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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
