I just call this meeting to order.

Good afternoon and welcome to the March committee of the whole session.

Madam Clerk, please call the roll.

Certainly.

Council Member Lopez here.

Councilmember Tarantino.

Councilmember Peters.

Councilmember Asiloye.

Councilmember Kay.

Here.

And Councilmember Sturge.

Here.

Thank you.

Again, well, thank you.

On this beautiful 70 degree weather day, I almost want to request next year we just get to have this one outside.

But since I did not have prior planning, we will start our committee of the whole meeting with a presentation by the Near Shaw Police Department.

I saw a deck.

I have a copy of a deck.

And turn it over to the floor.

Good evening.

How's everybody?

Great.

Good afternoon, I guess.

So this is going to be a brief presentation.

I'm gonna talk about some things from last year, just a few, and some things from this year, just a combination since this is so early in the year.

And here we go.

There was any.

So this is the mission of the RSH Police Department.

This is something that we all take very seriously.

And when it comes down to it, this is what we have.

This is this is what we do.

Um we we protect life and property and we make sure we do it in a fair manner to everybody that we come into contact with, and that's everybody.

People that we arrest, people we don't arrest, people are giving directions.

That's our motto.

Dignity and respect to everybody.

This is our organizational chart, hasn't changed, and I don't see any um changes in foreseeable future.

Our index crimes.

So the index crimes are the eight serious crimes that the FBI utilizes to um indicate community safety and law enforcement effectiveness.

Now you'll see that there are more than eight crimes there, and you'll see I I noticed when I was going over it that I made an omission, and under larceny on the left-hand side there should be arson.

Should be arson.

And though those arson numbers, the numbers on the left in bold are 2026 year to date, and those arson numbers are zero for this year and one year to date this year.

And you can see that we're um we're right in line with with last year.

Uh obviously, when it comes to crime, we want to stay on the low side of that.

Um just some performance measures on this next page.

Calls for service, where we are up, index crimes, the overall index crimes.

Uh I'm sorry, let me go back real quick.

One thing I forgot to mention.

Those other crimes that you see there, those are part two offenses.

So the ones on the left are part one, part two, the so-called less serious offenses, those are on the right-hand side.

The FBI, I believe they have both, but they really track when you talk about safe cities and things like that, you're talking about part one index crimes.

So that's that's there.

And these are our um performance measures, same that I use when when I give the budget presentation.

And we are um up in calls for service, index crimes, overall down.

Now the calls for service, just to point this out.

Calls for service are calls where we actually are putting in our computer.

That does not mean that those are the contacts that we have.

So we could have an officer stop, and if it's just a small um minimal interaction, somebody asking for directions, somebody asking um just some other question that doesn't warrant fall into some category of call that we have.

We we won't even take a time for it.

But I'm just pointing that out so that you can understand that our contacts are much much more than this 11,000 that that you see.

Um it's it's tough to indicate, but it could be as high as as 10 more thousand contacts.

You know, our our our officers are all over the city and they're just doing things all the time, even when they're not on calls.

The big one that I want to point out, and I'll come back to double parking.

You can see that double parking summonses are up.

That's that's over 100% year to date, and we have some things that we're doing to drive that number even higher.

So we'll talk about that.

You want them down?

No, I'm not looking at it.

We'll talk about that.

We'll talk about that.

Uh so we'll talk about double parking and what we are going to do and what we are doing to address it even more.

As you can see, it's gone up because we've been telling our officers at roll call to go out there and do it.

And there's a lot of factors that contribute to double parking.

But like I said, we we have plans and we are implementing them.

We have started implementing them, so we'll talk about uh that a little bit more a little bit later, I'm sure.

So far, these are just some things that we've done.

Um, community movie matinee, Westchester Knicks game.

That Westchester Knicks game, by the way, was where we're, I think we didn't take them yet, but the Nursaw High School freshman basketball team, and I want to give a shout out to them.

They were undefeated this year, and we are taking them to a Knicks game, um, a Westchester Knicks game, I should say.

Uh painting color, police bingo.

So these are just things we're trying to think outside the box.

You'll see on the last page when we get there.

There's a lot of things that we've done and that we do traditionally, and we will um continue to do those, but these are just a few examples of the newer things that we are doing.

Um, I'll add it later.

Um NRPD pre-academy training program.

That's something where we're bringing our officers in.

We had started this with our first the first class that I swore in, um, and they are in the academy now.

And what we uh do there is we bring them in, we talk about implicit buying, we took implicit bias, principal policing.

We talk about the city of Nourishell.

We want to give them an idea of what we do and what we expect of them here in Neurochell.

That's a little bit different from the police academy.

The police academy is great, but the police academy gives you a basic understanding of policing, which is what it's supposed to do.

We want to make sure that they understand, and we always did it anyway.

We want to make sure that they understand what we do in Nourishell.

And when they come back from the academy, we give it to them all over again.

In the past, what we did is when they came back from the police academy is when we would start with our Neuroshell items.

But I want them going in really understanding that they are Neurochell police officers, and I think that's really important.

It it sets the tone right from the beginning.

So we bring them in, whereas before we were bringing them in a couple of days before the academy started, we're bringing them in now like a week before, and and having them go through through this training.

Quality of life issues, double parking.

So, double parking um is on everybody's mind, right?

Double parking, and there's a lot of reasons for double parking.

You have the gig economy, you have all these delivery drivers, you have the scooters that are going around, you had um a lot of issues.

So, what we're doing is we're gonna blanket the downtown, and we are going to have a very low tolerance for double parkers with officers on foot.

Uh, we're gonna bring them in at key times throughout the day to address that to help the traffic flow a little bit smoother.

Um there are also some there's education that we're going to do, education and awareness.

I understand that people need to make a living and and people want to do that, so you have to balance.

Well, how do you do that?

And the best way that we can do it is to go around to businesses, let them know, to let their delivery drivers know, try to help them figure out a better way to handle the business rather than parking and running in.

I mean, if you just stop for two minutes, you back up traffic tremendously.

So it's it's difficult, and I understand that um those are tough jobs to have, right?

Because um they're just trying to make a living, they just want to run in and run out, but they are inconveniencing a number of people as you go up and uh up main street down here at North Avenue.

So that's um one way we are going to um address it.

Another way is within the local safety action plan, we'll look at at some other means, some technologies.

They have double parking cameras.

There are cameras that I won't call them poll cameras, that's for another use, but they are parking um cameras.

Yonkers has used them most recently, where they will catch somebody parking here to corner or in the delivery zone that's not supposed to be there.

Those are technologies that we are going to explore a little bit more in the future in the immediate future, so that we can hopefully address those.

And people, the problem is they're gonna get a ticket.

You hope that person doesn't double park again.

Maybe they remember that they got that ticket.

That's not going to stop the next person from coming and double parking, and that's where it's that's augmented by our people on foot and on bike and the patrol cars coming and writing a summons to them.

Um so that's how we we plan to handle it.

Uh red light camera program.

That's going back.

There was a part of the company that we used was sold off to another company, so that was down, but now it's up and it will be up and running.

They're going to be installing in some of the locations that we had before.

Construction is an issue because they used to have solar, and now they're gonna hardwire everything.

Because there's a revenue sharing issue, first of all, it's not for revenue, it's for traffic safety.

That that's number one.

But part of the revenue sharing is that they own the equipment, they install it, they maintain it, and we go through it, and then they issue the summonses.

Um, because of the construction, we're going back and forth with whether they want to put it up and have it taken down after the construction, you know, and put back up again.

So it's just a matter of cost for them.

So we're trying to try to work it out.

Um, school speed zone cameras, that's moving right along.

I am told that the surveys in our school speed zones will be done within the next month or two, and after that happens, we hope to have the cameras up.

Well, we have to fit finish with the state and uh get that legislation passed for us, and then we should be able to go.

Um I don't know if it will be as soon as the end of the year, the end of the school year, but but I'm hoping.

But we're in March already, and the school year ends in June.

I'm hoping they can move a little bit faster for that.

Um, and the education and awareness campaigns, like I said, drivers and businesses in the economy.

That's just um to let them know.

Our commitment to community mental health outreach, we are continuing.

We're going strong with that.

Uh, we've had a lot of success.

Our uh people from the mobile crisis response team have a good relationship with a lot of people throughout the city, and they are are used quite a bit.

These are some things that are on deck.

The strive and thive strive and thrive program.

We're partnering with my brother's keeper, the Neuroshow Community Justice Center, and um and Champs Boxing Club.

Amanda Nathan from the Justice Center, Ryan O'Leary from Champs Boxing, and Nate Adams from my brother's keeper.

And this is going to be a referral-based uh initiative, and we're gonna get kids who who really need some mentoring, and we're we're looking to go through boxing as being that thing.

Uh, we have a lot of people that that are really into fitness uh in the police department.

I think it's just gonna be great.

You know, we can do some road work with them, we can do a lot of different things with them, and and and I think that the members of the PD, once you have somebody that's on your team and they're in their boxing, we're gonna go, we're gonna be behind that kid, and I think that's just gonna be a great uh a great relationship.

It's a 12-week program, and uh it's after school, and that should be starting pretty soon.

Public safety advisory meetings.

This is going to be uh police fire public works.

Public safety is everybody's concern, it's everybody's problem.

Everything I shouldn't say problem, it's everybody's concern.

I'll say that again.

Um, everybody has a hand in public safety.

If you have a string of robberies, one of the things you want to look at is what's the lighting in the area?

Is it a dark parking lot?

Is it a dark area?

Well, that's something where we need to get lights up.

You know, sure, we can put a cop there, but why don't we um make the the location more well lit and and drive away the crime that way?

So there's a lot of ways to address public safety, and what we're gonna be doing with these are we're gonna have police fire and DPW, we'll address community residents, and it's it's a give and take a back and forth, if you will, but try to get ideas and tell them what we are doing.

For the police, we'll talk about crime trends, prevention tips, traffic safety, pedestrian safety.

Uh for the fire department, they can talk about things like fire incidents and prevention trends, emergency medical response, um, seasonal risks, heat, storms, fires, public works, road safety, uh, traffic control projects, and things of that nature.

All these things help with public safety, and that's what we're going to try and do.

Um, it allows us to get into the public even more than we already do.

Um, and it allows us to hear from the people directly.

The community service officer body worn camera initiative.

And what we're trying to do is police officers wear body cams.

Um CSOs are going to wear body cams uh to record any interaction they have.

It also gives an added layer of protection.

Uh, whether you know it or not, uh people that write summonses, and we've had a couple of incidents here in Rochelle, but they have been harassed, they've been attacked, and this is a good way for us to be able to uh catch the people that do those things.

Um so that's what we're looking for there.

Professional development of supervisors and officers.

Uh we had a a gentleman in to talk about supervisor liability.

Um we send our officers to training often.

We send our supervisors to FBI leader training, which is is is really good.

Um pre-police academy, we already talked about uh body worn camera review.

We do that.

Um, supervisors have to review a certain number of body cameras.

Um and we're gonna continue to partner with community organizations to increase overall public safety and reduce public centric solutions.

We're revamping our online statistics.

Um I didn't put a screenshot in here of the old one.

I just remember that I forgot.

But I put uh a screenshot of the new thing in there that we're gonna see.

I'll show you that in a second.

Um but what we're trying to do there is if you look at our at our page now, it's got stagnant stagnant information, it's just sheets there, and you pull it up.

What we're looking to do is to make it more interactive so that somebody can information based on what they want to see, how do they want to uh look at it?

We're gonna start with uh civilian complaints, and we are hopefully in the future going to be going to our regular computer aided dispatch information.

Um we're trying to do all of that so that people kind of understand what Nourashell is from a police perspective.

They can see it, they can look for it in their own way, they can look up officer demographics also, which I have here.

So that's kind of what it's going to look like.

And they're gonna be I think the right word is buttons for people to put in so you can get the information that you want.

How many um uh black officers do we have, how many um uh women officers do we have?

You can look that up, and you'll be able to pull it up and you can click on those boxes.

It's really it's really good.

And um Melissa von Jorney has done a great job uh helping you pull us together, and um she's she's doing a lot of good work on it, and so hopefully we will have the internal uh affairs, civilian complaint data up.

I you know, I had an aggressive target of by the end of the month.

Hopefully, we'll get there.

I I think we can.

We're working on some things now, but that's the way it's it's going to look like that.

And again, you're gonna be able to pull up what you want.

How do you want to see it?

Best and better.

And these are some of the things we do.

I I always notice mistakes at the wrong time, right?

So I noticed I didn't close the parentheses up there.

That community soccer game is actually on Saturday.

We're having a community soccer game at the rooftop, three to six.

And what we're gonna do there is we have a number of officers that play soccer in the department.

They are very good from what I am told, and uh they formed a team, and they're going to be um giving some kids, they're gonna be taking them through some paces there, and then they're gonna play a game against people in the community, and they they have the mandate to win.

So they're not out there uh just to be out there, they're out there to win.

Uh, national nine and out.

The the asterisk, they indicate things that we've done before.

Those without are the new things that we're doing.

Faith in blue.

Faith in blue is like national night out, and that's a program where we're going to um team with faith-based organizations and and houses of worship throughout the city to do different projects, different things.

That at one, we might have a clothing drive, at another, we might have a blood drive, and then we're also going to um have time for some conversations and some maybe panel discussions.

That's something that's going to come in um October.

The other things on there that you see, we talked about paint and color, police bingo, a blood drive here with the city, community matinee, and I'll talk about the boat christening and the memorial monument dedication.

But one thing that I just found out today, some great news.

Another not new partner, it's somebody we've been partnering with for a long time is the uh Nurshell School District where we're starting a program where we're gonna have a police officer go into a school one day a month and read to kids in elementary schools.

Um and and and and we're trying to make sure that the kids are afraid to of the police officer, that they understand the police officers are friendly, the police officer are their friend, and what better way to uh build a relationship than start with the kids and uh read with them and read to them.

So we're gonna pick out the elementary schools, we're gonna do all the elementary schools, and it's gonna be one day a week.

Uh the officer's gonna go in there with the teacher, and uh just found out from the superintendent today that that's a bow.

So we're we're very happy to see that uh coming to fruition.

Um as far as the boat christening and cone with a cop.

So we are going to police week is May, and we are going to give me one second.

We are having three events in that police week.

The first event is going to be, and you're all invited, and and and this will come out on email.

The first event is going to be um a rededication of the police memorial monument that's on the outside of headquarters.

If you walk by and you're facing the bill, that's on the left-hand side.

I noticed that we did not have the last two officers that died in the line of duty, uh, Mark and Kathy, they were not added to that.

And that that monument is that came from Lawton Street, where the first headquarters was.

So they're going to be their names are going to be added to that on the 13th, on Wednesday the 13th.

And then on Thursday is our regular award ceremony to recognize the officers who have done outstanding work throughout the year.

And then on Friday, we're going to christen our new boat, which we have officers flying out today to go check our new boat that we got through a grant.

Um last year we had another, we had a boat last year.

We christened that after Kathy O'Connor Punigiello, and this year it's after Detective Mark Gaddow.

We're going to do that on Friday.

So it's going to be a packed end of police memorial week.

And uh and we're looking forward to it to honor those who who died in the line of duty and to celebrate the officers who have just done outstanding jobs for 2025.

So we're really looking forward to that.

Um, and you're all invited, like I said, I'll send out an email for her.

And uh that's pretty much it for me.

Thank you.

Thank you so much.

Um open the floor to my colleagues.

Questions coming?

Council members.

No, no.

Okay.

Uh Council Member Stern.

Sure.

Um first I want to say um one, my daughter in at Warren Elementary did in fact say that the police officer came to her classroom, read a book.

Yes, they they they enjoyed that.

Um, there were some schools that we had done that already, and so they just did that recently.

Yeah.

Um, and I also just in my uh walking and driving around the city.

I've just I've seen the presence of our police um all over, and I I appreciate it.

Um my only question is in the training uh I didn't see anything mentioned around de-escalation.

I'm curious what is the status, like when do police officers receive training and de-escalation and what is that look like?

Good question.

Timing is everything, right?

We are in the midst or the beginning of our in-service training program, our annual in-service training program.

And in that program, when we go from February until May, um officers receive de-escalation training in that uh a group of officers comes in every week for four days for that period that I mentioned, and in that is the escalation training.

And also um, you know, scenario-based training.

And so that occurs annually.

Annually, yes.

It absolutely annually, but uh supervisors also can do it at roll call training before they turn out if they they notice the situation, they want to do some kind of training, and it certainly can be de-escalation.

Uh they can call out the de-escalation techniques that one officer used that they think might be beneficial to another officer.

Other collections of questions are coming?

I just want to say that I'm thank you for this presentation, and I'm very grateful to see that uh double parking enforcement is up 113%.

That's incredible.

Uh that's a little over double.

Um I'm grateful to hear that we'll have officers on foot.

Um, I think education and awareness with our businesses.

So if there's anything, any interaction we need to have with the bid, you know, we would definitely support that with you know, of course, our commissioner of development uh as we communicate with our different businesses.

Yes, I'm sure that that would be very helpful because we don't want to stop the commerce.

That's right.

We just want to stop the double parking.

That's right.

Um I have also been behind other vehicles as they were being ticketed actively by our uh uh police officers, particularly on church street.

So I'm very grateful for that.

Um we're seeing the enforcement, uh, and it you know, it takes time, it takes patience, and you know, the enforcement part is but the other part is our community.

We need our community to now come together and say, Okay, we're gonna also stop double parking.

We're also gonna discourage our friends from double parking because this is not a new issue.

Yes, I I grew up as a child in Murray Cell watching, you know, people double park as my grandmother took me to the fruit store on Main Street, you know.

So, but it takes a long time to course correct.

But I'm very grateful for the enforcement, and I'm grateful to hear that there will be more to come, I think.

I just want to add to uh what Shane said, and you know, thank you for the presentation.

It's a great presentation.

Thank you.

Uh nice to see in the uh certain areas here where you're seeing some numbers going down, which is very, very nice.

Uh but as far as the the um double parking, that's been an issue from the beginning of time, you know.

It's always been an issue.

And one of the things that have happened over the last number of years is that uh with the changing with the methods of doing business for many many businesses.

Uh we have a lot of restaurants in downtown, and they do a lot of their lunch business as takeout.

And I guess this is not directed at the police department because they should keep on ticketing double parkers.

That's not the problem.

The problem is is that what do we do with the cars of people from Grove, Uber, uh deliveries from different businesses that rely on stopping, maybe there's eight eight different businesses on a block.

They have to stop, pick up something.

We we haven't created, and again, part of it is that the world has changed since COVID.

There's more and more of people ordering takeout from restaurants, even in the evening.

Uh, but we didn't create an environment where they have the ability to park without double parking.

There's there's literally no place for them to go.

So this question is that maybe we need to take a good hard look at what do we create?

What are other people doing?

What are other communities doing to create some sort of parking environment uh for these businesses, these uh delivery people so that they don't get a double parking ticket, which is quite expensive could really you know eat up a good portion of their profit for the evening.

So uh that's yeah, basically what I just say about double parking is more the other side of it.

So thank you.

I'll cover a little past.

Yeah, um, I'm glad that you have here on the list also the e-bikes and the national IC course.

Um just yesterday, actually, I got so many phone calls, you know, um, of kids, like groups of 25-30 kids riding their bikes up and down, and it can be very scary for those people that drive because they're like they get in between, and I know that um the e-bikes also sometimes they're just very fast, and even kids are riding them, which I I really uh am very concerned by that.

But thank you so much for the wonderful presentation.

And I do uh upload your uh giving, you know, for the police giving the uh tickets for the double parking because I actually think that people just I I don't see it so much with people picking up food.

I think that people that feel oh, I'm just gonna go and get something because I think more is more the e-bikes that uh the people that are delivering uh food.

That has been my experience.

So maybe we can have something where they can put their bikes there.

You know, uh, but um but uplooks aren't about the e-bikes and the traditional bicycles.

Yeah, we we are going to address that's that is a lot of the education side.

I'll just pass these out.

Um so this is just a chart on uh scooters and things like that, just so you'll know.

But we have this up in headquarters, we have this on our website.

These are the things that we're gonna talk to the drivers about that do deliver because you can see when they're in their downtime, we can go to them or we can just speak to them and talk to them.

It's it's just about education.

The the men and women who are driving the e-bikes and doing the deliveries, for the most part, they are all abiding by the the the uh the the rules of the road.

It's it is the kids, it's the younger people that are just zipping up and down and and and and through.

Uh but for the most part, those men and women that are out there working are um abiding by by by the laws and and and and sometimes it's just a quick correction, they might not understand um what they're supposed to do or what they can do, so they try to slow roll through a light or something like that, and it's corrected pretty quickly.

But that's more of an education side for them, and that will take some of the numbers down.

But the others is just to get to those that are zipping around and to get to parents who I saw kid um in my neighborhood the other day, and the thing had to be going 30 or 40 miles an hour, and it was uh definitely younger than 17 kids, and I was like, wow.

Um, so it's to get the parents to know that your kid shouldn't be doing this either.

And uh that's what we try to do.

But the thing we don't try to do is we don't chase, we don't do that because it's just too dangerous of a situation.

It's just too great of uh of a liability if somebody falls going at any speed, a head injury can happen at any speed, and we just want to make sure that we we are safe.

And I look forward to seeing the uh the police officers playing soccer.

I would love to have the women police officers playing soccer with us, all the people that what's up on the time played sucker.

We we have always teams and they are very good.

No, they are good.

They are very good.

Yeah, we have a co-ed team and and we have some we have some tremendous athletes in the police department.

Thank you so much for that.

Thank you everyone.

I wrote to myself, go to the game, but we're in Jersey, not in fully intending on playing, but I'm a good show leader for all things to Michelle, the general concept.

Uh, any other questions for my colleagues?

Uh Councilmember Peters.

Yeah, um, not so much a question but an acknowledgement.

I I just want to uh say that uh I really appreciate uh your your responsiveness each and every time your situations that I become aware of, and we contact uh you as well police department, or when we're having community meetings, how both yourself and the police officers were present, um manage themselves in those meetings as part of the community, and and how it is uh it is beginning to impact normalcy of people, the uh police officers being present when conversations are occurring.

I appreciate the the way in which the officers are being patient with uh with questions that arise and with uh sometimes difficult and challenging questions, and they're they're spending time painstakingly going through those conversations when this occurs without it becoming uh sort of a uh a give and take kind of a situation.

So they're not inflaming conversations when they're present in particular areas.

Um appreciating that.

Um I also appreciate the um your your responsiveness in in in leading um when critical incidents occur and and how you have uh been willing and able to respond.

Uh so they these are observable traits that I'm noticing that are that the police department, particularly the the ones that you are the newer ones that you were bringing in.

And this is no difference to the other ones, but the new ones that you're bringing in seeming are seemingly seeing this as as normative behavior for the officers.

And so I'm appreciative of that.

There are some other things, certainly that uh where we have um room for improvement around, right?

Um, but that's not for this conversation here.

I think I think these are more things that we need to talk about that are both associated with the past and tend to linger into the future.

But I I am very appreciative of your responsiveness in the community has no respect in the different meetings that we had.

So we appreciate that.

So thank you.

Thank you.

I appreciate that.

I I have uh a tremendous team of supervisors who who lead a tremendous group of officers.

They are really um all doing uh a good job.

I agree.

You know, one thing that I'll tell you that I always say is I I think we are the best.

Um, and even at that, I always see room for improvement in everything.

You don't um want to just hit that plateau and stay there.

We want to get better and better and better.

But I owe it uh to the people to the men and women that I work with in the entire building.

Um I owe it to them uh a world of thanks for for the job that they do every day, and um I'm really appreciative of them and and how they are are doing their job.

So we have really good people at the PDA being very, very encouraged by it.

Um I'll just add a couple of echoing really just thanks for my colleagues.

I think in addition to seeing the double parking increase, um the parking violations, I and I appreciate getting that in the data because as we talk to residents, and if it's a complaint that comes up, we can cite that like you know to Councilman Australoni's point, it's it you're tight, you're changing the tide, but we can actually point to numbers to to support and substantiate that.

So I appreciate you collecting and sharing with us before budget season.

Um, and I and I think even the increase in costs for service is a testament to the engagement and like the residents feeling more comfortable calling, even with you qualifying it, maybe pulling some out because of the amount of time for contacts.

I think it's just a testament to the presence as my as Councilman Peters um suggested there.

And I think I just want to also piggyback to our city manager.

I know some of this falls under the quality of life, and so again, just seeing plans and ideas, and then just sort of seeing the execution over the last 12 months or so.

I just appreciate that.

So thank you, city manager, for also supporting these initiatives.

Um the other point, I was gonna also just commend your officers.

I know, like, even at like some of the community events, coffee with the mayor, they are they literally are like they field questions, you know what I mean?

Like if there's a question and they're not just like saying, Oh, well, we'll get back to you.

They're like, I think an officer even gave guidance on getting speed bumps because they live in your shell.

So they were like, I got that, maybe don't worry.

I just did it.

So I again I appreciate it.

They're stepping out of their kind of maybe perceived zone and engaging with residents, and you're seeing that.

So um, just they're I just really feel like it's a it's a really beautiful partnership that we have.

Um, I'm gonna be annoying.

The public safety advisory meeting.

Do we have a date?

No, I'm going with the meeting, I think those though we have a okay between the three of us to figure it out.

All right, I know there's just some eagerness.

It won't go past the um first week in April.

Okay, thank you very much.

Appreciate that as well.

The public safety safety advisory, which is the combination, it's um the revamped citizens for better than Richard, I'd argue.

It's PD, FD, and public works coming.

He he just described it, I forget what the page on the slide, but um yeah, that on the um but you you maybe I'll ask you for questions.

Okay, um, so I just it's I know it's something you've been thinking about reformatting, and I know in the work plan it was the end of the first quarter, so just want to kind of have a sense of the cadence of the timing.

Um I know I've seen this shared on social in the past from PD.

Uh huh.

Um, and I just wonder as you're doing more engagement, like the faith in blue or kids.

I just wonder how you get this um thinking about how to get it to folks outside of parents, um, other folks who might be engaged with with kids um just to get the information out, like at the boys and I don't know, just thinking of other other ways to get the information to guardians or caregivers.

Um yeah, we can utilize some of our partners out there to um have it at their locations, yeah.

Um and those that have uh maybe a monitor that's going through, maybe we can ask them to put it up on there as well.

Yeah, some people might not realize there's actually like legality to some of them, you know, it's just like their kid on a bike.

Um, but depending on the bike, there's an issue.

But it uh just echoing my colleagues' thanks.

I really appreciate the partnership.

Councilman Peters, did you want to talk after a different time?

Excellent.

Looking around the table, I councilman.

And just one more thing, also for the data on your officers and the makeup of the department.

Yes, the more data the better, you know.

So I'm just grateful that they put that together.

Thank you.

Well, and it's good to see so many young officers, mid-30s, you know, good careers, living wage, you know, in the Rishelle.

I love them.

So for those who are young, it's good for those who are a little bit older that we appreciate the little more.

It's not so good.

We all have our time.

We all have our time.

We all have our time, yeah.

Yeah, it shifts over somehow.

I'm very happy because I'm very happy because they are really enthusiastic about doing a job.

They they really show up every day, and and it's a joy to see every day.

They're just very excited about being there, which is working.

Well, thank you so very much.

Thank you.

Okay.

Uh moving back to our agenda.

Item number two.

Um Commissioner Breet is a proposed amendment of resolution number 2023-108.

Oh, just turn off my bed.

That's a sec.

Um the pause police dog park trust account.

Um requested by council member Sarah Kay, City Manager, do you want to tee it up or do you want to?

Yeah, so uh we're gonna talk about basically uh take another another look at the dog park trust account and its original intention and realizing that I guess there's a finite number of capital improvements you could do to a dog talk about the entrance and then after that, unless we want to create like a doggy amusement park or something like that in the future, but but I don't think um so you know better leave utilizing those funds all for the overall good of the park.

Yeah, and I could just piggyback saying that the same way uh the Warders Community Garden Trust accounts, you know, go back into enhancing and improving the community gardens.

When we created this a few years ago, the dog park original fencing was like netting and deer fencing from 16 years ago was falling apart.

Some dogs had escaped, and we had originally created the trust account to focus on that in the ensuing years.

We got very fortunate with ARPA funds, and we were able to have a $50,000 investment to the dog park with a brand new events.

So now while we still have to make some improvements, like uh a water fountain and maybe some play equipment, we think it would be more advantageous since we're in a great spot right now for the long term with the dog park to allow for facility repairs like part wide with ward acres and not just at that actual facility.

Uh it's a very modest number, but we think it could help in the long term with the dog fees.

Thank you.

Compose of Rucay, since you requested it, just give you the floor if you have anything that um thank you so much for bringing this forward.

I really appreciate it.

I have one comment and suggestion.

Um I think the language is is a a little too narrow.

It it says facilities improvements and ward acres is a natural passive park.

So I'm wondering if we could um have slightly more expansive language like capital improvements, ecological restoration, trails and related parks improvements.

We could just have a little more flexibility.

It would yeah, it's capital in yeah, I'm okay.

Listen, as long as you know, we have flexibility to use it within Ward Acres Park, and I'm okay with that.

So that would be in the legislation.

I'm not trying to see where this item.

I I don't know if it's I think the way it was generated was those other topics could fall under the umbrella of capital.

But it's a broader facility, the third whereas facility improvements is the language.

Yeah, the third whereas on page seven.

So we could some language in there to include things such as what's the same.

Can you say together capital improvements?

Ecological restoration, trails, and related parks improvements.

And there's no contravention to like the original language generating the trusts account.

Like, are there limitations on I would have to look.

Okay, I honestly I don't know.

I'd have to look at um it seems reasonable.

Yeah, it's it's original request I have a body place.

Okay, so point out it so we'll take a look at many legislation for I mean you can either do an emotion to I uh I uh I can look back at the trust account if you guys want me to look at the you know originating document just to see what it says.

So maybe if you want to pull this for now and then we'll take a look at that and if it's all fine, then we can just bring it back with your language if that works right.

Let's let's start because it's her do you want to say do you think it could be on the RLM?

Yeah, we'd have to do like a motion and a motion, but well, we could pull it on the yeah, we'll just vote at the RLM.

We'll introduce and vote at the RLM.

Okay.

Sorry to get between three lawyers, but with it striking facilities.

Um definition.

Sorry to get between three lawyers but with it striking facilities um the same definition my my point is just with is was there any language limiting what the trust could be used for so what we're what we're the found like I'm equating it to like sometimes at Columbia there was like a scholarship and it was limited who you could give the money to and so I'm just wondering if there was similar language I see the deputy city manager is like jumping out of a chair you want to come up with you it could only be used for the dog park that was that was the restriction that it had to be within Paul's place.

There was no other language to it.

So what does that mean with the suggestion that council it's fine as long as that's within possible resolution yes okay amending resolution you want to amend to add that language in okay so it's a motion and it's we're moving to the consent agenda with the amendments as noted is that what we're is that the motion to amend the legislation to add her yes okay and then we'll move it to the consent agenda.

Okay.

Hold on councilman sorry I just want to make sure there's her item councilman Peters do you want to say do you want to yeah I have I have a couple questions and I just want to on this matter on dog parks okay which relates I think to this matter okay do you want to dog parks sure I wanted to know how many dog parks do we have here in City that I we have dog runs but that is the main dog park so we have one we have one what about the dog run on the count on Hugan I think we have dog runs.

That's different than a park.

Okay I see the commissioner buildings throwing three fingers this is a very lively topic um commission Commissioner Vaca I see three runs I do have parks sorry we have three what specifically there's there's a dog park on Lake Carroll or on UNICE one on um tower too on I'm hearing a distinction between run and park which I don't know is a reflection of natural or turf or acreage or not so wow I don't have a dog that's evident so I would call the ward acres a park because it's a very large area yes these are small pocket parks pocket parks okay for for animals.

So three areas for dogs one is a park two is a run.

Love local government so much councilman Peters sorry well no that's that's very important because there are there are a lot of dogs and a lot of PCs and there's a lot of a need and desire for places in which in which we have dog parks so when we have one up at Board Acres which is fine and we have what do we're describing as pocket runs understand what that means right pocket run is basically a very small space where we have many many dogs and theses is a problem that many people in my district in particular since I'm representing them are talking a lot about so I just want to bring that to our understanding as we're considering dog parks are extremely important in communities.

And and as we are emerging and I'm thinking about some things kind of want to keep that in mind.

And it's a good point and I know the dog runs to this point have been driven more by development um of the buildings in the downtown but I I think it would be silly for us as a department not to acknowledge that we're probably going to have to you know add as the population and and the dog craze increases whether it's you know downtown central part of the city the south we're aware of that we're just gonna have to because you know ward acres is is the hike uh for some just to be honest though the average dog parking size in Westchester County and the Hudson Valley is probably between you know the size of uh a baseball in field and like a youth baseball field and our dog park is the is the size of like Yankee Stadium but so we're able to take on now that's good and bad obviously it's more like maintenance but it's also nice that you know other cities and municipalities in Westchester County if there's nine families or nine dogs in there it's packed whereas with us we you know we have this great space but that that's acknowledged thank you also just to not to speak on beheld finance but just moving forward when it comes to trust accounts we can't just um you know make stuff happen out of there like an expense account and uh a transfer would have to generate first and me coming back to you what we're using that trust money for so um I think that that eventually adds a lag of transparency too that we can't just go ahead and and uh pay a bill out of a trust account the micro yeah so anything else on this robust topic all right so we're gonna yes I was just gonna add the language that you had it it looked like under where it says section one on page seven that's where it would go because it mentioned capital and facility improvements but not the third where uh section one now therefore yeah yeah I think under now therefore section one okay uh I'm um waiting for the city's lawyer yeah is that we're okay because we have to make a motion yeah okay to amend section brilliant the whereas

It looks like that that's where it would go because it mentioned capital and facility improvements, but not the third whereas section one is now therefore, yeah.

Yeah, I think under now therefore section one.

Okay, uh I'm uh waiting for the city's lawyer, yeah.

Is that where to make a motion?

Yeah, okay, second two amend section brilliant the whereas and section one.

Okay, so adopt the legislation.

We'd have to do a motion that we're gonna amend, okay, and then a motion to move to the consent agenda because we're we're moving something that's different than what we were presented.

Okay.

So a motion to amend the legislation as identified on page seven.

Our corporate council advises in the third paragraph of whereas, and then in the section one to include capital improvements, ecological restoration, trails, and related park improvements.

We have a motion and a second.

K and Stern.

Um all in favor say aye, aye, any opposed.

And now a motion and a second to move said amended proposed legislation to the consent agenda.

Motion and a second.

K and Stern.

All in favor say aye.

Aye, any opposed.

Brilliant.

Moving on to item number three.

I think it's also you, Commissioner.

Yes.

It is a proposed resolution accepting the donation of a new playground structure for Nanafrio Park.

Commissioner.

So, as you know, we were able to um redo free playgrounds with ARPA funds last year in 2025.

Um, I think we all know that there's you know, still a few more playgrounds that needed to be addressed.

Um, we got approached by a very generous umural couple that wanted to make a uh gift, and when you talk to other parks commissioners in uh Westchester County and our world, this is what's getting a lot of uh because we didn't have to apply for a grant, and we didn't have to uh put a huge amount of money in a capital budget line with during budget season.

So um, yeah, so we're excited about this, and but to read into the record because I was missing a couple of details.

Sorry, corporate count to add more.

Um but the donation would be from Lou and Sandra Montalione, husband and wife, not just Lou.

I don't want to get him in trouble.

Um we're thankful for that.

And I had entered it as 390.

It is actually 399, 642 dollars and 69 cents.

So 399,642 and 69 cents, and we're you know, excited that um we we could have this.

I mean, Dinofrio is uh this is gonna be awesome.

As you know, um we have the pavilion renovation going on, and now when you add this down there to such a popular park, uh this is gonna be great.

That's exciting.

Uh this is in your district.

Do you have anything you want to add?

Yeah.

Well, yeah, very excited about this.

I mean, this is uh very rare that a resident yes, you know, comes up almost 400,000.

But you know, in this particular special resident, uh, you know, Lou and I went to high school together.

We graduated together in class 69.

He's uh you know, he's a long-time umurish resident, lived here most of his his life.

Um, and the fact that he thought enough of neuroshell to take 400,000 dollars and give it to us.

I hope this acts as a model for other people in the community to see what they can do.

Yeah, to you know, improve the quality of life for so many so many people that you know aren't as fortunate.

Um he's also my neighbor, so you know we we see each other all the time, but you know, I'm just very very excited, and I I like to say I'd hope that maybe this will you know wake up some people out there if they're listening, hopefully uh to we have other parks that we delegate so uh I just want to thank Sandy and Lou uh for this generous skip.

Any other questions or comments from my colleagues on item number three?

I think similarly we'll have to do a motion uh to amend because we are including Mrs.

Montalone and um a different value, so may I please have a motion and a second um with the amendments of including Sandra and that the value is 399.

Uh I'm assuming Tarantino and Peters.

All in favor say aye, aye, any opposed.

And then we need to have a motion to move to the consent agenda, the amended version of the legislation.

I'm assuming Tarantino.

Do you want to move?

You want to get the movement?

Okay, and Ashan Loyer, all in favor say aye, aye, any opposed, brilliant.

Thank you.

Thank you, Commissioner.

Moving on to item number four, which is a proposed acceptance of a grant award from the White Plains Youth Bureau regarding support of the grandpa's United program.

I see our executive director.

Congratulations again on your recognition of the neural shelf funds.

Very well deserved.

And mayor, may I sorry interrupt for that?

If you were in White Plains today, draw yes.

Oh the Westchester County Center today was Kelly Johnson.

He's gonna get me.

I see, I see.

I don't know if he's happy or not, but we're happy for you.

And the commissioner should probably go.

Anything you'd like to add to uh for grandpa.

Um the graph program is not a third or fourth yet.

We're looking this year to expand it.

Um we think we're gonna do some collaboration with our mommy and me because we know that those kids have grandfathers, and we just want to get them out in the community and let them know they still have value and purpose and mentorship.

Excellent.

So that's our focus for this year with Grandpa's and brilliant questions or comments on item number four.

It's a great program.

You have some really wonderful people participating.

Thank you.

Thank you.

We're having to expand throughout the city.

Um is comes in all shape sizes, yes, have all kinds of interest, and we just want to bring that back.

And thank you all for coming.

That's that's I really do appreciate you.

Thank you for your service.

Yeah, thank you.

Councilman Oshanoye, um in a related topic, I will say, can we have a grant writing competition between the Department of Development and the Parks Department?

I think that it would be really great for the city, but to see how much you guys, oh, and the police department to see how much you guys are able to bring in for the services you're rendering, I think is incredible.

And I feel like the city just really needs to know way more about it.

You guys are so good at it.

So Kelly's been pulling a lot of wall nighters.

So of course kudos to the Canada.

Thank you for the one.

Oh you know, I'm bringing the discussion to the table.

We could circle back on the pay for what you want to do.

Without us having too much of a say.

So there you go.

That's a feature party.

Yeah, you buy a pizza party for us with the grant month.

Thank you.

Um bringing it back to item number four.

Uh, any other questions or comments on this?

All right, motion and a second.

Moving item four to our consent agenda K and Ashan Louie.

All in favor say aye.

Uh-huh.

Any opposed.

Brilliant.

Moving on to item number five.

Thank you both.

Is a proposed amendment to chapter 301 of the code of the city of New York Shell regarding replacement of trees by the fund.

Also uh sponsored and asked for by Councilmember Sarah Kaye.

City Manager.

Um, no, just uh want to thank Sarah for bringing this uh to light.

Um just really just kind of honing in what the real purpose of the of the replacement treat fund is.

Um obviously it was set up to replace trees uh by property owners where they were removed and couldn't be replaced.

Um so current language um has uh includes like buying trees, planting trees, and also includes maintenance.

But we do as as councilman K pointed out, we do carry maintenance as part of our operating budget.

So this was this would be to kind of remove that component and strictly focus on the on the acquisition of trees and the planting of trees, because that is the purpose, right?

To to um kind of keep or upkeep the canopy, the tree canopy of the city in place, and um we can handle maintenance through a separate effort.

Um and this would direct all that funding dedicated to to tree replacement.

Um making sure that we don't lose that funding on a year-to-day basis that that funding remains in place um um every year so that we could just focus on strictly uh acquiring trees and planting trees and we'll handle them separately.

Okay, uh councilwoman, hold up.

Councilwoman K, please do you have anything to add because it's your I I couldn't have said it any better.

Okay, that's exactly right.

Thank you for putting it forward.

Excellent.

Councilman Oshanle.

Does that mean that I have my purple and white trees on Main Street?

Okay, any other questions?

Questions or comments on five?

Um just understanding a little bit the maintenance issue, and this I I support this legislation, but um with our uh forest management plan.

Did we also increase the amount of money available for maintenance?

Um just because I know there's a large number of trees that you know we still need to get to in terms of trimming or sometimes removing did the funding for that increase or is it slated to?

I'm just curious the maintenance side is you know important as well.

Yeah, yeah.

Yeah, I know the definitely increasing the amount of trees we're planting.

Yeah, um the I'll get back to you on exactly exactly how much, if anything, we could add for maintenance on that.

But I believe so, but I'll double check on the the values.

Okay.

Any other questions or comments on the item number five?

Um to comment to your comment.

Um one goal that I think we'll hopefully see in the long term is we were spending a lot of money on emergency removals, and so hopefully with this proactive maintenance, we can see that come down and instead of having more um budgeted items to take care of that proactive maintenance.

Yeah, obviously, emergency removals are much more costly.

Excellent.

Other questions or comments on item number five?

Motion and a second, moving five to our consent's agenda, K and Oshan Louie, all in favor say aye.

Any opposed.

Moving on to item number six, which is the proposed appointments of participatory budget steering committee members.

I just want to quickly ask for another night of amendments.

Um we are going to amend the recommendation and the be it further resolved in the actual legislation.

So page 23 and 24.

We are going to um we're gonna have an executive session to discuss that appointment.

So we're gonna remove it from what we're voting for today.

The part the the reference to the blank line that we designated someone as a chairperson.

So questions or comments on that revision.

Like we usually do, we'll go and exact, we'll discuss the chair since tonight the members will be voted in.

Well, technically, like at least now we all know the names of the members, is my point, and the chair comes from that group.

So any questions on that amendment, and then we'll jump back into the legislation and I'll pass it to you if you have anything to say, Councilman Stern.

A motion and a second to amend this legislation to remove the designating line.

Um Stern and Kay, all in favor say aye.

Any opposed.

Okay, so now back to the beginning.

Um, this is with respect to proposed appointment of participatory budget steering committee members.

Um, do you have anything to add, Steve Member?

Uh, just for the record, um, for the city staff members, um, that would be for um city engineer, uh Geno Privacy.

Um he would be the representative from the city and for um the school district, um Makita Lewis, okay.

The VP from the VP for the from the Board of Education.

Okay, excellent.

Uh Councilman Stern, do you have anything you want to add on this?

Just want to thank my colleagues uh for your appointments and and the public for um so many applications.

I feel like there were somewhere around 30 or 40 applications, which is a really healthy number.

Um, and I'm just very grateful for everyone who took the time to apply.

Any other questions or on comments on um item number six?

Okay, we have a motion and a second moving six to our consent's agenda, please.

Peters and string.

All in favor say aye, any opposed.

Moving on to item number seven, which is a uh proposed resolution supporting increased New York State aid to municipalities.

Um it's part of a concerted effort across the state um advocacy to the governor's office.

So after we received the 60 million from her, she called and said we got another two million from 2.2 million if we're maybe specific.

Um, but it's a part of like a temporary municipal aid package that was given out to different municipalities.

As our city manager has presented in the past, our our aid from the state has been flat for like 20 years or something like that.

And so um mayors throughout the state are coming together to ask for like the money we got this year to stay and to continue to ask the governor to increase that state aid because essentially we're losing money if you factor in inflation, we're actually not getting even the amount that's there.

So this reflects um they asked for me to sign on to something, and that's for the city manager to sign the same statement, but then they asked for us to come to the council to ask for a resolution from the council supporting the advocacy.

So questions or comments on item number seven councilman can just emphatically yes, but like a letter in the letter.

Yes, when you press near Michelle, like all balloons and glitter.

I I respect I like sparkles.

Other questions or comments?

Councilman Speaker.

Thank you for developing the relationships with the state and you know, fostering them and bringing resources to our city.

You know, this is this is long overdue.

We've I grew up like growing up here, it was painful.

So to see our city receive you know, aid in doing the good work that we're doing, and to continue that and reinvest in it is just a beautiful thing.

So another emphatic yes.

Um please just a technical question, probably reflecting my own ignorance.

In the final be it further resolved, it makes reference to the temporary president of the Senate.

Is that correct?

Yes, it is.

It's um our majority leader is the temporary president of the presentation.

That's okay.

I do know that.

That's one of her titles.

Okay.

It's one of you know also like Queen guys.

Right.

As I refer to her, but don't just like say her first names.

She is the person, but yeah, she actually serves as the temporary person.

Thank you.

Uh any other questions or comments on number seven.

All right, motion and a second to move number seven to our consent agenda.

Kay and Oshan Louis, all in favor say aye.

Any opposed.

Moving on to item number eight, which is a proposed acceptance of the New York State Office of Parks Recreation and Historic Preservation.

Oh, P R H P FY25 Certified Local Government CLG grants.

Commissioner Salgado, hello.

Hi, good afternoon, everyone.

Sorry, it came up early.

I had written item seven as my so I came up awkwardly.

Anyway, the CLG grant is really um just really excited.

It's a really great grant.

It's gonna help us to uh you know refine the design guidelines for the uh administration of the historic district, and it provides us with 40,000 in state grant funds.

We have to match another 40,000 dollars we'll use to procure a consultant to help us revise some of those uh you know those guidelines and some of the to keep pace with some of the um you know kind of green uh kind of technologies that have come online that don't necessarily always uh you know work in harmony with the design of the historic district as well as some of the climate resiliency measures that are being asked of homeowners to implement in their homes.

So kind of that will help us to reconcile all that new technology and move it forward in a way that's historically appropriate.

So we're really excited to roll this out.

Excellent.

Thank you.

Questions or comments on item number eight motion and seconds to move eight to our consent agenda.

Uh Lopez and um in favor say aye.

Any opposed.

Thank you.

Moving on to item number nine, which is a proposed authorization of economic and small business development hub operator agreement with our friends at Iona University Commissioners.

And our friends are here this week.

Yes, hello.

Dr.

Christoph Winkler and Dr.

Trisha Mulligan, the provost from Iona College, and we are really excited to enter into this uh public-private partnership with Iona College that activated Basin's.

Iona University we have a thousand square foot space at our 500 Main Street uh location, which is the Leaf.

Um, and we are going to partner with Iona to provide technical assistance and workshops and all kinds of advocacy to help folks that are looking to start business in New Rochelle.

Um it's it's come up in a lot of the engagements like where can I go to get some of the resources that we have?

So we think a brick and mortar space is gonna really be uh you know a great way to anchor a lot of the resources that we've developed in the city and make them accessible to all to people uh and and to work through the real consumment professionals in Iona University uh to help people rethink and and and uh to see the potential in their business ideas.

Um we're proposing to spend 286,000 from the community benefit bonus fund this year to uh you know it kick off the outfitting of the space and to start the operational.

There's a plan over three years for them to uh achieve an SBCD status, which is a small business association status, which will provide a stream of funding for them to continue operations indefinitely.

It does require some seed money from the city to sort of get that concept off the ground.

And we're really looking forward to working with the team and uh making this a reality.

Awesome.

I'm gonna go a little out of order as I usually wait for my colleagues, but I just want to say three things.

So exciting to think about young college or grad students like on Main Street, kind of doing this kind of work that's sort of inner police politicians.

And I do just want to um give a huge thanks to Iona University just in general for being good partners.

We hosted a coffee at the campus, and they were the like loveliest hosts, and they made their space so available.

I think residents were not leaving um well after 90 minutes because they were just so um hospitable.

So just again, the partnership, it's been really great.

And then I think just a shout out to it's community benefit bonus, which is money we receive from development going back into creating a hub and an incubation space for development.

So there's a lot of a lot of really great synergies um in this one item.

Um uh councilman National Lee, do you have no okay?

Uh any questions or comments on this on item number nine.

Excellent motion and a second to move to our consents agenda, please.

Aye.

Any opposed.

Brilliant.

Moving on to item number 10, which is a proposed um proposed appointments to the Neuroshell Industrial Development Agency, affectionately known as the IDA.

Commissioner.

Um no, we're really excited to uh reappoint uh three of the board members who have served uh very well.

That would be Howard Greenberg.

Um sorry, I have to look at that.

Howard Greenberg.

Uh they did and and also it welcome a new board member, which uh Keith Singletary, who has um who comes to us with a great deal of uh knowledge and experience and finance, so we're really looking forward to working with him to move the IDA to the next uh to the to its next level.

I'm sorry, I just okay page 42 of the deck.

Do you want us to read it?

Because we have it, sure.

Okay, we get Miguel Ayala, Howard Greenberg and Garrett B.

Lander.

Um, they will serve terms that uh expire in three years.

And we're um you know, we we've we've had a great track record with them.

Melody Miguel Ayala was brought in last year, he uh really has a great voice uh and has differentiated himself advocating for uh labor and the trades and for workforce development and inclusion of our local workforce in the IDA project.

So it's really great to continue to work with him.

And Howard is sort of a consummate real estate kind of champion, uh, really understands the deals, and he's also a great and as is Garrett, who really approaches it from a different side.

He kind of looks at it from the institutional banking sector, and so has a really deep understanding of what it takes to move the development projects forward from a sort of a tactical sense.

So with all of them, they represent a great breadth of knowledge and really add value and uh to to our process for moving for approving projects.

Super quick technical question.

I think Gell's term is shorter than the others.

I just curious what the if we have a they should all be three year terms.

I'm not sure.

I can look into that like three months earlier because he was technically up and so he doesn't end in February, he ends in December because he started in January, not March, I guess.

Is that what it is?

If I remember correctly, he's currently like on because he was rolled over from expiration.

I see, okay, very good.

If the dates are different, we can make an administrative change on that.

Just want to confirm that this is a new three year change.

I thought so.

So I I just want to make sure I'll confirm we'll confirm that.

Okay.

So tonight we can't.

Because he filled a term that was abbreviated.

Right, but that's finished.

So this is a new term.

That's so it should be a new three-year term.

That's my point.

Because he finished an unexpired term.

So we should thought he would be on the same alignment.

Um just want to check that.

Check that if there's a change, we'll make it administrative name.

Okay, sorry, I just wanted to ask the process question.

Any other questions or comments from my colleagues on number 10?

Councilman Monsieur Lee.

Just grateful to Keith Singletary for stepping up and wanting to be a part of the EA.

We definitely need the wheelhouse of the CDA and who does have the interest in you know what's happening with the interaction with the school board and the school system as well.

So just grateful to have that support.

Um trying to run the clock here.

Uh any other questions or comments for my colleagues on this on item number 10.

Okay, motion and a second to move 10 to our consent agenda, please.

Peters and um Stern, all in favor say aye.

All right.

Any opposed?

Thank you so much.

Uh number 11 is a um, I'm just looking, sorry, we need to vote on item 11.

It is a proposed public hearing regarding the supplemental DG EIS and the zoning for the downtown overlay zone, as I understand it.

This would have been the this was a public hearing that previously we had noted for tonight, but is actually being adjourned until April 14th on the downtown overlay zone.

Is that correct?

Correct.

Just notice issues, not notice, but just we have to file notice procedure.

Some process refined minutes.

Yes, exactly.

Or if you want to do this.

So the public hearing that was scheduled for tonight will is adjourned to April 14th of 2026.

Questions or comments on item number 11.

Councilman Lush Lee.

Just um thinking about my hour of meeting uh yesterday, Councilwoman Lopez and I were at the uh residence park neighborhood association meeting.

Um, and I advise them to maybe put together a one-sheet of some of the things that they would be looking for.

Um, you know, as far as what amendments we're gonna be making, what we're considering as far as improving our zoning.

Um, so would would uh is that open?

Could people now, you know, uh reach out with like the concerns that they have, the things that they want to see improved.

They can submit them in writing.

The public comment period is open.

Okay, they're they're welcome to submit them in writing all along.

Uh the public hearing where they can read those orally and you know, in front of council, is on April 14th.

But the public comment period is it's it's just extended essentially.

I just want to make sure that you know our entire city understands that they could reach out at any point with some of the things that they're looking for to make improvements, you know, development house.

Um so we just want to make sure that everyone knows they have the opportunity now, you know, so that we could immediately start getting to work on some of the improvements that you can see.

So I just wanted to put that out there.

So as a matter of process, I'll just add that you know, with the with the uh public hearing being moved to April, likely the adoption or the you know the submission this you know, the the adoption will occur in June.

So we have those two months to incorporate all of the feedback that we get during the public comment period.

So it'll go from a draft supplemental generic environmental impact statement to a final supplemental generic environmental impact statement, which you all will vote on along with the specific zoning.

Uh in likely June, depending on I mean, that's our goal or target, but depending on the volume of uh comments that we receive and the complexity to to incorporate them into the zoning.

Um the closest will be June.

Can I maybe just ask um only and I know you had this in the deck so this isn't you, but it's been delayed, not delayed, but it's we're shifting the data month out and just the councilman nationally, and I saw Councilwoman Lucas nodding um in support.

Um just like what's what's the email and like what's the deadline to send comments so that they can be incorporated for the final document?

Is it May?

Like the email is the the deadline is um it's gonna be uh a month after the public the uh the the public hearing.

Okay, so May, yeah.

And then what what is that is it a portal or email to send there's a link on the um on the website okay, and I can get you that the specific email, but you can email uh Kevin Kane at new Rochelle ny.gov, or you can email myself or the you know anyone in the department of development.

Okay.

Could we can you I'm sorry, just to add to that, can your team send that to us so that as we uh you know attend meetings, as we are out in the community and interact with people, we could just forward that information for them to contribute at that time.

Yeah, thank you.

I mean, we're all getting comments everywhere.

So it's a very we're accepting them like as they come in sort of outside as since this has been publicized.

We're receiving many of the comments from the public that have been watching this process unfold as public feedback to be responded to in the final uh.

I think I thought something Peter's heads up or no.

Yeah, no, it was, but it was it was more um the process because this process would be looking at um creating what we're describing in terms of the new rules, if you will, for this global results.

Um I'm wondering how inclusive will we will we as council be engaged in this meeting that will we be learning about this in real time in terms of what the developmental partner is coming up with or thinking about, or will we only know about this when it comes to council for us to review what's been what's emerged in the conversation?

Well, I mean what we have brought to you already on in several uh instances is the current recommendation of the Department of Development.

Um so you know, and we've been having conversations with the community and with your colleagues on council.

So um in real time, are you referring specifically to the comments that we receive from the public?

How are we gonna be internalizing?

I know what you brought to us before, I know I know that there was a time, I think that wasn't too long ago when we decided that it needed to become uh part of our consent agenda right away.

I think Kevin came up and says something around why we need to do that.

I'm just curious about the the process of engagement moving forward.

That's all.

Well, so that so that what Kevin would what Kevin came up and asked for you all to vote on was the declaration of the city council as the the lead agency to drive the seeker process, which is the state environmental quality review act.

Largely the recommendations of the Department of Development are in the packet.

They are in you have a you have there is a link um in the agenda that was which which which links to a like a 600-page document, which is a very detailed list of the specific zoning changes that we in the Department of Development are recommending.

We've given a presentation that highlights those.

Um that is currently the recommendation.

So there's it's not it's an iterative process in response to the public comments that we receive, but basically you have already the zoning amendments that have been crafted to date based on the recommendation of the professional staff in the city.

And that will likely will evolve from there based on public comment.

And then the way that works is we have to document all the public comments that we receive, and then the final generic environmental impact statement document, we have to provide a response.

And we have to demonstrate uh, you know, what what type of changes we're making to the recommendation in response to those comments, or we respond by clarifying that the zoning deals with their concern in a certain way.

Um and then we'll point out how that is.

But in general, the comments that we get, they are responded to.

So the only thing I'll add is the c the questions and the answers are, if I recall the process correctly, placed in the section of the report.

So like it's it's not like a separate document.

It's like so if the section is setbacks and the questions are about setbacks, the answers will be in the section of the report.

So you see you see it comprehensively, is what I'm trying to say.

So now that it's been deleted a month, there's more time for the questions to come in.

It closes, you guys respond, we get it, and then it's another council meeting.

Um, but it's not like a separately created document where you don't understand where the question is coming from.

It's like it's placed where the legislation or where the proposed recommendations are within the GE, the generic environmental impact report.

So usually there this process, I I've actually been impressed.

You there's time for us to review it, read it, and then to ask questions of the staff before we vote.

But that time is now.

Um to ask.

Council, and if you'd like, I can walk you through the document and specifically what the impacts are for the you know, council district three.

I know that you're concerned, you know, there are several that are really important for your district, which we feel are going to uh be beneficial.

Um they expand the area of the DO8, which as you know requires the fees generated from development in DO8 to stay within that district.

Um, and so we've added some areas that were previously in DO5 that are larger format parcels.

There's a little more density that's allowed there, which means more fees, right, that can stay and be reinvested into that community.

Um, and you know, among some other changes, we talked about the home ownership program, the missing middle housing, all of that is very specifically relevant to the Lincoln Avenue neighborhood district, um, as we continue to drive to create opportunities for intergenerational wealth building through homeownership.

And um, so I'm I'm happy to walk you through the very specific recommendations that are.

I appreciate that, and that's certainly we can do that.

And but it's it's just that I know that there are there are other kinds of questions that are emerging that were not necessarily captured, not for intent, but around thinking more around some of the the areas where we're reason where resistance to some things will emerge more frequently in different parts of our city, right?

So resistance associated with covenants and things like that.

These are the kinds of things that we're looking to begin to dialogue around so that we're prepared in relationship to some of these things being able to come into existence.

So there's some of these these kinds of things that you'll probably get from you know some of the public comments, but I do think that some of those things we've had conversations around, we've attempted to have conversations around preparing in advance for this kind of stuff, so these questions can be answered one way or another.

Either this yes or it's no, but they need to be answered and not just left out there.

So it's for that reason why I'm thinking about and wanting to re-examine more closely and begin to see where there may be some gaps in anticipation.

What I already know from different parts of the community, not only the Lincoln Adam Latin zone, but but other parts of the community as well.

Sure.

So it's for those reasons why I'm asking the question.

And everything else is on file.

Absolutely.

And when it comes specifically to the parts of the community where there are covenants, those are not covered by the DOZ.

So any like moving or lifting of covenants or or boundaries of something of anything that's not specifically the downtown overlay zone is a very separate process and therefore will have its own process, likely involves a public process.

So none of this would impact um you know any of those areas, correct?

But again, this isn't something that I haven't we haven't talked about.

It's an intersection, right?

Because it really happens if the covenants exist, what does that mean to what we voted in, right?

100%.

I'm just trying to essuage your concern that there might be and like this might somehow lift some barrier and like things could happen.

Yeah, I think he's raising the world that no, I think he's raising like one tree in his movies, but will this other be a roadblock, right?

And how do we think about those intersections?

I think it's a fair, it's a and it's a good point.

It's a good point.

I think Councilman Tarantino, sorry, Councilman Peters, is that then that was your comment?

Okay, Councilman Tarantino.

Yeah.

Um the changes in the DOZs and and Councilman Tarantino, I just want to remind you before you start, and I'm not I don't want to interrupt.

I just want to remind you that you previously recuse yourself from this.

But I did vote on this at the last meeting.

I know.

I just reminded you.

I I but there's I just want to explain something.

There's eight DOZs.

If you want to shut me out of DOZ one and two, no, no, let me finish, please.

DOZ one and two.

Um I don't agree with it, but I'll abide by that.

However, there are six other DOZs that have absolutely nothing to do.

And this is where my question is going, so it would help alleviate some of that problem.

And my question is this is that there are eight DOZs.

There are changes in all the different DOZs, different types of changes that affect DOZ 7, DOZ4, DOC5.

My question is this is there a way of putting together like a summary that just does DOZ 8, DOZ 7, DOC.

So if there's things, and and this is the other problem, and and with that um document I got from your attorney, uh, it did state that you can't stop me from voting on the other DOs.

No, I'm just finishing the other DOZs.

So I'm trying to find a way so that we can abide by what you you got, but also don't put me in a position where I'm not voting on a DOZ that has absolutely nothing to do with a piece of property that I own.

And mind you, I own a couple of pieces of property in a in DOZ two and one in DOZ one, and uh none of them are developed, none of them are intended to be developed anymore.

And furthermore, uh there's the chances of getting developed down there at this particular point with the glut of approvals we've had already are are very limited.

But getting back to where I was going, I'm just trying to find out is there a way of creating a summary for DOC like three, four, five, six, seven, seven is you know, the uh project that would be uh the twining project, which which is Prout Landing, which is you know, I encompass a large, large section that is impacted by that.

Uh, so that the summary of changes in those I can vote on, or and again, this is something that figure out internally.

How do I vote on something in DOZ 7 or DOZ6 or DOC 5?

That you know, this is creating a problem.

Listen, my purpose here is not to stop you from voting on what you believe you can vote on.

You asked me for an opinion, I gave it to you.

So I'm just reminding you, and you can proceed as as you can.

No, but I'm I'm trying to figure out a way of being fair in trying.

I I I totally understand what saying so.

We do that.

The I think what we do have to do is once once we create that table, say of what the amendments are for each DOZ.

The problem is the legislation comes in as one whole document to vote on.

So I think what we have to do is go back to the case.

Yeah, I don't know if you can bifurcate on that.

Yeah, I don't know if we have to go back at the opinion and see if the legislation could be bifurcated.

That's where it's got to be fair to everybody.

I mean, if this is what it is, no, I think there's like three conversations.

I think we easily easily do what you're saying as far as like identifying the changes within each DOZ.

That's probably a simple lift.

It's the fact that it's currently all packaged on the one item right now.

So the question is we'll have to go back in opinion and then see if we could then it would have to bifurcate the the I mean it's a basically I would think off the top of my head right now, basically two things.

So DOZs that are not part of specific council district and then all others.

But I I think we need to.

I think it would be difficult to do it because of the because of the seeker.

Yeah, because of the way there's other implications, but I think I don't know how that I would ask for a uh legal opinion to determine how do you do this.

That's not a legal opinion.

Well, you need a well no seeming well if I'm I'm I'm saying that I'm being basically limited to vote on stuff that has absolutely nothing to do with the DOZs that I have that I've owned property, which by the way I've owned since the 80s, early 80s and then 70s.

So it wasn't like I knew in the 70s that I better buy this property because I'm gonna do it and make money someday.

Um but there has to be a common ground that can be found to allow me to represent the people in my district, and also to represent other neuroshelians that I have no financial ties to their districts, but I I'm limited now that I can't vote on something in DOZ 5 or 4 or 3.

It just doesn't make sense to me.

And that's where I'm trying to find a way of us being able to separate them, and then if you can't separate them, I mean the the main thing in one and two that the argument has been is that by me voting, I vote against the moratorium on the properties that I own, correct?

That was one of the questions that came up, and you brought that up in the early stages of this conversation.

Well, that's only one little piece.

So I'm being penalized on all the other pieces.

No one's penalizing you, I'm just gonna do it.

You are because you're telling me I shouldn't that I that that you're warning me not to vote.

I am just giving reminding you that you've got an opinion.

You could do whatever you want.

I wish we had somebody that can spell it out better.

Maybe we need to go to outside counsel for that.

And uh we can have this.

It's one complete um I and that's that's basically what it is now.

I think we take it back and see if it if it can be.

But I don't think that would mean it's yes, we can get a legal updated, but I think it would like hit into segmentation territory because of the secret.

But but I we can certainly go back and understand this.

Okay, if it goes down that direction and then I file an article 78.

Okay, nothing can go forward.

I'm just saying, I mean, uh I'm I'm I'm trying to I'm trying to be fair about this.

I don't need I don't need to be told that I can't vote in DOZ 7, where I've worked on a project for years and years, and Adam, you were right with me going through that process of getting that project done in a way that the public accepted it.

And now I'm being told that you know what I can't have any say in anything that goes on there going forward.

So you would never tell us that's wrong.

I never told you that.

Well, I I I think we should let research.

Okay, I find out later conversation.

And we understand what the issues currently, right now.

It's structured in a way that since it's all combined, it doesn't allow for that.

But we have to see what change it by changing it, but what else does that impact to the to the overall legislature?

I just I would just urge when we get the packet, let's try to have these conversations before the meeting, right?

Because these are conversations we should have with the staff.

Like, you know, we see the packet if I have a question, I try to read it right away so I can ask.

Um because these are novel questions, and making that having that dialogue here without the benefit of outside counsel doesn't actually move the issue.

Um so just have I'm just encouraging it.

Because we think of the package.

Right now, it's more of a generic question, it's not about a particular district.

What I'm hearing from people is that they read the document, it's a lot, a lot of pages, and it's very, you know, unless you really know what you're doing of reading, it's very difficult to understand.

So what I was thinking of is there a way of creating a summary, which I just earlier said, that you know shows the changes in each DOC, like in other words, for DOZ 5.

This is what the changes are, so that they can see a tablet showing the before and after.

And people can understand what the change was because the original document was accepted.

Everybody was on board with it.

So now, whatever the changes are, let them understand in layman's terms what they are so that if they have a question about it, they can narrow it down to just those changes if those are the things that can turn concern them.

Okay.

That that was all on you know, I believe it was in February I had a March.

No, it was February.

I gave that presentation uh which attempted to do that to sort of break it down by just by DO and explain the change.

You know, just make it as simple and to the point as possible so that you can look at it and say, okay, this is what it is, this is what it'll be.

This is what it is, this will be.

It'll be easy for people to read it.

Interested.

That's the only question.

Thank you.

No worries.

Maybe that councilman K, please.

Um we already had a conversation about this, but just for the record, um, your presentation made reference to incorporating greener into the zoning framework, and I had asked some follow up questions about what was the specificity of those.

Um, and so the staff is going to come back and sort of define what those standards would be in something that is measurable and enforceable.

Correct.

We were gonna repeat some of the you know amplify this the uh prescribed interventions that are outlined in greener in the zoning code so that it was it lived along with the zoning and it wasn't just sort of to your point, it wasn't just aspirational.

Yes, and we we're gonna come back to you with uh a specific set.

And and again, that's one of the comments that we received that we took in as a public comment that will be reflected in the in the um final GEIS as well, with in the section with the comment and the proposed language changes in response to that.

Thank you.

So the ask tonight is to vote the proposed public hearing date for the supplemental DGEIS and zoning for the downtown overlay zone.

Um, as a reminder, essentially the public hearing that was scheduled for this evening is postponed to April 14th, 2026.

May I please have a motion and a second voting the proposed legislation?

Peters and Austin Loye, all in favor say aye.

Aye, any opposed.

Moving on to item number 12.

12 and 13 go together.

Um 12 is introducing a proposed authorization to purchase real property at 38 First Street.

Um and then 13 is the vote designating lead agency status for the acquisition of the parcel.

City manager, do you want to add any context of what we're doing here?

No, I'll let the outside.

No, um the parcel at 38 First Street is one that is owned by NDR Group.

Um they have agreed to sell that in the uh you know, through a process to the city, uh, so that we can create vital parking in that area.

There needs to be some improvements made, there needs to be lighting upgrades and some drainage improvements to the parcel itself before it can striped and paved so it could be suitable for a parking lot, but it's going to add almost 20 new spaces that are really in high demand over in the West End neighborhood.

So we're really excited to do that.

We're working with Charlie G.

Pasquale, who is um you know, been a great fixture in our community for many years and is excited to sell the parcel to the city.

Councilwoman Lopez, uh, I just want to thank you very much because parking is very, very difficult to find, uh, especially because there's only one parcel where everyone parks and our business owners are really having a hard time.

And then there are many households that do not have any park uh parking whatsoever.

So acquiring these is extremely important to district number one, and uh, and I want to thank you very much.

Questions or comments on um this topic, given that 12 and 13 are germane, so it seems to look at okay.

May I have um a motion should I do lead agency first?

Or just do it in sequential 1237.

Okay, so we have a motion and a second moving number 12 to the consent agenda.

Lope has three times and Kay, all in favor say aye, any opposed, and may I have a motion and a second second adopting item 13 this evening.

Loop has an Oshan Loya.

All in favor say aye, any opposed.

Item number 14 is a um update, I'd say uh on a um follow-up on the property tax exemption for veterans with 100% service related disability.

This previously came to us, and on the same day we learned there were like updates from the state, city manager.

Yes, so we had um introduced this item back in January, where it was at that time uh proposed to the uh Senate and Assembly as a opt option for municipalities to uh accept this um real estate property um tax exemption for veterans as an option at that time, right before that meeting, we had learned that that option was gonna be taken away and was actually become a law and was gonna become uh mandatory.

So we pulled the item.

So this is just the follow-up on that.

Um, that um it has been adopted as a law, and um we will be instituting it.

Um we believe right now there's no further council action uh required on this item.

Uh we'll work through our finance department to enact it.

Um most of the timing happens.

Um finance commissioner let me know that um most of this begins.

Let me know that most of this begins.

The veteran would apply for this in this at this December of this year for the next role occurring in April of 2027.

And then that the exemption will take it into effect the next tax cycle, which begins September of 2027.

Just quick procedural.

I thought we would need this might come back to us because we have to make changes to the code, I think, or no.

Procedurally, if you want to codify it, then we would come back if you don't, you don't have to.

We don't have to remove how to codify it, but generally, you know, I've seen other municipalities that normally would codify some of them, but it's it's not a requirement.

So they can still apply even while yes.

Okay.

And we'll get information on that process out.

Did I hear you just say that?

Yeah, yeah, we'll we'll as a result of this today.

We'll just do an update.

Any questions or comments from my colleagues on item number 14?

Excellent.

So I guess we'll just stay tuned for more information.

Thank you.

Um regarding Pratt landing requested by council member Tarantino.

Thank you.

I'm assuming Commissioner Development, you're coming up.

Hello, yeah.

Hello.

Um ready?

Yes.

Okay.

Um I brought I put this on the agenda simply because you know, it's been a while.

We this was approved by council last, I believe, December to go forward.

So there was a settlement on a price, it was six to one vote.

I didn't vote for because I obviously felt that it wasn't enough money for the property, but you know, six to one, that tells you where we're going.

Um, but I just wanted to get a better understanding because that was a year ago.

Planning board, you know, there's a rush to get it um through.

Planning board approved it in the month of January.

Uh yeah, in January, they approved it.

And it's now a year later, and you know, I haven't heard, I mean, it's in my district, and I haven't heard much anything in a year.

So I'm just wanted to get an update, and I get calls from people in the East End about what's going on, what's going on.

So I would just like to get an update into what's going on.

Sure.

It's it's been a productive year for the project.

We've been working through a lot of the uh land acquisition and finalizing them.

There was the acquisition that was completed of the waterfront parcel, you know, at the at the edge of the which is going to be the location of the new park.

We we successfully lifted the reverter of the uh from the state on the armory, which was required because there needs to be sort of like an alienation of the armory as parkland and a dedication of new park land that were that the developer is creating.

So all of that was presenting a barrier to the finance the financing of the project.

So we were finding ways to come into the state, doing a lot of advocacy to try to get those agreements and those terms in a place that that the development can move forward.

Additionally, um we met with the veterans.

The veterans had suggested, and I almost they suggested that's a little light, demanded that we do more for the veteran community as the armory piece of history in our community.

So they're also uh you know, taking a look at those uh demands and making selective uh tweets to the design of the armory so that we can accommodate more in the project for the veterans.

So that's something that is uh we're also looking at also which would come up in in that time since the project has been approved is a revision to the code, um the building code as it pertains to the construction of subterranean infrastructure, specifically the parking garage and the podium of the building that it sits on, which necessitates a design revision, uh, which is at the end of the day more expensive, which is what it's kind of boiling down to.

So they're they're they're looking at making tweaks uh to the design uh to accommodate that revised zoning code, which is having an impact on the you know the numbers, the the sources and uses and the and the pro forma that we developed for the site.

So we're working through that with the IDA, with the assessor, we're looking at uh you know what the they need to understand at the end of the day, you know, all of the numbers that are involved.

So we are still very much working through this, they're very engaged with us.

We meet with them uh you know almost weekly um generally about this project and kind of just kind of going over these issues.

So they have a year left in their site plan as you called out, they're entitled as as of right through the DOZ to a one-year extension.

Additionally you know just kind of ancillary to this is sort of on the margins are the you know there's there's been an increased 20% at least cost of construction which is driven by the price volatility of the materials and that's been you know had to be factored in which is changing the numbers that's a it's affecting the form of and you know just largely the the interest rates right I think there's a they're in it they're in a phase where they're they're they're trying to you know they're kind of going in the right direction so I think in on one hand that's good for the project and another hand it does sort of invite a posture where you're waiting to see if there's a better opportunity coming around the corner.

So we are working with them to push them towards you know acting quickly because we know we we are all excited for all of the benefits that this project is going to deliver but those are the those are kind of what's going on.

Okay.

Well okay you so the when does the agreement expire so we the you know we had an initial agreement with them when we hired them in 2000 and uh 14 I'm not sure that the agreement is what is driving us at this point from a time frame perspective I'm it's the land it's the entitlement it's the it's the planning board approval specifically I think it was is the time frame that we're working with um and I I I think I think as a at the very least they have at least that uh those two years that are remaining in there you know the one year that's as of right and then the the other year that they're entitled to and for an extension though from an expiration on the agreement the land disposition agreement that we have with the city if there's a limit on that you know when we had when the agreement was made I believe there was a you know again for my every let me finish one to the entitlement process from council you know nobody on council was here when this whole project um was started and I think it's important for everybody to have a little background in understanding you know where we've gone and how far we've come because you know there was a time that the project when this project first was put together it looked like a prison I mean with the the you know high walls all around it with the well you know the park in the middle you know there was a it was a horrible horrible looking project and uh to their credit they came back with a very attractive uh you know uh project and and interesting enough it flew through with really very little pushback aside from the price very little pushback from the community um but the question I have is this is there you know has the developer asked for any changes from what we talked about at the last year's meeting you know as far as you know uh change in design price amount of units height density units per acre underground parking which is one of the things that you're talking about as far as the parking which you know they knew when this was first uh presented back in the day in the first project and then when it was um you know revised that was always the sicking point nobody could understand why are you building underground parking there it's right next to the water it's very expensive to build so you know that's no surprise to anybody that the cost of that type of parking is extremely extremely expensive.

The problem with it was is that if you built above ground parking you would raise all the buildings up higher or have to eliminate units which then the project wouldn't be viable so you know is there any you know talk about changes like that would for my answer change from what they got in the final approval from the planning board and what council saw last December are there you know can we be prized of any changes that are done like that on the fly instead of waiting until the end like if they come in and start wanting to make some dramatic changes or come in and say you know what I'm not paying 12 million dollars I want to pay two million dollars we'd like to no I'm just I'm just given it as an example.

I hope that wouldn't be dramatic button yeah but I just want to make sure that just like with the summary for the DOCs it makes it so much easier to explain to the public what's going on because right now you know people are in the dark right now.

Which is not being driven by the parking, it's being driven by the structural requirements of the you know, of the of the the construction code, the building code.

Right.

But I will say, you know, they they haven't asked for more density, they have not asked for more height, they have not asked for um you know anything that would dramatically change the character of the project that you all approved or that the planning board approved.

They are working within the envelope, which you know, and to your point, as you pointed out, we gave them very stringent criteria for building this site.

We only gave them four stories, right?

And uh a big area to build it.

So it's like they had to accommodate parking.

I mean, they were forced underground almost because we compressed the height to the point where the only way to really accommodate the various uses that were allowed in the zoning was really to go underground.

So I think our zoning did that, and I think it's it's it was a it was a a good it was a good decision.

I'm not criticizing the decision because I think it's important that we honor the you know the the natural feeling of the waterfront and not having too many large buildings in front of it to block the views is a critical as a critical resource for the community.

I think I think it was a wise decision on council's part to be mindful of the height there, but I think it presented constraints to the developer, which you know, to your point, they were aware of, we're aware of.

I think they're doing an exemplary job of navigating through within their existing approvals to find ways to be responsive to some of the um you know constraints that you know money and and the building code present to the project.

So, but we there has been nothing that has changed what people will see from the outside of that project.

You know, that that's very important.

I mean, the design, I mean, there was a tremendous amount of um community involvement in that design.

Uh you know, the from compared to what they were doing before, just would hate to see it come back and not look like what everybody I mean.

You saw the model, and I mean it was it was really really nice.

Uh and you know, not opposed to close to the price, but I'm not opposed to the project itself.

I think, you know, I'm the I mean, as long as I've been on council, this actually started before I went on council, so that tells you how long this thing has been bouncing around.

But we're now, you know, from uh 2014, it's now 2026.

It's like, you know, what's happening, and this is I think what the public is getting uh antsy about is that there's there's no you know, there's stuff out there, rumors.

Oh, they're they're they're they're pulling out you know, we just want to have some input from them and from the city to assure the public that the project's moving forward, it's going to be a project that is very much like what was presented, and that you know, it's anticipated to happen in another year or two years, because remember the the goal was to be in the ground this year, and obviously, you know, I don't think we'll be going in the ground this year.

Um, but you know, the 2029 finish will probably be now, you know, in the 2030s somewhere.

So I just and you know, then the concern is about phasing if they phase the project, is which would take it even longer.

So just want to have more updates as we go along so that we can be in tune and understand so that anything that floats around out there, we can no, that's not so.

This is what's going on because when it sits dormant like that, people start to get concerned.

So thank you that's fair.

Um advice we have one matter for executive.

We talked about this.

We have one matter for executive session related to appointments.

May I have a motion in a second to adjourn to executive session, please?

Stern and Kay, all in favor say aye.

Aye.

Um this meeting will resume at 7 p.m.

for the public comment portion of our meeting.

So if you don't have business for the appointment, then ask that you eat through.

Good evening and welcome to the public comment portion of this evening's meeting.

Before we begin, please rise for the Pledge of Allegiance.

I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the Republic for which it stands.

One nation under God, indivisible with liberty and justice for all the questions.

Thank you very much.

As a matter of just a quick process, procedural update, this evening, we um a public hearing scheduled to comment on the supplemental draft generic environmental impact statement related to proposed 2026 downtown overlay zone amendments has been rescheduled to April 14th.

So that will be next month during this time.

So we will now shift to um citizens to be heard as we had no other matters for a formal public hearing.

When I call your name, you will have three minutes to say your um to speak.

Please come to the podium, say your name and your address for the record.

Um I will call you up in or like groups of three so you have a sense of that your next, what your what your order is with um with the evening.

Our first speaker for this evening is John Delfs, followed by Serge Vecker and then uh Jim Calorin.

Good evening.

Uh Mayor, Council members, and fellow residents of New Rochelle.

I'm John Delfs.

I live at uh 16 Hemlock Place.

I am the facilitator of the Residents of Park Neighborhood Association, and I speak both on their behalf and as a private citizen.

I want to begin by expressing genuine admiration for what this city and its leadership have accomplished over the past several years.

The transformation of our downtown is nothing short of remarkable.

It is a testament to bold thinking and committed governance.

You set a foundation that many municipalities can only aspire to.

That is a real and lasting achievement, and it deserves recognition.

But our work is not finished.

As we turn to amending the downtown overlay zone, I believe the central question before us is this.

How do we ensure that this revitalized downtown truly improves the quality of life for people who live here and the people who will call New Rochelle home for generations to come?

The answer I submit lies in making our downtown and its surrounding neighborhoods more livable.

That means creating a physical and cultural environment that is genuinely inviting to residents, visitors, and businesses alike.

It means thinking not just about buildings and high rise and density, but about the human experience at street level.

Research consistently shows that access to green space improves health, physical, emotional, and behavioral health.

These are not luxuries, they are investments in our citizens' well-being.

The spaces must be physically and visually connected and woven together with trees, green space, and vegetation.

I'll skip on.

Achieving this will require identifying specific parcels in corridors and converting them into green public space.

Requires strategic thinking, community input, and political courage.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Our next speaker is Serge Vecker, followed by Jim Calorin and then Michael Yellen.

Good evening, Council members.

Month ago, we were here as part of Enough as Enough Group talking about the upcoming 570 Maine project that was presented at that time.

If you need a reminder, reminder that's a 500 unit luxury tower proposed right in the middle of the downtown overlay zone two that has seen the most development throughout the 10-year career of uh DOZ, and where all the by everyone's especially your metrics, you know, all the success of DOZ happened.

Well, two weeks ago, this uh project uh was approved by the planning board.

Um in uh very long session, we had a great turnout.

A lot of residents expressed concerns very specific to this project, echoing everything from affordability and the lack of affordable housing that will be uh not implemented by this luxury tower uh development uh and all the quality of life issues that are already existing in downtown uh due to overdevelopment of certain zones.

So I guess this is now a water under the bridge, but what I want you to think about as council are the alternatives that I kind of voiced out.

That was not just an example.

You know, the 500 units uh that were allocated to this project could have been uh 10 uh 50 unit buildings that were dedicated to real affordable housing that could have been built by developers, snudges by one developer by by multiple developers all across the city that desperately needs housing.

And as I walk from the train station to over here, I was just reminded how many empty blocks uh there are still are that are waiting for development and instead the process somehow pivots all this development into a single overdeveloped zone where the residents are crying for help, and it seems that this council is just mute to those uh calls.

Um we have great turnout for a lot of people today.

Think about all the jobs uh that this developer may or may not give to these uh union workers because as uh was presented in the hearing, this particular developer has the worst track record of firing local labor.

And these are real issues that need to be addressed.

And I hope to God that you still have some power in you to do something about it.

Thank you.

Our next speaker is Jim Calorin, followed by Michael Yellen and then eight uh Aidan Lilly.

My apologies if I misread Aidan.

Good evening, everybody.

Good evening.

All right.

I'm the president of Sono New Road, south of North Avenue, New Rochelle.

I've been there for 35 years.

I build homes across Connecticut and New York, and we haven't built any in uh home ownership in uh New Rochelle.

And I also am live on Main Street and totally have seen unlike the nice words you said about the Apple on how nice it looks downtown.

I dedicate this to Mr.

Perez, who was killed on Beachmont and on Main Street uh by a car, to the person that was slashed at one o'clock in front of the CVS during the day this past week, and also to the people who had to walk by the racial graffiti on the most historic building in Nourishell, the pioneer building, for weeks until I brought it to the attention because none of you are down here.

No city workers, none of you have an office.

It's unbelievable.

And to this day, the front door of this building is locked and closed.

What are they scared of?

That's not open government.

And you say, oh, it might be a maintenance problem.

Well, if you can't fix your front stairs, what can you fix?

And can you fix open government?

And that's the problem.

So you we had at the planning board, I mean, it's it's kind of a back asswoods, excuse my language process, where the planning board heard us all and said, people and someone said to me, Jim.

When that they went in the back room, back room.

We thought that was clearly going to be dead.

Everyone in the neighborhood said no.

We don't need one more high rise.

Can everyone say dead?

Dead?

Dead stands for DOZ dumped on zone.

DOZ2.

E is environmental injustice.

The air quality that we breathe.

In New York City, they passed a law that you can find get fine for a truck or a car.

The amount of cars that wait to get through construction from Northern Maine, and I'm in favor of construction.

But but this is ridiculous on top of each other.

A is for really fake affordable housing.

Like the girl who spoke with her husband and said, I won the lottery.

And then I realized it wasn't real.

I was painting 1900 and I had to pay 400 for a parking lot and then electricity on top of it.

And this is from my son and for Dasha, who I believe is here, who was trying to move into one of the buildings and had to move back home.

The kids in the Rochelle High School have no future here.

We aren't thinking about Neurochellians.

We're thinking about another high-rise, another coffee shop, four more PR people in City Hall, and not one office downtown.

So the rats are still here.

We don't have retail.

We don't have uh uh anything affordable.

And and it's time we change this.

And and there are rat rat uh places all over the downtown.

And 29 years ago, the armory building.

What's happened to the Army building?

11 years ago, with the promise of ours, the theater, we're gonna have a theater.

Well, the theater is here and here.

We don't have a theater yet.

Come on.

And the link, nine seven years ago, they announced the link, and we have another announcement on it.

Those are huge the quality of life stuff.

Bring the officers downtown, walking police, bring your city offices downtown.

You heard people don't feel included at all.

And I respect everyone that's here, but this is two Nochells even worse.

And so please change this.

It's time to change it.

Thank you.

Our next speaker is Michael Yellen, followed by Aidan Lilly, and then Carlos Barragán.

Good evening, Michael Yellen, 38 Lakeside Drive, and thank you for having me.

I'm speaking uh for the Neurochell Alliance for Justice, an alliance of faith, community and labor groups organizing for equitable development in Neurochelle.

And some of our members are here tonight.

Thanks for showing up.

Since since 2015, since 2015, the city's planning policies have put developers' interests above all others.

We appreciate your recognition of this as you pause development to reflect on whether or not the promises made by the previous City Council and the previous administration have been fulfilled.

Up until now, the city has failed to keep its promises of truly affordable housing, creation of family supporting union jobs, green space, and equitable opportunities for residents to enjoy the results of the redevelopment.

Most of the development in the downtown is done by low road contractors who don't hire local residents, pay poverty wages, and provide no benefits, and this puts the workers and the public at risk.

Just last month, as was mentioned, the planning board approved plans for the development of 570 Main Street, and the developer for that project, Allstate exemplifies the low road developers that are here.

New Rochelle residents did less than 3% of the work on their projects at 8 Westchester Place at 64 Center Avenue and 316 Huguenot Street.

Less than 3% of the work.

And the city's goal is to have residents perform 20% of the work.

And then there's there's a situation at Stellar One and Stella 2.

At Stellar One, a contractor with alleged ties to organized crime is currently in prison for quote unquote enterprise corruption.

While another contractor today at Stellar 2 is known for committing wage and hour violations.

Without the addition of labor standards and the updated redevelopment plans, this race to the bottom will continue.

It doesn't have to be this way.

Strengthening the economic opportunity and non-discrimination policy to require apprenticeship requirements and opportunities for Neurochell residents would go a long way toward meeting the city's employment goals.

You have the power, you have the responsibility, and now is the time for you to take action to ensure the benefits of the redevelopment are shared equitably among everybody in Neurochell.

So step into your courage and and your power and do the right thing.

Thank you very much.

Aidan.

Okay, Aiden Lilly followed by Carlos Barragán and then uh Sean McGee.

Good evening, everybody.

Uh my name is Aidan.

I'm born and raised in Noishell.

Um I was a part of the P2A program, which got me into local 279 as a carpenter.

I think the downtown expansion ideas going forward should lean towards union contracts to ensure work safety and better quality work.

Also invest in apprenticeships because it creates careers.

Uh careers.

Thank you.

Thank you, Mr.

Lilly.

Mr.

Lilly, could you just give your address, please for the record?

Sorry.

Okay, thank you.

Um our next speaker, sorry, is Carlos Barragon um Sean McGee and um Pedro Galavis.

Good evening.

My name is Carlos Barragan, and I do live uh New Rochelle, 33 Glenorchi.

And uh well, I noticed in the last 10 years, I'm not gonna go that back, but 10 years, we haven't got any work in Rosh.

If I ask our members to raise their hand, how many of these guys have worked in the last 10 years in Rochelle?

None.

I think that's a very alarming thing.

And uh we here because we want to ask you to help us out with this, to put us in this game.

We want to be we're gonna be part of this game as well.

That's all I have to say.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Okay, good evening, everyone.

My name is Sean McGee.

Uh 319 Delavant Avenue, Greenwich, Connecticut is my presiding address.

Um I was raised up in the Rivershell like over 40 something years ago down at Davenport near the water.

And uh I seen the changes over the years, all the new developments coming up.

And there's been several times I know uh matter of fact, may I add I'm a member of local 279?

Um there have been times where I stopped guy that had hard and said, you know, this is a union job, and he goes, No.

So a lot of the jobs I know that I passed were non-union, and I would act that you're taking a consideration moving forward or in the future that you allow local union members to get in on these jobs and get the job done for the city.

That's what I have to say.

Thank you.

Our next uh Pedro Galavis, followed by Miriam DeSim, and then Sean Wayowatsky.

So I represent the Union Carpinteros, local.

So we notice a lot of development here, and a lot of this development, a lot of our union carpenters and all the trades haven't been part of it.

We would like for this to be us included on these projects.

A lot of these projects are being built, but we're not in there.

In my little car there, I stated union participation, so we would like to participate in these projects.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Our next speaker is Miriam Decine, followed by Sean Wayowatsky and then Vincent Malfatano.

Good evening, Miriam Decime, Mount Joy.

Um is I was excited to hear that we were gonna have a meeting on hyperdevelopment moratorium, but it's been postponed, and I thought about it.

I was like too good to be true because I thought you need to hear, like after the planning board just approved one of the developments that your citizens, your constituents have been asking you help on to stop for all kinds of wonderful reasons, month after month.

Month after month, they've come and asked you for your help.

And it's such a slap in the face that you would say we're gonna talk about a moratorium after you allow this to be approved in the planning board.

Like, talk about just not supporting your people.

Again, that when are you going to see that you are falling on every step of the most basic of basic in terms of what your duties are to your citizens and to your constituents?

The snow removal was horrendous.

You guys knew it was going to be cold, so that means the snow wasn't gonna go anywhere.

We could have figured out a way to remove the snow.

It was such a hindrance for the schools.

Up until last week, there still was this big pile of snow that you had two or three parking spots taken by a big pile of snow.

I came here to City Hall, and I couldn't believe that you had piles of snow here that you could barely park.

Why couldn't we remove this snow, put it on some kind of land?

We have a wonderful sanitation department.

I asked a couple of the guys and I heard you farmed this out.

I heard for like thousands of dollars in the hundreds of thousands of dollars, and that's the job that we got.

I don't know.

That's what I heard.

It can't be.

It can't be.

I'm walking to the library with one of my little young family.

She's about six or seven.

And it's just like, oh, the snow is green.

I said, Yeah, it's you know, kind of dirty and stuff.

She's like, it looks like poop to me.

I said, Yep, that's what it is, you're right.

It was a mess.

You know, you've put in all these buildings and and you let RXR tell you that it's not a problem.

Like, so you build up, but everybody has their FIDOs, and there's no room and no place for them to go to the bathroom and clean up after themselves.

This is the most simplest things we are missing and falling short on.

And you're not seeing it.

And it in it, how many things need to happen?

Sixteen million dollars for the link.

Our school district is a 22 million dollar deficit with more coming this year.

And we're gonna put it in a park that we don't need.

Thank you.

Our next speaker is Sean Wayowatsky, followed by Vincent Malfatano.

I don't know.

Oh, yep.

You want to pause while folks can leave?

Yep, no worries.

Sean, do you mind waiting a second just so that doesn't overrun?

Sean, do you want uh uh I'll give it a second, sorry.

I everyone had the sorry, sorry.

All right, Michael's the last one right here.

Okay, I think you can go see yes, thank you.

Hey, Sean Leowatsky, 25 Leroy Place.

Uh good evening, sitting council.

I was originally coming here to speak about the 2026 DOZ amendment.

But since the public hearing got postponed April 14th, I'll save those comments for that secret governed meeting.

Instead, I'm gonna talk about a different public hearing, the public hearing for the 570 Main Street High Rise proposal that was held here in this room exactly two weeks ago.

Anyone that knows me knows that I love fun facts.

Let me start with a few of those.

There were 31 citizens that gave public comments.

That doesn't include any of the letters that were submitted, which I know there were many.

If you're wondering, the building I live in had a good turnout, but over two-thirds were from other parts of downtown outside of our building.

And finally, I'm not sure if it's a planning board record, but the meeting lasted over four hours with the vote occurring after 11 p.m.

Now we weren't happy with the vote, but it doesn't change the fact that 30 that a broad base of 30 people came out that day after a major snowstorm to speak out against the project.

So why would so many people come out?

Were they opposed to the building?

Yes.

But more so what it really was was a referendum on the development plan in its current form, the development plan is deeply unpopular.

People have had enough.

Those 31 people at the 570 main hearing and all the people that are here tonight are are representative of a whole telling you things need to change.

There are a few good proposed changes in the development plan amendment, but it doesn't go nearly far far enough.

There are tweaks to the base plan.

Fundamental changes need to be made.

Work with the community to identify what those changes are and make those changes happen.

In the meantime, we'll happily tell you all about what's needed at the public hearing next month.

See you then.

Thank you.

Yeah, just Miss Mary Lou, yep.

And our next noise is Vincent Malfatano, followed by uh Mr.

Malik Mohammed, and then I believe Lorraine Carl.

Well, good evening, Vince Malfitano, 45-year homeowner.

Uh, a couple of things.

Uh, I was at the planning meeting the other week, and one of the things that's of interest is that after this long meeting, um, the folks got up and left and went into a back room to discuss, I guess, what they really wanted to do.

I called it an executive session.

Um, but for those of us that pay some attention to politics, it has to do with whether they're satisfying what the mayor wants who appoints them.

The mayor appoints the planning board.

So, Madam May, why don't you talk to these people and tell them, hey, rubber stamp is no good anymore.

But I guess you don't want to say that because you're happy with what they're doing.

So, ladies and gentlemen.

Politics being what it is, the only way it gets changed as much as I like you, Madam Mayor, is to vote you out of office.

And to get a new person appoints a different planning board.

It's as simple as that, but it won't happen in this town, and you know that.

So now you're required to act on your good offices and with integrity as to what you think is in the public will rather than what's politically advantageous, and that's only you can know about.

I can see it and judge it, but you know it as well as I do as to whether you're fulfilling your responsibility.

But a question that comes up in today's paper, another interesting article that people ought to pay some attention to as to why we're being screwed by the Democrats here in New York State.

Do you happen to know that your electric bill generally went up almost 50% in the last six years?

And it's gonna go up again.

Don't the dash bell and oh, but the Democrats are smarter than the Republicans, have been for many years.

They've got you thinking it's Connet's fault.

They actually hold rallies about Con Ed when they are the ones passing the laws making Con Ed do this crap.

Interesting article talking about we haven't in being hit yet with the cost for the so-called power line under the Hudson River, all the windmills, and all this other green crap that they're trying to throw down our throats.

Now the governor's trying to weasel out and delay it because there's an election coming up, just like she did with the congestion pricing.

Remember that one?

So, madam mayor, you belong to the right party.

They're smarter than the Republicans, they know how to screw me better than the Republicans do.

If you're comfortable with people like that, that's your business.

All of these union guys wonder if the Republicans would have treated them any worse.

Think about it.

Next time you go vote, people.

Um Bread and Nourishell.

I am directing this to the Constitution, James Madison, my hero.

He talked about the three entities of power and law, and he said the lower case would take the constitution and sit on it.

That they may use passion to what happens to the people.

In particular, he knew my situation.

He's my brother.

He knew me since I was eight years old.

I think he's five years older than me.

And he helped me.

But I got arrested for trespassing that he knows that he spoke to Angela Farris at her uh retirement party.

I was there.

And I told him, I said, go ahead and ask.

He comes out and says, You're not on the ban list.

I'm gonna talk to Judge Rice, is what she told me.

He never done that.

I'm still in court.

I'm going to trial because he sat on the Constitution.

And it hurts me because I known him all my life.

A child, I played basketball with him.

I watched him play New York Shell High School basketball.

And it just hurts me that he knows the truth.

I called him three days ago.

He never answered.

He normally he answers my call and asked me where he just called me Ms.

Zeik.

Because he knew me as the name Michael.

And I shook his hand, but I really didn't want to.

Because he put me in his position with that all he had to say.

But then I understood Henry the Eighth and the hallways and the dungeons.

They always made sacrifices.

The government.

And you did that to your little brother.

And I'm just totally hurt.

I wanted to say this.

I've been holding it back because I love this man.

And this is love that's making me say this thing about him.

And now I see you the deputy mayor.

It's overwhelming.

That how could you look me in my eyes?

And know that I shouldn't even be in the courts.

You know that, man.

And so I'm the pleasure is me facing him here.

Because he'll walk by me in the streets, won't speak to me no more.

You usually have conversations for me.

Ms.

Ike, you all right?

Yeah, I'm all right.

You need something to eat.

That's vanished.

And the Constitution says we must rock.

The people, excuse me, ma'am.

We must rock to the pinnacle of the meaning of it.

Otherwise, it's a torn sheet.

It's a torn sheet.

Thank you very much.

Thank you.

Our next speaker is Lorraine Carl, followed by uh Paul Martin.

Lorraine Carl, 43 Belmont Avenue, which is in the east end of New Rochelle.

Councilman Tarantino is my council person.

And what I heard this afternoon that might possibly occur about him voting disgusts me.

Who's going to represent the East End?

Do any of you know where Belmont Avenue is?

How do you know what the East End wants?

Albert does.

And I also would like to ask you, Mayor, if you could please make sure that the zoning board and planning board visit each site that comes before them before they vote.

Because the way they okayed the development near the old Bloomingdales building is disgraceful.

They could not possibly know what will happen on Center Avenue.

They could not.

No one in their right mind would have okayed this.

It's horrible.

IDA, I would like to inform you that all the development that the IDA has okayed.

They owe the school district one billion dollars in taxes.

One billion.

They don't even pay a fourth of that.

They they don't.

They are ruining our district.

We don't get money from the governor because she thinks we're rich.

And what they use to calculate is $19,000 per child.

We are educating our children for $32,000.

So please correct this because it is horrible.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Uh Paul Martin, I saw you.

Hi everyone.

Uh Paul Martin, 55 Decatur Road.

Um, I'm here tonight as the president of the Sutton Manor Association to speak on behalf of the Sutton Manor neighborhood about our concerns over the proposed DOZ amendments.

And first off, our residents suspect, at least as a bare minimum, that to have a voice in this matter.

And we take exception to any effort by members of the council or city staff to try to deny our duly elected council member a vote in this DOZ-wide effort.

Our residents and the residents of District 2 deserve better.

Second off, you claim there's community input for this DOZ amendments.

We would like to see the city enumerate specifically what it has done to get this input because I haven't seen it.

And anyone I've talked to, if they're even aware of the DOZ amendments, they don't see their input reflected.

And how could they?

How could they understand this?

Because it's a 400 page document.

In addition, you've changed it month to month.

You need to do the hard work and actually get community input and importantly support before changing the DOZ.

Thirdly, this is not what the residents of New Rochelle want.

What they want is a vibrant downtown.

They want actual mixed use development with viable commercial and retail space.

They want the promised strategic pause after 10 years.

Furthermore, you seemingly are removing the storefront requirement for the entirety of the DOZ, even though I believe city staff mentioned that they were only doing it on the side streets.

So number one, you need to clarify, because as I I read it, it seems to be the entirety of the DOZ.

I think that's going to disincentivize the developers for putting anything other than residential and goes completely against what residents want, which is more commercial, more retail.

You've heard that time and time again.

Fourthly, uh the waterfront access fees.

Uh we object to the removal of the waterfront access fees because number one, every single development aggressively markets the waterfront as an amenity as part of the apartment buildings.

Number two, you don't apply the same principle of keeping the revenue generated in an area within that area when it comes to the actual waterfront in terms of the marina.

The city regularly takes half a million to a million dollars each year and distributes it elsewhere.

We think that at least if you're going to remove the waterfront free, a portion of that should remain in the waterfront to help Hudson Park, Five Islands, and everything else that the public use.