The purpose of this Miscellaneous topic is to discuss any town related issues you feel are important that are not addressed in other topics. Please post any issues you wish to discuss in the comments section of this post. Thanks!
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-Marc Herman
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57 comments:
Ed:
Technically there is a difference.
In the case of the car loaners, the Town Board followed the rules, such as they are, and publicly voted to accept the cars. This makes their double standard textually and legally correct; however their moral scruples remain consistently dubious.
In the matter of the refreshments which I brought before the Ethics Board a year ago, the Town did not vote to solicit or accept the gift of refreshments and that was the "oversight" and violation of those "toughest Ethics laws in the State" that afforded me the opening to bring their moral views up for review.
Incidentally, by refreshments we are not talking about a few bottles of soda and some potato chips but a gift(s) in excess of $500 worth of edibles.
Mr. Sheehan as head of the Comprehensive Plan committee and co-athor of those tough ethics laws and his pawn Thomas Madden as head of Community Development should have known better. If not, then they should have rethought their decisions and chosen to stop accepting the gifts AFTER I brought it to their attention. But they ignored me and continued and thus the outcome awaits the snail-paced deliberation of an Ethics Board which meets but once a month.
A Board which seems determined to make no conclusions before the September Democratic Primary.
And if the Community outreach meetings at which input for the Comprehensive Plan was to be collected WAS so vital and timely that residents would have to be seduced into attending by a veritable smorgasbord of vittles, then I ask how come the result of all this data and the forthcoming $400,000 CP itself is of so little consequence, that the Town already allowed a Zoning change for the WESTHAB development on Tarrytown Road and is entertaining another for White Hickory (Stop & Shop) also on Tarrytown Road. Major development on a major commercial corridor apparently has to get in under the wire before the release of the CP as only Mr. Sheehan and Mr. Madden would know as of this date.
It's another typical day in DogPark USA.
note: I am in favor of the Stop&Shop development.
Don't forget Madden's hastily scrapped business tax (we welcome you to Greenburgh with open arms) scheme and the his little "white" lie that the Library had an amended site plan regarding the changed geothermal drilling locations (5 deep to 40 shallow). The lie was itself later amended by his statement that there was no requirement to obtain an amended site plan for that which is below ground.
Or how about correcting Public Notice errors on Hearings without providing new notice.
And all of these from that wonderful department which brought you covert changing of the zoning map.
Now you see it, now you don't.
Wish the same could be said for Mr. Madden.
Separate of the ethics issues and the failings of Mr. Sheehan and Madden, is this matter which hopefully will be answered (even in some typical Feiner finessed fashion) at Wednesday's Town Board meeting.
Sent by email to the Town Clerk/Supervisor/Town Board
"Based on revenue information and projections already known to the Town Supervisor and Town Comptroller to include but not limited to Mortgage Tax, Sales Tax and Real Estate taxes* and using 2009 expenses as the stand-in for 2010:
*using 2009 real estate taxes to include that year's increase
a) what is the anticipated tax increase for 2010 (A and B) without using fund balances?
b) what is the anticipated tax increase for 2010 (A and B) if the maximum allowable fund balances are used?
and
c) has the Town requested and/or received any advisory from bond rating agencies as to what rating the Town would receive were it to proceed with selling the remaining balance of Library expansion bonds?"
To Hal Samis:
Regarding your 10:51AM posting, is the in your "PROFESSINAL OPINION?"
As to your 3:06PM posting, the simple answer is NO.
Funny, the complex answer is also NO.
I know in your heart of hearts, you know Mr. Feiner's pronouncments need no backup data because they come from The Unimpeachable Source.
time to get rid of the tdycc
its too expensive and divisive
does weems agree with bernstein that the tdycc should be restricted to unincorporated greenburgh?
Kapica should do a study of the poor response from his police officers concerning the pistol whipping of a Greenburgh/Hastings resident. Why did the Police responding to the scene take no immediate action? Why did they knock on the front door while the suspects fled through the back? Why were they scared to take immediate action even when THEY KNEW that the lives of the people inside depended on it?
It seems that the Greenburgh Police are not inclined to take action to protect the lives of taxpayers if THEIR OWN lives are placed in jeopardy. Witness the refusal to take any action at the shopping center when it was reported that hostages were inside being held by the robbers. Kapica's Legions would not take action until the entire SWAT Team was in place. The Fire District study is just a way for Kapica and Feiner to take the heat off of their poor performances.
Please Note: NONE of the three paid fire departments look at a fire and say, "Gee, it is just too big for us right now, let's wait until we get more people and equipment here before we take any action." Unlike Kapica's Legions, the Fire Departments take immediate action to save lives!!!! Kapica and his legions should take note and learn how to do their jobs!
Dear 6:46 the Town code requires that commissioners live in New York state.
and what law says the town should be in the business of poverty alleviation?
none
close the tdycc
save 4 plus millions
i know the king of pop, and i can say that paul feiner is the best supervisor in the county.
Any breakthroughs on the home invasion in Donald Park? The story is going on three weeks and with already "perp" in custody, one wonders why with the best efforts of the various Greenburgh police, Yonkers, the State Police and the NYPD helicopter that not only did the others get away but they remain unapprehended?
Oh well, there's always Police Camp to brag about.
seems the town has learned its lesson that being open for business is what is needed
now its time to scrap the silly comprehensive plan
isnt the father of the comprehensive plan none other than francis sheehanigans
the same genius who brought us the $175,000 ramp for no one at the library??
Here comes the tax increase, here comes the tax increase. Any one see / read today's NY Times?
Sent to the Town Board and Comptroller on Monday -- hopefully to be answered tonight.
"Based on revenue information and projections already known to the Town Supervisor and Town Comptroller to include but not limited to Mortgage Tax, Sales Tax and Real Estate taxes* and using 2009 expenses as the stand-in for 2010:
*using 2009 real estate taxes to include that year's increase
a) what is the anticipated tax increase for 2010 (A and B) without using fund balances?
b) what is the anticipated tax increase for 2010 (A and B) if the maximum allowable fund balances are used?
and
c) has the Town requested and/or received any advisory from bond rating agencies as to what rating the Town would receive were it to proceed with selling the remaining balance of Library expansion bonds?"
It so happens that they have one thing in common I mean Paul and McCarty and that is their religious beliefs.
Bob B. about time someone made her look like a a-- way to go
Dear 5:59,
Wasn't Paul McCarthy one of the original Beatle Bailey's or was Metz madden in Sheehina?
What do Beetle Bailey, Paul McCartney, the Volkswagen and the "no no no it ain't me babe" have in common with the ever ready bunny?
Answer: they keep running until YOU drop but at least they last longer than this year's tortoise.
I see that the Library parking lot lights are out again. Nobody should complain, I guess, because they did work for a whole two months. Wonder the leaks have stopped by the front door yet.
judy beville is a scary loose cannon
the nerve to call a citizen a liar
on the other hand, pat weems was once again missing in action
just like she is a no show at the council of greenburgh civic associations meetings
If someone lies, he should be called a liar. Too many residents think that they can throw all kinds of untruths at town officials but expect courtesy in return. Good for Judy Beville.
What's going to happen this fall with the pool schedule at the TDYCC? I've noticed that Gay Silverman is still renting the pool M-Th from 7:30-9:30pm and I think it's the same 2 hours on Saturday (12:30-2:30pm). Not only that but the lifeguards are still trying, on occasion, to get the evening lap swimmers out at 7:25 even though we are supposed to have the pool for an hour (6:30-7:30) in the evening.
It's very disturbing to have to argue and bring this up all the time because Paul Feiner wants Gay Silverman at the pool. This means that the evening lap swimmers are always sharing with a class and both suffer. And I've heard how Gay Silverman is constantly late in paying. We have a team at the pool. Why do we need two teams? I've asked and asked but no one seems to know what the benefits are other than saying that she's been here and always will be. That's not an answer.
Seems to me that the "loose cannon" in town in Samis. He is disruptive and arrogant. He should feel very apprecative that this is the US of A, which allows his antics.
That being said, I am glad I do not understand the negativity and foulness of his voice and words. That makes me sleep better at night.
It's also a shame that others in this town entertain him. There is much good that can be learned from differences of opinion and criticism. But no good comes from bad attitude and negativity. It IS UNPRODUCTIVE......
I would like it confirmed by Mr. Feiner that WestHab has lost funding for the project at 21 Tarrytown Rd. Shat does this mean for that property now?
I wonder how many times Hal had his lunch money stolen by school bullies?
Does he now feel that HE can be the Town bully with his mouth?
Enquiry minds want to know.....
mr samis was the hero last night.
he posed questions and the town board was unable to answer them.
paul and francis tripped all over themselves in trying to explain when an opinion on the bonding was going to be obtained.
paul, if you want to brag about the bond ratings, at least learn something about how the process works.
francis, you were shown to be the emperor in waiting with no clothes.
and kevin, whats with the leaving the room every five minutes?
as usual, diana juettner was the sphinx.
judy beville asks (or is it begs) for respect. now we know why she is not entitled to it.
judy, you owe mr bernstein an apology. if you disagree with him, you say you take exception to his views, that you remember it differently etc. you dont call a citizen and a leader of a major civic association a liar.
shame on the whole board for not disciplining beville.
He DESERVED being called a liar...
and why is that?
where you at the metz meeting?
if so, for how long?
or are just bluffing like sheehan?
I agree with 1:17pm no one who holds a position such as Ms. Beville should call anyone a liar at a town board meeting. She should be reprimanded and made to apologize to Mr. Bernstein regardless of who was right or wrong.
I am certainly not a fan of Ms. Beville and don't celebrate an elected official using the dais as the place to call a resident a liar.
She needs to remember that even if singled out, the night is not about her and she does spend an inordinate amount of facetime promoting herself.
However, last night also revealed one amusing thing. She did obtain an additional time-remaining clock that residents could see head-on when speaking from the podium at Town Board meetings. By doing so, she neutralized Pat Weems entire campaign platform.
But to add the ying to the yang, the audio portion last night sent to home viewers was still the pits.
Well, Well , Well Mr. Feiner it seems to me that you haven't been informed by WestHab that their funding has gone up in flames.
Yes, it has been confirmed by The Department of Housing and Community Renewal that WestHab has been denied funding.
Hopefully you are next in being denied another term as Supervisor for going against the wishes of Fulton Park and other community members that cried out about the injustice you were commiting against the community in supporting WestHab.
The fight is not over until Fulton Park sees a for sale sign on the WestHab property.
Stop wasting the Towns time in having to hold a Planning Board hearing on this matter tell them to leave dodge and admit they have met their match.
I'm not sure why Ms. Beville said what she said, but if the shoe fits... Mr. B's representations on a number of matters have been proven by several courts to be false.
Beville is paid to take notes not to yap her opinion every time she feels like it. It's shameless that she has to beg for respect. Ms. Beville respect is earned. You are the clerk not a Town Board memeber. So act like it and keep your opinions to yourself.
Correct me if I'm wrong isn't this the second time WestHab has lost Funding? when are they going to give up?
Susan Tolchin,was the best town clerk we ever had !!!! judy what a joke
beville should apologize to bernstein and edgemont
if she fails, bernstein should consider filing a slander suit against beville
Belville was not elected for her opinion on anything except town clerk matters. She needs to sick a sock in it.
The Fulton Park residents begged the Stupidvisor and Town Board to wait for the Comprehensive Plan to be completed before doing anything with the property at 22 Tarrytown Road. King Feiner and his merry Board of incompetents voted to become the lead agency to rush the project through to satisfy Delbello and Associates.
Power and money - Candidate Weems was right.
The neighborhood and it's Association, along with ALL the other Greenburgh Associations all maintained the need to do what was correct by procedure and law. To wait for the Comprehensive Plan. But they did what Paul wanted anyway. Shame on them!
Now, under the tutelage of his Delbello cronies yet again, Feiner and crew are being told to get the train speeding on the tracks with a decision on the White Hickory project (aka Stop & Shop). The problem is once the zoning is changed, and the comprehensive plan is in place, White Hickory, Delbello and Feiner and Associates can build anything they want. This is more spot zoning and should not be allowed to happen.
Feiner, evidently in the "pockets" for Avalon Greene 2 project, approved 450 condominiums at the top of Taxter road. It's absurd that Feiner is treating the unincorporated areas with such disrespect and loathing.
Please raise our taxes another 25% Paul, and don't bother kissing us either. I know where we're going to get it from you Sheehan, Juettner, Morgan and Brown, and where. It's just a question of when.
Everything that was done was legal. It's the ethical and moral deficiencies that are most troubling. To screw your constituents, to whom YOU GAVE YOUR WORD when you campaigned, and then to say you want to keep your word to a developer, who does contribute money to your campaign, but does not vote for you, is reprehensible.
Vote for Weems.
CONGRATULATIONS FULTON PARK! WESHAB LOST THEIR FUNDING!
- While it may be premature to celebrate, the PEOPLE spoke but no one listened. Paul, perhaps this is God's way of getting back at your lying and conniving. Let's hope.
- Tell us Paul, what are you going to do to get back in the good graces of Westhab and their attorneys?
- Tell us Paul, will you and the Board rescind the the zoning change back to what it should be in Fulton Park?
- Tell us Paul, will you allow the Board to vote their conscience or mandate thye fall in line with you?
- Tell us Paul, will you now shift your efforts back to Stop & Shop?
- Tell us Paul, will you close the Westhab application, as you should, and make them reapply again?
- Tell us Paul, will you remove yourselves as the lead agency for incompetence or because you shouldn't have hijacked the process from the beginning?
- Tell us Paul, will you finally go back to representing the people, not the developers?
- Tell us Paul, when you are showing Supervisor-elect Weems around Town Hall, will you do so with that blank & uncaring look we've watched on your face for 18 long, miserable years
- Tell us Paul, when do you start at Delbello's law firm?
Cuomo's website www.reformnygov.com provides sample petitions for consolidation and dissolution of government entities. Any attorneys here have thoughts about preparing a petition of dissolution of Greenburgh town government? The law requires 10% of voters' signatures or 5000 (whichever is less) to get on the ballot.
Dissolving town entities is not the same as dissolving town governments.
However, if we vote to dissolve the town of Greenburgh, what replaces it? Can't have a vacuum, can we. The villages can form their own town to be in. Edgemont may form a village and join the other six villages in their new town. What about the rest of the TOV? They have to be in some town. Which town would take them?
We are new to the area and amazed at what seems to be flagrant abuses by our Town Board. Why is the Town so interested in pushing through the Westhab and White Hickory project? What is this Comprehensive Plan everyone keeps referring to? Isn't the ability to afford housing in a certain area that you can afford the definition of affordable housing?
Who'd thunk that it was so simple.
Anyone can use the Town Pool if they just pay $4.00 and the Town Supevisor calls it Greenburgh Day.
Maybe the long-term solution is:
instead of calling it Greenburgh Day, they could call it: "day by day" in Greenburgh.
Anyone wishing to try out for a part in the local production of GODSPELL, contact casting director Judith Beville.
Other revivals being staged by the Town Board Players in the months ahead are:
Westhab Story
Feiner On the Ropes
Catenas!
Infuriating Things Happened on the Way to the Comprehensive Plan
How to Scuttle Business Permits Without Really Trying
Dais Reigns Again
The Sound of Metz
The DJ Game
Francis' Second Seat
The Bevilles are Ranting
Stop the Taxes, I Want to Get Out!
Sweeney Talamani
Do Regula Mi
A Campaign Line
Bye Bye Edye
Finneran's NoGo
Madden of LaMandas
The Firedistricks!
dear mary
lets not be so naive to think that government has no role in housing policies
your mortgage interest is deductible (rent is not)
so are your property and school taxes
in fact the availability of low rate 30 year mortgages is all mostly due to government policies and agencies
the same is true for all the roads you travel on to get around the suburbs
the first affordable housing plans started here in the 1940s in tarrtyown.
there is nothing wrong with trying to help the lesser paid members of our workforce to live in our community or to help veterans or the disabled.
Dear MaryR @aol.com:
You have no idea how bad it really is. At the last Town Board meeting, the Town passed a resolution imn a veiled attempt to cover up a failure of the Town to abide by certain laws of the land. I hear that the penalties are in the neighborhood of $2 million. Not to worry, higher authorities have been alerted.
The important thing t rememberabout Hal Samis is to LISTEN to what he says and not necessarily HOW he says it.
Over the course of years, Samis has done his homework and proved tobe accurate on a variety of things, i.e. the library, the Lacka-Ethics-Board, the Town Bored to name a few.
His frustration, like mine, is a product of asking non-combative queations of he board and getting blank looks.
Even when they respond like Feiner does occasionally, the answers are NON-RESPONSIVE. Take the answers to Samis' questions at the INAUDIBLE board meeting.Feiner idn't know what he was talking about, and Sheehan proved he was less-than-a-know-it-all. He was an embarrassment. So before you voice your "problem" about Samis, don't use a broad brush, shoot down what he has said and not his presentation.
As to Miz Beville, everybody on that dias from Tim Lewis on the left to "gregareous-without-portfolio Beville on the right has too often to mention, LIED to the public about various and sundry things and to my knowledge NOT CALLED A LIAR on camera.
Miz Beville your job description calls for "taking" meeting notes and you can't do that flapping your mouth and preening.
Nobody wants to hear your opinions. You have no RIGHT interjecting yourself in policy matters, AND you definitely have no RIGHT to call someone who pays your salary A LIAR.
What you do have a responsibility to do is FIX THE AUDIO on town board meeting and work sessions. We hav received hundredsof thousands of dollars from Cablevision and its predecessor. Wherehas that money, dedicated as it is, gone to. Clearly NOT to fix thisongoing problem. Sobefore you call citizens liars and continue to speak when not spoken to, DO ONE ON THE JOBS YOU'RE PAID TO DO. If you can't let's get someone who can and take their remuneration out of your multi-line salary.
Irrespective of the varacity of Bernstein's statement, IRRESPECTIVE!!!! you should be made to publicly apologize to him..in print and/or on camera, WITH THE AUDIO AUDIBLE so everyone can understand whatyou're saying.
Irrespective over the veracity of his statement??? That has got to be the dumbest thing I ever heard. If the man lied (again and again and again), he should be called out for it. Just because you have public comment doesn't mean you can make up lies.
"The dumbest thing you ever heard," apparently you live a sheltered life.
Using the description, "liar," is really not appropriate for a public arena, especially when, like Krauss said, the lies flow unabated from the 7 on the dais.
Get a grip and can the hyperbole.
this is the type of government that the residents have to put up with.
The problem is that it is said that she is an intellegent person but she does overstep her bounds when it comes to government affairs.
Paul seems to like what she has been doing all this time so we can expect more of her but if he were a boss he would let her go asap before there is some disention on the dias.
We can see it coming .
TOWN CLERK
GENERAL STATEMENT OF DUTIES: Is responsible for the administration of Town business
under the general supervision of the Town Board; does related work as required.
DISTINGUISHING FEATURES OF THE CLASS: The incumbent in this class is responsible for
administrative work covering the many business transactions required by town law and by
action of the Town Board. General overall supervision of Town functions is exercised under the
Town Board to whom the Town Clerk is directly responsible. Considerable judgment and
discretion is permitted employees of this class.
EXAMPLES OF WORK: (Illustrative Only)
Attend all meetings of the Town Board to present Town business;
Records actions of the Board;
Issues licenses and permits;
Keeps all records and the seal of the town;
Answers all correspondence;
Posts all legal notices;
Files records and papers;
Assists in the preparation of budget estimates;
Purchases supplies and equipment for the Town.
REQUIRED KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, ABILITIES AND ATTRIBUTES: Extensive knowledge of
Town Law and procedures; ability to organize and administer a variety of activities; accuracy;
dependability; honesty; ability to get along well with others; sound judgment; tact.
DESIRED MINIMUM ACCEPTABLE TRAINING AND EXPERIENCE: Graduation from high
school or possession of a high school equivalency diploma and four (4) years of responsible or
supervisory experience in a business concern.
Towns
J. C.: Unclassified Job Class Code: O003
1
osi was at the last town board meeting earlier in the evening
imagine if they saw how beville conducted herself and decided that a town board that allows its clerk to call a taxpayer a liar is something that ruled greeenburgh out of the running for their relocation?
beville must be disciplined.
The Town Clerk is an elected office.
Dear 7/07/2009 12:46 PM
(AKA Mr Firefighter)
What fires have you responded to in the past year?
How many EMS calls have you gone on with the Police Department in order to have some sort of call volume. A and P runs dont count!!
Have you checked with the A&P to see what kind of calls were answered .
You would be surprised.
yeah, its called picking up dinner!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Cut out the bashing of Judy Beville. Yes, she talks a bit too much at times, but she does a good job as Town Clerk. Others talk much more.
There is a group who spend their time in trash talk, and they seem to have singled out Beville. Pathetic. Some of these trashers deserve to be called out.
One bit of advice for Beville. Refrain from giving views on policy matters. That is the Town Board's job. But otherwise, keep doing what you have been doing.
beville calling a citizen a liar is an outrage.
shrill beville should have the decency to apologize.
if she fails to do so, bernstein should sue her.
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