LARGE PROJECT, AND WE MADE SOME CHANGES TO OUR INTEREST RATE ASSUMPTIONS.
SO THE RATE AT WHICH THE TOWN WOULD BORROW AT GOING FORWARD DUE TO RECENT CHANGES IN THE INTEREST RATE ENVIRONMENT.
SO YOU CAN SEE HERE THAT WE EXPECT PRINCIPAL AND INTEREST PAYMENTS FOR THE WATER DISTRICT TO INCREASE FROM 2.8 MILLION WHERE IT'S AT NOW TO ABOUT 4.8 MILLION OR EVEN 5 MILLION OVER THE NEXT SEVERAL YEARS.
SO THAT'S A $2 MILLION INCREASE JUST IN A COUPLE YEARS HERE FROM ONE SINGLE PROJECT.
GIVEN THE SIZE OF THE TOWN'S BUDGET, THAT'S A SIGNIFICANT INCREASE.
SO FUTURE DEBT SERVICE COSTS ON FUTURE ANTICIPATED BORROWINGS FOR CAPITAL INVESTMENTS, NAMELY THE PUMP STATION REPLACEMENT PROJECT, ARE LARGELY DRIVING THE RATE INCREASES THAT WE ARE SHOWING, UH, THAT I SHOWED EARLIER ON, UH, ON THE FIRST SLIDE.
SO TO KIND OF WRAP IT ALL UP, UM, THESE ARE THE ANNUAL INCREASES TO THE WATER RATES THAT, UH, THAT I WAS DISCUSSING BEFORE.
SO THESE ARE GENERALLY MODERATE, UH, CERTAINLY DECLINING TO MUCH MORE MODERATE LEVELS WITHIN THE INDUSTRY.
[01:45:01]
TYPICALLY SEE, UM, OVER, YOU KNOW, PROBABLY THE LAST 10, 15 YEARS WATER RATE INCREASES AVERAGE MAYBE FOUR TO FOUR AND A HALF PERCENT PER YEAR.UM, YOU KNOW, CERTAINLY WE'RE HIGHER THAN NORMAL, BUT WE'RE PREPARING FOR THOSE FUTURE COSTS, UH, FOR THOSE FUTURE DEBT SERVICE COSTS, UM, OUT AROUND HERE WITH SOME HIGHER THAN, UM, HIGHER THAN TYPICAL INCREASES OVER THE NEXT FEW YEARS.
UH, THE ANNUAL RESIDENTIAL COST AS A PERCENTAGE OF LOWEST INCOME QUINTILE, UH, I CAN PUT THAT A LOT SIMPLER
WATER AFFORDABILITY IS A COMPLEX, IT'S A COMPLEX THING, BUT THIS IS A VERY SIMPLE METRIC WHERE I JUST TOOK THE INCOMES OF, UH, THE HOUSEHOLD INCOMES OF, UH, HOUSEHOLDS TOWARD THE, UM, TOWARD THE LOWER END OF THE SPECTRUM WITH, UH, HOUSEHOLD INCOMES WITHIN THE TOWN AND COMPARED THAT TO THE ESTIMATED COST OF WATER SERVICE.
AND IT COMES OUT TO ABOUT 1.6 OR 1.8.
YEAH, RANGES FROM ABOUT 1.61 1.8%.
SO THE COST OF WATER SERVICE FOR THOSE AT THE LOWER END OF, UM, OF INCOME WITHIN THE TOWN, IT'S ABOUT ONE WATER SERVICE IS ABOUT 1.6 OF THEIR TOTAL HOUSEHOLD INCOME.
THAT'S GENERALLY REGARDED AS AFFORDABLE WATER SERVICE.
HOWEVER, I UNDERSTAND EVERYBODY HAS UNIQUE CIRCUMSTANCES AND SITUATIONS, SO I CERTAINLY CAN'T SPEAK TO EVERY PERSON AND SAY THAT IT WOULD EQUATE TO AFFORDABLE WATER SERVICE.
BUT THIS IS A GENERAL MEASURE AND IT IMPLIES, UM, AFFORDABILITY OF WATER SERVICE THESE LAST TWO DAYS.
CASH ON HAND, IT'S JUST ANOTHER WAY OF SAYING CASH ON THE CASH IN THE BANK HAS A PERCENTAGE OF ANNUAL OPERATING EXPENSES.
WE'D LIKE TO SET THE TARGET AT 90 DAYS.
UM, THAT WAS THE RECOMMENDATION OF ELLIS, UM, FOR THE 90 DAY CASH TARGET.
AND THAT'S PRETTY TYPICAL FOR OPERATING EXPENSES OR FOR OPERATING EXPENSE RESERVES.
WE DO SEE UTIL WATER UTILITIES THAT DO HOLD HIGHER LEVELS OF RESERVES.
SO WE ALSO SEE UTILITIES THAT HOLD OPERATING RESERVES AND CAPITAL RESERVES.
SO THE 90 DAYS IS A GOOD TARGET, BUT PROBABLY TOWARD THE LOWER END OF THE SPECTRUM.
AND YOU CAN SEE HERE, BASED ON OUR RATE PROJECTIONS, WE'RE AROUND 120 DAYS, 135 DAYS, SO ALMOST A THIRD.
THE AMOUNT OF CASH ON HAND IS ALMOST A THIRD OF ANNUAL OPERATING EXPENSES.
BUT AGAIN, WE'RE BUILDING UP SOME CASH IN THE NEAR TERM 'CAUSE WE'RE RAISING RATES INCREMENTALLY IN ANTICIPATION OF HIGHER FUTURE COSTS.
SO WE DON'T, WHAT WE DON'T WANNA DO IS, UH, NOT ANTICIPATE THOSE COSTS AND THEN HAVE A REALLY SHARP DOUBLE DIGIT RATE INCREASE ONCE THEY OCCUR.
SO THAT'S WHY WE'RE SEEING A LITTLE BIT OF A BUILDUP IN CASHIER.
BUT ANYTHING OVER THE DAY, NOT OVER THE ANYTHING OVER THE 90 DAY TARGET, WE'RE GOING TO, UM, LOOK AT THAT AS A CAPITAL RESERVE.
AND I THINK THE TOWN IS COMFORTABLE HAVING THOSE FUNDS AVAILABLE AS A CAPITAL RESERVE FOR UN FOR UNANTICIPATED CAPITAL PROJECTS, REPLACEMENT REPAIR TYPE PROJECTS THAT MIGHT OCCUR.
DEBT SERVICE COVERAGE, THAT'S JUST ANOTHER WAY OF SAYING DO REVENUES EQUAL EXPENSES.
WE WANNA MAKE SURE THAT YOU PAY BACK OR YOU PAY FOR YOUR OPERATING EXPENSES AND YOUR DEBT SERVICE WITH MONEY YOU'RE GENERATING FROM RATES.
WE DON'T WANNA SEE A TREND OF THE WATER DISTRICT DIPPING INTO ITS RESERVES TO PAY OPERATING COSTS OR TO PAY BACK, UH, MONEY ON DEBT THAT IS ISSUED THAT'S NOT SUSTAINABLE.
UH, IT'S OKAY FOR A COUPLE YEARS OR IN THE SHORT TERM, BUT IT'S NOT SUSTAINABLE OVER TIME.
AND YOU CAN SEE WE'RE NOT SHOWING THAT WE'RE SHOWING A PERCENTAGE OVER A HUNDRED.
SO THAT MEANS REVENUES ARE GENERALLY A LITTLE BIT ABOVE EXPENSES OR EQUAL TO EXPENSES.
SO A LONG STORY SHORT, THESE, WE FEEL THAT THESE PROTECTED INCREASES IN THE PROPOSED INCREASE FOR 2023, UH, WE'LL PUT THE WATER DISTRICT IN, UH, IN A GOOD FINANCIAL CONDITION INTO THE FUTURE.
SO WITH THAT, UM, THAT IS THE PRESENTATION SITE ON THE FIVE YEAR WATER RATE UPDATE.
UH, YOU KNOW, I BASICALLY WAS IN TOUCH WITH SOME PEOPLE ON THE WATER DISTRICT ADVISORY BOARD AND ONE OF, UH, THE ISSUES, UH, THAT SOME PEOPLE, UH, YOU KNOW, RAISED TO ME WAS THAT THE PUMPING STATION, UM, AND RELATED COSTS, UM, WERE DELAYED.
AND THEY'RE WONDERING IF THE CUSTOMER PAYMENT FOR THE PUMPING STATION SHOULD ALSO BE BE DELAYED.
WOULD YOU HAVE ANY THOUGHTS ON THAT OR BRIAN OR RICH? SO, UH, SO I'LL SPEAK TO THAT.
SO, UM, THE PUMP STATION, THE ORIGINAL, UH, CAPITAL PLAN THAT WE HAD IN PLACE LAST YEAR INCLUDED THE PUMP STATION TO BE, UH, CONSTRUCTED IN 2024.
THE REASON IT WAS DELAYED WAS BECAUSE AS WE'RE ALL AWARE, PRICES ARE INCREASING, COSTS OF, OF INFRASTRUCTURE IS INCREASING.
SO THE CAPITAL PLAN FOR 2022, WHICH INCLUDED THIS PAST YEAR, INCLUDED THE, UH, INSTALLATION AND CONSTRUCTION OF A NEW CONTACT TANK
[01:50:01]
PROJECT.THAT PROJECT WAS ORIGINALLY ESTIMATED AT $8 MILLION, AND UNFORTUNATELY, THE, UH, BIDS CAME IN AT $17 MILLION.
SO TO HELP MITIGATE THE IMPACT OF THAT PROJECT ON THE RATES, WE ADJUSTED THE CAPITAL PLAN SO THAT WE PUSHED OFF THAT PROJECT ONE ADDITIONAL YEAR SO THAT WE COULD, LIKE I SAID, MINIMIZE THE IMPACT ON THE WATER RATES OVER THE NEXT FIVE YEARS.
AND WITHOUT THAT, THE FEDERAL FUNDS THAT WE GOT, IS THAT WHAT IT'S BEING APPLIED FOR? SO TO COMPENSATE FOR THE, UH, THE INCREASE IN COSTS.
AND AGAIN, JUST TO REMIND EVERYBODY, THAT PROJECT, UH, THE TOWN WAS MANDATED TO INSTALL THIS, THIS CONTACT TANK, IT WAS THE RESULT OF, UM, A RESULT OF, UH, UH, UH, I'LL SAY A, UM, D E P WAS CHANGING THEIR OPERATIONS.
AND SO THE TOWN HAD NO OTHER CHOICE BUT TO PUT IN A CONTACT TANK AND JUST CHANGED THE WAY THAT WE TREAT OUR, OUR WATER.
UM, AND IT, THERE WAS A TIMELINE ASSOCIATED WITH THAT WORK.
AND AS OF RIGHT NOW, THAT PROJECT IS UNDER CONSTRUCTION AND IT IS EXPECTED TO BE COMPLETED BY THE SPRING OF NEXT YEAR, UM, TO COMPENSATE FOR THE ADDITIONAL, UH, OR INCREASE IN COSTS.
YES, WE USED, UM, UH, WE HAD SOME, UH, ARPA FUNDING THAT WAS ABLE TO PROVIDE SOME OF THAT, UM, AS WELL AS SOME CASH RESERVES.
SO, UH, AS PHIL MENTIONED HIS PRESENTATION, THE 90 DAY, UM, CASH RESERVE, UH, MINIMUM THAT WE SET AS A, A TARGET FOR OPERATIONAL EXPENSES LAST YEAR THERE WAS AN EXCESS OF CASH RESERVES AND THAT EXCESS OF CASH RESERVES WAS, UH, USED.
UM, AND THIS WAS ALL IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE, UH, RATE PLAN THAT WE HAD PUT IN PLACE LAST YEAR.
UH, $5.1 MILLION OF THOSE CASH RESERVES WAS ABLE TO BE DEDICATED TOWARDS THAT PROJECT TO HELP FUND SOME OF THE, THE EXCESS COSTS.
AND THE LAST QUESTION I HAVE, UM, IS, UM, MEMBERS OF THE WATER DISTRICT ADVISORY COMMITTEE, UH, WHO CONTACTED ME, UM, INDICATED THAT THEY WOULD LIKE MORE INFORMATION ON, UH, THE WATER BREAKS, UM, WHAT'S IN THE BUDGET FOR CONTINGENCIES, UM, WHAT EXTENT PAST ACTUAL COSTS HAVE EXCEEDED THE ESTIMATED COSTS, UH, RELIED UPON WHEN SETTING, UH, WATER RATES AND UPDATED ON NUMBERS.
AND THEY'VE ASKED FOR MORE DETAILS ABOUT THAT.
PAUL, THIS IS A VERY DIFFICULT, UH, THING TO PREDICT IN THE LAST MONTH.
UH, WE HAVE A PROJECT, UH, WATER MAIN RE REPAIR RIGHT NOW THAT'S ONGOING, THAT'S GONNA BE IT WELL OVER IT LOOKS LIKE $300,000.
UH, LAST WEEK, AS YOU'RE AWARE, WE HAD ANOTHER, UH, SITUATION WHERE THERE WAS A LEAK BORN KEY IN YARDLEY ROAD WHERE WE FOUND OUT WE HAVE A SIX INCH WATER MAIN EIGHT FEET DEEP WITH ANOTHER MUNICIPAL LINE OVER IT.
SO THINK ABOUT THAT WORK WHERE WE'VE GOTTA GET IT.
WE'RE GONNA GET A, A PRIVATE CONTRACTOR TO DO THIS 'CAUSE IT'S BEYOND US.
WE'VE GOTTA EXCAVATE UNDER THIS 30 INCH LINE, KEEP THIS LINE SECURE 'CAUSE IT'S OPERATIONAL AND MAKE A REPAIR ON A SIX INCH LINE, EIGHT FEET DEEP.
YOU KNOW, WE HAVE AN AGING IN INFRASTRUCTURE JUST LIKE THE REST OF THE COUNTRY.
EVERYTHING YOU HEAR ABOUT FROM THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT DOWN, WE HAVE TO PUT MONEY INTO INFRASTRUCTURE, INFRASTRUCTURE, INFRASTRUCTURE.
THERE'S NO MORE VALUABLE, UH, COMMODITY IN THIS TOWN THAN SAFE DRINKING WATER.
UM, WE ARE WORKING TO TRY TO GET THEM MORE ANSWERS.
UM, I KNOW THEY'RE LOOKING AT, UH, THE FINAL BILLING FOR THE YEAR THAT WILL GET TOWARDS THE END OF FEBRUARY, BUT IT'S A VERY HARD THING TO PREDICT AND IT'S CONSTANT, YOU KNOW, DURING THE LAST SNOWSTORM, THEY'RE OUT ON ABBOT WITH THE BREAK.
SO IT'S, WE HAVE AN AGING INFRASTRUCTURE.
I I JUST HAD ONE OTHER, THIS IS A CURIOSITY QUESTION THAT MAY NOT, I DON'T KNOW IF IT'S PRACTICAL OR NOT, BUT, YOU KNOW, CONED IS DOING ALL THIS UNDERGROUND WORK NOW AND, UM, IS THERE ANY COST EFFECTIVENESS? UH, IF, YOU KNOW, WE WOULD REACH OUT WITH CONED AND DO SOME OF THE UNDERGROUND, UH, PIPING, UH, AT THE SAME TIME THEY'RE DOING THE, YOU KNOW, THEIR UNDERGROUND WORK.
I MEAN, WOULD IF THEY'RE ALREADY DIGGING, UH, ARE OUR PIPES RIGHT NEAR THEIR PIPES? OR IS THAT SORT OF IMPRACTICAL? THE PIPES AREN'T TOGETHER.
AND IF YOU LOOK AT, IF YOU LOOK AT AREAS THAT WE'VE GONE IN AND WE'VE WORKED WITH CLOSELY WITH CONED, UH, AND OTHER UTILITIES, I USE THE ARDS OF HEIGHTS AREA WHERE, YOU KNOW, WE WENT IN AND DID CURBS.
UH, THE WATER DISTRICT WENT IN AND DID WORK.
[01:55:01]
RIGHT AFTER CONED WRAPPED UP.WE WORKED WITH THEM TO GET THE AREA PAVED.
SO WE ARE WORKING WITH THEM, BUT TO GET, UH, A PRIVATE COMPANY TO PUT WATER AND, AND CONED, IT'S VERY, VERY, VERY DIFFERENT.
I JUST WANTED TO ASK ANYBODY ELSE ON THE BOARD WHO ARE THE PUBLIC HAVE A QUESTION? YEAH.
UM, FIRST OF ALL, I JUST WANTED TO CLARIFY THAT ARPA STANDS FOR THE AMERICAN RESCUE PLAN ACT.
UM, SO THESE ARE MONIES THAT CAME FROM THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT TO THE MUNICIPALITY.
UM, THERE'S SOME DISCRETIONARY SPENDING, BUT, AND SO WE FELT THIS WAS MOST IMPORTANT.
UM, MY QUESTION IS THAT THERE WAS ALSO AN INFRA, UH, SUM OF MONEY FOR THE INFRASTRUCTURE PLAN THAT WAS PASSED BY THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT.
HOW, UM, HOW ARE THOSE MONIES ACCESSED BY WAY OF GRANTS AND ARE THEY AVAILABLE AT THIS POINT? HAVE WE APPLIED FOR ANY, UM, OR IS THERE ANOTHER WAY IN WHICH WE GET THE FUNDS? I KNOW THE, THE LATEST GRANT, I THINK WE GOT WORD BRIAN TWO WEEKS BACK THAT WE WERE DENIED.
SO WE HAVEN'T BEEN THAT SUCCESSFUL WITH GRANTS.
SO, SO WE'RE CONSTANTLY, UM, AND WE WORK VERY CLOSELY WITH SOME OF OUR, UH, PROFESSIONAL CONSULTANTS AS WELL, UH, TO CONSTANTLY MONITOR, UH, THE GRANT FUNDING THAT'S AVAILABLE OUT THERE.
UH, WE'VE APPLIED FOR GRANT FUNDING THROUGH THE NEW DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENTAL CONSERVATION.
UH, IT'S THEIR ENVIRONMENTAL FACILITIES CORPORATION.
UH, THE LAST ONE AT LEAST WAS FOR A, AN ASSET MANAGEMENT PROGRAM.
UM, AND UNFORTUNATELY WE WERE NOT, UM, UH, AWARDED, UH, THIS TURNAROUND.
UM, BUT IT IS SOMETHING THAT WE ARE CONSTANTLY APPLYING FOR.
UM, AND WE, YOU KNOW, WE TRY AND DO OUR BEST TO TRY AND GET AS MUCH FUNDING AS WE CAN TO, TO YOUR POINT WITH THE, UH, AMERICAN RESCUE PLAN, THOSE FUNDS, THERE WERE CERTAIN STIPULATIONS WITH THOSE FUNDS WHERE THEY HAD TO ALSO BE USED BY, BY A CERTAIN YEAR.
I THINK THEY HAD TO BE USED, I THINK IT WAS BY 2024, IF I'M NOT MISTAKEN.
UM, AND, AND WATER INFRASTRUCTURE WAS ONE OF THE, UH, THE, THE PROJECTS THAT WERE ELIGIBLE.
UM, SO IT SEEMED TO BE A PERFECT FIT FOR A PROJECT THAT WAS CURRENTLY UNDER CONSTRUCTION.
UM, BUT YES, I MEAN, AND AS WE GET CLOSER TO SOME OF THESE PROJECTS, UH, YOU KNOW, WITH THE, THE WATER MAIN REPLACEMENT PROJECTS WITH THE, UH, PUMP STATION, UH, PROJECT, UH, AS WE START GETTING CLOSER TO THE, THE ACTUAL DESIGN, UM, AND WE START DIGGING INTO THE DETAILS, THEN WE'RE GONNA ABSOLUTELY EXPLORE THE POSSIBILITY OF GETTING GRANT FUNDING FOR THOSE TO HELP.
I JUST ASK ANOTHER QUESTION JUST ABOUT THE GRANT.
I'M SORRY, PAUL, DO YOU WANNA FINISH OR I HAD TO, I JUST WAS GONNA ASK IF IT'S NOT REALLY A QUESTION IF, UH, IN THE FUTURE, YOU KNOW, WHEN YOU APPLY FOR GRANTS, IF YOU WOULD, YOU KNOW, UM, LET ME KNOW WHICH ARE YOUR PRIORITIES, BECAUSE THEN WE COULD DO SOME, UH, UH, ADVOCACY AND LOBBYING TO GET THE GRANTS, UM, YOU KNOW, SERIOUSLY CONSIDERED.
I MEAN, WE, WE HAVE, UH, JOHN EMMERICH FROM THE MIAM GROUP WORKING WITH US, YOU KNOW, AS A LEGISLATIVE ADV ADVOCATE, AND HE'S BEEN SUCCESSFUL IN GETTING, YOU KNOW, OTHER, UH, FUNDING INITIATIVES APPROVED.
AND, YOU KNOW, AGAIN, THE MORE LOBBYING WE DO, THE BETTER OUR CHANCES THAT, FOR CLARIFICATION, THAT WOULD, THAT DOESN'T NECESSARILY APPLY TO FEDERAL GRANTS, BUT TO STATE GRANTS.
UM, YEAH, BUT I'M SAYING WE CAN TRY AND SPEAKING OF WHICH, UM, THE ENVIRONMENTAL BOND ACT HAS, YOU KNOW, THE $4.2 BILLION FOR THE ENVIRONMENTAL BOND ACT WILL ALLOW US TO APPLY FOR STATE GRANTS THAT CAN BE APPLIED TO OUR WATER AS WELL.
I JUST THINK THAT WOULD MAYBE A LITTLE BIT MORE, YOU KNOW, NOT ONLY DO SHOULD WE APPLY FOR THE GRANTS, BUT WE SHOULD, UH, HAVE, YOU KNOW, PEOPLE LIKE MYSELF AND YOU AND OTHER BOARD MEMBERS, UM, YOU KNOW, ADVOCATE WITH OUR STATE LAWMAKERS, UM, TO, YOU KNOW, TO GIVE US THE BEST CHANCE OF BEING PUT ON THE TOP OF THE LIST.
IT COULD WORK OR IT WON'T WORK, BUT AT LEAST WE'LL TRY.
DOES ANYBODY ELSE, ANYBODY FROM THE PUBLIC WANNA SPEAK ON THIS? HAL SAM.
HAL SAM? I'M A LITTLE CONFUSED.
[02:00:01]
A VOLUME OF INFORMATION.UM, IS IT POSSIBLE USING ANY QUANTITY OF YOUR CHOICE THAT YOU COULD GIVE A COMPARISON BETWEEN HOW MUCH GREENBERG WATER RESIDENTS ARE PAYING FOR WATER VERSUS NEW YORK CITY AQUEDUCT WATER, WHICH INCURS MANY OF THE SAME OPERATING EXPENSES AS GREENBURG WATER.
SO WHATEVER QUANTITY YOU WANT TO COME UP WITH, HOW DO YOU COMPARE GREENBURG WATER RATES AGAINST WHAT NEW YORK CITY IS CHARGING GREENBURG? THAT WOULD BE A QUESTION.
UM, MS. HENDRICKS MENTIONED APA FUNDS.
I'VE HEARD APA FUNDS MENTIONED ON QUITE A FEW OF THESE OCCASIONS.
SO THE QUESTION IS, IS THE WATER DEPARTMENT GETTING IT A SHARE OF THE OPERA FUNDS THAT THE TOWN HAS ALREADY RECEIVED, OR IS IT NOT? FURTHERMORE, I HEARD SOMEONE MENTION THAT THE POLICY OF THIS WATER BOARD IS NOT TO DIP INTO RESERVES, WHICH ESSENTIALLY IS A GOOD POLICY THE OPPOSITE OF WHAT THE TOWN BOARD IS DOING IN ITS OWN BUDGET.
SO CAN I GET A COMPARISON BETWEEN GREENBURG WATER AND NEW YORK CITY AQUEDUCT WATER? THAT WOULD BE A QUESTION.
HOW ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT THE, THE RATE THAT THE CITY'S CHARGING US? YES.
AS COMPARED TO WHAT WE, PHIL, CAN YOU ANSWER, DO YOU HAVE THAT RIGHT IN FRONT OF YOU? WHATEVER QUANTITY YOU WANT TO COME UP WITH OF WATER.
SO THIS IS A COMPARISON OF WHAT NEW YORK CITY CHARGES THE TOWN OF GREENBURG VERSUS WHO, WHAT, WHAT THOSE, WHAT THEY CHARGE PEOPLE THAT LIVE IN NEW YORK CITY.
IS THAT WHAT THE COMPARISON IS? NO.
NEW YORK, WE PAY FOR OUR WATER THAT WE OBTAINED FROM NEW YORK CITY.
SO REALLY, I WANNA SEE HOW MUCH OF A DIFFERENCE THERE IS BETWEEN WHAT WE PAY AND WHAT WE CHARGE.
I COULDN'T ANSWER THAT RIGHT ON SPOT THOUGH.
AND HOW, WITH THE SECOND QUESTION YOU ASKED, WE DID GET ARPA FOR THE, UH, FOR THE CONTACT TANK, HOW MUCH THE FUNDS, HOW MUCH, HOW MUCH WOULD I THINK IT WAS OVER 4 MILLION.
ROBERTA WOULD KNOW THAT AT THE TOP.
WELL, THAT'S, THAT'S THE TOTAL AMOUNT OF AR FUNDS THAT WE RECEIVED.
YOU GOT ALL OF THE AR FUNDS, THEY USED ALL THE HARBOR FUNDS FOR THE WATER DISTRICT.
IT WAS LIKE, I THINK IT WAS LIKE OVER 4000004.7 OR SOMETHING.
SO THE QUESTION REMAINS, SPEAKING TO THE MICROPHONE STANDING ALL THE, THAT THE TOWN RECEIVED, DID THE WATER DEPARTMENT RECEIVE ALL OF THE MONEY'S GONE TO WATER? A HUNDRED PERCENT.
AND THERE'S STILL A NEED FOR A RATE INCREASE.
UH, PAUL, THERE ARE NO FURTHER REQUESTS AND I'D LIKE TO MOVE THAT WE ADJOURN THE HEARING.
UM, YOU KNOW, I THINK WE SHOULD ADJOURN IT TO, UM, UH, THE FIRST MEETING IN JANUARY.
WELL THEN YOU'RE, THEY'RE GONNA BE OUT OF SEQUENCE THEN WITH THEIR INCREASES.
WELL, THE QUESTION IS, DOESN'T THE, UM, I MEAN, OR SHOULD WE, UM, I'M, I'M JUST TRYING TO THINK OF THE WATER DISTRICT ADVISORY BOARD.
WE SHOULD GIVE THEM THE, AT LEAST THE COURTESY OF RE REVIEWING THEIR, THEIR CONCERNS OR MEETING WITH 'EM.
WELL, THE PROBLEM IS THAT WE'RE UP AGAINST THE END OF THE YEAR, AND IF WE DON'T HAVE THE INCREASE IN JANUARY, IT'S GONNA REQUIRE A BIGGER INCREASE MIDYEAR TO COVER WHAT THEY DID NOT COLLECT IN JANUARY.
YOU KNOW, I MEAN, WHAT, WHAT, RICH, IS THERE ANY, UM, YOU KNOW, DO YOU HAVE ANY THOUGHTS ON THAT? YOU KNOW, I FEEL THAT THE MORE INCLUSIVE WE ARE, THE THE BETTER, YOU KNOW, KNOW.
AND I FEEL THAT THE MORE WE, YOU KNOW, EVOLVE EVERYBODY TOGETHER WORKING TOGETHER, YOU KNOW, IF WE SIT DOWN WITH EVERYBODY OR INVITE THE, THE WATER DISTRICT BOARD TO A WORK SESSION, WE'RE GONNA BE MEETING THROUGHOUT THE YEAR ANYWAY.
UM, I I, I, I DO THINK IT IS IMPORTANT TO INCLUDE EVERYBODY.
I GOTTA TELL YOU, PAUL, WE RELY HEAVILY ON OUR PROFESSIONALS THAT RUN THE DEPARTMENT AND OUR ENGINEERS
[02:05:01]
AND OUR CONSULTANTS THAT ADVISE US.I DO KNOW IN THIS CASE, AND PHIL, CORRECT ME IF I'M WRONG, THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN, UH, A MIDDLE OF THE ROAD USER, SO UP MIDDLE WATER USER, IF BETWEEN THE 3% AND THE 7%, PHIL, WAS IT $18 FOR THE YEAR? IS THAT THE DIFFERENCE? YEP.
SO YOU'RE TALKING BETWEEN THE 3% AND THE 7%.
THE AVERAGE WATER USER WILL GET A BILL FOR THE YEAR OF AN EXTRA $18.
YOU'RE NOT TALKING A SIGNIFICANT AMOUNT OF MONEY, BUT I, I DO AGREE.
WE, WE, WE, WE NEED TO CONTINUE TO WORK WITH THE ADVISORY BOARD.
THEY REALLY DIG INTO THE, TO THE DETAILS ON THESE THINGS.
THEY ASK REALLY GOOD QUESTIONS.
SOME OF THE INFORMATION THEY'RE ASKING, YOU KNOW, WE'RE NOT GONNA GET TILL MID-FEBRUARY OR TOWARDS THE END OF FEBRUARY.
SO WE ARE WORKING ON GETTING SOME MORE INFORMATION TO THEM.
I THINK WE'LL CONTINUE TO WORK WITH THEM OVER THE NEXT FEW DAYS.
I KNOW YOU GUYS HAVE MEETINGS NEXT WEEK.
UM, MAYBE SOMETHING GET RESOLVED BETWEEN NOW AND THEN.
BUT I, WE HAVE TO REALLY RELY HEAVILY ON OUR, OUR WATER PROFESSIONALS, OUR ENGINEERS, AND OUR CONSULTANT.
WHAT IF WE INVITE THE WATER DISTRICT ADVISORY BOARD TO OUR WORK? WE'RE VOTING ON THE BUDGET MONDAY.
WHAT IF WE, UH, MAKE THIS A TOPIC FOR A TUESDAY'S WORK SESSION AND INVITE THEM AT THE WORK AND AT THE WORK SESSION? THIS WAY WE'RE GIVING THEM A CHANCE TO MEET WITH US.
NO, UH, WE COULD HAVE A, YOU KNOW, WE COULD HAVE, YOU KNOW, ANYONE SHOWS UP WHERE IT DOESN'T SHOW UP.
AT LEAST WE'VE MADE THE OFFER.
THAT'S WHAT I WOULD THINK WOULD MAKE SENSE.
BUT, AND THEN, AND THEN WE WE'RE, WE WE'RE ALSO MEETING THE FOLLOWING WEEK, I THINK THE BOARD, NO, WE'RE NOT TAKING OFF ANY TIME.
WELL, HOW LONG DOES IT TAKE YOU TO IMPLEMENT THE CHANGE ON THE BILLS? OR CAN YOU DO THAT SINCE IT'S GONNA BE, WELL, SOME ARE MONTHLY, RIGHT? THEY'RE NOT ALL QUARTERLY.
CAN WE IMPLEMENT, CAN WE IMPLEMENT AN I I DON'T WANNA IMPLEMENT AN INCREASE RETROACTIVELY.
UH, FROM WHAT I UNDERSTAND FROM, FROM THE ANALYSIS THAT WAS DONE BY THE WATER ADVISORY BOARD AND WHAT WE SAW TONIGHT, REALLY THE DIFFERENCE IS THAT WHAT WE SAW TONIGHT WAS, YOU KNOW, A SEVEN, UH, PERCENT INCREASE AND THEN PROJECTED DROPPING EACH YEAR.
UH, MY UNDERSTANDING IS WHAT THE WATER ADVISORY BOARD IS SAYING IS HAVE A LOWER PERCENT INCREASE THE, UH, NEXT IN 2023, BUT THEN YOU'LL HAVE SIGNIFICANT SPIKES, UH, DURING THAT SAME TIME PERIOD AS OPPOSED TO A CONSISTENCY IN, UH, THE RATE DROPPING AND HAVING SOME, SO PEOPLE WILL HAVE SOME, SOME LEVEL OF UNDERSTANDING AS TO WHAT THEIR BILL WILL BE AS OPPOSED TO, UM, BRIAN, DO YOU HAVE THAT, UH, CHART THAT SHOWS THE, HOW IT WOULD VARY IF WE STARTED LOWER NEXT YEAR? UH, I DON'T, I BELIEVE PHIL, PHIL DOES, YEAH.
UM, AM I STILL SHARING MY SCREEN? NO, NO.
SO IS THIS IS, NO, THAT'S NOT THE ONE.
OH, OH, THE ORANGE ONE WITH THE 3%, PHIL.
OH, THAT, UH, THAT DANON AND IT HAD THE ORANGE LINE.
REMEMBER THE ORANGE LINE? YEAH.
I THINK IT IS IMPORTANT THOUGH.
SO PHIL, IF YOU COULD JUST TOUCH BASE ON THIS CHART, BECAUSE I THINK WHAT THIS CHART IS TRYING TO SHOW IS THAT THIS, THIS IS THE SMOOTHED RATE ADJUSTMENTS WHERE YOU START AT A HIGHER RATE AND THEN PROGRESSIVELY AS THE YEARS GO ON, YOU'RE ABLE TO RAMP UP THOSE CASH RESERVES SO THAT YOU, YOU'RE PREPARED FOR THOSE CAPITAL PROJECTS THAT COME UP, AS OPPOSED TO GOING FROM, UH, YOU KNOW, ESSENTIALLY WHAT WOULD BE A, A, A LOWER RATE TO THEN ALL OF A SUDDEN SPIKING UP, UM, TO, TO MEET THOSE, THOSE CAPITAL PROJECTS AS THEY COME UP FROM ONE YEAR TO THE NEXT.
SO WE'VE HAD A POLICY, OR THE, THE TOWN AND THE WATER ADVISORY COMMITTEE IN THE PAST HAS HAD A POLICY OF SMOOTHING RATES YEAR TO YEAR, WHICH, UH, PROVIDES RATE PREDICTABILITY THAT WAY.
NOBODY HAS A, UM, YOU KNOW, A UNPLEASANT SURPRISE IN THEIR WATER BILL ON THEIR FIRST WATER BILL, UM, OF A, OF A NEW YEAR, PARTICULARLY PEOPLE WHO ARE, UM, TRYING TO MAKE ENDS TO MEET.
SO THAT'S WHY WE, THAT'S WHY WE'RE TRYING TO SMOOTH RATES
[02:10:01]
TO MAKE THESE INCREASES MORE PREDICTABLE.AND THAT'S WHY THESE BARS HERE ARE THE INCREASES THAT WE TALKED ABOUT TODAY.
AND YOU CAN SEE THEY'RE KIND OF MODERATE FROM TOP TO BOTTOM HERE.
THE GREEN LINE ARE IS IF WE JUST WENT YEAR TO YEAR, WHAT DO WE ACTUALLY NEED YEAR TO YEAR? WE'RE NOT GONNA FUND, WE'RE NOT GONNA SMOOTH ANYTHING.
WE'RE JUST GONNA WAIT TILL THE COST IS INCURRED, AND THEN WE'RE GONNA ADJUST RATES TO MEET THE REVENUE NEED IN THAT YEAR.
SO YOU CAN SEE THIS LINE STARTS LOW, ALMOST ZERO, JUMPS UP TO EIGHT, 9%, THEN AN ADDITIONAL 8.2%, THEN 9.4% AND THEN DROPS BACK DOWN.
SO THAT'S THE POINT I WAS TRYING TO MAKE WITH THIS SLIDE.
ALL, ALL I'M ASKING FOR IS IF THE TOWN BOARD COULD INVITE, UM, THE WATER DISTRICT ADVISORY BOARD TO A WORK SESSION ON TUESDAY, WE, WE, WE WE'RE PLANNING TO HAVE ANYWAY, THEN WE GIVE THEM A COURTESY OF DISCUSSION.
WE HAVE EVERYBODY THERE, AND HOPEFULLY WE WILL BE ABLE TO COME UP WITH A PLAN THAT EVERYBODY WILL FEEL MAKES SENSE, AND, AND THE BOARD COULD HEAR, UM, YOU KNOW, PEOPLE EXPRESS THEMSELVES.
MAYBE SOME INFORMATION COULD BE PROVIDED, OR IF WE CAN'T PROVIDE IT, WE COULD EXPLAIN IT TO EVERYBODY AND EVERYBODY'S IN THE SAME ROOM.
AND I FEEL THAT AT THE END OF THE DAY, THEN EVERYBODY WILL FEEL, UM, THAT THEY'RE BEING LISTENED TO, THAT THEY'RE BEING HEARD.
AND I THINK THAT'S, UH, THAT WILL BE A POSITIVE.
WELL, COULD WE HAVE BASICALLY A WORK SESSION BEFORE THE MONDAY NIGHT MEETING WITH THE, UH, BECAUSE HAVING A, JUST A WORK SESSION ON TUESDAY, WE STILL WOULDN'T BE VOTING AND HAVING A PLAN IN PLACE GOING INTO JANUARY.
WELL, THIS THING COULD TAKE FOR MONDAY'S MEETING COULD, YOU KNOW, IT SHOULD REALLY JUST BE THE BUDGET BECAUSE, UH, BECAUSE THAT COULD TAKE TIME.
AND, YOU KNOW, I DON'T WANT TO, YOU KNOW, WE DON'T WANT HAVE MEETINGS UNTIL TWO IN THE MORNING.
YOU KNOW, I THINK THAT, YOU KNOW, IF WE FOCUS ON THE BUDGET ON MONDAY AND WE FOCUS ON THE WATER DISTRICT ON TUESDAY, WE'LL ALL BE PAYING MORE ATTENTION.
BUT THERE, THERE'S, THERE'S NO PUBLIC HEARING ON THE BUDGET ON MONDAY.
IT'S ABOUT NO, BUT ON THE OTHER HAND, THERE'S, YOU KNOW, I'M, I, I MEAN, I FEEL VERY STRONGLY, ESPECIALLY ABOUT THE INTERNSHIP.
SO THE THING IS, I'M GONNA MAKE A BIG THING OUT OF IT.
AND, YOU KNOW, I, I REALLY FEEL, UH, YOU KNOW, YOU KNOW, IF THE BOARD BASICALLY WANTS TO, YOU KNOW, I MEAN, I, I THINK THAT, YOU KNOW, YOU KNOW, I'M VERY UPSET ABOUT THAT.
UM, AND AGAIN, YOU KNOW, HOPEFULLY WE WILL BE ABLE TO RESOLVE THE BUDGET WITHOUT, WITHOUT A CONTROVERSY.
AND, YOU KNOW, LET'S JUST DO THE BUDGET MONDAY.
AND THEN, I MEAN, IF WE FINISH ON TIME, THEN, YOU KNOW, WE COULD DO THE WATER THING, BUT THE WATER RATES COULD TAKE A FEW HOURS.
IT, BOTH OF THESE, BOTH OF THESE, TO BE VERY CLEAR, BOTH OF THESE GET YOU TO THE SAME POSITION AT THE END OF THE 2027.
BOTH OF THESE GET YOU TO THE SAME PLACE.
THE QUESTION IS, DO YOU PREFER ONE THAT HAS A SMOOTH CURVE WITH A PREDICTABLE DECLINE, OR DO YOU WANT, UH, AS THEY'RE CALLING IT, AS NEEDED, RIGHT.
UH, WHATEVER COMES UP THAT YEAR, YOU PAY FOR IT THAT YEAR.
AND IF IT'S A BIG SPIKE, IT'S A BIG SPIKE.
FRANKLY, I DON'T SUPPORT THAT.
I THINK IT'S BETTER TO HAVE SOMETHING THAT IS SMOOTH.
SO THE QUESTION FOR THE BOARD IS, WHICH OF THOSE LINES DO YOU WANT TO FOLLOW? EITHER THE CURVE WHERE THERE ARE SPIKES UP AND DOWN, UP AND DOWN, OR A, THE SMOOTH CURVE, WHICH IS WHAT WE VOTED ON LAST YEAR.
AND FRANKLY, I'LL TELL YOU IN ADVANCE, I SUPPORT THE SMOOTH CURVE.
'CAUSE IT SEEMS TO MAKE MORE SENSE AS IT'S MORE PREDICTABLE.
IF SOMEBODY KNOWS APPROXIMATELY HOW MUCH WATER THEY'RE USING, THEY HAVE A GENERAL IDEA OF WHAT THEIR, THEIR COST WILL BE THE FOLLOWING YEAR, UH, AS OPPOSED TO YOU USING THE SAME WATER AND YOU HAVE A SEVEN OR 8% SPIKE.
WELL, THE ONLY THING I'M SAYING IS I'M NOT SAYING I'M FOR OR AGAINST EITHER OPTION.
I'M SAYING THAT I'D LIKE TO, UM, HAVE A DIALOGUE WITH PEOPLE WHO HAVE BEEN SPENDING, YOU KNOW, SIGNIFICANT AMOUNT OF TIME, AN HOUR EVERY, EVERY MONTH ANALYZING THE WATER RATES.
I FEEL THAT THEY DESERVE SORT OF A COURTESY OF THE MEETING WITH THE, UM, WITH THE TOWN BOARD WHERE WE'RE NOT RUSHING, BUT WE'RE BASICALLY LISTENING TO THEM.
AND THEN WE CAN SAY YES OR NO, WE DON'T HAVE TO LISTEN TO THEM, BUT AT LEAST I'D LIKE TO, YOU KNOW, HEAR THEM JUST LIKE, YOU KNOW, WE, WE HEAR EVERYBODY, YOU KNOW, IF YOU HAVE AN ADVISORY BOARD AND YOU ARE ASKING PEOPLE TO SPEND TIME, UM, YOU KNOW, YOU WANT PEOPLE TO FEEL THAT WE'RE AT LEAST GIVING THEM THE COURTESY OF REFLECTING ON, ON THEIR, UH, THEIR THOUGHT PROCESS.
SO I, I FEEL STRONGLY THAT WE SHOULD HAVE THIS, A MEETING ONLY DEVOTED TO THE WATER RATES AND HAVE THE WATER DISTRICT ADVISORY SPEND AS MUCH TIME AS, UM, AS WE NEED AND SEE IF WE COULD TOGETHER REACH A CONSENSUS.
BECAUSE FROM MY EXPERIENCES, UM, YOU KNOW, EVERYBODY, WE ALL WANT THE SAME THING.
YOU KNOW, THEY'RE RATE PAYERS, WE'RE RATE PAYERS.
[02:15:01]
WE BASICALLY WANT THE BEST FOR OUR RESIDENTS AND BEST FOR THE WATER DEPARTMENT.AND, YOU KNOW, THE WATER DISTRICT ADVISORY BOARD DID WORK VERY HARD.
UM, THEY, YOU KNOW, ACCOMPLISHED A LOT.
YOU KNOW, WE HAVE THE CONNECTION FROM RUM BROOK TO, UM, UH, TO NORWOOD BECAUSE OF THEM.
THEY PUSHED HARD FOR, UH, THE PUMP STATION, UH, PAINTING, YOU KNOW, THEY DID AN AWFUL LOT.
AND, YOU KNOW, WE CREATED THAT COMMITTEE, UH, YEARS AGO BECAUSE WHY DON'T, WE WANTED TO SHOW RESIDENTS THAT WE HAVE CITIZENS, UH, WHO ARE RATE PAYERS WHO MAY NOT ALWAYS, HEY, PAUL, TRUST GOVERNMENT, PAUL, UM, PAUL, PART OF A PROCESS.
PAUL, JUST REALLY QUICKLY, SO THEY CAN'T COME ON MONDAY.
I'M JUST, I'M, I'M JUST SUGGESTING THAT, UH, NO, NO, NO.
I JUST, THAT WAS JUST A QUESTION.
OR IF THAT THEN PULL, YOU KNOW, WHY DON'T YOU POLL THE BOARD AND SEE EVERYONE HOW EVERYONE FEELS? 'CAUSE EVERYONE'S VERY CLEAR HOW YOU FEEL.
SO MAYBE WE SHOULD JUST POLL THE BOARD.
IF I MAY, PAUL, HAVE YOU HAD SOME, HEARD SOME RUMBLINGS THAT THERE ARE PROBLEMS THAT THE, THE WATER ADVISORY BOARD IS NOT HAPPY WITH? YEAH.
THEY TOLD ME THAT THEY DO NOT SUPPORT THE 7% INCREASE AND THEY SUPPORT THE 3%.
UM, AND I GOT TWO EMAILS FROM MEMBERS OF THE WATER DISTRICT ADVISORY, YOU KNOW, BOARD ON, YOU KNOW, TODAY.
UM, SO I MUST, WAS THAT BEFORE OR AFTER RICH GAVE US THE NUMBERS EXPLAINING WHAT THE INCREASES WERE? NOPE.
THAT, THAT WAS IN THE MORNING WHEN I, WHEN I SPOKE, WHEN I SPOKE TO THEM.
HAD YOU, HAVE YOU GOTTEN ANY, ANY RESPONSE BACK AFTER SEEING NO, THE INFORMATION THAT RICH SENT? UH, I, I GOT NO RESPONSE.
I JUST DID NO, A IF I COULD, IF I COULD JUMP IN, ALAN, THEY DID RESPOND.
THOSE EMAILS WERE FORWARDED TO THE BOARD.
THE WATER ADVISORY BOARD IS IN FAVOR OF A 3% INCREASE, NOT A 7%.
OUR PROFESSIONALS ON OUR END FEEL THAT 7% IS THE WAY TO GO.
AND AGAIN, I JUST WANNA REITERATE THAT THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE 3% TO THE 7% FOR THE AVERAGE USER, THE ADDITIONAL COST PER YEAR IS ABOUT $18.
THAT'S THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE THREE AND 7%.
AND YOU KNOW WHAT, SO PHIL, AM I CORRECT WITH THAT? CORRECT.
YEAH, BUT I DON'T THINK THAT'S THE, I, YOU KNOW, I, I DON'T THINK THAT'S THE MAIN POINT.
THE MAIN POINT HERE IS IF YOU PAY 3% NEXT YEAR, YOU'RE GOING TO PAY MORE THAN 3% IN A LATER YEAR.
IT'S GOING UP, IT'S GOING DOWN, IT'S GOING UP.
AS OPPOSED TO WHAT WE APPROVED LAST YEAR, WHICH IS WHAT IS BEFORE US AGAIN THIS YEAR, IS CONTINUING THAT PROJECTION IS THAT THERE'S SOME CONSISTENCY AND IT'S ACTUALLY A DELI DECLINE YEAR TO YEAR FOR PEOPLE TO MAKE JUDGEMENTS AS TO WHAT THEIR BUDGET, YOU KNOW, PLAN COULD BE SOMEWHAT TO PLAN.
SO IT, THIS IS NOT SOMETHING ABOUT HOW, YOU KNOW, WHETHER OR NOT WE SHOULD PUT IN A, YOU KNOW, A SIX INCH PIPE OR AN EIGHT INCH PIPE OR THE COST OF, YOU KNOW, FIXING MAINS OR IT, IT'S SIMPLY WHAT DO WE BELIEVE TO BE IN THE BEST INTEREST OF THE PUBLIC IN WHETHER OR NOT WE WANT A SMOOTH, SMOOTH CURVE OR ONE THAT IS BASED ON IF WE HAVE A MAJOR WATER RATE MAIN BREAK, EXPECT TO HAVE A VERY SIGNIFICANT INCREASE.
I, I, AGAIN, AND THIS IS THE LAST, I'LL SAY, I LOOK AT THIS AS A PROCESS ISSUE, RATHER THAN, I'M NOT SAYING YOU'RE RIGHT OR YOU'RE WRONG, OR THEY'RE RIGHT OR THEY'RE WRONG.
ALL I'M SAYING IS THAT WE FORMED AN ADVISORY COMMITTEE.
WE ASKED CITIZENS TO SPEND TIME VOLUNTEERING AND ANALYZING AND DOING THE WORK.
AND I, I WOULD FEEL MUCH HAPPIER IF AT THE END OF THE DAY, UH, WE SIT DOWN WITH THEM, WE GIVE THEM AN OPPORTUNITY TO EXPRESS THEMSELVES.
WE HAVE A DIALOGUE, WE HAVE SOME GIVE AND TAKE, AND THEN WE MAKE A DECISION.
I'M NOT SAYING WE SHOULD SAY YES OR NO, I'M JUST SAYING HAVE A DISCUSSION WITH THEM IN PERSON.
AND THEN WE MAKE OUR DECISION.
AND, AND I THINK, I THINK COUNCILMAN COUNCILWOMAN JACKSON JACKSON'S SUGGESTION THAT, UM, THAT WE MEET EARLIER ON MONDAY AND HAVE A PRESCRIBED TIMEFRAME FOR THE, FOR THE DISCUSSION WITH THE BOARD, THEN WE CAN, IT, IT DOESN'T MEAN THAT THE, THE, UH, BUDGET DISCUSSION'S GONNA GO ON ALRIGHT.
SO, SO THAT'S WHAT WE'RE GONNA DO FOR INVITE.
SO THEN WHAT, SO THE FINAL VOTE WAS THAT WE ARE GOING TO MEET EARLIER ON DECEMBER NINE, I THINK MONDAY'S DATE IS THE 19TH.
[02:20:01]
AT A FIVE 30 START.'CAUSE OUR MEETING IS AT SEVEN 30, A FIVE 30 START.
THIS IS AN OPPORTUNITY FOR THE WATER ADVISORY BOARD TO COME IN AND SPEAK TO US.
AND THEN PHIL, IF YOU'RE AVAILABLE BY ZOOM, UM, YOU CAN, YEAH, YEAH, PLEASE.
YOU THINK SIX O'CLOCK SHOULD BE OKAY.
SO WOULD SIX O'CLOCK I'VE HEARD SIX O'CLOCK WOULD PROBABLY BE BETTER.
WE COULD DO A SIX O'CLOCK MEETING, THEN WE'LL HAVE EVERYBODY IN THE ROOM AND THEN WE CAN HAVE THAT DISCUSSION.
'CAUSE SOME OF THEM MAY BE WORKING.
I'M GONNA, I'M, I'M EMAILING YOU NOW SIX.
SO IS CAN WE, ARE WE MOVING ON TO THE NEXT TOPIC OR? OKAY, SO IT'S 6:00 PM ON MONDAY EVENING, 6:00 PM DECEMBER 19TH, WHICH IS A MONDAY EVENING.
THAT'S GONNA BE A WORK SESSION FOLLOWED BY THE TOWN BOARD MEETING.
WE, WE HAVE TO CLOSE THE HEARING.
WE HAVE, WE NEED TO CLOSE THE HEARING.
WE HAVE TO CLOSE THE HEARING AND LEAVE THE RECORD OPEN UNTIL, UH, MONDAY AT AT EIGHT, NO, MONDAY AT SIX.
WELL, NO, WE'RE MEETING AT SIX.
NEXT WE HAVE REPUBLICAN COMMENTS.
I'M GONNA SUGGEST THAT WE TAKE A FIVE MINUTE BREAK BECAUSE IF ANY OF US LEAVE THE DAY, WE'RE GONNA HEAR ABOUT US NOT HAVING A QUORUM.
SO I WOULD JUST LIKE US TO TAKE A FIVE MINUTE BREAK.
SO WE'LL BE WHAT TIME? IS IT A REAL FIVE MINUTE BREAK OR? IT'S A REAL FIVE MINUTE BREAK.
NO, LET, WE'RE GONNA START AT 10 15.
ALRIGHT, SO A LITTLE BIT MORE THAN A FIVE MINUTE BREAK.
SO WE'RE GONNA HAVE, UM, PUBLIC, PUBLIC COMMENTS.
I JUST WANTED TO ALSO MENTION, UM, YOU KNOW, I WAS LOOKING AT MY NOTES AND ROBERTA MENTIONED WE SPENT 25,000 ON, UM, BID TURNS IN 2022.
SO, UM, IF WE TAKE, WHILE WE'RE ON PUBLIC COMMENT, WE HAVE PUBLIC COMMENT, WE HAVE COMMENT.
WELL, I WANNA EXPLAIN, WE'RE WE'RE NOT LETTING, I AM THE CHAIR OF THE BOARD AND BASICALLY I'M SAYING 25,000 WE SPEND YOU, IF THE BOARD CUTS $10,000 FROM THE BUDGET, WE'RE GOING TO DENY PEOPLE, STUDENTS WHO WANNA PARTICIPATE NEXT YEAR, THE OPPORTUNITY TO PARTAKE, PARTICIPATE IN A PROGRAM.
UM, AND I REALLY STRONGLY ENCOURAGE THE BOARD TO RECONSIDER, UH, DECREASING THE FUNDING FOR AN INTERNSHIP PROGRAM, WHICH PROVIDES A AN OPPORTUNITY FOR EVERY STUDENT FROM DIFFERENT BACKGROUNDS, ECONOMIC BACKGROUNDS, TO HAVE THE SAME CHANCES, UM, IN LIFE.
SO I'M GONNA BRING THAT UP ON MONDAY AND I HOPE THAT EVERYBODY ON THE BOARD WILL SUPPORT THAT.
I'M JUST, THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH AND WE APPRECIATE IT.
BUT YOU KNOW, PLEASE DO NOT MISSTATE, WE'RE CUTTING THE INCREASE.
YOU'RE NOT, YOU ARE CUTTING YOU, YOU'RE CUTTING.
THAT WOULD YEAR, YEAR 25,000 ON THE, BUT THERE'S NO FACT MATTER, RIGHT? SO, SO YOU'RE DENYING STUDENTS A CHANCE TO ITSELF.
WE'RE NOT, YOU MIGHT WANNA, YOU MIGHT WANNA CONSIDER PAUL OTHER, UH, OTHER WAYS OF HANDLING IT.
THE COUNTY DOES NOT PAY INTERNS.
RIGHT? UM, WHAT THEY DO DO GENERALLY IS GIVE CREDIT CL SCHOOL CREDIT.
SO MAYBE THERE IS SOME OTHER COMBINATION OF WAYS IN WHICH TO ASSIST STUDENTS ALL.
[ PUBLIC COMMENT Advance signup is required. Submit your name, street name where you reside and whether you live in Unincorporated or Incorporated Greenburgh. Also state this information at the podium before speaking. A continuous five minute limit per speaker will be strictly enforced. The clock will start when a speaker begins speaking and will not be stopped for any reason until the speaker is finished or five minutes has elapsed, whichever occurs first. Interruptions by Town Board members, the Town Clerk or the public will not be permitted. If a speaker insists on an immediate answer, should an answer be provided, it shall be part of the speaker's five minute allocation and not be interrupted. There will not be a second five minute round. Any written comments sent to PublicComment@GreenburghNY.com by 6 PM the day of the hearing will be forwarded to all Town Board members in advance of the meeting for their consideration. Written comments will not be read at the meeting unless the original author is present to do so.]
WHO WOULD LIKE TO SPEAK FIRST? SPEAKING FIRST, WHO WOULD LIKE TO SPEAK? ANYBODY HOUSE.SO, AND IF YOU'RE ON ZOOM AND YOU'D LIKE TO SPEAK, IF YOU COULD JUST ELECTRONICALLY RAISE YOUR HAND.
WE'RE GOING TO RESPECT THE MEMBERS OF THE WATER BOARD FOR THE TIME THEY PUT IN BY HAVING THEM COME BACK AND PUT MORE TIME IN.
WHAT I WANNA SPEAK TO YOU ABOUT IS A RESOLUTION OF THE TOWN BOARD PASSED, UM, FE FE FE FEBRUARY 15TH.
ESSENTIALLY A RESOLUTION OF THE TOWN BOARD OF THE TOWN OF GREENBURG CONDEMNING ANTISEMITISM AND DIRECTING THE GREENBURG POLICE DEPARTMENT TO PROVIDE THE TOWN BOARD ANNUAL REPORTS ON ANTI-SEMITIC ACTS WITHIN ITS JURISDICTION.
AND AT A RECENT WORK SESSION, UH, GINA SAID WE SPENT HOURS ON IT AND FRANCIS SAID WE SPENT MONTHS ON IT.
AND I DON'T DOUBT THAT YOU DID, YOU KNOW, BECAUSE THERE'S A WHOLE LIST OF INCIDENTS THAT APPEAR IN THIS RESOLUTION.
[02:25:01]
RESOLVING PART NOW, THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED THAT THE TOWN BOARD OF THE TOWN OF GREENBURG DEEPLY CONCERNED ABOUT THE DRAMATIC RISE AND ANTISEMITIC HATE AND BIGOTRY IN THE PUBLIC SPHERE COMMITTED TO OPPOSING THE THREAT IT POSES TO THE AMERICAN VALUES OF RELIGIOUS FREEDOM, DEMOCRACY, INTOLERANCE HEREBY CONDEMNS ALL FORMS OF ANTISEMITISM AND ENCOURAGES A GREENBERG HUMAN RIGHTS ADVISORY COMMITTEE TO WORK WITH THE TOWN BOARD TO INITIATE FORUMS AND EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMS ABOUT THIS GREEN GROWING EVIL AND BE IT FURTHER RESOLVE THAT ON AN ANNUAL BASIS.THE GREENBERG POLICE DEPARTMENT PROVIDES THE TOWN BOARD AT A PUBLIC MEETING WITH A REPORT OF ANTI-SEMITIC ACTS WITHIN ITS JURISDICTION FOR THE PRIOR YEAR.
THAT WOULD BE 2021, HIGHLIGHTING THE REPORTED IN INCIDENTS WHETHER THE PERSONS WHO COMMITTED THE ACTS WERE CAUGHT AND THE PUNISHMENTS.
AND AS THE GREENBERG POLICE DEPARTMENT REPORT ANY SUCH INCIDENTS TO THE WESTCHESTER COUNTY AS THE COUNTY HUMAN RIGHTS COMMISSION RECORDS, INCIDENTS OF HATE COUNTYWIDE.
WHEN I FALL TO SEE THIS REPORT DURING THE SUMMER, I WAS TOLD THAT THE DOCUMENT DOES NOT EXIST.
WHEN I FILED A, WHEN I FILED A FOIL APPEAL, IT WAS REPEATED THAT THE DOCUMENT DOES NOT EXIST.
NOW ON THE AGENDA TONIGHT ARE THREE CASE, THREE SITUATIONS FROM THE TOWN'S LEGAL DEPARTMENT WHERE A FEDERAL COURT UNDERTAKING IS UNDERWAY BECAUSE KRISTEN STEIN FELT THAT SHE IS HARASSED BY THE GREENBERG POLICE AND SHE HAD A VERY GOOD CASE WITH A VIDEO.
I DON'T HAVE SUCH AN EXAMPLE, BUT I IN TURN, AS A PERSON OF THE JEWISH FAITH, IF I HAD THE MONEY TO FILE A FEDERAL CASE, MY CIVIL RIGHTS UNDER THE LAW HAVE BEEN COMPROMISED.
THE TOWN OF GREENBURG CLAIMS IT IS CONCERNED ABOUT ANTISEMITISM WITHIN ITS BORDERS AND IN ITS INFINITE WISDOM HAS CHOSEN A COURSE OF ACTION ON HOW TO DEAL WITH IT.
ORDERING AN ANNUAL REPORT ON FEBRUARY 15TH FROM ITS OWN POLICE DEPARTMENT, STARTING WITH THE PRIOR YEAR 2021, AND THEN NOT OBTAINING IT, IN FACT, DENYING THAT IT DID SO OR THAT IT EVEN EXISTS AND HAS DONE NOTHING FURTHER TO ENSURE THAT IT EXISTS AFTER MY FOIL REQUEST AND SUBSEQUENT FOIL APPEAL ESTABLISHED THAT THE REPORT DOES NOT EXIST.
SO HOW DO YOU EXPLAIN WHY THIS REPORT DOESN'T EXIST ALMOST TWO YEARS AFTER THE CLOSE OF 2021.
AND FURTHERMORE, AFTER MY CONSTANT URGING FOR A RESPONSE TO MY FOIL APPEAL, MR. DANKO, YOUR TOWN INTERIM TOWN ATTORNEY, RESPONDED ON SEPTEMBER 2ND AS THOUGH HE WAS REPORTING THE RESULTS FROM THE TOWN BOARD'S DECISION.
SEPTEMBER 2ND, YOU'LL KNOW, IS THE FRIDAY OF LABOR DAY WEEKEND.
SO I KIND OF DOUBT THAT THE TOWN BOARD ACTUALLY MET TO CREATE THIS DECISION AND RULING ON MY FOIL APPEAL.
DID MR. FRANK DANKO FORGE YOUR ANSWERS OR WAS THERE A MEETING WHICH SHOULD HAVE BEEN HELD IN PUBLIC BEING NEITHER A CONTRACT NOR A PERSONAL MATTER? SO WHAT HAPPENS WHEN THE TOWN BOARD DOES NOT FOLLOW ITS OWN RESOLUTIONS? OKAY, I JUST WANNA MENTION, I, UM, HAVE SPOKEN TO, UH, OUR CHIEF OF POLICE, KOBE POWELL.
AND, UM, ON, UM, DEC ON DECEMBER 8TH, UM, CHIEF POWELL SAID, UM, I ASKED COULD THE POLICE DEPARTMENT PROVIDE THE BOARD IN PUBLIC WITH AN ANNUAL HATE CRIMES REPORT? AND THE CHIEF, UM, SAID TO ME, IF I CAN LET THE YEAR CLOSE ON 2022, I CAN DO FOR 2021 AND 2022 AND HAVE BOTH READY BY THE END OF THE DAY ON MONDAY, JANUARY 2ND, 2000, UH, 23, UM, NEW YEAR'S DAY OBSERVED.
SO WE WILL, UM, PROVIDE, UM, UH, THE PUBLIC, UH, THANKS TO THE EFFORTS OF CHIEF POWELL WITH, UM, UH, AN ANNUAL WITH OUR HATE CRIMES REPORT FOR 2021 AND 2022 ON JANUARY 2ND.
AND IT WILL BE MADE AVAILABLE TO THE PUBLIC.
[02:30:01]
WELL, AT A PUBLIC MEETING IT WILL BE, WELL, WE'LL POST IT ON THE WEBSITE, UH, THE ANNUAL CRIMES REPORT.WHEN, WHEN, UH, WHEN WE GET IT.
AND WHY WASN'T IT AVAILABLE? UH, THAT'S A, WELL, HE HAS TO PREPARE IT.
C COULD WE HAVE THE NEXT SPEAKER PLEASE? ALRIGHT, BUT I ALSO WANNA RESPOND, UH, ELLEN, DID YOU WANNA SAY SOMETHING? YOU, YOU'RE SPEAKING, BUT YOU'RE MUTED.
JUST TRY PRESSING THE SPACE BAR.
I JUST, WOULD YOU NOT RESPOND TO SOMEONE YELLING FROM THE AUDIENCE? 'CAUSE I, I AM NOT HEARING THEM VERY WELL AND IT'S NOT RECORDED AND THAT'S NOT REALLY VERY RESPECTFUL TO BE SHOUTING FROM THE AUDIENCE.
ALSO, I DON'T BELIEVE IN THAT RESOLUTION.
IT MENTIONS 2021, THE YEAR 2021 AT ALL.
AND SO IT'S BEING INTERPRETED AS BEING, UH, RETROACTIVE AND THAT'S NOT HOW IT WAS MEANT.
AND SO IT WAS EASY FOR THE TOWN ATTORNEY TO SAY THE DOCUMENT DOESN'T EXIST BECAUSE THE, UH, DOCUMENT WAS BEING CREATED AS THE YEAR 2022 IS GOING ALONG.
SO THAT DOCUMENT IS NOT AVAILABLE UNTIL, AND THE CHIEF HAS CONFIRMED THIS WITH THE BOARD.
IT WILL BE AVAILABLE AT THE CLO AT THE END OF THE CLOSE OF THIS YEAR.
IS THAT CORRECT? CHIEF, CHIEF YOU COME UP? SURE.
THE RESOLUTION OF 2022 MENTIONS THE PRIOR MICROPHONE, RIGHT? IS THERE SOMEWHERE YELLING FROM THE AUDIENCE? HOLD ON.
CHIEF, WHY DON'T YOU, THE NEXT SPEAKER 42 IN RESPONSE TO COUNCILMAN SHEEHAN.
WE HAVE NO FURTHER REQUESTS TO SPEAK.
NO, ERIC? OH, I'M SORRY ERIC, I DIDN'T REALIZE YOU WERE HERE TO SPEAK ON DYLAN.
DYLAN, YOU WOULD LIKE TO SPEAK DURING PUBLIC COMMENT.
THANK YOU DYLAN, FOR CLARIFYING THAT YOU ARE NOT SPEAKING.
I HOPE AND ENCOURAGE EVERYONE TO VOTE NO ON TONIGHT'S MARIJUANA ZONING LEGISLATION.
THE PLANNING BOARD UNANIMOUSLY REJECTED THIS PLAN BECAUSE THEY KNEW IT WAS TOO RESTRICTIVE.
THE PUBLIC COMMENT DURING PUBLIC HEARINGS ON THIS WAS OVERWHELMING IN ITS CRITICISM OF THE CURRENT PROPOSAL.
FOUR OF YOU, KEN, GINA, FRANCIS, AND ELLEN VOTED YES IN FAVOR OF ALLOWING MARIJUANA DISPENSARIES IN THE TOWN OF GREENBURG.
FINER WAS THE ONLY NO VOTE TO VOTE.
AFFIRMING THIS PROPOSAL AS IS, IS KNEE CAPPING THAT VOTE.
AND YOU MIGHT AS WELL JOIN SUPERVISOR FINER IN THE 1920S AND NOT THE 2020S AND HAVE VOTED NO TO BEGIN WITH.
MARIJUANA IS LEGAL IN THE STATE OF NEW YORK.
IT'S SAFER THAN ALCOHOL FOR A MYRIAD OF REASONS, AND TO TREAT IT DIFFERENTLY IS AN INJUSTICE THAT CAN ONLY BE EXPLAINED BY XENOPHOBIA OR WORSE.
I ASK THAT YOU REJECT TONIGHT'S PROPOSALS THAT THE ZONING LEGISLATION CAN BE BETTER ALIGNED WITH ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL REALITY AND A NEW PROPOSAL CAN BE MADE.
UH, I FIND IT REALLY INTERESTING, UH, THE LONG-TERM DISCUSSION THAT OCCURRED REGARDING THE WATERY ADVISORY BOARD.
UM, BECAUSE AS MANY OF YOU ON THE TOWN BOARD KNOW, UM, I'VE BEEN TRYING TO ADVOCATE THE TOWN BOARD TO DO A BETTER JOB WITH ITS COMMITTEE APPOINTMENTS.
AND NOBODY ON THE WATER ADVISORY BOARD HAS BEEN APPOINTED SINCE 2018.
MANY OF THE MEMBERS WERE LAST APPOINTED IN 2012, WHICH MEANS THAT EVERY SINGLE MEMBER OF THE WATER ADVISORY BOARD'S APPOINTMENT HAS EXPIRED.
IT SEEMS LIKE WE'RE QUITE KEEN AND CURIOUS TO HEAR WHAT THEY HAVE TO SAY, BUT WE'RE NOT RESPECTING THEIR TIME.
WE'RE NOT RESPECTING THEIR VOLUNTEER.
AND THIS IS TRUE FOR ALMOST EVERY SINGLE, UM, YOU KNOW, RESIDENT BOARD THAT WE HAVE.
I SEE TONIGHT THAT WE'RE REAPPOINTING MONA FRIETAG TO THE PLANNING BOARD AS AN ALTERNATE.
HER APPOINTMENT HAS BEEN EXPIRED FOR OVER A YEAR.
I SAID THE PLANNING BOARD, THIS ISN'T SOME PODUNK COMMITTEE.
EVERY SINGLE MEMBER, EVERY SINGLE MEMBER OF THE PARKS AND RECREATION ADVISORY BOARD'S, UH, APPOINTMENT HAS BEEN EXPIRED.
I'VE BEEN RAISING THIS ISSUE ONCE A MONTH SINCE JANUARY.
ELLEN, IN FEBRUARY, YOU TOLD ME THIS WAS A HIGH PRIORITY TO FIX.
YOU KNOW, WHEN WE'RE TALKING ABOUT THE COMMITTEES THAT WE HAVE, WE RECENTLY HAD A PROPOSAL FOR TWO MORE COMMITTEES.
WE HAVE AN AFFORDABLE HOUSING COMMITTEE ALREADY WITH 10 MEMBERS, NONE OF WHOM HAVE BEEN APPOINTED SINCE 2009.
UH, I'VE ASKED THE QUESTION IF THIS NEW COMMITTEE WILL SUPPLEMENT THE EXISTING ONE OR REPLACE IT.
UH, I WAS NOT REALLY CLEAR ON AN ANSWER THERE.
SAME THING WITH THE OTHER NEW COMMITTEE THAT WAS TO BE FORMED.
AND WITH MY LAST COMMENTS, I'LL PAUSE AGAIN TO REMIND THE TOWN BOARD THAT WE HAVE NO REQUIREMENTS FOR AFFORDABLE HOUSING IN SINGLE FAMILY HOMES.
I HAVE HEARD FROM EVERY SINGLE ONE OF YOU, WHAT A PRIORITY THIS IS FOR YOU, SUPERVISOR FINER.
YOU HAVE BEEN THE SUPERVISOR FOR OVER 30 YEARS.
MANY OF THE MEMBERS ON THE TOWN BOARD HAVE OVER A DECADE OF EXPERIENCE.
IF THIS IS A PRIORITY DEMONSTRATED WITH YOUR ACTIONS, WE NEED TO SET ASIDE A MANDATORY AFFORDABLE HOUSING FOR SINGLE FAMILY HOMES.
[02:35:01]
BUT NOW IT IS LONG, LONG OVERDUE THAT THE LARGEST RESIDENTIAL DEVELOPMENT IN GREENBURG RECENT HISTORY AT ELMWOOD COUNTRY CLUB IS BEING BUILT.WITHOUT A SINGLE AFFORDABLE HOUSING UNIT, OVER A HUNDRED NEW UNITS OF HOUSING AND NOT A SINGLE ONE WILL BE AFFORDABLE IS A MORAL FAILURE OF THIS TOWN BOARD.
HAVE, UH, NEXT, UH, BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS, UH, FOLLOWING APPOINTMENTS ARE EFFECTIVE WITH THIS SUCCESSFUL COMPLETION OF I'M SEXUAL.
UM, HARASS, ARE WE FINISHED WITH PUBLIC COMMENT? WAIT, IS THERE ANYONE ELSE WHO WOULD LIKE TO SPEAK? THE, THE PROTOCOL IS THAT IF ANYONE WOULD LIKE TO SPEAK DURING, FOR PUBLIC COMMENT, THAT THEY CONTACT THE CLERK'S OFFICE OR THAT THEY COME UP FRONT DURING THE TOWN BOARD MEETING AND SIGN UP TO SPEAK.
NO ONE ELSE HAS SIGNED UP TO SPEAK DURING PUBLIC COMMENT.
SO NEXT BOARD IS I I JUST WANNA, I JUST WANNA CHECK 'CAUSE WE, THEY'VE BEEN WAITING ALL NIGHT.
IS ANNIE KLEIN WITH YOU? ANNIE KLEIN, JUAN YELPS OR ROBERT AIELLO? I GUESS THEY JUST CURIOUS ABOUT THE MEETING.
[ BOARDS & COMMISSIONS The following appointments are effective with the successful completion of the Town's Sexual Harassment Prevention Training and Code of Ethics Training: Appointment of Leslie Davis to the Planning Board as a full member, for a term to expire December 31, 2026 Appointment of Mona Fraitag to the Planning Board, as Alternate, for a term to expire December 31, 2023 Appointment of Joshua A. Brown to the Board of Assessment Review, for a term to expire 9/30/2025 Appoiintment of Bradford J. Gonzalez-Sussman to the Board of Assessment Review, for a term to expire 9/30/2023]
HOLDING NEXT THE BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS A FOLLOW.AND ANY CLIENT? I'M JUST CURIOUS WHAT YOU KNOW.
'CAUSE NORMALLY I BELIEVE SHE'S HERE FOR ANOTHER MATTER THAT'S VOTING FOR RESOLUTION TONIGHT.
AND, AND, UH, ROBERTA, DID YOU CHECK WITH EMRE AS TO WHETHER OR NOT THE PEOPLE THAT WERE APPOINTING TONIGHT? YES.
SO I'M GONNA HOLD OVER TO THE BOARDS AND, UH, COMMISSIONS UNTIL MONDAY.
UM, AND IN CASE YOU DIDN'T HEAR, HEAR, WHAT THAT WAS IS WE HAVE A REQUIREMENT THAT PEOPLE WHO ARE APPOINTED TO BOARDS AND, UH, COMMISSIONS THAT THEY HA STAY UP TO DATE OR TAKE, UH, SEXUAL HARASSMENT, HARASSMENT PREVENTION TRAINING AND CODE OF ETHICS TRAINING.
AND SO WE JUST WANNA MAKE SURE THAT THOSE REQUIREMENTS HAVE BEEN SATISFIED.
[ TB 1 - 12/14/2022 Resolution of the Town Board of the Town of Greenburgh authorizing the Town Supervisor to execute an Access Easement Agreement between Greenburgh Housing Authority (“GHA”), Greenburgh Heights, LLC (“Heights”), Greenburgh Heights Housing Development Fund Company (“HDFC”) and the Town of Greenburgh concerning the Secor Road entranceway to 61-69 Secor Road (P.O. Ardsley, NY 10502), for access to a public housing authority apartment complex adjacent to that site]
SO TB ONE RESOLUTION OF THE TOWN BOARD OF THE TOWN OF GREENBURG AUTHORIZING THE TOWN SUPERVISOR TO EXECUTE AND ACCESS EASEMENT AGREEMENT BETWEEN GREENBURG HOUSING AUTHORITY, UM, GREENBURG HEIGHTS, GREENBURG HEIGHTS HOUSING DEVELOPMENT FUND, AND THE TOWN OF GREENBURG CONCERNING THE SEEKER ROAD ENTRANCEWAY, UH, TO 61 69 SEEKER ROAD, UH, FOR ACCESS TO A PUBLIC HOUSING AUTHORITY APARTMENT COMPLEX ADJACENT TO THAT SITE.I'D LIKE TO MOVE THAT SECOND IN FAVOR, AYE.
[ AT 1 – 12/14/2022 Resolution approving the continued retention of Daniel A. Seymour, Esq., to represent requested Greenburgh Police personnel in the Matter of Kristin Stein v. the Town of Greenburgh, et al., for an amount not to exceed $25,000, $50,000 in total]
RESOLUTION AYE.APPROVING THE CONTINUED RETENTION OF DANIEL SEYMOUR TO REPRESENT REQUESTED GREENBURG POLICE PERSONNEL IN THE MATTER OF KRISTEN STEIN VERSUS TOWN OF GREENBURG FOR AN AMOUNT NOT TO EXCEED 25,000.
[ AT 2 – 12/14/2022 Resolution approving the continued retention of Wilson Elser Moskowitz Edelman & Dicker LLP to represent the Town and requested Greenburgh Police personnel in the Matter of Kristin Stein v. The Town Of Greenburgh, et al., for an amount not to exceed $50,000, $200,000 in total]
APPROVING THE CONTINUED RETENTION OF WILSON EER, MOSCOWITZ, ELMAN AND DICKER TO REPRESENT THE TOWN AND REQUESTED GREENBURG POLICE PERSONNEL IN THE MATTER OF KRISTEN STEIN NOT TO EXCEED $50,000.[ AT 3 – 12/14/2022 Resolution approving the continued retention of the Law Office of Vincent Toomey, to represent the Town of Greenburgh in the Matter of Kristin Stein v. The Town of Greenburgh, et al, for an amount not to exceed $65,000, $330,000 in total]
SOLUTION, UH, APPROVING THE CONTINUED RETENTION OF THE LAW OFFICE OF VINCENT TOOMEY TO REPRESENT THE TOWN OF GREENBERG IN THE MATTER OF KRISTEN STEIN NOT TO EXCEED 65,000.I'D LIKE TO MOVE THAT GINA SECOND.
[ AT 4 – 12/14/2022 Resolution approving the retention of Thomas J. Troetti, Esq., to represent Greenburgh Police Officer Sergeant Michael Cookingham in the Matter Of Jessica Rollins v. Michael Cookingham, Greenburgh Police Department and Town of Greenburgh, for an amount not to exceed $25,000]
RESOLUTION APPROVING THE RETENTION OF THOMAS RADDY TO REPRESENT GREENBERG, UH, POLICE, UH, OFFICER, UM, SERGEANT MICHAEL INGHAM IN THE MATTER OF JESSICA ROWLANDS AND MICHAEL COOKHAM.I'D LIKE TO, UH, MOVE THAT NOT TO EXCEED 25,000.
UH, IT'S ALSO, UH, GREENBURG POLICE DEPARTMENT IN THE TOWN OF GREENBURG.
[ AT 5 – 12/14/2022 Resolution authorizing settlement of property damage related Claim, File No.: 143/22C, by Robyn Stanback, for an amount not to exceed $7,571.95]
RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING SETTLEMENT OF PROPERTY DAMAGE RELATED CLAIM, UH, BY RON NOT TO EXCEED 7,000 5 71 95.UM, I'D LIKE TO MOVE THAT SECOND.
[ AT 6 – 12/14/2022 Resolution authorizing settlement of property damage related Claim, File No.: 141/22C, by Gloria Toeman, for an amount not to exceed $1,286.65]
AUTHORIZING SETTLEMENT OF PROPERTY DAMAGE RELATED CLAIM FILE NUMBER 1 41 1 2 2.SAVE BY GLORIA TOMAN FOR AMOUNT NOT TO EXCEED 1002 86 65.
I'D LIKE TO MOVE THAT A SECOND.
AUTHORIZING THE TOWN BOARD TO DESIGNATE
[ BD 1 - 12/14/2022 Resolution authorizing the Town Board to designate a Fire Lane at the Edgebrook Cooperative in Cul-de-Sac located on Lawrence Court]
A FIRE LANE AT EDGEWOOD CO-OP IN CUL-DE-SAC LOCATED ON LAWRENCE COURT.I'D LIKE TO MOVE THAT SECOND IN FAVOR, AYE.
UH, RESOLUTION SCHEDULING PUBLIC HEARING FOR
[ CL 1 – 12/14/2022 Resolution scheduling a Public Hearing for Wednesday, January 11, 2023 at 7:30 PM, to consider a Local Law creating a New Chapter 374 in the Code of the Town of greenburgh entitled, “Leaf Blowers; Regulation of Yard and Leaf Blowers”]
JANUARY 11TH AT 7:30 PM RELATING TO, UM, LEAFBLOWER REGULATION OF YARN LEAF BLOWERS.I'D LIKE TO MOVE THAT SECOND IN FAVOR, AYE.
[ CL 2 - 12/14/2022 Resolution scheduling a pubic hearing for Wednesday, January 11, 2023 at 7:30 pm, to consider a local law amending Chapter 380 of the Code of the Town of Greenburgh entitled, "Noise" as it relates to leaf and garden blowers]
RESOLUTION OF PUBLIC HEARING ON JANUARY 11TH TO CONSIDER A LOCAL LAW AMENDING CHAPTER THREE 80 OF THE CODE OF THE TOWN OF GREENBURG ENTITLED NOISE AS IT RELATES TO LEAF AND GARDEN BLOWERS.[02:40:01]
LIKE TO MOVE THAT SECOND.[ CD 1 – 12/14/2022 Resolution issuing a Negative Declaration for the SEQRA determination of the Town Board of the Town of Greenburgh with respect to a Local Law creating a New Chapter 453, entitled, “Tobacco Products and Smoking Paraphernalia; Prohibition of Sales, Display and Advertising of Specified Tobacco Products and Smoking Paraphernalia,” in the Code of the Town of Greenburgh [TB 22-17]]
RESOLUTION ISSUING A NEGATIVE DECK FOR SECRET DETERMINATION OF THE TOWN BOARD OF THE TOWN OF GREENBERG WITH RESPECT TO A LOCAL LAW, RESPECT TO A LOCAL LAW CREATING NEW CHAPTER, UM, 4 5 3 ENTITLED TO TOBACCO PRODUCTS AND SMOKING PARAPHERNALIA, PROHIBITION OF SALES DISPLAY AND ADVERTISING, UH, SPECIFIED TOBACCO, UH, PRODUCTS AND SMOKING PARAPHERNALIA.[ CD 2 – 12/14/2022 Resolution adopting a Local Law creating a New Chapter 453 entitled, “Tobacco Products and Smoking Paraphernalia; Prohibition of Sales, Display and Advertising of Specified Tobacco Products and Smoking Paraphernalia,” in the Code of the Town of Greenburgh [TB 22-17]]
RESOLUTION ADOPTING A LOCAL LAW, UH, CREATING A NEW CHAPTER 4 5 3 ENTITLED TOBACCO PRODUCTS AND SMOKING PARAPHERNALIA PRO PROHIBITION OF SALES DISPLAY AND ADVERTISING OF SPECIFIED TOBACCO, UM, AND SMOKING PARAPHERNALIA.[ CD 3 – 12/14/2022 Resolution issuing a Negative Declaration for the SEQRA determination of the Town Board of the Town of Greenburgh with respect to a Local Law creating a New Chapter 472, entitled, “Weapons; Prohibition of Specified Sales, Display and Advertising of Weapons,” in the Code of the Town of Greenburgh [TB 22-18]]
I'D LIKE TO, UM, MOVE RESOLUTION ISSUING AN EGG DECK FOR THE SECRET DETERMINATION OF THE TOWN BOARD OF THE TOWN OF GREENBURG WITH RESPECT TO LOCAL LAW, CREATING A NEW CHAPTER 4 72 ENTITLED WEAPONS PROHIBITION OF SPECIFIED SALE DISPLAY AND ADVERTISING OF WEAPONS.[ CD 4 – 12/14/2022 Resolution adopting a Local Law creating a New Chapter 472 entitled, “Weapons; Prohibition of Specified Sales, Display and Advertising of Weapons,” in the Code of the Town of Greenburgh [TB 22-18]]
AYE.RESOLUTION ADOPTING A LOCAL LAW, CREATING A NEW CHAPTER 4 72 ENTITLED WEAPONS PROHIBITION OF SPECIFIED SALES DISPLAY AND ADVERTISING OF WEAPONS AND THE CODE OF, UM, CODE, UH, WAIT IN CODE OF TOWN OF GREENBURG.
I'D LIKE TO MOVE THAT SECOND IN FAVOR, AYE.
[ CD 5 - 12/14/2022 Resolution adopting a local law amending several sections of Chapter 285 of the Code of the Town of Greenburgh, entitled “Zoning,” related to various uses associated with Cannabis (TB 22-02)]
RESOLUTION ADOPTING THE LOCAL LAW AND LENDING SEVERAL SECTIONS OF THE CHAPTER 2 85 OF THE CODE OF THE TOWN OF GREENBERG ENTITLED ZONING RELATING TO VARIOUS USES ASSOCIATED WITH CANNABIS.I'D LIKE TO MOVE THAT SECOND IN FAVOR, AYE.
[ CD 6 - 12/14/2022 Resolution issuing a negative declaration for the SEQRA determination of the Town Board of the Town of Greenburgh with respect to an amended site plan and all related applications by Midway Shopping Center located at 913-999 Central Park Avenue South (P.O. Scarsdale, NY) [TB 21-16]]
UM, RELATING TO, UH, THE CD SIX, UM, I'M AGAINST IT.SO DOES ANYBODY WANNA MOVE THAT? SAY THAT AGAIN.
DOES ANYBODY WANNA MAKE THE MOTION? BECAUSE I'M
LOCATED AT NINE 13 DASH 9 99 CENTRAL PARK AVENUE, PO SCARSDALE, NEW YORK SECOND.
I, I, I I JUST WOULD LIKE THEM TO DO, UH, THE SAFETY IMPROVEMENTS BEFORE, UM, YOU KNOW, BEFORE THEY BASICALLY GET THE APPROVAL TO REDUCE, UM, TO, TO HAVE MORE, UH, RESTAURANTS.
YOU KNOW, I'VE BEEN AT THE, AT THE SHOPPING AREA A LOT AND IT'S THE PARKING ESPECIALLY, UH, THE PAST WEEK ACCORDING TO RESIDENTS HAS BEEN JUST HORRIBLE.
UM, SO THAT'S WHY I'M VOTING UP RESOLUTION.
I ALSO THINK THAT THEY SHOULD, UM, UH, PUT IN, UM, ELECTRIC CHARGING STATIONS.
UM, YOU KNOW, YOU KNOW, I THINK THAT THAT PARK COMPLEX, UM, YOU KNOW, I THINK THAT WOULD BE A GREAT ENVIRONMENTAL INITIATIVE
[ CD 7 - 12/14/2022 Resolution granting an extension of a prior amended site plan approval of White Hickory Associates, LLP, for property located at 630 White Plains Road (P.O. Tarrytown) [TB 20-07]]
RESOLUTION GRANTING AN EXTENSION OF A PRIOR MEN SITE.HAVE A GOOD NIGHT OF, OF WHITE HICKORY ASSOCIATES FOR PROPERTY LOCATED AT SIX 30 WHITE PLAINS ROAD.
[ CD 8 - 12/14/2022 Resolution declaring the intention of the Town Board of the Town of Greenburgh to be lead agency for an amended site plan application of Prospero Nursery and referring the application to the Planning Board for review and recommendation [TB 22-19]]
DECLARING THE INTENTION OF THE TOWN BOARD OF THE TOWN OF GREENBURG TO BE LEAD AGENCY FOR AN AMENDED SITE PLAN APPLICATION OF PROSPERS NURSERY AND REFERRING THE APPLICATION TO THE PLANNING BOARD FOR REVIEW AND RECOMMENDATION.[ CD 9 - 12/14/2022 Resolution granting an extension of a prior site plan and special permit approval of Brightview Senior Living Development, LLP, for property located at 289 Dobbs Ferry Road (P.O. White Plains), in connection with a 155-unit Continuum of Care Facility [TB 20-10]]
RESOLUTION, GRANTING AND EXTENSION OF A PRIOR PLAN, A SITE PLAN AND SPECIAL PERMIT APPROVAL OF BRIGHTVIEW SENIOR LIVING DEVELOPMENT FOR PROPERTY LOCATED AT 2 89 DO ROAD IN CONNECTION WITH THE 1 5 5 UNIT CONTINUUM OF CARE FACILITY.I'D LIKE TO MOVE THAT SECOND IN FAVOR, A AYE
[ CD 10 - 12/14/2022 Resolution authorizing a professional service agreement with HVEA Engineers, for construction inspection services for a federal-aid project known as the Hillside Avenue Sidewalk project]
RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING PROFESSIONAL SERVICE AGREEMENT WITH H V E A ENGINEERS CONSTRUCTION INSPECTION SERVICES FOR THE FEDERAL AID PROJECT KNOWN AS THE HILLSIDE AVENUE SIDEWALK PROJECT.[ CO 1 - 12/14/2022 Resolution authorizing Fiscal Year 2022 budget transfers]
AUTHORIZING FISCAL YEAR 2022.I'D LIKE TO MOVE THAT SECOND IN FAVOR, AYE.
[ PR 1 - 12/14/2022 Resolution authorizing the Town of Greenburgh Department of Parks & Recreation to solicit request for Proposals for Architectural and Engineering Srvices for the Town of Greenburgh Outdoor Swimming Pools]
UH, RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING TOWN OF GREENBURG PARKS AND REC, UH, TO SOLICIT REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS FOR ARCHITECTURAL AND ENGINEERING SERVICES FOR TOWN OF GREENBURG OUTDOOR SWIMMING POOLS.I'D LIKE TO MOVE THAT SECOND, SECOND, SECOND.
[ PR 2 - 12/14/2022 Resolution authorizing award to lowest responsible bidder to provide Prepared Meals for the Greenburgh Nutrition Program at a cost not to exceed $400,000]
AUTHORIZING AWARD TO LOWEST RESPONSIBLE BIDDER TO PROVIDE PREPARED MEALS FOR THE GREENBURG NUTRITION PROGRAM AND IT COSTS NOT TO EXCEED 400,000.[ PR 3 - 12/14/2022 Resolution authorizing the Town of Greenburgh's Parks and Recreation to accept a $150 donation from the Kiwanis Club of Hartsdale for the Annual Senior Citizen Holiday Party on December 6, 2022]
AUTHORIZING THE TOWN OF GREENBURG PARK AND RECREATION BOARD TO ACCEPT A $150 DONATION FROM THE KIWANIS CLUB OF HARTSDALE FOR ANNUAL CITIZEN SENIOR CITIZEN HOLIDAY PARTY ON DECEMBER 6TH.[02:45:01]
AYE.[ PH 1 - 12/14/2022 Resolution authorizing the execution of a Community Development Block Grant Contract with the County of Westchester and the Town of Greenburgh for Yosemite Park Pavilion Renovations in the Town of Greenburgh]
RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING EXECUTION OF COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT BLOCK GRANT, UM, WITH THE COUNTY OF WESTCHESTER WITH THE TOWN OF GREENBURG FOR YOSEMITE PARK PAVILION RENOVATIONS IN THE TOWN OF GREENBURG.I'D LIKE TO MOVE THAT SECOND IN FAVOR, AYE.
[ PO 1 - 12/14/2022 Resolution adopting the recommendation of the Greenburgh Police Department to amend the parking restrictions on Henry Street between Robin Hill Road and Seely Place amending Chapter 460 of the Code of the Town of Greenburgh]
OF GREENBURG POLICE DEPARTMENT TO AMEND THE PARKING RESTRICTIONS.NINE HENRY STREET BETWEEN ROBIN HILL ROAD AND SEALY PLACE.
AMENDING CHAPTER FOUR 60 OF THE CODE OF THE TOWN OF GREENBERG.
SECOND AND RESOLUTION EXTENDING THE 2000.
IS THERE A VOTE ON THAT? THERE WAS NO, NO.
[ PW - 1 - 12/14/2022 Resolution extending the 2022 contract of the Precision Group, (Precision Trenchless), to reline and rehabilitate existing sanitary sewer pipes and sanitary manholes on various town roadways for an amount not to exceed $2,019,389.69]
RESOLUTION EXTENDING THE 2022 CONTRACT OF THEIR PRECISION GROUP TO RELINE AND REHABILITATE EXISTING SANITARY SEWER, UH, PIPES AND SANITARY MANHOLES ON VARIOUS, UH, TOWN ROADWAYS FOR AMOUNT NOT TO EXCEED 2,019,000 3 8 9 69.[ PW 2 - 12/14/2022 Resolution authorizing the award to the bid for Water Treatment Chemicals to the lowest responsible bidders for 2023]
AUTHORIZING AWARD TO THE BID FOR WATER TREATMENT CHEMICALS TO THE LOWEST RESPONSIBLE BIDDER.[ PW 3 - 12/14/2022 Resolution authorizing the award of bid for Water Materials and Supplies to the lowest responsible bidders for 2023]
UH, RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING THE AWARD OF BID, UH, FOR WATER OF MATERIALS AND SUPPLIES TO THE LOWEST RESPONSIBLE BIDDERS.UH, I WOULD, I WOULD ACTUALLY, WE NEED, WHAT'S THAT? NO.
I WOULD LIKE TO, UH, EXPLAIN MY VOTE ON CD FIVE.
UM, WE WERE GETTING TO THE POINT WHERE THE, UH, UM, PERFECTION WAS BECOMING THE ENEMY OF THE GOOD AND LICENSES ARE BEING ISSUED, AND WE HAVE NOTHING ON THE BOOKS WE HAD.
WE HAD NOT OPTED OUT OF HAVING DISPENSARIES, AND WHEN NOTHING ON THE BOOKS, WE WERE IN JEOPARDY OF SOMEBODY COMING IN AND PUTTING IT WHEREVER THEY WANT.
AND SO, UH, THIS IS, I, AS I SEE IT AS AN INTERIM MEASURE.
UH, BUT WE HAD TO ADOPT SOMETHING AND GET IT ON THE BOOKS IN ORDER TO PROTECT AND BASICALLY OUR ZONING IN THE TOWN OF GREENBURG.