Greenburgh Central School District Board to Consolidate Committees

From: David Warner <dwarner@greenburghcsd.org>
Subject: Fwd: ZOOM MEETING INFO
Date: October 24, 2020 at 11:05:57 PM EDT

This year we are attempting to reduce the number of Greenburgh CSD BOE committees, so we have combined last year's Fiscal Planning and Facilities committees into one committee.

Please join us for a Finance and Facilities Committee this coming Wednesday 10/28/20 at 5 PM. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, this will be a remote meeting Zoom call. Per District Clerk Ivy Kraus, in accordance with Open Meetings Law, it will also be broadcast on the Greenburgh CSD channel on Youtube. If you want to participate in the meeting, sign in to the Zoom session.

Below is a draft agenda, and the Zoom meeting link/phone in information. These will also be posted on the district calendar. I'll post a more detailed agenda and some backup documents on Google Drive, and I'll send out and post a link to them prior to the meeting.

I hope to see you there.
-DW
*********************
Finance and Facilities Committee Meeting Draft Agenda: 10/28/20 5 PM (Zoom call)
1. Introductions
2. Elect Chair, appoint secretary, determine membership request to BOE
3. Review Draft Committee Charges
4. Adopt Minutes of Previous Fiscal Planning and Facilities Committee Meetings
5. Schedule 2020-21 Meetings
6. Facilities:

· COVID-19 & District-wide Ventilation Status
· Mansion Repair & Air Quality
· ECP Ventilation vs. LFJ Wing
· Caretaker's House Status
· WMHS Security Vestibule
· WMHS Awning Proposal
· BCS Summary

7. Finance:

· Year-end Closeout
· 2020-21 budget and current reserves
· COVID-19 Budget Impacts & Priorities
· 5-Year Financial Plan
· Budget Code Transfer Reporting
· Comprehensive Annual Financial Report

8. Other Concerns

Don't Fall For This Scam

Apparently, we need to prepare for these phony phone call scams as there are many going on right now, especially utilizing Covid19 Virus. 

The phony phone call will go something like this: 

Caller: “Good morning, According to our system, you are likely to have been in close proximity to someone who has tested positive for COVID-19. This means that you now need to self-isolate for 7 days and take a COVID-19 test.”

You: “OK. Can you tell me who that person was?”

Caller: “I'm not able to tell you that. That is confidential information.”

You: “Right. Um... so ....”

Caller: “But you do need to be tested within the next 72 hours. So can I just get the best mailing address so that we can send a kit to you?”

You: “Ok (gives address)”

Caller: “Thank you - and I just need to take a payment card so that we can finalize this and send the kit to you.”

You: “Sorry - a payment card? I thought this was all free?”

Caller: “No - I'm afraid not. There is a one-off fee of $50 for the kit and test results. Could you read off the long card number for me, please, when you're ready.”

You: “No - that's not right.”

Caller: “I'm afraid it is. Can you give me the card number please - this is very important, and there are penalties for not complying.”

Please just hang up! Don’t allow them to trick you into giving your credit card information to them.

This is how scammers work. And vulnerable people will fall for it.

Don't fall for it! Please share this information with your family and neighbors.

Requesting Food Pantry Donations on Tuesday May 19

Watching Your Rights Zoom Away

During the C-19 pandemic, more and more organizations have resorted to using conferencing applications such as GoToMeeting, WebEx, Skype, HangOuts, FaceTime or Zoom. Regardless of which one you’ve been forced to utilize whether for work, an organization you belong to or hanging out with friends and loved ones, the first broadcast usually starts with the moderator saying something akin to, “This is a new experience for most of us as we try to maintain some normalcy.”

The question that has arisen is to what extent should we, or could we, use these meetings (we’ll use Zoom as the defacto app) and how legal and binding are any decisions made during their use? Keep in mind we are not talking about family members or friends speaking amongst themselves. Fraternal organizations that hold Zoom meetings are able to discuss pertinent or time sensitive issues such as paying bills or taking actions that assist others in the community, such as checking up on elderly members, delivery of food and/or supplies to home-bound members.

But what of the Town Board or the School Board (or any official governmental Boards) using Zoom to make decisions. How binding are those decisions that are being rendered given the lack of community participation via online participation? While it’s certainly seductive for these conference call neophytes to use a new and unproven tool, is this really reliable or secure? For instance, in the part of Greenburgh that is referred to as North Elmsford, the Town Board is routinely green-lighting the desires of developers seeking to build a new ShopRite on the former Grand Union/Masters/UA Cinema location. They’ve already given enough of a nod to the developer to have them force all the tenants to vacate the shopping center space.

Still the bigger issue is that meetings held via Zoom, tremendously limits public participation in the requisite approval/disapproval process. Make no mistake, the Town Board has already decided to allow the project under threat from the developer that they will walk if they don’t get what they want! What? We are the residents, taxpayers and community. And, while we welcome a ShopRite in the community, we welcome it within the parameters that we want, what the community wants. At hand is the insistence by ShopRite to create/open an entrance off of Old Country Road, which parallels Orchard Lane, for tractor-trailer and smaller truck deliveries. This curb cut and traffic increase will definitively alter the traffic flow, congestion and quality of life for the residents already negatively impacted by 9A traffic at all hours of the day and night.

The issue warrants everyone who a) has an opinion about this significant change and b) would want to be heard regarding this, to be summarily disregarded, dismissed and disenfranchised by Mr Feiner and his Board as they choose to move the project forward via computer users only. This is illegal if the current laws mandate that the public participate with a Public Hearing which must be held for this proposal for everyone. Holding a Zoom public meeting illegally limits the decision to a handful of people who have computers and may know about this shifty and suspect move. We already know that Mr Feiner and his rubber stamp Board are always looking for ways to remove the residents from participation in Town events, but this gives them and entirely new and unencumbered way to do so!

The Town Board has already moved the ShopRite proposal forward, certified by the Town Board having already voted to approve a SEQRA Negative Declaration that indicates the ShopRite proposal will not have a negative environmental impact. Proof positive this is a done deal. The Sam’s Club fueling stations request is meeting a modicum amount of resistance. These two projects should be evaluated in tandem with each other as they flank both sides of 9A at a most congested area and promise to do more damage to an F-rated traffic zone!

Holding Zoom meetings or utilizing any other conferencing program during this pandemic can serve a purpose in the short-term. Taking advantage of a difficult situation to achieve an agenda does not. These actions to move Mr Feiner’s friends projects forward should not happen. But it will because this is Greenburgh. It’s time to get back to normal, but until we can, moratoriums should be placed on all projects whether underway or not. Salaries for all politicians should be reduced to $0, and not resumed until the public is back to work, at which point they be resumed, and not retroactively. We need the politicians to try to do the right thing by their constituents no matter how contemptuously they're being treated by them. Only then will we get A Better Greenburgh.

Update of Information on Taxes Due April 30th

Hardship Conditions Will Enable Some Residents to Pay Taxes Late Without Penalty

The Governor signed an executive order allowing late payments without penalties till July 15 under certain circumstances (hardships, escrow account payments still must be paid, people have to qualify for STAR)

To have the fee waived, the resident or business must certify economic hardship caused by COVID-19. The threshold for the certification requires in part that a resident must have qualified for the STAR exemption, is not paying property taxes through an escrow account and can assert that they have suffered loss of substantial employment income as a result of COVID-19.

***Forms will be posted on town website.***

Reduced Penalties for All Residents
Town Board of the Town of Greenburgh hereby authorizes the Town Tax Receiver to accept payment of county and county district taxes, and town and town district taxes with late penalty fees reduced to .5% through May 30, 2020 and 1% through July 15, 2020 for those tax payers who do not meet criteria established by the Westchester County Executive for determining hardship due to the Covid-19 Pandemic.

County Warehouses Covid19-Positive Homeless With Healthcare Workers In Elmsford

We all know that the County Executive has said that keeping our healthcare workers safe keeps all County residents safe as they put their lives on the line to treat patients during the coronavirus pandemic. He also said, “I am proud of these efforts by the Westchester County Office of Tourism & Film and the Westchester Hotel Association to support those on the front lines.”

While it’s great to have housing for these workers provided for at area hotels, an alarming trend has developed. While the County is supplying housing for medical staff, they are also housing just-released homeless patients confirmed positive with Covid19! In fact, an entire wing of the Days Inn Hotel on Valley Avenue has been designated for only those just released. One nurse staying there was in disbelief when she learned of this.

The Village of Elmsford’s all-volunteer Fire Department operates the ambulance service for the Village. While standard precautions are always taken when dealing with infectious patients, it’s unfair to subject these valued first responders to the unnecessarily dangerous situation such as this. While everyone is entitled assistance when needed, the County should be contracting and staffing an ambulance service that can be used specifically for these patients.

Next, the County should remove all healthcare workers from this and any other hotel being used for Covid19-positive patients. In fact, we’ve learned that some of the cleaning staff are reluctant to enter these rooms, which will increase the intensity of contamination and chance of exposure and spread to others.

The County has set up five huge tents that are being built with rooms inside. We presume it is for Covid19 infected patients but have been unable to confirm this. If the tents are completed, why aren’t they being put there? Surely not every tent is still under construction and is ready to be used.

An Open Letter To The Greenburgh Central School Board

Hello Ms. Darden-Cintron and fellow Board members,

I am writing to express my concerns with the proposed budget and increases.  With the fiscal stress and insecurity many are experiencing due to this unforeseen Coronavirus, it is imperative that the entire Board (and the Administration that answers to you), begin reducing it’s budget to ensure that all of our kid's education, while truncated in these unique times, continues.

The district should implement cutting the swollen budget by scaling down through attrition. It’s becoming apparent that trying to sustain the $73 million expense to educate fewer than 1,600 K-12 students is unrealistic, unprofitable and financially impossible. Like so many businesses and even the Greenburgh Town Board, the district should hold interactive Zoom meetings. (If not Zoom, then Skype or GoToMeeting, etc). 

The budget that was presented on February 27th called for a budget increase of 3.96% ($2,801,301).  Funding this amount calls for a 4.25% tax increase. This Board has proven time and again that it does not respect the mandates and wishes of the community, doing as it pleases. The Board seems to be proving that again with this proposed budget.

The Board needs to come to the realization that there's plenty of non-essential spending that can be eliminated or postponed, and thereby reduce the impact to our communities. This is the perfect time to perform a line by line review of expenses to see what can be cut. I found it astonishing that the Administrative staff was relocated to the High School on the whim of the Superintendent for a cost of $300k (approx), yet could not find this same money for needed repairs. This district had opportunities to work on the mansion, but preferred to allow its buildings to degrade. It’s time for this Board and administration to get back on track!

Now that many Greenburgh residents are being pushed out of work and are facing an April tax bill, this Board needs to take positive action and prove to the citizenry that you are able to put our money to optimum use. You should reverse any plans to exacerbate the difficulties we are currently facing by eliminating any budget increases!

I implore you to do the right thing and we will continue to support you and your efforts when you do.