[I. CALL TO ORDER]
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EVERYONE TO THE VILLAGE OF HASTINGS ON HUDSON, NEW YORK BOARD OF TRUSTEES, CONTINUED PUBLIC HEARING ON THE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN AND REGULAR MEETING FOR TUESDAY, MAY 6TH, 2025.I ALLEGIANCE TO THE FLAG OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, AND TO THE REPUBLIC FOR WHICH IT STANDS, ONE NATION UNDER GOD, THE INDIVIDUAL WITH LIBERTY AND JUSTICE FOR ALL.
VILLAGE ATTORNEY WHITEHEAD HERE.
[IV. CONTINUED PUBLIC HEARING ON COMPREHESIVE PLAN]
WE WILL MOVE, UH, INTO THE CONTINUED PUBLIC HEARING ON THE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN.IS THERE ANYONE WHO WOULD LIKE TO ADDRESS THE BOARD ON THIS ISSUE? PLEASE COME.
IF YOU COULD COME TO THE MIC AND, UH, IF YOU CAN STATE FOR ANYONE WHO'S NEW TO THE PROCESS WHO WOULD LIKE TO MAKE A COMMENT, IF YOU CAN, WHAT THAT IS.
IS THERE ANYONE WHO CAN? OH, WE'RE TRYING TO FIGURE IT OUT.
SO, WHILE WE'RE WAITING, WHEN YOU COME TO THE MIC, PERFECT.
UM, WHEN YOU COME TO THE MIC, IF YOU CAN STATE YOUR NAME AND YOUR ADDRESS, AND THEN IF YOU CAN KEEP YOUR COMMENTS TO THREE MINUTES, WE WOULD VERY MUCH APPRECIATE THAT.
ARTHUR REALO, UH, 32 MAIN STREET, HASTINGS ON HUDSON.
UM, I AM THE CHAIRMAN OF THE AFFORDABLE HOUSING COMMITTEE, UM, AND I THANK THIS OPPORTUNITY TO ADDRESS YOU, UM, IN REFERENCE TO YOUR ADOPTION, HOPEFULLY OF THE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN AND THE LWRP.
UM, IT, I AM GOING TO BE SUBMITTING TWO LETTERS THAT I WOULD LIKE TO BE READ INTO YOUR MINUTES.
ONE IS A LETTER THAT I, I, UH, MY COMMITTEE, UH, WROTE TO YOU ON OCTOBER THE 16TH, 2023, UM, ENDORSING YOUR, UM, YOUR JOINING, UH, THE PRO HOUSING COMMITTEE RESOLUTION.
UM, IT'S TWO PAGES, I'M SORRY.
AND THE SECOND IS, UM, A LETTER THAT I WROTE, UM, WHICH IS WHY WE NEED AFFORDABLE HOUSING IN HASTINGS ON HUDSON SCENE FROM A HISTORICAL PERSPECTIVE, UM, I WAS BORN AND RAISED IN THIS VILLAGE, AND, UM, YOU'LL SEE FROM THIS LETTER THAT I'VE WRITTEN HOW, UM, IN THE 1930S THROUGH THE 19, UH, SEVENTIES EIGHTIES, UM, THERE WAS, UH, HOUSING THAT WAS BUILT, UH, WHICH WAS MULTIFAMILY, THAT WAS RENTAL.
IT WAS RENT CONTROLLED, AND IT WAS AN OPPORTUNITY FOR PEOPLE TO MOVE INTO HASTINGS, UH, AND, UH, BUILD WEALTH AND HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO PURCHASE PROPERTY.
AND IN THE 1980S, THAT ALL CHANGED WHEN THE MOST OF THESE PROPERTIES WERE CONVERTED TO, TO CO-OPS OR CONDOMINIUMS. UM, AND THERE'S BEEN VERY FEW BUILDINGS SINCE THEN.
UM, SO I SUBMIT THAT TO YOU ALSO.
UM, AND JUST TO SAY THAT OUR COMMITTEE, UH, WHICH IS THE AFFORDABLE HOUSING COMMITTEE, IS A HUNDRED PERCENT IN FAVOR OF THE ADOPTION OF THE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN AND LWRP, WE'VE WORKED VERY HARD WITH THAT COMMITTEE, UM, TO, UH, TO MAKE RECOMMENDATIONS.
THEY HAVE, UH, EMBRACED THE THINGS THAT WE HAVE REQUESTED FROM THEM.
AND I FEEL IT IS IMPORTANT FOR, UH, THIS VILLAGE TO STEP FORWARD AND JOIN THE 21ST CENTURY AND EMBRACE PEOPLE FROM ALL ECONOMIC BACKGROUNDS.
IS THERE ANYONE ELSE WHO'D LIKE TO ADDRESS THE BOARD ON THE COMP PLAN ISSUE? GOOD EVENING.
UH, I WANTED TO FIRST, UH, EXTEND SOME THANKS, UH, FOR THE, UH, TO THE BOARD, TO THE MAYOR
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FOR THE BEING WILLING TO GRANT SOME OF THE SPEAKERS EXTRA TIME AT THE LAST MEETING.IT WAS, UH, IT WAS HELPFUL, NOT HELPFUL ENOUGH, BUT, UM, IT WAS A COURTESY.
UM, I ALSO WANTED TO EXTEND SPECIFIC THANKS TO, UM, CITIZENS, JIM METZKER AND DANIELLE GOODMAN, WHO I'VE THOUGHT MADE EXTRAORDINARILY IMPORTANT POINTS, UH, AND FAR BETTER THAN I I COULD HAVE.
AND I APPRECIATED THEIR, UH, SPEAKING UP.
UM, MOSTLY I'M ASSUMING THIS IS, THIS IS, UH, I SAID THANKS FOR THE EXTRA TIME.
I ALSO WANTED TO EX THANK YOU FOR BEING WILLING TO EXTEND THE PUBLIC HEARING A NUMBER OF TIMES.
UH, IT WAS, I THINK SOMEWHAT, UH, GRUDGINGLY, BUT I THINK HE RECOGNIZED THAT THERE WAS A SENTIMENT TO HAVE THIS IN SOME WAY, UH, CONTINUE.
UM, I'M NOT GONNA BE, I'M NOT GONNA REHASH.
UM, AS A MATTER OF FACT, I DIDN'T HAVE TIME TO GO OVER THE, UH, THE VIDEO OF LAST MEETING.
THERE WERE TWO, UM, ITEMS THAT I RECALLED AND THAT I THINK I WOULD'VE QUOTED MORE EXACTLY.
ONE WAS WHEN I, UH, PRESSED THE MAYOR AS I HAD IN A NUMBER OF CASES IN THE PAST, AS TO WHY EXACTLY WHAT CONSTITUTED THE DEADLINE FOR THE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN, UM, OVER THE LAST TWO YEARS.
AND I BELIEVE, UM, AGAIN, NOT QUOTING VERBATIM, BUT YOU INDICATED THAT THERE REALLY WASN'T A DEADLINE.
IT WAS SOMETHING THAT YOU FELT WAS TIME IT NEEDED TO GET DONE.
BUT IN THEORY, I WOULD, IF I COULD, I WOULD ASK, UH, ASK FURTHER WHAT WOULD HAPPEN IF YOU DID NOT IMMEDIATELY, UH, APPROVE THIS.
UH, SINCE THIS IS A PUBLIC HEARING, MOST OF THE QUESTIONS LIKE THAT, UH, DON'T GET ANSWERED FOR A COUPLE OF YEARS.
UM, UH, THE OTHER IS THAT SOME, ONE OF THE TRUSTEES, UH, MADE A COMMENT TOWARDS THE END THAT, YOU KNOW, WHEN I POINTED OUT THAT THERE WERE SO FEW PEOPLE HERE, THAT YOU TEND TO HAVE THE SAME THREE OR FOUR PEOPLE STANDING BEFORE YOU SAYING THE SAME THINGS.
SO I WANTED TO MAKE CLEAR THAT AT SOME POINT, ANYTHING YOU SAY, YOU HAVE TO BE WILLING TO STAND UP AND BE ACCOUNTABLE FOR THOSE THINGS.
THERE IS SO MUCH, UH, MR. REALO, UH, SPOKE THIS EVENING.
MR. REALO, UH, WITH ALL CREDIT, IS THE MAIN AUTHOR OF THE SECTION OF ON HOUSING THAT IS PROBABLY THE MOST CRITICAL ASPECT OF THIS PLAN THAT NOBODY ACTUALLY UNDERSTANDS IN TERMS OF THE RELEVANCE AND WHAT THE IMPLICATIONS ARE.
SO WHILE I APPRECIATE, UH, I APPRECIATE THAT HE HAS SUPPORT FOR THIS, UM, I'M SORT OF SURPRISED THAT HE WOULD BE COMING AT THIS LAST MINUTE TO, UH, MAKE THIS POINT TO YOU.
IS THERE ANYONE ELSE WHO'D LIKE TO ADDRESS THE BOARD ON THIS ISSUE? GOOD EVENING.
FOR THOSE OF YOU THAT DON'T KNOW ME, JIM METZKER 4 27 WAR BURTON AVENUE.
UM, WHEN WE FINISHED THE FIRST COMPREHENSIVE PLAN, THE TRUSTEE SPENT HOURS AND HOURS IN PUBLIC MEETINGS AT THE COMMUNITY CENTER DOING A PARAGRAPH BY PARAGRAPH BREAKDOWN OF WHAT WAS IN THAT PLAN AND, AND WHAT THE ISSUES WERE.
AND IT WAS IN FACT A DIALOGUE AND NOT PART OF A COMMENT PERIOD.
AND THAT'S PART OF WHAT I'VE HAD A PROBLEM WITH HERE.
ALL WE GET TO DO IS MAKE COMMENTS, AND I HAVE ABSOLUTELY NO IDEA WHETHER ANYTHING, WHAT I'M SAYING IS GETTING THROUGH TO ANYBODY.
IF YOU CAN'T ANSWER SOME OF THESE QUESTIONS, YOU SHOULD DELAY THE VOTE ON THIS PLAN.
FOR EXAMPLE, WHAT IS THE FINANCIAL EFFECT OF THE INCREASED DENSITY THAT IS BEING PROPOSED BY REZONING AND REDUCED OVERSIGHT WITH PERKS FOR DEVELOPERS? UM, WHAT IS THE COST FOR THE INCREASED NEED FOR ADDITIONAL EMERGENCY SERVICES IN DPW? BY INCREASING THE, THE RESIDENTIAL DENSITY, WE HAVE NOT REALLY TALKED MUCH ABOUT THE EFFECT OF INCREASED DENSITY AND CLIMATE CHANGE, SPECIFICALLY THINGS LIKE HEAT ISLAND EFFECTS, STORMWATER RUNOFF, SEWAGE, UM, THE YORE STATION OVERFLOWS PERIODICALLY, AND THERE WAS ONE SENTENCE IN THE ENTIRE COMP PLAN THAT SAID, THERE'S NO PROBLEM WITH STORMWATER AND SEWAGE.
WELL, YEAH, THERE REALLY IS, AND THERE'S BEEN ONE FOR AT LEAST A 25 YEARS I'VE BEEN IN A, THINKS WE SHOULDN'T DISCOUNT THAT.
I DON'T BELIEVE WE'LL EVER REACH HIGH ENOUGH DENSITY THAT THERE'LL BE AN EXCESSIVE HOUSING WHERE PEOPLE GO, YOU KNOW WHAT? WE CAN'T RENT THIS FOR $7,000 A MONTH.
THE ONLY WAY WE CREATE AFFORDABLE HOUSING IN THIS AREA IS THROUGH ZONING.
AND, AND SETA ASIDES FOR AFFORDABLE HOUSING, 15% SET ASIDE FOR CERTAIN SIZE PROJECTS, LET'S NOT KID OURSELVES.
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THE INCREASED HOUSING DENSITY THAT'S BEING CALLED FOR HAS NOT BEEN CORRELATED WITH ANYTHING THAT'S GOING ON AT THE SCHOOL BOARD WHERE THEY'RE LOOKING TO SPEND $38.4 MILLION, WHICH I THINK WILL BE CLOSER TO $43 MILLION, UH, WITH, WITH TARIFFS, ET CETERA, COST OF CONSTRUCTION MATERIALS.THEY'RE CREATING BETWEEN ONE IN FIVE CLASSROOMS. HOW MANY SCHOOL CHILDREN ARE WE GONNA BE CREATING OR BRINGING INTO THE VILLAGE BY INCREASING THE DENSITY? THERE IS A CALL FOR INCREASED TOURISM AND YET REDUCED PARKING.
HOW DO THOSE TWO THINGS SQUARE WITH EACH OTHER? THERE'S NO MENTION AT ALL OF REVENUE NEUTRAL OR REVENUE POSITIVE DEVELOPMENT, WHICH WAS A KEY PART OF THE FIRST COMPREHENSIVE PLAN TO START TALKING ABOUT INCREASING DENSITY OF HOUSING WITHOUT TALKING ABOUT THE COST TO THE VILLAGE IS REALLY SHORTSIGHTED IN MY, IN MY, UH, IN MY, UH, OPINION.
AND THEN LAST, WHERE'S THE CHAPTER ON PROMOTING COMMERCIAL DEVELOPMENT? BECAUSE IN FACT, THE ONLY THING THAT IS GOING TO INCREASE IT THAT WILL REDUCE THE TAX BURDEN ON RESIDENTS IN THIS VILLAGE IS INCREASE COMMERCIAL DEVELOPMENT.
AND THERE'S ALMOST NOTHING IN THE COMP PLAN THAT SUPPORTS THAT.
IT'S ALL RESIDENTS ALL THE TIME.
AND I THINK THAT'S A REAL PROBLEM.
AND I BELIEVE THE PLAN SHOULD NOT BE PASSED YET UNTIL THESE ISSUES ARE IDENTIFIED AND TALKED ABOUT FURTHER.
IS THERE ANYONE ELSE WHO WOULD LIKE TO SPEAK TO THE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN? NO ONE ELSE.
UM, PLEASE
THE MOST RECENT CENSUS IN THE VILLAGE OF HASTINGS, THERE WERE 8,200 PEOPLE.
UM, SO BEFORE CLOSING, UH, I'D LIKE TO ADDRESS AND IN SOME CASES CORRECT SOME ASSERTIONS THAT ARE BEING SHARED DURING THESE PUBLIC HEARINGS OVER THE LAST FEW SESSIONS OF OUR BOARD MEETINGS ON THE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN.
SO THE FIRST TOPIC THAT I'D LIKE TO TALK ABOUT IS THE FISCAL IMPACT STUDY.
UM, AND, UH, THERE'S A, A SUGGESTION THAT THERE SHOULD BE A FISCAL IMPACT STUDY THAT SHOULD BE CARRIED OUT FOR A COMP PLAN.
OUR COMP PLAN MAKES NO SPECIFIC RECOMMENDATIONS AS TO DENSITY, BUT INSTEAD IT CITES IN GENERAL THE SHORTAGE AND NEED FOR MORE HOUSING AND FOR A MIX OF HOUSING TYPES, AND RECOMMENDS FURTHER STUDY IN ANALYSIS OF THE APPROPRIATE LOCATIONS AND, UH, TYPES OF HOUSING, ACKNOWLEDGING THE NEED TO CONSIDER THE ECONOMIC TAX AND AESTHETIC IMPACTS IN UNDERTAKING THIS STUDY.
UH, AND THERE'S A WHOLE SET OF RECOMMENDATIONS RELATED TO DOWNTOWN REVITALIZATION, WHICH IS ABOUT THE COMMERCIAL SECTOR.
UM, THE, THE, THE COMP PLAN, IN MY VIEW, IT MAKES COMPLETE SENSE AND I THINK IN THE VIEW OF THE BOARD TO CONDUCT A FISCAL IMPACT ANALYSIS AS PART OF A SECRET REVIEW AT THE TIME, ZONING IS ACTUALLY AMENDED IN A MANNER TO ALLOW SIGNIFICANT INCREASE IN DENSITY OR IN THE CONTEXT OF A SPECIFIC LOCAL DEVELOPMENT PROPOSAL AND MAJOR LAND USE PLAN.
SO IN THE CONTEXT OF THOSE ACTUAL DEVELOPMENT PROPOSALS, THAT'S WHEN THE FISCAL IMPACT STUDY MAKES SENSE.
FISCAL IMPACTS, THEY'RE DIRECTLY RELATED TO THE SCOPE OF SPECIFIC PROJECTS.
AND SO IT'S ACTUALLY IMPOSSIBLE TO ANTICIPATE WHAT THOSE WILL BE IN A COMP PLAN.
SO JUST TO SORT OF BE CLEAR ON OUR VIEWS ON THAT.
UM, THE SECOND THING I'D LIKE TO ADDRESS, WHICH HAS COME UP A NUMBER OF TIMES IS, UH, COMMENTS RELATED TO HOUSING.
OUR COMP PLA COMP PLAN FOCUSES ON SMART GROWTH, SPECIFICALLY CREATING LIVABLE, SUSTAINABLE AND EQUITABLE COMMUNITIES.
THE SMART GROWTH CONCEPT IS DISCUSSED IN CHAPTER TWO.
THE PLAN ALSO POINTS OUT THAT THE EXISTING HOUSING STOCK IS LIMITED AND THAT THE VACANCY RATE IS IN THE AREA OF 3%, WHICH IS EXTRAORDINARILY LOW.
LOWER SUPPLY DRIVES OUT PRICES.
WHAT WE NEED TO BE ABLE TO DO IN OUR COMMUNITY IS PROVIDE MORE HOUSING FOR OUR TEACHERS, FIRST RESPONDERS, CHILDCARE WORKERS, MUNICIPAL WORKERS, AND OUR WORKING CLASS, UM, AS WELL AS FA FOR FAMILIES TO BE ABLE TO MOVE INTO THE AREA.
AND FOR OUR SENIORS TO BE ABLE TO DOWNSIZE, TO, UH, DOWNSIZE TO WITHIN THE COMMUNITY.
THE PLAN RECOMMENDS STUDYING SUITABLE LOCATIONS AND THE APPROPRIATE MIX OF HOUSING TYPES TO PROVIDE FOR ALL AGES AND INCOME LEVELS.
THE NEED FOR MORE HOUSING UNITS
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ALSO COMES FROM THE REDUCTION IN HOUSEHOLD SIZE.WITHOUT MORE HOUSING UNITS, POPULATION WILL ACTUALLY DECREASE.
WE NEED TO BE ABLE, WE NEED PEOPLE TO SUPPORT OUR BUSINESSES OR THEY WILL STRUGGLE AS WELL.
BOTH THE COMP PLAN, UH, REGARDING THE PRO-HOUSING, UM, RESOLUTION.
WE'VE SPOKEN TO THIS ISSUE IN A NUMBER OF RECENT MEETINGS, AND BOTH THE COMP PLAN COMMITTEE AND THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES WOULD LIKE TO INCLUDE, HAVE MADE CLEAR THAT THEY WOULD LIKE TO INCLUDE THAT RESOLUTION.
THE RESOLUTION DOES NOT BIND THIS OR ANY FUTURE BOARD TO ANYTHING.
IT'S SIM SIMPLY A STATEMENT IN FAVOR OF HOUSING AND A COMMITMENT TO COLLECT HOUSING DATA IN OUR COMMUNITY FOR THE STATE.
EACH OF US BELIEVES IN THE IMPORTANCE OF HOUSING, AND WE VERY MUCH HOPE THAT IN THE NEXT FEW YEARS, AT LEAST SOME OF THE HOUSING CONSTRUCTED IN THE COMMUNITY WILL ACTUALLY BE AFFORDABLE.
UM, THERE WERE ALSO SOME COMMENTS, UH, NOT TONIGHT, BUT IN PREVIOUS, UM, SESSIONS RELATING TO THE ALLEGATION THAT THERE'S A CONFLICT OF INTEREST FOR MEMBERS OF THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES TO SERVE ON THE COMP PLAN COMMITTEE.
IN FACT, NEW YORK STATE'S DEPARTMENT OF STATE COMP PLAN WEBSITE EXPLAINS WHAT THE PROCESS SHOULD LOOK LIKE.
THERE'S A VERY DETAILED SET OF, UH, REQUIREMENTS, WHICH WE HAVE FOLLOWED, UM, UH, UM, IN DETAIL.
AND IT STATES THE COMPREHENSIVE PLANNING COMMITTEE SHALL HAVE AT LEAST ONE MEMBER FROM THE PLANNING BOARD AND SHALL INCLUDE REPRESENTATIVES FROM A LARGE RANGE OF ETHNIC, SOCIAL AND CULTURAL BACKGROUNDS, AND A DIVERSE RANGE OF STAKEHOLDERS SUCH AS RESIDENTS, CIVIC LEADERS, BUSINESS OWNERS, ELECTED OFFICIALS, ENVIRONMENTAL EXCERPTS, EXPERTS, AND MUNICIPAL BOARD MEMBERS.
RICHARD BASS, WHO WAS ON THE COMP PLAN COMMITTEE, UH, ALSO, UH, IS ON OUR PLANNING BOARD AND SERVED AS A REPRESENTATIVE OF THE PLANNING BOARD.
AND TRUSTEES, FLEISIG AND DRAKE, WHO ARE ON THE COMMITTEE ARE BOTH ELECTED OFFICIALS AND MUNICIPAL BOARD MEMBERS.
WE HAPPEN TO NOW HAVE AN ADDITIONAL MEMBER, UH, IN, IN TERMS OF, OF TRUSTEE MERTON, UH, UH, AND, UH, I THINK THAT HAS ACTUALLY ADDED A LOT OF RICHNESS TO OUR BOARD.
UM, AND THEN I'D JUST LIKE TO ADDRESS THE ISSUE OF PROCESS.
SO THERE HAVE BEEN SOME QUESTIONS RAISED ABOUT THE PROCESS.
I WANT TO REMIND EVERYONE THAT THE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN PROCESS STARTED IN LATE 2021, AND WE ARE NOW IN 2025.
THE PROCESS TO DATE HAS TAKEN OVER THREE YEARS.
IT'S OUTLINED IN DETAIL IN THE INTRODUCTION OF THE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN.
HERE'S A QUICK SUMMARY OF THE PROCESS.
THE GRANT FROM THE DEPARTMENT OF STATE TO DEVELOP A COMP PLAN IN LWRP WAS ANNOUNCED IN DECEMBER OF 2021.
THE 11 COMMITTEE MEMBERS WERE ANNOUNCED IN MAY OF 2022.
THE FIRST MEETING OF THE GROUP WAS HELD IN JUNE, 2022, AND THE CONSULTANTS WERE HIRED IN OCTOBER OF 2022.
THERE WERE 23 PUBLIC MEETINGS OF THE COMMITTEE, WHICH WERE ALL NOTICED AND OPEN TO THE PUBLIC, UH, AND PUBLIC COMMENT WAS TAKEN.
AGENDAS AND MEETINGS ARE ON THE VILLAGE WEBSITE, AND VIDEOS OF MEETINGS ARE AVAILABLE ON W-H-O-H-T-V.
THERE WAS ALSO AN ONLINE SURVEY IN MARCH, 2023, WHICH ELICITED 1053 RESPONSES, WHICH IS A VERY, VERY HIGH NUMBER, GIVEN THAT THERE ARE 8,500 PEOPLE IN THE VILLAGE.
UH, THERE WAS A VIRTUAL PUBLIC MEETING ON JANUARY 30TH, 2023, AN IN-PERSON PUBLIC MEETING ON MAY 24TH, 2023, ANOTHER VIRTUAL PUBLIC WORKSHOP ON NOVEMBER 1ST, 2023.
AND THERE WERE ALSO STAKEHOLDER MEETINGS.
A DEDICATED WEBSITE FOR THE PLAN WAS SET UP AND DOCUMENTS WERE POSTED THERE.
THE COMMITTEE HELD THE PUBLIC HEARING FOR THE PLAN IN JUNE OF 2024, AND THEN HANDED THE DOCUMENT TO THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES IN SEPTEMBER OF 2024.
THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES REVIEWED THE PLAN AND ADDED ITS COMMENTS, AND THE BOARD SCHEDULED ITS OWN PUBLIC HEARING ON THE COMP PLAN ON APRIL 1ST, 2025.
AND WE'VE LEFT THAT PUBLIC HEARING OPEN FOR THREE MEETINGS TO SOLICIT ANY FINAL COMMENTS.
IT'S BEEN A LONG AND THOROUGH PROCESS.
MANY RESIDENTS HAVE SHARED THEIR OPINIONS AND THE COMMITTEE AND THE CONSULTANTS HAVE DONE, IN MY VIEW, A GREAT JOB AT REVIEWING AND INCLUDING WHAT MADE SENSE TO THEM.
THE BOARD HAS ALSO REVIEWED THE DOCUMENTS AND ADDED ITS OWN THOUGHTS.
SO BY DEFINITION, NOT EVERY THOUGHT BY EVERY PERSON HAS BEEN INCLUDED, BUT I THINK WE ALL FEEL THAT IT IS A STRONG DOCUMENT AND IT CAN PROVIDE GUIDANCE FOR THE COMMUNITY FOR THE UPCOMING FIVE TO 10 YEAR PERIOD.
IF WE CAN IMPLEMENT EVEN JUST HALF OF WHAT'S RECOMMENDED,
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WE WILL HAVE DONE AN EXCELLENT JOB.SO WITH THAT, ANY THOUGHTS FROM ANY OF THE TRUSTEES ON EITHER ANY OF THE COMMENTS OR OTHER THOUGHTS? UH, TRUSTEE MERTON? YES.
UM, I, JUST KNOWING THIS IS WE WERE GOING TO BE, UH, CLOSING THIS MEETING.
I JUST WANTED TO TAKE A MOMENT TO FULLY THANK AND EXPRESS MY APPRECIATION TO MY FELLOW COMPREHENSIVE PLAN COMMITTEE MEMBERS WHO ARE TRUSTEE LIAISONS, FLEISIG AND DRAKE, NATALIE BERRY, RICHARD BASS, PATRICK DIGGINS, MEGAN DONAHUE, DAVE GUNTON, TED COACH, SARAH DUPER OSTRO, CHRIS THOMAS, MEG WALKER, AND OUR LEADER AND CHAIRPERSON RAY DEVAL.
AND FROM DAY ONE, I WAS IN AWE OF THE ARRAY OF BACKGROUND AND EXPERTISE THAT EACH OF YOU HAD.
THE COMBINATION OF EVERYONE'S DIVERSE AND EX EXTENSIVE PROFESSIONAL KNOWLEDGE PREVIOUS VILLAGE COMMITTEE AND VOLUNTEER EXPERIENCES WERE CRITICAL TO MAKING THIS PROCESS VERY COLLABORATIVE AND SUCCESSFUL, INCLUDING OUR MONTHLY MEETINGS, CONVENING IN SMALLER GROUPS, AND THEN OF COURSE, THE WRITING AND EDITING AND REWRITING AND EDITING EACH CHAPTER.
SO, JUST ONCE AGAIN, THANK YOU TO THE GROUP FOR THEIR, YOUR COMMITMENT TO THIS TWO AND A HALF YEAR PROJECT, AND I APPRECIATE HAVING BEEN A MEMBER OF SUCH A DEDICATED GROUP.
IS THERE ANYONE ELSE WHO'D LIKE TO SHARE THOUGHTS? UM, SURE.
UM, THANK YOU FOR, FOR YOUR COMMENTS.
UM, I GUESS I WOULD JUST LIKE TO, TO ADD ON TO A FEW, UM, SMALL DETAILS.
ONE IS, UM, FIRST OFF, I WANT TO THANK, UH, ARTHUR OLA FOR ATTENDING MANY OF THE MEETINGS AND FOR CONTRIBUTING, UM, A LOT OF THOUGHT TO THE ISSUE OF AFFORDABLE HOUSING AND BRINGING, UM, DEEP HISTORICAL KNOWLEDGE OF THE VILLAGE TO THE ISSUE.
I WILL SAY, HOWEVER, I DO NOT BELIEVE THAT HE WROTE THAT SECTION.
IT WAS WRITTEN BY THE COMMITTEE AND, UM, AND BY OUR CONSULTANT.
BUT I REALLY DO APPRECIATE YOUR CONTRIBUTIONS THERE.
UM, ONE CLARIFICATION THOUGH, WE'RE NOT APPROVING THE LWP TONIGHT, JUST THE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN.
UM, ALSO, UM, A NUMBER OF PEOPLE, INCLUDING YOU MAY HAVE REFERRED TO TRUSTEE DRAKE AND ME AS BEING MEMBERS OF THE COMMITTEE, BUT WE REALLY, WE WERE JUST LIAISONS.
I KNOW SOME PEOPLE HAVE GLOSSED OVER THAT, BUT, UM, I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT WE DEFERRED VERY MUCH TO THE COMMITTEE AND DID NOT, UH, TRY TO TRY TO STEER THEM.
WE WERE THERE TO ACTUALLY EXPLAIN, UM, ISSUES, UM, FROM OTHER COMMITTEES THAT WE HAD INSIGHT INTO OR POSSIBLY VIEWPOINTS OF THAT WE THOUGHT THE BOARD MIGHT TAKE.
BUT OBVIOUSLY WE WERE NOT REPRESENTING THE BOARD COMPLETELY.
UM, I DO WANT TO THANK
SO, UM, DAVID SKOLNIK, I WANT TO THANK YOU FOR APPEARING IN ALMOST EVERY MEETING.
UH, I ALSO WANT TO THANK DANIEL GOODMAN FOR HER WRITTEN COMMENTARY, WHICH I THOUGHT WAS THOUGHTFUL, EVEN THOUGH I'VE SPOKEN TO HER AT LENGTH, AND SHE KNOWS I DON'T AGREE WITH EVERY ONE OF HER POINTS.
UM, AND MR. METZGER, I WANNA THANK YOU FOR YOUR WORK ON THE, THE PREVIOUS COMPREHENSIVE PLAN, WHICH I VALUE DEEPLY, AND I WILL CONTINUE TO REFER TO IT.
ALSO, I, I DO BELIEVE IT'S TIME TO MOVE ON TO THE NEXT ONE,
UM, THERE ARE TWO POINTS IN THAT COMPREHENSIVE PLAN THAT I JUST WANT TO RAISE HERE BECAUSE A NUMBER OF PEOPLE HAVE BROUGHT UP THIS ISSUE THAT WE NEED TO BE DOING FISCAL ANALYSIS AS PART OF THE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN.
I, I DO AGREE WITH THE MAYOR THAT THAT'S NOT THE, THE MANDATE OF THE COMPREHENSIVE PLANNING COMMITTEE OR OF THE CONSULTANTS.
UM, I DO BELIEVE THAT THE CONFERENCE PLAN SHOULD CALL FOR FISCAL ANALYSIS, WHICH IS WHAT THE PREVIOUS PLAN DID, BUT IT ALSO DID NOT PROVIDE ANY FISCAL ANALYSIS ON ITS OWN.
AND THEN NOTHING WAS MENTIONED IN THIS MEETING, THANKFULLY, BUT I'M JUST GONNA BRING IT UP SINCE I'VE HEARD IT.
THIS COMPLAINANT PREVIOUS MEETINGS ABOUT THE BIKE LANES, THE BIKE LANES ON FERT WERE PUT IN DIRECTLY AS A RESULT OF, OF, OF RECOMMENDATIONS IN THE PREVIOUS COMPREHENSIVE PLAN.
AND THEY ARE JUST THE BEGINNING OF A MUCH LARGER PROJECT CONNECTING BIKE LANES ACROSS DOWN RAVENSDALE ROAD TO THE SOUTH COUNTY TRAILWAY, AND TO BIKE LANES OF THE DEPARTMENT OF STATE WILL BE PUTTING ON BROADWAY AT ONE POINT, HOPEFULLY IN THE NOT TOO DISTANT FUTURE.
ANYONE ELSE LIKE TO ADDRESS? UM, I MEAN, I ECHO THE, THE, UM, SENTIMENT FROM TRUSTEE MERTON AND TRUSTEE FLEISIG AND AGREE WITH YOU BOTH.
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DID EXTEND IT, UH, AT THE REQUEST OF, OF SOME OF THE MEMBERS OF THE COMMUNITY.UM, 'CAUSE I FELT, UH, AT THAT POINT, THE LAST MEETING, I FELT LIKE, ALL RIGHT, WE SHOULD GO ONE MORE MEETING.
AND I KNOW VILLAGE MANAGER MURPHY PUT OUT MORE VILLAGE COMMUNICATIONS, UH, MIDWAY THROUGH, UH, THE LAST THREE WEEKS SINCE OUR LAST MEETING.
AND, AND I FEEL CONFIDENT, UM, TO NOT KEEP REPEATING WORDS, BUT I FEEL CONFIDENT AS WELL, UH, IN VOTING ON THIS TONIGHT.
ANY OTHER THOUGHTS? I'LL JUST, UM, I HAVEN'T PREPARED A STATEMENT.
I JUST WANTED TO THANK EVERYBODY FOR THEIR HARD WORK.
UH, ALL THE COMMITTEE MEMBERS AND THE BOARD MEMBERS WHO WERE LIAISONS TO THE, TO THE COMP PLAN.
I ALSO WANTED TO, UM, AS WELL, UH, ECHO A FEW OF THE COMMENTS THANKING, UM, PEOPLE, UM, WHO SPOKE VERY CLEARLY AND, UM, UM, THEIR OPINION OF THE COMP PLAN AND THEIR QUESTIONS ABOUT IT.
I THINK THAT WHAT, UM, I'M HOPING THAT WHAT WE DID ARE DOING IN THIS MEETING IS RESPONDING TO THOSE COMMENTS.
I THINK THAT, UM, IF THEY'VE BEEN TAKING NOTES, WE TALK ABOUT, UM, WHAT WAS SAID IN, UM, OUR, OUR OWN MEETINGS.
BUT I THINK THAT BEING ABLE TO RESPOND TO THE COMMENTS THAT ARE MADE, UM, IS AN IMPORTANT PART OF THE PROCESS SO THAT IT DOESN'T, SO YOU DON'T FEEL THAT YOUR THOUGHTS ARE, OR YOUR WORDS ARE GOING OFF INTO THE ETHER AND, AND, UH, I THINK MR. SKOLNIK, YOU SAID SOMETHING LIKE, YOU DON'T EXPECT TO GET A RESPONSE, BUT YOU WERE GONNA SAY IT.
AND I THINK THAT WE DO, UH, I THINK IT'S, IT IS A, A GOOD PART OF THE PROCESS TO NOT DRAW THINGS OUT AND MAKE THEM, UH, INTO AR PROTRACTED ARGUMENTS IN PUBLIC.
BUT IT IS GOOD TO BE ABLE TO PROVIDE A RESPONSE WHEN WE CAN, UH, UM, UH, EITHER AT THE NEXT MEETING OR AFTER IT'S BEEN DISCUSSED OR SOMETIMES, UH, ON THE SPOT.
UH, THE LAST THING, I WOULD LIKE TO ALSO THANK MR. REALO FOR POINTING OUT THAT THE TOWN WHEN WE, HE AND I GREW UP IN THIS TOWN, DECADES, A LONG, LONG TIME AGO.
SORRY, MR.
UH, IT WAS A, UM, UH, IT WAS ACTUALLY A DENSER TOWN, MUCH MORE, UH, IF CLOSE TO 2000 MORE PEOPLE LIVED IN THE COMMUNITY AND, AND HAD THE SAME, UH, TYPE OF RESOURCES THAT WE HAVE NOW.
SO I, I THINK THE POINT OF THAT IS THAT THERE WAS A WAY THEN, AND I UNDERSTAND IT'S A LONG TIME AGO, TIMES HAVE CHANGED, BUT THERE IS, UM, UH, YOU KNOW, A BENCHMARK RIGHT HERE FOR A MUCH DENSER COMMUNITY AND, AND USING THE SAME FACILITIES.
I, I THINK THERE'S ONE QUESTION THAT NEVER, UM, THAT DIDN'T GET ANSWERED.
I, AND I THINK THAT THERE IS AN ANSWER FOR IT, WHICH IS MR. SKOLNIK QUESTION ABOUT WHAT WOULD HAPPEN IF WE DON'T APPROVE, AND I DON'T, UH, I'M NOT SURE ATTORNEY WHITEHEAD, IF YOU CAN ANSWER THAT, OR IF THAT'S SOMETHING THAT IS A, JUST A PURELY RE RHETORICAL QUESTION.
I THINK IT'S A LITTLE BIT RHETORICAL.
BECAUSE I THINK WE, WE MADE A COMMITMENT TO ADOPT A COMPREHENSIVE PLAN.
IT'S GOOD PRACTICE FOR MUNICIPALITIES TO ADOPT COMPREHENSIVE PLANS.
WE, UM, WE ENGAGED 11 MEMBERS OF THE COMMUNITY AND WE TOLD THEM WE WERE GONNA ADOPT A COMPREHENSIVE PLAN.
AND, UH, I THINK IT WOULD BE SOMEWHAT RUDE AND THOUGHTLESS TO HAVE PUT ALL OF THEIR TIME OVER WHAT IS NOW COMING OUT ON THREE YEARS TO WASTE.
SO, UM, YOU KNOW, WE CAN ALL HYPOTHESIZE ABOUT WHAT WOULD HAPPEN, BUT, UM, UH, I'M NOT SURE THAT IT WOULD BE A HEALTHY SITUATION FOR OUR MUNICIPALITY IF AFTER ALL OF THAT EFFORT, WE DECIDED ARBITRARILY NOT TO DO ANYTHING WITH ALL OF THAT GOOD WORK.
I, I'M NOT SURE HOW THE THREE MEMBERS OF THE COMMITTEE WHO SERVED, YOU KNOW, WHO, WHO ARE ON THE BOARD NOW AND SERVED ON THE COMMITTEE, WOULD FEEL IF, IF YOU AND I, FOR EXAMPLE, SAID, BY THE WAY, WE ARE, WE WERE JUST KIDDING.
WE DIDN'T REALLY MEAN IT ON THAT, ON THE COMP PLAN THIS WHOLE TIME.
SO DOES THAT ANSWER YOUR QUESTION OR DO YOU WANT TO DELVE DEEPER? NO, THAT ANSWERS MY QUESTION.
I, I THINK IT, I, I FOUND IT SATISFACTORY AS AN ANSWER.
SO, ON THAT NOTE, IS THERE ANYTHING ANYONE WOULD LIKE TO ADD? IS THERE A MOTION TO CLOSE THE PUBLIC HEARING? SO MOVED.
UM, SO BEFORE WE LEAVE THIS TOPIC COMPLETELY, UM, ATTORNEY WHITEHEAD, IF YOU COULD JUST LAY OUT FOR US THE NEXT STEPS, UH, ESPECIALLY RELATED TO THE SECRET REQUIREMENTS.
I THINK THAT WOULD BE HELPFUL FOR EVERYONE TO HEAR THAT.
SO YOU HAVE TO UNDERTAKE A SECRET REVIEW BEFORE YOU ACT ON THE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN.
UM, YOUR CONSULTANTS HAVE PREPARED, UM, AN ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT FORM, UM, AND THAT WILL BE PROVIDED AND WE CAN REVIEW THAT AS WELL AS THE PART TWO AND THEN THE PART THREE AT THE NEXT MEETING.
UM, SO THE NEXT STEP IS YOU HAVE TO MAKE A DETERMINATION OF SIGNIFICANCE AND COMPLETE THE SECRET PROCESS.
UM, ONCE YOU DO THAT, EITHER THROUGH,
[00:30:01]
UM, MAKING A NEGATIVE DECLARATION, IF THAT'S WHAT THE BOARD ULTIMATELY CHOOSES, UM, OR SO NEGATIVE DECLARATION IS THE DETERMINATION BY YOU BASED ON THE ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT FORM AND ALL THE OTHER INFORMATION THAT THE PROPOSED ACTION, WHICH IS THE ADOPTION OF THE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN, WILL NOT HAVE ANY POTENTIAL SIGNIFICANT ADVERSE ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS.UM, IT'S BECOME FAIRLY COMMON TO DO NEGATIVE DECLARATIONS IN CONNECTION WITH COMPREHENSIVE PLANS.
UM, WITH THE IDEA BEING THAT IT, IT'S NOT COMMITTING YOU TO ANYTHING.
AND IN YOUR SUBSEQUENT STEPS, ZONING AMENDMENTS THAT YOU TAKE, OR OTHER ACTIONS THAT YOU TAKE IN IMPLEMENTATION MAY REQUIRE MORE SECRET STUDY.
SO IF YOU MAKE A NEGATIVE DECLARATION, THEN YOUR NEXT STEP CAN BE TO GO AHEAD AND ADOPT THE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN.
UM, IF YOU FOR SOME REASON END UP MAKING A POSITIVE DECLARATION, WHICH IS A DETERMINATION THAT THE PLAN COULD RESULT IN POTENTIAL SIGNIFICANT ADVERSE ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS, THEN YOUR NEXT STEP WOULD HAVE TO BE TO DO AN ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT STATEMENT.
IS THAT CLEAR TO EVERYONE? MM-HMM
AND WE'LL, I'LL WORK WITH THE CONSULTANT ON FINALIZING THE DOCUMENTS AND CIRCULATING THEM.
AND WE HAVE A RESOLUTION COMING UP ON NO, THAT'S ON SOMETHING ELSE.
UM, THAT WILL BE, UM, FOR THE NEXT MEETING.
WE'LL DISCUSS THE SECRET PROCESS ON THE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN.
[V. APPOINTMENTS]
OKAY.SO THE NEXT ITEM ON THE AGENDA IS APPOINTMENTS.
WE HAVE UNI BETH AND KERRY CONSTABLE FOR THE CLIMATE SMART COMMUNITIES TASK FORCE.
AND WE HAVE CHARLOTTE PHILLIPS FOR THE YOUTH COUNCIL.
WE THANK THEM IN ADVANCE FOR THE GOOD WORK THAT THEY WILL DO FOR OUR COMMUNITY, AND WE'RE VERY GRATEFUL THAT THEY HAVE DECIDED TO STEP UP IN THOSE ROLES.
[VI. APPROVAL OF MINUTES]
NEXT ITEM IS APPROVAL OF THE MINUTES.THIS IS FOR THE REGULAR MEETING OF THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES FOR APRIL 15TH, 2025.
ARE THERE ANY ADDITIONS, DELETIONS OF ANY KIND? IS THERE A MOTION? SO MOVED.
[VII. APPROVAL OF WARRANTS]
APPROVAL OF THE WARRANT GENERAL FUND, AA $471,127 AND 48 CENTS, FEDERAL DRUG GRANT CD $3,690 POOL FUND, ER $798 AND 80 CENTS CAPITAL FUND, HH $53,753 AND 59 CENTS LIBRARY FUND, LL $10,241 AND 6 CENTS BETTERMENT FUND, TT $654 AND 29 CENTS, PROFESSIONAL ESCROW TT $4,262 AND 89 CENTS AND PAYROLL FUND TT $3,432 AND 32 CENTS.[VIII. PUBLIC COMMENTS]
ON TO GENERAL PUBLIC COMMENTS.SO THIS IS ON ANY TOPIC ANYONE WOULD LIKE TO TALK ABOUT.
PLEASE STATE YOUR NAME AND YOUR ADDRESS, AND IF YOU CAN KEEP YOUR COMMENTS THE THREE MINUTES, WE WOULD APPRECIATE IT.
IS THERE ANYONE WHO'D LIKE TO ADDRESS THE BOARD? EVA LIVING DUDLEY STREET.
UM, QUESTION WE HAVE IS, CAN YOU GIVE US, UH, AT THE LAST MEETING YOU MENTIONED, UM, THERE'S A LOT TO BE DONE YET BEFORE THE CONSTRUCTION START ON DUDLEY ON, WE WOULD LIKE SOME SORT OF A TIMEFRAME, UM, EXPECTATION OF WHEN IT WOULD START.
UM, WE HAVE PEOPLE WHO ARE CONSIDERING SELLING IN THEIR HOMES, UM, SO WE NEED SOME IDEA.
AND ALSO BEFORE YOU O OVERRODE YOUR OWN GATEWAY ZONING, YOU HAD THE PERFECT PLACE FOR YOUR HOUSING SHORTAGE.
UM, ANYONE ELSE WHO'D LIKE TO ADDRESS THE BOARD? GOOD EVENING.
UM, ONE QUESTION ABOUT THE, THE LAST SET OF QUESTIONS.
UM, WELL, ACTUALLY NO, BECAUSE YOU WON'T WELL, CAN YOU TELL ME IF THE, UH, ELECTRIC OWL HAS ACTUALLY BEEN APPROVED YET? ELECTRIC OWL HAS BEEN APPROVED BY THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES, THE ZONING, AND ALSO BY THE PLANNING BOARD.
[00:35:01]
OKAY.SO IT'S ALL SET TO, UH, TO BASICALLY GO, OKAY.
THAT WASN'T MY, UM, THAT WASN'T MY SET OF QUESTIONS.
IT DOESN'T HAVE BUILDING PERMITS EXACTLY, BUT IT BUILDING PERMIT.
YEAH, IT'S, I JUST WANNA JUMP IN HERE.
AND THEN IT TAKES SOME TIME TO BID 'EM, SO BID THE DRAWINGS AND GET CONTRACTORS MOBILIZED.
SO IT'S NOT, THIS IS NOT SOMETHING THAT HAPPENS OVERNIGHT BECAUSE A PLANNING BOARD IS APPROVED, IT HAS PLANNING BOARD APPROVAL.
WELL, I APPRECIATE THAT A, A LONG TIME TO, TO, TO CONTEXT IS USEFUL FOR PEOPLE WHO I'VE BEEN WATCHING, BUT HAVE NO IDEA OF WHAT THE TIMEFRAME IS.
SO I APPRECIATE YOUR MAKING THAT CLEAR.
UM, THE, UM, THE ONLY THING I WANTED TO MAKE, UH, TRY TO MAKE CLEAR ABOUT MY COMMENTS OR THE MAYOR'S COMMENTS ABOUT THE, UM, UM, THE PUBLIC HEARING.
UH, I NEVER SUGGESTED THAT THE COMP COMP PLAN SHOULD NOT BE APPROVED, UH, IN THE CONTEXT OF WHAT YOU DESCRIBED.
IT WAS SIMPLY A MATTER OF GIVING THE TIME TO LOOK AT IT IN MORE DEPTH.
SO IT WAS NEVER, UH, SOMETHING THAT WOULD TURN AROUND LIKE THE PREVIOUS LWRP DID.
AND BASICALLY AFTER THE PEOPLE DID ALL THAT WORK AND THEN NOTHING HAPPENED.
SO THAT WAS, I, I HOPE THAT WAS CLEAR.
UM, I AM, PART OF THE PROBLEM IN THIS PROCESS IS THAT BY THE, A LOT OF THE THINGS THAT COME UP ON THE AGENDA, UH, WE DON'T THEN HAVE A CHANCE TO COMMENT ON.
SO I'LL SIMPLY LOOKING FORWARD, I AM INTERESTED TO KNOW WHAT'S, UH, IN THE VILLAGE MANAGER'S REPORT ABOUT ROUTE NINE.
THAT'S SOMETHING I'VE BEEN TRYING TO FOLLOW, UH, AS SHE KNOWS.
AND I THINK WE'RE VERY CLOSE TO WHEN THEORETICALLY THERE'S SUPPOSED TO BE ANOTHER PUBLIC HEARING, UH, ABOUT THE, THE ROUTE NINE PLAN.
SO I'M LOOKING FORWARD TO THAT.
THE OTHER IS, UH, IF YOU COULD GIVE ME SOME FURTHER, UM, DIRECTION AS TO WHERE THE INFORMATION, UH, UH, REGARDING THE SKATE PARK, THE FINANCIALS OF THE SKATE PARK ARE IN THE CAPITAL PLAN.
I KNOW THAT, UH, YOU MENTIONED THAT THEY'RE THERE, BUT I'M NOT THAT FAMILIAR WITH CAPITAL PLANS AND COULDN'T QUITE LOCATE LOCATE IT AS YOU KNOW, I'VE BEEN TRYING TO FOLLOW ALONG WITH THAT, THAT PROCESS.
SO YOU DON'T HAVE TO TELL ME NOW, BUT, UH, I WOULD BE, I WOULD BE, I WOULD LIKE TO KNOW WHERE I COULD ACTUALLY SEE, UH, THOSE NUMBERS.
IF YOU CAN, IF YOU CAN, UH, MAYBE PURSUE THE VILLAGE MANAGER OFFLINE ABOUT THAT, THAT WOULD BE BE HELPFUL.
SHE CAN IDENTIFY, KNOW WHAT I'LL SEND, I'LL SEND IT TO YOU.
SO REACH YOU ONLINE, BUT OFFLINE.
ANYONE ELSE LIKE TO ADDRESS THE BOARD?
[IX. RESOLUTIONS]
OKAY.IF NO ONE ELSE WOULD LIKE TO ADDRESS THE BOARD, WE ARE MOVING ON TO RESOLUTIONS 50 OF 25 RESOLUTION DECLARING INTENT TO BE LEAD AGENCY FOR REVIEW OF THE FARGATE PARKWAY DRAINAGE IMPROVEMENT PROJECT.
RESOLVE THAT THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES OF THE VILLAGE OF HASTINGS ON HUDSON HEREBY DETERMINES THAT THE FARGATE PARKWAY DRAINAGE IMPROVEMENT PROJECT, THE ACTION IS AN UNLISTED ACTION UNDER THE STATE ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY REVIEW ACT, CCRA AND DECLARES ITS INTENT TO ACT AS LEAD AGENCY UNDER CCRA FOR REVIEW OF THE ACTION AND DIRECTS THE CIRCULATION OF A NOTICE OF INTENT TO BE LEAD AGENCY TO ALL INVOLVED AGENCIES TOGETHER WITH A COPY OF THE ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT FORM AND PROJECT SUMMARY.
THIS RELATES TO A GRANT THAT WE'VE RECEIVED RECENTLY.
DO YOU WANNA EXPLAIN THE DETAILS? UH, SURE.
UM, THE VILLAGE RECEIVED A GRANT FOR $2.5 MILLION.
UH, IT'S A 90 PER, UH, IT'S A, UM, 10% MATCH, UH, IN ASSOCIATION WITH THE GRANTS AND, AND OF COURSE, ANY OVERAGE THAT THE PROJECT ITSELF MIGHT COST.
UM, IT'S, THE PURPOSE OF IT IS TO ALLEVIATE SOME OF THE FLOODING ISSUES THAT HAVE EXISTED IN THE WEST, KIND OF SOUTH SORT, NOT COMPLETELY SOUTHWEST, BUT ALMOST SOUTHWEST PORTION OF THE VILLAGE.
UM, THE, UH, FENWICK AREA, UH, WHAT THE, WHAT THE PROJECT ENTAILS IS A, UH, UH, PROCESS OF TAKING A PORTION OF THE WATERSHED, WHICH FEEDS INTO LYRES BROOK, WHICH IS A VERY LARGE WATERSHED, AND DIVERTING IT, UH, THROUGH A PERFORATED PIPE AND INTO A WET DETENTION POND WHERE THEY'LL BE THE ABILITY FOR, UH, POLLUTANTS AND OTHER UNDESIRABLE THINGS TO, UH, SETTLE AND ALSO WILL SLOW THE WATER GOING INTO THE BRES BROOK
[00:40:01]
AND FLOODING PROPERTIES ON THE SOUTHERN PART OF FARGATE, OR I'M SORRY, ON THE EASTERN PART OF, OF FARGATE PARKWAY.UH, SO, UM, IT'S A BIG PROJECT, BUT I THINK IT'S GONNA MAKE SOME VERY POSITIVE IMPACT AND IT WILL ALSO, UH, SET THE STAGE FOR ADDITIONAL IMPROVEMENTS FOR, UH, FURTHER UP B LYRES BROOK IN THE, UH, THE AREA OF, UM, THE FENWAY AND THAT PART OF THE VILLAGE, WHICH ALSO, UH, UH, HAS BEEN THIS, UM, SUBJECT OVER THE YEARS OF MANY FLOODING ISSUES, UH, LONG BEFORE ANY OF US, UM, HAVE BEEN SITTING HERE ON THIS BOARD.
AND, AND, AND EVEN, UH, EVEN, UM, AS, AS FAR BACK AS AS PERHAPS, UM, TRUSTEE ALLGOOD AND, UH, MR. ELLO LIVED IN THE VILLAGE.
SO I THINK WAY BEFORE THEM WE WERE SWIMMING POOLS RIGHT DOWN AT THE END OF FARGATE.
IT LITERALLY HAD BOATING THERE.
SO, SO IT'S A GREAT OPPORTUNITY FOR THE VILLAGE TO MAKE A SIGNIFICANT IMPROVEMENT WITH, UH, MONEY PRIMARILY FROM NEW YORK STATE.
UM, IS THERE A MOTION? SO MOVED.
51 OF 25 MAYORS MON PLEDGE DAY 2025, UH, WHEREAS THE MONARCH BUTTERFLY IS AN ICONIC NORTH AMERICAN SPECIES WHOSE MULTI-GENERATIONAL MIGRATION AND METAMORPHOSIS FROM CATERPILLAR TO BUTTERFLY HAS CAPTURED THE IMAGINATION OF MILLIONS OF AMERICANS.
AND WHEREAS 20 YEARS AGO, MORE THAN 1 BILLION EASTERN MONARCH BUTTERFLIES MIGRATED TO MEXICO.
BUT IN THE WINTER OF 2014, ONLY 60 MILLION MADE THE TRIP.
AND WHEREAS VILLAGES, TOWNS, CITIES, AND COUNTIES HAVE A CRITICAL ROLE TO PLAY TO HELP SAVE THE MONARCH BUTTERFLY AND THE VILLAGE OF HASTINGS ON HUDSON HAS PLAYED A LEADERSHIP ROLE BY SUPPORTING THE CITIZEN LED HASTINGS POLLINATOR PATHWAY PROJECT AND LAUNCHING THE MUNICIPAL ADOPT A SPOT PROGRAM WHEREIN CITIZENS CAN ADOPT PORTION OF PORTIONS OF THE VILLAGE OF VILLAGE PROPERTY TO INSTALL AND NURTURE NATIVE PLANT GARDENS THAT PROVIDE SUSTENANCE TO MON MONARCH BUTTERFLIES AND OTHER POLLINATORS.
AND WHEREAS EVERY CITIZEN OF HASTINGS ON HUDSON CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE FOR THE MONARCH BY PLANTING NATIVE MILKWEED AND NECTAR NECTAR PLANTS TO PROVIDE HABITAT FOR THE MONARCH AND POLLINATORS IN LOCATIONS WHERE PEOPLE LIVE, WORK, LEARN, PLAY AND WORSHIP.
AND WHEREAS ON BEHALF OF THE PEOPLE OF HASTINGS ON HUDSON WHO HAVE ALREADY JOINED ME IN CREATING HEALTHY HABITATS FOR THESE MAGNIFICENT BUTTERFLIES, I'M HONORED TO SIGN THE NATIONAL WILDLIFE FEDERATION'S MAYORS BLESS YOU, MONARCH PLEDGE.
AND I ENCOURAGE MAYORS ACROSS OUR GREAT NATION TO TAKE A STAND WITH ME SO THAT THE MONARCH BUTTERFLY WILL ONCE AGAIN FLOURISH ACROSS THE CONTINENT.
NOW THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED THAT IOLA KOSS MAYOR OF HASTINGS ON HUDSON DO HEREBY PROCLAIM MAY 6TH, 2025 MES MONARCH PLEDGE DAY IN THE VILLAGE OF HASTINGS ON HUDSON.
IT'S SOMETHING THAT WE'VE DONE, UM, FOR THE LAST FEW YEARS, AND ACTUALLY THE CITIZENRY, ESPECIALLY OUR YOUTH, HAVE REALLY TAKEN THIS UP.
AND THERE HAVE BEEN A NUMBER OF REALLY QUITE LOVELY MONARCH BUTTERFLY AND BUTTERFLY AND POLLINATOR GARDENS CREATED IN THE VILLAGE.
SO I THINK IT'S SOMETHING THAT, THAT PEOPLE ARE, UM, TAKING QUITE SERIOUSLY AND IT'S LOVELY TO SEE THAT THAT HAPPEN.
THEY'RE ALSO BEAUTIFUL, SO WE'RE QUITE LUCKY.
UM, 52 OF 25 STANDARD WORKDAY RESOLUTIONS FOR ELECTED AND APPOINTED OFFICIALS.
AND IF YOU TURN OVER, YOU'LL SEE, UM, THAT, UH, WE HAVE IT.
SO IT SAYS, BE IT, BE IT RESOLVED THAT THE VILLAGE OF HASTINGS ON HUDSON 4 0 0 0 2 HEREBY THAT'S OUR LOCATION CODE, HEREBY ESTABLISHED THE FOLLOWING STANDARD WORK DAYS FOR THESE TITLES AND WILL REPORT, UH, THE OFFICIALS TO THE NEW YORK STATE AND LOCAL RETIREMENT BASED ON THEIR RECORD OF ACTIVITY.
UM, THIS IS TO PROVIDE CREDIT HOURS TOWARD RETIREMENT.
UH, AND, UM, APPARENTLY TRUSTEE FLEISIG SIGNED UP FOR THIS WHEN NONE OF THE REST OF US THOUGHT ABOUT IT,
UM, SO HE GETS A STANDARD WORKDAY OF SIX HOURS.
UM, AND, UH, VILLAGE JUSTICE COLBERT ALSO GETS A STANDARD WORKDAY OF SIX HOURS.
AND, UM, ASSOCIATE JUSTICE JOSEPH MACALUSO ALSO GETS A WORKDAY OF SIX HOURS.
IS THERE ANYTHING ELSE I NEED TO SAY, ANTHONY, FOR THAT? UH, NO, THAT, THAT IS IT.
SO IS THERE A, ANY QUESTIONS FROM ANYONE? IS THERE A MOTION?
[00:45:01]
SO MOVED.AND CONGRATULATIONS TRUSTEE FLEISIG FOR BEING MORE ENTREPRENEURIAL THAN THE REST OF US ON THAT
[X. VILLAGE MANAGER’S REPORT]
AND THEN MOVING ON TO THE NEXT ITEM, WHICH IS THE VILLAGE MANAGER'S REPORT.IF YOU CAN PROVIDE US WITH AN UPDATE ON THE ROUTE NINE PROJECT.
UM, UH, MR. SKOLNIK IS CORRECT.
THE D UH, DOT HAS SET THE DATE OF JUNE 4TH FROM SIX TO 8:00 PM AT MERCY UNIVERSITY ROTUNDA FOR THE NEXT PUBLIC SHOWING OF THE DRAFT PLAN.
AND, UM, UH, THEY'VE, YOU KNOW, THEY HAVE, UM, MET WITH THE VARIOUS VILLAGES ALONG THE WAY.
THE TPC WILL BE MEETING AGAIN, ONE MORE TIME BEFORE THAT, UH, PUBLIC MEETING, UH, TO, UM, REVIEW AGAIN THE, THE DRAFT PLANS THAT THE DOT AND THE CONSULTANTS HAVE PREPARED.
UM, AND WITH REGARD TO HASTINGS, UH, WE'VE HAD ALSO MEETINGS WITH THE FIRE DEPARTMENT, UM, AND, UH, UH, RESIDENTS WHO LIVE IN THE AREA OF THE FIVE CORNERS, WHICH IS A, AN AREA OF PARTICULAR INTEREST IN THIS PROJECT.
UM, SO, UH, I WILL SEE YOU, UH, ON, ON JUNE, JUNE 4TH AT MERCY COLLEGE.
AND YOU'LL, YOU'LL, YOU'LL SEND A MESSAGE OUT TO THE COMMUNITY, I'M SURE BEFORE, BUT
AS SOON AS WE GET A FLYER FROM THE DOT, WE'LL, WE'LL CERTAINLY SEND THAT OUT.
UH, AND, BUT WE'LL, WE'LL PUSH THEM TO GIVE US ONE SOONER RATHER THAN LATER SO THAT PEOPLE CAN, CAN MAKE THEIR PLANS.
CAN I ASK YOU A QUESTION? YEAH.
DO YOU KNOW IF THERE HAD BEEN ANY TWEAKS TO OUR FIVE CORNERS BETWEEN THE LAST TIME, AND I KNOW YOU DON'T KNOW WHAT'S ON THE JUNE 4TH? I, I, I THINK THERE HAVE BEEN SOME TWEAKS, UM, BECAUSE WHEN WE, WE WERE SPEAKING WITH THE RESIDENTS THERE AND, AND THERE WAS AN INDICATION THAT, UM, THEY WERE THE, THE, UM, UM, OLD BROADWAY KIND OF LITTLE JUG HANDLE ROAD THERE, UM, THAT IS GOING TO BE JUST A ONE WAY OFF OF THE ROUNDABOUT THAT'S BEING PROPOSED THERE.
AND THEY'RE GONNA DO, DO A RAISED, UH, CROSSING THERE SO THAT THAT'LL, UH, HOPEFULLY ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WAS RAISED BY SOME OF THE RESIDENTS WAS THAT, UM, PEOPLE MISTAKE OLD BROADWAY FOR BROADWAY.
THEY THINK THEY'RE STAYING ON BROADWAY AND THAT WILL HELP DETER THAT FROM HAPPENING.
THEY ALSO, UM, WERE DID NOT LIKE THE WAY THE, UH, UM, THE CONSULT THE STATE CONSULTANT HAD FASHIONED THE EXIT, UH, AT THE, OUT THE OTHER SIDE, UM, FURTHER, A LITTLE FURTHER NORTH MM-HMM
UH, ON, ON THE, YOU KNOW, ON, ON THE, UM, OLD BROADWAY.
AND THAT THEY HAVE REVISED THAT TO, UH, REFLECT WHAT THE RESIDENTS, UM, THOUGHT WOULD BE.
UM, THEY'VE, THEY'VE LOOKED AT A NUMBER OF DIFFERENT, YOU KNOW, THINGS ALONG THE WAY.
I, AGAIN, THERE'S BEEN A FEW DIFFERENT ITERATIONS OF IT.
UM, BUT, UH, BUT THE, THE, A BIG CONCERN WAS, WAS THE FOLKS THAT LIVE ON THAT ROAD, WHICH IS IMMEDIATELY PROXIMATE TO, TO THAT, AND, AND THEY, THEY REALLY DID LISTEN TO THEM AND, AND TRY TO ADDRESS CONCERNS THAT THEY HAD.
THEY'RE ALSO, UH, UM, TALKING ABOUT A RAISED, A RAISED CROSS, A RAISED CROSS AREA AT, UM, FLOWER, UH, WHERE THERE'S A LOT OF PEOPLE THAT CROSS THE STREET THERE AS WELL.
WHAT DOES RAISE MEAN? RAISED MEANS IT'LL, YOU KNOW, IT'S KINDA LIKE A PLATFORM, SO IT'S NOT LIKE A BUMP.
BUT IT'S LIKE, IT'S A MORE GRADUAL OKAY.
RAISING OF THE PAVEMENT, BUT IT SLOWS PEOPLE DOWN.
AND THEY'RE ALSO GOING TO BE DOING THAT AT LIN ON BROADWAY, WHICH I THINK WILL BE GREAT 'CAUSE THERE'S SO MANY KIDS THAT CROSS THE STREET THERE.
SO, UM, YOU KNOW, THERE'S STILL THINGS THAT, THAT, UH, PEOPLE ON THE TPC, UH, YOU KNOW, TALK ABOUT.
UM, THERE'S CONCERN ABOUT THE BIKE LANES AND HOW TO PROTECT THE BIKE LANES FROM, FROM CARS AND, AND ALSO MAKING, YOU KNOW, THERE, THERE'S, THERE'S, THERE'S ALWAYS A LITTLE BIT OF A, NOT A CONFLICT, BUT A A TRYING TO ADDRESS ALL THE ISSUES OF, YOU KNOW, PEDESTRIAN TRAFFIC, BIKE TRAFFIC, YOU KNOW, VEHICLE TRAFFIC.
ALL OF THOSE THINGS HAVE TO KIND OF WORK COHESIVELY ON BROADWAY.
BUT I, YOU KNOW, THEY, I THINK THEY, THEY HAVE HEARD A LOT OF WHAT PEOPLE HAVE SAID AND, AND THAT THEY'RE, THEY'RE TRYING TO ADDRESS THEM ALL.
BUT, YOU KNOW, BROADWAY IS BROADWAY.
SO
[00:50:01]
ON BROADWAY.AND THAT'S ACTUALLY BEEN A BIG ISSUE IN A LOT OF THE OTHER COMMUNITIES 'CAUSE THEY CAN'T LOSE THE PARKING.
AND, UM, WE, FORTUNATELY, EVEN WHERE WE HAVE MULTI-FAMILY HOUSING ON BROADWAY, UH, THE VILLAGE, UM, IN WAS WISE TO ACCOM MAKE, MAKE ACCOMMODATIONS FOR OFF STREET PARKING IN THOSE LOCATIONS.
SO IT HASN'T CAUSED THE SAME KIND OF, UH, OF ISSUES THAT SOME OF OUR, OUR NEIGHBORING COMMUNITIES, UM, HAVE.
BUT, UM, BUT YEAH, IT'S, IT'S, IT'S, IT'S A REALLY, I MEAN, I ALWAYS, I TELL THEM, I THINK THEY SHOULD START IN HASTINGS AND, YOU KNOW, WORK THEIR WAY NORTH, BUT, UH, WELL, BUT YEAH, THEY, THEY, I THINK THEY, THEY'RE TRYING TO HEAR WHAT, WHAT PEOPLE OKAY.
UM, ANY OTHER THINGS THAT YOU'D LIKE TO ADDRESS? UM, I, I KNOW WE HAD BROUGHT UP, UM, PARADES AND GATHERINGS AT ONE POINT, AND I, UH, WE'VE DONE A LITTLE BIT OF LOOKING INTO, INTO THAT AND, AND FOUND THAT, UM, ACTUALLY IN, IN AUSTIN THEY WROTE A TOME ON IT.
IT'S A 19 PAGE GUIDEBOOK THAT THEY, THEY ACTUALLY PRODUCED HERE.
UH, IT SEEMS A LITTLE BIT, BUT, BUT, BUT BASICALLY WHAT THEY DO IS THEY TRY TO, UH, CREATE, UH, KIND OF A SLIDING SCALE OF, UM, PERMIT PROCEDURES AND PERMIT FEES AND THINGS LIKE THAT DEPENDING ON WHAT, WHAT ACTIVITY OR NOT REALLY ACTIVITY, BUT WHAT, UH, REALLY IT'S BASED ON THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE THAT ARE POTENTIALLY ATTENDING THE SIZE OF THE ACTIVITY.
BREYER, CLIFF MANOR DOES IT A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENTLY.
THEY HAVE A, A KIND OF A FLAT FEE.
UM, EVERYBODY SEEMS TO REQUIRE, UH, INSURANCE AND HOLD HARMLESS.
BUT, UH, IT'S ALSO SUGGESTED THAT THERE MAY BE SOME, UH, WAYS OF MODIFYING THAT WHERE NECESSARY.
UM, THE TIMEFRAME IN WHICH, YOU KNOW, PERMITS NEED TO BE APPLIED HOW SOON BEFORE THE EVENT, THAT SORT OF THING.
WE CURRENTLY, WE PERMIT PARK EVENTS, UH, REGULARLY, BUT WE REALLY IN THE VILLAGE HAVE NEVER HAD, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE BLOCK PARTIES OCCASIONALLY, BUT THEY'RE, THEY'RE, THEY'RE JUST, YOU KNOW, LITTLE THINGS WHERE SOMEBODY BRINGS SOME BARRICADES AND, AND THEY, THEY, THEY'RE OVER, YOU KNOW, BY SEVEN O'CLOCK AND THEY'RE REALLY JUST, YOU KNOW, KIND OF, UH, FOUR PARTICULAR LOCAL GROUP OF PEOPLE THAT LIVE ON THAT, THAT STREET.
AND THEY DON'T MIND IF YOU BLOCK THE ROAD OFF 'CAUSE THEY'RE ALL AT THE BLOCK PARTY.
UM, SO, UM, I THINK IT'S, IT'S, IT WOULD BE SOMETHING THAT WE COULD, YOU KNOW, WE, WE SHOULD CONSIDER, UH, JUST BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, IT'S BETTER TO HAVE A PROCESS IN PLACE RATHER THAN TRYING TO ADDRESS IT OFF THE CUFF WHEN SOMETHING COMES UP.
UM, WE ACTUALLY HAD A COUPLE OF PRETTY LARGE GATHERINGS OVER THE PAST COUPLE OF MONTHS IN THE VILLAGE AND, UM, YOU KNOW, THAT REQUIRES POLICE PROTECT, NOT PROTECTION, BUT YOU KNOW, KIND OF HELPING TO HERD PEOPLE, YOU KNOW, INTO DIFFERENT PLACES IN, IN STREET CLOSURES, UH, THINGS OF THAT NATURE, WHICH, YOU KNOW, ARE AN INCONVENIENCE TO THE BUSINESSES AND PERHAPS, YOU KNOW, OTHERS.
SO, UM, UH, I, I, I WOULD RECOMMEND TO THE BOARD THAT WE TALK ABOUT WHAT WE THINK WOULD BE REASONABLE HERE IN THE VILLAGE, UM, TO, UH, SORT OF ADDRESS A WAY OF A PERMITTING, UM, PERMITTING GATHERINGS OF, YOU KNOW, A SIZE OVER CERTAIN NUMBER OR SOMETHING, YOU KNOW, SOMETHING LIKE THAT.
I DON'T KNOW WHAT YOUR GUYS' THOUGHTS ARE ON THE SUBJECT, BUT, UM, WELL, CAN I, CAN I JUST JUST ADD ONE THING TO THAT YOUR CODE ACTUALLY STATES THAT A PERMIT IS REQUIRED? THAT'S TRUE.
YOU HAVE A PROVISION IN YOUR CODE.
IT'S NOT SOMETHING THAT WE'VE BEEN, IT SAYS AN INDIVIDUAL OR ORGANIZATION CAUSING A CONGREGATION OF PEOPLE AT ANY PUBLIC PLACE WITHIN THE VILLAGE OR WISHING TO PARTICIPATE OR, OR IN, OR CONDUCT ANY ORGANIZED PARADE OR PROCESSION OTHER THAN A FUNERAL PROCESSION ON THE PUBLIC STREET.
SIDEWALKS OR OTHER PUBLIC PROPERTY IN THE VILLAGE SHALL FIRST FILE A PERMIT APPLICATION WITH THE VILLAGE CLERK AND PAY THE APPROPRIATE FEE.
YOU'VE NEVER SET THAT FEE OR THE PERMIT PROCESS.
UM, I THINK THAT IT'S LIKELY THAT THERE ARE GONNA BE MORE GATHERINGS OVER THE NEXT FEW MONTHS.
UM, AND I THINK THE IMPORTANT THING IS THAT MANY OF THESE GATHERINGS WILL BE ONES WHERE PEOPLE ARE EXERCISING THEIR FIRST AMENDMENT RIGHTS.
SO I THINK WHAT WE WILL NEED TO DO IS BALANCE
[00:55:02]
THE INCONVENIENCE TO US AS A MUNICIPALITY, THE INCONVENIENCE TO LOCAL MERCHANTS, UH, WITH THOSE FIRST AMENDMENT RIGHTS.SO I, MY RECOMMENDATION IS THAT WE SPEND SOME TIME THINKING ABOUT THIS, THINKING ABOUT HOW WE WANT TO HANDLE IT, AND, UM, JUST MAKE REALLY THOUGHTFUL DECISIONS.
IT'S GONNA BE AN IMPORTANT TIME WHERE PEOPLE, UM, YOU KNOW, PEOPLE WILL WANT TO BE ABLE TO EXERCISE FREE SPEECH, WHICH SHOULD BE FREE
SO I DON'T KNOW WHETHER OTHERS HAVE A VIEW ON IT.
I MEAN, FREE BOTH IN THE ABILITY TO EXERCISE IT AND FREE TO NOT HAVE TO COST YOU MONEY OR TOO MUCH MONEY.
AGGRAVATION TO, I MEAN, I GUESS, I MEAN, I'M ALL FOR CLARIFICATION OF PROCESSES, BUT I WOULD LIKE TO UNDERSTAND FIRST, WHAT'S DRIVING THIS NEED BESIDES THE FACT THAT WE'VE HAD A, A FEW LARGE, UM, GATHERINGS.
I, I THINK THAT, THAT IT IS WHAT'S, WHEN I SAY NEED, LIKE A NEED FOR A CHANGE, LIKE, IT, IT'S BEEN WORKING.
IT'S NOT, IT'S NOT REALLY A CHANGE.
I MEAN, WE, WE HAVE, WE'VE NEVER, OTHER THAN EVENTS THAT THE VILLAGE HAS PLANNED RIGHT.
AND SPONSORS, WE'VE NEVER REALLY HAD, UM, LEAST SINCE I'VE BEEN HERE, UH, A BIG GATHERING THAT HAVE, YOU KNOW, HAVE, HAS REQUIRED POLICE, UM, INVOLVEMENT TO KEEP PEOPLE ON SIDEWALKS, UH, OR HAS REQUIRED CLOSING STREET.
I MEAN, THOSE ARE THE KINDS OF THINGS THAT, YOU KNOW, YOU MAY WANNA GIVE PEOPLE A LITTLE BIT OF ADVANCE NOTICE IF WE'RE GONNA CLOSE THE STREET.
CERTAINLY, YOU KNOW, THERE'S BUSES THAT TYPICALLY, DEPENDING ON THE STREET WHERE BURTON, MAINE, THE BUSES COME ON, BOTH THOSE STREETS AND THOSE ARE KIND OF THE CENTRAL AREA IN THE VILLAGE WHERE, WHERE, UM, YOU KNOW, MOST THINGS HAPPEN.
UM, SO I MEAN, AND ALSO AS, AS LINDA DOES POINT OUT, WE DO HAVE IT IN OUR CODE.
WE JUST, NOBODY EVER ACTUALLY EVER IMPLEMENTED IT.
MAYBE BECAUSE IT, IT, IT NEVER CAME UP BECAUSE IT'S A LITTLE BIT ANTITHETICAL TO THE FIRST AMENDMENT
NO, IT'S, IT ACTUALLY HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH THE FIRST AMENDMENT AT ALL.
I MEAN, IT'S, IT'S REALLY MORE, UM, I MEAN, WHETHER IT'S A FIRST AMENDMENT, WHETHER IT'S SOMEBODY THAT'S, THAT'S, THAT'S SPEAKING OR WHETHER IT'S SOMEBODY THAT, YOU KNOW, WANTS TO HAVE A PARADE FOR SOME OTHER REASON, UM, THERE COULD BE, I DON'T THINK WE'RE REALLY TALKING ABOUT PARADES.
WE'RE NOT TALKING, WE'RE TALKING ABOUT GATHERINGS AND WE'RE TALKING ABOUT PEOPLE THAT ARE SPEAKING AND THEY DON'T REALLY KNOW HOW MANY PEOPLE ARE GONNA SHOW UP.
THAT'S REALLY THE CORE ISSUE, I THINK.
BUT IT'S REALLY, IT, IT REALLY SHOULDN'T APPLY JUST TO, THAT IT SHOULD APPLY MORE BROADLY TO, YOU KNOW, GATHERINGS OF OTHER, THAT THIS IS THIS, THIS, THE NATURE OF THIS CONVERSATION IS WHY I THINK WE NEED TO THINK ABOUT IT.
WE NEED A LITTLE BIT MORE DATA.
WE NEED TO THINK ABOUT IT AND WE NEED TO ACKNOWLEDGE WHAT WE'RE BALANCING.
WE NEED TO BE VERY CLEAR ABOUT THAT BECAUSE THIS IS A MOMENT IN WHICH FREE SPEECH IS ACTUALLY REALLY IMPORTANT.
SO ANYTHING THAT WE DO IN THAT CONTEXT NEEDS TO BE VERY PURPOSEFUL, IN MY OPINION.
ALSO COMES BACK WEIRDLY TO THE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN BECAUSE A NUMBER, A NUMBER OF PEOPLE DURING THE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN COMMITTEE MEETING OVER THE COURSE OF MORE THAN TWO YEARS, TALKED ABOUT THE FACT THAT WE DON'T REALLY HAVE A CENTRAL LARGE GATHERING PLACE.
I MEAN, THE VFW PLAZA IS FANTASTIC, BUT IT'S NOT DESIGNED FOR SOME OF THE GATHERINGS THAT WE'VE HAD.
SO THAT'S PART OF THE PROBLEM ALSO.
AND IF, IF WE STARTED TO ENCOURAGE PEOPLE TO GATHER, SAY, I MEAN, IT'S INTERESTING TO ME THAT PEOPLE DON'T GENERALLY HAVE THOSE KIND OF GATHERINGS SAY AT ECKRIN PARK.
YEAH, BECAUSE IT'S DOWN AT THE END OF A, YOU KNOW, KIND OF A TOP TYPE STREET, REALLY.
PROBABLY ONE OF THE BEST PLACES TO MANAGE THAT SORT OF THING IN THE VILLAGE IS THE, THE, UH, COMMUTER LOT
UM, IT'S BIG AND IT'S BROAD AND YOU CAN GET THERE FROM A NUMBER OF DIFFERENT, YOU KNOW, UH, AREAS.
UM, BUT YOU KNOW, THERE'S A LOT OF PEOPLE THAT USE THAT FOR ALL DIFFERENT KINDS OF THINGS.
AND SATURDAYS IT'S, IT'S PRETTY MUCH THE FARMER'S MARKET.
THAT'S BEEN SOMETHING THAT'S BEEN GOING ON FOR A LONG TIME.
AND SO I DON'T THINK IT'S SOMETHING THAT ANYBODY WANTS TO CHANGE.
UM, UH, I MEAN, IT IS SOMETHING THAT REQUIRES THOUGHT, NO QUESTION ABOUT THAT.
AND, UM, I MEAN, IF THERE'S INFORMATION THAT WE CAN, YOU KNOW, HELP I THINK THE INFORMATION THAT YOU THINK ABOUT YOU, YEAH, WE CAN SEND THAT TO THE BOARD.
AND THEN, I DON'T KNOW WHAT THE, I WOULD SUGGEST THAT WE MOVE THIS CONVERSATION TO A POINT WHERE PEOPLE HAVE HAD A CHANCE TO REVIEW THE DOCUMENTATION, BUT IF OTHER PEOPLE WOULD LIKE TO SPEAK TO IT NOW, OTHER THAN TRUSTEE FLEISIG, I MEAN, I WOULD, I AGREE WITH WHAT YOU'RE, I AGREE WITH WHAT YOU'RE SAYING ABOUT JUST
[01:00:01]
LIKE, JUST GATHERING MORE INFORMATION, JUST UNDERSTANDING A LITTLE BIT MORE THOROUGHLY.AND ALSO, I DON'T KNOW, I THINK, UM, IN CONJUNCTION WITH THAT, JUST MAYBE HAVING AN UNDERSTANDING FROM THE, LIKE THE VILLAGE MERCHANTS AND, AND STORES OWNERS AND YOU KNOW, HOW THEIR, YOU KNOW, SORT OF THEIR PERSPECTIVE AS WELL AS MAYBE EVEN JUST, AND THE POLICE AS WELL, JUST KIND OF UNDERSTANDING ALL THE DIFFERENT PERSPECTIVES ON IT AS WELL, I THINK WOULD BE HELPFUL.
I MEAN, I'LL GO OUT ON A LIMB HERE, BUT I WOULD THINK WITH THE MERCHANTS, AS LONG AS IT DOESN'T CLOSE THE STREET TO TRAFFIC MM-HMM
THEY PROBABLY LOVE IT WHEN PEOPLE COME TO THE VILLAGE.
I MEAN, WHAT, YOU KNOW, THEY'RE GETTING, YOU KNOW, MAYBE SOMEBODY WILL GO IN, BUY A SODA OR WHATEVER, YOU KNOW, OR, OR PICK.
THEY THINK THEY, OH, YOU KNOW, I LOVE THAT SHIRT.
YOU KNOW, AND, AND FOR SURE POSITIVE OR NEGATIVE.
BUT IT WOULD BE GREAT TO GET THEIR UNDERSTANDING OF THAT.
AND, UH, WITH, WITH THE POLICE, I THINK FOR THEM IT'S JUST A MATTER OF HAVING ADEQUATE NOTICE IF THEY NEED TO HAVE OVERTIME, YOU KNOW, NEED TO BRING PEOPLE IN FOR OVERTIME.
UH, AND UH, JUST, YOU KNOW, THEY, IT'S JUST A MATTER OF, OF, OF KNOWING IN ADVANCE THAT THAT'S WHAT'S NEEDED AND, AND, AND PROVIDING IT.
I DON'T THINK THERE'S ANY, ANY OTHER, UH, YOU KNOW, IT'S JUST, JUST AS A MATTER OF, YOU KNOW, HAVING IT, HAVING IT, HAVING IT ORGANIZED, SO NOBODY, THEY, THEIR WHOLE, UM, INTEREST IS IN THINGS BEING SAFE, YOU KNOW, THEY WANNA KEEP PEOPLE SAFE AND, AND THAT'S, YOU KNOW, THAT'S REALLY WHAT THEIR FOCUS WILL BE.
I MEAN, TO ME IT'S, IT'S FIRST AMENDMENT ISSUE IS PART OF IT, BUT ON THE IMPACT OF THE VILLAGE STREET CLOSURES MEANS TO ME IS A QUESTION OF LIFE SAFETY.
CAN THE EMERGENCY VEHICLES GET THROUGH WHERE THEY NEED TO? IS IT PREDICTABLE? IS IT COORDINATED? AND, UH, UNDER, UM, YOU KNOW, CERTAIN GUIDELINES.
SO THAT'S, THAT WOULD BE THE ONLY PIECE THAT I WOULD WANT FURTHER INFORMATION ON.
YEAH, I THINK IT IS JUST THE EFFECT ON THE VILLAGE AS WELL AS OUR FINANCES.
UH, I MEAN WE HAD STATE POLICE HERE, IRVINGTON POLICE HERE, DOBBS FERRY POLICE AND HASTINGS POLICE HERE FOR ONE EVENT.
UM, THIS WEEKEND WE HAD LOTS OF OUR OWN, UH, IN THE VILLAGE FOR THAT EVENT.
I'M JUST, WE HAVE TO CONSIDER THAT, INCLUDING OUR PUBLIC WORKS AS WELL.
'CAUSE THERE'S GONNA BE A MESS LEFT BEHIND AS WELL SOMETIMES.
SO I THINK IT'S, IT'S WORTH REVIEWING AND RESEARCHING BEFORE WE TAKE THAT TO A FORMAL LEVEL.
WELL I WILL SHARE WHAT WE'VE GOT SO FAR AND WE WILL SEE WHAT ELSE WE CAN, UM, PROVIDE THAT WE THINK WILL BE USEFUL TO THE BOARD.
AND UH, WE CAN, I MEAN, I'M HAPPY TO CONTINUE TO DISCUSS IT IF YOU WISH, BUT, UM, IF YOU WANNA REVIEW SOME INFORMATION FIRST AND THEN WE CAN, I THINK IT WOULD BE HELPFUL TO REVIEW SOME INFORMATION THEN, THEN WHATEVER WE END UP DISCUSSING IS BASED ON MORE, AND I THINK THE BOARD JUST SHOULD THINK THROUGH THE DIFFERENT ELEMENTS THAT ARE AT PLAY.
ANYTHING ELSE YOU WANT TO RAISE? UM, I HAD NOTHING IN PARTICULAR UNLESS THERE'S SOMETHING THAT SOMEBODY HAS A QUESTION ABOUT OR WE CAN MAYBE AT THE END OF BOARD DISCUSSION IF ANYONE THINKS OF ANYTHING ELSE, THEY CAN RAISE IT.
[XI. BOARD DISCUSSION AND COMMENTS]
SO THE FIRST ITEM IN TERMS OF BOARD DISCUSSION IS A DISCUSSION OF VILLAGE CONSTRUCTION HOURS.AND THIS IS SOMETHING THAT WAS RAISED BY, UM, OUR FRIENDS FROM SLIGHTLY ACROSS THE BORDER, UH, ON DUDLEY LANE.
MANY OF YOU ARE HERE AND WE HEARD THE REQUEST THAT YOU WERE MAKING, WHICH SEEMED REASONABLE TO US THAT WE ALLOW, ALIGN OUR PROVISIONS WITH OUR NEIGHBORS.
SO, UM, I WROTE DOWN WHAT THE REQUIREMENTS ARE IN HASTINGS JUST TO REFRESH FOR THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES, UM, UH, SECTION 2 17 7, WHICH IS PERMITTED NOISES, IT READS, SOUNDS CREATED BY PERSONS ENGAGED IN CONSTRUCTION WORK DURING THE HOURS OF 7:30 AM AND 8:00 PM PREVAILING TIME, MONDAY THROUGH SATURDAY AND 10:00 AM TO 5:00 PM PREVAILING TIMES SUNDAY, INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO BUILDING, REPAIRING, GRADING, LEVELING AND EXCAVATING.
SO THAT'S IN THE NOISE SECTION THAT IS MUCH LONGER THAN THE OTHER ONES THAT WE REVIEWED.
YOKERS CODE IS A BIT WEIRDLY WORDED, BUT IT SAYS, UM, DEMOLITION OR EXCAVATION IS PROHIBITED BETWEEN THE HOURS OF 6:00 PM AND 8:00 AM OR AT ANY TIMES ON WEEKENDS OR LEGAL HOLIDAYS.
SO IT'S KIND OF LIKE INVERSELY FRAMED.
AND THEN DOBBS FERRY, WHICH WAS ALSO CITED, THIS PROVISION IS IN THE PEACE AND GOOD ORDER SECTION OF THEIR CODE.
UH, SECTION 2 43 DASH 23 CONSTRUCTION WORK PROHIBITED AT CERTAIN HOURS OF THE, UH, OF THE DAY.
AND ON CERTAIN DAYS, NO PERSON SHALL ENGAGE IN CONSTRUCTION WORK EARLIER THAN 7:30 AM OR LATER THAN 6:30 PM
[01:05:02]
PREVAILING TIME ON ANY DAY OR AT ANY HOUR ON SUNDAY OR ANY OF THE FOLLOWING HOLIDAYS, NEW YEAR'S DAY, PRESIDENT'S DAY, MEMORIAL DAY, INDEPENDENCE DAY, LABOR DAY, THANKSGIVING DAY AND CHRISTMAS DAY.AND I THINK YOU FOUND IRVINGTON, WHICH IS 7:00 AM TO 7:00 PM NINE TO FIVE ON SATURDAYS, AND NOTHING ON SATURDAYS OR FEDERAL HOLIDAYS, SUNDAYS, SORRY, SUNDAYS OR FEDERAL HOLIDAYS.
SO IT'S A LITTLE BIT MORE IN ALIGNMENT WITH DOBBS FERRY, BUT IT HAS A SLIGHTLY LONGER TIME PERIOD.
SO IT'S ALLOWED LONGER IN THE DAY, BUT IT STARTS A LITTLE BIT EARLIER IN THE DAY.
SO I DON'T KNOW IF, UM, YOU GUYS HAD A CHANCE TO ABSORB THAT, IF YOU WANT US TO SORT OF SEND THIS TO YOU SO YOU HAVE A CHANCE TO LOOK AT IT.
UM, WE'RE FAR AWAY FROM CONSTRUCTION, SO I DON'T THINK YOU HAVE TO BE CONCERNED, BUT, UM, TO ME IT MAKES SENSE THAT WE DO ALIGN OURSELVES WITH SOMETHING THAT'S SIMILAR TO DOBSON, IRVINGTON, UM, CERTAINLY NO CONSTRUCTION ON A SUNDAY, AND, UH, A SMALLER TIMEFRAME ON, UM, AND, AND ON ON FEDERAL HOLIDAYS AND, UM, AND A SMALLER TIMEFRAME FOR, FOR THE REST OF THE DAY.
BUT WHY DON'T WE CIRCULATE THIS TO ALL OF YOU AND THEN YOU CAN, YOU CAN LOOK, AND IF THERE'S ANY, WE, WE ENDED UP, I THINK, PULLING THIS TOGETHER RELATIVELY QUICKLY, BUT IF THERE ARE, IF THERE ARE DIFFERENCES WITH ODDSLY THAT WE SHOULD LOOK AT, OR I HAD TROUBLE FINDING ODDSLY.
I TRIED TO LOOK, THEY'RE, THEY'RE KIND OF WRITTEN IN THIS QUITE CONVOLUTED WAY.
SO IT'S, AND YOU HAVE TO FIND THEM IN THE CODE BECAUSE THEY'RE, I MEAN, I WOULD SAY THAT THE, THE YONKERS ONE IS INTERESTING 'CAUSE THEY'RE GRAPPLING WITH A DIFFERENT ISSUE, WHICH IS, IT'S NOT JUST ABOUT TIME, BUT IT'S THE AMOUNT OF NOISE AND, AND DUST AND CHAOS THAT'S CREATED.
SO LIKE WE WANT, WE NEED TO BALANCE THE NEEDS OF HOMEOWNERS THAT ARE ONLY HOME ON WEEKENDS, WHO WOULD LIKE TO WORK ON THEIR HOUSE AND CERTAINLY WOULD WANNA WORK INDOORS, BUT EVEN PEOPLE THAT MIGHT WANT TO FIX SOMETHING ON THE OUTSIDE VERSUS EXCAVATION, DEMOLITION, LARGE CONSTRUCTION, CUTTING STONE
SO INTERESTINGLY, YONKERS DOES NOT APPLY TO HOME CONSTRUCTION PROJECTS BY A HOMEOWNER.
SO THAT'S, THAT IS AN INTERESTING DISTINCTION.
MEANING IT ONLY APPLIES TO, IT DOES APPLY THE HOMEOWNER OR BY THE HOMEOWNER.
SO LIKE IF, SO IF YOU'RE DOING IT YOURSELF OR, OR
SO THE EXAMPLE THAT TRUSTEE FLEISIG GAVE THAT A HOMEOWNER'S WORKING, DOING A PROJECT ON THEIR HOUSE THEMSELVES, THEY'RE ONLY HOME TO DO IT ON THE WEEKENDS.
IT DOES, IT DOESN'T APPLY TO THEM.
IT ACTUALLY SAYS BECAUSE THEY HAVE A CONTRACTOR THEN, THEN, THEN THAT'S, THEN IT APPLIES.
THE LANGUAGE IN THEIR CODE SAYS, DOES NOT APPLY TO HOME CONSTRUCTION PROJECTS BY A HOMEOWNER.
UM, BUT I DID WRITE IT DOWN BECAUSE I THOUGHT IT WAS AN INTERESTING POINT.
I THINK THE OTHER THING THAT I, I KNOW OUR RESIDENTS WOULD APPRECIATE IS THAT IT'S NOT CRAFTED IN A WAY WHERE WE INADVERTENTLY PREVENT PEOPLE FROM DOING WORK INTERNAL TO THEIR HOMES AT OTHER POINTS.
SO WE HAVE TO BE, SOME OF THEM ARE WORDED IN A VERY STRANGE WAY WHERE IF YOU TAKE IT LITERALLY YOU CAN'T DO ANYTHING EVEN INSIDE.
SO I THINK WE HAVE TO JUST BE CAREFUL THAT WE DON'T FALL INTO THAT TRAP WITH THE WAY THAT WE'VE, WE'VE CRAFTED IT.
SO WE'LL CIRCULATE THAT TO ALL OF YOU.
UM, AND IT WILL BE CLEARLY ON THE AGENDA.
SO YOU ARE ALL WELCOME TO COME BACK AND GIVE US YOUR THOUGHTS ON WHAT MAKES SENSE.
UM, AND WE APPRECIATE YOU RAISING IT FOR US.
UM, AND IT IS, I THINK IT'S ACTUALLY QUITE AN IMPORTANT ISSUE, AND HOPEFULLY WE CAN COME TO A SOLUTION THAT YOU GUYS FEEL IS BETTER, AT LEAST THAN WHERE IT IS AT THE MOMENT.
IF IT'S NOT PERFECT, WE NOT CAN'T PROMISE PER PERFECTION, BUT HOPEFULLY IT WILL BE BETTER THAN WHERE IT IS AT THE MOMENT.
UM, THE, THE NEXT ITEM IS A GRANT ANNOUNCEMENT.
UM, I DID, I THINK, TEXT YOU ALL TO LET YOU KNOW, BUT WE RECEIVED WORD THAT OUR COMMUNITY REFORESTATION, THAT'S THE CORE GRANT APPLICATION, WAS SELECTED FOR FUNDING IN THE AMOUNT OF $356,511.
THE GOVERNOR'S ANNOUNCEMENT NOTES THAT THE VILLAGE WILL RESTORE HILLSIDE PARKS WOODLANDS TO A NATIVE FOREST ECOSYSTEM BY REFORESTING DEGRADED STANDS, PLANTING MORE THAN 6,500 TREES AND IMPLEMENTING PROTECTIVE FENCING TO PREVENT DEER FROM BROWSING IN THE AREA.
AND THIS IS PART OF THE STATE HAS A VERY AMBITIOUS PLAN TO, UM, DO EXTENSIVE REFORESTATION.
SO I THINK IT'S PART OF THIS, AND IT WAS, I THINK IT WAS ACTUALLY ANNOUNCED ON AIDE, WASN'T IT? I THINK IT WAS SOMETHING LIKE THAT.
SO IT WAS A SORT OF AIDE GIFT TO
[01:10:01]
US.IRVINGTON ALSO GOT A, A GRANT, SO IT WAS HASTINGS IRVINGTON.
THERE WAS ONE OTHER WESTCHESTER COUNTY, UM, MUNICIPALITY, WHICH I CAN'T THINK OF NOW.
BUT, UH, CONGRATULATIONS TO US AND TO IRVINGTON.
UM, THE NEXT THING TO MENTION IS A RESIDENTIAL, A NEW RESIDENTIAL SOLARIZED CAMPAIGN.
SO WE'VE BEEN INVITED TO PARTICIPATE IN SUSTAINABLE WESTCHESTER'S RESIDENTIAL SOLARIZED CAMPAIGN.
THE COUNTYWIDE GOAL IS TO HELP 3000 HOMEOWNERS GO SOLAR IN 2025 AND TO INCREASE RESIDENTIAL SOLAR ACROSS WESTCHESTER BY 300% BY 2030.
UM, SO GIVEN THE RISING ELECTRICITY COSTS, THIS IS REALLY SOMETHING I THINK THAT WILL MAKE A BIG DIFFERENCE TO, UM, TO OUR RESIDENTS.
AND WHAT, WHAT WILL HAPPEN UNDER THIS CAMPAIGN IS THAT SUSTAINABLE WESTCHESTER WILL SCREEN THE SOLAR COMPANIES TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY PROVIDE HIGH QUALITY PRODUCTS AND SERVICES, AND THEY WILL HELP, UM, OWNERS GET SOLAR ASSESSMENTS.
UM, AND TO, IF YOU'VE HAD A SOLAR ASSESSMENT AND YOU WERE DEEMED NOT TO BE VIABLE, YOU CAN GO BACK AGAIN AND SEE WHETHER NOW YOU ARE VIABLE.
SO THAT WILL BE, I THINK, SOMETHING THAT'S INTERESTING AND THEY WILL PROVIDE ALL OF THE MARKETING MATERIAL.
SO HOPEFULLY EVERYONE FEEL THIS IS SOMETHING THAT ACTUALLY OUR CLIMATE SMART COMMUNITIES TASK FORCE FELT WAS AN IMPORTANT THING TO DO.
UM, IN THE FIRST ROUND WE HAD 55 HOUSEHOLDS SIGN UP, AND THE CURRENT NUMBER OF HOUSEHOLDS WITH SOLAR IN THE VILLAGE, I THINK IS 120, JUST GOT THAT STATISTIC FROM POWER MARKETS.
SO, UM, SO IT'S PRETTY, IT'S, IT'S GOOD.
I THINK WE'RE, WE'RE NICELY POSITIONED FOR THAT.
UM, THEN THE NEXT ITEM IS AN UPDATE ON THE CON EDISON RATE CASE.
UM, UH, WE'VE RECORDED ON THIS FOR A COUPLE OF WEEKS NOW.
THERE ARE NOW 39 MU MUNICIPALITIES THAT HAVE JOINED THE CONSORTIUM TO BECOME PARTY TO THE CON EDISON RATE CASE.
LARCHMONT JOINED ON APRIL 21ST, AND HARRISON JOINED ON APRIL 24TH.
SO THAT IS 39 OUT OF 41, UM, MUNICIPALITIES THAT ARE IN THE CON EDISON, UH, TERRITORY.
SO THERE ARE A COUPLE OF WESTCHESTER MUNICIPALITIES THAT ARE IN NYSEG TERRITORY.
UM, SO WHAT THIS WILL DO IS IF THOSE TWO DON'T JOIN, AND ONE OF THEM MIGHT JOIN, I WAS TEXTED BY, BY THE MAYOR EARLIER TODAY TO SAY THAT THEY MAY JOIN, UM, THIS WILL REDUCE EACH MUNICIPAL COST TO ONLY $2,605 AND 26 CENTS.
SO IT WILL GO DOWN A LITTLE BIT IF THE OTHER TWO JOIN IN.
THE NEXT STEP IN THE PROCESS IS FOR THE PSC STAFF AND INTERVENERS TO SUBMIT THEIR WRITTEN TESTIMONY IN RESPONSE TO CON EDISON'S PROPOSAL.
THIS HAS TO BE DONE BY MAY 30TH, 2025.
AND OUR CONSORTIUM HAS CON, UH, RETAINED DR.
BEN JOHNSON AS AN EXPERT WITNESS TO PRESENT TESTIMONY ON ADJUSTMENTS TO CON ED'S PROPOSAL TO REDUCE THE IMPACT ON WESTCHESTER RESIDENTS.
HE HAS FILED TESTIMONY IN OVER A HUNDRED RATE PROCEEDINGS, PRIMARILY ON BEHALF OF GOVERNMENTAL BODIES.
AND WE ARE IN THE DISCOVERY, UH, PHASE RIGHT NOW.
SO WE'RE STILL IN THE PROCESS OF IDENTIFYING ISSUES TO BE PRESENTED.
UM, AND THE COMPANY THEN WILL, THE COMPANY, MEANING CON EDISON, WILL SUBMIT REBUTTAL TESTIMONY ON JUNE 24TH.
AND THE EVIDENTIARY HEARINGS ARE SET TO BEGIN ON JULY 10TH.
SO WE'RE IN, WE'RE IN GOOD STEAD AND WE'RE, I THINK IN GOOD HANDS, AND HOPEFULLY THE OTHER TWO MUNICIPALITIES JOIN IN AS WELL.
IT'D BE WONDERFUL TO HAVE A, A COMPLETE BODY OF WESTCHESTER MUNICIPALITIES AS PART OF THE, OF THE, THE CASE.
AND THEN THE FINAL ITEM IS THE PARKS AND RECREATION COMMISSION RECOMMENDATION REGARDING PICKLEBALL.
UM, THE PARKS AND RECREATION COMMISSION HAS INFORMED US THAT THEY'VE BEEN DISCUSSING POSSIBLE FUTURE PLANS TO ERECT PICKLEBALL COURTS ON THE NINE A PARCEL, AND THAT'S ACTUALLY PART OF THE CAPITAL PLAN.
UM, BUT THERE'S AN URGENT SHORT, SHORT TERM NEED FOR MORE COURTS.
AND SO I THINK THEY'VE BEEN BRAINSTORMING AMONG THEMSELVES AND WITH PICKLEBALL, UM, PLAYERS AND OTHERS WHO ARE AFFECTED.
AND THEY'VE ENDORSED A PLAN TO LINE ONE COURT AT THE CHIMP TENNIS COURTS FOR PICKLEBALL.
AND WHAT THEY PLAN TO DO, WHICH I THINK IS QUITE CREATIVE, IS TO MARK THE PICKLEBALL, UM,
[01:15:01]
BOUNDARIES WITH TAPE.UM, AND ONE TENNIS COURT WILL, WILL RESULT IN TWO PICKLEBALL COURT, ONE ON EITHER SIDE OF THE NET, AND THEY WILL, THE, THE PARKS AND REC COMMISSION WILL ALSO PROVIDE MOVABLE PICKLEBALL NETS.
UM, SO BECAUSE IT'S TAPE, THE TAPE CAN BE REMOVED.
SO IT'S QUITE CREATIVE, IT'S NOT PERMANENT, AND WE CAN SORT OF SEE HOW IT GOES.
AND WE CAN ALSO ADJUST IF THERE'S A NEED, FOR EXAMPLE, THERE'S A TENNIS TOURNAMENT OR SOMETHING AND YOU KNOW, THEY, THE, THE, THE TAPE NEEDS TO BE REMOVED.
IT SEEMS LIKE A VERY CREATIVE AND THOUGHTFUL SOLUTION.
SO, UM, THEY'VE ALSO, UH, DISCUSSED AN ONLINE RESERVATION SYSTEM FOR THE USE OF THE, THE TENNIS AND PICKLEBALL COURTS, UH, AS A WAY TO MANAGE THE COURTS.
AND THEY WOULD, THEY PLAN TO CAREFULLY MONITOR THE SITUATION AND ADDRESS ISSUES AS THEY ARISE.
SO IT SEEMS VERY SENSIBLE TO ME.
I JUST WONDER IF YOU'VE ALL HAD A CHANCE TO THINK THAT THROUGH, IF YOU HAVE ANY DIFFERENT THOUGHTS OR SUGGESTIONS IN THE CONTEXT.
YEAH, IT'S LONG OVERDUE AND, UM, IT'S A WILDLY POPULAR SPORT, SO LET'S GO.
ANY THOUGHTS FROM ANYONE ELSE? SO I WAS, I WAS AT THE MEETING AND I THINK IT WAS, IT WAS DEFINITELY THE, THE, UM, IN TERMS OF JUST TRYING TO HELP THE PICKLEBALL PEOPLE HAVE SOMETHING, UM, IMMEDIATELY AND, YOU KNOW, I LEARNED LIKE, SO ONE TENNIS COURT, WHEN THEY TAPE IT, IT BECOMES TWO PICKLEBALL COURTS, RIGHT? SO, EXACTLY.
AND I SHOULD MENTION THAT TRUSTEE MERTON IS OUR LIAISON TO PARKS AND REC.
SO SHE'S, UH, VERY, UM, VERY TUNED IN TO THESE ISSUES.
UM, UH, I I, THEY ASKED US FOR OUR INPUT, SO I THINK WE CAN GET BACK TO THEM AND SAY, THIS SEEMS SENSIBLE, AND WE WISH THEM LUCK, AND WE HOPE THAT IT RESULTS IN BOWL SOLUTIONS FOR ALL INVOLVED AND LOTS MORE PICKLEBALL.
UM, AND IN FACT, THE NEXT ITEM ON THE AGENDA IS UPCOMING EVENTS, AND THE VERY FIRST ISSUE IS SENIOR PICKLEBALL CLINIC, WHICH WILL BE ON MAY 9TH AT 10:00 AM.
SO, UM, UH, IT SEEMS LIKE IT'S, IT WILL, AS SOON AS IT'S ABLE TO BE PUT IN PLACE, IT WILL BE VALUABLE TO OUR COMMUNITY.
UM, ARE THERE ANY OTHER TOPICS ANYONE WOULD LIKE TO RAISE? I DID ACTUALLY HAVE ONE MORE ITEM, WHICH WAS THAT OUR, UM, OUR DOWNTOWN ADVOCATE REMINDED ME THAT THERE WAS A REALLY VERY LOVELY ARTICLE THAT CAME OUT IN WESTCHESTER MAGAZINE ABOUT HASTINGS.
AND IN FACT, SEVERAL PEOPLE HAVE CALLED ME AND TOLD ME THAT THEY NOW KNOW WHAT TO DO IN HASTINGS.
IT'S CALLED HASTINGS ON HUDSON OFFERS AN ABUNDANCE OF THINGS TO DO, AND IT'S TRUE, IT'S REALLY FANTASTIC.
IT, IT, IT CITES MANY, MANY DIFFERENT BUSINESSES AND IS WRITTEN IN A VERY CHARMING WAY.
SO, UM, THANKS TO BARBARA PRIMAN FOR GETTING THIS INTO THE, UM, MAGAZINE FOR US AND TO ALL THE MERCHANTS WHO, UM, WHO PROBABLY HOSTED THE WRITER.
SOUNDS LIKE THE WRITER ACTUALLY WENT AND ATE PRETTY MUCH EVERYTHING THAT WAS AVAILABLE TO EAT IN HASTINGS.
UM, SO, UH, ANYTHING ELSE ANYONE NEEDS TO BRING UP BEFORE WE GO ON TO UPCOMING EVENTS? SO, UM, AFTER THE SE SENIOR PICKLEBALL ON MAY 9TH AT 10:00 AM UH, THAT WILL BE AT THE UNION TOWN FIELD.
UH, THE HASTINGS EDUCATION FOUNDATION, UM, IS HAVING ITS GALA ON MAY 9TH AT 7:00 PM SEVEN TO 11:00 PM THE VILLAGE WIDE SPRING TAG SALE IS ON MAY 10TH FROM 10 TO 4:00 PM THE HASTINGS FLEE IS MAY 11TH FROM 10 TO 4:00 PM THE LITTLE SAGES CHILDREN COOKING CLASS IS MAY 12TH FROM THREE 30 TO 5:00 PM THE SENIOR MOTHER'S DAY LUNCHEON IS, I SHOULD SAY, THAT'S AT WILD CULTURE.
UM, THE SENIOR MOTHER'S DAY LUNCHEON IS ON MAY 13TH AT 12:30 PM AT THE COMMUNITY CENTER.
THERE IS TECH HELP AT THE LIBRARY, UM, UH, AT ON MAY 16TH AT 3:30 PM UM, UH, AND THERE'S RUN FOR A TREE ON MAY 17TH AT 9:00 AM AT THE HILLSIDE PARKING LOT.
THE HIL THE FARMER'S MARKET IS ON MAY 17TH AT 9:30 AM AND TECH WITH TEENS IS ALSO AT MAY.
ON MAY 17TH AT 10:00 AM ANOTHER LITTLE AT THE COMMUNITY CENTER.
AND THERE IS LITTLE SAGE'S COOKBOOK ON MAY NINE, COOKING ON MAY 19TH AT WILD CULTURE AND SENIOR MINDFULNESS DROP
[01:20:01]
IN AT THE COMMUNITY CENTER ON MAY 20TH.AND THE HASTINGS LIBRARY AUTHOR TALK WITH JONATHAN ROSEN ON MAY 20TH, UH, WHICH IS A TUESDAY AT THE PUBLIC LIBRARY.
AND I SHOULD MENTION THAT THE PERSON WHO WROTE THAT ARTICLE WAS THE, WAS ACTUALLY THE DOWNTOWN ADVOCATE.
SO I THINK SOMEONE CAME, VISITED THE VILLAGE, BUT THEN INVITED BARBARA TO WRITE THE ARTICLE.
I DON'T THINK THAT HAPPENS VERY FREQUENTLY THAT THEY ALLOW, UM, A LOCAL TO, TO WRITE SOMETHING IN THAT WAY.
[XII. ANNOUNCEMENTS]
MOVING ON TO OTHER ANNOUNCEMENTS.THURSDAY, MAY 8TH, PARKS AND RECREATION COMMISSION AT 7:00 PM IN THE COMMUNITY CENTER, THURSDAY, MAY 8TH, AFFORDABLE HOUSING COMMITTEE MEETING AT 7:30 PM IN THE COMMUNITY CENTER TUESDAY MAY 13TH, CONSERVATION COMMISSION MEETING AT 8:00 PM HOSTED VIA ZOOM, THURSDAY, MAY 15TH.
SAFETY COUNCIL MEETING, 7:00 PM VILLAGE HALL, CONFERENCE ROOM, THURSDAY, MAY 15TH, PLANNING BOARD, REGULAR MEETING, 7:30 PM VILLAGE HALL, MEETING ROOM, MONDAY, MAY 19TH, SENIOR COUNCIL MEETING AT 3:15 PM IN THE COMMUNITY CENTER, MONDAY, MAY 19TH, HASTINGS VILLAGE ARTS COMMISSION MEETING AT 7:30 PM IN THE VILLAGE HALL CONFERENCE ROOM, UH, TUESDAY, MAY 20TH, BOARD OF TRUSTEES REGULAR MEETING AT 7:00 PM UH, IN THE VILLAGE HALL MEETING ROOM.
AND BEFORE WE ADJOURN, I JUST WANNA SAY THANK YOU TO THE LITTLE LEAGUE FOR A VERY, VERY LOVELY PARADE.
COMPLETELY ADORABLE ON, UM, ON SATURDAY AND TO EVERYONE WHO MANAGED TO GET IN VILLAGE CLEANUP ON SATURDAY BEFORE IT POURED WITH RAIN ON SUNDAY.
SO I THINK WE, A BUNCH OF EVENTS WERE POSTPONED, UM, TO A LATER DATE BECAUSE OF THE RAIN.
BUT, UH, THANKS TO EVERYONE FOR DOING THAT CLEANUP.
AND JUST TO REMEMBER, YOU CAN CLEAN UP ANY DAY.
YOU DON'T HAVE TO WAIT FOR THAT TIME OF THE YEAR.
IF YOU HAVE A PLASTIC BAG, YOU CAN GO OUT AND, AND, UH, AND CLEAN UP.
SO WE WILL NOW ADJOURN INTO EXECUTIVE SESSION TO DISCUSS MATTERS OF REAL ESTATE AND LITIGATION.
UH, AND WE WILL NOT RETURN TO THIS MEETING.
IS THERE A MOTION TO ADJOURN? SO, SECOND.