[ TOWN OF GREENBURGH OFFICE OF THE TOWN BOARD 177 Hillside Avenue, Greenburgh, NY 10607 Tel: 914-989-1500 Fax: 914-993-1541 Email: JDudek@Greenburghny.com https://ny-greenburgh.civicplus.com/485/Watch-Live-Board-Meetings]
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SALE AVENUE, UM, HAVE, UM, WE'RE ALL DEVASTATED BY, UM, UH, THE TRAGEDY THAT HAPPENED ON SATURDAY, UM, IMPACTING, UH, STEPHANIE CAIUS, WHO IS, UM, THE MANAGER OF, UH, THE HARTSDALE PARKING AUTHORITY FOR, UH, DISTRICT FOR FOR MANY, UM, MANY YEARS.
UM, STEPHANIE WAS THE HEAD OF HER CO-OP.
UM, SHE, UM, WAS INVOLVED IN OUR PLANNING BOARD, UH, PLANNING DECISIONS AND DEVOTED HER LIFE TO EAST HARTSDALE AVENUE AND HARTSDALE AND THE COMMUNITY FOR, FOR YEARS.
AND, YOU KNOW, A LOT OF PEOPLE HAVE BEEN EMAILING ME AND CALLING ME SINCE SATURDAY, UM, ASKING FOR, UM, SAFETY IMPROVEMENTS.
THEY FEEL THAT CARS ARE, UM, SPEEDING, UM, ALTHOUGH PROBABLY WOULD NOT HAVE IMPACTED THIS TRAGEDY.
THEY ARE CONCERNED ABOUT THE POSSIBILITY THAT THERE COULD BE OTHER, UM, AC ACCIDENTS IN THE FUTURE.
WE'VE HAD OTHER PEDESTRIAN ACCIDENTS.
SOMEBODY CALLED ME TODAY SAYING THAT NEWS 12 ACTUALLY HAD INTERVIEWED STEPHANIE, AND THEY HAVE THE FOOTAGE OF HER TALKING ABOUT THE SAME ISSUE FROM 2019.
SO, UM, SO BASICALLY THE, THE PURPOSE OF TODAY'S MEETING IS, UH, TO LET PEOPLE KNOW THAT WE ARE GONNA GIVE PRIORITY ATTENTION TO, UM, SAFETY ISSUES.
UM, LAST YEAR WE GOT A GRANT FROM, UM, SENATOR COUSINS, UM, $5 MILLION GRANT TO BUILD, UM, A SIDEWALK ON WEST HARTSDALE AVENUE.
AND PART OF THE GRANT, IT WAS A TWO PART GRANT.
PART OF THE GRANT IS FOR THE SIDEWALK ON WEST HARTSDALE AVENUE.
THE OTHER PART OF THE GRANT THAT WE GOT, UM, FUNDS FOR IS TO ADDRESS SAFETY IMPROVEMENTS.
AND MAYBE WE COULD JUST START WITH GARRETT TALKING A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THE GRANT.
AND, UM, WE'RE GONNA BE HAVING A COMMUNITY MEETING, UH, WITH A CONSULTANT.
WHEN I SPOKE TO GARRETT, YOU KNOW, THIS, UH, THIS MORNING, UM, HE INDICATED THAT RATHER THAN HIM HIGHLIGHTING ALL THE ISSUES THAT ALL THE OPTIONS, HE THOUGHT THAT IT WOULD BE BETTER TO HAVE A COMMUNITY MEETING WHERE THE CONSULTANT, THE PERSON WHO'S THE, THE GROUP THAT BASICALLY HAS BEEN WORKING ON THIS FOR OVER A YEAR, IF THEY COULD IDENTIFY WHAT CHANGES THEY THINK SHOULD BE MADE THAT WOULD MAKE THE STREETS SAFER, THEN PEOPLE COULD ASK THEM QUESTIONS.
AND, UM, AND MAYBE GARRETT, COULD YOU GIVE US JUST A LITTLE SYNOPSIS AND THEN WE WILL HAVE THE POLICE TALKING ABOUT SOME OF THE INITIATIVES THAT YOU COULD TAKE THAT COULD MAKE THE AREA MAKE PEOPLE CALMER? SURE.
GOOD EVENING, SUPERVISOR, FINER TOWN COUNCIL MEMBERS.
I'D BE HAPPY TO, UH, WALK YOU THROUGH AN OVERVIEW OF, UH, SOME HARTSDALE BASED TRANSPORTATION IMPROVEMENTS.
I WILL MAKE THE SCREEN BIGGER HERE IN A MOMENT.
THE TOWN OF GREENBURG IS THE RECIPIENT OF A TRANSPORTATION ALTERNATIVES PROGRAM GRANT.
AND, UH, IT'S, IT'S ACTUALLY, UH, REFERRED TO IT AS A THREEFOLD GRANT, UM, THAT FOCUSES, IT'S, IT'S REALLY A TWO MILE CORRIDOR STARTING AT PATONE ROAD AND TRAVELING DOWN WEST HARTSDALE AVENUE, AS YOU CAN SEE ON THE SCREEN HERE, UH, TO FOUR CORNERS.
AND THEN THE REMAINING, UM, GRANT CORRIDOR WILL TAKE US ALL THE WAY, ESSENTIALLY TO THE HARTSDALE TRAIN STATION.
UH, AS WAS INDICATED, UH, ABSOLUTELY A SIDEWALK IS PLANNED.
UH, THAT SIDEWALK WOULD SPAN A PACKED UPON ROAD TO FOUR CORNERS.
UH, INITIALLY WHEN WE APPLIED FOR THE GRANT WITH THE INFORMATION WE HAD AT THE TIME, UM, WE THOUGHT THAT, UM, IT WAS ADVANTAGEOUS TO BE ON THE, UH, SOUTH SIDE OF THE ROAD TO SEACOR ROAD WITH THAT SIDEWALK AND THEN SWITCH OVER AT SEACO ROAD AND THEN FINISH THE REMAINDER OF THE DISTANCE TO PAC CAPONE ROAD.
UH, AND THAT WAS BASED ON INFORMATION WITHOUT A TOPO AND BOUNDARY SURVEY.
UH, SINCE, SINCE, UM, OBTAINING THE GRANT, WORKING WITH THE CONSULTANT, UM, THEY HAVE DEDUCED THAT IS DEFINITELY MORE BENEFICIAL TO HAVE THE SIDEWALK CONSISTENTLY ON THE NORTH SIDE OF THAT SPAN.
AND AS THE SUPERVISOR MENTIONED, UH, WE VERY MUCH LOOK FORWARD TO, UH, UPCOMING PRESENTATION, UH, THE DATE OF WHICH IS TO BE DETERMINED, BUT THERE WILL BE A PUBLIC PRESENTATION BY OUR, UH, PROFESSIONAL ENGINEER TO REALLY, UH, TALK ABOUT ALL THE DESIGN ELEMENTS.
AND, UM, THIS PROJECT, UM, THAT'S, THAT'S A BRIEF RECAP OF THE SIDEWALK COMPONENT OF THE PROJECT.
UM, THE OTHER TWO COMPONENTS OF THE TAP GRANT, UH, UH, ARE THE A T C S ADAPTIVE TRAFFIC CONTROL SYSTEM.
SO THAT IS, UH, ESSENTIALLY A SERIES OF TRAFFIC SIGNAL IMPROVEMENTS, UM, WHICH I WILL GIVE A BRIEF OVERVIEW OF.
AND THEN THE THIRD COMPONENT IS THE EAST HARTSDALE AVENUE, UH, PEDESTRIAN IMPROVEMENTS.
UM, JUST WHILE I'M ON THIS SCREEN, I DO WANNA HIGHLIGHT SOME OTHER PROJECTS THAT HAVE E EITHER NEARLY, UM, RECENTLY BEEN COMPLETED OR HAVE BEEN COMPLETED SOME TIME AGO, AND OTHERS ARE IN THE WORK.
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WE'RE HERE, WE'VE GOT THE NORTH AVENUE, NORTH WASHINGTON AVENUE SIDEWALK, WHICH WAS COMPLETED, THAT WAS A TOWN OF GREENBURG PROJECT.UM, SO THAT'S A SIDEWALK THAT STANDS FROM WEST HARTSDALE AVENUE TO, UH, ESSENTIALLY TRADER JOE'S, THE CENTRAL AVENUE, UH, LAWTON HAWK, WHICH IS A PEDESTRIAN ACTIVATED, UM, CROSSWALKS SIGNAL SYSTEM THAT THAT IS NOW COMPLETE.
OF COURSE, THE CENTRAL AVENUE SIDEWALK, UH, THAT WAS DONE WITH A, UH, TAP GRANT AS WELL.
THAT HAS, UH, BEEN COMPLETE FOR SOME TIME NOW, UM, I'M SURE MANY HAVE NOTICED THE, UH, UPGRADES AT FOUR CORNERS.
UM, THAT IS A NEW YORK STATE D O T INITIATED AND SPONSORED PROGRAM, AND IT'S A COMBINATION OF PER RAMP IMPROVEMENTS AS WELL AS A NEW TRAFFIC SIGNAL.
AND I SHOULD NOTE THAT THAT TRAFFIC SIGNAL IS NOT YET ONLINE.
IT'S STILL BAGGED, IT'S BEING, UH, GOING THROUGH ITS FINAL PROGRAMMING STAGES.
AND WHAT, WHAT WOULD BE THE BENEFIT FOR THAT, WHAT THE STATE'S DOING NOW, HOW IS THAT GONNA IMPACT RESIDENTS? SO WHEN WE OBTAIN AN UPDATE ON THE TIMING OF THAT SIGNAL GOING LIVE, OF COURSE WE'LL WORK WITH THE POLICE TO GET THE SOCIAL MEDIA BLAST OUT, AND WE WILL COORDINATE THE TOWN BOARD TO GET THE MESSAGE OUT TO RESIDENTS.
UM, BUT THIS IS A SIGNIFICANT SIGNAL UPGRADE, AND IT IS, UM, A SYSTEM CALLED MYVISION, WHICH IS A FORM OF ADAPTIVE TRAFFIC CONTROL SYSTEM.
AND, UM, THIS SYSTEM WILL, CAN REACT MORE TO REAL TIME TRAFFIC, UM, VOLUMES, AS OPPOSED TO JUST SIMPLY BEING ON A TIMER.
UH, THERE ARE NO LOOPS IN THE GROUND.
UM, SO THIS SIGNAL IS REALLY THE FUTURE OF SIGNALS AND, UM, WILL COMPLIMENT WHAT I'M GONNA TALK ABOUT IN A MOMENT WITH THE, UH, REMAINDER OF THE ADAPTIVE TRAFFIC CONTROL SYSTEM.
UH, BUT IN SHORT, IF YOU CAN THINK OF IT AS THE AM AND PM PEAK, UH, WHEREAS WEST HARTSDALE AVENUE AND EAST HARTSDALE AVENUE, UH, CAN HAVE GREATER VOLUMES, THE TRAFFIC SIGNAL CAN REACT TO THAT BETTER AND ACCOMMODATE AND ALLOW THOSE VOLUMES TO BE ALLEVIATED, UM, IN A BETTER MANNER THAN THE TRADITIONAL, UH, LOOP SYSTEM ON THE GROUND.
UM, I'M GONNA SWITCH SCREENS HERE.
AND YEAH, SO THIS IS, UM, THE CROSSWALKS AND THE UPDATED, UM, A D A COULD I RAMP THAT? THIS GARRETT GAR GARRETT, IF YOU COULD JUST HOLD ON.
TERRANCE, COULD YOU TAKE THE TWO OTHER FRAMES OFF OF THIS, OFF OF THE, UH, SCREEN? SO ONLY THE MAP AT THAT.
SO THEN, YES, THIS IS JUST THE PLAN OF THE STATE, UH, IMPROVEMENT WITH THE, WITH THE SIGNALS AND THE A D A, UH, RAMPS, AS WELL AS THE CROSSWALKS AND THE, AND THE NEW PEDESTRIAN SIGNALS.
SO, UM, THAT'S NEAR IN COMPLETION.
UM, AS FAR AS THE A T C S, I'M GONNA SHOW THIS, THIS GRAPHIC HERE, UM, WHERE I HAVE MY CURSOR NOW, THAT IS THE FOUR CORNERS, UH, SIGNAL.
SO THAT'S THE NEW TRAFFIC SIGNAL.
AND AS PART OF THIS TAP RAMP, AND AGAIN, UH, THE CONSULTANT WILL BE, UM, DELIVERING A, A PUBLIC PRESENTATION, UM, TOWARDS THE END OF SEPTEMBER, UH, IS OUR TARGET.
AND WE WILL, UH, BROADLY, UH, MAKE SURE THAT RESIDENTS ARE, ARE AWARE OF THAT.
UM, BUT AS FAR AS THE A T C S SYSTEM, UM, WHERE THE GREEN DOTS ARE ON THE SCREEN IS WHERE IT IS PROJECTED TO HAVE THE FINAL SIGNAL SCHEME.
UM, AND THAT'S DIFFERENT FROM WHAT PRESENTLY EXISTS IN THE SENSE THAT, UM, WHERE MY CURSOR IS RIGHT NOW AT LEWIS, THERE IS A SIGNAL THAT DOES NOT MEET WARRANTS.
IT ACTUALLY, UM, ONLY HAS DIRECTIONAL AND IN ONE WAY, UM, AND IF I WERE TO PUT A SIGNAL HERE, A GREEN.HERE, AND REMOVE THIS, UH, WHAT YOU SEE IS THAT YOU HAVE A SERIES OF SIGNALS THAT ARE NOT APPROACHING ANYTHING, UM, EQUIDISTANT.
UM, THEREFORE THAT THAT ALONE RENDERS THEM INEFFICIENT.
UM, AND BY THE NATURE OF GREATER VOLUME AT ROCK LEDGE NORTH, UM, THEN LEWIS AVENUE AND THAT PREMISE OF HAVING EQUIDISTANT LEASE SPACED, UH, SIGNALS THAT ALL SPEAK TO EACH OTHER AND HAVE THE PROPER A T C S S SIGNALS, UH, SENSORS, I SHOULD SAY.
UM, WHAT THAT DOES IS, AGAIN, IT ALLOWS, UM, TRAFFIC VOLUMES TO BE LESSENED BY REACTING TO AM AND PM PEAK VOLUMES.
SO, UM, IN THE MORNING WHEN AM PEAK VOLUME IS MORE PRONE TO GO TO THE HARSDALE TRAIN STATION, UM, THE SYSTEM WOULD WORK TOGETHER TO, UM, GIVE GREATER PRIORITY IN THE, UH, EASTBOUND DIRECTION.
AND SAME PREMISE AT THE PM PEAK WHEN, UM, VEHICLES ARE, AND, AND RESIDENTS ARE LOOKING TO LEAVE THE TRAIN STATION HEAD TOWARDS FOUR CORNERS, UM, IT ALLOWS FOR THAT GREATER EFFICIENCY.
UM, SO WE'RE NOT TALKING ABOUT SPEED EFFICIENCY, BUT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT THIS ESSENTIALLY EFFICIENT, UM, SITTING THROUGH LESS CYCLES.
UM, AND I WILL SAY, AND AGAIN, I, I REALLY, UH, OUR, OUR TRAFFIC CONSULTANT, OUR PROFESSIONAL TRAFFIC ENGINEER, UM, IS GONNA GO INTO MUCH MORE DETAIL THAN I'M GIVING RIGHT NOW.
UM, BUT ONE OF THE MAJOR, UM, VALIDATIONS OF THIS SYSTEM IS THAT IT REDUCES, UH, DRIVER AGGRESSION, UH, WHEN YOU'RE SITTING THROUGH, UM, 40% LESS CONGESTION THAN TRADITIONALLY, UM, THAT REALLY HAS AN IMPACT.
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UM, SO IN ADDITION TO THAT COMPONENT THAT THERE'S A LOT OF ELEMENTS THAT WILL RENDER THIS SYSTEM, UH, MUCH SAFER, WHICH AT THE END OF THE DAY, THAT'S THE KEY.UM, AS FAR AS THE FINAL COMPONENT OF THE EAST HARSDALE AVENUE, UH, IMPROVEMENTS, UM, THESE ARE GRAPHICS WHICH HAVE BEEN SEEN BEFORE, UH, THE TOWN BOARD.
UM, WE, WE WORKED WITH A K R F A CONSULTANT, UH, OVER THE COURSE OF 20 20, 20 21.
UH, THEY PRESENTED THE SAME GRAPHICS, UM, WHICH DEFINITELY AIDED, UH, THE TOWN'S, UH, GRANT APPLICATIONS.
SO, UM, WHAT I'M SHOWING HERE IS NOT NEW, BUT THEY ARE SERIES OF, UM, TRAFFIC CALLING MEASURES ALONG EAST HARSDALE AVENUE, WHICH ARE IN DESIGN.
WE HAVE A PROFESSIONAL ENGINEER WORKING ON THIS PROJECT DAILY AND VERY MUCH LOOK FORWARD TO THEM, UH, MEETING WITH, WITH THE PUBLIC IN SEPTEMBER.
BUT AS WE TRAVEL FROM FOUR CORNERS TO THE HARTSDALE TRAIN STATION, WHAT YOU SEE IS A SERIES OF SIGNAGE AND CROSSWALK IMPROVEMENTS, UM, ACCENTUATED STOP BARS.
UM, AND RIGHT NOW WHERE I'M AT IS THE CORNER OF WILSON AND EAST HARTSDALE.
UM, AND JUST TO KIND OF QUICKLY, UH, GO THROUGH AS WE TRAVEL IN EASTERLY DIRECTION TO COLUMBIA AVENUE, YOU PICK UP THIS PREMISE AGAIN OF TRAFFIC COMMON.
THIS IS A, UH, SORT OF MID CROSSWALK, UH, PEDESTRIAN REFUGE.
UM, THESE ARE THE TYPE OF THINGS THAT, UM, BRING GREATER VISIBILITY TO THE PEDESTRIAN.
AND SO IT'S GOOD FOR, UM, TRAVELING PUBLIC AND VEHICLES.
UM, THE SPEEDS ARE LOWER AROUND THESE TERMS. UM, WE ABSOLUTELY ARE IN COORDINATION WITH THE HARTSDALE FIRE DISTRICT, UM, AND OUR FIRST RESPONDERS TO MAKE SURE THAT, UH, WE'RE NOT INHIBITING THEIR NECESSARY MOVEMENTS.
UM, BUT ESSENTIALLY, UM, IN ADDITION TO THAT, I SHOULD NOTE THAT WHAT YOU SEE HERE, AND YOU'LL SEE THIS AS AS WE TRAVEL THROUGH, UM, WHAT THESE BUMPOUTS DO IS LESSEN THE DISTANCE THAT A PEDESTRIAN HAS TO TO BE IN THE TRAVEL LANE.
SO, UM, THIS IS A SAFE SPACE FOR A PEDESTRIAN AND IT'S CURVED AND, UH, THAT PEDESTRIAN NOW HAS BETTER VIEW LEFT IN, IN A LEFT RIGHT DIRECTION AS THEY CROSS, UM, AS WE TRAVEL, UM, IN AN EASTERLY DIRECTION.
AGAIN, THIS IS THAT SIGNAL AT LEWIS AVENUE.
UM, THIS IS NOT A SIGNAL THAT WOULD BE INSTALLED TODAY.
IF THERE WAS NOT ONE, IT WOULD NOT MEET THE WARRANTS.
UM, AND AGAIN, IN THAT SORT OF SPIRIT OF EQUID ENCY, UM, THIS SIGNAL IS, IS PROJECTED, IS PROPOSED TO BE REMOVED AS PART OF THE PROJECT.
UM, AGAIN, YOU SEE ENHANCED SIGNAGE CROSSWALKS, UM, THE BUMP OUT FOR TRAFFIC CALMING.
WHEN, WHEN YOU SAY IT DOESN'T, WHEN YOU SAY IT DOESN'T MEET THE WARRANTS, WHAT THAT REALLY MEANS IS THAT IT DOESN'T MEET NEW YORK STATE REQUIREMENTS OR D O T REQUIREMENTS FOR BEING INSTALLED THERE.
AND, AND, AND, AND THIS ONE SPECIFICALLY, UM, IS DEEMED UNSAFE.
AND, AND, AND, AND AS SUCH, UH, BEING RECOMMENDED TO BE REMOVED, IS IT UNSAFE BECAUSE THERE'S ONLY ONE OF THEM GOING IN ONE DIRECTION, OR IS IT UNSAFE THAT THEY DON'T HAVE THE SECOND DIRECTION? AGAIN? DID YOU HEAR THAT QUESTION? THE LIGHT'S THERE.
YEAH, I KNOW, BUT THERE'S A PRESENTATION, THERE'S A PRESENT MAKE SURE, YEAH.
BUT THERE'S A PRESENTATION THAT'S BEING MADE, AND IF YOU WANT TO ASK QUESTIONS, THEN YOU WILL BE ABLE TO ANSWER THEM.
BUT CALLING OUT IS NOT GOING TO HELP ANY, I'M NOT RAISING MY HAND, BUT WILL THERE BE TIME THE QUESTIONS? YEAH, WHY DON'T WE, AND I WOULD, I CERTAINLY ANSWER QUESTION.
WHY DON'T WE, WHY DON'T WE, ISSUES HAVE BEEN GOING OFF FOR 20 YEARS.
WHAT I WAS GONNA SAY IS, UM, YOU KNOW, I'M NOT A PROFESSIONAL ENGINEER.
STOP YELLING, STOP YELLING RESPONSES.
CAN I JUST SAY SOMETHING? FIRST OF ALL, THIS IS, YOU KNOW, WHERE WE DID THE CONSULTANT STUDY, THEY CAME UP WITH RECOMMENDATIONS.
GARRETT HAS BEEN WORKING EVEN BEFORE, YOU KNOW, THIS TRAGEDY ON, ON SETTING UP THE MEETING.
HE'S, WE'RE PLANNING A MEETING IN SEPTEMBER.
AND THE GOAL, WHEN I SPOKE TO GARRETT, YOU KNOW, A FEW WEEKS AGO, WE WERE TALKING ABOUT IMP THE IMPLEMENTATION.
YOU KNOW, YOU HAVE TO DO BIDDING AND ALL THAT.
THIS IS GONNA BE IMPLEMENTED IN 2020.
NO, NO, BUT LET ME SAY SOMETHING.
EVERY, EVERY NO, BUT LET SAY SOMETHING.
WAIT, WE, WE NEED THE POLICE TO BE THERE TO WATCH THE NO, BUT WAIT, WE'RE GONNA, WE'RE GONNA HEAR FROM THE POLICE.
OKAY, LET ME, OKAY, WHY DON'T WE FINISH? WAIT, WHY DON'T WE, YOU KNOW WHAT, LEMME SAY, LEMME SAY WHY? WAIT, WAIT.
SO THEN LEMME JUST SAY, WAIT, WAIT.
LET'S HEAR FROM GARRETT, AND THEN WE'LL HEAR FROM THE POLICE, AND THEN WE'LL HEAR, AND THEN WE, WE'LL, WE'LL HEAR,
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WE UNDERSTAND.LET'S HEAR, LET'S HEAR FROM GARRETT.
AND THEN, UH, WE'RE, WE'RE NOT, WE'RE NOT.
IF I MAY PLEASE, THIS IS NOT, EXCUSE ME.
WE UNDER, WE UN WE ARE ISSUES ARE, OKAY.
YOU ALL NEED TO WAIT UNTIL YOU'RE BEING CALLED ON.
WAIT UNTIL YOU'VE BEEN CALLED ON.
I DON'T, I DON'T BELIEVE THE AUDIENCE COULD HEAR YOU.
THE PEOPLE WHO ARE WATCHING, THE PEOPLE WHO ARE WATCHING PROBABLY CANNOT HEAR ANY OF YOU.
I MAY I MAKE A SUGGEST QUIET AND WAIT UNTIL YOU ARE CALLED ON, PLEASE.
MAY I MAKE A SUGGESTION, PLEASE? MAY I MAKE A SUGGESTION? PLEASE.
YOU KNOW, WE, WE FEEL TERRIBLE AS WELL.
AND I THINK THIS CALLS OUT FOR SPECIAL MEETING.
THIS IS NOT, UH, AT, AT NOT WHAT WE EXPECTED TO HAVE AN OPEN MEETING.
BUT I THINK WE SHOULD HAVE ONE WHERE WE CAN HAVE A FORMAT WHERE WE CAN MAKE A COMPLETE PRESENTATION.
BECAUSE GARRETT HAS, PLEASE DON'T INTERRUPT.
AND, AND THAT WE ALL GIVE, WE GIVE EVERYBODY THE OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK.
WE'LL STAY AS LATE AS WE NEED TO, AND WE'LL SCHEDULE THAT AS QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE.
CAN YOU PLEASE SPEAK? EXCUSE ME, SIR? SIR, SIR, PLEASE.
I JUST, MR, MR. SUPERVISOR CONSULT.
I THINK WE SHOULD TAKE A RECESS.
LET ME, LEMME TELL YOU, WHY DOESN'T GARRETT, GARRETT, GARRETT, WHY DON'T YOU JUST FINISH IT AND THEN WE'LL HEAR FROM THE POLICE AND THEN WE, WELL, NOT LET ME SAY SOMETHING.
WAIT, LET ME SAY SOMETHING, SOMETHING.
EVERYONE, EVERYONE, EVERYONE, EVERYONE, EVERYONE.
PAUL, I HAVE A RIGHT TO SPEAK.
HE JUST TRYING TO CALM THE ROOM.
UM, WE'VE HAD, WE'VE HAD A NUMBER OF PEDESTRIAN ACCENTS OVER THE YEARS THROUGHOUT THE TOWN.
AND, AND THE THING IS, EVERY SINGLE TIME WE'VE HAD AN INCIDENT, THE TOWN BOARD HAS GIVEN PRIORITY ATTENTION TO MAKING SAFETY.
LEMME SAY SOMETHING FOR A SECOND.
GIVE ME, GIVE ME 30 SECONDS TO SAY SOMETHING WITHOUT ANYBODY YELLING.
IF YOU GO ACROSS THE TOWN HALL, YOU'LL SEE YESTERDAY THEY START, EVERY TIME THERE'S BEEN AN INCIDENT, WE'VE BEEN TRYING OUR BEST TO MAKE PEDESTRIAN SAFETY IMPROVEMENTS.
THE, THERE WAS NO, NO, BUT LEMME SAY THE HAWK LIGHT WAS PUT UP ON CENTRAL AVENUE BECAUSE THERE WAS A PEDESTRIAN ACCIDENT.
IF YOU LOOK OVER THERE YESTERDAY NO, I'M JUST SAYING YESTERDAY.
YOU KNOW WHAT? FIRST OF ALL, THERE'S, FIRST OF ALL, LET ME SAY SOMETHING THERE.
FIRST OF ALL, WE'VE BEEN ADDRESSING IT AS BEST AS WE CAN ON HILLSIDE.
NO, AS BEST AS, NO, BUT, BUT WE, WE, I'M NOT SAYING THE GO.
I'M A RESIDENT OF ONE 20 EAST PARKDALE AVENUE, AND I'M UP AND DOWN HARSDALE AVENUE EVERY DAY, RIGHT? OKAY.
I MYSELF WAS A WITNESS TO ONE OF THE MORE SERIOUS PEDESTRIAN KNOCKDOWN ACCIDENTS ABOUT TWO YEARS AGO.
THE LADY FROM 45 EAST HARSDALE AVENUE, I WAS THERE.
I WAS THE ONE WHO CALLED 9 1 1.
I CROSS FOUR, SIX TIMES A DAY.
AND REALISTICALLY, I, I'M ALSO VERY FAMILIAR WITH TRAFFIC.
I'M A PRACTICING PERSONAL INJURY ATTORNEY FOR OVER 30 YEARS.
AND I'VE HANDLED HUNDREDS, IF NOT THOUSANDS OF AUTOMOBILE ACCIDENT CASES OVER MY CAREER.
SO I FEEL VERY QUALIFIED TO SPEAK ON THIS ISSUE.
NOW, THE TRAFFIC SURVEY, I'VE READ DOZENS AND DOZENS, BOTH FROM NEW YORK CITY.
I HAVE CASES FOR DEFECTIVE ROADWAY CASES, IMPROPER SIGNAGE CASES, THOSE TYPE OF THINGS.
SO WHAT WE REALLY HAVE HERE IS MULTIPLE ISSUES.
WHILE THIS TRAFFIC SAFETY DOES ADDRESS, UH, THE TRAFFIC SURVEY DOES ADDRESS SOME OF THEM.
IT'S NOT ADDRESSING SIMPLE IMMEDIATE MEASURES THAT COULD BE DONE VERY QUICKLY.
AND I MYSELF, LITERALLY, THANK YOU SIR.
LITERALLY ON MY WAY OVER HERE, I WALKED BACK FROM THE TRAIN, UH, UH, I
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WALKED BACK FROM THE TRAIN STATION AND THERE WAS A, A WHITE HONDA ACCORD DOING ABOUT 55 DOWN EAST PARKSDALE AVENUE.AND I'M TALKING, I'M TALKING ABOUT ON MY WALK HOME FROM THE TRAIN STATION TODAY, BEFORE COMING HERE TODAY.
NOW, THERE ARE CERTAIN ISSUES HERE, AND YOU HAVE TWO, OBVIOUSLY, PUBLIC SAFETY IS ONE, BUT NOW YOU ALSO HAVE A MUNICIPAL LIABILITY SITUATION.
'CAUSE I GUARANTEE THE NEXT PERSON WHO GETS HURT ISN'T JUST GONNA SUE THE DRIVER OF THE CAR.
THEY'RE GONNA SUE GREENBERG FOR DEFECTIVE ROADWAY.
YOU HAVE NOTICE OF THE DEFECTIVE CONDITION.
I HOW THE CAR, SO SIMPLE, IMMEDIATE MYTH.
THE GRANTS ARE GREAT AT ADDRESSING THESE THINGS IN THE FUTURE ARE GREAT.
HOWEVER, WHAT I THINK THE RESIDENTS, AND I KNOW THERE'S A BUNCH OF PEOPLE FROM MY BUILDING AND OTHER BUILDINGS HERE, EASY, IMMEDIATE THINGS THAT ARE NOT EXPENSIVE, THAT DON'T REQUIRE A $5 MILLION GRANT.
CORRECT? NUMBER ONE, POLICE PRESENCE.
THE LADY, MY WIFE JUST HAPPENED TO HAVE WALKED UPON THE SCENE OF THE ACCIDENT ON SATURDAY.
THERE'S VERY LITTLE POLICE PRESENCE ON EAST HARSDALE AVENUE.
AND I CAN'T TELL YOU HOW MANY TIMES I'VE ALMOST BEEN HIT USING THE CROSSWALK THAT'S IN BETWEEN ONE 20 AND ONE 40 BECAUSE PEOPLE BLOW THROUGH IT.
SIMPLE THINGS LIKE JUST INCREASING THE SIGNAGE FOR THE CROSSWALKS.
THAT'S A RELATIVELY COST EFFECTIVE THING.
THE SIGNAGE ON THAT PARTICULAR CROSSWALK IS AT THE CROSSWALK.
THERE'S NOTHING LEADING UP TO IT.
IT DOESN'T REQUIRE $5 MILLION.
SPEED ENFORCING THE SPEED LIMIT.
ONE OF THE, UH, UH, SLOW DOWN, LIKE ON FENIMORE ROAD.
THEY HAVE THE, AS FAR AS THEY'LL PUT IN THE SLOW DOWN, WHICH IS QUITE EFFECTIVE NEAR THE POLICE STATION.
THAT, AGAIN, IS NOT A $5 MILLION ITEM.
AND HERE, IN LIGHT OF THE FACT THAT NOW THERE'S SIGNIFICANT MUNICIPAL LIABILITY, THAT SHOULD BE SOMETHING YOU MIGHT WANT TO TAKE CARE OF.
BECAUSE AGAIN, AS I SAID, THE NEXT PERSON, THE NEXT PERSON WHO GETS HURT IS SUING THE TOWN OF GREENBURG, NOT JUST THE DRIVER OF THE CAR.
SO WHY DON'T WE, WHATEVER FORM YOU WANT, WHY DON'T WE HAVE TAKE SOME PUBLIC SUGGESTIONS ON SIMPLE, DIRECT, SIMPLE OF THE PEOPLE, EASILY DONE WITHIN A VERY SMALL BUDGET THAT CAN AT LEAST AFFECT ON A TEMPORARY BASIS TO INCREASE THE SAFETY ON THIS.
WELL, WHY DON'T WE HEAR FROM THE CAPTAIN ON TRAFFIC SAFETY OFFICER NOW AND THEN WE'LL TALK ABOUT IMMEDIATE ACTION STUFF.
SO WE COULD TAKE, WE CAN HAVE CAPTAIN IS GAR, GARETH DUN.
WELL, YOU KNOW, WHAT WOULD YOU WANT, WOULD YOU WANT TO HEAR? WHY DON'T WE, SINCE THE PEOPLE HERE ARE REALLY CONCERNED ABOUT, UM, IMMEDIATE ACTION AND POLICE ACTIONS, I SHOULD ALSO MENTION THAT TOWN BOARD JUST, UM, A COUPLE WEEKS AGO WE AUTHORIZED, UH, THE POLICE DEPARTMENT TO EXPAND THE NUMBER OF POLICE OFFICERS.
WE GAVE THEM FIVE ADDITIONAL OFFICERS SO WE COULD HAVE A BETTER PRESENCE ON EAST HARTSDALE AVENUE, MANHATTAN AVENUE, DO MORE COMMUNITY POLICING.
UH, THAT'S A PRIORITY BECAUSE PRECEDENT ADMITTED.
YOU'RE PERMITTED, YOU, YOU INCREASE THE DEPARTMENT SIZE.
BUT IN ALL HONESTY TO THE COMMUNITY, THOSE OFFICERS HAVE TO BE TRAINED, INTERVIEWED, TRAINED, GO THROUGH AN ACADEMY THAT'S NINE MONTHS OR BETTER OF TRAINING.
THAT'S THEY, YOU WON'T, THE COMMUNITY WON'T SEE THOSE OFFICERS FOR ONE YEAR.
IF THE TOWN BOARD, IF THE TOWN, LET ME JUST ASK, LET ME ASK A QUESTION.
IF THE TOWN BOARD, LET ME ASK A QUESTION.
IF THE TOWN, BECAUSE OBVIOUSLY THERE'S A LOT OF PEOPLE WHO ARE REALLY UPSET ABOUT THIS AND THEY WANNA SEE SOME ACTION.
SO I'M WONDERING IF THE TOWN BOARD WOULD SAY, WE WANT A DEDICATED OFFICER OR PRESENCE ON EAST HARTS DAILY AVENUE AND WE WILL FUND IT IN THE 2024, UM, BUDGET, BUT WE WANNA MAKE SURE THAT THERE'S SOMEBODY GOING UP AND DOWN AND THERE, YOU KNOW, YOU KNOW, EVERY SINGLE DAY DURING THE TIME.
WOULD WE BE ABLE TO IMPLEMENT THAT? BECAUSE THAT, THAT I THINK WOULD BASICALLY, UH, AND THAT PERSON WOULD COORDINATE, UH, THE SPEEDING ISSUES.
MAKE SURE THAT IF CARS ARE DOUBLE PARKED, UM, RIGHT, RIGHT, RIGHT.
BUT I'M SAYING IF WE CAME UP WITH A PLAN AND SAY OKAY, TO SATISFY THE COMMUNITY, THAT'S ONE THING.
THE OTHER THING THAT I REALLY THINK FROM THE EMAILS I'VE GOTTEN, PEOPLE HAVE BEEN ASKING FOR, UM, UH, THE THE SPEED CAMERAS, BUT IT'S NOT AUTHORIZED BY, UM, BY NEW YORK.
BUT WE COULD ASK THE STATE LA IT'S AUTHORIZED ONLY IN CITIES, NOT IN TOWNS.
BUT ALL I'M SAYING IS WE COULD ASK THE STATE LEGISLATURE.
I SUGGEST, I'M SUGGESTING THAT WE ASK THE STATE LEGISLATURE, I WAS ASKING YOU THIS, BUT YOU KNOW WHAT, WHAT, YOU KNOW, LET'S FOCUS ON GOING FORWARD RATHER THAN GOING BACKWARDS.
SO THE THING IS, I'M WILLING TO PUT FUNDS IN THE 2024 BUDGET
[00:25:01]
FOR, UM, FOR UH, UH, A DEDICATED POLICE FORCE THAT I COULD ONLY DO.YOU KNOW, THE THING IS I'M TRYING TO LISTEN, I'M TRYING TO BE RESPONSIVE.
IS THAT SOMETHING THAT IF WE PUT IT IN THE BUDGET 50, YOU PUT THE STANCES, WHICH WAS GREAT, BUT GUESS WHAT? NO ONE'S POLICING IT.
PEOPLE ARE STILL WALKING OVER THE STANCHIONS.
THESE, THESE ARE ALL REAL ISSUES.
I AN ACCIDENT ALMOST EVERY TIME I TRY TO PULL OUT MY DRIVEWAY.
COULD I, WE DO THIS NICE AND QUIET.
EACH PERSON RAISING THEIR HAND AND SPEAKING, THERE'S LOTS OF THINGS HERE.
RIGHT? CAN, IF, IF WE CAN HAVE A MEETING DEDICATED TO THIS IN A WEEK TO TWO WEEKS, HENCE, OKAY.
I THINK THAT WOULD PROBABLY BE THE BEST THING BECAUSE THEN WE CAN REALLY, WE CAN BE SET UP TO RECORD YOUR, WHAT YOU HAVE TO SAY AND REALLY LISTEN AND HEAR WHAT YOU HAVE TO SAY WITHOUT HAVING A A AN AGENDA WORK SESSION WITH OTHER PEOPLE HERE WAITING TO, TO BE HEARD.
AND, YOU KNOW, WE, WE UNDERSTAND YOUR, WE UNDERSTAND AND WE DON'T HAVE OBJECTIONS TO YOUR SPEAKING OUT.
BUT THIS IS NOT THE FORUM FOR IT, WHICH IS REALLY UNFORTUNATE.
I'M FROM THE HEARTFIELD PARK, PARK INDUSTRY.
MYRNA, IF YOU COULD, I'M SORRY.
CAN YOU JUST WALK UP TO THE MIC PLEASE? PLEASE COME TO THE MIC.
SO MY SUGGESTION, AND I LIKE YOUR SUGGESTION ABOUT HAVING A SEPARATE FORUM FOR THIS, BUT I WOULD ALSO LIKE A PUBLIC, A PUBLIC FORUM, A GROUP OF PEOPLE THAT WILL WALK WITH THE PEOPLE FROM THE TOWN, FROM THE TOWN BOARD, GO UP AND DOWN THE WEST, EAST HARTSDALE AVENUE.
BECAUSE TODAY, 'CAUSE I CAN'T PROCESS THIS WHOLE THING THAT HAPPENED TO STEPHI.
EVERY DAY JUST TO SEE WHAT HAPPENED.
I DON'T UNDERSTAND HOW IT HAPPENED.
SO TODAY I TOOK PICTURES AND I UNDERSTAND NOW WHAT HAPPENED HERE.
AND I MEANT I WILL SHARE THAT WITH YOU WHEN WE HAVE A PROPER FORUM OF A MEETING.
BECAUSE I THINK THE DIRECTION OF THE TRAFFIC, THE SIGNAGE, THE, UH, PEDESTRIAN WALK, THEY'RE ALL NOT PROPERLY PLACED.
WELL, WE LOOK FORWARD TO HAVING YOUR SUGGESTIONS.
AND I'M SURE, AND AND THE OFFICERS WILL BE IN ATTENDANCE TOO.
HEAR I REALLY APPRECIATE THAT.
CAN I MAKE A SUGGESTION? SURE.
MAYBE WHAT WE SHOULD DO IT, FIRST OF ALL, I THINK THAT AT THE END OF THE MEETING, EVERYBODY SHOULD SAY WE ARE GIVING PRIORITY TO THIS.
WE ARE NOT GOING TO, WE'RE NOT GONNA, UH, NOT LISTEN.
WE'RE GONNA MAKE SURE THAT SOMETHING HAPPENS.
WE'RE GONNA MAKE NO, NO, WE ARE GOING.
WE, WE ARE GONNA, LEMME SAY SOMETHING.
WE'RE GONNA GET SOMETHING DONE.
UH, SO THE, THE, THE, THE SUGGESTION THAT I HAVE IS WHY DON'T, DON'T WE FROM THE PEOPLE HERE, WHY DOESN'T, UM, A REPRESENTATIVE FROM EACH OF THE DEPARTMENTS, UM, WE HAVE LIKE A FIVE OR SIX MEMBER COMMITTEE.
UH, THEY CAN MEET WITH THE, UH, TRAFFIC SAFETY OFFICER AND THE POLICE CHIEF.
THERE'S LOT THE PEOPLE THAT HAVE LIVED HERE.
MOST OF THEIR LIVES THAT HAVE A LOT TO NO, NO, BUT NO, BUT I'M SAYING, SO LET'S, WHY DON'T WE HAVE LIKE A WORK? ALL THESE PEOPLE CAN BE THERE.
WHILE I'M SUGGESTING IS WE HAVE A TRAFFIC SAFETY COMMITTEE.
IT COULD BE SIX PEOPLE, IT COULD BE EIGHT PEOPLE, WHATEVER IT IS.
BUT I'M SAYING THAT THEY COME UP BEFORE THE, THEY COME UP WITH, EVERYBODY COMES UP WITH A PLAN THAT, YOU KNOW, AN IMMEDIATE ACTION PLAN.
NOT, YOU KNOW, A FIVE YEAR ACTION PLAN.
YOU SAY, THIS IS WHAT WE WANT DONE.
IMMEDIATELY WE GET THE POLICE TO AGREE, MEAN MR. SUPERVISOR, SOMEONE POLICE, BUT MR. SUPERVISOR, WE'RE NOT GONNA DO IT OUT.
THERE'S, BUT I DON'T WANNA HAVE PEOPLE BLOW OVER THIS.
NO, BUT, BUT THE PROBLEM, YEAH, BUT THE PROBLEM ALL DISAPPEARED.
BUT THE PROBLEM IS WE DON'T WANT TO HAVE MR. SUPERVISOR, IF I MAY, CAN WE SET THIS MEETING AND WE CAN COME UP WITH SOLUTIONS AND PLANS THERE.
WE'RE NOT OFF THE CUFF GOING TO COME UP WITH WHAT WE NEED.
BEFORE WE SET THAT MEETING, CAN WE PLEASE HAVE MORTGAGE POLICE PRESENCE LIKE STARTING TOMORROW? WE CAN'T GIVE YOU THAT ANSWER THIS MINUTE.
I THINK EVERYONE IS AGREEMENT.
THEY USED THE WORD POLICE PRESENCE.
IT NEEDS TO BE ENFORCEMENT IN THE DAYS.
RIGHT NOW IT NEEDS TO BE PEOPLE FOLLOWING THE LAW, THE ANTI POLICE SENTIMENT.
AND SOME OF THE BOARD MEMBERS MAY BE PART OF IT.
WE HAVE TO STAND FIRSTLY, I'M SORRY, CALL
[00:30:01]
MY, MY CONDOLENCE GO TO YOU.'CAUSE I'M SURE THAT YOU WERE VERY CLOSE TO THIS WOMAN WHO JUST, WE ALL WERE AND WHOEVER ELSE.
WE ALL I JUST SAYING WHOEVER ELSE WAS ON BOARD, YOU MUST HAVE WORKED WITH HER FOR YEARS AND YEARS.
AND MY CONDOLENCES TO YOU GUYS, 'CAUSE SHE KNEW HER PERSONALLY.
WE NEED, IT'S NOT ONE POLICEMAN.
'CAUSE BASICALLY IF YOU PARK IN FRONT OF ONE 40 AND NO ONE'S GONNA BLOW THROUGH THE, THE FLASHING LIGHTS RIGHT PLAIN STILL, YOU NEED SOMEBODY PARKED UP THE HILL A LITTLE BIT OR, OR PLAIN CLOTHES WATCHING WHAT'S GOING ON.
AND THEN RADIO INTO THE OTHER POLICE OFFICER TO PULL THAT CAR OVER'S.
THE ONLY WAY, IF THERE'S A POLICE OFFICER PARKED IN FRONT OF THE LIGHT, NO ONE'S GONNA THROUGH THE LIGHT.
WHEN DO WE PRESENCE? WHEN IS EVERYONE AVAILABLE? THERE'S ONE IN FRONT OF THE ENFORCEMENT'S.
THE SHOPLIFTERS DON'T GO IN DURING THAT TIME.
WHAT I'M SAYING IS, IF YOU HAVE ENFORCEMENT, A COUPLE, 2, 3, 4 TIMES A WEEK, HAVE SOME TYPE OF ENFORCEMENT, PEOPLE WILL LEARN.
CAN WE TAKE THESE SUGGESTIONS? THANK YOU.
AND REALLY LET, LET'S, WE, WE, WE CAN'T, WE'RE NOT SET UP TO TAKE IT NOW.
LET'S DO IT IN AN EFFECTIVE MANNER.
SO IT MEANS SOMETHING RIGHT NOW.
RIGHT NOW WE'RE ALL VERY EMOTIONAL VENTING AND IT'S, YOU KNOW, I UNDERSTAND IT, BUT I THINK THAT THIS IS, OH, I DO BELIEVE ME, SOMETHING YOU ARE GONNA DO.
SO WITH THE POLICE JUST DOING IT, IT'S NOT THAT HARD.
YOU GUYS MAKE THE DECISION DOING IT.
WOULD WE BE ABLE TO HAVE A, A WALK ON THE AVENUE? COULD WE SET UP A TIME NOW JUST SO PEOPLE WOULD BE, WE SET UP THE MEETING DOES NOT ANSWER.
LET, LET'S PLEASE SET UP A MEETING AND LET US PLEASE SET UP WALKTHROUGH.
I THINK THAT'S AN EXCELLENT IDEA.
UM, SINCE YOU KNOW, THIS IS, THIS NEXT WEEK IS THE, A HOLIDAY WEEK.
PEOPLE WON'T BE HERE, BUT LET'S SET THINGS SOMETHING UP FOR THE FOLLOWING WEEK.
AND I, I UNDERSTAND, I UNDERSTAND.
BUT THIS IS, THIS ISN'T RIGHT NOW WE DON'T HAVE, I, AND YOU KNOW, I I, WHY DON'T WE, UH, WHY DON'T WE SAY IF WE COULD SET UP A MEETING FOR SOME TIME NEXT WEEK, AND WE'LL ASK THE CHIEF WHEN, FOR A DATE THAT'S CONVENIENT AND THE TIME THAT'S CONVENIENT, I'LL POST IT ON, ON, ON THE WEBSITE.
AND THEN IF PEOPLE WANNA WALK, YOU KNOW, WITH YOU AND WITH THE CHIEF, AND, UH, WE CAN MAYBE EVEN ASK, UH, THE, UH, TRAFFIC CONSULTANT, UM, UH, YOU KNOW, TO JOIN US AT THAT MEETING.
YOU KNOW, SO THIS WAY THEY COULD SHOW UP SO WE COULD, IT COULD BE A COMP.
SO WE'LL SEE SHORT TERM AND LONG TERM ACTION STEPS AND, UH, WE'LL, WE'LL GO, WE'LL MEET ON EAST ELLI AVENUE PRESENCE.
HOW MANY PEOPLE WE DON'T CARE ABOUT ANYONE WHO WANTS TO JOIN.
IF YOU KNOW, THE THING IS, IF WE HAVE IT HERE, PEOPLE ARE GONNA COMPLAIN THAT IT'S HERE AND NOT EAST HARSDALE AVENUE.
IF WE HAVE IT ON EAST HARTSDALE AVENUE, THEY'RE START HERE AND THEN GO.
THIS IS WHERE YOU HAVE TO GO FOR THE SHORT AND LONG TERM SOLUTIONS.
THERE'S CERTAIN THINGS THEY WANT TO SAY THAT'S GET ALL ON THE RECORD AND THEN WE'LL GO FROM THERE.
RIGHT? BUT WE ALL KNOW, WE ALL KNOW WHAT EVERYBODY BASICALLY WANTS.
YOU WANT MORE
SO IF WE, IF WE, I THINK THAT IT WOULD BE GOOD TO LIKE, UH, UH, BE THERE ON A TIME.
WHAT TIME DO YOU THINK IT WE'RE NOT ASKING FOR MURRAY.
IT APPEARS THAT THE PEOPLE NEED TO BE INFORMED ABOUT WHAT'S GOING ON THAT ISN'T APPROPRIATE FOR THEM TO PRESENT ANYTHING TODAY.
HAVE A MEETING, GIVE EVERYBODY A CHANCE TO TALK AND GO FORWARD.
IT'S NICE TO HAVE YOU HERE, BUT IT APPEARS THAT THERE NEEDS TO BE DISCUSSION EVERYWHERE ELSE.
SO IF YOU SETTLE A DISCUSSION, BECAUSE THESE PEOPLE ARE NOT ON MIC AND THEY'RE NOT BEING HEARD BY EVERYBODY THAT'S LISTENING.
SO LET'S GO FORWARD, SET SOMETHING FOR NEXT MONTH.
GIVE US, GIVE ALL THESE PEOPLE A CHANCE TO TALK AND WE CAN END THIS ALL RIGHT NOW AND GO ON WITH THE REST OF OF YOUR BUSINESS.
THAT'S EXACTLY WHAT I'D LIKE TO DO.
IN THE MEANTIME, IN THE NEXT, NO, I'M SORRY.
IT'S NOT, I JUST HAVE A SUGGESTION.
SO I'M THINKING THAT, TAKE THE MICROPHONE PLEASE, IF POSSIBLE, IN THE NEXT, JUST BEFORE THE MEETING IN THE NEXT WEEK OR TWO, IF THERE COULD BE A, A POLICE, YOU KNOW, WALKING UP AND DOWN THERE, MAYBE EVEN JUST TAKING PHOTOS.
I WOULD LOVE TO WALK WITH YOU WHAT I WALKED TODAY AND YOU, SO YOU CAN SEE EXACTLY HOW I, WHAT I FEEL ABOUT THAT WHOLE SIGNAGE SITUATION AND THE PEDESTRIAN.
BUT EVERYBODY CAN COME WITH THAT MEETING TOO.
BUT I THINK YES, WE, WE'LL SET UP A WALKTHROUGH AS WELL, A MEETING.
BUT IN THE NEXT FEW DAYS, IF YOU CAN ASSIGN SOMEONE AT VARIOUS TIMES OF THE DAY JUST TO WALK THE,
[00:35:01]
THE AVENUE.OKAY, CAN I, I'VE HAD MY HAND BRACE AT LEAST FIVE MINUTES NOW.
MURRAY, MURRAY, MURRAY MURRAY, PLEASE.
NO, IT'S NOT UP TO YOU TO SAY MURRAY IS NOT THE TIME.
ONE, THIS MEETING WAS FOR OBVIOUS REASONS, WAS ONLY ANNOUNCED YESTERDAY AT THE EARLIEST.
MANY OF US ONLY HEARD ABOUT IT TODAY.
THAT MEANS THAT MOST OF THE COMMUNITY HAD NO IDEA THAT THERE WAS A MEETING TONIGHT.
RIGHT? WHICH MAKES SETTING UP A MEETING FOR NEXT WEEK OR THE WEEK AFTER A LOT MORE SENSIBLE AND FAIR TO THE COMMUNITY.
SECOND, WHEN WE HAVE A MEETING, IT SHOULD BE UNDERSTAND STOOD THAT AS WE ANY EFFECTIVE MEETING PEOPLE SPEAK WHEN CALLED ON, DON'T SCREAM OUT THROUGHOUT.
AND IN FACT, THERE SHOULD BE UN SERGEANT IN ARMS TO REMOVE ANYONE WHO REFUSES TO FOLLOW THE RULES.
THIRD, I THINK THAT A WALK ON HE HARTSDALE AVENUE SHOULD BE DONE SEPARATELY FROM THE MEETINGS.
AND I WILL ADD THAT THIS MORNING I WAS CROSSING EAST HARTSDALE AVENUE AND TWO CARS WENT RACING THROUGH THE RED LIGHT AT COLUMBIA FOLLOWING A CAR THAT WENT THROUGH THE YELLOW AS IT TURNED TO RED.
SO THIS IS NOT JUST A PROBLEM DURING RUSH HOUR, IT'S A PROBLEM AT ANY TIME.
AND I'LL FINISH BY POINTING OUT, EVERYBODY IS TALKING ABOUT SOLUTIONS THAT WON'T COST ANYTHING.
A POLICE PRESENCE IN ENFORCEMENT COSTS MONEY, A LOT OF MONEY.
SO WE HAVE TO LOOK AT ALL OF THOSE FACTORS AND I WOULD LIKE, IT WOULD BE HELPFUL.
A LOT OF NUMBERS HAVE BEEN THROWN AROUND ON DEATHS ON EAST DALE AVENUE.
I WOULD APPRECIATE IT IF THE POLICE WOULD LOOK INTO THAT AND BE ABLE TO REPORT BACK TO US ON HOW MANY PEOPLE HAVE BEEN KILLED IN THE LAST 10 YEARS ON EAST HARTSDALE AVENUE.
I WANNA KNOW ABOUT THE LAST 10 YEARS GONNA GET DONE.
LET'S, LET'S ALL PLEASE BE RESPECTFUL OF EACH OTHER, PLEASE.
YOU HAVE, I BELIEVE THAT EMOTIONAL TEMPERATURE OF THIS ROOM, OKAY.
YOU GOTTA DO SOMETHING THAT EVERYONE ON EAST HARSDALE AVENUE HAS EXPERIENCED NEAR DEATH EXPERIENCE ON THAT AVENUE, OKAY? AND THAT YOU WANT TO CALM THE ROOM DOWN AND DO ANOTHER MEETING IS ONLY BECAUSE THAT EMOTIONAL TEMPERATURE IS UP THERE AND OUT OF CONTROL.
BECAUSE IF WE DON'T HAVE A MEETING, IF WE AREN'T HEARD, IF SIMPLE THINGS LIKE SPEED CAMERAS JUST FOR ABOUT SIGNAGE, HALF THE PEOPLE THAT ARE DRIVING ON EAST HARTSDALE AVENUE DON'T EVEN KNOW WHAT THE SPEED LIMIT IS.
WE HAVE THREE SIGNS FROM FOUR CORNERS DOWN TO IN FRONT OF THE OLD CHASE BANK.
SO, YOU KNOW, IT'S NOT, AS THIS GENTLEMAN SAYS, IT'S SIMPLE CHANGES IT CHANGE.
THERE ARE CHANGES THAT KEEP THIS TOWN FROM GETTING SUED BECAUSE I BELIEVE WHAT THIS GENTLEMAN HAD TO SAY IS ABSOLUTELY CORRECT.
THIS IS IN YOUR LAP NOW, GREENBERG, BECAUSE OF THIS ROOM IS BECAUSE IT IS 20 YEARS WORTH OF THE SAME, SAME ISSUES.
AND THE TEMPERATURE CAN GO DOWN BY CALLING A MEETING.
WE, WE, AND WE'RE NOT TRYING TO REDUCE THE TEMPERATURE EITHER BECAUSE WE UNDERSTAND, WE, WE JUST WANNA GIVE YOU THE PROPER FORUM AND GIVE EVERYONE ELSE WE WOULD NEVER HAVE GOTTEN IT HAD THE TEMPERATURE OF THIS ROOM.
THAT'S, THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE, THAT IS DEFINITELY NOT TRUE.
THE PURPOSE OF THIS MEETING, IF YOU NOTICE ON THE AGENDAS, ONLY 15 MINUTES ALLOCATED FOR THAT.
AND THAT WAS FOR THE BOARD TO DISCUSS HAVING THIS OTHER MEETING THAT A SPECIAL MEETING SOLELY FOR THE PURPOSE OF DISCUSSING EAST DALE AVENUE.
THAT WAS THE PURPOSE OF THIS MEETING.
ONCE PEOPLE STARTED, ONCE PEOPLE, I DIDN'T INTERRUPT YOU.
I DIDN'T THAT, LISTEN, IF YOU WANT TO DISRESPECT
[00:40:01]
THE YEARS OF WORK THAT HAS, SIR, CAN YOU CONTROL YOURSELF PRESENTATION? CAN YOU POSSIBLY CONTROL YOURSELF? PLEASE? I UNDERSTAND YOU'RE EMOTIONAL.I DON'T KNOW WHETHER OR NOT PUTTING UP ANOTHER SIGN.
YOU ALL KNOW WHAT THIS GENTLEMAN, THIS, THIS PERSON, THIS, THIS WHO CAUSED THIS, YOU SAW WHAT HE WAS CHARGED WITH.
I'M HEARING PUT UP ANOTHER SIGN.
YOU THINK THAT'S GONNA STOP HIM? YES.
NO, IT'S NOT GONNA HELP HIM LOADED YOU.
WHAT WE HAVE DONE, SO, SO I HAVE NOT HEARD YET FROM THE POLICE BECAUSE THERE'S, THERE'S A DEFENDANT INVOLVED HERE.
WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WITH WHATEVER PROSECUTION IS DONE, IS DONE WITHOUT US, UM, COMPROMISING THAT PROSECUTION.
WE WERE, WE WERE, EXCUSE ME, SIR.
ARE YOU UNABLE TO CONTROL YOURSELF? ARE YOU UNABLE TO CONTROL YOURSELF IF YOU'RE SAY SOMETHING HONESTLY TRUTHFUL? THERE'S EVERYTHING I'M SAYING IS TRUTHFUL.
THE PURPOSE OF TONIGHT'S MEETING WAS NOT TO HAVE THE MEETING THAT WE WERE GOING TO SCHEDULE IN A FEW WEEKS FROM NOW.
YOU TURN THAT INTO THIS, THE SUPERVISOR SENT OUT AN ANNOUNCEMENT AND SAY, WE MEET EVERY TUESDAY, WE'RE GONNA HAVE A DISCUSSION ABOUT THIS.
SO OBVIOUSLY, AND AND UNDERSTANDABLY YOU SHOWED UP HERE THINKING THAT THIS WAS THE MEETING, BUT THE PURPOSE OF TODAY'S MEETING, 15 MINUTES WAS ALLOCATED, IS HOW BEST CAN WE, WHERE SHOULD WE HAVE IT? HOW SHOULD WE HAVE IT? WHO SHOULD BE INVOLVED? AND THAT'S WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO DO.
NOW, YOU WE WERE, WE WERE EXPLAINING TO YOU, YOU, SIR, WE WERE EXPLAINING TO YOU THE WORK THAT HAS BEEN GOING ON ON EAST HARTSDALE AVENUE FOR YEARS.
YOU SAY WE STARTING NOW BECAUSE STEPHANIE DIED.
WE HAVE BEEN PLANNING AND PLANNING TO IMPROVE EAST DALE AVENUE.
MILLIONS OF DOLLARS HAVE BEEN PUT INTO THIS.
AND YOU'RE SAYING WE DID NOTHING.
NOW YOU CAN HAVE SOME FURTHER EXPLANATIONS AND HELPFUL COMMENTS, AND YES, POLICE, BUT THE POLICE CHIEF IS NOT HERE TODAY.
SO WE CAN WE WELCOME YOUR COMMENTS, BUT TO SAY WE HAVE DONE NOTHING TO SAY, WE ARE LIABLE FOR THIS PERSON WHO YOU SAW WHAT HE WAS CHARGED WITH.
I'M NOT GONNA COMMENT ANY FURTHER.
YELLING OUT FROM AN AUDIENCE IS NOT GOING TO CALL PREVENT AN ACCIDENT LIKE THAT.
LET ME SAY ONE, ONE, LET ME SAY ONE OTHER THING.
WE CALL THIS MEETING NOT BECAUSE ANYBODY ASKED US TO CALL IT RIGHT AFTER THE ACCIDENT.
UH, WE DECIDE NO RIGHT AFTER THE ACCIDENT.
I, UM, WE SAID WE WERE GOING TO, UH, WE KNEW THAT PEOPLE WERE UPSET AND EVERYBODY'S UPSET, WE'RE UPSET.
EVERYBODY ON THE TOWN BOARD, WE ALL WORKED WITH STEPHANIE.
WE ALL, UM, WE ALL ADMIRED HER, UM, HER PASSION FOR HARSDALE.
WE, UH, WE ALL ARE UPSET WITH ANY PEDESTRIAN ACCENTS.
OVER THE YEARS WE'VE BEEN DOING, THE TOWN BOARD HAS COMMITTED A LOT OF RESOURCES AND A LOT OF MONEY, UH, PUTTING A LOT OF PEDESTRIAN SAFETY IMPROVEMENTS ALL OVER TOWN.
UH, A COUPLE WEEKS AGO, THE TOWN BOARD MET WITH THE POLICE CHIEF AND HE ASKED IF WE COULD INCREASE THE POLICE FORCE, UH, BY THE MAXIMUM, BY A NUMBER THAT THEY HAVEN'T HAD IN YEARS.
AND THE TOWN, NO, AND THE TOWN BA AND HE, AND BASICALLY WHEN THE CHIEF MET WITH THE TOWN BOARD, HE INDICATED THAT HE NEEDED MORE OFFICERS SO HE COULD PROVIDE MORE COMMUNITY POLICING.
SO WE DIDN'T SAY NO, NO, I'M SAYING.
WE BASICALLY INCREASED, I THINK THE LAST TIME WE'RE UP TO THE LEVEL WE ARE RIGHT NOW WAS, UH, WAS PROBABLY 10 YEARS AGO OR SOMETHING.
SO WE WE'RE GIVING THE POLICE MORE, MORE PRESENCE.
I PERSONALLY FEEL THAT, UM, THIS MEETING WAS WORTHWHILE BECAUSE I THINK THAT EVEN IF EVERYBODY'S YELLING AND SCREAMING AT EACH OTHER, I STILL THINK IT'S WORTHWHILE.
BECAUSE I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT FOR EVERYBODY IN THE TOWN GOVERNMENT AND THE COMMUNITY TO SEE THAT THIS IS A MAJOR PROBLEM.
NOBODY WANTS TO HEAR RHETORIC AND WORDS AND EMPTY GESTURES.
SO THE THING, WHAT I'M SAYING IS WE'RE COMMITTED TO ACTION.
WE'RE NOT COMMITTED TO, UM, TO, UH, WORDS.
WE'RE NOT COMMITTED TO RHETORIC.
I GIVE YOU OUR FIRM COMMITMENT THAT THIS IS GOING TO BE GIVEN THE HIGHEST PRIORITY AND THE INMATE, THERE'S THINGS THAT COULD BE DONE WITH, WE MAY NEED THE HELP OF ALBANY BECAUSE FOR EXAMPLE, IF WE WANT THE CAMERAS, WHICH
[00:45:01]
I THINK WOULD BE GREAT, BECAUSE YOU COULD HAVE, WE COULD PUT FIVE OFFICERS ON EAST HARTSDALE AVENUE, BUT YOU'RE NOT GONNA HAVE AN OFFICER, UM, ON EVERY CORNER, UH, NONSTOP IF YOU HAVE THE CAMERAS THAT GET TICKETS, IF THEY'RE SPEEDING, THAT WOULD MAKE SENSE.WHY SHOULD NEW YORK CITY AND YONKERS HAVE THE ABILITY OF, UH, GIVING TICKETS WHEN GREENBERG CAN'T? SO WE'RE GONNA NEED STATE PERMISSION FOR THAT.
MAYBE WE COULD USE A DIGITAL SIGN BOARDS, YOU KNOW, THE BOARDS TELLING PEOPLE, UM, YOU KNOW WHAT? YOU'RE GONNA BE TICKETED IF YOU VIOLATE THE LAW.
UM, MAYBE WHAT WE COULD DO IS WE COULD, UH, IF CARS ARE DOUBLE PARKED, YOU KNOW, SOMETIMES WHEN I'M ON EAST HARSDALE AVENUE, YOU SEE CARS A LOT OF TIMES MAYBE, UM, WE COULD PUT SIGNAGE SAYING, YOU KNOW WHAT, IF YOU'RE DOUBLE PARKED, YOU'RE GONNA GET A TICKET NOW.
RIGHT? NO, WE ARE GONNA, NO, NO, WE, WE GIVE IT.
RIGHT? MAYBE WHAT WE COULD DO IS WE COULD GIVE REPORTS TO, IF WE CREATE A COMMITTEE LIKE A, A WORKING COMMITTEE, WE COULD, UM, WE COULD TRACK THE SUCCESS.
SO INSTEAD OF SAYING, OH, WE'RE DOING SOMETHING.
NO, NO, BUT I'M SAYING NO, I'M NOT ASKING FOR STUDIES.
NO, NO, NO, NO, NO, NO, NO, NO, NO.
I'M SAYING, ALL I'M SAYING IS THAT IF WE HAVE LIKE A LITTLE WORKING GROUP AND THE WORKING, AND BASICALLY THE POLICE, WE SAY WE WANT MORE TICKETS AND EVERY UH, MONTH WE GET A REPORT, HOW MANY TICKETS HAVE BEEN ISSUED? THEN YOU'LL SEE ARE WE DOING, ARE WE JUST TALKING OR ARE WE ACTUALLY DOING SOMETHING? SO THERE, THERE'S LIKE A MILLION DIFFERENT THINGS WE COULD DO.
UH, AND THEN, YOU KNOW, THE, YOU KNOW, WHEN GARRETT WAS TALKING BEFORE THE COMMISSIONER PLANNING, THERE'S ACTION STEPS IN TERMS OF MAKING THE ROAD SAFER THAT, YOU KNOW, WILL COMPLIMENT THE IMMEDIATE WORK WE'RE DOING.
SO MY FAILING IS WITHIN THE NEXT TWO WEEKS, LET'S SET UP A, UM, YOU KNOW, A, A FOLLOW UP IN A MEETING.
BUT THE, YOU KNOW, THE, THE KEY TO THIS IS I REALIZE THAT NOBODY, MOST PEOPLE DON'T TRUST GOVERNMENT, ESPECIALLY AFTER AN INCIDENT LIKE THIS.
AND I'M NOT, I'M NOT BLAMING ANYBODY BECAUSE THIS WAS A TRAGEDY.
SO I THINK YOUR REACTION IS REALLY, UM, YOU KNOW, IS, IS APPROPRIATE BECAUSE EVERYBODY'S LIKE SO DEVASTATED BY THIS THAT YOU KNOW, YOU JUST, YOU DON'T WANT TO HEAR RHETORIC.
YOU DON'T WANT US HEAR US PROMISES.
SO DO YOU KNOW WHAT? WE'RE GONNA MAKE SURE YOU GET THE RESULTS AND WE'RE GONNA MAKE SURE THAT EVERYBODY HERE FEELS THIS IS GETTING THE HIGHEST PRIORITY.
WHAT THE RESULTS ARE GONNA BE NONSTOP.
IT'S, YOU KNOW, IT'S GONNA BE, WE'RE GONNA START IMMEDIATELY.
BUT THE THING WE'RE GONNA, IT MIGHT HAVE TO BE A LITTLE LATER IF PEOPLE COME FROM WORK, BUT I'M SAYING, UH, UH RIGHT? BUT, UH, THE THING IS, UH, WE WILL, RIGHT, WE, UH, WE'RE GONNA DO THAT.
SO WE'RE GONNA, WE'RE GONNA SET UP A MEETING, MR. SUPERVISOR, WITHIN TWO WEEKS, UM, AND I WILL SPEAK TO THE POLICE CHIEF, YOU KNOW, TOMORROW.
WE'LL GIVE EVERYBODY, UM, YOU KNOW, SO WE NOW HAVE TIME.
I'VE BEEN EMAILING BACK, WE, SO SEPTEMBER 5TH, UM, YOU KNOW WHEN THE MEETINGS ARE? SEPTEMBER PEOPLE, SO PEOPLE ARE HERE AND YOU'RE NOT GETTING ACCEPTED.
SUPERVISOR, WE HAVE, WE FOUND A DATE THAT WORKS FOR EVERYONE.
WHAT'S THAT FOR THE TOWN? SO IF EVERYONE CAN MEET ON TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 5TH AT 6:00 PM ONE WEEK FROM ONE WEEK FROM TONIGHT, ONE WEEK FOR TONIGHT.
IS IT HERE? AND NO CHIEF WILL BE THERE.
WE'RE GONNA BE, WE'RE GONNA BE ON DALE AVENUE.
I THOUGHT WE WAS DOING THE HORSE.
IT'S GONNA BE RUSH'S, BUT THAT'S NOT THE BUT THE YOU GONNA DOWN EAST SHOULD, WE'RE GONNA WALK, WE'RE GONNA WALK.
SO WHY, WHY DON'T WE? I THINK THAT'S A VERY GOOD IDEA.
SEPTEMBER 5TH OF 6:00 PM WHERE DO WE MEET? WE'LL, WE WILL, WE WILL LET WORD OUT ON WHERE WE'RE GONNA MEET, WHETHER IT'S HERE OR WHETHER WE ARRANGE SOMETHING THAT'S MORE IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD.
HUH? WHAT'S THE SITE? YOU GIVE US A SITE.
WHY? DON'T SAY, WHY DON'T WE SAY IDEA? WHAT? WHAT'D YOU SAY? SIDE A UH, UH, WHY DON'T WE MEET SEPTEMBER 5TH AND WHY DON'T WE MEET AT, UM, UM, WE CAN MEET IN FRONT OF THIS.
UH, THE, UH, YOU KNOW WHAT I THINK? I THINK SUPERVISOR, IT SHOULD BE THE MEETING.
WHY? IT'S THE MEETING, THE WALKTHROUGH CAN BE ANOTHER TIME.
BECAUSE I THINK THERE ARE GONNA BE A LOT MORE PEOPLE THAN ARE HERE WHO WILL WANT TO HAVE THEIR SAY.
AND WE'RE NOT GONNA BE ABLE TO DO IT ALL IN ONE FELL SUITE.
SO WE WANNA MAKE SEPTEMBER 5TH, 6:00 PM HERE, I HERE OR ANOTHER SIDE.
CORRECT? BUT WE CAN, WE CAN CONFIRM.
WE, WE CAN CONFIRM THAT RIGHT NOW.
AND, AND WHAT HAP RIGHT? YOU HAVE THE BUS PEOPLE DRIVE.
THAT'S A POSSIBILITY THAT THAT'S A POSSIBILITY.
WE'LL SEE WHAT LINE YOU GUYS FOR THOSE WHO CAN'T MAKE IT, GIVE YOU THIS, WE, YOU COULD ALSO, UM, PARTICIPATE VIA ZOOM.
[00:50:01]
UM, YOU KNOW, IF, IF WE HAVE AN IDEA, AND MAYBE WHAT WE NEED TO DO IS R S V P, BECAUSE IF THERE ARE MORE PEOPLE THAN WE HAVE ROOM FOR HERE, WE HAVE TO THINK ABOUT HAVING IT ELSEWHERE.SO WE'LL PUT DOWN A NOTIFICATION, UM, AND IF WE NEED TO COME UP WITH FLYERS, WE'LL COME UP WITH FLYERS AND WE'LL ASK THAT, THAT EVERYONE PLEASE YOU REACH OUT TO YOUR NEIGHBORS AND LET THEM KNOW TO LET US KNOW AND WE'LL SET SOMETHING UP.
I MEAN, WE'RE, WE'RE, WE'RE TALKING A A, A BIT OFF THE, THE CUFF NOW, BUT WE, WE WILL BE MORE SPECIFIC.
REMEMBER WHEN WE HAD THE MEETING ABOUT A YEAR AGO ON THE FLOODING ON A, AT A HUNDRED EAST PART, A HUNDRED EAST HARTSDALE AVENUE.
I KNOW IT WAS SORT OF LIKE IN THE GARAGE.
UM, UM, I'M WONDERING IF, UH, WE COULD HAVE, UM, MET THERE BECAUSE THEN IT'S CONVENIENT FOR EVERYBODY.
WE CALL A MEETING ON PRIVATE PROPERTY.
WE, WE CAN'T CALL A MEETING ON PRIVATE PROPERTY.
WE'RE GONNA DO, WE'RE GONNA DO TOWN HALL, TOWN HALL, TOWN, HALL TOWN, TOWN HALL, TOWN HALL.
THAT'S WHY THAT'S, THAT'S WHY WE'RE TOWN HALL, WHICH WENT NOWHERE.
WE WERE MEETING, WE HAD ABOUT GUYS, SIR, SIR, LET, LET'S JUST ADDRESS, WE, WE HAVE AN IMMEDIATE ISSUE THAT WE WANNA TALK ABOUT, RIGHT? SO LET'S DO THAT AND WE WILL, WE ASK THAT YOU, UM, BE, PARTICIPATE THAT THE NEXT TIME YOU'RE CALLING A MEETING TO CALL A MEETING THAT SHOULD BE ANNOUNCED AT THE TOP OF THE MEETING.
MAKE US SIT THROUGH THIS, BECAUSE THAT WAS THE MOST INFURIATING THING.
THIS IS A MEETING SPECIFICALLY FOR THE EAST HARTSDALE COMMUNITY TO HEAR WHAT YOU HAVE TO SAY.
IF WE DIDN'T HAVE A MEETING, EVERYBODY WOULD, THIS WOMAN'S BEEN VERY PATIENT.
SHE WANTS TO ASK A QUESTION BETWEEN NOW AND MEETING.
WHAT DO WE DO? WE HAVE SOME HELP ON THE STREETS.
WHAT'S THE 80? 80? IS THAT 80 WHEN YOU USED TO WE HAVE TWO BEDS.
I SAT THERE YESTERDAY WITH TWO LADIES.
BUT WE SAW ON THAT CORNER, I, IT'S A COLUMBIA AND EAST HARSDALE.
I MEAN, I HAVE NOTHING BUT TIME ON MY HANDS.
I JUST WANNA HELP THE COMMUNITY.
I'VE SEEN PEOPLE DIE YESTERDAY, LAST YEAR I WAS BUS STREET, I THE CORNER WITH AN ELDERLY LADY AND SHE GOT PINNED BY A SCHOOL BUS AND WE WERE AT THE CORNER.
OTHERWISE I WOULD'VE BEEN UNDER THAT BUS TOO.
PEOPLE GOING TO THE TRAIN EVERY MORNING AT THAT LITTLE FLASHING, RIGHT CROSSING, THEY DON'T CARE.
AS A MATTER OF FACT, THE FLASHING
ONE OF YOU HAS SAID, OH, SIGNS DON'T STOP.
PEOPLE, PEOPLE, WELL LET, LET'S, A SIGN DOESN'T STOP SOMEBODY WHO IS HIGH, WHO IS DON'T HAVE GUN LAWS.
PEOPLE ARE GOING GO THROUGH RED LIGHTS.
OKAY, MA'AM, LET'S HAVE THIS DISCUSSION ON THE FIFTH AT SIX O'CLOCK.
WE THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR COMING AND WE DO UNDERSTAND AND HAVE A LOT OF CONCERNS FOR YOU AND FOR EVERYONE ELSE.
CAN I ASK ONE THING? I WON'T YELL.
WE HAVE A DOCUMENT CREATED, I GUESS RESOURCES OF HOW MANY PEOPLE HAVE BEEN KILLED, MAIMED, HIT, AND TRAFFIC ACCIDENTS IN THE LAST 20 YEARS.
SO THAT WAY EVERYBODY ISN'T YELLING A DIFFERENT NUMBER.
YOU KNOW WHAT THAT IS? THAT IS A, A, A RESEARCH PROJECT FOR THE POLICE OF POLICE TO DO.
AND THAT'S, THAT IS TIME CONSUMING.
I'D BAT THEM OUT ON THE STREET.
BUT MY SUPER SON ALMOST GOT KILLED PULLING OUT OF THE BUILDING.
I LOOK, I UNDERSTAND MY, MY, MY HUSBAND.
THE DOCTOR LOST COUNT AFTER 650 STITCHES.
THE FACT THAT HE'S ALIVE TODAY IS AMAZING.
SO I, I REALLY HAVE A LOT OF EMPATHY.
SO, YOU KNOW, I WANNA HEAR WHAT EVERYBODY HAS TO SAY AND I WANNA HAVE AN ACTION PLAN.
SO PLEASE, PLEASE, WE'LL SEE YOU ALL ON THE FIFTH.
[00:55:01]
REALLY IMPORTANT BECAUSE EVERYBODY'S ALL OVER PLACE.I ALSO THINK THAT IT WOULD BE A GOOD IDEA NOT TO INCLUDE THE ENGINEER THAT'S JUST GONNA RILE PEOPLE UP.
WHY? WHAT ENGINEER? THE, THE WELL GARY TRAFFIC CONSULTANT.
THE TRAFFIC, BUT, BUT DEBORAH, BUT HE'S A RESOURCE ACTIONS, BUT HE'S A, BUT DEBORAH, HE'S A RESOURCE.
PEOPLE ARE SAYING THAT WE'RE DOING NOTHING.
I KNOW THAT YOU'RE DOING SOMETHING.
THAT PLAN THAT GARRETT WAS SHOWING THAT SOMEBODY CALLED BSS THAT TOOK YEARS IN DEVELOP.
BUT THAT'S GOING TO MAKE THE ROAD SAFER.
THAT WHOLE, THE WHOLE PURPOSE OF REDESIGNING EAST DALE AVENUE UNDERSTAND IS TO MAKE IT SAFER.
UNDERSTAND THIS MOVING HAS TO BE ABOUT, AND WHAT PEOPLE WERE SAYING ABOUT, I THOUGHT IT WAS ABOUT MAKING IT SAFER.
I WATCHED YOUR PRESENTATION ABOUT THE NEW ON CENTRAL AVENUE AND YOUR EXPLANATION OF WHY THE EXTRA MONEY'S BEEN SPENT FOR IT TO BE RED.
WELL, I KNOW FOR A FACT THE PEOPLE THINK THAT YELLOW LIGHT ON EAST DALE IS MORE LIKE THE BEAT YIELD LIGHT ON A RED, YELLOW ON, ON A RED, YELLOW, GREEN LIGHT.
'CAUSE I'VE HAD PEOPLE TELL ME THAT AND I'VE TRIED TO TELL THEM NO, IT MEANS STOP.
SO I WE HEAR YOU, BUT LET'S TALK ABOUT THIS.
BUT I ALSO THINK THAT WE CANNOT, IT'S NOT FAIR.
THE MAJORITY WHO WANT TO LISTEN AND CONTRIBUTE TO HAVE TO LISTEN TO PEOPLE RANTING AND RAVING AND SCREAMING OUT OF TURN, I THINK YOU REALLY DO NEED TO THINK ABOUT HAVING A SERGEANT AT ARMS. WELL, WE, WE, WE TRY, WE WE CAN USE THE PODIUM AND I SUGGEST WE ALSO ENFORCE A TIME CONSTRAINT AS WELL.
AND MAYBE I, I HAD MY HAND UP AT LEAST 10 MINUTES AND WAS TOTALLY IGNORED.
SO WHILE ALL THESE PEOPLE WERE SCREAMING AND COMING UP TO THE, AND DICTATING THE MICROPHONE.
SO, SO I'M SORRY YOU WENT THROUGH THAT.
WE WEREN'T PREPARED FOR THIS TONIGHT.
IF YOU, IF YOU LOOK FOR OUR WORK SESSION AGENDA, WE TYPICALLY DON'T HAVE ANY PUBLIC COMMENT.
SO THIS REALLY WASN'T THE FORUM.
IT EVEN JUST SO ON THE AGENDA.
WELL, D, DEBRA, DEBORAH, I KNOW DEBORAH AND MURRAY.
I WANNA THANK YOU BOTH BECAUSE YOU BOTH WERE PARTNERS IN HELPING US IN.
SO, BUT LET, SO LET'S MOVE ON TO THE FIFTH.
WE, WE REALLY HAVE TO GET ON WITH OUR MEETING.
NEED TO DO, IS THERE ANYTHING YOU NEED FROM US ALL? I DON'T KNOW WHO'S, I DON'T KNOW WHO STAYING TONIGHT.
ELAINE WITNESS AS FAR ASS, COULD YOU, THAT'LL BE VERY HELPFUL.
ALSO, OBVIOUSLY, YOU KNOW, WE'RE GONNA TRY TO, UM, LIKE A SPEED SIGN DOWN THERE WITH A VISUAL, UH, DIGITAL SIGN.
WE'VE HAD DIGITAL, WE'VE HAD SINCE MONDAY.
WE'VE HAD EXTRA OFFICERS THERE.
AND DOING TRAFFIC ENFORCEMENT, I THINK MAYBE IF YOU MENTIONED THAT EVEN.
BUT MAYBE IF, MAYBE YOU CAN MENTION IT ON THE AIR, BECAUSE THIS'S WAY PEOPLE SHOULD KNOW.
THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU SO MUCH.
AND WE CAN SAY THE, WE CAN JUST RECORD THE UPDATES THAT WE HAVE BETWEEN NOW AND THANK YOU SO MUCH.
SO THE, THE HUMAN RIGHTS COMMISSION, UH, GREENBERG HUMAN RIGHTS ADVISORY COMMISSION, UH, AS YOU ALL KNOW, UM, WOULD LIKE TO HOST A SERIES OF AFFINITY CIRCLES.
YOU NEED TO HAVE THAT CONVERSATION OUTSIDE.
TELLING OUR OFFICERS, GET OUTSIDE
SO THE, THE GREENBERG HUMAN RIGHTS ADVISORY COMMITTEE, AS YOU ALL KNOW, WOULD LIKE TO HOST A SERIES OF AFFINITY CIRCLES, UH, FOR PEOPLE, UH, IN THE TOWN, UM, TO GATHER AND TALK ABOUT ISSUES THAT ARE AFFECTING THEM IN THE TOWN.
UM, I THINK THIS IS A GREAT EXAMPLE OF ISSUES THAT PEOPLE MIGHT LIKE TO TALK ABOUT, UH, AND GET SOME FEEDBACK ON.
AND THEY WOULD LIKE TO KNOW WHETHER WE AS A BOARD, UH, WOULD, UH, ISSUE A LETTER IN SUPPORT OF THEIR EFFORT.
WELL, I SUPPORTED IT VIA EMAIL INSTEAD.
BUT SHE WANTS, SO SHE WANTS A LETTER.
UM, SO I WAS GONNA WRITE A LETTER AND SIGN ON, SIGN OFF ONE THAT I THINK GINA WOULD, WOULD, WOULD ADD HER NAME.
DOES ANYONE ELSE WANT, WOULD ANYONE ELSE LIKE TO ADD THEIR NAMES.
CAN WE SEE THE LETTER? NO, HE SAID HE'S GONNA DRAFT, I'LL DRAFT AND HE SAYS HE'S GONNA DRAFT THE LETTER.
YOU'LL DRAFT IT AND WRITE AND CIRCULATE IT.
[01:00:01]
YES.IN PRINCIPLE, BUT I LIKE TO SEE SOMETHING IN WRITING.
ELLEN, YOU FEEL THE SAME WAY? ELLEN, WANT YOU SEE THE LETTER? OKAY, PAUL, YOU, NO PROBLEM.
AND SO, WELL, HERE'S A DRAFT OF ANOTHER LETTER.
IF YOU COULD, I'LL GIVE THAT TO YOU TWO, TAKE ONE.
SO AT LAST WEEK'S WORK SESSION, WE HEARD FROM VARIOUS ATTORNEYS REPRESENTING, UH, LIQUOR STORES WITHIN UNINCORPORATED GREENBERG AND IN THE ELMSFORD AREA.
AND IN REGARDS TO THE APPLICANT AT, IS IT, WHAT'S SAWMILL? WHAT'S THE ADDRESS? 2 88 SAWMILL THREE 10.
I INCORPORATED ONE OF THE COMMENTS.
I, I INCORPORATED, UH, A LINE AT THE VERY END HERE THAT I FEEL LIKE MIGHT BE UP FOR DISCUSSION.
AND I WANTED TO SEE IF THIS IS WHAT THE BOARD AGREED TO.
IF THERE WERE ANY OTHER ADDITIONS, OMISSIONS, OR ANYTHING ELSE, UM, WE WANTED TO DISCUSS.
I SEE SOME OF THE SAME ATTORNEYS WHO WERE HERE, UH, LAST WEEK ARE ALSO PRESENT IN THE AUDIENCE.
DO WE JUST READ IT OR YOU FINE? YEAH, THIS IS THE LATEST VERSION.
IT'S THE FIRST TIME THE TOWN BOARD IS SEEING IT, SO THEY'LL NEED A MOMENT TO READ THROUGH.
I MEAN, I, I STILL DISSENT FROM THE OPINION.
I COULD EITHER WRITE MY OWN OWN LETTER, I COULD WRITE MY OWN LETTER, OR YOU COULD DO THIS.
BUT, YOU KNOW, BECAUSE I I I, THE CONCERN THAT I HAVE IS, I, I KNOW THAT THERE'RE GONNA BE, DO HAVE TIME TO READ THE LETTER.
CAN WE READ, CAN WE READ THE, YOU ALREADY RESPONDED.
CAN WE READ THE LETTER? WE HAVE HAD A CHANCE TO, YOU RESPONDED WITHOUT US HAVING AN OPPORTUNITY TO DO SO.
SO NOW THIS IS OUR OPPORTUNITY, JOE, WHO IS THIS ADDRESSED TO? THIS WOULD BE ADDRESSED TO THE STATE LIQUOR AUTHORITY.
THAT'S THE, THE PREVIOUS LETTER THAT WAS SENT IN JANUARY.
THE, WE SEND IT THE SAME WAY AND WE COULD PROVIDE COPIES TO ALL THE AT ATTORNEYS WHO ARE DEALING WITH THE MATTER.
DO WE HAVE A COPY OF THAT? NO, IT'S A DRAFT HERE, JOE.
SO WOULD THAT BE, THAT IS THAT, THAT'S A GOOD POINT.
WE HAVE A DISCUSSION ABOUT THE DISCUSSION.
YOU KNOW, FIRST OF ALL, HOLD, HOLD ON, HOLD ON.
I HAVE A RIGHT TO I, JILL, I DON'T LIKE, I THINK THAT THIS LETTER DOESN'T HIGHLIGHT MY, MY CONCERNS.
IT SAYS EVERY PRIOR RESPONSE SHALL BE OFFICIALLY WITHDRAWN.
I'M NOT WITHDRAWING MY LETTER.
I BASICALLY CONTINUE TO OPPOSE IT.
SO YOU CAN'T SAY, YOU CAN'T SAY THAT I'M WITHDRAWING A STATEMENT WHEN I'M NOT WITHDRAWING IT.
SO THE THING IS, I, YOU COULD SAY THE, THE MAJORITY OF THE TOWN BOARD, UM, IS TAKING THIS POSITION WITH THIS TOWN SUPERVISOR CONTINUING TO, UM, OBJECT TO IT.
UM, AND, UM, AND I WILL, UM, BE ALSO, I'M ALSO, UH, WILLING TO WRITE ANOTHER LETTER TO THE STATE LIQUOR AUTHORITY EXPRESSING THE REASONS WHY I OPPOSE IT JU YOU KNOW, I COULD DO IT AS AN INDIVIDUAL, WHICH I WILL DO.
SO CAN I, SO CAN I SUGGEST THEN THAT WE CHANGE TOWN BOARD? OR ACTUALLY COUNSEL WOMAN JACKSON SUGGESTED CHANGING TOWN BOARD TO TOWN COUNCIL? NO, NO.
THE MAJORITY OF THE TOWN BOARD, THE MAJORITY OF THE TOWN IS THE TOWN BOARD, BOARD WITH THE SUPERVISOR OBJECTING.
I THINK THAT YOU, BECAUSE I, I AM OBJECTING AND I, I'LL CONTINUE TO OBJECT.
AND, UM, AND I DO RESPECT THE FACT THAT A MAJORITY OF THE TOWN BOARD HAS A RIGHT TO DISAGREE WITH ME.
UM, I DON'T THINK IT'S, UH, APPROPRIATE TO SAY THAT THIS, UH, THAT EVERY PRIOR RESPONSE SHALL BE DEEMED OFFICIALLY WITHDRAWN BECAUSE THE, THE PRI PRIOR RESPONSES WERE WRITTEN BY ME
[01:05:01]
AND MY, UH, UH, UH, POSITION AS MAY WE SPECIFY THAT THE PRIOR RESPONSE EXPRESSED TOWN THAT'S YOU COULD THE SUPERVISORS TOWN BOARD.AND, UH, WAS DEEMED A PERSONAL OPINION.
AND YOU KNOW, I JUST LIKE TO REALLY HIGHLIGHT FOR THE RECORD, YOU KNOW, MY OPPOSITION TO THIS HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH, YOU KNOW, YOUR, YOU KNOW, I THINK THAT YOU BOTH WILL BE, WILL BE GREAT BUSINESS PEOPLE.
I THINK IT'S A, A GOOD LOCATION.
I JUST THINK IT'S GONNA FORCE, UH, OTHER EXISTING LIQUOR OR LIQUOR STORES OUT OF BUSINESS.
AND I, I DON'T REALLY THINK IT'S FAIR TO HAVE SOMEBODY WHO'S BEEN THERE FOR, FOR YEARS, UH, DECADES, YOU KNOW, FOR, UH, FORCED OUT OF BUSINESS WHEN, YOU KNOW, HE BASICALLY HAD THE STORE, UH, AT, AT THE SAME COMPLEX, UH, WHEN SHOPRITE, UH, DECIDED THAT THEY HAD TO RE-DO THE PROJECT WHEN THE, WHEN THE, BASICALLY THEY KICKED OUT EVERY, IT WASN'T SHOPRITE, IT WAS A DEVELOPER.
THE DEVELOPER, UH, TOLD EVERYBODY THAT THEY HAD TO LEAVE.
DID HE? WHY DIDN'T HE RETURN? IT WAS UNDER CONSTRUCTION.
SO HE HAD TO LEAVE BECAUSE IT WAS UNDER CONSTRUCTION.
WE HEARD LAST WEEK COME BACK THAT HE HAD AN OPTION TO COME BACK.
HE CHOSE NOT TO, HE, HE DUG, I FORGET WHAT THE TERMINOLOGY WAS, BUT HE, HE DUG IN WHERE HE WAS AND HE OBVIOUSLY WAS SUCCESSFUL WHERE HE WAS WITHOUT SHOPRITE THERE.
AND FRANKLY, THAT'S NOT OUR CALL AS TO WHETHER OR NOT IT'LL BE SEX.
THAT'S THE, THE, THE, UH, LIQUOR AUTHORITY DETERMINES WHETHER OR NOT THERE'S A PROLIFERATION OR WHATEVER.
WELL, YOU KNOW, AGAIN, THAT'S WHY, YOU KNOW, AS LONG AS YOU, I I DEEPLY RESENT, DEEPLY RESENT YOU GOING BACK BEHIND THE BACKS OF THE APPLICANTS BY GIVING, CHANGING YOUR POSITION FROM YOU WELCOME THEM IN JANUARY TO IN JULY, GIVING TO THEIR COMPETITION A LETTER STATING YOU ARE OPPOSED TO IT.
AND HAVING THEM AMBUSHED AT THE LIQUOR AUTHORITY WITH A LETTER THAT THEY HAD NOT SEEN BEFORE.
AND FRANKLY, PART OF THE REASON WHY I FEEL LIKE I HAVE TO VOTE, AND FRANKLY I WOULD MAKE THIS STRONGER, IS BECAUSE YOU HAVE PUT US AS COUNCILMAN JONES SAID LAST WEEK, YOU HAVE PUT US AT THE FOREFRONT OF THE DECISION MAKING PROCESS BY THE LIQUOR AUTHORITY BECAUSE YOU WENT FROM A, WE WELCOME YOU TO, I'M OPPOSED.
AND OF COURSE, ANY COMMISSIONER WOULD SAY WHAT HAPPENED? THERE MUST BE SOMETHING, IF YOU DIDN'T SAY ANYTHING IN JANUARY, IT WOULD'VE BEEN BETTER THAN NOW CHANGING YOUR POSITION.
I DON'T KNOW WHY PEOPLE HAVE SPECULATION AS TO WHY, BUT IT DOESN'T MATTER.
THIS IS THE POSITION IF WE APPROVE IT, UH, OF THE TOWN BOARD REGARDING WHETHER OR NOT WE WELCOME, UM, THE, UH, LIQUOR STORE.
WE HEARD THAT PEOPLE THOUGHT THERE WAS GONNA BE A RESTAURANT THERE.
WE ASKED OUR COMMISSIONER OF COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT AND CONSERVATION COULD THEY PUT A RESTAURANT THERE AND THAT WAS NOT PART OF THE PROPOSAL.
THEY WOULD HAVE DIFFERENT PARKING REQUIREMENTS THAT WAS NOT ADDRESSED IN THE APPROVALS.
SO I UNDERSTAND THAT THERE'S PASSION FOR THE PREVIOUS PERSON, BUT IF SOMEBODY LIKES A PER PARTICULAR BUSINESS AND THEY CREATED A CLIENTELE THEY LOCATED, WE HEARD DIRECTLY ON NINE A, THEY'LL STILL FREQUENT THAT THEY'LL HAVE TO DEVELOP THEIR OWN CLIENTELE.
BUT THE LIQUOR AUTHORITY IS GOING TO BE THE ONE TO DECIDE WHETHER OR NOT IT'S, IT'S VIABLE TO HAVE BOTH.
AND I, I WOULD ALSO SUGGEST THAT IF YOU THINK ABOUT IT, VERY OFTEN, UM, STORES WILL AGGREGATE SELLING THE SAME THING BECAUSE THAT COMPETITION IS HEALTHY.
SO THERE, THERE ARE NO, IT DOESN'T AUTOMATICALLY MEAN THAT THE, THE OTHER STORE WILL BE PUT OUT OF BUSINESS.
IT'S CONCEIVABLE THERE'LL BE SOME HEALTHY COMPETITION.
UM, THEY, THEY PURPORT TO HAVE DIFFERENT, UM, METHODOLOGY AND SALES PLAN, UH, AND DIFFERENT, UH, PRODUCT.
SO THEY MAY NOT BE IN COMPETITION TO ANY LARGE DEGREE AT ALL.
I'VE BEEN, WHETHER IT'S LIQUOR STORES OR OR CAR DEALERSHIPS OR, UM, OR
[01:10:01]
EVERY MALL THAT YOU GO TO HAS, HAS, MIGHT HAVE SEVERAL BIG BOX STORES.I'M NOT TALKING ABOUT WHAT COVID HAS DONE TO THEM, BUT YOU KNOW, THEY, WE, WE HAVE IT RIGHT IN, IN THE MIDDLE OF, OF WHITE PLAINS.
WE HAVE NEIMAN MARCUS AND WE HAVE NORDSTROM'S.
SO I I I DON'T SEE IT AS NECESSARILY MEANING THAT THE, THE, THE ONE STORE WILL PUT THE OTHER OUT OF BUSINESS.
WE HAVE ZONING THAT ALLOWS FOR THIS.
AND YOU'RE, WE'RE ALL ENTITLED TO OUR PERSONAL OPINIONS, BUT WE SHOULD NOT BE INFLUENCING THE STATE LIQUOR AUTHORITY.
WHERE, WHERE REALLY THEY WILL DETERMINE BASED ON THE RAW DATA THAT THEY HAVE, WHETHER IT'S A VIABLE OPTION OR NOT.
HAVE WE, YOU KNOW, WE MIGHT ACTUALLY WANT TO INCLUDE, UH, SOMETHING SIMILAR TO WHAT YOU JUST SAID IN THIS COUNCIL MEMBERS.
WHAT'S THAT? I'M JUST SAYING LET'S LET THE COUNCIL MEMBERS FINISH TALKING BEFORE WE POSSIBLY OPEN UP TO ANY PUBLIC.
BUT AGAIN, THIS IS A WORK SESSION.
WE HAD THAT DISCUSSION LAST WEEK.
THIS IS JUST FOR THE DECISION.
YEAH, I MEAN, TO, TO REITERATE EVERYTHING THAT WE'VE ALREADY HEARD AND SAID DOESN'T ACCOMPLISH WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO ACHIEVE HERE.
ALRIGHT, SO I SUPPORT THE, UH, STATEMENT AS AMENDED.
ARE, ARE, ARE WE INCLUDING THE LAST LINE? I WAS UNCLEAR ON THAT.
OKAY, SO YOU'RE NOT GONNA INCLUDE THAT I OBJECT.
WELL, THE WAY WE WILL, WELL, WE'LL KEEP IN THE BEGINNING.
AT THE BEGINNING THE WORDING WE JUST CHANGED.
RIGHT? SO COULD YOU JUST, SO I WON'T SAY, COULD YOU, I, I'LL HAVE TO RECIRCULATE IT.
WHAT WAS THE WORDING THAT THIS LETTER STATES THE OFFICIAL POSITION OF THE TOWN OF GREENBURG AND EVERY OTHER PRIOR RESPONSE, UM, SHALL BE DEEMED A PERSONAL OPINION? NO.
YOU HAVE TO SAY THAT I OBJECT TO THIS LETTER.
NO, WELL THAT'S, THAT'S WHAT I'M ASKING ABOUT TO DISCUSS, HAVE LETTER ON FILE.
WELL THEN I'M GONNA WRITE ANOTHER LETTER TO THE STATE LIQUOR AUTHORITY EXPRESSING MY PERSONAL OPINION.
I'M GONNA WRITE A STRONG LETTER AND I'M GONNA HIGHLIGHT MY OBJECTIONS UNLESS YOU, UNLESS YOU PUT IN THE LETTER.
WE JUST, THAT'S WHAT'S TALKING ABOUT LETTER.
I HAVE A RIGHT TO EXPRESS MYSELF, MAKE PEOPLE SAYING I'M GONNA, I'M GONNA WRITE LETTER.
OH, YOU KNOW WHAT? YOU WRITE YOUR LETTER.
YOU RIGHT TO SAY WHATEVER YOU WANT.
I THINK IT SHOULD BE STRONGER.
SO YOU WANNA MAKE A STRONG AND JUST SEND A DRAFT? YES.
AND JUST SEND A DRAFT AND THEN, ALRIGHT, WHY DON'T WE DO THAT? OKAY.
WE COULD AT, AT THE BEGINNING SAY THAT THIS LETTER STATES THE OFFICIAL POSITION OF THE TOWN BOARD AND ALL OTHER PRIOR, UM, COMMUNICATIONS WERE NOT OFFICIAL POSITIONS OF THE TOWN BOARD.
SO THAT IT'S CLEAR OR SOMETHING.
I MEAN, YOU COULD JUST SAY THIS IS THE, THE OPINION OF FOUR OUTTA FIVE PEOPLE.
NO, 'CAUSE BECAUSE HE DOESN'T DO THAT WHEN HE HAS, WE ARE NOT HIM.
HE, HE OBVIOUSLY HAS WHATEVER AGENDA HE HAS.
I MEAN IT'S THE, BUT IT'S THE POSITION OF THE TOWN BOARD THREE MEMBERS.
HE SAYS IT ALL THE TIME, ALL I NEED IS TO GET THREE VOTES AND THAT BECOMES THE OFFICIAL POSITION.
I REALLY THINK THOUGH THAT, THAT WE SHOULD TRY.
I REALLY THINK THOUGH THAT WE SHOULD TRY TO JUST HAVE ONE LETTER OR ELSE THE, OUR POSITION, OUR POSITION IS, IS GOING TO, IS IT WILL WE'LL, WE'LL, WE'LL JUST INTENSIFY THE, THE, THE, THE PER, YOU KNOW, WE, WE ARE, WE ARE NOT, WE'RE NOT SOLVING THE ISSUE.
IF WE SEND TWO LETTERS, IF WE SEND TWO LETTERS, THEN WE'RE, WE'RE AGGRAVATING THE ISSUE THAT WE'RE TRYING TO, TO SOLVE THAT WE SHOULDN'T BE THE FULCRUM OF ANYWAY.
I, I WOULD NOT WRITE A SEPARATE LETTER.
IF YOU SAY I CONTINUE TO OBJECT TO THE OPINION OF THE BOARD, UH, UM, FOR THE REASONS I HIGHLIGHTED IN PREVIOUS LETTERS.
IF YOU PUT THAT IN, I WOULD BE WILLING NOT TO WRITE ANOTHER LETTER.
JUST, JUST LEAVE THE LAST, LEAVE THE LAST LINE.
WE HAVE THE INTEGRITY OF THE TOWN BOARD, RIGHT? HE NEVER INCLUDES AND SO-AND-SO OBJECTED WHEN HE WANTS SOMETHING, HE GETS VOTES.
YOU SHOW ME AN EXAMPLE, YOU'RE JUST MAKING UP STUFF AS ALWAYS.
'CAUSE I HAD IT HAPPEN WITH ME, SO I KNOW FOR SURE, BUT THI THIS IS, YOU KNOW, I THOUGHT THAT IN, IN A DEMOCRACY AND TOWN BOARD IS PART OF THAT, THAT THE MAJORITY RULES.
SO WITH THE VOTE FOR, UM, AN ELECTED CANDIDATE IS WHOEVER GETS THE MOST VOTES, UH, NOT
[01:15:01]
WITHSTANDING, UM, HIGHER LEVELS OF GOVERNMENT, UM, IN IN ANY ANYTHING, IT'S WHOMEVER THEY, WHATEVER THE DECISION IS, AND THERE WILL ALWAYS BE DISSENTERS.AND THAT'S UNDERSTOOD THAT, THAT NOTHING, NOT EVERYTHING IS UNANIMOUS.
SO, UH, I AND I I I HATE TO SEE THE DEMOCRATIC PROCESS BE PROSTITUTED IN ANY WAY.
ALRIGHT, SO WE WANNA, WE WANNA DRAFT, THERE'S, THERE'S 4 0 1 VOTES, THERE'S VOTES IN CONGRESS AND SOMETIMES THEY HIGHLIGHT THAT IT'S NOT UNANIMOUS AND THEY'LL SAY IT'S, UH, UH, 400 TO WHATEVER.
UH, YOU KNOW, THERE'S VOTES IN THE LEGISLATURE THEY'LL PUBLICIZE WHEN THERE'S OPPOSITE, WHEN THERE'S A MINORITY VOTE.
ALL I'M SAYING IS THAT IF I DISAGREE WITH OPINION, AND IT'S IN THE LETTER AND WE'RE BASICALLY SAYING THE MAJORITY OF THE BOARD, FOUR OUT OF FIVE MEMBERS OF THE BOARD, UM, UH, FEEL STRONGLY THAT THIS, UM, NEW BUSINESS, UH, SHOULD BE ALLOWED TO OPEN UP ONE MEMBER, UM, UH, DISAGREES.
UM, AND YOU KNOW THAT, AND YOU PUT IN ALL THE REASONS, UH, YOU FOR IT.
THE LIQUOR AUTHORITY THEN WILL WAIVE MY PREVIOUS LETTER IS THEY'LL WEIGH YOUR LETTERS AND THEY'LL MAKE A DECISION.
I, THIS IS NOT, I'M NOT GONNA BE, YOU KNOW, I, I EXPRESS MYSELF.
I CONTINUE TO FEEL THE SAME WAY.
I DON'T HAVE ANY, UM, PERSONAL PROBLEMS WITH SOMO RIVER LIQUORS.
YOU KNOW, I THINK THAT THEY'LL BE SUCCESSFUL AND I THINK IT'S A GREAT LO YOU KNOW, IT'S, IT'S A GOOD LOCATION, BUT I, I DO THINK IT'S GONNA FORCE OTHER BUSINESSES, SMALL BUSINESSES, UM, OUT OF BUSINESS.
THAT'S MY OWN PERSONAL FEELING.
I, I'VE NEVER SINCE I'VE BEEN TOWN SUPERVISOR WANTED TO HURT EXISTING BUSINESSES.
YOU KNOW, WE HAVE A, WE'VE HAD A DIFFICULT TIME ON THAT STREET ON SOMO RIVER ROAD AND UM, UH, YOU KNOW, A LOT OF THE SMALL BUSINESSES HAVE BEEN SUFFERING OVER, OVER THE YEARS.
UH, THEY'VE BEEN THROUGH A LOT.
IT'S VERY HARD TO BE SUCCESSFUL.
UH, THIS IS A PRIME LOCATION AND UM, AND YOU KNOW, THERE'S LIKE NO WAY IT'S NOT GONNA BE SUCCESSFUL.
UM, BUT AGAIN, IF, YOU KNOW, I, THE ONLY CONCERN I HAVE, UM, UM, IS THAT, YOU KNOW, I DO THINK, UM, IT'S GONNA FORCE, I I I FEEL THAT THERE'S, YOU KNOW, A NUMBER OF LIQUOR STORES THERE AND IT'S GOING TO, IT'S GONNA CAUSE AT LEAST ONE OF THEM TO GO OUTTA BUSINESS.
SUPERVISOR, I I THINK WE, WE ARE CLEAR ON YOUR OPINION, RIGHT? WE ARE CLEAR ON YOUR OPINION.
I I DON'T THINK YOU NEED TO, BUT, BUT YOU KNOW WHAT? LETTER ITERATE.
I, I DON'T THINK YOU NEED TO REITERATE IT, BUT I THINK IT'S A STRONGER LETTER.
I THINK FROM YOUR STANDPOINT, IT'S A STRONGER LETTER TO BE, UH, TRANSPARENT AND UPFRONT WITH, UH, WITH THE LIQUOR AUTHORITY BECAUSE THEY'RE GONNA KNOW ANYWAY.
SO THE THING IS, IF YOU, IF THEY, IF THEY GET ONE LETTER INSTEAD OF TWO LETTERS, IT'S GOING TO, UM, IT'S GOING TO HAVE, IT'S GOING TO MAKE YOUR LETTER MUCH MORE EFFECTIVE.
IF YOU'RE TRYING TO HIDE THE FACT OF MY POSITION, IT'S GONNA ACTUALLY HURT YOUR CASE RATHER THAN HELP YOUR CASE.
SO IN THE INTEREST OF TRANSPARENCY, YOU SENT A LETTER IN JANUARY, YOU DIDN'T TELL THE TOWN BOARD ABOUT IT, GAVE THE IMPRESSION THAT THE TOWN BOARD I TOLD THE BOARD IN APRIL.
THEY, THEY NEVER ASKED FOR THE TOWN BOARD POSITION.
THEY ASKED FOR IN JANUARY AND YOU ACKNOWLEDGED THAT YOU TOLD US IN APRIL A THAT AFTER YOU SENT IT, THAT'S NOT TRANSPARENCY.
THEY, THEY DIDN'T ASK FOR YOU THEN SENT ANOTHER LETTER THAT WE DID NOT SEE WHEN YOU SENT IT, THAT YOU WERE OPPOSED.
AND INSTEAD OF GIVING IT TO US OR GIVING IT TO THE APPLICANTS, YOU GAVE IT TO THEIR COMPETITION TO PRESENT AT THE LIQUOR AUTHORITY HEARING AND AMBUSH THEM.
I DON'T KNOW WHY YOU DID THAT.
I DON'T KNOW WHY YOU HAVE THE INTENSITY THAT YOU HAVE.
BECAUSE THEY ASKED ME FOR A LETTER.
THEY ASKED ME FOR A LETTER AND BASICALLY YOU HAVE THE INTENSITY OF OPPOSITION THAT YOU HAVE RIGHT NOW.
THERE'S, THERE'S NOT AN INTENSITY OF OPPOSITION.
IT'S BASICALLY SOMEBODY CALLED ME UP AND SAID, I THINK YOU CALLED ME.
YOU SAID, PEOPLE CALLED ME ALL THE TIME.
I'VE TAKEN POSITIONS ON THOUSANDS OF ISSUES OVER THE YEARS.
I'VE GIVE, I GIVE MY POSITION.
IF PEOPLE ASK ME FOR A TOWN BOARD POSITION, I I I ASK JOAN TO PUT IT ON THE AGENDA OF THE OF WORK SESSION AND, AND WE DISCUSS IT.
UH, BECAUSE I UNDERSTAND THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN A PERSONAL POSITION AND A TOWN BOARD POSITION.
I'VE TAKEN MILLIONS OF, OF, OF STANDS ON, ON ON ISSUES.
AND I'M VERY CLEAR WHEN I'M SPEAKING FOR MYSELF AND I'M VERY CLEAR WHEN, WHEN IT'S A TOWN BOARD, I NEVER WOULD MISREPRESENT THAT THIS IS A TOWN BOARD POSITION WHEN IT, WHEN IT'S NOT.
UM, MANY TIMES THE BOARD DISAGREES WITH ME ON THINGS ANYWAY.
SO, UM, UH, SO, YOU KNOW, I'VE, I'VE HAD A HISTORY OF 32 YEARS WHERE THE BOARD'S DISAGREED WITH ME ON, ON MANY, MANY THINGS.
AND I'M SURE IT'S GONNA CONTINUE.
YOU KNOW, YOU, YOU HAVE A DIFFERENT PHILOSOPHY
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AND A DIFFERENT STYLE AND A DIFFERENT, UM, YOU KNOW, DIFFERENT GOALS AND UH, YOU KNOW, YOU'RE, YOU'RE ENTITLED TO THAT.THAT'S WHY WE HAVE A DEMOCRACY.
I'M MAY SO WHY IS IT EVERY TIME THAT WE EXPRESS OUR OPINION, YOU JUST SHUT US DOWN AND YOU DON'T ALLOW US, I'M NOT SHUTTING YOU DOWN UNLESS TO, UNLESS ALLOW US TO EXPRESS HOW WE FEEL.
YOU COULD, WE GAVE OUR OPINION HOW WE FELT THE LETTER JOEL WAS TRYING TO, TO FINISH THE LETTER AND GET A SENSE OF WHAT WE'RE, HE HAS NO DIRECTION AND THAT'S WHAT HE'S BEEN SITTING HERE DIRECT WAITING.
THE DIRECTION IS JUST TO PUT MY MY WHY CAN I IN THE LETTER, ARE YOU CLEAR WITH THAT DIRECTION? I DON'T KNOW WHAT DIRECTION THAT WAS.
I'M NOT CLEAR ON IF I'M INCLUDING THE LAST LINE OR NOT.
I DON'T, I DON'T, I DON'T UNDERSTAND.
I'M, I'M CLEAR WITH CHANGING THE FIRST SENTENCE SHALL BE DEEMED OFFICIALLY WITHDRAWN.
I, BECAUSE YOU KNOW, HE'S GONNA WRITE ANOTHER LETTER NO MATTER WHAT.
RIGHT? WELL, I TOLD YOU, IF YOU, IF YOU, I'LL PROBABLY GIVE IT TO THE OPPOSITION.
I TOLD YOU, IF YOU INDICATE, LET ME SAY SOMETHING, I SAID VERY CLEARLY THAT IF THIS LETTER INDICATES MY, SO WHY DON'T DROP THE LETTER FOR JOE AND THAT JOE LETTER CAME FROM THAT.
WHY DON'T THE LETTER FOR JOE, I SAID THAT I'M NOT GONNA WRITE ANOTHER LETTER.
UM, IF, UH, THIS LETTER CLEARLY STATES THAT I OBJECT TO, UM, UH, I CONTINUE TO, UH, UM, OPPOSE THE APPLICATION.
THAT'S WHAT, IF THERE'S ONE LINE ON THERE, I WILL THEN THAT'S IT.
I WILL NOT COMMENT FURTHER, BUT IT'S UP TO YOU.
IF YOU WANT ME IN THE, IN YOUR LETTER, THAT'S FINE.
IF YOU DON'T, I'LL WRITE IN A SEPARATE LETTER.
I I GUESS WE COULD ALSO GET SOME LEGAL ADVICE REGARDING WHAT THE APPROPRIATENESS OF TWO LETTERS VERSUS ONE LETTER.
IT DOESN'T MATTER, IT'S NOT LEGAL ADVICE INCLUDE, OR WE INCLUDE IN THIS ONE, SAY NOT THE PRIOR, PRIOR LETTER FROM THE SUPERVISOR WAS HIS PERSONAL OPINION WITHOUT STATING IT'S WITHDRAWN.
I, I THINK, I THINK THAT WOULD BE FINE.
BUT I WOULD JUST LIKE TO SAY THAT I CONTINUE TO CONTINUE TO SHARE THIS VIEW.
I CONTINUE TO, I, I I'M NOT, I HAVEN'T CHANGED MY MIND FILE.
NO, BECAUSE, BECAUSE THIS LETTER SEEMS LIKE THE TOWN BOARD, UH, UNANIMOUSLY HAS POSITION WHEN IT'S NOT TRUE.
SO JUST WHATEVER YOU WANT IS FINE.
I WILL RECIRCULATE, I, I I BELIEVE I'LL BE RECIRCULATING TWO VERSIONS AT THIS POINT AND WE'LL HAVE TO HAVE A VOTE WHICH VERSION IS THE ONE TO GO OUT.
OKAY, BUT WHEN ARE WE GONNA HAVE TO VOTE? YEAH, WHEN IS THAT? I'M WILLING, I'M WILLING TO VOTE TO SUPPORT YOU WRITING THE LETTER
IT'S A PERSONAL OPINION, RIGHT? EVERYBODY OKAY WITH THAT? IT'S FINE.
DO WE MOVE ONE? CAN I JUST ADD ONE OF THE ATTORNEYS WILL GET A COPY OF THAT ONE? YES.
I WILL SEND IT AND, AND EVERYBODY EVERYBODY WILL GET IT.
WHAT? WE'RE NOT GONNA DO WHAT THE SUPERVISOR DID.
WE'RE GONNA MAKE SURE THAT EVERYBODY GETS A COPY.
ALSO, YOU'RE NOT GONNA GET ON THE SIXTH.
IT HAS TO BE, YOU'RE NOT REALLY CHARACTERIZING IT HERE SEPTEMBER 6TH, CORRECT? YES.
I THANK YOUR DEPUTY SUPERVISOR, YOUR DEPUTY, UH, MOTION FOR EXECUTIVE SESSION FOR THE PURPOSES OF DISCUSSING PERSONNEL MATTERS INVOLVING SPECIFIC INDIVIDUALS AND TO SEEK LEGAL ADVICE ON VARIOUS MATTERS AND ALSO FOR US TO HAVE, UH, TRAINING.