[ 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 ]
[00:00:03]
HI, WELCOME TO OUR TOWN BOARD MEETING.
TODAY IS JULY 7TH, UM, AFTER FIVE 30.
FIRST ITEM, UM, FOR DISCUSSION IS, UH, FREEZE ZONE ASSESSMENTS WITH ASSESSOR EDIE MCCARTHY.
SO I WAS ASKED TO REVIEW THE POSSIBILITY OF FREE FREEZING ASSESSMENTS.
SO LET ME START WITH THE STORY QUICKLY.
10 YEARS AGO, THE TOWN BOARD VOTED ON A TOWN WIDE REASSESSMENT, AND ALONG WITH THAT, THEY ALSO, YOU, YOU ALSO VOTED ON MAINTAINING ASSESSMENTS AT A MARKET VALUE OF A HUNDRED PERCENT.
WHAT THAT MEANS, THE PUBLIC IS THAT WHATEVER YOUR ASSESSMENT IS, SORRY, TALKING ALL DAY, WHATEVER YOUR ASSESSMENT IS, IT SHOULD REFLECT MARKET VALUE.
THAT IS THE A HUNDRED PERCENT.
SO IF YOUR HOUSE IS WORTH A MILLION DOLLARS, YOUR ASSESSMENT WILL BE A MILLION DOLLARS.
PRIOR TO THE TOWN WIDE REASSESSMENT, IF YOUR ASSESSMENT WAS A, IF YOUR VALUE IS A MILLION DOLLARS, YOUR ASSESSMENT WAS 30,000.
IT WAS VERY CONFUSING, AND JUST THE PUBLIC DIDN'T UNDERSTAND THAT.
SO THIS IS A MUCH MORE TRANSPARENT WAY TO ASSESS PROPERTIES.
90% OF THE COUNTRY ASSESSES PROPERTIES AT A HUNDRED PERCENT OF MARKET VALUE.
YOU EXPLAINED THE EQUALIZATION RATE THAT WORKED WITH THAT, AND 30,000 BACK THEN WAS A VERY EXPENSIVE HOUSE.
SO, IF YOU HAD, 10 YEARS AGO BEFORE WE DID THE REASSESSMENT, YOU HAD A MARKET VALUE OF YOUR HOUSE OF A MILLION DOLLARS.
YOUR ASSESSMENT WAS 30,000 BECAUSE AT THE TIME, WE WERE VALUING PROPERTIES AT 3% OF MARKET VALUE.
TODAY, WE'RE VALUING PROPERTIES AT A HUNDRED PERCENT OF MARKET VALUE.
THE TOWN BOARD DOES NOT HAVE TO DIRECT ME TO VALUE THE PROPERTIES AT A HUNDRED PERCENT OF MARKET VALUE.
WE HAVE TO BE AT A UNIFORM PERCENTAGE THAT'S IN THE REAL PROPERTY TAX LAW.
YOU HAVE DECIDED AS A BOARD TO VALUE THEM AT A HUNDRED PERCENT.
BECAUSE AGAIN, IT'S WAY MORE TRANSPARENT.
IN CONNECTICUT, FOR EXAMPLE, THEY'RE MANDATED TO MAINTAIN ASSESSMENTS AT A UNIFORM PERCENTAGE, AND THAT PERCENTAGE BY STATE MANDATE IS 70%.
SO IT VARIES THROUGHOUT THE COUNTRY.
I APPRECIATE THE FACT THAT WE'RE AT A HUNDRED PERCENT.
ADAM, CAN I JUST ALSO POINT OUT THAT BEFORE THAT REASSESSMENT 10 YEARS AGO, IT WAS ALSO UNFAIR AND INEQUITABLE BECAUSE SO MUCH TIME HAD PASSED THAT THE EQUALIZATION RATES WERE SHIFTING AND PEOPLE, THERE WERE, THERE WERE PEOPLE WHO HAD A HIGHER BURDEN OF TAXES THAN THEY SHOULD HAVE, PAYING MORE FOR OTHERS THAT WERE LO LOWER TAX.
SO 10 YEARS LATER, I ALSO APPLAUD THE BOARD FOR MOVING FORWARD WITH THAT BECAUSE IT DID MAKE IT A FAIR AND EQUITABLE SITUATION FOR ALL HOMEOWNERS.
I ALSO WANNA THANK THE BOARD FOR GURAY HAIR
SO WITH THAT, UM, THE MARK, THE REAL ESTATE MARKET CHANGES EVERY DAY.
IT CHANGES EVERY FIVE MINUTES, AND PARTICULARLY OVER THE LAST TIME WE DID THE RE REASSESSMENT WAS 1956 TO 2016, THE MARKET CHANGED DRASTICALLY.
WE ARE THE ASSESSMENT FUNCTION HANDS WERE SO TIED BECAUSE OF ALL THE RULES AND REGULATIONS.
WHAT WE WERE ALLOWED TO DO, NOT BEING A REASSESSMENT MUNICIPALITY, WAS BASICALLY THIS MUCH AS FAR AS KEEPING UP WITH ASSESSMENTS.
NOW, THE WAY THAT THE SYSTEM WORKS IS WE ARE ABLE TO MAINTAIN WHAT, WHAT HAPPENS IN THE MARKET.
AND WHAT I MEAN BY THAT IS YOU'VE DECIDED TO DO THE REASSESSMENT EVERY FIVE YEARS IN THE INTERIM YEARS.
IN ORDER FOR US TO MAINTAIN THESE VALUES AT A HUNDRED PERCENT, WE HAVE TO REFLECT THE MARKET EVERY YEAR.
SO WITH THAT, IF THE MARKET GOES UP 5%, EVERYBODY'S ASSESSMENT GOES UP 5% TO REFLECT THE MARKET CHANGES, THEN YOU TAKE A BUILDING PERMIT OUT AND YOUR BUILDING PERMIT INCREASES THE VALUE OF YOUR HOME.
SO WHEN I TALK TO TAXPAYERS AND I LET, I ASK THEM, CAN YOU SELL YOUR HOUSE FOR THIS MUCH? THAT'S THE QUESTION.
AND UNFORTUNATELY, MOST OF THE TIME, GOOD FOR ME.
UM, THEY SAY, YES, I CAN END OF STORY.
WELL, FORTUNATELY FOR THEM, FORTUNATELY
[00:05:01]
FOR THEM, CORRECT.SO WE JUST WANT TO, MY JOB IS TO VALUE ALL PROPERTIES.
SOUNDS LIKE A CLICHE, BUT ALL PROPERTIES AS FAIRLY AND EQUITABLY AS AS I CAN.
WITH THAT, UM, SUPERVISOR ASKED FOR ME TO DO SOME, UH, UH, UH, UH, RESEARCH.
I WAS LOOKING FOR THE WORD SOME RESEARCH.
BEFORE YOU GET TO THE RESEARCH, CAN YOU EXPLAIN A COUPLE OF THINGS? FIRST OF ALL, YOU SAID THAT CONNECTICUT HAS A STATEWIDE MANDATE.
SO IN CONNECTICUT, IN MOST OF THE STATES IN THE COUNTRY, THEY HAVE A STATEWIDE MANDATE TO REASSESS ON A CYCLICAL BASIS.
THAT CYCLE COULD BE ANYWHERE BETWEEN 1, 2, 3, 5 YEARS IS THE MOST I KNOW OF.
CONNECTICUT HAS A MANDATE TO REASSESS THEIR PROPERTIES.
WITH THAT, CONNECTICUT HAS A MANDATE TO REASSESS THEIR PROPERTIES EVERY FIVE YEARS.
A FULL REASSESSMENT EVERY FIVE YEARS, THEY, BUT ONLY 70% AT THEY VALUE THE PROPERTIES AND THEN THEY MULTIPLY AT TIMES THE 70% TO GET THE ASSESSED VALUE EVERY FIVE YEARS.
THE OTHER PART OF CONNECTICUT, WHICH IS WHERE THIS SCENARIO COMES IN, IS THAT THESE ASSESSMENTS IN THE INTERIM YEARS, YEAR 2, 3, 4, AND SOMETIMES FIVE, THE ASSESSMENTS ARE FROZEN, CANNOT INCREASE, CANNOT DECREASE.
SO LET'S, LET'S TALK ABOUT YEARS.
CONNECTICUT DOES A REASSESSMENT IN 2021.
THE ASSESSMENTS ARE FROZEN, 22, 23, 24, 25 REASSESSMENTS IN 26 BECAUSE THEY'RE FROZEN FOR THOSE FIVE YEARS.
AND THE MARKET IS NOT REFLECTED.
A $500,000 HOUSE IS ASSESSED AT $500,000 TIMES THE 70% FOR THE FIVE YEARS.
IN THE SIX YEAR, THAT ASSESSMENT IS GOING TO GO FROM 500 BECAUSE OF THE MARKET TO 650,000.
SO WITH THAT, THE TAXES ARE REFLECTING THE 500 FOR THE YEARS AND THE TAX RATE CHANGES EVERY YEAR BECAUSE GOVERNMENTS HAVE TO OPERATE.
SO IN THE FIFTH OR SIXTH YEAR, SIXTH YEAR, PROBABLY THE ASSESSMENT JUMPS FROM 500 TO 650 BECAUSE THAT'S WHAT THE MARKET DID.
ACTUALLY, THE MARKET, UM, WENT UP EVEN MORE IN CONNECTICUT.
SO THEY JUST PUT OUT, WE CALL IT AN ASSESSMENT ROLE.
THEY JUST, THEY CALL IT A GRAND LIST.
THEY JUST PUT OUT THEIR GRAND LIST IN JANUARY OF 2026 AFTER THE REVAL.
AND THEIR ASSESSMENT CHANGES BECAUSE IT WAS FROZEN FOR THE FIVE YEARS.
THEIR MARKET CHANGES WENT SOMEWHERE BETWEEN 60, 70 AND 80% INCREASES THE VALUES RIGHT.
WELL, THAT'S WHAT'S HAPPENING HERE.
I ASSESSORS DO NOT MAKE THE MARKET.
SO WE TALKED ABOUT LIKE 70% OR A HUNDRED PERCENT.
IF, UM, EVERYBODY'S ASSESSED OF THE 70%.
IS THERE REALLY ANY IMPACT DIFFERENCE BETWEEN, YOU KNOW, THIS, THE TAX, THE VILLAGES AND HAMLETS AND CONNECTICUT ARE STILL TAXING PEOPLE THE SAME AMOUNT? UH, THERE, IS THERE ANY ADVANTAGE TO DO WHAT CONNECTICUT'S DOING IN TERMS OF 70% OR A HUNDRED PERCENT? NO, I LIKE THE A HUNDRED PERCENT BETTER.
IT'S THE RESULT, THE END RESULT IS THE SAME.
THE 70% IS REALLY NOT A, IT'S NOT THAT TRANSPARENT.
IT DOESN'T IMPACT IT'S ARBITRARY.
IF YOU'RE GOING TO DO A REASSESSMENT TO NOT DO IT AT A HUNDRED PERCENT SO THAT WHEN SOMEBODY GETS THEIR TAX BILL, THEY COULD SAY, OH, CAN I SELL IT FOR THIS OR NOT? A LOT OF PEOPLE AREN'T GONNA KNOW, YOU KNOW, DIVIDE BY 0.7, WHATEVER.
I TOTALLY AGREE WITH YOU A HUNDRED PERCENT.
THE ONLY A MILLION PERCENT I AGREED WITH YOU.
SO THE ONLY PLACE THAT I KNOW OF IN THE ENTIRE COUNTRY WHERE IT DOES NOT MAKE SENSE TO COME IN AT A HUNDRED PERCENT IS LONG ISLAND.
BECAUSE LONG ISLAND HAS A DEBT LIMIT SERVICE.
AND IF THEY WOULD'VE BROKEN IT, IF THEY, WHEN THEY DID THEIR REASSESSMENT YEARS AGO, IT WOULD'VE BROKEN THEIR DEBT LIMITS.
UM, IF THEY HAD GONE IN ANY HIGHER THAN WHAT THEY DID, WHICH WAS 1%.
SO YOU HAVE A MILLION DOLLAR HOME, YOUR ASSESSMENT IS A THOUSAND DOLLARS.
IT MAKES LESS THAN NO SENSE, BUT THAT'S WHY THEY DID IT.
BUT EVERYWHERE ELSE IN THE COUNTRY TYPICALLY IS ABOUT A HUNDRED PERCENT.
IT'S IN THEIR STATE LEGISLATURE.
IT'S IN THE STATE STATUTE, IT DOESN'T.
SO IT WAS, IT'S ALL VERY RANDOM IS WHAT I WAS TRYING TO GET, GET TO.
AND IT'S NOT EVEN, IT'S NOT EVEN CONSISTENT WITHIN NEW YORK STATE.
SO LET'S GO TOS, GO TO NEW OR WESTCHESTER COUNTY.
LET'S GO TO NEW YORK STATE FOR A MINUTE.
AND WHY DO WE CARE ABOUT WHAT CONNECTICUT DOES, QUITE FRANKLY, RIGHT? WELL, BECAUSE THEY HAVE A FIVE YEAR FREEZE.
WE'LL, I'LL TALK ABOUT THAT IN A MINUTE, BUT LET'S TALK ABOUT NEW YORK STATE.
[00:10:01]
NEW YORK STATE REAL PROPERTY TAX LAW IS VERY SPECIFIC IN IDENTIFYING THAT ASSESSMENTS HAVE TO BE AT AN EQUITABLE PERCENTAGE, EQUITABLE PERCENTAGE OF MARKET VALUE.THEY DON'T CARE IF YOU COME IN AT 1%, 70%, A HUNDRED PERCENT.
THEY JUST WANT IT TO BE EQUITABLE WITH THAT.
THERE'S NO REQUIREMENTS FOR A REASSESSMENT.
THERE'S, THERE'S RESTRICTIONS ALL OVER THE PLACE THAT YOU ASSESSORS CAN AND CANNOT DO TO REASSESS PROPERTIES.
TOO MANY RESTRICTIONS, WHICH IS ONE OF THE PUSHES.
THE TOWN BOARD, UM, WHEN THEY DIRECTED ME TO, TO GO THROUGH THE REASSESSMENT PROCESS, THERE'S NO RESTRICTIONS HERE AND THERE'S NO REQUIREMENTS FOR A REASSESSMENT.
HOWEVER, HAVING SAID THAT, THERE'S A THOUSAND MUNICIPALITIES IN NEW YORK STATE.
90% OF THEM DO SOME SORT OF CYCLICAL REASSESSMENT.
WE ARE THE, WITHIN THAT 10% RANGE.
SO OF THE 25 MUNICIPALITIES IN WESTCHESTER COUNTY, THERE ARE SIX LARGE ONES, BUT STILL SIX THAT ARE ON THIS SAME PROGRAM THAT WE ARE ON WITH THE REASSESSMENT.
YONKERS, NO WHITE PLAINS, NO KNEW ROCHELLE? NO.
SO YOU HAVE A LOT OF DISCREPANCIES IN THE VALUES, UM, ACROSS THE BOARD.
UM, ONE A SIM SIMPLIFI SIMPLIFICATION AND MAYBE AN OVERSIMPLIFICATION.
AND THE OTHER A QUESTION, THE SIMPLIFICATION IS, SO IF WE WERE TO FREEZE THE ASSESSMENT FOR FIVE YEARS, THEN WE COULD POTENTIALLY BE HIT WITH A VERY LARGE INCREASE, WHICH IS THE EXAMPLE YOU GAVE FOR CONNECTICUT.
IS THAT RIGHT? DID I UNDERSTAND THAT CORRECTLY? YOU UNDERSTOOD IT.
MAY I FINISH THE 10? OKAY, PLEASE.
SO WHAT HAPPENS NOW AND HISTORICALLY IN THE PAST 10 YEARS IS OUR REAL ESTATE MARKET IS INSANE.
IT HAS JUST CONTINUALLY INCREASED.
YOU BOUGHT YOUR HOUSE FIVE YEARS AGO, IT'S PROBABLY WORTH CLOSE TO DOUBLE RIGHT NOW.
I MEAN, IT'S JUST THE WAY THAT THE MARKET IS GOING.
SO THAT PART YOU UNDERSTOOD A HUNDRED PERCENT.
WHAT HAPPENS WITH THAT CONNECTICUT FREEZE IS WHEN THE MARKET STARTS GOING DOWN, VALUES ARE DROPPING BECAUSE OF THE MARKET, THAT FREEZE IS STILL IN EFFECT.
SO YOUR ASSESSMENT IS NOT GONNA CHANGE OVER THE NEXT FIVE YEARS WHEN THE MARKET'S GOING DOWN.
SO THAT GOES TO MY QUESTION THEN.
I JUST THOUGHT OF ANOTHER ONE.
MY QUESTION, IS IT HISTORICALLY, WHAT IS THE, WHAT ARE THE, HOW MUCH HAS THERE BEEN INCREASE AND HOW MUCH DECREASE? IS IT FLUCTUATE? OR IS IT, YOU KNOW, WHAT, WHAT WOULD A GRAPH SAY? IT'S A GOOD QUESTION.
SO BASICALLY REITERATE WHAT HAPPENS TO THE MARKET, HOW IS THAT CYCLE WORKING? AND TYPICALLY, WE ARE NOT IN A TYPICAL MARKET.
TYPICALLY THE REAL ESTATE MARKET IS SEVEN YEARS.
THE MARKET GOES UP SEVEN YEARS, AND THEN THE MARKET LEVELS AND GOES DOWN SEVEN YEARS.
THAT HAS BEEN THE HISTORICAL, UH, ABOUT REAL ESTATE EVERYWHERE.
THIS MARKET HERE, I I, I GOTTA DO THIS.
I DON'T KNOW WHAT'S HAPPENING.
WELL, I DO, BUT IT'S JUST WEIRD THAT IT'S BEEN SO LONG OF A STEADY INCREASE.
SO HOW LONG HAS THAT INCREASE BEEN ROUGHLY? IT'S BEEN AT LEAST 12 YEARS AT LEAST.
AND IT'S STILL GOING STRONG BECAUSE I HAVE A WINDOW WHERE I HAVE TO ANALYZE OUR MARKET AND MY WIN FOR THIS YEAR, FOR 2026, MY WINDOW IS 24.
AND THAT'S JULY ONE OF 25? UH, YEAH, 25 TO 20 TO 26.
SO I'M WATCHING THE MARKET, I'M WATCHING THE MARKET CONTINUALLY GO UP.
THERE'S NO PROPERTIES ON THE MARKET TO BUY.
AND I, I SEE THE REAL ESTATE LISTINGS, AND IF YOUR PROPERTY GOES ON THE MARKET TODAY, IT'S GONE TOMORROW MORNING.
STILL TO THIS DAY, THE PROPERTY GOES ON THE MARKET TODAY, IT'S GONE TOMORROW AT OVER ASKING, AND THAT IS STILL TYPICAL IN THIS MARKET.
SO, SO I'M, SO ESSENTIALLY IF WE WAIT FIVE YEARS, YOU'RE TAKING A GAMBLE, IT EITHER WILL GO INCREASE LARGELY, OR IT MAY GO DOWN WELL YEAR.
BUT BY DOING IT YEARLY, YOU'RE TRACKING RIGHT ALONG WITH THE MARKET IS THAT YOU'RE SAYING, I, I'M TRACKING RIGHT ALONG WITH THE MARKET EVERY YEAR.
YOU TOWN BOARD GOVERNMENT BUDGETS, ALL OF YOU, TOWN, COUNTY, SCHOOL, VILLAGE, FIRE, WHATEVER.
UM, YOU'RE NOT WAITING BECAUSE IF AN ASSESSMENT IS FROZEN FOR FIVE YEARS, THE GOVERNMENTS STILL HAVE TO MAKE THIS MUCH MONEY.
[00:15:01]
WANNA MAKE ANY LESS.SO WHAT HAPPENS IF THE ASSESSMENTS ARE FROZEN? THE BUDGET, THE TAX RATE, I'M SORRY, JUST GOES UP TO MAKE THE MONEY THAT YOU NEED TO OPERATE.
SO RIGHT NOW, WHERE YOU AS THE TAXPAYERS ARE SEEING A TWO OR 3%, UH, INCREASE IN YOUR TAX RATE, YOU'RE NOT GONNA SEE THAT IF THESE ASSESSMENTS ARE FROZEN, WE'RE GONNA GO RIGHT BACK TO WHERE WE WERE 15 YEARS AGO.
AND WHEN YOU HAD INCREASES OF FOUR OR FIVE, SIX, 7% TAX RATE INCREASES BECAUSE THE ASSESSMENTS ARE FROZEN.
LET ME, SO LET ME JUST GIMME ONE MORE MINUTE.
UM, SO WHAT I DID, AND AGAIN, I DON'T HAVE ENOUGH TIME, SO THIS IS NOT FINAL, WHICH IS WHY I DID NOT MAKE COPIES FOR YOU.
I JUST STARTED THIS, UH, RESEARCH.
SO HAVING SAID THAT, I TOOK FIVE YEARS, THE PAST FIVE YEARS FROM 2021 TO 2026 TAX BILLS.
RIGHT? UM, AND I, TWO COLUMNS.
I HAVE ONE, WHAT YOU ACTUALLY PAID, IF YOU OWNED A $500,000 HOUSE, WHAT YOU ACTUALLY PAID FOR THE FIVE YEARS WITH THE MARKET TRENDS, WHICH WAS MY JOB.
OKAY? THEN ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE PAPER, I TOOK THE $500,000 AND I FROZE IT, THE ASSESSMENT FOR FIVE YEARS.
I WANTED TO SEE, BASED ON THE GOVERNMENT BUDGETS, I ONLY DID THE TOWN OF GREENBURG.
I DIDN'T DO SCHOOLS OR ANYTHING.
I TOOK THAT $500,000 ASSESSMENT AND RECALCULATED WHAT THE TAX RATE WOULD BE IF THE ASSESSMENTS WERE FROZEN.
FOLLOW IN THE FIFTH YEAR? IN THE FIFTH YEAR IN THE, IN NO, ALL FIVE YEARS.
BUT IN THE FIFTH YEAR IS YOU'RE GOING TO GIVE US THE TOTAL, RIGHT? YES.
IN THE SIXTH YEAR, WHICH IS WHAT I'M SHOWING YOU IS I TOOK THE INCREASE $500,000 FOR ALL FIVE YEARS, AND THEN IT HIT THE SIXTH YEAR WHERE YOU SEE THE INCREASE OF THE $650,000.
SO BASICALLY IN THIS QUICK ANALYSIS PROPERTIES LOCATED IN THE VILLAGES, 'CAUSE IT'S ONE TAX RATE FOR ALL THE VILLAGES, THEIR TAXES WOULD ACTUALLY GO DOWN BY, UM, BY FREEZING THE ASSESSMENTS FOR THE FIVE YEARS.
AND THEN THE INCREASE IN THE SIX YEAR, THEIR TAXES WOULD ACTUALLY GO DOWN BY $28.
HAVING SAID THAT, WHAT'S GONNA HAPPEN IS IN THE FIVE YEARS THEY'RE FROZEN, THAT SIX YEAR, THEY'RE GETTING A HUGE, HUGE INCREASE IN THEIR ASSESSMENTS AND IN THEIR TAXES AS WELL.
SO ESCROWS ARE GONNA BE JUMPING ALL OVER THE PLACE AND THEY'RE NOT GONNA, PEOPLE THAT ARE, DON'T HAVE MORTGAGES ARE GONNA HAVE TO COME OUT OF POCKET FOR THAT KIND OF MONEY BECAUSE OF THE FREEZE AND THEN THE JUMP.
YOU USED A DOLLAR NUMBER FOR THE FIVE YEARS PREVIOUS? I DID.
CAN YOU EQUATE IT TO A DOLLAR NUMBER FOR THAT SIX YEAR? YES.
WITH THE, AND THE PEOPLE WHO HAVE ESCROWS, THEY'RE GONNA BE FOOLED AND THE BANK IS GONNA BE FOOLED INTO THINKING, OKAY, THIS IS THE ASSESSMENT, AND THEN ALL OF A SUDDEN YOU DON'T HAVE ENOUGH MONEY IN YOUR ESCROW.
AND YOU HAVE TO COME UP WITH IT.
THAT, THAT, I WAS JUST TRYING TO SAY THAT.
SO YOU DID IT MORE ELOQUENTLY THAN I DID.
UM, IN THE TOWN UNINCORPORATED AREA, THAT SIXTH YEAR ON AN AVERAGE OF A $500,000 HOME, WHICH IS KIND OF LOW IN OUR AREA NOW, UM, THE TAXES FROM THE FIFTH TO THE SIXTH YEAR WOULD JUMP UP $1,500 STRICTLY FOR TOWN TAXES.
WE ARE NOT TALKING SCHOOL, WE'RE NOT TALKING FIRE, WE'RE NOT TALKING COUNTY JUST TOWN TAXES AND TOWN TAXES EQUAL WHAT, 15 TO 18%.
TAXES, BECAUSE THEY'RE PAYING IT IN SPURTS.
THEY'RE PAYING IT INCREMENTALLY.
SO IN MY EYES, AS A TAXPAYER, UM, IN MY EYES, I'D RATHER PAY, MAYBE SOME PEOPLE DISAGREE WITH THIS, BUT I'D RATHER KNOW THAT I'M PAYING MY TWO AND 3% EVERY SINGLE YEAR.
AS OPPOSED TO THAT BIG $1,500 JUMP IN THE SIX YEAR.
ARE THERE ANY COMMUNITIES THAT WOULD HAVE SAY LIKE A ONE YEAR FREEZE RATHER THAN A FIVE YEAR FREEZE? BECAUSE WHAT HAPPENED WHEN I WAS GOING AROUND, UH, A COUPLE, YOU KNOW, A MONTH AGO OR TWO MONTHS AGO, AND TALKING TO PEOPLE, A LOT OF PEOPLE, ESPECIALLY, YOU KNOW, IN SOME OF THE VILLAGES, LIKE IN HASTINGS AND IRVINGTON, THEY GOT VERY LARGE.
THERE'S SOME PEOPLE GOT VERY LARGE INCREASES AND THEY JUST SAID THAT IT'S GETTING, YOU KNOW, IT'S VERY, VERY STRESSFUL.
IT'S, THEY CAN'T PREDICT HOW, HOW MUCH THE TAXES ARE GOING.
UH, YOU KNOW, IT'S NOT 2% OR 3%.
PEOPLE WERE GETTING, SOME PEOPLE TOLD ME THEY WERE GETTING A 15%, 18% OR 20%.
SO I'M SORT OF WONDERING, UM, IS THERE ANY LIKE COMPROMISE IDEAS THAT YOU COULD THINK OF THAT COULD MAKE LIFE BETTER FOR THE PEOPLE WHO RIGHT NOW ARE, YOU KNOW, REALLY STRESSED OUT? BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, ONE YEAR THEY COULD BE PAYING 15,000 A YEAR IN TAXES AND A YEAR LATER THEY COULD BE PAYING THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS MORE BECAUSE OF THE VALUES OF THEIR PROPERTIES
[00:20:01]
WENT UP.SO, SO I RESPECT, I RESPECT WHAT YOU'RE SAYING.
AND I RECEIVED A BAZILLION EMAILS.
THAT'S A REAL TERM BY THE WAY, BAZILLION.
UM, I, I RECEIVED A BAZILLION EMAILS FROM YOU, FROM TAXPAYERS, WHICH I, I DID, I RESPONDED TO ALL OF THEM.
UM, THEY NEGLECTED TO TELL YOU, A LOT OF THEM, NOT ALL, BUT A LOT OF THEM NEGLECTED TO TELL YOU THAT, THAT THEY JUST ADDED A $500,000 ADDITION TO THEIR HOUSE, OR REDID THEIR KITCHENS AND BATHROOMS AND BASEMENTS.
THEY DIDN'T TELL YOU THAT PART.
THEY ONLY TOLD YOU THAT THEIR TAXES WENT UP 15% BECAUSE EVERY PROPERTY OWNER THAT YOU SENT ME AN EMAIL FOR, THE FIRST THING I DID BEFORE I RESPONDED TO THEM WAS LOOK UP THEIR FILE.
AND I SAW BUILDING PERMIT AFTER BUILDING PERMIT, AFTER BUILDING PERMIT.
SO PEOPLE SHOULD BE, AFTER 10 YEARS AWARE OF THE FACT THAT ASSESSMENTS CHANGE EVERY YEAR AND WE NOTIFY THEM.
WE SEND OUT LETTERS, WE ARE THERE TO ANSWER THE PHONE CALLS TO EXPLAIN THIS.
AND, BUT AS FAR AS THESE, THIS FREEZE IS CONCERNED, ED, CAN I, CAN I QUICKLY POINT OUT THAT? YEAH.
EVEN IF YOU WEREN'T AT A HUNDRED PERCENT EQUALIZATION RATE, BUILDING PERMITS WOULD LEAD TO INCREASED ASSESSMENTS EITHER WAY.
I JUST WANTED, BUT WE DON'T WANT PEOPLE TO NOT TAKE OUT BUILDING PERMITS.
AND THAT'S ANOTHER CONCERN WITH THE FIVE YEARS IS WE CATCH THESE THINGS BECAUSE PEOPLE REALIZE IF THEY DON'T TAKE OUT BUILDING PERMITS AND THEY GOT CAUGHT, THE LEGALIZATION OF SOMETHING THAT WOULD'VE BEEN LESS EXPENSIVE IS GONNA BE SIGNIFICANTLY MORE TO LEGALIZE SOMETHING THEY DID WRONG.
SO, SO WE DON'T, CAN YOU STOP AND REDO THAT BECAUSE THAT'S REALLY IMPORTANT HERE.
'CAUSE I'M GETTING READY TO DO THAT.
WHAT WE DON'T WANT YOU TO DO IS HEAR THIS AND SAY, OH, IF I DON'T TAKE OUT A BUILDING PERMIT, THEN MY ASSESSMENT WON'T GO UP.
UH, YOU WILL GET CAUGHT AND THE, THE, ALL THE, THE FINES ARE TRIPLED IF THEY HAVE TO LEGALIZE, UH, WHAT YOU DID WITHOUT A PERMIT.
AS A MATTER OF FACT, YOU MAY HAVE TO TAKE DOWN THE WALLS SO THAT THE BUILDING DEPARTMENT CAN SEE WHERE THE PIPES ARE AND THE ELECTRICAL WORK WAS AND WHERE THE CONNECTIONS ARE.
THEY, I'VE ACTUALLY SEEN ROOMS GUTTED SO THAT THEY COULD REDO THE INSPECTIONS THEY SHOULD HAVE DONE IN THE FIRST TIME.
SO WHAT I DID WAS I LAID THANK YOU, WHAT I DID, AND, AND MOST IMPORTANTLY, IT'S A SAFETY ISSUE.
THE REASON WHY WE HAVE INSPECTIONS IS WE WANT THE WORK TO BE DONE, YOU KNOW, CORRECTLY.
AND NOT JUST SOMEBODY SAYING, OH, I CAN DO THAT JOB FOR YOU.
AND ALL OF A SUDDEN THEY'RE, THEY'RE PUTTING ALUMINUM AND COPPER WIRES TOGETHER.
SO I PUT A LITTLE BIT OF, UH, A NARRATIVE TOGETHER.
UM, SO A AGAIN, LIKE I SAID, CURRENTLY WE DO REASSESSMENTS EVERY FIVE YEARS WE DO THE INTERIM UPDATES TO TREND WHAT THE MARKET IS LOOKING LIKE WITH THAT TREND.
WE WERE HIRING A COMPANY OUTSIDE INDEPENDENT FIRM TO DETERMINE WHAT THE TRENDS WERE.
I WAS DOING IT IN-HOUSE AND THE STATE DOES IT, AND THE STATE IS THE FINAL SAY.
WHETHER WE PASS THAT MARKET TREND ANALYSIS OR NOT.
IT WAS COSTING US ABOUT $15,000 A YEAR.
MY STAFF IS SETTLED, EVERYBODY'S GOOD.
WE ARE NOW DOING THAT TRENDING IN-HOUSE.
SO IT'S, WE'RE SAVING THE TOWN ABOUT 15, $20,000 BY NOT HIRING THE COMPANY ANYMORE.
I STILL HAVE TO TURN MY FILES OVER TO NEW YORK STATE DEPARTMENT OF TAXATION AND FINANCE FOR THEIR ANALYSIS, THEIR REVIEW, AND THEIR APPROVAL.
SO IT'S STILL THAT INDEPENDENT STATE AGENCY GIVING US THAT A PLUS.
WITH THAT, IN THE INTERIM YEARS, WE DO THE MARKET ANALYSIS.
WE REVIEW ASSESSMENTS FOR BUILDING PERMITS.
SOMETIMES WE CHANGE THE ASSESSMENTS, SOMETIMES WE DON'T.
DEPENDING ON THE MARKET, WE WILL, WE HAVE TO REDUCE THE ASSESSMENTS ON THE ASSESSMENT RULE BASED ON COURT ORDERS, WHICH ARE THE ARIES THAT YOU HEAR ABOUT EVERY WEEK AND THE, UM, AND THE SMALL CLAIMS. SO THOSE ARE THE REASONS FOR THE ASSESSMENT CHANGES TODAY, IF WE FREEZE THE FIVE YEARS, THE ASSESSMENTS, UM, I BROKE IT OUT INTO THE PROS AND THE CONS FOR TAXPAYERS AND FOR GOVERNMENTS.
THE PROS FOR THE TAXPAYERS IS THEIR ASSESSMENTS ARE STABLE.
DOESN'T MEAN THEIR TAXES ARE GONNA BE STABLE.
IT MEANS THEIR ASSESSMENTS ARE STABLE.
YOU KNOW, YOUR PROPERTY'S WORTH 500.
IT'S GONNA STAY THAT WAY FOR ANOTHER FIVE YEARS.
AGAIN, IT DOES NOT MEAN THE TAXES ARE GONNA BE STABLE, JUST THE ASSESSMENTS.
OKAY? SO THAT'S A POINT TO REALLY EMPHASIZE FOR THE PUBLIC THAT JUST BECAUSE YOUR ASSESSMENT CHANGES, IT DOESN'T MEAN THAT YOUR TAXES CHANGE.
SO THAT ASSESSMENT IS MM, OKAY.
LET'S JUST SAY HYPOTHETICAL EXAMPLE, THAT THERE'S 10 HOUSES IN THE TOWN OF GREENBURG, JUST 10.
IF I RAISE EVERYBODY'S ASSESSMENT UP
[00:25:01]
BY 5%, EVERYBODY, ALL 10 PROPERTIES BY 5%, I RAISE YOUR ASSESSMENTS.THE TAX RATE COMES DOWN BY 5%.
YOU'RE PAYING THE SAME EXACT AMOUNT.
IF I RAISE, I'M GONNA PICK ON JOY.
IF I RAISE EVERYBODY'S, ALL NINE OF YOU, YOUR ASSESSMENTS BY 10% AND I RAISE JOYS BY, UM, 12%, YOUR TAXES ARE GOING UP 2%.
IF I RAISE EVERYBODY UP BY 10% AND I RAISE YOURS UP ONLY 8%, BUT YOU STILL GET AN INCREASE, BUT IT'S ONLY 8%, IT'S LESS THAN THE AVERAGE, YOUR TAXES ARE ACTUALLY GONNA GO DOWN.
SO WITH THAT, AGAIN, IF I, WE FREEZE THE ASSESSMENTS $500,000 FOR THAT FIVE YEARS, THAT DOESN'T MEAN YOUR TAXES ARE STAYING STABLE BECAUSE THE TAXES RATES ARE GONNA GO UP BECAUSE THE ASSESSMENTS ARE FROZEN.
THAT'S WHAT WAS HAPPENING, UM, BEFORE WE DID THE REASSESSMENT MM-HMM
SO WITH THAT, UH, IT GIVES, UH, THE TAXPAYERS SOME SOLACE TO KNOW THAT THEIR ASSESSMENT'S NOT CHANGING.
BUT WITH THAT, THAT'S THE ONLY PRO THAT I COULD THINK ABOUT IN FREEZING THE ASSESSMENTS FOR FIVE YEARS.
IT'S THE ONLY, THE, THE OTHER QUESTION IS, UM, DO WE HAVE TO GET STATE PERMISSION FOR THIS? UH, OR COULD WE DO THIS ON OUR, DOES THE TOWN BOARD HAVE THE, UH, FLEXIBILITY OF DOING IT WITHOUT STATE? IT'S IN MY NOTES.
GIMME ONE MINUTE AND I'LL GET THERE.
SO THAT'S THE PRO FOR THE TAXPAYERS.
THE PRO FOR THE GOVERNMENT ENTITIES IS THAT, UM, WE HAVE POSITIVE ASSESSMENT ROLES NOW BECAUSE THE MARKET'S GOING UP AND THAT'S THE WAY IT'S BEEN.
EVEN IF IT'S STABLE, UM, IT'S A MORE STABILIZED TAX BASE FOR US, FOR US BEING THE GOVERNING BODIES.
UM, WE HAVE FLATTER TAX RATES BECAUSE THE ASSESSMENTS ARE STILL INCREASING.
AND FOR ME, UM, AND WE'RE TALKING ABOUT THE FIVE YEAR FREEZE, FOR ME IT'S WAY LESS ADMINISTRATION.
AND I'M SURE YOU DO NOT WANNA GIVE ME LESS WORK.
I JUST DON'T UNDERSTAND WHY WE KEEP TALKING ABOUT THIS TOPIC BECAUSE IN THAT FIFTH YEAR, THE RESIDENTS ARE GOING TO BE SCREAMING AT US YES.
AS TO WHY DID WE IMPLEMENT THIS? I MEAN, IN SIXTH YEAR.
WHY DID WE IMPLEMENT THIS? YES.
AND, AND IT, IT GIVES THE APPEARANCE OF NOT BEING TRANSPARENT.
UM, WITH, WITH ALL OF THAT, WITH THIS FREEZE, THE DISADVANTAGE AGAIN IS THE FACT THAT TAXES WILL PROBABLY GO UP EVEN MORE BECAUSE THE BUILDING PERMITS, AND NO DISRESPECT TO THE SEVEN BUILDING DEPARTMENTS I DEAL WITH, BUT THEY GIVE THE BUILDING PERMITS OUT LIKE CHICLETS.
'CAUSE EVERYBODY'S DOING WORK ON THEIR HOUSE.
UM, I THAT WE CANNOT KEEP UP WITH THE MARKET WITH THAT WHEN WE HAVE THE SMALL CLAIMS, WHICH REDUCES THE ASSESSMENTS, ARIES, WHICH REDUCE THE ASSESSMENTS.
AND SINCE WE DID THE REASSESSMENT, UH, AND NOW WE'RE DOING IT EVERY YEAR, OUR ARIES HAVE DROPPED FROM APPROXIMATELY TWO AND A REFUNDING MONEY FROM APPROXIMATELY TWO AND A HALF MILLION DOLLARS TO ABOUT 600,000 BECAUSE WE'RE STILL CLEANING UP AFTER 60 YEARS.
JOE AND I JUST HAD THIS CONVERSATION.
SO THAT'S MORE STABILITY FOR US.
AS FAR AS CHOOSING TO, TO DO THIS, WE DO NOT NECESSARILY NEED STATE LEGISLATION.
BUT WHAT WILL HAPPEN IS IN THAT FIFTH YEAR, WE HAVE TO GO THROUGH THE WHOLE GYRATION AGAIN OF WHAT WE DID IN 2016, DOING A TOWN WIDE REASSESSMENT.
WE WOULD HAVE TO DO THAT AGAIN.
WE DON'T NEED STATE LEGISLATION TO DO THIS.
WE WOULD NEED STATE LEGISLATION TO FREEZE THE ASSESSMENTS.
UM, BUT, BUT NOT AS, UM, NOT AS DETAILED AS WHAT THEY DO IN CONNECTICUT.
THEY'RE MANDATED BY THE LEGISLATURE.
SO WE, SO WE DON'T HAVE ANY FLEXIBILITY WITHOUT STATE LEGISLATION TO DO THE, THE FREEZING.
WELL, WHY WOULD WE EVEN, WHY WOULD WE WANT TO DO, I'M JUST, I'M ASKING, I'M ASKING QUESTION.
NO, WE DON'T, WE, WE DON'T NEED TO GO TO THE STATE LEGISLATURE TO FREEZE THE ASSESSMENTS BECAUSE THEN WE GO BACK TO THE OLD DAYS WHERE WE'RE RESTRICTED TO ONLY CHANGE ASSESSMENTS BASED ON BUILDING PERMITS, COURT ORDERS AND EXEMPTION CANCELLATIONS.
THOSE ARE THE ONLY THREE REASONS WE COULD EVER CHANGE AN ASSESSMENT.
SO TECHNICALLY, IF YOU DON'T DO ANY WORK TO YOUR HOUSE OR YOU FORGET TO TAKE A BUILDING PERMIT OUT, UM, YOUR ASSESSMENT WILL BE, WILL STAY THE SAME.
BUT THAT'S BAD BECAUSE THE REASON WHY WE DID THE REASSESSMENT IN THE FIRST PLACE WAS TO CREATE THE EQUITY THAT WE NOW HAVE IN THE ROLE.
I TAKE GREAT PRIDE, NOT MAYBE I'M, MAYBE I'M BRAGGING A LITTLE BIT.
I TAKE GREAT PRIDE IN THESE ATTORNEYS CALLING ME, OR EVEN OUR TOWN ATTORNEY SAYING THAT THE NUMBERS, THE ASSESSMENTS ARE GOOD.
I CAN'T EVEN FILE AGREEMENTS APPLICATION 'CAUSE THE NUMBERS ARE SO GOOD.
SO WE WORK REALLY HARD FOR THAT.
[00:30:01]
SAY THAT IF WE FREEZE THE ASSESSMENTS, THEY'LL BE ALL OVER THE PLACE, LIKE SPAGHETTI AGAIN, THE WAY THAT THEY WERE IN 2016.I JUST HAD ONE OTHER QUESTION.
UM, I UNDERSTAND, YOU KNOW, YOUR, THE ISSUES OF A FIVE, THE AIR, YOU KNOW, FREEZE, THAT IT COULD BE ENORMOUS, YOU KNOW, JUMPS.
BUT YOU KNOW, A LOT OF RESIDENTS THAT SPOKE TO ME, UM, IN RECENT MONTHS, YOU KNOW, THEY'RE BASICALLY SAYING THAT IT'S VERY, VERY STRESSFUL BECAUSE EVERY, EVERY, YOU KNOW, YEAR AROUND MAY OR JUNE, YOU, THEY WERE ALL STRESSED OUT BECAUSE THEY'RE SAYING BIG ASSESSMENT CHANGES IS EITHER LIKE OTHER OPTIONS.
FOR EXAMPLE, IF THE TOWN WOULD WANNA EXPECT, YOU KNOW, I'M, I'M NOT IT'S OKAY.
NOT ADVOCATING, I'M JUST SAYING, LET'S SAY WE SAID, OKAY, WE'RE GOING TO TEST OUT A ONE YEAR FREEZE.
SO, YOU KNOW, YOU, YOU WOULD DO LIKE A ASSESSMENT, YOU KNOW, ONE YEAR AND THEN THE FOLLOWING YEAR PEOPLE WOULD GET A BREATHER.
SO THIS WAY THEY DON'T HAVE TO WORRY EVERY MAY OR JUNE.
AND THEN WE COULD SORT OF DETERMINE WHETHER OR NOT THAT BASICALLY WORKS OR NOT.
AND, YOU KNOW, YOU TRY IT FOR A YEAR OR SO, AND IF IT TURNS OUT THAT IT'S, UH, YOU KNOW, NOT SUCCESSFUL, THEN WE COULD JUST SAY, OKAY, WE TRIED IT, IT DIDN'T WORK, AND THEN WE COULD GO BACK TO IT.
UH, AND THE OTHER QUESTION I HAVE, ARE THERE ANY OTHER, UM, YOU KNOW, COMPROMISE IDEAS THAT YOU COULD THINK OF THAT MAY EVEN INCLUDE STATE LEGISLATION? BECAUSE THERE'S A LOT OF PEOPLE, UM, THAT I'VE SPOKEN TO, YOU KNOW, WHO REALLY WERE STRUGGLING, ARE STRUGGLING AND, UM, YOU KNOW, AND I THINK THE WHOLE ISSUE OF THE, THE ANNUAL ASSESSMENTS IS REALLY CREATING A LOT OF ANXIETY, A LOT OF STRESS.
UH, IT'S, THERE'S AFFORDABILITY, YOU KNOW, ISSUES.
SO, UM, I SORT OF THINK MAYBE THERE'S THINGS THAT WE COULD DO FOR PEOPLE ON FIXED INCOMES OR, UM, UH, YOU KNOW, OR, YOU KNOW, SENIORS, MAYBE YOU COULD COME UP WITH SOME PROPOSED LEGISLATION THAT COULD PROVIDE SOME RELIEF FOR PEOPLE WHO RIGHT NOW ARE REALLY, UM, ARE REALLY STRUGGLING.
OH, WELL, YOU KNOW, JUST WILL BE WHAT IS, I UNDERSTAND.
SO PEOPLE ON FIXED INCOMES ARE NOT DOING HOME IMPROVEMENTS, SO THEIR ASSESSMENT WOULDN'T CHANGE.
SOME OF THEM, THEY DID THIS, TESTAMENTS DID CHANGE.
WHY? BECAUSE, UH, I WANT, I WANT, KATIE, WE HAD AREAS LIKE I KNOW IN THE PAST FEW YEARS, HASTINGS HAD A BIG, BIG JUMPS.
I THINK IRVINGTON HAD BIG JUMPS.
UH, YOU KNOW, THEY WERE, THEY WERE, YOU KNOW, I, AMONG THOSE WHO DID KNOW WORK ON THEIR HOUSES, IT WAS JUST THE MARKET TRENDS.
SO WHAT'S HAPPENING IS, AND I KNOW YOU'RE REFERRING MOSTLY TO HASTINGS, UM, AND AGAIN, IT BREAKS MY HEART, BUT WHAT'S HAPPENING IS PEOPLE ARE COMING FROM THE CITY PRETTY MUCH FROM BROOKLYN.
AND WHEN THEY LIVE IN BROOKLYN, THEY'RE PUTTING THEIR ONE OR TWO CHILDREN INTO PRIVATE SCHOOLS BECAUSE OF THE SCHOOL SYSTEM IN THE CITY, AND PAYING PROPERTY TAXES ON TOP OF THAT, WHEN THEY COME HERE, THEY PAY PROPERTY TAXES AND PUT THEIR CHILDREN IN THE, IN OUR PUBLIC SCHOOLS, HASTINGS, IRVINGTON, EDGEMONT, SCAR, UM, ALL OF OUR SCHOOLS, RIGHT? SO THOSE ARE PUBLIC SCHOOLS.
THEY DON'T PAY ANY EXTRA JUST PROPERTY TAXES.
AND, AND THEY'RE WILLING TO PAY OVER MARKET TO GET THAT HOUSE.
IT IS A LOT CHEAPER TO PUT YOUR CHILDREN IN OUR PUBLIC SCHOOLS THAN TO PAY PROPERTY TAXES IN THE CITY AND PRIVATE SCHOOL FEES OR TUITIONS OR WHATEVER.
SO THEY COME HERE AND THEY PAY OVER ASKING PRICES AND THEY'RE PAYING CASH.
THAT IS THE STRICTLY, THAT'S THE MARKET.
WE CAN'T CHANGE THE MARKET, RIGHT? IT IS STRICTLY THE MARKET.
AND, AND I, I WOULD JUST GIVING IT ANOTHER FRAME THAT'S VERY IMPORTANT.
THE BIGGEST ISSUE COUNTRYWIDE IS AFFORDABILITY.
SO IT, IT DOESN'T IN ANY WAY, AND, YOU KNOW, OUR CONCERNS DON'T IN ANY WAY NEGATE OUR CONCERN FOR AFFORDABILITY.
BUT I, YOU KNOW, I I THINK THAT THE ASSESSMENT WRONG, IT'S THE CORRECT WORD, BUT JUST NOT MEANT TO BE DOUBLE ENTENDRE.
UM, IS THAT, DO WE WANT, RIGHT, DO WE WANT TO PAY A SLIGHT INCREASE OR, YOU KNOW, WHEN THE MARKET GOES DOWN A SLIGHT DECREASE ANNUALLY, OR DO WE WANNA GET HIT WITH A HUGE PRICE TAG OR, YOU KNOW, THEN IT IS THAT GAMBLE THAT WHEN IT STARTS TO GO DOWN, THERE'LL BE A HUGE SHOCK.
SO WHILE IT IS STRESSFUL, BECAUSE AFFORDABILITY IS A HUGE ISSUE, UM, UH, I, I THINK THAT FREEZING, IT CREATES AN ISSUE.
AND, AND, AND AS, AS EDIE SAID, THE TAX RATE WILL CAN GO UP TO COMPENSATE.
SO IT DOESN'T REALLY ACT AS, AS A SAVINGS.
I THINK WHAT YOU'RE HEARING FROM RESIDENTS, PAUL, IS THAT
[00:35:01]
THEIR TAXES HAVE GONE UP, BUT THEY MEAN IT'S, THAT'S THEIR SCHOOL TAXES THAT GO UP.THAT'S WHERE THEY'RE FEELING IT.
AND PEOPLE REALLY DON'T MAKE A DISTINCTION WHEN THEY PAY THEIR TAX BILL BETWEEN SCHOOL TAX, TOWN TAX, WHATEVER.
SO I THINK WE'RE ADDRESSING AN ISSUE THAT WE'RE NOT REALLY, UH, CAUSING.
NO, NO, YOU'RE, YOU'RE CORRECT.
MY RESPONSIBILITY IS TO PUT THOSE MARKET VALUES ON MY HOUSES BASED ON, BASED ON THE MARKET, RIGHT? SO THE PROBLEM HERE IS, OH, I'M NOT GONNA BE POLITICALLY CORRECT.
SO YOU HAVE A PIE, AND YOUR PIE IS YOUR PROPERTY TAXES, AND THAT PIE IS MADE UP OF A TOWN, COUNTY, SCHOOL, VILLAGE, AND FIRE.
OKAY? WHEN YOU HAVE THE DIFFERENT TAXING JURISDICTIONS THAT WE ABSOLUTELY UNEQUIVOCALLY HAVE, WE BEING, YOU HAVE NO CONTROL OVER JUST YOUR OWN TAX RATE, YOUR BUDGETS, YOUR TAX RATES.
WHEN YOU HAVE IT SPREAD THAT WE'RE 18% AND THE FIRE DEPARTMENTS ARE 20%, AND THE COUNTY IS 5%, AND THE SCHOOL IS 65%.
I MEAN, WE HAVE NO CONTROL OVER THAT.
SO WHEN THE SCHOOL DISTRICTS GO UP, WHEN THEY BREAK THE CAP, WE'LL TALK ABOUT THAT IN A SECOND.
WHEN THEY BREAK THE CAP AND THEY GO UP 5%, THAT, THAT IS A BIG CHUNK OF MONEY.
SO WHAT HAPPENS WITH TAXPAYERS, AND I HAVE TO TELL YOU TO BE HONEST, IF I WAS NOT IN THIS BUSINESS, I'D BE IN THE SAME BOLD AS EVERYBODY ELSE, RIGHT? SO I DON'T PAY ATTENTION.
I GET MY TAX BILL, I PAY IT, I, I GET MY TAX BILL AND I PAY IT.
SO I DON'T KNOW WHERE THE SPLIT IS, BUT THE SPLIT IS HUGE.
ALL THE SERVICES, AND YOU CAN COMPLAIN ALL YOU WANT ABOUT YOUR PROPERTY TAXES.
BUT LIVING IN THE TOWN OF GREENBURG, YEAH, I'M NOT GETTING IT.
I'M SAYING THIS IN ALL SINCERITY, LIVING IN THE TOWN OF GREENBURG WITH THE SERVICES THAT WE GET HERE ARE PHENOMENAL.
I, I'VE BEEN AROUND FOR 37 YEARS IN OTHER JURISDICTIONS, IN OTHER STATES AND IN OTHER MUNICIPALITIES.
THESE SERVICES HERE ARE PHENOMENAL.
SO, AND I NEVER, I HEAR A LOT OF COMPLAINTS.
I HEAR A LOT OF COMPLAINTS ABOUT EVERYTHING.
I'VE NEVER HEARD COMPLAINTS ABOUT THE SERVICES HERE.
SO YOU'RE PAYING FOR THEM, YOU'RE PAYING FOR THE SCHOOLS.
AND WHAT I RELAY TO TAXPAYERS, AND I DON'T WANNA HEAR IT, BUT, UM, YOUR PROPERTIES WOULD NOT BE WORTH THE AMOUNT OF MONEY THAT THEY'RE WORTH IF YOU WEREN'T IN THE TOWN OF GREENBURG, IN THE COUNTY OF WESTCHESTER.
AND IN THE SCHOOL DISTRICTS THAT YOU'RE IN, IT JUST GENERATES THAT MM-HMM
SO AGAIN, IT'S THE PIE THAT MAYBE WE SHOULD ADVERTISE THAT A LITTLE BIT MORE.
UM, BUT I ALSO WANNA LEAVE YOU WITH THIS, IS THAT I, I STILL TO THIS DAY HEAR A LOT OF THIS, WHAT HAPPENED TO THE 2% TAX CAP? WHAT HAPPENED TO THAT? GOVERNOR CUOMO PUT THAT IN PLACE AND NOBODY'S LISTENING TO IT.
IT IS NOT CAPITAL NOT IT IS NOT A CAP ON TAXES.
IT IS NOT, IT IS A CAP ON THE GOVERNMENT'S BUDGETS.
THE SCHOOL, THE TOWN, THE COUNTY, THE VILLAGE, ALL OF THE FIRE DISTRICT, EVERYBODY HAS A CAP ON THEIR BUDGETS.
IT IS NOT A CAP ON THE TAX RATES, THE LEVY.
WELL, IT'S EASIER TO UNDERSTAND IF IT'S, YEAH, OKAY.
SO IF YOU NEED 60, IF YOU NEED X NUMBER OF DOLLARS TO OPERATE, YOU'RE ALLOWED TO INCREASE THAT OPERATION DOLLARS BY THE 2%.
BUT I, I STILL THINK THAT, YOU KNOW, I THINK THIS DISCUSSION'S BEEN, UH, USEFUL, BUT I STILL THINK THAT, YOU KNOW, WE SHOULD, LIKE, I'LL SHARE THE LINK TO THIS, UH, MEETING WITH VILLAGE OFFICIALS AND SCHOOL OFFICIALS.
UM, AND I THINK THAT IT MAKES, WOULD MAKE SENSE TO HAVE A CONTINUING DISCUSSION.
MAYBE YOU COULD THINK OF OTHER COMPROMISE IDEAS THAT COULD, UH, HELP SOME OF THE PEOPLE WHO ARE REALLY STRUGGLING.
YOU KNOW, MAYBE THE FIVE YEAR FREEZE BY ITSELF WAS TOO MUCH AND WOULD BE, YOU KNOW, TOO DIFFICULT.
BUT MAYBE A ONE YEAR FREEZE IS SOMETHING THAT WE SHOULD AT LEAST HAVE A DISCUSSION ON.
UM, AND, YOU KNOW, WE COULD TALK TO PEOPLE ABOUT THE PLUSES AND AND MINUSES.
MAYBE WE COULD TEST OUT OTHER COMPROMISE IDEAS BECAUSE AGAIN, YOU KNOW, YOU DON'T REALLY WANNA SEE IN THREE YEARS OR FOUR YEARS, PEOPLE SAYING, I CAN'T BELIEVE THAT THESE TAXES, AND THEN ALL OF A SUDDEN, ALL THE WORK WE DID OVER THE YEARS IN TERMS OF HAVING ANNUAL, UM, ASSESSMENT, WE DON'T WANT TO SEE IT GO, YOU KNOW, I UNDER, I WILL DO PEOPLE SAY WE WANT TO DISCONTINUE, UH, OUR ANNUAL ASSESSMENTS AND WE'LL GO BACK TO WHERE WE WERE FOR 65 YEARS AND DO NOTHING.
WELL, I, I, THERE BE NO RATIONALE FOR DOING THAT.
FIRST OF ALL, WE CAN'T FIND, I DON'T KNOW.
WE JUST HEARD FROM OUR ASSESSOR.
NO, I'M SAYING WE CAN'T FIND, UM, ONE, UH, OUR BOARD.
WE DON'T KNOW WHAT A FUTURE BOARD'S GONNA GONNA DO.
AND IF PEOPLE ARE, ARE GETTING REALLY CONCERNED ABOUT, UM, ASSESSMENT INCREASES AND IT BECOMES TOO CONTROVERSIAL OR WHATEVER, UM, THEY'RE WORRIED ABOUT THEIR TAXES.
ABOUT HOW ABOUT THIS? HOLD ON.
[00:40:01]
ALSO, WE COULD BE LOOKING, I, FOR YEARS, I SUGGESTED WE CONSOLIDATE THE FIRE DISTRICTS, YOU KNOW, AND I'M GETTING ANYWHERE ON THAT.THAT'S A DIFFERENT, THAT'S A, THAT'S A DIFFERENT CONVERSATION.
THAT'S THE WAY OF SAVING TAXPAYER DOLLARS.
ANOTHER WAY IS CUTTING TOWN SPENDING, RIGHT? WE COULD DO THAT ALSO, CUTTING TOWN SPENDING, BUT WE'RE NOT GONNA BE ABLE TO DO THAT BECAUSE WE KNOW THE PROJECTION FROM THE CONTROLLERS IS THAT THERE'S GONNA BE SOME SUBSTANTIAL TAX.
SO HOW ABOUT THIS SUPERVISOR MAKE UP FOR THE, HOLD ON, SUPERVISOR.
HOW ABOUT IF I DO THIS? I WILL DO SOME MORE RESEARCH AND FIND OUT WHAT OTHER STATES IN THE COUNTRY ARE DOING, AND I WILL COME BACK AND I WILL REPORT THAT YOU HAVE TO GIMME SOME TIME THOUGH.
WE'RE TRYING TO GET THROUGH COURT CASES RIGHT NOW.
SO WITH THAT, UM, DOES THAT SOUND AMENABLE TO EVERYBODY? JUST SEND AN EMAIL.
I DON'T, YOU KNOW, I, I CAN'T BELIEVE WE'RE SPENDING AS MUCH TIME AS WE ARE ON THIS BECAUSE THERE'S NO UPSIDE FOR THE PERSON BY FREEZING THEIR ASSESSMENT.
AND YOU KNOW, GOD BLESS CONNECTICUT AND WHAT THEY DO IN CONNECTICUT, BUT THAT'S NOT WORKING HERE.
AND WE HAVE A SYSTEM THAT'S WORKING, AND I CAN'T BELIEVE THAT SOMEBODY LOOKS AT THEIR BILL AND THEY SEE AN INCREASE IN TAXES AND THEY SAY, OH, IT'S THAT ASSESSMENT.
THEY'RE SAYING THE TAXES ARE TOO HIGH.
RIGHT? AND TO LOOK AT SAY, OH, MY ASSESSMENT WENT UP, YOU KNOW, 5% OR WHATEVER.
I'M NOT TAKING, HOLD ON A SECOND.
I'M NOT TAKING ANYTHING AWAY FROM ANYBODY.
UM, TAXES OR TAXES, AND I'D MUCH RATHER GO ON VACATION THAN PAY PROPERTY TAXES.
BUT THAT'S THE REALITY, RIGHT? WITH THAT, OUR AVERAGE TAXPAYER PAYS THREE AND A 5% OF THEIR IN PROPERTY TAXES OF THE VALUE OF THEIR HOME.
SO IF YOU HAVE A MILLION DOLLAR HOME, YOUR PROPERTY TAXES ARE $30,000, AND THAT'S EVERYTHING.
TOWN, COUNTY, SCHOOL, FIRE, WHATEVER.
SO THAT 3%, THE AVERAGE IN NEW YORK STATE, THE AVERAGE TO THIS DAY IS 3.5%.
IF YOU GO TO FLORIDA WHERE EVERYBODY'S TALKING ABOUT HOW CHEAP THE PROPERTY TAXES ARE DOWN THERE, THEN THEIR TAXES ARE SOMEWHERE BETWEEN THREE AND 4% OF THE MARKET VALUE.
THE REASON WHY THE TAXES ARE SO MUCH CHEAPER IN FLORIDA IS BECAUSE THE REAL ESTATE IS SO MUCH CHEAPER.
SO WE ARE, I KNOW PEOPLE AREN'T GONNA LIKE THIS, BUT THE REALITY IS THAT WE, WE FALL RIGHT IN LINE WITH CONNECTICUT AND NEW JERSEY, NOT CONNECTICUT, I TAKE THAT BACK, BUT NEW JERSEY AND FLORIDA AND TENNESSEE AND, AND NEW HAMPSHIRE, LIKE ALL OF THESE PLACES.
THE REASON WHY BOTTOM LINE IS THAT IS CONNECTICUT IS SO MUCH CHEAPER THAN WE ARE, IS BECAUSE THEY'RE LESS ONE FORM OF GOVERNMENT THAN WE ARE.
THEY DO NOT HAVE COUNTY GOVERNMENT.
NO, I SUGGESTED THAT WHEN I WAS A COUNTY GOVERNMENT.
GO ON THAT, GO ON THAT ESCAPADE.
THEY'RE LESS ONE FORM OF GOVERNMENT.
AND I WOULD ALSO JUST LIKE TO REITERATE POINT, JUST ONE LESS THING, A POINT THAT, THAT EDIE MADE, WHICH IS OF ALL THE COMPLAINTS AND CONCERN THAT YOU HEARD, THE GREATER PERCENTAGE, I DON'T KNOW WHAT THAT PERCENTAGE IS, ARE PEOPLE WHO PUT ADDITIONS ONTO THEIR HOUSE AND NEGLECTED TO WHAT THIS IS.
EDIE CHECKED, SHE, SHE, SHE SAID THAT SHE CHECKED EACH ONE THAT YOU SENT TO HER.
SO KEEP THAT IN MIND BEFORE YOU FIXATE ON ALL THE COMPLAINTS THAT THERE WAS.
YOU KNOW, MIKE, I'M NOT SAYING THEY DID IT PURPOSEFULLY, BUT YOU KNOW, MAYBE THEY WERE NOT FIGURING IT INTO THEIR EQUATION.
SO KEEP THAT IN MIND BEFORE YOU START PROJECTING, UH, HAVING COMPROMISES.
THE LAST QUESTION I HAD IS, IS NEW YORK CITY DOING ANYTHING DIFFERENT THAN, YOU KNOW, WHAT, WHAT WE WOULD DO, IS THERE ANYTHING? NEW YORK CITY IS DOING EVERYTHING DIFFERENT THAN WHAT WE DO.
NEW YORK CITY HAS THEIR OWN LAWS, THEIR OWN RULES, THEIR REGULATIONS.
THEY ALLOW, UH, COMMERCIAL PROPERTIES, THEY HAVE DIFFERENT BUCKETS.
THEY HAVE DIFFERENT TAX RATES.
NO DISRESPECT, BUT NO, IT'S A HORRIBLE SYSTEM.
YEAH, NO, NO, I APPRECIATE THE QUESTION, BUT IT IS NOT A GOOD SYSTEM.
I SHARE THIS, UH, LINK WITH, UH, OTHERS.
NEXT, UH, LOCAL LAW, PROPERTY MAINTENANCE AND NUISANCE ABATEMENT OF THE TOWN OF GREENBURG, EVERYBODY.
I'M THE DEPUTY BUILDING INSPECTOR FOR THE TOWN.
I SENT EVERYONE AN EMAIL EARLIER ABOUT THE PROPOSED LOCAL LAW FOR PUBLIC NUISANCE AND ABATEMENT.
UM, THIS LAW WILL GIVE THE TOWN CLEAR UNIFORM PROCESS
[00:45:01]
FOR ADJUSTING PROPERTIES THAT CREATE PUBLIC NUISANCES AND SAFETY HAZARDS, WHICH THE TOWN CURRENTLY DOES NOT HAVE.UH, IT ESTABLISHES MINIMUM PROPERTY MAINTENANCE STANDARDS CREATES DUE PROCESS BEFORE THE TOWN UNDER UNDERTAKES NUISANCE ABATEMENT, MEANING THAT, UM, BEFORE THE TOWN ENGAGES AND GOES IN TO CLEAN UP A PROPERTY, UM, PROPERTIES THAT HAVEN'T CUT THEIR LAWN OR THINGS LIKE THAT, AND HAVE BECOME A BLIGHT ON A COMMUNITY.
UM, WE WOULD HAVE TO FOLLOW DUE PROCESS, NOTIFY POST, UM, AND THEN SCHEDULE A PUBLIC HEARING WITH THE TOWN BOARD.
AND THE TOWN BOARD WOULD MAKE THE DETERMINATION WHETHER THE TOWN SHOULD PROCEED AND THEN ROLL THE, THE COSTS ONTO THE TAX ROLL.
SO SOME IN SUBSTANCE, THAT'S MM-HMM
THAT'S WHAT THIS, THIS LAW DOES.
SO IT SHOULD HELP THE PEOPLE WHO ARE CALLING UP AND SAYING, MY NEIGHBOR HASN'T BEEN HERE, OVERGROWN, GROWN WEEDS.
NOW IT'S A HEALTH CONCERN FOR THE COMMUNITY.
WE HAVE NO ENFORCEMENT MECHANISM AT THIS POINT.
SO THANK YOU, LIZ, FOR PUTTING THIS DRAFT TOGETHER FOR YOUR REVIEW.
THIS WOULD ALLOW THE TOWN TO TAKE ACTION RIGHT AWAY, UM, TO HELP THOSE NEIGHBORING PROPERTIES, WHICH I KNOW YOU GET A LOT OF COMPLAINTS FROM PEOPLE.
WE GOT A COMPLAINT ABOUT CO SPEEDWAY, UH, WITH THIS, THAT THAT'S EXACTLY THE, THE TYPE OF PROPERTY.
THERE'S SEVERAL RESIDENTIAL, THIS IS ONE OF THE COMMERCIAL.
THERE'S TWO THAT HAVE BEEN, UM, QUITE ACTIVE WITH COMPLAINTS.
AND UNDERSTANDABLY, THE TOWN'S HANDS ARE TIED THAT WE CAN'T GO ONTO PRIVATE PROPERTY AND REMEDY SOMETHING.
SO PROCEDURALLY, JUST SO EVERYONE UNDERSTANDS, THE BUILDING DEPARTMENT OR THE CODE ENFORCEMENT OFFICER WILL ISSUE A NOTICE OF VIOLATION BY LAW UNDER THE PROPERTY MAINTENANCE CODE.
WE HAVE TO GIVE THE OWNER OF THE PROPERTY 30 DAYS TO REMEDY THE VIOLATION AFTER THEY RECEIVE THE NOTICE.
UM, SO WE ARE STUCK IN THAT TIME PERIOD WHEN THERE'S A LIFE SAFETY CONDITION.
UM, SOMETIMES THERE'S, THE FORESTRY OFFICER HAS NOTHING THAT THEY CAN SAY, THERE'S A TREE HANGING OVER MY NEIGHBOR'S PROPERTY THAT'S ABOUT TO COLLAPSE, AND NOBODY'S IN THE HOME.
THAT, THAT WOULD ALLOW THIS MECHANISM TO GO TO THE TOWN BOARD, PRESENT A CASE, UM, AND WE CAN PROCEED WITH REMOVING THAT TREE LIMB.
IT'S GOING TO HELP PEOPLE, ESPECIALLY, UM, THE SPEEDWAY CONDITION WHERE SOMEBODY DUMPED, UH, A COUCH AND A SINK AND OTHER MATERIALS ONTO THE SITE, UM, AND WE CAN'T CLEAN IT UP.
YOU KNOW, I'M GLAD YOU WORKED ON THIS AND THIS IS REALLY GONNA BE, BE HELPFUL.
TODAY, I GOT TWO CALLS FROM, UH, SOMEBODY I THINK ON TWO PEOPLE ON SOUTH ROAD.
UH, THERE WAS A TREE THAT COLLAPSED, THAT THERE WAS A TREE BRANCH THAT WAS OVER HANGING THEIR, THEIR HOUSE.
AND ACROSS THE STREET, A TREE FELL ON SOMEBODY'S PROPERTY IN THEIR, THEIR PANICKY PERSON'S.
UM, WHO'S WORRIED THE, THE HOUSE IS OWNED BY A BANK.
UM, SO WOULD THIS ENABLE US TO, UH, ADDRESS THAT PROBLEM? FOR, FOR, AND THAT WOULD BE THE FORESTRY OFFICER, BUT YES.
UM, UM, OUR, OUR FORESTRY OFFICER WOULD GO OUT, MAKE AN EVALUATION IF IT IS AN IMMINENT THREAT, IF IT'S NOT, UM, THEY WOULD ISSUE THE NOTICE OF VIOLATION AND FOLLOW THE DUE PROCESS PROCEDURE.
IF IT ISN'T AN IMMINENT THREAT, THE TREE IS ABOUT TO COME DOWN.
THAT WOULD ALLOW WITH THE TOWN BOARD'S, UM, PERMISSION TO GO ONTO THE SITE, UM, AND TAKE CARE OF THAT IMMEDIATELY.
SO, UM, YOU KNOW, WHAT'S THE TIME PERIOD? SO I HAVE IT SCHEDULED FOR PUBLIC HEARING ON JULY 22ND, UH, EXCUSE ME, TO BE SCHEDULED FOR PUBLIC HEARING ON JULY 22ND FOR THE AUGUST MEETING.
SO, AND THEN IT WOULD TAKE, SO IT WOULD PROBABLY BE PASS IT IN SEPTEMBER, SEPTEMBER, AND THEN IT TAKES 30, IT TAKES 30 DAYS UNTIL IT'S FILED WITH THE SECRETARY OF STATE.
WE HAVE 20 DAYS TO FILE IT, BUT YEAH, YOU DON'T HAVE TO TAKE THE FULL 20 DAYS IF, IF YOU DON'T WANT TO.
SO IT COULD BE EFFECTIVE AS OF OCTOBER.
THIS IS EX EXCELLENT WORK BECAUSE I'VE, I, I THINK I'VE FORWARDED LIKE A LOT OF COMPLAINTS ABOUT THIS AND THE, AND A, A BUNCH OF THE EMAILS THAT WE, WE GET, THEY'RE REPEAT AND WE'RE, OUR HANDS ARE TIED.
WE FOLLOW, AND IT, WE'RE JUST STUCK IN SOME CASES, PROBATE, UM, ESTATE PROPERTIES.
SO THIS WILL ADDRESS THAT ISSUE.
THIS IS REALLY FANTASTIC WORK.
THANK YOU, MR. THANK, THANK YOU.
OKAY, NEXT, UH, A HUNDRED EAST DALE AVENUE.
WE, FRANK MORDO IS GONNA COME IN.
HE'S JUST BEEN DEALING WITH A COUPLE OF POWER OUTAGES.
SHOULD WE GO OUT OF ORDER? I THOUGHT YOU WERE HOLDING OVER THE COURTHOUSE THING, YOU KNOW, YOU KNOW, WHILE, WHILE, YOU KNOW, WHILE WE'RE WAITING, UM, I SENT EVERYBODY, UM, YOU KNOW, A MEMO.
[00:50:01]
UH, FRANK FRANK'S HERE, SUPERVISOR.BARBARA, DO YOU WANNA COME UP TOO? I THANK YOU.
YOU CAN BRING YOUR LEGAL COUNSEL IF YOU WANT.
FRANK, CAN YOU BRING ANOTHER CHAIR WHILE PLEASE? COME ON CHAIR.
DO YOU WANT TO COME UP OR NO, JUST PUT, SO YOU, YOU GOTTA SWITCH.
WE'RE GONNA SIT, WE'RE GONNA SEE WHO ELBOWS WHO.
CAN YOU JUST INTRODUCE YOURSELVES AS WELL? SO EVERYBODY WATCHING? OKAY.
EVERY AND EVERYBODY AT THE TABLE.
OKAY, YOU WANNA INTRODUCE? SURE.
I REPRESENT, UH, 100 EAST HARTSDALE AND SIX OTHER BUILDINGS ON THE AVENUE.
UM, 30 50, 81, 11, 1 19, AND 100, UM, WESTEX ASSOCIATES AND GAR CHESTER REALTY ASSOCIATES.
GOOD EVENING SUPERVISOR, UH, TOWN BOARD.
MY NAME IS STEVEN ELLI FROM THE LAW FIRM OF ROUSSO, KURT O SCHWARTZ AND ELLI.
AND I'M GENERAL COUNSEL TO 100 EAST DALE.
I'M THE DEPUTY BUILDING INSPECTOR.
SO, UM, I WROTE UP A SUMMARY, UM, TO GO OVER WHAT'S BEEN GOING ON WITH A HUNDRED EAST HARTSDALE.
SO SHORTLY AFTER THE SEWER LINE FIRST BROKE IN 2024 ON MEMORIAL DAY, A COMPANY ATTEMPTED TO CAMERA THE LINE TO DETERMINE WHERE THE BRAKE WAS, BUT THEY COULD NOT GET THROUGH THE ENTIRE PIPE DUE DUE TO DEBRIS.
BASED UPON INFORMATION AVAILABLE, THE TOWN WAS ADVISED THAT THE BREAK WAS BENEATH THE BUILDING'S FOUNDATION.
BASED ON THAT INFORMATION, THE RECOMMENDED SOLUTION WAS TO BUILD A NEW SEWER AROUND THE BUILDING, WHICH WAS ESTIMATED TO COST APPROXIMATELY $20 MILLION.
IN LATE APRIL, FRANK MODO WAS APPOINTED AS COMMISSIONER.
HE LEARNED OF SPECIALIZED CAMERA EQUIPMENT THAT CAN OBTAIN FOOTAGE FROM A COLLAPSED PIPE AND DIRECTED COMPLETE CAMERA FOOTAGE OF THE PIPE BE MADE.
THAT INVESTIGATION CONFIRMED THE SEWER BRAKE IS NOT BENEATH THE BUILDING, BUT IN AN ACCESSIBLE LOCATION WHERE THE EXISTING SEWER CAN BE REPAIRED.
BASED ON THESE FINDINGS, THE PERMANENT REPAIR CONSISTS OF AN IN-KIND REPAIR OF THE EXISTING SEWER.
UPON THIS FINDING, MURANO BEGAN MOBILIZING TO PERFORM THE WORK UNDER THE TOWN'S EXISTING EMERGENCY AND ON-CALL SEWER, WATER, AND STREET EXCAVATION REPAIR, AND RESTORATION SERVICES CONTRACT, WHICH HAS BEEN COMPETITIVELY BID AND AWARDED THROUGH PUBLIC BIDDING PROCESS.
MURANO HAS ALREADY ORDERED THE NECESSARY EQUIPMENT AND COORDINATED WITH THE C CAMP PILE SUBCONTRACTOR.
THE TRAFFIC CONTROL AND EMERGENCY EGRESS PLANS ARE IN THE FINAL STAGES OF DEVELOPMENT, AND THE WATER DEPARTMENT STANDS READY TO RELOCATE THE HYDRANT AND OTHER UTILITIES AS NECESSARY TO F FACILITATE THE REPAIR.
RECENTLY, SUPERVISOR FINER RAISED QUESTIONS AS TO WHETHER THE REPAIR WORK ITSELF MUST BE SEPARATELY COMPETITIVELY BID CITING AN EMAIL FROM THE TOWN CONTROLLER.
WHEN ASKED ABOUT THAT EMAIL, THE TOWN CONTROLLER EXPLAINED THAT HER EMAIL WAS BASED ON THE EARLIER SEWER REROUTE PROJECT THAT INVOLVED THE INSTALLATION OF A NEW SEWER AROUND THE BUILDING AND NOT THE REPAIR OF THE EXISTING SEWER.
SHE ADVISED DPW WAS OKAY TO CONTINUE WITH THE USE OF THE REPAIR USING MURANO BECAUSE THE TOWN SUPERVISOR CONTINUES TO RAISE THESE QUESTIONS ABOUT WHETHER THE REPAIR SHOULD BE ADVERTISED AS A SEPARATE BID.
DPW HAS PAUSED THE REPAIR AND RESPECTFULLY REQUEST THE TOWN BOARD'S DIRECTION ON WHETHER THE WORK SHOULD PROCEED UNDER THE EXISTING EMERGENCY CONTRACT OR BE BID SEPARATELY.
UM, I HAVE SOME QUESTIONS, IF THAT'S OKAY? YES.
UH, SO THE FIRST QUESTION IS, WHAT JUSTIFIES CONTINUE CONTINUING THE EMERGENCY STATUS OF THE EAST HARTSDALE SEWER PROJECT? WE'RE STILL ON THE TEMPORARY BYPASS PUMPS AT THIS POINT.
SORRY, CAN YOU EXPLAIN THAT? SORRY, WE'RE HAVING A DISCUSSION.
WE WE'RE NOT ASKING FOR PUBLIC COMMENT AT THIS TIME.
THERE WAS A QUESTION ASKED IF WE, WE CAN CONTINUE TO ANSWER THE QUESTIONS.
ON JULY, IF THE BOARD INVITES PUBLIC SPEAKING, WE'LL LET THE PUBLIC KNOW ON JULY.
I'M SORRY, I WAS ASKING BEFORE YOU CONTINUE.
NO, I WAS JUST ASKING CAN YOU EXPLAIN WHAT YOU ABOUT THE PUMPS? YEAH.
THE BYPASS PUMPS IS, IT WAS GRAVITY FED, UH, BECAUSE THERE'S A BLOCKAGE, WE HAVE TO PUMP IT AROUND THE BUILDING.
[00:55:01]
HILL AND DOWN THE STREET.SO, SO WITHOUT THE BYPASS PUMPS, JUST TO CLARIFY, IT CAN'T FLOW IF THE BYPASS PUMPS FAIL, WHICH THEY'VE FAILED, UH, YESTERDAY.
UM, THE, A COUPLE MORE TIMES, PLEASE.
WOULD YOU PLEASE STOP INTERRUPTING? WE REALLY APPRECIATE OUR MEETING DEAN.
TWO AND A HALF YEARS, WE, WE REALIZE WE HAVE A NEW COMMISSIONER WHO HAS A PLAN AND HE'S PRESENTING IT TO THE BOARD, AND THEY NEED TO MAKE AN ULTIMATE DETERMINATION.
ARE YOU KIDDING ME? MILLION DOLLARS FOR NO REASON.
I THINK WE SHOULD TAKE AN ADJOURN.
WE, WE, LEMME JUST LET, JUST, PAUL, LET'S, LET'S JUST GO THROUGH EVERYTHING YOU, WE NEED TO BE ABLE TO CONTROL YOURSELF.
SIR, CAN YOU FINISH YOUR REPORT? PLEASE CONTINUE.
SO THE, THE, THE PUMPS HAVE FAILED ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS.
THE REQUIRING REPAIR, IF THE, THE PUMPS COMPLETELY FAILED, THEY'RE RUNNING ON A GENERATOR.
THEY'RE MANNED 24 HOURS A DAY.
UM, IF THEY DO FAIL, THERE'S GOING TO BE A PUBLIC HEALTH EMERGENCY.
THERE'S A WATERWAY THERE, AND THERE'S NO FLOW OF SEWAGE.
SO THE EMERGENCY CONDITION HAS BEEN PAW, IF YOU WILL, HELD BECAUSE OF THE PUMPS, BUT IT HAS NOT BEEN STABILIZED, ELIMINATED.
HOW MANY TIMES HAS HAVE THE
UM, FRANK AND I ASKED FOR THIS YEAR.
UM, THEY'RE, THEY'RE GOING THROUGH THE RECORDS TO GIVE US ALL THE DATES.
BARBARA, UM, WHO IS, WE'VE HAD SIX MAJOR BACKUPS INTO OUR GARAGE WHERE WE'VE HAD SEWAGE OKAY.
FROM THE ENTIRE TOWN COME THROUGH THE GARAGE, AND THEN HAS TO BE CLEANED UP AND PUMPED AND SANITIZED.
WHERE THE PUMPS HAVE STOPPED WORKING, RIGHT? MM-HMM
I MEAN, THEY'RE NOT INTENDED TO BE PERMANENT.
CAN I ASK A QUESTION? NO, NOT AT THIS POINT.
WHY DON'T WE, WE'LL, NOT AT THIS POINT.
WE'LL TAKE QUESTIONS AFTER, AFTER WE GO THROUGH IT THIS WAY.
ON JULY, UH, ON JULY 2ND, MIKE MCGARVEY WROTE AN OPINION TO THE COMMISSIONER FRANK MODO, ASSERTING THAT GROUNDWATER INFILTRATION HAS BEEN IDENTIFIED WITHIN THE PROPOSED EXCAVATION LIMITS.
BUT THE SOURCE OF THIS INFILTRATION INFILTRATION, UM, HAS NOT BEEN CONFIRMED AND MAY BE ASSOCIATED WITH A NEARBY 48 INCH WESTCHESTER COUNTY WATER TRANSMISSION.
UM, UH, MAINE, WHEN DID MR. MC GARVEY'S TEAM LEARN ABOUT THIS ISSUE? I LEARNED ABOUT IT IN JUNE, LATE JUNE AND, UH, JUNE OF 26.
AND, UH, WHY WAS THIS ONLY MADE PUBLIC IN RESPONSE TO, UH, MY INSISTENCE ON COMPETITIVE BIDDING, I, I HAD HEARD NOTHING ABOUT, ABOUT THAT.
I LEARNED THAT MYSELF IN JUNE ABOUT WHEN, BUT THE WOR WORCESTER COUNTY, UH, WATER MAIN, SO THE, THE COUNTY MET THE WATER DEPARTMENT WAS OUR TOWN WATER DEPARTMENT WAS OUT THERE, AND THE COUNTY WATER DEPARTMENT WAS OUT THERE.
RIGHT? BECAUSE WE GOT THE, THE SEPARATE FOOTAGE, THE, THE TECHNICAL FOOTAGE THAT WE GOT, IT SHOWED A FLOW OF MAJOR, LIKE A MAJOR WATER LEAK.
WHEN WE WENT DOWN THERE, WE TOOK SAMPLES OF IT.
THE SAMPLES SHOWED THAT IT HAD NO FLUORIDE IN IT.
THE COUNTY DOESN'T PUT FLUORIDE IN THEIR PIPES, SO WE NOTIFIED WESTCHESTER, THE COUNTY 'CAUSE THEY HAVE A WATER MAIN.
SO WE COULD TELL THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN COUNTY WATER AND TOWN WATER.
WE HAVE TOWN WATER, WHICH WE FLUORIDE AND CHLORIDE.
AND THEN WE HAVE THE COUNTY WATER, WHICH IS A GRAVITY FED 48 INCH MAIN GRAVITY FED THAT DOES NOT FLUORIDE.
WE HAD NOTIFIED WESTCHESTER, THE COUNTY TO COME OUT AND TO IDENTIFY IF THERE'S A LEAK.
THEY SAID THEY DO NOT HAVE THE EQUIPMENT TO IDENTIFY THE LEAK.
AND THAT'S WHAT MIKE, AND WAS ANYBODY ON THE TOWN BOARD NOTIFIED OF THIS WHEN YOU FOUND OUT ABOUT IT.
YOU KNOW, HOW COME I WASN'T NOTIFIED? BECAUSE WE DON'T KNOW IF THE, IT'S ACTUALLY A LEAK FROM THE COUNTY PIPE.
I NOTIFIED A COUNCILMAN
I WAS ON SITE WHEN THIS WAS DISCOVERED.
BUT WHY DIDN'T YOU NOTIFY THE OTHER BOARD MEMBERS? BECAUSE I SORT OF FEEL THAT, BECAUSE I DON'T HAVE AN ANSWER ANYTIME THERE'S SOMETHING, I DON'T HAVE AN ANSWER IMPORTANT IMPACTING THE TOWN.
EVERY MEMBER OF THE TOWN BOARD SHOULD BE, SHOULD BE, UM, YOU KNOW, NOTIFIED.
IT'S, I'M UNDERSTANDING THAT THE REASON IS BECAUSE THERE'S NO ANSWER.
IT'S LIKE POSING A QUESTION RIGHT.
SO LET'S GET THE FULL PICTURE BEFORE WE NOTIFY.
SO I WOULD RATHER KNOW THE, THE BOTH ANSWER THE QUESTION WHEN THE, WHEN THE EXCAVATION OCCURS, AND WE'VE DETERMINED WITH THE COUNTY THAT THE LEAK WAS COMING FROM THE PIPE, WE CERTAINLY WOULD'VE ADVISED THE BOARD.
RIGHT NOW WE DON'T KNOW, YOU KNOW, THE COUNTY, THERE'S WATER, WATER.
BUT PAUL, THERE'S NOTHING, NO SECRETS.
WE'RE NOT TRYING TO HIDE ANY, THE COUNTY, WE'RE TRYING TO GET IT DONE.
THE COUNTY IS THE COUNTY BECAUSE OF THE DISTANCE BETWEEN THEIR, THEIR THEIR MANHOLES.
AND THAT'S WHY THIS DELAY, THIS TWO WEEK DELAY IS IMPORTANT BECAUSE THEY ARE WAITING FOR US TO EXCAVATE SO THAT THEY CAN EXAMINE THEIR PIPE.
THEY'RE NOT GOING TO EXCAVATE THEIR PIPE KNOWING THAT WE ARE GOING TO BE EXCAVATING ANYWAY.
AND SO THERE'S NO SECRETS HERE.
WE JUST DON'T KNOW WHAT THE CONDITION OF THE PIPE IS UNTIL THE EXCAVATION WAS.
[01:00:01]
AND UNTIL TWO WEEKS AGO WHEN YOU WANTED TO STOP THIS TO GO TO, UH, TO A BIDDING PROCESS, UH, WE WERE FULL STEAM AHEAD IN GETTING THIS WORK DONE, AND WE WOULD'VE UNCOVERED THAT AND FOUND OUT WHAT THE RESULTS WERE.UM, BUT NOW WE'RE ON A PAUSE AND ALSO TO DETERMINE IF THERE IS EVEN A LEAK FROM WICHITA COUNTY.
ANOTHER QUESTION I HAVE IS, UH, MR. MCGARVEY IS A CONSULTANT EMPLOYED BY MURANO BROTHERS, UH, THE CURRENT CONTRACTOR FOR THE SEWER ISSUES.
HE'S RECOMMENDING THE MURANO BROTHERS BE THE GO FORWARD MASTER CONTRACTOR FOR THE PROJECT.
AND I THINK THAT THERE'S A CONFLICT OF INTEREST BECAUSE, UH, HE'S A CONSULTANT FOR SOMEBODY WHO WANTS A NO BID, UH, CONTRACT.
UH, HE ALSO REFERENCES THAT'S NOT, THERE'S NO SUCH, SUCH THING AS A NO BID CONTRACT.
HOW IS THAT A NO BID? I'M JUST SAYING HE'S RECOMMENDING THAT WE AWARD THE CONTRACT WITH NO, THERE'S NO AWARD.
HE'S RECOMMENDING THAT WE CONTINUE WORKING.
HE'S WITH THE EXPERT THAT'S ON SITE.
MURANO, THE ABILITY TO DO THE TOWN PICKED MAR THE TOWN PICKED MIKE MCGARVEY, NOT MURANO.
YOU, YOU DON'T HAVE YOUR FACTS RIGHT.
HE, MR. UH, MR. MCGARVEY IN HIS, IIII BELIEVE IN THE LETTER IT SAID HE'S, HE INDICATED THAT HE'S A CONSULT.
HE'S CONSULT, HE'S CONSULTING FOR CONSULT NOT EMPLOYED BY.
UM, HE ALSO, UH, REFERENCES A SUBCONTRACTOR FOR THE PROJECT.
WHO IS, UH, THE SUBCONTRACTOR WHO'S VETTED, APPROVE THEM AND WHAT IS EXPERIENCED WITH THE WORK AND WHY WOULD THEY NOT BE CONSIDERED AS A PRIME CONTRACTOR AS OPPOSED TO THE SUBCONTRACTOR.
THE C CAM PILE CONTRACTOR, THAT'S SPECIALIZED CONSTRUCTION.
THERE'S, THAT IS SPECIALIZED CONSTRUCTION.
THAT'S PART OF THE ORIGINAL BID MATERIALS THAT THEY'RE ALLOWED TO HIRE.
AND I KNOW MURANO HAD REACHED OUT TO THREE, FOUR COMPANIES AND NOT GOT ANY RESPONSE FROM THEM ON THIS.
SO THAT'S A, IT'S A ATLANTIC PILE IS THE, THE COMPANY.
AND THEY'RE A MASSIVE C CAMP PILE COMPANY THAT DOES WORK THROUGHOUT THE CITY, THE STATE AND CITY.
JUST FOR CONTEXT, ANY, ANY CONSTRUCTION PROCESS HAS HAVE, HAS MANY DIFFERENT ASPECTS.
AND THIS IS THE, THE COMPLEXITY OF THESE THINGS IS OF, OF ANY OF THE WORK THAT IS DONE NOW IS THAT THERE HAVE TO BE SPECIALIZED CONTRACTORS OR SUBCONTRACTORS FOR PARTICULAR, UH, JOBS WITHIN, THAT'S COMMON PRACTICE WITHIN THE LARGER JOB.
THIS IS NOT, THIS IS, I'M SORRY, STANDARD OPERATING.
I'M NOT WHAT'S YOUR NEXT QUESTION? WHAT'S YOUR NEXT QUESTION? UNDERSTANDING WHAT'S YOUR NEXT QUESTION? LEMME ASK A QUESTION.
IS YOU'VE BEEN COMMISSIONER, UM, FOR A FEW MONTHS AND HAVE YOU IDENTIFIED OTHER QUALIFIED CONTRACTORS WHO COULD BID ON THE PROJECT IN ALL THAT TIME? I REACHED OUT TO A COUPLE OF THE CONTRACTORS TO DO WORK IN THE CITY FOR THE SPECIALIZED TYPE CONSTRUCTION.
IT'S, THERE'S SOMEBODY IN THE BACK, THE CAC CAMP PILE CONTRACT.
THEY'RE ALL PART OF ONE GROUP.
HE HAS HAS, HE HAS EXPERTISE IN C CAM PILES SAYING THAT HE NO C INTERESTED, NO C DON'T WORK.
SO HE'S CERTAINLY, YOU KNOW, I'M NOT SAYING THAT HE SHOULD GET THE BID, BUT HE SHOULD BE ELIGIBLE.
THERE IS NO BID BECAUSE IT'S UNDER NO, NO.
I JUST WANNA, I THINK, I THINK, I THINK, BUT THIS, OKAY.
IT'S ALREADY BEEN BID A COUPLE OF TIMES WE, THIS HAS BEEN SAID, BUT HOLD ON.
'CAUSE I THINK, I THINK YOU'RE MISSING A POINT.
AND I JUST WANNA MAKE SURE YOU'RE CLEAR.
THIS IS AN EMERGENCE UNDER NO, NO, NO, NO, NO.
BUT, BUT HE'S GONNA TAKE THAT AND SAY, LOOK, THERE WAS NO BIDS.
THE MARANO, THE MURANO BROTHERS, THE MUR.
SIR, WE'RE GONNA HAVE TO ASK THAT YOU'RE REMOVED IF YOU KEEP SCREAMING OUT THE BOARD.
I'LL LET YOU SPEAK AFTER WE, UH, WE FINISH THIS, THE MURANO BROTHERS.
SO YOU'RE CLEAR THERE WAS A BID IN PROCESS AND FOR E WORK, THE MURANO, WHAT'S THAT FOR EMERGENCY WORK, RIGHT.
ACTUALLY, DOES, DOES SOMEBODY HAVE THE NAME OF WHAT, WHAT, WHAT THE BID WAS? COULD YOU READ THAT AGAIN? NO, WHAT THE CONTRACT, THE CONTRACT IS CALLED THE EMERGENCY AND ON-CALL SEWER, WATER AND STREET EXCAVATION REPAIR AND RESTORATION SERVICES CONTRACT.
THAT'S THE BID THAT THERE WAS A BID.
AND THEN AS PART OF THAT BID, IT HAD THE POSSIBILITY OF TWO ANNUAL EXTENSIONS.
AND THEY ARE WORKING ON THAT FIRST ANNUAL EXTENSION.
I SAW MANY EMAILS COMING IN SAYING, I THINK THIS SHOULD BE BID.
IT WAS BID AND MURANO AND MURANO AND MURANO, EXCUSE ME.
WOULD YOU PLEASE DO THIS? EXCUSE ME.
AND THERE COULD BE A CHANGE ORDER.
THEY'RE WORKING ON A SOLUTION.
WE NOW HAVE A LIGHT AT THE END OF THE TUNNEL, AND IT'S NOT A TRAIN COMING TO HIT US.
[01:05:01]
IT IS GIVING RELIEF TO THE PEOPLE ON EAST DALE AVENUE.AND THE GOAL WAS, AND I DON'T KNOW IF IT COULD STILL BE 'CAUSE OF THIS DELAY NOW OVER THIS BID PROCESS, WAS TO HAVE THIS DONE BY THE START OF THE SCHOOL YEAR WHEN SCHOOL YEAR WHEN TRAFFIC PICKS UP.
AND SO WE HAVE TO GET AWAY FROM THIS IDEA OF THERE WAS NO BID, THIS WAS A BID.
AND WHAT YOU'RE TRYING TO DO IS TAKE IT AWAY FROM SOMEBODY WHO ACTUALLY WON THE BID AND GIVE IT TO SOMEBODY ELSE.
CAN I ASK A QUESTION? YOU MENTIONED THE TITLE OF THAT.
DOES THAT INCLUDE THE PUMPS THAT FAIL THEN THE WATER PUMP? IT'S TEMPORARY.
IT'S ALL PART OF THE TEMPORARY THAT'S PART OF THAT? YEP.
SO IN, IN MY VIEW, UM, THE ONLY QUESTION THAT I HAVE IS TO MAKE SURE THAT IT DOES QUALIFY AS AN EMERGENCY STILL CONTINUE TO SHIFT.
THEN I'M, THEN I AM COMFORTABLE WITH THAT.
AND I KNOW THAT IT WILL BE THE FASTEST WAY TO REPAIR THIS SITUATION.
UNDERSTAND WHAT IS, WHAT IS THE CURRENT, UH, STATUS OF THE PROJECT IN TERMS OF COST AND, AND TIME.
WHAT, WHAT'S THE MAX? I MEAN, DO THEY HAVE LIKE A OPEN-ENDED CONTRACT? COULD THEY, COULD IT BE 5 MILLION, 10 MILLION, 15 MILLION? ARE, YOU KNOW, HOW, HOW ARE YOU GONNA BE DETERMIN? ISN'T THE RESOLUTION THEY GET PAID? DID I GIVE THAT TO DIDN'T FRANCIS, ISN'T THAT ALL OUTLINED IN THE RESOLUTION? RIGHT.
IT WOULD NEED TO BE DONE BY CHANGE ORDER RESOLUTION APPROVED BY A ADOPTED RESOLUTION OF THE TOWN BOARD.
SO BASICALLY WHAT BUT, BUT AGAIN, THE ORIGINAL BIDDING MATERIALS WERE BASED ON COST AND MATERIALS.
SO IF, IF THE NUMBER COMES IN AND FRANK AND HIS EXPERTISE SAYS, WAIT, BASED ON THE COST AND MATERIALS OF THE ORIGINAL BID, YOU'RE EXCEEDING WHAT YOU SHOULD BE CHARGING US, THEN HE WON'T PROPOSE THAT THE BOARD CORRECT APPROVES THAT RESOLUTION.
SO WHILE THERE IS NO EXTENT OF A CAP LIMIT, IT HAS TO BE REASONABLE AND MAKE SENSE ACCORDING TO THAT ORIGINAL BID DOCUMENTS.
NEXT IS WHO WILL INTERFACE WITH WESTCHESTER COUNTY REGARDING THE INFILTRATION ISSUE? WHAT RESPONSIBILITY WILL THEY HAVE FOR THE CAUSE OF THIS PROJECT? CHESTER COUNTY IS GONNA BE WORKING WITH US AND MCGARVEY ON THAT.
WHO'S THE US FRANK, US AT THE TOWN OF GREENBURG.
JUST WANNA MAKE SURE EVERYBODY'S CLEAR.
WELL, THE WATER DEPARTMENT, THE DW BUT THAT'S, THAT'S ALREADY HAPPENING.
UM, WHEN WILL THE TOWN PROVIDE ALL EAST HARSDALE AVENUE AND GREENBURG RESIDENTS AND BUSINESS OWNERS WITH A SUMMARY OF THE PROJECT TO DATE AT TIMETABLE AND COSTS? SO WE JUST RECEIVED, UM, THE EGRESS PLAN THIS AFTERNOON.
UM, AND THAT WE'RE, WE HAVE SENT OVER TO COMMISSIONER DUQUE, WHO'S BEEN EXCELLENT IN ASSISTING.
UM, DPW WITH THE TRAFFIC MANAGEMENT PLAN, WHICH IS A HOLISTIC PLAN THAT IS BEING INCORPORATED INTO EAST HARTSDALE BY THE, UM, CONSULTANT, UH, BARTON AND LEG JUDAS.
SO THEY ARE COMING UP WITH THE, UM, PEDESTRIAN PLAN, THE TRAFFIC PLAN, THE EGRESS PLAN FOR EAST HARTSDALE ALONG WITH THE CORRIDOR.
SO ONCE THAT IS FINALIZED, THEN THEY'RE GONNA ACTUALLY BE ABLE TO PUT SHOVELS IN THE GROUND.
THE FIRST STEP IS TO MAKE SURE PEDESTRIANS AND TRAFFIC IS SAFE.
AND, UM, ANOTHER QUESTION IS, THIS IS A MAJOR CAPITAL PROJECT WITH A COST EXPECTED TO BE IN THE MILLIONS OF DOLLARS.
A COMPETITIVE BIDDING PROCESS IS DESIGNED TO ENSURE OUR TRANSPARENCY, ENCOURAGE COMPETITION, AND HELP TAXPAYERS RECEIVE THE BEST POSSIBLE VALUE ACCORDING TO THE TOWN CONTROLLER'S.
JUNE 23RD MEMO, WHICH WE TALKED ABOUT, EMERGENCY PROCUREMENT IS INTENDED TO ADDRESS IMMEDIATE NEEDS AND SHOULD BE SHORT TERM.
THE CONTROLLER NOTED THAT THE IMMEDIATE THREAT, UM, IN HER OPINION IN MY THE JUNE 23RD MEMO, HAS BEEN MITIGATED AND RAISED THE QUESTION OF WHETHER THIS PROJECT SHOULD NOW PROCEED AS A STANDARD CAPITAL PROJECT SUBJECT TO NORMAL, UH, BIDDING, UH, REQUIREMENTS.
I, I REALLY BELIEVE THAT, UM, BY NOT DOING COMPETITIVE BIDDING, THAT THERE'S GONNA BE AN EROSION OF TRUST, UM, IN, YOU KNOW, IN THE PROCESS.
IT'S ALREADY TAKEN, UM, YOU KNOW, OVER TWO YEARS.
UM, AND YOU KNOW, I I, YOU KNOW, MR. MARONE HAS SPOKEN, CONTACTED ME AT LEAST FOUR OR FIVE TIMES IN THE PAST SIX MONTHS SAYING THAT HE COULD DO A CHEAPER WOULD YOU SPEAKING TO THE ALL? WELL, HE SAID, HE SAID HE COULD DO IT CHEAPER, BUT WE WOULDN'T AND DO IT QUICK, QUICKLY.
UM, AND I SORT OF FEEL THAT, AND I'VE SAID I HAVE NO PROBLEM WITH MURANO BECAUSE I THINK THE QUALITY OF THEIR WORK IS REALLY GOOD.
I, YOU, YOU, IN TERMS OF THE ROAD WORK THAT, YOU KNOW, I'VE SEEN THEM DO AND OTHER THINGS, YOU KNOW, I'VE BEEN PLEASED WITH THE QUALITY OF THEIR WORK, BUT I BELIEVE THAT, UM, THE TOWN NEEDS TO SHOW THE PUBLIC THAT WHEN THERE'S A PROJECT THAT'S TAKEN TWO AND A HALF YEARS, UH, THAT WE'RE GOING TO CO COMPETITIVE BIDDING, THAT WE'RE GIVING EVERYBODY POSSIBLE AN OP AN THE OPPORTUNITY TO BID.
MAYBE THEY COULD DO IT CHEAPER.
MAYBE WE COULD SAVE MONEY JUST DOING A COMPETITIVE BID.
IN MY OPINION, JUST DOING A COMPETITIVE BID WILL RESOLVE.
SO WE'VE DONE THIS, WE'VE DONE THIS ALREADY.
AND BARBARA, BARBARA HAVE RIGHT TO INTERRUPT
[01:10:01]
ME.CONTINUE TO SAY THE SAME THING OVER AND OVER AGAIN, BUT I I WOULD LIKE TO ADDRESS BARBARA, PLEASE.
BARBARA PAUL TO THE WHOLE BOARD.
EVERYBODY ON THE AVENUE APPRECIATES ALL THE TIME AND ENERGY THAT HAS BEEN PUT INTO THIS DISASTER.
UM, MY OFFICE STARTED SEVEN MONTHS BEFORE THE COLLAPSE OF THE SIDEWALK, DISCUSSING THAT THERE WAS AN ISSUE.
UM, WE'VE LIVED THROUGH THE COLLAPSE OF THE SIDEWALK AND WE'VE LIVED WITH THIS HOLE NOW FOR OVER TWO YEARS.
UM, IN AUGUST OF 24, THE TOWN RICH V WAS NICE ENOUGH TO INCLUDE ME.
THEY DO DIFFERENT KINDS OF PILES.
WE DISCUSSED SEA CAN, WE DISCUSSED, UM, ABBEY PILES, PILES, UM, GOSHEN SYSTEMS, WHAT WAS GONNA BE THE BEST THING.
WE WEREN'T SURE AT THAT POINT WHERE THE ACTUAL BREAK WAS 'CAUSE IT COULDN'T BE SEEN FROM THE CAMERAS THAT EXISTED.
AND WE DID TRY FROM EVERY DIRECTION.
UH, UH, THE TOWN HAS DONE THEIR DUE DILIGENCE.
I'VE MET WITH MR. MARONE ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS.
UM, HE HAS DONE SMALL WORK IN THE CITY, 10 FEET, 20 FEET DOWN.
THIS PROBLEM IS 40 FEET DOWN IN FRONT OF THE BUILDING.
FORTUNATELY, MR. BARBIDO HAS BEEN ABLE TO SHOW BY THE NEW CAMERAS, AND THEY'VE BEEN REVIEWED BY THORNTON THOMASETTI, WHO IS THE ENGINEER FOR 100.
UM, THAT THIS BREAK IS OUTSIDE OF THE FOUNDATION.
AND ALL I THINK THAT WE'RE ASKING FOR RIGHT NOW IS FOR THE REPAIR OF THE BREAK.
WE ARE NOT LOOKING TO PUT NEW, UH, SLEEVES INTO ANY OF THE OTHER PIPING OR ANYTHING ELSE AT THAT POINT.
THAT WILL BE A WHOLE DIFFERENT PROJECT FOR THE TOWN.
ALL WE'RE LOOKING TO DO IS TO GET THIS HOLE CLOSED AND WE'RE BEGGING, IT IS HURTING THE RESIDENTS OF THE BUILDING.
THEY'VE WORKED DILIGENTLY TO COME UP WITH A WAY THAT WE CAN PUT SEA CAMP PILES IN.
AND ATLANTIC PILE HAS BEEN PART OF THIS PROJECT SINCE AUGUST OF 24.
THAT'S WHEN BILL LOFTUS FIRST CAME OUT.
HE'S GOT AN OUTSTANDING REPUTATION FOR DOING DEEP WORK THIS DEEP.
AND WE NEEDED TO MAKE CHANGES SO THAT WE CAN HAVE AN ENTRANCE AND EMERGENCY EXITS FROM THE BUILDING.
YOU CANNOT CLOSE IT OFF AND NOT TELL PEOPLE HOW THEY CAN GET OUT.
UM, WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO ENGINEER, UH, WE JUST MET THE OTHER DAY.
IT WAS THE HOLIDAY, ACTUALLY IT WAS THE 19TH, WITH AN ENGINEER FROM LOFTUS, AGAIN, TO PRE-MEASURE AGAIN AND MAKE SURE WE CAN WORK OUR WAY AROUND THAT FRONT ENTRANCE SO THE RESIDENTS CAN STILL GO IN AND OUT AND WE CAN GET THIS DONE.
TIME-WISE, IT'S ESSENTIAL TO MOVE AHEAD.
SCHOOL'S GONNA START, BUSES ARE GONNA BE THERE.
WE'RE READY TO MOVE A FIRE HYDRANT IN FRONT OF ONE 11.
WE CAN GET THE MONITORS, OR YOU CAN GET THE MONITORS INSTALLED ON ALL THE BUILDINGS FOR VIBRATION.
UM, WE'RE READY TO MOVE THE VERIZON WIRE THAT'S IN THE WAY.
IF WE GET THE LAST INSURANCE PARTS, THE TOWN NEEDS TO SAY THEY'RE READY TO GO.
THE BUILDINGS ARE READY TO WORK WITH YOU.
AND IT'S ESSENTIAL THAT IT GETS STARTED NOW, BECAUSE EVENTUALLY THE RESIDENTS ARE GOING TO START WANTING TO COME TO SPEAK TO YOU DIRECTLY IN GROUPS.
AND THAT'S A VERY LARGE GROUP THAT'S GONNA COME OUT OF THE AVENUE.
SO PLEASE TAKE IT INTO CONSIDERATION.
THE DECISION NEEDS TO BE MADE FOR THIS SIMPLE REPAIR.
AND IT IS, AT THIS POINT, SIMPLE.
WELL, NOT AS SIMPLE AS YOU ALL THINK.
IT'S ENGINEERING WISE, A PHENOMENAL, FANTASTIC THING TO HAVE TO WATCH.
AND I'LL INVITE YOU EACH WITH HARD HATS AND ALL THAT.
UH, WE SPENT, AS YOU SAID, OVER TWO YEARS ON THIS PROJECT.
THEN WE HIRED A SECOND CONSULTANT THAT BASICALLY REVIEWED THE WORK OF THE FIRST CONSULTANT.
SO WE BASICALLY WERE, UH, MISLED BY OUR CONSULTANTS BECAUSE THE PEOPLE WHO WE PAID TO DO, TO COME UP WITH A PLAN GAVE US WRONG INFORMATION.
SO I'M WONDERING IF THE TOWN HAS POTENTIAL LAWSUITS INVOLVED.
I'M ASKING THE TOWN ATTORNEY THAT I, I'D LIKE TO WEIGH IN ON THAT.
NO, BECAUSE YOU KNOW WHAT I, LEGAL ADVICE I FILE THAT, YOU KNOW, WE, YOU KNOW, RES THIS HAS BEEN A VERY EXPENSIVE PROJECT THAT EVEN THE TEMPORARY REPAIRS AND WE HIRED A PROFESSIONAL CONSULTANT FIRMS THAT THEIR JOB WAS TO TELL US WHAT TO DO.
WE'RE NOT EXPERTS IN, YOU KNOW, I'M NOT AN EXPERT, CERTAINLY, I HAVE NO IDEA.
AND THE THING IS, I'M REALLY VERY DISAPPOINTED IN THE FIRMS THAT WE HIRED, UM, FOR BASICALLY GIVING, NOT GIVING US THE CORRECT INFORMATION.
WE THOUGHT THAT FOR, FOR TWO, FOR TWO YEARS, WE THOUGHT THAT, UH, IT WAS GONNA BE A 20, $25 MILLION PROJECT.
WE'VE BEEN SPENDING OVER A HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS A MONTH ON TEMPORARY REPAIRS, WHICH TOTALLY WAS A WASTE OF MONEY.
THIS IS WHY WASTE OF MONEY TRYING THIS IS SO I SORT OF FEEL, I'M ASKING THE TOWN ATTORNEY.
I'M ASKING THE TOWN ATTORNEY, UH, TO, UM, UH, TO PREPARE, UM, UH, TO DO THE RESEARCH AND TO ADVISE THE TOWN BOARD AS SOON AS POSSIBLE.
WHETHER OR NOT A LAWSUIT AGAINST THE FIRMS THAT WE'VE HIRED, UM, IS, IS APPROPRIATE.
BECAUSE WE SHOULD, WE, WE SHOULDN'T BE PAYING A PROFESSIONAL IF THEY'RE NOT GIVING US THE RIGHT ADVICE.
[01:15:01]
AND THEY SHOULD BE.I, WE SHOULD TELL THEM TO COME TO A TOWN BOARD MEETING AS TO WHY WE WERE NOT MISLED.
I DO NOT BELIEVE THAT THE TOWN WAS MISLED.
WELL, THEY GAVE US WRONG INFORMATION.
NO, WHEN THE SIDEWALK COLLAPSED AND WE WERE ALL THERE, WE COULD NOT SEE FAR ENOUGH DOWN, EVEN AFTER CLEARING AWAY DAYS OF DEBRIS WHERE THE ACTUAL BREAK WAS.
AND THE TOWN DOES NOT HAVE ANY PLANS FROM THE BUILDING, WHICH THEY SHOULD HAVE ACTUALLY ON FILE SINCE IT WAS APPROVED IN 1960 SOMETHING FOR THE BE BUILT.
I HAD SOME ORIGINAL PLANS FROM THE SIXTIES.
I SUBMITTED THOSE TO THE TOWN.
THEY DON'T SHOW THE EXACT FOUNDATION AND WHERE THE PILES ARE AND WHAT THE PILES ARE SET IN.
SO WE WERE UNABLE AS A GROUP, EITHER THROUGH OUR ENGINEERS, THROUGH THE TOWNS ENGINEERS, THROUGH THE DPW TO FIGURE OUT WHERE THE ACTUAL BRAKE WAS.
AND UNTIL MR. BARBIDO WAS ABLE TO GET US A COMPANY THAT CAME IN WITH A CAMERA THAT COULD DEFINE WHERE THAT BRAKE WAS, THERE WAS NO WAY TO SAY IT WAS A SIMPLE REPAIR FROM THE FRONT TO MAKE A REPAIR.
AND IT'S NOT ACTUALLY SIMPLE, BUT IT COULD BE REPAIRED FROM THE FRONT.
THERE WAS A HUGE AMOUNT OF EXCAVATION AND TESTING THAT WENT AROUND FOR THE BACK PLANS, BECAUSE THAT REALLY LOOKED LIKE WHAT HAD TO BE DONE IN ORDER TO KEEP THE PITCH FOR THIS GRAVITY SYSTEM.
THE BUILDINGS WILL NOT ACCEPT PUMPS FOREVER.
BUT LET ME, LET ME SAY ONE OTHER THING.
I REMEMBER MR. ROAN MET WITH ME IN MY OFFICE AND I THINK RICH FOND AND SOME OF THE ENGINEERS, UM, IN THE, I THINK IT WAS IN THE FALL.
AND I I I'M ALMOST POSITIVE THAT, YOU KNOW, HE SAID, OH, WE COULD DO IT CHEAPER.
AND I'M, MY RECOLLECTION, UM, WHICH HAS TO BE CONFIRMED, IS THAT HE SAID, OH, WHY DON'T YOU DO THE CAMERAS? HE SAID HE, I COULD DO IT CHEAPER.
HE CAME UP WITH DIFFERENT APPROACHES THAT COULD SAVE MONEY.
SO THIS WASN'T ROCKET SCIENCE COMING UP WITH THE CAMERA IDEA.
AND YOU KNOW, AND FRANK WAS DEPUTY COMMISSIONER OF, YOU KNOW, PUBLIC WORK.
SO YOU, YOU, YOU'RE AN, YOU'RE AN EXPERT ON THIS.
SO I THINK A LOT OF THIS INFORMATION COULD HAVE BEEN, UH, UH, DETERMINED, YOU KNOW, MONTHS, YOU KNOW, MONTHS AGO.
SO ALL I'M ASKING IS, UM, YOU KNOW, YOU KNOW, I I JUST FEEL THAT, UM, THAT THE CONSULTANT THAT WE HIRED GAVE US WRONG INFORMATION, UH, DIDN'T DO THEIR DUE DILIGENCE.
THAT'S NOT, AND, AND, YOU KNOW, I, I STILL FEEL THAT WE SHOULD HEAR FROM MR. MARONE, UH, BECAUSE, UH, HE MIGHT BE, IF HE COULD SAVE US MILLIONS OF DOLLARS AND WE'RE STRUGGLING FINANCIALLY, UM, AND, AND HE JUST WANTS AN OPPORTUNITY TO BID.
HE DOESN'T, HE DOESN'T CARE ABOUT IT.
HE'S, IF HE'S NOT THE CHEAPEST AND HE'S NOT ABLE TO DO THE JOB, HE WON'T GET, THIS IS AN EMERGENCY.
SO, OKAY, BUT NOW THAT YOU, NOW THAT YOU STOP, PAUL, WE ALREADY KNOW WHAT HAPPENED, WHAT'S IMPORTANT.
NOW WE COULD WORRY ABOUT WHO'S AT FAULT LATER, BUT WE NEED TO GET THEM, NEED TO WORRY ABOUT NOW IS GETTING THIS WORK DONE.
WE HAVE THE PEOPLE TO GET IT DONE.
THE PERSON WHO'S DOING THE WORK WON THE BID.
AND WE JUST NEED TO, TO END THIS PAUSE.
THERE'S TWO WEEK PAUSE WHILE YOU EXPLORE THIS IDEA OF GOING OUT TO BID AND STARTING ALL OVER AGAIN AND HAVING THIS GO WELL INTO THE LATE FALL AND, AND WINTER AGAIN.
YOU KNOW, GOD FORBID IT GOES INTO THE WINTER, UH, FOR THE PEOPLE ON EAST DALE AVENUE, THEY'RE TIRED OF THIS.
WE JUST NEED TO, AND I, I AM TELLING YOU NOW, I AM VOTING TO SUPPORT MOVING FORWARD.
I AM NOT GOING TO, UH, STAND FOR ANY FURTHER PAUSE OR DELAY IN GETTING THE PROBLEM ON EAST HARSDALE AVENUE FIXED SO IT COULD BE RESTORED TO THE WAY IT WAS BEFORE.
BECAUSE IT'S NOT FAIR TO OUR RESIDENTS TO CONTINUE TO KEEP GOING THROUGH THIS ISSUE.
AND AGAIN, BARBARA, YOU KNOW, WE'VE HAD CONVERSATIONS, WE SHOWED UP AT THE MEETINGS.
RESIDENTS HAVE COME OUT AND SPOKEN IN DROVES TO SAY, WE WANNA GET THIS REPAIRED.
WHEN THIS FIRST HAPPENED, I ASKED YOU, PLEASE DO NOT GIVE A TIMELINE.
IT'S GONNA REPAIR IT IN SIX MONTHS, SEVEN MONTHS.
WE DIDN'T KNOW WE WERE DEALING WITH.
THIS IS WHY, WHEN YOU HAVE THESE TYPE OF ISSUES, YOU DON'T, YOU DON'T GIVE A FALSEHOOD OF THIS IS WHAT'S GOING TO OCCUR IN A TIMELINE.
SO NOW AT THIS POINT, WE'VE ALL SIT AROUND THIS TABLE, INCLUDING YOU.
SUPERVISOR HAS SAID THAT YOU WANNA GET THIS DONE.
IT'S REALLY FRUSTRATING, HONESTLY, TO, TO CONTINUE TO KICK THE CAN DOWN THE ROAD WHEN WE HAVE VIABLE INFORMATION HERE, WE, WE WHERE WE CAN MOVE FORWARD.
WE HAVE GONE THROUGH LEGAL OPINIONS.
WE HAVE TALKED TO LEGAL TIME AND TIME AGAIN.
WE ARE UNDER THE EMERGENCY WINDOW HERE.
LET'S GET THEM BACK TO THEIR PIECE.
SO THEN THEY CAN WALK STRAIGHT DOWN TO THE NEW GROCERY STORE THAT'S COMING SOON, THAT THEY CAN WALK DOWN TO THE FARMER'S MARKET.
THAT THEY CAN WALK TO THE TRAIN STATION.
WHY DO WE CONTINUOUSLY KICK THIS CAN DOWN THE ROAD? I DON'T UNDERSTAND WHY YOU KEEP WANTING TO DELAY.
IT'S NOT, WE, IT'S NOT WE I'M TALKING TO PAUL.
I DON'T KNOW WHY THE SUPERVISOR WANT, WHY DO YOU WANNA CONTINUE TO KICK THIS DOWN THE ROAD? I'M NOT DONE BECAUSE IT'S NOT FAIR.
WE HAVE SAT HERE FOR TWO YEARS TRYING TO FIGURE OUT THE BEST SOLUTION TO MAKE SURE THAT FAMILIES CONTINUE TO LIVE IN THEIR HOMES.
[01:20:01]
IS NOT ABOUT ANYBODY'S EGO.THIS IS NOT ABOUT, THIS IS NOT ABOUT GRANDSTANDING.
IT'S ABOUT GETTING PEOPLE BACK WHOLE WHERE THEY WERE SO THEY CAN CONTINUE TO WALK BACK AND FORTH DOWN EAST HARSDALE AVENUE SAFELY.
AND THANK YOU COMMISSIONER MOTO TO MAKING SURE THAT DURING THIS PROCESS THAT THEY CAN WALK AROUND SAFELY.
I APOLOGIZE AGAIN, BARBARA, THAT WE HAVE TO CONTINUE TO DRAW THIS OUT.
I'M NOT UNDERSTANDING WHY DO WE CANNOT MOVE FORWARD.
THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUGGESTIONS.
BUT WE HAVING A PHENOMENAL EMERGENCY CONTRACTOR ON STAFF, WE HAVE A PHENOMENAL ONE.
AND THAT'S WHY, AND THAT IS WHY WE NEED TO WRITE AT THIS POINT.
WE NEED TO MOVE FORWARD BECAUSE WE CANNOT CONTINUE TO KEEP THEM.
KEEP, KEEP EAST DALE INCONVENIENT.
I WANT US TO, ELLEN AND I HAVE WALKED DOWN EAST HORSE AVENUE JUST TO GO TO THE FARMER'S MARKET TO JUST TO EXPERIENCE.
WE'VE DONE, WE'VE DONE THIS THREE WEEKS BACK TO BACK.
WE DON'T WANT THIS, WE DON'T WANT THIS TO CONTINUE THIS.
WE WANT TO, WE WANT IT THIS TO END.
SO, OKAY, SO NOW THANK YOU COMMISSIONER MODO.
CAN WE NOW TOWN, TOWN COUNCIL? 'CAUSE I KNOW YOU DON'T AGREE, I'M NOT LEAVING YOU OUT, BUT I WANNA MAKE SURE THAT WE CAN MOVE THOSE SO WE CAN MAKE THEM WHOLE.
I WANNA HEAR MR. DID, CAN MR. HOLD, HOLD ON A SECOND.
DID THE ATTORNEY HAVE SOMETHING TO SAY? OKAY.
AND ALSO OUR, OUR CONTROLLER CAME TO SIT AT THE TABLE.
DO YOU HAVE SOMETHING TO SAY? HE CAN SPEAK FIRST THEN I'LL JUST YOU, SO IF YOU COULD, IF YOU COULD GIVE US OUR, YOUR EXPERIENCE WITH C TRIALS, THAT WOULD BE ALL.
I'M A NEW YORK LICENSED MASTER PLUMBER.
I'VE BEEN DOING THIS KIND OF WORK FOR OVER 50 YEARS.
STRICTLY THIS, I DID THE, SOME OF THE BIGGEST PROJECTS IN THE CITY.
PAUL CALLED ME A COUPLE OF MONTHS AGO AND I CAME HERE AND HE SAID THERE WAS A BIG PROBLEM HERE.
SO I CAME HERE AND I ASKED WHAT WAS GOING ON AND HE SAID, IT'S A STOPPED UP LINE AND IT'S 40 FEET DEEP, OR 38 FEET DEEP, WHATEVER IT WAS.
I WALKED, I LOOKED AROUND WITH MY CREW AND I SAID, HOW DID THEY KNOW WHERE IT'S BROKEN? WELL, WHERE'S THE CAMERA? WHERE'S THE CAMERA? YOU PEOPLE ALL OWN HOMES OR APARTMENT HOUSES, IS THAT CORRECT? YOU ONLY LIVE IN AN APARTMENT, HOUSE OR AN APARTMENT.
WHAT HAPPENS WHEN YOUR SINK STOPS UP? YOU CALL IT SUPER.
OR IF YOU OWN IN A PRIVATE HOME, YOU CALL A PLUMBER.
IS THAT CORRECT? YOU KNOW WHAT? THE PLUMBER COMES, COMES AND DOES.
HE LOOKS AROUND AND HE SAYS, WHERE'S THIS WATER STOPPED UP? OH, IT'S STOPPED UP IN THE MAIN LINE HERE.
IT'S SO HE GETS A SNAKE OR ROTA, ROOTER, WHATEVER YOU WANNA CALL IT.
AND HE PUTS IT THROUGH THE PIPE.
IT DOESN'T GO WELL, WHAT DO WE DO NEXT? IT'S STUCK.
IT'S NOT WELL NOW WE GET A CAMERA AND WE PUT IT IN THE PIPE AND WE SEE WHAT'S GOING ON AND WE KNOW WHERE IT IS.
WHETHER IT'S 40 FEET AT A HUNDRED FEET DEEP.
IT DOESN'T MATTER IF IT STOPPED UP A HUNDRED FEET FROM, FROM WHERE HE PUT THE SNAKE IN.
YOU GO DOWN A HUNDRED FEET AND YOU GO DOWN AND YOU REPAIR IT.
NO, I ASKED FOR INFORMATION ON THIS.
I I DIDN'T GET ANYTHING AT ALL.
THIS SHOULD HAVE BEEN DONE A COUPLE OF MONTHS AFTER THE, IT WOULD'VE BEEN COMPLETED, DONE AFTER TWO MONTHS AFTER.
I DON'T, I'M NOT EVEN INTERESTED IN DOING THE JOB.
YOU WANNA KNOW THE TRUTH, BUT WHAT WENT ON OVER HERE WAS WRONG.
BARBARA AND HER PEOPLE, TWO AND A HALF YEARS.
A HUNDRED AND SOMETHING THOUSAND, THOUSAND DOLLARS A MONTH FOR WHAT I COULD PROVE TO YOU, I I COULD SHOW YOU EXACTLY WHAT COULD HAVE BEEN DONE.
AND THIS COULD HAVE BEEN STOPPED.
MILLIONS OF DOLLARS FOR SOMETHING LIKE THIS.
DO YOU KNOW, DO YOU, PEOPLE ARE PAYING, WHO'S PAYING FOR THIS, BY THE WAY? NOT BARBARA.
WHO'S PAYING FOR THIS JOB? TAXPAYERS, THE TAXPAYER.
WASN'T THERE SOMETHING A LITTLE WHILE AGO ABOUT THE TAXPAYER, UH, WITH TAXES AND STUFF? THAT WOMAN, THAT WAS I A LITTLE WHILE AGO THAT SHE WAS SAYING THAT, UH, UH, ASSESSMENTS.
SO IN OTHER WORDS, PART OF THAT MONEY THAT OFF ALL THESE TWO, TWO YEARS OF MILLIONS OF DOLLARS WENT DOWN THE DRAIN.
THIS WAS HANDLED WRONG AND I DON'T CARE.
SO HOW WOULD YOU DO IT DIFFERENTLY? AGREEMENT THOUGH.
BUT BUT IN YOUR EXPERTISE, YES.
HOW WOULD YOU FIX THIS IN A DIFFERENT WAY? IT WOULD'VE BEEN FIXED TWO MONTHS AFTER IT HAPPENED.
I DON'T CARE ABOUT WHAT HAPPENED TWO MONTHS, UH, TWO MONTHS, TWO YEARS AGO.
I CARE ABOUT HOW WOULD YOU FIX THIS DIFFERENTLY THAN PUTTING IN CCAN PILES AND DOING WHAT THEY'RE ABOUT TO DO? FIRST OF ALL, I UNDERSTAND WHAT BARBARA'S TALKING ABOUT.
PUMPS, LEMME TELL YOU SOMETHING, BARBARA.
[01:25:01]
IN, IN, UH, ROCKLAND COUNTY THAT'S HUNDREDS OF PUMP SYSTEMS. YOU CAN'T EVEN HEAR THEM.THEY'RE MAKING NOISE IN YOUR BUILDING.
BUT WHY? DESIGNED TO GO AROUND THE BUILDING.
THIS WOULD'VE BEEN A, A DONE JOB THAT D WOULD'VE BEEN DONE OVER WITH.
THE PUMPS WON'T MAKE NOISE AND THERE'S NO MAINTENANCE.
BUT THERE, THERE IS A MAINTENANCE ISSUE WITH PUMPS FOR A SEWAGE SYSTEM.
BUT NEITHER 80 EAST NOR 100 WERE WILLING TO GIVE UP SPACE IN THEIR PROPERTIES SINCE THEY HAVE SUCH LIMITED SPACE TO PUT PUMP STATIONS.
AND WE WOULD NEED TO, THERE WAS NO PUMP.
IT WOULD, IT WOULDN'T HAVE BEEN ANY, UH, IT WOULD'VE BEEN OUTSIDE.
RIGHT? IT'S ALSO IN A FLOOD ZONE.
AND IT WOULD COULDN'T GO ONTO THE GOLF COURSE.
THERE WAS NO PLACE TO REALLY PUT THEM.
BUT PETE, I WANNA CORRECT SOMETHING.
I WAS GONNA SAY, WHEN THIS SEWER, WHEN COLLAPSED HAPPENED, THEY, THEY DID IN MAY OF 24 WHEN IT COLLAPSED, WE HAD CAMERAS IN EVERY LINE THAT EXISTED BETWEEN ONE.
SO WHY MAKE SURE WHERE IT WAS BROKEN? WE COULDN'T BECAUSE OF THE DEBRIS IN THE FRONT.
SEE WHERE THERE WAS A BREAK? IT WASN'T A HIGH RESOLUTION CAMERA.
WE ENDED UP GETTING A HIGH RES COMPANY THAT CAME IN AND DID A HIGH RESOLUTION CAMERA.
I HAVE DONE THESE SAME CAMERAS.
WE HAD A HIGH RESOLUTION CAMERA AND IT GAVE US A DETECTION OF WEAR.
THEN WE CLEANED THE PIPES AND WE EVEN GOT DEEPER INTO THE, INTO THE MANNEL.
I WAS THERE WHEN IT ORIGINALLY HAPPENED.
AND THERE WAS MULTI CAMERAS IN THOSE PIPES.
'CAUSE YOU SAID THERE WAS NO CAMERAS IONS.
THERE WAS NO, NO, THERE WAS PLENTY OF CAMERAS IN THOSE PIPES.
I WAS WITNESS TO THOSE CAMERAS.
IT SHOWED THAT IT WAS UNDERNEATH THE BUILDING.
IT WAS ACTUALLY DEBRIS IN THE PIPE THAT WE HAD TO CLEAR OUT.
ONCE WE HAD THE HAIR RESOLUTION CAMERAS, THEN IT GAVE US THE DETECTION AND A PRECISION OF WHERE EXACTLY THIS PIPE WAS BROKEN AND HOW IT BROKE.
THEY WERE ABLE TO TRY FIRST TIME TO, THIS WAS NOT THAT LONG, THE BREAK THIS WAS IN.
BUT MY QUESTION TO YOU WAS, WE ARE NOW HERE TODAY.
HOW WOULD YOU, HOW WOULD YOU DO SOMETHING DIFFERENT THAN THE, THE PROPOSED REPAIR THAT WE'RE ABOUT TO DO, WHICH IS PUT IN CCAN PILES TO MAKE SURE EVERYTHING IS STABILIZED AND THEN GO IN AND FIX THE PIPE? I WOULD LEAVE THAT PIPE ALONE AND GO RIGHT AROUND IT WITH, YOU WOULD GO AROUND THE BUILDING.
I GUARANTEE YOU THE PUMPS WOULD NOT MAKE ANY NOISE AT ALL.
AND THEY WOULDN'T, WOULDN'T BE INSIDE THE BUILDING.
WELL, THEY'D BE OUTSIDE THE BUILDING, BUT THE BUILDINGS DON'T WANNA GIVE PERMISSION FOR THE PUMPING SYSTEM TOWN.
WHO DOESN'T WANNA GIVE PERMISSION? NEITHER CENTRAL WEST, EXCUSE ME, CENTRAL WESTCHESTER 100 EAST OR 80 EAST, WHERE WE'D HAVE TO HAVE THEY TWO PUMPING STATIONS.
THEY DIDN DON'T WANNA GIVE ANY LOCATION.
THEY DON'T WANNA GIVE UP THE SPACE AND THEY DON'T HAVE TO.
SO IN OTHER WORDS, ROCKLAND COUNTY COULD HAVE HUNDREDS OF PUMP SYSTEMS ALL AROUND AND NOBODY CARES ABOUT IT OVER HERE THAT YOU WON'T HAVE.
WHY DON'T YOU WANT A PUMP SYSTEM? WELL, THAT'S A DIFFERENT STORY.
BUILDING DOESN'T WANT THEM, AND THEY'RE ENTITLED DON'T TO SAY NO, THAT THEY DON'T.
WHAT BUILDING DOESN'T WANT THEM? THE PEOPLE IN THE BUILDING, SHE'S ALREADY SAID BECAUSE THEY'RE AFRAID OF THE NOISE AND I DON'T BLAME THEM.
BUT THERE ARE PUMP SYSTEMS THAT YOU WON'T HEAR IT AT ALL.
AND IF YOU WANNA KNOW ABOUT THE MAINTENANCE, HAVE THE CITY, UH, MAINTAIN THE MAINTENANCE ON THE, ON THE, ON THE PUMPS.
THE TOWN WOULD HAVE TO MAINTAIN THE EXTERIOR.
THERE WOULD BE A LESS THAN MILLIONS OF DOLLARS.
WE NEED SOME, CAN WE GET BACK TO THE ISSUE AT HAND, WHICH IS IF WE ARE PROCEEDING AT THIS POINT WITH THE CURRENT EMERGENCY AND ONCALL, I'M NOT GONNA SAY A MILLION WORDS IN THAT CONTRACT.
ANYTHING DONE HAS TO BE DONE PROCEDURALLY CORRECT.
WITH A RESOLUTION IN FRONT OF A TOWN BOARD MEETING WITH ALL THE INFORMATION.
JOE DANKO, TOWN ATTORNEY JOE? YES.
SO MR. MARONE, I THINK HE WAS ADDRESS INFORMAL.
MR. I I'M ASKING IF, IF YOU NEED, IF YOU CAN MAKE THE DETERMINATION NOW OR YOU NEED FURTHER INFORMATION FROM THE PEOPLE AT THE TABLE? YES, FROM THE CONTROLLER AND THE CONTROLLER HAS NOT HAD AN OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK YET.
SO WHEN I SENT THE ORIGINAL EMAIL, WHO ARE YOU? I'M THE COMPTROLLER
UH, SO WHEN I SENT THE ORIGINAL EMAIL, I DIDN'T HAVE ALL THE FACTS AND I SINCE HAVE LEARNED THAT THE PUMPS CONTINUE TO FAIL.
SO WE WILL CONTINUE WITH THE EMERGENCY AND I RECOMMEND CONTINUING WITH THE PROJECT.
SO I THINK ALL THE QUESTIONS HAS BEEN ANSWERED.
SO I WOULD LIKE TO MAKE A MOTION OR DO YOU WANNA MAKE A MOTION? I JUST WANNA, NO, WE'LL GO AHEAD.
A WANNA MAKE A, WANT US TO GET MOTION? WE CAN RAT IT AT OUR NEXT TOWN BOARD MEETING.
JUST SO IT'S VERY CLEAR, I WOULD LIKE TO MAKE A MOTION THAT WE ALLOW THE EMERGENCY CONTRACTOR TO CONTINUE THE WORK TOWARDS THE COMPLETION OF THE EAST HARSDALE AVENUE PROJECT, SEWER PROJECT.
UM, AND, UM, THE TOWN CONTROLLER WILL, UH, WORK WITH BOND COUNCIL TO GET, GET THE FUNDS AND WE WILL RATIFY THIS AT OUR NEXT REGULAR TOWN BOARD MEETING.
AND, UM, UH, AGAINST IT, BECAUSE I SO YOU VOTING, I BELIEVE THAT THERE SHOULD BE COMPETITIVE BIDDING.
[01:30:01]
GIVE OTHER FIRMS NO, HE SAID NO.SO BARBARA, WE'RE GONNA MOVE FORWARD AND THANK YOU.
WE ARE GONNA, WE'RE GONNA BRING, WE'RE GONNA BRING SOME CLOSURE TO THIS.
AT, AT SOME POINT YOU'RE GOING TO BE WALKING OUT ON THE AVENUE AND SMILING.
IF YOU'RE NOT GONNA SEE ALL WHISTLING, THAT'S OKAY.
WAIT UNTIL YOU SEE ALL THE PIPES AND THINGS THAT ARE IN THE HOLE THAT WE'RE GONNA WORK AROUND.
THAT'S WHAT'S TO MAKE IT REALLY INTERESTING.
NOW WE HAVE TO WORK ON MOVING THE PIPE.
LOOK, BEFORE I LEAVE, I'M SORRY.
MIND, MAY I SAY SOMETHING BEFORE I LEAVE? SURE.
I DON'T WANT, I'M NOT THE PRO, BUT I WANT YOU TO DO ONE THING TO PROTECT YOUR PEOPLE OF TOWN.
THIS THING WASN'T HANDLED RIGHT.
NOW MILLIONS OF DOLLARS HAVE BEEN SPENT WHEN THIS COULD HAVE BEEN DONE FOR MAYBE LESS THAN A MILLION DOLLARS.
NO, I I I DON'T KNOW IF WE CAN DO THAT.
I, I, I KNOW THAT'S ACCURATE ENOUGH, BUT I THINK, I THINK IN ALL DUE RESPECT, I THINK AS, AS THE COMMISSIONER HAVE DESCRIBED, AS BARBARA HAS DESCRIBED, AS THE TOWN ATTORNEY HAS DESCRIBED, THAT WE'VE DONE ALL, WE'VE DONE A LOT OF THINGS TO GET US TO THIS POINT.
MINA, WE'VE HAD CAMERAS PRIOR AND YOU JUST HEARD BARBARA JUST EXPLAINED WE'VE HAD CAMERAS IN ALL DIRECTIONS.
SO NOW WE COULDN'T SEE WHAT, WE DIDN'T KNOW WHAT WE, WHAT WE NOW KNOW TODAY.
WHY SO NOW? BECAUSE THE CAMERAS COULD NOT PICK THAT UP.
SO NOW THAT WE HAVE, WE'VE JUST, WE JUST HAD THIS LONG DISCUSSION ABOUT THAT.
SO NOW GO NOW GOING FORWARD NOW SINCE THE COMMISSIONER HAS PUT IN THE HIGH RESOLUTION CARE, WHICH WE'VE ALREADY DISCUSSED, NOW WE'RE AT A POINT THAT WE CAN MOVE FORWARD.
AND I THINK THAT'S WHAT WE WANNA GO TO NOW.
I APPRECIATE YOUR TIME AND EVERYTHING AND WE WOULD LIKE TO MOVE ON.
THANK YOU EVERYONE FOR YOUR TIME.
NEXT, UM, I, UH, SENT THE, THE BOARD A MEMO, UH, YESTERDAY, UM, INDICATING BY EMAIL, AND I'LL GIVE IT HERE THAT, UM, THAT I WOULD LIKE TO ATTEND THE FRIDAY MEETINGS OF, UH, ARE WE NOT TALKING ABOUT THAT'S NOT ON THE AGENDA? WELL, I'M, ARE WE TALKING ABOUT THE COURTHOUSE? I'M, I WANNA ATTEND THE MEETINGS ON FRIDAY.
GONNA SAY, UM, UH, OF THE LAND USE.
AND I'M PREPARED TO GO TO COURT IF YOU'RE NOT SAYING YOU CAN'T BRING THAT UP.
BUT WE'RE ASKING IF WE CAN STATE TO THE AGENDA.
I'M PREPARED TO GO TO COURT AND I HAVE A, A LEGAL MEMO.
I DON'T NEED TO SEE IT 'CAUSE I SAW IT ONLINE.
OH, THIS IS HOW YOU TURN THE MEETING INTO A CIRCUIT.
CAN WE PLEASE? IT'S NOT A CIRCUIT.
THIS IS EXACTLY WHAT I'M EXPLAINING.
SO CAN WE PLEASE MOVE AND STICK TO THE AGENDA? I THINK ON THE AGENDA NEXT IS PLANNED TO RESOLVE TO COURTHOUSE ISSUE.
AND THIS IS WHAT, I CAN'T WAIT FOR YOU.
I BASICALLY, UH, CONTACTED THE, THE, THE COURT AND I NEED ANOTHER WEEK TO, UH, UM, PREPARE, UM, UH, TO GET ALL THE ANSWERS.
UM, SO I'M ASKING THAT WE PUT THIS ON FOR ON.
BECAUSE I THINK THE CONTROLLER ASKED FOR ANOTHER WEEK SO THAT SHE COULD LOOK INTO BONDING FOR THE, UH, SO HOPEFULLY, SO IS THIS ALSO, SO, OKAY, SO I SEE THAT THIS IS HERE.
IT SAYS PLAN TO RESOLVE THE COURTHOUSE ISSUE, BUT I DON'T SEE ANYTHING ABOUT THE POLICE DEPARTMENT.
SO, SO WE ARE WE EVER GONNA TALK ABOUT THAT? BECAUSE I NEED TO KNOW WHAT AM I SUPPOSED TO TELL THE POLICE OFFICERS? SO CAN I, CAN YOU GIVE ME SOMETHING TO TELL THEM? WE'LL, WE'LL WE'LL DISCUSS IT NEXT WEEK.
SO HOPEFULLY NEXT WEEK GUYS, I AND GALS, I WILL HAVE MORE INFORMATION TO REPORT BACK TO YOU.
SO DO YOU WANNA MAKE A MOTION? UH, UH, LET ME JUST, UH, OR DO YOU WANT SOMEONE ELSE TO MAKE THE MOTION SO WE MAKE THE MOTION? YOU WANNA MAKE THE MO A MOTION FOR EXECUTIVE SESSION FOR THE PURPOSES OF DISCUSSING PERSONNEL MATTERS INVOLVING SPECIFIC INDIVIDUALS AND TO SEEK LEGAL ADVICE ON VARIOUS MATTERS.
AND I JUST REALLY QUICKLY WANNA REMIND EVERYONE, WE ARE KICKING OFF THE JAZZ SERIES THIS THURSDAY AT YOSEMITE PARK.
UNDER THE PAVILION WE HAVE A GRAMMY WINNING ARTIST, RODNEY ROBERT RANDOLPH COMING IN, JAZZ, JAZZ MUSICIAN.
AND THEN THEREAFTER I'LL POST ON THE WEBSITE, UM, THE OTHER ARTISTS THAT'S COMING, UM, THE FOLLOWING WEEKS.
WHAT TIME DOES IT START? SO THERE IS, THERE IS TWO PORTIONS.
THERE'S A PORTION WHERE YOU CAN MEET THE ARTIST WITH YOUR CHILDREN IF THEY WANNA DO A MUSICAL LEARNING.
LEARNING SEGMENT, WHICH STARTS AT FIVE 30.
UH, YOU HAVE PARENTS DOES HAVE TO BE PRESENT.
AND THEN FOLLOWING AFTER THE SHOW WILL BEGIN AT SEVEN O'CLOCK.
AND WHAT DAY IS THAT? AND TODAY IT WILL BE THURSDAY.
IT'LL BE THURSDAY, THIS THURSDAY, JULY 9TH.
OR IF YOU WANNA COME TO THE MUSIC ACADEMY, YOU CAN COME AT FIVE 30.
[01:35:01]
WE LOOK FORWARD TO SEEING YOU.AND WHERE DO THEY GO? SHOULD, ACTUALLY, I HAVE A QUESTION.
SHOULD, SHOULD PEOPLE BRING, UM, BLANKETS OR CHAIRS? ABSOLUTELY.
YOU KNOW, THIS IS, THIS IS A JAZZ SERIES.
EVERYBODY KNOWS TO BRING THEIR CHAIRS, TO BRING THEIR WATERS, TO BRING THEIR JUICE.
WE WILL, OF COURSE WE WILL HAVE OUR VENDORS SO YOU CAN PURCHASE FOOD.
WE ARE JUST NOW BRINGING THIS NOW SIX WEEKS.
AND WHERE IS IT GOING TO BE? OKAY.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH AND HAVE A GREAT EVENING.
EVERYONE MUCH THANK, THANK YOU SO MUCH.
CAN I HAVE THE PALM ARIA IN THIS? THANK YOU.