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[ TOWN OF GREENBURGH OFFICE OF THE TOWN BOARD 177 Hillside Avenue, Greenburgh, NY 10607 Tel: 914-989-1525 Fax: 914-993-1541 Email: HCancro@greenburghny.com https://greenburghny.com/485/Watch-Live-Board-Meetings]
OKAY.WELCOME, UH, TO OUR GREENBERG, UH, TOWN BOARD WORK SESSION.
TODAY IS APRIL 15TH, AND IT'S ONLY SEVEN MINUTES LATER THAN WE WERE SUPPOSED TO START, UH, WHICH IS A RECORD.
UM, SO, UM, THE FIRST ITEM IS THE NOISE LAW ENFORCEMENT.
AND WE HAVE LARRY WILSON, UH, HERE FROM THE LANDSCAPE.
IF YOU WANNA JUST SIT DOWN OVER HERE FOR A SECOND.
AND, UM, THE TOWN BOARD, UM, YOU KNOW, ASKED THAT WE, UM, FOCUS ATTENTION ON EDUCATING, UM, UH, THE LANDSCAPERS AND RESIDENTS ABOUT THE LEAF BLOWER AT, AT OUR NOLA.
AND WE ALL WANNA, UM, ENFORCE THE LAW.
I GAVE YOU, YOU KNOW, A COPY OF THE MM-HMM.
UH, YOU KNOW, THE LEGISLATION.
THE MAIN, UM, ASPECT CONCERNING LANDSCAPERS IS THE RESTRICTIONS ON THE NUMBER OF, UH, LEAF BLOWERS ON ANY PROPERTY AT ONE, AT ONE TIME.
AND, YOU KNOW, WE WOULD JUST REALLY APPRECIATE IT IF, UH, YOUR ASSOCIATION, UM, WOULD REACH OUT TO THE LANDSCAPERS THAT ARE MEMBERS AND JUST DO WHATEVER YOU CAN TO ENCOURAGE THEM TO COMPLY WITH OUR LAW.
AND WE, UH, WE APPRECIATE THAT, UH, YOU'VE GIVEN US THE OPPORTUNITY TO COME HERE TODAY AND SPEAK TO YOU AND, UH, TRY TO, I'LL TRY TO GIVE YOU OUR PERSPECTIVE AS WE, YOU KNOW, WE TRY TO MAKE A LIVING HERE IN, UH, THE TOWN OF GREENBURG, UM, WITH THIS, UH, LAW IN PLACE.
UM, I, UM, THE FIRST QUESTION I HAVE IS, UM, IS THERE ANY, UH, PROPERTY SIZE THAT, UH, YOU KNOW, WHERE YOU MIGHT BE ABLE TO HAVE MORE THAN ONE BLOWER? OR, LIKE, IF YOU'RE ON A PROPERTY THAT'S MAYBE, UH, THREE QUARTERS OF AN ACRE, FOR INSTANCE, ARE YOU ALLOWED MORE THAN ONE? I, I COULD ANSWER THAT.
SO, BASED ON THE CURRENT, UM, LOCAL AUDIT WE HAVE IN EFFECT, YOU KNOW, OF COURSE THERE COULD POTENTIALLY BE REVISIONS IN THE FUTURE, BUT YOU'RE ALLOWED ONE BLOWER ON A LOT 10,000 SQUARE FEET OR LESS, 10,000 OR LESS.
ANYTHING HIGHER THAN 10,000 SQUARE FEET, YOU'RE ALLOWED TO GET UP TO THREE IF YOU CAN REMAIN BELOW THE DECIBEL LEVEL.
SO THE DECIBEL LEVEL LIMIT IS STILL 75 DECIBEL.
SO, SO TECHNICALLY YOU COULD HAVE THREE ON A PROPERTY ABOVE 10,000 SQUARE FEET AND BE WITHIN THE NUMBER OF BLOWER REQUIREMENTS.
BUT YOU MAY BE OVER THE DECAL LIMIT, DEPENDING ON HOW CLOSE THEY ARE TOGETHER TO THE PROPERTY LINE.
A A PARTICULAR CONCERN TO US, UH, WOULD BE, UH, THIS, UH, THE SPRING CLEANUP SEASON, WHICH IS NOW ESSENTIALLY AND, UH, THE, ESPECIALLY THE FALL CLEANUP SEASON, UM, YOU KNOW, IN THE AUTUMN, IN NOVEMBER IN PARTICULAR, UM, YOU KNOW, WE NEED EVERYTHING THAT WE CAN GET REALLY.
AND, UH, THAT'S, UH, THAT'S ALWAYS THE STICKING POINT.
UH, IT'S REALLY, UH, NOT NECESSARY TO HAVE, UH, YOU KNOW, UH, A BUNCH OF BLOWERS GOING AT ONCE, UH, ON, ON A PROPERTY, UH, SMALLER THAN, YOU KNOW, AT 10,000 FEET.
UM, BASICALLY WHAT WE DO IN THE SUMMERTIME, AFTER WE GET FINISHED THE SPRING CLEANUPS AND BEFORE THE, THE LEAVES FALL, OKAY.
IN, IN THE, UH, SUMMERTIME, WE MIGHT HAVE, YOU KNOW, JUST BE, UH, BLOWING, UH, GRASS CLIPPINGS OFF OF, UH, THE WALKWAYS, THE POOL DECKS, THE, UH, UH, THE, THE DRIVEWAYS.
AND, AND THAT'S REALLY, UH, WHERE WE GET MOST OF THE PRESSURES FROM THE HOMEOWNERS, FROM THE, UH, IT'S THE GRASS CLIPPINGS, AND IT'S VERY HARD TO REMOVE GRASS CLIPS.
YOU, YOU CERTAINLY CAN'T RATE THEM.
AND, UH, YOU KNOW, PE PEOPLE, UH, GO CRAZY ABOUT 'EM.
I MEAN, I DON'T THINK ANYONE IS OBJECTING TO YOU BEING ABLE TO DO YOUR JOB, AND IT'S JUST USING SOME DISCRETION.
SO IF SOMEONE IS BLOWING THE WALKWAY IN THE FRONT YARD, AND IT IS LARGER THAN THE 10,000 FEET, THE OTHER PERSON USING, USING THE BLOWER IN THE BACKYARD, SO THEY'RE NOT TOGETHER CREATING A CONCENTRATED, UH, AMOUNT OF NOISE, WHICH CONCEIVABLY WOULD RAISE IT ABOVE THE DECIBEL LEVEL TO THE IMMEDIATE NEIGHBORS NEAR THERE.
SO, YOU KNOW, IT'S, IT'S A STRATEGY THAT WORKING WITH US, IT WOULD BE SOMETHING THAT WOULDN'T, UH, IDEALLY IMPACT YOU AND YOUR WORK, AND IT WOULDN'T IMPACT THE PEOPLE WHO, YOU KNOW, MAY BE WORKING FROM HOME OR HAVE BABIES AND WHO ARE CONCERNED, WHO ARE DISRUPTED BY THAT NOISE.
SO, YOU KNOW, TRYING TO FIND A BALANCE SO WE CAN WORK TOGETHER ON THIS.
AND, UM, WE, UH, ENCOURAGE OUR MEMBERS OKAY, TO, UH, TO, EVEN IF THEY, IF THEY SEE, UH, YOU
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KNOW, SOMEONE FLAGRANTLY, UH, VIOLATING THE LAW WITH MAYBE THREE OR FOUR BLOWERS ON A PROPERTY DURING THE SUMMER MONTHS, UH, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE, UH, WE, WE HAVE STOPPED THE TRUCK AND SAY, LOOK, YOU, YOU DON'T NEED ALL THESE BLOWERS.YOU KNOW, AND YOU REALLY DON'T.
UM, UH, IT'S IMPORTANT THAT WE HAVE SOMETHING TO BLOW OFF THE SIDEWALKS, THE, UH, YOU KNOW, A POOL DECK.
AND, AND THAT DOESN'T TAKE A LOT OF TIME.
YOU, YOU WON'T, UH, YOU KNOW, BE, YOU KNOW, BE THERE WITH THE BLOWER, UH, YOU KNOW, MAKING A LOT OF NOISE FOR A LONG PERIOD OF TIME, IF YOU'RE JUST BLOWING OFF THE HARD SURFACES, JUST CLEANING THEM OFF A LITTLE, CLEANING THE, UH, THE, UM, THE GRASS CLIPPINGS, THEY BLOW VERY NICELY.
THEY'RE VERY EASILY, AND THAT'S WHY I, I GOTTA BE HONEST WITH YOU, AND I GOTTA TELL YOU THAT DURING THE SUMMER MONTHS, UH, I USE THE ELECTRIC BLOWER.
YOU KNOW, AND, UH, BUT DO YOU UNDERSTAND MY RATIONALE? YES, I CERTAINLY DO.
I, I'VE BEEN, JUST TO LET YOU KNOW, I MEAN, I'VE BEEN TO EVERY COMMUNITY IN WESTCHESTER.
UH, YOU KNOW, I'VE BEEN INVOLVED WITH THESE BLOWERS, UH, YOU KNOW, SINCE MAY, MAYBE THE LATE NINETIES.
AND, UM, WE CERTAINLY UNDERSTAND, UH, YOUR, YOUR, YOUR CHALLENGE.
AND WE KNOW THAT, UH, YOU KNOW, THAT YOUR, UH, CONSTITUENTS ARE CALLING YOU AND, UH, YOU KNOW, WE WILL TRY AS THE LEGITIMATE LANDSCAPERS IN THE REGION TO, YOU KNOW, TO ABIDE BY THESE LAWS.
CAN I, CAN I ASK YOU A QUESTION? YEAH.
UM, YOU KNOW, WE WERE TALKING VERY BRIEFLY, UH, BEFORE THE MEETING ABOUT THE, THE, THE B THAT SOME COMMUNITIES HAVE ON GAS BLOWERS.
AND THE CONSERVATION ADVISORY COUNCIL, UH, RESISTED THAT FOR MANY YEARS BECAUSE THEY SAID THAT IF YOU BAN ONLY GEARS, YOU KNOW, BLOWERS, WE ARE STILL, THEY'RE STILL, UM, HEALTH ISSUES.
THERE'S STILL NOISE POLLUTION, YOU KNOW, THERE'S STILL POLLUTION AND ALL THAT.
SO, TOWN BOARD, YOU KNOW, WE'RE ONE OF THE ONLY COMMUNITIES AROUND THAT, YOU KNOW, WE PROBABLY HAVE THE WEAKEST LEAFBLOWER LAW ANYWHERE.
UM, THE QUESTION THAT I HAVE, THAT'S JUST MY, I'M NOT PUTTING THAT ON MY RESUME, BUT WE APPRECIATE THAT.
BUT THE QUESTION IS, DO YOU FEEL, UM, IF WE WERE CONCERNED ABOUT JUST NOISE, DO YOU FEEL THAT THE TOWN, UM, SHOULD CONSIDER, YOU KNOW, UH, A BAN ON, UH, YOU KNOW, THE GEARS BLOWERS, UH, IF EVERY OTHER COMMUNITY IN WESTCHESTER IS DOING IT AND WE'RE NOT, YOU KNOW, YOU KNOW, WOULD IT CREATE SORT OF LIKE A HARDSHIP, UM, FOR, UH, FOR THE LANDSCAPERS? OR SHOULD WE JUST BE FOCUSING ON, UH, ENFORCING THE, YOU KNOW, THE NOISE, THE NOISE ORDINANCE? BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, I GET CALLS LIKE EVERY, EVERY COUPLE DAYS FROM PEOPLE WHO ARE COMPLAINING ABOUT, YOU KNOW, ABOUT THE NOISE.
AND I SORT OF FEEL, YOU KNOW, EVERY, YOU KNOW, FOR, FOR YEARS, YOU KNOW, I KEEP SAYING, OH, WE'LL DISCUSS IT.
WE'LL DISCUSS IT, YOU KNOW, YOU KNOW, EVERY, YOU KNOW, NOTHING'S REALLY HAPPENED.
BUT, BUT THE POINT OF TODAY IS REALLY TO, UH, HAVE THIS DIALOGUE WITH YOU TO ENFORCE OUR CURRENT LAW.
I I'LL, SO I DON'T THINK THAT, BUT I'M JUST ASKING IF, IF YOU HAVE ANY THOUGHT, WELL, LET'S JUST DISCUSS THE ONE.
LET'S, LET'S KEEP IT TO PLACE THIS DISCUSSION, BECAUSE WE REALLY ARE RESPONDING TO COMPLAINTS ABOUT NOISE.
THAT'S WHAT WE'RE DOING TODAY.
THE, THESE, UH, YOU KNOW, THESE COMPLAINTS, I'M SURE WILL, UH, FALL OFF A LITTLE BIT AFTER THE SPRING CLEANUPS ARE FINISHED, AND THEN UNTIL NEXT SPRING.
BUT IT IS SOMETHING THAT WE GET YEARLY TO THE FALL.
IN THE ORDER YOU'RE CERTAINLY GET, GET IT.
I MEAN, IT'S NOT, WE'RE NOT TALKING ABOUT JUST ONE SEASON.
AND WE'RE NOT TALKING ABOUT ONE SEASON IN ONE YEAR.
WE'RE JUST TALKING ABOUT GOING FORWARD.
AND IF THERE ARE GOOD PRACTICES PUT IN PLACE, WE MIGHT AVOID SOME OF THIS ISSUE.
YOU KNOW, UM, 10,000 FEET, UH, YOU KNOW, SOMETIMES, UH, YOU CAN EYEBALL 10,000 FEET AND BE OFF BY THREE OR 4,000 FEET IF YOU HAVE TO, YOU KNOW, MAKE A DECISION, UH, ON, UH, YOU KNOW, HOW MANY BLOWERS YOU'RE GONNA PUT ON THE GROUND GROUND.
UH, YOU, YOU, YOU HAVE TO BE ABLE TO, YOU KNOW, WALK IN THE FRONT, WALK IN THE BACK.
I MEAN, YOU'RE NOT GONNA SIT THERE WITH A, YOU KNOW, WITH A MEASURING WHEEL AND, UH, MEASURE.
WOULD IT BE EASIER TO HAVE IT IN TERMS OF ACREAGE, LIKE A QUARTER ACRE OR HALF? WOULD THAT BE EASIER TO EYEBALL? WELL, I, I GOTTA, I GOTTA BE HONEST WITH YOU, YOU KNOW, UM, IT'S EASIER, THE EASIER THAT YOU CAN MAKE IT, YOU KNOW, FOR, FOR PEOPLE IN THE FIELD, THEY'RE, THEY'RE, THEY'RE MOVING ALONG PRETTY FAST.
AND, UH, YOU KNOW, UM, THEY CERTAINLY, UH, UM, THEY'RE NOT GONNA GET OUT THERE AND, AND MEASURE OF COURSE, OF COURSE.
UH, YOU KNOW, UM, BUT IF, IF, THERE AGAIN, IT'S SOME DISCRETION ON BOTH SIDES.
AND, UH, YOU KNOW, WHENEVER SOMEONE COMES TO US AND SAYS, YOU KNOW, YOU'RE MAKING TOO MUCH NOISE, AND IT, IT'S HAPPENED, OKAY, WE SHUT EVERYTHING OFF.
UH, YOU KNOW, UM, UH, I HAD A WOMAN COME, YOU KNOW, AND, AND TELL ME THAT HER HUSBAND WAS SICK, AND, YOU KNOW, AND BOOM, WE, WE, YOU KNOW, WE SHUT THE BLOWERS OFF.
AND, UH, WE FINISHED UP REAL QUICK AND, UH, AND WE LEFT.
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DON'T WANT TO APPROACH A LANDSCAPER.THERE WAS A, UH, A TOWN BOARD MEMBER, UH, IN EAST CHESTER YEARS AGO, VICKI FORD, UM, SHE MADE A CARD, IT WAS LIKE A POSTCARD, AND ON ONE SIDE IT SAID, PLEASE KEEP THE NOISE DOWN.
AND, UH, YOU KNOW, UH, THERE, THERE WAS A, YOU KNOW, UH, A, UH, YOU KNOW, A PHOTOGRAPH OF A GUY WITH A LEAF BLOWER, YOU KNOW, LIKE A, LIKE A LITTLE DRAWING.
AND ON THE OTHER SIDE IT WAS IN SPANISH.
AND, UH, AND THEY GAVE HIM OUT IN THE COMMUNITY, UH, GROUPS AND THE COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS, AND THEY REALLY DID HAVE AN, HAVE AN IMPACT, YOU KNOW? AND, UH, YOU KNOW, WE CERTAINLY KNEW THAT, UH, YOU KNOW, THAT, THAT, THAT EAST CHESTER HAD GIVEN US THAT, UH, THAT CONSIDERATION RATHER THAN JUST, UH, BANNING, UH, THE BLOWER.
SO WE'RE, WHAT WE'RE DOING IS WE'RE SAYING, THIS IS OUR LAW, WHICH IS NO MORE THAN ONE ON A CERTAIN SIZE.
AND TO HELP EYEBALL THAT, YOU KNOW, UNDERSTAND IT'S HARD TO MAYBE UN KNOW WHAT THAT IS VISUALLY.
SO IS HOW CAN WE HELP YOU? YOU HELP YOUR LANDSCAPERS VISUALIZE THAT.
WELL, AND IT'S A, IT'S A NOISE.
LE IT'S NOISE LEGISLATION IS NOT A BAN.
THE LEAF BLOWER LEGISLATION, THE, THE LA THE LAST TIME, UH, I WAS HERE, AND, UH, YOU WERE VERY KIND TO, YOU KNOW, TO CONSULT US AT THAT TIME WAS, UM, UH, THERE WAS A DECIBEL, A DECIBEL, UH, REGULATION.
THERE STILL IS 75 DECIBELS STILL.
SO, I MEAN, DOES THAT, UH, COVER YOU ON A, YOU KNOW, ON A PROPERTY, UH, LESS THAN, UH, 10,000 FEET THAT, UH, YOU KNOW, THAT HAS TWO BLOWERS MAYBE GOING AT ONCE? WELL, THAT WOULD BE AGAINST OUR TOWN CODE, BECAUSE YOU'RE ONLY ALLOWED ONE, SO, OKAY.
UM, I, I DO WANNA POINT OUT THAT OUR WEBSITE HAS VERY DETAILED INFORMATION ON PROPERTY RECORD CARDS.
THAT'S EASY, EASY, EASILY ACCESSIBLE, EASY TO PULL UP.
AND IT HAS IT IN TOTAL ACREAGE AND SQUARE FOOTAGE OF A PROPERTY AS WELL.
SO SOMEONE WOULDN'T EVEN HAVE TO DO THE CALCULATION WITH ACREAGE, TWO SQUARE FEET.
YOU COULD BRING UP THE PROPERTY CARD AND NO, RIGHT AWAY.
SO THERE'S A PROPERTY CARD FOR EVERY, I COULD SEND YOU THE LINK YES.
FOR EVERY PROPERTY IN THE TOWN OF GREENBURG, THEY'RE LOCATED ONLINE.
I WOULD'VE NO PROBLEM WITH THAT.
YOU KNOW, BUT THERE ARE FOLKS I'M SURE THAT ARE GONNA HAVE A PROBLEM WITH THAT, YOU KNOW, WELL KNOW.
WELL, I'M TALKING ABOUT FOR THE CLOSE CALLS.
THAT'S, I I, I GUESS IT'D BE A SHAME IF THEY HAD, UM, A PROBLEM WITH THAT BECAUSE NO, THEY, THEY CAN'T, A LOT OF TIMES THEY, YOU KNOW, THEY, THEY, THEY MAY NOT BE SAVVY ENOUGH TO PULL UP TECHNOLOGY SAVVY IS WHAT HE'S MENTIONED.
WELL, YOU KNOW, IF THERE'S SOMETHING, I MEAN, CERTAINLY YOU PLOT OUT HOW, WELL, LET ME ASK YOU, HOW, HOW DO YOU SET UP A SCHEDULE? DO YOU PLOT OUT X AMOUNT OF HOMES, ET CETERA? YEAH.
UM, SO COULD YOU HAVE A PRINTOUT OF THOSE PROPERTY SIZES JUST FOR EACH DAY? FOR THE, I, I COULD DO THAT, BUT, BUT IT WOULD BE FOR HIS GROUP THOUGH.
BUT I'M JUST IN, IN CAN UNDERSTAND, YOU KNOW, ME PROCESS.
I'M TRYING TO, WE HAVE A HARD TIME.
I, I HAVE TO TELL YOU, YOU KNOW, WE, WE HAVE A HARD TIME, UH, YOU KNOW, GETTING PEOPLE ON BOARD WITH ALL THIS.
FIRST OF ALL, UH, A A LOT OF THEM, YOU KNOW, THEY, UH, UH, THEY'RE NOT HAPPY WITH, UH,
AND, UM, YEAH, BECAUSE IT'S THE LAW, IT MIGHT TAKE THEM A LITTLE TIME TO, YOU KNOW, TO, TO UNDERSTAND WHAT THEY HAVE, YOU KNOW, WHAT THEY HAVE TO DO THAT THEY MIGHT HAVE TO, UH, AND DIFFERENT NEIGHBORHOODS.
I HAVE TO TELL YOU MYSELF, YOU KNOW, DIFFERENT NEIGHBORHOODS, UH, IF I START A, A MOWER, A LAWNMOWER, UH, YOU KNOW, PEOPLE ARE OUTSIDE AND, UH, YOU KNOW, THEY'RE COMPLAINING.
AND, AND AGAIN, HEDGE CLIPPERS, YOU KNOW, AND, UM, I MEAN, IF YOU BAN ALL THAT STUFF, WE'LL BE OUTTA BUSINESS.
AND WE'RE, WE'RE VERY CONCERNED FOR THAT BECAUSE IT IS A SOURCE OF LOVING INCOME FOR SO MANY PEOPLE.
WE ARE CONCERNED THAT WE DON'T WANT TO HANDICAP YOU TO AN EXTENT.
AND, AND I HAVE TO SAY THAT, UM, THE, THE INDUSTRY HAS CHANGED A GREAT DEAL.
UM, YOU KNOW, NOW, UH, A LOT OF FOLKS THAT WORKED FOR, UH, FOR LANDSCAPERS WENT OUT ON THEIR OWN.
UH, AND, UH, YOU KNOW, THEY, THEY HAVE THEIR OWN IDEAS ABOUT, YOU KNOW, HOW THEY'RE GONNA DO BUSINESS.
AND, YOU KNOW, UM, SOMETIMES IT'S A CHALLENGE TO, TO REALLY TO GET EVERYBODY ON BOARD.
I MEAN, THE PROFESSIONALS, THEY, THEY UNDERSTAND, THEY, YOU KNOW, THEY UNDERSTAND WHAT THEY HAVE TO DO.
AND, UM, UH, YOU KNOW, THEY RESPOND A LOT BETTER.
BUT, UH, WE'VE FOUND THAT, UM, A LOT OF THESE PEOPLE THAT ARE, YOU KNOW, JUST GOING INTO BUSINESS, BUSINESS, UH, NEED, NEED A LITTLE BIT MORE GUIDANCE AND SURE.
SO NOW THAT YOU HAVE THE LAW, AND I COULD SEND YOU A DIGITAL COPY OF THE LAW, I COULD ALSO SEND YOU TO PAGE WITH, UM,
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THE PROPERTY RECORD CARDS.IS THERE ANYTHING ELSE YOUR ASSOCIATION NEEDS? 'CAUSE WE DO HAVE OTHER ITEMS THAT NEED NO, I UNDERSTAND.
NEED TO GET TO, UH, NO, THAT, THAT, THAT, THAT SHOULD BE GREAT.
I DO WANT FOLLOW UP ON PAUL STATE, THOUGH, BECAUSE WE HAVE A, A ONE TIME OPPORTUNITY HERE.
IF WE WERE TO JUST BAN GAS LEAF BLOWERS, WOULD YOUR ASSOCIATION AND ALLOW ELECTRIC, LIKE, UH, SCARSDALE HAS A SIGN UP SAYING LEAF BLOWER BAN IN EFFECT.
UM, WOULD YOU, WOULD YOUR MEMBERS BE OKAY WITH THAT? I, I DON'T WANNA MAKE THIS A LENGTHY CONVERSATION.
I JUST WANNA KNOW WHETHER OR NOT THEY WOULD BE OKAY WITH THAT.
THEY'D BE A LOT HAPPIER WITH THAT THAN, UH, AN ORDINANCE THAT, UH, BANDS BLOWERS 12 MONTHS A YEAR.
LET ME, LET ME SAY THAT, YOU KNOW, WE, WE'VE SORT OF, UH, GOTTEN USED TO, UH, YOU KNOW, THE SUMMER BANDS DOING BUSINESS, UH, DURING THE, UH, SUMMER WITH, UH, WITH THE ELECTRIC BLOWERS.
AND, UH, YOU KNOW, UH, THAT'S WORKED OUT, UH, YOU KNOW, FOR US.
BUT WE HAVE A DEFINITE PROBLEM WHILE WITH, UH, DOING BUSINESS IN MUNICIPALITIES THAT HAVE BANNED THE BLOWER, UH, 12 MONTHS A YEAR.
SEE, I'M SORT OF THINKING, UM, AND THE REASON I ASKED THE QUESTION IS IF, YOU KNOW, WHITE PLAINS PASSED A, UH, A BAN ON GEARS BLOWERS, SCARSDALE HAS, SO THE, YOU KNOW, MOST OF THE VILLAGES HAVE IT.
SO, SO THE LANDSCAPERS ARE USED TO IT.
SO IT'S EASIER TO ENFORCE SOMETHING WHEN PEOPLE, WHEN, WHEN IT'S BECOMING ALMOST LIKE A COMMON PRACTICE MM-HMM
THAN HAVING SOMETHING THAT'S UNIQUE ONLY TO GREENBERG MM-HMM
SO I SORT OF FEEL, WELL, WE ALSO HAVE TO BE CONCERNED ABOUT THE DECIBEL LEVELS BECAUSE ELECTRIC BLOWERS CAN RISE TO THE LEVEL OF DECIBELS THAT ARE AN ACCEPTABLE TOO.
YOU COULD DO, YOU COULD BASICALLY, WE DON'T NEED TO CHANGE THAT PART.
DO LAW A STRONGER LEAF BLOWER LAW, WHICH, YOU KNOW, WE'VE TALKED ABOUT FOR DECADES, OR, YOU KNOW, YOU COULD ALSO, AND THEN CONTINUE WITH THE NOISE, BUT I, I, OUR LAW.
BUT I THINK THAT IT WOULD BE EASIER TO ENFORCE IF WE'RE CONSISTENT WITH WHAT OTHER COMMUNITIES ARE, YOU KNOW, ARE DOING AND WOULD GET MORE COOPERATION.
THIS IS, THIS IS REALLY NOT ON THE AGENDA, BUT I DID WANT TO GET YOUR OPINION SINCE YOU KNOW, YOU'RE THE EXPERT HERE AND HAVE AN ASSOCIATION.
UH, I THINK AS WE SAID BEFORE, WE NEED TO WORK ON ENFORCING WHAT WE HAVE NOW, BUT IT GIVES US SOME, SOMETHING TO THINK ABOUT, YOU KNOW, SHOULD WE WANT TO CHANGE THE LAW TO THE FUTURE.
BUT RIGHT NOW WE HAVE TO DEAL WITH THE LAW THAT'S ON BOOK.
I APPRECIATE YOU CON YOU, YOU CONSULTING US, AND WE CERTAINLY WILL BE HERE, YOU KNOW, TO, UH, YOU KNOW, TO HELP EVEN GUIDE YOU AND, YOU KNOW, GIVE YOU OUR OPINIONS GOING FORWARD.
WE LOOK, YOU, WE LOOK FORWARD FURTHER
NEXT, UH, UM, ROGER ARD AND JOE AND GARRETT, WE'RE GONNA TALK ABOUT, UM, SOLAR.
WE WANTED TO TALK ABOUT IS, UH, THE WAY NEW YORK STATE TREATS SOLAR CARPORT INSTALLATIONS OR SOLAR GROUND MOUNTS, AS WE CALL THEM, AND INEXPLICABLY TO ME, IT'S NOT PERMISSIBLE IN PARKS PARKLAND WITHIN MUNICIPALITIES IN NEW YORK STATE.
UM, EVEN IF OVER JUST EXISTING, UH, PARKING SPACES, WHICH IS WHAT THE DESIRE IS AT ANTHONY VETERANS PARK.
AND THE REMEDY BEYOND THAT IS TO ALIENATE THAT PARKLAND, WHICH IS AN EXTREME MEASURE THAT I DON'T THINK ANYONE SUPPORTS.
THAT WOULD, THAT WOULD BE AN EXTREME MEASURE.
IT WOULD ALSO TAKE PROBABLY YEARS TO GET DONE.
UM, I DID LOOK INTO THE, UM, THE HOME RULE EXEMPTION THAT, THAT WAS BEING PUSHED FORWARD FOR FOUR YEARS IN A ROW.
IT OVERWHELMINGLY PASSED THE NEW YORK SENATE AND THEN IT DIED IN COMMITTEE EVERY YEAR IN THE ASSEMBLY.
UM, AND I'M GOING BACK A LOT OF YEARS NOW, BUT THERE WAS, THERE WAS A HOME RULE FOR ALIENATION OF PARKLAND BECAUSE GREENBURG GOT A PIECE OF PARKLAND THAT WAS AVAILABLE THAT WAS ADJACENT TO ANOTHER PARK FOR THE, UM, STRAIGHTENING OUT OF JACKSON AVENUE.
DID YOU BLEED OFF ANY OF THAT PARKLAND, OR IS THAT STILL AVAILABLE? AND WHAT IS THE, UH, ACREAGE OF THAT? NO, WE, I THINK WHAT WE'VE DONE IN THE PAST, WE'VE DONE SWAPS WHERE WE'VE ACTUALLY DEDICATED PARKLAND IN TOWN LAND, AND THEN ALIENATED A PIECE
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OF LAND THAT WAS PARKLAND.SO THERE WAS AN EQUAL PORTION.
BUT IN THIS CASE, BUT I DON'T, I THINK IN THIS CASE THOUGH, WE'RE TALKING ABOUT THE PARKING LOT OF VETERAN PARK, WHICH IS A UNIQUE NO, ALL I'M SAYING IS THAT, JUST SO THAT YOU UNDERSTAND THAT THERE WAS A HOME RULE, THE PARKLAND WAS ALLOWED TO BE ALIENATED SURE.
FOR TAKING, AT LEAST FOR CONSTRUCTION PIECES OF SPRAIN RIDGE PARK.
SO I'M WONDERING IF THAT PIECE OF PARKLAND THAT WAS ALIENATED SOME YEARS AGO IS STILL INTACT.
THAT'S COUNTY THOUGH, NOT THE TOWN.
ALTHOUGH WE DID DO SOME, BUT THE, THE, THE PROPERTY THAT WAS ALIENATED WAS TOWN.
WE HAVE DONE ALIENATION BEFORE.
WE ACTUALLY DID IT RECENTLY WITH THE WATER TANK THAT WE PUT IN AT NORWOOD ROAD.
WE TOOK A PIECE OF TOWN PARKLAND AND WE HAD MADE A SWAP, BUT THAT WAS BEING PUSHED BECAUSE WE HAD TO, IT WAS FOR SAFETY SAKE.
AND, AND, YOU KNOW, CLEARLY, IF I REMEMBERED THIS INCORRECTLY, 'CAUSE IT WAS A LOT OF YEARS AGO, BUT, UM, I JUST THOUGHT, I GUESS WHAT I'M SUGGESTING IS THAT I THINK THE TOWN HAS A LOBBYIST.
WE SHOULD FIND OUT WHY THIS HAS DIED IN COMMITTEE EVERY YEAR.
BUT IF WE DO AND PASSING REQUEST, IT WILL PASS.
BUT IT, BUT THIS WAS A HOME RULE REQUEST THAT WAS PUT FORTH, I THINK IT WAS BY SENATOR PETE HARCUM.
AND THE LAST ONE WAS, UH, HE PASSED, IT WAS SENATE BILL 1179, AND IT PASSED LIKE 50 SOMETHING TO THREE AND FOUR YEARS IN A ROW, AND THEN IT NEVER GOT OUT COMMITTEE IN THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY.
SO WHEN WE WERE PUSHING FORTH THIS CARPORT, WE THOUGHT IT WAS GOING THROUGH AND WE'RE NOT REALLY SURE.
I THINK THE GUIDANCE WE'VE GOT FROM DANA BERG AND MARY JANE, CAN YOU, UM, SPEAK INTO ROGER, UH, THE GUIDANCE WE'VE GOT FROM DANA BERG AND MARY JANESKY IS WE NEED TO PUT AN APPLICATION IN FOR HOME RULE.
'CAUSE IT'S NOT GONNA GO THROUGH AS A GENERAL LEGISLATION.
AND SO IT WOULDN'T BE DO ANY HARD TO LOOK INTO THAT.
BUT IN ORDER TO GET, WE'VE BEEN AT THIS TWO YEARS NOW, I THINK WHAT WE'RE DOING TO IMPROVE THE ADOPTION OF RENEWABLE HERE IN GREENBURG IS EVERYONE AROUND THIS TABLE I KNOW IS BEHIND IT WITH THE CURRENT ADMINISTRATION AND WASHINGTON GOING INTO REVERSE ON CLIMATE CHANGE.
YOU KNOW, ANYTHING WE CAN DO IS REALLY, REALLY POSITIVE HERE.
AND SO I THINK THE GUIDANCE WE'VE GOT IS TO DO A HOME RULE, UM, PROPOSAL TONIGHT.
AND THEN WHAT WOULD YOU HAVE TO DO TONIGHT? WE WOULD AGREE TO AGREE TO HOME RULE, AND THEN WE WOULD MAKE THE REQUEST.
I DON'T SEE A BIG PROBLEM WITH ALBANY BECAUSE, UH, REMEMBER FOR VETERAN PARK, WE GOT PERMISSION TO HAVE THE BUBBLE IN THE TENNIS BUBBLE THERE.
UM, SO, AND, AND SOLAR ENERGY IS, YOU KNOW, IS MORE GREEN AND THAN, UH, A, A BUBBLE.
SO I THINK THAT IT'S SORT OF CONSI, YOU KNOW, WE'VE ALREADY GOTTEN PERMISSION, UH, TO MAKE SOME EXCEPTIONS.
AND THAT WAS DONE I THINK A YEAR, A YEAR OR TWO AGO.
UM, SO IF WE'RE SAYING WE WANT TO SOLARIZE THE PARKING LOT, I THINK IT WOULD BE HIGHLY UNLIKELY TO SAY NO.
I THINK YOU'RE ABSOLUTELY RIGHT.
I THINK THAT WHAT, AND I, AND I GOT OFF TRACK A LITTLE BIT.
THIS WAS ACTUALLY TO HELP MUNICIPALITIES IN GENERAL THROUGHOUT THE ENTIRE STATE NOT HAVE TO DO INDIVIDUAL HOME RULE REQUESTS.
SO, WELL, I CAN'T TELL YOU THE REASON, BUT, UM, BECAUSE THE AIR RIGHTS ABOVE PARKLAND ARE NOT CLEARED YET, YOU DO NEED A HOME RULE EXEMPTION.
AND, AND I WOULD SAY SINCE A, BECAUSE IT'S GENERAL AND, AND THE LEGISLATION WOULD HAVE TO BE WRITTEN IN SUCH A WAY TO COVER EVERY EVENTUALITY.
AND SOMEONE MIGHT TAKE, SOME MUNICIPALITY MIGHT TAKE ADVANTAGE IN WAYS NOT FORESEEN.
SO I COULD SEE THAT BEING THE CASE.
UM, BUT A VERY SPECIFIC ONE, SUCH AS ROGER MENTIONED THAT IS, UM, CLIMATE SENSITIVE IS MIGHT HAVE A DIFFERENT, WE, WE THEN LIKE HAVE THE DISCUSSION ON THE HOME RULES, BUT WE WOULD THEN HAVE TO COME BACK MAYBE IN A COUPLE OF WEEKS WITH THE UPDATED PROPOSAL.
SO THAT, AND GIVE YOU THAT TO READ AND COVER YOUR, WHEN ARE THEY GONNA START, UH, THE SOLAR CANOPIES HERE? PARKING CANOPIES HERE? IN ALL LIKELIHOOD? IN JUNE.
IN JUNE, THAT'S AFTER THE, WELL, THE LEGISLATURE MAY STILL BE IN, IN SESSION.
HOW, HOW LONG WILL THAT TAKE TO BE DONE, WOULD YOU SAY? ONE TO TWO MONTHS.
SO, YOU KNOW, THE THING IS WE'RE, YOU KNOW, ALL THE LEGISLATORS WILL BE IMPRESSED THAT WE'RE, WE'RE PUTTING THE SOLAR PARKING CANOPIES HERE.
UM, AND THEN, YOU KNOW, THEY'LL BE ABLE TO SEE IT AND THE LEGISLATURES HAS AN ADJOURNED.
YOU KNOW, WE COULD SHOW THEM THE TRUCKS THAT ARE WORKING AND, UM, AND I DON'T THINK THERE'S GONNA BE A, A PROBLEM, YOU KNOW, WITH THIS, BUT WE JUST HAVE TO PUT IT ON THE AGENDA FOR, UH, NEXT WEDNESDAY, UH, ASKING, UH, THE LEGISLATURE TO INTRODUCE LEG FIRST YOU HAVE TO ASK THE LAWMAKERS TO INTRODUCE THE
[00:25:01]
LAW.THEN YOU, AFTER THEY INTRODUCE THE LAW AND THERE'S A NUMBER, THERE'LL BE, UM, A HOME RULE REQUEST.
SO FOR WEDNESDAY, NEXT WEDNESDAY'S MEETING WOULD BE ASKING OUR LAW SENATOR COUSINS AND ASSEMBLY WOMEN, UH, YOU KNOW, SHAMSKY TO, UM, UH, SPONSOR LEGISLATION THAT WOULD, UH, AUTHORIZE, UM, THE, AUTHORIZE US TO HAVE SOLAR, YOU KNOW? PARDON.
AND, UM, MARY JANESKY HAS, UH, GIVEN US THE NAME OF HER CHIEF OF STAFF TO WORK WITH ON THIS.
SO I THINK, I THINK WE'RE, WE WORK TOGETHER OFTEN.
SO, UH, YEAH, I THINK THIS IS VERY EXCITING, UH, TO SEE THIS MOVE FORWARD.
UM, I, I WANTED TO GIVE THOSE OF YOU WHO ARE SORT OF CONCERNED ABOUT THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT GOING INTO REVERSE, UH, A FEW, UH, RAYS OF LIGHT, UM, I FOLLOW ENERGY QUITE CLOSELY, AND THIS YEAR, FIVE TIMES AS MUCH OF SOLAR AND BATTERY WILL BE INSTALLED AS ANY FOSSIL FUEL NATIONWIDE.
FOUR GIGAWATTS OF GAS POWERED, UM, POWER PLANTS, 19 GIGAWATTS OF BATTERY AND, AND RENEWABLE.
WELL THAT WAS FOR LEGISLATION THAT WAS PASSED LAST YEAR.
THIS IS JUST A STATEMENT THAT IT IS BEING PUT INTO.
NO, IT'S A, THIS IS A STATEMENT ABOUT THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA AND RENEWABLES ARE NOT ONLY CLEANER, THEY'RE CHEAPER.
AND SO WHAT, WHAT WE'RE DOING TO GIVE OUR RESIDENTS ACCESS TO THIS, AND THEREFORE LOWER ELECTRICITY PRICES IS IMPORTANT, RIGHT? WE'RE KIND OF DOING WHAT THEY'RE DOING IS TOTALLY WHERE THE MARKET'S GOING, RIGHT? THE, THE CRAZIES DOWN IN WASHINGTON ARE GOING BACKWARDS, BUT I THINK THE MARKET FORCES ARE SAYING THIS IS CHEAPER, BETTER TECHNOLOGY NOW.
AND SO JUST TO GIVE YOU A SORT OF RAY OF LIGHT THAT THE FOSSIL FUEL INDUSTRY IS NOT GONNA SORT OF HAVE AS BIG IMPACT AS YOU MIGHT FEAR FOR VERSUS 19, RIGHT? MM-HMM
WE HOPE, AND OIL IS AT $60 A BARREL, SO NO ONE'S GONNA GO DRILLING AT $60 A BARREL.
SO THAT'S JUST OUTSIDE OF OUR OWN LITTLE BERG HERE.
WE CAN DO WHAT WE CAN DO, WHICH IS TO MOVE THIS THING FORWARD.
BUT IN THE, IN THE BROADER SCHEME OF THINGS, ECONOMICS IS STARTING TO WORK FOR, UH, CLEAN ENERGY.
GARRETT, DO YOU WANNA MENTION, UH, WITH THE SECOND BIT, THE FIRST BIT, I THINK THAT THAT'S, WE CAN COME BACK ON ON THAT BEST DISCUSSED IN, UH, EXECUTIVE SESSIONS DISCUSSION.
SO JOE, WE SHOULD BE ABLE TO PUT SOMETHING ON FOR NEXT WEEK.
IF THAT'S WHAT THE TOWN BOARD'S DIRECTING ME TO DO.
I MEAN, TECHNICALLY RESOLUTIONS WERE ALREADY DUE TODAY, SO IF YOU'RE GIVING ME PERMISSION TO SUBMIT IT LATE YES, I WILL.
THE, THE ISSUE IS THAT, UH, ALBANY, THEY END THE SESSION IN JUNE.
RIGHT? WE GOTTA GET THIS STARTED.
SO IF WE DON'T GET THIS QUICKLY, UH, WE COULD LOSE THE WHOLE SEASON, RIGHT? SO DO WE, I GIVE, WE GIVE PERMISSION MY VOTE FOR PERMISSION.
COUNCILMAN SHEAN, YOU GIVE HIM PERMISSION JUST TO INTRODUCE A, INTRODUCE A LAW.
IT DOESN'T MEAN I THINK WE HAVE TO, WE'RE TRYING TO GET AHEAD OF RESOLUTIONS ONCE THEY GET PUT DONE ON MONDAYS.
AND HERE WE HAVE ADDITIONS ALREADY, BUT I GUESS, UH, THIS IS IMPORTANT.
OKAY, NEXT, UH, THE A DU, UH, UNIT MAILING, UM, ACCESSORY, UH, DWELLING UNIT.
UM, YOU KNOW, I, UM, UH, DRAFT SENT EVERYBODY A DRAFT OF A QUESTIONNAIRE.
UM, BUT YOU KNOW, I DON'T FEEL THAT IT HAS TO BE USED WORD FOR WORD.
UM, YOU KNOW, THERE'S THREE OPTIONS.
ONE OPTION IS NOT TO DO THE ADU, WHICH, YOU KNOW, FRANCIS, YOU MENTIONED THAT, UM, YOU KNOW, LAST NIGHT, UH, THE OTHER OPTION WOULD BE, UH, TO HAVE, UM, UH, YOU KNOW, THE A DU LEGISLATION THAT WAS ORIGINALLY, YOU KNOW, DRAFTED THIRD, WAS TO, UH, ALLOW, UH, ADUS ON, ON SMALLER, UM, YOU KNOW, PROPERTIES.
AND, YOU KNOW, A LOT OF THE, THE FEEDBACK THAT I'VE GOTTEN FROM INDIVIDUALS, YOU KNOW, WHO I'VE SPOKEN TO, BUT JUST TO CLARIFY, THE ADU ON THE SMALLER PROPERTIES WOULD NOT BE THE DETACHED ONES.
BUT THE, THE BUT THAT WASN'T CLEAR.
IT WASN'T SO THAT, SO JUST SO, JUST SO WE'RE YES.
THAT WAS WHAT WAS BEING CIRCULATED TODAY.
WE JUST NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT, THAT, THAT IS CLEAR.
SO THE SCENARIO OF ABOVE A GARAGE OR INTERNAL PART OF A HOUSE, WHATEVER THAT IS FOR THE LOWER SQUARE FOOTAGE REQUIREMENT, NOT THE DETACHED RIGHT UNIT, BUT, SO BASICALLY DOREEN LIFTSON, YOU KNOW, A FEW MONTHS AGO, WHO'S THE HEAD OF THE CIVIC ASSOCIATION, SHE SUGGESTED THAT WE SEND OUT A MAILING TO EVERYBODY IN THE TOWN BEFORE, YOU KNOW, ALL THE HOMEOWNERS, BEFORE, UM, BEFORE WE ADOPT AN A DU LAW.
[00:30:01]
THAT.WHAT? I SAID NO, I I WAS ABOUT TO SAY THAT I THOUGHT
SO YOU, SO, AND, AND, AND GO BACK AND WATCH CONTINUE
UM, SO, AND ALSO I THOUGHT WE HAD DISSOLVED THIS ISSUE THAT WE WERE GOING TO DO THE FIRST YEAR, RIGHT? WITH WHAT THE SIZE IS IN PLACE.
AND THEN WE WOULD EVALUATE WHETHER OR NOT IT WOULD WORK FOR SMALLER LOTS.
AND HERE WE ARE BACK AGAIN TALKING ABOUT IT OVER AGAIN.
BUT WE DIDN'T DISCUSS THAT PART OF THE QUESTIONNAIRE THOUGH.
WE DIDN'T DISCUSS THAT AS WELL.
WELL, THEN WHY I THOUGHT WE WASN'T DOING A QUESTIONNAIRE, THOUGHT WE WERE GONNA PUT IT IN PLACE SO WE CAN HAVE A SUNSET LAW.
SO IT WAS NOT YOUR HOW WE DO A QUESTIONNAIRE AND OKAY.
GET MEANINGFUL RESULTS BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, HOW DO, HOW DO WE GET BACK THEIR RESPONSES? IS IT DEPENDING ON, YOU GET SOME VERY AGGRESSIVE ACTIVE PEOPLE SENDING IN 10, 15, 20 RESPONSES, SAY, YES, DO THIS, OR GO DO THIS.
WELL, IT'S NOT A, IT'S NOT A REFERENDUM, BUT THIS IS BASICALLY TO GIVE US A FEEDBACK.
NO, REFERENDUM, YOU DON'T KNOW THEIR VOTES EITHER.
NO, BUT, BUT, BUT, BUT MY, BUT I THINK WE HAVE A GOOD PLACE.
I THINK WHAT WE PUT IN PLACE, WHAT WE TALKED ABOUT THE LAST TIME WE DISCUSSED THIS, WHY CAN'T WE PUT THIS IN PLACE AND WE HAVE A SUNSET, RIGHT? SO WE CAN, WE CAN THEN TAKE A LOOK AT WHAT COMES OUT OF WHAT WE, WE DETERMINE FROM THAT'S AN OPTION.
BUT, YOU KNOW, YOU KNOW, THE THING IS IF THREE BOARD MEMBERS WOULD WANT TO GO WITH, YOU KNOW, THE MORE, UH, THE TOUGHER ONE, THAT'S FINE.
OR YOU KNOW, JOAN AND ME, WE BASICALLY BOTH SAID WE WOULD PREFER, UM, ALLOWING SMALLER PROPERTIES TO HAVE THE ADUS.
SO ALL I'M SAYING IS, BUT IT'S NOT AN EITHER OR.
NOT AN AS, UH, COUNCILWOMAN JACKSON WAS SAYING.
AND, AND COUNCILMAN SHEHAN WAS SAYING IS THAT WE HAVE A, AS WE DECIDED TO PUT IN PLACE A SUNSET CLAUSE, SO WE CAN EVALUATE AT 10,000 SQUARE FEET AND LOOK AT IT AND, AND IT GIVES US MORE TIME TO THEN CONSIDER PUTTING IN A 7,500 SQUARE FOOT, UH, RESTRICTION IN THE NEXT YEAR.
AND MAYBE EVEN PUT A SUNSET CLAUSE ON THAT AND THEN EVALUATE THE DIFFERENTIAL BETWEEN THE TWO.
BUT THEN I SORT OF FEEL THERE'S NO SENSE OF SENDING OUT A MAILING IF WE ALREADY MADE UP OUR MIND, YOU KNOW, THAT WE COULD JUST ADOPT IT.
TO ME IT'S A WASTE OF MONEY BECAUSE IT'S BASICALLY WE'RE, ALRIGHT, SO WE'RE NOT DOING, SO THEN WE'RE SAYING IT'S NOT NECESSARY TO DO A MAILING.
I DON'T THINK THERE'S A NEED FOR, YOU THINK SHOULD, I THINK WE SHOULD TRY IT AND SEE HOW, IF WE HAVE, HAVE A SUNSET CLAUSE THAT WE COULD SEND OUT A MAILING AFTER IT'S PASSED PUBLIC, YOU'RE MAKING A MAJOR CHANGE.
AND PAUL, I APPRECIATE IT, THAT THIS LAW DOESN'T AFFECT YOU.
YOU'RE MAKING A MAJOR CHANGE TO THE DEFINITION OF WHAT IT MEANS TO BE A SINGLE FAMILY PROPERTY.
YOU'RE CHANGING THE DEFINITION FOR THE FIRST TIME EVER.
YOU DON'T THINK WE SHOULD INFORM THE PUBLIC, BUT WE SHOULD DO A MAILING ABOUT CONED VERSUS AN ESCO.
WE'RE MAKING A MAJOR FUNDAMENTAL CHANGE.
THAT'S WHY I WANTED A QUESTIONNAIRE, BECAUSE I THINK, I THINK MAILING IN A QUESTIONNAIRE, TWO DIFFERENT THINGS I SAY IS PEOPLE SHOULD KNOW IN ADVANCE AS OPPOSED TO LATER SAYING, WHY DIDN'T YOU TELL ME? THAT'S WHY THE PURPOSE OF MAILING, RIGHT? BUT ISN'T THAT THE CASE WITH ANY PUBLIC ISSUE OR HEARING THAT WE HAVE, LIKE WE, WE PUT IT OUT THERE AND THEN THEY COME AND TALK AND PARTICIPATE IN THE PUBLIC HEARING.
I'M SURE WE, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE A WEBSITE.
WE ARE GOING TO HAVE, YOU KNOW, PUBLIC HEARINGS ON THIS.
WELL, WE HAVE HAD, WE HAVE, AND I THINK WE NEED TO MAKE THE DISTINCTION.
WHAT'S THAT? I THINK WE NEED TO MAKE THE DISTINCTION, PUTTING A MAILING OUT TO INFORM PEOPLE THAT WE ARE PUTTING THIS LAW IN PLACE IS ONE THING.
HAVING A QUESTIONNAIRE IS SOMETHING ENTIRELY DIFFERENT.
SO LET'S AGREE THAT A MAILING TO ADVISE, I I WOULD AGREE THAT A MAILING TO ADVISE PEOPLE THAT WE'RE PUTTING THIS IN THIS LAW IN PLACE WITH A SUNSET CLAUSE SOLICIT IS ALL WE NEED TO DO AND, AND SOLICIT FEEDBACK.
NO, WE'RE NOT SOLICITING FEEDBACK.
YOU CAN WELL, WE ARE, WE, YES WE HAVE.
WELL, NO, JUST SAY THAT AND STATE WHEN THE PUBLIC HEARING IS FOR FEEDBACK, NOT, NOT A WRITTEN FEEDBACK.
ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT WRITTEN FEEDBACK? SOLICIT FEEDBACK.
SO HOWEVER IT COMES, WHEN IT COMES, WHATEVER THE FEEDBACK IS, WHATEVER THAT FEEDBACK, SOLICIT FEEDBACK, WE WANNA HEAR CONCERN.
IT'S VERY DIFFICULT TO DO A QUESTIONNAIRE, YOU KNOW, THAT, THAT IS VALIDATED, RIGHT? I HAVEN'T SEEN ONE YET.
AND SECONDLY, WHAT MECHANISM DO WE HAVE SO THAT WE KNOW THAT THE FEEDBACK WE'RE GETTING IS FROM PEOPLE WHO ARE LIVING IN, YOU KNOW, SINGLE FAMILY RESIDENCES WHERE THE DEFINITION OF WHAT IT MEANS TO BE ON THAT PROPERTY IS GOING TO CHANGE.
[00:35:01]
HOW WE JUST MAKE SURE ONE PERSON DOESN'T SOMEHOW SKEW THE DATA BY JUST, YOU KNOW, SITTING THERE AND CONSTANTLY, YOU KNOW, A HUNDRED TIMES RESPONDING AND THEN WE GET BACK AND SAY, HEY, YOU KNOW, NO, BECAUSE BASICALLY HUNDRED PEOPLE REALLY THINK THIS WELL, BECAUSE WE'D HAVE THEIR EMAIL ADDRESS.WE COULD TELL IF THEY CAME FROM, FROM THE SAME PERSON.
PEOPLE, IF YOU SEND OUT A QUESTIONNAIRE, YOU ASK THEM FOR THE NAME.
UH, BUT I'D LIKE TO SAY, ARE YOU INTERESTED IN, UM, UH, AN A DU ON YOUR PROPERTY? IS YOUR PROPERTY, UM, THIS AMOUNT OF SQUARE FEET OR THIS AMOUNT OF SQUARE FEET? I DON'T THINK IT NEEDS TO BE THE, A QUESTIONNAIRE THAT IT, IT'S, WE ARE ENACTING A LAW WITH A SUNSET CLAUSE.
AND PLEASE INDICATE, PLEASE RESPOND TO WHETHER YOU APPROVE OR DISAPPROVE IN BY MAIL WITH AN ADDRESS.
BUT YOU SEE THE THING THAT I HAVEN'T SUGGESTION ACTUALLY, BUT PEOPLE DON'T, UH, UNDERSTAND.
YOU KNOW, MY THOUGHT WHEN CAROL ALLEN SPOKE, SHE SAID, AND I THOUGHT SHE WAS VERY ELOQUENT, SHE SAID MM-HMM
THERE WERE OTHER PEOPLE WHO CONTACTED ME, UM, IN, UM, IN RECENT MONTHS SAYING THAT, UM, THE ADUS WOULD HELP THEM STAY IN THE HOUSE.
SO I FEEL THAT IF WE MADE, FIRST OF ALL, WE'RE ONLY TALKING ABOUT MAYBE 10 OR 15 PEOPLE MAXIMUM IN ONE YEAR DOING IT.
SO EVEN IF WE MESS UP A LITTLE BIT, AND IT'S NOT THAT GREAT, IT'S NOT GONNA HAVE, UH, A HORRIBLE IMPACT ON, YOU KNOW, ON THE TOWN.
BUT I SORT OF FEEL THAT IF WE, UM, ALLOWED MORE PEOPLE, IF WE MADE LESS RESTRICTIVE, WE TESTED OUT FOR ONE YEAR, UH, UH, WE ALLOWED THE SMALLER PROPERTIES TO, UH, UM, UH, TO HAVE THE ADUS AND THE BIGGER PROPERTIES.
YOU KNOW, I'M NOT INTERESTED IN ONLY HELPING, YOU KNOW, PEOPLE WHO HAVE THESE LARGEST STATES WITH ADUS.
I, I'D RATHER HELP A SENIOR CITIZEN WHO CAN, WHO IS STRUGGLING TO STAY IN, IN THE TOWN WHO DOESN'T WANT TO BE FORECLOSED.
BUT THERE, THERE'S NO METRIC THAT TELLS US THAT SENIOR CITIZENS WHO NEED THIS HELP ONLY LIVE ON 7,500 SQUARE FEET.
NO, BUT THERE'S NO, AND AND WE'RE TALKING ABOUT A, I THOUGHT THAT WE CAME TO A RESOLUTION BECAUSE WE HAVE SEVERAL DIFFERENT OPINIONS.
YEAH, RIGHT? THAT'S WHY WE SUGGESTED A SUNSET CLAUSE.
LET'S TRY IT OUT IN THE MORE CONSERVATIVE VEIN AND GET A SENSE OF THAT, BECAUSE THEN WE CAN BE APPRECIABLE OF WHAT KIND OF RESPONSE WE WOULD GET.
THAT'S, IT'S NOT THE END OF THE WORLD TO DO, YOU KNOW, THE MORE CONSERV, YOU KNOW, THE MORE CONSERVATIVE ONE, TEST IT OUT FOR A YEAR.
YOU KNOW, WE, I HAVE, YOU KNOW, I WOULD'VE PREFERRED MAKING IT MORE LIBERAL, BUT YOU KNOW WHAT? BUT IF, IF THE BOARD DOESN'T WANT TO GO WITH IT, I'LL GO ALONG WITH WHATEVER.
SO I, THE QUESTION ON THE TABLE IS WHETHER OR NOT WE'RE GOING TO DO A MAILING A QUESTION, WHAT, WHAT'S GOING TO, WHAT'S THAT GONNA LOOK LIKE? OKAY.
IS IT A MAILING THAT'S GOING TO INFORM, EDUCATE AND EDUCATE AND THEN PEOPLE CAN COME TO THE PUBLIC HEARING AND TALK ABOUT IT, WHATEVER, IF WE'RE NOT LOOKING TO GET RESPONSES BACK YOU, BUT YOU HAVE AN IDEA FOR THAT.
I JUST, I JUST WANNA POINT OUT ONE THING.
THANK THAT COMMISSIONER DUQUE DID HAVE IN THE DRAFT LETTER THAT RESIDENTS CAN FEEL FREE TO EITHER SIGN UP FOR THE PUBLIC HEARING OKAY.
BY WRITING TO THIS EMAIL ADDRESS, RIGHT.
OR SEND COMMENTS TO PUBLIC HEARING@GREENBERGNY.COM.
SO THERE, AND THEN THOSE COMMENTS ARE PART OF THE OFFICIAL RECORD AS OPPOSED TO A QUESTIONNAIRE, WHICH WOULD NOT BE A PART OF THE OFFICIAL RECORD.
CAN I ASK ONE OTHER, AND I WOULD SUGGEST THAT AS, AS THE SUPERVISOR SAID THAT PEOPLE PUT THEIR ADDRESS SOME, SOME IDENTIFIER AS PER, UM, COUNCILMAN'S CONCERN.
SO I, SO HOW DO, SO I GUESS I KEEP ASKING, UH, THE TOWN ATTORNEY THE SAME QUESTION.
AND WHAT IS THE COST? 'CAUSE WE KEEP SAYING IT'S NOT GONNA BE A COST OR INCREASE ANYONE'S TAXES.
SO WHAT IS THE COST? I MEAN, ARE WE, ARE THEY, IS THERE TRULY, HOW COULD YOU MAKE THAT STATEMENT? THAT'S, THAT'S WHAT I'M TRYING TO UNDERSTAND.
HOW IF WE ARE BUILDING SOMETHING WITH, YOU'RE BUILDING ANOTHER, DWELLING YOUR PROPERTY AND YOU STILL, YOU'RE STILL INCREASING THE VALUE OF YOUR PROPERTY, WHICH INCREASES.
OH, I, I NEVER SAID THERE ANYTHING.
I'M NOT, I DIDN'T, THE UM, SUPERVISOR, THE SUPERVISOR SAID I WAS GONNA CALL HIM ATTORNEY.
WELL, YES, BUT THE THING, BUT, UM, YOU ARE RIGHT.
SO, BUT, BUT NO, BUT WHATEVER.
BUT WHAT I'M SAYING IS THAT NO, WE KEEP, YOU KEEP, WHAT ARE THE TAX? WELL, YOU KEEP SAYING THAT THERE'S NOT GONNA BE, YOU WANNA HELP THOSE SENIOR CITIZENS WHO WOULD LIKE TO STAY IN THEIR HOMES BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, FOR THE AFFORDABILITY PIECE OF IT, RIGHT? BUT THERE'S A COST TO BUILD THESE ADU, WHICH IT ALSO INCREASES THE VALUE OF THE HOME, WHICH ALSO INCREASES THE ASSESSMENT.
AM I, AM I SPEAKING OUTTA TIME? LEMME JUST FINISH.
[00:40:01]
INCREASE THE, THE ASSESSMENT.SO ARE, ARE YOU STATING THAT THE TAXES ARE NOT GONNA GET UP? AND WHAT IS THE EVIDENCE BEHIND THAT? AND CAN WE PROMISE SOMETHING LIKE THAT? SO I JUST WANNA MAKE SURE IF WE'RE TALKING ABOUT EDUCATING THE COMMUNITY, THEY NEED TO KNOW EVERYTHING THAT'S GONNA BE ENTAILED IN THIS AND WHAT THE POSS WHAT THE COST COULD COME OUT OF THIS.
SO I JUST, WHEN WE START TALKING ABOUT SIZES, WE ALSO NEED TO TALK ABOUT THE IMPORTANT THING IS THE COST, RIGHT? AND THE COST OF THE CONSTRUCTION TO BEGIN WITH.
THE COST ACROSS THE BOARD, THE COST, THE COST OF CONSTRUCTION IS NOT REALLY OUR PURVIEW.
BUT THE, BUT THE TAX IMPLICATION IS SOMETHING THAT WE SHOULD BE VERY CLEAR ABOUT.
WE CAN'T, WE CAN'T SEE SAYING IT'S NOT GONNA, WE'RE NOT GONNA HAVE THE GOVERNOR.
UM, THIS IS, WELL, OFF THE TOP OF MY HEAD, UM, THE TWO NEW YORK STATE CAPITAL BUDGET, UM, I DON'T KNOW, THAT'S FINE.
APPRO APPROPRIATED, UH, 85, UH, MILLION DOLLARS FOR CREATING AND UPGRADING ACCESSORY DWELLING UNITS.
SO THE STATE HAS, UM, A GRANT PROGRAM, UH, THAT WILL BASICALLY HELP PEOPLE WHO WANT, UH, BUILD AD.
OKAY, WHAT ABOUT THE TAXES? POOL SEPARATION, THAT'S ANOTHER THING BECAUSE THE A DU, IF YOU LOOK AT ALL THE VILLAGES IN GREENBURG, THE ADU HAVEN'T REALLY BEEN THAT SUCCESSFUL.
YOU, IT'S LIKE 15, 20, YOU KNOW, SMALL.
WELL, THAT BEING THE CASE, BUT TO MAYBE THE LEGISLATURE SHOULD NOT ANSWER THE QUESTION.
MAYBE THE LEGISLATURE SHOULD AMEND THE LAW TO MAKE IT MORE NO, BUT YOU KEEP STATING THAT IT'S GOING TO HELP THEM WITH THEIR TAXES.
SO I'M TRYING TO UNDERSTAND WHERE NO, THEIR RENT.
NO, BUT WHERE IS THAT? HOW, SO THEN THAT MEANS, SO IF I BRING, I GO, LISA HAS A A DU ON HER, SHE'S MY SISTER, SHE HAS A A DU ON HER PROPERTY.
I GO AND, AND, AND RENT THAT A DU OUT.
DOES THAT MEAN THAT RENT IS GOING TO BE THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN WHAT IS GONNA COST, WHAT SHE'S COSTING HER, HER TAXES, BUT REMEMBER SHE CAN'T AFFORD IT.
HOW IS THAT FUNDING GOING TO HELP? I'M NOT UNDERSTANDING HOW THAT'S, WE HAVE NOT DISCUSSED THE TAX IMPLICATIONS.
WE DON'T KNOW THAT INFORMATION AND WE NEED TO GET IT RIGHT.
AND WE ALSO MIGHT WANT TO WORK, UH, AND LOBBY FOR, UH, STATE LEGISLATION THAT WOULD AUTHORIZE, UM, PEOPLE ON FIXED INCOMES TO, UH, BUT THE STARTING POINT IS FIGURING OUT WHAT IT ACTUALLY IS NOW.
OKAY, WELL THAT'S THAT WE NEED TO HAVE, MAYBE IF WE HAVE THE, IF WE, UH, TEST IT OUT AND IT'S WELL, COULD OUR ASSESSOR HELP US WITH THAT INFORMATION? YEAH.
RIGHT NOW WOULD RAISE THE TAXES BECAUSE WELL, WHAT, WHAT THE ASSESSOR, BUT WHAT THE ASSESSOR COULD POSSIBLY DO IS BECAUSE THERE'S A LIMIT TO HOW MUCH SQUARE FOOTAGE COULD BE ADDED, RIGHT? RIGHT.
SO THE ASSESSOR CAN GIVE A VALUATION, AN EVALUATION, EXCUSE ME, OF IF A HOUSE COSTS X AMOUNT OF DOLLARS AND WOULD BE, YOU KNOW, MID, MID-RANGE THIS XY TAX, THEN ADDING AN A DU, UM, ADJUNCT OF THIS SIZE WILL ADD X OR Z AMOUNT OF DOLLARS TO THE TAXATION PERCENTAGE OF TAX TO THE TAXATION.
SO WE CAN GIVE A SENSE OF IT FORMULA.
THIS IS A REALLY GOOD DISCUSSION BECAUSE BASICALLY WHEN WE MEET WITH OUR LOBBYISTS ALSO MM-HMM
WE MIGHT WANT TO SAY, COULD THEY DRAFT LEGISLATION THAT WOULD MAKE, UM, ADUS, UM, UM, YOU KNOW, MORE, YOU KNOW, MAKE, MAKE IT, UH, EASIER FOR PEOPLE TO ACTUALLY SAVE MONEY.
IF, IF YOU'RE, WELL, YOU KNOW, WE, WE'VE GOT, YOU'VE GOT, YOU'VE GOT A BALANCE THERE.
I THINK I'M, I'M PROBABLY STEALING, UM, UM, COUNCILMAN SHEEN THUNDER, BECAUSE THIS IS WHAT HE'S I'M SURE THINKING, UM, IS THAT YOU'RE ADDING PEOPLE THAT THIS, A PERSON HAS SAME WEAR AND TEAR OF DRIVING AND USING OUR TOWN'S RESOURCES.
THEY'RE A PERSON, SO YOU'RE BY REDUCING THEIR TAXES AND YOU KNOW, I'M NOT, I'M NOT SAYING THAT YOURS IS, YOUR INSTINCTS AREN'T FAIR OR NOT FAIR IS THE WRONG WORD, AREN'T GOOD CONCERNS, BUT IT IS PUTTING THE ONUS ON THE REST OF THE TAXPAYERS.
SO BY REDUCING THAT NUMBER, I, SO WE'D HAVE TO FIND A BALANCE, RIGHT? OR IT COULD THE CREATIVE, YOU ALSO HAVE THREE MORE KIDS PER DWELLING UNIT.
UNIT, RIGHT? BECAUSE YOU COULD HAVE FOUR PEOPLE IN AN A DU, ONE COULD BE A SINGLE PARENT WITH THREE KIDS, YOU'RE NOW SAYING THAT THEY'RE GOING TO BE EDUCATED OTHER THAN ABOUT YOUR SCHOOL DISTRICT OR WHATEVER SCHOOL DISTRICT THE A DU IS IN.
UH, AND EVERYBODY ELSE HAS TO PICK UP THE COST OF THAT.
I MEAN IT'S, YEAH, THERE'S REALLY COMPLICATED WHEN WE START, OKAY, YOU KNOW, PLAYING WHAT A, WHAT A ZONING DISTRICT IS.
BUT THIS, BUT WE'RE NOT, WE'RE NOT INVENTING THE WHEEL HERE.
LIKE WE KNOW THIS IS LIKE, THIS IS LAW, YOU KNOW, IN OTHER MUNICIPALITIES.
SO HOW ARE WE CAN, THIS IS RESEARCHABLE, WE CAN FIND THIS OUT.
LET ME JUST, BUT I THINK WE JUST,
[00:45:01]
WE IT'S NOT IN OTHERS.IT, IT ISN'T SOME AND IT IS NOT IN OTHERS AND OTHERS DON'T HAVE ANY, MUNICIPALITIES DON'T HAVE WHAT WE HAVE, WHICH IS 10 SCHOOL DISTRICTS.
THE VILLAGE, MOST OF THE PEOPLE IN BURY GO TO THE
HERE YOU HAVE, YOU HAVE PAUL ADVOCATING ON INCORPORATED AREA, RESIDENT ADVOCATING.
UH, BUT IT COULD BE AFFECTING GREENBURG CENTRAL COULD BE AFFECTING EDGEMONT.
IT COULD BE AFFECTING A WHOLE VARIETY OF, UH, SCHOOL DISTRICTS.
AND IT'S ONLY GOING TO BE PICKED UP THE COST IF YOU SAY LET'S EXEMPT THEM FROM TAXES.
NOW, IT MAY BE THAT IT DOESN'T COST ANYTHING TO PUT IN AN A GO, RIGHT? IT IT IS AND IT'S NO SECRET.
I HAVE AN EXTENDED FAMILY AND THEY LIVE WITH ME.
I HAVE EVERYTHING THAT TO BE FOR AN A DU, EXCEPT THAT ON A SECOND KITCHEN FOR ME TO HAVE AN A DU, I WOULD HAVE TO, UH, PUT IN A, A COOK COOK STOVE.
I WOULD HAVE TO CHANGE THE LOCKS SO THAT, YOU KNOW, WE COULD LOCK EACH OTHER OUT, WHICH I WOULDN'T WANT TO DO AS A FAMILY, BUT THAT'S WHAT THE LAW REQUIRES.
I WOULD HAVE TO CHARGE RENT, WHICH I DON'T WANT TO DO, BUT THAT'S WHAT THE LAW REQUIRES.
I THINK WE NEED TO ALSO TAKE A LOOK, AND I THINK SOME ARE LOOKING AT THIS NOW, INCLUDING GARY, IS TO LOOK WHAT LOOK ABOUT, HOW DO YOU, AS WE HEARD THIS FROM PEOPLE AT PUBLIC HEARING, HOW DO YOU ADDRESS PEOPLE WHO HAVE EXTENDED FAMILIES OR HAVE AGING PARENTS AND YOU WANT THEM TO LIVE WITH YOU, BUT THEY WANT THEIR SEPARATE SPACE.
AND THIS A DU REALLY DOESN'T DO THAT THE WAY IT'S DESIGNED.
LEMME JUST ASK ONE OTHER THING SINCE EVERYBODY SAID WE'RE GONNA DO THE CONSENSUS OF THE BOARD.
THE MAJORITY OF THE BOARD WANT TO GO WITH THE, UH, THE CURRENT A DU LAW.
UH, YOU WANNA SEND OUT THE MAILING.
WOULD WE BE ABLE TO, UM, ADD IN THE MAILING, UH, INFORMATION ABOUT THE NOISE LAW? BECAUSE WE BASICALLY INDICATED EVERYTH.
LEMME JUST SAY WHY, BECAUSE WE'VE INDICATED, YOU KNOW, WE'VE, YOU MEAN THE COUPLE WEEKS, THE NOISE ORDINANCE, WE HAVEN'T ENFORCED, YOU KNOW, THE, THE LAW.
SO WHY ARE WE MIXING, WHY ARE WE MIXING TOPICS? BECAUSE BASICALLY IF WE'RE SENDING OUT A MAILING, WE MIGHT AS WELL, UH, GIVE TWO BITS OF INFORMATION.
ONE IS THE NOISE LAW AND ONE IS THE A DU, THE NOISE LAW.
MOST PEOPLE IN THE TOWN PROBABLY ARE NOT AWARE OF THE NOISE LAW.
UM, AND, UM, YOU KNOW, UH, THE COMPLAINTS HAVE BEEN THAT IT'S NOT BEING ENFORCED.
SO THE THING IS, IF WE MAKE A CO, YOU KNOW, WE STARTED WITH THE LANDSCAPERS TODAY, UM, WE'RE GONNA BE, YOU KNOW, WE'RE GONNA BE TRYING TO COME UP WITH OTHER WAYS OF EDUCATING PEOPLE.
SO IF WE'RE SENDING OUT A MAILING, IT DOESN'T COST A PENNY MORE BY HAVING ANOTHER PARAGRAPH, UH, THAT JUST EXPLAINS WHAT THE LAW IS AND JUST SAYS, YOU KNOW, UH, CALL THE POLICE.
IF, UM, IF, UH, YOU KNOW, IF IT WAS, IT WAS, IF IT WAS SOMETHING, IF THE MAILING WAS, WE HAVE TO MAKE A DECISION IF THE MAILING IS JUST INFORMATIVE, HAVING TWO TOPICS IS NOT TO ME SUCH, SUCH A TERRIBLE THING.
RIGHT? BUT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT GETTING FEEDBACK ON THE ONE, AND I THINK IT COULD GET CONFUSING AND WE END UP GETTING FEEDBACK ON BOTH, BUT, AND SO I, I'M NOT SO SURE OF THAT, BUT CAN I GO BACK TO THE POINT THAT, THAT, UM, COUNCILMAN SHEHAN MADE? BECAUSE THAT'S INTRIGUING IF YOU HAVE A FAMILY MEMBER THAT IS MOVING IN, UM, BUT OUR A DU LAW CALLS OUT FOR RESTRICTING THE SPACE, PUTTING LOCKS ON THE DOORS.
IS THERE ANY WAY TO, SHOULDN'T MAY MAYBE WE ADDRESS THAT? UM, OR DID YOU, WELL, WHY DOES IT HAVE TO BE CONSIDERED AN A DU? WHY CAN'T IT JUST BE, IF, IF FOR EXAMPLE, YOU WANTED TO PUT IN ANOTHER COOK STOVE OR WHATEVER, YOU JUST DO THAT.
WHY DO YOU HAVE, WHY THAT HAVE TO FALL? BECAUSE THAT'S CONCERN MY FAMILY.
WHAT? RIGHT NOW? WELL, WE DID YEARS AGO, AND, AND GREENBERG WAS FAIRLY SMART TO AVOID ANY ISSUE ABOUT HOMOSEXUALS CAN'T GET MARRIED.
AND SO TO HAVE LAWS REGARDING BLOOD OR MARRIAGE, UH, YOU KNOW, IF, SO A FAMILY IS A SINGLE FAMILY.
WE NEVER HAD TO DEAL WITH THAT BECAUSE WE DESIGNED OUR SINGLE FAMILY ZONES TO BE ONE KITCHEN, TWO FAMILY ZONE HAS TWO KITCHENS, THREE FAMILY ZONE HAS THREE KITCHENS.
SO NOW IF YOU PUT A, A COOK STOVE OR SOMETHING IN A SEPARATE SPACE, THAT MAKES IT AUTOMATICALLY, YOU, I SEE YOU HAVE A TWO FAMILIES, TWO FAMILY ZONE AND THEN ONE, YOU KNOW, YOU HAVE A TWO FAMILY HOUSE IN A ONE FAMILY ZONE.
OKAY? HOWEVER, WE COULD MAKE IT SO THAT YOU COULD DO THAT IN THE SITUATION, YOU KNOW, LIKE WE HEARD PEOPLE SAY, I WANT MY MOTHER, YOU KNOW, I WANT HER TO COME BACK AND, AND WE COULD ACTUALLY TAKE
[00:50:01]
A LOOK AT THAT IF WE'RE MAKING A CHANGE.WHAT, WHAT ABOUT, I'M SORRY, GO AHEAD.
AND, AND, AND IT MIGHT BE A WAY OF MAKING IT SO THAT YOU KNOW, THE ELDER, YOU KNOW, ELDERLY PARENTS WHO SO ON HAVE THEIR INDEPENDENCE AND I CAN ASSURE YOU THEY WANT THEIR INDEPENDENCE, UM, AT THE SAME TIME.
SO I THINK IT'S SOMETHING THAT WE SHOULD ADDRESS, BUT, UM, AND I THINK SOME, SOME PEOPLE ARE WORKING ON SOME KIND OF, UH, CHANGES AS WE SPEAK, OR IN THE LAB VARIANCE OR SO, OR OUTDOOR KITCHENS CONSIDERED, UH, OR OUTDOOR.
OUTDOOR KITCHENS THAT PEOPLE BUILD, IS THAT CONSIDERED, YOU MEAN THE GRILLS DIFFERENT? THEY BUILD WHAT'S CALLED AN OUTDOOR KITCHEN.
YOU MEAN THE GRILLS? THAT'S WHAT I'M ASKING.
IT'S, IT'S A WHOLE PERMANENT, THE WHOLE KITCHEN.
THAT'S, SO THAT DOES NOT MAKE TO THEM.
YEAH, THAT'S JUST THE OUTSIDE.
WE CAN ABSOLUTELY MAKE THE, THE, THE LOCAL LAW MORE FRIENDLY TO THE SITUATION THAT COUNCILMAN, UH, SHE AND IDENTIFIED, YOU KNOW, BUT VIA WAIVERS AND WRITTEN AUTHORIZATION FROM BOTH PARTIES, THAT'S SIMPLE.
THERE'S PROBABLY A FEW SECTIONS OF THE LAW THAT ARE UM, CAN BE MADE MORE FLEXIBLE IN THAT REGARD.
DEFINITELY WITH THE EXISTING LETTER, UH, TRY TO TAKE SUPER NEUTRAL TONE AND, YOU KNOW, BE FACTUAL.
BUT THE MAIN ONUS IS TO LET RESIDENTS KNOW AND, YOU KNOW, FEEL, LET ALLOW THEM TO FEEL ENCOURAGED TO COME IN AND EXPRESS THEIR OPINIONS IF THEY HAVE THEM.
SO THAT WAS REALLY THE INTENT OF THE, THE SORT OF SIMPLE LETTER THAT WE INITIALLY DRAFTED.
AND YOU HAVE A BACK, BACK PAGE, ROSA WITH, WITH GRAPHICS THAT WERE UPDATED.
UM, SO, SO THE QUESTION IS, UH, DOES IT, IT DOESN'T COST LIKE PRACTICALLY ANYTHING IF, UH, AND YOU KNOW, AGAIN, THE NOISE PEOPLE ARE, I KNOW PEOPLE ARE GONNA BE COMPLAINING THAT THE NOISE LAW IS NOT BEING FORCED TO THEIR STANDARDS.
UH, WAIT, WAIT, ARE WE TALKING ABOUT NOISE? I DON'T, NO.
I'M JUST WONDERING IF WE COULD JUST COMBINE BOTH OF THEM.
ARE WE NOT TALKING ABOUT THE A DUA COMBINE MAILING? THAT IS WHAT HE IS SAYING.
HE WANTS TO, BUT I, I FEEL STRONGLY THAT IF WE'RE MAKING THE A DU, UM, CAN, CAN I LOOK AT THE LETTER? BECAUSE I THINK MORE PEOPLE ARE BE INTERESTED IN THE NOISE LAW THEN THE, I THINK WE HAVE TO KEEP THEM SEPARATE.
HONESTLY, IF YOU HAVE PHOTOS ON THE BACK AND EVERYTHING, IT'S GONNA, IT'S GONNA CONFUSING WHATEVER YOU WANT.
UM, SORRY, YOU YOU MEAN, UH, ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ABOUT THE NOISE ORDER IN THE MAILING? YEAH, IN THE MAILING.
I FIGURE, YOU KNOW, IF WE'RE SENDING IT OUT OR WOULD WE JUST HAVE AN EXTRA PAGE AND SAY, AND IT WOULD SAY, BUT YOU WOULD DO EXACTLY THE WORD FOR WORD, EVERYTHING YOU SAID, THEN WE HAVE AN EXTRA PAGE AND SAY, UH, GREENBERG NOS LAW, UM, UH, TO BE ENFORCED CALL, UM, THE 9 8, 9 1700.
IF, UH, THE LAW IS NOT BEING ENFORCED, THEN WE KNOW, THEN WE COULD SAY WE SENT IT OUT TO EVERYBODY.
EVERYBODY IN THE COMMUNITY, UM, HAS BEEN PUT ON NOTICE.
AND THEN WITH THE DIGITAL BOARDS AND EVERYTHING ELSE, UM, AND THE, THE WORK WITH THE LANDSCAPERS, THEN I KNOW THAT WE'RE REALLY TRYING TO, UH, HAVE AN ENFORCEABLE, UH, YOU KNOW, NOISE.
LOOK, WE'RE TALKING ABOUT THE A DU LAW.
YOU, YOU'RE GONNA GET MAYBE 10 PEOPLE WHO ARE GONNA PARTICIPATE IN CAN I SUGGEST THOUGH, YOU, YOU'VE GOT A LENGTHY LETTER HERE AND IT'S A GOOD ONE WITH PHOTOS, RIGHT? YOU'RE, YOU'RE ASKING PEOPLE TO READ TOO MUCH INFORMATION.
THEY JUST WON'T, I THINK PEOPLE DO BECAUSE I, I'M DONE TO SOME JUST WANNA ADVISE THE BOARD OF A TIMING ISSUE, WHICH I DID EMAIL YOU ALL ABOUT.
SO WE ARE SLATED TO HAVE THIS 23RD ON THE 23RD, RIGHT? THIS HAS TO GO OUT.
IT'S QUESTIONABLE WHETHER THIS LETTER ALONE, IF I WAS AUTHORIZED TO SEND THIS LETTER ALONE OUT, IT WON'T GET, IF YOU AUTHORIZE THAT RIGHT NOW, IT WON'T, I DON'T KNOW THAT IT WOULD GET OUT TO PEOPLE MM-HMM
IN A REASONABLE TIME BEFORE THE 23RD.
AND CLEARLY IF YOU ADD ANYTHING THEN YOU KNOW, THERE'S NO WAY.
YOU HAVE YOUR LETTER RIGHT NOW.
SO IT'S DEFINITELY NOT GONNA GET OUT BY THE 23RD BECAUSE IF IT'S BULK RATE BASICALLY TAKES, COULD TAKE OVER A WEEK, YOU KNOW? YEAH.
SO WE'RE, SO I ACTUALLY, UM, WAIT FOR THIS AGREE WITH PAUL
BECAUSE IF WE DID IT SIMILAR TO THE TAX BILLS, UH, WE KNOW THE PROPERTY, WE KNOW THE SIZE AND WE COULD ACTUALLY TELL THE PROPERTY OWNER, UM, HOW MANY, HOW MANY BLOWERS THAT THEY WOULD BE ALLOWED TO USE ON THAT PROPERTY.
BUT WHAT I MAKE IT, WE'RE GONNA CUSTOMIZE THIS.
IT'S GONNA TAKE TOO MUCH THAT TIME.
ALRIGHT, WELL THEN WE DEFINITELY CAN'T HAVE, ALRIGHT, SO, ALRIGHT.
[00:55:01]
IS TO TELL THEM HOW TO GO ON THE WEBSITE TO FIND OUT WHAT SIDE OF THE PROPERTY THERE AND HOW MANY LOOP LOADS THEY HAVE.SO A SECOND NOTICE PUT IN THE SAME ENVELOPE.
IT WOULD HAVE TO BE A SEPARATE PAGE.
IT CONSTANTLY A SEPARATE PAGE.
SO WE'RE GETTING SEPARATED OUT
IT CAN'T BE ANOTHER PARAGRAPH ON THIS.
HEY, HERE'S ADUS, AND HERE'S A PARAGRAPH ABOUT IT CAN'T BE THAT.
NOW THAT'S ANOTHER, I THINK SIX $50.
HOW MUCH IS THAT, GARRETT? I COULD ADD SOME BLOWER GRAPHICS TO THE LOTS ON THE, NO, I'M JUST KIDDING.
WELL, THE, THE BASE COST FOR THE MAILING 10,000 SOMETHING.
IT, IT'S, IT'S RIGHT AROUND 9,000.
ADDING A SECOND SHEET, ADDING A SECOND SHEET, I THINK IS, UH, AN ADDITIONAL 1300.
IN THE OVERALL COST RATHER THAN 2 9500.
NOT TO ADD TOO MUCH INFORMATION, I REALLY WOULD ENCOURAGE PUTTING SOME SORT OF, YOU NEED BIG BOLD LETTERS IN THE HIGHLIGHT TO SAY, AT LEAST GO TO THE WEBSITE FOR FUTURE NOTICES LIKE THIS.
UH, SIGN UP FOR THE E-BLAST, WHATEVER IT IS.
SO FOR YOUR A DU BEFORE YOUR LEAF, THE NOISE, THE NOISE ORDINANCE, YOU NEED TO HAVE ONE, ONE LITTLE PIECE.
YOU DON'T NEED TO HAVE A PARAGRAPH.
YOU WANT THAT FOR THEM TO PUT IT ON THEIR REFRIGERATOR.
SOMETHING TO REMIND THEM THAT THEY CAN'T HAVE X, Y, AND Z.
I DON'T THINK, DON'T I, PLEASE DON'T DRAFT THIS.
I'M GONNA NOMINATE, NOMINATE MYSELF TO HAVE NOTHING TO DO WITH THE NOISE LETTER.
YOU ALL PLEASE DELIVER ME A LETTER.
I THINK THE NOISE LETTER, THE, THE NOISE LETTER
I THINK YOU BOTH SAID THE SAME THING.
SO THAT OUR, WE HAVE TO MOVE, THEN WE HAVE TO MOVE THE PUBLIC HEARING IN THE LETTER.
WE HAVE TO CHANGE THE DATE, RIGHT? YES.
SO IS THAT THE NEXT ONE IS MAY 7TH AFTER THAT? WHEN'S OUR NEXT MAY 16TH? IT'S NOT UNTIL MAY 14TH.
COULD YOU CANCEL YOUR VACATION? SORRY.
THERE'S NO WAY YOU GETTING OUT OF THIS.
SO YOU'LL MAKE THE CHANGE IN THE LETTER.
WHAT ARE YOU DOING ON THE 28TH? MM-HMM
IS THAT ANOTHER DAY THAT YOU GO? YALE? I'LL BE HERE.
AND, AND JUST, YOU KNOW, CAPITALIZE ACCESSORY DWELLING UNIT.
SO IT'S, SO IT CLEARLY DEFINES IT IN THE REFERENCE.
THE OTHER THING IS UNDER THE REFERENCE, WE COULD HAVE THE HEARING WITHOUT, YOU KNOW, GARRETT, BECAUSE WE'VE HAD THREE HEARINGS ALREADY.
AND THEN WE COULD ALWAYS SAY THAT WE'RE GONNA VOTE ON IT, ON THE LAW AT THE LAST MEETING IN MAY.
OH, YOU PUTTING THIS WAY, WE'RE PUTTING, UH, UH, YOU KNOW, A, A DEADLINE ONE WAY OR ANOTHER.
BECAUSE WE WE'RE, ERIC HAS BEEN HERE THROUGHOUT THE WHOLE DAY.
I, I THINK IT'S HELPFUL TO HAVE HIM.
BECAUSE THERE THINGS GONNA BE ADDRESSED.
I THINK THE FIRST PARAGRAPH OF THE LETTER THOUGH, I THINK IT'S, I THINK IT'S A BIT CONFUSING AND WE MIGHT WANNA TO TEST IT WITH PEOPLE THAT, YOU KNOW, IT'S KIND OF INSIDE BASEBALL FOR US.
YOU KNOW, BECAUSE WE KNOW WHAT IT IS, WHAT IT MEANS, AS OPPOSED TO, UM, AND MAYBE WE BREAK IT DOWN SO THAT YOU HAVE EACH OF THE DIFFERENT OPTIONS AND THE GRAPHIC RIGHT UNDERNEATH IT, AND THEN THE NEXT OPTION, THE GRAPHIC UNDERNEATH IT, AS OPPOSED TO HAVING THEM SEPARATE.
WHY, IF WE, UH, GAVE OURSELVES A, A DATE AND SAID BY JUNE 11TH WE'RE GONNA SCHEDULE A VOTE ONE WAY OR THE OTHER ON JUNE 11TH.
SO THIS WAY IT DOESN'T KEEP GOING ON AND ON AND ON.
AND THEN WE COULD, UH, YOU KNOW, WE COULD BASICALLY, BECAUSE WE'VE HAD SO MANY HEARINGS ALREADY, AND, YOU KNOW, I THINK PEOPLE ARE FRUSTRATED THAT, YOU KNOW, WE JUST KEEP TALKING AND DON'T PUT IT.
I MEAN, WE HAVE, WE HAVE THE CONVERSATION, WE HAVE TO HAVE THE CONVERSATION, BUT, BUT IT'S A MAJOR CHANGE.
SO WE, I THINK WE NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE DOING THIS CORRECTLY.
BUT IF WE JUST GIVE OURSELVES LIKE A, IF WE SAY WE'RE GONNA VOTE, WE NEED TO MAKE SURE WE'RE RIGHT THERE.
I MEAN, I THINK IF WE, ONCE WE HAVE THE, THE MAY 28TH PUBLIC HEARING, RIGHT? MM-HMM
THEN WE CAN SEE WHERE WE COME OUT OF THAT.
WE JUST REAL, I, I AGREE WITH THAT.
I THINK IT IS, I THINK IT IS, UH, INSULTING TO THE PUBLIC TO SAY, REGARDLESS OF WHAT EXACTLY HERE WE'RE VOTING.
VOTING, WE MAY HEAR THINGS AS, NO, WE'RE NOT VOTING THAT DATE.
OH, YOU'RE VOTING ON JUNE 11TH.
YOU'RE TRYING TO FORCE A DATE TO VOTE.
I'VE ALWAYS, I'VE ALWAYS, UM, OBJECTED TO SETTING A DATE IN ADVANCE THAT THIS WHAT ASIDE, BUT WE HAVEN'T HEARD FROM THE PUBLIC AFTER WE HAVE INFORMED THE PUBLIC.
SO LET'S SEE WHAT HAPPENS AFTER THE PUBLIC HEARING.
[01:00:01]
WHAT KIND AND THEN COULD EASILY COME UP WITH A DATE.BECAUSE WE KNOW WHAT WE HAVE TO DEAL WITH.
BECAUSE EVEN AT THE PUBLIC HEARING, WE MIGHT HEAR THAT, YOU KNOW, SOMEONE MIGHT PERFECT.
THAT WAS A GREAT IDEA, COUNCILMAN.
THAT AND, BUT THE NOISE THING, I THINK THEY SHOULD JUST BE BIG LETTERS ON, YOU KNOW, VERY FEW WORDS ON THE SHEET.
NEXT, UM, UH, WESTCHESTER PARA MAILING AND CONTRACT RENEWAL.
I THOUGHT YOUR, YOUR, UH, PROPOSED MAILING WAS EXCELLENT.
UH, SO, UM, YOU KNOW, UH, WE JUST HAVE TO GIVE IT TO, UH, NOAM, AND HE SAID HE'LL SEND IT OUT.
WELL, WHICH ONE IS JOY'S? I SAW A DIFFERENT VERSION.
WHICH ONE IS JOY? NO, I DIDN'T SEE YOUR, THE BETTER ONE.
THE ONE WHERE I SAID, HERE IS MY REVISED, SUGGESTED, REVISED VERSION.
WHEN DID YOU SEND THAT? I DON'T REMEMBER THE DATE.
THAT'S THE LAST, THE LAST RESPONSE WOULD'VE BEEN FROM PAUL SAYING THIS IS, YOU KNOW, AND YOU EDIT.
YOU WROTE THIS BEFORE OR AFTER DAN? BECAUSE I, THE ONE FROM DAN I THOUGHT WAS PRETTY GOOD.
WHEN WAS DAN'S? I THINK, I THINK HE USED YOURS.
WE'RE GONNA HAVE TO TAKE A QUICK LOOK AT THAT AND THEN MAKE A DECISION.
BUT YOU KNOW, THEY WANT TO KNOW IN TERMS OF THE CONTRACT RENEWAL, ARE WE READY TO SIGN ON OR, YEAH, I, I WANNA TAKE A LOOK AT IT AGAIN 'CAUSE I OKAY.
REMEMBER THE, SO THEN SHOULD WE PUT THAT ON FOR THE ITERATIONS AND THEN NO, WE'RE TALKING ABOUT THE CONTRACT THOUGH.
PAUL MENTIONED THE CONTRACT ABOUT, PART OF WHAT THEY SAID WAS, YOU KNOW, THE, THE MAILING.
BUT THEY WANT TO KNOW, ARE WE GOING TO, OH, OKAY.
THANK YOU FOR RENEW THE CONTRACT INTERPRETING.
THEY NEED TO KNOW THAT BECAUSE THE, THE, THE WHOLE PREMISE WAS DOING IT EARLIER.
THEY'RE ABLE TO LOCK IN BETTER RATES.
SO THEY ARE LOOKING FOR OUR COMMITMENT FOR THAT.
AND I AM IN FAVOR OF DOING THAT MYSELF.
SO IT'S UP TO, AND THEN WE CAN SAYS, IS THIS THE ONE WHERE IT SAYS, DEAR NEIGHBOR, WE ARE WRITING TO UPDATE YOU REGARDING REVERB UTILITY RATES.
THE TOWN OF GREENBURG PARTICIPATES ALONG WITH 26 ERS BODIES IN WESTCHESTER.
MY NAME SHOULD BE RIGHT ABOVE IT.
IT SAYS, PLEASE SEE MY SUGGESTED REVIVE 12:01 AM WHAT'S THAT? 12:01 AM YES.
AND I DON'T KNOW WHAT WAS SAID AFTER THAT, 'CAUSE I HAVEN'T SEEN ANYTHING AFTER THAT.
SO WE'RE GONNA BE GETTING INTO THE WARMER, MORE EXPENSIVE AIR CONDITIONING MONTHS GOING FORWARD.
RIGHT? WE KNOW THAT WESTCHESTER POWER IS GOING TO STAY UNIFORM FOR THOSE MONTHS.
WE DON'T KNOW WHAT'S GONNA HAPPEN WITH THE CONED RATES.
SO, SO I'M GONNA GO GET MY PHONE SO I CAN READ THAT.
WE EVER, HAVE WE EVER FIGURED OUT WHAT PERCENTAGE OF MCC ENERGY IS RENEWABLE THEN? ZERO JUDGE.
NOT IT'S NON-RENEWABLE ENERGY.
ARE YOU SURE? YES, A HUNDRED PERCENT.
HOW DO YOU FIND THAT? WHERE DO YOU, WHERE DID YOU SEE THAT AT? BECAUSE IT'S, IT'S IN THE INFORMATION THAT WE'VE RECEIVED.
I MEAN, IS IT ON A CONED WEBSITE? I DON'T KNOW.
YOU CAN, THAT'S WHY I'M, I'M JUST ASKING WHERE YOU GOT IT FROM.
SO I WANNA VER I WANNA READ IT MYSELF.
SO I'M ASKING WHERE'D YOU GET IT FROM DOING UP SO LATE?
[01:05:24]
SO ARE WE READING THIS? ARE WE READING THIS? LIKE, JUST, I'M NOT READING THERE.THE UNCOMFORTABLE SILENCE HERE, SO.
OH, I THOUGHT THAT'S WHY WE WENT MY, SO I, SO WHAT DO WE, I THOUGHT, I THOUGHT THAT FRANCIS WAS READING.
I WAS WAITING FOR HIM TO FINISH.
I JUST, I MEAN, WE HAVE PEOPLE WATCHING.
THE ONLY THING I WOULD SUGGEST IS AT THE VERY END WHERE IT SAYS SUBSCRIBE TO WESTCHESTER POWER, OR WE PUT WESTCHESTER POWER AS CLEAN ENERGY PROGRAM, YOU CAN OPT TO ANY YEAH, THAT SOUNDS FINE.
FEEL FREE TO INCLUDE ANY EDITS AND WE CAN NO, THAT'S IT.
WHAT? IT'S A LOCK THEN? IT'S A LOCK.
I THOUGHT YOU SAID IT'S A LOCK.
ALRIGHT, SO, SO WE ARE ABLE TO MOVE ON.
WELL, WE HAVE THE ISSUE OF THE CONTRACT.
WELL, BUT YOU VOTED FOR IT LAST TIME.
SO WHAT, WHY DO YOU FEEL DIFFERENTLY? I'M JUST CURIOUS BECAUSE THE RATES HAVE, BECAUSE THE RATES HAVE BEEN LOWER FOR CON YOU.
NO, THEY'VE BEEN HALF AND HALF.
ARE YOU GONNA ADD, YOU GONNA LET ME? I'M SAYING WELL, THEY'RE, THEY'RE NOT.
THAT'S, BUT THAT, BUT I'M LOOKING AT THE RATES HERE THAT'S LISTED IN THE LETTER.
AND IF YOU SAID, YOU STATED IN HERE, I MEAN, THE LETTER STATES IN HERE, RIGHT? MONTHS OF NOVEMBER, YOU HAVE BEEN PAYING 12 POINT 18 CENTS.
IF YOU LOOK AT, IF YOU LOOK AT THE ENERGY RATES THAT CONED NOVEMBER 9.34 MM-HMM
DECEMBER 10.55, JANUARY 10 POINT, I MEAN 12 POINT 19 MM-HMM.
I'M NOT COMFORTABLE ENOUGH THAT THAT GIVES ME ENOUGH TO SAY, OH, OKAY.
THAT'S ME IF YOU GUYS FEEL DIFFERENTLY.
BUT I I, THE EVIDENCE FOR ME HERE, JUST, I DON'T, I'M NOT COMFORTABLE WITH THAT.
AND WE'VE BEEN HEARING FROM THE RESIDENTS.
SO I'M NOT COMFORTABLE SAYING, OH, OKAY, THIS IS GOING TO WESTCHESTER POWER IS GONNA GIVE, OFFER YOU A BETTER RATE.
THAT'S JUST, THAT'S JUST NOT THAT THEY ARE, IT'S JUST THAT IS IT ENOUGH OF A DIFFERENCE BETWEEN CON ED TO NOT WANT TO UTILIZE RENEWABLE POWER? SO DON'T PUT ME RENEWABLE ALLOWABLE.
'CAUSE YOU KNOW, MY WORK THAT I DO, I MEAN, I MEAN, I'M IN RENEWABLES.
I MEAN, BUT I'M JUST MINDFUL, I'M JUST MINDFUL OF WHEN WE TALK ABOUT PEOPLE'S FINANCES, WE JUST SPENT THE LAST 45 MINUTES TALKING ABOUT, I'M JUST CONCERNED AND WE KNOW WHAT THE RATES HAVE BEEN.
I'M, I'M JUST REALLY CONCERNED THAT I DON'T KNOW IF WESTCHESTER POWER'S GONNA MEET THE MARK.
AND THERE WAS SOME OTHER THINGS THAT I'M CONCERNED ABOUT TOO.
AND WE'VE ALREADY DISCUSSED THAT.
SO I'M NOT GONNA CONTINUE TO BRING THAT UP.
I THINK IT MIGHTN'T BE A BAD IDEA TO FACTOR IN THAT CONNED IS LOOKING FOR A SUBSTANTIAL INCREASE.
AND YES, WE ARE FIGHTING IT MM-HMM
BUT THE, THEY'RE, I DON'T THINK IN ANY UNIVERSE YOU'RE GONNA GO BACK TO THE A LOWER RATE THAT NO MATTER WHAT, THERE'LL BE SOME AMOUNT OF INCREASE.
THEY DO HAVE INFRASTRUCTURE, THEY DO HAVE OTHER THINGS THAT THEY HAVE TO TAKE CARE OF.
SO KEEPING THAT IN MIND, THAT CHANGES, WE'RE DOING A DIFFERENTIAL WE'RE BEFORE IS THE CONCERN.
WE'RE DOING A SIX MONTHS, WE'RE DOING SIX MONTHS BEFORE THE CONTRACT ENDS.
WE'RE NOT EVEN GIVING ANY TIME.
SO I WOULD, I'M NOT COMFORTABLE.
I MEAN, YOU ASK ME MY OPINION, I'M JUST, I'M JUST NOT COMFORTABLE.
WE ARE DOING SIX MONTHS BEFORE THE CONTRACT ENDS, WE STILL DON'T HAVE ENOUGH DATA FOR THE FULL YEAR.
AND NOW YOU, ME, JUST AS YOU MENTIONED, WE'RE COMING UP ON, ON HOT SUMMER MONTHS.
I WOULD LOVE TO SEE WHAT THAT, WHAT THOSE NUMBERS LOOK LIKE.
BUT BEFORE COMING UP ON HOT SUMMER MONTHS, MOST LIKELY CONED RATES ARE GONNA BE HIGHER.
I'M, I'M STILL NOT, I'M JUST NOT COMFORTABLE AND LISTENING AND, AND LISTENING TO WHAT RESIDENTS HAVE BEEN TALKING FAIR ENOUGH ABOUT, AND ANY CONCERNS.
I'M JUST, I'M JUST NOT COMFORTABLE.
AND THEY STILL GET TO OPT OUT THOUGH, IF THEY ARE NOT COMFORTABLE WITH RIGHT.
ONE OTHER OPTION THING THAT WE COULD SUGGEST IS THAT WE WOULD SUPPORT THE CONTRACT RENEWAL IF BY SAY IN AUGUST, WE COULD SEND IT ANOTHER MAILING, UH, COMPARING ALL THE, ALL THE PRICES.
SO THIS WAY WELL THINK, WELL, THEY'RE TRYING TO GO FOR RFP, SO THAT'S WHY THEY'RE LOOKING TO TOTAL, YOU KNOW, I, I, I THINK THAT WHAT WE REALLY NEED TO DO IS THAT IT IS IN INDIVIDUAL CHOICE.
SO SINCE PEOPLE CAN OPT OUT, AND I THINK THAT'S WHAT, UM, COUNCILWOMAN HABER WAS GETTING AT, AS LONG AS PEOPLE CAN OPT OUT, THEY'RE NOT LOCKED INTO THAT AT ALL.
SO THAT'S WHAT WE HAVE TO EMPHASIZE, THAT YOU'RE, YOU, YOU HAVE A CHOICE.
WE HAVE, WE HAVE IN THE PAST, WE DID IT THE LAST CONTRACT ALSO CONED, WE HAVE ALSO OPT OUT.
WE CAN EMPHASIZE EVERYBODY'S ENROLLED IN CON ED UNLESS THEY OPT, YOU KNOW, IT'S BEEN LIKE THAT FOREVER.
UM, YOU KNOW, SO, AND YOU KNOW, AND WE'VE BEEN,
[01:10:01]
A LOT OF PEOPLE OVER THE YEARS HAVE SAID, WE WANT TO A CHOICE.YOU KNOW, EVEN WHEN YOU GO TO THESE HEARINGS, PEOPLE ARE SAYING, WE, LET'S GET RID OF THE MONOPOLY.
SO THE PROBLEM IS, IF WE, IF, UH, SUSTAINABLE WESTCHESTER ISN'T, AND WESTCHESTER POWER ISN'T ALLOWED TO, YOU KNOW, IT DOESN'T SURVIVE, THEN WE'RE MAKING IT EVEN HARDER GIVEN CONED EVEN A GREATER MONOPOLY.
AND I THINK THEY SAID THAT BECAUSE WE'VE BEEN POSTING, UM, THE COMPARISONS EVERY MONTH FOR PROBABLY TWO OR THREE YEARS ALREADY.
AND DIDN'T THEY SAY THEY WERE LIKE OVER 800 PE FAMILIES THAT ALREADY OPTED OUT? SO GREENBURG HASN'T, AFTER THIS MAILING THAT WE'RE SENDING OUT, THERE'S GONNA BE MORE PEOPLE WHO ARE GONNA OPT OUT.
SO WE'RE NOT LIKE HIDING AND WE'RE NOT MAKING IT, UH, DIFFICULT.
IT'S A TRANSPARENT PROCESS THAT WE'RE PROVIDING AND A CHOICE.
AND THAT'S WHAT WE MADE IT DURING THE LAST CONTRACT THAT WE, THAT WE APPROVED.
YOU SAID THE 800 PEOPLE, THE 800 PEOPLE FROM GREENBERG? YEAH.
IN THE PAST, THEY SAID THAT EVERY MONTH WHEN I POST IT, I ALWAYS GET AT LEAST A FEW PEOPLE, YOU KNOW, UM, SOMETIMES MORE.
AND BY THE WAY, I DID REDRAFT YOUR MESSAGE TO GO OUT TO PEOPLE ABOUT THE RATES, AND WE NEVER REALLY TALKED ABOUT THAT.
BUT TO INCLUDE THE LINK, VERY EASY FOR THEM TO GO RIGHT TO THE LINK AND OPT OUT, NOT CONTACT SUSTAINABLE WESTCHESTER, HERE'S THE LINK.
THAT'S REALLY IMPORTANT FOR PEOPLE, I THINK.
AND THAT'S REALLY TO MY POINT OF EMPHASIZING THAT THE CHOICE THESE WITH WHICH YOU CAN DO IT TOO.
SO WHAT ARE WE DOING? WE HAVE TO DECIDE.
WHAT HAVE YOU HAD TO SAY? ALL RIGHT.
WELL, I'VE ALREADY VOICED MY OPINION.
SO THEN ON THE CONTRACT RENEWAL, WELL LET THE OTHERS SPEAK.
THEY MIGHT DISAGREE AND THEY HAVE A RIGHT TO SAY THAT THREE VOTES, YOU GOT THREE VOTES.
WELL, WE STILL, YOU SHOULD STILL EXPRESS YOUR, YOU CAN EXPRESS YOUR FEELINGS.
UH, I, I'M NOT CRAZY ABOUT THE, HEY, WE JUST DID THE CONTRACT LAST YEAR.
UH, LET'S RUSH THIS YEAR TO GET IT DONE EARLY.
UM, YOU KNOW, I I I I'M REALLY TROUBLED THAT WE SAID THAT THERE WAS GONNA BE A MAILING AT THE INCEPTION OF THE NEW CONTRACT.
THEY'RE SAYING THAT IT WASN'T ALLOWED.
YOU WOULD THINK IF THEY'RE IN THIS BUSINESS, YOU KNOW, FOR AS LONG AS THEY'VE BEEN AND KNOW IT.
WHEN WE, WHEN THEY PROMISED THAT WE WOULD HAVE THEM, NOW, THEY, THEY WOULD KNOW WHETHER BLESS OR NOT, THAT WAS GONNA BE ALLOWED IT OR NOT BY THE PUBLIC SERVICE COMMISSION.
WELL, ACTUALLY, THE MECHANISM FOR HAVING A MAILING, WHAT WAS GONNA TRIP THAT WAS THREE CONSECUTIVE MONTHS IN A ROW, WHICH WE DIDN'T EXPERIENCE.
IT WAS GONNA BE AN INITIAL MAILING.
AND THAT WAS THE SECOND MAILING.
THAT WAS THE SECOND MAILING YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT.
BUT I SEEM TO REMEMBER STILL THE SECOND MONTH.
I, I SEEM TO REMEMBER FOR THAT FIRST MAILING THAT, THAT THEY LEFT IT TO US TO DRAFT.
PAUL DRAFTED SOMETHING THAT WAS NOT ACCEPTABLE.
AND I THINK THAT PERHAPS WE DROPPED THE BALL ON THAT.
AND THAT'S WHY THAT MAILING DIDN'T HAPPEN.
WE ALL HAD TO INPUT INTO THE MAILING.
AND THEN THEY SAID THAT THEY COULDN'T PUT IT BECAUSE IT WASN'T PERMITTED TO GO OUT.
AND, YOU KNOW, BUT I THINK COMMIT, I SAY, YOU KNOW, WE'RE GONNA DO SOMETHING.
WELL, UH, I, I REALLY WANT THAT TO HAPPEN.
AND WE STILL HAVE NOT GOTTEN OUT OUT YET.
NOW WE'RE DOING THEM, BUT, UM, BUT I, I'M TROUBLE BY THAT.
AND SO, UH, THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE WHO MAY WANT TO WALK OUT, LET'S FACE IT.
YOU KNOW, THERE'S INFORMATION OVERLOAD.
PEOPLE AREN'T, YOU KNOW, WORRIED, YOU KNOW, WORRIED, BUT, UH, ABOUT THEIR BILLS, BUT THEY, YOU KNOW, IT'S VERY HARD TO GET BREAKTHROUGH, GET BREAKTHROUGH, ALL THE INFORMATION THAT PEOPLE ARE GETTING HIT WITH.
AND, UM, I DON'T KNOW HOW MANY PEOPLE ACTUALLY KNOW THAT THEY HAVE THE OP OPPORTUNITY TO OPT OUT OR EVEN THAT, THAT THEY WERE PUT INTO AN ESCO AS OPPOSED TO GO AHEAD.
THEY MIGHT JUST BE LOOKING AT THE BILL, PAYING, PAYING THE AMOUNT.
AND SO I THINK THAT'S WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO ADDRESS.
BUT FAMILY, THAT HAS NOT HAPPENED YET.
AND THAT'S, THAT'S MY CONCERN.
SO, SO IF WE, I THINK WE CAN HAVE THAT BEFORE, I MEAN, CAN WE HAVE THAT CONVERSATION WITH NO BRANSON AND GET A COMMITMENT AND THEN GO FORWARD, UM, WITHIN THE NEXT
[01:15:01]
WEEK? YOU MEAN A COMMITMENT FOR ANOTHER MAILER? WHAT, WHAT DO YOU MEAN A COMMITMENT FOR A MAILING? UM, LET'S DISCUSS THAT.WE CAN HAVE, WELL, WE HAVE THAT DISCUSSION, DISCUSS.
YOU MEAN FOR ANO AN ADDITIONAL MAILING IN THE FUTURE AFTER? WELL, I THINK THAT'S WHAT I, ISN'T THAT WHAT YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT CUSTOMER? MY CONCERN.
NO, WE'RE, WE'RE GONNA BE DOING THIS MAILING.
I MEAN, WE'RE, YEAH, WE'RE DOING, I, I DON'T KNOW ANYBODY COULD OBJECT TO THE WORDING OF THIS MAILING.
IT'S JUST, IT'S, IT'S, IT IS VERY CLEAR POINT.
IT'S ALL POINT WHAT, WHAT THIS FEELINGS ABOUT.
THE FACT IS THAT THAT HASN'T HAPPENED.
AND WE DID HAVE A COMMITMENT THAT WE WERE GOING TO PUT IT INITIAL MAILING, AND THEN AFTER WE SIGNED, IT WAS FOUND THAT, OH, WE CAN'T, BUT WE ALREADY SIGNED.
I DON'T LIKE BEING PUT IN THAT POSITION.
YOU KNOW, BECAUSE WE PROMISED PEOPLE THERE WAS GONNA BE A MAILING AND THERE WAS NO MAILING.
AND NOW WHAT WE'RE SAYING THAT WHAT WESTCHESTER, UH, UH, SUSTAINABLE WESTCHESTER IS TELLING US IS, WELL, YOU KNOW, BECAUSE OF LAST YEAR, IT WAS ONLY LAST YEAR.
LET'S FAST TRACK, YOU KNOW, GETTING THE APPROVALS THIS YEAR AND WE'LL LOCK OURSELVES IN.
AND, YOU KNOW, THERE'S A COMMITMENT.
AND THAT'S, SO WE NEED A STRONGER COMMITMENT FOR FUTURE MAILINGS, I THINK IS WHAT YOU'RE SAYING TOO.
IF WE'RE GOING TO RENEW THE CONTRACT AND WE WANT TO HAVE ANOTHER MAILING, LET'S SAY AT THE END OF THE SUMMER OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT, WE SHOULD BUILD THAT IN.
WE CAN HAVE THAT CONVERSATION AND MAKE SURE THAT WE LOCK THAT IN.
TO ME, TO ME THAT THOSE HAVE STANDS A STRONGER COMMITMENT.
I, WELL, THAT'S THEN, AND WE CAN'T, WE CAN'T ROLL BACK TIME.
SO WE WANNA MAKE, WE CAN VOTE, MAKE SURE THAT IT IS LOCKED IN FOR NEXT TIME.
I, I UNDERSTAND THE FRUSTRATION.
I'M NOT TRYING TO MINIMIZE, MINIMIZE IT.
AND WE KIND OF WANTING AN INCREASE IN RATE THAT'S ON DISTRIBUTION COSTS AND THAT'S GONNA AFFECT ESCOS AS WELL.
IT'S NOT THE CHARGE, IT'S DELIVERY.
BUT FOR THE SUMMER MONTHS, THAT WOULD BE THE ELECTRICITY CHARGE.
WELL, I JUST KNOW THAT MY CONED BILL WENT WAY UP AND EVERYBODY'S, AND THAT WAS BEFORE ANY WENT.
RIGHT? THAT'S WHAT I'M SAYING.
EVERYBODY'S, EVERYBODY'S SO, OKAY.
ARE YOU SAYING YOU'RE NOT, AND THAT'S NOT EVEN, AND THAT'S NOT EVEN DURING MONTHS WHEN THERE'S HEAVY USE.
I, YOU KNOW, JUST THE ELECTRIC BILL TELLS ME.
SO ARE WE VOTING, WHAT ARE WE DOING HERE? SO GO FOR THE VOTE BY 50%.
JUST WANNA MAKE THAT CLEAR AND USE A YES, YES.
AM I PREPARING THIS FOR NEXT WEEK'S MEETING OR TO MAY 14TH MEETING? IT COULD BE NEXT WEEK.
NO, I THINK IT HAS TO BE NEXT WEEK.
IN ORDER TO LOCK IN THE BETTER RATES.
I MEAN, THAT'S MY CONCERN, IS IF WE CAN GET BETTER RATES.
TIMES I MAKE A MOTION, UH, TO GO IN EXECUTIVE SESSION FOR PURPOSES OF DISCUSSING PERSONAL MATTERS INVOLVING PARTICULAR INDIVIDUALS TO INTERVIEW A CANDIDATE FOR SOLAR POWER INSTALLATIONS AND TO SEEK LEGAL ADVICE REGARDING PENDING AND CURRENT LITIGATION.