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IN PROGRESS.OKAY, WE'RE HAVING OUR TOWN BOARD WORK
[ 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]
SESSION.TODAY IS APRIL 30TH AT, UH, SOMEWHERE AFTER FIVE 15.
AND, UH, FIRST WE'RE GONNA HAVE A SPECIAL MEETING, UH, 28TH.
THE ITEM IS, UH, YOU GONNA MOVE TO OPEN A SPECIAL MEETING? I MOVE TO OPEN A SPECIAL MEETING.
WOULD YOU LIKE TO TAKE THE ROLL CALL? YES.
COUNCILWOMAN JACKSON PRESENT AND OUR TOWN ATTORNEY AND PARLIAMENTARIAN ATTORNEY JOE DANKO.
ATTORNEY JOE DANKO GETS BETTER EVERY WEEK.
SO, NEXT TIME SQUARE IS RESOLUTION OF THE TOWN BOARD OF THE TOWN OF GREENBURG AUTHORIZING A HOME RULE REQUEST TO THE NEW YORK STATE LEGISLATURE FOR AN AMENDMENT TO THE NEW YORK STATE VEHICLE ON TRAFFIC LAW AUTHORIZING THE ESTABLISHMENT OF A RED, UM, LIGHT CAMERA PROGRAM IN THE TOWN OF GREENBURG TO ALLOW THE INSTALLATION OF A RED LIGHT CAMERAS AT THE INTERSECTION OF RADLEY ROAD AND OLD ARMY ROAD AND EAST TAR AVENUE AND ROCKWOOD ROAD.
YOU MAKING A MOTION TO CLOSE THE SPECIAL MEETING? MOVE THAT WE CLOSE THE, UM, EXECUTIVE SIDE, THIS SPECIAL MEETING.
WE'RE THE CAPITAL BUDGET REQUESTS WERE DUE TODAY ARE DUE AT THE END OF THE DAY.
UM, AND THEN I WILL, UM, IN THE SPIRIT OF TRANSPARENCY AND COOPERATION, LOOK AT THAT.
WE'RE GONNA HAVE THREE, UH, WEEKS BEFORE THE BUDGET IS, UH, SUBMITTED, WHERE WE'RE GONNA GO THROUGH, UH, THE, UH, THE PROPOSED CAPITAL BUDGETS.
AND THEN AFTER THE BOARD REVIEWS EVERYTHING, THEN WE WILL, UM, THEN WE WILL BASICALLY, I'LL COME UP WITH MY PROPOSAL AND THEN IT COULD BE SHOT DOWN AND THEN, AND THEN WE'LL, WE'LL, YOU KNOW, AND THEN BASICALLY THE BOARD COULD DO WHATEVER THEY WANT, DISCUSS IT.
BUT I'M BASICALLY FIGURING THAT ON THE GOAL WOULD BE TO SUBMIT THE, THE BUDGET BY END OF MAY AND THEN THE BOARD WOULD HAVE A PUBLIC HEARING THE FIRST MEETING IN JUNE, AND THEN WE COULD ADOPT A BUDGET AT THE END OF JUNE.
NEXT, UH, WE'RE GONNA HEAR ABOUT THE TAX LEVY AND WE, WE ARE, WE PROMISED ERIC, YOU KNOW, A WHILE BACK THAT ERIC ZINGER THAT WE WERE GONNA, UM, UH, YOU KNOW, PREPARE POST SOMETHING ON THE TOWN WEBSITE, UH, HIGHLIGHTING THE TAX LEVY VERSUS TAX RATE, YOU KNOW, AND JUST EXPLAINING THE DIFFERENCES AND, UM, GREAT.
OH, I THOUGHT PAUL WAS, OH, I'M CONFUSED.
SO, WOULD YOU INTRODUCE YOURSELF? YES.
I'M PRESIDENT OF THE HARTSDALE NEIGHBORS ASSOCIATION.
AND THIS HAS BEEN SOMETHING THAT I HAVE BEEN, UH, TALKING ABOUT FOR A WHILE NOW.
AND JUST TO GIVE PEOPLE SOME BACKGROUND, UM, IT HAS NOW BEEN 134 DAYS SINCE THE 2024 OPERATING BUDGET WAS PASSED ON DECEMBER 18TH, UNANIMOUSLY BY THIS TOWN BOARD.
THAT BUDGET CONTAINED A 6% INCREASE IN THE TAX LEVY, 4% FOR TOV AND 6.28% FOR TOV.
SINCE THAT BUDGET WAS PRESENTED, AT NO TIME HAS ANY COMMUNICATION BEEN DISTRIBUTED TO THE PUBLIC CONTAINING ACCURATE INFORMATION ABOUT THE TAX IMPACT RESIDENTS WILL SEE.
IT WAS NOT IN THE LETTER TO CIVIC ASSOCIATIONS.
IT WAS NOT IN THE PREAMBLE TO BUDGET.
IT WAS NOT IN ANY GB LIST EMAIL BLAST OR ANYWHERE ON THE WEBSITE.
THE TAX LEVY INCREASE HAS BEEN IGNORED IN FAVOR OF THE MUCH MORE PALATABLE TAX RATE INCREASE, WHICH IS SIGNIFICANTLY LOWER DUE TO INCREASED TOWN WIDE ASSESSMENTS.
I HAVE FOUGHT THROUGHOUT THE PAST FIVE MONTHS TO URGE THE TOWN BOARD TO BE MORE TRANSPARENT AND TRUTHFUL IN THE BUDGET COMMUNICATIONS.
IN THAT TIME, MANY TOWN BOARD MEMBERS HAVE PUBLICLY AND PRIVATELY EXPRESSED SOLIDARITY WITH THE STATED GOALS.
BUT TO DATE NO ACTION HAS OCCURRED.
I PROFESS IGNORANCE AS TO WHY THIS, UM, HAS NOT BEEN SO, HAS BEEN SO DIFFICULT TO ACCOMPLISH RESIDENTS OF THE TOWN WANT AND DESERVE ACCURATE INFORMATION ABOUT THE TAX INCREASES THIS SPORT HAS PASSED.
I HOPE THAT TODAY, EVEN THOUGH IT HAS BEEN FIVE MONTHS, WE CAN WORK TOWARDS ACHIEVING THAT GOAL.
I SUPPORT, YOU KNOW, POSTING SOMETHING, UM, YOU KNOW, ON THE WEBSITE, BUT I ALSO FEEL THAT RESIDENTS, UM, SHOULD RESIDENTS WHO JUST PAID THEIR TOWN TAXES, THEY ALSO PAID THE COUNTY TAXES,
AND I THINK THAT, UM, WHEN WE SEND OUT THE INFORMATION, WE SHOULD BASICALLY, UH, PROVIDE RESIDENTS WITH ALL THE TAXES THAT THEY PAID.
THE TOWN IS BASICALLY A COLLECTION AGENT, AND
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I KNOW THE COUNTY TAX RATE HASN'T GONE UP.UH, SOME OF THE SPECIAL DISTRICT RATES, YOU KNOW, HAVE GONE, YOU KNOW, HAVE GONE UP.
AND I THINK THAT, YOU KNOW, IF WE'RE GONNA DO SOMETHING, IT SHOULD BE, UM, COMPREHENSIVE.
UH, YOU KNOW, THE FIRE, A LOT OF PEOPLE FEEL THE FIRE DISTRICT TAXES ARE, YOU KNOW, FIRE DISTRICT TAXES ARE ALMOST AS HIGH AS THE TOWN TAXES.
AND I THINK THAT IF WE'RE GONNA BE GIVING PEOPLE INFORMATION, PEOPLE SHOULD SEE EVERYTHING.
I THINK CLARITY IS IMPORTANT AND FOR PEOPLE TO UNDERSTAND BECAUSE PEOPLE HEAR TA AND SAY TAXES ARE GOING UP, TAXES ARE GOING UP, AND THEY THINK THAT IT'S THE RESPONSIBILITY OF ONE OR THE OTHER WHEN IT'S NOT.
WHEN WE SHOULD MAKE PEOPLE AWARE OF JUST THE PERCENTAGE ALSO OF TAXES THAT THEY PAY TOWARDS EACH ENTITY AND OTHER.
AND THEN ALSO GIVE A CLEAR DEFINITION BECAUSE IT'S COME UP BEFORE, AS YOU'VE ALWAYS MENTIONED, THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN A LEVY AND A RE MM-HMM.
AND THANK YOU TOO, ERIC, FOR, FOR YES, THANK YOU.
BECAUSE YOU'VE EDUCATED ALL, YOU KNOW.
SO WHAT I WOULD, I WOULD SAY IS THAT WE, WE AS A GROUP, THE TOWN BOARD SHOULD DECIDE WHAT THE GOAL OF THIS IS.
I HAVE BEEN ADVOCATING AND HOPING TO REDRESS WHAT I BELIEVE WAS A CRITICAL ERROR IN THE COMMUNICATION OF THE TOWN BOARD IN THE NOVEMBER, DECEMBER, JANUARY PERIOD TO ACCURATELY CONVEY INFORMATION ABOUT THIS YEAR'S BUDGET.
SO THIS GOAL, WE HAVE TO DECIDE IF THE GOAL IS TO, IS TO CORRECT THAT INCORRECT INFORMATION, OR IF THE GOAL IS TO PROVIDE GENERAL INFORMATION ABOUT THE TAXES, I THINK IT'LL BE VERY DIFFICULT TO DO BOTH OF THOSE THINGS CONCURRENTLY.
AND SO THE TOWN BOARD NEEDS TO DECIDE WHICH OF THOSE GOALS WE'RE SEEKING TO ACCOMPLISH.
I THINK WE CAN DO BOTH AT THE SAME TIME WITH A SIMPLE PIE CHART THAT SHOWS THE PERCENTAGE OF TAXES JUST LIKE WE DO.
THE COUNTY HAS A PAMPHLET THAT WE HAND OUT THAT SHOWS WHERE YOUR TAXES GO.
IT DOESN'T HAVE TO BE DETAILED.
AND THEN HAVE THE DETAILS SHOW FOR THE TOWN WHAT WE'RE, YOU KNOW, GIVE THAT INFORMATION.
YOU KNOW, IT IS IMPORTANT FOR, 'CAUSE LIKE ELLEN WAS SAYING, PEOPLE SAY, MY TAXES WENT UP.
WELL, YOUR PROPERTY TAXES WENT UP.
UM, THAT'S IN YOUR PARTICULAR SCHOOL DISTRICT.
THAT DOESN'T MEAN THAT NECESSARILY YOUR TOWN TAXES WENT UP AS WELL.
YOU, YOU KNOW, WE, WE WANNA SHOW THE, THE SENTENCES AND THE PAYOUTS.
YOU WANNA SHOW THE PAYOUTS, BUT IN A WAY THAT IS VERY EASY TO UNDERSTAND AND DOESN'T GO, WE DON'T HAVE TO GO INTO A LOT OF DETAIL ABOUT IT, BUT I THINK WE CAN ACCOMPLISH BOTH.
OUR PIECE OF IT IS CLARITY FOR THE TOWN TAXES.
SO YOU'RE DOING A GREAT SERVICE.
THAT'S A GREAT SERVICE THAT WE CAN EXPLAIN WHAT OUR TAXES ARE AND HOW WE ARRIVED AT THEM FOR THE, THE TAX RATE VERSUS TAX LEVY.
AND THEN IN ADDITION, WE CAN CLARIFY WHERE PEOPLE'S TAXES GO.
I DON'T SEE THEM AS BEING, WHICH, NOT TO GET OFF TOPIC 'CAUSE WE HAVEN'T SOLVED THIS TOPIC, BUT I THINK WHAT'S REALLY IMPORTANT FOR EVERYONE TO REMEMBER IS THAT NEXT DECEMBER, THE ASSESSMENT ROLES ALSO HAVE BIG INCREASES FOR, SO WHEN WE GET TO DECEMBER, THE TAX RATE IS GOING TO BE MUCH LOWER THAN THE TAX LEVY AND WE SHOULD AVOID IN NEXT YEAR'S BUDGET.
'CAUSE THIS BUDGET HAS ALREADY HAPPENED, IT'S PASSED, BUT WE KNOW THIS IS GOING TO HAPPEN AGAIN.
IT HAPPENED LAST YEAR, IT HAPPENED AGAIN THIS YEAR.
IT'S GOING TO HAPPEN ONE MORE TIME.
WE KNOW THE ASSESSMENTS ARE GOING UP, SO WE KNOW THAT THE TAX LEVY IS THE MORE ACCURATE PIECE OF INFORMATION TO CONVEY.
SO IT'S VERY IMPORTANT THAT FOR WHEN WE DO THIS AGAIN IN NOVEMBER AND DECEMBER, THAT WE DON'T MAKE THE SAME MISTAKES.
YOU CAN BE PART OF THAT PROCESS TOO.
ONE, WHEN WE COME, NOW THAT WE'RE GETTING CAUGHT UP, LET'S SAY YOU ALSO HAVE, UH, A NEW, UH, DEPARTMENT IN THE WORKS IN TERMS OF OUR FISCAL, YOU KNOW, A NEW CONTROLLER AND WHATEVER.
I KNOW YOU'VE BEEN VERY HELPFUL WITH ROBERTA, BUT, UM, YOU KNOW, NOW WE CAN MOVE FORWARD IN THE WAY THAT, SO WE AVOID THE MISTAKE OF THE PAST.
THE ONLY OTHER SUGGESTION THAT I HAVE IS, ALTHOUGH THE TAX LEVY WENT UP, UM, WE HAD FOUR YEARS WHERE, I MEAN, LAST YEAR YOU MENTIONED IT WENT UP VERY, VERY SLIGHTLY, BUT THE YEARS BEFORE FOR THREE YEARS BEFORE IT DIDN'T GO UP.
UM, AND UM, AND I FAIL THAT ONE OF THE THINGS WE COULD DO IS DO A CO COMPAR, YOU YOU DO SORT OF A COMPARISON BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, IF YOU LOOK AT SAY THE, SAY THE PAST FIVE YEARS OF THE TOWN TA PORTION OF THE TAXES WITH, UM, UH, THE FIRE DISTRICTS OR THE COUNTY, WELL THE COUNTY ALSO HASN'T INCREASED IT.
UM, YOU KNOW, OR EVEN THE SCHOOL DISTRICTS, YOU'LL SEE THAT THE TOWN IS, UM, YOU KNOW, HAS NOT EXCEEDED WHAT OTHER COMMUNITIES HAVE DONE.
WE BASICALLY ARE IN THE BALLPARK.
I MEAN, YOU KNOW, IF YOU HAVE FOUR YEARS OF NO TAX INCREASES, UM, YOU'RE DEFINITELY, IT'S GONNA, THERE'S GONNA BE CATCH UP OF COURSE.
UM, YOU KNOW, AND I THINK THAT IF WE EXPLAIN THAT, THEN PEOPLE AT LEAST WILL SAY, OKAY, YOU KNOW, MAYBE THE TOWN SHOULD HAVE RAISED THE TAXES EVERY YEAR BY A PERCENTAGE OR TWO PERCENTAGES.
WELL, THE OTHER THING TO KEEP IN MIND IS, UM, YOU KNOW, PEOPLE
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TEND TO FORGET WE WENT THROUGH A TERRIBLE PERIOD WITH THE PANDEMIC.AND THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT ALLOCATED MONIES TO THE, THE, THE DIFFERENT MUNICIPALITIES.
SO IT WON'T HELP OFFSET SOME OF OUR EXPENSES AS IT DID IN ORDER TO HELP US GET THROUGH THE PANDEMIC AND TO RECOVER FROM IT.
NOW WE, JUST TO CLARIFY, WHEN YOU SAY WE, WHO SPECI ARE YOU REFERRING TO THE CONTROLLER? ARE YOU REFERRING TO YOURSELF? LIKE WHEN YOU TALK ABOUT LIKE, PUTTING THIS TOGETHER IN NEXT PHASES, WHO IS DOING THAT? UH, OH, YOU MEAN WHO'S GONNA WRITE THIS? YEAH.
UH, I WAS COME FROM THE BOARD LOOKING AT THE PERSON COME FROM THE BOARD.
NO, I WAS THINKING IF YOU WOULD, IF YOU WOULD COME UP WITH A, A, LIKE A DRAFT, WE COULD COLLABORATE, UH, AND THEN WE COULD ALL THE BOARD THEN COULD, UH, COULD AGREE.
AND THEN, BECAUSE WHEN I WRITE SOMETHING YOU'RE GONNA SAY, YOU KNOW, I'M GONNA PROBABLY EMBELLISH AND TALK ABOUT HOW TERRIFIC IT IS.
NO, WHEN YOU WRITE SOMETHING, YOU'RE GONNA SEND IT OUT AND WE'RE ALL GONNA EDIT IT AND THEN WE'RE GONNA MAKE SURE THAT'S, YOU KNOW WHAT I'M WILLING TO, I'M WILLING TO, UH, DO A FIRST STAB.
BUT YOU KNOW, IF YOU WANT TO, UH, UH, WELL YOU ALL HAVE A COPY OF THE, SO I WAS ASKED, I HAVE NO ASKED TO DESIGN SOMETHING AND WHEN I DESIGNED IT, IT WAS SPECIFIC TO THE ISSUE OF THE TOWN.
I'M WILLING TO USE EVERYTHING YOU WROTE WORD FOR WORD.
FOR, FOR IN TERMS OF THE TOWN PORTION, WHAT I REALLY WOULD LIKE.
SO I'M NOT GONNA MAKE EVEN ONE CHANGE ON THAT.
THE ONLY THING I'D WANT TO CHANGE IS MAYBE SAYING THAT OVER THE PAST FOUR YEARS, YOU KNOW, WE HAVEN'T HAD TAX INCREASES AFTER, AFTER YOU TALKING ABOUT THE PERCENTAGE OF INCREASE.
JUST, BUT THE THING IS, I, I REALLY FEEL THAT IT WOULD BE USEFUL FOR THE PUBLIC TO SEE THE OTHER TAX LEVY INCREASES AND DO SORT OF A COMPARISON AND SAY THIS IS, WAS THERE ANY OTHER COMMENTS? I I THOUGHT YOU HAD AGREED TO PUT OUT THE STATEMENT WITH THE TAX BILLS GOING OUT IN APRIL.
NO, BECAUSE I WAS, WE WERE GONNA DO IT AND THEN WE WERE NOT THE TAX, YOU CAN'T PUT THIS ON THE TAX BILLS AGAINST THE STATE BOARD TO PUT THOSE, I WASN'T TALKING ABOUT PUTTING IT ON THE TAX, THE BOARD.
DIDN'T THE BOARD SAY THAT THEY WANTED TO HAVE A DISCUSSION TODAY? WE WERE, I WAS GONNA POST NO, NO, I'M, I'M POSITIVE BECAUSE I NO, I I HAVE A COPY THAT WE WERE HAVING WHEN IT DIDN'T GO OUT IN JANUARY, SAID WE PUT AN EMAIL, WE, OKAY, HOLD ON EVERYBODY.
WHAT'S GOING ON? I HAVE AN EMAIL.
PAUL FRANCIS FINISHED SO WE CAN NO, I'M, I'M YOU'RE SAYING IT'S LATE FRANCIS, I'M SAYING THEY'RE SAYING THAT WE AGREED TO HAVE SOMETHING.
HE'S SAYING HE AGREED TO HAVE SOMETHING GOING ON IN JANUARY.
DANIEL, PAUL, PAUL AGREED PAUL PUT OUT HIS OPERATE HIS, UM, TENTATIVE BUDGET TALKING ABOUT THE TAX RATE AS OPPOSED TO THE TAX LEVY.
AND I HAD SPOKEN TO ERIC AND I SAID, YOU KNOW, I WASN'T THE ONE WHO MADE THE ERROR.
PAUL SHOULD BE CORRECTING THE ERROR.
AND I THOUGHT HE WAS DOING THAT.
AND THEN HERE WE ARE TODAY DEALING WITH THIS ISSUE AGAIN.
BUT CLEARLY, AND I THINK WHEN WE PASSED THE BUDGET, WE EMPHASIZED THE LEVY.
UM, AND THAT WAS SUPPOSED TO GO OUT.
I THOUGHT IT SHOULD COME FROM PAUL SINCE HE'S THE ONE THAT DID THE I HAVE NO PROBLEM PUTTING IT.
I DON THINK IT SHOULD COME FROM ALL OF US ACTUALLY.
WELL, HE DID YOU UNDERSTAND THE STATEMENT? I DO.
IT SHOULD COME FROM ALL OF, WE'LL MAKE SURE OF THAT.
ALRIGHT, WHO CAN I WORK WITH? BECAUSE ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I HAVE QUESTIONS ABOUT, IF YOU LOOK AT KIND OF THE DRAFT LETTER THAT I WROTE, I DON'T THINK I WANNA SEND EVERYONE IN THE TOWN MY SPECIFIC INFORMATION.
SO WHO WOULD BE THE PERSON THAT WOULD BE COORDINATING WITH, BECAUSE THE ASSESSMENTS AND THE DIFFERENT THINGS FOR DIFFERENT, IF WE ARE GOING TO EXPAND THIS BEYOND JUST THE TOWN BECOMES SIGNIFICANTLY MORE COMPLEX IN TERMS OF PUTTING THAT DATA TOGETHER AND DOING IT IN A WAY THAT YOU'RE NOT DOING IT MANUALLY FOR 90,000 RESIDENTS.
SO WHO IS THE PERSON THAT WOULD BE ABLE TO ASSIST? WHY DON'T WE LET, WHY, WHY DON'T WE LET THE NEW CONTROLLER GET HER FEET WET AND HAVE THIS DISCUSSION IN ABOUT A MONTH? AND THAT, AND THEN SO WE'RE NOT GONNA SEND ANYTHING OUT NOW YOU'RE SAYING? YEAH.
WELL HE'S ASKING FOR DATA SO WE, WE WANNA MAKE SURE THAT SHE GET THE RIGHT DATA.
WELL, I DON'T KNOW HOW COMPLEX THE DATA IS.
IF WE HAVE, WHAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT IS NOT THIS LEVEL OF DATA AT EACH LEVEL OF GOVERNMENT.
WE'RE ONLY DOING THIS FOR THE TOWN GOVERNMENT, THE PART THAT WE HAVE SOMETHING TO DO.
THAT'S PAUL, THAT'S NOT WHAT PAUL IS SAYING.
THAT'S NOT WHAT HE WAS ASKING, BUT WELL, I I I'M JUST THINKING ABOUT WHAT JOY RECOMMENDED, WHICH IS A PIE, SIMPLE PART CHART JUST SHOWING WHAT PERCENTAGE OF TAXES ARE PAID AT EVERY LEVEL AND THEN, AND HAVE THIS, IT'S JUST SOME CLARITY AND THEN THIS APPLIES ONLY TO THE TOWN OF GREENBURG.
WHY WOULD WE PUT OUT, WE DON'T HAVE TO DO THE WORK OF EVERY OTHER ENTITY, RIGHT? NO, BUT I, THAT'S NOT WHAT ERIC IS ASKING FOR
THAT'S, YOU CAN'T JUST PUT OUT THIS YEAR'S, YOU HAVE TO HAVE A BASE,
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YOU KNOW, TO SHOW WHAT THE INCREASE IS AND IT'S THE INCREASE IN THE LEVY.NO, BUT PAUL'S SAYING IT SHOULD BE FOR ALL ENTITIES BECAUSE IT'S, WELL, WE CAN DO, WE CAN'T DO THAT THIS TIME.
IT'S JUST NOT, I MEAN, IF WE WANNA GET SOMETHING OUT QUICKLY, PAUL, WE, I UNDERSTAND.
I DON'T KNOW WHAT QUICK IS ANYMORE BECAUSE THEY'RE, THEY'RE PAYING THEIR BILLS
IF WE CAN, I MEAN, ERIC, WHAT WOULD, WHAT WOULD YOU BE COMFORTABLE DOING? WHAT WOULD YOU SUGGEST? MM-HMM.
THAT'S BEEN MY SUGGESTION FROM DAY ONE.
WELL, DISTRICT OTHER DISTRICTS IS ONE THING IN TERMS OF OTHER DISTRICTS THAT ARE, ARE LIKE SPECIAL DISTRICTS, I MEAN SCHOOL DISTRICTS, COUNTY DISTRICTS, FIRE DISTRICTS, I BELIEVE, AND I'VE BEEN CONSISTENT IN THIS, THAT THIS SHOULD FOCUS SPECIFICALLY AND ONLY ON THE TOWN PORTION.
IF OTHER PEOPLE, I I RECOGNIZE THAT THERE'S VALIDITY TO THE OTHER ARGUMENT AND I'M HAPPY TO BE A PARTICIPANT AND DRAFT THAT UP.
BUT IF YOU'RE ASKING WHAT I THINK I WANT TO BE CLEAR THAT I WOULD BE DOING SO SEMI RELUCTANTLY IN THAT I BELIEVE IT SHOULD FOCUS EXCLUSIVELY ON THE TOWN AREA.
BUT ON THE OTHER HAND, YOU KNOW, PEOPLE, A LOT OF PEOPLE IN THE TOWN FEEL THAT THE FIRE DISTRICT TAXES ARE ENORMOUSLY HIGH AND THEY'VE BEEN, AND NOBODY, NOBODY PAYS ANY ATTENTION.
NOBODY PAYS ANY ATTENTION TO THE BUDGETS AND THE TAXES.
AND YOU KNOW WHAT WE, IF WE HAVE 0% INCREASE IN ONE YEAR, IT GOES UP.
UH, WE GET BLASTED WHEN THERE'S NO TRANSPARENCY WITH ANY OF THE FIRE DISTRICT BUDGETS.
AND YOU KNOW, THE THING IS, I SORT OF FEEL THAT THE GOAL IS REALLY NOT TO BE CRITICAL, BUT BASICALLY TO GIVE PEOPLE INFORMATION.
AND UM, AND, AND THE THING IS, UM, YOU KNOW, TO ME, IF PEOPLE LOOK AT EVERYTHING COMPREHENSIVELY AND WE SAY THIS IS WHERE WE WERE FIVE YEARS AGO, THIS IS WHERE EVERYBODY ELSE WAS IN THIS SORT OF COMPARISONS, THEN PEOPLE ARE GONNA SAY, YOU KNOW WHAT, WHAT THE TOWN DID IS NOT REALLY, YOU KNOW, IT'S NOT HORRIBLE BECAUSE WE, WE, WE STILL PRO OUR, OUR TAX INCREASES THIS YEAR, WE'RE STILL COMBINED FOR THE PAST FIVE YEARS.
IT WAS PRETTY GOOD BECAUSE I'M HAPPY TO DO THAT.
HOW ABOUT YOU SAVE SOMETHING REALLY COMPREHENSIVE FOR LATER AFTER OUR NEW CONTROLLER, LIKE YOU SAID HAS GOTTEN HER FEE.
SEND OUT SOMETHING JUST SIMPLE EXPLAINING THE DIFFERENCE RELATING BACK TO THE LAST BUDGET.
MAYBE I'M, SO WHAT PAUL IS SAYING AND STUFF LIKE THAT, I, I DON'T DISAGREE WITH.
AND I THINK HAVING MORE INFORMATION IS ALWAYS BETTER.
MY CONCERN IS LESS ABOUT PUTTING THE DATA TOGETHER THAN IT IS WHEN YOU START COMBINING DIFFERENT, SO WE'RE NOT WRITING THESE LETTERS ONE AT A TIME, RIGHT? SO IF I AM IN THIS SCHOOL DISTRICT AND THIS SPECIAL DISTRICT AND THIS FIRE DISTRICT, NO, YOU'RE, WHO GETS WHAT INFORMATION SAID IT.
SO WHAT IF, WHAT IF HAS A COMPROMISE? WE, I GET OUT SOMETHING I'M TALKING ABOUT LIKE BEING ABLE TO LIKE SEND, LIKE PUTTING THE DATA TOGETHER IS NOT DIFFICULT, BUT IT'S LIKE WHO GETS WHAT AND HOW THAT GETS PUT TOGETHER.
WHAT IF I POST OF PRETTY MUCH WHAT ERIC DIFFICULT PART WROTE, MENTIONED THAT THERE WERE FOUR YEARS, YOU KNOW, UH, OBVIOUSLY IF THERE WAS A TAX INCREASE THIS YEAR, IT WOULD, THERE WERE FOUR YEARS OF NO, YOU KNOW, BASICALLY NO TAX INCREASES.
UM, AND THEN, UM, AND THEN INDICATES SO NOT, SO NOT AT THE INDIVIDUAL.
AND THEN SAY THAT GOING FORWARD, OKAY, GOING FORWARD BEGINNING AT, UH, AT THE END OF, YOU KNOW, THE YEAR WE WILL START DOING COMPARISONS, YOU KNOW, OF A DETAILED COMPARISON OF THE TOWN, THE COUNTY, THE FIRE DISTRICT, UM, UM, YOU KNOW, TAXES.
SO PEOPLE WILL HAVE A BETTER, UH, UNDERSTANDING.
I THOUGHT YOU WANTED THAT AT THE INDIVIDUAL PROPERTY TAX.
SO WOULD WE BE DOING SOMETHING LIKE THIS AT THE INDIVIDUAL PROPERTY LEVEL FOR THE TOWN TAXES? OR ARE YOU SAYING THAT, UM, I KNOW IF WE WOULD TAKE THAT OUT AS WELL.
QUITE SIMPLY, WE'RE TALKING ABOUT A PIE CHART.
NO, I KNOW THAT SHOWS AT THE 65% OF TAXES OR SCHOOLS.
WELL THAT'S DIFFERENT DEPENDING ON WHAT SCHOOL DISTRICT THEY'RE IN.
SO YOU, YOU SEE WHAT I'M SAYING? LIKE IT STARTS, WELL IT'S ROUGHLY AVERAGE.
CAN WE DO AN AVERAGE AND JUST SAY AVERAGE TAX PERCENTAGE? AVERAGE WOULDN'T BE AVERAGE.
BE AVERAGE CAN EXPLAIN, BUT, BUT REALLY FOR EXAMPLE, GREENBURG SCHOOL TAXES ARE 40% LESS THAN HASTINGS.
IT'S NOT, WE'RE NOT DOING A COMPARISON INCORPORATED THOUGH OF SCHOOL.
THIS CAN BE JUST FOR INCORPORATED.
YOU DON'T HAVE TO SEND TO THE VILLAGE 35% LESS THAN EDGE BAR.
I'M JUST SAYING IT'S, BUT WHAT I, WHAT COMPARATIVELY TOWN WIDE THAT, BUT IF YOU YEAH, THAT'S FINE.
AND THEN SO WOULD WE PLAN ON INCLUDING SPECIFIC ASSESSMENT DETAILS AT THE INDIVIDUAL PARCEL LEVEL OR NO? OH NO, I WAIT.
SO, UH, JUST SO I COULD BE ACCURATE, I'LL SEND IT OUT.
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AN UPDATED DRAFT OF WHAT WE DISCUSSED.COULD YOU JUST EMAIL JUST SOMETHING ABOUT THE FOUR, THE PAST FIVE YEARS? SO, BECAUSE I REALLY THINK IF, IF WE HAD THAT SENTENCE THEN I COULD GET IT, I'LL GET IT OUT THIS WEEK AND THEN WE COULD SAY GOING FORWARD AT THE, YOU KNOW, I'M NOT GONNA USE A TAX UH, RATE ANYMORE.
UM, AND UM, I'LL USE THE TAX LEVY.
AND I'LL ALSO SAY THAT WE WILL IN THE FUTURE TRY DOING COMPARISONS WITH, UH, OTHER DISTRICTS.
SO IT COULD BE, YOU KNOW, I WANNA MAKE IT SAY, YOU KNOW WHAT, WE LEARNED OUR LESSON, WE HAVE TO BE MORE TRANSPARENT.
UM, YOU KNOW, WE'RE NOT TRYING TO HIDE ANYTHING.
AND, UM, IN THE FUTURE, UH, WE WILL GIVE PEOPLE MAXIMUM INFORMATION.
I GUESS THE LAST QUESTION I HAVE, UH, ABOUT, SO WE'RE GONNA STRIKE INDIVIDUAL PROPERTY LEVEL DETAILS.
AND IN TERMS OF SOME OF THE STUFF AT THE BOTTOM, WHEN IT COMES TO, YOU KNOW, I I I GRAPPLED WITH LENGTH VERSUS INFORMATION, WHETHER THOSE DEFINITIONS ONE SHOULD BE INCLUDED.
TWO, WHETHER THEY'RE CLEAR, YOU KNOW, I I'M NOT, I WOULD BE INTERESTED IF THERE'S ANY SPECIFIC FEEDBACK ABOUT EITHER INCLUDING THEM OR NOT INCLUDING THEM OR THE SPECIFIC LANGUAGE THAT'S THERE.
SO MY, I I'M GONNA ABSORB THIS A LITTLE BIT MORE AND THEN I CAN GIVE YOU AN ANSWER ON THAT.
I WILL, I WILL, I WILL SAY THIS.
I'M SORRY ABOUT THAT, BUT I WILL SAY THIS, I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT AND I BELIEVE THAT DEFINITIONS ALWAYS SHOULD BE INCLUDED.
SO EVERYONE SHOULD HAVE A CLEAR UNDERSTANDING OF THE TERMS THAT'S BEING USED.
SO WE WANNA MAKE SURE THAT THEY REALLY UNDERSTAND EXACTLY THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN A LEVY AND A REIT.
SO MY, MY SUGGESTION WOULD BE THAT YOU INCLUDE THE DEFINITIONS IN THE PAST THEY WERE, THAT'S THE WHOLE CONFUSION IS THAT FOR 40 YEARS THEY WERE INTERCHANGEABLE.
THEN WE KIND OF STARTED DOING THE ASSESSMENT CHANGES AND THEY WERE NO LONGER INTERCHANGEABLE.
NO, IT'S IMPORTANT TO HAVE DEFINITIONS.
IT'S JUST CLARITY OF THE DEFINITIONS 'CAUSE IT'S A LITTLE CONFUSING.
OH NO, THAT'S WE GONNA, BUT WE'RE GONNA RE WE'RE GONNA LOOK AT THIS WHOLE THING.
WE'RE NOT GONNA MAKE SURE IT'S, I COULD EVEN SAY THAT'S WHY, UH, WE CREATE THE PROBLEM THAT WE HAD IN HIGHLIGHTING THE RATE WAS NOT AN INTENTIONAL MISLEADING EFFORT, BUT BASICALLY FOR 40 YEARS WE'VE DONE IT.
BUT AFTER THE REASSESSMENT, THAT'S THE FIRST LINE.
IF YOU LOOK, IT SAYS SOMETHING A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THAT.
SO ERIC, IF YOU NO, I THINK THAT'S GOOD.
IF YOU WOULD JUST, SO THE DEFINITIONS THEMSELVES, IF YOU CAN MAKE THEM AS JUST SIMPLE CRYSTAL, I MEAN I PERSONALLY HAVE A HARD TIME REALLY UNDERSTANDING IT IS VERY CONFUSING.
BUT THE DEFINITIONS ARE REALLY IMPORTANT.
SO YOU'LL GET, NOW DOES THE BOARD WANT DECADES? WE RELIED ON EQUALIZATION RATE BUT NOBODY UNDERSTOOD.
AND SO IT MADE ALMOST IMPOSSIBLE TO DO WHAT WE'RE DOING NOW.
YEAH, WELL SOMETHING'S CHANGED, RIGHT? SO WE CAN EXPLAIN WHY'S.
SO IF THE VALUE WE HAD A DEPARTMENT HAD MEETING TODAY AND YOU KNOW, THE VALUES, UM, ARE GOING UP, YOU KNOW, IN TERMS OF, BECAUSE THE PROPERTY VALUES HAVE BEEN GOING UP.
SO IF THEY GO UP A LOT, WHAT'S THE IMPACT IN TERMS OF THE TAX? THAT THAT'S WHAT I UM, YOU KNOW, IF EVERYBODY'S VALUES HAVE GONE UP, EVERYBODY'S VALUE GOES UP BY 10%, THERE'S NO INCREASE IN TAXES.
ASSESSMENT CHANGES ALONE, DO NOT IN HAVE ANY IMPACT ON TAXES PAID OTHER THAN TOTAL TAXES PAID OTHER THAN POTENTIALLY SHIFTING MOST PEOPLE THAT'S, I'VE ALREADY LOST MOST PEOPLE THERE
BUT THAT'S IMPORTANT TO SAY, I THINK INCLUDED.
THAT IS DEF THERE ARE, THERE IS A LARGE MISCONCEPTION AMONG ESPECIALLY THE AREAS OF THE TOWN THAT GOT HIT HARDEST BY THE REASSESSMENT, THAT THE ASSESSMENT CHANGES WERE RESPONSIBLE FOR RAISING THEIR TAXES AND THEIR TAXES.
AND WHERE THAT MAY BE TRUE FOR INDIVIDUAL PROPERTY TAX OWNERS BECAUSE ALL ASSESSMENT CHANGES CAN DO IS POTENTIALLY SHIFT THE PIE AROUND THE PIE DOES NOT GET BIGGER OR SMALLER BECAUSE OF ASSESSMENT CHANGES.
THE PIE GETS BIGGER OR SMALLER EXCLUSIVELY BECAUSE OF THE BUDGET THAT'S BEEN VOTED ON.
AND I THINK THAT SIMPLIFICATION IS REALLY IMPORTANT.
THE CONVERSATIONS WE HAVE TODAY WITH THE DEPUTY ASSESSOR, WHEN SHE SAID EVERY, YOU KNOW, THERE'S GONNA BE A LARGE INCREASE IN THE ASSESSMENTS.
YOU KNOW, MAYBE, MAYBE THAT'S, THAT SHOULD BE SORT OF THE LEAD OF, YOU KNOW, THIS MEMO SAYING, YOU KNOW, YOU'RE GONNA BE GETTING NO, NO, NO, THAT'S NO, NO, NO.
WE DON'T, DON'T PUT OUT INFORMATION SO WE CAN CONFIRM WE DON'T HAVE FUTURE INFORMATION.
NO CORRECTING HAS INFORMATION CORRECT WHAT WE HAVE.
RIGHT? WELL THEY'RE GETTING THE BILLS RIGHT.
AND, AND JUST PAID MORTGAGE TO REALLY SIMPLIFY IT.
BASED ON 15TH, ERIC, SORRY, BASED ON WHAT ERIC SAID TO REALLY SIMPLIFY IT IS THAT THERE IS A BUDGET EVERY YEAR, AN OPERATIONAL BUDGET BUDGET, AND A CAPITAL BUDGET.
THOSE ARE THINGS THAT ARE NECESSARY TO KEEP THE TOWN IN GOOD SHAPE AND RUNNING.
AND THEY ARE, THEY MAY INCREASE SOMEWHAT, BUT THE, THE ASSESS VALUE OF HOMES AND WHETHER THAT
[00:25:01]
GOES UP OR DOWN DOESN'T MEAN WE'LL BE SPENDING MORE MONEY AS A TOWN.SO WE, WE HAVE A BUDGET, WE HAVE TO WORK WITHIN THAT FRAMEWORK AND THAT SIMPLIFIES IT A LITTLE BIT.
BUT, YOU KNOW, PEOPLE GET REALLY WORRIED WHEN THEY SEE THAT THAT ASSESSED VALUE GO UP AND THEY HAVE TO UNDERSTAND THAT IT DOESN'T INCREASE AS BOTH ERIC AND FRANCIS SAID.
UM, NEXT, UM, WELL JUST, JUST TO BE CLEAR, IT'S UNUSUAL THAT EVERYBODY'S TAXES GO UP EQUALLY, SO SURE.
WHAT WE'RE GONNA FIND OUT IS THERE ARE SOME AREAS THAT'S GONNA GO UP MORE THAN OTHERS.
AND IF THAT'S THE CASE, THEN THOSE THAT WENT UP MORE THAN OTHERS WILL BE PAYING MORE IN TAXES.
NEXT, UH, UH, JOEY, YOU WANT TO TALK ABOUT THE NINE 11 MEMORIAL WALL COMMISSIONER, GOOD AFTERNOON.
THE OTHER JOE, HE'S BEEN HERE LONGER, SO I'M THE OTHER JOE, I GUESS JOJO JOE NUMBER TWO, IT BUILT AROUND ME.
UM, I JUST WANTED TO SAY, JOE CASEY, UH, COMMISSIONER PARKS RECORD.
AND I JUST WANTED TO SAY THANK YOU TO YOUR SON ON SATURDAY.
OH, UH, HE WAS RESPECTFUL, HE WAS POLITE AND HE WAS HELPFUL, WHICH IS NOT ALWAYS THE CASE FOR PEOPLE.
SO, AND WHAT ABOUT HIS, WHAT ABOUT HIS MOTHER AND WHAT ABOUT HIS MOTHER? HE, HE, WE WERE TALKING ABOUT MY SON.
I I APPRECIATE THAT COMP COMPLIMENT.
CAN YOU SAY THE SAME THREE THINGS ABOUT THE MOTHER? WELL, I WOULD APPRECIATE IF WE CAN CONTINUE WITH THE CONVERSATION TO WHY YOU'RE HERE.
I'M TRYING TO GET SOMETHING TO ACCOMPLISHED FRANCIS
UM, I WASN'T EVEN SURE WE WERE ON TODAY, SO I, I JUST GATHERED ALL MY INFORMATION TOGETHER.
SO I SENT THE BOARD AN EMAIL, UM, ABOUT THE NINE 11 WALL ON APRIL 4TH.
AND UM, I JUST WANT TO GO OVER A FEW THINGS.
SO WE KNOW THAT THE TILES ARE FALLING DOWN RIGHT NOW.
UM, WE'RE GONNA TAKE DOWN THE REST OF THEM THIS WEEK.
UM, AND THEN WE'RE GOING TO PAINT THE WALL GRAY AFTER WE, 'CAUSE RIGHT NOW WE HAVE TO DECIDE WHAT WE WANNA DO IN THE FUTURE.
SO WE ARE IN A CONTRACT RIGHT NOW WITH ARTS WESTCHESTER AS A PARTNER TO MOVE FORWARD WHENEVER ANYTHING WE WANT TO DO WITH THIS.
SO FIRST THEY CAME OUT IN DECEMBER AND THEY SUGGESTED THAT WE, UH, HIRE SOMEBODY FOR $23,000 TO GO THROUGH AND FIND A NEW ARTIST, ET CETERA, ET CETERA.
UM, SARAH BRACEY WHITE AND I LOOKED AT THAT AND UH, I THINK JERRY WAS HERE AT THE TIME.
UM, WE WENT BACK TO THEM AND WE ASKED THEM COULD WE POSSIBLY GO BACK TO THE ORIGINAL ARTIST WHO PUT EVERYTHING TOGETHER AND SEE IF HE WOULD BE WILLING TO COME BACK TO THE PROJECT AND DO WHAT HE ORIGINALLY SUGGESTED, WHICH WAS TO PUT THE EVERY TILE, ALL THE TILES INTO FRAMES THAT MAKES THE MOST SENSE.
NOW THERE'S THE NORTH AVENUE BRIDGE IN, UH, NEW ROCHELLE HAS THAT ALREADY.
AND IT'S DONE HOW MANY YEARS AGO? 25.
AND IT WAS PUT TOGETHER 20 YEARS AGO.
AND IT'S STILL HOLDING TOGETHER.
SO ARTS WESTCHESTER HAS SUGGESTED THAT WE HIRE A FIRM TO DO A REPORT AND A, UM, I'LL READ WHAT THEY SAID HERE.
A REPORT ON WHAT? TO GIVE US A REPORT ON THE WALL, IT'S STATUS AND THE PROJECT ITSELF, AND TO COME UP WITH RECOMMENDATIONS.
AND SO WHAT THEY'RE SUGGESTION IS FOR $2,700 THAT WE HIRE THIS FIRM THAT THEY'VE PICKED, UH, TO DO THIS FOR US BETTER THAN 23,000.
DIDN'T WE ASCERTAIN THAT THE WALLS IN THE WALL IS IN GOOD SHAPE.
BUT THIS FIRM WOULD DO A REPORT ON THE ART PROJECT AND ALSO, UM, GIVE US A, UM, A A A BLUEPRINT TO GO FORWARD.
FORWARD A RECOMMENDATION HOW WE SHOULD INSTALL THE TILES IN ORDER TO RIGHT.
MAKE IT AND MAY HAVE BEEN TO USE THIS FIRM GOING FORWARD TO, TO DO THE WORK.
NO, THIS, THIS NOT, THIS WOULD JUST BE A CONSULTANT THAT WOULD GIVE US RECOMMENDATIONS TO MOVE FORWARD.
BUT SO IF WE ALREADY, LIKE WE ALREADY KNOW THAT.
SO THE CONSULTANT, SO WE HAVE SOMEONE THAT WE HAVE IDENTIFIED THAT'S GONNA DO THE WORK.
THEY'RE NOT GONNA BE ABLE TO COME BACK AND TELL US THAT.
SO IT'S CALLED, THEY'RE GONNA GIVE US A REPORT.
IN SOME WAYS IT'S BETTER THIS WAY BECAUSE THEN THEY'RE NOT GOING GEAR TOWARDS WHAT THEY COULD GET THE MOST MONEY FROM.
WHAT DO YOU MEAN? OH, I, OKAY.
CAN YOU EXPLAIN THAT? THEY'RE DOING AN INDEPENDENT WELL.
SO IF YOU HAVE THE SAME PER PERSON, SAY THIS IS WHAT YOU SHOULD DO WITH THE WALL.
WHAT'S THIS? STOP THEM FROM SAYING, YOU KNOW, THE MOST EXPENSIVE THING WOULD BE, AND I'M GONNA DO THE WORK AS OPPOSED TO THEY GIVE US AN UNBIASED OPINION 'CAUSE THEY'RE NOT DOING THE WORK AND THEN WE WORK WITH THAT.
BUT I CAN'T SEE ANYTHING, YOU KNOW, I'VE BEEN THROUGH THIS THREE TIMES NOW THIS IS THE THIRD TIME WITH THE TILES.
AND I DON'T SEE ANY SOLUTION OTHER THAN PUTTING 'EM INTO A FRAME AND MOUNTING THE FRAME.
SO IF I KNOW THAT THAT'S THE SOLUTION, WHY CAN'T WE JUST GO FORWARD WITHOUT, WITHOUT A CONSULTANT? WELL, IT'S BECAUSE SOMEONE'S GONNA HAVE TO TALK TO THE ARTIST.
SOMEONE'S GONNA HAVE TO WORK WITH THEM THAT KNOWS WHAT THEY'RE TALKING ABOUT.
[00:30:01]
AND ARTS WESTCHESTER DOES NOT WANNA DO THAT.THEY WANTED US TO, UM, TO WORK WITH THIS FIRM AND THE FIRM.
HIS NAME IS, UM, AM ART CONSERVATION.
THEY'VE WORKED ON NINE 11 MEMORIAL MUSEUM IN NEW YORK CITY.
THEY HAVE A GOOD TRACK RECORD.
AND BECAUSE THESE ARE A PARTNER AND I TALKED TO SARAH BRACY WHITE AND SARAH AGREES WITH ME THAT THIS IS THE DIRECTION WE SHOULD REALLY PROCEED IN.
UH, FOR $2,700, WE'RE GONNA GET A REPORT AND A STATUS OF WHAT DIRECTION TO GO IN.
WE'VE ALREADY INDICATED THAT WE WANT TO GO BACK TO THE ORIGINAL ARTIST.
THEY'VE CONTACTED THE ORIGINAL ARTIST.
UM, AND HE'S AGREED TO HELP US WITH THE PROJECT.
SO WHAT'S THE QUALIFICATIONS? IS THIS PERSON QUALIFIED TO MAKE A DETERMINATION ABOUT THE CONCRETE WALL? NO, THE CONCRETE WALL WAS ACTUALLY DETERMINED TO BE SAFE BY OUR ENGINEERING DEPARTMENT.
SO WHAT IS THIS PERSON DETERMINING? THEY ARE RESTORATION, ART RESTORATION PROJECT, UH, YOU KNOW, UH, REFERRED BY ARTS WESTCHESTER, REFERRED BY ARTS WEST WESTCHESTER TO DETERMINE WHAT TO GIVE US A REPORT ON THE STATUS OF THE WALL AND ALSO ON WHAT TO MOVE, HOW TO MOVE FORWARD TO REINSTALL, REINSTALL THE TILES.
THEY'LL MAKE RECOMMENDATIONS AS TO HOW TO INSTALL.
WE WANNA FRAME, BUT WHAT IS THE BACKING AND WHAT IS THE MATERIAL YOU USE TO ADHERE THE TILES TO THE, WHAT KIND OF STANDARDS DO WE HAVE TO COMPLY WITH? OKAY.
WE HAD ALREADY BASICALLY SOME KIND OF A STRUCTURAL ENGINEER DETERMINE THE WALL IS IS SOUND.
I MEAN, UNLESS YOU RUN INTO IT.
WE BELIEVE PUTTING UP A FRAME AND MOUNTING THE FRAME TO THAT STRUCTURALLY SOUND WALL IS THE WAY TO GO.
IT WOULD SEEM LIKE WE WOULD NEED AN ARTIST TO TELL US.
'CAUSE WE DON'T HAVE TO BE TOLD HOW THE TILES ARE GOING TO BE MOUNTED.
WE'VE HEARD THIS TWICE ALREADY BY PEOPLE WHO ARE EXPERTS WHO TOLD US THIS IS THE WAY TO SOLVE THE PROBLEM WITH THE WALL.
IF, IF WE KNOW WE'RE GOING TO USE SOME KIND OF A CASING, IF WE KNOW THE WALL IS SOUND AND SAFE, UH, WE BASICALLY NEED AN ARTIST TO TELL US HOW SHOULD THEY BE ARRANGED, ARRANGED IN THAT FRAME BECAUSE OTHERS HAVE DONE IT.
AND LET'S USE, I THOUGHT THAT'S, AND I THINK THAT'S WHAT THEY'RE GONNA HELP US WITH.
IS THAT WHAT THEY'RE GONNA DO? THAT'S WHAT THEY'RE GONNA HELP US WITH.
RIGHT NOW WE DON'T HAVE AN ARTIST.
SO THIS IS AN ARTIST WE DON'T HAVE, THIS IS AN ART RESTORATION PRO.
IDENTIFY AN ARTIST FOR US AS WELL.
NO, WAIT, WAIT, WAIT, WAIT, WAIT, WAIT, WAIT.
WAIT, BUT YOU JUST SAID THAT YOU CONTACTED THE PREVIOUS ARTIST AND HE IS WELL I DIDN'T CONTACT THEM.
WESTCHESTER DID ART WESTCHESTER.
SO THAT MEANS THE ORIGINAL ARTIST WILL BE ON SITE AND AVAILABLE TO GIVE THE RECOMMENDATIONS.
HE WOULD WORK WITH THIS COMPANY THAT, THAT WE'RE GONNA PUT INTO MAKE.
AND WHY DO WE NEED TO FIND ANOTHER ARTIST? THEY'RE GONNA PUT TOGETHER A REPORT.
MY GUESS IS IF THEY COME BACK WITH A REPORT, THEN THEY'RE GONNA SAY, THIS IS WHAT IT'S GONNA COST NOW TO RESTORE THE WALL.
AND THAT NUMBER IS GONNA DWARF ANYTHING THAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT HERE.
BUT WE WE'RE GONNA HAVE TO HAVE SOMEBODY THAT'S UH, DONE ART RESTORATION BEFORE TO BE ABLE TO GIVE SOME KIND OF REPORT TO GUIDANCE IN THAT.
YOU KNOW, THE GUIDANCE IS ALSO HOW BIG YOU KNOW IN TERMS OF THE TENSILE STRENGTH OF THE, OF THE METAL MATERIAL USED FOR THE FRAMING.
HOW, HOW, WHAT IS THE OPTIMUM WIDTH AND WHAT IS THE OPTIMUM BACKING.
THE ARTIST MIGHT NOT HAVE THAT KNOWHOW AND THAT INFORM.
SO IS THAT WHAT THIS PERSON HAS? IT'S ARCHITECTURAL THAT'S, THAT'S WHAT OUR ARTS WESTCHESTER INDICATED TO US IS THAT THIS WOULD BE THE PERSON THAT WOULD PUT TOGETHER A REPORT THAT WOULD GUIDE US THEN TO BE ABLE TO GO OUT TO BID, TO GET, TO GET THE PROJECT FINISHED.
WOULD IT MAKE SENSE TO MEET WITH THEM? PAUL, APOLOGIZE.
IS THIS GETTING BACK? SO DO THEY HAVE SOME STRUCTURAL BACKGROUND? I MEAN, WHAT IS THEIR, WHAT IS THEIR BACKGROUND THAT TELL US TENSILE STRENGTH? I DON'T KNOW THE ANSWER TO THAT.
I DON'T KNOW THE ANSWER TO THAT.
BUT ART RESTORATION IS, ENCOMPASSES MANY THINGS LIKE WHAT ELLEN JUST SAID.
HOW DO YOU INSTALL ART? THIS IS STRICTLY, STRICTLY, THIS IS STRICTLY THE INSTALLATION PART, RIGHT? THE ART INSTALLATION OF THE TILES OR INSTALLATION OF THE FRAMES? BOTH.
IS THERE SOMETHING IN WRITING? 'CAUSE THIS IS, I THINK WE SHOULD MEET WITH THEM.
I CAN TRY TO HAVE THEM COME IN.
AND ALSO THE CONTRACT, YOU KNOW, THAT WAS MY NEXT QUESTION.
WE TALKED ABOUT THE FACT THAT THE CONTRACT THAT WAS SIGNED MANY YEARS AGO.
NO, BUT WE WERE SAYING A NEW CONTRACT WITH THE NEW, BUT WE'RE UNDER BUILDING.
THE, WHAT? THE CONTRACT WITH ARTS WESTCHESTER ARE YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT? WELL, I WAS TALKING SPECIFICALLY WITH THIS CONTRACT.
THE ARTS WESTCHESTER CONTRACT IS RENEWABLE EVERY FIVE YEARS UNLESS SOMEBODY KILLS IT AND WE DIDN'T.
AND NOW IT WAS RENEWED, UH, A YEAR OR TWO AGO.
SO THAT'S THE REASON THEY'RE STILL A PARTNER WITH US.
SO WE HAVE TO AT LEAST WORK WITH THEM ON WHATEVER WE CHOOSE TO DO.
SO WE HAVE TWO SEPARATE CONTRACTS.
ONE WITH ARTS WESTCHESTER AND ONE POTENTIALLY WITH THIS COMPANY THAT YOU'RE POTENTIALLY, POTENTIALLY, POTENTIALLY.
WHAT IS OUR CONTRACT WITH ARTS WESTCHESTER? THAT
[00:35:01]
THEY'RE A PARTNER IN EVERYTHING WE DO WITH THIS WALL EXCEPT FOR MONEY.JUST WITH THIS WALL EXCEPT FOR MONEY.
IT'S IN REGARDS TO THIS WALL ONLY.
IT'S ONLY IN REGARD TO THIS WALL.
HAVE OUR ENGINEERS FU LOOKED AT THE WALL LATELY? YES.
THE, WITHIN THE LAST THREE OR FOUR MONTHS.
UM, THEY SAY THE WALL IS SOLID.
THE TOP, UH, THEY SAID THE TOP IS, UH, WE COULD FIX IT.
YOU TALKING ABOUT THE CAPSTONES ON IT? YEAH, THEY MOVED.
UM, BUT THE WALL ITSELF IS FINE.
SO THE WALL, I KNOW THE CAPSTONES MOVED.
SO, AND WE WANT IT DONE BEFORE NINE 11.
OBVIOUSLY THAT'S NOT GONNA HAPPEN.
THAT'S NOT EVEN GONNA BE CLOSE.
THE LAST TIME ALL THE TILES FELL DOWN, BUT NOT, NOT 24.
SO JUST TO GIVE YOU THIS YEAR IN 2000, IN 2008 WHEN IT CAME DOWN, I THINK IT WAS A YEAR AND A HALF, ALMOST TWO YEARS BEFORE WE HAD THE, UH, PROJECT FINISHED.
AND THEN WHEN WE DID THAT, SARAH BRAY WHITE ACTUALLY ATTACHED THEM.
SHE'S THE ONE THAT DID ALL THE WORK AND SHE DID IT GRATIS.
SO WHAT WOULD ALSO BE THE LONGEVITY OF THIS PRO? LIKE IS THIS GONNA LAST US A GOOD LONG 20 YEARS? 25 YEARS? IF, IF THE NEW ROCH SHELL WALL IS ANY INDICATION THERE THAT WALL'S UP AT 20 YEARS AT THIS POINT.
AND SO IT UM, AND PART OF THIS IS BECAUSE OF THE SHRINKAGE OF THE TEMPERATURE CHANGES.
SO WE'RE TAKING IT AWAY FROM ATTACHING IT DIRECTLY TO THE WALL, PUTTING THEM IN SMALLER FRAMES, ATTACHING THOSE TO THE WALL.
SO THEN YOU'RE NOT GONNA HAVE AS MUCH, UH, CHANGE IN, IN SIZE.
SO I'M NOT GOING TO PRETEND LIKE I'M AN ENGINEER, BUT I WILL TELL YOU THIS, I'VE BEEN DOWN TO THE NEW ROCHELLE WALL.
SO WHAT DO YOU WANT ME TO DO? DO YOU WANT ME TO BRING THEM BACK? DO YOU SEE, DO YOU SEE ANY NAME PLATE AS TO THE, THE, UH, MAKE AND MODEL OF THE CASING
AND, AND I ALSO, I DON'T KNOW WHETHER OR NOT, UH, THE GENTLEMAN THAT ACTUALLY PRESENTED IT FIRST, I THINK HE MIGHT'VE BEEN THE ONE WHO DID THAT WALL TOO.
SO WE, LET'S JUST GET SOME INFORMATION.
DO YOU WANT, DO YOU WANT ARCH WESTCHESTER TO COME IN HERE? NO, WE, WE WANT THIS, THIS COMPANY TO COME IN AND EXPLAIN EXACTLY WHAT I THINK.
OH, I DON'T THINK THEY DON'T HAVE.
THEY'D BE PROPOSAL, PROPOSAL, PRESS SOMETHING IN WRITING.
EVERYTHING ELSE WE CAN READ AND PULL IT APART AND WE CAN DO ALL OUR QUESTIONS.
SO, UM, WE HAD A REQUEST BY ONE OF OUR, UM, CONSTITUENTS AND I'LL, I'LL LET THE, THERE WAS A CONCERN THAT WE QUICKLY GO INTO EXECUTIVE SESSION WAS HOPING THAT, UM, THEY WOULD GET A REPORT FROM OUR DEPARTMENT HEADS THAT WE SCHEDULE EACH DEPARTMENT HEAD EVERY WEEK SO THEY CAN KIND OF GET AN OVERVIEW OF WHAT'S GOING ON.
THAT'S A GOOD IDEA AROUND THE DEPARTMENT.
SO, UM, IN TWO WEEKS, WE'LL, WE'LL START WITH, UH, PUBLIC WORKS GREAT.
THEY'RE ALREADY ON NOTICE ABOUT THAT.
SO, UM, I KNOW PEOPLE HAVE BEEN CONCERNED WITH OUR SHORT MEETINGS.
IT'S JUST WE DO HAVE A LOT GOING ON AND WE JUST NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT WE GET, UM, ADVICE FROM OUR ATTORNEY.
SO IT'S NOT THAT WE'RE, WE'RE NOT TRANSPARENT.
IT'S NOT THAT WE'RE NOT TRANSPARENT, BUT THERE ARE, THERE HAS BEEN SOME SERIOUS ITEMS THAT WE NEEDED TO DISCUSS WITH OUR TOWN ATTORNEY.
SO LET ME, UH, I WAS SPEAKING TO, UH, OUR TOWN CLERK, YOU KNOW, LAST WEEK.
UM, I FINISH, UH, THE STATE LAW STATES THAT WE HAVE TO SPECIFY WHAT WE'RE GOING INTO EXECUTIVE SESSION FOR RATHER THAN JUST SAYING, OH, WE'RE GOING FOR PERSONNEL.
WELL WE DO, BUT THAT'S WHY WE HAVE OUR ATTORNEY.
SO IT, IT'S MY LEGAL OPINION THAT THIS LANGUAGE IS PROPER AND THAT WE HAVE BEEN IN COMPLIANCE WITH OPEN MEETINGS LAW.
UM, AND, AND ANYTHING THAT'S DONE WITHIN EXECUTIVE SESSION FOLLOWS ONE OF THE EXCEPTIONS FOR NOT RAISING THOSE ISSUES WITHIN AN OPEN MEETING.
SO, UM, YOU KNOW, EVERY ONCE IN A WHILE THERE'S A MISTAKE AND SOMETHING'S THROWN ON THE WRONG AGENDA AND WE MOVE IT BACK TO THE RIGHT AGENDA.
SO I'M CONFIDENT THAT WE'VE BEEN FOLLOWING ALL THE PROPER LAWS AND PROCEDURES.
AND, AND ALSO JUST TO, YOU KNOW, CLARIFY FOR THE GENERAL PUBLIC WHEN WE ARE IN OUR EXECUTIVE SESSION, IF THERE IS A TENDENCY OF ONE OR THE OTHER OF US TO VEER INTO TERRITORY THAT IS NOT, UH, EXECUTIVE SESSION WORTHY, OUR ATTORNEY REELS US BACK IN.
BUT CAN I JUST ASK A QUESTION WHEN IT MAKES SENSE IF WE DID SOMETHING LIKE VERY GENERAL, SO LET'S SAY WE'RE TALKING ABOUT, I'M JUST DOING SOCIAL MEDIA POLICY.
WE CAN SAY WE'RE GONNA DISCUSS SOCIAL MEDIA POLICY AND UH, AND THEN, UM, IF YOU SAY, OH, THERE'S, YOU KNOW, BECAUSE THERE'S LEGAL ISSUES.
IF WE PROVIDE PEOPLE WITH MORE SPECIFICS, UM, UH, EVEN LIKE A ONE SENTENCE THING THAT DOESN'T HAVE TO BE DETAILED MM-HMM.
THEN WE KNOW THAT, UH, IF WE VEER OFF, BECAUSE I MIGHT GET DISTRACTED NOW ALL OF A SUDDEN I'M BRINGING OUT SOMETHING THAT WASN'T SUPPOSED TO BE AN EXECUTIVE SESSION, THEN
[00:40:01]
SOMEBODY COULD SAY, I THINK THIS WAS NOT, I THINK WHAT THIS WAS NOT SOMETHING WAS AUTHOR AUTHORIZED DO I THINK WHAT WE SHOULD DO IS, IS REALLY, UM, FOLLOW THE ADVICE AND FOLLOW THE GUIDANCE OF OUR TOWN ATTORNEY.WHICH IS, I THINK WHAT HE JUST MENTIONED IS WHY HE IS, WHY HE PUT THIS IN HIS, IN HIS OPINION AS OUR TOWN ATTORNEY IS WHY THIS IS WRITTEN THE WAY IT IS.
JUST TO MAKE SURE THAT, YOU KNOW, WE ARE COVERING IT.
IF I'M MISSTATING, I DON'T THINK I'M MISTAKING NO AND THIS AND THIS LANGUAGE, BUT I JUST NEED TO MAKE SURE THIS LANGUAGE EXISTED FROM THE PRIOR TOWN ATTORNEY AND I REVIEWED IT WHEN I CAME IN.
AND I AGREE, UM, WITH THE WAY IT'S WORDED.
AND I JUST WANNA POINT OUT IN TERMS OF SOCIAL MEDIA POLICY, LIKE FOR EXAMPLE, IF WE WERE TO DISCUSS THAT IN EXECUTIVE SESSION, WE WOULDN'T BE GOING THROUGH WHAT THE POLICY MAY BE.
THAT'S PUBLIC POLICY THAT NEEDS TO BE IN AN OPEN SESSION.
AND THAT IS AN ITEM THAT CAN BE HELD.
SO, SO IF WE DID VEER INTO WHAT SHOULD BE IN THIS, WHAT SHOULD BE IN A SOCIAL MEDIA POLICY, I WOULD SAY UNFORTUNATELY TOWN BOARD WITH ALL DUE RESPECT, THAT'S AN ITEM FOR OPEN SESSION.
ALL I'M SAYING IS THAT I HAVE LIKE NO OBJECTIONS TO HAVING EXECUTIVE SESSIONS BECAUSE YOU KNOW YOU HAVE TO HAVE IT.
UM, BUT I ALSO FEEL THAT THE PUB, I REALLY BELIEVE THAT THE PUBLIC SHOULD GET MORE INFORMATION AS TO WHAT WE'RE DISCUSSING.
AND THIS WAY, BASICALLY WE WOULD RESTRICT THE EXECUTIVE SESSION ONLY TO THOSE ITEMS THAT WE APPROVE.
SO IF IT'S ONE LINE OR YOU KNOW, FORCE FIVE WORDS AND SAY WE'RE GONNA BE DISCUSSING THIS IN EXECUTIVE SESSION, WE'RE DISCUSSING, UH, THAT IN EXECUTIVE SESSION, THESE ARE THE REASONS THEN THE PUBLIC COULD SAY, OH, I WANNA HAVE MORE INFORMA YOU, THEY'LL BE ABLE TO TRACK OUR OWN.
I THINK WHAT PAUL IS SAYING IS NO EXECUTIVE SESSION THAT I'VE KNOWN THAT.
NO, I THINK WHAT PAUL IS SAYING IS THAT THERE ARE ITEMS LIKE SOCIAL MEDIA POLICY WHERE WE COULD HAVE A DISCUSSION HERE, BUT THEN THERE ARE ASPECTS WE WOULD TAKE TO EXECUTIVE SESSION.
SO YOU'RE JUST SAYING YOU JUST WANT MORE PERHAPS, LET ME FINISH PLEASE.
JUST SO NOT TO HAVE MORE, UM, PERHAPS ON OUR AGENDA OF ITEMS THAT ARE FOR DIS THAT WE HAVE GENERAL DISCUSSION.
IF WE HAVE TO THEN TAKE IT INTO EXECUTIVE SESSION.
BUT YOU'RE SAYING YOU JUST WANT MORE? JUST A VERY GENERAL, AND I JUST SHOULD MENTION THAT WHEN I STARTED, BEFORE I WAS IN OFFICE MM-HMM.
THAT'S ONE OF THE THINGS THAT GOT ME STARTED.
AND I SUED THE VILLAGE OF SCARSDALE FOR VIOLATING THE OPEN MEETINGS LAW.
SO I SORT OF FEEL, YOU KNOW, IF I WAS AN OUTSIDER, I WOULD PROBABLY SAY I WANT MORE INFORMATION.
I WOULD UNDERSTAND WHEN ERIC ZINGER MENTIONED AT THE MEETING LAST WEEK THAT THAT, THAT HE FELT THERE WAS TOO MUCH STUFF BEING IN SECRET.
HE NEVER, THAT'S THAT'S HE SAID THAT PLEASE DON'T, WHAT ERIC ZINGER SAID WAS THAT HE'S SURPRISED AT HOW SHORT THE OPEN, UH, MEETING SESSIONS ARE.
HE NEVER C UH, SAID OR ACCUSED THAT WHAT WE WERE DOING IN EXECUTIVE SESSION WAS IMPROPER.
YOUR RESPONSE WAS THAT YOU'RE GONNA MAKE SURE GOING FORWARD THAT WE WOULD ALWAYS COMPLY WITH THE OPEN MEETINGS.
LAURA, AS IF WE HAVEN'T BEEN IN THE PAST, YOU'LL RECALL THAT WE HAVE HAD SIGNIFICANT TURNOVER IN PERSONNEL AND WE WERE INTERVIEWING CANDIDATES FOR POSITIONS THAT'S NOT APPROPRIATE FOR OPEN SESSIONS.
BUT WE COULD SAY FURTHER WE WERE, WE WERE DEALING WITH A TREMENDOUS NUMBER OF LEGAL ISSUES.
THAT'S NOT APPROPRIATE FOR EXECUTIVE SESSION TO SET, THAT IS FOR SESSION.
SO I THINK WE A SERIES YOU TOLD HER NOT TO.
SO YOU'RE SAYING IT CORRECTLY.
YOU'RE, YOU'RE, YOU'RE, SO THERE WAS, WE WERE IN CRISIS MODE DEALING WITH HIRING SOMEBODY TO REPRESENT US REGARDING THE CHAPTER AMENDMENT.
THAT'S NOT APPROPRIATE FOR EXECUTIVE SESSION.
THERE WAS SO MUCH WORK THAT WE WERE DOING.
WE DIDN'T HAVE TIME TO HAVE DEPARTMENT HEADS COME AND SIT HERE.
'CAUSE WE WERE LEAVING HERE LATE AT NIGHT SOMETIMES BEFORE MID JUST CHARLIE, BEFORE MIDNIGHT.
AND WE DIDN'T HAVE TIME TO SAY, OKAY, LET'S HAVE A DEPARTMENT COME AND JUST TALK WHAT THEY'RE DOING.
SO FOR THE SAKE OF THE PUBLIC, KNOWING WE WERE IN CRISIS MODE, WE ARE STILL SOMEWHAT IN, IN CRISIS MODE BECAUSE OF THE VACANTS THAT WE HAVE AND THE INTERVIEWS THAT WE HAVE TO CONDUCT AND TO DO IT RIGHT.
AND NOW WE'RE GOING TO BE DOING DEPARTMENT HEAD EVALUATIONS.
THAT'S NOT APPROPRIATE TO DO IN PUBLIC.
SO EVERY, LEMME JUST LEMME JUST SAY THAT PLEASE.
SO YOU GAVE THE IMPRESSION AND THE MINUTES OF THAT MEETING WILL REFLECT THAT YOU MADE IT APPEAR AS IF OUR TOWN ATTORNEY WASN'T GIVING US PROPER GUIDANCE IN EXECUTIVE SESSION.
BECAUSE YOU MISUNDERSTOOD WHAT ERIC ZINGER SAID AND HE PUT IN AN EMAIL LATER TO US SAYING,
[00:45:01]
YOU MISUNDERSTOOD.I WAS JUST SAYING THE OPEN SESSION IS KIND OF SHORT.
AND, AND I WOULD LIKE, IF I MAY ADD TO WHAT, WHAT UH, FRANCIS SAID IS THAT WE OFTEN HAVE OPEN SESSIONS THAT ARE LENGTHY.
IT JUST HASN'T BEEN THE CASE OVER THE LAST MONTH OR SO BECAUSE WE HAD WITH THE, UM, WITH LANE COBB AND THE TRUE THAT'S TRUE.
JUST HASN'T BEEN, IT HASN'T BEEN THE STANDARD OPERATING PROCEDURE TO ANY EXTENT OVER THE LAST MONTH OR TWO.
BUT IN, BUT BEFORE THAT, BECAUSE WE WERE IN CRISIS MODE AS, AS FRANCIS MENTIONED, EVERYTHING THAT WE, THE ONLY THING I'M SAYING, THE ONLY THING I DISAGREE IS I'M SAYING THAT WHEN WE GO INTO EXECUTIVE SESSION, I, I WOULD'VE LIKED IF IT WAS UP TO ME, I'D LIKE TO SAY MOTION FOR EXECUTIVE SESSION TO DISCUSS, UM, UH, DEPARTMENT HEAD EVALUATIONS, THEN THE PUBLIC NOT HAVING THEN I'D SAY MOTION AND EXECUTIVE SESSION TO DISCUSS, UM, POSSIBLE, UH, REVIEW OF CHAPTER AMENDMENT.
YOU KNOW, LIKE A ONE SENTENCE, A ONE SENTENCE THING THAT WOULD SAY, AND THIS WAY WE WOULD KNOW THAT THERE'S FIVE DAYS.
THAT'S WHY, THAT'S WHY IT'S IMPORTANT THAT WE HAVE AN ATTORNEY.
I CAN'T KEEP, I CAN'T WE GO THROUGH THIS BACK AND FORTH.
I'M LOOKING AT IT FROM THE STANDPOINT AS OF AN OPEN GOVERNMENT ADVOCATE WHERE I'M BASICALLY SAYING I WANNA BE MAKE SURE THAT THE PUBLIC HAS AS MUCH INFORMATION ABOUT WHAT'S HAPPENING IN THE, THE TOWN AS POSSIBLE.
I'M NOT SAYING YOU'RE GIVING CONCERN.
MY CONCERN IS THAT WE ARE NOT LISTENING TO THE ADVICE OF OUR TOWN ATTORNEY.
AND I'M GONNA KEEP STRESSING THAT OUR TOWN ATTORNEY, THAT'S WHY HE'S SITTING HERE.
SO YOU KNOW, IF HE IS COMFORTABLE WITH THIS BECAUSE HE'S GONNA HAVE TO GO TO COURT AND D DEFEND IT.
SO IF HE IS COMFORTABLE WITH THIS, THEN WE NEED TO LISTEN TO THE ADVICE OF OUR TOWN ATTORNEY.
THAT'S THE ONLY THING THAT I'M SAYING.
IT'S REAL STATEMENT THAT COVERS ANYTHING THAT WE WOULD NEED TO DISCUSS IN EXECUTIVE SECTION.
IF, IF YOU LOOK AT MANY OTHER MUNICIPALITIES WITHIN WESTCHESTER, THIS IS THE COMMON PHRASING OR SOMETHING SIMILAR TO THIS.
THE KEY IS YOU CAN'T JUST SAY YOU'RE GOING IN TO DISCUSS PERSONNEL MATTERS.
YOU MUST HAVE TO SAY, YOU MUST SAY YOU'RE TALKING BECAUSE IF IT'S A GENERAL POLICY THAT APPLIES TO ALL YOUR EMPLOYEES, THAT'S A POLICY.
SO WE ARE BEING SPECIFIC REGARDING WHAT WE'RE DOING.
AND I I THINK IF YOU CHECK WITH THE COMMITTEE ON OPEN GOVERNMENT AND WE CAN'T SAY WHAT DEPARTMENT? LISA, YOU'RE NOT THE ATTORNEY.
YOU DON'T, WE CAN'T SAY WHAT DEPARTMENT WE'RE TALKING.
WE CAN'T SAY WHAT DEPARTMENT IS WE'RE TALKING ABOUT.
SO WE'RE OKAY, WE'RE GONNA GO INTO EXECUTIVE SESSION AND TALK ABOUT A PERSONNEL MATTER INVOLVING HR.
SO LET'S, LET'S LET THE TOWN ATTORNEY GIVE US LEGAL ADVICE AND LET'S ACT ON IT.
WHICH IS WHAT WE'VE BEEN DOING AND WE'VE BEEN DOING IT FOR QUITE A LONG TIME.
PRIOR TOWN ATTORNEY AND THE CURRENT TOWN ATTORNEY.
AND I DON'T WANT ANYBODY TO GET THE IMPRESSION 'CAUSE IT REALLY FRUSTRATES ME AND YOUR ANSWER MISUNDERSTANDING WHAT ERIC ZINGER WAS SAYING, UH, THAT SOMEHOW WE'RE DOING SOMETHING INAPPROPRIATE WHEN WE GO INTO EXECUTIVE SESSION IS JUST INFURIATING.
CAN WE, ALRIGHT, SO LISA'S BEEN TRYING TO SAY SOMETHING SO YOU WANT TO COME ON, RIGHT? UM, COUNCILMAN, YOU JUST SAID EXACTLY.
UM, CORRECT REGARDING, UM, WHEN I WENT TO TRAINING, THEY HAD SAID THE PURPOSE OF DISCUSSING PERSONNEL MATTERS WAS INAPPROPRIATE.
AND THAT'S WHAT I EXPLAINED TO, UH, THE TOWN ATTORNEY.
THAT'S WHAT I TRIED TO CONVEY IN THE, THE EMAIL WHEN I WAS SPOKE, UH, WHEN I WAS SPEAKING TO.
SO YOU FOUND OUT THAT THIS IS INAPPROPRIATE? NO, NO, NO.
UM, THE INVOLVING SPECIFIC INDIVIDUALS.
BUT WHAT THEY SUGGESTED WHEN WE WERE IN TRAINING WAS THAT, UM, THEY SAID YOU, UH, THEY SUGGESTED SAYING A DEPARTMENT, I AM, I AM JUST BRINGING INFORMATION TO THE BOARD WHAT I GOT FROM MY TRAINING AND THAT'S WHY I DID NOT DO IT ON THIS FORMAT.
THAT'S WHY I DID IT IN AN EMAIL
OH, THERE'S NO WRITTEN DOCUMENTATION OR ANYTHING.
THERE MUST BE SOMETHING NO, NO, NO.
IT IT, IT'S WRITTEN AND, BUT IT CAME, I'M SORRY.
DID I SAY THAT? SO WE COULD SAY WE'RE GOING TO GO INTO EXECUTIVE SESSION TO DISCUSS PERSONNEL MATTERS INVOLVING THE TOWN CLERK'S OFFICE? NO, SHE'S SAYING YOU DON'T THINK THE TOWN'S CLERK'S OFFICE, WHICH WHAT HAS THREE PEOPLE IN IT IS GONNA WONDER.
IS IT ME? SHE'S SAYING THAT THERE IS LANGUAGE TO, FOR JOE TO REVIEW BASED ON THE TRAINING FROM THE, UM, ASSOCIATION OF TOWNS.
SO LET'S JUST THAT, LET'S JUST, SO THEN LISA CAN BRING BACK AND SAY, HEY JOE, GUESS WHAT I LEARNED IN, IN, IN TRAINING.
RIGHT? JOE HAS SAID THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
I APPRECIATE YOU BRINGING THAT RESOURCE.
PAUL, DID YOU WANT GO INTO, DO YOU WANNA MAKE A MOTION? 'CAUSE
[00:50:01]
WE HAVE PEOPLE I STILL WOULD'VE RATHER BEEN MORE SPECIFIC AND YOU KNOW, I'M NOT WE HEARD YOU PAUL.I'M JUST SAYING WAIT, WAIT, WAIT, WAIT.
WE'RE GONNA GO ROUND ROCK ON THIS.
LEMME JUST SAY ONE OTHER THING.
I I AM NOT QUESTIONING JOE'S, UM, UM, INTERPRETATION OF THE LAW YES.
SO I'M SAYING I FEEL THAT, YOU KNOW, WHAT HE'S RECOMMENDING IN TERMS OF THE WORDING IS, UM, YOU KNOW, COULD COMPLY WITH THE LAW.
I'M SAYING THAT, BUT I JUST WANNA MAKE PURPOSE REMEMBER THIS FOR THE PRIOR ATTORNEY AS WELL.
SO YOU, THIS IS IN, I'M SAYING THIS IS NOT A LEGAL, UH, RECOMMENDATION.
THIS IS BASICALLY SAYING A TRANSPARENT RECOMMENDATION, WHICH IS DIFFERENT.
WE'RE IS SAYING IF IS THERE A WAY THAT WE COULD PROVIDE THE PUBLIC WITH MORE INFORMATION ON THAT WILL NOT, UH, PUT THE TOWN AT RISK.
SO THERE MAY THE ISSUE, THERE MAY BE ISSUES THAT WE'RE DISCUSSING THAT, UH, WHERE WE COULD GIVE PEOPLE A CLUE WHAT WE'RE DISCUSSING.
AND IF WE HAVE LIKE FIVE OR SIX THINGS ON AN AGENDA, UM, THEN WE KNOW WHEN WE'RE IN EXECUTIVE SESSION FOR FOUR OR FIVE HOURS THAT WE HAVE TO LIMIT IT TO ONLY THOSE, THOSE TOPICS.
BECAUSE WE HAVE BEEN, WE HAVE BEEN STOP GIVING.
WE DON'T YOU KEEP GIVING THIS IMPRESSION THAT WE'RE NOT I'M SORRY.
WHY DON'T WE HOLD THE REST OF THIS CONVERSATION THAT'S AND GO LET JUST SAY IF WE ARE TO ITEMIZE THE INDIVIDUAL ISSUES, SOMETIMES WHEN YOU HAVE A PERSONNEL MATTER INVOLVING A PARTICULAR PERSON, IT GOES INTO, WELL THAT'S AFFECTED SOME OTHER INDIVIDUAL PERSON.
BUT WE DIDN'T MENTION THAT OUT IN THE FRONT.
THAT'S NOT, NOW WE HAVE TO WAIT UNTIL THE FOLLOWING MEETING.
SO WE COULD SAY, OH, WE'RE GONNA TALK ABOUT THIS OTHER PERSON WHO'S ALSO GOT AN ISSUE.
BUT LET'S SAY WE DID THE MURAL, WHICH HAS BEEN A TOPIC.
NO, LET'S, NO, I'M SAYING WE COULD JUST SAY WE'RE DISCUSSING MEDIATION.
AND THAT'S MEANT, YOU KNOW, THAT'S, IT'S PURPOSEFUL.
I'D LIKE TO MAKE A MOTION, UM, UH, TO GO INTO EXECUTIVE SESSION FOR THE PURPOSES OF DISCUSSING PERSONAL MATTERS,
ANYONE LIKE TO SECOND? SECOND.