tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33594888.post9156892619295791043..comments2023-10-30T06:13:34.382-04:00Comments on Supervisor Feiner: TOWN BD WORK SESSIONS SHOULD BE TELEVISEDPaul Feinerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17087805120754057844noreply@blogger.comBlogger53125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33594888.post-12489547191583491492007-07-04T21:29:00.000-04:002007-07-04T21:29:00.000-04:00Does the Town Clerk take notes at the meetings? Ho...Does the Town Clerk take notes at the meetings? How many people have ever seen any minutes of Town Board meetings? They are not published? They are not released to the community.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33594888.post-9331717025935801612007-07-02T09:05:00.000-04:002007-07-02T09:05:00.000-04:00Thank you Hal.Now, if there are actually minutes o...Thank you Hal.<BR/>Now, if there are actually minutes of both Regular and Special Town Board meetings, why can't they be posted on the Town's website? Why are the minutes of previous meetings not reviewed and adopted at the beginning of each and every Regular Town Board Meeting? Past practices notwithstanding, doing so might create a more business-like atmosphere.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33594888.post-24975473723807425272007-06-30T14:41:00.000-04:002007-06-30T14:41:00.000-04:00Did my homework (called Ella).The only requirement...Did my homework (called Ella).<BR/><BR/>The only requirement under open meetings laws for taking minutes at work sessions is if a vote is taken.<BR/><BR/>Generally, the votes occur duing Special Town Board Meetings which only mean a Town Board Meeting at other than the usual time. Thus when the Town Board hold Special Town Board Meetings, they should maintain the same format in which they hold Regular Town Board Meetings: a format which includes Public Comment.<BR/><BR/>You might look at the dates of passage of various Town Board resolutions and if you see one that is not a Wednesday, you would be correct is asking to see the minutes from that meeting.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33594888.post-44598356220545257172007-06-30T08:47:00.000-04:002007-06-30T08:47:00.000-04:00alfreda williams doesn't post minutes of work sess...alfreda williams doesn't post minutes of work sessions anywhereAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33594888.post-28049039974504720342007-06-28T15:51:00.000-04:002007-06-28T15:51:00.000-04:00Dear Jim,What's that you say, I haven't grown deft...Dear Jim,<BR/><BR/>What's that you say, I haven't grown deft I just have to remove this bean from my ear.<BR/><BR/>Ok, bean out. Re the minutes<BR/><BR/>You have given me a homework assignment which means I'll have to call Ella. Once before I had discussed this with her (noticing that the Town Board never voted to accept minutes) and she said that the minutes of the Town Board meeting do exist, abiding in a notebook somewhere with the Town Clerk. Frankly I never pursued the matter because being there in person is a legitimate substitute for reading the minutes. <BR/><BR/>So before you rush to 78, you need to know if the minutes do in fact exist. It seems to me though, that with all the bigger things that they can be busted for, they being the Town Council and the Town Clerk, the more practical approach is to publicize their shortcomings whenever possible in the hope that they will either lose or lose by winning with a total of 8 votes. If the argument, that Mr. Bernstein would have you buy, is that it doesn't matter who runs against Feiner as long as they're not Feiner then it also holds true for Bass, Barnes and Williams. Their opponents aren't them either. <BR/><BR/>Personally, I'd sooner vote for a doorknob than Berger, Bass, Barnes and Williams. Enduring them again is more years of the solution being the problem. I have met the enemy and it is them.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33594888.post-69751486051480193772007-06-28T14:11:00.000-04:002007-06-28T14:11:00.000-04:00Hal,You've deftly ignored the posting of minutes. ...Hal,<BR/>You've deftly ignored the posting of minutes. If you tell me that once adopted they are the property of the Town Board, your nose will grow very long indeed. If there are no minutes I expect you will join me in an Article 78 proceeding to unseat the entire council and the Town Clerk for failing to uphold their oaths ov office. The law requires a written record of the business transacted, a nicety which seems to be largely missing in Greenburgh.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33594888.post-56992158792031914952007-06-28T11:57:00.000-04:002007-06-28T11:57:00.000-04:00Jim,The Agenda of the Town Board Work Session is t...Jim,<BR/><BR/>The Agenda of the Town Board Work Session is the sole property of the Town Board. When the Town Board elects to show us their underwear, then it becomes posted.<BR/>Feiner could post an Agenda at any time but we would squawk loudly if that was not the Agenda that the entire Town Board decided to follow.<BR/><BR/>The Town Board (all 5) need to understand that even though it is called their work session, it is still subject to open meeting law.<BR/>When the Agenda becomes available is perhaps not a legal issue but what needs to be insinuated is their view that being courteous and considerate of the voting public is not a sin.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33594888.post-7563171310834941702007-06-28T08:51:00.000-04:002007-06-28T08:51:00.000-04:00Hal -You've been hanging around with lawyers too l...Hal -<BR/>You've been hanging around with lawyers too long. The Supervisor has been a vocal proponent of open government. True "Open Government" would post agendas in a timely fashion and minutes of public meetings on its website. <BR/>Sadly, I have never heard any of the part-time members of the Town Board make the kind of unambiguous statements praising "Open Government" - so I am not sure any of them actually support it, except as some vague notion best left to seventh grade civics class. On the other hand, the Supervisor has proclaimed his support of "open government" loudly and repeatedly. <BR/>Here is a really easy opportunity to demonstrate that he means what he says - this takes only ONE.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33594888.post-5423051591587025752007-06-27T16:57:00.000-04:002007-06-27T16:57:00.000-04:00But he doesn't prevent you, on his own site, to te...But he doesn't prevent you, on his own site, to tell where the lease etc. can be viewed.<BR/><BR/>Nor has the Town Council provided residents with this information. The Town's web site belongs to the Town; the Town Council could also have arranged for these documents to be posted.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33594888.post-86021317815247565232007-06-27T16:18:00.000-04:002007-06-27T16:18:00.000-04:00It doesn't exist.Go to valvallavoice.com and click...It doesn't exist.<BR/><BR/>Go to valvallavoice.com and click under "WestHELP fiasco." There you will find downloadable copies of the county lease that was entered into as of September 18, 2001 (the one that pays the town $100,000 a month for ten years), and the town's $6.5 million illegal giveaway to the Valhalla schools, dated as of March 30, 2004. <BR/><BR/>It's truly amazing that for citizens of Greenburgh to obtain documents as important as these, involving millions of dollars of town revenues, they have to go visit the website of a non-Greenburgh activist in the Valhalla schools.<BR/><BR/>You can also find a copy of the state comptroller's findings on that site as well. <BR/><BR/>If Feiner had wanted you to see any of these documents, he would have had them posted on the town's website.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33594888.post-46802850603421168802007-06-27T15:40:00.000-04:002007-06-27T15:40:00.000-04:00Would someone be so kind as to either post the WES...Would someone be so kind as to either post the WESTHELP PARTNERSHIP AGREEMENT on the Town's website or post the correct name by which one might submit a FOIL request to the Chief Records Officer (still the Town Clerk?) for a complete copy.<BR/>There either is, or is not, such a document - and if it cannot be secured by a FOIL request, as it currently is not on the Town website, I'm betting it doesn't exist.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33594888.post-86036477126267859962007-06-27T13:24:00.001-04:002007-06-27T13:24:00.001-04:00Councilwoman Eddie Mae Barnes tonight will take an...Councilwoman Eddie Mae Barnes tonight will take an important step forward, towards restoring the WESTHELP partnership. The Town Board will vote to hold a public hearing in July so that Fairview Fire Dept can be reimbursed for the funds owed, thanks to the WESTHELP partnership agreement she had previously voted for (along with Bass, Juettner).Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33594888.post-29451420815369983942007-06-27T13:24:00.000-04:002007-06-27T13:24:00.000-04:00Councilwoman Eddie Mae Barnes tonight will take an...Councilwoman Eddie Mae Barnes tonight will take an important step forward, towards restoring the WESTHELP partnership. The Town Board will vote to hold a public hearing in July so that Fairview Fire Dept can be reimbursed for the funds owed, thanks to the WESTHELP partnership agreement she had previously voted for (along with Bass, Juettner).Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33594888.post-85549506830331802062007-06-27T13:19:00.000-04:002007-06-27T13:19:00.000-04:00I guess when the numbers get bigger than one can c...I guess when the numbers get bigger than one can conveniently count on fingers and toes the Town's responsible parties lose the ability to act.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33594888.post-15031975289046859312007-06-27T13:02:00.000-04:002007-06-27T13:02:00.000-04:00The state comptroller's report on WestHELP and Val...The state comptroller's report on WestHELP and Valhalla basically said there was no such thing as the "WestHELP Partnership." <BR/><BR/>Specifically, the state comptroller found that there was a lease dated as of September 18, 2001, between the town and the county, in which the county agreed to pay the town $1.2 million a year for ten years, and that such lease made no mention of any agreement to give a piece of the action to anyone else, including the Valhalla schools, the Fairview fire district, or any civic associations. <BR/><BR/>The state comptroller also found that the $6.5 million giveaway was not pursuant to any agreement reached in 2001, but rather was pursuant to a grant agreement between the town and the Valhalla School District, dated March 30, 2004, and that there was nothing in that document which referred to any "WestHELP Partnership" or any prior agreement regarding such funds. <BR/><BR/>In making these findings, the state comptroller specifically rejected Feiner's contention that there was ever anything known as the "WestHELP Partnership."<BR/><BR/>The town entered into a lease in 2001, started getting $100,000 a month, as of September 18, 2001, and in 2004, the town started making gifts of that money to the Valhalla schools and to the Fairview FD. <BR/><BR/>Where things stand today is that the town doesn't seem to be able to account for the millions of dollars that the town received under that lease.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33594888.post-68921930112307970472007-06-27T12:59:00.000-04:002007-06-27T12:59:00.000-04:00Dear readers,Once again "Anonymice" strikes with u...Dear readers,<BR/><BR/>Once again "Anonymice" strikes with unsupported statements. I am not looking for an accounting job. I am and have been gainfully engaged by a number of entities on both finance and accounting matters. Maybe they are all dumb, but they seem to have and are satisfied with what they have received.<BR/><BR/>Second, I haven't said what exactly would be done with any monies recovered from Valhalla. Equity would seem to me that it goes back as though the transaction never occurred, and if that's the "B" budget, so be it. No harm, no foul to the "A" fund. Heretofore, there has been no statement that "Anonymice" can point to otherwise - he/she just likes to make things up. Of course it's easy to make misstatments and mis charactericize a position when you are gutless and spinless and won't dare identify yourself. A lot tougher to stand up, but then what would "Anonymice" know, he probably hasn't served our country in the armed forces as I have. <BR/><BR/>"Anonymice" is strangly silent about the role of the Town's Auditors in all of this. How did they tie out the various receipts in the periods he refers to? I am very curious about the whole affair and I don't trust them because they may be part of the problem, what with their donations to BOTH the Supervisor and Mr. Bass. However, I don't rush to unsupported statements. "Anonymice's" assertions and analysis may be partially or wholly on target. Who is going to get to the bottom of this? At this stage I don't know. Would "Anonymice" accept it if I did the audit and reported to the public? Just the facts, Anonymice, just the facts.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33594888.post-52002722742418344132007-06-27T12:26:00.000-04:002007-06-27T12:26:00.000-04:00I remember, over a year ago, watching a presentati...I remember, over a year ago, watching a presentation on the "Westhelp Partnership" that was given by the president of the Mayfair Knollwood Civic Associaition at a Valhalla SD meeting. I remember being shocked to hear him say that Paul Feiner bicyled up to him as he raked leaves in front of his house to begin discussion on the Westhelp facility lease. I believe the lease was expiring at the time, maybe 2001? This, as it was explained to those in attendence at that VSD BE meeting, was the start of what became the Westhelp Partnership. The tape must still exist or maybe the comments are in their minutes. I think this says volumes about how we got into this mess and I don't remember hearing our entire board was on bikes that day.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33594888.post-23729338934657647442007-06-27T11:08:00.000-04:002007-06-27T11:08:00.000-04:00It would be very useful if those claiming professi...It would be very useful if those claiming professionial expertise, like Kolesar, would spend a more time reviewing the WestHELP lease and the town's financial statements to see if the "anonymice" are right about the unaccounted for WestHELP funds -- and less time trying to pin blame on Heslop or the town council.<BR/><BR/>And while it may be difficult for Kolesar, who is looking for an accounting job, to be objective about this, he may discover, if he does his homework, that Heslop did in fact include in the town's financials, starting in 2004, whatever unspent WestHELP funds he was told about. <BR/><BR/>But can Heslop, who was hired in June 2004, explain what happened to the $2.7 million that the town received in WestHELP revenues between September 2001 and December 2003? <BR/><BR/>Why is Kolesar not curious about that?<BR/><BR/>Instead, Kolesar thinks it's more important to place in the town-wide "general fund" all monies that the town should have received from the WestHELP lease since 2001, including all money paid out wrongfully to the Valhalla schools. <BR/><BR/>Oh, and this supposedly "objective" accountant would like the town's unincorporated areas to foot the bill for that retroactive transfer. <BR/><BR/>In other words, he wants the $1.8 million paid to Valhalla debited right now from the B fund and paid over to the A fund. This would be on top of the $1.4 million that the A fund would get in unspent WestHELP funds. <BR/><BR/>In other words, even though the entire town gets to elect Feiner, Kolesar wants only unincorporated Greenburgh to pay financially for Feiner's having illegally given away $1.8 million to Valhalla. <BR/><BR/>Who thinks that is fair? <BR/><BR/>And if we're going to be making retroactive adjustments, why not do them across the board for all instances in which the town erred in charging the A fund when it should have charged the B fund, and vice versa. Why limit it just to WestHELP? <BR/><BR/>Don't generally accepted accounting principles require that the same rule of accounting treatment be applied equally everywhere?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33594888.post-34603962040060310962007-06-27T10:57:00.000-04:002007-06-27T10:57:00.000-04:00Dear Anonymice,Tension, pressure, pain?Not getting...Dear Anonymice,<BR/><BR/>Tension, pressure, pain?<BR/>Not getting satisfaction from your Town Supervisor?<BR/>Still aching to know where the WESTHELP money is and how it has been disbursed?<BR/><BR/> FOR FAST, FAST, PAIN RELIEF<BR/><BR/>Call the Town Comptroller, Jim Heslop. If anyone should know it would be him.<BR/><BR/>Jim Heslop, Town Comptroller<BR/>914/993-1528 or write<BR/>jheslop@greenburghny.comAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33594888.post-59306843132948917502007-06-27T10:50:00.000-04:002007-06-27T10:50:00.000-04:00The state comptroller's office is auditing Valhall...The state comptroller's office is auditing Valhalla's use of the town's WestHELP funds -- it is so far not auditing what the town did with the money it received that did not go to Valhalla schools -- and that's the problem.<BR/><BR/>Feiner can't seem to account for $2.7 million in revenues the town received from September 18, 2001 to December 31, 2003. <BR/><BR/>At most, he says he's got a total of $1.4 million in unspent funds. <BR/><BR/>That doesn't add up and so far, except for blaming his political opponents for attacking him, Feiner's staying mum about why. <BR/><BR/>We're talking about more than a million dollars of unaccounted for funds that seem to be missing. <BR/><BR/>Town residents should be demanding that Feiner account for this money. If he can't or won't, town residents may have to appeal to a higher authority who will.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33594888.post-60000911520867538282007-06-27T10:45:00.000-04:002007-06-27T10:45:00.000-04:00Just to clarify a fact. According to the Town's p...Just to clarify a fact. According to the Town's published financial statements, the Town Comptroller reports to the ENTIRE Town Council, not the Supervisor.<BR/><BR/>Therefore, why would the Town Comptroller ask the Supervisor, who probably never took an accounting course in his life, how to account for the WESTHELP related transactions? Pretty strange? If in fact the Town Comptroller did ask the Supervisor, (and that hasn't been documented to the public at large yet, just an "Anonymice" insider's assertion), what specific "guidance" did the Town Comptroller expect to receive? Given that the Town Comptroller reports to the ENTIRE Town Council, were any or all of the members of the Town Council copied or also asked for their non-expert accounting opinions?<BR/><BR/>"Anonymice" would have the public believe that a professional accountant, having discovered a problen determines that the proper course of action is to do nothing and make no public disclosures for 3 years. Sound like we have a knowledgable competent professional in this key position? Hey taxpayers, it's just our money that goes for his salary and all sorts of benefits. Nothing to worry about, as long as you can wait years for a possible answer.<BR/><BR/>Are we including the illegally disbursed funds to Valhalla back in the Town's financial statements as a receivable and a corresponding increase in the Town's fund balance? If not, why not? If the Town Board is going to "forgive" this receivable, which if I understand the terms of the agreement correctly Valhalla is bound to indemnify the Town for, when is the Town Board going to vote on this. Ms. Berger, where do you stand on this? (Sitting on a fence along with the decision on Coke vs. Pepsi, I bet)Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33594888.post-73104437797084545342007-06-27T09:57:00.000-04:002007-06-27T09:57:00.000-04:00Has the New York Sate Comptrollers office accused ...Has the New York Sate Comptrollers office accused Feiner with a crime, Let's wait and see what the final decisions of this audit comes up with. I'm sure all the paper work was given over to the state. If Feiner is at fault,or anyone else, who worked on this plan. We will not know until all their work is finished.So lay off accusing Feiner of mismanagement. We should have competent people who know how to manage a large town, That's something that the entire town board has to work on. Just word of advice please not another person like Kaminer.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33594888.post-42308000082189038372007-06-27T09:12:00.000-04:002007-06-27T09:12:00.000-04:00Preiser for Supervisor! At least her hours will co...Preiser for Supervisor! At least her hours will coincide with those of the Town Clerk.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33594888.post-15364762206850735712007-06-27T08:31:00.000-04:002007-06-27T08:31:00.000-04:00Ms. Preiser's integrity was impugned by Feiner on ...Ms. Preiser's integrity was impugned by Feiner on the town-wide gblist, which also went to all local media outlets. <BR/><BR/>He could have apologized to her at yesterday's work session, but he did not. She was there taping, as usual, and distributing to all who asked transcripts of the previous work session which, not surprisingly, substantiate Sheehan's account of what happened in all respects.<BR/><BR/>But one should not overlook the big picture here, and that is Feiner's continued failure to account for the $2.7 million in WestHELP money received by the town for the period September 18, 2001 through December 31, 2003.<BR/><BR/>That failure should be troubling to every Greenburgh taxpayer, and to law enforcement as well.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33594888.post-26277108228152550872007-06-27T08:24:00.000-04:002007-06-27T08:24:00.000-04:00Mr. Feiner -To impugn the integrity of the individ...Mr. Feiner -<BR/>To impugn the integrity of the individual who tapes those sessions is the very worst sort of political grandstanding. <BR/>I know this is not the first communication you've received on the subject - I hope it will not be the last. <BR/>Your unfortunate remarks require a public apology - here, in your blog where the remark was made. <BR/>Should you choose not to apologize, I hope the electorate will take note of the arrogance born of too many years without accountability.<BR/>To those who will criticize this posting - sign your names, don't hide in the shadows when you condone bad behavior, at least have the courage of your convictions.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com