[ TOWN OF GREENBURGH OFFICE OF THE TOWN BOARD 177 Hillside Avenue, Greenburgh, NY 10607 Tel: 914-989-1500 Fax: 914-993-1541 Email: JDudek@Greenburghny.com https://ny-greenburgh.civicplus.com/485/Watch-Live-Board-Meetings]
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UH, WELCOME TO OUR TOWN BOARD WORK SESSION.
IT'S MARCH 7TH AT AFTER 5:00 PM AND, UM, SORRY.
UM, WE'RE, UM, GONNA HAVE, UM, FIRST PRESENTATION ABOUT FROM ROGER BURKHART.
SO MAYBE JUST TO INTRODUCE OURSELVES, UH, ROGER KOTT.
I'VE BEEN A RESIDENT PROUD RESIDENT OF GREENBURG FOR 30 YEARS, WORKED ON A NUMBER OF C T INITIATIVES IN EAST IRVINGTON AROUND CONSERVATION.
I THINK I SAT ON THE POLICE BOARD MANY, MANY YEARS AGO, FOR A FEW YEARS, UM, IN MY PROFESSIONAL CAPACITY.
MOVE THAT MICROPHONE A LITTLE BIT CLOSER TO YOU.
CAN YOU HEAR OKAY? JUST BRING IT AS CLOSE AS YOU CAN.
SO, IN MY PROFESSIONAL CAPACITY, I WORK IN TECHNOLOGY.
SO OUR CHIEF TECHNOLOGY OFFICER WAS AT THE N Y S C FOR SIX YEARS.
I WORK QUITE A LOT WITH LARGE ENERGY COMPANIES DOING THEIR SOFTWARE, BUT THE REASON I'M HERE TONIGHT IS AS A RESIDENT, UM, I CAN SEE THE POTENTIAL FOR ADDRESSING OUR CLIMATE CHANGE, UH, ISSUES AND, UM, UH, COMMUNITY SOLAR SEEMS TO BE A PART OF THAT.
SO, WITH THAT, LET ME HAND OVER TO, UH, LEO.
UM, MY NAME IS LEO WEGMAN WITH SUSTAINABLE WESTCHESTER.
IT'S GOOD TO SEE MANY FAMILIAR FACES, UM, IN FACT, SUSTAINABLE.
WESTCHESTER IS A NON-PROFIT OF WHICH THE TOWN OF GREENBURG SERVES AS THE MIDWIFE ROLE BECAUSE IT WAS BORN IN THIS ROOM IN 2015 WHEN WE MERGED NORTHERN AND SOUTHERN WESTCHESTER ENERGY ACTION CONSORTIUMS. AND THIS TOWN OF GREENBURG HAS BEEN AN ACTIVE MEMBER OF OUR, UH, UH, UH, OF MANY OF OUR PROGRAMS. UH, AND IN FACT, UH, UH, IS IS A LEADING, UH, UH, UM, UH, MUNICIPALITY IN THE AREA THAT I DIRECT AT SUSTAINED WESTCHESTER, WHICH IS THE SOLAR PROGRAMS, WHICH INCLUDE SOLARIZED CAMPAIGNS FOR RESIDENTIAL AND SMALL BUSINESSES TO PUT SOLAR ON THEIR OWN ROOFS, AND INCLUDES COMMUNITY SOLAR PROGRAMS WHERE FOLKS WHO CAN'T HAVE SOLAR ON THEIR OWN ROOFS CAN SUBSCRIBE TO A SOLAR PROJECT THAT MAY BE ON THE HOUSE ON THE ROOF OF A LARGE OFFICE COMPLEX OR, OR, OR WAREHOUSE COMPLEX.
UM, WITH THAT IN MIND, UH, DO YOU WANNA MAKE ANY INTRODUC, WE'RE HERE TO DISCUSS THE OPTIONS GOING FORWARD FOR GREENBERG FOR SOLAR.
BRIEFLY, IS THIS A POWERPOINT THAT WE CAN, UH, IT, IT, IT, IT CAN BE GOT, IT'S THE SAME THING AS WHAT'S ON YOU ON PAGES.
IN ANY CASE ANYONE WAS WATCHING YEAH.
FOR THE PUBLIC I DID GO UPSTAIRS, GRAB MY LAPTOP, BRING IT DOWN HERE, AND I'LL MAKE THAT HAPPEN.
I DID ASK BEFORE WE SAT DOWN, I WASN'T AWARE OF THAT, THAT, UH, BENEFIT.
SO, UM, SO WHAT WE WANTED TO DO, IF, IF YOU LOOK AT THE AGENDA, IS JUST, UH, TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT, YOU KNOW, WHY THIS IS AN IMPORTANT TOPIC, YOU KNOW, WHAT THE BENEFITS ARE FOR THE TOWN, UH, HOW SUSTAINABLE WESTCHESTER CAN ACT AS A TECHNICAL ADVISOR OF THE TOWN.
AND WE ALSO WANT TO KIND OF LOCATE THIS IN THE GOALS THAT NEW YORK STATE HAS SET FOR RENEWABLE ENERGY, WHICH IN TURN ARE ALIGNED WITH, UH, THE PARIS GOALS.
UM, AND THEN GET TO THE SPECIFICS, WHICH IS TO TALK ABOUT HOW THE BOARD CAN SUPPORT AN ACCELERATED ADOPTION BY HELPING TO MOVE TOWARDS THE MODEL OF USING SOME OF THE TOWN SITES, WHICH ARE AVAILABLE FOR SOLAR.
UM, BUT WE'RE HAPPY TO TALK ABOUT ANYTHING ELSE THAT YOU WOULD FIND USEFUL, OTHER, IS THIS A REASONABLE AGENDA OR ARE THERE OTHER THINGS YOU'D LIKE TO COVER? BASICALLY, YOU KNOW, WHAT YOU'RE, UH, LOOKING TO DO IS HAVE SOLAR OF THE SOLAR PARKING LOTS, RIGHT? WELL, SOLAR CAN BE PLACED IN A LOT OF DIFFERENT PLACES, SO, AND THE TOWN HAS A LOT OF DIFFERENT KINDS OF FACILITIES, SO WE'RE TRYING TO TAILOR THAT TO THE FACILITIES THE TOWN HAS.
AND WE'VE BEEN MEETING GARRETT AND MYSELF.
UH, WE'VE BEEN MEETING PRETTY MUCH ONCE A WEEK FOR A COUPLE WEEKS ALREADY.
AND WE'VE ALSO MET WITH, UH, ADVANCED PUBLIC WORKS AND PLANNING PARKS AND REC AS WE GOT INTO THE SPECIFIC SITUATIONS TO TRY AND START GETTING THEIR INPUT AS TO WHETHER THESE LOOK FEASIBLE OR NOT.
DO YOU HAVE LIKE ONE, LIKE IDEAL LOCATION, ONE OR TWO? YOU KNOW, WE'RE GONNA GO THROUGH THREE OR FOUR, UH, EXAMPLES THAT WERE VERY SPECIFIC.
WE HAVE TIME TO, TO GO THROUGH THAT TOGETHER.
UM, SO IN TERMS OF JUST THE SUMMARY OF THE BENEFITS, THIS IS VERY MUCH GATED BY MY OWN JOURNEY HERE.
SO AS SOMEONE WHO BELIEVES WOULD LIKE TO LEAVE THE PLANET OR STATE THAT MY KIDS AND GRANDCHILDREN WILL FIND REASONABLE, I'VE, YOU KNOW, BEEN VERY INTERESTED IN GETTING OFF FOSSIL FUELS ONTO HEAT PUMP MANY YEARS AGO.
AND ALWAYS, UH, STYMIED MY ATTEMPT TO GET THE SOLAR, BECAUSE I ALWAYS GET THIS CHOICE IF YOU'VE GOTTA CUT DOWN SOME GREAT MATURE TREES, WHICH IS OFTEN THE CASE IN WESTCHESTER ON YOUR PROPERTY TO GET SOLAR.
SO IF YOU DON'T HAVE A ROOF THAT'S A GOOD FIT, YOU FIND THAT, YOU KNOW, YOU'VE GOT THAT ON INVIABLE CHOICE.
SO I CUT DOWN SIX MATURE OAK TREES, YOU KNOW, IT'S, IT'S A NASTY PLACE TO BE IN.
SO I WAS TOLD TO LOOK AT, UH, COMMUNITY SOLAR, HAD A LOOK AT WHAT WAS OUT THERE AND FOUND, THERE'S JUST LONG WAITING LISTS.
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RESIDENTS WOULD LIKE TO SEE RENEWABLE ENERGY, LIKE TO STOP MY KIDS BREATHING SOLUTION, DEAL WITH PLANT CLIMATE CHANGE.AND AS I STARTED TO LOOK INTO IT AND TALKING WITH PAUL ABOUT THIS, UH, WE REALIZED THAT, UH, THERE WAS A REALLY BIG ROLE THAT THE TOWN COULD HAVE IN TWO WAYS.
ONE IS IN, UH, MOVING WITH EXPEDITION TO FLYING SITES WHERE ITS COMMUNITY SOLAR CAN, UH, MEET CLIMATE CHANGE GOALS, GENERATE A LITTLE BIT OF REVENUE FOR THE TOWN, AND ALLOW A RESIDENTS TO REDUCE THEIR BILLS.
RIGHT? AND THEN THE OTHER THING IS REALLY TO ACT AS A CONVENING CENTER TO ENCOURAGE PRIVATE ORGANIZATIONS WHO MAY ALSO HAVE SITES, FOR EXAMPLE, LOTS AND LOTS OF PARKING LOTS THAT BIG PROPERTY OWNERS HAVE.
AND I THINK THE TOWN BY BOTH ITS OWN EXAMPLE, AND BY MAKING IT RELATIVELY STRAIGHTFORWARD FOR PRIVATE PROPERTY OWNERS TO MOVE THINGS FORWARD CAN HAVE A MULTIPLIER EFFECT.
SO WE'RE GONNA TALK MOSTLY ABOUT WHAT'S WITHIN THE PURVIEW OF THE TOWN, WHICH IS THE KIND OF SITES THAT MIGHT BE INTERESTING.
BUT I THINK WE DO BELIEVE THAT IT WILL ENCOURAGE AND A MULTIPLYING EFFECT TO HAVE OTHER PRIVATE PROPERTY OWNERS, UH, MOVE FORWARD.
UH, SO, UH, THE GOOD NEWS HERE IS WE DON'T HAVE TO INVENT ANY NEW TECHNOLOGY.
IT'S GOT VERY MUCH CHEAPER OVER TIME.
THE PANELS THEMSELVES ARE ACTUALLY A SMALL PART OF THE COST THESE DAYS.
UM, THE, UH, CAPITAL IS NOT AN ISSUE.
THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT WITH THE, UH, INFLATION REDUCTION ACT IS FOUND THE BEST PART OF HALF A TRILLION DOLLARS.
SO WE HAVE TECHNOLOGY, WE HAVE CAPITAL, AND IT REALLY COMES DOWN TO, YOU KNOW, MOVING FORWARD AT SPEED WITH, UH, IDENTIFYING SITES.
THE ONE THING WE DON'T HAVE A TON OF AT THE RISK OF SOUNDING LIKE I'M CLIMBING ON A SOAPBOX,
AND IN MY EXPERIENCE AS SOMEONE WHO'S BEEN COMMITTED TO ENVIRONMENTAL CAUSES FOR MY WORKING LIFE IN GENERAL, DELAY HAS BEEN GOOD FOR THE ENVIRONMENT.
AND THIS CASE IT'S A LITTLE COUNTERINTUITIVE THAT WE KIND OF NEED TO MOVE AT A LITTLE BIT MORE OF A, A FAST PACE TO MEET THE GOALS OF 2030.
SO, UM, ANY QUESTIONS ON THE KIND OF SUMMARY WHY WE'RE DOING IT? DOES IT MAKE SENSE NEWS TO ANYONE OR CURSING THINGS YOU'VE HEARD 17 TIMES BEFORE? ALL MAKES PERFECT SENSE.
SO LET ME JUST, ESPECIALLY, ESPECIALLY WITH THE SHUTDOWN OF INDIAN POINT, WHICH IS A GOOD THING, BUT THE SOURCE OF POWER OF ELECTRIFICATION IS NOW STRANGE.
SO SOLAR POWER CAN CERTAINLY SUPPLEMENT.
AND EVERY MEGAWATT OF SOLAR WE INSTALL REDUCES THE TIMES IN WHICH THE CONED HAS TO SPIN UP A FOSSIL FUEL PLANT AND POLLUTE AIR, RIGHT? SO IT'S, IT'S, THERE'S AN IMMEDIATE BENEFIT AS WELL AS THE LONGER TERM CLIMATE BENEFIT.
SO OVER TO, UH, SOLAR TO COMMUNITY, UH, TO SUSTAINABLE WESTCHESTER.
AS, AS YOU KNOW, SUSTAINED WESTCHESTER, JUST, UH, PROMOTE ME AND I'LL DO THE SHARE SCREEN.
AS YOU KNOW, SUSTAINED WESTCHESTER RUNS QUITE A LOT OF DIFFERENT KINDS OF PROGRAMS. THE LARGEST PROGRAM WE RUN IS OUR WESTCHESTER POWER COMMUNITY CHOICE AGGREGATION PROGRAM THAT GREENBURG PARTICIPATES IN, AND MANY OF THE VILLAGES, UH, IN THE TOWN PARTICIPATE IN AND NOW HAS 145,000 CUSTOMERS PARTICIPATING IN IT.
AND THE LARGEST CITY THAT JOINED US MOST RECENTLY IS THE CITY OF YONKERS AS WELL.
UM, SO THAT'S OUR LARGEST SINGLE PROGRAM, SOLAR AND COMMUNITY ENERGY, UH, AS PART OF SOLAR IS OUR SECOND LARGEST PROGRAM.
AND I'LL LEAVE YOU THESE FLYERS LATER TONIGHT ABOUT A GRID EFFICIENCY PROGRAM THAT'S RECENTLY AVAILABLE TO YOU AS WELL.
UM, NEW YORK STATE LEADS THE NATION WITH ITS MOST RECENT CLIMATE LAW AND THE CLIMATE ACT AND THE ENVIRONMENTAL BOND OF OVER $4 BILLION PASSED BY 63% OF THE VOTE IN NOVEMBER.
SO CLEARLY THERE'S STRONG BIPARTISAN SUPPORT AMONG RESIDENTS OF NEW YORK FOR FUNDING THE CLIMATE ADAPTATION INFRASTRUCTURE THAT WE NEED.
AND IN ORDER TO MEET OUR GOALS OF 70% RENEWABLE BY BY 2030, NEW YORK NEEDS TO INSTALL 10,000 MEGAWATTS OF SOLAR BY 2030.
AND GREENBERG'S SHARE OF THAT IS 50 MEGAWATTS.
THE GOOD NEWS IS YOU'VE DONE QUITE A BIT, AS WE CAN SEE ON THE NEXT, WELL, UH, UH, YOU'VE DONE QUITE A BIT, BUT WE NEED TO MAKE WHAT YOU'VE DONE INCREASED BY 300 TO 400% BY 2030 TO KEEP UP WITH THE GOALS THAT THE STATE HAS.
AND, UM, A LOT OF THE WORK THAT'S BEING DONE NOW IN NEW YORK IS FOR COMMUNITY SOLAR PROJECTS, WHERE YOU ESTABLISH A LARGER SOLAR SYSTEM THAT CAN SERVE TENS OR DOZENS OR MULTIPLES OF HUNDREDS OF HOUSES DEPENDING ON THE SIZE OF THE SYSTEM.
IT'S LOCATED ON SOME OTHER FACILITY.
IT'S LOCATED ON A PARKING CANOPY IN DOWNTOWN WHITE PLAINS.
IT'S LOCATED ON THE ROOF OF OFFICE BUILDINGS OVER HERE IN HAWTHORNE OR ELMSFORD.
UM, OR IT'S LOCATED ON, UM, YOU KNOW, A PIECE OF GROUND THAT WAS A, A BROWNFIELD THAT'S NOW BEING CONVERTED.
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SOLAR CONCEPT IS WHEREBY INDIVIDUAL RESIDENTS CAN SUBSCRIBE TO THEIR PORTION OF THAT COMMITTEE, SOLAR FARM THAT'S LOCATED ELSEWHERE, AND RECEIVE A CREDIT ON THEIR BILL FOR PARTICIPATING.AND THE STATE MANDATES THAT THAT CREDIT IS AT LEAST A 5% DISCOUNT SAVINGS OVER WHAT YOU WOULD'VE PAID THE UTILITY FOR THAT KILOWATT HOUR.
AND THE REASON THAT THERE'S THAT SAVINGS AS POSSIBLE IS IT'S CHEAPER FOR THE UTILITY TO TAKE THE ENERGY FROM THE SOLAR FARM ON THE ROOF OF THE BIG WAREHOUSE THAN IT IS TO TURN ON THE PEAKER PLANTS, UH, TO GET THOSE EXTRA KILOWATT HOURS INTO THE GRID.
AND SO THAT COMMITTEE SOLAR MODEL HAS BEEN WORKING VERY WELL.
WE'VE BEEN, WE'VE WORKED WITH 10 OR 12 DIFFERENT SOLAR DEVELOPERS ON 24 DIFFERENT SOLAR FARM AND ENROLLED THOUSANDS OF WESTCHESTER RESIDENTS IN COMMUNITY SOLAR PROJECTS.
WESTCHESTER, UH, HAS A LOT OF SOLAR IN IT, BUT GREENBURG IS THE TOWN THAT HAS MORE SOLAR THAN ANY OTHER MUNICIPALITY IN IT, I HAVE TO SAY, EXCEPT FOR CITY OF YONKERS.
BUT CITY OF YONKERS IS BIGGER.
UM, AND YOU HAVE QUITE A FEW DIFFERENT KINDS OF SOLAR SYSTEMS. YOU HAVE A LOT OF RESIDENTIAL SOLAR SYSTEMS. YOU HAVE OVER 1400 ON THE BOOKS ARE COMING.
AND THAT'S THIS, THIS PAGE RIGHT HERE WITH THE, UH, YOU, YOU HAVE QUITE A FEW NON-RESIDENTIAL SOLAR SYSTEMS, WHICH ARE RE WHICH ARE ESSENTIALLY ON COMMERCIAL BUILDINGS TYPICALLY.
AND YOU HAVE A SOLAR SYSTEM ON THIS ROOF THAT DATES BACK TO 2016.
THAT WAS ONE OF THE EARLY NON-RESIDENTIAL SOLAR SYSTEMS INSTALLED IN THIS ONE, I THINK YOU WERE.
AND THEN YOU HAVE IN ADDITION, A GROWING NUMBER OF COMMUNITY SOLAR SYSTEMS. YOU HAVE 18 THAT ARE ONLINE NOW, AND YOU HAVE 15 THAT ARE IN THE PIPELINE THAT WILL BE CONSTRUCTED IN THE NEXT YEAR AND A HALF.
UM, AND SO THE CAPACITY OF THOSE COMMUNITY SOLAR SYSTEMS HAD BEEN GROWING.
IT WAS ABOUT 300 KILOWATTS ON AVERAGE, BUT THE, THE PIPELINE IN THE FUTURE IS TWICE THAT SIZE.
600 PEOPLE ARE FINDING LARGER ROOFS AND LARGER OPPORTUNITIES.
SO THE, THE BOTTOM LINE IS SOLAR ALREADY HAS A GREAT DEAL OF MOMENTUM IN THE TOWN OF GREENBURG, AND YOU CAN CONTINUE TO CAPITALIZE ON THAT MOMENTUM GOING FORWARD.
AND SO THAT'S WHAT WE'RE REALLY HERE TO HELP HELP WITH.
AND WE HAD IDENTIFIED IN DISCUSSIONS, UH, THE NEXT SLIDE IS SIMPLY A GRAPH OF WHERE WE NEED TO GO FROM WHERE WE ARE NOW TO MEET THE STATE GOALS BY 2030.
AND IT, IT'S, IT'S ALMOST A 400% INCREASE IN THE CAPACITY THAT YOU HAVE.
NOW, DO YOU KNOW IF THE STATE, UM, HAS GRANT PROGRAM, ARE THEY GIVEN GRANTS, UH, TO MEET THEIR GOALS? SO THE STATE HAS AN INCENTIVE PROGRAM THAT IS A DIRECT GRANT TO LOWER THE COST OF INSTALLING SOLAR.
THAT'S THE SAME PROGRAM THEY'VE HAD FOR A WHILE.
THEY'RE NOW GOING THROUGH A REVIEW OF IT TO, TO, TO HELP REDUCE THE, THE COST OF ACQUIRING THE SOLAR SYSTEM.
THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT HAS, HAS, HAS ADDED, UH, IN THE INFLATION REDUCTION ACT AN IN, UH, UH, AN INVESTMENT TAX CREDIT OF 30% FOR EVERY DOLLAR INVESTED YOU CAN SHELTER FROM TAXABLE INCOME, IT WAS GONNA GO, GONNA GO DOWN 22 CENTS, AND NOW IT'S STAYING AT 30 CENTS, WHICH IS WHAT IT WAS FIVE YEARS AGO.
THEY'VE DONE TWO THINGS WITH THAT INVESTMENT TAX CREDIT.
THEY'VE EXPANDED IT TO BE AVAILABLE TO NON-PROFIT OR NON TAX PAYING ENTITIES LIKE MUNICIPALITIES, SCHOOL DISTRICTS, AND LOCAL NON NONPROFITS BY EITHER HAVING THOSE LOCAL NON-TAX PAYING ENTITIES BEING ABLE TO FILE FOR DIRECT CASH PAYMENT, THAT WOULD BE THE EQUIVALENT OF THE 30% CENTS ON THE DOLLAR.
OR BY BEING ABLE TO TRANSFER THAT BENEFIT TO A TAX ENTITY THAT, THAT, THAT DOES HAVE THE TAX APPETITE FOR IT.
THE INSTRUCTIONS FOR HOW THAT'S SUPPOSED TO WORK ARE STILL BEING WORKED OUT AT THE I R S.
UH, AND ALL OF US IN THE BUSINESS ARE KIND OF WAITING FOR THOSE INSTRUCTIONS TO BE CLARIFIED.
BUT WE THINK THAT THAT'S A SORT OF A GAME CHANGER FOR NONPROFITS, LOCAL GOVERNMENTS AND SCHOOL DISTRICTS THAT HAD THE OPPORTUNITY BECAUSE OF THEIR FACILITIES TO HAVE LARGE SOLAR SYSTEMS ON THEIR ROOFS OF LARGE SCHOOL DISTRICT BUILDINGS OR PARKING LOTS, MUNICIPAL PARKING LOTS LIKE THE QUOTE AND HARMON
UM, BUT IN, IN ANY CASE, SO THE INCENTIVES HAVE NEVER BEEN BETTER, BOTH THE STATE AND THE FEDERAL LEVEL.
AND, UH, WE TOOK A LOOK AT SOME SITES, SITES.
THIS IS JUST A SHORT LIST OF SOME OF THE SITES THAT ARE OPERATED AND OWNED BY THE TOWN OF GREENBURG.
UM, AND THE APPROXIMATE AMOUNT OF POTENTIAL FOR TOTAL SOLAR ON THOSE SITES IS LISTED HERE.
UH, THE, THE TWO SITES, UH, UM, VETERAN, UH, UH, ANTHONY VETERAN PARK WOULD BE SOLAR CANOPIES.
UM, AND THE, THE EAST IRVINGTON TRANSFER SITE WOULD BE GROUND MOUNTED.
THOSE ARE IDEAL SITES BECAUSE OF THEIR SIZE FOR COMMUNITY SOLAR PROJECTS.
THE TOWN HALL SOLAR PARKING CANOPIES WOULD BE, UH, FOUR SMALLER PARKING CANOPIES HERE TO SHELTER PARTS OF THE PARKING LOT HERE AT TOWN HALL.
UH, AND SO I HAVE THAT GRAPHIC ON THE SCREEN NOW.
AND SO THESE ARE SITES THAT WHERE WE, WHERE WE LOOKED TO, TO, UH, TRY TO PROPOSE POTENTIAL SOLAR SITES SO THAT THE STAFF MEMBERS AND AND YOUR DEPARTMENT HEADS HERE COULD THINK ABOUT THEM.
AND WE WALKED THESE SITES AND LOOKED AT THEM AND EXAMINED THEM, UH, DISCUSSED THEM WITH THE, THE TOWN, UH, THE DEPARTMENT HEADS, UH, CERTAINLY, UH, WITH, WITH GARRETT FROM PLANNING WITH RICHARD.
JUST A QUICK NOTE ON THIS SITE.
UH, UM, THE, I REMEMBER, YOU KNOW, A FEW YEARS AGO WHEN SOMEBODY WANTS TO PUT UP THE SOLAR CANOPIES
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AT THE ANTHONY VETERAN PARK, THEY INDICATED THAT THEY WOULD BE, UH, GIVING THE TOWN REVENUE FROM IT.UM, SO LET'S SAY IF WE'RE LOOKING AT THE TOWN HALL PARKING, YOU KNOW, CANOPY, WOULD YOU KNOW RIGHT NOW, UM, WOULD, WOULD THIS BE A REVENUE GENERATOR OR WOULD THIS BE A COST TO THE TOWN? SO A SMALL REVENUE GENERATOR IS PROBABLY THE NET OF IT.
IT'S A SMALL REVENUE GENERATOR FOR THE TOWN, EITHER BECAUSE THERE'S A SMALL LEASE PAYMENT OR BECAUSE THE TOWN DECIDES THAT IT WANTS TO LOCK IN AND PURCHASE THE, THE SOLAR ELECTRICITY AT BELOW WHAT IT WOULD BE PAYING OTHERWISE.
SO, SO WHEN WE'RE LOOKING AT, YOU KNOW, LOCATIONS, BECAUSE I KNOW, YOU KNOW, JERRY BURN SAID HE HAS TO DO A MASTER PLAN FOR, YOU KNOW, THE, THE PARKS DEPARTMENT, YOU KNOW, SO THAT'S A LITTLE BIT WAYS, WAYS OUT.
BUT IF WE TOOK, SAY, THE TOWN HALL AND DID LIKE A DEMONSTR, YOU KNOW, LIKE ONE DEMONSTRATION, UM, BECAUSE THEN WE COULD SHOW IT TO SOME OF THE COMMERCIAL LANDLORDS ALSO.
UM, WOULDN'T THAT BE SORT OF LIKE THE WAY TO GO? BECAUSE THERE'S REALLY, YEAH, I THINK THAT'S, THAT'S AN IDEAL ROLE FOR THE MUNICIPALITY TO PLAY.
UM, PARTICULARLY, UH, IF IT'S A SITUATION WHERE YOU MAY NOT HAVE A CAPITAL EXPENDITURE TO DO THAT, WHERE THE THIRD PARTY SOLAR INVESTOR WOULD, WOULD, WOULD SPEND THE MONEY TO DO IT.
YOU COULD SPEND THE MONEY YOURSELF AND CONTROL THE WHOLE PROJECT.
IF YOU WANTED IT TO BE A COMMUNITY SOLAR PROJECT, YOU HAVE THE OTHER OPTION.
SO YOU HAVE MORE FLEXIBLE FINANCING OPTIONS THAN YOU EVER HAD BEFORE.
YOU EITHER HAVE A THIRD PARTY DEVELOPER WHO WOULD DEVELOP IT, WOULD PAY THE LEASE PAYMENT, RESULTING LEASE PAYMENT TO THE, TO THE, THE, THE TOWN, AND THEN SUBSCRIBE LOCAL RESIDENTS AND BUSINESSES TO THE, TO THE SOLAR SYSTEM OR SUBSCRIBE TO TOWN ITSELF.
JUST A QUICK NOTE ON THE, UM, TOWN HALL PARKING LOT, WHICH IS ON THE SCREEN NOW.
UM, WE DID WALK THAT RECENTLY WITH, WITH VARIOUS TOWN STAFF, INCLUDING D P W COMMISSIONER, MYSELF, AND, UH, AARON FROM OUR OFFICE, UH, DEFINITELY HAD HIS, UH, FORESTRY HAT ON.
AND THE, THE, THESE FOUR LOCATIONS WOULD RESULT IN MINIMAL, UH, TREE REMOVALS.
AND ACTUALLY THE TREES THAT ARE THERE ARE RATHER SMALL.
AARON FELT THAT A MAJORITY OF THEM LIKELY COULD BE TRANSFERRED ELSEWHERE ONTO THE TOWN HALL PROPERTY.
SO REALLY, IF THAT'S THE CASE, WHAT WE ENVISIONED HERE IS ESSENTIALLY, UM, PUTTING THESE SOLAR ARRAYS IN LOCATIONS THAT ARE DOMINATED BY PAVEMENT.
SO, UM, THAT SEEMED TO BE A POSITIVE.
THERE WAS A NOTE ABOUT THE TAXER SITE, I WILL SAY.
UM, AND I THINK, YOU KNOW, WE DIDN'T FLESH THAT OUT FULLY IN YOUR DISCUSSION HERE, BUT, UM, COMMISSIONER FOND DID INDICATE THAT, UM, THAT SPACE HE WAS NOT IN FAVOR OF AT PRESENT, UM, THAT IT'S USED FOR TOWN OPERATIONS.
AND, UM, THAT IS SOMETHING THAT AT LEAST IN THE IMMEDIATE, WE DID NOT WANNA LOOK AT.
UM, WE DID MEET WITH, UH, COMMISSIONER BYRNE, UH, VERY RECENTLY, AND, UM, YOU KNOW, HE DID EXPRESS CONCERNS OVER THE FACT THAT INDEED, THERE ARE A MA THERE'S A MASTER PLAN UNDERWAY FOR THE SITE.
HE ALSO EXPRESSED, UH, AESTHETIC CONCERNS THAT IT IS A PARK.
HOWEVER, UH, COMMISSIONER BYRNE DID INDICATE THAT HE WOULD BE OPEN TO DOING SORT OF A PILOT ON, I BELIEVE THE, UH, WEST, UH, WEST WESTERN PORTION OF THE PORTION OF THAT PARKING LOT.
UM, THAT WOULD BE WORKED INTO THE MASTER PLAN.
SO THAT'S, THAT'S A LITTLE BIT, YOU KNOW, THAT'S, WELL, EVERYTHING WE'RE TALKING ABOUT IS NOT IMMINENT.
YOU KNOW, WE'RE NOT, THESE ARE NOT GONNA BE ERECTED IN ONE MONTH OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT.
SO, I MEAN, I THINK WE'RE PROBABLY LOOKING AT, UM, YEAH, SO I, THE PROCESS THAT BUILDS INTO NEXT YEAR, I MEAN, THIS GOES TO THE POINT ABOUT TIME IS NOT ON OUR SIDE, RIGHT? SO ONE OF THE BENEFITS OF WORKING WITH A, AND I'M NOT PART OF SUSTAINABLE WESTCHESTER, BUT WORKING WITH AN ORGANIZATION LIKE THIS IS TO HELP EXPEDITE THE PROCESS OF GETTING BIDS.
SO I THINK WHAT THE, THE BEATING OF THE DEPARTMENT'S HEADS SHOWED IS THAT THEY HAVE THOUGHT THROUGH, PARTICULARLY FOR ANTHONY VETERANS PARK, THEY ALREADY WANT TO DO SOLAR.
IT'S PART OF WHAT THEY WANT TO DO.
AND WHAT, WHAT WOULD BE HELPFUL TO THEM IS A STRUCTURED PROCESS TO GO OUT TO DEVELOPERS AND SAY, OKAY, TELL US WHAT IT WOULD LOOK LIKE IF, TO YOUR POINT, WE DID THE WEST SIDE AND THEN LATER DID THE EAST SIDE, OR SHOULD WE DO BOTH TOGETHER? AND PERHAPS THE MULTIPURPOSE BUILDING GROUP WAS ANOTHER THING THAT JERRY BROUGHT UP.
SO WE'RE NOT AT THE POINT NOW WHERE WE'RE SAYING WE KNOW WHAT THE ANSWER IS, BUT IT'S MORE A MATTER OF WHAT WOULD BE THE NEXT APPROACH.
AND THE, YOU KNOW, THE, THE EASIEST PATH OF TOWN IS NOT TO COMMIT LARGE SUMS OF CAPITAL, BUT INSTEAD TO USE THE MEMBERSHIP OF SUSTAINABLE WESTCHESTER, THE TOWN HAS TO GO THROUGH AN R F P PROCESS FOR A NUMBER OF SITES, SEE WHAT COMES BACK, RIGHT.
AND THEN MAKE A DECISION ABOUT WHICH OF THE SITES TO DO.
THERE'LL PROBABLY BE A LOT OF DIFFERENT OPTIONS ON THAT.
'CAUSE YOU KNOW, TO ME, UM, YOU KNOW, THE REAL, I MEAN, THERE'S SO MANY COMMERCIAL, UH, BUSINESSES, YOU KNOW, YOU LOOK ONE 19, YOU LOOK CENTRAL AVENUE.
UM, SO WHEN WE'RE LOOKING AT, YOU KNOW, MEETING THE GOAL OF MM-HMM.
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LIKE A PILOT, EVEN AS A SMALL PILOT IS SOMEWHERE, THEN WE COULD REACH OUT TO THE COMMERCIAL, YOU KNOW, LANDLORDS AND SAY, LOOK AT THE TOWN HALLS, SORT OF LIKE WHEN WE STARTED THE SOLAR ON THE ROOF HERE.IT WAS A VERY SMALL SOLAR ROOF PROJECT.
AND THEN AFTER IT REALLY PICKED UP FI SO I'M SORT OF WONDERING IN MY MIND, IF WE SAID, OKAY, LET'S TAKE THE TOWN HALL, WHICH IS UNDER THE CONTROL OF SAY THE, THE TOWN, UM, YOU KNOW, AND WE, WE DID, WE PICKED THAT SITE, WE MADE IT A DEMONSTRATION.
AND THEN AT THE SAME TIME, UM, SAY, YOU KNOW, DURING THE, THE SUMMER MONTHS, IF WE HAVE, UH, YOU KNOW, WE COULD, WE COULD BE REACHING OUT TO COMMERCIAL LANDLORDS, UM, AND SAY, YOU KNOW, TAKE A LOOK AT THIS.
UM, YOU KNOW, SEE IF WE COULD DO IT ON THEIR PROPERTIES, THEN I THINK WE CAN MAKE THIS REALLY, UH, YOU KNOW, REALLY GROW FAST IN MANHATTANVILLE.
IT'S, YOU KNOW, VERY, VERY IMPRESSIVE.
I DON'T KNOW IF ANYBODY SAW THE SOLAR PANELS THERE, YOU KNOW, THE CANOPY IS THERE.
THEY'VE HAD IT FOR PROBABLY 5, 5, 6 YEARS.
THERE ARE, THERE ARE A NUMBER OF, UM, WE, WE CAN CERTAINLY CREATE A LITTLE PICTURE GALLERY, IF YOU WILL, OF, OF, OF SOLAR CANOPIES THAT ARE, HAVE BEEN DEVELOPED RECENTLY THROUGHOUT, THROUGHOUT THE COUNTY.
AND, AND IT'S, UH, IT'S, I THINK, I THINK THE GOOD NEWS IS THAT, YOU KNOW, THE TOWN HAS SHOWN WITH A PILOT 2016, UH, SEVEN YEARS AGO THAT THAT SOLAR COULD WORK, RIGHT? AND NOW THE QUESTION IS, YOU KNOW, HOW TO GET TO SCALE BY MAXIMIZING BOTH WHAT THE MIN, WHAT THE TOWN CAN DO AND WHAT, TO YOUR POINT FOR THE PRIVATE SECTOR CAN DO.
HAVE YOU HAD ANY INDICATION FROM THE STATE AS TO, UM, MONIES ATTRIBUTABLE FROM THE ENVIRONMENTAL BOND ACT? I KNOW THE ROLLOUT ISN'T GONNA BE UNTIL THIS SUMMER, BUT, UM, I WAS WONDERING IF YOU'VE GOTTEN, BECAUSE THAT COULD BE A FUNDING SOURCE, SIR, WE'RE, WE'RE TRACKING THAT.
WE'RE NOT SURE HOW MUCH DIRECT FUNDING THE STATE WOULD MAKE AVAILABLE, LET'S SAY, TO LOCAL GOVERNMENTS TO DO THIS UHHUH
SO MOST OF THE SOLAR DEVELOPMENT WILL TAKE PLACE USING THAT EXISTING MEGAWATT WALK FRAMEWORK THAT THEY'VE ALREADY SPENT 10, 12 YEARS WORKING ON.
UM, AND THERE, THERE ARE A NUMBER, AND GREENBERG HAS BEEN ABLE TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF A NUMBER OF CLEAN ENERGY COMMUNITY GRANTS THROUGH PROGRAMS AND PART THAT, THAT WE'VE DEVELOPED AND WORKED ON WITH YOU FOR MONEY THAT FLOWED BACK TO YOU.
UM, BUT I'M NOT AWARE OF ANY OTHER POTS OF MONEY, BUT WE'RE CERTAINLY GONNA KEEP TRACK OF WHAT, HOW THAT BECOMES, UH, GETS LEGISLATED AND BUDGETED IN THE GOVERNOR'S PROPOSAL.
AND OTHERWISE WE COULD ALSO LOOK AT, SO, SO WAIT A MINUTE.
SO, SO IF WE, IF WE, UM, TAKE MUNICIPAL PROPERTY AND SET UP COMMUNITY SOLAR ARRAYS THERE ON, IS THERE ANY WAY OR, OR ARE WE, UH, GUARANTEEING, UH, RESIDENTS, UH, FIRST COME, FIRST SERVE IN TERMS OF GETTING ON THESE COMMUNITY SOLAR LISTS? SO, SO YES, IF, IF YOU ARE THE OWNER OF THE SOLAR PROJECT, YOU CAN CERTAINLY DETERMINE WHO WILL BE FIRST IN LINE TO SUBSCRIBE MM-HMM.
UM, SO YOU COULD YOU, FOR EXAMPLE, PUT IT IN THE R F P RIGHT? WHICH WOULD BE THAT PART, RIGHT? SO YES, YES.
YOU WOULD SAY TO THE, THE PEOPLE PROVIDING IT, WE WANT GREENBERG RESIDENTS TO HAVE FIRST CALL.
JUST THIS WEEK THERE'S CONSTRUCTION STARTING ON THE ROOF OF THE VILLAGE OF OPERAT VILLAGE, TOWN OF AUSTIN OPERATION CENTER, WHICH IS WHAT THEY CALL THEIR PUBLIC WORKS GARAGE.
IT'S THEIR PUBLIC WORKS GARAGE.
SO EVERY TOWN GETS CALLED WHATEVER THEY WANT.
UM, AND SO, UH, THAT'S A STANDING SEAM METAL ROOF.
THE ROOF REPAIR HAS BEEN JUST FINISHED.
UH, AND THROUGH R F P PROCESS, THEY SECURED, UH, A, A BID FROM A, A SOLAR DEVELOPER TO REPAIR THE ROOF, PUT SOLAR ON THE ROOF, AND THEN HAVE THAT SUBSCRIBED TO BY LOCAL RESIDENTS.
AND OUR ORGANIZATION IS NOW RESPONSIBLE FOR PUTTING PEOPLE IN THE 1 0 5 6 2 AUSTIN AND ZIP CODE.
UM, BEYOND THAT, UM, WE HAVE IN MIND ONCE OTHER THINGS HAPPEN AND THE STATE MAKE SOME OTHER POLICY DECISIONS TO TARGET LOW TO MODERATE INCOME HOUSEHOLDS THROUGHOUT WESTCHESTER COUNTY AND MAKE THEM THE FIRST ENROLLED IN THESE SOLAR CREDIT, YOU KNOW, DISCOUNTS MM-HMM.
SO THAT'S A, WE'RE WAITING FOR THIS SOME STATE POLICY TO COME OUR WAY TO BE ABLE TO DO THAT ON A LARGER SCALE.
THERE OTHER QUESTIONS? UH, NO, I FIGURED IT OUT.
SO, SO WE CAN
SO ALSO THEIR OPINION IS THAT, UM, TOWN HALL ROOF IS UNDERUTILIZED SIGNIFICANTLY.
WHEN WE TALK ABOUT THE, THE CARPORTS ALSO, UM, A POTENTIAL IS THE, THE ROOF.
[00:25:01]
YEAH.AND, YOU KNOW, WE'RE JUST FINISHING THE CONSTRUCTION ON THE SENIOR HOUSING.
IS THERE OPPORTUNITY THERE? YOU KNOW, CERTAINLY HELPING THE RESIDENTS SO THAT, THAT'S A BERG HOUSING AUTHORITY OWNED SITE AND, UM, YES.
UM, SO I, I HADN'T LOOKED AT THAT, ALTHOUGH I HAVE TO SAY THAT GOOD NEWS, WE JUST GOT WORD THIS LAST WEEK THAT WE, AFTER A YEAR AND A HALF OF MAKING THE APPLICATION, WE WERE AWARDED A SIGNIFICANT GRANT TO SPECIFICALLY PROVIDE TECHNICAL HOUSING, SORRY, TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE ON SOLAR AND ENERGY STORAGE FOR WESTCHESTER'S MUNICIPAL HOUSING AUTHORITIES.
SO WE'RE GONNA BE VISITING EACH HOUSING AUTHORITY TO TALK TO 'EM ABOUT THE FACILITIES THAT SOME OF THEM, UH, OWN SIGNIFICANT FACILITIES OR ARE MAKING NEW, NEW ONES.
AND SO WE'RE GONNA BE WORKING, WE HAVE SPECIFIC FUNDING NOW TO DEVOTE RESOURCES TO HELPING THOSE HOUSING AUTHORITIES GO THROUGH A SIMILAR R F P PROCESS FOR WHAT FITS THEIR SITE.
SOME OF THEM ARE HIGH-RISE, SOME OF THEM ARE MID-RISE, SOME OF THEM ARE SCATTERED SITE.
SO THERE'S ALL DIFFERENT KINDS OF CONFIGURATIONS AND GREENBURG'S HOUSING AUTHORITY ON OUR LIST.
THERE'S ONE, THERE'S ONE CATEGORY WE HAVEN'T TALKED ABOUT.
WE'VE TALKED ABOUT, UH, ROOFS.
WE'VE TALKED ABOUT PARKING CANOPIES.
WELL, THERE SEEMS TO BE A LOT OF OPPORTUNITY.
AND THEN THE OTHER, THE OTHER, THE OTHER CATEGORY IS ACTUALLY THINGS FLOATING.
SO IF YOU HAVE A RESERVOIR OR A POND, UH OH, OFTEN THAT CAN BE A GOOD SITE.
THE REASON IT'S NOT IN THE PACK IS WE DIDN'T FIND ANY AS YET, BUT YOU GUYS MAY HAVE SOME OTHER IDEAS WE HAVEN'T THOUGHT ABOUT YET.
SO OBVIOUSLY NOT GONNA DO IT IN A SWIMMING LAKE, BUT IF YOU HAVE RESERVOIR THAT JUST, YOU KNOW, IS THERE FOR DETAINING WATER FOR YOUR RESERVOIR PURPOSES, THAT'S MORE FREQUENTLY, IT'S, YOU'RE NOT MONETIZING THAT WATER SPACE ABOVE THE RESERVOIR COLUMN FOR ANYTHING ELSE.
IF YOU FLOAT SOLAR ON IT AND, AND, AND DO IT IN, IN THE, IN THE PROPER WAY, YOU CAN LOWER THE WATER COLUMN PRESSURE, TEMPERATURE, LOWER EVAPORATION FROM THE RESERVOIR AND GENERATE ELECTRICITY.
SO, YOU KNOW, I'M THINKING, LET'S SAY CRANES POND, WHICH IS IN EDGEMONT, IF THERE WOULD BE, UM, THAT'S A POND, BUT WOULD THAT IMPACT THE AESTHETICS OF A POND IF YOU, YOU KNOW, IF YOU CREATE SOLAR, WELL, IT, IT WOULD'VE SOLAR FLOATING ON IT.
I DIDN'T, YOU WE HADN'T LOOKED AT THAT FOR NO, BECAUSE I'M JUST THINKING WHEN YOU, WHAT'S THE ACREAGE OF A, OF A WATER BODY THAT YOU FEEL IS, UM, CRITICAL MASS? I THINK IT'S, I THINK IF DEPENDING, SO IF THE WATER BODY IS FIVE OR SIX ACRES, THEN YOU HAVE, THEN YOU CAN FLOAT THE SOLAR WITH ENOUGH DISTANCE, YOU KNOW, WITH ENOUGH BUFFER AROUND IT.
IF YOU WANT, YOU WANT, I JUST WANT AN ORDER OF MAGNITUDE.
THERE'S SOME PEOPLE LISTENING TO THIS RIGHT NOW THAT ARE RELIEVED
BUT LIKE RILEY POND, WHAT'S ACTIONABLE REALLY IS PARKING LOTS AND ROOFS RIGHT NOW.
SO, SO THE NEXT STEP WOULD BE TO DO AN R F P MM-HMM.
SO WITH THE BOARD, YOU KNOW, WHAT WOULD BE THE PLEASURE OF THE BOARD, YOU KNOW, IN TERMS OF THE NEXT STEPS, YOU, YOU KNOW, WHAT WOULD YOU WANT TO AUTHORIZE, UH, GAR TO WORK ON A PROPOSED R F P AND THEN PRESENT IT TO THE BOARD? YEAH.
IF I COULD SUGGEST, SO WE'RE, WE'RE, WE'RE AS SO SUSTAINED WESTCHESTER, YOUR, THE TOWN IS ALREADY A DUES PAYING MEMBER OF SUSTAINABLE WESTCHESTER.
AND WE WE'RE HAPPY TO BE SORT OF AN ADVISOR OR EVEN SORT OF MANAGE AN R F P DRAFTING PROCESS MM-HMM.
WE HAVE OTHER MUNICIPALITIES LOOKING AT THE SAME THING.
SO IT MAY BE THAT WE'VE COME UP FROM AN R F P THAT HAS GREENBERG SITES IN IT MM-HMM.
SO IS THERE ANY BENEFIT TO MORE THAN ONE COMMUNITY PUTTING OUT A SINGLE R F P I? I THINK YOU HAVE ENOUGH SITES THAT WE COULD MAKE A COMPEL.
WE COULD, WE COULD GET AN R F P OUT TO GET RESPONSES TO YOU.
UM, AND, AND I WOULD, YOU CAN BE AS BE THE ANCHOR TENANT
WELL, WELL, YEAH, BUT I, I, THERE ARE OTHER MUNICIPALITIES THAT WE'RE ALSO IN PARALLEL DISCUSSION WITH THAT, THAT MAY HAVE SITES THAT THEY WANNA OFFER.
SO WE MIGHT, UH, UH, OBVIOUSLY IF GREENBERG DID AN R F P ON ITS OWN AND ANOTHER MUNICIPALITY COULD PIGGYBACK OFF OF IT ON THE GENERAL MUNICIPAL LAW.
SO I'M JUST WONDERING IF SOMETHING SPEED EFFICIENCIES FOR YOU, IS THERE, IS THERE A BENEFIT, AN ECONOMY OF SCALE, ECONOMIES OF SCALE TWO MULTIPLE MUNICIPALITIES PUTTING OUT THE SAME R F P? I THINK SO.
THE ECONOMY OF SCALE IS, IS, IS IF, IF THE R F P HAS ENOUGH GOOD SITES IN IT MM-HMM.
WELL, MAYBE THIS IS SOMETHING THAT THE VILLAGE OFFICIALS ASSOCIATION, YOU KNOW, IN, IN ALL THE RIVER VILLAGES.
SO I HAD NOT YET GONE TO ALL THE SIX VILLAGES.
I KNOW THAT THEY MEET REGULARLY.
UH, I THINK, WELL, THESE KIND OF THINGS NEED A FIRST MOVER.
SO IF YOU, IF YOU, IF YOU MM-HMM.
AND YOU KNOW, I'VE SPOKEN TO THE SUSTAINABLE, UH, THERE'S A NEW SUSTAINABILITY COORDINATOR FROM IRVINGTON IRVINGTON.
UM, AND I SPOKE TO HER ABOUT THIS AND SHE WAS INTERESTED.
AND THEN THERE'S WAS A VERY INTERESTING GROUP OF PEOPLE IN DUFFS
[00:30:01]
FERRY.THEY HAD A, A, A MAJOR EVENT, UH, AT THE DUFFS FERRY LIBRARY A COUPLE WEEKS AGO.
SO, UM, I SPOKE TO SOME PEOPLE THERE.
WELL, THAT WAS IN CONJUNCTION WITH SISTER.
AND PEOPLE ARE REALLY INTERESTED.
BUT THAT'S WHY I SORT FEEL LIKE THE TOWN HALL, TO ME, THE PARKING LOT HERE, UH, AND, YOU KNOW, THE ROOF HERE, YOU KNOW, TO ME IS SORT OF LIKE AN IDEAL PILOT.
IT'S NOT LIKE A REALLY MAJOR, UM, YOU KNOW, IT, IT'S NOT MAJOR, BUT IT'S JUST SORT OF A, IT, IT SHOWS PEOPLE WHAT COULD BE DONE.
AND I FEEL FROM THERE WE MIGHT BE ABLE TO GENERATE MOMENTUM FOR THE COMMERCIAL AND FOR OTHER VILLAGES.
SO I, AND I, I DIDN'T MEAN TO JUMP IN.
I JUST WANTED TO, TO BE, IF THE TOWN WANTED TO DO AN R F P, IT WOULDN'T ALL BE ON GARY'S SHOULDERS ALONE AND I WOULD RUN AWAY.
THAT WOULDN'T BE THE CASE AT ALL.
GARY IS VERY HAPPY TO HEAR THAT WE HAVE BEING RECORDED.
BUT WE HAVE VARIOUS, AND THE R F P ITSELF DOES NOT HAVE TO BE A, A, A TERRIBLY LONG THING.
AND THE NATURE OF THE TOWN'S SITES, THE SITES AND THE CONDITIONS OF THE SITES, THE MORE EXPLICIT WE ARE THERE, THE LESS RISK THERE IS IN SOMEONE RESPONDING IT TO SAY, OH, THIS ISN'T JUST A FLYER.
I'M GONNA ACTUALLY BE ABLE TO WORK THROUGH THIS AND GIVE YOU SOME REAL CONCRETE INFORMATION.
IF THE TOWN WANTED TO BE AN OFFTAKER, THE TOWN COULD ACTUALLY EXPLAIN OR MAKE AVAILABLE TO RESPONDENTS TO THE R F P, YOU KNOW, THE TOWN'S ELECTRIC ACCOUNTS, AND WHICH ONE OF THOSE WOULD MATCH UP TO BE OFFSET BY SOMETHING THAT WOULD BE HAPPENING.
SO YOU HAVE, YOU HAVE MORE OPTIONS.
SO LET'S JUST FIGURE THAT OUT AND LET YOU GUYS SORT OUT WHAT YOU WANT TO DO.
BUT I THINK IT, IT'S, IT'S HAVING THE SCALE THAT YOU HAVE RIGHT.
WITH THE SITES WE'VE ALREADY IDENTIFIED, AND MAYBE SOME MORE WILL COME ALONG.
AND THE FACT THAT YOU LED WITH A PILOT ALL THOSE YEARS AGO, YOU KNOW, MAKES IT A NICE, NICE WAY.
WELL, YEAH, I THINK WE'RE INTERESTED FOR SURE.
DID YOU HAVE A QUESTION, KELSEY? YEAH.
SO THIS IS, THIS IS, YOU KNOW, THIS IS TERRIFIC FOR COMMUNITY SERVER FOR PEOPLE THAT DON'T HAVE A ROOF.
BUT I ACTUALLY WAS DISAPPOINTED.
I HAD CALLED, UH, SUSTAINABLE WESTCHESTER, 'CAUSE I HAVE A ROOF.
AND I THOUGHT THAT SUSTAINABLE WESTCHESTER WOULD TAKE SOME ROLE, AT LEAST IN PROVIDING GUIDANCE TO HOMEOWNERS OTHER THAN PEOPLE KNOCKING ON A DOOR AND, YOU KNOW, 2, 3, 4, I THINK THERE ARE FIVE COMPANIES AND EACH HOMEOWNER INDIVIDUALLY TRYING TO FIGURE OUT, OKAY, IS THIS LEGIT OR NOT? MM-HMM.
AND THEN THE PERSON WHO COMES TO YOUR DOOR APPARENTLY CONTROLS AS TO WHETHER OR NOT YOU EVER GET SOLAR BECAUSE, UM, HE DOESN'T WANNA DEAL WITH THAT COMPANY ANYMORE.
SO HE'S, BECAUSE OF DELAYS, WHO KNOWS WHAT.
AND SO, YOU KNOW, EVEN THOUGH I'D LIKE TO HAVE SOLAR, UH, I'M SURE I'M NOT ALONE.
I MEAN, IT'S, I HAVE A SIMILAR EXPERIENCE THAT I FOUND IT HARDER THAN I WOULD LIKE TO NAVIGATE BACK WHEN I THOUGHT I COULD FIND A ROOF
I DISCOVERED HAVING TALKED TO MANY OF THEM OVER THE LAST 10 YEARS THAT I COULDN'T.
BUT I DO THINK THAT'S AN AREA WHERE, YOU KNOW, FOR THOSE PEOPLE WHO DO HAVE GOOD SITES ON THEIR PROPERTY, RIGHT, THE MORE THAT WE CAN DO TO PROVIDE ACCESS TO RESOURCES.
UH, SO FOR EXAMPLE, IF THE TOWN HAS WORKED WITH FOUR INSTALLERS WHO DID A GOOD JOB, I AS A RESIDENT WOULD LOVE TO KNOW, HEY, YOU KNOW, WHO ARE THEY? WHO ARE THEY? RIGHT? I MEAN, THAT WOULD BE HELPFUL BECAUSE THESE KNOW THEY'RE NOT TOTALLY FLY BY NIGHT.
SO I'M, I'M, I'M SORRY YOU'VE HAD THAT EXPERIENCE.
I, I DO HAVE SOME GOOD NEWS FOR YOU.
UH, BEFORE I CAME BACK TO SUSTAINABLE WESTCHESTER AS DIRECTOR OF SOLAR PROGRAMS, I HAD MY OWN SOLAR COMPANY FOR 10 YEARS.
AND SO THAT'S PROBABLY WHY I WAS BROUGHT BACK HERE TO RUN SOLAR PROGRAMS. SO I HAVE DONE ABOUT 150 DIFFERENT ASSESSMENTS OF PROPERTIES FOR PEOPLE WHO'VE JUST WANDERED IN THIS, THE SAME WESTCHESTER DOOR IN THE LAST YEAR, TO ASK WHETHER THOSE WERE HOMEOWNERS OR EXTRA SMALL BUSINESS OWNERS.
AND I'M HAPPY TO DO, TO GIVE YOU SORT OF A FIRST OPINION OR SECOND OPINION ON WHAT'S REASONABLE FOR YOUR PROPERTY.
AND THEN MAKE A COUPLE OF SUGGESTIONS.
I TYPICALLY AS, AS AN, AS A NONPROFIT, THAT'S WHOSE MEMBERS ARE THE MUNICIPALITIES.
I CAN'T PICK ONE WINNER AND JUST GIVE THAT WINNER.
NO, DON, WE DON'T WANT YOU TO, BUT I TYPICALLY WILL GIVE OUT THE NAMES OF TWO OR THREE COMPANIES THAT I KNOW DO GOOD WORK.
AND THAT I KNOW ARE LOCALLY OWNED AND OPERATED.
AND I'VE ALSO, SO AND SO THAT YOU'LL GET SOMEBODY WHO LIVES IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD OR YOU'RE GONNA SEE AROUND AND NOT SOMEBODY WHO'S JUST FLYING IN FOR THE DAY AND DROPPING FLIERS AND GOING.
SO I ALSO DID A QUESTIONNAIRE TO PEOPLE WITH SOLAR.
AND, UM, YOU KNOW, ABOUT A YEAR OR TWO, TWO YEARS AGO, I DID IT LIKE TWO, THREE YEAR, TWO OR THREE CONSECUTIVE YEARS.
[00:35:01]
UH, BASICALLY RESPONSES.AND IF YOU WANT I COULD ASK KRISTA TO, UM, UH, TO SEND IT TO YOU.
I MEAN, THAT'D BE GREAT RESOURCE.
THEY HAVE THE NAMES OF THE COMPANIES MM-HMM.
BUT YOU KNOW WHAT WOULD ALSO BE INTERESTING, BECAUSE I SAW SOMEBODY, UM, A FEW DAYS AGO, UM, AND SHE SAID SHE PUT IN SOLAR AND THE COMPANY WENT BACK, WENT OUT OF BUSINESS.
UM, AND, YOU KNOW, SHE WAS COMPLAINING.
SHE WAS ONE OF THE FIRST ONES.
AND SHE SAID, YOU KNOW, IT'S BEEN A VERY BAD EXPER I SAW HER AT TO CHICO.
SHE SAID IT WAS A BAD EXPERIENCE BECAUSE SHE PUT IT IN AND NOW SHE TOOK IT, YOU KNOW, TOOK IT DOWN BECAUSE SHE SAID SHE, SHE, YOU KNOW, SHE, SHE WASN'T HAPPY WITH THE PROCESS.
SO I THINK THAT WOULD, MAYBE WHAT I SHOULD DO IS, UM, ASK, YOU KNOW, THE BUILDING DEPARTMENT TO GET, GET ME A LIST OF, YOU KNOW, EVERYBODY WHO'S INSTALLED SOLAR WHEN THEY INSTALLED IT.
'CAUSE THERE COULD BE OLD SOLAR PANELS THAT, YOU KNOW, ARE NOT FUNCTIONING AS WELL AS SAY THE NEW ONES.
AND WOULD BE, YOU KNOW, WOULD BE INTERESTING TO, YOU KNOW, HERE FROM EVERYBODY WHO'S HAD A SURE.
THE GOOD NEWS IS THAT THERE'S SOLAR INDUSTRY ITSELF IS NOW MATURING ENOUGH THAT, THAT NOW ARE SOLAR REPAIR PEOPLE.
SO FOR PEOPLE WHO ARE STUCK IN THAT CASE, THERE'S ACTUALLY TWO COMPANIES HAVE OPENED THEIR DOORS IN THE LAST, UH, SIX MONTHS TO SPECIALIZE IN THAT MM-HMM.
UM, AND I'M HAPPY TO MAKE, YOU KNOW, TO REFER PEOPLE TO THOSE FOLKS.
THAT'S WHAT WE NEED ARE RESOURCES.
OH, I'LL GET, I'LL GET THAT TO YOU AND ALL, ALL JUST NOT TO ME.
I'D LIKE IT TO LIKE TO REACH THIS.
IT'S HELPFUL FOR ANYONE IN YOUR SITUATION TO, TO REACH THIS GOAL FOR THE, FOR THE RESIDENTIAL.
YOU'RE GOING TO NEED PEOPLE THAT HAVE TO DO MORE THAN, YOU KNOW, DO.
AND YOU KNOW, AND I'M A, EVERYBODY KNOWS I'M A VERY DETAILED PERSON AND I REALLY PICKED, AND IT WASN'T, IT WAS ACTUALLY THE MOST EXPENSIVE SYSTEM THAT, UH, WAS OUT THERE AND, UH, BEEN IN BUSINESS FOR 35 YEARS.
BUT NOW WHAT I'M FACED WITH IS THE PERSON WHO COMES TO YOUR DOOR BASICALLY LOCKS UP.
THEY DON'T WANT TO DEAL WITH THAT COMPANY ANYMORE.
I MEAN, IT'S, IT'S, IT'S, I CAN'T IMAGINE.
I, I CAN EXPLAIN TO YOU OFFLINE, BUT I, I JUST CAN'T IMAGINE THE, UH, THE TYPICAL PERSON YEAH.
WHO, WHO IS DEALING WITH THIS, WHO REALLY WANTS SOLAR.
I WAS COMMITTED TO HAVING SOLAR IN MY HOUSE BY THE END OF LAST YEAR.
I STILL DON'T HAVE SOLAR ON MY HOUSE.
SO WE, WE, WE DID, WESTCHESTER DID RUN A SERIES OF SOLARIZED CAMPAIGNS, COMMUNITY BY COMMUNITY WHERE WE HELPED PROVIDED GUIDANCE, AND WE HAD SOME EXTERNAL FUNDING FROM THE STATE TO DO THAT.
IT TURNED OUT TO BE VERY, VERY LABOR INTENSIVE.
AND WE DID HAVE A TREMENDOUS SUCCESS.
WE HAD SIX OR 700 SOLAR SYSTEMS INSTALLED THROUGH THAT PROCESS BY HELPING INDIVIDUALS, YOU KNOW, MATCH UP WITH A REPUTABLE LOCAL COMPANY.
UM, WE'VE ACTUALLY HAVE A PROPOSAL IN TO RESTART THAT PROGRAM, BUT I DON'T HAVE A FUNDING DECISION YET.
AND IF WE ARE ABLE TO RESTART IT, THEN WE'LL BE ABLE TO COME BACK IN AND RUN A SOLARIZED WESTCHESTER AND BE ABLE TO HAVE THE RESOURCES TO ANSWER THOSE QUESTIONS FROM INDIVIDUALS.
THAT'S GREAT FOR A LOT OF PEOPLE TO, YEAH.
I THINK THAT, UM, HASTINGS AND DOBBS FERRY, FOR INSTANCE, HAD AVAILED THEMSELVES OF THAT NUMBER OF YEARS AGO.
SO YOU'LL FOLLOW UP AND WE'LL KEEP THE BALL MOVING.
AND OF COURSE, THE DEVIL IS IN THE DETAILS, SO WHEN WE SEE THE DOCUMENTS.
INITIALLY, I HAVE SOME FLYERS FOR GRID EFFICIENCY.
IF YOU'RE NOT PART OF THE GRID WISE PROGRAM.
GRID, GRID REWARDS, YOU CAN SEE.
AND WE COULD PUT, WE COULD PUT CHARGING STATIONS UNDERNEATH.
OKAY, SO NEXT ON OUR AGENDA IS, UH, REVEREND COBB COBB.
HOW ARE YOU? SO I'M HERE WITH MY PARTNERS IN CRIME, UM, SALLY, ANNIE AND JILL RIGHT HERE.
HE'S GONNA GIVE YOU, WE WE'RE GONNA FIGURE THIS OUT.
I'M JUST GONNA, I'M GONNA GET ANOTHER CHAIR, BUT THERE'S ONE RIGHT HERE.
I DON'T THINK YOU NEED IT, BECAUSE HE'S NOT, HE'S NOT COMING BACK.
HE'S TALKING TO THOSE GUYS OUT THERE SO MUCH.
JUST MAKE SURE YOU GET THE MICROPHONES CLOSE, CLOSE ENOUGH TO YOU.
SO I HAVE TO TALK TO THE MICROPHONE.
I'M GONNA, I'M GONNA PASS THESE, THIS WAY.
OH GOD, YOU LOOK THE MICROPHONE.
SHE IS ACTUALLY, UM, REPRESENTING RESTORATIVE JUSTICE WESTCHESTER.
SHE'S WITH SGE WESTCHESTER SHOWING UP FOR RACIAL
[00:40:01]
JUSTICE.AND, UM, UH, THEY WILL INTRODUCE WHO THEY ARE, UM, IN A MOMENT.
AND I, WE KNOW, YOU KNOW THAT I'M LANE COBB, AND WE ARE HERE TO TALK TO YOU ABOUT SOMETHING THAT WE'RE CALLING THE GREENBERG RESTORATIVE CIRCLE PROJECT THAT IS, UM, IN RESPONSE TO A REQUEST FROM SEVERAL MEMBERS OF THE COMMUNITY WHO WANTED US TO CREATE SOME, UM, VEHICLE FOR RECONCILIATION AND HEALING IN GREENBURG FOLLOWING THE, UM, MANHATTAN MURAL, UM, ISSUES.
SO, UH, WE WANTED TO JUST COME AND GIVE YOU THIS PROPOSAL, TALK TO YOU ABOUT IT, TELL YOU WHAT WE'RE ENVISIONING, UM, AND ASK FOR YOUR SUPPORT.
UM, AND, UH, WE'RE, YEAH, I THINK I WANNA STOP THOUGH, BECAUSE HAVE NEVER BEEN HERE BEFORE.
SO DO, CAN YOU, CAN YOU JUST, IS IT OKAY, PAUL, CAN WE JUST ASK THE MEMBERS OF THE BOARD TO SAY WHO THEY ARE? IS THAT OKAY? PLEASE DO.
MARY, YOU WANT TO GO AHEAD AND INTRODUCE YOURSELF? I'M GONNA INTRODUCE MYSELF.
HI, MY NAME'S MARY SANI AND I'VE LIVED IN IRVINGTON SINCE 1989.
I'VE RAISED MY KIDS THERE, AND I LOVE MY VILLAGE.
AND I'M PART OF A GROUP CALLED SURGE WESTCHESTER, WHICH IS A LOCAL CHAPTER OF A NATIONAL ORGANIZATION SHOWING UP FOR RACIAL JUSTICE.
AND THEY WERE FORMED BRIEFLY IN 2009.
AND IT IS, UM, THEY WERE FORMED BRIEFLY, MEANING THEY WEREN'T BRIEFLY, BUT BRIEFLY, THEY WERE FORMED IN RESPONSE TO, UM, PRESIDENT OBAMA, PRESIDENT OBAMA BEING ELECTED.
AND A LOT OF WHITE SUPREMACIST KK ACTIVITY ACROSS THE NATION WAS HAPPENING INCREASING.
AND THE BLACK NATIONAL COMMUNITIES REACHED OUT TO WHITE, UH, FOLKS AND THEY CREATED THIS SURGE FOR, AND, AND WE ARE A LOCAL CHAPTER OF THAT, AND WE'VE BEEN AROUND SINCE 2016, NOT BECAUSE OF TRUMP.
WE WERE GONNA EX EXIST BEFORE THAT WE WERE MEETING.
AND IT WAS A BUNCH OF PEOPLE INVOLVED IN ANTI-RACIST RACIAL JUSTICE WORK IN, IN WESTCHESTER THAT WERE CALLED TOGETHER.
SO WE'VE BEEN, OUR AIM IS TO PULL IN MORE WHITE PEOPLE INTO THE CONVERSATION ABOUT RACE, REFLECTION AND ACTION.
AND OUR GOAL IS TO SUPPORT INITIATIVES LED BY PEOPLE OF COLOR AND BLACK INDIGENOUS PEOPLE.
SO THAT'S WHY I'M HERE TONIGHT.
AND I CAME TO THIS WORK JUST AS A PARENT BECAUSE I'M ONE OF MY KIDS BEING RAISED IN IRVINGTON, LIKE A LOT OF COMMUNITIES IN, UH, IN WESTCHESTER THAT, YOU KNOW, MY, MY TWO WHITE MALE SONS CISGENDER, THEY'LL BE ABLE TO TALK ABOUT RACE.
SO THAT'S HOW I CAME INTO ALL OF THIS AS A PARENT.
UM, MY NAME IS JILL STERNBERG.
I'VE BEEN A HOMEOWNER IN GREENBERG, UNINCORPORATED GREENBERG, AND NOW A TERRYTOWN FOR ABOUT 25 YEARS.
AND, UM, DURING THE PANDEMIC, I, BEFORE THE PANDEMIC, I WAS WORKING IN SCHOOLS, UH, DOING RESTORATIVE JUSTICE WORK, HELPING SCHOOLS TO SHIFT THEIR CULTURE TO ONE WHERE, UM, YOU BUILD COMMUNITY AND WHEN THERE'S PROBLEMS IN THE COMMUNITY, YOU DEAL WITH THEM IN A WAY THAT'S HEALING FOR EVERYONE INVOLVED.
AND, UM, WHEN THE PANDEMIC HIT, I LOST MY JOB.
AND SO I STARTED RESTORATIVE JUSTICE WESTCHESTER TO BRING THAT, THAT WORK TO OUR COMMUNITIES HERE IN WESTCHESTER TO BUILD STRONGER COMMUNITIES AND TO ADDRESS ISSUES THAT ARISE IN THE COMMUNITIES IN A WAY THAT'S HEALING.
SO, UM, THAT'S A, A LITTLE BIT ABOUT ME.
BEF IN THE NINETIES, I RAN A DIALOGUE PROGRAM ON RACE AND, UH, DIVERSITY HERE IN WESTCHESTER FOR FIVE YEARS CALLED EMBRACING DIVERSITY AND ENDING RACISM.
SO I'VE BEEN DOING COMMUNITY ORGANIZING WORK IN OUR COMMUNITIES AROUND THESE ISSUES.
UM, WHENEVER I'M HERE, I, I WAS OUT OF THE COUNTRY FOR ABOUT 20 YEARS IN BETWEEN, SO MM-HMM.
WELL, I'M, I'M CERTAINLY GLAD TO SEE YOU ALL HERE.
I'M, I'M VERY FAMILIAR WITH THESE CONCEPTS.
IN FACT, I HAD A CONVERSATION WITH REVEREND COBB ABOUT THEM, UM, AND INDICATED THAT IT WAS SOMETHING THAT I WAS CONSIDERING AND I WAS CALLING AROUND TALKING WITH PEOPLE ABOUT THEM.
AND I THINK THIS WOULD BE A WONDERFUL THING, UH, TO HAVE A OCCUR HERE IN TOWN.
UM, I DON'T KNOW WHETHER MY COLLEAGUES ON THE BOARD, UM, KNOW AS MUCH ABOUT IT AS I DO.
SO I'LL JUST SEED THE FLOOR TO THEM, YOU FOR QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS.
I THINK THIS IS A FANTASTIC IDEA.
YOU SAY EVERYBODY LIKES IT EVEN BEFORE YOU EVEN PRESENTED
THAT'S, THAT'S THE FIRST TIME THAT EVER HAPPENED.
BUT, UH, NO, I THINK THAT WE NEED DIALOGUE AND A LITTLE BIT MEDIATION, AND WHEN WE HAVE CONFLICTS OR, UH, WHEN PEOPLE HAVE DISAGREEMENTS, I FEEL THAT IF EVERYBODY WOULD SIT DOWN AND TALK IT OUT, THAT, YOU KNOW, IN MOST CASES, YOU KNOW, A LOT OF THESE, UH, CONTROVERSIES WOULD, WOULD, WOULD GO AWAY BECAUSE I THINK PEOPLE MISUNDERSTAND EACH OTHER.
AND, YOU KNOW, YOU KNOW, IF IT'S FLOOD ON N B C NEWS, IT'S ONE YOU, YOU GET ONE REACTION.
IF, IF EVERYBODY'S SITTING DOWN AS NEIGHBORS.
UH, YOU KNOW, I THINK THAT, YOU KNOW, I THINK EVERY, MOST PEOPLE WHO
[00:45:01]
ARE ACTIVISTS AND INVOLVED IN THE TOWN BASICALLY WANT WHAT'S RIGHT FOR THE COMMUNITY.SO, YOU KNOW, I, I REALLY LOVE THIS CONCEPT, YOU KNOW, THE CONCEPT.
LET ME JUST TELL YOU THOUGH, ALSO, I, AND I'M NOT SURE HOW MUCH TIME WE HAVE, WE'RE NOT GONNA TAKE UP A LOT OF TIME, BUT I, I DO WANNA MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE REPRESENTING OURSELVES FAIRLY, BECAUSE WHAT WE'RE PROPOSING IS FIVE TO 10 LISTENING CIRCLES AND LISTENING CIRCLES IS NOT MEDIATION.
SO I, I'M JUST RESPONDING TO THIS COUPLE OF THINGS THAT YOU SAID, PAUL, RIGHT? IT'S NOT ABOUT, IT'S NOT NECESSARILY, UM, ME MEDIATION OR DIALOGUE OR, OR ANY, IT'S NOT ABOUT SOLVING PROBLEMS NECESSARILY.
IT IS THOUGH ABOUT, UM, PROVIDING A SPACE WHERE PEOPLE CAN COME SHARE THEIR LIVED EXPERIENCE, UM, TALK ABOUT THEIR FEELINGS, BE HEARD, BE HONORED, BE UPLIFTED LIKE THAT.
UM, AND JILL WILL, UM, TALK, SAY MORE ABOUT HOW LISTENING CIRCLES WORK, BUT THIS IS ALSO AN OPPORTUNITY FOR US TO, UM, HEAR FROM THE COMMUNITY IF SOMETHING ELSE IS DESIRED.
WE DON'T WANT TO BE THAT THOSE PEOPLE THAT COME IN AND GO, HEY, WE HAVE THE ANSWER, AND IT'S, UH, YOU KNOW, WE, WE ARE HERE, WE'RE HERE.
WE'RE NOT PROPOSING THAT AT ALL.
WHAT WE ARE PROPOSING IS CREATING SOME OPPORTUNITIES FOR SAFE SPACES FOR PEOPLE TO COME AS THEY ARE, AND TO ACTUALLY TO BE, UM, HEARD AGAIN, TO HEAL, TO TALK ABOUT, UM, THEIR EXPERIENCE.
AND IF YOU SEE, UH, ON PAGE ONE, IT SAYS OUR, WE HAVE THREE MAIN GOALS.
ONE IS TO BUILD RELATIONSHIPS THAT TRANSCEND RACIAL AND CULTURAL BARRIERS.
ONE IS TO FOSTER AN ENVIRONMENT OF HEALING AND RECONCILIATION, AND ONE IS TO CREATE A HEALTHIER, SAFER, AND MORE INCLUSIVE GREENBERG.
RIGHT? SO INCLUDING EVERYBODY, ALL OF OUR RESIDENTS, REGARDLESS OF WHAT THEIR BACKGROUND WAS OR IS.
UM, SO, UH, WITH THAT, JILL, DO YOU WANT TO TALK ABOUT WHAT LISTENING CIRCLES ARE? YEAH.
WHAT, UM, WE, I WANNA SAY THAT WE'VE BEEN, THE THREE OF US HAVE BEEN MEETING FOR SOME TIME REGULARLY AND DISCUSSING THE BEST WHAT WE'VE, WHAT RESTOR JUSTICE CAN BEST OFFER IN THIS CONTEXT, AND HAVE COME TO THE CONCLUSION THAT LISTENING CIRCLES IS A GOOD FIRST STEP.
UM, BECAUSE WE DON'T WANNA PRESCRIBE WHAT THE SOLUTION IS.
UM, WE ALSO NEED, WANNA HAVE A DEEPER UNDERSTANDING OF WHAT'S BEHIND THE, THE, THE CONTROVERSY THAT CAME OUT OF THE MURAL, UH, ISSUES.
AND LOOK AT WHAT REALLY LET PEOPLE BE HEARD.
AND THE WAY IT WORKS IS YOU USE A TALKING PIECE.
AND, UM, SO WHAT WE'RE PROPOSING IS A NUMBER OF EVENTS.
UM, WE'RE THINKING FIVE PLACES AROUND THE COMMUNITY WHERE WE WOULD GATHER PEOPLE, THEY WOULD REGISTER IN ADVANCE, SO WE WOULD KNOW HOW MANY PEOPLE ARE GONNA BE THERE.
AND WE WOULD HAVE CIRCLES OF ABOUT 10 TO 20 PEOPLE.
YOU WOULDN'T WANT TO HAVE MORE THAN 20 PEOPLE BECAUSE THE, EVERYBODY NEEDS A CHANCE TO SPEAK MM-HMM.
AND IN ORDER TO DO THAT, YOU NEED TO HAVE MANAGEABLE NUMBERS.
SO WE WOULD HAVE POSSIBLY A NUMBER OF CIRCLES GOING ON AT THE SAME TIME USING A TALKING PIECE.
AND A C WHAT'S A TALKING PIECE? A TALKING, THANK YOU.
A TALKING PIECE IS, UM, AN OBJECT.
SO THIS IS BASED ON INDIGENOUS TRADITIONS OF, OF TALKING CIRCLES, AND IT'S AN OBJECT THAT HAS MEANING TO THE CIRCLE KEEPER.
WHEN I CHOOSE A TALKING PIECE, I, IT ALWAYS RELATES TO WHAT THE TOPIC OF THE CIRCLE IS.
AND YOU PASS THE TALKING PIECE, AND EVERY PERSON HAS A CHANCE TO SPEAK TO THE QUESTION THAT'S ASKED.
SO WE, WE SAY, SPEAK FROM THE HEART AND LISTEN FROM THE HEART.
AND THE LISTENING IS AS IMPORTANT AS THE SPEAKING AND THE TALKING PIECE GOES AROUND THE CIRCLE.
SO IT'S NOT CROSSTALK, IT'S LISTENING TO ONE ANOTHER AND HEARING WHAT PEOPLE ARE SAYING IN RESPONSE TO THE QUESTION.
SO THEY'RE THE FOUNDATION OF THE CIRCLE IS WHAT ARE THE VALUES THAT WE'RE BRINGING TO THE CIRCLE FOR OUR COMMUNITY, AND THEN A SET OF GUIDELINES, HOW WE ARE GONNA MAKE THOSE VALUES COME ALIVE IN THE CIRCLE.
UM, AND THEN A SERIES OF QUESTIONS REALLY, UM, EXPLORING, UH, THE IMPACT OF WHAT'S HAPPENED ON PEOPLE AND WHAT THEY'RE THINKING IS ABOUT THE ISSUES NOW AND WHERE THEY'D LIKE TO SEE THINGS GO.
BUT IT'S NOT TO SOLVE THE PROBLEMS, IT'S REALLY JUST TO LISTEN FIRST, AND THEN WE WOULD PROPOSE, UM, WE WOULD REPORT BACK BASICALLY WHAT WE HEAR AND, AND POSSIBLY SOME NEXT STEPS.
WELL, YOU ANSWERED MY FIRST QUESTION, WHICH WAS HOW DO YOU PROMOTE LISTENING? SO THANK YOU.
UM, MY SECOND QUESTION IS HOW DO YOU, I, YOU MAY HAVE ANSWERED IT, BUT LET'S SEE IF I UNDERSTAND.
HOW DO YOU, UM, DETERMINE THE MAKEUP OF EACH GROUP? SO WHAT WE'RE THINKING ABOUT RIGHT NOW IS HAVING DIFFERENT HOST GROUPS AROUND, UM, THE TOWN.
[00:50:01]
SO WE'RE THINKING ABOUT SYNAGOGUE, CHURCH, THE COMMUNITY CENTER, THE LIBRARY, THE HIGH SCHOOLS, UM, AND, AND REALLY DRAWING, WORKING WITH THOSE ENTITIES.SO WE'RE LOOKING FOR, FOR, UM, COMMUNITY PARTNERS TO HELP BUILD, YOU KNOW, PUBLICIZE AND TO JUST GET PEOPLE FROM AROUND THE COUNTY.
WE'RE ALSO INVOLVED IN A NUMBER OF ORGANIZATIONS, AS WE'VE ALREADY SAID, WE WOULD ASK THE TOWN BOARD TO HELP PUBLICIZE IT IF YOU WANNA BE A, A COMMUNITY PARTNER.
SO TO BRING IN, UM, PEOPLE FROM DIFFERENT AVENUE, DIFFERENT WALKS OF LIFE IN OUR COMMUNITY.
AND THAT'S FOR THE, THE ENTIRE GROUP.
BUT THEN YOU, YOU PUT PEOPLE TOGETHER IN GROUPS OF 10 TO 20.
SO HOW DO YOU DETERMINE, BECAUSE IT WOULD SEEM TO ME THAT YOU'D WANT TO HAVE A DIVERSE GROUP SO THAT WE COULD LISTEN, WE COULD EXPRESS AND LISTEN TO THE DIFFERENT PERSPECTIVES.
SO I, I WAS JUST CURIOUS ABOUT HOW, YOU KNOW, HOW IF YOU'RE ATTRACTING PEOPLE, THEN HOW DO YOU ATTRACT A DIVERSE GROUP? AND THEN HOW DO YOU MAKE SURE, BECAUSE I, I CERTAINLY WOULDN'T WANT TO BE IN AN ECHO CHAMBER BECAUSE THAT DOESN'T MEAN I'M LEARNING ANYTHING.
I, I THINK YOU CAN ENCOURAGE PEOPLE TO, TO SIT, YOU KNOW, NOT WITH THE PEOPLE THEY CAME WITH, BUT WITH PEOPLE THEY DON'T KNOW.
UM, BUT I WOULD ALSO SAY THAT A LOT OF TIMES WE DON'T REALLY LISTEN TO EACH OTHER, EVEN WHEN WE APPEAR THE SAME.
SO, UM, NOT ALL WHITE FOLKS THINK ALIKE.
NOT ALL BLACK FOLKS THINK ALIKE.
YOU KNOW, OUR, OUR COMMUNITIES ARE VERY DIVERSE EVEN WITHIN THEMSELVES.
AND I THINK THAT'S PART OF THE, THE, UM, THE UNIQUENESS ABOUT THIS PROCESS IS THAT YOU CAN REALLY COME TOGETHER AND REALLY LISTEN AND, AND, AND ESCAPE THE VITRIOL OF OUR CURRENT DISCOURSE.
UM, SO I, I WOULD JUST GIVE AN EXAMPLE.
I, I, UM, I WAS IN A SCHOOL THAT HAD, UM, POP-UP SCANNING.
SO, UM, STUDENTS OCCASIONALLY HAD TO GO THROUGH METAL DETECTORS, AND THE PRINCIPALS IN THE SCHOOL WERE ADAMANT THEY DIDN'T WANT REGULAR SCANNING.
BUT, UM, THERE WAS, YOU KNOW, THERE'S SECURITY ISSUES IN SCHOOLS, AND SO WE DID CIRCLES WHERE EVERYONE IN THE SCHOOL, THE STAFF, THE TEACHERS, THE STUDENTS COULD TALK ABOUT THEIR DIFFERENT PERSPECTIVES.
AND JUST THE FACT OF BEING HEARD MAKES IT A LITTLE BIT EASIER TO BE TOGETHER IN THAT COMMUNITY BECAUSE YOU KNOW THE DIFFERENT PERSPECTIVES AND, YOU KNOW, YOU CAN RESPECT WHERE PEOPLE ARE COMING FROM BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, UNDERSTOOD.
I JUST WOULD LIKE TO BE ABLE TO HEAR PEOPLE'S LIVED EXPERIENCE.
I'VE HAD, YOU KNOW, PEOPLE SAY TO ME, FOR INSTANCE, THAT THIS WAS A PROBLEM DRIVING WELL BACK.
SO, UM, THAT'S NOT MY LIVED EXPERIENCE.
HOW DO I KNOW THAT? SO HOW DO I FEEL THAT, YOU KNOW, THAT'S, AND, AND SO THAT'S WHERE I WOULD BE LOOKING FOR SOME SORT OF, UM, MIX OF PEOPLE.
BUT, YOU KNOW, I, I'M LISTENING TO WHAT YOU'RE SAYING, SO, UM, I CAN, I CAN ACCEPT THAT THAT LIVED EXPERIENCE MAY WILL VARY WITHIN SIMILAR ETHNIC GROUPS TOO.
UM, AND THE OTHER THING THAT I WANT TO ASK IS, UM, YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT A SERIES OF POPUPS, BUT DIFFERENT GROUPS OF PEOPLE AT EACH ONE, OR WOULD IT BE AN ONGOING CONVERSATION AMONG PEOPLE WHO ARE, UM, GO FROM ONE TO THE OTHER, OR A MIX OF BOTH? YEAH.
INITIALLY WE'RE HOPING TO GET, UH, UH, DIFFERENT PEOPLE COMING TO THE CIRCLES, TO THE DIFFERENT EVENTS, UM, AS A WAY OF GETTING REALLY CASTING THE NET WIDE AND LISTENING TO, FOR AS MANY PEOPLE IN THE COMMUNITY AS POSSIBLE.
I THINK, UM, WE ARE THINKING OF SOME NEXT STEPS THAT MIGHT INCLUDE SOME CIRCLES THAT MEET, UM, SEVERAL TIMES, UM, OVER TIME.
I WOULD ALSO ADD THAT, UM, WE WOULD LIKELY ASK FOR DEMOGRAPHIC INFORMATION AND, UH, UPON, UM, REGISTRATION.
SO WE WOULD, WE WOULD ASK PEOPLE, YOU KNOW, TO GIVE US A LITTLE BIT OF BACKGROUND ABOUT THEM, UM, WHEN THEY'RE DOING THE REGISTRATION, SO WE MIGHT KNOW WHO'S COMING.
UM, WE MIGHT BE ABLE TO INFLUENCE THE, THE MATCHUPS, AND WE MIGHT NOT.
AND I THINK, YOU KNOW, JILL IS JUST SAYING, AND I COMPLETELY GET THAT AT SOME POINT, THAT IT'S VERY VALUABLE TO HEAR THE OTHER PERSONS, THE OTHER, THE LIVED EXPERIENCE FROM SOMEONE OF ANOTHER RACE OR ANOTHER CULTURE.
[00:55:01]
AND I HAVE FAITH THAT THIS WILL HAPPEN ORGANICALLY.WELL, LET, LET, UH, WHY DON'T WE ASK MARY TO TALK ABOUT HOW THIS IS GONNA WORK WITH THE COMMUNITY PARTNERS, RIGHT? YEP.
BECAUSE, AND THEN YES, THANK YOU.
AND SURE, THIS IS THE BEGINNING.
WE, WE ALSO ARE THERE TO ASSESS THE COMMUNITY.
WE DON'T KNOW IF THE COMMUNITY WANTS IT, YOU KNOW, IT'S LIKE WE'RE, WE'RE, WE HAVE TO SEE THIS IS NOT US LEADING, THIS IS US CREATING SPACE.
AND I JUST WANNA SAY TO ECHO CHAMBERS, OFTEN I, WE HEAR THAT, YOU KNOW, YOU WANNA BE IN A MULTIRACIAL SPACE, BUT THAT WILL EVENTUALLY HAPPEN.
BUT THERE'S WORK TO BE DONE EVEN IN AFFINITY OR SPACES WHERE PEOPLE SORT OF LOOK ALIKE.
BECAUSE AS JILL AND
ANYWAY, THE COMMUNITY PARTNERS THAT WE'RE SEEKING, UM, WE'RE ASKING THEM TO PROVIDE VENUES, UH, TO PROVIDE REFRESHMENTS FOR US, UH, TO DONATE FUNDS TO MAYBE COVER SOME OF THE HONORARIUMS. BECAUSE EACH CIRCLE WILL HAVE TWO CIRCLE KEEPERS THAT, UH, WILL SORT OF, WILL, UH, WORK TO, TO PROVIDE THE CIRCLE KEEPERS.
THESE ARE TRA TRAINED, TRAINED CIRCLE KEEPERS, RIGHT.
AND WE ALSO ARE ASKING THAT THEY OUTREACH.
SO WE MIGHT ASK THE, THE COMMUNITY CENTER TO START TO REACH OUT TO PEOPLE THAT MIGHT BE INTERESTED IN BEING IN THIS CIRCLE.
BECAUSE I, I THINK PEOPLE WE'RE HOPING THE PEOPLE THAT COME TO THIS CIRCLE WANNA BE IN THIS CIRCLE, WANT THIS OPPORTUNITY AND THAT THEY NEED IT, OR THEY WANT IT.
THAT'S WHERE WE'RE HOPING SO, AND SO WITH THE VARIOUS VENUES, WE JUST THOUGHT OF VARIOUS VENUES AROUND THE, THE TOWN THAT, THAT REPRESENTS DIFFERENT GROUPS THAT ARE INVOLVED.
SO THAT'S WHY WE PICKED THESE VENUES, BUT WE HAVE NOT HAD THE CONVERSATIONS WITH THEM YET.
BUT WE WILL BE HAVING THEM BECAUSE THEY WILL ALSO SHAPE THE, THE WAY THE CIRCLE WILL RUN.
SO THIS IS, SO IT HAS TO BE A LITTLE BIT FAITH THAT THIS IS THE BEGINNING OF SOMETHING.
AND I BELIEVE WE WANTED TO DO THIS, WE WANTED TO START IT IN THE SPRING OR SUMMER, BUT WE WERE THINKING TO HOLD SEVERAL CIRCLES, JUST MM-HMM.
THE LISTENING CIRCLE IS SOMETHING TO ASSESS.
WE'RE THERE TO LISTEN AND WE DON'T LISTEN.
WE'RE ALL, WHAT ARE WE GONNA SAY NEXT? WE DON'T.
AND PEOPLE MAY HEAR WHAT THEY DON'T WANT TO HEAR, AND THEY MAY NOT GET WHAT THEY WANTED.
THAT'LL BE PART OF THE PROCESS.
SO THAT'S WHAT, AND AS SPONSORS, WE ARE GOING TO DESI WORK WITH THE VARIOUS GROUPS TO DESIGN THE CIRCLES, UH, IN TERMS OF THE, UH, QUESTIONS BEING ASKED.
SO WE'LL PREPARE THEM, WE'LL HANDLE THE REGISTRATION ON EVENTBRITE OR A SIMILAR PLATFORM.
AND THEN, UH, AS I SAID, SPRING, SUMMER OF 2023, WE'RE HOPING TO START THE CIRCLES.
SO I'M NOT SURE IF ONE WILL GO BEFORE THE NEXT.
I'M, WE'RE NOT SURE HOW THAT WOULD WORK, BUT I THINK WE, WE, WE DON'T WANNA JUST TEST IT OUT.
WE WANNA DO IT AND UH, AND THEN WE REPORT BACK TO YOU.
SO THIS IS LIKE A GIFT TO YOU,
AND, UH, WITH OUTREACH AND PUBLICITY AND FUNDS, IF YOU HAVE FUNDS TO GIVE US AN IDEAL NUMBER WE'RE THINKING IS $5,000, BECAUSE THAT WOULD COVER AT LEAST A COUPLE OF THOUSAND COVERS.
THE HONORARIUMS FOR THE CIRCLE KEEPERS.
IF WE END UP DOING, I DUNNO, FIVE TO 10 CIRCLES TO EACH, YOU PAY THEM A HUNDRED DOLLARS OR MORE, WHATEVER SPHERE.
AND WE ALSO WANNA PROVIDE REFRESHMENTS AND, AND MAKE IT COMFORTABLE COM COMFORTABLE SETTING.
SO DID I, ANYTHING ELSE I NEED TO ADD? WELL, IT'S, TO ANSWER PAUL'S QUESTION, SO WE, WE ARE PREPARED TO HAVE THIS OUTING BE FIVE TO 10 CIRCLES, HOWEVER LONG THAT TAKES.
AND, UH, WE WOULDN'T WANT TO TAKE IT ANY FARTHER THAN THAT.
AFTER THAT, IT'S GONNA BE A REASSESSMENT.
SO WE'LL REPORT BACK TO YOU AND THEN REASSESS AND FIND OUT, YOU KNOW, WHAT, WHAT PEOPLE SAID MIGHT, THEY MIGHT WANT TO SEE AS NEXT STEPS.
JUST KEEPING IN MIND THAT THIS IS TOTALLY, THIS IS KIND OF A VOLUNTEER EFFORT HERE, AND THIS TAKES A LOT OF TIME.
THERE TAKES, THIS JUST TAKES A LOT OF TIME TO PREPARE.
THIS IS ACTUALLY WORK THAT PEOPLE, UM, ARE TRAINED TO DO.
PEOPLE ARE, THIS IS PEOPLE'S CAREER IN TERMS OF CIRCLE KEEPING.
SO, UM, IT'S REALLY NOT AD HOC.
IT'S SOMETHING THAT WE WOULD HAVE TO THINK ABOUT.
SO IT'S NOT SOMETHING THAT WE WOULD WANT TO JUMP INTO AND SAY, OH, YES, WE'RE GONNA HAVE, YOU KNOW, A YEAR OF CIRCLES.
ALTHOUGH IN THE LONG RUN, ABSOLUTELY THIS COULD TAKE A YEAR OR MORE OF PROJECTS THAT ARE ULTIMATELY DESIGNED TO FOSTER RELATIONSHIPS
[01:00:02]
AND TO, UH, BUILD, UM, BEYOND THIS MURAL CONTROVERSY TO GO, TO GO DEEPER INTO WHAT ARE SOME UN UN, YOU KNOW, THE, THE UNDERLYING ISSUES BETWEEN THE BLACK AND JEWISH COMMUNITIES.UM, WHAT IS, WHAT IS MISSING FROM THE, IF, IF, IF GREENBERG IS COMMITTED TO RACIAL EQUITY? DO PEOPLE FEEL THAT? DO THEY SEE THAT? WHAT ARE THEY THINKING THAT THAT MIGHT BE USEFUL? SO IT IS HAVING PEOPLE TO COME TOGETHER AND TO JOIN TOGETHER TO MAKE GREENBURG, UM, A MORE EQUITABLE PLACE, A MORE INCLUSIVE PLACE, A SAFER PLACE, A HEALTHIER PLACE TO LIVE.
SO THERE, THERE ARE, IT'S A LONG VISION MM-HMM.
WE ONLY KNOW WHAT WE'RE PREPARE PREPARED TO OFFER THIS, UM, WORK RIGHT NOW.
AND WE WOULD VERY MUCH LIKE YOUR SUPPORT.
AND I JUST WANTED TO ADD ONE THING THAT WE'VE COME TO UNDERSTAND.
WHEN THERE IS A DIVISION IN A COMMUNITY, IT MAKES EVERYBODY UNSAFE.
IT, IT OPENS UP THE WHOLE VILLAGE TO OUTSIDE FORCES LIKE THAT YOU DON'T REALLY WANT
SO, UM, I JUST WANTED TO THROW THAT IN.
WE, AND EVERYBODY WANTS TO FEEL SAFER AND SECURE IN THEIR, IN THEIR HOMETOWN.
THIS WAS, SO WHAT WOULD THE NEXT STEP BE? DO YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS FOR NO.
WELL, I'M JUST WONDERING HOW DOES, HOW DO YOU ENVISION THIS WORKING IN THE MIDDLE OF MEDIATION SLASH UM, LITIGATION? BECAUSE I KNOW OUR TOWN ATTORNEY IS GOING TO TELL US HE DOESN'T WANT US TALKING ABOUT THE MURAL, RIGHT? THAT, YEAH.
ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE CAN SAY IS THAT WE HAVE, WE ARE TAKING A NEUTRAL STANCE ABOUT THIS MURAL.
I NOTICED THAT WE KNOW THAT THIS IS IN MEDIATION.
WE ARE NOT INTERESTED IN TALKING WITH PEOPLE ABOUT THE OUTCOME OF THIS MURAL THAT IS NOT ON THE TABLE, THAT IS NOT PART OF THIS PLAN.
SO THERE WILL BE GUIDANCE TO THAT EFFECT MM-HMM.
THAT, THAT IS NOT TO BE ON THE TABLE.
OR DISCUSSION ABOUT IT BE IF, IF WE ANY OF US ATTEND ANYWAY,
SO TELL, TELL, DO YOU WANT TO HEAR WHAT THE RESTRICTIONS ARE? WE SHOULD HEAR? WELL, I WOULD JUST ASK THAT THE TOWN BOARD RECOGNIZE THAT THIS IS A LI LITIGATION, EVEN THOUGH IT'S A MEDIATION AT THIS POINT, THE HOPE IS IT WILL BE RESOLVED.
MAYBE IT CAN BE RESOLVED AT SOME POINT EVEN PRIOR TO THE HEALING CIRCLES BEGINNING, BUT THAT THE TOWN BOARD SHOULDN'T MAKE ANY STATEMENTS ON THE MURAL, UM, AT ALL.
YOU COULD TALK ABOUT THE VISIONS AND TRYING TO HEAL THE COMMUNITY, WHICH ARE, WHICH ARE GREAT GOALS, BUT TO DISCUSS THE CONTRACT AT HAND, BECAUSE THAT'S WHAT REALLY IS THE ISSUE THAT WE'RE DISCUSSING WITH THE MURAL, THE CONTRACT THAT THEY SHOULD NOT MAKE ANY COMMENTS ON.
CAN I ASK YOU A QUESTION? BECAUSE IN SOME WAYS, YOU KNOW, I'M THINKING THAT THE, THE RESTOR RESTORATIVE, UH, CIRCLE PROJECT COULD ALMOST BE BENEFICIAL AS A STEP EVEN BEFORE A MEDIATION.
YOU KNOW, I'M TALKING ABOUT NOT, NOT SAY, LET'S SAY THE TOWN.
I'M SAYING, LET'S SAY THE TOWN'S NOT INVOLVED.
WE DIDN'T SEE A TOWN ATTORNEY'S REACTION WHEN YOU SAID THAT, THAT THE MEDIATOR'S READY TO MOVE FORWARD, THEY MUST MOVE FORWARD.
SO IT SEEMS TO ME LIKE, LIKE THIS IS AN OPPORTUNITY TO DISCUSS THE ISSUES THAT THE CONTROVERSY BROUGHT TO THE SURFACE, RATHER THAN IT IS TO DISCUSS THE CONTROVERSY ITSELF.
BECAUSE IT'S REALLY THE ISSUES THAT CAME TO THE SURFACE.
THAT ARE WHAT IS CHARGING THE COMMUNITY AND WHAT THE COMMUNITY IS AT LOGGERHEADS ABOUT.
IT'S NOT REALLY ABOUT THE PAINTING ON THE WALL MM-HMM.
IT'S ABOUT THE, THE INDIVIDUAL COMMUNITIES THAT HAVE COME TOGETHER WHO WANT TO HAVE THEIR VIEWS DISCUSSED AND HEARD BECAUSE OF, BECAUSE THEY WERE BROUGHT UP BY THIS PROJECT.
SO IT'S NOT REALLY ABOUT THE PHYSICAL PAINTING ON THE WALL AT ALL.
BUT THAT CAN BE A SLIPPERY SLOPE FOR SOME.
SO THAT, THAT IS A CONCERN IF ONE OF US, AGAIN, IF ANY ONE OF US MM-HMM.
BUT IF THAT'S GONNA BE PROBLEMATIC, THAT WOULD MEAN, AND, AND THE FACT THAT IF WE WERE TO ATTEND THAT WOULD, UM, THAT, YOU KNOW, IT COULD INVITE COMMENTS THAT WOULD THIS, THE CIRCLE KEEPERS WOULD HAVE TO MANAGE.
AND THAT'S, YOU KNOW, I DON'T KNOW IF THAT'S A BRIDGE TOO FAR.
SO, BUT IT MAY BE THAT BY SUMMER IT'S RESOLVED ANYWAY, SO THAT'S A POSSIBILITY.
BUT NUMBER ONE IS DEVELOP A DEEPER UNDERSTANDING OF WHY THE MURAL HAS CAUSED SUCH DIVISION.
I I WOULD IMAGINE IN ORDER TO HAVE THAT DISCUSSION, IT WOULD BE WHAT CAUSED THE DIVISION HALFWAY THROUGH THE
[01:05:01]
MURAL BEING PUT UP.AND TO DO THAT, I KNOW HE'S GONNA TELL US NOT TO HAVE THAT CONVERSATION IN THE MIDDLE OF MEDIATION SLASH UM, LITIGATION.
CAN YOU SAY THAT AGAIN? REPEAT WHAT YOU JUST SAID SO I CAN UNDERSTAND.
SO FOR US TO DISCUSS A DEEPER UNDERSTANDING OF WHY THE MURAL HAS CAUSED SUCH DIVISION, WE WOULD HAVE TO HAVE THAT DISCUSSION AS TO WHAT HAPPENED HALFWAY THROUGH THE PAINTING AND THE MURAL, WHICH IS SOMETHING THAT OUR TOWN ATTORNEY IS GOING TO ADVISE US AS TO NOT DISCUSS OUTSIDE OF MEDIATION.
SO, AM I CORRECT? I YOU ARE CORRECT.
AND I THINK WE CAN WORK THESE ISSUES OUT IN THE, IN THE FUTURE.
UM, AND, AND, AND POSSIBLY DURING EXECUTIVE SESSION TOO, WITH SOME LEGAL ADVICE MM-HMM.
I I WANNA SAY EVEN IF YOU RESOLVE THE MEDIATION, THE ISSUES IN THE COMMUNITY STILL EXIST.
BUT THEN WE DON'T HAVE THE LEGAL OVERLAY.
AND, AND WHAT I WANNA SAY IS, AGAIN, TO EMPHASIZE THE WAY A CIRCLE A LISTENING CIRCLE WORKS, IT'S NOT A DIALOGUE, IT'S, IT'S, UM, A SHARING OF EXPERIENCE AND, AND THOUGHTS AND FEELINGS.
AND, YOU KNOW, WE CAN EXPLAIN BEFOREHAND WHEN YOU'RE PRESENT THAT YOU'RE NOT GOING TO ACTUALLY ADDRESS IT BECAUSE YOU CAN'T AT THE MOMENT BECAUSE OF THE LEGAL ISSUES.
BUT WE CAN'T STOP OTHER PEOPLE FROM ADDRESSING IT BECAUSE IT IS REALLY, UM, ONE OF THE TRIGGERS FOR THIS WHOLE INITIATIVE.
BUT I CAN CERTAINLY, YOU, I'M SORRY, YOU, YOU DON'T, YOU CAN IN YOUR COMMENTS NOT ADDRESS IT.
UM, BUT THE POINT IS REALLY, ANYWAY, TO LISTEN TO WHAT THE COMMUNITY IS SAYING ABOUT IT.
BUT, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE, WE'RE LISTENING CIRCLE UP THERE DURING PUBLIC COMMENT.
SO, AND WE TRY TO LISTEN AND HEAR WITHOUT RISING TO BAIT IF IT'S THERE.
AND THAT, THAT IS A DIFFICULT ASK FOR ANY ONE OF US TO HAVE, BE THE, THE, IF PEOPLE ARE TALKING, YOU KNOW, THEY HAVE A RIGHT TO SAY HOW THEY FEEL, AND IT COULD BE, YOU KNOW, FULL OF VITRIOL AND IT'S, AND WE'RE NOT, AND THAT'S, THAT'S UNFORTUNATE.
SO, YOU KNOW, THERE IS THAT ASPECT THAT HAS, THAT IS OF GRAVE CONCERN FOR ME.
AND AGAIN, WE DO TRY, UM, WE DO HAVE GROUND RULES THAT WE SET UP AND THAT PEOPLE AGREE TO AS PART OF THE PROCESS.
SO THE CIRCLE IS, IS VERY RITUALISTIC.
IT'S NOT JUST, OKAY, HERE, LET'S GO THERE, THERE'S A LOT OF GROUNDWORK THAT HAPPENS BEFORE YOU DIVE INTO THE TOPIC AND, AND BUILDING A RELATIONSHIP.
UM, SO I, I CAN'T GUARANTEE, BECAUSE AGAIN, WHEN SOMEBODY HAS THAT TALKING PIECE, IT'S THEIR TURN TO SPEAK.
WE CAN'T GUARANTEE WHAT THEY'RE GONNA SAY, BUT WE TRY, WE, WE TRY TO CREATE AN ENVIRONMENT WHERE PEOPLE ARE, ARE REALLY PREPARED TO LISTEN TO ONE ANOTHER AND TO KIND OF SHIFT THAT, SPEAKING FROM HERE AND TO SPEAKING MORE FROM HERE AND HERE.
SO WHAT WOULD THE NEXT STEPS BE? I THINK, UM, WE'D LIKE, UM, YOU TO BE ONE OF OUR COMMUNITY PARTNERS IN, IN GOING FORWARD WITH THIS.
SO I GUESS THAT WOULD BE A DECISION THAT YOU WOULD ALL, YOU ALL WOULD MAKE.
WE ARE CONTINUING TO MEET, TO PREPARE THIS.
WE HAVE SOME PEOPLE THAT WE ARE GONNA REACH OUT TO, TO OTHER PEOPLE TO JOIN US AS COMMUNITY PARTNERS.
UM, AND THEN WE WOULD BEGIN TO PUBLICIZE IT AND, UM, YOU KNOW, HAVE, HAVE, FIND OUR VENUES AND, AND PUBLICIZE IT.
UM, AND I WOULD SUGGEST, UM, MOUNT CARMEL, THE CHURCH ON, FOR THE LAKE STREET HISPANIC COMMUNITIES, LAKE STREET, MOUNT CARMEL, THANK YOU.
THE CHURCH ON, UM, ONE 19, OH, ANNOUNCE ON ONE 19.
AND SILLY THING, BUT I'M GONNA SAY IT.
I WAS WATCHING EMPO AND THEY HAD A COUPLE OF LEGISLATORS FROM CONNECTICUT ON WHO WERE FOR FORWARDING LEGISLATION TO GET RID OF LATINX IN ANY OF THEIR, BECAUSE THEY SAID THAT THERE'S NOT A WORD THAT EXISTS IN THE SPANISH LANGUAGE.
SO JUST A WORD OF, AND THAT IS,
[01:10:01]
THAT IS AN EX, THAT'S A VIEW THAT HAS BEEN EXPRESSED.AND IT, AND, BUT THERE ARE COMMUN, THERE ARE PEOPLE IN THE, IN THE HISPANIC COMMUNITY THAT DO USE IT.
SO THAT'S WHY WE COULD VOTE UHHUH.
PEOPLE WILL IDENTIFY AS THEY WANNA IDENTIFY.
IT'S JUST A DISCUSSION TO HAVE
SO THE PERSON FROM RAYMORE AGAIN, I DON'T SEE YOU ON ZOOM.
BECAUSE I THOUGHT YOU SENT ME THE ZOOM LINK FOR HIM.
HIS ASSOCIATE WAS ALSO GOING TO ATTEND, BUT HE COULD NOT.
I AM THE SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT OF REAL ESTATE FOR RAYMORE FLANK AND FURNITURE.
AND WE HAVE CURRENTLY UNDER A CONTRACT, EXCUSE ME, THE, UH, STICKLEY BUILDING ON TERRYTOWN ROAD.
UH, STICKLEY IS, UM, DESIRING TO MOVE AND DOWNSIZE THEIR STORE.
AND, UH, WE ARE RE LOOKING TO RELOCATE OUR STORE, WHICH IS CURRENTLY IN THE OLD FORTUNE OFF.
I CALL IT THE FORTUNE OFF, BUT I GUESS IT'S CALLED THE SOURCE, UM, INTO THAT BUILDING ON CENTRAL AVENUE.
THE, WELL, THE STICKLEY'S ON ONE STICKLEY BUILDING IS ON ONE 19.
THE WAY YOU ARE NOW IS ON CENTRAL AVENUE, RIGHT? NO, WELL, WE HAVE A, WE HAVE A STORE IN YONKERS ON CENTRAL AVENUE.
UM, THIS IS IN THE THREE STORY WITH THE WHOLE FOODS, DIX SPORTING GOODS AND US.
YOU, I COULDN'T THINK OF THE ROAD.
UM, SO ANYWAY, BLOOMINGDALE'S, COME ON.
UM, SO, UH, BEEN TALKING TO GARRETT BECAUSE, UH, WE'RE GONNA NEED A, A ZONING VARIANCE.
I REALIZE THIS IS IN THE BOARD THAT YOU WOULD SEEK A ZONING VARIANCE FOR, BUT THOUGHT IT WOULD BE A GOOD IDEA TO AT LEAST INTRODUCE OURSELVES AND AT LEAST SAY THAT.
AND WE'RE LOOKING FORWARD TO COMING INTO, WHAT IS THAT VARIANCE? YEAH.
SO, SO STICKLEY IN 1999 WHEN THEY BUILT THE BUILDING, UM, THEY HAD A, A VARIANCE, AND I DON'T KNOW THE EXACT NUMBERS, BUT THE BUILDING'S 70,000 SQUARE FEET.
AND I THINK THE PARKING REQUIREMENT WAS A LITTLE DIFFERENT, UM, BACK IN 1999.
BUT THE CURRENT PARKING REQUIREMENT FOR THAT BUILDING IS 350 PARKING SPACES.
UM, THE PROPERTY HAS ABOUT 110 ON IT RIGHT NOW.
AND, YOU KNOW, FOR A FURNITURE SHOWROOM LIKE US, YOU KNOW, IF WE HAVE 20 CARS IN THE PARKING LOT ON A SATURDAY AT TWO O'CLOCK, THAT'S A LOT.
AND I THINK, YOU KNOW, THE, IF YOU'VE SEEN THE USE OF THE BUILDING AND, UM, YOU KNOW, FURNITURE JUST, IT DOESN'T GENERATE A LOT OF CUSTOMERS.
IT'S REALLY ALMOST THE SAME, UH, TYPE OF BUSINESS, NOT QUITE.
WELL, I'M SAYING IT'S, IT'S SIMILAR.
I, I WAS ON THE ZONING BOARD IN 1999.
UM, AND I DON'T KNOW WHY YOU WOULD NEED MORE PARKING NOW THAN YOU DID BACK THEN.
WE, I THINK IT'S ATTRIBUTABLE TO, UM, A CONVERSION OF, OF, OF WAREHOUSE SPACE TO RETAIL.
SO, SO WHEN THE VARIANCE WAS GRANTED, UH, STICKLEY, I GUESS WAS LOOKING TO USE ONLY 47, UH, THOUSAND SQUARE FEET OF THE 70,000 SQUARE FEET OF THE BUILDING FOR ACTUAL RETAIL SPACE.
AND THE REST IS BACK OF HOUSE.
WE HAVE VERY LITTLE BACK OF HOUSE SPACE.
MOST OF IT'S JUST SHOWROOM SPACE.
BUT TO YOUR POINT RIGHT THERE, THERE'S ABSOLUTELY NO REASON THAT WE WOULD NEED 350 PARKING SPACES, LET ALONE 110 PARKING SPACES EITHER.
UM, SO WE'RE PUTTING TOGETHER OUR APPLICATION, HOPING TO GET IT IN, UM, NEXT WEEK TO GET ON THE BOARD FOR APRIL, UM, AND THEN MOVE FORWARD WITH THE, THE PURCHASE OF THE BUILDING, HOPEFULLY AFTER A POSITIVE VOTE ON THE VARIANCE AND CONVERTING THAT BACK OF HOUSE TO RETAIL SPACE.
UH, GOOD, GOOD LUCK AT THE ZONING BOARD.
YEAH,
NOW WE HAVE A MOTION TO GO INTO EXECUTIVE SESSION, UM, AND THE TOWN ATTORNEY HAS SOMETHING FOR YOU TO READ.
UH, YOU TOLD ME TO READ SOMETHING, BUT I CAN'T FIND
WILL YOU ACCEPT THAT? I ACCEPT IT.
[01:15:01]
ON THE TOWN ATTORNEY'S, UH, LEGAL ADVICE THIS AFTERNOON, I'LL VOTE.I, WHAT AM WE DOING? I WASN'T LISTENING.
WELCOME BACK TO THE TOWN BOARD MEETING.
WE'RE NOW GONNA DO THE AGENDA REVIEW.
UM, I KNOW THAT, UM, LET'S SEE.
DO THE PEOPLE DURING THESE PRESENTATIONS KNOW THEY HAVE THREE MINUTES? YEAH.
WHO TOLD THEM AS MUCH AS I SAID? FIVE MINUTES.
SO YOU SPOKE IT'S FIVE, OR YOU SAID FIVE, YOU TOLD THEM FIVE MINUTES.
COULD WE, COULD WE PUT ON THE AGENDA THAT IT'S, UH, EACH ONE'S FIVE MINUTES? OKAY.
BUT SOMEONE NEEDS TO LET THEM KNOW.
JUST AS LONG AS IT'S YOU, I WILL.
'CAUSE I'M NOT SURE IF THAT IT TRUST ME.
WHAT'S, WHAT'S THE NUMBER THAT'S GONNA BE, UM, PUT OFF TILL APRIL 12TH? APRIL 12TH.
SO TB THREE IS GONNA BE APRIL 12TH? YES.
AND A T FOUR WILL BE REMOVED FROM THE AGENDA.
IT'S, THERE'S ALREADY A NOTE PUBLISHED RIGHT NOW.
UH, BUT JUST POINTING IT OUT ON RECORD AS WELL.
UH, I WENT, AND WHEN I WAS LOOKING AT THE RESOLUTIONS, IT DID MAKE SENSE TO ME.
SO I CALLED CAROLYN AND WE WENT, WE SPENT SOME QUALITY TIME TOGETHER AND THIS, THIS ONE'S NOT NEEDED BECAUSE THERE'S ALREADY $265,000 AND THE EXPENSES ARE 263.
CLARIFY IN TERMS OF ANYTHING ELSE ON THIS, THAT'S FINE.
THERE IS, UH, WE'RE TAKING OFF SEAL ONE 'CAUSE IT'S NOW GONNA BE ON PRIVATE PROPERTY.
YOUR, WHERE'S THE, UM, ONE ABOUT THE, UM, STUDY? WHAT NUMBER WAS THAT? THAT WAS, THAT WAS TB THREE.
YOU'LL NOTICE I REMOVED THE COVID STEPS.
SO THEN, UH, THE, SO C O ONE COMES OFF C ONE, RIGHT? BECAUSE, UH, THEY'RE GOING ON, RIGHT? IT'S NOW NO LONGER MARK SOLDIERS ALLOWED THEM TO GO ON PRIVATE PROPERTY, SO IT GETS THEM OUTTA THE STREET.
WELL, THE POLICE CHIEF HAD AN ISSUE WITH CLOSING THAT LARGE AMOUNT OF MM-HMM.
IT'S NOT EVEN THE SIZE, THE THE LENGTH.
IT'S THE, THE USE OF THE STREET.
NOW THE PURCHASING INFORMATION, THE, THE, THE ONE THAT WAS PROBLEMATIC, UM, THE PROBLEMATIC, UM, ONE THAT WE TOOK OFF FOR THE POLICE.
I FORGET WHAT HAPPENED WITH THAT.
WHEN, WHEN WE MET, UM, IT WAS, IT WAS, UM, A FEW WEEKS AGO, THE WORDING, I CAN'T REMEMBER WHAT IT WAS, BUT THEY WAS THAT THE, UM, IT'S NOT ON THE AGENDA FOR THIS WEEK.
IT HAS NOT BEEN RE-EDITED TO THE AGENDA.
THANK YOU FOR KNOWING WHAT I WAS TALKING ABOUT.
UM, SO, UM, I WAS THE ONE THAT HAD NO LIMIT.
IT MADE IT SEEM LIKE RIGHT, RIGHT.
I THINK THEY'RE STILL TRYING TO WORK ON WORK.
SO THE NEXT ITEM IS, UM, UH, RELATING TO THE APPOINTMENT OF BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS.
UM, LLOYD COURT SAID THAT EVERYBODY ON HIS, UH, BOARD COULD MEET NEXT WEEK WITH US AT SIX O'CLOCK.
HE EMAILED ME JUST A FEW MINUTES
[01:20:01]
AGO.UM, SO WE'LL DO PARKS AND, UH, WE'LL START WITH PARKS AND, UM, THE, SO HAVE PARKS AT 5 45 AND THEN LLOYD'S.
DO WE WANT TO DO ANOTHER ONE? DO WE WANT TO GET ANOTHER TWO IS ENOUGH? LET'S SEE WHAT ELSE WE HAVE.
DEPENDS ON HOW MANY PEOPLE ARE SHOWING UP.
UM, THE FUNDING PROJECTS, UM, UH, GARRETT IS WORKING ON TRYING TO, UH, WITH OUR ENGINEERS SAYING IF WE COULD GET FUNDING, UM, TO COMPLETE THE SIDEWALK ON, UM, FROM ACME SUPERMARKETS TO THE GREENBERG HEALTH CENTER, WHICH WOULD ENABLE PEOPLE TO WALK, YOU KNOW, FROM THE DALE TRAIN STATION ALL THE WAY TO ONE 19.
AND, UM, HE SPOKE TO CONGRESSMAN BOWMAN'S OFFICE TODAY MM-HMM.
AND, UM, AND YOU KNOW, WE'VE ALSO SPOKEN TO SENATOR SCHUMER, UH, GIL GILLIBRAND'S OFFICE, BUT THAT'S ONE THING WHICH IS SENATOR SCHUMER ALSO HAS YES, RIGHT.
BUT YOU KNOW, HE WILL, HE'S ALSO WORKING ON, WILL WORK ON OTHER GRANTS, YOU KNOW, IN TERMS OF YEAH.
LIKE THE LIBRARY HAD SOME RIGHT.
WHAT DO YOU NEED FROM THEM TO DO TO PREPARE FOR SUBMISSION? RIGHT.
SO I, I WILL SPEAK TO, YOU KNOW, GARRETT, YOU KNOW, TOMORROW.
AND GREENBURG NATURE CENTER MAY HAVE, YEAH.
AND THERE IT'S NOT JUST MAKING THE SUGGESTION, IT'S BEING ABLE TO, TO WRITE SOMETHING THAT COULD PUT IT IN, IN, IN THE FORMAT THAT WOULD BE CONSIDERED.
AND, UM, AND I KNOW RICH FINE HAD SUGGESTED THAT THERE'S SOME, LIKE FOR FLOODING, FLOOD CONTROL INITIATIVES, YOU KNOW, HE HAD SAID, WE REALIZE SHOULD HAVE SOMEBODY WHO'S A SPECIALIST IN, YOU KNOW, IN THESE VERY COMPLICATED AND DETAILED, YOU KNOW, GRANTS BECAUSE I, I SORT OF FEEL WE MIGHT BE ABLE TO GET MORE MONEY FOR SIGNIFICANT FLOOD RELIEF IF WE ABSOLUTELY.
IF WE HAVE SOMEBODY WHO'S, UM, LIKE AN EXPERT.
UM, YOU KNOW, I'M SO, SO HE'S, HE'S, SO WHAT IS HE SUGGESTING? HE HAS SUGGESTED A FEW AGO A CONSULTANT WHO'S AN EXPERT TO HELP US TO HELP US WRITE SOME OF THESE, YOU KNOW, TECHNICAL, WE DON'T HAVE A LOT OF TIME.
UH, UH, I'LL SPEAK TO RICH ALSO.
I'LL DO THAT AFTER THIS MEETING.
UM, NEXT, UM, THE LEAF, UM, BLOWER LAWS REVISIONS.
YOU, YOU WERE GONNA NOTICE IT THAT WE'RE GONNA DO HALF AND HALF, HALF OF WELL, I DID, I DID SEND SOME ISSUES TO THE BOARD THAT I WAS FINDING A LITTLE DIFFICULT TO WORK OUT THE FINAL WORDING.
UM, AND I HAD SENT AN EMAIL, UH, BELIEVE IT THAT, NO, I DON'T RECALL THAT EMAIL.
I THINK I, YEAH, I DIDN'T, DON'T REMEMBER SEEING THAT EITHER.
THERE WERE JUST A FEW ITEMS. OKAY.
UM, INCLUDING THE FACT THAT, UM, WE'D LIKE WHAT HAPPENS WITH HOLIDAYS, WITH SANITATION PICKUP DAYS ARE USED, TYPICALLY PUSHED TO THE FOLLOWING DAY.
HOW WILL THE LAW REGULATE THAT? UM, ALSO, WE DON'T PROVIDE SANITATION SERVICES TO COMMERCIAL PROPERTIES, BUT WE WANT THEM TO BE REGULATED.
SO THERE ARE SOME ISSUES TO IRON OUT BEFORE WE FORMALLY REINTRODUCE THE LAW, BUT THEY WOULD STILL BE IN A SANITATION ZONE.
SO EVEN IF THEY'RE COMMERCIAL OR NOT COMMERCIAL, THEY JUST, WE JUST DON'T PICK 'EM UP.
ANYWAY, I'LL TAKE A LOOK AT WHAT YOU WROTE.
AND THEN THE LAST THING I WANTED TO MENTION IS I WANTED TO WRITE, UM, A NOTE TO THE ESCO.
UM, YOU KNOW, THE CONED RATES ARE, HAVE BEEN LOWER THAN THE ESCO RATES, WHICH ARE WE, UH, FOR, FOR MONTHS.
AND I THINK WE SHOULD SEND A LETTER.
OR THE ESCO SHOULD SEND A LETTER, UM, TO EVERYBODY ENROLLED LETTING THEM KNOW, YOU KNOW, THIS AND GIVING THEM ANOTHER CHANCE TO, UM, TO OPT OUT.
YOU KNOW, BECAUSE I'VE BEEN POSTING IT ON THE WEBSITE.
BUT, YOU KNOW, I WOULD ASSUME THAT MOST PEOPLE IN THE TOWN DON'T READ THE WEBSITE.
UM, AND, UH, AND, UH, SO I THINK WE SHOULD, UM, INVITE, UH, YOU KNOW, THE SUSTAINABLE WESTCHESTER PEOPLE TO COME TO A MEETING AND JUST EXPLAIN.
I MEAN, I DON'T THINK THAT THERE'S A WAY OF, WELL, WE DON'T KNOW BECAUSE WE HAVE A CONTRACT TILL OCTOBER, 2024.
SO THAT'S BASICALLY ALL I HAVE.
WHERE DO WE STAND ON THE CAPITAL BUDGET REVIEW? HAVE WE FINISHED WITH OUR, WE FINISHED IT.
UH, YOU KNOW, I, UM, I SPOKE TO ROBERTA.
SHE'S WORKING ON THE AUDIT AND, UM, YOU KNOW, AND SHE SAID THAT, UM, SHE NEEDS LIKE TWO WEEKS TO, TO FINALIZE,
[01:25:01]
FINALIZE IT BECAUSE AT THE LAST MEETING WE DECIDED TO PUT MONEY BACK PART SOME MONEY BACK INTO BABBITT COURT.SO I HAVE TO MAKE A COUPLE LITTLE CHANGES.
AND THEN I ASKED KRISTA IF SHE COULD JUST CHANGE THE FORMAT OF EACH CAPITAL BUDGET ITEM.
SO IT WOULD SAY, UM, THIS IS ONE IT'S ANTICIPATED TO GO OUT BID.
THIS IS ONE IT'S ANTICIPATED FOR COMPLETION AND THIS IS THE PROJECT COORDINATOR.
JUST SO IN THE PAST, YOU KNOW, SOMETIMES PEOPLE WOULD PUT IN FOR CAPITAL BUDGETS AND THEN THEY NEVER WOULD SPEND THE MONEY.
AND THIS WAY WE WOULD BE ABLE TO TRACK IT IN THE FUTURE.
SO I WILL, YOU KNOW, IT'S ALMOST DONE.
UM, YOU KNOW, AND I, I THOUGHT MAYBE AT THE MARCH 22ND MEETING, WE COULD, UH, SCHEDULE A HEARING FOR THE FIRST MEETING IN APRIL, IF THAT'S OKAY.
BECAUSE THEN, AND THEN I'LL HAVE EVERYTHING DONE BY MARCH 22ND.
AND I'LL ASK KRISTA TO, I THINK KRISTA SENT EVERYBODY, YOU KNOW, THE, THE VIS THE MOST RECENT REVISION, UH, WITH EXCEPTION OF, UM, THE, THE, THE COUPLE CHANGES THAT WE MADE AFTER WE HEARD FROM HER.
AND WE WILL NOT BE COMING BACK THIS SAME DAY.