WHITE PLAINS CITIZENETREPORTER 3,374,995 VISITS IN ONE YEAR—65,000 VISITS A WEEK BY 985,281 VISITORS

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WPCNR GREENBURGH GAZETTE. By Greenburgh Town Supervisor Paul Feiner. January 9, 2003: At the Town of Greenburgh tour of its newly proposed headquarters last night, Supervisor Paul Feiner outlined 52 goals for 2003.

The goals are specific and range from energy conservation, increased regulation of wetlands development, increasing parking and traffic enforcement, enhancing independence of cable TV, opening the new Town Hall on Hillside Avenue, acquiring Taxter Ridge as a park, background checks in youth sports, increasing court hours, evaluation of town department supervisors on regular basis, streamline special permit application process, lobby for exemption from the Wicks Law, and evaluating town After School program academic progress, among other initiatives.

Here is Mr. Feiner’s “To Do” List, provided to WPCNR by Mr. Feiner. Supervisor Feiner invites Greenburgh residents to contact him at 9l4 993 l540.
l) Approve the Comprehensive Plan. Adopt zoning ordinance that regulates development on steep slopes and wetlands (this goal was not met in 2002)

2) Oversee implementation of Babbitt Court flood control program. Work with families so that homes will be elevated in 2003.

3) Oversee transition of cable TV operation to a truly independent board insulated from appearances of political interference. More public access programs. Monthly program schedule to be posted on town web site.

4) Acquire Taxter Ridge as a new park –funding should come from state, county and town.

5)Place additional speed humps on streets (goal was not met in 2002)

6)Oversee energy conservation coordinator (new position), implement
aggressive energy conservation efforts which will include community
reach out, developing additional legislative initiatives.

7) Oversee interior work at new Town Hall (l77 Hillside Ave). Move
employees from existing Town Hall site to new building.

8) Review feasibility of placing child care center or other emergency
child care program for employees inside new Town Hall. meet with child care organizations to solicit feedback.

9) Hire architect, commence design for library expansion and renovation.

l0) Demolish existing Town Hall

ll) Open skatepark at East Rumbrook Park by May 2003

l2) Complete Glenville Woods Park Preserve Management Plan and secure funding for the implementation of Phase I of the plan.

l3) Secure additional funding, rebid and award contract for construction of an interactive children’s wading pool at the Anthony Veteran Park pool complex. Bid was rejected in 2002.

l4)Remove and install a new synthetic tennis surface for the East
Rumbrook Park Tennis Courts by summer, 2003.

l5) Accept the East Rumbrook Park Master Plan. Commit to a funding
calendar for implementing phases of the plan.

l6) Purchase and install with in house staff a new pavilion for the AFV
Park Pool Complex snack bar area.

l7) Rebuild greenhouse #3 at the Harts Brook Park and Preserve

l8) Complete trail design and install new trail markings for the 2.5
miles of trails in the Harts Brook Park and Preserve.

l9) Privatize the Town’s summer baseball camp at East Rumbrook Park that will generate a revenue surplus for the Town that includes the Town as additionally insured for general liability.

20) Program a Greenburgh Bike Tour special event hosted by Greenburgh Parks and Recreation in the fall.

2l) Program a special event at the Harts brook Park and preserve called “Harts Brook for Heart” that will be a one day event in which
participants will power/fitness walk throughout the trails.

22) Adopt a policy that will require background checks for all volunteer youth sports coaches that participate in town sponsored youth sports programs by the fall, 2003.

23). Review town court operations-develop recommendations for 2004
budget to address existing problems. Provide funding in 2004 budget for more evening hours. Work with Judges to overcome possible obstacles re: setting up Drug Treatment Court

24) Schedule regular evaluations of all department heads with Town
Board. Evaluations one week. Meeting with Department head to discuss evaluations within a month of the evaluation.

25) Oversee implementation of canine unit into Police Department
operations.

26) In the May, 2000 Assemblyman Richard Brodsky announced that he had secured $30,000 funding for the civil defense cascade truck to provide for the refilling of air bottles of firefighters and rescue workers at emergency scenes. The town never received the promised funding. Will continue to work with Assemblyman Brodsky to secure promised funds. If funds are not received funding to be included in 2003 capital budget (as a loan to be repaid if and when the funds are received).

27) Develop mechanism to pass along WESTHELP funding to school, fire district, neighborhood programs. Start receiving funds from WESTHELP for rent

28) Work with Greenburgh Nature Center to implement the electrical
improvements budgeted in 2002 that have not been started as of yet.

29) Work with the Greenburgh Nature Center to promote green practices through the Greenburgh Nature Center’s greening of Greenburgh exhibit (January 26 through June 23rd) and presentation of activities of Hart’s Brook, Riley Pond and Travis HIll Parks.

30) Complete the Greenburgh Nature Center’s new Birds of Prey Exhibit, start work on renovating the center’s historic apple orchard and wildlife habitat area and generate new funding from the corporate and business community.

3l) Implement fixed asset software which will allow real time inventory of all town assets at all locations through General Ledger integration.

32) Compile and adopt employee safety manual.

33) Review employee benefit plans for customer satisfaction and cost
effectiveness.

34) Complete work to make live the GIS to all villages.

35) Establish a history of Greenburgh section at the new Town Hall.

36) Work with existing museums/arts groups to place quality “loaned”
works of art at new Town Hall

37) Complete review of procedures re: granting approvals to small
business for permits. Draft proposed legislation to reduce government
red tape in certain limited incidents (new businesses reusing existing
space, no traffic or land use impacts)

38) lobby for state legislation that would exempt Greenburgh from
complying with the Wicks Law for library expansion project. The law
mandates that municipalities use multiple prime construction contracts for public works projects costing $50,000 or more. The Wicks law is cumbersome and costly. The cost of building a new library will be as much as 30% more because of this law. Other communities around the state have received waivers. Will ask Senator Nick Spano and Assemblyman Richard Brodsky to introduce a home rule bill that would exempt the town from this costly requirement.

39) Review existing regulations re: tree preservation. Determine
possible modifications of existing laws in consultation with CAC.

40)Continue to work with other communities to monitor the Tappan Zee
Bridge replacement/repair.

4l) Work with coalition seeking to close down Indian Point by pushing
additional elected officials, community leaders to join effort for
shutdown.

42)Continue to work to enhance streetscaping on East Hartsdale Ave.

43) Train inspectors on wireless remote inspection reporting program.

44)Equip inspectors with personal desktop computers to facilitate
inspection scheduling and accessibility.

45)Implement and complete conversion of record imaging from outside
microfilm vendor to in-house digital reproduction and electronic storage system.

46) Complete final phase (Phase III) of pool renovation project at the
Theodore Young Community Center, subject to approval of Department of Health.

47)Create a method of assessment for the students enrolled in the After School Program to measure their rate of progress in school performance, in conjunction with the Today’s Student, Tomorrow’s Teacher Program at Woodlands High. This is an effort to more closely align student performance in school with more external supports to enhance their scores on the standardized tests.

48) Draft legislation, seek state legislative sponsors, enabling
volunteer police, fire, ambulance corp members to receive extra points on civil service exams when taking police/fire exams – credit for volunteer service.

49)Oversee completion of Police Department renovations.

50)Monitor Police Department goal to increase issuance of uniform
traffic tickets by ten percent.

51)Monitor Police Department goal to increase issuance of parking
summonses by ten percent with special attention to handicap and fire
zone violations.

52)Seek State Legislation to Reduce interest rates to be paid on
certiorari judgments. Recent rates have ranged from 6-8%. It is more
expensive to consider appeals of lower decisions and places
municipalities that appeal at distinct disadvantages.

Paul Feiner, Supervisor, Town of Greenburgh

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WPCNR PRESS BOX. By Howard Rosell, “Telling It Like It Is” (John F. Bailey) First of a Series. January 8, 2003: In the First Great New York Crisis of 2003 — the New York Giants-San Francisco Farce Sunday (which had WFAN’S Steve Sommers opening the New York Knicks Suicide Hotline Monday evening to Giants fans, that vast allegiance to the amateur operation that is the National Football League has to be examined with a critical eye to reform.

VIEW FROM THE UPPER DECK: Before the national budget, before the New York State Budget is resolved, before the Westchester County Budget is resolved we must fix the NFL. Put Iraq on hold. Put North Korea on hold. This reporter feels President Bush, Governor Pataki, and yes, Adam Bradley and Amy Paulin have to make NFL reform their number one priority. It matters to America.
Photo of Comisky Park by WPCNR Sports

First, the officiating. The last 6 seconds of the Giant game showed a consistent flaw in the NFL: amateur officiating. The NFL a megabuck property refuses to hire and train full-time, year round officials. The only answer is, they are too cheap.

They need professionals! Why pay officials all year round when you only play less than 300 games a year? Is it no wonder that so many controversial non-calls and flagrantly bad calls of inconsistent value-judgments are made when the official is doing it as a hobby?

And when do those bad calls occur: on big plays, of course! And why are they usually made then: because the official is old, slow, out of position and tired at the end of the game, and simply because they are not going at it with a professional’s mindset. They will tell you they are, but they can’t.

Reliance on instant reply as an answer is a joke, because television is not a three-dimensional medium, and slow motion distorts. Baseball knows that. And even on instant reply the major league umps are rarely wrong. Admittedly some are out of position on calls, but not often. There’s a reason for that, too. Umps in basketball, baseball and hockey are trained, they’re full-time. They know the players they will be officiating, they know what to look for. They know Greg Maddox’s curveball. They know Michael Jordan’s stride. NFL officials act as if they are honored to be on the field with these guys.

When is the NFL going to wake up and smell the beer: they need younger, faster officials who can go the distance, and keep up with the faster athletes they are officiating. And, please, let’s know the rules and not be so amateurish that we forget them in the pressure of the moment as the Keystone Kops officials of Sunday’s Giant Meltdown did.

Baseball, the NBA and the NHL all have paid fulltime officials down through the minor league levels, even. There’s a reason for that. In baseball you rarely have umpires blow a call that costs teams games in big spots. It has happened, but it’s rare. (Ken Burkhart’s call in 1970 at the plate, and the Yankee homer against the Orioles…just two I can recall in 50 years of fandom. However, in the NFL you have a gaff a game.

The reason: the umps live breath and concentrate, as professionals should. They are not just picking up a check, taking time off from the boardroom, the country club, or the college as a number of NFL officials appear to be from.

In fact, there is a mystery about how you get to be an NFL official. Are you an “old boy,” a crony, a person connected with football clubs? Do they have to like the way you flutter your flag? Are you scouted? I have rarely seen a great deal written on how the NFL selects its officials. But they stink, consistently.

In fact, the NFL in the interest of integrity should bring the 49-ers and Giants back to do that last play over, just as major league baseball did in 1908, during the Merkle’s Boner play, which cost another Giant team a pennant.

The NFL is always talking about integrity. Well, here is a chance to prove that dedication to integrity.

And, you know what, if they did bring the teams back, the Giants would miss that kick too!

If the NFL really cared about officiating, officials would be allowed to observe practices, familiarize themselves with team films ( I do not believe they do that), and prepare for games just as the teams do. But, because they are not full-time officials, I do not think they do. They do not have the time off from their dayjob.

If you know Jeremy Shockey showboats they can at the beginning of the game inform offenders that something will be called. NFL officials are consistently unprepared it seems to this observer to be in position to make calls, to deal with player behavior and technique on the field, which accounts for a great deal of playcalling inconsistency.

This column in no way criticises amateur officials on local fields, in softball or kids or high school leagues. These fellows and gals try their best and are not paid a lot.

I believe the NFL amateur officials try, but they simply are not in the position or prepared enough to do a great job. And that is obvious by their performances in playoff games where supposedly we see only the best NFL officials assigned, and they still screw up.

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WPCNR EVENING CITY STAR REPORTER. From City Hall Media Relations Office. January 7, 2003: The Mayor’s office announced via telephone news conference this evening that JPI, developers of The Jefferson at 300 Mamaroneck Avenue, where construction has been stalled for approximately 10 months, will seek another 45 to 90 days extension of their site plan from the Common Council.

SHALLOW POCKETS. 10 MONTHS OF WAITING: The troubled JPI development, The Jefferson at White Plains, as it appeared in March 2002, when excavation stopped due to construction contractor dispute over the cost of the contract. Ground was broken in October, 2001, approximately the same time as the City Center. Now the project is a distant fourth in the White Plains apartment race between Clayton Park, Bank Street Commons, and the City Center “towers.” It appears much the same today.
Photo by WPCNR News

Gretsas said JPI will meet with the Common Council on January 21, a Tuesday, in a work session beginning at 6 PM to “make their case” Gretsas said, for a 45 to 90 extension to their site plan.

Gretsas said the council will consider the request, but is expected to ask JPI for what Gretsas described as “a landscape plan” alternative, should JPI abandon the project. “The last thing we need is another hole in the ground,” Gretsas said.

Asked if the council might consider a performance bond of future contractors as a contingency of any site plan approval, Gretsas, said that was premature, having just eliminated the restriction on flexible plumbing joints, long a cost stumbling block to development in White Plains, “the last thing we need is to make it more difficult to develop in White Plains,” Gretsas said.

Gretsas described a landscape plan as a procedure the developer would have to execute as a contingency of any extension of the site plan.

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WPCNR SCHOOL DAYS REPORT CARD. By Michelle Schoenfeld, City School District Media Relations. (EDITED)January 7, 2003: A White Plains High School graduate has made a donation of CPR courses for 200 students at the school for each of the next three years. The donor wishes to remain anonymous.

June Holloman, of the American Heart Association, and School Nurse
Coordinator Brenda Madera will direct the project. Students will be selected by the School Safety Team and will be trained during the district’s next Conference Day, on January 21st.

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WPCNR GREENBURGH GAZETTE. From Town of Greenburgh Media Relations. January 6, 2002:Greenburgh Town Supervisor Paul Feiner will release his 2003 goals this Wednesday at the Greenburgh Town Board meeting. The meeting will be held at
the newly purchased building at l77 Hillside Ave–which will become
Greenburgh’s Town Hall this fall. A reception will take place at 6 to 7:l5 PM and will be followed by the Board meeting.

Feiner bases $5000 of his salary on implementation of goals. At the end of the year the Town Board evaluates Feiner’s performance and decides how much of his salary should be given back.