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UH, TO THE[ TOWN OF GREENBURGH OFFICE OF THE TOWN BOARD 177 Hillside Avenue, Greenburgh, NY 10607 Tel: 914-989-1500 Fax: 914-993-1541 Email: JDudek@Greenburghny.com https://ny-greenburgh.civicplus.com/485/Watch-Live-Board-Meetings]
WORK SESSION.I SEE MR. DACKER IS, UM, IS AVAILABLE.
SO MAYBE, MAYBE IT MAKES SENSE TO HAVE HIM FIRST BEFORE WE DO A GENDER REVIEW.
SO, MR. DECKERS, YOU KNOW, THAT, UH, 'CAUSE OF THE PANDEMIC, YOU KNOW, YOUR, UH, ORIGINAL SCOPE OF SERVICES FOR WESTCOT MAY HAVE CHANGED.
AND AGAIN, I THINK THE TOWN, UM, GIVES A GRANT TO, UH, WESTCO OF ABOUT 16 TO $17,000 OR SO EVERY YEAR.
AND WE'VE BEEN PRETTY HAPPY WITH THAT.
BUT WE WANNA KNOW HOW THE, UH, THE SPENDING OF THE GRANT, THE EXPENDITURES HAVE CHANGED, UH, GIVEN THE PANDEMIC OR IF THEY'VE CHANGED AT ALL.
SO MAYBE YOU CAN THANK YOU BOARD.
KNOW A LITTLE BIT ABOUT, UH, WHAT YOUR ORGANIZATION DOES BECAUSE THE MEETING IS TELEVISED AND HOW THE FUNDING, UH, IS, UH, SPENT BASICALLY, BASICALLY THIS CONTRACT BEGINS JANUARY 1ST OF THIS YEAR, AND IT'S THROUGH THE PANDEMIC.
SO WHAT IS IT THAT YOU'VE BEEN DOING TO HELP PEOPLE DURING THE PANDEMIC? YOU KNOW, THE SCOPE OF SERVICES FOR LAST YEAR AND THE PRIOR YEARS WAS GREAT, UH, AND APPLIED, BUT WE NEED A SCOPE OF SERVICES THAT WOULD BE RELEVANT TO A PANDEMIC, WHICH OF COURSE IS GONNA CONTINUE UNTIL THE END OF THIS YEAR.
AND THAT'S WHAT WE WERE ASKING FOR.
UM, MR. LEWIS, TWO WEEKS AGO, I EMAILED TO YOU A REVISED SCOPE OF SERVICE.
WE'RE DOING MUCH OF WHAT WOULD ORIGINAL SCOPE OF SERVICE, UH, UM, ENTAILS EXCEPT THAT WE ARE ENHANCING OUR FOOD DELIVERY, UM, SERVICE.
IF YOU HAVE EVER BEEN TO THE, TO THE THEATER, YOU COMING TO CENTER RECENTLY, YOU'LL SEE THAT WEST CUP HAS PUT OUT A TABLE AT LEAST ONCE A WEEK WHERE WE SERVE ODD MEALS TO, UM, THE, THE RESIDENT OF GREENBURG.
AND, UM, WE'VE BEEN DOING IT ON A CONSISTENT BASIS.
THIS IS, UM, SINCE THE PANDEMIC, AND THAT WAS A, THAT WAS NOT BEING DONE PRIOR.
WE U WE OPERATE OUR FOOD PANTRY, WHICH WE'RE STILL DOING.
THE ONLY DIFFERENCE IS INSTEAD OF THE CLIENTS COMING IN, WE'RE ACTUALLY STATIONED OUTSIDE AND WE'RE DELIVERING THE FOOD.
AND WE ALSO DIV DELIVERING ONE ODD MEAL PER PER DAY TO, UH, ANYONE IN, IN THE TOWN OF GREEN WHO, WHO, WHO WISHES TO, TO PARTAKE OF THAT, WE'RE STILL DOING, UM, A REFERRAL SERVICE TO, UM, SEVERAL DIFFERENT ENTITIES INCLUDING, UM, LEGAL SERVICES.
UM, THE, THE TAX, AS YOU KNOW, THE, THE TAX FILING WAS EXTENDED AND ENSURE TAXPAYER EDUCATIONAL SERVICE OR VITAL PROGRAM.
WE HAD CLIENTS IN GREENBURG THAT WAS ABLE TO DO, UM, FREE TAX SERVICES WITH WESTCO.
WE ALSO ARE DOING A SELF-EFFICIENT SERVICE.
AND ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE'RE DOING WITH OUR SELF SELF-SUFFICIENT WORKSHOP IS THAT BECAUSE OF THE PANDEMIC, A LOT OF PEOPLE HAVE BECAME UNEMPLOYED.
WE HAVE DONE A, AN AMENDED, UM, COMMUNITY NEEDS ASSESSMENT TO SEE IN EACH, UM, VILLAGE AND TOWN, WHAT'S THE UNEMPLOYMENT NUMBER.
WE ARE NOW IN THE PROCESS OF ENGAGING, UM, JOB DEVELOPERS AND CAREER COUNCIL AND TO WORK WITH RESIDENT OF, UM, THE TOWN OF GREENBURG TO SEE HOW WE CAN REALIGN OR REDIRECT THEM WITHIN ANOTHER JOB OR ANOTHER CAREER IF THE IN, IN THE INDUSTRY IN WHICH THEY WERE WORKING WAS NO LONGER E EXISTS.
AND THAT'S AN, THAT'S AN ADDITION TO WHAT WE USED TO DO BEFORE.
I CAN ASSURE YOU THAT, UM, WESCO IS DEFINITELY SERVING EVERYONE, UM, UNDER THE LEADERSHIP OF AMAD, AMAD, KAI SHAW IN WHICH IS THE CAP DIRECTOR OF GREENBURG.
AND, UM, WE ARE PLEASED AT THE OPPORTUNITY AND THE FUNDING TO SERVE YOUR RESIDENT.
AND I'M, I'M OPEN TO ANY QUESTIONS.
THE, THE, THE MAIN THING THAT WE'RE NOT DOING, WE'RE NOT, UM, PURCHASING CAP AND GOWNS CLOTHING, WHICH WAS ON THE ORIGINAL SCOPE, SCOPE OF SERVICE TO PROVIDE TO, TO CHILDREN WHO ARE GRADUATING BECAUSE MORE, MOST OF THE GRADUATION THIS YEAR WAS DONE BY VIRTUAL.
SO WE, WE REDIRECT THE FUNDING THAT WE'RE USING FOR CAP AND GO AND, AND PROVIDE IT INTO THE FULL SERVICE DELIVERY.
SO EVERYTHING YOU SAID IS GREAT, AND I'M SURE YOU'RE DOING, UM, EVERYTHING THAT YOU CAN, INCLUDING DURING THE PANDEMIC.
WHEN YOU SENT THE REVISED SCOPE OF SERVICE, IT MADE NO MENTION OF THE PANDEMIC ANYWHERE.
AND IN THE, IN THE COVER EMAIL, YOU SAID YOU WERE DIVERTING FUNDS ELSEWHERE WITHOUT CLARIFYING WHAT
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YOU JUST SAID, THAT YOU WERE DIVERTING FUNDS FROM CAPPING DOWN TO SOME OTHER CLAUSE.SO IT IT, IT JUST DIDN'T READ RIGHT.
IF YOU, IF, IF YOU ARE FOLLOWING RIGHT, UM, WHAT I, SO ALL WE REALLY NEED IS FOR YOU TO GIVE US A SCOPE OF SERVICE AND SEE RIGHT, WHAT YOU JUST SAID AND, AND I THINK IT'LL BE FINE.
I, I THINK THAT'S WHAT I, THAT'S WHAT WE'LL DO WE'LL, WE'LL GIVE IT THE SCOPE OF SERVICE TO, TO SHOW YOU WHAT WE'VE BEEN DOING DIFFERENTLY DURING THE PANDEMIC.
AND IF, I DON'T KNOW, IF YOU NEED A REVISED BUDGET TO SHOW WHERE WE REALLOCATED THE FUNDS FROM THE, THE SERVICE THAT WE WERE PROVIDED PRE PANDEMIC TO CURRENT, WE CAN DO THAT AS WELL.
IF THE, IF THAT'S A DESIRE OF THE BOARD.
DO, DO YOU KEEP, UM, LIKE RECORDS THAT SAY THE TOWN BOARD WOULD BE ABLE TO HAVE ACCESS TO OF, UH, THE PEOPLE YOU'VE HELPED? SO FOR EXAMPLE, LET'S SAY YOU HAVE 70 PEOPLE WHO ARE GETTING FOOD.
UH, DO YOU HAVE NAMES AND INFORMATION ABOUT THEM? JUST SO THIS WAY WE COULD, UM, UH, LET PEOPLE KNOW THAT, YOU KNOW, WE'RE MONITORING, UH, YOU KNOW, THE, YOU KNOW, THE SPENDING THAT THEY YES, WE DO KEEP A TALLY OF ALL THE FOODS THAT WE DELIVER.
AND WOULD WE BE ABLE, YOU KNOW, WOULD, LET'S SAY, UH, THE COMMUNITY CENTER BE ABLE TO HAVE, SAY, ACCESS TO, YOU KNOW, THOSE RECORDS BECAUSE THEY HAVE A SENIOR PROGRAM.
AND, YOU KNOW, ONE OF THE THOUGHTS THAT I HAVE, UM, I MEAN, IT'S BOTH A SENIOR PROGRAM AND, UH, AT THE T D Y C C AND THE PARKS DEPARTMENT, AND THIS WAY WE COULD AVOID SOME DUPLICATION.
AND ALSO, NO, WE SHARE THE NAMES WITH THEM, BUT, BUT CLIENTS THAT WE PUT THROUGH OUR SELF-ASSESSMENT, UM, WORKSHOP BECAUSE WE HAVE INCOME DOCUMENTATION, YOU KNOW, THOSE ARE CONFIDENTIAL INFORMATION THAT WE WON'T SHARE WITH ANYONE ELSE, OBVIOUSLY.
BUT IF YOU JUST NEED THE NAMES AND LOCATION OF, OF THE CLIENTS THAT WE SERVE, WE CAN CERTAINLY PASS IT ON TO YOU.
THAT WOULD BE, YOU KNOW, I THINK THAT WOULD BE TERRIFIC IF WE COULD GET THAT.
LEMME JUST, YES, I THINK WHAT ALSO WOULD BE HELPFUL IF YOU CAN GIVE US, UM, JUST NUMBERS SO WE CAN SEE THE AMOUNT OF PEOPLE YOU SERVE, THAT WOULD BE HELPFUL AS WELL.
WE SHOULD, WE SHOULD PROBABLY RECEIVE SOME SORT OF, UM, REPORT OR DATA JUST TO SHOW THE NUMBER OF FAMILIES YOU HAVE SERVED, HOW IF IT HAS INCREASED DURING A PANDEMIC, THAT'LL BE REALLY GOOD INFORMATION TO KNOW CURRENTLY.
ANY, ANY ADDITIONAL QUESTIONS? SO WILL, WILL FRIDAY BE OKAY TO SUBMIT ALL THE NUMBERS IN TERMS OF THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE WE SERVE AND ALSO THE REVISED SCOPE TO, TO INDICATE WHAT WE'VE BEEN DOING DIFFERENTLY DURING THE PANDEMIC COMPARED TO PRIOR TO THE PANDEMIC? UH, YES.
AND MR. LEWIS, IS IT FINE TO EMAIL THAT TO YOU? THAT'S FINE.
AND I'LL EMAIL IT TO THE TOWN BOARD.
COUNCILMAN JONES, ZO TALKING TO YOU.
HAVE A WONDERFUL NIGHT AND A GREAT MEETING.
IS IT OKAY FOR ME TO LOG OFF? YES, YES INDEED.
NOW OUR PRESENT IS THAT YOU MAY LEAVE
SO THE NEXT THING, UH, YOU WANTED TO SPEAK ABOUT SUSTAINABLE WESTCHESTER IS SEPARATE FROM THE AGENDA REVIEW.
UM, YOU KNOW, I, I'VE SPOKEN TO A LOT OF PEOPLE PERSONALLY.
I DEFINITELY AM SUPPORTIVE OF, UM, ENTERING, UM, AN AGREEMENT WITH SUSTAINABLE WESTCHESTER.
BUT I, BECAUSE, BECAUSE, BUT I DO FEEL THAT THE LANGUAGE OF, UM, UH, THE AGREEMENT, UM, THAT WE, YOU KNOW, SHOULD REQUIRE, UH, THEM TO ONE PAY FOR, UM, AN ANNUAL MAILING, UM, THAT WE SHOULD HAVE TOTAL CONTROL OF THE TOWN BOARD AS TO WHAT'S WRITTEN IN THE MAILING.
UM, YOU KNOW, I THINK THAT A MAILING AT THE BEGINNING OF THE YEAR SHOULD LET PEOPLE KNOW VERY CLEARLY, YOU KNOW, YOU KNOW, WE LIKE THIS PROGRAM, UH, WE, YOU KNOW, IT'S GREAT.
HOWEVER, IT'S EASY TO OPT OUT.
THESE ARE THE ACTION STEPS YOU SHOULD TAKE, YOU KNOW, TO OPT OUT.
UM, I THINK THAT, UM, UM, WE SHOULD INDICATE IN THE MAILING THAT THE COST TO, UM, RESIDENTS COULD BE MORE EXPENSIVE THAN THE CURRENT, YOU KNOW, CON ED, YOU KNOW, BILL.
UM, AND WE SHOULD GIVE AN, AN ESTIMATE, YOU KNOW, WHAT PREVIOUS RATE D DIFFERENCES, YOU KNOW, WERE, UM, AND, YOU KNOW, WE MAY ALSO WANT TO FOLLOW IT UP WITH A ROBOCALL TO PEOPLE
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IN UNINCORPORATED GREENBERG ON TOP OF THE POSTCARD, YOU KNOW, THAT.AND BASICALLY SAY YOU JUST WANNA LET YOU KNOW, GONNA RECEIVE A POSTCARD.
UM, AND, UM, WE WANNA LET YOU KNOW THAT YOU HAVE THE RIGHT TO OPT OUT IF YOU DON'T WANT TO, YOU KNOW, IF YOU CAN'T AFFORD IT, YOU KNOW, I MEAN, IT'S NOT, YOU KNOW, YOU'RE NOT TALKING ABOUT, YOU KNOW, THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS, YOU KNOW, FOR PEOPLE, BUT IF FOR, YOU KNOW, ANY FOR EXTRA AMOUNT, YOU KNOW, IT COULD BE, UM, BURDENSOME FOR, YOU KNOW, FOR SOME PEOPLE.
AND THEN I ALSO THINK THAT, UM, YOU KNOW, WE SHOULD PROBABLY, UH, YOU KNOW, ON THE WEBSITE, YOU KNOW, IT COULD BE ONCE A MONTH, WE COULD HAVE A COMPARISON OF THE RATES, UH, WITH A, A LINK TO HOW TO OPT OUT.
SO WE'RE BASICALLY, YOU KNOW, WHEN I SPOKE TO NINA ORVILLE, UH, YOU KNOW, LAST WEEK, SHE SAID ANYONE WHO OPTED OUT OF THE PROGRAM IN THE PAST WILL NOT EVEN BE INVITED TO PARTICIPATE.
THEY'RE NOT GONNA EVEN BE, UH, YOU KNOW, AUTOMATICALLY ENROLLED IN THE PROGRAM.
SO, AND SHE ALSO MENTIONED THAT THERE'S, I THINK, I THINK IT WAS 120 OR 130 PEOPLE IN GREENBURG WHO ALREADY ARE ENROLLED IN THE SUSTAINABLE OPTION.
AND IF WE DON'T PARTICIPATE IN IT, UH, THEY WILL NOT BE ABLE TO CONTINUE TO GET THE, THE GREENER, YOU KNOW, POWER.
UM, SO IT REALLY CREATES A TREMENDOUS, UM, YOU KNOW, INCONVENIENCE FOR, YOU KNOW, FOR, FOR THEM.
UM, AND, YOU KNOW, I JUST SORT OF FEEL THAT WE HAVE AN OBLIGATION AS, UM, AS A GOVERNMENT TO JOIN THE 26 OTHER COMMUNITIES IN WESTCHESTER THAT, YOU KNOW, ARE TRYING TO DO SOMETHING ABOUT CLIMATE CHANGE AND SUSTAINABILITY.
YOU KNOW, WE COULD EASILY HAVE ANOTHER, UM, SITUATION LIKE, YOU KNOW, CALIFORNIA.
UM, I MEAN, CLIMATE CHANGE IS IMPACTING EVERYONE.
AND IF WE WANT TO DO SOMETHING, THIS IS OUR BEST, UH, OPTION.
SO I'M DEFINITELY GONNA BE, UM, SUPPORTING, UM, THE RENEWAL, YOU KNOW, OF THE, OF THE CONTRACT, BUT ALSO WANT THE CONDITIONS THAT I'M RECOMMENDING INCLUDED IN IT.
AND, YOU KNOW, I, I WOULD THINK THAT, YOU KNOW, MAYBE FOR TOMORROW'S MEETING, UM, THOSE PEOPLE WHO MAY NOT BE AS SUPPORTIVE AS I AM, MAY WANNA CONSIDER RECOMMENDING ADDITIONAL, UM, WORDING THAT WOULD, YOU KNOW, SO WE COULD HAVE THE TITUS WORD WORDED AGREEMENT, YOU KNOW, POSSIBLE.
YOU KNOW, WE, WE HAVE RECEIVED, UH, EMAILS FROM A BUNCH OF PEOPLE SO FAR, MOST OF THE EMAILS THAT I'VE RECEIVED HAVE BEEN POSITIVE ABOUT RENEWING THE CONTRACT.
AND THESE ARE FROM GREENBERG RESIDENTS.
UH, WHAT TROUBLES ME IS THAT IT PREVIOUSLY THAT THEY WERE SUPPOSED TO SEND OUT, UH, A POSTCARD IF THE RATES WENT UP OVER A CERTAIN AMOUNT, OVER A C CERTAIN NUMBER OF MONTHS, AND THAT DIDN'T HAPPEN.
SO, UH, I WOULDN'T WANT TO HAVE A REPEAT PERFORMANCE OF SOMETHING LIKE THAT HAPPENING AGAIN.
AND I'M SURE THERE'S WAYS OF, OF WORDING IT SO THAT, UH, THAT DOESN'T HAPPEN.
UH, WE HAVE A PUBLIC DISCUSSION TOMORROW, AND THE WHOLE PURPOSE OF HAVING A PUBLIC DISCUSSION TOMORROW IS TO HEAR FROM THE PUBLIC.
I KNOW WE'VE BEEN INUNDATED WITH, UH, EMAILS OF PEOPLE SUPPORTIVE OF US MOVING OVER TO THE SUSTAINABLE POWER, UM, MEANING THE GREEN POWER.
AND ONE OF THE, ONE OF THE DETRIMENTS FOR US WHEN THE RATES CHANGED IS THAT OTHER COMMUNITIES, MANY OTHER COMMUNITIES, THEY ACTUALLY HAD THE BENEFIT OF SAYING, WELL, AT LEAST IT'S GREEN.
AND WE DIDN'T HAVE THAT BENEFIT BECAUSE WE TRIED TO KEEP THE, THE RATES AS LOW AS POSSIBLE FOR OUR RESIDENTS.
AND THAT, UH, THAT DIDN'T WORK OUT SO WELL BECAUSE OF, UH, UNFORESEEN CIRCUMSTANCES WITH THE OIL MARKET, OIL MARKET.
AND, UH, THAT COULD CHANGE, OR IT MAY NOT.
I, I, I WOULD SUGGEST THAT WE HAVE A PUBLIC DISCUSSION TOMORROW, WHICH WE'RE ALREADY SCHEDULED TO HAVE HEAR FROM THE PUBLIC.
UM, AND THEN WE DECIDE, UM, WHAT, WHAT CONDITIONS WOULD BE APPROPRIATE.
SOUNDS LIKE PAUL, YOU ARE CONDITIONALLY IN FAVOR OF IT, PROVIDED THAT THERE'S EASY OPT-OUT METHODS, AND WE THOUGHT THAT THEY WERE EASY OPT-OUT METHODS LAST TIME.
UM, BUT, UM, THAT'S, THAT'S A MAJOR, THAT'S A, THAT'S A MAJOR CONSIDERATION THAT PEOPLE CAN EASILY OPT OUT, HOPEFULLY WITH THE EXTRA NOTIFICATIONS AND THE EXTRA,
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UH, ADVERTISING OF THE OPT-OUT OPTION ON THE WEBSITE.AND, YOU KNOW, MAYBE WE CAN BE MORE VOCAL ABOUT IT OURSELVES TO MAKE SURE THAT PEOPLE KNOW ABOUT IT.
HOPEFULLY THAT'LL MAKE THE DIFFERENCE.
AND I JUST THINK IT'S JUST VERY IMPORTANT, AS I STATED LAST TIME, THAT WE MUST HEAR FROM THE RESIDENTS TO SEE WHAT DIRECTION THEY WANNA GO INTO.
SO I'M, I'M HOPING THAT THOSE WHO HAVE REACHED OUT TO YOU, PAUL, UM, AND SUPPORTIVE IT, THAT THEY WILL BE PART OF TOMORROW'S MEETING.
'CAUSE WE WOULD LIKE TO HEAR FROM EVERYONE TO MAKE SURE THAT WE MAKE THE PROPER DECISION AND RIGHT DECISION IN THE FAVOR OF THE RESIDENTS.
UM, AGAIN, WHEN I CAME ON, UM, WHEN I SIGNED A MEETING LAST YEAR, YOU KNOW, MY CONCERN IS COMMUNICATION.
UH, WE TO, AND I'LL KEEP STRESSING ABOUT THIS POSTCARD AND MAKING SURE THAT RESIDENTS ARE AWARE OF ANY CHANGES THAT HAPPEN TO THE PROGRAM AS IT WAS PROMISED.
SO I JUST NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT IF, IF WE DO DECIDE TO GO FORWARD, THAT WE ARE KEEPING IN LINE WITH THE CONTRACT AND THAT, THAT THEY ARE FOLLOWING WHAT THEY STATED TO US.
AND I JUST, AND IT'S VERY IMPORTANT THAT IT IS WRITTEN.
I DON'T, I, I PREFER TO DO EVERYTHING WRITTEN AND NOT VERBAL.
SO THEY SAY, YES, WE'RE GONNA HAVE A POSTCARD, BUT WE NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE ABLE TO TRACK IT AND TO SAY, PER THE CONTRACT, YOU STATED THAT YOU WERE GOING TO PERFORM THESE SERVICES.
SO WE JUST NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT, UM, THEY'LL HOLD TO TASK, UH, INTO THEIR CONTRACT.
SO I, I JUST REALLY PREFER, I JUST WOULD REALLY PREFER TO HEAR FROM THE PUBLIC BEFORE, UM, ANY MOVEMENT IS DONE.
SO I LOOK FORWARD TO TOMORROW'S MEETING.
YEAH, I JUST WANNA MENTION THAT, UM, YOU KNOW, I AGREE EVERYTHING HAS TO BE WRITTEN AND I FEEL THAT EVERYTHING HAS TO BE, UM, YOU KNOW, IN A CONTRACT THAT THEY HAVE TO AGREE TO.
AND WE SHOULD PUT THE CONDITIONS I WANTED TO INDICATE MY, UH, CONDITIONAL SUPPORT BASED ON THE CONDITIONS THAT I'VE, I'VE RECOMMENDED EARLY BECAUSE I WANT TO BRING IT UP TODAY BECAUSE I'M HOPEFUL THAT, UM, YOU KNOW, TOMORROW AT THE MEETING, UH, PEOPLE WOULD, UM, MAYBE BE ABLE TO GIVE US, UM, OTHER LANGUAGE, YOU KNOW, SO NOT EVERYBODY LIKES TO OPT OUT, YOU KNOW, YOU KNOW, CONCEPT.
BUT ACCORDING TO NINO, ORVILLE, YOU CAN'T DO IT WITHOUT THE OPT, WITHOUT THE OPT-OUT.
SO IF WE HAVE TO, IF IT'S OPT OUT OR NOTHING, THEN I BASICALLY WANNA HAVE AS MANY, UH, YOU KNOW, WRITTEN CONDITIONS IN A CONTRACT THAT WILL, YOU KNOW, BE MOST BENEFICIAL TO, YOU KNOW, TO RESIDENTS.
AND AGAIN, COUNCIL OF CIVIC ASSOCIATIONS AND OTHERS MAY HAVE OTHER SUGGESTIONS THAT, THAT WE HAVEN'T THOUGHT OF.
AGAIN, YOU KNOW, I THINK IF WE DID A ROBO CALL, IF WE SENT OUT A POSTCARD, IF WE, UH, LET EVERYBODY KNOW WE'RE GONNA POST THE RATE THAT THE TOWN WILL POST THE RATES ON OUR WEBSITE, AT LEAST LET'S SAY ONCE A MONTH OR WHATEVER, COMPARING THE RATES, UM, YOU KNOW, MAYBE, UM, WE COULD DO ANOTHER ROBO CALL LIKE SIX MONTHS LATER.
YOU KNOW, JUST LIKE AN UPDATE REMINDING PEOPLE, UM, YOU KNOW, WHAT THE RATE DIFFERENCES ARE.
YOU KNOW, I THINK THAT IF WE DID ALL THAT, THEN THERE'S NOBODY WHO IS, UM, IS IN JEOPARDY OF PARTICIPATING IN SOMETHING THAT THEY'RE NOT AWARE OF.
BECAUSE I THINK, SO PAUL AND YOUR CONVERSATION IN YOUR CONVERSATION WITH NINA IS, DID SHE SAY THAT SHE'S GONNA BE PROVIDING THIS DATA MONTHLY TO BE POSTED ON THE WEBSITE? WELL, NINA IS THE, UH, I DIDN'T ASK ABOUT, YOU KNOW, MONTHLY.
UM, UH, YOU KNOW, I, I WILL, I WILL SPEAK TO HER BEFORE TOMORROW'S MEETING, BUT AGAIN, IF THEY REALLY WANT THE TOWN TO PARTICIPATE, AND I THINK THAT, UM, YOU KNOW, IT'S, YOU KNOW, WE COULD REQUIRE THEM TO DO ANYTHING AND SAY, IF YOU DON'T GIVE US MONTHLY UPDATES, WE'RE NOT GONNA PARTICIPATE.
I JUST, I JUST WANTED TO BE, I JUST WANTED TO BE CLEAR.
I JUST WANTED TO MAKE SURE EVERYONE WHO IS LISTENING IS CLEAR THAT THIS HAS NOT BEEN AGREED TO US YET.
THIS IS JUST YOUR THOUGHTS THAT YOU WILL BRING TO NINA TOMORROW TO SAY WE WOULD LIKE TO HAVE, WE WOULD LIKE TO HAVE DATA WHERE WE CAN CONTINUOUSLY, UM, COMMUNICATE WITH RESIDENTS TO SAY, HERE'S WHERE THE RATES ARE FOR THIS MONTH, OR HOWEVER OFTEN YOU, UM, WE AGREED TO A, ACTUALLY, YEAH.
THE, THE, THE BIG PROBLEM WITH WHAT WE'VE DONE IN THE PAST IS THAT WE ENTERED INTO AN AGREEMENT, THE RATES DIDN'T GO UP.
THEY STAYED FLAT, BUT THE CON ED RATES WENT DOWN AND A LOT OF PEOPLE WERE NOT AWARE THAT THEY WERE PARTICIPATING IN THE PROGRAM, AND THEY WEREN'T AWARE THAT, UM, THEY, THEY HAD THE RIGHT TO OPT OUT, EVEN THOUGH, YOU KNOW, WE LET THEM KNOW, NOT EVERYBODY READS OUR WEBSITE.
NOT EVERYBODY SUBSCRIBES TO THE E LIST.
NOT EVERYBODY WATCHES THE TOWN BOARD MEETINGS.
SO I THINK THE COUNCIL OF CIVIC ASSOCIATIONS PROVIDED A REALLY EXCELLENT PUBLIC SERVICE.
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WHAT THE RATE DIFFERENCES WERE, UH, LETTING THE PUBLIC KNOW, YOU KNOW, THE PROBLEMS. THEY, THEY DID A, A GOOD JOB EXPLAINING, AND, YOU KNOW, MY FAILING IS THAT IF WE WORK TOGETHER, THE PROBLEMS WE HAD WITH THE PREVIOUS CONTRACT WON'T EXIST IN THE FUTURE.WE'LL BE EXTRA, EXTRA CAREFUL.
WE DON'T WANT TO DECEIVE ANYBODY, UM, AND HAVE THEM PARTICIPATE IN A PROGRAM THAT COULD BE MORE CLOSELY IF THEY'RE NOT AWARE OF WHAT THEY'RE DOING.
I JUST WANNA MAKE SURE THAT IF WE ARE GONNA COMMIT TO SOMETHING, THAT WE'RE GONNA BE PROVIDING THIS INFORMATION, THAT WE DEFINITELY COMMIT TO IT, AND WE, YOU KNOW, WE STICK TO THAT COMMITMENT.
BUT THAT'S, BUT I LOOK FORWARD TO TOMORROW'S MEETING AND, AND, AND, AND HEAR WHAT THE PUBLIC'S, UM, VIEW IS.
I DON'T KNOW, KNOW THAT CONED HAS A GREEN ALTERNATIVE, DO THEY? I DON'T THINK SO.
WHY WOULD YOU, WHY WOULD YOU COMPARE IT TO NO, WE'D COMPARE IT TO THE REGULAR RATES, BECAUSE I, IF YOU BASICALLY, UM, DON'T CARE ABOUT GREEN, UM, YOU MIGHT BE ABLE TO SAVE $20 A MONTH, UM, BY NOT SIGNING UP AND GETTING THE TYPICAL, UH, POWER.
ON THE OTHER HAND, IF YOU WANT TO DO SOMETHING FOR THE PLANET AND YOU WANT TO HELP, UM, YOU KNOW, WIND POWER, YOU KNOW, IF YOU WANT COMPANIES THAT ARE GREEN USE GREEN ENERGY, THEN WE RECOMMEND THAT YOU STAY IN THE PROGRAM.
YOU KNOW, NOT EVERYBODY IS CHARITABLE, AND NOT EVERYBODY IS, YOU KNOW, YOU KNOW, YOU KNOW, WELL, IT'S NOT CHARITABLE TO PROTECT THE PLANET.
I MEAN, WE'RE ALL, WE'RE OUR CHILDREN AND GRANDCHILDREN ARE GOING TO HAVE TO LIVE ON THIS PLANET, YOU KNOW, WELL AFTER WE'RE GONE.
AND SO IT'S REAL, IT'S, UH, IT'S, IF IT'S CHARITABLE, IT'S BEING CHARITABLE TO THE NEXT GENERATIONS.
WE'LL, WE'LL INHABIT THIS PLACE.
SO SHALL WE DO THE REST OF THE AGENDA REVIEW THEN? OKAY, PERFECT.
SO WE STILL NEED TO PICK DATES FOR THE NOVEMBER MEETING.
WE SHOULD, UH, WORK THAT OUT TONIGHT, OR CERTAINLY BEFORE TOMORROW NIGHT, SO THAT WE CAN, BECAUSE IF WE HAVE TO SCHEDULE ANYTHING FOR FUTURE MEETINGS, WE HAVE TO KNOW WHAT THAT DATE IS.
WE HAVE THE PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE AND THEN THE ROLL CALL, AND THEN A MOMENT OF SILENCE.
DO WE WANNA HAVE A MOMENT OF SILENCE FOR THE 200,000 PEOPLE WHO DIED IN THE PANDEMIC? RIGHT.
DO WE WANNA, UM, MENTION, UM, MENTION WITH THE, HERE WE'RE, SINCE WE'RE HAVING THE HEARING, UM, FOR THE, THE SECOND HEARING THAT WE'RE GONNA HAVE ON, YOU KNOW, NEXT WEEK, DO WE WANNA, UH, LET PEOPLE CONTINUE TO SPEAK ON, UM, YOU KNOW, ON THIS LOCAL LAW? OR WOULD IT MAKE SENSE TO MAYBE, UH, JUST TO EXPEDITE EVERY, WELL, WE ALREADY DISCUSSED IT, BUT, YOU KNOW, I'M WONDERING IF WE SHOULD INDICATE THAT, PFIZER, IF I COULD.
UM, MY OPINION IS, UM, YOU KNOW, I DID A VERY THOROUGH PRESENTATION, UH, LAST TIME, AND, UH, WE GOT A LOT OF GREAT COMMENTS FROM THE PUBLIC.
UH, MY PRESENTATION AND REMARKS WILL NOT BE NEARLY AS LONG.
I PLAN TO GIVE BRIEF UPDATES ON, ON SOME CHANGES THAT WERE MADE TO BOTH OF THESE, UH, LOCAL LAWS.
AND I THINK THERE IS VALUE IN GETTING SOME PUBLIC INPUT.
I DON'T THINK IT WILL, UH, YOU KNOW, UM, BE AS, AS, AS LENGTHY AS LAST TIME.
BUT, UM, MY RECOMMENDATION IS WE AT LEAST, UH, TAKE PRELIMINARY COMMENTS IF, IF RESIDENTS WANNA SPEAK ON, ON BOTH THESE, UH, YEAH, I THINK IF, IF I'M INTERPRETING PAUL CORRECTLY, HE WOULD LIKE TO AT LEAST MAKE A NOTE HERE THAT THERE WILL BE A CONTINUATION OF THESE ON THE 30TH.
UH, WE MAY NOT, I WOULD RECOMMEND THAT I NOT ADD THAT UNTIL LATER TOMORROW, SO THAT, UH, WHEN SOMEBODY SEES IT'S GONNA BE CONTINUED, THEY'LL SAY, OH, OKAY, I WON'T BOTHER.
I'LL COME BACK TO THE NEXT ONE.
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COMMENTS EARLIER THAN LATER.THE LATER AGENDA WILL SAY THAT WE'RE GOING TO, WE'RE GOING TO FOCUS ON THESE TOPICS TOMORROW, BUT THEN IT'LL BE HELD OVER, UH, TO INCLUDE THAT WITH THE OVERLAY ZONE AND WITH THE SPECIAL PERMIT, UM, PROPOSAL FOR THE FOLLOWING THE FOLLOWING WEEK.
QUICK NOTE ON THE, UH, THIRD ONE THAT'S LISTED THERE, UH, WITH AVALON GREEN, UM, IF THERE CAN BE A SIMILAR NOTE THAT THAT WOULD IS TO BE HELD OVER UNTIL WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 14TH, THAT WOULD BE GREAT.
UH, THAT'S AT THE REQUEST OF THE APPLICANT WHO HAS, UM, NOW POSTED NOTICES IN ALL THE BUILDINGS AT AVALON SO THAT RESIDENTS HAVE AMPLE NOTICE.
SO, UM, THEY FELT IT BEST IF, IF THE BOARD DOESN'T MIND TO, UH, HAVE THAT HAPPEN ON OCTOBER 14TH AND NO DISCUSSION TOMORROW.
SO THIS ONE IS GOING TO ACTUALLY BE HELD OVER, RIGHT? CORRECT.
I THINK THE SAME EXACT NOTE THAT'S IN BOLD RIGHT BELOW.
AND IF I MAY, WITH RESPECT TO, UM, SUSTAINABLE, SUSTAINABLE WESTCHESTER, DID THE BOARD WANT TO TREAT THAT PUBLIC DISCUSSION LIKE IT TREATS PUBLIC HEARINGS AND ALLOW PEOPLE TO SPEAK FOR FIVE MINUTES? I KNOW THERE ARE GONNA BE A LOT OF PEOPLE.
WOULD YOU PREFER THREE MINUTES, TWO MINUTES? WHAT'S THE, I'D SAY THREE MINUTES.
YOU TALKING ABOUT THE ESCO? YES.
GOING BACK TO THE TRIBUTE, UM, TO ROD OCHE, UH, JUST A, A MATTER OF SEMANTICS, UM, I, I WOULD JUST LIKE TO SUGGEST THAT WE USE THE TERM IT MEANS THE SAME THING, JUST A KINDER, GENTLE, BUT TERM, INSTEAD OF SAYING ROD OSHA DIED, IF WE COULD MAYBE CHANGE THAT TO ROD AS, UM, UH, THAT IS HOW THE FAMILY, UH, DESCRIBED IT IN FLORIDA AND ALSO UP HERE IN THEIR OBITUARY.
SO, I, I DIDN'T WANNA DEVIATE.
I, I, I HAD MY INITIAL COMMENT WAS, WAS, UH, THOUGHT WAS THE SAME WHEN I WROTE THAT, WHICH IS A SUMMARY OF A LONGER OBITUARY.
BUT THAT'S, THAT'S THE WAY THEY PHRASED IT.
AND SOME PEOPLE, THEY, YOU KNOW, THAT'S, THEY CALL IT LIKE, I THINK WE HAVE TO USE WHAT THEY WANNA GIVE US.
OH, AND I'M SORRY, UH, ON THAT THIRD ONE, UM, OCTOBER 14TH AS OPPOSED TO SEPTEMBER 30TH, WAS IT OCTOBER 14TH TOO? YES.
I THINK THE 30TH IS EXCLUSIVE TO THE SENIOR HOUSING ISSUES.
AND WE HAVE PUBLIC COMMENT, WE HAVE NOTHING FOR BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS AT THE MOMENT, AND WE HAVE A TAXER, ANOTHER TAXER, ANOTHER TAXER, A SETTLEMENT CLAIM, THE SECOND ONE AND A THIRD ONE.
AND THEN WE'RE SCHEDULING SOME, UH, PUBLIC HEARING.
UH, AND THIS IS WHERE WE'RE GOING TO NEED DATES IN NOVEMBER, UH, BY TOMORROW NIGHT, BECAUSE IF THERE'S ANYTHING THAT'S HELD OVER, WE'LL HAVE TO KNOW WHAT DATE THAT'S GOING TO BE HELD OVER TO, UH, THERE'S, UH, TWO, CAN I ASK A QUESTION? YEAH.
UH, SINCE WE, UM, MEET, UH, ON TUESDAYS ANYWAY, UM, UH, DURING THE WORK SESSIONS, WHY DON'T WE JUST, UM, UM, HAVE, UH, THE, THE BOARD MEETING AND THE BOARD MEETING, UM, RIGHT AFTER THE WORK SESSION.
YOU KNOW, WE CAN MAKE IT EIGHT O'CLOCK, UM, ON THE SECOND AND FOURTH, UH, TUESDAYS.
IT'S FINE WITH MAY I, WE, YOU ALL, YOU ALL ARE BOOKED THOSE EVENINGS ANYWAY, RIGHT? WELL, WE JUST HAVE TO SEE IF THE AUDITORIUM IS FREE.
IT WAS LIKE A FLASHBACK, RIGHT? EXACTLY.
WELL, I WAS THINKING, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE TO CHECK THE ROOM AVAILABILITY, UH, IT SEEMS SO LONG AGO.
I HAVE TO DO A NOTICE TO THE PAPER.
I THINK WE SHOULD JUST DO THAT.
[00:30:01]
THE EASIEST THING.UM, WE ARE MEETING, YOU KNOW, WE COULD, WE COULD DO IT SEVEN 30 IF YOU WANTED, OR WE COULD DO EIGHT.
UH, WE COULD STAY OUR SEVEN 30.
UH, WE HAVE TWO, UH, INTERESTING, UH, STREET CLOSINGS.
UH, AND IT, AND THEY'RE BOTH FOR THE SAME REASON.
AND IT'S INTERESTING, THE C D C JUST ISSUED NEW GUIDANCE REGARDING HALLOWEEN, UH, BECAUSE THEY HAVE SOME SIGNIFICANT CONCERNS ABOUT IT.
AND THIS IS BASICALLY BOTH OF THESE ARE TRYING TO ADDRESS THAT BY HAVING OUTDOOR TRICK OR TREATING, UH, THE, UH, FIRST ONE, CL TWO.
UM, IT'S BLOCKING OFF A FAIRLY SIGNIFICANT AREA.
SO THE CHIEF IS GOING TO BE, UH, REACHING OUT AND SEEING WHAT THEY CAN DO ABOUT THAT.
BECAUSE WHAT THEY'RE PROPOSING IS TO CLOSE BASICALLY FROM, ALMOST FROM SEACOR ROAD TO LEY HIGH SCHOOL AND FROM, UH, MELISSA PLACE, UH, ALL THE WAY TO, UH, THE BEGINNING OF WHERE THE FERNCLIFF PROPERTY STARTS.
AND SO IT'S A, IT'S A FAIRLY SIZABLE AREA, AND, UM, WE HAVE TO FIGURE OUT, YOU KNOW, HOW TO MAKE IT WORK SAFELY SO FIRE TRUCKS CAN GET THROUGH, POLICE CAN GET THROUGH IF THEY NEEDED TO.
UM, AND THE SECOND ONE IS A SINGLE BLOCK, STRAIGHT BLOCK DOESN'T HAVE THE SAME ISSUE, UM, ON SOUTH ROAD.
AND AGAIN, IT'S, IT'S A GREAT IDEA TO DO SOCIAL DISTANCING, TRICK OR TREATING, RATHER THAN HAVING THE CHILDREN GO DOOR TO DOOR.
AND WE HAVE CD ONE GARRETT, YOU WANNA TALK ABOUT YOUR CDS? YEAH, SURE.
UH, CD ONE IS FOR, UH, REGENERON.
AND IF YOU RECALL, THE TOWN BOARD, UM, APPROVED 128,000 SQUARE FOOT BUILDING A FEW YEARS AGO.
UH, REGENERON HAS YET TO BUILD THAT BUILDING, AND IN FACT, UH, THEY, UH, VERY LIKELY WILL BE COMING BACK TO THE BOARD FOR AN AMENDMENT ON THAT BUILDING.
UH, THEY, THEY INTEND TO HAVE A, A DIFFERENT SHAPED BUILDING, AND, UM, BUT NONETHELESS, THE, THE, UH, APPLICANT HAS REACHED OUT, THEY DO NOT WANNA SEE THAT PRIOR APPROVAL LAPSE, UM, WHICH IS LOGICAL.
UH, SO THAT'S SIMPLY A, UH, RESOLUTION TO EXTEND THAT APPROVAL.
UH, AND CD TWO AND CD THREE ARE BOTH WITH RESPECT TO THE SELF-STORAGE FACILITY PROPOSAL ON ONE 19.
UH, AND THAT'S A, UH, NEGATIVE DECLARATION, A FINDING OF NO SIGNIFICANT, UH, NEGATIVE ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS.
AND THEN THE COMPLIMENTING RESOLUTION APPROVING THE SITE PLAN.
UH, THE APPLICANT DID SUBMIT REVISED DRAWINGS WITH THE APPROPRIATE, UH, I THINK THE OUTSTANDING ITEM WAS, UH, PLANNING BOARD RECOMMENDATION FOR A CROSSWALK, UH, THAT CROSSWALK WAS PUT IN, UH, ON THE PLANS AND IN, IN THE APPROPRIATE LOCATION.
SO EVERYTHING, UH, SEEMS TO BE IN ORDER ON THIS APPLICATION.
DO YOU KNOW WHEN, UH, THEY WOULD START WORKING? UM, I DON'T KNOW IF THEY'RE GONNA CATCH THIS YEAR.
UH, THERE'S, YOU KNOW, SOME, SOME ADMINISTRATIVE PERMITS AND, UM, YOU KNOW, IT DEPENDS ON THE CONSTRUCTION SEASON WITH THE WINTER, BUT, UM, MY UNDERSTANDING IS THAT THEY'RE RATHER MOTIVATED.
AND, UM, IF IT DOESN'T CATCH THIS YEAR, IT WILL BE EARLY NEXT YEAR.
THEN WE HAVE, UH, SOME BUDGET TRANSFERS, BASICALLY MOVING MONEY, UM, FROM ONE ACCOUNT TO ANOTHER IN RECREATION AND IN THE RADIO SHOP, UH, TO DEAL WITH, UH, COMPLYING WITH CARD READERS AND SOME VEHICLE REPAIRS.
AND THEN WE HAVE PARKS AND REC.
WE HAVE AN AGREEMENT WITH THE COUNTY OF WESTCHESTER FOR, UM, FOR TRANSPORTING SENIORS.
THESE ARE, THESE ARE, THESE ARE GRANTS.
THE MONEY THAT WE GET REIMBURSING US FOR WHAT WE DO.
WE HAVE ANOTHER ONE, PR TWO, WHICH IS DELIVERING, UH, MEALS, PR THREE, ANOTHER ONE, UH, GETTING MONEY FOR OUR TRANSPARENT SENIORS AGAIN.
AND THEN PR FOUR, LET ME MOVE IT UP SO IT'LL BE ON THE SCREEN.
UH, AND THIS ONE IS A FAIRLY SUBSTANTIAL ONE, UH, REIMBURSING US FOR ELIGIBLE SENIORS, UH, FROM, UH, JANUARY ONE UNTIL NOW.
PROVIDING THEM HOME DELIVERED MEALS, WHICH OF COURSE, WE ALL KNOW HOW IMPORTANT THAT IS DURING THE PANDEMIC.
AND THEN LASTLY, WE HAVE A PROMOTION OF A POLICE OFFICER THAT IS THE AGENDA.
[00:35:01]
SO THAT TAKES CARE OF THAT.THAT JUST, THAT JUST AUTOMATICALLY CAME OVER.
NO ONE ASKED FOR THAT TO BE ON.
IT JUST AUTOMATICALLY TRIGGERED SINCE WE DIDN'T OH, NO, NO, NO PROBLEM.
UH, I HAD, DON'T HAVE A LOT OF UP TO UPDATE FOR YOU ON THIS PROJECT YET.
UM, CONTINUE TO COMMUNICATE WITH WHITE PLAINS, UH, UH, AND, AND TRYING TO CLARIFY, UM, YOU KNOW, AGAIN, THE, THE SURVEY ISSUES, UH, YOU KNOW, THE PROJECT AS FAR AS DESIGN IS STILL GOING FORWARD.
UH, SO MAYBE, UH, NEXT WEEK OR SO, I MIGHT HAVE A LITTLE BIT FURTHER UPDATE.
BUT, UM, WE WE'RE, WE'RE, YOU KNOW, REEXAMINING THE, THE PLAN NOTES, TRYING TO TIGHTEN THOSE UP.
GUESS THERE'S OBVIOUSLY SOME CONCERNS ABOUT APPROACH ROADS THAT SEEM TO, UH, NOT HAVE A CLEAR DEFINITION.
UH, BUT THE, THE BIG SURVEY QUESTION IS STILL, STILL REMAINING.
UH, AND, UH, WHITE PLAINS IS, UH, IS CONSIDERING WHETHER OR NOT, UH, IT WOULD BE APPROPRIATE FOR THEM TO OFFER ANY, UH, SHARING IN THOSE COSTS.
I, I HAD A COUPLE, UH, YOU KNOW, OTHER, YOU KNOW, MATTERS, UM, THE, THE RUM BOOK, UM, YOU KNOW, UH,
I JUST HAD, UM, ANOTHER QUESTION.
UM, WITH THE, UH, WATER, UM, THE ROMBERG, UH, PUMP STATION, UM, YOU KNOW, THE CONNECTION WITH NORWOOD, UM, I, I KNOW THERE'S BEEN A LOT OF PROGRESS MADE, AND SOME PEOPLE HAVE ASKED, YOU KNOW, HOW HOW MUCH LONGER IS IT GONNA TAKE UNTIL THIS PROJECT IS COMPLETE, WHERE WE ARE, WHERE ARE WE, UH, WHEN THE CURBING, UH, ROAD RESTORATION'S GONNA BE MADE, AND, UH, UH, STREETS CLEANING? UH, THE PROJECT IS MOVING ALONG WELL, IT'S, UH, UH, ON SCHEDULE, UH, WORK IS, IS, IS BEING PROGRESSING ALL THE WAY DOWN CANTERBURY ROAD.
UH, IT'S NOW NEAR, UH, ROCKING HORSE TRAIL.
AND ALSO ANOTHER CREWS HAS BEEN WORKING TO, UH, DO, UH, LARGE EXCAVATIONS DOWN ON THE GENERAL AREA IN FRONT OF THE PUMP STATION ON NORWOOD ROAD TO, UH, INSTALL THE UNDERGROUND VAULTS THAT ARE BE PART OF SOME CONTROL VALVING THAT, THAT WE'LL NEED FOR THIS PROJECT.
ACTUALLY, UH, UH, THERE IS A, A PROJECTION, UM, FOR NEED FOR A CLOSURE OR SOME DETOURS THAT MIGHT BE POSTED ON NORWOOD ROAD.
UH, I'LL KEEP YOU AT THE BOARD ADVISED WHEN THAT SPECIFICALLY IS HAPPENING, BUT IT'S JUST KEEPING YOU A, A, A LOOK AHEAD, THAT THE WORK, UH, COMING INTO THE INTERSECTION OF NOBLE WOULD, WILL REQUIRE, UH, EITHER DETOURS OR TEMPORARY CLOSURES OF THE ROAD.
UH, WHICH WE'RE JUST RIGHT NOW TRYING TO COORDINATE THE DETAILS WITH BETWEEN OUR CONTRACTOR AND THE D O T.
AGAIN, I'LL KEEP YOU ADVISED OF THAT, BUT WHERE WE'RE LOOKING FOR IS DAYTIME WORK, UH, SO THAT WE CAN MINIMIZE INCONVENIENCE INTO THE RESIDENTS.
AND THAT'S SOME OF THE DETAILS WE'RE FOLLOWING THROUGH.
AS FAR AS THE RESTORATION GOES UNTIL THE PROJECT IS DONE, UH, YOU KNOW, THAT'S GONNA BE SOMETIME THIS SPRINGTIME, THEY'LL BE LOOKING AT RESTORATION AS BEST I CAN GIVE YOU.
SO YOU THINK THAT THE RESTORATION, UM, COULD BE, UH, THAT THE PROJECT WILL BE DONE IN THE SPRING? YEAH, THAT'S, THAT'S A VERY GOOD REASONABLE ASSUMPTION AT THIS POINT.
WOULD YOU BE ABLE TO, UH, I EMAILED YOU EARLIER AND MAYBE COULD YOU DO LIKE AN UPDATE THAT I COULD, YOU KNOW, UH, POST ON THE WEBSITE AND SURE.
YOU LET PEOPLE KNOW JUST WHERE WE ARE, YOU KNOW, SOME, YEAH, YEAH, YEAH, DEFINITELY.
WE'LL GET SOME MORE THINGS POSTED UP THERE.
KEEP PEOPLE APPRISED THEIR PROJECT.
THE OTHER ISSUE IS, UM, THE TRAFFIC LIGHT ON SPRAYING AND OUR ROAD LOOKS, YOU KNOW, GREAT.
YOU KNOW, I'M REALLY IMPRESSED.
UH, UH, BUT IT'S NOT OPERATIONAL YET, AND NO, PEOPLE HAVE ASKED, YOU KNOW, ABOUT WHEN, WHEN DO THEY THINK THE LIGHT IS ACTUALLY GONNA BE TURNED ON? I'M WORKING, UH, I WISH I COULD GIVE YOU A SPECIFIC DATE.
WE'RE STILL WAITING FOR, UH, FINAL CONNECTIONS AND ELECTRICAL INSPECTIONS FROM THE UTILITIES.
SO, UH, IT, IT'S, IT'S SOMETHING THAT IT'S ACTIVE AND WE'RE TRYING TO GET DATES, BUT I, I DON'T HAVE A DATE CERTAIN ON THAT, UH, OTHER THAN WE'RE, UH, ACTIVELY PURSUING IT.
AND I'M HOPEFUL THAT IT WILL BE IN A VERY SHORT AMOUNT OF TIME.
IT COULD BE A FEW WEEKS, JUST LESS.
I, I'M HOPING IT STAYS NOT WEEKS, BUT I, I CAN'T OFFER ANY SPECIFICS.
YEAH, I JUST, BUT, YOU KNOW, I WAS REALLY IMPRESSED, YOU KNOW, UNTIL, UM, UM, I SAW THE LIGHT, YOU KNOW, I DIDN'T REALIZE HOW MUCH, I MEAN, THERE'S SO MANY DETAILS, AND IT SEEMS LIKE THEY REALLY, YOUR TEAM REALLY ANTICIPATED
[00:40:01]
LIKE A LOT OF, A LOT OF POTENTIAL PROBLEMS. SO, YOU KNOW, IT REALLY IS VERY IMPRESSIVE.YOU KNOW, IT'S NOT JUST A LIGHT THAT IS IN THE MIDDLE OF A ROAD.
I'LL, I'LL MAKE SURE THE, UH, THE TEAM HEARS THAT.
AND YOU KNOW, I THINK AFTER, UM, WE SEE HOW THIS WORKS, THEN WE COULD, UM, ENCOURAGE PEOPLE ON FORT HELEN HARDLEY ROAD TO LOOK AT, YOU KNOW, THE WAY THIS LIGHT WORKS, AND IT MIGHT GIVE THEM A LITTLE COMFORT THAT WHAT YOU PROPOSING ON FORT HELEN HARDLEY ROAD COULD WORK.
WELL, WE CAN, UH, THAT INTER, YOU KNOW, WE, WE'VE BEEN WORKING WITH OUR CONSULTANT ON THAT PROJECT, AND, UH, FROM AN ENGINEERING PERSPECTIVE, YEAH, WE DEFINITELY FEEL THAT THAT'S A, A STRONG OPTION IS TO, IS TO SIGNALIZE THAT INTERSECTION.
BUT, UH, THE, THE, WE'RE, WE'RE, WE'RE WORKING ON SOME DETAILS AND, AND HOPE TO HAVE FURTHER COMMUNICATION WITH THIS TOWN BOARD, UH, IN THE NEXT FEW WEEKS REGARDING THE, UH, FORT HILL PROJECT AS WELL.
THE LAST THING I WANTED TO MENTION IS, UM, UM, YOU KNOW, WE WERE TALKING ABOUT THE WORK ORDER SYSTEM, AND I KNOW YOU'VE BEEN, UH, WORKING WITH WOODEN KERAN AND, UM, YOU KNOW, SOME PEOPLE HAVE, YOU KNOW, CALLED, AND WE JUST WANNA KNOW, LIKE, WHEN DO YOU THINK WE'LL BE ABLE TO IMPLEMENT SOMETHING ON THAT? I WISH IT WAS YESTERDAY.
UH, THE, THE PROJECT IS SORELY NEEDED.
UH, AND, AND, AND ESPECIALLY, YOU KNOW, THE IDEA OF BEING ABLE TO HAVE, YOU KNOW, SHARING OF INFORMATION AND, AND WORK ORDERS AND UNDERSTANDING THE WHOLE PROCESS.
UH, I, I, I, AGAIN, I, I DON'T HAVE A RECENT UPDATE.
I KNOW THINGS WERE A LITTLE BIT SLOWER.
UH, WE WERE TRYING TO GET, UH, VARIOUS, UH, UH, FIRMS THAT HAVE BEEN USING THE DIFFERENT SOFTWARES.
WE'RE DOWN TO THREE, THREE DIFFERENT COMPANIES.
AND WE'VE BEEN TRYING TO GET, UH, REFERENCES AND, UH, HAVE, YOU KNOW, FIRSTHAND EXPERIENCES WITH THIS.
SO WE COULD KIND OF COMPLETE OUR, OUR, OUR RECOMMENDATIONS.
UNFORTUNATELY, THAT HAS BEEN DRAGGING A BIT SLOWER.
UH, SO I DON'T HAVE THAT INFORMATION YET, BUT THAT'S WHERE WE'RE, WE'RE AT.
WE HAVE THREE DIFFERENT VENDORS THAT WE FEEL ARE ALL OFFERING STRONG, UH, OPPORTUNITIES FOR THE TOWN.
BUT, UH, WITHOUT THAT, THAT COMPONENT, WE FEEL THERE'S CERTAIN MORE, A LITTLE BIT MORE WORK THAT WE NEED TO DO TO BE, BE ABLE TO BE COMFORTABLE MAKING A RECOMMENDATION.
IF WE COULD JUST GIVE THAT PRIORITY, THAT WOULD BE YES.
AND, UM, YOU KNOW, GARRETT, MAYBE WOULD YOU WANNA JUST GIVE US LIKE A QUICK UPDATE ON THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT COORDINATOR INTERVIEWS? YEAH, ABSOLUTELY.
ACTUALLY, IT'S JUST, UH, WORKING ON, ON A RECOMMENDATION, UH, LETTER ON BEHALF OF A REVIEW COMMITTEE COMPRISED OF, UH, RESIDENTS, PLANNING BOARD MEMBERS, UH, BUSINESS OWNERS IN THE TOWN WHO HAVE, UH, LENT MUCH OF THEIR TIME AND, UH, AND ASSISTED IN REVIEWING THE R F Q RESPONSES THAT WE RECEIVED.
JUST REAL QUICK, UH, 12 RESPONSES RECEIVED FOR, UM, INTEREST WITH INTEREST OF, OF ENTITIES THAT WOULD SEEK TO BE A ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT SPECIALIST FOR THE TOWN.
SO WE HAD A REVIEW COMMITTEE, UM, ULTIMATELY INTERVIEW SIX OF THOSE RESPONDENTS, SIX OF THOSE RESPONDENTS THAT THEY FELT WERE THE, UH, HAD THE BEST SUBMISSIONS.
AND, UH, OVER THE COURSE OF THREE SEPARATE, UH, THURSDAYS, WE HELD ZOOM INTERVIEWS WITH, WITH, WITH, WITH TWO CANDIDATES EACH NIGHT.
AND, UM, THAT WRAPPED UP, UH, A COUPLE THURSDAYS AGO, AND LAST THURSDAY, UH, THE COMMITTEE, UH, DISCUSSED IT FURTHER.
AND NOW I'M IN THE, IN PREPARATION OF, UH, UH, I'M, I'M PREPARING A MEMO ON THEIR BEHALF, WHICH THEY'LL REVIEW THIS THURSDAY.
AND, UM, WE'LL ACTUALLY BE CHECKING IN WITH THE TOWN BOARD, UH, OVER THE NEXT WEEK OR SO, UM, WITH THEIR THOUGHTS, UH, VIA MEMO.
SO, UM, THAT, THAT PROCESS IS, IS, IS REALLY PROGRESSING WELL AND, UM, GOT A GREAT COMMITTEE.
UM, SO, UM, I THINK, I THINK THINGS ARE, ARE, ARE MOVING, UH, EFFICIENTLY.
UM, AND THEN THE LAST THING I JUST WANTED TO MENTION IS, UM, I KEEP GETTING, UM, EMAILS, YOU KNOW, FROM, YOU KNOW, KYLIE, UH, BLACKMAN ABOUT THE PUPPY MILL, AND SHE KEEPS SAYING, OH, WE SHOULD HAVE A DATE.
AND I'M JUST WONDERING, UM, YOU KNOW, IF WE COULD SCHEDULE SOMETHING WHERE WE COULD WORK ON THIS, SAY IN NOVEMBER, YOU KNOW, MID-NOVEMBER OR WHATEVER, BUT YOU KNOW, THE BOARD'S GONNA BE INVOLVED IN THE BUDGET, YOU KNOW, BETWEEN NOW AND, UH, AND THAT AND OCTOBER.
AND I THINK THAT, UM, UM, YOU KNOW, I THINK THAT WE MIGHT BE ABLE TO, IF, IF WE WANT TO PICK A TARGET DATE, I MEAN, DOES, WOULD ANYBODY HAVE ANY OBJECTIONS? UH, OR, OR THOUGHTS, YOU KNOW, JUST SO I COULD ANSWER HER? NO.
UH, YOU KNOW, I JUST FEEL, TELL HER, TELL HER, TELL HER, TELL HER.
I MEAN, WHAT, WHERE, WHERE ARE WE IN THE PROCESS NOW? IT'S BEEN SOME TIME.
ARE WE IN THE MIDDLE OF, OF HEARINGS? ARE WE, ARE WE SAYING TELL HER THAT WE'RE GONNA, I MEAN, WE SAID WE WERE GONNA, YOU KNOW, ADDRESS THE ISSUE WHEN, I JUST DON'T LIKE THAT, THAT I'M NOT RESPONDING.
BUT ARE WE, IS IT, HAS THE, THE PUBLIC HEARING HAS CONTINUED, RIGHT? WE'RE STILL IN THE, IN THE, IN THE, IN THE, IT'S, SO WE'RE, THIS
[00:45:01]
WOULD BE PART TWO OR THREE OF THE, OF THE HEARING, RIGHT? RIGHT.WELL, WE HAVE TO REALLY REDRAFT ALLAH BECAUSE WE HEARD FROM PEOPLE, AND YOU KNOW, WE'RE NOT, YOU KNOW, I MEAN, WE, WE DON'T HAVE, WE, YOU KNOW, WE'RE NOT CLOSE TO A CONSENSUS YET.
WELL, I, I GUESS, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE TO DISCUSS IT AMONGST OURSELVES AT LENGTH FIRST.
SO, UM, I THINK WE HAD A DRAFT LOCAL LAW, AND THEN THE, UM, I THINK THE, UM, THE STORE OWNER ATTORNEYS OFFERED A AMENDED LOCAL LAW, WHICH WAS DISCUSSED, BUT WAS NEVER PART OF THE PUBLIC HEARING.
SO WE TO HAVE A FINAL VERSION OF THE LOCAL LAW THAT WE THINK IS APPROPRIATE, AND THEN HAVE THE PUBLIC HEARING ON THAT LOCAL LAW.
BUT SO, SO WE, WE THEN HAVE TO DISCUSS IT AMONGST OURSELVES, RIGHT.
SO WHY DON'T WE PUT IT ON, WHY DON'T WE PUT THAT DISCUSSION, YOU KNOW, ON THE AGENDA FOR THE NEXT WORK SESSION AND THEN COME UP WITH A GAME PLAN AT THAT TIME? I HAVE NO, YOU KNOW, PROBLEM, I JUST WANNA TELL HER SOMETHING.
YOU KNOW, WE'RE GONNA START INTERVIEWING DEPARTMENT HEADS, UM, NEXT WEEK RELATING TO THEIR BUDGETS.
AND SO WHAT, AND I'M SORT OF WONDERING IF WE SHOULD SORT OF HAVE, SAY THE THIRD WEEK IN NOVEMBER.
AND THIS WAY, YOU KNOW, BY THEN, YOU KNOW, MOST OF OUR BUDGET WORK WILL HAVE BEEN, UH, YOU KNOW, DONE, UH, YOU KNOW, WE MAY, UH, I'M, IT WON'T BE DONE, BUT I'M SAYING IF WE'RE, IF WE'RE ALL GONNA BE FOCUSING ON THE BUDGET BETWEEN NOW AND, YOU KNOW, THE MIDDLE OF NOVEMBER, UM, YOU KNOW, IT WON'T BE LIKE A CRISIS TYPE OF SITUATION.
YOU KNOW, I THINK WE SHOULD HAVE THE BUDGET UNDER CONTROL BY THEN.
AND, YOU KNOW, IF WE TAKE, SAY THE THIRD WEEK IN NOVEMBER, THEN WE COULD REALLY GIVE IT ATTENTION.
SO JOAN, COULD YOU PUT IT ON FOR THE THIRD WEEK OF NOVEMBER FOR DISCUSSION? YES, I WILL.
UH, WE COULD GO INTO EXECUTIVE SESSION IF YOU LIKE.
UH, IT GIVES US A NICE, UH, 45 MINUTES OR SO BEFORE YOU START, UH, YOUR, UH, PUBLIC DISCUSSION, PAULSON'S NURSERY, PAUL, PAUL, WHAT I WAS SAYING, BUT I WAS MUTED.
I WAS JUST GOING TO ASK, UH, PAUL AND THE BOARD THAT, UH, IF THE DISCUSSION COMES UP AGAIN REGARDING, UH, LOCAL LAW EIGHT 2018, I RESPECTFULLY REQUEST THAT THIS MATTER NOT BE DISCUSSED WITHOUT ME BEING PRESENT.
WHAT I WAS SAYING IS, PAUL, IT WOULD BE HELPFUL TO US BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, THEN YOU, IT'S NOT ON THE AGENDA AND YOU RAISE THESE ISSUES.
COULD YOU GIVE US A PRIORITIZED LIST THAT YOU BELIEVE SHOULD BE THE PRIORITY? IS IT THE BUDGET? IS IT WHATEVER IT IS? UH, BECAUSE THEN WE GET TO A WORK SESSION AND THEN YOU RAISE OTHER ISSUES AND THEY BECOME IMPORTANT.
YOU KNOW, PUTTING IT IN NOVEMBER MEANS WE, YOU'RE ASSUMING WE'RE GOING TO ADOPT THE BUDGET THAT YOU COME UP WITH ON OCTOBER 30TH, UM, EVEN THOUGH WE HAVE UNTIL DECEMBER 20TH TO LOOK AT THE BUDGET AND MAKE MODIFICATIONS.
SO THERE MAY BE WORK STILL BEING DONE ON THE BUDGET IN NOVEMBER, BUT IT'D BE HELPFUL IF WE KNEW YOUR, UH, PRIORITIES BECAUSE YOU EMAILED EVERYBODY SAYING, YES, THIS IS VERY IMPORTANT.
I'LL REFER TO THE TOWN BOARD, BUT AT SOME POINT WE NEED TO KNOW WHICH IS, WHICH IS THE REAL PRIORITY, WHICH IS THE SECOND REAL PRIORITY, THIRD REAL PRIORITY, SO THAT WE'RE NOT CONSTANTLY, YOU KNOW, CHASING AND PUTTING, TRYING TO DO SOMETHING ELSE WHILE WE'RE TRYING TO DO SO GOOD JOB ON ONE.
AND THEN, YOU KNOW, MAYBE WE DON'T GET TO DO A GOOD JOB ON ANY.
SO I, I, I WOULD JUST APPRECIATE THAT.
YOU KNOW, ONE, AND, YOU KNOW, ONE OF THE PROBLEMS IS THAT, YOU KNOW, I'M, I COULD BE UP FROM LIKE 8:00 AM 6:00 AM TO ONE IN THE MORNING JUST ANSWERING EMAILS AND, YOU KNOW, THERE'S DIFFERENT ISSUES THAT COME UP AND THEY'RE USUALLY UNANTICIPATED LIKE ALMOST EVERY DAY.
UM, YOU KNOW, SO SOMETIMES I THINK SOMETHING'S A PRIORITY AND THEN ALL OF A SUDDEN I HAVE THREE NEW ISSUES THAT BECOME, YOU KNOW, A PRIORITY ALSO.
SO I WILL TRY DOING A BETTER JOB AND USUALLY SAY YOU AGREE WITH THE WRITER, AND THEN SAY YOU'RE GOING TO CONTACT THE TOWN BOARD.
[00:50:01]
IF SOMETHING HAPPENS, YOU'RE THE HERO.IF SOMETHING DOESN'T HAPPEN, THE TOWN BOARD IS THE GOAT.
AND YET ALL WE'RE TRYING TO DO IS TO TRY AND DO A GOOD JOB ON A TOPIC.
YOU KNOW, THAT, YOU KNOW, SEVERAL TOPICS, OBVIOUSLY WE MULTITASK, BUT THEN SOMETHING ELSE GETS THROWN IN, AND THEN SOMETHING ELSE GETS THROWN IN AS THE, AS, AS THE LATEST, MOST IMPORTANT THING.
AND I WOULD, OR AT LEAST PUT IT ON THE AGENDA SO THAT WE KNOW IN ADVANCE THAT YOU'RE GOING TO RAISE IT BECAUSE THIS, THIS AGENDA WAS AS, AS IT APPEARS, WAS FINALIZED AT WHAT, 5, 5 30.
AND THERE'S THINGS ADDED AFTER, AFTER WE GET HERE.
AND, UH, YOU KNOW WHAT, YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN? I'LL WORK HARD TO, UH, FOLLOW THAT RECOMMENDATION.
AND SO WE HAVE A MOTION EXECUTIVE SESSION BECAUSE WE HAVE PERSONNEL MATTERS TO DISCUSS AND, UH, UH, GET SOME LEGAL ADVICE REGARDING SEVERAL TOPICS FROM THE, UH, TOWN ATTORNEY.
SHOULD WE, UH, UH, JUDITH COULD, UM, UH, STAY ON FOR THE, THE FIRST, YOU KNOW, DISCUSSION? SURE, YES, I CAN.
THERE WAS A MOTION AND WAS THERE A SECOND? SECOND.
AND WE WILL BE COMING BACK AT EIGHT O'CLOCK IN ORDER TO HAVE A DISCUSSION REGARDING THE CARLSON NURSERY PROPERTY, WHERE THEY WANT TO BUILD SOMETHING THAT, UH, OR THEY MAY WANT TO BUILD SOMETHING THAT DOESN'T COMPLY WITH THE ZONING ORDINANCE.
AND IF ANYBODY WANTS TO BE PART OF THAT DISCUSSION, AND YOU'RE WATCHING THIS LIVE, MEANING TUESDAY, THAT, UH, THE 22ND, UM, IF YOU EMAIL PLAN, UH, UH, PUBLIC COMMENT, UH, AT GREENBERG LY.COM, UH, SOMEBODY WILL SEND YOU A LINK AROUND SEVEN 30.
BUT WE'RE GOING TO GO INTO EXECUTIVE SESSION, GO OFF AIR, GO OFF RECORDING, AND WE'LL BE BACK AT EIGHT O'CLOCK.
UH, WELCOME TARA TOWN BOARD MEETING, AND WE'RE HAVING A DISCUSSION ABOUT, UH, WE HAVE, SORRY, I, I'M SNEEZING BECAUSE I'M ALLERGIC TO, UM, I GUESS THE PLANTS RIGHT NOW.
NOW WE, IF WE WERE IN PERSON, WE'D BE ALL DIVING UNDER THE, THE TABLE TO THAT'S RIGHT.
UM, I JUST WANNA, UM, UH, IT'S STILL, UH, SEPTEMBER TO THE TOWN BOARD MEETING TODAY, SEPTEMBER 22ND AT 8:02 PM AND, UH, THE FIRST, UM, DISCUSSION IS GONNA BE ON, UM, THE FUTURE OF, UM, CARLSON'S NURSERY, WHICH IS LOCATED ON DUFFS FERRY ROAD.
OVER, UH, THE YEARS, THERE'S BEEN DISCUSSION, UM, FROM, UM, UH, YOU KNOW, FROM SOME POTENTIAL APPLICANTS, SOME PEOPLE WERE INTERESTED IN A WAREHOUSE, PEOPLE WERE UPSET WITH THAT, OTHER PEOPLE WERE CONCERNED.
SOMEBODY AT ONE POINT WANTED A CAR DEALERSHIP.
THE NEIGHBORS WERE UPSET ABOUT THAT.
SO THERE'S ANOTHER NURSERY THAT'S INTERESTED IN PURCHASING THE PROPERTY, AND WE WANNA, UH, SHARE THE INFORMATION WITH THE COMMUNITY, UH, UH, LEARN ABOUT THE, THE, THE, THE NEW CONCEPT AND HEAR THE COMMUNITY'S, UH, THOUGHTS.
SO GARRETT, DUANE IS THE COMMISSIONER OF PLANNING, AND WOULD YOU LIKE TO START, UH, START THE MEETING? YEAH, SURE.
FINER, UH, AS YOU MENTIONED, CARLSON'S NURSERY IS THE, UH, SUBJECT MATTER HERE.
IT'S A 3.69 ACRE SITE AT SIX TWENTY FIVE DOBBS FERRY ROAD IN THE WHITE PLAINS PORTION OF THE TOWN.
UM, AND AT THIS POINT, I'M GONNA TURN IT RIGHT OVER TO, UH, HI K SCHNEIDER, THE, UH, ARCHITECT AND REPRESENTATIVE OF OF CORTLAND FARMS. AND, UH, SHE'S GONNA MAKE A, A PRESENTATION AND THEN, UM, WE'LL SEE SOME, UH, VIDEO TESTIMONIALS.
AND THEN, UH, I THINK IT'D BE A GOOD OPPORTUNITY TO HEAR FROM QUESTIONS AND COMMENTS FROM THE PUBLIC AND, AND QUESTIONS FROM THE BOARD, OF COURSE.
SO, UH, WITHOUT FURTHER ADO, I'M GONNA TURN IT OVER TO HAKE.
I'D LIKE TO THANK EVERYONE FOR GIVING US THE OPPORTUNITY TO INTRODUCING OUR CONCEPT AND TO INTRODUCING YOU TO THE IDEA OF BASICALLY KEEPING CALL SINCE NURSERY AND NURSERY.
AND, UM, SO I'M HERE, UM, AS THE ARCHITECT.
I'M, AND I'M REPRESENTING JACK AND LARRY AHERN.
UM, THEY'RE BROTHERS AND JACK AND LARRY HAVE RECENTLY PURCHASED CORTLAND FARMS AND NURSERY, WHICH IS LOCATED IN CORTLAND MANOR, NEW YORK, UM, ABOUT 20 MINUTES NORTH.
AND, UM, THEY BOUGHT IT ACTUALLY AT THE END OF LAST
[00:55:01]
YEAR, AND IT WAS A SOMEWHAT RUNDOWN, UM, SAD NURSERY, WHICH I HAD NOT FREQUENTED FOR A LONG TIME.AND THEY REALLY MANAGED TO TURN THIS, UM, SPACE, UM, INTO A VERY THRIVING AND, UM, UH, WELL FREQUENTED PLACE THAT, UM, EVERYBODY TALKS ABOUT.
AND, UM, ESPECIALLY DURING COVID TIME, I THINK IT WAS A PLACE WHERE EVERYBODY FELT COMFORTABLE BECAUSE IT'S VERY OPEN.
IT'S A SPACE WHERE YOU CAN, YOU KNOW, INDOOR OUTDOORS FLOWS AND, UM, IT'S SET UP SUCH THAT EVEN IN WINTER YOU CAN STILL BROWSE ON THE INSIDE AND BASICALLY BUY LOCALLY GROWN PRODUCE.
SO, UM, YEAH, HERE ARE SOME OF THE PICTURES OF THIS, THE EXTERIOR AND, UM, HERE THE INTERIOR AS WELL.
SO, UM, IT REALLY HAS JUST BEEN RENOVATED.
I MEAN, OF COURSE THE GLASS DOORS WERE REPLACED AND, UM, THE, ALL OF THE, THE WOOD PANELING AND, UM, SHELVING AND EVERYTHING IS, IS BRAND NEW, BUT THE BUILDING ITSELF WAS THERE ALREADY.
HOW MANY ACRES IS IT? SO, EXCUSE ME, HOW MANY ACRES IS THE PROPERTY? THE PROPERTY ITSELF IS, UM, I WANNA SAY ABOUT 3.6, RIGHT JACK? I THINK JACK THE, ONE OF THE OWNERS IS HERE.
SO, UM, YEAH, IT'S, IT'S SEVERAL PROPERTIES TOGETHER ACTUALLY, BECAUSE THE, THEN THE GREENHOUSES IN THIS PARTICULAR, I MEAN, THE GREENHOUSES OF, UM, COURTLAND ARE ACTUALLY ON A LOWER LEVEL.
I MEAN, SOME OF THEM ARE AND SOME ARE RIGHT, CONNECTED TO THE BACK.
SO, BUT LET'S NOW I WOULD LIKE, LIKE TO ALSO NOW TALK ABOUT WHAT WE ARE PROPOSING FOR CARLSONS.
UM, SO CARLSONS, WE WOULD REALLY, JACK AND LARRY WOULD LIKE TO TURN IT INTO SOMETHING VERY SIMILAR.
UM, CARLSON'S HAD WHOLESALE AND RETAIL, AS FAR AS I KNOW, SINCE AT LEAST THE EIGHTIES, SMALL RETAIL IN THIS BUILDING THAT YOU SEE HERE ON THE RIGHT, WHICH HAS THE CAUSE AND LOGO ON IT.
AND SO OUR IDEA IS TO KEEP IT MORE OR LESS AS IS, BUT CONNECT, UM, A FOUR TO 5,000 SQUARE FOOT, UM, MARKET SPACE TO THE RIGHT OF THE EXISTING BUILDING AND CONNECT THOSE TWO WITH A COVERED WALKWAY TO REALLY, UM, BASICALLY TO KEEP THE EXISTING INTACT, BUT TO JUST ENLARGE IT AND, UM, MAKE IT POSSIBLE TO ALSO SELL LOCALLY, LOCALLY GROWN PRODUCE IN WINTER.
AND TO MAKE THIS, UH, YOU KNOW, A, UM, PLANT AND PRODUCE PLACE THAT CAN BE FREQUENTED ALL YEAR ROUND.
UM, THEY WILL ALSO SELL SEASONAL PRODUCTS, YOU KNOW, LIKE PUMPKINS OR, UM, CHRISTMAS TREES.
AND SO HERE ARE SOME OF THE SKETCHES THAT WE CAME UP WITH.
AND, UM, SO THE OVERALL IDEA IS REALLY TO HAVE THIS, THIS, UM, COVERED WALKWAY, WHICH ALSO IS KIND OF A GATE TO THE, UM, EXISTING ACCESS ROAD BETWEEN THE GREENHOUSES.
AND, UM, THE IDEA IS THAT, YOU KNOW, THIS COVERED WALKWAY COULD ALSO HAVE GATES THAT CAN BE INSTALLED IN WINTER TO MAKE THE CONNECTION BETWEEN THE EXISTING BUILDING AND THE NEW BUILDING, YOU KNOW, IS STILL A COVERED, A COVERED IN PROTECTED WALKWAY.
SO, UM, SO THE SITE PLAN HERE, UM, ALSO SHOWS THAT, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE, WE CAN AT LEAST, YOU KNOW, EASILY SHOW 50 PARKING SPACES, BUT, UM, IF NEEDED, THERE COULD ALSO BE MORE PARKING.
UM, SO, AND IT WOULDN'T CHANGE.
I THINK THE OVERALL LAYOUT REALLY STAYS THE SAME, UM, FROM WHAT I'VE SEEN THAT'S HAPPENING NOW.
THE PARKING IS ALSO ON THE RIGHT HAND SIDE, BUT WE WOULD ORGANIZE IT MORE AND REALLY, YOU KNOW, ALSO, UM, INTEGRATE PLANTINGS AND, UM, YEAH, MAKE IT EASIER TO COME IN AND OUT OF, UM, THE PROPERTY.
[01:00:01]
ARE SOME MORE OF THE IDEAS, AND DOWN HERE THAT'S A RENDERING THAT WE CAME UP WITH.SO WE WOULD ALSO LIKE TO STAY, YOU KNOW, IN KIND OF THE, THE MORE NURSERY COLORS.
UM, AND REALLY THE, THE, THE IDEA IS TO KEEP IT, TO MAKE IT REALLY LIKE A FARM BUILDING, A FARM STAND BUILDING OR A MARKET SPACE.
AND, UM, KEEP, AND KEEP IT, YOU KNOW, WITHIN THE EXISTING ONE, ONE AND A HALF STORY HEIGHT.
I MEAN, UM, SO IT REALLY FITS INTO THIS RESIDENTIAL NEIGHBORHOOD.
UM, SO I THINK THIS IS PROBABLY, SO, UM, YEAH, I MEAN, BEFORE WE TAKE ANY QUESTIONS, WE WOULD ALSO LIKE TO SHOW YOU TWO VIDEOS OF THE CORTLAND FARM MARKET, AND WE HAVE SEVERAL TESTIMONIALS FROM CUSTOMERS OF CARLSON'S NURSERY.
UH, SOMEBODY WAS, WAS, WAS THAT VISIBLE? AND, AND, AND COULD, WAS THE AUDIO FINE ON THAT VIDEO? I DON'T KNOW.
LET ME, UH, JUST TRY THAT ONE MORE TIME.
DID YOU PLAY A VIDEO, GARRETT? 'CAUSE I DIDN'T SEE, I'M ABOUT TO, I'M SORRY.
I'M, UH,
AND THEN JUST TO CONCLUDE, I BELIEVE SIMONS, AND I'M GOING TO QUEUE THAT UP RIGHT NOW.
BEAR WITH ME ONE MOMENT PLEASE.
I'VE BEEN A LOYAL CUSTOMER OF CARLSON'S FOR OVER 25 YEARS.
I THINK IT'S CRITICAL THAT THAT SPACE REMAIN A LOCAL NURSERY RATHER THAN LEAVING US TO THE BIG BOX STORES FOR PLANTS WHICH ARE TOO UNIFORM AND TOO BORING.
IT'S CRITICAL TO KEEP CARLSON'S IN NURSERY.
LET ME BEGIN BY SAYING CARLSON'S NURSERY HAS BEEN A SOURCE OF GORGEOUS SEASONAL FLOWERS AND GREENERY AS A CUSTOMER FOR THE PAST 30 PLUS YEARS.
THE NURSERY HAS CONTINUED TO PROVIDE CUSTOMERS WITH THE CARING AND WARMTH.
I LOOK FORWARD TO SEEING THIS PROPERTY GROW AND CONTINUE TO BE A SOURCE OF BEAUTY IN WESTCHESTER.
THIS IS WHY CARLSON SHOULD STAY A NURSERY.
WHY GREENBERG NEEDS IT AS A NURSERY.
I WANTED TO SAY A FEW WORDS ABOUT FLORES AND GREENHOUSE PROPERTY ON DOVES FERRY ROAD.
[01:05:02]
I'VE BEEN A RESIDENT OF THE TOWN OF GREENBURG FOR ALMOST 40 YEARS, AND A CUSTOMER OF CARLSON'S FOR ALMOST AS LONG AS THAT.IT'S AN IMPORTANT DESTINATION FOR ME, BUT FOR ALSO MANY OTHER RESIDENTS OF THIS TOWN.
IT OFFERS HEALTHY PLANS OF ALL KINDS FOR THOSE OF US WHO ARE TRULY COMMITTED TO SUSTAINABLE GARDENING.
BUT CARLSON'S ALSO SERVES AS SOMETHING ELSE.
IT'S A, IT'S A SORT OF COMMUNITY CENTER WHERE WE CAN COME TOGETHER THANKS TO THE CALM, CARING, AND HOSPITABLE CHARM OF THE CARLSON FAMILY.
IT'S A PLACE WHERE EVERYONE IS WELCOME.
NO ONE'S RUSHED, YOU'RE NEVER NEGLECTED.
THE GREENHOUSES HAVE BEEN THERE FOR SO LONG.
THEY ARE TRULY A PART OF THE HERITAGE OF THIS TOWN.
AND IF IT IS POSSIBLE FOR THEM TO REMAIN VIABLE TO OPERATE AND TO CONTINUE TO SERVE THE COMMUNITY IN THE SAME TRADITION OF THE H CARLSON FAMILY, THEN WHY NOT? THERE IS CERTAINLY A NEED IN A TIME WHEN WE HAVE LOST SO MUCH.
I CAN'T IMAGINE WHY ANYONE WOULD CONSIDER CHANGING A PLACE THAT BRINGS SO MUCH.
I'M HERE TO TALK ABOUT THE
MORE ATTRACTIVE, VERY MUCH GOING THERE DURING THE HOLIDAY CHRISTMAS.
TO GET DECORATION MY HOME, I WOULD LIKE TO RECORD AS SUPPORT THE INITIAL CARLSON GREENHOUSE TO REMAIN A NURSERY.
WHAT CAN I SAY ABOUT CARLSON'S? A FRIEND INTRODUCED ME ABOUT 10 YEARS AGO AND I WAS HOOKED IMMEDIATELY.
I COME UP TO THE STORE AT LEAST ONCE A MONTH.
I LIVE IN MANHATTAN, BUT I JUST LOVE COMING TO THE STORE TO GET BEAUTIFUL THINGS FROM MY HOME, THINGS LIKE THIS.
AND OF COURSE, NANCY HAS DECORATED MY INSIDE OF MY HOME ALSO WITH BEAUTIFUL THINGS.
BUT MORE IMPORTANTLY, I JUST LOVE THAT GREAT ENERGY IN THE STORE AND THE PEOPLE.
UH, I GET A GREAT SENSE OF PEACE AND SOLACE WHEN I GO IN.
AND AS I LOOK AROUND THE STORE, I SEE OTHER PEOPLE ARE FEELING THE SAME WAY.
IT'S A REAL SENSE OF COMMUNITY AND JUST A PLACE OF REAL, GENUINE FRIENDSHIP.
SO I'M WISHING EVERYBODY THE BEST, UH, AND CAN'T SAY ENOUGH GREAT THINGS ABOUT CARLSON'S THE STORE, BUT EVEN MORE IMPORTANTLY, CARLSON'S THE PEOPLE.
WHAT CAN I SAY ABOUT CARLSON? OKAY, SO THAT CONCLUDES THE TESTIMONIALS AND, UM, UH, HI, KAY.
DID YOU OR, OR, OR ANYONE ELSE, UH, WANNA CONCLUDE WITH ANYTHING BEFORE WE, UH, TURN IT OVER TO THE BOARD FOR QUESTIONS OR THE PUBLIC FOR QUESTIONS? I WOULD LIKE TO GIVE JACK AHERN A CHANCE TO TALK BRIEFLY.
I KNOW HE'S PART OF, UM, ATTENDING.
UM, SO WOULD YOU LIKE TO SAY A COUPLE WORDS? BUT I THINK YOU HAVE TO UNMUTE YOUR MICROPHONE, ASKING HIM, UNMUTE HIS MICROPHONE.
JACK, CAN YOU HEAR, CAN HEAR ME NOW? YES.
UH, FIRST OFF, UH, ME AND MY BROTHER WE'RE TWINS.
UH, AND WE'VE ALWAYS DONE EVERYTHING TOGETHER SINCE WE WERE BASICALLY BORN AND, UH, WE'VE BEEN IN BUSINESS TOGETHER OUR ENTIRE LIFE.
AND EVERYTHING THAT WE GO INTO, WE TRY TO PUT A HUNDRED PERCENT INTO IT.
WE DON'T DO ANYTHING UNLESS WE COULD DO IT RIGHT BEFORE WE START ANYTHING.
WE MAKE SURE THAT WE HAVE THE MONEY THAT WE WOULD NEED TO DO THE PROPER JOB.
THE MAIN THING WITH THIS PARTICULAR FACILITY, THIS IS NOT JUST THE FACILITY, THIS IS LIKE A HOME, ESPECIALLY WHEN YOU HEAR ALL THE TESTIMONIALS OF THE, UH, OF THE PEOPLE THAT HAVE SHOPPED THERE FOR SO MANY YEARS.
AND, UH, WE'VE GOTTEN THE SAME MEETING THE OWNERS AND THEY'VE BEEN NOTHING BUT, UH, HELPFUL TO US AND THEY REALLY WANT US TO END UP WITH THIS SPACE.
AND THEY WANT MORE THAN NOTHING THAN TO HAVE THE SPACE REMAIN A NURSERY.
BEING THAT IT'S BEEN IN THE FAMILY FOR SO LONG, THEY REALLY DON'T WANT SOMEBODY TO COME IN THERE AND JUST MOW OVER THIS PLACE
[01:10:01]
AND, AND, AND JUST PUT UP A HUGE BIG BOX BUILDING THAT IS GONNA BE UGLY.AND, UH, I JUST THINK IT'S SOMETHING THAT WOULD REALLY, UH, IT WOULD, IT WOULD REALLY BOTHER THEM TO NO END.
BUT AT, AT ANY RATE, WE, WE LIKE TO KEEP THINGS SO THAT THEY LOOK AS THOUGH THEY WEREN'T TOUCHED.
IN OTHER WORDS, WHATEVER, WHATEVER THAT LITTLE BUILDING IS AND THOSE GLASS HOUSES THAT ARE THERE, WE, WE, WHATEVER WE WOULD ADD ONTO THAT, WE WOULD WANT IT TO LOOK LIKE IT WAS DONE AT THE SAME TIME.
NOT THAT ONE PIECE LOOKS BRAND NEW AND THE OTHER PIECE LOOKS LIKE IT'S, YOU KNOW, OLDER.
WE, WE KNOW HOW TO RESTORE THINGS PROPERLY.
I'VE DONE A LOT OF RESTORATIONS ON HOMES AND DIFFERENT TYPES OF PROJECTS LIKE THAT.
AND, UH, IF YOU GUYS GIVE US A SHOT, I'M PRETTY SURE THAT WE'LL PUT TOGETHER A, A STORE THAT EVERYBODY YOU'LL LOVE.
YOU GUYS ARE WELCOME TO COME UP TO THE FACILITY WE HAVE IN CORTLAND.
EVERYBODY THAT COMES THERE LOVES THE PLACE.
I'VE, I HAVEN'T HEARD ONE COMPLAINT OUT OF ANYONE.
AND, UH, WE TRY TO GIVE PEOPLE FAIR PRICES AND GOOD QUALITY, AND WE WOULD LIKE TO CONTINUE TO DO THAT HERE.
UH, IS THAT ANYTHING ELSE? HI, KAY.
OR SHOULD WE TURN IT OVER TO THE TOWN BOARD FOR ANY QUESTIONS AND THEN TO THE PUBLIC? YES, THAT SOUNDS GOOD.
ANYONE LIKE TO SPEAK? I HAVE A QUESTION.
THE REASON WHY YOU'RE NOT JUST AUTOMATICALLY, UM, TRANSFERRING IT TO ANOTHER NURSERY IS BECAUSE THE NET, THE DEFINITION OF NURSERY DOESN'T ALLOW, I ASSUME, WHAT IS PROPOSED TO GO THERE.
SO IT'S NOT A NURSERY FOR A NURSERY, BUT SOMEBODY EXPLAIN WHAT APPROVALS YOU WOULD NEED FOR THE TOWN IN ORDER TO DO WHAT PROPOSED TO DO.
I, I'D BE HAPPY TO, UM, TO, TO TO, TO ANSWER THAT.
UM, THE, THE NURSERIES IN THE TOWN OF GREENBURG, UM, UH, ARE ACTUALLY, UH, EXISTING NON-CONFORMING USES IN THE ONE FAMILY RESIDENCE DISTRICTS.
UM, YOU KNOW, AND, AND, AND AS WE, SOME OF THE ONES, SOME OF THE NURSERIES THAT WERE MENTIONED BEFORE, THEY CLOSED, UM, AS HAS CARLSON'S HAVE BEEN OPEN FOR DECADES.
SO THEY, THEY'RE THEY'VE, THEY'VE, THEY'VE BEEN IN EXISTENCE, UH, IS NONCONFORMING USES.
UM, AS FAR AS, UM, DIVERSIFYING THIS PARTICULAR USE TO ADD A, UH, A RETAIL COMPONENT AND A BUILDING, UM, THERE WOULD BE A COUPLE, COUPLE, UH, THAT WOULD HAVE TO BE, UH, ANSWERED IN PRIMARY QUESTION WOULD BE, UH, SOME SORT OF
SO, UH, THAT'S SOMETHING, YOU KNOW, WE, WE, WE DEFINITELY, YOU KNOW, HAVE, HAVE THOUGHT ABOUT, YOU KNOW, I'VE THOUGHT ABOUT AS PLANNING COMMISSIONER WE WANTED TO USE TONIGHT TO JUST, YOU KNOW, UM, HAVE QUESTIONS ANSWERED FOR PERCEIVABLY, A SPECIAL PERMIT COULD BE, AND IT COULD BE, UH, A, A SPECIAL THAT, UM, YOU KNOW, ONLY IS AVAILABLE.
UM, YOU KNOW, SO THERE'S A VARIETY OF, I I TEND TO THINK, UM, A SPECIAL SOME SORT MIGHT BE THE ZONING ENABLING ARY.
UH, WE DID DISCUSS WITH THEIR USE VARIANCE TO CONFINE THIS CONCEPT JUST TO THE ONE SITE.
AND, UM, I, I THINK, UH, IN, IN TOUCHING BASE THERE AND IN INVOLVING, UH, TOWN LEGAL, UM, THERE, THERE WAS, UH, CONCERN THAT THE USE VARIANCE PROCESS, UH, HAD SOME CRITERIA THAT JUST SIMPLY WOULD NOT BE ABLE TO BE MET.
UM, SO TO ANSWER YOUR QUESTION, UM, ZONING AND ENABLING LEGISLATION ON THE ORDER OF A SPECIAL PERMIT OF SOME SORT, AND THEN A SITE PLAN APPROVAL TO, UH, YOU KNOW, LOOK AT, UM, THINGS LIKE INGRESS EGRESS AND, AND IN CIRCULATION AND, AND CITING OF THE BUILDING AND AESTHETICS.
SO, UH, ALL THINGS THAT, YOU KNOW, WOULD, WOULD BE SUBJECT TO A, A PUBLIC INPUT THROUGH A PUBLIC PROCESS.
WELL, IT NEEDS A CODE CHANGE BY BASICALLY.
I THINK, UH, I SAW, WAS IT, UM, UM, UH, TERRY, UH, YOU HAD A QUESTION, I BELIEVE OR COMMENT? I DO.
I HAVE A COUPLE AND I'LL, AND I'LL JOIN IN WITH ALL THE PEOPLE WHO SAID WONDERFUL THINGS ABOUT THE CALLONS AND THE CARLSON NURSERY.
BUT WHAT WE ARE REALLY NOT TALKING ABOUT THE CALLON NURSERY ANYMORE.
WE'RE TALKING ABOUT A REPLACEMENT.
AND, UH, MY HOUSE LITERALLY ON THE NURSERY, I'M ACROSS THE CLOSEST HOUSE OTHER THAN THE NEXT DOOR NEIGHBOR RESIDENCE TO THE NURSERY THAT
[01:15:01]
I WAS INTERESTED IN WAS LOOKING AT SOME SORT OF SPECIAL, WHAT PERCENTAGE OF THIS IS GOING TO BE GROCERIES? ARE WE GETTING, YOU KNOW, ARE WE GETTING A NURSERY WITH SOME GROCERIES, OR ARE WE GETTING A GROCERY WITH SOME, SOME PLANTS WOULD BE MY CONCERN.IF IT'S A, IF IT'S A GROCERY WITH SOME PLANTS, THEN I HAVE CONCERNS.
IF IT'S A NURSERY WITH A FEW EXTRA GROCERIES, THAT'S SORT OF A DIFFERENT STORY.
SO I WOULD HOPE WE PUT SOME PERCENTAGES IN THAT.
UM, ONE OF THE ISSUES I JUST, I WANNA BRING UP, I DON'T HOPE IT WOULD NOT BE A PROBLEM, BUT YOU KNOW, WHEN THE OTHER NURSERY WAS, UM, DOWN FROM CARLSON'S, WE UNBELIEVABLY ACROSS THE PARKWAY AND SUCH A DISTANCE, THERE WOULD BE NOISE OUTSIDE THAT WOULD IMPACT ME AND MY NEIGHBORS.
SO I WOULD ALSO BE CONCERNED ABOUT ANY KIND OF OUTSIDE NOISES THAT WOULD RESULT, UM, IN, IN SOMETHING THAT WAS A REPLACEMENT IN THAT SENSE.
I MEAN, UM, THERE WAS BEEPING, THERE WAS PUBLIC ADDRESS SYSTEMS AND IT CARRIED TO A DISTANCE THAT WAS UNBELIEVABLE.
EVENTUALLY THE POLICE TOOK CARE OF IT.
UM, I WAS ALSO INTERESTED IF THERE WAS GONNA BE CONTINUED USE OF THE GREENHOUSE, BUT TALKING ABOUT NURSERY AND THE SORT OF CONCEPT OF NURSERY AND THE PAST HAS BEEN THIS GREENHOUSE OF FARM USAGE ASSOCIATED WITH THEM.
AND I DON'T KNOW THAT THAT HAD BEEN ADDRESSED.
AND I WOULD BE CURIOUS, WILL THEY BE CONTINUING TO HAVE SOME SORT OF NURSERY USAGE THERE WITH THE GREENHOUSES? UM, CURRENTLY THERE IS EQUIPMENT, I BELIEVE, PARKED ON THEIR PROPERTY.
UM, I DON'T KNOW WHOSE PROPERTY IT IS, BUT THERE SEEMS TO BE A LOT OF HEAVY EQUIPMENT DOWN THERE.
UM, I WOULD LIKE TO SEE THAT GO AWAY BECAUSE ONCE THE LEAVES ARE OFF THE TREES, THAT'S WHERE GONNA BE THE VISUAL FROM MY HOME IS A PARKING LOT, THE HEAVY THE EQUIPMENT, WHICH IS NOT ALL THAT DESIRABLE.
AND I GUESS THAT'S REALLY ALL I HAVE TO SAY, OTHER THAN IF THIS COULD BE A SUCCESSFUL NURSERY, I THINK IT'S A GOOD OPTION.
AND, UM, THERE'S A FEW QUESTIONS IN THERE.
I DO, I, IT PROBABLY MAKES SENSE JUST TO, SOME OF THEM SEEM, UM, LIKE THAT WE COULD, YOU KNOW, AS FAR AS, UM, HI K OR, OR, OR MR. AHERN, UM, YOU KNOW, COULD YOU TALK JUST A BIT ABOUT YOUR, YOUR, YOUR, UH, UH, CORTLAND FARMS THERE AND, YOU KNOW, WOULD YOU NURSERY HAVE, UM, PRODUCE, UH, OR, YOU KNOW, UM, SLIGHTLY SKEWED TO ONE OR THE OTHER, UM, YOU KNOW, AND, AND I GUESS IN THE CONTEXT, IF THAT'S WHAT YOU WOULD ENVISION IT, CARLSON'S? I THINK THAT WAS A GOOD QUESTION.
THAT'D BE HELPFUL TO GET YOUR PERSPECTIVE ON THAT.
I THINK, I THINK IF YOU BREAK IT DOWN BY SQUARE FOOTAGE, UM, IN CORTLAND, THE, UH, THE GROWING HOUSES ARE PROBABLY MUCH LARGER.
I WOULD SAY WE HAVE APPROXIMATELY 20,000 SQUARE FEET OF WHERE WE'RE GROWING THE PLANTS.
AND THE STORE IS ONLY ABOUT 5,000 SQUARE FEET OR 4,500.
AND THEN THE LOWER AREA, WE PROBABLY HAVE ANOTHER 20 OR 30,000 FEET WHERE WE HAVE A NURSERY SET UP.
YOU KNOW, AS FAR AS THE, THE LAYOUT THAT, UH, IS IN THE CARLSON FACILITY, WE WOULD LIKE TO KEEP IT BASICALLY JUST THE WAY IT IS.
THE ONLY WITH THE, UH, WITH THE ONLY THING THAT WE WOULD LIKE TO DO IS THE WAY HAKEY DESIGNED SOMETHING WHERE WE ATTACH IT TO THE EXISTING BUILDING.
SO IT LOOKS LIKE IT'S ALWAYS THERE.
AND AS FAR AS THE GREENHOUSES, WE WOULD CONTINUE TO DO THE SAME OPERATION THAT THEY'VE DONE.
UM, I THINK THE BEST THING, IF ANYBODY HAS ANY, ANY REAL QUESTIONS, YOUR BEST BET IS TO TAKE A RIDE UP THERE AND SEE WHAT'S GOING ON.
I MEAN, THERE'S NO NOISES OR ANY KIND OF CRAZY THING GOING ON.
I'VE NEVER HEARD NOISES AT A NURSERY.
I MEAN, UH, AND UNLESS, UNLESS THEY'RE, UH, UNLESS THEY'RE BREAKING STONE AND STUFF LIKE THAT, I KNOW THERE'S SOME PLACES THAT TAKE IMMATERIAL WHERE THEY CRUSH IT AND, AND THEY DO THINGS LIKE THAT.
BUT THAT WE WOULDN'T DO IN THE NURSERY, AND WE DON'T DO IT UP THERE, AND WE WOULDN'T DO IT DOWN HERE.
UM, I SEE, IS IT PAUL COLTON, DID YOU, UH, HAVE A QUESTION OR A COMMENT? OKAY, GO AHEAD, SIR.
UM, SO I JUST WANNA SAY, FIRST OF ALL, UM, I THINK IT'S A GREAT IDEA TO CONTINUE USAGE OF THE SITE AS A NURSERY.
UM, I THINK IT'S A BENEFIT TO THE COMMUNITY AND, UH, SOMETHING, SOMETHING THAT WOULD BE MUCH MORE DESIRABLE THAN WHAT WE'VE HEARD PROPOSED BEFORE.
UM, I DO HAVE A COUPLE OF CONCERNS.
MY BIGGEST CONCERN IS GOING TO BE TRAFFIC,
[01:20:01]
UH, BASED ON WHAT I'VE OBSERVED IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD, WE, WE HAVE, WE ALREADY HAVE A, UM, NURSERY OPERATION ON DO ON HARTSDALE AVENUE AT, UH, SEACOR ROAD, THE WESTCHESTER FARMS. UH, I'M SURE JACK IS AWARE THAT HE HAS A COMPETITOR DOWN THE ROAD AND AROUND THE CORNER.THE, THE BIGGEST PROBLEM WITH, UM, THE WESTCHESTER FARMS OPERATION IS THE FACT THAT THEIR PARKING LOT IS LOCATED VERY CLOSE TO HARTSDALE ROAD.
IT RESULTS IN TRAFFIC BACKING UP INTO AND OUT OF CONSTANTLY.
AND I'M SURE THERE'S, UM, ACCIDENT DATA FROM THAT LOCATION.
UM, DOBBS FERRY ROAD IS A, A FAIRLY BRISK ARTERIAL HIGHWAY, AND I WOULD BE CONCERNED ABOUT, UM, INGRESS AND EGRESS FROM THAT PROPERTY WITH AN INCREASED TRAFFIC FLOW, WITH AN INCREASED CUSTOMER FLOW, UM, WHICH I'D BE HAPPY TO SEE THAT HAPPEN, BUT I'D ALSO LIKE TO MAKE SURE IT HAPPENS IN A SAFE, UH, EFFICIENT MANNER.
SO WHEN WE TALK ABOUT PLANNING FOR THIS, I DON'T KNOW IF, UH, THERE'S GOING TO BE ANY TRAFFIC STUDIES OR HOW MUCH, YOU KNOW, UH, HOW HOW MANY, UH, ENTRANCES AND EXITS WE'RE ANTICIPATING OUT OF THE PROPERTY.
BUT, UM, I, I THINK WE SHOULD MAKE SURE WE, WE, UH, THINK ABOUT SAFETY WHEN WE'RE LOOKING TO INCREASE THE VOLUME IN AND OUT OF THE SPACE.
UH, OTHER THAN THAT, I WISH THEM GOOD LUCK.
AND, UH, UM, AND I WOULD, I WOULD ALSO, UH, ECHO, UH, TERRY'S, UH, QUESTION ABOUT, UM, ABOUT PRODUCT FROM THE VIDEO THAT THEY SHOWED.
UM, IT LOOKED TO ME VERY, VERY MUCH LIKE WESTCHESTER FARMS. IT'S, UM, PRODUCE SOME JUICES, UH, BAKED GOODS AND, YOU KNOW, FRUITS AND VEGETABLES.
UM, IS THAT WHAT WE SHOULD EXPECT TO SEE OR IS IT A VASTLY EXPANDED INVENTORY BEYOND THAT AND THAT'S ABOUT IT? NO, THAT, THAT, THAT'S BASICALLY IT.
I MEAN, I, I, I, I BELIEVE, UM, WE PROBABLY SELL MORE PLANTS AND, UM, AND SHRUBS AND THINGS OF THAT NATURE THAN WE DO OF THE, OF THE PRODUCE.
BUT WE'VE, WE ONLY OPENED A FEW, YOU KNOW, SIX MONTHS AGO, SO WE HAVE TO SEE HOW IT GOES.
BUT WE DO A DECENT AMOUNT OF BUSINESS WITH THE PRODUCE, AND WE TRY TO KEEP, YOU KNOW, EVERYTHING FRESH SO THAT, UH, PEOPLE THAT ARE GETTING WHATEVER, PICKING UP WHATEVER THEY WANT, THEY'RE GETTING QUALITY PRODUCTS AND, YOU KNOW, I DON'T KNOW OF ANY RETURNS, MAYBE A FEW HERE OR THERE WITH A PLANT THAT MIGHT'VE DIED OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT.
BUT WE TRY TO KEEP EVERYTHING, YOU KNOW, AS FRESH AS POSSIBLE.
AND, AND PAUL, UM, ON YOUR COMMENT ON THE TRAFFIC, UH, YOU KNOW, OBVIOUSLY, UM, VERY PERTINENT CONTENT OR COMMENT.
AND, UM, THIS SITE IS ON, AS YOU KNOW, UH, NEW YORK, DOB FERRY ROAD, NEW YORK STATE ROAD, AND, UM, WE WOULD DEFINITELY INVOLVE NEW YORK STATE D O T EARLY ON IN THE PROCESS.
THE LAST THING WE WOULD WANT TO DO IS, UM, YOU KNOW, HAVE ANYTHING PROGRESS HERE WITHOUT THEIR INPUT.
SO, UM, I BELIEVE HAKE, IF YOU COULD CONFIRM, UM, THERE'S NO INTENT TO MODIFY THE, UH, INGRESS EGRESS, YOU WOULD KEEP THOSE CURB CUTS, OR DID YOU INTEND TO, TO DO ANY CHANGES THERE? NO, NO.
WE HAVE NO INTENTIONS OF CHANGING IT.
I DO THINK THE SEPARATE ENTRANCE AND EXIT IS REALLY MUCH IN OUR FAVOR BECAUSE IT REALLY KEEPS THE, THE, UM, THE TRAFFIC THAT'S COMING IN AND OUT, SOMEWHAT SEPARATED VERSUS HAVING ONE BIG ENTRANCE AND EXIT.
SO, UM, BUT NO, WE ARE NOT CHANGING THE EGRESS.
AND IS YOUR STORE JACK, UM, IN, IN CORTLAND, I BELIEVE, IS THAT ON A STATE ROAD? IS THAT NEW YORK STATE 2 0 2? YES, IT'S, IT'S 2 2 0 2.
SO, BUT PAUL, UH, GREAT COMMENT.
AND OBVIOUSLY, YOU KNOW, WE'LL, WE'LL TAKE A CLOSE LOOK AT TRAFFIC AND, UH, AND, AND LIKE I SAID, INVOLVE THE D O T.
SO THAT'S SOMETHING, UM, THAT WOULD ASK.
I'M, I'M GLAD YOU'RE GONNA LOOK AT THAT.
YES, IT'S BE HOUSE FROM CARLSON'S.
UM, I JUST WANTED TO BRING UP A POINT THAT, UM, UH, SOMETHING WESTCHESTER FARMS HAS THAT WE DON'T HAVE IN, IN OUR LOCATION, IS THEY HAVE, I BELIEVE, THREE SCHOOLS AND A CHURCH IN THE IMMEDIATE AREA.
SO I'M, I'M THINKING THAT THAT PROBABLY ADDS TO SOME OF THE TRAFFIC PROBLEMS ON HARTSDALE ROAD THAT WE DON'T HAVE.
YOU COULD PROBABLY ALSO LOOK, UM, BACK AT FRANK'S HISTORY TO SEE WHAT KIND OF TRAFFIC THEY HAD WHEN THAT WAS THERE.
UM, LET'S SEE, WHO ELSE DO WE HAVE THERE THAT, THAT MAY, MAY OR MAY NOT WANNA SPEAK? UM,
[01:25:01]
DOREEN, LISTEN, WOULD YOU LIKE TO SAY SOME WORDS OR ASK A QUESTION? COMMENT, DOREEN, YOU'RE ON MUTE THERE, AND IN CASE DOREEN HAS STEPPED AWAY.I SEE, UH, PATRICIA, UH, AND I'M SORRY IF I PRONOUNCE THIS WRONG, RAVI, UH, MA'AM, WOULD YOU LIKE TO SPEAK? IF YOU DO UNMUTE YOURSELF, PLEASE?
I LIVE AR AROUND THE CORNER ON, UM, WYNDHAM, RIGHT OFF OF DOVES FAIR ROAD.
I AM THRILLED THAT, AND MANY OF MY NEIGHBORS I HAVE WRITTEN TO THEM.
UH, 'CAUSE UNFORTUNATELY WE DID NOT RECEIVE THE LETTER THAT THE OTHER TWO CIVIC ASSOCIATIONS RECEIVED, BUT I REACHED OUT TO EVERYONE, UM, FROM MY CIVIC ASSOCIATION, AND EVERYONE SEEMS TO BE THRILLED THAT WE ARE GETTING A NURSERY BACK WITH PLANTS AND PRODUCE AND THINGS LIKE THAT.
ONE OF THE QUE TWO OF THE QUESTIONS THAT CAME UP WAS ANSWERED ALREADY WAS ABOUT THE D O T BEING INVOLVED.
AND THE SECOND THING WOULD, WOULD A LIGHT BE NEEDED AT THE CORNER SOMEWHERE SOMEHOW, BUT THAT WOULD BE UNDER THE DOT'S, UH, PURVIEW SO THAT THAT WILL BE TAKEN CARE OF.
THE QUESTION, UM, I WANNA ASK IS, UM, ON THE LAYOUT, HOW MANY PARKING SPACES DOES CARLSTON'S HAVE NOW? OH, THAT'S A TOUGH ONE.
DO WE HAVE, HMM? CAN I HEAR US? YEAH, WE'RE UNMUTED, BUT, UH, WE'RE TRYING TO FIGURE THAT OUT.
UH, BECAUSE WE DON'T HAVE A PAVED AREA, UM, FOR ALL OF OUR PARKING, UM, I GUESS WE COULD PROBABLY FIT 30, 25 TO 30 CARS IN A PAVED AREA, AND THEN WHEN WE'RE VERY BUSY, IT EXTENDS INTO THE UNPAVED AREA.
WE COULD PROBABLY FIT ANOTHER 20 CARS DOWN THERE.
SO THEY SAID THAT THEY WOULD BE PUTTING SPACE FOR 50 CARS, WHICH WOULD BE GOOD, BECAUSE THAT CERTAINLY CAN GET BUSY AT TIMES THE SPRING SEASON AND THINGS LIKE THAT.
SO I'M GLAD TO HEAR THAT THEY WILL BE PROVIDING SUFFICIENT SPACE FOR CARS TO BE PARKED BECAUSE ONE OF THE PROBLEMS, IF THERE'S NOT SUFFICIENT SPACE, THEN THERE'S AJE, UH, A BACKUP ONTO DOBBS BURY ROAD WANTING PEOPLE, WAITING FOR PEOPLE TO GET IN AND OUT.
AND THE OTHER QUESTION, I HAVE THE HOUSE THAT'S ON THE PREMISE, IS THAT GOING TO STAY, I'M NOT TALKING ABOUT THE LITTLE, THE LITTLE CARL CENTER'S HOUSE IN THE BEGINNING, BUT THE HOUSE THAT'S OFF TO THE RIGHT, IS THAT GOING TO BE PART OF STILL BE THERE? YES, IT WILL.
UM, LEMME SEE IF I HAVE ANY, NO, THAT, THAT'S ABOUT IT.
AND, UM, IF YOU GET ALL YOUR APPROVALS AND YOU DO WHAT YOU SAY YOU'RE GOING TO DO, WELCOME TO THE COMMUNITY FROM ME,
THANK YOU VERY MUCH, DOREEN, AND, UH, APPRECIATE THAT.
BLAISE, DO YOU WANNA SPEAK? IT WOULD BE HELPFUL IF WE COULD GET ADDED TO YOUR SKETCH, THE PARKING SPACES AT LEAST, UM, A ROUGH SKETCH SO THAT WE COULD SEE HOW MANY WOULD ACTUALLY FIT.
HOW YOU DOING? I'M BLAISE ZI AND I'M THE PRESIDENT OF THE HILLTOP FARM CIVIC ASSOCIATION.
THE HILLTOP FARM CIVIC ASSOCIATION IS DIAGONALLY ACROSS FROM CARLSON'S NURSERY ACROSS THE SPRINGBROOK PARKWAY, OF COURSE, ON YOUR SIDE.
BUT WE BASICALLY LOOKED DOWN ON OVER AT CARLSON'S.
AND, UH, WHEN I GOT THE, UH, NOTE FROM GARRETT WHAT, UH, WAS HAPPENING THERE, I I PERSONALLY WAS DELIGHTED THAT THE, UH, PROPERTY'S GONNA REMAIN A NURSERY.
BUT, UH, YOU KNOW, I SENT AN EMAIL OUT TO MY EXEC, UH, DIRECT BOARD OF DIRECTORS AND ASKED THEM WHAT WE SHOULD DO, AND THEY SAID, WELL, YOU KNOW, WE REALLY SHOULD QUERY ALL OF OUR RESIDENTS AND GET THE FEEL, HOW THEY FEEL ABOUT IT.
SO I SENT AN EMAIL OUT TO EVERYBODY IN OUR, IN OUR, ALL OF OUR RESIDENTS, AND WE HAVE APPROXIMATELY 6 86 RESIDENTS IN HILLTOP FARMS. I RECEIVED ZERO, UH, NEGATIVES.
EVERYBODY THAT I DID GET A RESPONSE FROM WAS QUITE HAPPY AND THRILLED THAT IT'S GOING TO STAY A NURSERY.
UM, I, PAUL COLTON, WHO'S A, A MEMBER OF OUR CIVIC ASSOCIATION, HE DID SHARE HIS CONCERNS ABOUT THE D O T.
AND I BELIEVE THAT, YOU KNOW, THESE PROBLEMS CAN BE MITIGATED, UH, AS WE'VE DONE IN MANY OTHER TIMES.
UH, THEY LOOK AT THE PROBLEM, YOU AND YOU, HOPEFULLY YOU RESOLVE IT.
SO I DON'T SEE THAT BEING A BIG BAR, BUT THAT'S BETWEEN THE, THE, THE, UH, THE PEOPLE WHO ARE BUILDING THE NURSERY AND THE, UH, D O T TO WORK OUT.
UH, ASIDE FROM THAT, UH, ON A PERSONAL NOTE,
[01:30:01]
I HAVE TO SHARE ALL THE TESTIMONIALS THAT I HEARD TONIGHT.I CAN'T ADD ANYTHING TO IT EXCEPT THAT THE CARLSONS HAVE BEEN WONDERFUL NEIGHBORS AND A SOURCE OF PRIDE, UH, TO OUR NEIGHBORHOOD.
AND I'M JUST SO PLEASED FOR THEM THAT THEY'RE GONNA MOVE ON WITH THEIR LIFE AND THAT WE ARE GONNA STILL HAVE COST IS NURSERY.
WELL, ONE, ONE OF THE THINGS WE'RE HOPING THAT THEY'RE GONNA STAY ON WITH US BECAUSE THEY ARE SUCH WONDERFUL PEOPLE.
AND JUST THE SHORT TIME THAT, UH, THAT WE'VE KNOWN THEM, THEY HAD SAID THAT, UH, WELL, I KNOW NANCY WANTS TO STAY ON WHAT THIS, I HOPE, UM, BUT WE WOULD LOVE TO HAVE THEM BECAUSE THEY, YOU COULD JUST TELL WHEN YOU, WHEN YOU, WHEN YOU HAVE THE RIGHT PEOPLE THERE, AND EVERYBODY THAT, UH, SPEAKS OF THEM HAS NOTHING BUT NICE THINGS TO SAY ABOUT THEM.
SO YOU KNOW, THAT YOU, YOU KNOW THAT YOU'RE DEALING WITH WONDERFUL PEOPLE.
I'M JUST THINKING THAT, UM, YOU KNOW, WHEN YOU READ THE PAPERS, WHAT'S HAPPENING IN THE NATION AND STATE AND EVERY CON EVERY PROJECT OR PROPOSAL IS CONTROVERSIAL.
THIS, UH, PROPOSAL COULD MAKE, UH, HISTORY BY BEING THE LEAST CONTROVERSIAL, UH, PROPOSAL BEING MADE TO ANY GOVERNMENT ANYWHERE IN THE COUNTRY.
SO, UM, RIGHT NOW EVERYTHING IS GREAT AND IF THE CODE MATCHES WHAT THEY'RE SAYING, UH, YOU KNOW, OBVIOUSLY IT'S GREAT TO KEEP CARLSON, UH, INVOLVED IN THIS PROJECT, AT LEAST EARLY ON BECAUSE THEY HAVE THE NAME RECOGNITION, THEIR NAME IS ASSOCIATED WITH QUALITY, SO YOU'RE GOING TO HAVE A DRAW COMING TO THE SITE, WHICH, WHICH IS TERRIFIC.
UH, WE JUST HAVE TO BE CAREFUL WHEN WE ACTUALLY WRITE UP THE LEGISLATION THAT IT DOESN'T ALLOW FOR A FLIP TO SOMETHING THAT THE NEIGHBORS DON'T EXPECT.
BUT I, I ALSO THINK, BUT RIGHT NOW EVERYTHING LOOKS GREAT.
I, I ALSO THINK THAT, YOU KNOW, SOME OTHER POSITIVES, AS I SAY IT IS, YOU KNOW, A LOT OF PEOPLE ARE RISKING A LOT OF BUSINESSES GOING UNDER ALL OVER THE TOWN AND COUNTY AND STATE AND NATION AS A RESULT OF, YOU KNOW, COVID.
SO IT'S REALLY NICE, UM, THAT HERE A BUSINESS THAT WANTS TO SELL IS ABLE TO SELL TO A BUSINESS THAT PEOPLE IN THE COMMUNITY REALLY WANT AND REALLY WILL APPRECIATE.
ANOTHER, UM, YOU KNOW, POSITIVE THAT, YOU KNOW, THAT, THAT I SEE IS, UM, THERE WERE ALTERNATIVES THAT HAD BEEN PROPOSED FOR THAT LOCATION THAT WOULD'VE REALLY CHANGED THE CHARACTER OF THE COMMUNITY, YOU KNOW, FOR THE NEGATIVE, YOU KNOW, UH, PEOPLE REALLY APPRECIATE THE CHARACTER OF THE NURSERY, WHAT IT DOES TO THAT WHOLE SECTION OF, YOU KNOW, OF TOWN AND BY ABLE TO PRESERVE THE SAME, UM, THE SAME TYPE OF BUSINESS.
YEAH, I JUST THINK IS REALLY, IS REAL, YOU KNOW, IS REALLY GREAT.
I THINK THERE'S GONNA BE REALLY SUCCESSFUL.
I THINK PEOPLE ARE GONNA, ARE GONNA REALLY LOVE IT.
AND, YOU KNOW, I, SPEAKING PERSONALLY, I'M, UM, LOOKING FORWARD TO, UH, THE VEGETABLES
SO, UM, I DON'T KNOW THAT ANYONE ELSE, UH, INTENDED TO SPEAK, UM, WE DO NOW IS OTHERWISE IT LOOKS LIKE WE'RE WRAPPING UP.
I JUST WANTED TO ADD A COUPLE OF THINGS.
THERESA WAS CONCERNED ABOUT HEAVY EQUIPMENT, UM, THAT WE HAVE BEHIND THE NURSERY THAT SHE CAN SEE WHEN THE LEAVES COME OFF THE TREES.
I JUST WANTED TO SAY THAT MOST OF THAT HAS ALREADY BEEN REMOVED AND THAT WAS DONE AT, UH, THE REQUEST OF MR. AHERN.
UM, SO I THINK WHEN THE LEAVES COME DOWN, SHE'LL BE PLEASED AT WHAT SHE SEES.
UM, I ALSO WANTED TO MENTION THAT JACK HAS SAID THAT HE WOULD LIKE TO RETAIN ANY EMPLOYEES THAT WE CURRENTLY HAVE WHO WANT TO STAY, UH, YOU KNOW, IN ADDITION TO NANCY, ANYONE ELSE WHO WANTS TO STAY.
UM, AND I THINK MOST PEOPLE PROBABLY ARE GOING TO STAY.
UM, BUT IT JUST GOES, UH, A LONG WAY TO SAYING WHAT KIND OF A PERSON JACK IS AND THAT HE WANTS TO MAINTAIN, UH, THE NURSERY AS IS.
UH, ANYTHING ELSE FROM THE TOWN BOARD? OTHERWISE? I THINK, UM, I THINK WE'RE, WE'RE, UH, WE'VE COLLECTED THE INFORMATION HERE AND I THINK WE HAVE A LOT TO THINK ABOUT AND, UH, THIS IS VERY HELPFUL, I BELIEVE.
WELL, THANK YOU FOR COMING, FOR COMING IN AND EXPLAINING YOUR PROJECT.
THANK YOU TO MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC WHO CAME OUT AND THANK YOU EVERYONE.
[01:35:01]
THING HAPPEN.PAUL, YOU MAKING A MOTION TO ADJOURN? NO, I MAKE A MOTION TO ADJOURN.