Regular business was discussed. In particular was the lack of sidewalks at the Mount Vernon Health Center building (doing business as the Greenburgh Health Center) along Knollwood Road. This issue has been ongoing and trumpeted by the Broadview Civic Association. Broadview President Robert Renniger joined the Board and several department heads at the table and proceeded to again detail the need for sidewalks, first as fulfillment of the contractual agreements from the Health Center’s proposal, second to match the drawings on the Comprehensive Plan – which show completed sidewalks, and finally from a safety issue given the amount of pedestrian patients going to and from the health center. Mr Renniger pointed out that as a federally funded facility there are inherent ADA issues that must be addressed and the Town should help ensure the safety of people accessing the health center. Town Attorney Tim Lewis, not a Board member, was the only one who responded that the Town would continue to work with the Broadview organization.
Attendance for this meeting was unusually heavy. Why? Word had been leaked to Mr Feiner that this meeting promised to be intense since he had illegally withheld the tax money ($10M) collected by the Town slated to go to the three fire districts because the certiorari adjustments hadn’t been paid ($700k). How do we know this was leaked to Mr Feiner? He wore a suit and tie. He knew well in advance that the three firefighter unions as well as their treasurers, officers and other interested parities would be in attendance as he strode in, uncharacteristically bedecked.
The Town is the collecting agent for the three Fire Districts, the Sewer District, the School district and all the other taxing entities within the Town. By law, they are obligated to simply collect the funds on behalf of the respective districts and forward those monies to them immediately, or no later than May 1st. This year however, the Town decided to play games and withhold the money from the districts. This is against the law! Why would they illegally withhold the money? ABG is convinced it is due to the shenanigans being played by the King of Deflection, our own Mr Feiner. We await the press release from Mr Feiner that bemoans the Town having to “pay” all this money to the Fairview Fire District, even though by rights and by law it is theirs, not his or the Towns. ABG believes this is all part of his plan to consolidate the fire districts even though all documentation proves his model to be more costly in the long run. Next he will issue a press release grieving the amount of money he has to give the Fire District and how the money they owe is crippling the Town. There’ll be no mention of Fortress Bible, Franks’s Nursery property, WestHelp and so on.
One thing every Commissioner appointed to their position in the Town knows going into the job is at some point they are expected to “fall on the sword” for their boss, Mr Feiner. This time it was Town Comptroller Bart Talamini’s turn. He was remarkably quick, acting without hesitation when people in the audience pushed for a simple answer to the question the Board danced around: Why were the Fairview Fire District’s tax funds withheld this year, unlike all previous years, and not paid as usual by May 1st, as required by law? What changed? Almost immediately, without getting the requisite nod or wink from Mr Feiner, Mr Talamini said it was his decision and his decision alone to withhold the money! Mr Feiner must have been so proud, thinking, “Yes! I got away with breaking the law again! I'm still untouchable and can put out my press release.”
Regardless of which music was being played for Mr Feiner’s deflection dance, the real answer to what was transpiring was simple: they were nervous about getting caught with their illegal actions again! Town Comptroller Bart Talamini will remain unpunished for “taking it upon himself” to not transfer the money to the three fire districts as it was he who broke the law. Realistically, we believe he was instructed to. We'd like to note that once the fire representatives showed up to the meeting, Town Board members fell all over themselves to say Mr Talamini was transferring the funds as they waited and he was awaiting written confirmation of the transaction. When he did finally walk in, he immediately handed the paperwork to the fire representatives.
Mr Feiner and his band of misfits are attempting to take over the fire service in Greenburgh. The reasons can only be surmised based on previous bad behavior. Mr Feiner has recently and singlehandedly cost the Town taxpayers a lot of money: $6.5M-Fortress Bible Church; $3.6M-WestHelp; $3.5+M-Frank’s Nursery; $12M/yr-Certiorari refunds; the list goes on with Dromore Road, illegal fund raising letters and the like. But he and his press buddies such as Milt Hoffman avoid discussing that small fact. Greenburgh is proof that it is turning into a different kind of place to live, just not one of the best. It has to change. When we do see a change at Town Hall, maybe we'll see A Better Greenburgh.
Simple solution, just ask the firefighters, public servants, to tighten their belts and accept less pay. I would advise this for all the municipal employees. You know, pull together for the good of the residents, you know, the people that pay for all this.
ReplyDeleteIt is not that simple. Most if not all firefighters,public servants and municipal workers belong to a union. The union asks for and expects their raises. If they are denied the raise then they take it to arbitration. It is the arbitrators that need to put a stop to granting the increases. The first step is to do something about the way that pensions are calculated. That has to start in Albany with Governor Cuomo.
ReplyDeleteThis is exactly why public sector unions should be abolished. However, the supervisor might consider showing some local leadership and rescind his own recent 10% salary raise and forego the extra $10K he pockets as a health care differential. The system is broken and corrupt.
ReplyDelete