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UH,[ TOWN OF GREENBURGH OFFICE OF THE TOWN BOARD 177 Hillside Avenue, Greenburgh, NY 10607 Tel: 914-989-1525 Fax: 914-993-1541 https://greenburghny.com/485/Watch-Live-Board-Meetings ]
WELCOME TO OUR TOWN BOARD MEETING.WELCOME TO OUR TOWN BOARD MEETING.
TODAY IS, UH, JANUARY 6TH AFTER FIVE 30.
I HOPE EVERYBODY HAS A GOOD, UH, NEW YEAR'S AND HOLIDAY SEASON.
UM, THE FIRST ITEM ON THE AGENDA IS, UM, UH, 2026 TAP GRAND PRESENTATION.
COULD I JUST NOTE THAT COUNCILWOMAN HENDRICKS IS ATTENDING TONIGHT VIA ZOOM IN COMPLIANCE WITH STATE AND TOWN LAW SINCE WE HAVE A PHYSICAL QUORUM IN A LOCATION THAT WAS PUBLICLY NOTICED PROPERLY.
AND IF I MAY, IF I MAY JUST ADD, JUST FOR THOSE WONDERING WHY I AM NOT BEING, I AM NOT, MY PICTURE IS NOT BEING SHOWN, IS THAT I HAVE SUFFERED A CONCUSSION AND I HAVE BEEN DIRECTED BY THE HOSPITAL DOCTORS NOT TO BE ON ANY SCREENS.
THANK YOU FOR ATTENDING AND PARTICIPATING AS YOU CAN.
GOOD EVENING ALL, AND HAPPY NEW YEAR.
TONIGHT IS AN OPPORTUNITY FOR A GRANT, UH, FOR SIDEWALK IMPROVEMENTS AND PEDESTRIAN IMPROVEMENTS ALONG CENTRAL PARK AVENUE.
THE GRANT OPPORTUNITY IS THROUGH THE FEDERAL HIGHWAY ADMINISTRATION, AND THE GRANT WOULD BE ADMINISTERED BY THE NEW YORK STATE DOT.
AND IT'S A GRANT THAT I KNOW YOU ALL KNOW AS TOWN BOARD MEMBERS VERY WELL.
'CAUSE YOU'VE SUPPORTED MULTIPLE PRIOR SUCCESSFUL APPLICATIONS.
AND THAT'S THE TRANSPORTATION ALTERNATIVE PROGRAM.
SO THE TAP GRANT, UH, THE TAP GRANT IS CYCLICAL, COMES AROUND PERHAPS, UH, EVERY YEAR AND A HALF, TWO YEARS, SOMETIMES THREE YEARS.
IT'S STAGGERED, BUT, UH, THE TAP GRANT IS ROUND, IS PRESENTLY LIVE AND WANTED TO PRESENT TO THE TOWN BOARD AN OPTION FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION.
THERE'S NO MANDATE THAT THE TOWN MOVES FORWARD WITH AN APPLICATION, BUT, UM, BEING COGNIZANT OF THE SUCCESS OF OTHER PROJECTS AND THE IMPROVEMENTS THAT, THAT THESE TYPES OF PROJECTS BRING, DEFINITELY WANTED TO BRING THIS BEFORE YOU MM-HMM
UM, SO JUST AS A RECAP, THE TAP GRANT, THE TOWN BOARD, AND THE TOWN OF GREENBURG WAS SUCCESSFUL FIVE PRIOR INSTANCES DATING BACK TO 2017.
CENTRAL AVENUE BEING THE FIRST AT FOUR CORNERS SOUTH TO MARION, UH, HILLSIDE AVENUE, VERY CLOSE HERE TO TOWN HALL.
IT WAS ANOTHER SUCCESSFULLY COMPLETED PROJECT.
EAST AND WEST HARTSDALE AVENUE IS AN IN PROGRESS IN DESIGN TAP GRANT PROJECT.
AND THAT WAS ACTUALLY FOR $5 MILLION, UM, THE MOST THAT COULD BE AWARDED AT THAT TIME.
OLD ARMY ROAD, WHICH IS A LOCAL ROAD, BUT IT'S FEDERAL AID, LOCAL, UH, FEDERAL AID ELIGIBLE LOCAL ROAD.
AND THAT WOULD MAKE WAS WHAT MADE THAT ROAD POSSIBLE.
SO THE TOWN WAS SUCCESSFUL, AND THAT'S AN IN PROGRESS FOR A SIDEWALK, UH, TYPE GRANT.
LASTLY, NORWOOD ROAD FROM, UH, ACME SHOPPING CENTER TO THE GREENBURG HEALTH CENTER IS AN ACTIVE TOWN OF GREENBURG RECEIVED GRANTS.
SO FIVE GRANTS, TWO BUILT, UH, THREE IN DESIGN PROGRESS.
NOW, DOBBS FERRY ROAD IS ALSO, UH, THROUGH THE LOCAL FEDERAL AID PROCESS, BUT THAT WAS THROUGH A MEMBER ITEM THROUGH, UH, THEN CONGRESSMAN, UH, UH, UH, MOND JONES.
THE DETAILS OF THE, THE, THE PROGRAM ARE, THEY'RE PROJECTS THAT ARE DESIGNED TO REALLY ACT AS AN ALTERNATIVE TO JUST THE SINGLE USE AUTOMOBILE.
SO OFTENTIMES IT IS INDEED, UH, SIDEWALKS, IT CAN BE BICYCLE FACILITIES, IT CAN BE MULTIMODAL IMPROVEMENTS, UM, SIGNALIZATION IMPROVEMENTS, UM, PRIMARILY THE TOWN OF GREENBURG HAS BEEN SUCCESSFUL ON THE SIDEWALK ASPECT.
UM, THE PROTOTYPICAL PROJECT IS A LINEAR PROJECT.
IT'S A, IT, AT LEAST IT HAS BEEN FOR THE TOWN OF GREENBURG.
THERE'S A POINT A AND A POINT B, AND YOU FILL IN THE GAP WITH A SIDEWALK OR WHATEVER THE IMPROVEMENT IS.
AND THAT'S BEEN THE EXPERIENCE OF THE TOWN.
UH, THIS GO AROUND AFTER, UH, UH, BOUNCING AROUND NUMEROUS CANDIDATES WITH TOWN STAFF, PRIMARILY FROM THE ENGINEERING AND DPW DEPARTMENTS, WE, UH, LOOKED AT A VARIETY OF, OF STATE ROADS THAT HAVE, UH, PEDESTRIAN AND, AND, AND, AND TRANSPORTATION NEEDS.
WE ALSO LOOKED AT LOCAL ROADS AS WELL THAT ARE FEDERAL AID, UH, ELIGIBLE.
AND AFTER A A, A RATHER LENGTHY, UH, PRIORITIZATION PROCESS, WE ACTUALLY ALL HAD CONSENSUS THAT THERE WAS ONE PROJECT THAT WE REALLY WANTED TO BRING TO THE TABLE FOR THIS GO AROUND.
AND THAT'S CENTRAL PARK AVENUE.
WHEN I INDICATE THAT THE PROTOTYPICAL PROJECT IS POINT A TO POINT B, THIS IS GOING TO GOING TO BE DIFFERENT.
AND CENTRAL AVENUE IS APPROXIMATELY TWO MILES LONG FROM THE BORDER IN YONKERS, UP TO THE BORDER IN HARTSDALE, UM, WHICH REALLY TWO LANES.
IT'S FOUR MILES OF POTENTIAL, UH, SIDEWALK AND TRANSPORTATION IMPROVEMENTS WHEN YOU ADD UP BOTH DIRECTIONS.
AND THERE ARE GAPS IN THE SIDEWALK NETWORK ON CENTRAL AVENUE
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THAT ARE PIECEMEAL.IT'S NOT ONE POINT A TO POINT B.
SO I'M GONNA WALK YOU THROUGH SOME OF THOSE GAPS, SHOW YOU SOME PHOTOS OF WHAT THEY LOOK LIKE.
I KNOW THEY'RE ALL GAPS THAT YOU'VE SEEN AND YOU'VE DRIVEN BY, UM, BUT I WANNA JUST GIVE YOU THE TOTALITY OF THE PICTURE.
AND THERE'S ALSO SOME OTHER INNOVATIVE IDEAS WE HAVE, UH, IN ADDITION TO JUST STRAIGHT SIDEWALK IMPROVEMENTS.
JUST BEFORE YOU MOVE ON, I JUST HAVE A QUESTION.
SO YOU KEEP SAYING FEDERALLY AID ELIGIBLE, WHAT DOES THAT MEAN? SO, ALL NEW YORK STATE ROADS ARE, SO THIS IS FEDERAL FUNDING, ULTIMATELY OKAY.
THROUGH THE FEDERAL HIGHWAY ADMINISTRATION.
THAT MEANS THAT ALL STATE ROADS ARE AUTOMATICALLY ELIGIBLE.
IN ADDITION TO THAT, THERE ARE CERTAIN LOCAL ROADS THAT ARE ALSO ELIGIBLE, AND THEY HAPPEN TO BE ROADS THAT ARE MORE HEAVILY TRAVELED.
UM, AND THE TOWN OF GREENBURG HAS PERHAPS, I WANNA SAY 15 LOCALLY, LOCALLY, FEDERAL LOCAL AID ELIGIBLE ROADS.
UM, SO WE, WE WEIGHED ALL OF THEM IN, IN OUR, OUR, OUR REVIEW.
UM, BUT THAT'S, THAT'S REALLY WHAT IT MEANS IS IT'S, UH, ELIGIBLE FOR, FOR, FOR FEDERAL AID IN SHORT.
UM, SO WITH RESPECT TO CENTRAL PARK AVENUE, THERE ARE APPROXIMATELY SEVEN SEGMENTS THAT, THAT, THAT, UH, HAVE SIDEWALK AND TRANSPORTATION NEEDS.
SO, UH, IF I CAN DIRECT YOUR ATTENTION TO EITHER THE TV MONITORS OR IF YOU HAVE A, UH, IF YOU'RE ON THE ZOOM, THAT'S GREAT RIGHT IN FRONT OF YOU.
UH, I'M GONNA START FROM THE YONKERS BORDER.
OH, NO, GINA JUST TOOK THE, UH, GEAR I WAS USING.
I'LL, I'LL, I'LL, I'LL, I'LL GO AHEAD.
SO I'M GONNA WORK FROM A SOUTHERLY DIRECTION WITH THE BORDER OF YONKERS, WHICH IS IN THE SCARSDALE OR EDGEMONT PORTION OF THE TOWN OF GREENBURG.
AND SHOW YOU GAPS AND IMPROVEMENTS THAT WE ENVISION THROUGH THIS PROGRAM AND TRAVELING IN THE NORTHERLY DIRECTION.
SO THE FIRST IS IN THE NORTHBOUND, UM, SIDE OF CENTRAL AVENUE.
AND IT'S, AS YOU SEE ON THE SCREEN.
SO IT STARTS AT THE BORDER OF THE CITY OF YONKERS, AND IT TRAVERSES UP ACROSS FROM MIDWAY.
UM, SO THERE'S A SIGNIFICANT GAP THERE.
AND THAT GAP, UM, IN PART ACTUALLY FRONTS ON A LOT OF, UH, PARKLAND, WHICH, WHICH IS ACROSS FROM MIDWAY.
AND THAT, THAT'S A SIGNIFICANT GAP LEADING UP TO A POINT SOUTH ROAD.
AND AT THE INTER, THIS IS THE INTERSECTION OF, UH, THIS PHOTO WAS TAKEN AT INVERNESS ROAD, AND YOU CAN SEE, UH, WHAT YOU HAVE THERE.
AND INDEED THERE'S NO DROP CURB, UM, FOR PEDESTRIANS.
AND OF COURSE, THERE'S NO SIDEWALK.
SO FOR SOME SIGNIFICANT DISTANCE TRAVELING, UH, IN A NORTHER NORTHERLY DIRECTION TO LEY ROAD, UM, IF SUCCESSFUL WITH THIS APPLICATION, THE PROJECT WOULD DELIVER DESIGN AND CONSTRUCTION OF, UH, SIDEWALK IMPROVEMENTS AS WELL AS DRAINAGE IMPROVEMENTS IN THIS LOCATION.
UM, ON THE, UM, ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE, OH, SORRY,
IF YOU SEE, UM, IT'S, IT THERE IS THE DIP DOWN AS YOU WERE SPEAKING ABOUT.
UM, IS THAT YONKERS OR IS THAT, THAT'S A BORDER.
THIS IS, UM, THIS IS ACTUALLY A TOWN OF GREENBURG INTERSECTION, SO IT'S, THE PHOTO WAS TAKEN AT ADVANTAGE WELL INTO GREENBURG.
AND IN ADDITION TO THE SIDEWALK, THIS IS A POINT WHERE, UH, THERE WOULD BE A CROSSWALK THAT WOULD BE A CONNECTION MM-HMM
SO THAT WOULD BE LOOKED AT AS WELL.
SO TO THE EXTENT THAT THAT DROP CURB RAMP, UM, WOULDN'T LINE UP WITH THE FUTURE SIDEWALK, OR IF THE GRADE TO THAT, THAT THAT CURB RAMP NEEDS TO BE IMPROVED, THAT WOULD BE A PART OF THE PROJECT AS WELL.
UH, I DO WANT TO JUST GO BACK REALLY QUICKLY.
THE MAP THAT I DISPLAYED BEFORE IS A MAP OF THE, THE, THE TOWN OF COURSE, AND THE STREET GRID AND, AND, AND PARCELS.
BUT THAT MAPPING, UM, IS FROM THE 2020 TOWN OF GREENBURG SIDEWALK PRIOR TO SIDEWALK PRIORITIZATION REPORT.
AND IT HIGHLIGHTS GAPS IN THE NETWORK.
THE BLUE SIGNIFY, UH, EXISTING AND DEVELOPED SIDEWALKS.
THE RED IDENTIFY SIGNIFICANT GAPS ON, ON MAJOR COLLECTOR ROADS.
SO IN THIS, UH, VANTAGE POINT, YOU SEE THESE TWO, UH, MISSING LINKS THERE.
AND THIS SHOWS HOW IT WOULD TIE IN.
SO, UM, IN THIS SECTION, THE PROJECT WOULD, WOULD END AND CONNECT AND BLEND IN NICELY THERE.
AND THAT'S SOUTH OF, UH, LEY ROAD, THAT, THAT PHOTO VANTAGE POINT.
UH, THE NEXT THREE SEGMENTS AS WE CONTINUE TO TRAVEL NORTH, ARE IN THE VICINITY OF JOMO ROAD.
NOW, THESE SIDEWALK APPS ARE ON THE SOUTHBOUND SIDE OF THE ROAD.
SO THE OPPOSITE SIDE OF THE ROAD THAT WE JUST LOOKED AT, THEY TOTAL 2,300 LINEAR FEET.
AND INDEED, THEY'RE THREE, UH, SEPARATE GAPS.
AND JUST TO GIVE YOU A VANTAGE POINT OF WHAT THAT ONE OF THOSE SECTIONS LOOKS LIKE, THIS IS A LITTLE BIT SOUTH OF GILMORE ROAD.
SO ON THE LEFT, WHAT YOU SEE IS OF COURSE, THE LACK OF A SIDEWALK.
UH, YOU SEE, UH, SUNNY OUT, THERE'S SOME LINGERING WATER
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THERE.SO WHEN WE TALK ABOUT NOT JUST A SIDEWALK AND DRAINAGE IMPROVEMENTS, UM, THERE ARE, UM, STORM DRAINS THAT ARE INSTALLED AS PART OF THESE PROJECTS.
AND CONCEIVABLY, UH, AN ISSUE LIKE THAT WOULD BE RECTIFIED.
HOW MANY MILES OF GAPS ARE THERE, DO YOU KNOW? UH, IN, IN, IN CENTRAL AVENUE? YEAH.
SO IN TOTAL, WHAT I'M GOING TO WALK YOU THROUGH IS A TOTAL OF ROUGHLY 6,000 LINEAR FEET.
SO, UH, A LITTLE MORE THAN ONE MILE.
NOW, WHEN I INDICATED IT'S NOT SOLELY SIDEWALKS, ONE OTHER THING THAT WE THOUGHT WAS WORTHY OF, OF CONSIDERATION AB IS IN THE VICINITY OF GILMORE ROAD.
IF YOU LOOK AT THE SCREEN, UH, IF YOU RECALL, I HAD SHOWED A PHOTOGRAPH LOOKING, UH, NORTHBOUND, AND LEMME JUST GO BACK AGAIN.
I'M SORRY TO TOGGLE QUITE A BIT, BUT YOU CAN SEE THE, THE BLACK OFFICE BUILDING WINDOWS OVER HERE.
UM, SOMMORE ROAD IS NORTH IN THIS PICTURE.
BUT THE REASON I I CALL YOUR ATTENTION HERE IS THIS IS AMORE ROAD DOWN FROM THE GREENBURG NATURE CENTER.
MIND YOU, THIS PHOTO IS DATED WEST.
UH, SO THIS IS ACTUALLY LOOKING YES, IN A WESTERLY DIRECTION ACROSS CENTRAL.
PLEASE BE AWARE THAT, OF COURSE, THIS PHOTO IS DATED, THIS IS SCHOOL STREET VIEW, BUT, UM, A SIDEWALK IS NOW INSTALLED DOWN DRMO ROAD.
THE REASON I'M HIGHLIGHTING THIS PHOTOGRAPH IS THIS IMAGE.
THERE'S THOUGHT THAT PERHAPS THIS MIGHT BE A GOOD MID-BLOCK, UH, HAWK LOCATION.
SO TOWN OF GREENBURG INSTALLED A HAWK AT LAWTON AND CENTRAL.
PUSH BUTTON, ACTIVATED PEDESTRIAN SIGNAL, WHERE THERE'S NOT WARRANT FOR A FULL-BLOWN TRAFFIC SIGNAL.
THIS MAY CALL FOR THAT TYPE OF TREATMENT.
YOU HAVE NOT ONLY THE GREENBURG NATURE CENTER, THERE'S, UM, HOUSING, AFFORDABLE HOUSING IN THE VICINITY.
AND TO GET TO, UH, THE BUS STOP, WHICH IS, UH, SOUTHBOUND, AND YOU CAN SEE IT ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE STREET THERE.
UM, THERE, THERE'S ACTUALLY NOT PEDESTRIAN FACILITIES THAT WOULD, UH, LEAD ONE SAFELY ACROSS THE ROAD.
SO IN ADDITION TO THE SIDEWALKS, WE, UM, WANT TO INVESTIGATE THE FEASIBILITY OF A HAWK SIGNAL.
SO THAT WOULD BE, UH, SOMETHING THAT WOULD, UH, BE INCLUDED IN THE BUDGET REQUEST.
AND ULTIMATELY, SUCCESSFUL, AGAIN, DESIGNED AND IMPLEMENTED, UH, A FEW MORE SEGMENTS.
AS WE NOW TRAVEL CLOSER TO FOUR CORNERS, UH, WE ARE NOW CYCLING BACK, UH, ACROSS CENTRAL AVENUE TO THE NORTHBOUND SIDE.
AND IN THE PHOTO HERE, YOU SEE WE'RE A LITTLE BIT SOUTH OF FOUR CORNERS.
AND IN ADDITION TO A SIDEWALK GAP, NOW I'M GONNA SHOW YOU THE PHOTOS OF WHAT THIS LOOKS LIKE.
IT'S NOT JUST THE LACK OF A SIDEWALK.
WE HAVE THIS COMMERCIAL FRONTAGE THAT FULLY LACKS A CURB.
SO WHAT THAT MEANS IS THERE'S NO LEGIBILITY TO THE MOTORIST IN THE VEHICLE COMING IN IN TERMS OF WHERE EXACTLY THEY SHOULD PULL INTO THAT COMMERCIAL SPACE, BECAUSE THERE'S NO CURVING.
SO THIS IS A PRIME EXAMPLE WHERE THE OTHER PHOTOS, UH, DID NOT HAVE THIS OCCURRENCE.
THOSE OTHER PHOTOS HAVE A CURB.
IT'S JUST THERE'S A LACK OF SIDEWALK.
THIS IS AN AREA WHERE A NEW CURB WOULD BE INSTALLED, AS WELL AS A SIDEWALK, WHICH WOULD, UM, SERVE NUMEROUS, UH, IMPROVEMENT GOALS.
AND AS YOU CAN SEE IN THE PHOTO, I'LL ZOOM IN.
THAT'S PRETTY CONSISTENT FOR THIS WHOLE FRONTAGE.
UM, AND THE OTHER PHOTOGRAPH, SO WE'RE STILL SOUTH OF FOUR CORNERS, AND I JUST THOUGHT THAT THIS WAS ANOTHER GOOD PHOTO BECAUSE, UM, SHOWS YOU HOW THE CURB DROPS OFF.
AND FOR AT LEAST FOR THIS WHOLE FRONTAGE, THERE'S NO CURB.
SO, UM, YOU KNOW, AGAIN, THERE'S NOT THAT LEGIBILITY.
NOW, IN THIS PHOTO, YOU, YOU MAY NOTICE THERE'S PULL-IN PARKING SPACES.
UM, THIS WILL BE SOMETHING THAT NEEDS TO BE, UH, DESIGNED VERY CLOSELY, AND THERE WILL NEED TO BE PRIVATE, UH, PROPERTY COORDINATION.
THIS MAY CALL FOR THE NEED TO HAVE THIS PROPERTY OWNER, UH, RETROFIT TO DO ANGLED PARKING SPACES, FOR INSTANCE.
BUT, UM, WHAT IS A LITTLE MISLEADING IN THIS PHOTOGRAPH IS IN THE DIRECTION THAT THE SIDEWALK'S FACING.
THE GEOMETRY THERE KIND OF PUTS YOU INTO THAT BUILDING.
IT MAY NOT MAKE SENSE FOR THE CURB, THE DROP CURB RAMP THAT WOULD RETROFIT THIS LITTLE PORTION, UM, TO BE FACING THAT SAME DIRECTION.
SO IT MAY FACE OUTWARD TOWARDS CENTRAL.
AND I'M GONNA MOVE MY, HAVE MY CURSOR HERE.
SO THE SIDE, THE NEW SIDEWALK LINE COULD BE HERE, AND YOU'VE ACTUALLY GOT QUITE A BIT OF WIDTH AND SHOULDER.
THAT'S A LITTLE DECEIVING MAYBE IN THIS PHOTO.
BUT, UM, THE SIDEWALK IS NOT GONNA, WOULD NOT BE PROPOSED LIKE TRAVERSE ACROSS THESE PARKING SPACES, IS MY POINT.
IT'S NOT CONTINUE, IT'S NOT GONNA CONTINUE THE WAY IT CURRENTLY SAY, RIGHT? BY, I, I SUSPECT THAT WHEN THE DESIGNERS GET IN THE WEEDS, THEY MAY, UM, LIKE SHIFT THIS SIDEWALK SO THAT THE DROP CURB RAMP KIND OF GOES IN THIS DIRECTION, TAKES A LITTLE ADV ADVANTAGE OF THE, THE WIDER, UM, UM, SHOULDER THERE.
AND AGAIN, THAT'S ACROSS FROM SOUTH WASHINGTON, SOUTH OF FOUR CORNERS.
THEY HAVE A REQUIRED NUMBER OF PARKING SPACES WITHOUT THOSE FRONT SPOTS.
I DON'T HAVE THE ANSWER TO THAT.
UM, AND THAT IS A GOOD TECHNICAL QUESTION BECAUSE THE EXTREME, UH, EXAMPLE, UH, TO RETROFIT WOULD BE TO HAVE THOSE PARKING SPACES ACTUALLY TAKEN OFF AND DE MAPPED, IF YOU WILL,
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AND REMOVED FROM THE SITE PLAN.AND IF THAT OCCURRED, YOUR QUESTION BECOMES HIGHLY APPLICABLE BECAUSE PERHAPS THEY'D HAVE TO, UH, GET RELIEF FROM THE ZONING BOARD IN SOME FASHION.
UM, IF THERE'S, UH, A WAY TO KEEP THEM, OF COURSE, OR, UH, HAVE THEM ANGLED AND RETAIN A COMPARABLE AMOUNT SUCH THAT YOU DIDN'T NEED TO GET A VARIANCE, UM, THAT WOULD BE IDEAL.
AND THERE ARE A COUPLE EXAMPLES LIKE THAT IN THE SPAM.
UM, THE, THE WORD HERE IS RETROFIT, AND IT'S, IT'S OFTENTIMES NOT EASY.
UH, THE, THE LAST TWO EXAMPLES, IT WOULD BE VERY DIFFICULT FOR THE ZONING BOARD TO TURN THEM DOWN BECAUSE WE'RE TAKING THE SPACE, RIGHT? TRUE.
UM, THE LAST TWO EXAMPLES ARE, WE'RE NOW NORTH OF FOUR CORNERS, BUT WE'RE STAYING ON THAT SAME SIDE, THE NORTHBOUND SIDE.
AND, UM, YOU CAN SEE ON THE SCREEN HERE, WE ARE IN THE VICINITY, A SMALL GAP, UH, AT THE INTERSECTION OF JANE STREET.
AND I HAVE A PHOTO OF THAT I'LL SHOW YOU IN A MINUTE.
AND THEN A LITTLE BIT NORTH OF THAT, BEYOND, UM, RICHARD PRESSER PARK.
THERE'S A GAP FOR TWO BLOCKS, UH, BEGINNING AT HARBOR DRIVE.
SO THOSE PHOTOS LOOK AS FOLLOWS.
SO YOU CAN SEE THE PARK IN THE BACKGROUND, AND YOU HAVE, UH, CONSIDER, UM, THIS, THIS LOOKS LEGITIMATE DROP CURVE RAMP AND, AND, UH, TO DOT SPECS, AT LEAST ON IN VISUAL.
UM, BUT OF COURSE YOU HAVE THE GAP HERE FOR ONE BLOCK.
SO THAT WOULD LOOK TO BE RECTIFIED, AND THAT'S A SMALLER, UM, HALF BLOCK GAP, IF YOU WILL.
AND THEN THIS IS WHAT, UH, FROM HARVARD DRIVE NORTH, NOW YOU'RE GETTING, UH, ACROSS FROM WESTCHESTER SQUARE SHOPPING CENTER AND WITH THE PROPERTY LINE SET BACK, UH, THINGS LIKE THOSE POLES, I SUSPECT THE SIDEWALK WOULD ACTUALLY BE, UH, AWAY FROM THE ROAD FROM WHERE THE, THE POLES ARE.
SO, UM, NOT THE TYPICAL PROJECT THAT WE'RE USED TO IN THE TOWN OF GREENBERG, AT LEAST AS FAR AS THE TAP GRANT IS, IS INVOLVED.
AND, UH, DID I JUST ERASE ALL THOSE, UH, GREAT HANDY NOTES? OH, OKAY.
I, I, I PRETTY MUCH RECALL IT WAS THERE.
I'M, I'M NOW ABOUT TO CONCLUDE
AND IN ADDITION TO THAT, AS I MENTIONED, DRAINAGE IMPROVEMENTS, UH, THE PROSPECT OF A HAWK SIGNAL, THE, UH, SOFT COST FOR CIVIL ENGINEERING.
IF THAT'S ALL YOU'RE GONNA SHOW YOU MIGHT AS WELL TAKE IT DOWN.
SO THAT'S, THOSE ARE THE DO IT.
AND THEN HIT A, UH, NOT SAVE AND BRING IT BACK.
BUT, UM, AND THEN THE PROSPECT OF A HAWK, THE SOFT COST FOR DESIGN, UM, CONSTRUCTION INSPECTION, ALL IN OUR PRELIMINARY ESTIMATE IS 6.25 MILLION.
THE TAP GRANT FUNCTIONS ON AN 80 20, 80% FEDERAL COST COVERAGE AND 20% LOCAL MATCH, WHICH WOULD MEAN, UH, 5 MILLION FEDERAL, $1.25 MILLION TOWN OF GREENBURG MATCH.
NOW, WHAT THAT MEANS IS THE, THE, THE APPLICATIONS DUE IN MARCH, THEY TYPICALLY WILL RENDER DECISIONS AT THE END OF, UH, THE YEAR.
SO THE END OF 2026, UM, I ESTIMATE WITH EXPERIENCE, THE TIME YOU GO INTO CONTRACT AND THE DURATION NEEDED TO, UH, GET THE, UH, CIVIL ENGINEER FULLY RUNNING, I ANTICIPATE, UM, THE SOFT COST DESIGN, 200,000 BEING A LOCAL FISCAL NEED IN THE YEAR 2020, AND THEN EITHER 20 29, 20 30, UM, A NEED FOR A LITTLE OVER A MILLION.
SO RECALL, 5 MILLION FEDERAL, 1.25, UH, TOWN MATCH.
BUT YOU DON'T NEED THAT 1.25 IN YEAR ONE.
YOU JUST NEED A SMALL PERCENTAGE OF THAT FOR DESIGN AND THEN STAGGER TWO YEARS LATER, YOU NEED THE BIGGER PERCENTAGE OF THE 20% MATCH.
SO BASICALLY, I JUST WANT YOU TO BE AWARE THAT IT WOULD BE ROUGHLY 200,000 IF, IF SUCCESSFUL WITH THE GRANT, UM, MATCHED 2028.
AND THEN WHEN THE SIDEWALK IS SHOVEL READY AND, UM, GOES INTO CONSTRUCTION, A NEED OF JUST OVER A MILLION IN FISCAL YEAR 2029, MORE LIKELY FISCAL YEAR 2030.
AND IT'S ALSO POSSIBLE THAT THE STATE LEGISLATURE, UH, COULD GIVE, UH, YOU KNOW, THE MEMBER ITEM, THE GRANTS, UH, THAT COULD REDUCE SOME OF THE, THE COSTS.
UH, FOR EXAMPLE, I THINK ON HILLSIDE OR CENTRAL ON SOME OF THE, THE GRANTS SIDEWALKS WE BUILT, WE'VE GOT ADDITIONAL FUNDS FROM LAWMAKERS THAT THAT IS VERY TRUE.
SO, FOR INSTANCE, UM, COMPLETE STREETS THROUGH THE COUNTY IS A PROGRAM THAT'S ACTIVE.
THE TOWN OF GREENBURG HAS APPLIED FOR THAT, FOR OFFSETTING FUNDS FOR EAST WEST HOPEDALE AVENUE.
I THINK THOSE AWARDS ARE GONNA BE ANNOUNCED SOON, FINGERS CROSSED.
THE TOWN COULDN'T APPLY FOR $250,000 OF COMMUNITY
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UM, FOR INSTANCE, TO OFFSET OR SUPPLEMENT THE TOTAL PROJECT BUDGET.AND THAT'S SOMETHING WE'RE ALWAYS MINDFUL OF.
UM, WE'RE ALWAYS MINDFUL OF POTENTIALLY RISING COSTS IN OTHER FUNDING STREAMS THAT COULD, UM, BE ACHIEVED TO BUILD UP THE, THIS WOULD BE LIKE AN ENORMOUS, UM, UH, QUALITY OF LIFE IMPROVEMENT.
UM, I KNOW A LOT OF CYCLISTS, UM, LIKE MYSELF, YOU KNOW, SOMETIMES GO ON CENTRAL AVENUE AND IT'S VERY SCARY, YOU KNOW, HIKING ON, ON THE ROAD BECAUSE WE'RE ALWAYS BUSY.
THERE'S GROUPS OF PEOPLE WHO ARE ALWAYS, UH, UH, OR WALKING.
I SOMETIMES SEE THEM ON THE ROAD.
SO THIS IS A REALLY IMPORTANT SAFETY IMPROVEMENT.
IT WOULD BE NICE IF, UH, THE, THE ENTIRE CENTRAL AVENUE, YOU KNOW, FROM THEN YONKERS ALL THE WAY TO, UH, YOU KNOW, WHY PLAINS WOULD, WOULD HAVE THE GAPS, YOU KNOW, FOLD.
SO I RECENTLY, UH, WAS AT A, UH, A RESTAURANT ON NORTHERN CENTRAL AVENUE, AND I GOT SOME FEEDBACK FROM THE OWNER BECAUSE THEY'RE LOCATED ON THE EAST SIDE OF CENTRAL AVENUE, UM, RIGHT WHERE AQUEDUCT ROAD COMES IN, IT'S CALLED, IT'S A GREEK RESTAURANT THERE.
AND THEY WERE SAYING THAT FOR THEIR, UH, PATRONS WHO PARK ACROSS THE STREET, IT'S VERY DANGEROUS.
THERE'S NO, LIKE CROSSWALK NEARBY.
SHE ASKED COULD WE DO ANYTHING? SO I DON'T KNOW IF THAT'S SOMETHING YOU'D WANNA LOOK AT.
I KNOW EXACTLY WHERE YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT AND THAT IT'S VERY GEOGRAPHY IS CITY OF WHITE PLAINS.
SHE SAID ON ONE SIDE IT'S GREENBERG, ON THE OTHER SIDE IT'S CITY OF WHITE.
UH, I'LL BE HAPPY TO TAKE A LOOK AND I'LL GIVE YOU THE ADDRESS SURE.
THAT THERE'S NOT A PIECE THERE THAT'S RIGHT IN THAT VICINITY.
BUT THE, UM, THE NEED IS REAL.
AND I CAN APPRECIATE WHAT YOU'RE SAYING FROM THAT.
AND IT, STEVE, IS BECAUSE YOU'VE GOT AQUEDUCT, YOU'VE GOT CENTRAL AND IT'S SO WIDE AND IT'S REALLY HARD.
YEAH, THAT'S A, THAT'S A DIFFICULT CROSSING FOR PEDESTRIANS.
DOES THE STATE HAVE A POLICY THAT THEY WILL NOT PUT IN SIDEWALKS ON THEIR STATE ROADS? I MEAN, IT'S A LOT TO ASK.
YOU KNOW, WE DO OUR LOCAL ROADS, BUT NOW WE HAVE TO DO THE STATE ROADS.
AND ONCE WE PUT THEM IN, THEN IT'S UP TO THE PROPERTY OWNERS TO TAKE CARE OF THEM, UH, NOT THE STATE.
BUT YOU WOULD THINK THAT IF THE STATE IS DOING WORK ON A ROAD THAT LIKE WE DO, UH, WE LOOK TO DEAL WITH THE SIDEWALK SIDE.
NO, WE'RE JUST, WE'RE JUST NOT, WE'RE NOT A CASH COW THAT WE CAN DO EVERYBODY ELSE'S WORK.
I JUST WANTED TO KNOW WHETHER OR NOT THE STATE HAS DONE SIDEWALKS OR OTHER MUNICIPALITIES, UM, BUT NOT US.
MY EXPERIENCE HAS BEEN THAT THERE HAS BEEN LIMITED INSTANCES WHERE THE STATE DOT AND CONNECTION WITH IMPROVEMENTS THAT IT MAKES, UM, HAS DONE SOME SIDEWALKS IN THE TOWN.
ONE EXAMPLE BEING, UM, THE SIDEWALK IN FRONT OF MARIA REGINA, UH, HEADING TOWARDS, UH, DOPPS FERRY ROAD, UM, THAT WAS ACTUALLY A STATE BUILT SIDEWALK.
ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT
THE STATE DID INVEST QUITE A BIT, UM, IN CENTRAL AVENUE RECENTLY WITH THE REPAVING.
AND RE REALLY, YOU KNOW, NEW YORK STATE HAS ADOPTED A COMPLETE STREETS, UH, LEGISLATION.
AND I, I, YOU KNOW, IT WOULD BE IDEAL THAT THE STATE TOOK ON THIS PROJECT.
UM, WHAT I'M SEEING WITH, UM, FUNDING STREAMS, LIKE HELP US WITH THE MATCH, RIGHT? BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, WE'RE NOT A CASH COW, YOU KNOW, WE DON'T HAVE AN INFINITE AMOUNT OF MONEY AND WE JUST HAVE TO BE CAREFUL.
YOU, YOU, YOU'RE ABSOLUTELY RIGHT.
UM, SO I, IT'S, IT'S FEWER THAN I, I WISH I HAD MORE EXAMPLES TO GIVE YOU HERE IN THE TOWN.
I, I DON'T HAVE MUCH EXPERIENCE WITH, UM, YOU KNOW, WHAT THE STATE'S BUILDING OUTSIDE OF THE TOWN, I WILL SAY FOR EAST WEST HARSDALE AVENUE, THAT NEW YORK STATE, DOT DID PUT UP $3 MILLION TO SUPPLEMENT, UH, THAT PROJECT.
IF ANYONE FROM DOT'S LISTENING.
UM, BUT THAT, THAT'S A RARE, I THINK THAT, I THINK THERE VERY, WE WERE VERY, WE, WE, WE ASKED AND THEY DELIVER.
I THINK YOU COULD REALLY GET, THERE'S A BETTER CHANCE OF GETTING LIKE THE STATE DO SOMETHING IF THE STATE IS LIKE FUNDING MAJOR CAPITAL INVESTMENTS.
SO IF THEY'RE REALIGNING A ROAD OR SOMETHING, YOU MIGHT BE ABLE TO SAY, COULD YOU A SIDEWALK? AND THEY'LL, THEY'LL DO IT AT THEIR COST.
UM, OR IF THERE'S A BEYOND JUST A REPAVING, I DO AGREE WITH THAT.
IT'S NOT THAT THAT'S THE ONLY WAY YOU REALLY COULD GET, UM, SIDEWALKS, BECAUSE IT'S THE SAME THING WHEN PEOPLE
[00:25:01]
ALWAYS ASK FOR NOISE BARRIERS.AND THEY'LL ONLY DO IT IF THEY'RE, LIKE, IF THEY'RE GETTING A LANE OR SOMETHING.
I JUST WANNA KNOW WHAT THEY'RE DOING FOR OTHER MUNICIPALITIES.
I, I DON'T THINK THEY'RE DOING MUCH FOR, UH, OTHER MUNICIPALITIES BECAUSE THE STATE DOESN'T REALLY HAVE A LOT OF MONEY, YOU KNOW? UH, BUT THE TOWN, IF THE STATE DOESN'T HAVE IT, HOW DO YOU EXPECT THE TOWN TO HAVE IT? YEP.
ON THE OTHER HAND, WE'RE FOR THIS SIDEWALK, UM, YOU KNOW, YOU'RE LOOKING AT, UM, THIS IS A MAJOR, MAJOR QUALITY OF LIFE AND SAFETY IMPROVEMENT.
UM, AND WE'RE LOOKING AT SOMETHING THAT PROBABLY IS NOT GONNA HAPPEN UNTIL 2029 OR 2030.
UM, AND BETWEEN NOW, IF WE APPLY FOR THE GRANT AND WE GET IT, UM, THEN, YOU KNOW, WE COULD ALSO WORK AND SEE IF WE COULD GET THE STATE OR THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT OR THE MEMBERS OF CONGRESS TO, UM, TO APPROPRIATE MORE, YOU KNOW, MORE FUNDING.
JUST LIKE WE'VE DONE ON THE WEST HARSDALE AVENUE, WE'RE GETTING A LOT MORE MONEY THAN WE ORIGINALLY THOUGHT ON WEST HARSDALE AVENUE, BECAUSE THERE'S, THERE'S MORE GRAHAMS THAT YOU'VE BEEN ABLE TO SE, YOU KNOW, SECURE.
UM, BUT THIS IS, IT'S NOT, I'M SORRY, ELLEN IS TRYING TO LOUD PLEASE.
UM, IS THERE ANY POSSIBILITY OF PEELING OFF ANY OF THE FLOOD REMEDIATION AT WORK THAT IS PART AND PARCEL OF THIS FOR THE STATE? UM, THE STATE GRANTS THAT HAVE TO DO WITH THE $4 BILLION THAT THEY'VE ALLOCATED FOR ENVIRONMENTAL REMEDIATION OF ANY KIND? DO YOU, DO YOU MEAN AS PART OF THE, THE BOND ACT? YES.
I DON'T KNOW IF YOU CAN SEPARATE THEM OUT, BUT THAT, IF THAT'S A POSSIBILITY OF AN APPROACH THAT MIGHT BE WORKABLE TO HELP DEFRAY SOME OF THE COSTS.
AND AS AGREE AND AS MENTIONED EARLIER, UM, WE'RE ALL EARS ON OTHER FUNDING STREAMS TO, TO SUPPLEMENT AND OFFSET THE TOWN'S COSTS.
BUT I DO WANNA GO BACK TO COUNCILMAN HAN'S POINT.
IT, IT MAY BE THAT IT'S NOT SUSTAINABLE FOR THE TOWN OF GREENBURG TO, UM, TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THIS PROGRAM EVERY TWO YEARS UNTIL, UH, YOU KNOW, THE YEAR 2050 WHEN, WHEN ALL OF OUR MAJOR ARTERIES ARE WHERE WE WANT THEM TO BE, IT MAY NOT BE SUSTAINABLE.
UM, YOU KNOW, BECAUSE IT'S A TWO YEAR CYCLE AND THE TOWN BOARD HAS INVESTED TREMENDOUS AMOUNT OF RESOURCES.
THE HOPE IS THAT THE, YOU KNOW, THE BENEFIT THAT'S BEEN SEEN REAL TIME TO RESIDENTS, UM, YOU KNOW, ARE PROPORTIONAL TO TO, TO THOSE RESOURCES THAT HAVE BEEN, UM, ALLOCATED BY THE TOWN BOARD.
BUT, YOU KNOW, I, WHEN YOU FACTOR IN THE PROSPECT OF, UH, BUILDING LOCAL SIDEWALKS AND, YOU KNOW, UPGRADING A SIGNAL AT FORT HILL, LEY ROAD, THERE'S A WHOLE VARIETY OF THINGS THAT TOWN BOARD'S DOING.
AND I, I, I, YOUR POINT IS WELL TAKEN.
IT MAY NOT BE SUSTAINABLE TO HIT THIS TAKE, TRY AND TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THIS TAP GRANT EVERY TIME.
IN FACT, I MEAN, I, I COULD PITCH YOU A CANDIDATE THAT RIVALS THIS ONE.
UM, IT WASN'T OUR TOP CANDIDATE.
I'D LOVE TO COME TO, TO THE TABLE WITH A SECOND PRESENTATION AND YOU CAN TELL ME, GO AFTER BOTH THESE THEY'RE GREAT PROJECTS.
WHAT'S THAT
I ACTUALLY, I DON'T KNOW WHAT THE WORD IS, BOLD ENOUGH TO ASK.
I DIDN'T COME TO THE TABLE TO DO THAT IN THE MINDSET OF WHAT YOU'RE DISCUSSING.
UM, S DOB FERRY ROAD IN THE VICINITY OF, UH, OUR SECOND CANDIDATE, JUST TO BE VERY TRANSPARENT, WAS, UH, DOBS FERRY ROAD IN THE VICINITY OF THE SPRAIN, UM, RAMP ALIGNMENT IN THINKING ABOUT, UH, CONNECTION THERE.
UM, BOTH SMALL BIT TO SMALL PORTION TO THE PARK, UM, BUT THEN IN A DIRECTION TOWARDS, UM, NORWOOD AND WEST HARTSDALE AVENUE WHERE THERE'S A GAP, WHICH WOULD THEN CONNECT POETS CORNERS INTO THAT WHOLE NEW, FAIRLY NEW SIDEWALK CORRIDOR.
AND, YOU KNOW, JUST A WONDERFUL PROJECT.
BUT I, I KIND OF WAS THINKING ALONG THE LINES OF WHAT YOU'RE SAYING.
I DIDN'T THINK IT WOULD, YOU KNOW, BECAUSE THIS IS REALLY AN ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT.
UM, UH, PLUS BECAUSE WE HAVE VACANCIES ON, UM, ON CENTRAL AVENUE, WE'VE HAD IT FOR, FOR YEARS.
UM, YOU HAVE A LOT OF APARTMENTS, UH, THROUGHOUT THE CENTRAL AVENUE CORRIDOR FROM EDGEMONT TO HEART SALE.
UM, UH, YOU HAVE MANY SENIORS, UH, LIVING IN SOME OF THESE COMPLEXES.
SO IF WE WOULD HAVE SIDEWALKS, UM, UH, FILLING THE GAPS, IT WOULD ENABLE, UM, PEOPLE WHO LIVE IN THE APARTMENTS, UM, UM, UH, SOME WHO ARE OLDER, OR EVEN SOME STUDENTS WHO ARE LIVING, UH, WITH THEIR PARENTS, UH, TO WALK SAFELY TO SOME OF THE COMMERCIAL, YOU KNOW, PROPERTIES AND, UM, HELP SOME OF THE MERCHANTS WITH, YOU KNOW, BY
[00:30:01]
SHOPPING IN THEIR STORES AND, UM, EATING AT THE RESTAURANTS.SO I SEE THIS AS BEING SUCH A WIN-WIN.
AND, YOU KNOW, A NUMBER OF YEARS AGO, UH, AND FRANCIS, YOU WERE VERY INSTRUMENTAL, UM, IN GETTING, UM, UH, US TO GET THE HAWK LIGHT, UM, NEAR SACRED HEART CHURCH.
UM, YOU KNOW, SO THE BOARD, THIS BOARD HAS ALWAYS BEEN COMMITTED TO PEDESTRIAN SAFETY.
AND, YOU KNOW, I JUST FEEL THAT THIS PROPOSED SIDEWALK COULD POTENTIALLY SAVE LIVES AND, AND WOULD, AND WOULD REALLY BE USED BY A LOT OF PEOPLE.
GARY, WE HAVE THREE QUESTIONS FROM, FROM OUR AUDIENCE.
SO THE FIRST QUESTION WOULD BE, WHO WOULD BE RESPONSIBLE FOR THE MAINTENANCE OF THE SIDEWALK ADJACENT TO COWELL PARK DISTRICT? NEAR COST, BOTH COST AND ACTUAL WORK.
I BELIEVE THAT PARKS DEPARTMENT WOULD INHERIT THAT RESPONSIBILITY.
AND THEN THE SECOND QUESTION WOULD BE THE RATIONALE FOR THE DRILL.
IT'S NOT A PARKS PARK, RIGHT? IT'S A PARK DISTRICT.
UM, I SAID I BELIEVE
AND, AND WHAT WE KNOW, I THINK THERE'S A LEGAL RESEARCH THAT HAS TO BE DONE.
THERE'S PROBABLY LEGAL RESEARCH THAT HAS TO BE DONE ON THAT.
NOT THAT SPECIFIC AREA, BUT SIMILAR SITUATION.
I BELIEVE ANOTHER PARK DISTRICT, THE, THE PARKS DEPARTMENT DOES ON LEY ROAD IN FRONT OF, UH, I FORGET THE NAME OF THIS EL GORMAN PARK, I BELIEVE.
BUT, SO I'M BASING MY RESPONSE ON THAT.
BUT IF I'M WRONG THERE, THEN I'M WRONG.
AND I, BUT SO LET ME GET BACK TO YOU.
I CAN SEE WHAT I, AND I CAN SEE THESE QUESTIONS, WHATEVER.
UM, AND THEN, UM, JUST SOME RATIONALE ON THE DRILL MALL HAWK VERSUS THE CROSSWORK CROSSWALK POST OFFICE TRAFFIC LIGHT.
AND IF YOU NEED CLARIFICATION ON THESE QUESTIONS, LET ME ASK THE AUDIENCE.
SO THE, THE RATIONALE, I KNOW WHEN SPOKE LAST MONTH, PLEASE USE THE MAG.
UH, DYLAN PINE, PRESIDENT OF THE EDGEMONT COMMUNITY COUNCIL.
UM, I KNOW WHEN WE SPOKE LAST MONTH, THERE WAS THE CONVERSATION OF, I KNOW FOR A LONG TIME THE COMMUNITY HAS ADVOCATED FOR A CROSSWALK AT THE EXISTING, UM, POST OFFICE TRAFFIC LIGHT, WHICH IS UNIQUE BECAUSE IT'S MID INTERSECTION.
UM, BUT BECAUSE IT'S A POST OFFICE, SOMEHOW THEY, THEY GOT IT PUT IN.
UM, SO WAS THERE ANY RATIONALE? I THINK I THINK THE, THE HAWK IS GREAT, AND SINCE THE BUS STOP IS RIGHT THERE, IT MAKES SENSE TO PUT THE CROSSWALK AS CLOSE TO THE BUS STOP AS POSSIBLE.
I WAS JUST CURIOUS IF THERE WAS ANY, ANY OTHER RATIONALE FOR THE CROSSWALK VERSUS, I I IMAGINE IT WOULD PROBABLY BE MARGINALLY, UH, MORE COST EFFICIENT TO PUT A CROSSWALK AT THE EXISTING TRAFFIC LIGHT.
CERTAINLY SOMETHING WE WOULD INVESTIGATE, BUT SIGNIFICANTLY REST.
UM, AND THEN I THINK THE THIRD QUESTION WAS, SORRY.
UM, YOU KNOW, YOU, YOU'VE MENTIONED, YOU MENTIONED THE, THE DROP CURB, DROP CURB, UH, RAMPS.
WOULD, WOULD THE PLAN BE TO IMPROVE THE CURB RAMPS WHERE THERE ARE SIDEWALKS, BUT THEY AREN'T, UM, THEY DON'T NECESSARILY HAVE LIKE THE, THE PLASTIC BUMPING THAT THAT IS NOW INSTALLED IN NEW CROSSWALKS? OR WOULD ALL DROP CURB RAMPS REMAIN AS THEY ARE, AND IT'S ONLY NEW CROSSWALKS WITH NEW DROP CURB RAMPS WOULD HAVE, UH, THAT, THAT IMPROVED FEATURE.
UM, PRIOR TO SUBMITTING AN APPLICATION, FURTHER INVESTIGATION WOULD BE DONE TO IDENTIFY IF IT'S MORE, UM, ECONOMICALLY BENEFICIAL, BUT AT THE SAME TIME, UH, PRACTICAL TO, TO USE, UTILIZE THAT, THAT THAT INTERSECTION AND SIGNAL FOR THE CROSSWALK AND PEDESTRIAN CROSSING ACROSS CENTRAL.
SO THAT MAY BE A VIABLE ALTERNATIVE THAT WOULD BE EXPLORED AND THAT WOULD INFLUENCE THE BUDGET.
SO WE, WE WOULD DO THAT, THAT LEGWORK, UM, BEFORE SUBMITTING A GRANT, UH, AS THE MAIN GOAL OF THE PROJECT WOULD BE, AS I DESCRIBED, BUT IN FURTHERING, UH, THE BUDGET AND, YOU KNOW, ENSURING THAT THE BUDGET DOESN'T RISE, UM, TO A POINT THAT BECOMES UNSUSTAINABLE.
UM, I DO THINK IT MAKES SENSE TO LOOK AT, UH, CROSSWALKS, UH, THAT, THAT, YOU KNOW, ARE IN NEED OF, OF UPDATING SURE.
IN THE A DA COMPLIANT MANNER YOU INDICATED.
WE HAVE ONE MORE QUESTION ACTUALLY FROM COUNCILWOMAN HENDRICKS ABOUT, IS BIKING PERMISSIBLE ON THE SIDEWALKS? I WOULDN'T THINK THAT IT IS, BUT SO THAT'S A GREAT QUESTION.
MY UNDERSTANDING IS STATE LAW IS SUCH THAT IF IT'S NOT SIGNED, THAT IT'S PROHIBITED TO RIDE THE BICYCLE ON THE SIDEWALK, YOU WOULD HAVE TO PUT IN YOUR LOCAL CODE, WHICH WE DO NOT CURRENTLY HAVE.
SO IT, SO IF THE TOWN CODIFIED SIDEWALKS ARE ONLY PROHIBITED
[00:35:01]
IN, YOU KNOW, IN THEI'M SAYING IN THE ABSENCE OF THAT, UM, I, I'M KIND OF TAKING IT FROM THE AL ALTERNATIVE STANCE THAT, UM, IT'S IN THE ABSENCE OF THAT LANGUAGE, IT'S, SORRY, I THINK SO MAYBE I MISUNDERSTOOD WHAT YOU SAID.
IS IT THAT YOU CAN'T RIDE ON A SIDEWALK UNLESS THERE'S A SIGN THAT SAYS YOU CAN, OR, OR TO BELIEVE IT'S THE OPPOSITE? YOU CAN USE A BICYCLE ON A SIDEWALK UNLESS IT'S PROHIBITED.
I, I BELIEVE THAT'S THE CASE, BUT I'LL DOUBLE CHECK THAT.
BECAUSE THERE ARE LOCAL MUNICIPALITIES THAT HAVE THE CODE THAT SPECIFICALLY SAYS NO BICYCLING ALLOWED ON THE SIDEWALKS.
WE DON'T HAVE THAT WITHIN THE TOWN OF GREENBURG.
YOU COULD HAVE A PUBLIC HEARING AND PUT THAT INTO THE CODE AT ANY POINT YOU WISH.
AND IN THE ABSENCE OF THAT, THE TOWN COULD PUT A NO BICYCLING ON SAY, EAST HARSDALE AVENUE.
A LOT OF TIMES MUNICIPALITIES ON THEIR MAIN CORRIDOR WHERE THEY, YOU KNOW, BICYCLE, THAT WOULD SENSE YOU COULD HAVE A SCHEDULE.
YOU COULD BAN IT ON A SCHEDULE AND THEN PUT WHAT ROADS YOU WANT IT BANNED, OR EXCUSE ME, WHAT SIDEWALKS YOU WANT IT BANNED FROM.
AND OBVIOUSLY IF WE HAVE BICYCLE LANES IN PLACE, WE DON'T NEED IT TO BE ON SIDEWALKS AS WELL.
TOUCH ON THAT A LITTLE BIT IN THE NEXT, BUT, YOU KNOW, UH, SOMEBODY WHO BICYCLES ON SIDEWALKS SOMETIMES, UM, I'M JUST SAYING, DOES THAT MEAN THAT WE ENFORCE THAT WITH THE TOWN SUPERVISOR RIDING HIS BICYCLE ON THE SIDEWALK? I JUST CHIEF LISTENING, THERE'S, THERE'S SAFETY ISSUES ALSO BECAUSE WHEN I'M ON, SAY, EAST DALE AVENUE, IF I SAY A PEDESTRIAN, YOU KNOW, I BASICALLY WILL STOP THE BICYCLE, LET THEM PASS, AND THEN THEY'LL ALL GO ON.
THERE'S, THERE'S NOT A LOT OF, YOU KNOW, THERE'S NOT A LOT OF, UM, IT'S NOT EVERYONE DOES THAT, BUT THERE'S NOT A LOT PEDESTRIANS ALL THE, YOU KNOW, YOU KNOW, ALL THE TIME.
UM, UH, YOU KNOW, WALKING AND EAST TAR, FOR EXAMPLE, EAST DALE AVENUE, I'M NOT TALKING ABOUT DOWNTOWN AREA.
I'M TALKING ABOUT, UH, CLOSER TO CENTRAL AVENUE.
I MEAN IT REAL WHEN THERE'S, THERE'S A LOT OF VEHICLES AND IT'S, YOU KNOW, IT REALLY COULD BE DANGEROUS FOR, UM, CYCLISTS, YOU KNOW, FOR CYCLISTS WHO ARE LESS EXPERIENCED THAN ME.
UH, TO, YOU KNOW, TO USE THE ROAD.
I MEAN, LOOK WHAT HAPPENED TO STEPHANIE CAVO.
SHE WASN'T ON THE SIDEWALK AND HER CAR WENT INTO THE SIDEWALK, UH, DUE TO NO FAULT OF THE TOWN.
UM, BUT SHE WASN'T ON THE SIDEWALK.
SHE WAS ON THE SIDEWALK, BUT SHE DIED.
NO, BUT I'M SAYING IT WAS DUE TO NO FAULT.
BUT I'M JUST SAYING THAT CARS ARE SPEEDING.
AND, UM, YOU KNOW, I FEEL THAT ANYTHING WE COULD DO TO MAKE IT SAFER FOR ANYBODY, YOU HAVE A LOT OF TEENAGERS WHO DON'T HAVE CARS.
UM, YOU KNOW, I, I WANNA DO ANYTHING POSSIBLE TO MAKE IT SAFER.
I WOULD LIKE TO SEE US, UM, BEING E-BIKES ON, UM, ON SIDEWALKS BECAUSE YES, BECAUSE THAT, I THINK IT, YOU KNOW, WOULD BE, UH, THAT I THINK IS DANGEROUS.
WELL, FOR EXAMPLE, LIKE ON THE, THIS IS GETTING A LITTLE FAR FIELD, BUT LIKE ON THE SOUTH COUNTY TRAIL, OR WHAT'S IT CALLED NOW, THE SOUTH COUNTY TRAIL'S NOW CALLED EMPIRE SPEED TRAIL.
THEY ARE BANNED, BUT PEOPLE RIDE THE, IT'S NOT ENFORCED.
SO YOU'VE GOT A LOT OF PEOPLE RIDING ELECT ELECTRIFIED, YOU KNOW, BIKES AND SCOOTERS AND STUFF.
AND IT'S NOT THAT SAFE FOR PEOPLE WHO ARE WALKING.
AND YOU'VE BEEN ON THE COUNTY.
SO JUST RETURNING BACK TO THE SUBJECT MATTER WASN'T BEING THE COUNTY I 20 MINUTES AND I APOLOGIZE, GOING OVER, I WROTE TO THE COUNTY, YOU KNOW, EXECUTIVE, I, MY UNDERSTANDING IS THAT THERE WAS NO VAN ON, UH, THERE ARE SIGNS THAT SAY THEY CAN'T, I'M JUST TELLING YOU THAT, THAT BECAUSE I, I'VE, WE CAN LOOK INTO HERE.
OKAY, HERE'S WHAT I'M LOOKING FOR.
THE TAP GRANT, THERE'S A, A TYPE DEADLINE OF A PRE-APPLICATION ONE 15.
THE FIRST THING I'M LOOKING FOR IS, YOU KNOW, FOR THE BOARD TO NOT SAY, GARRETT, DO NOT FILE A PRE-APPLICATION.
SO IF YOU SAY THAT, THEN THAT WINDOW WILL PASS, AND THEN WE'RE INELIGIBLE FOR THE APPLICATION.
SO IF I GET A, YOU KNOW, VERBAL THUMBS UP, UM, THAT, YOU KNOW, GO AHEAD, DO THE PRE-APPLICATION, IT OBLIGATES NOTHING TO UP THE TOWN.
UM, IT ALLOWS US, AND IT'S A BIT OF WORK, UM, IT ALLOWS US TO REFINE THE BUDGET THAT I PRESENTED HERE TONIGHT.
UM, GET SOME QUESTIONS ANSWERED THAT WERE THE GOOD QUESTIONS THAT WERE RAISED, AND AT LEAST GET THE PRE-APPLICATION IN, WHICH MAKES US ELIGIBLE TO THEN FILE THE FULL LOAN APPLICATION, UM, WITH A SUCCESSFUL, UM, WITH, WITH DOING THAT SUCCESSFULLY, WE WILL BE COMING BACK TO THE TOWN BOARD, UH, FOR A RESOLUTION IN SUPPORT OF THE TAP GRANT.
NOW THAT GRANT IS DUE, UM, MID-MARCH AND, UM, IN SORT OF SHORT WORKING ORDER, WE REALLY WOULD NEED AS STAFF, I SEE.
WE, BECAUSE THIS IS, UM, A JOINT EFFORT AMONGST SEVERAL OF US IN DPW ENGINEERING, UM, TO PUT THE FULL BLOWN APPLICATION TOGETHER, UM, WE WOULD NEED, YOU KNOW, YOUR SUPPORT, UM, YOU KNOW, NOT BY RESOLUTION, BUT VERBALLY TO GO AHEAD AND, UM, DO THE FULL BLOWN APPLICATION.
'CAUSE THAT'S AN IMMENSE AMOUNT OF WORK.
UM, SO AS LONG AS WE DUE BY MARCH.
WHICH WE WOULD, UM, HONESTLY START WORKING ON.
[00:40:01]
WORKING ON IT.THE PRE-APPLICATION ONE 15 IS A FAIR AMOUNT OF LEG WORK, BUT HONESTLY, IMMEDIATELY AFTER THAT PRE-APPLICATION GOES IN, WE REALLY GET TO WORK.
SO, UM, IF YOU'RE FEELING OKAY ABOUT THIS, YOU KNOW, THAT'S GOOD.
THAT GIVES ME THE CONFIDENCE TO AT LEAST GET THE PRE-APP IN.
I'LL REFINE THE BUDGET, UM, YOU KNOW, BY THAT DATE, I'M GONNA SEND OUT AN NICE EMAIL TO GIVE YOU AN UPDATE THAT WE SUCCESSFULLY GOT THE PRE-APP IN, UM, GIVE YOU SOME MORE BUDGET, MORE DETAILED BUDGET INFORMATION, AND THEN, YOU KNOW, WE CAN TAKE IT FROM THERE.
UM, BUT JUST BE IN MIND THAT, YOU KNOW, WE WOULD WANT TO HAVE YOUR CONFIDENCE OR NOT, AND WE'LL RESPECT WHATEVER DECISION YOU MAKE.
UM, BUT SHORTLY AFTER ONE 15 SO THAT WE, UH, YOU KNOW, STAFF ARE PREPARED AND READY TO SUBMIT THE BEST APPLICATION YOU CAN, IS THE DRAINAGE, UH, WOULD THAT ADDRESS SOME OF THE FLOWING PROBLEMS ON CENTRAL AVENUE OR HELP WITH REDUCE FLOODING PROBLEMS? TO A DEGREE, YES.
SO, SO THIS IS ANOTHER WAY OF, UH, MAKING, HAVING SOME PROGRESS IN TERMS OF ADDRESS SHOWING, UM, YOU KNOW, POTENTIAL DEVELOPERS SAY OF THE FOUR POINTERS, UM, UH, THAT, YOU KNOW, WE'RE REALLY SERIOUS ABOUT DOING SOMETHING.
THE OTHER THOUGHT THAT I HAVE, UM, IS SINCE WE'RE PROBABLY GONNA BE REZONING DOING THE MIXED USE ZONING AT THE FOUR POINTERS, UM, AND WE WANT TO ATTRACT HIGH QUALITY, YOU KNOW, DEV, YOU KNOW, DEVELOPERS, UM, I SORT OF FEEL THAT HAVING A CONTINUOUS SIDEWALK ON CENTRAL AVENUE, UM, UH, BUILD IS ANOTHER, UH, PLUS THAT WILL, THAT MIGHT HELP US, UH, HAVE A SUCCESSFUL REDEVELOPMENT OF, UH, OF THE FOUR CORNERS AS, AS AN EXCUSE.
BECAUSE PEOPLE ARE GONNA, PEOPLE WHO ARE GONNA MOVE INTO THESE APARTMENTS, YOU KNOW, WHEN WHENEVER THEY'RE BUILT, ARE GONNA LIKE THE FACT THAT THEY COULD WALK THERE.
AND IT'S ALSO GONNA MAKE IT EASIER FOR IF THEY, IF IT'S SOME EXCUSE AND THERE'S SOME RETAIL THERE, LET'S SAY THERE'S SOME NICE RESTAURANTS PEOPLE COULD WALK TO THE RESTAURANTS WITHOUT, UM, YOU KNOW, FROM, FROM WHAT FROM OTHER APARTMENTS.
IS, IS THAT SOMETHING THAT A DEVELOPER WOULD PROVIDE THOUGH? SO I WAS ACTUALLY GONNA JUMP IN WITH A QUICK, UH, ONE LINE JOKE.
UH, THE SUPERVISOR JUST IDENTIFIED OUR PRIVATE MATCH, RIGHT? BE MINDFUL OF THAT.
NO, BUT I'M JUST SAYING GIVES US MM-HMM.
EVEN THOUGH I DON'T THINK YOU'RE GONNA SEE THAT PROJECT BY THE TIME THAT THE SIDEWALK IS READY TO GO IN.
20 20, 29, 23, I, I'M A WISHFUL GUY.
WHEN DID WE GET THE GRANT, UH, FOR, UH, WEST DALE AVENUE THAT, THAT MUST HAVE BEEN ABOUT FOUR OR FIVE YEARS, OR 20 END OF 2022.
SO THREE, FOUR OR FIVE SIX M'S NOT GONNA BE BUILT UNTIL THE BEGINNING OF SOMETIMES THIS WAS NOT AS COMPLEX SEVEN.
SO THE THING IS, IT USUALLY TAKES, UM, LIKE ABOUT FIVE REALITY IS LIKE PROBABLY FIVE YEARS MINIMUM, THREE TO FOUR, FOUR YEARS MINIMUM, PROBABLY FIVE YEARS.
AND SOMETIMES WITH THE BIDDING PROCESS, IT COULD BE EVEN SIX YEARS.
I REMEMBER THE CENTRAL AVENUE TO MARION FROM WEST DALE AVENUE, THAT WAS AT LEAST FIVE YEARS AND PEOPLE WERE COMPLAINING.
HILLSIDE AVENUE HERE WAS PROBABLY A FIVE YEAR FROM, FROM WHEN WE STARTED TO WHEN IT GOT BUILT.
WELL, IT MAKES NO SENSE HAVING THESE GAPS RIGHT ON CENTRAL AVENUE.
IT'S JUST, IT'S A LITTLE DISTURBING TO ME THAT, YOU KNOW, WE'RE TAKING CARE OF OUR LOCAL ROADS.
THE STATE DOESN'T TAKE CARE OF THE STATE ROADS.
UH, BUT IF, IF NO MUNICIPALITY IS GETTING PREFERENTIAL TREATMENT, WE'RE ALL IN THE SAME BOAT, THEN THIS, THIS MAKES SENSE.
BUT WE JUST HAVE TO BE MINDFUL THAT IF WE DO THIS, WE CAN'T DO SOMETHING ELSE.
AND, AND THAT'S, THAT'S THE REALITY OF IT.
YOU KNOW, THE PROJECTIONS ARE WE'RE GONNA HAVE 10% TAX INCREASES FOR THE FORESEEABLE FUTURE.
THAT'S NOT GONNA BE SUSTAINABLE FOR THE, THE TAXPAYERS EITHER.
SO WE JUST HAVE TO BE MINDFUL AND USE THE MONEY, UH, WISELY AND SEE IF WE COULD GET SPEND THE TIME GETTING, UH, OTHER GRANTS OR DEVELOPER GRANTS.
COMMISSIONER, I HAVE A VERY, VERY QUICK QUESTION FOR YOU IN LINE TO SAY WITH, UH, WHAT COUNCILMAN SHANE WAS SAYING.
YOU HAD MENTIONED, UM, ROAD COMPLETION.
AND IF, IF I REMEMBER CORRECTLY, YOU'RE SAYING THAT THERE'S LEGISLATION, DOES THAT MEAN FROM, FOR THE ROAD TO BE COMPLETED? AND IF THAT ROAD IS COMPLETED BY THE STATE, IS THERE, IS THERE IT'S A TOTALLY SEPARATE TO ADD THE SIDEWALK INTO THE ROAD COMPLETION, OR THAT'S AGAINST THE RULES? YEAH, IT'S THE ROAD COMPLETION.
UM, THE REFERENCE IS THERE'S AN OBLIGATION FOR THE STATE TO TAKE A HARD LOOK AT UPDATING ITS ROADS TO A COMPLETE STREET STANDARD.
THAT MEANS NOT JUST SIMPLY CURB ADEQUATE LANES FOR TRUCKS AND CARS TO GO, BUT IT MEANS TO LOOK AT THE FULL GAMUT OF USERS, UM, BUS RIDERS, BUS STOP ACCOMMODATIONS, UH, BICYCLE RIDERS, BICYCLE RIDERS.
SO IT THAT IT'S, YOU KNOW, YEAH, I THINK PAUL'S, PAUL'S RIGHT.
WHEN THERE'S A MAJOR PROJECT, THEY REALLY TAKE A HARD LOOK AT, YOU KNOW, MULTI MODES.
[00:45:01]
UM, BUT FOR SOMETHING AS, UM, NON-COMPLEX AS A PAVE, UNFORTUNATELY, UM, THAT DOESN'T BUILD IN OKAY, UH, THE COMPLETE STREET COMPONENT THAT WE ALL WISH WOULD HAPPEN.AND ALSO THERE'S PARTS OF THE GAPS COULD BE PAID FOR, YOU KNOW, THE NEXT THREE, FOUR OR FIVE YEARS.
THERE COULD BE OTHER REDEVELOPMENT ON CENTRAL AVENUE.
UM, YOU KNOW, SO IF THERE'S A LANDLORD WHO'S DEVELOPING HAS REDEVELOPING THE PROPERTY OR SELLING THE PROPERTY, UM, YOU KNOW, WE COULD BASICALLY BE, UH, ASKING THEM TO FILL SOME OF THE GAPS, YOU KNOW, WHILE THEY'RE, AS PART OF, OR FISCAL CONTRIBUTIONS.
AND IT'S HAPPENED AND IT, AND IT WILL CONTINUE TO HAPPEN.
SO I'M SAYING THE 6,000 LINEAR FEED OF GAPS COULD BE FILLED IN, COULD BECOME LESS, YOU KNOW, IN THE NEXT COUPLE YEARS ANYWAY.
SO IT SEEMS LIKE YOU'RE OKAY WITH THIS ONE.
YOU HAVE ANOTHER ONE APPRECIATE.
I THINK IT'S, IF I MAY, AND I THINK IT'S, IT'S A LOGICAL, UM, IT'S A LOGICAL THING TO DO BECAUSE WE'RE ENHANCING THE WALKABILITY IN A MAJOR CORRIDOR FOR RETAIL AND RESTAURANTS AS WELL AS FOR RESIDENCES.
AND, AND THE OFFSET, UM, THERE'S ALSO SOME OFFSET, BUT LITTLE HARDER TO QUANTIFY, WHICH IS THAT HAVING THAT WALKABILITY INCREASES THE USE USER FRIENDLY AND USER, UM, ACCESS TO ALL THOSE RETAIL AND RESTAURANT ESTABLISHMENTS INCREASING THEIR BUSINESS, INCREASING TAX INCOME, WHICH IS ALSO AN OFFSET OF SOME MAGNITUDE.
SO, HAVE WE, GIVEN THE THUMBS UP, I APPRECIATE YOUR SUPPORT.
AND WE'RE GONNA WORK HARD ON THIS.
SO THAT CONCLUDES PRESENTATION NUMBER ONE,
WE FOCUSED ON PEDESTRIANS THERE, AND NOW WE'RE GONNA TRANSITION TO ANOTHER GREAT OPPORTUNITY THAT FOCUSES, UM, ON BOTH PEDESTRIANS AND CYCLISTS, BUT MORE SKEWED TOWARDS CYCLISTS.
SO MUCH OF THIS IS GONNA BE, UH, RECAP FOR THE TOWN BOARD BECAUSE YOU'VE AGAIN SUPPORTED WHAT I'M BRINGING TO THE TABLE TWICE.
NOW YOU'VE SUPPORTED, UH, PRIOR BUILD APPLICATIONS FOR THE ROUTE ONE 19 COMPLETE STREETS, UH, EMPIRE STATE TRAIL CONNECTION.
I'M JUST GONNA GIVE SOME QUICK BACKGROUND FOR THE, UM, CASUAL OBSERVER OR SOMEONE WHO'S NOT AWARE OF THESE EFFORTS THAT THE TOWN HAS TAKEN IN THE PAST, UM, WITH RESPECT TO GETTING FUNDING TO RETROFIT AN IMPORTANT PART OF ONE 19.
SO, UM, THE EMPIRE STATE TRAIL, WHICH WE TALKED ABOUT JUST A MOMENT AGO, IS, UH, A VERY VISIONARY GOAL OF NEW YORK STATE TO HAVE COMPLETED 750 MILES.
'CAUSE YOU HAVE A LOT OF SPACE, NEW YORK STATE TO COMPLETE 750 MILES OF, UH, LINEAR BIKE TRAIL, UM, MUCH OF WHICH IS COMPLETE.
SOME OF IT'S, UH, ON ROAD, SOME OF IT'S OFF-ROAD.
THE IDEA FOR THE EMPIRE STATE TRAIL CAME TO BEING IN 2017, AND THAT REALLY JUST BUILT ON A LOT OF THE EXISTING TRAILS THAT WERE THERE.
THE, THIS WESTBOUND FROM ALBANY TO BUFFALO IS CONSISTENT WITH RUNNING ALONGSIDE THE ERIE CANAL, MOHAWK RIVER.
SO A LOT OF THAT WAS, YOU KNOW, ESTABLISHED, UH, A LONG TIME AGO, UM, BUT BEEN FORMALIZED AND SORT OF GAINED MOMENTUM BY THIS, THIS, UH, STATE INITIATIVE TO IMPLEMENT NEW YORK STATE, UH, EMPIRE STATE TRAIL.
AND THEN OF COURSE, THERE'S THE NORTH SOUTH, UH, PORTION RUNNING FROM ESSENTIALLY, UH, I THINK VAN CORTLAND PARK, NEW YORK CITY, ALL THE WAY UP WITH ASPIRATIONS TO GO TO CANADA.
UM, SO WHAT THAT MEANS IS, IN THESE ROUTES THAT YOU SEE ON THE SCREEN, IT'S REALLY THE, UM, THE INITIATIVE OF LOCAL GOVERNMENTS THAT REALLY MAKE THIS HAPPEN.
UM, THAT COULD BE, UM, IT IS NEW YORK STATE AT TIMES, BUT OFTENTIMES IT'S LOCAL GOVERNMENTS.
IT'S IT'S COUNTY GOVERNMENTS THAT, THAT REALLY MAKE THIS HAPPEN.
SO, UM, WOULDN'T YOU KNOW IT, UH, THE TOWN OF GREENBURG, UH, INTERSECTS WITH THE EMPIRE STATE TRAIL, SO THAT'S A WONDERFUL THING.
THERE'S CHALLENGES IN THE TOWN OF GREENBURG.
UNFORTUNATELY, OUR ROAD NETWORK, UH, WAS BUILT AT A TIME WHERE CYCLING WAS NOT PRIORITIZED.
SO REALLY IT WAS SORT OF DESIGNED FOR THE, FOR THE VEHICLE.
AND IT'S EXTREMELY HARD TO RETROFIT, UH, OUR, YOU KNOW, MAJOR COLLECTOR ROADS TO, TO ACCOMMODATE BICYCLES IN A WAY THAT PUTS THEM IN LIKE A SAFE AND, YOU KNOW, NOT SAFE, BUT, UM, FULLY PROTECTED SPACE.
UM, HAVING SAID THAT, GONNA BRING TO THE TABLE AN OPPORTUNITY WHERE, UM, THERE IS THE OPPORTUNITY TO PUT BICYCLISTS IN A SAFE SPACE.
SO IN TERMS OF CYCLING, WHERE THE TOWN OF GREENBURG, AS WELL AS WESTCHESTER COUNTY AS A WHOLE, REALLY HAS AMAZING RESOURCES, IS WITH ITS OFF, UM, TRAIL SYSTEM, OF COURSE.
AND IN WHAT YOU SEE ON THE SCREEN
[00:50:01]
IN THE GREEN IS A ZOOMED IN, THAT'S THAT GREEN THAT I SHOWED BEFORE, THE ACTUAL EMPIRE STATE TRAIL, THAT'S SYNONYMOUS WITH WHAT WE KNOW AS THE NORTH SOUTH COUNTY TRAILWAY.UM, IT'S FORMER RAILED, 1990, THE COUNTY REALLY UNDERTOOK THAT AND CONVERTED THAT TO A NICE, THE BIKE TRAIL THAT IS TODAY IN 2017.
AT ONE 19, UM, IN THE YEAR 2017, THE COUNTY COMPLETED A SPAN UP TO WAREHOUSE LANE THAT ACTUALLY FILLED A SIGNIFICANT, I THINK, MILE GAP.
UM, TO THE LEFT, WHAT YOU SEE IS THE CRO AND AQUEDUCT.
IT'S NOT CONSIDERED THE EMPIRE STATE TRAIL, BUT OF COURSE IT'S A GREAT RESOURCE FOR SIMILAR PURPOSES, BIKING, WALKING, AND THEN ON THE RIGHT, UM, WHERE MY CURSOR IS, THAT'S THE BRONX RIVER PATHWAY, WHICH, UM, IS ALSO AN AMAZING RESOURCE.
IT DOES HAVE A SIGNIFICANT GAP, UH, FROM HARTSDALE TO SCARSDALE.
BUT, UM, THE FOCUS RIGHT NOW IS, UM, WHAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT IS THE 109 ROUTE ONE 19, UH, EMPIRE STATE TRAIL CONNECTION.
SO THE US DOT UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION, UH, OFFERS CYCLICAL FUNDING TO, UH, EITHER PLAN OR CONSTRUCT IMPROVEMENTS, UM, THAT ARE GEARED TOWARDS, UH, TRANSPORTATION IMPROVEMENTS GEARED TOWARDS PEDESTRIAN AND, AND CYCLING AND ALL, ALL TYPES OF, UM, GREAT ALTERNATIVE TRANSPORTATION PROJECTS.
NOW, THE TOWN OF GREENBURG, WHICH THANKS TO YOUR SUPPORT, UM, YOU SUPPORTED TOWN STAFF APPLYING IN THE YEAR 2024 AND THE YEAR 2025 FOR, UM, WHAT WE HAVE HERE IS THIS 2.3 MILE PROPOSED SECTION OF, OF, OF ONE 19.
UM, SO THE TOWN OF GREENBURG IN BOTH OF THOSE YEARS FILED AN APPLICATION TO GET DESIGN FUNDING TO RETROFIT A PORTIONS OF ONE 19 FROM BROADWAY, UH, IN, IN, IN THE VILLAGE OF TARRYTOWN, TRAVERSING THEN THROUGH THE TOWN OF GREENBURG, AND THEN TRAVERSING THROUGH THE VILLAGE OF ELMSFORD AND ONE 19, AND CONNECTING TO, UH, THE, THE, THE EMPIRE STATE TRAIL.
AND THE IDEA IS TO RETROFIT ONE 19 SO THAT THERE'S PROTECTED SPACE FOR COMBINATION OF BIKE PEDESTRIAN FACILITIES IN THE SHOULDER OF ONE 19, WHERE RIGHT NOW THERE'S PATCHES OF SIDEWALK ONLY, UM, TO CYCLE THERE.
MANY DO IT, BUT YOU HAVE TO HAVE AN ELEMENT OF FEARLESSNESS.
THERE'S NO SIDEWALK IN PLACES TO GO ON.
UM, I GLOSSED OVER SOME PHOTOS THAT I HAD BEFORE, BUT WHEN I WAS INDICATING THAT, UM, IT'S VERY DIFFICULT, UNFORTUNATELY, TO RETROFIT ROADS, SOME MAJOR ROADS IN THE TOWN OF GREENBURG FOR CYCLING.
THIS IS WEST HARTSDALE AVENUE, AND THIS IS, UH, APPROACHING TOWARDS RIDGE ROAD.
AND WHAT YOU SEE IS, YOU KNOW, FAIRLY, UH, NARROW ROAD BED AND DESIGN AREA, IF YOU WILL, UM, WHICH WHAT YOU DON'T SEE TO THE RIGHT, THERE'S, YOU KNOW, A DROP OFF.
AND THEN THERE'S, YOU KNOW, THERE'S INTERMITTENT STREAMS AND THINGS LIKE THAT.
THERE'S REALLY, IT WOULD BE SUPER EXPENSIVE TO RETROFIT A ROAD LIKE THAT, TO HAVE A FULL BLOWN, UM, PROTECTED BIKE SPACE.
BUT WHAT WE ARE DOING HERE, OF COURSE, IS DOING A SIDEWALK.
UM, I THINK THE BEST THING THAT THE TOWN OF GREENBERG CAN DO FOR ROADS LIKE THIS, THESE MAJOR EASTWEST CORRIDORS, IS CONTINUE TO DO THINGS LIKE IMPLEMENT SIDEWALKS, IMPLEMENT TRAFFIC CALMING, KEEP SPEEDS DOWN FOR VEHICLES SO THAT CYCLISTS FEEL SAFER, KEEP RIDERS OFF THEIR PHONES.
YOU KNOW, THAT'S AN INITIATIVE ALL OVER, BUT ALL THESE COMBINATIONS OF THINGS, I THINK ARE THE BEST WE CAN DO FOR CYCLISTS.
BUT YOU CONVERSE THAT VIEW WITH ONE 19 AND WHAT DO YOU SEE AS, UM, EXPANSIVE AMOUNTS OF LANES EACH DIRECTION? YOU DON'T HAVE THOSE CONSTRAINTS ON THE SHOULDER OF THE ROAD.
SO THERE REALLY IS AN OPPORTUNITY TO GET A SIGNIFICANT PROTECTED BIKE LANE.
AND I'M GONNA SHOW YOU A CONCEPT DRAWING OF WHAT THAT WOULD LOOK LIKE IN A MOMENT.
SO AGAIN, THIS ALL ACTUALLY GOES BACK AND, AND, AND ORIGINATES FROM, UH, WHEN THE VAN TAP BRIDGE WAS DECONSTRUCTED AND REPLACED WITH THE MARIO CUOMO BRIDGE, UH, THE NEW YORK STATE THROUGHWAY AUTHORITY ACTUALLY CAME TO THE TOWN OF GREENBURG, THE VILLAGE OF TARRYTOWN, AND THE VILLAGE OF ELMER WITH COMMUNITY COMMUNITY BENEFITS GRANT BACK IN 2017, AND SAID, UM, YOU KNOW, HERE WE HAVE $250,000 AVAILABLE FOR YOU AS LOCAL COMMUNITIES THAT ARE GONNA BE IMPACTED BY THIS BRIDGE.
AND OF COURSE, THE BRIDGE WILL HAVE A SHARED USE PATH.
SO WHAT WE DID, I SEE THE TOWN GREENBURG DID, WAS LED AN EFFORT TO REIMAGINE ONE 19.
IT WASN'T JUST THIS TWO MILE SPAN THAT I'M FOCUSING ON RIGHT NOW, BUT IT WAS ONE 19 FROM BROADWAY ALL THE WAY TO THE CITY OF WHITE PLAINS.
REALLY, IT WENT THROUGH A VISIONING PROCESS TO REALLY THINK ABOUT HOW YOU COULD RETROFIT ONE 19, WHICH IS NOT A UNIFORM RETROFIT.
IF YOU CAN IMAGINE THE, THE, THE, THE SCREENSHOT I JUST SHOWED OF ONE 19 IN OUR OFFICE BUILDING DISTRICT, FAR DIFFERENT CHARACTERISTICS THAN THE VILLAGE OF ELMSFORD, WHERE YOU HAVE ON STREET PARKING AND TWO LANES EACH DIRECTION.
WELL, RIGHT HERE WHERE WE ARE, I MEAN, RIGHT HERE AT THE INTERSECTION VERSUS HILLSIDE, IT'S
[00:55:01]
ABSOLUTELY MUCH DIFFERENT CHARACTERISTIC.COMMISSIONER, COMMISSIONER FA, CAN YOU MUTE YOUR PHONE PLEASE? SORRY, THAT WAS ALAN.
SO WHAT, WHAT THAT STUDY DID WAS IT ENVISIONED, UH, REIMAGINE ROUTE ONE 19, AND IT ACTUALLY, I'M GONNA SHOW YOU A GRAPHIC HERE IN A MOMENT, BUT JUST SOME OTHER HIGHLIGHTS HERE.
YOU SEE THE BRIDGE PATH, UM, HERE ON MY CURSOR, AND YOU SEE THIS SPAN ALONG ONE 19 AND YOU SEE, UH, THE CONNECTION TO THE, TO THE, UM, EMPIRE STATE TRAIL.
IT'S ACTUALLY CALLED THE ANDREW O'ROURKE TRAIL NOW TOO.
WHICH TRAIL? OH, THE, UM, GOT IT.
FORMER COUNTY EXECUTIVE LATIMER RENAMED IT BEFORE HE GOT IT.
THIS IS AN IMAGE FROM THE 2017 ROUTE NINE ROUTE ONE 19 COMPLETE STREETS PLAN THAT I INDICATED, UH, THAT I WAS SPEAKING ABOUT A MOMENT AGO.
AND THIS ACTUALLY ENVISIONED, UM, ON THE SOUTH SIDE OF ONE 19, UH, WHAT YOU SEE IS YOU SEE A SIDEWALK, THEN YOU SEE A DUAL TRACK CYCLING AREA THAT'S PROTECTED FOR CYCLISTS ONLY, AND THEN THE CYCLISTS WOULD ACTUALLY GO EACH DIRECTION, UM, UH, ON THE SOUTH SIDE.
AND IT HAD NO BIKE PROVISIONS ON THE NORTH SIDE.
IT WAS A VERY INNOVATIVE AND UNIQUE IDEA.
AS IT TURNS OUT, NEW YORK STATE, DOT PREFERS SOMETHING DIFFERENT.
THEY PREFER A BIKE LANE GOING WITH THE, THE FLOW OF TRAFFIC IN EACH DIRECTION.
BUT THE, I THE PHILOSOPHY HERE TO HAVE A PROTECTED BIKE SPACE WITH LIKE A LANDSCAPE MEDIAN IS KIND OF WHAT WE'RE ENVISIONING, UH, FOR THE 2.3 MILE SPAN.
UM, WHY, WHY WOULD THEY, WHY WOULD THEY PREFER THAT IF THIS IS A PROTECTED, I MEAN, THIS MAKES A LOT OF SENSE.
THIS DESIGN, THAT DESIGN WOULD BE SCALED DOWN BECAUSE YOU WOULDN'T NEED THE WIDTH FOR TWO DIRECTIONS ON THE SOUTH SIDE.
SO YOU SAVE SOME SPACE THERE, BUT THE PHILOSOPHY IS THE SAME.
YOU WOULD REPLICATE THAT ON THE NORTH SIDE.
AND PART OF THE REASON IS THE STATE FELT THAT THE, UH, WITH, WITH, WITH VEHICLES GOING BACK AND FORTH, I'M SORRY, WITH, WITH CYCLISTS AND, AND JOGGERS, PEDESTRIANS USING THAT SPACE, GOING BACK AND FORTH TO HAVE BICYCLES GOING EACH DIRECTION.
AND, YOU KNOW, OF COURSE THERE'S DRIVEWAYS TO THE OFFICE PARKS AND, AND SEVERAL DRIVEWAYS THROUGHOUT.
UM, THE, THE SIGNALIZATION WOULD BE SO COMPLEX AND THERE'D BE CALLS FOR THE BUTTON TOO OFTEN.
WHEREAS, UH, THEY FEEL WITH THE, THE, THE TYPICAL FLOW GOING WITH THE FLOW OF TRAFFIC, IT'S MORE USED TO WHAT WE'RE, IT'S MORE WHAT WE'RE USED TO HERE IN THE NORTHEAST.
WHEN YOU HAVE A SYSTEM LIKE THIS, UM, I THINK THAT WOULD BE A BETTER CONSIDERATION IF SOMEHOW IT DIDN'T HAVE CONFLICTS WITH, UH, DRIVEWAYS.
UM, BUT, BUT ULTIMATELY IT'S A NEW YORK STATE ROAD, AND, AND THAT'S WHAT THEY'VE DIRECTED US.
IF, IF, IF WE GO FORWARD HERE TO, TO, TO DESIGN TOWARDS, UM, YEAH, THESE ARE MORE GRAPHICS.
UH, SO YEAH, SO THIS, THIS IS, UM, YOU KNOW, CRUDE, BUT IT, IT, IT JUST DRIVES HOME THE POINT THAT THERE WOULD BE ACCOMMODATIONS ON EACH SIDE OF ONE 19.
SO THIS VANTAGE POINT IS THE OB DISTRICT, THE OFFICE BUILDING DISTRICT TARRYTOWN PORTION OF THE TOWN OF GREENBURG.
AND YES, THERE WOULD BE PROTECTED EITHER SHARED USE SPACE OR PROTECTED SIDEWALK AND CYCLING SPACE ON BOTH SIDES OF THE ROAD.
UM, THIS GIVES YOU A SENSE OF THE, WHERE THE GAPS ARE IN, UH, SIDEWALKS.
SO, UH, THE RED ARE THE EASTBOUND GAPS IN THE SIDEWALK IN THIS 2.3 MILE SPAN.
SO THERE'S ACTUALLY A FAIR AMOUNT, I'D SAY MORE THAN HALF OF THE QUARTER HAS NO SIDEWALK.
SO, TO YOUR POINT WHERE MAYBE AS A CYCLIST YOU FEEL SAFER ON THE SIDEWALK OR SAFER, UM, YOU DON'T EVEN HAVE THAT OPTION, UM, FOR AT LEAST HALF OF THE EASTBOUND, UH, SPAN OF THIS 2.3.
AND CONTRAST THAT WITH THE OTHER SIDE, UM, IT'S LESS SO, BUT THE YELLOW SHOWS HIGHLIGHTS THE SIDEWALK GAPS ON THE WESTERLY DIRECTION OF THE NORTH SIDE OF, OF ONE 19 INTERSECTION.
UM, SO TO CONCLUDE, WHAT, WHAT I'M SEEKING IS YOUR SUPPORT TO, ONCE AGAIN, FILE FOR THE BUILD FILE, AN APPLICATION FOR THE BUILD GRANT THROUGH THE U-S-D-O-T.
WHAT I WOULD BE SEEKING, WHAT WE WOULD BE SEEKING AS A TOWN IS SOLELY DESIGNED FUNDING.
AND THAT'S WHAT WE'VE DONE IN THE PAST.
AND IF SUCCESSFUL, HAVE THE RESOURCES TO WORK WITH OUR MUNICIPAL PARTNERS, THE VILLAGE OF TARRYTOWN, THE VILLAGE OF ELMSFORD, WESTCHESTER COUNTY, NEW YORK, YORK D NEW YORK STATE, DOT HIRE A CIVIL ENGINEER THROUGH AN RP PROCESS THAT WOULD DESIGN THE RETROFIT THAT I JUST DESCRIBED, WHICH THEN REALLY GETS A SHOVEL READY PROJECT, UM, AT, AT OUR DISPOSAL, WHICH THEN REALLY OPENS UP THE SAME PROGRAM THAT'S, YOU KNOW, WHEN YOU GO FOR THE BIG BUCKS TO ACTUALLY BUILD IT, UM, IN THE, WOULD THEY, UM, SHARE THE COST OF THE ENGINEER, THE OTHER MUNICIPALITY? YES.
SO HERE, HERE'S WHAT HAPPENED.
THE LAST TWO YEARS, FOR TWO YEARS IN A ROW, THE TOWN SOUGHT $1.6 MILLION OF U-S-D-O-T FUNDING FOR THIS PURPOSE.
THE MATCH ON THAT WAS 400,000.
[01:00:01]
FOR TWO YEARS IN A ROW, 20 24, 20 25, BOTH THE VILLAGE, UH, BOARDS OF TRUSTEES OF ELMSFORD AND TARRYTOWN BOTH RESOLVED TO PLEDGE 133,000.EACH TOWN OF GREENBURG PLEDGED 134, THANK YOU, UH, TWO TIMES IN A ROW.
SO THAT, THAT, THAT COMPRISED ALL IN REAL DEAL, BUY-IN FROM, FROM ALL THREE MUNICIPALITIES, AND ALLOWED THE TOWN TO REPRESENT THAT, UM, AS LEAD THE TOWN BE THE LEAD IN THIS APPLICATION THAT IT HAS THE MATCH TO, TO, TO, TO MAKE THIS COME TO FRUITION.
NOW, 2024, THE APPLICANT FELL SHORT.
UM, THERE WERE FLAWS IN THE APPLICATION.
THE APPLICANT, OR THE APPLICATION APPLICATION VIA APPLICANT FELL SHORT.
UM, BUT THANK, THANK GOODNESS, THERE'S A DEBRIEF.
THEY ALLOWED US TO UNDERSTAND WHAT WAS LACKING IN THE APPLICATION.
AND IN 2025, WENT BACK TO IT, AND THE APPLICATION WAS NO LONGER FLAWED.
THE ONLY REASON IN 2025, THE TOWN OF GREENBURG DID NOT GET THE FUNDING, WAS THAT THERE WAS $488 MILLION AVAILABLE, AND THERE WAS OVER $8 MILLION OF REQUESTS.
AND IT'S NOT THAT, OH, SO LET ME BACK UP.
WE CHECKED THE BOXES IN TERMS OF MERIT CRITERIA.
SO THEN THEY ALSO DID LET US KNOW THAT THE BUDGET WAS SOUND, THE TOWN'S ABILITY, BASED ON PRIOR HISTORY AND REPRESENTATIONS TO DELIVER THE GRANT WAS DEEMED SOUND.
SO WHEN I SAY FLAWLESS, ALL OF THOSE CHECK, WE MADE IT TO LIKE FINAL ROUND STAGES.
THE GOOD NEWS IS THAT IN 2026, BILL, IT'S NOT, UH, 588, UH, MILLION DOLLARS.
IT'S, I I THINK IT'S CLOSER TO 1.3 OR 1.4 BILLION.
SO THERE'S SIGNIFICANT MORE FUNDING.
AND I JUST FEEL THAT EVERY YEAR WE JUST BUILD MORE MOMENTUM.
AND I DO THINK THAT THE TOWN'S APPLICATION, WHICH WILL BE BETTER THAN LAST TIME, UM, HAS REAL, REAL POTENTIAL TO BE APPROVED.
BUT, UM, I DO THINK THAT, UH, SUPPORT FROM CONGRESSMEN THAT ARE, UH, YOU KNOW, HAVE GEOGRAPHY AND JURISDICTION ALONG THIS SPAN WILL BE INSTRUMENTAL.
UM, AND THEY'VE PLEDGED SUPPORT, BUT YOU KNOW, WE'RE GONNA NEED THAT SUPPORT AGAIN.
AND, UM, SO MOST OF THE WORK IS DONE.
THIS IS A RECYCLED GRANT APPLICATION, UM, WITH TWEAKS TO MAKE IT WHAT I WOULD CONSIDER AS PERFECT AS POSSIBLE, UM, WITH MORE FUNDING AND, YOU KNOW, SIGNIFICANT, AGAIN, SUPPORT, ROCKLAND COUNTY CYCLING CLUB, WESTCHESTER CYCLING CLUB, AND DOZENS OF LETTERS OF SUPPORT.
UM, AND I THINK WE HAVE THE CONGRESSIONAL DELEGATION, DEMOCRATS AND REPUBLICANS, UH, SUPPORTING THIS, GOTTEN THAT SUPPORT IN THE PAST BUSINESS COUNCIL, I THINK.
SO SEEKING YOUR, YOUR, YOUR SUPPORT ONCE AGAIN, UM, THE ONLY DIFFERENCE IS, UH, SEEKING A LITTLE BIT MORE FUNDING, WHERE I INDICATED SEEKING 1.6 LAST TIME WITH 400,000 OF MATCH.
UH, AT THIS POINT, I THINK WE'RE PROBABLY CLOSER TO 2 MILLION ASK AND, UM, LIKE 450 MATCH.
SO IT MIGHT GO TO LIKE ONE 60 PER COMMUNITY.
AND ONE OTHER DIFFERENCE IS I HAVE BEEN COMMUNICATING WITH WESTCHESTER COUNTY, WHO OF COURSE, UH, MASSIVELY SUPPORTS THIS CONCEPT BECAUSE IT SUPPORTS, UM, YOU KNOW, THEIR RESOURCE, THE, THE, THE COUNTY TRAIL.
UM, I AM GONNA LOOK FOR THEM TO BE A FOURTH CONTRIBUTOR IF THEY, THEY'RE ABLE TO PLEDGE THAT FUNDING TO DRIVE THE COST DOWN.
UM, BUT ORDER OF MAGNITUDE, DEFINITELY ASKING FOR LESS THAN 200,000 PER COMMUNITY.
UM, SEEKING YOUR SUPPORT TO, AND THIS IS LONG TERM, SO JUST TIMELINE, IF THE TOWN'S SUCCESSFUL, UM, THE GOAL WOULD BE TO HAVE THIS DESIGNED BY LIKE, UM, 20 28, 20 29, AND THEN REAPPLY TO THE SAME PROGRAM.
AND YOU, THIS COULD BE A $25 MILLION PROJECT BUILD.
UM, YOU KNOW, SOMETIME 20 21, 20 32.
UM, IT'S AT THAT POINT I'M RIGHT IN TERRYTOWN, UM, WILLING TO PUT UP THE ADDITIONAL MONEY.
SO IN ADVANCE OF THIS, UM, THE SECOND THE BUILD GRANT WAS ANNOUNCED, I WENT RIGHT BACK TO THE, YOU KNOW, MY COLLEAGUES OVER THERE AND, UM, SUPER RECEPTIVE.
UH, THE VILLAGE OF ELMSFORD NOW HAS A NEW VILLAGE ADMINISTRATOR.
UM, SO I WALKED HIM THROUGH THIS CONCEPT AND, UM, SUPER SUPPORTIVE.
AND, UH, MIKE MILLS HAS ALWAYS BEEN SUPPORTIVE.
SO, UM, THE MAYORS AND, UH, RICHARD SLINGER SLINGERLAND AT THE VILLAGE OF TARRYTOWN, AS WELL AS THEIR VILLAGE BOARD OF TRUSTEES HAVE BEEN SUPPORTIVE.
SO, UM, I'VE GOTTEN THE WORD BACK THAT, UH, YOU KNOW, JUST LET US KNOW WHEN YOU NEED THE RESOLUTION BY, AND I'VE OFFERED MY SERVICES TO APPEAR AT ONE OF THEIR WORK SESSIONS IF NEED BE, WHICH I'VE DONE IN THE PAST.
UM, BUT THIS, THIS IS A TRANSFORMATIONAL PROJECT, UM, THAT, YOU KNOW, I THINK SUPER LONG TERM, BUT SOMEDAY, IF THIS REALLY DOES
[01:05:01]
COME TO FRUITION, AND, YOU KNOW, I, I REMEMBER, UH, YEARS AGO, UH, MERRILL CASTLE, UM, HE WAS A GREENBURG RESIDENT WHO DIED ON ONE 19 NEAR THE COUNTY CENTER.THERE'S A MAJOR, IN FACT, THERE'S A WHITE BICYCLE CLOSE TO WHERE THE APPLE FARM IS IN THAT AREA.
YOU COULD SEE IT ON THE CORNER.
UH, HE WAS HIT BY A BUS ON, UH, ONE 19 WHILE HE WAS, UH, BICYCLING.
SO, UH, AGAIN, YOU KNOW, I THINK THIS IS THE TYPE OF, UM, UM, ENHANCEMENT THAT, YOU KNOW, WILL BE WELCOME.
ALSO, IT COULD ALSO BE HELPFUL TO THE LOCAL HOTELS LIKE THE MARRIOT AND THE SHERATON, BECAUSE PEOPLE WILL BE ABLE TO, YOU'LL HAVE TOURISTS WHO WILL WANT TO BIKE OVER THE MARI CUOMO BRIDGE.
UM, SO IT'S A SELLING POINT FOR, UH, THE HOTELS AND THE TOURIST INDUSTRY.
SO, YOU KNOW, I HAVE A FAILING THAT MY, YOU KNOW, YOU'RE LOOKING AT, YOU KNOW, BY TIME THIS IS REALLY BUILT, IT'S PROBABLY THE MID 2000 THIRTIES, YOU KNOW, THAT'S WHAT I WOULD FIGURE.
AND BY THEN, YOU KNOW, IT IS POSSIBLE THAT THERE COULD BE OTHER GRANTS THAT WOULD BE, YOU KNOW, AVAILABLE AND HOPEFULLY WILL HAVE A FEDERAL ADMINISTRATION THAT WILL BE SUPPORTIVE OF, OF ENHANCED RECREATION.
AND CAN I JUST CIRCLE BACK AROUND REAL QUICK AND LET EVERYONE KNOW THAT E-BIKES ARE PROHIBITED BY STATE LAW ALREADY ON SIDEWALKS, VEHICLE AND TRAFFIC LAW 1242.
THANK YOU FOR OUR EXCELLENT PARALEGAL FOR POINTING THAT OUT.
ALRIGHT, BEFORE WE MOVE ON, I HAVE A, A QUESTION FOR THE COMMISSIONER.
I THINK IF I RECALL, UM, THE GREENBERG AS THE PRIMARY, UM, AS THE PRIMARY, WE ARE REQUESTING THE GRANT FOR THE TOTAL AMOUNT, AND THE VILLAGES ARE THEN CONTRIBUTING, AND THAT'S WHAT THEY'RE VOTING ON.
BUT WE AS A TOWN MUST COMMIT TO COVERING THE TOTAL COST, HOWEVER, SO, SO THERE MIGHT BE SOME CONFUSION IN THAT IT WOULD APPEAR THAT WE ARE COMMITTING TO A LARGER AMOUNT OF MONEY WHEN IN FACT THE VILLAGES ARE COMMITTING TO PAYING THEIR SHARE.
AM I CORRECT OR DO I HAVE THAT? YOU'RE CORRECT.
THE VILLAGES, UM, BY RESOLUTION, UM, RESOLVED TO FISCALLY SUPPORT THIS PROJECT ONE THIRD PROPORTIONAL.
AND DID WE GET, DID THEY ACTUALLY CONTRIBUTE THE 1 33, UM, FOR THE PAST YEARS? NO, BECAUSE THE GRAM WAS UNSUCCESSFUL.
THEY WOULD HAVE, THEY COMMITTED TO, UM, CONTRIBUTING THAT, THAT AMOUNT OF MONEY, UM, THAT, THAT'S RIGHT.
OH, SO, SO IT WAS THE, AND DO THAT AGAIN.
SO THE, IT'S BASICALLY ALL YOUR TIME AND WORK, UM, WAS DONE.
UM, AND THEY WOULD AGREE TO DO IT IF IT WAS SUCCESSFUL, BUT OTHERWISE, BUT OTHERWISE IT'S A B BUDGET COST.
IS THAT WHAT I'M UNDERSTANDING? SO IN A HYPOTHETICAL WHERE THE GRANT IS RECEIVED, UM, WE WOULD NOTIFY THE VILLAGES, UM, GIVE THEM A TIMELINE OF WHEN A, UH, CONSULTANT WOULD BE HIRED AND, UM, COORDINATE WITH THEM ON RECEIPT OF THAT PAYMENT.
SO IT WOULD BE ONE LUMP SUM CHECK FROM BOTH COMMUNITIES, UH, FOR THAT AMOUNT BEFORE, UH, THE TOWN DISPERSES ANY, UH, UH, PAYMENTS.
AND THEN IF SIDEWALKS WERE TO GO IN, THEY WOULD CONTRIBUTE WHATEVER WOULD BE APPROPRIATE IN THOSE PARTICULAR VILLAGES.
SO THIS WOULD BE TWO PHASES, RIGHT? EVERYTHING I'M BRINGING TO THE TABLE RIGHT NOW IS DEVELOPMENT SOLELY SOFT COST DESIGN, UM, DEPENDING ON THE PROGRAM THAT WAS SOUGHT AFTER TO FUND THE ACTUAL CONSTRUCTION, UM, YEAH, THAT WOULD BE, UH, YOU KNOW, LOOKED AT, AT THAT TIME.
SO, WELL, WE NEED TO KNOW, THOUGH, BEFORE WE SPEND MONEY, A SIGNIFICANT AMOUNT OF MONEY, IF WE GET IT APPROVED, THAT THE SIDEWALKS WILL ACTUALLY BE BUILT AS OPPOSED TO, UM, YOU KNOW, WE CAN'T AFFORD IT.
I THINK BECAUSE THE TIMELINE IS, YOU KNOW,
[01:10:01]
WOULDN'T BE IN A POSITION TO, UM, IT'S HARD TO GO AFTER A GRANT.YOU KNOW, WE WILL NOT BE IN A POSITION TO GO FOR CONSTRUCTION FUNDING UNTIL, I WOULD SAY AT BEST, UH, 2030 1, 20 29, 20 30.
UM, IT'S AT THAT POINT THAT, UM, IT'S CONSTRUCTION FUNDING THAT WOULD BE SOUGHT, AND IT, IT MAY BE THAT WESTCHESTER COUNTY TAKES THE LEAD ON, ON THAT APPLICATION OR THE STATE OR NEW YORK STATE, WHICH NEW YORK STATE ABSOLUTELY COULD.
UM, BUT TO ME, UH, YOU NEVER GET TO THAT POINT WITHOUT, UM, BUY-IN FROM THE U-S-D-O-T THAT IT BELIEVES IN YOUR PROJECT, AND IT'S GONNA DISPERSE FUNDS FOR, UM, UH, CONSTRUCTION.
IN FACT, TO, TO YOUR POINTS EARLIER WITHOUT A MATCH.
WELL, NO MATCHING THE DESIGN IS, IS NO, NO.
WHEN IT GETS TO THE POINT OF ACTUALLY, LET'S DO THE, LET'S DO THE CONCRETE, GET THE SIDEWALKS, LET'S DO THE BIKE LANES, DO YOU THINK THAT THEY PICK UP THE ENTIRE COURSE? NO.
WHAT I'M, WHAT I'M SAYING IS, AT THAT POINT, YOU KNOW, NOT COMING TO THE TABLE SAYING, YOU KNOW, TOWN OF GREENBURG, CAN YOU PUT UP $133,000? UM, BEING COGNIZANT OF, YOU KNOW, DESIGN, WE'RE LOOKING AT, YOU KNOW, BUDGET OF 2.4, IF CONSTRUCTION'S A $25 MILLION BUDGET LIKE THAT, THAT'S A DIFFERENT SCOPE OF, OF, UM, YOU KNOW, FISCAL NEED.
AND IT'S AT THAT POINT THAT, YOU KNOW, ABSOLUTELY WOULD BE, UH, WORKING WITH NEW YORK STATE.
AND THE ONLY WAY I, THERE'S NO WAY THE THREE LOCAL GOVERNMENTS COULD CONSTRUCT THIS PROJECT.
SO WHAT I'M SAYING IS, AS WE, WE GET IN THE, OUR FOOT IN THE DOOR, AND AT LEAST CAN START DESIGNING THE PROJECT AND START GETTING A BUDGET AND UNDERSTANDING, OKAY, ARE WE TALKING, YOU KNOW, 16 MILLION OR ARE WE TALKING 27 MILLION OR 32 MILLION? UM, ONCE WE GET A BALLPARK ON THAT, IT'S THEN YOU START SAYING, OKAY, LET'S START GETTING SOME PARTNERS, BECAUSE THAT'S GONNA BE TOO MUCH OF AN ASK FOR THE LOCAL GOVERNMENTS ON THEIR OWN TO MATCH.
I WOULD NOT EXPECT THE TOWN TO, YOU KNOW, IF IT'S A 80 20 SPLIT, YOU KNOW, THE, THE, I I, I THINK IT WOULD BE ASKING TOO MUCH FOR, TO SAY TO THE, YOU KNOW, EACH OF THE VILLAGE TWO VILLAGES IN THE TOWN OF GREENBURG, YOU KNOW, WILL YOU EACH PUT UP, UM, WHAT ARE 20% ON 30 MILLION? YOU KNOW, THAT, THAT'S A BIG ASK.
I THINK IT'LL ONLY BE REASONABLE TO BUILD IN LIKE A NEW YORK STATE, UM, YOU KNOW, AS A FISCAL PARTNER THERE.
DO WE KNOW WHAT HAPPENED WITH OTHER COMPLETE STREETS, THE ONES THAT DID GET FUNDED AS TO HOW MUCH DID THE LOCAL GOVERNMENTS IN THOSE MUNICIPALITIES THAT DID GET FUNDED LAST YEAR OR THE YEAR BEFORE, WHAT DID THEY HAVE TO CONTRIBUTE? JUST SO WE HAVE A
UM, WELL, FOR BROADWAY, FOR EXAMPLE, THAT WAS A COMPLETE STREET PROJECT THAT WENT, GOES THROUGH THE RIVER TOWNS, RIGHT? RIGHT, RIGHT.
BUT I'M THINKING U-S-D-O-T, UH, LIKE BUILT, LIKE THERE'S A GOOD SAMPLE SIZE THERE AND YOU KNOW, I DO SEE, UH, YOU KNOW, IT'S ROUTINE FOR $30 MILLION DISBURSEMENTS TO BE MADE.
AND OFTENTIMES, UM, YOU KNOW, THAT'S WHERE YOU START SEEING CITIES, UM, UH, COUNTIES, UH, STATE PARK AGENCIES GETTING THE FUNDING.
SO I REALLY THINK WE WOULD PARTNER WITH LIKE NEW YORK STATE PARKS OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT TO REALLY GRAB THE FISCAL BALL AT THAT POINT.
BUT I THINK THIS, WITHOUT TAKING THE LOCAL INITIATIVE, LIKE I, YOU KNOW, I CAN'T CONVINCE ANYONE THAT THIS STATE PARKS TO, YOU KNOW, HEY, CAN YOU GET US DESIGN FOR, WELL, THE STATE RIGHT NOW, LAST YEAR THEY BUILT, THEY COMPLETED THE A BRIDGE, UH, ON, UM, ON, UH, OVER BROADWAY.
THAT WAS PAID FOR BY THE STATE.
UM, I DON'T THINK THERE WAS A LOCAL UNIT MATCH FOR THAT.
AND THAT'S SOMETHING THAT'S, THAT'S, YEAH, IT'S THREW AWAY AUTHORITY.
AND THAT, THAT BASICALLY, UM, IS FOR THE SAME PURPOSE, TO MAKE IT EASIER TO GET TO THE MARICO BRIDGE.
THIS BRIDGE REALLY, UM, UM, YOU KNOW, IS SOMETHING THAT THE STATE, I THINK THE STATE WANTS TO PROMOTE THIS, UH, THIS, YOU KNOW, THIS BIKE WAY.
AND ALSO, UH, THE FACT THAT PEOPLE WILL BE, IF, IF WE GET THIS GRANT, PEOPLE WILL BE ABLE TO BIKE FROM THE BRONX, UH, UH, YONKERS LINE ALL THE WAY TO MAYO PACK, AND THEN GO ACROSS, UH, UH, TO ROCKLAND.
SO THIS IS SOMETHING THAT TRULY IS REGIONAL, AND I THINK THERE WOULD BE A REALLY GOOD CHANCE THAT WE'LL GET, YOU KNOW, TOTAL FEDERAL OR STATE FUNDING FOR, UH, FOR THE CONS FOR THE CONSTRUCTION, BECAUSE IT REALLY IS NOT A LOCAL PROJECT.
THE MORE I THINK ABOUT IT, THIS IS NOT A TOWN OF GREENBURG, UH, TRI MUNICIPAL, UH, CONSTRUCTION FUNDED PROJECT.
BUT, YOU KNOW, IT'D BE A TOKEN CONTRIBUTION.
BUT EVERY ELECTED OFFICIAL AT THE HIGHER LEVELS OF GOVERNMENT, THEY'RE ALL EXCITED ABOUT THIS.
THE YOUNG PEOPLE, ONE, THEY'RE EXCITED WITH GIVING MONEY.
[01:15:01]
YEAH.THEY COULD BE VERY EXCITED, BUT IF THEY LEAVING IT TO THE LOCAL MUNICIPALITIES, THAT'S JUST NOT, NO.
BUT I, I THINK THAT YOUNG PEOPLE WANT A BIKE AND THAT TREND IS NOT GOING AWAY.
UM, SO THIS IS A MAJOR STATE INITIATIVE, BUT WE'RE REALLY, UH, ACCELERATING IT AT THE BEGINNING POINT.
UH, YOU KNOW, WITH THIS, WITH WHAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT RIGHT NOW, HAVE, AND YOU HAVE MULTIPLE ELECTED OFFICIALS FROM DIFFERENT AREAS THAT ARE, THAT COULD BE BENEFITED FROM IT.
SO, UH, A ROCKLAND LEGISLATOR WILL LIKE IT BECAUSE THEY'LL BE ABLE TO GO TO TAR ROCKLAND RESIDENTS WILL BE ABLE TO USE THIS.
PEOPLE IN THE BRONX, UH, LEGISLATORS FROM THE BRONX OR YONKERS OR MAYO PAC, UH, WILL BENEFIT FROM THIS.
UM, SO I, I SEE, UM, US BEING ABLE TO PERSUADE, UM, LEGISLATORS FROM ALL POLITICAL PARTIES FROM ROCKLAND, WESTCHESTER, THE BRONX, UM, MAYOR, UH, PUTNAM COUNTY, UM, NO, I MEAN, OBVIOUSLY IT'S A GOOD THING.
YOUR CONCERN IS THAT WE PUT IN THE MONEY FOR THE DESIGN, AND THEN WE DON'T GET THE FUNDING FOR THE ACTUAL CONSTRUCTION.
NO, WE, BUT YEAH, THAT, THAT'S CORRECT.
WE DON'T GET THE FUNDING, OR WE GET PARTIAL FUNDING, AND THEN IT'S, HEY, YOU KNOW, WHAT DO WE DO? AND NOW WE'VE, WE'VE SPENT MONEY THAT WE REALLY CAN'T AFFORD TO SPEND, BUT WE, WE WILL IF THERE'S AN END RESULT THAT IS FORESEEABLE AND DOABLE MM-HMM
AND IT'S THE MAKING SURE IT'S DOABLE, THAT I'M CONCERNED ABOUT.
AND THERE'S NO OBLIGATION, LET'S SAY WE'RE SUCCESSFUL HERE.
UM, AND THE TOWN OBTAINS FUNDING TO DESIGN THE PROJECT, THERE'S NO CLAUSE IN IN THAT THAT SAYS THOU SHALL, YOU KNOW, PUT UP A CONSTRUCTION PROJECT, BUILD GRANT APPLICATION, YOU KNOW, WITHIN X YEARS OR PERIOD.
UM, AND AS I INDICATED, UH, THIS, THIS WILL GROW TO A LARGER ENTITY, NEW YORK STATE PARKS, WESTCHESTER COUNTY, SOME MASSIVE CONGLOMERATE OF GOVERNMENTS, ORGANIZATIONS THAT WILL, YOU KNOW, MAKE THIS COME TO FRUITION.
BUT I DO FEEL CONFIDENT THAT THE ONLY WAY THIS WILL GET THE THE BALL ROLLING IS IF, YOU KNOW, YOU FIVE SITTING HERE, YOU KNOW, START OFF, THAT IS THE ONLY WAY, IT'S THE STARTING POINT OF SUPPORT.
WE NEED THE TWO VILLAGES TO PASS RESOLUTIONS AS WELL.
THEY WILL, WHEN THEY SAID, TELL ME THE DATE, YOU NEED THE RESOLUTION.
SO, UH, WHEN DO YOU NEED THE RESOLUTION? UH, THIS ONE'S DUE, UH, MID-FEBRUARY.
UH, WE ARE VERY FAR BEHIND THE SCHEDULE JUST NOTIFYING EVERYONE.
WELL, BECAUSE GARRETT, YOU KNOW, THIS LED US FROM SAME 20 MINUTES, BUT OF COURSE, IT'S A FASCINATING TOPIC, SO IT'S UNDER IT'S UNDERSTANDABLE.
SO DOES THE BOARD BASICALLY GIVE GARETH THE GO HOW TO PROCEED? DO YOU WANT SOMETHING IN WRITING ABOUT THE OTHER C MUNICIPAL? WELL, WELL, AS LONG AS THE OTHER MUNICIPALITIES 'CAUSE ANY ONE MUNICIPALITY NOT DOING THIS, IT'S USELESS.
AND YEAH, THEY DID IN THE PAST, HOWEVER, THE LAST TWO CYCLES, THEY DID ALL APPROVE THE, THE, UM, BOTH MUNICIPALITIES APPROVED THEIR PORTION OF THE COST.
I CAN ASSURE YOU I WON'T BE HERE TILL MIDNIGHT MULTIPLE NIGHTS WITH ANY CON IF I HAVE ANY CONCERN THAT THEY'RE NOT GOING TO SUPPORT IT.
WELL, WE CAN NOT DO OUR RESOLUTION UNTIL WE SEE THEIRS, RIGHT? YEAH.
WELL, IF THEY TELL US THEY'RE GONNA DO IT BY THE, BY THE DEADLINE.
THAT'S, THAT'S, THAT'S FINE WITH ME.
LISTEN, IT'S, IT'S THE TOP OF MY LIST ON THIS ONE.
BUT WHAT'S HAPPENED WITH DRAG AWAY IS SOMEONE ROOM? NO, I THINK IT'S, NO, I, I HAVE DOCUMENTATION THAT I CAN SEND TO THE RESIDENCE.
SO I COULD GET THAT TO THEM TOMORROW.
AND I MEAN, I THINK THAT HANDLES THAT PORTION OF THE MEETING.
IF WE WANT TO GO OVER RULES AND REORGANIZATION DOCUMENTS, IF THEY SAY SOMEONE FROM THE PUBLIC WAS COMING TO TALK, I DON'T BELIEVE THEY WERE INVITED, BUT THEY ARE SEEKING INFORMATION FROM THE TOWN, WHICH I HAVE AVAILABLE READY TO BE SENT.
AND IN TERMS OF THE REORGANIZATION AND RULES AND PROCEDURES, I DO HAVE SOME PROPOSED CHANGES THAT I'VE PUT IN A DOCUMENT THAT I COULD SEND AROUND TO THE BOARD.
A LOT OF IT IS JUST REALLY HOUSEKEEPING KEEPING AND NOT MAJOR CHANGES, JUST SORT OF COMPLYING MORE WITH WHAT WE ALREADY DO.
SO I WILL SEND THAT AROUND AND INCLUDE HOLLY ON THAT AS WELL.
I, I HAD, UH, PROPOSED, I SENT, UM, THE BOARD, UM, TWO RECOMMENDATIONS.
ONE IS, UH, THAT, UH, ALL RESOLUTIONS BE STAMPED WITH WITHIN FIVE DAYS AND PROHIBITING ANY CHANGES, UM, FROM BEING MADE, UH, TO THE RESOLUTIONS WITHOUT FURTHER
[01:20:01]
BOARD CONSENT AFTER THE BOARD APPROVES THE RESOLUTION.I THINK THAT SHOULD BE, UH, UH, YOU KNOW, SHOULD BE FORMALIZED.
AND, UM, I ALSO FEEL THAT, UM, I KNOW OVER THE YEARS, YOU KNOW, I'VE COMPLAINED THAT I'VE BEEN, UH, PROHIBITED FROM ATTENDING THE LAND USE MEETINGS THAT ARE HELD, YOU KNOW, ON FRIDAYS.
UM, AND, YOU KNOW, I UNDERSTAND THE BOARD'S NOT GONNA CHANGE, UH, YOU KNOW, THAT POLICY.
UM, BUT I BELIEVE THAT ALL THE BOARD MEMBERS AT THE MINIMUM, UH, SHOULD BE PROVIDED WITH, UM, SOMETHING IN WRITING EACH WEEK, UH, THE MINUTES OF, UH, WHAT WAS DISCUSSED.
BECAUSE I DON'T WANT DEPARTMENT HEADS TO FEEL THAT TWO BOARD MEMBERS WHO SPEND A FEW HOURS EVERY FRIDAY DISCUSSING LAND USE ISSUES.
I DON'T WANT THEM TO FEEL THAT THAT'S THE POLICY, THAT THAT'S THE POLICY, UM, OF, OF THE BOARD WHEN, UH, WHEN THREE OF THE FIVE MEMBERS OF THE BOARD DON'T EVEN KNOW WHAT'S BEING DISCUSSED.
AND, YOU KNOW, IF DRE GOES BEING DISCUSSED OR SEWER, UM, YOU KNOW, UH, BRAKE REPAIRS ARE BEING DISCUSSED, UM, OR THE A DU LEGISLATION, YOU, I WOULD LIKE TO KNOW, YOU KNOW, WHAT THE DISCUSSIONS WERE, UH, WHAT WAS DISCUSSED, AND A LITTLE SUMMARY OF, YOU KNOW, THE ITEMS THAT WERE, UH, WERE DISCUSSED EVERY AFTER EVERY FRIDAY MEETING.
BUT THOSE ARE, THIS IS TO DISCUSS TOWN BOARD MEETING RULES.
THOSE ARE NOT TOWN BOARD MEETINGS.
WELL, THIS IS A POLICY BECAUSE I, I SORT OF FEEL THAT IT'S NOT A POLICY FOR TOWN BOARD MEETINGS.
NO, BECAUSE RIGHT NOW THERE'S AN IMPRESSION AMONG DEPARTMENT HEADS THAT WHEN YOU, YOU AND GINA ATTEND THE, UH, LAND USE MEETINGS THAT YOU'RE REPRESENTING THE, THE TOWN BOARD AND WHAT DEPARTMENT HEAD, WHAT DEPARTMENT HEADS SAID THAT, PLEASE, I JUST, I WOULD JUST, NO, NO, PAUL, PAUL, PAUL, WHICH CAN YOU EXPLAIN? CAN YOU TELL US WHAT DEPARTMENT HAD SAID THAT? PLEASE? I DON'T BELIEVE THAT'S, LEMME SAY YOU, YOU, ME, I JUST WANT YOU TO ANSWER THE QUESTION.
YOU MEET EVERY FRIDAY? I WE DO, YES.
CAN YOU PLEASE TELL US? CAN YOU, NO.
CAN YOU PLEASE TELL US WHAT DEPARTMENT HEADS? 'CAUSE THERE'S AN PAUL PAUL, PLEASE.
WE IS ASKING, CAN YOU PLEASE GIVE US THE NAMES OF THE DEPARTMENT HEADS? DON'T, I DON'T, DON'T WANNA GET THEM FIRED.
HOW ARE THEY GONNA GET FIRED IF THEY TALK AGAINST YOU? THEY'LL, YOU'LL FIRE THEM.
I DON'T BELIEVE WHO TALKS AGAINST, I DUNNO WHAT YOU'RE SAYING.
WHO TALKS AGAINST DEPARTMENT HEADS? NO, I'M JUST SAYING PUT, I DON'T WANT, I DON'T WANT YOU'RE SAYING ANY DEPARTMENT HEAD UNDER THE BUS.
ALL I'M, ALL I'M SAYING, I WOULD JUST MAKE A, I WOULD JUST MAKE A COMMENT FOR ALL OF THOSE DEPARTMENT HEADS WHO FEEL THAT FRANCIS AND I ARE MAKING THESE DECISIONS WITHOUT THEM PRESENCE AND FEEL THE WAY.
CAN YOU PLEASE EMAIL THE BOARD? I DON'T THINK,
AND PLEASE DO NOT FEEL THAT YOU'RE GOING TO GET FIRED BECAUSE I SEE THERE'S THIS FALSE NARRATIVE THAT'S GOING OUT THERE THAT WE'RE GOING TO FIRE YOU.
NO, WE HAVE AN OPEN DOOR POLICY.
SO IF YOU HAVE SOME CONCERNS, AS ALWAYS, AS YOU ALWAYS HAVE, AND HAS I HAVE PROOF, HAVE YOU CALLED MY PHONE? PLEASE FEEL FREE TO CALL US.
WELL, I DON'T KNOW WHY I CAN'T ATTEND THESE MEETINGS BECAUSE I'M THE TOWN SUPERVISOR.
'CAUSE THEN THAT WOULD BE AQUA AQUA.
BUT WE'VE BEEN THROUGH THIS 17 YEARS, YOU HAD THE RIGHT, AND FOR MANY, MANY YEARS TO ATTEND THESE, THESE MEETINGS.
BUT WHEN I, ALL OF A SUDDEN I COME ALL OF A SIX YEARS, 7, 7, 7, MAKE SEVEN.
BUT ALL EVER SINCE I'VE BEEN ON THE BOARD, I'VE BEEN ASKING, AND I'VE, SO WHAT HAPPENED TO THE SEVEN YEARS PRIOR TO THAT? BECAUSE I MEAN, TO THE, HOW MANY YEARS HAS YOU BEEN ON THE, YOU KNOW WHAT? I, RIGHT NOW THERE'S A NEW TERM OF OFFICE.
I WANNA ATTEND THE MEETINGS AND I, I BASICALLY FEEL AS TOWN SUPERVISOR, AS A CHIEF ELECTED OFFICIAL OF THE TOWN, I HAVE THE RIGHT AND I HAVE AN OBLIGATION TO KNOW WHAT'S GOING ON.
AND IF, IF YOU DISCUSS, FOR EXAMPLE, I KNOW THAT DRAGO WAS DISCUSSED BECAUSE FRANCIS, I THINK YOU MENTIONED THAT DRAGO WAS DISCUSSED AT A MEETING.
BUT YOU KNOW, THE THING IS, PEOPLE COMPLAIN TO ME ALL THE TIME.
THEY LIVE, YOU KNOW, AT THE DRAGO COMPLEX, YOU KNOW, THAT COMPLEX.
AND THEY'RE ASKING ME FOR INFORMATION AND I'M UNABLE TO SOMETIMES GIVE THEM THE, UH, THE MOST RECENT UPDATES BECAUSE I'M NOT ATTENDING THESE MEETINGS.
WELL, BUT, BUT PAUL, BUT PAUL, BUT YOU HAVE ACCESS TO THEM EVERY DAY.
EVERY NO, BUT PAUL, YOU'RE MIS MISLEADING PEOPLE.
YOU ACTUALLY ENGAGE WITH THE DEPARTMENT.
I, ALL I'M ASKING IS THAT IF YOU COULD, IF YOU DON'T WANNA, LET ME SAY THIS IS A COMPROMISE IDEA.
IF YOU BASICALLY DON'T WANT ME COMPROMISE.
IF YOU DON'T WANNA, WHAT DOES IT DO WITH THIS TOWN BOARD MEETING? WELL, LET ME, I'M ASKING AS A RULE THEN, THEN THERE SHOULD BE A RULE THAT, UH, THERE BE NO, UM, UH, MEETINGS OR MORE THAN ONE, UH, BOARD MEMBER, UM, ON A, ON A WEEKLY, ON A WEEKLY BASIS, UM, WITH DEPARTMENT HEADS.
BECAUSE BASICALLY I FEEL THAT THESE MEET, YOU KNOW, I GO TO, UH, I GO TO, UH, DEPARTMENT HEADS SOMETIMES ON FRIDAY AFTERNOONS.
UM, AND YOU, I FEEL THAT, YOU KNOW, THEY'RE AFRAID THAT I'M GONNA
[01:25:01]
BE IN THE ROOM BECAUSE THEY, THEY DON'T WANT ME TO HEAR WHAT, WHAT IS BEING DISCUSSED AT THESE, UH, THESE MEETINGS.SO I, I THINK THAT THESE MEETINGS SHOULD STOP.
BUT WHY DO YOU CHOOSE, WHY DO YOU CHOOSE FRIDAY AFTERNOONS TO GO TO SEE THEM WHEN YOU KNOW, THAT'S WHEN THE MEETING IS YOU HAVE ACCESS TO, IF SHOWED UP, COULDN'T SET UP YOUR OWN.
AL I DON'T UNDERSTAND WHY THERE'S NOT A DEBRIEF.
ALL I'M ASKING IS UNDERSTAND, I HAVE BEEN DOING THIS.
LET'S BE VERY CLEAR, I HAVE BEEN, I'VE BEEN HAVING THESE MEETINGS WHICH STAFF SINCE I BELIEVE 20 2008.
DID YOU SAY, YOU KNOW, I'D LIKE TO BE PART OF THOSE DISCUSSIONS ABOUT LAND USE ISSUES.
WHEN GINA WAS ELECTED AFTER A PERIOD OF TIME, SHE SAID, YOU KNOW, I'M LIAISON TO DPW, I WOULD LIKE TO BE PART OF THOSE TWO.
I WELCOMED IT BECAUSE NOW WE HAVE TWO, YOU COULD HAVE BEEN THAT SECOND PERSON FOR ALL THOSE YEARS, BUT IT WAS ONLY WHEN GINA AND I WERE HAVING MEETINGS WITH THE DEPARTMENT HEADS THAT WE ARE LIAISONS TO NOW ALL OF A SUDDEN YOU, OH, I WANNA BE PART OF THAT.
BECAUSE, BECAUSE, BECAUSE, BECAUSE IT'S MORE OF A, IT'S, WELL, FIRST OF ALL, I THINK THAT IT SHOULD BE AN OPEN MEETING.
I, I PERSONALLY THINK THAT, I DON'T BELIEVE THAT, UH, ANY DISCUSSIONS OF MAJOR LAND USES SHOULD BE DONE IN SECRET.
YOU'RE NOT LETTING US, YOU, YOU'RE, YOU WON'T GIVE US MINUTES.
YOU WON'T HAVE, GIVE US AN AGENDA AND YOU WON'T LET ME ATTEND AND YOU WON'T LET ELLEN ATTEND AND YOU WON'T LET, UH, ENJOY, ATTEND UNRAVELING HERE, PAUL.
SO THIS, THIS IS ASKED SEVERAL THINGS.
ALAN MAY THREE OR FOUR DIFFERENT PROPOSALS.
THE FIRST ONE YOU STARTED OUT WITH WAS, CAN THERE BE ANY MEETINGS OR REPORT? OKAY, FINE.
THE NEXT WAS, I WANNA BE THERE.
THE NEXT WAS, I THINK ONLY ONE PERSON SHOULD BE THERE.
ONE, UM, ONE LIAISON FROM THE, FROM THE BOARD.
AND THE NEXT ONE WAS ABOLISHING IT ALL TOGETHER.
SO, YOU KNOW, YOU'RE, YOU'RE ALL OVER THE PLACE HERE.
CAN YOU REFINE, PLEASE WHAT YOUR REQUEST IS? OKAY.
IT'S RELEVANT TO THE BOARD RULES AND PROCEDURES, RIGHT? CAN, OKAY, SO LET ME, LET ME SAY, UH, TO ELLEN WHAT I WOULD THINK AT A MINIMUM, YOU KNOW, COMPROMISE BECAUSE I UNDERSTAND YOU, I'VE ASKED FOR SEVEN OR EIGHT YEARS.
IF I COULD ATTEND, YOU SAID NO FI I UNDERSTAND.
I'M SAYING IF WE COULD HAVE, UH, WE, IF, IF, UH, WE COULD BE PROVIDED ALL THE MEMBERS OF THE BOARD WERE THE TOPICS THAT WERE DISCUSSED AND, UM, AND SOME OF THE KEY ISSUES THAT WERE, UH, BROUGHT UP AT, YOU KNOW, AT THESE MEETINGS, BECAUSE YOU HAVE THE TOWN ATTORNEY, YOU HAVE THE COMMISSIONER OF PUBLIC WORKS, YOU HAVE THE BUILDING INSPECTOR, YOU HAVE THE COMMISSIONER OF PLANNING AT THESE MEETINGS ON A, ON A WEEKLY, UM, UNIT BASIS.
UM, SO I SORT OF FEEL THAT, UM, ALL OF US SHOULD, AT LEAST EVEN THOSE OF US WHO CANNOT, WHO ARE BEING DEPRIVED OF THE CHANCE OF ATTENDING THE MEETINGS, SHOULD KNOW WHAT'S GOING ON.
THAT I WOULD BE HAPPY, I WOULD FEEL THAT PROGRESS.
EVEN THOUGH IT'S NOT REALLY PART OF POLICIES AND DECISION.
I FEEL THAT, I REALLY FEEL THAT THERE'S SOMETIMES, UH, IF, YOU KNOW, THESE MEETINGS ARE NOT BEEN, ARE NOT TAKING, DON'T TAKE FIVE MINUTES.
AND I, AND I FEEL, I I REALLY FEEL THAT, UM, THAT WE COULD, THERE MAY BE MISS, ARE WE GONNA DO THIS? GONNA DO THIS? WELL, THIS IS, THIS IS, ARE WE GONNA DO THIS? THIS DOCUMENT HAS, THIS DOCUMENT HAS, BECAUSE ARE WE GONNA TALK ABOUT THE CHANGES? WELL, YES.
LET'S, LET'S PUT YOUR REQUEST ASIDE, PAUL, BECAUSE THAT IS NOT PART OF POLICIES AND PROCEDURES.
LET'S, WE DON'T HAVE TO ADDRESS IT.
SEE WHAT YOU'RE DOING RIGHT NOW.
WE HAVE TO ADDRESS POLICIES AND PROCEDURES.
IT IS A NEW YEAR, BUT THE NEW YEAR, EVERYBODY ON THE BOARD SHOULD BE TREATED EQUAL.
I TALKED TO THE DEPARTMENT HEADS, BE HERE IN TOWN HALL AND TALK TO DEPARTMENT HEADS ON A DAILY BASIS.
I TALKED TO THEM ON A DAILY BASIS.
AND YOU SHOULD KNOW WHAT'S GOING ON.
YOU SHOULD KNOW MORE THAN FRANCIS AND I 'CAUSE YOU'RE HERE EVERY DAY.
YOU KNOW WHAT FRANCIS? AND YOU MIGHT HAVE GOOD POINTS THAT I'M NOT AWARE.
I'M NOT AWARE THAT YOU'RE MAKING, MAKE SOME OF THE POINTS THAT YOU'RE MAKING.
YOU POINTS GIVE THEM TO THE DEPARTMENT.
NO, IF YOU HAVE, IF YOU'RE MAKING A GOOD POINT OR IF THERE'S A DISCUSSION AND UH, THERE'S A DEBATE AND THERE'S A DIALOGUE AND THESE MEETINGS ARE TAKING, TAKING A COUPLE HOURS, I FEEL THAT JUST SOMETIMES LISTENING TO THE DISCUSSION, UM, WILL ENABLE ME AS A, AS A TOWN SUPERVISOR AND, AND ELLEN AND JOY TO HAVE A BETTER, UM, UNDERSTANDING OF SOME OF THE UNDERLYING ISSUES OR, UM, YOU KNOW, OR CONCERNS.
YOU KNOW, I FEEL WE'RE TO CUT.
ARE THERE MINUTES OR NOTES? NO, NO, NO.
THAT'S, NO, IT'S ALL BEING MADE UP.
[01:30:01]
IT'S A NEW YEAR.YEAH, I MEAN, I, I MEAN, JUST FROM MY OWN, I, I HAVE WAITED ON THIS MANY TIMES AND I DON'T LIKE GETTING IN BETWEEN BOARD MEMBERS.
BUT FROM THE LEGAL PERSPECTIVE, WE ADVISE EVERYTHING THAT'S DISCUSSED AT THOSE MEETINGS.
WHAT, WHAT OCCURS? UM, EVERYTHING THAT IS MOVED FORWARD THAT HAS TO BE APPROVED, IS DONE VIA RESOLUTION THAT IS VOTED ON BY THE ENTIRE BOARD MEMBER.
SO IF YOU EVER HAVE ANY QUESTIONS ABOUT ANY OF THOSE RESOLUTIONS, HAPPY TO ANSWER.
I WOULD BELIEVE OTHER DEPARTMENT HEADS WOULD ANSWER IN THE SAME WAY AS WELL.
AND I DON'T KNOW PRIVATE DISCUSSIONS THAT HAVE BEEN HAD WITH OTHER DEPARTMENT HEADS.
BUT IT, AND, AND ALSO IT'S, IT'S NOT A COMMITTEE.
AND IT, AND WE ARE IN COMPLIANCE WITH OPEN MEETINGS LAW, SO IT GIVES THE DIFFERENT DEPARTMENT HEADS AN OPPORTUNITY OF TO TALK TO EACH OTHER SO THAT SOMEBODY DOESN'T GO TO ONE AND SAY TO WHICH USED TO HAPPEN.
WHICH IS WHY I CREATED THIS THING, IS SOMEBODY WOULD GO TO SOMEBODY IN A PARTICULAR DEPARTMENT AND ASK 'EM A QUESTION AND THEN THEY'D GO TO SOMEBODY ELSE IN A DIFFERENT DEPARTMENT AND THEY DIDN'T KNOW WHATEVER THE NUANCES WERE THE TOPIC.
THEY WOULD SAY A DIFFERENT ANSWER AND THEN A THIRD PERSON AND THEN THEY GET UP AT THE MICROPHONE AT THE TOWN BOARD MEETING AND SAY, YOU KNOW, YOUR STAFF DOESN'T KNOW WHAT THEY'RE TALKING ABOUT.
SO IT GIVES A CHANCE FOR DEPARTMENT HEADS TO, AND DEPUTIES, UH, TO RAISE ISSUES.
HAVE THE OTHER DEPARTMENT HEADS HEAR IT.
WHAT'S A CONCERN? A LOT OF DEVIL ADVOCACY GOING ON AS TO, WELL WHAT ABOUT THIS AND WHAT ABOUT THAT? UH, ULTIMATELY WHOEVER IS RESPONSIBLE FOR MAKING THE CALL, BE IT THE ENGINEERING DEPARTMENT, THE BILLING DEPARTMENT, UH, TOWN ATTORNEY'S OFFICE, IT'S THEIR CALL, BUT THEY'RE MORE FULLY INFORMED BECAUSE THEY'VE HEARD DIFFERENT POINTS OF VIEW SENSE, INCLUDING POINTS RAISED THAT THEY PERSON MIGHT NOT EVEN BELIEVE, BUT THEY'RE PUTTING IT OUT THERE BECAUSE IT'S A POSSIBILITY THAT SOMEBODY WOULD RAISE IT.
AND THAT'S WHAT COMES OUT OF THOSE BEEFS NO SECRETS.
I'VE BEEN DOING THIS I BELIEVE, SINCE 2008.
AND IT WAS ONLY WHEN GINA DECIDED, YOU KNOW, I'D LIKE TO BE PART OF THAT.
DID PAUL SAY, OH NO, I WOULD WANT TO BE PART OF THAT.
TAKE THAT FOR WHAT IT'S WORTH.
THAT WAS WHAT, 2022? UH, THEREABOUTS.
CAN I MAKE A SUGGESTION? WE WILL HAVE THREE PEOPLE, THREE SEPARATE GROUPS OF PEOPLE WAITING IN EXECUTIVE SESSION.
DOES ANYBODY ELSE WANT TO POINT OUT SOME PREFERRED CHANGES AND MAYBE WE CAN RECONVENE THE DISCUSSION NEXT WEEK AND ALSO HAVE A DRAFT GO AROUND THROUGH OF YEAH, I HAVE THROUGHOUT, I HAVE LIKE A LITTLE LIST THAT I WANT TO, BUT WE, LET'S DO IT WITH THE DRAFT THAT YOU SEND AROUND.
THE ONLY THING THAT I SAW ON HERE, UM, ON THE REORG DOCUMENT HERE IS JUST LIKE, FOR EXAMPLE, ON PAGE FOUR IT SAYS, UM, THAT WE WILL START, WE START AT FIVE 15 WHEN WE START AT FIVE 30.
UM, AND THAT IT'S, WE GONNA REALLY COMMIT TO THIS, TO THIS, TO THIS FIVE 30 BECAUSE WE'RE ALWAYS LATE.
I'M GONNA CALL IT FOR WHAT IT IS.
I MEAN, IF WE'RE GONNA START AND WE'RE GONNA START THE MEETING, WE HAVE PEOPLE WAITING.
WE SHOULD BE STARTING AT THE TABLE SITTING READY TO GO AT FIVE 30.
I COULD SEE ONCE IN A, NOW, YOU KNOW, THINGS HAPPEN, TRAFFIC, WHATEVER, BUT WE NEVER START ON TIME.
I JUST, MY PET PEEVE FOR THIS FOR THE YEAR.
UM, SO ARE WE CHANGING THAT TO 5 15, 5 30? IT'S BEEN CHANGED.
WE DID, WE DID CHANGE IT TO OKAY.
IT JUST, IT JUST DOESN'T SAY IT HERE.
ALSO IT SAYS, UM, THE BOARD CONVENES AT 7:00 PM TO INTERVIEW MEMBERS OF SUBCOMMITTEES OF THE TOWN BOARD.
THAT'S NOT, THAT'S NOT REALLY WHAT IT IS.
IT'S THAT WE ON OCCASION CONVENE AT 7:00 PM TO HOLD SPECIAL EVENTS OR CEREMONIES.
WHERE IS THAT? YES, I HAVE THAT.
THAT'S THAT SAME, UH, JUST BEFORE THE 5 3 5 15 SLASH FIVE THREE.
THAT PARAGRAPH RIGHT ABOVE THAT COPY.
UM, JUST A, A PET PEEVE OF MINE.
LIKE I ALWAYS LIKE TO CAPITALIZE TOWN WHEN WE'RE TALKING ABOUT THE TOWN OF GREENBURG COUNTY.
WHEN WE'RE TALKING ABOUT WESTCHESTER COUNTY, THAT'S JUST LIKE MY LITTLE EDITING THING.
ALSO ON PAGE TWO OF FOUR MM-HMM
THE AWARDS PROCLAMATIONS AND PRESENTATIONS SAYS LIMITED TO 20 MINUTES.
OH, WHERE ARE YOU? SORRY, PAGE TWO OF FOUR ON THE TOWN BOARD.
OH, SORRY, I WAS STILL ON THIS.
UM, D 12 D, UM, IT SAYS LIMITED TO 20 MINUTES.
THAT'S, IT'S SUPPOSED TO BE 10 MINUTES.
UM, THE, UH, RULES AND PROCEDURES.
THE OTHER ONE, UM, COUNCILMAN JACKSON.
UM, BACK TO, WE THINK THERE'S HAVING SOME FLEXIBILITY WITH PRESENTATIONS THOUGH.
[01:35:01]
GOT BE, YOU CAN'T JUST SAY NO MATTER WHAT THE PRESENTATION IS, IT'S 10 MINUTES.NO, WE, WE DO LONGER PRESENTATIONS.
THAT'S WHAT WE, I THOUGHT HAD AGREED.
NO, BUT I BUT THIS, IN THIS DOCUMENT, I, WE LIMITED IT TO 10 MINUTES.
SO THAT'S FOR A REGULAR PRESENTATION, NOT LIKE A SPECIAL PRESENTATION.
WELL, THAT MAY HAVE, SO WE NEED TO NOTE THAT.
LIKE A HERITAGE THING WHERE WE START AT SEVEN.
I SAID YES, WE, WE DID HAVE THAT DISCUSSION.
WHEN WE HAVE A HERITAGE FESTIVAL, A FLAG RAISING, WE, YOU DO HAVE TO PUT SOME TIME UNITS ON THOSE PRESENTATIONS ALSO.
UM, AND THAT'S SOMETHING ELLEN, YOUR, YOUR VOLUME GOT VERY LOW RECENTLY.
GOTTA BE, I GOTTA BE VERY CAREFUL.
UM, THAT'S INTERESTING BECAUSE I HEAR YOU.
BUT ANYWAY, WE REALLY NEED TO GET INTO POSSESSION BECAUSE WE HAVE PEOPLE.
YEAH, I, I, WE'RE GONNA USE THIS ONLY BETTER.
'CAUSE I WAS LOOKING AT THIS, THIS FACING THE SCREEN.
IT NEEDS MORE ATTENTION FOR SURE.
UM, SO THEN PRESENTATIONS WILL BE 10 MINUTES.
SPECIAL PRESENTATIONS WILL BE TO BE DETERMINED.
BUT WE'RE GONNA TALK ABOUT THIS AGAIN 'CAUSE WE NEED TO GET OVER TO THE, OKAY.
SPECIAL PRESENTATIONS WILL BE STARTED AT SEVEN O'CLOCK.
YOU WANNA GO INTO EXECUTIVE SESSION? YES.
MOVE TO GO INTO EXECUTIVE SESSION FOR THE PURPOSE OF DISCUSSING PERSONNEL MATTERS INVOLVING SPECIFIC INDIVIDUALS AND TO SEEK LEGAL ADVICE ON VARIOUS MATTERS.
YOU WON'T BE COMING BACK TODAY.