[ PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE]
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TO THE FLAG IN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA AND TO THE REPUBLIC FOR WHICH IT STANDS.
ONE NATION UNDER BEHALF INVISIBLE LIBERTY AND JUSTICE FOR ALL.
[ MOMENT OF SILENCE In Memory of Edward P. Marron, Sr., age 83, of Ardsley, New York, former Town employee, passed away peacefully surrounded by his devoted family on May 13, 2023. Ed is survived by his beloved wife Carolyn of 61 years. He also leaves behind his four children, Edward (Cathy), Michael (Kay), Stacey (Don), and Maureen (Adam). He loved being grandpa (“Papa” or “Gramps”) to his eleven grandchildren Edward (Phoebe), Jeffrey, Amy, Kathryn, Christopher (Ana), Carolyn (Clifford), Colleen, Ryan, Michael, John, and Erin. His greatest love was his wife and his greatest pride was his family. As a father and grandfather, Ed was also friend, role model, mentor, and their greatest supporter. Among his happiest memories were the many summers spent in Montauk with his children (later with his grandchildren) and with friends on the beaches and on the boat. Ed was also a loyal and dedicated friend to many who he enjoyed spending time with. In recent years, Ed enjoyed meeting up (and solving the world’s problems) with his longtime friends down at the Hudson River. He will be dearly missed by all those who knew him. In memory of the people in Ukraine killed during Russia's invasion and relentless intentional targeted bombing of civilians in apartment buildings, hospitals, train stations, schools and children centers, deliberating targeting utilities used by civilians to leave them without electricity and heat through the brutal winter weather, with mass graves being found after invaded areas have been retaken, all in Russia's effort to destroy Ukraine and its people, who are forced to fight for their land, their freedom, and general democratic principles. May they rest in peace and peace be restored to Ukraine]
SADLY, WE HAVE, UM, A MOMENT OF SILENCE IN MEMORY OF ED MARIN.UM, HE PASSED AWAY AT THE AGE OF 83.
HE WAS A FORMER TOWN EMPLOYEE, UM, AND, UM, HE WAS VERY DEVOTED TO THE TOWN.
HE WAS A FORMER EMPLOYEE FOR 39 YEARS, RIGHT? HE SURVIVED, UM, BY, UM, HIS, UH, BELOVED WIFE, CAROLYN OF 61 YEARS.
HE LEAVES BEHIND HIS FOUR CHILDREN, ED, UH, MICHAEL, STACY, AND MAUREEN.
HE LOVED BEING A GRANDPA TO HIS 11 GRANDCHILDREN, ED, JEFFREY, AMY, CATHERINE, CHRISTOPHER, CAROLYN, UM, COLLEEN, RYAN, MICHAEL, JOHN, AND AARON.
HIS GREATEST LOVE WAS HIS WIFE, AND HIS GREATEST PRIDE WAS HIS FAMILY AS A FATHER AND GRANDFATHER.
ED WAS ALSO A FRIEND, A ROLE MODEL, MENTOR, AND THEIR GREATEST SUPPORTERS.
AMONG HIS HAPPIEST MEMORIES WERE THE MANY SUMMERS SPENT IN MONTAUK WITH HIS CHILDREN, LATER WITH HIS GRANDCHILDREN, AND WITH FRIENDS ON THE BEACHES AND ON THE BOAT.
ED WAS ALSO A LOYAL AND DEDICATED FRIEND TO MANY WHO HE ENJOYED SPENDING TIME WITH.
IN RECENT YEARS, ED ENJOYED MEETING UP AND SOLVING THE WORLD'S PROBLEMS WITH HIS LONGTIME FRIENDS DOWN THE HUDSON RIVER WILL BE DEARLY MISSED BY THOSE WHO KNEW HIM.
AND AFTER, UM, HE PASSED AWAY, MANY EMPLOYEES, UH, CAME UP, UM, AND THEY SAID THEY JUST REMEMBER HIS SMILE, HIS POSITIVE PERSONALITY.
HE WAS JUST A REALLY NICE PERSON.
AND JUST BEING NICE IS PROBABLY HIS, UH, BIGGEST, UM, ONE OF THE BEST THINGS THAT YOU COULD SAY ABOUT HIM.
UM, WE ALSO, UM, HAVE A MOMENT OF SILENCE IN MEMORY OF THE PEOPLE OF UKRAINE.
UH, THEY WERE KILLED DURING RUSSIA'S, UM, INVASION AND RELENTLESS INTENTIONAL BAR, UH, TARGETED BOMBINGS OF CIVILIANS AND APARTMENT BUILDINGS, HOSPITALS, TRAIN STATION SCHOOLS AND CHILDREN'S CENTERS DELIBERATING TARGETING UTILITIES USED BY CIVILIANS TO LEAVE THEM WITHOUT ELECTRICITY AND HEAT.
THROUGHOUT THE BRUTAL, UH, WINTER WEATHER WITH MASS GRAVES BEING FOUND AFTER INVADED, UM, AREAS HAVE BEEN RETAKEN ALL IN, UH, RUSSIA'S EFFORTS TO DESTROY UKRAINE, AND ITS PEOPLE WERE FORCED TO FIGHT FOR THEIR LAND, THEIR FREEDOM, AND GENERAL DEMOCRATIC PRINCIPLES.
WANTS TO SAY SOMETHING MS. RICH HERE.
CAN YOU HEAR ME NOW? ALL RIGHT, THERE YOU GO.
I WANTED TO TAKE A MOMENT JUST TO SPEAK BRIEFLY ABOUT THE PASSING OF OUR DEAR, DEAR FRIEND EDWARD PATRICK MARIN, OR AS HE WAS WARMLY KNOWN AS AROUND TOWN, BIG ED AS JERRY BYRNE, MARKS AND RED COMMISSIONER SAID, BIG ED WAS THE FACE OF THE TOWN OF GREENBERG ENGINEERING DEPARTMENT FOR MORE THAN 38 YEARS.
BIG ED WAS A TRUE ENT AND VERY PROUD GREENBERG RESIDENT.
DURING MY TIME WITH ED, I NEVER WITNESSED A MORE DEDICATED AND HARDWORKING PUBLIC SERVANT, ALWAYS WILLING TO HELP A TRULY, TRULY LOVED WHAT HE DID, AND HE DID IT EXTREMELY WELL.
I FIRST MET ED AS A HIGH SCHOOL STUDENT LOOKING FOR HELP WITH THE CONSTRUCTION PROJECT.
A FAMILY FRIEND TOLD ME TO GO SEE MR. MAR.
SO I CALLED MR. MARIN, HE INVITED ME INTO HIS HOME, HELPED FOR OVER AN HOUR WITH MY, MY CONCERNS AND PROBLEM.
AND WHEN I LEFT, HE TOLD ME IF I EVER NEED ANYTHING TO GIMME A CALL, GIVE HIM A CALL.
THIS IS SOMEONE I HAD NEVER MET.
I LEARNED YEARS AFTER WATCHING FROM WORKING WITH HIM THAT THIS WAS NOT, UH, SOMETHING UNUSUAL.
HE HELPED EVERYONE, AND HE SEEMED TO KNOW EVERYONE, AND EVERYONE KNEW AND RESPECTED HIM.
EVERYONE SEEMED TO KNOW IF YOU HAD A PROBLEM, YOU WENT TO
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SEE BIG ED BACK IN THE LATE EIGHTIES AND NINETIES.ED WASN'T JUST A SENIOR ENGINEER OF THE DEPARTMENT, BUT HE ALSO BECAME A SECOND FATHER OF ALL OF US IN THE ENGINEERING DEPARTMENT.
ALWAYS WILLING TO SIT DOWN AND TALK TO YOU ABOUT ANYTHING THAT TROUBLED YOU, A TRULY GENUINE, GOOD AND DECENT PERSON.
PERSONALLY, I KNOW I DON'T THINK I'D BE WHERE I AM TODAY, IF NOT FOR KNOWING ED AND AS DEDICATED AS ED WAS TO THE TOWN, MULTIPLY THAT BY 3000 FOR THE LOVE OF HIS FAMILY.
HE WAS TRULY A DEDICATED FAMILY MAN.
AND UNDER ED'S WATCH, GREENBERG WAS, AND I BELIEVE STILL UNDER THE ED MARIN MANTRA OF FAMILY FIRST ED.
GOD BLESS YOUR FAMILY, AND GODSPEED, MY DEAR FRIEND.
WE ALWAYS MISS YOU AND LOVE YOU.
AND AS HE WOULD SAY TO EVERYBODY, YOU'RE HOPEFUL,
YEAH, ED WAS A REMARKABLE PERSON.
WHEN WE SAY BIG ED, UH, HE HAD TO PUT HIS HEAD DOWN WHENEVER HE WENT THROUGH A DOORWAY.
HE WAS TALL, BUT HE WAS BIG IN MANY MORE WAYS THAN JUST HEIGHT.
AND I REMEMBER WHEN I I MET HIM, YOU WOULD SWEAR THAT WE WERE LIFELONG FRIENDS AND WE HAD JUST MET.
HE JUST HAD THAT CAPABILITY AND, AND INNER, INNER, UM, HUMILITY ABOUT HIMSELF AS WELL AS HIS COMPASSION FOR OTHERS.
UH, AND HE, HE, HE WORKED HERE FOR A VERY LONG TIME AND IN THE ENGINEERING DEPARTMENT.
AND, UM, UH, HE ALWAYS HAD A SMILE NO MATTER HOW HEAVY THE WORKLOAD.
UM, HE ALWAYS HAD A SMILE AND HE JUST SAID, YOU KNOW, WHAT NEEDS TO BE DONE AND HE'S GONNA BE MISSED.
AND, UH, AND, UM, YOU KNOW, IT'S UNFORTUNATE THAT IF YOU LOOK AT THE AGENDAS FOR THIS, THIS YEAR SO FAR, WE'VE LOST QUITE A FEW, UH, FORMER EMPLOYEES.
AND, UM, IT REALLY, IT IMPACTS US BECAUSE MANY OF US, UH, WE, WE, WE FEEL LIKE IT'S A FAMILY.
AND WHEN WE SAY THAT, YOU KNOW, HE WAS A FAMILY PERSON, HE INCLUDED THE PEOPLE IN THE ENGINEERING DEPARTMENT AND D P W AS PART OF THAT EXTENDED FAMILY.
AND, UM, WHAT A REMARKABLE INDIVIDUAL.
[ PRESENTATIONS (10 minutes) Samantha Pfeffer, Water Guardian Foundation, President - Drowning Prevention (10 minutes) National Emergency Medical Services (EMS) Week (May 21-27, 2023) -- Greenburgh EMS (10 minutes) New Snow Angels -- Introduction of 2023/2024 snow angels: Noah Seifer, Coordinator; Alex Shapiro, Jon Guerrero and Joey Belarge; and outgoing member Zachary Weinhouse (15 minutes) Woodlands High School student presentations]
UM, WE ALSO HAVE A PRESENTATION.UH, THIS IS, UM, THE BEGINNING OF THE SWIM SEASON.
UM, AND, UM, UH, SAMANTHA FIFE, UM, PFEIFFER, UM, IS THE PRESIDENT OF THE WATER GUARDIAN FOUNDATION.
SAMANTHA, WOULD YOU JUST TELL US A LITTLE BIT ABOUT, UM, YOUR PROGRAM AND WHY YOU GOT INVOLVED IN THIS? THANK YOU FOR INVITING ME.
UM, SO MY PROGRAM IS ALL ABOUT SPREADING AWARENESS TO, OH, HERE.
MY PROGRAM IS ALL ABOUT SPREADING AWARENESS THAT DROWNING IS THE NUMBER ONE CAUSE OF DEATH IN CHILDREN AGES ONE TO FOUR.
AND SO WE SPREAD, WE TALK ABOUT THE, WE TALK ABOUT HOW DROWNING IS SUCH A PREVALENT ISSUE, AND WE SPREAD, UM, WE SPREAD SIMPLE STRATEGIES TO HELP THIS ISSUE.
SO DROWNING IS NOT A READILY SPOKEN ABOUT TOPIC, AND WE CERTAINLY DID NOT SPEAK ABOUT IT UNTIL IT HAPPENED TO US.
WE WERE NEVER WARNED ABOUT THE REALITY OF DROWNING.
AND THE TRUTH IS THAT YOU NEVER THINK IT'S GOING TO HAPPEN UNTIL IT HAPPENS TO YOUR FAMILY.
WHEN SAGE DIED, SHE WAS ONLY TWO YEARS OLD, AND THAT WAS WHEN MY FAMILY LEARNED THAT DROWNING IS A NUMBER ONE CAUSE OF ACCIDENTAL DEATH AND CHILDREN AGES ONE TO FIVE.
I CONTINUE TO REPEAT THIS THROUGHOUT THE PRESENTATION BECAUSE IT IS CRITICAL INFORMATION.
WE CAN'T LET THIS HAPPEN TO ANYONE ELSE'S FAMILY.
WE DEVELOPED THE WATER GUARDIAN FOUNDATION AND YOUR FOCUS ON A FOUR STEP APPROACH, IMPLEMENTING LAYERS OF PROTECTION.
THE LAYERS ARE EDUCATION TO PREPARE AND REMIND, PARTNERING AND SPONSORING.
THE FIRST LAYER OF PROTECTION IS EDUCATION.
AND KNOWING THAT THE NUMBER ONE CAUSE OF CHILDHOOD DEATH IS DROWNING RESULTS IN AGENCY, NOT ONLY IS IT ESSENTIAL INFORMATION, BUT IT'S ALSO ESSENTIAL TO REALIZE THAT THE DROWNING DOES NOT OCCUR DURING SWIM TIME, BUT RATHER WHEN ADULTS
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ARE OTHERWISE ENGAGED AND CHILDREN ARE NOT SUPPOSED TO BE NEAR AS BO BODIES OF WATER.THAT IS WHY THIS GRAPHIC ON THE RIGHT IS SO POWERFUL, DONE SWIMMING FOR THE DAY, THE RISK OF YOUR CHILD DROWNING JUST WENT UP.
DROWNING IN CHILDREN, ESPECIALLY INFANTS AND TODDLERS, HAPPENS IN SECONDS, AND IT ONLY TAKES 30 SECONDS UNTIL IT'S TOO LATE.
SO WE WERE GRATEFUL WHEN THE AMERICAN ASSOCIATION OF PEDIATRICS MANDATED THAT ALL PEDIATRICIANS DISCUSS THIS WITH PARENTS OF YOUNG CHILDREN AND WELL-CHILD VISITS.
AND WE WERE DISTRIBUTING THESE FLYERS TO AS MANY FAMILIES AS POSSIBLE THROUGHOUT WESTCHESTER.
THIS HAS ESSENTIAL INFORMATION ABOUT UTILIZING MULTIPLE LAYERS OF PROTECTION AND IMAGES OF REAL CHILDREN, INCLUDING MY SISTER, WHO HAVE LOST THEIR LIVES TO DROWNING, TO SERVE AS A VERY TANGIBLE REMINDER THAT THE RISK OF DROWNING IS REAL.
THE NEXT STEP IS TO PREPARE AND REMIND.
WE CAME UP WITH A SIMPLE STRATEGY CALLED WATER GUARDIAN TAGS.
THESE ARE THE WATER GUARDIAN TAGS, BY THE WAY.
UM, SO AN ADULT WEARS THEM AROUND THEIR NECK TO DESIGNATE THE ADULT AS THE GUARDIAN OF THE CHILD.
THESE TAGS ARE MEANT TO BE WORN AROUND WATER, EVEN WHEN IT IS NOT DESIGNATED CHILDREN DESIGNATED SWIMMING TIME, BECAUSE DROWNING DOESN'T HAPPEN DURING SWIMMING TIME.
AND IT HAPPENS WHEN CHILDREN HAVE ACCESS TO BODIES OF WATER AND ARE OTHERWISE ENGA AND ADULTS ARE ENGAGED IN OTHER ACTIVITIES.
WE ARE PARTNERING WITH IMPORTANT STAKEHOLDERS TO SPREAD OUR MESSAGE, DISTRIBUTE FLYERS AND WATER GUARDIAN TAGS FROM PEDIATRIC PRACTICES TO NURSERY SCHOOLS, SWIM PROGRAMS, THE SCARSDALE J C C, AND WE PREVIOUSLY PARTNERED IN WATER SAFETY DAY AT THE THEODORE YOUNG Y M C A.
AND OUR NEXT BENCHMARK WILL BE 10,000 WATER GUARDIAN TAGS.
WE MOST RECENTLY LEARNED OF AN INNOVATIVE PROGRAM CALLED INFANT SWIM RESOURCE.
THIS TEACHES CHILDREN AGES SIX MONTHS TO SIX YEARS TO SAVE THEMSELVES SHOULD THEY FIND THEMSELVES IN WATER ALONE.
WE ARE OFFERING TO SPONSOR CHILDREN AND TO PARTICIPATE IN THIS FAIRLY INTENSIVE TRAINING, GIVEN THE BENEFITS WE WITNESSED WHEN WE ATTENDED A DEMONSTRATION BY BRIANNE KEEFE, A HIGHLY TRAINED INSTRUCTOR WHO OFFERS CLASSES AT THE MIDWEST, CHESTER, J C C, THIS IS ANNIE.
AND SHE HAD NEVER BEEN IN A BODY OF WATER, LET ALONE A POOL.
SHE HAS JUST FINISHED THE PROGRAM AND SHE HAS LEARNED HOW TO GUIDE HERSELF TO SAFETY.
IT'S TRULY IMPRESSIVE THAT SHE LEARNED HOW TO DO THIS, AND NOW SHE'S SAFE BY HERSELF.
WHEN YOU SAY SHE'S SAFE BY HERSELF, YOU DON'T MEAN THAT SHE'S SAFE BY HERSELF, RIGHT? I MEAN, SHE CAN BE IN WATER ALONE AND SHE WILL NOT DROWN, WHICH ESSENTIALLY IS SAFER THAN AN THE OTHER OPTIONS.
UH, HERE I SHOW ADDITIONAL LAYERS OF PROTECTION FROM THE FLYER I SHOWED PREVIOUSLY.
SOME LAYERS OF PROTECTION ARE FOUR-SIDED FENCES AROUND THE POOL DOOR AND POOL ALARMS AND SWIM LESSONS.
BECAUSE THESE TRAGEDIES DON'T HAPPEN WHEN CHILDREN ARE SWIMMING, BUT RATHER WHEN ADULTS ARE ENGAGED IN OTHER ACTIVITIES.
WE ALSO RECOMMEND HIRING A LIFEGUARD DURING SOCIAL GATHERINGS BECAUSE IT IS THIS TIME WHEN GUARDIANS CAN BE DISTRACTED.
I THANK YOU FOR THIS AND ANY OTHER OPPORTUNITY TO SPREAD OUR MESSAGE AND GET WATER GUARDIAN TAGS INTO THE FAMILIES OF YOUNG CHILDREN.
PLEASE FEEL FREE TO TAKE TAGS AND FLOWERS, AND I APPRECIATE YOUR TIME AND ATTENTION.
FIRST OF ALL, I THINK WHAT YOU'RE DOING IS REALLY FANTASTIC, YOU KNOW, AND I THINK YOU'RE A REAL INSPIRATION.
UM, AND, YOU KNOW, THIS IS A SEASON WHEN EVERYBODY STARTS GOING.
SO IF, UM, THERE'S A YOUNG, DO YOU, WHAT DO YOU THINK THE TOWN COULD DO THAT WE MAY NOT BE DOING, UM, AT OUR, AT OUR POOL, UH, TO CREATE MORE AWARENESS ABOUT, UH, SWIM AQUATIC SAFETY, I THINK HAND OUT TAG.
I THINK IS THERE ANY KIND OF, UH, QUALIFICATION THAT,
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THAT THE ADULT WOULD NEED? I DON'T THINK YOUR MICROPHONE IS ON ELLEN.IF SOMEBODY, CAN YOU COME AND SPEAK SO EVERYONE CAN HEAR OUT? AND ELLEN, ELLEN, I DON'T THINK YOUR MIC IS ON.
WE ARE HAPPY TO GET THESE WATER GUARDIAN TAGS INTO ANY FAMILY THAT HAS YOUNG CHILDREN.
IT'S JUST A TANGIBLE REMINDER THAT THE RISK OF DROWNING IS REAL AND THAT SOMEBODY NEEDS TO BE WATCHING CHILDREN.
IT NOT JUST DURING SWIM TIME, BUT WHEN YOU'RE CLEANING UP, WHEN YOU'RE, WHEN YOU'RE PREPARING FOOD, WHEN IF, IF THESE ARE GIVEN OUT TO, TO, WHAT YOU CAN DO IS JUST SIMPLY GIVE THESE OUT AT ALL THE TOWN POOLS.
AND THAT'S MORE PEOPLE THAT ARE AWARE THAT THIS IS THE NUMBER ONE CAUSE OF DEATH IN THIS AGE GROUP.
AND THE MORE AWARENESS THAT'S REALLY THE MORE PEOPLE WHO KNOW THAT THIS IS REAL, AND THIS HAPPENS, AND THIS HAPPENS IN SECONDS.
IT SAYS DROWNING HAPPENS IN SECONDS.
CONSTANT SUPERVISION IS THE MOST EFFECTIVE WAY TO PREVENT DROWNING, DESIGNATE A WATER GUARDIAN AT ALL TIMES WHEN SWIMMING WITH SMALL CHILDREN CONTINUE TO WEAR THE TAG, SUPERVISE CHILDREN ANYTIME THEY HAVE ACCESS TO WATER, EVEN WHEN NOT SWIMMING, UNLOADING THE CAR, PREPARING DINNER, ET CETERA.
YOU KNOW, ONE OF THE THOUGHTS, YOU KNOW, I HAD FROM LISTENING TO YOU IS MAYBE, UM, DURING THE SUMMER, YOU KNOW, IF, IF YOU'RE AROUND, UM, MAYBE A FEW TIMES WE COULD HAVE LIKE, UM, SAFETY, UM, YOU KNOW, PROGRAMS AND WE COULD HAVE, YOU KNOW, A GROUP OF PEOPLE GIVING THESE OUT AND MAYBE USING THE, UH, THE MIC.
WE HAVE LIKE A, YOU KNOW, A SYSTEM WHERE, YOU KNOW, WE COULD MAKE ANNOUNCEMENTS AT THE POOL THAT EVERYBODY COULD HEAR, AND THEN MAYBE YOU COULD GIVE SOME, UH, TIPS, YOU KNOW, WHILE PEOPLE ALREADY ARE AT THE POOL.
'CAUSE I NOTICE WHEN I GO TO THE TOWN POOL, YOU KNOW, A LOT OF PARENTS, UH, YOU KNOW, THEY'RE TALKING TO FRIENDS AND THEY GET DISTRACTED AND, YOU KNOW, THEY COULD LEAVE SMALL KIDS, YOU KNOW, ALONE AND THE KIDS, YOU KNOW, I MEAN, IT JUST TAKES A SECOND.
SO IF YOU'RE WILLING TO DO THAT, THAT WOULD BE GREAT.
AND ANOTHER THOUGHT I HAVE IS WE HAVE A SUMMER INTERNSHIP, YOU KNOW, UH, JUDITH, MAYBE WHAT WE COULD DO IS WE COULD ASSIGN SOME, WE, WE PROBABLY HAVE LIKE 30 STUDENTS RIGHT NOW, SO WE COULD, UM, OR MORE WE COULD ASSIGN SOME OF THE STUDENTS, UH, TO GO TO THE POOL AND JUST SPEAK TO, UH, PARENTS AND GIVE THESE OUT.
AND WE CAN MAKE THIS A ONE OF THE SUMMER INTERNSHIP, UM, INITIATIVES.
BUT YOU REALLY DESERVE A LOT OF, UM, CREDIT FOR WHAT YOU'VE DONE.
WHAT COULD YOU TELL US A LITTLE BIT ABOUT YOURSELF, LIKE YOUR, THE SCHOOLS YOU KNOW, THAT YOU'VE ATTENDED AND ALL THAT, YOUR AMBITIONS? UM, I'M SAMANTHA PEFFER.
I'M A SOPHOMORE IN HIGH SCHOOL, AND I GO TO EDGEMONT AND I'M A LIFEGUARD AT SUNNINGDALE COUNTRY CLUB.
AND MID MIDWEST CHESTER, J C C AND ORIENTA BEACH CLUB IN MA.
YOU KNOW, WE CAN ALSO POST YOUR, UM, YOUR POWERPOINT PRESENTATION ON THE WEBSITE.
YEAH, THAT DEFINITELY, WE'LL, WE'LL CREATE LIKE A YOUTUBE OF THIS.
IT WILL BE PART OF, OF OUR MEETING MINUTES AND MEETING VIDEO, BUT WE CAN ALSO POST IT ON THE WEBSITE.
THAT'S REALLY GREAT BECAUSE WHEN WE ANNOUNCED THAT THE POOL IS OPENING THIS, THE SUNDAY, THE POOL IS OPENING THIS SUNDAY, UH, WE COULD HAVE YOUR PRESENTATION RIGHT UNDER THE ANNOUNCEMENT.
UM, AND, UM, AND THEN TALK ABOUT HOW WE WANT TO MAKE PEOPLE AWARE OF, UM, OF, YOU KNOW, SAFETY ISSUES.
I THINK THIS IS REALLY SO FANTASTIC.
WHAT ARE YOU DOING? SAMANTHA IS ALSO REALLY BUSY, BUT SHE'S ALSO PREPARED TO DO, WHEN, YOU KNOW, A LOT OF THESE DROWNINGS HAPPEN DURING SOCIAL GATHERINGS, LIKE WHEN YOU HAVE FAMILY OVER, OR POOL PARTIES NOT, OR EVEN DINNER PARTIES.
AND THE POOL IS THERE AND THE ADULTS ARE ENGAGED.
SO, UM, SHE'S OFFERING LIFEGUARDING SERVICES WHEN ANYBODY, UH, ADULTS ARE HAVING SOCIAL GATHERINGS AND A POOL IS INVOLVED BECAUSE THAT'S ANOTHER TIME THAT PEOPLE ARE, YOU KNOW, BUSY AT THE BARBECUE.
KIDS AREN'T SUPPOSED TO BE SWIMMING AND SOME THE TODDLER WALKS AWAY AND IT JUST HAPPENS IN SECONDS.
THAT'S LOVELY, SMITH, THANK YOU.
YEAH, IT WOULD, IT WOULD BE, UH, IT WOULD BE HELPFUL TO ADD PEOPLE.
THEY THINK THAT THE CHILD CAN'T DROWN, BUT BECAUSE OF THEIR CENTER OF GRAVITY, YOU KNOW, A FIVE GALLON, UH, PAIL OF WATER, THEY DON'T HAVE A MILLIONS OF GETTING BACK OUT AGAIN.
SO YOU NEED TO BE, YOU KNOW, OR A BATHTUB.
UM, YOU KNOW, SO THIS IS REALLY IMPORTANT.
ALSO, THERE'S A BUNCH OF CONDO POOLS ON IN THE TOWN, AND WE SHOULD SEND, UM, I'LL SEND A NOTE TO LIKE THE
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CONDOS WITH THE LINK TO YOUR PRESENTATION, UM, BECAUSE I WOULD ASSUME THAT A LOT OF THE CONDO, THEY DON'T HAVE THE SAME, UM, YEAH.THEY MAY NOT BE SPENDING AS MUCH TIME FOCUSING ON SAFETY AS, YOU KNOW, AS OTHERS.
SOME OF THEM DON'T EVEN HAVE LIFEGUARDS, SO, AND THE HOTEL POOLS.
SAMANTHA, SAMANTHA OVER HERE, JUDITH BEVILLE.
UM, PAUL HAD MENTIONED, UH, GETTING YOU, UH, INVOLVED IN SOME CAPACITY WITH OUR INTERNSHIP PROGRAM DURING THE SUMMER.
SO I WOULD LOVE TO HAVE YOU, IF YOU HAVE THE TIME TO BE A PARTICIPANT IN THE PROGRAM, UM, WE CAN TALK ABOUT THAT MORE.
I'LL GET YOUR EMAIL ADDRESS, BUT I'D LOVE TO HAVE YOU BE A GUEST SPEAKER TO SHARE WITH YOUR PEERS AND OTHER STUDENTS, UM, HOW YOU LAUNCHED AN INITIATIVE SUCH AS THE ONE THAT YOU HAVE ORGANIZED THAT CAN BE VERY MOTIVATING, VERY EMPOWERING TO OTHER YOUNG PEOPLE, HOW TO ORGANIZE, PUT TOGETHER AND, AND, AND DEVELOP A, AN ORGANIZATION.
SO WHO HAS YOUR EMAIL? PAUL, UH, AND DOES HIS, HIS ASSISTANT HAVE IT? EXCELLENT.
IT'S A GREAT PRESENTATION TO HAVE DURING, UH, MATT, IT'S A GREAT, IT'S A GREAT PRESENTATION TO HAVE DURING NATIONAL E M SS WEEK.
RIGHT? WHAT, AND IT'S A WONDERFUL SYNERGY WITH OUR NEXT PRESENTATION, WHICH HONORS THOSE EMERGENCY MEDICAL SERVICE PROFESSIONALS, SOME OF WHOM YOU SEE STANDING IN THE BACK OF THE ROOM.
AND IT MIGHT BE INTERESTING FOR YOU TO TALK TO SOME OF THEM AND SEE HOW YOU COULD WORK WITH THE EMERGENCY MEDICAL SERVICE PROFESSIONALS AND COME UP WITH SOME SORT OF PROGRAM, BECAUSE I'M SURE THEY HAVE LOTS OF INFORMATION TO IMPART ABOUT, UH, WATER SAFETY AS WELL.
SO, UH, THE NEXT PRESENTATION IS FROM JARED ROSENBERG.
AND JARED, DO YOU WANT TO, UM, TALK ABOUT NATIONAL SURPRISE, SURPRISE,
YOU DIDN'T THINK YOU WERE GONNA BE A SPECTATOR.
DID YOU WANT THE CHIEF TO STAND NEXT TO YOU AS WELL? I CAN'T BELIEVE YOU ARE THE COMFORTABLE IN FRONT.
I CAN'T BELIEVE THAT YOU'RE THE ONLY E M S PERSON HERE,
UM, NO, WE, WE, SO
WE TRIED TO GRAB, UH, AS MANY PEOPLE AS POSSIBLE, BUT, UH, THIS WEEK IS NATIONAL E M S WEEK WHERE THEY RECOGNIZE, UH, ALL E M S PROVIDERS NATIONWIDE FOR, FOR THE JOB THEY'VE DONE.
AND, AND, UH, FOR THE TOWN OF GREENBURG, IT, IT'S AN HONOR TO BE HERE.
UM, AS YOU ALL KNOW, THE LAST COUPLE OF YEARS HAVE BEEN, YOU KNOW, PRETTY TRYING ON E M S AND ALL, ALL HEALTHCARE AND, UM, WE HAVE AN AMAZING, AMAZING STAFF, UH, PARAMEDICS, EMTS THAT, UH, RESPOND TO ALL THE CALLS IN THE TOWN OF GREENBURG IN THE INCORPORATED VILLAGES AND PROVIDE SERVICES 24 HOURS A DAY.
SO IT'S AN HONOR TO BE HONORED AND TO HAVE, UH, UH, EVERYBODY HERE.
JARED, DO YOU FEEL A LITTLE LONELY BY YOURSELF? I WAS THINKING THAT TOO.
WHY YOU GUYS COME UP UP EXACTLY.
THEIR, UM, WORK GOES UNNOTICED.
UM, DURING, UH, POLICE WEEK, WHICH WAS LAST WEEK, UH, THEY DO A COMBINED, UH, METAL DAY WHERE THE E M SS PROVIDERS ARE HONORED FOR THEIR LIFE SAVES, UH, THAT TOOK PLACE DURING THE YEAR.
UM, IN ADDITION TO THAT, UH, THE COUNTY HAD SOMETHING LAST NIGHT, WHICH ALSO, UH, UH, HONORS EVERYBODY IN WESTCHESTER COUNTY THAT'S HAD LIFE SAVES OR, OR DIFFERENT, UH, TYPES OF, UH, AWARDS THAT WERE SUBMITTED.
SO, UM, IT'S AN HONORABLE WEEK TO, UH, DEFINITELY BE AROUND IN E M S, BUT, UH, THESE, THIS CREW HERE, THEY WORK HARD.
THERE'S, UM, ANOTHER 20 OR SO THAT WORK EXTREMELY HARD TO, AND, UH, THEY'RE EITHER OFF, UH, TRAINING, WORKING OR DOING WHATEVER THEY'RE DOING, FAMILY TIME.
BUT, UH, THEY, UH, ARE DEFINITELY, UH, APPRECIATED BY ALL OF US, UH, THE TOWN OF GREENBURG AND EVERYTHING.
AND WE, WE APPRECIATE YOUR SUPPORT.
I THINK THERE'S AN ARTICLE IN, UM, THE JOURNAL NEWS.
IT USED TO BE THE REPORTER YEARS AGO SAYING THAT GREENBURG WAS ONLY ONE OF TWO COMMUNITIES IN THE STATE THAT USES, UH, THE POLICE FOR, UM, UH, UH, PARAMEDIC PROGRAMS. IS THAT THE TRUTH? YES.
THERE'S VERY, UH, THERE'S MAYBE ONLY TWO OR THREE IN THE STATE THAT HAVE A, A PROGRAM THAT WORKS LIKE THIS.
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I THINK IT'S AN AWESOME PROGRAM AND, UH, IT'S VERY SAFE FOR ALL OF US.AND, AND, UH, WE HAVE, UH, A LOT OF, UH, POLICE OFFICERS, UH, E M S PEOPLE THAT ARE ALL VERY WELL-TRAINED AND, UH, READY TO RESPOND TO YOUR EMERGENCIES.
AND I ALSO REMEMBER READING AN ARTICLE, ANOTHER ARTICLE SAYING THAT IF, GOD FORBID ANYBODY HAS A HEART ATTACK, THE BEST PLACE TO HAVE A HEART ATTACK IN THE STATE IS GREENBURG.
UM, UM, BECAUSE, UH, BECAUSE WE'RE SO, UH,
IT'S A, WE ALL LIVE IN A GREAT PLACE.
UM, WE ALL LIVE AROUND VERY SOPHISTICATED HOSPITALS.
SO THE, THE IMPORTANT THING IS IF YOU'RE HAVING A HEART ATTACK OR A STROKE, UM, JUST EVEN HERE, YOU HAVE WESTCHESTER MEDICAL CENTER.
YOU HAVE, UH, PHELPS, NORTHWELL HEALTH AND, UH, WHITE PLAINS HOSPITAL, AND THEY'RE VERY, UH, VERY CAPABLE OF GETTING YOU INTO A CARDIAC CATH LAB.
THEY'RE THE ONLY THREE HOSPITALS IN WESTCHESTER THAT, UM, IF YOU FIT A CERTAIN PROTOCOL, THEY CAN ACTUALLY NOW PULL THE CLOT OUT OF YOUR BRAIN OR THE VESSEL THAT'S CAUSING THE STROKE AND, AND, UH, SAVE YOUR BRAIN.
ONE OF OUR, UH, PARAMEDICS WAS JUST HONORED BY NORTHWELL, I BELIEVE, TUESDAY, UM, WHILE HE WAS WORKING HIS SIDE JOB IN AUSTIN, HE DID, UH, SAVE THE LIFE OF A GENTLEMAN THAT BASICALLY, UH, UH, REMOVED A CLOT FROM THERE, HIS BRAIN.
AND, UH, HE HAD A FULL RECOVERY WITHOUT ANY DEFICIT.
SO THERE'S A LOT OF GOOD, GOOD TECHNOLOGY AND, AND WORK AND, AND TRAINING THAT EVERY E M S PROVIDER'S GOING THROUGH.
SO WE'RE IN A VERY FORTUNATE PLACE TO LIVE IN THIS AREA AND, UH, HAVE SUCH GREAT HOSPITALS.
AND I SEE YOU RECRUIT VERY YOUNG E M S.
UM, THERE'S A SAYING THAT, UM, SOMETIMES IT WAS SAYING ONCE CHRISTMAS IN JULY.
UM, SO, UH, TODAY WE'RE GONNA BE TALKING ABOUT, UH, THE CHRISTMAS SEASON IN MAY BECAUSE, UM, WE ARE, UH, STARTING TO, UM, UH, THINK ABOUT SNOW EVEN THOUGH IT DIDN'T SNOW THAT MUCH, UH, LAST YEAR.
AND I WANTED TO, UM, RECOGNIZE, UM, THE 2022, 2023 COORDINATOR OF THE GREENBERG, UH, SNOW ANGELS PROGRAM, ZACHARY WINEHOUSE, WHO, UM, COORDINATED, UM, THIS YEAR'S, UH, SNOW ANGEL, UM, INITIATIVE IN THE TOWN, ZACH.
AND, UM, AND THEN, UH, AND ONE OF THE RESPONSIBILITIES OF THE SNOW ANGEL, UH, PROGRAM IS, UM, FOR, UH, SENIORS, UM, AT THE END, AT THE CONCLUSION OF THE, THEIR EXPERIENCE TO TURN IT OVER, UM, AND HAVE A SUCCESSION PLAN.
UM, NOT LIKE THE, THE MOVIE THAT'S ON TV, UM, UH, BUT TO HAVE A, A PLAN, UH, FOR THE FU FOR THE FUTURE.
UM, AND, UM, WE ALSO ARE GONNA BE, UM, RECOGNIZING AND THANKING NOAH CIPHER, WHO'S GONNA BE COORDINATING, UH, NEXT YEAR'S, UM, SNOW ANGEL PROGRAM, UM, ALEX SHAPIRO, UH, JOHN G**O, G**O, AND JOEY, UH, BILAR, UM, WHO ARE ALSO GONNA BE INVOLVED IN THE SNOW ANGELS PROGRAM.
SO MAYBE, UH, ZACH, YOU COULD JUST TELL US A LITTLE BIT ABOUT WHAT YOU'VE DONE OVER THE YEARS AND WHY THE SNOW ANGEL PROGRAM WAS SO IMPORTANT TO YOU.
AND ALTHOUGH WE ONLY HAD ONE SNOW, UM, UM, UM, YOU KNOW, YOU WERE PREPARED AND WE WERE WILLING TO HELP PEOPLE IF THERE WERE 20 SNOWS, RIGHT? SO, UH, HI EVERYONE.
I AM, UH, ZACH WINEHOUSE, A SENIOR AT ARLEY HIGH SCHOOL.
AND, UH, SINCE MY FRESHMAN YEAR, I HAVE PARTICIPATED IN THE SNOW ANGELS PROGRAM.
I WAS INTRODUCED TO THE PROGRAM BY MY OLDER BROTHER AND ACCOMPANIED HIM AND HIS FRIENDS ON TRIPS TO THE GROCERY STORE FOR ELDERLY CITIZENS DURING QUARANTINE.
DURING MY JUNIOR YEAR OF HIGH SCHOOL, I WAS ASKED TO TAKE UP A LEADERSHIP POSITION IN THE ORGANIZATION, AND I WAS MORE THAN READY TO JUMP AT THAT OPPORTUNITY THAT YEAR.
MY INVOLVEMENT WITH THE ORGANIZATION INCREASED AS I COORDINATED WITH VOLUNTEERS AND SENIOR CITIZENS, WHICH VOLUNTEER WOULD GO TO WHICH HOUSE DURING EACH SNOWSTORM.
WHEN THE REST OF THE LEADERS GRADUATED LAST YEAR, THE SNOW ANGELS ORGANIZATION WAS LEFT IN MY HANDS WITH NO OTHER LEADERS OF THE PROGRAM LEFT IN GREENBURG.
IT WAS MY RESPONSIBILITY TO FIND WILLING AND DEVOTE UNDERCLASSMEN TO LEAD THE PROGRAM.
FOLLOWING MY GRADUATION, MY GOAL
[00:30:01]
WAS TO FIND A CREW OF HARDWORKING JUNIORS AND SOPHOMORES FROM AROUND GREENBURG THAT I COULD TRUST TO KEEP THE PROGRAM RUNNING.FOR YEARS TO COME, I WAS ABLE TO ACCOMPLISH THAT AS I FOUND A CREW FROM AROUND GREENBURG, SOME OF WHICH ARE HERE TODAY AS A PROGRAM, WE FELT THERE WAS MORE WE COULD DO TO HELP THE MEMBERS OF THE COMMUNITY OUTSIDE OF THE WINTER SEASON.
SO I REACHED OUT TO ONE OF MY CLOSEST FRIENDS, LIAM MANINI, WHO'S EXPERIENCED IN LANDSCAPING, AND THAT'S HOW TOGETHER WE CREATED LANDSCAPING ANGELS, ANOTHER ANGELS ENTITY THAT HELPED SENIOR CITIZENS WITH REMOVING SLIPPERY AND POTENTIALLY HAZARDOUS LEAVES FROM THEIR DRIVEWAYS AND WALKWAYS.
AS YOU MENTIONED, THIS PAST WINTER WAS UNCHARACTERISTICALLY WARM AND DRY.
WE ONLY SAW ONE DAY OF HEAVY SNOWFALL.
AND OF COURSE, ON THAT DAY, I HAPPENED TO BE ACROSS THE COUNTRY WITH MY FAMILY ON VACATION.
I SPENT A LOT OF TIME ON THE PHONE THAT DAY SENDING VOLUNTEERS ALL OVER TOWN TO MAKE SURE DRIVEWAYS WERE CLEAR, AND SENIOR CITIZENS WERE ABLE TO LEAVE THEIR HOUSES.
I IOAS KNEW SNOW ANGELS PERFORMS AN IMPORTANT SERVICE TO GREENBURG'S ELDERLY, BUT THAT DAY SHOWED ME JUST HOW IMPORTANT OUR WORK IS BECAUSE OF THE TIME DIFFERENCE.
I WOKE UP TO MANY CALLS FROM SENIOR CITIZENS AROUND GREENBURG ASKING FOR OUR HELP SO THEY COULD GO TO DOCTOR'S APPOINTMENTS OR GRAB MUCH NEEDED PRESCRIPTIONS.
WE RECEIVED MANY EMAILS AFTERWARDS THANKING US AND SAYING THAT WITHOUT THE SNOW ANGEL SERVICE, THEY WOULD NOT HAVE BEEN ABLE TO LEAVE THEIR HOUSE.
THE FACT THAT THE OTHER LEADERS OF THE PROGRAM WERE ABLE TO EFFICIENTLY HELP EVERY SENIOR CITIZEN WHO SIGNED UP WHILE I WAS ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE COUNTRY, GIVES ME THE UTMOST CONFIDENCE THAT THE SNOW ANGELS PROGRAM IS IN GOOD HANDS.
UH, WOULD SOME OF THE OTHER, UH, UM, THE COORDINATORS AND ACTIVISTS WOULD BE WILLING TO SAY SOMETHING? YEAH.
UH, I'M A JUNIOR RIGHT NOW AT EDGEMONT HIGH SCHOOL.
AND, UM, NEXT YEAR WITH, UH, JOHNNY AND ALEX, UH, WE'RE GONNA LEAD THE PROGRAM SINCE THESE GUYS WILL BE IN COLLEGE.
UM, I GUESS THE MAIN THINGS THAT, YOU KNOW, WE ARE HERE TO DO IS JUST HELP THOSE IN NEED.
AND AS ZACH HAD MENTIONED, WE ONLY, WE ONLY HAD ONE SNOW, BUT WE WERE SHOVELING DRIVEWAYS FOR PEOPLE SNOWED IN FROM THEIR DOCTOR'S APPOINTMENTS, WHICH FELT SUPER MEANINGFUL.
AND, YOU KNOW, IT'S DIRECTLY HELPING THOSE WHO NEED IT.
AND I MEAN, AS, AS MUCH AS I WOULD NOT WANT TO BE PUT IN THAT POSITION WHERE SOMEBODY CAN'T GO TO THEIR DOCTOR'S APPOINTMENT, UM, WE'RE ALL HAPPY TO PROVIDE THE HELP FOR THOSE WHO NEED IT.
SO, SO HOW DO PEOPLE FIND OUT ABOUT YOUR PROGRAM WHEN THEY NEED YOU? YEAH, SO ON YOUR WEBSITE, YOU CAN FIND THE FORMS. THERE'S FORMS FOR, UM, ELDERS, UM, TO SIGN UP TO RECEIVE HELP, AND ALSO FORMS FOR, UM, KIDS TO, OR VOLUNTEERS TO SIGN UP TO HELP.
AND THE PRETTY MUCH MAIN WAY THAT IT GETS SPREAD IS BY WORD OF MOUTH.
SO FOR ALL THE KIDS WHO ARE IN HIGH SCHOOL IN THIS ROOM, I SEE SOME PEOPLE, UM, TELL YOUR FRIENDS, SIGN UP, UM, HAVE THEM TELL THEIR FRIENDS AND YOUR SIBLINGS, AND HOPEFULLY, YOU KNOW, THROUGH THAT WE CAN GET AS MANY VOLUNTEERS AS WE POSSIBLY CAN.
ANYBODY ELSE LIKE TO SAY ANYTHING? SO, I'D JUST LIKE TO, UM, UH, PRESENT YOU, UM, ZACH WITH THIS, UH, CERTIFICATE.
AND, UM, AND WE ALSO, UH, I'D LIKE TO, UH, UH, AND, UH, BRING IT WITH ME.
IT WAS MY MISTAKE, BUT LIAM, YOU DID A GREAT JOB.
AND, UH, I'LL ALSO GET A CERTIFICATE FOR YOU FOR, UH, THE LANDSCAPE ANGELS, BECAUSE SNOW ANGELS IS EASIER, UH, BECAUSE A LOT OF PEOPLE WANT TO BE SNOW ANGELS.
BUT THE LANDSCAPE ANGELS IS ALSO IMPORTANT BECAUSE WHAT YOU DID ON, UH, UH, LAST YEAR IS THERE'S SOME ELDERLY, UM, YOU KNOW, RESIDENTS WHO CAN'T AFFORD, UM, UH, YOU KNOW, LANDSCAPING.
AND THERE'S SOMETIMES HOMES THAT LOOK LIKE THEY'RE EYESORE, UH, YOU KNOW, A LOT OF WEEDS, A LOT OF, UH, UM, BUSHES.
UH, IT'S JUST, YOU KNOW, HORRIBLE.
SO YOU'VE ORGANIZED, UM, A GROUP OF PEOPLE OVER, OVER THE, THE PAST YEAR, UM, HELPING TO MAKE PROPERTIES NICER AND IMPROVE THE QUALITY OF LIFE FOR PEOPLE IN THE COMMUNITY.
SO YOU ALSO DESERVE, UH, OUR THANKS.
DO YOU WANNA SAY ANYTHING ABOUT THE LANDSCAPE ANGELS? JUST, JUST AS, UH, NOAH SAID, BECAUSE, UH, OUR FIRST TIME, UH, EXPERIMENTING WITH THE LANDSCAPING ANGELS PROGRAM, WE REALLY DIDN'T KNOW HOW MANY VOLUNTEERS WE WERE GONNA HAVE.
AND A LOT OF PEOPLE, EVEN IN MY SCHOOL OR AROUND THE AREA, SIGNED UP AND WE HAD A DATE FOR THE MORNING.
AND, UH, THERE'S A LOT OF NO-SHOWS, A LOT OF PEOPLE FORGOT, A LOT OF PEOPLE DIDN'T REALLY MAKE IT A PRIORITY, SO, AS HE SAID, THERE'S A BUNCH OF HIGH SCHOOLERS IN THIS ROOM.
UM, IT SPREADS THROUGH WORD OF MOUTH, SO PLEASE TELL YOUR FRIENDS, 'CAUSE WE NEED ALL THE HELP WE CAN GET.
[00:35:01]
UM, PAUL, AS PAUL, AS YOU'RE WALKING AWAY, I JUST WANT TO ADD THAT THIS, THIS IS AMAZING, UM, WHAT YOU YOUNG MEN ARE DOING, AND, UM, THE STUDENTS WHO WORK WITH YOU, BECAUSE WHAT YOU REPRESENT IS LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT, OKAY? AND YOU ALSO REPRESENT THE FOUR PILLARS OF OUR SUMMER INTERNSHIP PROGRAM, LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT, COMMUNICATIONS, PROBLEM SOLVING, AND TEAMWORK.AND IT'S ALL PART OF WHAT YOU'RE DOING.
SO THIS, THIS VOLUNTEER WORK THAT YOU'RE DOING IS ALSO A RESUME BUILDER.
I HOPE THAT YOU ARE PUTTING THIS INTO YOUR RESUME AS YOU GO FORWARD IN LIFE, BECAUSE YOU HAVE CREATED FOR YOURSELF THESE LEADERSHIP OPPORTUNITY, THIS, THIS AS A LEADERSHIP OPPORTUNITY.
NEXT, UM, JUDITH, UH, YOU'VE BEEN INVOLVED WITH, UH, THE WOODLANDS HIGH SCHOOL, UM, UH, STUDENTS.
YOU WANT TO INTRODUCE, UH, THE NEXT PRESENTATION? YES.
UM, A FEW MONTHS AGO, WE RECEIVED AN EMAIL FROM RACHEL WEISS, RACHEL, AM I SAYING PRONOUNCING YOUR LAST NAME CORRECTLY, WHO IS A, A TEACHER AT THE WOODLANDS JUNIOR SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL.
AND SHE REACHED OUT TO US ASKING, SHE SAID, YOU KNOW, MY, MY STUDENTS ARE STUDYING GOVERNMENT, AND, UM, WE'D LIKE TO KNOW IF YOU COULD PROVIDE GUEST SPEAKERS FOR US TO LEARN ABOUT LOCAL GOVERNMENT, UM, FROM A, FROM AN AUTHENTIC AND, AND REALISTIC PERSPECTIVE.
AND SO, PAUL AND I WENT AND SPOKE TO, UM, TWO CLASSES.
AND WHAT YOU WILL BE HEARING TONIGHT FROM THESE AMAZINGLY TALENTED, BRILLIANT, AND BRIGHT YOUNG PEOPLE ARE EXAMPLES OF THE IDEAS THAT THEY PRESENTED TO US.
UM, IN THEIR PRESENTATIONS, THEY LEARN THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN PROJECTS THAT YOU WOULD PRESENT TO SCHOOL DISTRICTS FOR SCHOOL BUDGETS AND PROJECTS THAT YOU WOULD PRESENT TO LOCAL GOVERNMENT FOR LOCAL GOVERNMENT BUDGETS.
SO WITHOUT FURTHER ADO, RACHEL, DO YOU, HOWEVER YOU ORGANIZE YOUR STUDENTS AND YOUNG PEOPLE, DO NOT BE AFRAID OF THE MICROPHONE.
IT IS AN EXTENSION OF YOUR VOICE, SO USE IT.
AND COULD, COULD I ASK CLARK BEVILLE, HOW MANY SPEAKERS DO WE HAVE FOR THIS PRESENTATION? OR DO WE NOT? ARE THERE THREE? THREE? OKAY.
GOOD EVENING TOWN SUPERVISOR MEMBERS OF THE TOWN BOARD TOWN.
JUST YOU CAN PICK IT UP IN YOUR HAND.
TOWN SUPERVISOR, MEMBERS OF THE TOWN BOARD, TOWN ATTORNEY AND TOWN CLERK.
I'M A SEVENTH GRADE STUDENT AT WILLANS MIDDLE HIGH SCHOOL.
WE'VE STUDIED THE CONSTITUTION AND GOVERNMENT.
AS PART OF LEARNING ABOUT LOCAL GOVERNMENT, WE CREATED COM COMMUNITY IMPROVEMENT PROPOSALS TO PRESENT TO A MOCK TOWN BOARD.
WHILE I AM SOMEWHAT NERVOUS ABOUT PRESENTING TONIGHT, I HOPE YOU'LL LISTEN TO WHAT I HAVE TO SAY ABOUT SIDEWALKS.
I'M COMING BEFORE THE TOWN BOARD TO ASK THAT THE PLAN FOR SIDEWALKS ON DOBBS BURY ROAD BETWEEN ALLWOOD ROAD AND TERRYTOWN ROAD BECOMES A PRIORITY BECAUSE OF SAFETY AND CONVENIENCE.
WHILE WE NEED IT OVER THIS WHOLE SECTION OF ROAD, WE ESPECIALLY NEED SIDEWALKS AND THE STRETCH OF THE ROAD BETWEEN OLD ROAD AND S SHORTINO PLACE.
WE NEED THIS NOW BECAUSE IT WILL BE SAFER FOR STU FOR STUDENTS TO WALK TO AND FROM SCHOOL AND OTHER CITIZENS OF GREENBURG TO GET AROUND TOWN AS WELL.
IN THIS AREA, EASTBOUND DRIVERS CONSISTENTLY SPEED DOWN THE ROAD AND TURN IN, IN A WAY THAT IS DANGEROUS TO PEDESTRIANS.
WE CAN ALSO REDUCE ACCIDENTS BECAUSE HAVING SIDEWALKS MAKE DRIVERS MORE AWARE THAT PEDESTRIANS MAY BE AROUND, SO THEY ARE MORE LIKELY TO LOOK OUT FOR THEM.
MORE THAN 10,000 PEDESTRIANS ARE INJURED BY CARS EACH YEAR IN THE STATE.
SO THIS MEASURE WOULD ALSO ALLOW PEDESTRIANS TO WALK WITHOUT THE RISK OF GETTING HIT WHILE WALKING ON THE ROAD.
ADDITIONALLY, WITH SIDEWALKS, MORE PEOPLE WILL BE ENCOURAGED TO WALK, SO THERE WILL BE FEWER CARS ON OUR BUSY STREET AND MAYBE FEWER ACCIDENTS.
THIS WILL HELP MANY PEOPLE IN THE GREENBURG COMMUNITY.
IF YOU ALL MOVE FORWARD WITH MY PROPOSAL, I WOULD BE EXCITED TO NOTE THAT THE PEOPLE ON OUR ROADS WOULD BE MUCH SAFER.
[00:40:01]
ONCE AGAIN, THANK YOU TOWN SUPERVISOR, MR. FINER TOWN CLERK, MS. BEVELL AND TOWN BOARD MEMBER MEMBERS, ELLEN HENDRICKS, GINA JACKSON, KEN JONES, AND FRANCIS GIAN FOR THIS OPPORTUNITY.YOU'LL BE VERY, UH, THANK YOU.
UH, BECAUSE, UH, LAST YEAR WE GOT, UM, A $1 MILLION GRANT FROM, UH, FORMER CONGRESSMAN MOND JONES, UH, TO BUILD A SIDEWALK ON DOPPS FER ROAD FROM NOEL WITH TO, UM, ONE 19.
AND, UM, AND WE ALSO GOT BRIGHTVIEW.
THEY'RE GONNA BE BUILDING AN ASSISTED LIVING FACILITY, SO THEY'RE DOING PART OF IT ON DO ROAD.
SO THE WHOLE SECTION THAT YOU HAVE, THE WORK SHOULD START EITHER THE END OF THIS YEAR, UM, AND, UH, OR AT THE LATEST, UM, YOU KNOW, NEXT YEAR.
SO THE SIDEWALK WILL BE BUILT.
UM, DEFINITELY RIGHT, YOU KNOW, WITHIN LIKE TWO YEAR, A YEAR OR TWO, AND STARTING PROBABLY NEXT WEEK, WE'RE BUILDING A SIDEWALK FROM, WE GOT A, A GRANT FROM THE, THE STATE.
SO ON HILLSIDE FROM HERE ALL THE WAY TO PARKWAY GARDENS AND PARKWAY HOMES, UH, UH, THE WORK IS GONNA START.
UM, I THINK, YEAH, AND SENATOR START SOON.
AND, UM, WE ALSO GOT A GRANT, UH, FROM SENATOR, UH, ANDREW STEWART, COUSINS OF LAST, YOU KNOW, LAST YEAR, $4 MILLION, $5 MILLION GRANT.
UH, SO PEOPLE WILL BE ABLE TO WALK FROM THE HARTSDALE TRAIN STATION ALL THE WAY, UH, TO, UM, UH, DUFFS FERRY ROAD ON, ON WEST HARTSDALE AVENUE.
AND THEN YOU'LL BE ABLE TO MAKE A RIGHT ON, UM, UM, YOU KNOW, ON DOS FERRY ROAD, YOU, THE SIDEWALK THAT YOU'RE ADVOCATING.
UH, THERE'S ALSO GONNA BE A, A SIDEWALK BUILT ON JUNIPER HILL, UH, ROAD, UM, TOWARDS THE END OF THIS YEAR AND, AND, AND NEXT YEAR.
AND, UM, YOU KNOW, WE'RE APPLYING FOR A LOT OF SIDEWALKS, SO, YOU KNOW, HOPEFULLY YOU COULD BE, UH, AN ADVOCATE FOR, YOU KNOW, YOU COULD COME UP WITH MORE IDEAS FOR ADDITIONAL SIDEWALKS, AND HOPEFULLY YOU'LL HAVE SIMILAR SUCCESSES.
YOU COULD BE OUR SIDEWALK AMBASSADOR
ALRIGHT, GOOD EVENING TOWN SUPERVISORS SPEAKING TO THE MIC TOWN.
UH, GOOD EVENING TOWN SUPERVISORS, MEMBERS OF THE TOWN BOARD, TOWN ATTORNEY AND TOWN CLERK.
MY NAME IS MATTHEW QUINTERO AND THIS IS CHRIS CASTRO.
WE ARE SEVENTH GRADE STUDENTS AT WOODLANDS MIDDLE HIGH SCHOOL.
YOU'RE GONNA HAVE TO PICK UP THE MICROPHONE AND HOLD IT.
WE WERE STUDYING THE CONSTITUTION AND THE LOCAL GOVERNMENT.
WE WERE ASKED TO THINK OF PROPOSALS THAT WILL CHANGE THE COMMUNITY FOR THE BETTER.
IT MAKES US FEEL ENLIGHTENED ABOUT HOW WE, WE ARE THE FIRST CLASS TO PRESENT THE, TO PRESENT, TO PRESENT TO THE TOWN BOARD.
WE WERE HOPING THAT OUR IDEA IDEA BECOMES A POLITE PROGRAM AND PILOT PROGRAM PROGRAM, AND THEN BECOMES BIGGER.
WE MIGHT START WITH ONE CLASS AND THEN ALL OF E C P, THEN MAYBE MORE BRANCHES OF OUR DISTRICT.
WE'D LIKE TO THANK MS. ER YEAH.
WHO ALSO SPOKE ON THIS ISSUE OF ACCIDENTAL DROWNING.
OUR REQUEST REQUEST IS AN EXTENSION OF THEIR GOAL TO EDUCATE.
WE WOULD LIKE TO CREATE PARTNER, A PARTNERSHIP BETWEEN THE EARLY CHILDHOOD PROGRAM AND THEODORE DE YOUNG COMMUNITY CENTER TO PROVIDE BIWEEKLY SWIMMING LESSONS TO CHILDREN AT E C P DURING THEIR NORMAL SCHOOL DAY.
KIDS NEED TO LEARN AT A VERY YOUNG AGE BECAUSE IT WILL BENEFIT THEM ALL THEM LATER IN LIFE.
IT PREPARES THEM TO PARTICIPATE IN SWIMMING ACTIVITIES THE TOWN OFFERS TO CHILDREN.
SWIMMING IS ALSO AN, OH, SWIMMING IS ALSO A LIFELONG SKILL THAT YOU CAN CARRY INTO ADULTHOOD.
ULTIMATELY, THESE CLASSES WILL ALSO PREVENT ACCIDENTAL DROWNINGS, SUCH AS THE RECENT TRAGIC EAST RIVER DEATHS OF 11 YEAR OLD ALPHA BERRY, AND 13 YEAR OLD GARRETT WARREN.
AND FOR THE AGE GROUP OF CHILDREN AT E C P, DROWNING IS THE LEADING CAUSE OF DEATH NATION NATIONWIDE.
THESE DEATHS HAPPEN WHEN KIDS ARE UNSUPERVISED.
SO LEARNING TO SWIM CAN HELP KIDS STAY SAFE WHEN THEIR PARENTS AREN'T THERE TO PREDICT THEM, REGARDLESS OF THE COST.
WE CAN ALL AGREE THIS PROGRAM IS NEEDED IN OUR COMMUNITY BECAUSE WE WOULD DEEPLY BE DEEPLY SADDENED IF SOMEBODY, SOMETHING LIKE THIS WERE TO HAPPEN IN OUR TOWN.
[00:45:01]
YOU ACCEPT THIS PROPOSAL, WE WOULD FEEL ACCOMPLISHED BECAUSE WE'LL KNOW THAT WE MADE A CHANGE IN OUR COMMUNITY FOR THE BETTER.ONCE AGAIN, WE THANK TOWN SUPERVISOR, MR. ER, TOWN CLERK, MISS BEVILLE AND TOWN BOARD MEMBERS, ELLEN HENDRICKS, GINA JACKSON, KEN JONES, AND FRANCIS SHEEHAN FOR THIS OPPORTUNITY.
THEY HAD THE STUDENTS, UM, THEY HAD NO IDEA THAT WE WOULD BE HAVING A PRESENTATION FROM, UH, SAMANTHA.
AND, UH, AND WE, YOU ASKED THEM TO COME UP WITH ANY IDEAS THAT THEY THOUGHT WOULD MAKE SENSE, WHAT THEY THOUGHT WOULD BE PRIORITIES, AND PICKING, UH, THE SAME TOPIC THAT YOU FOCUSED ON, HIGHLIGHTS THE IMPORTANCE.
AND, YOU KNOW, I THINK IT REALLY IS EXCITING BECAUSE IT SHOWS THAT, UM, WE PROBABLY COULD MOTIVATE AND INSPIRE A LOT OF, UH, UH, UH, PEOPLE IN THE COMMUNITY TO JOIN YOUR FOUNDATION AND GET INVOLVED IN YOUR FOUNDATION AND, AND SPREAD THE WORD ABOUT AQUATIC, YOU KNOW, SAFETY.
SO YOU KNOW, YOU REALLY, AND THE STUDENTS, YOU KNOW, YOU'RE REALLY HAVING A MAJOR IMPACT AND YOU, YOU COULD BE SAVING LOTS OF LIVES.
AND WHAT WE DEFINITELY ARE GONNA GIVE THIS PRIORITY, SO, UM, I REALLY WOULD LOVE TO WORK WITH, UM, WITH YOU AND, UH, YOUR CLASSES AND, AND COME UP WITH A PROGRAM THAT THE TOWN COULD ACTUALLY, UM, YOU KNOW, IMPLEMENT.
SO THIS IS REALLY WHY THE GREENBERG SCHOOL DISTRICT IS REALLY AN AMAZING SCHOOL DISTRICT BECAUSE THEY REALLY GIVE THE STUDENTS PRACTICAL, UM, YOU KNOW, SKILLS.
AND, YOU KNOW, I REALLY WANT TO THANK YOU.
YOU'RE AN EXCEPTIONAL, UM, ROLE MODEL FOR, UM, FOR EDUCATORS.
SO YOU SHOULD ALSO GET OUR APPROVAL.
AND, UH, LAST BUT NOT, UH, I'M SORRY, LAST, BUT NOT, UH, LEAST IN TERMS OF PRE PRESENTATIONS TODAY, UM, UH, SOMETIMES STUDENTS COME UP TO ME AND THEY SAY THEY WANT TO, UH, UM, DO WORK AS AN INTERN OR AN EXTERN.
AND, UH, WE HAVE A YOUNG MAN, LIAM LOBEL, UM, FROM ARDSLEY SUPERVISOR.
I BELIEVE THERE WAS ONE MORE PRESENTATION WITH THAT CREW.
GOOD EVENING TOWN SUPERVISORS, MEMBERS OF THE TOWN BOARD, TOWN ATTORNEY AND TOWN CLARK, WE ARE NEAR YOUR MOUTH SO THAT WE CAN MUTE THAT BETTER.
GOOD EVENING TOWN SUPERVISOR MEMBERS OF THE TOWN BOARD, TOWN ATTORNEY AND TOWN CLARK.
I AM ARIANNA PETRO, AND THIS IS ARIANA OSORIO.
WE ARE SEVENTH GRADE STUDENTS AT WOODLANDS MIDDLE SCHOOL HIGH SCHOOL.
WE WERE LEARNING ABOUT GOVERNMENT, AND WE WERE ASKED TO THINK ABOUT SOMETHING THAT COULD BE IMPROVED IN THE TOWN OF GREENBURG.
WE FEEL HONORED TO PRESENT TO YOU TODAY BECAUSE NOT A LOT OF PEOPLE HAVE THIS CHANCE, AND WE HOPE THAT YOU WILL STRONGLY CONSIDER OUR PROPOSAL.
WE ARE TRYING TO INFLUENCE ROAD CLEANUP IN OUR COMMUNITY.
WE PROPOSE TO DO THIS BY GETTING THE TOWN OF GREENBURG TO DEDICATE A DAY OUT OF EACH MONTH TO A FULL COMMUNITY CLEANUP.
FIRST, FIRST OFF, THIS WILL HELP WITH THE ENVIRONMENT.
WE NEED TO STOP LITTERING BECAUSE THAT AFFECTS THE WORLD IN NUMEROUS WAYS.
SECONDLY, A CLEAN COMMUNITY MAKES IT LOOK MORE PRESENTABLE AND MORE ATTRACTIVE FOR RESIDENTS AND PEOPLE WHO ARE HERE FOR THE FIRST TIME, AS WELL AS EXTREMELY APPEALING FOR HOME BUYERS.
THIRDLY, IF WE HAVE A HEALTHIER ENVIRONMENT, IT WILL ULTIMATELY LEAD INTO A BETTER LIFE.
FOR EXAMPLE, IF INSTEAD OF HAVING STUDENTS IN THE CLASSROOM ALL DAY, WE COULD PARTICIPATE IN TREE PLANTING, IT WILL HELP THE AIR QUALITY AND ALLOW STUDENTS TO SPEND TIME IN NATURE.
THIS IS ALSO A SERVICE TO THE COMMUNITY WE LIVE IN.
WE, WE, AS RESIDENTS, WOULD HAVE A CLEAN ENVIRONMENT BY WORKING TOGETHER.
WE'LL IMPROVE OUR TOWN'S REPUTATION AT A VERY LITTLE COST BY SHOWING THAT WE CARE ABOUT OUR ENVIRONMENT.
AND EVEN THOUGH THIS CLEANUP IS TOWN'S AND STATE'S RESPONSIBILITY, SOMETIMES WE RESIDENTS NEED TO FILL IN THE GAPS.
IN CONCLUSION, IF WE KEEP OUR STREETS IN GREENBURG CLEAN, OUR COMMUNITY, OUR COMMUNITY WOULD LOOK NICER.
IF WE ACCEPT OUR PROPOSAL, WE WOULD BE PROUD BECAUSE IT WILL GREATLY HELP OUR TOWN.
ONCE AGAIN, THANK YOU TO THE TOWN SUPERVISOR, MR. FINER TOWN CLERK, MS. VILLE, TOWN BOARD MEMBERS, ELLEN HENDRICKS, GINA JACKSON, KEN JONES, AND FRANCIS SHEHAN FOR THIS OPPORTUNITY.
THERE'S ALSO, THE STUDENTS HERE ARE COMING UP WITH SO MANY GREAT IDEAS.
AND I JUST WANTED TO MENTION THAT I WAS SPEAKING TO, UH, THE COMMISSIONER OF PUBLIC WORKS TODAY.
AND ONE OF THE THOUGHTS THAT, YOU KNOW, HE HAD, BECAUSE WE HAVE CREWS THAT DO CLEAN UP, UH, YOU KNOW, ALL YEAR ROUND.
BUT WE WERE THINKING ABOUT PUTTING, UM, I'M JUST TESTING IT OUT, MAYBE A TEMPORARY RECYCLING, UM,
[00:50:01]
CENTER IN THE BACK PARKING LOT, YOU KNOW, OVER HERE, UH, WHERE PEOPLE COULD DROP OFF, UM, UH, E-WASTE WHERE THEY COULD DROP OFF.WE WOULD HAVE BINS, YOU KNOW, IT COULD BE DIFFERENT TYPE OF RECYCLING.
AND IF YOU LOOK AT THIS PARKING LOT ALL THE WAY AT THE END, IT'S REALLY NOT, IT'S PRACTICALLY NEVER USED.
SO WE COULD TEST IT OUT, AND IF IT WORKS, THEN WE COULD, UM, CREATE MORE, MORE, UM, RECYCLING CENTERS WHERE PEOPLE COULD DROP OFF FOOD WASTE.
THEY COULD, YOU KNOW, WE'RE ALSO WHERE THEY COULD DROP OFF, UM, ITEMS THAT COULD BE RECYCLED.
AND WE'RE ALSO GONNA BE, UH, WORKING HARD TO, UM, MAKE SURE THAT THE STREETS ARE, ARE CLEAN.
AND ONE OF THE THINGS THAT YOU COULD DO, UM, IS LIKE, IF YOU NOTICE THAT THERE'S A STREET THAT'S REALLY DIRTY, UM, AND YOU WANT US TO, UM, GIVE IT ATTENTION, YOU KNOW, YOU COULD EMAIL, UH, ME OR THE TOWN BOARD OR THE COMMISSIONER OF PUBLIC WORKS AND, YOU KNOW, WE, WE COULD FOLLOW, FOLLOW IT UP.
EVEN THOUGH SEVENTH GRADERS ARE TOO YOUNG TO VOTE, YOU'RE NOT TOO YOUNG TO HAVE AN INFLUENCE, MAKE AN INFLUENCE IN, IN LIFE.
AND, UM, AND, YOU KNOW, I REALLY FEEL THAT, UH, WE HONESTLY WOULD WELCOME YOUR, YOUR CONTINUED INPUT AND, UM, AND INVOLVEMENT.
AND, YOU KNOW, WE, YOU COULD EVEN MEET WITH THE COMMISSIONER AND TOWN OFFICIALS AND WE COULD, UH, STRATEGIZE ON, UM, ON, YOU KNOW, WAYS WE CAN MAKE THE TOWN CLEANER AND BETTER.
I SHOULD, YOU KNOW, MENTION THAT, UM, YOU KNOW, I'M REALLY GLAD THAT YOU'RE ONLY IN SEVENTH GRADE AND NOT GOING TO COLLEGE BECAUSE THIS WAY WE COULD TAKE ADVANTAGE OF YOUR, UH, YOUR, UH, ADVICE FOR AT LEAST A NUMBER OF ADDITIONAL YEARS.
SO, SO, YOU KNOW, SO THANKS A LOT.
WE ALSO HAVE, AT THIS POINT, UM, AT THIS POINT, MS. JACKIE BURDEN, WHO IS THE COMMUNICATIONS DIRECTOR FOR GREENBERG CENTRAL, UM, CENTRAL SCHOOL DISTRICT, WOULD LIKE FOR THE BOARD MEMBERS AND THE STUDENTS AND MYSELF TO STAND IN THE FRONT HERE FOR A PICTURE, UM, AS SHE IS DOCUMENTING THIS EVENT.
BEFORE THE PUBLIC HEARING START MM-HMM.
IS THAT OKAY? DOESN'T HAVE, YEAH.
EVERYTHING READY? THANK YOU SO MUCH, GUYS.
JUST STICK WITH ME FOR A MINUTE.
UM, VERY INTERESTING, UM, YOU KNOW, UH, PRESENTATION, UM, OVER, UH, OVER THE YEARS, UM, A LOT OF, UM, STUDENTS, THEY WANNA BE INTERNS OR EXTERNS.
AND, UH, MANY STUDENTS, AS YOU CAN SEE FROM TODAY'S PRESENTATIONS, UH, ARE ARE VERY, VERY SMART, VERY SMART, VERY PASSIONATE ABOUT, UH, DIFFERENT ISSUES.
AND, UM, YOU KNOW, ONE YOUNG MAN, LIAM LOBEL, UM, UM, HAS AN OUT OF SPACE, UH, UM, INITIATIVE.
UM, HE TOLD ME THAT HE WAS INTERESTED, UM, IN THE FALL AND, UM, YOU KNOW, IN, UH, IN SPACE AND IN, IN THE WHOLE, UH, FIELD.
UM, AND I SUGGESTED THAT, UH, HE CONSIDERED BECOMING AN EXTERN, WHICH HE DID.
UM, AND, UH, COME UP WITH, UM, INTERVIEWS WITH PEOPLE INVOLVED IN, UH, THE INTERNATIONAL SPACE PROGRAMS. UM, SO, UH, LIAM, UH, UH, DID A BUNCH OF REALLY INTERESTING, UM, UM, UM, INTERVIEWS, AND I ASKED LIAM IF HE COULD, UM, MAKE, UM, UH, PRESENTATION TO THE, TO THE TOWN BOARD AND TELL US A LITTLE BIT ABOUT, UM, WHAT HE, UM, UM, IS DOING.
AND, UM, AND, UM, IF, UM, YOU'RE WATCHING THIS ON TV, UM, AND CAN'T SEE HIM, WE COULD ALWAYS MEET HIM MORRIS SOMETIME.
I'M A JUNIOR AT AUDLEY HIGH SCHOOL, AND I'M GONNA GIVE A LITTLE BIT, BASICALLY WHAT I'VE BEEN FOCUSING ON SPECIFICALLY IS SPACE LAW AND SPACE POLICY.
AND I'M REALLY THANKFUL FOR PAUL AND THE ENTIRE, UH, GREENBERG FACULTY FOR BEING WILLING TO UNDERTAKE THIS KIND OF INITIATIVE IN A FIELD THAT WE'RE NOT HAVING THAT MUCH EXPERIENCE IN PREVIOUSLY, UM, AT THE LOCAL LEVEL.
[00:55:01]
WITH MY RESEARCH FOR A SERIES OF DEBATE COMPETITIONS FOCUSED ON THE APPROPRIATION OF SPACE BY PRIVATE ENTITIES, I FOSTERED THIS PASSION SPACE POLICY.I WAS SO INTERESTED BY THE LITERATURE OF THIS TOPIC THAT DECIDED TO FURTHER PURSUE RESEARCH AND SPACE POLICY, EVEN AFTER THE DEBATE SEASON HAD CONCLUDED FROM VARIOUS SOURCES, ESPECIALLY THE GW UNIVERSITY OF ELLIOT SCHOOL OF INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS.
I CAME TO REALIZE HOW CRITICAL SPACE IS IN EVERY ASPECT OF MODERN LIFE, AND HOW ITS REGULATION IS ESSENTIAL TO THE FUTURE OF HUMANITY.
I FOUND MYSELF YEARNING TO TEACH OTHERS ABOUT SPACE POLICY AND ITS NECESSITY IN THE MODERN GLOBAL LANDSCAPE, SEEKING A PLATFORM TO REACH OTHER HIGH SCHOOLERS.
I TURNED TO PAUL, WHO OFFERED ME THE OPPORTUNITY TO SHARE MY PERSONAL RESEARCH, AND BRAD BROADCAST IT ON THE LOCAL CABLE TV CHANNEL.
INITIALLY, I KNEW I WAS NOT THE MOST KNOWLEDGEABLE INDIVIDUAL IN THE FIELD, SO I DECIDED TO CONSULT THOSE WHO ARE ACTUAL SCIENTISTS ACTIVELY WORKING IN THE FIELD FROM NASA, DARPA, E S P I, THE EUROPEAN SPACE AGENCY, AND THE GW ELLIOT SCHOOLS OF INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS.
AND I BEGAN TO EMAIL THESE PROFESSIONALS FROM THE ASSOCIATIONS AND ASK THEY'D BE WILLING TO PARTAKE IN INTERVIEWS, ANSWERING QUESTIONS THAT I PREPARED ABOUT MODERN CHALLENGES IN SPACE REGULATION, INCLUDING AND NOT LIMITED TO THE CREATION OF INTERNATIONAL AGREEMENTS, THE ROLE OF THE PRIVATE SECTOR IN SPACE, THE RISK OF ARMS RACES, AND THE MAINTENANCE OF SPACE IS CLEAN AND ACCESSIBLE TO ALL, SURPRISINGLY MANY AGREED.
AND THE CABLE TV CHANNEL, UM, FOR SPACE POLICY SEAT WAS POOR.
UM, I NOTIONALLY HAD VERY LITTLE EXPERIENCE AS AN INTERVIEWER AS WELL, AND HAD NEVER INTERACTED WITH THESE DECORATED PROFESSIONALS IN THE FIELD.
BUT GIVEN THESE PUBLIC SPEAKING SKILLS I HAD FROM DEBATE AND THE KNOWLEDGE THAT I COULD EDIT THESE INTERVIEWS IN POST, UH, INTERVIEWS, I WAS ABLE TO CONDUCT MY FIRST INTERVIEW STARTING WITH DR.
LOCKTON, WHO IS THE FOUNDER OF THE SPACE POLICY INSTITUTE AT THE GW UNIVERSITY.
AND AS THE INTERVIEWS BEGAN TO ACCUMULATE, I BECAME MORE CONFIDENT IN INTERVIEWING SKILLS, ENGAGING THESE GUESTS WITH FOLLOW UP QUESTIONS, AND ASKING QUESTIONS ABOUT THEIR PERSONAL WORK.
NOW I'VE ENTERED NUMEROUS THRESHOLDS OF THE FIELD AND SAID INTERVIEWS HAVE NOW BEEN PUBLISHED THANKS TO PAUL AND, UH, JANELLE ON THE, UM, GREEN BREAK TABLE, TV CHANNEL, AND WEBSITE, AS WELL AS OTHER INTERVIEWS SUCH AS THOSE WITH DR.
YIA, WHO IS A GW SCHOOL OF INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS ALUMNUS, BEING PUBLISHED ON THEIR WEBSITE AND YOUTUBE CHANNEL AS WELL.
IT'S BEEN AN AMAZING TO SEE HOW FAR THIS PROJECT HAS COME.
I'M EXCITED TO HAVE BEEN ABLE TO CREATE THIS INFORMATIVE AND ENGAGING PLATFORM TO EDUCATE FELLOW HIGH SCHOOLERS, UH, ADULTS AND STUDENTS ALIKE ON AN ISSUE THAT I'M EXTREMELY PASSIONATE ABOUT.
I WANNA THANK PAUL FOR ALL'S HELP AND WILLINGNESS TO ASSIST IN THIS PROCESS, AS WELL AS JANELLE FOR HELPING FOR THE PUBLICATION OF THE INTERVIEWS.
I HOPE TO FURTHER ADVANCE THIS PROJECT AS WELL WITH MANY MORE INTERVIEWS TO COME AND OTHER PROJECTS IN SPACE POLICY FIELD OVER THE SUMMER.
NOW I HAVE A BRIEF SEGMENT FROM AN EPISODE OF THE TV SHOW WITH DR.
KAIU ROGEL, WHO IS THE PRESIDENT OF THE INTERNATIONAL INSTITUTE OF SPACE LAW, AND THE FORMER SECOND, UH, MINISTER OF THE GERMAN MINISTRY FOR INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS AND ENERGY.
UM, THIS IS JUST A SHORT EXCERPT FROM IT, AND IT'S CURRENTLY AN UNPUBLISHED INTERVIEW, SO EVEN IF YOU HAVEN'T BEEN FOLLOWING ALONG ON TV CHANNELS, IT'S LIKE FOR EVERYONE.
SO, AND I KNOW A STENOGRAPHER IS THANKFUL THAT SHE DIDN'T HAVE TO TAKE THAT DOWN.
QUICK INTRODUCTION ABOUT YOURSELF AND HIS WORK.
THANK YOU FOR YOUR WELCOME AND, UH, I'M GLAD TO BE ON YOUR SHOW.
I'M KYRA SCH, I'M THE PRESIDENT OF THE INTERNATIONAL INSTITUTE OF SPACE WALL, AND I'M WORKING CURRENTLY FOR ISA, THE EUROPEAN SPACE AGENCY AS THE SPECIAL ADVICE OF POLITICAL AFFAIRS.
WELL, I GUESS LET'S START NOW.
UM, FIRST, JUST AS A MORE GENERAL QUESTION, WHY IS OUTER SPACE SO IMPORTANT RIGHT NOW, AND WHY IS IT IMPORTANT TO TAKE STEPS BOTH REGULATE TO REGULATE OUTER SPACE, ESPECIALLY FOR THE RESPECTIVE OF SOMEONE LIKE MYSELF WHO'S A HIGH SCHOOLER, UH, TAKING MIND FOR THE FUTURE GENERATIONS? WELL, FIRST OF ALL, I, I, I, I THINK IT'S SUPER THAT, THAT US, A HIGH SCHOOLER ARE INTERESTED IN, IN OUTER SPACE AND ALSO IN, IN REGULATING OUTER SPACE.
USUALLY YOUNG PEOPLE ARE INTERESTED, OF COURSE, IN ASTRONAUTS AND, AND, AND ALSO STAR WARS AND THINGS LIKE THAT.
BUT, BUT, UH, BEING INTERESTED IN REGULATING, UH, THE USE OF OUTER SPACE IS, IS REALLY FANTASTIC.
AND, AND, AND THAT, UH, HAS ONE, ONE SPECIFIC REASON.
UM, OUTER SPACE GETS MORE AND MORE CROWDED, UH, ALL STATES AND ALSO PRIVATE COMPANIES ARE MORE AND MORE INTERESTED IN USING OUTER SPACE, AND THEY SEND UP SATELLITES, UH, ALSO HUMANS AND WELL, UM, THERE IS MORE AND MORE TRAFFIC IN OUTER SPACE.
AND THIS IS WHY IT IS IMPORTANT TO ALSO HAVE A LOOK AT THE REGULATION OF OUTER SPACE ACTIVITIES BECAUSE SOONER OR LATER, I, I THINK SOONER WE WILL HAVE TO HAVE SPACE TRAFFIC MANAGEMENT AND THAT'S REGULATION.
AND THEN, UM, IN A TIME WHERE WE SEE THIS CRUCIAL NECESSITY FOR MODERN GOVERNANCE OF SPACE, WHAT FUNDAMENTAL RULES DO YOU THINK NEED TO BE ESTABLISHED FOR THE FUTURE SPACE, AND HOW DOES IT KIND OF RELATE TO YOUR CURRENT PROJECTS OR AGENDA AT THE FOREFRONT OF YOUR WORK AT THE I S S L RIGHT NOW? YEAH.
UM, I, I'M A LITTLE BIT CONSERVATIVE, I MUST SAY, BECAUSE, UH, WE HAVE A,
[01:00:01]
A TREATY, AN INTERNATIONAL AGREEMENT, UH, DATING FROM 1967.YOU, YOU MIGHT SAY, OH MY GOD, THAT'S, UH, REALLY OLD.
SO, UH, IT'S, IT'S, IT'S MORE THAN 50 YEARS OLD.
AND, UH, TYPICALLY PEOPLE SAY, OH, WELL, UH, IT'S PRACTICALLY IMPOSSIBLE THAT THIS IS STILL USEFUL, SO LET'S MAKE SOMETHING NEW.
BUT I MUST SAY THIS TREE TEAM, UH, WHICH WAS CREATED AT THE TIME OF THE COLD WAR, UH, AND AT THE VERY BEGINNING OF THE SPACE AGE, UH, ONLY 10 YEARS AFTER THE SPUTNIK, UH, WAS LAUNCHED, UH, THIS TREATY IS STILL EXTREMELY GOOD AND USEFUL BECAUSE IT SET OUT PRINCIPLES, PRINCIPLES FOR THE USE OF OUTER SPACE.
SO ONE IS THE FREEDOM OF YOUTH, THE OTHER ONE IS THAT THERE SHALL NOT BE NATIONAL APPROPRIATION, UH, OF OUTER SPACE.
AND THERE IS, UH, THE NEED OF PEACEFUL USES AND COOPERATION.
SO OUTER SPACE IS A GLOBAL COMMON.
AND, AND THIS IS SOMETHING WE HAVE TO MAINTAIN.
AND, AND YOUR QUESTION IS, WHAT SHALL WE DO NEXT? WELL, FIRST OF ALL, IT'S IMPORTANT TO KNOW WHAT IS EXISTING AND THEN ALSO UNDERSTAND WHY THIS WHAT IS EXISTING IS SO BENEFICIAL AND SHOULD NOT BE TOUCHED, BUT THAT WE ONLY THEN MAKE ADDITIONAL RULES AND NORMS AND, AND REGULATIONS, WHICH ARE BASED ON WHAT WE ALREADY HAVE.
I THINK THAT THIS IS A VERY IMPORTANT MESSAGE AND, AND THIS MESSAGE IS MAINTAIN OUTER SPACE AS A GLOBAL COMMON, UH, WHICH IS OWNED BY NOBODY, BUT ALSO BY EVERYBODY.
AND, AND THIS IS SOMETHING, UH, I'M, I'M USUALLY WHEN, WHEN I GIVE TALKS AND, AND WHEN I, UH, LECTURE ALSO IN, IN MY JOB, UH, I, I TRY TO MAINTAIN AND MAKE PEOPLE AWARE, UH, DON'T RUSH TO, TO PROVIDE OPPORTUNITIES OF OWNERSHIP TO COMPANIES WHICH, WHICH WANT TO DO MINING OR, OR DO THIS AND THAT WITH THE RESOURCES IN OUTER SPACE, NO, UM, MAINTAIN THE CHARACTER OF OUTER SPACE AS A GLOBAL COMMON.
WE CAN DO MINING AND, AND ACTIVITIES THERE, BUT IT SHOULD BE FOR THE BENEFIT OF EVERYBODY AND NOT ONLY FOR THE FIRST COMERS.
THAT'S EXCERPT FROM AN INTERVIEW OR A PORTION OF INTERVIEW, WHICH WILL BE UP SOON.
BUT, UM, IF YOU HAVE ANY MORE INTEREST, I IMPLORE YOU TO LOOK AT THE ONES THAT ARE ALREADY PUBLISHED.
THERE'S AROUND FIVE OF THEM AND THEY ALL GO INTO DETAIL INTO VARIOUS TOPICS BASED OFF OF THE INTERVIEWER'S SPECIALTIES.
BUT, UM, EVEN IN THIS INTERVIEW, WE GO INTO FURTHER DEPTH ABOUT THE PREVIOUS ISSUES I MENTIONED.
THIS IS JUST REALLY THE INTRODUCTORY PHASE AND UH, I APPRECIATE EVERYONE FOR GIVING THE TIME TO SHARE THIS PROJECT AND FOR PAUL AND JANELLE FOR HELPING OUT WITH THAT.
LIAM AND ALL OF OUR STUDENT PRESENTERS THIS EVENING FROM WOODLANDS, UH, UH, GREENBURG CENTRAL SEVENTH SCHOOL DISTRICT, LIAM AND SAMANTHA, I WILL BE REACHING OUT TO YOU TO BE PART OF OUR INTERNSHIP PROGRAM IN SOME WAY THIS SUMMER.
SO, UH, WE'RE GOING TO SEE A LOT OF US READ A LOT MORE ABOUT THEIR SUCCESSES IN THE YEARS TO COME.
AND THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR, UM, PARTICIPATING TODAY.
UH, NEXT NOW'S A TWO GOOD TIME TO GET OUT.
OH, UH, JUDITH, WE'LL DO THE ROLL CALL.
REALLY AND THANKFUL FOR WHAT YOU'RE DOING.
[ ROLL CALL: Town Clerk]
PAUL, PAUL GONNA DO ROLL CALL.HERE, COUNCILWOMAN ELLEN HENDRICKS.
COUNCILMAN GINA JACKSON? PRESENT.
PRESENT AND COUNCILMAN FRANCIS SHEEN, PRESENT TOWN ATTORNEY JOE DENKO PRESENT.
[ To consider the Proposed Town of Greenburgh’s 2023 Recommended Capital Budget and 2024-2025 Capital Plan]
WE HAVE, UH, PUBLIC HEARINGS.UH, THE FIRST, UM, PUBLIC HEARING IS ON THE RECOMMENDED CAPITAL BUDGET, UH, AND 2024 2025, UH, CAPITAL PLAN.
I'D LIKE TO MOVE THAT WE OPEN UP THAT HEARING.
[01:05:01]
CAN YOU HEAR ME? YES.HONORABLE TOWN BOARD MEMBERS OF THE TOWN OF GREENBURG.
CAN YOU JUST SPEAK INTO THE MIC, ROBERTA? I'M SORRY.
I SAID, CAN YOU HEAR ME? IT'S NOT LIKE YOU DUNNO.
THIS IS A CONTINUATION FROM THE LAST PUBLIC HEARING ON THE RECOMMENDED CAPITAL BUDGET FOR YOU TO CONSIDER TONIGHT.
THE BUDGET RECOMMENDS FUNDING OF $19,907,944.
THIS AMOUNT HAS NOT CHANGED SINCE THE LAST PUBLIC HEARING.
BASED ON RECOMMENDATIONS FROM THE PUBLIC, THE FOLLOWING CHANGES HAVE BEEN MADE.
ON PAGE ONE, THE SUPERVISOR'S LETTER WAS UPDATED TO REFLECT THE CORRECT AMOUNT OF THE BUDGET, WHICH IS THE 19 MILLION 907 944.
ON PAGE SIX, THE WRITEUP FOR BABBITT COURT ELEVATION HAS BEEN CORRECTED TO SAY THAT THE TOTAL CONSTRUCTION COST IS 1,456,000 AND 145,000 OF NON-FEDERAL FUNDING.
AND THE LAST EDITION WAS ON PAGE 20.
THERE WERE ADDITIONS OF THE 2024 DEPARTMENTAL REQUESTS FOR THE WATER TANK REHABILITATION OF 8 MILLION AND WATER MAIN REPLACEMENT OF 1,025,000, AND THE 2025 DEPARTMENTAL REQUEST FOR THE REPLACEMENT OF THE NOWELL PUMP STATION OF 22 MILLION.
AGAIN, I WOULD LIKE TO THANK PAUL FINER AND THE BOARD FOR THEIR HARD WORK AND GUIDANCE AND THE PREPARATION OF THIS BUDGET AND THE DEPARTMENT HEADS AND EMPLOYEES OF THE TOWN FOR THEIR COOPERATION AND MEETING THE NEEDS OF THE TOWN.
SAM, CAN I REMIND ALL SPEAKERS FOR BOTH PUBLIC HEARINGS TONIGHT? THERE'S A FIVE MINUTE LIMIT.
THERE ARE CLOCKS ON BOTH SIDES WHEN YOU APPROACH THE PODIUM.
PLEASE STATE YOUR NAME AND ALSO WHERE YOU LIVE.
ANY BUDGET PRESENTED BY THIS TOWN BOARD? WOULD YOU SPEAK INTO THE MIC A LITTLE BIT? ANY BUDGET PRESENTED BY THIS TOWN BOARD IS SUSPECT A, OBVIOUSLY 2021.
WE HAD NOTHING TO SU BE SUSPICIOUS ABOUT BECAUSE THERE WAS NO CAPITAL BUDGET ALLEGEDLY DUE TO COVID.
OF COURSE, THERE ARE EXPENDITURES THAT ARE NECESSARY EVEN WHEN COVID IS IN PLACE.
IN 2022, YOU PASSED IN MARCH OF 2022 A CAPITAL BUDGET AND YOU DIDN'T FUND IT.
IT SAYS IN YOUR BUDGET BOOKS IN 2022.
AND IN 2023, THE AMOUNT THAT'S SHOWN FOR THE BUDGET IS TO BE BONDED.
SO THE QUESTION IS, 2022 WAS NOT A C O D YEAR.
WHAT HAPPENED TO ALL THOSE ESSENTIAL EXPENSES THAT YOU FELT WERE NECESSARY BUT YOU DIDN'T GO TO BOND? NOW, IN 2023, WE SEE ANOTHER CAPITAL BUDGET AND IT APPROXIMATELY THE SAME AMOUNT AS THE BUDGET OF 2022 TWO, BUT DOES NOT COVER THE SAME ITEMS FOR THE MOST PART.
THE QUESTION I HAVE OF YOU IS WHEN ARE YOU GONNA BOND THIS NUMBER? NOW, I UNDERSTAND THAT YOU BONDED JOE MOORE, A 2021 CONCLUSION IN THE CAPITAL BUDGET FOR 2022, BUT YOU JUST RECENTLY BONDED IT.
I GUESS THEY MUST HAVE BEEN GETTING IMPATIENT FOR THEIR MONEY.
BUT IN ANY CASE, HOW THE PUBLIC KNOW THAT WHAT IT SEES ON EACH OF THESE BUDGET LINES THAT YOU HAVE ANY INTENTION OF PROCEEDING WITH, FOLLOWING UP BY BONDING.
I WOULD STILL LIKE AN EXPLANATION IN 2022 WHY YOU DIDN'T, YOU VERY MUCH SAID IN YOUR WORK SESSIONS THAT THESE WERE ESSENTIAL ITEMS IN 2023, THE RECOMMENDED BUDGET WAS 27 MILLION AND YOU PAIRED IT DOWN TO 20 MILLION.
NOW, THAT LOOKS GOOD IF YOU INTEND TO FOLLOW THROUGH AND GIVE US WHAT IS NEEDED FOR THE 20 MILLION, BUT YOUR PAST PERFORMANCE IN THIS MATTER HAS NOT BEEN ONE THAT COULD RECOMMEND THAT WHAT YOU SHOW US IS ACCURATE.
PART AND PARCEL TO ALL OF THIS IS THAT INTEREST RATES HAVE RISEN SUBSTANTIALLY IN THE PERIOD, WHATEVER THE BOND RATING IS.
[01:10:01]
AND I CERTAINLY HOPE INDICATIONS THAT YOU MAY BE ABLE TO HOLD ON TO THE AAA BOND RATING.BUT THE REALITY IS YOU'RE BUYING THE INTEREST RATE WHENEVER YOU BOND 2023, THAT WAS AVAILABLE FOR B A A RATED BONDS IN 2021.
SO THE 99.99% THAT YOU GOT IN MARCH OF 2021 FOR 12 YEAR BONDS, AND THE 9 1 9 9 7 THAT YOU GOT FOR THE 25 YEAR BONDS, THAT'S NO LONGER ON THE TABLE.
SO WHILE YOU'VE BEEN SITTING THERE POINTING OUT IN THIS SHOW, WHICH LIKE SEINFELD IS REALLY A SHOW ABOUT NOTHING, IF YOU DON'T GO AHEAD AND BOND WHAT YOU'RE GOING TO DO, WHAT YOU'RE SHOWING THE PUBLIC YOU'RE DOING.
FURTHERMORE, MY DARKEST SUSPICION IS THAT WHATEVER YOU SHOW ON THESE BUDGET LINES ARE FALSE NUMBERS ENTIRELY.
YOU ARE BORROWING MONEY, LET'S SAY $10 SHOWN ON THE BUDGET LINE FOR SOMETHING THAT ONLY COSTS EIGHT AND GIVES YOU $2 TO PLAY WITH AS YOU WILL WHILE THE PUBLIC IS PAYING INTEREST ON THE $10.
OTHERWISE, I'M AT A LOSS TO EXPLAIN HOW THESE FUND BALANCES GROW.
SO TO ME, AS I SAID ALREADY, THIS WHOLE PUBLIC HEARING ON THE CAPITAL BUDGET AS WELL AS THE OPERATING BUDGET IS A SHOW ABOUT NOTHING.
BECAUSE ONCE YOU PASS IT, YOU DO WHATEVER YOU LIKE, SPEND WHATEVER YOU WANT, KEEP WHATEVER YOU WANT, AND BUDGET, TRANSFER THE BALANCE.
I WOULD LIKE AN EXPLANATION OF WHY THE 2022 BUDGET WAS NEVER BONDED.
ANDREA REED, DO YOU WANT TO SPEAK ON THE BUDGET? OH, OKAY.
SO WE DON'T HAVE ANY FURTHER REQUESTS TO SPEAK ON THE BUDGET.
ROBERTA, WOULD YOU LIKE TO RESPOND AT ALL? MRS. THE 2021 BUDGET WAS, WAS NOT BONDED BECAUSE IN PREVIOUS YEARS, THERE WERE STARTING WORK, FOR EXAMPLE, ROAD RESURFACING.
WE COULDN'T DO IT IN PRIOR YEARS FOR VARIOUS REASONS.
SO IT WAS KIND OF KICKED DOWN THE ROAD A LITTLE BIT.
SO THAT LESSENED THE NEED FOR THE, FOR NEW BONDING.
SO WE WERE CONSOLIDATING OLDER THINGS, TRYING TO, TO START TO, UM, SAVE IN WHAT WE NEEDED TO BOND.
SO THAT'S WHY WE HAD SORT OF HELD OFF ON THE 2021 BONDING.
DID ANYONE ELSE WANNA SPEAK ON THIS ISSUE? THANK YOU, ROBERTA.
NOW THERE'LL BE A SECOND ROUND BECAUSE WE ARE GONNA CLOSE THE HEARING TONIGHT.
AND IN TERMS, ROBERTA, IN TERMS OF, UH, THE PRESENTATIONS WE'VE HAD WITH THE DEPARTMENT HEADS, UM, I, YOU KNOW, FROM, YOU KNOW, WHAT OUR PREVIOUS EXPERIENCES, WHAT ACTION STEPS DO YOU THINK WE COULD TAKE TO MAKE SURE THAT THE MONEY THAT WE'RE ALLOCATING ACTUALLY GETS SPENT WITHIN THE, WITHIN THE FISCAL YEAR? BECAUSE I DON'T WANT, I FEEL THAT, YOU KNOW, IF WE SAY YOU NEED A MILLION DOLLARS FOR SOMETHING, THEY SHOULD SPEND A MILLION DOLLARS AND WE SHOULDN'T BE NOT, YOU KNOW, IF WE DON'T NEED IT, THEN WE SHOULDN'T BOND FOR THE AMOUNT THAT WE DON'T NEED BECAUSE I DON'T WANNA BORROW NECESSARILY.
SO WE, WE HAVE SPOKEN TO THE DEPARTMENT HEADS, THE ENTIRE TOWN BOARD, UM, BETWEEN JANUARY AND NOW, AND WE'VE ASKED EACH ONE SPECIFICALLY IF THIS IS THE EXACT DOLLAR AMOUNT THAT THEY, YOU KNOW, ABSOLUTELY, YOU KNOW, THAT, THAT, THAT THEY NEED AND IF IT'S GONNA BE SPENT, BECAUSE I DON'T WANT TO SEE, UM, HE, HE DOESN'T GET IT.
WELL, THE, THE INTENTION IS FOR IT TO BE SPENT IN THE MANNER THAT IT IS APPROVED, BUT FOR VARIOUS REASONS PROJECTS GET HELD UP AND THAT'S WHAT'S BEEN GOING ON.
YOU KNOW, COVID KIND OF THREW US ALL FOR A LOOP.
[01:15:01]
THAT, YOU KNOW, MAYBE YOU HAVE OR THE DEPARTMENT HEADS HAVE SO WE COULD TIGHTEN UP THE, THE WAY WE, I THINK THAT WE JUST NEED TO BE VERY COGNIZANT OF IT.YEAH, I GUESS WHAT, LIKE SUPPLY CHAIN ISSUES THAT MADE THINGS IMPOSSIBLE TO GET RIGHT.
SO, SO YOU COULDN'T ORDER CARS FOR PRACTICALLY A YEAR OR YEAR AND A HALF, RIGHT? BECAUSE OF CATALYTIC MM-HMM.
BUT YOU KNOW, TODAY, YOU KNOW, ON A POSITIVE NOTE, UM, RICH FOND AND YOU, MYSELF, UM, BRIAN SIMMONS, WE WERE, UM, AT TROUBLESOME BROOKE AND
UM, AND THEY'VE BEEN MAKING A LOT OF PROGRESS ADDRESS.
YOU KNOW, WE PUT $2 MILLION FOR FLOOD RELIEF, UM, IN PREVIOUS, IN LAST YEAR'S CAPITAL BUDGET.
AND, UM, AND YOU KNOW, THEY'VE BEEN COMING UP WITH A LOT OF, UH, INITIATIVES, GETTING RID OF OBSTRUCTIONS, NOT ONLY TROUBLESOME BROOK, BUT UH, THROUGHOUT THE TOWN, UM, WARREN AVENUE, THE, UH, THE FLOODING NEAR THE COMMUNITY, THE THEATER AND COMMUNITY CENTER, WARREN FLORENCE, UM, YOU KNOW, THAT SECTION OF TOWN.
UM, YOU KNOW, WE'VE BEEN, YOU KNOW, TAKING ACTION STEPS THAT HAVE ACTUALLY MADE A REAL POSITIVE DIFFERENCE.
YOU KNOW, PAUL, YOU LOOK AT ALL THE ROAD WORK THAT WE'VE BEEN DOING ALL OVER THE TOWN, CURB WORK.
I MEAN, WE, I I I FEEL THAT THE TOWN IS, IS ADDRESSING OUR INFRASTRUCTURE.
UM, I'M JUST CURIOUS ABOUT, SINCE YOU WERE JUST OVER AT TROUBLESOME BROOK AND HOW DID IT HOLD UP WITH THE HEAVY RAINS WE HAD A WEEK OR TWO AGO? UM, THERE, UH, UM, WE MET WITH BOB DE LORENZO WHO LIVES ON CLARINET, UM, YOU KNOW, PLAYS, UH, THIS, THIS EARLY THIS MORNING.
AND, UM, THERE WAS A LITTLE FLOODING, BUT NOTHING AS BAD AS IT COULD HAVE BEEN IF WE HADN'T DONE, YOU KNOW, DONE THE WORK.
SAME ON, UM, ON WARREN, YOU KNOW, IT COULD BE SLIGHT, UH, YOU KNOW, FLOODING IMPACTS, BUT THERE'S A LOT MORE THAT, THAT WE HAVE TO, UH, THAT WE HAVE TO DO.
AND, YOU KNOW, WE'RE, WE ARE, WE'RE WORKING ON A PLAN, ADDITIONAL INITIATIVES THAT WE THINK WILL BE SUCCESSFUL IN, UM, IN SOLVING, IN SOLVING THE PROBLEM.
WE LOOKED AT THE PIPES, WE LOOKED AT, I THINK WE'RE DEVIATING FROM THE PUBLIC HEARING NOW.
NO, BUT I'M JUST, UM, I JUST WANT PEOPLE TO SEE THAT A LOT OF THE CAPITAL INITIATIVES THAT WE'RE DOING, PEOPLE ARE GETTING GREAT VALUE FOR, FOR, YOU KNOW, FOR THE DOLLAR.
THE ROAD, YOU KNOW, WE'VE BEEN DOING AN AWFUL LOT OF WORK WITH ROADS.
WE'VE BEEN DOING A LOT OF WORK WITH, UH, WITH SIDEWALKS.
WE'VE BEEN DOING A LOT WITH, UH, YOU KNOW, FLOODING OUR WATER INFRASTRUCTURE.
WE'VE BEEN DOING, UM, UH, MAKING A LOT OF PROGRESS CONNECTING BROOK WITH NORWOOD.
YEAH, THERE'S A LOT OF POSITIVE THINGS THAT, UH, THAT HAVE BEEN HAPPENING.
AND I THINK BY AND LARGE, THE DEPARTMENTS HAVE BEEN DOING A GOOD JOB, UM, UH, WITH THE CAPITAL BUDGETS THAT HAVE BEEN APPROVED.
JUST WOULD LIKE TO RECOGNIZE, UM, THIS LADY WHO'S COMING FORWARD.
DID YOU WANT TO SPEAK ABOUT THE CAPITAL BUDGET BUDGET? WELL, NO.
YOU HAVE TO SPEAK INTO THE MICROPHONE.
WE'RE ON A PUBLIC HEARING NOW.
WE'RE IN A PUBLIC HEARING BUDGET.
I'M, WELL, ACTUALLY, YOUR COMMENTS APPROACH THE TOWN CLERK AND TELL HER WHAT YOU WANT TO TALK ABOUT AND SHE'LL TELL YOU WHAT YOU NEED TO DO.
YOU COULD TALK ABOUT, BECAUSE WE HAVE A FLOOD, THAT, THAT WOULD BE APPROPRIATE BECAUSE WE HAVE $2 MILLION IN THE CAPITAL BUDGET FOR FLOODING.
BUT PAUL, LET HER TAKE, TELL THE CLERK, AND THEN WE CAN DO, WE CAN HAVE OUR PROCESS IN PLACE.
LET HER TELL THE CLERK AND THEN SHE CAN COME UP AND SPEAK.
DID YOU FINISH EXPLAINING WHAT YOU NEED TO EXPLAIN, ROBERTA? IS ANYBODY ELSE WHO WAS HERE? OH, HAL, YOU HAD A SECOND.
SHE WANTS TO SPEAK KIM ONA, BUT SHE'S TALKING ABOUT THE FLOODING.
HE'S TALKING ABOUT THE BUDGET.
THAT'S WHAT, WHAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT.
THE FLOODING IS IN THE CAPITAL BUDGET.
HAL, YOU WANNA COME UP WHILE DID TO FIGURING THAT OUT, PLEASE.
SO YOU CAN DO YOUR SECOND ROUND.
UM, ACTUALLY, I, I THINK THAT WHAT WE SHOULD DO IS EX EXHAUST THE FIRST ROUND AND THEN GO TO THE SECOND ROUND, WHICH IS THE PROPER PROTOCOL.
SO THE NEXT SPEAKER IS KIM ONA HANSON, PLEASE TAKE THE MICROPHONE.
SO THERE'S $2 MILLION IN THE BUDGET, AND IF YOU'D LIKE TO HAVE MORE IN THE BUDGET, NOW WOULD BE THE TIME TO TELL US.
AND, UH, WE LIVE AT 1 28 FLORENCE AVENUE ON SEPTEMBER 1ST, UM, 20 20, 20 21, WE LOST OUR HOME DURING THE H THE HURRICANE IDA FLOOD.
WE LOST EVERYTHING, EVERYTHING WE'VE BEEN LIVING IN HOTELS FOR SINCE
[01:20:01]
THAT TIMEFRAME AND PAYING MORTGAGE.AND SO, UM, WE WERE TOLD THAT THERE WAS SOME BUDGET FOR PEOPLE WHO LOST THEIR HOME DURING THE FLOOD.
AND UP TO NOW, WE STILL HAVEN'T HEARD ANYTHING ABOUT IT.
AND THIS THING HAS CONSUMED OUR LIVES.
YOU KNOW, OUR CHILDREN DON'T HAVE STABLE, UM, UH, STABLE HOME.
THEY DON'T HAVE, UM, A PLACE TO CALL THEIR HOME YET.
AND, UM, YOU KNOW, I'VE BEEN TALKING TO PAUL LIKE EVERY DAY ABOUT IT, ASKING WHEN IS THEY GOING TO DISPERSE THE MONEY THAT THEY SAID THEY'VE ALLOCATED TOWARDS THE FLOOD, OR FOR THE PEOPLE WHO'VE LOST THEIR HOME DURING THE FLOOD.
THERE'S NOT A HOUSE ON THE LAND.
WE'VE HAD TO DEMOLISH THE WHOLE HOUSE BECAUSE, BECAUSE OF THE, UH, THE MAGNITUDE OF THE STORM.
WE HAD RAINED OVER ALMOST FIVE FEET, OVER FIVE, ALMOST SIX FEET OF WATER THAT COVERED THE WHOLE ENTIRE HOUSE.
SO BY THE TIME EVERYTHING, ALL THE WATER WENT AWAY, THE WHOLE HOUSE WAS FILLED WITH BLACK MOLD.
AND SO THE TOWN OF GREENBURG HAD DECLARED IT TO BE DEMOLISHED.
AND SO WE'VE HAD NO HELP WHATSOEVER.
UM, AND SO WE WERE LOOKING TOWARD, UH, LOOKING FORWARD TO, YOU KNOW, THE BUDGET, UM, BEING APPROVED AND THEM ALLOCATING THE FUNDS TOWARDS THE FLOODING.
YOU WANTED TO SAY SOMETHING? YES.
UH, FIRST OF ALL, UM, I WOULD SAY THANK GOD, WE THANK GOD FOR BEING HERE BECAUSE IT'S BEEN A VERY TRAUMA ALMOST TWO YEARS.
UH, MY SON WASN'T BORN, UH, SHE WAS THREE MONTHS OLD.
UH, SHE WAS THREE MONTHS PREGNANT, UH, WHEN THE FLOOD CAME.
AND OUR HOUSE WAS THE ONLY HOUSE THAT WAS MAG FOR DEMOLITION BECAUSE WE COULDN'T, IT WAS UNINHABITABLE.
SO WE HAD TO FIND PLACES TO LIVE.
AND THEN SHE HAD TO HAVE MY SON, WHO IS 13 MONTHS OLD NOW, AND WE'D BE MOVING FROM PLACE TO PLACE TO PLACE.
AND MEANWHILE, WE HAVE TO ALSO, UM, PAY OUR MORTGAGE MM-HMM.
AND SO, AND OUR MORTGAGE, OUR MORTGAGE, UM, TAXES HAS, HAS GONE UP AND WE DON'T EVEN LIVE THERE.
AND SO OUR MORTGAGE HAS GONE UP TREMENDOUSLY AS WELL AS A RESULT OF IT.
IT'S, IT'S BEEN TRAUMATIC FOR US, UH, THANK GOD THAT WE ARE DOING DAY TO DAY, BUT IT'S NOT EASY AT ALL.
AND SO, UH, WE ARE, WE ARE APPEALING TO THE DISTINGUISHED BOARD TO, UH, SEE WHAT THEY CAN DO TO HELP US.
UH, WE LIVE ON FLORENCE AVENUE, AND IF YOU GO THERE, IT IS ONLY OUR HOME THAT IS NO MORE.
AND SO, UM, WE ARE JUST APPEALING TO SEE IF WE CAN GET ANY HELP, UH, TO HELP US REBUILD OUR HOME.
UM, THANK GOD, UH, WE HAVE BEEN, UM, WE HAVE BEEN APPROVED TO REBUILD THE HOME AGAIN.
WE ARE GOING THROUGH THE BUILDING PERMIT, UH, WHICH HAS NOT BEEN EASY BECAUSE OF THE MONEY WE HAVE TO PAY.
AND SO WE, WE'VE BEEN GATHERING OURSELVES TO BE ABLE TO DO THAT.
AND SO NOW THE NEXT THING IS, UH, TO BUILD THE WHOLE HOME.
THAT IS WHY WE ARE APPEALING, UM, TO THE BOARD TO SEE IF WE CAN, UH, GET ANY HELP, UH, TO REBUILD OUR HOME SO WE CAN GO BACK IN MM-HMM.
NOW, THE NATURE OF THE STORM WAS NOT REALLY THE REASON WHY OUR HOME WAS GONE.
THERE IS A, UM, WHAT IS THE THING CALLED IN THE GROUND? UM, I FORGOT WHAT IT'S CALLED, BUT DRAINAGE.
THE DRAINAGE HADN'T BEEN CLEANED FOR ALMOST 20 SOMETHING YEARS.
SO GREENBURG AND THE STATE OF NEW YORK DIDN'T KNOW WHO WAS RESPONSIBLE FOR CLEANING IT.
SO AS A RESULT, IT WAS, IT WAS, UM, IT WAS, THERE WAS A LOT OF CLOGGAGE.
IT WAS A, A, UM, THEY, WHAT DID THEY SAY IT WAS? THEY SAID THERE WAS, IT WAS CLOGGED, SO IT HADN'T BEEN CLEANED, THE CREEK HADN'T BEEN CLEANED.
SO EVERY TIME THERE WAS A STORM, THE WATER WOULD ACCUMULATE AND THEN THERE WOULD BE AN OVERFLOW.
SO THAT'S REALLY THE REASON WHY WATER HAD ACCUMULATED, AND THERE WAS A FLOOD.
WE SHOULDN'T HAVE HAD A FLOOD.
IF THE WATER CREEK WAS BEING MAINTAINED AND CLEANED BY THE TOWN OF GREENBURG, IT WASN'T BEING MAINTAINED.
AND IT WAS LATER REAL, AFTER GOING THROUGH A SERIES OF, UH, OF, OF REVIEW AND, UM, AND, UM, LOOKING INTO WHAT WAS GOING ON AND WHY THE FLOOD HAD CAUSED SUCH, YOU KNOW, UM, SO MUCH FLOODING IN THAT AREA.
THEY FOUND OUT THAT THE, THERE WAS A CREEK ISSUE OF IT NOT BEING CLEANED.
AND THAT, AND, AND SO THAT'S REALLY WHY, YOU KNOW, WE HAD TO GO THROUGH THAT.
IF THE, IF WE, IF THE THE CREEK WAS BEING CLEANED AND MONITORED AND ALL OF THAT, WE PROBABLY WOULDN'T HAVE HAD A FLOOD.
BECAUSE WE HAD BEEN, WE HAD BEEN LIVING THERE FOR 10 YEARS PRIOR TO THE FLOOD, AND WE DIDN'T HAVE ANY ISSUES.
AND SO WE DIDN'T EVEN TAKE ANY FLOOD INSURANCE, UH, WHEN WE, WE, WE CAME INTO THAT HOUSE ON, IN 2013.
AND SO, UM, WE, WE HAD THE IMPRESSION THAT WE WERE SAFE AND THE AREA WAS SAFE.
UNFORTUNATELY, UM, IT HIT, IT HIT US AFTER 10 YEARS.
[01:25:01]
AND SO, UM, AFTER, UH, EIGHT YEARS OF LIVING THERE, AND THAT IS WHERE WE ARE AT TODAY.SO, UH, WE ARE JUST APPEALING, UH, TO SEE IF WE CAN GET ANY KIND OF HELP, UH, TO HELP REBUILD OUR HOME AGAIN.
I JUST HAVE, I DO KNOW THAT THE TAX ASSESSOR'S BEEN WORKING WITH THE STATE VERY TO, TO HELP YOU, UM, TO AMELIORATE SOME OF THE, THE EFFECTS.
AND YOU'VE GOT FEMA MONIES AND SO, SO FEMA, FEMA GAVE US LIKE 40,000 TO REMEDIATE OUR CAR.
SO THEY GAVE US MONEY TOWARDS THE WATER, I MEAN, TOWARDS GETTING A NEW CAR AND THEN, UM, HELPING US FOR THE, THE HOTEL FOR LIKE THE FIRST YEAR.
FOR THE FIRST YEAR, I THINK, UH, IN ALL, YEAH.
I SPOKE TO EDIE MCCARTHY TODAY.
SHE'S WORKING VERY HARD TO THE PROB THE PROBLEM IS THAT SHE REDUCED THE ASSESSMENT.
UH, SHE SAID SHE'S REDUCING IT, YOU KNOW, UH, TO THE LOWEST POSSIBLE AMOUNT THAT, YOU KNOW, SHE COULD.
SO SHE TOLD ME THAT, YOU KNOW, A COUPLE HOURS AGO, WE NEED STATE LEGISLATION, WHICH, YOU KNOW, YOU AND ME, WE'VE BEEN TALKING ABOUT THIS FOR, FOR MONTHS.
UM, AND THE LEGIS AND BASICALLY THE STATE LEGISLATION WOULD AUTHORIZE HER TO REDUCE, YOU KNOW, THE TAXES GOING BACKWARDS BECAUSE SHE HASN'T BEEN ABLE TO DO THAT.
SO SHE'S BEEN IN TOUCH WITH SUSAN TOLSON FROM SENATOR COUSINS'S OFFICE, BUT ACCORDING TO, UM, ED, WE NEED AN ASSEMBLY SPONSOR.
AND, UM, AND, UH, EDEDIE MCCARTHY WAS GONNA SPEAK, UM, WITH, UM, UM, WITH, UM, UM, YOU KNOW, THE SENATOR'S OFFICE.
UM, YOU KNOW, AGAIN, WE, WE'VE HAD CONVERSATIONS ON THIS TODAY, BUT WE REALLY NEED HELP FROM, FROM THE LEGI, FROM THE ASSEMBLY AND THE SENATE THAT WOULD AUTHORIZE THE ASSESSOR TO DO MORE.
I'M ALSO WONDERING, UH, JOE, IF, UM, IF THE TOWN IS PARTIALLY RESPONSIBLE, YOU KNOW, IF IT TURNS OUT, WOULD WE BE ABLE TO HAVE, UH, YOUR OFFICE AND THE PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT TAKE A LOOK AT WHETHER OR NOT THE TOWN IS PARTIALLY RESPONSIBLE? BECAUSE IF THERE IS, UH, WOULD, WOULD A CLAIM BE, UM, YOU KNOW, BE JUSTIFIED? BECAUSE MY FAILING IS, UM, YOU KNOW, I'VE BEEN IN TOUCH WITH YOU VERY, VERY FREQUENTLY MM-HMM.
AND I HAVE TO SAY, FOR SOMEBODY WHO'S HAD SO MANY HORRIBLE EXPERIENCES, YOU REALLY ARE LIKE SAINTS BECAUSE YOU'VE NEVER YELLED, YOU'VE NEVER SCREAMED, NEVER.
YOU'VE, YOU'VE ALWAYS, UM, CONDUCTED YOURSELF WITH, YOU KNOW, THE UTMOST RESPECT.
AND, UM, YOU KNOW, IF THERE'S LIKE A SAYING THAT NICE GUY FINISHED LIST, YOU KNOW, YOU KNOW, UH, YOU, YOU KNOW, YOU BASICALLY ARE, YOU KNOW, JUST SO TERRIFIC PEOPLE.
AND, YOU KNOW, IF, IF WE COULD HELP ANYBODY WHO DESERVES BEING HELPED, YOU KNOW, YOU WOULD BE THE TYPE OF PERSON THAT EVERYBODY WOULD WANT TO, I WOULD DEFINITELY WANT TO HELP.
UM, BUT, AND I'M SURE EVERYBODY ELSE WOULD WANT TO HELP.
SO MAYBE JOE, COULD WE WORK ON THIS? AND, YOU KNOW, I'M WONDERING IF WE COULD, BECAUSE THE LEGISLATURE IS, UM, IS ENDING THE SESSION SOON, COULD WE MAYBE, UM, PUT THIS ON THE WORK SESSION AGENDA FOR NEXT, UH, YOU KNOW, TUESDAY AND THEN WE, BETWEEN NOW AND TUESDAY, WE COULD ASK EDIE AND YOU AND EVERYBODY TO LOOK AT ANY SINGLE OPTION THAT WE COULD DO TO HELP.
AND ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I FIND SO AGGRAVATING IS AFTER EVERY STORM, BECAUSE THIS HAS HAPPENED, EVERY TIME THERE'S A FLOOD IN THE TOWN, FEMA SHOWS UP THE NEXT DAY AND THEY ACT LIKE, AND YOU KNOW, THEY HAVE THESE TABLES AND VANS AND THEY SAY, WE WANT TO HELP YOU.
THEN A MONTH LATER, UM, THERE'S A STORM SOMEPLACE ELSE, THEY LEAVE AND THEN THEY FORGET YOU MM-HMM.
SO THE SAME THING'S HAPPENING.
THEM, WE'VE PUT IN A GRANT, THE TOWN, UH, TO UPLIFT PEOPLE'S HOMES.
WE HAVEN'T HEARD, UM, WHETHER WE'RE GETTING THE GRANT OR NOT.
SO YOU HAVE THE, THE WOMAN WHO IS YELLING AT US AND SCREAMING AT US, UH, OVER A YEAR AGO.
SHE STILL DOESN'T HAVE A HELP.
YOU KNOW, SHE STILL HASN'T GOTTEN HELP MM-HMM.
UM, SO I JUST SORT OF FEEL THAT WASHINGTON SHOULD BE, UM, FOCUSING ON FEMA BECAUSE THEY DO THIS FOR EVERY SINGLE, UH, CRISIS MM-HMM.
BUT WE'LL PUT THIS ON THE AGENDA FOR NEXT, NEXT WEEK IF IT'S OKAY WITH THE BOARD.
AND, UH, THEN WE WILL GIVE YOU, WE WILL SEE IF WE COULD HAVE, YOU KNOW, AN UPDATE AND, YOU KNOW, I KNOW THAT EVERYBODY WOULD WANT TO HELP YOU MM-HMM.
AM I, AM I, AM I WRONG ABOUT THE CREEK THAT WAS NOT CLEAN FOR SO MANY YEARS? NO, WE, WE ARE GONNA HAVE, WE WILL HAVE THE TOWN ATTORNEY'S OFFICE.
WE WILL REVIEW ANY NOTICE OF CLAIMS THAT ARE FILED.
[01:30:01]
I WILL SAY I'M, I'M AWARE OF THE STATE PROPOSED LAW AND I'VE ADDED SOME OF MY COMMENTS TO TRY TO HELP THAT GET PASSED AS WELL.NOT ONLY FOR THESE RESIDENTS AT THE PODIUM RIGHT NOW, BUT FOR OTHER RESIDENTS WHO HAVE BEEN AFFECTED BY NATURAL DISASTERS AS WELL.
ALRIGHT, SO THIS IS A HEARING ON THE CAPITAL BUDGET.
PAUL, ARE YOU PROPOSING ANY CHANGES OF THE CAPITAL BUDGET BASED ON WHAT YOU JUST HEARD? UM, THE CAPITAL BUDGET IS BASICALLY, UM, YOU KNOW, PROPOSED THAT, YOU KNOW, YOU KNOW, AS, AS IS, I MEAN, THIS IS SEPARATE.
WELL, WE JUST, BECAUSE WE WERE TALKING ABOUT THE FLOODING, WE THOUGHT THAT PERHAPS YOU BROUGHT THAT UP BECAUSE YOU HAD SOME RECOMMENDATIONS ABOUT TO BUDGET.
I WANTED TO BE PART OF THE RECORD, RIGHT? UH, AND I SAID, I, I QUESTIONED WHY YOU'RE BRINGING IT UP BECAUSE IT'S PART OF THE CAPITAL BUDGET AND YOU SAID YES.
SO I'M WONDERING IF YOU'RE PROPOSING ANY CHANGES.
I, I'M NOT PROPOSING RIGHT NOW ANY CHANGES UNLESS THE BOARD, UM, OR, UH, UNLESS ANYBODY HERE FEELS THAT AS A RESULT OF THIS.
IT'S TIME FOR, YOU'D WANNA INCLUDE ADDITIONAL, UM, CAPITAL BUDGET ON EXPENDITURES.
SO WHATEVER YOU THINK IT'S TIME FOR THE SECOND ROUND.
HOW I THINK MR. SHEEN JUST MADE A VERY VALID POINT, MR. FINER, YOU KNOW, IF YOU AREN'T CHANGING ANYTHING IN THE CAPITAL BUDGET TO DEAL WITH THESE PEOPLE'S PROBLEM, THEN WHY? WAS IT PART OF THE DISCUSSION OF THE PUBLIC HEARING ON THE CAPITAL BUDGET TRYING TO APPEAL TO PEOPLE, RIGHT? YEAH.
WE'RE TRYING TO HELP, WE'RE TRYING TO FIGURE OUT WAYS OF, UM, OF HELPING.
AND PART OF IT IS THE STATE LEGISLATION THAT IS NEEDED.
WE'RE NOT SUPPOSED TO INTERRUPT PAUL.
AND THERE'S ALSO, UM, UM, YOU KNOW, THEIR ISSUE IS NOT, UM, IS BASICALLY STOP THE CLOCK DRAINAGE ISSUES, WHICH WE'RE GONNA ADDRESS.
JUDITH, WE JUST STOP THE CLOCK.
ARE YOU HERE? UM, WELL THAT, THAT'S INTERESTING.
TELL THAT TO THE SAVE GREENBERG PEOPLE WHO ALSO WANT TO SEE WHAT'S COMING ON THE JUNE BEFORE THE STATE LEGISLATURE.
EVERYONE'S GONNA HAVE THESE LAST MINUTE THINGS ON THEIR DESK THANKS TO MR. FINER.
CAPITAL BUDGETS, UH, YOU KNOW, DEAL WITH THINGS THAT NEED BASICALLY TO BE REPLACED BECAUSE THEY'VE WORN OUT THAT THEY'RE CONTINUING EXPENSES LIKE PAVING AND CURBS OR THEIR NEW PROJECTS.
YOUR DEPARTMENT HEADS CAME TO YOU IN 2022 AND TOLD YOU WHAT THEY NEEDED AS THEY DID IN 2023.
SO IF THEY WERE NEEDED IN 2022, WHY DIDN'T YOU PROCEED? WHEN YOU CALLED ROBERTA UP HERE, SHE TOLD US ABOUT 2021, I HAD ASKED ABOUT 2022, BECAUSE THAT'S WHEN YOU ACTUALLY PASSED THE CAPITAL BUDGET OF $20 MILLION.
IT LOOKS TO ME LIKE YOU HAVE 20 MILLION OUTSTANDING FROM 2022 AND 20 MILLION OUTSTANDING.
IF YOU PASS THIS CAPITAL BUDGET ROUGHLY COMING TO $40 MILLION, ARE YOU PROPOSING THAT YOU'RE ACTUALLY GONNA BOND $40 MILLION THIS YEAR? ARE YOU GOING TO FOLLOW THROUGH WITH THOSE PROJECTS TOTALING THE ALMOST 40 MILLION IN 2023? OR IS THIS ALL SOME TYPE OF PONZI SCHEME WHERE NEW MONEY IS BEING USED TO SATISFY OLD REQUESTS AND WILL ALWAYS BE A YEAR OR TWO BEHIND PLAYING CATCH UP? YOU'RE THE CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER, MR. FINER, YOU CAN SPEAK.
ROBERTA ONLY DOES THE PAPERWORK FOR YOU.
LET ME GIVE YOU AN EXAMPLE OF SOMETHING PERSONALLY INVOLVED, NOT SO MUCH THAT IT HAD TO BE DONE, BUT NORTH WASHINGTON AVENUE WHERE I LIVE, WE FINALLY GOT A SIDEWALK, WHICH YOU HAD BEEN PROMISING FOR THREE YEARS.
IN NOVEMBER OF 2022, YOU PASSED A RESOLUTION OF OVER $700,000 FOR THIS PROJECT.
AND WHAT YOU DID WAS YOU DIVIDED IT INTO THIRDS A THIRD THAT'S CLOSEST TO THE WESTCHESTER SQUARE SHOPPING CENTER, AND A THIRD THAT'S CLOSEST TO WEST HARTSDALE AVENUE.
THE THIRD, CONNECTING THOSE TWO SECTIONS HAS NOT BEEN DONE IN THAT CONTRACT WITH THE, IS LIKE $12,000 TO MOVE A HYDRANT, PLUS THE ACTUAL WORK ON THE SIDEWALK, WHICH HASN'T BEEN DONE.
SO IF WE DIVIDE THE 700 THOU PLUS THOUSAND,
[01:35:01]
WE HAVE ABOUT $250,000 UNSPENT FROM THAT RESOLUTION.AND WHERE HE EVEN GOT THE MONEY FROM IS A MYSTERY, BECAUSE IF ANYTHING SHOULD HAVE BEEN BONDED, SHOULD HAVE BEEN A SIDEWALK, ALL THESE SIDEWALKS AND WATER DEPARTMENT REPAIRS ARE ONLY BECAUSE YOU DIDN'T DO ANYTHING ABOUT THEM FOR DECADES.
SO NOW IT'S ALL CATCHING UP TO YOU, AND YOU'RE GOOD DEALING ABOUT IT AT THE MOST HIGHEST INTEREST RATES IN DECADES.
AND THAT IS IF YOU ACTUALLY GO AHEAD AND BOND AS YOU SAY YOU'RE GOING TO DO.
SO THE QUESTION IS REMAIN, WHY DIDN'T WE GO AND BOND IN 2022? ALL THOSE ESSENTIAL ITEMS, WHICH YOUR DEPARTMENT HEADS TOLD YOU, YOU EVEN WHITTLED DOWN SOME OF THOSE REQUESTS.
WELL, 27 MILLION BECAME 20 MILLION.
SO WITH THAT IN MIND, WHERE IS THE ACTUAL WORK GOING TO BE DONE? ARE YOU GOING TO BOND THE $40 MILLION OR CLOSE TO IT IN 2023? AND ARE YOU GOING TO PROCEED WITH THOSE LINE ITEMS THAT TOTAL THAT AMOUNT? THAT'S WHAT THE PUBLIC NEEDS TO KNOW.
YOU PRESENT THESE BOOKS, BUDGETS, OPERATING AND CAPITAL, AND THEN PROMPTLY IGNORE THEM A SHOW ABOUT NOTHING.
IF YOU HAVE NO FURTHER REQUESTS TO SPEAK ON THE CAPITAL BUDGET, PUBLIC HEARING, ANYBODY ON ZOOM, THEN I MOVE CLOSE THE HEARING.
NO, LEAVE THE RECORD OPEN FOR SEVEN DAYS.
[ To consider the adoption of a local law recommended by the Conservation Advisory Council creating a new chapter in the Code of the Town of Greenburgh, Chapter 374, entitled “Leaf Blowers”]
UM, PUBLIC HEARING, UH, TO CONSIDER, UM, THE ADOPTION OF A LOCAL LAW RECOMMENDED BY THE CONSERVATION ADVISORY COUNCIL, CREATING A NEW CHAPTER IN THE CODE OF THE TOWN OF GREENBURG, CHAPTER 3 74 ENTITLED LEAF BLOWERS.I'D LIKE TO MOVE THAT WE OPEN UP THE HEARING.
NOW THERESA, ARE YOU DOING A PRESENTATION OR ARE YOU, UM, NO, I'M JUST GONNA DO SOME BRIEF COMMENTS.
I, I THINK THAT, I THINK THAT WE COVERED VERY MUCH THE REASONS AT THE LAST MEETING FOR WHY WE THINK THIS SHOULD BE DONE.
I THINK IN THE LAST MEETING WE TALKED ABOUT WHY THIS SHOULD BE DONE, AND I THINK THAT THAT'S BEEN COVERED SUBSTANTIALLY AT THAT MEETING AND IN THE PAST.
AND WHAT I JUST WANTED TO DO TONIGHT WAS JUST TO MAKE A COUPLE OF COMMENTS.
ONE WAS THAT I FELT THE COMMENTS AT THE LAST MEETING WERE HELPFUL AND WE HAD A NICE DISCUSSION.
UM, I THINK THAT, UM, THE ADDITION OF ALLOWING BLOWER USE WHEN TRIMMING HEDGES WAS A SUGGESTION MADE BY THE GARDENERS.
AND I THINK IT WAS ACTUALLY A GOOD SUGGESTION BASED ON MY OWN GARDENING EXPERIENCE.
I THINK THAT THAT WAS A HELPFUL THING THAT WE LEFT OUT OF OUR, OUR RECOMMENDATION.
UM, I WAS A LITTLE BIT CONCERNED THAT THE PROFESSIONAL'S COMMENTS REALLY WEREN'T ADDRESSING WHAT WE WERE PROPOSING, BUT WERE REACTING TO SOME OF THE THINGS THAT HAVE COME OUT IN OTHER COMMUNITIES AND NOT WHAT WAS SUGGESTED BY THE C A C.
UM, BECAUSE ONE OF THE THINGS THAT'S VERY TRUE ABOUT THE GREENBERG C A C IS THAT WE HAVE NEVER RECOMMENDED THAT THERE NOT BE THE USE OF GASOLINE BLOWER LEAF BLOWERS, WHICH MANY COMMUNITIES ARE DOING.
AND IT'S QUITE TRUTHFULLY, UM, NOT BASED IN FACT, BECAUSE THEY'RE, THE ELECTRIC BLOWERS ARE NOISY AND THE ELECTRIC BLOWERS CAUSE THE SAME TYPE OF POLLUTION.
UH, WE ALSO HAVE NEVER RECEIVED A TOTAL BAN.
AND I THINK THAT'S IMPORTANT TO NOTE THAT, YOU KNOW, UM, THERE WAS A LOT OF RESPONSE TO THE TYPE OF CONCEPT WHERE THERE'S A TOTAL BAN AND WE WEREN'T SUGGESTING A TOTAL BAN, NOR HAVE WE EVER SUGGESTED A TOTAL BAND.
UM, I THINK THAT ONE OF THE THINGS THAT CONCERNS ME, UM, IS ALSO THAT THE PROFESSIONALS SEEM TO IMPLY THAT THEY HAD TO RAISE THEIR PRICES DURING THE SUMMER.
IF THEY WAS A BAN ON USING BLOWERS DURING THE SUMMER.
ONE OF THE POSSIBILITIES THEY COULD DO, QUITE TRUTHFULLY, IS TO GO TO THEIR CLIENTS AND SAY, DO
[01:40:01]
YOU WANT ME TO BLOW? IT'S AN EXTRA GONNA BE AN EXTRA CHARGE SINCE I CAN'T BLOW, AND WE'RE GONNA HAVE TO USE A BROOM.MANY OF YOUR NEIGHBORS DO NOT HAVE THEIR PROPERTIES BLOOM.
AND I THINK YOU WOULD FIND THAT MANY PEOPLE WHEN FACED WITH, UM, HAVING TO PAY EXTRA, WOULD SUDDENLY FIND THAT THEY COULD LIVE WITH A FEW BLADES OF GRASS ON THEIR DRIVEWAY.
UH, AND I THOUGHT THAT WAS SOMETHING THAT NEEDED TO BE EXPRESSED.
UM, I, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT CONCERNED ME WAS THAT, UM, WE HAD IN THE SCARSDALE ENQUIRE THE IMPLICATION THAT THERE WAS GOING TO BE SOME SORT OF RELIEF IN THE SUMMER MONTHS WITH A, UM, LOWER DECIBEL LEVEL FOR LEAF BLOWERS THAT IN FACT WAS STRICKEN FROM THE LAST LAW, THE LAW THAT WAS PASSED, UH, IN YOUR SPECIAL SESSION.
AND I THINK THAT WE STILL LEAVE THE COMMUNITY SORT OF WITH NO RELIEF IN THE SUMMER, WHICH IS THE TIME OF YEAR WHEN THE PARTICULATES STAY IN THE ATMOSPHERE THE LONGEST.
AND ALSO WHEN THE NOISE IS THE BIGGEST PROBLEM, BECAUSE PEOPLE WOULD LIKE TO USE THEIR BACKYARDS.
SO ONE OF THE CONCERNS I HAVE, AND I'D LIKE YOU TO THINK ABOUT IS THAT, YOU KNOW, VERY OFTEN THE DISCUSSION ON THIS IS HALF THE COMMUNITY WANTS THIS, HALF THE COMMUNITY DOESN'T.
AND SOME OF IT IS JUST AN EMOTIONAL RESPONSE.
SOME OF IT IS PEOPLE TRULY WANT THEIR PLACES PRISTINE, AND THAT'S A, AN AESTHETIC.
SO WE'RE DEALING WITH DIFFERENT AESTHETICS, BUT WE'VE GONE HERE TIME AND TIME AGAIN AND WE SAY IT'S 50%.
BUT THE REALITY IS IT ALWAYS COMES OUT A HUNDRED PERCENT FOR THE PEOPLE WHO WANT NO CONTROL ON THE USE OF LEAF BLOWERS.
AND I WOULD ASK YOU TO SERIOUSLY CONSIDER FOR THAT 50% THAT WOULD LIKE SOME CONTROL ON THE USE OF LEAF BLOWERS TO CONSIDER WHAT THE C A C HAS SUGGESTED, WHICH IS TO HAVE A MORATORIUM DURING THE SUMMER MONTHS WHEN THEY'RE LEAST NEEDED.
'CAUSE I THINK YOU'RE GOING TO FIND TRYING TO REGULATE BY DECIBEL LEVEL IS NEARLY IMPOSSIBLE.
AND IT DOESN'T SOLVE THE PROBLEMS OF THE PARTICULATES.
IT DOESN'T SOLVE THE PROBLEMS. IT'S THE SOIL DAMAGE.
ANY OF US THAT ARE BEEN AROUND A FEW YEARS KNOW THERE ARE NO MORE INSECTS.
WHEN WAS THE LAST TIME YOU HAD TO SCRAPE A BUG OFF YOUR WINDSHIELD? THERE WAS A TIME WHEN THAT WAS A SUMMER THING WHEN YOU WERE DRIVING.
SO I HAD ASK YOU TONIGHT TO JUST STOP AND RETHINK ABOUT THE 50% OF THE PEOPLE WHO WOULD LIKE THIS NOT TO HAVE LEASE BLOWERS GOING ON, THAT MAYBE THEY COULD HAVE TWO MONTHS OUT OF THE 12 MONTHS IN THE YEAR.
THANK THE NEXT SPEAKER ON THIS, UM, ON THIS PUBLIC, UM, HEARING IS GEORGE GUNLOCK, AM I SAYING PRONOUNCING YOUR NAME CORRECTLY, SIR? YES, THAT'S FINE.
YOU MAY WANT TO SPELL IT FOR THE STENOGRAPHER.
UH, GEORGE GUNLOCK, G U N D L A C H.
UH, SUPERVISOR FINER MEMBERS OF THE BOARD AND RESIDENCE.
UH, SO MY NAME IS GEORGE GUNLOCK AND I RESIDE IN HARTSDALE.
UH, AND I'M HERE TONIGHT, UH, TO SPEAK IN FAVOR OF HAVING A TEMPORARY LEAFBLOWER BAN.
I HAD BEEN BEFORE THIS BOARD, UH, IN THE PAST AND HAVE PRESENTED, UH, DATA, HAVE, UH, PRESENTED MY REASONS FOR MY POSITION.
AND I'M NOT GOING TO REPEAT THAT OR, OR ANY NEW, ANY NEW, UM, DATA.
I, I HAVE, I HAVE TWO THINGS I WOULD REQUEST THAT YOU DO AS YOU GO THROUGH YOUR DELIBERATIONS.
I UNDERSTAND, UM, THAT YOU, YOU HAVE TO BALANCE OUT THE CONFLICTING CONCERNS, CONFLICTING INTERESTS, UM, IN ORDER TO ARRIVE AT A, AT A FAST SOLUTION.
UH, AS I SEE IT, THERE ARE THERE THREE COMPONENTS THAT ARE, UH, THAT ARE ASKING YOU TO GO IN THEIR FAVOR.
ONE IS THE, UH, A HEALTH ISSUE.
UM, THE OTHER IS A BUSINESS ISSUE.
AND THE THIRD IS, UH, THE CONVENIENCE, UH, NOISE ISSUE.
UM, AGAIN, THE DATA IS OUT THERE.
UM, I BELIEVE THAT YOU WILL, UM, WELL, I AM CERTAIN THAT ALL THE RESIDENTS ARE GOING TO BE, UH, RESPECTFUL OF YOUR DECISION.
UH, NOBODY'S GONNA BE COMPLETELY HAPPY, BUT, UH, WE WILL RESPECT YOUR DECISION.
BUT WHEN YOU ARE GOING INTO YOUR DELIBERATIONS, I WOULD REQUEST THAT YOU, YOU LOOK AT THE HEALTH ISSUES, THE, THE IMPACT ON BUSINESS AND, AND THE,
[01:45:01]
AND INCONVENIENCE OF, OF NOISE IN PEOPLE'S BACKYARDS AND GIVE GREAT WEIGHT TO THE HEALTH ISSUES.I THINK THIS IS, THIS IS PRIMARY DUTY THAT YOU NEED TO CONSIDER WHETHER YOU ACCEPT THE DATA OR, OR REJECT THE DATA, UM, THE HEALTH OF THE ELDERLY, THE ASTHMATIC AND, AND THE YOUNG PEOPLE HAVE TO BE GIVEN GREAT WEIGHT.
AND I WOULD RESPECTFULLY REQUEST THAT YOU, THAT YOU WEIGH THAT AS YOU GO THROUGH YOUR, YOUR DECISION MAKING.
THE SECOND REQUEST I HAVE OF THIS BOARD IS THAT YOU REMEMBER AS YOU DELIBERATE, THAT THERE IS NO IRREPARABLE HARM.
SHOULD YOU PUT INTO PLACE A TEMPORARY BAN ON LEAF BLOWERS.
DO YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS OF ME? I HAD ONE QUESTION YESTERDAY.
WE HEARD FROM, UH, THE POLICE CHIEF, UM, ABOUT ENFORCEMENT AND EDUCATION AND, UM, THE CHIEF MADE PRESENTATION.
IT WAS PRETTY, UM, YOU KNOW, GOOD, UH, YOU KNOW, PRESENT.
I THOUGHT IT WAS, YOU KNOW, VERY GOOD, YOU KNOW, AND HE WAS TALKING ABOUT, UM, HOW, UM, YOU KNOW, IT'S VERY DIFFICULT TO ENFORCE A TOTAL BIN AND, UM, BECAUSE, UM, HE, WE, THE POLICE DON'T HAVE THE RESOURCES AND THEY HAVE OTHER, UM, YOU KNOW, OTHER, UM, ISSUES THAT HAVE TO GET, YOU KNOW, MORE PRIORITY.
SO THE QUESTION IS, WOULD WE BE BETTER OFF THE THING THAT I'M WRESTLING WITH, WOULD WE BE BETTER OFF HAVING, UM, NOT A TOTAL THE END DURING THE, THE TWO MONTHS, BUT LIKE, MAYBE TAKE SAY THREE DAYS WHERE THERE'D BE NO LEAF FLOWING ALLOWED, AND THEN FOUR DAYS WHERE YOU'D BE ABLE TO, UH, USE THE LEAF FLOWING.
NOW, I, I KNOW THAT IT WOULDN'T BE, YOU KNOW, IT WOULDN'T SERVE EVERYBODY ALL THE GOALS THAT THE C A C HAS, BUT I'M WONDERING IF IT WOULD BE EASIER TO ENFORCE AND EASIER TO EDUCATE.
BECAUSE ANOTHER THOUGHT THAT I HAVE IS THAT IF THE POLICE ARE GONNA HAVE A DIFFICULT TIME ENFORCING THE, THEY BASICALLY SAID THAT THEY'RE GOING TO BASE THIS THE ENFORCEMENT ON COMPLAINTS.
SO THEY'RE NOT GONNA HAVE THE POLICE GOING AROUND.
AND IF THEY SEE A LEAF BLOWER, THEY'RE NOT GONNA GIVE A SUMMONS, BUT SOMEBODY CALLS, UM, AND COMPLAINS, THEN THEY WILL.
SO IF IT'S ONLY LIKE THREE, SO IF A, IF, IF PEOPLE, IF THERE'S A LOT OF PEOPLE WHO DON'T LIKE THE LAW, THEY'RE GONNA JUST USE THE LEAF BLOWERS ANYWAY.
AND MOST PEOPLE AREN'T GONNA COMPLAIN.
SO IN EFFECT, IT'S NOT GONNA BE, UM, A, A LEAF BLOWER BAND THAT'S GONNA BE WORKING.
IF WE HAD JUST A HANDFUL OF DAYS WHERE YOU CAN'T DO IT, THEN IT GIVES EVERYBODY WHO WANTS LEAF FLOW, WHO WANTS TO DO THE LEAF FLOWING, THE OPPORTUNITY TO BLOW THEIR LEAVES WHEN IT'S ALLOWED AND MAYBE TO COOPERATE.
AND I THINK THAT WOULD GET BETTER, BETTER COOPERATION FROM THE COMMUNITY.
AND, UM, IF, UH, PEOPLE FIND THAT THEY LOVE THE PEACE AND QUIET, UH, THERE'S A BETTER CHANCE THAT A YEAR LATER OR TWO YEARS LATER, UH, UH, WE COULD ALWAYS EXPAND ON THIS AND, YOU KNOW, AND YOU KNOW, THERE'S A BETTER CHANCE THAT IT'S GOING TO BE SUCCESSFUL AND WE COULD EXPAND THE PROGRAM.
IF IT'S A FAILURE THE FIRST YEAR YOU WE'RE GOING TO ON YEAR TWO, YOU'RE GONNA HAVE NOTHING.
THAT'S, THAT'S MY, DO YOU FOLLOW WHAT I'M SORT OF SAYING? BECAUSE, UH, YOU SHOULD WATCH THE POLICE CHIEF'S, UH, PRESENTATION.
IT WAS AT THE BEGINNING OF, UH, YESTERDAY'S TOWN BOARD WORK SESSION.
AND YOUR, YOUR, YOUR, YOUR COMMENTS ARE, YOU'RE ASKING ME WHETHER OR NOT YOU SHOULD DO THE, WHETHER OR NOT YOU SHOULD PASS A PROPOSAL, UM, OR NOT BASED UPON, UM, THE POLICE DEPARTMENT'S, UH, DOUBT THAT THEY CAN ENFORCE THE LAW.
AND I WOULD, I WOULD SAY THIS, UH, MOST RESIDENTS, MOST CITIZENS OBEY THE LAW, NOT BECAUSE THERE'S SOMEONE OVER THEIR SHOULDER BECAUSE OF ENFORCEMENT, BUT BECAUSE IT'S THE RIGHT THING TO DO.
UM, PEOPLE STOP AT RED LIGHTS WHETHER OR NOT THERE'S A, A POLICE CAR RIGHT THERE.
AND I WOULD SUGGEST THAT YOU, UH, CONSIDER THE TEMPORARY BAN ON ITS MERITS AND NOT WHETHER OR NOT IT CAN BE, OR, OR SOMEBODY'S GONNA HAVE DIFFICULTY ENFORCING IT OVER A SIX OR EIGHT WEEK PERIOD TO, TO NOT, TO PASS A VERY REASONABLE AND TEMPORARY BAN FOR REASONS THAT HAVE NOTHING TO DO WITH THE MERITS OF THE, UH, OF THE PROPOSAL IS, UM, IS, IS, UH, JUST DOESN'T CUT IT.
THE POLICE ARE EXPRESSING THEIR, UM, THEIR, THEIR DOUBTS AS TO WHETHER THEY CAN ENFORCE A, A MEASURE THAT HASN'T EVEN AS YET BEEN PASSED.
BUT I WOULD REPEAT THAT, UH, MOST PEOPLE WILL OBEY
[01:50:01]
THE LAW IF YOU SAY, THIS IS CODE FOR THE TOWN, AND THEREFORE I WOULD GO FORWARD AND ENACT THIS, UH, THIS MEASURE.ANYBODY ELSE YOU COULD SEE, I'D JUST LIKE TO CLARIFY FOR THE RECORD THAT THESE ARE THE PRESENTERS OF THE LAW AND NOT SPEAKING ON PUBLIC CO AS PUBLIC COMMENTERS JUST SINCE THE TIME HAS EXPIRED.
WELL, I, BECAUSE IT'S KIND OF A DIALOGUE AT THIS POINT, WHICH, WHICH I WASN'T PLANNING ON.
PAUL, WHEN YOU WERE SPEAKING WITH THE POLICE CHIEF, WERE YOU SPEAKING ABOUT OUR LAW OR THE LAW THAT YOU PASSED? IT WAS, IT WAS REALLY BOTH.
BECAUSE THE LAW THAT WAS PASSED, NO, IT WASN'T.
I, I ASKED, NO, I ASKED THE CHIEF, UM, YOU KNOW, WHAT HIS THOUGHTS ARE IN TERMS OF ENFORCING YOU BECAUSE WE PASSED A LAW, YOU KNOW, LAST WEEK THAT FOCUSES ON NOISE AND ALSO FO FOCUSES ON MULTIPLE, UH, LEAF BLOWERS AT THE SAME TIME.
AND I SAID, AND THEN I, I DID SPEAK TO THE CHIEF AND I SAID, COULD YOU ALSO GIVE US YOUR THOUGHTS ON WHETHER INCREMENTAL OR A STRONGER, YOU KNOW, LAW, WHY WOULD BE YOUR PREFERENCE? WHAT'S EASIER, YOU KNOW, UH, TO ENFORCE? AND IF OTHER, YOU KNOW, CONCERN THAT I HAVE, I'M JUST GIVING YOU, YOU KNOW, MY, MY CONCERN BECAUSE I, I, I, NEVERMIND, NEVERMIND.
CAN YOU PLEASE COME RIGHT
UH, THE CHIEF IS GOING TO GO OVER WHAT HE WENT OVER WITH US YESTERDAY, PLEASE.
I THOUGHT IF I MISQUOTED YOU ON, YOU DID SO WELL.
SO YOU, LET'S LET HIM, EVEN WHEN YOU DON'T SEE ME, I'M, I'M LISTENING.
AND THAT'S WHY YOU STOP AT RED LIGHT
AND UM, AS MOST OF YOU KNOW, I DO LIVE IN GREENBURG.
I'VE LIVED HERE MY WHOLE LIFE.
I TRY TO STAY OUT OF THE POLITICS TO A DEGREE BECAUSE IT'S MY JOB TO SEE THAT MY OFFICERS ENFORCE THE LAW AND, YOU KNOW, MY PERSONAL FEELINGS, POLITICAL FEELINGS, YOU KNOW, UH, MAY NOT ALWAYS BE WHAT PEOPLE ARE LOOKING TO ME FOR.
THAT BEING SAID, WE WILL RE ENFORCE THE LAWS THAT ARE ON THE BOOKS, THE CHANGES THAT ARE MADE TO THE LAW.
MY PLAN WAS TO BE REACTIVE, NOT PROACTIVE AS A RESIDENT.
YOU KNOW WHAT I THINK MOST RESIDENTS WOULD RATHER YOUR POLICE PRIORITIZE WHAT THEY'RE DOING, WHAT THEY NEED TO BE DOING BASED ON, YOU KNOW, JUST LIFE, PROPERTY, HEALTH, SAFETY.
AND WHEN IT COMES TO THE LEAF BLOWER COMES TO THE LEAF BLOWERS.
I DON'T THINK ANYONE HERE WANTS ME DRIVING BY AND ASKING THEM FOR ID AND EXPLAINING TO THEM THAT THEY COULD BE RECEIVING A TOWN SUMMONS BECAUSE THEY'RE CLEANING THEIR YARD.
HOWEVER, THERE ARE PEOPLE THAT HAVE GOOD COMMUNICATION WITH THEIR NEIGHBORS.
THEY TALK, THEY WORK THINGS OUT.
CAN YOU MAYBE NOT MOW YOUR LAWN AT EIGHT IN THE MORNING AND THERE'S NO NEED FOR THE POLICE.
YOU HAVE OTHER PEOPLE THAT INSTEAD OF TALKING TO THEIR NEIGHBOR, THEY CALL US AND WE HAVE TO TALK TO THEIR NEIGHBOR FOR THEM.
SO MY PLAN IS TO DISPATCH THE OFFICERS WHEN REQUESTED, INVESTIGATE.
WE ALREADY HAVE A PROCEDURE FOR IT WHEN APPROPRIATE WARRANT, WHEN NECESSARY ISSUE A SUMMONS.
I THINK IT WILL BE EASIER TO ACHIEVE COMPLIANCE IF THE LAW ISN'T AS RESTRICTIVE AS IT COULD POTENTIALLY BE.
SO, UM, I HOPE THAT CLARIFIES MY THOUGHTS ON THE MATTER.
BUT IT GETS BACK TO THE ISSUE OF THE EXISTING LAW THAT WAS PASSED REQUIRES THE USE OF MEASURING SOUND, WHICH IS A LITTLE BIT MORE DIFFICULT BECAUSE IT ISN'T JUST A QUESTION OF WERE YOU BLOWING LEAVES, IT'S A QUESTION OF WHAT WAS THE DECIBEL LEVEL WHILE YOU WERE BLOWING.
SO IT REALLY BECOMES VERY DIFFICULT TO ENFORCE VIS-A-VIS HAVING A COUPLE OF DAYS A WEEK.
PAUL, ALL YOU'RE DOING IS REALLY NOT IN ANY WAY MAKING IT EASIER BECAUSE COMPLIANCE, EITHER PEOPLE ARE GOING TO COMPLY OR NOT.
MUCH LIKE GEORGE WAS SAYING, PEOPLE KNOW THAT THEY HAVE TO STOP AT A RED LIGHT.
IF PEOPLE KNOW THEY'RE NOT ALLOWED TO USE THEIR LEAF BLOWER IN THE MIDDLE OF THE SUMMER, YES, THERE WILL BE PEOPLE WHO WILL USE THEIR LEAF BLOWER.
I THINK WE ALL KNOW THIS, WE KNOW THROUGHOUT THE TOWN WE HAVE ALL KINDS OF LAWS THAT PEOPLE VIOLATE.
AND THE ONLY WAY THEY GET CAUGHT IS IF THEIR NEIGHBORS RAT THEM OUT,
AND THAT'S WHAT IT COMES DOWN TO WHEN WE DON'T EXPECT THE POLICE OR THE BUILDING DEPARTMENT TO RUN AROUND CATCHING PEOPLE.
I DO THINK THAT IF YOU PUSH IT INTO A COUPLE OF DAYS, YOU'LL STILL HAVE VIOLATORS ON THE NON-LEASE BLOWING GAZE.
PLUS YOU WILL INCREASE THE AMOUNT
[01:55:01]
OF POLLUTION ON THE DAYS WHEN LEAF BLOWERS CAN BE USED.AND THE AMOUNT OF NOISE, WHICH WHEN IT'S ALL AT ONCE, IS WORSE.
SO I REALLY THINK THAT'S A VERY, IT'S A NON WORKABLE SOLUTION.
I DO THINK THAT WE COULD GO THE SUMMER WITHOUT LEAF BLOWERS AND TRY IT FOR ONE SUMMER.
AND WE MIGHT BE SURPRISED AT HOW MANY PEOPLE AT THE END OF THAT SUMMER FOUND THEY DIDN'T NEED THEIR LEAF BLOWER.
THEY REALLY LIKED THE QUIET, THEY REALLY LIKED THE CLEAN AIR.
I UNDERSTAND THE POLICE CHIEF'S, UH, POSITION, AND I AGREE A HUNDRED PERCENT.
I WOULD NOT EXPECT THE POLICE TO BE DEVOTING TIME HUNTING OUT LEAF BLOWER VIOLATORS.
I'M SURE THERE'LL BE SOME, IN SOME CASES THEIR NEIGHBORS WILL REPORT THEM AND IN SOME CASES THEIR NEIGHBORS WON'T.
BUT THERE WOULD BE A TREMENDOUS DECLINE IN THE USE OF LEAF BLOWERS IF THE LAW, THE STATED LAW WAS THAT YOU COULDN'T USE THEM.
DO YOU HAVE ANY THOUGHTS OR SUGGESTIONS ON INFOR ON EDUCATION? UM, AND YOU KNOW, WHAT THE TOWN COULD DO, UH, BECAUSE WE'RE LOOKING AT, AT JUNE 15TH TO AUGUST 14TH, UM, YOU KNOW, DAN AND, UM, BETWEEN NOW AND JUNE 14TH WAS, COULD WE DO TO, TO SPREAD THE, TO EFFECTIVELY, UM, LET PEOPLE KNOW WHAT THE LAW IS? I MEAN, IF, IF IN FACT YOU PASS THE LAW, I THINK WHAT WE CAN DO IS E-BLASTS.
I THINK THE FACT THAT WE CAN PROVIDE YOU WITH SOME OF THE INFORMATION WE HAVE IN TERMS OF THE HEALTH ISSUES, I THINK THAT THAT WAS E-BLAST OUT TO SOME OF OUR PEOPLE.
THEY WOULD BE VERY SURPRISED TO FIND THE DETRIMENT THAT THERE IS IN TERMS OF WHAT IS BLOWN UP.
ALSO IN TERMS OF THE DAMAGE TO THE SOIL, I THINK PEOPLE ARE BECOMING SENSITIZED TO THE FACT THAT WE ARE KILLING OUR ENVIRONMENT.
THERE ARE NO, NO, THERE ARE NO BUGS, THERE ARE NO BIRDS.
I THINK MOST PEOPLE SAY THEY GO INTO THEIR BACKYARD AND THERE AREN'T THE BIRDS.
THERE USED TO BE, WELL, THERE'S A REASON THERE'S NOTHING FOR THEM TO EAT.
I MEAN, THIS IS THE CYCLE OF LIFE AND WE'VE INTERFERED WITH IT TO SUCH A DEGREE THAT WE'VE CHANGED OUR ENVIRONMENT.
AND I KNOW THAT THAT SOUNDS SO, YOU KNOW, DIPPING.
AND I THINK THAT WE COULD GET THE COMMUNITY TO UNDERSTAND THE REASONS.
AND I THINK WE'D FIND THAT MANY PEOPLE AT FIRST WOULD BE A LITTLE PUT OFF BY IT, AND THEN WHEN THEY TRIED IT, THEY MIGHT FIND THAT THEY LIKED IT.
DID YOU SAY EARLIER THAT YOU UNDERSTOOD WHEN THE PROFESSIONAL LANDSCAPERS SAID THAT FOR HEDGE TRIMMING THE LEAF BLOWERS ARE NEEDED? YES, I DID.
I THOUGHT ABOUT IT AND I THOUGHT ABOUT WHEN MY PLACE, WHEN THEY TRIM TRIMMED THE, THE BUSHES.
I MEAN, I THINK THAT'S SOMETHING THAT'S A LEGITIMATE, SO IN THOSE TWO MONTHS, WOULD YOU SAY THAT THEY COULD STILL YES, I WOULD BECAUSE THAT'S WHEN THEY DO THE TRIMMING OF MOST OF THE BUSHES IS IN THE EARLY SUMMER.
SO THERE'D HAVE TO BE AN EXCEPTION THEN.
THAT WOULD'VE TO BE AN EXCEPTION.
I MEAN, I THINK WE, WE TRIED VERY HARD TO GET ALL THE EXCEPTIONS.
BUT WHEN HE SAID IT, THE LIGHT BULB WENT OFF IN MY HEAD, I FELT THAT WAS A PERFECTLY LEGITIMATE EXCEPTION.
I MEAN, I THINK WE'VE ALWAYS TRIED TO WORK TO FIND THE MIDPOINT WHERE THERE'S COMMON SENSE.
I MEAN, I, I I I GET FRUSTRATED WHEN PEOPLE GET TO BE TOO LIKE ZEALOTS ABOUT STUFF, BECAUSE THEN YOU REALLY DON'T HAVE SOMETHING THAT'S WORKABLE AND IT HAS TO BE WORKABLE FOR EVERYBODY.
WHICH IS ONE OF THE REASONS WHY I'VE ALWAYS VERY STRONGLY FELT WE COULDN'T BAN GASOLINE BECAUSE THE ELECTRIC AND BATTERY IS JUST NOT USABLE FOR THE COMMERCIAL, UH, LANDSCAPERS.
SO I, I THINK IT WOULD BE HELPFUL IF YOU DID LISTEN TO THE WORK SESSION YESTERDAY, BECAUSE AS THE CHIEF CHIEF, I'M GOING TO INTERPRET WHAT I HEARD.
SO YOU MIGHT AS WELL STAY BY, UH, I BELIEVE WHAT HE WAS SAYING IS THAT THEY HAVE NO INTENTION OF GIVING A SUMMONS ON THE FIRST TIME THEY COME ACROSS SOMEBODY WHO IS VIOLATING THE ORDINANCE, THEY'RE GONNA GIVE A WARNING AND THEY MAY GIVE A SECOND WARNING.
AND THE PEOPLE ON PATROL GET TO KNOW THE COMMUNITY, GET TO KNOW THE NEIGHBORS, AND WILL GET TO KNOW WHO ARE THE PEOPLE THAT ARE CAUSING A PROBLEM WITH THIS, THAT THEY WILL EVENTUALLY KNOW THE SIZE OF THE PROPERTY.
AND, YOU KNOW, FOR AN AREA THAT HAS SMALL LOTS, IT'S EASY TO COUNT.
IF YOU HAVE MORE THAN ONE BLOWER CERTAINLY CAN COUNT IF THERE'S MORE THAN FOUR.
SO THAT DOESN'T INVOLVE NECESSARILY A NOISE METER TO FIND OUT WHAT THE DECIBEL LEVEL IS.
BUT, UH, THAT'S MORE WORKABLE THAN HAVING A TOTAL BAN, WHICH PEOPLE WILL LIKELY VIOLATE.
AND WHEN THEY DO, PEOPLE WILL SAY, WELL, YOU'RE NOT ENFORCING THE LAW WHEN THE POLICE OFFICERS HAVE OTHER CALLS FOR SERVICE THAT THEY JUST HAVE TO GIVE PRIORITY.
HOW DID I DO
UM, I THINK WHEN YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT THE SIZE OF THE PROPERTY, I THINK WHAT'S GONNA HAPPEN, MY OBSERVATION IN THE
[02:00:01]
FALL IS THAT WHEN THEY DO LEAF CLEAR UP IN THE FALL, AND EVEN WITH THE SPRING CLEANUP, BUT PARTICULARLY IN THE FALL, THEY USE MORE THAN ONE LEAF BLOWER.I THINK YOU'RE GONNA FIND YOUR COMMERCIAL GUYS ARE GONNA COME IN AND THEY'RE GONNA USE THREE LEAF BLOWERS ON A PROPERTY AND THEY'RE GONNA CLEAR THE PROPERTY AND THEY'LL DO IT ONE DAY AND THEY'LL PROBABLY, WELL MAYBE TWICE THEY'LL COME BACK.
THEY DO NOT COME BACK REPEATEDLY TO DO IT.
AND I THINK IT'S, IT'S SOMETHING THAT, UM, HONESTLY, I THINK YOU'RE GONNA HAVE VIOLATIONS ALL OVER THE PLACE IN THE FALL WITH ONE LEASE BLOW ON A PROPERTY, BECAUSE THAT'S NOT THE WAY THE COMMERCIAL GUYS WORK.
I'M SURPRISED THEY AGREED TO THIS UNLESS THEY JUST FEEL THEY'RE JUST GONNA WALK.
AND THAT'S A VERY SAD STATEMENT, WHETHER YOU PASS, WHAT WE'RE SUGGESTING AND WHAT YOU ALREADY HAVE PASSED IS THAT WHEN WE HAVE LAWS THAT THE INTENT IS THAT THEY'RE NOT GONNA BE RESPECTED.
IT'S, I THINK, SAD FOR DEMOCRACY BECAUSE IT'S, IT'S WINDOW DRESSING.
IT'S NOT REALLY PASSING REAL LEGISLATION WITH THOUGHT AND CONSIDERATION OF GETTING COMMUNITY BUY-IN.
WELL, THAT'S, THAT'S REALLY WHY, YOU KNOW, WHEN I'M LIKE, AGAIN, I WANNA SAY THAT I AGREE WITH EVERY, YOU KNOW, I LIKE LEAF BLOWER, YOU KNOW, LEGISLATION.
'CAUSE I THINK THAT A LOT OF PEOPLE ARE COMPLAINING ABOUT, YOU KNOW, THE NOISE LEVELS.
SO I, I'M LOOKING AT IT SAYING, I BASICALLY AGREE IN CONCEPT OF WHAT YOU'RE SAYING, BUT I ALSO DON'T LIKE THE IDEA OF HAVING A LAW THAT WE KNOW FROM DAY ONE IS NOT REALLY GONNA BE COMPLIED WITH.
WE'VE ESTABLISHED, BUT WE'VE ESTABLISHED THAT NO ONE THAT, THAT EVERYONE IS NOT GONNA COMPLY WITH THE LAW THE WAY WE WOULD LIKE THEM TO.
SO I, I, I BELIEVE THAT, YOU KNOW, FIRST OF ALL, PEOPLE HAVE TO UNDERSTAND THAT IT'S NOT A TOTAL BAN FOREVER.
WHAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT IS A A A A PARTIAL BAN FOR TWO MONTHS, THAT'S IT.
AND THEN IT'S OVER, THEN IT GOES BACK TO THE REGULAR WAY.
BUT WE'LL HAVE SOMETHING TO COMPARE THE TWO MONTHS OF RELATIVE SILENCE AND CLEAN AIR WITH, RIGHT? SO, SO IT'S NOT, WE'RE NOT SAYING NOW THAT WE'RE BANNING ALL LEAF BLOWERS FOREVER, YOU KNOW, PERIOD.
AND I THINK THAT MUDDYING THE WATERS BY ALLOWING PEOPLE TO HAVE A FEW DAYS IN THE WEEK.
FIRST OF ALL, IT, IT, I THINK IT MAKES IT MORE CONFUSING FOR PEOPLE, RIGHT? BECAUSE THEY CAN SAY, OH, WELL I THOUGHT IT WAS TUESDAY.
I THOUGHT IT WAS WEDNESDAY, I THOUGHT IT WAS THURSDAY.
AND, AND SO YOU'RE GONNA GET LESS COMPLIANCE THAT WAY BECAUSE PEOPLE THINK THAT IT'S WEDNESDAY WHEN IT'S REALLY TUESDAY, RIGHT? SO IF YOU JUST BAN 'EM OUTRIGHT, TEMPORARILY FOR JUST TWO MONTHS TO SEE WHAT IT'S LIKE, THEN IF YOU HEAR RELIEF BLOWER DURING THAT PERIOD, YOU KNOW THAT THEY'RE NOT SUPPOSED TO BE USING IT RATHER THAN, OH, IT'S TUESDAY, YOU, YOU CAN USE IT.
RIGHT? SO I THINK IT KEEPS IT MUCH CLEANER TO JUST COMPLETELY, UH, TEMPORARILY BAN THEM FOR THE TWO MONTH PERIOD AS A TRIAL TO SEE WHAT THAT'S LIKE.
AND I, I FEEL LIKE WE'VE BEEN HAVING THIS CONVERSATION THAT, THAT THE CONSERVATION ADVISORY COUNCIL HAS, HAS BEEN REVIEWING THIS SITUATION FOR MAYBE 15 TO 20 YEARS.
UM, AND WE'VE BEEN GOING AROUND THIS BARN OVER AND OVER AND OVER AGAIN.
AND IF WE KEEP, IF WE, IF WE, IF WE FAIL TO ACT ON THE LAW THAT HAS BEEN VETTED TO THE EXTENT THAT THIS ONE HAS BEEN VETTED, YOU KNOW, IT'S JUST, IT'S, IT'S, IT'S, IT'S, IT'S MADDENING, YOU KNOW, AND, AND THEN TO WINNOW IT DOWN TO MAKE IT, IT, IT BASICALLY PURPOSELESS, I THINK IS EVEN MORE MADDENING.
WHY BOTHER TO DO IT AT ALL IF YOU'RE JUST GONNA LET PEOPLE, YOU KNOW, HAVE THREE OR FOUR DAYS DURING THE WEEK IN A TWO MONTH PERIOD, FOR GOODNESS SAKES.
UM, THAT'S LIKE NOT DOING ANYTHING AT ALL.
SO I PERSONALLY, SINCE WE'RE SPEAKING FOR OURSELVES, I SUPPORT, UH, THE CA'S VERSION.
AND I THINK BECAUSE IT'S TEMPORARY, WE'LL GET A, A, A BRIEF, A VERY BRIEF SNAPSHOT.
REMEMBER THIS IS TWO MONTHS OUT OF 12.
SO FOR THE, THE, THAT ADDITIONAL 10 MONTHS, ANYBODY WHO WANTS TO USE THEIR LEAF BLOWER CAN USE WHATEVER LEAF BLOWER THEY WANT ALL DAY LONG, ALL NIGHT LONG.
THERE WON'T BE ANY REGULATION.
IT'S JUST TWO MONTHS IN ONE YEAR TO LET US THINK ABOUT IT AND SEE WHAT IT'S LIKE.
SO MY PERSONAL OPINION, SINCE YOU'RE ALWAYS, IS THAT WE SHOULD SUPPORT, UH, THE CA'S VERSION AND GO AHEAD AND SEE WHAT HAPPENS.
THAT WAS VERY IMPASSIONED AND VERY INFORMATIVE, AND THAT WAS GREAT.
UM, I THINK, I THINK IT DOES MUDDY THE WATERS.
[02:05:01]
THINK PEOPLE WILL BE REALLY FAST TO GET CONFUSED OF WHAT DAY IT IS AND WHETHER THEY CAN OR THEY CAN'T.AND IT'LL BE A LOT EASIER IF IT'S JUST BLACK AND WHITE FOR TWO MONTHS.
UM, I HAVE A MARKETING BACKGROUND.
I'VE BEEN A MARKETING DIRECTOR FOR 20 PLUS YEARS, UM, IN FINANCIAL SERVICES.
AND I ALSO WOULD VOLUNTEER TO HELP WITH COMMUNICATION AROUND THIS ISSUE FOR THE COMMUNITY BECAUSE, UM, I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT AND I THINK IT'S DOABLE.
AND, UM, I THINK COMMUNICATING ABOUT IT IS SOMETHING I AM GOOD AT AND I, UM, THINK WE SHOULD BE ABLE TO DO.
AND I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT THAT WE, UM, PROCEED WITH THE BAN.
A LOT OF COMMUNITIES AROUND US DO THIS.
UM, AS YOU SAID, IT'S, IT'S, YOU KNOW, IT'S, WE KNOW IT'S GOOD FOR OUR HEALTH.
IT'S GOOD TO HAVE, UM, THE QUIET AND, AND WE ARE ONLY GONNA KNOW WHAT IT'S LIKE IF WE DO IT, YOU KNOW, REALLY DO IT AND NOT KEEP WATERING THINGS DOWN AND GOING BACKWARDS AND FORWARDS.
AND I WOULD LIKE TO SEE GREENBURG AS A PROGRESSIVE COMMUNITY, UM, AND AS A COMMUNITY THAT'S THINKING OF THE ENVIRONMENT AND OUR HEALTH AND, AND, AND IT'S FOR US.
AND, YOU KNOW, THE PEOPLE WHO LIVE IN GREENBURG AND THE WORKERS WHO ARE ACTUALLY TAKING CARE OF THE LAWNS, YOU KNOW, IT'S NOT GOOD FOR THEM EITHER.
AND I DON'T THINK MOST OF THE PEOPLE WHO'VE BEEN IN THE ROOM FOR THOSE, FOR THESE PRIOR MEETINGS ARE THE PEOPLE WHO ARE THERE OUT WITH THE BLOWERS ON THEIR BACK.
UM, BECAUSE THAT'S, THAT'S MY THINKING.
AND I, I THINK, UM, YOU KNOW, IT'S REALLY, IT'S, IT'S BETTER THAT WE FOCUS ON WHAT REALLY MATTERS, WHICH IS HEALTH, UM, AND HAVING A TRANQUIL SUMMER ENVIRONMENT FOR OUR COMMUNITY.
AND IT WOULD BE SO NICE TO HAVE THAT.
AND THEN, YOU KNOW, WE CAN SEE WHERE WE ARE.
AND THE COMMENTS I HEARD ABOUT, LIKE THE, THE BUGS AND THE BIRDS, I REALLY AGREE WITH THAT AS WELL.
AGAIN, IT'S, WE'RE NOT, WE DON'T WANNA BE IN A CONCRETE JUNGLE WITH GREEN ASTROTURF WITH CHEMICALS LOADED ON IT WHERE NOTHING THRIVES.
I MEAN, IT'S KILLING OUR WHOLE PLANET.
AND, AND WE AS A TOWN, AS A COMMUNITY HAVE THIS GREAT OPPORTUNITY TO MAKE CHANGE.
AND I REALLY HOPE THAT WE CAN BE BRAVE AND TAKE THOSE STEPS FORWARD AND MAKE IT HAPPEN.
AND THIS IS JUST GONNA BE FOR TWO MONTHS.
AND THEN WE CAN REEVALUATE HOW SUCCESSFUL IT WAS OR WHAT WE LIKED ABOUT IT OR DIDN'T LIKE ABOUT IT, AND SEE WHAT MAKES SENSE MOVING AHEAD.
BUT TO JUST WATER IT DOWN AND WORRY THAT IT'S JUST NOT GONNA BE ENFORCED IS JUST, I DON'T THINK THAT'S THE RIGHT ANSWER.
AND I LIKE THINKING THAT PEOPLE ARE GONNA HONOR THE SPIRIT OF A LAW, AND THAT, UM, HAVING THAT BAN WOULD BE IN THE RIGHT SPIRIT.
UM, AND YOU KNOW, I, AND I, AND I, AND I KNOW THAT THIS IS A LIVING FOR A LOT OF PEOPLE TO TAKE CARE OF THE LAWNS AND PROPERTIES, AND I RESPECT THAT A THOUSAND PERCENT, AND I NEVER WOULD WANNA GET IN THE WAY OF ANYONE'S LIVING.
I THINK THERE'S LOTS OF WAYS TO, UM, HELP WITH LAWNS WHEN THERE'S A BAN IN PROGRESS, WHETHER IT'S RAKING, PRUNING, ET CETERA.
THERE'S LOTS OF THINGS IN LA LAWN CARE, YOU KNOW, SERVICES WOULD STILL BE NEEDED, AND, AND THAT'S IMPORTANT.
UM, AND I THINK AS A HOMEOWNER, I KNOW I, I, I, I ALWAYS STRUGGLE WITH THAT, THE NOISE, UM, ALL TIMES OF DAY, WHETHER IT'S DINNER WITH MY FAMILY OR OUTSIDE WALKING.
AND I WOULD LOVE TO HAVE A NICE, QUIET, IDYLLIC, SUMMERTIME EXPERIENCE HERE IN GREENBURG AND NOT HAVE TO FLEE GREENBURG AT THOSE SUMMER TIMES TO MORE PEACEFUL ENVIRONMENTS, WHICH IS WHAT A LOT OF PEOPLE DO IF THEY CAN.
UM, AND I THINK, YOU KNOW, I, I HOPE THAT WE, WE CAN MAKE THIS STEP FORWARD AND, AND, UM, BE COURAGEOUS AND VISIONARY AND DO WHAT'S GOOD FOR OUR PEOPLE AND OUR PLANET.
DO YOU HAVE ANY MARKETING SUGGESTIONS? YEAH, OF COURSE I DO.
I MEAN, I THINK THERE'S A MILLION THINGS YOU COULD DO.
I MEAN, WHETHER IT'S EMAILS, WHETHER IT'S FACEBOOK AND SOCIAL MEDIA, WHETHER IT'S LOCAL NEWSPAPERS, WHETHER IT'S LOCAL RADIO, UM, WHETHER IT'S SCHOOLS.
I MEAN, THERE'S JUST SO MANY WAYS I THINK WE COULD BE COMMUNICATING.
AND AGAIN, IF IT'S A BLACK AND WHITE, IT'S JUST FROM X DATE TO Y DATE VERSUS IT'S THESE THURSDAYS AND THESE TUESDAYS, AND NOT IN BETWEEN OR WHATEVER.
BUT TWO MONTHS YOU COULD DEFINITELY GET THE WORD OUT AND YOU COULD PUT SIGNS UP IN PLACES WHERE PEOPLE GO AND THERE'S LOTS TO BE DONE.
AND I DON'T THINK IT'S ALL ABOUT THE POLICE, LIKE OF SOMEONE ELSE SAID.
I THINK, I THINK WE ALL WOULD SHARE COMMUNICATION, YOU KNOW, SHARING THE VALUES THAT WE HAVE.
YOU KNOW, IT'S, IT'S EASIER TO SAY TO SOMEONE THAN, YOU KNOW, YOU KNOW, WE'RE NOT REALLY SUPPOSED TO BE DOING THAT NOW BECAUSE YOU, IT'S NOT GOOD FOR THE PLANET, AND WE'RE GREEN BURGER'S DOING THIS TO SEE HOW IT GOES, LIKE MANY OTHER TOWNS AROUND, YOU KNOW? AND, UM, I THINK, YEAH, THERE'S A BUNCH OF THINGS.
IF YOU WANTED ME TO HELP, I'D BE HAPPY TO HELP.
BUT I, I THINK CERTAINLY THERE'S, YOU KNOW, YOU COME UP WITH TALKING POINTS AND A COUPLE OF BULLETS AND YOU START TO PUT THEM OUT THERE, THINK IT'S DOABLE.
THIS REALLY WASN'T MY TOPIC BEING AS I LIVE IN A CO-OP AND HAVE NO
[02:10:01]
RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE LAWN CARE.BUT, AND BY THE WAY, I BELIEVE WHAT THE CHIEF SAID AT THE WORK SESSION WAS THAT POLICE WOULD RESPOND TO COMPLAINTS.
HOWEVER, SELDOM DO I AGREE WITH MR. JONES, BUT TODAY HE MADE COMPLETE SENSE.
IN FACT, I WILL EVEN GO A STEP FURTHER.
I THINK THE C A C HAS IRREFUTABLY ESTABLISHED THAT THE MOVEMENT OF PARTICULATES THROUGH THE AIR IS DANGEROUS AND HARMFUL TO YOUR HEALTH.
THE SURGEON GENERAL REGARDING SMOKING HAS SAID CIGARETTE SMOKING IS HARMFUL TO YOUR HEALTH.
THAT DID NOTHING TO ADDRESS TO SECONDHAND SMOKE.
IN GREENBERG, WE CAN GO FURTHER THAN THE SURGEON GENERAL AND JUST BAN LEAF BLOWERS THAT WOULD ELIMINATE THE PROBLEM.
THE TOWN BOARD MADE A WRONG TURN BY GOING AT THIS FROM THE NOISE ANGLE.
THIS IS VERY MUCH A SITUATION OF HEALTH AND BLOWING DEVICES OF VARIOUS MANUFACTURER, WHETHER IT'S ELECTRIC OR GAS, MOVES PARTICULATES THROUGH THE AIR, WHICH DO NOT RESPECT PROPERTY LINES.
THEY DO NOT RESPECT THE HOURS OF THE DAY.
THEY DO NOT RESPECT THE DAYS OF THE WEEK.
IF THEY'RE IN USE, THE PARTICULATES WILL CIRCULATE.
I HAD AN EPIPHANY THE OTHER DAY, WALKING ON NORTH WASHINGTON AVENUE, SIDEWALK, I SAW AHEAD OF ME ON THE OPPOSITE SIDE OF THE STREET, A CLOUD OF PARTICULATE, A VERITABLE VISIBLE CLOUD COMING AT ME ON THE OPPOSITE SIDE OF THE STREET ON THE SIDEWALK, WHICH I HAD TO WALK THROUGH TO GET TO MY DONATION.
THESE BLOWERS DO KICK UP PARTICULATE, AND THEY MOVE WITH THE DIRECTION OF THE WIND.
SO THE QUESTION IS, WHETHER YOU AS A TOWN BOARD WANT TO TAKE THE ULTIMATE STEP AND JUST BAN LEAF BLOWERS.
YOU CAN GO AHEAD WITH A TEMPORARY BAN THIS YEAR, BUT THAT'S NOT REALLY PROVING ANYTHING.
IF YOU HAVE A TEMPORARY BAN, THERE WILL BE NO NOISE AND THERE WILL BE NO PARTICULATE IN MOTION.
WHAT HAVE YOU REALLY LEARNED? THE REAL STEP HERE IS WHETHER YOU WANT TO PROMOTE AN UNHEALTHY COMMISSION CONDITION AND LET IT, YOU KNOW, SUSTAIN ITSELF IN THE FUTURE.
SOLVING THE NOISE PROBLEM IS REALLY A MINOR THING, AND THAT'S WHERE YOU'VE BEEN HUNG UP FOR YEARS.
HALFWAY FAVOR, HALF WILL BE AGAINST IT.
LET'S LOOK BEYOND THE NOISE, BECAUSE IF YOU ELIMINATE LEAF BLOWING BY VIRTUE OF THE HEALTH HAZARD, YOU HAVE ALSO TAKEN CARE OF THE NOISE PROBLEM.
SO I, I JUST HAVE A, A QUESTION FOR ONE OF OUR RESIDENTS.
UM, ANDREA, DO YOU WANT TO SPEAK ON THIS PUBLIC HEARING, UH, ABOUT THE LEAF BLOWERS? YES.
ANDREA REED, PLEASE COME FORWARD.
A DIFFERENT SET OF EYEBALLS ON
GOOD EVENING, SUPERVISOR, FIRE ON THE TOWN BOARD, UH, TOWN CLERK AND
MY NAME IS ANDREA REED, AND I'M THE CHAIRWOMAN OF THE FAIRVIEW AREA DISTRICT LEADERS, AND I'M ALSO A RESIDENT OF FAIRVIEW.
UM, I'M, I, I'M STANDING BEFORE YOU SHOW, UH, SUPPORT FOR THE LANDSCAPE USE.
DURING OUR LAST MEETING, I SAT AS NICELY AS I COULD.
TURN YOUR MIC ON ANDREA, OR ARE YOU NOT? SORRY, SHUT OFF.
CAN YOU HEAR ME? IS IT ON? OH, THERE YOU GO.
SUPERVISOR FINER AND THE TOWN BOARD.
[02:15:01]
A N D R E A.AND I AM THE CHAIRWOMAN OF THE FAIRVIEW AREA DISTRICT LEADERS.
AND I AM ALSO A LONGSTANDING RESIDENT OF THE FAIRVIEW AREA.
I AM STANDING BEFORE YOU TO SHOW SUPPORT FOR THE LANDSCAPER'S RIGHTS TO USE LEAF BLOWERS.
DURING OUR LAST MEETING, I SAT AND LISTENED AS PATIENTLY AS I COULD, ALMOST THREE HOURS TO BOTH SIDES.
UM, THOSE FOUR AND THOSE AGAINST.
AS I SAT LISTENING, I TOOK IN THE VARIOUS REASONS BOTH SIDES GAVE PERTAINING TO THE REGULATIONS OR THE BANNING.
UM, SOME PEOPLE WERE SAYING OF LEAF BLOWERS.
I HEARD VARIOUS REASONS SUCH AS NOISE, POLLUTION.
IT'S BEEN PARTICULARLY, UM, ASTHMA, AS ALL OF THESE REASONS ARE IMPORTANT.
I BELIEVE EACH ONE SHOULD BE EXAMINED CAREFULLY BEFORE A DECISION IS ACTUALLY MADE.
NEVERTHELESS, EVERY REASON GIVEN HAS A REMEDY THAT THE HOMEOWNER AND THE TENANT CAN PROVIDE.
THE PURPOSE OF THE LEAF BLOWERS ARE TO REMOVE DEBRIS, LEAVES, GRASS, CUTTINGS, GLASS, UH, CLEAN PARKING LOTS, DRIVEWAYS, SPORTING EVENTS.
UH, REMOVE SNOW, CLEAN GUTTERS, DEBRIS FROM ONGOING TRAFFIC, AND REMOVE FLAMMABLE DEBRIS FROM AROUND BUILDINGS DURING FIRE SEASON.
IN REGARD TO AIR POLLUTION, MOST OF THE POLLUTANTS OR PARTICULATES THAT ARE HARMFUL COME FROM CARS, COME FROM TRUCKS, NOT LEAF BLOWERS.
UM, ALSO THERE ARE SOME POLLUTANTS AND, AND PARTICULATES, UH, IF YOU WILL, THAT ARE EVEN MORE HARMFUL THAT YOU JUST CANNOT SEE TO THE ENVIRONMENT.
IF WE'RE REALLY SPEAKING ABOUT ENVIRONMENTS, AND THAT'S CIGARETTES, CIGARS, AND VIRUSES THAT PEOPLE CARRY THAT YOU DON'T EVEN KNOW YOU HAVE.
UM, AGAIN, IT'S NOT LEAF BLOWERS IN REGARD TO HEALTH AND IN PARTICULAR, ASTHMA.
I REMEMBER WHEN MY OLDEST NIECE WAS BORN, WHEN SHE CAME HOME FROM THE HOSPITAL, UM, LITTLE DID WE KNOW THAT SHE WAS BORN WITH ASTHMA.
UH, WE HAD TO LEARN TO ADJUST TO HER.
WHEN THE LANDSCAPE LANDSCAPERS CAME, WE MADE SURE SHE WAS NOT OUTSIDE, AND WE TOOK HER OUT SOMEWHERE WHILE THEY WERE IN THE, WHILE THEY WERE AT THE HOUSE, WE ADJUSTED.
WE MADE SURE THAT WE BORE THE RESPONSIBILITY AS HER FAMILY TO MAKE SURE SHE WAS SAFE.
I'M ALLERGIC TO FRESH CUT GRASS.
I MAKE SURE I CLOSE MY WINDOWS TO MY HOUSE.
IF I'M IN MY CAR, I CLOSE MY WINDOWS IN MY CAR AND MY SUNROOF, UH, I WILL GO OUT EITHER BEFORE THE LANDSCAPERS COME OR I'LL LEAVE AN HOUR AFTER THEY HAVE LEFT.
I MAKE SURE I TAKE CARE OF ME.
I BEAR THE RESPONSIBILITY OF ME.
I EVEN HEARD VARIOUS PROPOSED SOLUTIONS OR COMPROMISES, SUCH AS USE LEAF BLOWERS, ONE HOUR A DAY OR ONE HOUR.
THE, IN THE WEEK, I'VE HEARD USE LEAF BLOWERS THREE TO FOUR, UH, DAYS OUT OF THE WEEK.
AND SOMEONE EVEN SUGGESTED USING A BROOM.
I HAVE A SIX CAR DRIVEWAY, AND MY PR, MY FRONT YARD IS A PRETTY GOOD SIZE.
THERE IS NO WAY I AM GOING TO HIRE PEOPLE TO COME ON MY PROPERTY IN 80 TO 90 DEGREE WEATHER, HEAT, AND USE A BROOM TO SWEEP ANYTHING.
ANOTHER ISSUE IS IF SOMEONE FALLS OUT.
THAT'S ANOTHER ISSUE I HAVE TO DEAL WITH CALLED MONEY.
AND SINCE MY TAXES JUST WENT UP, THAT'S A PROBLEM.
IT TAKES THEM ALL OF ABOUT 20 TO 25 MINUTES TO CUT MY GRASS, TO BLOW MY GRASS, TO TRIM MY HEDGES, AND TO DO WEED WHACKING.
IT TAKES A SMALL AMOUNT OF TIME.
NO ONE'S GOING TO DIE IF A LEAF BLOWER IS BLOWING FOR 20 MINUTES.
MY QUESTION IS, WHY DO WE HAVE A NEED TO COMPROMISE? WHEN I GO TO THE DOCTOR, I DON'T TELL THEM WHAT KIND OF METAL SUPPLIES TO USE WHEN I GO TO THE MECHANIC, I DON'T TELL THEM HOW TO FIX MY, MY CAR.
I TRUST THAT THEY KNOW WHAT THEY'RE DOING.
THE BENEFITS OF THE LEAF BLOWER ARE TO MAKE CLEAN, MAKE CLEANUP FOR THE LANDSCAPERS.
WHAT? THE WORK THAT THEY DO ARE TIRELESS AND IT'S PHYSICALLY DEMANDING ON THEM WHILE TAKING THE PRESSURE OF DOING THE LABOR THAT I REFUSED TO DO.
I DID ALL THAT WHEN I WAS YOUNGER, PUSHING A LAWNMOWER.
OKAY? PLUS MY LAWN LOOKS AMAZING.
[02:20:01]
THOSE HOMEOWNERS WHO MAINTAIN THEIR LAWN, THEIR OWN LAWN AS WELL.THEY SHOULD HAVE THE RIGHT WITHOUT BEING REGULATED.
ANDREA, WE HAVE RULES THAT YOU CAN ONLY SPEAK.
NOW, DO YOU WANNA SPEAK A SECOND TIME? NO.
DO I REALLY? BECAUSE YOU WANNA FINISH WHAT YOU SAID.
YOU WANNA FINISH WHAT YOU TALKING.
WELL START ME, BECAUSE EVERYBODY GETS TWO TIMES.
SO WHY DON'T WE, IT'S A PUBLIC HEARING.
DO I START NOW? OH, START? NO.
DID SHE, ARE YOU STARTING NOW? YOU'RE GONNA LET EVERYBODY ELSE GO THROUGH THE FIRST THING? BECAUSE THAT'S WHAT I WAS REMINDING.
DOES ANYBODY ELSE WANNA SPEAK? ANYONE ELSE WANNA SPEAK ON THIS? IS ANYBODY? I DON'T KNOW WHO'S ON THE LIST.
I THOUGHT WE WERE ALMOST DONE.
ANYBODY ELSE WANNA SPEAK ON THE LEAF BLOWERS? LET'S SEE.
HOW DID YOU SPEAK? YES, HE SPOKE TWICE.
SO GO AHEAD AND YOU CAN FINISH.
BECAUSE HE TOLD ME I COULD NO, I KNOW, BUT I UNDERSTAND.
BUT I UNDERSTAND WHAT YOU'RE SAYING.
I UNDERSTAND THE CLOCK WAS RESTARTED.
SO WE JUST WANNA MAKE SURE WE, NOT A PROBLEM.
WE JUST WANT, AND WE'RE ON ZOOM,
I DO RESPECT THE RESEARCH AND ALL THOSE WHO DID THE RESEARCH, BUT IN MY OPINION, THIS IS NOT SOMETHING THAT REQUIRES A COMPROMISE OR EVEN A REGULATION TO SUCH A DRASTIC DE DEGREE, NOR DOES IT REQUIRE POLICE SUPERVISION OR ATTENTION.
I SAID ALL OF THIS TO SAY THAT I'M IN SUPPORT OF THE LANDSCAPERS USING LEAF BLOWERS WITHOUT REGULATIONS, STIPULATIONS, AND BANNING.
YOU GONNA SPEAK? UH, ARE WE? YEAH.
YOU OKAY? THERE ARE NO FURTHER REQUESTS TO SPEAK ON THIS PUBLIC HEARING.
YOU HAD A SECOND THAT WAS THERE.
YOU HAD A SECOND ROUND, HUH? HALAL HOW MANY TIMES THIS HEARING? YES, YOU DID.
YOU, YOU SPOKE TWICE ABOUT THE LEAP BLOWERS.
I THOUGHT HE SMOKED TWICE ON THE, HE SPOKE ABOUT THE LEAF BLOWERS.
WELL THEN I STAND CORRECTED HOW I STAND CORRECTED.
THERE ARE OTHER FACTORS THAT CAN CAUSE POLLUTION AS PART, HOWEVER, I DON'T THINK SERIOUSLY THAT THIS TOWN BOARD IS GONNA BAN AUTOMOBILE.
AND THE OTHER THING, IT DOES HAVE THE POWER THAN
IS THERE ANY OTHER, IS THERE ANY OF THE SPEAKERS? THANK YOU.
NEXT WE, UH, GO TO, I DON'T MOVE, MOVE.
WE CLOSE THE PUBLIC HEARING AND LEAVE THE RECORD OPEN FOR SEVEN DAYS.
ANYONE SECOND? WAIT, WHAT DO WE DO? I'VE MAKE IT LONGER SINCE WE DON'T HAVE A MEETING FOR THREE WEEKS.
WE GOTTA, SO WHY DON'T WE LEAVE IT OPEN FOR 14 DAYS.
WAIT, WHAT DAY IS THAT? 14 DAYS.
WHAT'S 14 DAYS FROM NOW? LOOK AT YOUR CALENDAR.
TWO WEEKS FROM NOW, IT'S JUNE 7TH AND OUR NEXT SCHEDULED TOWN BOARD MEETING IS JUNE 14TH THE FOLLOWING WEEK.
SO IF WE'RE GOING TO, UH, YOU'RE LOOKING AT A LAW THAT'S GONNA GO INTO EFFECT JUNE 15TH, THEN WE PASS A LAW ON JUNE 14TH, THEN HOW ARE WE GONNA, UH, EDUCATE PEOPLE? AND ONE DAY, UH, THAT WE HAVE A, A LAW.
I MEAN, IT'S, IT TO ME, YOU KNOW, IT DOESN'T MAKE SENSE, YOU KNOW? BUT IF WE KNOW WE START, IF WE PASSED, I PUT, I PUT SOMETHING ON A WEBSITE THAT 90% OF THE PEOPLE, YOU KNOW, THERE'S ONLY THREE THOU, MAYBE A COUPLE THOUSAND PEOPLE WHO MAY SEE THE WEBSITE.
AND NOT EVERYBODY'S FROM UNINCORPORATED GREENBURG.
YOU HAVE OVER 40,000 PEOPLE AND UNINCORPORATED GREENBURG.
AND, YOU KNOW, AGAIN, THE ISSUE TO ME, IF WE HAD A LAW THAT WE KNOW WE COULD ENFORCE AND THAT WE'RE REALLY GONNA GO ALL AT IT AND, AND MAKE IT, YOU KNOW, SOMETHING THAT POSSIBLY COULD WORK, I WOULD, YOU KNOW, I'D BE MUCH MORE EXCITED ABOUT IT.
BUT IF THERE, IF WE PASS A LAW THAT EVERYBODY KNOWS MOST PEOPLE ARE GONNA VIOLATE, THEN I SORT OF FEEL THAT WE'RE JUST GOING, WELL, DO YOU THINK THAT MOST PEOPLE'S GONNA VIOLATE? WHY DON'T WE GIVE IT A CHANCE? JUST AS COUNCILMAN JONES SAID, LET'S GIVE IT A CHANCE.
WE HAVEN'T EVEN GIVEN IT A CHANCE YET.
I'M TRYING TO LISTEN YOU TO PEOPLE.
I'M JUST, BUT RIGHT NOW WE'RE JUST CLOSING THE HERE.
THAT'S WHY WE'RE DOING, I'M JUST GIVING SOME THOUGHTS THAT PEOPLE COULD THINK ABOUT.
SO THEN I'M NOT SURE WHAT, SO AS YOUR, AS YOUR NORMAL PRACTICE, PAUL, AS WE CAN, WE CAN REPLAY THE, WE CAN REPLAY THE VIDEO.
YOU JUST SPOKE TO A YOUNG LADY.
WE COULD PUT THAT OUT THERE WHILE DURING THIS 14 DAY PERIOD.
RIGHT? AND YOU KEEP REMINDING EVERYONE.
CAN I ASK ALSO, BETWEEN NOW AND THE 14 DAYS,
[02:25:01]
COULD WE, UM, UH, LIKE START EDUCATING PEOPLE ON THE LAW THAT WE ALREADY SAID? THAT'S WHAT SHE JUST SAID.COULD WE PUT DIGITAL SIGN BOARDS, UH, ALL OVER THE TOWN? WHY DON'T, WELL, WE, WE HAD A CONVERSATION WITH THE CHIEF.
HE ALREADY TALKED ABOUT THE DIGITAL SIGNS.
SO MAYBE YOU SHOULD JUST REVIEW WHAT HE, HE SAID TO DIGITAL SIGNS.
'CAUSE HE DOESN'T WANT PEOPLE READING A LOT OF TEXT WHILE THEY'RE SUPPOSED BE DRIVING.
BUT I'M SAYING COULD MAYBE FOR NEXT WEEK, COULD WE COME UP WITH A PLAN FOR THE, JUST THE 14 DAYS, JUST FOR THE, UH, LAW THAT WE ALREADY PASSED.
AND THEN WE'LL START WORKING REALLY HARD TO, UH, IMMEDIATELY EDUCATE PEOPLE ON, ON THAT.
YOU COULD START EDUCATING TOMORROW, PAUL.
YOU COULDN'T START EDUCATING, RIGHT? WE WELL, YOU COULD.
THAT'S WHY WE HAVE 14 DAYS ALREADY.
CLOSE THE PUBLIC HEARING AND KEEP THE RECORD OPEN FOR TWO WEEKS.
OH, I MEAN, JUST SO THERE'S NO AMBIGUITY.
[ PUBLIC COMMENT Advance signup is required. A continuous five minute limit per speaker will be strictly enforced. The clock will start when a speaker begins speaking and will not be stopped for any reason until the speaker is finished or five minutes has elapsed, whichever occurs first. Interruptions by Town Board members, the Town Clerk or the public will not be permitted. If a speaker insists on an immediate answer, should an answer be provided, it shall be part of the speaker's five minute allocation and not be interrupted. There will not be a second five minute round. Any written comments sent to PublicComment@GreenburghNY.com by 6 PM the day of the hearing will be forwarded to all Town Board members in advance of the meeting for their consideration. Written comments will not be read at the meeting unless the original author is present to do so.]
COMMENTS NOW.ANYBODY WANT TO TALK ABOUT? THANK YOU, BARBARA.
BARBARA, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR PUBLIC COMMENT.
FIRST PERSON WHO SIGNED UP IS HAL SAMIS, MICHAEL SCHWARTZ AND CAROL ALLEN.
IN THAT ORDER, I'M WILLING TO LEAVE MYSELF VULNERABLE TO WHATEVER FOLLOWS, BUT I HAVE TO MAKE THIS STATEMENT.
GREENBERG DOES NOT REPRESENT ME.
A YEAR OR SO AGO, I HELD SOME OF THE SAME SENTIMENTS, BUT WATCHING THE WORK SESSIONS WITH, UH, AND THE TOWN BOARD MEETINGS HAS TURNED ME OFF COMPLETELY.
YOUR WORK SESSION TUESDAY STRESSED A POINT THAT YOU WANT TO HAVE STUDIES.
WELL, IT SEEMS THAT STUDIES MIGHT BE A GOOD IDEA BECAUSE IT MIGHT ESTABLISH THE VERACITY OF SOME OF THE INFORMATION THAT'S GOING AROUND.
THE ONE SIDE OF THE EQUATION THAT WOULD BENEFIT MOST FROM THE STUDY IS GREENBERG, THE TOWN UNINCORPORATED, HEAR ABOUT 30 LOST JOBS.
I HEAR ABOUT THE DESTRUCTION OF GREENBERG, AND I WONDER WHERE ALL THIS CAME FROM.
PERHAPS THIS GROUP NEEDS A STUDY TO SUPPORT THOSE ALLEGATIONS.
EDGE MONTH CERTAINLY DOES NOT NEED A STUDY.
THEY'RE NOT SO MUCH CONCERNED ABOUT NUMBERS AS THEY ARE ABOUT WHAT THEY CONSIDER THE RAW DEAL BEING GIVEN EDGEMONT BY THIS TOWN BOARD.
IT WOULD BE SUICIDE IN ESSENCE, FOR EDGEMONT TO SUPPORT THE IDEA OF A STUDY, BECAUSE WHAT WOULD A STUDY REALLY ACCOMPLISH OTHER THAN TO RUN THE CLOCK OUT? WHETHER IT GETS DONE IN THE LEGISLATIVE SESSION THIS JUNE OR NOT, A STUDY DOES TAKE SOME TIME.
IT DOES NEED SOME PARTICIPATION.
AND WHAT WOULD EDGEMONT REALLY BENEFIT FROM A STUDY? THE ONLY PARTY THAT WOULD BENEFIT IS UNINCORPORATED, WHICH IS TRYING TO HOLD EDGEMONT INTO THE FOLD.
EDGEMONT HAS PERFECTLY GOOD REASONS.
THEY'RE NOT GONNA NEGOTIATE WITH THE TOWN, NOR SHOULD THE TOWN BE NEGOTIATING WITH EDGEMONT BECAUSE LIKE, SAVE GREENBERG, THE EDGEMONT INCORPORATION COMMITTEE ARE NOT ELECTED OFFICIALS.
THEIR PRIVATE GROUP, SAVE GREENBERG IS THE ARM OF THE TOWN SUPERVISOR WHO CAN'T PUBLICLY OR USE TOWN FUNDS TO PREVENT THE INCORPORATION OF EDGEMONT.
SO HE HAS A CITIZENS GROUP TO DO IT FOR HIM.
EDGEMONT KNOWS VERY WELL WHY THEY WANT TO LEAVE AND THEY WILL PURSUE IT AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE, WHETHER THEY WILL BE ABLE TO DO IT IN TIME TO GET SOMETHING ON THE NOVEMBER BALLOT.
I DON'T KNOW IF THEY WANTED TO PROCEED.
I THINK THEY SHOULD HAVE PROCEEDED EARLIER, BUT THAT'S SOMETHING ELSE I'D LIKE TO ASK THE TOWN ATTORNEY AT RECENT WORK SESSIONS, THERE WAS AN OUTSIDE COMPANY THAT FO PROVI, UH, CAME
[02:30:01]
BEFORE YOU FOR A FOIL APPEAL REGARDING THE SUPPLYING OF INFORMATION FROM THE BUILDINGS DEPARTMENT.I'M WONDERING IF THAT HAS BEEN ANSWERED YET, AND THE TOWN BOARD HAS DECIDED TO RULE IN FAVOR OR AGAINST THAT FOIL APPEAL.
AND I COULD PROVIDE YOU WITH A COPY OF THAT DETERMINATION.
COULD YOU GIVE ME A BRIEF? YES.
THEY'RE OPPOSING IT OR THEY'RE AGAINST IT.
NOW I'M CURIOUS AS TO HOW THE DENIAL ACTUALLY GOES ABOUT.
DOES THE TOWN BOARD VOTE ON THIS? YES.
THE TOWN BOARD MAKES THE DECISION.
AND WHEN DO THEY DO THIS VOTING? JUST IN GENERAL.
YOU CAN, I'M NOT ASKING YOU A DAY OF THE WEEK OR AN HOUR.
SO THIS, DO YOU WANT ME TO GO INTO YOUR TIME? BECAUSE THIS IS A LONG ANSWER? NO.
WELL, I DON'T THINK IT SHOULD BE A LONG TIME.
WHEN DO THEY, I CERTAINLY HAVEN'T SEEN ANY VOTE BY THE TOWN BOARD IN A FALL ON A FO APPEAL PUBLICLY THAT'S NOT NECESSARY IN THE PUBLIC OFFICER'S LAW.
AND I COULD PROVIDE YOU WITH A COPY OF THE DETERMINATION SO THEY DON'T VOTE IN PUBLIC.
I'VE ANSWERED YOUR QUESTION ALREADY.
WELL, NO, YOU SAID IT'S NOT NECESSARY.
I'M ASKING COULD THEY I'VE ANSWERED YOUR QUESTION.
WELL, I I MUST BE VERY STUPID OR HARD OF HEARING BECAUSE I DON'T THINK YOU'VE ACTUALLY ANSWERED MY QUESTION.
COULD THE TOWN BOARD VOTE IN PUBLIC?
THE LAW DOES NOT SPECIFICALLY STATE THAT THE RESPONSE MUST CONSIST OF A VOTE FROM THE BOARD.
IT, IT, IT DOES SAY A RESPONSE MUST BE PROVIDED WITHIN 10 BUSINESS DAYS.
DOES NOT SAY THAT THAT RESPONSE MUST BE DELIVERED VIA A VOTE.
SO I I I'M, I'M JUST SHARING THAT WITH YOU.
I HOPE THAT THAT OFFERS SOME CLARIFICATION.
MY NAME IS CAROL ALLEN FROM HARTSDALE.
OVER THE PAST SEVERAL MONTHS, THE SAVING GREENBURG COALITION HAS SPENT COUNTLESS HOURS EDUCATING THE RESIDENTS OF GREENBURG ABOUT THE UNDEMOCRATIC PROCESS THAT IS IN PLACE UNDER CURRENT VILLAGE LAW.
REGARDING INCORPORATION, WE HAVE SPENT A LARGE AMOUNT OF TIME APPEALING TO OUR LEGISLATORS TO GIVE ALL OF THE RESIDENTS OF GREENBURG A VOTE IN THE MATTER THAT WOULD LEAD A VOTE IN A MATTER THAT WOULD LEAD TO FINANCIAL RUIN FOR OUR TOWN.
THAT REQUEST, HOWEVER, HAS BEEN DENIED AND THE LEGISLATORS HAVE PROPOSED THAT A STUDY BE CONDUCTED TO GUIDE UPDATING OF VILLAGE LAW AS IT PERTAINS TO INCORPORATION.
AS I HAVE STATED TO THE BOARD PREVIOUSLY, WE ARE CONCERNED THAT A PETITION FOR INCORPORATION WILL BE FILED BEFORE THE STUDY IS ACCOMPLISHED.
AND WE THEREFORE BELIEVE THAT IT IS NECESSARY TO IMPOSE A MORATORIUM ON INCORPORATION UNTIL SUCH TIME AS THE LAW IS UPDATED IN A MANNER THAT WOULD BE FAIR TO ALL PARTIES INVOLVED.
SO I'M ASKING ON BEHALF OF THE COALITION THAT THE BOARD SUPPORT OUR REQUEST TO THE LEGISLATORS FOR A MORATORIUM ON INCORPORATION.
UH, MY NAME IS MIKE SCHWARTZ, AND I'D JUST LIKE TO MAKE A COUPLE OF POINTS, WHICH I THINK, UM, MIGHT BE IMPORTANT.
UM, I'M SORRY, LIFT A MIC, MIKE, PLEASE.
WHICH I, I BELIEVE MIGHT BE IMPORTANT.
FIRST IS WHY ARE WE HERE? WE ARE HERE BECAUSE THERE EXISTS A PIECE OF LEGISLATION IN NEW YORK STATE, WHICH CONTROLS INCORPORATION ALL ACROSS THE STATE.
AND THAT PIECE OF INCORPORATION HAS A SINGLE SENTENCE IN IT, WHICH FOR THE MOST PART SAYS ONLY THE PEOPLE WHO ARE RESIDENTS OF THE TERRITORY WISHING TO BE INCORPORATED, ARE ALLOWED TO VOTE IN A REFERENDUM VOTE.
WHAT FOLLOWS? WE HAVE A GROUP OF PEOPLE IN EDGEMONT,
[02:35:02]
HIGHLY INTELLIGENT, HIGHLY SOPHISTICATED, VERY WELL FUNDED, WHO FOR THE PAST SIX OR SEVEN YEARS HAS PROMOTED INCORPORATION BECAUSE THEY BELIEVE IT'S TO THE ADVANTAGE OF THE RESIDENTS OF EDGEMONT TO BE SELF-GOVERNED.THEY'RE A HUNDRED PERCENT AWARE OF ALL THE CONCERNS THAT PEOPLE OUTSIDE OF GREENBURG, AND I AM AN EDGEMONT RESIDENT OUTSIDE OF, UM, EDGEMONT IN GREENBURG HAVE.
AND THEY BELIEVE, AGAIN, THAT IT'S IMPORTANT ENOUGH FOR THEM TO GO FORWARD WITH THIS, DESPITE THE EFFECT THAT IT WILL HAVE ON OTHERS.
I THINK ONE OF THE THINGS WE HAVE TO KEEP IN MIND IS THE PEOPLE OF EDGEMONT WHO ARE, WHO ARE PURSUING THIS, UM, THIS DIRECTION, HAVE DONE NOTHING WRONG.
THEY HAVE THE RIGHT TO DO IT BECAUSE WE HAVE A LAW THAT ALLOWS IT TO HAPPEN.
AND THE ONLY WAY TO CHANGE THAT IS THE AMENDMENT OF THAT NEW YORK STATE VILLAGE LAW.
ADD TO THAT, THAT THE PEOPLE OF EDGEMONT THEMSELVES HAVE NOT VOTED ON ANYTHING.
SO THEY'VE DONE NOTHING WRONG.
ALL THEY'VE DONE IS BEEN TOLD BY THE PEOPLE WHO WISH, UH, FOR A CORPORATION TO OCCUR, TO SIGN A PETITION, AND THEN EVERYBODY WILL VOTE ON IT.
SO THOSE ARE THE REALITIES OF THAT SITUATION.
WHAT DO WE HAVE TO LOSE? A NUMBER OF THINGS, $18 MILLION WORTH OF THEIR INCOME PART OF IT OVER TIME.
INEVITABLY, ALL OF IT OVER A LONG PERIOD OF TIME, THE CHANGING OF A COMMUNITY THAT HAS BEEN VERY SPECIAL.
AND I MOVED TO GREENBURG AS OPPOSED TO SCARSDALE OR BRONXVILLE OR CHAPPAQUA BECAUSE I WANTED TO LIVE IN A DIVERSE COMMUNITY.
I WANTED TO BE PART OF GREENBURG.
WHAT WILL WE HAVE? WE'LL HAVE TWO VILLAGES EACH LESS DIVERSE RACIALLY AND ECONOMICALLY.
THAT'S A GREAT LOSS AS FAR AS THE TOWN BOARD IS CONCERNED.
AND THIS IS VERY IMPORTANT FOR EVERYBODY TO HEAR, AND THIS IS COMING FROM ME FOR THE TOWN BOARD ITSELF TO HEAR.
THERE HAS NOT BEEN A MOMENT THAT I HAVE FELT THAT THE TOWN BOARD DIDN'T CARE.
THERE HAS NOT BEEN A MOMENT THAT I DIDN'T THINK THAT THE TOWN BOARD WAS NOT SUPPORTIVE OF THE UNINCORPORATED TOWN OF GREENBURG.
AND CLEARLY EACH OF YOU HAS GREAT FEAR OVER WHAT'S GONNA OCCUR IN THE EVENT THAT THAT EDGEMONT INCORPORATED.
AND YOU HAVE A DECISION TO MAKE TODAY, AND YOU'LL MAKE IT.
AND EACH OF YOU WILL MAKE IT BASED ON YOUR OWN, UM, ON YOUR OWN VALUES AND DECISIONS.
BUT WE HAVE A REALITY, AND THAT IS THAT THE DECISIONS MADE BY OUR STATE ELECTED OFFICIALS DON'T REPRESENT THE UNINCORPORATED TOWN OF GREENBURG, WHO WILL BE DEVASTATED BY THIS AND HAS NO RIGHTS, NOR DOES IT REPRESENT THE PEOPLE IN EDGEMONT WHO HAVE NO INFORMATION REGARDING INCORPORATION.
WE WON'T KNOW WHAT SERVICES WE HAVE, THE LEVEL OF SERVICES AND THE COST OF SERVICE, AND WHO, AND WHO WILL BE PROVIDING THEM TILL 90 DAYS AFTER WE VOTE.
WHO THEY REPRESENT IS THE PEOPLE WHO ARE PRESSING FOR INCORPORATION.
AND THAT, TO ME IS UNACCEPTABLE.
THAT'S WHY I URGE YOU TO VOTE FOR A MORATORIUM TO MAKE A STATEMENT, BECAUSE ALL OF US KNOW IN REALITY THAT I THINK THE DECISION HAS BEEN MADE.
THE LEGISLATORS DON'T HAVE THE INTEREST.
BUT AS A BOARD, YOU CAN MAKE A STATEMENT.
IF YOU DON'T, WE UNDERSTAND WHAT THAT MEANS IN, IN TERMS OF TRYING TO MITIGATE THE ISSUES THAT YOU HAVE IN, IN FUTURE, UH, CONNECTIONS TO THOSE LEGISLATIVE, UH, OFFICIALS WHO BRING MONEY AND SERVICES AND CHANGE THE LAWS OF OUR TOWN.
THAT, BUT THERE'S AN OPPORTUNITY AGAIN TO MAKE A STATEMENT.
ANDREA REED, DID YOU WANT TO SPEAK ON PUBLIC COMMENT? DURING PUBLIC COMMENT? OKAY, THANK YOU.
SO WE HAVE NO FURTHER REQUESTS FOR PUBLIC COMMENT.
REVEREND RICHARD, YOU WERE MOVING THIS IN THIS DIRECTION,
[02:40:02]
LADIES AND GENTLEMEN.I THINK YOU TURNED THE MIC OFF, SIR.
UH, LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, I, I WAS NOT GOING TO SAY ANYTHING.
COULD YOU IDENTIFY YOURSELF, PLEASE? UH, MY NAME IS, UH, PASTOR LEROY RICHARDS.
I'VE BEEN BEFORE YOU BEFORE WITH THE SAME ISSUE.
I AM, UH, NATIVE OF GREENBURG FOR OVER 40 ODD YEARS.
RAISED MY FAMILY HERE IN PASTOR, A CHURCH IN THE LOCAL COMMUNITY.
AND, UH, I, I SAT THERE AND I THOUGHT, YOU KNOW, I OUGHT NOT TO BARELY COME AND BE MORALLY SUPPORTIVE BY MY PRESENCE.
BUT THE ISSUE IS SUCH, UH, AN IMPORTANT ISSUE.
MAYBE I OUGHT TO SAY SOMETHING AGAIN.
AND BASICALLY, THE, THE ISSUE IS THE, THE ISSUE HAS BEEN BEFORE YOU, UM, BEFORE, AND THE ARGUMENTS HAVE BEEN MADE.
AND SO WHAT I WOULD LIKE TO SAY, UH, OR HIGHLIGHT THIS EVENING IS REALLY THE FACT THAT THE NET RESULT OF THE DECISIONS THAT WILL BE MADE, WHETHER BY THE EDGEMONT FOLKS OR, UH, THOSE IN ALBANY OR HERE TONIGHT AND NIGHT, WILL, WILL, WILL COME ON DOWN AND IMPACT OUR COMMUNITY IN A NEGATIVE WAY.
AND THEN THE EFFECT IS WHAT WE WILL SUFFER AFTER THE FACT.
BUT IF WE CAN BE PROACTIVE HERE AND THINK ABOUT NOT MERELY THE RIGHTS OF THE PEOPLE OF EDGEMONT, WHICH THEY HAVE THEIR LEGAL RIGHT TO DO WHAT THEY ARE DOING, BUT RATHER THE MORALITY OF THE FACT THAT WE AS A COMMUNITY OUGHT TO BE CONCERNED ABOUT THE, THE HEALTH AND WELFARE OF THE WHOLE COMMUNITY.
AND SO NOT BECAUSE SOMEBODY OR A GROUP HAS A, A LEGAL RIGHT TO TAKE AN ACTION MEAN THAT THAT IS THE BEST FOR THE WELFARE OF THE INCORPORATED TOWN OF GREENBURG.
I'VE BEEN IN AND OUT OF THIS COUNTRY.
AND, UH, TAKE NOTE TO THE FACT THAT THERE ARE SO MANY PLACES IN WHICH YOU HAVE AFFLUENCE AND POVERTY SIT DOWN RIGHT BESIDE EACH OTHER IN, ESPECIALLY IN THIRD WORLD COUNTRIES.
AND HERE, WHEN THIS DECISION GOES FORTH AND WE LOSE THE TAX BASE THAT GOES WITH THIS DECISION, WHAT WE'LL HAVE, WHAT WE'LL HAVE IS WE'LL HAVE A, AN A, AN ENCLAVE, AN ECONOMIC ENCLAVE, UH, THAT WILL BE AFFLUENT.
AND, AND, AND, AND YET THE DRAIN, THE ECONOMIC DRAIN ON THE INCORPORATED PART OF GREENBERG WILL TAKE US DOWN ECONOMICALLY.
AND THEREFORE, I THINK THAT, UH, IT IS, IT IS, IT IS MORALLY RIGHT THAT THE PEOPLE OF GREENBERG AS A WHOLE SHOULD HAVE A SAY, UH, TO, TO VOTE ON THE FUTURE, THE ECONOMIC FUTURE, AND NOT ONLY THE ECONOMIC FUTURE, BUT ALL THE OTHER RAMIFICATIONS THAT WILL GO WITH THE LOSS OF THE INCOME.
AND SO I WANT TO SUPPORT THE IDEA OF A MORATORIUM SO THAT, UH, UH, UH, THIS JUGGERNAUT CAN BE SLOWED DOWN, AND THEN IT CAN BE LOOKED AT, UH, IN A BROADER WAY WITH REGARD TO THE TOTAL WELFARE OF THE COMMUNITY AS OPPOSED TO THE LEGAL RIGHT OF A, A, UH, A MINORITY IN THE COMMUNITY.
I'M A RESIDENT OF FAIRVIEW IN THE, UH, JUNIPER HILL SECTION, UH, FAIRVIEW.
UM, I, I WAS, UH, I WASN'T GOING TO GET UP AND SAY ANYTHING 'CAUSE I, UH, UH, MIKE CAROL, UH, BASICALLY EXPRESSED, UH, THE NECESSARY POINTS TO HOPEFULLY CONVINCE THIS BOARD, UH, TO HAVE A, UH, A RESOLUTION.
UM, REGARDLESS OF THE IMPACT THAT MIGHT HAPPEN DURING THIS SESSION, IT IS, UH, VERY IMPORTANT THAT, UH, WE AS A COMMUNITY AND YOU AS OUR REPRESENTATIVES STAND UP AND EXPRESS THE NEED
[02:45:01]
FOR A SLOWING DOWN, UM, ON, ON THE POSSIBLE MOVEMENT BY EDGEMONT.UM, AND, UM, THAT BEING SAID, UM, SOME COMMENTS WERE MADE BEFORE BY THE FIRST SPEAKER ABOUT AN ASSUMPTION THAT EDGEMONT IS ALL FOR ALL FOR, UH, UH, IN INCORPORATING, AND I DON'T BELIEVE THAT IS TRUE.
UM, ALSO THE SAME PERSON, UM, MAKES OH, CONSTANTLY MAKING A POINT ABOUT THE NEED FOR MAKING INFORMED CHOICES.
UM, AND FOR THIS, ON THIS POINT, UM, IT, IT'S NOT NECESSARY BECAUSE, UH, EDGEMONT SHOULD JUST MOVE FORWARD, UH, WITH A MINORITY OF THE EDGEMONT RESIDENTS BEING PROPERLY INFORMED OF THE IMPACT TO THEM.
UM, THAT BEING SAID, THE POINT HERE IS THAT WE SHOULD ALL MOVE FORWARD, UM, FULLY INFORMED, EVEN THOUGH I STILL STAND AND, AND HOPE THAT THE BOARD, THE, UH, STATE LEGISLATURE CAN MOVE FORWARD, IF NOT THIS YEAR, UM, NEXT YEAR ON THE FACT THAT WE AS CITIZENS OF GREENBERG DESERVED THE RIGHT TO SELF-DETERMINATION AND NOT BE RULED BY A LAW THAT SHOULD HAVE BEEN OFF THE BOOKS.
WE ARE, WE FIND OURSELVES WITH LAWS THAT ARE ON THE BOOKS, AS YOU WELL KNOW, ACROSS THE COUNTRY THAT ARE BEING USED TO CONTROL AND ABUSE CITIZENS.
AND THIS IS ONE OF THOSE LAWS.
I MEAN, WE CAN ALWAYS LOOK DOWN ON OTHER STATES AND THAT THEY'RE NOT CIVILIZED AND THEY'RE CONSTANTLY, UH, USING LAWS THAT ARE A CAN AND, AND DATED.
BUT WHEN IT COMES TO US HERE IN GREENBURG AND IN OUR STATE, WE CANNOT THINK OF OURSELVES IN THE SAME WAY.
SO WE EITHER STAND FOR VOTE FOR EVERYBODY BEING ABLE TO VOTE OR NOT.
SO I ASKED THE TOWN BOARD TO STAND UP AND, AND DO EVERYTHING POSSIBLE.
I'M SORRY, BUT I, I I'M GET REALLY UPSET BECAUSE, UM, IT'S NOT JUST BECAUSE SOMETHING CAN BE DONE IN THIS MINUTE, IN THIS TIME, IN THIS, IN, IN THIS, IN THE PROCEEDINGS, BECAUSE THERE'S A PROCESS.
IT HAS TO DO WITH THE FACT THAT WE CAN SPEAK OUT AS, AS A COMMUNITY AND YOU AS OUR REPRESENTATIVES TO, TO THE STATE AND OUR LEGISLATORS THAT WE STAND TOGETHER.
SO LET'S STAND TOGETHER AND PASS THIS RESOLUTION BECAUSE IT'S IMPORTANT TO ALL, ALL OF GREENBERG.
ANYBODY ELSE WANT TO TALK? SORRY.
A LOT HAS BEEN SAID TONIGHT AS FAR AS WITH THE CAPITAL BUDGET, THE LAWN BLOWERS, AND WITH EDGEMONT, BUT IT IS JUST A LOT.
AND I HAVE A LOT TO SAY, BUT I KNOW I DON'T HAVE ENOUGH TIME, SO I'M NOT EVEN GONNA START.
BUT I BASICALLY GOT UP HERE TO SAY THANK YOU FOR MY CHAIR,
WHAT A GREAT WAY TO END PUBLISH.
AND WE SHOULD HAVE A RESERVE PUT A RESERVED ON THE, ON THE CHAIR.
WE HAVE TO HAVE A SIGN UP SHEET FOR THE CHAIR.
IS THAT LIKE THE PARKING SPACE? NO, I'M SORRY.
YOU WANT, YOU WANNA MOVE THE MEETING? IT'S A DESIGNATED RESERVE SPOT FOR CINDY.
[ BOARDS & COMMISSIONS Appointment of Margaret Goldberg to the Board of Assessment Review, for a term expiring 9/30/2027]
COMMISSIONS APPOINTMENT OF MARGARET GOLDBERG TO THE BOARD OF ASSESSMENT REVIEW FOR A TERM EXPIRING NINE 30 2027.[ TB 1 - 5/24/2023 Resolution of the Town Board of the Town of Greenburgh authorizing the Town Supervisor to enter into a Payment-In-Lieu-Of-Tax Agreement for a solar energy system pursuant to Real Property Tax Law Section 487 with ESNY-RT-Elmsford LLC, and the Town of Greenburgh located at 4-5 Warehouse Lane to be known as "4-5 Warehouse Lane Solar Array"]
RESOLUTION, UM, OF THE TOWN BOARD OF THE TOWN OF GREENBURG AUTHORIZING THE TOWN SUPERVISOR TO ENTER INTO A PAYMENT IN LIEU OF TAX AGREEMENT FOR A SOLAR ENERGY SYSTEM PURSUANT TO REAL PROPERTY TAX LAW.SECTION 4 87, UH, WITH E S N Y R T, ELMSFORD, L L C AND THE TOWN OF GREENBURG LOCATED AT FOUR WAREHOUSE LANE TO BE KNOWN AS 4 0 5.
[ TB 2 - 5/24/2023 Resolution approving a one-year agreement between the Town of Greenburgh and the Village of Irvington to provide Fire Protection Services to Unincorporated Greenburgh residents of the East Irvington Fire Protection District for the year 2023, for an amount not to exceed $111,581]
RESOLUTION, UH, APPROVING A ONE YEAR AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE TOWN OF GREENBURG AND THE VILLAGE OF IRVINGTON TO PROVIDE FIRE PROTECTION SERVICES[02:50:01]
TOWN INCORPORATED GREENBURG RESIDENTS OF THE EAST IRVINGTON FIRE PROTECTION DISTRICT FOR THE YEAR 2023 FOR AN AMOUNT NOT TO EXCEED 111,581.I'D LIKE TO MOVE THAT SECOND IN FAVOR, AYE.
[ TB 3 - 5/24/2023 Resolution of the Town Board of the Town of Greenburgh supporting the New York State Legislature's proposed Bill A7208 / S6893 and respectfully requesting the members of the New York State Legislature who represent the Town of Greenburgh to seek adoption of Bill A7208 and S6893 by the New York Assembly and Senate, respectively]
RESOLUTION, UM, OF THE TOWN BOARD OF THE TOWN OF GREENBURG SUPPORTING THE NEW YORK STATE LEGISLATURE'S PROPOSED BILL A 7 2 0 8 SS 6 8 9 3 AND RESPECTFULLY REQUESTING THE MEMBERS OF THE NEW YORK STATE LEGISLATURE WHO REPRESENT THE TOWN OF GREENBURG TO SEEK ADOPTION OF BILL A 7 2 0 8 AND S 6 8 9 3 BY THE NEW YORK STATE ASSEMBLY AND SENATE RESPECTIVELY AS AMENDED.[ TB 4 - 5/24/2023 Resolution of the Town Board of the Town of Greenburgh requesting that the NYS Legislature execute a Town Home Rule Request establishing a moratorium which prohibits a referendum on the incorporation of Edgemont for a period of one year or after the conclusion of the state funded impact study, whichever time period is shorter, to allow residents to vote with sufficient data and knowledge to make an informed decision]
RESOLUTION OF THE TOWN BOARD OF THE TOWN OF GREENBURG REQUESTING THAT THE NEW YORK STATE LEGISLATURE EXECUTE A TOWN HOME.WE REQUEST ESAL ESTABLISHING A MORATORIUM, WHICH PROHIBITS A REFERENDUM ON THE INCORPORATION OF EDGEMONT FOR A PERIOD OF ONE YEAR, WHERE AFTER THE CONCLUSION OF THE STATE FUNDED IMPACT STUDY, WHICHEVER TIME PERIOD IS SHORTER, TO ALLOW RESIDENTS TO VOTE WITH SUFFICIENT DATA AND KNOWLEDGE TO MAKE AN INFORMED DECISION.
SO I'M GONNA ASK THAT THIS BE HELD OVER.
UM, AS I'VE MENTIONED, UH, UH, ABOUT A WEEK AGO WHEN WE, UH, SPOKE ABOUT THIS, UH, TOGETHER AT THE WORK SESSION, UM, I AM NOT THE IDEA OF A MORATORIUM, BUT I THINK IT'S PREMATURE TO ASK FOR IT AT THIS TIME, UH, FOR A COUPLE OF REASONS.
UM, ONE IS, AS WAS LAID OUT EARLIER, UH, WE KNOW THE LIKELY RESULT OF THE REQUEST AND I THINK THAT, UH, YOU KNOW, GOVERNMENT IS RIFE WITH EMPTY SYMBOLS.
AND IF WE KNOW THAT THE RESULT IS GOING TO BE NOT VOTING FOR A MORATORIUM BEFORE THE END OF THIS SESSION, THEN IT SEEMS TO ME LIKE, LIKE WE'RE, IT'S, IT'S YET ANOTHER EMPTY SYMBOL.
IT WOULD BE A IC VICTORY AND AN EMPTY VICTORY.
BUT YOU WOULD, YOU WOULD GET US TO VOTE FOR THIS RESOLUTION.
THE RESOLUTION WOULD GO UP TO ALBANY AND NOTHING WOULD HAPPEN.
AND WHAT COULD HAPPEN AS A RESULT OF THAT IS THE LEGISLATORS THAT WE WORK WITH ON A REGULAR BASIS FOR THE BENEFIT OF THE WHOLE TOWN COULD STOP SEEING US SERIOUSLY, AND WE WOULD NOT BENEFIT BY THAT RESULT.
RIGHT? SO, SO THE WHOLE TOWN, THE WHOLE UNINCORPORATED AREA, INCLUDING EDGEMONT, COULD SUFFER BECAUSE OF THAT EMPTY SYMBOL, RIGHT? MY OTHER RATIONALE IS IT'S BEEN STATED THAT THERE ARE TWO STUDIES.
ONE FROM PACE, WHICH IS A GLOBAL STUDY ABOUT THE WAY INCORPORATION WOULD INFECT, WOULD AFFECT, UH, NEW YORK STATE, UH, UH, COMMUNITIES IN NEW YORK STATE.
UH, THE OTHER IS A STUDY THAT, UH, FUNDS HAVE BEEN REQUISITION FOR, UH, BY, UH, THE LEGISLATURE, UH, TO DISCUSS THE FISCAL IMPACTS OF INCORPORATION ON THE TOWN.
I THINK BECAUSE WE REPRESENT EVERYONE IN THE UNINCORPORATED AREA, RESIDENTS OF EDGEMONT AND RESIDENTS OF THE REST OF THE UNINCORPORATED AREA, UM, THAT WE HAVE TO REALLY CONSIDER THE RESULTS OF OUR ACTIONS AND THE WAY OUR ACTIONS, UH, IMPACT THE WHOLE COMMUNITY.
UM, AND I THINK THAT RESIDENTS IN THE UNINCORPORATED AREA WANT TO KNOW HOW INCORPORATION WILL, WILL AFFECT THEM RESIDENTS IN EDGEMONT AND RESIDENTS OUTSIDE OF EDGEMONT.
AND I THINK THAT PEOPLE WANT TO BE INFORMED VOTERS AND, AND THE MEMBERS OF THE EDGEMONT CORPORATION COMMITTEE WANT INFORMED VOTERS AND WELL, OKAY, SO, SO MY POINT IS THIS.
I THINK THAT PEOPLE WANT TO BE INFORMED VOTERS IN GENERAL, OKAY? AND BEFORE THERE IS A VOTE, PEOPLE ARE GONNA WANNA UNDERSTAND HOW IT'S GONNA AFFECT THEM.
SO I BELIEVE THAT PEOPLE IN EDGEMONT, THOSE FOREIGN INCORPORATION, THOSE AGAINST INCORPORATION, BECAUSE I DON'T BELIEVE THAT THE WHOLE HAMLET THINKS ONE WAY, UH, WILL WANNA SEE THE RESULTS OF THESE STUDIES.
AND I THINK THEY WILL QUESTION WHY A MORATORIUM.
THEY WILL, THEY WILL QUESTION, UH, WITHDRAWN.
THEY, THEY WILL QUESTION WHY A VOTE WOULD BE PUT BEFORE THEM WITHOUT THE RESULTS OF THESE TWO STUDIES, YOU KNOW?
[02:55:01]
AND, YOU KNOW, LISTEN, I COULD BE WRONG, BUT IT'S HOW I FEEL, RIGHT? AND I, AND I THINK THAT EVERYBODY, AND I THINK THAT THOSE TWO THINGS THAT I'VE JUST OUTLINED, UH, ARE THE REASONS WHY I'M ASKING FOR THIS TO BE HELD OVER AT THIS TIME.BECAUSE THE PRIMARY REASON, YOU KNOW, IS BECAUSE WE KNOW WHAT THE RESULTS OF THE RESOLUTION ARE GOING TO BE.
THEY'RE NOT GONNA VOTE FOR A MORATORIUM BEFORE JUNE 8TH.
SO THIS VOTE THAT WE WOULD HAVE TONIGHT WOULD BE AS I STARTED OUT BY SAYING AN EMPTY SYMBOL.
AND TO ME AS A BLACK MAN IN AMERICA, I'M WELL AWARE OF THE EMPTY SYMBOLS OF GOVERNMENT IN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA.
AND I JUST, I JUST THINK THAT THIS VOTE WOULD BE PREMATURE.
SO I'M ASKING THAT IT BE HELD OVER, UH, HELD OVER IS NOT A DEBATABLE ITEM.
[ AT 1 - 5/24/2023 Resolution authorizing tax certiorari settlement with petitioner Fiore Realty LLC for property located at 63 S. Central Avenue. The Town’s share of the refund is $434±; the County’s share is $3,245±; the Saw Mill Valley Sewer District’s share is $468±; the Elmsford Union Free School District’s share is $19,093±. Refunds from all sources total $23,239±.]
UM, A T ONE RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING TAX TERTIARY SETTLEMENT WITH PETITIONER FOR YOUR REALTY FOR PROPERTY LOCATED AT 63 SOUTH CENTRAL AVENUE, UH, REFUNDS FROM ALL SOURCES TOTAL 20 3002 39.I'D LIKE TO MOVE THAT AS AMENDED.
SHE, YOU SAID, AS AMENDED SAYS AMENDED AMEND SECOND AS AMENDED RESOLUTION
[ AT 2 - 5/24/2023 Resolution authorizing tax certiorari settlement with petitioners John & Ann Bobalakis and/or Real Estate Holdings, LLC and/or Fred Marolda, LLC & William Marolda, LLC/696 Central LLC for property located at 694-706 Central Avenue. The Town’s share of the refund is $10,009±; the County’s share is $5,465±; the Bronx Valley Sewer District’s share is $775±; the Edgemont Union Free School District’s share is $35,375±; the Greenville Fire District’s share is $6,234±; the Consolidated Sewer Mtc. District’s share is $377±. Refunds from all sources total $58,235±.]
AUTHORIZING TAX TERTIARY SETTLEMENT WITH PETITIONERS JOHN AND ANN BAKIS AND OR REAL ESTATE HOLDINGS, UM, ANNA FRED MARDA AND WILLIAM MARDA, UM, FOR PROPERTY LOCATED AT 6 94 7 0 6 CENTRAL AVENUE, TOTAL AMOUNT, 58,235.I'D LIKE TO MOVE THAT AS AMENDED.
[ AT 3 - 5/24/2023 Resolution authorizing tax certiorari settlement with petitioners Fred Marolda, LLC & William Marolda, LLC for property located at 365 Central Avenue. The Town’s share of the refund is $34,978±; the County’s share is $18,911±; the Bronx Valley Sewer District’s share is $2,795±; the Edgemont Union Free School District’s share is $129,026±; the Greenville Fire District’s share is $22,497±; the Consolidated Sewer Mtc. District’s share is $1,326±. Refunds from all sources total $209,534±.]
AUTHORIZING TAX, TERTIARY RA SETTLEMENT WITH PETITIONER'S CREDIT, ALDA AND, UH, WILLIAM ROLDA FOR PROPERTY LOCATED AT 365 CENTRAL AVENUE.UH, TOTAL AMOUNT IS 2 0 9 5 34.
I'D LIKE TO MOVE THAT AS AMENDED.
[ AT 4 – 05/24/2023 Resolution approving the retention of James A. Randazzo, Esq., to represent non-party witnesses Greenburgh Police personnel in the matter of Kristin Stein v. The Town of Greenburgh, et al., for an amount not to exceed $25,000]
APPROVING THE RETENTION OF JAMES RONO, UH, TO REPRESENT NON-PARTY WITNESSES.GREENBURG POLICE PERSONNEL IN THE MATTER OF, UH, KRISTEN STEIN IN TOWN OF GREENBURG FOR AN AMOUNT NOT TO EXCEED 25,000.
SECOND AS AMEND, AMEND, AMENDED IN FAVOR? ALL IN FAVOR, AYE.
[ AT 5 – 05/24/2023 Resolution authorizing settlement of property damage related Claim, File No.: 132/22C by Amica Mutual Insurance Company a/s/o Kenneth Rose and Linda Rose, for an amount not to exceed $8,845.33]
AUTHORIZING SETTLEMENT OF PROPERTY DAMAGE RELATED CLAIM, UH, BY AMICA MUTUAL INSURANCE COMPANY A S O KENNETH ROSE AND LINDA ROSE FOR AN AMOUNT NOT TO EXCEED 8,000 845 33.[ AT 6 – 05/24/2023 Resolution authorizing settlement of property damage related Claim, File No.: 31/23C by Progressive Casualty Insurance Company a/s/o Julio C. Almeida, for an amount not to exceed $1,158.50]
AUTHORIZING SETTLEMENT OF PROPERTY DAMAGE RELATED CLAIM FILE NUMBER 31 23 C BY PROGRESSIVE CASUALTY INSURANCE COMPANY, JULIO ALDA, FOR AN AMOUNT NOT TO EXCEED 1001 58 50.I'D LIKE TO MOVE THAT AS AMENDED.
[ AT 7 – 05/24/2023 Resolution authorizing settlement of property damage related Claim, File No.: 21/23C by Nazaret Figueroa, for an amount not to exceed $3,070.44]
RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING SETTLEMENT OF PROPERTY DAMAGE RELATED CLAIM NUMBER 2123 C BY NAZARETH FIGUEROA FOR AN AMOUNT NOT TO EXCEED 3070 44 AS AMENDED.[ AT 8 – 05/24/2023 Resolution authorizing settlement of property damage related Claim, File No.: 44/23C, by Linda S. C. Peng, for an amount not to exceed $1,243.79]
ARISING SETTLEMENT OF PROPERTY DAMAGE RELATED CLAIM NUMBER 44 23 C BY LINDA PANG FOR AN AMOUNT NOT TO EXCEED $1,243 79 CENTS AS UM, AMENDED.[ BD 1 - 5/24/2023 Resolution authorizing an agreement with General Code and EbizDocs for indexing and scanning services for Building Department Records, at a cost not to exceed $30,000, the amount appropriated in 2023 for this purpose]
AGREEMENT WITH, UH, GENERAL CODE AND EBI DOCKS FOR INDEXING AND SCANNING SERVICES FOR BUILDING DEPARTMENT RECORDS AT A COST NOT TO EXCEED 30,000, THE AMOUNT APPROPRIATED, UM, IN 2023 FOR THIS PURPOSE.I'D LIKE TO MOVE THAT AS AMENDED IN FAVOR.
YEAH, KEN, WHO SECONDED IT? KEN, SECOND IT.
[ CL 1 - 05/24/2023 Resolution authorizing closing Kempster Road in Edgemont, between Hadden Road and Cotswold Way, on Friday, June 4, 2023, from 3.00PM until 7:30 PM (Rain Date: June 11, 2023), for a neighborhood block party]
CLOSING KEMPSTER ROAD AND EDGE ONE BETWEEN DEN AND COVILLE WAY ON FRIDAY, JUNE 4TH FROM, UM, UM, 3:00 PM UNTIL, UH, 7:30 PM FOR A NEIGHBORHOOD BLOCK PARTY.I'D LIKE TO MOVE THAT AS AMENDED.
AS AMENDED ACTUALLY SECOND, SECOND ONE'S FRIDAY, JUNE 4TH, AND THE NEXT ONE IS LONGVIEW ON SUNDAY, JUNE 4TH.
SO IS, UH, FRIDAY, JUNE 4TH AND YOU CAN'T HAVE FRIDAY, JUNE 4TH AND SUNDAY.
THAT'S WHY I WENT TO LAW SCHOOL.
OKAY, SO THAT'S SUNDAY, JUNE 4TH.
SO, WHICH I THINK IT'S, WELL, WE DON'T KNOW.
OH, SO FRI SO THE FOURTH IS ON A SUNDAY, RIGHT? RIGHT.
SO SUNDAY, I KNOW C TWO IS CORRECT 'CAUSE I SPOKE TO THE GENTLEMAN WHO'S HAVING THE, UH, THE CLOSING AND WE HAD TO MODIFY THE, THE WORDING.
SO THE ERRORS IN C O ONE, C O ONE.
SO WE DON'T KNOW IF THAT'S A FRI.
[03:00:01]
THAT FRIDAY? SUNDAY PROBABLY.SO WE JUST PUT AS AMENDED 'CAUSE THEN WE GOTTA CONFIRM THAT IT'S AMENDED.
SO WHY DON'T WE AMEND IT TO SUNDAY? UH, LET'S, WE DON'T KNOW WHAT IT'S NEED TO ASK THE PEOPLE WHO WANT IT.
SO DYLAN JUST SAID IT'S UH OH.
DYLAN, DO YOU KNOW WHAT IS IT? I'M THEY'RE BOTH SUNDAY.
SO WE'RE, WE'RE MOVING TO RE-VOTE ON CL ONE FOR SUNDAY JUNE 4TH.
SECOND AMENDED, UH, CL TWO, UM, UM, SUNDAY, THE, UH, RESOLUTION
[ CL 2 - 5/24/2023 Resolution authorizing permission to close Longview Drive between Fort Hill Road and Glendale Road, on Sunday, June 4, 2023, from 8:30 AM until 6:15 PM, for the Longview Civic Association to hold its annual Wheels Day]
AUTHORIZING PERMISSION TO CLOSE LONGVIEW DRIVE BETWEEN FORT HILL ROAD AND GLENDALE ROAD ON SUNDAY JUNE 4TH.UH, FOR THE LONGVIEW CIVIC ASSOCIATION TO HOLD ITS ANNUAL REAL ESTATE.
I'D LIKE TO MOVE THAT AS AMENDED.
[ CL 3 - 5/24/2023 Resolution scheduling a public hearing for 7:30pm, Wednesday, June 14, 2023, to consider an amended site plan application of Bocada Jeep Dealership for property located at 380 Saw Mill River Road (P.O. Elmsford, NY) [TB 23-04]]
RESOLUTION SCHEDULED IN PUBLIC HEARING.7:30 PM WEDNESDAY, JUNE 14TH TO CONSIDER AN AMENDED SITE PLAN APPLICATION OF BOCATA JEEP DEALERSHIP FOR PROPERTY LOCATED AT THREE 80 SOMO RIVER ROAD AS AMENDED MOVE OF THAT AS AMENDED.
A AYE, UM, RESOLUTION DECLARING
[ CL 4 - 5/24/2023 Resolution (1) declaring the intention of the Town Board of the Town of Greenburgh to be Lead Agency with respect to SEQRA, regarding a Local Law creating a new Chapter 236 in the Code of the Town of Greenburgh entitled, “Odell House Rochambeau Headquarters Museum Advisory Board;” and (2) scheduling a public hearing for Wednesday, June 14, 2023, at 7:30 pm, to consider the proposed Local Law]
THE INTENDED OF THE TOWN BOARD OF THE TOWN OF GREENBURG TO BE LEAD AGENCY WITH RESPECT TO SEEKER REGARDING THE LOCAL LAW, CREATING A NEW CHAPTER 2 36 IN THE CODE OF THE TOWN OF GREENBURG ENTITLED ODEL HOUSE RO BEAU HEADQUARTERS MUSEUM ADVISORY BOARD AND SCHEDULING A PUBLIC HEARING FOR WEDNESDAY, JUNE 14TH AT 7:30 PM TO CONSIDER THE PROPOSED LOCAL LAW.I'D LIKE TO MOVE THAT AS AMENDED.
[ CD 1 - 5/24/2023 Resolution (1) declaring the intention of the Town Board of the Town of Greenburgh to be Lead Agency with respect to SEQRA for a zoning text amendment petition related to Section 285-37.1 of the Zoning Ordinance, entitled “Battery Energy Storage Systems [“BESS”],” associated with BESS uses in various Zoning Districts in the Town; and (2) referring the amendment petition to the Planning Board for a report and recommendation in accordance with the requirements of Section 285-64 of the Town’s Zoning Ordinance]
DECLARING THE INTENDED TOWN BOARD OF THE TOWN OF GREENBURG TO BE A LEAD AGENCY WITH RESPECT TO, UM, SEEKER FOR HIS ZONING.TEXT AMENDMENT PETITION RELATED TO SECTION 2 85.
ONE OF THE ZONING ORDINANCE ENTITLED BATTERY ENERGY STORAGE SYSTEMS BEST ASSOCIATED WITH BEST USE AND, UM, VARIOUS ZONING DISTRICTS IN THE TOWN AND REFERRING THE AMENDMENT, PETITION TO THE PLANNING BOARD FOR REPORT AND RECOMMENDATION IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE REQUIREMENTS OF SECTION 2 85 64 OF THE TOWN ZONING WARDENS AS AMENDED.
[ CD 2 - 5/24/2023 Resolution authorizing award to lowest responsible bidder, Empire State Landscaping, LLC to provide for the planting of 2 trees and 20 shrubs as part of the Town’s Street Tree replacement program – Spring 2023, at a cost not to exceed $4,970]
AWARD TO LOIS, RESPONSIBLE BIDDER AND EMPIRE STATE LANDSCAPING TO PROVIDE FOR THE PLANTING OF TWO TREES AND 20 SHRUBS AS PART OF THE TOWN STREET, UM, TREE REPLACEMENT, UH, PROGRAM AND OF COURSE NOT TO EXCEED $4,970.I'D LIKE TO MOVE THAT AS AMENDED.
[ CO 1 - 5/24/2023 Resolution authorizing Fiscal Year 2023 budget transfer]
FISCAL YEAR 2023.[ CO 2 - 5/24/2023 Resolution amending the 2023 Town Outside operating budget by increasing Transfer to Library and increasing Appropriated Fund Balance]
AMENDING THE, UH, AYE 2023 TOWN OUTSIDE OPERATING BUDGET BY INCREASING THE TRANSFER TO LIBRARY AND INCREASING APPROPRIATED FUND BALANCE AS AMENDED.[ PH 1 - 5/24/2023 Resolution accepting a donation of food and services from NEXGEN Orthopedics for the Town of Greenburgh Employee Appreciation Breakfast and Wellness Day at Greenburgh Town Hall]
RESOLUTION ACCEPTING A DONATION OF FOOD AND SERVICES FROM NEXT GEN ORTHOPEDICS FOR THE TOWN OF GREENBURG, EMPLOYEE APPRECIATION, BREAKFAST AND WELLNESS STAY AT GREENBURG TOWN HALL.[ PH 2 - 5/24/2023 Resolution documenting the release of Philanthropy Department related funds for the Town of Greenburgh 2023 Juneteenth Celebration for the benefit of the residents of the Town of Greenburgh, in an amount not to exceed $5,000]
IN FAVOR? AYE.DOCUMENTING THE RELEASE OF PHILANTHR, THE, UH, DEPARTMENT RELATED FUNDS FOR THE TOWN OF GREENBURG 2023 JUNETEENTH CELEBRATION FOR THE BENEFIT OF THE RESIDENTS OF TOWN OF GREENBURG FOR AMOUNT NOT TO EXCEEDS $5,000.
I'D LIKE TO MOVE THAT AS AMENDED.
[ PH 3 - 5/24/2023 Resolution documenting the the release of Philanthropy Department related funds for the third annual Greenburgh Pride Parade jointly organized by Ardsley, Dobbs Ferry and the Town of Greenburgh, in an amount not to exceed $1,500]
RESOLUTION DOCUMENTING THE RELEASE OF PHIL PHILANTHROPY, UM, UH, DEPARTMENT RELATED FUNDS FOR THE THIRD ANNUAL GREENBERG PRIDE PER PARADE, UH, JOINTLY ORGANIZED BY LEYI'D LIKE TO MOVE THAT AS AMENDED.
[ PO 1 - 5/24/2023 Resolution authorizing AuctionsInternational.com, an on-line auction company, be used, at no cost to the town, to sell miscellaneous equipment considered surplus or needing significant repair ]
AUTHORIZING AUCTIONS, INTERNATIONAL COMM, UM, AND ONLINE AUCTION COMPANY TO BE USED AT NO COST TO THE TOWN TO SELL MISCELLANEOUS EQUIPMENT.CONSIDER THE SURPLUS OR NEEDED SIGNIFICANT REPAIR.
I'D LIKE TO MOVE THAT AS A MATTER.
I'D LIKE TO MOVE, RE ADJOURN MEETING WE ALL SECOND, SECOND, SECOND.