The Year In Review Part 2

Each year Mr Feiner publishes his accomplishments for the year on various Feiner-friendly websites, sends out numerous email blasts and snail-mail mailings (the latter at a significant cost to the tax-payer). Coincidentally, we publish the “rest of the story” to quote the late Paul Harvey, as Mr Feiner, convicted of lying under oath in the Fortress Bible Church Federal discrimination case, can’t always be relied upon to present accurate and transparent information. Here’s Part 2 of our year in review. This year, Mr Feiner has changed his Accomplishment List to a Highlights List. Staffers have thrown around numerous thoughts as to why the change. Because short of slowing down the Edgemont community’s incorporation efforts, there haven’t really been many new accomplishments. Mr Feiner’s info is in blue, ours in black.

DISABLED

Metro North announcing plans to build elevator at Hartsdale train station- work to start in 2020. 

Whether or not MTA builds an elevator at any of their locations or not is totally up to them. While we’d prefer every site have everything it needs, this is an entity that usually asks for rate increases right after getting rate increases and cannot manage the money they have.

Reactivating disabled advisory committee. Why was this ever discontinued?

RECREATION- CRICKET!

Greenburgh opened up Westchester County's first cricket field at Richard Presser Park in Hartsdale.  Encouraging the county and other municipalities to recognize how much people love cricket. 

Hard to get excited about this when pedestrians are being struck at an alarming rate; our roads are in such disrepair; flooding is being ignored and traffic congestion is out of control as Mr Feiner and his Board green-light massive construction projects without accommodating any changes in our infrastructure.

AFFORDABLE HOUSING

The abandoned WESTHELP[sic] homeless shelter is now being renovated for affordable senior housing. It's exciting to see the WESTHELP [sic] parking lot fill [sic] of cars--contractors doing the renovations.  The affordable senior housing will open up in 2021. 

Wow! This condition was CREATED by Mr Feiner and his Board when they ignored repeated attempts by the County to renew the contract for WestHelp. He instructed Town employees to leave the facility open and unoccupied so as to condemn it and force it to be torn down by the County to build a new school for a handicapped school in Yonkers. The facility was supposed to be transitioned into a senior living facility. It's a shame that he is taking credit for a horrendous condition that needn't have happened. So he forfeited with a nod from his Board a guaranteed contract promising $1.2 million dollars a year for the Town.

NEW POLICE CHIEF AND COUNCILPERSON TRANSITIONS

A smooth transition of Police Chiefs--Brian Ryan is our new Chief, replacing Chris McNerney who now is Chief Investigator for the DA. 

We wish Chief Ryan well and thank Chief McNerney for his hard work.

EDGEMONT

NY Court of Appeals upheld my interpretation of Edgemont incorporation petition. Appellate division had previously found that the petition for incorporation did not comply with statute requirements. A second petition was filed. I found that the 2nd petition also did not comply with the statute. Those who filed the petition have filed a lawsuit which is pending. 

Mr Feiner’s sole responsibility is to sign off on the petition. He didn’t do that. He decided, along with Councilman Jones, to politicize the issue, publicly saying that they didn’t want it and would not work with the Village of Edgemont should the referendum pass – which would ensure the Unincorporated budget not lose as much money as it might. They are supposed to remain neutral. HE hired people who hired more people to dupe Edgemont residents into signing another petition to negate their original petition signature. But in Greenburgh, ethically challenged politicos never have their feet held to the fire, lose their jobs or go to jail. They just get re-elected. Shame on them.

POLICE AND COURTS

A shooting at an Ardsley Motel resulted in no fatalities of innocent bystanders or police. Our SWAT team responded quickly, a Greenburgh police officer who was shot at was wearing a bullet proof vest and is OK. Highlights the importance of being trained and prepared. 

A suspect in an FBI raid was killed and two SWAT Team officers were injured during the shootout at the Ardsley Acres motel. The FBI said members of the FBI Westchester County Safe Streets Task Force were at the motel assisting the FBI New Haven (Connecticut) Safe Streets Task Force. One of the SWAT Team officers who was shot, a Greenburgh police sergeant, was saved by his bulletproof vest. The other injured officer, a Dobbs Ferry sergeant, may have been struck by a ricochet. They were treated at a hospital and released.

We have saved over 12 million dollars so when we sell the current court house/police we won't have to borrow as much --enabling us to address infrastructure in an affordable manner. 

We had a hard time deciphering this sentence as we haven't saved anything until the building is remediated, which is almost a guaranteed necessity due to its age, and then sold. We think he meant that $12 million was put in a reserve fund from money already collected from taxpayers. But the $49 million dollar bond (or $37million) will still negatively impact the Unincorporated residents. Once the Greenburgh School Board puts their new bond up, it will be a double-whammy against the taxpayers.

Town hired CBRE and Lothrup to help us review real estate options and design. We hope to present the community with a proposed plan for the court house and police station in 2020. And, will be conducting tours of our existing facilities and community meetings before we finalize any decision. 

This is Feiner-speak for, “We’re moving forward with the construction bond for a new police station and courts, regardless. Rather than legally follow the process, we'll be doing what we want by getting everything in place.”

NYS STARTED TO REPAVE SAW MILL RIVER ROAD IN ARDSLEY

NYS started repaving Saw Mill River Road in Ardsley –a road fill of potholes. Work to be completed next year. 36 student interns had lobbied for the road repaving in 2018. NYS promised to repave Hillside Ave but the company went under so there were delays with the project. The state did start some sidewalk, drainage work and will complete the road repaving in 2021. 

Funny, the Village of Ardsley gets what the Village of Ardsley wants because their Mayor and Village Board actively petition other governmental branches when there is something they seek, such as sidewalks. While the Town relies on interns to do the heavy lifting, the public still mistakenly believes Mr Feiner and his Board are doing this. Just look behind the curtain periodically and you'll be very surprised and dismayed. As a side note, every time there is something close to home for the Supervisor or his Board, things get done. This time benefitting Mr Feiner and Ms Juettner.

RECYCLING and food scraps

We increased recycling of paper and plastics from every other week to every week. 

This is a good thing even if studies show that recycling costs us more than we’re saving.

We obtained a grant from NYS for $250,000 to purchase trucks to begin curbside recycling of food waste. Trucks to be ordered in 2020. Service to be offered to villages and unincorporated Greenburgh. 

The one grant doesn't include maintenance or replacement. So, the grant which we pay for with even more of our taxes, is not a freebie.

We have started seriously considering the possibility of opening up a food scrap composting site on Taxter Road ---currently food scraps from around the region are sent out of county. 

Apparently, Taxter Road needs more truck traffic as it is already used as a vehicular cut-through. Surely there are other places this can be done. Greenburgh needs more than just scraps.

ASSISTED LIVING  DISCOUNTS

The Chelsea Assisted LIving Facility is offering discounts to Greenburgh residents--they hope to open in 2020 on Dobbs Ferry Road. They also have some affordable units for those who meet income guidelines. They expect to open in 2020. 

So instead of paying $8k a month rent, it will be reduced to $7k? The few affordable units allotted here won't make a dent in or for the Greenburgh population.

DEVELOPMENT PROPOSALS

Brightview seeks to build independent living, assisted living facility at portion of Metropolis. Plan under review.

Maplewood is seeking approval to sell their swim and tennis club on W Hartsdale Ave to an assisted living facility. We are reviewing traffic, neighborhood concerns.

We created land use advisory committees around town involving residents impacted by proposed developments in the land use review early on. These land use committees also help us select the traffic and environmental consultants we hire to review the application.  We want the community to be involved in partnering with the town government.

This is pure BS. The neighborhood residents requested land use committees for Brightview (Metropolis CC), Maplewood, ShopRite & Sam's Club gas station developments but were refused by everyone at the Town!

SOME SMART PEOPLE—INCLUDING A NOBEL PRIZE WINNER

A Tarrytown man won the Nobel Prize in Medicine. Gregg Semenza attended Sleepy Hollow HS, one of the schools serving the Greenburgh community. No disrespect intend toward Gregg Semenza, but this really a a stretch by Mr Feiner.

GRANT FROM STATE FOR NEW AMBULANCE-ARDSLEY SECOR VOLUNTEER AMBULANCE CORP

Mayor Nancy Kabbolian and I met Senator Andrea Stewart Cousins two years ago seeking state funding for a new ambulance for the volunteer ambulance corp. Senator Cousins  recently announced that NYS will fund the new ambulance for the volunteers. 

Good for Ardsley-Secor Ambulance Corps. Keep in mind, these grant monies are grants that we all pay for.

VOTING

First time Early Voting was tried in Greenburgh during the town elections. Voter turnout was higher than usual in an off off year election. 

The verdict is still out as to whether this ploy to get early votes actually contributed to election fraud or not.

TECHNOLOGY

Progress  being made - implementation of a work order system in the Department of Public Works. Will enable the town to better track complaints and work requests. 

Perhaps Supervisor Candidate Lucas Cioffi was correct and Mr Feiner IS the bottleneck for all the work that is being or needs to be done in the Town. Mr Feiner’s goal to develop a system is 30 years overdue. You can’t say you’re a visionary with this kind of track record.

Town Board approved funding for enhanced social media initiative –want to get our message out to those who don’t subscribe to traditional media. 

We’re pretty confident that this isn’t about enhancing anything. This is to ensure Mr Feiner has a way to disseminate information of his choosingto residents of his choosingwithout having to share the lists he maintains. He had been able to do this until he was sued and ordered by the courts to share his list.

Taking steps to formalize an official Technology Committee that can help the town keep up to date with technology. 

Another committee that will be able to talk about something but impotent to act. Mr Feiner needs to be able to say, “I’ll turn that idea over to the Technology Committee to investigate and get back to me with a recommendation” – which will never actually happen. It's another black hole for Mr Feiner to use at his discretion.

HOT ASPHALT MACHINE ENABLES TOWN TO REPAIR POTHOLES IN WINTER

Greenburgh is one of the few communities around that has purchased a hot asphalt machine to repair potholes in the winter months. The asphalt companies don't operate in the winter months and most communities use cold patches to repair potholes. These pothole repairs don't last long. This investment enables us to repair potholes efficiently and for the work to last. 

We don't know enough about asphalt to know if this is a good thing or not. At face value, however, if the industry shuts down for the winter, there must be a good reason for it.

The Year In Review Part 1

Each year Mr Feiner publishes his accomplishments for the year on various Feiner-friendly websites, sends out numerous email blasts and snail-mail mailings (the latter at a significant cost to the tax-payer). Coincidentally, we publish the “rest of the story” to quote the late Paul Harvey, as Mr Feiner, convicted of lying under oath in the Fortress Bible Church Federal discrimination case, can’t always be relied upon to present accurate and transparent information. Here’s part 1 of our year in review. This year, Mr Feiner has changed his Accomplishment List to a Highlights List. Staffers have thrown around numerous thoughts as to why the change. Because short of slowing down the Edgemont community’s incorporation efforts, there haven’t really been many new accomplishments. Mr Feiner’s info is in blue, ours in black.

TAXES WON’T GO UP…AND FINANCIALS

A tax rate reduction and a tax levy freeze in the 2020 town budget.
We have previously written about this. Returning Edgemont resident Lucas Cioffi, ran against Mr Feiner in this last election. One of his campaign promises was to have a two-year tax freeze if elected. A week after Mr Cioffi made that announcement, Mr Feiner started saying that he would promise a 1-year tax freeze. When asked about the tax levy, Mr Feiner was unable to answer the question. Part of the reason that he can do this – and why for only one year – is that there have been a number of people who have left the Town's employ and whose positions will not be filled.

We are tightening many of our management procedures. Department heads are being asked to develop step by step work plans so we can review tangible measurable goals. We are working with department heads on developing cost benefits for each new project. 

It's surprising to learn that these management principals – basic management principals – haven't already been implemented. After all, after ten terms as Supervisor and countless interns, citizens groups and advisors, surely someone must have told you how to do this?

At our last Town Board meeting the Board voted to install GPS systems in all town vehicles. 

Several vehicular points here. First, if there is a vehicle policy? Second, why weren’t GPS systems already installed? Third, If there is no policy, why did it take so long to develop one? Fourth, what was the cost to retrofit all of the Town vehicles? Finally, what happened to cause this decision to be made? Did someone go joy-riding with a Town garbage truck that was found abandoned somewhere because somebody forgot to lock the truck door or the yard's fence?

We continue to conduct independent reviews of different departments --looking for ways to make government more efficient. 
Who is conducting these supposed reviews? What have they found so far and how do we access this information? 

We implemented consultant recommendations dealing with the courts a few years ago and are implementing recommendations from DPW consultants--a work order system for DPW and a health and safety initiative for employees.

We'll be kind and just assume this is correct. Again, Lucas Cioffi had said that all the work orders should be able to be filed by residents online and then trackable by residents online to see at what stage their resolution might be. This was a great idea as Mr Cioffi highlighted (no pun intended) that the one choke point in our Town lies with Mr Feiner as people email him directly and only he knows what the constituent's issues are.

Maintaining Aaa bond rating by Moody's and Standard & Poor's --bond rating increased 3 times during my tenure to highest rating possible. 

Having a good bond rating is good if and when you float bonds – don't worry, one is coming to us soon to the minimum tune of $49,000,000 for a new court and police station. Mr Feiner backed off of this bond as the Greenburgh School District was trying to get the taxpaying public to buy-in to their $200,000,000 (principal and interest) Consolidation Bond. With the election looming, even Mr Feiner was nervous to propose it, stating openly that he was against the Consolidation Bond proposal. With the democratic change in the bail laws under the guise of reform, aptly referred to as “catch and release”, shouldn't the courts workload and demands be less? Maybe another already existing location could work instead of building something new.

We had two auctions of foreclosed properties-the last auction generated 2.7 million dollars.  We have started using a professional auctioneer to help us maximize revenues from auctions. 
The Town has maintained a lackadaisical approach to foreclosures with Mr Feiner's excuse being that he doesn't want people to be kicked out of their homes. That's understandable, however, we've seen the law ignored and foreclosures sit idle for IE., 7 years.

Forming committee to review proposed requests for proposals to maximize competition from bidders. 
Great, another committee so we can talk about something instead of dealing with it.

HISTORY--the Odell House and 9-11

We received a $600,000 grant from NYS to restore the historic Odell House on Ridge Road, Hartsdale.  We hope to turn the building into a museum. This house played a major role in the Revolutionary War.  At long last – we’re close to getting the Odell house transferred from the Sons of the American Revolution to the town. Last week the NYS Attorney General's office authorized the SAR to transfer the property to the town--which will happen in early 2020. 

It's interesting how Mr Feiner has bent over backwards to tranquilize the Hartsdale community after there was talk of incorporation by them, contingent with the Edgemont incorporation. So much so that he purchased two homes costing about $400,000 for a possible Central Avenue project. Now the Town will also be on the hook to demolish and provide any asbestos and other remediation before they can do something with the property. We do want to see the Odell house preserved but given the Town's track record as a landlord (WestHelp is one that comes to mind), we're not sure this is the best direction for this historic property.

We started the 9-11 Living History stories--video interviews of those impacted by the 9-11 tragedy. The interviews air on public access TV and can be accessed on the web. The 9-11 living history stories is modelled[sic] after the Veterans living history initiative (about 150 veterans of World War II, the Korean conflict have each participated in half hour interviews). We have no issues with this.

PEDESTRIAN AND MOTORIST  SAFETY

New sidewalks completed at Columbia Ave, Fair Street, Lawton, a small portion of N Washington Ave and Glendale Road. Construction of new sidewalk to begin shortly on Central Ave between Marion and West Hartsdale Ave.  About six miles of new sidewalks have been built or funded in recent years --with more to come! In April the town received some more good news: We received two grants (from NYS and from CDBG) totaling $1.2 million dollars to build a new sidewalk on Hillside Ave and on Old Tarrytown Road.  Residents will be able to walk from Route 119 to the Parkway Gardens/Homes neighborhood and from Town Hall to Knollwood Road! 

While these sidewalks are good to have, the Town only recently began seeking grant monies for sidewalks even though the money has existed for years! The sidewalk policy has been all new construction developers add a sidewalk at that property. This is a good idea for new construction but does nothing for roadways that will never have new construction. While walking on Hillside as well as Old Kensico Roads can be terrifying, especially in the dark, we're told we have to accept something as better than nothing. Tell that to the person recently struck by a car on Old Kensico Road.

5 different pedestrian accidents around town. Town Board includes substantial funding in 2020 budget for pedestrian safety improvements. 

Specifically such as what? 

We also are studying the possibility of either building a sidewalk on Ft Hill Road or making road one way ( a suggestion raised by residents). A community meeting has been scheduled with a local Edgemont civic association in January to discuss plans to hire a traffic consultant to review options. 

Mollifying the Edgemont community seems to be Mr Feiner's main focus since turning down their Incorporation petition; as well as placating the Hartsdale community.

There are other safety concerns on streets around town. We will use funding that has been approved by the Town Board for digital speed boards and other traffic calming devices. 

We don’t need digital sign boards and have no idea what traffic calming devices are, but what we need is police enforcement. Currently, the police department is not doing traffic enforcement on local roads. 

The town has offered to pay for a traffic light on Central Ave in front of Sacred Heart Church if NYS allows us to install a light at this location--where there was an accident earlier this fall. NYS said they don't have funds in their budget for the safety improvement. 

This location has literally been an accident waiting to happen – and it finally did. This is on Mr Feiner and his 30 years in office focusing on giveaways and vote purchasing rather doing what the Town needs.

Starting to review need to improve traffic flow on E Hartsdale Ave. Board agrees to study upgrading of traffic lights. Sensors, synchronizing lights to reduce congestion and to increase traffic flow. 

What does “starting to review” mean? This is a not a DOT controlled road. As the top elected official in the Town, he should have been all over this for years! It wasn't until the Hartsdale Neighbors Association starting pushing for changes in that area coupled with Edgemont's Incorporation did Mr Feiner agree to evaluate the area.

We enhanced crosswalk at Edgemont and Ardsley Road. Enhancement completed just a week ago.

We added a crossing guard to Ardsley Road/Fort Hill Road--making it safer for children to crossduring school hours. 
Again, placating Edgemont in hopes that they will drop their movement to Incorporate this time under the guise of “for the children.” For the uninitiated, Mr Feiner is very much about quid pro quo and should be impeached.

We awarded the bid for a traffic light at Ardsley Road/Sprain Road. We expect installation to be completed in the spring of 2020. This location will be much safer.

We selected a consultant to review the proposal to revitalize the 4 corners in Hartsdale--and will address stormwater[sic], traffic issues. 

A review should indicate that there are both flooding and traffic issues at that location. The irony, and ultimately failure, of the study is that it will focus in that one specific area while the problem exists due to local, County and State government failure to address it for the entire Bronx River corridor. Again, why fix it when we can talk about it. Public Works Commissioner Victor Carosi sits on the County Flooding committee chaired by County Legislator Alfreda Williams. Ask any of them and they will say that they haven't met and done anything to even begin to address flooding. Go take a look at any section of the Bronx River and you'll see the entire river is clogged with debris and overgrown vegetation. Maintenance is not sexy so no one addresses it.

Building a sidewalk, installing lights  or enhancing crosswalks takes a lot of work. Our town professionals have to coordinate with other government entities if work is going to take place on state or county roads. We have to coordinate with Con Ed -moving utility poles. We need to make sure that we're in compliance with ADA requirements dealing with the disabled and have to make sure that the work we do does not create drainage related problems.  The crosswalk light fixtures took months to arrrive[sic] at Edgemont and Ardsley Road. After we awarded the bid for a traffic light on Ardsley Road/Sprain we were advised that it takes 4-6 months for the special fixtures to arrive.  Most people are not aware of all the details that go into designing and implementing safety improvements. 

It sounds like he's describing them doing jobs, which they get paid very well to do, including excellent benefits.

Arrogance of One Party Rule

The November elections have concluded; all voting challenges are concluded, absentee ballots have been counted and the early voting strategy terminated. When reviewing the outcomes and wondering if anything has changed, the answer is a resounding “No!” What has changed is the arrogance of the newly elected and re-elected candidates. They know that their schemes to distance themselves from the Trump effect can now be pushed even farther left, whether it’s good for us or not.

Locally, we’ve watched Mr Feiner maneuver his self-appointed Ethics Committee members, which in Greenburgh is easily considered a contradiction of terms, to abandon ship prior to the election, allowing Town Councilman Ken Jones to “skate” on the two ethics violations charges that have been brought against him by two Greenburgh residents before his preordained reelection. For the uninitiated, all “citizen committees” are crafted by Mr Feiner with their creation by him and his Town Board rubber-stamping hand-chosen members. The purpose of these committees is to ultimately do Mr Feiner's bidding or to rule in favor of a decision he will be making.

Mr Jones, however, has two ethics violations brought against him that have languished because the Ethics Committee chair has been ill and two of its members have resigned. Without a quorum, and basically without a committee, Mr Jones got the green light to run for reelection unencumbered by pesky facts. Keep in mind, this is Greenburgh, and the taxpaying residents really don't have anyone in government looking out for them like the Village elected officials do.

During the last local election campaigns, Mr Feiner’s challenger for Supervisor posed numerous suggestions and ideas that he would try if elected. None were to raise his salary. But the Democratic stronghold dismissed any new, good or innovative governance either from fear or ignorance by skulking away from change, granting Mr Feiner an unprecedented 29th and 30th year as Supervisor. Some of the voting public have never even known a different Greenburgh supervisor. That also goes for the Council members. We’re confident that this was not what the founders anticipated government to be. In fact, you know these politicians have been in office too long once they insist that they need a raise and vote themselves one.

The current 2019 salary for the Town Supervisor is $156,363 - up 2% from 2018. This year Mr Feiner and his Board will increase his salary for 2020 to $159,803 - up 2.2% from 2019. Town Council salaries are also being bumped up from 2019 to $34,714 - up 2% from 2018. The Board will also increase their salary in 2020 to $35,478 - up 2.2% from 2019. What about the 2% tax cap or doesn’t that apply to these one-percenters? All receive FULL Medical Benefits or can opt out for $10,000 if covered by other job or if covered by a spouse or domestic partner. So while our elected officials didn’t even let the election dust settle, they’re voting themselves raises. You re-elected them and sanctioned this so they won’t even need to use the excuses of how it’s necessary because it’s a cost of living raise or they are underpaid for the work they do or that this is really a full-time amount of work. Frankly, those tired excuses are just plain crap. If they don’t like the salaries, step aside. There are plenty of people willing to do the work for that money and provide an honest days work!

Speaking of raises, we are now being fed the same crap from the County Legislators who are decrying their paltry $49,200 for their part time job and are seeking an increase in their salaries to the tune of a 52% increase to $75,000! The last raise they received was in 2005. The proposed half a million dollars would be coming from the $2 billion dollar budget County Executive Latimer has proposed for 2020. The icing on this untasty crap cake will be the increases in stipends for “serving” on committees – whether they meet or not. Also slated are significant raises for department heads and non-union personnel. Claims have been made by Chairman Boykin to offset some of the nearly half a million dollars in expenses for the Legislators raises but hasn’t given any facts. This certainly does not appear that these Legislators have the best interest of the public at heart, only their wallets – which get stuffed by emptying ours.

We’re not saying that there should never be raises but believe that any raise enacted through legislation for any elected position should become effective after that voting candidate has left office. And, regardless of the song and dance excuses about cost of living and the like, the position pays what it pays. Don’t like the pay? Then don’t take the job. If you do take the job, there should also not be any appointments to committees or appointment as the head of a committee until a certain amount of time has been spent doing the job. We understand that these are done-deals or at least the opening salvo. If the public protests, then the amounts might be reduced. It will help to make A Better Greenburgh.

A Night For Apologies

Greenburgh residents learn of more and more decisions (re: deals) made in back rooms not open for public consumption. The “working relationship” Mr Sheehan touted at the Democratic nominations for the Town Board in his nomination acceptance speech was, frankly, just good speech-writing that pandered to an already compliant crowd. What we learn over and over is that the Town doesn’t really need a Supervisor for life when there is a bureaucracy in place for life. Of course only having people of the same ilk, referred to as inbreeding in other circles, begets the abnormalities nobody claims to find acceptable. And yet, it’s the chosen course of Greenburgh politics under Mr Feiner’s administrations.

But the Democratic majority experimented and veered down a different road soliciting new leadership. With a wide percentage difference and mired in the same political rut for years, the District Leaders chose to divert their political vehicle, down a different and albeit better road for the Town. With a gap of almost twenty percentage points, they decided to endorse Mr Robert Bernstein of Edgemont for Greenburgh Town Supervisor. While we missed Mr Bernstein’s acceptance speech, we are sure it would have been an inclusive, honest and forward-moving offering a better future for our Town. And while Mr Bernstein seemed the clear leader in this race, other “wagons” were becoming unhitched.

There was a race for Town Clerk that pitted Mr Feiner’s hand-picked and cultivated choice, Judith Beville against County Legislator Alfreda Williams’ hand-picked candidate, Sharron Fantuzzi. Ms Fantuzzi had previously lost the nomination once before to Ms Beville. Williams was the Greenburgh Town Clerk prior to being ousted by Mr Feiner and replaced with Ms Beville. Could this be a revenge scrimmage? You decide. While there is no track record for Ms Fantuzzi or any reason to vote for her, Ms Beville has a track record. One of the things ABG has consistently bemoaned is Ms Beville’s inability to only do her job during Town Board meetings. The Board condones her active participation during these meetings. She is not a Town Board/Council member, should not be discussing issues pertaining to the Board and should remain silent. Obviously, since she unequivocally supports Mr Feiner, she is encouraged by him to speak. What no one has told either of them during all this entire time, is that hers is a non-speaking role!

The Town Board meeting on Wednesday night hailed more participants than just the G10 in attendance. Mr Feiner’s campaign presentations delayed the start of the meeting by about a half an hour. Once the meeting began, and got past some of the usual crowd-thinners, they opened the 3-minute public speaking portion of the evening. It was led by Mr Tom Bock, whom you may recall was the evening’s final speaker at the last meeting when Councilman Jones shouted at another resident who approached the dais to, “Sit down! Sit the F*** down!” To which, several Board members said in unison the meeting was over – actively limiting the public’s free speech. They had unsuccessfully tried to end the meeting earlier without allowing Mr Bock his time to speak and this gave them the excuse they wanted! In fact, at the following Work Session these same purveyors of “open government” discussed multiple ways to limit and even do away with the public involvement and comments – a very sad state of affairs.

Mr Bock asked the Board for answers he posed to them from at least three previous meeting about the possible set back violations by Westhab? He then asked how much money the Democratic party was being charged for using the Town Hall for their nominations meeting on Tuesday night? He stated he was waiting for an apology from Mr Feiner for calling him a racist at the previous years Democratic meeting, to which several Democrats in attendance took exception to Mr Feiners statement. Mr Bock was also waiting for an apology for being cut off during his allotted five minutes at the last meeting. He then continued to discuss a letter Mr Feiner sent to residents on Old Kensico Road in which Mr Feiner attacked Mr Bock and asked slanted questions as to the neighborhoods desire to install sidewalks suggesting Mr Bock wanted it only at their expense. Mr Bock stated this letter was in the identical format of the illegal referendum Mr Feiner filed for the last election seeking a specific result for the desired outcome he sought for the GameOn 365 deal.

Mr Hal Samis, whom you may remember was the cause of the outburst of profanity from Mr Jones, took to the podium and apologized to Mr Jones and the Board for any stress he may have caused them by his actions. He offered to shake hands with Mr Jones and began approaching the dais with his outstretched hand. Mr Lewis, Morgan and possibly the entire Board loudly told Mr Samis not to approach the dais, and stayed short of yelling, “Sit the F*** down!” While the entire episode last week may have been blown out of proportion and Mr Samis rebuffed, at least Mr Samis offered an apology and a gesture of civility. Why would the the Board not accept it?

The repetitious points of subsequent speakers seemed to find fault with the amateurishly proffered contract the Town claims to have written. In fact, Town Attorney Tim Lewis stated he had a major part in the contract. Retired Justice Herb Rosenberg, held up the contract while at the podium and asked Mr Lewis to confirm that he had participated in the writing of the contract. Mr Lewis corroborated that he had in fact worked on the contract. Then Justice Rosenberg highlighted that GameOn 365’s law firm’s name was on the document where law firms usually put their identifying information. Mr Rosenberg said it was shameful that this was the product of our law department. Mr Lewis sat silent.

Ms Lynette Bass, a Director with the Worthington Woodlands Civic Association, who was unable to attend the meeting, submitted a letter requesting it be read into the record during the public comment session. This is something that happens with regularity Town Board meetings. But since Ms Bass has challenged Mr Feiner and the Board for not responding to her numerous requests for the Board to meet with the WWCA, Town Attorney Tim Lewis determined her letter was too lengthy to be read. This caused a verbal outcry from the residents in attendance. It was determined that Mr Rod O’Shea, a Democratic District Leader and Edgemont neighborhood leader would read her letter for at least the three minutes allotted. ABG should point out that Ms Beville has always read submitted letters aloud and the Board was previously not concerned with their length. But since the Board’s last work session, they felt emboldened to restrict public participation especially during the public comments sessions. The “public” was having none of it!

The public was also not having any of the silent treatment that underscores the true lack of “open government” from Mr Feiner’s administration. Another speaker, Bill Betwarda, Vice President of the Worthington Woodlands Civic Association, suggested the Town Board could learn much from the young man they honored at the start of the meeting. Hal Samis was the first to ask that the GameOn 365 contract vote be held over as there is much to discuss. He then used the balance of his 3-minutes to detail why and discuss other financial points. Ed Krauss, another critic of the Board, detailed Mr Feiner’s criticisms of character assassinations, and explained that character assassinations are not character assassinations if you are telling the truth about the person. Not seen off camera, was some “seat-squirming” as Mr Krauss made that statement. The truth must hurt. He proceeded to call Mr Feiner a liar. Mr Lewis insisted Mr Krauss cease his accusations and his time to speak was up. He didn’t say, “Sit down! Sit the F*** down!

Retired Greenburgh resident Fred Stetter, who lives near the former Frank’s Nursery, demanded answers from the Board why Greenburgh was entering the banking business by “carrying” the GameOn 365 business for 13 years, not allowing the sale to be consummated for 13 years? He stated if he had run his business like this he would have gone out of business after one year! Again, no answers. Council of Civic Association President Madelon O’Shea requested to know what the Town Board was going to do about the horrible and inaudible sound being broadcast from Town Hall sessions and how soon will they fix it? No answer.

Elm Street Sports attorney Nicholas Ward-Willis stated issues that are problematic issues with the contract. He had previously emailed a letter detailing this to the Board members. The Town has a clear and undeniable duty to accept the highest price, a fiduciary responsibility to the taxpayers and this contract deprives the taxpayers of result. GameOn 365 is offering less money and the Town is entering into “reckless payment terms and fraught with legal infirmities that render it invalid...” in contrast to what Elm Street Sports has offered.” The 13 year, $1.3M loan, below market interest rate, post-purchase loan which offers no security for the taxpayers over the course of 13 years. “When did the Town become a bank?” Ward-Willis asked, “Article 8 Section 1 of the NYS Constitution: no town shall give or loan any money or property to, or aid an individual or any private corporation.” He also pointed out that under General Municipal law section #51 states that taxpayers are allowed to commence an action against public officials in their individual capacity who are wasting public funds.     Apparently, there are better attorneys in the private sector than the public sector.

Ms Ella Preiser took to the podium, questioning the Boards actions based on the various points Mr Ward-Willis and then said there is a television program called “Are You Smarter Than A Fifth Grader?” Point made. There are enough issues with this contract that a vote should not be made and this should be held over. Town Supervisor candidate Robert Bernstein spoke about the contract and stated the GameOn 365 deal is very troubling and proceeded to point out why. This was the course the entire evening took as speaker after speaker touched on so many issues that eventually Mr Jones made a motion to hold the ratification of the deal over. When Mr Bernstein next spoke during the 5-minute public session, he congratulated the Board for that decision. It remains to be seen what they will do next. Our prediction is they will vote it through anyway.

Hindering public comment. Bad deals that continue to benefit developers. Working under Mr Feiner’s “Friends and Families Plan”, and routinely making deals that hurt constituents taxpayers seems to be the several years in the making, a tact this Board has supported. Personal attacks from the Board are covertly made through letter and actions while espousing the same thing not be done toward themselves. This behavior is contemptible. The democrats are in control of this next election for Town Supervisor. There are two candidates. Please study the issues, question what is right and wrong and vote your conscience in the upcoming Democratic Primary, following your own moral compass. There were numerous requests for apologies and none given. Your decision should not include an apology for voting the wrong way.

Bluff and Blink

The latest go-’round with the WestHelp property and the proposed Ferncliff takeover has reached a new low in bluffing. It’s like the card game that has two players vying for the pot waiting for the other to blink.

The Paul began this house of cards-like scheme around 2009 when he decided to not renew the WestHelp lease with the County for the WestHelp property. Whether his Town Board was complicit is of no consequence as they would have gone along with anything he told them to go along with. We can only speculate of his decision to why he wanted to do this? ABG maintains the primary reason would be votes in the upcoming election. He’d remove the homeless from not only WestHelp, but Valhalla, and return this bucolic hamlet into the enclave it had been prior to the now-Governor’s housing initiative was ever built. Might another reason be The Paul was approached by the County Executive himself or a representative or even a County Legislator requesting an alliance of sorts in a tit-for-tat arrangement to be determined at a later date?

What good would all of this be if the County Board of Legislators didn’t buy in to The Paul’s diversion and deflection? After all, he is the master of deflection. Amazingly, no County Legislative oversight committee, the County DSS system or body of inspectors was monitoring the WestHelp property. This transpired for over roughly two years while the County continued to ignore The Paul’s (vis–à–vis Greenburgh’s) contractual violations to not continue to house low and no income people and ignore the maintenance of the facility. Why? Could it be that the County Executive garnered enough bipartisan support to “break” the contract the County has with the Town? Or, could it simply be that a number of County Legislators are from the Yonkers area, and Ferncliff, a for-profit business, is Yonkers based and they are stepping up for their constituent?

This deal ultimately playing out well for the Ferncliff School still seems like a long shot. They essentially have no money to purchase or do the demolition work to destroy the 108 viable apartments others could be using. They then must rely on state funds for construction and then rent! The majority of their residents are from NYC, even though they claim that these children are coming from what is considered low income families. It seems justifying why they should be allowed to move to the WestHelp site is a different kind of bluff. The Ferncliff School has offered to pay $500K a year in rent to Greenburgh yet have no money to secure, demolish and rebuild and are solely dependent on state funding to proceed, if they can proceed at all. It’s been nothing if not a bluff perpetrated by The Paul this entire time and causing unnecessary pain and suffering for everyone!

Until the County Board of Legislators can get County Executive candidate and Chairman Ken Jenkins, Greenburgh County Legislators Alfreda Williams and Mary Jane Shimsky to concede, the County Community Services Committee has introduced items for discussion and a vote by their committee. Another part of the bluff. Ironically, the Chair for this committee is Alfreda Williams, who has been against this move by The Paul. Also on the committee and against this change is MaryJane Shimsky. But the other side includes Legislator Michael Smith of Valhalla. The rest of the Republican legislators will stand side-by-partisan-side with Astorino and Smith. The several Yonkers Democrats who favor of the Ferncliff deal will continue to push for The Paul’s rouse. ABG wonders what will be offered to these Jenkins, Williams and Shimsky to get them to go along?

There has been much ballyhoo about who is more deserving of the property and are homeless people more important than developmental disabled? The answer is simple: it is not a competition and both are in need of our attention and assistance. The issue for ABG and many others, including the Westchester N.A.A.C.P., who helped get the apartments built, is that The Paul took it upon himself to not renew the lease while we still need affordable housing in our area. He chose to violate the tenets of an enforceable contract which his Town Board condoned (naturally) and subsequently endorsed, and remain in violation of that contract for the last 18 months. Again, why hasn’t the County taken action against The Paul and The Town’s contractual violations?

Below are two pages showing the actions of the Community Services Committee meeting. ABG believes it is a bluff because we know they believe if they profess it enough and act as though this were really happening for Ferncliff School, it will. It seems like the old “beg forgiveness rather than ask permission” routine. There are several reasons they should not be doing this. One, it’s unfair to taunt the Ferncliff School like this. Two, Chairman Ken Jenkins, has worked to try to find a suitable location other than the WestHelp site even though County government is not obliged to do so! In fact, there is additional space near WestHelp on the Westchester Community College campus that has been suggested/offered as suitable. Remarkably, we haven’t heard a peep from anyone about this parcel. Three, while ABG believes it will be next to impossible for the County to bring an action against the Town because not only do Astorino, Smith and McCormack live in the Valhalla area, Astorino appointed County Attorney Robert Meehan, lives nearby! Finally, when the lawsuits do start, don’t you think those “aiding and abetting” will be named as well?

The Ferncliff School does great work for a small portion of the population. But their portion of the population should be treated as equally as the others. They need help finding a new location and we wonder why The Paul has never offered them 715 Dobbs Ferry Road, the old Frank’s Nursery property? He could have sold the property to the Ferncliff School for $1 if he truly cared about them, had the Town do the site remediation and kill two birds with one stone. 

Others have been helping them in their quest and will continue to do so. We truly wish them success. At the same time, the one property they seek as ideal is committed to another equally important purpose. While we wish we could snap our fingers and find a solution for the Ferncliff School, their needs will be better served if they abandon The Paul’s bluff and look in earnest for another location that is actually attainable. We can only hope that the Ferncliff School is successful in their relocation and that WestHelp gets renovated as soon as possible and it’s 108 apartments be put to good use again. We want to see people in desperate need of housing move into their new homes. Again, we can only hope.

Feiner Insults NAACP

Dave Wilson of the Journal News was the moderator for the night. The NAACP was the host and a church in White Plains was the location. The forum on Monday night was a sounding board over the low income housing dilemma facing the County and the Town. The panel for the forum was composed of David “Tax Watch” Wilson, Robert Bernstein, an attorney who intervened with retired judge Herb Rosenberg on behalf of the Town to reclaim $1.2M illegally paid to the Valhalla School District by The Paul. Alfreda Williams and MaryJane Shimsky, both County Legislators representing Greenburgh and other communities, were joined by County Legislator and County Executive Candidate, Ken Jenkins. Arriving late, as had been announced to the crowd, was The Paul.

Wilson began the evening with a slide presentation showing the WestHelp facility on the Westchester Community College campus. Bernstein was the first panelist to speak and highlighted several key points that appear to be in violation by The Paul and his Town Board. He read specific sections of the original contract and the case against The Paul seems damning! It basically said that the Town shall maintain the facility and the Town will continue to house low income residents in the facility. Both of those points have been unequivocally violated. Then the three legislators spoke. Jenkins assured everyone that the County is not against Ferncliff, a private company, and is also working closely with them to find an appropriate site for their school. He continued that The Paul should not be pitting the WestHelp property against Ferncliff. Both are equally worthy causes. Shimsky said that WestHelp is a valuable public asset that we cannot let go to waste under any circumstance. She furthered that there is obviously a need for affordable housing in our community. The crowd wholeheartedly agreed. Williams suggested that organizations such as this one could help by continuing to stay involved.

By arriving late, The Paul knew he would have limited exposure at this meeting. If he was lucky, he knew he could bloviate, dance a bit, get his agenda across and hope to be out of there without answering any real questions. After letting The Paul ramble on for about five minutes with an “opening statement”, Wilson asked Feiner one question, “Why did you support the WestHelp affordable housing when you were a County Legislator but now as Town supervisor you won’t support it?” Performing “The Paul shuffle”, he read from a piece of paper all the points he wanted to make, but never answered the question!

One woman in the back row put her head down on the table, shaking her head in disbelief while others could be overheard saying he wasn’t answering the question. After Wilson interrupted him twice and asked him to answer the question, he continued his rambling. We all know this is The Paul’s main deflection tactic. The woman in the back raised her hand and asked why he wouldn’t answer the question. People in the audience wanted substance. The audience was not happy with The Paul’s deflection. They demanded answers. After The Paul claimed that the DSS referred people mostly of color to affordable housing, one gentleman took offense to Feiner’s statement and asked why Feiner would put “people of color” in his statement? The Paul’s response was because he was at a meeting held by the NAACP. This did not bode well with the crowd, who let their displeasure be known.

Without a doubt, this could have been a good back-and-forth session with good questions and perhaps honest answers. But The Paul wasn’t there to participate in an honest dialog. Rather, he was there to campaign. But tonight, the crowd The Paul thought he could pander to wasn’t buying the goods – finally! Overheard after the meeting was the comment that, “The Town has a lot of bad things happening to it because of The Paul’s mismanagement and illegal actions, but we have a lot more good things happening to it too.” We just need to make sure we keep the good outweighing the bad.

To keep the good outweighing the bad, we need to vote The Paul out of office. This meeting may have been one of the first steps toward that end. We can only hope.

WestHelp As A Loss Leader

There are numerous years still left in the WestHelp lease between the Town and the County. The openly professed NIMBY’s of the Valhalla section of Town, are the Mayfair-Knollwood group, lead by The Paul and propped up by County Legislator Michael Smith (R-Valhalla). In a Town Board work session Tuesday morning, the Greenburgh Town Board collectively fell on the sword for their leader. They voted to continue pushing for the County to accept their “sham” deal with the Ferncliff School, making them the official tenant for the now-vacant property. In any other Town, these people would be recognized as racists and run out of Town!

We’ve previously written about the apparent links to the County Executive, the County Legislature, The County Executive’s Communications Director, The Valhalla School District and of course, The Paul. In a concerted effort to drive the unwanted homeless element out of Valhalla, whether combined or singularly, The Paul let the $1.2 million lease with Westchester County lapse, claiming, as he is doing again, that it’s the County’s fault the lease wasn’t renewed. Then to prove his virtue, he manufactured two emails that he claimed were emails he had sent to then County Executive Spano stating he wanted to renew the lease. Everyone who saw the emails said the same thing: they were phonies. 

Monday night The Paul released the RFP’s (request for proposals) submitted to the Town for the County’s former WestHelp property. There were six submissions:

Ferncliff Manor, Inc. 
$500,000 per year to the Town until the year 2031 to operate a residential school for 74 developmentally disabled children. 70% of the children come from families with incomes below $50,000 annually.

Group MRH, LLC & The Richman Group Affordable Housing Organization
$100,000 per year to the Town until the year 2032 to operate an affordable rental housing pursuant to a triple Net sublease agreement with the Town for the remaining 20-year Master Lease term.

HarborView Properties
$125,000 to 165,000 per year to the Town until the year 2032 to operate property as an eighty percent (80%) Market Rate Apartment Rental Community with twenty percent (20%) of Units set aside and designated as ¨Affordable Housing Units.¨

Marathon Development Group
$200,000 initial lease payment and lump sum $2,000,000 at contract closing representing the net present value of 20 year payment streams to the Town until the year 2032 to convert the existing shelter apartments into 80 units of affordable senior housing (55 and older), with a preference for veterans.

Community Housing Innovations
$350,000 per year to the Town until the year 2032 to develop the former WestHELP site for use as affordable housing, primarily for seniors and the existing administration/school building for a community use such as relocation of the Lois Bronz Children’s Center or Ferncliff Manor, Inc.’s. temporary use for a disabled school facility.

WestHAB
$200,000 per year to the Town ($600,000 up front) until the year 2064 to operate affordable housing pursuant to a tri-party lease between WestHAB, the Town and the County using Low Income Housing Tax Credit Equity for 50 years. 

The first proposal is his proposal of choice. It’s the reason he has let the WestHelp facility deteriorate with plans of tearing it down once he finally exhausts the County Legislature with his incessant posturing. His deflection campaign of trying to foist his failure to renew the contract as their fault is not working. Fortunately, the majority of legislators are not buying into his convoluted scheme. Is The Paul simply using Ferncliff as a loss-leader or is it just another deflection, cooked up long before this year’s budget debacle and would begin to take attention off of this year’s budget? He couldn’t know a hurricane would strike, bailing him out of another laser-focused critique of his poorly executed budget. In The Paul’s classic form, he just shrugs off the criticisms.

Interestingly, the WestHelp complex of 108 apartments was built under the authority of the United States Housing and Urban Development. That organization was run by then HUD Housing Secretary and current NYS Governor Andrew Cuomo. ABG believes Cuomo will be running for president in the next election, or at least vice-president. Regardless of his future plans, ABG doesn’t seriously believe that Westchester’s lack of affordable housing would find Cuomo endorsing the demolition of these same apartments after championing their creation. Why should that matter?

First, the state has it’s own budget problems and is unlikely and unwilling to come up with to remove affordable housing. Second, Ferncliff Manor is only offering $500,000 with the proviso that New York State pay for what will happen with the property for them. Without the state’s assistance, it is unlikely that the Ferncliff deal can happen nor would the Town actually be making $500k per year. Undaunted, that didn’t stop the Town Board from supporting The Paul’s harebrained idea – no surprise there! Somewhat sheepishly, Tim “Remediation” Lewis, coming off his major mishandling of the toxic site cleanup costs for the GameOn 365 proposal site, cautiously seemed to offer The Paul an “out” stating they should look at all the offers equally. The Paul barreled on.

The County Legislature, and it’s chair Legislator Ken Jenkins, have repeatedly told The Paul and the Town Board they must abide by the contractual obligations of the existing lease. They are not in favor of repurposing the site and giving up much needed affordable housing in Westchester especially in view of the housing desegregation settlement. While The Paul usually can’t wait to install affordable housing in the most inappropriate places, it begs the question of why he would be so adamantly against maintaining the 108 apartments in Valhalla and keeping the affordable housing? In fact, he’s been on record saying there is a glut of affordable housing in Greenburgh! So, what’s in it for him? 

ABG maintains votes as well as county support for The Paul is his motivation since this appeases Astorino, McCormack, Smith et al. This entire episode is loaded with ethical dilemmas, illegal actions and simply more lies. One of these RFP’s might very well be the one the Town signs on with, regardless of the superficial date The Paul has created for a final decision. These games have to stop. We can only hope.