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[ TOWN OF GREENBURGH OFFICE OF THE TOWN BOARD 177 Hillside Avenue, Greenburgh, NY 10607 Tel: 914-989-1525 Fax: 914-993-1541 Email: HCancro@GreenburghNY.com https://greenburghny.com/485/Watch-Live-Board-Meetings]
OUR TOWN BOARD WORK SESSION.TODAY'S, UH, DECEMBER 16TH AT FIVE, UH, 50.
AND THE FIRST ITEM, UH, THAT WE'RE GONNA BE DISCUSSING IS AGENDA REVIEW.
AND TOMORROW'S MEETING STARTS AT EIGHT P.
TOMORROW'S MEETING STARTS AT 8:00 PM RATHER THAN SEVEN 30 EARLY.
CAN WE PUT A CRAWL ON THE WEBSITE? I ASKED JOE TO PUT A CRAWL ON THE WEBSITE.
I DIDN'T CHECK A MESSAGE WENT OUT ON THE EMAIL LIST.
IF HE DID THAT, THEN THAT'S, UH, IT'S ON THE, UH, WEBSITE.
IT'S AT THE VERY TOP OF THE WEBSITE.
THE MESSAGE IS JUST THERE STAGNANT.
UM, SO, UH, ARE WE DOING THE LIAISON REPORTS? WE, WE CAN, BECAUSE WE DON'T HAVE A BIG AGENDA IF EVERYBODY WANTS TO.
BUT ALTERNATELY, ARE THERE GONNA BE A LOT OF PEOPLE HERE TO HEAR IT? EITHER WAY.
DO YOU WANNA DO IT OR NOT? WELL, IT WILL GET RECORDED, BUT SINCE WE'RE STARTING LATE, IF YOU THINK PUBLIC COMMENT MIGHT GO, OH LONG.
I, I, IT'S HARD TO SAY EVEN THOUGH LINDA, GINA, I SAID IT DIDN'T MIND.
WHAT DID YOU SAY? I DIDN'T MIND.
FRANCIS, WHAT IS YOUR FEELING? DISAPPEAR.
WE HAVEN'T DONE IT IN A WHILE.
WE HAVEN'T DONE IT IN A WHILE.
SO JUST THE LAST MEETING AT A YEAR, LAST MEETING? YEAH, IT'S THE LAST MEETING OF THE YEAR.
I KNOW IT'S THE LAST MEETING OF THE YEAR, BUT CAN YOU NOT GLOSS OVER TO TOWN CLERK COMMENTS, PLEASE? OKAY, THAT'S FINE.
THAT'S ONLY IF YOU HAVE A VOICE.
I, I KNOW
HOW LONG, HOW LONG? I'M SORRY.
UM, YOU CAN GO, HOW LONG, HOW LONG ARE THE, ARE THE REPORTS, ARE WE DOING FIVE MINUTES EACH? 10 MINUTES EACH? NO, NO.
I DON'T KNOW IF, I DON'T KNOW IF I CAN DO MY I WILL.
I'M GONNA REQUEST FIVE MINUTES PLEASE.
'CAUSE I HAVE TWO, TWO OF THE BIG DEPARTMENTS, SO I JUST WANNA MAKE SURE IF I CAN GET FIVE MINUTES.
NO, I DON'T WANNA TAKE 10 MINUTES.
NO, I'M SAYING, I'M JUST TRYING TO COOPERATE.
BUT I, I JUST, I, NO, UM, THE, THE, THE FIVE MINUTES ARE DUE.
SO EVERYBODY GETS THREE MINUTES, BUT YOU GOT FIVE MINUTES.
THAT'S BEFORE ACROSS THE BOARD.
NEXT FOR TB, FOUR RESOLUTION, BINDING INSURANCE, COVERAGES AND CLAIMS. UM, I MIGHT HAVE A SLIGHT AMENDMENT ON THAT ONE TO REDUCE ONE OF THE NUMBERS.
I PUT THE HIGH NUMBER FOR NOW.
WE'RE STILL TALK IN TALKS WITH THEM, SO I MIGHT HAVE TO REDUCE THAT NUMBER.
I FIGURED IT'D BE BEST TO GO ON HIGH END BEFORE THIS WAS PUBLISHED INSTEAD OF GOING THE OPPOSITE ROUTE AND POTENTIALLY INCREASING IT PRE AFTER MAYBE A RESIDENT REVIEWED IT.
UM, BUT I WILL HAVE THAT FINALIZED BY TOMORROW NIGHT.
TB FIVE? UH, I'M GOOD THAT WE HAVE A POLICE CONTRACT.
I STILL THINK IT'S A MISTAKE TO DO A TWO YEAR CONTRACT WITH THE AUDITORS.
I THINK THAT, UM, YOU KNOW, SINCE WE'RE DOING THE FORENSIC AUDIT, UM,
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YOU KNOW, I, I THINK WE SHOULD JUST DO ONE YEAR AND SEE WHAT, WHAT THEY SAY.WE HAVE NO IDEA WHAT THEY'RE GONNA SAY.
AND IF IT TURNS OUT THAT, UM, THE BOARD IS HAPPY WITH THE AUDITORS, WE COULD ALWAYS RENEW IT THE FOLLOWING YEAR.
UM, BUT I, I ALSO, YOU KNOW, I WAS READING HAL SAM'S, YOU KNOW, COMMENTS AND I SORT OF, HE SENT US AN EMAIL AND YOU KNOW, I FEEL THAT, YOU KNOW, THERE'S THINGS THAT I THINK THAT THEY COULD HAVE HIGHLIGHTED, WHICH THEY DIDN'T.
AND, YOU KNOW, I'M NOT PREPARED.
YOU KNOW, I, I WOULD BE PREPARED BECAUSE IT'S DECEMBER, IT'S THE END OF DECEMBER TO, UH, DO A ONE YEAR CONTRACT, UM, BECAUSE IT WOULD BE TOO LATE FOR THE CONTROLLER TO, UM, YOU KNOW, TO FIND, UM, YOU KNOW, SOMEBODY WHO WILL DO THE 2025.
BUT I, I THINK THAT WE SHOULD GO OUT TO BID FOR 2026, AND I THINK WE COULD GET POSSIBLY BETTER PRICES.
AND, YOU KNOW, I SPEAK TO ACCOUNTANTS AND EVERYBODY I SPEAK TO SAYS YOU SHOULDN'T HAVE THE SAME COMPANY FOR 30 YEARS.
FOR, FOR CLARIFICATION, CAN I ASK YOU A QUESTION? YOU'RE SUGGESTING IT'S TOO LATE FOR THIS YEAR, BUT FOR THE NEXT CONTRACT, WE SHOULD CONSIDER LOOKING? NO, I'M SAYING THAT WE SHOULD, THE, THE, IT SHOULD BE AUTHORIZING PK F O'CONNOR DAVIES AS THE AUDITORS FOR THE FISCAL YEAR END ENDED DECEMBER 31ST, 2025.
BUT SO THAT, AND THEN IT WOULD BE A COST OF A HUNDRED, 3000.
I WOULD DEFINITELY SUPPORT THAT, BUT NOT DUE THE SECOND YEAR, WHICH IS DECEMBER 31ST, 2026, WHICH WOULD BE FOR 107,000.
BECAUSE THEN, THEN BASICALLY WE'RE GIVING THE CONTROLLER, UM, THE OPPORTUNITY TO DO THE AUDIT FOR, FOR THIS CURRENT YEAR.
BUT, UH, THEN WE WOULD GO FOR, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE A YEAR TO GO OUT TO BID, AND THERE MAY BE OTHER COMPANIES THAT, YOU KNOW, WE THINK WOULD DO, COULD DO A GOOD JOB OR, YOU KNOW, UH, THIS FIRM HAS THE ABILITY OF BIDDING.
WE MIGHT GET A BETTER PRICE IF THEY KNOW THAT, UH, THERE'S COMPETITION.
WHAT DOES THE CONTROLLER THINK OF THIS? THE CONTROLLER WOULD PREFER HAVING, YOU KNOW, TWO YEAR, YOU KNOW, CONTRACT.
BUT AGAIN, I'M, IF WE HADN'T DONE THE FORENSIC AUDIT AND EVERYBODY SAID, OH, EVERYTHING'S GREAT, WE HAVE, UM, UH, YOU KNOW, NO PROBLEMS WITH, UM, UM, YOU KNOW, ANY ASPECTS OF OUR, UM, UH, FINANCIAL SITUATION, I WOULD SAY.
I PROBABLY WOULDN'T BE SPEAKING UP AGAINST A TWO YEAR, YOU KNOW, CONTRACT WITH, YOU KNOW, THE BOARD BASICALLY DECIDED THAT THEY WANNA DO A FORENSIC AUDIT.
UM, THEY HAVEN'T GOT, WE HAVEN'T GOTTEN A REPORT BACK.
AND, YOU KNOW, IT'S POSSIBLE THAT THE FORENSIC AUDIT WILL FIND THAT THE AUDITOR SHOULD HAVE TOLD US THINGS THAT WE DIDN'T, WE DON'T, YOU KNOW, THAT, THAT WE DIDN'T, THAT WE DON'T HAVE.
MAY MAY, I MAY, I, I, I HEAR WHAT YOU'RE SAYING.
I HAVE A COUPLE OF COMMENTS AND QUESTIONS.
NUMBER ONE, UM, FORENSIC AUDIT IS MUCH MORE IN DEPTH AS WE LEARNED IN OUR LAST SPECIAL WORK SESSION, THAT IT IS COMPLETELY DIFFERENT FROM THE REGULAR AUDIT.
SO THE FORENSIC AUDIT WOULDN'T NECESSARILY FIND ANY DEFICITS ON THE PART OF, OF THE, THE PERFORMANCE BY THE REGULAR AUDIT BECAUSE THEY'RE SO COMPLETELY DIFFERENT.
BUT THAT BEING SAID, UM, MY QUESTION IS, I HAVEN'T LOOKED AT THE CONTRACT THIS CLOSELY.
IF THERE IS A CANCELLATION CLAUSE, IF AT SOME POINT THAT WE FIND OUT, YEAH, THAT'S GOOD.
IS THERE A CANCELLATION CLAUSE? AND IF WE FIND THAT THEY, FOR ANY REASON THEY'VE BEEN DEFICIENT, THAT WHAT WOULD THE IMPACT BE ON CAN OUT FOR IT JUST TO BE ENDING AT THE A YEAR? THAT'S A GOOD COMPLIMENT.
WELL, WE DON'T HAVE TO, UH, APPROVE, YOU KNOW, THIS, YOU KNOW, THIS CONTRACT.
WE COULD JUST DO, LET'S, THAT'S NOT THE QUESTION.
SO LET'S, LET'S TAKE A LOOK AT THAT BEFORE WE MM-HMM
I, I MEAN, I, I, I THINK THAT AT THIS LATE DATE TO MAKE A DECISION LIKE THAT, WITHOUT REVIEWING EVERYTHING, I MEAN, YOU BROUGHT IT UP FOR THE FIRST TIME LAST WEEK.
SO I THINK THAT IT, IT'S, IT REALLY BEGS THE POINT TO, TO HAVE TO, UH, MAKE THAT REVISION BECAUSE THEIR NUMBER MAY CHANGE JUST FOR ONE YEAR, BECAUSE USUALLY THERE'S AN ECONOMY OF SCALE.
SO THEY WOULD HAVE TO RELOOK AND, AND REDO THEIR CONTRACT.
YOU'RE ASKING THEM TO DO THAT WITHIN A VERY SHORT TERM OF TIME.
I, I, I WOULD STILL, BUT I THOUGHT, I THOUGHT THE COUNCIL, I THOUGHT THE COUNCIL ALL AGREED TO.
THE COUNCIL MEMBERS ALL AGREED TO, UM, GO BASED ON WHAT THE RECOMMENDATION OF THE COMPTROLLER.
AND I THOUGHT THE RECOMMENDATION OF THE CONTROLLER WAS THE TWO YEARS WITH A SEPARATE TEAM.
AND WE NEED TO HAVE THE LANGUAGE RIGHT.
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THAT'S WHAT I'M LOOKING FOR.THE, THE, THE CON THE CONCERN I HAVE.
AND YOU KNOW, I, I MADE MY POINT.
I'M NOT GONNA JUST KEEP GOING ON AND ON AND ON, BUT EVERY YEAR FOR THE, AT LEAST FOR FIVE OR SIX YEARS, MAYBE LONGER, I'VE ALWAYS ASKED THE CONTROL, YOU KNOW, PREVIOUS CONTROLLERS, I'VE ALWAYS BROUGHT UP, WE NEED A, UM, UH, DO AN RFP AND EVERYBODY'S BEEN SAYING, WE'RE GONNA DO AN RFP, WE'LL DO IT NEXT YEAR.
AND SO THE THING IS, I JUST SORT OF, WHEN I SPOKE TO SOME PEOPLE WHO I KNOW WHO ARE AUDITORS CONTROL, UH, ACCOUNTANTS, AND THEY SAID IT'S NOT GOOD PRACTICES.
UM, ALTHOUGH IT'S LEGAL, UM, TO CHANGE, UM, YOU KNOW, AUDITORS AND USE THE SAME COMPANY, IT REALLY IS NOT ANYONE IN ACCOUNTING WOULD SAY IT'S NOT GOOD, UM, PRACTICE TO USE THE SAME COMPANY FOR OVER 30 YEARS.
THAT'S BASICALLY WHAT, UH, BUT DON'T YOU THINK THAT OUR CONTROLLER WOULD BE AWARE OF THAT KIND OF BEST PRACTICE AND, AND NOT RECOMMEND IT'S A BEST PRACTICE, BUT, BUT THE OTHER, YOU JUST SAID IT'S NOT GOOD PRACTICE TO USE THE SAME WHAT, WHAT? RIGHT.
SO DON'T YOU THINK THAT SHE'D BE AWARE OF THAT AND IT WOULD, WOULD GUIDE US TO GO OUT FOR AN RFP? RIGHT.
I JUST, I JUST, I JUST, YOU KNOW, THE THING IS, I'M SORT OF CONCERNED, YOU KNOW, WE ALL KNOW THAT, YOU KNOW, THE CONTROLLER IS SAYING, OH, BY THE WAY, THE FUND BALANCE HAS GONE, IS DIPPING, WE'RE STILL IN COMPLIANCE WITH OUR FUND BALANCE POLICY, BUT IT'S STILL AT THE LOWER END AND WE HAVE TO BRING IT UP.
AND, YOU KNOW, WHEN WE'VE HAD THE MEETINGS WITH THE AUDITORS OVER THE YEARS, YOU KNOW, WE TALK ABOUT THE FINANCES.
THEY'RE SAYING EVERYTHING'S GREAT, YOU KNOW, IT'S TERRIFIC.
THEY REALLY HAVEN'T HIGHLIGHTED, IF THEY HAD TOLD THE BOARD, DO YOU KNOW WHAT, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE SOME CONS, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE SOME CONCERNS, WE'D LIKE YOU TO START INCREASING.
UM, UM, THE, THE TAX RATES, IF THEY HAD SAID THAT EARLIER ON, I THINK EVERYBODY ON BOARD WOULD'VE DONE THAT.
THAT'S THEIR, BUT WHAT THE COMPTROLLER SAID, PAUL, I'M SORRY, I'M JUST GIVING YOU MOUTH WHAT THE COMPTROLLER, WHAT THE COMPTROLLER SAID TO US, AND SHE SAID IT REPEATEDLY THAT THEY DO A SAMPLING.
SO IF THAT SAMPLING, YOU KNOW, PANS OUT TO BE FINE, THEN, THEN THEY WOULDN'T SEE ANYTHING DEEPER, WHICH IS WHY THE FORENSIC AUDIT, THAT'S WHY WE'RE DOING A FORENSIC AUDIT.
SO I, I, I JUST DON'T WANT, I JUST DON'T WANT YOU TO MIX WORDS HERE AND, AND, AND THINK THAT THEY SHOULD HAVE SAID X, Y, AND Z.
THEY'RE ONLY DOING A SAMPLE, AND THAT'S WHAT THEY'RE REQUIRED TO DO.
BUT I WANT THE MORE WELL, AND, AND LAST THURSDAY'S MEETING AT FOUR O'CLOCK, IF PEOPLE WANNA WATCH, I THINK THAT THE, THE AUDITORS ANSWERED EVERY SINGLE QUESTION THAT YOU HAD, AND THEY GAVE US VERY GOOD ANSWERS.
THEY REALLY SEEMED TO KNOW THEIR STUFF.
SO I, I CAN'T IMAGINE THAT THEY, THEY, THEY DO AUDITS FOR SO MANY MUNICIPALITIES.
THEY HAVE TO BE COMPETITIVE BECAUSE WE COMPETE FROM COMMUNITY TO COMMUNITY, AND THEY KNOW THAT WE TALK TO EACH OTHER.
THEY, I BELIEVE THEY DO THE FORENSIC AUDIT FOR THE COUNTY.
SO, YOU KNOW, ALL THE, ALL THINGS CONSIDERED, I THINK THAT, UM, TO GO TO FOLLOW AS, AS COUNCILWOMAN JACKSON SAID, WHAT THE ADVICE OF THE, UM, CONTROLLER IS THAT WE AGREED TO WOULD BE THE BEST WAY TO GO.
WERE YOU SATISFIED WITH THE MEETING ON LAST THURSDAY? I, I WAS, I WAS SATISFIED.
I'M, I'M STILL NOT SATISFIED WITH, I, I'M NOT GONNA VOTE FOR A TWO YEAR CONTRACT, BUT I, I WOULD VOTE FOR A ONE YEAR CONTRACT, BUT THAT'S FINE.
SO I'M, I AM GOING TO SUPPORT OUR CONTROLLER.
OUR CONTROLLER IS ABSOLUTELY FANTASTIC.
UH, SHE IS, UM, UNCOVERING THINGS IN HOW FINANCES WERE DONE THAT, UH, FRANKLY ARE DISTURBING.
AND ANYTHING THAT, UH, SHE TELLS US, UM, IN ORDER TO WRITE THE SHIP, UM, I AM GOING TO FOLLOW.
AND SHE, UH, SHE SUGGESTED HAVING A TWO YEAR CONTRACT.
I THINK IT'S, IT'S DEFLECTION TRYING TO PUT UP, YOU KNOW, WHAT'S BEEN HAPPENING ON THE ANNUAL AUDITORS.
UH, YOU CAME WITH A LIST OF QUESTIONS LAST TIME WITH THE HOPE OF OUTING THEM AND THEM DOING SOMETHING WRONG.
AND I THINK THEY ANSWERED EACH QUESTION.
AND MY ULTIMATE QUESTION WAS, COULD THEY HAVE DONE ABSOLUTELY EVERYTHING RIGHT, FOLLOWING BEST PRACTICES AS AUDITORS AND STILL A FORENSIC AUDIT WOULD UNCOVER, UH, OTHER MATTERS? AND THEIR ANSWER WAS, YES, THAT COULD BE POSSIBLE.
AND SO WE'LL HAVE TO WAIT AND SEE WHAT THAT IS.
ANYTHING ELSE ON THE AGENDA? AND WHEN DOES THAT REPORT FROM THE FORENSIC AUDITOR CODE? UH, THEY'RE DOING INTERVIEWS RIGHT
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NOW, SO, YOU KNOW, PROBABLY JANUARY, AT LEAST A PRELIMINARY REPORT MM-HMMUH, BUT WE DO NEED SOMETHING THAT SOMETHING, AND I MENTIONED IT TO 'EM ON THURSDAY TO THE AUDITORS, THAT WE WOULD NEED SOME KIND OF LANGUAGE THAT SAYS IT WOULD BE A DIFFERENT TEAM.
AND THEY WERE AMENABLE TO THAT.
THEY HAVE NO ISSUE WITH DOING THAT.
WELL, THE LANGUAGE ALSO INDICATE THAT WE'RE GONNA DO AN RFP FOR A 2000, UH, FOR THE FOLLOWING YEAR.
IT'S IN THE RESOLUTION THAT WOULD NOT BE IN THE CONTRACT.
WELL TRY TO HAVE THAT AMENDED BY TOMORROW NIGHT.
DOES THE BOARD WANT TO HAVE, IN THE RESOLUTION, DO WE WANT TO MENTION HOW OFTEN WE SHOULD DO RFPS FOR AUDITORS AND SAY WE WANT IT EVERY FIVE YEARS OR EVERY SEVEN YEARS? I MEAN, DO WE WANNA PUT LANGUAGE THAT WOULD SORT OF COMMIT FUTURE BOARDS TO, UM, UH, OR GIVE GUIDANCE? I THINK YOU SHOULD PROBABLY DO THAT IN THE PROCUREMENT POLICY, NOT THE RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING THESE AUDITORS FOR THE NEXT TWO YEARS.
THAT'S BEST IN A PROCUREMENT POLICY.
THAT'S BASICALLY ANYTHING ELSE THAT ANYBODY HAS WANTS TO SAY.
THEN IS THERE A REASON WHY WE'RE, WE HAVEN'T BEEN ABLE TO WORK OUT THE DETAILS OF THE, UH, USING THE FACILITY FOR TRAINING FOR THE POLICE OFFICERS AND PO TWO, I THINK THE LANGUAGE HAS BEEN GOING BACK AND FORTH, AND THERE WAS J IT WAS JUST NOT A HUNDRED PERCENT COMPLETE.
SO FIGURED, JUST HOLD IT OVER ONE MORE MEETING THAT WAS AT THE REQUEST OF, UH, THE POLICE.
AND ARE WE OKAY SINCE THEY'RE ASKING FOR APPROVALS AT SOME POINT OF THEM MAKING THIS DONATION OF ALLOWING THE USE OF THEIR FACILITIES.
SO I, I REVIEWED A PREVIOUS ETHICS OPINION BY THE BOARD OF ETHICS ON, IN, UH, OPINION NUMBER TWO OF 2023.
AND IT SEEMS TO BE THE SAME SET OF FACTS AS THAT OPINION.
AND THEY ALLOWED THE DONATION AT THAT TIME.
AND THAT WAS THE METROPOLIS COUNTRY CLUB FOUNDATION AT THAT TIME AS WELL.
WHICH IS WHAT I YES, JOY ADVISED ME OF, BLESSED ME, HIM, UH, KIMBERLY'S NOT ON.
I WANTED TO ASK KIMBERLY IF WE COULD, UH, TOWN COUNCIL CAN EMBARGO THE POSTAGE MONEY THAT WE DID NOT SPEND IN 2025 TO USE IN 2026 TO BASICALLY COUNTERACT THE MISLEADING LETTERS THAT THE SUPERVISOR IS SENDING OUT REGARDING THE, UM, THE BUDGET, WHICH THAT'S ONE BEEN HELD, I THINK.
WHAT'S THAT? THOSE DID NOT GO OUT.
I THOUGHT THEY WONDER, I THINK DAVID GET ONE THAT SAID A 3% INCREASE.
THAT WAS, THAT WAS DONE BEFORE THE BOARD MADE COMMITMENT.
AND I TOLD KRISTA NOT TO SEND OUT ANYTHING ELSE.
I SENT OUT LETTERS DURING THE, SINCE OCTOBER.
UM, TO, UH, VILLAGE RESIDENTS.
I BASICALLY, ONCE YOU'VE INDICATED THAT, UM, UH, THE BOARD WAS GONNA INCREASE THE RATE, THEN I STOPPED IT.
I'M NOT SO, SO BASICALLY, UH, WE BASICALLY PUT EVERYTHING ON HOLD AFTER THE BOARD INDICATED.
SO YOU SENT OUT LETTERS SAYING THIS, YOU SENT OUT LETTERS SAYING THE 3% AT THAT WAS UNTIL DEFINITE, OR THAT NO, I SAID THIS WAS THE TEMPORARY, IT WAS PROPOSED.
BUT YOU KNOW WHAT, I THINK I BATCH OF LETTERS WAS NOT, I THINK THAT, UM, IT WOULD MAKE, YOU KNOW, SENSE FOR, UH, THE TOWN, UH, BOARD TO, UM, EXPLAIN FOR ALL OF US TO, UH, SEND OUT, UM, AFTER WE VOTE ON THE BUDGET, UH, YOU KNOW, AN EXPLANATION.
I, I'VE, UH, SPOKE TO KIMBERLY EARLIER, I MET WITH HER EARLIER TODAY MM-HMM
AND, UM, YOU KNOW, UM, TRYING TO WRITE UP SOMETHING THAT WILL EXPLAIN, UH, BOTH THE A AND B BUDGET WITH THE TAX INCREASES, BECAUSE I THINK THAT, UM, YOU KNOW, AND EXPLAIN THE FUND BALANCE POLICIES THAT WE'RE GONNA BE, YOU KNOW, INCREASING IT, YOU KNOW, WE'LL ALSO TALK ABOUT HOW, UM, YOU KNOW, I THINK IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT FOR THE TOWN TO, UM, UH, LOOK FOR WAYS TO, YOU KNOW, CUT, UM, YOU KNOW, SPENDING IN THE NEXT YEAR OR TWO.
I MEAN, THERE'S LIKE A LOT OF THINGS THAT WE COULD DO.
SO, BUT TYPICALLY YOUR MAILINGS HAVE YOUR NAME AND ALSO THE COUNCIL'S NAMES ON IT.
AND THOSE GO OUT REALLY WITHOUT OUR, WELL, I, I DO SEND IT TO, TO EVERYBODY, SO, SO YOU CAN EITHER CHOOSE TO DO A TA A SUPERVISOR LETTER NOW, OR WE CAN COLLABORATE A LETTER THAT REALLY INFORMS THE, IN A FULL WAY.
BUT WE SHOULD DISCUSS HOW WE, IF YOU WANT TO DO A, I DON'T THINK WE'RE EVER GONNA AGREE ON THAT LETTER, BECAUSE EVERY EMAIL, EVERY EMAIL THAT YOU SEND OUT, AND JUST LIKE YOUR STATEMENT TONIGHT, WELL, YOU SENT OUT THAT YOU HAD A PROPOSED 3% INCREASE, BUT THEN THE TOWN BOARD DECIDED TO INCREASE IT.
NO, I'M VOTING FOR, I'M VOTING FOR THE, LEMME SAY WE HAD NO CHOICE.
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VOTING FOR THE, I PLAN TO VOTE FOR THE BUDGET.LET LET HIM FINISH MAKING HIS STATEMENT.
AND IF YOU WOULD, AND THEN YOU MAKE YOUR STATEMENT, IT WOULD BE BETTER.
WE HAD NO CHOICE BUT TO INCREASE THE RATE BECAUSE YOU WERE FOLLOWING A PATTERN THAT YOU HAVE FOLLOWED FOR YEARS WHERE IT'S A SMALL, A RELATIVELY SMALL NUMBER, AND THEN THE TOWN BOARD COMES ALONG AND SAYS, OH, WE CAN'T MAKE THAT WORK THIS YEAR.
IN PARTICULAR, IT'S HIGHLIGHTED BECAUSE IF WE WERE TO DO A 3% INCREASE, WE WOULD BE HAVING EVEN HIGHER THAN 10% RATES GOING FORWARD.
AND SO TO KIND OF STOP THE BLEED, WE HAD TO INCREASE IT.
YOU'RE NOT SAYING THAT WE HAD TO INCREASE THE ONE THAT YOU HAD THAT WAS PUTTING US INTO FINANCIAL PERIL ONLY BECAUSE IT WOULD MAKE IT EVEN WORSE IN SUBSEQUENT YEARS.
AND, AND I'M NOT EVEN GONNA GET INTO THE COURTHOUSE, UH, RESERVES AT THIS POINT.
WELL, THAT'LL BE FOR ANOTHER TIME.
SO WE COULD TRY TO WRITE SOMETHING.
I THINK WE SHOULD ALL WORK COOPERATIVELY, BECAUSE WE'RE ALL VOTING ON THE BUDGET.
WE ALL ARE FOR THE BUDGET, AND WE ALL RECOGNIZED, WE'RE ALL LISTENING TO THE CONTROLLERS RECOMMENDATIONS, UM, TO, UM, UH, BUILD UP THE FUND BALANCE.
I THINK THAT'S WHAT, WHAT DEFENSE WERE SUGGESTING.
WELL, BECAUSE YOU WERE SAYING THE TOWN BOARD.
NO, YOU KNOW, AND THEN YOU WERE MAKING THE SEPARATION BETWEEN YOU AND THE OTHERS.
I'M NOT SEPARATING, I'M VOTING FOR THE BUDGET, SO I'M NOT SEPARATING IT, BUT, BUT VOTING FOR THE BUDGET AND AGREEING, WE ARE ALL AGREEING TO AGREEING THAT WE HAD TO MAKE THIS CHANGE.
IT, IT JUST SOUNDED LIKE THE WAY YOU PUT IT, THAT YOU WERE GOING ALONG TO GET ALONG, BUT LET'S JUST MAKE IT, IF WE'RE TO WORD IT.
CAN I FINISH STATE? YEAH, SORRY.
TO JU TO JUST, I JUST WANNA BE CLEAR ON THAT, THAT WE WERE, THAT IT'S, IT'S, WE ALL AGREED JUST AS, UM, COUNCIL SHEHAN SAID, WE ALL AGREED THAT THIS CHANGES HAD TO BE MADE.
YOU'RE NOT JUST GOING ALONG BECAUSE YOU'RE OUTVOTED NO, YOU'RE GOING ALONG BECAUSE YOU AGREE TO, AND IT'S NOT BECAUSE THE TOWN BOARD SAID ANYTHING.
AND THE OTHER THING THAT PEOPLE, WE HAVE TO COUNCIL, RIGHT? THE OTHER THING THAT WE, WAIT, WAIT, WAIT JUST ONE SECOND.
IF WE DRAFT SOMETHING ON, THEN YOU LOOK AT IT OR WHATEVER, AND IF YOU'RE IN AGREEMENT, THEN WE'LL BE FINE.
BUT IT, IT HAS TO BE SOMETHING THAT ALSO REFLECTS OUR FEELINGS ABOUT IT AND NOT JUST YOUR NARRATIVE OF IT.
SO FOR EXAMPLE, FOR EXAMPLE, IN, I, I NOTICED WHEN I READ YOUR MESSAGE VERY CAREFULLY IN THE BUDGET BOOK, THERE'S SO THINGS THAT ARE JUST INACCURATE, NOT EVEN ABOUT THE TAX RATES OR INCREASES, BUT JUST CERTAIN WORDING THAT WAS VERY INACCURATE.
AND I LIKE WHAT I'LL, I'LL SHOW YOU.
IT SAYS VILLAGE, VILLAGE TAXES.
IT'S NOT ABOUT VILLAGE TAXES, IT'S ABOUT TOWN TAXES FOR VILLAGE RESIDENTS.
I MEAN, THIS WAS REALLY, THAT'S REALLY, I MEAN THIS, THE FACT THAT THIS WENT OUT THE WAY IT WAS, I I WAS, I WAS REALLY SHOCKED.
UM, AND, AND, AND I THINK IN FUTURE, ANY STATEMENTS THAT WE, THAT WE PUT OUT TO THE PUBLIC ABOUT TAXES HAVE GOTTA BE COMPLETELY VETTED BY THE CONTROLLER.
UM, BECAUSE YEAH, I MEAN, THIS STATEMENT HERE, WHY TAX RATES FOR UNINCORPORATED GREENBERG WILL GO UP BY BLANK PERCENT, UM, FOR UNINCORPORATED GREENBERG RESIDENTS AND WHY VILLAGE TAXES WILL GO UP BY 3%.
WE DON'T AFFECT VILLAGE TAXES.
WELL, WELL, THAT'S A REALLY, THAT'S A COMPLETELY FALSE STATEMENT.
BUT LET GET LET ME JUST SAY SOMETHING, OKAY.
BECAUSE FIRST OF ALL, WHEN I, AND KIMBERLY'S HERE, WHEN I MET WITH KIMBERLY AND JONATHAN BEFORE, I ASKED THEM IF THEY COULD DRAFT THE, THE RIGHT WORDING.
UM, SO THIS WAY NOBODY COULD SAY WE'RE EXAGGERATING OR BEING INACCURATE IN TERMS OF, IN TERMS OF THE BUDGET, BECAUSE I THINK THAT EVERYBODY ON THE BOARD, YOU KNOW, IF WE'RE RAISING THE TAXES, DO YOU UNDERSTAND WHY THAT'S INACCURATE? NO, I UNDERSTAND.
BUT THE THING IS, ALL I'M SAYING IS THAT I WANNA MAKE SURE THAT THE WORDING IS CORRECT AND IS APPROVED BY THE CONTROLLER AND, AND HER OFFICE.
THE OTHER THING THAT I THINK IS IMPORTANT IS, I THINK SHE WAS A LITTLE BUSY TO LOOK AT THE WORDING.
I, I'LL BE, I'LL BE MORE CAREFUL.
I THINK THIS WAS REALLY NO, I'M SAYING IT'S, YOU KNOW, UM, BUT ALL, ALL I'D LIKE TO, YOU KNOW, MENTION IS THAT, YOU KNOW, FOR PEOPLE WHO ARE WATCHING ON TV, IF THEY LIVE IN ONE OF THE VILLAGES FOR A HOME THAT'S ASSESSED AT ABOUT $750,000, EVEN WITH THE TAX INCREASE IT AMOUNTS FOR AN A HOME AT ASSESSED AT SEVEN 50, IT'S ABOUT A $20 INCREASE OVER 2020.
UM, UM, FIVE PER, YOU KNOW, PER HOUSEHOLD FOR, FOR PROPERTY.
SO GREENBERG, THE GREENBERG PORTION, THE GREENBURG OF THE VILLAGE TAXES, RIGHT? RIGHT.
SO THE RIGHT, BUT WE'RE, WE HAVE NOTHING TO DO WITH, UH, THE SCHOOL TAXES OR THE COUNTY TAXES OR, UM, VILLAGE TAXES.
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THE, THE AMENDMENT, THE CHANGES THAT THE TOWN BOARD IS MAKING IN THE, A BUDGET ONLY IMPACTS, YOU KNOW, BASICALLY IMPACTS VILLAGE RESIDENTS AND RESIDENTS OF UNINCORPORATED GREENBURG WHO ARE ALSO PAYING THE A BUDGET.AND THAT FOR HOUSE THAT IS ASSESSED AT $750,000, IT EQUATES TO ABOUT $20 A YEAR TOTAL.
SO IT'S NOT SOMETHING THAT PEOPLE SHOULD BE LIKE, TOTAL.
I MEAN, $20 FOR SOME PEOPLE IS A LOT OF MONEY, BUT, SO I'M NOT DISCOUNTING IT, BUT IT'S NOT, YOU KNOW, IT'S, IT'S NOT, IT'S NOT DRACONIAN.
IT'S NOT DRACONIAN, YOU KNOW, IF, UM, SO, BUT, BUT THAT'S WHY WHEN I STOPPED BY EARLIER TODAY, YOU KNOW, I SAID, YOU KNOW, I WOULD FEEL BETTER BECAUSE I, I, I WANT THE BOARD TO FEEL THAT.
I WANT THE PUBLIC TO FEEL, YOU KNOW, WE'RE NOT, UM, THIS IS NOT LIKE WE'RE BASICALLY WANNA BE TRANSPARENT AND WE WANNA BE HONEST AND WE WANNA BE FACTUAL WITH THE PUBLIC.
AND I THINK THAT'S WHAT EVERYBODY ON THE BOARD WANTS TO DO.
AND I THINK THE PUBLIC WILL BASICALLY SAY WE'RE DOING THE RIGHT THING.
AND THE OTHER THING THAT WE SHOULD POINT OUT, IT'S NOT, OH, THE TOWN IS IN HORRIBLE FINANCIAL SHAPE.
WE'RE NOT, BECAUSE WE HAVE A FUND BALANCE POLICY, WE HAVE NEVER OVERRULED OUR OWN FUND BALANCE POLICY.
SO WE HAVE, WE'RE RIGHT NOW AT THE LOWER END IN TERMS OF FUND BALANCE, BUT WE HAVE NEVER NOT COMPLIED WITH THE POLICY THAT THE BOARD SET WHEN WE CREATED THE POLICY.
AND WHEN WAS THAT THE POLICY? WHAT IS IT? PROBABLY 10 YEARS, SHORTLY AFTER I BECAME ON THE BOARD.
SO THAT WE COULD, IS THAT SOMETHING WE NEED TO REVISIT CONSIDERING I, I THINK NOT WITH KIMBERLY HERE.
WELL IF KIMBERLY, I DON'T THINK THAT'S A PRIORITY RIGHT NOW.
I THINK THAT THINK IT'S, IT'S FINE.
BUT YOU KNOW, THAT'S THE, THE OTHER THING IS WE ALL LIVED THROUGH A PANDEMIC.
THESE HAVE BEEN VERY DIFFICULT TIMES FOR A LOT OF PEOPLE.
THERE WERE A LOT OF PEOPLE OUT OF WORK.
YOU KNOW, WE AND EVERYBODY ON THE BOARD, ALL THE, SINCE 2021, WHEN WE STARTED HAVING TAX DECREASES OR, UH, FROZE THE TAX TAX AMOUNTS.
UH, YOU KNOW, ONE OF THE REASONS, AT LEAST WHY I WANTED TO DO THAT WAS BECAUSE I WAS AWARE THAT PEOPLE WERE SUFFERING AND EXPERIENCING, UH, DIFFICULTIES DUE TO THE PANDEMIC AND, UH, SHORTLY AFTER THE PANDEMIC.
UM, AND, YOU KNOW, WE WANTED TO GIVE THEM, UH, MAKE IT A LITTLE EASIER.
BUT AT THE SAME TIME, UM, YOU KNOW, NOW, UM, WE HAVE TO BUILD UP THE FUND BALANCE AND WHICH COULD BE USED IF THERE'S ANOTHER, GOD FORBID, CRISIS.
OKAY? THE PROBLEM IS WE HAVE TO BUILD UP THE FUND BALANCE AT THE SAME TIME WE HAVE TO FIND MONIES FOR THE COURTHOUSE, WHICH THERE WAS $39 MILLION IN THE BUDGET FOR THE COURTHOUSE.
IT'S NOW DOWN TO 30, UH, TO $7 MILLION, 7.4 OR SO.
UH, SO THAT'S $32 MILLION THAT CAME OUT OF THE COURTHOUSE, WHICH IS IN THE A BUDGET WHICH THE VILLAGES ALSO PAY FOR.
AND NOW, NOW THERE'S A 10% INCREASE WHILE WE TRY TO BUILD BACK THE FUND BALANCE.
AND HOW DO WE PAY FOR A COURTHOUSE? WELL, NOBODY EVEN HAS A PLAN FOR THE COURTHOUSE RIGHT NOW.
SO THE THING IS, YOU KNOW, THE THING IS, WE HAD PEOPLE IN WITH DESIGNS REGARDLESS THAT YOU SAID WAS TERRIFIC.
WELL, YOU KNOW WHAT? THE MORE I THINK ABOUT IT, YOU KNOW, I DON'T THINK THAT I, I I REALLY AM NOT THAT CO I DON'T HAVE THAT MUCH CONFIDENCE IN THEIR PLAN BECAUSE I, I THINK THAT IF WE'RE GONNA BE BASICALLY DOING, UM, A COURTHOUSE, BECAUSE I DIDN'T AGREE WITH YOUR PLAN, BECAUSE I BASICALLY THINK THAT JUST DOWN THE MONEY, NO, I THINK IT WOULD MAKE MORE SENSE IF WE'RE GONNA DO A COURTHOUSE TO DO A SEPARATE, UM, UH, UNIT BUILDING FIND, WHICH IS WHAT I JUST SAID, DIDN'T AGREE, PLAN, FIND BUILDING.
THAT'S WHAT I THINK WOULD MAKE MORE SENSE.
I THINK THAT USING THE, THE EXISTING, I, I DON'T THINK THAT'S REALLY THAT FOCUS OF OUR DISCUSSION.
NOW, LET'S, LET'S PUT THAT ON THE, WE'RE TALKING ABOUT THE MESSAGE THAT THE WELL, WE COULD, AND THE FACT THAT REGARDLESS OF WHETHER THE COURTHOUSE IS PART AND PARCEL OF THE SAME LOCATION OR NOT, IT'S STILL A COST.
SO, SO I, I WOULD LIKE, SO WHY CAN'T WE HAVE TWO LETTERS? BECAUSE CLEARLY THERE ARE SOME FEELINGS OF COUNSEL, UM, DIFFERENT THAN WHAT THE, WHAT PAUL'S MESSAGE IS GONNA BE.
THE SUPERVISOR'S MESSAGE GONNA BE PAUL'S ALL THESE, I DON'T WANNA INTERRUPT YOU G GINA, HE ALREADY HAS HIS MESSAGE.
SO THEN WE, THAT THAT WAS HIS BEST.
SO CAN WE JUST HAVE OUR OWN? I THINK WE, WE COULD DO WHATEVER YOU WANT.
I THINK THAT'S THE BEST THING TO DO, BUT THEN I THINK THAT'S THE BEST THING.
SO WAIT, BUT THEN, THEN IN THE FUTURE, WOULD IT BE BETTER IF I JUST TAKE EVERYBODY'S NAME OFF, UH, OFF, UH, YOU KNOW, THE MAILINGS I SENT? BECAUSE YOU KNOW WHAT, YES.
IF YOU'RE NOT GOING TO PUT OUT ACCURATE INFORMATION, I DO PUT OUT ACCURATE INFORMATION.
BUT YOU KNOW WHAT? VILLAGE TAXES.
LET ME SAY I PUT OUT ACCURATE INFORMATION.
THE ONE THING I SHOULD SAY IS PUBLIC DOESN'T WANT TO SEE EVERYBODY FIGHTING AND ARGUING.
[00:30:01]
THE THING IS, WHILE WE REAL, AND GINA MENTIONED THAT AT THE LAST MEETING, WE HAVE TO ALL WORK TOGETHER.WE'RE ON THE SAME TEAM, AND THE PUBLIC WANTS TO FEEL CONFIDENT IN, IN THE GOVERNMENT.
SO I SORT OF FEEL THAT EVERY TIME, YOU KNOW, YOU'RE YELLING AT ME, I'M YELLING AT YOU.
BUT EVERY TIME WE ARE ALL, UH, TRYING TO SAY, I GOT YOU.
UH, IT MAKES ALL OF US LOOK BAD.
SO ALL I'M SAYING IS EVERYONE GOING INTO THE NEW YEAR, WHY DON'T WE ALL WORK TOGETHER? WE, WE, WE, WE TRY, WE ALL MAY HAVE DIFFERENT VIEWS ON SOME THINGS, WHICH IS FINE.
BUT YOU KNOW WHAT? WE DON'T HAVE TO DO ALL THIS PERSONALIZING.
AND IF WE DISAGREE, WE DISAGREE, WE VOTE.
AND YOU KNOW WHAT? I THINK WE WANT PEOPLE IN THE TOWN TO FEEL CONFIDENT THAT THE GOVERNMENT IS DOING WHAT'S RIGHT FOR THE TAXPAYERS.
BUT YOU GET THE IMPRESSION, BUT I'M SORRY, PAUL, BUT YOU ALWAYS HAVE TO SPEECH THAT YOU GIVE THE IMPRESSION THAT WE ARE TRYING TO DO THESE GOTCHA MOMENTS.
WE'RE TRYING TO BE, I'M NOT NO HOLD, I'M NOT, HOLD ON, HOLD ON.
THE CASE IS THAT WHEN WE TALK ABOUT BEING TRANSPARENT AND YOU MAKE STATEMENTS THAT ARE NOT TRUE, THAT WE'RE JUST BRINGING, BRINGING WHAT IS TRUE.
SO IF YOU, WE, YES, WE CAN AGREE TO DISAGREE.
NO ONE AGREES WITH, NO ONE AGREES WITH EVERYONE A HUNDRED PERCENT, BUT ALLOW US TO HAVE THAT VOICE.
DON'T TRY TO SILENCE US WITH THIS VICTIM.
I'M NOT S VICTIM ROLE OF YOU KEEP, YOU KEEP, YOU KEEP SAYING THAT WE KEEP FIGHTING WITH YOU WHEN YOU'RE DOING THAT.
AND, AND IT MAKES IT APPEAR THAT WE'LL JUST KEEP GOING AFTER YOU.
WE'RE BRINGING TRANSPARENCY WITH EVERYONE KEEPS ASKING FOR.
I'M NOT, EVERYONE KEEPS SAYING AGREE.
WE'RE NOT, WE'RE NOT, WE'RE NOT DOING THAT.
SO GOING FORWARD, GOING FORWARD, THEN WHAT WE SHOULD DO IS THAT WE NEED TO HAVE OUR OWN STATEMENT.
BUT I JUST WANNA BE CLEAR 'CAUSE I HEAR THIS ALL THE TIME.
BUT YOU KNOW WHAT, WE ALL FIVE, ALL FIVE OF US IS PART OF IS THE TOWN BOARD, THE SUPERVISOR IS THE TOWN BOARD.
IT'S THE TOWN COUNCIL AND THE TOWN SUPERVISOR.
SO I JUST WANNA MAKE SURE THAT IS CLEAR.
'CAUSE THERE'S ALWAYS NARRATIVE.
WELL, THE SUPERVISOR AND THE TOWN BOARD, BUT HE IS THE TOWN BOARD.
SO WHEN HE MAKES STATEMENTS, THE TOWN BOARD, HE HE'S PART OF THAT DECISION MAKING AS WELL.
SO WE JUST NEED TO BE CLEAR OF THAT.
BUT LET ME, LET ME JUST SAY ONE THING, AND THAT'S, THAT'S IT.
MY FAILING IS TOMORROW WE'RE VOTING ON THE BUDGET, IT'S GONNA PASS UNANIMOUSLY.
UH, NOBODY, THERE'S NO DISAGREEMENT.
THERE MAY BE SOME DISAGREEMENTS IN TERMS OF HOW SOME THINGS THAT'S FUNDED OR WHATEVER, BUT 99% OF IT WE ALL AGREE ON.
SO INSTEAD OF, UH, SO IF WOMEN MAKE MORE SENSE FOR THE ENTIRE BOARD TO BASICALLY SAY, YOU KNOW, WE VOTED ON THIS, THIS IS THE REASONS.
NOT POINTING FINGERS AT ANYBODY ELSE, BUT BASICALLY SAYING, THIS IS WHY WE ARE, UH, YOU KNOW, WE VOTED ON THE BUDGET, THIS IS THE IMPACT IT'S GONNA HAVE ON YOUR LIFE.
UH, AND THIS IS WHAT WE'RE DOING GOING FORWARD.
BECAUSE THE PEOPLE WHO READ, UH, THE MAILING OR THE POSTCARD, UH, WE WANT THEM TO FEEL GOOD.
AND INSTEAD OF FAILING THAT WE'RE JUST LIKE WASHINGTON DC WHERE NOBODY'S GETTING ALONG AND EVERYBODY'S BEATING UP ON EVERYBODY OR, OR POINTING FINGERS AT OTHER PEOPLE.
THEY WANT US TO FEEL, YOU KNOW WHAT, THIS IS SOMETHING THAT WE HAVE TO DO.
WE, WE MAY NOT BE THRILLED THAT WE HAVE TO RAISE TAXES, BUT WE KEPT THE TAXES LOWER.
WE SEE IF WE COULD ALL AGREE ON IT.
UM, AND THEN WE SAY WE THINK THAT THE TOWN FINANCIALLY IS GONNA BE, UH, IN, IN GOOD SHAPE, YOU KNOW, GOING FOR IT.
AND, AND THEN THAT'S, THAT'S IT.
AND, UM, YOU KNOW, AND I THINK PEOPLE, THE AVERAGE PERSON SAYING IT WILL HAVE MORE CONFIDENCE BECAUSE IF, IF, UH, YOU SEND OUT SOMETHING AND THEN I SAY, OH, I DON'T LIKE THIS ASPECT OF THE BUDGET, THEN YOU'RE GONNA SAY SOMETHING ELSE, AND THEN WE'RE GONNA BE FIGHTING FOR THE NEXT, UH, FOR, FOR FOR MONTHS.
AND THAT'S NOT, I THINK I THOUGHT WE, THAT'S NOT, BUT THAT'S NOT GOOD FOR THE TOWN.
SO WHY DON'T WE SET DO ONE UNIFIED MAILING AND WE, BECAUSE WE'RE ALL VOTING ON THE BUDGET AND WE'RE VOTING FOR, WELL, WE, WE HAVE YOUR, YOUR MAILING, YOUR PREVIOUS MAILING DID GO OUT.
THAT'S SOME PEOPLE, BUT THAT'S A CONCERN.
YOU WHAT THAT, BUT, BUT THE BOARD DIDN'T, DIDN'T MAKE A DECISION ON THE TAXES UNTIL A WEEK AGO.
YOU DIDN'T, YOU, YOU'RE TALK DIDN'T MAKE, I I I'M JUST MAKING MORE GENERAL COMMENT THAT, YOU KNOW, YES, WE ALL WANNA WORK TOGETHER.
WE ALL HAVE THE TOWN'S BEST INTEREST AT HEART, AND WE MIGHT HAVE DIFFERENT PRIORITIES, WE MAY DO THINGS DIFFERENTLY.
UM, BUT IT IS SOMETHING THAT CERTAINLY, UM, I'LL ONLY SPEAK FOR MYSELF THAT I ASPIRE TO.
UM, IT'S HARD THOUGH WHEN, IF, IF, IF YOU WILL AGREE TO STOP SAYING, WELL, THE TOWN CA I WANTED THIS AN IDEA THAT YOU PROPOSED I WANTED THIS, BUT THE TOWN COUNCIL DIDN'T.
AND, AND THAT IS, THAT ALWAYS STICKS IN MY CRAW BECAUSE IT, IT'S CREATING, YOU'RE, YOU'RE SEPARATING AND YOU, THAT THAT IS
[00:35:01]
LIKE A PASSIVE AGGRESSIVE WAY OF CREATING THIS FRICTION AMONG US.SO I'D LIKE TO ASK THAT YOU REFRAIN FROM DOING THAT TOO.
WELL, AND IN MY MAILINGS, BECAUSE IT CAN'T JUST DEPEND ON THE SITUATION WHERE SOMETIMES YOU WANNA ALIGN WITH US AND SOMETIMES YOU DON'T.
NO, BUT LEMME SAY SOMETHING IN MY MAILINGS, I HAVE NEVER BEEN CRITICAL OF THE TOWN BOARD BECAUSE I SENT EVERYBODY, UM, COPIES OF THE MAILINGS THAT GO OUT.
I HAVE NEVER SAID, OH, DO YOU KNOW WHAT? I DISAGREE WITH THIS.
I, THE TOWN BOARD OVERRULED ME.
I BASICALLY, THE, THE MAILINGS THAT I'VE SENT THERE, WELL, I'VE SEEN IT IN MANY AN EMAIL TO MULTIPLE CONSTITUENTS.
WHEN, IF A CONSTITUENT TELLS ME, WELL, THAT'S THE SAME THING.
NO, BUT I'M SAYING IF A CONSTITUENT TELLS ME THAT THEY DISAGREE ON SOMETHING, I I EMAIL, YOU KNOW, I'LL RESPOND.
BUT THE THING IS, I, BUT YOU'LL RESPOND THAT YOU SUPPORT THEM.
BUT, BUT THE REST OF THE, THE BOARD DID NOT.
THEY, AND, AND THAT'S, THAT'S WHAT I'M SAYING.
IF YOU CAN REFRAIN FROM THAT, YOU KNOW, WE, IF WE AS BOARD MEMBERS, WE'RE NOT ALWAYS GONNA BE IN LOCKSTEP.
WE'RE GOING TO DISAGREE ON CERTAIN THINGS.
BUT THE, THE WAY THAT OUR DEMOCRACY WORKS IS THAT THE MAJORITY RULES, AND THAT'S IT THAT COMES FROM THE ENTIRE BOARD.
SO THAT SEPARATING IT OUT IS, IT IS A PASSIVE AGGRESSIVE WAY OF SAYING, I SUPPORT YOU, BUT THE REST OF THE BOARD DOES NOT.
IN THE FUTURE, I WILL, I WILL MAKE EVERY EFFORT TO MAKE SURE THAT, UM, YOU KNOW, I'M NOT TRY, YOU KNOW, THAT I, I'LL FOCUS ON ME.
I'M NOT GONNA FOCUS ON THE BOARD, AND I'M NOT GONNA BE, AND EMAILS AND, AND THINGS LIKE THAT.
I'M GONNA FOCUS ON MY VIEWS WITHOUT TRYING TO, UH, COMMENT COMPARISON NEGATIVELY ABOUT, ABOUT THE BOARD.
UH, BECAUSE I, I FELT APPRECIATE THAT BECAUSE I JUST MAKE A NEUTRAL STATEMENT ABOUT YOUR OWN, RIGHT.
I COULD SAY THIS IS MY VIEWS, RIGHT? AND THAT'S, THAT'S IT.
AND THAT, THAT'S WHAT I'LL DO IN THE FUTURE.
BECAUSE I, I REALLY, I REALLY FEEL, AND YOU KNOW, I WAS REFLECTING ON GINA'S COMMENTS IN THE PAST COUPLE WEEKS BECAUSE SHE SAID WE HAVE TO ALL, UH, STOP THE FIGHTING AND THE BICKERING AND THE ARGUING.
AND I AGREE WITH HER, AND I THOUGHT A LOT ABOUT IT.
AND I FEEL THAT GOING INTO THE NEW YEAR, IT WOULD BE SO MUCH MORE PLEASANT IF, UM, AND IT WOULD BE BETTER FOR THE TOWN IF WE'RE ALL BASICALLY, UM, YOU KNOW, TRYING TO MAKE PEOPLE FEEL GOOD ABOUT OUR DECISIONS RATHER THAN, UH, BAD ABOUT OTHER PEOPLE AND, UH, UH, YOU KNOW, AND THE, AND THE POLITICS.
SO I, I WANT TO THANK GINA FOR, UH, UH, HER CONSTRUCTIVE, UH, UH, SUGGESTIONS, WHICH I DEFINITELY REFLECTED ON A LOT IN THE PAST TWO WEEKS.
YOU KNOW, THAT SOUNDS REALLY GREAT.
THE PROBLEM IS THAT YOU SAID, OH, WE WANT PEOPLE TO FEEL COMFORTABLE WITH THE BUDGET.
THEY WANT TO HAVE CONFIDENCE IN THE BUDGET.
I DON'T HAVE CONFIDENCE IN THE BUDGET.
THEN VOTE AGAINST, I HAD, I HAD CONFIDENCE IN THE BUDGET EVERY YEAR.
I VOTED FOR IT WHEN IT HAD RESERVE FOR COURTHOUSE.
I HAD CONFIDENCE THAT THAT WAS GONNA GO INTO A RESERVE.
I LOOKED IN 2022 WHEN WE PUT 12 AND A HALF MILLION DOLLARS INTO A RESERVE FOR THE COURTHOUSE.
THERE WERE 12 REFERENCES TO THE WORD RESERVE.
EVERY ONE OF THEM WAS LEGITIMATE RESERVE.
I EXPECTED THE COURTHOUSE TO BE THE SAME THING.
INSTEAD, YOU DIDN'T RESERVE THAT MONEY AND YOU LET IT GO INTO FUND BALANCE.
AND THEN YOU SAID, LOOK, WE HAVE ALL THIS FUND BALANCE.
LET'S BRING DOWN THE TAX RATE.
AND THEN, OKAY, MAYBE YOU DIDN'T KNOW THE FIRST YEAR, THEN YOU DID IT AGAIN, RESERVE FOR COURTHOUSE, AND THEN YOU DID IT AGAIN, AND THEN YOU DID IT AGAIN TO THE AMOUNT OF $39 MILLION RESERVE FOR COURTHOUSE.
WHAT A GREAT WAY TO BUILD UP A FUND BALANCE.
WE, THAT WASN'T OUR OBJECTIVE.
IT SAYS, I HAVE IT RIGHT HERE IN FRONT OF ME, RESERVE FOR COURTHOUSE.
YOU ARE THE ONE THAT PUTS THIS BUDGET OUT.
YOU'RE THE ONE THAT DOES THE WORDING OF THIS BUDGET, THE TENANT OF BUDGET.
YOU GIVE IT TO US BY OCTOBER 30TH OF EACH YEAR.
YOU COULD HAVE JUST SAID COURTHOUSE QUESTION MARK, BUT INSTEAD YOU SAID RESERVE FOR COURTHOUSE.
SO WHILE WE ARE HAVING EVERYBODY FEEL GOOD ABOUT THE BUDGET, BECAUSE HEY, IT'S KUMBAYA MOMENT, AT SOME POINT WE HAVE TO PAY THE PIPER AND FIGURE OUT HOW DO WE GET BACK $32 MILLION FOR THE COURTHOUSE THAT WAS PAID BY VILLAGE RESIDENTS AND UNINCORPORATED RESIDENTIAL A LOT, UH, ALIKE.
SO WE COULD ALL GET AROUND AND SAY, EJ HEY EVERYBODY, THIS IS HAPPY, BUT I WOULD LIKE TO MAKE SURE THAT NOTHING LIKE THIS HAPPENS AGAIN.
AND FRANKLY, I'M NOT SURE HOW WE GET THE MONEY BACK.
WELL, THAT'S WHY I'M RECOMMENDING THAT JOY BE THE LIAISON TO THE, UH, CONTROLLER'S OFFICE BECAUSE, BECAUSE YOU'VE BEEN THE LIAISON TO THE CONTROLLER'S OFFICE, AND I BELIEVE THAT YOU KNEW EVERY, YOU KNOW, EVERY ASPECT
[00:40:01]
OF THE BUDGET AND NOTHING WAS, THIS IS EXACTLY THE ATTACKS.I'M NOT ATTACKING YOU PERSONALLY.
YOU ARE, BECAUSE YOU'RE MISLEADING THE PUBLIC FINANCIAL, YOU KNOW, WE ALL KNOW THAT YOU'RE VERY DETAIL ORIENTED AND, AND YOU SPEAK TO ALL THE COMMISSIONERS AND, UH, AND YOU FOLLOW THE BUDGET.
I BELIEVE THAT YOU KNEW YOU, YOU MET WITH ROBERTA MANY TIMES, AND I BELIEVE YOU KNEW, UM, WHAT YOU CLAIM NOW, YOU DON'T KNOW.
SO PAUL, WHAT DOES RESERVE FOR COURT MEAN TO YOU? WHAT I'M NOT GETTING INTO FIGHT.
I KNOW YOU'RE NOT GONNA ANSWER IT BECAUSE YOU CAN.
I'M NOT GETTING INTO FIGHT WITH YOU.
I JUST HAVE ONE QUESTION, PAUL.
I I'M NOT ANSWERING BECAUSE BASICALLY ALL YOU'RE DOING IS WHAT COURT I'M NOT GONNA BE VOTED ON ANYMORE WITH YOU.
I, I HAVE A QUESTION ACTUALLY FOR KIMBERLY.
SO THE COURTHOUSE, UM, RESERVE FUND WAS STARTED WHAT YEAR? FRANCIS? I THINK IT WAS, IT WAS A WHILE AGO.
IT WAS ABOUT MAYBE 2012 OR SOMETHING.
I DON'T HAVE ANYTHING IN FRONT OF ME.
SO I GUESS MY QUESTION IS, COULD WE HAVE, UM, I DON'T KNOW THE DETAILS ABOUT THESE KINDS OF RESTRICTED FUNDS.
SO COULD WE HAVE KEPT THAT IN THERE? LIKE SORT OF LIKE A SAVINGS ACCOUNT AND KEPT IT IN INTACT FOR THIS TIME? OR DID WE NEED TO SPEND, DID WE NEED TO IN THE OPERATING BUDGET? MM-HMM
NO, IT SHOULD HAVE GONE THROUGH CAPITAL.
IT WASN'T IN THE CAPITAL BUDGET.
NO, IT'S IN THE OPERATING BUDGET.
SO BECAUSE IT WAS RESERVED, IT SHOULD HAVE BEEN RESTRICTED AT THE END OF THE YEAR.
SO RESERVED AND RESTRICTED OR DIFFERENT.
WELL, YEAH, THAT I'M DEFINITELY, I AM, THERE'S A LINE IN OUR BALANCE SHEET RESTRICTED FOR COURTHOUSE.
SO AT THAT POINT, ROLLING UP INTO THE UNRESTRICTED FUND BALANCE, IT SHOULD HAVE BEEN THEN RESTRICTED FOR COURTHOUSE EACH YEAR.
IT SHOULD, IT DIDN'T BELONG IN THERE IN THE FIRST PLACE.
WHAT WOULD BE THE IMPETUS FOR IT TO HAVE BEEN PUT THERE? DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA? CAN YOU GUESS AT THAT? I, WELL,
I CAN TELL YOU THAT, BUT I DON'T KNOW.
WELL, I COULD TELL YOU THAT WAS NO, CERTAINLY BECAUSE BASICALLY, UM, UM, ROBERTA, UM, IN FACT, I EVEN REMEMBER CALLING YOU BECAUSE THERE, THERE WAS, THERE WAS, UM, YOU KNOW, ON THE PHONE, UM, BECAUSE, UM, ROBERTA, UM, INDICATED TO ME ONE YEAR, OH, WE HAVE A LOT OF, YOU KNOW, FUND BALANCE AND YOU KNOW, THE FUND BALANCE WAS WAY TOO HIGH.
THIS IS MY REC, THIS IS ALL RECOLLECTION.
AND I THINK SHE USED, WE SAID, OH, DO YOU KNOW WHAT, INSTEAD OF, UH, YOU KNOW, HAVING LIKE A BIG, YOU KNOW, VERY LARGE TAX, YOU KNOW, DECREASE BECAUSE SHE THOUGHT IT WAS, I THINK IT WASN'T GONNA COMPLY WITH THE FUND BALANCE POLICY OR SOMETHING.
THEN WE SAID, OKAY, WE'RE GONNA RESERVE IT, YOU KNOW, UH, FOR THE COURT.
UM, THAT WAS BASICALLY, YOU KNOW, WHAT, WHAT WE WANTED.
BUT I STILL BELIEVE THAT YOU MEAN IT WAS A PLOY THAT SHE SUGGESTED IT WAS NOT A TAKE MONEY OUT OF THE FUND BALANCE TO RESERVE FOR THE COURT.
THAT THEN SHE, YOU KNOW, SHE FELT THAT, YOU KNOW, WE HAD ALL THIS EXTRA MONEY AND UH, YOU KNOW, THE FUND BALANCE.
THERE WERE SOME YEARS THAT THERE WAS A LOT, THERE WERE SOME YEARS THAT IT WAS, UH, YOU KNOW, A LITTLE, I, MY RECOLLECTION IS THAT THERE WAS ONE YEAR THAT SHE, OR, UH, A FEW YEARS AND SHE SAID, OH, THE FUND BALANCE WAS, YOU KNOW, REALLY HIGH AND, UM, AND SHE RECOMMENDED THAT WE PUT MONEY, WE EITHER, UM, RESERVE IT OR, YOU KNOW, OR HAVE LIKE SIGNIFICANT, UH, REDUCTIONS IN TAXES, WHICH, YOU KNOW, WE DIDN'T THINK, UH, YOU KNOW, WOULD'VE MADE SENSE THAT WE BASICALLY, UM, AT THAT POINT, UM, PUT IT IN THE COURTHOUSE RESERVE.
BUT THEN A FOLLOWING YEAR WE BASICALLY SAID, YOU KNOW, WE WOULD RATHER KEEP THE TAXES LOWER.
AND, YOU KNOW, IT WASN'T WHAT YEAR WAS THAT? UH, I FORGET, I FORGET THE YEAR, BUT, BUT I, I STILL THINK THAT DOESN'T MAKE SENSE.
I STILL THINK WE DID THE RIGHT, MAKES SENSE.
I STILL THINK WE DID THE RIGHT THING BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, THE, YOU KNOW, IF WE COULD KEEP THE TAXES LOWER AND WE'D, YOU KNOW, WE COULD ALWAYS BORROW, UM, FOR, UM, YOU KNOW, FOR THE COURT, FOR THE COURTHOUSE IF WE, IF, UH, WHEN WE EVENTUALLY WOULD WE COME UP WITH A PLAN.
UM, SO I I, I PERSONALLY FEEL THAT WE DID THE RIGHT THING BY GIVING PEOPLE, UM, HAVING, YOU KNOW, LESSER TAXES FOR A NUMBER OF YEARS.
AND, UM, WELL, SO DO I RECALL, YOU SAID AT ONE POINT WE WEREN'T DOING ANYTHING WITH IT ANYWAY.
WE WEREN'T DOING ANYTHING WITH IT.
WHY DON'T THAT A FEELING? WHY NOT RESTRICT IT THAT? SO WE WE STILL AREN'T DOING ANYTHING.
SO I THINK PAUL'S POINT WAS WE WEREN'T SPENDING IT ON THE PROJECT.
SO HE WANTED TO USE, YOU WANTED IT'S MONEY TO USE, BUT THEN YOU DON'T PUT IT IN THE BUDGET.
I'M JUST SAYING THAT'S, YOU CAN'T DO, THAT'S, BUT YOU KNOW, BUT AGAIN, THAT'S WHY I REALLY DON'T WANNA HAVE THE SAME AUDITORS BECAUSE I BASICALLY FEEL THAT THE AUDITOR, THEY,
[00:45:01]
BECAUSE EVERYBODY KNOW, BUT IT WASN'T, I DON'T HIDE STUFF.THE AUDITORS HAD A CONVERSATION, LEMME SAY, BUT SINCE YOU INVOKED MY NAME PAUL, WITH THE COMPTROLLER, WE DID HAVE A DISCUSSION ABOUT USING FUND BALANCE TO BRING DOWN A TAX RATE.
UNBEKNOWNST TO US, THAT FUND BALANCE WAS ARTIFICIALLY HIGH BECAUSE YOU DID NOT RESTRICT WHAT WE VOTED ON.
SO YES, USING FUND BALANCE, THAT'S, THAT'S NOT ALL THAT UNCOMMON TO BRING DOWN A TAX RATE.
BUT THAT DIDN'T MEAN THAT WE THOUGHT, OKAY, THAT'S USING UP THE COURTHOUSE MONEY.
AND IF THAT WAS THE CONVERSATION THAT YOU HAD ROBERT ROBERTA THE FIRST YEAR AS TO LET'S TAKE COURTHOUSE.
'CAUSE I WAS NOT PART OF THAT.
I THINK I HAD PART OF THE COURTHOUSE, EXCUSE ME, JUST A MOMENT, JUST A MOMENT.
YOU'LL SEE WHERE I'M GOING WITH THIS.
IF THAT WAS YOUR DISCUSSION THE FIRST YEAR, LET'S USE THE COURTHOUSE MONEY THAT FIRST YEAR TO BRING DOWN THE TAX RATE.
WHY THE SECOND YEAR DID YOU PUT IT BACK IN THE BUDGET TO RESERVE FOR COURTHOUSE? WHY DIDN'T YOU JUST SAY, WE'RE GONNA JUST INFLATE THE, THE, UH, THE BUDGET SO THAT WE'LL HAVE A FUND BALANCE? WHY DID YOU HAVE TO SAY RESERVE FOR COURTHOUSE FOR FOUR YEARS LATER? BECAUSE BASICALLY THAT PAGE WAS, UH, WRITTEN BY, UH, THE PREVIOUS, YOU KNOW, CONTROLLER AND I DIDN'T, AND YOU KNOW, NO, I'M TELLING YOU THAT THAT PAGE IN, YOU KNOW, IN THE PROPOSED BUDGET, THAT'S THE, AND I DIDN'T CATCH, I DIDN'T CA FEEL THAT I DIDN'T CA YOU KNOW, WE DISCUSSED THE BUDGET.
UM, I DIDN'T BELIEVE THAT, UM, THERE WAS ANYTHING WRONG BECAUSE WHEN I, WHEN I SPEAK TO THE CONTROLLER AND THEY TELL US THAT AND, AND WE COME UP WITH AN AGREEMENT AND UM, YOU KNOW, I'M NOT, AND THEY WORD IT ONE WAY OR THE OTHER.
I DIDN'T, I DIDN'T, I DIDN'T CATCH THAT.
BUT, YOU KNOW, YOU BASICALLY AS LIAISON TO THE CARROLL.
I BELIEVE YOU KNEW JUST LIKE I DID.
AND WHAT IS YOUR BASIS FOR THAT? WE'VE HAD PHONE CONVERSATIONS.
YOU ARE THE, YOU ARE THE CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER AND THE LIAISON TO THE CONTROLLER.
YOU ARE THE CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER, YOU'RE THE LIAISON.
YOU HAVE THE MOST, MOST INTERACTION WITH CONTROLLERS.
YOU HAVE A LOT OF INTERACTION WITH THE BUDGET OFFICER ALSO.
AND THAT'S, UNLESS YOU DON'T WANT, AND WE DON'T SEE THE BUDGET UNTIL OCTOBER 30TH.
I JUST WANNA SET THE RECORD STRAIGHT REGARDING THE AUDITORS.
THEY DID HAVE A CONVERSATION WITH THE, THE FORMER, I'M SORRY, EVERYBODY COMPTROLLER THAT'S LISTEN, WAIT, WAIT.
CAN YOU GUYS CAN MOVE BACK UP THE MICROPHONES BECAUSE YOU GUYS ARE TALKING TOO CLOSE TO THE MICROPHONES AND IT DOESN'T COME ACROSS CLEAR.
SO IF YOU COULD JUST COME BACK TO JUST A LITTLE BIT SO WE CAN BE CLEAR AND HEAR YOU.
THE AUDITORS DID HAVE A CONVERSATION WITH THE FORMER COMPTROLLER, AND I BELIEVE THEY SAID YOU WERE IN THE ROOM AND SAID THAT THAT WAS NOT BEST PRACTICES AND THAT YOU COULD NOT DO THAT.
AND THAT'S WHAT THEY TOLD ME TOO.
I WELL, THEY, NO, YOU SAY IF THEY TOLD YOU THEN YOU KNEW THAT WAS LAST WEEK.
NOW YOU SEE, LET ME, LEMME SAY, LEMME SAY SOMETHING.
I BASICALLY, UH, HAVE SAID TO YOU, AND I'VE SAID TO THE PREVIOUS CONTROLLER, AND I SAID TO THE AUDITORS, I WANNA DO WHAT'S RIGHT FOR THE TOWN.
THAT I'M NOT GONNA PLAY POLITICS WITH THE BUDGET.
I'M NOT, I WILL NEVER BE NOT TRANSPARENT.
I'LL NEVER DO SOMETHING IN A WAY THAT'S, YOU KNOW, TRICKY OR THAT PUTS THE TOWN IN, IN A HARMFUL, UH, SITUATION.
BECAUSE I BASICALLY WANNA MAKE SURE THAT THE TOWN IS WELL RUN AND IS RUN HONESTLY AND EFFICIENTLY AND IS DOING THINGS LONG TERM THAT MAKES SENSE FOR THE TOWN.
IF IF THE AUDITORS HAD TOLD ME, UM, THAT SOMETHING WAS WRONG OR SHOULDN'T HAVE BEEN DONE, I WOULD'VE IMMEDIATELY, UM, UH, MADE CHANGES TO WHAT I HAD PLANNED TO DO.
AND I KNOW ELLEN WAS IN A ROOM WITH ME AND THE AUDITORS ONE YEAR BECAUSE I, I DID HAVE SOME CONCERNS WITH, UM, UH, WITH, WITH A PROPOSED BUDGET, NOT YOUR BUDGET, BUT WHEN ROBERTA WAS THE CONTROLLER AND I ASKED THE, I ASKED THE AUDITORS, THIS WAS SEPARATE FROM THE, FROM THIS WAS SEPARATE MEETING FROM, UM, OUR, UM, REGULAR AUDIT.
I, HE ASKED THEM TO, AND WE HAD TO PAY EXTRA FOR THIS.
I SAID, THIS IS WHAT, YOU KNOW, I WAS PLANNING TO DO.
WE, WE REALLY DIDN'T, WE HAD LIKE ALL THESE DIFFERENT SCENARIOS.
I SAID, DOES THIS MAKE ANY, UH, SENSE? AND THEY SIGNED OFF ON ONE OF THE BUDGETS BEFORE, UM, BEFORE IT WAS FILED WITH THE BOARD.
AND UH, DO YOU REMEMBER THAT MEETING? WELL, WHAT I REMEMBER IS I WAS NOT ON THE BOARD AT THE TIME AND I WAS ELECTED, NEWLY ELECTED AND YOU OFFERED TO HAVE ME, YOU WERE APPOINTED OR ELECTED? NO, I WAS NEWLY ELECTED AND YOU OFFERED TO HAVE ME SIT IN ON A, A
[00:50:01]
MEETING AND I SAID, SURE, I REALLY DON'T KNOW MUCH ABOUT THE TOWN BUDGETING PROCESS, SO I WOULD LIKE TO LISTEN IN.SO I WAS NOT AN ACTIVE PARTICIPANT BECAUSE IT WAS THE 11TH HOUR.
IT WAS JUST BEFORE THE BUDGET WAS PUBLISHED THAT I WAS GOING TO HAVE TO LIVE WITH AS A, UM, BEING ON THE TOWN COUNCIL AND I WANTED TO OBSERVE.
SO I, I HAD NO KNOW PRIOR KNOWLEDGE.
SO I, YOU KNOW, MY BEING THERE WASN'T SUBSTANTIVE IN ANY WAY.
I AGREE I WAS THERE, BUT THAT WAS THE CIRCUMSTANCE UNDER IT.
SO I JUST WANTED TO CLARIFY THAT.
BUT I THINK, YOU KNOW, PEOPLE HAVE TO REALIZE I'M NOT AN ACCOUNTANT AND I DON'T KNOW, UM, UH, YOU KNOW, I I I BASICALLY RELY ON EITHER THE CONTROLLER OR ON OUR AUDITORS.
AND IF THE CONTROLLER OR AUDITORS ARE TELLING ME THAT A BUDGET IS THAT AS PRESENTED IS BEING PRESENTED CORRECTLY, I BASICALLY TAKE THEM AT, AT THEIR WORD.
SO THE REASON I ASKED YOU TO BE THERE, AND I THINK AT THAT I INVITED OTHER ME, ALL THE BOARD MEMBERS, UH, TO ATTEND.
BUT YOU WERE THE ONLY ONE WHO AT THAT POINT, YOU KNOW, WAS ABLE TO, UM, UM, YOU KNOW, TO ATTEND IS, UM, I WANTED, YOU KNOW, I BASICALLY WANTED TO GET ADVICE FROM OTHER PEOPLE BEFORE I SUBMITTED MY BUDGET AS TO WHAT WAS, YOU KNOW, APPROPRIATE AND WHAT'S NOT APPROPRIATE.
AND, UM, THEY MADE IT SOUND LIKE EVERYTHING WAS FINE, YOU KNOW, AND I BASICALLY, YOU KNOW, BELIEVED IT.
UM, AND I STILL BELIEVED THAT WE DID NOTHING, UM, YOU KNOW, WRONG.
AND I, I, I STILL THINK THAT, YOU KNOW, FROM THE STANDPOINT OF TAXPAYERS, IT'S ALWAYS MAKES SENSE TO, UM, KEEP THE TAXES DOWN AS MUCH AS WE COULD.
UM, FISCALLY PRUDENTLY, UH, DO, AND THEY SIGNED OFF AND SAID THIS WAS, YOU KNOW, A GOOD BUDGET AND THAT'S OKAY.
BUT, BUT IF YOU'RE GONNA TELL THE REST OF THE TOWN BOARD THAT THERE IS A RESERVE FUND FOR THE COURTHOUSE AND THEY'RE VOTING ON THAT BUDGET, THAT HAS TO BE TRUE.
BUT I, I'M SIX YEARS, SIX YEARS IN A ROW, I'M, I'M ALMOST POSITIVE.
I, I BELIEVE, AND THIS IS MY, MY FEELING, I BELIEVE THAT YOU, UM, BECAUSE FRANCIS, YOU'RE, YOU'RE VERY DETAIL ORIENTED.
I BELIEVE THAT YOU KNEW, UM, WHAT WAS HAPPENING.
NOW YOU COULD SAY YOU DIDN'T, I BELIEVE YOU DID KNOW, BUT YOU KNOW WHAT, YOU KNOW, YOU, YOU DISAGREE.
I JUST, YOU KNOW WHAT THE THING SAID SOMETHING.
I'M SORRY, BUT WHAT? BUT YOU KEEP SAYING THAT FRANCIS KNEW FRANCIS KNEW.
HOLD ON, HOLD ON FRAN, HOLD ON, FRAN.
BUT YOU KEEP SAYING HE KNEW YOU KNEW, HE KNEW, YOU AGREED THAT YOU THINK THAT HE KNEW, AND HE'S SO DETAIL ORIENTED WITH FRANCIS BEING SO DETAIL ORIENTED.
DO YOU THINK THAT'S GONNA GO ON FOR SIX YEARS BEING WHO HE IS? HE DOESN'T, BECAUSE I THINK HE PROBABLY AGREED WITH, I THINK, I THINK, I THINK, AND AND THEN ONE OTHER POINT, BECAUSE I, ONE OTHER POINT I WANNA MAKE YOU KEEP MENTIONING THAT TRANSPARENCY AND YOU DID THINGS RIGHT AND EVERYTHING.
THEN WHY DID YOU FIGHT US ON THE, ON THE FORENSIC AUDIT? YOU GAVE US SO MUCH GRIEF TRYING TO DO THE FORENSIC AUDIT.
IF YOU SO PRIDEFUL IN THE BUDGET THAT YOU GAVE TO US AND THAT, AND, AND YOU KNOW THAT YOU DID EVERYTHING CORRECTLY AND YOU FEEL YOU DID NOTHING WRONG, THEN WHY WERE YOU FIGHTING US WHEN WE SAID WE NEEDED TO DO A FORENSIC AUDIT? YOU, YOU, YOU HELD IT OVER.
YOU HELD IT OVER BECAUSE YOU WAITED AS MUCH AS BECAUSE, BECAUSE I WANTED, BUT, BUT BEFORE, I'LL EXPLAIN.
SO THEN YOU MISS SPEAK AND YOU SAY ONE THING THAT I BELIEVE EVERY DID EVERYTHING RIGHT? SO THEN WHEN WE TRY TO PROVE THAT YOU DID EVERYTHING RIGHT, YOU FIGHT US ON IT BECAUSE YOU DON'T WANNA DO A FORENSIC AUDIT.
NO, BECAUSE I MEAN, WE, WE, WE, I MEAN WE, I MEAN, COME ON.
I MEAN, I JUST FEEL LIKE THERE'S, THERE'S A LOT OF, THERE'S A LOT OF WINDOW DRESSING.
NO, THERE'S NOT, THERE'S NO WINDOW DRESSING.
I I BASICALLY, THERE'S A LOT OF FALSE NARRATIVE.
THERE'S NO, BASICALLY THERE'S A LOT OF FALSE NARRATIVE GOING BACK AND FORTH HERE.
'CAUSE YOU KEEP SAYING ONE THING, BUT BUT YOU SAY SOMETHING DIFFERENT THAN ANOTHER SENTENCE.
AND, AND, AND, AND RECORD SHOWS THAT YOU WERE FIGHTING US ON IT.
NO, YOU'RE NOT LETTING ME SPEAK.
YOU SAID COUNCIL, YOU SAID COUNCILMAN, SHE KNEW THAT THE KNEW THAT THE BUDGET KNEW THAT THE FUNDS WOULD NOT RE RESERVED AND, AND HIM BEING SO DETAIL ORIENTED, YOUR WORDS, THEN HE THEN, YOU KNOW, HE WOULD'VE BROUGHT IT TO OUR ATTENTION.
NO, LET ME JUST SAY SOMETHING ABOUT, ABOUT BEFORE UNDER THAT HE'S FLUID.
OKAY, LET ME JUST SAY ABOUT THE FORENSIC AUDIT.
I INDICATED THAT THE REASON I, NO, CHRIS FRANCIS, THE, THE, THE REASON I VOTED AGAINST WAS NOT FOR, UH, THE FORENSIC AUDIT WAS BECAUSE IT WENT UP TO 2023.
AND I BELIEVE THAT IF WE'RE GONNA BE DOING FORENSIC AUDITS, IT SHOULD HAVE INCLUDED 24.
AND IT SHOULD BE DONE IF, IF YOU BELIEVE IN FORENSIC AUDITS, I BELIEVE THAT.
I WANNA SEE IF WE'RE, I, I WANT, UH, VERY CLEAR IF EVERY ANYTHING THAT THEY FIND THAT THEY THINK IS DONE, UM, YOU KNOW, UH, UH, YOU KNOW, WRONG.
I WANNA MAKE SURE THAT IT'S NOT BEING DONE.
[00:55:01]
THAT IT'S BEEN CORRECT.IT'S BEEN CORRECTED IN 2025 AND 26.
SO I WANTED THE, UH, SO I HAVE NO PROBLEM WITH FORENSIC AUDITS.
IN FACT, UH, WHEN YOU'RE DOING, UH, WITH THIS AUDIT THAT THE BOARD IS GONNA BE VOTING ON, UM, I THINK THAT YOU SHOULD ADD, UM, A FORENSIC ORDER FOR 2025 AND 2026.
LOGICAL, IF I MAY, CAN I, CAN I RESPOND IF THERE WERE TWO LOGICAL REASONS THAT WE DISAGREED WITH YOU? ONE IS THAT WE DIDN'T HAVE THE, IF I'M, AND CORRECT ME IF I'M WRONG.
ONE, WE DIDN'T HAVE THE FULL YEAR'S NUMBER TO EVEN CONS, NUMBERS TO EVEN CONSIDER ANOTHER YEAR.
BUT ALSO IT REALLY MADE SENSE TO FINISH OFF, WE ARE STARTING WITH A NEW CONTROLLER.
AND TO HAVE THAT, THAT START FRESH, AM I WRONG? AM I FIRST FULL YEAR WILL BE 25.
SO I DON'T EVEN HAVE A FULL SET OF BOOKS UNDER MYSELF FOR AUDIT.
SO, SO, AND WHY DIDN'T YOU HAVE, IT WASN'T LOGICAL TO INCLUDE IT FOR THE TWO REASONS, RIGHT? NO, BUT I'M SAYING I BELIEVE THAT, BUT YEAH, I KNOW WHAT YOU BELIEVE.
WE BELIEVE IN FORENSIC AUDITS.
IT SHOULD BE DONE CONSTANTLY AND EVERY YEAR.
WELL, I'M NOT ARGUING THAT, THAT, THAT, BUT IN JA ONE, YOU'VE BEEN IN OFFICE FOR 30, WHAT, FOUR YEARS? WHY DID NATIONAL I DIDN'T EVEN KNOW WHAT A FORENSIC AUDIT WAS UNTIL, UH, IT WAS BROUGHT UP.
SO THE THING IS, I, I'M NOT SO SOMEBODY DOES, BUT YOU KNOW WHAT, I'VE ALWAYS, I'VE, I'VE ALWAYS ADVOCATED, UM, UH, INTERNAL REVIEWS AND I, I WELCOME, UM, CONSTRUCTIVE FEEDBACK.
AND I THINK THE FORENSIC AUDIT, YOU KNOW, I'M GONNA BE MEETING WITH 'EM, UH, YOU KNOW, THIS WEEK AND, YOU KNOW, I'M LOOKING FORWARD TO IT.
AND, YOU KNOW, I'M, I'M LOOKING FORWARD TO THEIR, UH, CONSTRUCTIVE, UM, YOU KNOW, FEEDBACK AND SUGGESTIONS AND WE'LL, WE'LL LEARN FROM THEIR RECOMMENDATIONS.
YOU KNOW, THE THING IS, I'M NOT, I, I'M NOT AFRAID OF CRITICISM.
I, I WELCOME IT AND I, I'M NOT AFRAID TO, UH, CHANGE OUR, UH, DOING THINGS, YOU KNOW, DIFFERENTLY.
AND AGAIN, IN THE FUTURE, IF, UH, UH, THERE IS SOMETHING RESERVED, I'LL MAKE SURE THAT IF IT'S UNRESERVED, THAT EVERYBODY IN THE BOARD, UM, YOU KNOW, AND THE PUBLIC KNOWS THAT, THAT WE'RE, WE'RE NOT GONNA CONTINUE TO RESERVE IT.
SO, YOU KNOW, I MEAN, WE WILL LEARN FROM THIS EXPERIENCE.
UNDER THE WATCHFUL EYE OF OUR CONTROLLER.
NEVER FIND, I WANNA MAKE ONE LINE COURTHOUSE UNDER MY BUDGET.
WHAT'S THAT? WHAT? I SAID YOU'LL NEVER FIND THAT LINE UNDER ONE OF MY BUDGETS.
RIGHT, BECAUSE YOU DON'T THINK IT'S FAIR TO TAX THE PEOPLE TWICE FOR A COURTHOUSE.
SO THEN WE, THAT'S WHY WE HAVE A NEW CONTROLLER.
YOU'VE BEEN SAYING OVER AGAIN THAT YOU THINK THAT I KNEW.
I SPOKE LAST WEEK TO OUR AUDITOR WHO YOU DON'T WANT TO USE AGAIN, AND I CAN UNDERSTAND WHY.
AND THE CONTROLLER SPOKE TO HIM AS WELL, AND HE ADVISED AGAINST DOING WHAT YOU DID.
HE SAID IT WASN'T BEST PRACTICES.
HE TOLD YOU, BUT HE DIDN'T TELL YOU.
HE DIDN'T TELL ME UNTIL WHAT I ASKED.
I DON'T REMEMBER HIM TELLING ME, LIAISON, YOU, YOU KNOW, YOU KEEP SAYING THAT AS LIAISON.
MAYBE HE TOLD YOU, YOU DIDN'T TELL ME.
WELL, YOU'RE GOING BACK AND FORTH.
THIS IS WHAT YOU JUST SAID YOU DID.
CAN WE, UH, I, I JUST HAVE ONE QUESTION.
AS A HOMEOWNER, HOW WILL THAT GET REPLENISHED? WHAT'S THAT? WILL THE 39 MILLION, HOW DOES IT GET REPLENISHED? LET'S ASK, LET'S HEAR FROM OUR CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER.
I'M ASKING AS A STRAIGHT HOMEOWNER, $32 MILLION.
THAT WAS FORTUNATELY, UM, RESERVED.
SO NOT ALL OF IT WAS TAKEN, BUT IT'S, UH, IT'S ABOUT $32 MILLION, LET'S SAY AFTER OUR CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER.
YOUR TAXES WOULD'VE GONE UP MORE IF WE HADN'T USED IT TO KEEP THE TAXES, YOU KNOW, DOWN.
SO I DON'T, THERE'S NOTHING, YOU KNOW, BASICALLY IF I DON'T HAVE NO IDEA HOW LONG IT'S GONNA TAKE TO DO A COURTHOUSE, I MEAN, IT COULD BE, IT COULD BE A YEAR, IT COULD BE FIVE YEARS, IT COULD BE 10 YEARS.
WE HAVE NO IDEA BECAUSE WE, WE DON'T HAVE IT.
NOBODY ON THE TOWN BOARD HAS COMMITTED TO, UM, TO A PLAN FOR, FOR THE COURTHOUSE.
RIGHT NOW WE HAVE SOME CONCEPTS, BUT WE'VE BEEN TALKING ABOUT THIS FOR OVER, PROBABLY OVER A DECADE.
SO THE THING IS, WHEN WE AGREE ON, UM, A COURTHOUSE, WE'LL, WE HAVE TO REACH OUT TO THE VILLAGES BECAUSE THE VILLAGES ARE GONNA BE, UM, ABSORBING VILLAGE RESIDENTS ARE GONNA BE ABSORBING PART OF THE, UM, PART OF THE COURSE OF, UH, YOU KNOW, THE COURTHOUSE AS, AS UNINCORPORATED GREENBURG RESIDENTS WILL DO.
AND THERE WILL BE A REFERENDUM, UM, AND, UH, WE WILL HAVE TO GO TO BOND AND, UM, AND WHATEVER, UM, IT IS, WE'LL, WE WILL ASK THE PUBLIC IF THEY WOULD, UH, WOULD SUPPORT THE PLAN.
WE HAD THE $30 MILLION, $39 MILLION
[01:00:01]
WOULD WE HAVE TO GO TO BOND? NO, NO.YOU KNOW, I'M, I MUST SAY THAT, THAT WE DO KNOW THAT THE NUMBERS ARE IN EXCESS OF $39 MILLION.
AND AS THE TIME GOES ON, IT GETS MORE EXPENSIVE.
SO PUTTING THE MONEY ASIDE IS, IS REALLY, IT SEEMED TO ME TO BE VERY SMART TO PUT THAT MONEY ASIDE BECAUSE THEN WE WOULDN'T HAVE TO ASK THE VILLAGES TO, UM, THEY, THEY'D ALREADY PAID.
SO WE WOULDN'T HAVE TO HAVE THAT CONVERSATION.
WE CAN SAY, HEY, YOU KNOW, YOU CAN COMMENT ON THE PLANS THAT YOU'VE BEEN PAYING FOR ALL ALONG SO THAT WE CAN HAVE A, UH, COLLABORATIVE, UM, A COLLABORATIVE DISCUSSION ABOUT THE COURTHOUSE.
BUT IT NOT KNOWING, KNOWING THAT WE NEED A NEW COURTHOUSE, KNOWING THAT WE NEED A, A POLICE AND COURTHOUSE COMPLEX, IDEALLY, UM, IT, IT WAS NOT HURTFUL TO PUT THAT MONEY ASIDE.
SO TO, TO THEN USE YOUR LOGIC OF SAYING THAT WE DIDN'T KNOW WHEN WE WERE GOING TO USE IT.
SO WE MIGHT AS WELL USE THE MONEY TO DEPRESS.
I DON'T, I'M NOT SAYING THAT YOUR INTENT WAS NEFARIOUS.
I'M NOT SAYING THAT YOUR, THAT YOU WEREN'T TRYING TO DO SOMETHING FOR OUR CONSTITUENTS, BUT THE WAY IN WHICH IT WAS NOT REALLY AS ABOVE ABOVE BOARD AS YOU WOULD, ONE, WOULD LIKE TO BELIEVE THAT IT WAS, LET'S JUST CLARIFY ONE THING.
WAIT, THAT JUST FOR THE VILLAGE RESIDENTS, THEY ONLY PAID IN FOR THIS 39 MILLION, 1.5% OF THAT THEY DIDN'T.
SO I DON'T WANT THEM, THE VILLAGE RESIDENTS TO THINK THAT THEY'RE MILLIONS AND MILLIONS OF DOLLARS THAT THEY PAID IN, OR NO, THAT'S NOT THE CASE BECAUSE OF THE PROPORTION OF THE BUDGETS.
BUT, YOU KNOW, ONE OF THE, WHEN WE TALKING ABOUT RESERVING FUNDS FOR FUTURE USES REMINDS ME OF THE TIF DISTRICT.
UM, I REMEMBER WHEN ERIC, UH, ZINGER, YOU KNOW, LIVED IN THE TOWN AND YOU KNOW, HE WOULD SAY, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE MILLIONS OF DOLLARS IN THE TIF DISTRICT.
IT'S BEEN IN THE TIF, BEEN IN THE TIF DISTRICT TO BE USING FOR FLOOD CONTROL OR, UM, UM, IT'S BEEN THERE FOR PROBABLY 50 YEARS, 40, 50 YEARS.
WHAT I THINK, WHAT IS IT PROBABLY WE HAVE SPENT SOME OF THAT MONEY VERY LITTLE.
IT'S WHAT IS ABOUT 7 MILLION NOW.
I DON'T KNOW OFF THE TOP OF MY HEAD.
BUT IT'S, UH, I THINK IT'S LIKE, SO WE, BUT YOU SAID YOU, I'M SORRY, YOU'RE SAYING THAT YOU, WE SPENT IT ON FLOOD CONTROL AND SO FORTH? NO, WE SPENT, WE SPENT ALMOST LIKE NOTHING OVER, OVER THE YEARS.
BUT IS THAT WHAT YOU WERE SAYING? WHAT THE ALMOST NOTHING WAS SPENT ON? NO, I SAID NO.
I THINK THAT THE VILLAGE OF ELMSFORD WANTED A, SO THEY, THEY WANTED SOMETHING.
IT WAS A VERY MINOR, UM, AMOUNT.
THIS WAS MAYBE THREE, FOUR YEARS AGO.
BUT BESIDES THAT, I DON'T REMEMBER SPENDING A LOT OF MONEY, UH, FOR THE T TIF DISTRICT.
SO YOU HAVE MONEY, UM, THAT IS RESERVED, UM, FOR A SPECIAL DISTRICT THAT THE TIF DISTRICT THAT COULD ONLY BE USED IN THAT AREA.
UM, AND WHEN THAT WAS, THE TIF DISTRICT WAS CREATED BY MY, MY PREDECESSOR, MY, UH, PREDECESSOR BY TONY VETERAN, WHO WAS SUPERVISOR AT THAT TIME, TIME THEY PUT MONEY IN RESERVE.
AND, UM, AND BASICALLY THAT MONEY HASN'T BEEN SPENT, IT HASN'T BEEN USED FOR THE PUBLIC, REALLY FOR THE PUBLIC INTEREST.
BUT I SEE THE COURTHOUSE AS BEING SOMETHING DIFFERENT.
NO, NO, I'M JUST SAYING IF YOU'RE NOT GONNA USE THE MONEY, WHY, UM, WHY IF, BUT CAN, CAN I MAKE A DISTINCTION? WHAT WE ARE, CAN I MAKE THE DISTINCTION COURTHOUSE TIME WE USE IT.
THE, THE MEETING THE DISTRICT IS SOMETHING THAT WILL COST MULTIPLE MILLIONS, EVEN MAYBE IN EXCESS A BILLION DOLLAR BECAUSE IT'S SO COMPLEX.
IT'S AN IDEAL THAT WOULD HELP SOLVE A TRAFFIC ISSUE THAT WE ARE ALL, EVERYONE IS CONCERNED ABOUT AND HAS BEEN FOR YEARS.
NOTHING WRONG WITH THAT CONCERN, BUT I SEE THE COURTHOUSE AS A BUIL BUILDING THAT NO LONGER, UH, A, A FUNCTION AND A BUILDING THAT HAS MAJOR DEFICITS TO IT AND THAT NO LONGER SERVES THE PURPOSE THAT IT WAS BUILT FOR TO THE EXTENT THAT IT WAS BUILT FOR.
I SEE THAT INFRASTRUCTURE AS BEING MUCH DIFFERENT THAN A PROPOSED, UH, SOLUTION TO SOMETHING THAT IS STILL FUNCTIONS IN A WAY THAT MIGHT NOT BE IDEAL, UM, IN TERMS OF THE ROADWAY, BUT
[01:05:01]
WAS SO COSTLY THAT WE COULD NEVER SAVE THE KIND OF MONIES THAT, THAT WE NEEDED TO SAVE.SO THERE WAS SOME, THERE WAS A LITTLE BIT OF LOGIC IN THAT DIS IN HAVING THAT DISCUSSION ABOUT, AND WE HAD MAJOR DISCUSSION ABOUT WHAT DO WE DO WITH THE, THERE WAS DISCUSSION BEFORE I WAS ON THE BOARD, UM, PRIMARILY ABOUT WHAT COULD BE DONE FOR WITH IT.
UH, THE COURTHOUSE IS, IS A, IS A, A STRUCTURE THAT IS, HAS DEFICITS LIKE ELEVATORS THAT WE WE'RE HAVING TO INVEST IN AIR CONDITIONING THAT WE HAVE TO INVEST IN ON, ON, ON TEMPORARY FIXES AND NOT COMPLETE FIXES.
AND WE'RE PUTTING BAD MONEY, YOU KNOW, GOOD MONEY AFTER BAD TO, TO TRY TO KEEP IT OPERATIONAL RATHER THAN, YOU KNOW, COMING UP WITH A WHOLE NEW IDEA THAT WOULD BE GREAT, BUT IS NOT THE SAME.
BUT YOU KNOW WHAT, ONE THING, JUST THE FINAL THING ABOUT THE FINAL THING ABOUT THE COURTHOUSE IS NO, I JUST WANTED, JUST SAY THE FINAL THING WITH THE COURTHOUSE IS I BELIEVE THAT WE NEED A NEW COURTHOUSE.
BUT I ALSO BELIEVE THAT THE LEAST EXPENSIVE OPTION IN MY OPINION WOULD BE, UM, WE'RE NOT HAVING THAT DISCUSSION NOW.
THAT, THAT REALLY DOESN'T REALLY DOESN'T, THAT'S NOT GERMANE TO THE BUDGET.
BUT I THINK THAT WHAT WE SHOULD DO IS WE SHOULD LOOK FOR, UM, A FREE STANDING BUILDING.
WE KNOW WHERE YOU FEEL SOMEWHERE IN THE TOWN, UH, IN THE TOWN AND EVERY DAY WHEN I GO HOME, I'M ALWAYS DRAW WHEN I'M DRIVING AROUND, I'M LOOKING FOR VACANT BUILDINGS.
I MIGHT BE SUITABLE, WHETHER IT A FREE CALL, WHETHER IT'S FREE FREESTANDING BUILDING, OR IF IT'S PART OF A COMPLEX, IT DOESN'T MATTER.
IT'S STILL GONNA BE, I THINK WE COULD DO A COST TO THE TOWN.
I THINK IT'S GONNA, I THINK WE COULD DO IT MUCH, MUCH CHEAPER THAN, SO WE CAN DISCUSS THAT IN A WORK SESSION.
RIGHT NOW WE HAVE TO GO INTO EXECUTIVE SESSION.
UM, SO 'CAUSE IT, IT WASN'T ANSWERED.
SO HOW DO YOU PUT THE MONEY BACK? YOU DON'T, YOU DO IT, YOU FINANCE A D YOU HAVE TO RAISE TAXES AT THE SAME TIME OR HAVING TYPICAL 10% INCREASES.
YOU HAVE TO PUT IT ALPHA BOND.
WHERE BEFORE WE WOULD NOT HAVE TO, HAD TO DO THAT BECAUSE IT WAS THE MONEY IN THE BUDGET.
IT'S JUST, IT'S PROBABLY THE MOST DISTURBING THING THAT I'VE EXPERIENCED AS BEING A BOARD MEMBER.
BUT HAVING DEAL WITH, I DO HAVE A QUESTION ABOUT TW THREE SINCE THIS IS A GENDER REVIEW.
UM, BUT IT'S AN EXCELLENT QUESTION.
I STILL HAVE TROUBLE WITH AWARDING A CONTRACT IN MAY OF 2025 TO SOMEBODY FOR TWO POINT, I THINK IT WAS $2.5 MILLION.
AND NOW THEY'RE COME BACK WITH A CHANGE ORDER BASICALLY FOR ANOTHER $2 MILLION ON THAT SAME BID.
THIS IS FOR THIS VERY WELL WHAT'S, WHAT'S WHAT GOING? I ON THE THIRD, OKAY.
PW THREE LAST ITEM ON THE FIFTH PAGE WORDED.
YOU GUYS ARE TALKING TOO CLOSE TO THE MICROPHONES.
YOU GET P YOU GUYS SOUND VERY MUFFLED.
PW THREE, IT'S THE LAST ITEM ON THE 15.
IT DOESN'T SAY IT HERE ON LAST PAGE, BUT IT DOES SAY THE WORD ADDITIONAL FUNDING SO THAT WE'RE, THEY'RE ASKING FOR $2 MILLION MORE IN FUNDING FOR EMERGENCY AND ON-CALL SEWER, WATER AND STREET EXCAVATION, REPAIR AND RESTORATION SERVICES.
BUT WE ONLY AWARDED THAT BID AT THE VERY END OF MAY.
AND I BELIEVE IT WAS FOR $2.4 MILLION.
UH, IF IT WAS REALLY GOING TO BE A $4.4 MILLION PROJECT, IF WE ANTICIPATED THAT FOR THIS YEAR, WE MIGHT HAVE GOTTEN BETTER BIDS FROM OTHER MIN FROM OTHER, UH, COMPANIES.
WELL, YOU HAVE THE COMMISSIONER, COMMISSIONER FOND OF PUBLIC WORKS HAS HIS HAND RAISED, SO HE WOULD LIKE TO ANSWER THAT.
HOW IS EVERYBODY TOO? WE'LL, LET KNOW.
WE JUST DUCKY
UM, SO WE PUT OUT A BID FOR EMERGENCY AND SCHEDULED WORK EACH YEAR.
THIS BID IS DUE TO EXPIRE IN JULY WHEN WE WILL GO BACK OUT TO BID.
THE ISSUE IN PARTICULAR WITH THIS YEAR IS, UH, THE AMOUNT OF DAMAGED DRAINAGE INFRASTRUCTURE WE HAD AND WATER AND SEWER.
UM, WE DON'T KNOW WHAT WE'RE GOING TO RUN INTO ON A DAY TO DAY, YOU KNOW, AND UNFORTUNATELY, YOU KNOW, WITH OUR AGING INFRASTRUCTURE AND THESE INCREDIBLE STORMS WE ARE HAVING IN PARTICULAR JULY 14TH, UH, WE HAD
[01:10:01]
TO DO A LOT OF WORK.IT'S NOT SOMETHING THAT WE HAD PLANNED OUT, BUT IT'S SOMETHING THAT COMES OUR WAY AND WE HAVE TO ADDRESS.
UM, AND WE STILL HAVE OTHER WORK TO DO.
I'M, I CAN'T TELL YOU THAT WE'RE GONNA USE EVERY BIT OF THAT ADDITIONAL FUNDS THAT WE'VE ASKED FOR, BUT WE NEED IT IN THE CERS SO THAT WHEN WE, AND WE HAVE SOME PROJECTS NOW THAT WE HAVE TO GET DONE, BUT IN CASE SOMETHING ELSE HAPPENS, IT'S, MOST OF IT IS UNANTICIPATED WORK.
UM, AND UNFORTUNATELY WE JUST CAN'T PREDICT WHEN THESE THESE THINGS HIT US.
SO IT'S NOT FOR A SPECIFIC, THAT'S THE REASON PROJECT.
IT'S NOT FOR JUST ONE SPECIFIC PROJECT.
AND WHAT HAPPENS TO THE MONIES THAT ARE NOT USED? UM, AND I THINK THAT'S A QUESTION FOR THE CONTROLLER AS WELL.
WELL, WE, AGAIN, ANY FUNDS WE HAVE, AND THE CONTROLLER'S BEEN VERY, UM, STRONG ABOUT THIS.
THEY GO INTO A, A FUND THAT IS NON-SPECIFIC.
LIKE IT'S ON THE SIDE, RIGHT? THE ROADWAY PAGE, RIGHT.
UH, I DON'T KNOW IF THAT'S THE RIGHT WORD.
WHAT'S THE RIGHT WORD, KIMBERLY? WELL, WHY DON'T WE LET 'EM FINISH.
BUT WE, IT GOES INTO A DRAINAGE LINE.
SO IF IT DOESN'T GET, IT'S LIKE THE SIDEWALK LINE.
IF IT DOESN'T GET USED HERE, THE FUNDS DON'T GET USED UP CONSOLIDATED.
AND WE HAVE FUNDS THAT WE COULD USE.
YOU COULD USE IT TOWARDS THE NEXT PROJECT.
SO DO WE HAVE A LIST OF PROJECTS THAT HAVE GET US TO THE ORIGINAL 2.4 MILLION OR SO? YES.
OH, CAN WE, DID YOU EMAIL 'EM TO US? YES.
AND WHAT DOES IT COME OUT TO BE? THE NUMBERS AREN'T ON THERE.
ONLY THE PROJECTS, THE NUMBER, THE NUMBERS ARE NOT THERE.
IT'S, IT'S THE LIST OF PROJECTS.
WELL, WITHOUT COSTS, IT'S MEANINGLESS.
I MEAN, AT SOME POINT WE HAVE INVOICES, RIGHT? I MEAN WE DO, WE I CAN GET YOU ALL THAT.
YEAH, IT JUST, IT JUST DOESN'T, IT DOESN'T SIT WELL, I, I GET IT.
IT DOESN'T SIT WELL, YOU KNOW, SIX MONTHS LATER ASKING FOR ALMOST THE SAME AMOUNT THAT THEY BID.
ALRIGHT, SO LET'S JUST MAKE SURE EVERYTHING'S ABOVE BOARD AND HOPEFULLY WE GET THAT INFORMATION BEFORE TOMORROW NIGHT.
JOY HAD A QUE JOY, DID YOU GET YOUR QUESTION ANSWERED? YES.
I THINK SHE SAID YOU SAID CONSOLIDATED.
YEAH, WE CONSOLIDATE AND CONSOLIDATE THE LINES AND MOVE IT FOR HIM.
SO JOE, IS THIS, UH, MOVE CONCERNS SOMETHING THAT, UH, ARE WE IN COMPLIANCE WITH? UH, YOU KNOW, THE, THE BIDDING LAWS? I'M JUST ASKING IF FRANCIS HAS, UH, I I, YES, WE ARE IN COMPLIANCE WITH THE BIDDING LAWS.
I THINK THIS IS MORE ABOUT IN TERMS OF POLICY AND WHY IT'S HIGHER JUST SIX MONTHS AFTER THE FACT.
SO I THINK IT WOULD BE HELPFUL FOR COMMISSIONER FOND TO PROVIDE THE AMOUNTS FOR THOSE PROJECTS.
AND TO, UH, JUST ALSO THINK ABOUT THIS IN THE FUTURE AS WELL.
IF WE KNOW NOW ALL THESE COSTS ARE, ARE GOING UP GREATLY TO MAYBE, UM, CHANGE THE WAY THE FUTURE RF PROCESS.
AND IDENTIFY IF YOU JUST ONE SEC, I'M SORRY.
JUST IDENTIFY THE PROJECTS THAT HAD TO HAPPEN AS A RESULT OF THAT HUGE RAINSTORM SO THAT WE CAN BREAK THAT UP BECAUSE THAT WOULD BE THE UNANTICIPATED OR, AND OR ANY OTHER ANTI UNANTICIPATED COSTS SO THAT WE CAN SEE HOW THAT BUILT UP THE EXPENDITURES.
SO OUT OF ALL THIS EMERGENCY STUFF, HOW MUCH HAS NOT BEEN SPENT YET OF WHAT'S BEING REQUESTED, RICH? WELL, I'M, I'M, I'M NOT UNDERSTANDING THE QUESTION.
NO, I'M TALKING ABOUT OUT OF THE ORIGINAL TWO AND A HALF MILLION DOLLARS, THAT WAS THE RESPONSE FOR THE BID.
HOW MUCH OF THAT IS CURRENTLY REMAINING BEFORE ADDING THE ADDITIONAL 2 MILLION ONTO? I'LL GET, I'LL GET YOU THOSE NUMBERS BECAUSE, BECAUSE IF THERE'S ONE OF OUR, OUR ENGINEERS PUT TOGETHER A LIST AND WE'LL ATTACH THE NUMBERS.
NO, BECAUSE THE QUESTION I HAVE IS, LET'S SAY IF THERE'S OUT OF THE TWO AND A HALF MILLION THAT IS, UM, YOU KNOW, IS REMAINING AND HASN'T BEEN SPENT, BUT YOU KNOW, THERE MIGHT BE PARTS OF IT THAT WAS SPENT.
UM, SO THE, IF IT, IF THERE'S ASPECTS THAT HAVEN'T BEEN SPENT, SHOULD WE JUST BASICALLY REBID THAT AMOUNT NOW? BECAUSE IT'S RIGHT NOW THE, UM, THE WINTER.
SO THERE'S NOT GONNA BE A LOT OF WORK THAT'S GONNA HAPPEN BETWEEN NOW AND, UH, PIPES BREAK IN THE WINTER TIME.
NO, BUT I'M JUST, I'M JUST ASKING IF IT WOULD MAKE ANY WHY DON'T
[01:15:01]
WE SEE WHAT, WHY DON'T WE SEE WHAT, I'M JUST SUGGESTION.WE JUST SEE OUR NUMBERS LOOK LIKE I HAVE A QUESTION THEN ONCE HE, HE, HOLD ON JUST TWO SECONDS.
WHY DON'T WE JUST SEE WHAT OUR NUMBERS LOOK LIKE SO WE CAN SEE EXACTLY THE DIFFERENT COSTS AND THEN I THINK WE'LL BE IN A BETTER POSITION TO HAVE THAT DISCUSSION.
WE, WE, WE ALL WE HAVE IS A LIST OF PROJECTS.
SO RICH SAID THAT HE'S GOING TO GIVE US A COPY OF THOSE PROJECTS WITH THE COST AND THEN WE CAN SIT AND HAVE THAT CONVERSATION AGAIN.
HOPEFULLY WE'LL GET THAT EARLY ENOUGH.
IT CAN'T BE AT FOUR O'CLOCK THE MEETING, AT THE MEETING'S AT EIGHT.
WE NEED THOSE NUMBERS EARLY ENOUGH SO WE HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO TAKE A LOOK AT THEM AND DIGEST THEM BEFORE THE MEETING AT EIGHT.
SO LET'S, LET'S, LET'S TRY TO WORK ON THAT RICH, UM, FIRST THING IN THE MOR PLEASE EXCUSE.
AND, AND IF THERE CAPITAL EXPENDITURES THAT ARE NOT GONNA BE SPENT UNTIL LIKE THE SPRING OR WHATEVER, IT WOULD GIVE US TIME TO REBID, YOU KNOW, THAT AMOUNT.
IF THERE'S SOMETHING THAT'S GONNA BE DONE I IMMINENTLY, THEN UH, YOU KNOW, IT'S AN EMERGENCY.
BUT IF IT'S, IF IT'S NOT AN EMERGENCY, WELL IT WOULD BE BE REBIDDING.
I'M SORRY I MISSED SOMETHING THERE.
NO, I'M SAYING THAT MAYBE IF THERE'S $2 MILLION, I THINK, I THINK WE'RE TAKING THIS OUT.
I THINK, I THINK WE SHOULD LET, RICH HAD SENT US A LIST EARLIER.
I HAVE A QUESTION WITH ALL THE PROJECTS.
YEAH, I THINK WHAT HE SHOULD, HE'S GONNA DO IS PUT THE, WE CAN PUT THE, THE, THE AMOUNTS TO IT.
HE CAN ALSO PUT, IF IT WAS, IT WAS IF AN EMERGENCY WORK OR IF IT WAS A PLANNED PROJECT.
YOU COULD GIVE A LITTLE EXPLANATION ON THAT RICH AS WELL.
JUST GIVE US AS MUCH INFORMATION.
LET'S HAVE THE, THE CONTROLLER WANTS HAS BEEN WANTING TO SAY SOMETHING.
BUT IS THIS INCLUSIVE OF THE $6 MILLION BORROWING WE HAVE ON THE TABLE FOR SEWER LINE REPAIRS? DOES THAT OR IS THIS AN ADDITION? I THOUGHT THAT WAS SEPARATE.
SO THERE WAS, THERE'S $6 MILLION ON THE TABLE FOR A BORROWING THAT IS, UM, PART OF IT WAS FROM 2023.
SO IS THAT, IS THIS AN ADDITION TO THAT OR, UH, NO.
I WILL GO THROUGH ALL THOSE NUMBERS TOMORROW.
IF IT'S RIGHT WITH YOU, JONATHAN, AND GET YOU A BREAKDOWN.
SO EVERYBODY IS, HAS A CLEAR PICTURE AGAIN.
WE HAVE, WE HAVE ISSUES OUT THERE RIGHT NOW.
UH, THE LAST ONE WE FIXED WAS WORTHINGTON ROAD RIGHT NEXT TO THE WOODLANDS TEMPLE.
UNFORTUNATELY, THE ROAD BLEW OUT DURING THE STORM PIPE WENT.
WE HAD TO GO THERE AND REBUILD THE DRAINAGE AND THE ROAD INFRASTRUCTURE.
UM, IT'S ALMOST, I HATE TO SAY IT, IT'S, IT'S A WEEKLY OCCURRENCE HERE WHERE SOMETHING IS, IS FAILING.
UM, YOU KNOW, WE'VE HAD THESE CONVERSATIONS ABOUT OUR AGING INFRASTRUCTURE AND UH, THIS BOARD IS VERY WELL AWARE OF OUR STRUGGLES OUT THERE.
UM, IT IS A COSTLY BUSINESS, BUT I WILL ABSOLUTELY GET YOU THAT BREAKDOWN.
UM, YES, WHEN YOU, WE WERE, WHEN YOU WERE TALKING ABOUT EMERGENCIES THAT OCCUR, UM, IN PARTICULAR, I CAN JUST SPEAK ON PERSONALLY WHEN I HAD TO CALL YOU ON A SUNDAY MORNING WHEN GIBSON AVENUE PIPE BURST, AND I REMEMBER SPEAKING WITH THE SEWER DEPARTMENT AND THEY SAID HOW EXPENSIVE IT WAS TO FIX THAT.
SO THAT'S THE BEST EXAMPLE OF AN EMERGENCY THAT HAPPENED, CORRECT? YES.
IT'S, IT'S, IT'S, YOU KNOW, WHEN WE HAD TO CALL SNAP, UH, A WEEK OR TWO AGO, WE HAD THREE BREAKS.
THE TEAM WAS OUT, YOU KNOW, AT NIGHT.
THESE, IT'S, AND NOW WE'RE GONNA GET A 56 DEGREE TO GET DAY ON FRIDAY.
SO NOW WE'RE GONNA GET A THAW.
IT'S, YOU CAN'T MAKE THIS STUFF UP.
HOW WE DOING? WE'LL ALL GET SICK.
ANYTHING ELSE? ELLEN, WOULD YOU LIKE TO SWAP TOMORROW NIGHT? SORRY.
TOMORROW'S MEETING'S GONNA BE DECEMBER 17TH AT 8:00 PM RATHER THAN SEVEN 30.