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A SPECIAL MEETING.[ 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]
WE HAVE, UH, THE WORK SESSION, UM, UH, AND WE'RE GONNA HEAR, UH, SPORT TIMES CLUBS ON TENNIS SERVICES AT A F P PARK.JUST DO ME A FAVOR AND JUST TURN YOUR MIC ON BEFORE YOU START, PLEASE.
Y'ALL JUST SWITCH THE, THE BUTTON.
UM, WE'RE HERE JUST TO TALK ABOUT A PROPOSAL AND YOU ARE, UM, OH, I'M GERARD BYRNE, KNOWN BY CHERRY COMMISSIONER PARKS AND RECREATION, AND I'M REALLY EXCITED TO BE HERE TO TALK ABOUT A PROPOSAL THAT WE SOLICITED ABOUT, UH, HAVING AN OUTSIDE COMPANY COME IN AND, UH, PRIVATE AND, UH, DEVELOP PART OF OUR, UH, TENNIS COMPLEX AT ANTHONY, AT VETERAN PARK AT 11 OLYMPIC LANE ARDSLEY.
UM, THIS GOES BACK MANY, MANY YEARS, AND I THINK FOR THE PUBLIC TO UNDERSTAND, UH, I, I WROTE SOME BULLET POINTS.
I LIKE TO READ IT OUT TO GIVE US A LITTLE SUMMARY, AND THEN I'D LIKE TO TURN IT OVER TO SPORT TIME TO SHARE YOU WITH THE PRESENTATION.
UH, A REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL WAS SENT OUT IN 2004 TO DEVELOP INDOOR TENNIS AT ANTHONY AT VETERAN PARK WITH AN OUTSIDE VENDOR.
NUMEROUS PROPOSALS WERE SUBMITTED AND AFTER THOROUGH PROCESS THAT INCLUDED THE TOWN BOARD ADVISORY BOARD AND A COMMUNITY PUBLIC DISCUSSION, THE TOWN SELECTED SPORT TIME TO DEVELOP, MANAGE, AND OPERATE AN INDOOR PROGRAM FOR A 15 YEAR LICENSE AGREEMENT.
THIS INCLUDED, INVESTED $2 MILLION AT THE TIME FOR CREATING AN INDOOR TENNIS BUBBLE FACILITY.
THE LICENSE AGREEMENT WAS SIGNED IN LATE 2007.
AROUND 2008, A LOCAL RESIDENT SUED THE TOWN THAT THIS AGREEMENT WAS IN VIOLATION OF THE FIN IN LAW THAT RESTRICTED NON-RESIDENTS FROM USING THE TOWN OWNED PARK.
THE JUDGE SIDED WITH THE PLAINTIFF AND THE TOWN VOIDED THE AGREEMENT WITH SPORT TIME.
WE DIDN'T MOVE FORWARD WITH EXECUTING IT IN JUNE OF 2012.
AFTER WE HAD A DISCUSSION WITH THE TOWN BOARD, WE WERE ABLE TO, UH, GET OUR STATE LEGISLATOR AND SENATORS TO PASS ALONG WITH THE TOTAL BODIES OF BOTH GOVERNMENT GROUPS, A HOMEROOM LEGISLATION THAT WOULD ALLOW THEM TO LEASE THE ANTHONY AT VETERAN PARK TENNIS COMPLEX, OR PORTIONS OF IT FOR UP TO 30 YEARS FOR THE OPERATION OF SEASONAL TENNIS.
IN 2022, THE GREENBURG PARKS AND RECREATION DEPARTMENT SENT OUT A REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL FOR THE OPERATION OF AN INDOOR SEASON AND AN OUTDOOR SEASON TO OPERATE SEASONAL TENNIS PROGRAMS. WE RECEIVED TWO PROPOSALS, ONE FROM FOURTH TIME AND THE OTHER FROM TENNIS INNOVATORS FROM WHITE PLAINS, AND THE TENNIS SELECTION COMMITTEE CONSISTING OF THE TOWN BOARD REPRESENTATIVE ELLEN HENDRICKS, ADVISORY BOARD MEMBERS, IRENE KITZ, DOREEN LIPSON, AND ERIC ZINGER, UH, RESIDENT LARRY LEFKOWITZ, TENNIS DIRECTOR JANET LEFKOWITZ, DEPUTY COMMISSIONER JOE LE CASEY AND BRIAN SIMMONS AND ME.
WE DID A THOROUGH REVIEW OF THE PROPOSALS AND RECOMMENDED THAT WE SELECT SPORT TIME FOR INDOOR AND OUTDOOR LEASE AGREEMENTS TO DEVELOP, MANAGE, AND OPERATE A TENNIS FACILITY AT ANTHONY F VETERAN PARK, THE ADVISORY BOARD.
AFTER STUDYING THE RECOMMENDED PROPOSALS AND LISTENING TO A THOROUGH PRESENTATION WE HAD LAST SUMMER, UM, THEY RECOMMENDED AND ENDORSED THAT WE MOVE FORWARD TO SUBMIT TO THE TOWN BOARD OF THE COMMUNITY, UH, FOR APPROVAL.
SINCE THAT TIME, MEMBERS OF THE COMMITTEE WORKING WITH, UH, TOWN ATTORNEY JOSEPH DANKO, WE NOW HAVE IN FINAL DRAFT FORM WITH, YOU KNOW, WITH SOME CHANGES THAT CAN, MINOR CHANGES THAT COULD POSSIBLY OCCUR, UH, A LEASE AGREEMENT FOR SPORT TIME TO INVEST UP TO $12 MILLION IN FACILITY DEVELOPMENT, EXECUTE A 15 YEAR AGREEMENT WITH OPTION TO RENEW FOR THREE FIVE YEAR EXTENSIONS.
UH, A PROGRAM AT ANTHONY AT VETERAN PARK.
SO THIS COMBINES THE INDOOR AND OUTDOOR SEASONS FOR 15 YEARS, WE'LL BRING IN A MINIMAL OF $6,000,749 AND CHANGE.
AND OVER THE COURSE OF 30 YEARS, IT COULD BRING IN OVER $20 MILLION TO OUR COMMUNITY.
WHAT THE STATE LEGISLATION DID IS THAT ALL THE MONEY WE GENERATE WILL GO BACK INTO A SPECIAL ACCOUNT THAT HAS TO BE USED FOR DEVELOPING OUR FACILITIES IN OUR PARK SYSTEM.
AS THE TOWN BOARD IS AWARE, AND THE COMMITTEE AND LEGAL DEPARTMENT WOULD LIKE TO DEFINE MORE CLEARLY THE HOMEROOM LEGISLATION, WHAT IS A TENNIS FACILITY? WE DON'T WANT TO BE IN A SITUATION WE FEEL THAT THE TENNIS FACILITY IN IS THERE, WHAT IT IS, BUT WE WANT TO TIGHTEN IT UP.
SO WE'RE IN THE PROCESS OF GETTING THAT CHANGED.
SO WE ARE PRESENTLY TAKING STEPS TO AMEND THAT LEGISLATION TO DEFINE A PLACE THAT PROVIDES PROGRAMMING AND SERVICES RELATED TO TENNIS AND OTHER SPORTS, WHICH REQUIRES THE USE
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OF RACKETS AND PADDLES TO STRIKE BALLS OR OBJECTS.SO, AT, AT THIS TIME, UH, AND, AND THE OUTDOOR SEASON THAT WE'RE LOOKING AT WOULD BE FROM, UH, MAY 12TH TO SEPTEMBER 8TH, AND THE INDOOR SEASON FROM SEPTEMBER 9TH THROUGH MAY 11TH.
UM, IT'S INTERESTING BECAUSE WE HAD AN AGREEMENT AND I, IT TELLS YOU HOW LONG I'VE BEEN WITH THE TOWN.
THAT'S THE PROCESS STARTED PROBABLY 19 YEARS AGO.
AND WE STILL HAVE SPORT TIME THAT YOU'RE GONNA SEE THEIR PRESENTATION.
THEY'RE VERY ESTABLISHED IN THE NEW YORK METROPOLITAN AREA.
WE HAVE, UH, CLO ORKIN, HE'S PRESIDENT, AND C E O OF SPORT TIME.
AND CHLOE, UM, IF WE HAD EXECUTED THE ORIGINAL AGREEMENT THIS DECEMBER WOULD'VE BEEN THE END OF THE 15 YEARS.
AND WHAT I'M EXCITED TO SAY IS THAT THERE'S BEEN INNOVATION TO THE TENNIS FIELD AND THE PROPOSAL WE HAVE NOW, I BELIEVE IS BETTER AND, AND MORE, UH, PROFITABLE FOR THE REVENUE THAT WILL BE GENERATED TO US.
SO AT THIS TIME NOW, I'D LIKE TO TURN IT OVER TO CLA.
JERRY, DO YOU WANNA SIT? WHERE WOULD YOU GUYS LIKE ME OVER THERE WHERE YOU WERE SITTING? WHATEVER.
YOU CAN SIT HERE, BUT I CAN BRING THIS OVER.
SO MY NAME IS CLAUDE, NOT JERRY LIKES TO CALL ME CLAUDE.
MY PARENTS TORTURED THE LITTLE JEWISH KID BY GIVING ME A FRENCH NAME, BUT I DON'T CARE WHAT JERRY CALLS ME, I JUST LIKE WHEN HE CALLS ME
UM, AND, UH, THIS IS BEN SCHLANSKY, WHO'S THE VICE PRESIDENT OF SPORT TIME.
I'M THE PRESIDENT AND C E O AND WE'RE BOTH PARTNERS IN A COMPANY THAT WE'VE BUILT TOGETHER.
IS HE WITH YOU? DID YOU WANNA PULL THAT CHAIR OVER? YEAH, JERRY, THAT'S CARLOS.
DO YOU WANNA SIT HERE AND LET HIM? THAT'S CARLOS.
KIM, YOU CAN SIT RIGHT HERE, OR DO YOU WANNA SIT? OKAY.
SO, CLAUDE OAKEN, PRESIDENT AND C E O BENCH, LANSKY VICE PRESIDENT AND CHIEF LEGAL OFFICER, CARLOS CAMPO, MANAGING DIRECTOR FOR WESTCHESTER.
AND WE'VE ALL, WE'VE BEEN WORKING TOGETHER FOR MORE THAN 20 YEARS.
BEN AND I HAVE BEEN WORKING TOGETHER FOR 35 YEARS, WHICH BEN WAS 18 WHEN HE CAME TO WORK FOR THE FIRST TIME.
HE WENT AND GOT, HE WENT AND BECAME A LAWYER AND CAME BACK.
BUT, UH, THIS IS MY 50TH YEAR IN THE TENNIS BUSINESS.
I STARTED WORKING IN A TENNIS CLUB WHEN I WAS 12.
SO I, I'M GONNA TRY NOT TO BORE YOU WITH ALL THE SLIDES.
UM, AS JERRY SAID, SPORT TIME HAS BEEN TRYING TO BUILD THIS FACILITY IN THE PARK HERE IN THE BEAUTIFUL TOWN OF GREENBURG.
UH, FOR 20 YEARS ROUGHLY, WE'VE SIGNED A COUPLE OF LICENSES, AND FINALLY IT LOOKS LIKE IT'S GONNA HAPPEN.
YOU HEARD THAT THE ORIGINAL FACILITY WAS SUPPOSED TO COST 2 MILLION, AND THIS ONE MAY COST AS MUCH AS 12, BUT TIMES CHANGE.
AND LUCKILY, UH, FOR US, THIS IS A GOOD TIME FOR TENNIS AND RACKET SPORTS.
UM, THERE HAVE BEEN SOME ROUGH YEARS IN BETWEEN, BUT THE PANDEMIC GOT PEOPLE WANTING TO PLAY OUTDOORS AND IN LARGER AREAS, WE'RE HAVING A SECOND TENNIS BOOM.
AND THEN THIS SPORT CALLED PICKLEBALL IS NOW THE LARGEST AND FASTEST GROWING SPORT IN THE WORLD.
AND PEOPLE ARE EXCITED ABOUT THAT.
AND WE'RE GONNA DO SOME OF THAT IN THE PARK IF WE, IF WE HAVE OUR WAY.
SO, UH, I'LL QUICKLY RUN THROUGH THE PRESENTATION.
UM, THIS JUST TELLS YOU SOMETHING ABOUT SPORT TIME.
WE'RE THE LARGEST OPERATOR OF TENNIS AND SPORTS CLUBS IN NEW YORK STATE.
WE OPERATE 15 CLUBS RIGHT NOW WITH ALMOST A HUNDRED, 188 TENNIS COURTS, INDOOR COURTS, OUTDOOR COURTS, SOFT COURTS, HARD COURTS.
WE HAVE, UH, EVERY KIND OF TENNIS COURT EXCEPT FOR GRASS COURTS.
UH, WE HAVE 50 PICKLEBALL COURTS AT THE MOMENT.
WE'LL PROBABLY HAVE A HUNDRED IN THE NEXT YEAR OR SO.
UH, WE SERVICE ABOUT 30,000 MEMBERS, UM, AND PLAYERS AND OF ALL AGES AND ABILITIES.
UM, WE EMPLOY AS MANY AS 900 PEOPLE, CLOSE TO A THOUSAND IN THE SUMMER, ABOUT 500 IN THE WINTER, AND WE CONTROL ABOUT A HUNDRED ACRES OF PROPERTY.
UH, THIS LAST YEAR WE HAD ABOUT ALMOST $70 MILLION OF REVENUE AND ALMOST $13 MILLION OF, UH, EARNINGS BEFORE INTEREST, TAXES, DEPRECIATION, AND AMORTIZATION.
SO NOBODY, SO NOBODY'S GETTING RICH IN THE TENNIS BUSINESS, BUT WE'RE, WE'RE PRETTY PROUD OF WHAT WE'VE CREATED, BOTH AS AN EMPLOYER, AS A PART OF THE STATE'S, UH, HEALTH AND WELLNESS COMMUNITY, AND AS A BUSINESS THAT'S CONTINUING TO THRIVE.
UM, WE HAVE SOME GREAT BRANDS, THE JOHN M TENNIS ACADEMY, WHICH STARTED IN 2010, WHICH IS GOING TO BE A BRAND THAT WE DO AT, UH, ANTHONY F VETERAN PARK.
WE ALSO DO IT IN, IN EAST CHESTER, IN WESTCHESTER, IN NEW YORK CITY, UH, WHERE WE RUN THE LARGEST TENNIS CLUB IN NEW YORK CITY AND, UH, IN LONG ISLAND.
UM, WE'RE GONNA BE A BLUE CHIP TENANT, THAT'S WHAT THIS SLIDE SAYS.
MEANING, UH, THE COMPANY THAT RUNS ALL THESE FACILITIES THAT WE OPERATE AND THAT DOES THAT REVENUE AND HAS THOSE EARNINGS IS THE, IS THE TENANT, THAT'S THE LESSEE.
SO WE, A LOT OF COMPANIES THAT, LIKE OURS, THAT OPERATE SITES, EVERY SITE, IT'S ITS OWN COMPANY AND THE ASSETS ARE HIDDEN AND YOU CAN'T QUITE FIGURE OUT WHO THE TENANT IS.
BUT IN OUR CASE, WE WANTED TO BUILD A REAL COMPANY.
SPORTS HUNT CLUBS, L L C OWNS AND OPERATES OR LEASES OR LICENSES EVERY FACILITY WE OWN.
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THE ENTITY THAT SIGNS THIS LEASE OR THESE TWO LEASES IF WE, UH, CAN GET THERE, WHICH LOOKS PRETTY GOOD RIGHT NOW.UM, WE'VE DONE A LOT OF LICENSING AND LEASING, MEANING WE HAVE OTHER MUNICIPAL PARTNERS WHO I THINK SAY TERRIFIC THINGS ABOUT US, UM, BECAUSE WE USUALLY FIND OUT A WAY TO PAY A LOT OF, UH, FEES, THE HIGHEST FEES POSSIBLE WHILE STILL RUNNING AFFORDABLE AND ACCESSIBLE CLUB.
SO WE'RE A LICENSEE IN NEW YORK CITY AT RANDALL'S ISLAND, WHERE WE BUILT IN 2009, THE LARGEST, UH, TENNIS CLUB IN NEW YORK CITY.
AND THAT AT A COST OF $20 MILLION IN THE MIDDLE OF THE RECESSION, IT WAS SCARY, BUT WE GOT IT DONE, AND NOW WE'VE BEEN SUCCESSFUL THERE.
IT'S BUSY AND A LOT OF OTHER COURTS DISAPPEARED.
AND NOW THIS YEAR WE'RE IN THE MIDDLE OF A, OF AN EXPANSION PROJECT THERE WHERE WE'VE INVESTED ANOTHER $45 MILLION.
SO WE WILL HAVE INVESTED $65 MILLION IN A FACILITY IN NEW YORK THAT WE DON'T OWN.
JUST THE WAY WE WON'T OWN THE FACILITY IN YOUR PARK.
WE WILL BUILD IT, WE WILL PAY FOR IT, AND YOU WILL OWN IT, BUT WE GET TO OPERATE IT.
WE GOT A 25 YEAR LICENSE EXTENSION IN NEW YORK CITY, AND WE RUN THE JOHN MCNA TENNIS ACADEMY THERE.
AND WE HAVE A CHARITY THERE CALLED THE JOHNNY MC TENNIS PROJECT, WHERE BASICALLY WE, WE SERVICE 2,400 KIDS A WEEK.
WE'RE PROBABLY THE LARGEST TENNIS CHARITY IN THE WORLD OTHER THAN THE U S T A.
AND THEY COME AND PLAY FOR FREE FROM SCHOOLS IN EAST HARLEM AND SOUTH BRONX, AND THEY GET SCHOLARSHIPS TO TRAIN IN THE ACADEMY.
WE'VE SENT 37 KIDS TO FOUR YEAR COLLEGES AND UNIVERSITIES WHO CAME TO US HAVING NOTHING, AND NOT BEING, UH, ACCOMPLISHED PLAYERS AND WHO WE'RE NOW SOME OF THE BEST TENNIS PLAYERS IN THE WOR IN THE WORLD, IN THEIR, IN THEIR AGE DIVISION.
AND THAT COMMUNITY REINVESTMENT AND CHARITABLE WORK WILL BE SOMETHING THAT WE DO HERE.
UH, WE'RE A LICENSEE OF, UM, EASTCHESTER, AS I SAID, OUR CLUB AT LAKE ISLE, WHICH HAS BEEN IN EXISTENCE SINCE 2012, THAT, THAT, THAT TOWN THERE JUST ELECTED TO GIVE US A 20 YEAR LICENSE EXTENSION IN EXCHANGE FOR BOTH OUR SUCCESS AND IT, UH, ONGOING CAPITAL INVESTMENT THAT WE'RE MAKING IN THE TOWN.
UM, WE'RE A LICENSEE OF THE VILLAGE OF MAEK, WHERE WE'VE BEEN OPERATING THEIR FACILITY AT HARBOR HARBOR ISLAND PARK SINCE 2002.
WE OPERATE A SPORTS ARENA FOR THEM.
AND THEN HEMPSTEAD LAKE STATE PARK IS OUR MOST RECENT, UM, LICENSE FACILITY.
THE, THE STATE OF NEW YORK ELECTED US TO BE THE OPERATOR OF THAT LARGE, UH, PARK, STATE PARK FACILITY, WHICH IS TENNIS AND PICKLEBALL, UH, FOR THE NEXT 10 YEARS.
SO I SPOKE ABOUT RANDALLS ISLAND.
I WON'T BORE YOU WITH THE DETAILS.
IT'S THE LARGEST, IT WILL BE BY SEPTEMBER, THE LARGEST INDOOR TENNIS CLUB AND TRAINING CENTER IN THE WORLD.
AND IT'S BEEN OUR SINGLE LARGEST CAPITAL PROJECT AND OUR SINGLE LARGEST MUNICIPAL LICENSE.
AND IT'S, IT'S OUR FLAGSHIP AND WE'RE SUPER PROUD OF IT.
WE'VE MADE A WIMBLEDON CHAMPION AND AN NCAA CHAMPION, AND THOUSANDS OF ADULTS AND JUNIORS PLAY AT THE CLUB EVERY WEEK AND ALL YEAR LONG, UH, ON IT, ON ALL DIFFERENT BASES.
THAT'S A PICTURE OF THE ORIGINAL SITE PLAN OF RANDALL'S ISLAND.
THAT'S A PICTURE OF WHAT IT'S GONNA, OF, WHERE IT ALMOST IS NOW, AND WHERE IT WILL BE BY SEPTEMBER.
IT'S A, IT'S A GIANT TENNIS COURT FARM RIGHT IN THE MIDDLE OF NEW YORK CITY.
THAT'S SOME AERIAL PHOTOS OF THE ORIGINAL FACILITY AFTER IT OPENED.
BUT BIGGER, UH, LAKE ISLE IS THE, PROBABLY THE MOST SIMILAR MUNICIPAL UNDERTAKING WE'VE HAD TO WHAT WE'RE GOING TO DO WITH YOU ALL.
UM, AND AS I SAID, THE LICENSE WAS RECENTLY EXTENDED.
WE BUILT AN ENTIRE CLUB THERE WHERE THEY DID NOT HAVE AN INDOOR CLUB.
JUST THE WAY WE WILL DO IT AT, UH, ANTHONY AT FEDER PARK.
IT'S EIGHT COURTS, THREE AIR STRUCTURES, NEW CLUBHOUSE, NEW OUTDOOR LIGHTING, NEW INFRASTRUCTURE.
HERE'S A PICTURE OF THE SITE PLAN.
HERE'S SOME PICTURES OF WHAT WE BUILT.
AND THE ONLY THE COURTS WERE THERE BEFORE THE CONSTRUCTION PROJECT, WHICH MIRACULOUSLY OPENED A WEEK BEFORE A SUPERSTORM SANDY AND DID NOT GET DAMAGED.
UH, OUR OTHER CLUB IN WESTCHESTER WAS DESTROYED.
SO WE WERE, WE HAD TENNIS COURTS AFTER, AFTER, AFTER SANDY, WHICH WAS AMA, JUST, WE GOT LUCKY, BUT ALSO IT WAS BRAND NEW INFRASTRUCTURE AND IT'S BETTER BUILT NOW THAN IT USED TO BE, AS, AS TWO WILLIAMS INFRASTRUCTURE BE, UH, IN ARTLEY.
UH, AND THEN THIS IS, UH, SORT OF THE OUTLINE OF WHAT WE'RE GOING TO DO WITH YOU GUYS, IF WE CAN.
AND WE HOPE WE WILL, UH, A DISTINCTIVE INDOOR OUTDOOR RACKET SPORTS CENTER.
THERE'LL BE TENNIS AND THERE'LL BE PICKLEBALL.
UH, THERE'LL BE A JOHN KERIN TENNIS ACADEMY PROGRAM.
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ALL THE RESIDENTS OF THE UNINCORPORATED AREA WILL GET A 10% DISCOUNT OFF OF BOTH MEMBERSHIP AND PROGRAM FEES.TOWN PERMIT HOLDERS THAT PAY THAT ANNUAL FEE FOR THE OUTDOOR SEASON TO PLAY IN THE PARK WILL HAVE ACCESS TO OUR COURTS WHEN THEY'RE NOT OTHERWISE USED BY US.
UM, WE'LL DO AT LEAST 500 HOURS OF ANNUAL FREE COMMUNITY PROGRAMS, BUT PROBABLY MUCH MORE THAN THAT.
AND WE'LL WORK WITH PARK AND REC.
WE'VE BEEN WORKING WITH THEM FOR THE LAST 20 YEARS TO TRY TO GET IT DONE.
AND, UH, WE'RE GONNA TRY TO DO GREAT THINGS IN THE PARK.
UH, AND, AND, AND WE'VE COMMITTED TO AT LEAST A QUARTER OF A MILLION DOLLARS OF SCHOLARSHIPS OUT OF THE GATE.
THAT'S JUST PURE UNDERWRITING OF KIDS PROGRAMMING FOR KIDS WHO WANT TO PLAY BUT CAN'T AFFORD TO PLAY IT'S MEANS TESTED.
THAT'S A LOT OF HOURS OF KIDS.
KIDS OVER WHAT PERIOD OF TIME? THAT'S A YEAR, EVERY YEAR STARTING IN YEAR ONE.
ONE KID WILL BE, YOU KNOW WHAT SORT OF, IN NEW YORK, WHEN WE, WE BUILT THAT CLUB, THE CLUB IN NEW YORK, JUST QUICK STORY AND I'LL KEEP IT MOVING.
THE CLUB WAS SUPPOSED TO COST, COST SEVEN AND A HALF MILLION DOLLARS, AND IT ENDED UP COSTING 21.
THEN WE OPENED UP THE ACADEMY IN 2010, AND WE KNEW, YOU KNOW, WE WERE, WE WERE CHARGING A LOT OF MONEY IN NEW YORK CITY AND THERE WERE A LOT OF PEOPLE THERE THAT COULD AFFORD IT, BUT WE DIDN'T WANT THE ACADEMY TO BE A MONOLITH.
WE DIDN'T WANT IT TO BE ALL RICH WHITE KIDS, TO BE BLUNT.
SO WE CREATED THIS CHARITY AND THE UNDERWRITING AND MADE IT A, A MOSAIC OF NEW YORK LIFE.
SO IT'S IMMIGRANT FAMILIES, IT'S KIDS OF COLOR AND ETHNICITY.
IT'S WORKING CLASS, IT'S, IT'S, AND THESE KIDS GET TO GO TO COLLEGE THROUGH THEIR TENNIS EXPLOITS, AND THAT'S WHAT WE HOPE TO DO HERE TOO.
UM, THE SITE, IN TERMS OF YOUR EMPLOYMENT, DO YOU, UH, YOU KNOW, REACH OUT TO SAY TO THE LOCAL, YOU KNOW, COMMUNITY AS WELL AS ABSOLUTELY.
IN TERMS OF HIRING? ABSOLUTELY.
WE'RE A REALLY DIVERSE COMPANY.
WE'RE VERY PROUD OF IT, UM, IN EVERY WAY, ECONOMICALLY, ETHNICALLY, AND RACIALLY.
AND OBVIOUSLY PART OF IT IS BECAUSE TENNIS IS INTERNATIONAL.
SO WE START OUT WITH A, WITH A MULTICOLORED STAFF THAT SPEAKS ALL LANGUAGES AND COME FROM ALL, UH, COUNTRIES BECAUSE WE HAVE STAFF FROM COACHES FROM ALL OVER THE WORLD.
BUT IN TERMS OF THE RANK AND FILE EMPLOYEES, THE LINE EMPLOYEES, REPAIR, REPAIR AND MAINTENANCE, AND HOUSEKEEPING, FRONT DESK CUSTOMER SERVICE, WE HIRE LOCALLY.
HOW, HOW MANY PEOPLE DO YOU HAVE WORKING FOR YOUR COMPANY? UH, ABOUT 500 NOW.
ARE THERE, I'M JUST SORT OF CURIOUS, HOW MANY IN GREENBERG, IS THAT THE NUMBER IN GREENBERG? HOW MANY WILL WORK IN THE COMPANY NOW? YEAH.
DO WE, DID WE DO AN ESTIMATE? WE PROBABLY THINK IT'S SOMEWHERE BETWEEN 30 TO 50, DEPENDING ON THE SEASON.
30 50, DEPENDING ON THE SEASON.
ARE THERE, I'M JUST SORT OF CURIOUS.
I THINK IT'S REALLY EXCITING, YOU KNOW, WHAT, ESPECIALLY WHAT YOU'RE DOING IN TERMS OF, UM, YOU KNOW, GIVING, UH, YOUNG PEOPLE OPPORTUNITIES AND THE CHARITABLE EFFORTS OF YOUR COMPANY.
I, I THINK IT'S REALLY INSPIRING.
UM, I'M WONDERING IF THERE IS, UM, OPPORTUNITIES FOR YOUNG PEOPLE, YOU KNOW, WHO GRADUATED COLLEGE OR GRADUATED HIGH SCHOOL TO SAY, MOVE NOT ONLY YOU JUST BE AN ATTENDANT, BUT TO MAKE THIS SORT OF A CAREER AND IF, UH, IF THAT'S SOMETHING THAT YOU ALSO WILL WORK WITH YOU PEOPLE.
I MEAN, I CAN PROBABLY SPEAK IN MY CASE WITH MYSELF SPEAKING TO A MICROPHONE.
YOU KNOW, AS AN EXAMPLE, I CAME IN RIGHT OUTTA COLLEGE AND I STARTED AS A TENNIS INSTRUCTOR, HELPED A LITTLE AT THE FRONT DESK AND ONE THING LED TO ANOTHER, AND NOW I'M MANAGING DIRECTOR OF THREE SITES.
SO IT IS, SO THAT THING, VERY UNIQUE ABOUT A COMPANY.
AND I KNOW CLAUDE AND BEN ARE VERY PROUD AND PROBABLY THEY DON'T SPEAK SO MUCH ABOUT IT, BUT HE'S, WHAT I TELL MY STAFF WHEN WE HIRE IT IS A, A CAREER OPPORTUNITY.
SO, AND IT STARTS LOCAL, OBVIOUSLY.
I MEAN, WE HAVE A, ONE OF MY CLIENTS, WE HAVE A STAFF THAT HAS BEEN WITH US FOR CLOSE TO 20 YEARS AS WELL.
AND, YOU KNOW, SHE STARTED YOUNG AND SHE'S NOT AS, YOU KNOW, AS YOUNG AS SHE WAS, AND, BUT IT MADE A CAREER OUT OF IT.
SO IT'S, WE CAN GO ON AND ON ON EACH CLUB AND SET EXAMPLES OF IT, BUT THAT IS THE MODEL.
I THINK THAT'S OUR MODEL OF CREATING CAREERS FOR OUR STAFF.
SO WE CONTINUE PRESENTATION, WE'RE, I'LL QUICKLY ANSWER.
WE'RE ONE OF THE FEW TENNIS CLUB COMPANIES IN THE COUNTRY THAT HAVE A FULL, UH, MENU OF EMPLOYEE BENEFITS.
SO WE'RE NOT SORT OF A PIECE WORK STYLE COMPANY AT ALL.
SO EVEN OUR TENNIS COACHES AND, UH, LINE EMPLOYEES, UH, HAVE, UH, EXTENSIVE PAIN, TIME OFF BENEFITS, UP TO FIVE WEEKS A YEAR.
UH, HEALTH INSURANCE SUBSIDIES FOR SILVER LEVEL HEALTH INSURANCE THAT WAY, WAY EXCEED THE AFFORDABLE CARE REQUIREMENTS SO PEOPLE CAN ACTUALLY AFFORD TO BUY HEALTH INSURANCE.
A 4 0 1 K MATCH OF UP TO 4% OF THEIR SALARY, INCLUDING THE STUDENT.
WE'VE JUST OPTED INTO THE STUDENT LOAN REPAYMENT OPTION.
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PEOPLE CAN USE OUR MATCH TO PAY THEIR STUDENT LOANS.UH, SO WE'RE TRYING TO BUILD CAREERS FOR PEOPLE LOCAL THAT'S GREAT.
UM, ANYWAY, BACK TO WHAT WE'RE GONNA BUILD FOR SOMEWHERE BETWEEN 10 AND $12 MILLION, WE THINK AND HOPE.
UH, IT'S A 10 COURT FACILITY, 10 TENNIS, UH, COURTS, SIX SOFT COURTS, WHICH DON'T, AND THERE ARE NO SOFT COURTS IN THE PARK RIGHT NOW.
I THINK THAT'S WHY THE TENNIS LOVERS IN, UH, THE TOWN HAVE, HAVE WANTED THIS FOR SO LONG.
THEY WANT FOR OLDER PLAYERS AND PLAYERS COPING WITH INJURIES AND PLAYERS WHO WANT TO PLAY IN A, ON A SAFER COOLER, SO SOFTER SURFACE, WE'LL HAVE THAT OPTION.
AND THEN WE'LL BUILD FOUR, UH, HARD COURTS, UH, AND SIX PICKLE DEDICATED PICKLEBALL COURTS IN TWO BUBBLES.
SO IT'LL, THERE'LL BE TWO AIR STRUCTURES AND A BRAND NEW CLUBHOUSE.
AND THEY'LL, THEY'LL BE A SMALLER, UH, SORT OF ALL-PURPOSE PLAY SPACE THAT WILL HAVE PICKLEBALL AND SPORTS AND CAMP ACTIVITIES.
UM, BETTER LOOK AT PICTURES, I THINK IF YOU CAN SEE 'EM.
I MIGHT SUGGEST JUST FOR POWERPOINTS, YOU PROBABLY HAVE FOUR POWERPOINTS ON THAT SLIDE.
SO PEOPLE WATCHING THIS ON TV, THEY'RE NOT GONNA BE ABLE TO READ THAT.
THEY PROBABLY COULD MAKE OUT IT IF IT'S ON ZOOM, BUT YOU MIGHT WANT TO CONSIDER IF YOU'RE DOING THIS PRESENTATION AGAIN, TO TAKE FEWER, FEWER WORDS AND LARGER
I'LL DO THAT WHEN WE DO IT AGAIN, BUT WE'RE ALSO HAPPY FOR ANYBODY WHO REACHES OUT AND SAYS THEY WANT TO SEE ALL THE WORDS.
WE'RE HAPPY TO PROVIDE THE POWERPOINT, OR YOU GUYS PROBABLY HAVE IT ALREADY, BUT SORRY ABOUT THAT.
BUT IT'S JUST FOR THE PEOPLE WATCHING ON TV WASN'T THINKING ABOUT THIS.
YOU DON'T HAVE TO ADJUST YOUR TELEVISION
UH, FRANCIS, THAT'S A VERY GOOD POINT.
AND, UH, IF, IF ANY RESIDENT, UH, WOULD LIKE TO SEE THIS POWER PRESENTATION, JUST EMAIL ME AT G BURN AT GREENBERG NY AND I WILL EMAIL THEM THIS PRESENTATION.
SO THIS IS A PICTURE, AN AERIAL VIEW OF THE TWO BUBBLES.
THE ONE TO THE RIGHT, UH, WOULD BE THE SOFT COURTS, THE SIX SOFT COURTS.
THE ONE TO THE LEFT WOULD BE THE, UH, FOUR HARD COURTS AND THE SIX PICKLEBALL COURTS.
AND THEN THE OPEN SPACE JUST ABOVE THE CLUBHOUSE IS THE SEASONAL ENCLOSURE FOR PICKLEBALL AND SPORTS AND CAMP ACTIVITIES.
AND THEN THAT PERMANENT, UH, FLOOR PLAN'S BASED IS A CLUBHOUSE.
I THINK WE HAVE SOME DETAIL LOCKER ROOMS, UH, UH, SNACK BAR OF SOME KIND, VENDING, SOME OFFICES A D, EVERYTHING'S A D ACCESSIBLE TO GROUND LEVEL WITHOUT THE USE OF LIFTS, WHEELCHAIR ACCESS, ACCESS FOR PEOPLE WHO NEED ACCESSIBILITY.
AND THEN THERE'S SOME, UH, DIMENSIONAL VIEWS, SOME MORE DIMENSIONAL VIEWS.
THERE'S A, A TRANSPARENT VIEW.
THIS IS ALL BASICALLY CONCEPTUAL.
OBVIOUSLY A LOT OF THOUGHT HAS GONE INTO THE LAYOUT.
BUT O ALSO, OBVIOUSLY WE'RE GONNA WORK THROUGH A PLANNING PHASE WHERE WHATEVER REVIEWS ARE REQUIRED BY THE MUNICIPALITY WILL HAPPEN, WHETHER IT'S ARCHITECTURAL OR, OR A D A OR, OR DESIGN.
THERE'S ANOTHER THROUGH VIEW WHERE YOU CAN SEE COURT'S SIZES, DIMENSIONS, AND THE ACTUAL COLOR OF THE SURFACES.
THAT'S PRETTY MUCH THE PRESENTATION.
SO I THOUGHT I WAS, I WAS TOLD TO GO QUICK.
I'M SORRY IF IT WASN'T THAT QUICK, BUT WE WANTED TIME FOR QUESTIONS.
IS THE TENANT, I REMEMBER THERE WAS LIKE A LITTLE DOWNTURN IN TENNIS, YOU KNOW, A COUPLE YEARS AGO.
NOW IT'S PICKING UP, THERE WAS A, THERE WAS A BIG DOWNTURN AND IT WAS A BOTH SLOW AND A SLOW AND STEADY DECLINE IN THE OVERALL NUMBER OF PLAYERS.
AND IT, IT, YOU KNOW, AT ONE, THERE WAS AT ONE POINT WHERE SPORTS ILLUSTRATED HAD A COVER THAT ASKED, WAS TENNIS DEAD? IT WAS NEVER DEAD.
I MEAN, IN WHERE WE LIVE, BECAUSE IT'S A GENERATIONAL SPORT, IT'S A COLLEGE ACCESS SPORT.
SO THAT, YOU KNOW, IT'S BEEN A, A GREAT, UH, SPORT FOR MANY.
BUT IT'S, IT'S IN A, A MAJOR RESURGENCE.
THERE'S 6 MILLION MORE PLAYERS PLAYING TODAY THAN IN THE YEAR BEFORE THE PANDEMIC.
AND THERE'S ABOUT 26 MILLION ACTIVE PLAYERS IN THE COUNTRY.
AND THIS, THIS OUR AREA, WHICH IS CALLED THE EASTERN SECTION, WAS LAST YEAR.
THE BUSIEST SECTION, MEANING ALMOST 10% OF THE RESIDENTS HERE PLAY TENNIS.
IT'S, WE'VE JUST, UH, LOST THAT NUMBER ONE SPOT TO, UH, SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA AND FLORIDA, WHICH USUALLY THEY WERE IN THE FRONT.
THOSE ARE THE THREE BIG AREAS, FLORIDA, SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA, AND HERE.
AND IT'S REMARKABLE THAT WE'RE BASICALLY EITHER ONE OR TWO BECAUSE IT'S NOT WEATHER.
THE WEATHER HERE IS NOT GOOD, WHICH IS ONE OF THE REASONS WE NEED TO BUILD THESE FACILITIES SO PEOPLE CAN PLAY YEAR ROUND.
BUT I THINK THAT THE NEXT GENERATION OF PLAYERS WERE SORT OF BORN IN THE LAST DECADE AND THEN EXPLODED DURING THE PANDEMIC WHEN THEY HAD A LITTLE MORE FREE TIME AND WANTED A LITTLE MORE FRESH AIR.
SO I THINK TENNIS IS DOING PRETTY WELL.
[00:25:01]
AND JERRY, WHAT'S THE STEPS THAT YOU THINK HAVE TO BE TAKEN? GREAT QUESTION.UM, UH, WHAT I THINK THE NEXT STEP WOULD BE NOW SINCE, UH, WE'RE JUST ABOUT DONE WITH THE, UH, LEASE AGREEMENTS, I, I THINK, UH, JOE DANKO IS, UH, TOUCHING UP A FEW THINGS.
WE SENT A PRELIMINARY DRAFT TO THE TOWN BOARD ALREADY.
I THINK THE NEXT STEP WOULD BE, AND I'VE LOOKED AT MY CALENDAR, IS WHAT WE DID BACK IN, UH, 2004, IS TO HAVE A PUBLIC DISCUSSION.
UH, THE LAW DOES NOT REQUIRE US TO, BUT THE TOWN BOARD AT THE TIME, AND I KNOW YOU WOULD TOO, TO BE TRANSPARENT, IS GIVE THE COMMUNITY A CHANCE TO COME OUT, SEE THIS PRESENTATION AND FIELD QUESTIONS, UH, FROM THEM.
AND, UH, I'M HOPING WE CAN GET ON THE AGENDA ON WEDNESDAY, JUNE 14TH FOR THE NEXT STEP.
IF IT'S OKAY WITH THIS BOARD, YOU MAY WANT TO THINK ABOUT IT AND DISCUSS IT LATER.
IT DOES HAVE TO HAVE AN ANSWER NOW, OF COURSE.
AND THEN, UM, AT, AT THAT POINT, UH, I WOULD HOPE MAYBE IN JUNE OR AUGUST THAT WE CAN, UH, HAVE A RESOLUTION FOR THE TOWN BOARD, UH, WHETHER TO SIGN OR NOT TO SIGN.
DO WE NEED DISAGREE? HAVE, ARE THERE ANY REQUIREMENTS FROM WALDEN A OR IS NO SEPARATE TO THAT? I MEAN, I, I THINK, UM, WE'RE FINE IN THE LAW THAT WE HAVE NOW, BUT WE WANT TO TIGHTEN IT UP.
WE WANT TO ELIMINATE ANY POSSIBILITY.
I HAD A DISCUSSION WITH JOE DANKO AND UH, WE FELT, AS WE'VE SHARED WITH YOU THAT WE HAD SOME DRAFT LEGISLATION, UH, COUNCILWOMAN ELLEN HENDRICKS IS WORKING RIGHT NOW WITH OUR, UH, LEGISLATOR AND AND SENATORS TO, TO TRY TO GET IT UP ON THE AGENDA AND APPROVED.
AND THAT ISSUE IS EVEN ADDRESSED IN THE, UH, LEASE AGREEMENT, UH, THAT WE HAVE PUT FORTH.
SO I THINK THEY BOTH CAN COEXIST AT THE SAME TIME.
SO WE NEED A HOME RULE MESSAGE.
WE'RE AN NOT CHANGING, JUST, JUST JUST WE, WE JUST WANT TO DEFINE WHAT IS A TENNIS FACILITY, WHICH WE WANNA BASICALLY SAY YES.
AND JUST TO CLARIFY, ONCE AGAIN, THAT DEFINITION WOULD SAY THAT A TENNIS FACILITY IS A PLACE THAT PROVIDES PROGRAMMING AND SERVICES RELATED TO TENNIS AND OTHER SPORTS, WHICH REQUIRE A USE OF RACKETS OR PADDLES TO STRIKE BALLS OR OBJECTS.
SO THAT PICKLEBALL CAN BE INCLUDED IN THAT DEFINITION AS WELL.
HAVE YOU DONE A PLAN THAT SHOWS, I'M SORRY, ELLEN, DID YOU WANNA CONTINUE? NO, GO AHEAD.
I CAN, DO YOU HAVE A PLAN THAT SHOWS THE ELEVATION OF THE DOME VERSUS THE, UM, RESIDENTS THAT ARE AROUND THE PROPERTIES? BECAUSE SOME OF THESE LOOK LIKE LIGHT BULBS, YOU KNOW, FROM A DISTANCE.
UM, WELL WE CERTAINLY HAVE ELEVATIONS AND DIFFERENT PERSPECTIVE VIEWS, RIGHT.
WHICH I DIDN'T SPEND A LOT OF TIME FOCUSING ON.
AND TO BE HONEST, I WOULD LET OUR ARCHITECT REALLY MORE FULLY ILLUMINATED FOR YOU GUYS.
OR IF WE COME BEFORE THE PUBLIC, PARDON THE PUN, PARDON THE PUN,
AND IT'S IN A LOW, IT'S IN A LOW POINT.
IT'S A, IT'S ON THE AWAY FROM THE RESIDENTIAL SIDE.
I MEAN, I THINK THE, YOU GUYS PICKED, YOU GUYS DID MOST OF THE WORK BY PICKING THE RIGHT SITE IN THE PARK, THE LOWEST.
BUT I, BUT I THINK THAT, WE'LL, WE WILL, WE'LL BE ABLE TO ASSUAGE PEOPLE'S FEARS ABOUT IT BEING VERY ATTRACTIVE AND ALSO NOT, UH, ANY SORT OF EYESORE.
BUT I WOULD APPRECIATE IT IF YOU COULD ASSUAGE MY CONCERN AS OPPOSED TO WAITING UNTIL YOU HAVE A PUBLIC HEARING OR A PUBLIC DISCUSSION TO ASSUAGE THE CONCERNS OF THE PUBLIC.
I, I WOULD LIKE TO, BUT I MEAN, YOU JUST HAVE TO SAY HOW YOU WANT ME TO DO IT.
LIKE I CAN, I CAN, WE HAVE A TERRIFIC ARCHITECT.
HE'S LOCAL, HE'S WHITE PLAINS, AND HE, YOU KNOW, HE'S COMFORTABLE THAT HE CAN, THAT HE CAN DESIGN SOMETHING AND HAS DESIGNED SOMETHING THAT WORKS.
SO I, I JUST, WE COULD MEET WITH YOU OR WE COULD, YOU COULD ASK FOR, I, I DON'T KNOW EXACTLY WHAT KIND OF PERSPECTIVE DRAWING WOULD HELP, BUT WE CAN CREATE WHATEVER WOULD HELP.
I GUESS WHAT I'D LIKE TO ADD TO THAT, THAT'S A GOOD POINT, IS THIS, IS THIS ON, 'CAUSE THAT'S GONNA BE A PRIMARY CONCERN.
IN ADDITION IN THE PRESENTATION WE HAVE WITH THE, YOU KNOW, UH, LEASE AGREEMENT, UM, THAT IS CONDITIONAL AFTER THE, IF THE TOWN BOARD APPROVES IT, IT'S STILL CONDITIONAL THAT IT MEETS ALL BUILDING CODES.
AND, AND IT WILL GO THROUGH A PLANNING BOARD OF REVIEW AND THERE STILL WILL BE MORE DISCUSSIONS AND THEN PROBABLY IN MORE DETAIL AT THAT TIME, WE WILL HAVE THE HEIGHTS AND WHATEVER AND THE PLANNING BOARD WILL MAKE SURE THAT WE ADDRESS ALL THOSE ISSUES.
SO JERRY, PUSH THE BUTTON ON THE MICROPHONE.
SEE, I MEAN, WHAT'S, WHAT'S, WHAT I THINK WE HAVE TO WORK TOGETHER TO DO IS, THAT'S HOW YOU GOT YOUR FINGER ON IT.
WHAT I THINK WE WOULD HAVE TO WORK TOGETHER TO DO AT ANY TIME THAT YOU WANT US TO, IS TO FIGURE OUT THE, THE RIGHT TOOLS OF ANALYSIS.
I MEAN, MAYBE WE HAVE TO CREATE VIEWS FROM VARIOUS OTHER ELEVATIONS.
THE HEIGHTS ARE REALLY SET IN STONE, LIKE AN AIR STRUCTURE HAS TO BE A CERTAIN HEIGHT BASED ON ITS NARROWEST POINT, OTHERWISE YOU CAN FALL DOWN ON YOUR SNOW LOAD, RIGHT?
[00:30:01]
SO THAT WE CAN'T CHANGE THE ELEVATIONS, WE CAN CHANGE AND THE LOCATIONS WE CAN CHANGE, ALTHOUGH IT'S A VERY NARROW AND STRANGELY SAFE BILLING ENVELOPE, RIGHT? SO THE DESIGN SORT OF IS, IS, IS WORKS WITH THAT TO MAKE IT WORK.BUT I MEAN, WE'RE NOT, WE'RE I'M, WE'LL, WE'LL DIRECT AND PAY FOR WHATEVER ANALYSIS WE NEED TO CREATE.
I JUST DON'T WANT IT TO BE, I WANT IT TO BE REAL.
SOMETHING THAT HAS, WHAT MAKES THIS WOULD MAKE THIS SITE VERY ATTRACTIVE IS AS THERE'S A LOT OF DIFFERENT GRADES IN ANTHONY AND VETERAN PARK, AND PROBABLY THE HIGHEST POINT OF THIS DEVELOPMENT WILL BE BELOW, UH, THE HEIGHT OF THE, THE, UH, INTERACTIVE POOL.
AND IT'S SURROUNDED REALLY BY A LOT OF PARKLAND.
IT'S, IT ALSO, UH, THE BORDER ON THE EAST END, ITS NEIGHBOR IS THE SPRINGBROOK PARKWAY.
SO YOU HAVE TO GO ALL THE WAY ACROSS THAT, THEN THE ELEVATION STARTS TO GO UP INTO SOME OF THE FEW HOMES THAT ARE IN THERE.
SO FROM A, IT'S NOT LIKE WE'RE PUTTING IT, YOU KNOW, IN, IN THE MIDDLE OF A, OF A MAJOR DEVELOPMENT WITH HOMES SURROUNDED.
THIS IS REALLY, REALLY BUFFERED BY PARK LAND.
AND THE OTHER NEIGHBOR WILL BE THE, UH, YOU KNOW, LEY HIGHWAY GARAGE.
BUT THEY WON'T ONLY BE ABLE TO SEE IT AT THIS POINT.
ALL WE NEED TO KNOW IS THAT IT'S GONNA BE ADDRESSED.
I MEAN, THE OTHER, THE ONLY OTHER THING I WOULD POINT OUT THAT'S JUST A LOGIC PART IS THERE, THERE OBVIOUSLY THE, WE'RE NOT COMING INTO A PARK THAT'S UNLIGHTED AND INTRODUCING LIGHT.
WE'RE COMING INTO A PARK WHERE THERE ARE MANY LIGHTED COURTS AND HAVE BEEN THERE FOR A LONG TIME.
AND WE'RE ACT ARE, WE'RE REQUIRED AS A TERM OF THE LEASES TO LIGHT THESE COURTS FOR OUTDOOR PLAY.
BUT WHEN THE AIR STRUCTURES ARE IN PLACE, WE'RE GREATLY REDUCING THE LIGHT, NOT ENHANCING THE LIGHTING.
COULD YOU JUST, UH, REFRESH, I'M SORRY.
NUMBER ONE, THE LIGHTING CAN ALSO, THERE ARE LIGHTS THAT ARE MORE DIRECTED AND, AND DON'T HAVE AMBIENT SPREAD THAT CAN BE USED, CORRECT? WELL, THERE, THERE ARE, THERE ARE, THERE'S NO QUESTION THAT THE LIGHTS WILL BE BUILDING, HAVE LESS POLLUTION AND LESS SPREAD.
BUT OBVIOUSLY IF IT'S ENOUGH YOU HAVE TO HAVE ENOUGH.
YOU HAVE TO LIGHT THE ENTIRE PLAYING AREA.
THERE'S SOME, I'M NOT GONNA TELL YOU THAT THERE'S NOT SOME LIGHT, YOU KNOW, IT'S A BIG AREA AND YOU NEED 50 30 OR 40 OR 50 CANDLE POWER.
BUT COMPARED TO THE LIGHTS THAT ARE THERE NOW, THE OLD FASHIONED METAL, HOW LIGHTS THAT AREN'T FOCUSED THE WAY A MODERN L E D IS, THEY'LL BE SUBSTANTIALLY LESS, LESS LIGHT POLLUTION.
AND I HAVE, I JUST WANTED TO ASK ONE MORE THING FOR JERRY.
UM, AS YOU MENTIONED, ALL THE, ALL THE PROCEEDS GET FUNNELED BACK INTO THE PARK SYSTEM, SO YOU MIGHT WANT TO JUST SUGGEST SOME OF THE THINGS THAT YOU WOULD USE THOSE MONIES FOR.
UH, IMMEDIATELY, UM, WE ARE LOOKING AT ADDRESSING ISSUES AT ANTHONY AT VETERAN PARK, WHETHER IT'S THE PARKING LOT AND DEFINITELY THE TENNIS COURTS.
IT'S A 19, UH, LIGHTED TENNIS COURT FACILITY.
RIGHT NOW WE ARE ONLY REMOVING SEVEN OF THOSE COURTS.
WE STILL HAVE 12 COURTS THAT WILL, TWO OF 'EM WILL BE FOR PICKLEBALL AND THEN THE REMAINING WILL BE FOR TENNIS.
ALL OF THOSE, UH, COURTS, IT'S EXPENSIVE THESE DAYS TO MAINTAIN.
AND WHAT WE'RE SO EXCITED ABOUT THIS PROGRAM IS NOT ONLY IS THAT OUR RESIDENTS WILL BE ABLE TO GET A HIGH QUALITY COMMERCIAL RECREATION EXPERIENCE AT FAIR MARKET VALUE, OUR RESIDENTS WILL RECEIVE A 10% DISCOUNT.
WE WILL HAVE A PROGRAM IN PLACE FOR, UM, UH, PEOPLE IN FINANCIAL NEED.
AND AS YOU HEARD EARLIER, THAT THEY HAVE AN ESTABLISHED PROGRAM THAT THAT IS GONNA CARRY OVER FOR US.
SO OUR RESIDENTS ARE GONNA HAVE A GREAT EXPERIENCE, THE YOUNG ONES THAT CAN TAKE IT ON TO THE NEXT LEVEL.
AND I BELIEVE WITH THE MONEY THAT GOES BACK INTO THE PARK AND THE PROGRAMS, I BELIEVE NOT ONLY WILL THIS BE THE BEST COMMERCIAL PROGRAM IN THE WESTCHESTER AREA, I THINK FROM A PUBLIC STANDPOINT FOR AFFORDABLE TENANTS, 'CAUSE WE'LL BE RUNNING OUR PROGRAMS TOO, BUT IT'S AT A DIFFERENT MARKETPLACE THAT IT'S GONNA BE THE BEST IN THE STATE OF NEW YORK.
AND INFRASTRUCTURE WISE, YOU'LL BE DOING REPAIRS.
WE'LL BE, FOR EXAMPLE, TO RENOVATE A TENNIS COURT, LIKE A HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS THE FIRST YEAR WE'RE GONNA TAKE, WE'RE BRING IN BETWEEN THE TWO LEASES, $250,000 MINIMUM.
AND THIS AGREEMENT, IF THEY HAVE A SUCCESSFUL BUSINESS, WE GET 10%.
IF IT EXCEEDS 10% OF THEIR GROSS RECEIPTS, WE'LL GET MORE THAN $250,000.
WE HOPE THEY'RE SUCCESSFUL BECAUSE THAT'S MORE MONEY THAT BE GENERATED THAN WE PUT INTO THAT PARK THAT GOES BACK INTO OUR PARK SYSTEM.
AND, AND YOU WILL, I MEAN, PART OF THE DANCE AND I THINK WE'VE BEEN CHOSEN THREE TIMES, SO WE MUST BE DOING SOMETHING RIGHT.
I HOPE, UH, ONE OF THE THINGS WE DO IS BE HONEST ABOUT WHAT WE'RE GONNA DO AND WHAT THE LIKELY RESULTS WILL BE.
BUT WE ALSO HAVE THIS LONG TRACK RECORD NOW OF ACTUAL RESULTS AS A LESS YEAR LICENSEE OF MUNICIPALITY WHERE OUR LICENSE FEE IS ALWAYS 'CAUSE IT'S THE BEST WAY TO DO IT.
A GUARANTEED BASED FEE VERSUS A PERCENTAGE OF REVENUES.
[00:35:01]
IN THETHAT'S AN ANTIQUATED, A COURT FACILITY IN LAKE ISLE.
THIS YEAR I BELIEVE WE'RE ON SCHEDULE TO PAY ABOUT $600,000 OF LICENSE FEES.
AND IN NEW YORK CITY, I BELIEVE THIS YEAR WE'RE PAYING CLOSE TO $2 MILLION OF LICENSE FEES IN A YEAR.
AND OBVI AND WHAT'S FUNNY OR NOT FUNNY, WHAT'S IRONIC IS SINCE THE FIRST TIME WE APPEARED BEFORE THE PARKS COMMITTEE AND JERRY, THAT THEY'VE BEEN TRYING TO FIND A WAY TO RENOVATE THESE OLD, SOMEWHAT DILAPIDATED COURTS THAT'S, AND NOW, AND THEY'VE BEEN BAND-AIDING TOGETHER FOR 20 YEARS.
SO THIS SHOULD PROVIDE THE FUNDING TO REFURBISH THE PARK FOR EVERYONE.
SO THE NEXT STEP IS TO SEE IF THE TOWN BOARD, IF WE CAN GET ON A, UH, FOR A PUBLIC DISCUSSION, ADDRESS SOME OF THE OTHER ISSUES THAT CAME UP TODAY AND THEN MAYBE, YOU KNOW, HAVE SOMETHING.
JUST KEEP IN MIND ONCE THE, LIKE I SAID EARLIER, I WANT TO REINFORCE IF, IF THE LEASE AGREEMENT IS APPROVED, AND I HOPE IT IS AND I ADVOCATE TO, TO BE APPROVED, THAT THERE IS STILL A PROCESS FOR THE COMMUNITY TO GET INVOLVED AND WHICH IT WILL BE THROUGH THE PLANNING BOARD MM-HMM.
WE'RE GONNA HAVE TO ALSO WORK REALLY FAST ON THE HOME RULE MESSAGE BECAUSE ALBANY'S GONNA BE POSSIBLY OUT OF SESSION NEXT MONTH AT THE END OF JUNE.
YEAH, WE RIGHT, WE'RE MOVING ON THAT RIGHT? YEAH.
THANK YOU GUYS FOR HAVING US PASS.
WHAT ARE YOU GONNA CALL THIS, UH, SPORT TIME GREENBERG? SOUNDS GREAT.
THAT'S REALLY, WE KEEP IT SIMPLE.
WE CALL IT SPORT TIME AND WHERE IT IS.
AND IT'LL BE ADD ON, I THINK THE JOHN MCENROE, IT'LL BE LIKE GREEN.
IS THERE ANYONE HERE ON THE PUBLIC RECORDS REQUEST? PUBLIC RECORDS REQUEST? THE FOIL, FOIL APPEAL HEARING REGARDING CONSTRUCTION MONITOR ARE, EXCUSE ME? ARE YOU HERE FOR THE FOIL APPEAL? ARE YOU HERE FOR THE FOIL APPEAL? ROGER BUR HE'S HERE FOR SUSTAIN SUSTAINABLE.
HI RE LIZ IS HERE FOR THE FOIL.
ARE YOU HERE FOR THE FOIL? OH, OKAY.
AND CAN I CONFIRM THAT THERE IS NO ONE IN ATTENDANCE FOR THIS FOIL HEARING? THAT IS NOT, NOT HERE IN PERSON, CORRECT.
NOBODY ON ZOOM, BUT NOBODY ASKED FOR IT.
JUST TO PROVIDE A, A BRIEF SUMMARY, UM, THE APP TALENT CONSTRUCTION MONITOR, THEY, THEY'RE REPRESENTED BY ATTORNEYS AND THEY SENT IN THEIR APPEAL.
I'M NOT SURE IF THEY'RE HAVING TROUBLE ATTENDING TONIGHT BECAUSE I WAS UNDER THE ASSUMPTION THAT THEY WOULD BE ATTENDING.
THEY DID NOT LET ANYONE KNOW THAT THEY WERE JUST GOING BASED ON THE RECORD ITSELF.
UM, SO I, I THINK I MIGHT WANNA DOUBLE CHECK WITH THEM ON THAT.
BUT JUST, I'LL BRIEFLY SAY THAT ON MARCH 24TH, CONSTRUCTION MONITOR SUBMITTED A REQUEST, UH, UNDER FOIL FOR A REPORT OF ALL ISSUED BUILDING PERMIT INFORMATION FOR RESIDENTIAL AND COMMERCIAL PROPERTIES FROM JANUARY 1ST, 2023 TO FEBRUARY 28TH, 2023.
JERRY, JERRY, JERRY, WE CAN'T HEAR.
YEAH, SO THEY WERE, THEY ASKED FOR A REPORT OF ALL ISSUED BUILDING PERMITS AND ASKED IF POSSIBLE IF THE BUILDING, IF THEY COULD INCLUDE THE PERMIT NUMBER, ISSUED DATE, SITE ADDRESS, VALUATION OF PROJECT DESCRIPTION OF WORK CONTRACTOR, AND OWNER INFORMATION.
THREE DAYS LATER, IN A TIMELY MATTER ON MARCH 27TH, UH, THE REQUEST WAS DENIED DUE TO AN UNWARRANTED DISCLOSURE OF PERSONAL PRIVACY AND A CITATION WAS GIVEN TO NEW YORK PUBLIC OFFICER'S LAW SECTION NUMBER 89 BY DEPUTY BUILDING INSPECTOR ELIZABETH GARRITY.
WHILE IT DID NOT SPECIFICALLY SAY SO ON THE DENIAL, THE REASON FOR THE DENIAL WAS THAT YOU CAN DENY REQUESTS FOR THE RELEASE OF NAMES AND ADDRESSES IF SUCH LISTS WOULD BE USED FOR SOLICITATION PURPOSES.
AND IT'S MY UNDERSTANDING THAT DEPUTY INSPECTOR GARRITY FOUND EVIDENCE BASED ON THE A APPELLANT'S WEBSITE, UM, THAT IT ACTUALLY WOULD BE USED FOR SOLICITATION
[00:40:01]
PURPOSES.AND THAT'S WHY THE DENIAL WAS MADE.
AND I, I BELIEVE SHE HAS SHARED SOME INFORMATION AS WELL THAT LED HER TO THAT DETERMINATION.
LIZ, JUST MOVE THE MICRO MICROPHONE A LITTLE TOO CLOSER.
IF IT'S THIS EASIER, YOU CAN USE THE OTHER ONE YEAH.
SO I WENT TO THEIR WEBSITE, WHICH, UM, CONSTRUCTION MONITOR AND I GAVE COPIES OF WHAT LED ME TO BELIEVE THIS WAS TOTALLY FOR SOLICITATION PURPOSES.
BASICALLY THEIR WHOLE PURPOSE AS LISTED ON THEIR WEBSITE, IS TO PROVIDE LEAD INFORMATION AND, UM, FOR SOLICITATION OF CONSTRUCTION SO THEY CAN SELL IT TO OTHER AGENCIES.
IN THEIR APPEAL, THEY LISTED THAT THEY ARE PROVIDING INFORMATION TO THE US CENSUS BUREAU, WHICH WE DO OURSELVES EVERY MONTH.
WE SEND A REPORT, WHICH IS EXHIBIT D TO THE US CENSUS BUREAU DIRECTLY.
SO THAT INFORMATION IS READILY AVAILABLE, UM, THROUGH THE CENSUS BUREAU WITHOUT SEEKING, UM, INFORMATION.
THIRD PARTY THROUGH, THROUGH A THIRD PARTY.
UM, SO IF, IF YOU GO THROUGH THE EXHIBITS, YOU CAN SEE JUST PRINTOUTS FROM THEIR WEBPAGE.
UM, WHICH
SO FOR MAILING LISTS AND, AND THINGS LIKE THAT.
SO JOE, SINCE THEY'RE REPRESENTED BY COUNCIL AND DIDN'T SHOW UP, HOW SHOULD WE PROCEED? SO, GREAT QUESTION.
SO A DECISION WOULD HAVE TO BE MADE BY NEXT WEDNESDAY, MAY 10TH PURSUANT TO PUBLIC OFFICER'S LAW.
UM, I SUGGEST IF YOU ALLOW ME TO REACH OUT TO THE ATTORNEY AND SEE IF THERE WAS AN ISSUE, UH, ATTENDING TONIGHT, I BELIEVE WE HAVE A FULL RECORD FROM BOTH THE APPELLANT AND FROM THE BUILDING INSPECTOR.
HOWEVER, I THINK WE SHOULD GIVE THEM ONE FURTHER OPPORTUNITY TO RESPOND, UM, SHOULD THEY BE WILLING TO DO SO.
AND WE COULD DO THAT NEXT TUESDAY NIGHT AND WE COULD HAVE A DISCUSSION AND I COULD SEND A DRAFT FORM TO THE TOWN BOARD THE FOLLOWING DAY TO MAKE A FINAL DETERMINATION IN A TIMELY MATTER.
SO WE, WE WOULD THEN ADJOURN THIS UNTIL TUESDAY.
I THINK THAT'S THE, THAT'S BACK.
YOU'RE MAKING THAT MOTION? I'M MAKING THAT MOTION, YES.
ACTUALLY, DO YOU WANT THESE BACK SO WHEN WE COME, WHEN WE COME NEXT TUESDAY, IT MIGHT BE EASIER, RIGHT? IF WE HAD GIVEN THEM BACK TO YOU, YOU CAN JUST BRING THEM ALL BACK.
THAT WAY WE, WE KNOW WE'LL HAVE THEM RATHER THAN TRUST US.
ALRIGHT, NEXT, UH, ALL HERE IN THE A V L GROUP.
HOW ARE YOU? HI, SORRY FOR THE DELAY.
FIRST OF ALL, WE EXCITED ABOUT WHAT WE JUST HEARD WITH THE, UH, NICE.
WE CAN BE OF ANY HELP BECAUSE WE PLAN BOARD WITH YOU
UM, WE, IN TERMS OF WHAT I AGREE WITH YOU IN TERMS OF THAT WE'VE GONE THROUGH THIS, IF THEY WANNA MEET WITH US IN PRE-SUBMISSION, WE OFFER THAT MAYBE EVEN BEFORE THE PUBLIC, YOU KNOW, I THINK WE SHOULD HAVE SOME KIND OF IDEA OF SITE PLAN EXACTLY WHERE ON THE SITE IT'S GONNA BE.
AND THEN DO A, WE CAN DO AN AERIAL MM-HMM.
SO WE'RE HAPPY IF, IF YOU WANT TO ASK THEM TO COME BEFORE US, WE'LL PUT IT ON THE AGENDA.
I THINK THAT'S WHY I ALWAYS, I ALWAYS THINK IT'S BETTER FOR US TO KNOW WHAT THEY'RE PROPOSING ABSOLUTELY.
BEFORE THEY COME BEFORE THE PUBLIC MM-HMM.
SO THAT, YOU KNOW, BECAUSE OTHERWISE IT'LL GET INTO WHAT WERE YOU THINKING, RIGHT? MM-HMM.
AND IF THERE ARE THINGS THAT CAN BE ADDRESSED IN ADVANCE, UH, LET'S ADDRESS IT.
IS GARRETT WITH US NOW? YEP, HE IS.
GARY, ARE YOU READY WITH THE SLIDES? YES.
IT'S BEEN NEWS SINCE I DID THIS PRESENTATION.
YES, THERE HAS BEEN, THERE HAS BEEN, THERE'S BEEN A BUDGET.
IT DOESN'T INCLUDE A BUNCH OF THIS STUFF EXACTLY.
SO SOME OF THE LINES YOU HAVE TO MODIFY ON THE FIRE.
WELL, I'LL TRY TO MODIFY 'EM AS THEY GO TODAY.
FIRST OF ALL, THANK YOU FOR DOING THIS.
UM, WE'RE, WHAT WE'RE HOPING TO DO TODAY IS GIVE YOU WHAT WE THINK IS THE GUIDELINES FOR DOING, UH, THE A IN GREENBURG.
UH, WE'VE ALSO LOOKED AT, WE HAVE SEPARATELY IF YOU WANT TO SEE IT.
POINT, CAN YOU JUST TALK ABOUT WHAT YOUR COMMITTEE'S DONE AND, AND WHEN
[00:45:01]
YOU CAME TOGETHER SURE.AND JUST GIVE US SOME BACKGROUND.
I THINK THAT WOULD BE HELPFUL.
IT, IT'S ACTUALLY LATER IN THERE, BUT, BUT WHY DON'T WE JUST DO THAT.
DO YOU WANNA DO IT JOHAN OR DO YOU WANT DO IT? MISSION OF THE COMMITTEE IS TO CREATE A STRATEGIC PLAN AND SUPPORTING LEGISLATION THAT EXPANDS THE OPPORTUNITY FOR PEOPLE OF ALL INCOME LEVELS TO RESIDE IN COMFORTABLE LIVING SPACES WITHOUT OVERBURDENING THEIR FINANCIAL RESOURCES.
THE GUIDING PRINCIPLES, UH, THAT THESE RESIDENTS RESIDENCES SHOULD BE SEAMLESSLY INTERTWINED INTO THE SURROUNDING COMMUNITY.
WHERE POSSIBLE THESE RESIDENCES SHOULD GIVE THE RESIDENT THE OPPORTUNITY TO GAIN EQUITY AND IMPROVE PERSONAL WEALTH.
OPPORTUNITIES TO PROVIDE INVENTORY NEAR PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION SHOULD BE A PRIORITY.
SUPPORTING LEGISLATION SHOULD ENCOURAGE LONG-TERM RESIDENCIES AND TOOLS SUCH AS MIXED USE DEVELOPMENTS, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO COMMERCIAL, RESIDENTIAL AND THE INTEGRATION OF SENIOR HOUSING WITH FAMILY HOUSING SHOULD BE CONSIDERED.
WHAT WE WANNA BE CLEAR ABOUT IS THERE WERE ALL KINDS OF AFFORDABLE, AFFORDABLE HOUSING.
THERE IS AFFORDABLE, THERE'S THE SECTION EIGHT HOUSING, RIGHT? MM-HMM
UH, ONE OF THE THINGS WE FOUND OUT YESTERDAY, WHICH SHOCKED THE HECK OUT OF ME, THAT ONLY 22% OF OUR INVENTORY IN, UH, RESIDENTIAL INVENTORY IN GREENBURG IS, IS ACTUALLY RENTALS SOMETHING I WOULD NOT HAVE THOUGHT UNTIL I ACTUALLY SAW THE NUMBER.
THAT MAKES IT EVEN MORE DIFFICULT TO DO WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO DO, OBVIOUSLY, BECAUSE THEN YOU HAVE OTHER THINGS LIKE TAXES THAT YOU HAVE TO THINK ABOUT TOO WHEN YOU COME INTO IT.
BUT WE'RE TRYING TO LOOK AT THAT.
THE REASON WHY, WHY WE'RE HERE ABOUT ADUS TODAY.
ADUS IS KIND OF A LOW HANGING FRUIT, NUMBER ONE.
AND NUMBER TWO, THERE'S A LOT OF ACTIVITY SURROUNDING OUR AREA ALREADY IN ADUS.
AND, UH, WE HAVE THAT, THAT SLIDE IF YOU'D LIKE TO SEE IT.
UM, AND THREE, OUR GOVERNOR WOULD'VE LIKED TO PUT IT INTO THE BUDGET THIS TIME.
UM, I THINK IT'S LUCKY SHE DIDN'T.
UM, 'CAUSE I THINK WE HAVE A BETTER PLAN THAN THAT.
AND WHAT YOU'RE GONNA SEE TODAY, BY THE WAY, WE JUST CAME FROM THE GET THANK YOU BY THE WAY, FOR THE, FOR THE SUPPORT TO GO TO THE NEW YORK PLANNING FEDERATION.
IT WAS VERY GOOD FOR ALL OF US.
AND ONE OF THE THINGS WAS A, A WHOLE SEMINAR DONE BY HUMAN BEAM ON ADUS AND WHAT WE'RE GONNA PRESENT TODAY HIT EVERY ONE OF THEIR CHECK MARKS.
SO THAT, THAT'S WHAT IT'S, SO LET, LET'S JUST GO THROUGH IT.
UM, IT IS A VI VIABLE HOUSING TOOL FOR SURE, FOR AFFORDABLE HOUSING.
UM, BUT IT'S NOT FOR EVERYBODY.
I DON'T WANT TO, I DON'T THINK ANY OF US WANNA SEE FAMILIES LIVING IN BASEMENTS, IN ATTICS AND GARAGES.
I DON'T THINK THAT'S AN APPROPRIATE PLACE TO BRING UP A FAMILY.
SO WE WANNA FOCUS OUR LAW AND CRAFT OUR LAW TO, TO FOCUS ON SINGLES AND COUPLES.
UM, IT'S ONLY A SMALL PIECE OF THE PUZZLE, BUT COULD BE EFFECTIVE PIECE OF THE PUZZLE THAT COULD MAYBE GIVE US 2, 2, 300.
MAYBE THAT'S SOMETHING FOR THE TOWN BOARD TO DISCUSS HOW MANY, IF WE WANT A LIMIT AND HOW MANY BUT TWO, 300 UNITS THAT WE DON'T HAVE.
NOW FOR PERSPECTIVE, IF YOU TAKE A LOOK AT THE HOUSING, WHAT IS CONSIDERED THE AFFORDABLE HOUSING SHORTAGE IN, IN, UH, WESTCHESTER COUNTY, IT'S ABOUT 11,500 ROUGHLY.
OUR PERCENTAGE OF THAT WOULD BE 550 UNITS OR JUST IF YOU DID IT BASED ON POPULATION.
JUST SO YOU KNOW THAT THAT'S THE CASE.
OUR PERCENTAGE OF PEOPLE THAT HAVE ARE HOUSE POOR OR HOUSE, UH, SHOULD SAY, UH, HOUSEHOLD STRETCHED IS LESS THAN THAN THE, THE COUNTY.
IT'S ABOUT 32 AND A HALF VERSUS ABOUT 40 FOR THE COUNTY.
SO WE'RE DOING A BETTER JOB ALREADY THAN, THAN OUR NEIGHBORS.
BUT WE STILL HAVE TO DO A LOT MORE.
AND WE KNOW THAT, UM, AS WE KNOW, GOVERNOR HUCKLE HAD, HOEL HAD, HAD PROPOSED ADUS WITHOUT ANY CONSTRAINTS, INCLUDING SEEKER.
UM, AND WE DIDN'T WANT TO, I DON'T THINK ANY OF US HERE WOULD WANT TO OVERRIDE ZONING.
AND OBVIOUSLY THANK YOU FOR ALL THE SUPPORT FROM, UH, ALL THE TOWN SUPERVISORS THAT, THAT, THAT LOBBIED TO, TO KEEP THAT OUT OF THE BILL.
I THINK IT WAS EXTREMELY HELPFUL IN DOING SO.
UM, THE SURROUNDING COMMUNITIES, AS I SAID, ARE ADOPTING TARRYTOWN, DOPPS FERRY HAVE ALREADY ADOPTED, ADOPTED LAWS.
AND IF WE DON'T ADOPT IT SOONER OR LATER, SHE'S GONNA GET SOMETHING FOR OKAY.
SO WE NEED TO BE OUT AHEAD OF, AHEAD OF HER ON THIS.
AND IMPORTANTLY IT'S A GOOD THING TO DO.
OUR OBJECTIVE IS REALLY TO GIVE PEOPLE AN OPPORTUNITY TO DO THIS.
WHICH ALSO OBVIOUSLY ALSO MITIGATES PEOPLE'S SITUATION WITH THEIR HOUSE POOR BECAUSE IT GIVES THEM A LITTLE EXTRA INCOME.
OR IMAGINE SOMEBODY WHO WANTS TO AGE IN PLACE, THEY COULD MOVE TO THE A B U AND RENT OUT THE REST OF THEIR PLACE
[00:50:01]
AND STILL AGE IN PLACE.SO THERE'S A LOT OF ADVANTAGE.
YOU MEAN HOUSE RICH, CASH POOR, YOU CAN BE HOUSE RICH IN CASH.
NOT RIGHT HOUSE RICH CASH POOR IS A GOOD, GOOD, GOOD WAY TO PUT IT, I THINK, UH, FRANCIS.
UM, BUT WE WANNA MAKE SURE IT'S CONSISTENT, THAT WE'RE USING IT CONSISTENTLY AND NOT OVERWHELMING ANYTHING TO THE POINT WHERE WE CHANGE, YOU KNOW, THE NATURE OF OUR NEIGHBORHOODS.
WE'RE A VERY STRANGE BIRD HERE IN GREENBURG.
'CAUSE WE'RE NOT LIKE ANYBODY ELSE.
WE'RE NOT A CITY, BUT WE'RE NOT A VILLAGE EITHER.
WE'RE KIND OF IN BETWEEN THAT WE ARE A MOSAIC.
OKAY? SO, AND WE HAVE A LOT OF RESIDENTIAL COMMUNITIES.
SO HOW DO WE DO THIS WITHOUT AFFECTING THE OVERALL AMBIENCE OF THAT, BUT BE EFFECT HAVING A LAW THAT ACTUALLY WORKS.
AND THAT'S WHAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT.
WE WANNA DO THAT THROUGH A SPECIAL PERMIT PROCESS.
YOU CAN MOVE ON TO NEXT SLIDE, GARRETT.
OUR PROPOSAL WOULD BE, ADU SHOULD BE NO SMALLER THAN 400 FEET.
WELL, 400 FEET WOULD BE GOOD IF YOU'RE REALLY THIN.
SQUARE FEET OR MY FEET AREN'T SQUARE.
SO THAT'S WHY I HAVE A PROBLEM WITH THAT.
OR 30% OF THE SIZE OF THE EXISTING HOUSE.
WE DO NOT WANNA OVERWHELM A SMALL HOUSE.
LET YOU HAVE A 1200 SQUARE FOOT HOUSE.
WE DON'T WANT AN 800 SQUARE FOOT.
THEY SHOULD COMPLY WITH ALL SETBACK F A R AND APPROPRIATE SURFACE COVERAGES IN THE UNDERLYING ZONE TO MAINTAIN THE CHARACTER.
EACH ONE SHOULD HAVE A KITCHEN AND A BATHROOM.
AND IT'S GOTTA BE SELF-SUFFICIENT.
UH, THE EGRESS FROM THE HOUSE MUST BE DIRECT TO THE OUTSIDE.
AND I THINK THAT'S A SAFETY ISSUE TO ME.
I I JUST REMEMBER, I THINK IT WAS THE BRONX WHERE IT HAPPENED WITH THE BASEMENT APARTMENT WHERE ALL THOSE PEOPLE GOT KILLED IN THE FIRE BECAUSE THERE WASN'T A DIRECT EGRESS.
WE'VE GOTTA MAKE SURE THAT I'M EVEN CONCERNED ABOUT ATTICS IN THAT PERSPECTIVE.
'CAUSE WE DON'T EVEN ALLOW, I THINK IN, IN OUR CODE ANYMORE, ANYBODY TO BUILD ABLE A BEDROOM IN THE THIRD, THIRD FLOOR.
SO IT HAS TO BE DIRECT ACCESS TO THE OUTSIDE, EVEN IF IT'S AN ATTIC, ATTIC, AT LEAST ONE OFF STREET PARKING SPACE.
I CAN TELL YOU ON THE PLANNING BOARD, THERE'S SO MANY NEIGHBORHOODS HERE WHERE THERE IS NO ROOM ON THE STREET TO PARK.
AND IN THE WINTER WE DON'T ALLOW PARKING ON ANY STREET, UH, BECAUSE IT MAY BE A LITTLE BIT IN DOWNTOWN HARTSDALE.
SO WE, THEY NEED AN OFF STREET PARKING SPACE.
UM, NO ADDITIONAL FRONT END ENTRANCES.
AGAIN, IF THEY WANTED, IF THEY HAVE TWO ENTRANCES IN THE FRONT AND WANT TO USE ONE OF THEM FOR A D U, THAT'S FINE.
BUT IF THEY DON'T, THE ENTRANCE WOULD BE IN THE BACK AGAIN, ONLY TO TRY TO KEEP THE CHARACTER OF THE NEIGHBORHOOD THE WAY IT IS.
UM, NO MORE THAN ONE A D U PER RESIDENCE.
AND, UM, ONE OF THE RESIDENCES MUST BE OWNER OCCUPIED.
IN OTHER WORDS, THEY CAN LIVE IN EITHER THE A D U OR IN THE PRIMARY RESIDENCE, BUT THEY, THEY HAVE TO STAY ON THE PROPERTY.
WE DON'T WANT ABSENTEE OWNERS.
AND FINALLY, IT OBVIOUSLY IT SHOULD, UH, COMPLY WITH ALL BUILDING AND FIRE CODES.
SO WAIT, WHEN YOU'RE SAYING THE AADA A UH, THE, IT SHOULD HAVE THEIR OWN KITCHEN, THAT WOULD BE A SEPARATE KITCHEN.
IT'S LIKE A LITTLE, IT'S A IMAGINE A SMALL APARTMENT.
WE'RE ALLOWING A SMALL APARTMENT.
AND WHAT WOULD'VE BEEN SINGLE FAMILY? A A SINGLE FAMILY ZONE TYPICALLY.
ON THE PROPERTY WITH THESE PROVISORS WOULD, AS I SAID, WE WOULD WANT TO DO BY SPECIAL PERMIT.
SO HAVE YOU COME UP WITH A NEW DEFINITION OF SINGLE FAMILY BECAUSE AS YOU KNOW NOW WE BASE IT ON THE NUMBER OF KITCHENS.
UH, WE WOULD PROB WE WOULD HAVE TO HAVE TO MODIFY THE CODE AS AN ADDENDUM TO THAT TO DO THAT.
I THINK FRANCIS, TO ALLOW THESE IN, IN, IN THE ART ZONES.
AND ONE OF THE REASONS WHY WE WENT TO THE NUMBER OF KITCHENS, AND THIS IS BEFORE OUR TIME, IS BECAUSE WITH, YOU KNOW, UM, SAME SEX MARRIAGES.
BUT THERE WAS A LEGAL, AND IT WAS DISCRIMINATORY TO SAY, IT'S OKAY IF YOU'RE MARRIED, BUT IF YOU CAN'T GET MARRIED, WELL THAT'S NOW NOT, THAT'S NOT, UH, A WELL WE ALSO, I CAN REMEMBER, SO WE AVOIDED, LEMME JUST FINISH.
SO WE AVOIDED THAT BY GOING WITH THE NUMBER OF KITCHENS.
BECAUSE IT WASN'T BASED ON YOUR LIVING STYLE, IT WAS BASED ON WHAT WOULD BE THE IMPACT.
AND SO EVERYWHERE THROUGHOUT THE UNINCORPORATED AREA OF THE TOWN OF GREENBURG, A SINGLE FAMILY HAS ONE KITCHEN, TWO FAMILY HAS TWO KITCHENS AND SO FORTH.
SO WE HAVE TO MODIFY THE ONE, THE LAW TO DO DO THAT.
I MEAN THERE WERE, EVEN IN OUR TIME, I, I KNOW THERE HAVE BEEN HOUSES THAT HAD A SECOND KITCHEN BECAUSE THEY HAD A SECOND FAMILY LIVING IN THE HOUSE ILLEGALLY, BUT THEY WERE THERE AND THEY WERE TAKING CARE OF MR. LUCIDO.
'CAUSE THERE WAS ONE HOUSE VERY CLOSE TO MY HOUSE THAT WAS LIKE, WE HAVE FRANK BARBIDO NOW FRANCIS
[00:55:01]
FRANK BARBIDO.NOW THAT'S NOT, I KNOW, I JUST WANT TO INTERJECT WHY THIS MEETING IS VERY IMPORTANT, BUT WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE CRAFTING A, A PROPOSAL THAT HAS A REASONABLE CHANCE OF BEING ACCEPTED BY THE TOWN.
SO THIS FEEDBACK IS THAT NOW THIS ONE POINT THAT YOU JUST PHRASED, OH, WE NEVER THOUGHT ABOUT THAT.
SO THAT LAW HAS TO BE CHANGED TO ACCOMMODATE.
SO I, I THINK ALSO BECAUSE THIS DOESN'T SEEM TO BE LIMITED TO, UM, THIS SEEMS TO APPLY ALSO TO OUR SMALLEST LOTS.
UH, YOU CAN GET AN EXTRA PARKING SPOT ON A LOT.
YOU JUST TAKE AWAY THE FRONT GARDEN THAT WE, YOU CAN'T WHY NOT? BECAUSE YOU STILL HAVE TO MEET, MEET F A R AND ALL, ALL THE OTHER REQUIREMENTS OF THE ZONE.
SO THAT, THAT, THAT'S THE WHOLE IDEA, RIGHT? WE DON'T WANT TO CHANGE YOUR CHARACTER.
SO WE'RE ELIMINATE LIMITING THAT.
NOW, SOME, A LOT OF HOUSES ALREADY HAVE THREE SPACES.
REMEMBER, REQUIRED WE REQUIRE TWO SPACES PER RESIDENCE.
IF YOU HAVE A TWO CAR GARAGE IN A DRIVEWAY, YOU'VE GOT FOUR SPACES, YOU DON'T NEED ANOTHER SPACE.
WELL, IF YOU HAVE A GARAGE, A ONE CAR GARAGE, AND A ONE PARKING SPACE IN FRONT OF IT, YOU HAVE THEN YOU ONLY HAVE TWO.
AND THEN YOU DIDN'T HAVE A PROBLEM.
IF YOU DON'T HAVE A LOT OF, A LOT OF EXTRA SPACE, IT'S GONNA DEPEND ON THE SIZE OF THE LAWN, THE SIZE OF THE CURRENT HOUSE, AND ALSO WHERE YOU'RE GONNA
WE HAVE TO LOOK AT THAT THOUGH.
AS FAR AS THE, UH, I'M SORRY, I DIDN'T MEAN TO INTERRUPT.
WE HAVE TO LOOK AT THAT THOUGH, BECAUSE ON MANY LOTS, I'VE SEEN THIS ON MANY LOTS.
YOU CAN MEET F A R AND STILL BASICALLY TAKE OUT YOUR FRONT LAWN AND IT LOOKS LIKE IT'S JUST YEAH, JUST HAVE THAT'S A GOOD POINT.
PARTICULARLY, WE ABOUT THINK WE WANNA HAVE PARKING SPACES ON THE FRONT LAWN.
UM, GARY, COULD YOU JUST GO TO THE LAST SLIDE FOR A SECOND, PLEASE? THERE IS SOME OTHER ISSUES, UH, THAT WE ARE STILL OPEN.
UM, SOME OF THE LAWS THAT WE'VE SEEN HAVE ACTUALLY CAPPED, I THINK THE TARRYTOWN LAW DOES, AND I THINK THE DOBBS LAW DOES.
I DON'T THINK I'VE SEEN THE HASTINGS LAW, OR MAYBE I HAVE BECAUSE IT'S, I THINK IT'S, I CAN TELL YOU A LITTLE BIT ABOUT HASTINGS THOUGH.
BUT I KNOW THAT THEY, THEY HAVE LIMITED CAP, THE NUMBER OF ADUS THAT ARE ALLOWED.
SO IT'S SOMETHING WE NEED TO CONSIDER, AND WE PROBABLY WANT TO DO IT IN A WAY THAT'S EQUALLY DISTRIBUTED ACROSS THE TOWN.
SO THEY DON'T ALL END UP IN, ON MANHATTAN AVENUE OR, OR ANY PLACE ELSE, YOU KNOW, OR OFF OF NORWOOD ROAD YEAH.
MY GUESS IS THEY WON'T ALL END UP IN EDGEMONT, BUT, UM, YOU KNOW, BUT THEY WILL, I, I THINK THEY NEED TO BE EQUALLY DISTRIBUTED.
WE DON'T WANT TO PUT THEM ON ONE AREA.
THAT WOULD NOT BE A GOOD THING.
WELL, THEN WHAT YOU'D WANT TO DO IS DO A RADIUS WHERE IF ONE GOES IN, THEN A CERTAIN RADIUS DOES A BECAUSE IF YOU SAY THROUGHOUT THE TOWN, THAT'S A, THAT'S A'S A, THAT'S, THAT'S A COMMON NUMBER.
THAT'S, THAT'S WHY THE QUESTION IS, WE, WE WOULD BREAK THE TOWN UP AND THEN LOOK, LOOK AT WITHIN THAT, UH, A TWO MILE RADIUS BLANK NUMBER.
AND THAT'S SOMETHING WE HAVE TO DISCUSS.
THE OTHER THING THAT WE DISCUSSED, BUT WE DON'T HAVE AN ANSWER TO YET, IS WHETHER WE CAN LIMIT HOW MANY PEOPLE LIVE IN, IN AN A D U.
WE'D LIKE TO BE ABLE TO LIMIT IT TO A COUPLE.
THAT THOUGHT YOU SUGGESTED, I THOUGHT YOU SAID SINGLE OR ONE OR TWO.
THAT'S WHAT I THOUGHT YOU SAID.
WELL, THAT'S WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO DO, WHETHER WE CAN DO, YOU CAN DO IT BY THE BEDROOMS. OKAY.
IF YOU LIMIT TO ONE BEDROOM THAT LIMITS IT TO TWO.
BUT WHAT IF YOU HAVE TWO WORKING PEOPLE THAT WANNA LIVE THERE, THEN YOU'VE SCREWED THEM.
RIGHT? 'CAUSE THEY CAN'T HAVE TWO BEDROOMS. NO, BUT WHICH YOU COULD DO IN AN 800 SQUARE FOOT APARTMENT.
SO THE QUESTION IS, LEGALLY, CAN WE LIMIT IT? AND I DON'T, WE DON'T KNOW THE ANSWER TO THIS YET.
WHETHER WE LEGALLY CAN LIMITATE TO TWO OCCUPANTS OR NOT, THAT'S ONE OF THE THINGS WE HAVE TO FIND OUT.
WELL, WE CURRENTLY LIMIT HOW MANY PEOPLE CAN LIVE IN A DWELLING.
SO THE QUESTION IS BY THE NUMBER OF BEDROOMS IS HOW WE DO IT, THOUGH.
UM, I DON'T, THAT MAY BE IN, IN APARTMENTS, BUT, UH, I'M NOT SURE THAT THERE'S, I'D HAVE TO CHECK.
SOME THINGS I'M NOT, SOME THINGS HAVE CHECKED, BUT I, I THINK THAT IT'S APPARENTLY HARD NUMBER.
THAT'S WHY NOBODY EVER TAKES, TAKES INTO CONSIDERATION.
WELL, I DIDN'T KNOW UNTIL LOOKED THAT WE ACTUALLY ALLOWED BORDERS AND, AND, UH, RUMORS AND BORDERS, ACTUALLY, WITH PROPER PERMIT, WE DO ACTUALLY ALLOW BORDERS IN ABSOLUTELY.
YOU GOTTA GET A PERMIT THOUGH, RIGHT? YEAH.
AND YOU HAVE TO HAVE, UH, YOU CAN'T HAVE A SEPARATE KITCHEN.
ELLEN, WELL, I JUST, FIRST OF ALL, I'D LIKE TO RECOMMEND THAT YOU SPEAK TO MAYOR NIKKI ARMACOST OF HASTINGS.
UM, SHE IS, SHE HEADED UP THE COMMITTEE, UM, FOR THE WESTCHESTER MUNICIPAL, UH, OFFICERS ASSOCIATION
[01:00:01]
TO, UH, ALONG WITH, UH, WARREN LUCAS, WHO'S A SUPERVISOR UP COUNTY NORTH SALEM.I THINK IT'S, UM, AND SHE IS THE PRIME, ONE OF THE PRIME MOVERS IN THE LETTER THAT ADDRESSED TO THE GOVERNOR THAT I THINK EVERYONE SAID SHE DID EXTENSIVE, UM, RESEARCH INTO A D U.
SO SHE'S GOT A LOT OF INFORMATION THAT CAN BE HELPFUL FOR YOU.
I THINK GARRETT MAY HAVE SPOKEN TO HER.
UM, BUT JUST TO GO BACK TO HASTINGS, AGAIN, AS I SAID, ANECDOTALLY, WE TALKED ABOUT THIS A COUPLE OF MONTHS AGO, AND I DIDN'T HAVE TIME TO, UM, LOOK AT THIS BEFORE THIS MEETING, BUT I KNOW THAT THEY DO HAVE A LIMIT ON THE NUMBER OF UNITS, IF I'M NOT MISTAKEN.
BUT ALTHOUGH THEY, THEIR LAWS ARE PRETTY, UM, THEY ARE LESS RESPECT RESTRICTIVE THAN MOST OR MANY.
THEY UPDATED THEM IN SOMETHING LIKE 2019.
UM, AND YET THEY HAVE VERY, HAVE HAD VERY FEW PEOPLE APPLY FOR ADU.
SO RATHER THAN BEING CONCERNED ABOUT, ABOUT, UM, TOO MANY PEOPLE, UM, WE, IT MIGHT BE A MATTER OF, UM, EDUCATION, AND MAYBE NOW PEOPLE ARE MORE FAMILIAR WITH ADUS TO LET PEOPLE KNOW THAT IT'S A POSSIBILITY.
BUT, YOU KNOW, IT'S NOT, THE CONCERN FOR A LOT OF PEOPLE IS THAT THE, THE FOREVER CONCERN IS THAT THERE'LL BE SO MANY ADU THAT WE'LL HAVE PROBLEM WITH PARKING ON THE STREETS.
OF COURSE, RESTRICTING THE NUMBER AS, AS, UM, COUNCILMAN SHEHAN SUGGESTED WOULD ALLEVIATE THAT CONCERN.
BUT JUST TO HELP, UM, MOLLIFY PEOPLE WHO WOULD BE CONCERNED ABOUT ADUS ON THEIR BLOCK.
UM, THE OTHER THING I WANTED TO KNOW IS, UM, SO A SENIOR WHO MAY OWN THE HOUSE, THEY CAN OWN THE HOUSE, WHICH IS GREATER THAN THE RESTRICTION AND LIVE IN THE SMALL YES.
JUST SO THAT, YOU KNOW, THAT HELPS DEFLATE THEIR COST SO THEY CAN THEY CAN AGE IN PLACE.
WHICH IS, YOU KNOW, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE'RE LOOKING AT, THERE ARE LOTS OF THINGS WE'RE LOOKING AT BEYOND A D USE.
I SAY THIS IS JUST LOW HANGING FRUIT.
CLEARLY ONE OF THE BIGGEST ISSUES WE HAVE IN THIS TOWN IS WHERE SENIORS, UM, YOU KNOW, THAT AND WHERE DO THEY GO SENIORS AND, AND TRY TO GET THEM IN AFFORDABLE AGE IN PLACE.
AND ALSO HOW DO WE GET AFFORDABLE ASSISTED LIVING? THAT'S ANOTHER, ANOTHER ISSUE THAT WE, WE ABSOLUTELY HAVE, UH, AS WELL, AND, AND RESPONS TO WHAT YOU SAID WHEN WE WERE AT THE MAYOR PLANNING FEDERATION, WE HEARD BOTH SIDES.
WE HEARD ONE PL ONE OR TWO TOWNS UPSTATE.
SO WE KNOW THAT'S A DIFFERENT COUNTRY.
BUT, BUT, BUT THEY WERE GETTING SOME PRETTY STRONG DEMAND FOR THE ABUS.
THE SECOND POINT I'D MAKE IS YOU CAN ALWAYS RAISE THE LIMIT.
IT'S HARD TO LOWER IT, IT'S A LOT EASIER TO RAISE IT.
SO I WOULD SUGGEST THAT WE, WE PUT SOME LIMITS, SEE WHAT KIND OF DEMAND WE WOULD HAVE, AND THE TEMP WOULD REVIEWS IT, YOU KNOW, IN A YEAR OR TWO TO SEE, SEE IF IT NEEDS TO BE ADJUSTED.
THAT'S THE WAY I WOULD, I WOULD DO THAT.
UM, I BELIEVE EDIE, BY THE WAY, IS SPEAKING ON THIS ISSUE ON MAY 11TH AT THE LAND USE THE PACE, LAND USE, UH, CONFERENCE, INSTITUTES CONFERENCE.
I BELIEVE SHE'S SPEAKING ON A D USE AT THAT CONFERENCE.
SO, UM, JUST TO GIVE YOU A LITTLE IDEA OF WHAT ELSE WE'RE WORKING ON NOW.
WE JUST STARTED TRYING TO WRAP OUR, OUR, OUR ARMS AROUND REALLY WHAT IS, WHAT IS THE NEED AND BY CATEGORY, WHAT THE NEED IS.
WHAT ARE WE FULFILLING AND WHAT HAVEN'T WE FULFILLED? THAT'S A TOUGH, TOUGH TASK, AND WE'RE GETTING THERE SLOWLY, BUT WE'RE, WE'RE WORKING OUR WAY THROUGH THAT, AND THANK YOU FOR YOUR HELP, HELP ON THAT YESTERDAY.
I, YOU WERE VERY HELPFUL YESTERDAY.
I THINK WE'RE, WE'VE GOT THREE EXPERTS, OUTSIDE EXPERTS THAT HAVE BEEN GIVING US SOME REALLY GOOD INFORMATION AS WE GO, GO ALONG.
UH, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE WERE KICKING AROUND YESTERDAY, IS THERE A WAY TO MAKE SURE, 'CAUSE ONE OF THE QUESTIONS THAT CAME UP FROM TERRITORY, SHE ALWAYS HAS SOME WONDERFUL QUESTIONS, AND SHE CAME UP WITH A QUESTION YESTERDAY, WELL, HOW DO WE KNOW IF WE DO THIS THAT WE'RE ACTUALLY HELPING GREENBERG AND NOT ALL OF WESTCHESTER? AND IT'S A GREAT QUESTION.
THERE ARE WAYS WE AREN'T YOU EXACTLY WHAT THEY ARE YET.
WE KNOW ONE THAT'S WORKING IN NEW ROCHELLE.
WE BELIEVE TWO GIVE AN ADVANTAGE TO SOME KIND OF PREFERENCE TO GREENBERG RESIDENTS FOR THESE KINDS OF SERVICES AS RENTERS
[01:05:01]
OF ADUS.I'M NOT TALKING ABOUT A, I'M JUST TALKING IN GENERAL WITH THE AFFORD HOUSING.
THERE'S A, A MORTGAGE ASSISTANCE PROGRAM THAT'S ONLY AVAILABLE TO NEW ROCHELLE RESIDENTS THAT LIVE THERE.
NOW, ON THE OTHER, OTHER HAND, EAST CHESTER TRIED TO DO THIS A FEW YEARS AGO AND GOT THROWN OUTTA COURT.
SO WE, WE NEED TO LOOK AT BOTH SIDES OF IT.
STILL, THERE'S SOME LEGAL ISSUES, BUT OBVIOUSLY IF WE CAN'T, YOU KNOW, OUR TOWN IS ABOUT HELPING OUR TOWN.
WE HELP OUR TOWN FIRST, WE'LL HELP THE COMMUNITY AROUND OUR TOWN, BUT IT'S ABOUT HELPING OUR TOWN FIRST.
AND TO THE POINT WE CAN DO THINGS THAT HELP OUR TOWN DIRECTLY.
THAT'S WOULD BE OUR, WOULD BE OUR FIRST GOAL.
SO WE WANT TO GET THIS, THESE THINGS QUANTIFIED.
AFTER THAT, WHAT WE'RE GOING TO DO IS LOOK AT OPPORTUNITY AREAS.
LOW HANGING FOOD AREAS MAY TAKE THREE OR FOUR OF THEM THAT WE FIND IN THE TOWN THAT COULD REALLY GIVE US A LEG UP HERE.
WE DON'T HAVE, WE DON'T HAVE A LOT OF PLACE TO BUILD OUT, SO IT'S GONNA BE MORE REPURPOSING THAN IT'S GOING TO BE BUILDING OUT.
UM, WE'VE TALKED ABOUT THIS WITH GARRETT.
WE ALSO HAD TO TALK WITH THE PACE OF LAND NEWS INSTITUTE, AND WE'RE HOPING THAT, THAT THE COMMITTEE CAN PICK A POTENTIAL SITE BY, UH, WHEN DO WE HAVE TO PICK IT, RIGHT? PROBABLY AUGUST.
THE, THE PROGRAM IS ACTUALLY GONNA KICK OFF IN THE FALL, AND WE WERE SELECTED TO PARTICIPATE.
THANK YOU, UH, COUNCILMAN JONES FOR MAKING THAT INTRODUCTION, BY THE WAY.
SO WE, WE WERE ABLE TO MEET WITH THE, UH, DIRECTOR IN CHARGE OF THE PROGRAM.
OVERALL, WE PRESENTED A V L AS A VIABLE SOLUTION.
AND SUBSEQUENT TO THAT, WE WERE SELECTED TO PARTICIPATE IN THE PROGRAM IN THE FALL.
AND IT'S, IT'S, IT'S, IT'S KIND OF A INCUBATOR PROGRAM FOR DEVELOPERS AS SUCH.
AND A B L WILL BE ACTING AS A SPONSOR PARTNER WITH THE TOWN AND THE TOWN BOARD AND OTHER REPRESENTATIVES WITHIN THE TOWN AS WELL.
AND IT GIVES US A REAL OPPORTUNITY TO LOOK AT A SITE THAT MIGHT BE AVAILABLE AND HOW WE COULD BUILD, UM, ACCESSIBLE, VIABLE LIVING UNITS WITHIN THAT SITE.
SO IT'S A PRACTICAL PROGRAM, AND THEY'VE HAD SOME SERIOUS SUCCESS OVER THE PAST COUPLE OF YEARS SINCE THEY'VE, UH, IMPLEMENTED IT.
AND THAT INCUBATOR THAT, THAT ALLOWS IS THEIR FUNDING ASSOCIATED WHAT KIND OF FUNDING? MM-HMM.
IN TERMS OF, UM, ONCE A SITE IS SELECTED IN TERMS OF DEFRAYING, SOME OF THE COSTS, PART OF THE PROGRAM INCLUDES INTRODUCING US TO DEVELOPERS AND PARTNERS THAT COULD HELP WITH THAT ASPECT OF IT.
SO, UM, IF, IF YOUR CONCERN IS HOW DOES IT GET BUILT AFTER WE DESIGNED AND ALL OF THAT STUFF, THAT'S, THAT'S KIND OF PART OF THE PROGRAM.
WELL, ONE OF THE THINGS YOU CAN DO WITH THIS, AND WE MIGHT, DEPENDING ON WHICH SITE WE PICK, IS YOU CAN ACTUALLY BRING THE OWNER OF THE PROP, THE CURRENT OWNER OF THE PROPERTY IN AS PART OF THE TEAM.
THAT, THAT, THAT, THAT GOES THROUGH THIS PROCESS IN SEPTEMBER.
ONE THING I'D LIKE TO DO BEFORE, I DON'T WANNA LOSE IT.
WE NEED TO DISCUSS WHAT THE NEXT STEPS ON THIS ARE.
I WANT TO THIS, I DON'T WANT THE USED TO BECOME AN ACADEMIC EXERCISE.
I'D LIKE TO, I'D LIKE TO SEE IT BECOME LAW SOONER THAN LATER.
SO, CAN I HAVE A SUGGESTION FROM YOU GUYS AS TO HOW YOU'D LIKE TO SEE US PROCEED WITH THIS? SHOULD WE START HAVING, UH, GARRETT BUILD ON THE LAW? HOW WOULD YOU LIKE US TO PROCEED? I THINK SO.
I THINK YOU HAVE TO WORK OUT SOME OF THE ISSUES, WHICH IS GONNA BE A TRICKY ONE AS TO HOW WE DEFINE A SINGLE FAMILY.
WE'LL WORK WITH AMANDA AND JOE.
'CAUSE THAT'S GONNA BE A FAIRLY SIGNIFICANT 'CAUSE IF YOU CHANGE WHAT A SINGLE FAMILY HAS, NOW YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT MAJOR CHANGE TO OUR, OUR ZONING.
I DON'T KNOW IF WE HAVE TO CHANGE A DEFINITION OF A SINGLE FAMILY OR MAKE THIS SOME KIND OF AN OVERLAY WITHIN A SIGNAL SINGLE FAMILY.
WE MAY HAVE TO DO IT THAT WAY.
THERE MAY BE A WAY THAT MAY BE THE WAY, A WAY AROUND IT.
IT MAY HAVE, REMEMBER WE WENT THROUGH THAT WITH THE CCC? WAS IT THE CCFS WHO WENT THROUGH IT THAT WAY? RIGHT.
ONE OF THE TWO OF WE WENT OUT THAT WELL, THE THINK THE CFSS YEAH.
FOR THE SPECIAL DISTRICTS AND STUFF.
SO WE MAY HAVE TO LOOK AT THAT MM-HMM.
BUT I WOULD SUGGEST WE WORK THAT OUT BEFORE WE GO TO THE PUBLIC.
WE'RE HEARING NOT AT THE PUBLIC HEARING.
THAT'S EXACTLY WHY WE'RE HERE.
I THINK IT WOULD ALSO BE INTERESTING IF WE COULD DO, LIKE A SURVEY OF SENIORS IS PROBABLY A LOT OF, UH, UH, WIDOWS OR WIDOWERS WHO WOULD BE INTERESTED IN, UM, UM, YOU KNOW, OR BEING ABLE TO STAY IN THEIR HOMES.
AND IT WOULD BE INTERESTING IF WE COULD GET, UM, PERSONAL EXPERIENCES.
UM, YOU KNOW, THERE MAY BE A SENIOR, UM, ON FLORENCE OR ON PROSPECT WHO IS POSSIBLY FACING, UH, FORECLOSURE BECAUSE THEY CAN'T AFFORD, UH, TO LIVE, LIVE HERE.
WE COULD HAVE AS MANY STORIES AS POSSIBLE.
[01:10:01]
THE FACT THAT WE'RE REALLY HELP, YOU KNOW, HELPING, UM, OUR EXISTING SENIOR POPULATION ALSO.UM, YOU KNOW, YOU KNOW, THERE MAY BE PEOPLE, UM, SAY AIDES, YOU KNOW, THERE MAY BE SENIORS WHO THOUGHT ABOUT THAT.
AND IF THEY, IF THEY HAVE THEIR OWN PRIVATE, UH, YOU KNOW, KITCHEN AND IT WAS ALMOST AN APARTMENT WITHIN A HOUSE, THEY MIGHT BE WILLING TO, UM, UM, YOU KNOW, WORK FOR, YOU KNOW, HAVE LESS EXPENSIVE HOUSING AND AT THE SAME TIME, UM MM-HMM.
YOU KNOW, I, I WAS READING SOME LIKE NATIONAL PUBLICATIONS, YOU KNOW, EVEN HAVING THESE PROGRAMS WHERE WE'RE FOCUSING ON THE SENIOR POPULATION.
MAYBE WE COULD HAVE JERRY, UM, WRITE, UH, JERRY BYRNE.
WE HAVE THE MEALS AND WHEELS PROGRAM, YOU KNOW, AND THERE'S PROBABLY A FEW HUNDRED PEOPLE WHO ARE GETTING THE MEALS AND WHEELS, UM, YOU KNOW, UH, SERVICES THAT MIGHT BE A, A FANTASTIC, YOU KNOW, TARGET, YOU KNOW, GROUP, BECAUSE THOSE ARE PEOPLE WHO WOULD PROBABLY, UM, UH, BENEFIT A LOT FROM THIS PROGRAM.
SO I JUST THINK I, I THINK THIS IS A FANTASTIC THING, WHAT YOU'RE DOING.
AND, YOU KNOW, I THINK IT'S REALLY VERY, TO ME, IT'S VERY, VERY, UM, UM, YOU KNOW, EXCITING.
MAYOR ARMCO PREPARED A WHOLE LIST THAT WITH LINKS TO ADU IN, IN ALL WESTCHESTER COMMUNITIES.
AND, UM, AND SUBMITTED THAT YES, WE HAVE THAT.
I APPRECIATE THAT YOU HAVE, THAT WE HAVE WITH, UH, MAYOR DEPART COST.
AND, UH, WE OBTAINED THAT LIST.
AND, UH, THAT WAS PART OF OUR DUE DILIGENCE AS A COMMITTEE IS, UM, SHARING THAT, THAT INFORMATION.
AND, UH, THAT INFORMATION WILL CERTAINLY HELP US, UH, AS WE FORMULATE A DRAFTED LAW.
ACTUALLY AFTER WE LOOKED AT ALL THE, THE, THE LAWS IN THE SURROUNDING AREA.
AND I'LL SHARE IT WITH THE BOARD MEMBERS, OR DO YOU, IF YOU'D SHARE IT WITH THE BOARD MEMBERS, THAT WOULD BE GREAT.
AMANDA HAS BEEN EXTREMELY HELPFUL WHEN I NEEDED HELP, BY THE WAY, THANK YOU FOR HER TOO.
AND SHE, SHE REALLY IS DOING A TERRIFIC JOB.
I MEAN, WE WERE REALLY WORRIED WHEN WE LOST DAVE, BECAUSE DAVE HAD BEEN WITH US FOR SO LONG.
YOU, YOU WERE TALKING ALSO ABOUT THE, UH, INCREASING THE, THE SINGLE FAMILY HOUSING.
I, WE ARE TALKING ABOUT THAT AS AN OPPORTUNITY.
THE THINK WITH A SINGLE FAMILY THAT MAKES IT DIFFICULT.
FIRST OF ALL, IF YOU LOOK AT THE NUMBERS, THE SET ASIDE DOESN'T COME CLOSE TO, TO HELPING US ENOUGH.
WE, WE DID, WE HAVE THE NUMBERS YESTERDAY.
WHAT IS IT? IT'S OVER 50% OF THE RESIDENTS OF GREENBURG HAVE, ARE HOUS A HOUSING STRESS.
S AND WE FIGURED WHEN WE LOOKED AT INCOME, IT WAS LIKE OVER 60% WOULD ACTUALLY QUALIFY FOR SOME KIND OF AFFORDABLE HOUSING OUT OF THE DE DEFINITION OF 80% A M I.
SO WHEN YOU DO A 10 OR 20% SET ASIDE, IF YOU WANT TO KNOW WHY RENTING GOING UP IN WHITE PLAINS AND UP IN NEW ROCHELLE, DESPITE ALL THIS BUILDING, WHICH IS WHY WHAT GOVERNOR HOOL WAS DOING DIDN'T MAKE ANY SENSE.
IT'S BECAUSE ALL THEY WERE DOING IS DISPLACING OTHER PEOPLE AND BUILDING LUXURY BUILDINGS WITH A 10% SET ASIDE, OR I THINK WHITE PLAINS MAY HAVE A 20 NOW, 20% SET ASIDE.
IT'S NOWHERE NEAR ENOUGH TO DO WHAT WE NEED TO DO.
IT'S VILLAGE THAT YOU ARE BUILDING A LOT OF HOUSING AND, BUT DISPLAY, BUT THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE YOU ARE DISPLACING, YOU'RE NOT, YOU'RE NOT ACCOUNTING FOR THAT BY THE 10% OF 20 ANYWAY.
I MEAN, IF YOU TAKE A LOOK AT OUR LAST, THE, THE BIGGEST OPPORTUNITY WE HAD, AND I KNOW WHY WE DIDN'T DO IT FOR, FOR, UH, AFFORDABLE UNITS.
A CHUNK OF AFFORDABLE UNITS WAS ELMWOOD WAS 14.
I THINK THAT WAS THE BIGGEST OPPORTUNITY WE HAD.
IT'S UNFORTUNATE THEY DIDN'T OFFER THE SAME THING THING WITH THE, THE SINGLE FAMILY.
BUT YOU CAN'T JUST DO A, IT'S HARDER TO DO A SET ASIDE ON OWNERSHIP THAN IT IS WITH RENTALS.
ONE OF THE THINGS IN OUR LAW AND SET ASIDES IS IT HAS TO LOOK AT LEAST FAIRLY SIM SIMILAR, OR IT FITS IN.
YOU'RE BUILDING MILLION DOLLAR HOUSES AT ELMWOOD NOW, RIGHT? MILLION, MILLION WHATEVER HOUSES IN ELMWOOD.
WHERE ARE YOU GONNA GET THE $500,000 HOUSE TO LOOK LIKE THAT ONE? UNLESS IT'S EMPTY, IT DOESN'T WORK, NUMBER ONE.
AND NUMBER TWO, YOU HAVE THE ISSUE OF PROPERTY TAXES.
WHICH IS A SIGNIFICANT PART OF PEOPLE'S
[01:15:01]
CARRYING COSTS.SO IT'S VERY, VERY HARD TO DO WITH A SET ASIDE.
I THINK WE'VE DONE UNDER, GARRETT KNOWS THE EXACT NUMBER IT 88 GARRETT, 90 IN THE 15 YEARS WE'VE HAD TO SET ASIDE IN, IN GREENBURG.
I THINK THAT'S THE NUMBER ROUGHLY, OR A LITTLE LESS, THE MAJORITY OF THOSE IN ONE PLACE.
DOES THAT STILL, BUT WE HAVEN'T HAD MANY PEOPLE WHO ARE GIVING LARGE DEVELOPMENTS.
WE'RE NOT GOING TO, WE DON'T HAVE PLACES TO DO IT UNLESS, GOD FORBID WE LOSE ALL THE GOLF COURSES.
WE JUST DON'T, DON'T HAVE THOSE PLACES.
I JUST THINK THAT IT, EXCEPT FOR ME PURPOSES, I, I JUST SORT OF THINK THAT, YOU KNOW, THAT, YOU KNOW, WHITE, YOU'VE BEEN FOCUSING ON, I THINK REALLY, UH, YOU KNOW, GONNA GIVE US THE HIGHEST POTENTIAL, YOU KNOW, BENEFITS.
BUT I ALSO FEEL THAT, UM, YOU KNOW, IF WE BASICALLY, UM, WOULD, UH, DO THE 10% FOR THE SINGLE OR 12% FOR THE SINGLE FAMILY HOMES, EVEN IF IT'S GONNA BE A SMALL AMOUNT, STILL BETTER THAN NOTHING.
BECAUSE I KNOW A LOT OF SENIOR PEOPLE WHO HAVE, YOU KNOW, MOVED INTO THESE AFFORDABLE, UH, UNITS AND THEY'RE LIKE THRILLED THEY FEEL THEY WON THE LOTTERY.
AND I FEEL THAT, YOU KNOW, EVEN AS A HANDFUL OF PEOPLE, AGAIN, YOU COULD CHANGE PEOPLE'S LIVES AND, YOU KNOW, PEOPLE BASICALLY ALWAYS OBJECT TO HOUSING NEXT TO THEM.
SO IF YOU HAVE LIKE, LUXURY, UH, SINGLE FAMILY HOMES, AND THEN THIS 10%, UM, OF IT IS AFFORDABLE, UH, YOU KNOW, AT LEAST YOU'RE, YOU KNOW, HAVING SOME AFFORDABILITY, NOT A LOT, BUT SOME AFFORDABILITY IN, YOU KNOW, MORE LUXURIOUS, UH, YOU KNOW, NEIGHBORHOODS.
SO I, I DON'T SEE ANY NEGATIVE.
THE ONLY OTHER THOUGHT THAT I HAD, WHICH, YOU KNOW, WHEN I WAS, I, I WAS READING THE HUDSON INDEPENDENT, UM, YOU KNOW, UM, A FEW DAYS AGO.
AND, UH, TARRYTOWN IS NOW GONNA BE BUILDING, UM, UH, YOU KNOW, HOUSING IN THE OFFICE PARKS, AND SOME OF IT'S GONNA BE, UM, HARRISON'S ALREADY.
AND I SORT OF FEEL THAT IF WE REALLY, WELL, YOU KNOW, EVERY TIME I GO, UM, TEST ONE 19, YOU SEE ALL THESE EMPTY, UH, PARKING LOTS AT NIGHT.
AND I FEEL THAT, UM, IF YOU'RE, IF YOU KNOW, KNOW, WE WOULD BE, UH, LOOKING TO CREATE, UH, MIXED USE HOUSING WITH AFFORDABILITY.
I THINK THAT, THAT, THAT WOULD GIVE ON OUR AGENDA DOWN FOR OUR BUCK.
I MEAN, OBVIOUSLY THE STOP AND SHOP SITE IS ONE SITE.
WE TALKED ABOUT BUILDING A TOP OF STOP AND SHOP INITIALLY, ACTUALLY, IF YOU REMEMBER, THERE WAS A PROPOSAL TO PUT A, A SKATING ACADEMY ON TOP OF STOP AND SHOP AT ONE POINT.
BUT THERE ARE A COUPLE OF SHOPPING CENTERS.
WE THINK THAT THERE'S AN OPPORTUNITY WHERE THERE'S A HUGE AMOUNT OF EXCESS PARKING.
WE COULD TURN IT INTO MORE OF A VILLAGE MIXED USE KIND OF THING.
SO IT'S RIGHT ON THAT THING WE WANT TO DO.
I DID WANNA SAY ONE OTHER THING ABOUT THE SET ASIDE, THOUGH.
FIRST OF ALL, WE FIGURED OUT YESTERDAY AT ABOUT A HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS OF INCOME YOU'RE CARRYING, REMEMBER 30% OF YOUR, OF YOUR TAKE HOME IS THE OTHER, THE OTHER THING, AND IT WAS, I THINK WE CAME OUT WITH A LITTLE OVER $2,000 A MONTH, TRY TO DO THAT IN THIS TOWN WITH OUR TAXES.
IT'S ALMOST IMPOSSIBLE TO DO WHAT THEY'VE DONE IN TARRYTOWN AND
THEY'RE TAKING THAT MONEY EQUIVALENT TO A SET ASIDE AND DOING IT TO BUY DOWN THE PRICE OF HOUSES.
IT'S ANOTHER WAY TO DO IT WITH A FUND.
AND WE SHOULD BE LOOKING INTO WHAT TAR TOWN'S DOING, I THINK, IN THAT REGARD.
SO JUST TO BE, JUST TO BE CLEAR, WE'RE NOT TALKING ABOUT ELIMINATING THE SET ASIDE ALTOGETHER.
SO ONCE WE'RE DONE WITH OUR ANALYSIS, THE WORK, AND WE'RE PRESENTING IT TO YOU, IT'LL BE A ROBUST AND COMPREHENSIVE PLAN TO IMPROVE ON WHAT WE'RE DOING RIGHT NOW.
SO THE SET ASIDES FOR RIGHT NOW IS WHAT IT IS.
WE'RE NOT RECOMMENDING THAT GO AWAY IMMEDIATELY, BUT WHEN WE DO PRESENT OUR FINAL PLAN, IT'LL BE A DEFINITE IMPROVEMENT OVER WHAT YOU HAVE RIGHT NOW IN TERMS OF THE LEGISLATION THAT YOU'RE LOOKING AT.
WHAT WOULD BE LIKE THE BEST CASE TIMETABLE, YOU KNOW, LIKE HOW SOON DO YOU THINK, IF YOU KNOW GARY AND THE TOWN ATTORNEY, IF YOU'RE WORKING ON IT, YOU KNOW, WHAT WOULD BE THE QUICKEST, I DON'T KNOW WHAT JOE AND, UH, GARRETT HAVE TO DO THIS WEEKEND, BUT I WOULD EXPECT TO
UM, WE'LL HAVE TO TALK TO GARRETT ABOUT IT.
I'M HOPING WE CAN GET THIS, GET A PIECE OF LEGISLATION DONE IT BY JUNE.
YOU KNOW, AND THE OTHER THING IS, WE, WE COULD SUPERVISOR, WE COULD, WE COULD MODEL THE LAW OFF OF SOME OF THESE OTHER LAWS.
WE'VE ALSO BEEN DISCUSSING DOPPS, FERRY LEY, UM, THOSE LAWS ARE AVAILABLE ONLINE.
THEY'RE, THEY'RE WELL WRITTEN FROM WHAT I COULD SEE SO FAR.
SO I COULD DISCUSS WITH GARRETT AS WELL WITH THE COMMITTEE ON HOW TO PROCEED.
BUT, BUT I THINK A LOT OF THE GROUNDWORK HAS BEEN LAID ALREADY.
I THINK THAT IS ALSO COULD BE A, LIKE, GREAT OPPORTUNITY WHAT YOU'RE DOING, BECAUSE WE COULD REACH OUT TO THE GOVERNOR AND SAY, EVEN THOUGH HER AFFORDABLE HOUSING HASN'T GONE THROUGH, GREENBURG WANTS A VOLUNTARILY DO THINGS THAT SHE'S PROMOTING.
SO LET'S SAY WE COULD CREATE MIXED USE HOUSING,
[01:20:01]
SAY AT THE FOUR CORNERS, YOU KNOW, AND, AND, AND SEE IF WE COULD GET GRANTS FOR FLOOD RELIEF, FOR TRAFFIC IMPROVEMENTS.AND THEN WE SAY WE'RE DOING THIS.
MAYBE, MAYBE THAT WILL, YOU KNOW, SHE MAY GET INTERESTED IN WHAT GREENBERG'S DOING, AND IT COULD HELP US GET MORE FUNDING OPPORTUNITIES FROM THE STATE FOR OTHER THINGS.
SO WHAT WE'D LIKE TO DO IS, IS IF WE COULD JOKE, WE CAN TALK TO YOU OFFLINE, YOU AND GARRETT OFF THE LINE ABOUT DRAFTING.
WE OBVIOUSLY HAVE TO ADDRESS SOME OF THE QUESTIONS THAT, THAT HAVE BEEN BROUGHT UP BY THE BOARD TODAY.
UH, IN THAT I THINK, I THINK THEY'RE ADDRESSABLE, BUT I'D LOVE TO BE ABLE TO GET THAT, YOU KNOW, ON, I DON'T KNOW WHAT YOUR LAST MEETING IN JUNE IS.
CAN I, CAN I MAKE ONE OTHER SUGGESTION THAT I THINK, BECAUSE ONE OF THE PROBLEMS, AS YOU KNOW, IS EVERY TIME YOU U V S FOR MEETINGS, THERE'S ALWAYS DISTRACTIONS AND YOU KNOW, THINGS YOU, WE, WE, THINGS WE THAT KEEP.
RIGHT? SO WHAT IF WE WOULD, WHAT IF WE WOULD SAY UNTIL WE ADDRESS, SOLVE THIS AFFORDABLE HOUSING, YOU KNOW, PROBLEM, WE HAVE THE LEGISLATION THAT WE HAVE A SHORT MEETING ONCE A MONTH WITH THE TOWN BOARD DURING A WORK SESSION, AND WE MADE WORK.
AND BASICALLY WE'RE GETTING LIKE A PROGRESS REPORT.
BECAUSE I SCALE THAT IF WE DO SOMETHING LIKE THAT, IT'S GONNA, IT'S GONNA FORCE, UH, IT'S NOT ONCE A MONTH.
IT COULD BE EVERY SIX WEEKS OR, YOU KNOW, PICK A, ACTUALLY ON OUR CHARTER IT SAYS EVERY, I BELIEVE GINA DOES IT, IT SAYS EVERY THREE MONTHS.
I MEAN, WE WANNA MAKE SURE IT'S SUBSTANT.
SO WE HAVE SOMETHING TO TALK ABOUT.
IF WE COULD AT LEAST STICK TO THE THREE MONTHS, THAT WOULD BE GOOD.
I THINK WE HAD SOME CHALLENGES SCHEDULING THIS MEETING TODAY.
SO THAT'S ONE OF THE THINGS WE WANTED TO TALK TO YOU ABOUT TODAY IS WHEN WILL WE BE MEETING WITH YOU NEXT? WE WOULD LIKE TO EARLY SEPTEMBER AND HAVE A DEFINITE DATE, HOPEFULLY BEFORE WE LEAVE HERE TODAY.
SO THAT VERY DIFFICULT TO DO THAT AS YOU KNOW.
IT'S VERY, IT'S VERY DIFFICULT.
IT'S LIKE SAYING WE WOULD LIKE TO BE ON THE FIRST MEETING OF, OF SEPTEMBER, NO MATTER WHAT'S GOING ON IN THE TOWN.
WE WOULD LIKE TO BE BEFORE THE PLANNING BOARD.
BECAUSE IT DEPENDS ON WHAT COMES IN.
BUT WE DON'T, WE SHOULD MAKE DOWN WE'RE, WE'RE, WE'RE VERY, BUT, BUT I THINK THERE'S, I, I THINK THAT THERE'S, YOU KNOW, GIVE A RANGE.
LIKE FOR EXAMPLE, TODAY YOU WERE ON THE AGENDA FOR 5 45.
WE, BUT WE MADE IT UP BECAUSE WE GAVE YOU THREE TIMES THE AMOUNT OF TIME.
SO, SO IF WE COULD, IF WE COULD TARGET, THEY'VE ONLY HAD A HALF, HALF AN HOUR, 45 MINUTES.
WE, WE, IF WE COULD TAR, IF WE COULD TARGET A ATE, WHAT ARE THEY ON FOR? OKAY.
AND WE WILL, WE WILL, WE COULD FIGURE THIS OUT.
AND WE WILL, WE WILL BE, WE WILL BE BUGGING YOU OVER THE SUMMER ABOUT THAT, REMINDING YOU ABOUT THAT OVER THE SUMMER.
COULD I ASK WHY IS IT, IF WE'RE LOOKING SOMETHING, WHEN WE TALKED ABOUT THE DRAFT, WE HAVE TWO PROPOSALS HERE.
ONE A D U, SO ONE ADU AND ONE ON, WE JUST HAVE AN ADU.
YOU'RE FIRST, BECAUSE YOU WERE AWARE IF WE'RE LOOKING TO INCREASE AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE, WHY IS IT LIMITED TO, UH, SINGLE FAMILY ZONED HOUSES? THERE ARE SOME SINGLE FAMILY HOMES.
IT COULD, IT COULD BE MULTI-FAMILY.
I, I, WAIT, WHAT, WHAT'S THE END OF YOUR QUESTION? THERE ARE, THERE ARE SINGLE FAMILIES THAT ARE ACTUALLY GRANDFATHERED INTO COMMERCIAL ZONES AND THEY'RE PERFECTLY LEGAL THERE.
UM, THERE ARE SOME TOWNHOUSE, THERE ARE SOME TOWNHOUSES THAT ARE ENORMOUS MM-HMM.
AND IF THEY CHECK OFF ALL THE BOXES THEY HAVE, YOU KNOW, THE SEPARATE ENTRANCE EXIT.
BUT THERE MAY BE SOME THAT HAVE, I'M OPEN TO, I'M OPEN TO LOOKING CORNER UNITS.
I JUST, IT'S, IT'S A LITTLE SEPARATELY.
SO HAVE YOU GUYS DETERMINED WHAT THE DEFINITION'S GOING TO BE FOR AFFORDABLE HOUSING? I KNOW WHEN WE'RE CAME TOGETHER GETTING VERY CLOSE.
HOW IS THAT COMING? WE, DO YOU WANNA GO OVER THERE QUICKLY, HUNTER? WHAT WE DISCUSSED YESTERDAY, WELL, RIGHT NOW CONSISTENT WITH THE RIGHT NOW IS CONSISTENT WITH THE STATE DEFINITION OF AFFORDABLE HOUSING.
THAT'S USUALLY, UM, CONSISTENT WITH AFFORDABLE HOUSING, THE CRITERIA, UH, REVENUE, EARNINGS AND THE LIKE.
SO WHAT WE'VE COME UP WITH SO FAR IS, UM, FOUR REVENUE TIERS, OR FOUR EARNING TIERS.
AND THEN I THINK THERE WAS A CATEGORY JUST ABOVE THAT FOR, UH, HIGH, A LITTLE BIT HIGHER EARNING WORKING CLASS.
HOW THAT HE KEEPS TRYING TO HIGHLIGHT IT MORE AND MORE.
SO AGAIN, LET'S JUST SAY IT'S A WORK IN PROGRESS, BUT WE'RE GETTING CLOSE TO IT.
AND WE'RE ALSO DOING A SEPARATE THING ON SENIORS BECAUSE WE THINK THAT'S A SEPARATE CATEGORY AS WELL AS A CATEGORY INTO IT ITSELF.
SO, SO WHEN YOU, SO WHEN YOU SAY YOU'RE DOING A SEPARATE
[01:25:01]
CATEGORY FOR SENIORS, AND, AND I LOVE MY SENIOR, I LOVE MY SENIORS.SO, YOU KNOW WHAT, BUT, BUT YOU KNOW WHERE I'M GOING WITH THAT.
SO WE TALK ABOUT SENIORS, OR WHAT ABOUT OUR YOUNG FAMILIES? YOU AND I HAVE HAD THIS CONVERSATION NUMEROUS TIMES.
WHAT ABOUT YOUNG FAMILIES OR EVEN MID FAMILIES IN BETWEEN THAT, BECAUSE SOMEWHERE, I'LL JUST SAY GINA FALLS RIGHT IN THE MIDDLE MM-HMM.
SO SHE CAN'T GO HERE, SHE CAN'T GO BELOW THAT.
THAT'S, THAT'S EXACTLY WHAT I, THAT'S JUST, THAT'S JUST MY CONCERN THAT I REALLY WANNA PUT ON.
I I'M NOT GONNA ASK YOU WHAT YOUR, YOUR PERSONAL INCOME IS, BUT WHAT, WHAT WE HAVE DONE IS WE HAVE A RANGE, WHICH MY GUESS IS YOU'D FALL, YOU'D FALL INTO, OR, YOU KNOW, A SINGLE PARENT WORKING WITH PEOPLE COULD FALL INTO MM-HMM.
INTO THAT RANGE THAT IS IN THE AFFORDABLE RANGE.
AND WE'RE, WE'RE, WE'RE LOOKING AT THEM.
WE'RE LOOKING AT WAYS OF, FOR ONE EXAMPLE, LET'S SAY YOU'RE DOING FAIRLY WELL MM-HMM.
BUT YOU NOT WELL ENOUGH TO PUT, HAVE ENOUGH MONEY FOR DOWN PAYMENT.
'CAUSE WE LIKE SOME OF THESE PEOPLE TO RIGHT.
'CAUSE IT'S THE ONLY WAY TO CREATE WEALTH.
WE ARE, WE JUST STARTED YESTERDAY TALKING ABOUT, UM, LOOKING AT, UM, CO CO-OPS FOR THAT REASON.
'CAUSE CO-OPS ARE CHEAPER TO BUY.
NOT NECESSARILY TO RUN, BUT TO BUY.
SO THE DOWN PAYMENT WOULD BE LESS.
WE'RE ALSO LOOKING AT THE CONCEPT OF A LIMITED CO-OP.
IF YOU'RE FAMILIAR WITH MITCHELL LAMA IN NEW YORK MM-HMM.
NOW, AGAIN, THE THING WE WANT TO DO THAT'S A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENT, BECAUSE I DON'T WANNA RECREATE ROBERT MOSES, BY THE WAY, RAY FINE IS PLAYING ROBERT MOSES IN A, IN A MOVIE THIS WEEKEND AT JACOB BURNS, OR NEXT WEEK IN A MOVIE AT JACOB BURNS.
WE WANT TO SEE IF WE CAN DO IT SO THAT WE HAVE A RANGE OF INCOMES WITHIN A COMPLEX, NOT JUST ONE INCOME IN THE COMPLEX AND NOT JUST INCOME.
WE'RE TALKING DEMOGRAPHICS EXACTLY.
AND WHY WE SORT OF SAID SENIOR CITIZEN, BECAUSE THERE'S SOME, THERE'S SOME SENIOR CITIZEN THAT WILL EASILY FALL INTO THAT RIGHT.
QUALITY OF THE ABOVE DEFINITION ECONOMIC MM-HMM.
BUT THEN THERE ARE SOME SENIOR CITIZENS WHO MIGHT BE HOUSE RICH, BUT THEY STILL WANT TO STAY, WANT TO GET RID OF THE HOUSE.
AND THEY STILL WANT TO BE IN GREENBURG, AND THEY, AND THEY WANT TO DOWNSIDE TO A SEPARATE HOUSE.
SO, SO WHAT WE ARE TRYING TO DO IS BY STA RATHER THAN JUST SAY AFFORDABLE HOUSES AND, AND, AND BREAK IT UP IN VARIOUS GROUPS MM-HMM.
BECAUSE WE FEEL THAT EACH GROUP HAS SOMETHING UNIQUE TO THAT GROUP.
SO YOU HAVE TO FOSTER SOMETHING FOR THAT.
THEN IF YOU GO TO THE NEXT GROUP, YES, THERE'S SOME THINGS YOU HAVE IN COMMON, BUT THERE'S SOME, SOME, SOME THINGS ARE UNIQUE TO THAT GROUP AND YOU NEED A RE A UNIQUE, UH, SOLUTION TO THAT GROUP.
SO THAT'S WHY WE DON'T SIMPLY SAY AFFORDABILITY.
I ALWAYS GET VERY THINGS, SORRY, I'M SORRY.
JUST REALLY QUICKLY, I ALWAYS GET VERY CONCERNED BECAUSE EVERY TIME THERE'S DISCUSSION AROUND THIS TOPIC OF AFFORDABILITY, IT'S ALWAYS A POPULATION LEFT OUT.
AND THIS IS WHAT I, THIS IS WHY I WANT TO JUST STRESS THAT POINT.
THAT WE DON'T LEAVE, THAT WE DON'T FORGET ABOUT THE GENINA OF THE WORLD.
THE, THE WELL YOU HAVE A HOUSE.
SO
IF YOU COULD IMAGINE A UNIT AND IT'S POPULATED BY RESIDENTS OF GREENBURG, BY PERCENTAGE, WE SHOULD HIT EVERY SINGLE CATEGORY AS IT DIRECTLY RELATES TO THE OVERALL POPULATION.
SO RIGHT NOW, 18% OF GREENBERG RESIDENTS ARE OVER THE AGE OF 65.
OBVIOUSLY TO BE ABLE TO SUPPORT THAT PARTICULAR, UH, DEMOGRAPHIC.
AND ONE OF THE, JUST ONE OF THE THINGS THAT YOU TALKED ABOUT LAST NIGHT WAS THE FIRST TIME HOME BUYERS.
RIGHT? SO THAT WAS ANOTHER THING THAT MIGHT APPLY, BUT THERE, THERE ARE CONTINGENCIES RELATED TO THAT.
CORRECT? WE HAVE TO BECAUSE OUR INVENTORY OF THIS TOWN IS MOSTLY SINGLE FAMILY HOMES.
ONE OF THE, ONE OTHER PART OF THIS, AND SOMETHING PAUL SAID A LONG TIME AGO, I THINK WHEN SHE SHELL BOARD CAME UP, UM, HOPEFULLY WE'LL SEE A SHOVEL ON THE GROUND THERE SOMEDAY.
UM, ASSISTED LIVING IS, IS A BIG ISSUE BECAUSE ASSISTED LIVING IS
[01:30:01]
ONLY AFFORDABLE TO WEALTHY PEOPLE RIGHT NOW.I JUST WENT THROUGH THIS WITH MY MOTHER-IN-LAW.
LUCKILY SHE HAS ENOUGH MONEY TO TAKE CARE OF IT, AT LEAST FOR THE TIME BEING.
SO WE NEED TO LOOK AT THAT TOO, TOO AS PART, AS PART OF THIS, WHAT WE COULD DO WORK, YOU KNOW, WE BECAME THE ACCIDENTALLY BECAME THE ASSISTED LIVING CAPITAL OF WESTCHESTER.
UM, AND BUT WE NEED TO BE ABLE TO ADDRESS THIS.
SO WE TALKED ACTUALLY ABOUT GIVING GREENBURG RESIDENTS AN ADVANTAGE.
AND YOU KNOW, THE PROBLEM ALSO WITH ASSISTED LIVING IS, UH, BASE, UH, UH, PRICES COULD BE, THEY COULD SAY, OKAY, THIS IS AFFORDABLE, BUT THEN THEY ADD ON ALL THESE EXTRA COSTS.
SO IT'S NOT, SO YOU COULD HAVE $7,000 AND IT COULD BE, YOU KNOW, I KNOW SOMEBODY WHO'S PAYING 20,000 A MONTH AND SO THEY, THEY JUST REALLY, SO IT BECOMES SO UNAFFORDABLE.
SO I REALLY FEEL, I THINK THIS IS REALLY A NATIONAL, UM, YOU KNOW, ISSUE BECAUSE NONE OF IT'S, IT'S SO EXPENSIVE.
AND, YOU KNOW, THEY WERE TALKING ABOUT, UM, YOU KNOW, ONE OF THE OPTIONS WHEN I'VE HAD MEETINGS ON THIS WAS, YOU KNOW, MAKING THE, UH, THEM HAVE CREATE LIKE A SCHOLARSHIP AND PUT FUNDS IN LIKE AN ESCROW.
AND THIS WAY IF THERE'S A SENIOR SAY IN GREENBURG AND THEY NEED TO PAY FOR A HOME CARE WORKER OR WHATEVER, UH, AT LEAST THERE WOULD BE FUNDS TO SUBSIDIZE 'EM.
SO WE, WE MIGHT BE ABLE TO COME UP WITH SOME INTERIM STEPS AS WELL AS YOU GET SOME AFFORDABILITY.
WELL, THIS HAS BEEN A LONG 15 MINUTES.
DID YOU, YOU HAVE LAST QUESTION.
I'M, I'M GONNA ADD ANOTHER COUPLE OF MINUTES.
BECAUSE AT THE BEGINNING YOU WERE TALKING ABOUT, IT'S A GOOD THING WITH GOVERNOR HOEL, HER POLICY DIDN'T GO THROUGH.
UH, BUT YOU SAID, AND SHE WAS TRYING TO DO THIS WITHOUT SEEKER.
IS THERE ANY THOUGHT THAT THIS IS GOING TO BE SOMETHING OTHER THAN A TYPE TWO ACTION? EXCEPT FROM SEEKER? SO IT'S GONNA BE A TYPE TWO ACTION.
I GUESS IT'D BE TYPE TWO UNDER SEEKER.
SO THERE REALLY WOULDN'T BE ANY SEEKER.
I HAVE TO TALK TO YOU, JOE AND AMANDA, ABOUT WHETHER WITH A SPECIAL PERMIT, IF WE COULD TRIGGER AS UNLISTED LIKE A SUBDIVISION.
'CAUSE AND IT'D BE BETTER IF IT'S AN UNLISTED.
'CAUSE I'D RATHER DO DO, RIGHT.
WE DO IT ANY, WE WOULD DO IT ANYWAY AS PART OF THE SPECIAL PERMIT.
BASICALLY WE DO THE SAME QUESTIONS ANYWAY.
WELL, BUT WE KNOW A SPECIAL PERMIT, IF YOU MEET THE CRITERIA OF THE SPECIAL PERMIT, IT'S AS A RIGHT.
SO YOU HAVE TO BE CAREFUL WITH THAT.
ARE YOU ENVISIONING ADUS TO BE ANYTHING OTHER THAN SINGLE STORY? NO.
YOU MIGHT WANNA PUT THAT IN THERE BECAUSE IF IT'S GOING IN SOMEBODY'S BACKYARD, BECAUSE THEY HAVE SPACE, THE NEIGHBORS ON BOTH SIDES OF THOSE, YOU NOW PUT UP A TWO STORY.
IT REALLY COULD HAVE A, AN IMPACT ON.
IT DEPENDS ON THE HOUSE, IT DEPENDS ON THE LOT.
IT DEPENDS ON WHAT THE A D U LOOKS LIKE AND WHAT THE HOUSE THAT A HOUSE THAT IT'S ATTACHED TO LOOKS LIKE.
SO IT'S GONNA BE HARD BE ATTACHED.
BUT, BUT ONE OF THE THINGS THEY DON'T, THAT THEY DON'T, THEY DON'T HAVE TO BE ATTACHED.
SO IF IT'S ATTACHED TO THE HOUSE AND THE HOUSE HAS A TWO STORY AREA ON IT THAT CAN BE SEPARATED, THEN THERE'S NO REASON WHY IT COULDN'T BE TWO STORIES.
WE, WE'LL GO OVER GARY, YOU KNOW, DEPENDS, ANYTHING ELSE, JUST EMAIL US OR TELL GARRETT.
AND WE, YOU KNOW, AS WE WERE WORKING THROUGH THIS, IT'S A WORK IN PROGRESS MM-HMM.
WAIT, YEAH, WE HAVE, WE'RE UH, SIX 15 AND UM, WE'RE THREE MINUTES LATE.
THANK YOU GUYS FOR THE HARD WORK.
WE'LL SEE YOU AGAIN IN JUNE AND THEN IN SEPTEMBER.
AS LONG AS YOU HAVE THE CONDITIONS, TRY.
ROGER, I THINK IN THE MIDWEST.
CHRIS, LET US KNOW IF YOU WANT US TO DO ANY HELP OUT ON THE FORECAST TO PUBLIC.
SO I ADDRESSED THE OTHER THING THAT YOU ASKED.
I DIDN'T WANNA CALL BRIDGET MYSELF.
WELL, YOU HAVE TO UNDERSTAND THAT THE ZIP CODES ARE AFFILIATED WITH VILLAGES.
SO ROGER, ROGER, ROGER, WHY DON'T YOU PUT YOUR MIC ON.
IF YOU COULD JUST PUSH THAT BUTTON RIGHT IN FRONT OF YOU AND JUST PULL THE MIC TO YOU.
SO, UM, WE MET ON FEBRUARY 28TH.
COMMISSIONER, YOU NEED TO STEP OUTSIDE BECAUSE TERRANCE, IF YOU WANNA HAVE A CONVERSATION, HAVE IT OUTSIDE.
YEAH, SO WE'VE, WE, WE DISCUSSED THIS FIRST FEBRUARY 28TH, A LITTLE WHILE BACK.
SO AS A RESIDENT HERE, I REALLY RECOGNIZED THE, THE
[01:35:01]
IMPORTANCE OF CLIMATE CHANGE AND THE IMPORTANCE OF HAVING LESS POLLUTION AND MEDIA POLLUTION FROM FOSSIL FUELS.I HAD A DESIRE TO GET OUR SOLAR PANELS BOTH CUTTING DOWN A BUNCH OF TREES AND OUR COMMUNITY SOLAR THEN DISCOVERED THERE WAS A BIG LACK OF COMMUNITY SOLAR.
SO WE, UH, I TEAMED UP WITH SUSTAINABLE WESTCHESTER PAUL'S ADVICE.
AND IT TURNS OUT THAT THEY HAVE A PROGRAM, UH, WHERE THEY CAN HELP TOWNS TO RUN AN R F P TO ENHANCE THE AMOUNT OF COMMUNITY SOLAR IN THE TOWN.
AND AS PART OF THIS, I WAS SORT OF, WE HAD A LOOK AT, WELL, WHAT SHOULD BE THE GOAL OF THE TOWN IN TERMS OF MORE RENEWABLE ENERGY? UM, AND THE GOAL BASED ON THE STATE'S GOALS, WHICH TYPES, THE PARIS GOALS IS 50 MEGAWATTS OF RENEWABLE.
AND SO THE OBJECTIVE THAT THE STATE HAS SIGNED UP FOR WOULD INVOLVE US GETTING ANOTHER 30 MEGAWATTS BY 2030.
SO IT INVOLVES QUITE A LOT OF ACCELERATION.
AND INTERESTING TO ME, I'VE BEEN INVOLVED IN ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES QUITE A BIT IN GENERAL.
DELAY IS GOOD FOR THE ENVIRONMENT,
AND SOME COME THEY WANNA BUILD SOMETHING.
THE REACTIONS WANNA SLOW IT DOWN.
LET'S LOT DOLLAR REFLECTION, RIGHT? THIS IS ONE OF THESE SITUATIONS WHERE THERE IS A REAL IMPERATIVE TO MOVE ALONG.
SO I APPRECIATE THE FOCUS OF THE BOARD, THE ASSISTANCE OF GARRETT AND JOE AND THE OTHER DEPARTMENT HEADS.
UM, AND SO THE, WHAT WE CAME TO YOU WITH WAS A PROPOSAL TO NOT LAUNCH AN R F P WITH A NUMBER OF SITES LAID OUT.
SOME SORT OF SITES LOOKED PARTICULARLY GOOD, SOME OTHER SITES THAT LOOKED HELPFUL.
WE ALSO BELIEVE THAT THIS WILL CATALYZE MORE WORK BY PRIVATE, UM, UH, LANDLORDS.
SO WE TALKED ABOUT ONE 19, ALL THE PARKING LOTS IN ONE 19.
SO WE'RE NOT SAYING THAT THE TOWN NEEDS TO FIND 30 MEGAWATTS WORTH OF ROOFS OR PARKING LOTS, RIGHT? THIS IS LIKE 10% OF WHAT GREENBERG NEEDS TO DO.
UM, AND UH, SO THAT'S BASICALLY THE NOTION THAT THERE'S NO COST TO THE TOWN.
UM, THE R F P WILL PROVIDE OPTIONS FOR THIS BOARD TO VOTE ON, RIGHT? SO THERE'S NO COMMITMENT TO ACTUALLY, YOU'RE NOT COMMITTING TO SPEND ANY MONEY.
YOU'RE NOT COMMITTING TO ACTUALLY DO ANYTHING, BUT YOU'RE PUTTING THE TOWN'S NAME BEHIND A PROCESS TO GET DEVELOPERS TO BID ON A CERTAIN NUMBER OF SITES.
THE ONES WE'VE IDENTIFIED ALREADY.
I SUSPECT SOME OTHER SITES MAY COME OUT DURING THE PROCESS.
UM, AND UM, SO THAT'S JUST TO SORT OF REFRESH WHERE WE ARE AT TWO MONTHS AGO IN THE TIME SINCE THAT GARRETT AND JOE AND UM, AND RICHARD, RICHARD FA AND JERRY HAVE ALL BEEN INVOLVED IN LOOKING AT THE PARTICULAR SITES.
AND I THINK THE LAST TWO WEEKS, GARRETT AND JOE HAVE BEEN LOOKING JUST AT THE M O U THAT WOULD ENABLE US AS A TOWN TO LEVERAGE THE TECHNICAL ADVISORY, UH, CAPABILITIES OF SUSTAINABLE WESTCHESTER WHO RUN A NUMBER OF THESE THINGS, IN MY ESTIMATION, SEEM TO BE A GOOD CHOICE.
'CAUSE I THINK THEY KNOW WHAT THEY'RE DOING AND THEY MOVE WITH RELATIVE SPEED.
AND I THINK WHAT TONIGHT WAS ABOUT WAS A HEARING REALLY FROM THE, FROM GARRETT AND JOE.
WHETHER THE M O U IS READY FOR YOUR APPROVAL.
BUT THAT'S REALLY FOR THEM TO SAY, NOT ME.
I'M JUST, I JUST, WHO'S US? YOU MENTIONED US.
CAN YOU JUST DEFINE WHO US IS? SO I'M A RESIDENT SUSTAINABLE WESTCHESTER IS THE OUTFIT YOU'VE HEARD FROM BEFORE.
LEO WEGMAN HAS BEEN HERE A COUPLE OF TIMES.
WE'VE HAD A LOT OF Q AND A WITH LEO.
SO WHAT, UH, WE, SO THE TOWN IS A MEMBER OF SUSTAINABLE WESTCHESTER.
WE, THE TOWN PAYS A SMALL DUES EVERY YEAR.
UM, AND SO WHAT THE PROPOSAL IS, IS THAT THE TOWN LAUNCHES AN R F P AND USES SUSTAINABLE WESTCHESTER AS A TECHNICAL ADVISOR.
THAT THE M O U DESCRIBED THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THE TOWN AND THEIR ADVISOR AS IN SUSTAINABLE WESTCHESTER.
BUT THE R F P IS THE TOWN'S R F P.
AND THE PURPOSE OF, I'M SORRY, I DIDN'T MEAN TO NO, YOU'RE FINE.
AND THE PURPOSE OF THE R F P WOULD BE TO, UH, OR, OR SHOULD I SAY, WOULD THE PURPOSE OF THE R F P BE TO INCREASE THE AMOUNT OF COMMUNITY SOLAR OPPORTUNITY FOR TOWN RESIDENTS? CORRECT.
AND THIS WAS SOMETHING I THINK COUNCILOR SHEHAN RAISED AND WE DISCUSSED IT FIRST.
SO THERE'D BE A PREFERENCE FOR TOWN RESIDENTS.
AND SO THE, SO, SO THEN THE, THE, UM, THE AMOUNT OF COMMUNITY SOLAR THAT'S AVAILABLE WOULD INCREASE.
SO RESIDENTIAL HOMEOWNERS WOULD HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO BUY INTO IT.
SO YOU, YOU, YOU CATEGORIZE YOURSELF AS A RESIDENT.
YOU HAVE NO AFFILIATION WITH COMMUNITY, ANY COMMUNITY SELLER? SAME QUESTION.
I'VE BEEN WORKING ALONGSIDE THEM AND LEARNED A LOT FROM THEM OVER THE LAST COUPLE OF MONTHS.
BUT I'M, I'M NOT A PART OF THAT ORGANIZATION.
I'M A C T O, I WORK IN SOFTWARE.
'CAUSE I'VE DONE A LOT OF SOFTWARE FOR ENERGY COMPANIES, UH, WHICH IS GOOD.
UM, BUT IF WE DO THIS, THEN SUSTAINABLE WESTCHESTER GETS 1% OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT.
SO HAS THE M O U BEING DISTRIBUTED GARY?
[01:40:03]
YEAH.I BELIEVE, UH, TOWN BOARD HAS SEEN THE M O.
SO THEY, THEY HAVE A ADMINISTRATIVE FEE AND THEN MOST LIKELY THE DEVELOPERS WOULD LEVERAGE THEM.
THEY DON'T HAVE TO, BUT WOULD MOST LIKELY LEVERAGE THEM BECAUSE ONE OF THE THINGS THEY DO IS HELP RECRUIT PEOPLE.
SO RIGHT NOW, WHEN I LOOK ON THE WEBSITE, THERE'S A WAITING LIST OF 400 PEOPLE.
SO RECRUITING MAY NOT BE THAT HARD, BUT, UM, BUT YEAH, ONE OF THE THINGS THEY DO IS ALSO PROVIDE RECRUITMENT SERVICES TO ACTUALLY GET, HELP PEOPLE TO SIGN UP.
SO COMMUNITY SOLAR IS A, IS IS A WONDERFUL THING.
SO IS SOLAR ON ROOFS? UH, IT, I THOUGHT WE WERE GONNA BE HEARING, UH, FROM OUR STAFF ON THE RESULTS OF THAT MEAT AND THAT EVALUATION OF THE SURFACES, UH, THAT, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE LOTS OF ROOF SURFACES, BUT SOME OF THEM ARE GOING TO NEED A ROOF.
I, IT WAS SO LATE AT NIGHT, I DIDN'T WANNA REPLAY EVERYTHING WE TALKED ABOUT THE LAST COUPLE OF MONTHS.
BUT, SO WE HAD A MEETING HERE AND WE TALKED ABOUT THE NEED TO DO IT, THE APPROACH.
I GAVE YOU SORT OF TWO MINUTE SUMMARY OF THAT EARLIER.
UH, WE THEN CAME BACK AND WE PRESENTED ON, UH, SOME SITES HAVE BEEN SELECTED AND THAT SEEMED TO BE GOOD CANDIDATES.
AND, UH, SO WHICH SITES WERE THOSE? SO I I, NO, I DON'T HAVE 'EM IN FRONT OF ME RIGHT NOW BECAUSE WE'VE BEEN THROUGH THEM ONCE BEFORE MM-HMM.
SO I THINK THERE'S A MISUNDERSTANDING, AT LEAST ON MY PART AS TO WHAT TONIGHT WAS SUPPOSED TO BE ABOUT, BECAUSE THERE WERE LOTS OF SITES THAT WERE PICKED AS POSSIBLE.
BUT IT WAS OUR UNDERSTANDING, FOR EXAMPLE, AT THE PARK, THE, THE PARKING LOT IS IN TERRIBLE SHAPE AND WOULD HAVE TO BE RESURFACED.
UH, ANY MONEY THAT THE TOWN WOULD GET FROM THAT WOULD, WOULD PROBABLY NOT EVEN COVER THE WORK THAT WE WOULD HAVE TO PUT IN TO MAKE THAT A VIABLE SITE.
UM, BUT AT THE SAME TIME, WHAT WE'RE SAYING IS THAT THIS WOULD BE OPEN FOR COMMUNITY.
IN OTHER WORDS, THE THE, THE COMMUNITY WOULD BENEFIT FROM WHATEVER CREDITS OR THE WAY IT WORKS WITH THE YEAH.
SO THE, THE RESIDENTS WILL GET A, AND WE CAN'T DO BOTH.
WE CAN'T GIVE IT TO THE COMMUNITY.
AND YOU CAN'T FIX THE PARKING LOT.
THE RESIDENTS WILL GET A DISCOUNT ON THEIR, UH, ELECTRICITY BILLS.
WE'LL REDUCE THE AMOUNT OF POLLUTION THAT'S GIVING CHILDREN ASTHMA.
WE'LL REDUCE THE AMOUNT OF CARBON DIOXIDE GOING TO THE AIR.
AND THIS WILL BE THROUGH A PROCESS WHERE WE LOOK AT THESE SITES IN DETAIL AND LOOKING AT THOSE SITES IN DETAIL, WE NEED TO INCLUDE IN THAT THINGS LIKE, WELL, IF THE PARKING LOT NEEDS UPGRADING, HE'S RESURFACING, WHAT'S THE RIGHT SEQUENCE TO DO THAT? RIGHT.
THE, AND WHO PAYS FOR IT? SO I THINK THE, UH, SOLAR FACILITIES MAY GENERATE SOME REVENUE, BUT I'M NOT SAYING THERE ARE SORT OF GUSHING FOUNTAIN OF, OF, OF REVENUE FOR THE, FOR THE, FOR THE TOWN.
IT MAY BE POSSIBLE TO WRAP IN SOME IMPROVEMENTS AS PART OF THE CAPITAL INVESTMENT BY THE, UH, UH, BY THE DEVELOPERS.
BUT THAT IS REALLY GOING TO COME TO FRUITION WHEN YOU ACTUALLY LOOK INTO THE DETAILS OF THE SITES.
AND, UH, SO WHEN JERRY SAYS THAT, UH, ANGIE, VETERAN PARK, THE WEST SIDE SEEMS STRAIGHTFORWARD, THE EAST SIDE I'M LESS SURE ABOUT, WE HAVE TO NOW GET INTO A SPECIFIC LEVEL OF DETAIL ABOUT IS IT POSSIBLE TO DO BOTH SIDES OR SHOULD IT BE JUST ONE SIDE AND THEN COME BACK TO THIS BOARD AND SAY, HEY, THIS IS WHAT CAN BE DONE.
SO BASICALLY WE SUSTAINABLE, IF WE WOULD GO ALONG WITH THIS, SUSTAINABLE WILL DO THE MANAGEMENT OF THE PROCESS.
AND OUR STAFF WOULD NOT HAVE TO SPEND A LOT OF TIME DOING THE WORK BECAUSE SUSTAINABLE WILL DO, WILL WILL SORT OF BE THE LEAD ORGANIZER.
SO I, I JUST WANNA, I THINK YOU RAISED A POINT ABOUT THIS IN A PREVIOUS MEETING, WHICH IS THIS IS THE TOWN'S R F P, BUT THEY WILL, SO IN TERMS OF ACCOUNTABILITY AND MANAGEMENT MM-HMM.
BUT IN TERMS OF DOING THE WORK, WE'LL GET THE BENEFIT OF PEOPLE WHO'VE BEEN THROUGH THIS.
SEE THAT MAKE WHAT I SAID, AND THEN WE'RE PAYING, SO THEN WE'RE PAYING.
SO WE'RE PAYING SUSTAINABLE WESTCHESTER, THERE'S NO, THERE'S NO COST TO, BUT THERE WAS A ONE I SAW SOMETHING HELP ME, HELP ME OUT.
THE DEVELOPERS, THE DEVELOPERS WILL PAY SOME, UH, FEES TOWARDS IT.
AND WE WERE, SO WE WERE TALKING ABOUT IT'S NOT, THERE'S NO COST OF THE TOWN.
THE, THE ISSUE THAT, YOU KNOW, I SEE IS, YOU KNOW, RIGHT NOW OUR STAFF, THERE ARE SO MANY ISSUES THAT WE HAVE TO ADDRESS.
YOU KNOW, WE WERE JUST LOOKING AT RIGHT BEFORE AFFORDABLE HOUSING, YOU KNOW, GARRETT HAS, IT IS GONNA TAKE HOURS AND HOURS OF TIME TO DO THE AFFORDABLE HOUSING.
WE HAVE TONS OF GRANTS FROM THE STATE.
WE HAVE HOME RULE MESSAGES THAT WE HAVE TO DO.
AND I FEEL THAT, UM, WE DON'T HAVE THE RESOURCES, UM, IN THE TOWN TO DO
[01:45:01]
THE WORK THAT SUSTAINABLE WESTCHESTER WOULD DO.'CAUSE IF WE COULD CONTRACT WITH SUSTAINABLE WESTCHESTER, LET'S SAY WE SAY, OKAY, LET'S SAY IT TURNS OUT THAT WE SOLARIZE THE TOWN HALL, YOU KNOW, THE PARKING LOT HERE, YOU KNOW, DO SOME WORK HERE.
OR MAYBE THERE'S ONE OR TWO OTHER THING PROJECTS.
TO ME IT'S REALLY, I'M LOOKING AT THIS AS A DEMONSTRATION PROJECT RATHER THAN, RATHER THAN, YOU KNOW, SOLVING, UH, UH, THE ENVIRONMENTAL PROBLEMS OF, OF THE WORLD.
BUT IF WE, IF WE COULD, UH, SHOW THE BUSINESS COMMUNITY THAT WE'VE BEEN SUCCESSFUL, YOU KNOW, AND AT THE MUNICIPAL.
SO WHY ARE WE, WHY ARE WE PARTNERING WITH SUSTAINABLE WESTCHESTER? ARE THERE, LET ME JUST FINISH.
ARE THERE OTHER, ARE THERE OTHER VENDORS OUT THERE THAT WE CAN ALSO TAKE A LOOK AT AND DECIDE TO PARTNER WITH? WHY ARE WE ONLY PARTNERING WITH SUSTAINABLE WESTCHESTER? BECAUSE THEY HAVE THE MOST EXPERIENCE AND, BUT THERE ARE OTHER, THERE ARE OTHER, THERE ARE OTHER AGENCIES AND OTHER VENDORS OUT THERE THAT CAN PROBABLY PROVIDE, AND I'M ALMOST POSITIVE 99.9% POSITIVE THAT THEY COULD PROVIDE THE SAME TYPE OF SERVICES AS SUSTAINABLE WESTCHESTER.
SO I'M GONNA BE VERY, I'M GONNA BE VERY TRANS.
I'M GONNA BE, I'M GONNA BE VERY TRANSPARENT.
I'M CONCERNED ABOUT SUSTAINABLE WESTCHESTER ONLY BECAUSE WHEN WE WENT INTO A, WHEN WE WENT INTO AN AGREEMENT WITH THEM BEFORE, THEY DIDN'T COME OUT AS THEY WERE SUPPOSED TO.
THERE WERE THINGS THAT THEY WERE SUPPOSED TO HAVE DONE AND WASN'T DONE.
WHAT WAS THE NATURE OF THAT? SO THAT, THAT WAS, THAT WAS WITH THE, UM, THE ESCROW FOR THE ENERGY COST.
AND SO FOR ME, I'M CONCERNED THAT WE'RE GOING TO PUT AN R F P, WE'RE GOING TO, EVEN THOUGH YOU'RE SAYING IT'S THE TOWN'S R F P, BUT WE'RE CALLING IT THE TOWN'S R F P, WE'RE WINDOW DRESSING HERE.
WE'RE SAYING IT'S THE TOWN'S R F F P, BUT WE CAN ALL THE WORK OVER THE SUSTAINABLE WESTCHESTER AND I PERSONALLY AM JUST NOT COMFORTABLE.
SO WITH WHAT, I'M JUST NOT COMFORTABLE WITH WHAT SUSTAINABLE WESTCHESTER HAS BROUGHT TO THE TOWN, ESPECIALLY WHEN IT CAME TO ALL THE ENERGY WE'VE HAD ISSUES WITH, WE WERE SUPPOSED TO GET POSTCARDS.
IT WAS SUPPOSED TO BE THE LOWEST RATE.
WE MADE PROMISES TO OUR RESIDENTS, WE SIGNED ON, IT WAS SUPPOSED TO BE EASY FOR THEM TO OPT IN OUT.
AND THERE WAS CHALLENGES THERE.
SO I'M NOT SAYING THAT WE DON'T NEED THE EXPERTISE FROM ANOTHER VENDOR TO HELP US OUT AND TO FIGURE HOW WE CAN MAKE THIS WORK.
I'M JUST CONCERNED THAT WE JUST PUTTING ALL OF OUR EGGS IN ONE VENDOR AND NOT TAKE A LOOK OUT AND TAKE A LOOK AND SEE IF WE CAN FIND OTHER VENDORS THAT CAN POSSIBLY PROVIDE THE SAME SERVICE.
SO CAN I ASK YOU, CAN I ASK YOU JUST A QUESTION? BECAUSE I, I BELIEVE THAT WE DON'T HAVE THE RESOURCES IN THE TOWN AND I FEEL IF WE DON'T DO THIS, MY PREDICTION IS THAT NOTHING WILL HAPPEN.
'CAUSE WE'VE BEEN WAITING SINCE FEBRUARY AND SO FAR NOTHING'S HAPPENED.
AND, UM, AND SO THE QUESTION I HAVE IS, LET'S SAY YOU WANT TO REACH OUT TO, UM, YOU KNOW, OTHER POTENTIAL, UM, YOU KNOW, EXPERTS WHO COULD HELP MANAGE THIS.
UM, YOU KNOW, THE ONLY OTHER OPTION THAT I COULD SEE IS IF WE SAY TO GARRETT OR WE SAY TO RICH, OR SOMEBODY PREPARE AN R F P, YOU KNOW, WE, UH, GIVE THEM THREE WEEKS.
YOU CAN DO AN R F I, YOU CAN DO AN R F I, BUT I'M SAYING IF WE WANNA SAY HAVE IT DONE, YOU KNOW, BY A MONTH FROM TODAY, AND IF, IF IN A MONTH FROM TODAY WE GET OTHER VENDORS WHO ARE INTERESTED IN, YOU KNOW, MANAGING THIS, UM, THEN, YOU KNOW, WE, WE COULD THEN INTERVIEW AND SELECT OTHER, THE BEST ONE.
ON THE OTHER HAND, IF WE GET NOBODY OR TURNS OUT OUR STAFF DOESN'T HAVE THE TIME AND DOESN'T FOLLOW UP ON IT, YOU KNOW, WHICH IS BECAUSE THEY MAY HAVE OTHER THINGS THAT THEY FEEL ARE MORE PRIORITY, THEN WE GO WITH SUSTAINABLE.
BECAUSE THEN, THEN WE AT LEAST, UM, YOU KNOW, GAVE, THEN WE'RE MOVING IT ALONG AND IT'S ONLY A MONTH.
CAN I JUST, CAN I JUST, I MEAN, I'M NOT A, I DON'T WORK AT SUSTAINABLE WESTCHESTER MM-HMM.
WE'VE BEEN TALKING FOR THREE MONTHS.
IT'S THE FIRST TIME THAT ANYONE SAID TO ME, WELL, WE HAVE A PROBLEM.
SUSTAINABLE WESTCHESTER, WE SAT DOWN ON FEBRUARY 28TH ON THIS.
SINCE THAT TIME, YOU KNOW, WE PUT OUT 3000 MORE TONS OF CARBON DIOXIDE BY THE DELAY ON THIS.
SO I'M VERY, I DON'T KNOW OF A GOOD ALTERNATIVE.
THERE MAY BE OTHER PEOPLE DO KNOW OF A GOOD ALTERNATIVE.
I DO KNOW OF SOME LESS GOOD ALTERNATIVES, BUT ARE VERY SLOW.
UM, SO I JUST SAID I HAVE CONCERNS ABOUT SUSTAINABLE WESTCHESTER.
UM, IS IT IN THIS DOMAIN OR IS IT IN A DIFFERENT, I THOUGHT THAT, I KNOW THERE WAS SOME ISSUES BECAUSE I SIGNED UP THIS ALTERNATIVE ELECTRICITY THING THAT TURNED OUT TO BE MORE EXPENSIVE THAN WE HAD INTENDED.
I THINK THAT'S, IT'S NOT THEIR FAULT.
IT'S NOT THEIR FAULT BECAUSE, BUT THEY, THEY MADE MONEY, EITHER, SHE'S NOT SAYING IT WAS THEIR FAULT.
SHE'S SAYING THEIR RESPONSE TO WHAT OCCURRED WAS NOT GOOD.
BUT, YOU KNOW WHAT, CAN I JUST, CAN I JUST SAY SOMETHING? I THINK NO, NO, NO.
I MEAN, YOU'RE SAYING IT RIGHT.
I JUST, I JUST THINK THAT, AND I UNDERSTAND YOU'RE TRYING TO PUSH THE STANDARD OF WESTCHESTER AND YOU'RE TRYING TO MOVE THIS, BUT I THINK, THINK WE, WE HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO BE SMART IN MAKING SURE THAT WE JUST, WE DO THE RESEARCH FIRST.
I'M NOT SAYING, AND I UNDERSTAND THE CONCERN OF EVERYONE, BUT WE NEED TO MAKE SURE WE HAVE THE RIGHT PERSON THAT WE'RE PARTNER UP, PARTNER PARTNERING WITH TO MAKE SURE WE GET THIS WORK DONE.
[01:50:01]
THE WAY I WOULD LOOK AT IT IS, YOU ALREADY ENGAGED SUSTAINABLE AS YOU PAY THEM SUBSCRIPTION ALL THE TIME.AND REALLY, WE ARE BETTING ON LEO, WHO YOU'VE MET BEFORE, WHO IS TRULY EXPERT IN THIS.
WE'RE NOT, IT'S REALLY A BET ON THE INDIVIDUAL.
I MEAN, I, I'VE CONTRACTED VERY LARGE SUMS OF CONSULTING DOLLARS IN MY TIME, MY PROFESSIONAL CAREER.
AND YES, YOU LOOK AT THE COMPANY, BUT THEN YOU LOOK AT WHO IS THE ACTUAL CONSULTANT WHO'S HELPING YOU.
YOU'VE SPENT A COUPLE OF HOURS, TWO, TWO HOURS WITH HIM IN TOTAL.
HE'S ABSOLUTELY KNOWLEDGEABLE ABOUT THIS.
SO I DON'T HAVE ANY QUESTION IN MY MIND THAT IT WOULD MAKE SENSE TO PARTNER UP WITH LEO SPECIFICALLY TO HELP GARRETT AND THE REST OF THE TEAM ON THIS.
AND I THINK I WOULD HATE TO SEE US DELAY BY ANOTHER END MONTHS.
THERE'S, BECAUSE THERE'S A DESIRE TO HOLD SUSTAINABLE WESTCHESTER SORT INSTITUTIONALLY ACCOUNTABLE FOR SOMETHING ELSE IF THEY CAN DO THIS JOB WELL, I DON'T THINK WE'RE TALKING ABOUT A 10 MONTH DELAY.
SO I THINK THAT, UM, THAT WE CAN DO A SHORT INVESTIGATION.
WE TO TAKE A, YEAH, WE HAVE SHORT, A SMALL WINDOW.
SEE WHAT KIND OF RESPONSES WE GET BACK.
SO FOR SOMEBODY ELSE THEN, WHAT KIND OF BUDGET WOULD YOU HAVE IN MIND FOR AN ORGANIZATION TO COME AND PROVIDE TECHNICAL CONSULTING? IT COULD BE THE SAME.
UH, IT COULD, YOU KNOW, I'M JUST THROWING OUT SOMETHING.
UM, UM, YOU GOTTA, YOU GOTTA DO THE SCOPE OF WORK.
PRETTY MUCH THE SAME TYPE OF THING WHERE THERE COULD BE, YOU KNOW, NO, NO COST.
AND THEY'RE ABLE TO COME UP AND SAY, UH, WE'LL TAKE A CERTAIN PERCENTAGE OF THE, UH, YOU KNOW, THE FEE, YOU KNOW, WE COULD, THE FEES.
LIKE, I'M, I'M JUST, SO SHOULD WE IDENTIFY MAYBE OVER THE NEXT WEEK OR, UH, WHAT OTHER NOT-FOR-PROFITS THAT WOULD DO THIS IN THE COST? WELL, YOU KNOW, I'M THINKING THAT WOULD A GOOD IDEA'S A SUSTAINABLE, THERE'S A SUSTAINABLE DIRECT, UH, THE VILLAGE OF IRVINGTON HAS HIRED A PART-TIME PERSON AS A SUSTAINABLE DIRECTOR.
YOU KNOW, I'M JUST SAYING, I MET WITH HER, YOU KNOW, A COUPLE WEEKS AGO.
UM, SO, YOU KNOW, I'M TALKING ABOUT AS A FOLLOW UP TO, YOU KNOW, WHAT YOUR, YOUR SUGGESTION IS.
IF WE SAY WE'RE GONNA BE HAVING A, A FOUR WEEK DELAY, YOU KNOW, WE USE, WE ALL USE OUR BEST EFFORTS TO, UH, TO COME UP WITH, UM, UM, YOU KNOW, DIFFERENT OPTIONS.
IF IT TURNS OUT THAT WE CAN'T GET ANYTHING, YOU KNOW, BETTER, THEN WE GO WITH SUSTAINABLE.
I DON'T HAVE A PROBLEM WITH SUSTAINABLE.
I'M, I'D BE WILLING TO GO ALONG WITH, UH, WITH THIS NOW, BUT I'M, I'M SAYING, YOU KNOW, I DON'T WANNA SEE THIS FALL APART.
AND IF IT TURNS OUT THAT, YOU KNOW, EVERYBODY'S GONNA HAVE A BETTER COMFORT LEVEL IF WE, YOU KNOW, GO THROUGH THE PROCESS AND, YOU KNOW, IT'S SHORT AND WE'RE ALL COMMITTED TO DOING THIS, UH, AND IT'S GONNA BE A COUPLE WEEKS, YOU KNOW, I DON'T REALLY THINK THAT, YEAH, THAT'S ALL, THAT'S ALL WE COULD, WE COULD STAFF PREPARE A REQUEST FOR IN, UH, PROPOSALS OR, YOU KNOW, UM, INTEREST.
AND, UH, WE KNOW THE BUILDING BLOCKS FORTUNATELY BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, THIS
UM, I WOULD ALSO LIKE TO LAYER INTO THAT R F I, UM, YOU KNOW, THE FEASIBILITY FOR SOMEONE TO LOOK INTO GRANTS TO HELP OFFSET THE COST OF SOLAR.
SO IF IT'S A $2 MILLION PROJECT, UM, YOU KNOW, I CAN JUST SAY FROM MY EXPERIENCE, WE'VE BEEN VERY SUCCESSFUL GETTING, UH, GRANTS FOR FREE ELECTRIC VEHICLES, WHICH WE'RE ON OUR SECOND ONE NOW.
WE'RE ABOUT TO ON THE VERGE OF GETTING THAT SECOND ELECTRIC VEHICLE FOR FREE.
UM, WE'VE GOT SOME LEVEL TWO CHARGERS THAT ARE, WE HAVE FUNDING FOR THAT ARE GONNA BE DEPLOYED AT TOWN HALL OVER THE NEXT YEAR.
UM, AND, YOU KNOW, SO I WOULD ALSO, UM, WONDER IF, YOU KNOW, A, A CONSULTANT THAT WOULD MANAGE THIS AND MAYBE, UM, SUSTAINABLE WESTCHESTER WOULD DO THE SAME, BUT COULD ACTUALLY ADVOCATE AND HELP US GET GRANTS TO OFFSET THE COST, UM, TO, YOU KNOW, DEPLOY SOLAR AT A, AT A MUNICIPAL FACILITY.
WE, WE SHOULD NOT RULE OUT SO SUSTAINABLE.
AND I DIDN'T, BUT I DIDN'T, I'D NEVER IT OUT.
I JUST SAID, WE JUST NEED TO DON'T, I DON'T LOOK AT ALL THE, NO ONE'S RULING IT OUT.
ALL I'M SAYING IS I, I WANT PEOPLE TO RECOGNIZE THAT THERE'S A LOT OF POSITIVE, EVEN THOUGH, YOU KNOW, PEOPLE ARE UPSET ABOUT THE RATES YOU WITH SUSTAINABLE, YOU KNOW, THAT WITH THE ESCO DIDN'T WORK OUT BECAUSE OF THE ECONOMY AND THE, THE SITUATION IN THE WORLD IS NOT THE, THERE ARE OTHER THINGS.
BUT THE THING IS, I, THERE'S, FROM MY EXPERIENCES DEALING WITH SUSTAINABLE WESTCHESTER FEEL, YOU HAVE A LOT OF PEOPLE WHO WORK FOR SUSTAINABLE WESTCHESTER ARE PASSIONATE ABOUT THE ENVIRONMENT, ABOUT, UH, UH, GLOBAL WARMING, ABOUT SUSTAINABILITY.
AND I THINK THAT, UH, THE BY AND LARGE, UM, YOU KNOW, THE OVERWHELMING NUMBER OF PEOPLE WHO WORK THERE ARE, ARE REALLY, YOU KNOW, TOTALLY COMMITTED TO MAKING THE PLANET SUSTAINABLE.
NINA ORVILLE, WHO LIVED IN DOBBS FERRY, WAS THE HEAD OF IT FOR Y OR SHE WAS ONE OF THE TOP ENVIRONMENTALISTS IN THE, YOU KNOW, IN, IN THE WHOLE COUNTRY.
I, I, I, I'VE WORKED WITH SUSTAINABLE FOR YEARS AND WE HAVE AS, AS A TOWN.
BUT I THINK THAT WHAT, UM, COUNCILWOMAN JACKSON IS SUGGESTING IS THAT WE JUST DO OUR DUE DILIGENCE.
I'M HAPPY TO SIGN UP, WORK WITH GARRETT OVER THE NEXT TWO WEEKS, COME BACK TO THE BOARD AND SAY, HERE ARE THERE SOME
[01:55:01]
OF THE OPTIONS, THE SENSE OF PROS, CONS, AND COST.AND THEN IF WE WANT TO GO MORE FORMAL, WE CAN GO MORE FORMAL.
BUT, YOU KNOW, OTHER, OTHER ORGANIZATIONS ARE SIMILAR.
I JUST MAY WANNA ASK, IS MANY OF YOU BEEN INVOLVED IN THIS PROCESS? IF YOU COULD JUST EMAIL ME, I'LL SEND AN EMAIL TO THE BOARD MM-HMM.
YOU KNOW, I HAVE NO AX TO GRIND ABOUT WHO WE GO.
MAYBE FEDERATION OF WESTCHESTER AND JEFF'S LIKE, THERE'S NOBODY WOULD BE GREAT.
WE COULD REACH OUT TO HER BECAUSE SHE WAS INVOLVED WITH THE NATURE CENTER, THE GREENBERG NATURE CENTER.
THIS COULD BE AN OPPORTUNITY FOR THEM BECAUSE THEY HAVE A, A, A BIG ENVIRONMENTAL, UH, UNIT.
THEY MIGHT BE INTERESTED IN DOING THIS.
SO I'LL, I'LL SEND AN EMAIL TO THE BOARD JUST SAYING, ANY IDEAS, PLEASE SHARE.
AND THEN TWO WEEKS WE'LL COME BACK AND JUST, WE CAN HAVE A LOOK AT THE OPTIONS.
JOE, MAYBE IT'S A CLEAR, MAYBE IT'LL BE A CLEAR DECISION POINT.
MAYBE YOU'LL SAY, WE'LL WORK JUST QUIET, BUT WE CAN COME BACK.
SO, JOE, WHAT IS THE DATE OF THE LAST M O U? THE DRAFT? THE DRAFT WAS A FEW WEEKS AGO.
IS THAT APRIL 17TH? I, I BELIEVE SO.
I COULD RECIRCULATE IT TONIGHT.
SO CLEARLY, AND I COULDN'T HAVE BEEN MORE CLEAR ABOUT IT WHEN WE DID MEET ON THIS BEFORE.
UH, YES, THERE'S THE 1%, BUT THERE'S ALSO A LINE IN THE PRIOR M O U PRIOR TO THIS ONE, WHICH SAYS THAT, UM, UH, YES, THERE'S THE 1% AND IT SAYS SUSTAINABLE.
WESTCHESTER WOULD ALSO SEEK TO PROVIDE PROJECT SERVICES TO THE DEVELOPER FOR CUSTOMER ACQUISITION AND SUBSCRIPTION MANAGER.
THOSE RATES ARE TYPICALLY NEGOTIATED BETWEEN THE DE DEVELOPER AND THE SERVICE PROVIDER ON A CASE BY CASE BASIS.
AND I SAID THAT SINCE WE'RE DOING THIS AT A MUNICIPALITY, THERE'S GOTTA BE MORE TRANSPARENCY AND, AND HOW THAT IS CALCULATED AS OPPOSED TO A CASE BY CASE BASIS.
YOU CHARGE ONE PERSON, ONE THING AND ANOTHER ON A, YOU KNOW, JUST BECAUSE YOU THINK YOU CAN GET MORE MONEY.
AND THERE WAS ONE DEVELOPER, THERE WAS AGREEMENT, THERE WAS AGREEMENT, THERE WAS AGREEMENT THAT YES, WE CAN OUTLINE THAT, YOU KNOW, BASED ON, YOU KNOW, SIZE OR WHATEVER IT IS.
AND HERE I'M LOOKING AT AN M O U, WHICH TOTALLY IGNORED THAT COMMENT.
SO WHAT SHE WAS DATED, UH, APRIL 17TH.
THAT WAS THE DATE OF THE LAST M O U.
AND WE WERE SUPPOSED TO BE HEARING FROM STAFF AS TO WHICH BUILDINGS, UM, AND THINGS LIKE THAT, UH, THAT ARE SUITABLE FOR THIS OR VERY EXPENSIVE FOR THIS, UH, BECAUSE THE DECISION WAS MADE THAT WHATEVER WE GET, WE'RE GONNA PUT OUT FOR COMPUTER, UM, COMMUNITY SOLAR, WELL, YOU CAN'T GIVE ANY, ANY, UM, REVENUE COMING IN TO COMMUNITY SOLAR AT THE SAME TIME.
WE NEED IT TO FIX UP THE STRUCTURE THAT THEY'RE GONNA PUT THESE PANELS ON.
AND SO THERE'S A COST, RIGHT? IT MAY NOT BE A YOU, UH, THE DEVELOPERS MAY PAY FOR THE COST, UH, A COST OF WHATEVER 1% THERE IS, BUT THEN THE TAXPAYERS ARE GONNA PAY THE COST OF WHAT IT TAKES TO FIX THESE ROOFS AND THINGS LIKE THAT, OR THE PARKING LOT.
THOSE ARE NUMBERS WE HAVE TO KNOW.
AND IT'S NICE, YOU KNOW, WE COULD, WELL, I, I THINK THAT'S, WELL FIRST, UH, YOU SECOND
SO, 'CAUSE WHAT I JUST SAID PRIOR TO THAT ISN'T NICE.
UH, IT'S NICE THAT WE'RE TRYING TO REDUCE CARBON FOOTPRINT AND ALL THOSE GOOD THINGS, BUT WE ALSO HAVE TO MAKE SURE THAT THIS IS, YOU KNOW, FINANCIALLY VIABLE FOR THE TOWN.
AND JUST SAYING THERE'S, YOU KNOW, NO COST TO US FOR THE PANELS WHEN THERE MAY BE SOME MAJOR INFRASTRUCTURE THAT WE HAVE TO DO.
SO THOSE PANELS HAVE A PLACE TO SIT.
UH, WE HAVE TO BE COGNIZANT OF THAT.
AND I ALSO AM NOT, I'M NOT A FAN RIGHT NOW OF WESTCHESTER, A SUSTAINABLE REST RESTORER.
'CAUSE I THINK, YES, THERE'S A BIG HIT WRIT ON THE RATES, BUT NOBODY, YOU KNOW, NOBODY CAN PREDICT THAT.
IT'S LIKE SOMEBODY WHO HAS GETS THEIR OIL AND THEY, THEY FIX THEIR OIL AT A FIXED PRICE AT THE HOPE THAT IT DOESN'T, IT DOESN'T, UH, GO UP, GO.
UM, AND ONE YEAR I REMEMBER IT WENT DOWN SIGNIFICANTLY AND THERE WERE ACTUALLY LAWSUITS AS TO, HEY, I SHOULD NOT HAVE TO, YOU KNOW, PAY, EVEN THOUGH THE RATES WENT DOWN AND EVERY ONE OF THOSE PEOPLE LOST THEIR LAWSUIT.
I UNDERSTAND THAT, BUT ONE OF THE WAYS THAT A BUSINESS CAN HELP A CUSTOMER IS YES, THAT'S TRUE, BUT WE PROVIDE THIS SERVICE TO YOU, LIKE HELPING THEM PUT SOLAR PANELS ON THEIR ROOF.
UM, BUT IT SEEMS LIKE WHATEVER THEY DO, THERE'S AN ADDITIONAL COST.
[02:00:01]
MEMBERSHIP IN THIS.AND IT, I THINK IT WOULD BE BETTER FOR THEM AS A, UM, AS A COMPANY.
I'VE MADE, I'VE SAID THIS, YOU KNOW, I KNOW THREE, FOUR TIMES NOW AT MEETINGS THAT, YOU KNOW, FOR RESIDENTS WHO WANT TO DO PANELS IS THAT THEY GIVE SUPPORT, PARTICULARLY IF THEY BOUGHT INTO SUSTAINABLE WESTCHESTER AS AN ESCO.
YOU MENTIONED YOUR OWN PERSONAL EXPERIENCE IN THE FIRST OH, IT'S AWFUL.
IT'S ABSOLUTELY AWFUL WHAT'S OUT THERE.
AND I WILL, I WILL COME BACK WITH GARRETT'S HELP WITH LIST OF ALTERNATIVES.
AND I THINK YOUR POINT ON THE M U, I GOT THAT TOO, TO THE TRANSPARENCY ON ANY RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THE DEVELOPER SUSTAINABLE WAS JUST CORRECT IN A FOLLOW UP.
THERE NEEDS TO BE TRANSPARENCY ON THAT.
YOU GUYS HAVE GREAT STA
ALL RIGHT, PAUL, DO YOU HAVE A MOTION? A MOTION? I MAKE A MOTION THAT WE GO INTO EXECUTIVE SESSION SECOND FOR, UH, PURPOSES OF DISCUSSING PERSONNEL MATTERS INVOLVING SPECIFIC INDIVIDUALS AND TO SEEK LEGAL ADVICE ON VARIOUS MATTERS.