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SO, UH, UH, WELCOME TARA TOWN BOARD MEETING.[ TOWN OF GREENBURGH OFFICE OF THE TOWN BOARD 177 Hillside Avenue, Greenburgh, NY 10607 Tel: 914-989-1500 Fax: 914-993-1541 Email: JDudek@Greenburghny.com https://ny-greenburgh.civicplus.com/485/Watch-Live-Board-Meetings]
AFTER, UH, 5 25.AND, UM, FIRST ITEM IS THE AGENDA REVIEW.
FIND IN YOUR APPLE MUSIC LIBRARY.
GET, YOU GET NO, I WENT TO EVERY TOWN BOARD MEMBER.
SO ANYBODY, UH, WANNA COMMENT ON ANYTHING? YES.
ARE THESE, OH, THE CAPITAL BUDGET? UH, I'M JUST ADDING, UM, TWO ITEMS. I SPOKE TO KIMBERLY, UM, THE BUS FOR THE SENIORS, AND, UM, IT'S THE BUS THAT WE HAVE.
AND, UM, WHAT ELSE? THE RED LIGHT CAMERAS.
IF WE DO A BUS, I'D RATHER, I'D LIKE TO DO THE ELECTRIC.
I MEAN, WE CAN'T KEEP, THAT'S $400,000.
WE CAN'T KEEP TELLING EVERYBODY, LET'S BE SUSTAINABLE.
LET'S PAY MORE FOR YOUR GAS, YOU KNOW, FOR YOUR ELECTRICITY.
AND THEN WE NOT ACTUALLY PREACH WHAT WE TALK ABOUT.
WELL, I'M PUTTING IN, YOU KNOW, THE 200, BUT THE BOARD COULD ALWAYS ADD IT IF YOU WANT.
UM, BECAUSE, UM, BUT YOU KNOW, AGAIN, YOU KNOW, I CAN UNDERSTAND, YOU KNOW, YOUR POINT OF VIEW.
UM, I, I ALSO AM, UM, YOU KNOW, CONCERNED, YOU KNOW, WITH THE SENIORS, IF THERE'S, UM, TRAFFIC JAMS AND THEY GO, YOU KNOW, AND YOU HAVE A BUS, AN ELECTRIC BUS, YOU KNOW, AND I JUST AM WORRIED THAT, YOU KNOW, COST, IT COULD GET STUCK OR SOMETHING.
UM, YOU KNOW, IF ALL OF THE COUNTY BUSES ARE ELECTRIFIED, OKAY, WELL, YOU KNOW, THE BOARD COULD EDIT.
AND WE'RE PUTTING IN MORE AND MORE.
I WAS JUST CONCERNED, YOU KNOW, BECAUSE AGAIN, IT'S, IT'S, INSTEAD OF $200,000, IT'S $400,000.
SO WHAT IS IT GOING? BUT IN THE LONG RUN, THE SAVINGS WILL BOARDS AND COMMISSION.
I CAN'T BELIEVE IT'D BE TOO TWICE AS MUCH.
WE'RE GOING TO, UH, RECORDING IN PROGRESS.
UH, PW TWO IS BEING, NO, NOT PW TWO, UH, PW ONE IS GONNA BE HELD OVER PW ONE PW ONE, RIGHT.
IN IT, IT LOOKS LIKE THERE WAS A BID, AND NOW THEY REALIZE THAT IT NEEDS TO BE HOOKED UP TO ELECTRICITY, UH,
OH, WE'VE, WE'VE GOTTA FIND OUT WHY THAT WASN'T INCLUDED IN THE BID.
SO THIS IS A HOLD ORDER THAT'S GONNA BE HELPFUL, BORROWING YOU WELL ON PO ONE, THE, UH, SCHOOL RESOURCE OFFICER.
UH, WE NEED TO ADD OUR TYPICAL AMENDMENT CLAUSE THAT IT HAS TO BE BASED ON A DULY ADOPTED RESOLUTION FROM THE TOWN BOARD.
WHAT CO ONE THAT, UH, PO O ONE, PO ONE, IT'S ALL FINE, BUT THE, THE AMENDMENT CLAUSE SAYS THAT ANY PARTY CAN AMEND IT, AND THAT'S NOT LANGUAGE WE NORMALLY USE.
LET ME ASK A, A FOLLOW UP QUESTION.
UM, BECAUSE, UM, YOU KNOW, YOU WERE JUST TALKING ABOUT YOU WANT ELECTRIC BUSES, BUT WE, THERE'S OTHER VEHICLES IN THE CAPITAL BUDGET, YOU KNOW, FOR THIS YEAR AND NEXT YEAR.
DO YOU WANT US TO ONLY DO, UH, ELECTRIC, UH, UM, VEHICLES, NOT ONLY THE BUSES, BUT DO YOU WANT THE POLICY OF THE TOWN TO BE, UH, ONLY ELECTRIC VEHICLES AND, YOU KNOW, IF WE HAVE POLICE CARS OR WE HAVE, UH, UH, VEHICLES FOR EMPLOYEES, IT SHOULD IT ONLY BE ELECTRIC? BECAUSE THAT WOULD, AGAIN, THE COST IS MUCH MORE, BUT ON THE OTHER HAND, YOU KNOW, I'M JUST ASKING WHAT THE BOARD'S, WELL, I THINK THE, THE EQUIPMENT, YOU KNOW, LIKE THE, THE DPW EQUIPMENT RIGHT NOW, THEY'RE NOT UP TO, THEY'RE NOT QUITE UP TO SPEED AS FAR AS ELECTRIFICATION, BUT FOR PASSENGER VEHICLES, POLICE
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CARS, UM, SOME, YOU KNOW, YOU'D HAVE TO ASSESS BECAUSE SOME OF, SOME OF THEM, SOME OF THEM, YEAH, SOME OF THEM, UM, POLICE CARS IN TERMS OF FITTING ALL THE EQUIPMENT THAT THE POLICE NEED TO ACCESS WITHIN THE CAR.I KNOW THAT WAS, UM, SOMETHING THAT WENT GO ROUNDS WITH THE COUNTY AND YOU CAN CHECK WITH THE COUNTY AND SEE WHAT THEY ULTIMATELY, UM, CAME UP WITH.
BUT, YOU KNOW, SOME OF THE, UH, DEPARTMENTS HAVE VEHICLES THAT THEY USE DURING THE DAY, AND I'M JUST SORT OF WONDERING, UM, IF THOSE SHOULD BE ELECTRIC OR IF THEY SHOULDN'T BE ELECTRIC.
AND I'M ALSO WONDERING, UM, IF, YOU KNOW, TO ME, IF WE'RE GONNA BE DOING, YOU KNOW, GOING ELECTRIC, UM, YOU KNOW, IT WOULD BE INTERESTING TO SEE, UH, LIKE THE LONG TERM, YOU KNOW, COST BECAUSE OBVIOUSLY ELECTRIC, YOU DON'T HAVE TO BUY GEARS AND ALL THAT FOR THE VEHICLES.
AND, YOU KNOW, THERE COULD BE SOME LONG TERM, YOU KNOW, SAVINGS FOR THE TAXPAYERS.
BUT I'M WONDERING IF WE COULD SEE IF WE COULD GET SOMEBODY IN, UM, WHO COULD, YOU KNOW, EXPLAIN, UH, THE COSTS, UH, EXPLAIN, UH, POTENTIAL SAVINGS IF, IF THERE ARE, OR ADDITIONAL, ADDITIONAL COSTS.
AND ALSO EXPLAIN, UH, YOU KNOW, WHAT POTENTIAL PROBLEMS, YOU KNOW, COULD EXIST IF WE, UH, YOU KNOW, GO THAT ROUTE.
IF THERE ARE GONNA BE ANY PROBLEM.
MAYBE THERE'S NO PROBLEMS. BUT NO, I THINK THAT'S A GOOD IDEA TO BRING SOMEONE INTO ADVISE US AND THEN WE CAN MAKE A DECISION BASED THAT, BUT I DUNNO IF WE'RE READY FOR IT YET.
YOU ALWAYS GONNA SAY SOMETHING YOU WANT ME TO SAY? NO, I JUST WANTED TO, SO THEN I'LL FINISH THEN.
SO I DON'T KNOW IF WE'RE READY YET, BECAUSE IF WE'RE TALKING ABOUT TRANSFERRING OR START TO TRANSITION OUR FLEET OVER TO ELECTRIC, WE DON'T HAVE THE EQUIPMENT TO DO THAT.
'CAUSE WE'RE STILL GOING TO HAVE TO, UM, HAVE CHARGING STATIONS AVAILABLE.
SO I'M, I DON'T BELIEVE THERE'S ONE HERE AT TOWN HALL.
SO IF WE'RE LOOKING TO HAVE A FLEET THAT WE STORE HERE AT TOWN HALL TO BE ELECTRIFIED, WE NEED TO MAKE SURE WE HAVE THE EQUIPMENT TO BE ABLE TO CHARGE.
ALL I'M SAYING IS THAT, YOU KNOW, YOU KNOW, I INDICATED ON THE BUS THAT I ORDER, THAT I'M RECOMMENDING THAT WE BUY, IT'S $200,000.
SO THE THING IS, UM, YOU KNOW, THAT'S LIKE A VERY BIG DOLLAR AMOUNT.
UM, YOU KNOW, IT'S NOT INSIGNIFICANT.
IT'S NOT A NOMINAL ADDITIONAL COST.
AND ALL I'M SAYING IS IF WE'RE GONNA GO ELECTRIC, I WOULD'VE PREFER, PERSONALLY SPEAKING, I WOULD PREFER TRYING IT OUT ON VEHICLES THAT, UH, YOU KNOW, BASICALLY A, LIKE SAY THE BUILDING DEPARTMENT USES VEHICLES EVERY SINGLE DAY GOING AROUND, UH, YOU KNOW, GOING AROUND THE TOWN, THERE'S LESS OF A RISK.
YOU MEAN SMALL PASSENGER VEHICLES? IS THAT WHAT YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT? NO, I'M TALKING ABOUT JUST A REGULAR PASSENGER CAR.
YEAH, BUT, BUT YOU NEED TO DO IT, I THINK RIGHT BEFORE YOU MAKE THE SUGGESTION, WHICH IS NOT SAYING, IT'S NOT A BAD SUGGESTION.
I THINK YOU NEED TO DO THE ANALYSIS.
THAT'S WHAT WHAT I'M SAYING, BEFORE YOU START MAKING THESE SUGGESTIONS TO COME OUT AND SAYING, WE SHOULD, YOU KNOW, OR ASK THE QUESTION, DO YOU THINK WE SHOULD TRANSITION ALL OF OUR FLEET OVER TO ELECTRIC VEHICLES? NO, THAT'S, THAT'S STILL THE, THAT'S STILL THE HOMEWORK FIRST.
THAT'S, THAT'S, THAT'S WHY I THINK WE'RE READY TO TRANSITION.
SOMEBODY'S WAVING AT US FROM THE WINDOW.
IT'S TELL THE SECURITY OFFICER, UH, WIN'S.
WHO'S THE SECURITY GUARD? THE POLICE CARS? I DON'T KNOW WHEN WE WOULD CHARGE THEM, BECAUSE AS SOON AS ONE SHIFT IS OVER, ANOTHER POLICE OFFICER GETS IN THAT SAME CAR AND GOES OUT WHEN THAT SHIFT IS OVER THAT THE OTHER POLICE OFFICER GETS IN THERE.
I DON'T KNOW WHEN THEY ACTUALLY WOULD CHARGE.
WE'D HAVE TO DO SOME SERVICE STUDY AND ASSESSMENT.
BUT THE COUNTY IS OBVIOUSLY LOOKED AT BUSES.
BUSES AND THEY'VE ADDRESSED AND POLICE CARS AND OTHER CARS.
SO WE, I THINK WE CAN CONSULT WITH COUNTY PW NO, WE SHOULD.
I JUST DON'T WANT US TO KEEP PREACHING, YOU KNOW, SUSTAINABLE WESTCHESTER AND PAY MORE FOR ELECTRICITY BECAUSE THERE'S A GOOD CAUSE AND YOU'RE SAVING THE PLANET.
AND THEN WE DON'T, WE DON'T DO IT OURSELVES.
SO WE'LL DISCUSS THAT IN THE COMING WEEKS.
ANYTHING, UM, ELSE ON THE AGENDA? HANG ON.
THE, THE SPECIAL COUNSEL FOR THE, UH, PERSONNEL ISSUES.
YEAH, WE NEED, WE, WE NEED LABOR.
I DIDN'T SEE ANYTHING EARLIER THAT RAISED ANY CONCERN.
EVERYONE GOOD? I AM SO A VERY WISE PERSON SITTING IN THE BACK OF THE ROOM HAS
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INFORMED ME THAT THE, UH, $400,000 BUS IS 200,000 TO THE TOWN.WILL THAT PERSON BE WINS? GORDON? WILL THAT BOY PERSON BE WINS? GORDON WAS WAVING FRANTICALLY IN THE BACK TO GET, THANK YOU, WINSOME.
COUNTY TO MAKE SURE THAT THE NEXT YOU CAN'T TALK FROM THE BACK WINSOME.
YEAH, SHE'S GONNA REACH OUT TO THE COUNTY TO MAKE SURE THAT, THAT THAT MATCHES THERE.
OKAY, ARE WE READY? VIRTUALLY WE HAVE PEOPLE FROM CONED THAT ARE GONNA COME ON BY ZOOM.
SO ARE WE DONE WITH THE, IS THAT SCREEN ON HERE? OKAY.
GOTTA GET VERY COZY HERE IN A MOMENT.
WELL, WHO'S COMING OUT FROM VIRTUAL? UH, RICH IS GONNA BE ONLINE.
CATHERINE, ARE YOU GONNA GONNA SIT AND REPRESENT? DO YOU HAVE SOMEONE THAT'S SITTING WITH YOU? I'M SORRY? DO YOU HAVE SOMEONE COMING WITH YOU? IS IT JUST YOU OR IS WELL, NO SITTING AT THE TABLE.
DO YOU HAVE A COS SPOKESPERSON? NO.
CAN'T FIT YOU ALL AT THE TABLE.
I DON'T USUALLY SIT FOR FRONT ROW EITHER, SO I'M GONNA SEND YOU A LINK SO THAT YOU CAN GO ON ZOOM.
UM, I DIDN'T CATCH MY LINK FAST PANELIST LINK FAST ENOUGH, SO I'LL DO IT.
OKAY, THEN YOU'LL HAVE TO TELL ME HOW OH, SO I CAN SHARE MY SCREEN.
SO DO I NEED TO GO TO ZOOM YET? WHEN ARE YOU, THAT'S FUNNY,
UM, WHEN AM I, UM, ON WHAT EMAIL AM I GETTING MY LINK? UH, THE ONE YOU USE FOR THE AR BLB CHALLENGE.
UM, WHILE WE ARE SETTING UP, I, I ASSUME THAT YOU ARE ALL NEIGHBORS LIVING ON THE STREET.
UM, CATHERINE'S GOING TO SPEAK FOR ALL OF YOU.
WE CAN'T WITHOUT THE MICROPHONE.
WE CAN'T TAKE COMMENTS BECAUSE THEY WON'T BE RECORDED FROM YOUR SEATS.
UM, IF THERE IS ANYTHING THAT SOMEONE HAS TO SAY, THEN YOU KNOW, LEAVE IT TO CATHERINE TO MAKE THOSE CALL YOU UP OR WHATEVER.
CAN THEY CAN COME UP TO MAKE THEIR COMMENT.
SO IF THEY HAVE A COMMENT, THEY COULD EASILY SIT DOWN AND NO, THAT'S FINE.
BUT, AND, AND I WOULD JUST ASK THAT IF YOU WOULD, BECAUSE THE MEETINGS CAN GO QUITE LONG IF YOU'RE REPEATING SOMETHING THAT SOMEONE ELSE HAS SAID, IF YOU CAN REFRAIN FROM THAT, WE'D REALLY APPRECIATE IT.
CAN YOU TURN YOUR MIC UP? OKAY.
CAN YOU, CAN YOU HEAR NOW? IS THAT ANY BETTER? YEAH, WE YOU OKAY.
IS THIS LOUD ENOUGH FOR EVERYBODY? YEAH.
WELL, YOU HAVE A, A VOICE THAT CARRIES.
I, I'M, I'M ON IT AND I'M JUST, IT HAS NOT COME NOW IT CAME.
THAT MAY HAVE BEEN A LINK THAT'S SPECIFIC TO LIZ.
IF YOU GO ON THAT ONE, IT'S, YOU'RE GONNA COME IN.
IT'S LIZ GARITY, WHICH IS NOT THE WORST THING IN THE WORLD.
THESE DON'T LEAVE DOWN YOUR FINE.
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ANYBODY ELSE CUT IT? NO, I JUST, I SIGNED IN.IT'S ASKING ME TO DO IT AGAIN.
WERE YOU ABLE TO GET IN ON THAT LINK, ELLEN? I DIDN'T SEE IT POP UP AGAIN.
BUT WAS YOU WERE PROMOTING ME TO PANELISTS.
AND I DIDN'T ASK ME AGAIN TO SIGN IN.
THIS IS THE SECOND TIME YOU SEE.
THAT'S NOT A, YOU HAVE TO SIGN INTO YOUR ZOOM ACCOUNT.
SO FOR THOSE IN ATTENDANCE AND FOR THOSE WATCHING, WE'RE JUST WORKING OUT SOME TECHNICAL ISSUES RIGHT NOW.
WE HAVE NOT STARTED THE CONVERSATION YET.
SO YOU SIGNING IN? I REGISTERED AND SIGNED IN, SAID JULY MEETING AND NOW IT'S ASKING ME AGAIN TO DO THIS.
I'M GOING TO TRY TO START IT OVER.
GET OUT ALL MY, OTHERWISE WE, OTHERWISE WE CAN, IF YOU EMAIL ME THE PRESENTATION, THEN I'LL, THAT'S ANOTHER WAY OF DOING IT.
EMAIL ME YOUR, YOUR SLIDES GIVE A CONTROL, FRANCIS.
NO, 'CAUSE I'M GONNA, I'M GONNA GIVE IT INTO TERRANCE AND
UM, TERRANCE, WE TRY JUST, WE CAN TRY TO GIVE DO YOU HAVE HT MI IT LOOKS LIKE SHE DOES ON THIS SIDE.
THAT'S OH, MAYBE I'LL HOOK HER UP.
WE LIKE TO LIKE, WE LIKE TO HAVE AT LEAST SOME, SO I REGISTERED THEN IT SAYS OPEN IN ZOOM AGAIN.
WHAT'S THE MEETING ID NUMBER? ARE WE TRYING TO DOWNLOAD MY WELL, NO, THIS, THERE'S JUST YOUR VIDEO.
WHATEVER YOU SEE WILL COME UP ON THE SCREEN.
YOU GOOD FOR THAT RIGHT NOW?
SHE SHOULD BE ABLE TO SHARE IT NOW.
HOW'S THAT GONNA GO OUT? OH, 'CAUSE SHE'S GOING INTO THAT COMPUTER.
ARE YOU GOOD THOUGH FOR THAT TO GO OUT? I'M, I'M FINE WITH IT GOING OUT.
I JUST CAN'T GET IT TO ANYBODY RIGHT NOW.
SO WHAT I'M GONNA TRY AND DO IS YOU NO, HOLD IT UP ON YOUR SCREEN.
IF YOU, IF YOU PUT IT ON YOUR SCREEN, WE'LL SEE IT GETTING CLOSE.
AND THEN CLICK ON A PRESENTATION MODE.
RIGHT? IN OTHER WORDS, UH, RUN THE, RUN THE SLIDES INSTEAD OF HAVING IT SMALL SLIDESHOW.
TERRANCE, CAN YOU DRIVE? CAN YOU PUSH THAT INTO ZOOM? NO.
'CAUSE NOW IT'S NOT, IT DIDN'T RECOGNIZE HER COMPUTER UP.
WE HAVE KIND OF SOME SECURITY FEATURES.
ANYTIME WE HAVE SOME HANDOUTS STICKING OUT
SO DO YOU WANNA GIVE A SUMMARY WHILE WE'RE WAITING FOR THE HOOKUPS? SO CATHERINE, DO YOU, DO YOU WANNA GIVE A SUMMARY WHILE WE'RE WAITING FOR THE
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COMPUTER HOOKUP? THE PRESENTATION, ACTUALLY IT'S ALL WRAPPED INTO ONE.SHOULD WE MAYBE, UH, WHILE SHE'S DOING THIS, COULD WE GO ON THE OTHER AGENDA ITEMS AND THEN WE CAN COME BACK.
WE ALSO CONED ON THE LINE TOO, SO, RIGHT, BUT I'M JUST TALKING ABOUT THIS.
LET ME GIVE THE PRE PREAMBLE TO THIS AND THAT'LL, OKAY.
WE WERE LAST HERE ON OCTOBER 3RD AND WE HAD LOTS OF REPRESENTATION FROM CONED.
THERE WERE QUESTIONS AT THE TIME, WHETHER PEOPLE DIDN'T SIGN ON, COULD WE, THEY THEY MADE IT CLEAR THEY WERE COMING REGARDLESS OF WHETHER THERE WERE ANY PEOPLE SIGNING ON OR NOT.
IT HAS BEEN A VERY ROUGH SEVERAL MONTHS.
UM, AND THE REASON WE'RE HERE TODAY IS BECAUSE OUR STREET LOOKS LIKE A DISASTER AREA.
WE HAD ONE HOUSE THAT WENT ON THE MARKET AND ONE IS NOW IN CONTRACT, BUT WE HAVE TWO OTHER HOUSES THAT ARE REDUCING THEIR PRICE.
UM, I'VE HAD A REAL ESTATE FIRM FOR MANY YEARS.
THE WAY OUR BLOCK LOOKS IS NOT CONDUCIVE TO SELLING YOUR HOUSE.
AND I PUT TOGETHER A SLIDESHOW TO SHOW YOU, NOT TO TAKE MY WORD FOR IT, BUT TO SHOW YOU, I KNOW PAUL FELT THAT WE WERE LUCKY TO HAVE THIS.
UM, THERE ARE, WHEN WE STARTED THERE WERE 59 HOUSES.
I ACTUALLY COUNT 61, BUT THEY SAY 59.
AND OF THOSE, WHEN I, IN BEGINNING OF COMMUNICATION, PEOPLE SIGNED ON 24 HOUSES.
SO I'M GONNA SHOW YOU ALSO WRITTEN UP HERE, AND I'M HAPPY TO LEAVE THE SLIDESHOW WITH YOU.
IS THE NUMBER OF EXCUSES GIVEN FOR WHY CON ED DECIDED THEY COULDN'T GO INTO SOMEONE'S HOUSE? OKAY.
YOU CAN START FRANCIS ONE'S THAT.
SO YEAH, IF HE'S TRYING TO DRIVE IT, HE'S DOING IT RIGHT NOW.
CATHERINE, YOU CAN START IF YOU WANNA SAY YOUR NAME.
MY NAME IS CATHERINE LETTER SKET AND I'M THE PRESIDENT OF OUR BIRCHWOOD CIVIC ASSOCIATION.
THIS GOES BACK TO 96, 90, ACTUALLY 92.
UM, AND WE SHOULD JUST MENTION STAN MESSENGER BECAUSE HE GAVE THAT TO ME.
UM, BUT THAT SAID, I PUT THIS TOGETHER TO SHOW YOU WHERE WE ARE.
THIS IS WHAT DRISSLER LOOKS LIKE.
AND IF YOU SEE THOSE TINY LITTLE THINGS, THAT'S WHAT OTHER NEIGHBORHOODS HAVE.
AND THE ONE ON THE RIGHT IS A LARGE UNIT, LARGER UNIT.
THAT IS NOT WHAT BIRCHWOOD LANE LOOKS LIKE I JUST SAID FOR ANYONE ON ZOOM.
IF YOU WANT TO PIN THE MAIN AUDITORIUM SCREEN, THEN IT'LL MAKE IT FULL SCREEN.
IF I SPOTLIGHT IT, THEN YOU'RE NOT GONNA BE ABLE TO SEE THE PARTICIPANTS.
BUT YOU, ANY, ANY, UH, PERSON THAT'S ON ZOOM, JUST PIN THAT MAIN AUDITORIUM AND YOU'LL SEE THE SLIDE IN FULL VIEW.
SO CATHERINE, YOU MEAN THE GREEN UNITS THAT WE'RE SEEING? I'M SORRY.
THOSE SMALL, THOSE, THOSE, IT'S NOT OUR STREET.
NO, I KNOW THOSE ARE THE ONES THAT YOU WERE DESCRIBING.
I WAS TRYING TO SHOW YOU WHAT COULD HAVE BEEN, THEY'RE GOING TO TELL US ALL THE REASONS THEY COULDN'T BE.
BUT I WANT YOU TO HAVE A REFERENCE POINT OF WHAT OTHER NEIGHBORHOODS LOOK LIKE THAT HAVE UNDERGROUND WIRES.
UM, ON BIRCHWOOD CON IS INSTALLED A MINIMUM OF 17 ABOVE GROUND TRANSFORMERS INJUNCTION BOXES OF VARIOUS LARGE SIZES, 16 PLUS SLICE BOXES, SIX NEW POLES AND 13, MOVE IT AWAY FROM YOUR MOUTH AND 13 RISERS ON POLES, ON PROPERTIES.
THIS IS ALL WITHIN A 0.6 MILE AREA AND THOSE OF YOU WHO RUN KNOW HOW IMPORTANT IT IS TO BE ABLE TO MEASURE YOUR DISTANCE.
SO I CAN ATTEST THAT IT'S 0.6.
ONLY AT MOST 17 OF THE 59 HOUSES ON BIRCHWOOD LANE IN RICHARD TERRACE ARE RECEIVING CON EDISON'S UNDERGROUND WIRE SERVICES.
SOME, SOME HOUSES THAT WISHED TO SIGN ON WERE REJECTED FOR REASONS SUCH AS DRIVEWAYS WERE TOO LONG.
NEIGHBORS TREES WERE A PROBLEM, NOT THEIR OWN, BUT THEIR NEIGHBORS.
OR THERE WAS TOO MUCH ROCK, WHICH WE PREDICTED.
WHEN WE MET IN OCTOBER, ONE OWNER OFFERED TO SIGN IN ANY NECESSARY RELEASES SO THAT CON EDISON WOULD NOT BE RESPONSIBLE FOR THE SHRUBS.
ANOTHER OFFERED TO PAY A PRIVATE EXCAVATOR.
ALL WERE REJECTED BY CON EDISON.
CON EDISON CAME TO OUR BLOCK WITHOUT INVITATION ON OCTOBER 3RD, 2023.
WE WERE TOLD UNEQUIVOCALLY THAT WE HAD NO SAY IN WHETHER THEY WOULD DO, THEY COULD DO WORK HERE ON OUR RESIDENTIAL STREETS, WHERE SOME OF US HAVE LIVED FOR MORE THAN 30 YEARS.
NOW OUR PAVED ROADS ARE SCARRED BY EXTENSIVE EXCAVATION WITH NO ATTENTION PAID TO THE HORRIBLE VISUAL IMPACT.
THE STREETS LOOK LIKE VICTIMS OF TRAUMATIC SURGERY AND OUR PROPERTIES ARE LITTERED WITH MASSIVE METAL CONTAINERS THAT SOME REV RESIDENTS HAVE COMPARED TO LOOKING LIKE COFFINS.
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UM, I HERE ARE A COLLECTION OF SLIDES WITH PICTURES OF THE DIFFERENT BOXES, AND SOME OF THEM YOU CAN SEE ARE WI ARE LITERALLY ACROSS THE STREET FROM EACH OTHER.I DON'T KNOW IF THAT SHOWS YOU THIS, THIS IS LIKE, REALLY, AND THIS ONE.
THERE'S BEEN ABSOLUTELY NO ATTEMPT MADE TO DO ANYTHING.
AND I, AND IT COMES TO WHAT WE WANT IN THE END, BUT I WILL REMIND YOU ALL THAT WE WERE TOLD THAT YOU NEEDED A THREE FOOT CLEARANCE FOR SAFETY.
THE, I I, WHEN I WAS TAKING THESE PICTURES, I WAS WONDERING HOW I COULD ACTUALLY CAPTURE HOW TERRIBLE THE STREETS LOOK.
BUT IT'S VERY, IT'S NOT EASY TO, YOU KNOW, USING YOUR PHONE TO CAPTURE IT.
BUT THIS GOES THROUGHOUT AND THEY, AS YOU SEE OVER HERE, THEY CROSS OVER THE STREETS THERE.
THIS IS A HUGE BOX WHEN YOU DRIVE IN.
IT'S BIG ENOUGH AND IT'S, IT'S DEEP ENOUGH HERE.
UM, I DON'T KNOW IF I CAN MAKE IT BIGGER.
THERE'S NO ATTEMPT MADE TO MAKE ANYTHING LOOK AESTHETICALLY PLEASING OR SAD OR IN ANY WAY TO CAMOUFLAGE ANYTHING.
YOU CAN SEE HERE, THIS IS, THIS IS BY SOMEONE ELSE'S HOUSE.
IT'S A A A ROAD LOOKS LIKE OPEN HEART SURGERY.
WHAT WE WANT TO DO, WHAT WE WANT TO DO IS WE MUST ACT NOW TO MINIMIZE THIS NEGATIVE THRASHING.
OUR PROPERTY VALUES ARE ALREADY BEING INVERSELY IMPACTED.
THERE'S ONE HOUSE THAT THERE'S ONE HOUSE THAT HAS GONE TO CONTRACT TWO OTHERS ARE REDUCING THEIR PRICES.
THE ARGUMENT COULD BE THEY PRICE TOO HIGH.
THE OTHER ARGUMENT COULD BE THAT THE NEIGHBORHOOD NO LONGER LOOKS APPEALING.
WHAT WE WANT AT CON EDISON'S EXPENSE, WE WILL HIRE A LAND.
WE WANT TO HIRE A LANDSCAPER TO LAY OUT SHRUBS THAT WILL IN EFFECTIVELY SURROUND THE TRANSFORMERS, WHICH WILL BE AESTHETICALLY PLEASING AND HAVE A LONGER LIFE EXPECTANCY.
I KNOW THAT SOME OF MY NEIGHBORS, AND REMEMBER AS I DO, WHEN THE WATER METERS WERE PUT ON THE OUTSIDE OF OUR HOUSES, SUDDENLY THESE HOLLY BUSHES WERE DUMPED IN THE FRONT OF YOUR HOUSE AS THOUGH THEY WERE SUPPOSED TO COVER SOMETHING.
AS YOU SEE FROM THE SIZE OF THE BOXES, HOLLY BUSH IS NOT GONNA GET IT DONE.
AT THE MEETING, CON EDISON SAID THAT LANDSCAPING NEEDS TO BE A MINIMUM DISTANCE FROM THE TRANSFORMERS.
THE MINIMUM DISTANCE WAS AT THE TIME, I BELIEVE SAID TO BE THREE FEET.
WE COULD NOT NAIL THEM DOWN AT THE TIME TO SAY, IS THAT UNIFORMLY AROUND IT OR NOT? AND COUNCILWOMAN HENDRICKS TRIED TO GET A CLEAR ANSWER.
ALL IF PEOPLE LISTEN TO THE TAPE, THEY'LL SEE THAT THERE ARE SOME COMMITMENTS MADE IN THAT.
UM, AND I ENCOURAGE EVERYONE TO LISTEN TO IT AGAIN.
BUT THIS, I I REITERATE, WE DID NOT INVITE THEM IN.
THIS IS DAMAGE THEY HAVE DONE TO OUR BLOCK.
CON EDISON MUST BE REQUIRED TO PAY FOR THE PURCHASE AND INSTALLATION OF THE LANDSCAPING.
AT THE OCTOBER 3RD MEETING, A CON EDISON TECHNICIAN SAID THAT IT IS NOT SAFE WITHIN THREE FEET OF THE TRANSFORMERS AT CON EDISON'S EXPENSE WHEN THE UNITS ARE, AND I, AT THE TIME, I TRIED TO GET THEM TO PROVIDE JUST LIKE CELLULAR TECHNOLOGY PROVIDES THE EMISSIONS.
AND THEY WERE NOT ACCOMMODATING, THEY WOULD NOT DO IT.
SO IF THEY'RE NOT GONNA DO IT, THEN WE NEED TO HAVE SOMEONE COME IN WHO IS A RECOGNIZED PERSON IN THE FIELD TO MEASURE THE EMISSIONS RADIATING.
AND THIS HAS TO BE WHEN THEY'RE FULLY UP AND FUNCTIONING.
IT CAN'T BE WHEN THEY'RE OFF OR WHEN THEY DON'T HAVE HOU SOME OF THE HOUSES.
WE HAVE LITTLE KIDS WHO RIDE UP, RIDE AROUND OUR BLOCKS, THEY SIT RIGHT NEXT TO THE STREET.
UM, SAFE DISTANCE PLACARDS MUST BE INSTALLED DESIGNATING THE SAFE DISTANCE FROM EACH TRANSFORMER.
FIVE, THE TOWN AND OR CON EDISON MUST REPAVE BIRCHWOOD LANE AND RICHARD TERRACE.
AT THE OCTOBER 3RD MEETING, CON EDISON COMMITTED TO RESTORING OUR PROPERTIES TO THE CONDITION THEY WERE IN PRIOR TO THE COMPANY DOING ANY WORK THAT MUST APPLY TO THE ROADWAYS AS WELL.
WE MUST HOLD CONED TO THEIR WORD TO RESTORE OUR PROPERTIES, INCLUDING OUR STREETS, TO THE CONDITION THEY WERE BEFORE THE COMPANY INSTALLED THESE HUGE MONSTROSITIES OR ON PROPERTIES AROUND BIRCHWOOD LANE AND RICHARD TERRACE.
WE ARE CALLING ON THE GREENBERG TOWN BOARD TO HELP THE RESIDENTS OF BIRCHWOOD LANE AND RICHARD TERRACE.
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I WOULD LIKE TO SPEAK FROM CONAIR.HELLO? CAN EVERYONE HEAR ME? YES, YES, YES.
I'M HERE AS A PROJECT MANAGER FROM SELECTIVE UNDERGROUNDING.
HERE WITH ME WE HAVE LAURA RIZZO FROM OUR REGIONAL AND COMMUNITY AFFAIRS, AND ALSO, UH, JOE GIMO THAT IS ALSO SHOWN, UM, ON SCREEN NOW.
SO I WANNA START WITH, YOU KNOW, GIVING A, UH, IT'S BEEN A WHILE SINCE WE WERE IN GREENBURG, SO THANK YOU FOR HAVING US, UH, AND ALLOWING US THIS AREA TO BE PART OF THIS PILOT PROJECT.
RIGHT? SO A QUICK RECAP AS TO WHY WE'RE DOING THIS PROJECT.
WE SELECTED THIS AREA BECAUSE WE KNOW, AND THE RESIDENTS, UM, ON BIRCHWOOD LANE, AS WELL AS RICHARD TERRACE HAVE EXPERIENCED LARGE OUTAGES, RIGHT? SO THE PURPOSE OF THIS PROJECT IS TO MAKE OUR ELECTRIC SERVICE IN THE AREA BETTER, AND THAT'S TO REDUCE THE IMPACT FROM SEVERE WEATHER EVENTS.
SO WHAT IT TAKES FOR AN RN, UH, TO DO THAT IS THAT WE WOULD BE BEARING THE POWER LINES UP ON THE POLES AS WELL AS REMOVING THE TRANSFORMERS THAT ARE ON THOSE POLES.
AND WHEN WE DO THAT, WE PLACE THE CABLES AND CONDUIT SYSTEM ON THE ROADWAY.
AND WHEN IT COMES TO THE TRANSFORMERS, WE PLACE THEM ON PAD MOUNTED EQUIPMENT.
SO SOME OF THOSE PICTURES WERE SHOWN.
UM, SO NOW GOING BACK TO THE OCTOBER 3RD MEETING, YOU KNOW, IT'S KIND OF, THIS IS BELIEVE THAT WE'VE WORKED WITH BOTH THE TOWN ADDRESSING THE RESIDENT'S CONCERN AS WELL.
YOU KNOW, WE PRESENTED THE TOWN AT THAT MEETING WITH OUR DESIGN, RIGHT? OUR FIRST CUT OF THE DESIGN AS FAR AS WHERE THESE PAD MOUNTED EQUIPMENT, WHETHER IT'S A JUNCTION BOX, UM, A TRANSFORMER WHERE THEY WERE GOING TO BE PLACED, RIGHT? SO FROM THAT MOMENT ON, WE'RE VERY OPEN TO TAKING IN THE RESIDENTS INPUT, RIGHT? AND I THINK EVEN DOWN TO THE MOMENT THAT, UH, WHAT WE'RE CALLING THE PADS WHERE THE EQUIPMENT RESTS, WE WORKED WITH THE RESIDENTS OF THE NEIGHBORHOOD TO MINIMIZE THOSE IMPACT.
SUCH AS IF YOU SEE ON THE PICTURES, YOU KNOW, WE TRY TO PLACE THEM WHERE IT WOULDN'T BE DEAD CENTER IN FRONT OF SOMEBODY'S WINDOW.
UH, WE WOULD PLACE THEM IN BETWEEN TWO HOUSES WHERE IT WOULD BE THE MOST INCONSPICUOUS LOCATION POSSIBLE IN THE RIGHT OF WAY OF WHERE OUR EQUIPMENT AS WELL AS OTHER UTILITY EQUIPMENT.
AT THIS POINT OF THE PROJECT, WE HAVE ENERGIZED, YOU KNOW, WHAT WE'RE CALLING THE PRIMARY.
SO THE NEW SYSTEM IS UP AND RUNNING.
UM, I BELIEVE WE'VE STARTED REMOVING SOME OF THE CABLES AND TRANSFORMER OFF THE POLES, RIGHT? AND WE'VE STARTED THE CONVERSIONS OF, UH, THE CUSTOMER SERVICES TO BURY THOSE POWER LINES.
AND MS YOU KNOW, UH, MS. CATHERINE IS CORRECT THAT WE DID HAVE MORE CUSTOMERS OPTING IN, UM, THAN WE ARE CONVERTING.
AND THE REASONS ARE TO ADDRESS SOME OF THE CONCERNS THAT WERE BROUGHT UP ON THAT OCTOBER 3RD MEETING, RIGHT? AS IT WAS POINTED OUT, WE HAD CONCERNS ABOUT MATURE TREES, UM, AND ALSO CONCERNS ABOUT, YOU KNOW, SOME OF THE ROCKS AND SOME OF THE TERRAINS AND SOME OF THE DIFFERENT CONFIGURATIONS THAT A HOMEOWNER HAS, RIGHT? SO AFTER, SO WE EXPLORED THOSE, YOU KNOW, SO THOSE COMMENTS DIDN'T GO UNNOTICED, RIGHT? SOME OF THE THINGS THAT MYSELF, JOE, AND EVEN THE PUBLIC AFFAIRS, UH, DEPARTMENT IN MEDICINE, WE CAME TOGETHER AND WE LOOKED AT WHAT CAN WE DO WITH THESE, YOU KNOW, IT'S BEEN BROUGHT TO OUR ATTENTION SO WE CAN'T IGNORE IT.
SO ONE OF THE BIGGEST THINGS, UM, WHEN IT COMES TO DIGGING WITHIN TREES, DRIP LINE, RIGHT? WE TALKED TO SEVERAL ARBORIST COMPANY AND WHAT IT COMES DOWN TO FOR THOSE TYPE OF SCENARIOS, NUMBER ONE BEING THAT WE'RE UNDERGROUNDING OUR SYSTEM OUT ON THE STREET, RIGHT? REGARDLESS OF WHETHER THE RESIDENT'S HOUSE HAS A BURIED POWER LINE OR NOT, THE UPSTREAM EQUIPMENT, EQUIPMENT THAT SERVES THEIR HOUSE IS UNDERGROUNDED, WHICH IS THE MAJOR PORTION, THE BIGGEST REASON WHY WE ARE DOING THIS PROJECT.
SO ALL OF THAT IS MINIMIZED, RIGHT? AND THEY'RE STILL BENEFITING FROM THE PROJECT.
AND THEN ON TOP OF THAT, YOU KNOW, AS A COMPANY, IF WE WERE TO DIG WITHIN THOSE MATURE TREES
[00:35:01]
DRIP LINE EXACTLY AS THE RESIDENTS HAVE BROUGHT TO OUR ATTENTION, WE CAN'T GUARANTEE AFTER MUCH DISCUSSION, UM, WITH A LARGER GROUP, WE CAN'T GUARANTEE THE HEALTH OF THOSE TREES.SO WE DON'T WANNA IMPACT AND JEOPARDIZE THE TREE'S HEALTH.
UM, AND YOU KNOW, GOD FORBID IF IT WERE TO FALL IN SOMEONE'S HOUSE OR EVEN A PERSON THEMSELVES, YOU KNOW, WE DON'T WANT ANY OF THAT TO HAPPEN.
SO BELIEVE SO WE BELIEVE AFTER MUCH DISCUSSION, THAT BEING THAT THE CUSTOMER STILL BENEFITS FROM THE PROJECT, RIGHT? WE'RE MINIMIZING THE RISK OF THESE WEATHER EVENTS FROM TAKING DOWN THE MAJOR POWER LINES THAT ARE OUT ON THE STREET ITSELF, THAT WE CAN LEAVE THEIR SERVICE AS OVERHEAD SERVICE, RIGHT? AND WE'RE ALSO FURTHER, FURTHER UPGRADING THE SERVICE LINE BY INSTALLING WHAT'S CALLED A BREAKAWAY.
AND WHAT THAT ALLOWS IS THAT IT ALLOWS FOR A QUICKER FIX IN THE TIMES THAT A CUSTOMER'S TREE WERE TO COME DOWN AND TAKE DOWN THAT LINE, UM, IT WOULDN'T PULL DOWN ANY OF THE CUSTOMER EQUIPMENT.
WE STARTED INSTALLING THESE AFTER, UH, HURRICANE SANDY.
SO THEN, UM, THERE'S TWO ITEMS, TWO MORE ITEMS THAT I WANT TO TALK ABOUT.
SO WHEN IT COMES TO THE, THE, UH, ELECTROMAGNETIC RADIATION, YOU KNOW, WE WANT TO BE ABLE TO GET THE FOLKS OUT IN BIRCHWOOD COMFORTABLE, AND WE ARE MORE THAN WILLING TO BRING OUR ENGINEERING TEAM TO COME OUT TO MEASURE THOSE RADIATION FIELDS, RIGHT? TO SHOW THAT THESE EQUIPMENT ARE SAFE.
I BELIEVE IN THE RESPONSE, UH, TO THE OCTOBER 3RD QUESTION OF PROVIDED, UH, WHAT'S CALLED AN IEE STANDARD, WHICH ALSO STATES THE SAME THING, BUT WE'RE MORE THAN HAPPY IN THE NEXT COUPLE WEEKS.
SET UP A FIELD NEED AND DEMONSTRATE THAT WE CAN TAKE THOSE EMF READINGS AND THAT THIS EQUIPMENT IS SAFE AS IT IS, YOU KNOW, THE STANDARD EQUIPMENT THAT IS USED THROUGHOUT THE COUNTRY.
UM, AND THEN LASTLY, UM, WHEN IT COMES, SO LET ME JUST GO BACK, EXCUSE ME, TO THE ELECTROMAGNETIC FIELDS.
SO EACH EQUIPMENT THAT IS OUT THERE SHOULD ALREADY HAVE A PLACARD WHEN IT COMES TO THE CLEARANCES THAT'S REQUIRED.
BECAUSE AS WE OPERATE THESE EQUIPMENT ON AN AS NEEDED BASIS, WHETHER IT'S FOR INSPECTION OR TO OPERATE IT SO THAT WE CAN RESPOND TO ANY OUTAGES TO MINIMIZE THE DURATION OF THE OUTAGE AND RESTORE CUSTOMERS AS QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE, WE DO NEED, YOU KNOW, CERTAIN PART OF THE EQUIPMENT HAS TO OPEN AND WE NEED SAFE CLEARING, UM, DISTANCES TO OPERATE THEM.
SO ALL THOSE EQUIPMENT HAVE THE SAFETY PLACARDS.
SO WITH THAT, YOU KNOW, WE ARE NOT LOOKING AT THIS POINT SINCE WE'VE WORKED WITH THE TOWN AND THE RESIDENTS TO PLACE ANY ADDITIONAL LANDSCAPING AROUND THIS EQUIPMENT, RIGHT? UH, AS I MENTIONED, YOU KNOW, WE BELIEVE AT THIS POINT THEY'VE BEEN LOCATED AS INCONSPICUOUSLY AS POSSIBLE.
AND THEN ON THE LAST POINT OF THE FINAL RESTORATION, WHAT WE DIDN'T WANT IS THAT WE DIDN'T WANT TO KEEP DIGGING THE STREET, RIGHT? SO WE HAVE POINTS OF THE CONDUIT SYSTEM UNDERGROUND WHERE FOR THE HOUSES THAT WE'RE CONVERTING, WE'RE GONNA BE TAPPING ON WHERE WE'RE GONNA PICKING THEM, WHERE WE'RE GOING TO BE PICKING THEM UP OFF THE STREET TO CONTINUE THOSE CONDUIT RUNS TO, UH, ALONG THEIR PROPERTY, RIGHT? TO GET TO THEIR, UM, EXISTING METER.
SO WHAT WE DON'T WANT IS THAT IN THE SCENARIO THAT THOSE CONNECTIONS DON'T WORK, WE DON'T WANT TO BE RE DIGGING BACK UP A STREET THAT'S BEEN FRESHLY PAVED.
YOU KNOW, WE WANT TO BE ABLE TO DO THAT ONCE BECAUSE AGAIN, JUST, YOU KNOW, AS ANYTHING THAT WE'RE DOING IN CONEDISON, ALL THOSE COSTS OR COSTS THAT WE PASS TO OUR RATE PAYERS, RIGHT? SO WE WANNA BE ABLE TO DO IT AFTER WE HAVE COMPLETED ALL THE CONNECTIONS ON THE STREET.
SO WE EXPECT AT THIS POINT TO DO THAT AROUND LATE JULY, BECAUSE AT THIS POINT WE'RE, WE'RE CONVERTING ONE, ONE HOUSE AT A TIME, BUT THAT HAS ALWAYS BEEN IN THE PLAN, RIGHT? BUT WE DON'T WANNA KEEP COMING BACK, UM, AND HAVING TO KEEP RE DIG UP THE STREET, SOMETHING DOESN'T CONNECT, WE HAVE TO DIG IT BACK UP.
IT WOULD BE, YOU KNOW, MUCH MORE INTRUSIVE TO THE COMMUNITY IF WE WERE TO DO THAT.
SO WE WANT TO COMPLETE THAT FINAL RESTORATION IN, UH, I WANNA SAY IN THE NEXT, NEXT TWO MONTHS.
SO I HOPE BY THE ANSWERED ALL, ACTUALLY NO, ACTUALLY IT DIDN'T.
UM, FIRST OF ALL, WE DID NOT EXPECT YOU TO AGREE TO THE LANDSCAPING BECAUSE THAT'S AN EXPENSE WE EXPECT THE TOWN BOARD TO STAND
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UP AND DEMAND.YOU DO THAT BECAUSE ARAB STREET LOOKS BEYOND HORRIFIC.
IF NUMBER TWO, IF THERE IS A COMMITMENT THAT BY THE END OF JULY AND SINCE YOU HAVE YOUR, YOUR CALENDAR HAS EXPANDED, OR YOU WERE SUPPOSED TO BE DONE BY THE END OF APRIL, IF I REMEMBER CORRECTLY.
SO NOW WE'RE UP TO THE END OF JULY, IF WE CAN BE SURE BY THE END OF AUGUST WE ARE PAVED, I THINK EVERYONE IN THIS ROOM WOULD CONSIDER THAT AN ACCEPTABLE DATE.
THE IDEA THAT YOU HAVE TO GO UP TO THE, THE TRANSFORMER TO READ THE, THE SAFE DISTANCE IS PUTTING YOU IN JEOPARDY RIGHT AWAY.
THAT'S AN UNACCEPTABLE ANSWER.
I WE NEED TO HAVE IT MARKED AND DESIGNATED THE DISTANCE FROM IT.
THAT'S THE NEXT THING IS THAT YOU CAN, WHEN WE MET IN OCTOBER, I ASKED FOR THE MEASUREMENTS.
I WAS DENIED THE, THE, THE EMF NUMBERS.
I, WE NEED AN INDEPENDENT PERSON TO MEASURE THIS NOW FOR US TO BELIEVE IT.
SO WE NEED THE LANDSCAPING, THE INDEPENDENT, THE PAVING IS AN ANSWER.
IF YOU'RE COMMITTING AND, AND IN THIS WHOLE ROOM WITH EVERYONE LISTENING THAT YOU'RE COMMITTING TO PAVE OUR STREET FROM RIDGE ROAD ON BY THE END OF AUGUST, I THINK EVERYONE WILL BE SATISFIED WITH THAT.
BUT IT'S THE REST THAT NEED TO BE DIGESTED.
I HAVE A COUPLE OF COMMENTS ALSO.
SO I'M JUST CURIOUS WHY, UM, THE IDEA OF THESE BEING A, THE ROADS BEING TEMPORARILY LOOKING SCARRED OR THE WAY THEY LOOK WAS NOT COMMUNICATED TO THE COMMUNITY THAT THIS WAS A TEMPORARY SITUATION.
'CAUSE IT DOESN'T SEEM LIKE THAT WAS COMMUNICATED.
IS THAT, IS THAT CORRECT? WE HAVE NO DEADLINES ON ANYTHING.
YOU DON'T WANNA RE DIG UP THE ROADS, OF COURSE, BUT YOU HAVE TO THEN REASSURE THE COMMUNITY THAT AT A CERTAIN POINT THE ROADS WILL BE ACTUALLY PAVED AND IT DOESN'T SEEM LIKE THERE WAS THAT UNDERSTANDING AND A DEADLINE.
THE OTHER QUESTION THAT WAS BROUGHT UP IS THE SIZE OF THE BOXES.
WHY ARE THEY SO ENORMOUS COMPARED TO OTHER COMMUNITIES? SO THE, THE SIZE OF THE BOXES DEPENDS ON SEVERAL THINGS.
YOU KNOW, THE SIZE OF THE BOXES DEPENDS ON, UH, THE, THE SIZE OF THE VOLTAGE THAT'S BEING PROVIDED, RIGHT? SO I CAN'T SPEAK TO SOME OF THE EARLIER PICTURES THAT CATHERINE HAD PROVIDED BECAUSE SOME OF THOSE EQUIPMENT MIGHT BE OLDER THAN THE ONES THAT ARE BEING INSTALLED NOW.
AND ALSO THE SIZES MIGHT BE DIFFERENT.
SO THERE'S, THERE'S DIFFERENT DESIGNS AND YOU KNOW, THE DESIGN BASED ON THE YEAR MIGHT DICTATE THOSE DIFFERENT SIZES.
THE ONES THAT WE'RE USING NOW, YOU KNOW, WE'RE NOT INTENTIONALLY PUTTING THE BIGGEST THING OUT THERE FOR IT TO BE AN EYESORE.
WE ARE PUTTING OUT THERE, YOU KNOW, WHAT'S REQUIRED FOR THE SYSTEM TO BE ENERGIZED, SAFELY, PROVIDE THE REDUNDANCY.
THAT'S WHY YOU SEE THAT LONGER PIECE OF EQUIPMENT SO THAT WE HAVE THAT RELIABILITY IN CASE ONE FEED COMING IN FROM ONE SIDE OF VIRTUAL LANE FOR WHATEVER REASON GOES OUT.
WE CAN HAVE THAT REDUNDANCY COMING IN FROM THE OTHER SIDE, RIGHT? TO MINIMIZE THAT OUTAGE AND GET PEOPLE BACK UP AND RUNNING.
WOULD YOU PLEASE REFRESH MY MEMORIES AND, UM, TELL US IF YOU HAD GIVEN US THE, THE SIZES OF THE BOXES THAT WERE IN FACT USED WHEN YOU CAME TO THAT MEETING? I BELIEVE SO.
OR ARE THEY LARGER? I CAN HELP YOU WITH THAT AT THE TOP OF THE MAP THAT YOU CHANGED.
UM, THERE WERE MEASUREMENTS, BUT NO ONE HAD ANY IDEA WHAT THAT WOULD ACTUALLY LOOK LIKE.
AND NOW WE ARE LITTERED WITH MASSIVE MONSTROSITIES AROUND THE BLOCK.
AND, AND, BUT I DO RECALL THAT WE DID TALK ABOUT VEGETATION AND WE DID AND CONCEALING AT THAT MEETING.
YEAH, THAT WAS, THAT WAS BROUGHT UP, RIGHT? THAT'S VERY IMPORTANT.
AND, AND TO, TO TAKE A NEIGHBORHOOD, YES.
YOU KNOW, I'M SURE WE'RE ALL VERY GRATEFUL.
I LIVE IN A COMMUNITY WHERE THE WIRING IS UNDERGROUND AND THAT IS VERY HELPFUL.
UM, THE BOXES WERE SMALLER BECAUSE THEY'RE OLDER GENERATION ACCORDING TO WHAT YOU'VE SAID.
UM, BUT THAT, THAT BENEFIT DOES NOT OUTWEIGH THE AESTHETIC AND THEREFORE THE POTENTIAL IMPACTS ON PROPERTY VALUES.
AND I TRUST THAT MS. LETTERER PLAS HAS THE MANY YEARS OF EXPERIENCE AS A REAL ESTATE AGENT TO KNOW WHAT CAN IMPACT REAL ESTATE VALUES.
AND, YOU KNOW, THAT IS JUST NOT SOMETHING THAT I CAN FIND AS AS ACCEPTABLE.
UM, AND I WOULD BE VERY APPRECIATIVE TO SAY THE LEAST IF CONED CAN FIND
[00:45:01]
IT IN THEIR BUDGET TO SUPPLY VEGETATION, TO ASSIST IN CONCEALING AND PUTTING THE STREET INTO SOME SORT OF, UM, AESTHETIC, MORE AESTHETICALLY PLEASING, UM, STATE SO THAT THE PROPERTY VALUES OF THESE OWNERS ARE NOT AFFECTED.I MEAN, CERTAINLY HEDGING COULD BE PUT IN FRONT OF IT THAT'S WITHIN THE DISTANCE OF THE THREE FEET.
SO IN TERMS OF IN FRONT OF IT DIRECTLY, I WOULD SAY MORE THAN LIKELY NOT, BECAUSE LIKE I MENTIONED, YOU KNOW, WHEN THESE EQUIPMENT OPENS UP, RIGHT? IF YOU IMAGINE THE, THE TOP COVER WOULD OPEN UP THIS WAY, AND WE HAVE EQUIPMENT WHERE WE NEED TO OPERATE WHAT'S CALLED A HOT STICK TO PERFORM OR SWITCHING TO RESTORE ANYONE THAT MAY BE OUT, UH, SO THAT WE CAN MINIMIZE THAT OUTAGE AND GET, AND GET PEOPLE BACK UP AND RUNNING.
SO ON THE FRONT SIDE, MORE THAN LIKELY NOT, YOU KNOW, AND TYPICALLY, LIKE I MENTIONED BEFORE, WE DON'T TYPICALLY PLACE LANDSCAPING BACK.
I KNOW THAT DURING OUR INSPECTION CYCLE, YOU KNOW, SOME HOMEOWNERS WOULD TAKE THEIR OWN LIBERTIES TO PLACE, UM, SOME KIND OF LANDSCAPING, WHETHER IT'S AROUND IN THE FRONT.
AND, YOU KNOW, WE'RE NOT POLICING OUR EQUIPMENT 24 HOURS, UH, AROUND THE CLOCK.
BUT WHEN WE DO HAVE TO OPERATE THESE EQUIPMENT, WE WOULD BE CUTTING DOWN AND REMOVING ANY LANDSCAPING THAT WOULD PREVENT US FROM OPERATING OUR EQUIPMENT.
BASED ON YOUR PAST HISTORY, WHAT IS THE FREQUENCY OF HAVING, YOU MUST HAVE AT LEAST SOME METRIC THAT WOULD GIVE A SENSE OF THE FREQUENCY THAT YOU WOULD HAVE TO SERVICE AND ACCESS THAT.
AND I THINK IT'S ALSO TIME TO BE CREATIVE TO COME UP WITH SOME WAY OF MAKING THOSE UNITS MORE AESTHETICALLY PLEASING.
I CAN APPRECIATE YOUR HAVING TO ACCESS THE EQUIPMENT, BUT AGAIN, HOW OFTEN DO YOU PERCEIVE THAT WILL HAPPEN? AND TWO, CAN WE COME UP WITH SOME CREATIVE SOLUTIONS IF WE CAN'T PUT VEGETATION IN FRONT? UM, BUT EVEN ON THE SIDES, WE WOULD DO BETTER.
AND THEY'RE COVERED IN LABELS.
THERE IS WRITING AND LABELS ALL OVER THESE BOXES AS THOUGH IT'S AN ADVERTISEMENT ON A CITY STREET.
YEAH, I I WAS HOPING THOSE WERE LABELS THAT WOULD BE COMING OFF AT SOME POINT.
BUT NO ONE HAS GIVEN US ANY INDICATION THAT THEY'RE DOING, AND CLEARLY FROM THIS MEETING, I DON'T FEEL LIKE THEY'RE DOING ANYTHING EITHER EXCEPT LEAVING.
SO IT'S LABELS ARE THOSE SAFETY PLACARDS, YOU KNOW, THAT TALKS ABOUT PLEASE KEEP YOUR DISTANCE FROM BEING AROUND THIS EQUIPMENT.
THIS IS AN ELECTRIC EQUIPMENT.
SO UNFORTUNATELY WE CAN'T, YOU KNOW, UH, BY OUR OWN MEANS REMOVE THEM.
BUT AS FAR AS THAT INSPECTION CYCLE, THIS IS WHAT'S CALLED A-A-U-R-D OR UNDERGROUND RESIDENTIAL DEVELOPMENT TYPE OF EQUIPMENT.
AND THOSE ARE ON A FIVE YEAR INSPECTION CYCLE AS MANDATED BY THE NEW YORK STATE WHERE AT LEAST ONCE EVERY FIVE YEARS, THEY HAVE TO BE INSPECTED.
WE HAVE TO MAKE SURE THAT THERE'S A WHOLE CHECKLIST, UH, SLEW OF THINGS THAT IT'S SAFE FOR US TO OPERATE EQUIPMENT, AND IT'S ALSO SAFE FOR THAT EQUIPMENT TO BE LOCATED WHERE THEY ARE SINCE THEY ARE, YOU KNOW, UM, ACCESSIBLE.
JUST LIKE ANY POLES OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT, THE POLES AND THESE EQUIPMENT ARE ON A FIVE YEAR INSPECTION CYCLE.
JUST SO, JUST SO I'M CLEAR, AND I JUST WANNA MAKE SURE WE'RE CLEAR FOR EVERYONE THAT'S IN THE ROOM AND LISTENING, ARE YOU SAYING THOSE BOXES CAN'T CHANGE AT ALL? LIKE THERE'S NOTHING WE CAN DO TO TRY TO MAKE THEM A PLEASING OR AESTHETICALLY A PLEASING? BECAUSE CLEARLY WHEN YOU CAME INTO THIS NEIGHBORHOOD AND, AND YOU EVEN SAID IT, AND IT'S EVEN WRITTEN, UM, IN THE TRANSCRIPT THAT MS LETTER PLAS PROVIDED THAT WE WERE GOING TO RETURN THE NEIGHBORHOOD AS IT WAS IN ITS ORIGINAL, IN IT IN ITS ORIGINAL STATE.
AND CLEARLY, ALTHOUGH THIS IS A GREAT PROJECT, UM, I LIVED IN AN AREA WHERE THEY HAD UNDERGROUND UTILITIES.
IT WORKED OUT VERY WELL DURING STORMS, BUT WE'VE NOW JUST REALLY RECHANGED AND REFACED WHAT THIS NEIGHBORHOOD LOOKS LIKE.
I MEAN, WE'VE HAD EVERYONE COME IN AGREE TO BE PART OF THIS PILOT PROGRAM, UM, BUT I DON'T THINK, AND, AND CLEARLY THEY'RE NOT GETTING WHAT THEY BARGAIN FOR.
AND I JUST THINK THERE HAS TO BE SOMETHING, SOMETHING THAT CAN BE DONE, ESPECIALLY JUST EVEN WATCH, JUST EVEN LOOKING AT THE BOXES AS A WHOLE, I MEAN, WHETHER YOU PUT A FENCE AROUND IT, A BROWN FENCE OR JUST TO MAKE IT LOOK APPEASING.
SO WHEN SOMEONE'S WALKING IN THEIR NEIGHBORHOOD, THEY'RE LIKE, WHAT? YOU KNOW, WHAT IS THIS? BUT I DON'T THINK IT'S FAIR, YOU KNOW, FOR THE RESIDENTS WHO REALLY, YOU KNOW, WERE REALLY SIGNING ONTO THIS PILOT TO THE END RESULT FOR IT TO BE THE IT IS TODAY.
I THINK IT WOULD BE HELPFUL TO MEET BACK OUT AT THE SITE SO THAT WHEN YOU HAVE THESE DISCUSSIONS, IT'S, YOU KNOW, THERE ARE VISUALS RIGHT IN FRONT OF US AND WE CAN HAVE A BETTER CONVERSATION ABOUT IT.
CAN YOU SPEAK A LITTLE LOUDER, PLEASE? I SAID I THINK THAT IT WOULD BE HELPFUL TO, AS WAS DISCUSSED EARLIER, HAVE A FIELD VISIT WHERE WE
[00:50:01]
MEET LIKE WE DID ON THE STREET IN THE PAST, SO THAT WHEN WE'RE TALKING ABOUT THE BOXES AND WHAT THEY LOOK LIKE AND WHAT POSSIBLE REMEDIATION THERE IS, IT'S UM, IT'S, IT'S LESS, UH, IMAGINARY AND, UM, WE GET TO SEE THE ACTUAL VISUALS ON, ON, ON THE SITE.CONED DOESN'T CONED HAVE LIKE A LANDSCAPE, UM, DESIGNER WHO, OR WHAT IS SOMEBODY WHO DOES JUST LANDSCAPING FOR UNIT KNOW PROJECTS? AND MAYBE THEY COULD MEET WITH US ON SITE AND SAY, THIS IS, YOU KNOW, WHAT WOULD BE DOABLE? THIS IS NOT WHAT, THIS WOULD NOT BE DOABLE.
AND, UM, AND THEN WE COULD SEE IF WE COULD WORK TOGETHER.
BECAUSE I SORT OF THINK THAT I WAS EXCITED ABOUT THE PROJECT BECAUSE I, I, I GOT, I, EVERY TIME THERE'S A MAJOR STORM, I GET MANY, MANY COMPLAINTS AND PEOPLE HAVE BEEN OUT OF POWER FOR LIKE TWO WEEKS AND YOU KNOW, PEOPLE ARE REALLY ANGRY WHEN, YOU KNOW, THEY'RE OUT POWER WITH NO, UH, AIR CONDITIONING OR, OR NO HEAT.
I'VE HAD PEOPLE WHO HAVE BEEN VERY ELDERLY, SOME PEOPLE WHO HAVE BEEN DYING, UM, AND THEY, YOU KNOW, THEY NEED TO DEPEND ON CONED SERVICE.
BUT AT THE SAME TIME, THIS IS A PILOT PROJECT THAT IF IT'S SUCCESSFUL, HOPEFULLY COULD, UM, CONTINUE AND EXPAND THROUGHOUT THE TOWN, UM, AND EXPAND THROUGHOUT, YOU KNOW, THE REGION.
SO I SORT OF FEEL THAT IF WE COULD, UM, SHOW RESIDENTS, UH, THAT IF THEY PARTICIPATE, YOU KNOW, IF THEY V WILLINGLY PARTICIPATE IN THIS, AND IF CONED FEELS THIS IS A REALLY SUCCESSFUL PROGRAM AND EVERYBODY IS SAYING THIS IS LIKE THE BEST THING THAT, YOU KNOW, CON ED'S DONE, THEN IT'S GONNA MAKE IT EASIER, UM, TO CONTINUE THIS EFFORT BECAUSE MM-HMM,
AND IF WE DON'T PUT, UH, UNDERGROUND WIRES, UM, WE'RE GONNA HAVE EXTENSIVE TWO WEEK, THREE WEEK OUTAGES.
I DON'T THINK ANYONE'S DISPUTING THE ATTRIBUTES OF THAT.
I THINK YOU'RE, YOU'RE RIGHT, MR. SUPERVISOR, BUT I THINK THAT WE MUST ADDRESS, IF THAT'S WHAT YOU'RE, YOU'RE GETTING AT THE AESTHETIC SO THAT IT CAN, IT'S PALATABLE AND WE NO, THAT'S WHAT I'M SAYING.
WHAT I'M SAYING, WHAT I THINK IS IMPORTANT IS THE CONCEPT WAS GOOD.
AND UNFORTUNATELY, WE ARE THE FIRST TEST PROGRAM TO HAVE OUR IMPACT, EXPERIENCE THIS IMPACT.
I THINK HAVING A SITE VISIT IS AN EXCELLENT IDEA.
UM, I, RODNEY HAS A LIST OF THINGS THAT HE HAS QUESTIONS, UM, AND I THINK THERE ARE PEOPLE WHO PROFESSIONALLY, JUST LIKE YOU HAVE INTERIOR DESIGNERS, YOU HAVE PEOPLE WHO ARE PROFESSIONAL LANDSCAPERS, PROFE PROFESSIONALLY IMPROVED SOME THE WAY SOMETHING LOOKS, WE NEED THEM, RIGHT.
THIS IS LAURA ZO, UH, WITH ON EDISON.
UH, FORGIVE ME, I I HAVEN'T BEEN TO ANY OF THESE MANY MEETINGS, BUT I KNOW THAT THERE HAVE BEEN MANY OUTREACH MEETINGS BOTH IN THE FIELD AND, UH, HERE.
UH, I JUST WANNA SAY OVERALL, YOU KNOW, UM, I REPRESENT THE WESTCHESTER REGIONAL COMMUNITY AFFAIRS GROUP AND THROUGHOUT THE COUNTY THERE ARE A LOT OF AREAS THAT HAVE UNDERGROUNDING AND, AND GENERALLY SPEAKING, WE ARE NOT IN THE BUSINESS OF LANDSCAPING.
WE ARE IN THE BUSINESS OF PROVIDING SAFE AND RELIABLE SERVICE.
SO ON THAT FRONT, I MEAN, THERE ARE A LOT OF COMMUNITIES OUT THERE THAT HAVE, UM, THESE PAD MOUNT TRANSFORMERS ALONG THE RIGHT OF WAY WITHIN THE RIGHT OF WAY.
AND MANY OF THEM DON'T HAVE LANDSCAPING.
AND GENERALLY SPEAKING, IF WE WERE JUST DOING AN UNDERGROUND, UH, PROJECT IN AN, IN A LOCATION THROUGHOUT THE COUNTY OR THROUGHOUT OUR SERVICE AREA, WE WOULD NOT PUT, UM, LANDSCAPING AROUND IT.
IT'S AN, IT'S A COST TO THE RATE PAYERS THAT WE WOULDN'T INCUR.
AND I KNOW THAT THIS IS A PILOT PROGRAM, AND I KNOW THERE WERE A LOT OF MEETINGS ABOUT IT BECAUSE WE WANT IT TO BE SUCCESSFUL AND WE WANT TO CONTINUE THIS.
UM, SO I UNDERSTAND IT IS SLIGHTLY A DIFFERENT, UH, ARENA, UM, THAN A GENERAL, UM, PERHAPS A GENERAL MAINTENANCE PROJECT OR SOMETHING, OR RELIABILITY PROJECT.
BUT, UM, FROM A COMPANY PERSPECTIVE, I JUST WANT YOU TO BE AWARE, LIKE THAT'S, THIS IS HOW WE OPERATE.
YOU KNOW, WE'RE, WE'RE TRYING TO MINIMIZE THOSE OUTAGES AND PROVIDE, YOU'RE TRYING TO MINIMIZE THE COST OF KIND IS WHAT YOU'RE TRYING TO DO.
TO MINIMIZE AND THE LANDSCAPING AND EVERYTHING ELSE.
AND VERY HONESTLY, WE'VE, LET'S NOT EXAGGERATE.
THERE WERE TWO UNDER THE WATER, WATER TOWER, AND THEN WE HAD ONE ON OCTOBER 3RD.
I DON'T CONSIDER FOR MANY OVER THE COURSE OF THAT TIME.
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IS THE NUMBER OF TRANSFORMERS ON OUR STREET.THAT SAID, MOST OF THE TIME YOU'RE PUTTING WIRE UNDERGROUND WHEN IT'S A NEW DEVELOPMENT.
JUST LIKE WHERE ELLEN, UH, COUNCILWOMAN HENDRICKS LIVES A NEW DEVELOPMENT, JUST LIKE WHERE A SUPERVISOR FINER LIVES, WHEN THEY BUILT THE DEVELOPMENT, THEY PUT THEM UNDERGROUND.
AND THIS ISSUE WAS RAISED A LONG TIME AGO.
IT WAS RAISED ON OCTOBER 3RD THAT WE WERE BUILT IN THE FIFTIES ON STONE.
SO THIS IS NOT COMPARABLE AND WE SHOULD NOT BE WORRIED ABOUT WHAT CONED IS SPENDING WHEN IT HAS DESTROYED OUR NEIGHBORHOOD.
I, I HAD A, A SUGGESTION BECAUSE FIRST OF ALL, YOU KNOW, I, I'VE WRITTEN TO, YOU KNOW, LAURA, LIKE, WE'RE LIKE PEN PALACE.
UH, I, I I, I SENT HER EMAILS LIKE A COUPLE TIMES A DAY AND SHE'S ACTUALLY BEEN EXTREMELY RESPONSIVE.
UM, YOU KNOW, WE HAD A PROBLEM JUST TODAY THAT, YOU KNOW, SOMEBODY WAS AN 80-YEAR-OLD, WAS OUT OF POWER AND THEY JUST EMAILED ME A COUPLE, YOU KNOW, ABOUT A HALF HOUR AGO.
NOW THEY HAVE THE POWER AND THEY'RE, THEY'RE HAPPY.
ONE OF THE THOUGHTS THAT I HAVE IS, YOU KNOW, I REALLY WOULD LIKE TO SEE THIS EXPERIMENT CONTINUE THROUGHOUT THE TOWN BECAUSE I GET THE BRUNT OF THE COMPLAINTS WHEN PEOPLE ARE OUT OF POWER.
WHY DON'T WE, IF WE FIND, I REALIZE YOU HAVE A LEGITIMATE ISSUE WITH, YOU KNOW, THE LANDSCAPING, WHY DON'T WE SEE HOW MUCH IT WOULD COST? AND YOU KNOW, THE TOWN DOES, YOU KNOW, WE, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE, WE PUT UP TREES AND PLANTINGS, YOU KNOW, AROUND.
AND IF IT TURNS OUT THAT IT'S AFFORDABLE, WE COULD WORK WITH A NEIGHBORHOOD AND WE COULD BASICALLY MAKE IT, BECAUSE THIS HAS REALLY BEEN A PARTNERSHIP WITH ED AND, YOU KNOW, AND, AND THE TOWN, FROM THE STANDPOINT OF THE TOWN, WE WANNA MAKE SURE THAT, UM, WE DON'T HAVE THAT, YOU KNOW, YOU, YOU'RE NOT OUT OF POWER FOR TWO WEEKS OR THREE WEEKS BECAUSE THAT'S SOMETHING THAT'S REALLY HORRIBLE.
AT THE SAME TIME, EVERYBODY ON YOUR STREET HAS A LEGITIMATE RIGHT.
UH, TO, UH, EXPECT THAT IT'S ATTRACTIVE AND, UH, AND, AND PRETTY AND I, I SORT OF FEEL THAT IF WE COULD, UM, YOU KNOW, WORK WITH THE NEIGHBORHOOD, UH, WORK ON A LANDSCAPING, YOU KNOW, PLAN, YOU KNOW, AND, AND WE DO THIS, YOU KNOW, CORRECTLY, MAYBE THEN KIND, WELL THE NEXT STREET THAT HAS A LOT OF OUTAGES, MAYBE I'LL BE, WE'LL BE ABLE TO PERSUADE THAT NEIGHBORHOOD TO, UH, ALSO GO ALONG WITH UNDERGROUND, YOU KNOW, WIRING.
BECAUSE IF WE DON'T DO, IF WE DON'T DO THE UNDERGROUND WIRING, WE'RE GONNA HAVE MORE AND MORE, UH, OUTAGES.
I DON'T THINK ANYONE'S ALREADY THAT RIGHT NOW.
NOW HAVE, THERE'S A TALK ABOUT THE AESTHETIC.
THERE'S A H MR, LET RODNEY, MR. SUPERVISOR, LET RODNEY ASK HIS QUESTIONS, MR. AND POINTS HE HAS TO MAKE BECAUSE THEY COME DIRECTLY TO THE FACT THAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT SPENDING OUR MONEY WHEN CONED DID THIS, WHICH IS NOT REALLY A GOOD SOLUTION.
ALRIGHT, UM, RODNEY, PS GET RESIDENT 40 BIRCHWOOD LANE.
UM, FIRST POINT, UM, JUST TO BE CLEAR, WE DID NOT AGREE TO THIS PROGRAM.
MAYBE THE TOWN BOARD DID, BUT WE DID NOT ON BIRCHWOOD LANE.
UM, YES, THE CONCEPT IS, IS GREAT.
AND CATHERINE JUST SAID THAT THE CONCEPT OF HAVING POWER UNDERGROUND IS WONDERFUL, BUT NOT WHERE WE LIVE, PERIOD.
THIS IS SOMETHING THAT IS REALITY THAT CON ED AND ANYBODY WHO WANTED TO DO THIS PROJECT JUST TOTALLY IGNORED.
IT JUST ISN'T WORKABLE WHERE WE LIVE BECAUSE OF THE TERRAIN.
SO QUESTION, HOW WAS THIS PROJECT FUNDED? WAS IT FUNDED BY CON ED? WAS THIS FEDERAL MONEY? WHERE DID THE MONEY COME FROM TO RIP UP OUR BLOCK AND HAVE A SUCCESS RATE OF 17 OF 61 HOUSES? THAT'S A FAIL.
WE HAVE A SELECTION CRITERIA, UH, BASED, THAT'S WHERE DOES THE MONEY COME FROM BY THE NEW YORK STATE? WHERE DID THE MONEY COME FROM? WHERE DID THE MONEY COME FROM? THE MONEY COMES FROM THE RATE PAYERS.
SO THAT'S EVERYONE THAT IS A CONEDISON ELECTRIC CUSTOMER IN THE WESTCHESTER AREA AS WELL AS NEW YORK CITY AREAS.
SO WE'VE COMPLETED THIS PROJECT IN YORKTOWN AS WELL AS IN QUEENS.
SO WE HAVE, UH, SEVERAL ONGOING PROJECTS IN THOSE NEIGHBORHOODS PRETTY MUCH EVERYWHERE OUTSIDE OF MANHATTAN ON THE BOROUGHS.
AND THEN THIS ONE AND CORTLAND ARE THE TWO THAT ARE HAPPENING RIGHT NOW AS WE SPEAK.
SO, SO THE FUNDS COME FROM THE RATE PAYERS.
SO GOING BACK TO ANY ADDITIONAL, UH, LET'S SAY LANDSCAPING OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT, THOSE WOULD ESSENTIALLY ALL WOULD BE COST THAT WOULD BE ABSORBED BY ALL THE RATE PAYERS ACROSS OUR SERVICE TERRITORY.
[01:00:01]
NO FEDERAL MONEY, THERE WAS NO ADVANTAGE TAX WISE OTHERWISE FOR CON ED FOR DOING THIS.NO, OUR ADVANTAGE, YOU KNOW, THE REASON WHY WE WANNA DO THIS RIGHT, REALLY IS WHEN A NEIGHBORHOOD DOESN'T LOSE ITS POWER.
THE CREWS, THE TRUCKS THAT WE HAVE RESPONDING TO THOSE MAJOR WEATHER EVENTS WHEN WE HAVE MAJOR OUTAGES, I I THINK EVERYONE UNDERSTANDS THAT.
I, I THINK WE DON DON'T NEED TO REITERATE, WE COULD USE THEM TO PRIORITIZES RESTORING OTHER CUSTOMERS, RIGHT? BECAUSE WE GO FROM WHO ARE THE BIGGEST CUSTOMERS THAT WE NEED TO ENERGIZE THAT CAN, CAN WE RATHER THAN HAVE A, A SALES JOB ON WHAT CONED IS DOING? BECAUSE WE, WE DO UNDERSTAND THAT AND, AND EVERYONE AS SEVERAL OF US HAVE SAID THAT IN THEORY, YOU KNOW, WE ALL EMBRACE THE HAVING, HAVING EVERYTHING UNDERGROUNDED.
YOU KNOW, THIS IS SOMETHING THAT IS, UM, A PILOT PROJECT.
SO WE'RE, WE'RE JUST ASKING THAT CON ED COOPERATE WITH US ON THIS PILOT PROJECT BECAUSE IT, AS A PILOT YOU'RE LEARNING FROM THAT.
AND WHAT WE ARE ALL LEARNING RIGHT NOW IS THAT ASIDE FROM THE BENEFITS, THERE ARE SOME NEGATIVES TO A NEIGHBORHOOD WHOSE VALUES MIGHT BE IMPACTED BY WHAT YOU'RE DOING.
SO MAYBE THIS PILOT PROJECT NEEDS SOME KIND OF AMENDMENT WHERE, BECAUSE THERE WILL BE OTHER NEIGHBORHOODS LIKE THIS WHO WILL HAVE SIMILAR ISSUES.
WELL, I'D ALSO JUST LIKE TO ADD THAT WHAT IS YOUR ASSESSMENT PROCESS FOR ASSESSING WHETHER A NEIGHBORHOOD IS GOING TO BE SUITABLE FOR THIS KIND OF PROJECT? I MEAN, IT'S A PILOT PROJECT.
I WOULD ASSUME YOU WOULD PICK A NEIGHBORHOOD THAT DID NOT HAVE THE, SOME OF THE QUALITIES THAT THIS NEIGHBORHOOD HAS, ESPECIALLY IF THEY'RE NOT EVEN BUYING INTO IT.
YOU KNOW, IT, THEY ARE, YOU KNOW, A CAPTIVE AUDIENCE.
SO YOU JUST RANDOMLY PICK, YOU KNOW, NEIGHBORHOODS THAT ARE HAVING OUTAGES BUT DON'T DO ANY OTHER KIND OF ASSESSMENT.
NO, THERE'S FIVE SELECTION CRITERIA AS I MENTIONED, THAT'S APPROVED BY THE STATE.
YOU KNOW, THE FIRST ONE IS PRIOR LARGE OR RECURRING OUTAGES, WHICH IS SHOWN TO BE THE CASE FOR THIS PARTICULAR AREA, RIGHT? ALL THAT CIRCUIT BEHIND RICH ROAD CRITICAL CUSTOMERS, THAT'S ANOTHER ONE, RIGHT? WE DON'T HAVE TO MEET ALL FIVE OF THESE MM-HMM.
BUT WHEN WE DETERMINE THAT AN AREA CAN BENEFIT THE MOST, YOU KNOW, HIGH RISK OF TREE DAMAGE IS ANOTHER ONE.
UM, AS OF RECENTLY WE HAVE ALSO CUSTOMERS IN DESIGNATED DISADVANTAGED COMMUNITIES AND ALSO COST EFFECTIVENESS OF UNDERGROUNDING IN COMPARISON TO OTHER SOLUTIONS.
SO FIVE, AGAIN, FIVE, UH, CRITERIA PRIOR LARGER RECURRING OUTAGES CRITICAL CUSTOMERS.
CUSTOMERS, YOU, YOU DON'T NEED TO RE YEAH, YOU DON'T NEED TO REPEAT THEM, BUT NONE OF THEM TO DO WITH THE QUALITY OF THE PROPERTIES THEY'RE EXAMINING.
RIGHT? SO, AND ALSO THE SIZE OF THE BOXES IS LIKE, ARE YOU GUARANTEEING THAT THESE ARE THE SMALLEST POSSIBLE BOXES THAT COULD HAVE BEEN PUT INTO THEIR NEIGHBORHOOD AND THAT WITH THE DESIGN THAT WE HAVE? YES.
YOU KNOW, THE ONLY OTHER DESIGN THAT WE WOULD HAVE IS IN AREAS SUCH AS MANHATTAN, RIGHT? WHERE YOU ALREADY HAVE EXISTING UNDERGROUND INFRASTRUCTURES, BUT THOSE TYPE OF DESIGNS REQUIRE DIFFERENT TYPE OF CONFIGURATIONS ON THE STREET.
SO FOR EXAMPLE, THE UNDERGROUND TRANSFORMERS IN MANHATTAN, THERE'S A SUMP CONNECTION THAT FEEDS IT BACK, YOU KNOW, IN CASE RAINWATER COMES IN THAT FEEDS IT BACK TO THE SEWER PIPES, UH, THAT ARE ALREADY INTERCONNECTED, RIGHT? IN THE, UM, IN THE NEW YORK CITY INFRASTRUCTURE.
SO THIS IS THE DESIGN THAT, THE STANDARD DESIGN THAT WE USE FOR THIS TYPE OF WORK IN WESTCHESTER AREA, UM, AS WELL AS OTHER AREAS IN THE SAME TYPE OF TERRAIN, YOU KNOW, WHERE WE DON'T HAVE EXISTING SEWER INFRASTRUCTURE TO CONNECT THOSE, THOSE TRANSFORMERS TO WE HAVE A SEWER, YOU HAVE A SEWER.
UM, MY EXPERIENCE WITH TECHNOLOGIES, THINGS JUST GET SMALLER, NOT LARGER.
AND SO I, I FIND, UM, THE, THE LACK OF RESPONSE OR THE, REGARDING THE SIZE OF THE BOXES, UH, JUST PUZZLING, PUZZLING IS A, IS A ONE WAY TO PUT IT.
IT'S NOT JUST THE SIZE OF THE BOX.
COULD YOU IDENTIFY YOURSELF PLEASE? WHAT'S YOUR NAME AND WHERE DO YOU WANT OH, I'M SORRY.
MY NAME IS SHEILA YASO AND I'M AT, UH, 22 BIRCHWOOD.
UM, AND I'M ONE OF THOSE HOMES THAT'S GETTING IT.
UM, MY, TO ADD ON TO WHAT YOU WERE SAYING, IT'S NOT JUST NOW THAT THERE ARE ONLY 17 HOMES OUT OF HOW MANY, UM, HOW MANY, WHY WERE THERE SO MANY OF THESE BOXES PUT IN? SOME ARE SQUARE, SOME ARE ROUND, SOME ARE LONG THERE, BUT THEY ARE BIG AND THEY ARE UNBECOMING.
[01:05:01]
UM, LOVE THE IDEA ENVIRONMENTALLY CLIMATE WISE, ALL SIGNED ON FOR THAT, BUT, SO I DON'T UNDERSTAND WHY SO MANY, WHY SO BIG WHEN THERE'S ONLY 17 HOMES IN THE END THAT ARE GETTING IT AND THE LAST THING THAT I JUST BEF BEFORE YOU GO IS, UM, I'M WORRIED ABOUT THE CHILDREN'S SAFETY.THIS IS A NEIGHBORHOOD WHERE MOST OF US ARE A LITTLE BIT ON THE OLDER SIDE, BUT A LOT OF YOUNG, NEW FAMILIES ARE STARTING TO MOVE IN.
I'M CONCERNED ABOUT OUR YOUNG CHILDREN RIDING BIKES, PEOPLE WHO RUN ON THE BLOCK A LOT, PEOPLE WHO WALK ON THE BLOCK AND THE WHOLE RADIATION, LIKE HOW MUCH IT RADIATES, HOW MANY FEET YOU HAVE TO STAY AWAY.
THAT IS A VERY BIG CONCERN THAT I HAVE ALSO, THAT I REALLY WOULD LOVE TO, TO KNOW THAT IT'S SAFE AND WE, WE WILL GET IT MEASURED.
AND I, I CAN, AND ONCE AGAIN, PICKING BIRCHWOOD WAS JUST A FAIL.
BECAUSE FROM MY EXPERIENCE OF 34 YEARS OF LIVING THERE, A LOT OF OUR POWER OUTAGES THAT HAVE BEEN DRIVEN WHEN TREES HAVE COME DOWN ON RIDGE ROAD AND EVEN ON THE WAY DOWN TO CENTRAL AVENUE, ARE YOU GOING TO DIG UP RIDGE ROAD OR CENTRAL AVENUE? I, I DON'T THINK SO.
DID YOU HAVE MORE THINGS, RODNEY? UM, I, I THINK THAT, YOU KNOW, I'VE HAD MY CHANCE TO SPEAK AND, UM, I THINK YOU'RE, YOU'VE GOT THE MESSAGE THAT I THINK THIS HAS BEEN SOMEWHAT OF A DISASTER AND THAT A LOT NEEDS TO BE DONE TO REPAIR THE HARM THAT YOU'VE CAUSED.
I THINK WHAT WE'RE DOING, WE'RE TRYING TO LOOK FOR A RESOLVE.
WE'RE NOT TRYING TO BE OFFENSIVE AND PUT YOU ON THE DEFENSE.
WE WANT YOU TO WORK WITH US TO COME UP WITH SOME ALTERNATIVES THAT ARE PALATABLE.
YOU GAVE US A GOOD ANSWER WITH REGARD TO THE STREETS AND PAVING THE STREETS.
SO THAT'S ONE THING OUT OF THE WAY.
I THINK THAT THE SUPERVISOR'S SUGGESTION THAT WE MEET ON SITE IS A GOOD ONE.
I THINK, I THINK THAT THAT COUNCILMAN SHEEN, COUNCILMAN SHEEN'S RECOMMENDATION THAT WE MEET IS A GOOD ONE.
AND I THINK, I'M SORRY, WHAT WAS THAT?
AND, AND LET'S COME WITH THE MINDSET THAT WE'RE GOING TO COME UP WITH RESOLUTIONS SO THAT THIS PILOT PROJECT IS A SUCCESSFUL ONE IN ALL WAYS.
AND THEN WE CAN BE ADVOCATES FOR YOU AS YOU TACKLE OTHER AREAS.
I, I JUST CAME UP WITH AN IDEA THAT COULD ACTUALLY SOLVE THIS PROBLEM.
CAN I JUST PLEASE, PAUL, PLEASE, PAUL, I'D LIKE TO THANK THIS BOARD.
YOU'VE EXPANDED YOUR TIME TO ACCOMMODATE US.
THE NEXT STEP SHOULD BE THAT WE MEET THERE SO THAT YOU CAN ALL SEE WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE.
AND I DO THINK THAT WE COME UP WITH A RE THOSE FIVE POINTS ARE VERY REAL POINTS FOR US, DIFFERENT TO DIFFERENT PEOPLE, BUT THEY'RE VERY REAL.
AND IT'S NOT GONNA BE A HELTER SKELTER KIND OF SOLUTION, BECAUSE THAT'S NOT GONNA LAST FIVE YEARS BEFORE THEY HAVE TO COME BACK IS A LONG TIME.
SO I THINK THERE ARE SOLUTIONS HERE, BUT I THINK THE FIRST STEP, UH, YOU NOW HAVE OUR LIST.
I THINK YOU NOW HAVE OUR POWERPOINT WITH OUR POINTS.
IF ANYBODY HAS ADDITIONAL ONES, I'LL ASK THEM TO SHARE THEM WITH ME AND THEN I WILL SEND THEM TO YOU.
BUT I THINK THIS WAS THE FIRST STEP, AND I APPRECIATE, I KNOW AGAIN, COUNCILMAN SHEEN MADE THIS POSSIBLE.
YOU, COUNCILMAN HENDRICKS WERE VERY INSTRUMENTAL IN GETTING THINGS ON THE RECORD LAST TIME, AND I APPRECIATE THAT.
UM, SO I THINK THAT IT IS IMPORTANT THAT WE LET YOU GET BACK TO YOUR AGENDA, BUT THAT WE PLAN AND WE MAKE IT A TIME THAT WE CAN ALL MAKE IT TO BE ON THE STREET AND SHOW YOU WHAT'S HAPPENED AND GO FROM THERE.
I HAD A SUGGESTION THAT I'D LIKE TO, UH, PROPOSE.
YOU MENTIONED EV EVERYBODY KNOWS THAT WE NEED TO DO THE LANDSCAPING, SO, YOU KNOW, WE WANNA MAKE THE STREET ATTRACTIVE.
YOU MENTIONED, UM, UM, THAT, YOU KNOW, YOU CAN'T HAVE RATE PAYERS PAY FOR IT.
UM, AT THE SAME TIME SHE DIDN'T SAY THAT.
SHE SAID, YOU KNOW, THAT'S, THAT'S A CONCERN.
THAT'S A CON THAT'S A CONCERN.
BUT CONED HAS A FOUNDATION AND YOU KNOW, I JUST, UH, LOOKED IT UP.
SO PERHAPS ONE COMPROMISE IDEA WOULD BE, UM, BECAUSE LANDSCAPING OF THE AREA ISN'T GONNA BE LIKE VERY, VERY PROHIBITIVE.
THIS, SINCE THIS IS, SINCE THIS IS A PILOT PROJECT, WE COULD ASK
[01:10:01]
THE COND FOUNDATION, WHICH BASICALLY AWARDED IN ON APRIL 1ST, $3 MILLION, UM, OVER THREE YEARS TO SUPPORT CLIMATE JUSTICE AND RESILIENCY IN NEW YORK CITY AND WESTCHESTER.SO IF WE TAKE, UH, THE FOUND, IF WE ASK FOR THE FOUNDATION TO, UM, UM, PUT, UH, FOUNDATION FUNDS, RA, UH, AND WHICH THEY WERE GIVEN FOR CHARITY FOR THIS LANDSCAPING, YOU KNOW, PROJECT, THEN IT'S A WIN-WIN BECAUSE BASICALLY THE NEIGHBOR, THE NEIGHBORS WILL BENEFIT FROM IT, UM, AND WILL SOLVE A PROBLEM.
AND THEN INSTEAD OF EVERYBODY, IT'S, YOU KNOW, NOBODY REALLY WANTS TO HAVE IT A WAR BETWEEN CON ED AND THE NEIGHBORHOOD.
WE WANT TO MAKE THIS A WIN-WIN FOR EVERYBODY MOVE, RIGHT? SO WHY DON'T, WHY DON'T WE, SO WHY DON'T WE IDENTIFY, WHY DON'T WE ARRANGE THIS MEETING, IDENTIFY PROBLEMS AND POSSIBLE SOLUTIONS, AND THEN WE CAN GO FROM THERE AND WE CAN CONSIDER RIGHT THAT, BUT CAN I MAKE A SUGGESTION SOLUTION, YOU KNOW, TO THE NEIGHBORS? YOU KNOW, MAYBE WHAT WOULD BE HELPFUL IS, YOU KNOW, IF YOU HAVE LANDSCAPERS, UM, AND YOU COULD, I'M JUST GIVING YOU MY, YOU KNOW, MY THOUGHTS.
IF YOU HAVE LANDSCAPERS AND YOU COULD, UH, YOU KNOW, SPEAK TO THEM AND SAY, YOU KNOW, WHY WOULD IT TAKE, YOU KNOW, IN TERMS OF, UH, YOU KNOW, TO MAKE THIS ATTRACTIVE, YOU KNOW, YOU HAVE, IT'S AN EYESORE.
I BICYCLE ON BIRCHWOOD, UH, A COUPLE TIMES A WEEK.
SO, YOU KNOW, I'M ALWAYS GOING AND I'M LOOKING.
SO I'M VERY FAMILIAR AND I'M, I'M DOING IT BECAUSE I WANT TO BASICALLY CHECK TO SEE WHAT THE PROBLEMS ARE, PROBLEMS ARE.
SO, YOU KNOW, IF WE, IF I, WE COULD HAVE A BUDGET, THEN WE COULD REACH OUT TO THE CON ED, THE, THE CON ED OFFICERS, WE COULD REACH OUT TO THE FOUNDATION.
AND IF IT'S NOT THAT PROHIBITIVE, WE PROBABLY COULD GET SOMEWHERE ON THE WELL, LET'S HAVE THE MEETING AND, AND IDENTIFY THAT.
SO WE'LL BE IN TOUCH TO SET UP A MEETING.
I DO APPRECIATE CON ED, UH, COMING ON THE CALL.
YOU COULD ALWAYS SAY, YOU KNOW, YOU HAD OTHER THINGS TO DO, BUT, UH, I APPRECIATE YOU SHOWING UP AND SO YOU COULD HEAR THE CONCERNS, UH, RICH VAUGHN, WHO ALSO WAS INVOLVED IN SETTING THIS UP.
UM, WE, WE HAVE MORE DISCUSSIONS TO HAVE.
EVERYONE COULD, CAN YOU PLEASE TAKE THE DISCUSSION OUTSIDE? WE ARE.
WE'VE GOT TO CONTINUE OUR MEETING.
UH, SO, UM, THE EAST TAR STEEL AVENUE UPDATE, UM, IS, I THINK THEY'RE ON ZOOM HERE.
I'M TRYING, FRANK AND I ARE HERE.
SO THIS MORNING, UH, WE MET WITH, UH, ALL THE PARTIES INVOLVED.
UM, THIS, THIS MORNING WE MET WITH ALL THE PARTIES INVOLVED AND ALL OUR TOWN STAFF TO DISCUSS THE, UH, THE PROGRESS ON THE, THE REPAIR OF THE SEWER LINE ON EAST DALE AVENUE.
UM, WHICH INCLUDED OUR LEGAL TEAM, BUILDING, DEPARTMENT, ENGINEERING, DPW, POLICE DEPARTMENT, THE CONTRACTOR.
UM, AT THIS POINT WE ARE STILL JETTING THE SEWER LINE.
THEY HAVE HAD SUCCESS IN, IN GETTING THE JET THROUGH, UM, TO POINT, UH, WHICH IS GOOD NEWS, WE HAVE NOT YET BEEN ABLE TO CAMERA THE LINE DUE TO ALL THE MATERIAL IN THE LINE.
WHEN I SAY MATERIAL, UM, ASPHALT, GRAVEL LOOKS LIKE PIECES OF CONCRETE.
WE ALSO HAVE AN ENGINEER COMING, OR THE CONTRACTOR'S GOT AN ENGINEER COMING OUT ON MONDAY TO SIZE UP HOW THEY'RE GOING TO DO THE, THE SHORING THEY NEED TO REPLACE SO THAT THE CONTRACTOR COULD SAFELY GO IN AND REPLACE THE MANHOLE THAT HAS FAILED.
UM, ONCE THAT WORK IS DONE, WE'LL BE ABLE TO BETTER, UH, FIGURE OUT WHAT HAPPENED.
UH, WE HAVE HAD, OVER THE LAST TWO WEEKENDS, WE'VE HAD, UH, INDIVIDUALS MOVE BARRIERS AND RUN INTO THE TEMPORARY BYPASS OF THE SEWER LINE, WHICH HAS CAUSED LEAKAGE ONTO THE SIDEWALK AREA.
UH, THAT HAS BEEN ADDRESSED, BUT IT HAS BEEN PROBLEMATIC.
UM, THIS MORNING, FOUR NEW SIGNS WERE BROUGHT IN BY THE CONTRACTOR TO BETTER ADVISE THE, UH, TRAVELING PUBLIC AND THE WALKING PUBLIC ON HOW TO SAFELY GET AROUND.
[01:15:01]
AND AGAIN, THE POLICE DEPARTMENT HAS BEEN DOWN THERE AND THEY'VE BEEN EXCELLENT.UM, BUT IT IS ONGOING AND IT, THIS IS NOT GONNA END QUICKLY.
SO THERE IS GONNA BE A VERY BIG INCONVENIENCE, AT LEAST FOR THE TIME BEING DONE IN EAST HARSDALE.
YOU MENTIONED THAT THEY WERE GONNA, UH, POSSIBLY HAVE TO, UM, YOU KNOW, WHEN WE HAVE HEAVIER EQUIPMENT, UH, IT'S GONNA BE MORE, YOU KNOW, TRAFFIC, YOU KNOW, DELAYS.
WOULD YOU BE ABLE TO ELABORATE ON THAT? MIGHT HAVE TO CLOSE THE ROAD DEPENDING ON HOW THEY HAVE TO PUT THIS, THIS, UH, SHEATHING IN AND HOW THEY'RE GONNA HAVE TO EXCAVATE OUT THIS MANHOLE THAT'S FAILED.
AND WHEN AND WHEN WOULD YOU THINK THAT WOULD HAPPEN? I THINK WE'LL KNOW MORE BY THE END OF NEXT WEEK.
ARE CARS STILL PEOPLE STILL REMOVING THE BARRIERS TO PUCK THEIR CAR? BECAUSE IN SOME INSTANCES THEY HIT THE TEMPORARY, UH, STRUCTURES AND, AND OPENED UP SOME SEWAGE ONTO THE STREET, CORRECT? YES.
SO, UM, HOW HAS THAT BEEN? HAVE YOU BEEN ABLE TO ADDRESS THAT OR, OR SHOULD WE COME UP WITH SOME OTHER YES, THEY'VE TAKEN MEASURES TO TRY TO, TO, UH, GET THAT FROM NOT HAPPENING AGAIN.
UM, THIS WEEK OR LAST WEEK, SOME PEOPLE ON AT A HUNDRED, UH, YOU KNOW, MENTIONED, YOU KNOW, THAT THEY'RE CONCERNED ABOUT, YOU KNOW, PARKING, YOU KNOW, AND THEY WANTED US TO, UM, ARRANGE FOR, UM, YOU KNOW, AN ALTERNATIVE, ESPECIALLY IF THERE'S GONNA BE, YOU KNOW, PROBLEMS. UM, I'M WONDERING IF IT WOULD MAKE SENSE FOR THE TOWN BOARD, YOU KNOW, TO MEET WITH A PARKING AUTHORITY AND SEE IF WE COULD, YOU KNOW, IF THERE, IF WE ANTICIPATE THAT THERE'S GONNA BE SIGNIFICANT, YOU KNOW, PARKING, YOU KNOW, PROBLEMS IF WE COULD, YOU KNOW, TRY WORKING OUT SOMETHING WITH SURE.
WE, WE NEED TO WORK SOMETHING OUT.
BUT IN THE MEANTIME, JUST FOR THE GENERAL PUBLIC, PLEASE, IT'S, THERE ARE CONES AND, AND CAUTION TAPES UP FOR A, A REASON.
AND IT IS HIGHLY INCONSIDERATE TO SAY THE LEAST OF YOUR NEIGHBORS AND SAFETY AND WELLBEING FOR YOU AND OTHERS.
IF YOU REMOVE THEM TO PARK YOUR CAR.
SO THERE'S ORANGE NETTING UP, THERE ARE BARRELS UP, THAT SHOULD BE A CLUE ENOUGH THAT YOU CAN'T PARK THERE.
AND TO TAKE DOWN THE NETTING AND TO MOVE THE BARRELS AND THEN BACK IN, AND THEN BREAK OPEN THE BYPASS, UM, PIPING THAT WE HAVE, SPILLING SEWAGE.
I DON'T KNOW HOW TO MAKE IT ANY CLEARER ONTO THE STREETS THAT TO THIS DAY YOU CAN STILL SMELL IT.
IT'S VERY DIFFICULT TO GET RID OF THAT, THAT SMELL.
AND AT SOME POINT WE'RE JUST GONNA, IF IT CONTINUES, WE'RE JUST GONNA HAVE TO TAKE SOME KIND OF AN ENFORCEMENT ACTION OR LIABILITY AGAINST THE PERSONS DOING THAT.
BECAUSE ONE, IT'S NOT SAFE FOR THE WORKERS.
'CAUSE THE WORKERS HAVE TO CLEAN THAT UP FOR NO REASON WHATSOEVER, OTHER THAN YOU MOVE THE BARRELS, YOU MOVE THE ORANGE NETTING AND YOU DECIDED TO PARK, UH, PLEASE.
THIS IS A MAJOR, MAJOR UNDERTAKING THAT A LOT OF PEOPLE ARE INVOLVED, A LOT OF WORKERS INVOLVED.
AND WHEN WE DO HAVE TO CLOSE THE STREET SO THAT WE CAN PUT SHEATHING IN, THAT'S BECAUSE THERE ARE CONFINED SPACE REGULATIONS AND WE CAN'T HAVE THE OPENING THAT WE CREATE TO GET TO THE PIPE BECOME A TOMB, A BURIAL CHAMBER FOR THE WORKERS.
SO PLEASE JUST BE MINDFUL THAT WE'RE, WE'RE TRYING TO DO IS DO THIS SAFELY, DO IT EFFECTIVELY, DO IT AS QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE, BUT WE'RE GOING TO NEED YOUR COOPERATION AND CERTAINLY BACKING IN AND BREAKING OPEN A PIPE THAT IS USED TO BYPASS SEWAGE.
I DON'T HAVE TO EXPLAIN IT AGAIN, UH, IS NOT HELPING US.
WE DON'T NEED IT A THIRD TIME.
IS THERE SOME WAY WHERE WE CAN, UM, HAVE SOME SURVEILLANCE OF WHO MIGHT BE DOING THAT? CAN WE GET ANY HELP FROM THE POLICE DEPARTMENT OR SOME SORT OF A CAMERA OR SOMETHING SO THAT, YOU KNOW, THIS IS, DOESN'T HAPPEN ANYMORE.
WE'LL, WE'LL SPEAK TO THE POLICE CHIEF, BUT IT JUST CAN'T HAPPEN AGAIN.
RIGHT? I MEAN, IT'S THREE TIMES, IT'S TWICE NOW HAPPENED THE FIRST TIME ALL NEIGHBORS ALL KNEW ABOUT IT.
'CAUSE YOU COULDN'T, YOU COULDN'T AVOID THE SMELL.
THE WORKERS STILL HAVE TO DEAL WITH IT.
AND THEY CAN PUT A RING CAMERA UP THERE AND, BUT I THINK THAT'S A REALLY GOOD IDEA BECAUSE THIS WAY IT IS PROBABLY A HANDFUL OF PEOPLE DOING IT.
AND IF THEY, IF WE EVEN, UH, PUT A SIGN SAYING, UH, WE ARE VIDEOTAPING.
AND IF, UH, YOU KNOW, AND IF YOU MM-HMM,
IF YOU VIOLATE OUR RULES, WE'LL BE TOWED AND WHATEVER.
WE JUST HOPE THAT WE DON'T HAVE TO DO THAT.
I WOULD HOPE THAT WE DON'T, WE JUST HOPE WE UNDERSTAND THAT WE HAVE A MAJOR REPAIR THAT NEEDS TO GET DONE.
[01:20:01]
THAT PEOPLE UNDERSTAND THAT MOVING THIS AND MOVING THIS EQUIPMENT, THE SAFETY EQUIPMENT, YOU KNOW, IS, IS, IS NOTHING THAT NEEDS TO BE DONE.SO WE HOPE THAT THE MESSAGE THAT COUNCILMAN SHE JUST DELIVERED, PLEASE MAKE SURE YOU'RE HERE TO IT.
PLEASE DO NOT, UH, REMOVE ANY OF THE NETTING, THE ORANGE NETTING, THE BARRELS THAT'S OUT THERE.
IT'S FOR YOUR OWN SAFETY, PLEASE.
SO WE HOPE THAT WE DO, WE HOPE.
NO, BUT PAUL, MY NO, WE HAVE TO HAVE FAITH IN OUR COMMUNITY.
WELL, BUT NOT EVERYBODY'S WATCHING WE, BUT IT'S OKAY.
SO THEN, SO THE NEIGHBORS DELIVER THE MESSAGE, BUT LET'S JUST HAVE FAITH THAT WE DON'T HAVE TO PUT UP CAMERAS SO THAT EVERYONE UNDERSTANDS THE, THE, THE GRAVITY OF, OF THIS ISSUE.
SO THEY WON'T MOVE THE, THE, THE SAFETY EQUIPMENT THAT'S OUT THERE.
AND NOW WE PUT UP CHAIN LINK FENCE, UH, SURROUNDING, UH, THE, UH, MANHOLE THAT, THAT, UH, COLLAPSED.
BUT THE THING ABOUT THE CAMERA, WE PUT UP THE CAMERAS WITH THE BLACK LIVES, YOU KNOW, MATTER SIGN, BECAUSE WE WANTED TO MAKE SURE THERE WAS NO VANDALISM.
AND, UM, AND THE THING IS, THERE'S SAFETY ISSUES.
SO MY FAILING IS WE SHOULD SPEAK TO THE CHIEF AND SAY, YOU KNOW, WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE DOING EVERYTHING HUMANLY POSSIBLE TO ENFORCE THIS.
AND I AGREE WITH COUNCILWOMAN HABER, YOU KNOW, THAT, YOU KNOW, A LOT OF THE PEOPLE, UH, THE PEOPLE WHO ARE PROBABLY, UH, BREAKING THE RULES ARE NOT PEOPLE WHO WATCH US ON PUBLIC ACCESS TV.
UM, SO, YOU KNOW, PEOPLE, UH, YOU KNOW, MAY COMING HOME LATE AT NIGHT, YOU KNOW, THEY'RE UPSET THAT THEY CAN'T GET PARKING AND THEY THINK THEY'RE GONNA GET AWAY WITH IT.
IF THEY, IF THERE WOULD BE SOMETHING SAYING, THIS IS UNDER VIDEO SURVEILLANCE CAN FOLLOW UP WITH THIS.
SO ASSUME THAT THERE'S A CAMERA, IF THAT'S WHAT IT TAKES.
ASSUME THERE'S CLEARLY, CLEARLY.
'CAUSE I'M BEING DISMISSED, SO CLEARLY ASSUME THERE'S A CAMERA.
THIS, THIS MATTER, UM, IS BASICALLY ASKING FOR THE TOWN TO HAVE A POLICY RELATING, UH, YEAH.
TO REVIEW OUR POLICY RELATING TO, UM, UM, CABLE TV AS IT IMPACTS COMMERCIAL, YOU KNOW, PROPERTIES.
SO I BASICALLY, THIS CAME UP BECAUSE I HAVE A CABLE TV PROGRAM, WANNA BASICALLY HIGHLIGHT NEW BUSINESSES AND EXISTING BUSINESSES.
YOU KNOW, WE HAVE A LOT OF VACANCIES, UH, AND YOU KNOW, WHEN THERE'S A NEW BUSINESS, I'M TRYING TO MAKE THE BUSINESS OWNERS FEEL GOOD THAT WE'RE PROMOTING THE BUSINESSES AND ALL THAT.
SO, UM, YOU KNOW, JANELLE WAS MENTIONING TO US THAT, UM, UM, YOU KNOW, WE CAN'T USE CABLE TV CAN'T ADVERTISE.
BUT THE QUESTION IS, WHO IS JANELLE? WHY DOES ADVERTISING? WHO'S JANELLE? WHO IS JANELLE? JANELLE WALLACE IS OUR CABLE TV ACCESS COORDINATOR.
UM, SO THERE'S NOTHING, YOU KNOW, HER INTERPRETATION OF THE LAW IS, YOU KNOW, IS CORRECT, BUT IT'S BASICALLY A FINE LINE BECAUSE I BASICALLY USE IT SAYING, OH, THERE'S A NEW BUSINESS.
IS THAT, YOU KNOW, A VIOLATION OF, UH, OF THE POLICY.
YOU KNOW, THE, THE ISSUE, THE ISSUE THAT I, SO WHY DON, CAN WE TURN IT OVER TO THE TOWN ATTORNEY AND ASK, BUT CAN WE ASK THE TOWN ATTORNEY? SO DO SUPERVISOR, WHAT YOU'RE PROPOSING IS THAT YOU HAVE COMMERCIAL, UM, YOU KNOW, PROPERTIES COME ON YOUR TELEVISION SHOW.
I'VE BEEN DOING THAT FOR YEARS.
SO I, I THINK THERE IS A DIFFERENCE BETWEEN DOING SOMETHING LIKE THAT TO HAVE A DISCUSSION ABOUT THE COMMUNITY.
I, I, YOU KNOW, I WOULD GIVE FURTHER LEGAL ADVICE IN EXECUTIVE SESSION, BUT, UM, YOU, YOU CAN'T BE, YOU CAN'T KEEP COMMERCIAL PROPERTIES FROM HAVING ACCESS ON A CABLE TELEVISION SHOW.
BUT YOU THERE SHOULDN'T BE PROMOTING, YOU KNOW, UM, CERTAIN EVENTS ON THE SCREEN AS, AS A COMMERCIAL THAT DOES GO AGAINST OUR POLICY.
IT DOES GO AGAINST THE AGREEMENTS WE HAVE.
SO YOU'RE RIGHT, THERE IS A FINE LINE.
BUT, UM, I WOULD JUST SAY YOU SHOULD HAVE THEM THERE TO PROMOTE THE COMMUNITY, NOT TO PROMOTE THEIR BUSINESS AND TRY TO SELL SERVICES AND HAVE COMMERCIAL SERVICES.
WELL, IF IT'S A NEW BUSINESS COMING IN FOR THE FIRST TIME TO OUR COMMUNITY, LIKE, THAT'D BE A REASON TO, TO TALK ABOUT IT OR WHATEVER.
'CAUSE IT'S SOMETHING NEW OR THERE'S SOME ASPECT THAT IS COMMUNITY ORIENTED, RIGHT? SO OTHER THAN, THAN JUST A RIGHT.
SO FOR EXAMPLE, THERE'S A NEW, THERE'S TWO NEW BUSINESSES THAT I WAS THINKING OF.
ONE IS A MOBILITY, WELL, DON'T, DON'T ADVERTISE FOR THEM RIGHT NOW.
SO, SO YOU MAY HAVE AN ISSUE WITH OTHER COMMERCIAL PROPERTIES WHO ARE NOT INVITED TO THE SHOW HAVING AN ISSUE THAT MM-HMM.
WE DON'T WANNA SHOW FAVORITISM.
NO, YOU NEED TO, YOU NEED TO MAKE SURE YOU'RE INCLUSIVE.
SO LET'S, LET'S, YOU KNOW, DEVELOP THE POLICY WE HAVE.
YOU, YOU'RE, WE HAVE A POLICY, THE POLICY'S DEVELOPED, RIGHT? I, AGAIN, YOU KNOW, I JUST WANT THE BUSINESSES TO SAY, OH, THIS IS A REALLY GREAT TOWN TO COME TO.
AND, UM, YOU KNOW, I FEEL THAT WE UNDERSTAND, UNDERSTAND.
BUT I, I WILL THEN WORK WITH YOU ON THIS.
[01:25:01]
THE WEBSITE, REMEMBER THE WEBSITE WHERE THEY CAN ADVERTISE, UM, THEIR RIGHT, THEIR, UM, BUSINESSES.WE ALREADY HAVE THAT ON THE TOWN WEBSITE.
WELL I'LL WORK WITH YOU ON THIS THEN.
WE COULD, WE COULD ALL WORK TOGETHER AS A TOWN BOARD.
MAYBE WE COULD BE A PART OF THEM AS WELL.
I'M JUST SAYING THAT IF I HAVE, IF I INVITE SOMEBODY ON THE PROGRAM, I'LL CLEAR IT.
I'LL LET YOU KNOW WHAT I WANT TO DO.
WELL, YOU KNOW WHAT, YOU CAN TELL ME.
IT KNOW AS, AS THE, AS COUNCILWOMAN JACKSON MENTIONED YOU, I THINK YOU INVESTED SEVERAL YEARS AGO IN A, YOU WERE ALSO PUTTING TOGETHER, UM, PUTTING TOGETHER ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM.
WE HAVE A WEBSITE THAT SHOWS EVERYTHING.
SO ALL OUR OPEN SPACES THAT WE HAVE AVAILABLE, UM, ANY TYPE OF EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES THAT'S AVAILABLE, WE HAVE ALL THAT LISTED ON OUR WEBSITE AND I THINK THAT THAT'S SOMETHING TO ABSOLUTELY PROMOTE AND, AND DO THAT PERIODICALLY SO THAT PEOPLE KNOW TO ACCESS THAT.
I THINK YOU, I DON'T KNOW WHERE YOU ARE WITH THE CHAMBER OF COMMERCE THAT YOU STARTED.
RIGHT? SO YOU SHOULD PROBABLY CONNECT THE TWO TOGETHER.
THEY SHOULD BE WORKING HAND IN HAND TOGETHER.
WE'RE DOING LIKE RIBBON CUTTING.
CAN WE JUST STOP? I HAD LIKE THREE PEOPLE AT THE SAME TIME TELL ME THAT WAS A GREAT IDEA.
SO I WOULD, LIKE I SAID GOOD IDEA.
AND I, I THINK IT WAS AN IDEA.
I THINK, I THINK, I THINK IT'S TIME FOR EXECUTIVE SESSION.
NO, NO, BUT, BUT ALL SERIOUSNESS, I MEAN, WE WANT, WE WANNA MAKE SURE THAT WE, YOU KNOW, WE PUT THE WEBSITE THERE FOR REASONS.
SO WE WANNA MAKE SURE THAT EVERYBODY'S ABLE TO, UM, TAKE ADVANTAGE OF IT.
'CAUSE IT IS A GOOD OPPORTUNITY TO HIGHLIGHT YOUR BUSINESS, GOOD OPPORTUNITY FOR OUR REAL ESTATE AGENTS IF THERE ARE COMMERCIAL SPACES AVAILABLE THAT WE DO HIGHLIGHT THAT ON THE TOWN'S WEBSITE.
AND ANYONE WHO IS LOOKING FOR SPACE, WHO WANTS TO COME AND HAVE A BUSINESS HERE IN GREENBURG THAT, UM, THERE'S OPPORTUNITY AND THERE'S A WEBSITE WHERE YOU CAN FIND, UM, VACANT SPACES.
THERE'S ACTUALLY A FANTASTIC NEW BUSINESS THAT'S COMING, BUT I'M NOT GONNA MENTION IT.
WELL JUST SAY IT'S, IT'S REALLY EXCITING BECAUSE, UH, IT'S A NEW I THAT'S FINE.
BASICALLY YOU BASICALLY, PAUL, THIS GUY, WAIT, LEMME JUST SAY THIS GUY, THIS GUY, I SPOKE TO HIM, UH, OVER THE WEEKEND AND WHAT HE DOES IS, UM, HE WORKS, YOU'RE ADVERTISING VETERANS WHO BASICALLY, UM, UH, HAVE SEVERE BRAIN INJURIES AND, UH, YOU KNOW, INJURIES.
AND HE BASICALLY IS CREATING, SO YOU SHOULD HAVE HIM MAKE SURE THAT HE ADVERTISES ON OUR WEBSITE WHAT THAT I JUST DESCRIBED, THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT WEBSITE.
YOU SHOULD HAVE HIM MAKE SURE THAT HE ADVERTISES ON THERE.
AND, AND HE JUST NEEDS TO PUT IT AND PUT A LINK AND HE CAN TALK ABOUT HOW GREAT HE IS TO, THAT'S ALL HE DOES.
SO SHALL WE, SO SHALL WE GO INTO EXECUTIVE SESSION? THANK YOU.
DO WE HAVE A LOT OF THINGS TODAY ON EXECUTIVE? I MAKE A MOTION TO GO IN EXECUTIVE SESSION.
ANY FAVOR? ANYONE IN FAVOR? PAUL? FREE THE, FOR THE PURPOSE OF, FOR THE PURPOSES OF DISCUSSING PERSONNEL MATTERS AND, AND SEEKING LEGAL ADVICE ON VARIOUS MATTERS? SECOND.