News & Information - Town of Greenburgh

The following is an ambitious agenda for improvement and change in 2015 for the town of Greenburgh. We have broken the agenda into three different categories: Major matters to be brought to conclusion in 2015, important initiatives already under way and new initiatives.

I would like to thank our hard working Town Board members, department heads and members of the community for their input which helped us finalize this agenda. We welcome your continued input and recommendations. We have an exciting year ahead of us.

PAUL FEINER

The following is our Agenda for Improvement and Change 2015

MAJOR MATTERS TO BE BROUGHT TO CONCLUSION IN 2015

1.    Complete environmental review of Frank’s Nursery which could ease concerns of potential purchasers.
2.    Schedule, hold auction and sell Frank’s Nursery.
3.    Obtain county approvals for rental of WestHELP complex and convert abandoned units into affordable senior citizen housing.
4.    Schedule community outreach meetings and then a public hearing on Draft Comprehensive Plan after it is released. Adopt a Comprehensive Plan for the unincorporated area of the town.
5.    Install new boiler at indoor pool at Theodore Young Community Center.
6.    Install supplemental boiler at Library. (Library closed several days over a year ago due to lack of heat.)
7.    Expand one arm garbage sanitation truck to other neighborhoods.
8.    Make traffic safety improvements in Ardsley and on Jackson Avenue using funds from a settlement regarding the Ridge Hill development.

IMPORTANT INITIATIVES ALREADY UNDER WAY

1.    Comply with tax cap when adopting 2016 budget and continue to look for new sources of revenue and efficiencies as well as new shared service opportunities. (For residents to receive a check from the state, NYS is requiring communities to comply with the tax cap and initiate sharing/consolidation efficiencies.
2.    Hire firm to conduct a comprehensive review of the Town of Greenburgh Department of Public Works. (This is part of the Town’s ongoing initiative of having town departments examined by external reviewers. We recently had an external review conducted of Town Court operations.)
3.    Continue oversight of reassessment process and hold information meetings around town as needed.
4.    Apply for federal and/or state funds for sidewalk construction, especially near schools, to address pedestrian safety concerns.
5.    Finalize plans and funding for Veterans Memorial at DeSanti Plaza, East Hartsdale Ave. Encourage parkland funds (non-tax dollars) be used to reduce costs.
6.    Initiate mentoring program for architects/engineers in cooperation with Greenburgh Central School District.
7.    Resolve heating/air-conditioning issues at Town Hall.
8.    Use electric car for the Department of Public Works.
9.    Secure funding for building a new playground at the Lee F. Jackson Elementary School on surplus school property, advocating for use of parkland funds (non-tax payers’ dollars).
10. Demolish the old kiddy pool at Massaro and replace it with a new spray pad. (Funding was secured using parkland funds - non-tax dollars last year.)
11. Work with the Greenburgh Nature Center on our town-wide initiative, working with schools and businesses to introduce and develop conservation/sustainable practices, including food waste management.
12. Lobby NYS to approve a 9A bypass. (The town has been working with the business community, neighboring villages and the county on a plan to reduce traffic congestion on 9A in the vicinity of 119 and north of 119.)
13. Finalize and approve a plan for and begin implementation of infrastructure improvements for the Greenburgh Consolidated Water District. (Significant costly infrastructure improvements have been identified as needed in capital budgets/plans for 2014 to 2016, as explained in a report prepared by the town’s Water Advisory Board (WAB), and submitted for discussion with the Town Board mid-2014.
14. Create an index of names of the more than 125 veterans who have been interviewed as part of the veterans living history initiative and submit updated tapes and listings to United States Library of Congress for archiving.
15. Lobby the State to do maintenance on the Saw Mill River and demonstrate that an ongoing river maintenance program is in place. (If that doesn’t happen, the Town and the Villages, probably at our cost, will need to perform crisis management remediation of the river flooding problems.)
16. Increase diversity of programs (Educational, Cultural, Social, and Recreational) within the Department of Community Resources (TDYCC), strengthen existing programs and create partnerships with faith based, volunteer, and corporate entities to maximize community outreach.
17. Address Cable Access TV audio issues.
18. Formalize Board Oversight of Town Courts.
19. Conduct quarterly reviews of Budget vs. Actual Expenditures.
20. Continue cooperative relationships with villages to reduce paving costs and repave more roads.

NEW INITIATIVES

1.    Implement online payment of Greenburgh Consolidated Water District water bills.
2.    Allow Greenburgh Consolidated Water District customers to track their own water usage online, enabling users to quickly spot any irregularities, leakage, etc.
3.    Exploring feasibility of installing solar panels on town buildings/facilities.
4.    Continue oversight of reassessment process and hold information meetings around town as needed.
5.    Work with Friends of Library and Library to open up a free book exchange on East Hartsdale Avenue.
6.    Develop a plan to address the outdated and inadequate Police Headquarters and Courthouse site. Discuss a plan for constructing a new Police Headquarters and Courthouse. (The town will study rezoning and selling the current site on 119 to determine how much that would offset the cost. Are there grant opportunities?
7.    Launch a new recreation and facility software program for the Department of Parks and Recreation and the Department of Community Resources (TDYCC) that includes online registration, a feature not previously available.
8.    Secure capital funding to dredge Crane Pond in Edgemont as a means of alleviating the algae problem and to repoint the spillway wall that is presently leaking.
9.    Work with the Greenburgh Nature Center to create a Children's Wing and a site plan for our building and grounds to reflect our growing needs and continued community outreach.
10. Pursue plans to establish an organic recycling location in Greenburgh.
11. Promote yearlong recognition and celebration during 2015 of the Greenburgh Nature Center’s 40th Anniversary, and our role as community ambassadors.
12. Create a New Residents’ Club.
13. Support a commercial vehicle enforcement detail by the Greenburgh Police Department using non-taxpayer funds to purchase the vehicle scales. (This enforcement will help protect and preserve the town’s roadway infrastructure and the significant fines for serious infractions serve as a deterrent.)
14. Encourage and promote the Police Department’s use of social media with the goal of getting timely information to residents quickly.
15. Develop a policy for water rate increases to be implemented in 2015 to address infrastructure issues, a need highlighted by the town’s Water Advisory Board (WAB) in mid-2014.
16. Form a citizen’s advocacy group to help lobby state and federal lawmakers for funds and legislation that will benefit the town.
17. Explore with state representatives the feasibility of affordable assisted living facilities or of requiring a certain number of units in yet to be approved assisted living facilities to be affordable for the less rich.
18. The Office of the Town Clerk and the Cable Access Television Department intend to explore the feasibility of upgrading the television studio to create greater potential for generating revenue.
19. Formalize Board Oversight of Town Courts.
20. Conduct quarterly reviews of Budget vs. Actual Expenditures.
21. In 2015, we anticipate reviewing the water rate development process. We need to develop a procedure to calculate water rate changes and implement this process in 2015. This issue was also highlighted to the Town Board in mid-2014.
22. Seeking hotel tax for town and villages from state legislation.