[ 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 ]
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WELCOME TO OUR, UH, TOWN BOARD, UH, WORK SESSION TODAY'S JULY 14TH.
AND, UH, THE FIRST ITEM OF BUSINESS IS, UM, TO HEAR FROM OUR, UH, FORECLOSURE SPECIAL COUNSEL.
AND HE WILL GIVE US AN UPDATE ON, UM, THE FORECLOSURE, YOU KNOW, PROCESS.
HEY, DYLAN, AGAIN, IT'S GOOD TO SEE YOU.
UM, SO I JUST WANTED TO GIVE YOU GUYS A QUICK UPDATE AND OBVIOUSLY WE'RE HERE TO, UH, ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS THAT YOU MIGHT HAVE.
SO, AS THE BOARD'S AWARE, THE FIRST AUCTION WAS HELD IN MAY AND IT'S OFFICIALLY CLOSED WITH THE FINAL CLOSING LAST FRIDAY.
SO WE HAD EIGHT PARCELS THAT WERE INITIALLY PART OF THE AUCTION.
OF THOSE EIGHT WE HAD, I THOUGHT, I THOUGHT THERE WERE NINE WHEN THEY, NINE WEREN'T THERE? NINE, THERE WAS ONE THAT WAS PULLED OFF.
UM, SO THERE WAS INITIALLY ONLY JUST 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, SORRY.
UM, SO OUT OF THE NINE WE HAD THREE PARCELS THAT WERE PURCHASED.
UM, ONE THAT THE BOARD TURNED DOWN FOR THE, UH, FINAL BID THAT WAS IN PLACE.
AND THEN THE REST OF THEM DID NOT HAVE BIDS.
UM, SO THOSE ARE OBVIOUSLY ARE STILL OUT THERE.
SO OUT OF THE THREE THAT CLOSED, WE HAD A TOTAL FEE OF ABOUT 855,000.
UM, SO OUT OF THOSE THREE, THE NEXT STEP WILL BE WORKING WITH THE TAX COLLECTOR TO COME UP WITH THE FINAL NUMBER SO WE CAN THEN FILE A REPORT WITH THE COURT TO DEMONSTRATE WHAT THE SURPLUS IS.
SO THE SURPLUSES, YOU KNOW, WHAT WE DISCUSSED AT THE LAST, UH, YOU KNOW, CONFERENCE LIKE THIS, PROBABLY THREE, THREE OR SO MONTHS AGO, WHERE THERE WAS A SUPREME COURT DECISION THAT REQUIRES ANYTHING OVER THE TAXES OWED AND THEN STATUTORY FEES BE RETURNED TO THE COURT SYSTEM TO BE PAID BACK TO THE PRIOR OWNER.
UM, SO OUT OF THE 850, WE SHOULD HAVE THAT REPORT.
I'D SAY IN THE NEXT WEEK OR TWO WE'LL GET THAT FILED.
UM, AND THEN THIS AUCTION AT THAT POINT WILL BE ALL SET.
AND FROM THERE THE PLAN, RIGHT NOW WE'VE SPOKEN TO ABSOLUTE AUCTION AND WE ARE ON THEIR SCHEDULE FOR DECEMBER TO INCLUDE THE ADDITIONAL SIX PARCELS THAT DID NOT SELL.
UM, SO THOSE WILL BE UP FOR AUCTION, UM, AGAIN, AND THEN, YOU KNOW, THEY'LL HOPEFULLY BE AT THAT POINT, THE 2014 AND 2015 UM, PROPERTIES THAT WILL BE UP FOR AUCTION AS WELL.
SO WE FILED THE LIEN LIST ON THOSE.
UM, LAST MONTH WE SENT OUT REDEMPTION NOTICES, WHICH ARE REQUIRED UNDER ARTICLE 11, SO THAT 45 DAY PERIOD RAN.
UM, SO I'VE GOTTA SPEAK WITH VENITA TO SEE HOW MANY, IF ANY, CALLED AND PAID OFF THEIR TAXES.
UM, WHICH, YOU KNOW, AT THE END OF THE DAY THAT'S THE GOAL IS THAT THESE NOTICES GO OUT AND INDIVIDUAL TAXPAYERS ARE GONNA COME FORWARD AND THEY'RE GONNA, YOU KNOW, PAY WHAT THEY OWE TO TOWN AND REALLY SAVE EVERYONE A LOT OF TIME AND HASSLE.
SO WE'LL FIND OUT ON THAT FRONT WHERE IT STANDS, UM, HOPEFULLY IN THE NEXT WEEK OR SO.
AND THEN CONCURRENTLY WE'VE GOT OUR MATRIX AND EVERYTHING TOGETHER TO MOVE FORWARD TO BEGIN SERVING THE PETITION AND NOTICE OF FORECLOSURE.
SO THAT'S GONNA BE THE NEXT STEP OVER THE NEXT WEEK OR TWO.
SO, YOU KNOW, OBVIOUSLY WE HAD TITLE REPORTS DONE ON EACH PROPERTY, SO WE KNOW OTHER LIEN HOLDERS.
ANY, ANYONE ELSE THAT MIGHT HAVE INTEREST IN THE PROPERTY.
WE DOUBLE AND TRIP TRIPLE CHECKED CORPORATE ADDRESSES.
UM, AND WE'RE, YOU KNOW, MOVING FORWARD IN THAT PROCESS.
UM, AND AS THE NEXT STEP, ONCE WE GET THAT FILED, WE'RE BASICALLY IN THE HANDS OF THE COURT AFTER WE DO THE, UH, PUBLIC NOTICE THAT HAS TO BE IN TWO NEWSPAPERS.
UM, BUT THEN WE'RE GONNA TURN TO THE REST OF THE REMAINING YEARS.
UM, WE'RE GONNA START GETTING TOTAL REPORTS ON ALL OF THOSE SO WE CAN MOVE FORWARD, FILE THE LIEN LIST AND FILE THE NOTICE OF PETITION AND PETITION AS SOON AS PRACTICABLE THEREAFTER.
UM, SO WE'RE MAKING GOOD PROGRESS.
UM, YOU KNOW, IT'S OBVIOUSLY ROME WASN'T BUILT IN A DAY, SO WE'RE MOVING FORWARD AND JUST MAKING SURE EVERYTHING'S DONE PROPERLY.
'CAUSE AS WE'VE SEEN WITH THIS LAST AUCTION, THERE'S BEEN, YOU KNOW, SOME QUESTIONS AND CONCERNS THAT HAVE REALLY BOGGED DOWN THE PROCESS.
UM, SO, YOU KNOW, REALLY OUR GOAL IS THAT HAVING NOTHING TO DO WITH YOU, CORRECT? YES.
SO PRIOR COUNSEL, YOU KNOW, FILED THE 2013 PETITION AND, YOU
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KNOW, WE FILED THE SUMMARY JUDGMENT MOTION AND THEN, YOU KNOW, ASSISTED IN DOING THE RFP FOR THE AUCTION SERVICE AND MOVING FORWARD ON THAT.SO WE'RE KIND OF, YOU KNOW, STUCK WITH THE FACTS WE HAVE ON THAT FRONT.
UM, AND THEN OBVIOUSLY THE PLAN IS, IS JUST TO, UH, AS I LIKE TO SAY, BELT SUSPENDERS AND SAFETY PENS, UM, FOR THE NEXT BATCH.
EVERYTHING'S GONNA BE DOCUMENTED.
A AFFIDAVITS, AFFIRMATIONS OF SERVICE MAILERS, EVERYTHING'S GONNA BE FILED, EVERYTHING IS GONNA BE CLEAR, CONSISTENT.
UM, THERE'S NOT GONNA BE A QUESTION OF, YOU KNOW, WHETHER PROCESS WAS CORRECT.
SO IS THAT, UM, SO THIS TIME OBVIOUSLY WE WERE IMPEDED BECAUSE THE, UM, FORMER ATTORNEY WHO WAS PAID A HALF A MILLION DOLLARS TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE NOT IN THE SITUATION WE ARE NOW AND WE ARE IN THE SITUATION, WE ARE NOW GOING FORWARD ON THE NEXT AUCTION.
YOU'RE, YOU'RE JUST BASICALLY GONNA ASSUME HE DID NOTHING CORRECT AND DO IT ALL YOURSELF SO THAT IT'S NOT, WE DON'T RUN INTO THE SAME THING AND RELYING ON SOMETHING THAT HE DID IN THE PAST.
SO MOVING FORWARD 14 ONWARDS, UM, THERE WAS NOTHING THAT WAS DONE ON THOSE YEARS PRIOR TO US COMING ON BOARD.
SO WE'RE DOING IT ALL FIRST FLUSH AT THIS POINT.
SO WE WORK WITH NITA'S OFFICE TO PREPARE THE LIEN LISTS.
WE'VE GONE THROUGH, WE'VE GOT A MATRIX OF, YOU KNOW, PROBABLY 75 TO 80 DIFFERENT ADDRESSES, INCLUDING ESTATES, UM, STATE AGENCIES, OTHER LIEN HOLDERS, BANKS, UM, THAT WILL RECEIVE NOTICE OF THE, UH, PETITION THAT'LL BE FILED.
AND THEN THAT HAS TO BE DONE REGULAR MAIL AND CERTIFIED MAIL.
SO WE'RE GONNA KEEP TRACK OF ALL THOSE, KEEP PAPER FILES, BUT ALSO SCAN EVERYTHING IN SO WE'LL HAVE A, A CLEAR PATH FORWARD.
AND, YOU KNOW, LUCKILY WE'RE ABLE TO DO THIS ON OUR OWN FORMS WITH OUR OWN FILING SYSTEM, AND I THINK IT'S GONNA BE A LOT SMOOTHER.
'CAUSE I MEAN, THE LAST MONTH OR SO, WE SPENT A LOT OF TIME GOING BACK TRYING TO PROVE TO, YOU KNOW, FOLKS THAT WERE PART OF THE AUCTION, THAT THINGS WERE DONE PROPERLY, THAT SERVICE WAS DONE, UM, ET CETERA.
SO I MEAN, THAT WAS A, A, A MAJOR TIME SUCK THE LAST MONTH.
AND, YOU KNOW, OUR GOAL IS TO ENSURE THAT EVERYTHING IS JUST DONE RIGHT.
UM, SO WHEN WE GET TO THIS POINT, HOPEFULLY IN, YOU KNOW, FIVE MONTHS WHEN WE'RE DOING ANOTHER AUCTION, THAT IF SOMEONE SAYS, OH, I, I DON'T THINK I RECEIVED, UM, PERSONAL OR I DIDN'T RECEIVE THE FIRST CLASS MAILER, WE CAN SAY, LOOK, IT WENT TO YOUR ADDRESS ALSO.
YOU RECEIVED CERTIFIED MAILING.
SO YOU DID, AND, AND MOVE ON FROM THERE.
SO I THINK IT'S GONNA BE A MUCH CLEANER PROCESS, UH, MOVING FORWARD JUST BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, THINGS ARE BEING DONE, UM, CORRECTLY AND THEY'RE GONNA BE TRACKED AND EVERYTHING'S GONNA BE ON FILE.
I THINK THAT'S GONNA BE THE KEY IS, YOU KNOW, THESE THINGS ARE PROCEDURAL IN NATURE, SO THE MORE DOCUMENTATION AND PROOF YOU HAVE, THE EASIER IT IS MOVING FORWARD WHEN YOU'RE DOING THE IMPORTANT PART, WHICH IS, YOU KNOW, THE AUCTION AND GETTING THOSE PAYMENTS TO THE TOWN THAT WE'RE, YOU KNOW, HERE WE'RE LOOKING AT PAYMENTS THAT WERE DUE 11 AND 12 YEARS AGO.
UM, YOU MENTIONED THAT YOU COLLECTED 855,000, BUT SOME OF IT HAS TO BE, UM, WE CAN'T KEEP BECAUSE, UH, OF THE SUPREME COURT RULING.
UM, DO YOU HAVE LIKE ANY LIKE, UH, GUESS HOW MUCH THE TOWN ACTUALLY WILL, UH, WILL RECOVER FROM THIS AFTER WE HAVE TO GIVE BACK, YOU KNOW, YOU KNOW, CHUNK OF THE EIGHT 55,000? NOT YET.
I HAVEN'T DONE THAT CALCULATION 'CAUSE I WANT TO GO OVER WITH VENITA JUST THE, UH, PROPER LIEN AMOUNTS SO WE KNOW EXACTLY WHAT THE LIENS ARE BECAUSE BASED ON 'CAUSE BASED ON WHAT THE LIEN AMOUNT IS, UM, WE'RE ABLE TO RETAIN EITHER 250 OR 2%, WHICHEVER IS GREATER AS A STATUTORY, UM, PORTION OF THAT.
SO I JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE I HAVE THE RIGHT NUMBERS ON THE LIENS 'CAUSE I CAN GO ONLINE AND PULL 'EM.
BUT, UM, I THINK IT'S, IT, IT SERVES US BETTER JUST TO HAVE THOSE NUMBERS.
SO MY HOPE IS TO TALK TO VENITA, YOU KNOW, TOMORROW OR THURSDAY, FRIDAY AT THE LATEST, JUST TO HAVE HER START PREPARING THOSE NUMBERS SO WE CAN GET THE, UH, THE FINAL NUMBERS FOR OUR OWN PURPOSES, BUT ALSO FOR THE COURT SYSTEM SO WE CAN FILE THAT REPORT WITH A REFEREE AND YOU COULD GIVE THAT TO THE TOWN BOARD WHEN WE AS SOON AS YOU HAVE IT.
THE OTHER QUESTION I HAVE IS, UM, THE FIRST AUCTION ONLY HAD THREE, UH, THREE PARCELS THAT ACTUALLY, UH, WERE SOLD.
UM, IN TERMS OF THE SECOND AND THIRD AUCTION, HOW MANY, UM, PARCELS DO YOU THINK WILL BE SOLD AT THAT TIME? I MEAN, IT'S ALL GONNA DEPEND.
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TYPICALLY ONCE YOU FILE THE PETITION, LET'S SAY FOR 2014 AND 2015, WE'VE GOT ABOUT 40 PARCELS, WHICH I THINK IS BALLPARK OF WHAT WE'RE LOOKING AT FOR THOSE YEARS COMBINED.UM, JUST FROM PRIOR EXPERIENCES, WHAT YOU TYPICALLY SEE IS MAYBE 50 TO 60% OF THOSE, THE INDIVIDUALS WILL RECEIVE THE PETITION AND SAY, OH, I DON'T WANT TO LOSE MY HOME.
THEY'RE GONNA GO TO NITA'S OFFICE AND REDEEM THE PROPERTY.
UM, SO THAT'S BEEN MY EXPERIENCE.
SO I SUSPECT PROBABLY AT, AT MOST WE'RE LOOKING AT MAYBE 10 TO 15, ASSUMING THOSE PERCENTAGES HOLD OUT, WHICH THEY MAY OR THEY MAY NOT.
I MEAN THAT'S, UH, KIND OF READING THE TEA LEAVES, BUT I THINK THAT ABOUT 50 TO 60% YOU CAN EXPECT ARE GONNA, YOU KNOW, PAY UP AND, YOU KNOW, MOVE ON.
SO THAT, WHICH IS GOOD, YOU KNOW, OBVIOUSLY RECEIVING THAT MONEY IS THE KEY.
SO WHETHER IT'S AT AN OPTION OR JUST ON, YOU KNOW, THE PAYMENTS RECEIVED FROM THE PRIOR OWNER TO REDEEM THE PROPERTY, YOU KNOW, EITHER WAY WE, UH, YOU KNOW, WE'RE, WE'RE GLAD TO HAVE THEM CATCH UP.
UH, UH, THE TOWN ATTORNEY, UH, DURING THE BUDGET PROCESS, YOU ESTIMATED, HOW MUCH DID YOU SAY WOULD COLLECT 2 MILLION? ABOUT TWO 2 MILLION, INCLUDING, UH, TAX INSTALLMENT AGREEMENTS.
YOU THINK BY THE END OF THE YEAR WE'LL HAVE REACHED, YOU KNOW, THAT GOAL OF COLLECTING 2 MILLION, 2 MILLION? I THINK IT'S REASONABLE, ABSOLUTELY.
THE ONE THING THAT I DON'T KNOW THAT I'LL HAVE TO ASK VENITA IS IF YOU REMEMBER WE SENT OUT THOSE NOTICES, UM, PROBABLY SEVEN OR EIGHT MONTHS AGO.
WE SENT THE LETTERS JUST TO ALL THE TAXPAYERS SAYING, HEY, WE'RE GONNA BE MOVING FORWARD.
AND THAT WAS ON THE ENTIRE LIE LIST.
UM, SO THOSE PAYMENTS WERE ALL MADE TO THE TAX COLLECTOR'S OFFICE.
UM, SO THAT'S NOT SOMETHING, I KNOW WHAT THE NUMBERS LOOK LIKE, BUT THERE'S A CHANCE THAT, UH, MORE THAN HALF OF THAT OR MORE HAS BEEN RECEIVED.
UM, BUT I'VE GOTTA TALK TO VENITA TO SEE IF SHE CAN PULL THAT TOGETHER.
UM, BUT BASED ON WHERE WE'RE AT RIGHT NOW, THE NUMBER'S ABOUT 800,000.
YOU KNOW, OBVIOUSLY WE HAVE TO LOOK AT THE SURPLUSAGE, BUT, UM, I THINK THAT'S THE KEY THOUGH, IS THAT PAYMENTS ARE COMING IN.
'CAUSE I KNOW WHEN WE SENT THAT LETTER, WE RECEIVED A BUNCH OF PHONE CALLS, UM, JUST SAYING, HEY, I WANT TO PAY THIS.
AND I SAID, OKAY, WELL YOU'VE GOTTA CALL VENITA, GO INTO HER OFFICE AND YOU CAN HANDLE IT.
BUT I, I DON'T ACTUALLY HAVE A REPORT STATING HOW MUCH WAS CAUGHT UP AT THAT POINT.
SO, YOU KNOW, IT'S ALL A PROCESS, BUT I'M ONLY INVOLVED IN SO MUCH OF IT.
SO I CAN CHECK TO FIND OUT HOW CLOSE WE ARE JUST BASED ON, UM, INSTALLMENT AGREEMENTS AND REDEMPTIONS THAT HAVE BEEN DONE, YOU KNOW, OVER THE LAST YEAR OR SO.
UH, YOU KNOW, UM, THE OTHER QUESTION I HAD IS, UM, YOU KNOW, AGAIN, THIS IS A VERY SLOW PROCESS.
IS THERE ANYTHING THAT WE COULD DO OR YOUR OFFICE COULD DO TO EXPEDITE IT? YOU KNOW, PUTTING MORE PEOPLE ON STAFF, YOU KNOW, WHAT, YOU KNOW, I'M JUST SORT OF WONDERING IF, YOU KNOW, WE WANTED TO GO, YOU KNOW, YOU KNOW, REALLY AGGRE THE MOST AGGRESSIVE APPROACH POSSIBLE.
WHAT COULD WE DO? ANYTHING THAT WOULD DIFFERENTLY TO COLLECT THE MONEY FASTER BECAUSE MY FAILURE OR, YEAH, SO MY THOUGHT ON THAT IS, UM, AND OBVIOUSLY I WANT TO GET THE TOWN BOARD'S INPUT, WHAT WE CAN DO IS FOR THE NEXT, UM, BATCH OF FORECLOSURES, RATHER THAN DOING IT BY YEAR, WE CAN GET TITLE REPORTS AND JUST GO THROUGH THE ENTIRE LIEN LIST FILE, THE REMAINING LIEN LIST THROUGH 2024.
AND, YOU KNOW, RATHER THAN PARCELING IT OUT BY TWO YEARS, LIKE THE PLAN WAS, YOU KNOW, OBVIOUSLY THAT'S GONNA TAKE MORE TIME.
'CAUSE WE'RE GONNA NEED, I MEAN, WE'RE LOOKING AT HUNDREDS OF PROPERTIES, SO IT'S GONNA BE HUNDREDS OF TITLE REPORTS, YOU KNOW, WHICH OBVIOUSLY IS GONNA BE A CHUNK OF MONEY.
UM, WE'RE USING MAVEN ABSTRACT, SO THEY'VE DONE A GOOD JOB.
IT'S ABOUT 250 A TITLE REPORT, SO IT'LL BE AN EXPENSE UP FRONT, BUT IT ALL GETS, YOU KNOW, ALLOCATED OUT OVER THE SALE PRICE.
UM, SO THAT WAS THE KIND OF THOUGHT I HAD.
IF WE REALLY WANT TO PUSH THIS FORWARD, IT'S GONNA TAKE LONGER TO FILE THAT PROCEEDING BECAUSE WE'RE LOOKING AT HUNDREDS, IF NOT A THOUSAND PARCELS.
BUT I THINK THAT WOULD BE A WAY TO JUST GET IT ALL FILED.
AND THEN FROM THERE, YOU KNOW, WHEN WE GET TO NEXT YEAR, UM, WHEN THE 2025 LIEN IS RIGHT, WE FILE 25, AND THEN FROM THERE IT'S JUST YEARLY.
SO I THINK THAT WOULD PUT US IN, UH, GOOD STEAD.
IT'S JUST GONNA, IT'S GONNA BE A BEAR.
AND I'VE GOT A, YOU KNOW, A COUPLE OF MY PARTNERS I'M TYING IN AT THIS POINT JUST TO, YOU KNOW, GET THAT ASSISTANCE.
SO, UM, WE DEFINITELY CAN STAFF IT IF NEEDED.
UM, BUT YOU SEE, I, I WOULD LIKE THAT, I, I THINK THAT WE SH WE SHOULD, UH, BE AS AGGRESSIVE AS, UM, POSSIBLE.
WHEN WE DID THE FORENSIC, WHEN WE GOT THE FORENSIC REPORT,
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THIS WAS, UM, YOU KNOW, THE BIGGEST CONTROVERSY OF THE YEAR, UH, THE WAY WE, YOU KNOW, HAVE BEEN HANDLING THE FORECLOSURES.AND I FEEL THAT, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE TO LET THE PUBLIC KNOW THAT WE LEARN FROM, UH, FROM THE FORENSIC REPORT, AND WE'RE DOING EVERYTHING POSSIBLE TO COLLECT, UH, ALL THE BACK TAXES AS QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE.
SO MY VOTE WOULD BE, UH, TO AUTHORIZE YOU TO, UM, UH, DO EVERYTHING POSSIBLE TO SPEED THIS UP.
UH, BECAUSE THEN AT LEAST IT SHOWS THAT WE LI YOU KNOW, WE LISTENED AND THEN WE COULD BASICALLY, YOU KNOW, I'D LIKE TO SEND A FOLLOW UP REPORT TO THE STATE CONTROLLER AND JUST LET THEM KNOW, BECAUSE LET THEM KNOW, UM, UH, THAT THIS IS THE ACTION WE'RE, WE'RE TAKING, WE'RE TAKING IT SERIOUSLY, AND WE, WE ARE FOLLOWING IT UP, AND WE'RE GOING TO DO THIS AS QUICKLY AS AS POSSIBLE.
YOU KNOW, WE'RE NEVER GOING TO COLLECT EVERYTHING IMMEDIATELY, BUT I FEEL THAT IF WE DO THE, UM, YOU KNOW, IF WE, WE DO EVERYTHING POSSIBLE NOW, UH, WE'LL GET A LARGER CHUNK.
IT WILL HELP US, UH, NEXT YEAR'S, UM, YOU KNOW, BUDGET.
UM, SO THERE'S ANYBODY ON THE BOARD DISAGREE WITH ME.
I DON'T, BUT THE SOLUTION TO THIS WOULD'VE BEEN FIRING THE PRIOR ATTORNEY TAKE 15 YEARS AGO.
WE HAVE TO LOOK, WE HAVE TO GO FORWARD.
YOU KNOW, THE, WE, WE ALREADY MADE A DECISION.
SO THE ISSUE RIGHT NOW ON THE TABLE IS, ARE WE GONNA AUTHORIZE, UM, OUR COUNSEL TO, UM, EXPEDITE THE, UM, UH, YOU KNOW, THE PROCESS AND DO ALL OF THE FORECLOSURES ALL AT ONCE? AND, AND JUST TO CLARIFY, DYLAN, THAT WOULD BE AFTER 14 AND 15, RIGHT? JUST SO WE STAY ON TRACK WITH A DECEMBER AUCTION FOR 14 AND 15 AND THEN PROCEED 16 THROUGH CURRENT, ESSENTIALLY, BECAUSE WE ALREADY HAVE THAT DECEMBER DATE BOOKED.
AND THEN MY PROJECTIONS ARE OFF, AND THEN THAT'S FINE.
WE COULD, WE COULD BASICALLY, WE HAVE A DELAY.
WE COULD BASICALLY SAY, YOU KNOW, WE'RE GOING TO DO, YOU KNOW, WHAT, 14 AND 15 DECEMBER, RIGHT? AND THEN AFTER THAT WE COULD SAY JUST, AND THEN WE COULD SEND LETTERS TO EVERYBODY, UM, WHO OWES MONEY AND SAY, WE JUST WANNA LET YOU KNOW, WE'VE HAD ONE AUCTION, WE HAD ANOTHER ONE, AND NOW WE'RE GOING, UH, AS AGGRESSIVELY AS, UM, AS THE COURTS ALLOW.
UM, SO, YOU KNOW, PLEASE PAY UP.
I THINK, I THINK IF WE DID THAT, IT WILL SPEED IT UP AND IT ALSO WILL HELP US, UM, YOU KNOW, WHEN WE'RE DEALING WITH A BUDGET.
BECAUSE NOW WE, YOU KNOW, IT WOULD BE INTERESTING IF BASED ON THE EXPERIENCES WE'VE HAD WITH THE FIRST AUCTION, MAYBE UH, WE COULD HAVE A BETTER PROJECTION AS TO HOW MUCH, YOU KNOW, WE'RE GONNA TAKE IN BEFORE, BEFORE I FINALIZE THE, THE BUDGET IN OCTOBER.
WELL, WE CERTAINLY WON'T RECOVER $30 MILLION, NO.
OR THREE $6 MILLION, UM, BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, SO MUCH TIME HAS ELAPSED, BUT WE'LL RECOVER A PORTION.
AND UNFORTUNATELY, BECAUSE AS AS YOU MENTIONED THE SUPREME COURT RULING, WHICH DICTATED THAT WE COULD NOT KEEP AS, KEEP ANYTHING WE'VE COLLECTED, WE HAVE TO RETURN ANYTHING OVER THE VALUE CORRECT.
OF, OF THE, THE HOME TO THE, UH, CAN'T COLLECT THE SURPLUS, RIGHT? YEAH.
WE CAN'T COLLECT THE SURPLUS NO LONGER.
SO WE, WE DON'T HAVE THAT, UM, MECHANISM ANY LONGER TO HELP COMPENSATE FOR THAT LOSS.
BUT WE NEED TO BE CLEAR, YOU KNOW, IT SOUNDS LIKE, WELL, WHY WOULD YOU WANT TO KEEP THE SURPLUS? IT'S BECAUSE WE ALSO HAVE TO EAT THE LOSS.
SO IF A HOUSE DOESN'T SELL OR A PROPERTY DOESN'T SELL FOR WHAT THEY'RE OWED IN BACK TAXES, WE'VE ALREADY PAID OUT SCHOOL TAXES AND FIRE TAXES AND ALL THE REST OF THE TAXES.
AND IF IT DOESN'T SELL FOR THE AMOUNT THAT WE ARE, PUT THE LIEN ON FOR, IT MEANS THAT THE REST OF THE TAXPAYERS PICK UP THAT LOSS BEFORE IT BASICALLY BALANCE ITSELF OUT.
BECAUSE YOU MIGHT HAVE A LOSS ON THIS PROPERTY, YOU MIGHT HAVE A GAIN ON THE OTHER PROPERTY, BUT SINCE 2024 AND THESE THINGS GO BACK TO 2013, UM, WE WEREN'T ALLOWED TO DO THAT.
WE HAVE TO EAT THE LOSS AND GIVE BACK THE SURPLUS.
UH, SO YOU HAD MENTIONED EARLIER THAT THERE'S NO WORK THAT WAS DONE ON STARTING AT WHAT YEAR, SO YOU DON'T HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT ANY, UH, PRIOR BAD ACTS, UH, 2014 ONWARDS.
SO WE'RE, WE'RE THERE AT THIS POINT, BUT WE HIRED THAT ATTORNEY IN 2014, SO THERE'S BEEN NOTHING.
SO WE PAID, YOU KNOW, LET'S BE FOR CLEAR, IT'S PAUL'S FRIEND.
WE PAID, WE PAID, PLEASE STOP MAKING A PERSONAL ATTEMPT.
IT'S NOT A PERSONAL ATTEMPT, IT'S THE FACT, BUT, SO WE PAID SOMEBODY $497,000 AND WE HIRED THEM IN 2014.
AND THERE'S NOTHING TO SHOW REGARDING HELPING YOU MOVE SOME OF THESE PRIOR PROPERTIES.
AND THAT'S WHY THERE WAS DELAY ON THIS ONE.
AND YOU HAVE TO GO SLOWLY BECAUSE YOU NEED TO GET IT RIGHT.
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CORRECT.SO WE ALSO HAD TO GO THROUGH AND WORK ON THE LIEN LISTS, UM, THAT WERE ULTIMATELY FILED WITH THE COURT FOR 14 AS WELL.
SO THAT WAS A PROCESS WITH, YOU KNOW, GOING THROUGH THE TEXT DEPARTMENTS, UM, FILES, WHAT THEY HAVE ON THE LIST AND ENSURING IT LINES UP.
AND WHAT MADE THIS ONE A LITTLE TRICKY WITH SO MUCH, UH, SUCH A BIG GAP WAS THERE'S BEEN A LOT OF TRANSFERRING OF PARCELS, BUT ALSO THERE'S JUST CHANGE OF OWNERSHIP.
A BATCH OF THEM ACTUALLY WE'RE PART OF THE AUCTION IN 2015 OR 2018, SO IT LOOKS LIKE THERE WAS ONE AUCTION FROM SOME POINT, LET'S SAY 2010 ONWARDS, WHICH WOULD'VE BEEN 2018.
UM, SO THOSE PARCELS CAME THROUGH AND ONCE WE STARTED GOING THROUGH AND, YOU KNOW, DOING OUR DUE DILIGENCE, WE REALIZED THERE WAS A CHUNK OF THEM THAT THE TOWN ALREADY OWNS THAT WERE ON THE LIEN LIST.
SO WE HAD TO, YOU KNOW, GO BACK, REMOVE THOSE.
SO IT'S, YOU KNOW, BEEN A PROCESS IN PREPPING THE LIEN LIST, BUT ALSO JUST DOING THE DUE DILIGENCE ON WHO, WHO'S BASICALLY ACCRUED LIENS OVER THE LAST 15 YEARS, YOU KNOW, 10 YEARS AND, AND JUST MOVING FORWARD FOR 2014 AND FORWARD ARTICLE 11 AND REAL PROPERTY TAX LOSS, HIGHLY TECHNICAL, NO, THERE IS NOTHING LEFT THAT WE CAN USE TO PROCEED.
WE HAVE TO DO START FROM SCRATCH.
SO THEN DYLAN WILL KNOW EXACTLY WHAT'S THERE, WHAT'S NOT THERE, HOW DO, HOW DO WE MOVE FORWARD? SO I, I MADE THE POINT BEFORE IS YOU'VE DONE NOTHING WRONG BECAUSE YOU INHERITED THESE BEST, UM, MISTAKES OR, OR SOME OF THEM ARE JUST NOT NON-PERFORMANCE.
BUT I ALMOST WANNA MAKE SURE THAT EVERYONE KNOWS THAT THE AUCTION COMPANY THAT WE'RE NOW USING, UH, DID NOTHING WRONG.
EITHER THEY JUST HAVE OR THEY'RE AUCTIONING, WHATEVER WE GIVE THEM BASED ON THE INFORMATION WE HAVE, CORRECT? CORRECT.
AND WITH THE AUCTION, I MEAN, ABSOLUTE IS THE GOLD STANDARD ACROSS THE STATE.
SO THEY REPRESENT, UH, THE LION'S SHARE OF COUNTIES AND CITIES ACROSS THE STATE.
SO THEY'RE VERY GOOD AT WHAT THEY DO.
AND REALLY PART OF THE ISSUE YOU RUN INTO WITH SUCH, I DON'T WANNA CALL THEM ANCIENT LIENS 'CAUSE I WOULDN'T SAY THEY'RE ANCIENT YET, BUT WITH THESE OLDER LIENS, IS THAT FOR SMALLER PARCELS, WHICH YOU'LL SEE, THE ONES THAT DIDN'T SELL ARE MOSTLY LIKE ZERO ZEROED OUT PARCELS, MEANING IT'S RAW LAND OF PROBABLY LESS THAN AN ACRE OR SUBSTANTIALLY LESS OFTEN.
UM, SO WHAT YOU RUN INTO IS A LOT OF THOSE PARCELS HAVE MORE LIENS THAT ARE OWE FOR TAXES THAN WHAT THE ACTUAL VALUE IS.
UM, SO THE IMPETUS FOR SOMEONE TO, TO BID ON IT IS PRETTY LOW.
'CAUSE REALLY THE POINT OF BEING PART OF THESE AUCTIONS IS THAT YOU'RE GOING TO GET A DECENT PROPERTY AND YOU'RE PAYING SUBSTANTIALLY LESS THAN YOU OTHERWISE WOULD FOR IT.
SO THAT'S, UM, PART OF THE ISSUE THAT CERTAINLY HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH, YOU KNOW, ABSOLUTE AUCTIONS OR, YOU KNOW, ANYONE DOING ANYTHING WRONG ON THAT FRONT.
AS FAR AS THE AUCTION WENT AND ABSOLUTE AUCTIONS DID WIN A BID, THIS WENT OUT TO OTHER AUCTIONEERS AS WELL, AND ABSOLUTE WAS DEEMED THE LOWEST RESPONSIBLE BIDDER.
LEMME ASK YOU, AM I, LET ME A QUESTION ABOUT, UH, OH, YOU HAVE A QUESTION? YEAH, AM THANK YOU.
AM I CORRECT THAT, UM, SOME OF THE PROPERTIES SOLD DESPITE THE FACT THAT THEY HAD LIENS ON THEM? DID I HEAR THAT OR AM AM I MISTAKEN? SO YOU'RE SAYING LIENS OUTSIDE OF TAXES OWED TO THE TOWN OF, OF ITEMS OWED TO OTHER PEOPLE, DYLAN, IS THAT ACCURATE? I DON'T RECALL.
UM, I DON'T, SO THERE WAS DEFINITELY A LOT OF BACK AND FORTH ON SOME OF THE PARCELS, BUT THAT MORE HAD TO DO WITH PROOF OF SERVICE AND PROVIDING THAT, BECAUSE THE WAY IT WORKS IS THAT A, SO A FORECLOSURE PROCEEDING ONCE THE DEED IS PROVIDED TO THE TOWN, IS GOOD EVIDENCE THAT PROCEDURALLY IT WAS DONE PROPERLY.
HOWEVER, THAT DOESN'T BECOME, QUOTE UNQUOTE THE LAW AND UN CHALLENGABLE UNTIL TWO YEARS RUN.
SO THAT WAS REALLY WHAT WE WERE RUNNING INTO, IS THAT WE HAD, YOU KNOW, PARTICULARLY ONE BIDDER THAT WAS SAYING, OH, IT HASN'T BEEN TWO YEARS THAT THE TOWN HELD ONTO THIS PARCEL.
SO IT'S NOT GOOD TITLE AND WE NEED BETTER PROOF THAT SERVICE WAS DONE PROPERLY.
UM, WHICH, YOU KNOW, WE OBVIOUSLY, I THINK EVERYONE'S SEEN THE EMAILS ON THAT, BUT, UM, YOU KNOW, AT THE END OF THE DAY, I, I DON'T KNOW ANYONE THAT TAKES OWNERSHIP, UM, AFTER A FORECLOSURE FOR A MUNICIPALITY AND HOLDS IT FOR TWO YEARS.
'CAUSE YOU'RE TAKING ON A LIABILITY, WHICH IS VERY DANGEROUS FOR PARCELS THAT MIGHT BE INHABITED.
UM, IF SOMEONE GETS HURT, SOMETHING HAPPENS, THE TOWN'S GONNA BE LIABLE FOR THAT.
SO, AND I I, I WAS ACTUALLY THINKING, YOU KNOW, WELL BEFORE YOU BECAME INVOLVED THAT I HAD HEARD THAT FLOATING AROUND.
BUT AGAIN, THAT'S WHY I'M CONFIRMING IT.
I THOUGHT THAT IN YOUR INVESTIGATIONS WE COULD, WE COULD, WE COULD TAKE A LOOK AT THAT FURTHER, BUT,
[00:25:01]
UM, WE HAVEN'T SEEN THAT RECENTLY.LET ME ASK YOU, LET, LET ME ASK YOU A QUESTION ABOUT ABSOLUTE AUCTIONS.
I KNOW THAT THE FEE THAT THEY GET IS PAID FOR, UH, BY THE PURCHASER, RIGHT? NOT THE TOWN? CORRECT.
IT'S A PERCENTAGE OF THE, UH, THE WINNING BID THAT THEY GET PAID AS A BUYER'S PREMIUM.
SO, SO THEY'RE BASICALLY GETTING A PERCENTAGE OF THE 855,000, IS THAT IT? UM, NO, SO ON TOP OF THAT, SO WHATEVER THE BIDS WERE, SO HERE IT WAS 859, I THINK WAS THE EXACT NUMBER THAT I'VE GOT WRITTEN DOWN.
SO BASED ON THEY HAD 7% AND ONE OF THE PROPERTIES WAS AN 8% BUYER PREMIUM, THEY WOULD'VE BILL, SO IT'S BASICALLY BILLING AN ADDITIONAL 60,000.
SO IT DOESN'T COME OUT OF THE TOWN'S MONEY.
IT'S A NUMBER ON TOP OF THAT, UM, IS THE WAY TO THINK ABOUT IT.
LET ME, LET ME ASK A QUESTION.
UM, IF WE'RE, IF YOU KNOW, IT WAS $60,000 THAT THEY'RE, THEY'RE GETTING, UH, FOR BASICALLY THREE SALES, WOULD WE BE BETTER OFF, UM, UH, NOT USING THEM AND DOING IT INTERNALLY, UM, FOR THE NEXT AUCTION? BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, IF WE HAVE, IF IF THEY'RE GETTING $60,000 FOR THREE, UH, FOR THREE SALES, MAYBE, UM, IF WE DID IT INTERNALLY WITH OUR OWN, UM, YOU KNOW, STAFF, YOU KNOW, MAYBE, UM, MAYBE WE COULD, YOU KNOW, WE COULD, YOU KNOW, SAVE SOME, SOME, YOU KNOW, WE COULD ACTUALLY GET MORE MONEY FOR OURSELVES.
I DON'T THINK ANY OF OUR STAFF, THOUGH, HAVE THE EXPERTISE TO WELL, TO ACCOMPLISH THAT.
WELL, YOU KNOW, HOW DIFFICULT IT, IT, YOU KNOW, IS, IS IT TO LEARN? BECAUSE I'M JUST SAYING IF WE'RE, WE'RE GONNA BE DOING A LOT, WE'RE GONNA BE DOING A WHOLE BUNCH OF AUCTIONS IN THE FUTURE, AND, YOU KNOW, THIS COULD BE, UM, A WAY OF, YOU KNOW, GENERATING, YOU KNOW, SIX FIGURES FOR THE TOWN, UH, USING EXISTING STAFF.
YOU KNOW, I'M, I'M, I'M JUST WONDERING IF WE, IF THERE'S A WAY OF TRAINING THEM, UM, AND, UM, YOU KNOW, AND GOING, SINCE WE'RE GONNA BE DOING THE FORECLOSURES EVERY SINGLE, UM, UM, YOU KNOW, YEAR, THIS IS NOT GONNA BE A ONE TIME ONLY, UH, I THINK THE FIRST STEP WOULD BE CHECKING THE TECHNICAL REQUIREMENTS WITH IT, PROBABLY BECAUSE AGAIN, THESE ARE ONLINE AUCTIONS THAT GO DOWN TO THE WIRE AND I DON'T KNOW EVEN KNOW IF WE HAVE THOSE CAPABILITIES, WE CAN MANAGE THAT.
SO, YOU KNOW, MAYBE, MAYBE WE, YOU KNOW, WE, IT'S NOT JUST ONE PERSON AS AN AUCTIONEER.
IT, IT'S, YOU'VE GOT OUR, WE HAVE TO THINK OUT OF THE BOX IF WE'RE GONNA, UH, KEEP THE TAXES LOWER.
AND THIS IS ONE, ONE OPTION THAT SHOULD BE, UM, YOU KNOW, PURSUED.
I MEAN, I, WE HAVE STAFF AND, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE PEOPLE WHO ARE COMPETENT AND I THINK THEY COULD LEARN IT AND WE COULD MAKE MORE MONEY OUT OF THIS.
IT'S, IT'S PROBABLY GONNA, I MEAN, WE TALKING ABOUT A LOT OF MONEY THAT'S GONNA BE, UH, THAT THE TOWN POSSIBLY COULD RECOUP.
SO IT'S JUST, IT'S, IT'S SOMETHING THAT MAYBE YOUR OFFICE COULD LOOK AT.
WE WILL LOOK INTO IT ON, ON FIRST THOUGHT.
I DON'T THINK THAT WILL BE POSSIBLE, BUT I UNDERSTAND YOUR CONCERN ABOUT COST SAVINGS AND THAT IS A SIGNIFICANT AMOUNT OF SUM OF MONEY.
SO WE WILL LOOK INTO IT AND REPORT TO THE BOARD IF IT THERE'S ANY POSSIBILITY OF THAT.
AND, YOU KNOW, THAT WOULD BE, UH, YEAH, THAT WOULD BE GREAT.
ANYBODY ELSE HAVE ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? NO, THANK YOU.
SO YOU'LL GET US THE, THE TOTAL DOLLAR AMOUNT SO THAT WE COULD REPORT IT TO THE COMMUNITY.
ONCE WE GET THAT PULLED TOGETHER.
AND, SORRY, I'M BEING BLINDED BY MY BLINDS RIGHT NOW.
YEAH, IT COULDN'T BE ANY WORSE.
AND I JUST WANT TO COMMEND DYLAN AND HIS STAFF FOR A LOT OF HARD WORK OVER THE PAST YEAR.
AND DYLAN, IF IF ANYTHING COMES UP OUT OF THE UNEXPECTED, ANY DELAYS WHATSOEVER, PLEASE LET ME KNOW AND PLEASE LET THE TOWN BOARD KNOW SO WE COULD REMEDY THAT IMMEDIATELY.
BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, BASED ON THE FORENSIC AUDIT, WE JUST WANNA MAKE IT THE HIGHEST PRIORITY TO, TO COLLECT THESE TAX DOLLARS.
AND ANOTHER THING IS BE BETWEEN NOW AND, UH, THE END OF OCTOBER.
IF YOU COULD TRY GIVING US WHAT YOU THINK WOULD BE A, A PROJECTION, SINCE WE'RE GONNA BE GOING VERY AGGRESSIVELY IN 2020, UH, SEVEN, THEN I COULD INCLUDE THOSE FIGURES IN THE BUDGET AND THAT COULD HELP US A LOT IN THE 2027 BUDGET.
UH, UH, WE HELD OVER, UH, THE, UH, NORTH WASHINGTON, UM, SIDEWALK, AND I'M WONDERING IF WE COULD CALL HIM, YOU KNOW, FRANK MOTO, UH, AND ASK HIM TO GIVE US A UPDATE ON, UM, YOU KNOW, ON WHY WE HAD TO SPEND $95,000 FOR, YOU KNOW, FOR THE EXTRA, YOU KNOW, CONTRACTS, YOU KNOW, AND WHY SOME OF THIS CAN'T BE DONE INTERNALLY.
I DO BELIEVE THAT'S ON NEXT WEEK'S AGENDA, BUT I, I DON'T KNOW IF FRANK'S AVAILABILITY,
[00:30:01]
I MEAN, IT'S, WE HAVE THE TIME NOW.IF, I WONDER IF WE COULD HAVE SEEN, IF HE'S AVAILABLE.
I DON'T NECESSARILY HAVE TIME.
WELL, WELL, YOU KNOW, HAL, SAM IS HERE AND YOU KNOW, THE THING IS, HE, YOU KNOW, HE, WE'VE BEEN TELL SAYING THAT WE'RE GONNA ASK THE QUESTIONS, AND I THINK THAT WE HAVE, YOU KNOW, I MEAN, THIS IS AN IMPORTANT ISSUE.
YOU WERE ASKING ABOUT MECHANICS, RIGHT? I'M SORRY.
YOU WERE ASKING BEFORE ABOUT MECHANIC LOANS.
YOU WANT YOU COME UP MECHANICS LOANS.
I DON'T KNOW WHAT YOU'RE SAYING.
WHAT THAT I WAS ASKING ABOUT MECHANICS LIENS ON THE TITLE.
YOU WERE ASKING ABOUT MECHANICS LIENS.
I, I HEARD WE'RE STILL GOING OUT, SO YOU NEED TO TURN THAT ON.
I WAS, YOU WERE TALKING ABOUT MECHANICS LIENS, WEREN'T YOU? IN ADDITION TO THE TAXES THAT ARE OWED, THERE COULD BE LIENS FROM OTHER NEIGHBORING MUNICIPALITIES AS WELL, RIGHT? OR, BUT IT COULD BE, OH, I SEE WHAT YOU'RE SAYING.
SOMEONE PLUMBING NEVER GOT PAID AS WELL AS YEAH, WE HAVE TITLE INSURANCE ON THESE, DON'T THEY? YEAH.
SOMEONE THE TITLE REPORTS WILL SHOW OH, THE OTHER INSURANCE.
SO THAT'S A BIG JOB OF THE AUCTIONEER, WHICH COULD ELIMINATE IT'S TO HIRE THE TITLE REPORT.
IT'S JUST HIRING A TITLE REPORT IS NOT A BIG JOB.
YEAH, NO, I, I, I WAS SPEAKING SPECIFIC TO, TO OUR, BUT THAT'S A GOOD POINT.
UH, THE OTHER QUESTION I HAD IS, UM, YOU KNOW, CAN OTHER PEOPLE ASK QUESTIONS? SURE.
ACTUALLY, I JUST HAD A COUPLE OF HOUSEKEEPING THINGS TO BRING UP IF WE HAVE A FEW MINUTES.
AND ONE OF THEM HAS TO DO WITH OUR CLERK.
UM, I ASKED, UH, HOLLY TO COMPARE HER LIST OF BOARD AND COMMISSIONS WITH, WITH WHAT'S ON THE WEBSITE, AND SHE MADE A LIST AS TO ONES THAT ARE NOT CURRENTLY ON THE WEBSITE.
SO WE CAN DO THAT COMPARISON AND MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE UP TO DATE ON THE WEBSITE WITH OUR BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS, BUT WE SHOULD ALL STILL, STILL GO THROUGH THE MEMBERS OF THE ONES THAT WE ARE LIAISONS TO BECAUSE THERE'S ON THE AGENDA.
WELL, I HAVE, BUT IT'S NOT BEEN PICKED UP.
SO HOLLY DID DO THAT COMPARISON JUST AS A FIRST STEP.
AND THE OTHER ITEM I HAD IS WHEN WE WERE DOING THE SORT OF SURVEY OF WHERE WE COULD DO POSTERS OR THINGS OF THAT NATURE, I FOUND THESE ROLLING BOARDS, THEY ARE ROLLING, UH, YOU KNOW, UH, CORK BOARDS WHERE YOU CAN HAVE A WHITEBOARD ON ONE SIDE AND THERE'S A CORKBOARD ON THE OTHER, AND YOU CAN PUT UP ALL KIND.
AND WE HAVE ROOM FOR TWO IN THE LOBBY AREA, SO THAT WOULD ELIMINATE THE NEED TO PUT THINGS ON THE GLASS OR, YOU KNOW, THAT WAY THE COMMUNITY COULD HAVE MORE OPPORTUNITY.
BUT THE ONLY ADVANTAGE OF PUTTING IT ON, UH, THE WINDOW IS LIKE WHEN I SPOKE TO COLBY JENKINS WITH THE FARMER'S MARKET, UH, YOU KNOW, SOME, IF, IF YOU PUT IT ON THE WINDOW AND SOMEBODY'S COMING HERE AT SEVEN O'CLOCK AT NIGHT, UM, AND THE BUILDING IS CLOSED, THEY'LL SEE THAT THERE'S, UH, FREE PRODUCE, UM, YOU KNOW, BEING GIVEN OUT.
IT'S GIVING HER MORE PUBLICITY.
THE, WE COULD PLACE IT IN A WAY WHERE EVEN IF THE BUILDING'S CLOSED, IT'S VISIBLE SO THAT PEOPLE COULD SEE IF THEY COME TO THE DOOR, OR WE COULD HAVE A BOARD OUTSIDE, YOU KNOW, WE COULD HAVE IT, WE COULD HAVE IT RIGHT OUTSIDE, YOU KNOW? RIGHT, RIGHT OUT IN, RIGHT OUTSIDE THE BUILDING.
SO THIS WAY THAT THEN IT'S SUBJECT TO THE WEATHER CONDITIONS.
BUT IF IT'S JUST INSIDE THE DOOR, NO, I'M SAYING BETWEEN, IT COULD BE, RIGHT, THERE COULD BE LIKE A LITTLE BOARD, UH, UNDER THE, LIKE THE CAN, AND THIS WAY YOU COULD SAY FARMER'S MARKET FREE PRODUCE IN AUGUST.
IT'S NOT JUST FOR THE FARMER'S MARKETS FOR, LET'S JUST TALK ABOUT THE META
LET'S JUST TALK ABOUT IN GENERAL, WHATEVER WE, YOU KNOW, COMMUNITY EVENTS, WHATEVER WE WANNA PUT UP, WE'LL BE ABLE TO DO IT IN A WAY THAT DOESN'T OBSTRUCT THE GLASS, ET CETERA, ET CETERA.
SO I ACTUALLY LIKE DOWNLOADED SOME SPECS FROM STAPLES OR WHATEVER, AND I CAN GET THAT TO YOU.
UM, YEAH, THE SECOND THING IS, UM, YOU KNOW, RON T VER, UM, UM, AND, UM, SOME OTHER PEOPLE KEEP ASKING ABOUT THE BACK DOOR PICKUP OF, UM, THE, YOU KNOW, THE GARBAGE OH, YEAH.
THAT'S, THAT IS A, A, AN ITEM THAT WE SHOULD PUT ON THE AGENDA FOR NEXT WEEK.
IF WE, IF WE COULD PUT IT ON FOR NEXT WEEK, THAT WOULD BE GRACE.
THE ORIGINAL EMAIL THAT YOU SENT ABOUT MS. WEEM TALKED ABOUT HER WANTING TO HAVE, UH, LARGE ITEMS REMOVED, WHICH IS DIFFERENT FROM RECYCLABLES.
SHE WANTS, SO IT WASN'T LARGE, A LARGE PICKUP ITEM.
LIKE, UH, NO, SHE, SHE, SHE ASKED FOR, LIKE, SHE SAID EVERY WEEK, DID SHE DEFINE RECYCLABLES? BECAUSE MAYBE A LARGE ITEM COULD BE RECYCLED PAPER BOXES, YOU KNOW.
SO NOT A ONE TIME THING WHERE YOU HAVE SOMETHING IN YOUR HOME.
SO THAT DOES ACTUALLY BEG THE QUESTION OF IF WE DO DO BACK, UH, DOOR PICKUP FOR GARBAGE, I WOULD IMAGINE WE COULDN'T SAY THAT.
WE DON'T ALSO DO IT FOR RECYCLING.
I MEAN, WELL, LET'S HAVE THE DISCUSSION NEXT WEEK TO MAKE IT CONSISTENT OR WHATEVER, BUT SO, SO WE'LL ASK, MAYBE IT COULD ALL BE DONE IN ONE DAY.
YEAH, WELL, IT DOESN'T HAVE TO BE DONE IN ONE DAY.
WE DON'T WANNA HAVE TO KEEP SETTING OUT A
[00:35:01]
SEPARATE TRUCK.THE MECHANICAL ARM IS NOT DESIGNED FOR SOMEBODY TO GET OUT OF THE TRUCK AND THEN THROW THE GARBAGE IN.
NO, BUT YOU COULD DO IT ON ONE DAY.
BUT YOU KNOW, WE, RIGHT NOW WE DON'T USE A MECHANICAL, UH, UH, TRUCK FOR THE GARBAGE, FOR THE BACK DOOR PICKUP BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, THE, THE TRUCKS CAN'T GET TO SOMEBODY'S KITCHEN.
SO, UH, WHAT WE'VE DONE IS WE'VE, THIS HAS BEEN GOING ON PROBABLY FOR AT LEAST I'D SAY 10 YEARS OR LONGER.
UM, IF THERE'S GARBAGE AND SOMEBODY'S DISABLED OR THEY'RE ELDERLY, UM, AND THEY GET A DOCTOR'S NOTE, UH, WE WILL GO TO THE SIDE AND PICK IT UP.
BUT, YOU KNOW, FOR SOMEBODY WHO'S FEEBLE, UM, YOU KNOW, THE RECYCLING IS VERY DIFFICULT.
WELL, WHAT ARE YOU ALL CONCERNED? WHY DIDN'T WE PUT IT ON THE AGENDA FOR NEXT WEEK? NO, THAT'S GREAT.
INSTEAD OF HAVING DISCUSSION NOW, THAT'S YES, I'M JUST, NO, IT'S GREAT.
I'M SURPRISED THAT THIS HASN'T COME UP BEFORE.
IF WE HAD THIS POLICY FOR 10 YEARS, THAT THE RECYCLING ASPECT HAS, I'VE BEEN BRINGING IT UP FOR SEVEN, EIGHT MONTHS.
THE POLICY HAS NOT BEEN FOLLOWED.
AND I BELIEVE THAT THE TOWN ATTORNEY'S OFFICE IS LOOKING AT THE PRIOR POLICY AND HOW IT NEEDS TO BE, UM, AMENDED, CORRECTED, FIXED, OR WHATEVER.
UM, YOU KNOW, THE NEXT THING IS, UM, I DID WRITE A LETTER TO THE STATE CONTROLLER'S OFFICE, UM, AND THEY DID RESPOND, UM, I THOUGHT THE NEXT THING WAS THE MOTION FOR EXECUTIVE SESSION.
NO, NO, I'M JUST SAYING THAT I JUST WANTED EVERYBODY TO KNOW THAT I WROTE TO THEM AND I ASKED THEM, UM, FOR, UM, UM, YOU KNOW, TO, TO REVIEW, UM, OUR, THE APPROACH WE'RE TAKING RELATING TO THE NON-COMPETITIVE, UM, BID FOR EAST HEART DEALER.
IT WAS WROTE THE, AND YOU KNOW, THEY BASICALLY INDICATED THAT THEY DON'T, WHEN I SPOKE TO THEM, UM, THAT THEY'RE NOT, THEY DON'T, UM, YOU KNOW, ISSUE OPINIONS, BUT WHEN THEY DO THE AUDITS, UH, THEY WILL, UH, REVIEW MY, UM, YOU KNOW, MY LETTER AND THEN, UM, AND THEN, UH, TAKE THE POINTS INTO CONSIDERATION.
WELL, YOU, YOU HAD ASKED MY OFFICE TO WRITE A LETTER AS WELL, WHICH WE ARE PLANNING ON GOING OUT TOMORROW.
WHAT, WHAT TYPE OF LETTER, A LETTER DETAILING THE FACTS ABOUT EAST HARTSDALE AVENUE, WHAT WORK HAS BEEN DONE, WHAT WORK IS LEFT TO DO, AND IF IT COMPLIES WITH ALL STATUTORY AND LEGAL REQUIREMENTS AND FOR EMERGENCY STATUS.
AND AGAIN, OUR CONTRACT WAS THE EMERGENCY AND ON-CALL SEWER WATER.
RESTORATION AND REPAIRS, VERY, VERY LONG TITLE.
UM, WE WE'RE CONFIDENT'S LEGAL BASED ON THE SUPERVISOR'S REQUEST.
WE'RE GOING OUT TO GET A SECOND THAT OPINION, BUT THAT'S, I APPRECIATE THAT.
WE'VE DONE MANY HOURS OF RESEARCH ON THAT.
ARE YOU SAYING THAT THE, THE STATE CONTROLLERS, 'CAUSE YOU DIDN'T INCLUDE THE GENTLEMAN ON YOUR LETTER WHERE YOU SAID TO US THAT THEY WON'T GIVE US AN OPINION THAT WAS THE TOWN BOARD OR THE TOWN OF GREENBURG OFFICIALLY ADOPTED AND SENT.
THEY WON'T GIVE US AN OPINION ON WHAT'S IN THE FORENSIC REPORT, BUT THEY WILL RESPOND TO YOUR INFORMAL PHONE CALL.
RE IT WASN'T A FORMAL PHONE CALL REQUEST OR DID YOU PUT IT IN WRITING? I PUT IT IN WRITING.
IT WAS IN, I, I SENT THE, I THINK I SENT THE BOARD, THE BOARD A COPY.
A COPY OF THE, SO THEY WILL ACT ON YOUR INDIVIDUAL REQUEST TO THEM TO LOOK INTO EAST DALE AVENUE.
'CAUSE YOU'D LIKE TO, WHEN THEY DO THE AUDIT, WHEN THEY DO AN AUDIT OF, THEY WILL NOT LOOK AT THE WRONGDOINGS THAT WERE, THERE'S WRONGDOINGS FORENSIC REPORT.
WELL, I DON'T THINK, I THINK WHAT'S BEING SAID IS THAT THEY'RE NOT GOING TO NO, THAT'S WHAT HE SAID.
NO, THEY'RE NOT GOING TO DO IT.
ONLY DURING AN AUDIT WILL THEY OPINE IT.
AND YOU KNOW WHAT? THEY MAY ASKED FOR AN AUDIT.
WE ASKED FOR THEM TO, BECAUSE OUR, THE FORENSIC AUDITORS DID NOT WANT TO DO AN AUDIT.
'CAUSE THEY'D HAVE TO DIG DEEPER.
SO WE THEN ASKED THE CONTROLLER TO GIVE AN OPINION AND, AND CONSIDER AN AUDIT OF THOSE SAME ITEMS SO THAT WE WOULD GET AN OPINION BACK.
WELL, MAYBE IF, IF THEY EVER, IF THEY EVER DO, IF THEY EVER DO AN AUDIT, THEY COULD LOOK AT EVERYTHING, WHICH WOULD INCLUDE, UH, WHICH WOULD INCLUDE, UH, THE NO BID, UM, EMERGENCY CONTRACTS.
AND, YOU KNOW, WE EVEN, AND NO MATTER HOW MANY TIMES YOU SAY THAT, PAUL, IT'S NOT TRUE, WE BID IT TO MURANO BROTHERS.
AND NOW WHAT YOU WANT TO DO, WHAT YOU WANNA DO IS TO REBID AN ALREADY BID CONTRACT BECAUSE IT DOESN'T FIT YOUR NARRATIVE OPEN.
HE SAID COULD NOT DO TWO JOBS, IS NOT ONLY DOING THE MAJORITY OF THE INSPECTIONS, HE'S ALSO SAVING THE TOWN A TREMENDOUS, MILLIONS AND MILLIONS OF DOLLARS ON EAST DALE AVENUE.
BUT YOU'D RATHER SLOW DOWN THAT PROCESS SO IT DOESN'T GET DONE.
THE GOAL IS TO HAVE THAT DONE BY THE START OF THE SCHOOL YEAR.
BUT NOW YOU'VE ALREADY CAUSED A TWO WEEK DELAY BECAUSE YOU WANT TO SEE WHETHER OR NOT THERE'S NO BID CONTRACT.
FIRST OF ALL, FOR, FIRST OF ALL, I, RIGHT NOW, THIS IS OPEN-ENDED.
UH, WE BASICALLY, THERE'S NO MAXIMUM AMOUNT THAT'S, UH, THAT IS BEING, UH, UM, UH, AUTHORIZED.
UH, WE, IT, IT BASICALLY, IT COULD BE 5 MILLION, IT COULD BE 8 MILLION, IT COULD BE 12 MILLION.
WE HAVE NO, WE HAVE NO IDEA WHAT IT'S GONNA BE.
I FEEL THERE SHOULD, I DON'T HAVE A PROBLEM WITH, UM, UH, WITH THE COMPANY MURANO.
I THINK THEY'VE, THEY, I'VE BEEN PLEASED WITH THE QUALITY OF THE WORK THAT THEY'VE DONE.
[00:40:01]
WHEN WE'VE USED THEM.BUT I BASICALLY FEEL THAT EVERYTHING SHOULD BE BID.
AND I FEEL THAT THIS IS PROBABLY A VIAL.
I HAD A MEETING OF THE PROCUREMENT COMMITTEE YESTERDAY, EXCEPT IT A BID.
NO, BUT LEMME SAY I HAD A MEETING, AN AD HOC COMMITTEE, THE PROCUREMENT COMMITTEE, THE PROCUREMENT, AND I INVITED, I NOTIFIED ALL THE BOARD MEMBERS, UH, UH, THAT THEY COULD SHOW UP.
I, I ASKED, UH, THE COMMISSIONER OF PUBLIC WORKS TO COME, HE DIDN'T SHOW UP, UM, UM, BECAUSE HE SAID THERE WAS AN EMERGE EMERGENCY, BUT I SPOKE TO HIM LIKE I WALKED INTO HIS OFFICE 10 MINUTES BEFORE THE MEETING STARTED.
UM, SO, YOU KNOW, MY FEELING IS THAT, UM, EVERYONE ON THE PROCUREMENT COMMITTEE, WHICH INCLUDES PEOPLE WHO, UH, HA WERE, HAD CABINET, UH, POSITIONS IN MAYOR CIO'S, PO OFFICE AND MAYOR DINKIN'S OFFICE, PEOPLE WHO ARE PROCUREMENT EXPERTS, EVERYBODY BASICALLY, WHO HAS EXPERIENCE IN, UH, AS, AS EXPERTS SAID, YOU CAN, UM, DO AN EMERGENCY CONTRACT TWO AND A HALF YEARS AFTER, UH, TWO YEARS AFTER UNDERSTOOD CONTRACT, AFTER.
BUT WE ALSO HAVE THE OPINION OF OUR TOWN ATTORNEY WHO IS, WANTS TO PROTECT THE TOWN FROM, IF WE WERE TO, TO, UH, DO THIS UNDER AN EMERGENCY STATUS AND WE ACTUALLY DID NOT, UM, QUALIFY FOR THAT, WE WOULD BE, UH, LIABLE FOR THAT.
SO I, I HAVE FAITH THAT OUR TOWN ATTORNEY IS TRYING TO PROTECT US AS WELL AS THE RESIDENTS BY GETTING THIS DONE QUICKLY AND WITHIN THE, WITH THE PROPER QUALIFICATION CLASSIFICATION OF BEING AN EMERGENCY.
SO WHAT WILL CONVINCE YOU? I'M JUST CURIOUS, WHAT WILL CONVINCE YOU THAT IT ACTUALLY IS, UH, ALLOWED TO BE UNDER THE EMERGENCY STATUS? WELL, IF THE STATE CONTROLLER'S OFFICE SAYS TO US, UM, IN WRITING THAT, UM, THAT EVERYTHING'S WE'RE IN COMPLIANCE, THEN I'D SAY, DID YOU TALK, DID THE STATE CONTROLLER HAVE ALL THE FACTS THOUGH? SOME, I I THOUGHT I GAVE THEM THE FACTS.
YOU TALKED ABOUT THE PUMPS THAT KEEP FAILING.
DO YOU KNOW, DID YOU TALK ABOUT THE PUMPS THAT KEEP FAILING? YES.
LET JUST SAY SOMETHING IN, IN WRITING.
CAN WE SEE THAT? LET LET ME SAY SOMETHING.
ONE OF THE THOUGHTS THAT I HAD, WHICH BEFORE WEDNESDAY'S MEETING, AND I THINK THIS COULD, YOU KNOW, CLEAR IT UP, IS LET'S SAY YOU REACHED OUT TO THE STATE CONTROLLER'S OFFICE AND WE BASICALLY, UM, INVITED THE COMMISSIONER, UH, YOU KNOW, FRANK MODO TO, UH, UH, TO SHOW UP.
WE HAVE AN OPEN MEETING, UM, OF THE TOWN AT THE WORK SESSION NEXT TUESDAY.
UH, WE ASK IF THE STATE CONTROLLER COULD SEND SOMEBODY FROM THE ILLEGAL OFFICE, UH, TO THE MEETING BY ZOOM OR IN PERSON.
WE COULD THEN ALL, ANYBODY COULD ASK ANY QUESTIONS WE WANT.
PEOPLE ON THE PROCUREMENT COMMITTEE COULD ATTEND AND THEY COULD SAY WHAT THEY WANT BECAUSE I SORT OF FEEL, I FEEL THEN WE, AND THEN WE COULD SAY, ALL WE'RE ASKING FOR IS GUIDANCE.
THEY COULD SAY WE'RE DOING IT PROPERLY OR WE'RE NOT DOING IT PROPERLY.
IF THEY SAY, YOU KNOW, EVERY, IT SOUNDS TO ME THAT THE TOWN IS DOING EVERYTHING PROPERLY, THEN IT'S THEN, THEN, UH, WE, WE DID OUR DUE DILIGENCE AND WE WON'T HAVE TO WORRY THAT A YEAR FROM NOW THERE'LL BE AN AUDIT AND THEY'LL, THEY'LL, UH, THEY'LL FIND THAT THE TOWN DID SOMETHING ILLEGAL.
THAT TO ME, WOULD BE THE IDEAL SITUATION BECAUSE DO YOU KNOW WHAT, THERE'S A LOT OF EVERYBODY AT THE MEETING YESTERDAY AT THE PROCUREMENT MEETING, AND THAT'S WHY I WANTED THE TOWN BOARD THERE.
WHO WAS THERE? WHO WAS THERE? WE, WE HAD, WE HAD OVER 10, ABOUT 10 PEOPLE THERE.
AND WHO, WHAT WERE THEIR NAMES? WE'RE GONNA GET, THEY'RE GONNA, THEY'RE, THEY'RE WRITING IT UP.
BUT WE HAVE, UM, PEOPLE, UH, EVERYONE HAS EXPERTISE.
AND I WILL, UH, UH, I WILL, WE WILL, UH, PROVIDE THE SUMMARY WITH THE NAMES OF THE PEOPLE ON THE COMMITTEE.
BUT THESE ARE NOT PEOPLE WHO ARE, UM, UM, YOU KNOW, POLITICAL.
THESE ARE PEOPLE WITH PROCUREMENT, UM, EXPERTISE.
CAN I RESPOND TO A FEW ITEMS? YEAH.
SO ONE IS WE'VE SPENT A CONSIDERABLE AMOUNT OF TIME DRAFTING THIS LETTER THAT YOU ASKED TO DRAFT.
SO I'D PREFER TO JUST SEND THE LETTER OUT AT THIS POINT, IF I WERE THEIR LEGAL COUNSEL, I WOULD NOT ACCEPT GOING TO A MEETING AND ANSWERING LEGAL QUESTIONS ON THE SPOT IN AN OPEN SESSION.
I THINK IT'S BETTER TO REVIEW THE DOCUMENTATION AND THEN TO RESPOND.
BUT THE PROBLEM THAT WE HAVE IS THAT WE HAVE TO MAKE WE'RE WE HAVE TO CAST A VOTE NEXT WEDNESDAY TO, BECAUSE LAST WEEK IT WAS AN INFORMAL RIGHT.
SO I I I COULD, I COULD GIVE YOU EVEN MORE UPDATES ON THAT.
I MEAN, I DO HAVE OTHER COMP CONTROLLER'S OPINIONS THAT SPEAK ABOUT EMERGENCY WORK, HOW WE ARE CONFINED.
YOU HAVE A WHAT? A CONTROLLER'S, WHAT OPINION? OH, OLD ONES.
YOU SAID THEY DON'T GIVE OPINIONS OLD ONES.
THEY, THEY DON'T DO THEY THEY HAVE, THEY'VE STOPPED DOING IT A FEW YEARS AGO, RIGHT? YEAH.
I'M TALKING ABOUT 30, 40-YEAR-OLD OPINIONS.
THEY, THEY, THEY DON'T DO IT ANYWAY.
I HAVE FOUND THERE'S NO CASE LAW SUPERSEDING THOSE CASES.
SO THEY WOULD STILL HOLD APPROPRIATE AND BASED ON OUR SAME.
AND COURTS RELY ON THEM TOO, RIGHT? THEY DO.
AND BASED ON OUR FACT PATTERN, I SUSPECT WILL BE FOUND THE SAME WAY THAT THOSE WERE FOUND.
THEY DON'T, THEY TOLD ME THAT THEY WON'T.
NO, I, I, I, I UNDERSTAND WHAT YOU'RE SAYING.
I'M JUST SAYING, BUT BASED ON OUR FACT PATTERN WITH THE OLDER COMP CONTROLLER'S OPINIONS, THAT WAS PART OF THE GUIDANCE FROM MY OFFICE THAT WE FELT WE DID NOT NEED TO GO OUT TO BID A SECOND TIME.
BUT I DO WANNA POINT OUT, YOU ARE CORRECT THAT THIS IS NOT AN OPEN-ENDED CONTRACT.
THE TOWN BOARD DOES NEED TO APPROVE ANOTHER AMOUNT OF MONEY IN A RESOLUTION,
[00:45:01]
HOPEFULLY NEXT WEEK.THAT DETAILS HOW MUCH YOU ARE SAYING MURANO CAN SPEND UP TO.
AND THEY ONLY HAVE THE AUTHORITY TO GO TO THAT LEVEL, JUST LIKE ANY OTHER CONTRACT THAT YOU APPROVE.
BUT THEN THEY'LL, THEN THEY COULD ALWAYS SAY, OH, BY THE, JUST LIKE WE DO WITH THE LEGAL CONTRACTS, IT GOES, STARTS OUT AND WE'LL SAY IT COULD EVEN THE 5 MILLION AND THEN ANY CONTRACT, IF THERE IS ADDITIONAL WORK, THEN THEY HAVE A RIGHT.
BUT AGAIN, THE ORIGINAL BID, THE ORIGINAL BID WAS BASED ON COST AND MATERIALS.
AND THERE IS A BASIS TO FORM THAT NUMBER.
IT'S NOT JUST PULLING A NUMBER OUTTA THE AIR.
MAYBE I SHOULD READ WHAT, WHAT WE RECEIVED FROM THE COMMISSIONER OF, UH, PUBLIC WORKS.
IT SAYS, DEAR TOWN BOARD, UH, IS HOT OFF THE PRESS.
I JUST RECEIVED THE FINAL ESTIMATE, ESTIMATED TIME AND MATERIALS PROPOSAL FROM MURANO FOR THE EMERGENCY REPAIR WORK AT 100 EAST HARTSDALE AVENUE.
THE ESTIMATED COST OF THE PROPOSAL IS $5.16 MILLION AND INCLUDES ONE PRICING FOR THE C CAMP PILE, RETAINING WALL TWO PRICING FOR C CAMP PILE, RETAINING WALL BRACING.
THREE ONSITE SERVICES FOR THE REMOVAL OF, OF SPOILS AND SUPPORT FOR THE DRILL RIG.
FOUR, VIBRATION MONITORING, FIVE, MANHOLE INSTALLATION AND BACKFILL.
SIX, SURVEYING AND ENGINEERING SERVICES.
SEVEN, MAINTENANCE AND PROTECTION OF TRAFFIC.
EIGHT PROJECT SUPERVISION FOR AN ESTIMATED SIX MONTH CONSTRUCTION PERIOD.
NINE SITE RESTORATION ALLOWANCE.
THE ESTIMATED COST OF 5.165 MILLION FOR THE IN-PLACE REPAIR IS ABOUT $20 MILLION LESS THAN THE SEWER REROUTE.
THAT WOULD HAVE COST ESTIMATED AT 24 TO SIX 26 MILLION.
AND REQUIRED INSTALLING THE INSTALLATION OF NEW SEWER MAINS AROUND THE BUILDING.
MASSIVE CHIPPING OF ROCK RECONSTRUCTION OF THE BUILDING, SEWER LATERALS, AND LONGER CONSTRUCTION TIMELINES.
DPW AND MURANO HAVE BEGUN PREPARATION WORK, INCLUDING THE WATER DEPARTMENT'S, RELOCATION OF THE HYDRANT AT ONE 19 EAST HARSDALE AVENUE, THE FINALIZATION OF THE TRAFFIC AND PEDESTRIAN ACCESS PLANS, AND WORKING WITH UTILITY COMPANIES FOR MARK OUTS AND ANY RELOCATIONS.
I WILL CONTINUE TO KEEP THE TOWN BOARD INFORMED AS ADDITIONAL INFORMATION BECOMES AVAILABLE.
FRANK MOTO, COMMISSIONER OF THE DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC WORKS.
WHAT'S NOT MENTIONED HERE IS WHEN HE SAYS THE RELOCATION OF THE LATERALS, IF WE DID GO AROUND THE BUILDING, THAT WOULD'VE BEEN ABOUT $600,000 TO THE COST OF THE PEOPLE IN 100 EAST DALE AVENUE.
NOW, OF COURSE, THEY WOULD WANT TO GET THAT BACK FROM US AT SOME POINT, UH, OR AT LEAST, UH, FILE A SUIT TO DO SO.
THAT COST TO THE BUILDING, UM, IS AVOIDED BY DOING THE REPAIR AS OPPOSED TO GOING AROUND THE BUILDING AND GOING AROUND THE BUILDING WOULD'VE TAKEN US OUTSIDE THE SCOPE OF THE EMERGENCY AND ON-CALL CONTRACT AS WELL.
SO THERE WAS NO DOUBT, AND THAT'S WHY THE CONTROLLER INITIALLY SAID THIS HAD TO GO OUT TO BID, IS BECAUSE SHE THOUGHT WE WERE GOING AROUND THE BUILDING.
THAT'S NOT A REPAIR GOING AROUND THE BUILDING.
REROUTING THE PIPES ENTIRELY IS A DIFFERENT PROJECT.
SHE HA SHE WOULD REQUIRE TO GO TO BID.
AND LIZ GARRITY AT THE LAST WORK SESSION MENTIONED THAT.
AND THEN LI UH, THE CONTROLLER CAME DOWN HERSELF AND CONFIRMED IT, IS THAT THAT WAS HER BELIEF.
AND AFTER LIZ GARRITY SAID, THAT IS NO LONGER HER OPINION, UH, WITHIN FIVE MINUTES LATER YOU READ AGAIN HER OPINION PRIOR TO SAYING I, THE CONTROLLER'S OPINION PRIOR TO HER SAYING THAT'S NOT THE CASE ANYMORE.
NOW THAT THERE'S A REPAIR, NOW THAT WE HAVE EVIDENCE OF THE PUMPS FAILING, INCLUDING A WEEK AGO MONDAY.
AND THE BACKUP OF SEWAGE WAS, IS A REAL MESS FOR THE BUILDING OWNERS TO CLEAN OUT.
UM, AND NOW THERE'S WATER ARBITRATION, WHICH MAY BE COMING FROM A COUNTY WATER MAIN, UH, THAT'S RIGHT NEAR THAT FACILITY.
ALL OF THESE THINGS LEND ITSELF TO A CONTINUED EMERGENCY AT A REPAIR THAT IS NECESSARY.
AND THERE'S A PLAN TO GET THIS DONE BEFORE ALL THE TRAFFIC AND SCHOOL BUSES IN THE SCHOOL YEAR.
WE'VE LOST TWO WEEKS ALREADY BECAUSE OF YOU WANTING TO DO THIS WHOLE DISCUSSION ABOUT REBIDDING.
UH, BUT WE'RE HOPING WITHOUT ANY FURTHER DELAY, WE CAN FINALLY PUT AN END TO THE EAST HARSDALE AVENUE NIGHTMARE THAT THOSE PEOPLE ARE EXPERIENCING.
[00:50:01]
I DON'T WANNA WASTE MONEY AND BASICALLY 5.16 MILLION, MAYBE IT'S, IF WE DID A BID, MAYBE IT WOULD BE $3 MILLION INSTEAD OF $5 MILLION OR $2 MILLION.UM, AND I ALSO FEEL THAT, UM, YOU KNOW, THE, YOU KNOW, THE TOWN BOARD, UH, SHOULD DIRECT THE TOWN ATTORNEY TO PURSUE LEGAL ACTION AGAINST THE CONSULTANTS THAT WE'VE HIRED.
WE SHOULD BE GETTING AN ESTIMATE.
HOW MUCH DID WE SPEND ON THIS, UH, UH, DURING THE PAST? UH, BECAUSE SO FAR I, WE, WE ARE LOOKING INTO THAT BASED ON LAST WEEK'S DISCUSSION.
THAT'S A VALID, BUT I THINK, I THINK PAUL, THAT'S AGREED.
BUT LEMME SAY, CAN YOU, I'M SAYING FOR NEXT, FOR NEXT WEEK, BECAUSE I'VE ASKED, I ASKED THE COMMISSIONER YESTERDAY, UM, AND I ASKED, UM, UH, YOU KNOW, I'VE ASKED OTHERS.
I SAID, HOW MUCH HAVE WE SPENT SO FAR ON ALL THE CONSULTANTS? HOW, BECAUSE WE HIRED NOT ONLY A CONSULTANT, UH, YOU KNOW, UH, UH, WHO SPECIALIZES IN THIS, BUT WE ALSO HIRED, UM, UM, UH, A SEPARATE FIRM THAT DID A, AN INDEPENDENT, UH, REVIEW OF THE WAY WE WERE HANDLING THIS.
AND THEY DIDN'T FIND THAT YOU NEEDED A CAMERA.
UH, YOU KNOW, SO YEAH, WE BA SO WE BASICALLY WASTED MILLIONS OF DOLLARS SO FAR, UH, WHEN THE REPAIR WASN'T AS, YOU KNOW, THIS COULD HAVE BEEN DONE IN TWO MONTHS OR THREE MONTHS.
IT COULD HAVE BEEN A COUPLE MONTHS JOB, UM, TWO YEARS AGO.
AND, YOU KNOW, SO I'M JUST SORT OF WONDERING, I THINK WE SHOULD HAVE AN INVESTIGATION TO FIND OUT WHAT WENT WRONG AND THEN WE SHOULD OWN UP TO THE FACT THE TOWN ATTORNEY ALREADY SAID, WE'RE LOOKING INTO IT.
WHY DO YOU HAVE TO BELIEVE IT? I, I'M ASKING, THAT'S FINE.
COULD WE MAKE, COULD WE MAKE OUR REVIEW PUBLIC? BECAUSE I THINK THE PUBLIC HAS A RIGHT TO KNOW, UH, IF WE SCREWED IT UP AND HOW WE SCREWED UP.
I, I WILL LET THE BOARD KNOW OUR FINDINGS AND THEN THE BOARD CAN DECIDE IF THAT'S PUBLIC'S WITH, WOULD YOU ALSO, SINCE YOU DON'T WANT TO WASTE MONEY, BE WILLING TO DO A SIMILAR INVESTIGATION INTO THE FORMER ATTORNEY WHO WE NOW LEARNED WAS HIRED IN 2014 AND WAS PAID $497,000 AND DID, DID NOTHING TO STOP US FROM BEING $30 MILLION IN THE WHOLE.
WELL, YOUR FRIEND DON'T MAKE EVERYTHING PERSONAL AND YOU KNOW, IF YOU'RE HAVING, BUT, BUT WOULD YOU LIKE, LIKE TO, YOU KNOW, WHAT WOULD, EVERYTHING YOU'RE DOING IS YOU, SOMETIMES I WORRY ABOUT YOU BECAUSE BASICALLY, UH, BECAUSE ALL YOU'RE DOING IS YOU'RE SO OBSESSED WITH MAKING PERSONAL ATTACKS ON REALLY CONCERNED.
I WOULD LIKE TO MAKE A MOTION FOR EXECUTIVE SESSION FOR THE PURPOSE OF DISCUSSING PERSONNEL MATTERS INVOLVING SPECIFIC INDIVIDUALS, AND TO SEEK LEGAL ADVICE ON VARIOUS MATTERS.
CAN I MAKE A CLARIFYING COMMENT? I HAVE A SECOND.
DO YOU HAVE A SECOND? ALL IN FAVOR? AYE.