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ALL IN FAVOR? AYE.[ TOWN OF GREENBURGH OFFICE OF THE TOWN BOARD 177 Hillside Avenue, Greenburgh, NY 10607 Tel: 914-989-1525 Fax: 914-993-1541 https://greenburghny.com/485/Watch-Live-Board-Meetings ]
GET, HOLLY, CAN WE STOP? I'M SORRY.CAN WE JUST HOLD FOR A SECOND? PLEASE? NEED TO HOLD FOR A SECOND.
WE JUST WANT, WE JUST, BUT WE WANNA MAKE SURE WE GOT A DEADLINE.
I MEAN, WE, WE ARE LATE, SO WE JUST WANNA MAKE SURE I I THINK THEY'RE EVEN GONNA DRIVE IT UP TO ALBANY.
SO WE NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT, YEAH.
SO IS ANYTHING ELSE I JUST NEED TO STAND FOR? OKAY.
THAT'S WHAT HOLLY'S WAITING FOR.
ALRIGHT, SO YOU WANNA GO, YOU WANNA TALK ABOUT HOLLY FIRST? OKAY.
TAKE A 12 MINUTE RESET, TAKE A SURE.
WE CAN JUST TAKE A PAUSE, PAUL.
SO WE'RE GONNA TAKE A PAUSE EVERYONE FOR PROBABLY ABOUT FIVE MINUTES.
WE JUST WANNA MAKE SURE THAT THAT RESOLUTION GETS STAMPED AND UP TO AL AND UP TO ALBANY.
AARON IS GONNA JOIN ME NEXT, UH, DISCUSS AMENDMENTS RELATED TO BIMBO.
UM, AND LIZ GAR, HE'S ON, HE'S ON, HE'S ON ZOOM.
AND AARON SCHMIDT WILL, UH, SPEAK ABOUT THIS.
LIZ GARRITY, DEPUTY, UH, BUILDING INSPECTOR FOR THE TOWN.
UM, I HAVE ON ZOOM, AARON SCHMIDT, DEPUTY COMMISSIONER OF COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT.
UM, HE, MYSELF AND PEG TAGLIA HAVE BEEN WORKING ON AMENDMENTS TO THE LEGISLATION, UM, WHICH HAVE COME UP BECAUSE, UM, ENFORCEMENT HAS BEEN QUITE DIFFICULT, UM, IN CERTAIN INSTANCES.
SO WE DECIDED TO LOOK AT OTHER MUNICIPALITIES THAT HAVE ADOPTED SIMILAR RE REGULATIONS.
UM, AND WHAT WE FOUND WAS, UH, THERE ARE SOME MISSING COMPONENTS OF OUR PREVIOUS BAMBOO LAW, WHICH INCLUDED WHO OWNS THE BAMBOO.
UM, WE WERE USING WHERE IT WAS GROWING AS EVIDENCE OF OWNERSHIP.
UM, WE'VE DEFINED THAT FURTHER HERE.
UM, SO WE DIDN'T SPEAK ABOUT BAMBOO GROWING IN THE TOWN'S RIGHT OF WAY, WHICH IS A PROBLEM THROUGHOUT THE TOWN OF GREENBURG THAT IS CAUSING SITE DISTANCES.
UM, SERGEANT FONTELLA HAS, UM, HAD ISSUES WITH THIS IN MULTIPLE LOCATIONS.
WE CUT IT DOWN, IT JUST GROWS BACK.
SO, UM, WHAT WE'VE DONE IS WE'VE INCORPORATED LIMITING DISTANCES SO PEOPLE, IT'S NOT RESTRICTING BAMBOO FROM THE TOWN, BUT IT'S REQUIRING OWNERS TO CONTROL IT.
IF IT'S ON THEIR PROPERTY, THEY HAVE TO CONTROL IT FROM GOING ONTO THE TOWN'S PROPERTY.
UM, WE HAVE ISSUES, UM, WITH OUR WATER INFRASTRUCTURE, SEWER INFRASTRUCTURE THAT THE BAMBOO JUST CREEPS.
CONED HAS A BIG PROBLEM WITH PEOPLE PLANTING IT AND GOING ON THEIR PROPERTY.
SO THIS IS, THIS IS GONNA ADDRESS ALL OF THOSE, UM, GAPS THAT WE HAD IN OUR PREVIOUS LAW.
UM, WE ALSO HAVE INCLUDED HOW TO REMOVE THE BAMBOO AND HOW TO DISPOSE OF IT PROPERLY, UM, WHICH WAS ALSO MISSING FROM THE CODE.
WE'VE INCREASED THE FINES AND, UM, INCLUDED A COMPONENT WHERE IF PEOPLE FAIL TO REMOVE BAMBOO FROM THE TOWN'S PROPERTY, THAT WE CAN REMOVE IT AFTER THEY FOLLOW THE VIOLATION NOTICES, THE SUMMONSES THAT WE CAN SEEK, SIMILAR TO HOW WE SEEK IN THE BUILDING DEPARTMENT, DEMOLITION OF A STRUCTURE WHERE IT'S UNSAFE.
UM, WE CAN GO IN, REMOVE THE BAMBOO, AND THEN CHARGE IT BACK TO THE TAXES AFTER THE TOWN BOARD HEARS THAT AND APPROVES OF THAT.
WE CAN DO THAT ON PRIVATE PROPERTY ON THE TOWN'S PROPERTY, TOWN'S PROPERTY.
AARON, DO YOU HAVE ANYTHING ELSE TO ADD? NO, I, I, I JUST WANT TO REINFORCE WHAT MS. GARRITY SAID, AND FOR THE RECORD, AARON SCHMIDT, DEPUTY COMMISSIONER OF THE DEPARTMENT OF COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT AND CONSERVATION.
SO, JUST TO PIGGYBACK OFF WHAT MS. GARRITY WAS SAYING, UH, ENFORCEMENT HAS BEEN AN ISSUE.
WE HAVE AN ONGOING, UH, CASE THAT'S WITHIN THE COURTS THAT HAS BEEN FOR ONE YEAR.
WE'RE HOPING THAT WE GET TO A POINT WHERE THE BAMBOO IS ACTUALLY GONNA BE REMOVED FROM THE PROPERTY AND PROPERTIES BECAUSE IT DOES ENCROACH TO ADJACENT PROPERTIES.
AND THE, UH, ADJACENT NEIGHBORS HAVE BEEN VERY, YOU KNOW, UH, AGREEABLE TO THE WORK BEING DONE, BUT THEY WANT IT DONE PROPERLY.
AND THIS HAS JUST BEEN GOING ON FOR SO LONG, I THINK, AND I AGREE WITH MS. GARRITY THAT THE PROPOSED AMENDMENTS STRENGTHEN THE LAW AND MORE CLEARLY IDENTIFY WHOSE RESPONSIBILITY IT IS TO CONTROL THE BAMBOO.
COULD COULD YOU DESCRIBE, FOR EXAMPLE, THE TIME DRAIN THAT THE CURRENT LAW IS HAVING ON YOU AND YOUR DEPARTMENT? YES, ABSOLUTELY.
SO, AGAIN, AS I MENTIONED, THIS ONE VIOLATION
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THAT HAS TRANSITIONED INTO A SUMMONS HAS BEEN GOING ON FOR OVER A YEAR NOW.I'VE SPENT REALLY COUNTLESS HOURS, BUT I'D SAY AT LEAST 70 TO 80 HOURS OF MY TIME HANDLING THIS SPECIFIC ONE INSTANCE OF A VIOLATION.
WE'VE BEEN IN COURT NUMEROUS TIMES.
I'VE HAD TO GATHER EXTENSIVE DOCUMENTATION FROM ALL THREE NEIGHBORING PROPERTY OWNERS AS WELL AS THE OWNER HIMSELF AND HIS CONTRACTOR.
AND, UH, MYSELF, I MEAN, THE BUILDING INSPECTOR'S OFFICE HAS BEEN INVOLVED BECAUSE UNDER THE CURRENT LAW, THEY ISSUED THE VIOLATION.
THEN OUR OFFICE GETS INVOLVED TO HELP WITH ENFORCEMENT AND GETTING TO A POINT WHERE THE BAMBOO CAN BE ERADICATED.
UM, WHICH, WHICH IS THE GOAL HERE BECAUSE IT HAS ENCROACHED ONTO THE OTHER PROPERTIES.
AND THEN NOT ONLY OUR OFFICES, BUT ALSO THE LEGAL DEPARTMENT, UH, UM, YOU KNOW, MS. TAGLIA HAS BEEN INVOLVED FOR SEVERAL MONTHS, UH, NEARLY AS LONG AS MYSELF.
THAT'S A DE THAT'S A DE THAT'S A DEPUTY TOWN ATTORNEY.
JUST FOR DEPUTY TOWN ATTORNEY TAGLIA.
SO, UM, IT, IT IS JUST BEEN COUNTLESS STAFF HOURS, AND WE REALLY HAVEN'T GOTTEN ANYWHERE TO THIS POINT.
WE'RE HOPEFUL THAT THE COURT WILL NOW MOVE IN A DIRECTION TO MANDATE THIS, UM, BECAUSE THE OWNER WHO HAS CLAIMED RESPONSIBILITY, YOU KNOW, HAS HAD ISSUES WITH THIS CONTRACTOR, AND WE'VE GONE BACK AND FORTH AND THEY PROMISED TO DO THE WORK, AND THEN THEY ONLY CUT THE STEMS, THE VISIBLE STEMS, AND DID NOT CONDUCT THE DIGGING THAT'S REQUIRED TO REMOVE THE ROOTS AND RHIZOMES TO EFFECTIVELY REMOVE ALL THE BAMBOO MATERIAL.
RIGHT NOW, WE'RE VERY CLEAR WITH THESE PROPOSED AMENDMENTS THAT EVERYTHING HAS TO BE REMOVED AND HAS TO BE DONE IN A TIMELY FASHION.
SO, I HOPE THAT ANSWERS YOUR QUESTION, COUNSEL.
SO WE'RE NOT REALLY TALKING ABOUT JUST REGULAR CUTTING, UH, OR MOWING, BUT ACTUAL REMOVAL.
THE UNDERGROUND PORTION IS ARGUABLY THE STRONGEST, UH, PIECE OR MATERIAL OF THE BAMBOO BECAUSE IT SPREADS THROUGH THE UNDERGROUND ROMO MORPHOUS SYSTEM
UM, AND IF YOU JUST CUT THE STALKS DOWN, THEY'RE JUST GONNA COME BACK AND IT, IT'S GONNA CONTINUE TO SPREAD UNDERGROUND WHERE YOU CANNOT SEE IT.
AND THEN NEW STOCKS WILL EMERGE, UH, IN LOCATIONS THAT WERE NOT PREVIOUSLY, UH, YOU KNOW, HOUSED THE BAMBOO.
UH, I KNOW LIKE SOME LANDSCAPERS DON'T, THEY USE LIKE HERBICIDES ALSO AND TO TREATMENT TO MAKE SURE THAT IT DOESN'T COME BACK.
SO THERE ARE SOME CHEMICAL TREATMENTS THAT, UM, HAVE PROVEN TO BE SOMEWHAT VALUABLE IN CONTROLLING OR LIMITING REGROWTH.
BUT I'LL TELL YOU, UH, SOME OF THESE CHEMICALS, YOU KNOW, CAN GET INTO OUR WATERWAYS AND ARE POTENTIALLY CONTAMINATING IN THAT REGARD.
SO THE WAY WE'VE WRITTEN THIS UP IN WORKING WITH MS. GARRITY IS THAT ONLY SPECIFIC HERBICIDES AND CHEMICAL CONTROL MEASURES APPROVED BY NEW YORK STATE DEC ARE THOSE THAT WOULD BE ALLOWED TO BE USED IN THIS INSTANCE.
SO, UH, THAT'S HOW WE'VE WRITTEN IT UP.
YOU KNOW, IT LEAVES THE DOOR OPEN TO ORGANIC HERBICIDE CONTROL IN THE FUTURE, SO LONG AS IT'S APPROVED BY NEW YORK STATE, WHICH HAS BANNED THIS, UH, THE RUNNING BAMBOO FROM BEING PLANTED THROUGHOUT THE STATE OR EVEN SOLD.
DO, DO WE LIKE SOMETIMES, OR DO YOU OR ANYBODY IN THE TOWN LIKE INSPECT, UM, YOU KNOW, THE ROADS OR THE, THE SIDE OF ROADS, UM, UH, PERIODICALLY AND SEE IF WE COULD NIP IT IN THE BUD BEFORE, UM, BEFORE THE MO BOOZE BE, BEFORE IT STARTS SPREADING, YOU KNOW, DOING IT LIKE EARLY, COULD POSSIBLY REMOVE, UH, YOU KNOW, COULD, COULD POSSIBLY BE HELPFUL, I WOULD THINK.
SO TOWN EMPLOYEES HAVE CERTAINLY IDENTIFIED, UH, TARGET LOCATIONS WHERE WE'VE CONSISTENTLY HAD ISSUES.
THE GRAND, THE BAMBOO GROWS SO TALL AND SO QUICK, AND THEN IF YOU HAVE, YOU KNOW, A WET SNOW EVENT OR A HEAVY RAIN EVENT, IT ENDS UP FLOPPING INTO THE ROAD AND CAUSES, YOU KNOW, SAFETY ISSUES FOR, UH, VEHICLES AND PEDESTRIANS.
SO RIGHT NOW, I DON'T ANTICIPATE TOO MUCH NEW BAMBOO BEING GROWN.
IT'S NOT PERMITTED TO BE SOLD IN NEW YORK STATE.
UM, THE, WE HAVE OUR EXISTING LAW THAT DOESN'T ALLOW NEW BA NEW RUNNING BAMBOO TO BE PLANTED, BUT THE AREAS WITHIN TOWN RIGHTS OF WAY REALLY NEED TO BE HANDLED.
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JUST DON'T HAVE A, AND, AND MAS GARITY, CORRECT ME IF I'M WRONG, THE, YOU KNOW, THE MANPOWER OR THE EQUIPMENT TO PROPERLY REMOVE THIS FROM WITHIN THE RIGHT OF WAY.I MEAN, AND WE CERTAINLY HAVE NOT PLANTED IT WITHIN RIGHT OF WAY.
SO THAT, THAT'S THE POINT THAT I WAS GOING TO EMPHASIZE IS THAT THE BAMBOO THAT IS IN THE TOWN'S RIGHT OF WAY IS NOT PLANTED BY THE TOWN.
SO IT'S COMING FROM PRIVATE PROPERTY ONTO THE TOWNS.
WE'VE HAD INSTANCES, AND AARON HAS BEEN AMAZING, UM, WORKING WITH US WITH BAMBOO, WHERE WE'VE HAD SOME PROPERTY OWNERS THAT HAVE CHOSEN TO REMOVE IT.
AND IT IS A SUBSTANTIAL UNDERTAKING WHERE YOU'RE USING AN EXCAVATOR TO ACTUALLY DIG DOWN TO REMOVE THE RHIZOMES, AND YOU HAVE TO GO AS DEEP AS THE RHIZOMES AND THEN PUT A SHIELD UP TO KEEP THEM FROM GOING ANY CREEPING ANY FURTHER.
SO THAT'S, YOU KNOW, SOMETHING FOR PEOPLE THAT ARE LISTENING TO CONSIDER, IF THEY ARE CONSIDERING PLANTING BAMBOO OR HAVE BAMBOO AND DON'T, OR HAVE BAMBOO ON THEIR PROPERTY, UM, TAKE MEASURES NOW TO CONTAIN IT.
UM, ESPECIALLY IF YOUR PROPERTY ABUTS THE TOWN'S RIGHT OF WAY, UM, OR ANOTHER, UM, PRIVATE PROPERTY.
UM, NEXT, UH, DISCUSS PROPOSED MODIFICATIONS TO SIGN LAW.
SO I'VE GIVEN ALL THE BOARD MEMBERS THE SIGN LAW THAT'S EXISTING.
UM, IT IS FROM 1969, UM, WITH, WITH UPDATES THROUGHOUT.
UM, MY, MY GOAL IS DEALING WITH, UM, THE BUSINESS OWNERS, UM, PEOPLE THAT WANNA PUT SIGNS ON THEIR PROPERTY, HAVE A VERY DIFFICULT TIME NAVIGATING THE CODE AND UNDERSTANDING WHAT'S PERMITTED IN THEIR DISTRICT, WHAT'S PERMITTED IN THEIR PROPERTY.
AND IT IS, UM, KIND OF O OVER THE YEARS IT'S BEEN ADDED TO, BUT IT HASN'T BEEN MODERNIZED.
SO I HAD TAKEN THE OPPORTUNITY WHEN WE'RE DOING 2 85 AND REMOVING THE SIGN REGULATIONS FROM THE CA DISTRICT SPECIFICALLY, AND WE'RE GOING TO MOVE THEM INTO CHAPTER TWO 40, THAT THIS IS AN OPPORTUNITY, UM, TO, TO UPDATE THE CODE ENTIRELY.
UM, SO WHAT I DID IS THE HC DISTRICT, WHICH IS THE DALE CENTER DISTRICT, IS NOT EVEN SPOKEN ABOUT IN THE SIGN AND ILLUMINATION LAW.
SO THERE'S THE ONLY REGULATIONS ARE THE GENERAL REGULATIONS.
UM, THE HARTSDALE CENTER DISTRICT IS A PEDESTRIAN DISTRICT.
UM, THERE'S A LOT OF WALKABILITY, A LOT OF SIDEWALKS, UM, SLOWER TRAFFIC WHERE, UM, A DIFFERENT TYPE OF SIGNAGE, UM, SHOULD BE, UM, ALLOWED AND PERMITTED.
AND IT'S A HISTORIC DISTRICT TOO.
UM, THE CA DISTRICT HAD ITS OWN REGULATIONS BECAUSE IT'S PART OF, UM, A LOT OF PLANNING REVIEW.
SO THE THRUST OF THOSE TWO DISTRICTS, AND EVENTUALLY THE TR DISTRICT THAT COMMISSIONER DUQUESNE IS PROPOSING IN 2 85, I'M GOING TO ADDRESS THAT, BUT NOT SPECIFICALLY AS A SEPARATE DISTRICT AS, UH, COMMERCIAL USES.
SO WHAT I'VE DONE, UM, AND I WILL DISTRIBUTE THIS TO THE BOARD, BUT I'M MORE SEEKING GUIDANCE POLICY WISE, IF THE BOARD, UM, THERE'S DIFFERENCES BETWEEN POLL SIGNS.
SO A POLL SIGN IS A SIGN THAT'S ON A SINGLE POLL OR WHAT THEY CALL A FIELD GOAL.
A FIELD POLE GOAL, UM, IS TO HAVE ONE SINGLE SIGN WITH ONE SIGN ON TOP, OR A MONUMENT SIGN, WHICH IS A BRICK FACE WITH LANDSCAPING AROUND IT.
CURRENTLY THE WAY OUR CODE IS, WE WOULD DETERMINE THE SQUARE FOOTAGE OF THE SIGN WITHOUT THE POST ON A, ON A POLE SIGN.
BUT WITH JUST THE, UM, AREA OF THE SIGN ABOVE WITH A MONUMENT SIGN, IT'S THE ENTIRE SIGN WHETHER THERE'S SIGNAGE ON IT OR NOT.
SO WHAT I'VE DONE IS I'VE, I'M GOING TO PUT IN HOW TO MEASURE A SIGN WHICH IS MISSING IN THE CURRENT CODE.
SO THERE'S NO AMBIGUITY INTER IN INTERPRETATION, UM, WITH REGARD TO YARD SIGNS, WALL SIGNS, UM, AND THERE'S NOTHING ABOUT, UH, ELECTRONIC DISPLAYS.
SO, BEFORE YOU CONTINUE, SO I'M JUST NOTICING THAT YOU HAVE A RED LINE VERSION AND YEAH, THIS IS JUST MY, MY NOTES, UM OH, OKAY.
OF THE THINGS THAT, 'CAUSE OUR VERSION DOESN'T SHOW THAT.
NO, THAT'S THE ORIGINAL VERSION.
SO I JUST WANTED THE BOARD TO SEE THAT, UM, THE, THERE'S A LOT OF DEFINITIONS THAT ARE MISSING.
UM, HEART CELL CONTEXTUAL REVIEW COMMITTEE.
UM, I WOULD LIKE TO HAVE AN ABANDONMENT WITH, IT'S A BUSINESS GOES OUT THAT THEY HAVE TO TAKE THEIR SIGN DOWN.
PEOPLE CAN LEAVE A SIGN UP ON A BUILDING, ON A VACANT STOREFRONT.
UM, IT WOULD BE THE LANDLORD THAT WOULD TAKE IT DOWN, OR IT, IT WOULD BE THE RESPONSIBILITY ULTIMATELY OF THE LANDLORD AND WHATEVER AGREEMENT THEY HAD WITH THEIR TENANT.
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UM, THERE'S NO, YEAH, NO DEFINITION OF AVERAGE GRADE, WHICH IS WHAT WE USE TO CALCULATE A SIGN.SO I, I FELT THERE WAS THINGS THAT WERE MISSING IN THE CODE DIGITAL SIGNAGE.
WE'VE HAD A COUPLE OF REQUESTS WHICH HAVE HAD TO DENY BECAUSE WE DON'T HAVE ANYTHING IN OUR CODE THAT ALLOWS FOR DIGITAL SIGNAGE.
SO, UM, PETER ASP ACTUALLY, THAT OUR MIS DIRECTOR, UM, WAS THINKING ABOUT HAVING THE TOWN OF GREENBERG SIGN OUTSIDE BE A DIGITAL SIGN THAT COULD HAVE, YOU KNOW, DIFFERENT THINGS THAT THE TOWN BOARD WANTED TO DISPLAY, LIKE A, LIKE SIMILAR TO A MARQUEE, UM, THAT I'VE SEEN IN OTHER MUNICIPALITIES.
BUT RIGHT NOW, OUR CODE DOESN'T ADDRESS THAT.
UM, THAT'S SOMETHING THAT I WOULD, UM, DEFINE AND ALLOW ON THE CENTRAL AVENUE DISTRICT.
UM, MY SUGGESTION WOULD BE TO HAVE THAT BE PLANNING BOARD APPROVED, UM, BECAUSE IT IS SUCH A HIGH DENSITY DISTRICT, UH, NOT PERMITTED IN RESIDENTIAL DISTRICTS.
SO WHY JUST CENTRAL AVENUE? WHY WON'T WE DO SOMETHING HERE ON TARRYTOWN ROAD AND TARRYTOWN ROAD AS WELL? BUT IT'S ALL GONNA BE PLANNING BOARD BECAUSE IT'S GOOD.
SOMETIMES DIGITAL SIGNS, UM, THEY CAN IMPACT TRAFFIC.
SO IT'S SOMETHING THAT, UM, IT WOULD HAVE TO BE THE LOCATION, THE SIZE.
UM, THERE WOULD STILL BE THE REQUIREMENT.
NO CHANGEABILITY, NO FLASHING, UM, BECAUSE IT DEFINITELY WOULD IMPACT, UM, ON, ON TRAFFIC.
SO WE'RE TALKING ABOUT WORDS ON THE SIDE AS, AS OPPOSED TO ANIMATION? NO ANIMATION.
UM, SO THERE CAN'T BE ANY MOVING ANIMATION.
THERE COULD BE A FIXED IMAGE, UM, BUT NO MOVING ANIMATION LIKE A MOVIE, THINGS LIKE THAT, WHICH SHOULDN'T, IN SOME CASES THEY, THEY DO.
UM, SO THE, IT'S BASICALLY WHAT I WANTED TO SEE IS THE BOARD IS, WE'D LIKE THE IDEA OF ELECTRONIC MESSAGING BOARDS.
UM, I WANNA ALSO ADD IN MORE ROBUST ILLUMINATION.
UM, WE DON'T SPEAK ABOUT LED, UM, LIGHTS LUMENS, HOW MUCH, UH, THE INTENSITY OF LIGHTING CAN BE.
SO THERE'S, BY ROBUST YOU DON'T MEAN BRIGHTER, YOU MEAN MORE OPTIONS? OH, MORE OPTIONS.
I HAD A QUESTION IN TERMS OF THE SIGNAGE THAT YOU SAID SHOULD COME DOWN.
UM, ARE YOU GONNA GIVE SOME OF THE STORES, LIKE, OR THE LANDLORDS, HOW MUCH, HOW, HOW SOON AFTER A STORE CLOSES WILL THEY HAVE TO COME DOWN? BECAUSE WE HAD A STORE, UM, A RESTAURANT ON EAST HARSDALE AVENUE THAT WENT OUT OF BUSINESS.
UM, AND THEN THEY OPENED UP, I THINK ABOUT A YEAR LATER, UH, UNDER THE SAME, UNDER THE SAME NAME.
SO I'M JUST SORT OF WONDERING IF THERE IS, LIKE, YOU KNOW, IF YOU, IF WE'RE GONNA RUSH IT, OR CAN YOU TELL ME? NO, NO.
SO, AND THERE ISN'T ACTUALLY A FEW THAT HAVE REUTILIZED EXISTING SIGNAGE, WHICH IS ACTUALLY, YOU KNOW, WE APPRECIATE BECAUSE YOU'RE NOT TAKING SOMETHING DOWN AND, AND DISPOSING OF IT.
YOU'RE ACTUALLY REPURPOSING IT.
UM, AND THAT, AND THAT'S GREAT IN THE INSTANCES WHERE THEY CAN REUTILIZE A SIGN, UM, THE TIMEFRAME, AGAIN, THAT WOULD BE SOMETHING FOR THE BOARD'S DECISION, BUT TYPICALLY ONCE SOMEBODY VACATES THAT WOULD, THE LANDLORD WOULD TAKE THE SIGN DOWN WHEN IT'S REOCCUPIED.
AND I MEAN, TAKING DOWN THE SIGN IS JUST NOT SAYING, YOU KNOW, LIZ'S PIZZA SHOP, IF I MOVE OUT, YOU FLIP THE SIGN THE PANEL OVER.
AND THAT'S WHAT I MEAN WHEN YOU'RE ABANDONED.
SO PEOPLE DON'T THINK THAT A BUSINESS IS STILL THERE.
THAT'S NOT, I I JUST HAVE ONE OTHER, UM, YOU KNOW, SUGGESTION BECAUSE I FEEL THE INTENT OF ALL THESE MODIFICATIONS IS DEFINITELY VERY POSITIVE.
BUT I'M, I'M WONDERING IF IT WOULD MAKE SENSE, UM, BEFORE, YOU KNOW, WE FINALIZE ANYTHING TO ASK FOR, TO MEET WITH THE, UH, CHAMBER OF COMMERCE BECAUSE, UM, YOU KNOW, A LOT OF THE BUSINESSES ARE REALLY STRUGGLING AND, UM, YOU KNOW, LET'S SAY WE SAY THEY CAN'T HAVE THE DISPLAY, YOU KNOW, THE DISPLAYS, THE DIGITAL DISPLAYS ON THE WINDOW OR SOMETHING, UM, YOU KNOW, MAYBE THAT COULDN'T REALLY HURT THEM.
AND I'M NOT SAYING THAT MY MY CONCERNS ARE VALID.
I'M JUST SAYING THAT I THINK THAT IT WOULD BE, UH, INTERESTING TO HEAR, UH, FROM THE CHAMBER AND SOME OF THE COMMERCIAL REALTORS, WHAT THEY THINK, UM, THE IMPACT, YOU KNOW, WILL BE BECAUSE A LOT OF THE STORES ARE REALLY LIKE, VERY STRUGGLING.
I'M NOT REDUCING ANY OF THE SIGNAGE.
SO I'M ALLOWING WHAT, WHAT YOU JUST DESCRIBED, AN ELECTRONIC SIGN WOULDN'T BE PERMITTED.
SO I'M ACTUALLY PUTTING SECTIONS IN TO MODERNIZE THEM TO ALLOW THAT'S GOOD.
AND ACTUALLY, SO RIGHT NOW, THE WAY OUR SIGN LAW IS WRITTEN, UM, WINDOW SIGNAGE, SETTING ASIDE THE HC DISTRICT, WHICH REQUIRES, UM, APPROVAL FOR ALL SIGNAGE, UM, THE WINDOW SIGNAGE, ANYTHING, 25% CAN OCCUPY A WINDOW THAT REQUIRES A SIGN, A PERMIT.
THAT'S MY SUGGESTION, IS TO TAKE THAT OUT.
IF THEY COMPLY WITH THE 25%, THEN THEY DON'T HAVE TO TO GET A SIGN PERMIT.
UM, SO THAT WOULD REDUCE THAT.
SO PEOPLE CAN PUT A SMALL IMAGE OF SOMETHING IN THEIR WINDOW, EXCEPT ON,
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UM, THE, THE HC DISTRICT.UM, WITH REGARD TO THE SIZE OF THE SIGNS, NOTHING IS CHANGING.
UM, FOUR FEET IS ACTUALLY VERY GENEROUS WITH THE SIZE OF A SIGN.
WE ALLOW A MAXIMUM KEY LETTER OR LOGO, UM, TO BE THAT SIZE.
IT'S, IT'S, UM, VERY REASONABLE.
THE ONLY, UM, DIFFERENCE THAT I WOULD PUT IN IS WHEN A SHOPPING CENTER IS SET BACK FROM THE ROADWAY OVER A HUNDRED FEET, THERE'S A, UM, SIGN MANUAL THAT YOU CAN INCREASE THE SIGNS.
SO YOU COULD SEE IT, ESPECIALLY ON HIGH TRAVELED ROADS AT ITS SPEEDS.
SO IT'S ACTUALLY GOING TO ALLOW, UM, BUSINESS OWNERS TO PUT MORE SIGNAGE IN TO, TO HELP THEIR BUSINESS.
I ALSO WANNA BE ABLE TO ALLOW PEOPLE TO PUT THE LITTLE A-FRAME SIGNS IF THEY'RE HAVING A SPECIAL OUTSIDE ON THE SIDEWALK, WHICH CURRENTLY IS NOT PERMITTED.
IT'S NOT, OH, WE CAN'T DO THAT.
OH, I DIDN'T, OH, I DIDN'T KNOW THAT.
THAT THEY DO IT IN WHITE PLAINS.
THE OTHER THING I WANTED TO ASK IS I TRIED TO MAKE, AND THIS IS JUST A SAMPLE OF, SO PEOPLE CAN OH, I AGREE WITH THAT.
YOU HAVE SOMEBODY THAT COMES IN, THEY SAID, I'M IN THE OB DISTRICT, THEY CAN JUST RUN ACROSS AND SAY THEY CAN DO A WALL SIGN, A MONUMENT SIGN IS PERMITTED, NOT PERMITTED.
AND JUST GO RIGHT ACROSS AND THEY KNOW.
SO IS THAT GOING TO BE ON THE WEBSITE? IT'S GONNA BE ON THE WEBSITE, AND IT'S GONNA BE EMBEDDED IN THE SIGN CODE.
SO THEN IT, SO THE SIGNAGE IS A LABEL SIGNAGE, WHICH YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT A SIGN MM-HMM
YOU KNOW, I THINK THE CHAMBER WILL BE PLEASED THAT YOU'RE TAKING STEPS TO MAKE TOWN MORE BUSINESS FRIENDLY.
UM, SO IS THERE ANYTHING, AND THAT'S WHY I'M HERE, IS JUST SO I HAVE SOME GUIDANCE ON NO, I THINK KEEP GOING.
WE NEED TO BRING THIS UP TO 1912.
YOU AND WHEN I HAVE THE, WHEN I HAVE THE RED LINE FINALIZED, I'LL DISTRIBUTE IT TO THE BOARD.
WELL, I HAVE A QUESTION BEFORE SHE LEAVES.
SO WHEN WE ARE GONNA TALK ABOUT THE HARTSDALE BUSINESS DISTRICT, AND WE TALK ABOUT SIGNAGE AND, AND THERE'S THE CONTEXTUAL REVIEW BOARD.
SO HOW DO THEY FIT INTO IS THE, SO IT'S THE, THE HCRC, THE HEART CELL CONTEXTUAL REVIEW COMMITTEE.
WHEN AN APPLICATION IS SUBMITTED TO THE BUILDING DEPARTMENT, WE WILL ROUTE IT TO COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT.
THAT THEN SETS A MEETING WITH THE H CRC.
THEY REVIEW THE PROPOSED SIGNAGE.
WHAT I WAS DOING IS KIND OF ENCOMPASSING THE H CRCS REGULATIONS TO MAKE MORE WALKABILITY, UM, SIGNAGE.
SO YOU HAVE THE, UM, PROJECTING SIGNS THAT WOULD COME OFF OF THE BUILDING.
SO AS PEOPLE ARE WALKING DOWN THE, THE SIDEWALK, THEY CAN SEE THEM MM-HMM
UM, IN CERTAIN AREAS THAT'S NOT GONNA WORK ON THE, THE HEART STILL.
AND YOU START 11 BECAUSE IT'S TOO CLOSE TO THE ROAD.
BUT THERE'S CERTAIN THINGS THAT, YOU KNOW, WOULD ENHANCE WALKABILITY, NOT ONLY IN THE HC DISTRICT, BUT THE TR THE FUTURE TR DISTRICT ALONG TERRY 10 ROAD.
UM, AND ON CENTRAL AVENUE, BECAUSE WE HAVE A LOT MORE PEDESTRIAN ACTIVITY.
AND WILL THIS ADDRESS ANY STANDARDS FOR THE LOOK OF SIGNAGE IN THAT PARTICULAR, AS YOU SAID, UH, HISTORIC AREA? SO THE AESTHETICS ARE ALL THROUGH THE HCRC.
SO THEY WOULD DETERMINE, YOU KNOW, IF AN APPLICANT CAME BEFORE THEM, THE COLOR OF THE, THE PAINT, UM, TO SEE IF IT'S CONSISTENT WITH THE PREVIOUS.
NEXT, UH, RULES FOR TOWN BOARD RESPONSES ON MEETINGS.
SO, PROPOSED CHANGES TO THE RULES.
THERE ARE TWO DIFFERENT VERSIONS.
UM, I WANT TO THANK FIRST DEPUTY MAGNA FOR PUTTING TOGETHER SOME SUGGESTED CHANGES AND FOR FILLING IN FOR ME WHEN I WAS GONE.
UM, SHE DID SEND THOSE TO THE BOARD EARLIER TODAY.
SOME OF THE CHANGES INCLUDE GIVING MORE SPECIFIC CRITERIA FOR THE PARLIAMENTARIAN, WHAT THEIR DUTIES ARE DURING THE MEETING.
UM, ALSO, WHAT ARE THEY? COULD YOU JUST, THEY'RE THEY'RE ON THE PAGE PARLIAMENT.
I WAS JUST SAYING, SINCE PEOPLE ARE WATCHING IT ON TV, I, I'LL READ IT OUT.
PARLIAMENTARIAN SHALL ADVISE THE BOARD ON ISSUES CONCERNING PRESERVATION OF ORDER AND DECORUM AT ALL MEETINGS.
NO PERSONAL ATTACKS ON ANY INDIVIDUAL SHALL BE PERMITTED.
NO ONE SHALL BE PERMITTED TO ENGAGE IN BEHAVIOR WHICH DISRUPTS THE FORMALITY OF A BOARD MEETING, WHICH SHALL INCLUDE, BUT IS NOT LIMITED TO ELECTIONEERING AND CAMPAIGNING IN POLITICAL
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OFFICE.THE PARLIAMENTARIAN SHALL ASSIST THE BOARD IN PRESERVING DECORUM AND ADVISE THE BOARD ON QUESTIONS OF ORDER CONCERNING PUBLIC COMMENT.
THE PARLIAMENTARIAN'S PARLIAMENTARIAN'S INACTION OR RECOMMENDATION TO DENY A PERSON OR REQUESTING THE OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK OR ALLOWANCE OF A SPEAKER TO DEVIATE FROM THESE RULES SHALL BE SUBJECT TO MOTION BY AND APPEAL BY OF THE BOARD.
UM, YOU KNOW, THE WORDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO ELECTIONEERING OR CAMPAIGNING FOR POLITICAL OFFICE.
MY OPPONENT, UM, SHOWS UP AT A MEETING AND SAYS, YOU KNOW, THESE ARE MY VIEWS.
THAT'S SORT OF CAMPAIGNING FOR POLITICAL OFFICE.
HE SHOULD HAVE THE RIGHT TO SPEAK IF HE WANTS AT A TOWN BOARD MEETING.
UM, IF SOMEBODY, UM, UM, YOU KNOW, I, I THINK IT'S INTERFERING WITH, UM, YOU KNOW, WITH FREE SPEECH.
I THINK IF SOMEBODY IS MISUSING, UM, THEY'RE FIVE MINUTES, IT IS GONNA BE APPARENT TO, UM, THE PERSON LISTENING, UM, ON TV OR WATCHING IT ON TV.
AND IT SHOULD BE UP TO THE PUBLIC TO DECIDE WHETHER, UM, COMMENTS ARE, UM, POLITICAL, POLITICAL OR, OR NOT POLITICAL.
BECAUSE WHAT I MAY THINK IS OFFENSIVE YOU MAY THINK IS NOT OFFENSIVE.
AND THAT'S SPEECH OFFENSIVE AND POLITICAL ARE NOT THE SAME THING.
POLITICAL HAS A DEFINITION OF A CERTAIN KIND OF WORDING WHEN YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT SOMEONE'S OPINION ON AN ISSUE THAT, THAT ANYONE HAS THE RIGHT, AS YOU'RE SAYING, TO EXPRESS THAT.
BUT IF THEY'RE TALKING, IF THEY SAY, I FEEL THIS WAY, SO YOU SHOULD VOTE FOR ME, THEN IT BECOMES ELECTIONEERING.
OR IF YOU TALK ABOUT, YOU KNOW, ANYTHING REGARDING AN ELECTION OR A CAMPAIGN IS NOT ALLOWED.
THAT'S, I MEAN, I I I'VE NEVER HEARD OF THAT ANYWHERE.
AND, AND ANY OTHER GOVERNMENT BODY, BECAUSE I USED TO GO TO THE COUNTY LEGISLATURE AND FOR EVEN BEFORE I WAS A LEGISLATOR, AND THERE WAS NEVER ANY INTERFERENCE WITH PEOPLE'S RIGHT TO, TO SPEAK OR EXPRESS THEMSELVES.
AND AGAIN, I FEEL THAT WE'RE, I FEEL, YOU KNOW, I FEEL THAT IF SOMEBODY'S MAKING A PERSONAL ATTACK, UH, IT'S ONE THING, UM, YOU KNOW, THAT'S, THAT SHOULD NOT BE ALLOWED.
OR IF THEY'RE USING FOUL LANGUAGE, YOU KNOW, THAT'S NOT, THAT SHOULDN'T BE ALLOWED.
BUT I, I JUST REALLY DON'T LIKE THE IDEA OF, UM, OF SUBJECTIVE, UM, YOU KNOW, CENSORSHIP OF ANYBODY.
AND, YOU KNOW, I FEEL, I MEAN, THERE'S PEOPLE WHO HAVE CRITICIZED ME, UH, YOU KNOW, MANY BOARD MEETINGS, AND I'VE NEVER TRIED PROHIBITING THEM FROM SPEAKING.
THEY HAVE THE RIGHT TO EXPRESS UNDERSTANDING.
I DON'T THINK YOU'RE UNDERSTANDING THE DEFINITION OF WHAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT, HOW WE'RE PROHIBITING SPEAKING.
I, I THINK I COULD SPELL IT OUT MORE CLEARLY.
I, I THINK FIRST OF ALL, I BELIEVE IT'S BEEN A LONGSTANDING TRADITION OF THE BOARD TO NOT ALLOW FOR SOMEONE TO GO UP TO THE PODIUM AND SAY, I'M RUNNING FOR THIS OFFICE.
NOT, NOT THIS PERFECT, BUT ANY, ANY, RIGHT.
SO THAT, THAT'S WHAT WE'RE REFERRING TO.
WE'RE NOT REFERRING TO SOMEONE TALKING ABOUT THEIR BELIEFS AND WHAT SHOULD BE DONE AT THE TOWN AND, AND WHAT THEY FEEL IS RIGHT.
WHETHER THAT PERSON IS RUNNING FOR POLITICAL OFFICE OR NOT.
THIS IS SPECIFICALLY STOPPING SOMEONE FROM SAYING, GO OUT AND VOTE ON THIS DATE.
UM, WHICH I HAVE STOPPED IN THE PAST ON, ON MANY OCCASIONS.
THIS, IF SOMEBODY SAYS, HI, I'M RUNNING FOR THE TOWN BOARD, UH, AND THE REASON I'M RUNNING IS THIS, THIS, THAT, NO.
OR IF THEY SAY, I'M, I'M A CANDIDATE FOR THE TOWN BOARD.
AND I'M, AND I DISAGREE WITH PROPOSED.
NO, THEY DON'T HAVE TO SAY THEY'RE A CANDIDATE.
THEY CAN DISAGREE, ABSOLUTELY, BUT THEY CAN'T SAY THEY'RE A CANDIDATE BECAUSE THAT IS COMING FROM THAT LENS OF THAT MAKES IT ELECTIONEERING.
YOU REALLY DON'T, YOU REALLY DON'T UNDERSTAND THE DIFFERENCE.
THERE WAS ANOTHER SECTION YEP.
THAT THE BOARD SHOULD DISCUSS LIMITING TOWN BOARD MEMBERS' ABILITY TO RESPOND FOR A FIVE MINUTE PERIOD AND THEN A THREE MINUTE REBUTTAL PERIOD.
UNLESS ADDITIONAL TIME IS WARRANTED, WHICH SHALL BE ADDRESSED BY A MOTION OF THE BOARD.
BUT WHEN YOU SAID A MOTION OF THE BOARD, SO, SO FOR EXAMPLE, IF ONE BOARD MEMBER SAYS, I USED MY THREE MINUTE REBUTTAL ALREADY, I NEED AN ADDITIONAL TWO MINUTES.
I'D LIKE TO MAKE A MOTION TO EXTEND THE TIME BY TWO MINUTES.
YOU NEED A MAJORITY VOTE OF THE BOARD WHO'S PRESENT IN A QUORUM TO EXTEND THAT TIME.
YOU KNOW, A PROPOSED AMENDMENT, SO LET'S SAY I SPEAK AND ANOTHER BOARD MEMBER WANTS A ASK FOR SOME EXTRA TIME, UM, AND THE BOARD AGREES TO GIVE HIM THAT TIME.
UH, BUT THEN THAT PER WHAT THAT BOARD MEMBER, YOU KNOW, MAKES COMMENTS THAT I WANNA RESPOND TO, I SHOULD BE ABLE TO, ONCE ONE PERSON GETS THE EXCEPTION, THEN EVERYBODY ON THE BOARD SHOULD GET THE SAME EXCEPTION.
[00:30:01]
SO THIS WAY, YOU KNOW, EVERYBODY GETS A CHANCE TO REBUT, REBUT IT.SO WE EITHER HAVE FIVE MINUTE RULES, IT SOUNDS LIKE THIS IS GONNA GO BACK AND FORTH.
NO, PAUL, PAUL, I JUST, WE'RE WORKING TOGETHER.
SO AT WHAT POINT IS THERE THE CUTOFF? A CUTOFF, RIGHT.
AT WHAT POINT IS THERE CUTOFF TO SAY, YOU KNOW, WE HAD THE FIVE MINUTES.
YOU REBUTTED TO THREE MINUTES, AND AT THAT POINT YOU'RE DONE.
THEN NO ONE, ONCE ONE PERSON REBUTS IT, THEN ANYBODY ELSE ON THE BOARD SHOULD HAVE THE SAME RIGHT.
TO REBUT THE PERSON WHO MADE THE REBUTTAL.
SO THIS WAY, YOU KNOW, IF WE DECIDE THAT WE'RE GIVING SOMEBODY LIKE EIGHT MINUTES, THEN EVERYBODY GETS EIGHT MINUTES ON THE BOARD.
THAT, THAT'S, THAT'S, I, I WOULD SAY IT'S BEST PRACTICE TO MAINTAIN THE SAME AMOUNT OF TIME FOR EACH BOARD MEMBER.
BUT, BUT YOU DON'T WANNA GET STUCK IN AN ENDLESS LOOP.
THAT YOU KEEP REBUTTING EACH OTHER CONCERN YOU GET ONE.
UNLESS THE BOARD BASICALLY SAYS, OKAY, WE'RE GONNA GIVE THE PERSON A SECOND ONE, THEN, THEN YOU GO THE SECOND ONE.
BUT THAT PROBABLY WON'T HAPPEN.
AND THEN THE LAST ONE, I BELIEVE THOSE WERE THE CHANGES.
YOU JUST HAVE IT IN TWO SEPARATE SECTIONS BECAUSE ONE IS FOR PUBLIC COMMENT, ONE IS FOR PUBLIC HEARINGS.
SO JUST YOU WE'RE SPELLING IT OUT.
SO WHAT HAPPENS IF A BOARD MEMBER DOESN'T ADHERE TO THE RULES? THEY GO TO JAIL.
I WOULD, I WOULD CALL THEM OUT OF ORDER, AND THEN I WOULD SUGGEST ANOTHER BOARD MEMBER MAKE A MOTION TO MOVE THE MEETING.
OR WE CALL SECURITY AND OR TAKE AD ADJOURNMENT ONE WAS NEEDED A FEW WEEKS AGO.
WHERE COULD GIVE THEM, THERE'S ALWAYS AN OFFICER WE COULD ASK MIKE TO GIVE THE PERSON, UH, MIRANDA RIGHTS.
WHAT'S THE NEXT THING ON THE, WHAT'S THE NEXT THING ON AGENDA? ARE WE GOOD WITH THE RULES? WE'RE FINE WITH THE RULES.
NEXT THING ON THE AGENDA, WE'LL GO TO, YOU KNOW, I HAVE SERIOUS ISSUES.
I HAVE SERIOUS ISSUES WITH THIS.
AND IF WE ONLY HAD SOMEBODY WHO WAS CHAIRING THE MEETING, NONE OF THIS WOULD BE NECESSARY.
WE ARE SO MICROMANAGING A BOARD, AND I, I DON'T KNOW OF ANY OTHER TOWN BOARD OR VILLAGE BOARD THAT HAS TO GO TO THIS EXTREME.
WE JUST NEED SOMEBODY TO CHAIR THE MEETINGS AND MAINTAIN THE DECORUM.
AND THAT'S, SO NOW WE'RE GOING TO PUT THESE, THESE, THESE STRANGLE HOLES ON WHAT COULD BE, SHOULD BE LIKE A FREE FLOWING CONVERSATION INSTEAD OF HOW DO YOU RESTRAIN PEOPLE? SO, YOU KNOW, I I I'M VERY TROUBLED THAT WE HAVE TO DO THIS BECAUSE WE DON'T HAVE SOMEBODY CHAIRING.
UM, NO, WE DON'T HAVE TO DO IT.
I KNOW, BUT SEE ANY, BUT THE REASON WHY WE HAVE TO DO IT IS BECAUSE YOU DON'T MAINTAIN THE QUORUM, A NEW COALITION AGAINST THIS, UH, RULE.
SO, UH, YOU AND ME, SO WE'LL, WE'LL SEE WHERE ELLEN GOES.
WHAT? NO, YOU WANNA HAVE A CO CO IF YOU WANNA HAVE A COALITION OF YOU AND ME THAT WE NEED SOMEBODY ELSE TO BE CHAIRING THESE BOARD MEETINGS.
I'M, BECAUSE HERE WE'RE GOING TO EXTRAORDINARY LENS TO TRY AND, AND BUILD IN MECHANICALLY DECORUM THAT ANY CHAIR TO COME NATURALLY YEAH.
SHOULD COME NATURALLY TO AND MAINTAINING A MEETING, YOU KNOW, WATCH ANY BOARD MEMBER, ANY, ANY VILLAGE BOARD MEETING, THE COUNTY BOARD, THERE'S DECORUM, THERE'S ORDER MM-HMM
UH, THERE'S NO TALKING OVER EACH OTHER.
AND, AND NOW WE GET TO THE SITUATION WHERE WE'RE TRYING TO FIGURE OUT A WAY, HOW, HOW DO WE DEAL WITH THIS? AND I, I KNOW EXACTLY WHAT'S GONNA HAPPEN.
AS SOON AS OUR PARLIAMENTARIAN MAKES A RULING, YOU'RE GONNA SAY, YOU ARE THE SUPERVISOR.
YOU HAVE A RIGHT TO SPEAK AND IT'S FIRST AMENDMENT, AND YOU KNOW, BASICALLY THE HECK WITH THE RULES.
AND MEANWHILE, WE'RE TRYING TO MAINTAIN RULE.
I DON'T THINK THESE THINGS ARE GONNA WORK.
UM, FRANKLY, WHILE YOU ARE THE CHAIR OF THE NOW, IF YOU WANT TO LET THE PARLIAMENTARIAN CHAIR THE MEETING, WHICH IS WHAT YOU AGREED TO.
UH, AND THEN THAT WENT RIGHT OUT THE WINDOW, RIGHT OUT THE WINDOW AT THE BOARD MEETING.
WELL, THERE ALSO HAD BEEN, WHEN WE FIRST DID THE RULES BACK IN FEBRUARY OR MARCH, THE SUPERVISOR HAD AGREED TO CHAIR THE MEETING.
AND THAT HAS NOT WORKED OUT, WHICH IS WHY WE ARE AT THIS POINT.
SO YES, IT'S, IT'S, UH, IT IS VERY, UH, STRANG RESTRICTIVE, BUT IT HAS TO BE, WELL, YOU KNOW WHAT? AFTER, UH, JUNE 23RD, I THINK EVERYBODY ON THE BOARD'S GONNA COOPERATE WITH ME.
BECAUSE, BECAUSE YOU'RE GONNA SEE THAT WHAT THE VOTERS, UH, ARE, HAVE SPOKEN.
THAT'S ACTUALLY ARY RIGHT THERE.
THAT'S WE, RIGHT NOW, THE ONLY REASON YOU, YOU KEEP GOING AFTER ME IS BECAUSE YOU'RE ELECTIONEERING, INDIRECTLY ELECTIONEERING, BECAUSE YOU WANT, YOU WANNA CREATE HABIT.
CAN CAN YOU, CAN YOU PLEASE GIVE AN EXAMPLE? ELECTIONEERING OF ELECTIONEERING? I THINK WE SHOULD JUST MOVE
[00:35:01]
EVERY TIME.EVERY TIME WE ASK YOU ANSWER QUESTION, EVERY TIME WE ASK YOU TO BACK UP, YOU'RE TOTALLY, UM, INCORRECT STATEMENTS.
YOU SAY, OH, LET'S JUST MOVE ON.
LET'S, YOU KNOW, YOU SHOULD BE ABLE TO HAVE A RESPONSE WHEN WE CALL YOU OUT ON YOUR, YOUR FALSE STATEMENT.
OKAY, LET'S MOVE ON TO THE NEXT.
WHERE ARE WE WITH THIS? WHERE ARE, YOU KNOW, THIS IS GOING ON WAY TOO LONG.
WHERE ARE WE WITH THIS? SO I, I WILL GIVE AN UPDATE AND SUPERVISOR, CORRECT ME IF I'M WRONG IN THIS.
SO THERE WAS A REQUEST THAT ASKED FOR CORRESPONDENCE BETWEEN THE SUPERVISOR AND SEVERAL RESIDENTS.
UM, I WENT THROUGH THE TOWN EMAILS AND PROVIDED THOSE DOCUMENTS SOME TIME AGO NOW.
AND I HAD SPOKEN TO THE APPLICANT AND SAID THERE WERE SEVERAL ITEMS WHICH WERE EITHER PRIVILEGED OR CONFIDENTIAL AND ON SOLID GROUND BASED ON FOIL.
HOW MANY DOCUMENTS DID YOU, UH, GIVE THEM ABOUT? IT WAS A COUPLE HUNDRED.
SO YOU GAVE THEM A COUPLE HUNDRED COMMENTS, EMAILS FROM ME, YES.
IN, IN, IN REGARDS TO P FINER@GREENBERGNY.GOV OR.COM, UM, THEY ALS ALSO REQUESTED FOR A PERSONAL EMAIL ADDRESS, UM, PER PERSONAL PHONE AND TOWN PHONE AS WELL.
I WAS NOT INVOLVED IN THE SEARCHING FOR ANYTHING OTHER THAN TOWN EMAIL.
UM, AN AFFIDAVIT WAS PROVIDED ON MAY 12TH TO THE APPLICANT, WHICH STATES SEVERAL THINGS.
UM, ONE THAT PERSONAL PHONE AND PERSONAL EMAIL ACCOUNT ARE NOT USED FOR TOWN BUSINESS AND THAT, UH, DON'T HAVE ANY RESPONSIVE DOCUMENTS TO THIS FOIL.
UM, FOR THE, FOR ONE OF THE PHONE NUMBERS, THE PERSONAL PHONE NUMBERS.
SO I HAVE NOT SPOKEN TO THE APPLICANT SINCE I WAS BACK.
I'VE HEARD THAT THE APPLICANT IS NOT SATISFIED WITH THE REQUEST AND STILL WANTS AN UPDATE ON PHONE NUMBERS AND, AND PERSONAL PHONE.
AND THAT'S WHERE WE ARE AT THIS TIME AND PERSONAL EMAIL.
SO WHAT MAKES ME UNCOMFORTABLE IS I KNOW THAT THE AFFIDAVIT THAT THE SUPERVISOR SIGNED IS PERJURY BECAUSE HE DOES USE FINE, FINER 98 FOR TOWN BUSINESS.
AND YET WHAT HE'S SAYING UNDER OATH IS HE DOESN'T, I SAID, SO I FEEL VERY UNCOMFORTABLE WITH THIS SITUATION, AND I ALSO FEEL UNCOMFORTABLE THAT THIS FOIL IS GOING ON FOR SO LONG.
AND AT THE END RESULT OF IT IS THAT HE, HE FILES A FALSE AFFIDAVIT.
FIRST OF ALL, UM, I THOUGHT WE WERE NOT GONNA ALLOW PERSONAL ATTACKS, SO I'M NOT GONNA, IT'S NOT A
WELL, EVERYTHING, EVERYTHING YOU A FACTUAL STATEMENT.
OKAY? LET ME SAY JUDITH BEVILLE, TOWN CLERK, A FORMER TOWN CLERK, UM, BA FILED, UH, EXACT WORDING, ASKING FOR THE SAME REQUESTS, YOUR PERSONAL PHONES, UM, YOUR, UM, YOUR, UM, UH, TOWN PHONE INFORMATION, ALL THE EMAILS FROM, UH, ALL THE BOARD MEMBERS TO MAGOI, UH, TO SUZANNE BERGER AND TO STEVE BIS.
UM, I DON'T KNOW WHAT THE BOARD, IF THE BOARD IS GONNA GIVE THE MIS DEPARTMENT, UH, THE ACCESS TO THEIR PERSONAL PHONES, IF WHAT THE BOARD'S GONNA DO OR WHATEVER, IF THE BOARD, WHATEVER THE BOARD OTHER BOARD MEMBERS DO TO HER REQUEST, I WILL DO THE SAME THING.
SO IF, UM, IF, IF, UM, UH, THE BOARD MEMBERS WILLINGLY, UM, TELL IF EVERYBODY GIVES, UH, PETER ASKS, UH, ACCESS TO THEIR PHONES, I WILL GIVE HIM THE SAME ACCESS.
IF THEY DECIDE TO STONEWALL AND NOT GIVE HIM THE REC HER, UH, THE RECORDS THAT SHE'S REQUESTING, THEN I WILL, AND THEY DECIDE TO LITIGATE IT, THEN I WILL, UM, FOLLOW THE SAME, UH, SAME, YOU KNOW, POLICY.
AND I'M WILLING TO GIVE EVERY, UM, EVERYTHING THAT OTHER BOARD MEMBERS DO BECAUSE THE, I THINK JUDITH'S, UH, FREEDOM OF INFORMATION REQUEST, UM, BASICALLY HAVE THE SAME PURPOSE.
YOU KNOW, UH, UM, UH, MARK LAFAYETTE, WHEN HE FILED HIS REQUEST, FILED IT BECAUSE, UM, YOU KNOW, HE WANTED TO SEE, YOU KNOW, IF THERE WAS ANY POLITICAL INFORMATION, IF THERE WAS ANY, YOU KNOW, WHAT, WHAT I WAS DOING, JUDITH BEVILLE HAS THE SAME, UM, UH, MOTIVE THAT MARK LAFAYETTE HAS.
SO EVERYTHING SHOULD BE TREATED EQUALLY.
AND, YOU KNOW, I'M HOPEFUL THAT THE, THE BOARD WILL, WILL COMPLY WITH, YOU KNOW, HER REQUEST, WHICH WAS, I THINK MADE ABOUT
[00:40:01]
TWO, WASN'T IT MADE LIKE TWO WEEKS, ABOUT TWO WEEKS AGO, A LITTLE AROUND TWO WEEKS AGO.ABOUT, YES, ABOUT TWO WEEKS AGO.
AND I THINK, UH, YOU ASKED, YOU DIDN'T WANNA RESPOND IMMEDIATELY, SO YOU ASKED FOR AN EXTRA, UH, 20 DAYS, UH, TO YOU GET THOSE 20 DAYS BY, RIGHT, RIGHT, RIGHT.
SO LET'S SEE WHAT, WHAT THE BOARD, UM, UM, UNIT DOES.
AND WE'LL, WE WILL TREAT IT ALL TOGETHER.
AND, UH, THEN THAT'S BASICALLY, AND THEN LET ME SAY ALSO WHAT I DID, UM, WHEN, UH, MR. LAFAYETTE, UM, ASKED FOR MY, UM, YOU KNOW, RECORDS ON MY PERSONAL PHONE BECAUSE HE ASKED FOR DOCUMENTS IN TERMS OF SPECIFIC INDIVIDUALS, NOT ONLY DID I, UM, UH, PERSONALLY SEARCH, UH, THE RECORDS, BUT I EMAILED EVERYBODY WHO, UM, UH, YOU KNOW, I EMAILED ALL THE NAMES, UM, OF THE PEOPLE AND I ASKED THEM IF THEY COULD LOOK ON THEIR COMPUTERS, UM, TO SEE IF THEY, UH, WERE, AND PHONES TO SEE IF THEY HAD, UM, ANY, UM, ANY, YOU KNOW, RECORDS OF, UM, DISCUSSIONS OF TOWN ISSUES.
SO, YOU KNOW, I BASICALLY, I DON'T HAVE TO GIVE, YOU KNOW, POLITICAL INFORMATION, YOU KNOW, POLITICAL STRATEGIES, UM, UM, TO, TO MARK LAFAYETTE WHO'S WORKING FOR MY OPPONENT.
UM, BUT I DO HAVE TO, BUT, BUT I DO HAVE TO, UM, YOU KNOW, I, ANYTHING THAT'S GOVERNMENT RELATED, THAT IS SUBJECT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION LAW.
AND THEY, AND I COULDN'T FIND ANYTHING.
ALRIGHT? SO THAT WAS VERY WHAT YOU DO ALL DO, OKAY? THAT'S A VERY NICE STORY.
BUT HOW DO YOU EXPLAIN THAT YOU COMMITTED PERJURY? DON'T SAY IN YOUR AFFIDAVIT.
I DID NOT USE FOR TOWN BUSINESS.
DO YOU KNOW WHAT THIS IS RIGHT NOW? A LEGAL THING? I'M NOT.
LET'S, LET'S MOVE ON BECAUSE I'M NOT GONNA GET INTO A DEBATE WHEN ALL YOU'RE TRYING TO DO IS MAKE POLITICAL.
UH, I WASN'T THE ONE WHO SIGNED THE DOCUMENT.
I'M NOT RESPONDING TO YOU, SO THAT'S FINE.
I WASN'T THE ONE WHO SIGNED THE DOCUMENT.
WELL, YOU KNOW WHAT, I'M NOT RESPONDING TO YOU.
SO WHAT'S NEXT ON THE AGENDA? MOTION FOR EXECUTIVE SESSION? I, I'D LIKE TO MOVE FOR AN, UH, MOTION FOR AN EXECUTIVE SESSION.