[ 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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WELCOME EVERYBODY TO OUR TOWN BOARD, UM, UH, WORK SESSION.
FIVE 12, AND TODAY IS MARCH 21ST.
AND, UH, GINA IS PARTICIPATING BY ZOOM.
WE WILL, UH, SHE'S ON A BUSINESS TRIP.
UM, SO, UM, THE FIRST ITEM IS THE MIAM GROUP.
UM, AND WE'RE GONNA HEAR FROM JOHN EMRICH.
SO BASICALLY, UM, WE'RE WONDERING, UM, HOW MANY MILLIONS WE COULD GET FROM THE STATE.
UM, YOU KNOW, AND ALSO THE PRIORITIES.
UM, YOU KNOW, YOU KNOW, I THINK THAT, UM, YOU KNOW, LAST YEAR YOU WERE VERY HELPFUL AND SUCCESSFUL.
YOU KNOW, WE HAVE SOME, UH, DRAINAGE ISSUES.
UH, WE'RE LOOKING AT, UM, THE FOUR CORNERS IN HAR, THE FOUR CORNERS IN HARTSDALE.
UM, UH, YOU KNOW, I THINK WITH THE GOVERNOR, UM, PUSHING FOR, UM, AFFORDABLE HOUSING THERE, TRAIN STATIONS, UM, WE'RE APPLYING FOR A COUNTY GRANT.
IT'S ON, UM, THE AGENDA TOMORROW TO DO A MARKETING STUDY OF, UM, THE FOUR, THE FOUR CORNERS IN HAR, YOU KNOW, IN HARTSDALE.
UM, AND ALSO TO SEE, UM, UM, TO GET HELP WITH REZONING.
BUT, YOU KNOW, WE'VE BEEN TALKING ABOUT THE FOUR CORNERS FOR YEARS, AND, UM, AND THERE'S DRAINAGE ISSUES.
AND ON WEST HARTSDALE AVENUE, THE LOCATION WHERE YOU, THAT YOU HELPED US GET FUNDING FOR THE SIDEWALK ON WEST HARTSDALE AVENUE, UM, IF WE HAD A TURNING LANE, UM, YOU KNOW, A POSSIBLE TURNING LANES, IT COULD REDUCE TRAFFIC AND ALSO MAKE IT EASIER TO GET, YOU KNOW, MIXED USE HOUSING APPROVED.
SO I WOULD SAY THAT THE FOUR CORNERS SHOULD BE LIKE A HIGH PRIORITY.
UM, YOU KNOW, THE, THE TOWN, EVERYBODY'S FOR THE HOUSING IF WE CAN MAKE A WORK.
UM, AND THEN, UH, THERE'S A WOMAN, UM, WHO I SPOKE TO, UM, EARLIER TODAY, UM, WHO WAS FLOODED OUT DURING THE FLOOD, YOU KNOW, IRMA, AND WE WOULD LIKE TO GET, UM, SPECIAL IDA, I'M SORRY.
UM, WE HAD TO, UM, WE WERE TRYING TO GET SPECIAL LEGISLATION WHERE PEOPLE WHO LOST ALL THEIR POSSESSIONS, UM, WOULD BE ABLE TO, UM, UM, GET TAX BREAKS FROM THE ASSESSOR, YOU KNOW, RETROACTIVELY, BECAUSE THERE'S A BUNCH OF PEOPLE, NOT A LOT, PROBABLY, WHAT WOULD YOU SAY, LESS THAN A DOZEN, UM, THAT LOST THEIR HOMES, UM, LOST ALL THEIR POSSESSIONS.
UM, THEY'RE PAYING, YOU KNOW, TAXES.
AND WE'D LIKE THE ASSESSOR TO BE ABLE TO REDUCE THEIR, THEIR TAXES.
THAT, SO THAT WOULD BE A HOME RULE UNIT REQUEST.
UM, THEY'RE BASICALLY WAITING FOR FEMA MONEY TO COME THROUGH, AND IT TAKES A LONG TIME.
SO, AND THEY'VE BEEN OUT OF THEIR HOMES FOR QUITE A LONG TIME, AND YET THEY'RE STILL BEING TAXED ON THEIR HOMES.
AND FEMA STOPPED PAYING, UM, FOR, FOR AN ALTERNATE RESIDENCE AT A CERTAIN POINT.
SO I WOULD SAY THAT, YOU KNOW, AND THEN, UM, YOU KNOW, GARRETT IS WORKING ON, UM, ADDITIONAL SIDEWALKS.
WE'RE LOOKING FOR FUNDING FOR A TAX ROAD.
UM, WE HAVE SOME FUNDING FROM A DEVELOPER WHO, UM, WHO BASICALLY GAVE US $120,000, BUT IT WOULD GO FROM, UM, EAST IRVINGTON TO, UM, TO A PARK.
WE ALSO, UM, ARE LOOKING FOR EITHER COUNTY OR STATE FUNDING OR FEDERAL FUNDING, UH, FROM ACME SUPERMARKET TO THE GREENBURG LIBRARY.
AND, UM, AND PUT, THERE'S GONNA BE SOME SENIOR HOUSING BUILT, UM, AT WESTCHESTER COMMUNITY COLLEGE.
THE, UM, THE FACILITY THAT ANDREW CUOMO USED TO, YOU KNOW, HOUSE THE WEST HELP, HE WAS BUILT BY WEST HOUSE.
AND HE WANTS TO BUILD 60 MORE UNITS OF HOUSING.
AND IF WE COULD GET A SIDEWALK FROM THE COMMUNITY COLLEGE TO ONE 19, THAT WOULD EXTEND THE LINK OF, UM, THE, THE LINK.
AND IT WOULD HELP A LOT OF, UH, STUDENTS, UM, YOU KNOW, WHO STUDY.
AND, YOU KNOW, WE WERE TALKING EARLIER, UM, UH, YOU KNOW, THIS YEAR ABOUT FUNDING FOR OUR INTERN PROGRAM.
AND THOSE ARE BASICALLY, UM, THE, YOU KNOW, THE PRIORITIES THAT I HAVE.
AND YEAH, I'M WONDERING IF OTHER BOARD MEMBERS HAVE OTHER PRIORITIES.
ALSO, YOU KNOW, FOR FLOOD RELIEF, THERE MAY BE LIKE SHORT, SMALLER FLOOD RELIEF INITIATIVES.
YOU KNOW, MAYBE INSTEAD OF APPLYING FOR $50 MILLION OR A HUNDRED MILLION DOLLARS, MAYBE WE COULD GET, YOU KNOW, A MILLION OR $2 MILLION FOR SPECIFIC PROJECTS.
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THEN OF COURSE, THE LIBRARY, UM, YOU KNOW, WE COULD USE FUNDS FOR, FOR, FOR LIBRARY INFRASTRUCTURE.SO THAT SHOULD KEEP YOU BUSY FOR A COUPLE DAYS.
BUT WE'RE, WE'RE HAMPERED BECAUSE OF STORMWATER ISSUES, AND THE FACT THAT THE PIPES ARE UNDERNEATH THE BUILDINGS DOESN'T HELP US AT ALL.
BUT WE, WE NEED TO BE ABLE TO DO SOMETHING WITH THOSE CORNERS.
YOU KNOW, THEY'RE NOT THE GATEWAY INTO GREENBURG, BUT THEY'RE, THEY'RE THE CENTER OF THAT CENTRAL AVENUE AND WEST AND EAST HARTSDALE AVENUE, AND WE'VE BEEN TRYING TO DO SOMETHING WITH THAT.
AND, YOU KNOW, THE COMMUNITY IS, UM, UH, ENTHUSIASTIC ABOUT DOING SOMETHING THERE.
UH, IT DOESN'T MAKE SENSE TO CHANGE THE ZONING IF WE CAN'T BUILD WHAT THE ZONING WOULD THEN ALLOW.
SO WE'RE TRYING TO ADDRESS THE, UH, INFRASTRUCTURE ISSUES SO THAT, UH, WE COULD ACTUALLY THEN MOVE FORWARD WITH ZONING ISSUES.
SO THOSE ARE SOME OF THE THINGS.
SO YOU THINK BY APRIL 1ST THIS WILL BE WORKED OUT? WELL, THAT'S, UH, THAT, THAT IS THE, UH, NO PUN INTENDED, BUT BILLION DOLLAR QUESTION, UM, THAT I THINK IT WILL BE IN AND AROUND APRIL 1ST.
I MEAN, HAVING THE EXPERIENCE THAT I HAVE IN ALBANY, I THINK BOTH THE MAJORITY LEADER, SPEAKER AND GOVERNOR, UM, ALL STRIVE TO ACCOMPLISH IT BY APRIL 1ST.
UM, HOWEVER, SOME OF THE PIECES THAT MAY BE ABLE TO FUND THESE DIFFERENT PRIORITIES THAT YOU HAVE, UM, MAY BE DEALT WITH LATER.
THE LEGISLATIVE SESSION DOES RUN UNTIL JUNE.
I'LL GO INTO A LITTLE BIT MORE DETAIL ON THAT.
I THINK I SENT ALL OF YOU A WEEK OR TWO AGO, KIND OF A LIST OF ALL OF THE GOVERNOR'S PROPOSALS, UM, IN HER BUDGET PROCESS.
AND LITERALLY LAST WEEK, THE SENATE IN THE ASSEMBLY ON THURSDAY PASSED THEIR PRIORITIES.
UM, IT IS DIFFERENT THAN THE GOVERNOR'S BUDGET PROPOSAL.
UM, THIS WEEK, YESTERDAY KICKED OFF THE START OF THREE-WAY NEGOTIATIONS, AND THEY HAVE TWO WEEKS, UM, A LITTLE LESS THAN TWO WEEKS, I GUESS 10 DAYS NOW TO COME UP WITH A FINAL DOCUMENT.
UM, YOU KNOW, JUST BY REFERENCE, YOU KNOW, THE APRIL 1ST DEADLINE'S IMPORTANT, BUT IT'S NOT ALWAYS MET.
UH, LAST YEAR THE BUDGET WAS 10 DAYS, IT WAS PAST 10 DAYS AFTER.
UM, I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT ON A PERSONAL LEVEL, ME SPEAKING TO HAVE A GOOD BUDGET THAT IS ABLE TO FUND SOME OF THESE PRIORITIES THAT YOU GUYS HAVE ALL IDENTIFIED.
BUT I GUESS, LET ME SAY, AND IF, I DON'T KNOW IF ANYONE HAD AN OPPORTUNITY TO READ OR, OR GO THROUGH THAT LIST AND LOOK AT THE SIGNIFICANT AMOUNTS OF MONEY THAT WERE PROPOSED, YOU HAVE A GOOD BASIS THAT ONCE IT IS FINALIZED, A LOT OF THERE WILL BE OPPORTUNITIES TO APPLY AND REQUEST FUNDING FOR THESE DIFFERENT PRIORITIES, ESPECIALLY THE FOUR CORNERS PIECE.
I THINK THAT THE NICE THING ABOUT FOUR CORNERS AND THE, AND THE OPTIMISM THAT I HAVE IS YOU REALLY HAVE THE POTENTIAL FOR TWO DIFFERENT PATHS OF FUNDING.
SO WHENEVER YOU HAVE TWO OPTIONS, THAT'S ALWAYS BETTER THAN JUST HAVING ONE.
UM, PAUL, YOU MENTIONED THE, UH, THE HOUSING COMPONENT.
I'LL JUST TAKE A MINUTE ON THAT.
YOU KNOW, THAT IS PROBABLY ONE OF THE TOP THREE OR FOUR CONTENTIOUS ISSUES THAT NEEDS TO BE DISCUSSED.
THE GOVERNOR HAS A WHOLE HOST OF, AND IS MADE HOUSING A VERY IMPORTANT COMPONENT OF HER PROPOSAL.
THE SETTING IN THE ASSEMBLY DID TAKE A LOT OF THE GOVERNOR'S PROPOSALS OUT.
HOWEVER, WHAT THEY DID DO, UM, AND A CREDIT TO, YOU KNOW, YOUR LOCAL SENATOR, MAJORITY LEADER STEWART COUSINS, THEY INCREASED THE AMOUNT OF DOLLARS AVAILABLE FOR MUNICIPALITIES FROM 250 MILLION, TWO 500 MILLION.
SO YOU HAVE THE GOVERNOR PROPOSING TWO 50 ON ONE END, THE SENATE AND THE ASSEMBLY, BOTH PROPOSING 500.
YOU KNOW, YOU ALWAYS THINK THAT THE ORDER OF COMPROMISE IS SOMEWHERE IN THE MIDDLE.
UM, SO THAT'S A SIGNIFICANT CHUNK OF MONEY.
UM, THE OTHER AVENUE, WHICH WAS IN THE GOVERNOR'S BUDGET, IS FLOOD MITIGATION.
AND IF THERE IS, AND I THINK WHAT WE, I WOULD RECOMMEND TO YOU ALL, AND, AND I'M HAPPY TO KIND OF EXPLORE IN A LITTLE BIT FURTHER DEPTH WITH SOME OF YOUR, UM, AGENCY HEADS, IS PUTTING TOGETHER KIND OF A BRIEF SYNOPSIS OR SUMMARY THAT WE'LL HAVE READY TO GO RIGHT AFTER THE BUDGET ON SOME OF THE FLOODING ISSUES AT FOUR CORNERS THAT WE CAN DETAIL AND EXEMPLIFY.
SO WHEN WE DO APPLY, UM, WHETHER IT'S UNDER THAT HOUSING COMPONENT OR WHETHER IT'S UNDER THE FLOOD MITIGATION COMPONENT, UM, YOU KNOW, WE'RE READY TO
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GO RIGHT OUT OF THE GATE ONCE WE KNOW WHAT THE FINAL LANGUAGE AND FINAL DOLLAR AMOUNT IS.BUT I THINK THE GOVERNOR'S PROPOSAL THAT I SENT TO YOU GUYS IN THE SUMMARY IS A GOOD BASIS.
BUT I WOULD SAY AT THIS POINT, STILL WITH 10 DAYS LEFT TO GO, I KNOW IT SOUNDS LIKE A SHORT AMOUNT OF TIME, BUT IT'S A LIFETIME IN TERMS OF ALBANY IN THE STATE BUDGET, UM, HOW THE FINAL, WHAT OPPORTUNITIES YOU GUYS WILL SPECIFICALLY HAVE, UM, AND THE LANGUAGE AROUND THAT, AND SOME OF THE BELTS AND SUSPENDERS THAT ALBANY WILL PUT ON POTS OF FUNDING IS STILL TO BE DETERMINED.
BUT WE ARE STARTING, I THINK, FROM A VERY GOOD PLACE.
AND I KNOW THE LAST TIME I CAME TO YOU ALL, YOU DIDN'T MENTION IT TONIGHT, BUT KIND OF THE POLICE HEADQUARTERS AND COURTHOUSE, UM, THERE IS SOME FUNDING THAT IS PROPOSED.
IT HAS TO BE FINALIZED, UM, IN FOR CRIMINAL JUSTICE AND, AND IN THE CRIMINAL JUSTICE BUDGET.
SO THERE STILL MAY BE OPPORTUNITIES THERE.
UM, IF YOU GUYS ARE STILL INTERESTED IN PURSUING THAT PIECE, BEFORE I PAUSE AND TAKE ANY QUESTIONS, I WOULD JUST SAY ON THE TAX BREAK, UM, FOR YOUR CONSTITUENTS, UM, THAT IS A PIECE OF LEGISLATION THAT WE'LL HAVE TO GET INTRODUCED SEPARATE AND APART FROM THE BUDGET.
UM, WE CAN, I'M HAPPY TO HAVE OUR, UH, IN-HOUSE BILL DRAFTER TAKE A FIRST CRACK AT WHAT THAT WOULD LOOK AND THEN EXPLORE WITH YOU ALL WHO COULD POTENTIALLY BE SPONSORS.
I'M ASSUMING YOU'D, WE'D GO TO YOUR LOCAL, UM, ASSEMBLY MEMBERS AND NOT KNOWING SPECIFICALLY WHERE THEY ARE.
'CAUSE I KNOW THE TOWN IS, UM, DIVIDED BETWEEN TWO ASSEMBLY DISTRICTS.
UM, I DON'T KNOW IF IT WOULD BE AMY PAULIN, UH, OR MARY JANE CHIMPSKY.
UH, WE'D HAVE TO APPROACH ONE OF THEM TO HAVE THEM INTRODUCE THAT THEY CALLED AN ALBANY A PICTURE BILL, VERY SPECIFIC TO THOSE CONSTITUENTS THAT WOULD BE, UH, UM, MARY JANE.
MARY JANE, BECAUSE, UH, THAT'S THE FAIRVIEW AREA, YOU KNOW, THE FAIRVIEW AREA OF, UM, OF THE TOWN AND NORTH ELMSFORD.
BUT THAT WOULD BE REALLY, UM, YOU KNOW, APPRECIATED.
I WOULD THINK THAT WOULD BE LIKE A HOME RULE.
THE OTHER THING ABOUT THE FOUR CORNERS IS IT'S A STATE ROAD.
IT'S, YOU KNOW, CENTRAL AVENUE AND WEST HARTSDALE AVENUE, OUR, OUR STATE OWNED ROADS.
SO WHEN YOU'RE DEALING WITH, UM, UH, THE CENTRAL AVENUE CORRIDOR IN MIXED USE HOUSING AND DEVELOPMENT, TO ME, THIS, THIS IS REALLY SUCH A GREAT OPPORTUNITY TO APPLY FOR THE GRANTS BECAUSE, UM, WE'RE DOING A VOLUNTARY VOLUNTARILY, UM, YOU KNOW, WHEN EVERYBODY'S SAYING NIMBY AND, YOU KNOW, THE TOWN COULD SAY, LISTEN, YOU KNOW, WE REALLY WANT TO SEE HOUSING BUILT, UM, AT THE FOUR CORNERS, BUT IT HAS TO BE DONE CORRECTLY.
WE HAVE TO ADDRESS THE TRAFFIC, AND WE ALSO HAVE TO ADDRESS THE DRAINAGE, UM, ISSUES, OTHERWISE IT DOESN'T WORK.
SO, YOU KNOW, I WOULD THINK THAT THIS IS AN OPPORTUNITY.
I I WAS ALSO THINKING ON THE WAY HERE, UM, WHEN, UM, THE GOVERNOR WAS LIEUTENANT GOVERNOR, SHE, UH, SPENT A COUPLE HOURS, WE DID LIKE A WALK ON EAST HARTSDALE AVENUE.
THIS WAS RIGHT AFTER ONE OF THE FLOODS, AND YOU KNOCKED ON ALL THE DOORS OF ALL THE MERCHANTS.
I'M WONDERING IF IT WOULD MAKE SENSE, UM, FOR YOU TO SEE IF YOU COULD TRY GETTING SOME PEOPLE FROM THE STATE TO, UM, UH, TO TAKE A TOUR OF THE FOUR CORNERS.
UH, AND THEN WE COULD ALMOST BE ALMOST LIKE A PILOT, YOU KNOW, PROGRAM TO HIGHLIGHT A COMMUNITY THAT, UH, IS WELCOMING HOUSING, UH, NEAR, UH, UH, TRA YOU KNOW, TRAIN STATIONS.
AND WITHOUT THE, WITHOUT THE HELP OF ALBANY, WE WOULDN'T BE ABLE TO MAKE THIS HAPPEN.
AND IF, IF, YOU KNOW, IF THEY GET ALL EXCITED ABOUT IT AND THEY SEE, OH, LOOK AT THIS COMMUNITY THAT ACTUALLY WANTS TO DO SOMETHING.
UM, AND WE HAVE THE NEIGHBORHOOD THAT ACTUALLY INITIATED THIS, NOT THE TOWN GOVERNMENT.
SO YOU, SO I'M SAYING WE'RE THE, THE, YEAH, SO BASICALLY WE'RE STARTING OFF WITH A LOT OF POSITIVES BECAUSE IT'S, IT'S NEIGHBORHOOD INITIATED.
THIS WAS PROPOSED LIKE FIVE, SIX YEARS AGO BY THE HARSDALE NEIGHBORHOOD, UM, YOU KNOW, ASSOCIATION.
UH, THEY CAME UP WITH A PROPOSAL, THEY'VE HAD MEETINGS.
YOU KNOW, I, I JUST THINK THAT THIS COULD, THE OPTICS ARE REALLY FANTASTIC, I THINK FOR SOMETHING LIKE THIS.
YEAH, YOU KEEP MENTIONING HOUSING, BUT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT MIXED USE.
THERE WOULD BE A COMMERCIAL BASICALLY AT THE, UH, GROUND LEVEL AND, YOU KNOW, RETAIL, SOME, WHATEVER, WHATEVER WOULD BE ON THE BOTTOM, SOME COMMERCIAL BASE, AND THEN HOUSING ABOVE IT WOULD BE LIKELY THE SCENARIO.
AND WE HAVE FOUR CORNERS AND ALL FOUR OF THEM COULD BE DEVELOPED.
AND THIS WAS ALSO CONSIDERED AS PART OF A COMPREHENSIVE PLAN, UH, THAT WE, UH, DEVELOPED IN 2016.
WHAT WE'RE TRYING, WHAT WE'RE STRUGGLING WITH IS THE INFRASTRUCTURE AND DEALING WITH STORMWATER ISSUES, UH, BECAUSE YOU DON'T WANNA BILL SOMETHING THEN THAT, UH, THEY'RE JUST GOING TO KEEP EXPERIENCING FLOODING.
AND, UM, AND SO THAT'S WHAT WE'RE ADDRESSING.
SO THAT, THAT STORMWATER AND FLOODING ISSUES THAT,
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THAT YOU MENTIONED IS CRITICALLY IMPORTANT, INCLUDING FOR THE FOUR CORNERS.AND I, I THINK, YOU KNOW, OBVIOUSLY MONITORING ON YOU GUYS' BEHALF AND, AND HAPPY TO PROVIDE YOU UPDATES THROUGHOUT THE NEGOTIATIONS, BUT I THINK, YOU KNOW, ONE OF THE, I KIND OF GLOSSED OVER IT AT THE BEGINNING, BUT ONE OF THE BIGGEST DIFFERENCES, IF YOU WILL, BETWEEN THE GOVERNOR'S PROPOSAL, UH, WHICH IS TIED TO THAT 250 MILLION I MENTIONED, AND THE LEGISLATURE'S PROPOSAL, WHICH IS THE 500 MILLION, IS THE GOVERNOR'S PROPOSAL MANDATES THAT IN ORDER FOR YOU TO QUAL AS A MUNICIPALITY TO QUALIFY FOR THAT FUNDING, YOU HAVE TO DELIVER A CERTAIN PERCENTAGE, UM, OF HOUSING.
AND YOU HAVE TO SHOW YEAR OVER YEAR GROWTH OF 3% IN NEW YORK CITY, 1% UPSTATE, THE ASSEMBLY AND SENATE DIDN'T NECESSARILY TIE IT TO A MAN, DID NOT, I SHOULDN'T SAY, DIDN'T NECESSARILY, DID NOT TIE IT TO THAT KIND OF MANDATE THRESHOLD.
SO IT'S JUST SOMETHING THAT WE WOULD HAVE TO, YOU KNOW, WHATEVER THE FINAL LANGUAGE ENDS UP BEING, UM, THE MANDATED THRESHOLDS THAT LOCAL GOVERNMENTS WOULD HAVE TO MEET VERSUS KIND OF THE MORE, LESS STRINGS ATTACHED FROM THE SENATE AND THE ASSEMBLY VERSION, UH, I THINK IS WHAT YOU ALL WOULD, WOULD PREFER.
AND WE'RE JUST GONNA HAVE TO NUANCE THOSE, THOSE POLITICS VERSUS THE MANDATE, UM, PIECE, WHICH I THINK IS IMPORTANT TO POINT OUT.
IF, IF THE GOVERNOR PREVAILS, I THINK, UM, WE WOULD BE CONSIDERED WITHIN THE 3% RANGE.
IS THAT CORRECT? YOU'RE RIGHT.
IT'S 3% NOT ONE FOR WESTCHESTER COUNTY.
THE OTHER ISSUE, YOU KNOW, THE TOWN BOARD, UM, UH, PASSED A RESOLUTION ASKING FOR A HOME RULE MESSAGE RELATING TO THE INCORPORATION.
WE HAVE ASKED THAT EVERYBODY IN THE TOWN WHO'S IMPACTED BY, UM, AN INCORPORATION PETITION BE ABLE TO VOTE.
UM, AND I KNOW THAT SOME PEOPLE HAD SUGGESTED, UM, THAT IT BE A STATEWIDE BILL, UM, RATHER THAN JUST A, A HOME RULE MESSAGE.
BUT THE, YOU KNOW, THE IMPACTS OF INCORPORATION ON, YOU KNOW, MOST OF THE TOWN WILL BE REALLY DEVASTATING.
AND, YOU KNOW, I FEEL THAT ANYTHING YOU COULD DO, UM, YOU KNOW, TO GET OUR LAWMAKERS TO FOCUS ON THAT ISSUE WOULD BE REALLY, UM, YOU KNOW, REALLY IMPORTANT.
THERE'S PROBABLY NOTHING MORE IMPORTANT THAN KEEPING THE TOWN, UM, SOLVENT, YOU KNOW, MAKING SURE THAT THE TAXES, UH, DON'T GO UP, UM, UM, A LOT AND THE SERVICES DON'T DECLINE.
AND, YOU KNOW, WE DON'T WANNA SEE 30, 40, 50, 60 EMPLOYEES LAID OFF BECAUSE WE'RE GONNA BE LOSING REVENUE.
I MEAN, THERE, THIS ISSUE HAS BEEN AROUND FOR A NUMBER OF YEARS.
THERE ARE, UH, JUST THIS WEEK, I THINK THE ASSEMBLY INTRODUCED THEIR VERSION, UH, WHICH MATCHES A SENATE BILL THAT'S OUT THERE.
UM, THERE'S BEEN A COUPLE DIFFERENT VERSIONS OF THIS LEGISLATION IN THE PAST, AND HAPPY TO, UH, CHECK IN ON THAT WITH FOLKS ON THE SENATE AND THE ASSEMBLY SIDE TO LET YOU KNOW IF THAT HAS THE OPPORTUNITY TO PASS THIS YEAR.
UM, JUST GETTING BACK TO MY, GETTING BACK TO THE FLOODING ISSUE, UM, IF WE WERE TO GET MONIES FOR FLOODING FOR, UM, THE REMEDIATION FOR FOUR CORNERS, WOULD THAT PRECLUDE US FROM GETTING ANY MONIES FROM THE 4 BILLION, $4.2 BILLION IN THE BOND ACT? NO.
THERE'S, YEAH, I MEAN, THOSE WOULD BE SET.
AGAIN, THE BUDGET HAS TO BE FINALIZED SO THAT FLOODING MITIGATION STUFF THAT I'M TALKING ABOUT IS NOT FINAL IN ANY LANGUAGE THAT THEY MAY PUT AROUND IT, UM, TO EITHER RESTRICTED OR EXPANDED IS STILL TO BE DETERMINED.
BUT THAT IS CONSIDERED SEPARATE FROM THE, THAT 4.3 BILLION.
AND IS THE, IF I'M NOT MISTAKEN, THEY'RE GOING TO START PUBLIC HEARINGS ON THAT IN THE NEXT MONTH OR TWO, IS THAT CORRECT? THAT HAS BEEN THE, AT THIS POINT, I GUESS RUMOR OR, OR KIND OF INTEL THAT IT, YEAH, IT'S NOT OFFICIAL, BUT THEY'RE THINKING IS THE NEXT MONTH OR TWO.
ALBANY SOMETIMES MOVES A LITTLE SLOW, SO MONTH OR TWO MAY GET PUSHED TO TWO OR THREE, BUT WE'RE, WE'RE MONITORING THAT AS WELL.
IS THERE ANYTHING YOU EXPECTED US TO ASK YOU THAT WE DIDN'T, THAT WE SHOULD
OH, THE ONLY THING, UH, AND I, UH, THAT WE, YOU GUYS HAD MENTIONED TO ME LAST TIME, UH, AND I DON'T KNOW IF THERE'S ANY FURTHER UPDATES FROM YOUR END.
UH, THERE WAS FUNDING, UM, THAT THE GOVERNORS PROPOSED AND BOTH THE SENATE AND THE ASSEMBLY HAVE PROPOSED ON CHILDCARE FUNDING.
UM, SO I KNOW YOU MENTIONED THAT TO ME BEFORE.
I DON'T KNOW IF THERE'S ANYTHING SPECIFIC OR ANY PROGRAMS THAT YOU GUYS HAVE OR WOULD LIKE FUNDED AROUND THAT AREA, BUT YOU DID MENTION THAT TO ME LAST MONTH WHEN WE SPOKE.
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WE'VE BEEN GETTING FUNDING, UH, FOR THE ODELL HOUSE, THE RESTORATION OF, UH, AND CREATING A MUSEUM.UH, SO THAT'S SOMETHING THAT, YOU KNOW, WE DEFINITELY WOULD BE INTERESTED IN, UM, IN PAYING ATTENTION TO.
UM, YOU KNOW, THE GREENBURG NATURE CENTER HAS A LOT OF, UH, YOU KNOW, GREAT INITIATIVES, AS DOES THE LIBRARY.
THESE ARE IMPORTANT ASSETS FOR THE TOWN.
THE LIBRARY IS A REALLY IMPORTANT ASSET.
SO, YOU KNOW, THERE IS WORK TO BE DONE THERE.
NOT A HUGE AMOUNT OF MONEY, BUT ANY HELP WE COULD GET WOULD BE REALLY WONDERFUL.
UM, BECAUSE IT, AS I SAID, IT IS AN ASSET AND THE MORE WE CAN MAKE IT ATTRACTIVE, THE MORE WE CAN BRING IT, BRING IN PEOPLE TO USE IT.
UH, NATURE CENTER, SAME, SAME THING FOR SOME OF THESE DIFFERENT FOR, I MEAN FOR, LET'S TALK SPECIFICALLY ABOUT THAT JUST FOR A SECOND, BUT FOR SOME OF THESE, I THINK I WOULD RECOMMEND TO YOU ALL TO KIND OF BE READY WITH A, NONE OF THIS WILL BE OPEN-ENDED.
I THINK YOU GUYS MAY WANT TO BEGIN TO PUT KIND OF PEN TO PAPER ON WHAT WOULD THE DOLLAR AMOUNTS BE FOR THE FOUR CORNERS FOR LIBRARY FOR, JUST SO THAT WAY WHEN THE POTS OF MONEY ARE APPROPRIATED IN THE BUDGET, WE'D BE READY TO TURN THAT AROUND.
SO YOU GUYS MAY WANT TO GET A LITTLE BIT MORE SPECIFIC AND BE READY, UM, TO GO AS SOON AS THE BUDGET'S COMPLETED.
WE CERTAINLY COULD DO THAT ON THE LIBRARY.
BUT THE CHILDCARE THAT'S, THAT IS IMPORTANT.
IT'S SHOCKING HOW MUCH CHILDCARE, OF COURSE.
AND, YOU KNOW, EVEN IF THERE'S, UM, IT A SHARE THAT CAN HELP FAMILIES WHO ARE SO NECESSARY, I MEAN, IT'S, IT'S ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT BECAUSE PEOPLE WHO CAN'T GET CHILDCARE AND HAVE TO STAY HOME WITH THEIR, THEIR CHILD OR CHILDREN CAN'T CONTRIBUTE TO THEIR, THEIR HOUSEHOLD FUNDS.
AND JOE IS SHAKING HIS HEAD VIGOROUSLY AND WITH A YOUNG ONE YEAR OLD
AND WHAT ABOUT RICH? ALSO, I ASKED BRIAN, BUT I HAVEN'T HEARD BACK FROM HIM.
WOULD YOU JOIN US DOWNSTAIRS TO TALK ABOUT THE LIBRARY? THANK YOU.
SHE SAID NO, SHE SAID THIS IS AN ORDER, I GUESS YOU COULD SAY.
NOW I HAVE OTHER THINGS TO DO.
UM, AND RICH, DID YOU WANNA REACH OUT TO HIM? SURE.
RICH OR BRIAN? WELL, IF YOU KNOW WHAT THE PROPOSAL IS, THAT'S, THEY'RE INVOLVED, BUT THEY'RE NOT R RICH.
HEY, CAN YOU AND OR BRIAN COME DOWN TO TALK ABOUT THE LIBRARY? WE HAVE, UM, CHRISTINA HERE.
OH, WOULD YOU? AND JUST TELL HIM TO TEXT ME WHETHER OR NOT HE'S HERE OR WHAT, YOU KNOW, HE OR SOMEONE.
WELL, WE WE'RE JUST, WE'RE, WE'RE HERE TO TALK ABOUT THE LIBRARY AND THE CONSTRUCTION.
SO IT'S HELPFUL SINCE YOU HAVE THE BIRD'S EYE VIEW.
UM, I, I GUESS RYAN EVEN MORE SO THAN YOU, BECAUSE HE'S BEEN MORE INTIMATELY INVOLVED IN IT.
[00:25:02]
OKAY.I'M GONNA PUT YOU ON SPEAKER SO YOU CAN SAY THAT AGAIN.
HOW ARE, HOW IS EVERYBODY? SO WE HAVE SOME GOOD NEWS.
WE DID GET A CONTRACTOR OVER THERE, A LOCAL GUY ARM, AND, UH, THEY HAVE FOUND A LOT OF PROBLEMATIC AREAS AND THEY ALSO, UH, CLEANED OUT SOME OF THE INTERIOR DRAINS THAT WE WERE NOT ABLE TO GET TO AND FOUND SOME, SOME BLOCKAGES.
SO WE'RE CONFIDENT THAT WE HAVE, UH, WE BELIEVE WE'VE FOUND THE ISSUES WITH THE, WITH THE FRONT AREA, WHICH IS SOME GOOD NEWS.
AND TER, WE HAVE SOME DISCUSSIONS.
AND IN TERMS OF, UM, YOU KNOW, THE WHOLE CAPITAL BUDGET, UM, ARE WE ABLE TO, UM, LIKE REPAIR SOME OF THE LEAK, YOU KNOW, THE ROOF ISSUES AND DO IT LESS EXPENSIVELY? ARE THERE OTHER, I THINK THAT'S WHAT YOU SAY SAID THAT THEY SOLVED THE PROBLEM.
I HAVE SOME ADDITIONAL INFORMATION FIRST.
NO, BUT I, SOME ADDITIONAL INFORMATION.
RICH, WHY DON'T YOU REACH OUT? YOU, DO YOU WANNA STAY ON OR YOU REACH OUT TO BRIAN? TEXT WHETHER HE CAN MAKE IT? I'LL CALL BRIAN.
BECAUSE IF HE'S NOT, WHEN WE'RE TALKING ABOUT THE DOLLAR AMOUNT, YOU KNOW, I'LL CALL BRIAN AMOUNT.
WHAT WOULD THE DOLLAR AMOUNT BE UNDER THE, YOU KNOW, IF THEY FOUND, UH, LESS EXPENSIVE ALTERNATIVE? THAT'S, THAT'S BASICALLY I ASKED THEM.
I WANTED TO SUBMIT A QUOTE FOR SURE.
'CAUSE I DID SPEAK TO THE GUY, HIS NAME WAS STEWART, AND AFTER WE TALKED, HE DID TALK ABOUT THE DRAINS AND CLEARING THEM OUT.
HE DID SAY THE DRAINS, AND THIS IS WHAT THE ARCHITECT ALSO SAID, THEY'RE, THEY'RE TOO SMALL.
WHAT IT IS, THEY'RE GETTING BLOCKED CONSISTENTLY.
SO IF THERE IS A PLAN IN PLACE THAT ACTUALLY TAKES CARE OF THESE DRAINS, MAYBE MORE THAN TWO TIMES A YEAR, MAYBE FOUR TIMES A YEAR, THAT THEY NEED TO BE CLEANED OUT.
THIS MAY TAKE CARE OF SOME OF THE ISSUES, ESPECIALLY WHEN IT COMES TO THE SKYLIGHT PART.
THE CANOPY, THEY WERE NOT COMMISSIONED OR, OR WEREN'T BROUGHT OUT TO LOOK AT, BUT HE'S LIKE, THERE'S DEFINITELY STILL AN ISSUE WITH THE CANOPY.
I MEAN, THE CANOPY IS LEAKING AND HE GOES, AND I CAN'T GET TO THAT.
AND HE GOES, AND IT WASN'T IN THE CONTRACT OF THEIR PURVIEW TO LOOK AT THAT PIECE.
SO BASICALLY THE CANOPY IS STILL IN A, IN A BACKWARD INCLINE THAT'S GOING TOWARD THE BUILDING TOWARD THE VESTIBULE WHERE THAT ISSUE IS.
SO BASICALLY SPEAKING, IF THEY GET THOSE DRAINS CLEANED OUT AND KEEP THEM CLEAN CONSISTENTLY, BUT AGAIN, HE'S SAYING THEY'RE THE SMALLEST, SMALLEST DRAINS I'VE EVER SEEN.
HE GOES, AND THEY'RE REALLY NOT ADEQUATE.
WHAT'S HAPPENING IS IT'S THE, THE, THE WATER'S POOLING BECAUSE THE DRAINS ARE, ARE PULLING INTO THIS ONE SPOT BLOCKING, AND THEN THEY'RE BLOCKING AND THEN THAT'S WHEN THEY OVERFLOW.
SO MY THINKING IS, IS THAT WE WENT FOR TWO PARTS, OR WE'RE TALKING ABOUT TWO PARTS OF THIS GRANT.
TWO PARTS ARE, THE TOTAL THAT BRIAN GAVE YOU IS 880,000.
THE TWO PARTS OF THE GRANT, ONE PART IS THE CANOPY, THE CANOPY ISSUE, WHICH IS 348,000.
THAT'S WHAT THE QUOTE IS FOR THIS.
THE OTHER PART WAS THE SKYLIGHTS WAS 486, WHICH BRINGS THAT, THAT TOTAL UP TO THE 880.
IF WE WERE TO STILL TAKE CARE OF JUST THE CANOPY AND PUT THE SKYLIGHT ON THE BACK BURNER.
YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT CONSIDERABLY LESS MONEY, UH, FOR THIS YEAR'S CAPITAL ASK.
THE THING IS, IS WELL, CLEANING THE DRAINS, WELL, NO, NO.
REPLACING THE DRAINS IN THE CANOPY.
THIS, THE CANOPY PROJECT WOULD TAKE CARE OF REPLACING THE DRAINS IN THE CANOPY.
IT WOULD NOT TAKE CARE OF REPLACING THE DRAIN IN THE SKYLIGHT.
THAT WOULD STILL BE AN ISSUE THAT WE WOULD STILL NEED TO ADDRESS IF WE DID NOT DO THE SECOND PART OF THIS PROJECT.
BUT I ALSO WANNA SAY THAT THE BOARD IS HERE TONIGHT BECAUSE WE WERE TALKING ABOUT THE FUND BALANCE AND ALSO HELPING TO CONTRIBUTE PERHAPS SOME DOLLARS TOWARD THE CAPITAL BUDGET FROM THE FUND BALANCE.
CAN I SAY SOMETHING FIRST? JUST OF COURSE.
'CAUSE IT'S INSTRUCTIVE FROM AN ARCHITECTURAL STANDPOINT, THIS IS WHY IT'S, SO I, WE DON'T KNOW WHAT THE PLAN SAID AND WHETHER THE DRAINS THAT WERE PUT IN WERE WHAT WERE CALLED OUT FOR BY THE ENGINEERING DRAWINGS.
SO HERE'S SOMEONE WHO COULD TALK TO IT BETTER.
UM, BUT THIS IS WHY IT'S IMPORTANT TO OBSERVE WHAT THE CONTRACTORS ARE DOING TO MAKE SURE THEY COMPLY WITH THE PLANS.
IT'S SOMETHING THAT WE WERE TALKING ABOUT AT THE LAST MEETING THAT, THAT MAKES THE DIFFERENCE.
IT'S, YOU KNOW, CONTRACTORS OFTEN CAN, YOU KNOW, JUST KIND OF SKIP THE LINE BECAUSE THEY DIDN'T HAVE SOMETHING.
IT MIGHT NOT BE AVAILABLE AT THE TIME.
AND THEY THINK THAT, AND THEY, THEY, BUT, BUT ULTIMATELY IT CERTAINLY DOESN'T HURT TO HAVE A CON TO HAVE THIS GUY'S ESTIMATE TO FIND OUT WHAT IT WOULD COST TO DO WHAT HE'S PROPOSING.
[00:30:01]
ITEMIZED ESTIMATE.SO WE'LL KNOW WHAT IT IS THAT HE SAYS HE HAS TO DO.
YEAH, WELL, THE ESTIMATE FOR STARTERS AND THEN FOLLOWING IT MM-HMM.
SO IS THERE ANY QUESTIONS,
SO WE HAD A, WE HAVE A, A, A ROOFING, UH, MAINTENANCE CONTRACTOR.
SO WE'VE WORKED WITH THEM ON OTHER, UH, FACILITIES THROUGHOUT THE TOWN.
AND SO WHEN THEY WENT OUT THERE TODAY, THEY WERE LOOKING THROUGH THE CANOPY AREA AS WELL AS ON SOME OF THE ROOF.
AND WE KNOW THAT, THAT IT'S, IT'S A, IT'S A SMALL DRAIN THAT'S UP THERE.
AND IT'S, IT'S NOT DESIGNED PROPERLY.
IT'S, IT'S BACK PITCHED TOWARDS THE BUILDING, WHICH IS NEVER A GOOD DESIGN.
UM, AND WE KNOW THAT THE DRAIN IS, I WANNA SAY IT'S LIKE A TWO INCH DRAIN, THAT VERY SMALL THAT THROUGH, UH, FROM THAT AREA AND TRIES TO DIVERT THE WATER AWAY.
SO IT'S NOT THE GREATEST DESIGN.
AND, AND A LOT OF IT IS, IS MAINTENANCE.
AND SO THAT'S WHY WE HAD THEM OUT THERE AND, AND WE'RE HOPING THAT THEY CAN CONTINUE TO GO OUT THERE AND WORK AND, AND HOPEFULLY, UM, KIND OF IDENTIFY WHERE SOME OF THESE, THESE AREAS ARE THAT THE LEAKS ARE COMING FROM, AND HOPEFULLY TRY AND RESOLVE THEM IN, IN THE SHORT TERM AT LEAST.
THEY WERE ALSO ON THE TOP OF THE BUILDING TOO.
SO THEY WERE, THEY WERE ADDRESSING SOME LEAKS THAT WE HAVE, YOU KNOW, A TERRIBLE LEAKS THAT WE HAVE IN THE TWO LIBRARIANS OFFICES, THE CORNERS OF THE BUILDING WHERE THE GARDEN IS.
THOSE WERE, THEY, THEY DID A LOT OF REPAIR UP THERE AND THEY SAID THEY FEEL CONFIDENT THAT WHAT THEY DID HOPEFULLY WILL HOLD, UH, AND NOT CAUSE MORE PROBLEMS UP THERE.
BUT THEY DID DO A REALLY THOROUGH JOB.
THEY'RE, THEY'RE, THEY'VE DONE VERY GOOD WORK ON, ON OTHER FACILITIES IN THE TOWN.
UM, SO WE'RE VERY SATISFIED WITH THEIR WORK.
AND SO THAT'S WHY NOW WE'RE, WE'RE HOPING THAT THAT, YOU KNOW, THIS HELPS TO RESOLVE AT LEAST SOME OF THOSE ISSUES.
I MEAN, 'CAUSE WE ALL KNOW THE ISSUES THAT ARE AT THE LIBRARY, RIGHT? ESPECIALLY DURING A, A HEAVY RAIN, ESPECIALLY WHEN IT'S DIRECTIONAL AND IT'S COMING FROM THE SIDE, IF YOU WILL, OR ON AN ANGLE THAT TENDS TO BE WHEN IT, IT, IT COMES INTO THE LIBRARY MORE THAN, THAN MOST.
UM, AND WE BROUGHT CONTRACTORS IN THERE AND IT JUST SEEMS LIKE IT'S, IT NEVER HAS RESOLVED THE ISSUE.
SO THAT'S WHY WE'RE JUST CONTINUING TO, BRIAN, I PROPOSE THOUGH, JUST TO TALK ABOUT LOOKING AT JUST THE CANOPY PIECE AND NOT THE, UM, THE GLASS, UH, NOT THE SKYLIGHT PIECE.
SO, BECAUSE REMEMBER WE TALKED ABOUT THIS TWO PART GRANT WE WERE TALKING ABOUT JUST THE CANOPY AND THEN GOING THIS YEAR FOR THE SECOND PART, WHICH WOULD'VE BEEN THE, THE SKYLIGHTS AND THE DRAIN AT THE TOP.
UM, YOU KNOW, WOULD THERE BE A WAY THAT
I MEAN, YOU CAN'T MAKE ANY SORT OF GUARANTEES THAT I YEAH.
THAT IT'S GONNA NECESSARILY FIX THE PROBLEM.
AND, AND YOU'RE NOT REALLY GONNA KNOW THAT UNTIL IT RAINS.
YOU GET SOMEONE IN THERE AND THEY START DECONSTRUCTING EVERYTHING AND TAKING EVERYTHING APART.
UM, BUT I THINK THAT'S CERTAINLY A, OR IT RAINS OR, WELL, IT'S SUPPOSED TO RAIN THURSDAY, I HEAR.
SO THERE'S GONNA BE SOME, SOME VIEWING THERE.
SO IT WOULD BE A GOOD TEST TO, TO SEE EXACTLY HOW EFFECTIVE THESE NEW MEASURES ARE.
UM, AND I THINK IT'S SOMETHING WE, WE JUST GOTTA CONTINUE TO MONITOR.
BUT I, I WOULD AGREE WITH YOU, YES.
WITH THE, THAT BEING THE PHASE TWO, UM, THE THOUGHT ALWAYS WAS THAT WAS GONNA BE THE SECOND PART OF THIS PROJECT, RIGHT? THE FIRST PART WAS GONNA BE THE ACTUAL CORRECT.
BUT, AND THEN, BUT THEY HAD WANTED TO DO THE WORK TOGETHER, WHICH IS WHY THE ASK CAME IN ONE BUNCH.
UM, THE OTHER PIECE OF IT IS TOO IS THAT I HAVE BEEN TOLD THAT WE ARE GOING TO BE AWARDED MONEY.
HOWEVER, I CANNOT SHARE THAT WITH YOU BECAUSE IT'S NOT PUBLIC AT THE MOMENT AND I CANNOT TELL YOU THAT.
SORRY,
I, I, THAT THAT'S, IT'S PRETTY MUCH I'VE BEEN, YOU KNOW, TOLD ON A SPECIFIC, IT'S, I JUST, IT'S POSSIBLE THAT WE'RE GONNA GET, HOPEFULLY SOME MONEY TO OFFSET SOME OF THIS.
RIGHT? AND, AND JUST KEEP IN MIND IF WE DO BIFURCATE IT, IT WILL MAKE EACH PART SLIGHTLY MORE EXPENSIVE BECAUSE THERE IS AN ECONOMY OF SCALE AND DOING THE PROJECT ALL IN ONE TIME.
BUT I THINK THE DIFFERENCES ARE SO GREAT THAT, I MEAN, FOR THE TOWN'S SAKE, IT WOULD PROBABLY BE BETTER TO PUT OFF THE MORE EXPENSIVE PIECE.
I JUST AM TRYING TO PUT IT ALL, IT WOULD BE GREAT IF WE COULD DO
[00:35:01]
IT ALL TOGETHER, BUT THAT'S UP TO YOU GUYS.I OBVIOUSLY YOU HAVE TO MAKE THE PIE ONLY GOES SO FAR.
THE MONEY COMING IN IS 880 K THEN IT'S, IT'S NOT, IT'S NOT GONNA BE THAT
BUT, BUT LIKE YOU WERE TALKING ABOUT, I TO THE, I GUESS YOUR ADVOCATE THAT YOU WERE TALKING TO AT THE STATE LEVEL, THE, THE BIG THING THAT WE'RE GOING FOR RIGHT NOW IS THE CONSTRUCTION AID.
YOU KNOW, THEY'RE FOUR, IT'S $14 MILLION.
IT SHOULD BE AT LEAST $114 MILLION.
AND YOU KNOW, SHELLY MAYER'S DOING HER WORK AND HER PART UP AT THE STATE LEVEL TO HELP US GET MORE FUNDING TO ACTUALLY EVEN GO BEYOND THE 75% CAP.
'CAUSE WE ARE ELIGIBLE FOR 75% OF THE AMOUNT, UM, TO GO BEYOND THAT.
SO THAT'S THE WORK THAT WE CONTINUE TO DO TO TRY AND GET MORE FUNDING AS FUNCTION OF THE EDUCATIONAL COMPONENT OF THE LIBRARY.
THAT'S THROUGH THE REASON THAT'S WHY SHE WOULD BE INVOLVED.
SHE'S, SHE'S THE ON THE COMMITTEE FOR THAT.
SHE'S THE CHAIR OF THAT COMMITTEE.
WHAT'S THE FUND BALANCE THAT YOU HAVE LEFT OVER IN THE LIBRARY NOW? I THINK IT'S JUST SHY OF A MILLION.
WELL, WE CAN'T SAY THAT BECAUSE YEAH.
JUST SHY BECAUSE, BECAUSE WE'VE, UM, GUARANTEED TO THE TOWN, UM, THAT WE WERE GOING TO PAY CERTAIN BILLS.
SO, SO BASICALLY SPEAKING IT WAS 270,000 WAS WHAT THE, UH, THE TOWN REQUIRED OF US LAST YEAR TO FULFILL OUR ACTUAL WELL, SO THIS BUDGET FOR THE OPERATING BUDGET, RIGHT.
SO THIS YEAR'S BUDGET FOR THIS YEAR'S BUDGET.
I'M SORT OF WONDERING, I'M LOOKING AT ROBERTA BECAUSE YOU KNOW, WE ARE, WE'RE BASICALLY HAVE A, A LOT OF, YOU KNOW, EXPENSES ARE, IS THERE TO SAY FOR THE CANOPY, IS THERE ANY FUNDS THAT COULD BE TAKEN, SAY, OUT OF THE OPER, YOU KNOW, THE FUND BALANCE THAT COULD HELP US WITH THE CAPITAL BUDGET? BECAUSE ONE OF THE PROBLEMS WE HAVE, UM, YOU KNOW, ONE OF THE PROBLEMS, YOU KNOW, I THINK WE HAVE IS, UM, THAT WE BASICALLY ARE PUTTING IN A LOT OF CAPITAL, YOU KNOW, FUNDING AND MUCH MORE THAN WE HAVE, YOU KNOW, IN THE PAST.
AND I'M TRYING TO KEEP IT SO IT DOESN'T LIKE SCARE OFF, YOU KNOW, EVERYBODY AND SAY, OH LOOK, YOU KNOW, YOU WENT FROM THIS AMOUNT TO, YOU KNOW, THIS AMOUNT IN ONE YEAR.
SO I'M WONDERING IF THERE'S SOMETHING YOU COULD WELL, BUT I THINK YOU HAVE TO ALSO SAY TO PEOPLE, LOOK AT HOW MUCH THE LIBRARY HAS CONTRIBUTED ALREADY.
WE'VE CON WE WENT FROM CONTRIBUTING ZERO TO CONTRIBUTING 270,000 TO THE CAP TO THE OPERATING BUDGET.
I'M, I'M NOT, I'M NOT, YOU KNOW, COMPLAINING.
I'M JUST, UH, I'M SO GLAD PAUL.
I THINK, I THINK WHAT IT COMES DOWN TO THOUGH IS DEFINITELY IS, YOU KNOW, IS DOES THE LIBRARY DECIDE TO USE SOME OF ITS FUND BALANCE MONEY TO HELP OFFSET THIS CAPITAL COST? AND I THINK THE LIBRARY WOULD, WOULD BE WILLING TO DO THAT.
I THE BOARD WOULD BE WILLING TO, SO MAYBE DO SOME OF IT, BUT WE ALSO ARE COGNIZANT OF THE FACT THAT THIS TOWN'S BUILDING NO, I UNDERSTAND.
AND AS YOU GUYS WERE JUST SAYING, IT'S, WE'RE AN ASSET.
UM, I MEAN WE HAD KRISTEN GILLIBRAND AT THE LIBRARY OVER THE WEEKEND, UM, AND IT WOULD BE TERRIBLE IF PETER BUCKETS IN, IN, IN THE CANOPY AREA, BUT THEN WE MIGHT BE ABLE TO GET SOME MORE FEDERAL FUNDS.
I HAVE TO SAY, I HAVE TO SAY, UH, ICK ACTUALLY SAID SOMETHING TO ME ABOUT IT.
SO PEOPLE, THERE WERE PEOPLE THAT NOTICED AND THEY WERE JUST LIKE, ARE YOU GOING FOR THAT CONSTRUCTION GRANT MONEY? AND OF ALWAYS, OF COURSE.
AND SO, BUT BASICALLY SPEAKING, WE'RE, WE'RE LOOKING AT PATCHING SO MUCH.
WE'RE LOOKING AT JUST SUSTAINING, NOT EVEN EXPANDING AND GROWING, WHICH IS SOMETHING THAT WE'D ALSO LIKE TO DO.
SO YOU BASICALLY FEEL THAT WE WILL GET SOME OF IT BACK FROM THE OH, DO YOU HAVE TO ASK THE LIBRARY? YOU HAVE TO ASK THE LIBRARY BOARD.
I THINK WE'LL GET SOME OF IT BACK FROM A GRANT.
I THINK THE LIBRARY BOARD IS AMENABLE AND I CAN'T GUARANTEE ANYTHING WITH MY BOARD NO MORE THAN YOU COULD PAUL.
BUT, UM, I THINK THEY'RE AMENABLE TO USING SOME OF OUR FUND BALANCE TO DO THAT.
BUT I THINK THAT A SUBSTANTIAL PART HAS TO COME FROM THE TOWN.
LET'S SAY YOU GET THE GRANT MONEY AFTER THE TOWN, THE CAPITAL BUDGET'S APPROVED.
WOULD THAT GRANT MONEY THEN BE ABLE TO LIKE REIMBURSE THE TOWN? UH, FOR UH, YOU KNOW, FOR I THINK THAT'S THE WHOLE POINT.
SO THEN IF WE INCLUDE MORE THAN WE ORIGINALLY, YOU KNOW, THOUGHT AND YOU'RE PRETTY SURE WE'RE GONNA GET THE FUNDING, THEN IT'S NOT, I CAN'T, I CAN'T SPEAK TO WHAT'S GONNA BE THE COST IN THE NEXT YEAR AND WHAT THE COSTS, I MEAN, CONSTRUCTION COSTS ARE CHANGE, RIGHT? I MEAN, BRIAN CAN SPEAK TO HOW MUCH, AND, AND I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT TO NOTE THAT THIS PROJECT ISN'T JUST FOR THE LEAKS.
IT'S ONE THING, ONE ASPECT THAT YOU HOPE TO ADDRESS IS THE LEAKS.
AND WE'RE DOING OUR PART WITH THE ROOF MAINTENANCE TO HOPEFULLY ADDRESS IT ON THAT END ALSO.
BUT PART OF THIS PROJECT WAS ALSO IN THE BEGINNING, RIGHT? TO CREATE THE, THE BOOK DROP ROOM, WHICH WHICH WE CUT THAT WAS ALTERED TO KEEP, TO KEEP THE COSTS DOWN AND THEN ALSO TO,
[00:40:01]
UM, ALSO TO MAKE THE BUILDING MORE EFFICIENT, RIGHT? WHEN IT COMES TO LIKE AIRFLOW.'CAUSE THAT'S WHY WE WERE TALKING ABOUT WITH THE SLIDING DOORS MM-HMM.
SO IT'S NOT JUST TO ADDRESS THE LEAKS.
I THINK THAT'S ONE ASPECT THAT WE JUST WANT TO KEEP IN MIND HERE IS THAT IT'S, IT'S THE CANOPY AREA AND THE VESTIBULE AREA TOGETHER AS ONE TO KIND OF HELP THAT, THAT AIR FLOW AS IT GOES TO THE BUILDING.
'CAUSE RIGHT NOW, THE WAY IT WORKS, YOU HAVE THOSE DOUBLE DOORS AND AS THEY OPEN AND ALL THAT AIR JUST GOES RIGHT INTO THE BUILDING AND
YEAH, WE HAD TALKED ABOUT SOME SORT OF A HEAT CURTAIN INSTALLING IT AND SOME SOMETHING TO, TO MAKE IT SO THAT WHEN IT'S, WHEN IT'S SO COLD OUT AND IT'S LIKE A WIND TUNNEL, THE WAY THE BUILDING WAS DESIGNED, THE WIND JUST WHIPS STRAIGHT THROUGH THAT FRONT ENTRANCE WHEN THOSE DOORS OPEN.
SO THE IDEA WAS TO TO TO CHANGE THE VESTIBULE.
SO WE WOULD MAKE IT LARGER AND PUT THE, PUT THE LOCKERS INSIDE.
BUT ONCE THEY STARTED TO TALK ABOUT THE COST OF THAT, I WAS NEW THAT THAT WAS NEVER GONNA, I WAS NEVER GONNA FLY.
WELL, SO WE ENDED UP PUTTING THE LOCKERS OUTSIDE, WHICH HAVE BEEN VERY SUCCESSFUL.
I HOPE EVERYONE HAS SEEN THE LOCKERS.
SO NOW WE STILL NEED TO ADDRESS NOT JUST THE FACT THAT THE LEAKS ARE THERE, BUT THE ENTIRE VESTIBULE NEEDS REFURBISHING BECAUSE THE, THE CEILING IS CRUMBLING.
NOT TO MENTION THE WORK THAT THEY DO.
I DON'T KNOW IF I'M GONNA NEED TO REPLACE THE FLOOR.
I MEAN, IT BECOMES, IT BECOMES THAT, THAT LAYER WITHIN IT AND THE IDEA, IT TURNS INTO A CASCADE SOMETIMES.
BUT HOPEFULLY WE HAVE WHAT WE WOULD NEED ASKING FOR THIS PARTICULAR CAPITAL BUDGET, NOT GOING OVER THAT.
AND HOPEFULLY THE GRANTS KEEPING OUR FINGERS CROSSED WITH THE GRANTS THAT WE GET THAT MONEY AND OFFSET THIS WHOLE COST.
YOU KNOW, I JUST, AND WE'RE NOT EVEN TALKING ABOUT THE WALL THAT THE RETAINING WALL OH, RETAIN.
WE'RE NOT TALKING ABOUT RETAIN RETAINING WALL YET.
THAT'S, THAT'S A WHOLE DIFFERENT ISSUE.
WELL, DO YOU WANT, DO YOU WANNA SPEAK TO THE, THE GRANT? 'CAUSE IT, IT'S KIND OF LIKE ONE THING LEADS INTO THE OTHER.
THE GRANT FOR THE, THE PATIO, RIGHT? I'VE, I'VE SECURED $125,000 FOR THE PATIO TO, TO BUILD THE PATIO.
AND HOW MUCH DID IT COST TO BUILD? IT'S GONNA BE LESS THAN THAT.
PROB WELL, MAYBE ABOUT 150,000.
BUT THE GUILD IS TAKING CARE OF THE REST.
YOU GUYS WERE NOT ASKING ANY MONEY FROM THE TOWN TO COMPLETE THIS PATIO PROJECT.
HOWEVER, RIGHT WHEN THEY STARTED TO LOOK AT THE PATIO AREA, THEY DISCOVERED THAT THE RE RETAINING WALL THAT'S HOLDING UP THE ACCESS ROAD ROAD, YES.
THE ACCESS ROAD AND THE GARDEN UP ABOVE, IT'S FALLING APART AND, UM, MAY, I'D SAY MAY HAVE TO BE REDONE.
SO, AND, AND PART OF THAT PROJECT RIGHT, IS TO, UH, IS IT A MURAL? IT'S A MURAL PUT ON THE WALL.
SO THAT'S WHERE ONE FEEDS INTO THE OTHER.
YOU DON'T WANT TO DO THE PATIO PROJECT AND CREATE THIS MURAL ON THE WALL AND THEN COME TO DISCOVER THAT WE NOW HAVE TO REPLACE THE WALL.
BUT MORE IMPORTANTLY, THE SAFETY.
WHAT IS THE DANGER? YEAH, THE SAFETY.
WHAT IS, WHAT ARE THE PROBLEMS WITH THAT WALL? OR, YOU KNOW, WHAT IS, IS THERE ANY WAY TO, TO TALK ABOUT IF THERE'S ANY RISK IN LEAVING IT UP FOR X AMOUNT OF TIME? SO WHAT WE HAVE IN THE CAPITAL BUDGET WE'RE PROPOSING IS TO INCORPORATE THAT, TO HAVE A STRUCTURAL ENGINEER COME IN AND MAKE THAT ASSESSMENT.
I CAN'T TELL YOU THAT AT THIS TIME, UNFORTUNATELY.
BUT IT'S SOMETHING WE HAVE TO CROSS THAT BRIDGE AND WE CAN'T BUILD A PATIO UNTIL, RIGHT.
WE CAN'T BUILD THAT PATIO OR DO ANY KIND OF WORK OUT THERE UNTIL THIS IS ADDRESSED OFFICIALLY.
AND HOPEFULLY THEY TELL US IT'S NOT, YOU KNOW, A BIG DEAL.
IT'S NOT AS BAD AS WE THINK IT MIGHT BE.
I WAS SORT OF CURIOUS, THIS IS NOT CAPITAL RELATED, BUT UM, I KNOW WE'RE PART OF THE WESTCHESTER LIBRARY SYSTEM AND YOU KNOW, GREENBURG HAS A LIBRARY THAT IS MUCH MORE MAGNIFICENT THAN MOST OF THE LIBRARIES WE SPEND MORE MONEY ON, YOU KNOW, ON THE LIBRARIES AND OTHER, OTHER COMMUNITIES.
UM, HAVE YOU EVER LIKE DONE LIKE AN ANALYSIS, WHAT PERCENT OF THE PEOPLE WHO USE THE LIBRARY LIVING IN UNINCORPORATED GREENBURG? WHAT? OH, OH YES.
AND WHAT, WHAT'S THE PERCENTAGE? SO, SO BASICALLY SPEAKING, 75% OF OUR CIRCULATION COMES FROM GREENBERG CARD HOLDERS.
25% ARE FROM OTHER LIBRARIES AROUND WESTCHESTER.
THAT MEANS THAT WE ARE DEFINITELY A CENTRAL LOCATION AND A CENTER THAT PEOPLE COME AND PICK UP.
AS FOR EDGEMONT, EDGEMONT IS 20% OF OUR, ALL OUR CARD HOLDERS.
IF, UM, I'M WONDERING IF 25 OF THE 75 GO, ACTUALLY NO, NO, NO.
25% OF THE WHOLE NO, YOU SAID CARD HOLDERS.
YES, BUT THE CARD, UH, I'M SORRY.
[00:45:01]
VERSUS CARD HOLDERS.20% OF ALL CARD HOLDERS AND WE HAVE ALMOST 22,000 CARDHOLDERS AND BE A CARD HOLDER.
YOU HAVE TO BE IN UNINCORPORATED AREA RIVER, CORRECT? YES.
THE ONLY OTHER, UH, THE ONLY OTHER PEOPLE CAN, UH, PEOPLE WHO WORK FOR THE TOWN OF GREENBURG OR WORK IN GREENBURG CAN ALSO GET LIGHTER CARDS.
LIKE SAY IF THEY LIVE, THEY LIKE, UH, LIVE IN CONNECTICUT OR SOMETHING, AND THEY WORK HERE.
HAS THE WESTCHESTER LIBRARY SYSTEM LOOKED AT POSSIBLY, UM, YOU KNOW, HELPING COMMUNITIES THAT ARE MORE REGIONAL LIBRARIES, YOU KNOW, WITH ADDITIONAL, WITH ADDITIONAL FUNDING? UH, I MEAN IS THAT SOMETHING THAT'S POSSIBLE? THEY DON'T, THEY DON'T GIVE US ANY FUNDING.
THE WESTCHESTER LIBRARY SYSTEM DOES NOT GIVE US ANY FUNDING.
WE PAY THEM ACTUALLY, WE ACTUALLY PAY THEM.
DO THEY GIVE OTHER LIBRARIES FUNDING? NO, NO, NO.
THE COUNTY GIVES FUNDING, THE COUNTY GIVES FUNDING TO THE WESTCHESTER LIBRARY SYSTEM FOR ALL OF DELIVERY.
THEY, THEY PAY FOR THE ENTIRE DELIVERY SERVICE AND THEN THE REST OF THEIR MONEY COMES FROM STATE, UH, FROM STATE ALSO.
AND THEN WE ALSO GET COUNTY FUNDS.
UH, THE CENT, UM, THE CENTRAL LIBRARY, UH, HAS ABOUT $300,000 THAT COMES IN.
AND THAT'S ALL FOR LIKE E-CONTENT, THE BASE PLATFORMS FOR SOME OF OUR E-CONTENT.
SO THAT HELPS OFFSET SOME OF OUR COSTS.
WELL, AND OUR USAGE OF THE, AND OUR USAGE.
SO I'M WONDERING IF MAYBE WESTCHESTER, IF, IF THERE'S FUNDING GOING TO LIBRARIES FROM EITHER THE COUNTY OR THE STATE, IF PERHAPS, UM, THERE COULD BE A, A BETTER SYSTEM OF, YOU KNOW, MAKING THE CONTRIBUTIONS BASED ON, UH, THE NUMBER, YOU KNOW, THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE OUTSIDE THE IMMEDIATE AREA THAT USE IT.
BECAUSE I FEEL THAT, YOU KNOW, WE'RE SORT OF SUBSIDIZING THE WHOLE COUNTY FOR THE LIBRARY.
WELL THAT'S, THAT'S ACTUALLY THE STATUTES THAT LIBRARY REQUIRE THE LIBRARY TO, UH, WESTCHESTER IS OUR CATCHMENT AREA AND IT REQUIRES US TO SERVE EVERYONE IN THE CATCHMENT AREA.
THE WHOLE COUNTY IS THE CATCHMENT AREA.
WE DON'T GET A LOT OF PEOPLE FROM UP COUNTY, OBVIOUSLY.
SO THERE'S, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE PEOPLE COMING IN THAT WAY AS WELL.
YOU KNOW, THEIR KIDS, THEY STUDY, THEY STUDY ALL DAY.
THEY'RE UPSTAIRS AND THEY, THEY COME IN ALL DAY.
AND A LOT OF PEOPLE FROM THE MEDICAL SCHOOL AS WELL.
UM, AS A MATTER OF FACT, IT WOULD BE BENEFICIAL IF WE WERE OPEN ANOTHER NIGHT, BUT AT THIS POINT, I CAN'T EVEN START TO BRING THAT CONVERSATION UP.
WHAT'S YOUR NEXT STEP TO SOMEBODY? YEAH.
TO WRAP IT UP, WHAT HAPPENED FROM TODAY'S CLEAN OUT AND WHAT THE WHOLE IS, AND THEN WE SEE WHAT HAPPENS ON THURSDAY.
AND YOU MEAN BY THE RAIN? THE RAIN.
I THINK THAT'S CERTAINLY A GOOD START.
ROBERTA, WILL WE BE ABLE TO HAVE LIKE A PROPOSED, YOU KNOW, MAKE THE COUPLE MODIFICATIONS THAT WE TALKED ABOUT, UH, THAT RICH, YOU KNOW, YOU KNOW, SUGGESTED, UM, WHAT MODIFICATIONS? I HAVE NO IDEA WHAT'S BEING OFFERED, YOU KNOW, IN TERMS OF THE CAPITAL, BUT I WANT TO
NO, WE RICH CAME IN, UH, WITH THE BABBITT COURT.
REMEMBER, YOU KNOW, HE SAID THAT WE SHOULD BE, UM, YOU KNOW, PUTTING SOME FUNDING IN THE CAPITAL BUDGET FOR BA BABBITT COURT DOES HAVE NO, NO, I'M JUST ASKING IF WE, WE WOULD BE ABLE TO, UH, UM, FINALIZE THE CAPITAL BUDGET, SAY BY NEXT WEEK.
AS SOON AS I'M DONE WITH THE AUDIT, WHICH IS HOPEFULLY THIS WEEK, I CAN HOP ON THAT.
SO WOULD YOU SAY LIKE, BY NEXT TUESDAY WOULD BE REASONABLE OR THE FOLLOWING WEEK?
SHE'S BEEN SAYING THIS FOR THREE WEEKS.
AND THEN AS SOON AS YOU FINISH THE BUDGET, THE AUDIT, THEN MAYBE YOU CAN HAVE SOME CONVERSATION TO SOON.
DON'T GET PULLED INTO OTHER THINGS.
YEAH, WELL, I'M JUST SORT OF CONCERNED BECAUSE ALREADY BY THE TIME WE DO THE CAPITAL BUDGET, IT'S GONNA BE, THE YEAR WILL BE, YOU KNOW, IT'LL BE APRIL AND THEN WE HAVE TO GO AND DO THE THE BONDING.
BUT SHE HAS AUDIT IT, RIGHT? THAT'S, WE CAN'T DO ANYTHING ABOUT THAT.
I'M SAYING CAN'T THAT YEAH, THE YEAR WILL BE OVER BY THE TIME WE WELL, DO YOU WANT HER TO DEAL WITH THE STUFF THAT WE WERE DEALING WITH THIS MORNING? YEAH, I WANT THAT TOO.
SO LET'S GIVE, SO YOU HAVE TO CLONE YOURSELF.
THAT'S BASICALLY WHAT IT'S, OKAY.
SO WHY DON'T WE, WHY DON'T WE SEE WHAT, WHETHER OR NOT THIS IS A FIX, BECAUSE WE MAY THINK WE HAVE A FIX AND WE DON, AND IF IT'S A FIX, WHAT A WONDERFUL
[00:50:01]
THING THAT WOULD BE.WELL, THE SAME THING HAPPENED WHEN I FIRST GOT ELECTED.
I REMEMBER THE LIBRARY, UM, WANTED TO, UH, SPEND $300,000 ON, UM, ON A ROOF FOR, IT WAS A LEAKY ROOF.
AND I REMEMBER MY FATHER SAID, OH, THAT'S RIDICULOUS BECAUSE YOU HAVE FAMILY MEMBERS WHO WERE IN CONSTRUCTION AND HE GOT IT FOR $25,000.
UH, IT DID THE EXACT, IT WAS, I THINK THE, SO IT'S THE OLD BUILDING, PAUL OLD BUILDING, BUT YOU KNOW, OR EVEN WITH A POOL WHEN THEY WANTED TO BUILD A NEW POOL AND IT WAS $9 MILLION AND THEN THEY PUT, UH, IS THAT THE KIND OF COST CUTTING THAT HAPPENED WHEN WE BUILT THIS NEW BUILDING? I'M THINKING, I'M THINKING ALL THINGS IN MY HEAD ABOUT THE NOT SAYING ANYTHING 10 YEAR ROOF THAT WAS PUT ON A BUILDING THAT'S NOW MORE THAN 15 YEARS OLD AND, AND ITS, IT'S DEFINITELY CAUSING AN ISSUE.
SO THE LIBRARY NOW IS 15 YEARS OLD, SO THERE'S A LOT OF AGING INFRASTRUCTURE WHEN IT COMES TO THE ROOF AND WHEN IT COMES TO THE HVAC UNITS AND, AND EVERYTHING.
SO FIXED DILIGENTLY BOTH AND SO, YES.
SO ALL THESE THINGS, WELL, THEY WERE, SOME OF THEM WERE REPLACED WEREN'T THEY? WE'RE STILL WORKING ON THE, THE, THE ELECTRICAL BOX.
BUT UNFORTUNATELY THESE THINGS DO REACH THE END OF THEIR USEFUL LIFE EVENTUALLY.
AND SO, AS WITH ANY FACILITY, THAT IS SOMETHING I THINK THE TOWN WOULD, YOU KNOW, REALLY HAS TO START THINKING ABOUT MOVING FORWARD IS, AND I'M NOT JUST TALKING ABOUT THE LIBRARY, I'M TALKING ABOUT ALL THE TOWN FACILITIES THAT WE HAVE IS THE MAKING THOSE CAPITAL IMPROVEMENTS TO REPLACE THOSE BIG TICKET ITEMS. EVENTUALLY THOSE THINGS DO NEED TO BE REPLACED.
I HAVE ALREADY GONE FOR THIS GRANT FOR 383 THOU, THIS, THIS FIRST PART I'VE GONE FOR THE GRANT.
I'VE TOLD YOU THAT I'VE ALREADY BEEN SOMEWHAT APPROACHED AND TOLD ABOUT WHAT'S GONNA HAPPEN.
UM, BUT BASICALLY SPEAKING, THIS PROJECT HAS TO HAPPEN OR WE HAVE TO ALTER IT IN SOME WAY THAT I'D HAVE TO GO THROUGH A LOT TO ALTER IT.
SO, UM, THE CANOPY ITSELF IS NOT GONNA BE, IS NOT GONNA BE COMPLETED OR FIXED BY THESE ROOFERS.
I THINK THAT, THAT, THAT PROJECT STILL NEEDS TO, TO BE LOOKED AT SPECIFICALLY.
EVEN IF WE PUT THE SKYLIGHT PORTION OF IT ON HOLD.
WELL, WE COULD LOOK AT WHAT THE GRANT SAYS BECAUSE SOMETIMES IT HAS TO BE USED FOR WHAT IT SAYS.
BUT MAYBE THERE'S SOME FLEXIBILITY.
I ALREADY, AS A MATTER OF FACT, I'VE GOTTEN THE, I'VE GOTTEN THE 2021 GRANT FOR THE SLIDING GLASS DOORS TO REPLACE THE SLIDING GLASS DOORS I'VE ALREADY PUT IN FOR AN EXTENSION.
THEY'VE GIVEN ME AN EXTENSION UNTIL DECEMBER, 2024, BECAUSE THE DOORS ARE THE LAST PORTION OF THE PROJECT.
SO I WENT, WE WENT IN STAGES FOR THIS TO GET SPECIFICS.
SO WE GOT $19,000 FOR THE DOORS.
UM, I, I THINK, BUT I'M, BUT IT, IT IS CLEAR THAT THESE, THESE GRANTS DO HAVE A LIMITED LIFE.
AND THEY ARE RESTRICTIVE OR THEY'RE THEY'RE SPECIFIC IN WHAT, WHAT I'VE GOTTA DO MM-HMM.
WE HAVE SOME WIGGLE ROOM, BUT NOT A LOT.
THANK YOU FOR LETTING US SPEAK.
THE, UH, MAKE IT UNLAWFUL TO DISCHARGE RADIOACTIVE AGENTS INTO THE HUDSON RIVER.
IT READS GREAT, BUT THEN IT SAYS AMENDED, BUT THEY DON'T TELL US WHAT THE AMENDMENTS ARE.
WHICH IS THIS THE, UH, TB ONE BILL SUPPORTING BILL 51 81 PENDING IN THE NEW YORK STATE SENATE MAKING IT UNLAWFUL TO DISCHARGE 80 AGENTS INTO THE HUDSON RIVER.
THAT'S WHAT IT SAYS ON THE AGENDA.
BUT THE RESOLUTION ENDS WITH AS AMENDED, BUT WE'RE NOT TOLD THE AMENDMENTS UNLESS THE BILL ITSELF IS AN AMENDED BILL.
IT WAS SUPPOSED TO BE A, A BUILDING INSPECTOR ONE ON HERE.
IT'S ON THE SERVER FOR SOME REASON OR ANOTHER, BUT DIDN'T PRINT.
SO JUST KEEPING WHAT OUR PRACTICE, IT'LL HAVE TO BE VOTED ON.
WHICH ONE IS THAT? 1 51 81 S 51.
[00:55:03]
I WILL GET A MORE CLEAR CUT ANSWER ON TB ONE, BUT I BELIEVE THAT THE BILL IS AMENDING THE ENVIRONMENTAL CON CONSERVATION LAW.SO THAT MUST WHAT IT MEANS BY AS AMENDED.
OH, AS LONG AS IT DOESN'T MEAN THE BILL AS AMENDED, BECAUSE THEN WE DON'T KNOW WHAT WE'RE VOTING ON UNLESS THE BILL IS, IN OTHER WORDS, THERE'S A BILL THAT'S POSTED.
IF SOMEBODY HAS AN AMENDMENT TO THAT BILL AND WE'RE SUPPORTING THE BILL AS AMENDED, WE SHOULD KNOW WHAT THE WORD.
BUT I BELIEVE IT'S REFERRING TO THE ENVIRONMENTAL CONSERVATION LAW BEING AMENDED.
BUT I'LL HAVE A ANSWER FOR YOU BEFORE TOMORROW MAY WORTH IT.
HOW, HOW MUCH IS THE LEASE FOR THE STATE? UH, THE FOUR CORNERS LEASING THAT PROPERTY, DO YOU KNOW? UM, I THINK IT'S A THOUSAND DOLLARS A MONTH.
SO UNDER PRESENTATIONS, IF THE FIRST PRESENTATION IS ONLY 20 MINUTES LONG, WHY DOES THE SECOND PRESENTATION START AT 7 45? UM, SEVEN.
ONE, RIGHT? DO WE KNOW HOW MANY PEOPLE ARE BEING HONORED SO THAT WE CAN GUESSTIMATE? IS JUDITH HERE? NO.
SHE, UM, SO WE DON'T KNOW HOW MANY PEOPLE THERE ARE IN THERE.
HOW LONG IS THE SECOND PRESENTATION? FIVE MINUTES.
SO WE SHOULD PUT FIVE MINUTES THERE.
WHY DON'T WE, WHY DON'T WE SAY SEVEN 30? YOU KNOW, IT WON'T BE SEVEN 30 ANYWAY, BUT YOU INSTEAD OF MAKING 7 45, THAT'S WHY DON'T MAKE IT SEVEN 20.
THE FIRST ONE IS ONLY 20 MINUTES.
WHAT'S THE, AND ANDY CONSISTING OF LET'S SAY 50TH ANNIVERSARY, THEY JUST WANTED A CERTIFICATE OF APPRECIATION PROCLAMATION.
IS THERE ANY VIDEO OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT? UM, NO.
AND THEY UNDERSTAND THAT THEY ONLY HAVE, SO THEY ONLY SPEAK, THEY'RE ONLY SPEAKING FOR FIVE MINUTES.
YEAH, I WAS JUST SAYING THANK YOU FOR BEING PART OF THE COMMUNITY.
THEY WERE MY NEIGHBORS FOR QUITE A LONG TIME.
THEY HAVE A VERY GOOD BUSINESS.
I'M SORRY, DID I MISS HOW MANY PEOPLE ARE BEING HONORED FOR WOMEN HISTORY MONTH? WE DON'T KNOW.
AND THERE ARE NO PUBLIC HEARINGS, SO WE'RE NOT, UH, HAVING THE RECORDER SHOW UP.
AND THAT IS THE WATER ADVISORY COMMITTEE, RIGHT? UH, THE WATER DISTRICT ADVISORY COMMITTEE.
THEY CAME IN WITH PROPOSED RATE INCREASES, REMEMBER A COUPLE MONTHS AGO MM-HMM.
UM, YOU KNOW, AND BRIAN, DO YOU WANNA GIVE US THE BAD NEWS THAT THE RATES ARE GONNA GO UP?
UM, SO I, I'LL JUST SPEAK TO THIS BRIEFLY.
UM, BECAUSE WE'VE BEEN WORKING VERY HARD WITH THE WATER ADVISORY COMMITTEE, WE'VE HAD MULTIPLE MEETINGS.
UM, WE, UH, MET WITH OUR, OUR WATER RATE CONSULTANT AS WELL.
AND WE THINK THAT WE'VE COME UP WITH A, UM, A NEW PLAN OR REVISED PLAN.
I'LL, I'LL SAY, UM, WHAT WE'D LIKE TO DO IS, UM, I'LL READ WHAT THEIR, UH, RECOMMENDATION TO THE TOWN BOARD IS AND THEN, UM, PROPOSE THAT MOVING FORWARD, IF THE TOWN BOARD IS AGREEABLE TO IT, THAT WE WOULD LIKE TO SET A PUBLIC HEARING AT ONE OF THE UPCOMING TOWN BOARD MEETINGS, AND THEN HAVE A FORMAL PUBLIC HEARING FOLLOWED BY HOPEFULLY A, UH, AN INTENTION TO, TO MOVE FORWARD.
UM, SO WITH THAT, I'LL JUST, I'LL, I'LL READ WHAT THEIR RECOMMENDATION WAS.
UM, PURSUANT TO THE TOWN RESOLUTION, ESTABLISHING THE WATER ADVISORY, WATER DISTRICT ADVISORY COMMITTEE, OR THE WAC AS THEY CALL IT, THE WAC SUBMITS THIS RECOMMENDATION TO ASSIST THE TOWN BOARD IN ITS DETERMINATION OF APPROPRIATE WATER.
RATES FOR THE TOWN OF GREENBURG CONSOLIDATED WATER DISTRICT.
WATER DISTRICT, THE WAC MEMBERS UNANIMOUSLY AGREE TO SUPPORT AN UPDATED RATE PLAN REFLECTING
[01:00:01]
ANNUAL INCREASES FROM 2023 TO 2027 OVER THE PRIOR YEAR OF 5%, 6%, 6%, 6%, AND 6% RATHER THAN THE RATE INCREASES OF 7%, 6.5%, 5%, 4.5%, AND 4% IN THE PLAN REVIEWED BY THE TOWN BOARD ON DECEMBER 19TH, 2022.THE WAC ASSUMES THE PRESENTATION AT THE TOWN BOARD HEARING ON THE 2023 WATER RIGHTS WILL INCLUDE A PRESENTATION BY THE TOWNS CONSULTANT, PHIL PON OF REPTILES OF THE UPDATED RATE PLAN FOR 2023 TO 2027.
THE WAC AT ITS MARCH 15TH, 2023 MEETING UNANIMOUSLY AGREED TO SUPPORT THE 20 23 5 YEAR WATER RATE PLAN FOR THE WATER DISTRICT AS DESCRIBED AND AS SUPPORTED BY MR. SAPONE.
AS MR. CONE'S PRESENTATION POINTS OUT, THE WATER DISTRICT FACES SIGNIFICANT FINANCIAL CHALLENGES, MOST IMPORTANTLY, PROJECTING FOR AND PAYING FOR NECESSARY CAPITAL INVESTMENTS DURING A PERIOD.
CONSTRUCTION COSTS AND REGULATORY REQUIREMENTS CONTINUE TO EVOLVE.
THE WAX RECOMMENDATION RECOGNIZES THAT THE PLAN INCORPORATES SMOOTHING AS IN PRIOR YEARS, WHICH RESULTS IN A STABILIZING EFFECT ON THE WATER RATES OVER THE FIVE YEAR PLANNING PERIOD.
AND SO WITH THAT, THE, THE POWERPOINT PRESENTATION THAT THEY REFERENCE IS THE ONE THAT WE WOULD LIKE TO PRESENT TO THE TOWN BOARD AND TO THE PUBLIC AT THAT PUBLIC HEARING.
AND, YOU KNOW, I THINK THIS IS, YOU KNOW, WHAT I FEEL REALLY POSITIVE ABOUT IS, UM, YOU KNOW, WE INVOLVE CITIZENS, UH, WHO ARE HELPING US OVERSEE THE WATER RATES.
AND THE PURPOSE OF THE WATER DISTRICT ADVISORY COMMITTEE WAS, UM, TO GIVE SOME SORT OF REASSURANCE TO THE COMMUNITY THAT, YOU KNOW, WE'RE NOT ONLY DOING OUR DUE DILIGENCE, BUT DOING EXTRA DUE DILIGENCE BY GETTING CITIZENS INVOLVED.
SOME WHO IN THE PAST, YOU KNOW, WOULD BE CRITICAL OF, UM, OF OUR SPENDING.
YOU KNOW, IT'S, IT'S NOT A RUBBER STAMP BOARD.
OBVIOUSLY IN DECEMBER THEY WERE CRITICAL AND THEY, YOU KNOW, THEY WORKED, THEY REVIEWED, UM, THE WATER DISTRICT RATES AND THE INFRASTRUCTURE NEEDS AND THEY CAME UP UP WITH SOMETHING THAT THEY THOUGHT, YOU KNOW, WOULD, WOULD WORK.
AND AS RICH AND YOU HAVE SAID, YOU KNOW, IF THE WORST THING THAT COULD HAPPEN IN A TOWN WOULD BE, UM, FOR PEOPLE TO HAVE NO WATER MM-HMM.
SO WE HAVE TO ADDRESS THE INFRASTRUCTURE AND I THINK YOU'RE DOING A GOOD JOB OF ADDRESSING INFRASTRUCTURE NEEDS.
SO AT THE END OF THE DAY, IS IT STILL, UM, DEVELOPING THE SAME AMOUNT OF MONEY? IT JUST SPREAD OUT DIFFERENTLY? SO THE, THE, YEAH, SO THE, THE PROJECTS HAVE NOT CHANGED.
THE, THE COST OF THE PROJECTS HAVE NOT CHANGED.
UM, WHAT WAS REEVALUATED WAS THE, THE STRUCTURE, RIGHT? SO THEY'RE END LOADING IT AND YOU FRONT-LOADED IT.
SO THAT'S WHERE WE CAME TO A, A COMPROMISE BETWEEN THE TWO, UH, AS FAR AS WHAT WE WERE GONNA HAVE, UM, AVAILABLE FOR PROJECTS AND BASED ON PRIOR FUNDING AND BASED ON FUTURE FUNDING, AS WELL AS HOW IT WOULD RESULT IN, IN FUTURE RATE INCREASES.
BECAUSE I THINK ONE OF THE, THE, THE, THE, THE POINTS THAT WE RECEIVED BACK WAS, YOU KNOW, ESPECIALLY AS A, AS A WATER RATE, UM, UH, CUSTOMER, RIGHT? YOU WANT TO KIND OF SEE WHERE IT IS GONNA BE IN THE FUTURE.
YOU DON'T WANT VOLATILITY WHERE IT'S GOING UP AND DOWN, UP AND DOWN.
AND SO THAT'S WHY, YOU KNOW, WHEN THE, THE WATER ADVISORY COMMITTEE AND, AND THE TOWN AND OUR RATE CONSULTANT, UM, WERE MEETING, THAT WAS THE BIG POINTS THAT WE WERE TRYING TO ADDRESS, WAS HOW CAN WE ALSO WORK TO, TO STABILIZE THE RATES SO WE DON'T NECESSARILY HAVE THAT VOLATILITY AND, AND WORK WITH THEM WHEN IT COMES TO SMOOTH.
SO WE HAVE A EXECUTIVE MOTION TO GO INTO EXECUTIVE SESSION.
FOR THE PURPOSES OF INVOLVING, UM, UM, INTERVIEWING CANDIDATE, YOU CONDUCTING INTERVIEWS, DISCUSSING PERSONNEL MATTERS INVOLVING SPECIFIC INDIVIDUALS SENT TO SEEK YOU.
AND WE WILL NOT BE COMING BACK THIS EVENING.