A GOVERNMENT EMPLOYEE WHO IS DEFINITELY UNDERPAID!

I spent Monday morning (March 31st) working with Ralph Damiano. Ralph is approaching his 80th birthday and delivers meals to senior citizens who are homebound. Ralph earns $10.50 an hour from the town – he is supposed to work three and a half hours a day (9 AM to 12:30) but typically puts in five or six hours and he does not charge the town for his extra time.
Ralph is one of a handful of dedicated part time employees responsible for delivering between 435 to 500 meals a day to seniors. He has worked for the town for 11 years, after retiring as an operating engineer. When I agreed to work with him I thought my morning would be relaxing. I was wrong. Ralph did not waste a second, we delivered 36 meals to needy seniors and stopped off at a nutrition site along the way. We climbed over 300 steps during the morning hours – it was hard to keep up with Ralph who runs up the steps like a 20 year old, not an 80 year old.
Before I arrived (Ralph was at the Parks & Recreation office at 7:30 PM) the kitchen staff were preparing delicious meals for the seniors: todays menu included stuffed pepper, mashed potato, broccoli, milk and bread. Canned fruit is provided. Diabetics get a fresh apple. Seniors are asked to pay $3 a meal (which includes delivery).
To say I was impressed with the effort is a big UNDERSTATEMENT. Ralph is an awesome public servant. He’s friendly with the seniors, treats his customers like family. He is a true hero. He looks out for his seniors. He once found an elderly woman laying on the floor. No one had helped her. He called 911 and got her the help she needed. We visited her on Monday – she is getting back to herself. When it snows he has cleared the steps of snow for some of the seniors. When we stopped by at a woman’s apartment – he took out her garbage and threw it out. None of these duties are job requirements.
Ralph knows the habits of people on his route. Some of the seniors have alzheimers. Others are in the beginning stages of alzheimers. We dropped off food at the homes/apartments of a few people who were legally blind. We kidded them: they’re like the new Governor. One of the seniors that Ralph drops off food at is 102 years young. We walked up very steep, narrow steps at a 100 year old building in Hastings (this is a town wide program). Other apartment buildings were also in pretty bad shape.
Ralph does not get sick time. He does not get vacation time. He gets no health insurance from the town and no benefits. In fact, a number of years ago –while working- his vehicle hit his leg. Ralph was not injured. Bruised a little. But, not injured. According to Deputy Commissioner of Parks Joe Lucasey Ralph continued delivering meals to seniors and then put in a claim ----------for a new pair of pants.

PAUL FEINER
Greenburgh Town Supervisor

NEXT MONTH: I’m going to be working in a different department. I’ll provide you with a report

FREE MOVIES, DISCUSSIONS, FUN EVENTS CONCERNING GLOBAL WARMING, OUR ENVIRONMENT

PLEASE ATTEND THIS COMING WEEKS FREE EVENTS CONCERNING OUR ENVIRONMENT
CLIMATE ACTION WEEK 2008: All events free and open to public; all at the James Harmon Community Center, 44 Main St., Hastings-on-Hudson. Info: ClimateActionHOH@gmail.com

Tues., Apr. 1 Movie and Music Night, 6.30 p.m. Solar-powered rock group Solar Flash, world premiere rock video "Talkin' Trash". 8 p.m. feature-length documentary written and narrated by Hollywood star but we can't use the name because of our distribution contract.

Weds., Apr. 2, 7:30 p.m. "Climate Change 101". Panel discussion on facts about climate change, with Brendan Mackey, Nat'l University of Australia; Joseph Siegel, Pace Law School/EPA; Radley Horton, NASA/Goddard Institute; Keri Powell, EarthJustice, moderated by Sandeep Mehrotra, Hazen & Sawyer.

Thurs., Apr. 3, 7:30 p.m. "Impending Issues in Public Health Caused by Climate Change". Panel discussion. Patrick Kinney, Columbia U School of Public Health; Bruce Jennings, Humans & Nature & Yale University; Jeffery Dyke, psychologist; Robert Klein, Montefiore Hospital.

Fri., Apr. 4, 5 p.m. Kids Night! Kids k-12 and parents. "Bash the Trash", games, arts & crafts, films, and dinner.

Sat., Apr. 5 Mayors Conversation, 9 a.m. Panel discussion mayors and other elected officials (public welcome) on Westchester County Global Warming Action Plan, moderated by Robert Funicello. Green Living Fair, 1-6 p.m. Sustainable and green vendors and exhibitors, Transportation Station (13 alternate fuel cars and the Westchester Veggie Van). Talkin' Trash tent (news in composting & recycling). Workshops on green investing, lobbying, our water supply & conservation, organic lawn care and more. Kids Zone. Tour a brand-new green building.

Sun., Apr. 6, 2.p.m. Josh Dorfman, The Lazy Environmentalist. Author's talk on inexpensive and simply green living, green furniture and more. Book signing.

Mon. Apr. 7, 7:30 p.m. "Bringing It All Back Home" Hastings Public Library.. What have we learned about climate change and where do we go from here, at home and as a community.

WORK SESSION FOR TUESDAY...SUMMARY OF THIS PAST TUESDAYS WORK SESSION

Town of Greenburgh

Revised Work Session Agenda of the Greenburgh Town Board

Tuesday, April 1, 2008

(All Work Session are Televised Live on Cablevision Channel 76, Verizon 32)

All Work Sessions are now streamed live.

2:00p.m. Discussion on a proposal to have question/answer session at the beginning of Town Board meetings. (Citizens can submit questions to the Town Clerk in writing by 5:00p.m. each Tuesday before the Board Meeting. Questions will be answered by Department Heads or Council members at the Wednesday night Board meetings.)
2:05p.m Review of TDYCC RFP for Needs Assessment and Gap Analysis

2:30p.m. Code Enforcement – Tim Lewis
3:00p.m. Executive Session – Legal
4:00p.m. Executive Session – Energy Conservation Coordinator Interviews

6:00p.m. Waterwheel – Jay Leon, Mayor, Village of Ardsley

6:30p.m. Adjourn

April 8, 2008 Work Session (tentative)

Ø Sunrise Assisted Living – Follow up

Ø Library Construction

Ø WestHab
Work Session Summary – Tuesday, March 25, 2008

Community Outreach

During the months of April, May and June, community outreach meetings are being scheduled for Tarrytown, Ardsley and Dobbs Ferry. On May 1, 2008, Ardsley residents will be invited to an open forum and community event with Paul Feiner, Tom Abinanti and the Town Board at the Ardsley Community Center.

Busing Associates – Parks and Recreation

At the request of Gerry Byrne, Commissioner of Parks and Recreation, a plan was presented to the Board for alterations to the cornice and gutters of the multi-purpose center at Anthony F. Veteran Park. According to the consultants, “The useful life of a building could become limited if you get a mold problem. “ The Board will ascertain from the Comptroller’s office what monies may be available from a building escrow account to help offset the cost of this project.

TDYCC (Theodore D. Young Community Center) Capital Budget Review

Acting Commissioner Valerie Whitehead presented a preliminary budget request to the Board and will provide additional information to support the capital budget needs of the center at the capital budget follow-up meeting. Ms. Whitehead also shared that the pool will be closed from April 14-June 1, 2008 for major repairs. Paul Feiner requested that she submit a “Workforce Reassignment Plan” for this period to reflect where staff, whose regular full time assignments will be affected by the pool closing, will be working and what their duties will be. Councilwoman Sonja Brown requested a list of alternate swim sites for residents.

TDYCC – RFP (Request for Proposal) to Develop a Needs Assessment and Gap Analysis

Councilwoman Sonja Brown presented a draft RFP to the Board for review. The RFP will be approved at the next Work Session, April 1, 2008.
Work for Taxes

Pauline Kirkland, Assistant Comptroller/Personnel, along with the Assessor’s office, developed an application and participation guidelines for senior citizens who desire to participate in the Work for Taxes program. She cautioned that seniors who come into the program will need to determine whether or not their participation places their STAR status at risk. Ms. Kirkland requested that all department heads submit a job description to be included in the program.
Chauncey Estates

A request was presented to the Board to develop 18 acres into 8 lots for the purpose of creating a “standard sub-division for single family homes in an area off of Ridge Road. The Board approved that this item may be referred back to the Planning Board

A BETTER IDEA FROM ENERGY CONSERVATION COORDINATOR--TURN CYBERMOBILE INTO VEGI CYBERMOBILE

Earlier this week I suggested that the town follow Mamaroneck's lead and turn a garbage truck into a veggie truck. Nikki Coddington, our energy conservation coordinator (today is her last day) came up with a better suggestion: Make the cybermobile our veggi-mobile. This makes alot of sense. The cybermobile is used for educational purposes. I would like to pursue this suggestion.

Paul,

Since you have been inspired by Mamaroneck’s vegetable-oil-powered garbage truck and you have suggested the Town should try to get a “veggie truck” of our own, I have a suggestion. Rather than do this with one of our garbage trucks, how about using the Cybermobile? Why: as an educational vehicle, it is a perfect “ambassador” to educate the community about this technology; it sits in one place for long periods running its generator on smelly diesel, so this would be a cleaner alternative reducing local air pollution (I’m told it only smells like French fries!); and maybe as a unique vehicle, it gets treated differently anyway, so I think would be a preferable first choice compared to a garbage truck that is one of a fleet subjected to heavier service on a daily basis. You could request donations of used vegetable oil from local restaurants and publicize them—further benefiting the local community…and presumably the donations would be free.

As you know from our Clean Transportation Plan, there are practical issues with using an alternative fuel (storage, maintenance, repair, technical knowledge etc.), so I hope these would be taken into account if you decide to go forward with this project.

Thanks,
Nikki

Nicola Coddington
Energy Conservation Coordinator
Town of Greenburgh

ANSWER QUESTIONS AT BD MEETINGS

Some of the citizens who attend Board meetings have complained that we do not respond to questions from citizens. It's a valid criticism.
I am suggesting the following policy change. Citizens who have questions that they would like to ask the commissioner at a Board meeting should submit the question to the Town Clerk by 5 PM on Tuesday before the Wednesday evening Board meeting. At the beginning of the meeting the clerk will read the question, call on the commissioner to answer the question. At the conclusion of the question and answer session we will resume citizen comments.

VALVE THAT HAS NOT BEEN USED IN 51 YEARS GETS WATER BACK ON!

Yesterday there was a major water main break on E Hartsdale Ave. Stores were out of business again (a year ago they were out because of the flood). I received the following e mail from Randy Cairns of our water dept.
Paul Feiner
As of approximately 2 PM today we have restored water supply back to the customers who were without water due to the main break on E. Hartsdale Ave. We did this by utilizing a back-up interconnection between two different pressure zones at the intersection of Club Way and E. Hartsdale Ave. This interconnection utilizes a 6” diameter pressure reducing valve that has not been active since approximately 1957. The water from the high pressure zone goes through the automatic valve where the pressure is reduced some 50 psi which is approximately the normal pressure in the low zone that E. Hartsdale Ave. is located in. This valve had to inspected, checked, water turned on, flushed and then the controls on the valve had to be calibrated. To our amassment………it worked after 51 years! We checked most of the stores, including Harry’s, and all had water again.
We still must make repairs (which are very difficult and will take a week or more) but, we are not in an Emergency situation. The County Water District will be starting repairs to their 48” diameter water main at the same spot tomorrow at 8 AM. They must fix their leak first so then we can complete ours. Greenburgh’s 6” water main is broken underneath their 48” water main (which is an old 1882 NYC water line that the County bought in the ‘1950-60’s).
No one will be out of water for the remainder of these repairs, unless something else happens.

Fire district voters reject bond issue

The results of The Fairview Fire Dept election for a Bond issue were defeated by the voters
of the district.
The Results

No- 98

Yes- 43

CYBERMOBILE, SUNDAY LIBRARY HOURS, NEW SIDEWALK ON 9A WHERE FATALITY TOOK PLACE

I am pleased to advise you that Sunday hours will be restored to the library –effective this Sunday. A special thank you to the Lanza Family Foundation for their generous donation.
In addition, thanks to a generous grant from the Lanza Family Foundation we are able to put the cybermobile back in service on a part time basis for 3 months. Schedules are subject to change. Weather, driving conditions, mechanical difficulties may affect the cybermobile’s schedule. You should call 993-1600 if you have any questions about the library. The cybermobile phone number is 914-260-8839. These are the hours –effective April 1 to June 30th:
Mondays 2:30 to 4:30 PM Theodore Young Community Center
Tuesdays 10am to 12:30 pm Westchester Meadows
Tuesdays 2:30 PM to 4:30 PM HIGHPOINT
Wednesdays 2 pm to 3:30 PM 80 E Hartsdale ave
Wednesdays 4 pm to 8 pm Hartsdale Train station
Thursdays 3 pm to 4pm Valmar
Thursdays 6 pm to 8:30 pm Edgebrook
Saturdays 10 am to 4 pm Hartsdale train station
The Lanza Family Foundation is requiring the library to provide them with detailed information concerning usage. If we don’t show adequate usage – it will be difficult to obtain future grants to continue this service after the grant runs out. Please encourage your family and friends to take advantage of the Sunday hours and cybermobile.
In these difficult economic times – it will be necessary for the town to outreach to private foundations, individuals, businesses for grants to pay for some worthwhile programs/initiatives. If you have any contacts or if you would like to work with us on this endeavor – please complete the form below and we will follow up.
TO: PAUL FEINER, Greenburgh Town Supervisor 177 Hillside Ave, Greenburgh, NY 10607
( )Yes. I would like to join ( ) the Library Foundation ( )grants committee to help identify foundations, philanthropists, businesses that might be interested in making donations to the town for worthwhile programs.
( ) My company has a matching grants program.
Name

Address

Phone

E mail

I received a letter from Joan Dupont, PE Regional Director of the NYS Department of Transportation concerning the hit and run accident on 9A. There was an accident on March 1st, involving a pedestrian believed to be walking along the northbound side of 9A in the vicinity of Hunter Lane. The pedestrian was struck by an unknown vehicle believed to be travelling northbound. In the vicinity of the accident Route 9A has four travel lanes with curbs, no shoulders or sidewalks. Sidewalks exist further south on Route 9A in the vicinity of Fairview Park. The Department of Transportation is currently developing a corridor improvement project on Route 9A between 119 and Hunter Lane (Executive Boulevard). This project has a target letting in 2011 & WILL INCLUDE SIDEWALKS!
The state has no plans to build a walking path along Route 9A to the entrance to the South County Trail but suggests that the town apply for funding via the Transportation Enhancement Program or through the Mid Hudson South Transportation Coordinating Committee.
During the ten-year period between 3/398 and 3/3/08, there were 405 accidents along the entire length of Saw Mill River Road. Keep in mind these numbers incorporate the entire length of Saw Mill River Road lying within our jurisdiction between the Yonkers City lines and the Town of Mt. Pleasant. There were a total of 794 vehicles involved and 582 reported injuries. There is no way of discerning from a computer search whether the injury claimed was just a complaint of pain or something more serious. There were also 8 fatalities over this period. Of these, one occurred at Saw Mill and Babbitt Court; one at Saw Mill and Fieldcrest Drive; one in front of 1900 Saw Mill River Road; one at Saw Mill and Jackson; two at Saw Mill and Payne; one at Saw Mill and Whitehouse and one at Saw Mill and Secor (this one is on page 8 of the report, Case #1990017058, occurring on 7/14/99 and listed as Saw Mill River and Saw Mill River).
PAUL FEINER

VEGGIE TRUCK SAVES TAXPAYER DOLLARS IN MAMARONECK---WE SHOULD CONSIDER A SIMILAR INITIATIVE

Mamaroneck is experimenting with a veggie truck. I am the President of the Westchester Putnam Town Supervisors Association. Today we discussed this initiative. Mamaroneck Supervisor O'Keefe advised me that this initiative will actually SAVE money for Mamaroneck.
I am urging the town to consider this idea.
PAUL FEINER

The Town converted a regular diesel garbage truck to run on used vegetable oil! Why, you might ask. Used vegetable oil produces none of the recognized pollutants that cause air pollution and contribute to climate change.
TOWN’S VEGETABLE OIL POWERED GARBAGE TRUCK UNVEILED FEB. 27TH.
Town Supervisor Valerie O’Keeffe praised Mamaroneck’s “veggie” truck and all who helped get it running as Councilwoman Phyllis Wittner examines the new paint job. Ben Sands, a Mamaroneck Town employee for the past 37 years, has been “test piloting” the truck since January.
Mechanic Mike Pinto explains to Councilwoman Seligson, Supervisor O'Keeffe and Councilwoman Wittner how donated cooking oil is filtered for use in the new truck.

On February 27, 2008, the Town hosted a press conference at the Town Yard to unveil the new vegetable oil powered garbage truck. V.O. Tech Fuel Systems of Mahopac, New York completed conversion of this 2002 Mack Refuse Collection vehicle to allow it to operate on straight vegetable oil, and Unique Signs of Mamaroneck provided the innovative detailing of the truck’s signage. It is believed to be the first working veggie oil powered garbage truck New York State, and it will allow the Town to test the feasibility of using alternative fuels to reduce carbon emissions.
Town garbage trucks burn approximately 50 gallons of diesel fuel per week. The veggie-truck will require just 10 gallons of diesel a week for start up if the outside temperature falls below 70 degrees. Veggie fuel must be heated to 120 degrees to flow like diesel fuel. Pre-heating is unnecessary during the summer months. Based upon the average cost of diesel fuel over the last several months, the Town estimates that the $7,000 invested in the cost of converting the truck will be recouped in just over one year.
The Slap Shot Café at the Hommocks Ice Rink, La Riserva Restaurant, the Larchmont Yacht Club, the Marini Deli in Port Chester, and several residents are currently supplying used vegetable oil, and the Town welcomes additional donors. As the veggie-truck makes its rounds, residents may detect a mild whiff of French fries or onion rings.
To donate vegetable oil, please call 381-7810

OVERTIME REVIEWS BY NEW COMPTROLLER MIKE KOLESAR

During the public hearings on the Town's budget, in discussions with many residents, and in postings on this blog, people have raised their concerns about the issue of overtime spending by many of the Town's departments. I would like to take this opportunity to tell our taxpayers about some of the actions and initiatives that have recently begun.

First, as many of you may know, The Town appointed a new Comptroller on March 12th. .

1. The Payroll function which is part of the Town Comptroller's department has issued a report on overtime spending which reports the overtime dollars by department and individual for the respective payroll period which is two weeks. This report has been provided to Town Board members and others within the Town.

2. Our new Comptroller undertook an analysis of the first report that he received and immediately identified actions that should be undertaken to improve the Town's understanding of these costs. Mr. Kolesar designed a new reporting format that will greatly enhance the Town's ability to analyze both the amount of time and hours expended. In addition to increased information, the Payroll department will save time and further minimize the chance of an incorrect payment of overtime as a result of this new report.

The first department that was introduced to this report was the Police Department last Thursday, March 20th and Mr. Kolesar has reported to me that both the Police Chief and the staff member in that department responsible for this activity were very pleased with the initial presentation. In fact later that day, the information provided to me from Mr. Kolesar, indicated that the Police department requested additional features. The Comptroller then refined the report Thursday and Friday and provided this back to the Police department for further evaluation. By noon on Friday, the Police have agreed to implement this new reporting format immediately and the Comptroller expects this new data on either Monday, March 24th or Tuesday, March 25th. This new format will facilitate the analysis of overtime by individual, by rank, by date, by reason code just to cite some of the new possibilities. Once all of the issues, if any, are addressed, the Comptroller has indicated that he will roll this out across the various Town departments.

The Town is listening and being proactive. We can provide examples of real results. The Comptroller has indicated to me that he will incorporate a review of this item is his recurring oversight activities. Department heads will gain new insight into this aspect of their department's operations. It's a win for all.

MAJOR OPEN GOVERNMENT INITIATIAVE: RESOLUTIONS POSTED ON WEB SITE

Sunshine Week (a national effort by the American Society of Newspaper Editors to educate the public and make government more open) comes to a close at midnight yesterday (3/22/2008). In the Town of Greenburgh, however, Open Government initiatives continue to be advanced 52 weeks per year. The most recent initiative of the Town Board is the posting on the town’s Web site of resolutions that will be voted upon at the next Town Board meeting. Town Clerk Judith Beville, Councilman Francis Sheehan and I discussed this initiative at a department head meeting earlier last week and we developed a plan of action to move this initiative forward. After the meeting Councilman Sheehan took some draft resolutions, standardized them, and began working with Deputy Commissioner of Parks and Recreation Joe Lucasey, who doubles as our Webmaster, to work out the logistics of posting the nine resolutions for the March 26 Town Board meeting. Seven resolutions have already been posted, as have the agendas for Tuesday’s Town Board Work Session and Wednesday’s Town Board Regular Meeting.
Although it is a work in progress, the foundation is now in place for posting resolutions at least 24 hours before the meeting and we hope to expand that to 48 hours or more, even when we have our typical number of 20+ resolutions on the agenda.
Judith Beville and her staff, Francis Sheehan, and Joe Lucasey have taken the lead on getting resolutions posted, supported by the enthusiastic encouragement of the entire Town Board (Sonja Brown, Diana Juettner, Kevin Morgan, Francis and myself), and the full cooperation of staff in all our departments responsible for drafting resolutions. We welcome your comments regarding the availability and usefulness of resolutions posted on the Town’s Web site at the following link: TOG Documents & Forms.
Councilman Sheehan is working to expand this initiative. In the future we hope that if the Board retains the services of a company they will be able to click on the resolution, and then visit a hyperlink to the company's web site. This will enable visitors to our web site to confirm, for themselves, how reputable the company is and could generate additional questions from the public prior to a Town Board meeting.
Under Documents & Forms we have also posted a picture of all the documents we had to throw out after the last Town Board meeting. We made the copies because the public at the prior meeting insisted we have an ample amount of hardcopies available. It is hoped that this open government initiative will also help to reduce such waste.
Email responses sent to TownBoard@GreenburghNY.com will be received by all five board members. We welcome your comments.

REPORT FROM POLICE CHIEF JOHN KAPICA RE: EDGEMONT BURGLARIES

EDGEMONT BURGLARIES


There have been eight residential burglaries in Edgemont since December 27th of last year. All were on the west side of Central Avenue. One of the burglaries was closed through an arrest. In every burglary, entry was made through the rear of the residence usually by breaking a rear sliding glass door. We believe all occurred after dark. Jewelry was taken in each of the incidents except the most recent, which occurred on March 20th and in which a set of silverware was taken.

Police Response – The Police Department has assigned additional resources to the area. These include marked and unmarked police units, some utilizing specialized technology such as License Plate Readers that automatically read and capture the license plate numbers of all vehicles in the area. Notwithstanding what people may have heard about the Town’s financial problems, the department is devoting the full amount of resources it believes are necessary to address this matter including the allocation of on-duty personnel and the use of overtime resources.

What the Public Can Do – The Police Department needs your assistance to help apprehend the person or persons responsible for these crimes. To this end we ask that you report “anything” that might appear to be in the least bit suspicious to us. All of these crimes were effected through the rear of the residence. Because police patrol is generally confined to public roads, residents are in a much better position to observe any suspicious activity occurring in a neighbor’s yard. Several of the homes that suffered burglaries had alarms that were triggered. There is a delay between the time a monitoring station gets an alarm signal, telephones the residence and then notifies the police. This necessarily prolongs our response. Since most alarms have outdoor enunciators that may be heard by neighbors, this delay can be reduced or eliminated if we are immediately called when someone hears what appears to be an alarm sounding.

Also, to help protect your property we recommend that you lock all your doors and windows and set your alarm when you are away from your home, even if you only plan to be away for a few minutes. Purchase a timer or timers and connect lights, and a radio or television to it to give the impression your home is occupied in the evening hours. A motion triggered flood or spot light for your backyard is also recommended. Also, have a neighbor pick up your mail and check your home when you are away. A number of these burglaries were of homes where residents were away and the crime was not discovered until they returned.

We understand the anxiety generated by these offenses and want to assure the public that the police are taking the steps necessary to bring the people responsible for these crimes to justice.

$1,339,000 IN REQUESTED PROJECTS DEFERRED...MORE CUTS TO BE MADE

The Greenburgh Town Board met this past Tuesday to review all the capital budget requests that were submitted by department heads. We decided to defer $1,339,000 in projects. A list of projects being deferred to another year is posted in the summary below. Members of the Board are going to work hard in the coming months to keep future tax hikes to single digit. Some aspects of the budget are out of our control. The town must issue additional bonds to pay for the library construction (which was approved by the voters). The cost of gas, insurance keeps going up. Interest rates are going down, impacting the revenue we’re getting. The economy is also impacting sales tax/mortgage tax revenue. Certiorari’s are also impacting our budget. I recognize that many residents cannot afford double digit tax hikes and am prepared to support cuts in some programs in 2009. Your suggestions, feedback on budget issues is always appreciated. PLEASE BE ADVISED THAT THE TOWN PORTION OF YOUR TOTAL TAX BILL IS UNDER 19%. WE HAVE NO CONTROL OVER THE SCHOOL TAXES, FIRE DISTRICT TAXES, COUNTY TAXES.
PAUL FEINER
Town of Greenburgh
Work Session Agenda of the Greenburgh Town Board
Tuesday, March 25, 2008
(All Work Sessions are Televised Live on Cable Vision Channel 76, Verizon Channel 32)
All Work Sessions are now streamed live.
2:00p.m. Agenda Review
2:15p.m. Busing Associates – Parks and Recreation
2:25p.m. TDYCC – Capital Budget

2:45p.m. TDYCC – RFP (to develop Needs Assessment and Gap Analysis) and Affordable Housing


3:00p.m. Work for Taxes– Pauline Kirkland

3:15p.m. Chauncey Estates – Thomas Madden


3:30p.m. Town Assessor – Executive Session


3:45p.m. PBA – Executive Session


4:45p.m. Energy Conservation Coordinator Interviews – Executive Session

6:00pm. Adjourn



April 1, 2008 Work Session


Ø Sunrise Assisted Living – Follow up

Ø Janet Giris - WestHab

Ø Energy Conservation Interviews

Ø Waterwheel – Village of Ardsley



Work Session Summary – Tuesday, March 18, 2008

Community Outreach

Community Outreach meetings have been tentatively scheduled for Tarrytown, Ardsley and Dobbs Ferry. These meetings will take place during April and May, 2008.


Capital Budget Reviews

The Board conducted a preliminary review of capital budget requests submitted by department heads. The Town Supervisor has not yet submitted his proposed capital budget. Initial revisions have been made in the departmental budgets, however, all revisions are subject to further modifications. The review continues to be a work in progress. The Board recommended that the following items be deferred or tentatively reduced:
Planning Department – Hybrid vehicle - $ 25,000
Police Department – FATS training system - $29,500
Public Works – Reduction in sidewalk rehabilitation - $150,000
Public Works - Curbing Rehabilitation – Reduction - $250,000
Public Works - E-85 Fueling depot - $120,000
Public Works - Greenburgh Nature Center – cleaning station - $10,000

Parks & Rec – AFV - Tennis court lights replacement - $38,500
Parks & Rec – East Rumbrook Park modernization - $476,000
Parks & Rec – Massaro Park – Replace retaining wall - $120,000

Parks & Rec – Richard Presser/ Webb Park Playground Replacement - $120,000

Total tentative reductions / deferments - $1,339,000

SPECIAL TOWN BD MEETING APPROVES $100,000 TO FAIRVIEW FIRE DISTRICT (westhelp funds)...TOWN TO GET SIX WELCOME TO Greenburgh signs

The Town Board held a special Town Board meeting this afternoon. We unanimously approved a local law authorizing the disbursement of funds to the Fairview Fire district, using WESTHELP money ($100,000 was given to the district). We also approved an agreement authorizing the Westchester Federal Credit Union to permit the placement of an external sign bearing the credit union's name on the grounds of Town Hall. In consideration, the credit union will pay for the replacement of the existing Town Hall sign and will also donate six attractive "Welcome to Greenburgh" signs at various locations in Greenburgh.
The Board met with a number of department heads and discussed the proposed capital buget - making cuts in department budget requests.

COUNTY SHOULD LEASE UNUSED PARKING SPOTS ON CENTRAL AVE FOR COMMUTERS WHO WANT TO TAKE BUS INTO NYC

A SUGGESTION TO ENCOURAGE MORE PEOPLE TO USE PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION: LEASE UNUSED PARKING SPOTS ON CENTRAL AVE FROM SHOPPING CENTERS, CO-OPS, CONDO’S AND TURN THE SPOTS INTO COMMUTER PARKING FOR COMMUTERS INTERESTED IN TAKING BUS TO MANHATTAN
CURRENTLY, THERE ARE NO LEGAL PARKING SPOTS ON CENTRAL AVE FOR COMMUTERS

The Westchester County Department of Transportation should use their influence to persuade commercial property owners, co-ops and condo’s on Central Avenue to lease unused parking spots on the avenue to commuters who take the Westchester-Manhattan express bus to New York City.
At the present time there are no allocated parking spots for commuters. Although many residents park at the stores, there have been instances where they have been ticketed or towed. If the property owners would lease some parking spaces to the county the property owners would benefit because they would generate more revenue. The county bus system would benefit because it would be much easier for commuters to use the Westchester-Manhattan bus system, and the environment would benefit because less people would drive to New York City and more people would use public ransportation.
I have received an e mail from a co-op Board that is interested in leasing to the county between 8-10 parking spots. There may be other co-ops, condo’s, businesses that would be interested in negotiating a lease agreement with the county Department of Transportation.

CAPITAL BUDGET DISCUSSIONS ON TUESDAY

Most of this Tuesday's work session will feature discussions regarding the upcoming capital budget. Department heads will be invited to discuss their proposed capital budget requests with the Town Board. The meeting is streamed live on the internet.

The issue: should we reduce capital expenditures to reduce the impact on tax hikes...
OR
should we address infrastructure needs now.

WORK SESSION AGENDA FOR TUESDAY AND SUMMARY FOR NEXT TUESDAYS WORK SESSION

Town of Greenburgh
Revised Work Session Agenda of the Greenburgh Town Board
Tuesday, March 18, 2008
(All Work Sessions are Televised Live on Cable Vision Channel 76, Verizon Channel 32)

All Work Sessions are now streamed live.

2:00p.m. Community Outreach

2:15p.m. Capital Budget – Central Services

2:45p.m. Police – Fund A

3:15p.m. Capital Budget – Assessor

4:00p.m. Special Meeting:

4:15p.m. Capital Budget – TDYCC

4:45p.m. Public Works

5:15p.m. Parks and Recreation

5:45p.m. Adjourn


March 25, 2008 Work Session – Sunrise Assisted Living, Follow Up

 Planning/Zoning: Chauncey Estates
 Work for Taxes Program
 Energy Conservation Interviews

Work Session Summary – Tuesday, March 18, 2008

NYS Unified Court System – Deborah Bart
Deborah Bart, assigned by Judge Apothekar to review recommendations for needed improvements within the Town Court, presented a request for office space expansion with the temporary use of trailers. Al Regula is preparing a bid for the trailers. The estimated cost for renovations to expand the court office space is $500,000. It was agreed that an outside accountant will be hired to review court records in order to remedy the defects identified in the court audit.

TDYCC Update
Acting Commissioner, Valerie Whitehead, announced several new initiatives that have been implemented. Valerie, Pat Richardson and Patricia Roper – also administrators at TDYCC – shared an immediate need for the ceiling to be painted and for the pool to be repaired due to the observable fact that paint has been falling from the ceiling and caulking is needed in the pool.

Greenburgh Housing
The Town Board requested that the owners of 90 Manhattan Avenue, 100 Manhattan Avenue and 33 Oak Street – Fairview – reconsider the rent hikes since they appear to be exorbitant and out of reach for many of the residents – forcing some to leave their homes. The owners stated that they are not in violation of their agreement and that tenants would not pay more than 30% of the household income. The owner’s representative stated that rents reflect the affordable housing guidelines as defined by the county.

Village of Irvington
Village Administrator, Larry Schopfer, requested that the Board provide funding to provide appropriate equipment needed to address brush fires. A hearing date will be set in April.

Emergency Sewer Repair – Lawrence Drive
Al Regula informed the Board that, due to a sewer emergency on Lawrence Drive, a resolution for fifty to sixty thousand dollars, part of the sewer fund balance, would be submitted on Wednesday, March 12, 2008 to address the matter.

Westchester Credit Union
The Board agreed to the posting of two separate signs (Greenburgh Town Hall and Westchester Credit Union) on the grounds of Town Hall that comply with code regulations.

Finneran Law Committee
A committee comprised of Town residents (incorporated and unincorporated) has been recommended by Gerry Byrne, Commissioner of Parks and Recreation. These individuals, once confirmed, will meet to develop recommendations that reflect the interests and concerns of a broad spectrum of residents.

Library Board Interviews
The Board interviewed three candidates for the vacant Library Board position. They will make a recommendation to the Library Board.

Please be advised that the Town Clerk’s office evening hours are the 2nd and 4th Wednesday’s of the month from 5:30pm to 7:30pm (to coincide with Town Board meetings) except for July and August when the Board only meets on one Wednesday. The primary purpose is for marriage licenses.

WVOX TALK SHOW TOMORROW-FRIDAY-ON REASSESSMENT..DOES IT MAKE SENSE FOR GREENBURGH?

Greenburgh Town Supervisor Paul Feiner will discuss reassessment on his weekly WVOX radio program (1460 AM) this Friday, March 14th from 10 AM to 11 AM. Feiner will interview former Greenburgh Town Assessor Gerry Iagallo who is assisting the village of Bronxville conduct a reassessment. The program is streamed live on the WVOX web site: www.wvox.com. People can call in during the program: 636-0110.
The last time reassessment was done in Greenburgh was in 1956. The last time reassessment was done in most other localities around Westchester was decades ago. Should the town join Bronxville and reassess on its own? Should reassessment be done at the county level? What experiences (positive and negative) have communities that conducted reassessment on their own had? How expensive is it for a community to reassess? How long does it take? Some of Greenburgh’s school districts are located in two separate towns? If Greenburgh reassesses but a neighboring community does not – would that be a negative? Is there any movement on the county or state level to push for reassessment? Is it cheaper for reassessment to take place at the county level? Whose taxes go up, down or remain the same after a reassessment is complete? Will reassessment result in fewer certiorari’s? In recent years residential property owners in Greenburgh have been paying a larger percentage of the tax bill (residential vs commercial) because of the commercial certiorari’s.
The issue: If one property or one neighborhood is significantly underassessed, not only are they paying too little in taxes, but other property owners are subsidizing that taxpayer’s or neighborhood’s share of the bill. Reassessment is not created to raise taxes; it is intended to distribute the taxes collected more fairly among all property owners.
The purpose of this program is to inform residents about reassessment. Feiner believes that the town should conduct a comprehensive analysis of the positives and negatives of reassessment and then have a community dialogue to determine what actions, if any, should be taken to keep residential taxes as low as possible.
IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS ABOUT REASSESSMENT PLEASE CALL WVOX RADIO HOTLINE TOMORROW –FRIDAY- BETWEEN 10 AM AND 11 AM------------------------------------636-0110.

part time opening-energy conservation coordinator

Nikki Coddington, Greenburgh’s first energy conservation coordinator, has submitted her resignation effective the end of the month. Nikki will be heading up a non profit organization that deals with energy conservation issues. The town was extremely fortunate to have her as our first energy conservation coordinator. She was Greenburgh’s first energy conservation coordinator and the first energy conservation coordinator in the region.
The Town Board will conduct interviews with candidates who are interested in applying for the position of energy conservation coordinator beginning Tuesday, March 25th. If you are interested in applying for the position please send a cover letter and bio to townboard@greenburghny.com and to Townclerk@greenburghny.com. The budget for the office: $28,093 for the part time stipend (minimum of 16 hours a week). $1700 for office expenses. No benefits since this position is contractual. The following is a summary of the responsibilities of the office.
PAUL FEINER
Greenburgh Town Supervisor

ENERGY CONSERVATION COORDINATOR RESPONSIBILITIES

Prepared by Nicola Coddington, March 2008
Note: This documents the types of activities that have been conducted over the past five years, as of March 2008. Not all activities were done at the same time. The role has evolved, and there has been a periodic reprioritization as to what can realistically be accomplished in an average of 16 hours per week

COMMUNITY OUTREACH AND EDUCATION
Community outreach and education to promote energy conservation/efficiency, renewable energy, global warming action.
Areas covered: buildings, transportation, products, purchasing
Target audiences: Residential/individual, business/commercial, school
Methods of outreach/education:

Regularly maintain literature displays in public (usually Town) buildings: e.g. Town Hall lobby and Building Dept area; library (when they move back into the completed building); other potential sites include TDYCC, Greenburgh Nature Center, Multipurpose Center at Anthony Veteran Park.
Set up targeted literature displays for particular time-limited events. Example: during the last week of months when property taxes are due at Greenburgh Town Hall, set up display on Tax counter featuring energy programs for homes and multifamily buildings.
Table at public locations and events, with literature, CFL bulb display, giveaways, etc., either invited or self-initiated. Examples: library, street fairs, farmer’s markets, Earth Day events at school or TDY community center, etc. Participation is expected at annual Celebrate Greenburgh Day.
Make presentations to community groups, either on request or self-initiated. Examples: Rotary Club, Lions Club, homeowners associations, Garden Club, employees of an organization (including Town departments), Greenburgh Housing Authority tenants, library, etc. May include presentations at Town Board meetings since they are televised.
Organize, publicize, and execute (alone or partnering with other organizations such as NYSERDA, DOE, Building & Realty Institute, MetroPool, Sierra Club, Westchester County departments, etc.) events for targeted audiences or the general public. Examples:
Green Living Fair
Seminar for multifamily building owners/managers
Seminar for business owners
Seminar on solar energy for homeowners, architects, etc.
Recruitment seminar for Home Performance contractors
Transportation day (promoting ridesharing and public transportation)
Energy film festival
Maintain web page on Town website, providing information resources. Send updated web pages to Joe Lucasey for posting. Periodically check links for accuracy (can ask a student intern to do this). Events should be posted on web page.
Produce “The Energy Show,” a half-hour show on Greenburgh public access cable TV (one segment runs for a month on channels 75 and 76). Plan, select/research topics, invite guests or select videos, schedule taping, prepare guest questions, tape, review rough tape for editing, send copy of completed tape or DVD to guest if appropriate (George Malone and/or Kevin Ridley do the actual camera work and editing).
Send out emails to particular target audiences (own lists), such as architects, teachers, builders/contractors, etc., regarding items or events of interest (typically training events).
Send out emails to the general Greenburgh audience (Town e-list).
Plan and promote specific campaigns/initiatives, such as “Change a Light” or “Green Your Miles.”
Respond to individual inquiries, either by email, phone, or in person (in office).
Respond to inquiries from new Town residents. Energy Conservation Coordinator services have been promoted in the letter that every new homeowner in the Town receives from the Supervisor, and names of new homeowners forwarded. (This was done in the past but not recently.)
Review and update the Energy Conservation Coordinator listing that is published in the semiannual Greenburgh Guide.
Maintain adequate supply of literature by periodically ordering from sources (NYSERDA, Con Edison, MetroPool, NYS Consumer Protection Board, etc.), making sure each brochure or flier is the latest version available; keep an eye out for new literature or particular promotions; create own literature for custom purposes.
Work with the Greenburgh library to update and promote their selection of books, videos, and other resources on these topics. Recommend new titles for purchase. Produce and regularly update a flier that lists these resources. Publicize new acquisitions. (This is on hiatus until the library moves into its new building and its collection come out of storage.) These things could be done with the village libraries too, as time and their staff interest permit.
Work with the media to obtain publicity for initiatives, events, and achievements. Example: story on local solar homes in conjunction with the Green Living Fair.
Organize ways to recognize individuals or organizations that have “gone green.” Example: certificate and ceremony to recognize the first group of builders to complete Energy Star homes under the Town law.
Research social marketing techniques to improve effectiveness of outreach.
POLICY DEVELOPMENT
Research, develop, and present recommendations to Town Board on possible policy initiatives. May be done in response to suggestions from members of public or Town administration. Research includes conducting discussions with stakeholders and other involved parties or departments; Internet or phone research on resources and examples/case studies from other municipalities or organizations. Past examples: Energy Star purchasing; green building standards for commercial new construction.

Respond to inquiries from other municipalities, organizations, and the media regarding Town policies or initiatives. Example: other municipalities seeking to pass an Energy Star law.
When appropriate, recommend policy advocacy or support for higher level (e.g. County or State) initiatives. Example: Town signing on to letter supporting net metering legislation.
ICLEI
Serve as Town “staff” liaison to ICLEI/Local Governments for Sustainability (our membership requires one staff and one elected official liaison—Diana Jeuttner has been serving as the latter), maintaining communications with ICLEI. Manage ICLEI’s Cities for Climate Protection process, which includes five Milestones. We are still on Milestone 1, which is to conduct a greenhouse gas emissions baseline inventory; this involves collecting data and entering it in the CCP software program (or finding an intern to do it). Understand ICLEI tools and resources and be able to use them in implementing the process and communicate them to Town staff as needed. Monitor and process annual ICLEI membership bill. Network with other ICLEI members to research best practices.
ENERGY EFFICIENCY IN TOWN FACILITIES
Existing Town Buildings and Facilities
Work with Town staff to improve energy performance and greenhouse gas impact of Town-owned facilities and operations, including buildings, street lights, vehicles, etc. Ideally will result in cost savings. May involve searching for grants or other funding opportunities.
Coordinate energy audits and retrofit projects as appropriate. So far we have had the New York Power Authority (NYPA) conduct “walk-through” energy audits on all our buildings, and a detailed energy audit on Town Hall which resulted in the 2006 retrofit with energy-efficient lighting and occupancy sensors. Working with the Commissioner of Public Works, future energy audits should be scheduled either with NYPA or with an energy performance contracting company. When retrofit project is completed, help create educational signage and publicity to communicate the energy efficiency measures and benefits to the public.
Make use of EPA tools and online training seminars on energy-efficient operations, and promote training opportunities, whether web-based or events, to relevant staff, for example in energy-efficient building operation. Example: www.energystar.gov, Building Portfolio Manager.
In addition to facilities directly owned and operated with the Town, work with the management and staff of associated entities such as the Housing Authority and the Greenburgh Nature Center to connect them with the resources and information to improve the energy performance of their buildings.
Monitor Town’s participation in Energy Curtailment Specialists’ demand response/energy curtailment program; if appropriate, publicize as a model.
New Construction of Town Buildings
For new construction of buildings owned by the Town or associated entities, advocate for energy efficiency and green construction methods, and connect decision-makers with the information and resources available. When building construction is completed, help create educational signage and publicity to communicate the green building features and benefits to the public. Example: Greenburgh Library.
RENEWABLE ENERGY IN TOWN FACILITIES
Monitor photovoltaic (PV) system at Town Hall. Submit quarterly reports to the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) as part of fulfilling the requirements of their grant. Monitor PV system performance and conduct maintenance or troubleshooting (with building staff) as necessary. Refresh screen of monitor in lobby on a daily basis if possible (otherwise it remains on screensaver), and make sure data acquisition system (DAS) and computer are functioning properly. Maintain and improve solar information display in lobby, in order to educate the public on solar energy.
POLICIES/CAMPAIGNS WITH TOWN EMPLOYEES

Promote Town’s “Green Your Miles” campaign with employees, encouraging them to carpool. Explore ways to reward or recognize them, including establishment of dedicated parking spaces for carpoolers.
NEW PRIVATE CONSTRUCTION: RESIDENTIAL AND COMMERCIAL
Residential New Construction

As needed, coordinate with the Building Department to make sure information on the Town’s Energy Star homes law is up to date and available to building permit applicants; work with Building Department and the HERS energy rater community to resolve any issues in application of the law. When needed, respond to inquiries from builders or homeowners about the law and information resources. In Building Department lobby area, maintain display of relevant brochures, e.g. Energy Star Homes.
Commercial New Construction
As (informally) required as part of the Town’s Planning Board application process, meet with applicants for new commercial construction to discuss opportunities for energy conservation (and other green building measures) in their projects. Offer them information regarding NYSERDA’s programs and resources for technical assistance and funding for new construction and green building, as well as USGBC’s resources on LEED construction. Review their memo detailing what measures they propose, and forward it to the Acting Commissioner of Planning. (This procedure may well change when new Town green building standards are implemented.)

AUTISM INFO FAIR APRIL 6 FROM 11 TO 4 PM

Families who have children with austism disorders are invited to a fair on Sunday, April 6th from 11 AM to 4 PM at the Westchester County Center. There will be over 40 information stations included programs dealing with applied behavior analysis, relationship development, speech & language pathology, medical intervention, nutritional and biomedical interventions, auditory therapy, vision therapy, self injurious behavior management and much more. FOR INFORMATION contact: 826-5300

EMPLOYEES CAN RETIRE, COLLECT PENSIONS AND THEN BE REHIRED AT SAME PAY--THIS SHOULD BE STOPPED BY NYS

An article in Newsday indicated that in Long Island some government employees are retiring, collecting their pensions. They are then able to return to the same jobs and can collect full time salaries. Some employees do this the next day! I believe that the county of Westchester & local governments within Westchester should ban this kind of practice from taking place. It’s a misuse of taxpayer dollars. I would like to request that the county personnel office conduct an inventory to determine if this is happening in Westchester County . If this is currently happening in Westchester (it’s happening in other parts of the state) it should be stopped. In addition, the County Board of Legislators should approve a resolution supporting Assemblyman Sweeney’s proposed law. A copy of the article that appeared in NEWSDAY is attached.
Top Garden City cop gets sweet deal
BY CHAU LAM | chau.lam@newsday.com

March 9, 2008

Mayor Peter A. Bee and village board members voted unanimously to rehire Cipullo after he quit working because Bee said Cipullo was "the best person" to manage the department that consists of 54 sworn police officers, 13 civilian employees and half a dozen school crossing guards.
"He's doing a great job and there is no reason to let him go," Bee said in an interview last week.
There is nothing illegal about the arrangement. Government workers 65 and older who retire with full pensions are permitted by state law to return to the same jobs and collect full-time salaries.
But Assemb. Robert Sweeney (D-Lindenhurst) said he has drafted legislation that would stop the payment of pensions of more than $70,000 a year to civil servants who then return to the same jobs or substantially similar jobs.
The legislation, Sweeney said, is being reviewed by State Comptroller Thomas .DiNapoli.
Sweeney said Cipullo's case illustrates the kind of waste and abuse in government that is criticized by Long Islanders.
"Why is he worth so much more from one day to the next?" Sweeney said. "That's a little tough to justify."
Cipullo did not return repeated calls left at his office.
In Suffolk, three civil servants retired recently and went back to the same job the same or next day. Two of them are on the county payroll, collecting full salaries and full pensions. The third was let go in January.
Jim Fuchs, a spokesman for DiNapoli, said last year there were 791 retired civil servants working in municipal jobs statewide. Of the 791, 16 were between the ages of 65 and 69 and collected more than $100,000 each in pensions, he said.
Cipullo is not the only retired civil servant on Garden City's payroll who is collecting a full pension and a full salary.
Kevin E. Ocker, 56, a former Nassau County deputy parks commissioner, was hired in 2003 by Bee and the village board as chairman of the cultural and recreational affairs board.
Ocker, who currently receives $112,918 a year, oversees a department of 24 full-time employees and a group of seasonal workers. He retired from his Nassau job on Dec. 31, 2002, and has been collecting an annual pension of $52,808.24, bringing his income to a total of $165,726.24 this year.
Ocker did not return repeated calls for comments.
Village administrator Robert L. Schoelle Jr. said the village conducted a search last July for the position but could not find qualified nonretirees despite receiving 33 resumes.
Schoelle said he interviewed one candidate from Florida who he said had "limited" experience. "She lacked the qualification we were looking for," Schoelle said.
The other 32 candidates who applied were deemed by Schoelle not to have the educational background or experience in horticulture the village was seeking.
So, the village applied to New York State for a two-year renewable waiver, commonly referred to as a 211 waiver, for permission to hire Ocker because he was less than 65 years old and there were no qualified nonretirees for the position.

GREENBURGH DEMOCRACY--WEEK OF MARCH 10 POST YOUR COMMENTS

Please post your comments about upcoming town issues.

TUESDAY WORK SESSION 2 PM to 5:30 PM
WEDNESDAY TOWN BD MEETING 7:30 PM

NEW WEBSITE: GREENBURGHCOMPREHENSIVEPLAN.COM

On Saturday morning the Town sponsored a kickoff meeting for our comprehensive plan. Over 50 people attended and participated in very interesting breakout discussions dealing with economic development, transportation, quality of life, land use and other issues. The comprehensive plan consultants/committee have created a new web site: greenburghcomprehensiveplan.com. Summaries of the meetings will be posted on the website.
The next meeting will be held this Tuesday at 7:30 PM at the Irvington Recreation Center and will focus on E Irvington/Glenville concerns.
I learned alot from the exchange of ideas and look forward to attending all the upcoming meetings.

THEODORE YOUNG COMMUNITY CENTER SPONSORS A TERRIFIC AFTERNOON EVENT--ROLLER SKATING INDOORS, SWIMMING AND A LOUD GATHERING

Horton Hears You Hometown Challenge- WHO will win?
Loudest Gatherings to Qualify for Special Hometown Screenings

Greenburgh's Thedore Young Community Center was the site of Dr. Seuss' Horton Hears a Who! and 20th Century Fox Hometown Challenge today. Over a hundred and fifty students, adults, members of the Town Board proclaimed As Loudly as we could “WE ARE HERE!” Communities across the nation are participating in the challenge--to see who has the loudest gathering. We screamed, yelled and will find out if Greenburgh won the national competition on Monday when USA TODAY announces the winner. Hats off to Valerie Whitehead, Acting Commissioner of the Theodore Young Community Center and her staff for putting together a very successful event --with less than a weeks notice. Among the afternoon activities: a very successful roller skate event in the gym and afternoon swimming. This was one of the best programs at the center I've seen during my tenure as Town supervisor. My daughter-Julia-agrees!

COMPROMISE-LEAF BLOWER LAW...GREENBURGH SHOULD CONSIDER HASTINGS MODEL

Hastings just approved a leaf blower law. The law allows the blowers to be used between Oct 15 and May 15 and then only from 9 AM to 5 PM. The law provides the village manager the power to approve usage from May 16 to October 14 if there is an emergency. The village spent months working out a compromise. I would like to suggest that the town consider adopting a similar ban. If our law complements Hastings – it will make it easier for landscapers who serve both communities to understand the restrictions

WORK SESSION AGENDA FOR TUESDAY...SUMMARY OF LAST WORK SESSION AGENDA...REMINDER: COMPREHENSIVE PLAN...KOLESAR TO BE NAMED COMPTROLLER...TRAILERS/CT

REMINDER: COMPREHENSIVE PLAN KICKOFF MEETING THIS SATURDAY (TOMORROW) at AF VETERAN PARK MULTIPURPOSE BUILDING (FREE BREAKFAST –DONATED—WILL BE SERVED). PLEASE HELP THE TOWN PLAN OUR FUTURE BY ATTENDING THIS MEETING. YOUR INPUT WOULD BE APPRECIATED.

Tuesday, March 11, 2008

(All Work Sessions are Televised Live on Cable Vision Channel 76, Verizon Channel 32)
All Work Sessions are now streamed live.

2:00 p.m. NYS Unified Court System – Deborah Bart

(RFP’s for trailers at Town Court / Accounting)

2:15 p.m. TDYCC – Update

2:25 p.m. Dave Dwinell: Request to Town Board to Support Resolution re: Part T of Governor’s Proposed Budget

2:30 p.m. Greenburgh Housing Authority – Follow Up

Montrose Management - Rent Hikes (Mark Soja)

3:00 p.m. Village of Irvington – Larry Schopfer, Village Administrator

Re: Proposed East Irvington Fire District Agreement/Contract

3:30 p.m. Agenda Review (Incl.: Finneran Committee, New Residents Reception)

3:55 p.m. Membership: Budget Committee and Hartsdale Parking Committee

4:00 p.m. Westchester Credit Union – Update: Ray Wolff, Jim Nottingham, Sandra Miller

4:15 p.m. Library Board Interview – Tim Hayes

4:30 p.m. Library Board Interview – Calvin Thomas

4:45 p.m. Town Board and Legislator Tom Abinanti - Monthly Outreach Comments: Alyssa Jacobs

5:00 p.m. Executive Session - Personnel and Legal



5:25 p.m. Adjourn



7:30 p.m. East Irvington – Comprehensive Plan Meeting—Irvington Recreation Center

(Will be attended by some Board Members)

March 18, 2008 Work Session – Capital Budget Preparation

March 25, 2008 Work Session – Sunrise Assisted Living, Follow Up



Work Session Summary – Tuesday, March 11, 2008



Budget Amendments

The following budget amendments were agreed upon: 1. amend the 2008 budget to make changes consistent with the Bernstein decision; 2. appropriate $100,000 for the Fairview Fire District and; 3. reduce interest income in the 2008 budget A fund and B fund.

North Folk Bank

North Folk Bank is requesting a drive-thru that would come off the back of their building on Central Avenue. A referral to the Planning Board for a recommendation to the Town Board was granted.

Vehicle Procurement Policy and Green Building Standards

The Town Board has expressed a desire to implement some “green” measures in its fleet of vehicles. A plan presented by Nikki Coddington reviews types of considerations such as cost of the vehicles, type of fuel and life-cycle costs. A number of new police vehicles are “flex-fueled.” (E85 vehicles are fueled with a combination of ethanol and gasoline.) Nikki recommended that the Board make a decision regarding the kind of incentives that the Town wishes to adopt in order to encourage greater adherence to “green” priorities with respect to standards for commercial new construction .

Westchester County Department of Planning

A request was made to the Town Board to support a plan to develop affordable (work force) housing within former office space along the Route 119 corridor. The Board presented raised questions re: increasing the number of “affordable” units within the proposed “mixed-use” development (to include office and retail space as well as housing) and the possibility of a clause that would allow the Town to review the policy after a determined period of time. Next steps include developing a proposal review committee comprised of residents from Tarrytown, Irvington and Elmsford.

Distribution of Resolutions in Advance of Board Meetings to the Public and Possible Postings of Resolutions on the Website in Advance of Meetings

Consistent with new “Open Government” initiatives, the Town Clerk and the Town Board have agreed to develop a procedure that will make resolutions available to the public prior to the Board meetings.

Courts – Expanding the Audit of the Courts to Include 2006 and 2007

The costs of expanding the audit was discussed and it was decided that the Board will review the findings of the current audit before deciding to expand it to include years, 2006 and 2007.

TDYCC Search Committee

The Search Committee has met and is in the process of refining the job description for the Commissioner’s position and reviewing applications.



Work Session Summary – Tuesday, February 12, 2008 (Correction)



Please note, as a correction to the Work Session Summary for February 12, 2008, Town Court Justices, Sandra Foster, Arlene Gordon-Oliver and Doris Friedman were present at this Work Session to discuss the court audit. A unanimous decision was reached between the Board and the Justices for the Justices to meet with the auditors prior to reconvening with the Town Board.



AT WEDNESDAY’S TOWN BOARD MEETING THE BOARD WILL APPOINT A NEW COMPTROLLER, MIKE KOLESAR OF ARDSLEY.



We will also appoint members of a committee to review the Finneran Law, recent Appellate Court decision & to make recommendations re: amendments to Finneran Law. Amendment would require State Legislative approval.

To address overcrowding conditions at the court—we will be authorizing permission to solicit request for proposals for trailers to be used as additional space for the Greenburgh Town Court.



REMINDER: The kickoff meeting for the comprehensive plan will be held TOMORROW at 9:45 AM at Veteran Town Park. Help the town plan for the future by attending this important meeting. FREE BREAKFAST (DONATED) will be served to those who attend.

PAUL FEINER

(this agenda and summary was prepared by Town Clerk Judith Beville)

FREE BREAKFAST SATURDAY DURING COMPREHENSIVE PLAN KICKOFF

Met with seniors today to discuss the proposed work for taxes initiative. We invited them to the comprehensive plan kickoff meeting this Saturday at 9:45 AM at the Multipurpose Center.
One senior suggested that we'd get more people to attend if we offered food. Francis Sheehan indicated that breakfast is being offered to attendees. He indicated that the breakfast is being donated.
So --if you want to discuss the town's future, you can also enjoy a free breakfast. Hope to see you this Saturday.

WE ALSO DISCUSSED ACCEPTING ADVERTISEMENTS IN THE TOWN BROCHURE TO OFFSET TOWN PRINTING/MAILING COSTS. WHAT DO YOU THINK?

YELL LOUDLY! --help the town get a free movie screening:HORTON HEARS A WHO

The Town of Greenburgh will be participating in a national competition—the HORTON HEARS YOU HOMETOWN CHALLENGE. This Saturday, March 8th at 3:30 PM at the Theodore Young Community Center, 32 Manhattan Ave. Residents and their kids are encouraged to PROCLAIM –in the loudest voice possible: WE ARE HEAR, just as “who-ville’s Whos do in the film: Dr. Seuss’ HORTON HEARS A WHO”. Twentieth Century Fox and Dr. Seuss’ Horton Hears a Who will measure the decibel levels with special sound meters. The loudest Who-ville will win a special hometown screening of the movie DR.SEUSS’ HORTON HEARS A WHO on March 13th. USA Today will announce the winner on March 12th.

Greenburgh residents are known to speak loudly at Town Board meetings. “The decibel levels at Town Board meetings are louder than they should be. This is an opportunity to be loud for a cause – a competition that could win Greenburgh some bragging rights and a special, free hometown screening of a movie.

Prior to the event the Theodore Young Community Center will host a community day: swimming, roller skating -----and then the Horton Hometown Shoot Out.

All are welcome. Raise your voice.

PAUL FEINER
Greenburgh Town Supervisor

COMPREHENSIVE PLAN MEETING SATURDAY MORNING

The Greenburgh Town Board announced today that the Town of Greenburgh has moved to the next step in embarking in the preparation of a full-featured Comprehensive Plan for the unincorporated area of the Town of Greenburgh. The Town is holding its Comprehensive Plan ‘Kick-off meeting’ this Saturday, March 8, 2008, from 9:45 AM to noon, at the Multipurpose Center at Anthony Veteran Park, on Heatherdell Road. Broad-based public participation throughout the planning process is essential for the town to get the maximum benefit from the Plan.

The proposed Comprehensive Plan is designed to improve Greenburgh’s quality of life, promote the community character the Town’s residents envision and provide needed support services, while finding ways to reduce the tax burden. The Comprehensive Plan will look at important issues for the future of Greenburgh, including economic development, open space, affordable housing, roads and traffic, flooding, Tappan Zee Bridge replacement impacts, and others that will affect residents’ lives in the future.

As with all community-based planning, the Town is initiating a public process to encourage public involvement, build consensus and develop a comprehensive plan which will define the character of the Town; identify the defining character and current development patterns of individual neighborhoods; and will evaluate current, future and potential development patterns and pressures that will impact the Town.

In addition to the Kick-off meeting on Saturday, there will be a series of public input meetings (8–10) throughout the Town to gather opinions on community, neighborhood and Town wide issues. The first such meeting will take place on March 11, 2008 at 7:30 PM at the Irvington Recreation Center.

COMMUTERS: DID METRO NORTH/WESTCHESTER REACT APPROPRIATELY TO TRAIN SERVICE SHUTDOWN ON march 4th?

WAS THE COUNTY/METRO NORTH PREPARED AFTER METRO NORTH ANNOUNCED THAT THERE WAS NO SERVICE IN AND OUT OF GRAND CENTRAL STATION ON Tuesday, March 4th? SHOULD THE COUNTY HAVE HAD A PLAN TO SEND MORE BUSES? SHOULD BUSES HAVE HONORED METRO NORTH TICKETS? SHOULD MORE E MAIL INFORMATION ALERTS HAVE BEEN SENT OUT? WAS THE EMERGENCY PHONE SYSTEM ADEQUATE? WHAT DO YOU THINK? IF YOU WERE A COMMUTER ON TUESDAY AND WOULD LIKE TO SHARE YOUR EXPERIENCES...PLEASE POST THEM ON MY BLOG: WWW.PFEINER.BLOGSPOT.COM OR E MAIL ME AT PFEINER@GREENBURGHNY.COM. I WILL SHARE YOUR COMMENTS WITH METRO NORTH, THE COUNTY EXECUTIVE AND OFFICIALS INVOLVED IN EMERGENCY PREPARATION. Paul Feiner

THE FOLLOWING E MAIL WAS SENT TO ME BY LINDA GARFUNKEL, A COMMUTER FROM TARRYTOWN Paul, it is 8 PM, and I am lucky enough to be home. I have just heard on WCBS radio that Grand Central Staition is chaotic, and that trains are still running late.

I am on the e-mail list for Westchester County government and for Metro North. Mid afternoon today, I recieved an e-mail from Metro North saying that there was no service in and out of GCS. I figured that I should find another way to get home. Since the BeeLine bus runs near my office, I decided to look at their website. In doing so, I noticed that one can only use coins or their commuter card to pay for the trip. I figured that in an emergency situation like this, there would be exception to the rule. So I tried callin the BeeLine bus service. It took 15 minutes to get through. When I finally got through to a "customer" service representative, she was quite nasty and told me that I needed exact change and that I should go to a bank to get the change. I went though my wallet, our petty cash plus all the people in my office to try and come up with $5.00 worth of change. She told me that I could not use my Metro North commuter pass, becasuse there was no cross acceptance of those cards on the buses. Seems to me that when something like this happens on LI, there are emergency buses set up to get people from one place to another. No such thing exists in Westchester. I called the County Executive's office, because I was unsatisfied with the response by the customer service person at Bee Line. I left a message, because nobody answered the phone in the County Executive's office. I might add that there was no emergency number set up for people to call to find out what the county was doing to help its residents who were stuck in the city. At about 4:45 PM, I received a message from Metro North alerting its riders that they could take NY transit trains for free from Grand Central Station to various northern stops on three subway lines that would bring us close to Metro North stops north of 125th Street (in the Bronx). Knowing how crowded those subway trains would be and finally scraping up $5.00 worth of change, I was going to take the Bee Line bus home. At about 4:50 or so, a friend of mine called to tell me that the trains were running again. In all this time, not one word via e-mail from Westchester County to offer assistance or provide guidance. So I went to Grand Central Station. On my way, I passed huge lines for the BeeLine bus at 54th Street and Madison. Maybe, they did not get the word that the trains were running again! When I got to the board at the northern entrance, there were only 3 platforms for 3 trains listed on that board. Everybody stood around praying that there train would be on a platform soon! There was no Metro North person there to advise people as to what was happening. Finally, my train platform was posted, and I, like others ran to the train, not knowing when it would leave. When we got to the train, we waited a good 5 or 6 minutes for the doors to open. Then we waited another 10 minutes for the train to leave. Since I had a nice comfy seat, I was ok. The conductor announced that once we passed 125th Street, the train would be speeding to Tarrytown. I knew something was wrong with that, because of all the people who had been directed to take subways! So at some point, the conductor announced that we had to stop at Marble Hill to pick up the people who had taken the subway. It did not take a rocket scientist to understand that. When the train stopped at Marble Hill, and plenty of people got on the train, I asked one person what happened on the platform there. He told me that 4 trains passed Marble Hill w/o even stopping. Apparently, somebody forgot to tell the conductors that they should stop for those people!! At Tarrytown, there should have been police directing the overload of traffic.

I lived through 9/11 and getting out of the city. I comandeered an empty school bus on 101st Street and Madison Avenue during the power outage a few years ago to take scores of us to Westchester. At that time, I complained to the county that they had no plan for a disaster. You would think that after all these years, that the county would be prepared to send more buses, honor Metro North commuter tickets, add police to spots where they should be needed, send out an e-mail informing people what is being done, set up an emergency phone number for people to call to dispense information. Unfortunately, none of this was done, and there should be some accounting and some explanation.

Thanks.

Linda R. Garfunkel
Tarrytown, NY 10591

SIDEWALKS NEEDED ON STATE ROAD 9A

Last week I wrote to the State DOT urging sidewalks on 9A. Weeks ago there was a pedestrian fatality on 9A. Today, the Journal News published the following article indicating that there was another hit and run fatality. I am planning to urge the State Department of Transportation to take another look at the need for sidewalks on 9A. I will also be asking the Greenburgh police dept to make recommendations as to ways we can increase pedestrian safety on this street. 2 fatalities is unacceptable.
PAUL FEINER
FROM JOURNAL NEWS...
The son of a 51-year-old man killed in a suspected hit-and-run along Route 9A in Greenburgh said today his father was a hardworking immigrant who left his native Ecuador to seek a better future for his family.
“He was good father and he worked very hard to help his family,” said Peter Saca of Elmsford of his father, Manuel Guaman Saca. He said his father came to the U.S. two years ago, leaving behind a wife and four other children. “He had no vices. I hope the police are able to catch the person responsible for his death.”
His father's body was found in the snow along Route 9A about 8:40 yesterday morning, though it is unclear when his death occurred.
A truck driver heading north saw Saca about 10 feet from the road near Hunter Lane, Greenburgh Lt. Desmond Martin said.
He suffered blunt trauma, but the county medical examiner had not yet determined a cause of death.
Peter Saca said his father, who lived in an apartment nearby, was walking to work at a production facility off Hunter Lane when he was killed.
The stretch of road near where Saca was found has no sidewalks.
Nonetheless, people still walk along the busy state route, said Bob Yapchanyk, an employee of nearby Safe Haven Self Storage.
"I see a lot of people walking up and down here," Yapchanyk said. "It isn't a good place for walking."
Route 9A is also known as Saw Mill River Road. Its intersection with Hunter Lane has a bus stop.
There's also a Westy self storage business across the street.
Just to the south of Hunter Lane is a shopping center that houses a Goodwill store and a Princeton Ski Shop.
A manager at the Goodwill store, who didn't want to give his name, said after coming to work yesterday morning, he saw police arrive and investigate a wooded area just north of his business.
Police said a blue vehicle might have been involved, based on evidence found at the scene.
The vehicle might have sustained front end damage as a result of hitting the victim, police said.
Police ask that anyone with information call 914-682-5331. All calls will be kept confidential.
Swapna Venugopal Ramaswamy contributed to this report.

Reach Sean Gorman at sgorman@lohud.com or 914-666-6481.