Thursday, May 24, 2007

TWN BD VOTES TO DECLARE GORDON PARKS HOME HISTORIC LANDMARK..VOTES FOR TAX BREAKS FOR VOLUNTEERS..APPROVES RFP FOR FLOOD STUDIES

The Greenburgh Town Board voted to declare the home of Gordon Parks, 15 Adams Place, a historic landmark. Mr. Parks was a famed photographer of Life Magazine, the first black director and producer of a major motion picture. He resided in the Parkway Gardens section of the town - which also housed many prominent african american leaders in the 1950s & during the early part of the civil rights movement (including Congressman Adam Clayton Powell, US Secretary of Commerce Ron Brown, the society editor of the Amsterdam News,Anna Bernard, and many others). There is a move to have the entire neighborhood designated as a historic neighborhood, so future generations will appreciate the role this predominantly african american community played in african american history.

The Town Board unanimously voted to grant partial tax exemptions to volunteer ambulance corp members and firefighters.

The Town Board unanimously voted to authorize the Commissioner of Public Works to issue and RFP and conduct flood studies on a number of areas around Greenburgh, including East Hartsdale Ave.

38 comments:

Anonymous said...

Bass spoke against giving exemptions to volunteers because "they are volunteers." Then he voted for the exemption. Can't have it both ways.

Anonymous said...

Bass spoke against giving exemptions to volunteers "because they are volunteers." Then he voted for the exemption. Can't have it both ways.

Anonymous said...

Steve wanted to vote against the exemptions. He was then given the signal to vote yes by those in the back of the room. So, he changed his mind. Profile in courage award.

Anonymous said...

Bass voted after significatn issues were addressed. Shows an intellient mind.

Anonymous said...

All the council people, including Bass, Sheahan, Barnes and Juettner asked intelligent questions and had insightful comments and helped this move forward.

Never would have got there without them. Never would have got there with just Feiner.

Many residents had concerns. Feiner didnt addrsss the. The Council did.

Anonymous said...

Bass did not want to vote in favor of the volunteers,he had to change his mind because Sheehan told him to .Feiner was in favor of the exemption,and he was critisized for this.Of course it could not be enacted by Feiner alone,Sheehan saw to it that it was passed, Don't forget Sheehan does things to suit himself,HIS SON IS A VOLUNTEER.

Anonymous said...

Show me Bass's Intellegent mind ,He does and says what Sheehan tells him. When will people realize that Sheehan runs the voting on the board. Feiner has not had any help from the board since Sheehan came into office.Bass has got to go.

Anonymous said...

The exemption was approved on condition that -- thanks to the town council and no thanks to Feiner -- its costs would be charged back in their entirety to the taxpayers in the volunteer fire protection districts.

That means that the tens of thousands of taxpayers in the Greenville (Edgemont), Hartsdale and Fairview Fire Districts won't have to pay a dime to subsidize the costs of the exemption for volunteers in the volunteer fire protection districts.

Feiner stood alone last night in demanding that the taxpayers in Edgemont, Hartsdale and Fairview subsidize these benefits for those in these volunteer districts -- even though (1) the state legislation was written to protect already heavily burdened taxpayers in paid fire districts from having to pay for these exemptions, and (2) no municipality in the entire state has ever required taxpayers in paid fire districts to pay for the costs of property tax exemptions for volunteers in volunteer fire protection districts.

Feiner also tried to use procedural tactics to prevent the town from adopting this fair and equitable compromise.

What happened last night illustrates perfectly the problems the town is facing with Feiner in office.

Here he was insisting on passage of a measure which he knew would divide the town, pitting one group of taxpayers against another, while at the same time he knew the town council would only go along with doing what it felt was fair and equitable for everyone.

Anonymous said...

Well hats off to the council. We all apreciate the volunteers and we all want to avoid more lawsuits.

And lets all show appreciation to the volunteers in teh paid district who also work hard and do not qualify for this.

Paul Feiner said...

I will be pushing for state legislation so that volunteers who serve Hartsdale, Fairview, Greenville fire district also will get the exemptions. The NY State law is unfair and should be changed.

Anonymous said...

Thank you Paul for your blog in trying to get the exemptions where we have paid fire fighters. It is only fair,This way the expense should be for all of Greenburgh. Let the villages pay for this also the law should be for all paid by all.

Anonymous said...

I doubt the state would change the law; it is to protect the residents who already pay for paid firefighters.

But good try Paul, to get the Fairview, Glenville and Hartsale residents, living in districts with paid firefighters and less volunteers, to subsidize Ardsley and the other volunteers. We all know how you are looking out for Ardsley and the villages every step of the way.

Anonymous said...

Our paid firefighters should not be working out of their houses, we should be getting paid by the villages that we respond to.Not only does Faiview and Greenvile cover their respective areas they also cover the Sprain Parkway.In covering the Sprain Parkway the state should change the law for the volunteers that are in the paid firefighters house.

Anonymous said...

Anonymous 1:50 I have one question. What the heck are you talking about?

Anonymous said...

Does anybody know the definition of Volunteer?
I think it has a different meaning in the Town of Greenburgh

Anonymous said...

I am going to volunteer my time, to help oust the current town Board. I don't need a tax break to do it either.

Anonymous said...

Does the current owner of the house agree with this designation? A marker or a plaque would have sufficient. This is wrong. And Feiner wants bus tours of the area!! He has gone from gadfly to quack.

Anonymous said...

" ... the expense should be for all of Greenburgh."

But that makes no sense. Why would I pay taxes for a fire district in which I don't live? Sure, the departments cooperate, but should I also pay taxes for Yonkers fire services since Yonkers station #14 is the closest back-up for where I live in the Greenville district??

Anonymous said...

Steve Bass was the only council member who spoke out against the breaks but then he changed his mind when Gil Kaminer walked up to him --handed him some notes to read. I watched the meeting on TV. I can't believe that a councilman would change his vote after a staffer tell him to do so.
Suggestion to Kaminer--don't embarrass bass again. If you are going to tell him how to vote do it with a blackberry message!

Anonymous said...

I've said it right along Bass cannot think for himself.The law would have passed anyway,but it goes to prove we need Morgan to take his place,Could we rely on a goofer who was given the job by Sheehan to have a council member change his vote at the last moment.Please think about the next election,we have to start to make a change. It could for two years if they do good they remain,if not they go.We have to try,

Anonymous said...

I don't remember if one stay on the board is for two years or four.If it's four years I'm sorry to misquote.

Anonymous said...

Bass should divorse himself from sheehan. sheehan lets bass make dumb statements. bass is becoming a fall guy.

Anonymous said...

we could get rid of Bass in November, If he listens to SHeehan he's not for the position, Sheehan was out to ruin everyone on the board, He thinks that with his phony smile he has the public fooled. Too bad his fellow council persons didn't realize this from the beginning. We saw right thru him. Sheehan resign

Anonymous said...

Could it be possible the Democratic party is falling apart. THey seem to endorse the bottom of the barrel.It's time to change parties. The republicans are just as bad. We need an independant party and let's introduce the green party also.We probably could find persons with brains in their heads instead of sitting on them. By the way Morgan is running for bass's seat. Let's give him a chance to see what he could do for Greenburgh. Let's not forget Brown,she's also running.

Anonymous said...

I am voting for Morgan

Anonymous said...

When is the Town going to enforce the town code, of people storing their garbage cans in the front yard by the curb 24hrs/7 days a week? as far as I know the garbage has to be stored in the rear or side yard until the day of pick-up.
check out Prospect Ave by Fair St.
it's not the first time it was talked about. What do you say Town Council?

Anonymous said...

why did kaminer make bass look like a puppet--going up to him at a town bd meeting, telling him what to say-----------on tv

Anonymous said...

Does anyone know who is running against Barnes.

Anonymous said...

One of the problems in Greenburgh is that no one runs against anyone. All the seats are "at large" which simply means that the candidates with the largest vote totals are the "winners". If, as it appears will be the case this year, there are 4 candidates and only two seats, the seats will go to the first and second highest vote-getters. Under such circumstances, candidates are free to appeal to the lowest common denominator in the electorate - and the current government is what you get. Council people elected by a specific district might be an idea whose time has come - but then again, it might be time for term limits, real ethics requirements and perhaps even the political equivalent of No Child Left Behind - an incumbent who does not improve her/his performance every year gets left behind --oops, I gues we already have that!

Anonymous said...

If berger wins will the town council continue the financial arrangement with her law firm, the firm that got a no bid contract to represent the town? I hope not. If Bass/Barnes run with Berger and Berger's firm donates money to Berger it means that Bass/Barnes will benefit from the no bid contract.

Anonymous said...

How about that. Bergers firm receives the no bid contract initiated by Sheehan ,one day, the next she's running for town supervisor.Was this one of Sheehan's plans.

Anonymous said...

With Bergers firm receiving the bid,Her running for office .who will be paying if and when her outfit gives her any kind of donation.We the taxpayers will be donating to her campaign wether we like it or not. That is not fair Sheehan.

Anonymous said...

who is this lady anyway ?
we're in alot of trouble if she gets in

Anonymous said...

This lady is a very good friend of Sheehan ,that's why he swayed the vote to go in her favor when it came for a six figure contract,WHICH was awarded without interviews with other firms.Most likely if she's elected Greenburgh will be changed to Sheehanburgh.Then the trouble will start,as people have said over and over again,she is not for Greenburgh.Don't make the same mistake as the voters did in electing Sheehan to the board.One mistake is enough.He made Greenburgh a disfuntional town with all his rulings.

Anonymous said...

Berger's firm should not have received a non bid contract especially since she is running for supervisor. It's unethical

Anonymous said...

Sheehan is to blame for Berger receiving the contract.He shoud be checked by the ethics board. Remember one thing Sheehan is the one who says who is on that ethics board.

Anonymous said...

Why do people walk their dogs without picking up their dog mess? Its ashame! We should be able to take a picture of the Owner and their dog and send the picture to the Board and give the Owner a FINE. That way the Owner cannot deny anything. We need to have signs put up throughout our neighborhoods.

Anonymous said...

There is too much hanging out in some of our neightborhoods. It look like these days Parents are afraid of their CHILDREN, and those Parents know exactly who we are talking about. There are some new people that have moved into our neighborhoods or even some that have lived here for quite sometime, please be nice. Please be kind to your neighbor.