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OKAY.[ TOWN OF GREENBURGH OFFICE OF THE TOWN BOARD 177 Hillside Avenue, Greenburgh, NY 10607 Tel: 914-989-1525 Fax: 914-993-1541 Email: HCancro@GreenburghNY.com ]
OUR TOWN BOARD, UH, SPECIAL WORK SESSION.WE'RE GONNA BE DISCUSSING, UH, THE BUDGET, THE 2026 OPERATING BUDGET AND, UH, THE CAPITAL BUDGET.
SO KIMBERLY, UM, IS OUR CONTROLLER, AND, UH, YOU'VE MADE SOME, UM, UH, SOME CHANGES AND, UM, ALSO WORKING ON TRYING TO, UH, REBUILD OUR FUND BALANCE.
SO I'M GONNA START WITH, UH, THE B FUND.
AND BEFORE WE DO THAT, I WANTED TO TALK ABOUT THE FUND BALANCES BRIEFLY.
AND YOU'LL SEE THAT, UM, WHEN YOU LOOK AT THE FORECAST MODEL THAT I DID FROM 2026 TO 2031, THE B FUND RATE, UM, HAS NOT CHANGED FROM WHAT WE FIRST PRESENTED IN THE TENTATIVE.
AND THE REASON WHY IS THAT, UM, WE'RE AT OUR FUND BALANCE AT THE HIGHER LEVEL LIMIT.
AND WHAT THAT MEANS BECAUSE WHEN YOU LOOK AT THE FUND BALANCE DETAIL FOR, UM, TOWN OUTSIDE VILLAGES, YOU'LL SEE THAT ON THE UNSIGNED IT SAYS ZERO.
BUT WHEN YOU LOOK IN THE MAJOR FUNDS, YOU'LL SEE 36,370,570.
SO THAT'S ON THIS SHEET, I'M NOT SORRY, NOT FOLLOWING YOU FUND BALANCE.
BUT WHERE IT SAYS, YOU SAID, WHERE ARE YOU READING FROM? OKAY.
YOU'RE GONNA SEE WHAT MAKES UP THE FUND BALANCES TO GENERAL FUND TOWN OUTSIDE SPECIAL DISTRICTS ACROSS LIKE THAT.
SO EVERYTHING OVER FROM TOWN OUTSIDE, WE CAN'T TOUCH.
SO OUT OF THAT 600, UM, $162 MILLION, WE CAN ONLY, WHAT'S UNRESTRICTED IS, OR UNASSIGNED IS $12 MILLION IN THE A FUND.
AND WE'RE GONNA BE USING A PORTION OF THAT, UH, TOWARDS OUR BUDGET IN 2026.
WE ARE ALSO USING SOME FUND BALANCE THAT IS TEMPORARY RESTRICTED IN THE TOWN OUTSIDE OF VILLAGE.
AND THAT'S PART OF THAT $36 MILLION YOU'LL SEE UNDER MAJOR FUNDS.
SO GASB SAYS THAT YOU CAN'T HAVE, UM, UNASSIGNED FUNDS IN YOUR TOWN OUTSIDE VILLAGE IN THE B FUND.
SO WE, WE CALL THAT MAJOR FUNDS.
AND WHAT'S IN THERE IS THE BUILDING PERMIT MONEY THAT'S NOT RESTRICTED.
THERE'S NOTHING THAT SAYS MAJOR FUNDS.
IT'S JUST SAYS NON-MAJOR GOVERNMENTAL FUNDS RIGHT HERE.
AND THEN YOU'LL SEE THE COURTHOUSE, THE 7 MILLION, $400, $400,000.
AND UP ABOVE THAT, THE SUBSEQUENT YEARS EXPENDITURES IS WHAT WE HAD USED FROM FUND BALANCE IN PRIOR YEARS BUDGETS.
SO IN THE PRIOR YEAR OR PRIOR YEARS, PLURAL? THE PRIOR YEAR
UM, SO THAT SAID, OUT OF THE 162 MILLION, THERE'S 12,154,588 IN THE A FUND.
BUT WE'RE, AGAIN, WE'RE USING A PORTION OF THAT.
WE MAY HAVE USED A PORTION OF THAT IN THE CURRENT YEAR, BUT WE HAVEN'T CLOSED THE BOOKS YET.
SO THAT'S IT OUT OUT OF THE 1 62.
UM, SO IF YOU LOOK NOW AT THE ANNUAL FORECAST, HOW MUCH APPROXIMATELY ARE WE USING? UH, FOR 2026 IN THE B FUND? HOW MUCH WILL THE 12 11,000,882? UH, 882,372 IN THE, OF THE 12, THAT'S IT.
THAT'S IN THE B IN THE A WE'RE USING 5,200,368 FOR WHAT PURPOSE? UH, TO KEEP THE TAX RATE DOWN.
IT'S LIKE A A SO YOU'RE GONNA TELL US HOW THAT AFFECTS THE FUND BALANCE AND WHERE THAT, THIS STATUS.
BUT BEFORE, I'M SORRY, BEFORE YOU ANSWER THAT, CAN YOU JUST GO BACK? 'CAUSE I'M, I'M ON THE TAB FOR THE A FUND FORECAST 26 31, BUT I DON'T SEE WHERE, I DON'T SEE THE 36.
SO THAT'S, THAT'S IN THE, UM, I DIDN'T YOU DON'T HAVE THAT SHEET.
THAT'S PAGE OUT OF THE DRAFT FINANCIALS FOR 2024 THAT I JUST HANDED OUT.
CAN SOMEONE TAKE A PICTURE THAT PLEASE? I'M DOING THAT NOW.
UM, UM, SO THAT SAID, UM, IF YOU LOOK AT THE A FUND AND YOU SEE, I THINK THAT WE STARTED AROUND 3%, UH, CHANGE FROM THE PRIOR YEAR.
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SO, UH, THE PROJECTION GOING FORWARD, YOU'LL SEE THE CHANGES FROM THE PRIOR YEAR GOING FORWARD AT 6.46, 10.42 10%, 9.56.WHERE ARE YOU READING THAT? WHERE ARE YOU READING FROM ON THE, A FUND ON THE PROJECTION TO, ON THIS? NO, NO, ON THE ANNUAL BOARD.
SO WE DON'T SCRAMBLE TO TRY TO CATCH UP AND FIGURE OUT WHERE TO TALK.
SO WE'RE OFF OF THE FUND BALANCE SHEET NOW.
WE'RE ONTO THE BUDGETED PROJECTIONS.
AND THIS IS FOR A TAXES PAID, UH, THE AVERAGE HOME ASSESSED AT SEVEN 50.
SO THE IDEA WAS TO, UM, REBUILD FUND BALANCE AND TO GET RID OF UTILIZATION OF FUND BALANCE IN OUR BUDGETING, WHICH IS NOT BEST PRACTICES.
AND SO IF WE WERE TO, UM, YOU KNOW, KNOW OVER THE NEXT FIVE OR SIX YEARS, TRY TO DIMINISH THE USE OF FUND BALANCE, THESE ARE THE TAX RATES THAT, YOU KNOW, I WOULD PROJECT WE WOULD NEED BASED ON, UM, METRICS OF APPLYING, 3% INCREASES OVERALL FOR MOST DEPARTMENTAL EXPENSES, CONTRACTUAL INCREASES.
UM, AND THEN, YOU KNOW, I, I USE 9% FOR HEALTH INSURANCE.
AND I MEAN, THIS WAS PUT TOGETHER PRETTY FAST.
I HAD LIKE A WEEK TO DO IT, SO YEAH, NO, THAT'S FINE.
WE COULD GET MORE PRECISE AFTER 2026 AND, AND BUILD ON THIS.
BUT LET ME, I HAVE A QUESTION.
WHEN IT SAYS PERCENT CHANGE FROM PRIOR YEAR FOR 2026, IT SAYS 4% CHANGE FROM PRIOR YEAR? YES.
SO THAT MEANS THE TOTAL IS THE, THE ACTUAL PERCENTAGE IS WHAT? IT'S UP ABOVE THAT YOU SEE THE ESTIMATED TAX RATE PER 1000? YES.
AND THEN IF YOU LOOK DOWN BELOW THE 4%, IT SAYS THE TAXES THAT, UM, WILL BE PAID ON AN AVERAGE HOME OF 750,000 WILL BE 327 ADDITIONAL TAXES.
AND THEN SO ON FROM THERE, IT WOULD GO TO 3 48 88, 3 85 23, 4 23 75, 4 64 24, AND 5 0 7.
AT NO POINT AM I SEEING THOUGH THE NUMBER THAT INDICATES IT'S SHOWING THE AMOUNT ABOVE, BUT WHAT IS IT, THE 4% WITH THE CURRENT PROPOSED RATE? SO YOU'RE SAYING 4% ABOVE WHAT WAS INITIALLY PROPOSED IN THE SUPER? NO, NO, NO.
I SEE WE'RE STILL PULLING FUND BALANCE.
YEAH, WE'RE STILL PULLING FUND BALANCE.
WE'RE STILL PULLING $5 MILLION IN FUND BALANCE.
SO THIS IS A CONSERVATIVE APPROACH.
WE COULD BE MORE AGGRESSIVE, WE COULD BE CONSERVATIVE, WE COULD BE MODERATE, WE COULD BE AGGRESSIVE.
THE BOARD SAYS, YEAH, I WANNA ELIMINATE THE FUND BALANCE.
WE COULD, YOU KNOW, IN THE A FUND, I HAVE A LOT OF LEEWAY TO DO THAT 'CAUSE WE'RE AT THE LOWER LIMIT OF THE FUND BALANCE POLICY IN THE B FUND BECAUSE THOSE BUILDING PERMIT MONIES ARE NOT RESTRICTED.
CAN CAN YOU EXPLAIN WHAT THE, UM, THE LOWER RATE OF THE FUND BALANCE IS AND GIVE AN ACTUAL, I I DON'T HAVE THAT ON ME, BUT I CAN GET BACK TO YOU.
LOOK, EXPLAIN WHAT IT IS ANYWAY FOR ANYONE.
SO WE HAVE A PERCENTAGE SAYING THAT WE CAN HAVE, UH, X AMOUNT OF DOLLARS AT THE LOW END IN FUND BALANCE OR AT THE HIGH END.
ANOTHER NUMBER IN FUND BALANCE LEGALLY, WE WERE TALKING ABOUT A YEAR AGO OF CHANGING THE FUND BALANCE POLICY, I THINK FOR THE HIGHER END.
WOULD THAT, UH, YOU KNOW, THAT MAKE SENSE? I MEAN, TO MODIFY THE FUND BALANCE POLICY TO GIVE US A LITTLE BIT MORE LEEWAY, I DON'T THINK THAT THAT DOESN'T AFFECT MAKES SENSE.
BECAUSE WE DON'T WANNA CREATE SLUSH FUNDS.
NO, I'M TALKING ABOUT IF HE BLUNT
SO WHEN YOU, ANYMORE DURING THE FORECASTING, I GUESS I, WHEN WE TALKED ABOUT THIS, I THOUGHT YOU WERE GONNA FORECAST DIFFERENT PERCENTAGES FOR THIS YEAR.
SO FORECASTING 4%, 6%, SO THAT WE SAW IF WE WANT TO INCREASE TAXES THIS YEAR, WHAT IT WOULD MEAN.
THAT'S WHAT I WAS THINKING OF.
OH, I THOUGHT WE WERE DOING THIS ANNUALLY TO SPREAD IT OUT TO, WELL, I MEAN, IF THIS IS YOUR BEST TRACKING RECOMMENDATION YES.
SO YOU DON'T THINK WE SHOULD INCREASE IT MORE THAN 4% THIS YEAR, EVEN THOUGH OUR FUND BALANCE IS AT THE LEVEL THAT IT'S AT.
WELL, I CAN ADJUST THE A, BUT I CAN'T DO ANYTHING WITH THE B UNLESS YOU RESTRICT THAT $36 MILLION OF BUILDING PERMIT MONEY.
BUT IF WE INCREASED MILLION, I'M SAYING IF WE INCREASED IT, THE FOUR TO SAY FIVE AND THE A BECAUSE IT'S, YOU ARE REALLY TALKING ABOUT IT'S AN NOT THAT MUCH MONEY.
SO IF YOU LOOK, YEAH, SO I MEAN IT'S A SIMPLE, IF YOU LOOK DOWN AT THE BOTTOM, AT THE CHART AT THE BOTTOM WHERE I HAVE, UH, THE PERCENTAGES, ALL I HAVE TO DO IS JUST DROP IN PERCENTAGE VALUE TO
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CHANGE.IT'S A SIMPLE THING TO CHANGE.
BUT I MEAN, I THINK I COULD SEE THAT.
SO I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT TO POINT OUT THAT WHAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT IS THE DIFFERENCE OF $20 $30, YOU KNOW, OVER THIS, THIS PROJECTION FROM 2026 TO 2031 BASED ON A $750,000 HOME.
YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT A FEW HUNDRED DOLLARS OVER THAT FIVE.
WHICH IS, WHICH IS, YOU KNOW, DUAL THAT'S NOT EXCRUCIATING OF FIVE YEARS.
WELL, BUT THAT, YES, BUT I'M SAYING WE MAY NEED TO BE MORE AGGRESSIVE IF YEAH.
IF YOU WANNA BE MORE AGGRESSIVE.
IT, YOU KNOW, I COULD CERTAINLY, UM, WE CERTAINLY DON'T WANNA IMPOSE MORE TAXES ON OUR TAXPAYERS, BUT THESE ARE SUCH SMALL NUMBER INCREASES, LIKE $20 FOR, YOU KNOW, BUT I CAN'T, AGAIN, I CANNOT DO ANYTHING THIS YEAR WITH THE B FUND UNLESS YOU RESTRICT THE BUILDING A FUND RIGHT NOW TALKING ABOUT THE, YEAH, YEAH.
AND WHAT, WHAT WOULD YOUR RECOMMENDATION BE FOR THE A I MEAN, AT LEAST 5% KEEPING UP WITH THE, WITH THE COUNTY IS DOING RIGHT NOW.
THE COUNTY, ISN'T IT THREE AND A HALF? DIDN'T THEY GO DOWN? I THOUGHT THAT THOUGHT THE LEGISLATURE, UH, REDUCED IT, BUT, UH, BUT YOU KNOW, MY, I MEAN I, IF WE WENT FROM 5% TO 5% THE FIRST YEAR, THAT WOULD CHANGE THE WHOLE, UH, LANDSCAPE.
SO WOULD YOU, WILL IT MAKE AN APPRECIABLE DIFFERENCE IN HOW I DON'T BELIEVE SO.
SO WHAT IS THE END GOAL? JOY, IF YOU INCREASE IT TO 5%, SO THEN BY THE END OF THE FIVE YEARS YOU'D HAVE A LOWER INCREASE, LOWER PERCENTAGES, OR YOU WOULD SPREAD IT OUT OVER? NO, THAT DIFFERENCES.
IT'S JUST THAT WE, I'M JUST TRYING TO START NOW WITH, WITH A PERCENTAGE THAT WE HAVE TO REDUCE WHAT WE USE FROM THE FUND BALANCE SO THAT WE ARE NOT CONTINUING THE SAME PATTERN OF UTILIZING THE FUND BALANCE IN THE FUTURE, BUT ALSO NOT PUTTING TOO MUCH ON THE TAXPAYERS.
AND I THINK WE HAVE A LOT OF LEEWAY IN HERE BASED ON THESE NUMBERS OF WHAT IT MEANS IN, IN REAL NUMBERS.
SO I, I MEAN, I WOULD THINK WE COULD EVEN GO UP TO THE SIX, 4.46% ON, ON THAT HOME THAT SHIFTED OVER.
I COULD DO ON THAT HOME, ON THAT SAME PRICE HOME THAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT.
THAT'S A DIFFERENCE OF $327 AND 72 CENTS TO $348 AND 88 CENTS.
BUT WHEN YOU, YOU KNOW, CUMULATIVELY THAT MAKES IT AN IMPACT, RIGHT? YEAH.
BUT THE PURPOSE OF DOING THAT WOULD BE TO IMPACT THE FUND BALANCE LESS MM-HMM
AND THEN, UM, THEN THE INCREASES WOULD BE NOT AS GREAT OVER THE COURSE OF FIVE YEARS.
OR WILL WE NEED TO HAVE IT THAT YEAH.
DEPENDS ON THE PERFORMANCE IN THE YEARS TO FOLLOW
WELL, BUT YOU'RE PROJECTING, YEAH, I'M PROJECTING BASED ON THE PROJECTION NOW, BUT YOU KNOW, I CAN'T, I CAN'T SAY WHAT COULD POSSIBLY HAPPEN SAY IN 2020.
WE CAN HAVE ANOTHER PANDEMIC, I DON'T KNOW, WAS JUST LOOKING TO PUTTING CATASTROPHE CATASTROPHES ASIDE.
YOU KNOW, BUT, YOU KNOW, BUT YES, THAT'S THE METHODOLOGY LOOKING TO CLARIFY FOR PEOPLE LISTENING WHAT, YOU KNOW, WHAT THE THOUGHT PROCESSES MIGHT BE.
'CAUSE I'M ALWAYS THINKING ABOUT HOW PEOPLE ARE HEARING US.
THAT WAS ALL LOOKING FOR THAT CLARITY.
I ALSO THINK THAT IS, WELL, CAN I ASK, CAN I ASK WHY DO WE, WHY, WHY DO WE ALWAYS USE $750,000? IS THAT THE AVERAGE COST HOME? YES.
IS THAT WHAT, IS THAT WHY WE PICKED THAT PARTICULAR NUMBER? WE USED TO, YES.
WE USED TO HAVE 500,000 UP TILL I THINK MAYBE A YEAR OR TWO AGO.
AND THEN WE MA WE FIGURED IT'S HARD TO BUY A HOUSE FOR 500 THOU FOR 500,000.
SO WE RAISED IT TO 750,000 SAYING THAT.
BUT AGAIN, SO, SO NO, THAT, THAT ALIGNS WITH THE AVERAGE COST.
WE USE THOSE NUMBERS WHEN WE, UM, DO THE ANNUAL DISCLOSURES AND WE HAVE TO VERIFY THAT I WOULD LIKE A LINE SAYS COST PER THOUSAND ACROSS THE BOARD.
I'M SORRY, I DIDN'T HEAR WHAT YOU SAID.
I SAID THAT'S A CONSTANT NUMBER THAT WE USE THE COST, THE BOARD AND ALL OF OUR FORECASTING THAT WE ARE JUST NOT USING IT FOR ONE SCENARIO.
THAT'S THE NUMBER THAT WE USE ACROSS THE BOARD.
BUT I'D ALSO LIKE IT TO SHOW THE COST PER THOUSAND BECAUSE WHEN PEOPLE GET THEIR TAX BILL MM-HMM
THEY SEE WHAT THEIR ASSESSED VALUE IS.
AND THEN THEY COULD DO THEIR OWN MULTIPLICATION AND DO IT RIGHT, RATHER THAN DO THE DIVISION TO GET IT BACK TO A THOUSAND AND BRING IT BACK UP AGAIN TO A, BUT WHAT'S VERY POSITIVE ABOUT THIS IS THAT FOR PEOPLE WHO DON'T OWN A HOME OF THAT, THAT'S A, YOU KNOW, EVEN THOUGH THAT'S THE AVERAGE PRICE HOME, THERE ARE MANY PEOPLE, THERE ARE MANY PEOPLE IN OUR COMMUNITY DON'T OWN A HOME OF THAT VALUE.
SO THAT MEANS THAT IT HAVE EVEN A, A LOWER TAX IMPACT ON THEIR TAXES.
WHICH IS REALLY, REALLY IMPORTANT.
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ALSO MENTION, YOU KNOW, WHEN PEOPLE SAY, OH, WE'RE BUILDING UP THE FUND BALANCE AND YOU KNOW, THE TAXES ARE GONNA GO UP HIGHER THAN, UH, WE HAD ANTICIPATED FOR THE PAST FIVE YEARS, UH, THE TOWN HAS, UH, KEPT THE TAX RATES VERY LOW.SO IN 2025, IT WAS AS 0.025%, UM, INCREASE, WHICH IS LESS THAN 1% IN 2024.
AND THE A BUDGET, IT WAS A 0.53% INCREASE, ALSO LESS THAN 1%.
IN 2023, WE HAD A MINUS 6.698%, UM, REDUCTION.
UM, IN 2022, WE HAD A ZERO, A MINUS 0.474% REDUCTION.
AND IN 2021, WE HAD A MINUS 1.411% REDUCTION.
SO ALTHOUGH THE, UM, YOU COULD LOOK AT PERCENTAGES AND SAY, OH, THERE'S A TAX INCREASE, BUT OVER THE YEARS HAS BEEN YEARS WHERE WE'VE HAD HUGE, UH, PERCENTAGE INCREASES IN THE A BUDGET AND, UH, AND MAJOR, UH, DECREASES IN THE BUDGET.
AND AGAIN, YOU KNOW, WE TRIED KEEPING THE TAX, YOU KNOW, A LOT OF THIS WAS DURING COVID AND YOU KNOW, WE'VE HAD VERY DIFFICULT TIMES.
SO WE WERE TRYING TO, UM, KEEP THE TAXES AS LOW AS POSSIBLE, YOU KNOW, INTENTIONALLY TO HELP, YOU KNOW, TAXPAYERS.
BUT NOW WE HAVE TO, UH, WORK TO REBUILD.
AND, AND YOU DON'T WANNA HAVE LIKE HIGHLY FLUCTUATING TAX, RIGHT.
YOU WANT IT TO BE CONSISTENT, BUT FISCALLY RESPONSIBLE.
SO THAT'S WHY NO, THAT'S WHY WE'RE DOING THE RIGHT THING.
NO, THAT'S WHY WE'RE DOING THIS.
BUT WE NOW KNOW THAT THOSE 0, 0, 0 0 ZEROS WERE BECAUSE WE WERE PULLING FROM FUND BALANCE.
WHICH INCLUDING FROM THE RESERVE FOR THE COURTHOUSE.
THAT'S NOT THAT WHICH, WHICH IS NOT GOOD.
SO NOW WE DON'T HAVE THE RESERVE.
I WOULD ASK THE COMPTROLLER TO EXPLAIN TO PEOPLE, GIVE A LITTLE EXPLANATION OF THE IMPORTANCE OF THE FUND BALANCE AND, AND WHAT IT STANDS FOR.
WELL, SO THAT'S BASICALLY OUR EQUITY LINE.
IF YOU WERE LIKE A PRIVATE CORPORATION, YOU HAD OWNER'S EQUITY, UM, IN THE BALANCE SHEET, YOU HAVE YOUR ASSETS AND YOUR LIABILITIES IN, IN THE P AND L, THE INCOME STATEMENT, WHICH IS BASICALLY WHAT YOU'RE LOOKING AT WHEN YOU'RE LOOKING AT THE, UM, BUDGETARY TO ACTUAL, AT THE END OF THE YEAR YOU HAVE A SURPLUS OR A DEFICIT.
AND WHEN WE START THE NEW YEAR, ALL OF THOSE EXPENDITURES AND REVENUES ARE, UM, NETTED TOGETHER.
AND THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE TWO OF THOSE ROLL INTO THE EQUITY LINE.
SO IT'S EITHER GOING TO INCREASE OR DECREASE BASED ON YOUR PERFORMANCE IN THE CURRENT YEAR.
AND THEN THE BUDGET TO ACTUAL WILL START OUT AT ZERO.
AGAIN, YOUR P AND L WILL START AT ZERO AND THOSE DOLLARS WILL GO UP INTO THE BALANCE SHEET.
LET'S, LET'S PUT THIS INTO LAYMAN TERMS. HOMEOWNERS TERMS TERM, RIGHT? IF A HOMEOWNER HAS A SAVINGS ACCOUNT, RIGHT? AND THEY NEED TO PUT ASIDE MONEY IN CASE OF EMERGENCIES, YOU DON'T WANNA SPEND ALL THAT MONEY DOWN SO THAT YOU DON'T HAVE A CUSHION.
ISN'T THAT BASICALLY WHAT IT IS? THAT'S A VERY SIMPLIFIED VERSION OF IT, BECAUSE THERE'S MONEY IN THERE THAT IS, UM, EARMARKED MM-HMM
IT'S SUBDIVIDED INTO PREPAID ITEMS THAT ARE ASSIGNED, UH, TEMPORARY RESTRICTED, UM, ASSIGNED ITEMS FOR AP, THEY CROSS OVER INTO THE NEXT FISCAL YEAR.
UM, THERE'S MONEY THAT'S TIED UP FOR CAPITAL PROJECTS.
SO, LIKE I SAID, UM, OUT OF, I, I DON'T KNOW, LIKE HOW I CAN EXPLAIN IT.
WELL, HOW ABOUT THIS, WHAT IS THE IMPORTANCE IN LAYMAN'S TERM OF HAVING TERMS OF HAVING A SIGNIFICANT FUND BALANCE AND WHAT HAPPENS IF YOU ARE TOO HIGH OR TOO LOW IN THE GENERAL FUND? B, WANNA, IF YOU'RE TOO HIGH, YOU'RE CREATING ALU A SLUSH FUND AND YOU'RE OVERTAXING, IF YOU'RE TOO LOW, THEN YOU KNOW, YOU HAVE NO LEVERAGE FOR BORROWING.
UH, WHEN WE GO OUT TO BORROW, THEY'RE GOING TO, UM, APPLY CERTAIN RATIOS WHERE THEY'RE GONNA LOOK AT OUR FUND BALANCE COMPARED TO OUR OVERALL BUDGET AND WHAT PERCENTAGES THEY LIKE TO SEE 12%.
UM, AND, YOU KNOW, THEY JUST WANNA MAKE SURE THAT WE HAVE SOME LIQUIDITY AND MM-HMM
I THINK THAT THERE, YOU KNOW, THERE'S A FINE LINE THERE ALSO WITH THE GENERAL FUND, WE CAN'T, YOU KNOW, TAKE MONEY FROM THE OTHER FUNDS.
YOU KNOW, WE CAN'T TAKE IT FROM, UH, ANY KIND OF PROPRIETARY OR ENTERPRISE FUND AND THOSE TYPES OF SERVICE FUNDS AND USE IT IN THE GENERAL FUND.
AND SO YOU'RE LOOKING AT TWO OF THEM.
BUT THOSE PROPRIETARY FUNDS THAT WE CAN'T TOUCH THAT ARE PART OF THE FUND BALANCE, ARE THEY HA THE IMPACT THAT YOU, YOU MENTIONED THE LIQUIDITY IS WHAT INVESTORS ARE LOOKING FOR? OR, OR IF WE
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WERE GOING TO NO, SO THE, THE, UM, THEY'RE GONNA LOOK AT OUR TAX COLLECTION BECAUSE THE BORROWING IS BACKED BY THE TAXES.AND THEY WILL ASK ME IF THE VALUE OF ONE OF THE FUNDS GOES DOWN.
ONE OF THE EQUITY LINES, LIKE I THINK THEY ASKED ME, WE HAD A REDUCTION, NOT NOT MATERIAL, BUT A SLIGHT REDUCTION IN THE WATER FUND.
AND THEY, YOU KNOW, THEY WANTED TO KNOW THE IMPACT OF THAT AND WHY, UM, THE FUND BALANCE WENT DOWN.
SO I WAS JUST ABLE TO GIVE THEM A SIMPLE EXPLANATION FOR THAT.
AND I SHOULD ALSO, YOU KNOW, MENTION FOR PEOPLE LISTENING, UM, WE HAVE NEVER, UH, VIOLATED OUR FUND BALANCE POLICY.
SO A NUMBER OF YEARS AGO, UH, THE TOWN BOARD PASSED A FUND BALANCE POLICY AND WE SET CRITERIA.
UM, AND EVEN WITH, YOU KNOW, THIS BUDGET, IT'S STILL WITHIN THE FUND BALANCE POLICY, BUT IT'S GETTING, ESPECIALLY IN THE A FUND, IT'S GETTING CLOSER TO SORT OF THE, THE BOTTOM.
AND NOW WHAT WE HAVE TO DO IS, UM, DO WHAT WE ALWAYS SAID WE WOULD DO.
WE WE'RE GETTING CLOSE TO THE BOTTOM, NOW WE'RE GONNA BUILD IT UP.
AND THEN IF THERE'S, GOD FORBID, ANOTHER PANDEMIC OR AN EMERGENCY, THEN WE'LL USE THE FUND, WE'LL BRING THE FUND BALANCE DOWN AGAIN AND, UM, AND, YOU KNOW, HELP KEEP THE TAX RATE, YOU KNOW, YOU KNOW, LOWER.
BUT WE, WE DEFINITELY HAVE, UM, NEVER VIOLATED OUR OWN FUND BALANCE POLICY, BUT NOW WE ARE PROJECTING AND WE'RE CREATING, UM, A FIVE YEAR LOOK AHEAD SO THAT WE CAN HAVE AT LEAST SOME SENSE OF WHERE WE ARE HEADED LATER TO MAINTAIN THAT YOUR BUDGET'S DONE FOR THE NEXT FIVE YEARS.
THAT'S WHAT I'M, YOU SAVED YOURSELF SOME TIME,
INCLUDING COUNTING THIS, THIS HELPFUL.
I'M WONDERING, COULD YOU, UH, IF WE WANTED TO FOLLOW, UH, JOY'S SUGGESTION, UM, IN TERMS OF, UM, YOU KNOW, STARTING OFF WITH A LITTLE HIGHER AMOUNT, UH, YOU KNOW, COULD YOU THEN GIVE US ANOTHER, YOU KNOW, AND YOU KNOW, FOR BEFORE THE BUDGET HEARING, UM, YOU KNOW, A REVISED YES.
WELL, I WANNA HEAR WHAT THE OTHER COUNCIL MEMBERS THINK TOO.
I JUST FIND THIS ALL VERY FRUSTRATING BECAUSE, UH, WE'RE TALKING ABOUT BUILDING BACK UP A FUND BALANCE.
CLEARLY THERE IS TOO MUCH SPENDING AS WELL, RIGHT? BECAUSE WHEN, WHEN WE THINK WE HAVE MONEY THAT'S IN RESERVE, AND IT TURNS OUT IT'S NOT IN RESERVE, AND THAT'S USED TO BRING DOWN THE TAX RATE MM-HMM
IT MAKES IT APPEAR AS IF WE'RE OPERATING WITHIN OUR MEANS WHEN WE'RE REALLY NOT, BECAUSE WE HAVE THIS PIGGY BANK THAT IS SUPPOSED TO BE FOR THE COURTHOUSE IN THIS PARTICULAR CASE.
UH, BUT INSTEAD OF FOR THE RESERVE FOR THE COURTHOUSE, IT WASN'T REALLY RESERVED AND IT WAS GOING IN TO KEEP OUR TAX RATE.
SO THE PEOPLE MIGHT THINK, HEY, THAT'S GREAT BECAUSE THE TAXES AREN'T GOING UP.
AND THIS, THIS REMINDS ME OF 2006 WHERE IT WAS 0, 0 0 0 24 OR 27%.
I DON'T WANNA EVER GET TO THAT AGAIN.
AND IT SEEMS LIKE IN YOUR PROJECTION HERE, WE'RE SETTING OURSELVES UP AT BEST WITH 10% IN 2028, 10% IN 2029, UH, ALMOST 10% IN IN 2030 AND 9.3 IN 2021.
WELL, THAT'S WHY I'M SUGGESTING BEFORE THE REVENUE KEEP UP THE EXPENSES SO IT DOESN'T OUTPACE THEM.
THAT'S WHY I THINK WE NEED TO ADJUST IT SO THAT WE'RE NOT BUILDING SUCH UP TO SUCH A HIGHER, SOME, A HIGHER PERCENTAGE.
AND WE CAN START WITH A HIGHER PERCENTAGE NOW AND BE MORE FISCALLY RESPONSIBLE GOING FORWARD AND NOT USING THE MONEY TO, I ALSO WANT TO MENTION THAT, UM, SOMETHING THAT'S HARD FOR ME TO PREDICT, WHICH IS MOVING TARGET IS IN THESE, UH, FUTURE PROJECTIONS IS WHERE WE'RE GONNA END UP IF IT'S A SURPLUS OR A DEFICIT.
SO THAT FUND BALANCE THAT WE HAVE NOW, THE 12 MILLION THAT COULD GROW BASED ON HOW WE CLOSE THE YEAR.
OR IT COULD GO DOWN BASED ON HOW WE CLOSE THE YEAR.
AND I JUST DON'T HAVE THAT ANSWER RIGHT NOW.
SO, UM, LIKE WE'RE ABOUT TO CLOSE THIS YEAR.
IT MIGHT ADD TO IT, IT MIGHT TAKE AWAY FROM IT, I DON'T KNOW.
BUT WHATEVER'S LEFT OVER, WHATEVER WE DON'T USE THAT WE'VE INCLUDED WILL EITHER BE USED UP OR IT'LL BE RETURNED.
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ARE THERE ANY, HOW DO WE MAKE SURE, OH, GO AHEAD, PAUL.ARE THERE ANY, UH, THERE CUTS THAT YOU THINK COULD BE MADE, UM, INSTEAD, BECAUSE I THINK THAT, UM, YOU KNOW, IN TERMS OF, UM, DEALING WITH, YOU KNOW, BUDGETS, YOU KNOW, GOING FORWARD, YOU KNOW, WHY, IF THE TOWN BOARD, YOU KNOW, WOULD SAY, LISTEN, WE'RE GONNA REALLY MAKE A CONCERTED EFFORT, UM, YOU KNOW, NOT TO FILL VACANCIES, TO COME UP WITH OTHER, UH, UM, INITIATIVES THAT POSSIBLY COULD SAVE MONEY.
I MEAN, THEN WE, THE PROJECTIONS YOU HAVE COULD BE, UM, LIKE AT FIRST DRAFT AND WE MIGHT BE ABLE TO AVOID THOSE PROJECTIONS IF WE REALLY WORK TOGETHER AND TRY COMING UP WITH A PLAN THAT COULD KEEP I, I DON'T THINK SO BECAUSE I WENT THROUGH LINE BY LINE, AND IF YOU LOOK AT THE HISTORY OF, UM, THE DRAFT FINANCIALS, YOU LOOK AT THE STATEMENT AND DEPOSITION AND THE TOWN'S OVERALL ASSETS AND OVERALL LIABILITIES, IT SEEMS TO BE ONGOING THAT THE, UM, LIABILITIES HAVE BEEN OUTPACING ANY OF THE ASSETS.
AND, AND TO BUILD THOSE ASSETS YOU NEED TO BRING IN ADDITIONAL REVENUE SOURCES.
YOU KNOW, YOU NEED TO, TO BRING IN THE ADDITIONAL TAX INCOME.
SO THE, UM, DEFICIT IN THE NET POSITION HAS BEEN GROWING.
AND IT'S JUST THE, THE SIMPLE FACT THAT, UM, LIKE I SAID, THAT THESE EXPENSES ARE OUTPACING THESE REVENUES.
I MEAN, THE POLICE MADE SOME ADDITIONAL CUTS AND I'LL HAVE THOSE FOR YOU, UM, TOMORROW IN THEIR BUDGET.
BUT OTHER THAN THAT, I, I DON'T REALLY SEE ANY PLACE TO CUT.
UH, WHEN WE BUY NEW VEHICLES, FOR EXAMPLE, I THINK WE'RE GETTING FOUR NEW POLICE CAR.
AND WE ALSO HAVE A CRIME SCENE VAN.
UM, I DIDN'T KNOW THAT WE HAD CRIME SCENE CERTIFIED PERSONNEL TO RIDE IN THAT CRIME SCENE VAN.
UM, I, WE HAVEN'T REALLY HAD A DISCUSSION ABOUT THAT WHEN WE WERE TALKING TO THE POLICE DEPARTMENT.
BUT WHAT HAPPENS TO THE CARS, THE VEHICLES, TRUCKS THAT WE BUY A REPLACEMENT VEHICLE? DO WE KNOW? DO WE JUST HAVE MORE VEHICLES? NO.
SO THEY CAN GO TO AUCTION AND THEN THEY'RE, I UNDERSTAND WHAT THEY CAN BE.
SO WE ASK INFORMATION FROM THE POLICE DEPARTMENT, THEN DO WE, DO WE, AND THIS IS NOT JUST THE POLICE DEPARTMENT, IT'S DPW AS WELL, RIGHT? THAT'S RIGHT.
BECAUSE IT SEEMS LIKE IT'S ALL CARS.
DO WE GET THE VIN NUMBER OF THE VEHICLE THAT'S REPLACED AND WE, THAT THEN GOES TO AUCTION, WHICH IS WHAT SHOULD HAPPEN? OR DO WE JUST ACCUMULATE MORE AND MORE CARS FOR MORE AND MORE PEOPLE TO DRIVE? I, I'M NOT, I DON'T KNOW WHAT THEY, IF THEY'RE GOING TO AUCTION, I KNOW THEY ARE GOING TO AUCTION ON SOME ITEMS. 'CAUSE I GET EMAILS, BUT I'M NOT SURE ABOUT THE ENTIRE FIXED ASSET INVENTORY.
SO THAT'S A QUESTION TO BE ANSWERED.
I MEAN, WE GET, WE HAVE A LIST OF ASSET ADDITION SOLUTIONS THAT WE GO THROUGH AT YEAR END.
AND UM, THERE HAS TO BE SOME RELIABILITY ON THE INFORMATION THAT I'M RECEIVING THAT IT'S REASONABLE WE CORRECT.
AND, AND ARE ALL THE VEHICLES REPLACEMENT VEHICLES, ARE THEY SOME, ARE THEY NEWLY ADDED? WE ADDED ONES A FEW YEARS AGO THAT COSTS SEVERAL HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS.
UM, A SWAT VEHICLE FOR INSTANCE.
BUT ARE THE ONES THAT ARE IN THIS YEAR'S BUDGET FOR NEW FUNCTIONS? OR ARE THEY REPLACING EXISTING VEHICLES THAT I'VE SEEN BETTER DAYS? I COULDN'T ANSWER THAT.
SO WE HAVE VERY GOOD PEOPLE AND, AND LEADERSHIP, UH, POSITIONS, UM, YOU KNOW, IN THIS, AMONG OUR STAFF AND, AND A LOT OF THOUGHT HAS PUT INTO THIS KIND OF DISCUSSION.
WE NO LONGER USE THE SAME AUCTION COMPANY, FOR EXAMPLE.
UM, WE'RE MAKING SURE THAT VEHICLES THAT ARE GOING ON AUCTION DON'T HAVE BRAND NEW TIRES AND THINGS LIKE THAT.
WHICH, UM, IS VERY COSTLY TO THE TOWN.
SO THERE ARE THINGS THAT ARE BEING DONE.
IT'S NOT SEXY, IT'S NOT, YOU KNOW, BUT IT'S SAVING THE TOWN A CONSIDERABLE AMOUNT OF MONEY BY MAKING SURE THAT WHEN WE HANDLE THESE TYPES OF SITUATIONS, THAT UH, THEY'RE DONE APPROPRIATELY.
AND THE TOWN ISN'T LOSING MONEY BY GOING TO AUCTION BECAUSE YOU'RE PUTTING OUT A VEHICLE THAT'S IN GREAT WORKING CONDITION.
AND I KNOW THAT, UM, OUR DEPUTY COMMISSIONER OF DPW PULLED CARS OFF OF AUCTION BECAUSE THEY WERE WORKING FINE.
AND GUESS WHAT? THEY STILL ARE
SO THAT'S THEN WE DON'T NEED THE NEW ONES THAT REALLY ADDRESSES THE NEW ONES.
BUT I'D REALLY LIKE TO KNOW PARTICULARLY ON, YOU KNOW, LIKE THE POLICE CARS THAT, YOU KNOW, ARE ON THE
[00:30:01]
LIST IS THEY'RE EXPENSIVE AND THEY GET OUTFITTED.WHAT DO WE DO WITH THE OUTFITTING THAT WAS ON THE PREVIOUS CAR, THESE CARS, YOU KNOW, THOSE KIND OF QUESTIONS.
SO I WANNA GO BACK TO THE TAX RATES FOR A SECOND.
SO I'M JUST NOTICING I AVERAGED ALL OF, UH, THEM TOGETHER COMES TO 8.29% IS THE AVERAGE OF ALL THE ONES THAT, YOU KNOW, THE SIX DIFFERENT RATES.
BUT WHY ARE WE LIKE END LOADING IT INSTEAD OF, YOU KNOW, WE'RE, WE'RE STARTING AT FOUR, WE'RE ENDING AT 9.30 AND THEN WE'VE GOT 10.42 AND 10% IN THE MIDDLE.
I THINK THAT'S A DIFFERENT WAY OF MAKING YOUR POINT.
WHAT, WHERE YOU
UM, WHY DOES, DOES IT GO UP AND THEN REDUCE? YEAH.
WHY, WHY NOT EQUALIZE THE, WELL, BECAUSE WE'RE AT THE, YOU KNOW, WE'RE JUST AT THE END OF WHAT'S LEFT IN THE FUND BALANCE AND SPREADING IT.
IT'S JUST A, I MEAN, IF YOU WANT IT EQUAL, I COULD DO THAT.
THERE'S JUST, JUST A DIFFERENT METHODOLOGY.
IT'S NOT, I THINK IT'S NOT WANTING AND YEAH, FORGIVE ME FOR INTERPRETING, IT'S JUST QUESTIONING WHY YOU DID IT THIS WAY, AT LEAST FOR ME.
'CAUSE IF YOU LOOK IN 2031, FOR EXAMPLE, WELL, IT COULD HAVE TO DO WITH THE METRICS AT THE BOTTOM AND THE INCREASES IN THE EXPENSES.
SO IF YOU LOOK AT THE TABLES MM-HMM
BELOW, UM, WHERE YOU HAVE THE REVENUE SOURCES AND EXPENDED EXPENSE USES, AND WHERE I APPLIED THE PERCENTAGES, IT WOULD HAVE TO DO WITH CHANGES IN THOSE POSSIBLY.
THE OTHER THING IS THAT, UM, I, I'M, I'M NOT QUITE DONE FROM YEAR YEAR, JUST ONE.
AND, AND ALSO THE ASSESSED VALUE, LIKE THAT WAS DIFFICULT TO COME UP WITH A PROJECTION FOR IT.
BUT I'M JUST SAYING THAT WHAT YOU END UP WITH IN 2031 ON THE SAME ASSESSED, YOU KNOW, HOUSE IS 507 AND UH, 43 CENTS AND YOU KNOW, YOU'RE STARTING AT 32, UH, $327 AND 72 CENTS.
IT'S LIKE, TO ME, YOU COULD AMORTIZE IT MORE GRADUALLY OR START, LIKE I SAID, AT A, AT A HIGHER RATE SO THAT, YOU KNOW, IT'S LESS ONEROUS AT THE END, AT THE END OF THAT PART.
IS THAT HOW YOU WANT IT DONE? WELL, THAT'S HOW I'M SUGGESTING.
BUT EVERYONE ELSE HAS TO AGREE.
THE OTHER UH, POINT IS THAT YOU'VE GIVEN US PROJECTIONS AND FRANCIS HAS MADE A POINT THAT, YOU KNOW, MAYBE WE COULD BE LOOKING FOR OTHER WAY FOR WAYS OF REINVENTING GOVERNMENT.
AND YOU, THE WHOLE WORLD IS CHANGING.
AND WITH AI, UH, THE, YOU KNOW, YOU KNOW, WHAT'S NEEDED NOW MAY BE DIFFERENT THREE YEARS FROM NOW OR FOUR YEARS FROM NOW.
SO I SORT OF FEEL THAT, UM, IF, UM, IF WE BASICALLY MAKE A CONCERTED EFFORT TO LOOK FOR WAYS OF, UM, SAVING MONEY AND UM, YOU KNOW, AND MANAGING THE TOWN AS EFFICIENTLY AS POSSIBLE, YOU KNOW, I THINK THAT WE MIGHT, WE COULD AVOID LIKE THE WORST CASE, UM, YOU KNOW, SCENARIO, BUT IT'S GONNA TAKE A LOT OF DISCIPLINE AND IT'S GONNA TAKE A YOU A LOT OF WORK.
WHAT'S THE WORST CASE SCENARIO? WELL, THE WORST CASE SCENARIO IS WHAT WE HAVE.
BUT YOU KNOW, THE THING IS, I, NO, I'M JUST SAYING I THINK WE COULD AVOID, UM, YOU KNOW, SOME OF THE, UH, POTENTIAL INCREASES IN THE BUDGET IN THE FUTURE BY MAKING A REALLY MAJOR EFFORT TO LOOK FOR.
WELL, YES, WE CAN ABSOLUTE DO THAT, BUT WE GOTTA DEAL WITH IT NOW.
WHAT ARE YOU SUGGESTING? CAN YOU BE A LITTLE BIT MORE SPECIFIC? NO, I'M NOT.
I'M JUST SAYING THAT, UH, UH, IT DOESN'T HAVE TO BE EVERYTHING UP, YOU KNOW, MOVE FROM LIKE A, A REALLY LARGE INCREASE THE FIRST YEAR.
I MEAN, THERE COULD BE SORT OF A, A
NO, I'M WHAT I'M SAYING LAST YEAR.
I, I'M, I'M TALKING ABOUT YOU COULD DO SOMETHING A LITTLE BIT, A LITTLE BIT MORE.
UM, BUT THINK, AND THEN WE COULD SEE WHERE WE ARE NEXT YEAR.
BUT WE HAVE TO HAVE, HOPEFULLY WE'LL HAVE MADE CUTS, BUT WE HAVE TO TALK ABOUT SOME SPECIFICS RIGHT NOW.
SO I'M GOING TO JUST THROW A NUMBER OUT THERE.
I'D LIKE TO SEE US STARTING WITH 6% THIS YEAR.
THAT'S JUST MY, THAT'S JUST ME.
BUT I WOULD LIKE EVERYONE ELSE TO WEIGH IN ON THAT.
WHAT DOES THAT DO TO THE YEAR? IF I CAN PLEASE? YES.
SO I'M, LOOK, I'M LOOKING AT THE, THE, WE HAVE A LOW RATE IN 2026.
SO KIMBERLY, YOU DID SAY THAT WE CAN KINDA EQUALIZE THAT OUT AMONGST THE WHOLE YEARS.
THERE IS A CONCERN WHEN YOU DO LOOK AT 2028, 2000, 2029, THAT YOU TALK IN 10% MM-HMM
SO, YOU KNOW, WE, WE, WE HAVE TO FIGURE OUT, EVEN THOUGH IT IS GONNA BE PAINFUL, BUT MAKE IT NOT AS PAINFUL AS THE YEARS, AS THE YEARS PROGRESS.
SO WE CAN KIND OF EQUAL THAT OUT.
I THINK THAT, I THINK, I THINK THAT WILL PROBABLY BE LESS, LESS OF A HIT OR MM-HMM
IT'S GONNA BE PROGRESS REGARDLESS.
BUT I THINK WE NEED TO BE ABLE TO, YEAH, WE NEED TO BE ABLE TO LESSON, 'CAUSE WHEN I LOOK AT, WHEN I'M LOOKING AT THIS 10.42% AND THIS 10%, WE GOTTA FIGURE HOW WE CAN LOAD IT.
[00:35:01]
WE ALSO, I KNOW, I KNOW, I KNOW, I KNOW.HE'S SAYING IT'S JUST LIKE A FEW, MAYBE $20 OR $30, BUT THAT'S $20 OR $30 THAT SOMEONE MAY NOT HAVE AND THAT'S STRUGGLING TO PAY THE TAXES NOW.
SO TO PUT THAT BURDEN, PUT THAT BURDEN ON ME MORE, WE GOTTA JUST FIGURE OUT HOW WE CAN EQUALIZE THAT OUT.
THOUGHTS? I, I SAID MY THOUGHTS, I NEEDED TO KNOW IF WE DO 6%, WHAT DOES IT DO TO BE OH, I SEE.
'CAUSE WHAT YOU'RE JUST AVERAGING DOESN'T TAKE INTO CONSIDERATION THE COMPOUNDING THAT'S GOING ON.
I'M JUST TRYING TO PUT SOME NUMBERS THAT WE CAN PLAY WITH MM-HMM
AND IF WE LOOK AT THE NUMBERS THAT THINK WE WERE GONNA GET 5%, 6%, 7%, 8%.
IF WE DIDN'T COMMUNICATE KIMBERLY IN A WAY THAT, UM, WHAT WAS CLEAR, I'D ALSO LIKE TO KNOW WHAT CAN WE DO TO MAKE SURE WHEN WE VOTE ON SOMETHING TO BE RESERVED, THAT IT ACTUALLY IS RESERVED? WHAT DO YOU MEAN? WHAT DO YOU MEAN? THAT IN THE FUND BALANCE, FOR EXAMPLE, WE HAD RESERVE FOR COURTHOUSE YEAR AFTER YEAR AFTER YEAR, UP TO $39 MILLION.
SO WHEN WE VOTE ON SOMETHING, WE VOTED ON IT.
RIGHT? SO WHEN WE VOTE ON THE OPERATING BUDGET AND IT SAYS VER RESERVE FOR SOMETHING, UH, IN THE PAST, APPARENTLY THAT WASN'T DONE AND THAT WAS USED TO BRING DOWN THE TAX RATE EVEN THOUGH IT WAS DEDICATED TO THE COURTHOUSE.
WHAT DO WE HAVE TO DO TO MAKE SURE THAT WHEN WE STATE SOMETHING GONNA BE RESERVED, THAT IT GETS RESERVED? I THINK YOU, SHE EXPLAINED THAT IN ONE OF OUR OTHER MEETINGS THAT WE, THE WAY WE DID IT WAS JUST SORT OF LIKE A NAME THE WAY IT WAS DONE.
'CAUSE IT WAS, WELL IT WOULD ROLL UP INTO THE, UH, UNRESTRICTED AND THEN YOU'D NEED A RESOLUTION.
THE COMPTROLLER WOULD HAVE TO BRING YOU A RESOLUTION TO RESERVE THE MONEY.
'CAUSE ACTUALLY THAT, BUT I THOUGHT WE HAD A RESOLUTION IN PLACE FOR THAT, FOR THAT PARTICULAR SCENARIO.
I THOUGHT WE HAD A RESOLUTION IN PLACE TO SAY THAT WAS RESERVED FOR THE COURTHOUSE.
SO I'M JUST, JUST TRYING TO FIGURE OUT WHAT, IS THERE SOMETHING THAT WE, THERE WAS 7.9 MILLION RESERVE, BUT THE REST OF THE MONEY, YEAH, 7.4.
BUT, BUT WHEN WE VOTE, WE VOTE BY RESOLUTION ON ADOPTING THE BUDGET.
AND IF THE BUDGET SAYS RESERVE FOR COURTHOUSE, ISN'T THAT ENOUGH THAT WE HAVE A RESOLUTION THAT THAT'S RESERVED FOR COURTHOUSE? I SPOKE TO THE AUDITORS, UM, ON FRIDAY.
AND THEY SAID THAT IT COULD BE UNDONE BY, UH, YOU KNOW, ANOTHER RESOLUTION, BUT WE DIDN'T HAVE OTHER RE RESOLUTIONS.
I'M SAYING THAT WOULD UNDO THAT.
SO I DIDN'T KNOW THE ANSWER TO THAT.
IT'S, IT HAPPENED AND WE WEREN AWARE AFTER VOTING IN THE EXPENSE.
UM, OKAY, LET'S ON CAPITAL BUDGET.
WE ARE NOT GOING TO GO TO BOND WITH ALL THAT BECAUSE THAT COULD TIE US UP AND THEN, UM, WE, WE'D HAVE TO GIVE THE MONEY BACK IF WE DON'T FINISH THE PROJECTS.
SO HOW IS IT, SO THERE'S BASICALLY A WISHLIST AND AT SOME POINT WE'RE GONNA DECIDE WHAT GOES TO BOND.
I EXPECT THAT THAT WILL BE BY RESOLUTION, THAT THE BOARD DECIDES WHAT THE PRIORITIES ARE.
OTHERWISE WHO DECIDES WE HAVE A LIST, WHICH NO.
SO RICH WOULD, YOU KNOW, OR THE COMMISSIONER, DPW WOULD COME WITH THIS LIST OF PROJECTS AND UM, THOSE ARE THE ONES THEY'D HAVE TO GO THROUGH RESOLUTION AND BE APPROVED.
LIKE, WE COULDN'T JUST GO OUT AND SAY, OKAY, WE WANNA DROP THE WHOLE 60 MILLION DOWN
THAT'S THE UN BUT THAT'S THE UNASSIGNED, LIKE AS YOU SAID, LIKE A CREDIT LINE.
AND THEN WE GO, WE THEN PUT FORTH SPECIFIC RESOLUTIONS FOR SPECIFIC PROJECTS.
AGREE WITH YOU, YOU KNOW, BUT WE WOULD DO THEM IN A LUMP SUM LIKE TWICE A YEAR.
WE WOULDN'T, WE WOULDN'T BE DOING THIS LIKE EVERY MONTH.
I BASICALLY, NO, I, THE, TO ME THAT'S ALL WE, WHAT I WOULD'VE, WHAT I WOULD'VE LIKED TO DO IS I WOULD'VE, I SORT OF FEEL, RIGHT NOW WE HAVE BASICALLY A WEEK TO APPROVE A BUDGET.
TO ME, I DON'T THINK THAT WE REALLY NEED TO FIGURE OUT, YOU KNOW, WHAT ARE THE PRIORITY CAPITAL BUDGETS THAT WE'RE GONNA SPEND.
SO WHAT I THINK WOULD'VE MADE MORE MORE SENSE IS, UM, YOU KNOW, TO APPROVE THE OPERATING BUDGET AND THEN TO SPEND, SAY JANUARY, YOU KNOW, WORKING WITH A COMMISSIONER, TRYING TO, YOU KNOW, UH, COME UP WITH, YOU KNOW WHAT, WHAT WE'RE GONNA SPEND MONEY IN 2026 FOUR, WHAT'S GONNA GO IN 2027? WHAT'S GONNA GO IN 2028? I THOUGHT WE, BUT WE DID DO THAT.
WE SAT DOWN WITH THE COMMISSIONER.
NO, BECAUSE BASICALLY, BUT WE WENT DOWN AND WE, WE, WE WENT THROUGH ALL THE THINGS THAT HAD BEEN CUT.
NO, WE WENT, THAT'S WHAT WE DID.
WE WENT THROUGH ALL THE THINGS THAT YOU HAD CUT IN HALF OR WHATEVER.
AND THEN WE TALKED ABOUT HOW THOSE BASED ON NOW WE
[00:40:01]
WERE GOING TO DO THIS UNASSIGNED FUNDING, THAT WE WERE PUTTING THEM BACK IN WITH THE CAVEAT, WE WEREN'T GOING TO NECESSARILY BE ABLE TO COMPLETE THEM ALL.SO WE WEREN'T GONNA SPEND ALL THAT MONEY, BUT WE HAVE THE LEEWAY TO ACCOMPLISH WHAT WE CAN WITHIN THAT YEAR.
NO, BUT YOU SEE WHAT I, THAT'S WHAT THE, WHAT WHERE I SORT OF DISAGREE IS I, EVERYTHING IN THE OPERATE CAPITAL BUDGET, YOU KNOW, MAKES SENSE.
AND THESE ARE ALL WORTHY MM-HMM
BUT THE BOARD, WHEN WE, IF WE HAVE A REAL, UH, GOOD DIALOGUE AND WE BASICALLY, UH, DECIDE, OKAY, BETWEEN JANUARY AND DECEMBER OF 2026, THIS IS THE FUND, THE CAPITAL BUDGET, THIS IS, YOU KNOW, THE 20.
IF KIMBERLY HAS SAID, OH, WE SHOULD SPEND PROBABLY MAYBE 20, SOMEWHERE LIKE 24 OR 25 MILLION.
SO WHY CAN'T WE JUST SAY IN 2026, THIS IS THE ONLY DOLLARS THAT WE'RE GONNA, WE'RE GONNA BE SPENDING FOR THESE SPECIFIC PROJECTS, RATHER THAN HAVE, UM, OVER $15 MILLION THAT, YOU KNOW, WHERE WE'RE BASICALLY NOW IDENTIFYING WHAT'S GONNA BE SPENT OR NOT.
WE, THE END, THE END GAIN OR THE END NUMBER IS THE SAME.
RIGHT? SO WE ARE, WE'RE SAYING WE'RE NOT, IF MY UNDERSTANDING IS THAT IN THEORY SAY THAT'S JUST, I'M A MILLION DOLLARS.
WE ALLOCATE IN THE BUDGET A MILLION DOLLARS.
I'M ROUNDING IT OFF, OF COURSE IT'S A LOT MORE THAN THAT.
AND WE MIGHT ADD UP EVERYTHING THAT WE HAVE PROJECTED AND THAT COMES TO A MILLION DOLLARS.
OR WE MIGHT SAY, OKAY, WITH THE END GAME BEING A MILLION DOLLARS AS WE SEE THROUGHOUT THE YEAR, WHAT CAN AND CAN'T BE DONE.
WE JUDICIOUSLY HAVE WE JUDICIOUSLY BOND EACH ONE UP TO THAT POINT, BASICALLY.
IS THAT CORRECT? I MEAN, THIS IS NOT, I MEAN WE COULD ALSO, WE'RE NOT TALKING ABOUT, BUT, BUT, BUT THE COMMISSIONER HAD A, WE HAD, I'M SORRY.
WE ALREADY HAD THAT CONVERSATION WITH THE COMMISSIONER THE LAST TIME HE PRESENTED MM-HMM
AND WE TALKED ABOUT FORECASTING.
SO HE IS LOOKING AT THE PROJECTS THAT WE NEED TO GET DONE AND SAYING OUT OF THOSE PROJECTS, THE FUNDING AND EVERYTHING THAT NEEDS TO BE DONE AND WHEN THOSE PROJECTS CAN REALLY START.
SO HE'S GOING TO BE LOOKING AT THAT INDIVI INTIMATELY TO SAY, OUT OF THE 10 PROJECTS THAT WE NEED TO, THAT WE NEED TO GET DONE, HERE IS THE PRIORITIZING OF WHICH IS ONE, WE NEED TO GET THIS PROJECT DONE.
WE HAVE THE FUNDING FOR THIS PROJECT.
THIS IS HOW LONG IT'S GONNA TAKE.
THAT HE ALREADY AGREED TO THAT.
WE TALKED TO HIM ABOUT THAT WHEN HE PRESENTED HIS LAST BUDGET.
I BELIEVE IT WAS JUST LAST WEEK.
SO I THINK, I THINK WE'RE ALREADY, WE, WE ALREADY HAVE A PLAN IN PLACE TO HOW WE'RE GOING TO ADDRESS THIS GOING FORWARD.
BUT ON THE OTHER HAND, LIKE I GOT A CALL FROM SUSAN C AND DAN, UH, WEINFELD ABOUT THE ODELL HOUSE.
YOU KNOW, THEY'RE MENTIONING THAT, UH, YOU KNOW, WE MADE COMMITMENTS THAT THE MUSEUM WOULD BE OPEN BY THE END OF 2026 BY HOPEFULLY OCTOBER, 2026.
THEY SAID THIS IS THE END OF THE, THE, YOU KNOW, THE END OF THE, UH, PERIOD OF TIME.
AND IF IT'S, IF THEY DON'T GET THE FUNDS, UH, THE MUSEUM'S NOT GOING TO BE ABLE TO OPEN UP, UH, FOR THE, UH, I MEAN IT'S THE 250TH.
THE 250TH ANNIVERSARY ANNIVERSARY.
AND THEY ALSO MENTIONED THAT IT'S GONNA HAVE A VERY NEGATIVE IMPACT ON THEIR FUNDRAISING ABILITY.
SO THE THING IS, IF WE HAVE LIKE AN OPEN-ENDED, YOU KNOW, A LIST OF, YOU KNOW, 50 OR A HUNDRED PROJECTS, UM, BUT IT'S NOT ARBITRARY.
AND THAT IS, YOU HAVE TO DECIDE IS THAT A PRIORITY? AND IF IT IS A PRIORITY, THEN WE SHOULD SAY TO RICH, THAT'S A PRIORITY.
IF, UH, THE ROAD, WELL IT'S, IT'S A PRIORITY.
IT'S NOT A PRIOR OVER PRIORITY OVER DRAINAGE AND FLOODING ISSUES.
NO, BUT I'M JUST TALKING ABOUT IT'S, IT'S, IT'S A, IT'S VERY IMPORTANT AND WE'VE MADE A COMMITMENT, BUT WE WE'RE TALKING ABOUT, LIKE WE SAID, WANTS NEEDS VERSUS WANTS.
WE HAVE TO, YOU KNOW, GO IN SOME SORT OF AN ORDER OF THAT.
AND, AND OF COURSE WE WANT THE ODELL HOUSE TO GO FORWARD.
WE, WE'VE MADE A BIG INVESTMENT IN THAT.
I HAVE A QUESTION AND THERE'S, THERE'S NO DUMB QUESTION, BUT I DO HAVE A QUESTION.
SO IS THE ODELL HOUSE CONSIDERED A PUBLIC WORKS PROJECT? I THOUGHT THAT WAS A SEPARATE PROJECT.
WHAT LINE WOULD THAT BE UNDER AND WHAT WOULD THAT BE UNDER? WELL, SOME OF IT IS UNDER THE GUY UNDER THE AUSPICES OF PUBLIC WORKS.
AND SOME OF IT IS MATCH FUNDS.
THE PUBLIC WORKS HAS A LINE ITEM.
I DON'T REMEMBER SEEING A PUBLIC LINE PUBLIC A LINE ITEM FOR, FOR A ADULT OR DELL HOUSE IN THE PUBLIC WORKS BUDGET.
AND I COULD HAVE MISSED IT, BUT I JUST DIDN'T, I DON'T REMEMBER SEEING ODELL HOUSE FOR THAT.
AND THAT'S WHY I WAS SAYING AND AT WHAT PORTION? AT WHAT PART OF THAT? HOW IT'S IN THE CAPITAL PORTION AND THE CAPITAL.
HOW MUCH IS THAT? IT'S IN THE H FUND.
HOW MUCH IS THAT LINE? HUH? IT'S IN THE H FUND.
WHAT IS THE H WHAT DOES THAT MEAN? THE H FUND? IT'S THE CAPITAL.
YOU DON'T HAVE IT CAPITAL H FUND.
[00:45:01]
SO, SO LET, LET, LET ME TRY AGAIN.WE HAVE FOR ARGUMENT'S SAKE, A HUNDRED PROJECTS THAT WE THINK ARE WORTHY OF BONDING, BUT WE'RE NOT GOING TO GO TO BOND BECAUSE IF WE WERE TO GO BOND ON ALL OF THEM AND WE DIDN'T COMPLETE THE PROJECTS, WE'D HAVE TO RETURN THE MONEY, RIGHT? YES.
IF 80, WE DON'T WANT THAT TO HAPPEN AGAIN.
SO WE DON'T WANT THAT TO HAPPEN AGAIN.
IT'S HAPPENED IN THE PAST, WE DON'T WANT THAT HAPPEN.
SO WHAT I'M, BUT I ALSO AM VERY MINDFUL OF, WE HAVE TO BE VERY CLEAR AND CAREFUL TO MAKE SURE THAT THE MONIES WE ALLOCATE FOR THE REASONS WE ALLOCATE IT, IT'S ACTUALLY USED FOR THAT.
SO OUT OF THIS LIST OF A HUNDRED, SORRY.
AT SOME POINT I WOULD EXPECT BEFORE ANYBODY, WHOEVER THAT PERSON IS, DECIDES, YOU KNOW, THIS IS A GOOD PROJECT, GO AHEAD AND DO IT.
THAT THOSE PROJECTS, THE HUNDRED COME BACK TO THE BOARD.
THEY HAVE TO SUSTAIN, WE ARE GONNA DO THIS, THIS, THIS, AND THIS STARTING FEBRUARY.
WE NOW KNOW THAT THOSE WHAT A SCHEDULE, WE NOW KNOW THAT THOSE ARE UP AND RUNNING, THEY'LL HAVE A GOOD CHANCE OF BEING COMPLETED.
WE MEET AGAIN TWO MONTHS LATER AND SAY, OKAY, NOW MAYBE WE COULD START THESE TWO PROJECTS BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, THAT SEEMS LIKE THEY'RE VERY DOABLE AND WE CAN GET THEM DONE IN A CERTAIN AMOUNT OF TIME.
AND WE JUST CONTINUE THAT PROCESS.
IT MAY MEAN THAT NOT ALL OF THOSE THINGS THAT ARE ON THAT LIST OF $51 MILLION IS, I THINK IT'S GONNA BE MORE.
'CAUSE WE'RE PUTTING, UM, WE'RE PUTTING THE THINGS THAT WERE CUT IN HALF, 64 MILLION I THINK.
BUT THAT DOESN'T MEAN WE'RE GONNA SPEND 64, RIGHT.
IT'S ONLY GONNA BE AUTHORIZED, NOT ISSUED.
AND, AND WE CAN ALSO MONITOR HOW WE'RE DOING WITH OUR FUND BALANCES TO SEE, YOU KNOW, IS THIS REALLY A NICE TO HAVE OR IS THIS SOMETHING THAT'S REALLY NECESSARY? MM-HMM
I JUST WANNA MAKE IT VERY CLEAR 'CAUSE I WANT THE RESOLUTION TO STATE WHEN WE DO THE CAPITAL BUDGET THAT ALL OF THESE ARE SUBJECT TO FURTHER SUBSEQUENT DULY ADOPTED RESOLUTIONS OF THE TOWN BOARD BEFORE THEY PROCEED.
AND THAT, AND THAT'S WHAT THE POLICY WE HAVE IN PLACE NOW THAT WE, YOU KNOW, THAT WE HAVE TO GO FOR RESOLUTION BEFORE WE MOVE FORWARD WITH ANY PROJECTS.
SO, SO THE ODELL HOUSE IS STILL IN THE BUDGET THOUGH? YES, YES.
SO BECAUSE THERE'S ADDITIONAL MONIES FOR THIS YEAR, IT'S STILL AN ONGOING CAPITAL PROJECT.
SO THEN WHAT, I DON'T UNDERSTAND WHAT THE PROBLEM
THERE ISN'T, THERE WAS, I DON'T KNOW, THERE WAS, UM, MAYBE A MISUNDERSTANDING AND A COMMUNICATION.
AND I THINK THAT THEY BASICALLY WANNA KNOW THAT THEY'LL HAVE THE MONEY NEXT YEAR BECAUSE THEY WANT TO OPEN UP.
AND, BUT YOU KNOW, AS I SAID, I THINK THAT IT WAS CLARIFIED.
I'VE SPOKEN, SPOKEN TO SUSAN OVER THE WEEKEND AND WE EXCELLENT.
LET ME TRY THIS AGAIN BECAUSE I THINK WE JUST MUDDIED THE WATERS.
THE FACT THAT IT'S ON THE SHEET DOESN'T NECESSARILY MEAN THERE'S GONNA HAPPEN, IT'S GONNA HAPPEN, RIGHT?
NOW OF COURSE THERE'S AN URGENCY TO THAT ONE, RIGHT? SO THAT GIVES, THAT GIVES THAT MORE WEIGHT.
BUT I DON'T WANT, HEY, YOU SAT AROUND ON A TABLE, YOU PASSED THAT ONE.
SO THAT MEANS THAT, HEY, IF SOMEBODY SAYS TO DPW, YOU DO THIS ONE AS WELL, I WANNA MAKE A, SO THEY WON'T, THERE WILL BE A SUBSEQUENT DULY ADOPTED.
THEY WON'T, WON'T BE ABLE TO APPLY ANY EXPENSES BECAUSE THERE'LL BE NO BUDGETED DOLLARS THERE IN MUNICIPAL.
THEY WON'T BE ABLE TO PUT ANYTHING IN.
SO WE'RE GONNA HAVE TO HAVE MEETINGS WITH THE COMMISSIONERS AND UM, AND THEN BASICALLY THE BOARD WOULD, AND HE'S GONNA SAY, RICHARD'S GONNA SAY, THESE ARE THE FIVE PROJECTS THAT I WANT TO FUND, UM, THAT WE WANT TO GO OUT TO BID IN FEBRUARY.
AND THEN THE BOARD WILL SAY, FINE.
AND THEN A MONTH LATER OR TWO MONTHS LATER, HE WILL SAY, OH, THESE ARE FIVE ADDITIONAL THINGS THAT WE REALLY NEED TO GO OUT, YOU KNOW, BID.
AND THEN WE WILL, WE WILL, WE WILL APPROVE THAT.
ONCE PROJECTS ARE FUNDED, THEY'RE GONNA TAKE TIME TO COMPLETE.
SO WE'RE NOT GONNA KEEP EIGHT OR PER MONTH ADDING AND WE CAN ADDING TO THE PROJECT NOW, RIGHT? YEAH.
IT'S GOT, THERE HAS TO BE A COMMITMENT, A LIST AND A COMMITMENT TO THE LIST, RIGHT? THAT'S THE LIST.
NO, THIS IS A GREAT WAY OF DOING IT AND YOU KNOW, OF WHAT'S BEEN ISSUED OFF THE AUTHORIZATION AND THERE HAS TO BE A COMMITMENT THERE AND THEY HAVE TO BE 85% COMPLETE BEFORE WE GO TO BORROW ON ADDITIONAL PROJECTS.
AS I MENTIONED, YOU KNOW, UH, THIS MAN WHO WAS ADVISING ME, UH, RICH BOBBY KEPT SAYING WE NEED WORK PLANS, WORK PLANS, WORK PLANS, AND THAT WELL WE HAVE HAVE PROJECT COST ACCOUNTING.
YEAH, NO, THAT'S, THAT'S GREAT.
SO I'M REALLY THRILLED WITH THAT.
YOU CAN REQUEST A P AND L FOR ANY PROJECT.
[00:50:01]
ALRIGHT, SO WE'RE NEED A NEW SHEET.SO FOR THE, UH, YEAH, SO I'M GONNA DO A NEW UH, SHEET.
I'M GONNA, UH, LOOK AT THE, UM, THE TAXES, THE ESTIMATED TAX RULE.
I'M GONNA LOOK AT THE APPROPRIATION OF SHOW FUND BALANCE, SHOW THE COMPARISON.
AND I'M GONNA CHANGE IT TO THE 6%.
AND THEN YOU WANT IT MORE LEVEL.
LOOK EQUALIZED AS COUNCIL IN JACKSON ACROSS THE BOARD, RIGHT.
YOU WANNA GET AWAY FROM THESE HIGH, THESE HIGH PERCENTAGES.
YOU DON'T WANNA HIT 'EM ALL AT ONCE WITH 10%, ESPECIALLY FOR HOME.
I THINK, JUST SO I'M CLEAR, YOU WANT 6% IN 26 AND THEN EQUALIZED OUT? I'D LIKE TO SEE DIFFERENT NUMBERS.
BUT THE NUMBERS, YOU WANT DIFFERENT SCENARIOS.
IF 6% STILL GETS US AT NINE AND A HALF AND NINE AND A HALF, THAT'S NOT GONNA HELP US TO, RIGHT? NO, THAT'S WHY IT HAS TO BE EQUALIZED.
SO, BUT ACTUALLY THE, IF THE AVERAGE, LIKE I SAID IS 8.29, YEAH, IT'LL BE A LITTLE BIT LESS.
YOU KNOW, I JUST, IT'S EASY FOR ME TO DO.
IT WILL TAKE LIKE TWO SECONDS.
JUST THAT 26 IS CONNECTED TO OTHER SPREADSHEETS THAT I HAVE TO WORK ON'S.
THE OTHER ONES ARE, IT WILL IN, IN THE WAY THAT IT'S TETHER SHEETS IN THE WAY IT'S SET UP INCREMENTALLY FOR THE ACTUAL, UM, INCREASE IN HOW MUCH PER $750,000 FOR $750,000 HOME.
THE, THE DOLLAR AMOUNTS ARE GOING UP IN SIMILAR INCREMENTS AFTER THE FIRST, UH, THE FIRST ONE, EVEN THOUGH THE PERCENTAGES MM-HMM
VARY, THE DOLLAR INCREMENTS ARE GOING UP IN A REGULAR FASHION.
SO IF IT, IT WOULD SEEM TO ME, AM I CORRECT? YES.
AND, AND IF WE CHANGE THAT THOUGH, THE DOLLAR AMOUNTS WILL, MAY, WILL VARY A LITTLE DIFFERENTLY.
AND NOT NECESSARILY REGULAR INCREMENTS.
SO, SO KIMBERLY, LET ME, LET ME ASK YOU THIS.
IS THERE ANY WAY WE, WE ARE USING THE SEVEN 50 AS A BASELINE TO GIVE AN AVERAGE OF WHAT THE INCREASES CAN BE.
IS THERE ANY WAY, IF WE TAKE A LOOK AT, AND, AND I'LL BE WORKING WITH THE ASSESSOR, TAKE A LOOK AT, YOU HAVE A HOUSE FROM THAT COST OR MAYBE THAT'S ASSESSED FROM 4 25 TO FOUR 50.
THIS COULD BE THE POTENTIAL IMPACT OF YOUR TAXES.
IS THERE ANY WAY TO DO A GRID THAT WAY? ALMOST LIKE AN IN LIKE A SALARY RANGE OR LIKE A RANGE OF, JUST SO YOU CAN GET AN IDEA OF WHAT IT MAY BE? NOT THAT IT MAY WILL BE EXACT.
I, I BELIEVE I DID THAT IN MY PRESENTATION TO THE BOARD.
I BELIEVE I DID THAT IN MY BUDGET PRESENTATION TO THE BOARD.
BUT YEAH, BUT IN, BUT IN EVERY, LIKE YOU, I THOUGHT IT WAS JUST ONLY FOR THE SEVEN 50.
WE SHOULD, WE WANNA DO IT FOR THOSE HOMES THAT ARE NOT SEVEN 50 THAT ARE, WE CUT IT IN HALF.
IF IT, THE HOUSE IS THREE 50, YOU JUST SORT OF CUT IT IN HALF.
I MEAN I THINK THAT'S, BUT THEN WHAT ABOUT THE PERSON HAS A ONE AND A HALF MILLION DOLLAR HOUSE? IT'S SO MUCH EASIER.
I THINK IT'S A BAD IDEA IF WE JUST TELL THEM WHAT IS THE RATE PER THOUSAND ASSESSMENT AND THEN THEY LOOK AT THE TAX BILL AND IT'LL SAY, YOU'RE, YOUR, YOUR, WE BELIEVE YOUR HOUSE IS 478.
THEY CAN GET A REAL NUMBER OUT OF THAT.
WE CAN'T DO THAT BECAUSE THE NUMBERS ARE ALMOST, YOU KNOW, NEAR INFINITY.
THIS IS JUST A WAY TO SHOW IT IN REAL, AS A REAL EXAMPLE.
I JUST WANNA BE ABLE TO GIVE THEM A YEAH, I JUST WANNA BE ABLE TO GIVE THEM SOME SORT OF EXAMPLE SO THEY'LL BE ABLE TO SEE WHAT THE POSSIBILITY OF THEIR INCREASE WILL BE.
SO THEY HAVE SOME INFORMATION SO THEY CAN PLAN FOR THAT.
YOU KNOW, WE WANNA MAKE, I MEAN, 'CAUSE THERE ARE PEOPLE, THERE ARE PEOPLE STATING THAT, YOU KNOW, THEY CAN'T MAKE THE TAX RATE NOW OR THE TAX EVENT, THE TAX AMOUNT NOW WE JUST WANNA MAKE SURE WHAT YOU'RE GONNA LOOK AT SO THEY CAN PLAN FOR THAT.
SO WHETHER THAT'S ANOTHER $3 TO SET ASIDE, $10 SET ASIDE, WE JUST WANNA MAKE SURE THAT THEY'RE READY AND PREPARED FOR THAT.
THAT'S, THAT'S WHAT I WANNA MAKE SURE.
WELL THAT'S WHY FRANCIS IS SUGGESTING WE DO IT BY THE 1000.
THAT WAY THEY COULD DO THEIR OWN MULTIPLICATION.
IS THAT WHAT YOU'RE SAYING? FRANCIS? TWICE.
WE, I THINK, ALL RIGHT, WELL I JUST WANT YOU TO SAY IT ANOTHER THIRD TIME.
HOW ABOUT THAT
BUT YOU SHOULD STILL KEEP THE SEVEN 50 BECAUSE THAT'S SORT OF, AND THEN, AND THEN WHERE, THAT'S THE BASELINE RIGHT LINE UNDERNEATH THAT WOULD BE PER THOUSAND'S.
ANYBODY COULD TAKE THE SEVEN 50 AND GET IT PER THOUSAND.
BUT WHY MAKE THEM DO THAT AND THEN MULTIPLY IT BY THERE.
SO YOU THINK YOU COULD HAVE THIS, YOU KNOW, FOR TOMORROW BEFORE
WHAT TIME IS THE MEETING FOR? THIS TOMORROW IS FIVE 30.
IT'D BE NICE IF WE HAD IT AT 9:00 AM
BUT WE DO HAVE TO HAVE A CONVERSATION ABOUT THE B BUDGET TOO, BECAUSE IT'S JUST THE A BUDGET.
THIS IS THE EASY ONE, RIGHT? YEAH.
SO THE, SO LET'S DO NOW THE, UH, I HAVE NO WIGGLE ROOM WITH THE P ON 26, BUT UNLESS, UNLESS WE RESTRICT THE BUILDING PERMIT.
SO LEMME SAY, IF YOU RESTRICT THE BUILDING PERMIT,
[00:55:01]
IT HAS TO BE RESTRICTED TO THE BUILDING DEPARTMENT, OR COULD BE RESTRICTED TO, UH, IT'S GONNA GO INTO THE BALANCE SHEET AND IT'S GONNA BE RESTRICTED FOR, UH, BUILDING PERMIT.IT'S GONNA BE RESTRICTED FOR THE BUILDING DEPARTMENT.
RIGHT, BUT WHAT, SO WHAT WOULD THE BUILDING DEPARTMENT, I MEAN, COULD THAT, WHEN YOU'RE SAYING RESTRICTED, DOES THAT MEAN WE COULD SAY, THINK THE SALARY OF AN EMPLOYEE IS GONNA BE COMING FROM THAT, THAT FUND.
YOU, I'M SAYING WHAT, WHAT ARE, YOU KNOW, HOW COULD WE USE THE RESTRICTED FUNDS? YOU KNOW, THE BUILDING DEPARTMENT ISN'T BUILDING, SO ISN'T, I THINK THAT'S FOR INSPECTIONS OR, I THINK THERE ARE A LOT OF LEGAL ISSUES INVOLVED IN THAT, AND I THINK WE REALLY NEED TO GET LEGAL ADVICE.
SO LET'S LEAVE THAT AT THAT PART.
AT THAT WE HAVE TO, SO IF YOU COULD THAT'S EXACTLY, SUBMIT IT TO OUR OFFICE.
WE WILL LOOK INTO IT AND GET BACK TO YOU.
YOU KNOW, THE ISSUE WAS REALLY WHAT CAN WE DO TO KEEP, YOU KNOW, SO I'D APPRECIATE IT IF YOU COULD JUST PUT IT IN WRITING SO THAT, UH MM-HMM
MYSELF AND THE TOWN ATTORNEY CAN TAKE A LOOK AT IT AS I'M FILLING IN FOR HIM TONIGHT.
SO I WOULDN'T FEEL COMFORTABLE ANSWERING ON THE SPOT EITHER WAY, BUT I WOULD LIKE TO LOOK INTO IT.
SO WE TOTALLY UNDERSTAND THAT.
AND YOU'RE DOING A GREAT JOB, BY THE WAY.
YEAH, CAN YOU JUST RAISE THE HEAT IN HERE? I'M A, I KNOW
I HAVE THREE LAYERS ON, SO, COOL.
OKAY, SO WE NEED TO TALK ABOUT SLIP SHEETS AND CHANGES.
I DO KNOW JUST THAT THERE'S NO POSTAGE FOR THE TOWN COUNCIL MEMBERS.
AND WE DIDN'T, WE DIDN'T SPEND IT THIS YEAR.
BUT THAT DOESN'T MEAN THAT WE SHOULDN'T BE ENTITLED TO COMMUNICATE.
AND THEN I THINK WE'RE COMMITTED TO, UH, DOING MORE.
UH, UM, LAST YEAR THERE WAS 15,000 FOR THE TOWN COUNCIL AND 15,000 FOR THE SUPERVISOR.
I THINK NOW THE SUPERVISOR'S AT 12,000 AND WE'RE AT ZERO.
I THINK IT SHOULD, AND WE'RE THE SAME FOR BOTH.
SO 12 AND 12, WHAT'S IT GONNA BE? 12 AND 12.
I SAY LET'S GO, YOU KNOW, BOTH.
SO, SO EACH WILL GET, EACH DEPARTMENT WILL GET 12,000.
WELL, IF YOU WANT IT, YOU COULD PUT IT IN.
IF YOU DON'T SPEND IT, THEN IT GOES INTO FUND BALANCE.
BECAUSE YOU KNOW WHAT, WE MAY, THERE MAY BE THINGS THAT THE BOARD WANTS TO DO THAT YOU WANT TO, UH, YOU KNOW, PROMOTE.
SO THIS WAY YOU HAVE THE FLEXIBILITY.
WELL, WHAT IF WE HAVE A SUNDRY, UH, UH, LINE.
SO SIX AND SIX? NO, I, I, NO, HE WANTS HIS FULL, HE WANTS HIS FULL 12.
OH, YOU WANT YOUR FULL 12? HE DOESN'T WANT TO CUT THAT.
IS THE BOARD GOOD WITH SIX, UM, IN THEIR BUDGET FOR POSTAGE OR 12? NO, THERE'S FOUR MEMBERS TO COMMUNICATE VERSUS ONE.
BUT I, I THINK BOTH NUMBERS ARE TOO HIGH.
SO WHEN WE SAY, CAN I JUST, I, CAN I ASK YOU, SO WHEN WE SAY POSTAGE, I, I, WHY CAN'T WE USE ELECTRONIC MAILING? WHAT DO YOU MEAN? SO WE CAN GO, I DID THAT ALSO.
THOSE MAILINGS INSTEAD AND ALL THE MAILINGS AND STUFF THAT WE DO.
WHY CAN'T WE DO, WHY CAN'T WE MOVE OVER AND GO DIGITAL INSTEAD OF I'VE BEEN DOING THAT.
SO, AND THE THING IS, SO, SO THEN WHEN, SO THEN THE APP, HOLD ON PAUL, LET ME JUST FINISH PLEASE.
SO, SO KIMBERLY, WHAT IS PAUL'S, WHAT IS PAUL'S SPENDING FOR THE POSTAGE THAT HE USES FOR, DOES HE USE HIS TOTAL 15,000 OR 12,000 TO DATE? HE USED 10,571 AS OF THE 28TH OF THIS YEAR.
THAT'S WHY HE WENT DOWN FROM 15,000 TO 12,000.
WHAT? I WENT DOWN, I SUGGESTED 10.
RIGHT? WELL, THE YEAR'S ON UP, BUT YEAH.
SO IF, BUT GINA'S GOT A GOOD POINT.
IF WE TRANSITION OVER TO DIGITAL AND THEN START DOING THINGS, START DOING THINGS, UM, IN THE DIGITAL AND THEN CUT DOWN THE POSTAGE, WE PUT THE, CAN WE CUT THE POSTAGE DOWN? I'M NOT SURE WHAT ELSE? ISN'T THERE A FEE FOR THE DIGITAL POSTAGE AS WELL? NO, NO.
SHE MEANS I'M TALKING, SHE'S TALKING ABOUT EMAIL.
[01:00:01]
WE SEND OUT THESE VIA EMAIL.I MEAN, AND YOU KNOW, AND SEND EVERYTHING OUT THAT WAY.
SO THEN WE CAN REDUCE, I MEAN, WE CAN REDUCE HOW MUCH WE'RE SENDING STUFF OUT.
SO WHEN YOU DO YOUR MAILINGS, ARE THEY HOUSEHOLD OR INDIVIDUAL THAT YOU SEND THEM TO? IT'S HOUSEHOLD? AND LET ME SAY EVERYBODY'S NAME ON THIS COUNCIL.
EVERY COUNCIL PERSON'S NAME IS ON EACH MAILING THAT I SEND OUT.
SO IT'S NOT, SO, YOU KNOW, THE BOARD BASICALLY ASKED TO, UH, HAVE YOUR NAME.
SO YOU'RE INCLUDING US IN THAT, I GUESS, RIGHT? MM-HMM
AND YOU KNOW, WHAT I FIND FIND IS I, I I I SUPPORT, I SUPPORT.
WE COULD SAY WE, WE, WE, I DON'T MIND, BUT YOU KNOW, WE, BUT WE SHOULD MAKE, BUT, BUT BEFORE, MAYBE, MAYBE IT IS BEFORE YOU SEND THAT, THOSE LETTERS OUT, MAYBE WE CAN GET A DRAFT SO WE CAN ADD TO THAT.
LET ME, IF I COULD JUST FINISH, I PROMISE YOU Y'ALL CAN HEAR ME.
IF WE JUST, IF WHY DON'T WE SEND OUT A DRAFT? IF YOU SAY, PAUL, THIS ARE THE THINGS THAT WE'RE GONNA, THIS IS WHAT I WANNA SEND OUT, THEN WE CAN ALL ADD TO, AND THEN WE SEND OUT ELECTRONICALLY.
SO IT'S THE TOWN BOARD INSTEAD OF JUST ALL BEING YOU, YOU KNOW WHAT? 'CAUSE THERE ARE THINGS COLLECTIVELY THAT THERE'S THINGS COLLECTED THAT'S IN THERE THAT IS NOT JUST YOUR WORK.
SO, SO IT THEN BECOMES COLLECTIVELY FROM THE TOWN BOARD.
I, I, ME, IT'S FROM THE OFFICE OF THE TOWN BOARD.
I MENTIONED TO, UH, LISA AND I MENTIONED TO, UH, THE BOARD, RIGHT? BECAUSE I SENT AN EMAIL.
I SAID, IF THERE'S ANYTHING THAT YOU WANT, RIGHT? I ON, ON IN THESE LETTERS, UH, YOU KNOW, IF YOU'RE ORGANIZING A JUNETEENTH EVENT OR, OR SOMETHING, UH, AND YOU SEND IT TO ME, WE WILL INCLUDE ANYTHING THAT ANY COUNCIL MEMBER WANTS.
UH, AND WE'LL ATTRIBUTE IT TO, YOU KNOW, WHAT YOU'RE DOING.
SO IF YOU'RE ORGANIZING SOMETHING, UH, A GS CONCERT SERIES AND YOU SAID, YOU KNOW, UH, WE'RE LOOKING FOR MUSICIANS, OR WE'RE LOOKING FOR VOLUNTEERS, WE'LL, WE'LL ADD THAT.
BUT ALL I COULD SAY IS, UM, A LOT OF THE, THE WORK I DO IS CONSTITUENT BASED.
AND I GET LIKE A LOT OF PEOPLE, YOU KNOW, THERE'S A LOT OF PEOPLE WHO I'VE HELPED BECAUSE THEY GET THESE, UM, UM, YOU KNOW, LETTERS AND THEN BASICALLY THEY CALL ME AND, YOU KNOW, I'VE BEEN ABLE TO, UH, RESOLVE A LOT OF PROBLEMS. MM-HMM
OR THEY GET INFORMATION ABOUT, UM, PROGRAMS OR EVENTS OR MARKETS, YOU KNOW, A LOT OF THINGS.
AND WE UNDERSTAND EVERYONE DOESN'T UTILIZE EMAIL AS MUCH AS OTHERS DO.
ESPECIALLY I DO, I USE EMAILS SO MUCH.
I'M TALKING ABOUT CONSTITUENTS.
I UNDERSTAND WHY YOU SOMETIMES WANNA SEND OUT SNAIL MAIL, BUT THIS IS MONTHLY OR WEEKLY THAT YOU DO THESE THINGS.
I HAVE PEOPLE EVERY WEEK DOING ALRIGHT, SO I THINK MAYBE YOU NEED TO CUT, CUT DOWN TO MONTHLY
YOU KNOW WHAT? NO, BECAUSE BASICALLY, OR BI-WEEKLY, LET ME SAY, YEAH, LET ME SAY THAT'S A LOT.
YOU KNOW WHAT, IT'S A LOT PAPER TOO.
MY SALARY IS LESS THAN, NO, WE'RE NOT EMPLOYEES.
YOU'RE GIVING $10,000 INCREASES TO THE BUILDING DEPARTMENT.
I AND THE WE'RE DEPUTY RESOURCES NOT ABOUT THAT.
I'M, I'M ACTUALLY, LET ME SAY SOMETHING.
I'M, WHAT I'M DOING IS, IT'S NOT FOR ME, IT'S BASICALLY TO HELP CONSTITUENTS.
I'M NOT, IF THE BOARD WANTS TO SEND OUT A MAILING, WE'RE NOT, YOU SEND IT OUT.
NOT, DON'T TELL ME WANT TO DO ABOUT MY OFFICE.
I SHOW YOU BIGGER THINGS TO ADDRESS HERE ANYWAY.
ALL I, ALL WE'RE DOING IS MAKE A SUGGESTION THAT WE START GOING DIGITAL.
A LOT OF ORGANIZATIONS ARE NOW GOING DIGITAL.
SO I'M JUST SAYING, WE, WE SHOULD TAKE THAT APPROACH AS WELL TO GO DIGITAL.
I'M NOT TAKING AWAY WHAT YOU DO WITH YOUR, IN YOUR CONSTITUENT SERVICES.
WHAT I'M JUST, WHAT I'M SUGGESTING IS ANOTHER METHOD.
ANOTHER METHOD THAT'S MORE COST EFFECTIVE, WHERE WE CAN DO IT DIGITALLY.
NO ONE'S, NO, NO ONE'S DISPUTING YOU TAKING YOU AWAY FROM YOUR CONSTITUENT SERVICES.
LET ME JUST ASK A QUESTION BECAUSE IN TERMS I SORT OF LIKE YOUR APPROACH IN TERMS OF GOING, YOU KNOW, MORE DIGITAL.
UM, WOULD IT HAVE MADE SENSE? BECAUSE WE, WE REALLY NOT ON LIKE, TIKTOK, WE'RE NOT ON, UM, YOU KNOW, INSTAGRAM, YOU KNOW, THAT MUCH.
I'M NOT, I'M TALKING ABOUT IF WE WANNA REACH, UH, YOU KNOW, PEOPLE IN THEIR TWENTIES AND THE AUTHORITIES, UM, YOU KNOW, THAT'S A WHOLE DIFFERENT GROUP, THEN WE NEED A COMMUNICATIONS PERSON.
NO, BUT I'M, OR, OR PERHAPS, UH, NOT, NOT ME SHOULD.
I'M SAYING WE SHOULD, SHOULD WE BE FOCUSING ON, UM, TRYING TO HAVE SOMEBODY IN THE TOWN? IT COULD BE SOMEBODY WHO'S WORKING FOR IT OR WHATEVER, UH, COME UP WITH A, A DIGITAL, YOU KNOW, PLAN.
I THINK WE NEED TO TALK ABOUT COMMUNICATIONS OVERALL AND FOR THE NEW YEAR.
BUT RIGHT NOW WE'VE GOT A LOT OF STUFF TO WORK ON WITH THE, THE BUDGET THAT THIS IS ONE ASPECT OF WE'RE TALKING ABOUT HOW WE COULD CON YOU KNOW, UH, BRING IT IN A LITTLE BIT OR WHATEVER, DO MORE, UH, ONLINE AND LESS, YOU KNOW, PAPER MAILINGS.
BUT WE HAVE TO GET THROUGH A LOT.
AND YOU CAN INCORPORATE THAT INTO THE SOCIAL MEDIA POLICY AS WELL.
SOCIAL MEDIA POLICY AND JUST A COMMUNICATIONS PLAN.
I KNOW THAT KRISTA ACTUALLY HAS WORKED UP A COMMUNICATION PLAN THAT MAYBE WE CAN LOOK AT IN THE NEW YEAR.
[01:05:01]
DO YOU KNOW WHEN WE'RE GONNA HAVE THE SOCIAL MEDIA POLICY? BECAUSE WE'VE, WE HIRED OF SOMEBODY OVER A YEAR AGO.LOOK INTO IT AND GET BACK TO YOU.
SO ANYWAY, THAT'S, SO WHERE DID THAT LEAVE US? JUST WE'RE, WE'RE GONNA POSTAGE POSTAGE, NOT POSTAGE NUMBERS, I THINK UNTIL WE HAVE ANOTHER PLAN PLACE.
WE JUST HAVE TO LEAVE THAT FOR NOW.
OR WE CAN ADD, ADD 12 AND 12 ABOUT THE NUMBER AND REDUCING, WELL, EVENTUALLY IT ESSENTIALLY COMES BACK TO $15,000 BECAUSE HE HAS, UH, $12,000 FOR POSTAGE AND HE HAS 3000 FOR DEVELOPING AND PRINTING.
'CAUSE I GUESS YOU JUST DON'T WANT THE STAMP
RIGHT? UM, SO I, I THINK IT, WE SHOULD AT LEAST MATCH THAT.
I THINK IT WOULD BE HELPFUL WITH THE SUPERVISOR ONLY MAILS TO REGISTERED VOTERS, UH, WHATEVER LIST THEY GIVE ME.
WELL, WELL, THE LIST IS WHAT YOU REQUEST.
YEAH, NO, GO TO, UM, I GO TO, IT'S BY ELECTION DISTRICT.
BUT I, BASICALLY, WHAT I'VE TRIED DOING IS IF THERE'S AN ISSUE IMPACTING SAY, EAST IRVINGTON, THEN I'LL SEND OUT A, A MAILING TO PEOPLE IN EAST IRVINGTON IF THERE'S, UM, AN ISSUE.
BUT ARE THEY REGISTERED VOTERS IN EAST IRVING? BUT HOW DO YOU GET THAT LIST? BUT EAST IRVINGTON, I ASKED, I ASK THE, UH, THE MIS DEPARTMENT FOR A LIST FOR PEOPLE ON, ON THOSE STREETS.
SO YOU DON'T DO IT THROUGH THE BOARD OF ELECTIONS? NO, I, WE DO IT FROM HERE BECAUSE TO WHAT WE GET, WHAT HE IS DON'T HAVE NOW DOING IS HE'S SENDING US WHICH ELECTION DISTRICT HE'S MAILING TO.
SO LIKE, IF NORWOOD ROAD IS, UM, YOU KNOW, BEING REPAVED OR THERE'S GONNA BE, UM, ANYTHING HAPPENING OFF OF PAYNE STREET OR WHATEVER, I'LL LOOK ON, YOU KNOW, I'LL LOOK AND I'LL SEE, YOU KNOW, THE STREETS THAT WOULD BE MOST LIKELY TO BE.
BUT ON ROAD, FOR EXAMPLE, WHERE THE SIDEWALK WAS THERE, IT WAS VERY CONTROVERSIAL AND THE PEOPLE SAID THEY NEVER KNEW ABOUT THE SIDEWALK.
AND GINA AND I WERE AT A MEETING WITH THE RESIDENTS FOR TAXI ERO, AND WE SAID, AND I FELT VERY CONFIDENT ABOUT THIS, AS PAUL SENDS OUT BETWEEN 900 AND THOUSAND LETTERS EVERY WEEK.
UH, BY ELECTION DISTRICT, I WOULD BE SHOCKED IF HE DID NOT SEND A LETTER TO EAST IRVINGTON RESIDENCE TO SAY THAT THERE'S GONNA BE A SIDEWALK AND THIS IS WHAT, WHERE IT'S GONNA BE.
AND IT TURNS OUT THAT YOUR SECRETARY WASN'T ABLE TO COME UP WITH THAT LETTER.
IT WENT TO ONLY THE CIVIC ASSOCIATION PRESIDENT.
UH, BECAUSE BASICALLY, UM, I, I THINK I SHARE CAN YOU PROVIDE WITH THAT LETTER? I, I DID PROVIDE, EVERYBODY DID NOT SAY THAT I DID IT.
I OH, YOU MEAN THE ADDRESSES, RIGHT? IT DID A LOWER PORTION IN THAT LETTER.
IT DIDN'T DO THE ENTIRE, I SEE.
NO, NO, IT DID THE, IT WAS A WHOLE, WELL, IF YOU COULD PRODUCE IT, THAT'D BE GREAT.
BUT IF, IF, IF IT'S GOING TO BE DONE MEANINGFULLY, THAT'S DIFFERENT THAN IF YOU'RE JUST SENDING OUT THINGS BECAUSE, HEY, I GOT A LETTER FROM THE SUPERVISOR.
BUT, UM, AND I WAS REALLY SURPRISED THAT SO MANY PEOPLE CAME OUT AT THE MEETING AND SAID, WE NEVER GOT A LETTER.
AND I THINK WHAT THE END RESULT IS THAT YOU SAID AS YOU SENT IT TO THE CIVIC ASSOCIATION LEADERSHIP.
NO, I SENT IT TO EVERYBODY AND THE CIVIC ASSOCIATION LEADERS.
AND ONE OF THE PEOPLE WHO SAID THEY NEVER GOT NOTICE, UH, ACTUALLY COMMENTED ON FACEBOOK, UM, UH, ABOUT THE SIDEWALK.
SO THE THING IS, THERE WERE PEOPLE WHO WERE CRITICAL, WHO ARE CRITICAL NOW, AND WE FOUND A FACEBOOK PO.
I THINK CINDY COLLINS SHARED WITH ME A FACEBOOK POST, UH, UH, SAYING THAT THEY DIDN'T WANT THE SIDEWALK.
SO THEY OBVIOUSLY KNEW ABOUT, WELL, IF WE'RE GONNA MERGE, CAN WE, IS THAT RESTRICTED THEM FOR POSTAGE? HUH? IF WE MATCH IT, ARE WE, ARE WE RESTRICTED TO USE IT FOR POSTAGE OR CAN WE PUT IT YOU CAN REAPPROPRIATE IT IF YOU DON'T USE IT.
YEAH, BUT IT'S NOT, I MEAN, IT WOULDN'T SAY RESTRICTED BECAUSE THAT WOULD BE A TERM YOU'D USE FOR THE BALANCE SHEET.
I JUST MEAN IN IN LAYMAN'S TERMS, WOULD IT BE RESTRICTED FOR POSTAGE? WOULD IT ONLY BE ABLE, YOU SAY IT WOULD BE ONLY USED? THAT'S WHAT IT'S SUPPOSED TO BE USED FOR.
THAT'S WHAT IT'S SUPPOSED TO BE USED FOR IF YOU DON'T USE IT.
BUT I'M GONNA TAKE IT FOR ANOTHER LINE AS A DEFICIT AT YEAR END
THE PEOPLE THAT WERE COMMENTING WAS WHEN IT WAS ONLY SUPPOSED TO BE A SMALL PORTION OF TAXI ROAD.
AND THEN WHEN THEY FOUND OUT, HEY, IT'S NOT A SMALL PORTION, IT'S MY HOUSE.
LET BUT LET'S, THAT'S FOR ANOTHER DAY.
SO, UM, THERE'S A PROPOSAL FOR A SLIP SHEET FOR SALARY INCREASES YES.
FOR CERTAIN DEPARTMENT HEADS WHO HAVE BEEN
[01:10:01]
ACTUALLY SAVING US MONEY.SO I, UM, WILL HAVE ALL, ALL THE SLIP SHEETS TOMORROW.
UM, AND DID YOU WANT THE ONE FOR THE SALARIES TONIGHT? OR, UH, I MEAN, I HAVE THEM.
I KNOW WHAT THEY ARE, BUT I DON'T HAVE THE FORMAL SLIP SHEET DONE YET.
NO, I DON'T HAVE EVERYTHING INTO THE FORM YET.
IF YOU HAVE IT FOR TOMORROW, THEN WE CAN MAKE SURE WE HAVE IT IN FOR WEDNESDAY.
SO THEY'VE ALREADY, IT'S BEEN ADJUSTED.
SO THE, UM, THESE NUMBERS THAT YOU'RE LOOKING AT NOW FOR 26, HAVE THE SALARY INCREASES IN THEM, AND WHAT'S THE TOTAL AMOUNT OF THE SALARY? WHICH IT'S, IT'S ABOUT $110,000 A YEAR ANNUALLY.
SO I, AND I, I DEFINITELY, YOU KNOW, I'VE TOLD EVERYBODY I'M, I'M AGAINST JUST 0.00083% OF THE ENTIRE BUDGET.
IF I'M AGAINST THE SALARY INCREASES, BUT I'M NOT AGAINST THE BUDGET.
YOU KNOW, HOW DO, HOW DO, HOW DO, HOW DO I HANDLE, YOU KNOW, LIKE A VOTE? BECAUSE KNOW YOU CAN, IT'S THE BOARD'S BUDGET NOW.
SO I, WHAT WOULD I DO? JUST MAKE A MOTION TO AMEND AND THEN IF THE BOARD TURNS IT DOWN, THEN YOU KNOW, I'M ON RECORD.
I'M NOT SURE SAYING THAT I'M AGAINST A SALARY INCREASE, SOMETHING LIKE THAT.
YOU WOULD BE ON RECORD SAYING THAT YOU'RE NOT PREPARED.
YEAH, I MEAN, I JUST SORT OF FEEL THAT.
UM, AND YOU KNOW, AGAIN, I KNOW THAT WE HAVE DISAGREEMENTS, YOU KNOW, ON THIS, BUT I FEEL, YOU KNOW, WE'RE LOOKING AT, UM, HIKE TAX HIKES FOR THE NEXT, YOU KNOW, FIVE YEARS.
AND I JUST THINK THAT IT'S, YOU KNOW, UNJUSTIFIED, WELL, LET'S SEE HOW MUCH $110,000 ADVERTISED OVER IN THE BUDGET.
IT'S LIKE, NO, BUT LET'S BE CLEAR, THE THINGS THAT I WERE TALKING ABOUT BEFORE, AND I CAN GO ON FOR QUITE A LONG TIME, ABOUT HOW THESE PARTICULAR INDIVIDUALS HAVE SAVED US, THE TOWN A TREMENDOUS AMOUNT OF MONEY BECAUSE THEY'RE, THEY'RE DOING EXTREMELY EFFECTIVE MANAGEMENT.
AND I INCLUDE OUR CONTROLLER IN THAT.
OUR CONTROLLER KNOWS THE BUDGET.
LIKE I, I'VE NEVER MET A CONTROLLER NO'S THIS BUSINESS
DON FAMILY WAS, AND SHE'S BASICALLY 24 7 DOING THIS STUFF.
UM, AND THE FACT THAT, YOU KNOW, SHE'S, UH, AND SHE ALSO IS, AS SHE SAYS MANY TIMES, SHE IS NOT GOING TO PUT STAKE FOR ANYONE.
IN OTHER WORDS, SHE'S ONLY GONNA FOLLOW BEST PRACTICES.
WHICH IS REALLY HELPFUL TO US.
AND THE OTHER PEOPLE THAT ARE GETTING THIS HAVE ALSO PROVEN THEIR WORTH.
AND SO, AND, AND, AND IN SOME CASES ARE UNDER, ARE UNDER MARKET, UNDER COMPETITIVE SALARIES.
LIKE OUR LEGAL DEPARTMENT ARE NOT GETTING COMPETITIVE SALARIES COMPARED TO OTHER MUNICIPALITIES, WHICH IN MOST CASES I THINK WAS PROVIDED TO US.
UM, AND WE WERE ABLE TO MAKE THAT ASSESSMENT NOT JUST BASED ON A REQUEST, BUT BASED ON INFORMATION THAT WE WERE ABLE TO REALLY LOOK AT.
BUT THERE'S ALSO PEOPLE WHO AREN'T GETTING THE SALARY INCREASES.
AND, UH, I MEAN, YOU KNOW, WHO BASICALLY ARE ALSO WORKING HARD AND SAVING MONEY.
WELL, I KNOW WE'RE TALKING ABOUT COMPETITIVE, COMPETITIVE, COMPETITIVE, COMPETITIVE SALARIES WHERE PEOPLE COULD BE PERHAPS LURED AWAY TO OTHER MUNICIPALITIES AS HAS HAPPENED IN THE PAST.
WE, WE'VE TALKED ABOUT THIS IS, THIS IS THE REASON WHY SALARIES HAVE COME UP SO THAT WE DO ATTRACT GOOD PEOPLE LIKE OUR CONTROLLER, AND WE HAVE AN EXCELLENT LEGAL STAFF AND THEY NEED TO BE PAID COMPETITIVELY.
THEY'RE UNDERSTAFFED RIGHT NOW, THERE'S, THERE'S, YOU KNOW, ONE OF THE SALARIES THAT'S GOING TO $230,000 A YEAR.
THAT'S, THAT TO ME IS, YOU KNOW, NOT ACCEPTABLE.
HOW DOES IT, BUT HOW DOES IT COMPARE TO THE STANDARD, NOT ONLY WITH OTHER MUNICIPALITIES? YOU HAVE TO LOOK AT IT IN THAT CONTEXT, BUT ALSO WITH THE PRIVATE SECTOR.
SO YOU'RE, YOU'RE HAVING TO COMPETE WITH THE PRIVATE SECTOR, SO YOU HAVE TO MAKE IT ATTRACTIVE.
AND PEOPLE WHO ARE IN THIS PUBLIC SECTOR, BUSINESS OF OURS, WORK VERY, VERY HARD.
AND THERE IS THAT EXTRA OVERLAY OF THE FACT THAT THEY'RE PUBLIC SERVANTS AND THEY REALLY ARE.
AND THEY PUT THEMSELVES OUT THERE IN THAT WAY FOR LESS MONEY THAN THEY WOULD GET IN THE PRIVATE SECTOR.
SO YOU, YOU HAVE TO FACTOR IN ALL OF THAT.
BUT THAT WAS WHY I THINK IT WAS THE BUILDING DEPARTMENT.
WE, OR ENGINEERING FOR DPW, WE COULD NOT FIND, WE COULD NOT HIRE FOR THE LONGEST TIME BECAUSE THE SALARY LEVEL WAS TOO LOW.
SO WE HAVE TO BE COMPETITIVE AND, AND WE'VE GOT A GREAT STAFF NOW AND THEY'RE DOING REALLY GOOD WORK BECAUSE WE WERE ABLE TO MAKE THEIR SALARIES MORE COMPETITIVE.
[01:15:01]
YOU KNOW, YOU CAN'T JUST LOOK AT THE DOLLARS.IT'S, IT'S REALLY WHAT THE WORK PRODUCT IS THAT YOU'RE GONNA GET THE QUALITY OF THE WORK THAT YOU'RE GOING TO GET PUT.
WELL JUST WANNA KNOW IF DISAGREE, YOU'RE GONNA DISCUSS PARTICULAR PERSONS OR PARTICULAR SALARIES.
IT CAN'T BE DONE IN OPEN SESSION.
JUST TO KNOW IF THAT'S WHERE THIS IS HEADED.
SO THE LIBRARY, NO, WE'RE MINDFUL OF THAT.
JUST ALSO AS A NOTE IN TERMS OF THE, UH, LIBRARY OR DO YOU WANNA MENTION ABOUT THE LIBRARY INCREASES? THAT'S OUT OF OUR, WELL, YES, THAT, THAT, THERE, THERE WAS A, UM, THERE WAS CONCERN ABOUT, I FIGURED IT'D BE ON WEDNESDAY NIGHT.
UH, THERE IS CONCERN ABOUT AN INCREASE THAT WAS, UH, GIVEN MONTHS BACK ALREADY THAT, LET ME EXPLAIN SOMETHING ABOUT THE LIBRARY IS GIVEN A CERTAIN BUDGET AMOUNT AND THEY HAVE THE DISCRETION TO ALLOCATE MONIES AS THEY SEE FIT.
AND THEY'VE DONE A GOOD JOB OF IT.
SO IN THAT, WITH THAT RESPECT, THE, THE, UM, LIBRARIAN WAS GIVEN A RAISE IN ORDER TO BE COMPETITIVE SPECIFIC,
THEY A COMPONENT OF US WITH THEIR OWN FEDERAL ID.
YOU KNOW, I JUST SORT OF FEEL TO BE COMPETITIVE.
SO BECAUSE THEY'RE, THEY'RE, UM, SHE'S DOING GREAT JOB.
BUT THE BOTTOM LINE IS WE DON'T HAVE ANY CONTROL OVER THAT.
WE DON'T HAVE CONTROL OVER IT.
WE HAVE NO CONTROL OF THAT IS DISTRIBUTION.
THAT'S WHAT THE LAST THING I'M GONNA SAY.
AND THEN YOU, I KNOW I'M BEING OUTVOTED, SO I'M NOT GONNA GO ON AND ON ON, BUT THE THING IS, I, I BASICALLY, I, I BASICALLY WHAT CONCERNS ME IS WE'RE ASKING THE AVERAGE TAXPAYER, UM, TO SUFFER BECAUSE THERE'LL BE TAX HIKES AND THEY'RE GONNA BE, WE'RE ASKING PEOPLE, UH, TO PAY MORE.
AND AT THE SAME TIME WE'RE RAISING, UM, YOU KNOW, A NUMBER OF SALARIES.
UM, AT THE SAME TIME WE'RE CREATING SOME SORT OF DIFFICULT HARDSHIPS FOR, UH, RESIDENTS WHO MIGHT BE HAVING DIFFICULTIES PAYING THE TAXES.
SO I SORT OF FEEL, UH, THAT THOSE OF US PEOPLE IN PUBLIC SERVICE, UM, SHOULD, IN MY OPINION, SHOULD NOT BE GREEDY.
AND I FEEL THAT, YOU KNOW, IT'S NOT GREEDY.
THAT'S, THAT'S NOT I AT IT BEING NO, I'M GIVING YOU MY OWN FEELING, BUT THAT I MADE MY POINT.
BUT I THINK WE'RE DONE WITH THAT.
I THINK WE UNDERSTAND WHERE WE ARE.
BECAUSE WE'RE GOING NEGATIVE AND THEN START.
SO, UM, NO, I DO WANNA SAY, BECAUSE PAUL KEEPS BRINGING THIS UP, SOMEBODY'S GONNA MAKE $230,000.
THAT'S IN, THAT'S INSTEAD OF US HIRING SOMEBODY AT ABOUT $170,000 TO DO PART OF THAT WORK THAT HE'S DOING INDIVIDUAL PLUS BENEFITS, RIGHT? YES.
SO IT'S ECONOMICALLY FOOLISH FOR US THEN NOT TO TAKE THE POSITION WE'RE TAKING, BUT IT SOUNDS GREAT.
AND I KNOW YOU'VE BEEN GOING AROUND TALKING ABOUT THIS, SOMEBODY'S GONNA GET $230,000, BUT THAT PERSON'S ALSO DOING THE JOB OF A ANOTHER SIGNIFICANT JOB AND FRANKLY DOING A GREAT JOB AND HAS SAVED US MILLIONS OF, DO MILLIONS OF DOLLARS BECAUSE HE'S STEPPING IN AND DEALING WITH MANAGEMENT THAT'S NOT BEING DONE.
IF I MAY, IF I MAY, CAN I, LET'S MAKE SURE WE'RE CLEAR.
SO I JUST, SO WE JUST WANNA MAKE SURE THAT'S CLEAR.
'CAUSE I THINK I DON'T WANT PEOPLE GETTING A FALSE NARRATIVE OF WHAT THE PICTURE IS AND WHAT THE PICTURE TRULY IS.
SO IF I MAY, IT'S A, IT'S A BALANCE, IT'S A BALANCE BETWEEN AND, AND WE ARE ALL, THIS IS WHY WE WORK HARD ON AND, AND HAVE HAD SO MANY OPEN DISCUSSIONS.
THIS YEAR WE'VE HAD MUCH MORE OPEN DISCUSSION AND WE'RE TRYING TO FIND AN, A BALANCE BETWEEN NOT RAISING TAX RATES TO, TO BE TOO ONEROUS, BUT WE ALSO WANNA MAKE SURE THE QUALITY OF THE WORK IS SUCH THAT WE'RE NOT HAVING TO DO IT OVER AGAIN.
NOW THIS IS A LITTLE BIT APPLES TO ORANGES, BUT THIS IS A GOOD EXAMPLE OF HIRING A PAVING CONTRACTOR WHO DID SUCH A POOR JOB.
IT HAD TO BE, IT IMMEDIATELY FELL APART AND HAD TO BE REDONE.
SO THAT ULTIMATELY COST US MORE MONEY.
SO IF A PROFESSIONAL DOES THE RIGHT JOB TO BEGIN WITH, WE DON'T HAVE TO HAVE IT COME BACK AND REVISIT US LIKE A NIGHTMARE.
LOOK, LET ME ASK KIMBERLY A QUESTION.
MY RECOLLECTION IS, AND I JUST THOUGHT OF THIS, UM, DIDN'T WE LEAVE IN THE, THE VACANT POSITION OF DEPUTY COMMISSIONER OF PUBLIC PUBLIC WORKS IN THE BUDGET? I, I THINK THAT IF, THAT WAS MY RECOLLECTION THAT THEY, THAT THAT WE DIDN'T TAKE IT OUT.
BECAUSE AT ONE POINT, YOU KNOW THE, THE DEPUTY COMMISSIONER YES.
[01:20:01]
OTHER SALARY IS ALLOCATED THERE.SO, SO THERE'S NO, SO THERE'S NO EXTRA BECAUSE I I THOUGHT THAT THEY, MY REC, THIS IS JUST A RECOLLECTION.
I DO YOU WANNA LOOK AT PUBLIC WORKS? I'M PRETTY SURE THERE'S ALSO IT'S FILLED AT A PART-TIME RATE.
IT'S FILLED AT A PART-TIME RATE.
AND, AND PAUL, YOU PUT IN, I THINK IT WAS 20 OR $25,000 IN ORDER TO PAY SOMEBODY TO RUN A FARMER'S MARKET.
AND SO WHEN YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT HOW WE ARE PUTTING IN RATES FOR INCREASING PEOPLE WHO ARE ACTUALLY SAVING THE TOWN MONEY, WHAT YOU'RE DOING IS TAKING, WHERE WE USED TO HAVE PEOPLE PAY US TO HAVE A FARMER'S MARKET.
NOW YOU WANNA PUT IN $25,000 IN THIS TIME OF ECONOMIC CRISIS THAT YOU'D BEEN TALKING ABOUT.
WAIT, WHAT'S THE, WHERE'D IT BECOME 25? WHAT'S NOT $25,000? 15, 20,015? NO, 15 IS THE COMMUNITY CENTER WITHOUT, NO, AND THIS WAS SUPPOSED TO BE 15 TOO.
WHAT DID YOU ASK FOR? IT WAS 20, 20 OR 25.
YEAH, THAT WAS, THAT WAS FOR COLBY JENKINS, UH, COMMUNITIES, UM, REQUEST COMMUNITY GREENBERG FARMERS MARKET DID USING IT TO, UH, GIVE FREE FOOD.
DIDN'T TO PEOPLE WHO ARE, UM, WHO ARE, BUT THAT'S, THAT'S JUST A PROPOSAL.
WELL WE, THEY, SHE HAS, THEY HAVE A CONTRACT WITH THE LEGAL DEPARTMENT, WHICH IS WHY I SAID THERE'S A CONTRACT FOR ACTUALLY THEM DOING THE FARMERS.
IT'S NOT, I KNOW IT'S NOT THE SAME.
BUT IF YOU NEEDED MORE, THEN I NEED, WE NEEDED TO KNOW THAT.
I DIDN'T, I'M SORRY IF I WASN'T CLEAR.
THERE'S NOTHING SIGNED AND IT'S NOT CONTRACT AND THEY HAVE TO BE REGISTERED.
AND IT WAS A CONTRACT OR A PROPOSAL.
SO DAIRY BE DIFFERENT, HAS A CONTRACT EVERY YEAR WITH THE TOWN TO DO THE FARMER'S MARKET.
THAT'S DIFFERENT THAN WE'D RENEW IT EVERY YEAR.
COLBY SUBMITTED A PROPOSAL TO BE, UH, UH, TO HAVE AN AGREEMENT TO BE PAID FOR THE, ALL THE EXPENSES AND EVERYTHING FOR RUNNING THE FARMER'S MARKET.
AS DOES HAPPEN IN MANY MUNICIPALITIES, THEY DO PAY A FARMER'S MARKET PERSON.
AND THAT PAYS FOR A LOT OF THE EXPENSES ASSOCIATED WITH IT.
IT'S NOT LIKE SHE'S MAKING A LOT OF MONEY OFF OF IT.
SHE'S, SHE SPENDS A LOT OF HER OWN MONEY ON IT.
SO THAT'S WHAT I HAD FORWARDED.
UM, AND THEN WE WOULD NEED A MORE FORMAL, WE NEED A CONTRACT.
THERE'S, THAT WAS NEVER DISCUSS, DISCUSSED.
WELL, WHERE IS IT? WHATEVER IT IS.
SO WE'LL SAY IT'S NOT GONNA BE 25.
SO WE, WE, WE SAY THE MOST OF 20.
BUT KIMBERLY, AGAIN, WITH HER BEST PRACTICES IS SAYING SHE NEEDS A CONTRACT IN ORDER TO HAVE THAT IN THE BUDGET.
MY POINT, MY POINT HERE WAS, PAUL, I KNOW BECAUSE YOU HAVE REPEATEDLY SAID OVER AND OVER AGAIN, PEOPLE COME UP TO YOU AND YOU KNOW, HAVE BEEN TALKING TO YOU ABOUT SOMEBODY WHO'S GONNA GET $230,000 IN A SALARY.
HOW WOULD THEY KNOW THAT? UM, EXCEPT YOU KEEP GOING AROUND TALKING ABOUT SOMEBODY NO OTHER PEOPLE ARE MENTIONING.
AND THEN YOU SIT AT THIS TABLE AND YOU SAY, WE'RE NOT BEING RESPONSIBLE.
AND YOU'RE SAYING THAT THEY ARE GREEDY AT THE SAME TIME.
SOMEBODY COMES TO YOU FOR SOMETHING THAT THEY'VE BEEN DOING ALL ALONG AT NO COST TO THE TOWN OTHER THAN, YOU KNOW, OUR EMPLOYEES HELPING THEM OUT.
YOU KNOW, WE'LL, WE'LL GIVE YOU $25,000 FOR DOING WHAT YOU'VE BEEN DOING.
AND SO THERE'S A COST TO THAT.
THERE'S A COST TO ALL OF THIS.
AND THE QUESTION IS, CAN WE AFFORD THESE THINGS? AND THAT'S WHAT WE HAVE TO ADDRESS.
AND FOR US, WE'RE LOOKING AT PEOPLE THAT ARE SAVING US MONEY, UM, AS OPPOSED TO YOU WHERE YOU SAY SOMEBODY COMES TO YOU AND SAYS, I WOULD LIKE TO DO THIS.
AND YOU SAY, OH, THEY, I THINK THAT'S GREAT.
AND IF IT HAPPENS, YOU'RE A HERO.
IF IT DOES IT THAT THE REST OF THE BOARD IS THE VILLAIN BECAUSE WE DIDN'T DO IT.
UM, I THINK WE SHOULD JUST UNDERSTAND THAT THESE RAISES HAVE BEEN VERY WELL THOUGHT OUT.
WE'VE DONE PRICE COMPARISONS AND WE'VE ALSO LOOKED AT, UH, THE SEA CHANGE IN MANAGEMENT THAT IS OCCURRING.
WE KEEP, WE KEEP WORKING ON IT.
THAT'S HAPPENING SO THAT WE GET, UM, MORE EFFICIENT, WE GET MORE RESPONSIBLE.
AND UM, AND YOU KNOW, THAT THAT MANAGEMENT WASN'T THERE BEFORE AND WE'RE GETTING IT IN PLACE.
AND AS AN EXAMPLE, I THINK WHAT WAS SOMETHING THAT THE COMMISSIONER OF PUBLIC WORKS MENTIONED THE OTHER DAY, WHAT IS IT? 85, 90% OF THE ROADS PAVED AND EVERYONE'S HAPPY.
BUT I REMEMBER SO MANY COMPLAINTS IN THE PAST.
BUT THAT'S BECAUSE OF A SYSTEM THAT'S WORKING
[01:25:01]
AND AN EFFICIENT WORKFORCE.SO THAT'S MAKING A LOT OF DIFFERENCE IN OUR INFRASTRUCTURE RECREATION MM-HMM
AND HOW THE INFRASTRUCTURE STRESS ISSUES THAT WE'VE BEEN HAVING, ESPECIALLY IN THE FLOODING MITIGATION THAT WE'VE BEEN WORKING ON AND WHAT THEY HAVE BEEN DOING.
NOT, NOT NOT, UM, NOT TALK, NOT UTILIZING OUTSIDE CONTRACT WORK, BUT UTILIZING, UM, OUR INTERNAL STAFF TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY DO THE CLEANUP AND EVERYTHING THAT WAS DONE.
AND I TALKED, YOU KNOW, YOU'VE SEEN THE VIDEOS WE TALKED ABOUT WHEN WE ADDRESSING, UM, ALL OF THE FLOOD MITIGATIONS FROM THAT LAST STORM THAT WE HAD.
WAS IT JULY 14TH? WELL, THAT'S THE INFAMOUS STORM.
THAT'S ALWAYS INBRED IN MY HEAD.
SO, BUT IN THE WORK THAT'S BEEN DONE THERE, SO WE HAD TO LOOK AT THAT WORK THAT'S BEEN DONE.
'CAUSE IT WASN'T DONE IN THE PAST.
THE MAINTENANCE WASN'T DONE THERE.
BUT YOU HAVE THE PERSON THAT WE KEEP TALKING ABOUT AND THAT'S JUST, I MEAN, YOU KNOW, ON THAT SALARY, WHO REALLY TOOK A LOOK AT THAT, BOOTS ON THE GROUND AND SAYING, THIS IS WHAT WE NEED TO DO.
THIS IS WHAT WE NEED TO DO GOING FORWARD.
SO WE CAN MAKE, HAVE THIS ON A REGULAR MAINTENANCE SO WE CAN PREVENT THE ISSUES THAT WE HAVE THAT, THAT WERE OCCURRING.
SO I JUST, I THINK PEOPLE DON'T, I THINK PAUL, MAYBE YOU DON'T RECOGNIZE, YOU KNOW, WHAT THE WORK THAT HAS BEEN DONE AND THE CHANGES THAT HAS BEEN HAD, LET'S NOT LOOK AT WHAT THAT BIG NUMBER, BUT LET'S LOOK AT WHAT COMES WITH THAT.
AND I, AND, AND AGAIN, ALL, ALL ALL THAT, THAT THE PART-TIME WORK THAT HAS BEEN DONE, YOU KNOW, AND THAT'S BEEN, UM, BUDGETED FOR THAT SALARY.
SO, AND UH, LEMME SAY YOU RIGHT, SO MY CRITICISM, LET JUST REITERATE, IF YOU TALK ABOUT PARTICULAR PERSONS AND THEIR SALARIES, YOU HAVE TO GO INTO EXECUTIVE SESSION.
MY, MY CRITICISM, MY CRITICISM HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH THE QUALITY OF THEIR WORK BECAUSE I FEEL THAT THEY'RE, THAT THEY'RE DO, THAT THE PEOPLE WHO ARE GETTING SALARY INCREASES ARE DOING A GOOD JOB.
MY, IT'S BASICALLY A PRINCIPLE.
AND I THINK, AND I'M VERY APPRECIATIVE OF ALL THE WORK BEING DONE ON DRAINAGE, ALL THE WORK WITH THE ROAD.
WE'RE PAVING ALL THE, YOU KNOW, ALL THE WORK THAT OUR CF IS DOING BECAUSE I GO AROUND AND, YOU KNOW, PEOPLE ARE REALLY, REALLY VERY, VERY GRATEFUL AND VERY APPRECIATIVE.
UM, AS I AM AND EVERYBODY ON THE BOARD IS THE ISSUE IS A PRINCIPLE IN TERMS OF SALARY INCREASES AND THAT, YOU KNOW, WE DIS DISAGREE AND THAT'S FINE.
THE FARMER'S MARKET, I HAVE NOT FARMER NOTATED UNDER THE RECREATION ADMINISTRATION, UH, UNDER PROFESSIONAL SERVICES, THAT $17,000, TENTATIVE 2026 BUDGET.
AND I HAVE NOTE NEXT TO IT FARMER'S MARKET.
SO PAGES, WE'LL SEE WHAT THE, AND WHERE IS THAT? IS THAT SAME ITEM NUMBER? UM, WHAT YOUR, WHAT'S YOUR BB 7 0 2 CAN, CAN YOU GIMME A PAGE? ARE YOU ON THE PAGE? 66? 66? PAGE 66.
THE FIRST ITEM UNDER THANK YOU.
PROFESSIONAL SERVICES, 17,000 FROM, THIS IS FROM, I KNOW THE, THE VERBAL THAT WE GOT WAS 25.
YOU'RE SAYING FROM WHAT? FROM WHO? FROM PAUL.
PAUL NEVER SAID 20 CAME UPSTAIRS.
WE CAN AGREE TO DISAGREE, BUT I KNOW WHAT I HEARD.
I DEFINITELY, I DEFINITELY DID NOT SAY 25 BECAUSE BASICALLY, UH, WELL, I HAVE A QUESTION.
SO ARE WE PAYING THE PERSON CO IS HER NAME, WHAT'S HER NAME? COLBY KOBE? OR ARE WE PAYING 5 0 1 C3? BECAUSE THAT DOES MATTER WHETHER OR NOT I'M GIVING HER A 10 99.
THAT'S, THAT'S, THAT'S AND SHE'S A VENDOR.
THAT'S, SO IT WOULD, BECAUSE WE CAN'T MAKE, THAT'S A LEGAL QUESTION.
WE CAN MAKE A DONATION, BUT NO, IT'S NOT A DONATION.
SO YOU CAN ENTER INTO A CONTRACT WITH THE 5 0 1 3 AND PROVIDE FUNDING.
UM, AS WE'VE DONE PREVIOUSLY TO THE 5 0 1 3.
BUT YOU, I THOUGHT YOU WERE SAYING WERE GONNA PAY THE PERSON DIRECTLY.
SHE'S THE HEAD OF THE 5 0 1 3.
SO SHE WOULD ACCEPT IT ON BEHALF OF THE 5 0 1 IS WHAT YOU'RE SAYING? WELL, YES.
JUST LIKE THERE'S ALWAYS A PERSON ATTACHED TO ANY ORGANIZATION.
BUT IS THE MONEY GOING TO THE 5 0 1 C3 OR IS THE MONEY GOING TO HER PERSONAL BANK ACCOUNT? NO, IT'S HER PERSONAL BANK.
I NEED TO KNOW IF I 10 99 HERE, IF SHE'S A VENDOR.
I I, IT DEPENDS ON THE VERBIAGE OF THE CONTRACT, RIGHT? ABSOLUTELY.
WHICH WE DON'T HAVE DRAWN UP YET.
BUT THIS IS, FOR EXAMPLE, THIS IS, THESE ARE THE THINGS THAT YOU NEED TO KNOW.
AND THIS IS WHY, THIS IS WHAT I'M SAYING, I NEED TO KNOW TO PUT IT IN THE BUDGET.
I DIDN'T KNOW YOU HAD QUESTIONS ABOUT IT WHEN I SENT IT TO YOU, SO, BUT WE NEED TO WORK ON THAT.
SO THEN SHOULD WE REDUCE IT TO 20,000? SO WHAT DO YOU WANT IN THE BUDGET BUDGET THOUSAND FOR THE DEFINITELY NOT 25.
SO WHAT ARE, WHAT ARE WE GETTING FOR THAT? YOU'RE GETTING A 17, YOU SAID PROGRAM.
THE, THE FARMER'S MARKET HAS BEEN WELL RECEIVED, GIVES A LOT OF PEOPLE TAKING ADVANTAGE OF IT.
IT'S WELL ORGANIZED AND I THINK IT'S HELPING A LOT OF PEOPLE IN THE COMMUNITY.
[01:30:01]
AND THAT'S BEEN DOING THAT NOW WITHOUT A COST TO THE TOWN.SO WHAT ARE WE GETTING OUT OF HAVING, WE'RE GRANTS FROM THE STATE AND UH, WHAT ARE WE GETTING OUT OF $20,000 OR WHATEVER.
OKAY, SO I'M JUST GONNA, BECAUSE IT'S NEVER BEEN DISCUSSED WITH IT.
SO, SO WE, WE WOULD'VE, UH, IDEALLY HAD HER COME AND PRESENT TO US.
UM, SHE'S SPOKEN WITH PAUL, SHE'S SPOKEN WITH ME ABOUT IT.
I KNOW THAT SHE PUTS OUT A LOT OF HER OF HER OWN.
THE FIVE OH C3 PUTS OUT A LOT OF THEIR OWN MONEY.
SHE, UH, TRANSPORTATION COSTS, SHE GAVE OUT FREE PRODUCE.
I MEAN, THEY, THEY GO AND BUY THINGS, UH, TO GIVE, TO GIVE AWAY.
SHE'S, SHE'S, SHE NEEDS TO BE COMPENSATED, I THINK IN SOME WAY.
SHE ALSO WORKS VERY HARD AT IT.
IT'S, IT'S LIKE ANY, YOU KNOW, LIKE THE PASCAL IN THE HASTINGS FARMER'S MARKET, SHE'S PAID A, A FEE TO RUN IT.
UM, SO ANOTHER THING IS, ANOTHER THING IS WE COULD PUT IT IN THE BUDGET AND THEN WE'RE GONNA HAVE TO HAVE A CONTRACT.
AND THEN WHEN WE HAVE THE CONTRACT, WE COULD ASK QUESTIONS.
AND AT THAT POINT, OKAY, PUTTING IT IN THE BUDGET DOES NOT COMMIT THE TOWN TO DO ANYTHING UNTIL A CONTRACT IS APPROVED.
THAT WAS, SEE, I, I DID LEARN SOMETHING IN LAW SCHOOL, SO I, I DON'T KNOW.
I'M JUST GONNA LOOK THEM UP ON GUIDESTAR.
I I THINK THAT SHE NEEDS TO PRESENT US MM-HMM
WITH AN ACCOUNTING AND CLARITY ON WHAT IT IS AND, AND MAYBE SOME OF THE IT'S AND WHO, WHO IT'S HELPING AND YOU KNOW THAT IT IS, IT IS A HELPFUL, WE NEED DOCUMENTATION.
AND THE DOC, I'VE BEEN THERE EVERY SINGLE WEEK SINCE SHE HAD THE FARMER'S MARKET AND I AM LIKE SO IMPRESSED WITH HOW WELL RECEIVED THE MARKET IS.
AND THAT'S WITHOUT THE TOWN'S MONEY.
SHE WAS GETTING A LOT OF GRANTS FROM THE STATES.
SO THIS GONNA REPLACE GETTING GRANTS? NO, SHE HOPEFULLY SHE'LL DO EVEN MORE.
SHE'LL DO A BETTER, BETTER JOB WITH OUR MONEY.
SHE'S, IT'S GONNA BE MAKING THEIR PRO BECAUSE NOT, YOU KNOW, SHE COULD BE, I DON'T KNOW, I JUST WANNA SEE PAPERWORK.
NO, BUT THEIR NINE 90, IT'S REALLY NOT AT THEIR NINE 90.
WE'LL, IT'S NOT YOU TO JUSTIFY.
IT'S FOR HER TO SPELL IT OUT FOR US.
THAT'S JUST OF ANY MONIES THAT WE HAVE TO APPROVE.
UNFORTUNATELY, I DON'T HAVE HASN'T EVEN RAISED IT EXCEPT YOU CALLED OUR STAFF GREEDY BECAUSE THEY ARE GETTING RAISES THEY DESERVE, YOU DON'T HAVE TO MAKE IT PERSONAL.
WHAT'S THE NAME OF THE FIVE ONE C3 IF DARE TO BE DIFFERENT INC.
AND LEGAL HAS THE CONTRACT THAT THEY DO EVERY YEAR WITH THE TOWN.
THAT'S, THAT WOULD, THAT'S SEPARATE.
I KNOW, BUT JUST FOR BACKGROUND IT'S SEPARATE.
WHAT ELSE? ANYTHING ELSE? NO, THAT'S GOOD.
SO THEN WE COULD BE 9:00 AM TOMORROW MORNING, WE'LL HAVE ALL THE NOTES.
AND YOU'RE GONNA GIVE US LIKE FOR THE B EVEN FOR THE B, MAYBE A COUPLE DIFFERENT SCENARIOS.
AND THEN WE HAVE TO FIND OUT IN TERMS OF THE BUILDING, UH, RE RESERVE FOR THE BUILDING IF THERE'S LIKE OTHER WAYS OF DOING IT, YOU KNOW, BECAUSE IF WE WANNA INCREASE, YOU MEAN THE RESERVE FOR THE COURTHOUSE? NO, I'M TALKING ABOUT FOR THE B FUND.
OH, FOR THE B FUND? YEAH, BECAUSE WE'RE HAVE WE JOINT? YEAH, WE WANNA DO THE SAME.
YOU MAY WANT TO DO THE SAME THING, UM, WITH B AS WE'RE DOING WITH A AND WELL, THAT'S A QUESTION.
I MEAN, I, I DON'T, I CERTAINLY DUNNO THE ANSWER TO THAT.
THAT'S SOMETHING THAT KIMBERLY WOULD HAVE TO EXPLAIN TO US WAS, I'M SORRY, WHAT WAS THE, GO AHEAD PAUL.
JUST SAY NO, I'M JUST SAYING IF YOU SAID IF FOR B IF WE INCREASE, YOU KNOW, THE, THE TAX AMOUNT CAN'T DO ANYTHING THIS YEAR UNLESS YOU RESTRICT THOSE BUILDING CORRECTIONS, UH, PUT IN THE BUILDING DEPARTMENT RESERVES REPORTING
I, I DON'T UNDERSTAND WHAT THAT MEANS, HONESTLY.
I'M JUST GONNA ASK THAT QUESTION.
YEAH, I'M JUST SORT OF WONDERING, CAN SOMEONE EXPLAIN THAT TO ME? OTHER OPTIONS THAT WE HAVE? WELL, DON'T YOU UNDERSTAND WE'RE NEVER GONNA GET OUTTA HERE.
BESIDES, YOU KNOW, I'M SAYING COULD IT BE USED FOR BASICALLY OPERATING, CAN WE SAY, OKAY, WE'RE USING IT, UH, TO PAY A SALARY OF A, A BUILDING INSPECTOR? YOU KNOW, THAT'S NOT OUR DISCUSSION THAT WE CAN HAVE AT THIS TIME.
THIS IS NOT A, THIS IS NOT A PERSONAL, UH, THING.
IT'S STILL A LEGAL QUESTION THAT SHOULDN'T BE DISCUSSED AT THIS TIME.
SO I THINK I'D ASKED PREVIOUSLY IF YOU COULD GIVE ME, UH, SOME OF THOSE QUESTIONS IN WRITING.
WE JUST WANNA REMIND EVERYONE, WHOEVER'S LISTENING THAT TOMORROW WE'RE GOING TO HAVE A TREE LIGHTING.
WE'RE GONNA HAVE A HOLIDAY LIGHTING SO WE CAN START OFF THE, THE HOLIDAY SEASON, BRING SOME CHEER AND SOME HAPPINESS TO THE TOWN.
[01:35:01]
UM, AND THAT'S GONNA BE AT 6:00 PM AND WHERE'S THAT GONNA BE HELD? RIGHT AT TOWN HALL.RIGHT OUTSIDE THE WINDOW YOU'RE SITTING AT.
YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT THE NINTH? DECEMBER 9TH WE MAKE, YES.
DECEMBER 9TH, 6:00 PM AND PAUL JUST BLAT THAT IF YOU COULD BLAT THAT AGAIN.
YOU SAW WHAT I POSTED IN THE MORNING.
WELL, WHY DO KNOW GO OUT BEFORE TODAY? UH, YOU SAW WHAT I, I POSTED IN THE MORNING.
I PUT IT ON THE WEBSITE, BUT I'LL DO IT AGAIN.
REMEMBER WE TALKED ABOUT THE LAST MINUTE TWICE.
ONE IN THE ONE AND ONE IN THE EVENING.
PAUL, PAUL, WE CLOSE THE CLOSE MEETING.
A MOTION TO GO EXECUTIVE SESSION? NO, WE'RE NOT GOING TO EXECUTIVE SESSION.
JUST CLOSING THE SPECIAL MEETING.