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
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46 comments:
The Valhala School Audit is in! For some strange reason, it is not being posted on this site. You can look it up at:
http://www.osc.state.ny.us/localgov/audits/schools/
2008/valhalla.pdf
Internal Controls Over Selected Financial Operations
The Board did not provide sufficient oversight over District financial operations. We identified significant deficiencies in the internal controls over the accounting for and disbursement of WestHELP Grant monies, payment of employee compensation and fringe benefits, the Treasurer’s office and computerized data. For example, of the approximately $1.7 million expended for the Grant, approximately $456,000 was not expended in accordance with the Grant agreement, proposals or applicable laws. Furthermore, the Business Administrator chose to be reimbursed for a term life insurance policy that combined death benefit protection with the opportunity to direct the investment of net premium dollars into a broad portfolio of investment options. This selection provided him with benefits greater than provided for in his contract, resulting in $38,500 in unnecessary costs to District taxpayers. Finally, District officials paid a retired transit police officer as a vendor, while also occasionally paying him as an employee through the normal payroll process. As a result, this employee may have received retirement benefits in excess of the amounts allowed by law and the District may be held liable for taxes, penalties and interest.
Ah Greenburgh - where corruption and ineptitude flourish side by side - and the Supervisor doesn't give a damn.
paul - this was a huge mistake - well intentioned perhaps but the whole concept was wrong.
will you take the pledge - no more westhelps?
wait till the audit is done of the looming library fiasco.
the voters will say off with juettner's head.
the library project is out of money with 4 months to go
enjoy reading old books while standing up - there is no $ for furniture
sounds like feiner and samis were right
Waterwheel must NOT be reserved for the priviled town wide. Anything less is racist.
huh?
what is racist?
Fortunately, the new town board is looking forward. I hate, I repeat, I hate negativity. I love the new spirit on the Town Board.
Reserving apartments at the proposed Waterwheel housing for Ardsley volunteers and employees, lets guess, could they be mostly white? And now, the people in Greenburgh pulbic housing, or on waiting lists? Lets think abou tthis.
SELL THE WATERWHEEL TO THE HIGHEST BIDDER.
NO MORE FREEBEES////////
I think the people in Ardsly would be well advised to follow the lawsuit in Long Island where the public housing was geared towards whites, and now the courts are looking at it. The lesson -- Paul can promise you anything, and then he can wine when the courts have issues.
What many of the posters to this blog fail to understand is that while the property is currently owned by the Town of Greenburgh by virtue of a tax foreclosure, the property sits within the borders of an incorporated Village that has it's own planning and zoning committees and its own land use laws. If the Village is not going to "get" anything out of this, I would guess that this proposal is dead on arrival. Then the Town should as one or more prior posters has indicated, sell it in an open public auction and the buyer will have to work their way through the Village process with no guarantee of success. Then no Town affordable units. It might be very wise for the "Townies" to consider that half a loaf is better then nothing, i.e. give preference to some portion of the affordable housing units to Village related personnel and the rest to whoever. Also recognize that the residents of this development get to send their children, if any,to the Ardsley School District and anyone who has looked at property assessments knows that most residential development of any kind, even million dollar plus homes, don't pay enough in school taxes to "break" even. Whatever
The property can be sold with its current zoning. And should. That would have a higher value than subsidzied housing. there would be bidders.
But go ahead, Paul and cater to villagers, especially Leon. I will love it when there is a lawsuit 5 years from now that it favored whites.
Who is this anonymous who is always charging racism? He always does it to dump on the villages.
Some people always think that the Supervisor is caving into the villages. That's junk.
The reason the town owns the property is because under the law the villages can't foreclose, only the town can foreclose. There was a lot more unpaid village taxes than town taxes, and even more school taxes that are due to the Ardsley school district.
Town residents should stop thinking that this is some Ardsley grab. Ardsley has the most interest and the most rights here. This anti-village attitude is poisoning everything.
And you anon,
I guess you think it is right to reserve affordable housing for predominantly white groups. Perhaps you havent heard of the Civll Rights Act. OK.
Yes, 5:35. I have heard of the Civil Rights Act. I have also heard of loony bins, and you belong in one, whatever your race.
The law says that the property belongs to the Town. If the Town attempts to allow the village to control any occupancy such that whites have preference, my guess is there will be a lawsuit. Not by Bernstein. In Long Island, the NAACP is suing, where politicos made certain their favorites got priority. But dont believe me. Go ahead. The problem is Paul can promise Leon all he wants, but once the property is built, and the lawsuits start, the courts will decide.
What is Anon 5:38 saying? Is he saying that every time there is some affordable housing there must be a part of it reserved for African-Americans? Or a majority for African-Americans?
Is he saying that renting to white people who cannot afford market rents automatically mean racism? Does it mean politicians giving goodies to their favorites?
I read the newspapers, but I never read of court decisions that support what 5:38 says. I don't know the Civil Rights Act but what he says sounds like reverse racism to me.
No it means that Greenburgh Housing has to play fair. The town cant take land it owns, and allow the village to control access, and not allow real, substantive chances for minorities to get their fair chance. The US govt brought suit in Island Park long island. In Dec of 2007, heavy fines were handed down.
If the "favored groups" of Ardsley volunteers and teachers are disproportionately white, it is not reverse racism to provide that the general waiting list for Greenburgh Housing Authority and others muct be on list. It is racism to reserve subsidized housing for whites. But heah, village rights have to come before civil rights.
The problem is that while Arsdley and its volunteers, etc. may be predominantly white, Greenburgh is not. So what Greenburgh does is give the rights to assign tenants to Arsdsley. And substantially reduces the ability of African Americans to obtain affordable housing. This is also what Judge Leonard Sands had a fit about in the Yonkers segregation case -- the govertment using subsidized housing to continue segregation in schools. If I were living in Ardsley, I would be very careful about this.
What? The Town entire (86.7 thousand population)is 72% white, 13% black. Unincorporated is 67% white so WTH are you talking about? Fairview, total of population 2887 is 73% Black (2107). Smallest hamlet in the town.
Are you suggesting that we should be afraid to rent to whites that qualify? Crazy!
Enough with the nonsense.
Do you even know where Fairview is?
Fairview is a fire district that is 5 square miles. More than 2,000 people live here.It goes roughly from Grasslands Rd to Secor Rd/Saw Mill River Rd and 9A/Knollwood Rd to Bronx River Pkwy
And what is racial composition of people in Greenburgh public housing? Waiting list?
The racial makeup of Ardsley Village was 84.00% White, 1.52% African American, 0.09% Native American, 12.34% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 0.73% from other races, and 1.29% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 4.26% of the population.
Got that 1.52% African American. And that is the pool that will be drawn from????
Dear 2:00,
I sure do know where Fairview is and I'm familiar with how this very small population sucks the life out of town resources and money between the extra police details and TTYC unwelcome mat.
What's you point?
Pardon me. Correction- TDYCC
5:58--are you David Duke? or, a descendent of George Wallace? Your comments are insulting.
5:36
I think your point is actually that the Village Trustees which will control apartment allocations at the proposed Waterwheel housing are elected by a population which is 1.52% African American, and right now we have a waiting list for Greenburgh Public Housing that doesnt quite fit with that %.
My thoughts --
Had the Village acquired the land in a purchae at FMV (such as meetign best offer), then it could develope as it saw fit. The problem is that the Town/Village arrangement smacks of the Town subsidizing affordable housing (which is fine), but then structuring it such that African Americans have less chance of getting an apartment.
Why is everyone carrying on about supposed racism? No village official has said anything about renting, who to rent to, etc. All this discussion follows because one troublemaker inserted the notion of racism, and now everybody is writing as though there is an issue when the almost certain probability is that there will be no issue of recism.
This is how the spin-masters do things.
I haven't written to this blog in quite a long time, but I am so surprised by some of the comments I'm reading, I feel compelled to respond.
Many details need to be worked out on the Waterwheel proposal. For quite some time I have been listening to the issues and concerns of everyone regarding this project, and particularly those that reside in Unincorporated Greenburgh.
Ardsley's draft of the Request for Proposal (RFP), of which I will discuss at tomorrow's work session with the Town Board, therefore addresses many of the concerns that have been expressed by many of you in the past.
However, some of the issues expressed on this blog are completely new to me, and so please permit me to respond:
- For quite some time, Ardsley has expressed a willingness to share the affordable units with the Town of Greenburgh. I assume that Greenburgh, like Ardsley, will open their allocation of units to all individuals, regardless of their race, creed, color or religions affiliation.
Greenburgh can use their own criteria in filling their units; however the guidelines outlined in the RFP are very similar to the definitions of Affordable Housing eligibility adopted by the Greenburgh Affordable Housing Committee.
- Ardsley would like some or all of their allotment of affordable units to be used for emergency services volunteers. Those individuals may not currently live in the village - indeed, it would be beneficial to attract new members to the AFD and ASVAC with the incentive of these housing units.
My hope and plan consistently have been and continues to be for Ardsley to offer their allotment of affordable units to those who are financially eligible and who are willing to volunteer - regardless of whether they currently live in the village, and especially with a blind eye to their racial composition.
- The RFP offers potential bidders wide flexibility with their proposals. Some developers may offer a plan that includes all affordable units, so they can boost their bid price using federal, state or county housing funding. Others may offer a package with some affordable units and some market rate units, so they can maximize their bid price and offer a more attractive site plan.
Permit me to also point out once again that the AFD and ASVAC both service substantial portions of unincorporated Greenburgh. Attracting volunteers to these organizations will benefit both Town and Village residents.
The RFP's goal is to attract a bid package that will:
- Offer a substantial sales price to the Town of Greenburgh "A" budget,where the prceeds must legally be allocated;
- Add affordable units for Ardsley and Greenburgh on the last property available in the village for such a purpose;
- Result in an attractive design that the neighbors will be satisfied with.
I think this is an achievable and desirable goal for everyone, Town and village residents alike. In the end, some may be disappointed, but on the whole, this is a plan that will benefit everyone from one degree to another - and perhaps the Town more the village.
It is disheartening to witness a small number of folks trying to throw as much spaghetti on the wall in the hope that at least some of it sticks. Instead, let's work together to see that the proposal is a successful one for everybody - Unincorporated Town and Village residents alike!
Jay Leon
Mayor of Ardsley
Jay,
Once again, another self serving statement by a Village official. Heah, dont worry Paul will and his handpicked majority of Town Council will push this through. But my guess, everyone and their brother can see this is a subsidy to a predominantly white village, and its volunteers. Why shouldnt people who volunteer at Greenburgh 7 be eligible?
At the end of the day, this too will end up in the courts, and Mr. Leon can explain to his constituents any unintended result.
thx jay - great post.
lets hope the village bashers read it carefully. the life they save may be their own!!
2:57
That's a mighty big chip you have there. And, your statement Why shouldnt people who volunteer at Greenburgh 7 be eligible? means what? Are all of the volunteers at GC black? If so, what's up with that?
You want to mix it up here? GC would be a good place to start since there is nothing but well documented, flagrant, racism going on up there. But it goes on & on because most white folks stick their heads in the sand so not to be called a racist by the crazies like you.
You need to pick another soap box to hop on to.
Jay,
Thanks for your response. I hope it turns out to be a win-win for all.
Just out of curiosity -- who do you see this as winning?
1. Ardsley Village
2. Areas served by Ardsley EMT (but why do I have to pay for police EMTs?)
3. Leon
4. Paul
Just out of curiosity. Who, besides the black community, do you see losing?
You have to pay for police EMT's because the Volunteer Ambulance Corps are very lightly staffed and can not respond to all calls for service.
6:08
ARE you the same person as yesterday at 5:58
I welcome the productive dialogue on this blog, but playing the race card on a topic related to this and last weeks' Work Sessions is both irrelevant and divisive.
Jay,
Thanks for your explanation. Don't be discouraged by the few persons who turn everything into a tirade against the Supervisor and village residents. There are fewer and fewer of them. Community will prevail.
Mr. Lee, complaining about reserving affordable housing for whites isnt "playing the race card", it is a statement of fact.
Anon at 10:57, dont worry, of course Feiner will push this through. Now what the courts will say later -- who knows????
Affordable housing in Ardsley will be open to everyone--african americans, whites, hispanics, everyone.
But my guess is it will be mostly white.
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