2020 Year In Review Review

Each year Mr Feiner likes to tell you the things he’s worked on and brag a bit. We recognize that as a convicted lier he has difficulty sharing all of the information. As such, we take it upon ourselves to set the record straight. His comments are in black and ours are in blue. Black and blue – kind of like how Greenburgh taxpayers feel. Enjoy.

NO TAX HIKE OR LEVY INCREASE FOR SECOND CONSECUTIVE YEAR

Recognizing the financial hardship experienced by so many of our residents, the Town Board was able to adopt a budget with no tax increase and no increase in the levy for the second consecutive year. We tried hard to cut spending, and we deferred capital expenses and will be refinancing bonds at lower rates and longer terms to reduce operating costs. No salary increases for elected officials will occur during 2021.  

No tax hike and rightfully so. Since Town Hall was virtually closed during the pandemic, there was much there that was not being used, needed cleaning or replenishment. And, despite Mr Feiner’s desire to float an almost $50 million bond for a new police station and court, now is not the time.                                       

 

MAKING EARLY VOTING EASIER

We tried hard and succeeded in making early voting easier for residents. There were long lines, over three hours in some instances at early voting locations. We provided residents with live streaming of the polling place so they could arrange their voting when the lines were shorter. Councilman Sheehan updated the wait times in real time on our YouTube stream. We established special lines for Senior Citizens to reduce waiting time, and provided the frail elderly and disabled with the ability to avoid waiting on line to vote. We extend an enormous thanks for the efforts of the Greenburgh Neighborhood Health Center offering flu shots outside of the polling location at Town Hall and we arranged for food trucks to be at the parking lot and outdoor musical entertainment to make the wait more enjoyable.

They may have tried hard but did not succeed in making early voting easier. Long lines snaking through the Town Hall parking lot, no seating, understaffing, which is really the Board of Elections fault, did nothing to help the election process but ensure that few checks and balances could be utilized to combat voter fraud.

 

For the 2020 elections the Board of Elections reduced the number of voting locations, creating significant lines. Members of the Town Council (Councilmembers Diana Juettner, Francis Sheehan, Ken Jones and Gina Jackson) assisted voters during early voting hours, making the process run smoother.  Town Hall was likely the safest place to be during early voting because of the precautions in place.

See above.

 

EARLY COVID-19 WARNING, GLENN EISEN'S CRUISE TO THE SOUTH CHINA SEA

 In February Glenn Eisen, a former member of the Greenburgh Ethics Board and a Tai Chi Balance instructor in our Parks and Recreation Department, celebrated his 80th birthday with a cruise on the vessel Westerdam on the South China Sea. Most of us had not yet heard of COVID-19 or the Coronavirus, but Glenn introduced me (via his numerous emails) to the depth of the crisis. Although Glenn did not contract the illness, his ship was unable to dock in the Phillipines, Taiwan, Korea or Japan. As he approached each country, he and his wife (and fellow passengers) were told that access was barred and they were legally required to remain on the ship. I was in touch with Glenn via email and reached out to Congressional representatives, attempting to be of help. Eventually, his ship was allowed to dock and Glenn came home.

While unfortunate, the precautions taken by these ports/countries may have helped him and his wife not contract the virus.

 

TOWN BOARD AND OTHER TOWN MEETINGS GO REMOTE

Greenburgh was the first community to ask NYS to authorize members of the Town Board to hold meetings remotely. Before we even heard of Zoom, we asked the state to allow our Town Government to vote via “Skype.” By March our meetings were conducted via “Zoom.” Although some communities in NYS have restricted public participation, the Greenburgh Town Board encouraged citizen involvement. Residents have the right and the ability to speak at public hearings and are encouraged to comment at Town meetings. Our Zoom meetings are televised and streamed live on the town website and are archived.  Councilman Francis Sheehan mastered the Zoom technology very early on, helping the Town to quickly transition from in person meetings to Zoom meetings with public participation.

Mastered Zoom? It really isn’t that difficult to use. However, while we believe this could be a violation of the law, utilizing Zoom precludes a portion of the electorate from participating in these meetings, commenting or having their concerns addressed. There were also continuing sound and Closed Captioning problems on the telecasts.

 

TAXPAYERS FACING HARDSHIPS WERE ENABLED TO PAY TAXES LATE, IN APRIL

In the spring I actively lobbied the NYS Governor and Westchester County to pass legislation that would enable the town to offer residents facing hardships, the opportunity to pay their Town, County and School taxes late. The Governor issued an Executive Order and Westchester County approved legislation authorizing the hardship late payments and the Town Board approved a resolution authorizing County, Town and Fire District taxes to be paid without penalty by mid-July.

As it should be. Interesting that Mr Feiner would look to extend tax payment periods when it took him 7 years to go after any tax foreclosures/liens throughout the Town.

 

NEWLY FORMED TOWN MEDICAL ADVISORY COMMITTEE PUSHED FOR REGULATIONS TO MAKE SUPERMARKET SHOPPING SAFER

The Town of Greenburgh is extremely fortunate to be a community replete with highly qualified, active and caring individuals. A recently formed Medical Advisory Committee, comprised of local medical professionals, “pressed” NYS to establish regulations to address guidelines for safe supermarket shopping and to help residents who have no option but to enter stores, avoid having to stand shoulder to shoulder on lines.  The committee recommended limiting the number of people who might shop inside stores, advocated having supermarkets provide hand sanitizers and provide for “6 ft distance” limitations. The NYS Health department issued guidelines endorsing these recommendations.

More regulations mean more costs, which invariably will be passed along to the consumer. Plus, they are apparently recommendations, not mandates.

 

DIFFICULTY GETTING MASKS --BUT RESIDENTS DONATED!

At the beginning of the pandemic there was a serious shortage of masks for first responders. We organized an effort to obtain donations and were successful in obtaining significant donations from Greenburgh residents. Again, this was another example of our neighbors “being there” for the community.

This once again highlights the lack of preparedness for a pandemic or major event. When the avian flu happened several years ago, the Village of Elmsford, under Mayor Robert Williams' insistence, creating an Emergency Operations Center in the basement of Village Hall and a pandemic plan that proved to be the correct pre-planning and steps to take before it was needed. Forward thinking.

 

UNEMPLOYMENT ASSISTANCE, HELPING RESIDENTS OBTAIN THEIR CHECKS

Because so many residents were out of work, NYS was inundated with requests for unemployment benefits. I received numerous requests for assistance from many of our residents who were unable to effectively navigate the NYS UI system as so many of the residents were unable to connect with the NYS Department of Labor. Phones were busy and calls unanswered. NYS responded to the concerns by creating a special form for elected officials to utilize. I was gratified to be able to intervene and help most of the residents who called seeking assistance.

As the elected representative for the Town, it is your job to assist residents any time they need it.

 

OUR EMPLOYEES’ HEALTH AND WELL BEING

  Thankfully, none of our staff lost their lives due to COVID-19. Sadly, some residents did. Many of our employees were directed to work remotely from their homes during the pandemic. The police department was hit hard with COVID-19 (our current Police Chief and former Police Chief recovered from the illness) and other essential workers in different departments also had the virus. To keep those employees safe who continue to work in our municipal buildings the Town implemented an action plan that includes:

 

1- Plexiglas partitions have been installed in workplace areas less than six feet apart.  These Plexiglas shields have been installed between office cubicles and at public reception areas.

2- Air filters in the ventilation systems have been upgraded to MERV 13 standards, or better, depending on the ability of the individual system to accept the higher rated filtration.

3- Signage has been installed as reminders to wash hands, maintain separation, and inform about COVID-19 symptoms, in a format as published by the CDC.

4- Disinfecting agents have been made available at all office work stations and public lobby areas.

5- We have purchased advanced fogger disinfectant equipment used by our Building Maintenance Department as appropriate along with outer disinfection techniques.

6- In Town Hall, public access beyond the Lobby area has been restricted.

7- High-touch surfaces are wiped by Building Maintenance staff at greater frequency.

8- The Town Hall Cafeteria and other meeting areas now have reduced seating and greater separation.

Special thanks to Building Maintenance Supervisor Michael Broder for overseeing these initiatives.

All of the initiatives are in line with mandates from all governmental agencies involved with the pandemic and should have been followed anyway. It would be helpful to have costs associated with each of these steps taken as Mr Feiner has no problem wasting taxpayer money.

 

SUPPORTING OUR RESTAURANTS

In partnership with the local community and our store owners, we were able to create outdoor seating opportunities at some area restaurants. The Parking Authority created additional outdoor space for restaurants on East Hartsdale Avenue as well.

Ah, East Hartsdale Avenue got this perk – and we’re happy for it as the Feiner administration is anti-business (except for developers) and doing little to help small and independent businesses

 

OUR PARKS PROVIDED A NEEDED ESCAPE

This pandemic has demonstrated how our parks are essential for our residents and the people who work in our communities. Record crowds have visited our parks this year to walk, jog, hike, meditate or exercise, using our tennis courts, ball fields, swimming pools or playgrounds.  Our parks became a refuge for so many people who have been unemployed or needed to get outdoors for their mental and physical wellness.

Good.

 

NUTRITION PROGRAM CONTINUED

Throughout the crisis the drivers and staff of the Greenburgh Nutrition Program continued to deliver meals (over 5000 each month) to at risk seniors who could not get out and were sheltering in place. Volunteers helped deliver food to seniors afraid to shop inside a supermarket.

Good.

 

THEODORE YOUNG COMMUNITY CENTER CONTINUED SERVING COMMUNITY

Even in the midst of a pandemic, the Department of Community Resources’ team was able to provide quality programming, in-person and virtual, to town residents, ensuring health and safety was a priority.  Committed staff members remained on the front lines to ensure the needs of senior residents were addressed, provided a safe space for remote learning, assisted with the increased 2020 Census responses, engaged and supported social justice demonstrations, and brought awareness to the importance of civic engagement during an intense campaign and election season. In addition, due to the proactive approach of the implementation of CDC protocols and Westchester County Department of Health, with appropriate approvals, the Theodore D. Young Community Center’s indoor pool facility was one of just a few that remained open throughout the entire county during the ongoing public health crisis.

1) We have always found interesting the fact the TYCC is considered a place for learning. We endorse learning, but believe the schools should be doing this since everyone pays dearly for school taxes. If learning is supposed to be remote, why are they at the TYCC? 

2) We’re also not sure why the TYCC was utilized for voter registration when the Census takers were canvassing the neighborhoods? 

3) And the pool remaining open smacks of violating all mandates about social distancing and/or spreading the virus.

 

PEDESTRIAN SAFETY AND TRAFFIC IMPROVEMENTS

Between late 2019 and early 2020 there were nine pedestrian accidents, some involving fatalities.  We created a Traffic Safety Committee which made several recommendations to the Town Board. We were able to finally install a new traffic signal at the intersection of Sprain and Ardsley Roads. The Commissioner of Public Works and the Commissioner of Planning and Community Development issued a report prioritizing sidewalks that need to be built in the Town. We worked with the NYS Department of Transportation to address safety issues on Central Avenue, near Sacred Heart Church, were a child was very seriously injured. NYS will allow the Town to construct a “Hawk Traffic Control Device” designed to stop road traffic and allow pedestrians to cross safely at the crosswalk. Councilman Francis Sheehan helped with a petition process to initiate this effort. We are currently designing two sidewalks, on Hillside Avenue and North Washington Avenue. We are also taking steps to build a sidewalk on Fort Hill Road from Ardsley Road to Longview. A permanent resident Traffic Safety Committee will be appointed by the Town Board with representation from different neighborhoods. A new sidewalk is also currently under construction on Old Tarrytown Road.

1) The traffic light at the intersection of Sprain and Ardsley Roads was not the result of pedestrian accidents as Mr Feiner would like you to believe. 

 2) Prioritizing where we need sidewalks is like kissing your sister – it doesn’t mean much without a master plan for sidewalks and other necessities throughout the Town. We just want to know why, after thirty years as Supervisor, that Mr Feiner finally wants sidewalks? His modus operandi has been that any developer who is building or developing in the Town must include a new sidewalk (often to nowhere) in front of the property.

 

TOWN BOARD AUTHORIZES FORFEITURE OF CARS OF THOSE CONVICTED OF DRAG RACING

Regrettably, Drag Racing has increased locally, including on streets within our community. Police have worked diligently to identify locations and times when such activities were occurring, but ticketing appeared to be inadequate disincentive for those involved in this extremely dangerous and disruptive activity. The Town Board has been able to pass guidelines which now will allow those convicted of Drag Racing, on our streets, to potentially forfeit their vehicles. We believe this law will adequately discourage Drag Racing.

Remarkably, many neighborhoods have continually bemoaned the fact that there is no police presence nor enforcement in the neighborhoods. You can have all of the laws and forfeiture laws on the books. Without enforcement of current vehicle and traffic laws, in addition to going after the drag racing, it won’t make a bit of difference and will continue.

 

NYS REPAVES ROADS THEY OWN FOR FIRST TIME IN OVER FIVE YEARS

For first time in more than five years, NYS has repaved roads they control which are located in Greenburgh. Dobbs Ferry Road, Hillside Avenue and Saw Mill River Road in Ardsley have all seen excellent upgraded paving. In 2018 student interns lobbied NYS to address road conditions and we thank them for their effective work.

Again, Mr Feiner should represent his constituents and constantly push the state for better road maintenance and care. That's his job.

 

MARIO CUOMO BRIDGE BIKE PATH

A long-awaited bike/pedestrian path has been opened across the Mario Cuomo Bridge, enabling cyclists and pedestrians to bike/walk from Tarrytown to Nyack. I had pressed for this for many years and expressed concern about the narrow width of the shared walkway. I am also pushing for a bike lane to be built from the South/North County trail on Route 119 to the Cuomo Bridge. Such a path would make it safer for cyclists to bike from the Yonkers/Bronx border and from Putnam to the bridge without having to worry about street traffic.

What a nightmare having one pathway on the new Tappan Zee Bridge which is extremely congested during good weather and fraught with numerous accidents daily. While the pathway’s too small for the volume of walkers, runners, bikers, romantics gazing at the sunsets, etc., there should have been two paths, one for bikers on one side and a second for pedestrians on the other.

 

ODELL HOUSE NOW IS OWNED BY THE TOWN, ITS HISTORY WILL BE PRESERVED

Odell house was finally turned over to the Town by the “Sons of the American Revolution.” It was a long process.  A private foundation, “Friends of the Odell House Rochambeau” was formed to work with the Town to provide assistance and direction, as we proceed with efforts to restore this important national landmark and to make it a museum.

What also needs to happen is constant maintenance or this will wind up like the Miller House in Valhalla. Our Town has a poor track record of maintenance and usually reacts when it’s too late.

 

CON ED ISSUES REFUNDS FOR FIRST TIME FOR POWER OUTAGES

After far too many power outages, we were able to lobby Con Ed to issue refunds to customers who experienced losses due to outages and partial refunds were issued for the first time. Con Ed was fined by NYS for being unprepared to address power outages during this summer. It's my hope that Con Ed has learned from the experiences. On Christmas day there were outages around the town and Con Ed responded quickly and efficiently to these issues. We are pressing Con Ed to create a joint plan with Verizon and Optimum to coordinate initiatives to avoid such service disruptions.

This bragging borders on the obscene. While we believe it’s about time that consumers get some relief when they are without power beyond a few hours, we find it utterly ridiculous that the government fines a public utility that they govern who then passes those costs along to the consumer.

 

ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT

Site Approvals: Shoprite will replace the movie theater in North Elmsford. Brightview Assisted Living has been approved at Metropolis Golf Club. Amazon to open a last mile distribution facility in Elmsford. Proposed assisted living at Maplewood has been abandoned. The Town has committed to hiring an Economic Development Coordinator. A new Self Storage Facility opens on White Plains Road. Chelsea Assisted Living opens in Greenburgh at the former Franks Nursery. Carlsons to remain a nursery at 625 Dobbs Ferry Road. Westchester Broadway Theater closes. Tesla Dealership construction almost completed on Route 119.

While economic development is good, there has been too much of late and too many deals proffered by Mr Feiner and his Board. While we can certainly use the supermarket, it shouldn’t be at the expense of the neighborhood's concerns and quality of life near the ShopRite site. Mr Feiner has a long history of ignoring the neighborhood's input and concerns in favor of all developers. 

 

GOVERNOR SIGNS LAW PUSHED BY TOWN REQUIRING LARGE SUPERMARKETS TO MAKE EXCESS EDIBLE FOOD AVAILABLE TO THE NEEDY

     The Governor signed a law that was developed by the Greenburgh Conservation Advisory Board and Councilman Ken Jones providing that large supermarkets should make available excess edible food, that is otherwise being carted away for disposal, to religious or other non profit organization which provide food for free to the needy.   The Town Board passed a resolution supporting this initiative.    The bill was overwhelming passed by the Senate and Assembly, and the Town Board urged the Governor to sign into law. It becomes effective in June 2021.

Here’s another piece of feel-good legislation that will do little if anything to feed the hungry. One of the problems with this is many organizations have a policy about taking in prepared food and typically refuse it.

 

KNOLLWOOD/RUMBROOK INTERCONNECTION PIPELINE INSTALLATION UNDERWAY

Construction of the critically important Knollwood Rumbrook interconnection pipeline project began in 2020. The interconnection is needed from the Rumbrook Pump station to the Knollwood Pump station to provide the town with a second (redundant) water source in the event that the NYC Delaware aqueduct system is shut down or one of our pump stations is out of service.

After all of the years of neglect, it’s good to finally see some infrastructure work being done.

 

SUMMER INTERNSHIP STUDENTS MET WITH NATIONALLY KNOWN LEADERS

During a Town sponsored Virtual Internship, comprised of 42 Greenburgh student interns, Hillary Clinton, Ed and Randi Zuckerberg, (father and sister of Mark of Facebook fame) former White House correspondent for TIME Magazine, Barrett Seaman, Newsweek columnist David Kaplan and others were interviewed. PSAs were produced by these bright and remarkable students. The internship program was overseen by Town Clerk Judith Beville with assistance from Commissioner of Planning Garrett Duquesne, Town Attorney Tim Lewis and me.

Funny, we don’t see these people as leaders, rather they are mere politicians elected to do our bidding. But I guess once you’ve been in office as long as Mr Feiner has, it’s difficult to distinguish between a lot of things, especially who a real leader is.

 

ZUCKERBERG INSTITUTE AND GREENBURGH CREATE PARTNERSHIP TO HELP SMALL LOCAL BUSINESSES

After hearing Randi Zuckerberg, former marketing director for Facebook speak to Greenburgh student interns about the Zuckerberg Institute, the Town became one of only two communities in the nation to partner with the Institute to assist local retail businesses. Students will have access to Silicon Valley business leaders and work with them to develop creative ideas to assist local businesses. We anticipate that the program will be launched in March. Over 60 brilliant students from all over Greenburgh have already expressed interest in participating.

It’s interesting how the “small business” moniker has become in vogue by Mr Feiner and his ilk. There are many things Mr Feiner, his Board and the Town could do If they really wanted to help small business. First, cut property taxes. Whether a property owner or renter, the cost of property taxes is included in the rent. Second, offer free parking everywhere to encourage shoppers to stay local and boost small businesses. Third, reduce fees and registrations on permits so it isn’t prohibitive for the small business owners to expand or do work on their property. There’s more but you get the idea. 

 

EDGEMONT

The Appellate Division of the NYS Supreme Court is reviewing an appeal to determine the sufficiency of an incorporation petition filed by Edgemont residents. Two years ago the Appellate Division overturned a lower court ruling and determined that the first petition filed was insufficient. A second petition was subsequently filed and the same Judge who issued the first ruling issued a similar decision which is the subject of the new appeal.

Whether you like the idea of Edgemont incorporating and becoming a Village or not, they met the criteria of the law and should be allowed to vote on this.

 

SUSTAINABLE WESTCHESTER

Our Town joins 27 communities in participating in an ESCO (Energy Service Company), with Sustainable Westchester, to provide residents with “Green Energy.” Residents who wish to opt out of the ESCO may opt out without penalty. The Town Board will provide residents with comparisons of Con Ed rates and the rates the ESCO are charging. The Sustainable Westchester rates can’t go up or down for the life of the contract. Con Ed rates can.

The Town Board should have been providing residents with comparisons of the rates for the past 2 years. Here’s a scam that has been proven to be more costly by signing up with them and proven out repeatedly by the Council of Greenburgh Civic Associations and others. Plus opting out, while everyone was told was easy, takes months. This was another bad deal brokered by Mr Feiner and his Board. 

 

USING TECHNOLOGY TO MAKE GOVERNMENT MORE EFFICIENT

The Town provided residents with the ability to request bulk trash pickups online utilizing a new system. In 2021 residents who have complaints about Town service-related matters will be able to utilize a new automated system to memorialize their complaints online.

Another way to cut down on personnel is through automation. While this may not be bad, why did it take so long to implement?

 

MORE CRICKET

Greenburgh was the first community in Westchester County to create a cricket field, which is now at Richard Presser Park in Hartsdale. An extremely popular sport with many of our new residents, this year the Westchester Board of Legislators approved a one million dollar capital expenditure to create a cricket field in Yonkers. As is often the case, Greenburgh led by example. County Executive Latimer and Legislator Shimsky were instrumental in obtaining the funding.

Another “feel good” directive of a very small portion of the Town.

 

BLACK LIVES MATTER

The Town Board appointed a committee headed by Councilwoman Gina Jackson to identify systemic racism (housing, health, police, employment, etc.). The committee members have been meeting and will issue a report with recommendations early in 2021. The Governor had directed (after the horrific murder of George Floyd) all local governments in NYS to create committees and provide recommendations for change.  The Town Board continues to promote more diversity in our Police Department and recently elevated the Sergeant of Community Affairs to Lieutenant as well as promoted the first Hispanic officer to the position of Lieutenant.

We’ll reserve comment to see what they come up with.

 

 

TRANSITIONS

Chris McNerney replaced Acting Chief Brian Ryan, who retired, as Greenburgh Police Chief. Chief McNerney had previously been our Chief, prior to accepting a position with the Westchester District Attorney. Welcome back Chief! Richard Fon replaced Victor Carosi as Commissioner of Public Works, who retired. Richard was the “Number Two” person in the Department under Victor. Mondaire Jones and Jamaal Bowman were elected to the US Congress representing Greenburgh, replacing long term elected officials, Nita Lowey and Eliot Engel. Councilwoman Gina Jackson joined the Town Board last January, replacing interim Councilwoman Ellen Hendrickx.

Ms Jackson was elected, replacing appointee Ellen Hendrickx who is a Democratic leader. Since Ms Hendrickx agreed to step aside for Ms Jackson, Diana Juettner’s seat has been promised to her pre-election.

 

COUNCILWOMAN DIANA JUETTNER TO RETIRE AT END OF 2021

Greenburgh Councilwoman Diana Juettner has devoted the past 29 years to the Town, serving as a member of the Town Board. She has worked hard advocating for seniors and for our parks programming, among other causes. Ms. Juettner helped the Town achieve its excellent Triple A bond rating during her tenure. She will be missed though we still will benefit from her service in 2021.

Goodbye. She was also very costly for the taxpayers as one of the defendants who were found guilty in the Fortress Bible Church Discrimination lawsuit along with Mr Feiner and the rest of the Board (at that time).

 

FUN FACT! BLACK BEARS SITED IN GREENBURGH

This summer, NYS DEC provided the Town Board with a presentation from which we created a You Tube infomercial advising residents what to do if they see bears.

Having black bears in our Town is not a fun fact. It is a dangerous fact and people could be injured and even killed and this should be treated as a serious issue.

 

NEW AFFORDABLE HOUSING BEING BUILT

Former WestHELP Affordable Housing site under construction in the Mayfair-Knollwood section of Town for 74 apartments for seniors which will replace 108 homeless shelter units. The Greenburgh Housing Authority is demolishing 30 Senior Housing units on Manhattan Ave to build 70 new units of Affordable Housing for seniors. The Town Board approved both agreements.

Actually, Mr Feiner and his Town Board were negligent with the Westhelp property while he made it a political football that caused the facility to run down and wind up costing everyone a lot of unnecessary expense and set the project to convert it to Senior Housing back years. This negligence also cost the Town millions of dollars in lost revenue from Westchester County.

 

NEW AMBULANCE TO HELP ARDSLEY SECOR AMBULANCE CORP

A new ambulance arrived in Ardsley, thanks to a NYS grant secured by Senator Andrea Steward Cousins, to help the Ardsley Secor Ambulance Corp continue to provide high level ambulance services to residents.

So a NYS grant, paid for by all of us,goes to help the Village of Ardsley residents. Hmm, wholives in Ardsley, again? Of course, Diana Juettner!

 

 

THANK YOU, SNOW ANGELS

Over 50 Senior Citizens and disabled residents were helped by Greenburgh Snow Angels this December. The Snow Angel program is headed by Miles Cooperman, a senior at Ardsley High School.

This is a good thing.

 

CONTINUING IMPROVEMENT OF OPERATIONS-- NEW BULK PICKUP OF ELECTRONICS BEING TESTED

Despite the pandemic, we have continued our focus on improving efficiency and effectiveness in delivering services to our community. With many staff working from home, and limited direct contact with others, we nevertheless were able to come up with initiatives that will help make your lives better.  For example, during the week of January 11th the DPW will, for the first time, pick up from homes old TVs, computers, printers and e-waste. Because of the demand for bulk pickup, we placed temporary bins at key locations around Town last December so our residents don't have to wait for pickups: they could drop off the bulk items themselves.

Again, a good idea but why did it take so long to implement? Does it really have to take Mr Feiner 30 years to come up with a program?

 

RENEWAL OF EXEMPTIONS FOR SENIORS AND PERSONS WITH DISABILITIES MADE EASIER

The Town Board also voted to waive the renewal requirements for seniors and persons with disabilities who previously received STAR exemptions.

Work to lower the taxes and STAR exemptions will not be necessary. Yes, we know the Town only collects the school taxes but a reduction, especially with no in-class learning going on shouldn’t be a difficult thing to achieve. It’s the same with monies saved by Town Hall and other venues being closed due to the pandemic.

 

TOWN TESTS WINTER SNOW PARKING REGULATION HARDSHIP WAIVERS

The Greenburgh Town Board approved legislation authorizing the Police department to issue hardship exemption permits this year to residents who have hardship due to the winter snow parking regulations. We have a snow ordinance which bans parking on town streets during winter months.

While we were told several years ago that parking exemptions or permits were illegal if used for a limited neighborhood group, the real question is why is there a hardship for parking? Maybe because all of the BS we’ve been fed about millennials not owning automobiles or even driving for that matter are false! Studies have proven it! So, the next time a housing project is proposed, they need to make sure it includes adequate parking.

  

Democrats Promise Councilwoman Position

It’s no secret that Diana Juettner will not be seeking another term as a Town Council member. We originally thought, “Finally, maybe we can get a breath of fresh air, some new thinking and innovation!” Juettner, a Village of Ardsley resident served on the Board almost as long as the Supervisor. She was also part of the “Feiner-crew” that was found guilty on seven counts, along with Mr Feiner, Westchester County government’s  Steve Bass, Eddie Mae Barnes and Timmy Weinberg (deceased) in the Fortress Bible Church Federal discrimination case. One would think that being convicted of any crime would be enough to force a politician to be removed from office. Not in “Bizaro Greenburgh”, where a guilty conviction seems to embolden them with more anointing of tenure.

Speaking of anointments, with Juettner leaving, the Greenburgh Democratic Party has already blessed and promised the Juettner seat to Ellen Hendrickx, former Hastings Democratic Chair and “fill-in” Council woman upon the death of Councilman Kevin Morgan. Can you say, “Done deal?” So much for fresh ideas, new thinking and such. It’s her turn after stepping aside to let Gina Jackson have a seat on the Board. This is significant for several reasons. First, Juettner is a Village of Ardsley resident and Hendrickx was a Village of Hastings resident. This matters because it’s the Villages that support Mr Feiner and ultimately bring him the votes he needs to stay in position as Supervisor. Also, the minuscule portion of the Village resident’s tax bill isn’t high enough for those residents to complain or even follow the illegal and unjust actions of Mr Feiner.

Second, we seriously doubt any Democrat would challenge the party decision-makers and try a run for this seat after it has been blessed for someone else. We saw how well this fared for several past challengers to those in existing positions within the party, the most recent being Democrat Eric Zinger, who ran for Town Board against Councilman Ken Jones and Gina Jackson. While there were those who disagreed with some of his positions and inflexibility toward them to compromise, he was a viable and preferred alternative to Mr Jones and did have some different ideas toward running the Town. 

Third, since the Town of Greenburgh’s Republican Chair is a Feiner fan and committee appointee, he is content to not even try to put a Republican candidate up against a Democrat running for elected office in the Town. Additionally, there had been interest from some of the existing Republicans in Town as well as the Villages, in forming a Republican Club to begin raising funds and cultivating candidates for the Town and Villages since the Westchester Republican Party refuses to do so. In fact, Westchester Republican Chair Douglas Colty has said numerous times that he has written Greenburgh Republicans “off.” We’ll wait and see if, and how, that pans out.

Fourth, since the Villages are insulated from any fines incurred by the Town or Mr Feiner and his various Boards, such as the $6.5 million dollar guilty verdict and fine in the Fortress Bible Church Discrimination Lawsuit, why would they even care if Mr Feiner stays in office or not? And, why would they care if he has been in office for 29 years thus far? There are no negatives for them. But there are plenty of negatives for the residents in the Unincorporated portion of the Town, as the Villages have Mayors and Village Boards protecting them – a luxury we will never see with any Feiner administration.

In fact, the Fortress Bible Church Discrimination lawsuit payments originally included all of the Villages but at the last minute Mr Feiner and his Town Board removed them off the resolution. Years earlier, the Villages were very angry when they were included in the payments dealing with a lawsuit over Town property - a fallen tree that killed a man & paralyzed his wife. Because the town was “under insured,” all residents had to pay the remainder of the settlement. The Villages threatened to leave Greenburgh! Mr Feiner promised them that if they stayed, the villages would not be included in any future lawsuits dealing with Unincorporated Town property. That was an incredibly good deal for them.

Fifth, looking at a small issue to begin with, Mr Feiner has mandated that the Town will not send out this year’s garbage and trash pickup calendars*. His excuse is that he can save the Town $5,000 by not printing and sending them out. What?! So, with a TOV budget that is roughly $88+ million dollars, which includes funds for him to do his many campaign mailings, we believe the $5,000 needed to keep our residents informed is well worth the expense. If he were truly looking to cut down printing and mailing expenses, stop the campaigning with all of the duplicitous mailings throughout the year and use that money for the garbage/trash pickup calendars. Or, offer to print the calendars on the office copiers at Town Hall on demand and have the residents come in and pick them up.

Sixth, if we move on to the larger issues, we find the Supervisor and his feckless Board granting every developer just about anything and everything they request . Case in point, the Battery Energy Storage System at the Knollwood Country Club, or the Brightview Continuum Care Facility at the Metropolis Country Club, or the ShopRite Supermarket at the old 9A Multiplex Theater complex or the Townhouses at the Elmwood Country Club bonanza that Mr Feiner keeps pushing for approval. These developments have too many unresolved issues. And yet, after going through the motions of listening to the impacted communities, Mr Feiner and his Board simply ignore the public and do what he wanted anyway. 

It seems that every project becomes a “done deal” whenever a developer walks into Town Hall. In addition to the above-noted examples, there are other projects, such as: the Shelbourne Assisted Living Facility which is currently in litigation, and the Westchester Power - ESCO that Mr Feiner automatically enrolled every resident and small business into. Yes, there are exceptions, especially when a development involves  “the quality of life” of a Town Board member or Town Official. For example - the Jefferson project in the Ardsley area [affected: Supervisor Feiner and Councilwoman Juettner] or the Ferncliff Cemetery  project, [affected: Councilman Sheehan] or another assisted living facility off of Payne Street, [affected: Councilman Morgan and Town Attorney Lewis] . All shot down! 

Another ridiculous idea from the Supervisor, who has no business experience or knowledge, is that he has decided the Town needs another crony to be his Economic Development Czar to help fill the empty retail stores throughout the Town. First, the ground floor retail store, with apartments or other businesses above them, is a failed model and should simply be immediately abandoned. Second, while Mr Feiner believes in over-taxation, he fails to recognize that landlords pass his tax increases to their tenants, who in turn pass them on to the consumer or end-user. While this model has always worked to some degree, the more-than-usual vacancies throughout the Town prove that his taxation policies are continuing to kill retail in particular and business in general throughout our Town. Since he only sent this notice about this new position to residents who are online, many of the Town’s residents are unaware that this “fast one” is being done to them.

Going back to where we started, the same old stale Town Board thinking may be changing players unless Ms Juettner changes her mind again and decides to stay in her anointed lifetime position. Should she leave, the Democratic Party will do their members and the Town residents at large a grave disservice, by not offering better potential candidates and by meting out positions from Westchester’s Tammany Hall. All because someone was a good soldier by stepping down to anoint Gina Jackson a position. This is not the way the government was intended to be run, even in Bizarro Greenburgh and has to end. Only then will we get A Better Greenburgh.

* One of our staffers mentioned that they just received a robocall from Mr Feiner stating he would be sending out the calendars after all.

Latest ESCO News

Since 2016, when the Town enrolled all residents/small businesses into the Westchester Power ESCO program, Ken Stahn of the CGCA has been monitoring the variable rates of Con Ed versus the fixed rate of the ESCO. For the last 19 months, Ella Preiser of the CGCA has been preparing tables showing the differences in those rates.

During this contract period, Con Ed rates were consistently lower than the $0.07709 fixed rate agreed to by Mr Feiner with the ESCO. The Town has now signed a new 18 month contract with Westchester Power - Sustainable Westchester for a "green program" starting Jan. 1, 2021. Everyone who did not OPT-OUT of the current program will be enrolled in the new “green program”. Even though many residents wanted an OPT-IN choice instead of having to waste time and money with an order to OPT-OUT, the Town went ahead with the OPT-OUT program.

In response to numerous inquiries, here is information on how to “OPT-OUT” of the current contract with Westchester Power-Constellation.

Call Westchester Power (not Con Ed) at (914) 242-4725 or send an email to:
westchesterpower@sustainablewestchester.org

Be ready to give your Con Ed account # and your ESCO-Constellation reference #, if requested. It may take 1 or 2 billing cycles. According to Paul Feiner and Westchester Power, if you have already OPTED OUT of the current contract, you will NOT be enrolled in the new green contract.

Check your January & February 2021 bills to make sure you are still with Con Ed for your electric supply.

After you receive confirmation that you are out of the ESCO program, you can contact Con Ed to put a block on your account that will not allow any changes without your authorization.

Telephone # 1-800-752-6633 or go to the Con Ed Website: www.coned.com and go to “Contact Us” to send an email.

Dorrine Livson
CGCA Executive Board Member
cgca1955@gmail.com

Problem Creator Seeks Problem Solver

In a recent front page article in the only daily newspaper left in the region, Mr Feiner was front page, below the fold, patronizing the youngster writing the article entitled, Crisis For Every Downtown Area. His photo is in front of a vacant store front in the Hartsdale Four-Corners (4-C). While disingenuous at best, Mr Feiner feigns lamenting  about this “hub” for small business. In his almost thirty years as Supervisor, he never gave this hub a second thought. Then, with the advent of the Hartsdale Neighbors Association, and a groundswell of support for the Edgemont Incorporation, and even talk of a Hartsdale Incorporation, he knew he had to do something.

Mr Feiner’s playbook for action includes a litany of faux-action points: write a letter to another politician telling them they must act on this on behalf of their constituents, pit neighbors against each other, ignore and say nothing, hoping the issue either resolves itself, goes away, the complainant moves or dies, and/or he appoints a citizen committee or student intern group to address it. The latter usually being his most effective after completing the letter writing grandstanding. After all, who wants to pick on high school kids? 

He’s quoted as saying, “It’s very upsetting and aggravating.” We’re not sure if he meant the vacancies or the action taken by others to remedy the Four Corners’ issues, making him appear to be doing nothing. Specifically, there is a business in that area that did a study bemoaning what's wrong with the area and presented it to Mr Feiner and the Hartsdale Neighbors Association. So to again feign concern, Mr Feiner had his Board vote to spend $400,000 to purchase two uninhabitable houses on West Hartsdale Avenue behind the Dairy Del deli. The excuse proffered was to develop it into a parking lot which would be monitored and maintained by the Hartsdale Parking Authority.

Even with the wasted expenditure of $400,000 and the additional cost involved in the destruction of the two homes, construction of anything within the Four Corners immediate proximity must first be approved by the New York State Department of Transportation. The reason is that Central Park Avenue and Hartsdale Avenue, east and west, are DOT governed roadways. Regardless of the ownership, Mr Feiner is bereft of any plausible or workable ideas for the area as he has been these past 30 years during his unprecedented and mostly inept tenure. You can start to see why term limits are so necessary.

With a recently completed and presented study of the area, a small company who would benefit from several of their suggestions is Inspired Places. While we can debate the merits of it, the study has provided Mr Feiner with talking points that will eventually prove useless. In the article, Greenburgh officials claim to have already been worried about For Lease and For Rent signs before the Covid 19 pandemic. Really? We find it hard to believe as they only seemed to became interested when rumors of a Hartsdale incorporation began to circulate.

What’s also interesting is that Town officials parrot the same canned responses that the internet killed retail. Yet when we talk to business owners, specifically ones in retail, the successful ones are offering a higher level of customer support and interaction with the same goods and services that they've always offered and even increased. Luke Tancredi, the owner of Crank Cycles on North Central Avenue, discussed how he opened his store on March 1st and that bikes “Were flying out the door.” We’re extremely happy for him and our community to have a bike shop that’s thriving. When we went in to purchase a bike with a neighbor, we learned that all of the bikes in his store were only there for repairs. He had run out of new bicycles to sell. Nor did he have any used bikes for sale. We wish him continued success.

When Public Sector officials try to rationalize retail and the private sector and tell the public what’s wrong in the private sector, the words fall on deaf ears. Ultimately, retail space suffers for several reasons that our elected politicians refuse to acknowledge. Instead, in typical Feiner-fashion, he’s proposing to waste more money by increasing personnel and hire an Economic Development Coordinator (EDC), enlisting residents and Generation Z-ers to find ways to “brand” their shops and restaurants. The glaring omission in this “logic” is that this does nothing to fill the vacancies that exist throughout the Town, not only the Four Corners. 

Yes, someone can assist a business owner in applying for funds but those organizations giving those funds will also work with the applicant for their success. Yet we believe the current crop of business owners who are “making it work” are already ahead of that curve. And after they apply, what then for this EDC, their salary and benefits? We might favor this position if the EDC’s remuneration for instance, were tied to successfully filling vacant spaces for 2 years. 2 years? Yes, two, as most businesses fail in the first year.

The are several real issues that are typically ignored by the Public Sector know-it-alls as to what ails businesses and specifically retail. One is antiquated zoning, permits fees (a bonanza Greenburgh’s Building Dept. currently enjoys), registration fees, insurance bonds, etc., and that's before anyone even moves in. Sky-high rents and regulations abound. But why are they sky-high? Taxes. Last year saw Mr Feiner being embarrassed into a one year moratorium on tax increases after Supervisor candidate and challenger Lucas Cioffi promised a two-year moratorium on raising taxes! This year, however taxes have increased. Those increases are passed on to the renter (store owner) through their rent and are ultimately paid for by their customers. Lowing taxes could assist in breaking this cycle.

Another issue negatively and severely impacting this Hartsdale 4-C area is flooding. There is a Flood Committee for the County, chaired by County Legislator Alfreda Williams and the Town’s own Victor Carosi. Amazingly, they’ve never met after the committee was initially formed some four years ago and done nothing for their constituents! This entire time while we did not have any crippling water events would have been the perfect time to act. Politicians such as Mr Feiner love to come out during the storms and promise anything and everything to solve all of these issues “moving forward,” simply leave after the cameras are turned off. The issue in Hartsdale permeates the entire length of the Bronx River corridor and all of the residents along its way repeatedly get flooded. FEMA, a four letter word, only exacerbates the issue by offering extremely expensive and in some cases unaffordable flood insurance for those residents in the corridor with miserly claims payout and ridiculous deductibles. 

These areas never used to flood like they do now and many of these people had never got flooded even during severe storms. It’s only after all of the communities along the corridor began building and creating more and more impervious spaces that people began to get flooded. Why? Because the politicians approved all of the developments (some say over development) and channeled storm water into the Bronx River. The explosive rate of building coupled with a lack of storm water management and infrastructure improvement has proven a recipe for disaster. But what can be done?

First, our representatives must actually act and not spew the useless rhetoric of the past. Second, the different communities must commit resources in a partnership to dredge, clean out and maybe even widen the river to improve water flow. Third, after that they need to provide routine maintenance to keep it clear of debris and flowing freely. Fourth, the County, who has most of the immediate ownership of the property, must assume its responsibility and work to get the river cleaned out as a partner with the river-bound communities. They can no longer sit back, collect their ridiculously high salaries while working families are struggling with sky-high taxes, and do nothing. The time to act is now, before the hurricanes, floods and other assorted storms depend upon us. 

Perhaps Mr Feiner, instead of writing a letter to the County Executive, could actually spearhead an environmental impact crusade to save the Bronx River corridor and help to alleviate those people’s pain?! And perhaps Ms Williams can intercede and get County execution to clear the hurdles of County government’s inaction?! People who get flooded are less concerned with politicians pushing bike lanes in densely trafficked areas and want real help.

After flooding is addressed, there needs to be an honest discussion and action by the Town on zoning that will control how land is use and/or be preserved, along with the integrity of our communities. Village and Town Boards must not capitulate to developers because they seek tax monies. Many of these developers are utilizing grants and low interest loans with little of their own monies invested. This undercuts the community they seek to build in strictly for their bottom line, compromising our neighborhoods. Yes, they should be allowed to build within the constricts of our zoning laws, but not at our neighbood’s expense. Zoning laws are in place for numerous reasons to help communities thrive, not just developers. This abuse has to stop. Finally, Mr Feiner needs to sit down with the DOT and develop a workable plan for improving numerous failures of our combined roadways. Only then will we get A Better Greenburgh.

Greenburgh Central School District Vote Passes and Disappoints

In reviewing the numbers after an election of any kind held in Greenburgh, the apathy and blasé attitude of voters has reflected poorly on the vast majority. It seems that particular causes may unite a certain part of the citizenry, and there are groups in our community doing the same things at the local level.

The School Board elections and the School District’s budget vote took place after being delayed by NYS and rescheduled from May to June with a mail-in vote as opposed to an in-person vote at the polls. Good or bad, the numbers were somewhat the same as many more people had the opportunity to vote but again, did not bother to vote. It seems the only time we see a spike in voting is when there is a project(s) in a certain neighborhood that literally affects them in their backyard. Hence the term we’ve coined called OIMBY: Only In My Back Yard.

There are roughly 90,000 residents in all of the Town of Greenburgh. There are six Villages including an seventh possible new one with the Edgemont incorporation looming near. The Villages in the Town are Elmsford, Ardsley, Hastings-on-Hudson, Dobbs Ferry, Irvington, Tarrytown. Interestingly, they have their own elections yet are also allowed to vote in Town elections, which many feel is just seems wrong. But because of this, Mr Feiner and his Board play the Villages like a fine instrument to ensure no matter how much they touch that turns to crap for Unincorporated Greenburgh, Mr Feiner, et al, will get their votes to remain in office and not be held accountable or culpable for their misgivings, lies and illegal actions.

So, while we know there are 90,000 residents, we also know that not all can vote. Greenburgh School enrollment is about 1800 kids. So roughly speaking, without fact-checking the dual-parent vs single-parent households status, there could be up to 3600+ voters participating in a school vote. According to information provided by School District Clerk Ivy Krauss, the actual count of ballots that were distributed to registered voters was 16,563. The amount that was returned of votes cast was 3,594. So 78.3% of the voting population did not participate. Those voting for the budget approved it, 1,968 to 978, roughly a two-to-one victory. Or was it?

Out of those numbers there were 619 votes that were disqualified because the voters didn't read the instructions, understand the instructions or thought their votes would be counted regardless of what they did or didn’t do correctly. So 3.74% of the voters who thought they voted weren’t counted. A breakdown is as follows:
401: oath envelope not signed; 190: oath envelope not provided; 15: oath envelope contained extrinsic papers (ie more than one ballot); 9: ballot torn and/or defaced; 1: signature did not match that of the voter; 2: ballot was blank; 1: oath envelope did not contain any ballot. Apparently, everyone is okay with these amounts being dismissed. Why? Probably because the budget passed.

What we are struggling with is that out of 16,563 people who could vote, only 3,594 did vote - a slight increase from the usual amount. We’d have thought that those who don’t usually come out to vote would have thought this mail-in style voting would prove more convenient and garnered more votes – but that doesn’t appeared to be the case. In fact, statistics show that senior citizens typically vote against school budgets for a host of reasons. And, when the School District and the Administration pushed the ill-fated consolidation bond proposal, a two to one defeat was confirmed to be in part due to the senior citizens vote. And, knowing Mr Feiner has injected himself as the caped crusader of poor mail delivery, how much of the votes cast never made it beyond the mailbox they dropped it in? We may never know.

There was also a proposition to move money from one part of the budget to a reserve fund for maintenance and repairs. That passed with 2519 votes for and 445 against. Previous Boards have failed to adequately fund the repair budgets for years causing much disrepair of our school buildings and an excuse to consolidate. Still, the taxpaying public saw past the incorrect information provided and shot the consolidation down. The several proponents of the consolidation were Superintendent Chase, who appears to be trying to develop herself as a brand; Trustees David Warner and Terry Williams. In fact, both of these gentlemen have been on the School Board for years and hold responsibility for the lack of repair funding which has led to the degradation of the buildings. Could this have been a covert plan all along?

Two School Board members were running for re-election, Tracy Mairs and Ashley Pineda*. Ivy Kraus, the School District Clerk, shared the totals for their re-elections: 2441 and 2391 respectively. We have no problem with either candidate seeking a second term of office and believe they can make a difference in that period of time although we prefer term limits. We’ve seen Ms Mairs openly participate in school district related conversations but hardly ever witness Mr Pineda getting involved in the discussions. Granted this was his first year in the position and may taking some time to get up to speed and comfortable. As such, we believe he needs to step up his game.

Voting during this primary coincided with the School District/Board elections were fraught with problems. The voter sites that were trimmed back seemingly experienced problems that caused hours-long delays in voting. Some have claimed this falls in Mr Feiner’s lap. While we never hesitate being critical of Mr Feiner, it does not. But he did say he would write a letter or two to the appropriate parties involved. Translation: send a letter and out of his hands and done. Move on to his next contrived issue.

This election was rushed by the School District per the mandates of Albany and the Governor. While we're sure everyone involved tried their best, it still seemed unorganized to some extent. If this is the precursor to the November elections, we’re not hopeful that we’ll be seeing results on election night. This has to change and get better. Only then will we see A Better Greenburgh.

* A one-year incumbent filling the balance of a term of a Board member who resigned and needed to run for the position.

Town Board Violates Law, Approves ShopRite

On Wednesday, May 13th, the Greenburgh Town Board, via a Zoom meeting, unanimously and we believe illegally approved a site plan application by Lewis Masters Holdings LP to demolish the multiplex cinema at 320 Saw Mill River Road (Route 9A) in Elmsford across from Sam’s Club and build a ShopRite supermarket. 

There were 2 Public Hearings held on the ShopRite development. The March 11th Public Hearing, held at Town Hall, had public participation but the April 22nd Public Hearing via a Zoom meeting was presumed to be illegal because of limited participation by the public. Numerous letters of concern were sent to the Town Board which were not acknowledged or heard by the public. 

The site, which had other retail space and still has the KFC and Taco Bell restaurant, covers 10 acres and is in between 9A and the Westchester Hills Condominium. Old Country Road, which runs uphill from Route 9A(east) is a well-traveled road used by school buses from 4 different public school districts as well as Private and Parochial Schools, residents and pedestrians. 

The roadway was originally the only access and egress for the 215 Westchester Hills Condominium owners until Executive Boulevard was created and joined Old Country Road at the top of the hill. Pocantico Park scatter site housing which is run by the Greenburgh Housing Authority, lies to the north. That is the side of the property where the developer plans to build the entrance way which will circle up to the new building.

The ShopRite supermarket will be 75,711 square feet including an accessory interior restaurant space together with approximately 10,765 square feet of attached separate retail space after they tear down the existing National Amusements multiplex cinema and other buildings which contained a number of small businesses.

The application was first submitted to the Town Board on April 15, 2019. However, Mr Feiner instructed the developer to meet with the area residents to get their buy-in. They met at the Westchester Hills Condominium’s Recreation Center. The room was full. And, full of it. Mr Feiner snuck in after the meeting had begun with his Town Board members. Once recognized, he took a lot of hits from residents. While most were okay with a ShopRite coming in, they emphatically insisted that they did not want a curb cut on Old Country Road with the subsequent truck traffic and even car traffic as it’s already a congested road. 

Another major concern raised by the residents of Orchard Lane, which abuts Old Country Road, is the issue of blasting and rock chipping. Their homes were built on cement slabs which contain pipes for radiant heat and water. This issue must be continuously monitored as demolition and construction proceeds.

Greenburgh Town Supervisor Paul Feiner said, “This is positive news for the town especially during this difficult time in our history when so many residents are out of work due to COVID-19. There will be significant construction jobs and permanent job opportunities after the supermarket opens up.” There may be people out of work due to Covid-19 but Mr Feiner also favors keeping the economy shut down which would limit who and how many people may get construction jobs from this project. Our guess would be very few from the area.

The approval contains a number of conditions that the developer must meet. Some of these are:
• The use of LED and motion activated lighting;
• Putting in new sidewalks;
• Making modifications to Old Country Road such as mountable curbs and shifting lanes;
• Designing and installing public improvements such as an updated bus stop and traffic signal modifications;
• Planting additional evergreen screening and repairing fencing;
• Restricted hours for truck deliveries and operation of the trash compactor

All of the claims by the Town Board to not want to vote for this resulted in what was expected: a unanimous vote approving another one of Mr Feiner’s pet projects. The phony compassion from this Board has to stop. Only then will we get A Better Greenburgh.