Getting Over-burdened With Bonds During A Recession

This email notification below was provided by Greenburgh School District Board member David Warner to residents. We feel the information conveyed here is pertinent because this is a repeat of Mr Feiner/the Town and the School District pushing their own bonds onto the Unincorporated taxpayers at the same time. The last time this happened, the former School Superintendent was trying to float a bond for $114 million dollars (over $200 million with interest) and Mr Feiner for $49 million. The voting process to move forward with gifting GameOn 365 this $2million dollar gift is being held on a Thursday, when most residents would not be paying close attention. The police department needs something. However, other properties, such as 100 Hillside Avenue, haven't been scrutinized for use, which would provide roughly 4-times the space at one-third the cost!

Re: New Police Headquarters, July 26th, 2022

The Town of Greenburgh is planning a $2M referendum for a Nov 8th public vote to purchase property on Dobbs Ferry Road for a new police station/EMS facility. When they build the facility, it will cost $55-60M and they will need to pass a referendum for about $50M for that. Currently the police station and Town Court are located on Tarrytown Road near RJ Bailey. The police station will move to Dobbs Ferry Road, while the Town Court will remain where it is. See Meghan Hak's e-mail attachment below for more details.

There is a special meeting at Greenburgh Town Hall this Thursday 07/28/22 at 7:30 PM to discuss the purchase of the land. I have spoken with BOE President Tracy Mairs regarding this meeting. Since the current Greenburgh CSD BOE has not discussed this topic, we cannot represent a position for or against the referendum. However, we can state what we have done and are considering regarding facilities, and ask questions.

As this is a public meeting, anyone in the community can attend and ask questions. I called Town Hall and confirmed that there will be public input at the meeting. Advance notice is required, and requests to speak should be e-mailed to townclerk@greenburghny.com. The clerk's office wasn't certain whether allowed input would be the normal 5 minutes per speaker or only 2 minutes per speaker. I know that recently the requirement that anyone participating in person wear a mask was reinstated due to the high incidence of COVID.

Tracy Mairs and I will both attend, and I am signing up to speak. I intend to ask:

1)  At Greenburgh CSD we are working on making our COVID ventilation fixes permanent, adopting an Energy Performance Contract, building a security vestibule at the middle/high school, upgrading our fire hydrant system, replacing the Highview and mansion roofs, and restoring the RJ Bailey Auditorium. Priorities for our next set of projects include repairing and replacing school roofs and outer walls, adding ECP classrooms, and upgrading our asphalt track. Our taxpayers are a subset of the Town taxpayers. How do we coordinate our efforts so that we don't interfere with one another?

2) What is the financial impact on the tax rate per $1000 of the proposed $2M bond?

3) What is the financial impact on the tax rate per $1000 of the later $50M bond?

4) If you are unable to pass the $50M bond, are you able to sell the land for enough to recoup the cost of the $2M bond?

5) If the $2M bond passes, you will be removing the Dobbs Ferry property from the tax rolls. If the Town Court remains in place, there will be no Tarrytown Road property coming back onto the tax rolls to offset the loss of the Dobbs Ferry Road property. On the other hand, other projects like the Elmwood development should increase the tax base. Is there a five-year projection that accounts for the major projects in process that affect the tax rolls? After adjusting for inflation, are we looking at a net loss or a net gain in total assessed value of the town?

If you have additional questions, but won't be asking them yourself at the Town meeting, please feel free to share them and we will try to pass them on.

Covert Collusion with GameOn 365 – Again – By Special Decree!

A number of years ago, Mr Feiner appeared to collude with GameOn 365 for the property where Frank’s Nursery had been on Dobbs Ferry Road. When Frank’s Nursery fell into Chapter 11, Frank’s abandoned the property and failed to pay the taxes on it. Subsequently, the Town gained ownership of the property and that’s when the subterfuge happened. Spearheaded by the Worthington Woodlands Civic Association and the Council of Greenburgh Civic Associations, they rallied the troops, the press and other community leaders to see the sham of a deal Mr Feiner had made with GameOn 365 to illegally lease the property in order to build an 83 foot high Sports Bubble. Mr Feiner, a non-practicing attorney, knows how much he can push the boundaries of legality and used to be fond of saying, “If you don’t like what I’m doing, sue me!” The town was about to be sued when Game On pulled out and went next door looking to buy the Golf Range from the Visioli family to build a Sports Complex. This plan was abandoned and eventually they did buy the 32 acre property and kept it as a Golf Range.

The former Frank’s Nursery property was finally sold for $3.5 million to a developer named Capitol Seniors Housing, who would be building an assisted living facility at that location for about 100 residents. Sadly, before inking the deal, Mr Feiner and Mr Lewis* claimed remediation of the former Frank’s Nursery property would be capped at $100,000. The cost to the Town for remediation was ultimately $1.5 million! Is this why there are so many jokes about not trusting lawyers? Regardless, after back taxes were paid on the property, and the cost of remediation, the Town taxpayers did not see a profit on this property.

The Town Board and specifically Mr Feiner, have struggled for years to find a way to keep the pesky residents and critics of the Town Board at bay. Finally, they have the pseudo-Covid switch (science? really?) that they conveniently flick on or off at their discretion. And they do. While many municipalities have gone back to in-person meetings, the Town of Greenburgh is giddily besides themselves with their unchecked power of keeping the public and most importantly their detractors, out of many discussions that would impede their questionable transactions. Coupled with the ultimate control of forcing residents to utilize Zoom for their 5-minutes of comment, Mr Feiner can “pull the plug” on anyone disagreeing with him.

Now, during the slowest business time of the year with constituent families not around, residents and employees away on vacation, the Town Board quietly put a special meeting and vote on the agenda during Executive session which will wholeheartedly benefit GameOn 365. No mention was made public of this special meeting at the Town Board’s Work Session meeting. Nor was anything said at the subsequent regular Town Board meeting. Mr Feiner decided to try to sneak this through for an obscure night (Thursday 7/28) when those who don’t follow the Town Board’s shuffle won’t even be aware of what these integrity-lacking Board members did – not until you receive your tax bill with the sizable increase caused by the acceptance of this proposal. It wasn’t until Mr Feiner sent the cleverly-crafted “Good News!” email out was his scheme unhatched to the public.

In this case, GameOn 365 has offered to sell 4 acres of the Golf Driving Range on Dobbs Ferry Road for $2 million so the Town can build a new Police Department/Emergency Medical Services Headquarters property adjacent to the Golf Driving Range on Dobbs Ferry Road. Their original goal when the Frank’s Nursery property sale fell through to Game On 365 because scrutiny, lawsuits and the overall “shade” cast on it by so many, it was impossible for Mr Feiner to move forward with the GameOn 365 scheme. 

GameOn 365 is also offering to gift a piece of their property to the Town in return for a private access road for access to the new facility enabling the Town to absorb the cost for build this new Police Station. This is the newest in a long list of Feiner’s Follies. At the same time, the Town would be assuming responsibility and costs to build the road, allowing GameOn 365 to return to the Town (the goal all along) and apply for permits for more construction to benefit their owners and majority stakeholders. Mr Feiner is well-known for having an end-game years down the line with a habit of waiting out his opponents. We believe that’s what is happening here.

The rushed proposal in question is to have a referendum to float a Bond to build this new Police Station on the GameOn 365 property. Mr Feiner also sent out another well-crafted document trying to validate the rationale for going along with this debacle. He points out that the age and the size of the current facility is woefully undersized, doesn’t meet Federal standards, does not have proper facilities for male and female staff and there’s a lack of parking. He purports that the building was constructed in 1956 and renovated in 1993 and 2001. Who was Supervisor during the renovations? Why didn’t the Supervisor at the time look forward to create a better building then? Incompetence then and apparently still.

He questions throwing more money into what he considers a bad building. Really? You may recall several years ago when Greenburgh School Superintendent Chase and several School Board members were trying to float a Consolidation Bond, claiming it would only be $114 million dollars. After scrutinizing those figures, what was planned, and NYS Department of Education information, the totals didn’t lie, unlike the Superintendent. The amount was well over $200 million dollars! At the same time, Mr Feiner was trying to get support for a $49 million bond to replace both the Police Headquarters and the Town Court. What changed that the cost would go from $49 million to now $55-60 million for only the police department’s new building. Why the difference; what about the Town Court, also housed at the current location? And why the disparity in figures from a few years ago until now?

Mr Feiner also bemoans the fact that the building is non-compliant, wasteful, operating costs are exorbitant, poorly insulated and vehicles are exposed to the elements. Funny, but most of our cars and automobiles are exposed to the elements but unlike the police department, we cannot change out our vehicles every three years like they do. He has concerns over security and safety. Huh? Can he be serious that the police are afraid of crime in Greenburgh, and if so, what about us, the public?

There may be legitimacy in some of the concerns raised, but after 30 years at the helm, Mr Feiner has been more than derelict with repairs, infrastructure and/or maintaining the well-being of many of our buildings. It’s difficult to go along with this proposal for several reasons: first, the price is fictitious and made up by Mr Feiner; second, there are no plans drawn up that would allow a conscious, good faith  review and cost estimate; third, many have questioned using/purchasing/leasing the building at 100 Hillside Avenue (the old Dannon bldg) but have only been ignored; fourth, holding the special meeting on a Thursday night, with little notification and limited participation (through Zoom) or in-person smacks of the ultimate disregard for the public (taxpayers) as nothing more than following the letter of the law to allow Mr Feiner vis a vis the Board to fix a pre-determined outcome.

This behavior, so often seen by a one party-rule Town needs to be slowed down in the least and stopped at the best so the public can truly ask questions and get answers, not platitudes. Mr Feiner and his Town Board have stated that this bond will cost Unincorporated Town members roughly a $150 increase in their taxes and Village residents only $86 based on a $750,000 assessment. To the Village residents, we implore you to vote No for this. For Unincorporated residents we ask you to be diligent, and write to the Town Board and Mr Feiner opposing this sham! Just say, "NO!" Tell them we want facts and figures before committing to another of Feiner’s Follies.It’s the only way to get A Better Greenburgh.

* Tim Lewis, was the Town Attorney at the time and was given a judgeship. It’s like they say in business, those who can’t do get promoted.

ESCO Scam Perpetuated On Taxpayers Again

 A Message to All From the Council of Greenburgh Civic Associations:

The original intent was to wait a few more days to receive Con Edison bills for the month of December and then issue a 2020 year-end table demonstrating the cost difference to five residents who “opted out” of the ESCO contract for electric supply in which the Greenburgh Town Board enrolled nearly 12,000 resident and small businesses users.

However, in response to a number of calls, the Executive Board of the Council of Greenburgh Civic Associations feels it necessary to reply to some misinformation that the Town released Wednesday (1/13/21) in an email blast regarding the new 18-month ESCO contract.

The Town’s email stated:  “We’re happy to announce that the Town of Greenburgh and our neighboring communities will be renewing our participation in Sustainable Westchester’s Westchester Power (WP) program.”  In fact, more than half of Greenburgh’s “neighboring communities” – Town of Mount Pleasant, Village of Elmsford, Town of Scarsdale, Town of Eastchester, City of Yonkers – have never participated in this Westchester Power program.

While it is true that the Westchester Power program did offer a “clean electricity supply choice since 2016,” Greenburgh residents and small businesses were not part of that choice.  Instead, the Town enrolled Greenburgh residents and small businesses in the “standard option” which means they have been paying for electricity to be supplied mainly by fossil fuels and nuclear.  Thus, no tons of greenhouse gases have been mitigated.

The only thing Greenburgh residents and small businesses who had not “opted out” could rely on was a fixed rate of 7.709 cents per kilowatt hour. And, that fixed rate has been costly to those Greenburgh residents and small businesses. The CGCA urges you to compare that fixed rate price with the kWh costs listed on the attached table for five properties that did “opt out.”

Please focus attention on the column for Property #5. As the table indicates, over the past 22 months this property has paid considerably less each month for electricity than the 7.709 cents per kWh cost charged by the Town’s chosen ESCO.  The most recent cost to Property #5 was 5.5 cents per kWh, mainly for the month of November.  While this mere 2.209 cents saved per kWh may not appear great, please be aware that Property #5 is a “total electric living” household.  The owner is the sole occupant who rarely uses the oven and carefully controls indoor temperatures.  Even so, 1,544 kWh of electricity were used between November 5 and December 9.  That 2.209 cents difference amounted to a savings of over $35 for this time period.  Even greater numbers of kWh will likely be used and more savings may be possible in the colder months ahead.

Can you imagine what the electricity costs are to a “total electric living” four-bedroom townhouse, such as those at Westchester Hills, occupied by four or more family members? Electricity is used to heat or cool the rooms; run an oven for hours to cook meals including roasting that Thanksgiving turkey; heat hot water for multiple residents to take showers, wash dishes, wash clothes; dry laundry; provide lighting; and power refrigerators, TVs, computers and numerous other appliances.

The Town’s choice for the 2-year (2019-2020) ESCO contract has been quite costly for "total electric living" residents and the almost 12,000 other residents and small business electricity users.  Yet, the Town has failed to take any responsibility to inform users of this cost factor over the past two years.  This is especially troubling during this last year when so many residents and small business owners have been negatively impacted financially by the COVID-19 pandemic.

The new 18-month ESCO contract the Town approved becomes effective with January 2021 meter readings and does provide for the “green” sustainable option at a cost of 7.405 cents per kWh which is slightly less expensive that what users have been paying.  We will have to wait to see what the financial impact will be.

The Town’s January 13 email contained other inaccurate and dated information that is not worth addressing at this time. Hopefully, in the months ahead, the Town will do a better job of reading information it receives before posting it on the Town’s website.  And hopefully it will provide accurate and up-to-date information, as it promised, on whether this new green ESCO contract is to your advantage.

Stay safe and well.
Ella Preiser, CGCA Secretary

Electric Rates - Con Ed vs. ESCO

 A Message to All:

The Council of Greenburgh Civic Associations (CGCA) Executive Board is providing you information documenting the kWh cost for electric supply paid for the last eighteen (18) billing cycles by those who “Opted Out” of the contract with the ESCO Constellation in which the Town Board enrolled almost 12,000 residential and small business owners.

As the below table shows, the latest cost (mainly for the very warm month of July) was 5.9 cents per kWh to five households that “Opted Out” versus the 7.709 cents per kWh that those still in the ESCO are paying.  Air conditioners use a considerable amount of electricity, and this mere 1.8 cents per kWh cost difference has added up to a substantial sum of money saved for the month of July.

The current two-year contract expires in December.  At the August 11, 2020 Town Board work session, Dan Welsh from Westchester Power discussed a meeting he held earlier that day with about 20 participating municipalities regarding a new contract to purchase electricity from an ESCO.  The decision was made to go out to bid once again for a “fixed rate” contract with a starting price of 7.65 cents per kWh.  That is a bit less expensive than the current contract.  At the meeting Supervisor Feiner mentioned the CGCA opposes the current “Opt Out” provision.  Mr. Welsh noted an “Opt In” option wouldn’t work and recommended that going “green” solves a lot of problems.  Although the cost would be a couple of dollars more each month to each resident, the green option addresses climate change, reduction of greenhouse gas emissions and environmental injustice.  Mr. Welsh noted low income residents could receive savings through the Community Solar program.

Stay tuned for what the Town Board decides.

Stay safe and well.

Ella Preiser, CGCA Secretary

A Memo from The Council of Greenburgh Civic Associations

Starting January 2019, the Greenburgh Town Board enrolled all residential and small business owners for a two year contract with the ESCO Constellation at a cost of 7.709 cents per kWh of electricity.  Meanwhile, Con Edison variable rates have been at historic lows over the life of this contract to date.  

The Council of Greenburgh Civic Associations has been keeping track of the cost per kWh of some residents who “Opted Out” of this contract.  They have been saving money each month.  Visit the CGCA website and view the posting of July 27th which includes a table showing the cost per kWh that these “Opted Out” residents have been paying. https://cgca.info/news

Contact the CGCA if you need help understanding your Con Edison bill.

cgca1955@gmail.com

Pre-Primary Democratic Candidate Forum

Three ABG staffers attended the Candidates Pre-Primary Forum at Town Hall on Thursday night. It started on time, unlike every Town Board meeting which starts late to the detriment of many audience members or taxpayers wishing to speak or be heard or are being time-constrained by childcare issues or work the following day. Remember this point, you'll see this again. The event was hosted by the Council of Greenburgh Civic Associations and moderated by the League of Women Voters. When CGCA Chair O'Shea asked the audience to join in a pledge of allegiance, the apathetic crowd hesitantly and seemed to begrudgingly participate. Pathetic.

The first face-off was between 10-year incumbent Town Clerk Judith Beville and her challenger, Maria Portilla, who is endorsed by Mr Feiner. Having won the draw, Ms Portilla read her opening statement first, saying that the Town Clerks office is in crisis. While it was a good catch-phrase, and may be correct, she used it a little bit too much. However, it also established the core argument for her candidacy and apparently rattled incumbent clerk Judith Beville. Ms Portilla is a Senior Case Worker for the Westchester Department of Social Services and mentioned several innovations that she will implement as Town Clerk. Frankly, they should have been implemented long ago.

When it was Ms Beville's turn, she listed the accomplishments that she has overseen, stressing that she has a Bachelor of Arts degree and a Master's degree in Public Administration, stating that the Town Clerks position is not an entry-level one. That said, elections are about change if warranted or desired by the populace. And yet, Ms Beville started out as the Town Clerk after being elected and did not work her way up through the ranks to become Town Clerk. So it appears that it is an entry-level position after all.

During this brief period of campaigning, we've seen Ms Beville out and about more than usual and heard people discussing her office more than ever. Specifically, that she's had a complete changeover of personnel, disclosed HIPAA information of a former staff member and shredded numerous boxes of files erroneously. She mentioned her Masters Degree in Public Administration several times which is certainly an accomplishment to be proud of and we respect. However, simply having an academic degree doesn't necessary make you qualified in a particular field. A bit of irony was that while Ms Beville was speaking, the buzzer/timer that she usually operates for the Town Board went off and forced her to stop speaking -- another issue people have complained about during her campaign is that she injects herself into discussions during the Town Board meetings.

The next phase was the asking of questions which were all submitted by audience members prior to the event's start. The t-ball questions that were asked were quickly answered at which point the moderator said they were out of questions and then asked the audience if anyone had any additional questions? There was a flurry of activity in the back of the room as audience members submitted more questions, which were mostly a rehash of what had already been discussed, and covered no new ground. It was embarrassing that so little specific issues and actual solutions went unaddressed. 

It was also disappointing that Ms Beville's record remained unchallenged. While she touts improving response times for freedom of information requests, she contradicted herself by saying it's the department heads that don't respond in a timely manner. So while it may not be her fault specifically, she hasn't improved those response times. She boasts about internships and while Mr Feiner also touts and utilizes interns, that hasn't reduced our taxes or facilitated a better operating government. It also seemed that she started each of her answers with a qualifying comment that she was not responsible for this or that. It was always someone else's fault.

Finally concluded with no real enlightenment for Town voters, a short intermission allowed for some unearned back-slapping until the Town Board candidates took to the dais with the same moderator. Those candidates were Eric Zinger of the Hartsdale area, Ken Jones of Parkway Homes area and Gina Jackson, all of Unincorporated Greenburgh. The moderator seemed to struggle reading the questions that were submitted. These questions were now elevated to softball-level questions, a step up from the t-ball questions asked earlier. It should be noted that these are all candidates of the same party so going into this already accounts for a lack of challenges. Again, we had hoped for more.

All three gave an opening statement with Mr Zinger going first, stating that this was the first time in 12-years that voters had an opportunity to vote for challenged seats. That remains to be seen. As an incumbent, Ken Jones enjoys a certain amount of "incumbency lead" that should automatically help him in the primary vote. So, if the voters follow past practices, they'll re-elect the incumbent and elect one new candidate. The real "choice" might only be between Mr Zinger and Ms Jackson. We hope that is not the case and finally breaks the stranglehold at Town Hall.

We expected Mr Zinger to go after Mr Jones and his ethical challenges (read our previous article of Monday, June 10, 2019 - Misdirection, Lies and Ethics). Instead, Mr Zinger discussed his time living in Hartsdale, working in the financial world, and how the Hartsdale 4-Corners has declined for years until he, along with others, formed the Hartsdale Neighbors Association and got more involved with the Town government. He stated he would like to see the Edgemont Community not incorporate and stay within the Town and is willing to work towards that end. He also lamented how frustrating is is for residents to have to wait for an opportunity to speak at Board meetings. And of course, he, as well as the others, said we must make Greenburgh more affordable.

Incumbent Ken Jones opened with the statement that since he has been on the board we haven't had any Fortress Bible Church-type lawsuits. That's one hell of an accomplishment. Perhaps after being surrounded by so much bad that this actually looks good to him. It's not. You'll recall that Mr Feiner and the Town were found guilty of 7-counts of discrimination, including lying under oath, destroying evidence and more in the Fortress Bible Church discrimination lawsuit and fined $6.5 million dollars. $5.5 million of which the insurance company refused to pay (nor has to) because Mr Feiner was found guilty in Federal Court. Mr Jones conveniently neglected to mention the two pending lawsuits currently underway and during his watch: the Dromore Road lawsuit and the Ferncliff Cemetery lawsuit.

Ms Jackson stated that she had lived in Atlanta and moved back to Greenburgh and is living with her mother, "Thanks, Mom." She did say she cannot afford her own home. This seems to be a never-ending complaint of every younger generation. Many of us couldn't afford our own places when we started out so we lived with our parents, got a place with friends and had roommates until we got married or better jobs or both. Sorry, but owning a home where you prefer to live is not a right and is something to strive towards. Government trying to control housing either directly or through legislation never accomplishes much except creating more government jobs and restrictions that keep many of these same generations that it's said to be for unable to move in. That's why there are apartments. However, in this case the argument made her the face of the point which could help her.

One question that was asked of all the candidates was what they would do to increase public participation at Town Board meetings. We've written often about the G10, those ten or so regulars that show up to the meetings and speak. In fact, we've also mentioned how the Town Board actually engages in back and forth conversations with new, uninitiated first-timers. The G10 are never given the same courtesy unless it's to somehow make the Board look good.

Mr Zinger said he would start the meetings on time, have documents that are slated to be discussed or voted on available at least 24-hrs earlier so residents have a chance to study them and treat people with respect. Ken Jones said starting the meetings on time would help. The audience laughed, acknowledging that he is a part of the reason the meetings start late. He also stated he wants to get Dial Democracy working. Keep in mind that Dial Democracy hasn't worked in years and falls under the Town Board's purview. For those unaware because it doesn't work and may note know about it, Dial Democracy is the hypothetical ability of Town residents to telephone directly into Town Board meetings, on air, and ask questions of the Board during the meeting. Mr Jones is the one candidate in the position to do something about this but has not. When the question of creating leaf blower usage legislation came up, he stated there were already leaf blower ordinances on the books but enforcement is difficult as response times after a complaint is made may find the offender finished or gone before the police can get there.Mr Jones apparently can recognize the problems but is unable to solve them even years later.

Ms Jackson would like questions to be able to be submitted online so that more people could be engaged in issues. She also said she is a stickler to start on time. When responding to the question of leaf blowers noise, Ms Jackson clearly didn't know there were already ordinances on the books and suggested we could use ordinances to control the noise. We appreciate that Ms Jackson is newly returned to the area. Perhaps its a bit premature for her to run at this juncture, perhaps not. Even with this faux pas, we need fresh, non Feiner-mandated thinking on the Board. Although, the fact that she is on Team Feiner means she won't really have to worry about what she knows or not.

We'd like to mention one other question that was asked and that was if the candidates supported term limits. Mr Zinger readily said yes, he supports term limits. Ms Jackson said she did not and stated that that was what elections were for. Mr Jones said he would support a three-term limit and gave an obviously well-thought out and yet convoluted answer. He said yes but for three terms of 4-years each (currently at $79k/year plus benefits that, if declined pays them even more money). He claimed that the first term you are learning the ropes and are voting on issues that were not yours. The second term you are starting to work on your issues and the third term you are bringing them to fruition. It was an impressive conveyance of what is wrong with government and many of our elected officials. If you need twelve years to implement anything, but cannot get Dial Democracy working in four, you are the wrong person in that office.

In the end, many people left this meeting disappointed because they didn't learn much if anything they didn't already know. However, we believe Eric Zinger was the strongest of the three candidates and actually offered a few solutions while the other two spoke in generalities and platitudes. Even so, we wish the candidates luck and hope the democratic crowd that will vote in this primary on June 25th will give some thought to this year's vote and consider a different mindset when voting. It will help to make A Better Greenburgh.

Candidates Forum To Be Held

Blaming Others For Administrations Failures

Isn’t it interesting that when there’s something that Mr Feiner fancies, finger-pointing becomes his latest exercise regimen? In a recent email, it is hard to keep track as he sends so many, he complained that there aren’t enough bicycle lanes and walking areas on West Hartsdale Avenue. So, in an interview with News12 reporter Sarah Toland, Mr Feiner again decided to pick and choose the latest controversy: this lack of sidewalks on West Hartsdale Avenue - not everywhere else in the Town that he is responsible for, just West Hartsdale Avenue.

The reason for Mr Feiner to highlight this “issue” is, ahem, pedestrian safety for those walking on West Hartsdale Avenue, which falls under the onus of NY State, is so he can afford to be critical knowing it will be of no consequence and yet garner positive publicity for himself. While pedestrian safety on most of our roadways is a serious issue, most roadways that are Town-owned lack the proper sidewalks required to maintain a modicum of pedestrian safety. Clearly, with 24 years at the helm, Mr Feiner has had ample time to address the sidewalk deficit throughout the Town yet has chosen not to. But, as is so aptly quoted in the hallways on Hillside Avenue, “Why fix it when we can talk about it!” Or, the other saying is, “We seem to care.”

And talk about it he has! In fact, while the Town has passed a law that all developers must create a sidewalk in front of a property they are developing, no laws have passed mandating sidewalks in any other part of Town. This is why there are often so many “sidewalks to nowhere.” One claim by Mr Feiner is that there is no money for sidewalks in the budget. Perhaps that is true. But before the 2% Tax Cap limit gave him the excuse he now uses to say, "No!" to residents’ requests, it could be because he was found guilty of discrimination in Federal court for violating the rights of the Fortress Bible Church from developing their property for a church and school. Found guilty of lying under oath, destroying evidence and several other counts, he single-handedly is costing the Unincorporated Town of Greenburgh residents $6.5 million in fines! While he told taxpayers not to worry because the insurance policy the Town had would cover the fine, he was wrong again*. Apparently, when you lie under oath and are found guilty in Federal court, the insurance company does not have to pay the entire amount. We do.

While always branding himself as the “Problem Solver”, it seems he only solves problems that he has had a hand in creating and knows he can undo (or blame someone else for). Anytime any individual, group, student association or Brownie troupe can elicit a sympathetic ear, the current Town Board remains affable, congenial and yet provides little beyond an empathetic sounding board. As always, they would love to meet with the party(s) after the meeting to further discuss their concerns. And while we can never positively know, we wonder if this seasoned Board already knows Mr Feiner's signal or buzzword to refuse them, adjourn or move to the next issue. We're sure you're familiar with the signal in The Sting where the con artists rub their nose with their pointer finger. Et tu?

Where else would sidewalks be a significant safety addition to the Town? Several years ago a group of Westchester Community College students spoke at a Town Board meeting requesting sidewalks along Knollwood Road and Grassland Road to be able to safely walk to the bus stops or the Valhalla train station while attending the college. They even had a sign that stayed propped up in the lobby of Town Hall - that is until it had served out it's media life for Mr Feiner - that drew sympathy for the student's sidewalk cause. The result of all of the fawning over these few college students? They probably went on to graduate or transferred to a college with safer walking conditions - but no sidewalks ever materialized or were built by Mr Feiner and crew. Safety isn't really a priority in Greenburgh, as witnessed by the lack of police patrols in most neighborhoods.

The Council of Greenburgh Civic Associations (CGCA), along with the Fulton Park Civic Association, Broadview Civic Association and others has requested sidewalks on Old Kensico Speedway, Hillside Avenue, Knollwood Road and other numerous well-trafficked pedestrian thoroughfares. And regardless of how needed these could be for those forced to walk, especially at sunrise, dusk and nighttime, their safety only accounts for a few votes that are expendable if lost. After all, Mr Feiner and his Board's real donations and political influence come from the bigger bankrolls, usually those who have homes, cars and donate.

But still no sidewalks. Instead of coming up with a, ahem, comprehensive plan for sidewalk development throughout the Town, Mr Feiner would prefer to point fingers at the untouchable and immovable State Department of Transportation. They won't do anything for the same reason he won't: it requires real effort and money. And there is money out there for sidewalk development. It's just that Mr Feiner and his minions choose not to apply for it. For if they applied for it, they would have to do something with it should they get awarded the funds. That too would muck everything up and require valuable resources that are needed to pay guilty verdicts and fines. Imagine how many sidewalks could be built with $6.5 million?

Finally, Mr Feiner is famous for throwing out unsubstantiated numbers like spaghetti on a wall and waiting to see what sticks. Here again he claims thousands could bike and walk to the Hartsdale train station if these sidewalks were built. We seriously doubt its thousands. But then he says if they don't have the money for sidewalks, they should extend the shoulders - in effect building a sidewalk. If they don't have the money for one, why would they have it for another? It's just political doublespeak. And, it's a shame the News12 reporter bought into this lie. But she's only doing this as a stepping stone and told to cover these types of events. Besides, Mr Feiner is a master at media manipulation and she won't be here long enough to learn this. It's time for a change. Only then will we get A Better Greenburgh.

* One million dollars was all that was paid by the insurance company.