[00:00:01]
WELCOME, UH, TO TONIGHT'S, UH, TOWN BOARD MEETING.UH, RIGHT NOW IT'S, UH, SEPTEMBER 23RD AT SEVEN 40, UH, PM SORRY THAT WE WERE, UH, 10 MINUTES, UH, YOU KNOW, LATE.
UM, AND COULD WE PULL UP THE AGENDA ON THE SCREEN? WELL, THE FIRST IS DESIGNED TO BE THE, UH, PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE.
[ PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE]
OKAY.SO LET'S START WITH THE PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE.
PLEDGE ALLEGIANCE, FLAG OF THE UNITED AMERICA TO THE REPUBLIC PUBLIC, OF WHICH IT STANDS.
ONE NATION, NATION UNDER GOD, INDIVISIBLE, THE WITH LEVERAGING ME AND JUSTICE.
[ ROLL CALL: Town Clerk]
NEXT, WE'RE GONNA HAVE, UH, UM, A ROLL CALL, UH, JUDITH.COUNCIL SUPERVISOR PAUL FINER.
PRESENT COUNCILWOMAN DIANA HUTTNER.
SO GINA JACKSON IS NOT PRESENT.
SO, COUNCILWOMAN GINA JACKSON PRESENT.
WELL, DO YOU WANNA ANNOUNCE THE, UH, THE CHANGE IN OUR MEETING DATE? NOVEMBER.
WE'RE BASICALLY, UM, UH, HAVE A MEETING OCTOBER 14TH AT, UH, 7:30 PM ANOTHER MEETING ON OCTOBER 28TH AT 7:30 PM AND NOVEMBER'S A HOLIDAY MONTH.
THERE'S A BUNCH OF HOLIDAYS, SO WE'RE GONNA BE MEETING AT 7:30 PM ON NOVEMBER 10TH AND NOVEMBER, UH, 24TH.
UM, PAUL, UH, SUPERVISOR FINER.
I'M SORRY, I FORGOT TO CALL OUR TOWN.
I FORGOT TO CALL OUR TOWN ATTORNEY.
[ MOMENT OF SILENCE Gerard "Rod" O'Shea, 86, died on September 9, which was his and Madelon's 53rd wedding anniversary. Rod proudly served our country (Air Force, Korean War) and our community (former President of the Edgemont Association, Edgemont Community Council Silver Box recipient, Chair of the Council of Greenburgh Civic Associations, and town committees too numerous to mention). He was a skilled broadcaster, writer, devoted husband, father and grandfather, and advocate for many causes, including good government, Gold Star Mothers, Veterans and Disabled Veterans. May he rest in peace, for a life well-lived, devoted to helping others. In memory of All the victims (200,000+) of the COVID-19 Pandemic]
NEXT WE'RE GONNA HAVE, UM, A MOMENT OF SILENCE FOR, UH, RAHE.UM, HE UNFORTUNATELY, AND SADLY DIED ON SEPTEMBER 9TH, WHICH WAS HIS AND MADELINE'S 53RD WEDDING ANNIVERSARY.
UM, ROD, UH, PROUDLY SERVED OUR COUNTRY IN THE AIR FORCE, THE KOREAN WAR, AND OUR COMMUNITY.
FORMER PRESIDENT OF THE EDGEMONT ASSOCIATION, EDGEMONT COMMUNITY COUNCIL, SILVER BOX RECIPIENT CHAIR OF THE COUNCIL OF GREENBERG CIVIC ASSOCIATION ON TOWN COMMITTEES TO NUMEROUS, UH, TO MENTION HE WAS A SKILLED BROADCASTER, A WRITER, A DEVOTED HUSBAND, A FATHER, A GRANDFATHER, AN ADVOCATE FOR MANY, UH, UH, CAUSES A MENTOR TO YOUNG PEOPLE.
HE INCLUDED, UM, GOOD, WHICH INCLUDED GOOD GOVERNMENT, GOLD STAR MOTHERS, VETERANS, AND DISABLED VETERANS.
HE REST IN PEACE FOR A LIFE WELL, UH, LIVED DEVOTED TO ALWAYS HELPING OTHERS.
UH, PAUL, I WOULD ALSO LIKE TO SAY THAT I, I REMEMBER THAT ROD'S ADVOCACY FOR HIS FELLOW VETERANS AND FOR THOSE WITH DISABILITIES WHEN, UH, WHEN LEGISLATION WAS BEFORE THE BOARD.
AND SOMETIMES HE WAS ADVOCATING FOR SOME OF THAT LEGISLATION BEFORE, IT WAS BEFORE THE BOARD WROTE.
ROD SPOKE ABOUT MANY TOPICS AND CHALLENGED THIS BOARD ON MANY OCCASIONS, AND HE WILL BE MISSED.
YEAH, I, I WOULD ALSO, AND MY CONDOLENCES TO MADELINE AND, AND THE FAMILY TOO.
I ALSO WANNA SAY THAT, UH, HE HAD SUCH A PROFESSIONALISM ABOUT HIMSELF.
HE ACTUALLY TALKED ABOUT DOING LOCAL, UH, NEWS NEWSPAPERS, YOU KNOW, SIMILAR TO THE ONES YOU SEE ALL OVER THE PLACE NOW IN STANDS BEFORE ANYBODY REALLY THOUGHT ABOUT IT.
AND HE WAS A, HE WAS, UH, WELL BEFORE HIS TIME, HE WAS A BROADCASTER FOR MANY, MANY YEARS.
UM, HE WAS AN ACCOMPLISHED WRITER, AND IT'S A SHAME THERE.
NOW IT GETS ME A LITTLE, UM, IT, IT, IT'S A BIT EMOTIONAL USING THE TERM WAS FOR, UH, FOR ROD, BECAUSE HE WAS ALWAYS PRESENT IN THE MOMENT.
HE WOULD SIT, UH, GENERALLY IN THE BACK OF THE ROOM, LIKE MANY PEOPLE DO AT OUR AUDITORIUM.
UM, AND THE NICE THING ABOUT ROD WAS YOU NEVER HAD TO WONDER WHAT HIS OPINION WAS.
YOU KNOW, HE TOLD IT LIKE HE SAW IT AND WHETHER HE HE WANTED TO HEAR IT OR NOT.
AND YOU HAVE TO ADMIRE SOMEBODY WHO DOES THAT.
AND, FRANKLY, ON SO MANY OF THE ISSUES, HE WAS SPOT ON.
AND HE, HE REALLY ENJOYED, UM, YOU KNOW, ADVOCATING
[00:05:01]
FOR GOOD GOVERNMENT, UM, CERTAINLY FOR THE VETERANS AND FOR THE GOLD STAR MO MOTHERS.AND HE WAS A MEMBER OF THE, UH, DISABLED AMERICAN VETERANS GROUP.
THERE WERE SO MANY THINGS THAT, YOU KNOW, AS THE OBITUARY SAYS, IF HE STARTED TO LIST ALL OF HIS ACCOMPLISHMENTS, YOU KNOW, WE, WE'D BE HERE ALL NIGHT.
UH, HE WAS JUST, HE WAS JUST A GENTLEMAN AND EVERY TYPE OF GROUP, HE'LL BE SORELY MISSED IN THE COMMUNITY.
UM, NEXT, UM, WE'RE GONNA HEAR FROM JAMES NOLAN.
WE'RE ALSO GONNA HAVE A MOMENT OF SILENCE FOR THE VICTIMS OF C OVID 19.
NOW, MORE THAN 200,000 AMERICANS, UM, DIED MORE THAN 6 MILLION INFECTED.
[ PRESENTATION James Nolan - Michael Nolan Law, enacted by Yonkers and White Plains to authorize forfeiture of vehicles involved in drag racing]
WE'RE GONNA HEAR A PRESENTATION FROM, UM, MICHAEL NOLAN.UM, YOU KNOW, UH, I'M SORRY, FROM JAMES NOLAN.
UM, HE'S GONNA TALK ABOUT MICHAEL NOLAN LAW ENACTED BY BOTH YONKERS AND WHITE PLAINS TO AUTHORIZE THE FORFEITURE OF, UM, VEHICLES INVOLVED IN GREG RACING.
SADLY, UM, UM, MR. NOLAN, UM, MICHAEL NOLAN, UH, DIED AS A RESULT OF, UH, UH, HORRIBLE INCIDENT.
AND, UH, JAMES IS GOING TO TELL US ABOUT THIS.
WELL, THANK YOU FOR HAVING ME.
UM, THE 2017 LAW THAT WAS SIGNED INTO ACT AND YONKERS, IT, UH, WAS CRAZY AFTER MY BROTHER WAS KILLED, UH, DUE TO A DRAG RACE THAT WASN'T HIS, THAT LED TO A SHOOTING.
UH, SO IN 2017, FORMER COUNCILMAN JOHN LARKIN AND THE REST OF THE YONKERS CITY COUNCIL, UH, CAME UP WITH THIS LAW.
AND SINCE THEN, THEY'VE HAD SUCH GREAT SUCCESS WITH IT THAT, UH, YONKERS WAS ALWAYS KNOWN AS LIKE A HOTSPOT FOR DRAG RACING CAR MEETS, ET CETERA.
AND, UH, SINCE THEN THEY'VE BEEN VERY SUCCESSFUL AND STOPPING IT.
OCCASIONALLY HAVE THE ONE OR TWO THAT WE'LL TRY AND TEMPTED.
BUT MY GOAL WITH THIS LAW WAS TO START BRANCHING OUT TO OTHER MUNICIPALITIES, WHICH WE DIDN'T WANT TO CAUSE THE BURDEN TO GO INTO ANYBODY ELSE.
WE KNOW CENTRAL MU IS A BIG STRIP THAT CAN HAVE A LOT OF, UH, TRAFFIC WITH IT.
AND, UM, THIS LAW HAS BEEN SO SUCCESSFUL SINCE MAY TO DATE THIS YEAR ALONE, YONKERS AND OTHER LAW ENFORCEMENT, UH, AGENCIES IN THE COM, IN YONKERS AREA HAVE GIVEN OUT OVER 1400 SUMMONSES BECAUSE OF THIS LAW, AND HAVE CONFISCATED 10 CARS.
SO I STARTED BRANCHING
SO YOU HAVE TO GO LITERALLY EVERY CITY TO CITY VILLAGE, VILLAGE TOWN TO TOWN TO HAVE A WHOLE, UH, CONNECTED GROUP.
AFTER WHITE PLAINS, INCLUDING GREENBURG, SEVEN OTHER MUNICIPALITIES, UH, REACHED OUT AND SAID THAT THEY WANT TO HAVE THE LAW.
AND I'VE BEEN WORKING IT AROUND LITTLE BY LITTLE.
AND WITH THIS LAW, IT GIVES THE POLICE SEND
THEY HAVE THE RIGHT TO CONFISCATE THE VEHICLE AND POSSIBLY SELL AT AUCTION.
IF A JUDGE FINDS THE PERSON GUILTY, ALSO ALLOWS, UH, TWO WEEKS POSSIBLE JAIL TIME, DEPENDING ON THE SEVERITY OF IT, AND UP TO A $2,000 FINE.
AND LIKE I SAID, THIS WILL, THIS WILL HELP PROTECT A LOT OF PEOPLE AND SAVE A LOT OF PEOPLE'S LIVES.
IT'S BEEN KNOWN THAT THERE'S BEEN QUITE A FEW INCIDENTS WHERE DRAG RATES JUST HAPPEN, AND IT'S ALWAYS THE INNOCENT PERSON THAT ARE ALWAYS TAKEN OR HURT, YOU KNOW? SO THIS IS SOMETHING THAT WILL GO A LONG WAY.
AND AS A COMMUNITY, IT SHOWS THAT, YOU KNOW WHAT, EVEN IF YOU DON'T LIVE IN YONKERS, YOU DON'T LIVE IN WHITE PLAINS, THAT GREENBURG IS ONE OF THEM THAT'S GONNA ADAPT THIS TO HELP PREVENT THIS FROM HAPPENING TO ANYBODY ELSE.
SO THIS WILL GO EXTREMELY FAR, AND IT WOULD, IT WOULD BE AN HONOR BECAUSE MY BROTHER'S ANNIVERSARY IS ACTUALLY TWO WEEKS AWAY FROM HIS FIFTH YEAR ANNIVERSARY, AND I DON'T WANT ANYBODY ELSE TO GO THROUGH THIS PAIN OR THIS TRAGEDY, OR GET HURT OR THEIR LIFE TAKEN BECAUSE THESE ACTS ARE UNLAWFUL.
I'VE SHOWN PROOF OF $50,000 RACES.
I'VE SHOWN PROOF OF CARS BEING IMPORTED FROM DIFFERENT COUNTRIES.
THIS IS SOMETHING THAT IS, THEY FEEL IS A LIFESTYLE TO THEM.
IT'S, THIS IS NOT DRIP FAST AND THE FURIOUS.
YOU KNOW, THEY WANNA PUT SOMEBODY AT RISK, THEY'RE GONNA HAVE TO FEEL IT WHERE IT HURTS, AND THAT'S THEIR POCKETS, THAT'S THEIR CARS.
SO THIS IS WHY I CONTINUE TO ADVOCATE FOR THIS LAW.
AND I, YOU KNOW, AND I JUST HOPE THAT GREENBURG IS ONE OF THE GREAT OTHER CITIES THAT WILL SIGN ON TO HELP PREVENT THIS FROM HAPPENING TO ANYBODY ELSE.
[ CL 1 - 9/23/2020 Resolution scheduling a Public Hearing for Wednesday, October 14, 2020 at 7:30 PM to consider a Local Law amending Chapter 460 of the Code of the Town of Greenburgh entitled “Vehicles and Traffic” to create a new subsection authorizing the forfeiture of vehicles operated by persons while engaged in unlawful speed contests or races]
I HAVE, UM, A PROPOSED RESOLUTION, UM, SINCE YOU'RE, UH, STILL ON THE, UH,[00:10:01]
LINE.UH, WE WANNA SCHEDULE A PUBLIC HEARING FOR WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 14TH AT 7:30 PM TO CONSIDER A LOCAL LAW AMENDING CHAPTER FOUR 60 OF THE CODE OF THE TOWN OF GREENBURG ENTITLED VEHICLES AND TRAFFIC TO CREATE A NEW SUBSECTION AUTHORIZING THE FORFEITURE OF VEHICLES OPERATED BY PERSONS WHILE ENGAGED IN UNLAWFUL SPEED CONTESTS OR RACES.
AND, UH, ONE OF THE THOUGHTS I HAD, UM, UM, IS THERE, UH, IS, UH, CHIEF MCINERNEY, UH, HERE WITH US? YES, PAUL, I'M HERE.
UM, I'M WONDERING, UM, SINCE WE ARE HAVING THE HEARING AND, YOU KNOW, DRAG RACE, YOU KNOW, THE, THE SPEEDING AND RACING IS GOING ON, I, I NOTICED THAT YOU PUT ON, UM, CENTRAL AVENUE LIKE A DIGITAL SIGN BOARD, UM, UM, YOU KNOW, MENTIONING, UM, THAT, YOU KNOW, WE'RE ENFORCING THE LAW.
WOULD WE BE ABLE TO, UM, MAYBE, UM, POST ON THE WEBSITE BETWEEN NOW AND, UM, THE OCTOBER MEETING, UM, YOU KNOW, A DIGITAL SIGN THAT WOULD BASICALLY ADVISE PEOPLE THAT THE TOWN BOARD IS CONSIDERING, UM, A LAW THAT WOULD AUTHORIZE THE FORFEITURE OF CARS INVOLVED IN, IN DRAG RACING? BECAUSE I THINK THAT THE CARS THAT ARE GOING, THAT ARE SPEEDING NOW, AND IT'S HAPPENING A LOT, UM, YOU KNOW, IF THEY SEE THAT, YOU KNOW, THERE'S LEGISLATION THAT WE'RE SERIOUSLY CONSIDERING, MAYBE IT WILL, YOU KNOW, ENCOURAGE PEOPLE NOT TO, NOT TO SPEED, AND THEY MAY TURN BACK OR WHATEVER, OR GO SLOWER.
I THINK, I THINK WE CAN PUT SOME FORM OF THAT MESSAGE OUT THERE.
IT'S, WE'RE LIMITED WITH THE, WITH THE CHARACTERS, BUT WE CAN DO SOMETHING.
BECAUSE I THINK THAT WOULD BE, UH, YOU KNOW, THAT WOULD BE GREAT, YOU KNOW, AND I THINK THAT IT SENDS A MESSAGE, AND MAYBE IF YONKERS AND WHITE PLAINS WOULD ALSO USE A DIGITAL, UH, BOARD SAYING YOUR CAR COULD BE, UH, TAKEN AWAY IF WE CATCH YOU.
UH, AND GREENBERG HAS IT, I THINK BETWEEN NOW AND OCTOBER, THERE'LL BE SIGNIFICANT PROGRESS ON THIS.
THANK, AND THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR, UH, ALL YOUR ADVOCACY AND, YOU KNOW, REALLY MAKING A DIFFERENCE IN, IN, YOU KNOW, IN HELPING TO SAVE LIVES.
YOU KNOW, I'M SURE THAT THANKS TO YOUR EFFORTS, YOU KNOW, LIVES HAVE BEEN SAVED, SO THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR REALLY BEING AN INSPIRATION.
[ PUBLIC DISCUSSION Advance signup via PublicComment@GreenburghNY.com is required. Please mention ESCO or Sustainable Westchester in the subject line or the body of the email. Sustainable Westchester 100% Renewable ESCO]
NEXT, UH, WE'RE GONNA HAVE, UM, A PUBLIC DISCUSSION, UM, ON AN IMPORTANT ISSUE.UM, THE TOWN BOARD, UM, RECENTLY DECIDED TO INVITE THE COMMUNITY TO, UM, UH, DISCUSS WHETHER OR NOT WE SHOULD PARTICIPATE IN A PROGRAM THAT'S SUSTAINABLE.
UM, WESTCHESTER, UM, HAS OFFERED COMMUNITIES, THERE'S SO FAR NOT COUNTS IN GREENBURG 26 OTHER COMMUNITIES.
AND, UH, THEY WANT TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE IN TERMS OF, UH, MAKING THE WORLD, UM, MORE SUSTAINABLE.
UM, SO WE'RE GONNA BE TAKING COMMENTS, UH, FROM RESIDENTS, WHETHER OR NOT, UM, THE TOWN SHOULD PARTICIPATE IN A PROGRAM, UM, THAT WOULD, THAT WOULD, IT'S AN OPT OUT PROGRAM THAT WOULD ENABLE, UM, THAT GREENBERG TO PARTICIPATE IN THE PROGRAM.
AND WE WOULD BE GETTING, UM, A HUNDRED PERCENT, UM, RENEWABLE, UM, E YOU KNOW, ENERGY.
UM, DURING THE PAST NUMBER OF YEARS, UM, SOME RESIDENTS HAVE BEEN UPSET BECAUSE WE HAVE PARTICIPATED IN A PROGRAM WHERE WE WERE WORKING WITH WESTCHESTER POWER.
UM, THE RATES THAT, UH, OUR RESIDENTS GOT WERE FIXED.
THEY COULDN'T GO UP AND THEY COULDN'T GO DOWN.
WHEN WE ORIGINALLY SIGNED UP, CON ED'S RATES WERE ALWAYS GOING UP.
SO HAVING A FIXED RATE CONTRACT, YOU KNOW, MADE SENSE.
UM, INITIALLY RESIDENTS SAVED MONEY, UM, BUT IN, DURING THE PAST 18 MONTHS, CONED RATES SURPRISINGLY WENT DOWN.
UM, SO WE DECIDED WE'RE NOT RENEWING THAT AGREEMENT.
UH, THE COUNCIL OF CIVIC ASSOCIATIONS AND, UH, SOME COMMUNITY LEADERS HAD BEEN HIGHLY CRITICAL OF THAT.
BUT WE ARE OPEN TO, UM, PARTICIPATING IN, UH, THE SUSTAINABLE WESTCHESTER OPTION AT YESTERDAY'S TOWN BOARD MEETING, I INDICATED THAT I WOULD SUPPORT THE SUSTAINABLE, UH, WESTCHESTER OPTION, PROVIDED THAT THE FOLLOWING CONDITIONS WERE MET.
I FEEL THAT SINCE THIS IS AN OPT OUT PROGRAM, EVERYBODY'S ENROLLED UNLESS THEY DECIDE TO OPT OUT, WE HAVE AN OBLIGATION AS A TOWN TO LET PEOPLE KNOW THAT THEY HAVE THE RIGHT TO OPT OUT.
[00:15:01]
I HAD REQUESTED THAT A POSTCARD WOULD BE SENT OUT, UH, AT THE BEGINNING OF THE CONTRACT, PAID FOR BY SUSTAINABLE WESTCHESTER TO EVERY RESIDENT ANNUALLY, ADVISING THEM OF THE AGREEMENT AND ADVISING THEM THAT THEY COULD OPT OUT IF THEY WANT.UM, THE POSTCARD SHOULD BE WRITTEN AND APPROVED BY THE TOWN BOARD.
UM, SO WE WANNA BE VERY, VERY CLEAR, UM, WITH THE MESSAGE.
WE WANNA ADVISE RESIDENTS THAT THE RATES COULD BE HIGHER THAN CON EDS, BUT THEY CAN EASILY OPT OUT IF THEY WISH.
UM, I ALSO FEEL, UM, IN THE INTEREST OF DISCLOSURE AND TRANSPARENCY, THAT WE WANT TO POST COMPARISONS OF THE CONED RATES AND THE SUSTAINABLE, UH, WESTCHESTER RATES ON THE TOWN WEBSITE MONTHLY, WITH A LINK TO HOW PEOPLE CAN OPT OUT IF THEY CHOOSE.
AND THEN I THOUGHT, YOU KNOW, ONCE OR TWICE A YEAR WE COULD DO A ROBO CALL TO RESIDENTS.
SO NOBODY COULD SAY THEY DIDN'T GET THE POSTCARD, THEY DIDN'T SEE THE POSTCARD, THEY WERE MISLED, UM, OR THEY'RE NOT AWARE THAT EVERYONE IS AUTOMATICALLY ENROLLED IN THE PROGRAM.
AND THIS IS SOMETHING THAT A TOWN WOULD, UM, ASSUME THE RESPONSIBILITY, UH, FOR.
UM, YOU KNOW, I THINK THAT, YOU KNOW, THIS PROGRAM IS, IN MY OPINION, YOU KNOW, IMPORTANT.
UM, WE KNOW WHAT'S HAPPENING IN CALIFORNIA WITH GLOBAL WARMING.
UH, WE KNOW THAT GLOBAL WARMING IS IMPACTING EVERYBODY AND EVERY COMMUNITY AND SUSTAINABLE.
WESTCHESTER IS OUR BEST, UM, OPTION AT THIS POINT, UH, HAVING, OF TAKING SOME INITIATIVES AND, YOU KNOW, SETTING AN EXAMPLE FOR OTHERS THAT, YOU KNOW, WE JUST CAN'T SIT BACK AND DO NOTHING BECAUSE OTHERWISE, UM, OUR, THE FUTURE GENERATIONS, OUR CHILDREN AND GRANDCHILDREN ARE GONNA BE LIVING IN A WORLD THAT, YOU KNOW, HAS MANY MORE PROBLEMS THAN THAN WE HAVE, YOU KNOW, HERE.
SO, UM, I WOULD NOW LIKE TO, UM, ASK GARRETT, UH, ACTUALLY ASK, UM, NINA ORVILLE, WHO REPRESENTS, UH, SUSTAINABLE WESTCHESTER TO MAKE A PRESENTATION, AND THEN WE COULD HEAR FROM THE COMMUNITY N GREAT.
SUPERVISOR FINER AND THE TOWN BOARD FOR INCLUDING ME AND MY COLLEAGUE DAN WELSH IS HERE AS WELL.
UM, SO AS YOU KNOW, MUNICIPALITIES CAME TOGETHER TO FORM SUSTAINABLE WESTCHESTER TO PROMOTE THE TRANSITION TO CLEAN ENERGY AND A SUSTAINABLE ECONOMY HERE IN WESTCHESTER.
WHAT YOU MIGHT NOT KNOW IS THAT THE ORGANIZATION WAS ACTUALLY BORN IN GREENBERG'S TOWN HALL.
WE HAD A DEDICATED COMMITTEE, INCLUDING THOMAS MADDEN AT THE TIME, BUT MET FOR OVER A YEAR IN MEETINGS IN YOUR TOWN HALL.
AND OUT OF ALL OF THAT WORK, SUSTAINABLE WESTCHESTER WAS LAUNCHED, AND PART OF THAT WORK INCLUDED THE DESIGN OF THE WESTCHESTER POWER PROGRAM ITSELF.
SO IN A SENSE, THAT PROGRAM WAS, WAS ALSO BORN IN, IN YOUR TOWN HALL.
GREENBERG HAS SUCH A LONG AND PROUD HISTORY OF ENVIRONMENTAL ACTION.
YOU ARE ONE OF THE FIRST COMMUNITIES WITH AN ENERGY CONSERVATION COORDINATOR, AND I BELIEVE MICKEY CODDINGTON, WHO, UM, HELD THAT ROLE BEAUTIFULLY FOR A NUMBER OF YEARS, IS GONNA BE SPEAKING TONIGHT.
AND THAT WORK CONTINUED THROUGH REALLY EXTENSIVE ENERGY EFFICIENCY OUTREACH EVENTS THROUGH THE SOLARIZED CAMPAIGN AND A LOT MORE.
AND MEANWHILE, THE WESTCHESTER POWER PROGRAM IS THE PROGRAM THAT'S HAD THE BIGGEST IMPACT ON REDUCING GREENHOUSE GAS EMISSIONS IN WESTCHESTER COUNTY.
OF THE 27 PARTICIPATING MUNICIPALITIES, 24 OF THEM CHOSE RENEWABLE ENERGY AS THE DEFAULT FOR THEIR RESIDENTS, WHICH MEANS THAT THE VAST MAJORITY OF THE PROGRAMS 110,000 HOUSEHOLDS AND SMALL BUSINESSES ARE PURCHASING A HUNDRED PERCENT RENEWABLE ELECTRICITY.
AND THE RESULT OF THAT IS THAT THIS PROGRAM HAS MITIGATED OVER 660,000 TONS OF GREENHOUSE GASES.
AND NOT ONLY THAT, BUT IT'S ALSO SERVED AS A LAUNCHING PAD FOR A NUMBER OF ADDITIONAL PROGRAMS THAT ARE PROVIDING ADDITIONAL ENVIRONMENTAL BENEFITS AND SOMETIMES SAVINGS.
AND ONE EXAMPLE OF THAT IS COMMUNITY SOLAR.
SO BASED ON GREENBERG'S, UH, HISTORY AND
[00:20:01]
TRADITION OF ENVIRONMENTAL LEADERSHIP, AND BASED ON THE REALLY UNPARALLELED POSITIVE ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT OF THE WESTCHESTER POWER PROGRAM, IT REALLY SEEMS IMPORTANT AND FITTING THAT THE TOWN BE AN ACTIVE PART OF THE PROGRAM.AND AS SUPERVISOR FINER INDICATED, INITIALLY THE TOWN WAS IN THE BASIC OR THE NON-RENEWABLE SUPPLY, AND I THINK IN THE END, THAT WASN'T OPTIMAL IN TERMS OF IMPACT.
AND IN TERMS OF REFLECTING THE ENVIRONMENTAL VALUES OF THE TOWN.
UM, ALL THE MUNICIPALITIES SO FAR THAT HAVE VOTED ON RENEWING THEIR PARTICIPATION IN THE PROGRAM, THAT'S 25 OF THEM HAVE VOTED YES.
SO WE'RE REALLY HAPPY TO HAVE EVERYBODY RE-UPPING.
AND TONIGHT THERE'S A REALLY IMPORTANT OPPORTUNITY TO RESET AND RELAUNCH GREENBERG'S PARTICIPATION IN THE PROGRAM BY VOTING TO, UH, PARTICIPATE IN THE RENEWABLE SUPPLY OPTION.
UM, I'VE COMMUNICATED, AND MY COLLEAGUES HAVE COMMUNICATED TO SUPERVISOR FINER THAT WE ARE, UM, WE STAND READY TO HELP THE TOWN WITH THIS RELAUNCH.
WE ARE VERY HAPPY WITH THE COMMUNICATION PLAN THAT THE SUPERVISOR HAS REQUESTED, AND HAPPY TO ADD ON TO THAT WITH ADDITIONAL OUTREACH EVENTS, VIRTUAL EVENTS TO, TO START WITH.
AND OF COURSE, HAPPY TO HELP ANY RESIDENTS WHO CHOOSE TO OPT OUT TO DO THAT EASILY.
AND IN ADDITION TO THAT, WE'RE ALSO REALLY EAGER TO BRING THE BENEFITS OF THE OTHER ENVIRONMENTAL PROGRAMS TO THE TOWN, AND THAT INCLUDES COMMUNITY SOLAR SAVINGS FOR LOW INCOME RESIDENTS.
AND IT ALSO INCLUDES HELPING TO CON CONNECT THE TOWN WITH GRANT OPPORTUNITIES THAT ARE COMING, WHERE PARTICIPATING IN THE PROGRAMS AND SPECIFICALLY IN THE RENEWABLE SUPPLY IS GOING TO POSITION THE TOWN VERY WELL FOR, FOR GRANT FUNDING.
SO I'M REALLY HAPPY TO BE HERE THIS EVENING.
I KNOW MY COLLEAGUE DAN WELSH IS ALSO AND, UH, TO RESPOND TO ANY QUESTIONS AND OF COURSE TO HEAR FROM, UM, THE, THE PUBLIC IN THE PUBLIC COMMENT PERIOD.
A NUMBER OF SPEAKERS, RIGHT, GARRETT? AND, UH, WE'RE GONNA ASK, UH, THE SPEAKERS TO LIMIT THEIR COMMENTS TO, UH, NO MORE THAN THREE MINUTES.
AND, UH, YOU KNOW, WE'RE TIMING THAT, SO WE DON'T WANT TO INTERRUPT YOU, BUT WE WANNA MAKE SURE EVERYBODY HAS AN OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK ALSO.
GARRETT, UH, WERE YOU ABLE TO, UH, I DON'T WANT YOU TO READ ALL THE, UH, EMAILS.
WE GOT A, A WHOLE BUNCH OF THEM.
WOULD YOU BE ABLE TO GIVE US A SUMMARY OF, UM, HOW MANY PEOPLE RESPONDED BY TO THE EMAILS AND BASICALLY VERY SHORT SUMMARIES? YEAH, SURE.
IF WE DO THAT TO, AT THE CONCLUSION, UM, AFTER PEOPLE SPEAK, I'D BE HAPPY TO DO THAT.
UM, IS FRED MAS AVAILABLE AND READY TO SPEAK? YES.
SO, HELLO, MY NAME'S FRED MOS, I LIVE IN GREENBURG, AND I'M SPEAKING ON BEHALF OF MOTHERS OUT FRONT IN SUPPORT OF GREENBERG'S, CONTINUED PARTICIPATION IN COMMUNITY CHOICE AGGREGATION AND SWITCHING TO THE 100% GREEN ENERGY OPTION IN THIS MORNING'S NEW YORK TIMES, UNDERNEATH A PICTURE OF YET ANOTHER HORRIFIC FOREST FIRE IN CALIFORNIA.
A HEADLINE READS, AND I QUOTE, A CLIMATE CROSSROADS WITH TWO PATHS MERELY BAD OR TRULY HORRIFIC.
THE ARTICLE SAYS, QUOTE, DECADES OF GROWING CRISIS ARE ALREADY LOCKED INTO THE GLOBAL EQUAL ECOSYSTEM AND CANNOT BE REVERSED.
NOW THAT FACT, WHICH IS SOMETHING THAT EVERYONE PARTICIPATE, PARTICIPATING ON THIS ZOOM CALL, KNOWS OR SHOULD KNOW, CAS A POSITIVELY SURREAL, LIKE ON OUR DISCUSSION OF A, BASICALLY A 3% OR LESS DIFFERENCE IN THE FUEL PORTION OF OUR ELECTRIC BILLS.
THESE DEBATES MAKE SENSE ONLY BECAUSE OF OUR CONTINUED SHORT-SIGHTED REFUSAL TO CONSIDER THE ENORMOUS COSTS, WHICH WE'RE ALREADY PAYING FOR OUR CONTINUED USE OF FOSSIL FUELS IN TERMS OF HUMAN SUFFERING, PROPERTY LOSS, ECOSYS, UH, ECOSYSTEM LOSS HERE IN THE US IN TERMS
[00:25:01]
OF CLIMATE REFUGEES AND AFRICA AND ASIA IN TERMS OF MASS SPECIES EXTINCTION EVERYWHERE.IT'S OUR LOCAL MUNICIPAL DECISIONS SUCH AS THE ONE BEFORE US HERE THAT STEER OUR GLOBAL FUTURE TOWARDS ONE THAT IS, AS THE NEW YORK TIMES SAYS, MERELY BAD OR TRULY HORRIFIC.
AND SO I URGE THE TOWN BOARD TO DO THE RIGHT THING BY OUR CHILDREN'S FUTURE AND CONSIDER THE REAL IMPLICATIONS OF THE DECISION HERE.
AND ONE FINAL WORD IN SUPPORT OF COMMUNITY SOLAR.
IF I MAY, SIX YEARS AGO, I PURCHASED SOLAR PANELS FOR THE ROOF OF MY HOUSE.
UH, THE INVESTMENT IS ABOUT TO PAY OFF FOR ITSELF, AND I NOW LOOK FORWARD TO DECADES OF COMPLETELY FREE ELECTRICITY.
BUT NOT EVERYONE IN GREENBURG IS AS FORTUNATE AS I WAS TO BE ABLE TO AFFORD SOLAR PANELS OR EVEN A HOUSE TO PUT THEM ON.
AND SO, AS A MATTER OF SOCIAL JUSTICE, WE NEED TO MAKE CHEAP CLEAN ENERGY AVAILABLE TO ALL GREENBERG RESIDENTS BY EXPANDING COMMUNITY SOLAR PROJECTS.
THANKS MR. MOS, AND THANKS FOR STAYING WITHIN THE THREE MINUTE, UH, TIME, UM, PERIOD.
UM, I'M ALSO WITH MOTHERS OUT FRONT, JUST LIKE FRED.
UM, I'M A PROUD RESIDENT OF TARRYTOWN WITH MY HUSBAND AND TWO YOUNG BOYS.
AND, UH, WE'RE WORKING TO, UM, ENSURE A LIVABLE CLIMATE FOR ALL CHILDREN.
AND WE WANNA ENCOURAGE GREENBERG TO CONTINUE TO MOVE FORWARD THE NEEDLE FORWARD BY RENEWING ITS C C A PROGRAM ALONG WITH ITS 26 NEIGHBORING MUNICIPALITIES.
PARTICULARLY GIVEN THAT GREENBERG CAN GO GREEN AT A PRICE THAT'S LOWER THAN THE CURRENT STANDARD RATE WITH THE IMPACTS OF CLIMATE CHANGE, NO LONGER THEORETICAL, BUT STARK AND PRESENT, WE WOULD LIKE TO REMIND THE TOWN THAT PARTICIPATING IN THIS RENEWABLE ENERGY SUPPLY PROGRAM WOULD SIGNIFICANTLY REDUCE THE TOWN'S CARBON EMISSIONS.
TO MEET THE NEW YORK STATE CLIMATE GOALS AND ENSURE A LIVABLE AND SUSTAINABLE FUTURE, WE MUST CONTINUE TO TAKE AGGRESSIVE ACTION TO REDUCE GREENHOUSE GAS EMISSIONS TO PROTECT OUR RESIDENTS AND OUR CHILDREN'S FUTURE.
CHARLES MCNALLY, YOU'D LIKE TO SPEAK, SIR, YOU'RE ON MUTE.
APPRECIATE THE, UH, THE HEADS UP ON THAT.
UM, I APPRECIATE THAT PEOPLE HAVE SOME FAIRLY, UH, INVOLVED ANALYSES FOR TONIGHT.
I'M GOING TO SKIP THAT AND JUST TALK ABOUT A FEW COMMON SENSE IDEAS.
FIRST, WE ALL KNOW WE NEED BETTER AIR TO BREATHE.
WE, EVEN THOUGH IT SEEMS LIKE THERE'S CLEAR AIR AROUND GREENBERG, IT'S ACTUALLY RATED AN F BY THE AMERICAN HEART ASSOCIATION.
UM, AND IRONICALLY, IT'S DURING THE PANDEMIC WHEN PEOPLE WHO SUFFER THE MOST FROM THE ARE THE PEOPLE WHO BREATHE THE MOST POLLUTED AIR.
THIS IS WHAT WE MOST NEED TO MAKE SURE WE'RE CLEAN, GETTING THE BEST CLEAN AIR WE CAN POSSIBLY GET.
THE SECOND THING I'D MENTION IS THAT GOOD COMMUNICATIONS IS VITALLY IMPORTANT FOR ANY GOVERNMENT DECISION THAT AFFECTS THE UTILITY BILLS THAT PEOPLE HAVE TO PAY.
I'M GLAD TO HEAR THAT BETTER COMMUNICATION WILL BE A REQUIRED PART OF CONTINUING IN THE PROGRAM, I THINK HAS BEEN THE SOURCE OF A LOT OF THE UNHAPPINESS THAT HAS BEEN EXPRESSED TO DATE.
AND THIRD, LET US RECOGNIZE THAT THE PANDEMIC HAS CAUSED AN UNFORESEEABLE AND UNPRECEDENTED DECLINE IN WHOLESALE ENERGY PRICES.
THIS RESULTED FROM THE COLLAPSE IN ALL ENERGY PRICES ON THE FREE MARKET THAT CAME WITH THE ECONOMIC DISLOCATION FROM THE PANDEMIC, BUT SWITCHING TO MONTHLY FLUCTUATING ELECTRIC RATE DOESN'T GET BACK THE MONEY THAT PEOPLE HAVE ALREADY PAID.
ALL IT DOES IS EXPOSE 'EM TO FUTURE FLUCTUATIONS.
AND AS WE KNOW FROM HISTORY, ENERGY PRICES TEND TO GO UP IN A MUCH BIGGER WAY THAN THEY GO DOWN.
WE HAVE A LOT OF POTENTIAL GEOPOLITICAL SITUATIONS THAT COULD LEAD TO INSTABILITY IN THE WORLD.
THE RISK IS ALWAYS THERE FOR MOST CONSUMERS, THE BETTER SOLUTION IS TO HAVE FIXED RATE CONTRACTS THAT GIVE SOME STABILITY TO THE BILLS THAT THEY PAY, RATHER THAN BEING EXPOSED TO MONTHLY FLUCTUATION ELECTRIC RATES.
BUT HAVING SAID THAT, SOME CONSUMERS WHO HAVE THE WHEREWITHAL AND DESIRE TO SELECT MONTHLY VARYING ELECTRIC RATES CAN DO THE SWITCH.
BUT LET'S KEEP THE OPTION FOR MOST CONSUMERS TO STAY WITH THE FIXED RATE PLAN, WHICH HAS THE BENEFIT OF GETTING US THE CLEANEST AIR THAT WE CAN POSSIBLY GET, AT LEAST WITHIN OUR CONTROL, WITHIN OUR CONTROL.
HI, I'M COLIN MCCARTHY, PRESIDENT OF THE EDGEMONT COMMUNITY COUNCIL.
AND WHILE OUR ORGANIZATION DOESN'T HAVE A POSITION ON THIS, WE DO HAVE SOME CONCERNS ON, ON THE PROPOSED, UH, ESCO HERE.
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WE'RE, THE AUTO ENROLLMENT OPTION IS VERY CONFUSING.OUT OF THE MAJORITY OF PEOPLE WE TALK TO, VERY FEW OF THEM EVEN KNOW THERE'S AN OPTION OR THAT THEY'VE BEEN ENROLLED.
AND FOR THOSE THAT DO KNOW, GETTING OUT OF IT IS NOT TRIVIAL.
IT, IT, YOU KNOW, REQUIRES SEVERAL PHONE CALLS.
IT TOOK ABOUT 35, 40 MINUTES OF HAGGLING WITH CONED TO FINALLY GET OUT OF IT.
AND, AND THEN ONCE YOU'RE OUT, THERE'S NO TRANSPARENCY ON, ON WHERE YOU'RE GETTING YOUR POWER FROM ON, ON YOUR POWER BILL.
THERE'S NO COMPARISON OF RATES ON THE POWER BILL.
UM, AND, AND I COMMEND YOUR EFFORTS TO TRY TO IMPROVE THAT WITH A POSTCARD AND, AND WITH, WITH A TOWN WEBSITE.
BUT AGAIN, I, I, I DON'T KNOW HOW PRACTICAL THOSE MEASURES ARE FOR INFORMING THE PUBLIC.
UM, SECOND, I I, I DON'T KNOW IF WE SHOULD BE SPECULATING ON ENERGY PRICES.
SO BY GOING FIXED RATE VERSUS JUST FLOATING WITH CON ED, WE'RE, WE'RE IN ESSENCE TAKING A POSITION ON THE PRICE OF ENERGY.
AND I, I, I DON'T THINK THAT'S IN THE TOWN'S BEST INTEREST.
UH, THIRD, WE HAVE ECONOMIES OF SCALE HERE.
SO IF WE'RE BRINGING ALL OF THESE RESIDENTS TO BOARD, THEN WE, WHY DON'T WE TRY TO NEGOTIATE A DEAL WHERE WE GET CONED MINUS 2 CENTS OR SOME OTHER TYPE OF RATE? WE'RE GUARANTEEING A TON OF BUSINESS TO WHOMEVER WE, WE CHOOSE TO GO WITH.
SO WHY DON'T, INSTEAD OF TAKING THIS, THIS RISK OF ON ENERGY PRICES, WHY DON'T WE NEGOTIATE SOMETHING THAT'S IN EVERYONE'S BENEFIT? UH, UH, LAST, WE'RE, WE'RE IN SUPPORT OF GREEN INITIATIVES, FOR SURE.
WHERE THE ENVIRONMENT IS IS A HUGE CONCERN OF EVERYONE'S.
UM, BUT I, I DON'T KNOW IF WE NEED TO HAVE FOLKS SUBSIDIZING THIS BY THROUGH THEIR ENERGY BILL, ESPECIALLY IF THEY'RE NOT EVEN AWARE THAT THEY'RE DOING IT.
I THINK THERE'S PLENTY OF WAYS GREENBURG CAN BE A LEADER IN, IN GREEN INITIATIVES, AND EDGEMONT WOULD LOVE TO GET INVOLVED AND HELP, BUT, UH, LET, LET'S BE A LITTLE BIT MORE EXPLICIT AND, AND, AND INSTEAD OF BEING SO INDIRECT ABOUT IT.
UM, I WORK WITH THE, IN SUSTAINABILITY AND ENERGY EFFICIENCY EVERY DAY WITH THE ARCHDIOCESE, SO I AM VERY MUCH A PRO SUSTAINABILITY AND RENEWABLE ENERGY.
THAT BEING SAID, I AM CONCERNED WITH THE OPT OUT AS OPPOSED TO OPT IN FEATURE OF THIS.
UM, IT DOES SEEM LIKE YOU ARE LEAVING IT UP TO THE CONSUMER TO DROP OUT OF IT.
AND I THINK THAT THAT MIGHT BE A LITTLE BIT UNFAIR, ESPECIALLY CONSIDERING THAT THE LAST CONTRACT ENDED UP COSTING PEOPLE MORE.
UM, I DO UNDERSTAND THAT IT IS OUR RESPONSIBILITY TO, TO LOOK AFTER OUR BILLS AND TO, YOU KNOW, BE ABLE TO CHANGE, BUT I'M NOT SURE THAT MANY PEOPLE ARE DOING IT.
AND THIS, IN THIS CLIMATE WHERE YOU MIGHT FIND A LOT OF RE RESIDENTS A LITTLE BIT SHORT ON CASH JUST BECAUSE OF THE PAUSE THAT WE CAME OUT OF, I THINK THAT AN OPT-IN WOULD BE BETTER FOR THE CONTRACT AND IT BETTER FOR THE, UH, REPUTATION OF GOING TO ESCOS BECAUSE THEY STILL SORT OF HAVE A BAD NAME.
SO I'M JUST THINKING, IS THAT POSSIBLE TO HAVE AN OPT-IN FEATURE AS OPPOSED TO OPT OUT? THAT'S A COMMON QUESTION THAT WE GET.
SO WHY DON'T WE HAVE, UH, YOU KNOW, SINCE THEY HAVE THE WESTCHESTER ANSWER THAT ONE, BECAUSE WE'RE GONNA KEEP HEARING THAT OVER AND OVER AGAIN.
COULD YOU ADDRESS THAT PLEASE, NINA? SURE.
I CAN START AND DAN WELSH CAN.
SO THE, THE WAY THESE COMMUNITY CHOICE AGGREGATION PROGRAMS ARE STRUCTURED RELIES ON THE OPT OUT COMPONENT THAT IS THE CENTRAL FEATURE OF THESE PROGRAMS. AND NEW YORK STATE HAS IDENTIFIED COMMUNITY CHOICE SEGREGATION PROGRAMS AS THE MOST IMPORTANT ACTION THAT LOCAL GOVERNMENTS CAN TAKE TO MITIGATE CLIMATE IMPACTS OR GREENHOUSE GAS IMPACTS COMMUNITY-WIDE.
SO THE PROGRAM IS NOT AVAILABLE ON AN, ON AN OPT IN BASIS.
IT'S AVAILABLE ONLY IN THIS FORM BECAUSE IT'S THIS FORM THAT MAKES THE PROGRAM WORK.
THAT SAID, WE DO FOCUS ON, UM, ENSURING THAT IT IS A CHOICE PROGRAM.
IN OTHER WORDS, PEOPLE CAN OPT OUT AT ANY TIME WITH NO CANCELLATION FEE AT ANY TIME, AND IT IS TYPICALLY EASY TO, TO ACTUALLY OPT OUT.
AND, UM, ONE OF THE GENTLEMEN WHO WAS SPEAKING EARLIER WHO SAID HE SPENT 30 MINUTES ON THE PHONE WITH CON ED, SO THAT WAS THE PROBLEM BECAUSE IT'S NOT A CON ED PROGRAM.
IF SOMEONE CALLS SUSTAINABLE WESTCHESTER, THEY WILL NOT BE ON THE PHONE FOR, FOR 30 MINUTES IN ORDER TO OPT OUT.
IT CAN ALSO BE DONE VERY SIMPLY ONLINE.
UM, AND PERHAPS THAT'S WHERE THE BETTER COMMUNICATION THAT WE'RE COMMITTED TO, UM, PARTNERING WITH THE TOWN, UM, WILL MAKE THE DIFFERENCE.
THE ONE OTHER THING THAT I WOULD SAY IS ANYBODY WHO HAS
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MADE THE DECISION TO OPT OUT OF THE PROGRAM ALREADY, OR ANYBODY WHO HAS SELECTED A DIFFERENT ELECTRICITY PROVIDER WHO'S NOT CON ED, ANYONE WHO'S WITH A DIFFERENT ESCO WILL NOT BE INCLUDED IN THE PROGRAM.SO ANYBODY WHO'S ALREADY MADE A A DIFFERENT CHOICE, UM, IS, IS NOT GOING TO FIND THEMSELVES BACK IN, IN THE PROGRAM.
FROM THE PREVIOUS CONTRACT, I'M SORRY, FROM THE PREVIOUS CONTRACT, THE FOLKS WHO HAVE OPTED OUT ON THE PREVIOUS CONTRACT CAN'T OPT IN ON THIS CONTRACT.
THEY, THEY, ANYBODY CAN OPT IN AT ANY TIME OR OPT OUT AT ANY TIME.
BUT WHEN THE CONTRACT RENEWS, IF WE ASSUME THAT THE TOWN MAKES THE DECISION TO PARTICIPATE IN THE GREEN SUPPLY, IF SOMEBODY HAS PREVIOUSLY OPTED OUT OF THE PROGRAM, THEN THEY WILL NOT BE AUTOMATICALLY OPTED IN.
OR AGAIN, IF SOMEONE HAS, OH, I SEE A, A DIFFERENT ENERGY PROVIDER, THEY WILL NOT BE OPTED IN.
BUT THOSE FOLKS ARE WELCOME AT ANY TIME TO JOIN THE PROGRAM.
UM, AND ANYBODY IS WELCOME AT ANY TIME.
MY NAME IS LAURA ROSSI AND I'M THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF THE WESTCHESTER COMMUNITY FOUNDATION, WHOSE OFFICES ARE IN HARTSDALE.
UH, WE ARE LOCATED NEXT TO THE HIGHVIEW ELEMENTARY SCHOOL, RIGHT BEHIND RICHARD PRESSER PARK.
WE'RE RIGHT IN ONE OF THE OLD SCHOOL BUILDINGS.
I'M ALSO THE CO-CHAIR OF SUSTAINABLE WESTCHESTER.
SO I'M WEARING TWO HATS IN IN ADDRESSING YOU ALL THIS EVENING.
UM, AS THE DIRECTOR OF THE COMMUNITY FOUNDATION, WE WORK FOR THE BETTERMENT OF THE QUALITY OF LIFE FOR ALL RESIDENTS IN WESTCHESTER COUNTY.
AND WE DO THAT, UH, BECAUSE WE HOLD ENDOWMENT FOR THE FUTURE, UM, UH, THAT HAVE BEEN ESTABLISHED BY, UH, LONG-TERM RESIDENTS, UM, BY WHICH WE MAKE GRANTS FOR THE FUTURE OF THE COMMUNITY.
AND I REFERENCED THAT BECAUSE WE REALLY STAND ON THE SHOULDERS OF FOLKS WHO CARED ABOUT THEIR COMMUNITY, MANY OF WHOM ARE GREENBERG OR WERE A GREENBERG RESIDENTS.
AND THE THEME HERE IS THAT, UH, YOU AS LOCAL DECISION MAKERS REALLY HAVE THE KEYS AND, AND THE VISION TO CREATE A BETTER FUTURE AS SUPERVISOR FINDER WAS, WAS REFERRING TO BEFORE.
AS I LOOK OUT OF OUR WINDOWS, WE SEE THE CHILDREN FROM THE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL PLAYING, AND THAT'S OUR FOCUS.
WHAT IS THEIR FUTURE GOING TO BE? WHO WILL HAVE THE VISION AND THE COURAGE TO OVERCOME OBSTACLES THAT SEEM QUITE DAUNTING? TO ADDRESS THESE QUITE SERIOUS CHALLENGES, PUTTING MY CO-CHAIR OF SUSTAINABLE WESTCHESTER HAT ON, I WILL SAY TO YOU THAT I BELIEVE THAT WHAT SUSTAINABLE WESTCHESTER IS PRESENTING TO YOU IS A VERY, VERY GOOD PROGRAM TO HELP ADDRESS CLIMATE CHANGE.
YOU'RE BUILDING IN COMMUNICATIONS TO ADDRESS CONCERNS.
UM, AND YOU'LL ALSO BE PROVIDING YOUR RESIDENTS WITH OPPORTUNITIES TO PARTICIPATE IN COMMUNITY SOLAR AND OTHER PROGRAMS THAT HERE TO FOUR HAVE NOT BEEN AVAILABLE.
WE BRING A VERY STRONG SOCIAL JUSTICE LENS TO OUR WORK AT THE FOUNDATION, AND GREENBERG IS CRITICAL TO OUR WORK.
SO I WOULD URGE YOU TO, TO, UM, TO RENEW AND AVAIL YOURSELVES AND GIVE YOUR, YOUR CONSTITUENTS THE OPPORTUNITY TO AVAIL THEMSELVES OF PARTICIPATING IN, IN A CLEAN GREEN FUTURE, UM, FOR OUR CHILDREN AND GRANDCHILDREN.
I AM REALLY HERE ECHOING SOME OF MANY OF THE COMMENTS THIS EVENING.
AND I DO RECOGNIZE THAT THE PRICE OF RENEWABLE ENERGY IS CURRENTLY HIGHER THAN FOSSIL FUEL PRICES.
HOWEVER, THE CURRENT PRICING OF FOSSIL FUELS IN THE MARKET IS NOT FACTORING IN THE COST OF POLLUTED LANDS, AIR OUR WATER, OR THE COST OF THE DESTRUCTION OF NATURAL ENVIRONMENTS.
AND CONSIDERING WHAT GAVE RISE TO C OVID 19, WE ARE ALREADY PAYING A VERY HEFTY PRICE.
WE SIMPLY JUST CANNOT IGNORE THESE COSTS.
FURTHERMORE, YOU KNOW, REITERATING THAT THERE IS AN OPT-OUT FEATURE TO THIS PROGRAM AND THAT, YOU KNOW, ANYONE WHO FEELS THAT THEY'RE UNABLE TO PARTICIPATE IN THIS PROGRAM 'CAUSE OF THE COST, THEY CAN OPT OUT AND DEFAULT BACK TO BROWN ENERGY.
THIS IS AN OPPORTUNITY UNLIKE ANY OTHER, AT A GRASSROOTS LEVEL, TO TAKE ACTION TO PROTECT OUR COMMUNITY AND THE FUTURE GENERATIONS.
I HAVE TWO SIX YEAR OLDS AND I REALLY JUST WANT THEM TO HAVE THE PROMISE OF A BETTER FUTURE.
AND WE HAVE TO KNOW THAT WE WILL BEAR THE CONSEQUENCES OF OUR ACTIONS OR INACTION.
SO PLEASE, THIS EVENING, CONSIDER WITH CARE, THE COST OF NOT
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PUTTING OUR HEALTH AND FUTURE FIRST IN THE VOTE.AND JUST A QUICK NOTE, UM, IF YOU COULD USE THE CHAT FUNCTION TO ALERT ME THAT YOU'D LIKE TO SPEAK IF I HAVEN'T CALLED ON YOU.
UH, BUT I WOULD ALSO ASK THAT YOU PLEASE DON'T USE THE CHAT FUNCTION TO, UH, CHAT TO EVERYONE.
UH, WE WANT TO HAVE THE COMMENTS ON THE RECORD AND ANYTHING YOU'D LIKE TO WRITE, YOU COULD SEND IN BY EMAIL TO, UH, PUBLIC COMMENT@GREENBURGNY.COM.
I WILL NOW CALL ON MICHAEL GRO.
SO I'M A SENIOR IN ARTLEY HIGH SCHOOL, AND I, I LIVE IN HARTSDALE AND I'M ONE OF THE CO-PRESIDENTS OF THE ENVIRONMENTAL CLUB, UH, FOR MY SCHOOL.
SO GREENBERG RESIDENTS PARTICIPATE IN A LOT OF ACTIVITIES TO HELP MITIGATE CLIMATE CHANGE FOR THE ENVIRONMENTAL CLUB IN MY SCHOOL.
THAT'S WHAT WE FOCUS ON ALL YEAR.
EVERY MEETING AND EVENT FOR THE ENVIRONMENTAL CLUB HAS THE ULTIMATE GOAL OF MAKING OUR COMMUNITY GREENER.
AND LAST YEAR I WAS ABLE TO GO TO A LOT OF PLANTING EVENTS IN OUR COMMUNITY, UH, THROUGHOUT GREENBURG.
AND EVERYONE PLANTING WITH ME THERE TAKES THE TIME OUT OF THEIR DAY AND IS DEDICATED TO MAKING THE COMMUNITY MORE ENVIRONMENTALLY FRIENDLY.
ONE TIME DURING PLANTING, IT WAS FREEZING OUTSIDE, BUT WE STILL PLANTED FOR THE WHOLE MORNING AND WHOLE AFTERNOON WHILE WE'RE VERY COLD.
SO NOT ENTERING THIS PROGRAM JUST DOESN'T REALLY ALIGN WITH OUR COMMUNITY'S VALUE COMMUNITY'S VALUES.
AND, UH, GOING INTO THIS PROGRAM REPRESENTS AND REWARDS ALL THE HARD WORK THAT SO MANY PEOPLE FROM ALL OVER GREENBERG HAVE PUT IN TO MAKE THE COMMUNITY GREENER.
IF WE DON'T ENTER EVERYONE WHO HAS BEEN DOING ALL THIS WORK TO, UH, IMPROVE THE ENVIRONMENT.
ALL THIS WORK IS JUST MUCH MORE INSIGNIFICANT IF WE DON'T ENTER THIS PROGRAM 'CAUSE WE'RE MISSING OUT ON A BIG, UH, OPPORTUNITY AND IT CAN MAKE A VERY BIG, VERY BIG IMPACT.
HI, UH, MY NAME IS JEFF SHERWIN.
I'VE BEEN A RESIDENT OF GREENBURG FOR 12 YEARS, AND I RECENTLY MOVED MY FIRST 11 YEARS.
I HAD, BEFORE THE TOWN HAD ENGAGED IN THIS PROGRAM, HAD CONSTANTLY RENEWED MY ESCO TO ALWAYS BE A HUNDRED PERCENT GREEN EVEN THOUGH IT COST ME A LITTLE BIT MORE.
UM, I HAVE IN MY NEW HOUSE, UH, BEEN SUBJECT TO THIS NEW PROGRAM, BUT I ALSO WANT TO NOTE THAT I HAVE SOLAR PANELS ON MY ROOF.
I HAVE, I DRIVE A HUNDRED PERCENT ELECTRIC VEHICLE, AND EVERY YEAR MY FAMILY AND I GIVE TO THE CARBON FUND TO MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE CARBON NEGATIVE.
ALL THAT IS TO SAY THAT I'M NOT JUST TALKING THE TALK.
I WALK THE WALK AND I THINK THAT THIS PROGRAM IS ABSOLUTELY WRONG BECAUSE I FOUND THAT WHEN I HAD TO GET OUT OF THE, GET OUT OF THIS, OUT OF THE CONTRACT IN MY NEW HOUSE, IT NOT ONLY TOOK ME MORE THAN 30 MINUTES OF A PHONE CALL AND I, AND I ENGAGE IN THE TOWN, AND I'M AWARE OF THE FACT THAT IT WAS SUSTAINABLE WESTCHESTER, AND WAS UNAWARE THAT I NEEDED TO MAKE THAT PHONE CALL.
AND I LOOK AT THE MAIL AND, AND THEN IN ADDITION, IT TOOK TWO MONTHS FOR MIKE FOR, FOR THIS PROGRAM TO ROLL OFF OF MY SYSTEM.
I HAVE FOUND THAT BY MAKING MY OWN CHOICES ON SCOS, I'VE BEEN ABLE TO FIND CHEAPER, A HUNDRED PERCENT GREEN, GREEN ENERGY SOLUTIONS BASED BY, BY LOOKING AT THE DURATION OF THOSE CONTRACTS AND WHEN I CHOOSE TO ENGAGE IN THOSE CONTRACTS.
SO I DON'T THINK THAT IT'S THE TOWN'S BUSINESS TO MAKE A DETERMINATION ABOUT HOW I SHOULD GO AND SPEND MY ENERGY DOLLARS.
IF THE TOWN WANTS TO GO AND EDUCATE THE PUBLIC AND MAKE AN OPT-IN OPTION FOR THE PUBLIC AND MAKE SURE THAT EVERYBODY'S AWARE OF THOSE OPTIONS, THAT'S ONE THING.
BUT BY FORCING EVERYBODY INTO THE CONTRACT AND NOT SUFFICIENTLY EDUCATING PEOPLE ON HOW TO GET OUTTA THE CONTRACT IN THIS WAY, YOU HAVE BASICALLY OVERSTEPPED YOUR TOWN BA YOUR TOWN RESPONSIBILITIES, YOUR RESPONSIBILITIES ARE TO SHEPHERD.
OUR TAX DOLLARS IS NOT TO ENGAGE IN HOW WE SHOULD INVEST OUR MONEY ANY MORE THAN YOU SHOULD.
TELL US HOW WE SHOULD GO AND INVEST LIKE OUR MONEY DOING ANYTHING ELSE.
IF YOU WANNA GO AND BECOME GREEN, PERHAPS CONSIDER THINGS THAT ARE WITHIN YOUR CONFINES, LIKE PERHAPS ELIMINATING COAL, COAL AND WOOD BURNING FIREPLACES IN, IN NEW HOMES.
PERHAPS ELIMINATING SMOKERS IN THE BACKYARD, PERHAPS DOING THE THINGS THAT ARE WITHIN THE CODE, BUT NOT FORCING US, NOT TELLING US HOW WE AUTOMATICALLY HAVE TO SPEND OUR MONEY ON ENERGY.
BECAUSE THE, THE, THE, THE INTENT OF PEOPLE WHO DON'T WANNA BE ENGAGED IN THOSE CONTRACTS ISN'T ALWAYS TO GO TO BROWN ENERGY.
IT'S TO ACTUALLY GO TO BETTER GREEN ENERGY.
UH, MY NAME IS ERIC ZINGER AND I'M A RESIDENT OF HARTSDALE AND PRESIDENT OF THE HARTSDALE NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION.
SO A LOT OF PEOPLE HAVE ALREADY SPOKEN AND THEY'VE ALL RAISED GREAT
[00:45:01]
POINTS ABOUT THE IMPORTANCE OF DEALING WITH CLIMATE CHANGE, ABOUT THE PITFALLS OF AN AUTOMATIC ENROLLMENT PROCESS AND ABOUT THE POTENTIAL SIGNIFICANT INCREASE IN UTILITY COSTS THAT THIS WILL RESULT IN FOR GREENBURG RESIDENTS.AND I THINK MOST PEOPLE WOULD EXPECT MY COMMENTS HERE TO FOCUS ON COST AND PRICE AND THE NUMBERS, BUT I ACTUALLY WANNA FOCUS ON THE PROCESS BECAUSE IF WE DECIDE TO GO THROUGH WITH THIS, HOW WE GO FORWARD IS JUST AS IMPORTANT.
THERE'S BEEN A LOT OF TALK, PAUL, I'VE WATCHED ALL OF THE MANY WORK SESSIONS ABOUT THIS, INCLUDING YESTERDAY'S WHERE YOU DISCUSSED HOW IMPORTANT IT IS TO BE TRANSPARENT AND ALL THE THINGS TOWN WILL DO TO MAKE SURE THAT HAPPENS AND CITIZENS ARE NOTIFIED ONCE WE ARE ENROLLED.
YOU HAD AN INTRODUCTION TONIGHT WHERE YOU TALKED ABOUT ALL THINGS WE COULD DO, SUCH AS NOTIFICATIONS, ROBOCALLS, ALL THE NOTIFICATION PROCESSES.
HOPEFULLY WE WILL FOLLOW THROUGH ON THAT ASPECT, BUT UNFORTUNATELY I CAN'T SAY I'M VERY OPTIMISTIC ABOUT THAT.
AND THE REASON FOR THAT IS BASED ON WHAT THE TOWN HAS DONE SO FAR IN THE RUN UP TO THIS RENEWAL AND IN THE PRIOR TWO YEARS, AND I'LL NOTE THAT THERE'S A VERY STARK DIFFERENCE THIS TIME AROUND VERSUS WHAT HAPPENED IN 2018 WHEN THE CONTRACT WAS UP FOR RE RENEWAL IN 2018 WHEN THE CONTRACT WAS UP FOR RENEWAL.
PAUL, YOU SENT TWO SEPARATE EMAILS, ONE ON JULY 24TH AND ONE ON, UH, SEPTEMBER 6TH.
AND IN EACH OF THOSE EMAILS YOU BROKE DOWN IN DETAIL WITH GRAPHICS AND CHARTS AND ALL SORTS OF FIGURES, THE AVERAGE SAVINGS THAT RESIDENTS WHO WERE ENROLLED IN THE PROGRAM HAD RECEIVED.
AND IT BEGS THE QUESTION, IF A DETAILED BREAKDOWN OF THE SAVINGS WAS PROVIDED AS RATIONALE FOR RENEWING THE CONTRACT, WHY WASN'T THAT SAME DETAILED BREAKDOWN PROVIDED REGARDING THE SIGNIFICANT COST INCREASES, BY MY ESTIMATION, OVER A THOUSAND DOLLARS PER HOME THAT RESULTED TO CUSTOMERS AS A RESULT OF THE RENEWAL? YOUR EMAIL ABOUT THIS PUBLIC DISCUSSION DELIBERATELY OMITTED ANY NOTE REGARDING THE FACT THAT THE RATES FOR THIS PROGRAM ARE SIGNIFICANTLY HIGHER THAN CURRENT CON ED RATES.
YOU'RE TELLING US THAT WE'RE GONNA BE TRANSPARENT, YOU'RE TELLING US ABOUT ALL THE THINGS YOU'RE GONNA DO FOR NOTIFICATIONS, BUT YOU DIDN'T SEE FIT TO MENTION AT ANY POINT THE SIGNIFICANT INCREASE IN COSTS ENROLLMENT IN THIS PROGRAM WILL BRING TO RESIDENTS.
THAT'S AN IMPORTANT FACT WHEN IT COMES TO THE TRANSPARENCY.
WE'VE ALSO SEEN OVER THE COURSE OF THE WORK SESSIONS AND THE CONVERSATIONS WITH THE C G A C A AND THE TOWN BOARD HAS NOTED AS WELL AND AGREED THAT THE NOTIFICATIONS TO RESIDENTS THROUGH THE FIRST TWO ITERATIONS OF THE CONTRACT WERE NOT COMPLETED AS PROMISED.
WHAT ASSURANCES IN WRITING DO WE HAVE THAT THIS TIME WILL BE ANY DIFFERENT? I'LL ALSO QUICKLY NOTE THAT I'VE WATCHED ALL THE WORK SESSIONS AND ALL THE MATERIALS THAT HAVE BEEN MADE PUBLIC ABOUT THIS, AND I HAVEN'T SEEN ANY DETAILS OF ANY KIND REGARDING THE SUPPORT FOR LOW-INCOME RESIDENTS.
NO DETAILS ABOUT THE NUMBERS, WHO WILL BE ELIGIBLE, NO DETAILS ABOUT THE LEVEL OF SUPPORT THAT WILL BE PROVIDED, NO DETAILS ABOUT THE LEVEL OF SUPPORT THAT WILL BE PROVIDED AS RATES CHANGE.
I HOPE THAT INFORMATION WILL BE FORTHCOMING.
SO I'M HOPING THAT IF WE DO GO THROUGH WITH THIS, THAT IT WILL BE DONE THE RIGHT WAY AND ALL THE DISCLOSURES AND NOTIFICATIONS THAT HAVE BEEN TALKED ABOUT WILL BE PUT IN PLACE.
BUT IF PAST PRECEDENT IS ANY INDICATION, I'M CONCERNED THAT ONCE WE MOVE FORWARD WITH THIS, THE TOPIC WILL BE MOVED TO THE BACK BURNER AFTER THE CONTRACT IS RENEWED.
AND RESIDENTS WHO WHEN I TALK TO, ARE MOSTLY COMPLETELY UNAWARE THAT THIS PROCESS IS HAPPENING WILL REMAIN JUST AS IN THE DARK AS THEY WERE BEFORE.
I WOULD JUST LIKE TO, YOU KNOW, MENTION, YOU KNOW, ONE THING, WHAT'S DIFFERENT WITH THIS AGREEMENT AND THE PREVIOUS ONES IS THE TOWN WILL ASSUME THE TOTAL RESPONSIBILITY OF DIS UH, PROVIDING INFORMATION, UH, SENDING OUT THE POSTCARDS, DOING THE ROBOCALLS, UM, UM, DOING THE COMPAR, UH, POSTING THE COMPARISONS ON THE WEBSITE.
SO WE WILL TAKE RESPONSIBILITY OF DISCLOSURE, UM, MAKING SURE THAT, UH, PEOPLE COULD OPT OUT, UM, IF THEY, YOU KNOW, IF THEY WISH.
UM, AS YOU KNOW, WHEN THE, WITH THE PREVIOUS AGREEMENTS, UM, INITIALLY THERE WERE, THERE WERE SAVINGS FOR EVERYBODY.
UM, YOU KNOW, BEF UH, DURING THE FIRST CON UH, CONTRACT DURING THE PAST 18 MONTHS, THERE HASN'T BEEN SAVINGS.
AND THE TOWN BOARD DECIDED THAT WE'RE NOT RENEWING THAT CONTRACT.
THIS IS A TOTALLY DIFFERENT, UM, AGREEMENT BECAUSE THIS IS FOR, UH, GREEN ENERGY, NOT, YOU KNOW, THE GOAL WITH THIS IS TO MAKE, HELP THE PLANET, UM, YOU KNOW, WE'RE GONNA BE PURCHASING RENEWABLE ENERGY.
UM, IT'S NOT, IT'S NOT ABOUT, YOU KNOW, SAVING DOLLARS AND THE PEOPLE CAN'T AFFORD IT.
WE'RE GONNA LET THEM KNOW HOW TO OPT OUT AND WE'RE GONNA MAKE IT EASY.
I JUST WANNA ASK, UH, NINA, IF YOU COULD DISCUSS THE, UH, TWO PROGRAMS THAT YOU DIDN'T MENTION.
ONE IS, UM, UH, THE DISCOUNTS FOR LOW INCOME RESIDENTS AND THE SECOND, UM, IS, UM, THE GRANTS THAT THE TOWN MIGHT BE ABLE TO OBTAIN FROM PARTICIPATING IN THIS PROGRAM.
[00:50:01]
SO, UM, WITH REGARD TO COMMUNITY SOLAR SAVINGS, SUSTAINABLE WESTCHESTER HAS CURRENTLY ENROLLED ABOUT JUST OVER A THOUSAND WESTCHESTER RESIDENTS IN COMMUNITY SOLAR.THERE ARE, AND THAT RESULTS IN SAVINGS OF APPROXIMATELY 10% ON THEIR TOTAL ELECTRICITY BILL.
THERE ARE REGULATORY CHANGES THAT ARE UNDERWAY CURRENTLY WITH THE PUBLIC SERVICE COMMISSION THAT ARE CHANGING, UM, THE WAY THAT PEOPLE CAN PARTICIPATE IN COMMUNITY SOLAR.
SO STARTING, UM, BY PROBABLY THE SECOND QUARTER OF NEXT YEAR, IT'S GOING TO BE POSSIBLE TO PROVIDE THOSE COMMUNITY SOLAR SAVINGS TO PEOPLE ON AN OPT-OUT BASIS THROUGH THE WESTCHESTER POWER PROGRAM.
BECAUSE COMMUNITY SOLAR IS SUCH A, A BENEFIT IN TERMS OF THOSE GUARANTEED SAVINGS.
AND BECAUSE THERE ISN'T, UM, AN UNLIMITED AVAILABILITY OF THOSE SOLAR CREDITS TO PROVIDE TO PEOPLE, WE HAVE MADE THE DECISION TO FOCUS THOSE BENEFITS ON LOW-INCOME RESIDENTS IN COMMUNITIES THAT ARE PARTICIPATING IN THE WESTCHESTER POWER PROGRAM.
SO THROUGH THE WESTCHESTER POWER PROGRAM, A HOST OF PEOPLE WILL BE RECEIVING RENEWABLE ELECTRICITY SUPPLY AND A SEGMENT OF THE POPULATION OF EACH WESTCHESTER POWER COMMUNITY THAT IS LOW INCOME OR OTHERWISE ELIGIBLE.
THROUGH THIS PROGRAM, WE'RE DETERMINING WHETHER IT'S GONNA BE HEAP UH, PEOPLE PARTICIPATING IN THE HEAP PROGRAM OR EXACTLY HOW THAT ELIGIBILITY IS GONNA BE DEFINED, BUT WE WILL BE PROVIDING THOSE LONG-TERM SAVINGS ON ELECTRICITY BILLS.
THE REASON THAT WE'RE NOT ABLE TO SAY EXACTLY HOW MANY PEOPLE WILL BE ABLE TO PARTICIPATE IN A CERTAIN PERIOD OF TIME IS BECAUSE WE ARE BUILDING THAT NEW ITERATION OF THE PROGRAM.
SO, AS I SAID, WE'VE ENROLLED, UH, JUST OVER A THOUSAND PEOPLE IN COMMUNITY SOLAR, UM, MOST OF THOSE PEOPLE OVER THE LAST 12 MONTHS.
BUT WITH THIS OPT-OUT APPROACH, WE ARE CONFIDENT WE'RE GOING TO BE ABLE TO PROVIDE THOSE BENEFITS TO MANY MORE PEOPLE IN A SHORT PERIOD OF TIME BECAUSE THEY WON'T HAVE TO INDIVIDUALLY GO THROUGH THE ENROLLMENT PROCESS.
AND SO WE'VE STARTED ENGAGING WITH HOUSING AUTHORITIES.
WE HAVE A LETTER OF SUPPORT FROM THE GREENBERG HOUSING AUTHORITY FOR A GRANT SUBMISSION, UM, TO NYSERDA RELATED TO THIS, UM, WE ARE WORKING WITH THE PACE, ENERGY AND CLIMATE CENTER.
WE INTEND TO WORK WITH THEM ON ON THIS.
WE'VE BEEN HAVING CONSULTATIONS WITH THEM AND, UM, WHAT WE HAVE COMMITTED TO THE TOWN IS THAT THE TOWN WILL BE ABLE TO PROVIDE THIS BENEFIT, AT LEAST PROPORTIONAL TO THE TOWN'S, UM, ELIGIBLE RESIDENTS ACROSS WESTCHESTER POWER COMMUNITIES.
SO WHEN WE LOOKED AT RESIDENTS WITH AN INCOME OF LESS THAN $30,000 ON A HOUSEHOLD BASIS, THE UNINCORPORATED TOWN OF GREENBURG REPRESENTED JUST OVER 7% OF RESIDENTS ACROSS WESTCHESTER POWER COMMUNITIES WHO ARE BELOW THAT INCOME THRESHOLD.
IN ADDITION, I CAN SAY WE ARE WORKING ON AN INTERIM BASIS BEFORE THAT PROJECT CAN BE IMPLEMENTED.
WE HAVE TO WAIT FOR THE REGULATORY CHANGES THAT ARE STILL, UM, BEING FINALIZED.
BUT WE ARE WORKING WITH SOLAR DEVELOPERS, IS ONE SOLAR DEVELOPER WHO IS CONSTRUCTING, UM, UH, SOLAR PROJECTS IN MOUNT PLEASANT AND ELMSFORD.
AND THEY HAVE AGREED THAT EITHER THE GREENBURG HOUSING AUTHORITY OR THE TOWN OF GREENBURG WILL BE ABLE TO SERVE AS AN ANCHOR, UM, SUBSCRIBER IN A PORTFOLIO OF COMMUNITY SOLAR PROJECTS THAT ARE CURRENTLY IN DEVELOPMENT.
SO THAT'S A BENEFIT THAT WE'RE LOOKING TO BRING ON TOP OF THAT, UM, PROPORTIONAL REPRESENTATION.
IN TERMS OF THE GRANT FUNDS, IT'S A NYSERDA PROGRAM THAT YOU'RE REFERRING TO, SUPERVISOR FINES, THE KEEN ENERGY COMMUNITIES PROGRAM.
AND, UM, COMMUNITIES HAVE TO TAKE DESIGNATED HIGH IMPACT ACTIONS THAT THEY SUBMIT TO NYSERDA AND HAVE CERTIFIED AS HAVING BEEN COMPLETED.
[00:55:02]
AND, UM, COMMUNITIES THAT COMPLETE SUFFICIENT, A SUFFICIENT NUMBER OF THOSE ACTIONS ARE ELIGIBLE FOR GRANT FUNDING.THE TOWN, THE UNINCORPORATED TOWN OF GREENBURG IS CLASSIFIED AS A LARGE COMMUNITY WITHIN THE CONTEXT OF THAT PROGRAM, WHICH MEANS THAT THE TOWN COULD BE ELIGIBLE FOR $250,000, UM, FOR ACHIEVING CERTAIN OF THESE ACTIONS.
AND PARTICIPATING IN THE RENEWABLE SUPPLY IS, UM, IS ONE OF THOSE.
SO WE WOULD CONNECT YOUR, UM, GRANTS COORDINATOR, WINSTON GORDON AND ANY OTHER MUNICIPAL STAFF WITH THE APPROPRIATE PEOPLE AT THE HUDSON VALLEY REGIONAL COUNCIL WHO ARE SUPPORTING THIS EFFORT.
ON BEHALF OF NYSERDA, I HELPED THE VILLAGE OF DOBBS FERRY, UM, WHERE I'M A RESIDENT, RECEIVED THE HIGHEST AMOUNT AVAILABLE TO SMALL COMMUNITIES, WHICH IS A HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS.
I'M FAMILIAR WITH THE PROGRAM.
I'M HAPPY TO HELP, UM, CONNECT THE TOWN.
WHAT I WOULD SAY ABOUT THAT IS IT'S A COMPETITIVE PROGRAM.
THERE'S A CERTAIN AMOUNT OF, UH, DOLLARS THAT'S AVAILABLE, AND SO THE TOWN I KNOW HAS COMPLETED ENOUGH OF THE ACTIONS TO BE ELIGIBLE, BUT THE TOWN SHOULD JUMP ON THAT AND, AND, UM, START LINING UP THE, THE PAPERWORK FOR, FOR THAT.
AND AGAIN, I'M HAPPY TO HELP WITH THAT IN TERMS OF MAKING THE RIGHT CONNECTIONS.
LOOKS LIKE YOU'RE ON MUTE THERE.
UM, SO, UH, I REMEMBER BACK 15 YEARS AGO WHEN THE TOWN BECAME ONE OF THE FIRST MUNICIPALITIES, UM, TO, UH, PUT SOLAR PANELS ON ITS TOWN HALL.
AND THE TOWN OF GREENBURG HAS BEEN AN ENVIRONMENTAL LEADER, YOU KNOW, FOR AT LEAST THAT LONG AND, AND, AND PROBABLY LONGER.
UM, THE TOWN'S LEADERS HAVE LONG UNDERSTOOD HOW IMPORTANT ENVIRONMENTAL FACTORS ARE IN CONSIDERING THE IMPACT OF THEIR DECISIONS ON THE PRESENT AND FUTURE WELLBEING OF ITS RESIDENTS, INCLUDING OUR YOUNGER GENERATION WHO WILL FACE MOST ACUTELY THE EFFECTS OF CLIMATE DISRUPTION, WHICH WE ARE ALREADY EXPERIENCING.
WELL, AS IMPORTANT AS SOLAR PANELS ARE, AND I HAVE THEM ON MY HOME TOO, THE ABILITY TO TRANSFORM THE ENERGY MARKETPLACE FOR THE ENERGY THAT EVERYONE BUYS IS EVEN MORE FAR REACHING.
I BELIEVE IT'S VERY IMPORTANT FOR THE TOWN TO CONTINUE ITS LEADERSHIP BY PARTICIPATING IN WESTCHESTER POWER'S COMMUNITY CHOICE AGGREGATION PROGRAM.
AND BY CHOOSING THE A HUNDRED PERCENT RENEWABLE POWER AS THE DEFAULT, THIS LEVERAGES THE TOWN'S ABILITY TO AGGREGATE THE COMMUNITY'S PURCHASING POWER TO HELP TRANSFORM THE ENERGY MARKETPLACE TOWARDS A CLEAN ENERGY ECONOMY WHILE STILL ALLOWING THE OPT-OUT OPTION TO PRESERVE INDIVIDUAL CHOICE AND FREEDOM.
AND A A A SIDEBAR HERE ON OPTING OUT BASED ON, ON, UH, ONE OF THE COMMENTS THAT I HEARD EARLIER.
UM, YOU CURRENTLY, YOU KNOW, INDIVIDUALS CAN CURRENTLY SWITCH TO A NUMBER OF GREEN SUPPLIERS, GREEN ESCOS INDIVIDUALLY, BUT MOST PEOPLE DON'T.
UM, EVEN IF THEY SAY THEY WANT TO.
AND, UH, I'M AN EXAMPLE OF THAT.
I, YOU KNOW, I FOUND THE WHOLE PROCESS OF DECIDING ON WHAT A GOOD GREEN SUPPLIER WAS, YOU KNOW, VERSUS A, YOU KNOW, A LESS GOOD ONE.
AND THE, UM, UH, YOU KNOW, PEOPLE WHO ARE INVOLVED IN BEHAVIORAL ECONOMICS, UM, TELL US THAT THE DEFAULT OPTION IS A POWERFUL TOOL WHEN THERE IS INERTIA OR UNCERTAINTY AND DECISION MAKING.
UM, SO THAT CAREFULLY CHOSEN DEFAULT OPTIONS CAN HELP MAKE BETTER DECISIONS FOR PEOPLE AND FOR SOCIETY.
FOR EXAMPLE, UM, STUDIES HAVE SHOWN THAT REQUIRING PEOPLE TO OPT OUT IF THEY DO NOT WISH TO ORDER TO DONATE THEIR ORGANS HAS BEEN ASSOCIATED WITH HIGHER DONATION RATES.
UM, SO, UM, HOW AM I DOING ON TIME? UM, ANYWAY, THE, THE, THE INSTITUTE FOR LOCAL SELF-RELIANCE STATES THAT COMMUNITY CHOICE AGGREGATION CREATES COMMUNITY POOLS OF ELECTRICITY LARGE ENOUGH TO COMMAND LEVERAGE ON THE MARKET.
AND WITH SUFFICIENT LEGAL AUTHORITY AND FINANCIAL FLEXIBILITY TO DEMAND CONTRACTS FROM ENERGY SUPPLIERS THAT SATISFY LOCAL ECONOMIC AND ENVIRONMENTAL GOALS, IT PLACES AUTHORITY IN THE HANDS OF THOSE WHO WILL FEEL THE IMPACT OF THEIR DECISIONS MAKING INVESTMENT IN RENEWABLE ELECTRICITY MUCH MORE LIKELY.
UM, AND THE, THE TITLE OF THAT INSTITUTE, UH, FOR LOCAL SELF-RELIANCE IS REPORT THAT THEY ISSUED THIS YEAR IS COMMUNITY CHOICE, ENERGY AND ALTERNATIVE TO ELECTRICITY.
MONOPOLIES ENABLES COMMUNITIES TO CENTER PEOPLE AND PLANET.
AND I THINK YOU CAN SEE FROM THE TITLE THAT ONE OF THE POINTS THE INSTITUTE IS
[01:00:01]
MAKING THAT COMMUNITY CHOICE AGGREGATION ACTUALLY PROVIDES MORE POWER IN THE SENSE OF LEVERAGE, NO, NO PUN INTENDED, TO A COMMUNITY TO AFFECT CHANGE ON A LARGE SCALE THAN THE OLD STANDARD WAY OF HAVING THE UTILITY CONED IN THIS CASE BE THE DEFAULT SUPPLIER.AND I AGREE THAT, UM, GOOD COMMUNICATION ABOUT THE OPT-OUT AND EDUCATION ABOUT THAT IS IMPORTANT, BUT, UM, IT'LL BE FAR THE, THE TOWN WILL BE FAR MORE EFFECTIVE IN CREATING CHANGE ON THIS SCALE IF THEY MAKE THE RENEWAL ENERGY, THE, THE, UH, THE DEFAULT OPTION AND HAVING PEOPLE IN AN EDUCATED WAY OPT OUT.
I MUST BE DONE WITH MY TIME BY NOW.
I BELIEVE THERE ARE TWO MORE THAT HAVE NOT YET SPOKEN THAT, THAT I BELIEVE WANT TO SPEAK.
AND I DO SEE LESLIE HAS HER HAND UP.
UH, THERE MAY HAVE BEEN ONE CHAT QUESTION, WHICH I'M NOT SURE IF THAT RESIDENT WANTS TO POSE THAT QUESTION, BUT, UM, UH, KEN, STAN, DID YOU INTEND TO SPEAK TO KEN? YES, I DO.
UH, KEN STAN, UH, RESIDENT 6 44 ARLEY ROAD, PRESIDENT LEE ARLEY ROAD BRAIN ROAD CIVIC ASSOCIATION.
TO BE CLEAR, I AM NOT AGAINST GREEN ENERGY, BUT I AM AGAINST THIS PROGRAM PUT FORTH BY SUSTAINABLE WESTCHESTER AND WESTCHESTER POWER.
THE CURRENT PROGRAM FOR THE PAST FOUR YEARS, UH, HAS COST THE HOUSEHOLDS AND BUSINESSES IN THIS PROGRAM MONEY.
IN THE FIRST 20, IN THE FIRST, UH, TWO AND A HALF YEARS, THERE WAS A SLIM PROFIT OR SWING FOR THE CONSUMER IN THE LAST 18 MONTHS.
THE SWING HAS BEEN TERRIBLE FOR THE CONSUMER LOSING ALL THE MONEY THAT THEY SAVED IN THE FIRST, UH, TWO AND A HALF YEARS.
UH, THE, THE DIFFERENCE IS, IS BETWEEN, IS LIKE 30% BETWEEN WHAT WE PAY IF YOU'RE IN THE PROGRAM AND WHAT YOU PAY.
IF YOU WERE WITH CONED OUT OF THE PROGRAM, I DON'T WANT TO GO INTO TOO MANY THINGS 'CAUSE ERIC AND JEFF COVERED A LOT OF STUFF VERY WELL, BUT, UH, YOU'RE SIGNING UP FOR A PROGRAM THAT IS NOT CURRENTLY COMPLETED ACCORDING TO THEM, UH, SUSTAINABLE WESTCHESTER NINA, THE PROGRAM IS STILL IN THE DEVELOPMENT STAGES WITH CLEAN ENERGY COM COMMUNITIES OF NEW YORK STERN, EVERYTHING THAT YOU TALKED ABOUT, THE, THE, UH, MONEY, THE, THE, THE GRANTS AND THE, THE, THE LOW INCOME PEOPLE GETTING MONEY, THAT WILL ALL HAPPEN, BUT IT IS NOT DEFINITE.
THE CARROT IS 250,000, IT COULD BE 75,000 AND, AND WHAT IS LOW INCOME? UM, I'VE BEEN HAVING A HARD TIME TRACKING THAT DOWN, BUT, UM, I I, I JUST THINK, YOU KNOW, YOU NEED TO CHECK THE HISTORY OF THE PROGRAM AND, AND, AND WORRY ABOUT MOVING FORWARD.
WE HAD A LOT OF PROMISES AND A LOT OF COMMITMENTS, AND NOW WE HAVE A LOT OF PROMISES AND A LOT OF COMMITMENT FROM, FROM PAUL AND, AND, AND BEING TRANSPARENT.
BUT WE ALL KNOW THAT'S NOT ALWAYS FORTHCOMING.
THESE ARE NUMBERS I GLEANED FROM PREVIOUS STUFF THAT, THAT ERIC SAID HE COULDN'T GET.
BUT THESE ARE NOT SOMETHING THAT CAN REALLY BE FACT CHECKED.
BUT I'M SURE THAT 12,600 PEOPLE ARE IN THE PROGRAM NOW.
THERE'S ONLY 130 IN THE GREEN PROGRAM THAT SHOWS A VERY LOW INTEREST OF PEOPLE WANTING TO BE IN THE GREEN PROGRAM.
WHY? BECAUSE THEY DON'T KNOW ABOUT IT.
AND, AND I JUST THINK THAT THERE ARE TOO MANY PEOPLE NOT AWARE OF WHAT'S GOING ON.
THE NEW PROGRAM MAY BE 1000 PEOPLE I HEARD THAT SAID AGAIN, TONIGHT ARE IN THE PROGRAM, BUT THAT'S FOR ALL OF WESTCHESTER, NOT JUST GREENBURG, ALL OF WESTCHESTER, 12,600 PEOPLE IN GREENBURG.
3300 1800 IS, IS A NUMBER I GLEANED FROM THEM IS LOW INCOME.
AND THEN THERE'S ANOTHER 1500 CALLED UPPER LOW INCOME.
I, I, I DON'T KNOW WHAT'S UPPER LOW INCOME MEANS, BUT TOGETHER THAT'S 3,300, UH, PEOPLE ELIGIBLE.
7.1% OF THAT IS THE NUMBER THEY THREW OUT IS ABOUT 235 FAMILIES THAT WILL BE ELIGIBLE TO GET THE 10% YEAR END REBATE.
AND THAT'S, THAT'S, THAT'S A VERY SMALL NUMBER OF 12,600 THAT, UH, WILL BE PAYING MORE THAN THE GOING RATE.
[01:05:01]
ED HAS A PROGRAM RIGHT NOW THAT YOU CAN ENROLL IN FOR LOW INCOME, A LOW INCOME PROGRAM FOR PEOPLE THAT ARE HAVING A HARD TIME WITH THEIR BILLS.YOU CAN DO THAT WITH CON ED ALSO, IT'S FLUCTUATION OF, OF, UH, BILLS.
CONNET HAS A LEVEL BILLING PLAN.
HEY, MR. YOU'RE AT YOUR LIMIT.
AND I, AND I KNOW WE HAVE SOME OTHER BUSINESS AND I, AND I APPRECIATE YOUR COMMENTS AND I THINK ONE OTHER SPEAKER.
SO I THINK I TRIED TO GET TO EVERYONE IN THE CHAT TO SEE IF THEY WANTED TO SPEAK.
I BELIEVE EVERYONE THAT HAS WANTED TO SPEAK AT LEAST ONCE HAS SPOKEN.
IF THAT'S NOT THE CASE, I THINK NOW WOULD BE A GOOD TIME TO JUST UNMUTE YOURSELF AND GO AHEAD AND SPEAK.
I AM PRESIDENT OF THE WORTHINGTON WOODLAND CIVIC ASSOCIATION AND I'M ON THE EXECUTIVE BOARD OF THE COUNCIL OF GREENBERG CIVIC ASSOCIATIONS.
I AM READING THIS STATEMENT PREPARED BY THE EXECUTIVE BOARD.
THE EXECUTIVE BOARD OF THE C G C A IS MAKING NO RECOMMENDATION, BUT RATHER PROVIDING THE FOLLOWING INFORMATION SO RESIDENTS CAN BETTER UNDERSTAND WHAT IS BEING CONSIDERED AND ARE IN A BETTER POSITION TO ASK QUESTIONS AT MR. FINE'S REQUEST THE C G C A REACHED OUT TO THE COMMUNITY FOR ADVICE ON WHAT ACTION THE TOWN SHOULD TAKE.
ONE RESIDENT RECOMMENDED A GREEN OPTION.
EVERY SINGLE OTHER RESIDENT RECEIVED TO DATE RECOMMENDED THAT ANY NEW CONTRACT SHOULD BE ON AN OPT-IN BASIS.
MORE INFORMATION WAS ALSO REQUIRED REGARDING THE FUTURE SAVINGS FOR LOWER INCOME FAMILIES.
ACCORDING TO THE CGCAS UNDERSTANDING, ANY NEW CONTRACT THE TOWN PARTICIPATES IN WOULD BE FOR THE GREEN OPTION AND WILL BE OFFERED ON AN OPT-OUT BASIS.
SAVINGS OF 10% ON THEIR ELECTRIC BILL WOULD BE PROMISED TO X NUMBER OF LOWER INCOME RESIDENTS, SO THE TOWN COULD BE ELIGIBLE UP TO $250,000 IN GRANT MONEY FOR SUSTAINABLE PROJECTS.
WESTCHESTER POWER PLANS TO GO OUT TO BID THIS MONTH FOR A NEW CONTRACT WITH A STARTING BID LOWER THAN 7.65 CENTS PER KILOWATT.
FRANCIS, COULD YOU PLEASE PUT UP THE TABLE THAT ELLA PUT OUT? I WOULD APPRECIATE IT.
THAT YOU WERE PLAYING WITH AT THE BEGINNING OR, OR, UH, GAR.
IT'S BETTER KNOCK YOUR FACE OFF THE SCREEN.
IT'S GONNA KNOCK MY WHAT? FACE OFF THE SCREEN.
MY FACE IS NEVER ON THE SCREEN.
LISTEN, I DON'T WANT YOU TO RUN OUTTA TIME, SO PLEASE KEEP GOING.
UM, SO BRING IT DOWN TO THE BOTTOM AND YOU CAN SEE THAT THE LATEST, UH, ALL THE WAY DOWN AT THE BOTTOM.
I HAVE TO MOVE IT OVER BECAUSE IT'S BEING BLOCKED ON THE CABLE TO THE FROM PICTURE.
BUT WE WON'T TAKE THIS OUTTA YOUR TIME.
WELL, THE LATEST, CORRECT, THE LATEST NUMBERS COME IN AT FIVE POINT, UM, 5 CENTS WHERE SUSTAINABLE IS AT 7.7.
IT'S A BIG DIFFERENCE IF YOU LOOK AT THE CHART, AND IF YOU WOULD GO MONTH BY MONTH, YOU'LL SEE.
AND I HAVE, I WANNA STATE THAT THE OPT-OUT IS NOT EASY.
I HAVE GOTTEN EMAILS FROM MANY PEOPLE, IT HAS TAKEN THEM, BUT CONTACTING WESTCHESTER POWER SUSTAINABLE, IT'S TAKING THEM TWO TO THREE MONTHS TO GET OUT OF THIS.
IT'S NOT AS EASY AS YOU THINK.
AND I AGREE A HUNDRED PERCENT WITH WHAT KEN SAID, WHAT ERIC SAID, AND JEFF SAID, I'M GOING TO BE SENDING YOU 20 STATEMENTS BY PEOPLE WHO SENT ME.
THEY DO NOT WANT TO BE IN THIS PROGRAM.
THEY FEEL THAT IT ONLY SHOULD BE AN OPT-IN.
AND I'M GOING TO HAVE ALL OF THIS POSTED ON NEXTDOOR ON THE GENERAL, AND WE WILL ALSO POST THIS ON THE C GCA WEBSITE, WHICH ANYONE CAN GET TO BY GOING TO C GCA.
UH, IS THERE ANYONE ELSE? UM,
UM, WE HAVE, UH, YOU KNOW, PEOPLE READY AT THE PHONE.
WE HAVE A, A WEBSITE WHERE THERE'S A SHORT LITTLE FORM YOU FILL OUT.
SO, SO MAKING THAT EASY IS REALLY IMPORTANT TO US.
I MEAN, IF, IF PEOPLE, YOU KNOW, IF THEIR FIRST PHONE CALL GOES TO, UM, GOES TO CONED OR SOMETHING, THEN YOU MIGHT BE GETTING SOME CALL CENTER PERSON, THAT'S THEN, YOU KNOW, THEN YOU'RE, YOU'RE STARTING DOWN SOME JOURNEY THAT WE CAN'T CONTROL.
BUT IF IT COMES TO US, YOU'RE COMING RIGHT OUT OF THE PROGRAM AND, AND
[01:10:01]
WE ARE COMMITTED TO MAKING THAT THAT EASY.AND WHILE I'VE, WHILE I'M SPEAKING, I WOULD JUST SAY THAT, UM, THE DECISION THAT GREENBERG MAKES TODAY, AND INDEED THE, THE WORK THAT THE, UH, ALL THE PARTICIPATING COMMUNITIES HAVE DONE, UH, HAS NOT ONLY HAD A HUGE IMPACT ON OUR OWN FOOTPRINT HERE, BUT THERE ARE NOW DOZENS OF COMMUNITIES ACROSS NEW YORK STATE THAT ARE FOLLOWING THIS MODEL AND ESTABLISHING PROGRAMS BECAUSE COMMUNITIES DON'T WANNA WAIT.
THEY WANT TO TAKE CHARGE OF THEIR ENERGY FUTURES.
THEY'RE, THEY'RE DETERMINED TO MAKE SOME CHANGE.
SO, UM, AND I UNDERSTAND THE CONCERNS ABOUT THE OPT-OUT, UH, FORMAT.
YOU KNOW, IT'S NOT, IT'S NOT A SURPRISE.
WE HAVE THOSE DISCUSSIONS, UH, BUT WE ALSO LIKE TO POINT OUT THAT CONED IS AN OPT-OUT OPTION TOO, RIGHT? YOU MOVE INTO AN APARTMENT, YOU, YOU, UH, PICK UP THE PHONE AND YOU CALL AND YOU SAY, HOOK UP MY POWER.
AND YOU GET WHATEVER YOU GET UNLESS YOU CHOOSE TO DO SOMETHING ELSE.
WE'RE JUST CHANGING THE STARTING POINT AND PEOPLE STILL HAVE THE CHOICE TO, TO, UH, SELECT ANY SUPPLIER THEY WOULD LIKE.
JARED, COULD YOU ALSO GIVE US A, UH, A SUMMARY OF THE WRITTEN COMMENTS WE'VE GOTTEN? YES.
UM, OVER THE PAST, UH, WEEK OR SO, UH, I, I, I'VE RECEIVED, UH, TO THE PUBLIC COMMENT@GREENBERGNY.COM, ABOUT 25 OR SO, 20 TO 25, UM, EMAILS.
UM, UH, I BELIEVE ALL BUT ONE WERE, WERE, WERE, WERE POSITIVE FOR BOTH THE PROGRAM AND, AND, AND, AND, AND THE, THE GREEN OPT-IN.
UM, I, I HAVEN'T REALLY HAD A CHANCE TO, TO READ THEM CLOSELY, BUT I DID COMPILE THEM ALL INTO ONE DOCUMENT, WHICH I SENT OFF TO THE TOWN BOARD.
UH, THEY WERE FROM RESIDENTS BOTH IN UNINCORPORATED GREENBURG, UH, THE VILLAGES, AND THEN SOME, UH, LOCAL ENVIRONMENTAL GROUPS.
UH, I BELIEVE THERE WAS ONE, UH, EMAIL BASED ON COST THAT WAS NEGATIVE.
SO, UM, ABOUT 25 RESPONSES THAT I RECEIVED.
UH, I DID READ THEM AND I, I BELIEVE THERE ARE TWO.
ONE IS VERY SHORT THAT SAYS, BASICALLY PULL ME ONCE, YOU KNOW, PULL ME TWICE.
UM, THEY, THEY'RE NOT IN SUPPORT OF IT.
UH, OBVIOUSLY WE'VE HAD LETTERS OF SUPPORT.
THEY'RE, YOU'RE, YOU'RE RIGHT, IT WAS BETWEEN 24 OR 25, DEPENDING ON THE COUNTS, YOU KNOW, A FOLLOW UP COMMENT OR NOT FROM THE SAME PERSON.
WE'VE HAD COMMENTS FROM OTHER MUNICIPAL MUNICIPALITIES THAT ARE, UH, THAT'S VOTED TO STAY INTO THE, INTO THE PROGRAM.
WE'VE HAD COMMENTS FROM THE NATURE CENTER AND SUPPORT OF US DOING, UH, UH, THE, THE, UH, SUSTAINABLE OPTION.
UH, WE'VE HAD, UM, UH, PEOPLE THAT I, I COULDN'T TELL WHETHER OR NOT THEY WERE ACTUALLY IN TOWN OF GREENBURG OR NOT, BUT THEY WERE, UH, VERY SUPPORTIVE OF IT.
THEY DIDN'T IDENTIFY WHAT THEIR ADDRESS WAS.
UH, AND, UH, THERE'S, UH, A COMMENT FROM, UH, THE HOSTEL NEIGHBORS ASSOCIATION, WHICH, UM, UH, UH, PROVIDES COMMENT.
AND, UH, IT SAYS BASICALLY, UH, THAT THERE'S A TREMENDOUS NEED TO EDUCATE THE PUBLIC.
AND I CERTAINLY AGREE WITH THAT.
AND WE DIDN'T DO A GOOD JOB ON THAT LAST, LAST, LAST ROUND.
AND, UH, YOU KNOW, I THINK THE CONDITION THAT WE'VE ALREADY DISCUSSED, I THINK THEY NEED TO BE ENHANCED.
I THINK THEY HAVE TO BE ENHANCED SIGNIFICANTLY PRIOR TO THE EFFECTIVE DATE OF THE CONTRACT STARTING SO THAT, UM, PEOPLE DON'T FIND OUT THREE MONTHS LATER THAT THEY'VE BEEN PUT INTO A, INTO A, UH, AN OPTION AND THEN HAVE TO OPT OUT.
I REMEMBER WHEN WE FIRST WENT INTO THIS, PEOPLE HAD AN OPPORTUNITY IN ADVANCE OF THE IMPLEMENTATION DAY, UH, TO OPT OUT.
SO THEY WERE NEVER ACTUALLY PUT INTO IT.
AND I WOULD LIKE TO, UM, ADD THAT TO THE LIST OF CONDITIONS THAT, UH, THAT WOULD ALSO APPLY HERE.
WHY SHOULD THEY EVER GET INTO A PROGRAM IF THEY DON'T WANT TO GET INTO IT? AND SO, ALL THE THINGS OF ROBOCALLS AND POSTCARDS AND POSTING ON THE WEBSITE, YOU KNOW, IT'S NICE THAT YOU HAVE AN ANNUAL REPORT, BUT YOU WANT TO REALLY MAKE A CONCERTED EFFORT AT THE VERY BEGINNING OF THIS PROGRAM SO PEOPLE MAKE AN INFORMED DECISION.
AND MAYBE EVEN WE HAVE A, A LINK FROM OUR WEBSITE TO THE SUSTAINABLE WEBSITE, UH,
[01:15:01]
TO THE PAGE THAT IF SOMEBODY WANTS TO OPT OUT, UH, MOST OF THE TIME I HEAR THE COMMENTS OF, IT'S NOT EASY TO OPT OUT.UM, MAYBE BECAUSE I'M COMPUTER SAVVY, YOU KNOW, THAT DOESN'T SEEM REAL TO ME BECAUSE I KNOW HOW TO GO TO A WEBSITE AND I KNOW HOW TO GO TO THE PAID.
UM, BUT, YOU KNOW, THERE ARE PEOPLE WHO DON'T HAVE COMPUTERS, RIGHT? AND THERE ARE SOME PEOPLE THAT, UM, BELIEVE IT OR NOT, YOU KNOW, THEY MAY STILL HAVE FLIP PHONES OR, OR NO PHONE, NO CELL PHONES.
AND SO WE HAVE TO BE MINDFUL OF THAT.
AND MAYBE THE POSTCARD IS, IS THE ONLY WAY TO REACH THEM, OR MAYBE THE ROBOCALL MIGHT REACH THEM.
UH, I DO AGREE THOUGH, UNLIKE IN THE PAST, I THINK THE TOWN HAS TO BE THE ONE THAT CONTROLS THE WORDING ON THE POSTCARD.
AND, UH, AND BECAUSE WHEN WE ASKED FOR WORDING IN THE PAST, UH, BASICALLY THE PRICE DIFFERENCE IS KIND OF BURIED IN AN AWFUL LOT OF OTHER MATERIAL.
AND I THINK WE, WE JUST WANNA PUT IT OUT THERE FOR THE PUBLIC WHAT THE DIFFERENCE IS.
AND EITHER THEY CAN EITHER CHOOSE TO GO GREEN OR THEY, THEY CAN CHOOSE NOT TO.
UM, BUT, BUT WE DID HAVE, UH, QUITE A FEW, AND THEY WEREN'T, THEY WEREN'T, UM, LETTERS VERY CRYPTIC, LIKE THE ONE I MENTIONED WHERE, YOU KNOW, FORMULA ONE, UH, THEY WERE VERY THOUGHTFUL.
SOME OF THEM WERE VERY LENGTHY.
SOME PEOPLE SHOWED UP HERE AND DISCUSSED WHAT THEY PUT INTO THEIR COMMENTS.
SO, UH, WE CAN MAKE THE, UH, THE LETTERS AVAILABLE TO ANYBODY, UH, WHO, WHO WOULD LIKE TO SEE THEM, AND THEY ARE WHAT THEY ARE.
AND SO, UM, I, I THINK THIS HAS BEEN AN INFORMATIVE DISCUSSION.
UM, BUT I, I, YOU KNOW, I, I THINK, YOU KNOW ME, I WOULD LIKE TO SEE THE WORDING OF THESE CONDITIONS AS OPPOSED TO WE'LL AGREE TO THIS AND WE'LL AGREE TO THAT.
I WOULD ACTUALLY LIKE TO SEE, UH, WHAT IS IT THAT WE'RE, WE'RE ACTUALLY GETTING AS FAR AS THIS TRANSPARENCY OF WHAT'S HAPPENING AND HOW DO WE GET THAT OUT THERE, WHAT YOU'RE AGREEING TO, WHAT WOULD BE THE RESPONSIBILITY OF THE TOWN? I WOULD LIKE TO ACTUALLY SEE THAT, UH, FORMALIZED
WE DO HAVE TO HAVE A, A TIGHTLY WORDED, UM, YOU KNOW, AGREEMENT.
AND, YOU KNOW, ONE, YOU KNOW, ONE OF THE THOUGHTS THAT I HAD WOULD BE, UM, YOU KNOW, I THINK, YOU KNOW, THE BOARD HEARD FROM THE COMMUNITY, IF IN CONCEPT, YOU KNOW, WE CAN MAKE A DECISION, YOU KNOW, RIGHT NOW AND SAY, YOU KNOW WHAT, IF WE GET THE WORD INCORRECTLY, WE WILL SUPPORT, YOU KNOW, THE AGREEMENT.
THEN YOU, THE TOWN ATTORNEY, UH, NINA, UH, DAN WELSH COULD, YOU KNOW, GARRETT COULD WORK OUT THE, THE CONTRACTUAL AGREEMENTS.
BUT MEANWHILE, EVERYBODY WILL SORT OF KNOW THAT, YOU KNOW, THE DECISION IS, UM, YOU KNOW, CONDITIONAL APPROVAL.
YOU KNOW, THAT WE BASICALLY ARE GONNA, YOU KNOW, GO ALONG WITH THIS IF, UH, ALL THE CONDITIONS THAT, YOU KNOW, WE WILL TALK TO ARE, ARE MET.
AND I, I DO THINK WE SHOULD, UH, ALSO HAVE, UM, A CER CERTAIN COMMITMENT IN TERMS OF, UH, THE LOW INCOME, UM, UH, THE, THE HELP TO LOW INCOME RESIDENTS, YOU KNOW, THE NUMBERS OR THE PERCENTAGES.
SO WE KNOW, WE GUARANTEE THAT GREENBERG WILL GET A FAIR SHARE.
AND WE'LL ALSO HELP WITH, UM, YOU KNOW, GETTING GRANTS FROM ALBANY FOR THE SUSTAINABLE, UM, INITIATIVE.
SO I'M SORT OF WONDERING, UM, YOU KNOW, SINCE BOTH OF US SPOKE, IF THE OTHER BOARD MEMBERS COULD ALSO INDICATE WHETHER OR NOT THEY SUPPORT, YOU KNOW, THIS, THIS APPROACH IN CONCEPT WITHOUT FORMALLY APPROVING ANYTHING, CAN I JUST SAY SOMETHING ABOUT THAT? I WOULD LIKE TO HAVE MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THIS LOW INCOME PROGRAM, BECAUSE IF THEY'RE LIMITED TO, TO HOUSEHOLDS THAN MAKE $30,000 OR LESS, THEY'RE PROBABLY NOT USING $300 OR $400 OF ELECTRICITY A MONTH.
AND OF THAT 10% WOULD THAT, YOU KNOW, HOW MUCH ARE WE REALLY TALKING ABOUT AND WHAT IS THE REAL BENEFIT? AND COULD THAT THEN APPLY TO MORE PEOPLE? UH, BECAUSE IT SEEMS LIKE A VERY SMALL NUMBER THAT WOULD BE ACTUALLY GIVEN BACK AS A 10% NUMBER.
BUT I, I, I WOULD LIKE TO ACTUALLY SEE HOW THOSE NUMBERS ARE, ARE, ARE WORK OUT.
AND I UNDERSTAND THAT THAT'S ALSO, UNLESS YOU MISSPOKE NINA, THAT THAT'S AN OPT OUT PROGRAM.
SO YOU WOULD AUTOMATICALLY PUT PEOPLE, IF YOU KNEW THAT THEY WERE, UH, SOMEHOW, YOU'LL KNOW THAT THEY'RE LOW INCOME AND THEN THEY WOULD AUTOMATICALLY BE IN, SO THEY DON'T HAVE TO, UH, DO ANYTHING TO BE IN THAT PROGRAM.
BUT I, SO I WOULD LIKE TO ACTUALLY SEE HOW THAT WORKS OUT IN WRITING, JUST SO THE BOARD KNOWS OTHER, I'M
[01:20:01]
JUST GETTING CHATS.THERE'S, I BELIEVE, ONE OR TWO MORE RESIDENTS THAT ASKED TO MAKE BRIEF STATEMENTS.
SO I DON'T KNOW WHAT THE BOARD WANTS TO DO, WHETHER IT'S, UH, TAKE THEM BY EMAIL AT A LATER DATE OR ALLOW THE, THE, THE, THE COMMENTS TO BE MADE NOW.
BUT I JUST WANTED TO MAKE YOU AWARE, IF THEY'RE HERE, GARRETT, I THINK I WANNA HEAR THEM TO SPEAK.
UM, I THINK LESLIE DAVIS, DID YOU STILL HAVE A QUESTION THAT YOU'D LIKE TO ASK? UM, I THINK WE HAD MORE TO DO WITH, YOU GUYS ARE GONNA MAKE THE DECISION NOT TONIGHT.
IS THAT CORRECT? I, I WANNA, I'M ASKING THAT WE, UM, MAKE A, UM, A CONCEPTUAL DECISION, YOU KNOW, PENDING, UM, UH, A WRITTEN AGREEMENT, UM, YOU KNOW, A A WRITTEN AGREEMENT, YOU KNOW, WITH A TIGHT, TIGHTLY WORDED, UM, YOU KNOW, CONDITIONS.
BECAUSE I FEEL THAT UNLESS WE KNOW WE HAVE THREE BOARD MEMBERS WHO WANT TO, YOU KNOW, GO FORWARD WITH US, UM, THEN, YOU KNOW, THERE'S NO NEED TO SPEND TIME ON ALL THE LEGALESE.
BUT IF, UM, IF THE BOARD BASICALLY SAYS IN CONCEPT WE, YOU KNOW, WE'RE, WE'RE SUPPORTING THIS, UH, NOW WE WOULD LIKE TO WORK OUT ALL THE, THE LANGUAGE, THEN, YOU KNOW, THEN EVERYBODY COULD START WORKING ON IT IN THE NEXT, UH, WEEK.
UM, SUSTAINABLE WESTCHESTER ALSO NEEDS AN ANSWER BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, THEY'RE, THEY'RE PLANNING FOR, FOR THE COMING YEAR.
CAN I, CAN I JUST, UH, IN TERMS OF THE NUTS AND BOLTS THERE, THE, UM, THE, UH, BID DATE IS THE 30TH IS NEXT WEDNESDAY.
AND, UM, SO IN ORDER TO BE SORT OF EXCLUDED AS PART OF THAT LOAD FOR THE BID, UH, WE WOULD NEED TO HAVE THE M O U SIGNED BY THEN.
SO IF I'M, IF I'M HEARING THIS CORRECTLY, WE WANNA MAKE SURE WE'RE CAPTURING THOSE ADDITIONAL COMMUNICATIONS, ET CETERA CONDITIONS IN, IN A, A DOCUMENT SO THAT WE HAVE A COMMITMENT THERE.
AND, AND THEN WITH THAT, BETWEEN US THEN, UH, ASSUMING EVERYBODY'S, YOU KNOW, YOU STILL HAVE TO VOTE ON OR WHATEVER, BUT YOU'D BE, UH, IN A POSITION TO THEN SIGN OFF ON THE M O U KNOWING THAT, THAT WE HAVE THAT COMMITMENT.
IS THAT KIND OF THE MECHANICS THAT WE'RE LOOKING AT? THAT'S WHAT, THAT'S WHAT MY RECOMMENDATION IS.
SO BE, IN OTHER WORDS, THE, THE AUTHORITY TO SIGN E M O U WOULD BE CONTINGENT ON GETTING THAT AGREEMENT IN PLACE, GETTING THE CONDITION, BUT YOU'VE ALREADY AGREED TO THE CONDITIONS.
AND, YOU KNOW, THE CONDITIONS THAT I'M BASICALLY ASKING THAT, YOU KNOW, I'M AUTHORITY, YOU KNOW, WOULD BASICALLY PUT A LOT OF THE BURDEN, YOU KNOW, ON THE TOWN.
SO WE WOULD HAVE THE RESPONSIBILITY OF SENDING OUT THE POSTCARD AND WRITING IT, BUT SUSTAINABLE WOULD AGREE TO PAY FOR ONE POSTCARD A YEAR.
WE WOULD COMMIT THAT WE WOULD DO AT LEAST ONE ROBO CALL.
WE WOULD COMMIT, UH, TO WORK WITH YOU.
YOU WOULD GIVE US THE NUMBERS, AND WE WOULD THEN POST IT ON THE WEBSITE EVERY MONTH, UM, AND SAY, CONED RATES ARE, UH, THIS AMOUNT PER KILOWATT HOUR.
THIS IS, UM, WHAT, UH, YOU ARE, IF YOU WANNA OPT OUT, UH, THIS IS HOW YOU GO ABOUT IT.
SO WE ARE, WE THRILLED TO SUPPORT THAT.
SO LET, LET ME JUST SAY THAT THE REASON WHY, THE REASON, THE REASON WHY, AND, AND I, I, I, I, I DON'T THINK I'VE BEEN, UM, LESS THAN TRANSPARENT THAT, YOU KNOW, I, I I HAVE SUPPORTED A GREEN INITIATIVE.
I THINK OUR MISTAKE IN THE PAST WAS WE DIDN'T GO GREEN, SO WE HAD NOTHING, NOTHING TO SAY WAS A BENEFIT.
WHEN THE CON CONED RATES WENT LOW, WE COULDN'T SAY WE WERE GREEN LIKE THE OTHER MUNICIPALITIES THAT WERE, MOST OF THE OTHER MUNICIPALITIES THAT WERE IN THERE.
THE REASON WHY I'M, I'M A LITTLE CAUTIOUS HERE, IS THAT WHEN WE FIRST DID THE NEGOTIATION ON THE ORIGINAL CONTRACT, WE PUT IN PROVISIONS ABOUT POSTCARD, AND THEN AFTER WE WERE THROUGH THAT PROCESS, WE WERE TOLD, OH, WE CAN'T REALLY PUT THAT INTO THE CONTRACT BECAUSE THEN WE WOULD HAVE TO OFFER IT TO EVERYBODY ELSE, ALL THE OTHER MUNICIPALITIES.
I JUST WANNA MAKE SURE UPFRONT THAT THAT DOESN'T HAPPEN HERE.
THAT IF WE SAY THIS IS WHAT'S GOING TO HAPPEN, THEN IT'S GOING TO HAPPEN.
AND I DON'T WANT IT TO BE ON THE TOWN'S DIME.
'CAUSE NOW WE HAVE TO LIVE UP TO WHAT WE SAID WOULD HAPPEN.
I WANT TO MAKE IT CLEAR EXACTLY WHAT IS GONNA HAPPEN AND WHO'S PICKING UP THE COST.
I WOULD LIKE TO KNOW THAT UPFRONT BEFORE I AM SAYING, RAH, RAH, RAH, I'M SUPPORTIVE, BUT I'M CAUTIOUS IN MAKING SURE THAT THE NOTIFICATION FOR OPTING OUT AND THE EASE OF OPTING OUT IS BUILT INTO THIS AS SOLIDLY AS WE COULD POSSIBLY DO, UH, PUT IT.
[01:25:01]
WHAT I'VE BEEN HEARING, UH, MOSTLY FROM PEOPLE, YOU KNOW, ASIDE FROM, YOU KNOW, THERE, THERE'S A DIFFERENCE IN COST, YOU KNOW, BETWEENBUT EVEN, EVEN GOING GREEN, THE ABILITY TO OPT OUT AND THERE'LL BE NO COST TO OPT OUT LIKE OTHER SCOS, LIKE SOME OTHER SCOS, UM, THAT'S A BIG DEAL THAT YOU CAN OPT OUT AT NO COST, NO PENALTY AT ANY TIME THROUGHOUT THE DURATION.
IT'S NOT JUST FOR THE FIRST THREE MONTHS.
YOU CAN OPT OUT, YOU CAN OPT OUT AT ANY POINT.
I'M JUST, I I, I THINK I'M MAKING MYSELF CLEAR.
YEAH, WE'RE HAPPY TO, TO, I DON'T WANT TO RELIVE WHAT HAPPENED INITIALLY.
I, I HAVE A SIMILAR CONCERN, DAN, THAT ALL THESE THINGS WERE SUPPOSED TO HAVE BEEN IN THE LAST CONTRACT.
AND, AND YOU'VE HEARD TONIGHT THAT THERE WERE A NUMBER OF PEOPLE THAT HAVE HAD ISSUES.
AND, UM, I BELIEVE A GREEN OPTION IS A GOOD OPTION TOO.
BUT IF WE CAN'T FIND A GOOD WAY TO, TO HELP RESIDENTS WHO WISH TO OPT OUT AND AN EASY WAY FOR THEM TO DO IT, I HAVE A PROBLEM.
I, I KNOW I WASN'T HERE FOR THE FIRST CONTRACT WHEN IT WENT INTO PLACE, UM, BUT I HAD A CONCERN WHEN WE WERE TALKING ABOUT THE COMMUNICATION AS FAR AS RE AS IT RELATES TO THE POSTCARDS.
SO AS EVERYONE KNOW, I'VE BEEN VERY CLEAR, I'M BIG ON COMMUNICATION AND I WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT EVERYONE IS COMFORTABLE AND CLEAR ON WHAT THEY'RE GETTING INTO.
SO, AND I ALSO WAS CLEAR THAT I, I DIDN'T WANNA MAKE A DECISION UNLESS I HEARD FROM THE RESIDENTS.
SO I HEAR SORT OF 50 50 ON IT.
I AM TOTALLY IN AGREEMENT ON THAT.
UM, OUR CHILDREN ARE OUR FUTURE, SO WE NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT WE CONTINUE AND, AND WE DO OUR PART TO ENSURE THAT THEY DO HAVE A HEALTHY FUTURE.
AS YOU KNOW, SINCE WE ARE IN THE MIDDLE OF A PANDEMIC, WE HAVE KNOWN WHAT HAS COST US.
UM, BUT UNLESS WE SEE SOMETHING PHYSICALLY IN WRITING BLACK AND WHITE, I JUST, I CAN'T GO FORWARD.
'CAUSE I WANNA MAKE SURE THAT EVERYTHING THAT IS VERBALLY SAID HERE IS WRITTEN AND THAT EVERYBODY'S ON THE SAME PAGE.
'CAUSE I JUST THINK THAT'S FAIR ACROSS THE BOARD.
WHEN DO YOU THINK WE CAN DO, WHEN DO YOU THINK WE CAN HAVE THAT? WELL, WE'LL HAVE THAT WRITTEN UP FOR YOU TONIGHT.
JEFF SHERWIN HAD, I THINK I BELIEVE WAS THE LAST, UM, ONE REQUESTING TO SPEAK.
AND THEN AFTER THAT, I WILL ASK FRED IF HE HAD A QUESTION THAT HE CHATTED TO ME.
SO JUST REALLY QUICKLY, AND I, I DIDN'T TAKE ALL MY TIME OUT BEFORE AND I JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT THE TOWN BOARD IS AWARE OF ONE THING.
WE HAVE A RELATIONSHIP WITH CONED.
IF YOU LOOK AT YOUR CONED BILLS, IT TELLS YOU WHO YOUR SS TELLS YOU WHERE TO CALL.
AND IT DOESN'T SAY CALL SUSTAINABLE WESTCHESTER.
SO YOU NEED TO THINK ABOUT THIS AND ALL OF THE POSTCARDS THAT YOU MAY SEND OUT, ALL THE ROBOCALL THAT PEOPLE ARE GONNA IGNORE PART, PARTICULARLY AS WE GO INTO ELECTION SEASON ABOUT WHO YOUR RELATIONSHIP IS AS A CONSUMER AND HOW IT IS THAT MOST PEOPLE ARE GOING TO GO ABOUT DOING THIS.
BEFORE YOU THINK ABOUT WHETHER OR NOT SUSTAINABLE WESTCHESTER CAN MAGICALLY MAKE ALL THIS GO AWAY, FRANCIS, I'M AT LEAST AS GOOD WITH AS COM, UH, WITH COMPUTERS AS YOU ARE.
I HAVE A LOT OF EXPERIENCE DOING THIS, AND I'VE BEEN BUYING ESCO CONTRACTS FOR A LONG TIME.
AND YOU HAVE A LOT OF EDUCATION TO DO BEFORE YOU FORCE PEOPLE INTO A CONTRACT AS A THIRD PARTY.
AND MY POINT IS, IS THAT THIS IS AKIN TO WHAT HAPPENED IN THE EIGHTIES AND NINETIES WHEN, WHEN PHONE COMPANY, WHEN LONG DISTANCE PHONE COMPANIES WERE SLAMMING RESIDENTS AND SWITCHING THEIR PLAN, SWITCHING THEIR PLANS WITHOUT THEM KNOWING ABOUT IT, AND NOW IT'S GOVERNMENT SUPPORTED.
YOU ARE SUPPORTING THE AUTOMATIC CHANGEOVER OF A CONSUMER SERVICE, LIKE SWITCHING EVERYBODY WHO'S ON FIOS TO CABLE VISION BECAUSE YOU LIKE THOSE POLICIES BETTER.
AND THAT, I BELIEVE IS WAY OUTSIDE OF WHAT YOU GUYS SHOULD BE EVEN CONSIDERING DOING.
YOU HAVE BIGGER FISH TO FRY, AND THIS IS NOT ONE OF THEM.
CAN I JUST CLARIFY ON THE BILL, UH, IT'S TRUE THAT THE ESCO PHONE NUMBER APPEARS, UH, WITH THEIR NAME, BUT UNDERNEATH THERE IS A, UH, A MESSAGE SECTION IN THAT SECTION WE HAVE TAKEN OVER AND IT SAYS, THANK YOU FOR BEING A, A PARTICIPANT IN THE WESTCHESTER POWER PROGRAM.
IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS ABOUT THE PROGRAM OR ANYTHING, CALL THIS NUMBER.
SO, SO IT IS THERE, UH, YOU KNOW, BUT THE, THE ESCO NUMBER IS ALSO THERE.
SO IT IS POSSIBLE THAT THE ESCO WILL GET A CALL, BUT
[01:30:01]
YOU ARE NOT CONED AND US AS A CONSUMER, WE ARE, OUR RELATIONSHIP IS NOT WITH YOU.YOU ARE EFFECTIVELY JUST LIKE A BUYING AGENT THAT FOR ON BEHALF OF A WHOLE BUNCH OF RESIDENTS WHO DID NOT ASK FOR YOU TO DO SO.
AND, AND I WOULD JUST SAY THAT I, IT IS OUR GOAL ACTUALLY TO HAVE A RELATIONSHIP WITH YOU AND WITH EVERYBODY ON THE SCREEN.
AND I DON'T SEE, CONED IS NOT HERE TONIGHT, UH, BUT WE ARE GOING OUT INTO THE NEIGHBORHOODS AND WE ARE AGAIN, AS, AS NINA DESCRIBED, SO WELL, UM, TAKING, USING THIS PROGRAM AS A BRIDGE TO START A CONVERSATION.
AND I JUST WANNA SAY THAT IN ACTUAL FACT, THIS IS ACTUALLY AN EASY FIRST STEP.
WE'VE GOT A LOT OF WORK TO DO BEYOND THIS THAT'S GOING TO TAKE EVEN A HIGHER LEVEL OF ENGAGEMENT AND MORE COLLABOR COLLABORATION BETWEEN US AS INDIVIDUALS AND MUNICIPALITIES.
SO THIS IS, YOU KNOW, THIS IS, UM, THE FIRST STEP AND WE DO WANT TO HAVE A RELATIONSHIP WITH EVERYBODY BECAUSE WE HAVE TO WORK TOGETHER ON THIS AS A FIRST STEP.
I WOULD JUST SIMPLY SAY TO YOU THAT A FIRST STEP SHOULD BE EDUCATION, NOT A FORCED UNILATERAL CONTRACT.
AND DO YOU CONTROL THE WORDING THAT APPEARS UNDER THAT? YOU SAID YOU TOOK OVER THE BOX UNDERNEATH? YEAH, THAT'S, THAT'S CALLED, THAT'S THE, UH, ESCO MESSAGE SECTION, THE, LIKE 400 CHARACTERS.
SO WE, UH, THE, UH, ESCOS ARE REQUIRED TO, WE ASK THEM TO LIKE, GIVE THAT TO US TO USE SO WE CAN, COULD YOU MAKE IT CLEAR IF IT'S NOT CLEAR ALREADY, THAT IF YOU HAVE ANY ISSUES WITH YOUR ESCO TO CALL YOUR NUMBER, EVEN THOUGH THEY'RE GOING TO HAVE THAT OTHER NUMBER THERE, BUT TO BASICALLY TRY TO, UM, DIVERT THEM TO CALLING YOU INSTEAD OF THE ESCROW? YEAH, THAT WAS THE INTENT.
BUT WE CAN LOOK AT THAT WORDING AND MAKE IT, MAKE SURE THAT, UH, THAT THEY KNOW THAT WE SHOULD BE THEIR FIRST STOP.
AND THAT IS OUR GOAL, IN FACT, DOING ALL THESE CONTRACTS.
THAT'S AGAIN, ANOTHER THING THAT MAKES US DIFFERENT FROM, YOU KNOW, THE PAST 20 YEARS OF ESCOS IS WE ARE, WE ARE DRIVING ALL OF THAT CUSTOMER SERVICE CALLS TO OUR OFFICE.
AND EACH ONE OF THOSE CALLS WE CONSIDER TO BE A COMMUNITY BILLING ASSET.
EVEN IF IT'S SOMEBODY WHO'S YOU'RE NOT, NOT GREEN OR FULLY ENGAGED, IT'S THE FIRST CONVERSATION MAYBE THAT THEY'RE HAVING AND BEING A PART OF THIS.
SO WE, IT IS OUR GOAL TO, TO BRING THOSE TO US AND WE'LL LOOK AT THAT WORDING AND MAKE SURE THAT IT'S, IT'S ACCOMPLISHING THAT.
EVEN IF YOU SAY, EVEN IF YOU SAY EVEN IF YOU ASK FOR FORGIVENESS AFTERWARDS, IT'S STILL A FORCE CONTRACT.
IF YOU WANNA, UM, USE THE CHAT IF YOU WANNA SPEAK.
UH, FRED MOSS, DID YOU STILL HAVE YOUR QUESTION? OTHERWISE, I DON'T BELIEVE ANYONE ELSE, UH, SEEKS TO SPEAK ON THIS MATTER.
UH, FRANCIS, CAN YOU HEAR ME? YES.
UM, YEAH, I GUESS MY QUESTION IS, I, I REALLY DON'T UNDERSTAND THE FEAR OF, UH, OPT-OUT BECAUSE AS I SEE IT, THAT'S NOT WHAT'S CHANGING RIGHT NOW WITHOUT ANYONE ASKING US CONSUMERS.
WE WERE ASSIGNED TO A FOSSIL FUEL GENERATED ELECTRICITY COMPANY THAT WAS A FORCED CONTRACT.
NO ONE ASKED ME IF I WANTED CONED AND CONED WASN'T EVEN THE CHEAPEST OPTION UP THERE.
AND WHEN I FINALLY REALIZED THAT, THAT I HAD A CHANCE TO CHANGE, I GOT ON THE PHONE AND I WENT THROUGH THE HASSLE OF CHANGING TO A GREEN ESCO AND YEAH, IT WAS A HASSLE.
UM, BUT I DID IT 'CAUSE I FELT STRONGLY ABOUT IT.
SO WHAT, WHAT I, UM, WHAT UNDERSTAND THIS NEW PROGRAM TO BE IS THAT IT'S SIMPLY CHANGING THE DEFAULT FROM A FOSSIL FUEL COMPANY TO ONE THAT'S RENEWABLE.
AND IF I'M WRONG ABOUT THAT, UM, I'D APPRECIATE IF SOMEONE COULD CLARIFY THAT FOR ME.
YOU ARE WRONG ABOUT IT BECAUSE I WAS IN A GREEN PROGRAM AND WAS FORCED BACK AND FORTH.
SO, PAUL, HOW WOULD YOU LIKE TO PROCEED? HOW DOES THE BOARD, SO LET ME ASK, UH, IF WE COULD JUST HEAR FROM, YOU KNOW, I, I GUESS I'D JUST LIKE TO SEE A CONCEPT IF WE COULD GET, UM, THE WORDING RIGHT.
IS THE BOARD READY TO, UH, WOULD THE BOARD BE RECEPTIVE CONDITIONALLY IF, UH, THE, THE, THE WORDING IS RIGHT AND ARE WE AUTHORIZING THE TOWN ATTORNEY, UH, TO WORK OUT, YOU KNOW, TO, TO PREVENT, TO PRESENT US WITH A DRAFT AGREEMENT? I WOULD LIKE TO SEE THE WORDING.
I'M JUST GONNA GET US THE WORDING.
WE'LL TAKE A LOOK AT, I WOULD LIKE TO SEE THE WORDING.
BUT ARE YOU IN CONCEPT? IF THE WORDING IS CORRECT, ARE YOU IN CONCEPT, IN FAVOR OF THIS? WHEN I SEE THE WORDING, I'LL MOVE FORWARD.
I NEED TO SEE THE WORDING FIRST.
I'M NOT GONNA COMMIT UNTIL I SEE THE WORDING.
[01:35:01]
JUST, LET'S JUST GET IT AND, UH, TIM COULD GET IT TO US AND IF, IF, IF, IF THERE'S WORDING THAT HAS BEEN WORKED OUT THAT COULD GET IT TO IT TONIGHT, DON'T WORRY ABOUT IT.IF WE CAN WORK SOMETHING OUT TOMORROW OR FRIDAY MORNING.
UM, YES, WE
WHAT WAS YOUR DEADLINE? IT'S A DEADLINE.
THAT'S THE, AGAIN, THE, THE BID IS ON THE 30TH.
WE NEED TO INFORM, BECAUSE THE, THE BIDDERS HAVE NOT SEEN THE GREENBERG M O YET.
THEY'VE SEENT EVERYBODY ELSE YET.
SO, YOU KNOW, THEY NEED, UH, EVIDENCE THAT YOU WILL BE A PART OF THE BID, UH, SO THAT, THAT THEY CAN, UH, LET ME ASK A QUESTION.
UH, WELL JUST LEMME, WHILE, WHILE I, WHILE HE IS LIT UP ON THE SCREEN, UH, WILL WE RUN INTO A SITUATION WHERE, WHEN WE WORK OUT THIS WORDING, AND THAT'S MY, THAT'S MY HESITATION AS WE WORK OUT THIS WORDING, UH, YOU'LL OR SOMEBODY ELSE WILL COME BACK AND SAY, WE CAN'T DO THAT BECAUSE WE DIDN'T OFFER IT TO THE OTHER 25 MUNICIPALITIES ALREADY SIGNED.
NO, I THINK, UM, LOOK, I, I I LIKE TO JUST SAY THAT, THAT, YOU KNOW, IF THERE WAS SOME CONFUSION AROUND THE POSTCARD EARLIER, UH, I DON'T THINK IT WAS AROUND THE, AT THE CONTRACT, OR AT LEAST IF IT WAS IN THE FIR IN THE LAUNCH OF THE PROGRAM.
AND I'M NOT SURE WHAT WAS TALKED ABOUT AT POSTCARD.
WE HAD DIALOGUE AROUND A POSTCARD AND WE COMMITTED TO, UH, SENDING SOMETHING OUT, AND THEN WE WENT BACK AND FORTH ON THE FORMAT OF THAT AND THEN, YOU KNOW, ALREADY WE'RE AT, AT BID TIME.
SO I APOLOGIZE IF THAT WAS NOT A SMOOTH CONVERSATION OR, YOU KNOW, WE DIDN'T PULL THAT OFF IN TAM TIME, BUT IT WAS ABSOLUTELY NOT A, UH, A MATTER OF US NOT HAVING, UH, THE DESIRE OR COMMITMENT TO SUPPORT GREENBERG IN WHATEVER WAY WORKS FOR GREENBERG.
SO CERTAINLY, YOU KNOW, AS IT'S BEEN LAID OUT HERE TONIGHT IN TERMS OF, UH, ALLOWING GREENBERG TO DETERMINE THE WORDING OF THAT, THAT CARD AND THE, THE, THE TIMING, UH, AND THE, YOU KNOW, THAT IT'LL BE PAID FOR BY US.
AND, UH, WE'LL, WE'LL GET THAT DOWN ON PAPER AND THE OTHER, THE OTHER CRITERIA.
AND, UM, WE'LL HAVE THAT FOR YOU.
I MAKE A SUGGESTION, UH, SINCE YOU HAVE A, A TIMETABLE, UM, WHAT IF THE TOWN BOARD HAD, UM, A SPECIAL MEETING, UH, TOMORROW EVENING? AND THIS WAY? UH, YOU COULD BE, UH, AT THE MEETING, YOU KNOW, NINA COULD BE, YOU KNOW, AT THE MEETING IF ALL THE TOWN I HAVE, UH, THERE'S A, THE CHELSEA, THE ASSISTED LIVING THEY'RE HAVING, UH, I THINK THEY'RE OPENING TOMORROW, SO I HAVE TO, UM, YOU KNOW, GO TO THAT.
BUT, YOU KNOW, I COULD BE BACK.
WE COULD HAVE A MEETING SEVEN 30 OR, YOU KNOW, OR, OR EIGHT O'CLOCK AND, UM, AND THEN WORK IT OUT AND THEN YOU'LL HAVE YOUR ANSWER TOMORROW, YOU KNOW, IN TIME, PROVIDED THAT OTHER BOARD MEMBERS CAN MAKE TOMORROW TOMORROW'S, TOMORROW'S A TERRIBLE DAY, UM, FROM THE EARLY MORNING UNTIL LATE AT NIGHT.
UH, WHAT ABOUT, UH, FRIDAY? FRIDAY, DAN? I CAN BE AVAILABLE.
WE COULD FIGURE OUT A TIME OFFLINE.
I DON'T WANNA KEEP THIS GOING.
I MEAN, WE STILL, A LOT OF TIME WE STILL HAVE PUBLIC HEARINGS.
SO LET'S, WE WANNA SAY, UH, DO YOU WANNA SAY FRIDAY? YEAH.
UM, I HAVE MY RADIO PROGRAM TILL 11.
YOU WANNA MAKE IT FRIDAY AT 11? I WOULD NEED TO TAKE MY, I CAN'T MAKE THAT.
WHAT? SO CAN YOU JUST TAKE, CAN WE TAKE I AM I'M VERY TIED UP ON FRIDAY.
I I HAVE A REALLY BIG SCHEDULE ON FRIDAY.
WHY DON'T WE WORK IT OUT? I THINK WE NEED, I THINK WE NEED TO DO IT OFFLINE.
THREE TIMES SUNDAY, MONDAY IT'S ON TEMP, SO I CAN'T DO ANYTHING.
WE'LL, UH, WE'LL PRODUCE THAT AND, AND HOPEFULLY WE CAN, UH, WORK OUT THE MECHANICS.
WE STILL HAVE AN AGENDA TO DO, DON'T WE?
UH, NOBODY EVER SAID IT WAS GONNA BE EASY.
AND THANK YOU FOR EVERYONE WHO SPOKE.
OKAY, LET'S SEE WHERE WE ARE ON THE AGENDA.
UH, NOW WE'RE GONNA GO INTO THE, UH, AM I ON MUTE OR NO, NO, YOU'RE, YOU'RE, YOU'RE
[ To consider a Local Law amending Section 285-10 of the Zoning Ordinance, entitled “R-40 One-Family Residence District,” as it relates to Nursing Home, Assisted Living Facility, and Continuing Care Retirement Community Uses]
HEARING IS, UM, CONSIDER A LOCAL LAW AMENDING SECTION 2 85 10 OF THE ZONING ORDINANCE[01:40:01]
ENTITLED R 41 FAMILY RESIDENCE DISTRICT AS IT RELATES TO NURSING HOMES, ASSISTED LIVING FACILITY AND CONTINUING CARE RETIREMENT COMMUNITY USES.I'D LIKE TO MOVE THAT WE OPEN THE HEARING, OPEN THE HEARING, OPENING THE HEARING.
FINER AND MEMBERS OF THE TOWN BOARD FOR THE RECORD, GARY TU CAIN, COMMISSIONER OF THE DEPARTMENT OF COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT AND CONSERVATION.
THIS PUBLIC HEARING IS A CONTINUATION OF THE HEARING HELD ON SEPTEMBER 9TH, 2020, PERTAINING TO A LOCAL LAW INITIATED BY THE TOWN OF GREENBURG WITH REGARDS TO THE EXISTING SPECIAL PERMIT PROCESS IN THE TOWN'S ONE FAMILY RESIDENCE DISTRICTS FOR ASSISTED LIVING FACILITIES AND SIMILAR SPECIALIZED SENIOR HOUSING ON SEPTEMBER 9TH.
I PRESENTED THAT THE LOCAL LAW AMENDMENT SEEKS TO SIGNIFICANTLY LIMIT THE POOL OF SITES THAT MEET THE MAJOR SIGHTING CRITERIA FOR ASSISTED LIVING FACILITIES IN THE TOWN FOR NEIGHBORHOOD CHARACTER PURPOSES AND TO MINIMIZE IMPACTS TO EMERGENCY RESPONDERS FROM A CUMULATIVE VOLUME PERSPECTIVE.
AT THE SEPTEMBER 9TH, PUBLIC HEARING COMMENTS FROM THE PUBLIC WERE MADE REGARDING THE LAW RESULTING IN RECOMMENDED MODIFICATIONS AS FOLLOWS.
FOR ASSISTED LIVING FACILITIES, THE MINIMUM ACREAGE REMAINS FOUR ACRES.
A PROVISION WAS ADDED THAT THE ACREAGE MUST BE HELD IN COMMON OWNERSHIP PRIOR TO THE EFFECTIVE DATE OF THE LOCAL LAW.
THE PROVISION REGARDING BEING WITHIN 200 FEET OF STATE OR COUNTY ROADWAY IS REPLACED WITH A 100 FOOT FRONTAGE REQUIREMENT ON STATE ROAD EXEMPTING EXISTING AND APPROVED PROJECTS.
AND LASTLY, A PROVISION WAS ADDED THAT STATES ANY SUCH SPECIAL PERMIT ISSUED HERE UNDER SHALL BE SUBJECT TO CONDITIONS THAT IN THE EXERCISE OF THE TOWN'S REASONABLE DISCRETION RELATE TO A PRESERVING AND PROTECTING COMMUNITY CHARACTER, AND B, PRESERVING AND PROTECTING THE ENVIRONMENT.
AND AS FAR AS IF THERE'S ANY QUESTIONS FROM THE BOARD, I'LL BE HAPPY TO TAKE THEM.
OTHERWISE, I WILL, UH, CONSULT MY LIST OF, UH, SPEAKERS.
AND I BELIEVE, UH, BOB BERNSTEIN INTENDS TO SPEAK ON THIS MATTER.
UH, I WANNA THANK, UH, THE BOARD FOR THESE CHANGES.
UM, I THINK THEY ARE GOOD CHANGES TO THIS, THIS LAW.
UM, I'LL HAVE MORE TO SAY ABOUT THE C C F LAW WHEN THAT HEARING OPENS.
UM, WITH RESPECT TO THIS LAW, UH, I WOULD ONLY ASK THAT YOU HOLD OFF ON APPROVING IT UNTIL YOU, UH, HEAR FROM THE COMMUNITY REGARDING SOME OF THE CHANGES WE'RE SUGGESTING IN THE C C F LAW.
'CAUSE I THINK SOME OF THOSE CHANGES MIGHT WELL BE APPLICABLE HERE.
UM, AND, AND, UH, I DIDN'T WANNA HOLD, I DIDN'T WANT YOU TO THINK THAT MY SILENCE DON ACCEPTANCE OF THIS DRAFT AS IS.
I I THINK I IT'S, IT'S MUCH BETTER AND IT CAN BE IMPROVED MORE.
UM, I BELIEVE, UH, DOREEN DID, DID YOU SEEK TO SPEAK ON THIS MATTER? YES, I DID.
UM, I AM A, A MEMBER OF THE EXECUTIVE BOARD OF THE COUNCIL OF BERG CIVIC ASSOCIATIONS.
I AM READING, UM, COMMENTS BY ELLA PRIZER, WHO IS REPRESENTING THE, THE COUNCIL.
THE RECORD WILL SHOW THAT AT THE SEPTEMBER 9TH, 2020 PUBLIC HEARING IN A PREPARED STATEMENT, I ASKED WHY THERE CAN'T BE A REQUIREMENT FOR FACILITIES TO PROVIDE AN ONSITE NON-EMERGENCY TRANSPORT TO MEDICAL FACILITIES AND ONSITE 24 7 365 MEDICAL STAFFING TO HANDLE NON-EMERGENCIES.
THE PROPOSED LANGUAGE ONLY CALLS FOR REQUIRING SUCH INFORMATION ON THE APPLICATION.
THE TOWN BOARD SHOULD KNOW THAT BRIGHTVIEW HAS ACTUALLY RECOMMENDED SUCH WORDING IN ITS PROPOSAL FOR AN INDEPENDENT AND ASSISTED LIVING FACILITY IN THE TOWN OF MOUNT PLEASANT.
IF IT CAN BE DONE THERE, IT CAN BE DONE HERE.
I ALSO WOULD LIKE TO REQUEST OTHER CHANGES TO THESE PROPOSED LAWS AND RESPECTFULLY REQUEST THAT THIS PUBLIC HEARING BE HELD OVER FOR ALL PURPOSES SO THAT ADDITIONAL CHANGES CAN BE CONSIDERED TO THESE PROPOSED AMENDMENTS TO THE ZONING ORDINANCE.
OKAY, THANK YOU DOREEN AND, UH, ELLA FOR THAT.
UM, IS THERE ANYONE ELSE THAT WISHES TO SPEAK ON THIS MATTER? WE ARE GONNA HOLD THIS OVER IN THE INTERIM, I WILL REACH OUT TO ELLA TO SEE, UH, WHAT OTHER CHANGES SHE RECOMMENDS AND I'LL REPORT BACK TO THE BOARD ON THAT.
[01:45:01]
I THINK THAT'S IT ON THIS ONE.SO FOR NOW, SO I WOULD, I WOULD MOVE THAT WE HOLD US OVER FOR ALL PURPOSES TO THE MEETING OF SEPTEMBER 30TH.
[ To consider a Local Law amending Chapter 285 of the Zoning Ordinance, entitled “Zoning,” as it relates to a proposed new Continuum of Care Facility Use and to consider a related Zoning Map amendment in connection with a petition by Zarin and Steinmetz on behalf of Brightview Senior Living]
UH, AYE.LOCAL LAW AMENDING CHAPTER 2 85 OF THE ZONING ORDINANCE ENTITLED ZONING AS IT RELATES TO A PROPOSED NEW CONTINUUM OF CARE FACILITY USE AND TO CONSIDER A RELATED, UM, ZONING MAP AMENDMENT IN CONNECTION WITH A PETITION BY ZIN AND SIMONS ON BEHALF OF BRIGHTVIEW SENIOR LIVING.
GOOD EVENING, SUPERVISOR FINDER, MEMBERS OF THE TOWN BOARD FOR THE RECORD.
GARY TUQUE, COMMISSIONER OF THE DEPARTMENT OF COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT AND CONSERVATION.
THIS PUBLIC HEARING IS A CONTINUATION OF THE HEARING HELD ON SEPTEMBER 9TH, 2020, PERTAINING TO PROPOSED ZONING ENABLING LEGISLATION FOR CONTINUUM OF CARE FACILITIES, WHICH IS A NEWLY PROPOSED USE THAT COMBINES ASSISTED LIVING AND INDEPENDENT LIVING WITHIN A SINGLE BUILDING.
ON SEPTEMBER 9TH, I PRESENTED THAT THE PROPOSED FLOATING ZONE WAS DRAFTED, TAKING A CONSERVATIVE APPROACH, ENABLING A SMALL POTENTIAL POOL OF SITES IN THE TOWN THAT MET THE MAJOR SIGHTING CRITERIA FOR A C C F FACILITY ON THE NINTH.
THE TOWN BOARD EXPRESSED INTEREST IN SEEING AN ALTERNATE MECHANISM TO THE FLOATING ZONE THAT I PRESENTED KNOWN AS AN OVERLAY ZONE.
THE PRIMARY DIFFERENCE OF THE OVERLAY ZONE IS THAT THE UNDERLYING ZONE IS RETAINED AS OPPOSED TO BEING REMOVED AS IT WOULD BE WITH THE FLOATING ZONE CONCEPT.
THE FUNCTION OF THE C C F OVERLAY DISTRICT WOULD BE TO ADD THE POTENTIAL FOR THE C C F USE TO BE SUBJECT TO SITE PLAN APPROVAL ON A SITE THAT THE TOWN BOARD REVIEWED AND DEEMED APPROPRIATE FOR MAPPING WITHIN THE OVERLAY DISTRICT.
WITH THE OVERLAY DISTRICT, I SHOULD SAY, IN SUPPORT OF THE CONTINUED PUBLIC HEARING THIS EVENING ON THE C C F LEGISLATION IN OVERLAY DISTRICT, LOCAL LAW WAS POSTED.
THE LAW USES THE SAME CONSERVATIVE CITING CRITERIA AS WITH THE FLOATING ZONE, WITH ONE MAJOR EXCEPTION.
THE OVERLAY DISTRICT IS PROPOSED TO BE APPLICABLE ONLY WITHIN THE ONE FAMILY RESIDENCE DISTRICTS AND NOT TOWN WIDE.
FURTHER LIMITING THE USES TOWN WIDE APPLICABILITY.
THIS MODIFICATION LENDS SUPPORT TO THE CONSERVATION ADVISORY.
COUNCIL'S RECOMMEND RECOMMENDATION THAT A COMMITTEE BE FORMED TO FOCUS ON THE PROSPECT FOR ZONING POTENTIAL ASSOCIATED WITH SPECIALIZED SENIOR HOUSING IN THE TOWN'S NON-RESIDENTIAL AND MIXED USE QUARTERS.
FOLLOWING THE SEPTEMBER 9TH PUBLIC HEARING AT THE SUGGESTION OF SUPERVISOR FINER, I CONVENED A SMALL WORKING GROUP OF RESIDENTS VIA ZOOM VIDEO CONFERENCE TO FURTHER DISCUSS VARIOUS ASPECTS OF THE C C F ZONING PROPOSAL, ANSWER QUESTIONS IF THERE WERE ANY OR ANY MISUNDERSTANDINGS, AND TO HEAR ADDITIONAL INPUT FROM RESIDENTS, ALL OF WHICH WAS SHARED WITH THE BRIGHTVIEW APPLICANT AND A REPRESENTATIVE OF METROPOLIS COUNTRY CLUB.
I BELIEVE RESIDENTS OF THIS GROUP INTEND TO SPEAK REGARDING C C SS THIS EVENING, AND, AND THAT INPUT WAS HELPFUL IN MY, IN MY AS A PLANNER.
BEFORE TAKING ANY QUESTIONS AND COMMENTS OF THE BOARD AND THE PUBLIC, I WOULD LIKE TO REMIND EVERYONE THAT WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 30TH HAS BEEN SET ASIDE AS A PUBLIC HEARING DATE OF THE TOWN BOARD FOR DISCUSSION PURPOSES OF AN ALTERNATE SPECIAL PERMIT LOCAL LAW FOR CCCS IN THE ONE FAMILY RESIDENCE DISTRICT, AS WELL AS A CONTINUATION OF THE OVERLAY DISTRICT HEARING THAT IS EXPECTED TO BE ADJOURNED THIS EVENING.
AND AS FAR AS SPEAKERS THAT WOULD LIKE TO, UH, TALK ABOUT THIS TOPIC, UH, I BELIEVE HUGH SCHWARTZ WOULD LIKE TO SPEAK.
HUGH SCHWARTZ, UH, SHERWOOD PLACE, SCARSDALE.
MR. SUPERVISOR AND MEMBERS OF THE BOARD.
AT THE SUGGESTION OF THE SUPERVISOR AT THE LAST TOWN BOARD MEETING, THE COMMISSIONER OF COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT, MR. GARRETT DEA FORMED A WORKING GROUP TO ADVISE ON WHAT PROCESS SHOULD BE FOLLOWED TO AUTHORIZE THE OPERATION OF CONTINUUM OF CARE FACILITIES IN THE TOWN OF GREENBURG.
THE WORKING GROUP WAS COMPRISED OF THE CHAIR AND VICE CHAIR OF THE PLANNING BOARD, THE CHAIR AND VICE CHAIR OF THE CON, UH, CONSERVATION ADVISORY COUNCIL, THE PRESIDENT OF THE HARTSDALE NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION, AND THE FORMER PRESIDENT OF THE EDGEMONT COMMUNITY COUNCIL, A LONGTIME CIVIC LEADER FOR THE RECORD, MR. SIMON CHAIR OF THE PLANNING BOARD SENDS HIS APOLOGIES FOR NOT BEING AVAILABLE FOR TONIGHT'S MEETING.
HE'S AWAY ON VACATION WITH HIS FAMILY, BUT HAS BEEN IN REGULAR COMMUNICATION WITH THE GROUP WORK GROUP.
THROUGHOUT THE PROCESS, THE GROUP SPENT NUMEROUS HOURS REVIEWING TOWN LAW, REVIEWING CASE LAW,
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RESEARCHING PRACTICES, AND OTHER MUNICIPALITIES, AS WELL AS DISCUSSING THE ISSUES WITH THE COMMISSIONER OF COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT, THE TOWN'S OUTSIDE CONSULTANT ON THIS PROJECT, AS WELL AS TWO OF THE TOWN BOARD MEMBERS.THE GOAL WAS TO DEVELOP A PROCESS THAT WOULD ALLOW FOR SITING OF C C F FACILITIES IN A MANNER THAT MOLDS INTO THE TOWN'S RESIDENTIAL AREAS AND DOES NOT SET AN ADVERSE PRECEDENT TO, FOR THE FUTURE.
I'D LIKE TO NOW TURN THE COMMENTS OVER TO BOB BERNSTEIN, UH, IF RECOGNIZED, I'LL PROCEED.
UM, I WANNA JUST DISCUSS, UH, IN, IN GENERAL TERMS WHAT WE, UM, THE PROCESS AND WHAT WE CAME UP WITH.
UM, THE FIRST THING I WANNA SAY IS THAT ALL ZONING DECISIONS BY A TOWN BOARD, UH, MUST NOT, MUST NOT BE ARBITRARY, GRACIOUS OR DISCRIMINATORY AS APPLIED TO SIMILARLY SITUATED APPLICANTS.
UM, THAT WAS ONE OF OUR GUIDING PRINCIPLES.
UM, THIS IS TRUE OF BOTH LEGISLATIVE ZONING DECISIONS, WHICH IS WHAT A TOWN BOARD DOES WHEN IT DECIDES TO GRANT OR DENY AN APPLICATION FOR A FLOATING ZONE OR AN OVERLAY ZONE, AS WELL AS ADMINISTRATIVE ZONING DECISIONS, WHICH IS WHAT HAPPENS WHEN A TOWN BOARD DECIDES WHETHER TO GRANT OR DENY AN APPLICATION FOR A SPECIAL USE PERMIT.
SO THE FIRST THING WE WANTED TO SAY, UH, IS EVEN IF YOU THINK AN OVERLAY ZONE, UM, WHICH IN THIS CASE IS GARRETT EXPLAINED, UH, THAT YOUR PROPOSAL IS TO LIMIT ITS APPLICATION TO RESIDENTIAL ZONING DISTRICTS ONLY, WHICH, UH, IS CERTAINLY DIFFERENT FROM THE OVER THE, UH, UM, THE FLOATING ZONE, WHICH WOULD'VE APPLIED TO ALL ZONING DISTRICTS IN THE TOWN, INCLUDING COMMERCIAL ZONING DISTRICTS.
BUT EVEN IF YOU, IF YOU THINK USING THE OVERLAY ZONE GIVES THE TOWN BOARD MORE DISCRETION THAN IF IT USED, SAY, THE SPECIAL PERMIT MECHANISM.
AND BY THE WAY, NO COURT OF APPEALS IN CASE HAS BEEN PRESENTED TO THE TOWN TO SUPPORT THAT.
BUT THE ISSUE IS WHICH MECHANISM FOR THIS USE C C F MAKES THE BEST SENSE FOR GREENBURG, WHERE ONE, THE TOWN HAS UNTIL NOW USED THE SPECIAL PERMIT MECHANISM FOR ALL OTHER FORMS OF SENIOR HOUSING.
SO USING THE OVERLAY WOULD BE VERY DIFFERENT FROM EVERYTHING ELSE THAT'S BEEN DONE FOR SENIOR HOUSING.
SECONDLY, THERE'S NOT MUCH DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THOSE OTHER FORMS OF SENIOR HOUSING AND CCCS.
UM, THE C C F IS AN ASSISTED LIVING FACILITY THAT ALSO HAS AN INDEPENDENT LIVING UNIT AS PART OF ITS BUILDING.
OKAY, SO, SO WHY SHOULD THAT MEAN THAT WE HAVE SHOULD HAVE A DIFFERENT MECHANISM? UH, THIRD, UH, EVEN THOUGH IT CAN LEGALLY BE DONE, I THINK WE THINK, UH, OVERLAY ZONES ARE GENERALLY USED NOT TO EXPAND USES IN EXISTING ZONING DISTRICTS.
THE OVERLAY DISTRICT WOULD SAY THAT THE C C F, WHICH IS NOT OTHERWISE PERMITTED, COULD BE PERMITTED IN THE AREA THAT SATISFIES THE CRITERIA, UH, THAT THE TOWN WOULD AGREE TO.
BOB, BOB, CAN I ASK YOU TO SPEAK UP A LITTLE BIT? I CAN SEE OUR STENOGRAPHERS STRUGGLING TO HEAR YOU A LITTLE BIT.
SO IF YOU WANNA MAKE A FRIEND THAT'S A STENOGRAPHER, YOU JUST SPEAK UP A LITTLE BIT MORE OR CLOSER TO THE MICROPHONE.
I'LL SPEAK CLOSER TO THE MIC, UH, AS WELL.
UM, SO WHAT, BASICALLY WHAT I WAS SAYING WAS, EVEN THOUGH IT CAN LEGALLY BE DONE, OVERLAY ZONES ARE GENERALLY USED NOT TO EXPAND USED IN EXISTING ZONING DISTRICTS, BUT RATHER TO RESTRICT THE MANNER IN WHICH LAND MAY BE USED IN THOSE ZONES.
LIKE TO PROTECT TOPOGRAPHY, WATERSHED, HISTORICAL BUILDINGS.
WE USE CONSERVATION OVERLAY ZONES, SOMETHING THAT, THAT GREENBERG IS USED TO, UH, BUT WE'VE NEVER DONE IT TO ADDED USE.
AND THEN FINALLY, USING THE OVERLAY ZONE HERE IN RESIDENTIAL ZONING DISTRICTS MAY CREATE A PRECEDENT FOR USING THAT MECHANISM FOR OTHER COMMERCIAL TYPE USES IN RESIDENTIAL DISTRICTS THAT HAD PREVIOUSLY BEEN ALLOWED ONLY BY SPECIAL PERMITS.
GIVING RISE TO THE QUESTION, WHY IS IT BEING USED HERE AND NOT ELSEWHERE FOR OTHER USES LIKE SELF STORAGE FACILITIES OR SOLAR FARMS OR MAYBE MEDICAL FACILITIES.
I MEAN, THAT'S WHAT USING THE OVERLAY ZONE HERE WOULD DO.
IT WOULD CREATE THE PRECEDENT FOR USING THAT MECHANISM
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FOR THESE OTHER USES THAT MAY BE PROPOSED IN RESIDENTIAL ZONES.AND THAT IS WHY THIS CREATING A PRECEDENT LIKE THAT, UH, WE THINK DESERVES, UH, FAR MORE STUDY AND THOUGHT BEFORE GOING AHEAD, PARTICULARLY WHERE THERE IS ANOTHER THAT MECHANISM AVAILABLE.
BUT THAT SAID, REGARDLESS OF THE ZONING MECHANISM THAT THE TOWN BOARD CHOOSES TO EMPLOY, THE GROUP THAT CAME TO STUDY THIS MATTER, UM, UH, WE, WE HAD, WE MADE TWO CRITICAL OBSERVATIONS.
THE FIRST OBSERVATION BASED ON THE COMMENTS FROM THE LAST HEARING WAS THAT THE CRITERIA FOR THE C C SS, INCLUDING IN PARTICULAR DENSITY, WOULD BE A LOT CLOSER TO THE CRITERIA ALREADY DEEMED ACCEPTABLE IN GREENBURG FOR ASSISTED LIVING FACILITIES IF THE MINIMUM ACRE REQUIREMENT WAS EIGHT ACRES INSTEAD OF SIX.
LET ME EXPLAIN WHAT I MEAN BY THIS.
THE PROPOSAL CURRENTLY ON THE TABLE CALLS FOR A MINIMUM LOT SIZE FOR THE C C F OF SIX ACRES, HAVING 35 BEDS PER ACRES.
THE TOWN'S ASSISTED LIVING ORDINANCE REQUIRES A MINIMUM LOT SIZE OF FOUR ACRES HAVING ONLY 25 BEDS PER ACRE.
WHY THEN SHOULD A C C F, WHICH AS I SAID, IS NOTHING MORE THAN ASSISTED LIVING WITH AN INDEPENDENT LIVING UNIT AS PART OF ITS BUILDING, WHY THEN SHOULD THEY HAVE 35 BEDS PER ACRE? LIKE, WHAT'S THE, WHAT'S THE RATIONALE FOR THE GREATER DENSITY? WE COULDN'T THINK OF ONE, UH, BUT WE WERE TOLD AT THE HEARING THAT THE APPLICANT, RIGHT, YOU NEEDED APPROVAL FOR A BUILDING WITH UP TO 189 BEDS.
UM, AND THAT TRANSLATES ON SIX ACRES TO 31 BEDS PER ACRE, NOT QUITE 35.
BUT AGAIN, WHY SHOULDN'T IT, WHY SHOULDN'T BE GREATER THAN 25? AND IF YOU HAD EIGHT ACRES, YOU COULD GO EIGHT ACRES TIMES 25 BEDS, YOU'D HAVE 200 BEDS, AND 200 BEDS WOULD BE MORE THAN ENOUGH TO ACCOMMODATE WHAT BRIGHTLY WANTED TO BUILD RO.
SO WE BEGAN TO LOOK AT THE EIGHT ACRES AS A WAY OF TRYING TO REDUCE THE, THE, UH, UH, THE SIDING CRITERIA, REDUCE THE IMPACT OF THE SIDING CRITERIA, UH, IN A WAY THAT WOULD ALLOW THE FACILITY TO BE BUILT, BUT NOT DO INJUSTICE TO THE EXISTING CITING CRITERIA WE HAVE FOR ASSISTED LIVING FACILITIES.
LET ME GIVE YOU ANOTHER EXAMPLE OF THAT.
IMPERVIOUS SURFACE IS SOMETHING THAT'S CRITICALLY IMPORTANT TO THE ENVIRONMENT IN UNINCORPORATED REINVENT, PRETTY MUCH EVERYWHERE YOU'RE TRYING TO, TO, TO, TO ALLOW FOR STRUCTURES AND PARKING LOTS AND DRIVEWAYS THAT TAKE UP LESS THAN PERVIOUS SURFACE TO WATER AND SEEP INTO THE GROUND AND NOT DAMAGE NEIGHBORING PROPERTY.
BUT THE APPLICANT PROPOSED AN ITS PETITION, UH, THAT, WELL, THE, WELL, THE ASSISTED LIVING STATUTE SAYS IT SHOULD BE 40% IN PERIAN SERVICE.
THEY WANTED 60% IN PERIAN SERVICE.
UH, AND AGAIN, WE ON THE GROUP THOUGHT, WHY, WHAT'S THE JUSTIFICATION FOR THAT? BUT IF YOU WENT TO EIGHT ACRES, THAT INCREASE CAN BE REDUCED SUBSTANTIALLY.
UH, AND, AND IT WAS OUR SUGGESTION THAT THIS COULD BE DONE AND, AND DONE IN A WAY THAT WOULD ALLOW BRIGHTVIEW TO BUILD WHAT IT WANTS WITH EITHER THE EXACT SAME CRITERIA THAT WE ALREADY HAVE FOR ASSISTED LIVING OR WITH VERY MINOR TWEAKS TO ALLOW IT TO BE DONE.
BUT THEN AS I, WE OBSERVED SOMETHING ELSE, SOMETHING ELSE THAT INFORMED OUR THINKING AS WE WERE LOOKING AT THIS, AND THAT SECOND THING WAS THAT THE APPLICANT RIGHT VIEW IS PROPOSING TO BUILD CCFS NOT JUST IN GREENBURG, BUT ALSO IN THE TOWN OF MOUNT PLEASANT IMMEDIATELY TO OUR NORTH.
IN FACT, THEY HAVE A PROPOSAL TO BUILD ONE OF THESE, UH, THINGS, UH, ON GRASSLANDS ROAD, UM, ACROSS FROM WESTCHESTER COMMUNITY COLLEGE, UH, ABOUT A QUARTER OF A MILE AWAY FROM, UH, AN ALREADY EXISTING, UH, SENIOR HOUSING FACILITY IN GREENVILLE.
SO WHAT I'D LIKE TO DO IS I'D LIKE TO, UH, UH, MAKE
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THAT MOUNT PLEASANT PROPOSAL A PART OF THE RECORD IN THESE PROCEEDINGS.AND, UH, GARRETT, I DID SEND A COPY TO YOU AND I'D LIKE, UH, FOR THAT, THAT PIECE OF LEGISLATION TO BE PART OF THE HEARINGS HERE.
SO THE TOWN BOARD AND MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC, IF THEY WANT, AND SEE WHAT IT WAS THAT BRIGHT KNEW WAS PROPOSING JUST TO OUR IMMEDIATE NORTH AND CONTINUE.
BOB, CAN WE SEE HOW THE TOWN BOARD FEELS ABOUT THAT? MAYBE WE CAN DO THAT.
AND, UH, YOU KNOW, ALSO, I KNOW YOU'RE SPEAKING FOR A GROUP, SO I'VE BEEN A LITTLE BIT MORE LIBERAL WITH YOUR TIME, BUT GARRETT, YOU KNOW, ARE THERE ANY OTHER MEMBERS OF THE GROUP THAT WANNA SPEAK AND AS WELL, OR ANY ME PEOPLE OUTSIDE OF THE GROUP THAT SPEAK? I'D LIKE BOB TO KEEP GOING.
YEAH, I, I WOULD, I WAS, I WAS PART OF THE GROUP AND IF BOB DIDN'T SAY IT, I I WOULD, I WOULD CHARACTERIZE IT THAT HE'S DOING A BETTER JOB OF IT.
SO I WOULD SUGGEST WE JUST LET HIM SPEAK.
I DON'T HAVE PEOPLE THAT WANNA SPEAK, ANYBODY ELSE THAT WANNA SPEAK OTHER THAN MR. BERNSTEIN, JUST SO WE KNOW.
WELL, IF I CAN'T RESUME NOW, I'LL TRY TO RESUME LATER.
THE THING ABOUT THE MOUNT PLEASANT LAW THAT WAS PROPOSED IS THAT THERE BRIGHTVIEW WAS PROPOSING THAT THE MINIMUM LOP SIZES BE, YOU GUESSED IT, EIGHT ACRES.
SO THEY WERE AT ONE, YOU KNOW, PROPOSING SIX ACRES FOR GREENBURG FOR AN C C F, BUT AT MOUNT PLEASANT EIGHT ACRES WAS GOOD FOR GOOD ENOUGH FOR THEM.
WELL, WE THOUGHT AS A GROUP THAT EIGHT ACRES, UH, IF IT WAS GOOD ENOUGH FOR BRIGHTVIEW AND MOUNT PLEASANT, IT'S GOOD ENOUGH FOR GREENBURG TOO.
AND SO OUR RECOMMENDATION, WHICH WE'VE DISCUSSED WITH, WITH GARRETT, UM, IS TO CREATE A SET OF CRITERIA, CITING CRITERIA THAT CAN BE APPLIED TO ALL THREE OF YOUR ZONING MECHANISMS. UH, THAT WOULD IN EFFECT, UH, BE BASED ON A MINIMUM ACREAGE OF EIGHT ACRES.
AND WE WOULD SUGGEST THAT THOSE CRITERIA, UM, BE ADJUSTED IF NECESSARY, SO THAT BRIGHTVIEW WOULD BE ABLE TO PROCEED WITH THE BUILDING OF THE STRUCTURE THAT IT HAS ALREADY PROPOSED WITHOUT HAVING TO CHANGE ANYTHING OTHER THAN THE MATH.
UM, BECAUSE WE HEARD FROM THE PUBLIC THAT THAT, YOU KNOW, THERE IS NO SERIOUS OBJECTION TO THE FACILITY.
IT'S VERY LARGE, BUT AS LONG AS IT'S NOT CREATING A, A PRECEDENT THAT THE TOWN WOULD'VE DIFFICULTY LIVING WITH IN OUR COLLECTIVE JUDGMENT, UM, WE THINK GOING TO EIGHT ACRES MINIMUM WITH CRITERIA THAT ARE AS CLOSELY ANALOGOUS TO THE EXISTING ASSISTED LIVING, UH, CRITERIA, IS THE BEST YOU CAN DO FOR GREENBURG TO PROTECT WERE GOING FORWARD.
UM, SO THAT IS IN ESSENCE, UH, WHAT WE SUGGEST.
THE ONLY OTHER THING I WOULD ADD IS THAT WHEN YOU READ THE MOUNT PLEASANT PROPOSAL, AS ELLA PRIZER POINTED OUT, UH, PRIOR HEARING, THAT PROPOSAL GOES FURTHER, UH, FOR, IN TERMS OF REQUIRING CERTAIN MEDICAL SERVICES ON SITE FOR THESE FACILITIES.
AND GREENBERG DOES, AND AGAIN, IF IT'S GOOD ENOUGH FOR BRIGHTVIEW IN MOUNT PLEASANT TO OFFER THESE SERVICES AS PART OF A STATUTE REQUIRING THAT THEY BE PROVIDED THAT RIGHT, YOU ITSELF WROTE, UH, WE, UH, WOULD THINK THAT THE SAME SHOULD APPLY IN GREENBURG, WHICH SO FAR WE'RE JUST ASKING FOR INFORMATION.
NOW, I DON'T WANNA SAY THAT THE MOUNT PLEASANT STATUTE HAS BEEN ENACTED, IT'S JUST BEEN PROPOSED, BUT I THINK IT PROVIDES AN EXCELLENT STARTING POINT FOR RETHINKING THE CRITERIA THAT SHOULD BE APPLIED HERE AND THE GROUP.
UM, WE'VE THOUGHT LONG AND HARD ABOUT THIS.
AND THAT'S WHAT WE ARE PROPOSING AT GREENBERG DO GOING FORWARD, UH, ON THIS STUFF.
AND WE LOOK FORWARD TO DISCUSSING IT FURTHER AT THE NEXT HEARING.
I BELIEVE, UH, DOREEN LIPSON WANTED TO SPEAK AS WELL.
UH, I THINK IT'S A GOOD IDEA TO HAVE THE EIGHT ACRES FOR BRIGHTVIEW, BUT MY BIG CONCERN IS THAT THESE THREE ACRES WILL ONLY BE USED BY METROPOLIS COUNTRY CLUB MEMBERS.
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GO ON TO THOSE THREE ACRES AND USE IT AS A CONSERVATION EASEMENT OR WHATEVER? THAT'S MY BIGGEST CONCERN FOR THEM TO BE ABLE TO USE IT IN THEIR CALCULATIONS, BUT PROHIBITING ANYONE FROM USING IT, IT'S JUST NOT FAIR.AND I JUST DON'T THINK THAT THEY SHOULD BE GIVEN THIS BENEFIT THAT NO OTHER ASSISTED LIVING IS GOING TO BE GETTING OR NO OTHER C C F OR NO OTHER WHATEVER SENIOR.
THE THREE ACRES CAN ONLY BE USED BY THE METROPOLIS COUNTRY CLUB MEMBERS, AND I JUST DO NOT THINK IT'S FAIR.
HEY, GARRETT, DID YOU JUST WANNA TALK ABOUT EXACTLY WHAT A CONSERVATION EASEMENT IS SO YOU KNOW, MEMBERS OF THE LISTENING PUBLIC JUST UNDERSTAND? SURE.
A CONSERVATION EASEMENT, UH, TYPICALLY IS, IS, IS, IS, IS, IS CAN BE, UH, ENACTED SEVERAL IN SEVERAL WAYS.
IT CAN BE A CONDITION OF APPROVAL.
UM, AND TYPICALLY IT'S ALSO, UH, FILED ON A MAP.
UH, AND THE CONCEPT IS THAT YOU HAVE, UH, MEETS AND BOUNDS, UH, DESCRIBED AREA, UH, ON A PIECE OF PROPERTY, UM, THAT IS, UM, PRE DEFINED AS OPEN SPACE OR, UH, CONSERVATION AREA.
AND TO REMAIN, UH, WITHOUT STRUCTURES, UM, SOMETIMES TREE TREE CUTTING IS PROHIBITED.
UM, AND, AND WE'VE SEEN THAT IN DEVELOPMENT PROJECTS ALL OVER THE TOWN, AND IT'S A COMMONLY USED, UH, OPEN SPACE PRESERVATION TECHNIQUE, UH, IN THIS INSTANCE, UH, A A PRESERVATION EASEMENT OR CONSERVATION EASEMENT.
UH, THE WAY, UH, I WOULD IMAGINE IT WOULD BE SUCH THAT, UM, IT WOULD ALLOW, UH, ACTIVE, UM, RECREATION AS IT PRESENTLY EXISTS, UM, UNTIL SUCH POINT THAT, UM, IF THE GOLF COURSE EVER CLOSES, UM, IT WOULD THEN, UH, REVERT BACK TO ESSENTIALLY NATURAL LAND NOT HAVE STRUCTURES.
UM, AND, UM, AND, AND, AND I, AND I THINK THAT'S HOW IT WOULD FUNCTION POST, UH, GOLF COURSE, UM, WHICH IS A SCENARIO THAT, UH, NO ONE, UH, WANTS TO SEE.
UM, SO ULTIMATELY IT'S, IT'S A CONDITION AND IT'S FILED ON A PLATT AND IT'S FILED WITH THE COUNTY, AND, UH, AND IT, AND IT GUARANTEES THE SURETY THAT, THAT, THAT WHATEVER THE, UH, CONSERVATION, UH, AREA IS DEFINED REMAINS UNDEVELOPED.
GARRETT, I UNDERSTAND ALL THAT, BUT MY QUESTION IS, WILL ANYONE ELSE BE ALLOWED TO USE THOSE THREE ACRES OTHER THAN METROPOLIS COUNTRY CLUB MEMBERS? CAN I GO AND SHOOT GOLF BALLS ON THAT WITHOUT, NO, I DON'T BELIEVE, UH, THAT WOULD BE PERMISSIVE, RIGHT? A SO GOLF, IT'S MY OPINION.
I MEAN, JUST ANSWER THE QUESTION.
IT'S, IT, IT'S NOT A, A PUBLIC PARK OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT.
IT, IT WOULD REMAIN PRIVATE LAND, UM, UH, OWNED BY THE GOLF COURSE.
AND, YOU KNOW, FOR SAFETY PURPOSES, YOU, YOU WOULD NOT WANT ANYONE TO ACCEPT THOSE, UH, USING THE GOLF COURSE TO, TO BE IN THAT AREA.
BUT, BUT LET'S BE CLEAR THAT IF THE EIGHT ACRES WERE ALL ON THE RIGHT VIEW PROPERTY, YOU WOULDN'T BE ABLE TO USE THOSE THREE ACRES EITHER.
UM, AND AS, AS THIS IS ENVISIONED, IS THAT IF THERE'S ANY FURTHER SUBDIVISION OF THE GOLF COURSE, THEN THE OWNERSHIP OF THE THREE ACRES WOULD GO TO BRIGHTVIEW OR WHOEVER IS THE CURRENT, WHATEVER THE CURRENT NAME OF THE C C F AT THE TIME.
UM, THAT COULD HAPPEN IN FIVE YEARS, 10 YEARS, A HUNDRED YEARS, YOU KNOW, YOU KNOW, IF THE GOLF COURSE CAN REMAIN IN BUSINESS FOR A HUNDRED YEARS, GOD BLESS 'EM.
UH, BUT AS SOON AS THEY DO A FURTHER, UM, SUBDIVISION, THEN THOSE THREE ACRES GET PULLED BACK IN AND THEY WOULD HAVE EIGHT ACRES, WHICH IS WHAT IS THE DENSITY IS ALL ABOUT.
IS THERE ANYONE ELSE FROM THE PUBLIC THAT SEEKS TO SPEAK? AND, UH, I, I KNOW OBVIOUSLY WE HAVE, UM, THE, THE BRIGHTVIEW TEAM HERE, WE HAVE REPRESENTATIVES FROM THE GOLF COURSE.
I'LL ABSOLUTELY WANT TO GIVE YOU A CHANCE TO, UM, TO SPEAK IF YOU'D LIKE.
UH, MR. SUPERVISOR, MAY I SPEAK JUST VERY BRIEFLY? SURE.
SO DAVID STEINMETZ, UH, FROM THE LAW FIRM OF ZIN AND STEINMETZ REPRESENTING BRIGHTVIEW, APPRECIATE THE COMMENTS THAT, UH, THAT WERE PRESENTED TONIGHT.
I I JUST WANT TO ADDRESS A, A FEW THINGS, UM, VERY, VERY BRIEFLY.
UM, FIRST AND FOREMOST IN, IN LIGHT OF THE COMMISSIONER'S SUGGESTION OF THE POSSIBILITY OF EIGHT ACRES WITH THIS THREE ACRE CONSERVATION EASEMENT, UM, ON BEHALF OF BRIGHTVIEW, WE ARE MORE THAN HAPPY TO DISCUSS THAT, UH, WITH METROPOLIS AND BE IN A BETTER POSITION, HOPEFULLY ON, ON, UH, AT YOUR NEXT MEETING ON THE 30TH, TO RESPOND IN GREATER DETAIL.
WE WANNA UNDERSTAND IT A LITTLE BIT MORE, UM, AND THEN, AND COME BACK.
BUT I, I THINK I UNDERSTAND, UH, WHERE YOUR, UH, COMMITTEE OR YOUR GROUP OF CITIZENS, UH, WA WAS, WAS GOING WITH THAT NOTION.
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AND, UM, WE WANNA TAKE A LOOK AT IT ON THAT POINT THOUGH, UM, I WANT TO RESPOND TO MR. BERNSTEIN.I, I GENUINELY APPRECIATE THE, UM, THE ANALYSIS THAT BOB DID, UM, APPROPRIATE, THOUGHTFUL, UH, AND, AND, AND SEVERAL REALLY GOOD POINTS.
ONE THING THAT I THINK YOU ALL NEED TO UNDERSTAND, WHEN BRIGHTVIEW ENTERED THE TOWN OF MOUNT PLEASANT TO DO A POSSIBLE APPLICATION, AN ENTITY THAT YOU ALL KNOW QUITE WELL, FORMATION SHELL BORNE HAD ALREADY BEEN THERE.
AND WHEN SHELBURNE WENT TO MOUNT PLEASANT, SHELBURNE WROTE THEIR VERSION OF THE A L F LAW FOR THEM WITH A 10 ACRE MINIMUM LOT SIZE.
THE REASON THEY DID THAT WAS THE PARCEL THAT SHELBURNE HAD TO PURCHASE WAS 10 ACRES, AND THEY WERE TRYING TO ENSURE, AS PEOPLE WILL DO IN THEIR OWN FINANCIAL INTEREST, IN EFFECT, AN ANTI-COMPETITIVE ADVANTAGE OVER OTHER POTENTIAL PROVIDERS.
SO WHEN WE ENTERED MOUNT PLEASANT, WE HAD A LAW IN FRONT OF US THAT WAS AN EIGHT, A 10 ACRE MINIMUM.
SO WHEN BRIGHTVIEW LOCATED A PARCEL THAT WAS EIGHT ACRES IN SIZE, BRIGHTVIEW SUGGESTED THE AMENDMENT TO EIGHT ACRES DOWN FROM MOUNT PLEASANT'S TENT.
SO IT'S VERY IMPORTANT THAT YOU ALL UNDERSTAND THAT IT WASN'T, WELL, WE'RE GONNA JUST WALK INTO MOUNT PLEASANT AND BUMP UP THE FOUR ACRE GREENBERG, A L F, TO AN EIGHT ACRE, UH, VERSION OF A SENIOR LAW IN MOUNT PLEASANT.
NUMBER TWO, ALTHOUGH WE HAVE EIGHT ACRES AND OR ARE IN CONTRACT TO PURCHASE EIGHT ACRES AND PROPOSED AN EIGHT ACRE MINIMUM, AGAIN, THAT'S THE SIZE OF THAT PARCEL.
UM, BRIGHTVIEW ACTUALLY ONLY USING ABOUT SIX ACRES IN CONNECTION WITH THE C C F GOING ON THERE, UH, OR PROPOSED THERE.
SO JUST TO PUT IT IN CONTEXT, I DON'T WANT ANY OF THE TOWN BOARD MEMBERS TO PERCEIVE AS, AS YOU MIGHT HAVE, UM, THAT THERE'S SOMETHING DIFFERENT GOING ON.
IT'S ESSENTIALLY A VERY SIMILAR PROJECT IN A VERY SIMILAR AREA, BUT WITH DIFFERENT ZONING CONSTRAINTS.
THE OTHER THING THAT I FIND, UM, FASCINATING, AND I WANNA SHARE WITH ALL OF YOU, THE REASON THAT THERE'S AN EMERGENCY SERVICES LANGUAGE IN THE PROPOSAL IN MOUNT PLEASANT WAS BECAUSE, UM, WE'VE DISCUSSED THAT NOT ONLY WITH MOUNT PLEASANT, WE'VE DISCUSSED THAT WITH OTHER MUNICIPALITIES WHERE BRIGHTVIEW IS DOING OR HAS DONE BUSINESS.
AND IN FACT, YOU SHOULD ALL KNOW, WE DISCUSSED THAT IN GREENBERG WITH THE PLANNING BOARD, AND WE MET WITH YOUR POLICE DEPARTMENT AND YOUR EMERGENCY SERVICE PROVIDERS, AND WE WERE ACTUALLY DISCOURAGED FROM OFFERING THAT TO THE COMMUNITY OR MANDATING THAT IN THE LAW.
AND I, I'LL DEFER TO YOUR PROFESSIONAL STAFF TO EXPLAIN IT.
APPARENTLY YOUR POLICE DEPARTMENT IS ABLE TO RECEIVE A, I DON'T, I DON'T WANNA USE THE WORD STIPEND, IT'S SOME KIND OF CHARGE.
EVERY TIME THEY GO OUT TO A RESPOND TO A CALL, THERE'S A CHARGE THAT'S, THAT'S LEVIED.
AND WE WERE DISCOURAGED FROM STANDING IN THE WAY OF HAVING THE POLICE DEPARTMENT AND THE FIRE DEPARTMENT, UM, AND THE, THE SERVICE PROVIDERS GET THAT FEE.
SO WE DID DISCUSS THIS WITH THE PLANNING BOARD.
WE'RE HAPPY TO DISCUSS IT FURTHER.
UM, BUT I CERTAINLY RECOMMEND THE TOWN BOARD DISCUSS IT INTERNALLY BECAUSE, UH, WE WERE ENCOURAGED TO MEET WITH YOUR POLICE AND FIRE.
WE DID, AND WE WERE IN ESSENCE, UM, WE CAME AWAY FROM IT SAYING WE DIDN'T, WE WERE NOT BEING ENCOURAGED TO MANDATE THAT, THAT, UM, ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENT.
WE LOOK FORWARD TO COMING BACK ON THE 30TH.
WE'RE HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY OTHER QUESTIONS, MR. SUPERVISOR, THAT YOU OR THE TOWN BOARD MAY HAVE, UH, BUT WE'RE HAPPY TO COME BACK ON THE 30TH.
WE'D LIKE VERY MUCH TO CONTINUE TO WORK WITH YOUR BOARD, WITH THE COMMUNITY, WITH THE PLANNING BOARD, UM, AND HOPEFULLY TO SEE THE PUBLIC HEARING PROCESS CONCLUDE ON THE 30TH.
DO YOU HAVE ANY OBJECTION TO US ACTUALLY COMING UP WITH A PROPOSED LOCAL LAW THAT HAS THESE CHANGES IN IT SO THAT THAT COULD BE, UH, DISCUSSED ON THE 30TH IF WELL, THAT HAS, UH, MR. COUNCILMAN, SHE, I COULDN'T UNDERSTAND ONE OF YOUR WORDS THAT HAS THE, THAT HAS THESE CHANGES IN IT.
THESE CHANGES, IN OTHER WORDS, WORDS TALKING ABOUT EIGHT ACRES AND DENSITY AND THINGS LIKE THAT.
WOULD, WE, WOULD BE DELIGHTED TO, UM, EN ENGAGE IN A CONVERSATION WITH YOUR BOARD AND THE COMMUNITY WITH THOSE CHANGES? ABSOLUTELY.
I, I, THERE'S ALL THOSE CHANGES WOULD ACTUALLY BE MINIMIZING IMPACTS.
IT WOULDN'T BE CREATING GREATER IMPACTS.
IT WOULD SIGNIFICANTLY CHANGE THE DENSITY.
FOR EXAMPLE, I, I'VE MADE NO SECRET, I WOULD NEVER VOTE FOR A SPECIAL PERMIT ON SIX ACRES, WHICH WOULD GIVE US THE DENSITY EXTREMELY HIGH DENSITY.
SO I UNDERSTAND THAT THERE MAY BE ISSUES WITH FLOATING ZONE.
THERE MAY BE SOME ISSUES WITH THE OVERLAY ZONE, UH, BUT WITH THE SIX ACRES SPECIAL PERMIT, UH, THAT JUST PUTS THE TOWN IN TOO MUCH OF A DETRIMENT ON OTHER PROPERTIES
[02:15:01]
THAT MAY NOT BE AS GOOD OF A FIT.SO IT LOOKS LIKE WE HAVE A PATH TO A SPECIAL PERMIT, WHICH THE COMMUNITY IS ASKING FOR, AND A DENSITY THAT THE BOARD SEEMS, UM, AMENABLE TO, TO GO WITH BECAUSE IT'S VERY SIMILAR TO WHAT WE HAVE IN OUR CODE NOW.
AND I AGREE THAT MOUNT PLEASANT AND GREENBURG IS DIFFERENT THAN YOU HAVE TO TAKE, UM, THE TOWN OF GREENBURG AND LOOK AT ITS CODE AND SIMILARITIES.
AND THAT'S BASICALLY WHAT THE COMMUNITY WAS SAYING IS IN OUR CODE, WE HEAVILY RELY ON AS OF RIGHT AND SPECIAL PERMIT.
THEY ARE CONCERNED THAT OVERLAY ZONE OR FLOATING ZONE COULD BE MISUSED, NOT SO MUCH ON THIS PROPERTY, BUT IN THE FUTURE.
AND SO I THINK IF WE DO SOME WORK BETWEEN NOW AND, UM, THE BEGINNING OF NEXT WEEK OR THE END OF, OR THE END OF THIS WEEK TO, TO PUT TOGETHER A LOCAL LAW THAT WE, WE MAY ACTUALLY BE ABLE TO REACH CONSENSUS ON THE 30TH.
SO, UH, BUT A LOT OF THAT ALSO DEPENDS ON THE, UH, METROPOLIS, OBVIOUSLY, AS TO, UH, WHETHER OR NOT THEY'RE WILLING TO GO ALONG WITH, WITH THIS CHAIN.
YOU, YOU BEAT ME TO THE MOST IMPORTANT POINT THAT I WAS GONNA MAKE IN CLOSING THERE.
AND THAT IS, WE HAVE NO OBJECTION.
I THINK WE TOLD YOU AT THE LAST SESSION, WE HAVE NO OBJECTION TO WHETHER IT'S A SPECIAL PERMIT, AN OVERLAY, A FLOATING ZONE.
I, I, I THINK MY PHRASE WAS, WE REALLY DON'T FEEL LIKE WE HAVE A, A HORSE IN THAT RACE.
AND THE EIGHT ACRE ISSUE, I UNDERSTAND IT.
UM, YOU ALL KNOW THERE'S NO SURPRISE, THERE'S NO CONFIDENTIALITY ON THIS.
MY CLIENT IS IN CONTRACT TO ACQUIRE SIX ACRES FROM METROPOLIS.
SO HAVING HEARD WHAT THE COMMISSIONER SUGGESTED EARLIER AND WHAT YOU'VE TALKED ABOUT, WE OBVIOUSLY NOW NEED TO CONFER WITH METROPOLIS AND, AND, AND, AND COME BACK TO YOU.
NATHAN'S ON REPRESENTATIVES OF METROPOLIS ARE LISTENING.
WE WILL, UH, ADDRESS THIS AS EXPEDITIOUSLY AS POSSIBLE GUARD.
IS THERE ANYBODY ELSE? UH, I DO NOT BELIEVE SO.
UH, IF ANYONE ELSE WISHES TO SPEAK, JUST PLEASE UNMUTE YOURSELF.
AND, UH, SO, BUT I DON'T BELIEVE ANYONE ELSE SIGNED UP.
I MAKE A MOTION THAT WE ADJOURN THIS, UH, MEETING FOR ALL PURPOSES THROUGH SEPTEMBER 30TH, AT WHICH TIME WE WILL CONTINUE THE PUBLIC HEARING.
HEY, BARBARA, UH, PUT ON THE RECORD THAT THINGS ARE BEING HELD OVER, ARE HELD OVER NO, TO OCTOBER 14TH.
[ PUBLIC COMMENT Advance signup via PublicComment@GreenburghNY.com is required. See instructions on first page. A three minute limit per speaker will be strictly enforced. No interruptions by Town Board members, the Town Clerk or the public will be permitted. Any questions on agenda items should be asked at this time. Department Heads have the option of leaving the meeting following Public Comment. Therefore, if anyone has questions that are related to resolutions/items on the agenda involving a specific Department Head, those questions should be raised at this time.]
WE WILL HAVE, UH, PUBLIC COMMENTS.ANYBODY WANNA TALK ABOUT ANYTHING? YES, I DO.
UM, WELL, PAUL, I BEAT YOU TO IT.
I WENT TO THE FIRST DAY OPENING OF THE CHELSEA TONIGHT, AND IT IS LOVELY.
THE LANDSCAPING AROUND THE BUILDING IS, IS MAGNIFICENT IN THE BACK.
THEY HAVE THEIR WALKWAY, THEY HAVE BENCHES, THEY HAVE AN AREA FOR PEOPLE JUST TO BE OUTSIDE.
THERE'S, UM, SIDEWALKS ALL AROUND.
UM, INSIDE YOU CAN VIEW THE LOBBY AS YOU COME IN AND THERE'S SITTING AREAS FOR THE FAMILIES TO, TO BE TOGETHER WITH THE, WITH THE RESIDENTS.
UH, THERE'S A LITTLE AREA IN WHICH, UH, THE CHEF IS MAKING, UM, SPECIAL FOODS FOR THE DAY.
AND ALSO I WENT TO SEE THE TWO, UM, WENT TO SEE THE, THE TWO BEDROOM, UM, UH, SUITE.
AND IT WAS JUST REALLY VERY, VERY NICE.
THE, IT'S JUST SO WELL DONE INSIDE AND OUT.
AND I, I, I'M GOING TO SAY THAT, UM, I THINK THAT THE COMMUNITY IS GOING TO BE PLEASED THAT THIS IS IN OUR NEIGHBORHOOD.
AND I, I JUST HOPE THAT THEY, THEY'RE NOT READY TO OPEN YET, BECAUSE THEY'RE STILL WAITING FOR SOME CERTIFICATION FROM THE STATE, BUT THEY HOPE TO OPEN UP BY OCTOBER.
BUT, UH, AND I ALSO, OH, I ALSO MET THE HEAD CHEF WHO SHE, SHE'S IN CHARGE OF ALL THE, THE FOOD SERVICES.
AND SHE WAS JUST TELLING ME ABOUT SOME OF THE SPECIAL THINGS, LIKE ON WEDNESDAY THEY HAVE WAFFLE WEDNESDAYS AND THINGS LIKE THAT FOR PE, FOR THE, FOR THE RESIDENTS AS WELL AS FOR THE VISITORS.
SO I THINK THIS WILL BE AN ASSET FOR THE TOWN OF GREENBURG, AS WELL AS BEING AN ASSET FOR OUR WORTHINGTON WOODLANDS COMMUNITY.
MUST HAVE BEEN NICE BEING INVITED.
WELL, YOU KNOW, I HAVE MY, MY SHOVEL
[02:20:01]
AND NOW I HAVE HAD THIS INVITATION.I GUESS THE TOWN BOARD HAD NOTHING TO DO WITH THAT.
LIKE I SAID, IT'S ALWAYS, YOU KNOW,
AND I JUST WANNA SAY THAT THEY WERE A PLEASURE TO WORK WITH THROUGHOUT THE WHOLE PROCESS WHENEVER WE, I'M SURE THEY WERE, AND TERRY KNOWS THAT.
AND, AND MADELINE WORKED WITH IT.
AND, AND ELLA, WHENEVER WE SAT DOWN WITH THEM, THEY WERE ALWAYS WILLING TO LISTEN TO US AND MOVE THINGS AROUND AND, AND JUST, THEY WERE JUST A PLEASURE TO WORK WITH.
SO I HOPE THAT THAT SUCCESS IS IN THEIR FUTURE FOR THEM.
YEAH, THE TOWN BOARD DIDN'T HAVE ANYTHING TO DO WITH THEM, UH, REHABILITATING THAT, UH, THAT CONTAMINATED SOIL.
NO, WE WOULDN'T EVEN GO INTO THE COST OF THAT.
I CAN
SURPRISES WERE UNDER THAT PAD THAT THAT WAS BUILT MANY, MANY YEARS AGO.
BUT LIKE, UH, MAYBE THAT'S WHY WE WEREN'T INVITED.
I'M SURE THE TOWN BOARD WILL HAVE THEIR OWN INVITATION TO VISIT THE FACILITY AS WELL.
WELL, THEY MAY NOW, BUT IT WOULD'VE BEEN NICE TO, UH, NOT HEAR, HEAR ABOUT THE OPENING COULD WENT COOL.
ALRIGHT, GARY, ANYBODY? I SEE SOME PEOPLE ON THE SCREEN AND I, TWO SPEAKERS, UH, MURRAY BODEN.
WHEN PAULA COMMENT FIRST OPENED THIS EVENING, TIM SAID THERE'S A TWO THREE MINUTE LIMIT.
THERE WAS MUCH DISCUSSION BETWEEN EVERYBODY.
WHEN I RAISE THE ISSUE, I GET KID OFF AT THREE MINUTES AND NOBODY ANSWERS MY QUESTIONS.
I'VE ASKED FOR SOMEBODY TO MEET ME AT THE HARTSDALE STATION TO LOOK AT THE POLES THAT SEPARATE THE EAST AND WEST HARTSDALE AVENUE LANES BECAUSE THEY'RE ILLEGAL.
I'VE REPEATED IT, NOT JUST RECENTLY, BUT FOR YEARS.
AND YOU'VE HAD ON YOUR WEBSITE AND CONTINUE TO HAVE ON YOUR WEBSITE.
IF YOU'D LIKE THE TOWN BOARD TO MEET WITH COOP, PLEASE LET US KNOW.
I'VE LET YOU KNOW NOTHING HAPPENS.
I'VE ASKED THE POLICE DEPARTMENT TO MEET WITH ME THERE BECAUSE THEY'RE IN CHARGE.
THE MANUAL AND UNIFORM TRAFFIC CONTROL DEVICES MANUAL.
NOTHING I'VE ASKED PUBLIC WORKS TO MEET WITH ME THERE AND DISCUSS IT BECAUSE VICTOR HAS VERY FIRM IDEAS ON THE SUBJECT.
SO IN ORDER TO KEEP IT TO A VERY, VERY, VERY SIMPLE ITEM, THE POLLS THAT SEPARATE THE EAST AND WEST LANES LEAVING CARDALE STATION.
NOW YOU'VE HAD DISCUSSIONS THIS EVENING WITH A NUMBER OF PEOPLE.
HOW ABOUT HAVING A DISCUSSION WITH ME? TELL ME A TIME WHEN YOU WANNA MEET WITH ME THERE AND LET'S RESOLVE THIS ONCE AND FOR ALL.
IT'S SYMBOLIC OF THE FACT THAT THERE ARE TWO SETS OF RULES.
THE RULES THAT YOU WANNA FOLLOW WHEN IT'S CONVENIENT FOR YOU AND THE LAW.
YOU DEMONSTRATED IT TONIGHT VERY CLEARLY.
WHEN YOU WANTED TO BREAK THE RULES YOU DID.
AND WHEN YOU WANTED ME TO SHUT UP, YOU SHUT ME UP.
YOU CAN GO BACK AND LOOK AT ANY NOWHERE VIDEOS OF PUBLIC COMMENT WHERE I'VE BEEN TOLD YOUR TIME'S UP.
WHEN DO YOU WANNA MEET ME THERE? POLICE DEPARTMENT.
WHEN DO YOU WANNA MEET ME THERE? TOWN BOARD, WHEN DO YOU WANNA MEET ME? THERE THERE IS A LAW THAT IS NOT BEING FOLLOWED.
YOU ALL KEEP SAYING, WELL, WE WANNA SAVE FOR COMMUNITY.
THERE IS NO DISCUSSION WHEN YOU STAND THERE, BUT NOBODY WANTS TO STAND THERE AND LOOK, YOU'RE ALL DEATHLY SILENT RIGHT NOW.
ONE IN EDUCATION, IN GOVERNMENT.
GO LOOK AT THE MTAS BOARD MEETING TODAY.
THEY CHANGED THE WAY GOVERNMENT IS BEING RUN.
THEY'RE DEALING WITH THE PANDEMIC AND A LACK OF ACTIVITY IN NEW YORK CITY IN A POSITIVE WAY.
THEY'RE CHANGING THE RULES TO FIT THE CIRCUMSTANCES.
YOU ARE LOCKED INTO A RULES THAT ARE 30, 40, 50 YEARS OLD.
A LOT OF WHAT YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT IN PLANNING IS OUTDATED, BUT LET'S NOT GO THERE.
LET'S JUST DEAL WITH ONE SET OF POLLS AND ONE LINE, IT ESTABLISHES THE PRINCIPLE THAT CHANGES HERE.
IT STARTED OFF WITH CLIMATE CHANGE THIS EVENING.
WE ARE NEVER GOING BACK TO THE, OUR WORLD WE HAD FIVE YEARS AGO, THE
[02:25:01]
TIPPING POINT.WE EITHER DEAL WITH CLIMATE CHANGE OR WE DON'T HAVE AN EARTH TO LIVE ON.
HOW ABOUT ANSWERING ME BACK RIGHT HERE NOW ON CAMERA TO MEET ME.
TELL ME WHEN YOU'RE GONNA MEET ME THERE, FRANCIS.
WE HAVE TO SPEAK TO VICTOR, WHO I DON'T SEE, DON'T SEE ON THE SCREEN.
I'VE ALWAYS MET YOU AT LOCATIONS, SO GIVE ME, UH, YOU KNOW, WE'LL, WE COULD DO IT NEXT WEEK IF YOU WANT.
YOU TELL ME WHEN WE'RE GONNA, YOU'RE GONNA TELL ME WHEN YOU'RE GONNA HAVE THE SOMEBODY AT THE STATION.
SO WHY DON'T YOU EMAIL ME AND TELL ME WHO YOU'D LIKE AND THENUH, I GET I'M NOT EMAILING YOU.
I'VE DONE THAT A HUNDRED TIMES.
I'VE, I'VE MET WITH YOU ANYTIME YOU'VE ASKED.
I WANT YOU OR THE TOWN BOARD AND A REPRESENTATIVE OF THE POLICE DEPARTMENT AND A REPRESENTATIVE OF DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC WORKS AT THE SAME TIME.
SO IT DOESN'T GO AROUND IN CIRCLE.
IF I COULD
I THINK WE CAN WORK ON THAT, PAUL, WE'LL WORK ON THAT.
AND MARY, JUST SO YOU KNOW, I I GAVE YOU A LITTLE EXTRA TIME TONIGHT AND, AND THANK YOU FOR POINTING THAT OUT TO ME AND I'LL TRY TO BE MORE SENSITIVE TO THAT.
YOU'VE BEEN VERY FAIR WITH ME AND I UNDERSTAND YOUR DIFFICULT POSITION YOU'RE IN.
UM, AT THE END OF THIS MEETING, THERE'S ANOTHER FIVE MINUTE PUBLIX, AND YOU CAN DEDUCT ANY TIME I USE THIS FROM THAT FIVE MINUTES I GET AT THE END OF THE MEETING.
HEY, ERIC ZINGER? UH, I'M GOOD.
SHERWIN, I WANNA TALK A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT THE ESCO.
SO THE, THE ESCO PROGRAM THAT YOU GUYS ARE, YOU GUYS ARE CONSIDERING.
I, HAS THERE BEEN ANY DISCUSSION ABOUT HOW SUSTAINABLE WESTCHESTER OPERATES? UM, AND HAVE YOU GUYS LOOKED INTO THE AMOUNT OF MONEY THAT THEY'RE TAKING IN BY AGGREGATING ALL OF THE DEMAND AND MAKING A MARKET? BECAUSE WHILE THE HEARING CLOSED AND WHERE WE ARE RIGHT NOW, BEFORE YOU GUYS VOTE, I PULLED UP THE NINE 90 AND SEE THAT WE SUSTAINABLE WESTCHESTER IS RAKING IN ANOTHER, AN ADDITIONAL $800,000 ON TOP OF ALL OF THE WORK THAT THEY'RE DOING, AND PAYING OUT A HALF A MILLION DOLLARS IN SALARIES BY AGGREGATING ALL OF OUR DEMAND TOGETHER AND USING IT TO GO AND SHIFT THE MARKET IN THE NAME OF GREEN ENERGY.
SO BEFORE YOU GUYS GO AND GET INTO BED ON GREEN ENERGY, WHICH BY THE WAY CAN BE ACQUIRED BY EVERY INDIVIDUAL, IF YOU EDUCATE THEM AND TELL THEM HOW TO GO AND OPT INTO THAT THEMSELVES.
AND BY THE WAY, CUT A DEAL WITH, WITH, WITH WESTCHESTER, WITH, WITH SUSTAINABLE ENERGY IF YOU WANT TO OR NOT.
JUST UNDERSTAND THIS ISN'T BUFFET.
THEY ARE GETTING PAID FOR FLOW, THEY'RE GETTING $800,000, THEY'RE PAYING OUT $500,000 TO THEMSELVES ON FOR, FOR DOING THIS SERVICE.
AND I JUST WONDER, BEFORE YOU MANDATE A, A PURCHASING AGENT ON BEHALF OF ALL OF THE CONSTITUENTS MANDATORY UNILATERALLY RECOGNIZE THAT THEY'RE TAKING IN THIS CASH.
I I, I JUST, I GUESS, I GUESS MY QUESTION IS, PAUL, WERE YOU AWARE THAT THEY WERE MAKING 800 GRAND OFF OF, OFF OF THE CONSTITUENTS? I KNOW THAT THEY'RE MAKING MONEY FROM THIS.
THEY'RE, THEY'RE PAYING PEOPLE TO, TO DO THE WORK, BUT I ALSO FEEL THAT WE'RE GETTING A BENEFIT OUT OF THIS BECAUSE I, I FEEL THAT THEY HAVE THE RESOURCES TO, THEY, THEY ISSUED AN R F UH, PAY.
UM, THEY, UH, ARE ANALYZING THE ESCOS THAT, UH, THAT THEY'RE USING.
IT'S VERY CONFUSING FOR THE AVERAGE PERSON.
IF, UH, IF YOU OR SOMEBODY ELSE THAT, YOU KNOW, CAME UP WITH A DIFFERENT PROPOSAL AND WOULD DO IT FOR FREE THAN THE TOWN COULD BASICALLY, UH, CONSIDER THAT YOU, WE COULD, WE COULD COME UP WITH A PROPOSAL TO DO IT FOR FREE, AND THERE'S OTHER WAYS IN WHICH THE TOWN COULD BE GREEN AND BE GREENER AND, AND DO ALL SORTS OF THINGS.
I NOTE THAT I HAVE SOLAR PANELS IN MY HOUSE AND YOU DON'T HAVE SOLAR PANELS ON YOUR HOUSE.
I GUESS THE QUESTION IS WHY SHOULD YOU FORCE ME TO BE GREEN IN THIS WAY? BUT I ALSO NOTE IN THIS NINE 90, WHILE THEY ONLY INCREASED THEIR TAKE FROM WESTCHESTER POWER BY A MERE, LIKE 10%, THEY UP THEIR SALARIES BY 50% IN THE INTERIM.
JUST SOMETHING TO THINK ABOUT.
YOU HAVE ANY OTHER SPEAKERS BEFORE WE CONTINUE? GARRETT? THANK YOU, JEFF.
[02:30:01]
I DON'T WELCOME, UH, UNLESS ANYONE NO, I DON'T SIGNED UP.WE WANNA MOVE THE AGENDA AND THEN COME BACK FOR FIVE MINUTE, UH, PUBLIC COMMENT OR HOW WOULD THE BOARD LIKE TO PROCEED? LET'S, LET'S SEE.
UH, OKAY, SO THE, WE'LL MOVE THE AGENDA.
IT'S A LITTLE BIG, BIG FRANCIS.
[ ATTORNEY – 989-1615]
SO A T ONE RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING TAX TERTIARY SETTLEMENT WITH PETITIONER JB REALTY ENTERPRISES, UM, AT 29 NORTH BROADWAY, 18,000 88 8.I'D LIKE TO MOVE THAT I ALL IN FAVOR? AYE.
WAIT, IS 21 NORTH BROADWAY, NOT 29 NORTH BROADWAY.
RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING TAX, ARY SETTLEMENT WITH PETITIONER CITIBANK AND A PROPERTY LOCATED AT TWO SOUTH BROADWAY.
RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING TAX TI SETTLEMENT, THE PETITIONER THOMAS AND MI, UH, MICHELLE VALENTINE FOR PROPERTY LOCATED AT 200 INWOOD ROAD TOWN SHARE OF THE, UH, THE, THE TOTAL AMOUNT IS 20,487.
RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING SETTLEMENT OF PROPERTY DAMAGE RELATED CLAIM FILE, UM, BY GEICO, MARK, UH, SCHNEIDER FOR AN AMOUNT NOT TO EXCEED 6,000 5 5 3 AND 27 CENTS.
RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING SETTLEMENT OF PROPERTY DAMAGE RELATED CLAIM, UM, UM, BY, UH, PERRY VEER AND NICOLE NICOLE VEER, 1006 96 40 $4.
RE AUTHORIZING SETTLEMENT OF PROPERTY, UH, DAMAGE CLAIM FILE NUMBER 1920 C BY CHUBB NATIONAL INSURANCE COMPANY, A S O LARRY ELLENBERG AND ROBIN ELLENBERG.
TOTAL AMOUNT, 14,435 AND 13 CENTS.
[ CLERK – 989-1500]
YEAH.ONE WAS ADOPTED ALREADY, UH, RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING THE CLOSING OF NORTHWAY SOUTHWAY, NORTHERN ROAD, SOUTHERN ROAD, BYWAY, SINCLAIR PLACE, HUNTLEY ROAD, ARDEN DRIVE, WEST OF STANDARDISH PLACE, JOYCE ROAD AND KENNETH ROAD, SOUTH OF NORTHWAY WESTWAY, SOUTH OF NORTHERN ROAD, EASTWAY AND EASTERN ROAD ON NORTH OF ROAD, UM, WHICH IS LOCATED IN THE VILLAGE OF LEY STANDARDS PLACE, ALDEN PLACE AND
AND THAT LAST CLAUSE, WHICH WE DON'T NORMALLY PUT INTO THE, UH, RESOLUTION ITSELF HEADING OF THE RESOLUTION ITSELF IS ALWAYS CONTAINED WITHIN THE RESOLUTION THAT GETS SENT TO ORGANIZERS OF THE EVENT.
BUT BECAUSE THIS IS SUCH A MASSIVE STREET CLOSING THAT WE'VE NEVER HAD ANYTHING LIKE THAT BEFORE, UH, THE POLICE CHIEF, UH, AND SPEAKING TO HIM, HE SAID THAT HE'S GOING TO REACH OUT TO THEM AND TALK TO THEM TO MAKE SURE THAT, UH, THIS CAN BE DONE THIS WAY.
UM, AUTHORIZING THE CLOSURE OF SOUTH ROAD FROM HILLSIDE AVENUE TO LINCOLN PLACE WITH WALL INTERSECTIONS OF SOUTH ROAD, WITH THE SIDE STREETS BETWEEN HILLSIDE AVENUE AND LINCOLN PLACE, BLOCKED OFF TO TRAFFIC ON SATURDAY, OCTOBER 31ST, 2020 FROM FIVE TO 8:00 PM FOR THE PARKWAY, UH, GARDEN SOCIAL ACTION COMMITTEE TO HOST THE PANDEMIC APPROPRIATE HALLOWEEN PARADE AND ALLOWING CHILDREN, YOUTH, THE OPPORTUNITY TO ENGAGE IN TICK, TRICK OR TREAT WHILE SAFELY SOCIAL DISTANCING WITH NEIGHBORS.
[ COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT – 989-1538]
RESOLUTION, UH, GRANTING A TWO YEAR EXTENSION OF A PRIOR AMENDED SITE PLAN, APPROVAL IN CONNECTION WITH FOUR STORY 128,564 SQUARE FOOT BUILDING TO BE CONSTRUCTED BY OLD SOILL, UM, HOLDINGS, REGENERON PHARMACEUTICAL, UH, FOR PROPERTY LOCATED AT 7 7 7 OLD SAWMILL RIVER ROAD, UM, DESIGNATED AS TAX OF THE TOWN OF GREENBURG AS PARCEL ID 7 7 1 60.RESOLUTION ISSUING, UM, A NEGATIVE DECLARATION FOR THE SECRET DETERMINATION OF THE TOWN BOARD OF THE TOWN OF GREENBURG WITH RESPECT TO AN AMENDED 10 SPECIAL PERMIT AND RELATED APPLICATIONS OF WHITE HICKORY ASSOCIATES, UH,
[02:35:01]
FOR, UH, FOR PROPERTY AT SIX 30 WHITE PLAINS ROAD IN TARRYTOWN.TARRYTOWN, I'D LIKE TO MOVE THAT SECOND.
RESOLUTION APPROVING WITH CONDITIONS, UM, AN AMENDED SITE PLAN AND SPECIAL PERMIT APPLICATION OF WHITE HICKORY ASSOCIATES, UH, FOR PROPERTY LOCATED AT SIX 30 WHITE PLAINS ROAD, PO.
[ COMPTROLLER – 989-1603]
RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING FISCAL YEAR BUDGET TRANSFERS.[ PARKS & RECREATION – 693-8985]
RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING THE EXECUTION OF A 9,304 GRAND AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE TOWN OF GREENBERG AND COUNTY OF WESTCHESTER FOR TRANSPORTING SENIORS.I'D LIKE TO MOVE THAT SECOND IN FAVOR, AYE.
RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING EXECUTION OF ONE 24,991 GRANT AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE TOWN OF GREENBURG AND THE COUNTY OF WESTCHESTER TO PROVIDE SITE AND HOME DELIVERY PLAN MEALS.
A AYE RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING THE EXECUTION OF A 15,904 GRANT AGREEMENT BETWEEN GREENBERG AND THE COUNTY OF WESTCHESTER FOR TRANSPORTING SENIORS.
RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING THE TOWN SUPERVISOR TO EXECUTE A GRANT AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE TOWN OF GREENBERG AND THE COUNTY OF WESTCHESTER FOR REIMBURSEMENT TO THE TOWN UP TO ONE 41,912 TO PROVIDE SITE MEALS AND HOME DELIVERY MEALS TO ELIGIBLE GREENBERG SENIORS BETWEEN JANUARY ONE AND DECEMBER 31.
[ POLICE – 989-1740]
PLEASE.UH, PROMOTING SERGEANT MICHAEL, UH, POLICE OFFICER MICHAEL INGHAM TO SERGEANT OF POLICE.
DO WE WANT TO COME? PUBLIC COMMENT? YEP.
UH, PAUL, DO WE HAVE, IT IS MY UNDERSTANDING THAT YOU WILL ORGANIZE A MEETING OF THE, SO REPRESENTATIVE OF THE BOARD, A REPRESENTATIVE OF THE POLICE DEPARTMENT, A REPRESENTATIVE OF PUBLIC WORKS, THE FOUR OF US TO MEET AT HARTSDALE STATION WITHIN A WEEK.
AM I CORRECT IN THAT? I WILL, UM, UH, ASK, UH, THEM TO, UH, MEET WITH US, WITH US AT THAT LOCATION? YOU'LL NOTIFY ME.
IS ANY PUBLIC COMMENT? YOU, YOU WANTED THE POLICE AND, AND PUBLIC WORKS? SORRY.
REPRESENTATIVE FROM PUBLIC WORKS, REPRESENTATIVE OF THE BOARD, REPRESENTATIVE OF THE POLICE DEPARTMENT, A REPRESENTATIVE OF THE PUBLIC WORKS AND MYSELF, THAT'S FOUR PEOPLE AND ANY ASSOCIATES THEY WANNA BRING WITH THEM.
ANYBODY ELSE? THEN I MOVE THAT WE ADJOURN.
UM, DO WE WANT, UM, ALL IN FAVOR, PAUL? ALL IN FAVOR? WE DIDN'T VOTE.
WE NEED TO PICK A TIME FAIRLY QUICK FOR, UH,