COUNCIL OF GREENBURGH CIVIC ASSOCIATIONS
Minutes of Meeting - November 13, 2001
The Council of Greenburgh Civic Associations seeks to provide information to and advance the common interests of member civic groups in important Town affairs. The following civic groups have paid dues for the year 2001:
Ardsley Estates Civic Association
Beaver Hill Association
Birchwood Civic Association
Broadview Civic Association
East Hartsdale Avenue Civic Association
East Irvington Civic Association
Edgebrook Cooperative, Inc.
Fort Hill Association
Fulton Park Civic Association
Granada Condominium III Association
Hartsdale Highlands Civic Assoc.
Hillcrest Park-Ardsley Ciivic Association
Hillside Wyndover Civic Association
Homestead Owners Corp.
Juniper Hill Civic Association
Knollwood Manor Civic Association
Knollwood Neighborhood Association
Longview Association
Lower Manor Woods Neighborhood Association
Mayfair-Knollwood Civic Association
North Elmsford Civic Association
Northern Greenville Association
Parkway Gardens Civic Association
Parkway Homes Civic, Association
Poet's Corner Civic Association
Secor Homes Civic Association, Inc.
Southern Greenville Association
The Cotswold Association Inc.
The Edgemont Association
The Sprain Road Association
Washington Avenue Civic Association
Westchester Hills Condominium
Winding Road Farm Association
Woodhill Civic Association
To date, thirty-five civic groups have paid dues for the year 2001. There is $747.39 in the treasury.
Minutes of the October 16, 2001, meeting were read and approved with minor corrections that will be made prior to distribution.
The November 13, 2001 CGCA meeting was held at the Multipurpose Center at Anthony F. Veteran Park.
FLOODPLAIN MANAGEMENT & FLOOD HAZARD MITIGATION PLAN
CGCA members welcomed James Antonelli, who has been hired by the town to serve as a consultant to a planning committee that will prepare a Greenburgh Floodplain Management & Flood Hazard Mitigation Plan. Mr. Antonelli is an engineer and the Director of Planning & Environmental Services with the firm of Sidney B. Bowne & Son. Members of the planning committee appointed by the Town Board include representatives from the Town Board; Planning Board; Westchester County Planning Board; several town departments (Public Works, Police, Engineering and Building); as well as Greenburgh residents. Fran McLaughlin, chair of the Greenburgh Planning Board, agreed to serve as chair of the committee.
Richard White, the CGCA representative to the committee, gave a report to CGCA members regarding the second meeting of the committee held on November 1. (The first meeting was held on October 24.)
Mr. White noted that the plan is being prepared under the Community Rating System (CRS) of the National Flood Insurance Program. Under the CRS, the town will receive credit (points) for each step of the planning process and subsequent follow through. (Each year the town must submit a report evaluating progress.) The higher the town scores, the more funding the town will be entitled to receive for public works programs. In addition, flood insurance policy holders will be entitled to premium reductions. The plan would encourage property owners to take preventive measures- The federal government would fund up to 75% of the cost of measures to prevent flood damage, with the property owner paying 25%. In addition, Mr. White explained that property owners who carry flood insurance are covered up to $1,000 for preventive measures. However, to receive any funding, the town must have an approved Flood Hazard Mitigation Plan in place. Municipalities to the north and south of Greenburgh already have plans in place, but the Town of Greenburgh does not have a plan. Much of the November 1 meeting was spent identifying flood prone areas on a map, and a request was made for photographs of flooding conditions.
Mr. Antonelli distributed a 3-page summary to CGCA members and explained the process. He noted that the goal is to identify all flood hazard and problem areas in unincorporated Greenburgh and then identify possible solutions to reduce and/or eliminate flooding and the resultant damage. Possible solutions might consist of routine maintenance programs, elevating homes, raising roads, or repairing/refurbishing storm water handling systems. The final plan would include suggested engineering solutions, and Mr. Antonelli will provide rough cost estimates for each solution. The State Emergency Management Office (SEMO) in Albany will review the plan before it is presented to the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) which will evaluate the plan and proposed projects. The funding cycle actually ended last fall, but has been extended to March because of the events of September 11. The goal is to have the plan in draft form by January when a public hearing will be scheduled. The plan will then be forwarded to SEMO in February for review.
Mr. Antonelli noted that the town currently has a number of laws in place regarding erosion, wetlands, floodplains and watercourses. However, the town does not have adequate records on past flooding events that have taken place. Mr. Antonelli expressed a desire to get more people involved, especially those who have been affected by flooding. Public participation is necessary in gathering accurate and more complete historical information and documentation on storms, and under the CRS, the town will receive additional points if the public participates. It was suggested that notice of meetings should be placed in the "Civic Calendar" of the Gannett newspaper.
Mr. Antonelli noted that he has also contacted other county, state and federal agencies for information. He mentioned that SEMO usually attends committee meetings but has been busy in Manhattan since September 11. SEMO will provide information on repetitive losses and an assessment of dollar amounts that have been lost in various flooding events over the years.
CGCA members agreed to try to get representatives involved from other areas of town that have experienced flooding, e.g., Babbitt Court, Fulton Park and Parkway Homes. It was noted that last year the town submitted an application to Albany to address the flooding problems on Babbitt Court. The application to provide relief for the Babbitt Court flooding victims was denied because the town did not have in place a Flood Hazard Mitigation Plan.
Lorrin Brown noted that numerous studies have been done regarding flooding from the Saw Mill River in the Babbitt Court area and in the business district north of Elmsford. The property owners in these areas don't want another study, they want something done to correct the problem. It was noted noted that the Army Corps of Engineers completed improvement projects along the Saw Mill River both north and south of Greenburgh. Although the Greenburgh area was studied, the corps failed to undertake improvements in Greenburgh, claiming the benefit did not justify the cost. It was questioned whether the corps actually assesses the real costs of flooding to this area since many property owners do not have flood insurance or file claims. During Tropical Storm Floyd in September 1999, multi-million dollar losses were sustained in this area. In addition, it was noted that major storm events, which flood Route 9A, disrupt many other businesses and residents that must use Route 9A, one of the few north-south routes in the county open to commercial vehicles. Flooding of Route 9A also jeopardizes the safety of residents not in the floodplain (Payne Street, Beaver Hill and Westchester Hills) in the event of an emergency. Alice Moroney suggested that thought be given to purchasing some of the vacant property at the Landmark at Eastview and using it for storage to detain some of the water in the Saw Mill River drainage basin as it enters Greenburgh.
Mr. Antonelli left a map illustrating all of the known streams in Greenburgh with Richard White and asked that CGCA members mark the map if they know of any additional areas subject to flooding. The next meeting of the committee is scheduled for Monday, November 19, at 7:30 p.m. at Town Hall. All are invited to attend. ,
On a related matter, it was noted that the Town Board has scheduled a public hearing for November 14 (postponed from October 24) on the proposed amended Flood Damage Prevention Law. In 1999 and 2000, Planning Board member Blanche Alter and volunteers Madelon O'Shea, Ella Preiser and Francis Sheehan worked with a former Deputy Town Attorney to re-write the law. The town has "lost" the work they did tailoring the law to the needs of Greenburgh. The Town Board now plans to adopt a "boilerplate" law received from the state.
PROPOSED EXPANSION OF MIDWAY SHOPPING CENTER
On October 24, the Town Board declared its intention to be Lead Agency regarding the proposed expansion and renovation of the Midway Shopping Center on Central Avenue. Although the required 30day time period had not elapsed before declaring Lead Agency status, the Town Board has scheduled a "presentation and discussion" regarding this application at its regular meeting on November 14. The applicant plans to renovate the facade of the existing buildings and to reconfigure the parking lot and add new lighting and landscaping. To obtain a return on the improvements, the applicant seeks expansion adding 1,500 square feet to the existing Pizza Hut building, 9,622 square feet to the existing "The Wiz" building and 15,163 square feet to the northern end of the existing main building, as well as towers housing elevators/stairs to access the rooftop parking. Numerous variances will be necessary.
Madelon O' Shea reported that the Edgemont Community Council supports upgrading the shopping center but is opposed to the proposal to expand the existing square footage of the buildings. She noted that Arnold Laubich, an Edgemont resident and the Deputy Town Supervisor for this project, is a professional who has been involved in the renovation of numerous shopping centers. He has indicated that the renovations can be accomplished without seeking additional square footage. CGCA members discussed this issue and agreed that this shopping center, built in the 1950s, is in need of major renovations. However, concerns were expressed about expansion and the many variances that are being requested. Ella Preiser was asked to speak on behalf of the CGCA at tomorrow night's Town Board meeting.
VILLAGE RESIDENTS MAY RECEIVE ACCESS TO TOWN RECREATION FACILITIES
The agenda for tomorrow night's (November 14) Town Board meeting includes two requests by the Parks and Recreation Department - (1) to allow Greenburgh village residents with disabled children access to town pools and (2) to issue up to 25 tennis permits to village residents. CGCA members noted that the Town Board has never discussed these requests at a public work session.
CGCA members suggested that since permits will not be issued until next year, both requests should be tabled until they have been discussed in an open meeting. Information should be provided on the numbers of residents involved and the protocols to be used. Questions were raised about whether a lawsuit could be filed claiming reverse discrimination - if the disabled are granted access, why shouldn't other village residents also be given access? Hal Samis questioned whether this was any different from the item on the October 24 Town Board meeting agenda that referred to the Parks & Recreation Advisory Board a proposal by the Supervisor that would offer volunteer firefighters who serve unincorporated Greenburgh free park permits to use town pools.
Francis Sheehan noted that the idea behind the consortium that parents of disabled children were trying to form was to have inter-municipal agreements regarding the use of recreational facilities. For example, Greenburgh might grant village disabled children access to the town pool, and the villages would grant access to Greenburgh disabled children to some facility within their borders. Municipalities that do not have any facilities would have to buy into the agreement. Right now there is no lower Westchester consortium, and disabled residents have to go up county to use facilities. Mr. Sheehan noted that the bargaining advantage of a consortium would disappear if Greenburgh unilaterally grants access.
CGCA members noted that the use of unincorporated Greenburgh's recreational facilities by village residents has been a recurring issue over the years since the town acquired the former Scarsdale Bath & Tennis Club (now Anthony F. Veteran Park) in 1975. In the early 1980s, the Village of Ardsley was successful in a lawsuit since the court found that Greenburgh could not deny Ardsley residents access to the park. However, the court order required the village to pay a proportionate share of the costs of financing, operating and maintaining the park. Ardsley chose not to join. In 1994/1995 Ardsley village residents again sought admission to the park. Supervisor Feiner formed a committee to study the issue. Questions were raised about the inequality of allowing village residents to enter and pay only for yearly maintenance while Town residents had paid off the bond issue and for subsequent improvements. The committee decided that access by village residents was not in the best interests of the residents of unincorporated Greenburgh.
After a lengthy discussion CGCA members recommended that the Town Board table these requests.
TOWN BOARD CONTINUES TO VIOLATE THE "OPEN MEETINGS LAW"
It was noted that the Town Board continues to hold meetings whenever or where ever it wants without giving due notice to the public. Madelon O'Shea, Ella Preiser and Francis Sheehan regularly attend Town Board afternoon work sessions/meetings. Every week they call the Town Clerk's office to find out if and when a meeting is scheduled and what is on the agenda. On November 5, they individually called and were told there would be no work sessions or meetings that week. On November 7, Mrs. Preiser was in Town Hall on another matter around 4 p.m. and had a discussion with the Town Clerk. No mention was made of a meeting. However, that evening at the Planning Board meeting, she learned that the Town Board held a special meeting at 5 p.m. and passed legislation to shut down the Indian Point Nuclear Power plant and to refer the application for the Synergy Health Club to the Planning Board. Supervisor Feiner subsequently claimed that he had notified the press, however, no notice was given to the public. Once again, the Town Board violated the Open Meetings Law.
CGCA members questioned whether the Town Board members are aware of the provisions of the Open Meetings Law. At the October 24 Town Board meeting, Francis Sheehan asked if the Town Board had held a work session the previous week off site at the Rockefeller Playhouse. Councilwoman Diana Juettner responded that it was not a work session or a meeting. The board had in fact met at the Playhouse to discuss personnel evaluations. It appears that board members are unaware that any time three or more of them meet to conduct town business they are subject to the Open Meetings Law. Although personnel issues may be discussed behind closed doors in an "executive" session, the Open Meetings Law requires the board to first meet in open session and formally vote to go into executive session, identifying the general areas to be considered behind closed doors. The Town Board failed to vote on or announce the meeting in advance. The message to the public was that there was to be no work session or meeting of the board that week.
ADOPTION OF OPEN SPACE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN FURTHER DELAYED AND TOWN BOARD MUST EXTEND MORATORIUM FOR THE 3rd TIME
The current moratorium on development will expire on December 31, 2001. It is unlikely that the Town Board will have completed the required Generic Draft Environmental Impact Statement (GDEIS) regarding the proposed Open Space Comprehensive Plan or finished review of the proposed wetlands and steep slopes legislation before that date. Therefore, the Town Board is now proposing that the moratorium be extended until the end of February 2002. This would be the 3rd time the Town Board has extended the moratorium that became effective April 1, 2001.
CGCA members questioned whether the Town Board's decisions to enact these short-term, multiple extensions of the moratorium exhibit good judgment or would hold up if subject to court challenge. It was noted that the Scoping Document for the GDEIS was not adopted until October 24 although the public scoping sessions were held in March and April of this year. Developers, community members and even the Planning Board members agreed that the wetlands and steep slopes laws initially proposed by the Town Board were poorly written. The Planning Board has just begun review of the 2nd draft of the wetlands law and has not yet received a new draft of the steep slopes law. In addition, the Town Board has hired an outside consultant, Terry Rice, to review the proposed legislation. It is presumed he also will be asked to review the 2nd drafts or any final drafts. CGCA members do not understand the long delays in preparing the necessary documents and question whether the proposed extension of time for the moratorium will be sufficient.
UPDATES - NEW ZONING - EAST HARTSDALE AVENUE
Zoning Map Still Needs Amending. Ella Preiser noted that the Town Board did not properly amend the zoning map when it approved the new zoning district for East Hartsdale Avenue on September 25. Two residential buildings -180 and 170 East Hartsdale Avenue - remain in a commercial district. On October 10 when informed of this problem, the Town Board promised to look into the matter. No action has been taken. The CGCA hopes that the Town Board will take the necessary steps to amend the zoning map.
Synergy Fitness Club. Rumors abounded that Synergy was no longer interested in the former site of the Home Center on East Hartsdale Avenue. At the October 23 Town Board work session, Supervisor Feiner announced that he had persuaded them to stay. On November 7, the Town Board voted to refer the Synergy application to the Planning Board. That same evening, the Planning Board was informed by Councilwoman Timmy Weinberg that the Town Board felt this application should be given the highest priority. Acting without a written referral from the Town Board, the Planning Board then referred the application to the Hartsdale Contextual Review Committee (HCRC) by a vote of 5 to 1. Planning Board member James Hubert voted against the referral because the board had not been given any documents to review. CGCA members noted that Mr. Hubert had been asked by the Planning Board to serve on the HCRC. Mr. Hubert learned that the HCRC had already held two meetings to which he had not been invited.
Small Animal Hospital. It was noted that the veterinarian is in the process of preparing his application for a special permit to open a small animal hospital on East Hartsdale Avenue next to the pet grooming business. CGCA members continue to think this business would be a positive addition to East Hartsdale Avenue and will support the veterinarian's requests for a special permit and a waiver from the moratorium.
TOWN BOARD KEPT SECRET OFFERS TO DONATE LAND FOR A NEW TOWN HALL
At the October 23 Town Board work session, Martin Berger, a principal of the Robert Martin Company (RMC), happened to mention that earlier in the year he had offered to donate land for a new Town Hall building. He offer offered properties RMC owns on either Dobbs Ferry Road or White Plains/Tarrytown Road. Apparently the Dobbs Ferry Road site is no longer being offered but the White Plains/Tarrytown Road site, next to the Marriott Hotel, still is offered. At the October 24 Town Board meeting, Ella Preiser asked why this offer had not been made public and why Supervisor Feiner's committee was not considering this possibility. Mr. Feiner responded that it was not ccentrally located. Mrs. Preiser noted that neither was the Town Park, but it was being studied as a possible location for Town Hall. She asked whether there was a quid pro quo involved. Councilman Timmy Weinberg replied that the offer is contingent on the RMC request to rezone property it owns at 600 White Plains Road from Office Building to permit construction of a 100,000 to 150,000 square foot retail store. The Town Board agreed that the committee reviewing sites for the Town Hall and WASA should consider this site. Hal Samis questioned whether Landauer, the firm the Town Board hired earlier this year to review potential sites, was informed of this offer to donate land.
NEW SECURITY MEASURES AT TOWN HALL
CIVIC LEADERS CONSIDERED A THREAT TO SECURITY
Supervisor Feiner has handed down edicts regarding new security measures at Town Hall. Community groups will no longer be permitted to use the Town Hall for evening meetings, all board meetings must end at I 1 p.m. and all persons entering/leaving Town Hall will be required to use the door adjacent to the parking lot. A guard will be stationed at the door and everyone (employees and visitors) entering/leaving the building must sign in/out. Visitors will be required to wait while the guard calls the department a visitor wishes to visit. Town staff will escort the visitor(s) to the department and then escort the visitor(s) back to the security guard or to another department. There are also plans to install a video camera at the entrance door. (The budget for next year contains $30,000 to pay for security.)
It appears that the other Town Board members have never discussed these policies. Last week at the Police/Community Advisory Commission meeting, the issue of the security measures was raised and Councilwoman Eddie Mae Barnes said she had no knowledge of them. Supervisor Feiner announced at the October 30 Town Board work session that all board meetings would end at I1 p.m. No discussion followed the announcement.
Tonight's CGCA meeting was held at the Multipurpose Center because two weeks ago Town Clerk Alfreda Williams called CGCA Chairman Danny Gold and informed him community groups would no longer be allowed to meet at Town Hall for security reasons. Upon hearing of this restriction, Ella Preiser called Police Chief John Kapica to ask him why the town considers civic leaders a threat to security. He responded that it is because the CGCA holds open meetings.
Mary Tobias noted that the CG-CA is not the only group being denied access to Town Hall for meetings. She reported that the Antenna Review Board (ARB), an official board of the town with decision-making powers, has also been informed that it can no longer hold evening meetings at Town Hall. The ARB was given a special dispensation to hold a meeting at Town Hall at 6 p.m. today but was told that in the future it could not meet at Town Hall. Ironically, about a year and half ago, Supervisor Feiner faulted the ARB for not holding evening meetings at Town Hall so the public could attend. Apparently only the Town Board, the Planning Board and the Zoning Board of Appeals will be permitted to hold evening meetings at Town Hall.
Madelon O'Shea reported that when she visited Town Hall, the guard was on a lunch break. A secretary was stationed at the guard's desk and even though she knew Mrs. O'Shea, she would not allow her to go anywhere without an escort. CGCA members suggested that it is a very unproductive use of employees' time to escort visitors around Town Hall, especially residents such as Mrs. O' Shea and others who go to Town Hall regularly and visit multiple departments on each trip.
It appears that Mr. Feiner and other employees were frightened by two recent incidents at Town Hall - an unattended brief case that someone left while momentarily stepping outside and some powder found on the floor of the men's restroom. (They feared it was anthrax and Town Hall was evacuated.) The powder was not anthrax. However, even before the test results on the powder were available, men were permitted to use the same men's room. The security measures imposed by Mr. Feiner do not appear to respond to either of these identified "threats."
CGCA members acknowledged that things have changed following September 11 and are not opposed to having some security measures put in place. However, it was suggested that potential threats first need to be identified and then evaluated in a rational and reasonable fashion. Several CGCA members agreed with Deborah Bloom's comments about a slippery slope - where it is easy to erode liberties in little ways. Richard White was questioned about what security measures were instituted in the New York City courts. He identified the various levels of security employees and visitors must pass through but acknowledged that once a visitor obtained a sticker, s/he was free to go anywhere in the building.
It was suggested that the Journal News be contacted to learn if they would be interested in writing a news article about what, if any, security measures other local municipalities are imposing.
Concern was expressed about attendance at future CGCA meetings if they are held at the Multipurpose Center. It was noted that some representatives will not attend CGCA meetings held at the Multipurpose Center because they do not like driving the dark, narrow winding roads at right to reach this desolate area. Further, the parking lot is isolated and dark and the ramp makes access to the building difficult. Some of those who attended tonight's meeting stated that they would not attend future meetings if the roads were wet or slippery.
MORE OBSTACLES TO "PUBLIC" ACCESS CABLE TELEVISION
It was noted that $25,500 is listed in the 2001 budget for the Cable Access Director's salary. However, it is estimated that the actual amount paid will equal $53,200 on December 31, 2001. No explanation is given why this salary exceeded the budgeted amount by over 100%. It was also noted that Supervisor Feiner is budgeting $50,000 for the salary of the cable director for the year 2002. At $25.00 an hour, the $50,000 equals a 40-hour workweek. However, it is unknown why this has become a full-time position since the hours that public access cable television operates have not been expanded except for the few weeks prior to the primary and general elections.
CGCA members continue to have concerns about the rules Mr. Feiner is setting up even though he continues to claim he is willing to turn the operation of public access cable television over to an independent board, as recommended by the Greenburgh Campaign Finance Commission in December 2000. Mr. Feiner has decided to negotiate a contract with the cable director that will in effect determine the number of hours the director can work. An independent board would have little input once a contract is signed.
Mr. Feiner also has required all persons wishing a cable program in 2002 to file an application with him by December 15_ The application form that those wishing a cable program must sign requires compliance with a booklet of rules that the town has promulgated. These rules refer to a phantom company (Greenburgh Community Television) and a non-existing "board of directors" that has final authority over all aspects of programming. The rules state that videotapes will be carried on Channel 35 - a station the town has no control over. It appears that Mr. Feiner will continue to exercise authority over who gets a cable program and when that program will air.
It was also noted that the 2002 budget does not allocate money for rent payments for a full year for the cable studio on East Hartsdale Avenue. CGCA members are pleased since the studio is obviously too small to produce quality cable television programs. The Town Board has given no indication where cable programs will be produced once the existing lease expires.
The CGCA continues to request that the Town Board adopt the recommendations of the Greenburgh Campaign Finance Commission and turn the operation of public access cable television over to a not-for-profit, independent cable board.
SUPERVISOR FEINER IGNORES TOWN BOARD RESOLUTION REGARDING CABLE TELEVISION ACCESS FOR POLITICAL CANDIDATES
It was noted that Supervisor Feiner apparently had authority to amend the rules that the Town Board adopted on August 30, 2001, regarding when candidates' promotional tapes would play. At a meeting with candidates in July, Mr. Feiner stated that he wanted programs such as "The 3C's" taken off the air in the weeks prior to an election since certain programs could "bad mouth" the town. and influence the election. However, the Town Board adopted the August 30 resolution that stated candidates' tapes would be aired after 10:00 p.m. Thus, it would not be necessary to censor (remove from the air) any existing programs.
Mr. Feiner got his way. In the weeks prior to the general election, candidates' promotional tapes began airing at 7:30 p.m. on some weekdays. Some evenings the tapes recycled three times.
MISCELLANEOUS
Proposed Homeless Shelter at Grasslands. Alice Moroney reported that she recently attended a meeting at Mount Pleasant Town Hall regarding the proposed homeless shelter on the Grasslands Reservation. Mount Pleasant officials and representatives from the Knollwood Manor and MayfairKnollwood civic associations in Greenburgh attended. Councilwomen Diana Juettner and Timmy Weinberg also attended the meeting. Ms. Weinberg urged those present to compromise. A number of people felt her comments were out of order. It was noted that at the Town Board work session on October 23, Ms. Weinberg announced that the proposed shelter was not in the neighborhood of the civic groups.
McMansions not included in Scoping Document. On October 24, the Town Board adopted the Scoping Document of items to be addressed in the GDEIS being prepared. Last spring during the public scoping sessions, the "buzz" word on the lips of all Town Board members was "McMansions" (enormous houses). However, the Town Board failed to include McMansions in the Scoping Document. A supplemental EIS will be required to address this oversight.
Yes a Hotel, No Hotel, Yes a Hotel. Last year the Town Board granted approval for an amended site plan to permit the applicants to construct a 150-room hotel on property at 600 White Plains Road. The applicants attended the Town Board work session on October 23, 2001 because of a problem they uncovered. It appears that in 1982 when the property was rezoned from Designed Shopping to Office Building, a restriction was placed on the property stating that no hotel would be permitted. During the work session the Town Attorney indicated that the applicant knew of the restriction during the approval process but failed to disclose it at that time. Inasmuch as the Town Board had already given permission to build the hotel, at the October 24 Town Board meeting, the board voted to authorize the Supervisor to modify the 1982 restriction.
Hillside Avenue Construction to Begin. It was noted that the owners of 100-1 SO Hillside Avenue have received permits to build the remaining 32 units of affordable housing and to complete the site work around the.-property of the office building (formerly SCI).
New Planning Board Attorney. On October 10, the Town Board appointed Janet Insardi to the position of Deputy Town Attorney. Ms. Insardi is a full-time employee and has been assigned to work with the Planning Board. She replaces Jan Ulman, a part-time employee, who resigned earlier this year.
What is the Role of a Liaison? Hal Samis questioned whether paid Town Board members who are liaisons to volunteer boards should be expected to remain throughout the meetings of the volunteer board. He noted that Councilwoman Timmy Weinberg regularly leaves meetings of the Planning Board and Zoning Board of Appeals before the end of meetings. Particularly troubling was the November 7 meeting of the Planning Board when Ms. Weinberg left at 9:40 p.m. The Planning Board was discussing the propose; wetlands law which the 'f own Board teas deemed a priority, During the discussion, Planning Board members questioned whether they should be meeting with the Town Board. When they looked up they found Ms. Weinberg had already departed.
Free Publicity of Meetings Not Used. Hal Samis questioned whether the town really wants residents to attend meetings. He noted that Greenburgh fails to take advantage of the free "Civic Calendar" in the Journal News to announce meetings. Other communities regularly publish the time and place for meetings of their various boards. Mr. Samis intends to pursue this issue with the town's boards.