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[ PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE]
OUR TOWN BOARD MEETING.TODAY IS AUGUST 6TH, AFTER, UH, SEVEN 30, AND WE'LL BEGIN WITH A PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE, A PLEDGE ALLEGIANCE TO THE FLAG OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, AND TO THE PUBLIC RELIGIOUS IT STANDS, ONE NATION UNDER GOD, INDIVISIBLE, WITH LIBERTY, AND PLEASE REMAIN STANDING.
AND WE HAVE, UH, A MOMENT OF SILENCE
[ MOMENT OF SILENCE In memory of Ed Doyle, Sr. was the former president of the Building & Construction Trades Council of Westchester & Putnam Counties, Inc., and previously led Teamsters & Chauffeurs Local Union 456 in Elmsford, NY. For over 50 years, he was a prominent figure in organized labor across Westchester, Putnam, and the Downstate region. He became vice president and business agent of Teamster Local 456 in 1976 and was appointed secretary-treasurer and business manager in 1985. In 1990, he was named president and business manager of Teamsters Local 456. Throughout his career, he served on the political committees for both the Democratic and Republican parties in the county. In memory of Deborah Lawson, long-time resident of the Town of Greenburgh, passed away July 10, 2025. Deborah married Harry William Lawson Jr. in January 1963. The couple moved to Greenburgh, where they raised their three children: Denise, Harry, and Angela. Mrs. Lawson transitioned to becoming a devoted stay-at-home mother who remained actively engaged in her children's education and community life. She participated in various PTAs, served with the Camp Fire Girls as a Bluebird Leader, and the Boy Scouts as a Cub Scouts leader. She later transitioned to work for New York State Senator Nick Spano until her retirement in 2006. Deborah Lawson's life was a testament to the power of faith, family, and community service. Her warmth, dedication, and generous spirit touched countless lives and will be remembered for generations to come. In memory of those around the world who have perished as victims of war, disease and natural disaster. Our hearts are with all who needlessly suffer.]
IN MEMORY OF ED DOYLE.HE WAS A FORMER PRESIDENT OF THE BUILDING AND CONSTRUCTION TRADE COUNCIL OF WESTCHESTER AND PUTNAM COUNTY.
AND HE PREVIOUSLY LED THE TEAMSTERS AND CHAUFFEURS LOCAL UNION 4 56 IN ALS, OXFORD, FOR OVER 50 YEARS.
HE WAS A PROMINENT FIGURE IN ORGANIZED LABOR ACROSS WESTCHESTER PUTNAM AND THE DOWNSTATE ON REGION.
HE BECAME VICE PRESIDENT AND BUSINESS AGENT OF TEAMSTER LOCAL 4 5 6 IN 1976, AND WAS APPOINTED SECRETARY, TREASURER AND BUSINESS MANAGER IN 1985.
AND IN 1990, HE WAS NAMED PRESIDENT AND BUSINESS MANAGER OF TEAMSTER'S LOCAL 4 56.
THROUGHOUT HIS CAREER, HE SERVED ON THE POLITICAL COMMITTEES OF BOTH THE DEMOCRATIC AND REPUBLICAN PARTIES AND, AND THE COUNTY.
YOU KNOW, WHEN HE WAS INVOLVED, TEAMSTERS HAD NATIONALLY, UM, SOMEWHAT OF A CONTROVERSIAL, UM, NAME, BUT HE WAS ALWAYS ON THE SIDE OF, UH, THE WORKERS AND, AND, AND, AND THE PEOPLE, AND REALLY MADE A ENORMOUS POSITIVE CONTRIBUTION TO, UM, YOU KNOW, TO WESTCHESTER, UH, YOU KNOW, COUNTY.
AND HE WILL DEFINITELY BE, UH, MISSED.
AND IN MEMORY OF DE DEBORAH LAWSON, LONG-TERM RESIDENT OF THE TOWN OF GREENBURG PASSED AWAY.
UH, DEBORAH MARRIED, UM, HARRY, UH, WILLIAM LAWSON.
THE COUPLE MOVED TO GREENBURG, WHERE THEY RAISED THREE CHILDREN.
MRS. LAWSON TRANSITIONED TO BECOME A DEVOTED STAY AT HOME MOTHER WHO REMAINED ACTIVELY ENGAGED IN HER CHILDREN'S EDUCATION AND COMMUNITY LIFE.
SHE PARTICIPATED IN VARIOUS PTAS, SERVED WITH THE CAMPFIRE GIRLS AS A BLUEBIRD LEADER AND THE BOY SCOUTS AS A CUB SCOUT LEADER.
SHE LATER TRANSITIONED TO WORK FOR NEW YORK STATE SENATOR NICK SPANO UNTIL HER RETIREMENT IN 2006.
AND DEBORAH LAWSON'S LIFE WAS A T TO THE POWER OF FAITH, FAMILY, AND COMMUNITY SERVICE.
HER WARMTH, DEDICATION, AND GENEROUS, UH, SPIRIT TOUCHED COUNTLESS LIVES AND WILL BE REMEMBERED FOR GENERATIONS TO COME.
AND THE TOWN CLERK, LISA, YOU MENTIONED THAT HER DAUGHTER WOULD LIKE TO SAY A FEW WORDS.
YES, MS. LAWSON, IF YOU CAN COME UP TONS, THESE THINGS ALL
MAKE SURE IT'S GREEN, WHICH MEANS LIGHTS.
AND I JUST WANTED TO STATE SOME OF WHAT WAS JUST SAID, BUT TO REPEAT, MY MOTHER, DEBORAH, LILLIAN LAWSON, WAS COMMITTED TO HER COMMUNITY AT HOME, AT SCHOOL, AND AT CHURCH.
SHE STAYED FAITHFUL AND ENCOURAGED EVERYONE TO DO AND TO BE THEIR BEST AS A GREENBERG RESIDENT FOR OVER 62 YEARS, SHE LEAVES THE LEGACY OF SERVICE TO HER FAMILY, NEIGHBORS, AND FRIENDS.
I KNOW THAT SHE WOULD ASK ALL OF US TO STOP AND LOOK AT THE PEOPLE AROUND US TO SEE HOW WE CAN HELP, ESPECIALLY THE CHILDREN.
LET'S STOP, LOOK, AND HELP EACH OTHER.
SO NOW THE TOWN CLERK WILL DO THE ROLL CALL.
WHAT ABOUT THE SILENCE? OH, AND MEMORY OF THOSE AROUND THE WORLD HAVE PERISHED AS VICTIMS OF WAR DISEASE, A NATURAL DISASTER.
OUR HEARTS ARE WITH ALL THOSE WHO NEEDLESSLY SUFFER.
[ ROLL CALL: Town Clerk Lisa Maria Nero]
HERE.PRESENT, COUNCILWOMAN JACKSON PRESENT, COUNCILWOMAN HABER PRESENT, COUNCILWOMAN HENDRICKS, PRESENT TOWN ATTORNEY AND PARLIAMENTARIAN.
[ PRESENTATIONS (Maximum 10 minutes each) Honoring Blake Feinstein for creating, producing, and hosting the Student News Network programs Honoring college student Daphne Luciano, for supervising Summer Interns ]
WE'RE GONNA HONOR SOME EXCEPTIONAL, UH, STUDENTS.UM, THE FIRST PERSON WHO'S GONNA BE HONORED IS, UH, BLAKE FEINSTEIN.
AND, UM, THE GREENBERG TOWN BOARD IDENTIFIES AND FREQUENTLY HONORS EXCEPTIONAL INDIVIDUALS WHOSE ACCOMPLISHMENTS SHOULD BE RECOGNIZED.
AND BLAKE DEFINITELY DESERVES BEING, YOU KNOW, HONORED.
HE'S A STUDENT AT EDGEMAN HIGH SCHOOL, AND HE RECOGNIZED THE NEED TO CONTINUE TO OFFER THE COMMUNITY IMPORTANT INFORMATION ABOUT THEIR, UH, LOCALITY.
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YOU KNOW, MANY OF YOU KNOW, THERE'S FEWER AND FEWER NEWSPAPERS COVERING, UH, LOCAL GOVERNMENTS, SO IT'S HARD TO GET OBJECTIVE, UM, UNBIASED, UH, NEWS.UM, AND BLAKE FEINSTEIN, UM, PRODUCED, HOSTED, UH, AN INNOVATIVE NEWS PROGRAM CALLED GREENBERG, UH, STUDENT NEWS NETWORK.
HE ALSO RECRUITED AND ENLISTED OTHER STUDENTS WHO HAVE CO-HOSTED INTERVIEW SHOWS AND HELPED WITH, UM, THE PROGRAMS. UM, THE PROGRAMS ARE REALLY INTERESTING.
I LEARNED MORE FROM YOUR PROGRAMS THAN I LEARNED FROM, UH, CNN AND I, I DON'T WATCH FOX, SO I CAN'T, UH, YOU KNOW, MENTION THAT.
BUT I, I REALLY FIND THEY'RE, THEY'RE SO INTERESTING AND INFORMATIVE.
UH, YOU'VE AIRED PROGRAMS DEALING WITH THE NEW YORK STATE ASSEMBLY.
UH, YOU PRODUCE SHOWS ABOUT THE GREENBURG POLICE DEPARTMENT.
UM, OTHER STORIES INCLUDE AN INTERVIEW WITH A LOCAL HISTORIAN WHO DISCUSSED RACISM IN OUR BACKYARDS.
AND A FASCINATING REPORT ABOUT THE HISTORIC GREEN, UH, GREENVILLE, UM, YOU KNOW, COMMUNITY AND A CEMETERY.
UM, RECENTLY, MEMBERS OF THE GREENBURG TOWN BOARD WERE SO IMPRESSED WITH YOU, UH, THAT THEY APPOINTED YOU TO SERVE AS A STUDENT REPRESENTATIVE, UH, TO THE POLICE COMMUNITY ADVISORY.
UM, I WROTE BOARD, BUT SOMEBODY SAID, I HAVE TO REDO THE PROCLAMATION, IS REALLY THE COMMISSION.
UM, UM, SO THE TOWN BOARD, AND I WOULD LIKE TO, UH, THANK YOU FOR YOUR LEADERSHIP.
UM, YOU'RE CREATING THE GREENBERG STUDENT NEWS NETWORK.
WE'RE REALLY HOPING THAT YOU'LL CONTINUE THIS, UH, IN YOUR LAST YEAR IN, IN HIGH SCHOOL.
AND ALSO, UM, TRY FINDING OTHER STUDENTS WHO WILL TAKE OVER WHEN YOU GO, UH, TO COLLEGE.
SO I DEFINITELY WOULD BE VERY DISAPPOINTED IF ONE DAY YOU DON'T WIN A PULITZER PRIZE.
UM, UH, UM, AND I'M SURE THAT, UH, I'LL BE WATCHING YOU ON NATIONAL TV, UM, UH, ANCHORING, UH, NEWS PROGRAMS IN THE FUTURE.
BUT YOU REALLY HAVE BEEN A GREAT ASSET.
YOU KNOW, I'VE BEEN TRYING TO GET A STUDENT NEWS NETWORK GOING FOR AT LEAST FIVE OR SIX YEARS, AND I KEPT TRYING AND TRYING AND TRYING AND TRYING.
IT NEVER SUCCEEDED UNTIL, UH, UH, YOU GOT INVOLVED.
AND, YOU KNOW, YOU'RE ALSO A TAKE CHARGE PERSON.
YOU HAVE GREAT LEADERSHIP SKILLS.
YOU DON'T, UH, YOU KNOW, YOU DID EVERYTHING ON YOUR OWN.
UM, SO I THINK YOU HAVE THE QUALITIES TO BE AN ENORMOUS SUCCESS IN LIFE.
SO I'D JUST LIKE TO, UH, UM, GIVE YOU THIS PROCLAMATION, AND IF YOU WANT TO, UH, MENTION ANYTHING, UH, YOU, YOU COULD, UH, YEAH.
UM, SO YEAH, THANK YOU SO MUCH, SUPERVISOR FINER FOR THE PROCLAMATION, UH, AND TO THE, AND TO THE ENTIRE, UH, TOWN COUNCIL.
AND, UM, YOU KNOW, THE SHOW, DEFINITELY, I COULDN'T HAVE DONE IT WITHOUT, UM, SUPERVISOR FINER SUPPORT, UH, AND WITHOUT, YOU KNOW, THE TOWN, UM, HELPING ME TO HOST THIS SHOW ON PUBLIC ACCESS.
SO I DEFINITELY WANNA THANK EVERYONE FOR THAT.
AND, UM, YEAH, I, I HOPE WE CAN KEEP MAKING SOME MORE INTERESTING EPISODES NEXT YEAR.
AND THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THIS AWARD.
UM, NOW, UM, WE, YOU KNOW, IT IS SO NICE TO RECOGNIZE POSITIVE THINGS IN THE COMMUNITY.
YOU KNOW, YOU READ, YOU, IF YOU WATCH THE NATIONAL NEWS, YOU KNOW, YOU SOMETIMES, UH, GET SO DISGUSTED, YOU COULD BECOME BOLD LIKE ME.
UM, BUT, BUT THE THING IS, UM, YOU KNOW, I, I THINK THAT, UM, THE FUTURE LOOKS REALLY BRIGHT.
AND TODAY, UM, ONE OF THE STUDENTS I'M GONNA BE HONORING AND RECOGNIZING IS DAPHNE, UH, LUCIANO, SHE'S A COLLEGE STUDENT FROM GREENBURG.
UH, SHE'S AN EXCEPTIONAL LEADER.
UH, THIS, UM, SUMMER, UH, SHE SUPERVISED FIVE LOCAL HIGH SCHOOL INTERNS.
UH, WE PARTICIPATED IN AN INTERNSHIP PROGRAM THAT IS BEING COORDINATED BY, UH, TOWN CLERK, UH, UH, LISA NIRO.
AND, UM, AND, UM, UH, LISA ASSIGNED FIVE STUDENTS, UH, TO MY OFFICE.
AND, YOU KNOW, IT'S REALLY HARD HAVING A VERY MEANINGFUL INTERNSHIP EXPERIENCE.
SO, DAPHNE TOOK CONTROL AND, UM, AND HELPED ORGANIZE A REALLY AMAZING PROGRAM FOR THE FIVE STUDENTS WHO WORKED UNDER YOUR, UM, UNDER YOUR LEADERSHIP.
I'VE, UM, HAD AN INTERNSHIP PROGRAM, UH, SINCE I WAS A COUNTY LEGISLATOR FOR OVER 40 YEARS.
UM, AND I'VE MENTIONED THIS TO YOU, UH, PRIVATELY, BUT WITHOUT QUESTION, YOU'VE BEEN THE BEST OF THE, ANY INTERN THAT I EVER,
[00:10:01]
UH, YOU KNOW, WORKED WITH.UM, AND THE REASON I'M, WHY SHE'S DONE, UM, SHE DOES LIKE, IN, IN ONE DAY WHAT MANY PEOPLE WOULD TAKE THREE SUMMERS TO DO.
UM, YOU KNOW, SHE IS JUST AMAZING.
THE QUALITY OF THE WORK IS EXCEPTIONAL.
AS I MENTIONED, UH, BEFORE, I WOULD BE AMAZED IF YOU DON'T BECOME A FEDERAL JUDGE ONE DAY OR A SUPREME COURT JUDGE, UH, I WOULD BE NOT INATE.
I'D BE REALLY DISAPPOINTED BECAUSE I THINK YOU HAVE LEADERSHIP SKILLS THAT ARE JUST REALLY, REALLY INCREDIBLE, UM, UH, DEATH AMONG THE PROGRAMS THAT IN JUST A COUPLE WEEKS, DAPHNE ASSISTED THE GREENBERG CHAMBER OF COMMERCE WITH THE CREATION OF A NOMINATION SYSTEM FOR BUSINESS OF THE MONTH PROGRAM, AND PROMOTING THEIR EVENTS.
SHE, UM, PREPARED, UH, PREPARED THE TOWN FOR AN UPCOMING SNOW ANGELS PROGRAM WITH NEW FLYERS AND, UM, AND RECRUITMENT FORUMS. SHE RESEARCHED AND COMPILED RESOURCES FOR CIVIL, A CIVIL SERVICE JOB WEBSITE.
A LOT OF PEOPLE WHO ARE OUT OF WORK DON'T KNOW HOW TO GET GOVERNMENT JOBS, SO SHE, HER WEBSITE IS GONNA HELP PEOPLE, UM, FIND EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES.
SHE INTERVIEWED STAFF AND CREATED INTERVIEW SCRIPTS.
SHE CREATED A CITIZEN SURVEY COVERING ALL OF, UH, TOWN OF GREENBURG DEPARTMENTS WITH PROMOTIONAL MATERIAL LEADING THE REVITALIZATION, BRAINSTORMING EFFORTS FOR AN UPCOMING EAST HARTSDALE AVENUE EVENT.
SHE ALSO CREATED AN ONLINE GREENBURG SCHOLARSHIP HUB TO HELP STUDENTS ACCESS SCHOLARSHIPS.
SHE PRODUCED INFORMA INFOGRAPHICS ON FLOOD AWARENESS AND PREPARATION, AND SPOTTED LANTERN FLY PREVENTIONS.
SHE COMPILED LIST OF UNIVERSAL ACCESSIBLE PLAYGROUNDS, UM, ACROSS THE COUNTY.
UM, SOMETHING THAT, UH, WE ASKED FOR AFTER OUR LAST TOWN BOARD MEETING.
AND, UM, AND ALSO, UM, INITIATED RESEARCH ON COMMUNICATION PRACTICES AND COMPARABLE TOWNS TO STRENGTHEN GREENBURG'S OUTREACH.
I THINK THAT WAS ONLY THE FIRST WEEK
UH, BUT, UM, BUT, BUT, BUT YOU KNOW, SHE DID SO MUCH.
EVERY TIME I ASK HER TO DO SOMETHING, IT'S DONE LIKE IN A HALF HOUR.
UM, DAPHNE, YOU WERE ALSO A MEMBER.
UH, YOU WENT TO THE POLICE SUMMER YOUTH CAMP AND HER BROTHER'S, UM, UH, A GRADUATE OF THE POLICE SUMMER YOUTH CAMP, AND IS ALSO A GREENBURG POLICE OFFICER, UM, WHICH HIGHLIGHTS ONE OF THE BENEFITS OF THE GREENBURG POLICE, UH, SUMMER YOUTH CAMP BECAUSE IT REALLY PROVIDES, UH, YOUNG PEOPLE WITH, UM, YOU KNOW, WITH A FOUNDATION THAT WILL HELP THEM, THEM GROW.
SO, I'D LIKE TO PRESENT YOU WITH THIS PROCLAMATION, AND MAYBE YOU COULD, UH, SHARE WITH US, UM, AND INTRODUCE SOME OF THE FIVE INTERNS THAT WERE UNDER YOUR SUPERVISION.
YEAH, THANK YOU, SUPERVISOR FINER, UM, AND ALL OF YOU HERE.
UM, I JUST WANNA THANK EVERYONE FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO INTERN HERE.
MISS LISA, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR ALWAYS GREETING ME AND SO MUCH KINDNESS.
UM, YES, LIKE HE MENTIONED, I HAD SUCH A PLEASURE WORKING WITH SOME OF MY INTERNS HERE.
UM, THEY MADE THE JOB EASY BECAUSE IT WAS ALWAYS SO FUN COMING AND SEEING THEM.
UM, WE WORKED ON A LOT, LIKE SOME OF WHAT HE MENTIONED, UM, SOME OF WHAT THEY'LL DISCUSS TODAY, LIKE VIVIAN, MARGOT AND DALLAS WHO ARE HERE WITH ME TODAY.
I JUST, I'M REALLY GLAD TO BE HERE.
I'M PROUD OF THE WORK I'VE BEEN ABLE TO DO, AND YEAH, WE HAVE A, HAVE A VIDEO THAT YOU, YES, I MADE A VIDEO KIND OF HIGHLIGHTING THEIR EXPERIENCE, AND THEY ALSO HAVE SOME WORDS ABOUT THEIR EXPERIENCE AS WELL THAT THEY'D LIKE TO SHARE.
BUT I JUST WANNA THANK YOU, YOU ALL FOR THIS IS THE VIDEO, THIS IS THIS ONLY, UH, RECOGNITION.
I'M AN INTERN AT GREENBURG TA HALL, AND I'M HERE TO SHARE ABOUT THE GREEN BURS ELKINS.
AND I'M A 10TH GRADE STUDENT INTERN AT GREENBURG TOWN HALL, WORKING UNDER SUPERVISOR PAUL FINER ON JULY 3RD.
I WANT JUNIOR SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL, AND I'M AN INTERN FOR SUPERVISOR FINER, THE TOWN OF GREENBURG.
IS PROUD TO ANNOUNCE THE LAUNCH OF OUR BRAND NEW WEBSITE AND EXPLORE LIKE, DIFFERENT ADVICE YOU WOULD GIVE TO LIKE SOMEONE WHEN IT'S LIKE A FRIEND WHO NEEDS IT.
IS THERE ANY SPECIFIC, IS THERE ANY LIKE DIFFERENT ADVICE YOU SHOULD GIVE TO THEM, OR SHOULD YOU JUST CALL LIKE, THE SAME TYPES OF ADVICE? LIKE, IT SOUNDS LIKE YOU'RE FEELING SAD AND LIKE THAT TYPE OF THING FROM LIKE A TEEN TO A TEEN.
YEAH, I, THAT'S A REALLY GOOD QUESTION.
[00:15:01]
AGAIN, IT DIFFERS IF YOU HAVE LIKE A, I HAVE LEARNED A LOT ABOUT HOW ISSUES GOT FIXED IN MY COMMUNITY.FIRST, WE WORKED ON A CIVIL SERVICE WEBSITE TO BETTER PEOPLE ACCESS TO HELP APPLY FOR GOVERNMENT JOBS.
ALSO, A FEW OTHER PROJECTS SUCH AS BRINGING PUBLICITY TO THE EAST DALE RESTAURANTS AS THEY'RE SUFFERING BECAUSE OF NO PARKING SPACES.
THEN WE WORK ON TWO CAMPAIGNS, ONE 15 MENTAL HEALTH AND THE OTHER FOR RECYCLING SLASH COMPOSTING.
I'M PROUD TO SAY THAT I HAVE GAINED A LOT OF KNOWLEDGE FROM THIS OPPORTUNITY AND WILL RETURN THE COMING SUMMERS.
THIS SUMMER, I WENT INTO THIS INTERNSHIP WITH NO REAL KNOWLEDGE OF WHAT I WAS GOING TO BE DOING.
UM, BUT I'M REALLY HAPPY I ENDED UP DOING IT ANYWAY, BECAUSE I WAS ABLE TO LEARN A LOT ABOUT LOCAL GOVERNMENT, AND I WAS ABLE TO LEARN A LOT ABOUT CIVIL SERVICE AND SCHOLARSHIPS.
AND IT WAS REALLY INTERESTING TO ME.
AND I AM REALLY HAPPY I ENDED UP DOING THIS INTERNSHIP, IMPORTANT THINGS ABOUT HOW WE CAN HELP OUT IN OUR COMMUNITY, SUCH AS WHEN WE HELPED DURING A FLOOD, THE MOR THE MORNING AFTER A FLOOD, WHEN A FAMILY HAD THEIR HOUSE FLOODED UP TO THREE FEET OF WATER, UM, WE HELPED AND WE CLEANED UP THE MUD AND DEBRIS LEFT IN THEIR YARD.
UM, I ALSO LEARNED MANY THINGS ABOUT LOCAL GOVERNMENT, SUCH AS CIVIL SERVICE AND WEBSITE MAKING, SURPRISINGLY ENOUGH, WE MADE SCRIPTS SO WE CAN BE ON CABLE TV ON OUR LOCAL CHANNEL.
AND ALSO WE LEARNED MANY IMPORTANT THINGS ABOUT OUR COMMUNITY.
WE SORTED FILES, WE MADE FLYERS FOR SCHOOLS ABOUT ANTI VAPING, AND WE EVEN DID A TEEN'S MENTAL HEALTH CAMPAIGN.
CHIP HAS MADE ME FEEL MORE CONNECTED TO OUR COMMUNITY, AND I'M VERY THANKFUL I SIGNED UP FOR IT THAT, UM, THAT I DECIDED TO ENTER HERE AT THE GREEN NORTH TOWN HALL BECAUSE, UM, I GOT TO LEARN MANY, UM, THINGS ABOUT LOCAL GOVERNMENT.
AND INTERNING HERE HAS SHOWN ME, UH, DIFFERENT LIFE THAT I'VE NEVER SEEN ME BEFORE.
AND WE, UM, WE'VE DONE MANY DIFFERENT THINGS LIKE, UH, WORK ON WEBSITES AND WE WROTE SCRIPTS DOWN, UM, FOR ANNOUNCEMENTS, AND WE GOT TO READ A SNAP OUT, UH, WHAT WE RECORDED IN TELEVISED.
UM, BUT THE HIGHLIGHT FOR ME WAS WHEN WE, UH, WORKED ON, UH, A CAMPAIGN FOR TEAM MENTAL HEALTH AWARENESS.
WE WORK ON IT BECAUSE I GOT TO FEEL LIKE I HAD LIKE, REAL IMPACT ON THE COMMUNITY.
AND I GOT, I TOOK OUT, I'M GLAD I GOT THIS OPPORTUNITY AND I WOULD DO IT AGAIN.
DURING THIS INTERNSHIP AT THE GREENBERG TOWN HALL, I GAINED MORE KNOWLEDGE ON COMPOSTING AND TEEN MENTAL HEALTH.
WE'VE MADE FLYERS FOR TEEN MENTAL HEALTH INFORMATION SESSION AND PROMOTION FLYERS FOR A PIZZA SPOT IN WEST PARKDALE.
THE HIGHLIGHT OF THIS INTERNSHIP WITH GETTING TO TRY NEW THINGS AND MAKE VIDEOS AND FLYERS ON THINGS I HAVEN'T REALLY BEEN INTO BEFORE, BUT I'M GLAD I GOT THIS INTER I GOT, I'M GLAD I GOT THIS OPPORTUNITY AND I'LL DO IT AGAIN ONE DAY.
SO, UM, MY NAME IS MARGO ELKINS.
UH, I WAS ONE OF THE FIVE STUDENT INTERNS IS SHOWN IN THAT VIDEO THAT DAPHNE JUST SHOWED.
UM, WE, UH, WE, WE DID THE MENTAL HEALTH INFO SESSION LAST THURSDAY, WHICH WENT PRETTY, PRETTY WELL, IF I DO SAY SO MYSELF.
WE, UM, WE'RE REALLY LUCKY TO HAVE, UM, BELLA PEPE, WHO WAS A 9 8 8 SUICIDE CRISIS HOTLINE, UM, COUNSELOR, SORRY, UM, AS OUR GUEST SPEAKER.
AND SHE SHARED LOTS OF HELPFUL INFORMATION AND SHE SHARED, AND SHE GAVE US, UH, LIKE THE FREEDOM TO ANSWER AND ASK A BUNCH OF QUESTIONS THAT WERE, THAT PEOPLE WERE CURIOUS ABOUT, AND PARENTS WERE ABLE TO CHAT THEM OR JUST LIKE, SAY THEM.
AND IT WAS, IT WAS LIKE INTERESTING.
IT WAS INFORMATIVE AND IT WAS PRETTY, IT WAS VERY INCLUSIVE AND VERY, UM, AWESOME.
THE EVENT WAS REALLY IMPORTANT TO US AS TEENAGERS OURSELVES.
WE, UM, ALSO HAVE A BUNCH OF LIKE, WELL, MENTAL HEALTH REALLY AFFECTS US.
UM, WE, SO MAKING, BEING ABLE TO SHARE THAT WITH PARENTS WAS PRETTY GREAT TO MAKE IT EASIER FOR US.
AND LIKE A BUNCH OF OTHER TEENAGERS THAT ARE OUT THERE.
UM, THROUGH THE SUMMER INTERNSHIP PROGRAM, WE LEARNED HOW TO ORGANIZE EVENTS, COMMUNICATE WITH THE COMMUNITY, TAKE ACTION ON ISSUES THAT MATTERED, LIKE THE MENTAL HEALTH THING.
UM, AND THANKS TO ALL THESE SKILLS THAT WE LEARNED, WE WERE ABLE TO TAKE AN IDEA AND TURN INTO A REAL, UM, MEANINGFUL EVENT.
[00:20:01]
IT JUST FIT STARTED AS LIKE A SCRIPT WITH A BUNCH OF LIKE TYPING ERRORS AND THEN TURNED INTO THIS REAL THING, WHICH WAS PRETTY AWESOME.IT WAS REALLY AMAZING TO SEE HOW MANY PEOPLE SHOWED UP.
UM, UH, PARENTS, STUDENTS, EVERYBODY.
A LOT OF PEOPLE, EVERYBODY AND EVERYBODY, A LOT OF PEOPLE SHOWED UP.
UM, IT SHOWED US HOW POWERFUL THESE CONVERSATIONS COULD BE, AND A BUNCH OF PARENTS ASKED QUESTIONS THAT OTHER OTHERS MIGHT NOT HAVE WANTED TO ASK OR NOT KNOWN THAT THEY WERE CURIOUS ABOUT.
THEY TALKED ABOUT
UM, AND IT WAS PRETTY AWESOME AND WE WERE REALLY PROUD OF WHAT WE ACCOMPLISHED AND WE HOPE THAT THIS IS JUST THE BEGINNING OF, UH, MORE OPEN AND HONEST CONVERSATION ABOUT MENTAL HEALTH IN OUR TOWN.
AND THANK YOU TO EVERYBODY AND SUPPORTED US, AND A HUGE THANK YOU TO BELLA AND DAPHNE FOR BEING SUCH A POWERFUL AND INSPIRING, UM, INDIVIDUAL THAT HELPED US A LOT AND HELPFUL SPEAKER AND AWESOME INTERNSHIP LEADER.
WE HAVE CERTIFICATES FOR EACH OF THE, UH, STUDENTS.
I'LL JUST GO DOWN FOR ALL OF THEM.
DON'T WE HAVE, THAT'S JUST HIS DALLAS.
DO YOU WANNA SAY ANYTHING? SHE'S NOT HERE.
LEMME JUST, UH, NOBODY SHARES.
AND, UH, VIVIAN IS GONNA BE COORDINATING OUR, UH, SNOW ANGEL PROGRAM, UH, UH, THIS COMING SEASON.
HER BROTHER, UH, WAS ONE OF THE BEST, UH, SNOW ANGEL COORDINATORS IN THE PAST, AND THE JOB IS HEREDITARY.
SO, UH, SO NOW, UH, YOU'RE GONNA, UM, UH, TAKE OVER AND DO YOU WANNA SAY ANYTHING ABOUT THE SNOW ANGELS OR ABOUT TER? UM, MY EMAIL IS MISS VIVIANHOLLAND@GMAIL.COM, IF ANY OF YOU GUYS WANNA SIGN UP.
UM, ALSO, YES, MY OLDER BROTHER DID RUN THE SNOW ANGELS FOR QUITE SOME TIME.
UH, AND I REALLY LOOK UP TO HIM BECAUSE OF THAT.
SO I WOULD REALLY LIKE TO THANK MR. FINER FOR THIS OPPORTUNITY.
UM, ACTUALLY THE F WHEN I TOLD HIM, UH, I WAS LIKE, MR. FINER, YOU REMEMBER JACKSON? HE WAS LIKE, OH MY GOSH, YES.
HOW IS HE DOING? I WAS LIKE, I'M HIS LITTLE SISTER.
YOU'RE IN CHARGE OF THE SNOW ANGELS NOW.
UM, BUT YEAH, THE SNOW ANGELS IS JUST SUCH A WONDERFUL ORGANIZATION.
UM, I'VE BEEN DOING THE SNOW ANGELS SINCE I WAS LIKE SEVEN.
MY MOM WOULD HAVE ME TRUDGING OUT IN THE SNOW, UM, WITH LIKE MY LITTLE BOOTS ON AND EVERYTHING, AND, UM, WHAT SHE'S DISTRACTING ME.
AND, YOU KNOW, THE SNOW ANGEL PROGRAM IS REAL.
IT'S, THIS IS GONNA BE HARD OR BECAUSE A LOT OF THE SNOW ANGELS WHO HAD VOLUNTEERED FOR YEARS ARE NOW IN COLLEGE OR HAVE JOBS AND MOVED OUT OF THE AREA.
SO WE ALMOST HAVE TO START, UM, YOU KNOW, FROM SCRATCH AND LISTING, YOU KNOW, MORE VOLUNTEERS.
AND, YOU KNOW, IT'S REALLY SUCH A REWARDING PROGRAM BECAUSE THERE'S A LOT OF ELDERLY PEOPLE AND DISABLED PEOPLE, AND THEY JUST DON'T HAVE THE ABILITY OF CLEARING SNOW FROM THEIR, UH, THEIR DRIVEWAYS.
SO WHAT YOU DO ENABLES 'EM TO, UM, HAVE INDEPENDENCE AND MOBILITY, AND PEOPLE GET NERVOUS THAT, GOD FORBID IF THEY HAVE A MEDICAL EMERGENCY AT NIGHT, UM, UH, THE, THE POLICE MIGHT NOT BE ABLE TO GET GET TO THEM.
I GUESS YOU WOULD BE ABLE TO, UH, BECAUSE YOU WERE A GRADUATE OF A POLICE SUMMER YOUTH CAMP.
BUT, UH, BUT THE THING IS, YOU MIGHT BE ABLE TO, BUT NOT AT ALL EMERGENCY PEOPLE COULD, COULD, YOU KNOW, DO THE WORK.
SO WHAT YOU'RE DOING IN THE FUTURE IS, UM, IS REALLY GREAT.
SO, UH, IN APRIL, WE'LL HAVE TO HONOR YOU AGAIN.
UH, WELL, WE'LL KEEP GIVING YOU PROCLAMATION EVERY EVERY YEAR.
EVERY TIME YOU DO SOMETHING TERRIFIC.
UM, AND AGAIN, IF ANYBODY WANTS TO VOLUNTEER, IT REALLY IS SUCH AN IMPORTANT PLUS, SO THANK YOU.
NOW, I JUST WANNA, UH, MENTION, UM, YOU KNOW, THESE WERE ONLY, UM, THE FIVE INTERN.
THESE WERE ONLY THE FIVE INTERNS THAT, OR SIX INTERNS THAT, UH, WORKED UNDER MY OFFICE.
BUT, UH, ONE WAS REALLY AMAZING,
[00:25:01]
UH, THIS SUMMER IS WE HAD OVER 54 INTERNS AND THEY ALL, UH, WORKED UNDER, UH, THE DIRECTION OF, UH, THE TOWN CLERK, UM, AND, UM, YOU KNOW, AND OTHER DEPARTMENTS ALSO PROVIDED, UH, YOUNG PEOPLE WITH OPPORTUNITIES.SO LISA, WOULD YOU LIKE TO, UH, SAY, UH, YOU KNOW, WHAT YOU DID AND, UH, YOU KNOW, THE VISION OF THE INTERNSHIP PROGRAM? BLESS YOU.
UM, THE TOWN BOARD HAD ASKED ME TO PRESENT THE, UM, AND BRING THE STUDENTS, UH, DURING THE FIRST, UM, MEETING IN SEPTEMBER.
SO THAT'S WHEN WE'LL DO A MORE FORMAL, UH, PRESENTATION.
UM, BUT, UH, LAST YEAR, UH, I HAD THE HONOR OF, UH, HOSTING 37 INTERNS, 13 COLLEGE AND 24 HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS.
AND THIS YEAR IT WAS A TOTAL OF 48 INTERNS, SEVEN COLLEGE, 40, UH, HIGH SCHOOL.
AND, UH, ONE OPERATION CROSSROADS.
UH, WE HAD EVERY, UH, DEPARTMENT WHO WAS VERY INSTRUMENTAL IN HELPING, AND ESPECIALLY THE SUPERVISOR'S OFFICE, OF COURSE, BUT THE ATTORNEY'S OFFICE, COMPTROLLER, HISPANIC LIAISON, ENGINEERING, HUMAN RESOURCES, THE LIBRARY, THE MAIL ROOM MIS WHERE WE WERE TOLD THAT THAT, UH, THE 14-YEAR-OLD WAS DOING THE WORK OF A 25-YEAR-OLD.
PLANNING AND ZONING, OF COURSE, THE SUPERVISOR'S OFFICE, MY OFFICE, AND OF COURSE, UH, OUR ARCHIVE ROOM.
AND, UM, AGAIN, UM, I PRESENTED THE, UH, INTERNSHIP SIMILAR TO THE WISE PROGRAM AT, UH, WOODLANDS HIGH SCHOOL, WHICH IS WORK EXPERIENCE AND LEARNING WHAT WE DO IN LOCAL GOVERNMENT.
UM, JUST TO SAY WHAT THEY WERE OFFERED, THEY WERE OFFERED NOT ONLY A STIPEND, BUT UM, I ALSO PROVIDE THEM WITH A LETTER OF RECOMMENDATION.
AND THEN I ALSO GIVE THEM A CERTIFICATE OF COMPLETION WITH 50 HOURS OF A COMMUNITY SERVICE, UM, TO ADD TO THEIR RESUME AS WELL AS RESUME BUILDING AND HELPING AND ASSISTING.
SO, AGAIN, VERY, VERY PROUD OF THE WORK THAT THEY ACCOMPLISHED.
UM, AND AGAIN, I WILL DEFINITELY MAKE A MORE FORMAL PRO, UM, UH, PRO PRESENTATION IN SEPTEMBER.
AND JUST TWO THINGS BEFORE WE CLOSE THIS, UM, PORTION OF THE MEETING.
I JUST WANNA MENTION THAT, UH, WE ALSO HAVE THE FILLER CENTER.
UM, IT WAS SORT OF LIKE A HABITAT FOR HUMANITY.
SO COUPLE, UM, UH, WEEKS AGO, UM, UH, SOMEBODY EMAILED ME ACTUALLY, OR MESSAGED ME ON FACEBOOK SAYING THAT A FRIEND OF THEIRS WHO LIVES ON HILLSIDE AVENUE, SHE'S DISABLED, AND SHE NEEDED A RAMP INSTALLED.
I CONTACTED THE FILLER CENTER, UH, THEY INSTALLED, THEY HAD VOLUNTEERS INSTALL, UM, THE RAMP, UH, FOR FREE.
AND, UH, THEN SOME OF THE STUDENT INTERNS VOLUNTEERED THEIR TIME AND ACTUALLY PAINTED PART OF HER HOUSE AND DID SOME LANDSCAPING AT NO COST, UH, TO HER.
SO IT WAS SORT OF LIKE A REAL, YOU KNOW, A REALLY NICE, UM, INITIATIVE WHERE A WOMAN WHO, UM, UM, ACTUALLY IS A MINISTER, UM, YOU KNOW, AND IS HAVING A HARD TIME.
UM, SHE DIDN'T EVEN REACH OUT TO ME.
SOME, A FRIEND OF HERS REACHED OUT TO ME, AND NOW SHE FEELS SHE'S BEING TREATED LIKE THE ROYAL FAMILY.
UM, SO, UM, SO I WAS REALLY EXCITED AND REALLY GRATEFUL FOR THE INTERNSHIP.
AND THE OTHER THING THAT I WANT TO COMMEND TOWN CLERK FOR IS, UM, WE, UM, HAVE NEVER TURNED DOWN AN INTERN.
AND OUR PHILOSOPHY IS TO PROVIDE EVERY STUDENT, UH, WHO WANTS TO EXPERIENCE GOVERNMENT WITH OPPORTUNITY TO LEARN ABOUT GOVERNMENT AND EXPERIENCE, UM, THE INTERNSHIP, BECAUSE YOU NEVER REALLY KNOW HOW YOU'RE GONNA IMPACT SOMEBODY'S LIFE.
AND, UM, AND, YOU KNOW, SOMETIMES SOME OTHER, YOU KNOW, OFFICES AND GOVERNMENT OFFICES, THEY'LL REJECT PEOPLE.
BUT, YOU KNOW, SOMETIMES THE PEOPLE WHO NORMALLY MIGHT BE REJECTED COULD LAND UP BECOMING GREAT SUCCESSES, AND THEIR LIVES COULD CHANGE FOR THE BETTER BECAUSE OF THIS EXPERIENCE.
SO I JUST WANT TO THANK YOU FOR, UH, FOR REALLY DOING A GREAT JOB, UM, AND FOR YOUR HARD WORK AND MAKING THIS A BIG SUCCESS.
[ SUPERVISOR & TOWN COUNCIL REPORTS/ANNOUNCEMENTS Liaison Reports (Councilwoman Joy Haber, Councilwoman Ellen Hendrickx, Councilwoman Gina Jackson, Councilman Francis Sheehan) GOOD NEWS...The Town continues (since 2008) to have the highest possible bond rating from Standard & Poors (AAA) and (since 2010) (Aaa) from Moody's. Less than 1% of communities in the nation have this record of financial stability. Most recently, on November 21, 2024, Moody's reaffirmed the Town of Greenburgh earned Moody's highest rating (Aaa) and Standard & Poors also reaffirmed the Town again earned Standard & Poors highest rating (AAA). Anyone interested in serving on a board or commission should send a resume to the Town Board via Lisa Maria Nero, Town Clerk, 177 Hillside Avenue, Greenburgh, NY 10607. TownClerk@GreenburghNY.com Any individual or group interested in a visit from the Town Board should email the Board at TownBoard@GreenburghNY.com ]
UM, THE LIAISON REPORTS.UM, SO, UM, COUNCILWOMAN, UH, HABER, WOULD YOU LIKE TO START? YES, I WOULD LIKE TO START.
UM, I WAS PLANNING TO GIVE A SORT OF FULL REPORT ABOUT THE TOWN COURT WHERE I AM LIAISON, BUT WAS UNABLE TO CONNECT WITH OUR COURT ADMINISTRATOR THIS WEEK.
SO I WILL PROVIDE SOMETHING MORE SUBSTANTIAL IN THE NEAR FUTURE.
BUT I DO WANNA LET YOU KNOW THAT OUR NEW TOWN JUDGE, UH, LEAH RODRIGUEZ JUST STARTED, UH, THIS SUMMER AND SHE IS, UH, GETTING ACCLIMATED AND DOING, YOU KNOW, VERY, VERY WELL WORKING WITH THE HONORABLE DOLORES BRA AND THE HONORABLE AARON OSHA MAGOI, UH, IN THE TOWN COURT.
UM, AND AS I SAID, I WILL PROVIDE A, A, A BIGGER,
[00:30:01]
UH, MORE, UH, COMPREHENSIVE REPORT OF WHAT'S HAPPENING AT THE TOWN COURT WHEN I WAS, WHEN I'M ABLE TO CONNECT WITH THE COURT ADMINISTRATOR, UH, NEXT WEEK AND COUNCILWOMAN HENDRICKS.UM, YES, UH, TERRENCE, DO YOU WANNA QUEUE UP THE, OH, IT'S ON, ON JOE.
UM, I'M GOING TO TALK, I'M LIAISON TO THE PARKS AND, AND RECREATION DEPARTMENT, AND BEHIND THE SCENES, YOU KNOW, YOU, YOU SEE THE BEAUTIFUL PARK AND YOU KNOW THAT, UM, THAT THERE IS SOME CARE AND QUOTE UNQUOTE FEEDING THAT GOES INTO IT.
BUT EVEN MORE SO, THE STAFF THAT DOES ALL THE WORK THAT HAS TO BE DONE IS JUST AMAZING.
AND WE HAVE A HIGHLIGHT OF JUST ONE, ONE PERSON IN ONE AREA THAT IS WORTH HIGHLIGHTING.
WE HAVE SUCH A GREAT SYSTEM OF PARKS WITH ALL KINDS OF ACTIVITIES.
FIRST OF ALL, THE BEAUTY JUST FOR, FOR TAKING WALKS AROUND THE TOWN.
UM, AND THEN YOU ALSO HAVE A POOL.
YOU HAVE TENNIS COURTS, AND YOU HAVE BASEBALL DIAMONDS.
THE ONE CONSTANT, THROUGH ALL THE YEARS, RAY HAS BEEN BASEBALL.
THIS FIELD, THIS GAME, IT'S A PART OF OUR PAST RAY.
IT REMINDS US ALL THAT ONCE WAS GOOD.
AND IT COULD BE, AGAIN, IT'S REWARDING, ESPECIALLY WHEN YOU SEE THESE YOUNG KIDS OUT HERE PLAYING, HAVING A GOOD TIME.
I AM HECTOR VASQUEZ, AND I AM IN CHARGE OF TAKING CARE OF SIX BASEBALL FIELDERS.
AND I HAD THE GREATEST MEMORIES ON THESE FIELD MAN, STILL ACTUALLY FRIENDS WITH A LOT OF THESE GUYS THAT I, YOU KNOW, GREW UP PLAYING BALL WITH.
LISTEN, MAN, THIS IS WHERE MEMORIES ARE CREATED, BROTHER.
YOU KNOW, HOW DO THESE FOLKS, THEY STILL GOT THE LOVE OF THE GAME.
YOU GET SOME PEOPLE REALLY NICE PEOPLE.
THE GREATEST GET THE LITTLE KIDS.
YOU KNOW, THAT'S WHY I LOVE WHAT I DO, MAN.
YOU KNOW, YOU GOTTA MAKE IT SAFE FOR THESE KIDS TO COME OUT HERE AND PLAY.
SO A LOT OF, LOT OF SMALL DETAILS YOU GOTTA PAY ATTENTION TO, VERY IMPORTANT TO THE GAME.
THE KIDS, LIKE I SAID, MAN, THAT TIME THAT I'VE PREPPED THE FIELD AND THEY WERE ALL LINED UP, 20 LITTLE KIDS, MAN, I OPENED UP THE GATES, THEY'RE ALL RUNNING OUT.
IT WAS, YO DUDE THAT TOUCHED ME, MAN.
THIS IS A PLACE WHERE DREAMS BECOME REALITY, BROTHER.
THESE LITTLE KIDS GO TO BED AND DREAM ABOUT THEIR FEVER PLAYER, AND YOU COME OUT HERE AND YOU LIVE THOSE DREAMS, BROTHER.
I JUST WANT, YOU KNOW, PEOPLE TO KNOW ABOUT THIS PLACE.
MAN, WHEN I WAS A KID, WE DIDN'T HAVE FIELDS LIKE THIS MAN, GREENBERG.
THEY DO A LOT FOR THEIR COMMUNITY.
I JUST THINK IT'S SO WONDERFUL THAT YOU, YOU SEE THE LOVE OF THE GAME, THE LOVE OF THE WORK, AND THAT, THE LOVE OF THE TOWN.
AND I HAVE TO THANK JOE LUCCHESE, OUR COMMISSIONER, NICOLE BROCCOLI, AND THE REST OF THE MEN AND WOMEN FOR THE PARK IN THE PARKS TEAM, WHO DO SUCH A WONDERFUL, WONDERFUL JOB TO KEEP US ENTERTAINED AND HAPPY AND SAFE.
AND ALSO TERRANCE BROSNAN FOR MAKING GREAT VIDEO.
UH, COUNCILWOMAN, UH, JACKSON, JUST REALLY QUICKLY, UH, LAST NIGHT WE CELEBRATED, I'M SORRY, I AM THE LIAISON FOR, UH, THE POLICE DEPARTMENT AND ALSO PUBLIC WORKS.
BUT TONIGHT I WILL TALK ABOUT, UM, OUR POLICE DEPARTMENT.
LAST NIGHT WE CELEBRATED THE NATIONAL NIGHT OUT, UM, AND THE CHIEF WANTED ME TO GIVE A HEART WEALTH, THANK YOU TO THE EMPLOYEES WHO HAD A HAND,
[00:35:01]
AND ALL THE POLICE STAFF THAT REALLY JUST CAME OUT AND MADE THAT EVENT.YOU KNOW, SUPERVISOR FINAL ALWAYS TALKS ABOUT THIS AS THE BEST, BEST, BEST, BEST EVENT, AND EVERYTHING IS THE BEST, BEST, BEST.
BUT THIS WAS REALLY ONE OF THE REALLY GOOD EVENTS.
AND, UM, EVERYONE WAS REALLY PLEASED THAT HER, IT WASN'T THE BEST, WAS NO THE BEST, BEST, BEST, BEST.
SO, YOU KNOW, BUT IT WAS REALLY GOOD EVENTS.
SO THANK YOU TO, UM, STAFF, THANK YOU FOR THE COMMUNITY VOLUNTEERS.
UM, AND CONGRATULATIONS TO ALL THE YOUNG ONES WHO WON BICYCLES LAST NIGHT.
SO, YOU KNOW, THAT WAS REALLY FUN.
UM, ALSO, THE, WE, OUR SUMMER YOUTH CAMP, UH, STARTED SEVERAL WEEKS AGO, AND THAT'S GOING REALLY WELL.
THEY'RE GOING TO HAVE GRADUATION ON, ON THURSDAY, AUGUST 14TH, UM, AT THE JERRY BURN CENTER.
SO IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO SEE OUR FUTURE POLICE OFFICERS, PLEASE COME OUT TO, UH, THE JERRY BURN CENTER AT VETERAN PARK.
UM, AND THEN JUST REALLY QUICKLY, NOT SURE, UM, JUST WANNA MAKE SURE EVERYBODY AWARE OF THAT.
THE GREENBURG POLICE EXPLORERS WON FIRST AND SECOND PLACE IN THE POLICE EXPLORER POST COMPETITION.
SO WE JUST WANNA SAY A BIG CONGRATULATIONS TO OUR WINNER.
AND, AND THAT'S ALL I HAVE FOR THIS EVENING, SO THANK YOU, COUNCIL MACHINE.
SO I AM LIAISON ONTO TO A MULTITUDE OF DEPARTMENTS, BUT I'M GONNA STEAL ONE OF COUNCILWOMAN JACKSON'S DEPARTMENTS BECAUSE I HAPPEN TO BE PASSING BY, UH, WHEN THERE WAS A WATER MAIN BREAK ON CENTRAL AVENUE ON SUNDAY.
AND SO I HAVE A, A SHORT VIDEO OF WHAT THEY WERE DOING ON A SUNDAY MORNING TO RESTORE WATER TO MANY, MANY PEOPLE ON CENTRAL AVENUE WHO HAD NO WATER.
AND AS WE ALL KNOW, WE COULD GO WITHOUT ELECTRICITY FOR A WHILE.
YOU CAN'T GO OUT WITHOUT WATER FOR VERY LONG AT ALL.
AND SO, UM, UH, TERENCE, IF YOU COULD JUST PLAY THE VIDEO NOW, HE'S DECIDED NOT TO PLAY IT WITH NOISE BECAUSE ALL OF THESE TOWN EMPLOYEES ARE WEARING HEARING, HEARING PROTECTED PROTECTIONS.
UH, 'CAUSE IT WAS EXTREMELY LOUD, AND IT WOULD BE LOUDER THAN ANYTHING YOU WOULD EVER HEARD IN THIS, IN THIS ROOM.
AND WHAT THEY'RE ACTUALLY DOING IS, YOU DON'T SEE IT RIGHT HERE IN THIS PARTICULAR CLIP, BUT THEY'RE USING A, A JET NOZZLE TO GET THROUGH THE DIRT.
WHAT YOU DIDN'T SEE IS THEY HAD TO GET DOWN, THEY MADE THIS HOLE, THEY HAD TO CUT THROUGH THE ASPHALT, THEY HAD TO CUT THROUGH CONCRETE TO GET TO THE DIRT, AND THE DIRT IS EXTREMELY, UM, IMPACTED.
AND SO WHEN THEY DID THAT, UH, THEY WOULD KEEP SUCKING UP THE WET DIRT NOW AND GET IT OUT OF THERE TO GET, TO REACH THE, THE WATER PIPE WHICH CRACKED, WHICH WE BELIEVE CRACKED DUE TO THE EARTHQUAKE.
UM, AND SO THERE'S A PICTURE OF THEM.
I DUNNO IF YOU COULD BLOW THAT UP AND GET RID OF THE, UH, WHAT'S ABOVE AND BELOW IT, TERRANCE.
SO WHAT YOU SEE HERE ARE LEFT OR RIGHT, DANIEL LYNCH, ROBERT ANDREWS, BRENDAN S SCAROLA, JOE DEVITO, NICK MOROSE, AND CONNOR MCCAFFREY, WHO WAS THE, THE FOREMAN.
UH, THERE WAS ANOTHER PERSON WHO WAS THERE WHO ACTUALLY CALLED OUT THESE, THESE WORKERS, AND HE DIDN'T WANNA BE IN THE PICTURE BECAUSE HE DIDN'T WANNA TAKE IT AWAY FROM, FROM THE WORKERS WHO WERE ACTUALLY DOWN IN THE TRENCHES.
WHAT YOU ALSO DIDN'T SEE IS THEM DOWN IN THE MUD TO GET TO THIS PIPE, AND THEY FIXED IT WITHIN HOURS SO THAT THEY COULD RESTORE THAT.
AND THEN AT NIGHTTIME, UH, WE GOT, THE COUNTY GOT A CALL STATING THAT THERE'S METAL PLATES ON THE ROAD.
PEOPLE WEREN'T, WEREN'T EXPECTING METAL PLATES ON CENTRAL AVENUE, AND COULD WE DO SOMETHING TO PUT, UH, SOME WARNING CONES, WHATEVER.
AND THE COUNTY, THE COUNTY MEMBER OF THE COUNTY CALLED ME.
I THEN CALLED OUR BUILDING INSPECTOR, WHO'S ALSO THE DEPUTY, UH, DBW, UH, COMMISSIONER.
AND WITHIN 20 MINUTES THERE WERE CONES OUT THERE AND SO FORTH.
AND I DO THIS NOT SOLELY TO HIGHLIGHT THESE WORK, THESE ARE JUST WORKERS THAT I HAPPENED TO PASS BY BECAUSE THERE HAPPENED TO BE A WATER BREAK AT THE TIME.
EACH ONE OF THEM IS WHAT MAKES GREENBERG GREAT, NOT US.
IT'S THE WORKERS THAT DO ON THE FRONT LINES, AND THAT'S RIGHT.
ONE OF THE REASONS WHY WE'RE DOING THESE LIAISON
[00:40:01]
LIAISON REPORTS IS TO HIGHLIGHT ALL THE GOOD WORK.AND THAT'S NOT EASY WORK TO DO.
UM, AND, UH, I REALLY APPRECIATE THESE PARTICULAR, UM, PEOPLE THAT WERE MAKING SURE WE GOT WATER BACK ON.
BUT WHILE THEY'RE DOING THAT, WE HAVE POLICE OUT ON THE ROADS.
WE HAVE DPW, WE HAVE EVERYBODY WORKING, YOU KNOW, WHEN IT'S NECESSARY TO WORK.
AND, UH, I COULDN'T BE MORE PROUD OF THESE PEOPLE.
AND I'M A LIAISON TO THE HARTSDALE PARKING DISTRICT, AND, UM, OUR HIGHEST PRIORITY IS, UM, TRYING TO REVITALIZE, UM, EAST HARTSDALE AVENUE.
UM, A COUPLE YEARS AGO, RITE AID WENT OUT OF BUSINESS AND, UH, WE'RE TRYING TO GET A GROCERY STORE TO, UH, REPLACE, UM, THE VACANT, UH, RITE AID.
AND, YOU KNOW, I'M HOPEFUL THAT WE'LL HAVE GOOD NEWS TO REPORT IN THE COMING, UM, YOU KNOW, MONTHS.
UM, AND WE'RE GONNA BE WORKING WITH THE CHAMBER OF COMMERCE, UH, TO TRY FIGURING OUT WAYS OF, UM, UH, ENCOURAGING MORE PEDESTRIAN TRAFFIC ON, YOU KNOW, ON EAST HARTSDALE AVENUE.
UM, BECAUSE IT'S REALLY THE GATEWAY TO THE TOWN.
AND, YOU KNOW, I REALLY THINK THAT IF WE WORK REALLY HARD, WE COULD REALLY MAKE, UH, THE AVENUE, UM, AND OUR BUSINESS DISTRICT, YOU KNOW, SPECIAL.
WE'RE ALSO GONNA BE WORKING, UM, WITH, YOU KNOW, ALL THE BUSINESSES IN THE TOWN.
YOU KNOW, YOU HAVE DIFFERENT CORRIDORS.
ONE 19 CENTRAL AVENUE, UM, A SAW MILL RIVER, UH, ROAD.
SOME OF THE INTERNS WHO ARE GONNA BE, UH, STARTING WORK IN AUGUST IN MY OFFICE, THEY'RE GONNA BE WORKING ON, YOU KNOW, ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT ISSUES AND TRYING TO FIGURE OUT WAYS OF IMPROVING, UH, HELPING, HELPING THE LOCAL BUSINESSES.
SO THAT'S OUR GOAL FOR COMING YEARS.
SO THE, THAT'S BASICALLY WHAT I WANT, YOU KNOW, I WANT TO SAY SUPERVISOR, DO YOU WANNA MENTION THE SIGNAGE UPGRADES FOR PARKING? YOU, YOU, YOU, NO, YOU, YOU'RE DOING THE REPORT.
UH, YEAH, THE PARKING DISTRICT.
YOU KNOW, ONE OF THE STEVE GOLDBERG, UH, IS A VOLUNTEER, AND, YOU KNOW, HE CAME UP WITH RECOMMENDATIONS AND ONE OF THE RECOMMENDATIONS THAT HE MADE WAS, UM, FOR, UH, THE PARKING DISTRICT TO, UM, IMPROVE THE SIGNAGE.
UM, AND, YOU KNOW, THEY'RE GONNA BE IMPLEMENTING, YOU KNOW, THEY'RE IMPLEMENTING THOSE, THOSE RECOMMENDATIONS.
SO I THINK, YOU KNOW, REALLY EAST HARSDALE AVENUE, UH, SOME GOOD THINGS ARE, YOU KNOW, ARE HAPPENING, YOU KNOW, WOULD LIKE TO, UM, YOU KNOW, GET, UH, A FARMER'S MARKET AGAIN IN, YOU KNOW, IN HARTSDALE.
BUT AGAIN, IF WE GET A, UH, A GROCERY STORE, THEN I WANNA MAKE SURE THAT WE DON'T HURT THE GROCERY STORE.
SO, YOU KNOW, BUT SO WE DEFINITELY ARE GONNA TRY OUR BEST TO, UH, MAKE HARTSDALE A FUN PLACE TO VISIT AND SHOP AT.
[ TOWN CLERK COMMENTS]
UH, THE TOWN CLERK, DO YOU HAVE ANYTHING ELSE? UH, YES.I JUST WANTED TO BRING AN ANNOUNCEMENT TO YOUR ATTENTION.
UH, THE DEPARTMENT OF COMMUNITY RESOURCES AT THE THEODORE DE YOUNG COMMUNITY CENTER, UH, THEY ARE HAVING A FAMILY DAY OF JAZZ.
AND, UH, THAT'S GOING TO BE ON SATURDAY, AUGUST 9TH AT 11:00 AM AND THAT'S GONNA BE AT YOSEMITE PARK, UH, WHITE PLAINS, NEW YORK, 1 0 6 0 7, LOCATED IN THE BACK OF THE T-D-Y-C-C CENTER AT 32, UH, MANHATTAN AVENUE.
SO IT'S GONNA BE IN THE PARK IN THE BACK.
AND ALSO WANTED TO BRING TO YOUR ATTENTION AND TO ADD TO YOUR CALENDARS, THE GREENBERG ADVISE, THE GREENBERG VETERANS ADVISORY COMMITTEE, UM, THEY'RE HAVING THEIR VETERANS RECOGNITION BARBECUE, AND THAT'S GONNA BE HELD RAIN OR SHINE ON THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 18TH AT 4:30 PM AND THIS IS, OF COURSE, FREE TO ALL VETERANS AND SPOUSES.
AND THAT WILL BE HELD AT THE ANTHONY, UH, F VETERAN TOWN PARK AT THE GERARD BYRNE CENTER, LOCATED AT 11 OLYMPIC LANE, ARDSLEY, NEW YORK.
AND, UH, IT'S ALL, YOU CAN FIND THIS INFORMATION ON OUR WEBSITE.
OH, AND I JUST WANTED TO ALSO MENTION THAT, UM, I KNOW A LOT OF PEOPLE ARE CONCERNED ABOUT FLOODING, YOU KNOW, ISSUES IN THE TOWN.
UH, YOU KNOW, WE APPROPRIATE ABOUT $2 MILLION A YEAR OF TOWN FUNDS FOR, FOR FLOODING, UM, INITIATIVES.
UH, YOU KNOW, ONE OF THE NEIGHBORHOODS THAT, UM, THAT REALLY, UM, NEEDS HELP, AND THEY'VE ALWAYS GOTTEN FLOODED AS A FULTON PARK, UH, YOU KNOW, NEIGHBORHOOD TOWN, UM, PURCHASED, UH, TWO, UH, PUMPS.
UM, AND THEY'RE LARGE PUMPS THAT, UM, YOU KNOW, ARE VERY EXPENSIVE.
I THINK IT'S ABOUT $40,000 EACH.
AND, UM, THEY'RE GONNA BE USED TO DIVERT, UM, UH, WATER, UM, FROM AWAY FROM HOMES.
UM, THE NEXT TIME THERE'S A MAJOR, UH, STORM.
SO THE PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT, THEY'RE WORKING REALLY HARD TRYING TO COME UP WITH, UM, CREATIVE IDEAS AND INITIATIVES THAT COULD HELP FLOODING.
YOU KNOW, WE PROBABLY NEED LIKE HUNDREDS OF MILLIONS OF DOLLARS TO ADDRESS ALL THE FLOODING PROBLEMS AROUND,
[00:45:01]
YOU KNOW, AROUND THE TOWN, BECAUSE IT'S A MAJOR, MAJOR PROBLEM.BUT, YOU KNOW, WE'RE DEFINITELY THE ENGINEERS.
UM, I TALK TO THEM EVERY DAY AND, YOU KNOW, THEY, YOU KNOW, THEY'RE DOING THINGS INDIVIDUALLY IN DIFFERENT STREETS.
UM, UM, IN, UM, IN FAIRVIEW MANHATTAN BROOK, THEY DID A BIG INITIATIVE, YOU KNOW, CO YOU KNOW, A COUPLE YOU, WITHIN THE PAST FEW YEARS, UM, TROUBLESOME BROOK, THEY WORKED REALLY HARD.
UM, AND, YOU KNOW, MA MADE A DENT.
AND ONE OF THE THINGS THAT PEOPLE HAVE TO REALIZE WITH FLOODING IS WE'RE NEVER GONNA BE ABLE TO SOLVE THE FLOODING PROBLEMS TOWN WIDE, BECAUSE IT'S A NATIONAL, YOU KNOW, PROBLEM.
AND IF YOU LIVE NEAR A BROOK OR A RIVER, THERE'S ALWAYS GONNA BE SOME FLOODING.
BUT WHAT WE COULD DO IS THROUGH ENGINEERING, UM, AND, AND HARD WORK AND SOME CREATIVITY SORT OF HELPED THE COUNTY AND THE TOWN CLEARED SOME OF THE OBSTRUCTIONS, UH, FROM THE, UH, FROM, UH, THE MANHATTAN BROOK, UM, A COUPLE WEEKS AGO.
AND I THINK, YOU KNOW, THAT, YOU KNOW, THAT THAT WAS GOOD.
I, UH, WALKED THE AREA WITH LOU LOU SANCHEZ, AND, UM, THE STATE DEC IS COMING UP WITH RECOMMENDATIONS RELATING TO, UM, THE SAWMILL RIVER.
AND I THINK THEY'RE GONNA MAKE RECOMMENDATIONS NEXT WEEK.
SO I'M OPTIMISTIC THAT, UM, SOMETHING'S GOING TO GONNA BE DONE.
UH, WE'VE BEEN APPLYING FOR GRANTS AND WE'RE GONNA CONTINUE, UH, TO DO WHATEVER WE CAN TO, YOU KNOW, ADDRESS THE PROBLEM.
I LOOK AT THE SIDE, UH, YOU KNOW, WE'VE BEEN, WE BUILT LIKE ABOUT 12 MILES OF SIDEWALKS IN THE PAST, UH, SEVEN OR EIGHT YEARS AROUND THE TOWN.
AND WE DO IT LITTLE BY LITTLE.
AND I FEEL THAT THE FLOODING, UM, IF WE ARE PERSISTENT AND EVERY YEAR WE DO SOMETHING, UH, OVER A PERIOD OF TIME, IT WILL BE MUCH BETTER.
UM, SO, YOU KNOW, THAT'S THE GOAL.
BUT I, I DON'T WANT PEOPLE TO FEEL THAT WE'VE, WE'RE FORGETTING THEM.
AND I DON'T WANT PEOPLE TO FEEL THAT WE'RE NOT GONNA GIVE THIS ATTENTION BECAUSE WE ARE SUPERVISOR FINER.
UM, I JUST RECEIVED A MESSAGE.
CAN YOU PLEASE SPEAK DIRECTLY INTO THE MIC? THEY CANNOT HEAR YOU.
UM, WELL, THAT'S BASICALLY ALL MY COMMENTS ANYWAY.
YOU'RE NOT SPEAKING DIRECTLY INTO THE MIC.
I, I DO WANT TO DO AN ANNOUNCEMENT THAT ACTUALLY OUR COUNTY EXECUTIVE, KEN JENKINS, MADE SINCE THE NEXT TIME WE MEET, IT'LL BE AFTER SCHOOL, IS IN SESSION.
UH, AND IT'S SHOCKING, AND I DIDN'T BELIEVE THIS STATISTIC, BUT APPARENTLY IT'S TRUE.
IN WESTCHESTER COUNTY FOR THE LAST SCHOOL YEAR, JUST FROM NOVEMBER 18TH, 2024 TO JUNE 26TH, 2025, IN WESTCHESTER COUNTY, THERE WERE 14,897 TICKETS ISSUED FOR PEOPLE PASSING A SCHOOL BUS WITH ITS STOP SIGN OUT.
WELL, IF YOU DON'T CARE ABOUT THE CHILDREN'S LIVES, BE ASSURED MORE AND MORE THOSE BUSES NOW HAVE CAMERAS, AND THAT'S WHERE THAT DATA IS COMING FROM.
BUT I WOULD HOPE, I WOULD HOPE, AND THE COUNTY EXECUTIVE HOPES AS WELL, THAT CARING ABOUT OUR CHILDREN AND OUR CHILDREN CROSSING SAFELY.
AND EVEN IF IT'S, AND IF IT'S, UM, UH, TWO-WAY STREET, YOU HAVE TO STOP IN BOTH DIRECTIONS, AS THEY MENTIONED, EVEN ON CENTRAL AVENUE.
EVEN ON CENTRAL AVENUE, IF A SCHOOL BUS HAS STOPPED ON ONE SIDE OF THE ROAD, YOU HAVE TO STOP IN BOTH DIRECTIONS.
AND THE INCREASINGLY, GREENBURG CENTRAL, UH, IS ONE OF THE, THE SCHOOL DISTRICTS THAT HAS THE CAMERAS, BUT MORE AND MORE ARE HAVING THE CAMERAS.
I THINK THERE ARE, YEAH, 879 BUSES NOW HAVE THE CAMERAS ON THEM.
UH, PLEASE, PLEASE, WHEN SCHOOL IS OPEN, WHEN THAT SIGN GOES OUT AND THE LIGHTS ARE FLASHING, JUST STOP.
IT DOESN'T TAKE LONG FOR THE BUS TO UNLOAD OR LOAD.
NEXT WE START THE PUBLIC HEARINGS.
UH, THE FIRST HEARING IS, UM, I'M SORRY, HONORARY, UH, HONORARY COMMEMORATIVE STREET NAMING FOR CLEO OLIVER WAY TO BE HELD SEPTEMBER 10TH AT 6:30 PM CLEO OLIVER WAS, UM, A VERY HIGHLY RESPECTED, UM, COMMUNITY LEADER, UM, IN, UM, IN THE TOWN.
UH, SHE WAS VERY INVOLVED IN HER CIVIC ASSOCIATION AND SHE MADE A GREAT CONTRIBUTION IN THE TOWN BOARD.
UH, DECIDED TO NAME, UH, UH, ONE OF THE STREETS, UM, UH, WHERE SHE LIVED TRAIL, UH, FOR AN HONOR AND A MEMORY OF CLEO OLIVER.
AND IT WILL PROCEED OUR TOWN BOARD MEETING THAT STARTS AT SEVEN 30.
[ To consider a Local Law amending Chapter 440 "Taxation" of the Code of the Town of Greenburgh as it relates to real property tax exemptions for residents whose homes were affected by major or local disasters subject to the Climate Change Property Tax Assessment Relief Act ]
UM, WE WILL HAVE THE PUBLIC[00:50:01]
HEARINGS.THE FIRST HEARING IS TO CONSIDER A LOCAL LAW AMENDING CHAPTER FOUR 40 TAXATION OF THE CODE OF THE TOWN OF GREENBURG AS IT RELATES TO REAL PROPERTY TAX EXEMPTIONS FOR RESIDENTS WHOSE HOMES WERE AFFECTED BY MAJOR OR LOCAL DISASTERS, SUBJECT TO THE CLIMATE CHANGE PROPERTY TAX ASSESSMENT RELIEF ACT.
THERE WERE, THERE WERE, YOU KNOW, AFTER HURRICANE IDA, THERE'S SOME PEOPLE WHO LOST THEIR ENTIRE HOMES.
UH, THERE'S ONE WOMAN, UH, WHO NEWS 12 HAS REPORTED KIMM HANSEN.
SHE'S BEEN HOMELESS FOR THREE YEARS.
THE FILLER CENTER, UH, USED VOLUNTEERS AND THEY'RE REBUILDING HER HOME, AND SHE'S GONNA BE, UM, HOPEFULLY BACK HOME FOR THE FIRST TIME IN A COUPLE YEARS, YOU KNOW, PROBABLY WITHIN A MONTH.
BUT, UM, BUT YOU HAVE PEOPLE ON BABBITT COURT THAT THEY LOST THEIR WHOLE HOMES.
SO, UM, THE TOWN BOARD, UM, AFTER WE HEARD FROM THE COMMUNITY A COUPLE YEARS AGO, UM, WE ASKED THE STATE LEGISLATURE, UH, TO ADOPT LEGISLATION THAT WOULD AUTHORIZE, UM, THE COMM THE LOCAL GOVERNMENTS TO, UM, PROVIDE TAX RELIEF, UH, RETROACTIVELY, UM, FOR THOSE WHO SUFFERED, UH, YOU KNOW, DAMAGES.
AND, UM, SENATOR COUSINS AND ASSEMBLYWOMAN CHIMPSKY, UM, SPONSORED THE LEGISLATION, AND THE STATE LEGISLATURE PASSED IT.
THE GOVERNOR SIGNED IT INTO LAW.
AND NOW, UM, UM, EVERY TOWN, VILLAGE SCHOOL AND COUNTY GOVERNMENTS HAVE THE O AND FIRE DISTRICTS PAID.
FIRE DISTRICTS HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO PS UH, THE LEGISLATION.
SO I THINK GREENBERG'S THE FIRST IN THE STATE TO ACTUALLY CONSIDER THE LEGISLATION, AND IF WE APPROVE IT, UH, IT WOULD APPLY TO THE TOWN PORTION OF THE TAX.
UM, IF WE DON'T, AND THE COUNTY AND SCHOOL FIRE DISTRICTS, THEY'LL HAVE TO DECIDE WHETHER OR NOT THEY WANNA DO THE SAME THING.
BUT THERE'S PEOPLE WHO HAVE SUFFERED A LOT AND THEY JUST NEED THE, THE RELIEF.
SO I THINK THIS IS REALLY AN IMPORTANT, UH, LAW AND THE PUBLIC HEARING NOW IS, UM, THE GOAL IS TO HEAR FROM THE COMMUNITY AND THEN HOPEFULLY THE TOWN BOARD COULD ENACT SOMETHING.
I SHOULD ALSO MENTION THAT, UM, THE LAW, UH, YOU KNOW, BASICALLY AS, AS PROPOSED, UM, REQUIRES, UM, UH, PEOPLE TO HAVE SUFFERED SIGNIFICANT, UM, YOU KNOW, DAMAGES, PROPERTY LOSSES, OTHERWISE THEY WOULDN'T BE ELIGIBLE.
IF WE MAKE IT TOO EASY, THE SCHOOLS AND THE COUNTY, THE FIRE DISTRICTS PROBABLY WON'T ENACT IT.
SO THE THING IS, WE WANNA DO SOMETHING THAT HAS A, A, A DECENT CHANCE.
SO PEOPLE WHO ARE GONNA GET THE LEGISLA, GET THE RELIEF, ARE GETTING IT AT ALL LEVELS OF GOVERNMENT.
'CAUSE MOST OF THE, MOST PEOPLE WHO ARE GONNA BENEFIT FROM THIS ARE GONNA BENEFIT IF THE SCHOOL DISTRICTS APPROVE IT AS WELL.
SO, UM, ED MCCARTHY'S IN THE BACK, DO YOU WANNA, WE, WE DO NEED A MOTION TO OPEN THE HEARING.
I WANT TO MAKE A MOTION TO OPEN THE HEARING.
AND WE SHOULD SAY THAT MS. MCCARTHY IS ASSESSOR FOR THE TOWN, AND, UH, SHE HELPED WRITE THE STATE, UH, LAW WHAT PERCENTAGE TAXES.
PLEASE DON'T BLAME ME FOR THIS.
SO, PAUL, UM, SUPERVISOR, FINER, YOU ACTUALLY COVERED A LOT OF, BUT I JUST WANT TO ALSO HIT ON SOME, UM, POINTS.
SO WITH REGARD TO THE LEGISLATION AND THE STATE LEGISLATION AND WHAT THE TOWN IS PROPOSING TO ADOPT IS TAKEN OFF OF STATE LEGISLATION, THERE'S NOTHING IN OUR PROPOSED, UM, THAT IS, THAT IS DIFFERENT THAN THE STATE LEGISLATION.
WITH REGARD TO TERMINOLOGY, WITH REGARD TO DIRECTION, THINGS LIKE THAT, IT'S ALL CAPTIONS OFF OF, UM, THE NEW LEGISLATION.
SO THE PROPERTIES THAT ARE ELIGIBLE TO RECEIVE, POTENTIALLY RECEIVE THE EXEMPTION WOULD BE RESIDENTIAL PROPERTIES, ONE, TWO OR THREE FAMILY HOMES, UM, THAT WERE IMPACTED BY A LOCAL DISASTER.
AND THE LOCAL DISASTER IS DEFINED BY, UH, THE GOVERNOR CREATING THAT DISASTER OR THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES CREATING THAT DISASTER.
BUT ON A, ON A LOCAL BASIS, THE PROPERTY MUST HAVE BEEN OWNER OCCUPIED PRIOR TO THE DISASTER.
AND IF THE PROPERTY TRANSFERS AFTER, UM, THAT PROPERTY WILL NO LONGER BE ELIGIBLE TO RECEIVE THIS ABATEMENT.
UM, SO I'LL TRY AND MAKE THIS AS SIMPLE AS I CAN WITH, WITHIN THE TOWN OF GREENBURG, WE LEVIED THE TAXES ON THE PRIOR YEAR'S ASSESSMENT ROLE.
FOR EXAMPLE, IF A STORM, IF A CATASTROPHE, NATURAL CATASTROPHE OCCURS IN OCTOBER,
[00:55:01]
THE VALUES ARE ALREADY FROZEN AS OF SEPTEMBER.SO THIS LEGISLATION ALLOWS US TO GO BACK AND REOPEN THE PRIOR FROZEN ASSESSMENT ROLE AND CORRECT THE ASSESSMENT, NOT CORRECT IT 'CAUSE IT'S NOT WRONG, JUST 'CAUSE OF THE DISASTER.
WE CAN REDUCE THE ASSESSMENT PART A, PART B, THAT'S IF IT OCCURS BEFORE THE TAX BILLS GET SENT OUT.
WE FREEZE THE ROLL IN SEPTEMBER.
WE SEND THE TAX BILLS OUT IN APRIL.
IF A STORM OCCURS IN BETWEEN THAT PERIOD, IT ALLOWS ME TO GO BACK AND CHANGE THE ASSESSMENT TO SEND OUT THE LOWER TAX BILLS.
PART B, IF THE STORM OCCURS RIGHT AFTER THE TAX BILLS ARE SENT OUT, THE LEGISLATION ALLOWS THE TOWN TO REFUND THE AMOUNT OF TAXES THAT WERE PAID, UM, BASED ON THE REDUCED ASSESSMENT DUE TO THE, DUE TO THE, UM, DAMAGE, THE DAMAGE THAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT.
AND SUPERVISOR FINER HAD MENTIONED IT, UM, IT, THE MINIMUM HAS TO BE A 50% DAMAGE TO THE PROPERTY, TO THE IMPROVEMENT.
NOT THE LAND, JUST THE IMPROVEMENT.
IF YOU GET FLOODED, YOUR BASEMENT GETS FLOODED AND THAT DOES, THAT DOESN'T CONSTITUTE 50% OF YOUR, OF THE STRUCTURE IF YOU LOSE THE HOUSE.
THAT PRETTY MUCH COVERS, PRETTY MUCH COVERS IT.
UM, SO CERTAIN THINGS LIKE THAT.
SO WHAT HAPPENS ONCE THE LEGISLATION PASSES? ASSUMING IT DOES, THE APPLICANTS WILL HAVE, UM, 90 DAYS.
WE'LL TALK ABOUT THAT IN A MINUTE.
THE APPLICANTS WILL HAVE TIME TO FILL OUT A STATE PRESCRIBED FORM, SPOKE TO THE STATE THE OTHER DAY, THEY'RE WORKING ON IT.
UM, THEY HAVE TO FILL OUT THE STATE PRESCRIBED FORM AND SUBMIT TO ME SUPPORTING DOCUMENTATION.
AND THAT I WILL TELL YOU, BUT IT'S NOT LIMITED TO THAT.
I WILL TAKE EVERYTHING EXCEPT YOUR FIRSTBORN.
I HAVE MY OWN, UM, WITH REGARD TO SUPPORTING DOCUMENTATION.
THAT MEANS I WILL TAKE REPORTS FROM FEMA, REPORTS FROM INSURANCE ADJUSTERS AND WHATEVER ELSE, PHOTOGRAPHS, APPRAISALS, WHATEVER THAT WILL BE.
AND IT WILL BE IN THE TOWN LAW.
WHAT'S GONNA BE ACCEPTED AT THAT POINT, I WILL MAKE A DETERMINATION MYSELF AS TO THE REDUCTION IN THE ASSESSMENT.
I WILL NOTIFY THE HOMEOWNER WITHIN, I DON'T REMEMBER, 15 DAYS, WHATEVER IT IS AFTER MY REVIEW, IF THE HOMEOWNER IS SATISFIED, WE'RE FINISHED.
IF THE HOMEOWNER IS NOT SATISFIED, THEY HAVE THE RIGHT TO APPEAL.
UM, MY DETERMINATION, WHATEVER THAT, WHATEVER THAT DETERMINATION IS, A HOMEOWNER HAS THE RIGHT, WE WOULD THEN CALL BACK IN THE BOARD OF ASSESSMENT REVIEW AND THEY WOULD BE THE, THE OVERSEER OF THAT APPEAL.
UH, LOCAL DISASTERS AND OUR PROCLAIM TO BE, UH, A LOCAL STATE OF EMERGENCY MAJOR DISASTERS ARE PROCLAIMED TO BE IMPACTED BY STATE DISASTER EMERGENCY, OR AGAIN, BY, UH, THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES.
UM, I DID MENTION, I WANT TO JUST MENTION AGAIN, THIS HAS TO DO WITH JUST THE IMPROVEMENTS ON THE PROPERTY, NOT THE LAND.
SO REGARDLESS OF WHAT HAPPENS HERE, YOU STILL HAVE TO PAY SOME PROPERTY TAXES BASED ON THAT LAND VALUE BASED ON LAND, BASED ON THE LAND VALUE, LAND ASSESSED VALUE.
TO RECEIVE THE RELIEF, THERE'S TWO COMPONENTS TO THIS LEGISLATION.
ONE IS QUOTE UNQUOTE BEFORE, AND THE OTHER ONE IS AFTER.
LET'S TALK ABOUT THE BEFORE FIRST SUPERVISOR.
YOU HAD MENTIONED THAT THERE WAS A STORM BACK IN, I THINK IT WAS 2021.
UM, THIS WILL BE APPLICABLE TO THAT STORM AND NOTHING FURTHER BACK THAN THAT.
SO THIS LEGISLATION WOULD, WOULD AFFECT THOSE PEOPLE THAT WERE IMPACTED BY THAT STORM.
SAME DOCUMENTATION HAS TO BE START DATE'S JANUARY 1ST, 2020 START DATE.
SO THAT'S JANUARY 1ST, 2020, OKAY.
UM, SO FOR THE PEOPLE THAT WERE IMPACTED BY THAT STORM, 'CAUSE THAT WAS THE STATE OF EMERGENCY AND APPLICATION WOULD BE, HAVE TO BE SUPPLIED TO US.
AND THE SUPPORTING DOCUMENTA TO US BEING ME, THE SUPPORTING DOCUMENTATION WOULD HAVE TO ALSO BE SUPPLIED TO ME.
I THEN WILL TAKE IT, REVIEW IT, AND MAKE MY DETERMINATION.
RESIDENTS WILL HAVE, ONCE THIS LEGISLATION BECOMES EFFECTIVE, THE RESIDENTS FROM THE PRIOR STORM WILL HAVE 90 DAYS TO SUBMIT THE INFORMATION.
TO ME, THAT WAS THE BEFORE THE AFTER, WHICH MEANS IF THE, WHENEVER THIS LEGISLATION BECOMES IN EFFECT AS OF RIGHT NOW, UM, THE RESIDENTS, IF THERE'S ANOTHER STORM AND THERE'S ANOTHER, UM, UH, EMERGENCY STATE OF EMERGENCY RESIDENTS WILL STILL HAVE 90 DAYS TO SUBMIT THE APPLICATION TO ME.
UM, ALONG WITH SUPPORTING DOCUMENTATION, I KNOW IT'S A LOT OF PAPERWORK
[01:00:01]
THAT RESIDENTS BE, THIS IS NOT A PRIORITY.UM, THEY WANNA REBUILD THEIR HOMES OR THEY WANNA GET BACK INTO THEIR HOMES, BUT THIS IS THE ONLY WAY TO ENSURE THAT, UM, THE RESIDENTS THAT DESERVE THIS ABATEMENT OR REFUND OR TAX EXEMPTION, UM, WILL BE ABLE TO BE APPROVED BY ME.
COUPLE OTHER THINGS, UM, I WANTED TO MENTION THAT, EXCUSE ME.
THE MAXIMUM AMOUNT OF REFUND THAT A RESIDENT WOULD BE ELIGIBLE FOR IS $10,000 PER YEAR.
SO IF A RESIDENT IS, THEN THAT'S FOR TOWN TAXES ONLY.
SO IF A RESIDENT, UM, IS PAYING, AND THIS IS STRICTLY BASED ON THE IMPROVEMENT, RIGHT? SO IF A RESIDENT IS PAYING $8,000, THE TOWN WOULD REFUND THAT $8,000 TO ONE YEAR.
IF A RESIDENT IS PAYING 10,000, OR I'M SORRY, $12,000, THEY WOULD RECEIVE $10,000 THE FIRST YEAR AND $2,000 THE SECOND YEAR, THAT'S THE WAY THAT IT WOULD WORK.
SO IF A RESIDENT IS PAYING $50,000, WE ONLY, THE LAW INDICATES IT'S A FOUR YEAR MAXIMUM.
SO WE WOULD BE ABLE TO REFUND THAT $40,000, NOT THE EXTRA 10.
THAT'S THE WAY THE LAW IS WRITTEN.
SO LIKE I SAID BEFORE, I JUST WANNA MAKE THIS PERFECTLY CLEAR THAT WHAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT, LET ME STAY WITH THE $10,000 FOR A SECOND.
A PROPERTY WOULD HAVE TO BE WORTH, JUST THE IMPROVEMENT PART WOULD HAVE TO BE WORTH OVER TWO AND A HALF MILLION DOLLARS TO COME UP TO THAT MAXIMUM $10,000 AND HIT A HUNDRED PERCENT INHABITABLE AND HIT THE A HUNDRED PERCENT IN INHABITABLE, UNINHABITABLE, WHATEVER THAT WORD IS.
SO, UM, I JUST WANTED TO MAKE A LAST FEW POINTS IS THAT AGAIN, THIS IS STRICTLY FOR TOWN TAXES.
AFTER TONIGHT, I WILL BE CONTACTING THE SCHOOLS, UM, THE COUNTY AND THE VILLAGES AND THE FIRE DISTRICTS TO LET THEM KNOW THAT WE ARE MOVING FORWARD POTENTIALLY AND SEND WHATEVER INFORMATION WE HAVE TO THEM TO HAVE THEM CONSIDER IT.
SO THAT'S THE BEST THAT WE CAN DO ON OUR END.
UM, REFUNDED AS FAR AS THE REFUNDING OF MONIES, I SPOKE WITH THE CONTROLLER THIS AFTERNOON AND SHE IS EITHER WORKING ON FINDING A PLACE WHERE WE COULD TAKE THAT MONEY IN THE CURRENT BUDGETS OR SPEAKING WITH THE AUDITORS TO FIND OUT WHERE, IF WE CAN CREATE AN ADDITIONAL LINE TO, TO HAVE THAT, THOSE MONIES.
UM,
UM, AS FAR AS MY RESPONSIBILITY FOR 50% OR 40% OR 30%, I DON'T WANT PEOPLE TO THINK IT'S COMING FROM ME.
IT IS, BUT WHAT WE WILL BE DOING IN MY OFFICE IS THERE IS A STATE APPROVED FORM, IT'S A CONSTRUCTION FORM, AND THE CONSTRUCTION FORM INDICATES PERCENTAGES OF CONSTRUCTION.
SO FOR EXAMPLE, IF YOU'RE BUILDING A NEW HOUSE AND YOU BUILD JUST THE FRAMING, THE STATE PRESCRIBED FORM INDICATES THAT THAT'S, I'M THROWING THESE NUMBERS OUT, SO DON'T QUOTE ME, BUT THE STATE FORM INDICATES THAT THAT'S 20% OF YOUR COMPLETE CONSTRUCTION SHEET.
ROCK ELECTRIC, THAT'S ANOTHER 20%.
AND THAT'S HOW WE BUILD OUR ASSESSMENTS, UM, BASED ON THOSE LEVELS OF CONSTRUCTION.
SO WE WILL BE USING THOSE FORMS. NOT TO SAY THAT SOMEBODY STILL WON'T BE ABLE TO CHALLENGE US, BUT THERE'S GOING TO BE THE BACKUP QUESTIONS.
SO YOU NOTED THAT THE ASSESSMENT, UM, CAN BE PAID OUT BEFORE, AFTER, UH, IT, AFTER IT HAS BEEN THE ASSESSMENT HAS BEEN DONE.
WAS THAT A CHANGE FROM HOW IT WAS DONE ORIGINALLY? YOU WERE NOT ALLOWED TO DO THAT? IS THIS A NEW OH, THAT'S A GOOD QUESTION.
YOU DIDN'T ASK IT CORRECTLY, BUT THAT'S A GREAT QUESTION.
YEAH, I, I GLAD THAT YOU UNDERSTOOD
SO WHAT HAPPENS IS, WHEN THAT ASSESSMENT ROLE IS FROZEN SEPTEMBER 15TH OF EVERY GIVEN YEAR, WHEN I SAY IT'S FROZEN, IT'S FROZEN, KIND OF, SORT OF THE ONLY CHANGES PERMITTED BY LAW TO THAT FROZEN ASSESSMENT ROLE ARE COURT ORDERS, SMALL CLAIMS, COMMERCIAL PROPERTIES, ARIES.
THAT IS THE ONLY REASON FOR AN ASSESSOR TO BE ABLE TO CHANGE THAT.
SO THAT'S WHY IN THIS LEGISLATION THEY WROTE IT WHERE THE TERMINOLOGY IS, I CAN REOPEN THAT FROZEN ROLE TO
[01:05:01]
CHANGE THESE NUMBERS.AND SO, AND I ALSO WANTED TO CLARIFY THAT WHEN YOU SAID THAT, UM, YOU SOME, IF THERE IS A, A FRESH DISASTER OF SOME SORT, THEN WHOEVER IS, UM, HURT BY THAT DISASTER HAS 90 DAYS AND THAT DATES FROM THE DATE OF THE DISASTER.
AND LASTLY, CAN YOU JUST LET EVERYBODY KNOW WHAT PERCENTAGE OF OVERALL TAXES ARE PAID TO THE TOWN PAY TO SCHOOLS, PAID TO THE FIRE DISTRICTS? AND I GUESS THE VILLAGES FALL IN THAT TOO.
SO DON'T QUOTE ME ON THE EXACT NUMBERS, ROUGHLY.
THE SCHOOL DISTRICT RECEIVES WELL BECAUSE WE HAVE 10 SCHOOL DISTRICTS, SO IT VARIES.
SO I WOULD JUST GIVE YOU THE AVERAGE.
THE SCHOOL DISTRICT COLLECTS ABOUT 65% OF PROPERTY TAXES.
THE TOWN COLLECTS ABOUT 15%, MAYBE JUST A TAD BIT MORE THAN 15.
UM, SO, AND THE COUNTY COLLECTS 20 IF THOSE ARE UNINCORPORATED PROPERTIES.
IF A PROPERTY IS IN THE VILLAGE, THE VILLAGE COLLECTS A, THAT I DON'T KNOW, I THINK IT'S 13% OF THE, OF THAT 15% THAT WE COLLECT, THEY COLLECT 13%.
THAT'S PRETTY MUCH THE WAY IT WORKS.
AND FIRE DISTRICT AND FIRE DISTRICTS, IT VARIES BY THE FIRE DISTRICT AND WHETHER OR NOT IT'S A FIRE PROTECTION DISTRICT OR A FIRE DISTRICT.
SO WITH THE FIRE DISTRICTS, THAT IS IN ADDITION.
UM, SO THEY ARE COLLECTING, IT'S A LITTLE IRONIC.
SO WE HAVE THREE PAID FIRE DEPARTMENTS, DEPARTMENTS, WE'LL TALK ABOUT FIRE PROTECTION IN A MINUTE.
UM, THEY ARE COLLECTING OUR TOWN TAXES, I DON'T KNOW, $5 AND 50 CENTS HYPOTHETICAL.
THE FIRE DEPARTMENT'S PROPERTY TAXES PER THOUSAND DOLLARS OF ASSESSED VALUE IS $5 AND 20 CENTS.
SO YOUR $5 AND 50 CENTS IS COVERING ALL TOWN SERVICES AND YOUR $5 AND 20 CENTS FOR THE FIRE DEPARTMENT IS COVERING THE FIRE DEPARTMENT.
SO WHATEVER THOSE PERCENTAGES WORK OUT TO BE, I CAN GET YOU MORE DETAILS AND WE CAN, I THINK IT'S ACTUALLY ON OUR WEBSITE.
I THINK YOU, THE FIRE PROTECTION DISTRICTS ARE A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENT.
UM, THEY ARE NOT ANYWHERE NEAR AS MUCH.
UM, THEY'RE PROBABLY ONE OR 2%.
THAT'S, THAT'S HELPFUL TO KNOW.
SO IF SOMEONE IS COLLECTING NOW, RIGHT NOW, THE ONLY PLACE IT'S BEING CONSIDERED IS IN THE, THE, THIS LEGISLATION OR A FORM OF THE LEGISLATION THAT HAS BEEN APPROVED BY THE STATE IS WITHIN OUR TOWN.
AND THAT AMOUNT OF THAT WILL AFFECT ABOUT 15% OF YOUR TOTAL TAXATION.
UM, SO IF THEY, IF A RESIDENT PAID PORTION, A PORTION OF THEIR TAXES IN 2021, RIGHT? 'CAUSE YOU SAID IT'S A FOUR YEAR MAX, SO THEY PAID A PORTION OF IT IN 2021, FULL 20, 22, 23, 24, 20, 22, 23, 24.
WILL THEY GET THAT PORTION BACK THAT THEY PAID IN 20 FOR 2026? HOW WOULD THAT PORTION 'CAUSE FOR YOU? OKAY.
I SHOULD HAVE BROUGHT THAT UP.
THE STORM HITS AND I IMMEDIATELY GET CONTACTED EVERY YEAR.
I PUBLISH, UM, A TENTATIVE ASSESSMENT RULE IN JUNE.
IF I, IF THE STORM HIT IN JANUARY AND I WAS NOTIFIED, I WOULD'VE IMMEDIATELY REDUCED THE JUNE ASSESSMENT.
SO THIS, WE WOULD NOT BE HAVING THIS CONVERSATION.
HOWEVER, THERE ARE THIS SCENARIO WITH THIS LAST STORM THAT WE HAD IN 21 OR 20, WHATEVER IT WAS,
I IMMEDIATELY REDUCED THE ASSESSMENTS.
THERE WERE SEVERAL PEOPLE THAT DID NOT NOTIFY ME FOR ANOTHER YEAR.
SO TO CUUS ROUTE TO GET TO YOUR ANSWER, BUT TO ANSWER YOU, THEY WOULD GET REFUNDED.
FOR THE TWO YEARS THAT I DIDN'T REDUCE THE ASSESSMENT.
THAT THIRD YEAR, TO THE BEST OF MY KNOWLEDGE, I REDUCED EVERYBODY THAT HAD CONTACTED ME THAT HAD DAMAGE.
UM, I THINK I HAD SPOKEN TO FIVE PEOPLE AND THERE COULD BE MORE.
AND THE HOPE IS WITHIN FOUR YEARS, THEY'RE REBUILT AND THEY'RE BACK IN OPERATION, LIVING IN THE HOUSE.
WELL, THAT'S LEGITIMATE WAY TO SAY THAT, BUT I'M HOPING THEY'LL BE BACK IN THEIR HOMES BEFORE FOUR YEARS
BUT THAT'S, THAT'S A REASONABLE WORST CASE SCENARIO.
THAT'S A REASONABLE AMOUNT OF TIME.
WELL, DON'T JUST SAYING WORST CASE SCENARIO.
THAT'S WHY IT'S NOT A SEVEN YEAR OR EIGHT YEAR.
YOU KNOW, AT SOME POINT YOU HAVE TO HAVE A CUTOFF.
AGAIN, NOT TO BE THE BEARER OF BAD NEWS, BUT WHAT HAPPENS, AND UNFORTUNATELY, PLEASE DON'T SHOOT THE MESSENGER.
[01:10:01]
BY LAW, I AM RESPONSIBLE TO ASSESS PROPERTIES BASED ON THEIR PERCENTAGE OF COMPLETION, AS OF THE DATE MAY 1ST OF EVERY YEAR.SO IF YOU BREAK GROUND ON YOUR HOUSE IN MARCH, IN MAY, I'M GONNA GIVE YOU A, A A, AN ASSESSMENT INCREASE.
SO WHAT'S HAPPENING, BECAUSE I'M SAYING THIS IN PUBLIC RIGHT NOW FOR THIS BENEFIT, IS THAT ONCE THESE PROPERTIES START GETTING RECONSTRUCTED, THERE IS GOING TO BE A PARTIAL ASSESSMENT.
IF IT TAKES THREE YEARS, IT'LL BE A PARTIAL ASSESSMENT.
IF IT TAKES ONE YEAR, IT WILL BE THE ONE ASSESSMENT TWO YEARS PARTIAL AS ASSESSMENTS.
THAT'S THE NEW YORK STATE ROAD PROPERTY TAX LAW.
WHEN YOU STARTED OFF, YOU WERE SAYING IN GREENBURG, WE DO THIS SEPTEMBER ONE AND IT GETS WROTE.
SEPTEMBER 15TH IS SEPTEMBER, SEPTEMBER 15TH.
YEAH, SEPTEMBER 15TH IS OUR FINAL ROLL DATE.
AND IN WESTCHESTER COUNTY, THE MAJORITY IS 23 MUNICIPALITIES.
THE MAJORITY OF MUNICIPALITIES ALSO HAVE THAT DATE SEPTEMBER 15TH.
WHITE PLAINS AND ROCHELLE, UM, CITY OF R THEY'RE ALL, THEY ALL HAVE DIFFERENT DATES, BUT EVERYBODY ELSE IN WESTCHESTER IS SEPTEMBER 15TH.
UM, EVERYBODY ELSE IN NEW YORK STATE, 99% OF THE MUNICIPALITIES ARE, UM, MAY, SO WE'RE NOT ON THE STATE CALENDAR, BUT WHAT I JUST DIDN'T WANT PEOPLE TO THINK SOMEHOW GREENBURG OH YEAH.
HAS SOME VERY AWKWARD SYSTEM FOR ASSESSMENT, UH, THAT NO ONE ELSE DOES.
AND WE'RE JUST DOING THIS, YOU KNOW, TO BE PUNITIVE.
WE'RE NOT, WE'RE JUST FOLLOWING THE LAW.
SO THE DEADLINES THAT I HAD MENTIONED, THE MAY DEADLINE, THE DEADLINES THAT I HAD MENTIONED, THE MAY DEADLINE AND THE JUNE DEADLINE AND THE SEPTEMBER 15TH DEADLINES.
THEY'RE SET BY NEW YORK STATE, SO WE DON'T HAVE THAT OPTION.
AGAIN, I'VE HEARD SEVERAL COMPLAINTS ABOUT GRIEVANCE APPEALS.
TOWN BOARD DOESN'T SET THOSE DATES.
SO MAYBE WE HEAR FROM THE PUBLIC.
CAN I MAKE JUST ONE QUICK COMMENT BEFORE WE HEAR FROM THE PUBLIC, I'D JUST LIKE TO POINT OUT THAT SOME PEOPLE HAVE NOTED THERE IS A HIGH THRESHOLD FOR THIS LAW, THE 50%, UH, LOSS IN VALUE TO YOUR IMPROVED VALUE.
THAT, THAT IS A HIGH AMOUNT, AND I THINK THE ASSESSOR EXPLAINED IT PROPERLY, HOW WE GOT TO THAT AMOUNT.
BUT I DO WANT TO ENSURE RESIDENTS WHO HAVE, UM, LESS DAMAGE TO THEIR HOMES AS OF THE TAXABLE STATUS STATE, I WANT THEM TO KNOW THAT YOU WOULD STILL HAVE THE RIGHT TO GRIEVE YOUR TAXES BASED ON LET'S SAY, FLOODING OR ANOTHER ISSUE TO YOUR HOME THAT'S HOLDS ON THAT TAXABLE STATUS DATE.
SO IF YOU HAVE A 10% OR A 5% REDUCTION IN ASSESSED VALUE, YOU STILL HAVE THE RIGHT TO BRING A GRIEVANCE TO THE ASSESSOR FOR THAT GIVEN TAXABLE STATUS YEAR.
UM, THIS JUST ALLOWS TO GO BACKWARDS AND TO GO BACKWARDS TO MAKE THAT GRAND EXCEPTION FOR THE FIRST TIME IN STATE HISTORY, IT'S FOR MAJOR DEVELOPMENTS SUCH AS NATURAL DISASTERS.
SO I JUST DIDN'T WANT ANYONE TO THINK YOU'D BE LOSING RIGHTS MOVING FORWARD BECAUSE OF THE PASSAGE OF THIS LAW.
SO, AND YOU MENTIONED SOME PEOPLE DON'T APPLY.
DON'T APPLY, DON'T FILE THE GRIEVANCES.
SO THIS GIVES THOSE PEOPLE OPPORTUNITIES.
RIGHT? WELL, NOT, NOT THAT I WANT TO ADVERTISE FILING GRIEVANCE APPLICATIONS.
UM, WE'RE A LITTLE BUSY RIGHT NOW, UM, BUT IF SOMETHING DOES CATASTROPHIC HAPPEN, YOU DON'T HAVE TO WAIT TO FILE THE GRIEVANCE APPLICATION.
MY OFFICE IS OPEN, IT'S PUBLIC GOVERNMENT, WE'RE THERE TO HELP.
UM, AND SO YOU JUST PICK UP THE PHONE AND YOU CALL, YOU COME IN, YOU SEE US, WE'RE AVAILABLE, AND WE'LL HAVE THESE CONVERSATIONS WITH YOU.
I WOULD PREFER TO NEVER HAVE THESE CONVERSATIONS AGAIN, MEANING NO CATASTROPHIC EVENTS.
HOWEVER, THE REALITY IS IT'S GONNA HAPPEN.
YOU DON'T HAVE TO JUST WAIT TO FILE THE GRIEVANCE.
SO COULD YOU JUST COME TALK TO US? YOU KNOW, YOU MENTIONED EARLIER, JUST WERE EXPLAINING IT BEFORE.
SO JUST TO MAKE IT CLEAR FOR PEOPLE WHO MIGHT BE A LITTLE CONFUSED, IF, IF THERE'S A FLOOD RIGHT NOW, THEY COULD REACH OUT TO YOUR OFFICE AND GET THE RELIEF BECAUSE THERE'S BEEN DAMAGES.
SO WHAT'S THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN WHAT THIS LEGISLATION DOES AND, UM, AND, YOU KNOW, THE TYPICAL, YOU KNOW, YOU KNOW, PRIOR, PRIOR LEGISLATION, BECAUSE I FEEL THAT PEOPLE ARE GONNA BE A LITTLE CONFUSED.
SO IF THERE'S A FLOOD TOMORROW, THE ONLY, AND, AND IT IS NOT DESIGNATED AS A STATE OF EMERGENCY.
THE ONLY THING THAT I AM ELIGIBLE TO DO BY LAW IS TAKE A LOOK AT THE PROPERTY AND VALUE THAT PROPERTY.
AS OF MAY 1ST, 2026, THAT'S THE ONLY THING I CAN DO.
I HAVE TAXPAYERS COMING IN BECAUSE OF LAST WEEK'S OR TWO WEEKS AGO, STORM.
AND THERE'S NOTHING I CAN DO AT THIS POINT.
I WILL, I, I'M STARTING TO MAKE MY LIST AND I'LL GO OUT AND DO AN INSPECTION AND SEE WHERE THEY'RE AT,
[01:15:01]
UM, AROUND THAT FEBRUARY, MARCH, APRIL DEADLINE.THERE'S NOTHING BY LAW I CAN DO RIGHT NOW, UNLESS IT IS A STATE OF EMERGENCY.
READY? SHALL WE TRY THE PUBLIC? YEAH, SURE.
I'M SURE THEY'RE GONNA BE QUESTIONS.
THERE ARE CLOCKS ON BOTH SIDES OF THE ROOM.
WHEN YOU BEGIN SPEAKING, PLEASE SAY YOUR NAME AND WHERE YOU RESIDE.
UM, THERE WILL BE NO INTERRUPTIONS UNLESS YOU ASK A QUESTION THAT YOU WANT ANSWERED IMMEDIATELY.
THOSE, UH, RESPONSES WILL COUNT TOWARDS YOUR FIVE MINUTE LIMIT.
AND THIS IS ONLY ABOUT THE HEARING? THAT'S CORRECT, SIR.
SO PEOPLE ARE CONCERNED ABOUT FLOODING IN GENERAL.
THIS IS NOT, THAT'S THE PUBLIC COMMON PORTION OF THE MEETING.
THIS IS THE PUBLIC HEARING, JUST ON THIS LEGISLATION IMPLEMENTATION, THIS LEGISLATION APPROVING THE LEGISLATION THAT WOULD AUTHORIZE THE TOWN TO GIVE THE TAX BREAKS.
THANK YOU FOR THAT CLARIFICATION.
SO, UM, SO LISA IS PULLING UP PICTURES OF MY HOUSE.
SO IS THIS A FLOOD FROM SEVERAL YEARS AGO? NO, THIS IS FROM TWO WEEKS AGO.
SO THIS WOULD BE DURING PUBLIC COMMENT THEN, BECAUSE WHAT WE'RE HAVING A PUBLIC HEARING ON RIGHT NOW IS TO HAVE A LOCAL LAW TO RETROACTIVELY CHANGE ASSESSMENTS FOR PRIOR STORMS. I CAN TALK ABOUT THAT TOO, WHEN A DISASTER HAS BEEN DECLARED.
SO, HURRICANE IDA, I MOVED INTO MY HOUSE JANUARY 21.
CAN YOU PLEASE STATE YOUR NAME? HEATHER TREIER.
UM, AND MOVED IN JANUARY, 2021.
SEPTEMBER, HURRICANE IDAHO, FOUR FEET OF WATER IN OUR BASEMENT, LAUNDRY ROOM AND GARAGE.
TWO YEARS LATER, SEPTEMBER 23, 4 FEET OF WATER IN THE BASEMENT FROM A CREEK THAT IS FIVE TO SIX INCHES, THREE HUNDRED AND SIX SIXTY FOUR DAYS OF YEAR.
AND IT GETS TO HEIGHTS OF 12 FEET.
AND MY, THAT'S MY NEIGHBOR'S HOUSE.
IT GETS SO HIGH THAT, UM, IT COVERS THE CAR.
THEY HAD TO SAVE SOMEONE IN FRONT OF OUR HOUSE WITH A LIFEBOAT BECAUSE A FAMILY GOT STUCK.
THE WAY THAT OUR HOUSE IS ON, ON OUR PARTICULAR STREET, IT GOES DOWN.
SO THERE'S ABOUT SIX OF US THAT FLOOD AROUND THERE.
AND, UM, I, I'M HEARING ALL OF THIS FOR THE FIRST TIME ABOUT GOING TO THE TOWN TO GET HELP.
AND I, I DIDN'T KNOW THAT WAS AVAILABLE TO ME.
I, I HAVE FILED FOR, UM, HELP FROM MY INSURANCE.
THEY DENY IT EVERY SINGLE TIME.
THAT'S MY HOUSE UNDER 12 FEET OF WATER.
SO WHEN YOU SAY 50% THAT WE NEED HELP, MORE THAN 50%.
I SPEND AT LEAST 15 TO $20,000 EVERY TIME IT FLOODS.
WE HAVE TO REPLACE OUR WASHER AND DRYER.
WE HAVE TO REPLACE OUR WATER HEATER, WE HAVE TO REPLACE OUR COUCHES, EVERYTHING.
I LIVE THERE WITH MY TWO KIDS.
IT IS LIKE, I'M TRYING NOT TO GET EMOTIONAL BECAUSE THIS IS SO HARD.
WE NEED MORE HELP THAN WHAT YOU ARE GIVING.
I DON'T OWN THAT CREEK, BUT IT FLOODS LIKE THE NILE.
EVERY TIME IT RAINS, IT'S INSANE.
AND I DON'T, I, THEY WERE CLEARING TREES IN THE SPRING, BUT THAT DIDN'T DO ANYTHING.
IT ACTUALLY MADE IT EASIER FOR THE WATER TO GO THROUGH THE CREEK.
[01:20:01]
I, I KNOW THIS IS NOT A PUBLIC HEARING, BUT AS SOON AS I GOT A FLYER IN MY, IN MY BOX THAT I COULD COME AND TALK ABOUT THE FLOOD.I COULD NOT WAIT TO SPEAK UP BECAUSE I JUST DON'T THINK, AND YOU SAID ONLY FIVE PEOPLE GOT AFFECTED.
THAT IS NOT CORRECT, BECAUSE I KNOW MYSELF.
PLEASE, PLEASE DON'T CALL AND MY NEIGHBORS, EXCUSE ME, EXCUSE ME, HAVE ALL GOT AFFECTED.
PLEASE DON'T CALL OUT FROM THE AUDIENCE.
YOU'LL HAVE YOUR OPPORTUNITY TO GET UP AT THE MICROPHONE, BUT WHAT YOU DON'T REALIZE, IT'S PICKING UP YOU.
AND THEY MAY NOT BE HEARING HER, SO PLEASE DON'T CALL OUT.
I, AND I, I, I JUST, IM JUST SO FRUSTRATED.
YOU KNOW, WHEN THEY SAY, WHEN THEY TALK ABOUT THE AMERICAN DREAM, THIS IS NOT THE ONE THAT I SIGNED UP FOR.
WE BOUGHT, WE SAVED TO BUY OUR HOUSE, AND NOW IT FLOODS LITERALLY EVERY TWO YEARS BECAUSE A CREEK THAT YOU GUYS CANNOT FIX THE DRAINAGE TO.
LIKE, EITHER RAISE MY HOUSE OR YOU PAY FOR THAT $20,000 EVERY TIME WE HAVE TO PUT UP NEW SHEET ROCK, GET NEW WASHER, GET NEW DRYERS, GET NEW FLOORING.
AND IT'S, IT'S WAY MORE THAN 50%.
SO I, I KNOW I'M SPEAKING FOR A LOT OF PEOPLE HERE, BUT IT, IT, IT'S JUST SOMETHING HAS TO BE DONE AND, AND FINER.
I KNOW YOU SAID, YOU KNOW, WE'RE, WE'RE WORKING ON IT, BUT NOT FAST ENOUGH BECAUSE IF IT FLOODS TOMORROW, THAT IS GONNA HAPPEN AGAIN.
THAT IS LIKE 12 FEET OF WATER THAT'S NOT IN YOUR HOUSE.
SO I, YOU KNOW, I, I DON'T KNOW WHAT YOU CAN DO.
I, I MEAN, I HAD A WHOLE SPEECH, BUT, YOU KNOW, I JUST SPEAKING FROM THE HEART NOW, I JUST HOPE THAT, UM, THAT YOU CAN HELP ME, YOU KNOW, IF I COME TO YOU AND, AND EVERYBODY ELSE THAT NEEDS THE HELP.
SO IT'S, IT'S MORE DIRE THAN YOU THINK.
EVERY TIME IT RAINS, YOU'VE SEEN IT.
YOU'VE PROMISED MY NEIGHBORS THAT FEMA WILL BUY OUT THEIR HOUSES, WHICH THEY WON'T DO.
SO LOOKING AT THIS, WHEN I FIRST LOOKED AT THIS PROPOSAL, I THOUGHT IT MIGHT HAVE SOME POSSIBILITY.
AND THEN I STARTED READING IT AND IT PRETTY MUCH EXCLUDES ANYTHING WE COULD POSSIBLY CLAIM.
BECAUSE YOU GOT A TON OF LOCAL DISASTER.
UM, YOU REVIVED MY HOUSE THREE, THREE YEARS IN A ROW.
I CAN'T EVEN SELL IT FOR $127,000 BECAUSE I FLOOD.
AND SINCE ALL THE LEGISLATORS PASSED THE LAW THAT WE HAVE TO REPORT THAT WE FLOOD, I'M STUCK.
SO THE IMPACT IMPACTED PROPERTIES SHOULD GET REVILED, BUT IT SHOULD BE ROLLED BACK.
AND NO ONE EVER SAID TO ME, NO OFFENSE, EDEDIE, BUT NOBODY EVER SAID TO ME, GO TALK TO EDEDIE AND SEE ABOUT GETTING A REDUCTION IN IN YOUR, YOUR TAXES.
MY TAXES WENT UP ALMOST DOUBLE THE LAST NUMBER OF YEARS.
AND EVERY TIME IT RAINS AND IT FLOODS, LIKE THIS WOMAN HERE, I REPLACE MY WASHER DRYER, HOT WATER HEATER, DEHUMIDIFIER.
AND I KEEP NOTHING ELSE IN THE BASEMENT, WHAT I'M WAITING FOR.
AND, AND FEMA HAS A $5,000 DEDUCTIBLE.
SO EVERY STORM IS A $5,000 BILL THAT I HAVE TO PAY.
NOW AS A RETIRED GUY ON SOCIAL SECURITY, THAT'S TOUGH.
SO THE RIVER, WHICH IS INSANE IN TERMS OF HOW MUCH WATER WE GET, WE TALKED ABOUT GETTING THOSE TWO PUMPS FROM FRANK MORABITO AND, UH, RICHIE.
SO THEN RICHIE SENT OUT AN EMAIL, I BELIEVE THAT SAID WE COULD DO A DEMO.
I DON'T NEED TO SEE A PUMP WORK.
I WAS AT KATRINA, SO I KNOW WHAT WHAT FLOODING IS.
SO I'M LOOKING AT THIS AND I THOUGHT
[01:25:01]
THIS IS A GOOD FIRST STEP, BUT IT'S INCOMPLETE BECAUSE IT DOESN'T ADDRESS A NUMBER OF THINGS.SO THERE NEEDS TO BE A CESSATION OF REVALUATIONS TO ANYBODY THAT GETS FLOODED.
THERE NEEDS TO BE A GRACE PERIOD.
I'M OUT $5,000 CASH EVERY TIME.
AND NOBODY'S GOING TO, FROM THE, FROM UP HERE IS GONNA SAY, DON'T WORRY ABOUT IT.
SO YOU TALK ABOUT SUCH REQUESTS SHALL ATTACH ANY AND ALL DETERMINATIONS BY THE FEDERAL EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT AGENCY.
FEMA'S A FORM FOUR LETTER WORD IN OUR NEIGHBORHOOD BECAUSE THEY DON'T PAY.
SO YOU'RE TELLING ME I HAVE TO GO TO FEMA TO GET A DETERMINATION, BUT I CAN'T GET THEM TO COME OUT TO MY HOUSE.
AND IF I DO GET SOMEBODY, THEY'RE COMING UP FROM ALABAMA, THEY PROMISED ME $700 FOR A NEW FURNACE.
IF ANY OF YOU HAVE PUT IN A FURNACE IN ANY OF RECENT YEARS, IT'S $7,000, NOT 700.
BUT THAT'S THE DISPARITY WE, WE GET STUCK WITH.
SO YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT PRIVATE APPRAISAL DOCUMENT DOCUMENTATION PROVIDED BY THE HOMEOWNER'S INSURANCE COMPANY.
I CAN'T CALL MY INSURANCE COMPANY 'CAUSE ALL THAT'LL DO IS JACK MY RATES UP ACCORDING TO MY INSURANCE BROKER.
AND I'LL, I'LL BE BLACKBALLED FOR FIVE YEARS FOR ANY CLAIMS THAT I WANNA PUT IN.
SO ALL OF THE STIPULATIONS HERE ARE ALMOST IMPOSSIBLE FOR US TO MEET.
THE OTHER THING IS THERE NEEDS TO BE A GRADUATED PROGRESSION OF DEDUCT DEDUCTIBILITY.
AND I'D BE HAPPY TO SIT DOWN WITH ANY ONE OF YOU TO GO THROUGH THIS WITH SOME DIFFERENT IDEAS.
'CAUSE YOU'RE JUST COPYING, YOU'RE CHEATING, YOU'RE COPYING THE STATE LAW.
EDIE SAID IT, AND IT DOESN'T HELP US.
THIS IS LIKE KISSING YOUR SISTER.
SO YOU CAN ENACT THIS, BUT IT'S INCOMPLETE AND IT DOESN'T HELP THE RESIDENTS.
IF WHAT EDEDIE WAS JUST SAYING THAT I COULD GO TO HER AND GET A BREAK ON MY TAXES.
BUT ARE YOU GONNA COME OUT TO MY HOUSE BECAUSE YOU HAVE A 90 DAY LIMITATION HERE FOR THE PAPERWORK? I'M STILL CLEANING UP FROM THREE WEEKS AGO, STILL CLEANING UP.
I URGE YOU TO REVISIT THIS BEFORE YOU JUST MAKE ANY DECISIONS ON IT.
I I I WOULD JUST BRIEFLY LIKE TO POINT OUT THAT RESPECTFULLY TO THE STATE, THE TOWN MAY NOT NECESSARILY AGREE WITH EVERY PROVISION THAT WAS INCLUDED IN THE STATE LAW, BUT WE ARE BOUND BY THOSE PROVISIONS.
WE HAD A FEW OPT-IN PROVISIONS WE WERE ALLOWED TO PUT IN.
AND WITH THE INPUT FROM ALL THE RESIDENTS HERE TONIGHT, THE TOWN BOARD MAY FEEL NECESSARY TO MAKE THOSE CHANGES MOVING FORWARD.
BUT THE AT AS THE OVERALL LAW FITS RIGHT NOW, THIS IS WHAT THE STATE WANTED AND THIS IS WHAT WE ARE BOUND BY.
UH, BUT I DO GET THE CONCERNS THAT HAVE BEEN RAISED SO FAR.
UH, SIR, OFF THE RECORD FOR ONE MOMENT, I'M GONNA DO WHAT, UH, COUNCILMAN SHEHAN DID LAST TIME, UM, WHICH WAS, UM, CAROL TOLBERT.
ARE YOU HERE TO SPEAK ABOUT THE TAX RELIEF ACT OR YOU ARE WANNA SPEAK DURING PUBLIC COMMENT ON THE FLOODING AND TO AND TO CLARIFY.
YES, THIS HEARING IS SPECIFICALLY ABOUT THE PROPOSED LAW, WHICH WAS, UH, ADDRESSED BY EDIE MCCARTHY, THE ASSESSOR TONIGHT AND POSTED ONLINE IF THERE ARE COMMENTS ABOUT FLOODING THAT DO NOT RELATE TO THE LAW, THAT SHOULD BE HELD UNTIL PUBLIC COMMENT, WHICH WILL BE AFTER THE PUBLIC HEARING IS CLOSED BY THE TOWN BOARD.
UH, MS. GONZALEZ, COMMENT, COMMENT, COPY.
UM, MR. BODEN, IS IT FOR THIS, THIS RELIEF ACT, PUBLIC HEARING.
WHAT THIS LAW DOES, MY NAME IS MURRAY BO AND I LIVE IN HARSDALE.
WHAT THIS LAW HIGHLIGHTS THE FAILURE OF GOVERNMENT TO MAINTAIN THE CA THE TOWN IN A PROPER CONDITION.
IT'S AN ATTEMPT TO MAKE EVERYBODY AWARE THAT THERE IS A PROBLEM THAT HASN'T BEEN ADDRESSED AS TO THE PARTICULAR PART OF
[01:30:01]
THE LAW.THAT'S FOR THE PARLIAMENTARIAN TO FIGURE OUT THE CORRECT WAY TO DO IT.
AND BY THE WAY, YOU ARE THE PARLIAMENTARIAN.
IF ANYBODY MAKES A MISTAKE, IT'S YOUR RESPONSIBILITY TO CORRECT THEM AND NOT FRANCIS SHEEN.
PLEASE STAY FOCUSED ON THE LOGIC IN THE PUBLIC HEARING.
I'M GOING TO POINT OUT ONE INSTANCE WHERE THE FAILURE OF MAINTENANCE CAUSES AN ENORMOUS PROBLEM.
AND THIS ONE'S THE STORM OF A PARKWAY WAS DESIGNED FOR THIS SHOULDER TO SLOPE AWAY FROM THE ROADWAY SO THAT WATER WOULD NOT GO THROUGH THE ROADWAY.
THE FAILURE, ROBERT DENNISON SR.
THE ORIGINAL DENNISON USED 80 YEARS AGO, I'M THE ONLY ONE I CAN REMEMBER THAT USED A DRAG LINE BUCKET TO CLEAN THE BROOK SOMA RIVER.
WHEN YOU, WHEN THE TOWN IN ELMSFORD OR THAT SECTION THERE, THEY CLEANED IT, IT REDUCED THE FLOODING.
AND WHAT THIS LAW HIGHLIGHTS IS THE FACT THAT THERE'S BEEN A FAILURE OF GOVERNMENT TO PROPERLY MAINTAIN THE TOWN.
EACH OF THOSE AREAS THAT FLOODED ARE FILLED WITH DEBRIS THAT ACCUMULATED OVER YEARS, MAYBE A HUNDRED YEARS.
AND WHAT THIS LAW DOES IS HIGHLIGHT THE FACT THAT SOMEBODY HAS TO HAVE MAINTENANCE REGULARLY.
THE CLO BROOKS THAT OVERFLOWED SHOULD BE CLEANED BECAUSE THEY HAVEN'T BEEN CLEANED IN A HUNDRED YEARS.
SO THE LAW IS EFFECTIVELY, IS IT FLAWED? CERTAINLY.
COULD IT BE BETTER? CERTAINLY.
BUT IT'S THE FIRST ATTEMPT TO REALIZE THAT GOVERNMENT HAS FAILED IN OTHER WAYS.
AND THAT BESIDES THIS ATTEMPT TO ADDRESS PEOPLE, IT TAKES TOO LONG FOR HELP TO COME TO THESE PEOPLE THAT'S KNOWN ALL OVER THE COUNTRY.
THIS LAW HIGHLIGHTS THAT FACT IN A WAY THAT HASN'T BEEN HIGHLIGHTED BEFORE.
THESE PEOPLE ASK FOR HELP OVER SHORT PERIOD OF TIME.
THAT LAW, THIS LAW THAT WE'RE DISCUSSING TODAY, HIGHLIGHTS THAT FACT AND SHOULD SENSITIZE NOT ONLY THE BOARD BUT YOU AS WELL TO PRESS FOR BETTER MAINTENANCE AND BETTER THINGS.
THERE'S NO QUESTION THAT IT COULD BE BETTER, BUT IT'S A FIRST ATTEMPT AND IT WILL BE CORRECTED AND IT WILL BE UPDATED AS BEST WE CAN RECOGNIZE THE FAILURE OF GOVERNMENT AS THE BASIC CAUSE OF THIS LAW HAVING TO BE WRITTEN IN THE FIRST PLACE, GO BACK AND FIX THE ORIGINAL PROBLEM AS WELL AS THE CURRENT SOLUTION.
UM, IF WE, WHEN, IF THE BOARD ADOPTS LEGISLATION, COULD THE BOARD LIKE A YEAR LATER MAKE MODIFICATIONS AND AMEND IT? YOU KNOW, IF, YOU KNOW, AS WE COULD ONLY MAKE THE MODIFICATIONS THAT ARE ALLOWED BY THE STATE LAW, WHICH IS A, ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT THE STATE LEVEL? AT THE TOWN LEVEL? AT THE TOWN LEVEL.
AT THE TOWN LEVEL, WE COULD ONLY MAKE MODIFICATIONS TO THE FEW OPT-IN PERVIS PROVISIONS SUCH AS MINIMUM DAMAGE FLOOR, MAXIMUM AMOUNT REFUND, WE THAT RIGHT.
THERE'S ONLY A FEW ITEMS. YES.
UM, AND I JUST ALSO LIKE TO POINT OUT THAT I UNDERSTAND IT'S FRUSTRATING.
I FEEL THE PASSION OF EVERYONE SPEAKING HERE TODAY.
UM, NOT EVERY WATERWAY WITHIN THE TOWN OF GREENBURG IS OWNED BY THE TOWN OF GREENBURG AND SHOULD BE CLEANED OUT BY THE TOWN OF GREENBURG.
THERE ARE AREAS THAT ARE CONTROLLED BY PRIVATE RESIDENTS, AREAS CONTROLLED BY THE STATE AREAS, CONTROLLED BY OTHERS.
SO WE DO CLEAN OUT REGULARLY OUR OWN AREAS AND WE CONTINUE TO DO SO ON A REGULAR BASIS.
UM, HOWEVER, THAT'S KIND OF A LITTLE OFF TANGENT TO THE POINT OF TONIGHT'S HEARING, WHICH IS THIS LOCAL LAW SPECIFICALLY.
CAN I ASK THE ASSESSOR, UM, YOU KNOW, A QUESTION, UH, WHY WAS, WHY WAS THE, UM, RATIONALE FOR LIKE HAVING THE THE 50 OH SUPERVISOR? CAN YOU USE THE MICROPHONE PLEASE? I THINK HAVING TROUBLE HEARING WHAT WAS THE, UM, RATIONALE FOR THE 50%.
YOU KNOW, SOME PEOPLE WOULD SAY, OH, 50% IS A THRESHOLD THAT'S VERY HARD TO MEET.
UH, YOU KNOW, WHY NOT SAY 25% OR 30% OR, YOU KNOW, MAKE IT A LITTLE BIT MORE, UH, UM, YOU KNOW, HELPFUL TO PEOPLE WHO HAVE SUFFERED SOME DAMAGES.
THAT'S AN INTERESTING QUESTION.
UM, I DON'T REALLY KNOW HOW TO ANSWER THAT.
[01:35:01]
THAT IF YOU LOOKED AT IT, AND UNFORTUNATELY WHEN I SAW THOSE PICTURES, I THOUGHT BROKE MY HEART.BUT I MEAN, I'M, I'VE, I'M HERE AND I SEE THESE STORMS AND I GET PHONE CALLS AND I GO OUT AND TAKE A LOOK AT, AT THESE PEOPLE'S HOMES FIVE MINUTES AFTER THE STORM IS FINISHED BECAUSE THEY CALL ME.
SO, UM, 50% KIND OF PUTS IT THE HOMES INTO, UM, A POSITION WHERE THERE'S MAJOR, MAJOR DAMAGE.
IT'S NOT JUST, AND I'M NOT DEMEANING SOMEBODY'S WHO'S HAD DAMAGE.
PLEASE DON'T MISUNDERSTAND THAT.
BUT IT'S NOT JUST, YOU KNOW, A, A PIECE OR TWO OF SHEET ROCK THAT GOT DAMAGED.
THOSE PICTURES, AGAIN, THEY BROKE MY HEART.
UM, THAT'S, THAT'S BIG DAMAGE.
IS IT 50% OF THE STRUCTURE? I DON'T KNOW.
I DON'T HAVE ENOUGH INFORMATION TO BE ABLE TO ANSWER THAT.
BUT A 5%, UM, YOU KNOW, MAYBE THAT IS SOMETHING THAT THE TOWN BOARD WANTS TO TALK ABOUT FURTHER.
I CAN SEE THAT CONVERSATION TAKING PLACE.
BUT, YOU KNOW, 5% EVERYBODY WOULD BE CALLING.
IS THAT FAIR? I DON'T MAKE THOSE DECISIONS.
THAT'S NOT THE STATE PERCENTAGE THOUGH.
THAT IS NOT THE STATE PERCENTAGE.
IS THERE A STATE PERCENTAGE? NO, THERE IS NOT.
THERE IS A PERCENTAGE THAT WE HAVE TO THE STATE LAW.
THERE'S A PERCENTAGE THAT WE HAVE TO CHOOSE.
IT DOESN'T TELL US WHAT THAT IS.
BUT I DO WANNA MAKE A COUPLE MORE COMMENTS, UM, OF, OF SOME THINGS THAT SOME PEOPLE SAID.
I DO NOT WANT THE PUBLIC TO THINK THAT THIS LEGISLATION IS STRICTLY FOR FLOODING BECAUSE IT IS NOT, IT IS FOR EVERY AND ANY CATASTROPHIC EVENT THAT IS DEEMED TO BE A STATE OF EMERGENCY.
AND THERE'S NOTHING, I UNDERSTAND MR. BODEN'S COMMENTS, BUT THERE'S NOTHING WE CAN DO IF WE HAVE AN EARTHQUAKE OR, UM, OR WHATEVER OTHER THAN FLOODING THE FIRE, FIRE, FIRE.
SO I JUST WANTED THE PUBLIC TO BE AWARE THAT THIS IS NOT JUST ABOUT FLOODING.
UM, THERE ARE SOME RESIDENTS THAT, MM, I'M GONNA BE POLITICALLY CORRECT WHEN I SAY THIS.
I JUST WANT THE PUBLIC TO KNOW THAT YOU CAN COME IN AND TALK TO MY OFFICE ANYTIME.
I'M NOT, I'M A LITTLE SCARY, BUT NOT REALLY.
I HAVE A PHENOMENAL STAFF AND I'M NOT SAYING THAT 'CAUSE THE BOSSES ARE SITTING UP THERE, BUT I REALLY DO.
WE ARE SO HELPFUL AND JUST SO OPEN TO THE PUBLIC.
SO IF YOU HAVE QUESTIONS OR CONCERNS OR COMMENTS ABOUT ANYTHING, CALL US.
WE'RE HERE, WE'RE RIGHT AROUND THE CORNER IN THIS BUILDING, DOWN THE HALL.
SO, UM, AND JUST LASTLY, I DIDN'T SAY THAT THERE WERE ONLY FIVE PEOPLE THAT WERE IMPACTED BY THE STORM.
I INDICATED THAT THERE WERE FIVE PEOPLE THAT I KNEW ABOUT.
I'M SURE THERE'S MORE, BUT THOSE WERE THE ONLY ONES THAT CONTACTED ME.
AND I'D JUST LIKE TO POINT OUT THAT AGAIN, I'M SURE THERE'S MORE THAT THE 50%, IT'S JUST A B IT'S SUPPOSED TO BE A BALANCING ACT OF, AGAIN, THIS IS A MAJOR REVISION TO RAIL PROPERTY TAX LAW.
IT'S NEVER BEEN DONE TO GO BACK FIVE YEARS.
SO WE'RE TRYING TO FIND A WAY TO REACH A NUMBER THAT IS REASONABLE, THAT WE DON'T OPEN THAT TO RULE.
AND WE HAVE SO MANY PEOPLE COME IN AND IT, IT COULD POTENTIALLY BE DEVASTATING FOR TAXES MOVING FORWARD.
BUT WHEN IT WAS, OR ORIGINALLY ENACTED AT THE STATE LEVEL, IT FIRST WAS FOR HOMES THAT RECEIVED A HUNDRED PERCENT, UM, ON INHABITABILITY THAT THESE HOMES WERE DESTROYED ENTIRELY.
SO IT IS A LOT BETTER THAN WHERE WE STARTED.
AND THIS HAS BEEN GOING ON FOR QUITE A NUMBER OF YEARS THAT THE STATE HAS BEEN TALKING ABOUT THIS.
AND I'D ALSO JUST LIKE TO POINT OUT THAT, JUST JUST TO ADDRESS SOMETHING, IT'S A LITTLE ALSO SEGUEING OFF OF THE, UM, OF THE TOPIC.
BUT WE NOW HAVE BEEN AFFECTED BY MAJOR, MAJOR, UM, CLIMATE RELATED EVENTS TO AN EXTENT THAT IS UNSUPPORTABLE.
UM, THE, THE, WE TALK ABOUT THE SAWMILL RIVER PARKWAY, AND THAT'S SAWMILL RIVER.
THAT'S WITHIN THE, THE BASIN OF THE SAWMILL RIVER.
AND OF COURSE THAT, THAT CREATES, UM, AN ISSUE FOR, FOR ALL THOSE RESIDENCES AND BUSINESSES THAT ARE ADJACENT.
BUT THE AMOUNT OF RAIN WHEN WE HAVE SIX INCHES IN AN HOUR IS, IT DOESN'T MATTER WHAT KIND OF REMEDIATION THAT WE OR, OR PLANNING WE'VE DONE, NO ONE EVER ASSUMED THAT A HUNDRED YEAR STORM WOULD COME EVERY YEAR, FOR INSTANCE.
SO IT, IT, IT'S A, A REAL PROBLEM THAT WE'RE ALL GRAPPLING WITH AND THAT WE'RE ALL THREAT THREATENED BY.
AND WE HAVE A LOT OF EMPATHY OF COURSE, FOR EVERYONE WHO'S SUFFERING.
I WAS GONNA ASK IF WE HAVE ADDITIONAL SPEAKERS.
[01:40:01]
SURE THAT PEOPLE GET A CHANCE TO TALK.AND WHILE YOU'RE COMING FORWARD, UH, ANNIE, AMY SHEA, EXCUSE ME, DO YOU WISH TO SPEAK ABOUT THE, UM, THE TA THE TAX RELIEF ACT OR THE, UM, UH, DURING PUBLIC COMMENT ON THE FLOODING TALKED ABOUT? NO PROBLEM.
I JUST WANTED TO MAKE SURE YOU HAD THE OPPORTUNITY.
UM, UH, ROSANO
UH, DID YOU WANNA SPEAK ABOUT THE ACT OR DID YOU WANT TO PUBLIC COMMENT? COMMENT.
UM, MY NAME IS EMMA WALTHALL AND I LIVE AT 25 ADAMS PLACE.
MY SITUATION IS SLIGHTLY DIFFERENT.
WE'RE UPON THE FLOODING, THE MAJOR FLOODING THAT HAS HAPPENED, NOT JUST RECENTLY, BUT WITH IDA, UM, UH, WHICH NOT IDA.
LEMME GO BACK TO H UH, HURRICANE IRENE, WHICH WAS A DISASTER, BUT THAT'S NOT, UM, ON THE TABLE.
BUT, SO I JUST WANTED TO CLARIFY THAT.
I'M NOT JUST TALKING ABOUT THE STORM THAT HAPPENED THREE WEEKS AGO.
IT'S AN ONGOING, ERRONEOUS, EGREGIOUS SITUATION.
AND YES, IT'S NOT MY DWELLING, BUT IT IS MY YARD, IT IS MY HOME.
AND I'VE PUT A TREMENDOUS AMOUNT OF MONEY INTO MY YARD.
BUT ALSO WHEN THIS LITTLE MINUTE CREEK OVERFLOWS, LIKE THEY SAID, TWO INCHES GOES TO 12 INCHES, IT PASSES THROUGH MY YARD, MY POOL, AND IT GOES DIRECTLY TO WASHINGTON, WHICH THEN GOES INTO MY NEIGHBOR'S BASEMENT.
YES, THEY'VE DONE SOME WORK ON TOMAHAWK.
I'VE HAD THIS ENTIRE TOWN BOARD AND RICHARD FA, WHO HAS JUST GIVES ME BARE LIP SERVICE AS YOU DO PAUL FINER, UM, ABOUT WHAT YOU'VE DONE, WHAT CAN BE DONE.
AND WHAT YOU SAID IS SO CONVOLUTED ABOUT IT'S THE TOWN, IT'S THE GOVERNMENT, IT'S ALL THESE PEOPLE THAT MIGHT BE RESPONSIBLE FOR ERADICATING THIS FOLIAGE WITHOUT GIVING CLEAR GUIDANCE AS TO WHOM IS RESPONSIBLE.
SO IF IN THE EVENT IT IS THE NEIGHBORS OF THIS, IT SHOULD BE CLEAR CUT.
MS. WALT, IN YOUR INSTANCE, THESE PEOPLE ARE, THESE ARE, THESE PEOPLE ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR X WE ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR Y BUT CERTAINLY THE TOWN HAS BEEN NEGLIGENT IN WHAT THEY'RE RESPONSIBLE FOR.
IT'S QUITE CLEAR, IT'S QUITE OBVIOUS.
I'VE, I'VE EMAILED RICHARD FA AND PAUL FINDER NO LESS THAN 30 TIMES.
HEY, YOU KNOW, THERE'S A, A A, A STORM WARNING, YOU KNOW, COULD YOU JUST LIFT THE GA THE GRATE, WHICH ALLOWS IT TO PASS THROUGH A LIT, UH, YOU KNOW, A LITTLE BIT CL UH, QUICKER SO IT DOESN'T OVERFLOW SO MUCH.
UH, YOU KNOW, UM, COULD YOU JUST, UH, CHECK IT? COULD YOU JUST CLEAR SOME OF THE FOLIAGE? COULD YOU JUST DO THE BARE MINIMUM? 'CAUSE I PAY MY DAMN TAXES TO THE MAXIMUM AND IT'S LIKE IT'S FALLING ON DEAF EARS.
YOU WONDER WHY, IS IT BECAUSE IT'S A MINORITY COMMUNITIES? IS IT 'CAUSE I'M A CUTE LADY.
BUT FOR SOME REASON IT'S FALLING ON DEAF EARS.
AND I KNOW BACK IN 2011 WHEN WE SUED, IT'S A ONCE IN A LIFETIME SITUATION.
'CAUSE IT HAPPENED PRIOR TO US MOVING THERE.
AND IT'S CONTINUOUS TO HAPPEN.
AND, AND, AND COUNCILWOMAN HENDRICKS, I, I APPRECIATE WHAT YOU'RE SAYING THAT YOU CAN'T KEEP UP, BUT WE KNOW, WE KNOW THIS IS GOING TO HAPPEN.
SO HOW DO WE GET IN FRONT OF IT? AND I KNOW I MIGHT BE GOING OFF TRACK, BUT HELL, MY DAMN POOL IS OFF TRACK.
SO I HAVE THE RIGHT TO COME UP HERE AND KIND OF TRY AND WORK WITH YOU GUYS TO FIGURE IT OUT.
AND I'VE TRIED, I TRIED, I'M A COMMUNITY ACTIVIST.
I LOVE MY COMMUNITY, BUT IT LOOKS LIKE MY, MY, MY COMMUNITY DOESN'T LOVE ME AS MUCH BECAUSE NOTHING HAS BEEN DONE.
I NEVER RECEIVED FROM YOU, PAUL, FINER, HEY, WHY DON'T YOU GO CALL EDDIE EDIE, EXCUSE ME IF I MISPRONOUNCE YOUR NAME.
WE'RE TALKING WAY BACK IN 2011 WHEN WE'RE GOING BACK, THERE'S A HA THERE'S A MITIGATION PROGRAM.
WE'RE GONNA TRY AND DO SOMETHING THAT BROOK IS CALLED TROUBLE BROOK.
IT'S BEEN THAT WAY FOR DECADES.
AND IT'S KIND OF LIKE, EH, AND IF YOU COULD SEE THE AMOUNT OF, OF, OF DAMAGE THAT HAPPENED WITH THIS LAST STORM, THAT'S GONNA BE CATASTROPHIC BECAUSE THE AMOUNT OF WATER THAT FLOWS THROUGH SO MUCH, IT'S ERADICATING THE EARTH.
SO THEN THE TREE IS GONNA FALL ON SOMEBODY'S HOUSE, AND THEN THE TOWN IS GONNA GET SUED AND THEN UP GO OUR TAXES AGAIN.
SO THERE'S SOME THINGS WE CAN DO THAT YOU DON'T HAVE WHEN I, I DON'T EXPECT A LOT, BUT I DO EXPECT A LITTLE SOMETHING AT THE VERY LEAST TO SAY, THESE PEOPLE ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR THIS.
WE WILL GUIDE YOU, WE'LL GIVE YOU SOME DIRECTION.
[01:45:01]
I I WOULD JUST LIKE TO POINT OUT, IF ANYONE DOES HAVE A QUESTION ABOUT A CERTAIN WATERWAY NEAR THEIR HOME OR, OR SURROUNDING A AREA AND YOU'RE NOT SURE WHO IS RESPONSIBLE, I HAVE BUSINESS CARDS HERE.IF YOU'D LIKE TO SEND A PHOTO, SEND AN OVERHEAD OF GOOGLE MAPS AND YOU COULD EMAIL US AND WE CAN REACH OUT AND LET YOU KNOW WHO IS RESPONSIBLE FOR THAT.
AND IN SOME CASES, MORE THAN ONE MUNICIPALITY IS RESPONSIBLE FOR A PARTICULAR BODY OF WATER, SO IT FALLS, RIGHT? YES.
UM, TROUBLESOME BROOK I THINK HAS, UM, FLOWS INTO YONKERS.
AND SOMETIMES IT'S GENERATED UPSTREAM AND WE DON'T HAVE ANY CONTROL OF THAT.
BUT AS MUCH AS WE CAN, WE WILL TRY TO WORK WITH YOU.
BUT I WAS JUST GONNA MAKE ONE.
I'M JUST LOOKING AT MINDFUL OF TIME.
EVERYONE'S HERE FOR A VERY LONG TIME.
I JUST WANNA MAKE SURE EVERYONE, I MAKE A VERY SHORT COMMENT JUST TO SAY THAT MAYBE WE HAVE NOT GIVEN OUT ENOUGH INFORMATION ABOUT HOW TO GRIEVE IN A SITUATION THAT DOESN'T MEET THE THRESHOLD OF WHAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT NOW.
AND SO THERE NEEDS TO BE MORE DIRECTION, MORE PEOPLE COMING TO YOUR OFFICE, ED, PERHAPS, BUT TO UNDERSTAND THAT THERE IS SOMETHING THAT THEY CAN DO, UH, FOR THEIR ASSESSMENT IF THERE IS, UH, A FLOODING ISSUE OR WHATEVER.
IS THERE ANY WAY THAT I CAN YOU TO SEND YOU GUYS A VIDEO? CAN CAN YOU COME, COME TO THE MICROPHONE SO WE CAN HEAR? OKAY.
I HAVE LIVED AT 90 GIBSON AVENUE SINCE 1991.
I HAVE EXPERIENCED MY FIRST FLOOD 2005, THEN THE NEXT ONE WAS 2012, THEN 2021, 2023 AND 2025.
AND SOME OF THEM WERE IN SEPTEMBER AFTER THE DATE THAT I WOULD HAVE BEEN ABLE TO TALK TO YOU WHEN EVERYTHING WAS CLOSED.
NOW MY HUSBAND JUST CRUNCHED THE NUMBERS.
THIS ABATEMENT THAT YOU ALL THINK IS GOING TO HELP PEOPLE IS LITERALLY A DROP IN THE BUCKET.
THE AMOUNT THAT WE SPENT ON THE 2021 FLOOD ALONE, IF WE CRUNCH THE NUMBERS CORRECTLY, THE WAY SHE SAID, WE MIGHT GET $2,400, MAYBE 2000 FOR OVER $10,000 LOST.
THAT'S NOT GOING TO REALLY HELP ANYONE.
BUT BECAUSE THIS, THIS, THE FIRE DEPARTMENT, THE SCHOOL, THEY HAVEN'T SIGNED ON FOR IT.
IN REALITY, THAT'S HOW MUCH WE'RE REALLY GOING TO GET.
SO YOU ALL NEED TO NOT PAT YOURSELVES ON THE BACK, IF YOU WOULD, IF, IF YOU VOTE FOR THIS AND SAY, OH YEAH, WE'RE HELPING PEOPLE.
WE'RE, YOU KNOW, YOU SHOULD VOTE FOR US BECAUSE WE'RE GONNA MAKE, WE'RE GIVING YOU MONEY BACK.
IT'S GONNA TAKE ME FIVE YEARS JUST TO BE ABLE TO MAKE BACK WHAT I SPENT IN 2021.
THAT'S NOT INCLUDING WHAT I SPENT IN 2023, WHAT I SPENT TWO WEEKS AGO.
IT'S NOT GOING TO REALLY HELP.
NOW, IF YOU ALL REALLY WANNA HELP ENOUGH WITH, OH, WE'LL PULL UP THE WEEDS BEHIND YOUR HOUSE, OR NO, WE HAD A REPORT DONE AND THE PERSON SAID, OH, WE'RE GOING TO DO THIS OR THAT.
OH, THEY'RE WORKING ON MANHATTAN AVENUE NOW, BUT THEY'RE GOING TO GET TO THAT STREAM BEHIND YOU.
NO, YOU NEED TO ACTUALLY DO SOMETHING TO HELP US.
YOU COULD GIVE US IN CERTAIN AREAS, YOU COULD PUT BARRIERS IN CERTAIN IN OUR HOUSES.
YOU COULD BUY US FLOOD DOORS, YOU COULD BUY US THE TYPE OF TEMPORARY FLOOD DOOR WHERE THE MINUTE WE KNOW THERE'S GOING TO BE A REALLY FLOODING RAIN, WE COULD GO OUT THERE AND PUT SLATS IN AND BUILD IT UP SO AT LEAST THE WATER DOESN'T GET INTO OUR HOUSE.
AND FOR GIBSON AVENUE, I'M SORRY, WE NEED SOMETHING TO COVER OUR GARAGES AS WELL BECAUSE THE WATER GOES INTO THE FRONT AS WELL.
SO WE ARE GETTING FLOODED FROM THE BACK, FLOODED FROM THE FRONT.
I NEED A GIANT BARRIER BLOCKING MY GARAGE.
SO THIS WAY IT DOESN'T POUR IN THROUGH THE FRONT.
I NEED A BARRIER FROM MY BACK DOOR SO IT DOESN'T COME IN.
AND THAT'S WITH ME TAKING ALL OF MY LAWN FURNITURE UP FROM UNDER MY DECK AND PUTTING IT
[01:50:01]
ON THE DECK.EVERY, IT USED TO BE EVERY 10 YEARS I RESIGNED MYSELF TO THAT.
EVERY 10 YEARS, AS SOON AS IT GOT CLOSE, IT WAS LIKE, OKAY.
YOU KNOW, WHEN SANDY CAME, THAT'S WHAT STARTED THE THING.
WE HAD IT IN, LIKE I SAID, 2005, SANDY WAS 2012.
WHEN 2021 CAME, I SAID, OKAY, IT'S 10 YEARS.
I'LL DEAL WITH THIS, BUT THIS IS TOO MUCH.
IT NOW, 2021, 2003, 2005, EVERY TWO YEARS, 5,000 OR MORE DOLLARS WE'RE RETIRED.
NOW WE'RE NOT GETTING ANY NEW INCOME IN.
AND THE LITTLE BIT OF TAXES THAT YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT GIVING US IS NOT GOING TO MAKE UP THE DIFFERENCE.
SO WE NEED ALSO TO BE LISTED AS A FLOOD ZONE.
YOU ALL, WHEN YOU, WHEN YOU LOOK AT FEMA CHARTS AND YOU LOOK AT GREENBURG TOWN, OUR NEIGHBORHOOD IS NOT LISTED AS A FLOOD AREA.
AND YOU ALL CREATED THIS BECAUSE WHEN YOU REDID TARRYTOWN ROAD AND REDID THE FLOODING, THE THING OVER THERE, SO THAT TARRYTOWN ROAD AND CROSSROADS PLAZA WOULDN'T FLOOD, YOU MADE THIS GIGANTIC BAR, YOU KNOW, A DRAINAGE, WHICH NOW IT'S LIKE A SIX LANE HIGHWAY GOING INTO A TWO LANE HIGHWAY BEHIND OUR HOUSE.
THANK YOU FOR YOUR COMMENT TONIGHT.
THESE ARE FOR YOU CAN, THANK YOU.
UH, CAN I JUST ASK YOU, EMMA, CAN I ASK EMMA JUST ONE QUESTION? UM, I'M JUST, UH, UH, REFRESHING MY MEMORY.
UH, I RECALL, AND I MIGHT BE WRONG, DIDN'T MIKE MCGARVEY, UH, DESIGN LIKE A HO UH, LIKE A HOLDING CHAMBER EMAIL ME NEAR YOUR PROPERTY ABOUT A, A YEAR AGO OR SOMETHING? HE DIDN'T CONVEY IT TO ME.
DIDN'T DO ANYTHING, WASN'T ENACTED.
IF YOU WANTED TO SEND, YOU KNOW, THIS IS, IF YOU, IF YOU'RE GOING TO HAVE A, THAT SHOULD BE DIALOGUE.
WE NEED TO MAKE SURE, AS I MENTIONED EARLIER, WE REALLY WANNA, WE REALLY WANNA HEAR FROM THE PUBLIC.
AND IT IS GONNA, I I JUST WANNA MAKE SURE THAT WE HAD THAT OPPORTUNITY, LISA, WHO WAS ALSO NEED A CLEAN RECORD.
I JUST, I I JUST HAD REF I I JUST REMEMBERED THAT THERE WAS, UH, SO WHY DON'T YOU CONTACT HER? YEAH, I'LL JUST CALL, WHY DON'T YOU CONTACT HER SEPARATELY AND THEN SO WE CAN MAKE SURE WE HEAR FROM EVERYONE ELSE.
I JUST ALSO, I WOULD LIKE TO JUST MAKE A CLARIFICATION.
UM, SO A AS EDIE TOLD US, GREENBERG TAXES ACCOUNT FOR 15% ROUGHLY OF CORPORATE, OUR TOTAL, TOTAL AMOUNT OF TAXES FOR UNINCORPORATED GREENBERG.
AND OF THAT GREENBERG WILL BE, WILL COME UP WITH THE STATE MANDATED 10% AND 10% ANNUALLY OVER FOUR YEARS.
BUT WE DON'T EXPECT THAT SOMEONE WILL REACH THE MAXIMUM JUST BASED ON TOWN TAXES LAW.
BUT IT IS TA THAT'S JUST THE TOWN PORTION.
SO THIS IS GOING TO BE UP TO THE SCHOOLS AND THE FIRE DISTRICTS AND THE VILLAGES TO ENACT THEIR LAWS FOR THE TA, THEIR AMOUNT OF TAXATION.
SO I DON'T THINK ABOUT THIS BEING THE TOTAL AMOUNT.
OF COURSE WE DON'T HAVE ANY CONTROL OF WHAT THE OTHER ENTITIES DO AND WHETHER THEY APPROVE OR DIS OR DO NOT GO ALONG WITH ANY FORM OF THIS LEGISLATION.
SO THERE ARE OTHER AVENUES TO RECOUP TOO, I BELIEVE, RIGHT? YES.
AND WE WILL SHARE OUR LAW WHENEVER IT IS PASSED AND WHATEVER IT ENTAILS AND RECOMMEND IT.
BUT DO WE HAVE ANY OTHER SPEAKERS? UM, OFF THE RECORD, PLEASE.
I JUST WANTED TO MAKE SURE MS. FLAHERTY, DID YOU SAY COMMENT OR HEARING? A COMMENT? SHE SAID COMMENT.
WE HAVE NO FURTHER SPEAKING, UH, SPEAKERS FOR THE, UH, HEARING THEN WE SHOULD, I'D LIKE TO RECOMMEND WE ADJOURN THE HEARING TILL THE SEPTEMBER 10TH, 10TH MEETING.
WHAT'S THE MEETING AFTER THAT? SHOULD BE THE 24TH.
TO SEPTEMBER 24TH OR THE NEXT DO WE HAVE ANY, ANY, UM, DROP DEAD DATE THAT WE HAVE TO NO.
SO LET, IF WE ADJOURN IT TO THE 24TH, THAT WOULD BE, YEAH.
SO SEVEN OR 24TH, UM, AT SEVEN
[01:55:01]
30 OR WHENEVER SECOND.OKAY, NOW WE HAVE THE PUBLIC COMMENTS.
[ PUBLIC COMMENT Advanced signup is required. A continuous five-minute limit per speaker will be strictly enforced. The clock will start when a speaker begins speaking and will not be stopped for any reason until the speaker is finished, or five minutes have elapsed, whichever occurs first. Interruptions by Town Board members, the Town Clerk or the public will not be permitted. If a speaker insists on an immediate answer, should an answer be provided, it shall be part of the speaker's five-minute allocation and not be interrupted. There will not be a second five-minute round. Any written comments sent to PublicComment@GreenburghNY.com by 4 PM the day of the hearing will be forwarded to all Town Board members in advance of the meeting for their consideration. Written comments will not be read at the meeting unless the original author is present to do so.]
YES.THANK YOU FOR DOING THAT FIRST.
AND UH, UH, THE YOUNG WOMAN WHO SPOKE, YOU KNOW, WHO LIVES ON GIBSON, IF YOU COULD MAYBE, YOU KNOW, GIMME A RING OR EMAIL ME, UH, YOU KNOW, I'D BE HAPPY TO, YOU KNOW, MEET, YOU KNOW, MEET WITH YOU AGAIN.
THIS IS, THIS IS WHERE THE MEANING GOES.
WELL SOMETIMES, YOU KNOW, YOU COULD NOT BE SUCCESSFUL THE FIRST TIME AND YOU KEEP TRYING.
SO, SO, AND WHO'S THE FIRST SPEAKER? OKAY.
UH, JUST, UM, THE PARLIAMENTARIAN ASKED ME TO REMIND YOU THAT YOU ONLY HAVE FIVE MINUTES TO SPEAK.
AND YOUR TIME WILL BEGIN ONCE YOU, UH, ONCE YOU BEGIN SPEAKING.
FIRST, IF WE CAN HAVE, UM, MRS. MULLINGS PLEASE.
WOULD YOU LIKE ME TO COME RIGHT BACK TO YOU? OKAY, NO PROBLEM.
IS HE COMING BACK? YES, HE IS.
UH, CAROL TORBERT AND WANDA GONZALEZ? YES.
MY NAME IS WANDA GONZALEZ, 75 GIBSON.
YOU WILL HAVE MANY PEOPLE FROM GIBSON AVENUE.
I AM HER NEIGHBOR, THE ONE THAT WAS THE UP HERE EARLIER.
I HAVE A FEW COMMENTS FROM SEVERAL RESIDENTS, SO IF YOU CAN PROVIDE THAT, UM, TIME FOR ME.
FIRST, UH, AFTER THE 2021 FLOODS, UH, WAS THERE A PLAN PLACED? I KNOW YOU PROBABLY WON'T BE ABLE TO ANSWER ANY OF THESE QUESTIONS RIGHT NOW, BUT, UM, JUST GOING BY WHAT I WAS ASKED TO DO.
UM, BASED ON THE HISTORY OF CONTINUED FLOODING IN THIS AREA, WHAT ARE THE REVISED PLANS IF THE 2021 PLANS THAT CAME, THAT YOU CAME UP WITH DIDN'T WORK? DID YOU REVISE THE PLANS TO, HOW ARE THE DRAINAGE AND SEW SYSTEMS MANAGED? WHEN WAS THE LAST UPGRADE? UH, WERE THERE ANY DISCREPANCIES FOUND IN 2021 THAT WERE ABLE TO BE MANAGED AFTER THIS ONE? IT DOESN'T SEEM LIKE BECAUSE 2023 AND JUST THREE WEEKS AGO DIDN'T WORK.
SO WHAT ACTUALLY HAPPENED AROUND NOVEMBER, CORRECT ME IF ANYONE, UM, REMEMBERS 2024, THE TREES BY THE CREEK WERE BEING KNOCKED DOWN.
THESE TALL TREES THAT SERVED AS A PRIVACY FENCE TO MANY OF THE HOMES NEAR THE CREEK.
THEY WERE ALL CUT DOWN, UM, WHEN SEEKING ANSWERS.
SOME, UM, WE WERE TOLD, OH, IT WAS DUE TO THE FLOODS.
UH, THE FALLEN LEAVES LEFT TOO MUCH DEBRIS, WHICH DECREASED WATER FLOW.
ANOTHER COMMENT WAS CUTTING DOWN, CUTTING DOWN THE DEBT AND SICK TREES.
I DON'T KNOW IF THAT HAD ANYTHING TO DO WITH IT.
THE THING IS THAT WE WERE PROMISED THAT OKAY, IT LEFT THE VACANT AREA.
ALL WE SEE NOW IS A PARKING LOT OF THE CHURCH.
I'M NOT ABLE TO GO TO THE PATIO AND HAVE A CUP OF COFFEE 'CAUSE I HAVE GOT EYES GLARING AT ME.
SO, YOU KNOW, IT'S, IT'S, IT'S NOT PLEASANT.
SO I DON'T KNOW WHAT HAPPENED TO THAT.
UM, PLAN OF PUTTING UP TREES AND MAKING THE PLACE LOOK PRESENTABLE AFTER ALL THOSE TREES WERE KNOCKED DOWN.
UH, THEN I HEARD ANOTHER COMMENT THAT THE TOWN WAS SUED AND THAT'S THE REASON THEY CUT DOWN THE TREES.
UH, NUMBER FIVE, UH, LEMME SEE.
MY BROTHER WAS SUPPOSED TO BE HERE TONIGHT.
HE'S BEEN STILL WORKING IN THE BASEMENT, KNOCKING DOWN SHEET ROCKS, REMOVING THE INSTALLATION, STARTED GETTING SOME PROBLEMS IN THE THROAT.
WE STILL DON'T KNOW WHAT'S WRONG WITH THEM.
UM, SPEAKING ON THAT, ANY RESPONSE ON THE CONCERN OF EXPOSURE TO TOXINS, BACTERIA GROWING MOLD? SEWAGE? UH, ANOTHER NEIGHBOR OF MINE, I DON'T KNOW IF SHE'S HERE TONIGHT, AFTER THIS LAST
[02:00:01]
STORM, TWO DAYS LATER, SHE HAD TO REPORT TO THE EMERGENCY ROOM.SHE WAS HAVING DIFFICULTY BREATHING.
RIGHT NOW, YOU HEAR COMPLAINTS ABOUT FLOODING.
I HOPE YOU DO NOT HEAR, COMPLAIN ABOUT DEATH.
THE DEBRIS, OH, I HAVE A MINUTE LEFT.
SO THE DEBRIS, WE STILL HAVE DEBRIS TO BE PICKED UP, BUT WE'VE BEEN TOLD THAT'S IT.
YOU HAVE TO PAY FOR IT NOW, FOR IT TO BE PICKED UP.
IS THERE ANY WAY THAT WE CAN STILL PUT OUT DEBRIS ON THE SIDEWALK TO BE PICKED UP? THAT'S ANOTHER QUESTION.
SO SOMEONE WAS TALKING ABOUT THE BROOKS AND OTHER PEOPLE BEING RESPONSIBLE FOR IT.
WE HAVE PICTURES UP ON ONE OF MY NEIGHBORS, UM, HOUSE BY HER HOUSE'S, A CREEK THAT'S ACTUALLY, UM, UH, A BOULDER.
AND I DON'T KNOW IF YOU COULD SEE THIS, UM, SOME KIND OF TRUCK.
WHAT WAS IT? I DON'T KNOW IF MY NAME IS STILL HERE.
BUT IT'S, IT SHOWS IN THE PICTURE.
SO THE DEBRIS IS NOW BEING CLEANED UP AS IT'S SUPPOSED TO BE.
UM, ALSO THE FALLING TREES, THERE'S STILL A LOT OF DEBRIS.
AGAIN, UM, ADDITIONAL DRAINAGE.
THEY WANNA KNOW IF THAT IS POSSIBLE AND COMPENSATION, ARE WE GOING TO BE COMPENSATED FOR THE MONEY THAT WE SPEND ON REPAIRS? AND THIS, THESE ARE SOME OF THE PICTURES.
AND, UM, I HOPE YOU CAN, UH, APPRECIATE THAT AND ALSO HAVE MORE PICTURES FROM MY OTHER NEIGHBOR THAT I WOULD LIKE TO LEAVE.
AND IF YOU WOULD GIVE US A COPY OF THAT LIST AND, UH, I'LL, I'LL SPEAK TO, UH, THE COMMISSIONER ABOUT, YOU KNOW, THE DEBRIS, YOU KNOW, PICK UP, UH, YOU KNOW, JUST, UH, SO I'VE ALREADY SPOKEN TO HIM WHERE I'M IN CONTACT WITH HIM IS NOW, AND I REALLY WAS TRYING TO WAIT TILL AFTER EVERYONE SPOKE.
SO, BUT, UM, SO THEY ARE, THEY HAVE BEEN OUT FOR THE LAST TWO WEEKS, BUT WE'RE, THEY CAN DO IT AGAIN.
SO I WOULD SUGGEST THAT YOU EMAIL RICH FA UM, AND JUST GIVE YOUR ADDRESS AND JUST LET THEM KNOW THAT YOU'RE GOING TO HAVE, UM, DEBRIS OR YOU NEED A PICKUP, UH, SCHEDULED RFON.
YOU KNOW, I ALSO, I'M WONDERING IF IT WOULD MAKE SENSE, YOU KNOW, TO HAVE LIKE A MEETING WITH RESIDENTS OF GIBSON, UM, AND, UH, AND, AND OUR ENGINEERS.
UM, AND MAYBE, YOU KNOW, WE COULD SORT OF STRATEGIZE, YOU KNOW, WE, WE'VE DONE IT ON FULTON PARK AND YOU KNOW, THEY CAME UP WITH SOME NEW INITIATIVES THAT THEY HADN'T DONE BEFORE.
AND MAYBE IF WE GIVE, UH, YOU KNOW, AS MUCH PRIORITY, YOU KNOW, MORE PRIORITY TO, UH, GIBSON AS WELL, YOU KNOW, MAYBE WE'LL BE ABLE TO COME UP WITH SOMETHING THAT WE HAVEN'T, THAT NOBODY, YOU KNOW, THOUGHT OF IN, YOU KNOW, IN THE PAST.
SO I'D BE HAPPY, YOU KNOW, IF YOU WANT TO, UH, CONTACT ME, YOU KNOW, WE'LL, WE COULD SET SOMETHING UP WITHIN THE NEXT WEEK.
YOU KNOW, ONE OF THE PROBLEMS THAT, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE ALSO IS THERE'S A LOT OF THE AREAS AROUND THE TOWN THAT ARE FLOODED.
YOU KNOW, IT'S NOT ONLY LIKE ONE AREA.
IT'S LIKE WE GET LIKE, LIKE HUNDREDS OF PEOPLE ARE COMPLAINING ABOUT FLOODING BECAUSE THEY LIVE NEAR BROOKS.
THEY LIVE NEAR STREAMS, THEY LIVE NEAR RIVERS.
UM, AND WE ONLY HAVE A HANDFUL OF ENGINEERS IN THE TOWN.
UM, AND FOR ABOUT A YEAR, OVER A YEAR WE HAD, IT WAS, WE FOUND IT REALLY DIFFICULT TO FIND ENGINEERS.
SO THE TOWN, UH, PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT WAS SHORT STAFFED IN TERMS OF ENGINEERS.
WE HAVE, I THINK WE HAVE LIKE THE BEST GROUP OF ENGINEERS THAT WE'VE HAD IN YEARS.
THEY'RE REALLY GOOD, THEY'RE REALLY DEDICATED.
SO NOW WE HAVE A LITTLE BIT MORE OF AN ABILITY TO, UM, UM, YOU KNOW, TO HELP.
BUT AGAIN, YOU KNOW, WE ARE NEVER GONNA BE ABLE TO SOLVE ALL THE FLOODING PROBLEMS. AND, YOU KNOW, WE'RE, WE'RE, I THINK WHAT WE'RE REALLY TRYING TO DO IS DO A LITTLE BIT, YOU KNOW, EVERY YEAR AND TAKE DIFFERENT NEIGHBORHOODS.
BUT, YOU KNOW, I'M REALLY GLAD THAT PEOPLE ARE, YOU KNOW, SHOWED UP AT THE MEETING TODAY.
AND, YOU KNOW, I REALLY WANT TO GIVE ATTENTION TO GIBSON.
I PROMISE YOU, UM, I'VE SAT HERE TRY TO BE AS, UH, TRY TO WAIT PATIENTLY, BUT, SO THANK YOU FOR ALL THE RESIDENTS THAT CAME OUT FROM GIBSON.
UM, I JUST WANNA LET YOU KNOW, RIGHT AFTER THAT STORM THAT WE JUST HAD TWO WEEKS AGO, I DID A SURVEY, DRIVE, DRIVE AROUND, DRIVE, WHAT DO YOU CALL IT? DRIVE WHATEVER, A TOUR IF YOU WILL DRIVE BY A TOUR OF THE WHOLE MANHATTAN BROOK BECAUSE YOU HAVE TO REALLY UNDERSTAND WHERE THE CHALLENGES ARE.
SO, UH, DEPUTY COMMISSIONER MODO, WHO'S ALSO KNOWN AS A BUILDING INSPECTORS, IS THE REASON WHY HE STARTED MAKING SURE THAT HE, IF YOU'VE SEEN THE BIG MACHINES THAT HAS BEEN CLEANING OUT, WE'VE LEARNED
[02:05:01]
THAT IT'S NOT ONLY THAT JUST THE TREES AND DEBRIS BECAUSE IT HAS NOT BEEN MAINTAINED, BUT THERE'S ALSO OTHER BARRIERS LIKE CARTS AND TIRES AND OLD DEBRIS.DEBRIS THAT SHOULD NOT EVEN BE THERE.
SO HE HAS BEEN WORKING DILIGENTLY TO MAKE SURE ALL THAT HAS BEEN CLEANED UP.
IN ADDITION TO THAT, I HAVE BEEN IN CONTACT WITH THE COUNTY AND SPEAKING WITH THEM SO WE CAN FIGURE OUT HOW WE CAN REALLY, UM, FIGURE OUT A SCHEDULE SO WE CAN COMMIT, UH, START MAKING SURE THAT WE CAN COME TOGETHER.
THE COUNTY AND THE TOWN DOES SHARE RE RESPONSIBILITY FOR CLEANING THAT AREA UP.
SO I JUST WANNA MAKE SURE THAT I HEAR THAT THE, THAT THE TOWN SUPERVISOR IS SAYING THAT THANK YOU FOR THE MEETING AND EVERYTHING AND THAT YOU CONTACTED, BUT WE'RE ALREADY BEING MYSELF.
OTHER MEMBERS ON ACCOUNTS HAVE BEEN PROACTIVE TO MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE OUT THERE.
THAT LAST STORM FOR ME, I WAS IN IT, IN IT AND IT WAS JUST THE SCARIEST THING EVER.
AND THAT'S NOT WHAT JUST MOTIVATED ME, BUT I'VE JUST, I HAD TO REALLY CALL THE DEPUTY SUPERVISOR, UH, DEPUTY COMMISSIONER AND ASK HIM WHAT REALLY CAN WE DO? BECAUSE THIS, THIS ENOUGH IS ENOUGH.
BUT THE OTHER CHALLENGE THAT WE HAVE HERE IS THAT THIS IS A 500 YEAR STORM THAT'S HAPPENING BACK TO BACK, BACK TO BACK TO BACK.
SO I DO, THERE WAS A YOUNG LADY WHO CAME UP AND TALKED AND MENTIONED ABOUT THE BARRIERS AND PUTTING 'EM THAT EVEN IF WE PUT A BARRIER UP THERE, YOU ARE STILL GOING TO HAVE DAMAGE.
AND THAT'S THE UNFORTUNATE PART.
SO, AND I GET YOUR FRUSTRATION, TRUST ME, BECAUSE JUST DRIVING DOWN GIBSON AVENUE, GIBSON GIBSON AVENUE, SEEING THE, SEEING THE, UM, THE SAME NEIGHBOR ON AT THE END OF GIBSON AVENUE AND FAIR STREET, JUST WATCHING THE CLOTHES AND EVERYTHING JUST OUT THERE DRYING OUT.
AND THEY GET, THEY GET AFFECTED EVERY STORM.
AND IT'S, AND, AND AGAIN, WE ARE TRYING AND SO I WANT TO, I WANNA THANK THE COUNTY BECAUSE WE ARE WORKING TOGETHER.
WE, THEY'RE TRYING TO FIGURE OUT WHAT WE CAN DO.
BUT AGAIN, WE ARE BOUND BY NATURE, BY MOTHER NATURE.
AND THAT'S UNFORTUNATELY, THAT'S OUR BATTLE.
SO YES, THERE HAS BEEN TIMES, THERE HAS BEEN SOME THINGS THAT HAVE BEEN NEGLECTED.
WE ARE ADDRESSING THAT AND WE HAVE BEEN ADDRESSING.
SO WHEN YOU SEE THOSE BIG BOLT, UH, I DON'T EVEN KNOW THE CALL THEM MACHINES OR WHATEVER YOU CALL 'EM MACHINES, WE ARE TRULY OUT THERE CLEANING THAT UP AND 'CAUSE WE REALIZE WHAT THE CHALLENGES FULTON PARK, I SENT YOU A LETTER A COUPLE OF WEEKS AGO SYMPATHIZING 'CAUSE I DO UNDERSTAND, AND WE'RE TRYING TO REALLY FIGURE OUT HOW DO WE ADDRESS EV ADDRESS THOSE AREAS THAT'S AFFECTING YOU.
SO AS THE TOWN ATTORNEY MENTIONED, AS THE TOWN ATTENTION MENTIONED BEFORE, THAT IT'S A COMBINATION OF ALSO RESIDENTS NOT CLEARING UP AND BEING RESPONSIBLE FOR THEIR AREAS.
SO WE WILL BE CONTACTING YOU TO WORK WITH YOU TO FIGURE OUT HOW WE CAN ADDRESS THAT, BECAUSE THIS IS AFFECTING EVERYONE.
SO I JUST HAD, I KNOW I'VE BEEN SAYING I WANTED EVERYONE TO SPEAK, BUT I JUST HA I COULDN'T SIT HERE ANY LONGER AND JUST LET LET THAT GO BY.
CAN WE PLEASE NOT HAVE OUTBURST FROM THE CROWD? IF YOU DIDN'T SPEAK YET, YOU'LL HAVE YOUR FIVE MINUTES.
I JUST WANNA, I JUST HAD TO SAY THAT.
I WANNA, AGAIN, COMMEND, UM, DEPUTY COMMISSIONER FRANK MARDO, UM, IN THE D IN THE DPW STAFF WHO HAS BEEN OUT THERE CLEANING.
WE DO RECOGNIZE THAT AND WE ARE ON IT.
AGAIN, THIS IS NOT SOMETHING THAT IS GOING TO HAPPEN OVERNIGHT THAT IT WAS GONNA CLEAN.
IT'S, IT'S A LOT OF STUFF, BUT WE ARE TRYING.
I, I JUST, I HAVE ONE CAN, MAY, MAY I PLEASE, WHY DON'T WE GET THE REST OF THE SPEAKER.
UM, SEVERAL OF YOU MENTIONED TREES THAT WERE TAKEN DOWN.
IF YOU CAN PLEASE IDENTIFY EXACTLY WHERE THOSE TREES ARE AND IF THE TOWN DID TAKE THEM DOWN, THEY'RE GENERALLY, WE HAVE STRICT TREE LAWS, SO IT WOULD SEEM THAT, UM, IF THEY WERE TAKEN DOWN, IT WAS BECAUSE THEY WERE DYING AND WE DIDN'T WANT THEM TO FALL.
SO LET'S IDENTIFY AND LET'S LOOK INTO IT.
THE, THE ONLY SUGGESTION THAT I HAVE, WAIT, I THOUGHT WE HAVE MORE SPEAKER.
NO, I, I WANT TO, WE DO HAVE MORE.
WE'LL MAKE SEVERAL, NO, I WANNA MAKE A SUGGEST OTHER MEMBERS OF THE BOARD HAVE SPOKEN.
I'M GOING TO SAY SOMETHING FOR TWO MINUTES.
ONE MINUTE WE, IT'S 10 O'CLOCK.
THE SUGGESTION, THE SUGGESTION THAT I HAVE IS THAT, UM, THE TOWN HAS BEEN TAKING SOME ACTION PEOPLE, IT WOULD BE NICE IF PEOPLE IN THE TOWN, UM, AND WHO, WHO LIVE ON GIBSON.
AND THE COMMUNITY COULD SEE WHAT WE'VE DONE.
SO WHAT I WOULD LIKE TO SUGGEST IS THAT WE ORGANIZE AN ONSITE, UM, UH, MEETING, UH, ON GIBSON AND IN THE AREA.
SO WE COULD SHOW THEM, UH, THE BROOKS, WE COULD SHOW THEM WHAT WE'VE CLEANED UP.
WE COULD SHOW WHAT THE COUNTY HAS CLEANED UP.
WE COULD SHOW THEM THE OBSTRUCTIONS THAT STILL REMAIN, UM, AND THAT WE COULD COME UP WITH A JOINT PLAN, BOTH THE COUNTY AND THE TOWN, WHAT WE'RE GONNA DO FORWARD.
I TOOK A, UH, A WALK WITH LOU SANCHEZ WHO LIVES IN FULTON PARK.
SO IT WAS THE SAME DAY THAT THE COUNTY AND THE TOWN CLEARED SOME OF THE, UH, OBSTRUCTIONS FROM THE STREAM.
BUT HE SHOWED ME ON THE BACK OF HIS, ON THE BACK OF THE PROPERTY, A LOT OF ADDITIONAL OBSTRUCTIONS.
WHEN IS THAT GONNA BE CLEANED UP? SO IF WE COULD HAVE, AND WE SHOULD HAVE THE COUNTY EXECUTIVE AT THE MEETING IF
[02:10:01]
HE'S GONNA SHOW UP, WE COULD HAVE OUR LEGISLATORS, WE COULD HAVE PEOPLE FROM THE, THE COUNTY STAFF, THE TOWN STAFF AND ALL OF, AND THE COMMUNITY.AND THEN WE ALL SAY, THIS IS THE PLAN THAT WE HAVE.
THIS IS WHAT OUR, WHAT WE COULD DO IN THE FUTURE TO MAKE THINGS BETTER.
BECAUSE I SORT OF FEEL THAT IF ALL OF US ARE, IF WE'RE A PARTNERSHIP AND EVERYBODY IS SAYING EXACTLY WHAT'S DONE, THERE'LL BE MORE CONFIDENCE AND MORE TRUST.
THAT'S MY, THAT'S MY, THAT'S MY FEELING.
SO I WOULD SUGGEST THIS ONSITE, UH, YOU KNOW, TOUR AND MEETING WITH THE COMMUNITY.
AND I'M GONNA, I WANT TO DO THIS.
THANK YOU FOR YOUR PATIENCE, MRS. MILLINGS AND MR. MILLINGS.
MY NAME IS DANIELLE MILLINGS AND I'M A RESIDENT OF DRA AWAY.
I'M HERE TODAY ON BEHALF OF THE RESIDENTS WHO LIVE ON THAT STREET WHO ARE HERE IN THE AUDIENCE.
AND I WANT THEM TO STAND OR RAISE YOUR HAND TO SHOW THE SUPPORT.
WE ARE TAXPAYERS, HOMEOWNERS, AND COMMUNITY MEMBERS WHO ARE DEEPLY CONCERNED AND FRANKLY, LOSING TRUST IN THE TOWN'S ABILITY TO PROTECT ITS CITIZENS FROM DEVELOPER NEGLIGENCE.
DRAG AWAY IS AN UNFINISHED DEVELOPMENT.
THERE ARE NO WORKING STREET LIGHTS, NO FINAL ROAD PAVING, NO PROPER DRAINAGE.
EPT FOLIAGE OBSTRUCTING THE STREET.
THE INFRASTRUCTURE IS INCOMPLETE, THE AREA IS UNSAFE, AND WE STILL HAVE NO TIMELINE ON TO WHEN ANYTHING WILL BE COMPLETED.
AND THERE HAS BEEN NO ACCOUNTABILITY.
AND I KNOW I'VE PERSONALLY MET WITH YOU, MR. FINDER, WE'VE BEEN CHATTING.
SO THE QUESTION THAT I HAVE, AND I'M GONNA STRESS, THIS IS WHAT HAPPENED WITH THE PERFORMANCE BOND.
WE ARE AT THE POINT WHERE WE'RE LIVING ON THE STREET IN THESE UNSAFE CONDITIONS.
WE PAY OUR TAXES, LOTS OF THEM.
WE ALSO, I HAVE DONE MY OWN PERSONAL RESEARCH AND HAVE LOOKED, AND I HAVE FOUND DOCUMENTS IN THE WESTCHESTER COUNTY DATABASE BECAUSE I HAVE NOT BEEN ABLE TO FIND ANYTHING THAT REFERENCES DRAKE AWAY IN ANY PLANNING BOARD MEETING.
SO I'VE DONE MY OWN RESEARCH AND THERE ARE CLEAR REQUIREMENTS THAT SHOULD HAVE BEEN MET, BUT THEY HAVE NOT BEEN, THERE IS ENFORCEMENTS COMPLIANCE IN PLACE.
THERE'S WHERE IS THE DOCUMENTATION THAT SHOWS THAT THE DEVELOPER NEEDS TO BE HELD TO THE STANDARDS OF THE TOWN OF GREENBURG.
SO I WANT THE TIME FOR YOU TO ANSWER, OR WHOEVER CAN, WHAT HAPPENED TO THAT PERFORMANCE BOND AND WHEN ARE WE GONNA HOLD THE DEVELOPER ACCOUNTABLE, OR WHEN IS THE TOWN GONNA JUMP IN TO TAKE OVER THE ROAD? SO I WANNA GIVE YOU THE FORM 'CAUSE I KNOW WE WE'RE PRESSED ON TIME.
SO I'LL, I'LL BE BRIEF AND I CAN'T ANSWER EVERYTHING RIGHT NOW BECAUSE WE'RE STILL WORKING ON IT.
SINCE I MET WITH YOU ABOUT THREE WEEKS AGO, WE'VE HAD A COORDINATED EFFORT WITH THE ENGINEERING DEPARTMENT, LEGAL DEPARTMENT, UM, PLANNING DEPARTMENT AS WELL.
LOOKING INTO THE MATTER FURTHER.
AND I KNOW THE MATTER HAS BEEN COME UP IN THE PAST, WE HAVE REACHED OUT TO THE OWNER AND TO THE DEVELOPER ABOUT THE BOND.
AND WE ARE ASKING THEM, WELL, DEMANDING THAT THEY MOVE FORWARD WITH COMPLETING ALL OF THOSE STRUCTURES.
UM, I DO HAVE A CERTAIN DOCUMENT THAT YOU ARE LOOKING FOR, UH, MAYBE TWO DOCUMENTS, PERHAPS PLANNING BOARD REQUIREMENTS, AS WELL AS, UM, THE TRANSFER OF THE DEED.
I, WE HAVE THAT AS WELL THAT WE CAN SHARE.
I CAN TELL YOU THAT THE TOWN RIGHT NOW IS DOING EVERYTHING WITHIN OUR ABILITY TO PROCEED.
AND I, I HEARD LAUGHTER, BUT IT'S THE TRUTH.
AND WE'RE ALSO LOOKING INTO HOW WE PLACE THESE ITEMS INTO OUR TOWN CODE TO HELP US, UH, IN THE FUTURE AS WELL WITH DEVELOPERS.
IF YOU WANT YOUR TIME BACK, I'LL YIELD BACK.
SO YOU'RE DOING EVERYTHING YOU CAN DO.
AND I'M, I'M ASKING BECAUSE AT WHAT POINT IS NOW WE, LEGAL ACTION NEEDS TO BE TAKEN, RIGHT? THE DEVELOPER HAS NOT COMPLETED A SINGLE HOME IN THE SUBDIVISION.
HE IS, THERE ARE, HE'S IN LITIGATION WITH PROBABLY EIGHT RESIDENTS OR WHAT PRIOR, OR IS CURRENTLY.
HE IS NOT GOING TO TAKE ANY STEPS TO FINISH THE SUBDIVISION.
HE'S NOT GOING TO DO WHAT HE NEEDS TO DO.
SO THIS IS US DEMANDING THAT LEGAL ACTION BE TAKEN AGAINST HIM.
WE NEED TO EITHER COME TOGETHER WITH THE RESIDENTS OR WE'RE GONNA HAVE TO DO A DEEPER DIVE INTO WHAT WE FEEL HAS BEEN NEGLIGENCE UPON THE TOWN OF GREENBURG.
YOU WERE HERE WHEN THE SUBDIVISION WAS APPROVED.
WHERE WERE THE INSPECTIONS THAT WERE DONE? WHERE'S THE PAPER TRAIL? RIGHT.
THE STREET NAME WAS NAMED, UH, OR SUPPOSEDLY NAMED.
WE DON'T HAVE A RECORD OF THAT.
WE'RE ACTUALLY PUSHING THE FIGHT TO HAVE THE STREET NAME CHANGED BECAUSE WE DON'T WANT IT ASSOCIATED.
AND I BELIEVE THAT IS HAPPENING.
SO OUR QUESTION IS, WHY ARE, IS THIS PAPER TRAIL OMITTED? AND YOU SAY YOU HAVE THESE DOCUMENTS, BUT THESE MEETINGS EXIST.
THIS HAS BEEN AN ONGOING CHALLENGE.
[02:15:01]
TO FINISH.YOU TALKED ABOUT SAFETY AND THE CHILDREN AT THE BUSES.
I'M AFRAID FOR MY YOUNG CHILDREN WALKING ON THE STREET, THERE ARE NO STREET LIGHTS.
THERE WAS AN A, A, A CAR BROKEN DOWN AND I WAS NOT ABLE TO SEE THE PERSON WORKING UNDER THE CAR BECAUSE IT'S DARK AND IT GETS DARK EARLY.
A TRUCK HAS ALREADY WENT OFF THE ROAD BECAUSE DURING THE WINTER, THE, THE ROADS ARE NOT PAVED.
THEY'RE NOT TREATED, THEY'RE NOT AT ALL.
SO I, WE ARE, WE'RE SAYING SOMEONE IS GONNA GET HURT IF THIS IS NOT PRIORITIZED AND TAKEN VERY SERIOUSLY.
WE PAY A LOT OF TAXES AND THE, SHE'S NOT HERE, BUT THAT WE NEED TO GRIEVE MORE BECAUSE THERE'S NO WAY WE SHOULD BE PAYING THE AMOUNT OF MONEY WE'RE PAYING AND WE'RE NOT BEING GIVING THE COURTESY OF THE TOWN COMING TOGETHER AND FIGHTING THE FIGHT TO EITHER TAKE OVER THE ROAD OR, OR SUE THE DEVELOPER.
LIKE WE ALL HAVE ALREADY DONE INDIVIDUALLY.
SO I REALLY WOULD LIKE JUST SOME MORE UNDERSTANDING OR INFORMATION ON WHAT THE PLAN IS AND ESPECIALLY THE BOND.
'CAUSE IT SHOULDN'T HAVE BEEN RELEASED KNOWING THAT THE, THE, THE ROAD HADN'T BEEN FINISHED.
IF I COULD JUST SAY THAT YOU CAN'T SEARCH ON DRAGO WAY 'CAUSE THAT'S THE NAME OF THE PRIVATE ROAD.
IS THAT WHAT YOU SEARCH ON? I'VE SEARCHED, YES.
EVERYTHING CARRIAGE HILL AWAY, EVERYTHING.
THE ONLY THING THAT COMES UP IS THE ORIGINAL AMENDMENT.
WHEN THE PLANNING BOARD APPROVED IT.
THERE IS NOTHING ELSE THAT EXISTS UNTIL THERE WAS A STOP SIGN PUT UP YEARS LATER.
AND THEN WHEN THERE ARE A FRIEND OF OURS IS A WATER BASIN CAME UP AND THEY NEEDED TO APPROVE IT.
IF YOU, I JUST WANTED TO POINT THERE, THERE, THERE ARE DOCUMENTS I JUST PULLED IT UP ON, ON THE WEBSITE GOING BACK TO 2013 REGARDING CARRIAGE HILL.
BUT FROM 2013 TO WHEN IS THE NE NEXT DOCUMENT, THIS, THIS HAS BEEN GOING ON FOR ALL THESE YEARS.
20 15, 20 16, UH, AND THEN 2025.
I HAVE TO KEEP EACH INDIVIDUAL TO A FIVE MINUTE, PLEASE KNOW, CAN I RESPOND? EXACTLY.
YOU COULD HAVE YOUR OWN FIVE MINUTES IF YOU'D LIKE.
HE, WELL, WE'RE UP HERE TOGETHER.
SO SINCE YOU BROUGHT UP 2016, THAT WAS ACTUALLY THE TRANSFER OF CARRIAGE HILL FROM, UM, UM, WHAT WAS IT? ROB MARTIN, LLC TO, UH, D DRAGO FAMILY CONSTRUCTION.
SO FROM 2016 WHEN THAT TRANSACTION HAPPENED, WE HAVEN'T SEEN ANYTHING SINCE THEN.
SO IF YOU'RE SAYING IN YOUR OWN DATABASE FROM 2016 TO 2023, THERE'S NOTHING THERE.
WELL, THAT TELLS ME WHAT HAS HAPPENED BECAUSE THE SUBDIVISION WAS TAKEN OVER IN 2016.
SO THERE'S AN ISSUE THERE, RIGHT? EITHER THERE'S NEGLIGENCE OR THERE'S COMPENCY.
SO WE GOT, WE GOTTA GET TO THE BOTTOM OF THAT.
I BELIEVE IF YOU, IF YOU'RE DONE SPEAKING, I BELIEVE BASED ON THE COORDINATION OF ALL THE DEPARTMENTS, IF, LIKE I SAID EARLIER, I BELIEVE WE COULD HAVE A SIGNIFICANT UPDATE SENT TO THE RESIDENTS BY THE END OF NEXT WEEK.
BUT IT'S STILL AN ONGOING MATTER THAT WE'RE DEALING WITH.
AND WHAT I'M DOING, WHAT I'M TALKING ABOUT IS PLANNING BOARD UNDERSTOOD.
ONE THAT GOT, ONCE IT GOT PLANNING, BOARD APPROVAL TIME, THE PLANNING BOARD WAS THEN OUT OF IT.
THEY DIDN'T HAVE TO KEEP GOING BACK TO IT YEAR AFTER YEAR.
YOU CAN USE YOUR, YEAH, I MEAN, I'LL JUST, I'LL JUST TAKE A FEW MORE MINUTES.
'CAUSE EVEN IN ADDITION TO THE NAME CHANGE, WHICH WAS SOMETHING WHEN WE CAME TO THE TOWN, AND OBVIOUSLY THE RESIDENTS HERE, WE ALL SPOKE ABOUT IT.
IT WAS ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE STILL COULD NOT HAPPEN BECAUSE IT WAS A PRIVATE STREET.
THEN WE LOOKED INTO DOCUMENTATION, THERE WAS NOTHING ON RECORD.
IN FACT, WE HAD TO GO TO WESTCHESTER COUNTY GOV TO EVEN PULL UP ANYTHING.
IT WASN'T, WE WERE LOOKING FOR SARAH CONSTRUCTION AND IT WAS UNDER D DRAGO FAMILY CONSTRUCTION.
AND SO THERE WAS SOME ISSUES THERE.
BUT YOU KNOW, EVEN NOW, JUST BY DOING GOOGLE SEARCH, DRAG AWAY DOESN'T EXIST.
WHEN I LOOK AT IT NOW, I'M SAYING, WHAT, WHAT HAPPENED? SOMEBODY SAID, OH, THE STREET NAME WAS CHANGED.
WELL, THE RESIDENTS OF THE STREET DIDN'T KNOW.
SO OUR PACKAGES ARE GOING TO DIFFERENT PLACES IN THE TOWN OF GREENBURG AND WE HAVE NO CLUE.
IT WAS, LUCKILY I DID A GOOGLE SEARCH AND I FOUND IT, IF THERE'S GONNA BE A NAME CHANGE, RIGHT? IF WE WERE THE RESIDENTS THAT CAME ABOUT THAT CHANGE, WE FEEL LIKE WE SHOULD HAVE SOME INPUT IN WHAT THAT CHANGE WOULD BE.
RATHER THAN JUST SAYING, HEY, THAT'S WESTCHESTER VIEW LANE, LET'S CONTINUE IT.
WE ALREADY HAVE NUMBERS ON OUR, OUR HOMES.
WE HAVE PACKAGES THAT COME TO OUR HOMES.
WE SHOULD HAVE SOME INPUT ON THE NAME OF THE STREET.
UM, BECAUSE WE ARE THE ONES WHO ARE FIGHTING FOR IT.
OBVIOUSLY THE TOWN HAS DONE, I GUESS WHAT THEY FEEL FIT AT THIS POINT.
BUT, UM, WE HAVE TO WORK TOGETHER TO GET THIS DONE.
UM, AND GREENBERG MEANS A LOT TO ME.
IT MEANS A LOT TO THE PEOPLE HERE, OBVIOUSLY, YOU KNOW, THIS IS A TOWN I'VE LIVED IN FOR OVER 35 YEARS.
TO HAVE THIS HAPPEN IN A TOWN THAT I BELIEVE IN, THAT I SUPPORT, THAT I CONTINUE TO GIVE BACK TO IS DISHEARTENING.
UM, BUT I'M NOT GONNA STOP FIGHTING UNTIL WE GET THIS JOB DONE.
SO WHATEVER YOU GUYS THINK IT'S POSSIBLE.
I KNOW PAUL, WE'VE MET A FEW TIMES.
UM, WE, WE, WE HAVE TO, WE HAVE TO FIGURE OUT THIS SOLUTION IN TERMS OF THE ROAD NAMING.
UM, IT'S RIGHT NOW IT'S OWNED BY HIM.
AND SO WE CAN'T DO A, A ROAD NAMING UNTIL
[02:20:01]
IT BECOMES A PUBLIC ROAD.THERE'S NO DOCUMENTATION OF HIM OWNING THE ROAD.
IT HASN'T BEEN TURNED OVER TO US.
I, I WOULD LIKE TO FINISH THAT COORDINATED REVIEW BEFORE RESPONDING AND, AND CAN I, I SAID BY THE END OF NEXT WEEK, IT'S NOT LIKE, IT'S A VERY LONG AMOUNT OF TIME FROM NOW.
AND IF I CAN MAKE A SUGGESTION THAT YOU, YOU'VE REACHED OUT TO THE COUNTY.
HAVE YOU REACHED OUT TO THE OFFICE OF CONSUMER PROTECTION? WE'VE REACHED OUT TO A FEW OFFICES AND THERE ARE A FEW OTHERS THAT WE'LL, WE'LL CERTAINLY REACH OUT TO.
AND I'M CERTAIN THAT YOU WILL HEAR ABOUT IT WITHIN THE NEXT FEW WEEKS AS WELL.
BUT IF YOU, IF YOU HAVEN'T, THEN PLEASE DO REACH OUT TO THE O THE WESTCHESTER COUNTY OFFICE OF CONSUMER PROTECTION.
AND, AND FILE THAT, BECAUSE YOU CERTAINLY WANT, WANT IT TO BE, WE WANT A RECORD, BUT THEY, WITH THE COUNTY AS WELL AS WITH US.
I, I'VE SOMEBODY, ONE OF THE CONTRACTORS FOR DRAGO HAD CONTACTED ME, I'LL SAY WITHIN THE PAST WEEK OR SO.
UH, I THINK, YOU KNOW, THEY, THEIR INTENT WAS ACTUALLY TO START DOING A LITTLE BIT MORE, YOU KNOW, WORK FOR, I MEAN, THEY'VE BEEN SAYING THIS FOR LIKE TWO YEARS, BUT THERE'S ZERO INTENT YES.
WHAT I THINK IT WAS WITH LIGHTING.
THE, YEAH, THERE'S ZERO INTENT.
WE, WE WERE THERE, WE LIVED THERE EVERY DAY.
WE'RE THERE EVERY DAY WHEN OUR HOMES WOULD BE BUILT.
WERE EVERY DAY THERE'S ZERO IN INTENT.
THEY, THEY HAVE REACHED OUT TO ME.
I UNDERSTAND WHAT YOU'RE SAYING.
WHAT, WHAT IS THE STATUS OF YOUR LAWSUIT? WHAT IS THE STATUS? WHAT IS THE STATUS OF THE LAWSUIT FROM THE RESIDENCE AND DRAGO WAY AGAINST THE DEVELOPMENT? I THINK EACH, EACH HOUSE HAS A, A DIFFERENT SITUATION.
UM, THE LITIGATION IS, IS ONGOING.
UM, BUT EACH HOUSE IS DIFFERENT.
I'M SORRY THAT YOU'RE ALL GOING THROUGH THIS.
AND I, I MADE WITH, UH, LAND USE STAFF EVERY, EVERY FRIDAY, UM, COUNCILWOMAN JACKSON AS WELL.
AND THIS IS A TOPIC THAT COMES UP ALL THE TIME OF WHAT WE CAN DO.
WE ARE LIMITED BECAUSE IT'S IN PRIVATE OWNERSHIP.
AND NOW WE ARE, PLEASE DON'T CALL OUT LEE.
YOU'LL GET AN OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK.
YOU'LL GET AN OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK.
PLEASE DON'T, PLEASE DON'T MAKE YELL OUT FROM THE AUDIENCE.
I WAS GONNA MAKE MY COMMENTS, BUT I WON'T NEXT SPEAKER.
NO, WE, WE, WE DON'T, WE DON'T DO THAT.
SO THIS IS ANOTHER THING, RIGHT? THERE WERE PROVISIONS THAT WERE SUPPOSED TO BE MET.
THE TOWN SHOULD HAVE BEEN HELD.
I MEAN, WHAT STANDARD ARE WE LOOKING TO, TO HOLD? RIGHT? THERE WAS INSPECTIONS THAT SHOULD HAVE BEEN MAILED.
THERE'S WETLANDS THAT SHOULD HAVE BEEN PROTECTED.
THERE'S SO MANY THINGS THAT HAD NOT BEEN MET.
AND SO MY THING IS THE DOCUMENTATION, RIGHT? YOU BROUGHT UP DOCUMENTATION FOR A HOMEOWNER OR A PRIVATE HOME, RIGHT? THERE'S CERTAIN GUIDELINES THAT WE HAVE TO MEET.
IN FACT, THERE'S CERTAIN INSPECTIONS THAT WE HAVE TO MEET EVERY SINGLE STEP OF THE WAY OF BUILDING THAT HOME.
WHAT IS THE REQUIREMENT FOR SOMEBODY WHO OWNS THE SUBDIVISION? AND IF THOSE REQUIREMENTS WERE MET, WELL, WHERE ARE THE RECORDS FOR 'EM? IN FACT, IF THERE WERE NO RECORDS, WHO'S ACCOUNTABLE FOR THIS? I DUNNO WHAT YOU MEAN BY NO RECORDS, BUT FRANCIS, I JUST HAD A QUESTION.
UH, SINCE YOU MEET WITH, YOU KNOW, THE TOWN LAND USE, UH, PEOPLE EVERY, EVERY FRIDAY, WOULD IT BE POSSIBLE TO INVITE PEOPLE ANDREO TO THE MEETING? NO, BECAUSE I'M SAYING THIS WAY.
UH, SOME OF THE THINGS THAT THEY'RE TELLING US, YOU, THEY COULD TELL THE COMMUNITY AND MAYBE, UH, MAYBE WE COULD, YOU KNOW, HAVE BETTER STRATEGIES SPEAKING TO YOU.
MAYBE YOU CAN WRITE A MEMO MEETING.
I WOULD BE HAPPY TO MEET WITH YOU.
UM, WE ARE LIMITED IN WHAT WE CAN DO BECAUSE IT'S A PRIVATE ROAD.
WE ARE CHANGING THE CODE SO THAT THIS WILL NEVER HAPPEN AGAIN.
I KNOW THAT DOESN'T MAKE YOU FINE.
YOU ARE HAPPY, BUT WE'VE NEVER HAD A DEVELOPER WHO JUST WALKED AWAY FROM A PROJECT LIKE THIS.
IT'S JUST NORMALLY THEY BUILD AND, YOU KNOW, WE, WE NEED TO, WE NEED TO BE INNOVATIVE.
I WAS TALKING TO THE TOWN ATTORNEY ABOUT THIS, THIS AFTERNOON.
IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO MEET, I WOULD LOVE TO DO THAT.
IN FACT, I'VE MET WITH PAUL AND WE'VE HAD A MEETING AND I CAME WITH SOME SOLUTIONS THAT COULD BE PUT IN PLACE.
IN FACT, THE THE MEETING THAT WE HAD WAS PRETTY MUCH ABOUT THAT.
RIGHT? YOU HAVE SOMEBODY WHO IS IN LITIGATION WITH SEVEN HOMES IN ONE SUBDIVISION, WHO'S TO STOP HIM FROM DOING A, CURATING ANOTHER HOME INSIDE THIS TOWN, WHO'S TO STOP HIM FROM DOING ANOTHER SUBDIVISION IN THIS, IN WESTCHESTER COUNTY OR NEW YORK STATE.
THAT'S WHY CONSUMER PROTECTION ISN'T IMPORTANT.
WELL, IF THE TOWN OF GREENBURG IS, IS IS UNDERSTANDING THAT THERE'S SEVEN HOMES IN LITIGATION, WHAT RESPONSIBILITY DOES THE TOWN HAVE TO SAY, HEY, THERE'S SOMEBODY WHO'S DOING BAD BUSINESS IN OUR TOWN.
THIS MAN SHOULD NOT BE PRACTICING, NOT JUST IN THE TOWN OF GREENBURG, WESTCHESTER COUNTY IN NEW YORK CITY.
RIGHT? BECAUSE HE'S RIGHT NOW DOING ONE IN NEW JERSEY.
[02:25:01]
YEAH, WE HAVE, WE HAVE ANOTHER HOUSE.WE HAVE NO JURISDICTION OVER NEW JERSEY.
BUT YOU HAVE JURISDICTION HERE.
AND THERE'S TELLING, THERE'S NOTHING TO PREVENT HIM FROM DOING IT HERE.
OBVIOUSLY, SINCE WE'RE GONNA TALK OVER EACH OTHER, WE SHOULD, WE WE SHOULD MEET.
WE SHOULD MEET RATHER THAN WE DO HAVE ANOTHER HOUSE.
UH, UH, I KNOW RIGHT ON OFF CENTRAL AVENUE, I BELIEVE NEAR HALEY.
YOU KNOW, IT'S BEEN GOING ON FOR, FOR YEARS.
UH, YOU KNOW, IT WAS UNFINISHED.
AND THE OWNERS OF THE PRO, I THINK THE MARAM FAMILY, THAT WAS, I MEAN, IT'S A DISASTER BECAUSE YOU HAVE A HOUSE THAT'S UNFINISHED AND THE NEIGHBORS LOOK, BEEN LOOKING AT AN ICEO FOR, FOR YEARS.
AND WE'VE BEEN, IT'S BEEN LITIGATION, LITIGATION, LITIGATION, NOTHING'S GOTTEN DONE.
AND THAT'S WHAT I'M LOOKING AT RIGHT NOW.
NO, UNDERSTAND THAT THE HOME THAT'S INCOMPLETE IS STILL HIS HOME.
AND EVERY TIME YOU GUYS PUT A STICKER, HE COMES BACK A MONTH LATER AND HE TAKES A STICKER DOWN AND YOU COME BACK AND YOU PUT A, A WORK ORDER TO STOP AND HE TAKES THE STICKER DOWN AND HE USES IT AS, AS A, A STORAGE HOUSE.
SO I'M NOT SURE WHAT, HOW THAT'S GONNA STOP HIM FROM DOING ANYTHING.
I THINK IT WOULD BE HELPFUL IF THOSE OF YOU ARE IN LITIGATION AND THEY'RE ALL DIFFERENT PROPERTY OWNERS.
WOULD SHARE WHATEVER DOCUMENTS YOU HAVE FROM THE COURTS OR WHATEVER.
WITH OUR TOWN ATTORNEY, HE CAN'T GIVE YOU LEGAL ADVICE ON PRIVATE PROPERTY.
BUT IT WOULD, IT WOULD BE HELPFUL FOR US TO SEE WHAT ARE THE POSSIBILITIES THAT WE MIGHT BE ABLE TO DO IN WHATEVER LITIGATION THERE IS.
BUT WE, THIS IS, THIS IS A PRIVATE DISPUTE IS WHAT I, WE KEEP BEING TOLD IT'S A PRIVATE DISPUTE BETWEEN THE PROPERTY OWNERS AND THE PERSON THAT THEY BOUGHT THE PROPERTY FROM.
AND WE'RE TRYING TO FIGURE OUT HOW DO WE DEAL WITH SOMEBODY WHO BASICALLY WALKED AWAY FROM A PROJECT.
I UNDERSTAND THERE MIGHT BE SOME HOPE FOR, FOR PUTTING ON, YOU KNOW, TRAFFIC LIGHTS, I MEAN, UH, STREET LIGHTS OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT.
STREET LIGHTS P THAT, BUT THAT'S A, THAT'S A DROP IN THE BUCKET.
UM, WE HAVE STORM WATER POSSIBILITY BECAUSE THERE IS A BOND FOR THAT.
WE'RE LOOKING AT WHAT OPTIONS ARE AND IF YOU HAVE SOLUTIONS THAT ARE ACTUALLY ENFORCEABLE BY A TOWN.
I KNOW THAT THERE WAS TREMENDOUS NUMBER OF EMAILS ABOUT WE DON'T WANT THE NAME TO BE DRAGO.
WE HAVE NOTHING WE CAN DO ABOUT THAT.
IT WOULD BE LIKE US TELLING A PRIVATE PROPERTY OWNER, YOU CAN'T PUT UP A SIGN ON YOUR PROPERTY.
YOU KNOW? CAN I INTERRUPT YOU TO YOUR ADDRESS? MAY I INTERRUPT YOU? YOU SHOULD ALWAYS SURE.
WELL, I DIDN'T WANNA TALK OVER EACH OTHER, BUT OKAY.
INITIALLY SAID, WHEN WE PROPOSED THAT IDEA, THEY TOLD US THAT THE TOWN PLANNING BOARD IS WHO NAMED STREETS.
SO THAT IS IN YOUR JURISDICTION, CORRECT? IT'S IN THE PLANNING BOARD.
WELL, I MEAN THE TOWN OF GREENBURG, RIGHT.
SO WHEN WE'RE TRYING TO CHANGE THE NAME, THEN WE HAVE TO GO THROUGH THE PLANNING BOARD.
IN FACT, IF HE HAD TO GET THE NAME AFTER HIM, HE MUST HAVE GONE THROUGH THE PLANNING BOARD AS WELL.
WELL, YOU DON'T HAVE STANDING TO GO TO THE PLANNING BOARD TO CHANGE THE NAME OF A PRIVATE ROAD THAT SOMEBODY ELSE OWNS.
BUT LET'S HAVE THIS CONVERSATION.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH MR. MILLS.
THESE ARE JUST ALL THE EMAILS THAT YOU'LL NEED.
HI, MY NAME IS ROSARIO PARES AND I MOVED TO GREENBURG IN 2017.
BUT WHEN WE EVENTUALLY GOT HIT BY THE HURRICANE IN 2021, INSTEAD OF STATING I WAS HOME WITH MY KIDS, IT WAS, IT HAPPENED AT NIGHT.
WE LOST EVERYTHING IN THE BASEMENT.
FURNACE, WATER, JUST LIKE EVERYBODY COMPLAINED.
YOU ALREADY HEARD MOST OF IT, BUT WE WERE HOME TWO WEEKS AGO, JULY 14.
I'M A HOME CARE NURSE, SO I WENT OUT TO WORK TO HELP PEOPLE.
I DON'T KNOW WHAT THE KIDS ARE GOING THROUGH.
BY THE TIME I REACH THE SPRINGBROOK, EVERYTHING WAS CLEAN.
I GOT OFF THE SPRINGBROOK, OFF TARRYTOWN TRYING TO GET HOME AND EVERYTHING ALREADY WAS FLOODED.
SO EVEN THROUGH THE STREET, EVERYTHING GOT FLOODED.
BY THE TIME I REACH, I LIVE FROM PROSPECT AVENUE AND ALL THE HOUSES GOT FLOODED BY THE, BY THE BROOK.
I WAS SO TEMPTED TO BUY MY CAR AND I WAS SO TEMPTED TO GO MYSELF BECAUSE MY KIDS NEEDED MY HELP.
AND I FELT SO HELPLESS, HELPLESS THAT I COULDN'T KEEP.
[02:30:01]
NOT ACCEPTABLE.I COULDN'T GET HOME FOR MY KIDS.
I'M A HARDWORKING TAX PAYER PERSON.
AND MY HUSBAND TOO, ACTUALLY, I SAW MY HUSBAND TALK, TRYING TO GET HOME TOO TO MY KIDS.
I ALSO LIVE WITH MY ELDERLY FATHER WHO TAKES MEDICATION FOR BLOOD PRESSURE, BLAH, BLAH, BLAH.
I KNOW MS. JACKSON, YOU SPOKE ABOUT YES, IT'S GONNA CONTINUE, BUT THIS IS A DEVASTATING, THANKS GOD.
I WAS ABLE TO GET TO MY, THE FIREMAN WAS ABLE TO GET TO MY HOUSE AND GET MY KIDS SAFE TO ME AFTER A WHILE.
BUT EVERY TIME IT RAINS, NOW MY KIDS ARE TELLING ME, MOM, PLEASE DON'T GO TO WORK.
I HAVE TO PAY TAXES, I HAVE TO PAY THE MORTGAGE.
AND NOT JUST MY NEIGHBORS, THEY ALL GOT FLOODED.
THIS IS THE SECOND TIME WITHIN THE FIVE YEARS I'M GONNA HAVE TO PAY FOR WATER HEATER, FURNACE, AIR CONDITION, AND MY WASHING AND MY DRYER.
I HAD TO, I HAD TO MAKE MY HUSBAND PULL THE SHEET.
RIGHT? 'CAUSE WE DIDN'T HAVE THE MONEY TO PULL IT UP A CONTRACTOR BECAUSE THE MOLD WAS SO MUCH.
AS SOON AS YOU OPEN THE DOOR, IT WAS SO MUCH.
I HAVE ACTUALLY, MY THREE OF MY KIDS DID THE SUMMER INTERNSHIP PROGRAM HERE.
THEY WANT TO WORK IN THE CITY.
I HAVE ONE THAT IS GOING TO MEDICAL SCHOOL, BUT I NEED HELP.
I CAN'T HELP MY KIDS PANIC MODE EVERY TIME IT RAINS.
SO ALL THE VIDEOS, THE ONE WHO LIVES IN GIBSON.
MY CAR THAT WAS PARKED OUTSIDE MY HOUSE WAS TOTAL, HOW CAN I WORK? JUST HELP US.
YOU, YOU GUYS THE ONES THAT COULD MAKE CHANGES.
SO, UM, I DON'T KNOW WHAT TO DO.
I KNOW MS. JACKSON, YOU WERE DRIVING AROUND, YOU SAID, BUT WE NEED MORE THAN JUST OKAY.
WE, WE NEED A LOT MORE TO PROTECT US.
SORRY YOU'VE BEEN VERY PATIENT.
I AM SHERRY YUJI AND I LIVE AT THREE STEVENS LANE.
AND I AM THE UNLUCKY HOMEOWNER WHO IS SURROUNDED ON THREE SIDES BY THE BETHEL KNOLLS.
PLANNED EXPANSION, THE STAKES ARE VERY HIGH FOR ME AS I AM PROTECTING MY HOME AND MY FAMILY.
AS SUCH, I HAVE BEEN DOING A LOT OF READING ON ALL THE PROCEDURES AND APPROVALS INVOLVED WITH THIS, INCLUDING CRA ZONING CHANGES AND SPECIAL PERMIT APPROVALS.
TONIGHT I WOULD LIKE TO RESPECTFULLY CALL YOUR ATTENTION TO SECTION TWO EIGHTY FIVE DASH 39 DASH D THREE OF OUR TOWN CODE.
THIS SECTION STATES THE STANDARDS THAT MUST BE APPLIED WHEN GRANTING A SPECIAL PERMIT.
IT STATES A SPECIAL PERMIT CAN ONLY BE APPROVED IF IT DOES NOT IMPAIR THE USE ENJOYMENT OR VALUE OF ADJACENT RESIDENTIAL PROPERTIES AND DOES NOT CREATE ANY ADVERSE VISUAL IMPACTS TO ADJOINING PROPERTIES AND STRUCTURES THEREON.
IT STATES A SPECIAL PERMIT CAN ONLY BE APPROVED IF IT DOES NOT IMPAIR THE USE ENJOYMENT OR VALUE OF ADJACENT RESIDENTIAL PROPERTIES AND DOES NOT CREATE ANY ADVERSE VISUAL IMPACTS TO ADJOINING PROPERTIES AND STRUCTURES THEREON.
THE K KNOWLES PROJECT IS A CONTINUING CARE RETIREMENT COMMUNITY AND THUS REQUIRES A SPECIAL PERMIT APPROVED BY THIS TOWN BOARD.
IT MUST MEET THESE STANDARDS IN 2 85 DASH 39 D THREE.
YET THE PROPOSED K KNOWLES EXPANSION IS AN INCREDIBLE, INCREDIBLE OVERREACH AND CALLS FOR BOTH A ZONING CHANGE WITH LARGE MULTIPLE VARIANCES LAYERED
[02:35:01]
ON TOP OF THAT, THESE VARIANCES ARE FOR ITEMS SUCH AS BUILDING HEIGHT, SETBACKS, AND DENSITY THAT WILL NO DOUBT IMPACT THE NEIGHBORHOOD.IT INTRODUCES MAJOR PHYSICAL INTRUSIONS, INCLUDING A 26 FOOT WIDE ROADWAY WITH STREETLIGHTS MOUNTED ON A EIGHT FOOT RETAINING WALL JUST 12 FEET FROM MY PROPERTY LINE AND BIO RETENTION PONDS THAT ARE A BREEDING GROUND FROM MOSQUITOES AT A SIMILAR DISTANCE.
THESE INTRUSIONS ARE REPLACING TALL TREES AND GRASSY FIELDS THAT NOW PROVIDE ESSENTIAL PRIVACY AND VISUAL RELIEF.
THIS PROJECT WILL CREATE UNAVOIDABLE, SEVERE VISUAL NOISE AND PRIVACY IMPACTS.
IF THIS IS NOT ADVERSE VISUAL IMPACTS AN IMPAIRMENT OF THE ENJOYMENT OF ADJACENT RESIDENTIAL PROPERTY, THEN I DON'T KNOW WHAT IS.
AND PLEASE, LET'S NOT KID OURSELVES AND PRETEND THAT LANDSCAPING IS GOING TO MITIGATE THIS IN ITS CURRENT FORM.
THIS PROJECT DOES NOT COME ANYWHERE CLOSE TO MEETING THE LEGAL REQUIREMENTS FOR A SPECIAL PERMIT UNDER 2 85 DASH 39 D THREE.
I URGE THE TOWN BOARD TO FOLLOW THE LAW AND DENY THE SPECIAL PERMIT.
MY NAME, MY NAME IS MURRAY BOWDEN.
I LIVE IN HARTSDALE BEFORE THE INDUSTRIAL AGE LOCAL COMMUNITIES, WHEN THERE WAS AN INCIDENT, A FIRE OR SOMETHING ELSE, SHOP OWNERS, THE BUTCHER BAY, THE BAKER, THE CANDLESTICK MAKER, THEY CLOSED THE DOOR, THEY REENTERED THE FIRE TRUCK AND THEY FOUGHT IT, FOUGHT THE FIRE OR WHATEVER URGENCY THERE WAS.
THE CONCEPT OF A VOLUNTEER TODAY CAN'T BE, NOBODY CAN LEAVE THEIR JOB AS A VOLUNTEER TO DO ANYTHING.
SO THE FIRST THING YOU ONE NEEDS TO DO IS TO TAKE THE NAME VOLUNTEER OFF ALL OF THE INSTITUTIONS THAT USED TO BE CALLED VOLUNTEERS YEARS, WHICH LEADS TO THE CREATION OF THE GREENBERG FIRE DEPARTMENT WITH ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE AND THE AMOUNT OF DATA AVAILABLE TODAY, A SYSTEM CAN BE DESIGNED WHERE FIREHOUSES ARE EFFECTIVELY IN THE CORRECT PLACES.
ALL FIRE STATIONS, STATIONS TODAY ARE MANNED BY PAID FIREMEN.
THE CONCEPT OF SEPARATE ONES THAT ARE NOT IN NECESSARILY THE CORRECT PLACE NEEDS TO BE CHANGED.
IT IS YOUR RESPONSIBILITY TO START THE PROCESS AND QUICKLY CONVERT WHAT WAS KNOWN AS FIRE DISTRICTS INTO THE GREENBURG TOWN FIRE DEPARTMENT.
YOU'LL COVER ALL OF THE AREAS THAT ARE ADJACENT.
ELMSFORD ARDSLEY, DOBBS FERRY.
THE REALITY IS TODAY GREENBURG'S EMS MERGER COVERS MANY OF THOSE AREAS BECAUSE THEY HAVE NO EMERGENCY PEOPLE IN THOSE AREAS.
THE PATTERN HAS ALREADY BEEN ESTABLISHED.
IT JUST HASN'T BEEN LABELED THAT WAY.
SO IT IS YOUR RESPONSIBILITY TO CREATE FROM SCRATCH THE GREENBERG FIRE DEPARTMENT.
PARALLEL TO THE POLICE DEPARTMENT, LOCAL CITIZENS DON'T INTERACT WITH FIRE PERSONNEL.
THEY DO INTERACT PERSONALLY WITH POLICE DEPARTMENTS.
SO POLICE DEPARTMENTS DON'T NECESSARILY HAVE TO BE COMBINED.
THERE'S A PERSONAL RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN YOUR LOCAL POLICE OFFICER AND A PUBLIC.
THERE IS NO PERSONAL RELATIONSHIP WITH A FIRE DEPARTMENT AND A LOCAL PERSON.
THIS IS A MAJOR, MAJOR UNDERTAKING AND IT IS RECOGNIZED AT THE HIGHEST LEVELS THAT THIS IS NEEDS TO BE DONE.
GREENBERG CAN BE A LEADER IN GETTING IT DONE.
[02:40:02]
I KNOW FROM SUPPORT, I KNOW THAT THERE IS SUPPORT ON A STATE LEVEL FOR THIS PROJECT.IT TAKES YOUR, IT IS YOUR RESPONSIBILITY TO BEGIN THE PROCESS.
PEOPLE ARE GOING TO LOSE THEIR JOBS.
MY FAMILY WAS IN A FABRIC MAINTENANCE BUSINESS FOR A HUNDRED OVER A HUNDRED YEARS.
MY SON IS THE LAST LIKE OF THE FAMILY IN THE BUSINESS AND HE'S ABOUT TO EXIT IT.
SO WHEN YOU TALK ABOUT PEOPLE LOSING THEIR FAMILY BUSINESS OR THEIR LIVELIHOOD, IT'S COMMON.
THE RESOURCES HAVE TO BE USED MORE EFFECTIVELY AND MORE SAFELY.
IT'S YOUR RESPONSIBILITY TO START THIS PROCESS.
IT WILL BE DIFFICULT, BUT IT MUST BE DONE CONSIDERING THE WAY THE WORLD GOES TODAY.
THANK YOU FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO BE ABLE TO ADDRESS YOU IN THIS MATTER.
MY TIME IS NOT GONNA BE SO LONG.
I WILL BE DOING THIS MUCH LONGER.
I PASS THE RESPONSIBILITY TO YOU AND MAYBE YOU OUT THERE AS WELL, BECAUSE IF YOU DON'T TAKE THE INITIATIVE AND GOING FORWARD THIS, THERE WON'T BE MUCH OF A SOCIETY LEFT FOR YOUR GRANDCHILDREN.
THANK EVERYBODY IN GREENBERG FOR THEIR COOPERATION.
BEEN A PLEASURE BEING HERE YEAR.
WHO'S THAT? OH, OH, ABSOLUTELY.
WELL, GOOD EVENING AND IT'S A LATE ONE, SO I APOLOGIZE.
I RESIDE AT SEVEN STEVENS LANE AND I'VE BEEN A PROUD HOMEOWNER IN THIS COMMUNITY FOR OVER 30 YEARS.
UH, MY PROPERTY IS ALSO DIRECTLY NEXT TO THE KNOWLES OFF OF GRASSLANDS ROAD.
I'VE BEEN THEIR NEIGHBOR SINCE THEY PURCHASED THE PROPERTY.
I STAND BEFORE YOU TONIGHT TO EXPRESS MY PROFOUND DISAPPOINTMENT AND SERIOUS CONCERNS REGARDING THE PROPOSED EXPANSION OF THE FACILITY.
IT HAS COME TO MY ATTENTION AND NOT THROUGH OFFICIAL COMMUNICATION.
IT WAS BY ACCIDENT THAT I DISCOVERED THE KNOWLES HAD BEEN ENGAGING IN CONVERSATIONS WITH THE TOWN FOR ALMOST A YEAR.
YET NOBODY IN THE COMMUNITY OR ON STEVENS LANE WAS COMMUNICATED TO.
THAT IS EXTREMELY DISAPPOINTING.
THE SECRECY, HOWEVER, IS UNFORTUNATELY CONSISTENT WITH MY PAST EXPERIENCE WITH THE KNOLLS.
WHEN I PURCHASED MY HOME APPROXIMATELY THREE DECADES AGO, I ATTENDED VARIOUS MEETINGS HERE IN THIS BUILDING, NOT WITH YOU
AND OF COURSE I WAS VERY INTERESTED IN WHAT WAS GONNA BE BUILT BEHIND US.
AND AT THAT TIME, I THINK THE PROPERTY STILL BELONGED TO ST.
MARY'S AND THE FIRST NURSING HOME WAS BEING BUILT THERE.
AFTER SEVERAL MEETINGS THAT I HAD ATTENDED TO, I WAS ASSURED THAT THE PROPERTY WAS BEING BUILT FURTHER BACK.
SO THERE WAS A BUFFER BETWEEN MY PROPERTY AND WHAT WAS ORIGINALLY GONNA BE THE NURSING HOME.
NINE YEARS LATER, AGAIN, I FOUND OUT ACCIDENTALLY AGAIN, I DON'T UNDERSTAND WHY, UM, THAT THE ASSISTED LIVING, UM, BUILDING WAS BEING BUILT AND THAT PROPERTY WOULD BE DIRECTLY BEHIND ME AND TOWARDS THE SIDE OF ME.
UH, DURING THE BUILDING OF THE ASSISTED LIVING FACILITY, 60 TREES WERE REMOVED.
YOU COULD GO BACK AND CONFIRM ALL THAT.
I HEARD A LOT OF PEOPLE TALKING ABOUT FLOODING.
THAT WAS NINE YEARS AGO NOW, WHEN, WHEN I LOOKED AT SOME OF THE PLANS FOR THE NEW BUILDING, THEY'RE PROPOSING TO REMOVE ANOTHER 30 TO 40 TREES WITHIN THAT VICINITY.
THAT, UH, THE ACCESS ROAD THAT THEY ARE PROPOSING IS WITHIN 12 FEET OF RESIDENTIAL PROPERTY.
THAT'S UNHEARD OF AND IT'S NOT ACCEPTABLE.
ZONING LAWS ARE FUNDAMENTALLY DESIGNED TO PROTECT RESIDENTIAL PROPERTY OWNERS.
MY NEIGHBORS, THE COMMUNITY MEMBERS AND I ALL OPPOSE CHANGES TO THE EXISTING ZONING, ZONING REGULATIONS THAT
[02:45:01]
WOULD PERMIT THIS EXPANSION ON GRASSLANDS ROAD.WHAT FURTHER INFURIATES ME EVEN MORE THAN THE LACK OF COMMUNICATION AND INFORMATION ABOUT THIS PROPOSED EXPANSION IS THE FLAGRANT DISREGARD FOR MAINTENANCE OF THE EXISTING PROPERTY AT THE KNOLLS TO TODAY.
IF YOU JUST GO BACK AND LOOK AT THEIR PROPERTY AND THE SURROUNDING AREA, YOU WOULD SEE SEVERAL ITEMS THAT HAVE HAPPENED IN THE RECENT FUTURE AND ARE DATED BACK.
YOU HAVE FLOODING ON GRASSLANDS ROAD.
THE MUDSLIDES ON HILLSIDE AVENUE GRASSLANDS ROAD IS ABOUT TO COLLAPSE.
I THINK IT WAS CLOSED FOR SEVERAL DAYS.
THIS WEEK'S IT'S BEEN CLOSED OFTEN DURING THE LAST FEW YEARS WITH THE FLOODING COMING DOWN THE ROAD.
UM, MY HUSBAND ALONE AND I HAVE HAD SEVERAL OF THE KNOLLS TREES.
TREES FALL ACROSS OUR PROPERTY, ACROSS OUR DRIVEWAY.
AT ONE POINT MY HUSBAND WAS BENDING OVER THE BACK OF THE CAR TO GET STUFF OUT OF THE TRUNK.
ONE OF THEIR TREES FELL FIVE FEET BEHIND IT.
MOST RECENTLY, I HAD A TREE THAT CAME DOWN PROBABLY SIX MONTHS AGO CALLED THE KNOLLS TO COME PICK UP THEIR TREE.
THEIR RESPONSE WAS, THAT'S NOT MY PROPERTY.
THEY'VE BEEN ALREADY HAVING CONVERSATIONS WITH YOU GUYS ABOUT REZONING AND REBUILDING.
HOW COULD YOU SAY YOU DON'T OWN PROPERTY WHEN YOU'RE ALREADY IN FRONT OF A TOWN BOARD? TO SAY THAT I TRUST THE KNOWLES IN ANYTHING THAT THEY BUILD IS, IS NOT GONNA HAPPEN.
I URGE, UM, THE TOWN, THE ZONING BOARD, I'LL BE ATTENDING A LOT OF THOSE MEETINGS IN THE COMING FUTURE.
I WILL UH, I'M URGING YOU GUYS TO STICK UP FOR THE COMMUNITY AND THE PEOPLE WHO LIVE HERE.
THE FLOODING, THE REMOVAL OF TREES ALONE IS JUST REALLY DISTURBING.
AND ONE LAST COMMENT, AND I KNOW I ONLY HAVE 12 SECONDS, BUT THIS IS THE MOST IMPORTANT ONE.
ON THE CORNER OF STEVENS LANE IN GRASSLANDS ROAD, THERE IS A HOUSE THERE THAT BELONGS TO THE K KNOWLES.
THERE HAVE BEEN PEOPLE LIVING IN THERE.
AND I JUST WANNA POINT OUT IT'S GOING TO THE PLANNING BOARD, NOT THE ZONING BOARD.
JUST WANNA MAKE SURE THAT'S OKAY.
CAN I GET THE ADDRESS OF THAT HOUSE YOU MENTIONED? UM, SO THIS IS BEFORE, UH, BEFORE UH, OTHER BOARDS.
DOES IT COME BACK TO THE TOWN BOARD? YES, IT DOES.
IT WILL COME BACK TO THE TOWN BOARD.
SO COULD YOU JUST GO OVER LIKE THE PROCESS, I DON'T HAVE A FULL AMOUNT OF INFORMATION.
I DIDN'T KNOW THIS TOPIC WOULD COME UP TONIGHT.
I'M NOT THE ATTORNEY WORKING ON IT AS WELL.
BUT WE CAN PROVIDE THAT INFORMATION TO BOTH OF YOU.
AND ANYONE ELSE IS INTERESTED.
CAN YOU TAKE MY CARDS PLEASE? ONE AND IT'S RIGHT ON THE CORNER.
THE SHACK IS ONE PICKS UP THE CHILDREN.
I HAD TO CALL THE POLICE FRIDAY.
I HAD TO CALL THE POLICE FRIDAY.
I BELIEVE THEY'RE ON DRAGO WAY.
SO NOW WE'LL GO TO, IS THERE ANOTHER SPEAKER IN THE AUDIENCE WHO HASN'T SPOKEN YET? YES, ABSOLUTELY.
I JUST WANTED TO SAY, WAIT, YOU WOULD HAVE TO COME TO THE MIC PLEASE.
I WAS JUST GONNA SAY, I GAVE YOU ALL PAPERS.
ONE OF YOU OVER HERE GOT AN EXTRA PIECE.
IT GIVES A PRICE LIST OF, SOME OF IT GIVES A PRICE LIST OF SOME OF THE BARRIERS AND SOME OF THE DIFFERENT THINGS THAT YOU COULD HELP HOMEOWNERS PURCHASE FOR THEIR HOMES.
I JUST, IN CASE YOU FIND THIS PIECE OF PAPER, YOU'LL WONDER WHAT IT IS.
IT'S A LITTLE HARD TO READ BECAUSE IT'S SO SMALL.
IT'S A LITTLE HARD TO SPEAK AS UH, TO READ, BUT I HAVE IT.
SO NOW WE'RE GOING TO THE REGULAR BOARD MEETING.
UM, I'M GONNA HOLD OVER TWO TB ONE.
SO THAT'S HOLD OVER TILL THE NEXT MEETING.
[ TB 2 - 8/06/2025 Resolution authorizing the Town Supervisor to execute a lease agreement between the Town of Greenburgh and M & S Properties II, LLC, to lease the property located at 200 Tarrytown Road, White Plains, New York, to provide for overflow parking of the Town of Greenburgh police vehicles and equipment]
TB TWO, UH, RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING THE TOWN SUPERVISOR TO EXECUTE A LEASE AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE TOWN OF GREENBURG AND M AND S PROPERTIES TO LEASE A PROPERTY LOCATED AT 200 TARRYTOWN ROAD WHITE PLAINS TO PROVIDE FOR OVERFLOW PARKING OF THE TOWN OF GREENBURG POLICE VEHICLES AND EQUIPMENT.I JUST WANNA BE CLEAR, YOU'RE HOLDING OVER TB ONE.
TB ONE WHICH IS TO DO A FORENSIC AUDIT OF THE FINANCIAL RECORDS YES.
[ AT 1 – 8/06/2025 Resolution approving the retention of the law firm of Morris Duffy Alonso Faley & Pitcoff to represent the Town of Greenburgh in the matter of Karin Almquist v. The Town of Greenburgh, for an amount not to exceed $25,000]
T ONE[02:50:01]
RESOLUTION APPROVING THE RETENTION OF THE LAW FIRM OF MORRIS DUFFY, ELSO BAILEY AND PITCOCK TO REPRESENT THE TOWN OF GREENBURG IN THE MATTER OF KAREN ALMQUIST VERSUS THE TOWN OF GREENBURG FOR AN AMOUNT NOT TO EXCEED 25,000.[ AT 2 – 8/06/2025 Resolution approving the retention of the law firm of Morris Duffy Alonso Faley & Pitcoff to represent the Town of Greenburgh in the matter of Milo and Michele Riverso v. The Town of Greenburgh, for an amount not to exceed $25,000]
APPROVING THE RETENTION OF THE LAW FIRM OF MORRIS DUFFY, IMSO BAILEY AND PITCOCK TO REPRESENT THE TOWN OF GREENBURG IN THE MATTER OF MILO AND MICHELLE REVERSO VERSUS THE TOWN OF GREENBURG FOR MOUNT NOW TO EXCEED $25,000.[ AT 3 – 8/06/2025 Resolution approving the continued retention of Wilson Elser Moskowitz Edelman & Dicker LLP to represent the Town and requested Greenburgh police personnel in the matter of Kristin Stein v. The Town of Greenburgh, et al., for an amount not to exceed $50,000, $900,000 in total]
T THREE RESOLUTION APPROVING THE CONTINUED RETENTION OF WILSON ELER, MOSCOWITZ EDELMAN AND DICKER TO REPRESENT THE TOWN IN AND REQUESTED GREENBURG POLICE PERSONNEL IN THE MATTER OF KRISTEN STEIN VERSUS TOWN OF GREENBURG FOR AN AMOUNT NOT TO EXCEED $50,000, 900,000 IN TOTAL.[ AT 4 – 8/06/2025 Resolution approving the retention of the law firm of Morris Duffy Alonso Faley & Pitcoff to represent the Town of Greenburgh in the matter of Osvaldo Lopez v. The Town of Greenburgh, for an amount not to exceed $25,000]
T FOUR RESOLUTION APPROVING THE RETENTION OF THE LAW FIRM OF MA STUFFY A ALONG SO FALEY AND PITCOCK TO REPRESENT THE TOWN OF GREENBURG IN THE MATTER OF VALDO LOPEZ VERSUS TOWN OF GREENBURG FOR MOUNTAIN NOT TO EXCEED 25,000.[ AT 5 - 8/06/2025 Resolution authorizing tax certiorari settlement with petitioner Muhammed Faraz Khan NKA Faraz Ayaz Khan and Alla Khan for property located at 45 West Ogden Place. The Town’s share of the refund is $117±; the County’s share is $730±; the North Yonkers Sewer District’s share is $157±; the Dobbs Ferry Union Free School District’s share is $5,785±. Refunds from all sources total $6,789±.]
A T FIVE RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING TAX TERTIARY SETTLEMENT WITH PETITIONER MOHAMMED FEREZ KHAN, UM, UH, NKA EZ K VERSUS ALLAH KHAN FOR PROPERTY LOCATED AT 40 WEST OGDEN PLACE.UH, THE TOTAL AMOUNT IS $6,789.
[ AT 6 - 8/06/2025 Resolution authorizing tax certiorari settlement with petitioner Village Green Condominium for property located at 100 Cedar Street. The Town’s share of the refund is $1,497±; the County’s share is $9,296±; the North Yonkers Sewer District’s share is $2,020±; the Dobbs Ferry Union Free School District’s share is $73,873±. Refunds from all sources total $86,686±.]
RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING TAX TERTIARY SETTLEMENT WITH PETITIONER VILLAGE GREEN CONDOMINIUM FOR PROPERTY LOCATED AT A HUNDRED CEDAR STREET.TOTAL REFUNDS FROM ALL SOURCES 86,686.
[ AT 7 - 8/06/2025 Resolution authorizing tax certiorari settlement with petitioner Lock Up Ardsley LLC for property located at 630 Saw Mill River Rd. The Town’s share of the refund is $4,267±; the County’s share is $27,842±; the Saw Mill Valley Sewer District’s share is $5,601±; the Ardsley Union Free School District’s share is $213,987±. Refunds from all sources total $251,697±. ]
RESOLUTION? UM, 87.UH, 87 AUTHORIZING TAX TERTIARY SETTLEMENT OF PETITIONER LOCKUP LEY, UH, LLC FOR PROPERTY LOCATED AT SIX 30 STONE MILL RIVER ROAD.
THE TOTAL AMOUNT IS 251,000, UM, 6 97.
I'D LIKE TO MOVE THAT SECOND ON FAVOR, AYE.
[ CL 1 - 8/06/2025 Resolution scheduling a Public Hearing for Wednesday, September 10, 2025, at 7:30 PM, to consider a one-year agreement between the Town of Greenburgh and the Village of Tarrytown for Fire Protection Services to Unincorporated Greenburgh residents of the Glenville Fire Protection District for the year 2024]
CO ONE, UH, RESOLUTION SCHEDULING A PUBLIC HEARING FOR WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 10TH TO CONSIDER A ONE YEAR AGREEMENT WITH THE TOWN BETWEEN THE TOWN OF GREENBURG AND VILLAGE OF TARRYTOWN FOR FIRE PROTECTION SERVICES, UH, FOR UNINCORPORATED GREENBURG RESIDENTS OF THE GLENVILLE FIRE PROTECTION DISTRICT FOR THE YEAR 2024.[ CL 2 - 8/06/2025 Resolution scheduling a Public Hearing for Wednesday, September 10, 2025, 7:30 PM, to consider a one-year agreement between the Town of Greenburgh and the Village of Hastings-on-Hudson for Fire Protection Services to Unincorporated Greenburgh residents of the Donald Park Fire Protection District for the year 2024]
TWO.UM, UH, RESOLUTION SCHEDULING A PUBLIC HEARING FOR WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 10TH, SEVEN 30 TO CONSIDER A ONE YEAR AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE TOWN OF GREENBURG AND THE VILLAGE OF, UM, HASTINGS ON HUDSON FOR FIRE PROTECTION SERVICES TO UNINCORPORATED GREENBURG RESIDENTS OF THE DONALD PARK FIRE DISTRICT FOR THE YEAR 2024.
[ CL 3 - 8/06/2025 Resolution authorizing permission to close off the island intersection between Yale Road and Amherst Place, on Saturday, September 6, 2025 (rain date: Sunday, September 7, 2025), from 4:30 PM until 8:00 PM, for the residents of Yale Road to hold their neighborhood block party]
SEE ALL THREE RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING PERMISSION TO CLOSE OFF THE ISLAND INTERSECTION BETWEEN YALE ROAD AND AMHERST PLACE ON SATURDAY SEPTEMBER 6TH, UM, FROM FOUR 30 TO 8:00 PM FOR THE RESIDENCE OF YALE ROAD HELD THEIR NEIGHBORHOOD BLOCK PARTY.I'M SORRY ELLEN AND JOY Y ARE Y'ALL VERY LOW? CAN Y'ALL JUST SPEAK UP? 'CAUSE I'M NOTING WHO'S DOING WHAT.
[ CL 4 – 8/06/2025 Resolution authorizing permission to close Wood Avenue, from Oak Street to Forest Boulevard, on Sunday, September 7, 2025, from 1:00 PM until 5:00 PM for the residents of Wood Avenue to hold a block party]
RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING PERMISSION TO CLOSE WOODY AVENUE FROM OAK STREET TO FOREST BOULEVARD ON SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 7TH FROM ONE TO FIVE FOR RESIDENCE OF WOODY AVENUE TO HOLD A BLOCK PARTY.C3 RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING PERMISSION TO CLOSE GLENDALE ROAD BETWEEN FIVE CL FIVE.
[ CL 5 – 8/06/2025 Resolution authorizing permission to close Glendale Road between Moorland Drive and Evandale Road, on Friday, October 31, 2025, from 4:00 PM until 11:00 PM, for the residents of Glendale Road to hold their Halloween block party]
OH, I'M SORRY.RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING PERMISSION TO CLOSE GLEN, UH, DALE ROAD BETWEEN MOLAND DRIVE AND EVANDALE ROAD ON FRIDAY, OCTOBER 31ST FROM FOURTH TO 11:00 PM FOR RESIDENTS OF GLENDALE ROAD TO HOLD THEIR HALLOWEEN BLOCK PARTY.
[ CL 6 – 8/06/2025 Resolution authorizing permission to close Doris Drive, on Sunday, September 14, 2025, from 2:45 PM until 6:30 PM, for the Old Edgemont Neighborhood to hold their neighborhood block party]
RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING PERMISSION TO CLOSE DORIS DRIVE SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 14TH FROM 2:45 PM UNTIL SIX 30 FOR OLD EDGEMONT NEIGHBORS TO HOLD THEIR NEIGHBORHOOD, UH, BLOCK PARTY.[ CL 7 - 8/06/2025 Resolution scheduling a Public Hearing for September 10, 2025 at 7:30 pm, to consider a Local Law amending Chapter 348 entitiled “Filming” of the Code of the Town of Greenburgh as it pertains license fees]
RESOLUTION SCHEDULING A PUBLIC HEARING FOR SEPTEMBER 10TH TO CONSIDER A LOCAL LAW AMENDING CHAPTER 3 48 ENTITLED, FILMING OF THE CODE OF THE TOWN OF GREENBURG AS IT PERTAINS LICENSE FEES.I'D LIKE TO, UH, MOVE THAT SECOND IN FAVOR, AYE.
[ CR 1 - 8/06/2025 Resolution accepting on behalf of the Department of Community Resources a $750 donation from the Delta Sigma Theta Sorority Westchester Alumnae Chapter to help support programs at the Theodore D. Young Community Center]
RESOLUTION ACCEPTING ON BEHALF OF THE DEPARTMENT OF COMMUNITY RESOURCES A $750 DONATION FROM[02:55:01]
THE DELTA SIGMA SIGMA DATA SORORITY, WESTCHESTER ALUMNI CHAPTER TO HELP SUPPORT PROGRAMS AT THEATER YOUNG COMMUNITY CENTER.[ CR 2 - 8/06/2025 Resolution authorizing personnel from the Department of Community Resources to travel to Invest Fest in Atlanta, GA from August 21, 2025 - August 25, 2025, at a total cost not to exceed $13,500.00, $6,000.00 of which will be paid for by program participants]
C TWO CR TWO RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING NEL FROM THE DEPARTMENT OF COMMUNITY RESOURCES TO INVEST, UM, TO TRAVEL, TO TRAVEL TO INVEST VEST IN ATLANTA FROM AUGUST 21ST TO AUGUST 25TH AT A TOTAL COST NOT TO EXCEED $13,500, 6,000 OF WHICH WILL BE PAID BY PROGRAM PARTICIPANTS.[ CO 1 - 8/06/2025 Resolution authorizing Fiscal Year 2025 budget transfers]
ONE, UH, RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING FISCAL YEAR 2025.[ CO 2 - 8/06/2025 Resolution to approve a budget amendment increasing Program Activity Donations and increasing Summer Interns with donations from Rockefeller Philanthropy Advisors for $5,000 and Lanza Family Foundation for $5,000]
CO2 RESOLUTION TO APPROVE A BUDGET AMENDMENT, INCREASING PROGRAM ACTIVITY, DONATIONS AND INCREASE, INCREASE INCREASING SUMMER INTERNS WITH DONATIONS FROM ROCKEFELLER, UH, PHIL ADVISORS FOR FOUR 5,000 AND LANDS LANDS OF FAMILY FOUNDATION FOR, UH, $5,000.[ PR 1 - 8/06/2025 Resolution authorizing the Town of Greenburgh Department of Parks & Recreation to execute a contract with MakeInspires, Inc. to conduct after-school programs with an emphasis on STEM/technology, conditioned on the direct costs being covered by registration fees]
AYE.PR ONE RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING THE TOWN OF GREENBURG, DEPARTMENT OF, UH, PARKS AND RECREATION TO EXECUTE A CONTRACT WITH, UH, MAC SPIRES TO CONDUCT AFTER SCHOOL PROGRAMS WITH AN EMPLOY EMPHASIS ON STEM TECHNOLOGY CONDITIONED ON THE DIRECT COSTS BEING COVERED BY REGISTRATION FEES.
[ PR 2 - 8/06/2025 Resolution authorizing the Town of Greenburgh Department of Parks and Recreation to execute a contract with Kuba Sports, LLC., to conduct after-school programs with an emphasis on skill building for team sports conditioned on the direct costs being covered by registration fees]
RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING THE TOWN OF GREENBURG, DEPARTMENT OF PARKS AND REC TO EXECUTE A CONTRACT WITH CUBA SPORTS TO CONDUCT THE AFTER SCHOOL PROGRAMS WITH AN EMPHASIS ON SKILL BUILDING FOR TEAM SPORTS CONDITIONED ON THE DIRECT COSTS BEING COVERED BY REGISTRATION FEES.[ PO 1 - 8/06/2025 Resolution appointing Joseph Fratto as an entry-level police officer]
PO ONE, UH, RESOLUTION APPOINTING JOSEPH RADO AS AN ENTRY LEVEL POLICE OFFICER.[ PO 2 - 8/06/2025 Resolution authorizing the Supervisor to enter into an Agreement with the Valhalla Union Free School District for the police department to provide a School Resource Officer for Virginia Road School]
O2 RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING SUPERVISOR TO ENTER INTO AN AGREEMENT WITH THE VAL HOLLY UNION FREE SCHOOL DISTRICT FOR THE POLICE DEPARTMENT TO PROVIDE A SCHOOL RESOURCE OFFICER FOR VIRGINIA ROAD SCHOOL.[ PO 3 - 8/06/2025 Resolution promoting Sergeant Michael Cookingham to Lieutenant and Detective Herman Killiebrew to Sergeant]
PO O THREE RESOLUTION PROMOTING SERGEANT MICHAEL INGHAM TO LIEUTENANT AND DETECTIVE HERMAN KBR TO SERGEANT.I WOULD LIKE TO MOVE THAT SECOND.
HERMAN KBR WAS, UM, UH, ONE OF THE FIRST GRADUATES OF OUR POLICE SUMMER YOUTH CAMP, AND THIS IS I THINK HIS SECOND PROMOTION IN LIKE A YEAR OR WHATEVER.
[ PW 1 - 8/06/2025 Resolution authorizing approval of a Professional Engineering Services agreement with Colliers Engineering & Design, Inc. for continued assistance with the repair and rehabilitation of a sanitary sewer main located at East Hartsdale Avenue in an amount not to exceed $282,000]
PW ONE RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING APPROVAL OF A PROFESSIONAL ENGINEERING SERVICE AGREEMENT WITH COLLAR IS ENGINEERING AND DESIGN FOR CONTINUED ASSISTANCE WITH THE REPAIR AND REHABILITATION OF A SANITARY SEWER MAIN LOCATED AT EAST TART STEEL AVENUE, AN AMOUNT NOT TO EXCEED $282,000.[ PW 2 - 8/06/2025 Resolution awarding the contract for the Theodore D. Young Community Center elevator replacement to Keystone Elevator Group the best qualified and most responsible bidder, for an amount not to exceed $105,000]
PW, UM, TWO RESOLUTION AWARDING THE CONTRACT FOR THEATER YOUNG COMMUNITY CENTER ELEVATOR REPLACEMENT, UH, TO, UH, KEYSTONE ELEVATOR GREW THE BEST QUALIFIED AND MOST RESPONSIBLE BILL BIDDER FOR AN AMOUNT NOT TO EXCEED 106,000 105.SECOND, I'D LIKE TO MOVE THAT, HOLD ON.
[ TB 1 - 8/06/2025 Resolution of the Town Board of the Town of Greenburgh seeking proposals from firms to provide forensic audit services to examine financial records, including bank statements, journal entries, general ledger and other relevant documents across departments, to identify any irregularities, discrepancies and/or deviations from best accounting principles for the years 2020-2023]
WE ADJOURN, I JUST, YOU HELD OVER TB ONE, BUT YOU DIDN'T READ IT AND THEN HELD IT OVER.A RESOLUTION OF THE TOWN BOARD OF THE TOWN OF GREENBURG SEEKING PROPOSALS FROM FIRMS TO PROVIDE FORENSIC AUDIT SERVICES TO EXAMINE FINANCIAL RECORDS, INCLUDING BANK STATEMENTS, GENERAL ENTRIES, GENERAL LEDGER, AND OTHER RELEVANT DOCUMENTS ACROSS DEPARTMENTS TO IDENTIFY ANY IRREGULARITIES, DISCREPANCIES AND OR DEVIATIONS FROM BEST ACCOUNTING PRINCIPLES FOR THE YEARS 2020 TO 2023.
AND YOU'RE HOLDING THAT OVER? DELAYING US DOING THAT FOR A MONTH? RIGHT.
AND I JUST WANNA MENTION AGAIN, THAT I'VE, UH, SUGGESTED, UH, AT THE WORK SESSION AND THE BOARD REJECTED IT, THAT WE INCLUDE 2024 AND, UH, WE DO THIS IF WE'RE GONNA DO IT, WE, UH, WE PROVIDE INFORMA, WE GET THE INFORMATION ON AN ANNUAL BASIS.
SO THE PURPOSE OF HOLDING IT OVER, I'M HOLDING IT OVER.
I HAVE A RIGHT TO HOLD IT OVER.
THE PURPOSE OF HOLDING IT OVER, EVEN THOUGH, BECAUSE YOU KNOW THAT YOU ARE OUTVOTED MEANS YOU THINK THAT IF YOU, THAT SOMEHOW YOU'LL CHANGE OUR MINDS.
IS THAT IT? BY DELAYING IT? I'M NOT, WHAT IS THE PURPOSE? I'M NOT, I'M NOT GONNA COME OF JUST NOT VOTING ON IT.
I'M, I'M, I'VE HELD IT OVER AND THAT'S THE PREROGATIVE I HAVE.
UM, I'M NOT COMMENTING, I'M HOLDING IT OVER.
YOU'RE ENTITLED TO HOLD IT OVER.
AND, AND SO I JUST WANTED TO BE CLEAR.
SUPERVISOR FINDER SAID THAT THE TOWN BOARD, UM, DID NOT AGREE OR DID NOT APPROVE, UM, THIS, HE DIDN'T, HE DIDN'T
[03:00:01]
AGREE WITH WHAT THIS RESOLUTION, WHAT THIS RESOLUTION WAS FOR.AND THE REASON WHY HE'S, I BELIEVE HE'S HOLDING OVER IS 'CAUSE HE WANTED TO INCLUDE 2024, WHICH WE DON'T HAVE ALL THE DATA FOR.
SO I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT TO EVERYONE KNOW THE REASON WHY THAT HE IS, HE'S HOLDING AN OVER AND WHAT WE DISCUSSED YESTERDAY AT OUR WORK SESSION, AND WE EXPLAINED ALL THAT TO HIM.
SO I JUST WANT THAT TO BE CLEAR.
THIS IS ALL TO MAKE SURE THAT WE DO A FORENSIC AUDIT BETWEEN THOSE PARTICULAR YEARS BECAUSE WE HAVE THE INFORMATION AND DATA FOR THAT.
SO I JUST WANNA MAKE SURE THAT'S CLEAR OF THE DELAY.
AND, AND THE SUPERVISOR IS THE CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER.
SO, UM, THIS WOULD BE AN AUDIT OF THE DECISION MAKING THAT WAS MADE IN THE YEARS 2020 TO 2023.
WELL, THE ENTIRE TOWN BOARD, BECAUSE THE ENTIRE TOWN BOARD VOTES ON THE BUDGET.
BUT YOU HAVE OF, WELL, YOU KNOW WHAT? EVERYBODY ON THE BOARD VOTES ON THE BUDGET AND EVERYBODY ON THE BOARD, UH, HAS A, A ROLE IN ALL ASPECTS OF THE BUDGET.
SO WE'RE RESPONSIBLE AS AN ENTIRE BOARD FOR EVERY FINANCE SOMETHING BECAUSE I WANT I 2024 AND I'M, I MENTIONED IT AND EVERYBODY, WE'VE OTHER BOARD MEMBERS HAVE HELD OVER THINGS IN THE PAST.
THAT'S, AND I'M, I HELD IT OVER.
NO ONE, NO ONE IS, NO ONE'S DISPUTING YOU HOLD, YOU HOLD BECAUSE THAT'S YOUR RIGHT.
WE JUST WANT EVERYONE TO UNDERSTAND THAT'S FINE.
AND THAT WHAT YOUR ROLE IN, IN THIS TOWN IS.