HASTINGS ON HUDSON CREATING SENIOR COMMITTEE- STUDYING GREENHOUSE PROJECT AND INTERESTING HOUSING OPTIONS FOR SENIORS

The Hastings Village Board has appointed a senior advisory committee to consider senior housing options that will enable seniors to stay in their homes and avoid a nursing home environment. Among the models under review is the Greenhouse project-- a model that pairs 10 to 12 elders with three or 4 staff members in traditional houses embedded in traditional communities.
The Eden Alternative introduces pets, gardening and a more mutual relationship between residents and staff into large institutions.
The Beacon Hill project facilitates staying in one's home by having a clearinghouse of services such as hiring home attendants, shopping help,etc..
Among those working on this initiative is Danielle Goodman, the only candidate for the opening on the Hastings Village Board of Trustees.
I will encourage the Greenburgh Town Board to consider a similar initiative.

GUARD RAILS ON SIDEWALKS-WHAT DO YOU THINK?

A resident of Edgemont suggested an interesting idea: that we place guard rails on Ardsley Road between the road and sidewalk. This concept, if implemented, would provide added protection for commuters. In addition, when the sidewalks are slippery pedestrians could hold on to the rails/barriers.
I'm interested in hearing your thoughts regarding this suggestion. So far-- the effort to increase pedestrian safety on Ardsley Road has been unsuccessful. But- I'll continue to try until we solve the problem.
If this approach works we could place barriers on other sidewalks around town.

NYS DEC--APPLICATION FOR GEOTHERMAL HAS NOT BEEN FILED, NO VERBAL COMMITMENTS MADE

I received an e mail from Kathleen Sanford, Chief of the Permits Section of the NYSDEC Division of Mineral Resources in Albany. I was advised that the DEC has not received applications to drill geothermal wells at the Greenburgh library. Staff of the Division of Mineral Resources have not made any verbal promise whatsoever regarding any potential future application to drill wells which would require permits from us, either at the current proposed locations (which are not before us for review at this time) or some other locations around the library."
In December the Town Board approved bids for geothermal contractors --before any application was actually filed or approved. I expressed concern about this action.

more upbeat news about COMMUNITY HOSPITAL AT DOBBS FERRY

An article in today's edition of the Westchester County Business Journal (www.westchestercountybusinessjournal.com) has a headline: "CEO confident hospital can be saved". Some good news about a meeting with state health officials & the CEO of the hospital regarding the future of the Community Hospital at Dobbs Ferry.
If the hospital is saved, I think much of the credit should go to our new State Senator, Andrea Stewart-Cousins. Senator Cousins has worked very hard arranging meetings with key state decision makers and arranged for the Minority Leader of the Senate to tour the Hospital with elected officials and hospital representatives.

GREENBURGH DEMOCRACY-POST YOUR COMMENTS---THE WEEK AHEAD: FEBRUARY 26 PREVIEWS

The week ahead---some highlights...
1) Town Board meeting on Wednesday evening 7:15 PM, Greenburgh Town Hall.
2) 3 Developmentally disabled residents of a group home will petition the Town Board to place sidewalks on Chatterton Parkway.
3) All the members of the Town Board have decided to "dust off" the proposed sidewalk policy and to come up with a modified policy that addresses sidewalk issues.
4) The Town Board will discuss reasons for the delays in starting the construction of the library ---more than two months after bids were awarded.
5) The Town Board will discuss the status of the geothermal application for the library--when will the application be filed?
6) I intend to bring up the need for a reading room/area at our satellite library.
7) We will continue the public hearing on the proposed moratorium on development on Central Ave.
8) Continued review re: snow clearing of sidewalks on Ardsley Road.
9) An affordable housing proposal.
....and much much more!

PLEASE FEEL FREE TO COMMENT ABOUT ANY TOWN ISSUES! YOUR INPUT IS APPRECIATED.

SATELLITE LIBRARIES SHOULD HAVE READING AREA--MAGAZINES

Received a letter addressed to the town from a President of a local neighborhood association this afternoon - complaining about the lack of periodicals at the new satellite library locations. There is no reading room at the satellite library at Town Hall.
I will renew my request this week that the town convert the former STAR offices into a reading area or that another suitable location at town hall be found for a reading area.
The library staff is working very hard to make the satellite library location work. However, if more space is provided (or rented out) we can offer library patrons more of the services that they previously enjoyed.
The library construction, which still has not begun, is expected to take about 2 yearsw once the library construction starts.

TOWN SHOULD BE PROTECTED IF DEC DOES NOT APPROVE GEOTHERMAL AT LIBRARY

The NYS DEC still has not received applications to drill geothermal wells at the Greenburgh Public Library. In the event that aspects of the library project have to be rebid because the DEC does not sign off on geothermal - I have asked the Town Attorney to make sure that the town is protected. Additional costs should not be assumed by the town but by the architect/TRITON. We have been advised for many months that there will be no problems securing permission from the state DEC to drill geothermal wells at the library.
In December the Town Board voted to award bids to contractors. Did it make sense to award the contracts to geothermal contractors before the application was filed with the DEC? 2 of the 5 contractors still have not executed the contract -- delaying the start of the library construction. I am very concerned about the delays in construction of the library. The Town Board will discuss this at Wednesday's Town Board meeting.
The voters approved the library construction project almost two years ago. Construction has not yet started. It is the responsibility of the entire Town Board to oversee the construction project to make sure that we are getting value for our dollar. That's the main reason I have constantly called on the Town Board to hire a full time project manager for the library.

CITIZEN IDEA OF THE DAY FROM JOHN AOKI--GEO THERMMALLY HEATED SIDEWALKS

In recent weeks I have posted some comments about conditions on Ardsley Road. Many pedestrians walk on the narrow, hilly road when sidewalks are not cleared of snow/ice---creating dangerous conditions. I have tried (for a few years) to persuade the Town Board to have the town assume the responsibility of clearing sidewalks of snow/ice. No success!
John Aoki e mailed me today's citizen suggestion of the day: that the town should explore the possibilities of geo thermmally heated sidewalks. Some cities across the nation pipe hot water under roads and sidewalks to melt snow. District heating applications use networks of piped hot water to heat buildings in whole communities. I have a phot of snow melting on sidewalks in Klamath Fall, Or.
I think that the town should explore this idea, especially on Ardsley Road.

LIBRARY CLOSED PREMATURELY BECAUSE CONSTRUCTION OF NEW LIBRARY STILL HAS NOT BEGUN...CONTRACTS HAVE NOT BEEN SIGNED BY TWO CONTRACTORS

For over a year I have called on the Town Board to hire a full time library project manager to oversee construction of the 20 million dollar library project. The Town Board has rejected my request saying that a project manager was not needed.
In December the Town Board approved bids so that the construction of the library could start. THe library closed its building in early January. A ground breaking ceremony was held a few weeks ago.
Has construction started? NO
Has the main bidder executed the contract that was awarded to him? No
Has the bidder for geothermal executed the contract that was awarded to the company? No
Is there a reading room at the small satellite library at Town Hall? No
Have library patrons been inconvenienced with a smaller library satellite library? YES
Why has it taken over two months for the 2 bidders who were awarded the contracts to sign the contracts? Shouldn't the reasons for the delay be made public?
WHy didn't the town apply for geothermal permits before bidding out portion of the project?
Is the construction manager/architect being held responsible for additional costs?
Will the town continue to pay TRITON (our construction manager) additional monthly fees because the start of the construction and completition is taking longer than expected. This project was originally scheduled to start during the summer of 2006, not the spring of 2007. TRITON is actually being rewarded financially for the delays.
If the project will come in over the 20 million dollars what additional reductions are being considered to bring the project costs down?
Are there other problems that have not been disclosed as of yet?
Doesn't the public have the right to know?
I will ask that the library construction project be discussed at our Town Board meeting next Wednesday night at 7:15 PM at Greenburgh Town Hall. This is not about the library (the voters voted for a library expansion and the wishes of the public must be honored)-- it's about a construction project that I feel needs a full time project manager for oversight purposes. I fear that without a full time project managaer that there will be additional delays, problems and unnecessary costs.

CITIZEN IDEA OF THE DAY: COMPUTER REMINDERS-WHAT IS BEING RECYCLED...

Bill Riccardi e mailed me with a great idea: He is suggesting that the sanitation calendar be placed in a format other than pdf. For example, a vCal, iCal or other format would be helpful and allow residents to download the calendar into their PIMS. Just imagine: your blackberry beeping at you at 7 AM Wednesday morning reminding you that it's commingle day, not paper day. I have asked our MIS Computer staff to look into this suggestion.

BLOGGERS SUGGESTION BEING FOLLOWED UP- WILL ASK COUNTY TO REIMBURSE TOWN FOR SNOW REMOVAL ON ARDSLEY ROAD SIDEWALK

I read the recent blog post by former Ardsley Trustee Mike Kolesar suggesting that the town reach out to the county and ask the county to reimburse the town to remove snow from Ardsley Road sidewalks. I have followed up on the suggestion and have written to the County Executive.
When sidewalks are not cleared of snow many commuters walk to and from the Scarsdale train station on the narrow,steep road, not the sidewalks. This is dangerous. If the county would help the town with the costs of snow removal alongside this county road - it might be easier to persuade other town board members to support my request that the town assume the responsibility of snow removal on sidewalks along Ardsley Road.

STATE OFFICIALS LOOKING TO KEEP DOBBS FERRY HOSPITAL OPEN AS AS AMBULATORY CARE OR SUB EMERGENCY URGENT CARE CENTER

An article in today's Westchester County Business Journal (www.westchestercountybusinessjournal.com) indicated that progress is being made regarding efforts to keep the Community Hospital at Dobbs Ferry open! State officials are looking to keep the hospital open as an ambulatory care or sub emergency urgent care center. An aggressive lobbying campaign to save the hospital has been waged. The community hospital is a profit making hospital and provides our community with important medical services. I am glad that the Spitzer administration is considering options to save this community treasure! I also want to thank Senator Andrea Stewart Cousins for providing leadership on tihs important issue.

GREENBURGH DEMOCRACY- WEEK OF FEB 19TH..EXPRESS YOURSELF! SPEAK OUT ABOUT TOWN ISSUES!

Feel free to express yourself about any town issue by posting a comment! Thank you for being partners with town officials in the decision making process.

COUNTY NEGOTIATING WITH ARDSLEY SCHOOLS TO PROVIDE REVENUE IN EVENT THAT COUNTY PURSUES ARDSLEY LOCATION FOR BD OF ELECTIONS SITE

An article in today's Journal News indicated that Westchester County is secretly negotiating with Ardsley officials to offset a tax hit of close to $200,000 annually that the school district will suffer if commercial property at 450 Saw Mill River Road is purchased for the new location of the Westchester County Board of Elections. I had previously expressed concern about the location and its impact on the school district. If the county acquires the property the property does not have to pay taxes. However, if the county works out an agreement with Ardsley to pay the school district each year - it would address one of the concerns. Another concern: access for the disabled.

"3 MUSKETEERS" FIGHT FOR SIDEWALKS ON CHATTERTON RECEIVES EDITORIAL SUPPORT BY JOURNAL NEWS

The NY Journal News wrote a great editorial praising the efforts of the "3 Musketeers" who are fighting for sidewalks on Chatterton Parkway.The editorial appears in Saturday's Journal News (2/17). The "3 Museketeers" are residents of a group home for the developmentally disabled. They circulated petitions calling for sidewalks and will be presenting the petitions to the Greenburgh Town Board at our next Town Board meeting - a week from this coming Wednesday night. I support their efforts.
They are a real inspiration! Not only are they making the case for sidewalks, but they also highlight the fact that residents of group homes are terrific human beings.

CON ED PROMISES 107 MILLION IN INFRASTRUCTURE ENHANCEMENTS TO HELP REDUCE POTENTIAL FOR MASSIVE POWER OUTAGES

Con Ed officials attended a meeting I sponsored at the Greenville School in Edgemont with residents who experienced a number of power outages last year. Con Ed promised $107 million in infrastructure enhancements. The company promises proactive measures that could reduce the potential for massive power outages. Infra-red inspections, looking for loose connections, analyzing transformers, replacement of wires, replacing transformer stations, building a new Elmsford substation, underground feeders distribution improvements and tree trimming are just some of the changes promised. Con Ed indicated that last year they hired 1,300 new employees.
The company indicated that a major reason why there were so many power outages last year is because so many trees came down. Many trees were planted in the 1930s--they have a life of about 70 years. Some of the downed trees were rotting. Con Ed feels that its tree trimming program will reduce some of the outages.
Major outage factors in Greenburgh: 53.76% from major storms...1.50% lightning....0.29% csp tripped...1.35%blow fuse...8.47% from animals (squirrels jumping on transformers, as an example)...14.88% trees...1.07% traffic accidents...2.83% feeder...5.92 pole components....0.59% planned outage...9.20% open wire...0.15% OH transformer

Any suggestions--possible locations for additional athletic fields?

One of the biggest quality of life concerns for some people in the community is the lack of athletic fields around town. There is a shortage of field space for soccer teams, football and baseball competitions.
Your suggestions would be welcome and appreciated!

COMMUTERS WALKING ON SLIPPERY ARDSLEY ROAD, NOT SIDEWALKS WHEN ARDSLEY RD SIDEWALKS NOT CLEARED OF SNOW

I believe that the town should clear snow from sidewalks on Ardsley Road. If the town does not assume the responsibility of snow clearing on sidewalks - I think we should contract with an outsidecompany to provide the service. I have seen a number of commuters walk on this slippery, dangerous street (Ardsley Road) when sidewalks are not cleared of snow. Ardsley Road is used by pedestrians to get to and from the Scarsdale train station.
I strongly urge the Town Board to schedule a meeting to discuss this matter and to hold a public hearing on a sidewalk policy (an action the Board claimed was a high priority last year).
If a commuter walks on Ardsley Road because sidewalks have not be cleared - and a car skids because of slippery road conditions, there could be a horrible accident.
There are other sidewalks leading to schools/train stations/bus stops that should also be cleared of snow by the town.

PRESENTATION BY 3 GROUP HOME RESIDENTS FOR SIDEWALKS RESCHEDULED FOR FEB 28

There is an interesting feature article about Jason Kingsley, Ray Frost and Yaniv Gorodischer, the 3 residents of a group home on Chatterton Parkway, who are petitioning the Town Board to build sidewalks on Chatterton Parkway. The article appeared in the Journal News (www.lohud.com) today. Mr. Kingsley, Frost and Gorodischer will be presenting their petition to the Town Board at our February 28th Town Board meeting.

CUPID WINS! TOWN BOARD MEETING CANCELLED

Cupid wins! The Greenburgh Town Board meeting, scheduled for tonight, has been cancelled due to weather conditions. The National Weather service has issued an ice storm warning for our area. Sleet and freezing rain will make travel difficult. They are discouraging travel.
Happy valentine's day! All votes, hearings and public comments will take place at our next Town Board meeting in 2 weeks - Feb 28th.