[00:00:01]
UH, OPEN THE MEETING[I. CALL TO ORDER]
AT SIX 15 ALREADY.UH, WE ALREADY DID OUR ROLL CALL AND OUR PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE.
[IV. PRESENTATIONS]
FIRST ORDER OF BUSINESS IS A PRESENTATION, MIGUEL BARRIOS, UH, LBS ECOLOGICAL PRESENTATION OF STREET AND PARK TREE INVENTORY.AND, UM, THE BOARD WILL MAY RECALL THAT WE RECEIVED A GRANT, UH, FOR THIS, UM, FROM THE NEW YORK STATE, UM, DEC, AND, UH, MIGUEL HAS BEEN, UH, WORKING WITH, UH, OUR VARIOUS PARKS.
UH, I DUNNO IF I SHOULD SWITCH THIS AROUND.
I GUESS YOU CAN SEE JUST WELL OVER HERE, TECHNICAL DIFFICULTY, JUST WONDERFUL.
IS JACKIE STILL ON FOR TONIGHT? YES, SHE'S ON.
SHE'S SHE'S GONNA BE, UM, ZOOM REMOTE.
UM, JUST TO, UH, MAKE THE PUBLIC AWARE, UH, WE DID RECEIVE A GRANT FROM THE NEW YORK STATE DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENTAL CON CONSERVATION, AN URBAN FORESTRY GRANT IN THE AMOUNT OF $21,525 FOR THE WORK THAT'S BEEN COMPLETED, UM, BY MR. BARRIOS.
THANK YOU TO THE STATE FOR THAT.
BETTER OR WORSE? STATIC PLUGGED.
WHAT AM OH, HE'S UNPLUGGED IT.
STATIC STAGE IS YOURS NOW WE'RE DONE.
MAYOR, UH, THANK YOU BOARD FOR HAVING ME HERE THIS EVENING.
UM, WITH NO FURTHER ADO, THE VILLAGE OF HASTINGS ON HUDSON URBAN AND COMMUNITY FOREST TREE INVENTORY AND MANAGEMENT PLAN.
SO HERE'S A PRESENTATION OUTLINE AND WHAT WILL BE GOING OVER TODAY.
UM, A BIT ABOUT MYSELF AND LBS PSYCHOLOGICAL AND, UH, THE DEC PROGRAM.
MARY BETH JUST SPOKE JUST BRIEFLY ABOUT THE PROGRAM, BUT I'LL JUST ELABORATE A TINY BIT.
UH, THE VILLAGES OF URBAN FORESTRY BACKGROUND, WHAT HAS HAPPENED IN THE PAST, WHAT'S BEEN GOING ON RECENTLY.
UM, SOME INFORMATION ABOUT THE FOREST INVENTORY THAT WE DID, UM, AND HOW THAT DATA COLLECTION HAPPENED.
UM, INFORMATION ABOUT AN I TREE ANALYSIS, UM, I'LL SPEAK A LITTLE BIT MORE TO THAT IN A BIT HERE AGAIN.
AND THEN FINALLY, FORESTRY RECOMMENDATIONS, UH, AS PART OF THE PLANNING PROCESS AND OTHER RECOMMENDATIONS, UM, THAT WE'VE GOT FOR THE VILLAGE, FOLLOWED UP BY A CONCLUSION.
AND THEN IF THERE'S ANY Q AND A, WE CAN DO THAT RIGHT AT THE END.
UH, LBS ECOLOGICAL IS MY FIRM THAT I RUN.
WE DO URBAN FORESTRY, UH, PRETTY MUCH IS OUR MAIN, UH, BREAD AND BUTTER FORESTRY WORK, YOU KNOW, TYPICAL HAULING, UH, TIMBER OUT OF THE WOODS KIND OF STUFF AS WELL.
BUT I'M A ECOLOGICAL PLANNER AND A DESIGNER.
I'M A CERTIFIED, UH, SAF FOR COMMUNITY AND URBAN FORESTER, WHICH IS THE SOCIETY OF AMERICAN FORESTERS.
AND I'VE ACCOMPLISHED NUMEROUS TREE FOREST ECOLOGICAL SURVEYS, ASSESSMENTS, MANAGEMENT PLANS.
I'VE GOT A BACHELOR'S IN NATURAL RESOURCE MANAGEMENT FROM CORNELL AND A MASTER'S, UH, DID I SAY BACHELOR'S? A MASTER'S IN LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTURE FROM SUNY ESF.
I'M ALSO AN ISA CERTIFIED ARBORIST AND A NATURAL RESOURCE CONSERVATION SERVICE, OR THE NRCS, UH, CERTIFIED TECHNICAL SERVICE PROVIDER FOR HABITAT PLANNING.
UM, THE NEW YORK STATE, UH, DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENTAL CONSERVATION URBAN AND
[00:05:01]
COMMUNITY FORESTRY PROGRAM IS A PARTNERSHIP, UM, BETWEEN DEC FORESTRY PROFESSIONALS, THE PUBLIC AND PRIVATE INDIVIDUALS, UH, VOLUNTEER ORGANIZATIONS, WHICH SUPPORTS COMMUNITIES IN COMPREHENSIVE PLANNING, MANAGEMENT AND EDUCATION TO CREATE HEALTHY, URBAN AND COMMUNITY FORESTS, WHICH ENHANCE THEN THE QUALITY OF LIFE FOR RESIDENTS.UM, AS WE'D SAID EARLIER, THE VILLAGE GOT, UM, THIS INVENTORY AND COMMUNITY FOREST MANAGEMENT PLAN, UH, GRANT FUNDED THROUGH THIS PROGRAM.
AND YOU ALL KNOW THIS, BUT THIS SLIDE IS JUST A LITTLE BIT OF AN INTRO AND A DESCRIPTION, UH, OF THE VILLAGE OF HASTINGS ON HUDSON THAT GIVES THOSE WHO MIGHT BE UNFAMILIAR WITH THE VILLAGE A LITTLE BACKGROUND INFORMATION.
UM, HASTINGS IS A SCENIC WATERFRONT RIVERFRONT VILLAGE, LOCATED IN SOUTHWESTERN WESTCHESTER, ABOUT 20 MILES NORTH OF MANHATTAN, SITUATED ALONG THE HUDSON RIVER.
IT'S ONE OF THE RIVER TOWNS, UM, AND SITS WITHIN THE TOWN OF GREENBURG, YONKERS TO THE SOUTH.
AND HERE YOU CAN SEE HASTINGS ON A MAP, LIKE I SAID, DOBBS UP TO THE NORTH, YONKERS DOWN TO THE SOUTH PALISADES, YOU CAN SEE ACROSS THE HUDSON RIVER.
AND YOU CAN SEE KIND OF DOWNTOWN WHERE IT SAYS HASTINGS ON HUDSON RIGHT THERE.
UM, YOU CAN SEE A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THE URBAN FABRIC DOWNTOWN SPREADING UP THE HILL, UM, THE PARKS, ET CETERA.
NOW THAT WE KNOW A LITTLE BIT ABOUT HASTINGS, I JUST WANTED TO LOOK A BIT AT THE URBAN FOREST, WHICH IS REALLY KIND OF THE MAIN TOPIC OF THIS PRESENTATION.
AND WE CAN START BY DEFINING WHAT THAT URBAN FOREST IS.
UM, HASTINGS IS, URBAN FOREST IS MADE UP OF ALL THE PUBLIC TREES IN THE VILLAGE.
SO, UM, PRELIMINARY, THIS IS GONNA BE STREET TREES AND PARK TREES, STREET TREES, UH, BEING THE TREES LOCATED IN THE RIGHT OF WAY BETWEEN THE STREET AND THE SIDEWALKS.
UM, OFTEN THERE'S A STRIP, OR OFTEN THERE CAN BE, UH, PITS FOR THOSE, PITS FOR THOSE TREES.
AND PARK TREES WOULD BE ALL THE TREES IN PUBLIC PARKS.
UM, THERE WERE SEVERAL PARKS THAT WE INVENTORIED, UM, THAT WERE ALL ENJOYED BY, YOU KNOW, WALKERS, HIKERS, DOG WALKERS, STUDENTS, BIRD WATCHERS AND OTHERS.
AND THIS SLIDE LISTS THE PARKS THAT WERE SAMPLED AS PART OF THE INVENTORY.
UM, SOME HAD ALREADY BEEN DONE BEFORE.
THESE WERE THE NEW ONES THAT GOT INVENTORIED.
UM, SOME HAVE A LOT OF TREES OF THESE PARKS, YOU KNOW, AND ARE MORE KIND OF A BIGGER FORESTED PARK LIKE DRAPER PARK, LA FERGE PARK.
UH, SOME, UH, DON'T HAVE NEARLY AS MANY TREES AND, YOU KNOW, IT COULD BE CONSIDERED LIKE A POCKET PARK.
UM, A LITTLE BIT MORE URBANIZED AND A LITTLE BIT MORE SMALLER.
SO THE FIRST TASK OF THE PROJECT WAS TO INVENTORY THE URBAN FOREST FOR WHICH A COMPLETE, UH, SURVEY WAS DONE.
SO EVERY SINGLE TREE WAS, UH, INVENTORIED.
AND, YOU KNOW, WE TOOK INFORMATION INCLUDING LOCATION, UM, SORT OF THE LATITUDE LONGITUDE OF WHERE THAT TREE IS, AS WELL AS AN ADDRESS LOCATION.
SO WHICH ROAD IT WOULD BE IN, OR WHICH PARK IT WOULD BE IN.
UH, THE DBH WAS LIKE A DIAMETER OF THE TREE.
UM, CROWN DIEBACK, UM, WAS TAKEN AS WELL AS PART OF THE INVENTORY.
SO YOU COULD TELL IF THE TREE WAS IN DECLINE OR IF IT WAS DOING JUST GRAPE.
UM, ALSO TREES WERE OF THE INVENTORY, TREES WERE ALL ASSESSED FOR RISK.
UM, SO WE NOTED IF THERE WAS, UH, ANY ISSUES WITH THE CANOPY OR CROWN TRUNK, UH, ROOT AND ROOT COLLAR.
UH, WE ALSO DID A PRIORITY WITH THOSE.
SO KIND OF LIKE, UM, SOME TREES THAT MIGHT NEED NOTHING ALL THE WAY UP TO A TREE THAT MIGHT BE NEED.
A ROUTINE PRUNING MIGHT BE A HIGH RISK OR A CRITICAL CONCERN TREE.
UM, WE DID A MAINTENANCE RECOMMENDATION.
WHAT DOES THAT TREE NEED? IF IT BE REMOVAL, MAYBE IT'S A DEAD TREE, OR IF IT NEEDS TO GET SOME SORT OF PRUNING, UH, OR MANAGEMENT TO MAKE IT SAFE AGAIN, MAINTENANCE TO MAKE IT SAFE AGAIN.
AND, UM, LOCATIONS OF PLANTABLE, STREET TREE PITS AND STRIPS WERE ALSO SURVEYED AS PART OF THE INVENTORY.
SO WE'RE LOOKING FOR ALL THE TREES OUT THERE.
AND THEN WE'RE LOOKING ALSO AT WHERE WE CAN PUT MORE TREES, UM, REASONABLE PLACES FOR, FOR MORE TREES.
SO, UM, WE'RE LOOKING AT PLANTABLE PITS AS WELL AS STRIPS.
AND THESE MIGHT BE SUITABLE FOR A SMALL, MEDIUM OR LARGE SIZE TREES.
AND THIS IS ALL CALLED OUT, MAYBE THERE'S WIRES ABOVE A UTILITY OF SOME SORT, AND YOU COULDN'T HAVE A REALLY TALL, BIG TREE IN THAT SPOT, BUT IT MIGHT BE SUITABLE FOR A SMALLER GRAB APPLE, SIMILAR TREE TO THAT.
AFTER THE INVENTORY WAS COMPLETE.
UM, THE DATA FROM THE INVENTORY WAS ANALYZED USING THE IRE ECO MODEL.
IT WAS, UH, A MODEL DESIGNED TO USE STANDARDIZED FIELD DATA THAT'S COLLECTED, AND IT COMBINES THAT WITH LOCAL AIR POLLUTION DATA, METEOROLOGICAL DATA,
[00:10:01]
UM, AND THEN IT WAS ABLE TO QUANTIFY URBAN FOREST STRUCTURE AND NUMEROUS EFFECTS THAT THESE MIGHT HAVE.UM, SO THIS PROGRAM IS BASICALLY WHAT THE DEC HAS US USE TO QUANTIFY ECOSYSTEM SERVICES PROVIDED BY THE ECO, PROVIDED BY THE URBAN FOREST.
AND, UM, THE EYE TREE ECOSYSTEM ANALYSIS INCLUDES TREE CHARACTERISTICS OF THE URBAN FOREST.
SO THIS IS GONNA BE LIKE WHAT SPECIES ARE OUT THERE, WHAT IS THE LEAF AREA OF, UH, DIFFERENT AREAS, HOW MUCH TREE IS OUT THERE.
UM, WE CATEGORIZE AND QUANTIFY HOW MUCH POLLUTION IS REMOVED, AIR QUALITY IMPROVEMENTS, THINGS LIKE THAT.
HOW MUCH TOTAL CARBON STORED, HOW MUCH IS GETTING SEQUESTERED ANNUALLY BY THE URBAN FOREST.
UM, AND WE CAN ALSO USING EYE TREE, PUT TOGETHER THE STRUCTURAL VALUE OF THE FOREST, UM, AND LOOK AT POTENTIAL IMPACTS FROM INFESTATIONS OF PESTS.
UM, SUCH AS, UH, LONGHORN BEETLE, EMERALD ASH, B GYPSY MOP, DUTCH ELM DISEASE, BEACH, UH, LEAF DISEASE IS ANOTHER ONE THAT'S REALLY COMING ONTO THE SCENE RIGHT NOW.
SO FIRST FROM THE ANALYSIS IS THE URBAN FOREST TREE CHARACTERISTICS.
UM, AND HASTINGS HAS WHAT WE INVENTORIED 944 TREES WITH A COVER OF 1.2%.
THAT'S JUST WITHIN THE TOTAL FABRIC OF, OF HASTINGS.
SO IT SEEMS LIKE A LOW PERCENTAGE, BUT WE'RE REALLY ONLY LOOKING AT THAT RIGHT OF WAY AND THE PARK.
SO THERE'S GONNA BE A LOT MORE TREES, PUBLIC OR PRIVATE TREES, IF YOU WILL.
UM, BUT THIS IS WHAT WE'RE LOOKING AT IN TERMS OF THE, THE, THE MUNICIPAL TREES.
UM, THE MOST COMMON IS SUGAR MAPLE, WHICH IS GREAT.
WE LIKE TO SEE THOSE A LOT FOLLOWED BY NORWAY, MAPLE AND CALORIE PAIR.
AND I PUT THOSE IN RED BECAUSE THOSE ARE ACTUALLY TREES THAT WE'RE REALLY NOT WANTING TO SEE.
UM, AND FUTURE PLANTING SHOULD AVOID THOSE.
THEY'RE CONSIDERED AN INVASIVE TREE NOW, UM, THEY GET OUT AND START TAKING OVER WITHIN PARKS AND YARDS AND THINGS LIKE THAT AND PROLIFERATE.
UM, BUT, UH, HERE'S YOUR GRAPH OF YOUR SPECIES COMPOSITION.
YOU CAN SEE TO THE RIGHT, THE DARKER GREEN IS YOUR SUGAR MAPLE, FOLLOWED BY THE NORWAY AND CALORIE PAIR.
AFTER THAT, YOU'VE GOT SOME GREAT TREES.
NOTHING REALLY POPS OUT AS BEING AN ISSUE.
RED MAPLE, RED OAK, UH, CHERRIES.
YOU'VE GOT SOME NICE SYCAMORES, RED BUDS, LOCUS, AND THEN A LOT OF OTHERS, WHICH IS ACTUALLY JUST INDICATIVE OF HAVING A PRETTY DECENT DIVERSITY TO YOUR TREE.
SO THAT'S GOOD TO SEE THAT CATEGORY RATHER LARGE.
NEXT, I WANTED TO GO OVER STRUCTURAL AND FUNCTIONAL VALUES.
UM, I SPOKE A LITTLE BIT TO THIS EARLIER, BUT A STRUCTURAL VALUE IS A VALUE BASED ON THE TREE, UH, JUST THEMSELVES BEING THERE.
SO IF YOU NEEDED TO REPLACE ALL YOUR MUNICIPAL TREES, HOW MUCH WOULD THAT COST AND PLANT THEM IN AND GROW THEM LARGE.
UM, $4.24 MILLION, UM, IS WHAT THE PROGRAM SAYS.
AND YOU ALSO HAVE SORT OF A STRUCTURAL VALUE IN TERMS OF CARBON STORAGE, WHICH IS THE AMOUNT OF CARBON LOCKED UP IN THE TREES AT ABOUT $550,000.
UM, FUNCTIONAL VALUES, THIS IS WHAT THE TREES ARE DOING.
THEY'RE SEQUESTERING CARBON AT ABOUT $8,000 A YEAR.
UM, THEY'RE HELPING, UH, INTERCEPT RAIN AND AVOID RUNOFF AT ABOUT $4,780 A YEAR.
AND THEY REMOVE POLLUTION FROM THE AIR AT ABOUT 2000, UH, DOLLARS A YEAR, 2.21.
SO THEY'RE, THEY'RE DOING ALL THESE FUNCTIONS AND THEY HAVE THESE ECOLOGICAL, UH, ENVIRONMENTAL VALUES.
ALL RIGHT, SO NOW WE HAVE A CLEAR PICTURE OF THE URBAN FOREST.
UH, NOW WE CAN TALK ABOUT, UM, HOW THE URBAN FOREST IS PLANNED FOR, MANAGE AND MAINTAIN.
YOU PROBABLY ALL KNOW THIS WELL, BUT THE TREE PRESERVATION BOARD, THE PARKS AND REC COMMISSION, THE CONSERVATION COMMISSION HAVE TAKEN THE LEAD IN OFFERING MANAGEMENT RECOMMENDATIONS FOR THE URBAN FOREST.
UM, IN TERMS OF MAINTENANCE, UM, YOU'VE GOT THE PARKS AND REC DEPARTMENT AND THE PARK DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC WORKS.
UM, WELL, THE TREE PRESERVATION BOARD, UH, PARKS AND REC COMMISSION AND CONSERVATION COMMISSION WORK IS THE PLANNING ENTITIES.
UM, ANY MUNICIPAL MAINTENANCE OF PUBLIC TREES, INCLUDING THE PLANTING, PRUNING, UH, REMOVALS IS ALL CARRIED OUT BY THE THE DPW AND PARKS AND REC, UH, PARKS AND REC RESPONSIBLE MAINLY FOR THE TREES, UH, AND PLANTING AND MAINTENANCE IN THE PARKS.
WELL, THE DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC WORKS IS RESPONSIBLE FOR THE TREE PLANTING AND TREE REMOVAL, UH, AND MAINTENANCE ON VILLAGE OWNED PROPERTIES, UH, INCLUDING THE STREETS, PARKING LOTS, UH, ET CETERA.
ALRIGHT, AND NOW WE'VE GOT, I GUESS, A PICTURE OF WHAT THE URBAN FOREST LOOKS LIKE.
WE KNOW, UH, AND WE HAVE QUANTIFIED ECOSYSTEM SERVICES FROM I TREE, AND WE KNOW WHO DOES WHAT.
AND WE CAN LOOK AT WHAT NOW THEN CAN BE DONE TO IMPROVE THE URBAN FOREST.
UH, ITS PLANNING, ITS MANAGEMENT AND
[00:15:01]
ITS MAINTENANCE.AND I'LL BEGIN WITH SOME URBAN FORESTRY RECOMMENDATIONS, STARTING WITH URBAN TREE PLANTING.
SO, URBAN FOREST PROVIDED DIVERSE ASSORTMENT OF BENEFITS RANGING FROM ENVIRONMENTAL, ECOLOGICAL, SOCIAL, AND ECONOMIC.
AND WHILE MAINTAINING EXISTING TREES FOR LONG-TERM SUSTAINABILITY CAN HELP PROTECT THE SOURCES OF THESE BENEFITS, REPLANTING OR ESTABLISHING NEW TREES IS A CRITICALLY IMPORTANT FACTOR AS WELL.
AND THERE'S SIX GOALS FOR TREE PLANTING.
I CAN GO OVER THESE SEPARATELY RIGHT NOW.
UM, NUMBER ONE IS GOING TO BE JUST PLAN TO GROW THE URBAN FOREST.
UM, WE WANNA ADD TREES SPECIFICALLY, WE'RE JUST EVEN AIMING FOR FIVE EACH YEAR.
UM, YOU KNOW, THERE'S BEEN A CONCERTED EFFORT TO PLANT TREES.
I THINK THAT YOUR GUYS ARE ACTUALLY DOING THAT QUITE WELL.
UM, BUT, YOU KNOW, HAVING, UM, SORT OF AN ACTUAL GOAL AND HAVING, YOU KNOW, UH, AN ACTUAL PLANTING GOAL SET IS GONNA ADD A CONSISTENT NUMBER OF TREES EVERY YEAR.
AND THAT'S GONNA KEEP YOUR CAN GROWING.
IT'S GOING TO, UM, INCREASE THE BENEFITS FROM YOUR URBAN FOREST AND YOU KNOW, IT'S GONNA OFFSET THE LOSSES THAT YOU INCUR, WHETHER IT FROM, YOU KNOW, NATURAL DISASTERS OR JUST, UH, NATURAL MORTALITY OF THE TREES.
YOU KNOW, A TREE LIVING IN A TREE PIT HAS A MUCH SHORTER LIFE THAN THAT TREE MIGHT BE LIVING OUT, SAY IF IT'S OUT IN A WILD OR IN A PARK TUB KIND OF CONDITION.
UM, NUMBER TWO, INCREASED CANOPY COVERAGE WHEN PLANTING NEW TREES.
AREAS THAT ARE LACKING IN TREE NUMBERS AND CANOPY COVERAGE SHOULD BE PRIORITIZED.
AND WE HAVE AN INVENTORY NOW, SO THAT'S GREAT.
UM, WE CAN USE THAT INVENTORY, FIND THE GAPS IN COVERAGE.
UM, THESE WERE ALL NOTED IN THE CF MP, THE MANAGEMENT PLAN THAT WAS WRITTEN.
AND, UH, THE DIFFERENT STREETS AND AREAS IN THE VILLAGE ARE GREATLY MORE DISCUSSED THERE THAN I'M GONNA GET INTO RIGHT NOW.
UH, ENHANCING TREE DIVERSITY NUMBER THREE OF THE COMMUNITY FOREST BY SELECTING A VARIETY OF TREE SPECIES, UH, PROMOTING RESILIENCE AND ECOLOGICAL HEALTH.
UM, SO YOU JUST WANT TO PLANT A NUMBER OF DIFFERENT GENER SPECIES SO THAT THE URBAN FOREST REMAINS RESILIENT TO PESTS, PATHOGENS, UM, AS THEY SPREAD OR BECOME NEWLY ESTABLISHED.
IF YOU HAD ALL MAPLES AND THERE'S SUDDENLY A MAPLE DISEASE, YOU'D BE IN TROUBLE, FOR EXAMPLE.
UM, DIVERSITY OF THE URBAN FOREST IS CRITICAL TO THE HEALTH OF THE FOREST.
AND WITH CONTINUOUSLY EXPANDING PEST PRESSURE, WE'RE EVEN GONNA, LIKE THIS GOAL IS GONNA BECOME MORE AND MORE IMPORTANT.
SO PLANT VARIOUS TYPES OF TREES WITH VARIOUS SIZE OF TREES, UM, AND YOU'RE GONNA HAVE HIGHER QUALITY OF BOTH HABITAT VALUE AND AL AESTHETICS FROM THESE TREES COMING IN AS WELL.
NUMBER FOUR, AVOID PLANTING UNDESIRABLE OR INVASIVE TREES.
I TALKED A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THE NORWAY MAPLE AND THE CALORIE P EARLIER, BUT, UM, DON'T PLANT THE TREES THAT HAVE BEEN PROVEN TO BE UNDESIRABLE IN THE URBAN FOREST.
SOME ARE INVASIVE, SOME JUST DON'T DO THAT.
THEY'RE NOT APPROPRIATE AND THEY DON'T DO WELL IN AN URBANIZED ENVIRONMENT.
OTHERS JUST MIGHT HAVE TRAITS THAT AREN'T PREFERRED.
SO, YOU KNOW, IF A TREE'S IN A PARK AND IT'S DROPPING A TON OF FRUIT, THAT'S USUALLY OKAY.
BUT IF IT'S ABOVE A BUSY SIDEWALK AND EVERYTHING'S SLIPPERY AND MESSY, THAT WOULD BE, YOU KNOW, MAYBE NOT APPROPRIATE.
NUMBER FIVE, PLANT APPROPRIATE TREES IN APPROPRIATE PLACES.
SO, YOU KNOW, GET THOSE TREES, DIVERSIFY THEM, GET THE ONES YOU WANT, BUT THEN, YOU KNOW, SELECT APPROPRIATE SPECIES AND PLANT APPROPRIATELY SIZED TREES TO AVOID.
UM, INFRASTRUCTURE CONFLICTS, WIRE CONFLICTS, THESE THINGS THAT I SPOKE A LITTLE BIT ABOUT EARLIER.
AND LASTLY, SIX, CREATE PROPER PLANTING SPACES.
SO DESIGN AND PREPARE SUITABLE SITES FOR NEW PLANTINGS TO ENSURE HEALTHY GROWTH, LONG-TERM SUCCESS.
UM, SOME DIFFERENT RECOMMENDATIONS THAT SHOULD BE FOLLOWED.
AND AGAIN, THIS IS EXPANDED UPON IN THE CFMP, THE MANAGEMENT PLAN THAT WAS WRITTEN.
BUT TREE LAWNS, UH, TREE STRIPS SHOULD BE FOUR FEET OR SO OR WIDER, IF POSSIBLE.
YOU SHOULD HAVE A TREE PIT, AND IT SHOULD BE AT LEAST 50 SQUARE FEET TO GIVE THE TREE A PROPER ROOTING AREA OF, UH, YOU DON'T WANT TO PLANT RIGHT IN FRONT OF STOP SIGNS, YOU KNOW, GIVE 35 FEET BEFORE A STOP SIGN.
ALL THESE WERE, YOU KNOW, DIFFERENT, UM, RECOMMENDATIONS WERE CONSIDERED WITH THE, UH, PLANTING RECOMMENDATIONS.
ALL RIGHT, AND NEXT, URBAN FORESTRY RECOMMENDATIONS, UM, FOR PRUNING AND REMOVAL OF TREES.
UM, SO WE TALKED A LITTLE BIT ABOUT PLANTING, PRUNING, AND REMOVALS.
NOW, TREES MIGHT BE NEEDING TO GET PRUNED OR REMOVED FOR MANY REASONS.
THEY COULD BE, UM, GROWING TOO CLOSE TO A ROADWAY.
THEY MIGHT BE OVER THE SIDEWALK, UTILITY LINE POLES UP AGAINST THE BUILDING.
UM, MATURE TREES, UM, MAY NEED TO BE IMPROVED, UH, AND P PRUNE TO MAINTAIN THEIR HEALTH AND THEIR VIGOR.
UM, MAYBE THEY HAVE A DEFECT AND YOU NEED TO PRUNE THEM TO MITIGATE THAT RISK.
UH, KEEP THEM GROWING WITHOUT BREAKING APART.
YOUNG TREES, I WOULD SAY NEED TO GET MAINTENANCE PRUNING AS WELL AS LIKE A FORMATIVE PRUNINGS TO GET THEM OFF TO A RIGHT START.
[00:20:01]
AND SOMETIMES, YOU KNOW, TREES ARE JUST A RISK TREE AND THEY'RE POSING RISK TO THE PUBLIC, AND THEY NEED TO GETUM, SO WE LOOKED AT ALL THE TREES AND WE CAME UP WITH A RISK TREE, MAINTENANCE AND PRIORITIZATION.
UM, LIKE I SAID, WE ASSESSED EVERYTHING FOR RISK, UM, AND LOOKED AT THE CANOPY, THE TRUNK, THE ROOT, THE, YOU KNOW, PRIORITIZED EVERYTHING.
AND THEN CAME UP WITH RECOMMENDATIONS FOR, UH, WHAT NEEDS TO HAPPEN.
YOU KNOW, THERE'S A LOT OF DIFFERENT THINGS THAT WERE NOTED, BUT I WANTED TO JUST STRESS THE MAINTENANCE RECOMMENDATIONS AND PRIORITY AS ONE OF THE MORE IMPORTANT FACTORS TO NOTE FOR YOUR MUNICIPAL USE.
UM, MORE OR LESS TREES THAT ARE A NUN, A LOW RISK TREE, I PUT THIS IN GREEN HERE, ARE HEALTHY.
THEY HAVE NO NEED FOR ANY MAINTENANCE UNLESS IT'S BEEN NOTED.
UM, A ROUTINE TREE WITH BLUE IN THE MODERATE RISK, UH, AREA ARE TREES THAT SHOW MINOR SIGNS OF DECLINE.
THEY MIGHT HAVE A WOUND OR A DISEASE, AND THEY SHOULD BE PRUNED OR MONITORED AT LEAST IN THE FUTURE.
UH, DURING INVENTORY WORK, IMMEDIATE OR HIGH RISK TREES SHOW MODERATE SIGNS OF DECLINE AND THEY'RE IN NEED OF FUTURE MAINTENANCE, PRUNING OR REMOVAL IN ORDER TO REDUCE THEIR CURRENT RISK.
AND THEN BEYOND THAT ARE THE CRITICAL CONCERNS.
THOSE ARE OBVIOUSLY IN NEED, THE IMMEDIATE MAINTENANCE, BUT, UM, BECAUSE THEY'RE A PUBLIC SAFETY TOO AND THEY REALLY HAVE LIKE A TARGET OR SOMETHING THAT THEY COULD HIT, THOSE ARE GONNA BE YOUR TOP, TOP, TOP PRIORITY.
UM, INVENTORY REVEALS THAT THERE WERE FIVE CRITICAL CONCERN, UH, 49 IMMEDIATE HIGH RISK TREES AND ABOUT A HUNDRED ROUTINE, UH, PRUNINGS THAT NEEDED TO HAPPEN, OR REMOVALS.
AND THE MAJORITY OF YOUR TREES ARE ACTUALLY, UH, TOTALLY FINE.
ABOUT 1,100 DON'T NEED ANYTHING AT ALL.
AND HERE'S A MAP OF ALL THE TREES.
THIS IS LIKE A GIS MAP WITH THEIR ASSOCIATED RISK RATING.
GREEN, OBVIOUSLY, UH, WELL NOT OBVIOUSLY, BUT IT'S THE ONES WITH NO PRUNING IS NEEDED.
BLUE AGAIN, IS THE, THE ROUTINE ORANGE IS GONNA BE YOUR HIGH RISK, AND THEN RED IS GONNA BE CRITICAL CONCERN.
UM, WHATEVER NEEDS TO HAPPEN TO THEM, UM, THEY MAY NEED TO GET REMOVED OR PRUNED, BUT, UM, THESE ARE WHAT THOSE PRIORITIES ARE.
AND ANYWHERE YOU SEE ON THE MAP, KIND OF AN ORANGE OR RED, THOSE ARE GONNA BE WHAT YOU'RE GOING TO GO AFTER FIRST.
UM, A FIVE YEAR TREE MANAGEMENT CYCLE BASED ON THE INVENTORY DATA WAS DEVELOPED.
AND THIS IS JUST TAKING THAT MAP AND PUTTING IT INTO SORT OF A LARGE LIST.
WHAT ARE YOU GONNA DO IN YEAR 1, 2, 3, 4, AND FIVE? SO, UM, EVERYTHING FROM THE ROUTINE UP THROUGH THE MODERATE AND HIGH RISK STUFF IS ON THIS REALLY KIND OF, PROBABLY HARD TO READ HERE, UH, EXCEL SHEET.
BUT YOU CAN SEE, UM, ALL OF THE CRITICAL AND ALL OF THE, UH, REMOVALS AS WELL AS PRUNINGS ARE GONNA BE TAKING PLACE IN THE FIRST OF THE FIVE YEARS.
AND THEN YOU CAN SEE THE ROUTINE REMOVALS AND PRUNINGS KIND OF TAKING UP THE MAJORITY OF THE WORK FOR YEAR TWO TO FIVE.
IN ADDITION TO THOSE KIND OF URBAN FORESTRY MANAGEMENT RECOMMENDATIONS, THERE'S ALSO ADMINISTRATIVE MORE KIND OF, UH, ADMINISTRATIVE RECOMMENDATIONS I GUESS TO TALK ABOUT.
UM, HASTINGS HAS DONE A LOT TO DEVELOP ITS URBAN TREE AND FOREST MANAGEMENT.
UH, THE VILLAGE HAS A TREE PRESERVATION BOARD PARTS AND RECOGNITION.
CONSERVATION COMMISSION HAS A TREE ORDINANCE AS WELL WRITTEN INTO THE VILLAGE CODE.
UM, THE CURRENT TREE CODE, I THOUGHT COULD BE UPDATED AND IMPROVED UPON JUST A LITTLE BIT IN ORDER TO ACHIEVE PRESERVATION OF TREES OF HERITAGE VALUE.
SO, UM, UH, WITHIN THE VILLAGE ARE TREES THAT COULD BE CONSIDERED HERITAGE TREES.
THESE MIGHT BE PARTICULARLY OLD, LARGE, UH, AND UNCOMMON TREE VALUABLE DUE TO ITS AESTHETICS.
UH, THE BOTANICAL ECOLOGICAL HISTORICAL QUALITIES OF THE TREE.
UM, A LOT OF THESE MIGHT HAVE BEEN PLANTED.
SOME COULD BE NATURALLY OCCURRING TO KEEP EVERYTHING SORT OF SIMPLE, THOUGH I KEPT YOUR DEFINITION.
JUST ANY TREE GREATER THAN THREE FEET DIAMETER AT BREAST HEIGHT.
SO ABOUT A 36 INCH TREE IS IN GOOD HEALTH AND STRUCTURALLY SOUND.
THERE MIGHT BE MORE TO ADD TO THIS AS WE GO ON, BUT I JUST THOUGHT THAT WOULD BE A, A REASONABLE START IF WE WANTED TO HAVE A HERITAGE TREE, UH, ASPECT TO YOUR ORDINANCE.
AND HERE IS A LIST OF IN THE VILLAGE, ALL THOSE TREES THAT ARE THEN GREATER THAN THREE FEET.
UM, YOU CAN ACTUALLY SEE A FEW OF THEM IF YOU LOOK AT THE ADDRESS COLUMN ARE IN, UM, SOME OF YOUR LARGER AND TREE PARKS, BUT THERE'S CERTAINLY SOME OUT WITHIN THE VILLAGE AS WELL.
[00:25:01]
THERE'S SOME NOTES AND COMMENTS ABOUT SOME OF THEM, IF THERE'S ANYTHING THAT NEEDS TO GET SAID.AND THE OTHER ONES ARE JUST A TREE THAT'S OUT THERE DOING PRETTY WELL THAT'S BIGGER THAN THREE FEET.
OTHER RECOMMENDATIONS, UM, ARE GONNA BE, I WOULD RECOMMEND TO TRAIN A STAFF MEMBER TO HAVE ARBORIST CREDENTIALS.
THIS IS, UH, THE ISA CREDENTIAL.
UM, IF YOU WANT TO HAVE A REALLY HEALTHY, THRIVING URBAN FOREST, IT'S REALLY JUST GONNA BE, I THINK, IMPERATIVE TO HAVE AN IN-HOUSE PERSON WHO CAN HAVE THE RESPONSIBILITY OF, OF FOLLOWING UP AND MAINTAINING AND OVERSEEING THE FOREST.
SO THEY COULD LEAD A CREW SPECIFICALLY TRAINED TO PROVIDE NECESSARY WORK.
UM, THEY COULD WORK WITH CONSULTANTS, UM, THAT ARE DOING WORK AS WELL.
YOU COULD PROVIDE THEM WITH TRAINING OPPORTUNITIES TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY'RE STAYING CURRENT WITH ALL THE DIFFERENT BEST MANAGEMENT PRACTICES, UH, FOR THE URBAN FOREST AND OTHER GREEN INFRASTRUCTURE IN THE VILLAGE.
UH, THEY COULD ALSO COORDINATE TREE PLANTING AND CARE PROVIDED BY, UH, PERFORMED BY STAFF OR BY CONSULTANTS, ET CETERA.
ALSO RECOMMEND UPDATES TO THE TREE INVENTORY, UM, AND RECOMMEND MAINTAINING YOUR UPTODATE DATABASE OF THESE TREES.
SO, UM, YOU KNOW, IF YOU HAD AN ARBORIST OR TRAINED SOMEONE UP AS AN ARBORIST, THEY COULD REGULARLY, UM, UPDATE THIS INFO, SHARE THIS INFO BETWEEN, UH, THE DPW PARKS AND REC THE BOARDS, UH, NGO GROUPS.
UM, YOU COULD, IF YOU'RE REALLY FEELING, UM, LIKE YOU'VE GOT THE, THE CAPACITY, EVEN USE PUBLIC OR COORDINATED CITIZEN VOLUNTEERS.
SO MORE THAN JUST SORT OF LIKE THE VINE SQUAD, THESE PEOPLE COULD ACTUALLY GO OUT, MEASURE TREES.
THEY MIGHT NOT BE ABLE TO DO RISK ASSESSMENTS, BUT EVEN JUST MANAGING AND KEEPING TRACK, GETTING A DIAMETER WHERE THE TREE IS SPECIES, THINGS LIKE THAT.
UM, UNDERTAKING PERIODIC SAMPLE INVENTORY.
SO THIS IS GOOD FOR FIVE YEARS.
THE INVENTORY AND PLAN, CURRENTLY AT THE END OF THAT FIVE YEARS, YOU'RE GONNA HAVE KIND OF AN IMPETUS TO DO ANOTHER ONE.
UM, THAT WAY, YOU KNOW, YOU CAN'T REALLY MANAGE IT IF YOU DON'T HAVE IT MEASURED.
SO FIVE YEARS IS WHAT ABOUT WHAT THESE ARE GOOD FOR.
AND, UM, YEP, KEEPING THE INVENTORY UPDATED IS CRUCIAL ON EXCEL.
UM, I RECOMMEND HAVING IT ON AN ESRI, LIKE A GIS SCREEN AS WELL, JUST BECAUSE IT'S A LOT EASIER TO VISUALIZE WHAT'S GOING ON IF YOU HAVE SOMEONE UNDERSTANDING THAT ON A MAPPED SITUATION.
UH, LASTLY, THESE RECOMMENDATIONS OF FINDING AND LEVERAGING RESOURCES.
I THINK YOU'RE DOING THAT REALLY WELL.
YOU GOT THIS, UH, GRANT, THERE'S GONNA BE AN UPCOMING GRANT WITH THE DEC TO FUND TREE PLANTING.
I KNOW YOU'VE RECEIVED A CORE GRANT.
I THINK YOU GUYS ARE DOING FABULOUSLY.
UM, MOBILIZE THOSE FINANCIAL AND HUMAN RESOURCES, PUBLIC AND PRIVATE.
AND THEN WHENEVER POSSIBLE, YOU KNOW, YOU CAN ALSO LEVERAGE MATCHING GRANTS.
UM, THERE MIGHT BE A WHOLE SLEW OF OTHER STATE FEDERAL FOUNDATIONAL PRIVATE GRANTS THAT YOU COULD BE TRYING TO GO AFTER AS WELL.
AND THEN PROMOTE COMMUNITY AND GRASSROOTS EFFORTS.
UM, ENGAGE THE PUBLIC IN THEIR CARE OF THE STEWARDSHIP AND CARE AND STEWARDSHIP OF THE URBAN FOREST.
BUILD PUBLIC PRIVATE PARTNERSHIPS TO ACHIEVE THE GOALS FOR THE VILLAGE.
UM, RAISE AWARENESS, ENGAGE WITH PROPERTY OWNERS, BUSINESSES, DEVELOPERS, EDUCATE THE PUBLIC, UM, AND BRING FOCUS TO PLANTINGS BY BUNDLING THEM INTO CAMPAIGNS THAT IT'LL CHECK THE PUBLIC INTEREST.
I'M NOT TRYING TO ADD THIS ASIDE TO SAY YOU'RE NOT DOING THIS ALREADY.
I KNOW THAT THERE WAS A BEAUTIFUL ARB DAY EVENT AND TREE PLANTINGS AND THINGS ARE HAPPENING, BUT I JUST WANTED TO PUT IT IN MORE TO SHOW MY SUPPORT THAT YOU GUYS ARE HEADED IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION.
UM, AND THAT CONCLUDES MY PRESENTATION OF THE INVENTORY AND COMMUNITY FOREST MANAGEMENT PLAN.
AND SUMMARIZE, REALLY IS JUST UNDERSTAND WHAT'S GOING ON WITH THE COMMUNITY FOREST HERE, PLANT TREES, MAINTAIN YOUR CURRENT TREES AND REDUCE RISK RISK.
UM, FOLLOW THOSE OTHER FORESTRY RECOMMENDATIONS THAT COULD BE ORDINANCE UPDATES, STAFF TRAINING, ET CETERA.
LEVERAGE YOUR RESOURCES AND GALVANIZE COMMUNITY SUPPORT.
ANYBODY HAVE ANY QUESTIONS AT ALL? UM, ACTUALLY I WAS JUST CURIOUS, UM, YOU JUST SAID ABOUT, UM, WAS ON THE LAST SLIDE, SOMETHING ABOUT YOU ABOUT, UM, REDUCING RISK.
DID YOU MEAN, UM, SO ACTUALLY MY QUESTION WAS CAN TREES ACTUALLY, CAN THEY THEMSELVES BE REDUCED? LIKE IF IT'S A, IF IT'S A RED OR AN ORANGE, CAN YOU BRING IT DOWN OR ARE, WERE YOU TALKING ABOUT REDUCING RISK BY REPLACING THE TREE? BOTH ARE POSSIBLE.
UM, IF YOU HAVE A 200 YEAR OLD BEAUTIFUL OAK, IT COULD HAVE
[00:30:01]
A WIDOW MAKER UP IN IT, OTHER THAN THAT BE TOTALLY HEALTHY AND YOU JUST WANNA MAKE SURE TO GET THAT DOWN SAFELY.IF IT IS A GIANT TREE, ALMOST DEAD, PROBABLY REMOVING, IT'S GONNA REDUCE THAT RISK BETTER THAN ANYTHING ELSE.
SOME PEOPLE WILL TRY TO PUT THE BRANCHES TOGETHER AND PUT ALL THIS HARDWARE INTO THEM TO SAVE THEM, YOU KNOW, IF THEY HAVE HISTORICAL VALUE OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT.
BUT LARGELY WHEN IT COMES TO REDUCING RISK, IT'S PRUNING THEM TO MAKE THEM SAFER OR REMOVING THEM.
IF THEY'RE TOO FAR GONE, YOU CAN'T DO THAT ANYMORE.
JUST, UH, A QUESTION ABOUT YOUR, YOU MENTIONED THAT WE HAVE, UH, I THINK THERE WERE NORWAY MAPLES YES, SIR.
WHAT'S YOUR STANCE ON REMOVING NON-NATIVE SPECIES TREES? I'M A PROPONENT OF IT.
UM, I WOULD SAY WITH NORWAY MAPLE ESPECIALLY, YOU'LL SEE THEM FILLING IN, IN YOUR PARKLANDS.
IF YOU DON'T TRY TO ERADICATE THEM TO SOME LEVEL, YOU'RE PROBABLY GONNA BE LIVING WITH THEM FOR BETTER OR WORSE, BECAUSE I THINK A TOTAL ERADICATION MIGHT BE IMPOSSIBLE BECAUSE THEY'RE OUT THERE, THEY'RE ON PRIVATE LAND AS WELL.
IF YOU CAN GO AND PLANT ONE RIGHT IN YOUR BACKYARD RIGHT NOW, IF YOU GET YOUR HANDS ON ONE.
UM, BUT THAT BEING SAID, UM, THERE'S PROBABLY A, A MORE APPROPRIATE TREE TO BE PLANTING.
SO, YOU KNOW, WHEN WE'RE TALKING ABOUT THE TREE PLANTING SIX GOALS, TRY TO FIND THE MOST APPROPRIATE TREE FOR THE MOST APPROPRIATE SPOT.
I WOULD SAY THAT ALMOST IN ANY SITUATION, I COULD TELL YOU A MORE APPROPRIATE TREE THAN A NORWAY MAPLE TO PLANT.
EVEN IF IT'S WELL, WELL-ESTABLISHED AND HEALTHY, IT'S CAUSING WATER.
I WOULDN'T SAY YOU NEED TO GO AND KILL YOUR NORWAY MAPLES, NO.
BUT, UM, YOU KNOW, IF IT'S ON THE BORDER OF DO WE REMOVE IT OR IS IT GONNA COST A LOT OF MONEY TO KEEP PRUNING IT INTO THE FUTURE? I WOULD SAY MAYBE IT'S TIME TO REMOVE THAT TREE AND PLANT, UH, KIND OF A, A NATIVE SPECIES OR A, A TREE THAT'S ADAPTED TO OUR CLIMATE HERE THAT DOESN'T POSE A RISK OF BECOMING AN INVASIVE SPECIES.
I MEAN, THE ISSUE WITH THE NORWAY IS THAT IT SPREADS RAPIDLY.
IT ALSO PROVIDES NO HABITAT FOR ANY OTHER SPECIES.
AND THAT'S WHY, WHY IT WAS BROUGHT IN TO THE UNITED STATES.
YOU CAN GET THEM IN THESE BEAUTIFUL CRIMSON COLORS, SO THEY'RE LIKE PURPLES AND REDS.
UM, PEOPLE PLANTED THEM LIKE CRAZY 30 YEARS AGO.
YOU KNOW, NOT HAVING A GREAT UNDERSTANDING OF WHAT MAY COME OF THAT.
AND AS WE'RE DISCOVERING THESE DIFFERENT THINGS, YOU KNOW, THOSE ARE BAD CALORIE PAIR I MENTIONED AS ANOTHER ONE, IT'S INVASIVE.
IT'S NOT AS NEARLY INVASIVE AS NORWAY MAPLE, FOR EXAMPLE.
BUT, YOU KNOW, THERE'S OTHER ALTERNATIVES OUT THERE THAT WOULD BE PROVIDING SOME HABITAT SERVICES OR MAYBE THEY'VE GOT A UNIQUE TYPE OF FRUIT THAT'S JUST REALLY NOT, OR FLOWER THAT'S JUST NOT SEEN ALL THAT OFTEN.
SO YOU COULD HAVE A UNIQUE CULTIVAR OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT RATHER THAN SOMETHING THAT'S KIND OF BEEN DONE BEFORE.
AND ALSO, YOU KNOW, MAYBE PROBLEMATIC.
ANYTHING ELSE? UH, HAS THIS ALL BEEN SHARED WITH DPW AND, UM, YES, ESPECIALLY CRITICAL.
AND ALSO THERE WILL BE A, A MIGUEL WILL BE DOING A TRAINING SESSION AS WELL FOR STAFF.
ARE YOU GOING TO, DO YOU THINK IT'S POSSIBLE TO IDENTIFY STAFF THAT WOULD BE APPROPRIATE FOR TAKING THE ARBOR TRAINING, ARBORIST TRAINING? IS THAT PART OF WHAT YOU, I THINK THAT YOU INTERNALLY MIGHT HAVE AN EASIER TIME THAN ME TRYING TO PICK THAT PERSON.
I'M NOT A HUNDRED PERCENT SURE WHO THAT PERSON WOULD BE RIGHT NOW.
AND LAST I SPOKE WITH AARON, THERE WAS A FEW DIFFERENT STAFFING DIFFICULTIES OR MAYBE HE'S DOING SOME HIRING OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT.
SO WITH A NEW HIRE, MAYBE YOU COULD BE LOOKING FOR SOMEONE THAT MIGHT HAVE SOME SORT OF THE ARBORIST OR SORT OF TREE TRAINING.
UM, BUT THERE WOULD BE SOME DIFFERENT OPTIONS THERE.
AND I THINK IF YOU'RE DOING THE HIRING PROCESS, YEAH.
VILLAGE MANAGER IS GONNA GET CERTIFIED
SHE HAS TO DO EVERYTHING ELSE.
OUR NEXT PRESENTATION WILL BE, UH, JACQUELINE HICKS FROM MJ ENGINEERING.
UH, I THINK MOST OF US HAVE MET JACKIE.
SHE WAS OUR, UH, CONSULTANT ON THE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN UPDATE IN THE LWRP DRAFT.
UM, SHE SHOULD BE ZOOMING IN, I BELIEVE WITH US.
GET THIS ALL BACK UP AND RUNNING AND THIS COOPERATE WITH ME.
MR. CLERK, IF YOU NEED TIME, I CAN OPEN THE, WE CAN MOVE TO THE PUBLIC HEARING OR WOULD YOU RATHER NOT JUST OKAY.
[00:35:02]
OKAY.YOU CAN STICK AROUND OR YOU DON'T HAVE TO IF YOU DON'T WANT TO.
BEAR WITH ME AS I FIX THE PICTURES.
SO ONCE YOU GUYS START TALKING, TALKING.
WELL WE, IT'S JACKIE ACTUALLY THAT HAS TO TALK.
IS JACKIE GONNA BE UP ON THE SCREEN THOUGH? JACKIE IS ON THAT SCREEN.
CAN YOU HEAR US? GWEN, CAN YOU HEAR ME? YES.
FOR THE MOST PART, WE'LL TURN UP THE VOLUME THERE.
UH, IT'S GREAT TO SEE YOU AGAIN.
WELL, THANK YOU FOR MEETING WITH US THIS EVENING.
AND THANK YOU FOR ALLOWING THE VIRTUAL OPTION AND, UH, GETTING THAT ALL SET UP.
ALRIGHT, WELL I'M GONNA GO AHEAD AND SHARE MY SCREEN IF THAT'S OKAY.
ALRIGHT, ARE YOU ALL SEEING A POWERPOINT PRESENTATION? YES, WE ARE.
IT'S GREAT TO TO SEE YOU ALL AGAIN.
AND, UM, WHAT I HAVE FOR THIS EVENING WILL BE A, A BRIEF UPDATE ON WHERE WE'VE BEEN AND WHERE WE'RE GOING FOR YOUR LOCAL WATERFRONT REVITALIZATION PROGRAM.
UM, I DO BELIEVE I KNOW EVERYBODY THERE, BUT, UH, JUST IN CASE, I AM JACKIE HAYS WITH MJ ENGINEERING AND WE WERE, UH, THE CONSULTANT TEAM ASSISTING THE VILLAGE IN THE PREPARATION OF YOUR LOCAL WATERFRONT REVITALIZATION PROGRAM.
UM, BECAUSE THIS WAS FUNDED IN PART BY THE NEW YORK STATE DEPARTMENT OF STATE UNDER TITLE 11 OF THE ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION FUND.
UM, SO WHAT I'M HOPING TO COVER TODAY, AND MY THOUGHT WAS I WOULD WALK THROUGH ALL OF THIS AND THEN HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS THAT YOU MIGHT HAVE AFTER.
UH, BUT TO DO A BRIEF REFRESHER OF THE LWRP PROGRAM PROCESS BECAUSE IT HAS BEEN A WHILE SINCE WE'VE TALKED ABOUT THIS.
UM, TALK ABOUT THE PROJECT STATUS, SHARE WITH YOU SOME KEY COMMENTS, UH, THAT DID, WE DID RECEIVE FROM THE DEPARTMENT OF STATE AND WHAT, IF ANY, CHANGES THAT MIGHT HAVE LED TO IN THE CURRENT DRAFT PLAN.
AND THEN MAP OUT THE NEXT STEPS, UH, THAT YOU CAN ANTICIPATE PAID.
SO, UM, YOU SHOULD ALL BE FAMILIAR WITH THIS, BUT AGAIN, IT'S BEEN A WHILE.
SO THE LOCAL WATERFRONT REVITALIZATION PLAN, OTHERWISE KNOWN AS THE LWRP, UM, IS A LONG-TERM LAND AND WATER USE PLAN THAT SETS A FRAMEWORK FOR IMPLEMENTATION THROUGH A SERIES OF PROJECTS.
UM, AND IT CAN ADDRESS EVERYTHING FROM GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT TO PROTECTING NATURAL RESOURCES, EROSION AND FLOODING AND WATERFRONT ACCESS.
THERE IS A, UM, RATHER ROBUST, UH, GUIDANCE, UH, DOCUMENT FOR COMPLETION OF AN LWRP AND PARTICIPATION IN THE PROGRAM.
AND THERE ARE SEVERAL REQUIRED ELEMENTS OF THE LWRP.
I'M GONNA BRIEFLY WALK THROUGH THOSE.
[00:40:01]
HIGHLIGHT THAT EACH OF THESE IS INTERRELATED WITH ONE ANOTHER AND ONE SECTION OF THE PLAN DOES INFLUENCE THE NEXT SECTION.AND IT'S KIND OF A CIRCULAR PROCESS, UH, IN, IN DEVELOPING YOUR LWRP SECTION.
ONE IS THE REVITALIZATION AREA BOUNDARY.
UH, IN THE CASE OF HASTINGS ON HUDSON, IT IS VILLAGE Y.
SECTION TWO IS THE INVENTORY AND ANALYSIS OF EXISTING CONDITIONS, UNDERSTANDING WHAT THE NEEDS OR MAYBE OPPORTUNITIES MIGHT BE.
AND THAT SETS THE FOUNDATION FOR, UH, YOU KNOW, POTENTIAL PROJECTS.
AND I'M GONNA TALK ABOUT THAT IN A MOMENT.
SECTION THREE IS A SERIES OF 44 REVITALIZATION POLICIES THAT ARE SET FORTH IN THE NEW YORK STATE COASTAL MANAGEMENT PROGRAM.
AND ANY PROJECTS THAT ARE IDENTIFIED THROUGH THIS PROCESS MUST ADDRESS ONE OR MORE OF THE COASTAL POLICIES.
UH, SECTION FOUR REALLY IS THE SECTION THAT MOST PEOPLE WANT TO FOCUS IN ON.
THAT IS THE PROPOSED LAND AND WATER USES AND PROPOSED PROJECTS, UM, FOR YOUR LWRP AND PROPOSED PROJECTS CAN BE EVERYTHING FROM A FEASIBILITY STUDY TO AN ACTUAL BRICKS AND MORTAR, UH, PROJECT.
AND I'M GONNA SHARE WITH YOU BRIEFLY WHAT PROJECTS ENDED UP IN YOUR LWRP, UM, AS A REMINDER IN JUST A MOMENT.
SECTION FIVE IS TECHNIQUES FOR LOCAL IMPLEMENTATION.
SO THIS IDENTIFIES, UM, LOCAL LAWS ZONING, OTHER CODE THAT THE VILLAGE ALREADY HAS THAT CAN HELP TO SUPPORT THE PROPOSED PROJECTS IN THE POLICIES.
UM, SO ANYTHING FROM ANY STORMWATER MANAGEMENT, UH, CODE IN REGS OR OPEN SPACE LOCAL LAWS THAT YOU MIGHT HAVE.
UM, THOSE HAVE BEEN IDENTIFIED IN THIS SECTION.
SECTION SIX IS, UH, FEDERAL AND STATE ACTIONS AND PROGRAMS THAT MAY AFFECT IMPLEMENTATION.
THIS SECTION IS PROVIDED DIRECTLY FROM THE DEPARTMENT OF STATE.
UM, AND IT IDENTIFIES ESSENTIALLY THOSE AGENCIES, FEDERAL AND STATE AGENCIES THAT MIGHT HAVE PERMITTING OR LICENSING OR SOME SORT OF, UH, AUTHORITY OVER ACTIONS THAT MIGHT HAPPEN WITHIN YOUR WATERFRONT REVITALIZATION AREA.
SECTION SEVEN REALLY IS THE, THE FINAL SECTION OF THE ACTUAL PLAN ITSELF.
IT IDENTIFIES THE PROCESS WITHIN WHICH THE VILLAGE DEVELOPED YOUR LWRP, EVERYTHING FROM THE PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT, UM, TO, UH, TO THE COMMITTEE WORK.
AND THEN FINALLY, COMPLIANCE WITH SEEKER, THE STATE ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY REVIEW ACT.
UM, THIS IS, UH, CONSIDERED ADOPTION OF THIS DOCUMENT WOULD BE CONSIDERED A TYPE ONE ACTION.
SO YOU DO NEED TO GO THROUGH THAT PROCESS.
ANOTHER REQUIRED ELEMENT IS THE LOCAL CONSISTENCY REVIEW LAW.
THE LOCAL CONSISTENCY REVIEW LAW WILL BE A SEPARATE LOCAL LAW, UM, THAT THIS BOARD WOULD CONSIDER FOR ADOPTION AS PART OF THE LWRP.
AND THAT ESSENTIALLY EVALUATES ACTIONS WITHIN YOUR REVITALIZATION AREA BOUNDARY, WHICH IS VILLAGE WIDE AND DETERMINES IF THEY ARE CONSISTENT WITH THE POLICIES THAT ARE IDENTIFIED.
UM, AND THE DIRECTION AND STRATEGY SET FORTH IN YOUR LWRP.
SO THE LAW DOES CONTAIN A LIST OF ACTIONS THAT ARE EXEMPT FROM REVIEW.
IT IDENTIFIES PROCEDURES AND STEPS FOR HOW THAT REVIEW TAKES PLACE, INCLUDING WHO'S RESPONSIBLE.
AND THERE IS A FORM, BASICALLY A CHECKLIST, UM, FOR REVIEW OF THOSE ACTIONS TO HELP DETERMINE IF IN FACT, UH, THE ACTION IS, IS CONSISTENT FOR THOSE THAT ARE FAMILIAR WITH SEEKER.
AND GOING THROUGH THE ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT FORM CHECKLIST AND THAT DETERMINATION OF SIGNIFICANCE, I KIND OF EQUATE THE PROCESS.
IT'S VERY SIMILAR TO A LOCAL CONSISTENCY REVIEW.
AND I DID WANNA HIGHLIGHT YOUR PROJECTS, PROPOSED PROJECTS, UH, THAT ARE IDENTIFIED IN YOUR DRAFT LWRP.
SO THIS IS, AGAIN, IS SECTION FOUR OF THE LWRP.
AND, UH, THERE ARE SEVERAL OF YOU SITTING AT THE, UH, AT THE TABLE TONIGHT WHO WERE PART OF THAT WATERFRONT ADVISORY COMMITTEE, UM, THAT HELPED TO DEVELOP THESE.
AND THERE ARE FOUR KEY CATEGORIES WITHIN WHICH PROJECTS HAVE BEEN IDENTIFIED.
CONNECTIVITY AND ACCESS, RECREATION, ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, ENVIRONMENT, AND SUSTAINABILITY.
AND THERE ARE A TOTAL OF 20 PROJECTS THAT ARE IDENTIFIED AND PROPOSED IN YOUR LWRP, UM, PROJECTS WITHIN EACH OF THOSE CATEGORIES, RANGING FROM TRAIL IMPROVEMENTS, UM, TO PARK IMPROVEMENTS AND SHORELINE STABILIZATION,
[00:45:01]
UM, TO WATER QUALITY ENHANCEMENT FEASIBILITY STUDIES.SO A RANGE OF PROJECTS HAVE BEEN IDENTIFIED AND ARE INCLUDED IN YOUR DRAFT PLAN.
SO HOW DID WE GET HERE? AS A REMINDER, UH, THE VILLAGE BOARD OF TRUSTEES DID ESTABLISH A COMMITTEE, UM, AND THAT WORK KICKED OFF BACK IN THE FALL OF 2022.
I HAD TO DOUBLE CHECK THE DATES ON THIS.
UM, AND THAT COMMITTEE WAS TASKED NOT ONLY WITH PREPARING AN LWRP, BUT ALSO WITH PREPARING THE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN.
SO THOSE WERE TWO PLANNING PROCESSES, IF YOU RECALL THAT, THAT HAPPENED CONCURRENT TO ONE ANOTHER AND YOU DID ADOPT YOUR COMPREHENSIVE PLAN.
UM, AND FROM THE FALL OF 2022 THROUGH THE END OF 2024, THE COMMITTEE HELD A SERIES OF PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT ACTIVITIES AND REALLY DID A SUBSTANTIAL AMOUNT OF WORK IN TERMS OF REVIEWING AND IDENTIFYING AND TALKING THROUGH APPROPRIATE PROPOSED PROJECTS FOR YOUR LWRP.
UM, AND SO THIS LEADS US UP TO WHERE WE ARE NOW.
AND IT MIGHT BE A LITTLE DECEIVING BECAUSE THERE ARE STILL SEVERAL STEPS TO GO, UM, AFTER THIS STAGE THAT INCLUDE THE REVIEW, UH, BY THE STATE AND ADOPTION, THE ADOPTION PROCESS.
UM, BUT JUST EARLIER THIS MONTH WE DID, UH, SUBMIT A REVISED DRAFT TO THE DEPARTMENT OF STATE AS WELL AS THE VILLAGE, UH, ADDRESSING COMMENTS THAT HAD COME THROUGH.
AND I DO WANNA TALK BRIEFLY ABOUT THOSE COMMENTS.
UM, I'M NOT SURE I'M GONNA KIND OF GO THROUGH EACH AND EVERY ONE OF THESE SECTIONS IN TERMS OF COMMENTS, BUT IN GENERAL THERE WERE A LOT OF COMMENTS THAT DID REQUIRE KIND OF, UH, SIFTING THROUGH.
UM, BUT IT, I AM HOPING THAT, UM, YOU KNOW, AS YOU LOOK THROUGH THIS, THIS MOST RECENT DRAFT, UM, FOR THOSE THAT WERE, UH, YOU KNOW, ESSENTIAL IN THE, THE PREPARATION OF THIS, YOU WILL FIND THAT THE DIRECTION AND THE PROJECTS AND THE KEY STRATEGIES, UH, MAPPED OUT IN THIS LWRP ARE STILL INTACT AND DO STILL REMAIN.
THERE MIGHT BE SOME MODIFICATIONS TO HOW THEY ARE DESCRIBED.
UM, THERE MIGHT BE, UH, VARIATIONS IN TERMS OF PROJECTS THAT HAVE SEPARATE COMPONENTS TO SUPPORT THAT FULL PROJECT.
THERE MIGHT BE SOME ADDITIONAL INFORMATION IN THAT INVENTORY TO SUPPORT EVEN GREATER, UH, PROPOSED PROJECT.
BUT BY AND LARGE, THROUGH A LOT OF CONVERSATION WITH OUR DEPARTMENT OF STATE REPRESENTATIVES, WE ARE ABLE TO, UM, ENSURE THAT THE VILLAGE'S VISION AND DIRECTION SET FORTH IN LWRP REMAIN.
AND I DO WANNA POINT OUT, UM, AND I KNOW MARY BETH IS VERY FAMILIAR WITH THIS, UM, THE DEPARTMENT OF STATE REPRESENTATIVE THAT, UH, CONDUCTED THE REVIEW OF THE PRELIMINARY DRAFT THAT WAS SUBMITTED IN THE END OF 2024 WAS NOT THE SAME REPRESENTATIVE THAT WAS WITH US FOR THE TWO YEARS IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE PRELIMINARY DRAFT.
SO THERE ARE SOME UNIQUE ASPECTS TO WHAT IS INCLUDED IN THIS THAT ARE VERY UNIQUE TO HASTINGS ON HUDSON.
SO IT DID REQUIRE SOME CONVERSATION AND DISCUSSION TO BRING THAT, UH, DEPARTMENT OF STATE REPRESENTATIVE UP TO SPEED.
BUT ONCE WE WERE ABLE TO DO THAT, I THINK, UM, YOU KNOW, SPEAKING FROM OUR PERSPECTIVE, I THINK THEY WERE VERY SUPPORTIVE AND OFFERED VERY HELPFUL DIRECTION ON HOW TO ADDRESS THOSE ITEMS. UM, SO WITH THAT, OH YEAH, NO, NO, I COUGHED.
UH, SO THIS IS MY LAST SLIDE AND THEN I'M HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS.
BUT, UM, I WANTED TO MAP OUT FOR YOU AS, AS A BOARD, WHAT SOME OF THE NEXT STEPS ARE, UH, TO GET THROUGH THE, UH, ADOPTION OF THIS LWRP AT THE LOCAL LEVEL AND THROUGH THE APPROVAL AT THE STATE LEVEL.
UM, AND AS YOU CAN SEE, IT MIGHT BE A LITTLE DAUNTING 'CAUSE THERE ARE SEVERAL STEPS LEFT TO, UH, LEFT TO DO, BUT I WOULD SAY THE, THE BIGGEST LIFT AND, UM, YOU KNOW, THE BIGGEST, UH, UH, COMPONENT OF THIS PROCESS HAS BEEN COMPLETED WITH YOUR DRAFT AND THE REVISIONS TO THE DRAFT LWRP.
SO WE DID RECEIVE, UH, YOU KNOW, COMMENTS FROM THE DEPARTMENT OF STATE IN LATE DECEMBER OF 2025.
UM, SO IT TOOK ABOUT A YEAR FOR COMMENTS TO COME THROUGH FROM THE DEPARTMENT OF STATE.
AND WE'VE BEEN WORKING OVER THE LAST SEVERAL MONTHS TO ADDRESS THOSE COMMENTS APPROPRIATELY.
AND DID, UH, JUST THIS MONTH SUBMIT A COMPLETE DRAFT BACK TO THE DEPARTMENT OF STATE AND THE VILLAGE, UM, FOR THE DEPARTMENT OF STATE REVIEW AGAIN AND SPEAKING WITH, UM, OUR CURRENT DEPARTMENT OF STATE REPRESENTATIVE,
[00:50:01]
UM, HE DOES, UH, BELIEVE THAT HE WILL BE ABLE TO GET, UM, HIS NEXT REVIEW, UH, AND, AND ANY ADDITIONAL COMMENTS BACK TO US THIS FALL.ONCE THAT DRAFT HAS BEEN DEEMED, UH, COMPLETE, UH, BY THE DEPARTMENT OF STATE, UM, THIS BOARD WILL BE ASKED TO PASS A RESOLUTION.
ACCEPTING THE LWRP IS COMPLETE AND INITIATING AND COMPLETING SEEKER, AND THEN RETURNING THAT DOCUMENT BACK TO THE DEPARTMENT OF STATE, WHICH WILL TRIGGER SOMETHING CALLED THE 60 DAY REVIEW.
THAT 60 DAY REVIEW IS, UM, A MULTIPLE AGENCY REVIEW AT THE STATE LEVEL.
UM, IT ALSO TRIGGERS ANOTHER LEGAL REVIEW BY THE DEPARTMENT OF STATE.
THE DEPARTMENT OF STATE WILL, UH, ESSENTIALLY FACILITATE THAT PROCESS WITH THE VARIOUS AGENCIES AND GATHER THE FEEDBACK AND WORK WITH THE VILLAGE TO PREPARE A FINAL LWRP, AT WHICH TIME THIS BOARD WOULD CONSIDER ADOPTING THE LWRP AS WELL AS THAT LOCAL CONSISTENCY LAW.
AND YOU WOULD NEED TO GO THROUGH YOUR TYPICAL PROCESS OF ADOPTING A LOCAL LAW WITH A PUBLIC HEARING, ET CETERA.
UM, FINAL, UH, FOLLOWING THAT, UM, UH, ADOPTION, THEN THERE WOULD BE A SUBMISSION TO THE NEW YORK STATE SECRETARY OF STATE AND APPROVAL BY THE SECRETARY OF STATE, AS WELL AS REVIEW BY THE, UM, OFFICE OF COASTAL MANAGEMENT.
UM, AND THAT WOULD WRAP UP THE PROCESS.
SO THERE ARE SEVERAL PROCEDURAL STEPS LEFT, BUT AS I INDICATED THE, THE BULK OF OF THE WORK BEEN COMPLETED.
SO, SO THAT'S WHAT I HAVE FOR YOU, UH, TODAY AND I'M GONNA STOP SHARING FOR NOW, BUT I'M HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS THAT, THAT YOU ALL MIGHT HAVE.
UM, I, I MEAN, YOU'VE ANSWERED MOST OF THE QUESTIONS FROM ME, ESPECIALLY THAT THE NEXT STEP WE'LL BE HEARING FROM THEM APPROXIMATELY IN THE FALL.
UM, I APPRECIATE JUST THE, THE TIME THAT YOU'RE STILL AND THAT YOU'RE STILL AROUND.
UH, SO THANK YOU FOR THAT AND THANK YOU FOR YOUR WORK SO FAR.
DOES ANYBODY HAVE ANY QUESTIONS? HI, JACKIE.
DO YOU WANT US TO REVIEW THE DRAFT NOW, OR WAIT UNTIL WE GET THE COMMENTS BACK FROM DOS? THAT'S A REALLY GREAT QUESTION.
UM, GIVEN THAT WE ARE NOT SURE WHEN THE COMMENTS MIGHT COME BACK, UM, IT MIGHT BE HELPFUL TO, TO, YOU KNOW, START REVIEWING NOW.
I WILL SAY THAT IT IS NOT A LIGHT READ.
UM, AND, YOU KNOW, WE WANNA MAKE SURE THAT, THAT YOU ALL, AS THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES ARE COMFORTABLE WITH WHAT'S IN THIS CURRENT DRAFT BASED ON THE, THE COMMENTS FROM THE DEPARTMENT OF STATE.
UM, SO I, I THINK PROBABLY, YOU KNOW, START REVIEWING IT NOW SO THAT WHEN WE DO GET THOSE DOS COMMENTS, WE CAN COMBINE ALL OF THEM AND HAVE A CONVERSATION IF THERE'S ANYTHING THAT'S CONFLICTING.
DID YOU, DID YOU PROVIDE MARYBETH WITH A RED LINE VERSION? NO, I, I JUST HAVE THE, I, I SENT IT THE VERSION TO EVERYBODY THAT, UM, IS IT POSSIBLE TO GET A RED LINE VERSION? LET ME CHECK WITH DAN ON THE, THE RED LINE VERSION STATUS.
UM, WE ALSO HAVE A, A TABLE THAT WE HAVE BEEN TRACKING THE, THE COMMENTS AS WELL.
UM, IT'S KIND OF AN INTERNAL WORKING TABLE, BUT IF IT WOULD BE HELPFUL FOR, UM, FOR THIS BOARD TO, IN YOUR REVIEW, WE CAN CERTAINLY DO THAT.
DO YOU HAVE ANYTHING TO ADD? NO, I DON'T.
ENJOY YOUR, ENJOY THE REST OF YOUR NIGHT.
[V. PUBLIC HEARING ON PROPOSED LOCAL LAW E OF 2026]
OKAY.MOVING ON TO PUBLIC HEARING ON PROPOSED LAW LOCAL E OF 2026, A LOCAL LAW AMENDING ARTICLE SEVEN, STOP AND YIELD INTERSECTIONS OF CHAPTER 2 82 VEHICLES AND TRAFFIC OF THE CODE OF THE VILLAGE OF HASTINGS ON HUDSON SECTION 2 82 DASH 16 A SUBSECTIONS FIVE AND B TO ADD STOP SIGNS ON RAVENSDALE ROAD.
DO WE HAVE ANY MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC THAT ARE HERE TO MAKE PUBLIC COMMENT ON PROPO PROPOSED LOCAL LAW E OF 2026? MR. MAYOR, I HAVE A QUESTION TO AND YOU APPROACH.
I WOULD LIVED HERE ABOUT 55 YEARS, WHATEVER SERVED ON TWO, THREE WATERFRONT COMMITTEES FINALLY GAVE UP, DID NOT SERVE ON THIS COMMITTEE, BUT, UH, THE BOAT LAUNCHING IS BEING PROPOSED, AS I'VE DISCUSSED WITH YOU.
AND ALSO WITH TWO COMMANDOES OF THE YACHT CLUB.
JOCK IS PADDLING ROWING CLUB MASON.
[00:55:01]
MAKE ANY SENSE AT ALL.MR. MASON, I TO INTERRUPT YOU.
SORRY, I WAS WONDERING WHEN I, I JUST HAVE TO, COULD THAT BE, I JUST HAVE TO INTERRUPT YOU.
UH, PUBLIC COMMENT WILL BE THAT FURTHER DOWN THE MEETING RIGHT NOW WE'RE JUST HAVING COMMENT ON PROPO PROPOSED LOCAL WALK.
I, I DON'T MEAN TO, I JUST WANNA KNOW.
IN PROBABLY ABOUT FIVE MORE MINUTES.
THIS IS JUST, UH, PUBLIC COMMENT ON THE PROPOSED LOCAL LAW, UH, WHICH IS RELATING TO ADDING STOP SIGNS ON RAVENSDALE ROAD AT ROSEDALE AVENUE.
COULD YOU WATER? UH, GOOD EVENING, DAVE SKOLNIK 47 HILLSIDE.
UM, I HAVE, I GUESS A COMBINATION OF COMMENT AND QUESTION.
I KNOW THAT YOU HAVE INDICATED, UM, UH, A CONCERN TO GET THIS, UH, HAPPENING, UM, UH, VERY QUICKLY, BUT, UH, AS I THOUGHT ABOUT IT MORE AND LOOKED AT WHATEVER DOCUMENTATION, UH, I HAVE SOME REAL CONCERNS ABOUT IT.
UM, SO ONE ISSUE IS THAT I MAY HAVE MISSED SOME OF THE DOCUMENTS, BUT THE REPORT, UM, EXCUSE ME,
AND THAT'S A REPORT THAT YOU ULTIMATELY, UH, REJECTED FOR ITS CONCLUSIONS.
UH, I'M NOT AWARE OF, UH, ANY, ANY SUBSEQUENT REPORT FROM, UM, I'M SORRY, I'M BLANKING ON WHO IT WAS THAT ULTIMATELY THE CONSULTANT THAT YOU DID GET.
UH, I WASN'T, I LOOKED, BUT I COULDN'T FIND ANY REPORT THAT THEY DID THAT WOULD, UH, PARALLEL THIS IN TERMS OF MAKING A ASSESSMENT OF THE, UH, YOU KNOW, CONCERNS.
WHETHER THE, UH, AND I, IF, IF THERE ISN'T ANYTHING LIKE THAT, THEN I THINK YOU'RE ACTUALLY TAKING A CONSIDERABLE RISK AT PUSHING THIS FORWARD.
UM, I MEAN, AS IT IS, UH, THE, THE MAIN FOCUS OF THE THAILAND REPORT WAS COMING UP WITH WHETHER THERE WAS A REASON THE WARRANTS FOR DOING THIS.
YOU'VE, UH, DECIDED THAT THAT'S NOT YOUR CONCERN.
YOU WANT TO DO IT, BUT ALL THE ISSUES, UH, THAT SHOULD BE OF CONCERN, UH, POTENTIAL LIABILITY.
UM, I, I DON'T KNOW WHERE TO LOOK FOR THAT CONVERSATION.
AND HERE IT IS, YOU'RE ABOUT TO, UH, IN THIS MEETING, GO AHEAD AND APPROVE THIS.
UH, THERE ARE A LOT OF REAL CONCERNS, UH, ABOUT SAFETY, UM, ABOUT THE CHANGES, WHAT YOU REALLY WOULD NEED TO DO TO MAKE THE CHANGE THAT YOU'RE, UH, SUGGESTING TO BECOME VISIBLE.
NOT ONLY THAT, THINGS LIKE, UH, AS I EVEN EXPERIENCED TODAY, COMING BACK FROM, UH, FROM COMING WEST ON, UM, UH, RAVENSDALE CER AT CERTAIN TIMES OF YEAR, LIKE NOW AT CERTAIN TIMES YOU HAVE, UH, SIGNIFICANT, UH, SUNLIGHT ISSUES THAT CAN OBLITERATE THE VIEW OF NOT, NOT ONLY A, A STOP SIGN, BUT PEOPLE, UH, THAT ARE THERE.
UM, THERE'S A CONCERN ABOUT THE VOLUME AT CERTAIN TIMES AND CERTAIN DAYS, THE VOLUME OF TRAFFIC THAT WOULD THEN GET BACKED UP BECAUSE IT'S NOW STOPPING.
I'M NOT, YOU KNOW, I TRY TO IMAGINE IT, BUT I, I'M NOT SURE THAT ANYBODY HAS THAT WITH ANY DATA.
UM, YOU KNOW, EVEN JUST, JUST ON THAT BASIS ALONE, I WOULD LIKE TO SEE MORE OF, UH, YOU KNOW, A SUSTAIN, EVEN THOUGH I UNDER, I APPRECIATE YOUR CONCERN TO GET THIS DONE.
I THINK THERE, YOU'RE LEAVING SOME THINGS, UH, SIGNIFICANTLY UN UNDISCUSSED IN MOVING FORWARD ON THIS.
IS THERE ANYONE ELSE HERE TO COMMENT ON THIS PROPOSED LOCAL LAW? YES.
SO IF YOU COULD JUST APPROACH THE MICROPHONE.
UH, IS THIS JUST ADDING A STOP SIGN ON BOTH SIDES OF RAVENSDALE? DO YOU MIND JUST INTRODUCING YOURSELF AND TELLING US WHERE YOU LIVE? I LIVE ON 53 BRADFORD.
IT'S THE VERY FIRST HOUSE SOUTH OF THE INTERSECTION.
SO I SEE THE INTERSECTION EVERY DAY FROM MY WINDOW.
UM, THERE WAS A BIG CAR CRASH THERE A MONTH AND A HALF AGO, UM, A YEAR AGO OR TWO YEARS AGO.
MY WIFE ALSO WITNESSED TWO OTHER CAR CRASHES.
UM, IT SEEMS TO BE QUITE A DIFFICULT INTERSECTION FOR PEDESTRIANS TO CROSS.
IT SEEMS TO BE A DIFFICULT INTERSECTION FOR PEDESTRIANS TO CROSS.
WE SEE SCHOOL KIDS GOING NORTH, TRYING TO CROSS RAVENSDALE.
WE SEE DOG WALKERS TRYING TO CROSS SOUTH.
UM, A LOT OF THE CARS ARE COMING QUITE FAST, 30 MILES PER HOUR.
UM, THERE'S A DOWNHILLS IN BOTH DIRECTIONS FROM BOTH DIRECTIONS OF RAVENSDALE AND GOING WEST
[01:00:01]
ON RAVENSDALE, PEOPLE ARE COMING FROM OUTSIDE HASTINGS, SO THEY MIGHT BE COMING OFF THE SAWMILL OR OFF, UM, JACKSON AVENUE OR SOMETHING COMING QUITE QUICKLY.PEDESTRIANS SOMETIMES WAIT FOR TWO OR THREE CARS BEFORE SOMEONE WILL LET THEM PASS.
SO I'M DEFINITELY IN SUPPORT OF THIS JUST FOR PEDESTRIAN SAFETY.
DOES ANYBODY ELSE HAVE ANY COMMENTS? MAY I HAVE A MOTION TO CLOSE THE PUBLIC HEARING ON PROPOSAL? ACTUALLY, I HAVE A COMMENT.
I, UM, I THINK THAT WE SHOULD ACTUALLY LEAVE THE HEARING OPEN AND GET SOME DOCUMENTATION FROM OUR ENGINEER THAT ACTUALLY SUPPORTS THIS, THIS DESIGN.
BECAUSE RIGHT NOW, I MEAN, I THINK MR. SKOLNIK IS RIGHT, RIGHT NOW.
WE HAVE, WE HAVE TWO, AT LEAST TWO ENGINEERS ON THE RECORD OVER THE LAST 20 YEARS, SAYING THAT THIS INTERSECTION DOES NOT WARRANT STOP SIGNS.
THIS INTERSECTION IS VERY DANGEROUS AND I AGREE THAT RAVENSDALE IS IT THAT PEOPLE DRIVE WAY TOO FAST ON IT, WHICH IS WHY TRUSTEE LOPEZ AND I LIKE SIX OR SEVEN YEARS AGO, WERE ADVOCATING FOR REDESIGNING IT, WHICH IS WHY WE'RE, WE'VE BEEN GATHERING MONEY TO REDESIGN IT.
BUT I THINK, WELL, I DON'T EVEN THINK, I MEAN, THE, THE MANUAL OF UNIFORM TRAFFIC CONTROL DEVICES SAYS VERY CLEARLY THAT JUST PUTTING IN STOP SIGNS DOESN'T NECESSARILY MAKE IT SAFER AND IT COULD POTENTIALLY MAKE IT MORE DANGEROUS.
SO AT A BARE MINIMUM, I THINK THAT WE NEED TO GET CREIGHTON MANNING TO AT LEAST APPEAR HERE AND EXPLAIN WHY THIS IS MAKING IT SAFER, WHICH, YOU KNOW, I, I ASKED FOR SOME SORT OF DOCUMENTATION AND THEY HAVEN'T PROVIDED IT.
ALL THEY PROVIDED WAS IN A LETTER SAYING HOW WE COULD IMPLEMENT THE STOP SIGNS IF WE CHOSE TO DO IT.
SO I, I PERSONALLY THINK THAT WE SHOULD JUST KEEP THIS OPEN, UM, AND HEAR FROM THEM.
SO I, MY COMMENT TO THE RESPONSE TO THAT IS THAT I THOUGHT THAT THE LETTER WE RECEIVED FROM THEM WAS SUFFICIENT IN RESPONSE TO YOUR CONCERN ABOUT, AND, AND MR. SKOLNIK CONCERN ABOUT, UM, STOP SIGNS AND HOW WE WOULD IMPLEMENT THEM SAFELY.
SO IT WAS A RESPONSE SAYING HOW WE COULD IMPLEMENT STOP, STOP SIGNS IN THOSE TWO LOCATIONS IN A SAFE MANNER, AND HOW MUCH, YOU KNOW, UH, WHAT THAT MEANS IN TERMS OF WARNING SIGNS THAT THERE IS A STOP AHEAD AND A CHANGE IN TRAFFIC PATTERNS.
THE SECOND PART OF IT IS, UM, THAT, UM, THIS STOP SIGN, THE ACTUAL RECOMMENDATION WASN'T TO DO NOTHING.
THE, THE PRIMARY RECOMMENDATION WAS TO INSTALL A PUSH BUTTON, UH, ACTIVATED, UH, FLASHING SIGN FOR PEDESTRIAN CROSSING, WHICH ACTS THE SAME AS A STOP SIGN WHEN PEOPLE ARE CROSSING, UNLESS YOU'RE A BICYCLIST OR CAN'T FOR SOME REASON CROSS AT AND PUSH THE BUTTON.
UM, BUT IT'S 'CAUSE IT'S, YOU'RE REQUIRED TO STOP.
AND MY UNDERSTANDING FROM CREIGHTON MANNING AND FROM, UM, AT LEAST MY PERSONAL FEELING ABOUT IT, WAS THAT WE COULD IMPLEMENT A STOP SIGN NOW OR VERY QUICKLY BEFORE, UM, THE SCHOOL YEAR MUCH FASTER AND LESS EXPENSIVE THAN WE COULD IMPLEMENT A PUSH BUTTON FLASHING SIGN.
AND DURING THE, THE TIME THAT WE ARE IN, IN THAT WE WOULD HAVE THE STOP SIGNS INSTALLED AND THE TIME THAT THE RAVENSDALE PROJECT ACTUALLY GOES FORWARD, THAT WOULD BE OUR, OUR OPPORTUNITY TO EVALUATE THE, UM, SAFETY, THE OUTCOMES, AND WHETHER WE SHOULD ACTUALLY GO FORWARD AND INCLUDE A PUSH BUTTON, FLASHING SIGN IN THE RAVENSDALE, IN THE FULL RAVENSDALE, UM, UPGRADE.
AND SO THAT'S RATHER THAN WAITING YEARS AND SPENDING MONEY ON, OR SPENDING MONEY ON NOW ON A, ON PUSH BUTTON SIGNS, WE COULD, AND WAITING OR WAITING YEARS FOR THE PUSH BUTTON SIGNS, WE COULD ACTUALLY PUT THE STOP SIGNS IN.
NOW AS, UH, A SAFETY MEASURE THAT THEY DID NOT DISAPPROVE OF, THEY JUST SAID THAT THERE ARE BETTER SAFETY MEASURES.
THEY BEING WHO CREIGHTON MANNING SAID THAT THEY, THEY DIDN'T PUT ANY OF THAT IN WRITING.
THEY, THEY, I FEEL THAT THE, THAT THE RESPONSE LETTER WAS ADEQUATE.
AND ALL THE LETTER SAYS IS, IF THE VILLAGE CHOOSES TO PUT IN A FAR WAY STOP, THIS IS HOW THEY SHOULD DO IT.
THAT SOUNDS, THAT'S FROM A TRAFFIC ENGINEER THAT'S FROM THE EXPERT THAT'S, THAT'S SAYING HOW WE COULD DO IT.
IT'S NOT REALLY ADDRESSING THE CORE ISSUE.
THE CORE ISSUE IS THAT WAS RAISED BY O2 OTHER TRAFFIC ENGINEERS, WHICH IS THAT IT ACTUALLY WILL MAKE IT MORE DANGEROUS, NOT SAFER.
THAT'S NOT WHAT, THAT'S NOT WHAT THAT LETTER SAID.
IT'S NOT AS, AS EFFECTIVE A MEASURE AS THE PUSH BUTTON IS THE WAY THAT I UNDERSTOOD IT FROM BOTH TRAFFIC ENGINEERS.
I, I DON'T RECALL EVER READING THAT IT WOULD MAKE IT MORE DANGEROUS.
THEY JUST DIDN'T RECOMMEND IT.
THEY DIDN'T THINK IT WAS SOMETHING THAT HAD TO HAPPEN, BUT THEY DIDN'T
[01:05:01]
ALSO SAY THAT THERE, IT WAS SOMETHING THAT COULDN'T, THAT DIDN'T HAVE TO HAPPEN EITHER.LIKE, WE NEVER ASKED THE QUESTION, UM, WHAT WOULD BE THE DOWNSIDE TO IT? WE NEVER ASKED THAT QUESTION.
AND THEN WHEN YOU DID, I DID, THEN YOU DID.
AND THEN THEY SAID THERE IS NO DOWNSIDE TO IT, IT SEEMS SO.
UM, THEY BEING CREIGHTON, CREIGHTON MAN, CRE MANY, UH, DOES ANYBODY ELSE, WHY WOULDN'T THEY JUST SAY THAT IN THE, IN THE EMAIL? I KNOW.
DOES ANYBODY ELSE HAVE ANY COMMENTS ON IT? THE, THE, I WOULD LIKE TO MAKE ONE COMMENT AND THAT IS THAT, UM, CROSSINGS ARE, ARE GOOD AND WE SHOULD HAVE THEM, BUT PEDESTRIANS SHOULD, YOU KNOW, YOU KNOW THAT WHEN YOU, WHEN YOUR KIDS ARE FOUR AND FIVE AND SIX, SEVEN YEARS OLD AND YOU'RE CROSSING THE STREET WITH THEM, AND YOU, YOU HAVE TO LOOK BOTH WAYS BEFORE YOU CROSS THE A CROSSING IS NOT A STOP GAP.
IT, IT, IT, IT, IT HELPS AND 'CAUSE IT ALERTS THE DRIVER THAT SOMETHING'S HAPPENING THERE.
BUT THE PEDESTRIANS ALSO MUST LOOK BEFORE THEY CROSS THE STREET.
AND, AND I THINK ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE CAN DO, I KNOW THE, THE, UH, P UM, UH, PD HAS DONE THIS BEFORE WHERE THEY PUT TOGETHER A, UH, A VIDEO FOR KIND OF A SAFETY, UH, VIDEO INSTRUCTION.
AND WE COULD DO ONE RIGHT AT THIS INTERSECTION, WHICH I THINK WE, YOU KNOW, WOULD, WOULD BE HELPFUL.
UM, YOU KNOW, WHEN WE, WHEN WE, UH, IF, IF THE BOARD DECIDES TO ADOPT THE STOP SIGNS, LET'S, LET'S MAKE THAT SAFETY VIDEO WITH THAT GUIDANCE THAT ANY CROSSWALK WHEN YOU'RE CROSSING THE CROSSWALK, YOU FIRST HAVE TO LOOK, YOU THE PEDESTRIAN HAVE TO LOOK TO MAKE SURE THAT IT'S SAFE TO CROSS THERE.
BUT IT, NO ONE IN NEW YORK STATE OR IN ANY STATE IN THIS COUNTRY IS, IS ENTITLED TO HIT A PEDESTRIAN.
SO IT'S THAT IT'S ALWAYS ON THE DRIVER.
THEY'RE THE ONES THAT ARE ACTUALLY THE ONES THAT ARE THE PROBLEM.
THERE SHOULD BE EDUCATION FOR CHILDREN, UM, AND ADULTS,
UM, I, I UNDERSTAND THERE'S A CROSSBAR PAINTED ON THAT STREET.
THERE DOESN'T EVEN NEED TO BE A CROSSBAR PAINTED ON THE STREET.
IT'S STILL AN INTERSECTION IN WHICH, UM, WATER.
SOUNDS LIKE, I MEAN, LOOK, THE REALITY IS EVEN IF THE CROSSBAR WASN'T PAINTED THERE, IF A PEDESTRIAN IS, IS STEPS INTO THE STREET, A CAR SHOULD STOP.
THAT IS WHAT, LIKE A HUMAN BEING WALKING INTO THE STREET IS A STOP SIGN.
AND IF A PERSON'S NOT SEEING THAT, THAT'S A PROBLEM ALREADY.
THERE ARE PLENTY OF EXAMPLES WHERE PEOPLE JUST IGNORE STOP SIGNS.
I THINK WHAT I'M WORRIED ABOUT AND WHAT THE MANUAL IS WORRIED ABOUT IS LULLING PEOPLE AND CHILDREN INTO A FALSE SENSE OF SAFETY.
THAT'S, THAT'S THE CORE ISSUE HERE.
BUT ANYWAY, I, I TOTALLY RESPECT THAT.
EVERYONE WANTS TO MAKE THIS SAFER.
I GET THAT, BUT I JUST, I'M NOT CONVINCED YET THAT WE HAVE THE RIGHT ANALYSIS FROM CREIGHTON MANNING ON THIS ISSUE.
MY UNDERSTANDING IS THAT THEY SAID IT WASN'T WARRANTED VERY DIFFERENT THAN THEM ADVISING AGAINST IT.
AND MY CONCERN IS THAT THIS IS RECOGNIZED BY, I THINK EVERYONE SITTING HERE AND EVERYONE IN THE COMMUNITY BEING AN UNSAFE INTERSECTION.
AND IF THIS IS SOMETHING WE CAN TRY OUT FOR A PERIOD OF TIME AND THEN COMMIT TO SOMETHING DIFFERENT, IF WE FEEL THAT IT'S INSUFFICIENT, THEN AT LEAST WE'RE TAKING STEPS TOWARDS INCREASING SAFETY.
BECAUSE IT, IT, IT'S A, IT'S, IT'S BEEN A WHILE AND I GET THE DESIRE TO MAKE SURE THAT WE DO IT RIGHT, BUT I WORRY ABOUT NOT DOING, WHILE WE FIGURE OUT WHAT THE BEST THING IS.
IN ADDITION TO THAT, I THINK, UM, IF WE ARE GONNA, IF WE ARE GONNA DO THIS, I THINK IF WE CAN HAVE, UM, SOME SORT OF WAY TO EVALUATE IT, I THINK JUST KNOWING LIKE CAR CRASHES, I DON'T THINK THAT, THAT MAY NOT BE THE RIGHT EVALUATION.
I MEAN, I THINK, YOU KNOW, THE HOPE IS WE ARE GONNA BE RE REDOING RAVENSDALE.
SO WE SHOULD, IF WE ARE GONNA IMPLEMENT THESE STOP SIGNS, AND WE SHOULD, UM, GET AS MUCH INFORMATION FROM THAT AS POSSIBLE SO THAT WHEN WE DO REDO RAVENSDALE, WE CAN MAKE THE MOST EDUCATED, UM, DECISION ABOUT THAT INTERSECTION GOING FORWARD.
I MEAN, THAT'S, THAT'S, THAT IS HONESTLY MY CONCERN.
THERE'S NO CRITERIA FOR EVALUATING WHETHER THIS IS LIKE, HOW WE'RE GONNA JUDGE WHETHER THIS IS BETTER.
I MEAN, EVERY OTHER TIME WE'VE IMPLEMENTED A TRAFFIC STUDY, WE'VE ACTUALLY SET UP A TEST.
WE'VE MADE BEEN VERY CLEAR WHAT THE CRITERIA ARE.
WE'VE EMPLOYED THE TRAFFIC ENGINEER TO MEASURE IT AND PROVIDE DATA.
WE HAVE, WE HAVE NO CRITERIA OR DATA WE'RE GONNA HAVE.
[01:10:02]
IT'S THE ABSENCE OF INCIDENTS THAT IS THE DESIRED OUTCOME.IT'S ACTUALLY, WELL, THAT, THAT'S PART PARTLY QUALITATIVE.
IT'S, IT'S, IT'S NOT ACTUALLY AS QUANTITATIVE.
IT'S, YEAH, IT'S SOME, IT'S PEOPLE WHO SHOW UP OR WRITE LETTER, SHOW UP TO THE SAFETY COUNCIL MEETINGS OR SHOW UP TO THESE MEETINGS OR WRITE LETTERS.
AND IT'S ALSO JUST PURELY JUST, UM, A VISUAL OR AN, UM, LIVED EXPERIENCE TRYING TO CROSS.
I WAS ALMOST HIT BY A CAR THERE, BUT I WASN'T, WHICH DOESN'T MEAN THERE'S NO DATA, IT JUST MEANS THAT IF THAT CAR HAD ACTUALLY STOPPED, OR EVEN IF IT DID A ROLLING STOP, I WOULD NOT HAVE ALMOST BEEN HIT.
AND I CAN DESCRIBE THAT, AND I DON'T KNOW HOW MANY TIMES THAT HAS HAPPENED.
YOU KNOW, I'VE BEEN HERE A LONG TIME TO OTHER PEOPLE AND THEY'RE DESCRIBING THE SPEED AND THE NEAR MISSES, WHICH ARE, AND WE, AND WE DID TALK TO CREIGHTON MANNING ABOUT MANNING ABOUT THIS, AND THEY SAID THAT THERE IS A WAY TO JUST, TO, UM, MEASURE THE SPEED OF THE CARS AND TO MEASURE THE NUMBER OF STOPS AND ROLLING STOPS OR ACTUAL STOPS.
UM, AND THEN THE, THE, UM, THE, THOSE TYPES OF OUTCOMES.
BUT WE'RE NOT LOOKING AT, EVEN THOUGH THERE WAS, UH, THERE ARE DOCUMENTED ACCIDENTS THERE, WE'RE NOT USING THE, THE ACCIDENT COUNT AS THE MEASURE.
SO IT HAS TO BE SOMETHING ELSE THAT THEY CAN MEASURE, WHICH IS NOT, IT'S VERY DIFFICULT TO MEASURE DIFFICULTY CROSSING OR TIME WEIGHTED FOR PEDESTRIANS CROSSING.
SO THEY'RE MORE TALKING ABOUT THE CARS.
'CAUSE THEY'RE TRAFFIC ENGINEERS AND THEY THINK ABOUT THE SPEED OF THE CARS AND THAT THEY CAN MEASURE.
AND THEY TALKED ABOUT THAT AS BEING A POSSIBLE THING THAT THEY COULD DO BETWEEN NOW AND LATER.
BUT RIGHT, RIGHT NOW, AGAIN, THEIR PRIMARY RECOMMENDATION IS FOR THE PUSH BUTTON ELECTRIC SIGNS.
AND THEY SAID THAT THERE IS NO, THERE IS, THEY DID NOT RECOMMEND AGAINST STOP SIGNS.
THEY JUST, THEY ARE RECOMMENDING THAT THIS PUSH BUTTON IS BETTER.
THERE'S NO DOCUMENT FROM THEM ABOUT ANY OF THIS, THOUGH.
I FELT THAT THE LETTER SUBSTANTIATED THAT THAT CASE, THAT THAT'S WHY I DIDN'T HAVE, ASK FOR MORE ON THE LETTER.
AND I, IT WOULD'VE BEEN PREFERRED IF YOU HAD ALSO ASKED FOR MORE ON THE LETTER WHEN WE RECEIVED IT.
MAY I HAVE A MOTION TO CLOSE THE PUBLIC HEARING? SO MOVED.
[VI. APPOINTMENTS]
ON TO APPOINTMENTS.UH, WE ARE ANNOUNCING THE 2026, UH, LIPITZ COMMITTEE.
WE, WE HAD A LARGE AMOUNT OF APPLICANTS FOR THIS COMMITTEE.
THAT WENT A LITTLE LONGER THAN I EXPECTED.
UM, WE HAD A, A GREAT AMOUNT OF APPLICANTS FOR THIS, UH, A REALLY WONDERFUL CROSS SECTION OF THE COMMUNITY, UH, UH, WELL BEYOND MY EXPECTATIONS AND I THINK THE BOARD'S EXPECTATIONS, AND WE APPRECIATE EVERYONE WHO, UH, DID PUT IN THEIR INTEREST FOR THE COMMITTEE.
UM, WE MET BRIEFLY BEFORE THIS MEETING TO, TO FINALIZE THE COMMITTEE.
UH, WE DID ADD MORE POSITIONS.
THE ORIGINAL PROPOSAL, I CAN'T REMEMBER THE EXACT NUMBER, WHAT THE ORIGINAL PROPOSAL WAS TO BE, BUT, UH, WE DECIDED TO INCREASE THAT JUST BECAUSE OF THE, ABOUT THE, THE, THE PUBLIC INTEREST IN THIS COMMITTEE.
UH, SO WE, UH, WE WILL BE SENDING OUT MESSAGES TOMORROW, BUT THE OFFICIAL ANNOUNCEMENT, UH, THIS EVENING, UH, WOULD BE BEST SEA WALD, UH, SORRY, MA UH, MARA ASO, ADELINA CASTRO, JOSH WICK, AND MALCOLM MCDOWELL.
AND THEN FROM THE BEAUTIFICATION COMMITTEE, REPRESENTATION WOULD BE SUE SMITH REC COMMISSION REPRESENTATIVE WOULD BE MIKE JACOBS CONSERVATION COMMISSION REPRESENTATIVE DAN LEMONS ARTS COMMISSION REPRESENTATIVE SAL UH, SCHIANO HISTORICAL SOCIETY REPRESENTATION WILL BE NATALIE BARRY.
AND THE PLANNING BOARD REPRESENTATION WILL BE EVA NEUBAUER ALLGOOD AND TRUSTEE LIAISONS WILL BE SAMANTHA MERTON AND DOUGLAS HALLE.
SO WE REALLY APPRECIATE EVERY, APPRECIATE EVERYONE WHO PUT IN AN APPLICATION FOR THIS AND, AND PREPARED, UH, THE APPLICATION AND RESUMES FOR IT.
THERE'S JUST, IT'S VERY DIFFICULT TO PICK THIS LIST, UH, TO NARROW IT DOWN TO WHERE WE GOT IT EVEN TODAY.
UH, WE, WE WILL GET HIT THE GROUND RUNNING, UH, 'CAUSE WE'RE, WE'RE KIND OF UNDER A TIMELINE FOR, FOR SOME LOOSE RECOMMENDATIONS ON, ON FUTURE USE OF THE BUILDING.
SO, UH, I THINK, UH, THE VILLAGE MANAGER WILL BE ANNOUNCING SOME PUBLIC MEETINGS STARTING, UH, SOMETIME IN SEPTEMBER ONCE THIS COMMITTEE HAS THE OPPORTUNITY TO GET TOGETHER AND ACTUALLY GO AND SEE THE LOCATION.
SO THANK YOU EVERYONE, AND WE APPRECIATE EVERYONE'S INTEREST.
ANYBODY HAVE ANY COMMENTS, QUESTIONS? UH, MOVING ON TO
[VII. APPROVAL OF MINUTES]
APPROVAL OF MINUTES.UH, THE FIRST IS THE REGULAR MEETING OF THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES JULY 7TH, 2026.
DOES ANYBODY HAVE ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS ON THAT? MAY I HAVE A MOTION TO APPROVE? SO MOVED.
UH, APPROVAL OF MINUTES FROM THE SPECIAL MEETING OF THE
[01:15:01]
BOARD OF TRUSTEES JULY 28TH, 2026.DO I HAVE ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS? I HAVE A MOTION TO APPROVE.
[VIII. APPROVAL OF WARRANTS]
GENERAL FUND AA $428,274 AND 35 CENTS.FEDERAL DRUG DRUG GRANT CD $12,040.
UH, DRUG FUND, EM 1000 DRAPER DRAPER FUND, UH, DRAPER FUND, EM $1,280 AND 20 CENTS POOL FUND, ER $15,347 AND 72 CENTS CAPITAL FUND HH $299,534 AND 77 CENTS LIBRARY FUND, LL $23,439 AND 63 CENTS BETTERMENT FUND, TT $2,110 AND 7 CENTS PROFESSIONAL ESCROW FUND TT $1,554.
DOES ANYBODY HAVE ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS ON THAT? AND HAVE A MOTION TO APPROVE? SO MOVED.
[IX. ACCEPTANCE OF TREASURER’S REPORT]
OF OUR TREASURER'S REPORT.HOPEFULLY EVERYBODY'S HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO TAKE A LOOK AT THAT.
IT'S ALSO HERE IN YOUR PACKET.
UH, I THINK IT SHOULD BE THE LAST PAGE IN THE PACKET.
MR. TREASURER AND CLERK, DO YOU HAVE ANYTHING TO ADD? UH, NOTHING EXCITING.
WE DID GET OUR FIRST HALF TAX COLLECTION, SO GREAT.
UH, THANK YOU FOR THE MANY REMINDERS THAT THE VILLAGE SENT OUT AS WELL.
SO, UH, DOES ANYBODY HAVE ANY QUESTIONS, COMMENTS? DO WE HAVE TO VOTE ON THIS? NO.
YOU MAKE A MOTION TO, MAY I MAKE A MOTION TO ACCEPT THE TREASURER'S REPORT FOR JUNE, 2026? SO MOVE.
[X. PUBLIC COMMENTS]
COMMENTS.SORRY FOR, UH, INTERRUPTING YOU AND I APPRECIATE YOUR PATIENCE.
I'VE BEEN MEETING A LONG TIME, SO NOT THAT FAMILIAR WITH THE PROCEDURE.
UM, AND PROBABLY A LITTLE LATE TO THE GAME, I GUESS YOUR WATERFRONT COMMITTEE HAS BEEN EVALUATING WHAT TO DO WITH MCG PARK FOR SOME TIME.
BY THE WAY, WHEN I WAS PRESIDENT OF NAVY LEAGUE, I WROTE LETTERS OF SUPPORT FOR TWO LEVELS OF FUNDING.
GOT THE WATERFRONT DIRECTOR AT MARITIME COLLEGE, WRITE TWO LETTERS TO HELP GET THE FUNDING THAT YOU APPARENTLY GOT.
UM, I JUST BECAME, UH, GUESS THAT'S HOW MANAGER WAS MAKING A PRESENTATION ABOUT WHAT, THREE OR FOUR WEEKS AGO? UH, AND I THINK I WAS THE ONLY ONE IN THE AUDIENCE FROM, FROM THE TOWN.
BUT I LEARNED THAT THE, UH, WELL, THERE WERE A FEW WORDS ABOUT THE LAUNCHING FACILITIES FOR KAYAKS, BOATS OF ANY KINDS, I SUPPOSE, BUT MAINLY KAYAKS.
AND I THOUGHT IT WAS TOTALLY IMPRACTICAL.
SO I, I'M NOT SURE WHAT TO DO ABOUT THAT.
I GAVE YOUR MAYOR A FAIRLY DETAILED WRITEUP, SHORT EMAIL, A LONG EMAIL SKETCHES I MADE.
YOU'RE NOT GONNA BELIEVE THIS 25 YEARS AGO AS TO WHAT KIND OF SYSTEM WOULD WORK.
AND, UH, SO HOW DO WE, THE, THE, THE CONCRETE RAMP, TO ME IS A TOTALLY IMPRACTICAL APPROACH.
I'VE TALKED TO THE PRESENT COMMODORE YONKERS PADDLING RUNNING CLUB.
I'VE TALKED TO THE PAST COMMODORE, THEY ALL AGREE.
I I HAPPEN TO ROW A ROWING SHELL.
SO IT'S NOT REALLY, UH, THAT'S NOT MY PRIMARY INTEREST.
I ALREADY HAVE A BOAT DOWN AT YA, CODLING ROWING CLUB.
I HAVE ANOTHER BOAT UP AT DOB STORY.
AND WHAT'S BEING PROPOSED DOES NOT WORK.
AND I GAVE YOU A COUNTER PROPOSAL IN WRITING.
SKETCH I MADE 25 YEARS AGO IS PROBABLY THE ONLY PRACTICAL APPROACH.
SO THE QUESTION IS WHAT TO DO.
UH, IT'S MY UNDERSTANDING THAT NEW YORK STATE, UH, I, I'VE HEARD THIS BEFORE MANY TIMES.
WELL, THEY DON'T WANT ANYTHING THAT'S GONNA BE ON THE BOTTOM AT ANY TIME.
THAT AFFECTS THE, THE WILDLIFE THAT GROWS IN THE BOTTOM.
YET, ON THE OTHER HAND, NEW YORK STATE ALSO WOULD LIKE TO SEE GREATER USE BE MADE OF THE HUDSON RIVER UP AND DOWN THE ENTIRE LENGTH OF THE HUDSON RIVER VALLEY.
AND, UH, YOU CAN'T HAVE IT BOTH WAYS.
YOU HAVE, YOU HAVE TO HAVE FACILITIES THAT ALLOW PROPER USE OF THE WATER OR YOU CAN'T USE THE WATER BECAUSE IT DOESN'T WORK.
SO WHAT DO WE DO? THAT CONCRETE LAUNCH FACILITY WILL NEVER BE USED.
KENNEDY MARINA IS, WE YOUNGEST PILOT, RUN CLUB.
WE PROBABLY TRAIN HAVE MEMBERS, WE HAVE KIDS, WE HAVE ADULTS, SENIORS, WHATEVER.
WE PROBABLY TRAIN THREE OR FOUR, WELL, LET'S SAY 150 PEOPLE
[01:20:01]
A WEEK.WE HAVE PEOPLE DOWN ON OUR DOCKS TWO OR THREE DAYS A WEEK, SATURDAYS AND SUNDAYS AS WELL.
SO SOMETIME DURING THE WEEK AND SO FORTH.
AND SO FOR KIDS TO ELDER PEOPLE, BUT WE HAVE THE RIGHT FACILITIES.
UH, WE, WE GIVE THEM ALL THE SAFETY INSTRUCTIONS.
WE SHOW THEM HOW TO LAUNCH BOATS, HOW NOT TO LAUNCH BOATS, UH, SO FORTH.
AND SO, SO WE KNOW WHAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT.
SO I'M NOT REALLY SURE HOW TO AFFECT WHAT IS BEING PROPOSED.
WELL, I APPRECIATE IT AND I KNOW, UH, SINCE YOU AND I HAVE SPOKEN, UH, SURE.
ON THE STREET AND IN WRITING RIGHT.
AS WELL BACK AND FORTH, UH, I'VE SPOKEN WITH THE VILLAGE MANAGER ABOUT IT AS WELL, AND THE PARKS AND REC COMMISSION, UH, CHAIRPERSON.
UH, AND, AND I, I GUESS AT THIS POINT, THIS IS WHAT THE STATE IS SAYING WE SHOULD BE DOING.
UH, BUT I THINK THAT, YOU KNOW, THE ONE THING THAT THE VILLAGE MANAGER AND I DISCUSSED IS IF, IF THERE CAN BE, IF THIS CAN HAPPEN NOW, BUT CAN WE AT LEAST COME UP WITH A SECONDARY PLAN FOR A LAUNCH, A LEGITIMATE, UH, LAUNCH AS YOU DESCRIBED MM-HMM
AND I KNOW THERE'S CONCERNS ABOUT, UH, THE FLOW OF THE RIVER AND STUFF.
BUT I JUST, I GAVE YOU THE ANSWER TO THAT.
I WROTE A PLAN 25 YEARS AGO THAT ANSWERS THAT PRECISELY.
SO THAT THAT'S THE DISCUSSION SHE AND I HAD FOLLOWING OUR CONVERSATION.
THAT WE WOULD ALLOW THIS TO OCCUR NOW, BUT THEN WE WOULD ALSO HAVE MAYBE A PUSH FURTHER DOWN THE ROAD ONCE THE PARK IS REMEDIATED TO ADD ANOTHER PROPER PLACE.
I MEAN, LET, LET'S BE SERIOUS.
DO YOU WANT PEOPLE TO ACTUALLY USE THE WATER OR NOT? I DO.
WELL, THEN THEY'RE NOT GONNA USE THAT.
YOU GOTTA SPEND A LOT OF MONEY POUR YARDS AND YARDS OF CONCRETE AND IT'LL NEVER BE USED.
AND BY THE WAY, KAYAKERS DON'T GO OUT ONE BY ONE.
THEY DO THAT FOR TWO REASONS, FOR SAFETY REASONS.
IN FACT, WE DON'T LET ANYBODY GO OUT THAT'S NOT CERTIFIED AT ALL AT THE BOAT CLUB BY THEMSELVES.
AND THEY GO OUT FOR SOCIAL REASONS.
THEY ALMOST ALWAYS GOES OUT AS GROUPS.
BUT A RAMP LIKE THAT, EVEN IF IT DID WORK, YOU'D BE THERE ALL DAY TRYING TO LAUNCH FIVE OR SIX BOATS.
WHEN OUR PEOPLE GO OUT, WE HAVE 10 OR 15 PEOPLE ON THE WATER, ALMOST MINIMUM EVERY TIME BECAUSE IT'S BY CHOICE.
BUT IF IT'S A TOTALLY IMPRACTICAL LAUNCH FACILITY, IT ISN'T GONNA WORK.
AND CONCRETE SLIMES UP, THEY HAVE A CONCRETE RAMP AT KENNEDY MARINA, AND IT'S HIS CONCRETE RAMP.
IT'S AS WIDE, WELL IT'S NOT AS WIDE AS THE ROAD, BUT IT'S PROBABLY AS WIDE AS WHERE YOU'RE SITTING.
AND, UH, THE ONLY WAY YOU CAN LAUNCH BOATS FROM THAT IS SIDEWAYS.
WE STOPPED USING IT BECAUSE IT DOESN'T WORK.
IT'S GONNA BE FIVE, SIX FEET WIDE.
IT, IT'S, IT IS TOTALLY IMPRACTICAL.
THE BEST THING TO DO IS DO NOTHING UNLESS YOU WANNA SPEND THE MONEY ON SOMETHING THAT'S GONNA BE AN ICE ONE.
SO THE ANSWER IS YOU'RE GONNA GO AHEAD.
IS THAT, IS THAT WHAT THE BOARD IS DETERMINED? THAT DECISION ISN'T BEING MADE BY THIS BOARD AT THIS POINT? WELL, I'M NOT ENCOURAGED BECAUSE I DON'T HEAR ANYBODY SAYING ANYTHING.
YOU KNOW, I'M NOT, I'M NOT A TRUSTEE.
THIS, IT'S A SEPARATE COMMITTEE THAT'S, THAT'S COMING UP WITH THIS FOR RIGHT NOW.
THIS WHAT COMMITTEE IS THAT? I'M SORRY.
IT'S, IT'S, IT'S A, IT'S PARK AND RECREATION COMMITTEE.
I WENT TO THAT COMMITTEE MEETING.
THERE WERE THREE PEOPLE THERE.
THERE WAS ONE OTHER, TWO OTHER PEOPLE IN THE AUDIENCE.
THEY WERE SAT HALFWAY THROUGH THE MEETING AND THEY DIDN'T EVEN KNOW THEY WERE IN THE WRONG MEETING.
I MEAN, IS THERE ANYBODY ON THAT COMMITTEE THAT REALLY UNDERSTANDS ANYTHING ABOUT USE OF THE WATER? ANYBODY THAT'S QUALIFIED KAYAKER.
QUALIFIED ROWER? IS THERE ANY QUALIFICATION IN THE PEOPLE THAT HAVE DESIGNED THIS FACILITY THAT SHOWS THEY REALLY UNDERSTAND WATERFRONTS? I DON'T MEAN FROM A, THAT'S ALL A BEAUTY POINT OF VIEW.
SEATING AND ACCOMMODATION POINT OF VIEW.
I MEAN, FROM USE OF WATERSIDE FACILITY POINT OF VIEW, SIR.
FOR WHAT IT'S WORTH, I'M A KAYAKER.
I GO OUT IN A SMALL GROUP AND, UM, I HAVE NOT SEEN YOUR PLAN.
AND, UH, WE WILL HAVE A CONVERSATION AFTERWARDS.
I, UM, HAVE KAYAKED FOR YEARS OFF OF CONCRETE RAMPS INTO THE WATER AND, UM, HAVE ABSOLUTELY ZERO PROBLEMS WITH THAT AT ALL.
UH, AND I PREFER IT CONCRETE RAMP THAT WIDE.
I'VE DONE IT IN, IN MULTIPLE DIFFERENT LAKES AND, AND RIVERS AND, AND, UM, NO PROBLEM.
IN FACT, IT'S PREFERABLE TO A FLOATING, UH, UH, FLOATING, UH, KAYAK DOCK, WHICH
[01:25:01]
IS HOW OLD PEOPLE END UP ON YOUTUBE.'CAUSE THAT'S HOW, WELL, THAT DEPENDS ON THE HEIGHT OF THE DOCK.
AND THAT'S, THAT'S, THAT'S VERY IMPORTANT.
SO, UM, SHOULD BE, I'M NOT ENGINE OFF THE WATER.
AND THAT, AND, AND WHEN IT'S HIGHER, YOU MAKE, MAKE A, YOU POTENTIALLY MAKE A FOOL OF YOURSELF.
AND THAT'S, UM, YOU KNOW, IT'S, EVEN IF WHEN YOU DON'T FALL OVER, IT'S, IT'S, EVERYTHING'S MOVING.
AND SO I ACTUALLY HAVE GROWN ACCUSTOMED TO, UM, MY PREFERENCE IS ACTUALLY SAND.
UH, BUT I DON'T KNOW THAT'S, THAT'S POSSIBLE.
I, I, I ROWING SHELL UP IN
I, NEXT, NEXT TO DOING IT OFF A PROPERLY DESIGNED DOCK.
WELL, I'D LOVE TO SEE IT LIKE NIGHT AND DAY.
I'M JUST SAYING YOU ASKED, I'LL SHARE IT IF THERE'LL ANY ON A KAYAK, I'LL SHARE IT WITH, UH, WITH TRUSTEE ALLGOOD AND, AND IN THE VILLAGE MANAGER IS A PART OF THAT.
ACTUALLY, IF YOU COULD SHARE IT WITH THE ENTIRE BOARD, I'M PROBABLY NOT GONNA USE IT BECAUSE I HAVE TWO PLACES I CAN, BUT I'LL SHARE IT WITH THE ENTIRE BOARD.
WE'VE LIVED HERE 45 YEARS AND STILL CAN'T USE THE WATER.
I MEAN, PEOPLE GOTTA GET SERIOUS ABOUT THAT.
IF YOU REALLY WANT PEOPLE IN THIS VILLAGE TO HAVE THE BENEFIT OF THE WATERFRONT.
I'LL SHARE IT WITH THE ENTIRE BOARD.
DO WE HAVE ANYONE ELSE HERE FOR PUBLIC COMMENT? NO.
UH, LEMME SEE IN A PARTICULAR ORDER.
I UNDERSTAND THAT, OR I'M HOPING BASED ON THE CONVERSATION WITH THE VILLAGE CLERK THAT THE PRESENTATIONS THAT WERE JUST DONE WILL BE AVAILABLE, UH, TOMORROW SOON.
UM, WITH REGARD TO THE, UM, UH, THE FIRST ONE, UM, IS THERE ANY PLAN OR ANY STRUCTURE TO, UM, ACTUALLY DO A REVIEW, UH, MORE OF A PUBLIC REVIEW OF, UH, WHAT WAS PRESENTED? UM, UH, BEYOND, I MEAN, IN OTHER WAY, IN A WAY, IT'S A LITTLE BIT LIKE WHAT TY, TED WAS ASKING.
WHERE WOULD A CONVERSATION ABOUT WHAT WAS PRESENTED, WHERE MIGHT THAT GO? UH, FORWARD, I WOULD SAY THE TREE COMMITTEE, UH, SHOULD BE, THAT SHOULD BE GIVEN TO THEM AND SHARED WITH THEM.
THE TREE PRESERVATION COMMITTEE.
THERE ISN'T A PRE, WE HAVE THE, WHAT'S THE NAME, FORMAL NAME OF IT? TREE.
THE TREE BOARD, UH, SORRY, I DIDN'T HAVE THE FORMAL NAME IN FRONT OF ME.
UH, AND, AND THAT'S WHY I ASKED THE VILLAGE MANAGER AFTER THE PRESENTATION, LIKE THIS WILL BE SHARED WITH PARK, THE DPW AND THE PARKS AND RECREATIONS COMMISSION, ESPECIALLY THE TREES.
THAT ONE IS ON THE NEXT STREET DOWN FOR ME, THAT APPEARS IN RED ON THE SCREEN THAT I COULD SEE VERY QUICKLY WHILE I WAS UP THERE.
SO HOPEFULLY THERE'S SOME IMMEDIATE RISKS THAT ARE GONNA BE ADDRESSED.
SO WHAT I'M ASKING FOR IN A WAY, UH, UH, FOR AN EFFORT TO MAKE THIS MORE PUBLIC THAN THE MOMENTUM THAT I'M SEEING, UM, I FEEL LIKE YOU WANT TO BE ABLE TO, AND I KNOW IT'S, UH, CAN BE A PAIN, BUT THERE'S A LOT OF INFORMATION THERE THAT PEOPLE, UH, I MEAN, IT SHOULDN'T BE RE ARRESTING IN, IN PART ON A TREE BOARD THAT IS ONLY BASICALLY, UM, AN ADVISORY, UH, BODY TO THE, UM, BUILDING DEPARTMENT AND THE PLANNING BOARD.
THAT'S, THAT'S WHAT IT BASICALLY SAYS IN THERE.
AND TO YOU SECONDARILY, BUT IT'S, IT'S NOT A, UM, IT'S NOT A SELF-DRIVEN, UH, BODY.
AND ESPECIALLY WITHOUT, UH, THE PREVIOUS, UM, CHAIR OF THAT.
SO I WOULD JUST LIKE TO SEE MORE PUBLIC.
I'LL LOOK, I'LL LISTEN TO THE, UH, THE ENTIRE ONE OF THE THING.
I DON'T KNOW IF HE ADDRESSED THE, UM, SPECIFICALLY THE, UH, STREET TREES.
AND THAT'S SOMETHING THAT I'M, THAT WAS A PART OF HIS PRESENTATION.
AND THE, THE FACT THAT THE, THEY'RE NOT DOING WELL.
THE, THE TWO ISSUES ARE THE, THE THINGS THAT HAVE BEEN PLANTED RECENTLY.
THEY'RE NOT DOING WELL IN MANY RESPECTS.
AND WE STILL HAVE NO REAL INPUT ON WHAT TREES ARE BEING SELECTED FOR THE, UM, FOR THE SIDEWALKS.
I WOULD ALSO HOPING THAT THE, UM, LWRP, UH, DOCUMENTS ARE AVAILABLE.
UM, IF I NEED TO, I'LL, YOU KNOW, FINISH UP AT THE NEXT, UM, THAT REPORT, FOR EXAMPLE, IS THAT SOMETHING THAT IS ASSUMED WOULD BE AVAILABLE TO PUBLIC AS WELL? OR IS THIS IS THE ONLY, THE NEXT TIME THE PUBLIC GETS IS ONLY GONNA GET IT WHEN IT'S FINALLY ALL, ALL DONE.
THE, THE ACTUAL CONVERSATION, THE REPORT THAT, UH, TRUSTEE FLEISCH WAS WAITING FOR AS WELL.
WE CAN, WE CAN PUT THAT ON THE WEBSITE.
WE CAN PLACE THAT ON THE WEBSITE.
AND ACTUALLY, JUST YOU PROMPTED SOMETHING IN MY MIND.
UH, CAN I TAKE SOME OF YOUR TIME OR
[01:30:01]
JUST ABOUT THE TREE? UH, THEY HAD MADE A RECOMMENDATION THAT WE LOOK AT OUR, UH, OUR CODE RELATING TO TREES.I KNOW WE DID A, A, A MODIFICATION A FEW YEARS AGO, RIGHT WHEN YOU AND I, I THINK WE WERE THE ONLY ONES ON THE BOARD AT THAT POINT STILL.
UM, AND, AND HE DID MAKE ONE RECOMMENDATION FOR US TO MODIFY.
I MEAN, WHAT DOES ANYBODY, ARE WE INTERESTED IN TAKING A LOOK INTO THAT AND, AND TO SEE IF THERE'S OTHER WAYS WE CAN MODIFY THE TREE.
OBSERVATION COMMISSION WOULD ACTUALLY LIKE US TO REVIEW, REVIEW IT AGAIN.
SO WE SHOULD TAKE HIS RECOMMENDATIONS ALSO AND TRY TO PUSH SOME OF THEM FORWARD.
UH, 'CAUSE I DON'T WANT IT TO GET LOST IN THE ABYSS EITHER, SO THANKS.
[XI. RESOLUTIONS]
MOVING ON TO RESOLUTIONS.UH, FIRST RESOLUTION, UH, ACCEPTANCE OF DONATION FROM FOOD TOWN, UH, BE IT RESOLVED THE MAYOR AND BOARD OF TRUSTEES ACCEPT THE GRATITUDE, THE DONATE WITH GRATITUDE, THE DONATION OF $500 FROM THE FOOD TOWN, AND ALLOCATE THE FUNDS TO THE, UH, HASTINGS FOOD PANTRY.
UH, THE BACKGROUND OF THIS, UH, I ATTENDED THEIR, UH, 10TH ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATION, UH, COMMUNITY BARBECUE THAT THEY HOSTED IN THE PARKING LOT, ALONG WITH, UM, NEW YORK STATE ASSEMBLYWOMAN SHIMS SKI.
I DON'T KNOW IF ANYBODY ELSE HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO STOP BY.
THEY WERE SERVING AMAZING FOOD PA AND ALL DIFFERENT KINDS OF STUFF, UM, IN THE PARKING LOT.
AND THEY ALSO MADE A REALLY NICE AND GENEROUS DONATION, UM, FOR US TO DIRECT TOWARDS THE FOOD PANTRY.
UM, THAT WAS THE DAY WE WERE LEAVING FOR EUROPE, SO I WAS KIND OF RUSHED TO GET OUT THERE, BUT IT WAS, IT WAS A REALLY NICE EVENT.
MAY MAKE, HAVE A MOTION TO ACCEPT THE DONATION FROM FOODTOWN TO DIRECT IT TOWARDS THE FOOD PANTRY.
89 TO 26 RESOLUTION AUTHOR, AUTHOR, UH, AUTHORIZING TAX ACCESSORY SETTLEMENT FOR EIGHT WASHINGTON AVENUE.
WHEREAS PETITIONS HAVE BEEN FILED BY THE PROPERTY OWNER, UH, BELOW CHALLENGING REAL PROPERTY TAX ASSESSMENTS ON THE TOWN OF GREENBURG.
ASSESSMENT ROLES WITH THE RESPECT OF THE FOLLOWING TO THE FOLLOWING PARCELS.
14, BAILEY ASSOCIATES, LLC EIGHT WASHINGTON AVENUE, 4.70 DASH FIVE TWO DASH FIVE, UH, FOR THE 2025 TOWN ASSESSMENT.
WHEREAS PETITIONER'S COURT CHALLENGE IS NOW PENDING, THE SUPREME COURT, WESTCHESTER COUNTY, AND THE TOWN, THE VILLAGE, THE SCHOOL DISTRICT, AND THE PROPERTY OWNER HAVE REACHED A MUTUALLY AGREEABLE RESOLUTION WITH REGARD TO THE ASSESSMENTS AT ISSUE.
AND THE COURT CHALLENGES NOW THEREFORE BE RESOLVED.
THE SPECIAL COUNSEL TO THE VILLAGE IS AUTHORIZED TO EXECUTE A SETTLEMENT ON BEHALF OF THE VILLAGE FOR ASSESSMENTS FOR NO LESS THAN THE FOLLOWING FOR YEARS 2025.
TOWN CURRENT IS $3,550,600 REDUCED TO $2,850,000.
THIS REDUCTION AMOUNTS TO $700,600, WHICH WOULD RESULT IN THE REFUND OF VILLAGE TAXES IN THE AMOUNT OF $3,639 AND 23 CENTS.
DOES ANYBODY HAVE ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS ON THIS? MAY I HAVE A MOTION TO APPROVE? SO MOVED.
UH, THIS IS THE PALISADE BOAT CLUB.
4 1 6 0 DASH 1 66 DASH TWO LY 2020, TOWN TO 2025.
TOWN TAXES, UH, OR ASSESSMENT, PETITIONER'S COURT CHALLENGE IS NOW PENDING.
SUPREME COURT TOWN, THE VILLAGE, THE SCHOOL DISTRICT, AND THE PROPERTY OWNER HAVE REACHED A MUTUALLY AGREEABLE RESOLUTION WITH REGARD TO THE ASSESSMENTS AT THE ISSUE IN THE COURT.
SPECIAL CHALLENGE COUNSEL TO THE VILLAGE IS AUTHORIZED TO EXECUTE A SETTLEMENT ON BEHALF OF THE VILLAGE FOR ASSESSMENTS FOR NO LESS THAN THE FOLLOWING.
UH, DO I NEED TO READ EVERYONE OR JUST WRITE THE RESULTS IN IT? NO, YOU CAN JUST SAY THEY'RE ALL REDUCED TO, THEY'RE ALL REDUCED, UM, BY A CERTAIN AMOUNT, WHICH, WHICH RESULTS IN THE REFUND OF VILLAGE TAXES OF $11,902 AND 3 CENTS.
DOES ANYBODY HAVE ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS? MAY I HAVE A MOTION TO APPROVE? SO MOVED.
AUTHORIZATION TO EXECUTE AGREEMENT FOR FIREWORKS DISPLAYS FOR VETERANS FIRST RESPONDER IN AMERICA.
CELEBRATION TO BE HELD ON FRIDAY, OCTOBER 2ND.
UH, THIS WOULD BE THE CULMINATION OF A PARADE THAT EVENING, AN EVENING PARADE, UH, IN THE VILLAGE, UH, BE IT RESOLVED THAT THE MAYOR AND BOARD OF TRUSTEES AUTHORIZED VILLAGE MANAGER TO EXECUTE AN AGREEMENT WITH LEGION FIREWORKS COMPANY, INC.
UH, THEY'RE THE COMPANY WHO DID DOBS FERRY'S FIREWORKS THIS PAST JULY 4TH IN THE AMOUNT OF $15,000 FOR A FIREWORKS DISPLAY DURING THE CELEBRATION FOR VETERANS FIRST RESPONDERS IN AMERICA.
TWO 50, SUBJECT TO A VILLAGE ATTORNEY APPROVAL.
DO WE HAVE ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS ON THAT? THIS IS SOMETHING THAT I'VE RAISED AT THE LAST, AT LEAST THE LAST MEETING, MAYBE THE LAST TWO MEETINGS.
UM, ONE OF THE IDEAS FROM THE CHIEF OF POLICE JUST OUTSIDE OF THIS IS MAY BASICALLY TO HONOR ALL OF OUR EMPLOYEES IN THE VILLAGE AND OUR VOLUNTEERS IN THE VILLAGE, INCLUDING THIS BOARD AND ALL THE BOARDS AND COMMITTEES.
AND WE'RE GONNA ASK FOR EVERYONE TO PARTICIPATE IN THE PARADE, NOT JUST FIRE DEPARTMENT.
YOU KNOW, WE'LL HAVE GARBAGE TRUCKS IN THE PARADE
[01:35:01]
TOO, AND WE'LL HAVE EVERY, EVERYTHING RELATING TO OUR VILLAGE BE A PART OF THIS AND HAVE A COMMUNITY CELEBRATION FOR AMERICA.SO, ANY QUESTIONS, COMMENTS? WHY NOT? IT WAS THE CHIEF'S CHIEF'S IDEA, SO I'M GOING WITH IT.
UH, MAY I HAVE A MOTION TO APPROVE? SO MOVED.
92 OF 26 ADOPTION OF PROPOSED LOCAL LAW E OF 2026, LOCAL LAW AMENDING ARTICLE SEVEN, STOP AND YIELD INTO SECTIONS OF CHAPTER 2 82 VEHICLES IN TRAFFIC OF THE CODE OF THE VILLAGE OF HASTINGS ON HUDSON SECTION 2 82 DASH 16 A SUBSECTIONS FIVE AND B TO ADD STOP SIGNS ON RAVENSDALE ROAD BE RESOLVED THAT THE MAYOR AND THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES HEREBY ADOPT PROPOSED LOCAL LAW.
E UH, TO ADD STOP SIGNS ON RAVENSDALE RAVENSDALE ROAD AS FOLLOWS, BE ENACTED BY THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES, THE VILLAGE OF HASTINGS ON HUDSON AS FOLLOWS.
UM, STOP SIGNS SHALL BE ERECTED ON RAVENSDALE ROAD AT THE FOLLOWING LOCATIONS HEADING EAST AT THE INTERSECTION WITH KENT.
NO, THAT'S NOT, THAT'S EXISTS.
NO, THAT'S JUST THE LANGUAGE IN THE CODE.
AT THE INTERSECTION WITH R ROSEDALE AVENUE AND BRANFORD ROAD.
IF ANY SECTION, SUBSECTION CLAUSE, PHRASE, OR OTHER PORTION OF THIS LOCAL LAW IS FOR ANY REASON DECLARED INVALID IN WHOLE OR IN PART BY ANY COURT, AGENCY, COMMISSION, LEGISLATIVE, BODY, OR AUTHORITY OF COMPETENT JURISDICTION, SHOULD SUCH PORTION SHALL BE DEEMED A SEPARATE, DISTINCT AND INDEPENDENT PORTION, UH, SUCH DECLARATION SHALL NOT, SHALL NOT AFFECT THE VALIDITY OF THE REMAINING PORTIONS HEREOF, WHICH OTHER PORTIONS SHALL CONTINUE IN FULL FORCE.
IN EFFECT, UH, THIS LOCAL LAW SHALL TAKE EFFECT IMMEDIATELY UPON FILING IN THE OFFICE OF THE NEW YORK STATE SECRETARY OF STATE IN ACCORDANCE WITH SECTION 27 OF THE MUNICIPAL HOME RULE OF LAW.
DO WE HAVE ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS ON THIS? THIS MAY I HAVE A MOTION TO APPROVE? SO MOVED.
[XII. VILLAGE MANAGER’S REPORT]
MOVING ON TO THE VILLAGE MANAGER'S REPORT.UH, AS YOU KNOW, UH, JULY IS A VERY ACTIVE TIME FOR GRANTS IN NEW YORK STATE.
THE, UM, CONSOLIDATED FUNDING APPLICATIONS ARE ALL DUE AT THE END OF JULY.
AND, UH, THIS YEAR WE HAVE, UM, PUT IN FOUR GRANTS IN, IN ASSOCI IN ASSOCIATION WITH THAT PROJECT.
UH, ONE IS UNDER, WELL ACTUALLY THIS ISN'T UNDER THE CFA, BUT IT'S A GRANT THAT WENT AT THE END OF END OF JULY, THESE ZZA RESILIENT INVESTMENTS THROUGH SUPPORT AND CAPITAL.
YOU MAY RECALL THAT WE HAD A RISK GRANT TO, UM, UH, PLAN AND EVALUATE TO 30%, UH, WHAT SHOULD, SHOULD, COULD, AND SHOULD BE DONE IN THE ZINZER WATERSHED, WHICH, UH, HAD WE HAD VERY SERIOUS, UM, DAMAGE BOTH ON, UM, RIVERVIEW PLACE AND TO THE RIVER GLEN CONDOMINIUM, UH, UH, KIND OF, UM, THOSE, THE, THE, PARTICULARLY THE BANKS IN, IN BACK OF BOTH OF THOSE, UH, PROPERTIES THAT GO DOWN TOWARDS THE RAILROAD TRACKS, UH, EXPOSING THE, THE, UM, SEWER LINE AND, AND EVERYTHING.
SO WE HAVE, UH, DEVISED A PLAN TO ADDRESS THAT.
AND WE HAVE SUBMITTED, UH, FOR AN IMPLEMENTATION GRANT THROUGH, UM, THE RISK PROGRAM, WHICH IS OFFERED THROUGH, UH, NEW YORK STATE OFFERS OF RESILIENT HOMES AND COMMUNITIES.
AND, UM, YOU KNOW, WILL, WILL THAT, THAT THEY'VE GOT ABOUT $16 MILLION.
SO THERE'S A, THERE'S NOT A LOT OF OF FUNDS AVAILABLE, BUT IT IS A HUNDRED PERCENT GRANT.
IT'S NOT A, THERE'S NO MATCH AND IT'S SPECIFICALLY DIRECTED TOWARDS, UH, SITUATIONS WHERE IDA CAUSED SIGNIFICANT DAMAGE.
SO, UH, WE, WE CERTAINLY MEET THE CRITERIA.
AND, UM, THE, THE APPLICATION HAS BEEN SUBMITTED AND I, I THINK WE'LL APPEAR WITHIN THE NEXT FEW MONTHS AS TO WHETHER OR NOT WE, WE'VE BEEN SUCCESSFUL WITH THAT APPLICATION.
WE ALSO PUT IN ANOTHER APPLICATION FOR THE SKATE PARK IN THE BURKE ESTATE.
UH, AS YOU KNOW, THE SCHOOL HAS OFFERED, UH, TO, OR HAS ACTUALLY AGREED IN, IN A CONTRACT TO DON TO DONATE, UH, ABOUT, UM, UH, 17, UH, 1700, UH, 1700 SQUARE FEET OF LAND FOR THE PURPOSES OF BUILDING A SKATE PARK.
THE SKATE PARK IS PROPOSED TO BE ABOUT, UH, 6,800 FEET.
WE'LL SERVE ALL LEVELS OF SKATERS.
UH, WE'LL HAVE SEATING AND SHADED ZONES FOR, UM, SOCIALIZING AND, AND OTHER THINGS OF THAT NATURE.
UM, AND, UH, SO WE'RE, UM, UH, WE, WE WERE NOT, WE, WE, WE APPLIED FOR THE SAME GRANT LAST YEAR.
WE DID FOLLOW UP, UH, WITH THE GRANT EVALUATORS, AND WERE TOLD THAT, THAT THE REASON THAT WE WEREN'T SUCCESSFUL WAS REALLY JUST A MATTER OF NOT HAVING ENOUGH FUNDING AVAILABLE THAT,
[01:40:01]
BUT WE NEVERTHELESS ENHANCED THE GRANT WITH ADDITIONAL, UM, UH, INFORMATION, UM, WITH REGARD TO, UH, SOME OF THE ATTRIBUTES OF, OF SKATE PARKS THAT ARE NOT DIRECTLY RELATED TO SKATING, BUT, BUT PROVIDE AN, AN KIND OF ALTERNATIVE, UH, RECREATIONAL, UM, OPPORTUNITY FOR, FOR, FOR YOUTH AND, AND ADULTS.AND, AND, UM, AND, AND OF COURSE WE KNOW WE HAVE A VERY, VERY ROBUST, UH, RIVERTOWN SKATE SOCIETY, WHICH SUPPORTS THE GRANT.
UH, SO BETWEEN THE, THE VALUE OF THE LAND AND THE COMMITMENT THAT THE VILLAGE HAS MADE, UH, TOWARDS CONTRIBUTING, AND AS WELL AS THE COMMITMENT THAT RIVERTOWN SKATE HAS MADE, WE'VE ASKED FOR A GRANT FOR, UM, 600, UH, $675,000.
UM, SO, UM, WE, WE SHOULD HEAR THE RESULT OF THAT APPLICATION, UH, PROBABLY SOMETIME AT THE END OF OCTOBER, BEGINNING OF NOVEMBER, I WOULD EXPECT.
UM, WE ALSO, UH, SUBMITTED A GRANT UNDER THE, UH, WATER QUALITY IMPROVEMENT PROGRAM FOR A NEW SALT SHED AT THE DPW.
IF ANYBODY DRIVES DOWN SOUTH SIDE, THEY WILL SEE THE REASON FOR THAT APPLICATION.
AND, UH, THE NEW, THE NEW, UH, SALT SHED, UM, EVEN IF WE, WELL, LET'S HOPE THAT WE GET THE GRANT.
UM, AND, AND WE DID, WE DID, WE DID HAVE IT IN OUR, OUR, OUR CAPITAL PLAN, WHICH I THINK HELPS ALSO, UH, IN TERMS OF GRANT APPLICATIONS.
BUT THE NEW SALT SHED WILL PROVIDE FOR EXPANSION AND IMPROVEMENT OF THE EXISTING STORAGE CAPACITY.
UH, AND, UM, AND ALSO ACCOMMODATE MODERN SALT LOADING EQUIPMENT, WHICH OUR CURRENT, UH, SHED DOESN'T, DOES NOT REALLY.
IT'S, IT'S 40 YEARS OLD AND IT'S, LET'S JUST SAY IT'S EXCEEDED ITS USEFUL LIFE.
UM, AND THEN THE, UH, OTHER GRANT THAT WE'VE ALSO APPLIED FOR UNDER THE CFA IS THROUGH CLIMATE SMART COMMUNITIES.
AND IT IS FOR, UM, UH, THE KIND OF THE, THE THIRD PHASE OF WHAT I CALL THE RES BROOK PROJECT.
AND THAT THIRD, THE THIRD PHASE OF THAT IS ROSEDALE AVENUE AND HAMILTON, AND THE, UH, INFRASTRUCTURE THAT'S NEEDED TO, UH, REALLY, UM, UH, IMPROVE THE, THE DRAINAGE SYSTEM THERE.
BROOK IS KIND OF A THREE PART PROJECT.
IT'S GOT THE WET DETENTION POND THAT WILL BE ON THE SOUTH SIDE OF FARGATE PARKWAY, UH, FOR WHICH WE'VE ALREADY RECEIVED A, A GRANT FOR.
AND THEN IT'S GOT THE MIDDLE PORTION, WHICH IS, UH, THROUGH ASHLEY AND, AND, UH, THE VARIOUS STREETS, UM, IN THE FENWOOD AREA.
AND THEN THE THIRD PART, WHICH IS ROSEDALE AND HAMILTON.
UM, AND SO, UM, I'M EXCITED, UH, AND TO, WE, WE HAVE TWO OTHER GRANTS THAT WE'VE ALREADY RECEIVED.
WE, UH, ARE WORKING THROUGH THE GRANT FROM THE COUNTY.
IT HAS BEEN SENT OUT TO COMMITTEE BY THE BOARD OF LEGISLATORS.
AND I EXPECT TO BE GETTING A CALL ANY DAY NOW TO ATTEND THAT COMMITTEE MEETING AND ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS THEY MIGHT HAVE.
UH, AND AFTER THAT, IT GOES BACK THEN TO THE, UM, BOARD OF LEGISLATORS AT THE COUNTY LEVEL, UH, FOR APPROVAL FOR, YOU KNOW, FOR FOR CAPITAL.
IS THAT FOR THE CAPITAL? THAT'S FOR THE OTHER DETENTION POND? THAT'S FOR THE OTHER DETENTION POND, AS WELL AS, UM, A LOT OF OTHER, UH, PIPES AND SOME, SOME, SOME, IT'S, IT'S A COMBINATION OF PIPING AND, AND, UM, MAKING THE CHANNELS WIDER AND, AND, AND BROADER.
ARE YOU REFERRING TO THAT AS PHASE TWO OR PHASE THREE? UH, THE, THE, THE WET, THE OTHER WET DETENTION POND IS PART OF PHASE TWO, AS WELL AS, UM, SOME CHANNEL WORK AND, UH, YOU KNOW, PIPING AND, AND THINGS OF THAT NATURE.
UM, SO, UH, YEAH, IT'S, IT'S, IT, IT'S, UM, IT'S, SO THOSE ARE, THOSE ARE THE KIND OF FOUR GRANTS THAT I REALLY WANTED TO SHARE WITH YOU.
THOSE ARE THE NEWEST ONES THAT WE'VE APPLIED FOR.
AND I DO BELIEVE THAT WE'LL HEAR, UH, RES YOU KNOW, WE'LL KNOW WHETHER OR NOT WE, WE, UM, RECEIVED THEM BY EARLY NOVEMBER.
UM, AND THAT WAS ALL I REALLY WANTED TO UPDATE YOU ON, UNLESS THERE'S ANY QUESTIONS ABOUT ANYTHING ELSE? NO, THANK YOU.
ANYBODY ELSE SIDEWALK ON, UH, SPRING? UM, THE SIDEWALK ON SPRING STREET IS, UH, JUST ABOUT DONE.
THERE'S A, WE'RE WAITING FOR THE, UM, UH, WHAT DO YOU CALL THE HATCHES THAT HAVE TO GO ONTO THE NORTH SIDE OF THE STREET.
[01:45:01]
THAT'S WHY YOU SEE THAT PATCH OF BLACKTOP THERE.AND, UM, WE ALSO DON'T HAVE, WE HAVE THE TREE GRATES, BUT WE DON'T HAVE THE, THE, UH, OCTAGONAL, UM, PAVERS THAT GO IN THEM.
AND THEN OF COURSE, THE TREES HAVE TO BE CHOSEN.
THERE WAS A QUESTION ABOUT THAT BEFORE.
WE USUALLY GO OFF THE NATIVE LIST OF NATIVE TREES THAT, THAT, UM, THAT THE, THAT THE VILLAGE, UH, HAS, HAS ADOPTED.
AND, UM, I THINK THE SIDEWALKS THEMSELVES HAVE COME OUT QUITE NICELY.
THE WIDENING OF THE SIDEWALK ON THE SOUTH SIDE IS, UH, IT'S, IT'S, IT'S REALLY, I THINK A GAME CHANGER IN TERMS OF THE, THE WALKABILITY OF THAT, OF THAT PARTICULAR STRETCH OF, OF, OF, OF AREA.
AND JUST, UM, AS ANOTHER LITTLE ASIDE, I KNOW EVERYBODY'S VERY INTERESTED IN MAIN STREET.
I SHOULD HAVE 90% DRAWINGS ON THAT BY THE END OF NEXT WEEK.
SO I'LL BE HAVE, I'LL HAVE THEM AT THE NEXT BOARD MEETING FOR THE BOARD AND TO MAKE ANY CHANGES OR WHATEVER TO IT.
AND THEN WE'LL BE ABLE TO GET THE BID DOCUMENTS OUT RIGHT AFTER THAT.
AND I BELIEVE THAT AT THE SAME TIME WE'LL GET THE SORT OF THE PLAN FOR THE MAIN AND WAR BURTON.
UM, THE, THE TRICKY THING ABOUT THAT IS THAT THE STOP BAR ON WAR BURTON SOUTHBOUND IS SET BACK SIGNIFICANTLY, MAINLY.
SO BUSES, THE BUSES, BUT WHEN YOU PUT STOP SIGNS, YOU HAVE TO HAVE, YOU HAVE TO BE ABLE TO SEE THE INTERSECTION WHERE THE CARS ARE COMING WHEN YOU HAVE STOP SIGNS, ALL, ALL FOUR, OR IN THIS CASE, THREE DIRECTIONS.
UM, SO, UM, THEY WILL BE, BE GIVING US A, SOME, SOME A, A PLAN ON THAT AS WELL.
SO, SO PRIOR TO THE, PRIOR TO THE, THE STOP SIGNS, THERE, THERE WOULD BE SOME CHANGES TO THE, THE STOP LINE, IS THAT WHAT YOU'RE SAYING? YEAH, THE, THE STOP LINE'S PROBABLY GONNA MOVE UP A LITTLE BIT.
THERE'S, THEY, THEY THINK THEY CAN DO THAT JUST BY BASICALLY MOVING THE TRAVEL LANE SLIGHTLY.
AND THEY'VE BEEN IN, IN CONVERSATION WITH THE COUNTY ABOUT IT AS WELL.
DO THEY HAVE TO TALK TO THE, UM, WHATEVER THE, UM, THE BUS COMPANY TO ENSURE THAT THEY CAN, THEY WILL TALK TO THE BUS COMPANY IN THE COUNTY.
THANKS FOR ALL YOUR WORK, EVEN IN THE SUMMERTIME.
YOU GOT A LOT GOING ON, YOU AND, UH, THE CLERK.
[XIII. BOARD DISCUSSION AND COMMENTS]
UH, MOVING ON TO BOARD DISCUSSIONS AND COMMENTS.UH, WE JUST ADDED DISCUSSION ON VACANT COMMERCIAL SPACES AND JUST WHAT SOME OF OUR OPTIONS ARE.
OBVIOUSLY THERE WAS A RECENT ARTICLE IN THE RIVER TOWNS DISPATCH THAT WAS FOCUSING ON THE VILLAGE OF HASTINGS ON HUDSON AND VACANT STORE SPACES.
AND, AND THERE WASN'T MUCH MENTIONED ABOUT THE FACT THAT WE'RE ACTUALLY KIND OF LOWER IN PERCENTAGES THAN SOME OF THE OTHER, OTHER RIVER TOWNS, BUT SOMEHOW WE GOT FOCUSED ON, UH, AS FAR AS OUR VACANCIES, AND I KNOW TRUSTEE MERTON AND THE DOWNTOWN ADVOCATE HAD MET WITH SOME OF THE BUSINESS OWNERS, THE VILLAGE MANAGER, AND I MET WITH THE RIVER TOWNS CHAMBER OF COMMERCE.
UH, THEY'RE, EVERYONE'S TRYING TO BRAINSTORM DIFFERENT IDEAS THAT, THAT WE CAN HAVE.
AND IN THE MEANTIME, I HAD ALSO ASKED OUR ATTORNEY, UH, IF YOU COULD, YOU KNOW, HAVE A, JUST A PRESENTATION THIS EVENING JUST ON WHAT SOME, WHAT ARE SOME OF THE OPTIONS THAT THE VILLAGE HAS? I KNOW THERE'S HOME RULE OPTIONS AND VACANT, YOU KNOW, UH, YOU KNOW, ABILITIES TO, TO FIND THESE, THE BUILDING OWNERS FOR VACANT YEAH.
FIND THEM THROUGH HOME RULE POSSIBLY.
BUT I JUST WANTED YOU TO GIVE US A PRESENTATION ON WHAT OUR OPTIONS ARE LEGALLY, UH, UNDER THE LAW.
SO, UM, IN TERMS OF, UM, VACANT BUILDINGS, VACANT COMMERCIAL BUILDINGS, THE MUNICIPALITY DOES HAVE POWER, UM, TO REGULATE, UM, VACANT STOREFRONTS TO PROTECT PUBLIC HEALTH, SAFETY AND WELFARE, AND THE PHYSICAL AND VISUAL ENVIRONMENT.
UM, BUT THAT'S SUBJECT TO SOME CONSTITUTIONAL LIMITATIONS RELATING TO DUE PROCESS, EQUAL PROTECTION, FIRST AMENDMENT, AND TAKING CLAUSE PROTECTIONS.
WHAT YOU TYPICALLY SEE, UM, AND THERE'S A NUMBER OF MUNICIPALITIES THAT HAVE DONE THIS, IS A REGISTRATION TYPE OF PROGRAM.
UM, AND THERE'S TWO DIFFERENT VERSIONS OF THAT.
SOME REQUIRE ALL, UM, COMMERCIAL PROPERTY OWNERS OR STOREFRONT OWNERS TO REGISTER.
SOME ONLY REQUIRE VACANT ONES TO REGISTER.
UM, AND THE REGISTRATION REQUIRES, UM, ALSO, UH, INFORMATION, CONTACT INFORMATION.
SOME REQUIRE IF THERE'S A VACANT STOREFRONT, THAT THE CONTACT INFORMATION ACTUALLY BE POSTED ON THE BUILDING.
SO IF SOMEONE SEES SOMETHING OR HAS A CONCERN, THEY KNOW WHO TO CONTACT.
UM, SOME JUST REQUIRE THE MUNICIPALITY HAS THAT INFORMATION.
UM, THERE'S, YOU KNOW, YOU CAN HAVE REQUIREMENTS TO MAINTAIN AND SECURE VACANT BUILDINGS.
UM, YOU CAN IMPOSE REASONABLE, UM, REQUIREMENTS TO ADDRESS THE AESTHETICS OF VACANT STOREFRONTS.
AND IT'S INTERESTING BECAUSE IF YOU LOOK AT THE DIFFERENT
[01:50:01]
LAWS THAT ARE ADOPTED, SOME SAY CLEAN IT OUT, EMPTY IT, BUT KEEP THE WINDOWS, YOU KNOW, OPEN NOT COVERED SO THAT PEOPLE CAN SEE AND IT DOESN'T LOOK NECESSARILY THAT BAD.SOME SAY PUT SOMETHING IN THE WINDOWS.
YOU KNOW, THERE, THERE'S ARGUMENTS BOTH WAYS.
UM, AGAIN, YOU CAN IMPOSE A REGISTRATION FEE TO OFFSET THE COST OF ADMINISTRATING, ADMINISTERING THE PROGRAM.
UM, BUT IT CAN'T BE A PUNITIVE FEE.
YOU CAN'T FORCE A LANDLORD TO RENT THEIR PROPERTY.
UM, BUT YOU CAN TRY TO DO THESE THINGS THAT HELP THE MUNICIPALITY IN TERMS OF HOW IT LOOKS AND SECURITY.
IT'S ABOUT SECURITY AND AESTHETICS, UM, AND, AND THOSE TYPES OF THINGS.
SO, UM, A NUMBER OF MUNICIPALITIES HAVE ADOPTED SORT OF DIFFERENT DEGREES, UM, OF LAWS THAT HAVE THESE TYPES OF PROVISIONS.
UM, AGAIN, SOME REQUIRE A REGISTRY WITH A FEE AND, UM, SHOWING EFFORTS TO REACTIVATE THE PROPERTY, UPDATING MUNICIPALITY ON WHAT YOU'RE DOING TO REACTIVATE THE PROPERTY, UM, OR ARE YOU LOOKING TO DO IMPROVEMENTS? AND WHAT'S THE TIMEFRAME ON THAT? UM, SOME REQUIRE A PLAN FOR REHABILITATION IF IT'S NECESSARY.
UM, DOBBS FERRY IS, UM, HAS A POTENTIAL LAW PENDING RIGHT NOW.
I THINK THEY ACTUALLY HAVE IT ON THEIR AGENDA THIS EVENING.
UM, A NUMBER OF OTHER MUNICIPALITIES IN WESTCHESTER AND AND AROUND NEW YORK STATE ALSO HAVE LAWS.
AND AGAIN, THEY RANGE FROM SOMETHING AS SIMPLE AS JUST A REGISTRATION, PROVIDING CONTACT INFORMATION TO, UM, PROVIDING INFORMATION ABOUT THE EFFORTS TO REACTIVATE THE PROPERTY.
UM, AND SOME THAT GO EVEN FURTHER, UM, REQUIRING THAT A VACANT PROPERTY PLAN BE SUBMITTED, TALKING ABOUT WHAT YOUR PLAN IS TO, UM, ACTIVATE IT, REHAB IT, UM, HAVE THE PLAN REVIEWED.
UM, AND IT AUTHORIZES THE MUNICIPALITY TO TAKE SOME ACTION IF ACTION ISN'T BEING DONE.
UM, SO THE BOTTOM LINE IS YOU CAN'T FIND THEM MM-HMM
UM, BUT YOU CAN REQUIRE A REGISTRATION FEE AND YOU CAN REQUIRE CERTAIN ACTIVITIES.
AGAIN, BASICALLY, UM, PUBLIC HEALTH, SAFETY AND WELFARE, AESTHETICS, SECURITY, THOSE TYPE BASED ON THOSE TYPES OF THINGS.
UH, MR. CLARK, COULD YOU GET US THE DOBBS FERRY, THEIR PROPOSED DO? I CAN SEND IT.
DO YOU MIND SHARING IT WITH EVERYONE PLEASE.
AND I DON'T KNOW IF THEY'RE STILL MAKING CHANGES TO IT.
UM, WE HAVE A BUNCH, I'VE GOT ABOUT FIVE OF THEM HERE.
THERE'S ALSO A NEW YORK MODEL VACANT PROPERTY LAW.
I CAN, I'M HAPPY TO SEND THOSE AROUND.
I MEAN, I REALLY, THE, MY, MY INTENTION THIS EVENING IS JUST TO SEE WHAT THE, THE TEMPERATURE OF THE BOARD IS ON PURSUING SOME THINGS LIKE THIS, SOME OF THESE IDEAS TO JUST TRY TO HELP ENCOURAGE OUR STOREFRONTS TO GET OCCUPIED.
UM, AND INSTEAD OF STAYING UNOCCUPIED AND, AND IF WE WANT TO PUSH FORWARD OR NOT.
CAN I ASK, MAYBE YOU DON'T KNOW THE ANSWER, UM, BUT IS THERE ANY, I DON'T KNOW, LIKE IS THERE ANY FINANCIAL INCENTIVE FOR ANY LANDLORD TO KEEP THEIR BUILDING EMPTY OR THEIR SPACE EMPTY?
UM, BUT I WOULD THINK THAT THE INCOME WOULD BE BETTER THAN RIGHT.
I WOULD, I WOULD THINK SO TOO, BUT I DO KNOW THAT THAT'S A QUESTION THAT I THINK POPS UP INTO PEOPLE'S HEADS, SO I WOULD JUST WANTED TO SEE WHAT, YOU KNOW, IF THERE'S ANY, IF THERE WAS ANY, YEAH, IF YOU'RE GONNA REQUIRE THEM, YOU KNOW, TO PAY A REGISTRATION FEE OR PROVIDE THIS, SEND THE MONEY TO DO THIS TYPE, TYPE OF A PLAN.
UM, THAT MAY BE ONE MORE THING THAT OKAY.
WE, I DON'T WANNA HAVE TO PAY THAT, SO I'M GONNA TRY TO GET MY PROPERTY WRAPPED.
AND THE REGISTRATION YOU'RE REFERRING TO IS, IS SOLELY JUST TO HAVE LIKE, THE MOST UP-TO-DATE CONTACT INFORMATION FOR THE OWNER? IS THAT WHAT THAT MEANS? YEAH.
OR IS THERE SOMETHING ELSE? SOME, SOME OF THE LAWS REQUIRE THAT IF THE OWNER IS ABSENTEE, NOT LOCAL, THAT YOU HAVE PROVIDE THE NAME OF SOMEBODY WHO IS LOCAL MM-HMM
UM, AND THAT'S REALLY A SECURITY SURE.
SO IF SOMETHING HAPPENS MM-HMM
UM, OR IF THE BUILDING'S NOT BEING MAINTAINED, UM, YOU KNOW, THE MAINTENANCE OBLIGATIONS,
THERE CAN BE INSPECTIONS ASSOCIATED WITH IT AND THINGS OF THAT NATURE.
[01:55:01]
AND IT, IS IT BASED ON THE SQUARE FOOTAGE ON IT'S WHATEVER YOU WANNA BASE IT ON? MOST OF THEM, I THINK THEY'RE, THEY'RE USUALLY FLAT OR IS IT BASED ON ZONING? IT JUST HAS TO BE A COMMERCIAL ZONE.I MEAN, SO SOME, SOME, LIKE BEACON IS VERY AGGRESSIVE.
THEIR LAW IS NOT A VACANT STOREFRONT LAW.
THEIR LAW IS A VACANT BUILDINGS LAW, AND IT'S CITYWIDE IN THE CITY OF BEACON.
UM, MOST OTHERS, UM, EVEN WHAT DOBBS FERRY IS CONSIDERING IS JUST, UM, DOWNTOWN STOREFRONTS.
UM, SOME OTHERS LIMIT IT TO JUST DOWNTOWN, SOME ONLY STOREFRONTS.
SO AGAIN, I'LL, I'LL CIRCULATE SOME OF THESE LAWS.
SO YOU CAN SEE, UM, THERE'S REALLY A RANGE OF, OF HOW AGGRESSIVE, UM, YOU ARE.
AND I MEAN, YEAH, THE, THE IDEA HOPEFULLY IS THAT THEY DON'T LEAVE THEM VACANT.
UM, BUT I MORE IMPORTANTLY, IT'S ALSO THAT IF THEY ARE VACANT, THEY'RE, THEY LOOK A CERTAIN WAY AND THEY'RE SECURE AND THEY'RE MAINTAINED.
CERTAINLY THE, THE SOUND OF SOME LEVEL OF UNIFORMITY IN AESTHETIC EXPECTATION IS SOUNDS APPEALING.
AND IT'S ALSO, UM, SOME OF THE THINGS I'VE SEEN ARE, FOR INSTANCE, IF A BUSINESS GOES OUT, THE LANDLORD HAS TO TAKE DOWN WHATEVER SIGNAGE MM-HMM
IS IN THE WINDOW OR ON THE STOREFRONT IF THAT BUSINESS IS NO LONGER THERE.
SO YOU DON'T HAVE SORT OF THIS CLUTTER OF, OF SIGNAGE AND THINGS FOR SOMETHING THAT'S NOT THERE ANYMORE.
THAT'S SORT OF ONE EXAMPLE, UNLESS IT'S DECLARED HISTORICAL OR SOMETHING
I MEAN, I, I'M BELIEVING THAT OUR PLAN, AT LEAST IN THE BEGINNING HERE WITH THE THREE HOUR PARKING BEGINNING IN NOVEMBER, UH, IS, IS THE STEP IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION THAT THE VILLAGE IS TAKING.
AND, AND HOPEFULLY IF WE, IF YOU CAN SHARE WITH US SOME OF THESE EXAMPLES MM-HMM
I THINK IT WOULD BE, UM, SEEMS LIKE EVERYONE IS AT LEAST INTERESTED IN DISCUSSING IT.
I'LL, I'LL CIRCULATE, UM, THESE DIFFERENT LAWS.
I'LL FIND OUT WHAT DOBBS FERRY DOES TONIGHT AND IF THEY'RE MAKING CHANGES, I DON'T LOVE THEIR LAW.
BUT, UM, I MEAN, I, I THINK THAT THE LATEST, AND I DIDN'T LOOK AT THAT BEFORE I CAME TO THE MEETING, BUT UM, FROM THE DOWNTOWN ADVOCATE IS I DO BELIEVE MOST OF THE STORES THAT WERE, THAT HAD GONE OUT OF, UH, BUSINESS IN THE, UH, A FEW MONTHS BACK ARE ACTUALLY EITHER OPEN OR IN THE PROCESS OF BEING OPEN.
SO, UM, YOU KNOW, WHICH IS, WAS EXACTLY WHAT WE WANT.
YOU KNOW, WE DON'T WANNA EVEN HAVE TO THINK ABOUT THIS TOO MUCH.
OF COURSE, THERE'S, THERE'S NEW TENANTS COMING IN, OF COURSE.
THAT'S, I THINK THAT GOES BACK TO WHAT THE MAYOR SAID AT THE BEGINNING, WHICH IS THAT OUR PERCENTAGE OF EMPTY STOREFRONTS AND HASTINGS IS LOWER THAN, THAN SOME OF THE OTHERS, THAN SOME OF THE OTHERS.
BUT I DO LIKE THE IDEA OF SORT OF HAVING SOME THINGS IN PLACE.
UM, SO I MEAN, AND THE RIVER TOWNS CHAMBER WANTS TO PARTNER WITH US.
UH, IF YOU CAN REMEMBER WHEN WE WERE KIDS, THERE WAS LIKE CARICATURE MAPS OF THE BUSINESSES AROUND THE VILLAGE.
THERE'S A FEW IDEAS THAT THEY THREW, THREW AROUND WITH US IN A ZOOM MEETING ABOUT JUST DISCUSSING, CREATING MAPS WHERE THAT, HIGHLIGHT WHERE THE BUSINESSES ARE.
AND I MEAN, MY ONLY CONCERN WAS THEY'RE ONLY GONNA HIGHLIGHT THE BUSINESSES THAT ARE MEMBERS OF THE CHAMBER.
UH, BUT THAT, THAT'S FOR THEM TO, TO DEAL WITH.
AND THEY WERE TALKING ABOUT DOING IT FOR THE RIVER TOWNS, BUT THEN ALSO DOING ONE FOR HASTINGS, ONE FOR DOBBS FERRY, ONE FOR IRVINGTON AND ARDSLEY AND STUFF.
SO, I MEAN, WE HAD THAT DISCUSSION AND THE DOWNTOWN ADVOCATE ALSO ATTENDED THAT MEETING AS WELL.
AND WE WERE JUST THROWING AROUND DIFFERENT IDEAS, AND I THINK WE WERE GONNA FOLLOW UP PROBABLY NEXT MONTH IS WHAT WE WERE SAYING WAS GONNA BE THE FOLLOW UP MEETING ON THAT.
YEAH, THEY WERE GONNA, WE, WE SENT THEM A FEW QUESTIONS.
THEY WERE GONNA GET RIGHT ANSWERS FROM ALL OF THE DIFFERENT MUNICIPALITIES ON IT.
UM, AND I DID HAVE A CONVERSATION WITH, UH, THE CHAIR OR THE PRESIDENT OF THE CHAMBER, UM, A FOLLOW UP, JUST A BRIEF FOLLOW UP CONVERSATION.
AND I KNOW THAT OUR DOWNTOWN ADVOCATE WENT TO THE CHAMBER MEETING THAT WAS AT ST.
GEORGE'S, I THINK IT WAS LAST WEEK, ONE NIGHT LAST WEEK.
I, I COULDN'T ATTEND, BUT, UH, SHE, UH, DID, DID ATTEND AND SAID IT WAS, UM, IT WAS, IT WAS A GOOD, GOOD MEETING AND SHE HAD AN OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK TO EVERYBODY AND LET THEM KNOW, YOU KNOW, WHERE WE'RE, WHERE, WHERE THESE VARIOUS, UH, VACANCIES ARE AT IN TERMS OF PROCESS.
SO, UM, I THINK, UH, YEAH, WE'RE, WE'RE WAITING TO HEAR BACK FROM THE, FROM THE CHAMBER AND TRUSTEE MERTON.
DID YOU GET, YOU HAD MET WITH A BUSINESS OWNER, I THINK, OR A FEW, DID YOU LIKE ANY DEDUCE, YOU KNOW, DID YOU DEDUCE ANYTHING FROM THOSE MEETINGS AT ALL ABOUT, I MEAN, ANYTHING MORE THAT WE CAN BE DOING AS A VILLAGE? I MEAN, I THINK THAT THIS CONVERSATION SEEMS REALLY HELPFUL AND SORT OF JUST TALKING ABOUT MAY AGAIN, SORT OF HAVING SOMETHING MAYBE IN PLACE.
LIKE I SAID, I THINK THE BEST THING WE, THE BEST NEWS IS HEARING THAT NEW, THAT NEW, UM,
[02:00:01]
STORES ARE COMING IN.AND, UM, SO, UH, BUT I THINK I, YOU KNOW, I THINK HAVING SOME, SOME RULES OR, OR, UM, UH, TACTICS IN PLACE.
LIKE I THINK, UM, AESTHETICALLY I WOULD LOVE TO SEE, LIKE, SEE THAT, I MEAN, I THINK WE DO SPEND TIME, UM, WHAT IS IT THE ARCHITECTURAL REVIEW TO, TO WHEN A NEW STORE GOES UP THAT THEY HAVE TO GO THROUGH A PROCESS FOR, YOU KNOW, OPENING THEIR STORE AND WHAT THEIR STOREFRONT LOOKS LIKE AND, AND THAT APPROVAL PROCESS.
AND I THINK LIKE, YOU KNOW, I, I THINK WE, I THINK IT'S, I THINK IT'S FAIR TO THINK ABOUT THE AESTHETICS OF SOMETHING THAT'S, YOU KNOW, IF IT'S VACANT, SO.
I THINK THE ONES THAT ARE THE BIGGER PROBLEM ARE THE ONES THAT HAVE BEEN THERE FOREVER.
IT'S LIKE, IT'S LIKE YOUR HOUSE.
UH, ANYBODY HAVE ANYTHING THEY'D LIKE TO ADD FOR DISCUSSION AND COMMENTS?
[XV. ANNOUNCEMENTS]
OKAY.UH, WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 19TH, RIVERTOWN THRIFT 11:00 AM TO 6:00 PM THREE SPRING, AH, THREE SPRING STREET, WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 19TH.
HASTINGS LIBRARY PRESENTS MEDICI TV.
TV MATINEES, ESSENTIAL ROYAL BALLET 1:30 PM AND THE HASTINGS PUBLIC LIBRARY OR ROOM.
SCREENING OF IN THE HEAT OF THE NIGHT.
I FELT WAS THAT, WAS THAT THE, WAS THAT THE CUTOFF? NO, NO MORE GONE.
MOVING ON TO THE NEXT ROUND OF, UH, SENIOR THURSDAY, SCREENING OF IN THE HEAT OF THE NIGHT, 1:00 PM HASTINGS PUBLIC LIBRARY ORE ROOM.
THURSDAY, AUGUST 20TH, RIVER TOWNS THRIFT 11:00 AM TO 6:00 PM THREE SPRING STREET, FRIDAY, AUGUST 21ST.
11 RIVER TOWNS THRIFT 11:00 AM BEFORE PM THREE SPRING STREET, SATURDAY, AUGUST 22ND.
FARMER'S MARKET 8:30 AM TO 1:00 PM ZINZER COMMUTER LOT.
SATURDAY, AUGUST 22ND RIVER TOWN THRIFT 11:00 AM TO 4:00 PM THREE SPRING STREET, SUNDAY, AUGUST 23RD.
THE HASTINGS TAKE IT OR LEAVE IT GARAGE.
THE TILLY 11:00 AM TO 3:00 PM AT ANDRESON HUDSON.
RIVER TOWNS CHAMBER OF COMMERCE FROM READERS TO LEADERS, COMMUNITY IMPACT GALA AT HUD CO IN DOBBS FERRY, 6:30 PM YOU HAVE TO REGISTER ONLINE WITH THE RIVER TALENTS CHAMBER OF COMMERCE.
THAT CHANGED, I THOUGHT WASN'T, I THOUGHT THAT WAS GONNA BE ON A THURSDAY NIGHT.
TUESDAY, AUGUST 25TH, SENIOR TRIP TO ARTHUR AVENUE, RSVP WITH ANNE RUAK IN THE COMMUNITY CENTER.
RIVER TOWNS THRIFT 11:00 AM TO 6:00 PM THREE SPRING STREET, WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 26TH.
HASTINGS LIBRARY PRESENTS MEDICI TV, MATINEE FLUTE CONCERT, 1:30 PM HASTINGS PUBLIC LIBRARY OR ROOM, THURSDAY, AUGUST 27TH.
RIVER TOWNS THRIFT 11:00 AM TO 6:00 PM THREE SPRING STREET, FRIDAY, AUGUST 28TH.
RIVERTOWN THRIFT, 11:00 AM TO 4:00 PM THREE SPRING STREET, SATURDAY, AUGUST 29TH, FARMER'S MARKET 8:30 AM ANOTHER CUTOFF.
UH, 8:30 AM TO 1:00 PM ZINZER COMMUTER LOT.
SATURDAY, AUGUST 29TH, RIVERTOWN THRIFT, 11:00 AM TO 4:00 PM THREE SPRING STREET AND SUNDAY, AUGUST 30TH.
HASTINGS TAKEN TO LEAVE A GARAGE TILL THE GARAGE, 11:00 AM 3:00 PM AND ADDRESS ON HUDSON.
MOVING ON TO OUR SECOND ROUND OF PUBLIC MAYOR REAL QUICK.
I DON'T KNOW HOW WE WOUND UP WITH THE SATURDAY, UH, AUGUST.
[XIV. PUBLIC COMMENTS]
MOVING ON TO OUR SECOND ROUND OF PUBLIC COMMENTS, UH, DAVE SKOLNIK 47 HILLSIDE.UM, ONE QUESTION ABOUT THE, UH, WHICH WOULD YOU JUST PASS THE LAW, THE LAW ABOUT THE, UM, STOP SIGN ON, UH, RAVENSDALE.
UM, DOES THAT PERMIT YOU TO ADD, ARE YOU PERMITTED TO ADD, UH, EVEN THOUGH IT'S NOT IN THE, UM, ACTUAL WORDING, THE WARNING SIGNS, WHATEVER INDICATION OF STOP SIGN AHEAD AND, AND YES.
AND ONE OF THE RECOMMENDATIONS I WAS ACTUALLY, I FORGOT TO MENTION, MAYBE THE POLICE DEPARTMENT COULD PUT THEIR SIGN UP.
THAT GIVES A WARNING PRIOR TO THE HILL.
AND, AND ALSO WE PUT UP A SIGN THAT SAYS IT'S A NEW, YOU KNOW, NEW STUFF SIGN.
UM, I THINK I MAY HAVE MENTIONED AT SOME POINT, UH, IN THE NOT TOO DISTANT, UH, PAST, UM, YOU HAD A MEETING SOME TIME AGO WITH THE SCHOOL SUPERINTENDENT MM-HMM
UH, I THINK THERE'S A CRITICAL ISSUE THAT I'M URGING YOU TO ACTUALLY GET TOGETHER WITH THEM, WITH THE SUPERINTENDENT AND THE POLICE DEPARTMENT BEFORE SCHOOL ACTUALLY STARTS TO DEAL WITH, UM, OUT OF SELF-INTEREST, UH, HILLSIDE, UH, AND THE, THE PATTERNS AND WHAT'S THE, THE BEHAVIORS THAT HAVE BEEN TAKING PLACE.
UM, BUT IT'S REALLY AROUND, YOU KNOW, I'D SAY AROUND THE SCHOOL IN GENERAL, THERE ARE ISSUES.
MAINLY IT'S A QUESTION OF ENFORCEMENT.
[02:05:05]
SCHOOL DOESN'T REALLY SEE THEMSELVES AS BEING THE, UM, ENTITY THAT GOES OUT AND ENFORCES ANY NUMBER OF THE RULES.BUT THERE ARE, THE POLICE AREN'T THERE.
THEY CAN'T BE THERE TO, UH, AS IT IS NOW ENFORCED ON A REGULAR BASIS.
AND YET THE CONFLICTS THAT I EXPERIENCED, PLEASE ASK QUESTIONS.
JUST FROM THE END OF THE YEAR, THERE'S CHAOS.
AND FROM THE BEGINNING IT STARTS UP AGAIN BECAUSE PEOPLE, AND BY PEOPLE I MEAN PARENTS THAT ARE DRIVING THEIR KIDS, UH, I'M NOT TELLING THE PARENTS NOT TO DRIVE THEM, BUT THEY'RE, IT'S A FREE FOR ALL.
AND THERE'S NO WAY, UM, THERE'S NOTHING IMPLEMENTED RIGHT NOW TO ACTUALLY DO ANYTHING ABOUT IT.
UH, SO I WOULD REALLY URGE YOU, AGAIN, TO GET, HAVE A SERIOUS CONVERSATION WITH WHETHER IT'S MAUREEN, UH, BUT TO SEE IF YOU CAN DO SOMETHING, UH, MORE EFFECTIVE THAN WHAT IT'S BEEN.
ALSO, UM, SOMEONE I TALKED TO THE, UH, BUILDING DEPARTMENT, BUT, UH, THERE NEEDS TO BE A REAL EFFORT, UH, TO, AT THE BEGINNING OF THE YEAR TO CLEAR THE, UH, FOLIAGE, UH, AROUND SIDEWALKS.
WE HAVE IN THAT AREA, WE HAVE FOUR FOOT SIDEWALKS, UH, WHERE BASICALLY IN A LOT OF CASES YOU CAN'T WALK, UH, BY WITHOUT STANDING, RIGHT.
THERE'S DOESN'T SEEM TO WORK TO SIMPLY, UH, SEND REMINDERS, UH, TO PEOPLE.
SO THERE, I THINK THERE'S, THERE NEEDS TO BE A LITTLE MORE OF A POLITE BUT CONCERTED EFFORT WITH THE BUILDING DEPARTMENT AND WITH THE VILLAGE.
I KNOW THE CHIEF HAS BEEN TALKING WITH THE SUPERINTENDENT, I BELIEVE TRUSTEE MERTON, UH, WAS ALSO INVOLVED IN, SO THOSE CONVERSATIONS HAVE BEGUN.
I THINK THAT THE, THE ONLY REAL CURVE BALL RIGHT NOW IS THERE'S MAJOR CONSTRUCTION THAT'S GONNA BE STARTING AT THE SCHOOL TOO.
UH, YOU KNOW, SOMETIME, I GUESS AFTER THE, THE WINTER THEY'LL HAVE MAJOR CONSTRUCTION BEGINNING.
AT LEAST THAT'S THE TIMELINE THAT WAS PROVIDED BY THE DISTRICT RECENTLY.
BUT THIS IS STUFF THAT'S BEEN GOING ON FOREVER.
THE ONE THAT, THE QUESTION YOU MISSED WAS ABOUT THE TREES ON THE SOUTH SIDE OF ZINGER AS IT RELATES TO THE PLANNING BOARD MEETING COMING UP.
I COMPLETELY BLEW THAT QUESTION BECAUSE I WANTED TO KNOW.
THERE ARE TREES THAT IN THE, UM, WASHINGTON MUSE PLAN ARE SCHEDULED TO GET TAKEN DOWN AS FAR AS I CAN UNDERSTAND THAT PLAN.
SO MAYBE I NEED TO TALK TO, UH, YOU FURTHER DIRECTLY ABOUT THAT.
THURSDAY, AUGUST 20TH, PLANNING BOARD, REGULAR MEETING 7:00 PM VILLAGE HALL, MEETING ROOM.
MONDAY, AUGUST 24TH, SENIOR COUNCIL MEETING, THREE 15, JAMES HARMON COMMUNITY CENTER, THURSDAY, AUGUST 27TH.
ZONING, BOARD OF APPEALS REGULAR MEETING 7:00 PM VILLAGE HALL, MEETING ROOM, TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 1ST.
IS THAT THE FIRST OR SECOND? MM-HMM
FIRST BOARD OF TRUSTEES REGULAR MEETING 7:00 PM VILLAGE HALL MEETING ROOM.
UH, JUST A MATTER OF INTEREST.
THERE'S ALSO A COMP, UH, COMPREHENSIVE PLAN IMPLEMENTATION MEETING TUESDAY, AUGUST 25.
AT 7:00 PM IN THE VILLAGE HALL CONFERENCE ROOM.
AND I THINK EVERYONE KNOWS, WE DID SET A DATE TO HAVE ANOTHER CO-SPONSORED MEETING WITH THE BOARD OF EDUCATION, UH, SOMETIME IN THE FALL RELATING TO THE, THE PROJECT THAT TRUSTEE, UM, FLE HAD BROUGHT UP AND WE HAD THE PRESENTATION ON.
SO I'M GLAD WE'VE SET THAT DATA.
ALSO, I KNOW HOW HARD IT IS FOR BOTH BOARDS TO DO THAT.
AND THEY, THEY ALSO HAVE WELCOMED, UH, NEW PRESIDENT OF THE BOARD OF EDUCATION, UH, DAVID WEINSTEIN.
SO, UH, HE'S THE NEW PRESIDENT OF THE BOARD AND WE THANK, UH, ALEX DEL PIAZ FOR HIS HONORABLE SERVICES PRESIDENT.
AND I FEEL BAD FOR THE POOR GUY.
SO, UH, MAY I HAVE A MOTION TO ADJOURN? SO MOVED.