[00:00:01]
UM, WELCOME TO OUR GREENBERG, UH, TOWN BOARD MEETING.
TODAY IS, UM, FEBRUARY 25TH, UM, AT 6:30 PM AND, UM, WE WILL START WITH A PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE.
ACTUALLY, JUST PUT TAX RIGHT NEXT TO YOUR NAME, P TO THE FLAG OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA.
AND TO THE REPUBLIC FOR WHICH IT STANDS.
ONE NATION UNDER GOD, INDIVISIBLE LIBERTY, 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.]
WE'LL HAVE A MOMENT OF SILENCE IN MEMORY OF THOSE AROUND THE WORLD.HAVE PARIS AS VICTIMS OF WAR, DISEASE, AND NATURAL DISASTER.
OUR HEARTS ARE WITH ALL WHO NEEDLESSLY SUFFER.
UH, GINA, DO YOU WANT TO INTRODUCE
[ ROLL CALL: Town Clerk Lisa Maria Nero]
OUR NO, WE NEED TO DO THE, WE NEED TO DO THE ROLL CALL.THANK YOU, COUNCILWOMAN JACKSON.
YOU ARE WELCOME TOWN CLERK NERO.
COUNCILWOMAN HENDRICKS, PRESENT TOWN.
[ BLACK HISTORY MONTH PROGRAM Fireside Chat featuring: Ambassador Harold Doley (Ret.) and SP5 Tom Bouyer Moderated by Hon. Ken Jones ]
GOOD EVENING EVERYONE.I WANNA THANK EVERYONE FOR JOINING US TONIGHT FOR, UM, THIS YEAR'S BLACK HISTORY PROGRAM.
I AM VERY EXCITED, OR WE ARE VERY EXCITED.
WE ARE VERY EXCITED TO BRING TO YOU TWO DISTINGUISHED GENTLEMEN WHO HAS A STORY ABOUT THEIR JOURNEY THROUGH THE CIVIL RIGHTS ERA.
UM, I WANNA INTRODUCE AMBASSADOR HAROLD DOYLEY.
I HAVE A FRIEND WHO SPELLS HIS NAME THE SAME WAY, SO I DO APOLOGIZE.
AND ALSO I HAVE, UM, TOM BOYER, SP FIVE TOM BOYER.
WE ALSO HAVE OUR, UH, FORMER COUNCILMAN KEN JONES WAS GOING TO DO US AND A GIRL.
I AM ON FIRE RIGHT NOW,
BUT, UM, WE DO HAVE OUR FORMER COUNCILMAN KEN JONES HERE TO, UH, MODERATE WHAT WE CALL A FIRESIDE CHAT.
SO AGAIN, THANK YOU FOR COMING THIS EVENING AND WILL WELCOME, AND I WOULD LOVE TO HEAR, AND I'LL TURN IT OVER TO YOU COUNCIL.
THAT'S, I THINK, I THINK IT'S WILLIAM.
THANK, THANK YOU TOWN BOARD FOR HAVING US HERE TODAY FOR THIS FIRESIDE CHAT.
THANK YOU EVERYONE IN THE AUDIENCE FOR COMING.
UM, AND THANK YOU GENTLEMEN FOR BEING HERE TODAY.
UM, SO, UH, MR. BOYER, YOU'VE LIVED HERE IN THE UNINCORPORATED PART OF, OF GREENBURG FOR ABOUT 53 YEARS.
UH, YOU FINALLY SETTLED ON JUNIPER HILL IN 1973, CORRECT.
ABOUT THAT AFTER, UH, ESCAPING BESSEMER, ALABAMA.
UM, YOU CAME HERE INITIALLY IN 1966 WHEN YOU WERE 16 YEARS OLD.
AND THEN, UH, TWO YEARS LATER, YOU WERE DRAFTED INTO THE VIETNAM WAR.
IS THAT RIGHT? YEAH, I FOUND MYSELF GOING FROM THE STREETS OF BIRMINGHAM AND BESSER, ALABAMA TO THE JUNGLES OF SOUTHEAST ASIA.
UH, FROM ONE SHOCK TO ANOTHER SHOCK.
AND, UH, MR. DOLEY, UH, YOU'VE LIVED IN UNC INCORPORATED GREENBERG FOR AT LEAST 33 YEARS, UH, SINCE PURCHASING AND RESTORING MADAM CJ WALKER'S HISTORIC MANSION IN IRVINGTON.
UM, IS THAT, DID YOU COME IN 1993? YES, I PURCHASED, UH, THE VILLA IN 1993.
TERRENCE, WE NEED TO GET BETTER MICROPHONES BECAUSE IT, APPARENTLY THEY JUST NEEDS TO GET IT OUT OF THERE.
AND, UM, HOW LONG DID YOU LIVE IN THE HOUSE? 25 YEARS.
AND NOW YOU LIVE IN DOWNTOWN HARTSDALE? YES.
SO, TWO LONGTIME GREENBERG RESIDENTS HERE IN TOWN HALL THIS YEAR.
UM, NOW, UM, AMBASSADOR, YOU WERE 13 YEARS OLD IN, IN NEW ORLEANS IN, UH, 1960.
AND YOU'RE PARENT OWNED TO GROCERY STORE, IS THAT RIGHT? YES.
AND, UM, MR. BOYER, YOU WERE 13 YEARS OLD IN 1315.
AND YOUR FATHER OWNED THE SHOESHINE BUSINESS, RIGHT? CORRECT.
SO BOTH OF YOU WERE RELATIVELY MIDDLE CLASS KIDS, UPPER MIDDLE CLASS KIDS IN THE SOUTH.
[00:05:01]
WHILE SEGREGATION WAS AN ONGOING THEME, OR AN ONGOING WAS ONGOING, YES.UM, SO TELL ME A LITTLE BIT ABOUT WHAT IT WAS LIKE AT 13, UM, IN, IN BESSEMER, ALABAMA DURING SEGREGATION.
WELL, TO BE HONEST WITH YOU, AFTER LONG PERIODS OF TALKING AMONG MY PEERS AND GOING BACK AND FORTH TALKING ABOUT IT, WE STARTED TO FEEL AS IF OUR DIGNITY, UH, OUR FREEDOM HAD BEEN INSULTED WITH THE WAY WE WERE BEING TREATED.
YOU KNOW, WITH THE SIGNS SEGREGATING US, UH, WHITES ONLY COLORED HERE, GET ON THE BUS, YOU HAD TO GO TO THE BACK OF THE BUS.
THESE WERE THINGS THAT WERE EXTREMELY HURTFUL MM-HMM
WHICH IS WHY WE DECIDED WE NEEDED A CHANGE.
NOW, I ALWAYS IMAGINED THAT NEW ORLEANS IS A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENT, YOU KNOW? UM, TELL ME WHAT IT WAS LIKE FOR YOU, AMBASSADOR.
WELL, UH, NEW ORLEANS WAS DIFFERENT AND IT WAS NOT OKAY.
UM, IN NEW ORLEANS, AND I HAVE CLOSE TIES TO ALABAMA.
UM, I HAD, UM, TWO UNCLES, UH, AND AN AUNT, UH, FROM THAT LIVED IN TUSKEGEE.
AND ON THE FACULTY AT TUSKEGEE.
UH, AND, UH, WE VISITED TUSKEGEE AT LEAST THREE TIMES A YEAR.
UM, BUT IN NEW ORLEANS, YOU HAD, UH, SEVERE SEGREGATION, UH, AND WHAT THE ELDERS DID, THEY TRIED TO, UM, PROTECT US FROM THE SYSTEM WHERE YOU, UM, WOULD NOT BE INSULTED.
UM, I WENT, UH, EVERY DAY TO SCHOOL IN A TRUCK.
THE, THAT, UH, THE MAN, UH, I THINK, UH, PARENTS PAID A DOLLAR, A DOLLAR A QUARTER, A WEEK.
UM, AND SO THAT WE WOULD NOT HAVE TO GET ON THE BUS.
YOU KNOW, UH, UM, MY FATHER, AS YOU MENTIONED, OWNED THE GROCERY STORE.
AND, UM, UH, YOU KNOW, AROUND US, THE IMMEDIATE COMMUNITY WAS, UH, AFRICAN AMERICAN.
BUT WHEN YOU GET TO THE MAIN STREETS, THAT WAS WHITE MM-HMM
UM, AND I, UH, HAD TO RECALL, UNFORTUNATELY, UH, AN EVENT THAT THAT TOOK PLACE.
UM, UH, MY FATHER WOULD NOT GO TO THE, UH, CORNER RESTAURANT, UH, BECAUSE THEY DIDN'T SERVE AFRICAN AMERICANS OTHER THAN AT THE WINDOW.
AND, UM, HE WOULD SEND PEOPLE DOWN.
WE LOVED OYSTER LOWS, OUR FAMILY.
AND, UM, ONE SATURDAY NIGHT, MY FATHER STOPPED WITH US, UH, THE WHOLE FAMILY, UH, TO GET AN OYSTER LOAF.
AND, UM, UH, I WENT IN AND MY BROTHER WENT IN.
HE'S, WE WERE ALL VERY, WE WERE BOTH VERY YOUNG, AND HE, UM, SAT DOWN, UH, IN THE RESTAURANT.
AND THE, THE OWNER WHO MY FATHER KNEW VERY WELL, HOLLERED AT HIM.
AND, UH, MY BROTHER, HE HOLLERED AT MY BROTHER.
AND MY FATHER DID NOT ACCEPT THAT.
AND MY LITTLE BROTHER WENT OUT AND TO THE CAR AND SAID, MAMA, DADDY IS GOING TO GET INTO A FIGHT.
AND, UH, MY MOTHER, UH, WENT INTO THE RESTAURANT AND, UH, COACHED MY FATHER OUT.
AND, UM, BUT WE HAD, UM, OUR OWN SWEET RETALIATION BECAUSE MY FATHER OWNING A GROCERY STORE AND A GROCERY STORE BACK THERE IN THE EARLY FIFTIES WAS VERY DIFFERENT FROM WHAT WE, UH, BUY A PLACE FROM THE, WHERE WE BOUGHT GROCERIES, UM, UH, WHERE WE BUY 'EM TODAY.
AND MY FATHER CALLED A STRIKE BECAUSE HE HAD FIGURED OUT THE ECONOMICS OF THE RESTAURANT TO, UH, UH, HE MADE MORE MONEY OFF THE SIDE WINDOW THAN HE DID IN HIS RESTAURANT.
AND MY FATHER SAID, IF ANYBODY IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD WENT TO THAT SIDE WINDOW,
[00:10:01]
UH, THEY WOULD NOT GET THAT CHECKS CASHED, AND THEY COULD NOT, UM, UH, BUY ON CREDIT BECAUSE YOU, IN THAT DAY, YOU, UH, WENT TO THE STORE ALL WEEK LONG AND YOU BROUGHT YOUR CHECK, UH, ON FRIDAY OR SATURDAY.AND IN FIVE MONTHS TIME, THAT RESTAURANT, WHICH WAS VERY FAMOUS, CLOSED WOW.
SO, MR. BOYER, WHEN THE CIVIL RIGHTS ACT IN 1964 PASSED, HOW DID YOUR LIFE CHANGE AT ALL, IF IT DID? WELL, IT CHANGED.
IT CHANGED DRAMATICALLY BECAUSE AGAIN, MY, MY FRIENDS AND I, WE WOULD ALL DISCUSS WHAT WAS GOING ON IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD AT MY FATHER'S SHOE, SHINE STAND.
AND OF COURSE, UH, POL NOT POLITICS, BUT CIVIL RIGHTS WAS ALL OVER THE PLACE.
THE NEWSPAPER, ON TV, UH, TALKED ABOUT AMONG NEIGHBORS.
SO WE DECIDED AMONG OURSELVES, UH, TO SEGREGATE OR DO A SIT-IN AT A LOCAL LUNCH COUNTER.
THE RESTAURANT OR THE, UH, DEPARTMENT STORE WAS CALLED MCCLELLAN'S.
NOW, WE SPENT OUR HARD EARNED MONEY THERE.
OUR PARENTS SPENT THEIR MONIES THERE, BUT WE WERE NOT ALLOWED TO EAT THERE.
SO AFTER DISCUSSION AMONG OURSELVES, WE SECRETLY NOT TELLING OUR PARENTS ANYTHING ABOUT IT, DECIDED TO DO A SIT-IN AT THAT PARTICULAR RESTAURANT.
ASIDE FROM ALL THAT WAS GOING ON IN BIRMINGHAM, WE WANTED TO DO SOMETHING IN OUR OWN NEIGHBORHOOD.
HOW MANY OF YOU WERE THERE? THERE WERE ABOUT 9, 8, 9 OF US.
AND IT WAS, UH, A LITTLE BIT BEFORE NOON ON JULY 7TH, 1964, WE PROCEEDED TO GO INTO DOWNTOWN BESSEMER, UH, INTO THE MCCLELLAN'S, UH, DEPARTMENT STORE.
AND AS WE WENT IN, WE SAW THESE MEN STANDING OUTSIDE.
UH, THEY WERE HOLDING BAGS, AND IT LOOKED AS IF THEY HAD BASEBALL BATS STICKING OUT OF THESE BAGS.
WELL, WE DIDN'T PAY IT MUCH ATTENTION.
WE PROCEEDED TO GO IN AND, UH, YOU KNOW, THERE WERE ONLY LIKE FOUR OR FIVE SEATS AVAILABLE AT THE LUNCH COUNTER AT THE TIME.
THE REST OF THE GUYS STOOD AT THE CLOTHING RACKS, OR THE RACKS BEHIND US.
I, MYSELF, AND, UH, TWO OR THREE OTHERS SAT AT THE LUNCH COUNTER.
AND SHE SAID, NOW, YOU KNOW, YOU ALL AREN'T SUPPOSED TO BE HERE.
ONE OF THE GUYS, UH, WE SAT THERE FOR A MINUTE.
AND THEN FINALLY ONE OF THE GUYS SAYS, WELL, I'D LIKE TO ORDER A CHERRY COKE.
SHE SAYS, YOU CAN'T BE SERVED HERE.
YOU'RE NOT SUPPOSED TO BE HERE.
AND WITHIN A FEW MINUTES, WE LOOKED TOWARDS THE FRONT DOOR, WE SEE IT LOOKED AS IF THERE WAS A SCUFFLE GOING ON.
THE STORE MANAGER WAS TRYING TO KEEP THESE GUYS OUT.
BUT THEY SAID, YOU, YOU KNOW, THEY WERE YELLING AND SCREAMING, YOU CAN'T KEEP US OUT.
LO AND BEHOLD, THEY PROCEEDED IN AND, UH, CAME UP BEHIND US.
AND AFTER A FEW MINUTES OF STANDING THERE, ALL OF A SUDDEN THEY PULLED THE BASEBALL BAT OUT OF THE BAG AND PROCEEDED TO BEAT US.
AND I MEAN, UNMERCIFULLY, UH, I MYSELF WAS BEATEN OVER THE HEAD IN THE BACK.
AND, UH, ALL I CAN REMEMBER IS CRAWLING FOR DAYLIGHT, YOU KNOW, TRYING TO STAY ALIVE.
BUT, UH, THEY PROCEEDED TO BEAT US UNMERCIFULLY, AND WE ALL GOT OUT, EXCEPT ONE OF MY FRIENDS, EDDIE HARRIS.
HE WAS TRAPPED IN A CORNER, AND THEY PRACTICALLY BROKE EVERY BONE IN HIS BODY.
WHEN WE GOT BACK TO MY FATHER'S, UH, SHOE SHINE STAND BUSINESS, WHICH MY FATHER WAS VERY FAMOUS FOR, BY THE WAY, HE ALBERT WHITE'S SHOE, SHINE STAND, I MEAN, FROM BIRMINGHAM TO BESSEMER BRIGHTON.
HE WAS KNOWN WORLD, I MEAN, ALL OVER THAT NEIGHBORHOOD.
BUT LO AND BEHOLD, WE, UH, LOOKED AROUND AND WE SAID, WHERE'S EDDIE? YOU KNOW, EDDIE WASN'T THERE.
AND WE DIDN'T KNOW UNTIL A FEW DAYS, COUPLE OF DAYS GO BY THAT EDDIE HAD BEEN TAKEN TO A HOSPITAL.
UH, AND AT THAT TIME, UH, IF YOU WERE BLACK IN THAT PART OF ALABAMA, YOU DIDN'T GO OUT ON THE FLOOR WHERE THE PATIENTS WERE.
YOU WENT IN THROUGH THE BASEMENT MM-HMM
AND THEY HAD A PLACE FOR YOU IN THE BASEMENT.
LO AND BEHOLD, EDDIE WAS THERE.
AND WHEN WE FINALLY SAW HIM, UH, HE, EVERY BONE IN HIS BODY WAS PRACTICALLY BROKEN CAST OVER HIS WHOLE BODY, EXCEPT FOR HIS FACE.
AND, UH, HE DIDN'T LIVE VERY LONG AFTER THAT.
BUT, UH, IT WAS ONE OF, TO THIS DAY, IT'S SOMETHING THAT'S ETCHED IN MY MIND THAT HURTS.
WE WERE BEATEN LIKE DOGS WORSE THAN THAT.
BUT WE WERE BEATEN VERY, VERY BADLY.
AND, UH, WHEN MY PARENTS FOUND OUT ABOUT IT, OF COURSE, THEY WERE VERY UPSET.
'CAUSE THEY HAD TOLD ME NOT TO PARTICIPATE.
[00:15:01]
I WANTED TO TAKE PART, UH, MARTIN LUTHER KING AND, UH, RALPH ABERNATHY, AND I DON'T KNOW IF YOU'VE EVER HEARD OF A MAN BY THE NAME OF JAMES, UH, BEVEL.HE WAS THE ONE THAT SAID THAT THE CHILDREN, UH, AROUND BIRMINGHAM AND THAT AREA WERE AN UNTAPPED RESOURCE.
FOR, YOU KNOW, UH, PENETRATING MM-HMM
THE STRUGGLES THAT WERE GOING ON IN THAT BIRMINGHAM AREA.
SO, UH, YOU KNOW, AFTER THE SIT-IN THERE AT THAT LUNCH COUNTER, WHICH ATTAINED NATIONAL NOTORIETY, I, I HAD NO IDEA THERE WAS SUCH A THING AS THE NEW YORK TIMES, BUT THERE WAS EVEN AN ARTICLE IN THE NEW YORK TIMES ABOUT THIS PARTICULAR SIT, SIT-IN, BECAUSE WE WERE BEATEN SO BADLY.
I FOUND OUT JUST A FEW YEARS AGO WHEN NBC NEWS CALLED MY HOUSE AND SAID, TOM BOYER.
AND I SAID, YES, JOHN SHARP, NBC NEWS, WE'D LIKE TO, UH, INTERVIEW YOU.
THIS IS THE 50TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE CIVIL RIGHTS ACT BEING PASSED.
AND, UH, WE UNDERSTOOD, STAN, YOU, WE UNDERSTAND YOU TOOK PART IN THIS, UH, MAJOR SIT-IN DEMONSTRATION WHERE A LOT OF YOU WERE HURT, BEATEN VERY BADLY.
AND I SAID, YES, UH, I WAS PART OF THAT.
AND THE, THE FUNNY THING ABOUT IT IS, WHEN HE CALLED ME, I WAS ON THE GOLF COURSE UP IN OING, AND I NORMALLY DON'T ANSWER MY PHONE ON THE GOLF COURSE, BUT I LOOKED AT IT AND SOMETHING SAID, ANSWER IT.
AND HE SAID, JOHN SHARP, NBC NEWS, AND THE GUYS THAT WERE WITH ME, AND THEY SAID, NBC NEWS, RIGHT AWAY THEY THOUGHT SOMETHING WAS WRONG.
YOU WERE ABOUT TO BE ARRESTED.
WELL, THEY DIDN'T HAVE ANY GOOD THOUGHTS IN THEIR HEAD, BUT, UH, ANYWAY, WE DID THE INTERVIEW, AND AFTER THAT, THE CAT GOT OUT AND, UH, THE MOUSE GOT OUT.
AND THE ONLY PERSON THAT KNEW ABOUT MY PARTICIPATING AS A YOUTH ACTIVIST WAS MY WIFE, MAXINE, MM-HMM
UH, EVEN OUR OWN DAUGHTER HERE IN NEW YORK, WHO TEACHES UP THE STREET THERE AT BAILEY.
SHE WAS UNAWARE THAT I HAD PARTICIPATED IN THESE SIT-INS AND DEMONSTRATIONS IN AND AROUND BIRMINGHAM.
AND WHEN SHE HEARD ABOUT IT, YOU SAID, DAD, YOU MEAN TO TELL ME YOU WERE INVOLVED WITH THAT? YOU KNOW, SHE INSISTED ON HAVING A COPY OF THE INTERVIEW FROM JOHN SHARP AT NBC NEWS, AND THAT WAS NOT A PROBLEM.
BUT, UH, IT, IT WAS, IT WAS DIFFICULT.
AFTER WE DID THAT ONE SIT IN, I, I STILL PARTICIPATED, BUT NOT AS MUCH AS I HAD BEFORE MM-HMM
BECAUSE I CAN REMEMBER TIMES WHEN WE WOULD BE CRAWL, CRAWLING OUT OF THE SCHOOL WINDOWS.
THEY WOULD TRY AND KEEP US LOCKED IN SCHOOL TO STOP US FROM GOING OUT THERE TO PARTICIPATE.
BUT AT THAT TIME, UH, JAMES BEVEL, HE SAID, YOU KNOW, THIS, THIS IS AN UNTAPPED RESOURCE.
UH, WE NEED TO USE THESE KIDS.
AND I DON'T KNOW IF YOU READ THE HISTORY OF IT, BUT THAT FIRST DAY OF AFTER THE BIRMINGHAM CAMPAIGN, THERE ALMOST A THOUSAND KIDS WERE ARRESTED.
AND, UH, THE FAMOUS, I HATE TO SAY HE'S FAMOUS, BUT THE POLICE COMMISSION AT THAT TIME WAS BULL CONNOR.
AND HE, HE GAINED NATIONAL NOTORIETY FOR THE WAY HE TREATED THE KIDS WITH THE DOGS AND THE WATER HOSE AND EVERYTHING.
ONCE HE DID THAT, IT WAS SHORTLY AFTER THAT THAT THE, UH, CIVIL RIGHTS ACT WAS PASSED.
BUT WE FEEL AS IF WE FELT AS IF WE HAD TO DO SOMETHING, WE HAD TO MAKE A CHANGE IN OUR NEIGHBORHOOD.
WE WERE TIRED OF BEING CALLED, UH, BOY OR THE N WORD.
OR GET ON THE BUS AND GO TO THE BACK OF THE BUS.
IT WAS TIME FOR US TO TAKE A STAND.
UM, AMBASSADOR, YOU MENTIONED GOING BACK AND FORTH TO TUSKEGEE.
UM, WHAT WAS IT LIKE ON THE COLLEGE CAMPUS AT THAT TIME? WELL, TUSKEGEE INSTITUTE, AND THAT'S BASICALLY A DIFFERENT, UH, GEOGRAPHIC, UM, UH, PART, UH, OF MACON COUNTY, WHICH WAS SEPARATE FROM TUSKEGEE, THE CITY.
IT, IT, IT WAS, UH, A BLACK COMMUNITY MM-HMM
AND, UH, YOU, UH, AND I ACTUALLY, UH, SPENT A SUMMER, UH, IN A SUMMER PROGRAM AT TUSKEGEE AND, UH, REALLY, UH, IN 1964.
AND, UM, AU TUSKEGEE WAS A, A TRANSPORT AREA.
UM, UH, PEOPLE, THE FREEDOM RIDERS WERE COMING THROUGH.
UM, YOU KNOW, I HAD A GOOD FRIEND, MY AUNTS, UH, SON'S
[00:20:01]
NEIGHBOR, UM, UH, SAMUEL YOUNG, WHO, UH, WAS KILLED, UH, IN THE, UH, UH, GRAVE HOUND BUS STATION.BEATEN TO DEATH WITH, UM, WITH A, A, A GOLF CLUB.
AND HE DEFENDED, HE TRIED TO DEFEND HIMSELF.
UM, UH, ACROSS THE STREET WAS, UM, UH, A YOUNG LADY.
UH, SHE'S, UH, MARRIED TO A CIVIL RIGHTS, UM, UH, BLACK PANTHER, ACTUALLY.
UH, YOU KNOW, SHE'S MY AGE AND OLDER.
UM, BUT, UH, SEALS, SHE, SHE MARRIED, UH, UH, SEALS.
AND, UM, BOBBY SEALS, UM, I MEAN, PEOPLE WERE INVOLVED.
AND TUSKEGEE, UH, THEY BUILT A, UH, BLACK GROCERY STORE, BULLS GROCERY STORE.
AND, UM, UM, HE, YOU KNOW, HE DEVELOPED, UH, PROPERTY, UH, IN AND AROUND TUSKEGEE.
BUT, UM, IT, IT BECAME A TOTALLY SELF-SUFFICIENT COMMUNITY.
AND, UH, YOU KNOW, THAT'S WHAT, UH, YOU HAD TO DO TO SURVIVE MM-HMM
AND, UM, AND IN A, UH, DISTORTED WAY THRIVE.
IT WAS REALLY, UH, BUT THE ELDERS, AGAIN, TRIED TO BUTTRESS, UH, THE YOUNGER ONES, UH, FROM IT.
AND BECAUSE THEY, UH, ANTICIPATED THAT, UH, CHANGE WAS ON ITS WAY UP.
BIG CHANGE WAS TAKING PLACE AT THAT TIME.
UH, LIKE I SAID, JAMES PEBBLE, WHO WAS ONE OF, UH, UH, MARTIN LUTHER KING'S CONSTITUENTS, HE WAS THE ONE, UH, IN OUR AREA IN THE BIRMINGHAM INVESTMENT AREA THAT CAME UP WITH THAT IDEA OF GETTING THE KIDS INVOLVED, BECAUSE THEY DIDN'T HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT GOING TO WORK THE NEXT DAY.
THEY DIDN'T HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT LOSING THEIR JOBS OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT.
SO, AGAIN, HE FELT USING THE KIDS WAS SORT OF AN UNTAPPED RESOURCE, UH, THAT WE NEEDED TO BREAK THE CHAINS OF JIM CROW.
SO IN 19 66, 2 YEARS LATER, YOU WERE GONE.
WHEN, WHEN IS THAT, WHEN YOU CAME TO GREENBURG? INITIALLY I GRADUATED FROM HIGH SCHOOL, UH, 1966, UH, THAT EVENING, FRIDAY EVENING, I GOT MY DIPLOMA.
SATURDAY MORNING, I WAS ON THE GREYHOUND BUS HEADED TO NEW YORK.
I HAD DECIDED AT THAT TIME, OR AT THAT POINT THAT I HAD HAD ENOUGH.
I WAS STARTING TO REBEL, YOU KNOW, THE NON-VIOLENT THING, UH, HAD BEEN ENOUGH FOR ME.
YOU KNOW, ESPECIALLY AFTER THE BEATING THAT WE TOOK.
ISN'T THAT INTERESTING? THE NON-VIOLENCE ENDED IN SUCH DRAMATIC VIOLENCE.
I MEAN, I BELIEVED IN IT FOR A LONG PERIOD OF TIME.
A LOT WAS ACCOMPLISHED WITH IT.
WHEN YOU LOOK AT THE BIRMINGHAM CAMPAIGN AND THE NON-VIOLENCE, UH, THE WAY THEY HANDLED THAT SITUATION, UH, IT BROUGHT ABOUT A TREMENDOUS CHANGE.
IT WAS SHORTLY AFTER THAT, UH, CAMPAIGN, UH, NOT LONG AFTER THAT, IN 64 WAS WHEN THE CIVIL RIGHTS ACT WAS BEING PASSED MM-HMM
BUT BEFORE THAT, WE HAD THE BOMBING OF THE 16TH STREET BAPTIST CHURCH, YOU KNOW, AND BIRMINGHAM, THERE WERE SO MANY BOMBINGS AROUND BIRMINGHAM THAT THEY HAD GIVEN IT A NICKNAME.
UH, BOMBINGHAM, UH, FRED SHUTTLESWORTH, WHO'S THE AIRPORT'S NAME AFTER NOW, HE, UH, I BELIEVE IT WAS CHRISTMAS DAY THAT HIS HOUSE WAS BOMBED.
AND SHORTLY AFTER, I MEAN, THE HOUSE WAS LEVEL.
THIS WAS A CHURCH PORTION, BECAUSE HE WAS A PASTOR.
BUT IT WAS SHORTLY AFTER THAT, THAT HE AND HIS WIFE WERE TRYING TO, UH, AFTER THE CIVIL RIGHTS ACT HAD BEEN PASSED, THEY WERE TRYING TO INTEGRATE, UH, AN ALL WHITE SCHOOL.
BOTH HE AND HIS WIFE WERE BEATEN, TRYING TO TAKE THEIR DAUGHTER TO THIS ALL WHITE SCHOOL.
AND THIS IS AFTER THE PASSAGE OF THE CIVIL RIGHTS ACT? YEAH.
SO THAT WAS ONE REASON THAT THINGS WERE STILL HAPPENING.
AND, UH, YOU KNOW, I'M NOTICING THIS FROM A DISTANCE.
I HAD FRIENDS WHO DIDN'T WANT TO GO TO COLLEGE.
[00:25:01]
WAY THINGS WERE, YOU KNOW, IN TERMS OF JUST STAYING THERE.THEY WANTED TO SEE A CHANGE, BUT I WANTED TO GET OUT OF THERE.
I HAD AN UNCLE WHO CAME HOME EVERY CHRISTMAS TO SEE HIS MOTHER, MY GRANDMOTHER MM-HMM
AND I WOULD HEAR HIM TALK ABOUT NEW YORK, NEW YORK, MM-HMM
AND HE PLANTED THAT SEED IN MY HEAD.
I KNEW, I ASKED HIM ONE DAY, I SAID, YOU KNOW, UNCLE JOE, IN FACT, SOME OF YOU MAY KNOW HIM, HE OWNED A, UH, UH, UH, HE WAS A MORTICIAN MM-HMM
UH, HERE IN WHITE PLAINS FOR A LONG PERIOD OF TIME, BOYERS MEMORIAL CHAPEL.
SO I ASKED HIM, I SAID, UNCLE JOE, WOULD IT BE POSSIBLE FOR ME TO COME TO NEW YORK AND LIVE WITH YOU? HE SAYS, WELL, ARE YOU SURE YOU WANT TO DO THIS? I SAID, YEAH, I GOTTA GET OUTTA HERE.
YOU KNOW, I WANT TO GET OUTTA HERE.
AND AFTER TALKING BACK AND FORTH, HE SAYS, I TELL YOU WHAT, IF YOU ARE WILLING TO COME TO NEW YORK, GET A JOB, GO TO SCHOOL, GET YOUR EDUCATION, STAY OUT OF TROUBLE.
BECAUSE HE SAID, I'VE SHIPPED A MANY OF YOUNG MEN BACK HOME TO ALABAMA IN A FINE BOX.
HE SAID, UH, IF YOU'RE WILLING TO DO THAT, GO TO SCHOOL, DO THE RIGHT THING, THEN, UH, YOU'RE WELCOME TO COME STAY WITH ME.
SO I GOT ON THE BUS THAT NEXT MORNING AFTER I GOT MY DIPLOMA, UH, THAT GREYHOUND BUS, WHEN IT LANDED IN NEW YORK CITY, UH, I WAS SHOCKED, YOU KNOW, TALL BUILDINGS AND
YOU KNOW, I SAID, WOW, THIS IS A DIFFERENT WORLD.
SO, UH, THAT'S, THAT'S WHEN I LANDED IN NEW YORK, AND HE PICKED ME UP, DROVE ME UP TO WESTCHESTER, AND HE'S SHOWING ME AROUND ROAR, CAMPANELLA LIVES HERE, MOM'S MAYBELY DOWN THE STREET HERE.
THIS IS A NICE NEIGHBORHOOD,
MAYBE ONE DAY I'LL BE ABLE TO BUY A HOUSE HERE,
AND HOW ABOUT YOU AMBASSADOR? HOW DID YOU END UP HERE IN NEW YORK? WHAT, WHAT DROVE, WHAT, WHAT PULLED YOU HERE? UM, MY BUSINESS, I WAS, UM, UH, AN INVESTMENT BANKER.
UH, MY FAMILY, UH, WE ALWAYS, UH, TOOK A MONTH OFF IN AUGUST AND TRAVELED.
UM, AND WE WENT TO THE STOCK EXCHANGE MM-HMM
UH, KENNEDY, UH, WAS, UH, CAMPAIGNING AGAINST NIXON.
AND, UM, KENNEDY, UH, KENNEDY'S FATHER WAS A MEMBER OF THE STOCK EXCHANGE AND HIS FATHER-IN-LAW.
AND, YOU KNOW, I CONCLUDED AT THAT AGE THAT, YOU KNOW, POWER REST HERE.
UM, AND 13 YEARS LATER, I BOUGHT MY SEAT ON THE STOCK EXCHANGE.
SO WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO BUY A SEAT ON THE STOCK EXCHANGE? WHAT, WHAT DO YOU DO? DO YOU SIT IN IT? LIKE, HOW DOES THAT WORK? SO, UM, AND IT IS VERY DIFFERENT TODAY, UH, THAN IT WAS IN 73 WHEN I BOUGHT MY SEAT.
UM, IT, YOU ARE A MEMBER OF WHAT IS IN EFFECT, A CLUB OF 1,366 MEMBERS.
UM, AND THE, UH, ONLY MEMBERS AND MEMBER FIRMS CAN AFFECT TRADES ON THE FLOOR OF THE NEW YORK STOCK EXCHANGE.
AND, UM, I WANT TO, UH, THAT WAS DEFINING AT 13, I'M SURE.
BUT BEFORE THAT, UH, ONE SUMMER, WELL, THEY WERE REALLY, I THINK THE FALL, UH, THE PRESIDENT OF LIBERIA VISITED, UH, NEW ORLEANS, AND THE CONSOLE FOR LIBERIA LIVED ACROSS THE STREET FROM MY GRANDMOTHER.
AND I ACTUALLY, UM, UH, SHOOK AND MET, UH, PRESIDENT TUBMAN OF LIBERIA.
AND, UM, I WASN'T 10 YEARS OLD AT THE TIME.
I SAID, LOOK, UH, THE POLICEMEN WERE IN THEIR CEREMONIAL UNIFORMS TO GREET THIS BLACK MAN FROM AFRICA.
THE GOVERNOR, THE MAYOR GREETED HIM.
AND, UM, HE FIRST STOPPED IN ATLANTA.
AND THE GOVERNOR OF, UM, UH, GEORGIA, UH, SAID HE WAS GOING TO GREET HIM, BUT HE DIDN'T MM-HMM
UH, BUT THEY ALL CAME OUT IN, IN NEW ORLEANS, UH,
[00:30:01]
BEING A PORT, UH, CITY.AND LIBERIA, UH, HAS, UH, A REPUTATION AS BEING, UM, A, UH, FLAG OF CONVENIENCE, A LOT OF MM-HMM
UH, UH, SHIPS, UH, FLY THE LIBERIAN FLAG.
BUT, UM, AND AT THAT TIME, I SAID, YOU KNOW, I, I LIKE THIS.
I, I LIKE THE RESPECT, YOU KNOW, THAT THIS MAN, UH, IS RECEIVING, UH, AND I, I SAID SOME KIND OF WAY I'M GOING TO BE INVOLVED, UH, AS A DIPLOMAT.
AND, UH, I GOT MY CHANCE TO DO THAT, UH, TO REPRESENT THE UNITED STATES AS AN AMBASSADOR.
AFTER WORKING IN THE STOCK EXCHANGE FOR A NUMBER OF YEARS.
I, I TOOK LEAVE AND, UH, UH, UH, SERVED, UM, UH, IN, UH, WASHINGTON.
UNDER WHICH ADMINISTRATIONS? UH, UNDER THE REAGAN ADMINISTRATION.
AND, UM, MR. BOYER, AFTER YOU GOT HERE, YOU WERE HERE FOR, WHAT, TWO YEARS BEFORE YOU GOT DRAFTED INTO THE VIETNAM WAR? UH, I WOULD SAY MAYBE ABOUT A YEAR AND A HALF.
AND I GOT A NOTICE FROM THE ALABAMA LOCAL BOARD THAT I HAD BEEN DRAFTED.
SO I IMMEDIATELY SAID, WELL, I'M NOT GOING BACK TO ALABAMA.
IS IT POSSIBLE FOR ME TO TRANSFER THAT TO NEW YORK? AND SURE ENOUGH, I WAS ABLE TO DO THAT.
AT THE TIME, THE LOCAL BOARD WAS ON POST ROAD AND WHITE PLAIN, SO I WAS ABLE TO TRANSFER, YOU KNOW, ALL OF MY, UH, PAPERWORK AS A DRAFTEE TO THAT OFFICE.
AND FROM THERE, THEY SHIPPED ME TO WHITEHALL STREET IN NEW YORK.
FROM THERE, I WENT TO, UH, TRAINING IN SOUTH CAROLINA, COLUMBIA, SOUTH CAROLINA.
I DID, UH, MY TRAINING THERE, MY JUNGLE TRAINING, EVERYTHING RIGHT THERE IN SOUTH CAROLINA.
AND I'LL NEVER FORGET CALLING HOME TO TELL MY, UH, ADOPTED MOM.
UH, SHE THOUGHT I WAS COMING HOME.
I SAID, YEAH, IT'S GOOD TO TALK TO YOU, BUT, UH, I WON'T BE HOME FOR LONG.
SHE SAYS, WHY? I'M OFF TO VIETNAM.
I'LL NEVER FORGET, I LAND IN, UH, WHAT, CLOSE TO 20 HOURS FLIGHT TIME TO, UH, UTE AIR BASE IN SOUTH VIETNAM.
AND, UH, ALL I COULD HEAR WAS BOOM, BOOM.
YOU KNOW, FLASHES GOING OFF FROM MILES AWAY, YOU KNOW, AND I'M SAYING, I HAVE NO BUSINESS HERE.
WHAT, WHAT AM I DOING HERE? YOU KNOW, I'M THINKING ALL THESE CRAZY THOUGHTS TO MYSELF.
BUT, UH, YOU KNOW, I ENDED UP BEING THERE FOR, UH, ABOUT SIX MONTHS.
AND THEN I ENDED UP BEING MEDEVAC FROM VIETNAM TO THE TWO 49TH GENERAL HOSPITAL IN YOKOHAMA, JAPAN.
SO I SPENT TWO AND A HALF MONTHS IN THE HOSPITAL.
THERE, AGAIN, THOUGHT I WAS COMING HOME.
WHAT HAPPENED? HOW DID, WHY DID YOU WELL, I, I, I GOT INJURED.
WE WERE WORKING 20 HOURS A DAY MM-HMM
19, 20 HOURS A DAY, YOU KNOW, AND YOU CARRYING BACKPACK AND ALL OF THIS AND THAT.
'CAUSE I WAS RESPONSIBLE FOR THESE MEN OUT IN THE JUNGLES, WHEREVER THEY WORKED.
IT WAS MY JOB, MY DUTY, AND MY CREW.
I HAD TO MAKE SURE THAT WE GOT THEIR MAIL TO THEM.
WHETHER WE FLEW IN BY HELICOPTER, WE CALL IT CHOPPER AT THE TIME.
SOMETIMES WE WOULD FLY IN AND THE PILOT WOULD SAY, IT'S TOO HOT.
SO WE KICKED THE BAG OUT THE DOOR AND JUMP AND, YOU KNOW, WE COULD BE THERE FOR TWO DAYS A DAY OR WHATEVER.
AND THEN THEY WOULD, UH, COME BACK AND PICK US UP.
WE'D GO BACK TO, UH, BENOIT AT THE TIME.
UH, 'CAUSE JOHNSON WAS IN, UH, THE ADMINISTRATION AT THAT TIME.
I'LL NEVER FORGET, BECAUSE THEY HAD A RIOT AT THE LOCAL JAIL THERE.
AND THEY BURNED THE WHOLE PLACE DOWN.
THEY CALLED IT LBJ, UH, THE PRISONERS THERE.
BUT, UH, I ENDED UP STAYING THERE AGAIN.
HAD TO GO BACK AND DO ANOTHER SIX MONTHS.
AND AFTER THAT, I CAME HOME AND THEY SHIPPED ME TO THE PENTAGON IN WASHINGTON DC AND THAT'S WHERE I FINISHED OUT MY TOUR OF DUTY.
AND AGAIN, I WAS SO ANXIOUS TO GET INTO SCHOOL AND TRY AND GET AN EDUCATION.
I ENROLLED IN GEORGE WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY THERE.
AND, UH, STARTED TAKING COURSES.
AND AFTER WHICH, WHEN I FINALLY FINISHED, YOU KNOW, MY WIFE AND I, MY WIFE MAXINE, WE KEPT IN TOUCH THE WHOLE TIME WHILE I WAS IN VIETNAM.
SO SHE MADE SURE THAT I WAS COMING BACK TO WHITE PLAINS
SO, BUT I ENDED UP BACK HERE, UH, AFTER DOING MY TOUR OF DUTY, AND, UH, RIGHT AWAY, YOU KNOW, AGAIN, I GOT BACK IN SCHOOL.
[00:35:01]
BUT I WENT TO SCHOOL FULL-TIME AT NIGHT.AND YOU ENDED UP WITH A CAREER IN SALES.
RIGHT? I ENDED UP WITH A CAREER IN SALES.
I FIRST STARTED OUT WITH FORD MOTOR COMPANY.
THEY HAD AN OFFICE OVER ON WESTCHESTER AVENUE.
I WORKED OVER THERE FOR A WHILE, AGAIN, WHILE I WAS IN SCHOOL, HAD A, A BOSS BY THE NAME OF NEIL PALOU, GOD REST HIS SOUL.
HE MADE SURE HE WANTED TO SEE MY GRADES EVERY MARKING PERIOD.
YOU KNOW, HOW ARE YOU DOING? BECAUSE THEY WERE, NOT ONLY BECAUSE THEY WERE PAYING, BUT I COULD TELL HE REALLY CARED ABOUT ME AND WANTED ME TO GET AN EDUCATION.
AFTER I EXPLAINED TO HIM WHAT I WANTED TO DO.
UH, I WORKED THERE FOR A WHILE.
AND, UH, FINALLY THEY SAID, WE'RE CLOSING THE OFFICE.
UH, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE A POSITION FOR YOU.
I THINK IT WAS IN DALLAS OR SOMEWHERE, BUT I DIDN'T WANNA LEAVE.
MY WIFE HAD A JOB AT THE LOCAL WHITE PLAINS HOSPITAL, WHERE SHE EVENTUALLY ENDED UP DOING 40, 43 YEARS.
BUT SHE HAD BEEN THERE FOR A LONG TIME.
SO I DIDN'T WANNA INTERRUPT HER CAREER.
'CAUSE WE WERE TALKING ABOUT GETTING MARRIED, THIS AND THAT.
AND, UH, NOW I'M LAID OFF, NO JOB.
BUT AT THE SAME TIME, I GOT A PART-TIME JOB AT SEARS IN WHITE PLAINS WHILE I'M IN SCHOOL.
I WENT TO A HEADHUNTER, AND, UH, SHE SAID, LOOK, YOU KNOW, YOU'VE GOT SOME SALES EXPERIENCE HERE, BUT I DON'T KNOW WHAT I CAN DO FOR YOU.
WENT BACK THE NEXT WEEK, SHE SAYS, I GOT SOMETHING, BUT I DON'T KNOW IF YOU'LL FIT.
I SAID, WELL, WHAT IS IT? SHE SAYS, WELL, IT'S PHARMACEUTICAL SALES.
YOU CAN GO FOR THE INTERVIEW, BUT, UH, I DON'T KNOW HOW IT'S GONNA WORK OUT BECAUSE YOU DON'T HAVE A SCIENCE ORIENTED BACKGROUND.
I WENT FOR THE INTERVIEW, WHICH WORKED OUT VERY, VERY WELL.
AND, UH, UH, THE PERSON THAT INTERVIEWED ME, HE SAYS, WOW, YOU KNOW, WE LIKE YOUR SALES AND MARKETING EXPERIENCE, BUT YOU DON'T HAVE A SCIENCE ORIENTED BACKGROUND.
WOULD YOU BE WILLING TO GO TO OUR PHARMACEUTICAL SCHOOL UP IN SYRACUSE? I SAID, SURE, SURE.
AND THAT'S HOW I ENDED UP WITH, AT THE TIME, IT WAS BRISTOL MYERS.
UH, THEY HAD A HEADQUARTERS, I BELIEVE UP IN SYRACUSE, BUT THERE'S PHARMACEUTICAL SCHOOL WAS THERE.
SO I WENT THERE AND HAD A CRASH COURSE IN MEDICAL SCHOOL, WHICH LASTED ABOUT THREE MONTHS.
AND PEOPLE WERE DROPPING OUT, CRYING.
I MEAN, IF YOU GO TO THE PHARMACY NOW, YOU, YOU TRY TO PRONOUNCE THE WORDS ON YOUR PRESCRIPTION.
BUT, YOU KNOW, I SAID, GOD, YOU GOTTA HELP ME GET THROUGH THIS.
YOU KNOW, BECAUSE I CAME FROM A, A RELIGIOUS BACKGROUND, AND TO THIS DAY, YOU KNOW, I'M A FIRM BELIEVER AND THE GOOD LORD OF ABOVE.
SO I PRAYED ABOUT IT AND KEPT TRYING HARD, AND I MADE IT, I MADE IT THROUGH THAT SCHOOL.
AND I WAS THE FIRST AFRICAN AMERICAN TO BE APPOINTED TO COVER YALE NEW HAVEN HOSPITAL.
AND THEY TOLD ME THAT MY JOB WAS TO GET A DRUG CALLED CIL ON FORMULARY.
AND I HATE TO SAY IT, AT THAT TIME, UH, YOU WENT TO THE MEETING AND YOU FOUND OUT WHAT YOU HAD TO DO, AND THE COMPANY SENT YOU AN ENVELOPE AND THERE WAS A CHECK-IN INSIDE MM-HMM
I DIDN'T LIKE THE WAY THINGS WERE BEING DONE, BUT THAT WAS MY JOB.
I WENT TO THE MEETING, SHOWED, UH, THE CHIEF OF, UH, INFECTIOUS DISEASE, YOU KNOW, WE'D LIKE TO GET THIS DRUG ON FORMULARY MM-HMM
SO WHEN YOU SAY ON FORMULARY, ON FORMULARY, THAT DRUG WAS AN ANTIBIOTIC.
AND AT THAT TIME, TO GET AN ANTIBIOTIC ON FORMULARY SO THAT THEY COULD USE IT FOR MAJOR SURGERIES.
THAT'S GOOD MONEY, BIG MONEY FOR A PHARMACEUTICAL COMPANY.
SO BECAUSE EVERYBODY'S THEN USING IT.
WHAT'S THAT? BECAUSE EVERYBODY IS THEN USING IT.
EVERYBODY, ALL THE DOCTORS WERE USING IT AND ALL THE VARIOUS PROCEDURES, SO ON AND SO FORTH.
SO THAT'S WHY BRISTOL WAS SO ANXIOUS TO GET THIS PARTICULAR DRUG ON FORMULARY AT A MAJOR TEACHING HOSPITAL.
I MEAN, LET'S FAKE YALE'S KNOWN ALL OVER THE WORLD.
SO, UH, YOU KNOW, I DID WHAT I HAD TO DO, AND, UH, I WAS ABLE TO GET THE PRODUCT ON FORMULARY THERE AT YALE.
AND, UH, PEOPLE WERE SHOCKED BECAUSE WOW.
AN AFRICAN AMERICAN DID THIS MM-HMM
SO WE GOT IT ON FORMULARY, AND THEY USED IT.
AND NEXT THING I KNOW, I LASTED FOR ABOUT A YEAR, AND ALONG COMES, UH, UH, ARIS PHARMACEUTICAL WYATT.
HE SAYS, I'VE HEARD A LOT ABOUT YOU.
CAN WE TALK? CAN WE HAVE LUNCH? ONE DAY WE HAD LUNCH AT HO JOE'S ON 95 UP IN NEW HAVEN.
I DON'T KNOW IF ANY OF YOU KNOW, WHERE IT'S 95 TURNS INTO 91.
IT USED TO BE A HO JOE'S THERE ON THE LEFT.
HE SAYS, CAN YOU MEET ME FOR LUNCH? I WENT TO LUNCH.
AND, UH, HE SAID, I KNOW ALL I NEED TO KNOW.
I WANT YOU TO COME TO WORK FOR ME.
[00:40:01]
ALMOST 25 PLUS YEARS.THAT'S, THEY MADE IT WORTH MY WHILE.
EVENTUALLY WORKED MY WAY INTO MANAGEMENT AND, UH, STARTED DOING MEDICAL CONVENTIONS ALL OVER THE COUNTRY FROM TORONTO TO LA, MIAMI, YOU NAME IT.
AND I THINK MY WIFE LOVES IT BECAUSE SHE GOT TO GO WITH ME SOMETIMES, YOU KNOW, ESPECIALLY, ESPECIALLY WHEN WE WENT TO LOS ANGELES AND PLACES LIKE THAT.
BUT, UH, I, I'LL TELL ANYONE, YOU KNOW, PEOPLE SAY, WOW, YOU WERE REALLY LUCKY.
I SAID, NO, STOP IT RIGHT THERE.
YOU KNOW, AFTER THAT BEATING IN ALABAMA, THE JUNGLES OF SOUTHEAST ASIA, I'VE HAD THREE BRAIN PROCEDURES.
PEOPLE SAY, YOU'RE NOT SUPPOSED TO BE HERE.
SO THE TWO OF YOU HAVE HAD REALLY REMARKABLE CAREERS.
UM, THE, IN CLOSING, THE LAST QUESTION I'D LIKE TO ASK YOU IS, WHAT IS YOUR MESSAGE TO YOUNG BLACK MEN WHO ARE WATCHING THIS, ABOUT STARTING A CAREER? YOU KNOW, WHEN, WHEN I WAS A KID, MY PARENTS TOLD ME, YOU KNOW, YOU HAVE THREE CHOICES, DOCTOR, LAWYER, OR ACCOUNTANT.
NO ONE EVER SAID ANYTHING TO ME ABOUT PHARMACEUTICAL SALES
YOU KNOW, LIKE, SO, SO WHERE, WHAT IS YOUR MESSAGE TO YOUNG BLACK MEN LOOKING AT YOU NOW, TRYING TO START A CAREER? THE FIRST THING THAT I WOULD HAVE TO SAY, UH, IS MAKE SURE YOU GET YOUR EDUCATION.
UH, GET YOUR EDUCATION, GET A JOB, TAKE CARE OF YOUR FAMILY.
JUST QUICK MONEY, FAST MONEY OUT HERE.
BUT THE MAIN THING IS YOU NEED TO GET AN EDUCATION MM-HMM
YOU DON'T, EVERYBODY'S NOT MEANT TO GO TO COLLEGE.
BUT YOU CAN GET A CAREER IN A TRADE.
WE ARE ALWAYS GONNA NEED PLUMBERS, ELECTRICIANS, FOR SURE.
AND NOW, UH, COMPUTER TECHNOLOGIES.
EVERYBODY KNOWS HOW BIG COMPUTERS ARE TODAY.
SO I WOULD TELL THEM, CHOOSE A CAREER.
'CAUSE WE DIDN'T GET TO WHERE WE ARE WITHOUT HARD WORK.
NOW, AMBASSADOR, YOU HAD AN INTERESTING STORY BECAUSE IT SEEMED LIKE YOU HAD A ROLE MODEL THAT YOU CHOSE AS A VERY YOUNG PERSON, AND YOU WERE SET ON ACHIEVING THE GOAL THAT YOU SAW THAT ROLE MODEL ACHIEVE.
TALK TO US ABOUT WHAT, HOW THAT PLAYS A FACTOR IN A CAREER CHOICE, AND HOW DO YOU STICK TO IT? WELL, UM, A COUPLE OF NIGHTS AGO, I ASKED MY 12-YEAR-OLD GRANDSON, UM, YOU KNOW, HE, HE'S, HE'S REALLY THESE KIDS TODAY, UH, THEY'RE DIFFERENT.
THEY, UM, THEY'RE SMARTER THAN WE WERE.
UH, AND, UH, I SAID, UH, WHAT WILL YOU DO, UH, AND STUDY AND, UH, WHAT WILL YOU MAJOR IN AND CONCENTRATING? HE SAID, UH, HIS DECISION WAS
UM, AND, UH, YOU, YOU DO HAVE TO PURSUE YOUR DREAMS. YOU, YOU FIRST HAVE TO HAVE A DREAM.
UH, AND YOU SET UP TIMETABLES, UM, IN, UH, MEETING THOSE GOALS.
UM, AND YOU, YOU, YOU HAVE TO DECIDE WHAT YOU WILL ACCOMPLISH IN LIFE.
YOU KNOW, UM, UH, WHAT, UH, KIND OF A INFLUENCER YOU ARE GOING TO BE TO OTHERS.
UM, AND AS LOFT AS YOU CAN DREAM, AND YOU, YOU KNOW, YOU
[00:45:01]
HIT IT.UM, EVERYBODY CAN'T, UH, BE A STEM GRADUATE.
UM, YOU KNOW, BUT YOU, IF YOU LIKE TO WORK WITH YOUR HANDS MM-HMM
YOU KNOW, UM, CARPENTRY IS A, UH, A SKILL THAT IS, WILL EVER BE NEEDED FOREVER.
UM, UH, PLUMBING, UH, ELECTRICIAN, I MEAN, ALL OF THIS AI STUFF.
UH, CANNOT BE ACCOMPLISHED WITHOUT, UH, UH, ELECTRIFICATION.
AND, AND YOU DON'T HAVE TO HAVE A, UH, PHD IN ELECTRONICS TO, UH, DO AND, UH, AND COMPLETE, UH, YOUR LIFE DREAM.
UH, IT, IT, IT'S IMPORTANT TO BE HAPPY IN LIFE.
YOU WILL BE A BETTER CITIZEN, UH, IF YOU'RE HAPPY.
WELL, I'D LIKE TO THANK YOU BOTH FOR JOINING US HERE THIS EVENING.
UM, YOUR, YOUR KNOWLEDGE AND COMPASSION, UM, IS REALLY INSPIRING.
AND TO HAVE THE TWO OF YOU SIT HERE TONIGHT AND SHARE THAT WITH US, UH, WE COULDN'T THINK OF CELEBRATING BLACK HISTORY MONTH IN THE TOWN OF GREENBURG IN A BETTER WAY.
THANK YOU FOR HAVING THANK YOU.
ARE YOU PRESENTING, UM, MR. BOYER AMBASSADOR? I HAVE TO SAY DOY, I HAVE TO SAY I CAN'T, I CAN'T DO IT.
I'LL TALK TO MY FRIEND ABOUT THAT.
I, I, I AM SPEECHLESS ONLY BECAUSE I HAVE KNOWN YOU MOST OF MY LIFE,
AND THANK YOU FOR SHARING THAT, AND THANK YOU FOR SHARING IT WITH THE COMMUNITY AMBASSADOR.
UM, COUNCILMAN, BECAUSE I DIDN'T UNDERSTAND WHEN YOU MET, HOW DO YOU BUY YOUR SEAT ON THE SOCK EXCHANGE, BUT THE, I BUT THE FACT THAT THE TWO OF YOU STARTED YOUR CAREER AT 13.
AND IT WAS JUST, IT WAS JUST SO MANY MAGICAL, SO MANY MOMENTS THAT IN HISTORY THAT IT REALLY HAS ME JUST FLOORED AND JUST REALLY, I'M TRYING NOT TO GET EMOTIONAL, BUT IT JUST SHOWS, YOU KNOW, WHAT AFRICAN AMERICANS HAVE ENDURED IN THIS WORLD AND AS MUCH AS IN THIS, IN UNITED STATES.
AND AS MUCH AS WE TRY TO TAKE THAT AND, AND ERASE THAT HISTORY, WE CAN'T.
UM, I HAVE SOME PROCLAMATIONS FOR YOU GUYS.
UM, SO LET ME TRY TO GET THROUGH 'EM REALLY QUICKLY.
I'M NOT GONNA READ THE WHOLE THING.
I'LL, I'LL, I'LL ALLOW YOU TO TAKE THAT TIME AND SIT ON THE COUCH AND, AND, AND, AND READ.
BUT ON BEHALF OF, UM, THE GREENBERG TOWN BOARD, I'LL READ THE FIRST ROUS AND THEN I'LL JUST GO RIGHT INTO THE, UM, RESOLVE STATEMENT.
SO, UM, WHEREAS BLACK HISTORY MONTH HAS AN, IS AN OPPORTUNITY TO CELEBRATE VITAL CONTRIBUTIONS OF AFRICAN AMERICANS, AFRICAN AMERICANS, AND THE TAPESTRY OF OUR NAT OF OUR NATION'S HISTORY, WE ALSO PAY TRIBUTE TO THE BRAVERY AND DETERMINATION OF THOSE WHO VIOLENTLY CHAMPION THE CAUSES OF JUSTICE AND EQUALITY.
TOM BOYER WAS DRAFTED AT THE AGE OF 18 TO SERVE AND BE A VIETNAM WAR AND ACHIEVED THE RANK OF SPECIALISTS, SP FIVE, AND NOW RECOGNIZED A DISABLED VETERAN.
HE'S ALSO HAVE GIVEN JUST SO MUCH OF HIS LIFE BASED ON THE STORY THAT WE HEARD THIS EVENING, THE TOWN BOARD OF THE TOWN OF GREENBURG HEREBY HONOR TOM BOYER FOR HIS BRAVERY, SACRIFICE, HIS CONTRIBUTIONS TO THE ADVANCEMENT OF EQUALITY, AND RECOGNIZING HIM AS A TRUE HERO, TRUE HERO OF THE CIVIL RIGHTS MOVEMENT AS WE CELEBRATE BLACK HISTORY MONTH.
SO THANK YOU AND I APPRECIATE YOU AND MR. BOYER.
UM, WE HAVE, UH, THE TOWN OF GREENBURG SEAL, AND THEN OF COURSE IT SAYS 2026 BLACK HISTORY MONTH.
AND OF COURSE IT SAYS SPF FIVE, TOM BOYER, VIETNAM VETERAN LISA MARIA NIRO TOWN
[00:50:01]
CLERK.THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR SERVICE.
AMBASSADOR
UM, WHEREAS BLACK HISTORY MONTH IS AN OPPORTUNITY, AGAIN, TO HONOR AND CELEBRATE THE REMARKABLE RESILIENCE AND INCREDIBLE BRILLIANCE AND, AND SIGNIFICANCE ACHIEVEMENTS OF AFRICAN AMERICANS.
THEIR CONTRIBUTION HAS NOT, HAS NOT ONLY SHAPED THE NATION'S HISTORY, BUT ALSO CONTINUE TO PROPEL OUR COMMUNITY INTO A HIGHER FUTURE, INTO A BRIGHTER FUTURE.
NOW BE RESOLVED THAT THE TOWN OF GREENBURG, THE TOWN, THE TOWN BORDER, THE TOWN OF GREENBURG, HEREBY HONORED AMBASSADOR HARRELL
AND THIS AWARD IS SIMPLY, OF COURSE 2026 BLACK HISTORY MONTH.
HAROLD L DOLEY, UM, JUNIOR, AND I SIMPLY PUT FOUNDER AND CEO AND OF COURSE, LISA MARIA NARO TOWN CLERK.
I'M JUST GONNA GET A PICTURE AND ONE MORE COUNCILWOMAN.
OH, HERE, UH, 2026 BLACK HISTORY MONTH.
S KEN JONES, ESQUIRE, CIVIL RIGHTS ACTIVIST, LISA MARIA NIRO TOWN CLERK.
LET'S HAVE THE WHOLE TOWN BOARD.
CAN YOU DRINK? CAN YOU BRING UP, YOU TALK SO MUCH ABOUT THIS.
I CAN'T CALL A MAXINE 'CAUSE I GET IN TROUBLE MS. WAY YOU CAN COME OUT, PLEASE.
TAKE, LET'S GET IN FRONT OF THE CHAIRS INSTEAD OF BEHIND THEM ALL TOO.
I CAN SEND IT TO, YOU CAN SEND IT TO YOU.
ALRIGHT, SO WE ARE JUST GONNA DO A QUICK TRANSITION.
WE JUST NEED FIVE MINUTES TO TRANSITION.
BEFORE PUBLIC COMMENT IN PROGRESS
[ SUPERVISOR & TOWN COUNCIL REPORTS/ANNOUNCEMENTS Liaison Reports (Supervisor Paul Feiner, Councilwoman Joy Haber, Councilwoman Ellen Hendrickx, Councilwoman Gina Jackson, Councilman Francis Sheehan) - held over Town Board meeting of March 11, 2026 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]
IN TERMS OF THE FIREFIGHTERS, UH, ISSUE, UH, THE TOWN ATTORNEY.I, I'VE BEEN FOLLOWING THE EMAILS THAT HAVE BEEN GOING BACK AND FORTH, AND I UNDERSTAND THE ISSUE THAT IN THE LOCAL LAW THAT WAS APPROVED LAST YEAR, UM, THERE WAS NO 20 YEAR LIFETIME EXEMPTION FOR VOLUNTEER FIREFIGHTERS AND EMS, I'VE INFORMALLY POLLED THE BOARD HERE TONIGHT.
AND THEY HAVE DECIDED THAT WE'LL BE HOLDING A PUBLIC HEARING NEXT MONTH TO INITIATE PUTTING THAT CLAUSE BACK INTO THE LAW.
UM, THAT NEEDS TO BE ACCOMPLISHED BY MAY 1ST, WHICH IS THE TAXABLE STATUS STATE, TO ENSURE THAT THE PEOPLE WHO ARE CURRENTLY RECEIVING THAT BENEFIT CONTINUE TO DO SO IN THE FUTURE.
I WANTED TO ANNOUNCE THAT NOW BECAUSE I KNOW WE HAVE SOME PEOPLE IN THE AUDIENCE AND I KNOW WE HAVE, UH, MANY PEOPLE ON ZOOM READY TO SPEAK TONIGHT.
JUST TO PUT THAT OUT THERE RIGHT FROM THE GET GO.
UM, THE BOARD IS ACTING ON THIS AND THEY UNDERSTAND THE ISSUE AT HAND AND HOW TO RESOLVE IT.
[00:55:01]
SOMETHING, UH, NEW.UM, WE'RE HAVING A TWO MINUTE COMMENTS.
[ TOWN CLERK COMMENTS AND PUBLIC ANNOUNCEMENTS]
TOWN CLERK COMMENTS FIRST.WESTCHESTER COUNTY, UH, EXECUTIVE KEN JENKINS, THE BOARD OF LEGISLATORS AND THE WESTCHESTER COUNTY AFRICAN AMERICAN ADVISORY BOARD.
THEY'RE HAVING THEIR, UH, BLACK HISTORY MONTH TRAILBLAZERS AWARD CEREMONY ON FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 27TH AT THE LITTLE THEATER AT COUNTY CENTER AT 5:30 PM MAJORITY LEADER ANDREA STEWART COUSINS AND SENATOR SHERRY MAYER, WERE HAVING THEIR BLACK HISTORY MONTH CELEBRATION AT PHILLIPS MANOR HALL IN YONKERS, UM, AT FROM SIX 30 TO EIGHT 30.
AND THAT WILL ALL, ALL THAT WILL BE HELD ON SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 28TH.
ALL OF THIS INFORMATION YOU'LL BE ABLE TO FIND, UM, ON THE GB LIST AND ON OUR WEBSITE.
UH, THE, UH, WESTCHESTER COUNTY EXECUTIVE IS HAVING THE IRISH HERITAGE MONTH ON TUESDAY, MARCH 10TH, 26TH, AT THE MCCALLION OFFICE BUILDING IN WHITE PLAINS FROM 5:00 PM TO 7:00 PM AND, UH, WE ARE CALLING ALL WOODLANDS HIGH SCHOOL ALUMNI.
UH, WE HAD AN INTEREST MEETING LAST NIGHT REGARDING THE, UH, WITH THE GREENBERG SCHOOL DISTRICT SUPERINTENDENT, UM, AND WHICH THE INTENT TO CREATE THE WOODLANDS HIGH SCHOOL ALUMNI ASSOCIATION.
AND OUR NEXT MEETING WILL BE HELD ON MONDAY, MARCH 9TH.
AND IF YOU CAN CONTACT MY OFFICE OR FACEBOOK PAGE, UH, WE WILL BE ABLE TO HAVE, UH, FURTHER INFORMATION FOR YOU.
UM, LAST BUT NOT LEAST, THE TOWN CLERK, UH, THE ARTS AND CULTURE COMMITTEE AND THE GREENBERG PUBLIC LIBRARY WILL BE BRINGING YOU A BOOK TALK WITH AWARD-WINNING PODCASTERS, NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLERS AUTHORS, AND THE CREATORS OF INVEST FEST IN ATLANTA.
GREENBERG'S VERY OWN EYL EARN YOUR LEISURE, UH, AUTHORS RASHARD BILAL AND TROY MILLINGS ON SATURDAY, MARCH 21ST, 2026 FROM 12 NOON TO 2:00 PM UH, WE HAD TO MOVE THE EVENT FROM THE LIBRARY TO TOWN HALL.
SO, UM, RSVP IS REQUIRED, AND AGAIN, THIS IS ON SATURDAY, MARCH 21ST FROM 12:00 PM TO 2:00 PM AND IF YOU CAN PLEASE RSVP WITH MY OFFICE AND YOU'LL FIND THE FURTHER INFORMATION ON OUR WEBSITE OR ON THE LIBRARY'S WEBSITE.
AND I JUST WANTED TO, UH, MENTION, UH, ONE THING, UH, THERE'S OVER 2000 FIRE HYDRANTS IN UNINCORPORATED GREENBURG.
UM, AND, UM, I HAD SPOKEN TO, UM, UH, SOME OF THE FIRE CHIEFS.
IT'S IMPOSSIBLE FOR ALL THE FIRE DEPARTMENTS TO CLEAR ALL THE HYDRANTS OF, OF SMOKE.
AND ONE OF THE SUGGESTIONS, AND SINCE WE HAVE SOME FIRE CHIEFS AND FIREFIGHTERS, UM, HERE AND WATCHING, UH, THE MEETING, UH, THAT I THOUGHT WOULD MAKE SENSE WOULD BE IF WE COULD CREATE, YOU KNOW, GOING FORWARD, UH, LIKE AN INTERACTIVE MAP HIGHLIGHTING WHERE EACH OF THE HYDRANTS ARE, UH, THEN WE COULD, ANYTIME THERE'S A SNOW, UH, SAY THESE ARE WHERE THE HYDRANTS ARE IN YOUR, YOUR COMMUNITY.
AND IF YOU'RE WILLING TO VOLUNTEER, UM, AND CLEAR A HYDRANT NEAR YOUR HOUSE OR, YOU KNOW, IN THE COMMUNITY, UH, THEN WE COULD KEEP SHARING THAT.
AND IT MIGHT BE, WE MIGHT GET SOME VOL, YOU KNOW, MORE VOLUNTEERS.
IT'S NOT, WE HAVE A SNOW ANGELS PROGRAM.
THIS WOULD BE A SNOW ANGELS PROGRAM FOR, UH, FOR HYDRANTS RATHER THAN FOR, FOR PEOPLE.
AND I JUST SORT OF THOUGHT THAT THIS IS A, A PROJECT THAT, YOU KNOW, WE COULD WORK WITH.
YOU KNOW, I DON'T KNOW IF IT'S FEASIBLE, BUT, YOU KNOW, I THINK IT WOULD BE, I THINK WE COULD GET MORE HYDRANTS CLEARED OF SNOW D DOES THAT MAKE ANY SENSE? IT DOES, YEAH.
SO, UM, I JUST WANTED TO MENTION THAT I THOUGHT OF THAT, UH, UH, YOU KNOW, TODAY BECAUSE SOMEBODY ASKED, UH, IF WE COULD HAVE SNOW ANGELS, UH, CLEAR THE HYDRANTS OF SNOW AND WE HAD PEOPLE WHO WANTED IT 'CAUSE THEY'RE ELDERLY AND I THOUGHT THE ELDERLY GET PRIORITY.
UM, UM, UH, BEFORE YOU MOVE ON, UH, FOR FAIRVIEW, THEY SHOULD KNOW WHERE THE HYDRANTS ARE BECAUSE MY SON AND FOR HIS EAGLE SCOUT PROJECT WENT AND GPS EVERY HYDRANT IN THE FAIRVIEW FIRE DISTRICT.
WE SHOULD, COULD WE, UH, UH, COULD YOU GIVE THAT AND TO JOE IAN AND WE COULD PUT THAT ON THE, UH, ON THE TOWN WEBSITE AND THE NEXT TIME THERE'S A, UM, YOU KNOW, A A BIG SNOWSTORM, WE WILL JUST SAY, YOU KNOW, THESE ARE THE HYDRANTS THAT NEED TO BE CLEARED IN, IN YOUR EAR AND WE COULD GET THE SAME THING FOR ALL THE OTHER FIRE DISTRICTS.
YEAH, I THINK WE'LL HAVE TO GET IT FROM THE FIRE DEPARTMENT.
SO NOW WE HAVE, UH, A NEW SYSTEM.
UM, INSTEAD OF MAKING PEOPLE WAIT FOR HOURS AFTER THE
[ TWO MINUTE PUBLIC COMMENT LIGHTNING ROUND (for anyone who can’t stay for the regular Public Comment session)]
PUBLIC HEARING, WE HAVE A TWO MINUTE PUBLIC COMMENT, LIGHTNING ROD, UH, ROUND.[01:00:01]
SPEAK, UH, LIKE TWITTER, UH, IN TWO MINUTES OR LESS, UH, YOU COULD SPEAK NOW AND THEN YOU DON'T HAVE TO WAIT FOR THE REST OF THE MEETING.HOWEVER YOU DO GIVE UP YOUR ABILITY TO SPEAK.
FIVE MINUTES FOR THE PUBLIC, REGULAR PUBLIC COMMENT.
NO, WE NEED TO AT PODIUM, PLEASE.
IF I GO AHEAD AND YOU HAVE TO TRANSLATE
IF YOU COULD STATE YOUR NAME AS YOUR NAME.
UH, NELSON DIAZ FROM THE TOWN OF GREENBURG ON THE, UH, BEAUTIFUL WESTCHESTER, UH, CONDOMINIUM OLD COUNTRY ROAD BO UH, HILL SCHOOL.
SO I'M HERE BECAUSE OF, UH, THE LAW THAT WAS PASSED LAST YEAR.
'CAUSE FOR THE FIREFIGHTER AND EMS, UH, IT SEEMS THAT NO ONE KNEW ABOUT IT.
I DEFINITELY DID NOT KNOW ABOUT IT.
I DON'T KNOW HOW IT GOT PASSED, WHY IT WAS IT PASSED.
WHY WERE ANYONE TRYING TO GO AFTER THE VOLUNTEERS? WE LOOSEN THEM BY 40% EVERY YEAR.
WE DON'T WANT TO HAVE ANOTHER EXCUSE TO LOSE SOME MORE.
NOT FOR THE COUPLE OF DOLLARS THAT IT IS FOR TAXES.
UM, PLEASE FIX THAT, ESPECIALLY FOR THE 20 YEARS MEMBERS.
I WOULD LOVE TO NOT HAVE TO DO ANOTHER 20% EVERY YEAR OR 10%, WHATEVER IT IS.
ALTHOUGH THAT I WILL CONTINUE TO DO THAT.
BUT I EARNED MY RIGHT AND I SHOULD NOT BE TAKEN AWAY FROM YOU.
SO PLEASE DO WHATEVER IT IS THAT YOU NEED TO DO TO FIX THAT AND HELP US WITH GETTING MORE VOLUNTEERS.
THE TOWN OF GREENBURG CANNOT SURVIVE WITHOUT VOLUNTEERS.
AND WHEN I SAY THE TOWN, THE
WE DO WHATEVER WE HAVE TO FOR THE SNOW STORM RIGHT NOW.
WE WERE 24 7 MAKING SURE THE APPARATUS GOES OUT AND MAKING SURE THAT THE AMBULANCE GET OUT AND THEY DID.
SO ANYTHING THAT YOU GUYS CAN DO, I WOULD TRULY APPRECIATE ON BEHALF OF THE VILLAGE AND ON BEHALF OF EVERY VOLUNTEER OUT THERE, UH, ESPECIALLY THE 20 YEAR PLUS, WE NEED THEM BECAUSE THEY, EVEN IF THEY'RE NOT PHYSICALLY DOING SOMETHING FOR US, THEY DOING SOME OTHER ADMINISTRATIVE, UH, THINGS.
UM, SO AGAIN, I DON'T KNOW HOW IT HAPPENED, WHY IT WAS IT PASSED AND WHO WAS BEHIND IT.
LET JUST FIX IT, YOU KNOW, MAKE, MAKE IT SO THAT WE WANT TO CONTINUE.
UM, MAY I HAVE YOUR NAME PLEASE? NELSON DIAZ.
AND, AND I CAN CLARIFY JUST BRIEFLY.
UM, THERE WAS NOT A DISCUSSION SHOULD WE HAVE THE 20 YEAR LIFETIME EXEMPTION IN THE LAW OR NOT? UH, AND, AND THE BOARD DID NOT DECIDE TO REMOVE IT.
WHAT HAPPENED WAS THE PREVIOUS RAIL PROPERTY TAX LAW AUTOMATICALLY GAVE THAT EXEMPTION.
THE NEW TAX LAW THAT WAS PASSED AT THE STATE LEVEL HAD AN OPT-IN PROVISION, WHICH WAS INADVERTENTLY NOT REVIEWED IN A, WELL, IT COULD STILL BE DONE IN A TIMELY MATTER BECAUSE WE'RE TRYING TO LOOK AT IT BY THE MAY 1ST TAXABLE STATUS DATE.
SO IT'S NOT LIKE ANYBODY ON THIS BOARD SPECIFICALLY SAID, WE'RE REMOVING THAT EXEMPTION.
I JUST WANNA MAKE THAT CLEAR FOR EVERYBODY WATCHING.
WELL THANK YOU FOR CLARIFYING THAT.
NEXT WE HAVE ON THE LIST VINCENT.
AND DID YOU WISH TO SPEAK DURING THE PUBLIC HEARING OR PUBLIC COMMENT FOR THE TWO MINUTES? WELL, PRIOR TO THAT, I JUST WANNA THANK PAUL FOR THE BLACK HISTORY MONTH PRESENTERS TONIGHT.
AND AS A QUICK NOTE, THE WIFE OF TOM WORKED WITH MY MOM.
'CAUSE WHEN I TALKED TO HER, WE RECANTED A FEW ITEMS IN WHICH WE BOTH KNEW, BUT THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
SO I JUST WANT A QUICK TWO MINUTES.
I LIVE IN THE VILLAGE OF DOPPS FERRY.
I'M A 51 YEAR MEMBER OF THE VILLAGE OF RZ FIRE DEPARTMENT.
I'M PLY THE VICE PRESIDENT OF THE FIRE COMPANY.
I'M A VERY ACTIVE FIREFIGHTER.
AND WHAT YOU'RE, WHAT WE NEED TO DO TO CORRECT THAT FOR THE 20 YEAR PERSONNEL IS, IS PRETTY IMPORTANT FOR RETENTION OF PEOPLE BECAUSE EVEN THOUGH THEY NOT BE, MAY NOT BE FULLY ACTIVE, I'M FORTUNATE THAT I AM ACTIVE, CAPABLE OF DOING IT, BUT ARE SOME PERSONNEL THAT ARE NOT CAPABLE OF, OF RESPONDED TO CALLS.
HOWEVER, WHAT THEY OFFER US AND THEIR WISDOM AND KNOWLEDGE IS PRICELESS.
AND I'LL JUST USE MY OWN TAX IN DOBBS FERRY.
MY, MY VILLAGE, MY TOWN TAXES ARE $342.
SO THAT $34 OF 10% OF MY TAXES IS ONE TANK OF GAS A YEAR.
AND WHAT THEY OFFER US IN THEIR KNOWLEDGE AND WHAT THEY'VE DONE FOR US IN THE PAST IS IMPORTANT.
AND AS NELSON ALSO MENTIONED, IT'S IMPORTANT FOR RETENTION FOR PEOPLE TO SEE THAT THEY, TO DOWN THE TOWNS AND THE VILLAGES ARE ACTIVELY SUPPORTING THEIR VOLUNTEER FIREFIGHTERS.
NOT TO BE DISRESPECTFUL TO ANY OTHER ORGANIZATION, BUT OUR VOLUNTEERS DO A LOT OF WORK AND THEY ARE, AND IT'S A LITTLE BIT THAT CAN GO A LONG WAY TO HELP 'EM.
[01:05:01]
MUCH FOR ALL OF YOUR SUPPORT.AND ALSO, IF YOU COULD PLEASE CLARIFY PRIOR AS YOU'RE GOING FORWARD, SO WE ALL KNOW HOW THIS AMENDMENT IS GONNA BE MADE.
WELL, LET'S, WE'RE GONNA HAVE A PUBLIC HEARING AND THEN WE'LL PASS IT AFTER, PASS THE LOCAL LAW AFTER THE, AFTER THE PUBLIC HEARING.
USUALLY IT'S DONE THE FOLLOWING, THE FOLLOWING MEETING.
UH, BUT, YOU KNOW, I JUST FEEL, YOU KNOW, THE VOLUNTEERS ARE CRUCIAL TO OUR TOWN.
UM, AND IF YOU COMPARE THE VOLUNTEER FIRE DEPARTMENTS, UH, THE AMOUNT THAT PEOPLE PAY IN TAXES TO THE VOLUNTEERS, TO THE AMOUNT THAT PEOPLE PAY FOR THE PAID FIRE DISTRICTS, IT'S DAY AND NIGHT, UH, IN ELMSFORD, HOW MUCH IS IT PER THOUSAND, UH, A RIGHT.
IT IT'S LIKE, IT'S, IT, IT'S, IT'S, IT'S VERY LITTLE
SO THE THING IS, IF WE BASICALLY LOSE THE VOLUNTEER COMPANIES, UH, AND IF WE HAVE TO GO TO, AND ALL PAY FIRE, FIRE DISTRICTS THE TAXES ARE GONNA RISE DRAMATICALLY.
SO I, I THINK THAT WHATEVER THE TOWN COULD DO TO, UM, RETAIN OUR VOLUNTEERS AND TO ENCOURAGE, UH, THE VOLUNTEERS BY GIVING, YOU KNOW, SOME OF THESE BREAKS AND SHOWING OUR APPRECIATION, I THINK IT'S MONEY THAT IS DEFINITELY, YOU KNOW, WELL SPENT.
I SENT A LETTER TODAY TO, UM, ALL THE MAYORS AND THE COMMUNITY AND TO THE FIRE CHIEFS, AND I ALSO FEEL THAT THE TOWN NEEDS TO APPROVE THE FIRE DISTRICT CONTRACTS WITH THE VOLUNTEER COMPANIES, UH, SOONER.
THE LAST TIME WE APPROVED SOME CONTRACTS WAS IN 2023, AND I DON'T THINK THAT WE SHOULD BE PAYING FOR SERVICES THAT WERE ALREADY RENDERED.
UM, TWO OR THREE YEARS LATER AFTER THE FACT, I SUGGESTED TO, UH, ALL THE FIRE DEPARTMENTS AND TO, UH, ALL THE MAYORS WHEN I WROTE TO THEM THIS MORNING THAT THEY GET A PROPOSED CONTRACT TO US SOMETIME, SAY THE SPRING.
AND I SAID THAT MY GOAL WILL BE TO GET THE CONTRACT FOR 2026 APPROVED IN 2026 AND THE MONEY PAID IN 2026.
IT'S TOTALLY UNCONSCIONABLE NOT TO PAY THE BILLS IN A TIMELY MANNER.
TWO YEARS AFTER THE FACT, ERICA PJI, LEMME JUST SAY, WE CAN ONLY PAY BILLS THAT WE RECEIVE AND WHAT THE SUPERVISOR'S TALKING ABOUT FOR A 2024 CONTRACT.
WE ONLY RECEIVED THE BILL AT THE, IN NOVEMBER, AND THEY HAD TO REDO IT BECAUSE IT WAS INCORRECT.
WE, WE ACTUALLY RECEIVED UPDATED INFORMATION JUST LAST WEEK.
WE'RE, WE'RE CONTINUING THE DISCUSSIONS.
HI, MY NAME IS ERICA BCI AND A VERY HAPPY BLACK HISTORY MONTH TO YOU ALL AND BELATED WISHES OF THE VALENTINE'S DAY.
AT THE LAST MEETING, I EXPRESSED MY INTEREST IN BEING APPOINTED BY THE TOWN BOARD TO THE HUMAN RIGHTS ADVISORY COMMITTEE.
I HOPE YOU TAKE ME UP ON MY OFFER TO TRY TO BE A HELP TO THE TOWN AND COMMUNITY.
I HAVE MY OWN MONTHLY CABLE TV SHOW.
I WANT TO HIGHLIGHT THE IMPORTANCE OF DIVERSITY AND HARMONY, AND HOPE THAT WE WILL ALL RESPECT EACH OTHER NO MATTER WHAT OUR POLITICAL, ETHNIC, RACIAL DIFFERENCES ARE.
MY MOST RECENT GUEST WAS ASSEMBLYWOMAN MARY JENSKY.
I'M INVITING MORE PEOPLE TO SHARE IDEAS WITH ME AT UPCOMING PROGRAMS. LET'S WORK TOGETHER AND BE OPTIMISTIC.
BRINGING THE COMMUNITY TOGETHER IS NOT AN EASY JOB, AND IT SHOULD BE DONE AS A TEAM.
SOME OF MY FRIENDS HAVE BEEN TALKING ABOUT THE DIFFERENCES WITHIN THE BOARD, WHICH IS DIVISIVE AND WILL FURTHER CREATE DEEPER SPLITS.
WE NEED TO SORT OUT THE DIFFERENCES AMONG OURSELVES BEHIND THE CLOSED DOORS, MAINTAINING CONFIDENTIALITY, AND NOT MAKE ANYTHING PUBLIC.
WE NEED TO RESPECT THE CFO OF OUR COMMUNITY, AND THAT'S HOW WE CREATE EXAMPLES AND ESTABLISH OUR LEGACY.
ALSO, INDECENT AND UNPROFESSIONAL ATTITUDE.
LEAVE A BITTER TEST AND DEFAME THE BOARD AND THE GOVERNANCE AS A WHOLE.
PRESTIGE, DIGNITY, AND GOOD PRESENTATION CONTRIBUTE AS THE EYE AND EAR RELIEF.
WE NEED TO UNDERSTAND FROM THE PERSPECTIVE OF THE AUDIENCE, INCLUDING PEOPLE WATCHING US LIVE.
I'M VERY MUCH THANKFUL TO MR. PAUL
[01:10:01]
FINER FOR BEING THE MENTOR OF MANY, INCLUDING MYSELF, EXPERIENCE, ENDEAVOR AND GUIDANCE.MAKE A PERSON STAND OUT IN A CROWD.
PAUL IS EXCEPTIONALLY TALENTED.
THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME, BUT I HAVE AND UNDERSTANDS HIS JOB VERY WELL.
CAN WE HAVE THE NEXT SPEAKER, PLEASE? MOST PEOPLE, I'M ENJOYING THE OPPORTUNITY TO LEARN.
NO, WE EXPLAINED THIS WAS THE LIGHTNING TWO MINUTE ROUND, AND SOMEONE COULD EITHER SPEAK DURING THIS ROUND OR THE FIVE MINUTE ROUND LATER TONIGHT.
AND I'M SORRY TO BE RUDE AND CUT YOU OFF, BUT I HAVE TO KEEP EVERYONE TO THE SAME RULES.
UH, HONORABLE JUDITH BRAIL, FORMER TOWN CLERK FOR 15 YEARS.
I'D LIKE TO THANK OUR TOWN SUPERVISOR, PAUL FINER FOR CONTINUING THE TRADITION THAT WE CREATED OVER 15 YEARS AGO.
PAUL FINER, AND MYSELF, JUDITH VILLE, TOWN CLERK OF CREATING AN AFRICAN AMERICAN HISTORY MONTH PROGRAM.
THANK YOU, PAUL, FOR CONTINUING THIS TRADITION.
IT IS SO IMPORTANT, AND ALSO I HOPE THAT YOU WILL CONTINUE WITH THE WOMEN'S HISTORY MONTH EVENT IN MARCH, AND REMINDING YOU PAUL AND THE TOWN THAT IT WAS PAUL FINDER'S IDEA.
WHEN I CAME TO PAUL AND SAID WE SHOULD DO A WOMEN'S HISTORY MONTH PROGRAM, PAUL SAID, JUDITH, LET'S MAKE SURE WE REACH OUT TO THE MAYORS OF THE VILLAGES TO MAKE SURE WE HONOR A WOMAN FROM EACH OF THE VILLAGES.
THANK YOU, PAUL, FOR YOUR INCLUSIVE MESSAGE.
PLEASE CONTINUE IT IN THIS TOWN AS THE LEADER OF THE TOWN OF GREENBURG WITH RESPECT TO THE FIRE HYDRANTS.
UM, I THINK THAT AN IDEA MIGHT BE TO CREATE A POLL OF ABOUT 10 FEET HIGH WITH A RED FLAG ON IT, AND HAVE DPW EMPLOYEES IDENTIFY WHERE THE FIRE HYDRANTS ARE DURING THE SUMMER MONTHS.
AND THEN WHEN THE FALL AND WINTER COMES, WE CAN POST THAT POLE NEXT TO THE FIRE HYDRANTS.
THE FIRE HYDRANT NEAR MY HOME IS COVERED OVER WITH SNOW, BUT WITH A POLL AND A RED FLAG, IT WOULD BE OBVIOUS THAT THERE'S A FIRE HYDRANT THERE.
THANK YOU, PAUL, FOR YOUR LEADERSHIP, YOUR EXTRAORDINARY AND EXCELLENT IDEAS WITH RESPECT TO HOW TO, UM, UH, PROTECT YOUR RESIDENTS IN THE TOWN OF GREENBURG.
I I DO LIKE YOUR IDEA IN TERMS OF THE HYDRANTS, YOU KNOW, I THINK THAT'S THE PRACTICAL, UH, SUGGESTION THAT I'LL BRING UP TO THE FIREFIGHTERS ALSO ON, UH, DPW.
THANK YOU, UH, MR. PETER STEINHOFF, AND AS HE COMES UP, I JUST WANNA REMIND EVERYONE THERE'S EITHER A TWO MINUTE ROUND NOW OR A FIVE MINUTE ROUND LATER AND YOU CAN CHOOSE WHICH ONE YOU SPEAK DURING.
SO IF YOU DON'T FEEL LIKE TWO MINUTES IS ENOUGH, COME TO THE FIVE MINUTE ROUND LATER.
BUT YOU CANNOT SPEAK AT BOTH, RIGHT? MM-HMM
SO I SIGNED UP ORIGINALLY FOR FIVE MINUTES, BUT MAYBE AS I SENT YOU AN EMAIL ALREADY.
SO MY NAME IS, UH, KLAUS PETER SOFF.
I'M A GREENBURG RESIDENT AT JUNIPER HILL ROAD FOR 20 PLUS YEARS.
UH, JUNIPER HILL ROAD ENJOYS THAT WONDERFUL NEW WALKWAY, UH, THE SIDEWALK.
UH, WE APPRECIATE THAT VERY MUCH.
UH, AND WE CLEARLY UNDERSTAND THAT WITH THAT SIDEWALK, THERE ARE RESPONSIBILITIES COMING, SUCH AS SNOW SHUFFLING.
UH, WE ARE HAPPY TO COMPLY WITH WHAT IS NEEDED, BUT, YOU KNOW, WE ARE UNHAPPY WITH WHAT, UH, WE SEE RIGHT NOW.
SO WE HAD TWO MAJOR SNOW EVENTS AND TWO MAJOR SNOW EVENTS FOLLOWED, UH, YOU KNOW, A BATTLE, ALMOST A BATTLE WITH THE STREET PLOW AGAINST OUR LITTLE EGO BLOWER OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT FOR THE SPACE IN THAT STREET TO PUT SNOW ASIDE.
SO, YOU KNOW, JUST IMAGINE IT DOESN'T MAKE ANY SENSE.
WE ARE CLEANING THE SIDEWALK, YOU KNOW, WHATEVER IS NEEDED, THE SNOW PLOW COMES.
THERE ARE TWO RETAINING WALLS, YOU KNOW, WHERE YOU HAVE NO CHANCE TO PUT THE SNOW ANYWHERE ELSE, YOU HAVE TO PUT IT BACK IN THE STREET.
SO JUST PUTTING IT BACK IN THE STREET, FIVE MINUTES LATER, THE SNOW PLOW COMES AGAIN.
LOOK, THE ENTIRE WALKWAY IS FULL AGAIN, AND SO ON.
WE DID THAT THREE TIMES AND I SAID, ENOUGH, WE HAVE TO DO SOMETHING ELSE.
[01:15:01]
HOWEVER, YOU KNOW, AT THE VERY MINIMUM, YOU KNOW, OFFICE SET UP RUSO, I HOPE I HAVE THE NAME RIGHT, THE CHIEF ENFORCEMENT OFFICER, I THINK, UH, IS THE OFFICIAL TITLE IS BY NOW MY BEST FRIEND BECAUSE HE IS NOT GETTING TIRED TO TAKE PICTURES OF THE WALKWAY AND TO ISSUE, UH, VIOLATION NOTICES.I HAVE A SUMMON FROM THE TOWN COURT LAST MONDAY.
GUESS WHAT? THERE WAS SNOW AND DIDN'T HAPPEN.
SO I WAIT FOR THE NEXT INVITE TO GET MY FINE, OBVIOUSLY, BECAUSE I WAS NOT ABLE TO CLEAN THE SNOW IN A REASONABLE TIME, BLAH, BLAH, BLAH.
SO WHEN THE WEATHER CAME A LITTLE BIT MORE OPEN, THE SNOW STARTED THROWING, WE WERE PUSHING THE SNOW BACK, YOU KNOW, FROM THE, FROM THE WALKWAY.
AND WE GOT IN, WE GOT IN TROUBLE WITH THE POLICE.
BUT AS I SAID, EVERYTHING IS SUMMARIZED IN THE EMAIL.
I HOPE WE'LL LOOK AT THE EMAIL.
I HOPE THAT I GET A RESPONSE FROM YOU.
I JUST HAVE A QUICK QUESTION ON TB THREE FOR TONIGHT, WHICH IS A RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING A CONTRACT WITH HIGH LINK TECHNOLOGY FOR VOICE AND INTERNET SERVICE IN ALL TOWN BUILDINGS.
I'D LIKE TO KNOW WHAT ARE THE SERVICES THAT ARE GOING TO BE PROVIDED? THANK YOU.
HAVE THE, UM, HAVE THE EXACT SERVICES.
ARE YOU GONNA RESPOND? WE'RE CHANGING PHONE SYSTEM.
PAUL, ARE YOU GONNA RESPOND? WHEN YOU SAY VOICE SERVICES, I ASSUME THAT PERTAINS TO THE PHONES.
WHAT EXACTLY DOES THIS ENCOMPASS? ARE WE GOING TO HAVE, UM, AUTOMATED VOICES ANSWERING CALLS AND BUTTONS THAT WE HAVE TO PUSH IN ORDER TO GET THROUGH TO PEOPLE? THIS? OH, OKAY.
SO YEAH, THIS, THIS IS, UM, THIS IS THE, UM, THIS IS FOR TOWN HALL PHONES.
UM, WE DO HAVE AN IT DEPARTMENT WHO IS TRYING TO MAKE IT MORE ACCESSIBLE FOR RESIDENTS TO CALL AND TO FIND WHO THEY'RE LOOKING FOR MORE QUICKLY AND MORE ACCURATELY.
UM, I CANNOT GIVE YOU THE EXACT DETAILS OF WHAT THAT WOULD LOOK LIKE AT THIS MOMENT, BUT I COULD ASSURE YOU THAT THEY CHOSE THIS COMPANY BECAUSE THEY LIKE THE SERVICES THAT ARE PROVIDED AND THAT THIS ISN'T SOME SORT OF AI ISSUE WHERE YOU'RE GONNA BE TALKING TO A ROBOT OR SOMETHING.
IT'LL STILL BE, UM, PHONE CALLS COMING TO TOWN STAFF.
SO IF YOU'D LIKE MORE INFORMATION, CAROL, I COULD PROVIDE A, CAN I MAKE A, AN IT DEPARTMENT? I MAKE A SUGGESTION.
WHAT IF WE HELD IT OVER AND INVITED THE COMPANY, COMPANY? NO, BUT LET ME, I HAVE A RIGHT TO EXPRESS MYSELF.
UH, YOU KNOW, UH, YOU KNOW, CAROL, YOU KNOW, MENTIONED SOMETHING.
UM, THERE'S OBVIOUSLY SOME INTEREST IN THIS.
WE ARE GONNA BE SPENDING FUNDS AND IF WE, IF WE HELD IT OVER FOR, UH, FOR, UH, AND HAD A WORK SESSION DISCUSSION AND INVITED THE COMPANY, UM, YOU KNOW, AND, UM, OUR, UH, THE STAFF PEOPLE WHO WERE WORKING ON THIS TO MAKE A BRIEF PRESENTATION, THEN EVERYBODY WILL BE ABLE TO SEE, YOU KNOW, WHAT WE'RE GETTING FROM THIS AND WHAT WE'RE, YOU KNOW, THE BENEFITS.
AND, UM, AND WE COULD, ANYBODY COULD ASK QUESTIONS.
AND IF THERE'S NO, UH, YOU KNOW, IF NOBODY HAS ANY CONCERNS OR WHATEVER, UH, THEN WE COULD BASICALLY, UM, UH, JUST GO AHEAD.
YOU KNOW, WE COULD ALSO ASK, UH, WHAT OTHER COMPANIES WE LOOKED AT.
YOU KNOW, WE LOOKED AT, UH, WHAT THE, THE DIFFERENT FEATURES WERE.
I DON'T SEE, UH, IF THERE'S A, YOU KNOW, A ONE WEEK OR TWO WEEK DELAY, IT'S NOT GONNA BE THE END OF THE WORLD.
AND ALSO IT'S, IT'S MORE TRANSPARENT AND IT'S GONNA MAKE PEOPLE FEEL BETTER ABOUT THE DECISIONS WE WE MAKE.
BECAUSE IF WE COULD SAY TO PEOPLE, THE RESIDENTS OF THE TOWN, EVERY TIME THERE'S AN IMPORTANT DECISION, UH, WE'RE ANALYZING IT, WE'RE BEING TRANSPARENT, WE'RE LETTING PEOPLE KNOW, UM, PEOPLE COULD ASK QUESTIONS.
THERE'S NOTHING WRONG WITH THAT.
I MEAN, IT'S SO, SO YOU WHAT I, I, I'M GONNA HOLD IT OVER AND, UM, THEN WHAT WE COULD DO IS WE COULD PUT IT ON THE WORK SESSION AGENDA FOR NEXT TUESDAY, AND WE WILL PUT A VOTE ON, UH, FOR, UH, UM, UH, YOU KNOW, THE FOLLOWING, UH, THE FOLLOWING MEETING IN, IN TWO, IN TWO WEEKS.
I, I DOUBT THAT THERE'LL BE A PROBLEM.
I DOUBT THAT PEOPLE ARE GONNA HAVE ANY CONCERNS.
IT'S NOT GONNA BE A MAJOR, IT IS NOT GONNA BE AN INCONVENIENCE TO EVERYBODY.
SO WE SHOULD ASK, UM, HOLLY, TO PUT IT ON THE WORK SESSION AGENDA FOR, UH, UM, YOU KNOW, FOR, FOR TUESDAY.
AND IT WOULD BE NICE IF WE HAD THE COMPANY THERE, SOMEBODY FROM THE COMPANY.
WE HAVE THE DETAILS AND THE RESOLUTION OF EXACTLY WHAT THIS IS ABOUT.
I DON'T KNOW IF YOU SAW THE RESOLUTION.
I, I, I READ THE WE HAVE, WE HAVE.
WE HAVE THE CONTRACT WITH THEM EXPLAINING EXACTLY THE EQUIPMENT
[01:20:01]
THAT THEY'RE GOING TO GIVE US.I DON'T KNOW WHAT ELSE THERE IS TO SAY BECAUSE, AND YOU TALK ABOUT BEING MORE TRANSPARENT.
I DON'T KNOW HOW YOU CAN GET MORE TRANSPARENT WHERE WE'RE DISPLAYING AND EXPLAINING WHY WE NEED THIS, WHAT IT DOES STATED IN THE, IN THE, WHEREAS CLAUSES OF THE RESOLUTION.
AND THEN WE ALSO POST THE CONTRACT, SPECIFY THE EXACT EQUIPMENT, UM, THAT'S THERE.
AND I'D LIKE, I'D LIKE, UH, TO HAVE, YOU KNOW, THE MIS PEOPLE AND, AND, UH, HOPEFULLY A REPRESENTATIVE OF THE COMPANY JUST TO MAKE A VERY BRIEF PRESENTATION.
TAKE 10 MINUTES, UH, 15 MINUTES, AND THEN WE'RE, WE CAN MOVE ON WITH THIS.
AND ANYBODY WHO'S INTERESTED IN THIS WILL, WILL FEEL GOOD ABOUT THE PROCESS.
WELL, I WOULD JUST LIKE TO ASK, UM, THE RESIDENT WHO BROUGHT IT FORWARD, IF READING THE RESOLUTION WOULD SUFFICE OR WOULD SHE PERSONALLY THINK THAT, WELL, THIS IS FOR ME.
YOU CAN SAY WHATEVER YOU NEED TO SAY, BUT THIS IS WHAT I'M ASKING.
THIS IS THE RESOLUTION THAT NO, THAT'S THE HEADING OF THE RESOLUTION.
I'M SIMPLY ASKING, WHAT IS THE SERVICE? I DON'T KNOW IF YOU NEED TO READ THE WHOLE RESOLUTION.
THE EQUIPMENT IS, I WANT TO KNOW WHAT THE SERVICES THAT'S BEING PROVIDED.
AND THE REASON WHY I ASK IS BECAUSE, UH, I HAVE BEEN EXTREMELY PLEASED WITH THE RESPONSES I GET FROM THE STAFF IN THE TOWN.
AND I WANT TO KNOW, IS THIS GOING TO MAKE IT MORE DIFFICULT? NO.
FOR ME TO GET ABSOLUTE, IT'LL, IT'LL DEFINITELY MAKE IT BETTER BECAUSE IT'LL HAVE CALL FORWARDING SO THAT IF SOMEBODY'S NOT IN THE OFFICE, IT'LL BE FORWARDED TO WHEREVER THEY, THEY MAY BE.
WOULD YOU LIKE TO READ IT? YEAH, I HAVE IT FOR, AND YOU DON'T HAVE TO FIND THE TOWN CLERK'S OFFICE.
IT'S EXTENSION SIX, BY THE WAY.
BUT THE SUPERVISOR'S HOLDING IT OVER BECAUSE IT'S HOLDING OVER.
SO YOU CAN WAIT UNTIL NEXT WEEK.
YOU CAN WAIT UNTIL WHENEVER, YOU KNOW, WE'LL JUST WAIT TWO MORE WEEKS.
BUT THE MASTER CONTRACT IS UP THERE, THE ITEMIZED LIST OF ALL THE EQUIPMENT IS UP ON THE WEBSITE AS WELL AS THE RESOLUTION.
UM, SO I DON'T THINK THEY'LL, I DON'T THINK WE NEED A MEMBER OF THE COMPANY TO COME AND READ TO US THEIR AGREEMENT.
I, I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT TO REEMPHASIZE TO THE PUBLIC THAT WHEN THEY'RE ON THE WEBSITE AND LOOKING AT THE AGENDA, THAT ALL THE DETAIL IS THERE TO FIND.
I MEAN, SOMETIMES PEOPLE DON'T KNOW THAT, OR REMEMBER IF THEY'RE NEW TO DOING IT TO SEARCHING FOR THE INFORMATION.
UM, ON THE WEBSITE, I, THERE, UH, AGAIN, I WANNA SAY THAT THERE'S NOTHING THAT I FIND OBJECTIONABLE TO, TO THIS PROPOSAL.
ON THE OTHER HAND, I DON'T SEE, I, I DON'T SEE ANY NEGATIVE, UM, HAVING SOMEBODY FROM A COMPANY, UM, AND THE MIS PEOPLE, UH, EXPLAINING IT CLEARLY, YOU KNOW, WHAT THEY, WHAT THEY WANT, WHAT THEY WANT TO DO, UH, YOU KNOW, SOME OF THE IMPROVEMENTS, MAYBE, MAYBE SOME OF US COULD THINK OF ADDITIONAL QUESTIONS THAT WE HAVEN'T THOUGHT OF.
UM, AND, YOU KNOW, I THINK THAT'S WHAT, YOU KNOW, I THINK THAT'S WHAT TRANSPARENCY IS ABOUT.
AND WE WANT TO HAVE THE BEST POSSIBLE SERVICES.
MAYBE SOMEBODY FROM, UH, THE COMMUNITY WILL HAVE SOME BETTER IDEAS THAT, UH, IN TERMS OF, UH, TECHNOLOGY THAT WE HAVEN'T THOUGHT OF, AND WE COULD ASK ABOUT THAT ALSO.
SO I DON'T SEE ANYTHING NEGATIVE HOLDING IT OVER FOR A WEEK OR SO AND GETTING MORE INFORMATION.
BUT, YOU KNOW, WHAT WAS THE RESOLUTION CLEAR? DR. ALLEN? IT COULD BE CLEAR.
DR. ALLEN, WAS THE RESOLUTION CLEAR? DID YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS? THIS BASICALLY SAYS I'M PROVIDING A NEW SYSTEM.
THE QUESTION IS, WHAT IS IT IN THE NEW SYSTEM? AN UPGRADE THAT, THAT THE PUBLIC WILL BE INTERACTING WITH? THAT'S, THAT'S WHAT I WANT TO, BECAUSE WE, THIS IS A MAJOR EXPENDITURE FOR THE TOWN.
SO WE'RE TALKING ABOUT OVER A HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS ANNUALLY FOR THE NEXT FIVE YEARS.
WE CAN RESPOND TO YOU, WE CAN GET YOUR EMAIL WITH THAT PARTICULARS FROM MI WHEREAS GIVES YOU A LITTLE BIT MORE OF AN EXPLANATION.
SO WE'LL ASK HOLLY TO NEXT, PROVIDE THE COMPANY YES.
REPRESENTATIVE AT THE MEETING.
UH, UH, CAN WE HAVE MR. JOHN LINDER PLEASE? HELLO, MY NAME'S JOHN LINDNER.
I'M A RESIDENT OF HASTINGS AND A 45 MET YEAR MEMBER OF THE HASTINGS ON HUDSON FIRE DEPARTMENT.
I'M CURRENTLY THE ASSISTANT CHIEF.
I JUST WANNA SPEAK TO THE, UH, UM, TAX, UH, BREAK FOR, UH, MEMBERS OF THE VOLUNTEER FIRE DEPARTMENT.
UH, I'M CURRENTLY A RETIREE ON A FIXED INCOME.
I HAD TO SELL MY HOUSE BECAUSE OF THE TAXES.
UH, SO THIS WON'T BENEFIT ME, BUT IT DOES BENEFIT, ESPECIALLY PEOPLE
[01:25:01]
20 YEARS AND MORE, SOME RETIRED.UM, WE HAVE A LOT OF OLD TIMERS OUT THERE THAT EVERY PENNY COUNTS.
AND YOU REALLY NEED TO UNDERSTAND BY POSSIBLY REMOVING THAT, HOW IT WILL AFFECT PEOPLE WHO HAVE LIVED THERE, PROVIDED A SERVICE TO THIS TOWN AND VILLAGE.
AND, UH, YOU KNOW, IT'S, UH, YOU GOTTA TAKE CARE OF THOSE PEOPLE AND THAT'S WHAT WE ASK YOU TO DO AND CONTINUE TO DO.
UM, AND MOVING FORWARD, IF THERE IS DISCUSSION ABOUT CHANGING THIS, MAYBE YOU COULD LET THE FIRE CHIEFS KNOW IN ADVANCE SO WE CAN WORK WITH YOU.
WE INDICATED THAT WE ARE GOING TO RESTORE THE EXEMPTION.
I JUST WANTED TO
IT WAS THAT IT WASN'T ADDED BECAUSE IT'S NOW IN THE STATE LAW, IS THERE'S NOW AN OPTION TO ADD IT.
SO WE DIDN'T SAY IT'S HERE AND WE'RE TAKING IT OUT.
WE WERE GOING WITH THE STATE LAW AND THAT OPTION JUST WASN'T PUT IN AND WE'RE GOING TO ADDRESS THAT.
WELL, AS FAR BE, JOHN WOULD BE A PUBLIC HEARING.
BUT IN THE, IN THE FUTURE, MAYBE, YOU KNOW, 'CAUSE I KNOW HASTINGS CLICKED THAT BOX AND WE GOT IT.
UM, AND THE STATE DID, OR WHAT WHOEVER ELSE IS INVOLVED IN FOR WHATEVER REASON, IF YOU COULD KEEP US MORE INVOLVED WITH ANYTHING INVOLVING OUR MEMBERS, WE'D GREATLY APPRECIATE IT.
UM, IS THERE ANYONE ELSE WHO WANTED TO GO TO THE TWO MINUTE ROUND? THEN? IF NOT, WE WILL THEN RESUME TO, UH, THE ZOOM LINK.
UH, WE'RE HAVING, WE'RE OPENING UP.
WAIT, THERE'S NO ONE ON ZOOM PUBLIC HEARING.
OH, IS THERE ANYBODY ON ZOOM FOR THE TWO MINUTES? OH, TERRANCE SAID IT WAS GOING.
LISTEN TO WHAT THEY'RE SAYING.
COPY IS WHAT THEY'RE TALKING ABOUT.
UH, DAVID DOW, CHIEF OF THE URBAN CITY FIRE DEPARTMENT.
I'M ACTUALLY A SECOND TIME CHIEF.
UH, I'VE BEEN WITH THE DEPARTMENT FOR ABOUT 30 YEARS, AND I WANTED TO BRING UP THE, UH, TAX INCENTIVE OR TAX EXEMPTION.
UH, I KNOW WE HAVE A NUMBER OF MEMBERS IN THE AUDIENCE THAT SPOKE, AND I CAN'T AGREE MORE WITH THEM.
I WANTED TO ALSO PUT THIS INTO PERSPECTIVE.
SO FOR IRVINGTON SPECIFICALLY, WE HAVE ABOUT 48 MEMBERS OF THAT FOUR MEMBERS ARE ENROLLED INTO THE EXEMPTION, BUT ARE NOT ACTIVE.
AND TAKING THAT AWAY FOR THE MEMBERS WHO HAVE SERVED OVER 50 YEARS, THAT CAN'T MAKE 10% NOW, IS JUST A SLAP IN THE FACE.
AND TO PUT THAT INTO PERSPECTIVE, THAT EQUATES TO $309 IN SAVINGS FOR IRVINGTON FIREFIGHTERS.
THAT'S A DROP IN THE BUCKET FOR THIS ENTIRE PROGRAM.
AND IF, AND I'VE SEEN THE, UH, THE, THE BOARD TALK ABOUT TRANSPARENCY, THERE WAS ZERO TRANSPARENCY AND DISCUSSION WITH THE VOLUNTEER FIRE DEPARTMENTS BY CHANGING THIS, UH, LAW.
SO I DO FIND IT GREAT THAT WE'RE GONNA TALK ABOUT IT AND PUT IT OUT THERE, BUT I ALSO FIND IT INTERESTING FROM A TRANSPARENCY PERSPECTIVE, THERE WAS ZERO COMMUNICATION TO THE FIRE DEPARTMENT OR FIRE CHIEFS.
I THINK IF WE'RE GONNA CONTINUE WITH TRANSPARENCY, THIS ABSOLUTELY NEEDS TO BE BROUGHT UP.
AND THE CHIEFS OR FIRE DEPARTMENTS THAT ARE IMPACTED ABSOLUTELY HAVE TO HAVE A SEAT AT THE TABLE.
YOU KNOW, MAYBE ONE OF THE, UH, IDEAS, UM, WOULD BE, UH, FOR THE TOWN BOARD, UM, TO HAVE A MAYBE ONCE OR TWICE A YEAR MEETING WITH ALL THE, UH, THE FIRE CHIEFS.
UM, AND WE COULD DISCUSS WAYS WE COULD IMPROVE WORKING, UH, UH, TOGETHER WE COULD DISCUSS ISSUES THAT YOU HAVE, YOU KNOW, CONCERNS ABOUT.
UM, BECAUSE I THINK IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT THAT THE TOWN, UM, DO WHATEVER WE CAN, UM, TO WORK WITH, WITH THE FIRE DEPARTMENTS, UM, AND TO, UM, DO WHATEVER WE CAN TO BE HELPFUL TO, UH, ALL THE FIRE DEPARTMENTS THAT ARE, UM, ARE SERVING OUR COMMUNITIES.
SO, AND, AND PAUL, JUST TO PUT THAT INTO PERSPECTIVE, THE ONLY DEPARTMENT THAT I GET AN EMAIL FROM FROM GREENBERG IS THE BUILDING DEPARTMENT WHEN THERE'S A CHANGE TO ANY PROPERTIES IN KINSON OR THE GREENBERG AREA.
SO I THINK WE NEED TO HAVE SOME SORT OF TRANSPARENCY BEING THEIR INFORMATION BEING SENT TO THE FIRE CHIEFS.
[01:30:01]
THAT, CHIEF.AND JUST TO CLARIFY FOR THE RECORD, THERE WERE 20 SECONDS ON THE CLOCK WHEN THE SUPERVISOR STARTED SPEAKING.
OKAY, NEXT, NEXT ZOOM PERSON, PLEASE STATE YOUR NAME.
UH, WE VERY, UM, UM, JUST, UM, WANTED TO LET YOU KNOW, RESPECT THE TOWN BOARD, UH, MR. FINER THAT, UH, WE'RE PLANNING TO START RESTART THE FARMER'S MARKET AGAIN IN THE MONTH OF MARCH.
AND I'M VERY EXCITED TO CONTINUE THIS 30 YEAR TRADITION.
AND, UH, I JUST WANT LET TO LET YOU GUYS KNOW THAT, UH, EVERYTHING IS ACCORDING TO PLAN.
IF YOU GUYS HAVE ANY QUICK QUESTIONS FOR ME, PLEASE FEEL FREE TO.
SO IT'S GONNA BE, UH, BEGINNING IN THE MIDDLE OF MARCH? YES.
AND FROM WHAT TIMES? UH, SAME AS, UH, AS IT ALWAYS BEEN.
AND THIS IS THE ONE ON EAST HEART AVENUE.
AND, UM, WE, UH, AND, UH, UH, JUST FOR THE PUBLIC, UH, BENEFIT, UM, IF YOU HAVE LEFT OVER FOOD, YOU'VE DONATED IT TO FOOD PANTRIES IN THE PAST.
AND WHY DON'T YOU CONTINUE DOING THAT? WOULD YOU LET THE, LET EVERYONE KNOW WHAT YOU'LL BE OFFERING AT THE FARMER'S MARKET? UH, THERE'S GOING TO BE, UH, PRODUCE BREAD AND PASTRY, DAIRY, EGGS, UH, CHEESE, AND, UH, SPECIALTY FOOD ITEMS LIKE, UH, PREPARED FOODS, UH, RAVIOLI, UH, FROZEN MEALS, AND, UH, SOUPS.
EVERYTHING WAS WONDERFUL, ESTHER.
SO WE REALLY LOOK FORWARD TO COMING BACK.
UH, THANK YOU VERY MUCH, GUYS.
I'M VERY MUCH LOOKING FORWARD TO BEING BACK AS WELL.
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THE OPPORTUNITY.
IS THERE ANYONE ELSE ON ZOOM? NOPE, NOT FOR THE TWO MINUTE ROUND, KATHY.
[ To consider a rate increase for the Consolidated Water District #1]
OKAY, NEXT, WE HAVE A PUBLIC HEARING, UH, TO CONSIDER A RATE INCREASE FOR THE CONSOLIDATED WATER DISTRICT.I MEAN, YOU'D LIKE TO OPEN THE HEARING.
I BELIEVE STEVE HOUSE IS ON ZOOM.
I DON'T KNOW IF, HOLD ON A SECOND.
UH, CJ QUESTION? CJ? THERE HE IS.
STEVE, STEVE, CAN YOU COME OFF MUTE OR WHO'S, I'M NOT SURE WHO'S PRESENTING.
THIS IS, UH, CJ RO THE ENGINEER.
I'M NOT SURE IF, UH, STEVE MIGHT BE HAVING ISSUES WITH THIS, THE SOUND, BUT WE JUST WANTED TO, UM, TURN THE FLOOR OVER TO OUR, OUR WATER RATE, UH, DEPARTMENT, UH, CONSULTANT.
UM, WE HAVE, UH, PHIL AND, AND, AND, AND BRANDON, PHIL'S THE POEM, BRANDON BATTER.
UM, THEY'RE GONNA GO THROUGH THE, THEY DID A, A IMPORTANT STUDY AND OUR RATES, OUR OPERATING COSTS, OUR CAPITAL NEEDS, AND, AND THEY CAN TELL YOU WHAT, UH, WHAT THEY CAME UP WITH.
UH, ARE THEY ON SALE? THERE YOU GO.
UH, I THINK I SAW 'EM POP UP FIRST PLACE THERE.
PHIL, AROUND, ARE YOU, ARE YOU READY TO PRESENT? YEAH, I'M, THIS IS PHIL.
AND THEY BOTH REPRESENT ELLIS, RIGHT? I'M SORRY.
ARE, ARE YOU GONNA BE ON CAMERA? YEAH, I'M JUST GETTING SET UP HERE.
SO, UH, IS BRANDON MATTER ALSO ABLE TO? YES.
LET ME JUST SHARE MY SCREEN, RIGHT.
AND EVERYBODY CAN, EVERY CAN SEE THIS, RIGHT? YES.
SO MY NAME IS PHIL
AND WE'RE HERE TO TALK ABOUT TWO THINGS.
SO THERE'S TWO OF US, BECAUSE THERE WAS TWO SEPARATE PROJECTS.
THE FIRST, THE FIRST PROJECT THAT, UM, THAT WE'RE GONNA TALK ABOUT IS THE ONE THAT BRANDED, THE ONE THAT BRANDED LED.
IT'S THE OPERATIONS AND CAPITAL PROGRAMS BEST PRACTICES REVIEWED IN CIP DEVELOPMENT.
SO, CIP STANDS FOR CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PROGRAM, AND BRANDON'S GONNA GO THROUGH, UM, ALL THE DIFFERENT, WELL, I THINK HE'S GONNA FOCUS ON THE CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PLAN
[01:35:01]
ASPECT OF THAT, OF THAT PROJECT.AND THAT WAS SPECIFIC TO THE WATER SYSTEM.
SO WHAT IT, WHAT IT'S GOING TO ENTAIL IS IDENTIFYING WHAT PROJECTS ARE NEEDED FOR THE WATER SYSTEM OVER THE NEXT SEVERAL YEARS.
UM, WHY THOSE PROJECTS ARE NEEDED, WHEN THEY SHOULD BE COMPLETED, AND AN ESTIMATE ON IT COST.
SO THAT'S SOME REALLY IMPORTANT INFORMATION.
AND THE SECOND PART OF IT, WHICH IS THE PART THAT I LED, IS THE FIVE YEAR WATER RATE PROJECTION AND SYSTEM FINANCIAL FORECAST.
AND THAT INVOLVES TAKING A MICROSOFT EXCEL BASED MODEL, INCORPORATING ALL THE FINANCIAL INFORMATION FROM THE SYSTEM INTO IT, INCLUDING THE COSTS AND THE TIMING OF THE CAPITAL PROJECTS THAT BRANDON IDENTIFIES AS PART OF THIS PROJECT.
SO YOU CAN SEE HOW THESE TWO ARE LINKED TOGETHER.
IT'S WHAT PROJECTS NEED TO BE DONE.
LET'S INCORPORATE THAT INTO A FINANCIAL AND RATE PLAN, AND LET'S MAKE SURE THAT WE HAVE THE MONIES AVAILABLE TO PAY THE PROJECTS THAT NEED TO BE DONE, PAY THE COST, OPERATE THE SYSTEM, PAY BACK ANY MONEY THAT'S BEEN BORROWED TO KEEP THE SYSTEM IN GOOD FINANCIAL CONDITION.
SO WITH THAT, UH, BRANDON, COULD YOU GO AHEAD AND COVER WHAT, UH, YOU PLAN TO COVER TONIGHT? AND I'LL, I'LL FLIP US FROM ONE SIDE TO SLIDE TO THE NEXT, AND YOU JUST TELL ME WHEN TO LET TO GO.
IT'S NICE TO, UH, MEET EVERYONE VIRTUALLY TALK WITH Y'ALL.
I'M A, UH, PROFESSIONAL ENGINEER.
UH, I'VE BEEN PRACTICING FOR ABOUT THE LAST 30 YEARS IN THE WATER WASTEWATER, STORMWATER FIELDS.
UM, I HAVE THE PRIVILEGE OF WORKING WITH UTILITIES ALL ACROSS THE COUNTRY TO HELP THEM IMPROVE THEIR CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PROGRAMS AND, AND THEIR ASSET MANAGEMENT PROGRAMS. UH, THAT'S JUST A FANCY WAY OF SAYING, HELPING THEM IDENTIFY WHAT, UH, PIPES, EQUIPMENT ACROSS THE SYSTEM NEEDS TO BE REPLACED, WHEN AND WHY.
UM, SO WE WORKED VERY CLOSELY WITH, UH, YOUR TOWN'S OPERATIONS AND ENGINEERING STAFF.
UH, WE LOOKED AT THE OPERATIONS BUDGET AND CAPITAL PROGRAMS BUDGET AS COMPARED TO A NUMBER OF DIFFERENT UTILITY BEST PRACTICES, UM, PROVIDED AND IMPROVEMENT RECOMMENDATIONS.
ALL OF THAT IS SUMMARIZED IN A, IN A DETAILED REPORT THAT I BELIEVE WAS MADE AVAILABLE TO, TO THE TOWN COUNCIL.
UM, WE ALSO REVIEWED YOUR COMPARED TO UTILITY BEST PRACTICES TO UNDERSTAND YOUR, YOUR LEVEL OF MATURITY, IDENTIFY ANY GAPS, AND, AND ALSO PROVIDE RECOMMENDATIONS, UH, CONSISTENT WITH BEST PRACTICES TO HELP FILL THOSE GAPS.
UH, WITH ALL OF THAT WORKING KNOWLEDGE, THEN WE WORK WITH STAFF TO DEVELOP A FIVE YEAR CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PROGRAM, OR, OR A BUDGET FOR BOTH THE WATER AND SEWER SYSTEMS. UM, WE IDENTIFIED A NUMBER OF, OF NEW ASSETS, UH, FACILITY FACILITIES THAT NEEDED TO BE UPGRADED.
UH, EXISTING ASSET RENEWAL REPLACEMENT.
I'LL TALK MORE ABOUT THESE IN DETAIL.
UH, AND OVERALL ASSET MANAGEMENT PROGRAM, UH, MATURITY, UH, THOSE PROJECTS ARE, ARE LINKED DIRECTLY TO CONDITION COMPLIANCE AND RISK OF FAILURE BASED INVESTMENT NEEDS.
UM, WHEN YOU THINK ABOUT A CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PROGRAM BUDGET, SORT OF AN OVERARCHING GOAL IS YOU'RE, YOU'RE STEADILY REDUCING THE RISK OF ASSET FAILURE, PIPE FAILURE, EQUIPMENT FAILURE, TREATMENT COMPONENT FAILURE, UH, ANNUALLY AS YOU'RE MAKING INVESTMENTS SO THAT YOU LIVE WITHIN AN ACCEPTABLE LEVEL OF SERVICE, YOU LIVE WITHIN AN ACCEPTABLE TIMEFRAME OF, OF WATER MAINS BREAKING AND BEING FIXED, OR FOLKS BEING OUT WITHOUT WATER, UH, FOR A MINIMAL AMOUNT OF TIME.
YOU KNOW, WHEN ASSETS, UH, WHEN ASSETS FAIL, THE WHOLE GOAL IS TO, TO FIX THE ASSETS BEFORE THEY FAIL.
UM, THAT'S NOT ALWAYS POSSIBLE.
SO IT'S IMPORTANT TO HAVE A APPROPRIATE CAPITAL RESERVE, UH, TO FUND THOSE EMERGENCY PROJECTS.
SO THE CULMINATION OF, OF THAT WORK I RESULTED IN, IN WHAT YOU SEE ON THE SCREEN, AND ALSO THE NEXT SLIDE, UH, A NUMBER OF, UH, PUMP STATION PROJECTS.
YOU CAN SEE THERE, THE NORWOOD PUMP STATION, UH, NEEDS, UH, SEVERAL UPGRADES, UM, ESSENTIALLY REPLACEMENT, UH, OVER THE NEXT SEVERAL YEARS.
THE DOLLARS THAT YOU SEE BY YEAR ARE WHAT'S ANTICIPATED TO BE EXPENDED OR SPENT THAT GIVEN YEAR.
UM, IMPROVEMENTS ARE ALSO NEEDED AT THE RUNG BROOK PUMP STATION.
UH, AND WE SPACE THAT OUT TO TRY TO PHASE THAT WORK BASED ON, UH, USEFUL LIFE AND NEED.
UM, THERE'S A NUMBER OF WATER RENEWAL AND REPLACEMENT PROJECTS, UM, OPTIMIZING OVERHAULING PRESSURE, REDUCING VALVES, UH, WITHOUT WITHIN THE WATER SYSTEM.
THOSE ARE VERY IMPORTANT TO, TO MAINTAIN PRESSURE, UH, IN DIFFERENT AREAS OF THE SYSTEM, UH, SO THAT IT'S NOT TOO HIGH OR TOO LOW, UH, FOR OPERATIONS AND ALSO FOR, FOR FIREFIGHTING, UH, THERE'S A NUMBER OF VALVE RELATED
[01:40:01]
PROJECTS, UH, THAT NEED IMPROVEMENTS.UH, THE FAIRVIEW TANK NEEDS TO BE REPLACED WITH A NEW 1 MILLION GALLON TANK.
UM, AGAIN, THOSE DOLLARS ARE, ARE SPACED OUT BY EXPECTED EXPENDITURES.
UM, DESIGN IS PROPOSED IN IN 26, AND THEN CONSTRUCTION WOULD BE OVER THE COURSE OF 2027 AND 2028.
THERE'S SOME ALTITUDE VALVES ON THE TANKS THAT ALSO NEED TO BE REPLACED.
UH, WE SPACED THAT OUT TO 2029.
UM, AND THEN AN OVERALL SYSTEM CAPACITY ANALYSIS UPDATE IS NEEDED.
UH, THERE WAS A, A SYSTEMWIDE STUDY DONE IN THE, IN THE 1990S, AND IT RECOMMENDED A NUMBER OF IMPROVEMENTS.
UM, GIVEN THAT IT'S OVER 30 YEARS OLD, YOU KNOW, WE'RE RECOMMENDING THAT THAT CAPACITY ANALYSIS BE UPDATED, UM, THE SYSTEM BE EVALUATED FROM ITS HYDRAULICS AND PRESSURE PERSPECTIVE.
UM, AND, AND OVERALL, UM, ABILITY TO, TO SUPPLY FIRE HYDRANTS DURING, UH, DURING EMERGENCIES.
UH, WE ALSO IDENTIFIED A WATER MAIN REPLACEMENT IMPROVEMENT PROJECT THAT'S, THAT'S NEEDED, UH, TO FUND CURRENT, UM, WATER MAIN REPLACEMENTS ACROSS THE SYSTEM AT SIX AND A HALF MILLION DOLLARS IN 2026.
IF YOU GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE, PHIL.
AND THEN WE, WE CARRY THAT MONEY ON, IF YOU LOOK AT THE ANNUAL WATER MAIN REPLACEMENT RENEWAL PROGRAM LINE ITEM THERE, WE CARRY THAT MONEY ON, UH, TO FUTURE YEARS TO, TO AGAIN, UH, FUND THE, THE RENEWAL REPLACEMENT OF, OF THE AGING WATER MAINS.
UH, ALONG WITH THAT, UH, IT'S RECOMMENDED THAT A LEAK DETECTION CONDITION ASSESSMENT PROGRAM BE DEVELOPED.
SO THAT'S LISTENING, ACTIVELY LISTENING FOR LEAKS IN THE SYSTEM, FINDING THOSE, UH, CHECKING CONDITION OF THE OLDER WATER MAINS, UM, AND HELPING THEM PRIORITIZE HOW THOSE FUNDS WOULD BE EXPENDED UNDER THE REPLACEMENT RENEWAL PROGRAM.
THE NEXT ITEM THERE IS SYSTEM LOOPING IMPROVEMENTS.
UH, WHAT THAT MEANS IS IT IS GETTING RID OF THE DEAD ENDS IN THE WATER MAIN SYSTEM WHERE YOU, YOU MAY HAVE, WHERE THAT'S SITTING THERE FOR A LONG PERIOD OF TIME, UM, THAT MAY NOT BE ULTIMATELY, UH, SAFE TO DRINK.
UH, SO ADDING LOOPS OR CONNECTIONS ACROSS THOSE DEAD ENDS, UM, HELPS IMPROVE, UH, WATER QUALITY.
UM, AND ALSO PRESSURES ACROSS THE SYSTEM.
UM, SO WE TALKED A LOT ABOUT THE WATER MAINS, UH, VALVES AND HYDRANTS, UH, ALSO NEED ATTENTION.
UM, SO THERE'S A LINE ITEM IN THERE FOR FUTURE, UH, REPLACEMENT OF THOSE OVER TIME.
UM, THERE'S A NUMBER OF LEAD GALVANIZED STEEL SERVICE LINE REPLACEMENTS THAT, THAT MAY BE NEEDED.
UH, THE TOWN'S STILL DOING THE INVENTORY TO CONFIRM, UH, WHERE LEAD, UH, AND GALVANIZED THE SERVICE LINES ARE.
UH, SO THOSE DOLLARS THAT YOU SEE IN THE BUDGET ARE ANTICIPATED NEEDS, UH, FOR EXPENDITURES TO, TO REPLACE THOSE LINES OVER TIME.
UM, IN ADDITION TO THAT, THERE'S, THAT'S A LOT OF WORK TO DO.
AND, AND AS, AS PART OF THAT, YOU NEED TO HAVE AN EFFICIENT ASSET MANAGEMENT PROGRAM, UM, AN EFFICIENT SOFTWARE TO BE ABLE TO MANAGE ALL OF THAT DATA, ALL OF THAT WORK, UH, MANAGE ALL OF THE, THE CONSULTANTS AND CONTRACTORS.
UM, SO THERE'S SOME LINE OWNERS IN THE BUDGET TO, UM, ALLOW FOR THOSE, THOSE, UH, PROGRAM IMPROVEMENTS.
AND THEN I'LL CALL YOUR ATTENTION TO THE VERY BOTTOM LINE THERE.
UM, IT'S PROPOSED TO HAVE ABOUT $8.3 MILLION IN CAPITAL SPENDING IN 26, ABOUT $14 MILLION IN 27, $15 MILLION IN 28, ABOUT NINE AND A HALF IN 29, AND ABOUT 5.2 MILLION IN 2030.
UH, ESSENTIALLY WE'RE JUST ADDING UP ALL THOSE ITEMS THAT YOU SAW ON THE, THE TWO SLIDES HERE.
ARE THERE ANY QUESTIONS? UH, YES.
UM, IT, IT'S A MINOR AMOUNT OF MONEY, BUT I'M CURIOUS ABOUT THE LEAK DETENTION, UM, PROVISION.
WILL THAT ASSIST IN PREVENTING FUTURE POTENTIALLY LARGER WATER MAIN BREAKS AT ALL? EXACTLY.
YEAH, THAT PROGRAM WILL DEFINITELY HELP WITH THAT.
UM, WE'RE TRYING TO TRACK DOWN THE SMALL LEAKS BEFORE THEY BECOME BIG LEAKS.
UM, AND, YOU KNOW, IF THERE'S A SMALL LEAK, IT'S JUST REALLY A MATTER OF TIME BEFORE THAT WATER MAIN FAILS, I, I'LL CALL IT CATASTROPHICALLY AND, AND LARGE AMOUNTS OF, OF WATER ARE, ARE SPILLED EVERYWHERE.
AND, YOU KNOW, FOLKS ARE OUT OUTTA WATER SERVICE.
SO IT'S IMPORTANT TO HAVE THAT TYPE OF PROACTIVE CONDITION ASSESSMENT WORK IN THE SYSTEM.
YOUR PROJECTIONS OF RATES ARE SIGNIFICANTLY HIGHER THAN WHAT THEY WERE IN 2023 WHEN WE ADOPTED A RATE INCREASE.
[01:45:01]
UM, WE RECENTLY HAD A FORENSIC AUDIT, UH, CONDUCTED, AND ONE OF THEIR FINDINGS WAS THAT THE INCREASES THAT WERE PROPOSED OF 5%, 6%, 6%, 6%, AND 6%, UM, WERE NOT IMPLEMENTED.IS THE 7%, 7.5, 7.5, 7.5, 7.5, UH, DONE TO TRY AND MAKE UP FOR THE LOST, UH, REVENUE THAT IS NEEDED TO MAINTAIN THE INFRASTRUCTURE.
AND IF SO, DOES IT GET US, UH, BACK TO BEING WHAT IT WOULD'VE BEEN IF WE IMPLEMENTED THE RATES IN 2023 THAT THE TOWN HAD IMPLEMENTED DIRECTS? YEAH, THIS IS BILL.
I, I CAN ANSWER THAT QUESTION.
UM, YEAH, WHEN, WHEN YOU, YOU KNOW, WHEN, WHEN THE RACE WORK CHANGED FOR A COUPLE YEARS, UM, YOU CAN, YOU CAN FALL BEHIND WHERE, YOU KNOW, WHERE WE PLANNED FOR THE SYSTEM TO BE.
UM, BUT THERE WERE SOME OTHER, SOME OTHER CHANGES IN THE FORECAST.
AND I BELIEVE SOME OF THE CAPITAL EXPENDITURES THAT WE WERE PROJECTING, UM, AND PROJECTING ANY FUNDING FOR BACK IN 2023, UM, DIDN'T OCCUR OR WERE PUSHED OFF.
SO, YOU KNOW, THE FORECAST IS SOMETHING THAT CHANGES EVERY YEAR.
AND, YOU KNOW, TONIGHT WE'RE, WE DO SHOW A FIVE YEAR FORECAST, BUT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT ONE, WE'RE FOCUSING ON ONE YEAR AND LEAVING THE OTHER YEARS TO BE PLANNING LEVEL YEARS.
SO I ALSO, I DID LOOK AT THE FINANCIAL CONDITION OF THE SYSTEM IN 2023 AND COMPARED IT TO IT, UH, COMPARED IT TO THE FINANCIAL CONDITION IN 2025.
AND IT DOES HAPPEN TO BE SIMILAR.
UM, THERE'S A TABLE IN THE BUDGET THAT SHOWS THE NET ASSETS OR THE FUND BALANCE OF THE SYSTEM, AND THEY'RE PRETTY COMPARABLE BETWEEN 2023 AND 2025.
SO THIS SYSTEM FINANCIALLY DID NOT GET INTO A BAD SPOT.
I THINK THAT THE HIGHER THAN NORMAL RATE INCREASES WERE SHOWING AS PROJECTED ARE A RESULT OF, UM, THE PROJECT COSTS THAT WE'RE SEEING HERE THAT WE'RE SHOWN HERE.
YOU SAID THINGS WERE PUSHED OFF.
DID WE NOT DO THINGS THAT WE WOULD'VE DONE IF WE DID, UM, COLLECT, WHAT WAS THE TOWN BOARD VOTED FOR IN 2023? N NO, I, I THINK THE, WAS IT THE, I THINK IT WAS THE NORWOOD PUMP STATION REPLACEMENT, BUT THE, THE NORWOOD PUMP STATION PROJECT HAD, UM, WAS MOVED UP A COUPLE YEARS.
SO WE WERE, WE WERE PLANNING FOR IT TO OCCUR SOONER THAT IT IS PROJECTED TO OCCUR HERE.
YOU KNOW, ONE OF THE, UH, RECOMMENDATIONS I MADE, YOU KNOW, YEARS AGO WAS TO, WE HAD AT ONE POINT THE WATER DISTRICT ADVISORY BOARD MADE UP OF, UM, YOU KNOW, RESIDENTS WHO HAVE EXPERTISE IN, UM, IN WATER ISSUES.
AND THEY MET, UH, YOU KNOW, ON A MONTHLY BASIS.
UM, AND THEN, UM, YOU KNOW, THEY WEREN'T ABLE TO GET INFORMATION.
SOME OF THEM RESIGNED AND BECAUSE THEY WERE UPSET.
I'M SORT OF WONDERING, AS A RESULT OF THIS FORENSIC, YOU KNOW, AUDIT, UM, IF IT WOULD MAKE SE, YOU KNOW, IF, YOU KNOW, WE SHOULD LOOK AT THIS AS A LEARNING OPPORTUNITY, AND I'M WONDERING IF IT WOULD MAKE SENSE GOING FORWARD, UH, TO TRY, UH, REESTABLISHING A WATERED DISTRICT ADVISORY COMMITTEE MADE UP OF CITIZENS WHO COULD HELP, UM, MONITOR ALL ASPECTS OF THE WATERED DISTRICT OPERATIONS BECAUSE THEY WERE INVOLVED IN RATES, UM, IN, UM, IN THE, UH, PUMP STATIONS.
UH, YOU KNOW, WHEN WE, UH, YOU KNOW, CONNECTED, UH, BROOK WITH, UM, WITH NO, WITH NORWOOD, THEY MADE, UH, SIGNIFICANT RECOMMENDATIONS RELATING TO, UH, UH, PAINTING OF THE WATER TANKS.
I MEAN, WE'VE BEEN, WE'VE SPENT MILLIONS AND MILLIONS OF DOLLARS ON, UH, WATER ISSUES.
AND I'M JUST WONDERING IF, UM, THERE, THERE'S A VALUE AGAIN TO, UH, REESTABLISH THE, UM, WATER DISTRICT, UM, ADVISORY COMMITTEE TO, YOU KNOW, TO WORK WITH THE WATER DEPARTMENT AND OUR PROFESSIONALS AND COME UP WITH, UM, RECOMMENDATIONS AND, YOU KNOW, MAKE SURE THAT, UH, YOU KNOW, WE'RE, YOU KNOW, THERE'S SO MANY THINGS THAT HAVE TO BE DONE, AND THERE'S, THERE'S ALWAYS GONNA BE DIVERSIONS AND PEOPLE ARE GONNA, WITHOUT ANY BE AT INTENT, UH, FOCUS ON OTHER THINGS.
SO THINGS ARE GONNA F FALL, FALL BEHIND.
AND I'M JUST THINKING THAT CITIZENS COMMITTEE THAT WOULD MEET, UM, ON A REGULAR BASIS WITH, UH, YOU KNOW, WITH THE COMMISSIONER WOULD, UM, WOULD BE BENEFICIAL.
WELL, WHAT, WELL, I'M ASKING HIM YOU ASKING? NO, I'M, I'M ASKING.
[01:50:02]
UM, YEAH, I MEAN, IT IS NOT SOMETHING THAT I'VE DEALT WITH TOO OFTEN AT, UM, AT SOME OF THE OTHER, UH, COMMUNITIES THAT I WORK WITH.BUT, UM, I, UM, I THOUGHT IT WENT WELL HERE AND, UM, I THOUGHT THEY HAD SOME REALLY GOOD INPUT, SO I DO THINK IT COULD BE BENEFICIAL.
EVEN THE, THE, THE MAIN THING IS WE, WHEN WE HAD OUR WATER DISTRICT ADVISORY BOARD, WE HAVE PEOPLE WHO ARE REALLY, UH, FAMILIAR WITH UTILITIES, UH, FAMILIAR WITH WATER, UH, DISTRICT ISSUES.
UM, AND THEY CAME UP WITH A LOT OF GREAT RECOMMENDATIONS.
THE PROBLEM WAS THEY HAD A DIFFICULT TIME GETTING INFORMATION, AND THEY LEFT AND, AND DISCUSSED.
IF GOING FORWARD, IF WE BASICALLY HAD A TEAM OF CITIZENS WHO ARE FAMILIAR WITH WATER DISTRICT ISSUES, WHO WOULD WORK WITH OUR PROFESSIONAL STAFF, I THINK THAT, UM, THERE WOULD BE LESS OF A CHANCE TO MAKE MISTAKES.
AND I THINK THERE'S A GREATER CHANCE THAT WE WOULD BE ABLE TO COME UP WITH LONG-TERM PLANS TO HAVE THE BEST, UH, UH, AND MOST EFFICIENT WATER DISTRICT.
I, I, I SEE NO, YOU KNOW, NO NEGATIVES.
UM, YOU KNOW, FROM THIS ONLY, ONLY, YOU KNOW, ONLY POSITIVES, AND AGAIN, YOU, THAT IF, IF THE VOLUNTEERS HAD CHARGED US AN HOURLY RATE, UH, THE TOWN WOULD BE SPENDING HUNDRED, THEY GAVE US HUNDREDS AND HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS OF FREE, UM, UH, OF FREE SERVICES.
SO THAT'S SOMETHING THAT I, I'M GONNA BRING UP.
UM, YOU KNOW, AGAIN, RIGHT, WELL, THAT, THAT GROUP HAD A DIFFERENT PLAN OF HOW THE RATE INCREASES WOULD BE, UH, FOR THE FIVE YEARS IN 2023, THEN STAFF DID, UH, AND I BELIEVE RAFAELS.
UM, AND SO THERE WAS A DISPUTE OVER THE RATE INCREASE, BUT WHAT THERE WAS NO DISPUTE OVER IS THAT THERE SHOULD BE A SEQUENTIAL RATE INCREASE SO THAT YOU DON'T HAVE, UH, VERY HIGH RATE INCREASES, UH, AFTER VERY LOW ONES AND CITIZENS COMMITTEE OR NOT.
UH, THAT WAS AN IMPLEMENTED FOR EITHER PLAN, FOR EITHER RATES, AND NOW WE'RE IN A SITUATION WHERE WE'RE GONNA BE PAYING, YOU KNOW, HIGHER WATER RATE INCREASES, UH, GOING FORWARD.
BUT THAT DOESN'T, THAT ISN'T BECAUSE THERE WASN'T A CITIZENS COMMITTEE.
IT WAS BECAUSE IT WASN'T IMPLEMENTED WELL, WE ALSO WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT, YOU KNOW, PART OF A, A ASSISTANCE COMMITTEE IS TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE SPENDING MONEY ON CAPITAL IMPROVEMENTS, YOU KNOW, WISELY AND EFFICIENTLY, AND ANY CAPITAL PROJECT ANYWHERE, UM, ALWAYS IS YOU TALKING ABOUT MILLIONS AND MILLIONS OF DOLLARS.
SO IF WE WANT TO SAVE MONEY IN THE FUTURE, WE NEED MAXIMUM OVERSIGHT OF EVERY SINGLE CAPITAL EXPENDITURE.
IF YOU HAVE MAXIMUM OVERSIGHT, WE COULD SAVE SIGNIFICANT DOLLARS BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, SOMETIMES, YOU KNOW, WE LOOK AT THE BUDGETS AND, YOU KNOW, WE'RE ARGUING OVER $10,000 OR $15,000 OR A HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS, BUT IF WE, UM, IF WE WORKED REALLY HARD ON MANAGING THE CAPITAL PROJECTS, UM, YOU KNOW, I THINK THAT, THAT, UM, COULD BE, UH, YOU KNOW, COULD BE, YOU KNOW, HELPFUL, UH, IN THE LONG RUN.
UNDERSTAND ELLI, ISN'T THAT YOUR JOB? WELL, YOU KNOW THAT.
I'M JUST SAYING, YOU'RE DOING A GOOD JOB.
THEY'RE DOING YOUR JOB, BUT WE, MORAL OVERSIGHT IS ALWAYS BETTER.
PAUL, WHEN YOU SAID YOU WERE ASKING THEM A QUESTION, I DIDN'T SAY, OH, YOU CAN'T SPEAK.
I'M JUST ASKING 'EM A QUESTION.
ISN'T THAT WHAT YOU'RE SUPPOSED TO BE DOING FOR US, THE REPRESENTATIVES FROM ELLA? OTHERWISE WE COULD GET A CITIZENS COMMITTEE AND NOT USE YOU? Y YEAH, I, BRANDON, I MEAN, I'LL LET YOU SPEAK HERE, BUT PART OF, PART OF THIS PROJECT, THE CAPITAL NEEDS, UM, INVOLVED CAPITAL NEEDS ASSESSMENT, THESE WERE THE CAPITAL PROJECTS THAT WE IDENTIFIED AS NEEDING TO BE COMPLETED, NEEDING TO BE DONE FOR THE WATER SYSTEM.
AND THAT'S WHAT WE'RE PRESENTING HERE TONIGHT.
I ALSO UNDER, I ALSO UN ALSO UNDERSTAND THAT YOU WORKING WITH STAFF, UH, OF COURSE THERE'S LOTS OF THINGS THAT WE COULD DO, BUT YOU'RE PRIORITIZING THEM SO THAT THERE'S A SEQUENCE TO THEM IN THE ORDER OF PRIORITY, WHICH IS AN IMPORTANT THING TO DO, RIGHT? WE SHOULD BE RELINING EVERY, EVERY PIPE IN THE TOWN, BUT WE CAN'T AFFORD TO DO THAT.
SO WE HAVE TO LOOK AT THE ONES THAT ARE OLDER AND DO THOSE FIRST.
AND THAT'S PART OF WHAT YOU DO, ISN'T IT? THAT'S RIGHT.
I MEAN, WE DON'T HAVE AN ONGOING CONTRACTOR TO CONTINUE TO WORK WITH STAFF
[01:55:01]
TO OVERSEE AND HELP THEM WITH PROJECTS.IF, IF THAT'S WHAT YOU WERE ASKING, RIGHT? UM, OUR WORK WAS TO, TO HELP, UH, WORK WITH STAFF TO DEVELOP THE, THE CAPITAL NEEDS, UH, ASSET MANAGEMENT NEEDS ACROSS THE SYSTEM, RIGHT? IS THERE ANYBODY WHO WANTS TO SPEAK ON THIS? I DON'T HAVE ANYONE LISTED.
UM, WHO SIGNED UP? TERRANCE, IS THERE ANYBODY ON ZOOM? NOT FOR THIS HEARING.
NEXT, NOW THE PUBLIC COMMENTS.
NO, YOU NEED TO CLOSE, CLOSE THE HEARING.
CLOSE THE CLOSE OF, CLOSE THE PUBLIC HEARING.
LEAVE THE RECORD OPEN FOR SEVEN DAYS, RIGHT? LEAVE THE RECORD OPEN FOR SEVEN DAYS.
ANYBODY? UH, I MAKE THE MOTION.
UM, THE, UM, A DU, THE NEXT HEARING ON
[ To consider a Local Law which would establish Accessory Dwelling Units in specified Zoning Districts, with related updates to Sections 250-19, 285-5, 285-10, 285-36, 285-38, 285-39 and 285-56 of the Code of the Town of Greenburgh [TB 23-09] (held over to Town Board Meeting of March 25, 2026)]
ADUS IS, UH, RESCHEDULE TO MARCH 25TH.[ 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 or 15 seconds after reaching the podium, whichever occurs first. The clock will not be stopped for any reason until the speaker is finished or five minutes has 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. After 30 seconds of a response to a question asked, the speaker may reclaim any remaining time. The Clerk will ask for any comments from each Town Board member upon the completion of each public comment. There will not be a second five-minute round. Any written comments sent to PublicComment@GreenburghNY.gov by 3 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. ]
PUBLIC COMMENTS.AND AGAIN, THIS IS THE FIVE MINUTE ROUND FOR ANYONE WHO DID NOT SPEAK DURING THE LIGHTNING TWO MINUTE ROUND EARLIER TODAY.
I DO NOT HAVE ANYONE SIGNED UP FOR THE FIVE MINUTE ROUND.
TERRANCE, ANYBODY ON ZOOM? RUN TO THE DOOR AGAIN.
YOU TOLD ME THERE WOULD'VE BEEN ONE.
NOW WE NEED A BETTER IN INTERCOM SYSTEM.
SEBASTIAN SAGE, MAYBE THAT PHONE SYSTEM WILL TAKE CARE OF THAT, RIGHT? THAT'S RIGHT.
MY NAME IS, UH, SEBASTIAN SAGE.
I'M A JUNIOR AT, UH, IRVINGTON HIGH SCHOOL.
JUST SPEAK ABOUT SOMETHING KEEPING ME PERSONAL TO ME, AND SOMETHING THAT AFFECTS THE
WHEN I WAS IN
I DON'T REMEMBER HOW CONFUSING AND FRIGHTENING THAT MOMENT WAS.
I WAS JUST A CHILD WALKING ALONG THE ROAD.
THERE WAS NO SIDEWALK AND POTENTIAL SPACE, JUST TRAFFIC BLIND SPOTS AND NEAR OUR SHOULDER.
I HAD FULLY UNDERSTANDING HOW DANGER IT WAS.
I JUST KNOW HAD TO GET WHERE I WAS GOING.
THAT ACCIDENT DID NOT HAPPEN BECAUSE I WAS RECKLESS.
IT HAPPENED BECAUSE TASK ROAD IS EXTREMELY DANGEROUS FOR PEDESTRIANS.
CARS COME AROUND CORNERS WITHOUT CLEAR VISIBILITY.
AND DRIVERS MAY NOT EXPECT PEDESTRIANS BECAUSE THERE'S NO INFRASTRUCTURE THAT ACKNOWLEDGE THAT WAS THERE.
AND YET, PEOPLE WALK THAT ROAD EVERY SINGLE DAY.
AS A CHILD, I HAVE NO SAFE PLACE TO WALK.
AND TODAY, YEARS LATER, THAT'S STILL HASN CHANGED.
TAXI ROAD REMAINS ONE OF THE ONLY HOUSING ROAD IN THAT AREA.
WITHOUT PROPER, WITHOUT PROPER OF PEDESTRIAN INFRASTRUCTURE, FAMILY, STUDENTS, AND RESIDENCE.
AND FORCED WALK ON THAT SHOULDER INCHES AWAY FROM PASSING VEHICLES VEHICLE.
AND IN RECENT WEEKS, AGAIN, HAS ALL INCREASED BECAUSE OF THE SNOWSTORMS. WHEN SNOW PILES UP ALONG SIDES OF THE ROAD, THE ALREADY NARROWED SHOULDER DISAPPEARS, COMPLETELY SNOWBANK FORCE PEDESTRIANS EVEN CLOSER TO TRAFFIC, SOMETIMES DIRECTLY INTO THE ROAD, RIGHT? DRIVERS FACE REDUCED VISIBILITY.
I SEE PAVEMENT AND LONGER STOP, BUT IT'S ALREADY IN THE SAME THING OF BEING UNFORGETTABLE AND UNFORGIVING.
IF THIS ROAD WAS DANGEROUS ON CLEAR DAY WHEN I WAS IN THIRD GRADE, IMAGINE HOW MUCH MORE DANGER, IMAGINE HOW MUCH MORE DANGEROUS IT IS NOW COLORED THAN SNOW.
AND I WAS LUCKY THAT I SURVIVED MY ACCIDENT.
BUT IF NOTHING CHANGES, IT'S NOT A QUESTION OF IF ANOTHER PEDESTRIAN ACCIDENT WILL OCCUR.
IT IS A QUESTION OF WHAT THE BOARD PREVIOUSLY MADE A COMMITMENT TO PURSUE THE INSTALLATION WITH SIDEWALK ALONG THE ROAD.
AND I'M HERE TODAY TO RESPECT, TO RESPECTFULLY ASK THAT THIS COMMITMENT BE HONORED.
A SIDEWALK IS NOT AN UNREASONABLE REQUEST.
IT'S SAFETY AND ACCESSIBILITY.
IT'S A SIMPLE STEP THAT CAN PREVENT ANOTHER CHILD FROM EXPERIENCING WHAT I DID.
IT ISN'T JUST ABOUT ME ANYMORE.
IT'S ABOUT EVERY STUDENT WHO WALKS HOME, EVERY FAMILY PUSHING A STROLLER, EVERY RESIDENT WHO SIMPLY WANTS TO MOVE SAFELY THROUGHOUT THEIR OWN COMMUNITY.
WE SHOULD NOT TO RISK OUR LIVES TO WALK ALONG THE PUBLIC ROAD.
PLEASE PRIORITIZE THE INSTALLATION OF A SIDEWALK ON TASK ROAD BEFORE ANOTHER PREVENTABLE ACCIDENT FORCES US TO HAVE THIS CONVERSATION.
AGAIN, THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME AND CONSIDERATION.
AND ONE MORE THING, I, I, UH, TOOK PICTURES.
I DON'T KNOW WHAT'S EASIER FOR YOU GUYS IF PAUL, I DON'T YOU HAVE THAT.
IF NOT, IF I HAVEN'T UP AND SHOW YOU, WHY DON'T YOU SEND IT TO TOWN BOARD NO SPACE@GREENBERGNY.GOV.
WELL, WHY DON'T WE TELL 'EM IT'S ON FOR TO PASS AS A RESOLUTION TONIGHT.
WELL, THE RESOLUTION IS TO GO OUT TO BID.
YEAH, RIGHT? I THINK THAT WOULD BE, THAT DOESN'T GET, DO YOU KNOW THAT IT'S ON TONIGHT TO GO OUT TO BID FOR THAT SIDEWALK?
[02:00:02]
SORRY, WHAT WAS THAT? IT'S ON THE AGENDA FOR TONIGHT TO GO OUT TO BID TO DO THE TAX ROAD SIDEWALK.WE HAVE IT ON WORK TO PASS TONIGHT.
IT DOESN'T BUILD IT, BUT IT GETS IT TO GO OUT TO BID, RIGHT? SO, WELL, I'M NOT SURE HE KNOWS WHAT THAT MEANS.
NO, WE NEED TO MAKE SURE HE'S CLEAR.
WE'RE GONNA EXPLAIN SOMETHING.
AND YOU KNOW, I THINK YOU SHOULD BE REALLY PROUD OF YOURSELF BECAUSE YOU SPOKE OUTTA TOWN BOARD MEETING, UM, A FEW YEARS AGO AND TALKED ABOUT, UH, THE ACCIDENT AND THE NEED, UH, TO MAKE TAXI ROAD SAFER.
AND, YOU KNOW, I FEEL THAT, UM, UH, YOUR PRESENTATION AT THAT TIME, UM, WILL HAVE MADE A IMPORTANT, UM, IMPACT ON, UM, ON THE TOWN.
AND, UM, WHEN THE SIDEWALK IS HOPEFULLY BUILT LATER THIS YEAR, UH, YOU SHOULD TAKE A LOT OF CREDIT FOR, UH, FOR THAT ACCOMPLISHMENT BECAUSE, UH, ONE OF THE MOST EFFECTIVE WAYS OF ADVOCACY IS TO HIGHLIGHT THE NEED.
AND WHEN YOU TALKED ABOUT HOW, UH, THERE WAS AN ACCIDENT, I THINK IT CONVINCED EVERYBODY THAT IS IN PUBLIC, UH, OFFICE THAT A SIDEWALK IS IMPORTANT.
AND, YOU KNOW, TODAY'S ACTION IS, YOU KNOW, IN, IN TERMS OF GOING OUT, WE HAVE TO GO TO BID.
WE HAVE TO, UH, ASK CONTRACTORS HOW MUCH IT'S GONNA COST.
BUT I THINK THERE'S A COMMITMENT FROM THE BOARD TO MAKE THIS HAPPEN AND, AND TO, YEAH.
SO I JUST WANT TO THANK YOU, UH, AND HOPEFULLY WE'LL SEE YOU AT THE RIBBON CUTTING.
I APPRECIATE ALL YOUR HELP TOO.
UM, WE DO HAVE ANOTHER PERSON IN HOUSE.
UH, COULD WE HAVE MR. NEIL ALLEN? OH, HI.
I JUST WANTED TO SAY A QUICK THANK YOU TO THE BOARD.
I KNOW HOW HARD YOU'VE BEEN WORKING, UM, FOR SO LONG ON THE SIDEWALK AND HELPING US, AND WE JUST REALLY APPRECIATED THE CIVIC ASSOCIATION AND THE TOWN.
I KNOW SEBASTIAN JUST SPOKE, SO I JUST WANTED TO SAY A QUICK THANK YOU FOR REALLY PRIORITIZING THE SIDEWALK.
THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU.
AND YOU ALSO DESERVE, UH, A SIGNIFICANT AMOUNT OF, OKAY, MR. SIEGEL, YOU CAN GO, PLEASE.
SORRY, CINDY CAN HAVE SOME OF MY TIME, I THOUGHT.
NO, I THOUGHT SHE HAD DROPPED OFF.
WELL, I WAS HERE A FEW WEEKS AGO FROM EAST IRVINGTON CIVIC ASSOCIATION AT THE LAST BOARD MEETING, AND I WATCHED THE WORK SESSION LAST NIGHT.
AND, UM, I'M GLAD TO SEE THAT, UM, THIS DECISION WAS MADE TO PUT IT OUT TO BID, UH, FOR TAXI ROAD SIDEWALKS.
IT'S A ANOTHER STEP IN THE PROCESS AND, AND, UH, I KNOW IT'S A STEP BY STEP PROCESS THAT NEEDS TO BE TAKEN.
AND, UM, I HOPE, I HOPE ALL THE BOARD MEMBERS HAVE CONFIDENCE IN THIS.
IT'S A, IT'S NOT AN EASY DECISION TO MAKE.
I I COULD SENSE, UH, SOME OF THE HESITATION, UH, FROM BOARD MEMBERS ABOUT IT, BUT, UH, YOU, UH, WE ARE GRATEFUL TO YOU FOR GOING FORWARD ON THIS, AND I JUST WANTED TO COME IN PERSON AND THANK YOU FOR THAT.
SO I WILL NOT USE ALL THE TIME.
UM, AND I WISH YOU ALL SAFE TRAVELS TONIGHT, AND I DO BELIEVE THAT THE, UH, TOWN WORKERS ARE DOING A GREAT JOB WITH THESE SNOW.
I'M SURE THEY APPRECIATE THAT.
AND YOU, CINDY, AND THANK YOU FOR COMING OUT.
AND YEAH, ONE OF THE NICE THINGS ABOUT OUR CIVIC ASSOCIATIONS IS, UM, THIS IS WHY GOVERNMENT SHOULD BE A PARTNERSHIP WITH THE, THE, UH, CITIZENS AND WITH, UH, THE, UH, WITH THOSE OF US IN PUBLIC OFFICE.
AND, YOU KNOW, I WANT TO REALLY SALUTE THE EAST IRVINGTON CIVIC ASSOCIATION FOR BEING SO INVOLVED.
AND I KNOW YOU, UM, SAID, CREATED AN ONLINE PETITION AND OVER 200, WHAT IS LIKE 258, UH, PEOPLE, UM, IN, UH, EAST IRVINGTON, UH, SIGNED THE PETITION, UM, ASKING FOR THE SIDEWALK.
AND, YOU KNOW, I GOT A EMAIL FROM CHANGE.ORG AND THEY WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT I, I HAD SEEN THE, UH, UH, ALL THE PETITION SIGNATURES, UM, TODAY, BUT THIS IS DEMOCRACY AT ITS BEST, UH, HAVING CIVIC GROUPS ADVOCATE.
AND, UM, YOU KNOW, HOPEFULLY WE CAN MAKE THE TOWN, UH, EVEN MORE PEDESTRIAN, UH, FRIENDLY EVERY, EVERY YEAR.
AND, AND WE APPRECIATE IT BEING ABLE TO SEE THE DELIBERATIVE PROCESS THAT YOU WENT THROUGH TO RESOLVE THIS.
ANYBODY ELSE? OKAY, NEXT WE'LL HAVE THE AGENDA ITEMS.
[02:05:01]
UM, RIGHT BEFORE WE DO THE AGENDA ITEMS, I'M GONNA MAKE A MOTION TO SUSPEND THE RULES REGARDING TB FOUR IN PARTICULAR.UH, WE ALREADY VOTED ON IT, UH, YESTERDAY AT A WORK SESSION.
UM, BUT THE SUPERVISOR SAID THAT IT REALLY SHOULD BE BY RESOLUTION, SO WE'RE DOING IT BY RESOLUTION.
SO I'M, I'M MAKING A MOTION THAT WE SUSPEND THE RULES REGARDING HOLDING IT OVER AND ALSO THAT IT NEEDED TO BE ON AN AGENDA FROM, UM, LAST FRIDAY SECOND.
AND ACCORDING TO THE RULES AND REGULATIONS THAT YOU PASSED RECENTLY, AND THAT WAS ALREADY IN EFFECT BEFORE THAT, YOU WOULD NEED FOUR COUNCIL MEMBERS TO SUPPORT THAT DETERMINATION.
JUDGE, IS BOARD MEMBERS THERE AN OPPORTUNITY TO COMMENT FOUR BOARD MEMBERS, FOUR BOARD MEMBERS? EXCUSE ME.
UH, IF THERE WAS A SECOND, YES, THERE IS AN OPPORTUNITY FOR DISCUSSION.
UM, ANYBODY WANT TO, UH, SECONDED? I SECONDED.
OKAY, SO, YOU KNOW, THE ISSUE THAT I SEE IS, UM, YOU KNOW, I THINK THAT IF WE'RE ASKING WAIT, WAIT, WE NEED TO FINISH THE VOTE.
THIS IS NOT ON THE RESOLUTION.
THIS IS ON SUSPENDING THE RULES.
WELL, UH, I WANT TO TALK ABOUT WHY I THINK THAT WE SHOULDN'T SUSPEND THE RULES.
OH, BECAUSE BASICALLY I FEEL THAT, UM, THE RESOLUTION, UM, UM, IS A POLITICAL, YOU KNOW, RESOLUTION, AND I DON'T THINK THAT'S APPROPRIATE.
IF WE WANT THE CONTROLLER TO LOOK AT THE RECORDS, WE SHOULD NOT MAKE A STATEMENT.
YOU, YOU'RE USING THE WORD FISCAL MISMANAGEMENT, WHICH I DON'T THINK EXISTS.
YOU KNOW, AS THE CONTROLLER INDICATED YESTERDAY, UM, THE TOWN IS NOT IN FISCAL DISTRESS.
WE MAINTAIN OUR, UH, TRIPLE A BOND RATING.
THE SERVICE ARE, YOU KNOW, ARE REALLY EXCELLENT IN, UM, IN THE TOWN.
UM, AND, UM, I ALSO BELIEVE, UM, THAT, UM, IF WE WANT THE CONTROLLER'S OFFICE TO THE STATE CONTROLLER'S OFFICE TO REVIEW, UM, OUR, UM, YOU KNOW, OUR, THE, UH, THE, UH, UH, THE FORENSIC AUDIT, WHICH IS FINE WITH ME, UM, THEY, WE SHOULD ALSO INVITE HIS OFFICE TO CONDUCT A MORE IN-DEPTH AUDIT OF ALL ASPECTS OF OUR BUDGET, UH, GOING UP TO, UH, THE BEGINNING OF 2026.
BECAUSE IF WE'RE ASKING THE CONTROLLER TO REVIEW OUR FINANCIAL, YOU KNOW, RECORDS, I DON'T WANT IT TO END AT 2023.
YOU KNOW, WE HAVE TO, I'M SORRY, JUST, JUST JUST TO MENTION THAT THAT'S NOT IN RESPONSE TO, UM, UH, SUSPENDING THE RULES.
YOU'RE SPEAKING AGAIN ABOUT THE ACTUAL MOTION.
NO, WELL, THOSE ARE TWO SEPARATE THINGS.
YOU'RE WRONG BECAUSE THERE NO, I'M NOT, SHE'S, SHE'S NOT WRONG BECAUSE ABSOLUTE SAY, YOU CAN SAY ALL THAT TO SAY WHEN WE GET TO THE T BEFORE, YOU CAN SAY, I'M NOT SAYING YOU CAN'T SAY THAT.
YOU CAN SAY THAT T BEFORE WHEN WE GET TO THE, WHEN WE GET TO THE RESOLUTION.
NO, BECAUSE LET ME JUST SAY, LET ME SAY FINISH WHAT I, WHAT I WANNA SAY, I BASICALLY FEEL THAT THIS RESOLUTION, AS, AS A CONTROLLER SAID, SHE DOESN'T EVEN THINK THAT THE CONTROL, THE STATE CONTROLLER IS GONNA, UH, DO ANYTHING WITH IT.
SO THE THING IS, IF YOU WANNA GET THE STATE CONTROLLER TO BASICALLY ACT ON IT, AND THEY LOOK AT A RESOLUTION AS BEING PART OF A POLITICAL CAMPAIGN, THEY'RE JUST GONNA THROW OUT THE RESOLUTION AND THEY'RE NOT GONNA GIVE IT A CREDIBILITY.
ON THE OTHER HAND, IF WE REALLY WANT TO BENEFIT FROM THE STATE CONTROLLERS REVIEW MORE IN DEPTH REVIEW OF OUR FINANCIALS, WHICH I HAVE NO PROBLEM WITH BECAUSE I THINK THAT IT'S ALWAYS VALUABLE TO GET MORE EYES AND ERRORS, THEN WHAT I'M ASKING IS FOR US TO REWRITE THE RESOLUTION AND BASICALLY ASK THE STATE TO, UM, TO ASSIGN SOMEBODY FROM THE STATE CONTROLLER'S OFFICE TO DO A IN-DEPTH AUDIT, UH, OF ALL, ASK ALL OF OUR FINANCIAL ASPECTS FROM UP TILL THE BEGINNING OF 2026.
I'M NOT, I DON'T, I DON'T HAVE ANY PROBLEMS WITH THEM REVIEWING ANYTHING, BUT I DON'T WANT TO TELL THEM BEFORE THEY EVEN COME IN THAT THEY'RE, THAT YOU ARE CLAIMING THIS FISCAL MISMANAGEMENT.
THERE'S NO FISCAL MISMANAGEMENT IN THIS TOWN.
BASICALLY, IF, YOU KNOW, IF THE COUNTY DID A FORENSIC AUDIT, UH, THE, THE, UH, THE FORENSIC AUDITORS WOULD FIND, UM, ISSUES WITH THE COUNTY BUDGET.
IF THE STATE DID A FORENSIC AUDIT, UH, IF ANY, IF, IF ANY OF THE FIRE DISTRICTS IN THE TOWN, THE PROFESSIONAL FIRE DISTRICTS HAD A FORENSIC AUDIT, THEY'RE ALWAYS GONNA FIND SOMETHING.
AND OUR GOAL IS TO MAKE CORRECTIONS EVERY ASPECT OF THIS FORENSIC AUDIT, UH, UH, ALL EVERY ASPECT IS CORRECTABLE, AND THE TOWN IS TAKING STEPS, ACTION STEPS TO CORRECT ALL THE ISSUES THAT THEY RAISED.
SO THE TOWN IS GONNA BE RUN AT THE MAXIMUM EFFICIENCY.
AND I REALLY WANNA LEARN FROM WHAT THE CONTROLLER SAYS, BUT I DON'T WANT THE CONTROLLER'S OFFICE TO LOOK AT THIS.
UH, FIRST OF ALL, I THINK THEY'RE
[02:10:01]
JUST GONNA, THEY'RE NOT EVEN GONNA LOOK AT YOUR, UH, YOUR RESOLUTION BECAUSE THEY'RE GONNA KNOW THAT THIS IS PART OF A POLITICAL CAMPAIGN TO UNDERMINE THE TOWN AND TO MAYBE, UH, UH, YOU KNOW, MAYBE YOUR GOAL IS TO, UH, REDUCE OUR BOND RATING, WHICH I DON'T WANT TO SEE US HAPPENING, BECAUSE IF HE KEEPS SAYING EVERYTHING'S DOOM AND THAT EVERYTHING'S DOOM AND GLOOM, IT'S NOT GONNA MAKE PEOPLE FEEL GOOD ABOUT LIVING IN THIS TOWN.SO WE HAVE A MOTION AND A SECOND.
SO WE HAVE FOUR VOTES SO THAT WHEN IT GETS TO TB FOUR, UH, YOU CAN'T HOLD IT OVER.
ALL RIGHT, PAUL, YOU READY? OKAY.
[ Reappointment of Juliette Kang Stableski to the Library Board of Trustees for a term to expire December 31, 2030]
ONE.WE HAVE A REAPPOINTMENT, I BELIEVE, A REAPPOINTMENT OF JULIET K LESKY, TO THE LIBRARY BOARD OF TRUSTEES FOR A TERM TO EXPLORE OUR DECEMBER 31ST, 2030.
[ TB 1 - 02/25/2026 Resolution awarding the contract to Absolute Auctions and Realty, Inc. to provide professional auctioneer services and conduct online public auctions of foreclosed town-owned properties]
TB ONE RESOLUTION AWARDING THE CONTRACT TO ABSOLUTE AUCTIONS AND REALTY TO PROVIDE PROFESSIONAL AUCTIONEERING SERVICES AND CONDUCT ONLINE PUBLIC AUCTIONS OF FORECLOSED TOWN OWNED PROPERTIES.[ TB 2 - 02/25/2026 Resolution authorizing the continued retention of the Law Office of Vincent Toomey as special counsel to address town matters concerning personnel related issues for an additional amount of $50,000, $350,000 in total]
TB TWO RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING THE CONTINUED RETENTION OF THE LAW OFFICE OF VINCENT TOY, UH, SPECIAL COUNSEL TO ADDRESS TOWN MATTERS CONCERNING PERSONAL RELATED ISSUES FOR AN ADDITIONAL AMOUNT OF 50,003 50 IN TOTAL.I JUST WANNA MAKE SURE, UH, THAT, UM, UH, THE ETHICS REVIEW, UH, THAT THERE'S NO MORE CHARGES.
WELL, THE, BECAUSE, BECAUSE THE COMPLAINANTS CONTINUE TO BRING MORE MOTIONS AND MORE CORRESPONDENCE, THEY HAVE LIMITED THEIR BILLINGS AND HAVE GRACIOUSLY ACTUALLY DECIDED NOT TO PUT IN SOME ADDITIONAL BILLINGS THAT THEY COULD HAVE, AND WE WOULD LIKE TO NOT PAY THEM ANYMORE.
BUT UNFORTUNATELY, THE COMPLAINANTS CONTINUED TO FILE.
HOW MUCH, HOW MUCH HAVE WE SPENT ON THE ETHICS CHARGES INVOLVING THE TOWN BOARD MEMBERS? BECAUSE THAT'S A TOTAL WASTE OF MONEY.
SO WE'RE TALKING ABOUT, UH, YOU KNOW, YESTERDAY WE WERE TALKING ABOUT, OH, SAVING TAXPAYER DOLLARS AND OH, FISCAL ISSUES.
YOU KNOW WHAT, THIS IS AN EXAMPLE OF, UH, WHY TAXES GO UP UNNECESSARILY, BECAUSE WE'RE WASTING TAXPAYER DOLLARS ON OUTSIDE LEGAL, UH, COSTS.
SO, SO I AM DEFINITELY HOLDING THIS OVER, UM, UH,
[ TB 3 - 02/25/2026 Resolution authorizing the Supervisor to execute a contract with Hi-Link Technology Group LLC to provide comprehensive managed voice and internet service for all town buildings at a one-time cost for system design and engineering of $14,500 and a 5-year service agreement for voice services and internet access at an annual cost not to exceed $117,600]
TB THREE RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING THE SUPERVISOR TO EXECUTE A CONTRACT.I THOUGHT YOU SAID YOU CALLED WHAT WAS GOING ON.
THAT'S BEING, THAT'S BEING HELD OVER TB THREE.
I WAS, LET ME COMMENT ON TB TWO WHILE WE'RE THERE.
THIS IS, THIS IS THE REASON WHY THERE WAS, THERE'S A, A COST.
AND BY THE WAY, THE ETHICS BOARD FOUND THAT THE TOWN COUNCIL MEMBERS DID ABSOLUTELY NOTHING WRONG.
AND YET YOUR SUPPORTERS KEPT PUSHING AND PUSHING AND PUSHING AT THE ETHICS BOARD, RAISING THE MONEY MORE AND MORE.
AS A MATTER OF FACT, THEY WERE SO CLEVER, THEY SAID THAT THE TOWN ATTORNEY MAY BE CALLED AS A WITNESS.
SO WE CAN'T USE OUR TOWN ATTORNEY AT NO COST TO THE TAXPAYERS BECAUSE THEY SAID HE MIGHT BE CALLED AS A WITNESS.
SO NOW WE HAVE TO GET OUTSIDE COUNSEL.
AND IN MY OPINION, IT WAS DESIGNED SOLELY TO DRIVE UP A BILL TO SAY, LOOK HOW TERRIBLE IT IS THAT YOU'RE SPENDING ALL THIS MONEY ON OUTSIDE COUNSEL.
WE WOULD NOT PUT IT, WE WERE PUT IN THAT POSITION.
NOW, UNPRECEDENTED, YOUR SUPPORTERS ARE PUSHING BACK AT THE ETHICS BOARD AND SAYING, WE WANT A RECONSIDERATION AFTER THEY MADE A DECISION.
AND THE ETHICS CODE FOR RECONSIDERATION AFTER THE ETHICS BOARD HAS MADE A DECISION, BUT WE NEED COUNSEL TO BE THERE IN ORDER TO DEFEND AGAINST THAT TOTALLY IRRESPONSIBLE REQUEST.
NOW, IF YOU WANT TO SAVE MONEY, TELL THEM YOU DON'T THINK THEY SHOULD BE DOING THAT.
OKAY? WELL, FIRST OF ALL, I DON'T BELIEVE THAT YOU NEED A LAWYER TO, UM, AN OUTSIDE LAWYER TO, UH, TO DO THAT WORK.
I REMEMBER, YOU KNOW, YEARS AGO, UM, YOU KNOW, THERE WAS ONE OF THESE POLITICAL CONTROVERSIES WITH ONE OF THE, UM, YOU KNOW, WITH ONE OF OUR CRITICS, AND THEY WROTE A LETTER TO THE DISTRICT ATTORNEY, AND THEY SAID THEY SHOULD INVESTIGATE ME.
SO I REM I'LL NEVER FORGET, THERE WERE TWO PEOPLE CAME IN OFFICES WITH BRIEFCASES THAT CAME INTO MY OFFICE.
THEY SAID, OH, DO YOU WANT A LAWYER? I SAID, WHY DO I NEED A LAWYER? I DID NOTHING WRONG.
UH, SO I SPOKE TO THEM FOR A HALF HOUR AND THEY SAID, OH, YOU'RE RIGHT.
THEN A, A COUPLE MONTHS LATER, THE SAME GROUP, UH, YES, WROTE TO THE US ATTORNEY.
I SAID, I DON'T WANT A LAWYER.
[02:15:01]
BELIEVE THE SAME THING LIKE THAT WE KNOW, YOU KNOW, YOU BELIEVE YOU DID NOTHING WRONG.YOU THE, YOU BELIEVE THAT WE CAN'T RE ARGUE, UM, UH, YOU KNOW, THE CASE, WHICH IS FINE.
SO JUST GO TO THE ETHICS BOARD MEETING WITHOUT A LAWYER.
DON'T SPEND ALL THESE HOURLY BILLS ON LAWYERS PROCESS.
THE LAWYERS ALSO NOT ATTENDING ON YOU DO NOT NEED A LAWYER.
THE LAWYER'S NOT ATTENDING ON THURSDAY.
WHAT? THE LAWYER'S NOT ATTENDING ON THURSDAY? WELL, YOU KNOW, YOU SAID THAT THERE'S OUTSIDE LEGAL BILLS RELATED TO THIS BECAUSE HE HAD TO RESPOND IN WRITING.
WELL, YOU, I DON'T, YOU KNOW, I SAW THESE LETTERS.
HE DOESN'T HAVE TO RESPOND IN WRITING.
YOU KNOW, YOU COULD, YOU, WE HAVE A, YOU KNOW, SAY SOMETHING, SAY SOMETHING.
CAN I RESPOND? BECAUSE THAT WAS ALSO JUST A CLAIM AGAINST ME.
I WAS TOLD I CANNOT BE RESPONDING ON THIS ITEM.
SO WE HAD TO HIRE SPECIAL COUNSEL.
I TRY TO KEEP SPECIAL COUNSEL FEES AS LOW AS POSSIBLE.
I AGREE THIS WAS A WASTE OF $120,000, BUT IT WAS THROUGH NO FAULT OF MYSELF OR TO TOWN COUNCIL.
WELL, I THINK IT'S A WASTE OF MONEY, BUT, OKAY.
WELL, YOU USE AN EXAMPLE OF YOURSELF WHEN YOU SAID THERE WAS NO NEED BECAUSE YOU, THERE WAS NOTHING WRONG.
WELL, NOT ONLY DID WE SAY THERE WAS NOTHING WRONG, BUT THE ETHICS BOARD SAID, THERE'S NOTHING WRONG.
WE'VE HAD THAT DETERMINATION, YET THEY CAME AFTER US AGAIN.
SO CLEARLY THEY DON'T GET THE MESSAGE.
SO WHAT WOULD YOU EXPECT US TO DO? WE HAVE TO RESPOND.
I THINK THAT IF THERE'S, IF SOMEBODY MAKES A, UH, FIRST OF ALL, THE ETHICS BOARD IS NOT, NOBODY'S GOING TO JAIL BECAUSE THERE'S SOMEBODY MADE A ACCUSATION BEFORE THE ETHICS BOARD.
ETHICS DIDN'T, LEMME JUST SAY, I BELIEVE THAT NOBODY WANTS THEIR MALIGNED EITHER.
YOU KNOW WHAT? IT'S, IT, IT IS THROWING OUT.
BECAUSE BASICALLY ALL YOU COULD HAVE DONE IS GONE TO THE ETHICS BOARD, EXPLAINED YOUR SITUATION AS, YOU KNOW, YOU COULD EXPLAIN IT.
THE ETHICS BOARD WOULD REVIEW IT, WOULD LISTEN TO YOU.
I DON'T THINK THAT THERE WAS ANY, I THINK THERE WAS ZERO VALUE FROM HAVING AN OUTSIDE LAWYER AND THAT, YOU KNOW, THAT'S, THESE ARE EXCUSE THINGS THAT WE HAVE.
CAN I ASK YOU A QUESTION? HAVE A LAWYER.
I'VE NEVER, CAN I ASK YOU A QUESTION, PAUL? ALRIGHT, SO WE'RE GONNA, MAY I ASK YOU A QUESTION? YEAH.
AND, AND FIRST I HAVE TO SET THAT UP FIRST.
REMEMBER WHAT THE TOWN ATTORNEY SAID? HE WAS FROM PRECLUDED, FROM GIVING US COUNSEL BECAUSE HE WAS NAMED IN SUIT.
SO YOU, DID YOU NOT HAVE SEVERAL ETHICS COMPLAINTS AGAINST YOU LAST YEAR? I HAVE NEVER HAD AN OUTSIDE LAWYER.
YOU DIDN'T HAVE TO BECAUSE YOUR, OUR ATTORNEY, OUR TOWN ATTORNEY WASN'T NAMED AS ONE OF THE DEFENDANTS.
SO IT, WE WERE FORCED INTO BEING ABLE TO HAVE COUNSEL.
WE HAD TO, WE HAD EVERY RIGHT.
IF IT DIDN'T MATTER TO YOU ABOUT WHETHER YOUR CHARGES WERE BROUGHT AGAINST YOU IN AT THE ETHICS BOARD AND YOU FELT YOU DID NOT NEED LEGAL COUNSEL, LIKE YOU SAID TO THE, THE EXAMPLE THAT YOU GAVE EARLIER, THEN WHY DID YOU USE LEGAL COUNSEL WHEN YOU WERE BROUGHT UP IN FRONT OF THE ETHICS BOARD? USE THE TOWN OF TIMES.
YOU ARE, BUT LET ME JUST SAY SOMETHING.
LEMME SAY, LEMME SAY SOMETHING.
THERE WAS SOMEBODY, UH, WHO MADE AN ACCUSATION THAT, THAT WAS, UH, RELATING TO THE CABLE TV, RIGHT? UH, THAT WAS ONE OF THE CASES.
COULD YOU, COULD YOU EXPLAIN THAT CASE WHY HE SHOULD? NO, I'M JUST SAYING I'M NOT, WHY DO WE NEED TO EXPLAIN THE CASE? LEMME JUST SAY, BECAUSE BASICALLY IT WAS A JOKE.
DID YOU REPRESENT THE JAIL SUPERVISOR? NO, IT WASN'T.
SO HE HAD LEGAL REPRESENTATION.
BASICALLY WHAT HAPPENED IS IT WASN'T PRECLUDED FROM USING NO.
BASICALLY WHAT HAPPENED IS, I, I BASICALLY SAID THAT, UM, PUBLIC ACCESS, THAT LIKE NOT FOR PRO, THAT PEOPLE, THAT PUBLIC ACCESS SHOULD BE ALL LOCAL UNIT PROGRAMS. UM, I DIDN'T LIKE, UH, ONE SHOW THAT WAS SYNDICATED, UM, BECAUSE I BASICALLY FELT THAT ON PUBLIC ACCESS, ON THE GOVERNMENT ACCESS CHANNEL, UM, THAT, UM, YOU KNOW, YOU KNOW, I FELT THAT ON A GOVERNMENT ACCESS CHANNEL, IT SHOULD BE ALL LOCALLY PRODUCED.
WE'RE NOT HERE TO DEBATE THE MERITS OF YOUR CASE.
WE'RE HERE TO GO ON WITH THE AGENDA, PLEASE.
SO THE TOWN ATTORNEY, YOU KNOW, YOU'RE PULLING AT STRAWS, I PROMISE YOU ATTORNEY.
PAUL, CAN WE PLEASE MOVE ON? 'CAUSE YOU'VE ALREADY EXPLAINED THIS.
I'M, YOU'VE ALREADY EXPLAINED THIS 10 TIMES.
NO, I, I SAID EVERYONE HAS ALREADY SEEN THIS.
WE CAN REPLACE, BUT WE HAVE AN AGENDA THAT WE NEED TO GET TO.
REMEMBER WE WERE TALKING ABOUT TIMING AND WE WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT WE STREAMLINE THE MEETING.
YOU SAID YOU NEVER USED THE ATTORNEY.
LET'S JUST MAKE SURE WE JUST LET ON, LET'S JUST GO ON PLEASE.
[02:20:01]
UH, RESOLUTION OF THE[ TB 4 - 02/25/2026 Resolution of the Town Board of the Town of Greenburgh requesting the New York State Comptroller conduct an investigation of the fiscal mismanagement identified in an independent forensic report dated January 27, 2026, which was performed for the years 2020-2023, by EFPR Group, CPAs, PLLC, pursuant to Town Board Resolution TB-1 – 11/03/2025]
WE'RE ONT FOUR, CORRECT? YES.UH, RESOLUTION OF THE TOWN BOARD OF THE TOWN OF GREENBURG, ESTABLISHING THE NEW YORK, UH, REQUESTING THE NEW YORK STATE CONTROLLER CONDUCT AN INVESTIGATION OF THE FISCAL MISMANAGEMENT IDENTIFIED IN AN INDEPENDENT FORENSIC REPORT DATED JANUARY 27TH, 2026, WHICH WAS PERFORMED FOR THE YEARS 2020 TO 2023 BY EFPR GROUP.
CPAS, ELK, UH, PLLC PURSUANT TO TOWN BOARD RESOLUTION TB 1 11 3 20 25.
YOU WANNA MOVE IT? I'M MAKING MOVE.
I MAY MOVING THAT, UH, MO, UH, RESOLUTION SECOND.
UM, FOR THE REASONS ONES COPIES, WE HAVE COPIES.
FOR THE REASONS, UH, THAT I HIGHLIGHTED, UH, BEFORE, I'M NOT GONNA
[ AS 1 - 02/25/2026 Resolution rescinding Resolution AS-1 – 01/14/2026 and authorizing the Supervisor to execute a three year license agreement with GAR Associates LLC to provide valuation and assessment appeal software and associated professional services, at a total cost not to exceed $106,750 ]
REPEAT IT.A S ONE, UH, RESOLUTION, RESCINDING RESOLUTION ASS ONE.
UH, AND AUTHORIZING THE SUPERVISOR TO EXECUTE A THREE YEAR LICENSE AGREEMENT WITH GAR ASSOCIATES TO, UM, TO PROVIDE VALUATION AND ASSESSMENT APPEAL SOFTWARE AND ASSOCIATED PROFESSIONAL SERVICES THAT, OF COURSE NOT TO EXCEED 106,750.
[ CD 1 - 02/25/2026 Resolution of the Town Board of the Town of Greenburgh authorizing the Town Supervisor to enter into an agreement with Joseph Katona of Satori Unlimited LLC to operate a Hartsdale Farmer's Market adjacent to the Hartsdale Train Station building within a sectioned off portion of the Town’s right-of-way, on Saturdays from March 14, 2026, through November 28, 2026, from 8:00 AM to 3:00 PM]
AYE.CD ONE, UH, RESOLUTION OF THE TOWN BOARD OF THE TOWN OF GREENBURG AUTHORIZING THE TOWN SUPERVISOR TO ENTER INTO AN AGREEMENT WITH JOSEPH CATONA OF SATORI UNLIMITED LLC TO OPERATE A HARTSDALE FARMER'S MARKET ADJACENT TO THE HARTSDALE, UH, TRAIN STATION BUILDING WITH A SECTION OFF PORTION OF THE TOWN'S RIGHT OF WAY ON SATURDAY FROM MARCH 14TH THROUGH NOVEMBER 28TH, UH, FROM 8:00 AM TO 3:00 PM I'D LIKE TO MOVE THAT.
[ CD 2 - 02/25/2026 Resolution of the Town Board of the Town of Greenburgh supporting the submission of a 2025 Transportation Alternatives Program (TAP) grant application related to a sidewalk and related infrastructure project for improvements planned along Central Park Avenue (NYS Rt. 100)]
CD TWO RESOLUTION OF THE TOWN BOARD OF THE TOWN OF GREENBURG, SUPPORTING THE SUBMISSION OF A 2025 TRANSPORTATION ALTERNATIVES PROGRAM.UH, TAP GRANT APPLICATION RELATED TO A SIDEWALK AND RELATED INFRASTRUCTURE PRO PROJECT FOR IMPROVEMENTS PLANNED ALONG CENTRAL PARK AVENUE.
UM, UH, NEW YORK STATE ROUTE 100.
I'D LIKE TO MOVE THAT SECOND WELL IN FAVOR, AYE.
THAT'S BASICALLY A, A REALLY EXCITING, UM, YOU KNOW, GRANT, THERE'S GAPS ON CENTRAL AVENUE.
UM, SO THERE'S SOME SIDEWALKS ON PORTIONS OF CENTRAL AVENUE.
THERE'S GAPS ON OTHER SECTIONS OF CENTRAL AVENUE.
WHAT THIS WILL DO, UM, WILL, IS BASICALLY CONTINUE OUR EFFORTS TO, UH, MAKE GREENBERG MORE PEDESTRIAN FRIENDLY.
SO YOU'LL BE ABLE TO WALK FROM THE WHITE PLAINS LINE TO THE YONKERS LINE OR A BICYCLE, UM, WITH NO, WITH NO GAPS.
AND THIS WILL, UM, YOU KNOW, IT TAKES A LONG TIME.
THE WEST HARTSDALE AVENUE SIDEWALK IS GONNA HAPPEN, UM, UH, TOWARDS THE END OF THIS YEAR, BUT PROBABLY NEXT YEAR.
UM, BUT THAT WAS APPROVED LIKE FIVE YEAR, YOU KNOW, FIVE YEARS AGO.
SO THIS IS SOMETHING, IT'S PROBABLY 2029, 2030 BEFORE IT'S ACTUALLY IMPLEMENTED IF WE GET, IF WE GET THE GRANT.
BUT IT'S A STEP FORWARD MAKING OUR COMMUNITY MORE PEDESTRIANS, UH, SAFE.
AND IT'S, THERE'S SO MANY PEOPLE WHO WILL BENEFIT FROM THIS.
UH, SO I'D LIKE TO THANK GARRETT TO KANE FOR, UH, COMING UP WITH THIS IDEA AND, UM, FOR MAKING, UH, THE RECOMMENDATION.
AND, YOU KNOW, I THINK WE HAVE A REALLY GOOD CHANCE BECAUSE WE'VE GOTTEN A LOT OF TAP GRANTS.
WE GOT ONE FROM HILLSIDE AVENUE, UH, WHICH THERE'S A SIDEWALK THERE NOW.
UM, UM, YOU KNOW, UH, WE'VE GOTTEN OTHER GRANTS, UM, UH, UM, FOR WEST HARTSDALE AVENUE, CENTRAL AVENUE, UM, FROM MARION AVENUE TO, UH, WEST HARSDALE AVENUE.
SO THIS IS JUST A CONTINUATION.
AND WE HAVE A GOOD TRACK RECORD WITH THE STATE BECAUSE THEY SEE WE'RE IMPLEMENTING THE GRANTS THAT WE'RE ASKING FOR CD THREE.
WE APPROVED THAT ALREADY, RIGHT? YES.
[ CD 3 - 02/25/2026 Resolution authorizing an expenditure not to exceed $3,000 which will cover attendance and related expenses for interested Zoning and Planning Board members who attend the New York State Planning Federation 2026 annual planning conference ]
CD THREE, UH, RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING EXPENDITURE NOT TO EXCEED 3000, WHICH WILL COVER ATTENDANCE AND RELATED EXPENSES FOR INTERESTED ZONING AND PLANNING BOARD MEMBERS WHO ATTEND THE NEW YORK STATE PLANNING FEDERATION.2026 ANNUAL PLANNED CONFERENCE.
UM, I THOUGHT WE HEARD YESTERDAY IT WAS GOING TO BE $3,080.
DO YOU WANNA MAKE A MOTION? WAS, YEAH.
WHAT IS IT ON? AS AMENDED? AS AMEND.
WAS THAT RANK ORDER THREE? I DON'T HAVE 3085 I THINK IT WAS.
I DON'T HAVE MY, UM, MY THING FROM THIS, DYLAN.
SO WHY DON'T WE, WE AMENDED TO $380 AND IF SOMEBODY HAS TO CHIP IN $5, THEY CAN DO THAT.
AS AMENDED, I'D, I'D LIKE TO MAKE THE MOTION SECOND AS AMENDED.
WE NEED TO RE WE NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT'S CLEAR.
[02:25:01]
REVOTE.UM, RESOLUTION AUTHORIZED AND EXPENDITURE NOT TO EXCEED $3,040, WHICH WILL COVER ATTENDANCE AND RELATED EXPENSES FOR INTERESTED ZONING AND PLANNING BOARD MEMBERS WHO ATTEND THE NEW YORK STATE PLANNING FEDERATION'S 2026 ANNUAL PLANNED PLANNING CONFERENCE.
I'D LIKE TO MOVE THAT AND TOCIN THE AND TOCIN THE PREVIOUS VOTE.
ENTER, ENTER OR SIN? THE VOTE THAT JUST OCCURRED SHOULD BE A MOTION.
ENTER RESCIND THE VOTE THAT JUST OCCURRED.
AND RESCIND THE PREVIOUS ONE SECOND.
[ CR 1 - 02/25/2026 Resolution authorizing personnel from the Department of Community Resources to travel to specified Colleges and Universities in the Maryland area from March 12, 2026, through March 15, 2026, at a total cost not to exceed $18,000, $6,000 of which will be paid by program participants]
UH, C ONE RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING PERSONNEL FROM THE DEPARTMENT OF COMMUNITY RESOURCES TO TRAVEL TO SPECIFIED COLLEGES AND UNIVERSITIES IN THE MARYLAND AREA FROM MARCH 12TH THROUGH MARCH 15TH HAVE A TOTAL COST NOT TO EXCEED 18,000, 6,000 OF WHICH WILL BE PAID BY PROGRAM PARTICIPANTS.[ CO 1 - 02/25/2026 Resolution authorizing Fiscal Year 2025 budget transfers]
CO ONE, UH, UH, RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING FISCAL YEAR 2025.[ CO 2 - 02/25/2026 Resolution authorizing Fiscal Year 2026 budget transfers]
UH, I'M HOLDING OVER CO2.[ CO 3 - 02/25/2026 Resolution approving a 2026 budget amendment for a $10,000 grant received from Westchester County Board of Legislators for the Evergreen Club]
UH, CO THREE RESOLUTION, UM, APPROVING A 2026 BUDGET AMENDMENT FOR A $10,000 GRANT RECEIVED FROM WESTCHESTER COUNTY BOARD OF LEGISLATORS FOR THE EVERGREEN CLUB.I'D LIKE TO MOVE THAT SECOND IN FAVOR, AYE.
[ PR 1 - 02/25/2026 Resolution authorizing the Town of Greenburgh Department of Parks & Recreation to execute a contract with Kenneth Henderson to provide pickleball classes, conditioned on the direct costs being covered by registration fee]
UM, UH, PR ONE RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING THE TOWN OF GREENBURG, DEPARTMENT OF PARKS AND RECREATION TO EXECUTE A CONTRACT WITH KENNETH HENDERSON TO PROVIDE PICKLEBALL CLASSES CONDITION ON THE DIRECT REQUEST BEING COVERED BY REGISTRATION FEES.I'D LIKE TO MOVE THAT SECOND IN FAVOR, AYE.
[ PO 1 - 02/25/2026 Resolution adopting the recommendation of the Greenburgh Police Department to designate a portion of Hillside Avenue, Lawton Avenue, Wilson Street, Ardsley Road (East & West side),White Oak Lane, Henry Street, Seely Place and Robin Hill Road as school zones and reduce the posted maximum speed limit amending chapter 460 of the Code of the Town of Greenburgh]
PO ONE RESOLUTION ADOPTING THE RECOMMENDATIONS OF THE GREENBURG POLICE DEPARTMENT TO DESIGNATE A PORTION OF HILLSIDE AVENUE, UH, LAWTON, UM, UM, AVENUE WILSON STREET, LEY ROAD, WHITE OAK LANE, HENRY STREET SEA LEE PLACE IN ROBIN HILL, UH, SCHOOL ZONES AND REDUCE THE POSTED MAXIMUM SPEED LIMIT AMENDING CHAPTER FOUR 60 OF THE CODE OF THE TOWN OF GREENBURG.ALL IN FAVOR? A AYE, UH, RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING THE TOWN PW ONE
[ PW 1 - 02/25/2026 Resolution authorizing the Town Supervisor to execute a license agreement between the Town of Greenburgh and Central Westchester Tenants Corporation regarding the relocation of a sewer main on the real property located at 100 East Hartsdale Avenue, Hartsdale, NY 10530]
PW ONE RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING THE TOWN SUPERVISOR TO EXECUTE A LICENSE AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE TOWN OF GREENBURG AND CENTRAL WESTCHESTER TENANT CORP REGARDING THE RELOCATION OF A SEWER MAINE ON THE RAIL PROPERTY LOCATED AT A HUNDRED EAST HARTSDALE AVENUE IN HARTSDALE.UH, LIKE TO MOVE, UH, THAT SECOND.
THAT'S A NEXT STEP IN, UH, AN IMPORTANT STEP.
UH, I GUESS AN EASEMENT THAT WOULD ENABLE US TO MOVE FORWARD WITH THE, UM, REPAIRS OF THE SEWER, UH, BREAK ON A HUNDRED EAST HARTSDALE AVENUE.
[ PW 2 - 02/25/2026 Resolution authorizing the Department of Public Works to go to bid for a curbing contract]
UH, PW TWO, UH, RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING THE DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC WORKS TO GO, UH, TO BID FOR A CURBING CONTRACT.[ PW 3 - 02/25/2026 Resolution authorizing the Department of Public Works to go to bid for a highway guiderail contract]
AYE.PW THREE RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC WORKS TO GO TO BID FOR HIGHWAY GUIDE GUIDE RAIL CONTRACT.
[ PW 4 - 02/25/2026 Resolution authorizing the Department of Public Works to go to bid for sidewalk installation on Taxter Road]
PW, UH, FOUR, UH, RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC WORKS TO GO TO BID FOR SIDEWALK INSTALLATION ON TAXI ROAD.UM, RESOLUTION AWARDING AND PW
[ PW 5 - 02/25/2026 Resolution awarding an on-call contract for professional services for drinking water projects to D&B Engineers and Architects D.P.C. as one of the two best qualified and most responsible proposers, for an amount not to exceed $3,000,000 ]
FIVE W FIVE PW FIVE RESOLUTION AWARDING AN ON-CALL CONTRACT FOR PROFESSIONAL SERVICES FOR DRINKING WATER PROJECTS TO D AND B ENGINEERS AND ARCHITECTS AS ONE OF THE TWO BEST QUALIFIED AND MOST RESPONSIBLE PROPOSERS FOR AN AMOUNT NOT TO EXCEED, UM, $3 MILLION.[ PW 6 - 02/25/2026 Resolution awarding an on-call contract for professional services for drinking water projects to Delaware Engineering D.P.C. as one of the two best qualified and most responsible proposers for an amount not to exceed $3,000,000 ]
PPW SIX RESOLUTION, AWARDING AND ON CONTRACT FOR PROFESSIONAL SERVICES FOR DRINKING WATER PROJECTS TO DELAWARE ENGINEERINGS AS ONE OF THE TWO BEST QUALIFIED AND MOST RESPONSIBLE PROPOSERS FOR AMOUNT NOT TO EXCEED, UM, UH, UNIT THREE UNIT MILLION DOLLARS.I I, I HAVE A QUESTION FOR THE TOWN ATTORNEY.
'CAUSE THE SUPERVISOR HELD OVER A CO2, WHICH INCLUDES SUBSTANTIAL AMOUNTS OF MONEY TO COVER INSURANCE PAYMENTS THAT WE APPARENTLY DON'T HAVE THE MONEY TO PAY IN THOSE LINES.
FOR EXAMPLE, 45, 40 $5,000 FOR THE TOWN OUTSIDE INSURANCE, OR $29,000 FOR CONSOLIDATED WATER INSURANCE OR $15,000 FOR THE TOWN ENTIRE INSURANCE.
I, I'M NOT SURE WHAT THE DUE DATES FOR THOSE ARE, BUT YOU WILL NOT BE ABLE TO, TO MAKE THOSE PAYMENTS UNTIL THE RESOLUTION IS APPROVED BY THE ENTIRE BOARD.
BUT THERE WAS ALSO, THERE WAS ALSO, UM, SALARY ADJUSTMENTS FOR THE DEPUTY BUILDING INSPECTOR AND I FAILED WHEN WE'RE TALKING ABOUT, UM, $5,000.
WELL, WELL, WHEN WE'RE TALKING ABOUT TAX INCREASES, I BASICALLY DON'T, I I DID NOT SUPPORT THE SALARY
[02:30:01]
INCREASES.THAT'S NOT TO SAY THAT I OBJECT.
I'M NOT MAKING A PERSONAL ATTACK ON THE QUALITY OF THE WORK.
I BASICALLY FEEL THAT, UM, UH, PAYING $235,000 TO, UM, A BUILDING, SOMEBODY WHO HAS A COMBINED JOB AS DEPUTY, UH, COMMISSIONER OF PUBLIC WORKS AND, UM, AND A BUILDING INSPECTOR.
AND
THIS IS NOT SUPPOSED TO BE TALKED TO ME IN, IN, IN THE PUBLIC.
SO I HOPE YOU DON'T, I HOPE YOU DON'T HAVE ANY INSURANCE BECAUSE I HOPE THERE'S NO INSURANCE YOU HELD.
IF YOU, IF YOU WANTED TO, YOU HELD IT OVER, HELD IT OVER.
NO, WE CAN HOLD IT OVER BECAUSE THAT'S WHAT YOUR, OKAY.
IF YOU WANNA HAVE, IF YOU WANNA HAVE A SPECIAL MEETING, READ IT.
IF YOU WANNA HAVE A SPECIAL MEETING ON TUESDAY TO VOTE ON CO2, WE COULD DO THAT ON TUESDAY.
SO IT IS BASICALLY TODAY'S WEDNESDAY, SO IT'S BEING HELD OVER, UM, UM, YOU KNOW, UH, YOU KNOW, UH, TILL TUESDAY.
AND WE ALSO KNOW THAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT, UM, UM, UH, UH, SOME CHANGES IN THE PUBLIC WORKS ADMINISTRATION.
SO GOING FORWARD WE SHOULD BE LOOKING AT ALL THESE SELLING.
WE'RE NOT DISCUSSING PERSONNEL.
WELL, I'M JUST MENTIONING THAT YOU CAN'T MENTION NO, THIS IS, I JUST WANNA MAKE IT CLEAR YOU HELD OVER CO2, WHICH DEALS WITH WE HAVE DEFICITS AND PAYING INSURANCE BILLS.
WE'RE GONNA ASK THE INSURANCE COMPANY TO SAY, DON'T MIND, YOU KNOW, JUST GIVE US A BREAK.
THAT'S WHAT YOU, IF IF A CONTROLLER BASICALLY, THAT'S UP TO YOU.
WHY DON'T WE SEE IF WE COULD GET THE CONTROLLER ON THE PHONE AND IF SHE BASICALLY SAYS RIGHT NOW THAT THIS IS GONNA CREATE A MAJOR PROBLEM IN TERMS OF THE INSURANCE.
WELL, YOU MIGHT HAVE DONE THAT BEFORE THE MEETING.
WELL, I'M, I'M, I I MENTIONED THE, I MENTIONED NO DEBATE.
CAN WE CLOSE THE MEETING? LET'S JUST CLOSE THE MEETING, HOLDING IT OVER.
BUT I DID MENTION THIS YESTERDAY AND NOBODY, UM, SAID ANYTHING ABOUT THE, YOU KNOW, HOLD.
YOU DIDN'T SAY YOU WERE GONNA HOLD IT OVER.
CAN WE, CAN WE MOVE THE MEETING? IF YOU'RE HOLDING IT OVER THE MEETING, ITAN, YOU'RE HOLDING IT OVER.
LET'S MOVE THE MEETING, THEN THE MEETING'S OVER.
BUT YOU, CAN YOU CLOSE THE MEETING NOW, SIR? I MOVE.
UH, MOVE THAT WE CLOSE THE HEARING MEETING.