[00:00:02]
[ PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE]
TO OUR TOWN BOARD MEETING, AND IT'S, UM, ABOUT EIGHT 15.AND TODAY IS DECEMBER, UH, 17TH.
AND WE'LL START WITH THE PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE.
I PLEDGE ALLEGIANCE, THE FLAG OF, OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, AND TO THE REPUBLIC FOR WHICH IT STANDS, ONE NATION UNDER GOD, INDIVISIBLE, WITH LIBERTY AND JUSTICE FOR ALL.
[ MOMENT OF SILENCE In memory of those around the world who have perished as victims of war, disease and natural disaster. Our hearts are with all who needlessly suffer.]
AND WE'LL HAVE A MOMENT OF SILENCE.UM, AND MEMORY OF THOSE AROUND THE WORLD HAVE PERISHED AS VICTIMS OF WAR DISEASE, NATURAL DISASTER, UM, MURDERS, UM, UM, ANTISEMITIC, UH, INCIDENCES, UM, IN MASS AUSTRALIA, UM, MASS SHOOTINGS.
UM, AND OUR, UH, OUR HEARTS ARE WITH ALL THOSE WHO NEEDLESSLY SUFFER.
[ ROLL CALL: Town Clerk Lisa Maria Nero]
NOW, UH, WE HAVE THE TOWN CLERK.I BELIEVE SHE'LL BE POTENTIALLY SIGNING ON LATE.
COUNCILWOMAN AVER PRESENT, COUNCILWOMAN HENDRICKS, PRESENT TOWN ATTORNEY IN PARLIAMENTARIAN.
UH, THERE'S NO PRESENTATIONS TODAY.
[ SUPERVISOR & TOWN COUNCIL REPORTS/ANNOUNCEMENTS Liaison Reports (Supervisor Paul Feiner, Councilwoman Joy Haber, Councilwoman Ellen Hendrickx, Councilwoman Gina Jackson, Councilman Francis Sheehan) GOOD NEWS...From 2010-2025 the Town earned the highest possible rating from Moody's (Aaa), most recently on 9/9/2025. Less than 1% of communities in the nation have this record of financial stability. From 2008-2024 the Town also earned the highest possible bond rating from Standard & Poors (AAA). To reduce costs, the Town did not seek a rating from Standard & Poors in 2025. Anyone interested in serving on a board or commission should send a resume to the Town Board via Lisa Maria Nero, Town Clerk, 177 Hillside Avenue, Greenburgh, NY 10607. TownClerk@GreenburghNY.com]
WITH THE LIAISON REPORTS.I'M GONNA GIVE A REPORT ON THE HUMAN RIGHTS ADVISORY COMMITTEE.
UM, I'M VERY PLEASED TO SAY THAT WE ARE CONTINUING TO REVITALIZE THE COMMITTEE AND OUR ATTRACTING NEW MEMBERS.
UM, WE'VE DRAFTED A REVISED PLATFORM OR MISSION STATEMENT, WHICH, UH, CAN BE POSTED ON THE WEBSITE ONCE IT'S FULLY ADOPTED.
UH, WE ARE EXPLORING HOSTING A FIRST, UH, AMENDMENT RIGHTS FORUM IN THE NEW YEAR, UH, AT THE SUGGESTION OF THE COMMITTEE WHO ARE CONCERNED ABOUT POTENTIAL INTERACTIONS WITH ICE.
I'VE MET WITH, UH, NEIGHBORS LINK, UH, WHO THEY HAVE, UH, DEVELOPED A WEBINAR AND CONDUCT CUSTOMIZED MEETINGS FOR, FOR MUNICIPALITIES ON THE BEST PRACTICES FOR DEALING WITH ICE, AND HOPE TO BRING THAT TO THE TOWN IN THE NEW YEAR.
UM, FINALLY, IN LIEU OF OUR LAST MEETING OF THE YEAR, WHICH WOULD BE TOMORROW NIGHT, WE ARE ENCOURAGING OUR COMMITTEE AND ANYONE FROM THE PUBLIC TO ATTEND THE COUNTY'S OBSERVANCE OF HUMAN RIGHTS DAY, WHICH WILL BE TOMORROW AT 6:00 PM AT THE COUNTY CENTER.
THE PROGRAM IS ABOUT AI DISCRIMINATION IN EMPLOYMENT, HOUSING, AND PLACES OF PUBLIC ACCOMMODATION.
IT SHOULD BE VERY INTERESTING, ACTUALLY.
UH, THE EVENT IS FREE, UH, BUT YOU SHOULD REGISTER BY CALLING THE HUMAN RIGHTS COMMISSION AT 9 1 4 9 9 5 9 500 IF YOU'D LIKE TO ATTEND.
UH, COUNCILWOMAN ELLEN HENDRICKS.
WELL, IT IS THE END OF THE YEAR AND IS THE SEASON TO CELEBRATE ANY NUMBER OF HOLIDAYS.
UM, BUT WE HAVE A GREAT PARKS DEPARTMENT, AND TO GET AN IDEA OF SOME OF THE THINGS THAT THEY'VE DONE DURING THE YEAR, I'D LIKE YOU TO WATCH THIS VIDEO.
[00:05:31]
AND NOT TO BE OUTDONE, OUR NATURE CENTER ALSO HAS GREAT EVENTS DURING THE YEAR, BUT TO CELEBRATE THE END OF THE SEASON, I WOULD LIKE YOU TO SEE WHAT THEY DID JUST A FEW WEEKS AGO.
WE'RE AT THE GREENBERG NATURE CENTER WITH THE YONKERS MODEL RAILROAD CLUB, AND I'M CHARLIE RICCA PRESIDENT EVERY YEAR.
WE MAKE DIFFERENT SCENERIES IN DIFFERENT PADDLES, AND IT GIVES IT A LITTLE ATMOSPHERE.
WE HAVE AN ELEVATED TRAIN, WHICH IS BASICALLY THE BROOKLYN RAPID TRANSIT.
IT'S A, IT'S A DREAM THAT GUYS USED TO HAVE WHERE THEY GET, BUT NOW THE TIME TO REALLY COME BACK TO IT, IT IS A LOT OF FUN.
WE MISSED THIS YEAR, BUT ANYONE WHO IS LOVES TRAIN SHOWS NEXT YEAR, UM, I'M SURE IT WILL BE BACK.
AND A BIG SHOUT OUT TO OUR VIDEOGRAPHIC TEAM, TERRENCE AND SAM.
UH, IS GINA, UH, SHE'S GONNA BE ON LATE.
UH, FRANCIS, DO YOU HAVE A REPORT? UH, I JUST WANNA SAY THAT, UH, SOME OF THE DEPARTMENTS THAT I, UM, LIAISON TO DON'T HAVE PRETTY PICTURES LIKE THE CONTROLLER.
I MEAN, SHE COULD, I COULD FLIP PAGES OF THE BUDGET FOR YOU.
I'VE BEEN ON THE BOARD, UH, TWO WEEKS SHY OF 20 YEARS, AND I'VE NEVER SEEN SOMEBODY AS THOROUGH IN HANDLING FINANCES AND TELLING US SOMETIMES WHAT WE DON'T WANT TO HEAR.
AND, UH, WE, YOU KNOW, GIVING US A REALITY CHECK, WHICH IS REALLY, REALLY REMARKABLE.
UH, UH, GINA JACKSON, COUNCILWOMAN JACKSON IS LIAISON TO THE POLICE DEPARTMENT.
UH, WE GET AN INTERESTING MIX OF EMAILS.
SOME SAYING WE'RE NOT ENFORCING THE OW ORDINANCE AND OTHERS SAYING, UH, WE SHOULD DO AWAY WITH THE SNOW ORDINANCE, AND ONLY WHEN IT SNOWS SHOULD WE HAVE TO MOVE OUR CARS.
UH, WE HAD, I DUNNO, THREE TO FIVE INCHES OF SNOW A FEW DAYS AGO, AND A HUNDRED CARS WERE NOT MOVED.
UH, AND THAT CAUSES A TREMENDOUS, APPROXIMATELY, UM, BECAUSE THE TREMENDOUS BURDEN ON OUR SANITATION AND HIGHWAY PEOPLE WHO ARE PLOWING THE ROADS.
UH, YOU CAN IMAGINE WHAT IT WOULD BE LIKE IF WE DIDN'T HAVE AN ORDINANCE AT ALL, WHERE MOST PEOPLE GET OFF THE ROADS.
AND, UM, HERE, HERE, UM, UH, I THINK WE'RE GONNA KEEP GATHERING DATA, BUT, UH, IT'S VERY DIFFICULT FOR PEOPLE WHO ARE USED TO NOT GETTING OFF THE ROADS, UH, TO ALL OF A SUDDEN GET OFF THE ROADS.
'CAUSE WE SAY IT'S A SNOW EMERGENCY.
AND THAT'S, I THINK THERE WERE 60, 60 TICKETS GIVE IT ON EAST DALE AVENUE ALONE, UM, WHEN THE SNOW ORDINANCE WAS THERE.
AND IT'S A VERY EXPENSIVE TICKET.
AND SO, I DUNNO WHAT THE RIGHT ANSWER IS, UH, REGARDING THIS.
IT'S ACTUALLY GINA'S GINA'S, UH, THE LIAISON TO THE POLICE DEPARTMENT.
UH, BUT WE'RE TRYING, AND, UH, WE'LL KEEP GETTING EMAILS.
EITHER WE'RE ENFORCING IT TOO MUCH OR WE'RE NOT FORCING IT AT ALL.
UM, BUT I REALLY TONIGHT WANT TO JUST GIVE A, GIVE A REAL, UM, SHOUT OUT FOR OUR CONTROLLER, BECAUSE I THINK SHE MENTIONED THERE'S 11
[00:10:01]
SPREADSHEETS THAT ARE ALL INTERTWINED.AND WE SAY, CAN YOU CHANGE THIS BY $20
AND I, I COMMEND HER FOR HER WORK.
I JUST WANTED TO, UH, IN TERMS OF HARTSDALE, 'CAUSE I'M LIAISON TO THE PARKING DISTRICT, I'M PLEASED TO INFORM EVERYBODY THAT THE DEMOLITION PLANS FOR HARTSDALE MARKET, THAT THAT'S ALSO KEY FOODS THAT THE FORMER RITE AID, UM, WERE SUBMITTED TO THE TOWN OF GREENBURG PLANNING DEPARTMENT ON DECEMBER 15TH.
UM, THIS IS THE FIRST PHASE SUBMISSION OF THE TENANTS BUILD OUT PLANS FOR STORE CONSTRUCTION TO FOLLOW, UM, UH, SHORTLY.
SO, UM, WE'RE HOPEFUL THAT, UM, THE PERMITS WILL BE PROCESSED, UM, YOU KNOW, QUICKLY, UM, AND THAT THE, UH, HARTSDALE MARKET, WHICH PEOPLE, UM, IN, UM, ESPECIALLY EAST HARTSDALE AVENUE, ARE SO EAGER FOR, UH, WILL OPEN AS QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE SOMETIME, UH, HOPEFULLY DURING THE FIRST QUARTER OF, UM, UH, YOU KNOW, NEXT YEAR.
UM, THE TENANT AND ITS GENERAL CONTRACTORS, ACCORDING TO THE, THE OWNER OF THE BUILDING IS THEY'RE READY TO START, UH, TO START DEMOLITION.
AND, UM, THEY'VE ASKED, UM, THAT WE DO EVERYTHING POSSIBLE TO, UH, WORK WITH THE APPLICANT BECAUSE, UM, IF EAST HEART ELLIOT, ONCE THE SUPERMARKET, UM, OPENS UP, IT REALLY WILL BE A GAME CHANGER FOR THE WHOLE, UM, EAST HEARTS DAILY AVENUE.
A LOT OF THE BUSINESSES, THEY, THEY NEED AN ANCHOR.
UM, AND, UH, THIS MARKET IS, I THINK, GONNA DO, YOU KNOW, WONDER, YOU KNOW, WONDER ISN'T, I, I THINK, YOU KNOW, IF YOU LOOK AT EAST HARTSDALE AVENUE, YOU HAVE TWO OTHER POTENTIAL, UH, TWO OTHER TENANTS THAT ARE COMING IN.
UM, OR, OR THREE TENANTS I THINK, UM, THAT ARE GONNA COME IN, UH, IN 2026.
SO WE REALLY HAVE A CHANCE TO REVITALIZE, UM, THAT SECTION OF, YOU KNOW, OF TOWN.
AND, UM, COUNCILWOMAN HABER AND MYSELF ARE WORKING WITH, UM, LIKE AN INFORMAL EAST HEART STILL AVENUE, UM, YOU KNOW, COMMITTEE.
AND WE'RE, WE'RE GONNA BE TRYING TO COME UP WITH OTHER, UM, INITIATIVES THAT COULD HELP THE, THE BUSINESS COMMUNITY NOT ONLY SURVIVE, BUT DO REALLY, REALLY WELL IN, UM, YOU KNOW, 2026.
AND, YOU KNOW, I'M, I'M REALLY EXCITED ABOUT THAT.
UM, AND I JUST WANT TO COMMEND, UM, THE PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT.
I WAS DRIVING AROUND, UM, AFTER THE SNOWSTORM AND I THOUGHT THEY DID A REALLY GOOD, UH, GOOD JOB.
UH, THE ROADS WERE IN REALLY GOOD, YOU KNOW, GOOD SHAPE, UM, YOU KNOW, QUICKLY.
AND THE CREWS WORK REALLY HARD.
UM, YOU KNOW, THEY WERE WORKING ALL NIGHT INTO THE FOLLOWING, UM, MORNING WHEN IT SNOWED.
AND, YOU KNOW, WHEN I WAS DRIVING, I FELT THAT PRACTICALLY HADN'T SNOWED.
YOU KNOW, THE ROADS WERE IN, IN REALLY GREAT, YOU KNOW, GREAT SHAPE.
AND I THINK I GOT OUT OF THE WHOLE TOWN MYSELF.
I GOT NOT MORE THAN THREE PHONE, THREE EMAILS OF PHONE CALLS, COMPLAINING.
UM, AND AFTER PEOPLE COMPLAINED LIKE A HALF HOUR LATER OR AN HOUR LATER, UM, MOST OF THE PROBLEMS WERE, WERE RESOLVED.
SO WHEN YOU THINK OF THE TOWN AS A BIG TOWN, WE ONLY A HANDFUL OF COMPLAINTS, YOU KNOW, THAT'S REALLY REMARKABLE.
AND, UM, IF, UH, THE TOWN CLERK, DO YOU HAVE COMMENTS? I WOULD CONCEDE TO COUNCILWOMAN JACKSON FIRST IF SHE WOULD LIKE TO GIVE HER REPORT.
OH, I DIDN'T SEE THAT SHE WAS HERE.
I'M NOT HAVING SUCH A GREAT DAY TODAY.
UM, SO THANK YOU FRANCIS AND PAUL FOR GIVING MY REPORTS.
'CAUSE YOU REPORTED ON EXACTLY WHAT I WAS GONNA REPORT ON IN ADDITION, JUST TO GIVE A END OF THE YEAR REPORT.
UM, BUT WHAT I WILL DO IS I'LL SUBMIT THAT IN WRITING, UM, ONLINE, BECAUSE I REALLY WANT TO, UM, SHOW AND SHOWCASE ALL OF THE WORK THAT PUBLIC WORKS, DPW, AND THE POLICE DEPARTMENT HAS DONE.
SO I'M GONNA SWITCH IT OVER TO, UM, LISA'S, UH, TOWN CLERK, UH, MADAM TOWN CLERK, SO YOU CAN GIVE YOUR COMMENTS.
[ TOWN CLERK COMMENTS]
COUNCILWOMAN.I THINK WE'RE REALLY SOUNDING LIKE SISTERS TONIGHT, BUT IT'S OKAY.
MERRY CHRISTMAS, HAPPY KWANZA, AND HAPPY HOLIDAYS.
UM, I WILL BE POSTING MY END OF YEAR REPORT ONLINE, UM, AND, UH, I WILL BE GIVING OUR, UH, MY OFFICE OUR ANTICIPATED, UM, UH, ACTIVITIES, UH, FOR, UH, 2026
[00:15:01]
ON THE FIRST DAY OF BUSINESS.AND THAT WILL APPEAR ON OUR, ON OUR WEBSITE, OF COURSE.
UM, I WILL BE BEGIN IN THE BEGINNING OF THE YEAR POSTING, UM, WEEKLY WITH THE SUPERVISOR'S MAILING AND THE TOWN COUNCIL'S, UH, MAILING.
UM, AND I WILL CONTINUE TO PROVIDE NOTARY SERVICES.
SHE AND, UH, WE WANTED TO JUST CONTINUE TO GIVE THE BEST CUSTOMER SERVICE THAT WE CAN TO THE RES RESIDENTS OF THE TOWN OF GREENBURG, BECAUSE NOT ONLY DO THEY DESERVE IT, UH, WE ALSO HELP THEM NAVIGATE, UH, THROUGH TOWN DEPARTMENTS.
SO WE JUST DON'T HELP ONLY WITH OUR DEPARTMENT.
WE HELP WITH ALL DEPARTMENTS TO MAKE SURE THAT EVERYBODY GETS THE SERVICES THAT THEY, UH, DESERVE.
AND ALSO, JUST WANTED TO MAKE A, UM, POINT TO MAKE SURE THAT IF ANYONE, UM, IS ABLE TO PLEASE COME AND REVIEW THE GREENBERG BLACK MUSEUM, UM, UM, MUSEUM INITIATIVE.
AND YOU CAN SEE OUR DISPLAY, AND IT WILL BE HERE AND THROUGH FEBRUARY, I BELIEVE.
AND, UM, IT'S, IT'S JUST A LABOR OF LOVE.
AND WE WOULD LOVE FOR YOU TO SEE THE HISTORY, THE RICH, RICH HISTORY, UM, THAT WE HAVE IN, IN THE TOWN OF GREENBURG.
[ PUBLIC COMMENT Advanced signup is required. A continuous five-minute limit per speaker will be strictly enforced. The clock will start when a speaker begins speaking and will not be stopped for any reason until the speaker is finished, or five minutes have elapsed, whichever occurs first. Interruptions by Town Board members, the Town Clerk or the public will not be permitted. If a speaker insists on an immediate answer, should an answer be provided, it shall be part of the speaker's five-minute allocation and not be interrupted. There will not be a second five-minute round. Any written comments sent to PublicComment@GreenburghNY.com by 4 PM the day of the hearing will be forwarded to all Town Board members in advance of the meeting for their consideration. Written comments will not be read at the meeting unless the original author is present to do so.]
NEXT WE HAVE PUBLIC COMMENTS.ANYBODY LIKE TO SPEAK? YOU CAN BE FIRST.
ERIC LINDSAY, PLEASE STATE YOUR NAME WHEN YOU COME TO THE PODIUM.
THERE'S A CLOCK ON EACH SIDE OF THE ROOM, AND THE TIME WILL START WHEN YOU BEGIN SPEAKING.
EVERYBODY HAS FIVE MINUTES IF THEY SO WISH TO USE THE FIVE MINUTES.
IT'S ERIC UIC, LINLEY, L-I-N-S-L-E-Y.
I LIVE AT 43 LAWRENCE DRIVE RIGHT DOWN THE BLOCK, UH, RIGHT DOWN THE BLOCK ON HILLSIDE AVENUE, WHICH I FULLY UNDERSTAND IS A STATE OPERATED ROAD WITHIN THE TOWN OF GREENBURG.
THE PARKING WAS TAKEN AWAY ON THE OPPOSITE SIDE OF THE STREET IN FEBRUARY OF 2025.
THE TWO COOPERATIVES ALONG LAWRENCE DRIVE WERE BUILT IN 1953 AT A TIME WHEN MOST FAMILIES WERE ONE CAR FAMILIES.
EDGEBROOK COOPERATIVE HAS 106 FOUR.
THERE ARE 150 APARTMENTS IN THE EDGEBROOK ESTATES.
IT'S OVER 300 FAMILIES THAT RESIDE ALONG.
LAWRENCE DRIVE PARKING ON THE OPPOSITE SIDE OF HILLSIDE AVENUE BETWEEN VIRGINIA ROAD AND LAWRENCE DRIVE WAS TAKEN AWAY IN COOPERATION WITH THE TOWN OF GREENBURG BY THE STATE.
THE SIGNS WERE PUT IN BY THE TOWN, THE ENFORCEMENT IS BY THE TOWN.
AND FOR, FOR OVER 70 YEARS PRIOR, CARS WERE ABLE TO PARK ON BOTH SIDES OF THE STREET.
THIS WAS, THIS WAS A ROADSIDE KNEE JERK RE UM, SPLIT SECOND DECISION AS A REACTION TO THE LANDSLIDE THAT OCCURRED OVER 10 MONTHS AGO.
ON FEBRUARY 16TH, 2025, THE DECISION TO REMOVE THE PARKING THAT WAS IN PLACE FOR DECADES WAS MADE WITHOUT CONSIDERATION.
OF THE OVER 300 FAMILIES IMPACTED, THAT DECISION HAS HAD A MAJOR IMPACT ON THEIR QUALITY OF LIFE.
THIS DECISION HAS PITTED NEIGHBOR AGAINST NEIGHBOR AND PARKING DISPUTES.
IT HAS HAD A MAJOR ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT FROM CARS THAT ARE FORCED TO CIRCLE THE BLOCK IN SEARCH OF A COVETED PARKING SPOT.
THIS ADDS TO VEH VEHICULAR TRAFFIC TO THE AREA WHICH, WHICH WITH MORE CARS INCREASES THE, THE CHANCES OF AN INCIDENT OR AN ACCIDENT.
THIS DECISION HAS PUT MORE CARS CONTINUOUSLY DRIVING THROUGHOUT THE ALREADY DANGEROUS INTERSECTION OF VIRGINIA ROAD AND HILLSIDE AVENUE, WHICH I WOULD BET THE NUMBER OF INCIDENTS HAVE INCREASED OVER THE PAST, THE COURSE OF THE PAST YEAR.
ALL OF THAT ADDED POLLUTION, STRESS WASTED FUEL, FINANCIAL IMPACT OF PARKING SUMMONS IS ADDED VEHICULAR TRAFFIC AND MISSED TIME WITH FAMILIES, ALL WHILE PASSING A COMPLETELY EMPTY STRETCH OF AMPLE PARKING THAT WOULD HELP EASE THE PAIN OF THE RESIDENTS OF THIS TOWN.
RETURNING THE PARKING IS NOT A HEAVY LIFT.
NO ONE IS ASKING FOR ANYTHING EXTRA, NO ONE IS ASKING FOR, FOR AN EXTRA ADVANTAGE.
WE ARE SIMPLY ASKING FOR WHAT WAS THERE FOR LONGER THAN I'VE BEEN ON THIS EARTH.
THERE IS NOWHERE ELSE TO PARK IN THAT AREA.
AGAIN, THIS IS NOT A HEAVY LIFT.
AND WITH, WITH MORE FAMILIES COHABITATING WITH EARLY ADULT ADULTS, UH, STILL LIVING WITH THEIR PARENTS, IT IS JUST GETTING WORSE BECAUSE COHABITATION MAKES FOR THREE AND FOUR CAR FAMILIES.
YOU KNOW, THE, THE PARKING ALONG HILL SIDE WILL NOT SOLVE OUR PROBLEMS, BUT IT WILL HELP EASE THE BURDEN AND THE PAIN IN THE FAMILIES THAT YOU REPRESENT.
THAT PAIN IS REAL, FINANCIALLY, PHYSICALLY, AND MENTALLY.
TO LIGHTEN IT UP A LITTLE BIT, RONNIE DANGERFIELD'S MOVIE BACK TO SCHOOL, HE FAMOUSLY SAY, SAID AT THE COMMENCEMENT SPEECH TO ALL YOUR GRADUATES WHO ARE GOING OUT INTO THE WORLD, MY ADVICE TO YOU IS DON'T GO.
MOVE BACK IN WITH YOUR PARENTS.
THAT WAS, SEE, PEOPLE ARE LAUGHING.
[00:20:01]
THAT WAS 40 YEARS AGO AT THAT TIME.
THAT WAS A FUNNY QUOTE BECAUSE PRIOR TO THAT, WHEN A LATE ADOLESCENT REACHED EARLY ADULTHOOD, THEY WERE EXPECTED TO GO OUT INTO THE WORLD ON THEIR OWN.
IF THEY DIDN'T, IT WAS VIEWED AS A FAILURE TO LAUNCH OR A BOOMERANG.
IF THEY RETURNED HOME TODAY IN 2026.
IT HAS BECOME MORE THAN COMMON FOR EARLY ADULTS TO COHABITATE WITH THEIR PARENTS BECAUSE OF THE CURRENT HOUSING COSTS, BECAUSE OF INSURANCE RATES, CRIPPLING STUDENT DEBT.
IT MAKES COHABITATION THE ONLY OPTION FOR MOST EARLY DEBT, UH, EARLY ADULTS.
AND THAT HAS INCREASED THE AMOUNT OF VEHICLES IN, IN OUR COOPERATIVE AS WELL.
UM, THAT'S, THAT'S, THAT'S IT.
I'M JUST ASKING FOR, FOR THE PARKING BACK, BECAUSE IT, IT REALLY HAS HAD A DRAMATIC EFFECT, UH, ON, ON ALL THE RESIDENTS THERE.
AND IF YOU'RE A SHIFT WORKER COMING HOME AT EIGHT, NINE O'CLOCK AT NIGHT, YOU'RE OUTTA LUCK.
YOU KNOW, I'M THAT, THAT'S IT.
THAT THOSE ARE MY PUBLIC COMMENTS.
I, I DEFINITELY, I'LL DEFINITELY WANNA WORK WITH YOU ON, ON THIS.
I MEAN, I KNOW THAT, THAT, THAT THE STATE WANTED AN AREA FOR, FOR THEIR EQUIPMENT TO BE, BE THERE AND TO, UH, YOU KNOW, TO, TO, TO HELP, YOU KNOW, RESOLVE IT SO THAT THERE WASN'T ANOTHER LANDSLIDE.
THEY'VE DONE A LOT OF WORK AND IT'S BEEN 10 MONTHS.
I, I, I REALLY WOULD, WOULD LIKE TO, TO, TO GET IT DONE.
COULD YOU MAYBE, UM, UM, LIKE, AGAIN, EMAIL ME, YOU KNOW, I ABSOLUTELY SOME, AND THEN, UM, I'LL ALSO REACH OUT TO THE GOVERNOR'S OFFICE.
THEY HAVE A, A NEW REGIONAL REPRESENTATIVE FOR THE GOVERNOR WHO'S LIKE, EXCELLENT, YOU KNOW, HE WORKED FOR SENATOR SCHUMER AND LIKE, I THINK HE WAS LIKE, THE BEST THAT I'VE SEEN.
SO, YOU KNOW, HE WOULD HAVE A DRAMATIC EFFECT ON A LOT OF FAMILIES.
AND, AND IT DOESN'T EVEN AFFECT ME.
SO, JUST SO YOU HAVE MY EMAIL.
SO JUST, JUST USE, JUST EMAIL ME AND I'LL, I'LL FOLLOW IT UP LIKE IMMEDIATELY.
AND THEN I COULD SET UP A MEETING, YOU KNOW, WITH, WITH THE RIGHT PEOPLE.
AND HOPEFULLY WE COULD TRY FIGURING OUT A WAY OF ADDRESSING THIS, BECAUSE I KNOW THE, IT'S NOT LIKE A CHOICE FOR PEOPLE, PEOPLE, IT'S A CRISIS FOR PEOPLE IF YOU CAN'T HAVE PARKING.
GOOD EVENING TOWN COUNCIL NEIGHBORS THAT ARE NOT HOME BINGE WATCHING.
UH, BY THE WAY, BACK TO SCHOOL, A SCENE WAS FILMED A FEW BLOCKS FROM WHERE I GREW UP IN STATEN ISLAND.
I HAVE A COUPLE OF ISSUES, UM, THAT I WOULD LIKE TO TALK ABOUT.
I AM A RESIDENT OF HARTSDALE FOR, SINCE, UM, 1993.
AND THE STREET IS ALWAYS AN ISSUE.
UM, I DON'T THINK IT WOULD COST A LOT OF MONEY TO PUT IN A PERMANENT FLASHING SPEED SIGN.
WHILE MOST PEOPLE ARE ON AMAZON SHOPPING FOR CHRISTMAS GIFTS, I WAS PRICING FLASHING SPEED SIGNS SAYING, WELL, OUR TOWN COULD AFFORD SOMETHING THAT'S SIX TO $700.
I MEAN, I'M NOT SAYING THAT, UH, YOU KNOW, UM, YOU WANT TO, YOU KNOW, WHETHER IT'S SOLAR OR, OR NOT, THERE ARE DEFINITELY DIFFERENT VARIATIONS.
BUT WE HAVE A REAL CONCERN BECAUSE NEXT YEAR THE SIDEWALKS ARE SUPPOSED TO BE PUT IN.
AND, YOU KNOW, WHEN THE CAT'S OUT, THE MICE WILL PLAY.
I, ONE DAY I SAID TO MYSELF, I WOULD LOVE TO PUT UP A SIGN RIGHT NEXT TO MY PROPERTY THAT SAYS, CHARACTER IS WHO YOU ARE WHEN NO ONE IS WATCHING.
BECAUSE I HAD THE PLEASURE OF SPEAKING TO A POLICE OFFICER TWO WEEKS AGO WHEN, UM, A MAN BLEW A STOP SIGN IN THE SHOPRITE SHOPPING CENTER, SAID, AH, LEMME GO.
YOU KNOW, THERE'S A COP THERE.
WE JUST TALK ABOUT SOMETHING ELSE.
AND I, AND I ASKED THIS YOUNG MAN, UM, REALLY WONDERFUL PERSON.
HE, HE WAS LIKE, STRAIGHTFORWARD.
HE SAID, YOU KNOW, UM, IT'S ALMOST IMPOSSIBLE TO MONITOR WEST HARTSDALE AVENUE BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, WHERE DO YOU STAKE OUT BY THE TIME THEY PASS? AND, YOU KNOW, YOU HAVE THE TWO LANES.
THIS HAS BEEN AN ONGOING PROBLEM.
UM, IT'S JUST THAT THE SPEEDING THE BARRELING OF, OF, UM, OF GAS TRUCKS AND 18 WHEELERS.
AND OF COURSE, UH, VEHICLE TRUCKS, LIKE FOR HYUNDAI, NOW THEY'RE BUILDING A U ANOTHER, UM, FACILITY, WHICH IS GOING TO BE IN SCARSDALE.
IT WOULD BE REALLY NICE AND A NICE INVESTMENT FOR PEOPLE TO SEE A FLASHING SIGN HEADING NORTH.
'CAUSE IT'S NOT SOMETHING THAT JUST OCCURS HEADING SOUTH.
AND I WANTED TO SAY SOMETHING ABOUT THE PROPERTY TAX CAP.
THE THING THAT I FIND A LITTLE UNSETTLING IS THE SAME THING THAT'S BEEN GOING ON IN THE GREENBERG SCHOOL DISTRICT.
WE HAD A BOND, WE HAD A BOND VOTE SEVERAL MONTHS AGO.
[00:25:01]
PEOPLE VOTED.AND THE THING THAT'S REALLY UPSETTING IS THAT THE THINGS CONTAINED WITHIN THE BOND PROBABLY WOULD NOT HAVE BEEN NECESSARY IF BUILDINGS AND ROOFS AND THINGS LIKE THAT WEREN'T, UM, ALLOWED TO FALL INTO DISREPAIR.
I, I JUST BELIEVE THAT IF WE HAVE A PROPERTY, YOU KNOW, UH, YOU KNOW, IF WE LIFT IT, WHO'S TO SAY THAT'LL NEVER HAPPEN AGAIN? AND, YOU KNOW, THIS IS A PROBLEM THERE.
I KNOW THAT THERE ARE MANY MOVING PARTS IN THIS TOWN.
UH, THERE ARE MANY SITUATIONS THAT, UM, ARISE AND A LOT OF EXPENSES, AND I KNOW SALARIES WENT UP.
BUT IT'S JUST THE IDEA THAT, YOU KNOW, ONCE YOU CROSS THAT THRESHOLD, UH, THAT, THAT'S, THAT'S DEFINITELY A BIG CONCERN.
UM, AND THE DENSITY IN HARTSDALE IS JUST GETTING ABSOLUTELY RIDICULOUS.
I'M LIKE, THERE'S NO WAY SOMEBODY WAS SLEEPING WHEN THEY DID THAT.
UM, ALL OF THE, YOU KNOW, ALL OF THE, UM, STRUCTURES THAT WENT UP AND, UH, THE MODIFICATIONS THAT WERE NOT MADE, THERE WERE TWO MODIFICATIONS THAT WAS SUPPOSED TO BE MADE.
A RIGHT TURN LANE WAS PROMISED WHEN SOLOMON SCHECHTER WAS TO BE CONSTRUCTED.
THAT WAS AN AGREEMENT, A RIGHT TURN LANE FROM WEST HARTSDALE AVENUE ONTO DOBBS FERRY ROAD.
UM, AND SO THERE'S, THERE, THERE'S CONSTANT TRAFFIC.
AND THEN THE RIGHT TURN LANE HEADING SOUTH, IT WAS LIKE THE CAR WAS PUT BEFORE THE HORSE.
UM, WEST HARTSDALE AND CENTRAL AVENUE AS FAR AS LIKE TRAFFIC, TRAFFIC MITIGATION, YOU KNOW, IT'S, IT'S, YOU HAVE THIS ONE LANE AND, AND EVERYBODY'S JUST, YOU KNOW, YOU HAVE A HANDFUL GOING TO THE, THE LEFT.
YOU COULD HAVE A HANDFUL GOING TO THE RIGHT.
AND SO THESE, THESE LITTLE OVERSIGHTS OR THESE THINGS THAT WERE PROMISED BUT THEN FORGOTTEN, THESE ARE THINGS THAT ARE VERY IMPORTANT TO THE COMMUNITY BECAUSE, UM, I KNOW IT SOUNDS LIKE A LITTLE SCIENCE LESSON, BUT IN THE WINTER, THE LEVEL OF POLLUTION IS NOT FILTERED BECAUSE ALL THE TREE LEAVES HAVE FALLEN.
IT'S LESS FOLIAGE TO ABSORB THE DIESEL AND DIESEL.
I DON'T CARE WHAT ANY ANYONE SAYS, IT IS REALLY TOUGH TO BREATHE DIESEL.
THE WEST HARTSDALE AND EAST HARTSDALE CORRIDOR, THE SPEED AND THE SAFETY.
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR LISTENING TO ME, AND I WISH ALL OF YOU WONDERFUL HOLIDAY.
KEN LAMBERT, AND I'M THE OUTGOING PRESIDENT OF THE GREENBERG PUBLIC LIBRARY BOARD OF TRUSTEES.
IT'S BEEN AN HONOR TO SERVE ON THE BOARD OF THIS AMAZING ORGANIZATION THAT PROVIDES SO MANY WONDERFUL THINGS, AND IT'S ACCESSIBLE TO EVERY GREENBERG COMMUNITY MEMBER.
THE LIBRARY OFFERS MANY RESOURCES AND SERVICES THAT FOR SOME CANNOT BE OBTAINED ANYWHERE ELSE.
IT IS A PLACE FOR FURTHER EDUCATION, FOR DIGITAL, FINANCIAL AND HEALTH LITERACY, MUSICAL ENRICHMENT, CULTURAL OPPORTUNITIES, STORYTELLING AND SOCIALIZATION.
THE LIBRARY ALSO HELPS TO FOSTER COMMUNITY BY ENCOURAGING FELLOWSHIP AND THE SHARING OF COMMON INTERESTS AND GOALS WITH NEIGHBORS.
SOMETHING THAT IS NEEDED NOW, MORE THAN EVER, THESE OFFERINGS ARE AVAILABLE BECAUSE OF THE COMMUNITY AND THE, THE, THE TOWN OF GREENBERG AND THE SUPPORT THEY SHOW FOR THE LIBRARY.
THE LIBRARY IS VERY THANKFUL TO COMMUNITY MEMBERS AND THE TOWN FOR THE APPROPRIATION SET ASIDE FOR THIS VALUABLE RESOURCE.
THE COST IS TRULY NOMINAL WHEN COMPARED TO THE INNUMERABLE AND UNIQUE BENEFITS THAT THE LIBRARY OFFERS.
AND THANK YOU FOR YOUR HARD WORK AND SERVICE.
I THINK UNDER YOUR LEADERSHIP.
THE LIBRARY HAS DONE A LOT OF AMAZING, UH, THINGS.
UM, YOU KNOW, EVERY TIME I GO THERE, I'M AMAZED AT HOW MANY PEOPLE ARE TAKING ADVANTAGE.
AND I, I LOOK AT THE CALENDAR EVERY, UH, EVERY WEEK, AND THERE'S SO MANY INNOVATIVE, UH, AND JUST EXCEPTIONALLY FANTASTIC, UH, OFFERINGS THAT ARE OFFERED BY, BY THE LIBRARY.
AND YOU SHOULD TAKE GREAT PRIDE BECAUSE YOU HAD A LOT TO DO WITH IT.
AND WE REALLY APPRECIATE YOUR SERVICE.
AND I'LL SAY THAT WE'RE NONE OF THE PEOPLE ON THE BOARD.
WELL, ONE PERSON NATURALLY HAS BEEN A LAW LIBRARIAN, BUT WE'RE NOT EXPERTS IN LIBRARIAN SCIENCE.
BUT WE HAVE A GREAT EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR WITH CHRISTINA RYAN LINDER, AND IT'S, UM, IT'S UP THE STAFF AND THE MANAGEMENT THERE, SMALL TEAM, THEY DO A GREAT JOB AND WE SUPPORT THEM AND BACK THEM UP, BUT THE EXPERTISE COMES FROM THEM.
BUT IT IS, UM, IT IS WONDERFUL, THE VARIETY OF THINGS THAT ARE HAPPENING THERE.
WHEN I JOINED THE BOARD, I HAD A LOT TO LEARN ABOUT HOW FANTASTIC THE LIBRARY IS.
SO IT'S SOMETHING I THINK EVERYBODY IS PROUD OF AND WE NEED TO CONTINUE IT.
IN, IN ADDITION TO BOOKS, WHAT DO YOU THINK IS, YOU KNOW, WHAT DO YOU THINK IS THE MOST MEMORABLE, UM, OCCURRENCE
[00:30:01]
AT THE LIBRARY, YOU KNOW, UNDER YOUR LEADERSHIP? I THINK OVERALL FOR ME HAS BEEN THE VARIETY OF THINGS THAT YOU HAVE.YOU KNOW, YOU CAN GET MUSEUM PASSES, YOU CAN GET A COMPUTER IF YOU DON'T HAVE A COMPUTER, YOU HAVE, UM, ART EXHIBITS, REALLY GOOD ART EXHIBITS, INCLUDING THE BLACK HISTORY EXHIBIT THAT WAS FIRST SHOWN THERE.
AND IT'S NOT JUST ABOUT BOOKS ANYMORE.
AND IT'S NOT EVEN JUST ABOUT EBOOKS ANYMORE, THOUGH, FOR MOST PEOPLE, MANY PEOPLE, THAT'S WHAT THE LIBRARY'S ABOUT.
BUT IT'S THIS RANGE OF THINGS THAT ARE GOING ON, INCLUDING FROM THE YOUNGEST CHILDREN ON THROUGH ALL AGES.
AND OF COURSE, THE MAHJONG PLAYERS.
I MEAN, THAT'S REALLY IMPORTANT.
SO THERE'S JUST SOMETHING, SOMETHING SO DIVERSE ABOUT IT, AND SO RICH AND SO, SO COMPLICATED AND SO MANY DIFFERENT THINGS HAPPEN, AND A CONSTANT EFFORT TO IMPROVE THE SERVICE AND TO IMPROVE THE FACILITY, WHICH LIKE EVERY, ALL THE REST OF US AND ALL OUR BUILDINGS ARE AGING.
UM, SO A LOT OF ATTENTION HAS TO BE PAID TO THAT.
BUT I THINK IT'S JUST THE, THE RICHNESS OF IT AND THE DIVERSITY AND THE VARIETY THAT'S REALLY, UH, WAS STRIKING TO ME.
AND THAT TAKES A LOT OF EFFORT TO MAINTAIN, FOR SURE.
AND THE NEW, UH, INITIATIVE, UH, WHERE YOU COULD DIGITIZE, UH, YOU KNOW, RECORDS, UH, IF YOU HAVE VC, UH, VIDEOS OR WHATEVER NOW YOU COULD PUT IT ON A, A DIGITAL, YOU KNOW, FORMAT IS JUST REALLY SUCH A GREAT SERVICE.
YOU KNOW, THEY DIGITIZED ALL THESE OLD NEWSPAPERS AND THE WHOLE HISTORY OF THE TOWN, AND IT WAS, YOU KNOW, THAT'S, UM, A SPECIAL KIND OF THING ALSO.
AND NOW WE'RE GONNA BE INSTALLING THESE BOOTHS SO PEOPLE CAN HAVE PRIVATE MEETINGS AND GO FIND A PLACE TO WORK THAT'S ISOLATED FROM OTHER PEOPLE SO THEY CAN CONCENTRATE.
UM, AND SO A LOT OF, A LOT OF GOOD THINGS HAPPENING AND NEED TO CONTINUE.
I WAS JUST THERE THIS PAST WEEKEND, OR THE WEEKEND BEFORE, UM, AND THERE WAS A GREAT CONCERT.
AND WHILE WE WERE LISTENING TO THIS WONDERFUL MUSIC IN THE MULTI-PURPOSE ROOM, YOU COULD SEE THE GREAT ARTWORK FROM THE WATERCOLOR EXHIBIT THAT HAD BEEN YEAH.
SO, SO IT'S A MUSEUM, IT'S A CONCERT HALL, AND IT'S A LIBRARY
I CAN I JUST SAY THAT MY, MY CO LIAISON TO THE LIBRARY, GINA JACKSON, WHO IS RATHER VOICELESS, WANTS TO ADD HER.
THANKS FOR ALL THAT THE LIBRARY'S DONE AND SHE GREW UP IN THE LIBRARY, SO IT HAS A LOT OF MEANING FOR HER.
I'M TANYA DRAGIC OF HARTSDALE.
I'VE BEEN A RESIDENT SINCE, UH, 2009, AND THEN SOME BEFORE THAT, UH, AS A, AS A KID.
UM, I WANTED TO FIRST ACTUALLY MAKE AN IMPROMPTU COMMENT ABOUT WHAT PAUL, UH, REPORTED ON, WHICH IS THE, UM, UH, GROCERY STORE THAT'S SUPPOSED TO BE OPENING UP ON EAST HARTSDALE AVENUE.
AND I JUST WANNA SAY THAT IT'S GOING TO HAVE A BETTER FATE THAN THE ONE THAT WE HAD BEFORE, BECAUSE WE IN FACT, DID HAVE A GROCERY STORE A NUMBER OF YEARS AGO, AND IT FAILED.
I DON'T KNOW WHY, BECAUSE IT WAS A GREAT GROCERY STORE.
SO I HOPE THAT WHATEVER THE, UH, THE DEAL IS TO GET THIS ONE UP AND RUNNING IS GOING TO BE, UH, BETTER AND THAT IT WILL END UP BEING A VIABLE BUSINESS.
BECAUSE I THINK IT'S ACTUALLY A GREAT IDEA FOR, UM, EAST HARTSDALE AVENUE TO HAVE SOMETHING LIKE THAT.
UM, WELL, CERTAINLY I WOULD USE IT.
OKAY, SO THAT'S THE, UH, FIRST IMPROMPTU, UH, STATEMENT.
AND THE SECOND IS, UM, SOMETHING THAT I ACTUALLY PREPARED.
I JUST WANTED TO READ, BASICALLY FOR THE RECORD, IT HAS TO DO WITH THE BUDGET, WHICH I THINK EVERYONE IS VERY UNHAPPY ABOUT, UH, GIVEN THE, UH, ECONOMIC, UH, ZEITGEIST OF THE, OF THE COUNTRY.
UM, AND, UH, GIVEN, UH, WHAT WE KNOW OF, OF THE BUDGET AND SOME OF THE, UM, PROPOSALS.
UM, I JUST WANTED TO SAY THAT THE, UH, FEDERAL ASSAULT DEDUCTION CAP WAS RAISED TO 40,000 FOR 2025, UH, WHICH WAS, UH, WELCOME, UM, WELCOME NEWS.
AND I FIND THAT THE TIMING HERE IS UNMISTAKABLE BEFORE TAXPAYERS COULD EVEN FEEL THAT RELIEF.
THIS TOWN BOARD MOVED TO RAISE LOCAL PROPERTY TAXES OVER THE CAP, EFFECTIVELY TAKING IT BACK TO COVER BUDGET HOLES AND FUND PAY INCREASES THAT MOST RESIDENTS CAN'T EVEN IMAGINE.
AND THAT'S NOT STEWARD STEWARDSHIP.
DISREGARD FOR YOUR CONSTITUENTS.
NEXT WE HAVE CLIFF ABRAMS AND CLIFF, I TOOK YOUR ADVICE.
I WAIT A FEW SECONDS BEFORE I START, AND IF YOU'VE NOTICED THAT, UH, PUBLIC COMMENT IS RIGHT AWAY,
[00:35:01]
I CAME AFTER THIS PUBLIC COMMENT.
UM, YEAH, CHRISTINE WITH THE PUBLIC LIBRARY EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR IS A FANTASTIC LADY.
YOU KNOW, UM, AND I AGREE EVERYTHING PEOPLE SAID ABOUT HER, THAT SHE'D BEEN WORKING WITH ME WITH THE, UM, COMMUNITY SEMINAR WALL FOR THE LAST THREE YEARS, AND SHE GAVE US, UM, FREE SPACE.
SHE, UM, ALLOWED US TO, UM, SHE PAID FOR THE SPEAKERS THAT WE HAD, THAT SHE CAME AND SPOKE FOR US.
UM, EVEN WHEN I WAS HAVING DIFFICULTY, SHE WAITED, YOU KNOW, I COULD GET MY PROGRAM A LITTLE BIT BETTER, AND I JUST REALLY APPRECIATE HER, YOU KNOW, AND, UM, SHE'S A VERY NICE LADY AND, UM, I APPRECIATE HER.
UM, I WAS SHARING WITH PAUL THE OTHER DAY THAT, UM, GOLDEN CRUST OVER THERE BY WHITE PLAINS BOWLING ISLAND.
UM, EVERY YEAR AT THANKSGIVING, THEY GET FREE DINNERS TO, UM, THE COMMUNITY, NOT JUST FAIRVIEW.
AND, UM, PAUL WAS THERE AND IT WAS, I THINK HER NAME IS CHARMAINE AND MICHAEL GOLDEN.
AND I THINK THEY NEED TO BE AN HONORED, YOU KNOW, FOR WHAT THEY DO, JUST LIKE THE 14TH YEAR DOING IT.
AND I WENT TO SOME THANKSGIVING JUST TO SEE HOW IT WAS THAT, UM, THEY HAD PATERNITY PEOPLE, UH, GIVING AWAY THE FOOD.
THEY HAD, THE FOOD WAS GREAT, YOU KNOW, AND, UM, THEY DO IT EVERY THANKSGIVING AND I JUST THINK THEY SHOULD BE RECOGNIZED.
YEAH, I JUST WANNA MENTION THAT, UM, I, UM, HAD SENT A LETTER TO, UM, UH, THE HEAD OF THE CHAMBER OF COMMERCE, AND, UM, I HAD NOMINATED THEM, UM, A COUPLE WEEKS AGO FOR BUSINESS OF THE MONTH, UM, FOR THE JANUARY MEETING.
SO THE HAR THE GREENBERG CHAMBER OF COMMERCE, THEY HAVE TO HAVE A MEETING AND THEN THEY'RE GONNA, THEY WOULD RECOMMEND IT.
BUT TO ME, YOU KNOW, WHAT THEY DID ON THANKSGIVING, YOU KNOW, SERVING THE FOOD AND DOING IT FOR SO MANY YEARS WITHOUT RECOGNITION, THEY DEFINITELY ARE, UH, A MODEL BUSINESS AND SHOULD BE, UM, YOU KNOW, RECOGNIZED.
AND WHEN WE HONOR BUSINESSES OF THE MONTH, THAT SHOULD BE THE STANDARD.
UH, YOU KNOW, WE SHOULD BE GIVING IT TO BUSINESSES THAT REALLY DESERVE IT, GET BACK TO THE COMMUNITY.
BUT, SO IF YOU HAVE OTHER BUSINESSES, YOU KNOW, IF YOU COULD SEARCH FOR OTHER BUSINESSES THAT DO A LOT, AND YOU LET US KNOW, WE WILL, UM, WE'LL TRY HONOR HONORING THEM, BECAUSE I ALSO FEEL THIS BUSINESS OF THE MONTH IN A PROGRAM AND WILL MAKE IT EASIER TO ATTRACT GOOD BUSINESSES IF THE BUSINESSES FEEL THAT THEY'RE GONNA GET A RECOGNITION AND, UM, AND SUPPORT FROM, FROM THE TOWN.
SO THE FREE PUBLICITY BEING HONORED, YOU KNOW, IT, YOU KNOW, THEY'RE HELPING US AND THEY'RE HELPING THE COMMUNITY, AND WE SHOULD HELP THEM.
IT'S ALSO IMPORTANT THAT THE BUSINESSES JOIN THE CHAMBER AND THEY'RE PART OF THAT SO THAT THEY'RE HAVE THE FULL EXPERIENCE OF REALLY BEING CONNECTED TO THE TOWN.
THE CHAMBER GOT THINGS OUT, LIKE HOW DO, HOW DO THEY KNOW TO JOIN THE CHAMBERS? WE'LL LET THEM KNOW ONCE THEY GET UP.
THERE'S A WEBSITE, THERE'S A, THAT THEY CAN GO ONTO THE, PAUL, DO YOU HAVE THE WEBSITE? YEAH, I, I GET IT FROM YOU.
AND I LET THEM KNOW ABOUT THAT.
YOU KNOW, UM, AND I THINK ALSO THAT, UM, CHRISTINE, I DON'T KNOW HOW THEY COULD DO IT, BUT EVERYBODY DON'T GO ON TO THE LIBRARY WEBSITE OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT, BUT THEY HAVE SO MANY PROGRAMS THERE FOR YOUTH.
AND IT'S LIKE I SAID, I SAID, WOW, I DIDN'T KNOW THEY HAVE ALL THESE PROGRAMS, AND SOMEHOW SHE GET THE INFORMATION OUT, YOU KNOW, I DON'T KNOW WHAT THEY NEED TO DO, BUT, YOU KNOW, SOMETIMES THE OLD FASHIONED PITTING OTHER PEOPLE DOORS WORKS TOO.
ARE THERE ANY MORE? AND TO EVERYBODY, HAPPY HOLIDAY.
THEN WE'LL GO, UH, ONTO, UH, THE MEETING.
[ TB 1 - 12/17/2025 Resolution adopting a Local Law entitled “Local Law authorizing a property Tax Levy in excess of the limit established in general municipal law § 3-c” permitting the town to adopt a budget for the Fiscal Year commencing January 1, 2026, that requires a Real Propery Tax Levy in excess of the limit defined by general municipal law §3-c]
SO RESOLUTION ADOPTING A LOCAL LAW TB ONE.TB ONE, UM, AUTHORIZING A PROPERTY TAX LEVY IN EXCESS OF THE LIMIT, ESTABLISHED IN GENERAL MUNICIPAL LAW PERMITTING TOWN TO ADOPT A BUDGET FOR THE FISCAL YEAR COMMENCING JANUARY 1ST, 2026, THAT REQUIRES A REAL PROPERTY TAX LEVY IN EXCESS OF THE LIMIT DEFINED BY GENERAL MUNICIPAL LAW.
I'D LIKE TO, UM, MOVE THAT SECOND.
UH, IN, I JUST WANNA MENTION THAT I, I WOULD LIKE, I KNOW THAT A LOT OF RESIDENTS ARE STRESSED BECAUSE OF THE TAX, THAT THERE'S TAX INCREASES.
AND, YOU KNOW, I WOULD LIKE TO, UM, HAVE A, IN 2026, A CITIZENS BUDGET COMMITTEE MADE UP OF PEOPLE WHO HAVE, UM, YOU MIGHT BE CRITICAL OF ASPECTS OF THE BUDGET, HAVE QUESTIONS OR CONCERNS OR FEEL THE TOWN NEEDS ADDITIONAL, ADDITIONAL, THEY SHOULD HAVE FINANCIAL EXPERIENCE.
YEAH, THEY SHOULD HAVE FINANCIAL EXPERIENCE.
YOU KNOW, I THINK IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT THAT THERE BE MORE OVERSIGHT, BECAUSE IF WE REALLY ARE GONNA BE AGGRESSIVE
[00:40:01]
IN TERMS OF LOOKING FOR WAYS OF TIGHTENING UP, UH, SAVING, UH, DOLLARS, UH, WE COULD AVOID LARGER TAX INCREASES, UM, YOU KNOW, IN THE FUTURE.BUT, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE TO BE REALLY, UM, VERY DISCIPLINED AND WE BASICALLY HAVE TO, UM, UH, LOOK AT EVERY SINGLE DOLLAR, YOU KNOW, THAT IS SPENT.
AND, UM, AND, YOU KNOW, AND BE OPEN TO REINVENTING, UH, THE WAY GOVERNMENT IS.
UM, YOU KNOW, YOU KNOW, YOU KNOW, IS RUN, YOU KNOW, I WAS TELLING EVERYBODY, UM, THAT, YOU KNOW, A COUPLE OF WEEKS AGO I LOOKED AT MYSELF AT A BOARD MEETING, I SAID, BOY, I LOOK LIKE SANTA CLAUS.
AND I SAID, I'M GONNA GO ON A DIET.
AND THEN LIKE FIVE, UM, SIX WEEKS I LOST 14 POUNDS.
AND I'M, I'M LIKE, REALLY PROUD.
AND I TOLD THE GREENBERG POLICE TO ARREST ME IF, UM, IF THEY SEE THAT I'M STEALING A CHOCOLATE, WHICH I USED TO DO, I CONFESS, WHY DON'T WE MOVE ON WITH NO, BUT I'M, THERE'S NO NEED TO DO WITH THE BUDGET, RIGHT? WELL, I'M JUST, NO, I'M JUST SAYING THAT THE WAY YOU HAVE DISCIPLINE WITH YOURSELF IS THE WAY YOU HAVE TO HAVE DISCIPLINE WITH THE TOWN.
AND I'M LIKE REALLY DETERMINED TO, UH, GIVE, UH, THE DISCIPLINE OF HAVING A TIGHTER GOVERNMENT AND A MORE EFFICIENT GOVERNMENT, THE HIGHEST PRIORITY ATTENTION.
SO THAT'S, UM, YOU KNOW WHAT I WOULD LIKE TO SAY, UM, SUPERVISOR FINER.
AND IF YOU WOULD TAKE A LOOK AT OUR ALREADY IN PLACE BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS AND SEE IF THERE IS ALREADY A FINANCIAL ADVISORY BOARD THAT MAYBE YOU CAN REACTIVATE RATHER THAN CREATING A NEW WHEEL, UM, YOU WOULD JUST TAKE THAT INTO CONSIDERATION.
WE HAD, UM, A CITIZENS BUDGET COMMITTEE, YOU KNOW, MAYBE 10 YEARS AGO.
UM, BUT, AND, BUT THE THING IS, UM, I THINK, YOU KNOW, WHAT COUNCILWOMAN HABER IS SAYING IS THAT THE BUDGET COMMITTEE, UM, SHOULD BASICALLY INCLUDE PEOPLE WHO HAVE FINANCED IT, CAN BACKGROUNDS ONLY CAN.
AND YOU KNOW, ONE OF THE THOUGHTS THAT WE COULD HAVE IS, I MEAN, WE COULD DO IT TWO WAYS.
YOU KNOW, I COULD FORM ONE TO MYSELF, WHICH I DID OVER THE YEARS, OR IT COULD BE A TOWN BOARD CREATED COMMITTEE, UM, WITH, UH, RULES AND PROCEDURES AND CRITERIA.
WHY DON'T WE DISCUSS THAT WHEN WE DO OUR REORGANIZATION MEETING OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT.
YEAH, I, I THINK THAT'S A GREAT IDEA.
UM, AND I'M NOT GOING TO SUPPORT ANYTHING THAT THE CONTROLLER DOESN'T SUPPORT, RIGHT? BECAUSE YOU KEEP GIVING HER WORK TO DO THAT KEEPS HER FROM DOING THE WORK OF THE CONTROLLER.
AND THE MOST IMPORTANT THING THAT SHE CAN DO IS TO HELP US, UH, GET A HANDLE ON OUR BUDGET AND BOGGING HER DOWN BY PUTTING PEOPLE COMING TO HER FOR, YOU KNOW, BASICALLY TEACHING SOMEBODY THE BUDGET IF THEY DON'T KNOW IT.
I DON'T KNOW IF THAT'S PRODUCTIVE, AT LEAST IN THIS COMING YEAR WHEN SHE HAS A LOT ON HER PLATE.
BUT WE CAN HAVE A DISCUSSION ABOUT THAT.
[ TB 2 - 12/17/2025 Resolution of the Town Board of the Town of Greenburgh adopting the 2026 Preliminary Budget as modified by "Slip Sheet" changes agreed to by the Town Board, to be called, upon adoption, the Adopted Budget for Fiscal Year 2026]
NEXT, UM, A RESOLUTION OF TB TWO OF THE TOWN, UH, BOARD OF THE TOWN OF GREENBURG, ADOPTING THE 2026 PRELIMINARY BUDGET AS MODIFIED BY SLIP SHEET CHANGES AGREED TO BY THE TOWN BOARD TO BE CALLED UPON ADOPTION OF THE ADOPTED BUDGET FOR FISCAL YEAR 2026.I, UM, INDICATED, UM, THAT I HAVE SOME, UH, DISAGREEMENTS.
SO I'D LIKE TO, UH, MAKE A MOTION TO, UM, DELETE THE SALARY INCREASES AND THE SLIP SHEETS THAT WILL COST THE TAXPAYERS OVER A HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS.
UM, THESE ARE, THE SALARY INCREASES OVER THE 2.9, UH, PERCENT INCREASES.
AND I WANNA PREFACE BY SAYING THAT I BELIEVE THAT ALL THE EMPLOYEES AND DEPARTMENT HEADS WHO ARE GETTING THESE INCREASES WORK HARD.
AND, UM, MY OBJECTION TO THE SALARY INCREASES HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH THEIR PERFORMANCE, BUT BASICALLY, UM, IS BEING MADE BECAUSE IF WE'RE GONNA BE INCREASING TAXES, UM, UM, AND, UM, AND IF WE'RE GONNA TRY IN, YOU KNOW, INCREASING THE FUND BALANCE, WE HAVE TO SET AN EXAMPLE.
UH, IF WE KEEP GIVING, YOU KNOW, INCREASING, UH, SALARIES, UH, EVERY YEAR, UH, IF WE KEEP COMING UP WITH ALL THESE ADDITIONAL, UH, YOU KNOW, COSTS THAT ARE REALLY NOT TOTALLY NECESSARY, UH, WE'RE SENDING A WRONG MESSAGE THAT WE'RE REALLY NOT SERIOUS ABOUT, UH, KEEPING TAXES LOWER.
SO I, SO I FEEL THAT, UM, THAT THE SALARY THAT, THAT THE EMPLOYEE, THE EVERYBODY SHOULD GET THE COST OF LIVING INCREASE, WHICH IS 2.9%.
BUT I, I DO NOT BELIEVE THAT ANYBODY SHOULD GET OVER THE 2.9% INCREASE A, I'M SORRY, I MADE THE MOTION.
YEAH, I, I, YOU, YOU BROUGHT SOMETHING UP.
SO I WANTED TO MAKE A COMMENT TOO.
UM, WHAT IS THE TOTAL OF THE BUDGET? THE TOTAL OF THE BUDGET IS, WELL, IF HE MADE A MOTION.
[00:45:01]
THERE'S NO SECOND.THEN I WOULD LIKE TO MAKE A SECOND MOTION.
UM, RELATING TO, UH, THE LIBRARY, UM, UH, SALARIES RE UH, RE REDUCING THE LIBRARY BUDGET BY $47,408, WHICH INCLUDES A 17% INCREASE IN THE LIBRARY DIRECTOR'S SALARY FROM 140,000 TO 164,720.
WHAT, WHAT ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT? THAT WE PROVED THAT MONTHS AND MONTHS AGO.
THIS IS, I, THE SALARY INCREASES IN, UM, IN, UM, IN, YOU KNOW, IN THE BUDGET.
CAN YOU ANSWER MY QUESTION THEN? THE, THE LIBRARY BOARD HAS THE ABILITY MOTION IS THERE A SECOND? OKAY.
AND, UM, THEN I WOULD LIKE TO MAKE A THIRD MOTION, UM, FOR THE TOWN BOARD, UM, TO, UM, ELIMINATE FOR ALL EMPLOYEES.
UM, THE, UM, THE, UH, BUYOUT THE HEALTHCARE BUYOUT, IT'S 50% OF THE SALARIES OR TO PUT A CAP ON THE, THE BUYOUT.
IT'S, IT'S BASICALLY NOW OVER $20,000 ON TOP OF THE, THE SALARIES EVERY TIME THE HEALTH COSTS GO UP.
AND WE KNOW THAT HEALTH COSTS KEEP GOING UP, UP AND UP.
UM, THE, IT'S AN INDIRECT SALARY INCREASE.
UM, THAT, AND I THINK AT THE MINIMUM THERE SHOULD BE A CAP.
SO I'M MAKING A MOTION, UM, TO ELIMINATE WE, WE HAVE DISCUSSED THE POTENTIAL OF A CAPA THAT'S NOT ON, THAT'S NOT A RESOLUTION RIGHT NOW.
SO I'M NOT SURE WHY YOU'RE BRINGING THAT UP UNTIL, UNTIL WE, WELL, I JUST WANT TO, UNTIL WE DISCUSS IT AND HAVE AN ACTUAL PLAN.
WELL, I THINK THAT IS, SO I MADE, I MADE A MOTION.
WELL, THAT FAILS TO, I GUESS SO.
SO THEN, UM, UH, THE THIRD ITEM IS, UM, RESOLUTION OF THE TOWN BOARD.
I'M GONNA VOTE FOR THE BUDGET, BUT I WANT IT TO GO ON RECORD OPPOSING THO THOSE ASPECTS.
THE RESOLUTION OF THE TOWN BOARD OF THE TOWN OF GREENBURG ADOPTING THE 2026 PRELIM PRELIMINARY BUDGET AS MODIFIED BY SLIP SHEET CHANGES AGREED TO BY THE TOWN BOARD TO BE CALLED UPON ADOPTION, ADOPTED BUDGET FOR FISCAL YEAR 2026.
AND AGAIN, MY, UH, OPPOSITION TO ASPECTS OF THE BUDGET IS NOTED, BUT I WILL, YOU KNOW, I DO BELIEVE WE NEED A BUDGET, AND I'M GONNA VOTE FOR THE BUDGET.
BUT DO NOT SECOND YOUR EMOTIONS.
AND NOW WE CAN HAVE A DISCUSSION.
WHAT THE SUPERVISOR IS OPPOSING IS INCREASES FOR PEOPLE WHO HAVE IDENTIFIED SIGNIFICANT AREAS IN OUR BUDGET THAT CAN BE, UH, REDUCED WELL OVER A MILLION DOLLARS, SOMETIMES EVEN MORE THAN THAT.
THOSE OF US ON THE TOWN COUNCIL ARE LIAISONS TO DIFFERENT DEPARTMENTS.
WE ARE WORKING WITH OUR DEPARTMENT HEADS TO FIND WAYS OF REDUCING COSTS, UH, ONE OF WHICH WAS HOW WE DO AUCTIONS.
YOU MIGHT THINK, OKAY, JUST GO TO AUCTION.
THERE WAS SPECIFIC, THERE WAS CONSIDERABLE WASTE IN HOW THAT WAS BEING DONE.
ANOTHER AREA IS OUR USE OF CARS AND OUR PURCHASE OF CARS.
AND IF WE PURCHASE A NEW CAR, WHAT HAPPENED TO THE OLD ONE? AND SO THE PEOPLE THAT WE ARE BASICALLY REWARDING BECAUSE THEY EARNED IT AND BECAUSE WE DID COMPARISONS WITH OTHER COMMUNITIES AND WE DON'T WANT TO LOSE, ARE THE PEOPLE THAT THE SUPERVISOR DOES NOT WANT TO GIVE A RAISE TO.
WE ARE SAVING MONEY BY KEEPING THESE PEOPLE HELPING US TO FIND WAYS OF CUTTING COSTS.
SO I SUPPORT THE SPECIFIC RAISES.
WE ASKED OTHERS, UH, TO IDENTIFY IF THEY THOUGHT THAT THEY WOULD DESERVE TO RAISE, AND THEN WE WOULD EVALUATE IT.
AND WE EVALUATED EACH ONE OF THESE, AND WE ACTUALLY FOUND THAT THERE'S COST SAVINGS IN US ACTUALLY DOING THESE RAISES AND NOT LOSING AND HAVING A HIGH TURNOVER OF KEY PERSONNEL AT A TIME WHEN WE ARE DEFINITELY IN FINANCIAL PROBLEMS. WE HAVE HAD 0%, BASICALLY A 0% INCREASE, A 0% INCREASE, A 0% INCREASE, UM, ALMOST A ZERO, 0% INCREASE.
AND NOW IN THE A BUDGET ONLY, THE A BUDGET THIS YEAR, IT'S A 10% INCREASE.
NOW IT'S A VERY SMALL AMOUNT BECAUSE IT'S THE, A BUDGET, BUT IT'S STILL A 10% INCREASE, AND IT'S GONNA BE A 10% INCREASE AGAIN, AND A 10% INCREASE.
AGAIN, BECAUSE THE FUND BALANCE HAS BEEN DRAINED AT THE SAME TIME.
[00:50:01]
WE DON'T HAVE THE RESERVES ANYMORE FOR A COURTHOUSE.WE HAD $39 MILLION THAT WE VOTED FOR YEAR AFTER YEAR AFTER YEAR IN THE BUDGET RESERVE FOR COURTHOUSE.
ONE YEAR WAS 12 AND A HALF MILLION DOLLARS THAT PEOPLE THOUGHT, OKAY, IT'S WORTHWHILE BECAUSE WE NEED A NEW COURTHOUSE.
WE DON'T HAVE TO GET INTO THE DETAILS.
NOW, WE ALSO NEED A NEW POLICE STATION.
DON'T HAVE TO GO INTO THE DETAILS NOW, BUT THEY'RE NOT A DA COMPLIANT FOR THE PEOPLE WHO WORK THERE, OR FOR THOSE THAT ARE BROUGHT INTO THE COURTHOUSE OR THE POLICE STATION.
THAT $39 MILLION DOESN'T EXIST ANYMORE BECAUSE EVEN THOUGH THIS BOARD VOTED FOR IT, AND IT SAID RESERVE FOR COURTHOUSE, IT WAS NEVER RESTRICTED BY THE SUPERVISOR AT THE END OF THE YEAR.
AND THAT MONEY WENT INTO FUND BALANCE.
AND SO IT SEEMED LIKE WE HAD ENOUGH FUND BALANCE TO ALLOCATE IT, TO BRING DOWN THE TAX INCREASE, BUT IT WAS DONE AT THE EXPENSE OF HAVING MONEY FOR THE COURTHOUSE.
THAT TO ME, IS PROBABLY THE MOST SIGNIFICANT FINDING OF THE TIME I'VE BEEN ON THIS BOARD, IS THAT THIS BOARD ADOPTS A BUDGET.
AND IN THAT BUDGET IT SAID, THIS MONEY IS TO BE RESERVED FOR THE COURTHOUSE.
AND THEN THAT WAS IGNORED COME DECEMBER, DECEMBER 31ST, AT THE END OF THE YEAR.
AND IT JUST ROLLED INTO FUND BALANCE.
AND IT WASN'T, IT'S BAD ENOUGH.
IT HAPPENED ONE YEAR, BUT THEN THE NEXT YEAR, I GUESS SUPERVISOR REALIZED, HEY, IT WORKS.
SO HE PUT INTO THE BUDGET AGAIN, RESERVED FOR COURTHOUSE, AND IT'S ANOTHER 12 AND A HALF MILLION DOLLARS.
AND GUESS WHAT? IT DIDN'T GET RESERVED FOR THE COURTHOUSE.
IT GOT PUT INTO THE FUND BALANCE, BRING DOWN THE TAX RATE AGAIN, AND THEN IT WAS $7 MILLION AND ANOTHER, A TOTAL $39 MILLION.
HOW MUCH IS LEFT? $7.4 MILLION.
WHAT KIND OF A COURTHOUSE CAN YOU GET FOR $7.4 MILLION? BUT THAT'S NOT THE POINT.
THE POINT IS THAT WE VOTE AS A BOARD ON A BUDGET.
THE RESIDENTS LOOK AT THAT BUDGET AND THEY SAY, OKAY, WE NEED A COURTHOUSE.
WE'VE MADE THE CASE FOR THAT BEFORE.
AND THE POLICE STATION, WE'VE MADE A CASE FOR THAT BEFORE.
OKAY, THAT'S A WORTHWHILE THING.
IF WE PUT IN THE BUDGET 12 AND A HALF MILLION DOLLARS TO SPEND AS WE WISHED THE BUDGET WOULD, THE PUBLIC WOULD PROBABLY SAY, WHAT ARE YOU DOING WITH THE MONEY? BUT IT WAS VERY SPECIFIC RESERVE FOR COURTHOUSE.
WE DON'T EVEN HAVE THAT LINE IN THE BUDGET ANYMORE.
AND SO WHEN WE ARE TALKING ABOUT, HEY, I DON'T WANT THESE PEOPLE TO GET THESE RAISES, PEOPLE WHO HAVE ACTUALLY SPOKEN UP SAID WHAT NEEDED TO BE SAID SO THAT WE COULD HEAR WHAT WE NEED TO HEAR.
HE DOESN'T WANT TO GET A RAISE.
AND FRANKLY, WE CAN'T AFFORD TO LOSE THEM.
IF WE'RE GOING TO GET OURSELVES OUT OF THIS FINANCIAL HOLE, WE NEED THE BEST PEOPLE WE POSSIBLY CAN GET.
WE NEED TO KEEP OUR CONTROLLER AND NOT GIVING HER BUSY WORK, BUT ACTUALLY HAVING HER WORK TO RESOLVE THESE FINANCIAL ISSUES.
AND SO I WILL VOTE FOR THIS BUDGET.
I DON'T HAVE THE FAITH I USED TO HAVE IN VOTING FOR THIS BUDGET, BECAUSE I NOW KNOW THAT YOU HAVE TO BE A TRUE WATCHDOG TO MAKE SURE THAT WHAT WE VOTE ON ACTUALLY GETS IMPLEMENTED.
'CAUSE I DON'T KNOW ABOUT YOU, BUT TO ME, WHEN SOMETHING SAYS 12 AND A HALF MILLION DOLLARS RESERVE FOR A COURTHOUSE, I DON'T KNOW HOW YOU CAN MISINTERPRET THAT.
WE HAVE THE WORD RESERVE IN THE 2022 BUDGET WHERE IT WAS 12 AND A HALF MILLION DOLLARS.
THE WORD RESERVE WAS USED 12 TIMES, ONLY 12 TIMES IN THE ENTIRE BUDGET.
AND YOU KNOW WHAT, ALL 11 WERE ACTUALLY REAL, REAL RESERVES.
SOMEHOW THE COURTHOUSE, THAT WORD RESERVE REALLY DIDN'T MEAN RESERVE AND MEANT GO INTO THE FUND BALLOTS.
I JUST WANT TO RESPOND QUICKLY.
UM, FIRST OF ALL, AS TOWN SUPERVISOR, I HAVE NO HIRING POWER.
[00:55:01]
I HAVE NO FIRING POWER.UM, YOU ARE THE LIAISON TO THE BUDGET COMMITTEE.
YOU'VE BEEN ON TO THE CONTROLLER'S OFFICE.
YOU HAVE BEEN ON THE TOWN BOARD FOR, YOU KNOW, 20 YEARS.
YOU YOU'RE FAMILIAR WITH, WITH BUDGETS.
UM, I DID NOT HAVE THE POWER TO UNILATERALLY SAY DON'T IMPLEMENT ASPECTS OF THE BUDGET.
EVERY BUDGET THAT I'VE PROPOSED HAS SO FAR BEEN VOTED ON UNANIMOUSLY SINCE I'VE BEEN IN.
SO IT'S THE RESPONSIBLE, AND YOU SPEAK TO DEPARTMENT HEADS, WE ALL DO.
SO IF I'M, SO I'M SURE THAT YOU WERE AWARE JUST LIKE EVERYBODY ELSE, WHILE, WHILE IT WAS DONE, I HAD, I NEVER KEEP SECRETS.
I BASICALLY, UM, I'M TRYING TO BE ALWAYS TRANSPARENT.
WE'VE HAD MEETINGS WITH DEPARTMENT HEADS.
UM, IF THE DEPARTMENT HEAD FELT THAT WE, UM, YOU KNOW, SHOULD HAVE DONE THINGS THAT WE DIDN'T DO OR WE TOOK THINGS OUT, THEY COULD ALWAYS SPEAK OUT AT, AT BOARD MEETINGS AND LET EVERYBODY KNOW.
SO, YOU KNOW WHAT, I DON'T, I'M NOT APOLOGIZING FOR WHAT WAS DONE BECAUSE ALL I DID WAS MAKE RECOMMENDATIONS DURING THE COVID, UH, PANDEMIC.
JUST LIKE NOW PEOPLE ARE STRUGGLING.
YOU KNOW, PEOPLE WERE STRUGGLING.
THERE WERE A LOT OF PEOPLE OUT OF WORK.
AND THE THING IS, IF WE DIDN'T HAVE A COURTHOUSE, UM, THAT WE, THAT WAS READY TO GO, UM, MY, I WOULD PREFER PERSONALLY, UM, SAVING TAXPAYER DOLLARS AND NOT HAVING AS LARGE, YOU KNOW, A TAX INCREASE.
WHEN WE DO THAT DOESN'T MEAN WE SHOULDN'T HAVE A POLICE HEADQUARTERS OR A COURTHOUSE, BUT I WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WHEN IT'S DONE, IT'S DONE CORRECTLY AND IS, AND WE'RE NOT THROWING OUR MONEY, AND I DON'T WANT TO JUST KEEP HOLDING MONEY, UH, FOR, FOR YEARS OR DECADES THAT MAY NOT BE, UH, UH, YOU KNOW, SPENT.
I JUST WANNA INTERRUPT ONE THING THAT, THAT MAY BE THE CASE.
DID YOU EVER SUGGEST THAT TO THE REST OF THE TOWN BOARD? YES.
THAT THAT WAS AN IDEA THAT YOU HAD TO TAKE THE MONEY OUT OF THE YES, I DID.
BECAUSE BA BECAUSE BASICALLY EVERY ASPECT OF THE, I INVITED THE WHOLE TOWN BOARD TO MEETINGS, UH, WITH, WITH, UH, WITH THE CONTROLLER AND WITH DEPARTMENT HEADS.
ELLEN WAS AT ONE OF THE MEETINGS.
UH, WE HAD, UM, YOU KNOW, WITH A, WITH A CONTROLLER.
AND, UH, YOU KNOW, SHE SAID, WELL, SHE ATTENDED BEFORE SHE ACTUALLY, YOU KNOW, TOOK OFF.
SO WASN'T ASKED FAMILIAR AND MIGHT NOT HAVE ASKED THE QUESTIONS, BUT I INVITED EVERY, I INVITED EVERY BOARD MEMBER TO ATTEND THE MEETING THAT I HAD WITH OUR AUDITOR, UM, AND WITH A CONTROLLER.
AND THAT WAS DONE, UM, BEFORE I SUBMITTED THE BUDGET BECAUSE I BASICALLY WANTED TO GET THE AUDITOR'S ADVICE WHETHER OR NOT WE WERE DOING THINGS RIGHT OR WRONG, OR IF THEY HAD ANY SUGGESTIONS.
SO EVERYTHING YOU'RE SAYING I BASICALLY DISAGREE WITH, AND I KNOW, YOU KNOW, I'M A HUNDRED PERCENT SURE THAT YOU WERE FAMILIAR WITH, UM, WITH, YOU KNOW, WHAT, WHAT WITH WHAT, WHAT HAD HAPPENED.
AND YOU KNOW, WHAT YOU VOTED ON THE BUDGET AND YOUR RESPONSIBILITY AS A MEMBER OF THE BOARD IS TO KNOW WHAT YOU'RE VOTING ON.
JUST LIKE, WELL, IT WAS IN THE, IT WAS IN THE BUDGET BOOK AS AS WELL, YOU KNOW WHAT PAUL? IT SAYS HERE, RESERVE FOR COURTHOUSE.
WHAT ARE THOSE WORDS? WELL, YOU KNOW WHAT, ALL I'M SAYING IS I JUST WANNA KNOW WHAT DO THOSE WORDS MEAN TO YOU? FIRST OF ALL, IT SAYS IT RIGHT HERE.
FIRST OF ALL, RESERVE FOR COURT.
THE, THE ONE THING IS I'M NOT GONNA GET INTO FIGHTS BECAUSE EVERYBODY SAYS THAT THEY'RE SICK AND TIRED OF EVERYBODY BICKERING AND FIGHTING ALL THE TIME.
UH, YOU, UH, YOU KNOW, I'D LIKE TO ASK A QUESTION, PLEASE.
UM, SO THE TOTAL BUDGET, MR. SUPERVISORS, HOW MUCH? WELL, THERE'S THE TOTAL BUDGET.
THERE'S TWO BUDGETS, UH, THE BUDGET AND THE, UM, A BUDGET IS ABOUT 25 POINT, UH, 5 MILLION.
THAT WAS, YOU KNOW, WHAT I HAD, UM, UM, YOU KNOW, PROPOSED.
AND, UH, AND THE, UH, B BUDGET, WHICH REALLY HASN'T BEEN MODIFIED, WAS ABOUT 109, UH, MILLION DOLLARS, UM, YOU KNOW, IN, IN THAT BUDGET.
AND SO WHAT PERCENTAGE IS THE A HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS IN SALARIES OF THAT? BECAUSE JUST BEAR, BEAR WITH ME BECAUSE YOU ARE USING THAT AS, AS A REASON THAT WE ARE OVERSPENDING AND IT'S SUCH A SMALL AMOUNT OF MONEY, ESPECIALLY WHEN, AS, AS COUNCILMAN, UM, SHEHAN STATED THAT THE, THESE ARE ALL PEOPLE WHO HAVE WORKED SO HARD FOR US AND WHO HAVE SAVED US A LOT OF MONEY AND WHO'VE MADE OUR INFRASTRUCTURE WORK.
UM, WHETHER IT'S OUR, OUR ROADS AND BRIDGES AND, UM, OR THE, THE WATERS WATER INFRASTRUCTURE, ANY,
[01:00:01]
ANY BIT OF INFRASTRUCTURE THAT YOU CAN THINK OF, LIKE THE LIBRARY IS INFRASTRUCTURE TOO.IT'S, IT'S OUR EDUCATIONAL INFRASTRUCTURE.
SO WHEN, WHEN YOU LOOK AT ALL THE WORK THAT THESE PEOPLE HAVE DONE, AND THEY MAKE FAR LESS MONEY THAN PEOPLE DO WITH COMPAR COMPARABLE JOBS IN THE PRIVATE SECTOR.
SO THE OTHER ASPECT OF THIS IS GIVING THEM RAISES SO THAT WE CAN RETAIN THEM BECAUSE THE LORE OF SOMETIMES A PRIVATE SECTOR IS TOO GREAT FOR THEM WHO, WHEN THEY HAVE FAMILIES TO RAISE.
SO IT'S ALSO THE NUMBER OF OTHER MUNICIPALITIES WHO ARE PAYING MORE COMPETITIVE SALARIES.
AND, AND TO, TO, UM, COUNCILWOMAN HABER'S POINT THAT IS AS WELL A, A, A A FACTOR THAT WE HAVE TO CONSIDER.
AND SO TO, TO USE THAT, THAT'S A PAPER TIGER.
THERE, THERE ARE SO MANY AREAS THAT WE WOULD LOVE TO BE ABLE TO INCREASE OUR, OUR MONIES ON, BUT WE HAVE INFRASTRUCTURE THAT WE CAN'T DEPRIVE, UM, IN ANY WAY.
AND, AND I THINK THAT LORRAINE MENTIONED THAT EARLIER WHEN SHE WAS TALKING ABOUT INFRASTRUCTURE BEING IGNORED BECAUSE IN ORDER TO KEEP THE BUDGET ARTIFICIALLY LOW, AND WE CAN'T DO THAT, I THINK THE, THE, UM, COMMISSIONER DPW COMMISSIONER MENTIONED THE OTHER DAY IN A WORK SESSION THAT 90% OF OUR ROADS ARE REPAVED.
AND THIS IS BECAUSE FOR THE FIRST TIME WE, NUMBER ONE, WE'RE ABLE TO ATTRACT AND, AND GET THE PROPER STAFFING IN OUR DPW, THE PROPER ENGINEERING STAFF BECAUSE WE WERE HAVING A HARD TIME ATTRACTING PEOPLE AT LOW SALARIES.
AND WE, WE HAVE AN EFFICIENT STAFF NOW.
THEY'VE DONE A GREAT DEAL OF WORK TO, TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY CAN GET THIS WORK DONE SO WE DON'T GET NEARLY, AND I THINK YOU SAID YOURSELF, MR. SUPERVISOR, THAT YOU, YOU COMMENDED THE COMMISSIONER WHEN HE MENTIONED THAT BECAUSE YOU'VE GOTTEN SO FEW COMPLAINTS ABOUT THE ROADS.
SO IT'S NOT JUST OUR, OUR SALARIES.
THE MONEY IS GOING TO, IT'S FOR, FOR SO MANY ASPECTS OF HOW WE MAKE THIS TOWN WORK AND WE MAKE IT BETTER AND MORE LIVABLE.
OF COURSE, THE TOWN TAXES FOR THE, THE A BUDGET, WHAT, 17, 18% OF THE TOTAL TAXATION, THE VILLAGE TAXES, 1.52% OF THEIR TAXATION COMES THROUGH THE TOWN OF GREENBURG.
AND THAT, THAT REALLY IS, UM, NOT A HUGE AMOUNT.
MOST OF OUR SCHOOL TAXES ARE SCHOOL TAXES.
UM, AND, AND I WOULD REALLY, UM, AND, AND AGAIN, TO, TO LORRAINE'S POINT, I, I AGAIN ENCOURAGE PEOPLE TO, TO REALLY LOOK AT THAT WHEN IT COMES TO, UM, LOOKING AT THE SCHOOL BUDGETS AND VOTING ON THAT, BECAUSE PEOPLE FORGET.
SO JUST MAKE SURE YOU PUT IT IN PERSPECTIVE AS WELL.
AND I THINK YOU NEED TO PUT IT TOO INTO PERSPECTIVE, MR. SUPERVISOR, IN TERMS OF SALARIES, WELL, ALL I COULD SAY IS EVERY, THE EVERY DAY THAT I'M AT TOWN HALL, THERE'S PEOPLE, THE MORALE OF EMPLOYEES IS, IS PEOPLE ARE UPSET BECAUSE THEY WANT SALARY INCREASES ALSO.
EVERY, THERE'S NOBODY IN THE TOWN, NONE OF OUR EVERY EMPLOYEE WOULD WANT A $10,000 INCREASE.
UH, EVERY EMPLOYEE WOULD WANT A 15 OR 17% INCREASE.
UM, BUT WE'RE NOT, WE'RE GIVING IT TO SOME PEOPLE.
WE'RE NOT GIVING IT TO EVERYBODY.
AND I SORT OF FEEL THAT, UM, WE, WE BASICALLY ARE SETTING THE WRONG EXAMPLE THAT WE DON'T HAVE THE DISCIPLINE TO, UH, TO TIGHTEN UP AND, UM, AND TO AVOID LARGE INCREASES IN THE FUTURE.
AND THE ONLY WAY WE'RE GONNA BASICALLY, UH, BE ABLE TO AVOID SOME OF THE PROJECTED TAX HIKES AS WE BUILD UP THE FUND BALANCE IS BY MAKING CUTS AND, OR BY, UH, OR BY LOOKING FOR WAYS OF RUNNING GOVERNMENT MORE EFFICIENTLY.
UM, AND, YOU KNOW, AND THAT, AND THAT'S BASICALLY WHAT I, I'D LIKE TO DEVOTE, UH, THE COMING, THE COMING MONTHS TO, YOU KNOW, I FEEL THAT IF THERE IS, UM, A VACANCY IN A DEPARTMENT, WE SHOULD TAKE A LOOK AND SAY, DO WE REALLY NEED IT? I FEEL WE SHOULD BE LOOKING AT ALL THE CONSULTANT COSTS.
UM, AND BASICALLY MONITORING HOW WE'RE SPENDING IT.
BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, WE'VE, WE'VE HAD OUTSIDE LEGAL COSTS AND, YOU KNOW, I DON'T BELIEVE, YOU KNOW, WE SPENDING, WHICH YOU SAVED US MONEY.
NO, BUT I, I JUST SORT OF FEEL THAT IF WE REALLY ARE GONNA BE REALLY, YOU KNOW, ON TOP OF IT, WE COULD SAVE HUNDREDS AND HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS, MAYBE, YOU KNOW, MILLIONS OF DOLLARS.
WELL, ACCORDING TO THE COMP CONTROLLER, WE CANNOT SAVE ENOUGH
[01:05:01]
TO MAKE UP FOR THE DEFICIT.WELL, YOU KNOW WHAT? I DISAGREE.
SO OF COURSE WE WANNA TELL YOU WHY DIDN'T YOU DO IT OVER YOUR 34 YEARS? I HAVE.
WE ACTUALLY, IF YOU LOOK AT IT, WHY ARE WE IN A DIFFERE? I HAVE ALWAYS BEEN THROUGH, YOU KNOW, MY SALARY IS, THERE'S ABOUT 20 EMPLOYEES WHO MAKE MORE THAN ME.
UM, SO I, I'M MAKING, UH, LESS, I'VE BEEN MAKING LESS THAN 180,000.
I DON'T HAVE AN EXPENSE ACCOUNT.
UM, I DON'T PUT IN FOR, UM, FOR ANY EXPENSES.
I THINK I PUT IN 34 4 YEARS, $10.
THAT WAS MY WHOLE EXPENSE ACCOUNT.
SO I'M BASICALLY, I BASICALLY, MY FATHER WHEN HE WAS ALIVE, USED TO COME IN, UM, AND LOOK AT ALL THE BOOKS AND COME UP WITH, UM, UH, SUGGESTIONS AS HOW WE COULD RUN MORE OR FRUGALLY.
I, I BASICALLY WANNA SEE THE TOWN, UM, BOARD, ALL OF US WORKING TOGETHER TO SEE IF WE COULD, UM, FIGURE OUT WAYS OF HELPING THE TAXPAYERS, UH, REDUCE LARGE, UH, TAX INCREASES.
AND I'M CONVINCED THAT IF WE ALL WORK TOGETHER ON THIS, THAT WE COULD MAKE GOVERNMENT, YOU KNOW, MORE EFFICIENT AND AT THE SAME TIME PROVIDE, UM, YOU KNOW, GREAT, GREAT SERVICES.
SO WHEN I'M LOOKING AT THESE SALARY HIKES, I'M SAYING TO MYSELF, YOU KNOW WHAT? I'M NOT SAYING THE EMPLOYEE, THE PEOPLE WHO ARE GETTING IT, DON'T DESERVE, UH, AREN'T, AREN'T DOING A GOOD JOB.
BUT I'M JUST SAYING, IT SENDS THE WRONG MESSAGE THAT WE'RE REALLY NOT SERIOUS.
AND THAT, THAT'S, THAT'S WHY I'M, UH, YOU KNOW, I FEEL SO STRONGLY ABOUT THIS.
I'VE ALWAYS FELT THE SAME WAY.
YOU KNOW, I'VE NEVER, UM, YOU KNOW, I'VE NEVER REALLY, UM, TAKEN ADVANTAGE OF TAXPAYERS BY TRYING TO GIVE MYSELF, YOU KNOW, THESE LARGER INCREASES.
AND THAT'S WHY MY SALARY IS WAY BEHIND.
I THINK WE UNDERSTAND EVERYBODY'S, EXCUSE ME, AS A PERSON WHO HAS SOME HISTORY HERE, THE REASON WHY YOUR SALARY IS LOWER THAN OTHERS IS THAT YOU HAD THIS WONDERFUL GIM GIMMICK, AND IT WAS PRETTY GOOD POLITICALLY THAT YOU WERE GONNA BASE YOUR SALARY BASED ON PERFORMANCE.
AND THEN YOU DIDN'T PERFORM SO YOU DIDN'T GET THE FULL SALARY.
NO, I BASICALLY CAME UP WITH GOALS AND THEN I SAID, IF I DON'T NEED ALL THE GOALS, I'M NOT GONNA TAKE A SALARY.
AND, AND THEN EVERYBODY, I DID THAT FOR THREE OR FOUR YEARS AND I ACTUALLY GAVE BACK MONEY VOLUNTARILY.
BUT THE THING IS, BECAUSE I SAID, BUT THEN EVERYBODY SAID, OH, THIS IS A GIMMICK.
AND I SAID, IT'S JUST NOT WORTH DOING IT BECAUSE NOBODY, LIKE, BESIDES ME, LIKE THE IDEA.
BUT BASICALLY, UH, WHAT I WANT TO DO IS I'M ASKING AND BEGGING THE TOWN BOARD, UM, TO BASICALLY OBJECTIVELY LOOK FOR WAYS TO SAVE MONEY.
CAN I ASK THEM WHAT WE'RE DOING EVERY DAY? YES.
CAN I ASK OF THE SUPERVISOR THAT RATHER THAN ISSUE THE BUDGET TO US THAT YOU'VE WORKED ON FOR MANY MONTHS, THE SAME DAY THAT YOU ISSUE IT TO THE REST OF THE, THE TOWN THAT YOU START INVOLVING US IN THE, UM, THE DEVELOPING OF THE BUDGET MUCH SOONER.
I MEAN, YOU, YOU, YOU BROUGHT UP THE FACT THAT I ATTENDED A MEETING WITH THE FORMER CONTROLLER AND YOU A MEETING THAT YOU INVITED ME TO CLOSE TO THE END OF THE BUDGET SEASON.
MOST OF EVERYTHING HAD BEEN DEVELOPED.
AND I WAS JUST, I, I WEALTH WELCOME THAT BECAUSE I WAS JUST JOINING THE TOWN BOARD AND I WANTED TO UNDERSTAND THE BUDGET.
AND I GOT A MODICUM OF UNDERSTANDING JUST IN THAT ONE MEETING.
AND I DIDN'T KNOW EVERYTHING THAT HAD PROCEEDED.
IT WOULD'VE BEEN REALLY HELPFUL TO HAVE BEEN INVOLVED MUCH SOONER.
AND SO ISSUING THAT SO TO, BECAUSE YOU SAID YOU'D LIKE TO SEE US DO A BETTER JOB IN, IN BRINGING THE BUDGET DOWN WILL INVOLVE THIS SOONER.
WELL, LEMME JUST SAY THAT I, UM, TIME EVERYTHING TO, UH, WHAT THE CONTROLLER, UM, TIMING IS.
SO I, I BASICALLY, UH, SPOKE TO THE CONTROLLER IN THE SUMMER.
SHE SAID THAT, UM, UM, UH, SHE WOULDN'T BE READY FOR, UH, THE TOWN BOARD TO GET INVOLVED UNTIL BASICALLY THE TIME WE STARTED.
UH, WE START, YOU KNOW, WE, WE STARTED THE MEETING.
NO, BUT IM SAYING I THINK YOUR IDEA, IF WE COULD START, IF WE COULD HAVE THE BUDGETS PLANNED BY, UH, JULY INSTEAD OF SEPTEMBER OR OCTOBER, THAT WOULD BE GREAT.
YOU KNOW, I, WELL, EVEN SEPTEMBER AND 30TH, RIGHT? EVEN SEPTEMBER, NOT OCTOBER 30TH BY SI WOULD, I WOULD LOVE THAT.
WE'LL HAVE TO SPEAK TO THE CONTROLLER BECAUSE I, I DID ASK, UM, IF WE COULD DO IT EARLIER, UM, YOU KNOW, THIS YEAR AND, UH, YOU KNOW, SHE WASN'T READY.
BUT SHE WAS NEW AND SHE WASN'T READY.
THAT THAT'S A GREAT SUGGESTION GOING FORWARD.
OKAY, CAN WE GO TO THE NEXT, UH, NO, WE CAN'T BECAUSE USED BY NAME AND HE USED THE SAME LIE THAT I HAD TO HAVE KNOWN THAT HE WAS NOT RESERVING THE MONEY EVEN THOUGH HE WAS REQUIRED TO.
HE SAID, I HAD, AND YOU, YOU WERE QUESTIONED AS TO HOW DID YOU KNOW THAT? AND YOUR ANSWER WAS, I JUST KNOW BECAUSE
[01:10:01]
YOU'RE THE LIAISON TO THE CONTROLLER'S OFFICE, BUT YOU ARE THE CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER.YOU WORK WITH THE CONTROLLER MUCH MORE THAN WE DO.
SO IF YOU'RE USING THAT ARGUMENT THAT I'M LIAISON TO THE CONTROLLER'S OFFICE, I MUST HAVE KNOWN.
AND IN FACT, WE KNOW THAT YOU DID KNOW BECAUSE YOU WANTED TO HAVE A SPECIAL MEETING WITH OUR AUDITORS, WHICH COST MONEY LAST THURSDAY, AND YOU WERE GOING TO GRILL THIS PERSON WITH QUESTIONS SOMEBODY FED YOU.
'CAUSE YOU WERE READING IT OFF YOUR PHONE AND TRY TO SHOW THAT THE AUDITOR SHOULD HAVE CAUGHT WHAT WAS HAPPENING HERE.
AND YOU FAILED BECAUSE THE AUDITOR ANSWERED EVERY QUESTION, ANSWERED THEM PROFESSIONALLY.
AND I CALLED THE AUDITOR IN ADVANCE OF THAT, THAT MEETING.
AND I HAD A DISCUSSION WITH THE AUDITOR, WITH THE CONTROLLER ON THE LINE.
AND THAT AUDITOR, THAT INDEPENDENT AUDITOR TOLD KIMBERLY AND I, WHICH I LEARNED FOR THE FIRST TIME, HE HAD ADVISED YOU, THIS IS AN INDEPENDENT AUDITOR.
THIS IS NOT ME SAYING, OH, PAUL, I THINK, YOU KNOW, AN INDEPENDENT ORDER SAID HE ADVISED YOU ABOUT THE COURTHOUSE MONEY.
YOU DON'T REMEMBER THAT? OKAY.
BUT AN INDEPENDENT AUDITOR REMEMBERED IT AND ADVISED YOU THAT YOU SHOULDN'T BE DOING WHAT YOU'RE DOING.
SO YOU'RE GOTTA KEEP GOING ON AND SAYING, YOU KNOW, COUNCILMAN, SHE, AND YOU SHOULD HAVE KNOWN, WE HAVE AN INDEPENDENT PERSON WHERE WHO TOLD YOU DON'T DO THAT.
AND ONCE YOU HEARD THAT, WHY DID YOU PUT IT BACK IN THE NEXT YEAR'S BUDGET? WE'RE TALKING ABOUT FIVE YEARS OF RESERVE FOR COURTHOUSE, MAYBE SIX, FIVE YEARS RESERVE FOR COURTHOUSE.
AND AFTER THE FIRST YEAR WHEN YOU DECIDED THAT YOU WEREN'T GOING TO PUT IT INTO RESERVE, YOU WEREN'T GONNA RESTRICT IT, WHY DID YOU GO BACK AND PUT IT IN THE BUDGET AGAIN THE NEXT TIME? YOU KNOW WHAT I NOW BELIEVE? BECAUSE IT WORKED.
YOU PUT IT IN RESERVE FOR COURTHOUSE.
ANYBODY WANTS TO LOOK AT THE 2022 BUDGET.
IT'S A, BY THE WAY, IT'S AN A BUDGET ITEM.
UH, 1989 DASH 5 4 9 0 5 RESERVE FOR COURTHOUSE.
IN THIS PARTICULAR BUDGET THERE WAS, IN THE 2021 BUDGET, IT WAS 12 AND A HALF MILLION DOLLARS IN THE 2022 BUDGET, UH, BUDGET.
AND YOU KNOW WHAT? WE VOTED ON IT.
IT WAS SUPPOSED TO BE RESTRICTED AND YOU DIDN'T RESTRICT IT.
AND WHEN IT WORKED FOR YOU FOR ONE YEAR, YOU DID IT AGAIN AND YOU DID IT AGAIN.
AND ALL OF A SUDDEN WE HAD WHAT LOOKED LIKE A GOOD FUND BALANCE THAT WE COULD ACTUALLY DRAW BACK, DRAW THINGS DOWN.
BUT EVEN WORSE, WE MAY HAVE SPENT MORE MONEY THAN WE, WE, WE HAD BECAUSE WE DIDN'T HAVE THAT MUCH MONEY.
BUT IT MADE IT APPEAR LIKE WE DID.
AND NOW WHAT DO WE DO FOR A COURTHOUSE? AND THAT'S WHAT A QUESTION YOU WEREN'T ABLE TO ANSWER YESTERDAY WHEN YOU WERE ASKED.
I DON'T EVEN KNOW WHAT THE ANSWER IS.
'CAUSE YOU HAVE TO GO BACK TO THE TAXPAYERS AND ASK THEM TO PAY FOR A COURTHOUSE WHERE THEY'VE ALREADY PAID $39 MILLION FOR IT.
WELL, THEY DIDN'T PAY $39 MILLION FOR THE COURTHOUSE BECAUSE BASICALLY THAT MONEY WAS USED TO, UH, REDUCE THE TAXES.
BUT YOU SAID YOU PERSONALLY THOUGHT IT WAS BETTER TO REDUCE THE TAXES.
AND YOU DIDN'T SAY IT WAS A BOARD DECISION.
YOU SAID IT WAS A, DURING THE BUDGET DISCUSS, YOU KNOW, DURING THE BUDGET DISCUSSIONS AFTER, FIRST OF ALL, I DON'T HAVE THE POWER TO UNILATERALLY ADOPT A BUDGET.
UM, I, I DEFINITELY DON'T HAVE THAT POWER.
IT BASICALLY IS THE, WHEN THE BOARD ADOPTS THE BUDGET, THAT'S THE, THE BUDGET THAT THE BOARD ADOPTS.
SO IT'S INCUMBENT ON THE BOARD.
SO I DON'T HAVE THE POWER TO MAKE CHANGES ON MY OWN.
I DON'T HAVE THE POWER TO AMEND ANYTHING.
I DON'T HAVE THE POWER TO TELL THE CONTROLLER, UM, TO TAKE MONEY OUT AND BASICALLY, UNLESS THE BOARD BASICALLY DECIDES TO TAKE IT OUT.
UM, UH, SO EVERY ACTION THAT WE, WHEN WE HAVE MEETINGS WITH THE DEPARTMENT HEADS AND THE CONTROLLER, IF THE CONTROLLER BASICALLY, UM, WHICH I BELIEVE, UM, YOU KNOW, WAS I BELIEVE THAT THE, THE CONTROLLER WASN'T KEEPING ANY SECRETS.
UM, AND I BELIEVE THAT IF THE BOARD, UM, DURING THE BUDGET REVIEW BETWEEN OCTOBER, UH, 30TH AND, UM, AND THE MIDDLE OF DECEMBER, IF THE, THAT'S THE TIME IT'S IN, IT BECOMES THE BOARD'S DECISION RATHER THAN MINE.
UM, WELL YOU'RE NOW MEMBER THE BOARD.
[01:15:01]
THE BOARD, THE SALARY INCREASES.YOU KNOW, I'D LIKE TO MAKE A MOTION THE END THIS DAY.
I'M DISAGREEING WITH ASPECTS OF THE BUDGET AND ALL IN FAVOR.
WE, WE HAVE A MOTION ON THE TABLE.
THERE'S ALREADY A SUPERSEDING MOTION.
JUST, I JUST WANNA SAY, PAUL, I AGREE WITH ALL OF YOUR ORIGINAL COMMENTS.
YOU, I HAVE A, YOU CAN'T ADOPT THIS BUDGET BY YOURSELF.
YOU HAVE TO HAVE THE BOARD TO VOTE ON IT.
YOU CAN'T CHANGE ANYTHING THAT'S IN THIS BUDGET WITHOUT TOWN BOARD APPROVAL.
YOU CAN'T, I DIDN'T CHANGE ANYTHING.
I DID NOT WITHOUT TOWN BOARD APPROVAL.
AND YOU KNOW WHAT? YOU DID NOT RESERVE THE MONEY.
WE VOTED AS A BOARD TO RESERVE FOR THE COURTHOUSE.
WELL, YOU KNOW WHAT? YOU DID NOT RESTRICT IT.
SO YOU ACTED ON YOUR OWN UNILATERALLY.
I DID NOT ACT ON MY OWN UNILATERALLY BECAUSE NO, I DON'T HAVE THE POWER SHOW, THE RESOLUTION.
I MADE A MOTION, I MADE A MOTION TO END THE DEBATE AND AFTER BELIEVE IT WAS SECONDED.
WILL IT
I MAKE A MOTION THAT WE ADOPT TB TWO ALL IN FAVOR? WELL, WE HAD A VOTE SECOND AND WE SECOND IT, AND NOW WE JUST HAVE TO VOTE.
UH, WE JUST WANNA MAKE SURE THAT YOU ARE REFERRING TO THE FORMER COMPTROLLER, NOT THE COMP CONTROL THAT THE CURRENT TROLL.
[ TB 3 - 12/17/2025 Resolution of the Town Board of the Town of Greenburgh adopting the 2026 Capital Budget and 2027-2028 Capital Plan]
TB THREE, UH, RESOLUTION OF THE TOWN BOARD OF THE TOWN OF GREENBURG ADOPTING THE 2010 26 CAPITAL BUDGET AND 2027 2028 CAPITAL, UH, PLAN.UM, YOU KNOW, I I WOULD LIKE TO, UM, UM, PROPO, UH, MOVE THE MOTION, BUT I ALSO WANNA MENTION THAT I THINK AT THE BEGINNING OF THE YEAR, UH, THE TOWN BOARD SHOULD BASICALLY, UH, MEET WITH, UM, THE CONTROLLER AND RICH FUND.
AND WE SHOULD AS A GROUP PRIORITIZE WHAT'S GONNA BE SPENT IN 2026.
UM, YOU KNOW, WHICH ARE THE PRIORITIES, BECAUSE I SORT OF FEEL YOU ALREADY DID THAT, BUT I'M TALKING ABOUT DON'T GO THROUGH THE PRIORITIES.
NO, I'M TALKING ABOUT WHAT IS ACTUALLY GONNA BE SPENT IN 2026, UH, BECAUSE THERE'S A WHOLE LIST OF THINGS AND THAT'S FINE.
BUT THAT'S NOT PART OF THE MOTION.
THE MOTION IS AS IT READS, RESOLUTION OF THE TOWN BOARD OF THE TOWN OF GREENBURG ADOPTING THE 2026 CAPITAL BUDGET IN 20 27, 20 28 CAPITAL PLAN.
SO YOU MOVE THAT ALL IN FAVOR? WE NEED A SECOND.
[ TB 4 - 12/17/2025 Resolution authorizing binding insurance coverages and claims handling services for the policy period December 31, 2025 to December 31, 2026]
BEFORE YOU READ THIS ONE, COULD I JUST ASK THAT YOU PROPOSE AN AMENDMENT, UM, REDUCING IN THEIF YOU COULD MOTION TO AMEND THAT NUMBER TO REDUCE IT DOWN TO 1,550,000.
UH, BASED ON CONVERSATIONS I HAD TODAY AND BASED ON, UH, EMAIL CORRESPONDENCE, I SAID TO THE BOARD EARLIER TODAY, YOUR I MOVE THAT WE, UH, APPROVE THE RESOLUTION AS AMENDED, UH, BY THE TOWN ATTORNEY.
IF YOU, IF YOU COULD READ THE LANGUAGE.
TOWN ATTORNEY CAN'T AMEND THE, DO YOU WANNA, UH, GIVE IT TO ME AGAIN? THE WORDING JUST AMENDED BY YOU.
IT AS AMENDED AS WORDED BY THE TOWN ATTORNEY.
YEAH, THAT'S MOVE AS AMENDED AS WORDED BY THE TOWN ATTORNEY.
[ TB 5 - 12/17/2025 Resolution ratifying a Memorandum of Agreement between the Police Association of Greenburgh and the Town of Greenburgh for the period beginning January 1, 2024 through December 31, 2026, authorizing the Town Supervisor to execute the Memorandum of Agreement]
YOU.UH, RESOLUTION RATIFYING A ME MEMORANDUM OF AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE POLICE ASSOCIATION OF GREENBURG AND THE TOWN OF GREENBURG FOR THE PERIOD BEGINNING JANUARY 1ST, 2024 THROUGH DECEMBER 31ST, 2026, AUTHORIZING THE TOWN SUPERVISOR TO EXECUTE THE MEMORANDUM OF AGREEMENT.
YOU KNOW, I JUST THINK THAT, UH, WE HAVE A, A GREAT POLICE DEPARTMENT AND WE HAVE OUTSTANDING, UH, POLICE OFFICERS.
AND I, I'M VERY PLEASED THAT, UH, UH, WE FINALLY HAVE, UH, A CONTRACT WITH, UM, YOU KNOW, YOU KNOW, WITH THE POLICE AND, YOU KNOW, GOING FORWARD, YOU KNOW, I'M HOPEFUL THAT WE'LL BE ABLE TO, UM, APPROVE ALL CONTRACTS WITH, YOU KNOW, WHAT FIRE DISTRICTS AND WITH THE POLICE, UM, BEFORE THE END OF THE FISCAL YEAR BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, I DON'T REALLY THINK IT'S FAIR, UM, TO APPROVE A CONTRACT FOR 2024 WHEN IT'S ALMOST 2026.
AND I THINK THAT THE SAME THING SHOULD HAPPEN WITH THE FIRE DISTRICTS.
BUT, YOU KNOW, I, I'M VERY PLEASED AND I JUST THINK, OKAY, GOOD.
WE HAVE A GOOD PBA THANKS AS THE POLICE, AS THE POLICE, AS THE POLICE LIAISON, I'M VERY EXCITED THAT THIS FINALLY, WE FINALLY COME TO AN AGREEMENT AND WE FINALLY HAVE A CONTRACT IN PLACE.
[01:20:01]
FORWARD AGAIN TO CONTINUE TO WORK ALONGSIDE OUR POLICE OFFICER.IT TOOK A LOT OF EFFORT BY A LOT OF PEOPLE AND WE GOT IT AND WE GOT IT DONE AND IT, IT, IT EXPIRES AT THE END OF NEXT YEAR.
[ AT 1 - 12/17/2025 Resolution authorizing settlement of property damage related Claim, File No.: 119/25C, by Soon I. Lee, for an amount not to exceed $3,783.80]
A T ONE RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING SETTLEMENT OF PROPERTY DAMAGE RELATED CLAIM FILE NUMBER 1 19 25 C BY SOON I LEE FOR AN AMOUNT NOT TO EXCEED $3,783 AND 80 CENTS.[ AT 2 - 12/17/2025 Resolution authorizing the retention of the law firm of Morris Duffy Alonso Faley & Pitcoff to represent the Town of Greenburgh in the matter of Michele Gregory v. the Town of Greenburgh, for an amount not to exceed $25,000]
T TWO RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING THE RETENTION OF THE LAW FIRM OF MA DUFFY L OSO AND PITCOCK TO REPRESENT THE TOWN OF GREENBERG IN THE MATTER OF MICHELLE GREGORY VERSUS TOWN OF GREENBERG.FOR, FOR AN AMOUNT NOT TO EXCEED 25 UM, THOUSAND.
[ AT 3 - 12/17/2025 Resolution authorizing settlement of property damage related Claim, File No.: 118/25C, by J. Cheryl Strahorne-Williams, for an amount not to exceed $3,452.53]
UM, A T THREE, UH, RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING SETTLEMENT OF PROPERTY DAMAGE RELATED CLAIM FILE NUMBER ONE EIGHTEEN A HUNDRED EIGHTEEN TWENTY FIVE C BY JAY CHERYL STRAHORN WILLIAMS FOR AN AMOUNT NOT TO EXCEED $3,452 53 CENTS.I'D LIKE TO MOVE THAT SECOND IN FAVOR, AYE.
[ AT 4 - 12/17/2025 Resolution authorizing tax certiorari settlement with petitioner Martling Owners, Inc. for property located at 222 Martling Avenue. The Town’s share of the refund is $2,652±; the County’s share is $16,555±; the Saw Mill Valley Sewer District’s share is $3,543±; Union Free School District of the Tarrytowns’ share is $123,152±, the Sheldon Brook Drainage District’s share is $40,948±. Refunds from all sources total $186,851±. ]
UM, UH, 18 FOUR RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING TAX ARY SETTLEMENT.PETITIONER MARLING OWNERS IS FOR PROPERTY LOCATED AT 2 2 2 MARLENE AVENUE.
UH, THE TOTAL AMOUNT, UM, IS 186,851.
[ AT 5 - 12/17/2025 Resolution authorizing tax certiorari settlement with petitioner N.F. Lau Associates Inc. for property located at 96-102 N. Broadway. The Town’s share of the refund is $275±; the County’s share is $1,699±; the Saw Mill Valley Sewer District’s share is $374±; the Union Free School District of the Tarrytowns’ share is $12,679±. Refunds from all sources total $15,027±. ]
UM, UM, RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING TAX TERTIARY SETTLEMENT WITH PETITIONER NF LAU ASSOCIATES FOR PROPERTY LOCATED AT 96 1 0 2 NORTH BROADWAY.[ AT 6 - 12/17/2025 Resolution authorizing tax certiorari settlement with petitioner MRE Realty Corp. for property located at 135 South Central Avenue. The Town’s share of the refund is $95±; the County’s share is $706±; the Saw Mill Valley Sewer District’s share is $95±; the Elmsford Union Free School District’s share is $4,323±. Refunds from all sources total $5,219±. ]
A T SIX RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING TAX TERTIARY SETTLEMENT WITH PETITIONER MRE REALTY CORP FOR PROPERTY, LOCATED AT 1 35 SOUTH CENTRAL AVENUE REFUNDS FROM ALL SOURCES TOTAL $5,219.[ AT 7 - 12/17/2025 Resolution authorizing tax certiorari settlement with petitioner Metropolitan Golf Association, Inc. and Metropolitan Golf Association Foundation, Inc. for property located at 49 Knollwood Road. The Town’s share of the refund is $486±; the County’s share is $3,409±; the Bronx Valley Sewer District’s share is $515±; the Greenburgh Central School District #7’s share is $17,162±. Refunds from all sources total $21,573±.]
A T SEVEN RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING TAX TERTIARY SETTLEMENT WITH PETITIONER METROPOLITAN GULF ASSOCIATION AND METROPOLITAN GOLF ASSOCIATION FOUNDATION FOR PROPERTY, LOCATED AT 49 NORWOOD ROAD, UH, REFUNDS FROM ALL SOURCES TOTAL $21,573.[ AT 8 - 12/17/2025 Resolution authorizing tax certiorari settlement with petitioner Holy Spirit Association for the Unification of World Christianity for Property located at 50 E. Sunnyside Lane / 0 Sunnyside Lane. The Town’s share of the refund is $3,141±; the County’s share is $44,428±; the N. Yonkers Sewer District’s share is $42,390±; the Irvington Union Free School District’s share is $139,431±. Refunds from all sources total $229,390±. ]
AYE.UM, RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING TAX ARY SETTLEMENT WITH PETITIONER HOLY SPIRIT ASSOCIATION FOR THE UNIFICATION OF WORLD CHRISTIANITY FOR PROPERTY LOCATED 50 EAST SUNNY SIDE LANE, UH, REFUNDS FROM ALL SOURCES $229,390.
[ CD 1 - 12/17/2025 Resolution of the Town Board of the Town of Greenburgh supporting the issuance of a Request for Proposals (RFP) for planning services associated with a New York State Department of Homes and Community Renewal Pro-Housing Communities ‘Technical Assistance to Grow’ grant related to the Four Corners portion of the Town as envisioned in the Four Corners Redevelopment Plan]
RESOLUTION OF THE TOWN BOARD OF THE TOWN OF GREENBURG SUPPORTING THE ISSUANCE OF A REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS FOR PLANNING SERVICES ASSOCIATED WITH NEW YORK STATE DEPARTMENT OF HOMES AND COMMUNITY RENEWED RENEWABLE PRO HOUSING COMMUNITIES.TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE TO GROW GRANT RELATED TO THE FOUR CORNERS PORTION OF THE TOWN IS ENVISIONED BY THE FOUR CORNERS REDEVELOPMENT PLAN.
[ CD 2 - 12/17/2025 Resolution of the Town Board of the Town of Greenburgh accepting construction, utility and public use easements in connection with the construction and implementation of traffic signal and sidewalk improvements at the intersection of Ardsley Road and Fort Hill Road (held over to Town Board Meeting of January 14, 2026)]
THE NEXT CD UM, TWO IS BEING HELD OVER TO JANUARY, UM, UNIT 14TH, UM, UH,[ CO 1 - 12/17/2025 Resolution authorizing Fiscal Year 2025 budget transfers]
CO ONE RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING FISCAL YEAR 2025.WOULD LIKE TO MOVE THAT ALL IN FAVOR? SECOND PERSON.
UM, UH, I'M VOTING AGAINST, UH, CO2,
[ CO 2 - 12/17/2025 Resolution authorizing PKF O'Connor Davies, LLP as the Auditors for the Fiscal Years Ended December 31, 2025, and December 31, 2026, at a cost of $103,000 and $107,000, respectively ]
UH, RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING PKF O'CONNOR DAVIES AS THE AUDITORS FOR THE FISCAL YEAR ENDED DECEMBER 31ST, 2025, AND DECEMBER 31ST, 2026 AT A COST OF 103,000 AND $107,000 RESPECTIVELY, AS I INDICATED YESTERDAY DURING THE WORK SESSION.NO, WELL, YOU'RE NOT MAKING THE MOTION, SO I'LL MAKE THE MOTION.
NO, I'M JUST, WE'LL HAVE A SECOND AND YOU CAN SAY WHAT YOU WANNA SAY.
UH, CO2 RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING PKF O'CONNOR DAVIES, LLP AS THE AUDITORS FOR THE FISCAL YEARS ENDING DECEMBER 31ST, 2025 AND DECEMBER 31ST, 2026 AT A COST OF $103,000 AND $107,000 RESPECTIVELY.
BASICALLY I SAID WHAT I HAD TO SAY, YOU KNOW, YESTERDAY, UM, UH, WE'VE HAD THE SAME AUDIT COMPANY FOR OVER TH PROBABLY 30, OVER 30 YEARS.
AND, UM, I KNOW THAT THE BEST PRACTICES, UM, IS TO CHANGE AUDITORS EVERY, THE COMPANY'S EVERY FIVE OR, OR SIX YEARS.
UM, YOU KNOW, I DID, YOU KNOW, SOME, SOME RESEARCH ON THAT.
UM, I WOULD DEFINITELY SUPPORT, UM, UH, AUTHORIZING THE CONTRACT FOR ONE YEAR, UH, TO, BECAUSE IT'S THE END OF 2025 AND THE CONTROLLER WOULDN'T HAVE ENOUGH TIME TO HAVE AN
[01:25:01]
AUDIT FOR AUDIT OF THE BOOKS FOR 2025.BUT I FEEL THAT, UM, FOR THE SECOND YEAR, UH, THE, YOU KNOW, THAT WILL FOR A HUNDRED, THE 700, $107,000, I THINK THAT SHOULD HAVE BEEN BIDDED OUT.
AND I THINK WE COULD HAVE GOTTEN POSSIBLY BETTER PRICES.
AND I ALSO THINK IT'S, UH, BEST PRACTICES TO CHANGE AUDITORS, AT LEAST EVERY, THE COMPANIES THAT OR AT LEAST GO TO BID EVERY FIVE OR SIX YEARS.
UM, I'M GLAD HOWEVER, THAT THE BOARD, UM, IS IMPLEMENTING A RECOMMENDATION I MADE.
UH, UH, SO AFTER 100, AFTER 2026, THERE WILL BE AN RFP, WHICH I THINK IS GOOD, YOU KNOW, GOING FORWARD, BUT I I, I WOULD'VE PREFERRED DOING IT, UM, YOU KNOW, FOR THE 2026, UM, YEAR.
WE ALSO ADDED INTO THIS CONTRACT THAT THEY WOULD CHANGE THE TEAM.
IT'S A LARGE FIRM, SO THE TEAM WILL CHANGE.
SO THEY'RE IN EFFECT, DIFFERENT AUDITORS UNDER THE SAME UMBRELLA.
HAS THAT BEEN ADDED IN, MR. I BELIEVE SO.
THE REQUEST WAS MADE TO, TO PUT IT IN, YES.
SO WHAT, WHAT, WHAT MAY NOT BE AUDIBLE IS THAT ONE OF THE THINGS THAT THE CONTROLLER, UM, PROMOTING THE CONTROLLER A LOT HERE TONIGHT, 'CAUSE HE'S REALLY GOOD, UH, IS STATING THAT FIRST OF ALL, THIS IS A MAJOR FIRM.
MANY, MANY, MANY, MANY MUNICIPALITIES USE THIS PARTICULAR FIRM, INCLUDING
THE 103 MAY BE A LOWER NUMBER THAN WHAT IT WOULD BE IF WE SAID IT'S ONLY FOR ONE YEAR, BECAUSE THERE'S USUALLY WHEN YOU DO TWO YEARS, YOU GET A REDUCTION.
UM, BUT THEY'RE GOING TO HAVE A TOTALLY SEPARATE TEAM COME IN.
THE ONSITE TEAM IS GONNA BE TOTALLY SEPARATE THAN THE ONES THAT WE HAVE USED BEFORE, UM, UH, TO DO, TO DO THIS ANALYSIS.
YOU KNOW, I, I UNDERSTAND IT'S THE SAME COMPANY THAT WAS HERE LAST THURSDAY AND WHO HAS ADVISED MYSELF AND THE CONTROLLER, UH, TOLD THE SUPERVISOR DON'T DO WHAT HE'S DOING WITH THE COURTHOUSE.
AND I CAN UNDERSTAND WHY HE'D, HE'D WANNA SWITCH, BUT, UH, I THINK IT'S A GOOD IDEA THAT AFTER THIS YEAR, UH, WE DO AN RFP, BUT I DON'T THINK NOW IS THE TIME TO DO THAT, PARTICULARLY SINCE, TO ME IT SEEMS LIKE RETRIBUTION.
IT WASN'T BECAUSE I BASICALLY BEEN ASKING FOR CHANGES IN AUDIT COMPANIES AND AN RFP FOR AT LEAST FIVE OR SIX YEARS.
AND, UM, THE, THE FORMER CONTROLLER, THE FORMER CONTROLLERS, UM, HAVE ALWAYS SAID, OH, WE'RE GONNA DO IT THE FOLLOWING YEAR, AND THEY NEVER GOT AN GOT AROUND TO DOING IT.
SO THEY USE THE SAME AUDIT COMPANIES.
AND, YOU KNOW, I, I'M NOT SAYING THAT THE COMPANY IS, IS BAD, ALL I'M SAYING IS THAT I FEEL THAT AS BEST PRACTICES TO CHANGE AUDIT COMPANIES, OR AT LEAST DO AN RFP, UH, IF WE DID AN RFP AND IT TURNS OUT THAT THEY'RE THE, THE BEST BID WE COULD USE THEM, BUT AT LEAST, UM, AT LEAST WE SHOULD SEE WHAT'S OUT THERE.
AND AGAIN, YOU KNOW, I, I DON'T THINK IT, YOU KNOW, I I THINK, YOU KNOW, WHEN WE'RE LOOKING FOR WAYS OF TIGHTENING UP AND, UM, AND MANAGING, UM, AS EFFICIENTLY AS POSSIBLE, YOU KNOW, I, I JUST, UH, WOULD PREFER, UM, DOING AN RFP.
AND WE'RE GONNA DO, YOU SAID THAT YOU WANTED TO, YOU WANTED TO CHANGE AUDITORS FOR FIVE OR SIX YEARS.
IS THAT ABOUT THE TIME WHEN YOU WERE ADVISED YOU SHOULDN'T DO WHAT YOU WERE SUPPOSED TO DO WITH COURT COURTHOUSE WITH THIS ORDER? IT WAS BEFORE.
I, I'VE BEEN BRINGING THIS UP AT MANY, MANY, UH, WORK SESSIONS OVER THE YEARS.
DO WE HAVE TO, WE HAVE TO VOTE YES.
[ PR 1 - 12/17/2025 Resolution accepting a $2,000 donation from the Metropolis Country Club Foundation, represented by Natalie Robinson, to be used for financial assistance to supplement fees for qualified applicants attending Department of Parks and Recreation Summer Day Camps]
UH, RESOLUTION ACCEPTING A $2,000 DONATION FROM THE METROPO METROPOLIS COUNTRY CLUB FOUNDATION, REPRESENTED BY NATALIE ROBINSON TO BE USED FOR FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE TO SUPPLEMENT FEES FOR QUALIFIED APPLICANTS ATTENDING DEPARTMENT OF PARKS AND RECREATION SUMMARY DAY CAMP.SO I'D LIKE TO MOVE THAT SECOND.
[ PO 1 - 12/17/2025 Resolution authorizing the Police Department to go to bid for the upfit of one Ford Transit Cargo Van]
PO, UM, UH, ONE RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING POLICE DEPARTMENT TO GO TO BID FOR AN UPFIT OF ONE FOR TRANSIT CARGO VAN, I'D LIKE TO MOVE THAT SECOND.UM, ON, ON, ON THINGS LIKE THIS, WHICH IS WHAT WE HAVE TO START LOOKING AT, WE ALREADY OBVIOUSLY HAVE THE, THE FORD CARGO VAN AND WE'RE JUST, UH, OUTFITTING IT.
BUT GOING FORWARD, THE RECOMMENDATION FROM OUR STAFF IS WHEN EVERYBODY, ANYBODY'S BUYING A NEW VEHICLE, WHAT IS ITS MILEAGE, WHAT IS ITS REPAIR HISTORY? AND ONCE WE, IF WE ARE GOING TO REPLACE IT, WHAT ARE WE DOING WITH THE OLDER VEHICLE? BECAUSE WE CAN'T JUST KEEP ACCUMULATING VEHICLES AND PAYING INSURANCE ON ALL THESE VEHICLES.
THAT COMES FROM THE STAFF THAT YOU DIDN'T WANT TO GIVE A NO, I SAID THAT'S A GREAT IDEA.
YOU KNOW, ANYTHING THAT WE COULD DO, UH, UH, THAT COULD SAVE MONEY
[01:30:01]
IS, IS GREAT.[ PW 1 - 12/17/2025 Resolution authorizing Change Order No. 1 for additional work related to the Theodore D. Young Community Center (TDYCC) Elevator Replacement project, for an amount not to exceed $25,400]
PW ONE RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING CHANGE ORDER NUMBER ONE FOR ADDITIONAL WORK RELATED TO THE THEATER YOUNG COMMUNITY CENTER, UH, ELEVATED REPLACEMENT PROJECT FOR AN AMOUNT NOT TO EXCEED 25,400.JUST TO NOTE THAT THE, THEY, THEY HAVE BEEN OUT OF AN ELEVATOR AT THE COMMUNITY CENTER FOR WAY TOO LONG, AND IT'S BEEN AN UNFORTUNATELY PROTRACTED PROCESS, SO WE HOPE THAT GETS TAKEN CARE OF AS SOON AS POSSIBLE.
LIKE THE ELEVATOR THAT WON'T, JUST WON'T BE FIXED.
IT'S JUST NOT, NO MATTER WHAT THEY DO.
[ PW 2 - 12/17/2025 Resolution authorizing Absolute Auctions & Realty, Inc., an online auction company, be used, at no cost to the Town, to sell older vehicles and miscellaneous equipment considered surplus or needing significant repair]
PW TWO RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING ABSOLUTE AUCTIONS AND REALTY INCORPORATED AN ONLINE AUCTION COMPANY TO BE USED AT NO COST TO THE TOWN TO SELL OLDER VEHICLES AND MISCELLANEOUS EQUIPMENT CONSIDERED SURPLUS OR NEEDING SIGNIFICANT REPAIR.[ PW 3 - 12/17/2025 Resolution authorizing additional funding for the Emergency and On Call Sewer, Water and Street Excavation Repair and Restoration Services-2025 contract with Morano Brothers Corporation on an as-needed basis, for an amount not to exceed $2,000,000 ]
UH, PW THREE AUTHORIZING ADDITIONAL FUNDING FOR, UH, THE EMERGENCY AND ON-CALL SEWER, WATER, AND STREET EXCAVATION, REPAIR AND RESTORATION SERVICES CONTRACT WITH MURANO BROTHERS CORP.UH, ON AN AS NEEDED BASIS FOR AN AMOUNT NOT TO EXCEED $2 MILLION.
I DID HAVE RESERVATIONS ABOUT THIS BECAUSE THERE WAS $2 MILLION ADDED ON TO A $1.4 MILLION, UH, BID THAT WAS AWARDED IN MAY, BUT I SINCE RECEIVED, UH, COMMUNICATIONS FROM THE DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC WORKS AND, UH, IT IS NEEDED.
YOUR, I ALSO HAD A CONVERSATION WITH THE COMMISSIONER AND, UM, UM, ALTHOUGH, YOU KNOW, I DON'T LIKE, UH, THE CHANGE ORDERS, LIKE, LIKE YOU, I, I DO FEEL THAT IT'S, IT'S NEEDED AND IT'S TIME.
IT'S TIME SENSITIVE TOO, RIGHT? OKAY, SO MOVE SECOND.
WE ALL IN FAVOR? ALL IN FAVOR? AYE.
I THINK WE DID READY DO TWICE.
SO THAT'S THE MEETING FOR TONIGHT.
AND, UM, ANYBODY BEFORE WE MOTION ADJOURN, WANNA SPEAK OR ANYTHING? WELL, WE DO THAT.
UM, UH, THEN I MOVE THAT WE ADJOURN.