At the Town Board work session yesterday I suggested that the Board release the agendas of the work sessions to the public on the Friday before the Tuesday work session to give residents who want to attend meetings adequate notice as to what will be discussed at the work session - and at what time. This will enable the residents who want to attend work sessions (because of interest re: certain issues) to plan their day. The Board did not like the idea. At tonights Town Board meeting I will offer a compromise resolution: that agendas of work session be posted on the web site no later than 9AM on the day of the work session. I'd prefer more notice-- this compromise, at the minimum, is a start.
The Board asked me to temporarily table the proposal I made to put all resolutions on the web before Town Board meetings. I will bring this matter up again.
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27 comments:
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The board does like any good idea proposed by the Supervisor.
It would be amazing to hear even one half-way decent reason why this is not a good idea from the board, other than the fact that it was proposed by Mr. Feiner. Don't count on any answers, without approval of the boss of the majority.
The dirty politics in this town stinks and it is getting worse.
Feiner should put his money where is mouth is.
Let him post his proposed resolutions as attachments to his blog so that the public can see if he himself is capable of putting his "suggestions" in the form of proposed resolutions that the Town Board can consider and the public can comment on.
Alternatively, tune in to tonight's meeting to see whether he's got anything in writing when he makes these "suggestions" of his.
It takes time and thought to put together a coherent resolution.
I'm betting Feiner's got nothing on this for tonight other than another one of his self-serving speeches.
Mr, Samis thank you again for trying to set the board straight. You could see how rehearsed the four were. silence for you,and a twelve round boxing match toward Feiner.CIRCUS ,CIRCUS.THIS IS THE ONLY TOWN THAT HAS MEETINGS WITH CIRCUS CLOWNS AND BAFOONS.WHAT A WASTE. They should be selling popcorn ,and candy next time.
Can't understand why Sheehan,Bass, Barnes & Juettner won't support a common sense/ open government proposal to post agendas of work sessions on the web earlier in the day. SO DISAPPOINTED IN THEM.
Like ConEd, the town board is probably just tired of hearing Mr. Feiner's constant whining. Therefore, he is being shunned. Maybe Feiner needs to take a break from town board pestering, and show that he can execute his primary job responsibilities (managing the day-to-day operations of the town). Then, perhaps, he might be taken more seriously.
This really shouldn't be "up for discussion" or the subject of a compromise. NY State's Open Meetings Law requires public notice of a Town Board meeting PRIOR to the meeting. Same day notice is only for emergencies - and as the meetings occur on a fairly regular schedule it is a stretch to believe every one of them was called in response to an emergency. The Open Meetings Law does not distinguish between "regular" and "work" sessions - both require notice before and minutes after. Notice includes the reason for the meeting - that means what will be discussed at the meeting.
I am appalled that the Supervisor and the Town Board have not made it a practice to follow the law - and further appalled that as each claims to be representing the public's interest, neither side has thought to simply email the Notice of Meeting including the subjects to be discussed to the Town's email list.
I respectfully request our elected public officials comply with the law and stop permitting partisan politics to interfere with the delivery of quality government.
Lasser, get real. The politicos have no interest in governing. They only want to use their influence to get rich at the public's expense. The best way to do that is to treat the public like mushrooms - keep them in the dark and cover them with excrement.
Maybe they don't want to release the agendas because we'll see that they really aren't doing anything. We should eliminate the town board and have only an elected supervisor - think of the money we could save.
What we need is a Mayor of the City of Greenburgh. Dump the villages (and the bordering unincorporated sections that are in village school districts), and let them become their own township. The remaining sections (Edgemont, Hartsdale, Fairview areas) could easily meet the standards for a city, and the management would be so much smoother.
What's going to result now is that there will be no more official work sessions. The sessions for the board members to work together will now be unofficial and just rotate among the board members' dining room tables as "casual chats" (read: hard-core work sessions) among colleagues. And you know that Feiner will never be invited.
I cannot understand why the public has to remain mute,at work sessions.Another thing I don't know how the puppetier,and his three puppets,refuse to understand that the people in Greenburgh are disgusted with them.This board has to be replaced. There should be some high official who would look into this matter.This board plays games with our monies.NOT ONLY SHOULD WE BE ALLOWED TO VIEW SESSIONS ON TV,WE THE PUBLIC SHOULD BE ABLE TO SPEAK UP ON DIFFERENT MATTERS.No one answers questions at town meetings,why do we need the mute four.The supervisor can't answer,because he is outvoted. WAKE UP GREENBURGH ,SHEEHAN WILL SILENCE ALL OF US ,The two ladies very seldom talk,and if they do they follow Sheehan's lead.Bass is in a world of his own thinking how nice the seat in the middle would be.What a sad state this town is in.
There are a number of interesting comments here, unfortunately not by anyone willing to be identified with them.
First, "let's dump the Villages ..." In a heart beat. Let's work together to make it happen. The Villages are spending thousnads of dollars to have Pace University look into the legal ways to make this happen. You, whoever you are, could short circuit this by standing up and just identifying yourself in favor of that direction.
Just an elected Supervisor? Are you kidding?? However bad the "Gang of Four" may be, they serve as a balance to such a full time position. Long term, you really don't want a "Czar" in office.
While the work sessions of Congress and the State Legislature are not yet broadcast, the two party system seves as a moderating factor. The problem in Greenburgh is that there hasn't been an offsetting influence. If the Villages get their collective acts together, then theirs will be an offset and the craziness will stop very quickly. I'm not optimistic, but my "ears" tell me not to rule it out.
It may be a very interesting election cycle.
Francis Sheehan has seduced or intimidated the 3 other members of the council to vote with him to make Greenburgh government secretive. At last nights town board meeting councilman Bass tried to speak out against Sheehan's comprehensive plan proposal. Sheehan gave Bass a dirty look and Bass started to panic and back down.
Bass is not a wimp. He's Sheehan's puppet.
No one seems to get the full picture,on the famous four .They are not the ones to represent us here in all of Greenburgh.They only see Edgemont,as a town.What people say or do in the other areas goes into one ear and out the other.
Edgemont gets treated favorabley? HA HA HA
1. Purchase of Taxter Ridge -- to protect Irvington Schools.
2. Payments to Valhalla School District
3. Payments to Fairview.
4. Holding back Waterwheel property -- for what -- to be given to Ardsley Fire Department.
If the Town Board would release work session agenda to the public in advance of meetings then Edgemont residents could make plans and attend meetings at which time Edgemont concerns were being considered.
This whole issue of releasing work session agendas to the public is a red herring because Feiner has his own personal work session agenda which he keeps to himself.
Thus, for example, there was nothing on last week's work session agenda concerning A and B budget issues, which is a matter of substantial concern to Edgemont taxpayers.
Yet, that subject was on Feiner's personal work session agenda for that day and, accordingly, at his invitation, the mayor of Tarrytown and the pro-village advocate from Dobbs Ferry both made sure they were in attendance.
Because Feiner feels he needs to pander to the villages on A and B issues, he of course invited no one involved in these matters from the unincorporated areas to attend.
In the old days, with Feiner running the show, this was how back room deals got put together.
Now, with the town council in charge, they stuck to their announced agenda and, after a few hours of their waiting around, assured the Tarrytown mayor and sidekick that no A and B budget issues would be addressed without prior notice being given to everyone concerned.
That's how it should be.
This is the continual problem. Feiner tries an endrun, and then when it fails, he acts like the white knight or injured party.
I cant wait to see his next campaign contributors list.
I'M HAPPY TO SEE ALL THE CONSIDERATION THE FOUR MEMBERS OF THE BOARD GIVE EDGEMONT.I THOUGHT I WAS THE ONLY ONE.SPEAK UP CIVIC ASSOCIATIONS ,YOUR NOT GETTING WHATS DUE YOUR AREA.
Rumor has it that Feiner advised at least two members of the unincorporated section of town who are involved in A & B budget issues that the A & B budget was scheduled to be discussed at the work session. Rumor also has it that some members of the Board don't want the draft report released because of political ramifications.
If anonymous at 11:50 (a/k/a Feiner) is to be believed, then it's clear that Feiner does keep his own personal work session agendas and that his complaining about the town board not releasing the official agendas for these meetings soon enough for him is just another red herring because Feiner himself is apparently the problem.
Anonymous at 11:50 suggests that Feiner not only invited the mayor of Tarrytown and his "legal advisor" to be present for a discussion last Tuesday of A and B budget issues, but that he also invited "as least two" members of the unincorporated areas to be there too.
In fact, there was no one from the unincorporated areas present at that work session, but more importantly, there was no mention of A and B budget issues being on last Tuesday's work session agenda at all.
However, A and B budget issues were apparently on Feiner's own personal work session agenda, which he does not share with the town council much less the public.
Anonymous at 11:50 (a/k/a Feiner himself) thinks some members of the town board don't want to the town comptroller's draft report on A and B issues to be released for "political reasons."
This is more Feiner innuendo.
If the report isn't yet final, but Feiner feels for "political reasons" it should be released anyway, he can make a motion to have it released or he can tell one of his political supporters what to ask for and file a FOIL request for it.
Rumor has it that some members of the Town Council want the draft report to be kept secret until after the Democratic convention so that the draft report won't become the major issue.
If the town comptroller's draft report is supposed to be based on the law, and anyone elected to public office in this town must take an oath of office to uphold the law, what difference would it make when the draft report is made public?
It would only make a difference to the one candidate for public office who's been thumbing his nose at the law for years -- and that's Feiner.
It's no rumor that Feiner's antics have cost Greenburgh taxpayers millions.
His antics have also needlessly sown divisions between neighborhoods and between the town's villages and its unincorporated areas.
"Feiner's antics"
This could all be a soap opera. Great combo of tragedy/comedy.
His era will be done soon, and then we can move on to a professional management expert running the town.
For now, I say we all just nod and smile. No one anywhere takes him seriously anymore. He can whine and stir up drama all he wants; it won't make a bit of difference.
The town public works crew did a great job with snow removal under trying and difficult circumstances.
The dpw did a good job in removing snow,where it was possible.There's one law on the books that is ignored,Cars should not be parked on the roads from December to April,this caused a lot of the streets to be plowed but not completly.Maybe new signs are needed to tell the homeowners what the laws states.Years gone by,if you left your car on the street you had a summons under your wipers.WHAT HAPPENED NOW ? We do have the manpower to enforce the laws,,, .
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