[Call to Order] [00:00:07] GOOD EVENING. I CALL THIS MEETING OF THE WHITE PLAINS COMMON COUNCIL FOR DECEMBER 1ST, 2025 TO ORDER. COUNCILMAN BRASS, WOULD YOU PLEASE LEAD US IN THE PLEDGE TO THE FLAG? 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. MADAM CLERK, WOULD YOU PLEASE CALL THE ROLL? MR. BRASH. HERE. MR. PEARSON HERE. MR. MARTIN HERE. MR. PAYNE HERE. [Additional Item] MISS PRESSER HERE. MRS. BOUCHER HERE. MR. MAYOR. HERE. BEFORE WE BEGIN THE AGENDA THIS EVENING, I HAD A NUMBER. WE HAVE A NUMBER OF MEMBERS OF THE COUNCIL AND MYSELF THAT ARE MOVING ON TO OTHER THINGS, AND THIS WILL BE OUR LAST REGULAR MEETING. SO WITH THAT IN MIND, I KNOW A FEW HAD ASKED TO MAKE SOME COMMENTS, AND I'LL START WITH COUNCILMAN MARTIN. THANK YOU VERY MUCH, MR. MAYOR. UM, IT HAS CERTAINLY BEEN AN HONOR, A TRUE HONOR TO SERVE IN THIS BODY FOR THE LAST 14 YEARS. ANYONE THAT KNOWS ME KNOW THAT I HAVE NOT DONE IT FOR THE RECOGNITION, NOR FOR THE MODEST SALARY. BUT IT WAS DONE AS MY CONTRIBUTION TO MAKE OUR CITY THE GREAT PLACE THAT IT IS TODAY. A THRIVING, GROWING, CLEAN, SAFE, DIVERSE AND FINANCIALLY STRONG CITY. MANY DECISIONS WERE MADE BY THIS COUNCIL WITH MY PARTICIPATION OVER THE YEARS, ALL OF WHICH HELPED US GET US TO TODAY. MANY OF THEM WERE ROUTINE. OF COURSE, SOME CONTROVERSIAL AND DIFFICULT AND SOME MONUMENTAL, SUCH AS MAY BE MADE TONIGHT. BUT I KNOW THAT ALL OF THESE DECISIONS WERE MADE WITH THE BEST INTERESTS OF OUR CITY IN MIND. I AM PARTICULARLY PROUD OF THE 14 BUDGETS I HAVE PARTICIPATED IN, INCLUDING MOST AS CHAIR OF THE BUDGET MANAGEMENT ADVISORY COMMITTEE. EACH ONE A PRUDENT FISCAL BLUEPRINT WITHOUT GIMMICKS OR BORROWING FOR CURRENT EXPENSES LIKE PENSION PAYMENTS OR STATUTORY REFUNDS, AS IS DONE IN OTHER PLACES. WE HAVE JUDICIOUSLY ADDED POLICE AND FIRE POSITIONS THAT ARE NECESSARY FOR OUR GROWING CITY AND HAVE LEFT THE CITY IN ITS STRONGEST, STRONGEST FISCAL POSITION POSSIBLY EVER, WITH A RECORD FUND BALANCE OTHERWISE KNOWN AS OUR CITY SAVINGS ACCOUNT. NOT ONE BIT OF THIS WAS DONE BY ME OR ANY INDIVIDUAL, BUT IT'S REALLY THE COLLECTIVE WORK OF OUR MAYOR, MAYOR ROACH, ALL OF THE COMMON COUNCIL MEMBERS WHO HAVE SERVED OVER THOSE YEARS. CERTAINLY OUR HARD WORKING CHIEF OF STAFF AND CORPORATION COUNSEL, JOHN CALLAHAN, OUR COMMISSIONERS, AND FRANKLY, ALL OF THE GOOD PEOPLE WORKING FOR OUR CITY. I THINK EACH AND EVERY ONE OF THEM AND ALL OF YOU FOR THIS OPPORTUNITY AND HONOR OVER THESE YEARS. I WOULD LIKE TO THANK EVERYONE. IT'S BEEN A TRUE HONOR WORKING HERE FOR THE LAST SIX YEARS AND SERVING THE COMMUNITY. I WENT INTO THIS TO MAKE SURE I WAS GIVING A VOICE TO OTHERS, AND I FEEL THAT THAT'S EXACTLY WHAT I'VE DONE FOR THE LAST SIX YEARS, WHETHER IT'S BEEN ADVOCATING FOR RESPONSIBLE DEVELOPMENT, FOR SUPPORTING OUR COMMUNITIES, OUR NEIGHBORHOODS, OUR EMPLOYEES, OUR SCHOOL DISTRICT, I'VE ENJOYED THE WORK I'VE BEEN ABLE TO DO WITH THE COLLEAGUES THAT I'VE HAD IN THE LAST SIX YEARS. IT'S NOT ALWAYS BEEN EASY, BUT WE'VE HAD SOMEHOW GOT THROUGH ALL OF IT TOGETHER, AND I APPRECIATE THE RESPECTABLE RELATIONSHIP THAT WE'VE HAD, AND ALWAYS KEEPING THE CITY IN OUR HEART AND MAKING SURE WE'RE DOING WHAT'S RIGHT FOR THE RESIDENTS. IT'S BEEN AN HONOR TO SERVE. I FEEL THAT I MADE A COMMITMENT THAT WHEN I TOOK THIS OFFICE THAT I WOULD BE SURE TO LISTEN, UM, TO BE SURE TO LEARN FROM OTHERS AND TO LEAD WITH INTEGRITY. AND SO IT'S BEEN AN HONOR. I LOOK FORWARD TO REPRESENTING WHITE PLAINS ON A COUNTY LEVEL, AND I WILL MAKE SURE TO KEEP WHITE PLAINS CLOSE TO MY HEART. AND I LOOK FORWARD TO SEEING THE AMAZING PROGRESS THAT OUR CITY HAS AHEAD. THANK YOU. ALL RIGHT. THAT LEAVES ME, AS IS COUNCILWOMAN PUJA. I AM ALSO GOING TO THE COUNTY. UM, I'M BECOMING COUNTY CLERK, BUT I HAVE BEEN MAYOR FOR JUST ABOUT UM, 15 YEARS. UH, IT'S BECAUSE I STARTED. I DIDN'T. I HAD TWO WEEKS, TWO HOURS NOTICE THAT I WAS BECOMING MAYOR AND HIT THE GROUND RUNNING. BUT I BECAME A COUNCIL MEMBER, AND I WAS ELECTED IN 2001 AND [00:05:03] JOINED THE COUNCIL IN 2002 AND SAT IN THE CHAIR THAT COUNCILMAN MARTIN SITS IN TONIGHT, THAT HOLDING ALL OF US SAT IN BEFOREHAND AND WHICH HE CHOSE NOT TO RUN. UM, I HAD MY CHANCE TO TAKE THAT SEAT. SHE AND I WERE FRIENDS. UM, WE BOTH HAD SHARED AN INTEREST IN STORMWATER, WHICH IS A VERY LIMITED GROUP AT THAT TIME. AND, UH, AND SO IT WAS A GREAT HONOR TO ME. AND I DO REMEMBER SITTING IN THE CHAIR THAT NIGHT AND THINKING, I WILL NEVER TAKE THIS FOR GRANTED. AND I HAVE TRIED TO DEMONSTRATE THAT I HAVE NEVER TAKEN IT FOR GRANTED. IN THE 24 YEARS, I HAVE NEVER MISSED THE REGULAR STATED MEETING. THAT'S 288 CONSECUTIVE MEETINGS. BY MY MATH, I'VE ATTENDED 24 HIGH SCHOOL GRADUATIONS. I HAVEN'T MISSED A HIGH SCHOOL GRADUATION SINCE I JOINED THE COUNCIL, AND I'M NOT GOING TO GIVE A LOT OF PEOPLE'S NAMES TONIGHT, BECAUSE I'M GOING TO TRY AND I WANT TO KEEP THIS MOVING. I'M I'M NOT A BELIEVER IN LONG, LONG SPEECHES. I USED TO TRY CASES WHEN I STARTED. IT WAS LIKE SUMMATION SHOULD BE 20 MINUTES, THEN IT WAS TEN. THEN I WAS LIKE, YOU GOT FIVE? IF I WENT BACK, NOW WOULD BE THREE. UM, BUT, UM, I JUST WANT TO SAY TO BOB GRIER, BEN BOYKIN, RITA, MAHMUT AND PAULINE WERE MY ROLE MODELS AND THEY WENT TO EVERYTHING. AND SO WHEN I WAS ON THE COUNCIL, I WENT TO EVERYTHING I COULD POSSIBLY GO TO. AND IT KEEPS YOU BUSY, BUT IT ALSO KEEPS YOU IN TOUCH WITH THE COMMUNITY IN A WAY THAT SOCIAL MEDIA CANNOT. UM, BECAUSE YOU TALK TO EVERYBODY, NOT JUST A FEW. PETE BUTTIGIEG SAID THAT HE WAS A FORMER CITY MAYOR. THAT CITY MAYOR IS THE HARDEST JOB IN POLITICS AND THE BEST JOB IN POLITICS. AND THAT'S 100% TRUE, BECAUSE YOU'RE DEALING EVERY DAY WITH THINGS THAT MATTER TO PEOPLE. AND IT'S NOT PERFORMATIVE OR IT SHOULDN'T BE. YOU CAN'T TELL ONE PERSON AND YOU CAN. YOU CAN'T HAVE TWO PEOPLE WHO HOLD OPPOSITE OPINIONS LEAVING THINKING YOU AGREE WITH THEM, BECAUSE AT SOME POINT YOU HAVE TO MAKE A DECISION AND SOMEONE'S NOT GOING TO LIKE IT. UM, BUT WE'VE WORKED HARD. I'M VERY LUCKY AND FORTUNATE TO WORK IN A CITY. THE CITY OF WHITE PLAINS, I WOULD JOKE WITH OTHER MAYORS. THIS IS THE ONLY CITY I WOULD WANT TO BE MAYOR OF. BUT I'M NOT JOKING. WE HAVE GREAT PEOPLE HERE THAT WORK VERY HARD ON BEHALF OF OUR RESIDENTS, AND I THINK THAT PEOPLE SOMETIMES TAKE FOR GRANTED THE THINGS THAT SEEM NORMAL, LIKE GETTING IN YOUR CAR, DRIVING DOWN THE STREET, THE SNOW HAS BEEN PLOWED, THE TRAFFIC LIGHTS ARE WORKING, THE STREETLIGHTS ARE WORKING. ALL OF THE THINGS THAT HAPPEN THAT YOU DON'T NOTICE BECAUSE THEY'RE NORMAL. AND ONE OF THE PRIVILEGES OF BEING MAYOR. I GOT TO LEARN HOW MUCH EFFORT, PLANNING AND AND MONEY GOES INTO MAKING THINGS NORMAL. AND I CAN TELL YOU THAT I HAVE SEEN OUR PEOPLE, WHENEVER I SEE THEM, I TRY AND THANK THEM, WHATEVER THEIR JOB THEY'RE DOING, BECAUSE EVERYBODY MAKES A DIFFERENCE HERE. BUT BEING OUT IN A WINTER'S DAY WHEN IT'S TEN DEGREES, WHERE THERE'S A WATER MAIN BREAK, AND THERE'S TWO PEOPLE DOWN IN THE TRENCH THAT HAS WATER IN IT IS, UM. THAT'S HARD WORK, FOLKS. I MEAN, WHATEVER, WHATEVER WE ALL THINK WE DO, THAT'S HARD WORK. AND IT IS, UM, LARGELY UNRECOGNIZED BY THE PUBLIC THAT THAT TYPE OF WORK. SO I WANT TO POINT THAT OUT, THE HARD WORK OF OUR PEOPLE AND OUR FINANCE DEPARTMENT AND OUR PEOPLE THROUGHOUT THE CITY, ALL OF OUR COMMISSIONERS, AND KEEPING THE FINANCES OF THIS CITY SOLID. AS COUNCILMAN MARTIN MENTIONED, OUR RESERVES ARE WAY UP. WE MADE IT THROUGH COVID. UM, AND WHEN WHEN WE WERE DONE WITH COVID, MAMARONECK AVENUE JUMPED RIGHT BACK UP. AND IT'S BECAUSE WE GET OUR REVENUE FROM SOURCES OTHER THAN JUST PROPERTY TAX. LIKE MANY COMMUNITIES, OUR SALES TAX IS HUGE AND IT'S BEEN HUGE THIS THIS YEAR. AS WE COME OUT AT THE END OF THE YEAR THAT IT'S BEEN TREMENDOUS. UM, THAT REDUCES THE PROPERTY TAXES ON PEOPLE. PROPERTY TAXES ARE PART OF THE EQUATION FOR AFFORDABLE HOUSING. IT'S IT'S IMPORTANT FOR EVERYONE THAT THAT WE WORK ON THAT IT'S HOW WE, UM, DO ALL THE THINGS WE'RE SO PROUD OF OUR YOUTH BUREAU, OUR REC AND PARKS PROGRAMS, THE WAY WE MAINTAIN OUR STREETS, THE SNOW CLEARANCE, WHICH IS CRAZY. WE HAVE SO MUCH EQUIPMENT ON THE STREET. UM, IT'S BECAUSE OF THAT. SO I ACTUALLY SAT DOWN TO CALCULATE SOMETHING OUT BECAUSE, UM, WHEN I BECAME MAYOR, THEY IMPOSED THE TAX CAP. SO THE YEAR BEFORE THE TAX CAP, WE FOLLOWED THE TAX CAP. WE HAVE BEEN IN COMPLIANCE WITH TAX CAP EVERY YEAR SINCE. SO I DECIDED SINCE IT'S 2012, LIKE HOW MANY PEOPLE, HOW MANY OTHER PEOPLE ARE IN THAT SITUATION? REALLY HARD TO FIND OUT. UM, BUT I DID MY BEST. OKAY. OUT OF 61 CITIES IN THE STATE, 1111 HAVE MANAGED TO STAY UNDER THE CAP EVERY YEAR. SO IT'S A MINORITY AND WE'RE ONE OF THEM. UM, WE ALSO HAVEN'T BORROWED MONEY TO FUND PENSIONS OR TO TO PICK UP ON OPERATING COSTS. WE PAY AS WE GO SO WE DON'T LEAVE THE NEXT GENERATION WITH A BURDEN TO CARRY. WE HAVE BEEN OUR OUR OUR RESIDENTIAL DEVELOPMENT IN THE CITY IS A KEY COMPONENT. IF YOU GO DOWN MAMARONECK AVENUE NOW, ANYONE WHO'S LIVED THERE FOR A LONG TIME, THIS IS NOT WHAT IT ALWAYS LOOKED LIKE THEY WERE. THERE WAS A TIME WHEN WOOLWORTH'S WAS CLOSED AND [00:10:01] MACY'S WAS AN EMPTY SHELL. AND FINALLY PARKSIDE DELI CLOSED, AND I WAS WORKING IN A LAW FIRM AT THE BAR BUILDING, AND I WONDERED, WHERE WILL I GET MY LUNCH? IT WAS NICKY'S PIZZA WAS ALL, AND DAVID KING WAS THE ONLY TWO THINGS LEFT. IT WAS A DIFFERENT TIME, FOLKS. NOW IT'S ALL RESTAURANTS. BUT GO DOWN IT NOW AND LOOK AT LOOK AT THAT VITALITY AND LOOK AT THEM NUMBERS OVER GENERATING A SALES TAX THAT COMES FROM THAT. AGAIN, THIS IS WHAT ALLOWS US TO HAVE A FULLY STAFFED POLICE FORCE, A FIRE DEPARTMENT THAT IS ISO ONE, ONE OF A HANDFUL IN THE STATE. I THINK THERE'S OVER 2000 FIRE DEPARTMENTS IN THE STATE. A HANDFUL ARE ISO ONE, WHICH IS THE TOP RANKING, UM, THAT WE CAN TRAIN OUR PEOPLE AND ADEQUATELY COMPENSATE OUR PEOPLE. I'M PROUD THAT WORK, I'M LEAVING AND ALL UNIONS ARE IN CONTRACT. AND THAT'S THAT'S SOMETHING THAT I THINK IS IMPORTANT BECAUSE JUSTIN AND I ARE WORKING TOGETHER TO MAKE SURE THIS IS A SMOOTH TRANSITION. AND ONE OF THE THINGS IS TO GET AS MUCH DONE AS I CAN BEFORE I GO. KNOWING FULL WELL THAT THERE'S LOTS OF THINGS THAT WILL STILL HAVE TO BE WORKED ON, AND THERE WILL BE NEW THINGS THAT COME. UM, I WE OUR CRIME RATES ARE AT HISTORIC LOWS. IT'S NOT JUST BECAUSE OF OUR POLICE DEPARTMENT. IT'S BECAUSE OF THE INVESTMENT WE MAKE IN OUR YOUTH BUREAU, IN OUR REC AND PARKS DEPARTMENT, IN OUR SCHOOLS, AND THE WAY WE ALL WORK TOGETHER. THIS CITY IS UNLIKE ANY OTHER CITY THAT I KNOW OF. I TALK TO A LOT OF MAYORS. I WAS PRESIDENT OF NEW YORK CONFERENCE OF MAYORS. I KNOW A LOT OF THEM. WE CALL EACH OTHER ALL THE TIME. THIS IS A CITY WHERE PEOPLE REALLY WORK TOGETHER AND NOT EVERYONE SEES IT, BUT IT MAKES ALL THE DIFFERENCE IN THE WORLD. I'M PROUD OF OUR LEADERSHIP AND AFFORDABLE HOUSING. WE WERE ONE OF THE FIRST CITIES TO BECOME A PRO HOUSING COMMUNITY, AND PART OF THAT IS WE WE HAVE LED THE WAY, REALLY ON CONVERTING OFFICE SPACE TO RESIDENTIAL. NOW EVERYONE'S JUMPING ON BOARD, BUT THERE WAS JUST AN ARTICLE IN THE NEW YORK POST THAT SAID, I THINK WE'RE THIRD IN THE COUNTRY AND COMMERCIAL CONVERSION, WHICH IS FANTASTIC. IT'S PERFECT FOR THE REAL ESTATE MARKET BECAUSE YOU HAVE TOO MUCH OFFICE SPACE AND NOT ENOUGH RESIDENTIAL, AND IT KIND OF TAKES CARE OF THAT. WE'RE LEADERS IN THE ENVIRONMENT AND IN SO MANY WAYS, ELECTRIFICATION OF TRANSPORTATION, BUT PARTICULARLY OUR SOLAR ARRAYS THAT WE HAVE AROUND THE CITY, WHICH WERE PUT IN BY A PRIVATE GROUP THAT ARE GENERATING NEARLY $1 MILLION IN REVENUE FOR THE CITY. THAT DOESN'T COME FROM THE TAXPAYERS OR THE PROPERTY TAX THAT PAYS FOR SERVICES. AND WE HAVE A NUMBER OF AREAS WHERE THAT'S THE CASE, WHERE WE HAVE LOOKED FOR WAYS TO BRING REVENUE INTO THIS CITY. THAT DOES NOT INVOLVE GOING TO THE TAXPAYERS, AND THAT'S HOW WE STAY UNDER THE TAX CAP. I CAN'T DISCUSS MY TIME AS MAYOR WITHOUT TWO THINGS MENTIONING A COUPLE OF THINGS SANDY AND COVID. SO I'M SAYING THAT AND I'M GOING TO TAKE A DEEP BREATH NOW, HUH? BECAUSE THAT'S, UH, THAT'S TOUGH. AND, UM, WE REALLY POLISHED UP OUR, UH, ROBOCALLS. IT'S ONE OF THE THINGS I STARTED WITH THE ROBOCALLS, WITH THE TRASH REMINDERS, BECAUSE WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT PEOPLE GET THAT RIGHT. I FEEL LIKE YOU'RE WORKING HARD ALL DAY. YOU DON'T WANT TO COME HOME AND SEE YOU PUT OUT THE WRONG STUFF. BUT WE ALSO USED IT DURING SANDY TO A GREAT EXTENT AND ALSO DURING COVID TO MAKE SURE THAT PEOPLE WERE UP TO DATE WITH EVERYTHING. AND AND I'M TRYING TO FOLLOW MY RULES ABOUT NOT MENTIONING ANYONE IN PARTICULAR, BUT, UM, A LOT OF A LOT OF PEOPLE DURING COVID, UM, THERE A LOT OF PEOPLE LOST THEIR LIVES, A LOT OF PEOPLE HAD INCREDIBLE HARDSHIP, AND A LOT OF PEOPLE WERE JUST AT HOME, BUT NOT CITY WORKERS. UM, WE WERE ALL OUT. UM, AND AND THINGS THAT YOU WOULDN'T IMAGINE ARE YOUTH BUREAU PEOPLE STAFFED OUR FOOD. WE DID OUR OWN FOOD DISTRIBUTION WITH WITH THEM STAFFING IT. OUR CLERK ORGANIZED IT. SO, UM, I CAN TELL YOU TWO ABOUT OUR CITY THAT THE PEOPLE WHO CAME TO VOLUNTEER THEIR TIME WERE OF EVERY POLITICAL BACKGROUND, EVERY BACKGROUND. YOU CAN THINK OF WHATEVER PRESUPPOSITIONS YOU HAVE ABOUT PEOPLE THAT ARE NEGATIVE. UM, ONE OF THE PRIVILEGES I HAVE HAD OF BEING MAYOR IS SEEING ALL THE POSITIVES, AND IT'S SOMETHING I WILL NEVER FORGET. UM, I'M PROUD OF OUR MEETINGS. UM, I FEEL LIKE AS A BEING A TRIAL ATTORNEY FOR ALL THOSE YEARS BEFORE I CAME IN, I WOULD WATCH HOW JUDGES RAN A COURTROOM, AND I WANTED. AND TO ME, WHAT WE DO HERE IS SO IMPORTANT THAT IT SHOULD BE DONE WITH DECORUM AND RESPECT FOR EVERYONE'S OPINION. AND I'M PROUD OF THE WAY THESE MEETINGS HAVE GONE. I SEE OTHER COMMUNITIES WHERE IT'S ENTERTAINING ON TIKTOK OR WHEREVER THEY PUT THIS STUFF, BUT IT'S NOT, UM, IT'S NOT HELPFUL. I WANT TO THANK ALL OF OUR EMPLOYEES, ALL OF OUR STAFF PEOPLE FOR ALL THE WORK THEY DO. AND I'M GOING TO BE GOING AROUND THANKING EVERYBODY PERSONALLY. I CAN'T DO IT. I CAN'T DO IT. I CAN'T START. IF I START WITH ONE NAME, THEN THEN I'VE LEARNED. IF I'VE LEARNED NOTHING ELSE FROM A CAREER IN POLITICS, IT'S DON'T START. DON'T GIVE ONE NAME. UM, UH, THANK MARK COMMISSIONERS WHO, AS I SAID EARLIER, NOT ONLY DO THEY DO A GREAT JOB WITH THEIR DEPARTMENTS, NOT ONLY ARE THEY OPEN AND TO THE PUBLIC AND WORKING WITH PEOPLE, BUT THEY WATCH THEIR BUDGETS YEAR ROUND AND LOOK FOR WAYS TO SAVE MONEY, LOOK FOR GRANTS. [00:15:02] WE'VE GOTTEN A LOT OF GRANTS. THAT'S A WAY, ANOTHER WAY TO SAVE TAXPAYERS MONEY. I WANT TO THANK MY COLLEAGUES ON THE COUNCIL. YOU'VE ALL BEEN GREAT TO WORK WITH. I REALLY I DIDN'T EVEN WANT TO START COUNTING HOW MANY COUNCIL MEMBERS I'VE WORKED WITH OVER MY 24 YEARS, BUT IT'S A LOT, AND 98% OF THEM ARE WONDERFUL. AND ALL OF THESE GUYS ARE SO. OKAY, NARROW IT DOWN. UM, I WANT TO THANK ALSO OUR OTHER ELECTED OFFICIALS. WE HAVE WONDERFUL PEOPLE THAT ARE REPRESENTING US IN ALBANY AND AND IN WITH THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT THAT ANY ONE OF US BUT I DO ALL THE TIME CAN PICK UP THE PHONE AND GET TO WORK ON THINGS. I WANT TO THANK ALL THE LEADERS OF HOUSES OF WORSHIP IN OUR CITY, ALL OUR NONPROFITS. IT IS REMARKABLE HOW MUCH PEOPLE WORK TOGETHER IN THIS CITY AND AND THAT GETS THINGS DONE. IT MAKES A HUGE DIFFERENCE FOR OUR KIDS. IT'S WE DON'T HAVE GANG ISSUES BECAUSE OF ALL THESE THINGS THAT WE DO THAT REALLY DON'T HAVE A LOT TO DO WITH POLICING. THEY HAVE TO DO WITH GIVING KIDS HOPE, GIVING THEM THINGS THEY CARE ABOUT, GIVING THEM THINGS THEY CAN BE PROUD OF, AND WE BENEFIT. BECAUSE WHAT A TERRIBLE WAY IS NOT TO BRING OUT THE MOST WE CAN OUT OF EVERY YOUNG PERSON. SO I COULD GO ON FOR A LONG TIME AND I'M NOT GOING TO DO IT, BUT I JUST WANT TO TELL A LITTLE STORY THAT. SUMS UP WHAT I THINK WE HAVE IN THIS CITY, AND HOW I HAVE APPROACHED THINGS. BECAUSE SOMEONE SAID TO ME THE OTHER DAY, HOW WAS IT GOING TO FEEL TO GIVE UP THAT POWER? I SAID, WHAT POWER? TO ME, IT'S RESPONSIBILITY. I HAVE FELT RESPONSIBILITY SINCE I GOT HERE. UM, I REMEMBER WHEN I FIRST BECAME MAYOR, I KIND OF THINK OF WHITE PLAINS AS A VERY UNIQUE PLACE, THE WAY WE LIVE, ALL KINDS OF PEOPLE TOGETHER, GOING TO SCHOOL TOGETHER. BOTH MY KIDS K THROUGH 12 HERE. UM, IT'S REALLY UNIQUE. AND WHEN PEOPLE LEAVE, THEY FIND THAT OUT. AND I'VE KIND OF FELT LIKE THAT. MY JOB IS IT'S A CANDLE. AND WHEN IT GETS WINDY, I HAVE TO TRY AND DO THIS, UM, TO STITCH UP THE FRAYED EDGES OF THIS FABRIC THAT WE HAVE FORMED AS A COMMUNITY. AND. BUT YOU GET REALLY BUSY, RIGHT? SO ONE NIGHT AROUND THE CHRISTMAS HOLIDAYS A FEW YEARS AGO, I'M RUNNING AROUND COVERING ALL THESE DIFFERENT EVENTS, RIGHT. BECAUSE YOU WANT TO BE THERE, YOU WANT TO BE PRESENT. YOU WANT TO TALK TO PEOPLE WHERE THEY ARE AND FIND OUT WHAT'S GOING ON. BUT IT IS, UM, IT'S LIKE THERE'S A PART OF YOUR LIFE WHERE THERE'S A CHRISTMAS PARTY, BUT WHEN YOU HAVE FOR A NIGHT OR, YOU KNOW, DIFFERENT GATHERINGS, IT GETS A LOT. SO I WAS GOING RUNNING AROUND AND I HAD TO GO TO SOMETHING ON FERRIS AVENUE, WHICH IS A GREAT EVENT WHERE THE KIDS FROM THE AFTER SCHOOL PROGRAM, WE LIGHT A TREE. WE HAVE A LOT OF STUFF, AND THEN WE GO DOWNSTAIRS AND EVERYBODY GETS A PRESENT, AND IT'S A BEAUTIFUL, BEAUTIFUL NIGHT. AND I PULL UP IN FRONT AND I SEE THERE'S NO ONE OUT FRONT. AND I GO, OH, OH, OH, OH, OH. AND THEN I GO UP TO THE DOOR AND NO ONE'S OPENING THE DOOR. I'M WAITING FOR SOMEONE TO COME OUT SO I CAN GO IN. I'M UH OH, UH OH I COME IN, I START GOING DOWN THE STAIRS TO THE COMMUNITY ROOM. I HEAR NO SOUND AND I'M STARTING TO GRUMBLE. YOU KNOW, I GOT ALL THESE THINGS I GOT TO DO, AND NOW SOMEONE MESSED UP THE CALENDAR. AND I HAVE TO TELL YOU, THAT ALMOST NEVER HAPPENED. I HAVE GREAT SUPPORT PEOPLE, BUT I, UH, I CAME DOWN THE STAIRS AND GRUMBLING AND, UH, I OPENED THE DOOR AND THERE'S THREE WOMEN IN THERE, AND THERE'S A PILE OF TOYS HERE, A PILE OF WRAPPED PRESENTS HERE, AND THEY'RE JUST QUIETLY WRAPPING THEM. AND SO THE EVENT IS TOMORROW. AND THESE WOMEN. OKAY. AND THESE WOMEN ARE IN THE BASEMENT WRAPPING PRESENTS FOR KIDS JUST TO MAKE THAT HAVE LITTLE TO MAKE THEIR LIVES A LITTLE BETTER AND NO ATTENTION. THEY DON'T WANT ANY ATTENTION. THEY'RE IN THE BASEMENT. UM, BUT IT TAUGHT ME A BIG LESSON THAT NIGHT, AND IT'S SOMETHING I'VE CARRIED FORWARD. BUT IT ALSO CONFIRMS A LOT OF WHAT I'VE SAID ABOUT THIS CITY. SO I SAY TO MY FINAL THANKS TO THE PEOPLE OF THIS CITY FOR PLACING YOUR TRUST IN ME AND, UH. STICKING WITH ME. THANK YOU. I JUST WANT TO POINT OUT THAT THERE'S NO APPLAUSE PERMITTED IN THESE MEETINGS. YOU DON'T APPLAUD. WE DON'T. BOO. OKAY. OKAY. UM. PRESS NINE. [Consent Agenda] OKAY. ALL RIGHT. NOW I'M GOING TO TURN IT OVER TO COUNCIL PRESIDENT PRESSER. THANK YOU, MR. MAYOR. BEFORE I OFFER THE CONSENT AGENDA, MR. FREY PEARSON IS RECUSING HIMSELF FROM ITEMS ONE THROUGH 12 RELATED TO THE APPLICATION SUBMITTED ON BEHALF OF WHITE PLAINS HOSPITAL CENTER. THAT SAID, WITH MANY LETTERS HERE, EAST POST ROAD LLC FOR SITE PLAN AND SPECIAL PERMIT APPROVAL FOR DEVELOPMENT OF A [00:20:02] PARKING GARAGE ON PROPERTY LOCATED ON EAST POST ROAD, WHITE PLAINS, NEW YORK. MR. FRED PEARSON, DID YOU WISH TO SAY SOMETHING? VERY BRIEFLY. THANK YOU, MADAM PRESIDENT. UM, AS FREQUENT VIEWERS WILL KNOW, UM, I'M INVOLVED. I REPRESENT FOLKS IN LITIGATION WITH AN AFFILIATE OF THE HOSPITAL. AND THEREFORE, TO AVOID ANY APPEARANCE OF IMPROPRIETY, I RECUSE MYSELF FROM VOTES RELATING TO THE HOSPITAL. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. MR.. I OFFER THE CONSENT AGENDA OF ITEMS 26 THROUGH 109 AND REQUEST UNANIMOUS CONSENT TO CONSIDER FOR ACTION THE ORDINANCES ON FOR A FIRST READING. I FURTHER MOVE TO ADOPT THOSE ORDINANCES AND RESOLUTIONS, FILE AND SPREAD ALL COMMUNICATIONS. REFER THOSE MATTERS THAT ARE NECESSARY TO THE APPROPRIATE CITY DEPARTMENTS, BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS, AND FILE ANY ATTACHMENTS. SECOND. IT'S BEEN MOVED AND SECONDED. MADAM CLERK, WOULD YOU PLEASE CALL THE ROLL? MR. BRASH? YES, MR. FRY PEARSON. YES, MR. MARTIN. YES. MR. PAYNE. YES. MISS PRESSER. YES, MRS. BOUCHER YES, MR. MAYOR. YES. ITEMS 26 AND 27 AMENDS THE CAPITAL PROJECTS FUND BY AMENDING CAPITAL PROJECT NUMBER C5552, ENTITLED ROLLING STOCK ACQUISITION ELECTRIC GARBAGE TRUCK. SPEAKS FOR ITSELF. IT'S ACTUALLY IT'S REALLY JUST ALLOWING US TO ACCEPT MONEY FROM CON ED TO PAY FOR THE CHARGING SYSTEM FOR OUR ELECTRIC GARBAGE TRUCK, WHICH ACTUALLY IS HERE, AND WE'RE WAITING FOR DMV. BELIEVE IT OR NOT, WE NEED TO GET THE PLATES. UM, I ITEMS 28 THROUGH 32 AUTHORIZES CAPITAL PROJECTS FUND BY BY AMENDING CAPITAL PROJECT NUMBER C5552 ENTITLED ROLLING STOCK ACQUISITION ELECTRIC GARBAGE TRUCK AND AMENDS THE CAPITAL PROJECTS FUND BY ESTABLISHING CAPITAL PROJECT NUMBER C5677 ENTITLED LIBRARY PARKING. OH, WAIT A MINUTE. UM. AND AMEND THE CAPITAL PROJECTS BY ESTABLISHING CAPITAL PROJECT C5677 ENTITLED LIBRARY PARKING STRUCTURE REHABILITATION. COUNCILMAN FRY PEARSON. THANK YOU, MISTER MAYOR. UM. I JUST WANT TO SAY IT'S NO SECRET THAT THIS CITY TAKES INFRASTRUCTURE VERY SERIOUSLY. AND I'M PROUD TO VOTE IN FAVOR OF PROVIDING THE INFRASTRUCTURE NEEDED TO INCREASE AND IMPROVE THE GARAGE AT THE AT THE LIBRARY, WHICH LEAD TO INCREASED PARKING AND A BETTER EXPERIENCE FOR EVERYONE. THANK YOU. COUNCILMAN BRASH. YEAH. THIS ALSO INCLUDED THE ELECTRIC GARBAGE TRUCK. AND ONE THING THAT I'M VERY PROUD OF IN OUR CITY IS THAT WE ARE PEOPLE WHO ARE FIGHTING FOR A SUSTAINABLE FUTURE. AND BY ADDING AN ELECTRIC GARBAGE TRUCK, HOPEFULLY THAT WILL BE A STEP IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION TO REDUCING CARBON AND MAKING THINGS HEALTHIER AND BETTER FOR EVERYONE. AND SETTING AN EXAMPLE WHERE WE ARE. WE WERE ORIGINALLY THE FIRST TO GET AN ELECTRIC GARBAGE TRUCK. I DON'T KNOW WHERE THE FIRST OR NOT, BUT WE ARE CERTAINLY TRYING TO DO OUR BIT TO LEAD THE WAY, TO DO WHAT WE CAN DO TO MAKE THE PLANET A LITTLE BIT BETTER. UM, I JUST WANT TO ADD TO WHAT COUNCILMAN FRY PEARSON SAID ABOUT THE LIBRARY GARAGE. I MEAN, WE ARE GOING TO ALLOCATE $2.2 MILLION TO DO REPAIRS. THAT'S VERY SUBSTANTIAL. AND WE DO TAKE INFRASTRUCTURE SERIOUSLY, REHABILITATING IT, FIXING IT, AND DOING WHAT WE NEED TO DO TO MAKE OUR CITY A SAFER AND BETTER, AND TO HAVE A BETTER EXPERIENCE FOR THOSE THAT USE OUR GARAGES. THANK YOU, MR. MAYOR. THANK YOU. COUNCILMAN. COUNCILMAN. BRASH. COUNCILMAN PAYNE. I'M NOT COMMENTING ON THIS. I'M SORRY. OKAY. UH, COUNCIL PRESIDENT PRESSER. UM, I'M. I'M NOT ON THAT ONE. I'M ON 3536. OKAY. COUNCILWOMAN PUJA. I'M ALSO 3536. OKAY. UH, ITEMS 33 AND 34 AUTHORIZES THE EXECUTION OF A FACILITIES USE AGREEMENT WITH WHITE PLAINS CITY SCHOOL DISTRICT. ITEMS 35 AND 36 AMENDS THE ZONING ORDINANCE OF THE CITY OF WHITE PLAINS AND THE ZONING MAP OF THE CITY OF WHITE PLAINS TO CREATE A NEW TRANSIT DEVELOPMENT, TWO TD TWO ZONING DISTRICT, AND TO REZONE THE PROPERTIES KNOWN AS THE FORMER GALLERIA MALL AND THE LEXINGTON GROVE PARKING GARAGES, AND TO FURTHER TO APPROVE A CONCEPTUAL DEVELOPMENT PLAN FOR ALL FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE FORMER GALLERIA MALL AND PARKING GARAGES. UH, COUNCIL. COUNCILMAN MARTIN. THANK YOU, MR. MAYOR. A FEW BRIEF COMMENTS ON THIS, BECAUSE THIS IS ONE OF THE ITEMS THAT I WAS ALLUDING TO IN MY COMMENTS. I THINK THIS ACTION THAT WAS TAKEN TONIGHT IS REALLY A TRANSFORMATIVE ACTION THAT HAS THE POTENTIAL TO FOREVER CHANGE THE FACE OF THE CITY, IMPROVE THE CITY, DEAL WITH A CHANGE IN HOW PEOPLE HAVE OPERATED AND NO LONGER OR NOT SO MUCH SHOP IN PLACES LIKE THE GALLERIA WAS, BUT HAVE COME TO LIVE IN OUR DOWNTOWN. MOST CRITICALLY, THIS ORDINANCE THAT WAS DONE TONIGHT AND A LOT OF WORK WENT INTO IT. [00:25:01] AND CERTAINLY I WANT TO THANK COMMISSIONER GOMEZ OF OUR PLANNING DEPARTMENT FOR THAT. BUT ONE OF THE MOST CRITICAL THINGS I CAN SAY ABOUT THIS IS THAT THE ORDINANCE CONFORMS WITH OUR COMPREHENSIVE PLAN, AND THAT IS THE DOCUMENT THAT A LOT OF EFFORT WENT INTO FROM CITIZENS AND PROFESSIONALS A FEW YEARS AGO. AND THIS THIS REALLY DRAWS ON IT. CERTAINLY THE DEVELOPER DID NOT GET EVERYTHING THEY HAD ASKED FOR, AND THE CITY HASN'T EITHER, BUT WE ARE GOING TO ACHIEVE QUITE A BIT FROM IT. ONE OF THE THINGS, ONE OF THE MANY THINGS IN THIS ORDINANCE THAT I WANT TO JUST PULL OUT OF IT AND HIGHLIGHT IS SOMETHING THAT I HAVE BEEN A PROPONENT OF FOR A LONG TIME, AND THAT IS THE DENSITY BONUS. THIS ORDINANCE INCORPORATES A DENSITY BONUS, AGAIN, SOMETHING COMING OUT OF OUR COMPREHENSIVE PLAN THAT WILL ALLOW FOR AN ARRAY OF POSSIBILITIES TO TO ACHIEVE OUR COMMUNITY NEEDS, WHETHER IT BE PUBLIC OPEN SPACE, MORE AFFORDABLE HOUSING THAN IN THE FORMULA OR COMMUNITY SPACE, OR A MULTITUDE OF OTHER OPPORTUNITIES, THAT'S ALL GOING TO COME OUT OF THIS DENSITY BONUS PORTION OF THE ORDINANCE. SO STAY TUNED ON THAT. THERE'S A LOT STILL TO BE DONE ON IT. AND I THINK THAT THIS WAS A GREAT STEP FORWARD FOR THE CITY OF WHITE PLAINS TONIGHT. COUNCILMAN MARTIN, COUNCILWOMAN PUJA. THANK YOU, MR. MAYOR. UM, I WANTED TO THANK EVERYONE WHO GAVE US INPUT OVER THE LAST TWO PLUS YEARS ON THIS PROJECT. UM, IT'S BEEN A VERY LONG PROCESS. I THINK MYSELF AND ALL OF OUR COLLEAGUES HAVE BEEN PRETTY VOCAL ABOUT OUR FEELINGS ABOUT THIS FROM THE BEGINNING, AND MAKING SURE THAT WE ARE PART OF THIS PROCESS FROM THE START. AND SO I AM APPRECIATIVE OF THAT OPPORTUNITY. I ALSO HAVE SAID IN THE PAST THAT ANY TIME WE DISCUSS THE GALLERIA PROJECT, I WILL BRING UP THE IMPORTANCE OF THIS BEING A PLA, A PROJECT LABOR AGREEMENT. AND BECAUSE THIS IS PROBABLY THE LAST NIGHT I'LL BE ABLE TO SPEAK ON THE GALLERIA PROJECT ON THIS SIDE. I WANT TO MAKE SURE I BRING THAT UP ONCE AGAIN. I SEE THAT AS NECESSARY FOR A PROJECT OF THE SIZE AND FOR HOW LONG THIS IS GOING TO GO ON. UM, THERE HAVE BEEN PLA ALL THROUGHOUT OUR CITY AND WHAT WE'VE SEEN. FOR THOSE OF YOU THAT ARE NOT AWARE OF THE DIFFERENCES WITH PLAS. UM, WHAT WE'VE SEEN IS THAT WE HAVE TRAINED, SKILLED, QUALIFIED WORKERS, PEOPLE THAT ACTUALLY LIVE AND CAN WORK IN THE COMMUNITIES THAT THEY'RE IN, WHICH WE HAVE, UM, WE HAVE IMPROVED SAFETY ON PLA PROJECTS. AND THAT'S NOT JUST A UNION ISSUE. THAT'S A HUMAN ISSUE THAT AFFECTS EVERYBODY. WHEN WE'RE TALKING ABOUT A PROJECT OF THIS SCALE, UM, IT ENCOURAGES APPRENTICESHIP, WHICH IS SOMETHING I'VE BEEN ABLE TO BRING FORWARD WITH MY LABOR BACKGROUND TO OUR CITY SCHOOL DISTRICT AND TO YOUNG ADULTS LOOKING FOR JOB TRAINING AND APPRENTICESHIP PROGRAMS. AND WE'RE PUTTING PEOPLE TO WORK. SO I WILL BRING THAT UP AGAIN AND AGAIN AND AGAIN AND AGAIN FROM WHATEVER SIDE OF THIS I'M ON, BECAUSE THAT IS NECESSARY, IN MY OPINION, FOR THE FUTURE OF THE GALLERIA SITE. I APPRECIATE THE EFFORTS OF MR. CAPPELLI TO WORK WITH OUR WESTCHESTER PUTNAM BUILDING TRADES ON THIS AND MANY OTHER PROJECTS, AND I'M HOPEFUL THAT WE WILL SEE THAT ACTUALLY COME TO BE. AND ANYONE ELSE THAT WINDS UP ON THIS SIDE IN THESE SEATS. I HOPE THAT YOU'RE ALSO PUSHING FOR THE SAME. THANK YOU. COUNCIL PRESIDENT PRESSER. I JUST WANT TO EXPRESS HOW PLEASED I AM THAT WE MOVED ALONG CAREFULLY AND DELIBERATELY FOR THESE THIS PAST YEAR IN PARTICULAR. BUT OVER THE PAST TWO YEARS, WITH NUMEROUS OPPORTUNITIES FOR PUBLIC COMMENT AND FOR INFORMATION AND BRIEFINGS THAT WE WERE GIVEN, UM, FROM THE COMMISSIONER OF PLANNING, COMMISSIONER GOMEZ, THAT WERE VERY HELPFUL AND ILLUMINATING. UH, AND I AM JUST PROUD TO HAVE WORKED WITH MY COLLEAGUES ON THIS TRANSFORMATIVE PROJECT. WELL, THIS IS THIS IS ACTUALLY JUST ALTHOUGH IT'S BEEN GOING ON TWO YEARS NOW, IT'S JUST THE BEGINNING. THERE IS MORE TO DO. THERE IS MORE TO TALK ABOUT. THERE IS MORE TO THINK ABOUT AND DELIBERATE ON. UM, AND I'M VERY PROUD OF THE WORK WE HAVE DONE AND THE WORK WE WILL DO. THANK YOU. COUNCIL PRESIDENT PRESSLER. COUNCILMAN PAYNE. THANK YOU, MR. MAYOR. I WILL REITERATE WHAT ALL OF MY COLLEAGUES HAVE SHARED ABOUT THIS PROJECT. AND WE'RE VOTING ON THIS EVENING AS SOMEONE LIVES IN DOWNTOWN AND LOOKS DIRECTLY OVER THE OLD GALLERIA SITE, I CAN'T OVERSTATE HOW IMPORTANT THAT WE MOVE, HOW IMPORTANT IT IS THAT WE MOVE THIS PROJECT FORWARD. UM, RIGHT NOW, IT'S A DEAD ZONE IN THE HEART OF OUR CITY, AND THIS PLAN FINALLY BRINGS SOME LIFE BACK TO THAT SITE. UM, YOU KNOW, I'M NOT AN, UM, A PESSIMIST, BUT A FEW YEARS AGO, I WASN'T SURE IF THIS WAS EVEN GOING TO EVER BE VOTED UPON. [00:30:02] AND WITHOUT THIS REZONING, THIS PROJECT IS DEAD. AND I CAN SPEAK TO THE DEVELOPER, MR. CAPPELLI, WHO ALSO BUILT THE HOME THAT I LIVE IN TODAY. HE'S A MAN OF HIS WORD, AND I DO BELIEVE WITH HIM SPEARHEADING THIS PROJECT. WE WILL SEE THIS TO COMPLETION, AND I'M EXCITED ABOUT THAT. AND I HOPE THAT THE CITIZENS OF WHITE PLAINS ARE AS EXCITED AS I AM. THIS IS REALLY GOING TO BE THE NEXT STEP FOR THIS GREAT CITY. AND I, FOR ONE, CAN'T WAIT FOR US TO GET GOING ON THIS. SO THANK YOU, MR. MAYOR. THANK YOU, COUNCILMAN PING. COUNCILMAN BRASH. I GUESS I'M BATTING CLEANUP, SO THERE'S NOT SO MUCH MORE FOR ME TO ADD. I WILL ALSO SAY THAT I WANT TO THANK THE PLANNING DEPARTMENT. I WANT TO THANK ALL THE PEOPLE THAT GAVE US INPUT BECAUSE IT WAS INNUMERABLE. AND OF COURSE, I WANT TO THANK MY COLLEAGUES ON THE COUNCIL AND MAYOR ROACH. I KNOW WE ALL WORKED VERY, VERY HARD ON THIS OVER THE YEARS. THIS IS A GREAT STEP IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION. THE GALLERY IS CLOSED. IT'S BASICALLY AN EYESORE. IT'S A GIANT PIECE OF PROPERTY WITH A, WITH A CLOSED DOWN BUILDING WITH WITH WITH ALL KINDS OF BAD THINGS DETERIORATING. SO THIS WILL MOVE US IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION. THIS WILL ENABLE US TO AND THIS ZONING CHANGE WILL GIVE US SOME VERY GOOD THINGS. WE'LL HAVE MORE AFFORDABLE HOUSING. WE'RE GOING TO HAVE 30,000FT OF PROPERTY CONNECTED TO COURT STREET, WHERE WE HAVE OUR FAIRS AND OUR OPEN STREET. IT REQUIRES 40% USABLE OPEN SPACE. AND AS I SAID BEFORE, WE ARE GOING TO CREATE MORE AFFORDABLE HOUSING. NOW WE'RE JUST UP TO THE BEGINNING. THIS IS JUST ZONING. NOW WE'RE GOING TO MOVE TO THE SITE PLAN, WORKING WITH THE DEVELOPER AND THE COMMUNITY AND EVERYBODY TO BUILD A REALLY BEAUTIFUL PROJECT HERE TO KEEP OUR CITY MOVING IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION. SO I WANT TO THANK EVERYBODY FROM THE BOTTOM OF MY HEART. AFTER TWO AND A HALF YEARS ON THIS, WE'RE FINALLY GETTING TO THE NEXT STAGE AND WE'RE GOING TO BUILD A BEAUTIFUL THING IN TIME WITH MUCH MORE WORK TO DO, AS COUNCIL PRESIDENT VICKI PRESSER SAID, AND WITH ALL OF US PARTICIPATING. THANK YOU, THANK YOU. COUNCILMAN BRADSHAW. COUNCILMAN PEARCE. THANK YOU, MR. MAYOR. I'M TRULY BATTING CLEANUP, AND I DON'T HAVE VERY MUCH MORE TO ADD, EXCEPT THIS IS. THIS IS A OVER $2 BILLION PROJECT. IT IS VITALLY IMPORTANT TO OUR CITY. IT'S VITALLY IMPORTANT TO OUR CITY THAT WE HAVE IT BUILT WITH GOOD PAYING UNION JOBS, THAT WE MAKE SURE THAT WE HAVE A LOT OF AFFORDABLE HOUSING AND AS MUCH GREEN SPACE AS WE CAN, AND THAT COMMITMENTS RELATING TO AFFORDABLE HOUSING ARE HONORED. I'M VERY EXCITED TO SUPPORT THIS, AND I'M VERY APPRECIATIVE OF ALL MY COLLEAGUES AND THE FOLKS IN THE PLANNING DEPARTMENT OF THIS, AND ALSO ON THE PUBLIC, THE FOLKS WHO'VE ADVOCATED SO HARD. UM, IT'S VERY MUCH APPRECIATED. WE DO LISTEN TO EVERYONE. WE WANT TO GET THE BEST RESULT POSSIBLE FOR THIS CITY, AND I'M CONFIDENT WE'RE MOVING IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION. THANK YOU, MR. MAYOR. THANK YOU, COUNCILMAN PEARSON. THIS IS WHEN I FIRST GOT ELECTED. SOMEONE I HAD BREAKFAST TO. SOMEONE WHO TOLD ME YOU GOT THREE THINGS YOU GOT TO DEAL WITH THE TRAIN STATION, THE WHITE PLAINS MALL AND THE GALLERIA. SO GOOD NIGHT, EVERYBODY. SO UH, IT'S IT'S, UH. LOOK, UM, MY FEELINGS ABOUT. LOOK, I REMEMBER WHEN THE MALL WAS NEW, AND I REMEMBER WHEN IT WAS EXCITING, AND IT WAS. SO I DON'T KNOW IF IT'S A COMMENT ON THE GALLERY BEING COOL OR IT'S A COMMENT ON. THERE WAS NO NIGHTLIFE IN WHITE PLAINS, BUT MR. GREEN JEANS, WHICH WAS INSIDE THE GALLERIA, WAS A PLACE TO GO AFTER WORK. UM, YOU KNOW, FOR A COCKTAIL. UM, IT'S CHANGED A LOT, RIGHT. SO WHEN I RAN FOR MAYOR, I TALKED ABOUT THE GREAT WALL OF GALLERIA. WHEN YOU COME UP MAIN STREET AND THAT, UM, MEGA BLOCK DESIGN, WHICH WOULD NOT BE DONE TODAY, THAT KIND OF CUT PARTS OF THE CITY OFF FROM EACH OTHER. EVERY ITERATION I'VE SEEN HAS AN OPEN PLAN HERE, WHICH IS WHAT WE WANT TO SEE. UM, I WON'T BE HERE WHEN THIS GETS WRAPPED UP. I WILL BE WATCHING FROM MY WINDOW BECAUSE IT GIVES A GOOD VIEW OF THE SITE, SO I WILL I I'VE ALREADY OFFERED TO TAKE PROGRESS PHOTOS AND PROVIDE THEM IF ANYONE WOULD LIKE, UH, WITH FREE OF CHARGE AND, UM, BUT IT IS, UH, YOU KNOW, LOOK, I WAS LOOKING TO MAKE SURE WE GET A FAIR VALUE FOR THE FOR OUR LAND THAT WE OWN, WHICH IS A THIRD OF THE SITE, WHICH I THINK IS WHAT'S SET UP HERE. AND, UM, I ALSO WANT TO POINT OUT THAT OUR AFFORDABLE HOUSING PROGRAM, WHICH HAS LED THE REGION IS, IS, IS NOW FURTHER ENHANCED. SO OUR AFFORDABLE HOUSING UNITS, WHITE PLAINS RESIDENTS, HAVE A PRIORITY IN OUR PROGRAM, WHICH WE CANNOT HAVE IN OTHER PROGRAMS. SO I THINK THAT THERE'S A REALLY GOOD CHANCE THAT WE'RE GOING TO SEE A LOT MORE AFFORDABLE HOUSING HERE, WHICH WOULD INVOLVE STATE FUNDING, UM, WHICH I HAVE ALREADY SUPPORTED. HOWEVER, THOSE WOULD BE MORE DISTRIBUTED TO THE GENERAL PUBLIC. UM, OURS, WE GET TO FOCUS ON OUR PEOPLE. UM, PART OF THAT IS BECAUSE IN THE AFFORDABLE HOUSING WORLD, IF YOU LOOK AT THE COMMUNITIES IN OUR COUNTY AND IN OUR REGION, UM, THERE'S A THERE'S A FEW THAT ARE CARRYING ALL THE, ALL THE, [00:35:01] WAIT. THERE ARE OTHERS THAT WON'T BUILD ANYTHING. NEVER MIND AFFORDABLE. THEY WON'T BUILD ANYTHING. AND. AND SOMETIMES WHEN SOMETHING LOOKS COMPLICATED, IT. SOMETIMES YOU CAN ALSO BOIL IT DOWN TO SOMETHING SIMPLE, WHICH IS THAT IF YOU CAN'T BUILD HOUSING, THEN WE CAN'T. WE CAN'T DO ANYTHING ABOUT A SHORTAGE OF HOUSING. SO, UM, I'M HAPPY ABOUT THIS. UM, AS I, AS I HEAD FOR THE EXIT IN 30 DAYS. UH, ITEM 37 AND 38 AUTHORIZES THE SALE OF REAL PROPERTY ASSOCIATED WITH A LEXINGTON GROVE EAST AND WEST GARAGES, OTHERWISE KNOWN AS THE GALLERIA GARAGES. COUNCILMAN BRASH. UM, SORRY, I WAS, UM, OBVIOUSLY, I AM HAPPY TO SEE THIS. WE'RE GOING TO GET A SUBSTANTIAL AMOUNT OF MONEY. I KNOW THAT MY COLLEAGUES AND I WORKED VERY, VERY HARD ON THIS TO SEE THAT WE WOULD GET A FAIR SHAKE. UM, SOMETIMES PEOPLE ARE CRITICAL AND THEY DON'T REALIZE THAT IT'S GOING TO COST 20 TO $30 MILLION TO TAKE DOWN THESE GARAGES, AND THAT WILL NOW BE THE DEVELOPER'S RESPONSIBILITY, AND WE'RE GOING TO SEE THAT WE HAVE A MUCH BIGGER AND BETTER FACILITY THERE OVER TIME, AND THAT WE ARE BEING COMPENSATED SUBSTANTIALLY FOR OUR PROPERTY AND OUR LAND. AND WE ARE VERY GRATEFUL THAT THIS WAS ABLE TO BE WORKED OUT. AND I WANT EVERYBODY TO KNOW THAT WE HAD AN INDEPENDENT ASSESSMENT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE WERE DOING THE RIGHT THING, AS USUAL, BY OUR CITIZENS AND BY OUR CITY. AND I'M QUITE PROUD THAT EVERYBODY TOOK TIME AND ENERGY TO MAKE SURE THAT WE GOT MAXIMUM VALUE OUT OF THIS. AND I ASSURE YOU, WE FOUGHT HARD FOR THIS. THANK YOU. COUNCILMAN PEARSON. THANK YOU, MR. MAYOR. I WANT TO REITERATE WHAT MR. BRASCH SAID, AND JUST ALSO NOTE THAT WE'RE AWARE THAT THIS IS AN ASSET THAT THE CITY IS SELLING OFF. AND THIS WAS A VERY SERIOUS NEGOTIATION. AS COUNCIL MEMBER BRASCH SAID, THERE WAS AN INDEPENDENT ASSESSMENT IN VALUING THE GARAGE. I BELIEVE THAT THE SALE OF THE GARAGE FOR THE FOR THE PRICE THAT WAS NEGOTIATED IS VERY MUCH IN THE CITY'S BEST INTEREST. I ALSO WANT TO REITERATE THAT I APPRECIATE ALL THE FOLKS IN THE COMMUNITY WHO HAVE QUESTIONS AND CONCERNS, AND WE'RE ALWAYS HAPPY TO ADDRESS THOSE AND TO DEAL WITH THEM, BUT THIS IS AN IMPORTANT PART OF MOVING THINGS FORWARD. UH, AND ONE KIND OF MISCONCEPTION I WANT TO CLEAR UP IS WE'RE NOT, UM, WE THE GARAGE. SORRY. THE PARKING THAT MIGHT BE LOST WHEN THAT SPACE OPENS UP IS GOING TO BE OFFSET BY THE ADDITIONAL PARKING THAT'S GOING TO BE REOPENED IN THE LIBRARY GARAGE. SO WE DON'T ANTICIPATE THAT THERE WILL EVER BE ANY NEED FOR THE CITY TO RELEASE, TO RELEASE THE GARAGES THAT IT IS SELLING. ULTIMATELY, THOSE GARAGES ARE GOING TO BE DESTROYED AS PART OF THE GALLERY, PART OF THE LARGER PROJECT. BUT WE BELIEVE THIS DEAL IS IN THE CITY'S BEST INTEREST, AND A LOT OF WORK WENT INTO IT. AND AGAIN, WE VALUE THE INPUT. THANK YOU, MR. MAYOR. I'M JUST GOING TO CHIME IN QUICKLY WITH SOMETHING, BECAUSE I THINK WE GOT ABOUT 800 CARS FROM THE NEW YORK POWER AUTHORITY PARKING IN OUR GARAGE RIGHT NOW, WHICH WHEN THE THEIR NEW BUILDING IS COMPLETE, WHEN THEIR GARAGE IS COMPLETE, WILL BE OVER THERE. SO DEPENDING ON HOW THE TIMING WORKS OUT, THAT'S THAT'S EXACTLY THAT'S EXACTLY RIGHT. UM, COUNCILMAN MARTIN, THANK YOU. MAYOR. UH, JUST A FEW ADDITIONAL COMMENTS ON THIS. WHAT WE APPROVED TONIGHT WAS REALLY A MEMORANDUM OF UNDERSTANDING. IT'S NOT ALL OF THE PIECES OF THE PUZZLE. UH, THERE ARE STILL MANY TERMS TO BE NEGOTIATED, BUT THIS IS THE FRAMEWORK OF A DEAL FOR THE SALE OF THE PROPERTIES. AND AS WE'VE NOTED, THE REDEVELOPMENT OF THE GALLERIA SITE REALLY CAN'T BE FULLY AND PROPERLY DONE WITHOUT THE GARAGES. WE ALL KNOW THAT THE GARAGES ARE DATED AND EXPENSIVE TO MAINTAIN. WE HAVE A SUPPORTING PROFESSIONALS WHO HAVE AGREED THAT THE PRICE IS PROPER AND ONE. ONE THING I WOULD LIKE TO COMMENT ON IS THAT THESE FUNDS, WHEN THEY'RE RECOGNIZED, SHOULD OBVIOUSLY BE PUT TO GOOD USE. AND ONE OF THOSE USES THAT I HAVE ALWAYS SAID WHEN WHEN THE CITY SELLS A CAPITAL ASSET IS THAT FUNDS SHOULD BE DEVOTED TO OUR DEBT SERVICE FUND. OUR DEBT SERVICE FUND SUPPORTS ALL OF OUR CAPITAL EXPENDITURES, AND MY EQUATION ON THAT IS WHEN WE SELL A CAPITAL ASSET, WE SHOULD RESTORE CAPITAL ASSETS. SO THE DEBT SERVICE FUND IS USED TO ACHIEVE THOSE OUR CAPITAL EXPENDITURES AND TO MAINTAIN AND IMPROVE OUR CITY INFRASTRUCTURE. SO THAT WOULD BE MY NUMBER ONE RECOMMENDATION OF OF WHERE FUNDS WOULD GO TO WHEN THIS SALE IS ACCOMPLISHED. THANK YOU. THANK YOU, COUNCILMAN MARTIN. COUNCILMAN PAYNE. THANK YOU, MR. MAYOR. UNFORTUNATELY, COUNCILMAN MARTIN SAID EVERYTHING THAT I WAS GOING TO SAY EXCEPT TO SAY THAT, UM, AS MY COLLEAGUE, UH, COUNCILMAN FRYE PEARSON, SAID THIS AT THIS SALE PRICE. THIS IS IN THE BEST INTEREST OF THIS CITY. IF YOU WANT TO SEE WHAT THE GARAGE WOULD GET IN ITS CURRENT STATE ON REALTOR.COM, I DON'T THINK WE WOULD BE GETTING THE FIGURE THAT HAS BEEN MENTIONED IN THE DOCUMENTS THIS EVENING. SO I WILL BE SUPPORTING THIS, AND I AM EXCITED THAT THE VALUE [00:40:01] WE'VE BEEN OFFERED FOR THIS GARAGE, THIS CITY ASSET, IS GOING TO BE IN THE BEST INTEREST OF THE CITY, AND IT'S GOING TO BE USED FOR EXACTLY THAT. THANK YOU, MR. MAYOR. THANK YOU, COUNCILMAN PAYNE, COUNCIL PRESIDENT. I'M SORRY, COUNCILWOMAN POOJA. THANK YOU, MR. MAYOR. UM, THERE WERE TWO, TWO ISSUES OF CONCERN THAT I HAD RELATED TO THIS INITIALLY. ONE WAS WHAT THE EVALUATION WOULD BE. I WAS GLAD THAT WE HAD AN INDEPENDENT EVALUATION AND COME UP WITH A NUMBER THAT I FELT MAKES SENSE TO SUPPORT, AND I DO FEEL THAT IT'S IN THE BEST INTEREST OF THE RESIDENTS OF THE CITY. MY OTHER CONCERN WAS WHERE WOULD PEOPLE PARK THAT ARE THERE? AND I'VE SHARED THAT CONCERN HERE OTHER TIMES AS WELL. UM, I'M GLAD THAT WE'VE HAD STUDIES THAT HAVE SHOWN HOW MANY PEOPLE ARE PARKING THERE, WHERE THEY ARE GOING DURING THE DAY, WHERE THEY CAN BE IN THE MEANTIME, AND MOST IMPORTANTLY, HAVING A PLAN. HAVING A PLAN FOR THOSE PEOPLE THAT ARE RELYING ON THAT GARAGE TO PARK, OR WE'RE RELYING ON THAT GARAGE TO PARK, AND I FEEL THAT NOT ONLY IS THIS IN THE BEST INTEREST OF THE CITY, IT'S ALSO IN THE BEST INTEREST OF THE RESIDENTS. AND I THINK THIS IS A VERY FAIR EVALUATION FOR A CITY ASSET. AND I AM PROUD OF THE WORK THAT WENT INTO THIS TO COME TO THIS NUMBER AND AM LOOKING FORWARD TO SEEING HOW THIS MOVES ALONG. THANK YOU. AND I TO TO COUNCILMAN MARTIN'S POINT, THE OTHER IDEA FOR THE MONEY IS ALSO TO REINVEST IT IN THE OTHER GARAGES AS WE WORK THROUGH. WE HAD A PRETTY INTENSIVE STUDY A YEAR AND A HALF AGO AND PRIORITIZE PROJECTS. AND IT'S EXPENSIVE. SO IT COULD YOU KNOW, AVOIDING BORROWING IS IS THE SAME AS RETIRING DEBT. AND I'M SURE OUR, OUR FINANCE PEOPLE WILL MAKE THE BEST DETERMINATIONS ON HOW TO BEST BENEFIT THE TAXPAYER WITH THAT. ITEMS 39 AND 40 EXECUTES A TERMINATION AGREEMENT IN CONNECTION WITH THE COMMUNITY CHOICE AGGREGATION PROGRAM. ITEMS 41 AND 42 AUTHORIZES A SETTLEMENT OF CERTAIN TAX PROCEEDINGS. ITEMS 43 THROUGH 45 AUTHORIZES THE EXECUTION OF A SETTLEMENT AGREEMENT AND AMENDMENT TO LEASE WITH CULINARY TECH CENTER, LLC. ITEMS 46 AND 47 AUTHORIZES THE EXECUTION OF A LICENSE AGREEMENT WITH MAMARONECK WHITE PLAINS, LLC FOR THE INSTALLATION AND MAINTENANCE OF CERTAIN CANOPIES EXTENDED INTO THE RIGHT OF WAY OF MAMARONECK AVENUE, WHITE PLAINS, NEW YORK. ITEMS 48 AND 49 AUTHORIZES THE BUDGET DIRECTOR TO AMEND THE FISCAL YEAR 2025 2026 OPERATING BUDGET IN ORDER TO PURCHASE ELECTRIC LANDSCAPING EQUIPMENT. COUNCILMAN. BRASH. JUST. IT'S IMPORTANT, AGAIN, THAT WE ALWAYS PAT OURSELVES ON THE BACK FOR TRYING TO WORRY ABOUT SUSTAINABILITY AND OUR PLANET. WE'RE GOING TO BE PURCHASING WITH FUNDS FROM MINNESOTA. BASICALLY FROM NEW YORK STATE TO PURCHASE ELECTRIC LANDSCAPING EQUIPMENT TO REPLACE GAS POWERED, THEREBY REDUCING OUR FOOTPRINT AND HOPEFULLY MAKING OUR PLANET A BETTER PLACE FOR ALL. THANK YOU. THANK YOU, COUNCILMAN BRASH. COUNCILMAN FRY PIERSON. THANK YOU, MR. MAYOR. I HAVE NOTHING TO ADD TO WHAT COUNCIL MEMBER BRASCH SAID. COUNCIL PRESIDENT PRESSER. JUST VERY PLEASED THAT THE CITY IS COMMITTING TO THE CONCEPT OF SUPPORTING ELECTRICALLY BLOWERS AND THE GAS LEAF BLOWER BAND IN A VERY MATERIAL AND CLEAR WAY. UM, AND EVERY DAY THAT I WAKE UP ON OUR STREET, ON BATTLE HILL AND HEAR THE LOW BUZZ OF AN ELECTRIC LEAF BLOWER, I KNOW WE ARE HEADED IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION. COUNCIL PRESIDENT PRESSER MAY BE GETTING A LITTLE CARRIED AWAY WITH. IT'S NOT SOOTHING, BUT IT'S DEFINITELY BETTER. BUT NO, IT'S YOU MAKE IT SOUND LIKE A SPA TREATMENT, WHICH, YOU KNOW, THAT'S THAT'S MARKETING COUNCIL PRESIDENT PRESSER ITEMS 50 AND 51 AUTHORIZES THE EXECUTION OF AN AGREEMENT WITH THE COUNTY OF WESTCHESTER FOR THE CITY TO PARTICIPATE IN THE STOP DWI HIGH VISIBILITY ENGAGEMENT PROGRAM. ITEMS 52 AND 53 AUTHORIZES THE EXECUTION OF AN AGREEMENT WITH HUBBARD'S CUPBOARD, LLC TO PROVIDE DAILY LUNCH CATERING SERVICES FOR THE SENIOR CENTER NUTRITION PROGRAM. ITEMS 54 AND 55 AUTHORIZES A GRANT FROM PARTNERSHIP FOR CHILDREN, YOUTH, AND FAMILIES TO SUPPORT VARIOUS PROGRAMS. ITEMS 56 AND 57 AUTHORIZES AN AGREEMENT WITH CALVARY BAPTIST CHURCH, INCORPORATED FOR THE USE OF A FACILITY FOR THE YOUTH BUREAU'S SECOND ANNUAL GRANDPA'S UNITED HEALTH SUMMIT. ITEMS 58 THROUGH 60 AUTHORIZES A GRANT AGREEMENT FOR THE WESTCHESTER COUNTY COMPLETE STREETS PROJECT. COUNCILMAN PAYNE. THANK YOU, MR. MAYOR. AS A MEMBER OF THE WHITE PLAINS VISION ZERO COMMITTEE, UM, THIS GRANT APPLICATION ADDRESSES SOME OF THE NEEDS HIGHLIGHTED IN OUR COMMITTEE WORK, ESPECIALLY IN THE DOWNTOWN AREA, FOR PEDESTRIAN SAFETY. UM, THAT IS OUR BUSIEST CORRIDOR ON MAMARONECK AVENUE THERE FROM MAIN STREET TO MAPLE AVENUE. AND UH, THIS GRANT APPLICATION, UM, IF APPROVED, WILL GIVE US [00:45:05] THE MUCH NEEDED FUNDS TO DO SOME OF THE WORK THAT THE COMMITTEE REALLY HIGHLIGHTED AS AS IMPORTANT AND TO PRIORITIZE, TO BRING THE VISION ZERO GOAL TO LIFE BY 2050, WHICH IS ZERO FATALITIES BY 2050 ON OUR CITY STREETS. UM, IT'S LOFTY AND IT'S ALSO ACHIEVABLE. UH, I DO HOPE THAT THIS, UH, WE DO RECEIVE THE FUNDS IN THIS GRANT APPLICATION, AND, UH, THE DOWNTOWN IS A IS A PERFECT, UH, ZONE TO BEGIN THE MUCH NEEDED WORK TO TO BRING THIS, UH, THIS GOAL TO LIFE. SO I'M HAPPY TO TO VOTE IN FAVOR OF THIS GRANT APPLICATION. AND I DO HOPE THAT WE ARE RECIPIENTS OF THE FUNDING. THANK YOU, MR. MAYOR. THANK YOU, COUNCILMEMBER PAYNE. ITEM 61 AND 62 RESOLUTION OF NO OBJECTION TO WESTCHESTER COUNTY INDUSTRIAL DEVELOPMENT AGENCY'S ASSIGNMENT OF CERTAIN AGENCY AGREEMENTS AND PROJECT BENEFITS PURSUANT PERTAINING TO A PROPERTY LOCATED AT ONE AND TEN LION PLACE, WHITE PLAINS, NEW YORK. COUNCILMAN MARTIN. THANK YOU. MAYOR. THIS ONE IS A LITTLE BIT OF WHAT THEY CALL INSIDE BASEBALL, BUT I THOUGHT IT WAS A GREAT CATCH BY OUR CORPORATION COUNSEL. SO I JUST WANTED TO HIGHLIGHT WHAT THE NUANCE IS HERE. AS WE KNOW, THE WESTCHESTER COUNTY IDA ACTS TO INDUCE CERTAIN PROJECTS, AND THEY DO SO UNLESS WE ACT TO OBJECT. RIGHT. BUT IN THIS CASE, IT'S A RELATIVELY MINOR AMENDMENT TO THE EXISTING IDA AGREEMENT. BUT HERE THIS PROPERTY OWNER COULD POST A TERMINATION OF THE PILOT AGREEMENT, TRANSFER THIS PROPERTY TO AN ENTITY THAT IT'S TAX EXEMPT, THAT THEY CONTROL AND THEREFORE COME OFF OUR TAX ROLLS. YET IT'S IT'S HOUSING HERE. WE WERE ABLE TO NEGOTIATE AN AGREEMENT THAT THAT WILL NOT HAPPEN DURING THE ENTIRE TERM OF THE IDA AGREEMENT, NOT JUST THE PILOT AGREEMENT. SO I THOUGHT THAT WAS A GOOD CATCH. AND I JUST WANTED TO SPEND A MOMENT TO HIGHLIGHT IT. THANK YOU. THANK YOU, COUNCILMAN MARTIN. AND, UH, UM. WHEN I FIRST BECAME MAYOR, I'M WORKING WITH JOHN CALLAHAN, OUR CORPORATION COUNSEL AND AND CHIEF OF STAFF. UM, WE REALIZED THAT WE HAD. THAT WAS OUR ONLY TOOL BECAUSE OTHER COMMUNITIES HAVE IDEAS AND THEY ACTUALLY GARNER FUNDS FROM HAVING AN IDEA. WE'VE NEVER HAD ONE BECAUSE IT WAS NOT GOING TO HAPPEN. WE WERE NOT GOING TO GET IT, UM, OUT OF ALBANY FOR WHATEVER DIFFERENT STORIES ABOUT WHY AND LOCAL POLITICS THAT COULDN'T HAPPEN. BUT EVENTUALLY THEY STARTED TO BE FROWNED ON, SO WE WEREN'T GOING TO GET ONE. UM, SO WHAT WE STARTED TO DO WAS IF. IF WE DON'T WANT TO WAIVE OUR SALES TAX, UM, AND WE DON'T WANT TO WAIVE OUR MORTGAGE, MORTGAGE RECORDING TAX, AND UNLESS WE ARE MADE WHOLE, THEN WE WILL OBJECT. AND SINCE THAT TIME, THESE PROJECTS WHICH IN OTHER COMMUNITIES THEY ARE NOT PAYING THE LOCAL GOVERNMENT, THE SALES TAX OR THE OR THE AND THE MORTGAGE RECORDING TAX, WE ARE GETTING REIMBURSED FOR WHAT WOULD HAVE BEEN PAID. AND THAT IS ANOTHER EXAMPLE OF HOW WE HAVE BEEN ABLE TO KEEP UNDER THE TAX CAP, BECAUSE WE'RE FINDING OTHER PLACES AND, UM, THE OTHER TAXES ARE WAIVED, BUT NOT WHITE PLAINS. WE'RE GETTING WE'RE GETTING IT. SO I JUST WANT TO THROW THAT OUT THERE. ITEM 63 AND 64 CONSENTS TO THE AMENDMENT OF A PAYMENT IN LIEU OF TAXES AGREEMENT PERTAINING TO PROPERTY KNOWN AS 20 BARKER AVENUE IN WHITE PLAINS, NEW YORK. ITEM 65 AND 66 SCHEDULES A PUBLIC HEARING AND REFERS AN APPLICATION SUBMITTED ON BEHALF OF LIFETIME FOR A SPECIAL PERMIT AND SITE PLAN AMENDMENT FOR PROPERTY KNOWN AS ONE MAPLE, WHITE PLAINS, NEW YORK COUNCILMAN, COUNCIL PRESIDENT PRESSER. WELL, WE HAD OCCASION TO SPEAK, TO SPEAK BRIEFLY TO THE FACT THAT THE WE ARE SEEING THE TWILIGHT OF THE MALLS BECAUSE SO MUCH COMMERCE IS BEING DONE ONLINE, AND WE HAVE SPOKEN FROM TIME TO TIME OF THE NEED TO HAVE OUR COMMERCIAL PROPERTIES FOCUS MORE ON EXPERIENTIAL OFFERINGS RATHER THAN MERCHANDISE. AND A WONDERFUL EXAMPLE IS NOW COMING TO US. LIFETIME IS LOOKING FOR A SPECIAL PERMIT TO HAVE NOT ONE OF THEIR HUMONGOUS, UH, FACILITIES, BUT A SMALLER ONE IN THE SMALL MALL KNOWN AS THE SOURCE, WHICH IS WHERE YOU'LL FIND WHOLE FOODS AND DICK'S SPORTING GOODS, AND IT'S A GREAT INTERPLAY THERE TO HAVE AN EXERCISE NEXT TO A SPORTING GOODS COMPANY AND HEALTHFUL FOODS. I THINK IT'S BRILLIANT. UH, I'M LOOKING FORWARD TO SEEING THIS, UH, GO FORWARD INTO SEEING OTHER, UH, PRO ENTERPRISES LIKE THAT. UH, THANK YOU. [00:50:02] COUNCIL PRESIDENT. PRESSER. COUNCIL. COUNCILMAN. BRASH. I ONLY WANTED TO ADD THAT THIS 60,000FT HAD BEEN USED BY RAYMER AND FLANAGAN. AND, OF COURSE, WE ARE VERY EXCITED TO FILL THAT SPACE TO GET THE TAX REVENUE AND TO GIVE PEOPLE IN OUR CITY THE KINDS OF THINGS THAT THEY WANT, LIKE A NEW 60 ZERO ZERO ZERO SQUARE FOOT GYM. SO KUDOS TO EVERYONE IN OUR CITY FOR WORKING TOGETHER TO MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE BRINGING THINGS TO OUR CITY AND NOT LEAVING SPACES VACANT. AND UH, THAT JUST THANKS TO EVERYBODY, THIS IS GOING TO BE GREAT FOR OUR CITY. THANK YOU, COUNCILMAN BRASCH. AND YEAH, AND I'D SAY IT ALSO IS AN EXAMPLE OF WHEN YOU HAVE MORE RESIDENTIAL DOWNTOWN. YOU GET TENANTS LIKE THIS COMING INTO SPACE BECAUSE THE PEOPLE ARE THERE TO PATRONIZE IT. BUT YOU ALSO ENHANCE THE ATTRACTIVENESS OF THE CITY, BECAUSE WHEN PEOPLE ARE LOOKING FOR AN APARTMENT, THEY THINK, OH, THERE'S A LIFETIME RIGHT DOWN THE BLOCK. SO, YOU KNOW, IT'S A IT'S GOOD. ITEM. 67 AND 68 RESOLUTION REQUESTING ASSEMBLYMAN BURDICK NOMINATE THE CITY FOR A CREST GRANT FOR THE LIBRARY TROVE RENOVATION PROJECT. COUNCILWOMAN PUJA. THANK YOU, MR. MAYOR. THIS IS A PERFECT EXAMPLE ABOUT THE RELATIONSHIPS THAT WE'VE BUILT AT ALL DIFFERENT LEVELS OF GOVERNMENT. TO HAVE ASSEMBLYMEMBER BURDICK HAVE THIS CREST GRANT, WHICH IS ACTUALLY $300,000, THAT WILL GO TOWARDS THE RENOVATION OF THE GROVE, WHICH IS THE CHILDREN'S PART OF OUR WHITE PLAINS PUBLIC LIBRARY. AFTER 20 PLUS YEARS, IT'S GETTING A FULL RENO, WHICH IS AMAZING. AND SO TO HAVE THIS MONEY THERE AND TO HAVE STATE LEADERS HELPING US ADVOCATE FOR MUNICIPALITIES IS TREMENDOUS. SO I'M GRATEFUL FOR THIS PARTNERSHIP AND THE RELATIONSHIP THAT WE'VE BUILT, AND TO MAKING SURE THAT PLACES WHERE OUR YOUTH CAN FLOURISH, MOST ARE KEPT WELL. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. COUNCILWOMAN PUJA, ITEM 69 THROUGH 80 APPROVES THE APPLICATION SUBMITTED ON BEHALF OF WHITE PLAINS OWNER, LLC FOR AN AMENDMENT TO AN APPROVED SITE PLAN FOR PROPERTY KNOWN AS 25 NORTH LEXINGTON AVENUE. ITEMS 81 THROUGH 92 APPROVES THE APPLICATION SUBMITTED ON BEHALF OF BITTLE GROUP THROUGH THE AFFILIATE ART HOUSE, WP DEVELOPMENTS LLC AND TEACHERS VILLAGE SOCIAL IMPACT ONE LION LLC FOR AMENDMENT AND AMENDMENT TO AN APPROVED SITE PLAN FOR PROPERTY KNOWN AS ONE LION PLACE AND TEN LION PLACE. ITEMS 93 THROUGH 106 APPROVES THE APPLICATION SUBMITTED ON BEHALF OF 37 DEKALB OWNER, LLC FOR SITE PLAN AND SPECIAL PERMIT APPROVAL FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF A MULTI-FAMILY DWELLING ON PROPERTY LOCATED AT 37 DEKALB AVENUE, WHITE PLAINS, NEW YORK. ITEMS 107 AND 108 TRANSMIT THE UNAUDITED INTERIM FINANCIAL REPORT FOR THE THREE MONTHS ENDED SEPTEMBER 30TH, 2025 AND THE AUDITED ANNUAL COMPREHENSIVE FINANCIAL REPORT AS OF AND FOR THE FISCAL YEAR ENDED JUNE 30TH, 2025. COUNCILMAN MARTIN. THANK YOU, MR. MAYOR. IT IS CERTAINLY WITH A GREAT DEAL OF SATISFACTION AND A LITTLE BIT OF COMFORT THAT I READ THE LATEST QUARTERLY FINANCIAL REPORT AND THE WRAP UP ON THE LAST FISCAL YEAR. OUR CITY FINANCES REMAIN IN GOOD FISCAL SHAPE, WITH STRONG REVENUES, PRUDENT EXPENDITURES AND A RECORD FUND BALANCE. THIS DID NOT HAPPEN BY ACCIDENT, BUT IT IS THE RESULT OF PROPER FISCAL STEWARDSHIP. AND I AM CONFIDENT THAT UNDER THE LEADERSHIP OF MAYOR BRASCH, SUCH LEADERSHIP AND SUCH STEWARDSHIP WILL CONTINUE. THANK YOU. THANK YOU, COUNCILMAN MARTIN. ITEM 109 TRANSMITS THE ORIGINAL STATEMENT OF CANVAS FOR THE RESULTS OF THE NOVEMBER 4TH, 2025 ELECTION. [Items 1 & 2] AND THAT CONCLUDES OUR CONSENT AGENDA FOR THIS EVENING. THE FIRST ITEM ON OUR DISCUSSION AGENDA IS A PUBLIC HEARING IN RELATION TO THE PETITION SUBMITTED FOR SITE PLAN AND SPECIAL PERMIT APPROVAL FOR THE CONSTRUCTION OF A MULTI-STORY PARKING GARAGE ON THE EAST POST ROAD, WHITE PLAINS, NEW YORK. MOVE THAT THE PUBLIC HEARING BE OPENED. SECOND. ALL IN FAVOR? AYE. OPPOSED? THE HEARING IS OPEN. GOOD EVENING, MAYOR AND COUNCIL. FOR THE RECORD, MY NAME IS WILLIAM NOEL. I'M A PARTNER AT THE FIRM OF KARIN FADER. AND I'M ALSO CHAIRMAN OF THE BOARD OF WHITE PLAINS HOSPITAL. WITH ME IS JOSH STURGIS, WHO IS WHITE PLAINS HOSPITAL'S CHIEF OF CAMPUS TRANSFORMATION. AND WE'RE HERE IN CONNECTION WITH THE PROPOSED DEVELOPMENT OF A 950 SPACE PARKING GARAGE. THE PUBLIC HEARING THAT'S BEEN SCHEDULED FOR TONIGHT RELATES SPECIFICALLY TO A SPECIAL PERMIT TO ENABLE THE PORTION OF THE GARAGE. IT'S IN TWO DIFFERENT DISTRICTS. IT'S IN THE MO THREE FIVE DISTRICT TO BE EIGHT STORIES INSTEAD OF SIX STORIES. THE AMO 35 DISTRICT PERMITS 125FT IN HEIGHT, AND THIS STRUCTURE IS LOWER THAN THAT. SO IT'S NOT INCREASING THE HEIGHT, IT'S JUST ALLOWING MORE STORIES. IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE ZONING ORDINANCE, WHICH REQUIRES THE SPECIAL PERMIT WHEN YOU'RE GROWING FROM 6 TO 8 STORIES, THIS GARAGE, IMPORTANTLY, WILL PROVIDE 9950 PARKING SPACES. [00:55:02] WHITE PLAINS HOSPITAL HAS ABOUT 5700 OR MORE EMPLOYEES, MOST OF WHOM ARE IN THE CITY OF WHITE PLAINS. AND WE'RE CURRENTLY USING ABOUT 2400 PARKING SPACES IN PRIVATE AND PUBLIC LOCATIONS WITHIN WALKING DISTANCE OF THE HOSPITAL. PLACING THESE PARKING SPACES ACROSS THE STREET FROM THE EMERGENCY DEPARTMENT WILL PROVIDE PARKING FOR SOME RESIDENTS OF BROOKFIELD COMMONS, AS WELL AS FOR STAFF, EMPLOYEES AND VISITORS TO WHITE PLAINS HOSPITAL. SO THIS IS WHAT THE HOSPITAL LOOKS LIKE FROM. LOOK, IF YOU'RE LOOKING FROM THE EAST SIDE LOOKING DOWN, THIS IS A BRIDGE THAT WILL CONNECT THE FOURTH FLOOR OF THE GARAGE TO THE EXISTING LEGACY BUILDING. THIS IS THE SITE ON EAST POST ROAD GARAGE. THERE ARE TWO GAS STATIONS ON EITHER SIDE OF BROOKFIELD STREET THAT NO LONGER ARE OPERATING, AND IT WILL BE CLEANED UP AS PART OF THE REDEVELOPMENT. THIS ALSO INVOLVES WHAT WAS A MEDICAL SUPPLY LOCATION IN THE OLD FIRESTONE TIRE BUILDING, SO IT'S BETWEEN WINCHESTER AND BROOKFIELD STREET, APPROXIMATELY ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE STREET. AS I SAID, EIGHT STORIES WITH PARKING FOR BROOKFIELD COMMONS, 180 SPACES WILL BE AVAILABLE FOR RESIDENTS OF BROOKFIELD COMMONS. THIS IS WHAT THE THE GARAGE LOOKS LIKE WILL LOOK LIKE FROM THE LOOKING WEST ALONG POST ROAD. AND AGAIN, THE BRIDGE THAT'S PROPOSED ACROSS POST ROADS SO THAT THE EMPLOYEES OF WHITE PLAINS HOSPITAL WILL NOT BE CROSSING AT GRADE ON THE SHIFT CHANGE, WHICH WOULD BE A LOT OF A LOT OF PARKERS TO MOVE ACROSS. SO THIS IS THE IMAGE I SHOWED YOU BEFORE. AND THIS IS THE VIEW FROM BROOKFIELD COMMONS TOWARDS THE PARKING GARAGE. WE'VE BEEN BEFORE THE PLANNING BOARD AND WE'VE BEEN BEFORE DESIGN REVIEW BOARD AND TRANSPORTATION COMMISSION. YOU HAVE IN YOUR IN YOUR AGENDA THE COMMUNICATIONS ON THEM ALL. WE'RE SUPPORTIVE OF OF THE PROJECT, AND WE'RE HERE TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS THAT YOU MAY HAVE REGARDING THE GARAGE. WE THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME AND CONSIDERATION. OBVIOUSLY, HAVING THIS GARAGE ADJACENT TO THE HOSPITAL WILL BE A MAJOR IMPROVEMENT FOR STAFF EMPLOYEES AND OTHERWISE IT WILL FREE UP PARKING NOW OCCUPIED IN PUBLIC GARAGES THROUGHOUT THE CITY. THAT SO THAT THEY'RE AVAILABLE FOR OTHER USES BY RESIDENTS AND OTHERWISE. QUESTIONS FROM THE COUNCIL. IS THERE ANY FROM THE PUBLIC WHO WISHES TO BE HEARD AS PART OF THIS PUBLIC HEARING? GOOD EVENING EVERYBODY. I'M GABRIEL ARANGO. I'M THE OWNER OF A FEW OF THE PROPERTIES THAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT. WE DON'T HAVE ANY OPPOSITION TO THE PROGRESS OF THE CITYWIDE PLANS. IN FACT, MANY LANDLORDS HAVE CONTRIBUTED TO THAT IN THE PAST 35, 40 YEARS. OUR MAIN CONCERN IS WHAT WE HAVE RIGHT NOW. UM, RIGHT ACROSS THE STREET FROM THE HOSPITAL, AND YOU'RE GOING TO SEE SOME OF THE HUNDREDS THAT ARE HERE. LIKE MYSELF, WE'VE BEEN GOING THROUGH SALES SPEAK ENGLISH THROUGH HELL TO SUSTAIN EASTPORT, RHODE ISLAND, 1416 1820. ALL THIS HOSPITAL, ALL THESE BUILDINGS ACROSS THE STREET FROM THE HOSPITAL. MANY TIMES WE HAVE A BROKEN PIPE AS WELL AS 12 AS WELL AS 70. ALL THESE BUILDINGS HAVE A TREMENDOUS AMOUNT OF PROBLEM WITH THE CONSTRUCTION, OBSTRUCTION OF TRAFFIC. NOT ONLY THAT, BUT WE HAVE PARKING PROBLEMS BECAUSE OUR STORES. I DON'T KNOW IF YOU REMEMBER BECAUSE YOU PEOPLE LIVE HERE MANY YEARS AGO, AND THE HARDWARE STORE HAS BEEN THERE FOR YEARS NOW. WELL, SINCE THE PANDEMIA THEY WENT OUT OF BUSINESS AND NOBODY WANTS TO RENT THIS SPACE. IT'S ABOUT FIVE YEARS AGO, 40 YEARS AGO. SO THEREFORE WE ARE HERE TO HAVE SOME STRONG CONSIDERATION AS WELL AS THE HOUSING AUTHORITY IS GETTING SOME PARKING SPACE. WE DON'T WANT MONEY. WE WANT SOME PARKING SPACES. AND THIS STRUCTURE WHEN THEY FINISH OUT. SO EVEN WE CAN PAY FOR FOR OUR TENANTS. WE'RE TALKING ABOUT AFFORDABLE HOUSING, RIGHT? AND THAT'S WHAT WE DO THROUGHOUT THE CITY OF WHITE PLAINS. I'VE BEEN DOING THIS FOR AROUND 40 YEARS. AND AS WELL AS THE PEOPLE ARE SITTING BEHIND ME AND THEY WANT AN OPPORTUNITY FOR YOU, THE COUNCIL, THE MOST IMPORTANT PEOPLE HERE TO UNDERSTAND WE CAN OPPOSE PROGRESS. WE CAN OPPOSE ANYTHING. THE CITY OF WHITE PLAINS, A VERY NOT JUST BEAUTIFUL CITY, BUT A CITY THAT COME OUT FROM 50 YEARS AGO. AND TODAY. IT'S SUCH A BIG RENOVATIONS, BIG, BIG STORES. YOU SAID MAYOR BEFORE MY I REMEMBER MAMARONECK AVENUE LIKE YOU DO MANY YEARS AGO, BUT WE [01:00:01] SUPPOSED TO HAVE SOME CONSIDERATION. RATS. THAT'S NUMBER ONE. BUT RATS DESTROY PLACE BECAUSE THE OLD EXCAVATIONS ARE GOING ON. BUT THESE PLACES, THERE ARE BUSINESSES THERE. THEY MAKE A LIVING OUT OF THAT. AND NOT ONLY BECAUSE OUR BUILDINGS ARE FULL OF MINORITY LIKE MYSELF. BUT THIS IS NOT THE MAIN CASE. THE MAIN CASE IS HOW WE CAN HELP THESE INDIVIDUALS, THE TENANTS TO PARK. IF YOU PARK THERE FOR MORE THAN AN HOUR, YOU GET A TICKET. OKAY, FINE. THEY DON'T PARK THERE. WHERE ARE THEY GOING TO PARK? NOW WE WANT SOME CONSIDERATION FROM THE HOSPITAL TO GIVE US SOME PARKING SPACES. AFTER THEY FINISH THE BUILDING OR SOMETHING. COMPENSATE SOMEWHERE, SOMEHOW. OUR UNFORTUNATE SITUATION TODAY. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. AND I HOPE YOU TAKE IN CONSIDERATION. I, I GUESS SOMEBODY ELSE WANT TO TALK TO YOU. THANK YOU. MY NAME IS GABRIEL ARANGO. I TOLD HER, OKAY, GOOD. GOOD. COME ON. YOU GO FIRST. I'M CALLING BEN. I CALLED BEN. ALL RIGHT. OKAY. I SHOULD GO FIRST. I'LL GO. ALL RIGHT. YEAH. THAT'S FINE. WHICHEVER WAY, YOU GUYS. ALL RIGHT. LET'S. WE WORK TOGETHER. WHATEVER YOU GUYS WORK OUT. OKAY. GOOD EVENING. TO THE HONOURABLE. MAYOR AND TO THE HONOURABLE MEMBERS OF THE COMMON COUNCIL. THANK YOU FOR THIS OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK. MY NAME IS HAZEL OLADIPO AND I AM A PROPERTY OWNER ON POST ROAD. MY QUESTION IS GIVEN THE HOSPITAL MULTI-STOREY DEVELOPMENT. WILL ZONING RECOGNITION REGULATION ALLOW THE NEIGHBORING SMALL BUSINESSES TO ADD ADDITIONAL FLOORS IF NEEDED? THANK YOU. I DIDN'T QUITE UNDERSTAND. I'M SORRY MA'AM. WITH ALL DUE RESPECT, I SAID THAT ADDITIONAL STORIES. I DIDN'T KNOW, I DIDN'T. WELL, CONSIDERING, UM, THE HOSPITAL HAS BEEN APPROVED FOR THE MULTI STOREY, UM, GARAGE, AND WE'RE RIGHT NEXT DOOR. I'M A MEMBER OF THE SMALL BUSINESS COMMUNITY ON COAST ROAD. WILL WE BE ALLOWED TO EXPAND OUR BUILDING, TO MOVE TO, UM, PUT ADDITIONAL FLOORS ON. OUR ARE GOVERNED BY THE ZONING OF WHATEVER THE ZONING PERMITS, WHATEVER YOUR ZONING PERMITS. UM, WE DON'T, UH, IF NEEDED. I'M NOT LOOKING FOR A ZONING PERMIT YET, BUT CONSIDERING THAT WE HAVE THIS EXTRA, WHICH I LOVE, AND THANKS TO THE CITY OF WHITE PLAINS, AND WE HAD ALREADY AT THE LAST MEETING, EXPRESS HOW GREAT THIS BUILDING LOOKS. UM, AND OURS IS RIGHT NEXT TO IT. AND, UM, IT'S A QUESTION THAT POPS INTO MY HEAD AND I'M THINKING ABOUT THE. QUESTION, SO I THINK I THINK IT'S JUST GOING TO BE WHATEVER YOUR ZONING PERMITS THERE RIGHT NOW. BUT WE CAN GET WE CAN GET AN ANSWER FOR YOU ON THAT. UM, IF YOU CAN, IF YOU COULD JUST LEAVE SOME INFORMATION. WHEN YOU CONTACT INFORMATION, WE'LL GET BACK TO YOU. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. I INTRODUCED. MYSELF. DURING THE. CITIZENS TO BE HEARD PORTION. BENJAMIN BROWN, 155 FARRIS AVENUE. UM, AS I. COMMENT ON THIS, I'D LIKE TO SAY FIRST THAT I, I WOULD WHOLEHEARTEDLY AGREE WITH THE PRINCIPLE THAT A NON-PROFIT HOSPITAL SHOULD BE SERVED FIRST. IT SHOULD BE SERVED FIRST WITH INFRASTRUCTURE. IT SHOULD BE SERVED FIRST WITH UM NEEDED APPROVALS FOR EXPANSION. IT'S AN IMPORTANT COMMUNITY INSTITUTION. UM, PUBLIC GOOD. UM, BUT TO SAY SOMETHING LIKE THAT IMPLIES A HIERARCHICAL RELATIONSHIP WITH OR VIS A VIS PROFIT MOTIVATED DEVELOPMENT. AND THE ISSUE HERE IS THAT WE ARE, IN MY OPINION, DEFINITELY HEADED FOR A BIG TRAFFIC MORASS IN WHITE PLAINS DOWNTOWN. AND IT'S NOT REFLECTED IN OFFICIAL DOCUMENTS. UM, AND I COULD KIND OF EXPLAIN HOW THIS WORKS. UH, WHEN THE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN WAS ADOPTED, I BELIEVE IN 2024, UH, THE CITY OPTED NOT TO DO A GENERIC ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT STATEMENT FOR THE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN. SO THE TRAFFIC IMPACTS OF ALL THAT NEW DEVELOPMENT THAT THE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN CONTEMPLATED WERE NOT STUDIED IN DEPTH. [01:05:02] UH, SO TRAFFIC IMPACTS ARE STUDIED ON A DEVELOPMENT BY DEVELOPMENT BASIS. AND, UM, MANY OF THESE DEVELOPMENTS THAT ARE NOW EITHER RECENTLY COMPLETED OR PARTIALLY COMPLETED OR UNDER CONSTRUCTION OR IN THE PLANNING AND APPROVAL PROCESS ARE QUITE LARGE. MANY OF YOU HAVE ACKNOWLEDGED, UM, HOW TRANSFORMATIVE THE GALLERIA PROJECT WILL BE. UH, GOING BACK TO EARLY 2023, WHEN THAT WAS FIRST SORT OF BECAME PART OF THE PUBLIC, THE GALLERIA ENTERED INTO THE PUBLIC DISCOURSE AS A DEVELOPMENT SITE. UM, AND IT WILL BE TRANSFORMATIVE. I WHOLEHEARTEDLY AGREE. I'VE BEEN SAYING THE SAME THING, BUT, UH, A LOT OF OTHER PROJECTS IN WHITE PLAINS ARE NOT ON A RADICALLY DIFFERENT SCALE IN TERMS OF SIZE. THEY ARE NOT THAT BIG, BUT THEY'RE THEY'RE NOT INSUBSTANTIAL. GATEWAY TO, UM, YOU HAD SOME APPROVALS ON YOUR AGENDA RELATED TO GATEWAY TWO TONIGHT. IT'S MOSTLY COMPLETED NOW. AND THERE ARE PEOPLE LIVING IN THE BUILDING. IT'S PARTIALLY LEASED UP. TOP IS 500 APARTMENTS AND 755 PARKING SPACES. ONE WATER STREET IS APPROVED FOR, I BELIEVE. 380 APARTMENTS AND 394 PARKING SPACES, IF I'M NOT MISTAKEN. HAMILTON GREEN IS VERY, VERY LARGE. I THINK OVER 1000 PARKING SPACES NOW. UM, AND THERE'S THERE'S OTHERS THAT I'M NOT MENTIONING. UH, I THINK OF MICHAEL DALTON'S COMMENTS THAT ARE RECENT, UM, COMMON COUNCIL MEETING WHERE HE, HE KIND OF ANALYZED, UH, SEVERAL, UM, DEVELOPMENTS THAT ARE EITHER IN THE APPROVAL PROCESS OR UNDERWAY IN THE FISHER HILL NEIGHBORHOOD. AND, AND I THINK HIS ANALYSIS DEMONSTRATED THERE WILL BE A TRAFFIC IMPACT FROM THAT DEVELOPMENT. SO BUT WE ANALYZED THAT TRAFFIC IMPACT ON A DEVELOPMENT BY DEVELOPMENT BASIS. SO TRAFFIC ENGINEERS ARE HIRED BY THE DEVELOPER AND THEY PRODUCE A TRAFFIC REPORT TALKING ABOUT HOW MUCH THAT DEVELOPMENT WILL IMPACT TRAFFIC SOMETIMES, AS I WAS GLAD TO SEE WITH ONE WATER STREET. THEY DO LOOK AT SOME OTHER IN-PROGRESS OR RECENTLY COMPLETED DEVELOPMENTS AND AND AT LEAST KIND OF APPROACH THAT CRUCIAL QUESTION OF CUMULATIVE IMPACT. CUMULATIVE IMPACT ON TRAFFIC. BUT FOR THE MOST PART BECAUSE WE DIDN'T DO THE GENERIC ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT STATEMENT, WE'RE NOT GETTING A GOOD PICTURE OF CUMULATIVE IMPACT ON TRAFFIC. AND THERE IS A LOT OF DEVELOPMENT GOING ON IN THE DOWNTOWN AREA. SO THE CONSEQUENCE OF THAT, I REALLY THIS IS A LAYPERSONS OPINION, BUT I REALLY BELIEVE WILL BE A BIG TRAFFIC MORASS. IT'LL BE HARD TO NAVIGATE. THE DOWNTOWN RUSH HOUR WILL GROW IN LENGTH, YOU KNOW, INSTEAD OF BEING, YOU KNOW, SAY FROM 4:00 TO 6:00, IT'LL BE IT'LL GO TO 7 OR 730 AND SO FORTH. UM, AND PEOPLE WILL, YOU KNOW, SORT OF START GIVING UP PART OF THEIR LIVES TO SITTING IN TRAFFIC. AND, UM, THIS IS A REAL INTERESTING POLITICAL QUESTION, RIGHT? BECAUSE THE DEVELOPMENT DOES HAVE BENEFITS. INCREASING THE HOUSING SUPPLY IS GOOD, BUT THERE'S A REAL CONSEQUENCE, A CONSEQUENCE THAT'S JUST NOT DOCUMENTED IN THE OFFICIAL DOCUMENTS THAT THE COUNCIL ADOPTS. UM, AND THEN THAT THAT'S A REAL POLITICAL QUESTION AND THAT THAT RAISES OTHER POLITICAL QUESTIONS, LIKE MAYBE IT'S MAYBE IT'S NOT GOOD THAT WE HAVEN'T MEANINGFULLY EXPANDED OUR RAIL NETWORK IN 100 YEARS. YOU KNOW, I MEAN, WE'VE WE'VE EXPANDED THE VOLUME THAT PASSES OVER THE METRO-NORTH TRACKS, BUT WE HAVEN'T EXPANDED THE NETWORK AND THOSE SORTS OF QUESTIONS. ANYWAY, I THINK THE COUNCIL SHOULD START DEMANDING REAL TRAFFIC ANALYSIS. THAT'S MY COMMENT. THANK YOU VERY. MUCH. ANYONE ELSE WISHES TO BE HEARD? YEAH. COME ON. GOOD EVENING, LOUIS SANCHEZ, LOCAL THREE, IBEW. JUST FOR CLARITY, I THINK I KNOW THE ANSWER, BUT JUST FOR FOR COUNCIL MEMBERS LOOKING FOR SOME CLARITY HERE. WE CURRENTLY HAVE A PLA PROJECT LABOR AGREEMENT FOR THE ENTIRE WHITE PLAINS HOSPITAL PROJECT. SO WOULD THIS FALL UNDER THE PROJECT LABOR AGREEMENT IS THE FIRST QUESTION. AND MY SECOND QUESTION IS WHETHER IDA BENEFITS, BECAUSE I'M NOT SURE IF THERE WAS I DON'T KNOW IF WE COULD GO BACK AND FORTH OR NOT. UM, I WE HAVE NOTHING. I MEAN, THIS IS. YEAH. JOHN. I DON'T THINK IT'S I THINK THE IDEA OF BENEFITS IS THERE. NO IDEA. BUT IN TERMS OF THE PLA AT THE HOSPITAL, THAT'S THAT'S. UM, THERE ARE NO IDA BENEFITS WITH THIS. THIS IS GOING TO BE PART OF A BROWNFIELD SITE. IT'S GOING TO BE DEVELOPED BY THE DEVELOPER. AND THEN THE HOSPITAL HAS AN ARRANGEMENT TO BUY THE PROPERTY FROM, BY THE GARAGE, FROM, UM, FROM THE DEVELOPER. BUT THE LAND ITSELF IS NOT THE ISSUE BEFORE THE SPECIAL. [01:10:02] FOR THE SPECIAL PERMIT. AND THIS IS BEING FUNDED THROUGH HOSPITAL EFFORTS. IT'S NOT BEING FUNDED THROUGH ANY GOVERNMENTAL CONTRIBUTIONS OR OTHERWISE. UM, AND I THINK THAT'S IMPORTANT TO RECOGNIZE. YES, JOHN. JUST TO ADDRESS MISTER SANCHEZ, I THINK THIS IS COMPELLING. I KNOW YOU HAVE A WORKING RELATIONSHIP WITH HIM, SO YOU SHOULD PROBABLY GET INVOLVED. RIGHT. OKAY. UM, OKAY. YEAH. OKAY. I HAVE TO GO UP. YEAH, YOU HAVE TO GO UP. SO, UM, MY QUESTION. IS, IS THIS THE FINAL ARTISTIC RENDERING? IS THIS EXACTLY HOW IT'S GOING TO LOOK IN TERMS OF COLOR AND SCALE? YES. OKAY. SO IS THERE. UM, HAS THERE BEEN ANY, UM, HAS ANYONE MENTIONED OR ASKED ABOUT ADDING MAYBE AN ARTISTIC COMPONENT OR SOMETHING? COLOR. I IT JUST LOOKS SO STARK TO ME. BUT, YOU KNOW, IT IS A GARAGE. SO, YOU KNOW, IT'S JUST A QUESTION THAT I'M THROWING OUT THERE FOR BEAUTIFICATION PURPOSES AND FOR AESTHETICS. YOU YOU COULD IDENTIFY YOURSELF. NOT EVERYONE. YES. ALMOST EVERYBODY KNOWS YOU, BUT NOT EVERYBODY. EVELYN SANTIAGO, 30 LAKE STREET, WHITE PLAINS COUNCILPERSON ELECT. I'VE BEEN AROUND A LONG TIME, SO I'VE BEEN IDENTIFYING PEOPLE WHO DON'T IDENTIFY THEMSELVES TO THE CLERK. BUT IT IS BETTER IF YOU DO IT. NICK. NICK. WOLFF. SPOILER ALERT. NICK. WOLFF THANK YOU. I DIDN'T COME HERE TO SPEAK INITIALLY, BUT WITH HEARING WHAT'S GOING ON, I JUST WANT TO SAY I AM A COMMISSIONER OF THE HOUSING AUTHORITY. SINCE 1996, WE HAVE WORKED CLOSELY WITH THE HOSPITAL AND THEIR STAFF AND THEIR LAWYERS AND OUR LAWYERS TO WORK OUT GETTING THIS BUILT. PART OF IT IS GOING TO BE ON A SMALL PIECE OF PROPERTY THAT BELONGS TO THE HOUSING AUTHORITY, AND WE'RE HAPPY TO LET THEM PURCHASE IT, AND SOME OF OUR TENANTS IN THE COMPLEX WILL USE IT. WE'RE ABOUT TO DO THE THIRD AFFORDABLE HOUSING COMPLEX AT 159 SOUTH LEXINGTON, WHICH WILL BE THE CLOSEST TO THAT, AND THEN TWO MORE AFTER THAT. BUT I'M WE'RE VERY MUCH IN FAVOR OF THE GARAGE. AS WAS SAID BY MR. NOEL. THEY ARE IT'S BEING BUILT FOR THE CURRENT EMPLOYEES OF THE HOSPITAL, SO THERE'S NOT GOING TO BE ADDITIONAL TRAFFIC. THERE'S GOING TO BE THE TRAFFIC DIFFERENTIAL COMING FROM OTHER PLACES THAT THEY PARK GOING INTO THIS GARAGE, AND NONE OF THE EMPLOYEES. AND I CAN'T ANSWER THAT AS WELL AS PROBABLY EITHER. THESE TWO GENTLEMEN CAN GO COME IN AT THE SAME TIME. THEY ALL HAVE SHIFTS, THEY HAVE DIFFERENT TIMES. SO I DON'T FORESEE TRAFFIC. AND I WILL SAY THAT I DRIVE THROUGH THE CITY FROM THE SOUTH END TO CENTRAL AVENUE 3 OR 4 TIMES A WEEK. UM, AND I'VE NEVER HAD A PROBLEM WITH TRAFFIC. I DO IT IN MANY DIFFERENT HOURS, AND I THINK THE TRAFFIC FLOWS BEAUTIFULLY. SO WE'RE VERY MUCH IN SUPPORT OF THE DEVELOPMENT. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR JOINING US. OH. I AM NICK WOLFF, SOON TO BE COUNCIL MEMBER IN THIS AUGUST GROUP AND LOOKING VERY MUCH FORWARD TO IT AND, UH, BEING HELPFUL TO MOVING THINGS ALONG FURTHER. THANK YOU. OKAY. GOOD EVENING, CHARLES. KATZ, TWO CANFIELD AVENUE. I THINK WHEN I LOOK AT WHAT IS CURRENTLY THERE, THE BLIGHT AND THE GAS STATIONS THAT USED TO BE THERE AND WHAT THIS PORTENDS, THIS WILL BE A WONDERFUL THING, NOT ONLY FOR THE PEOPLE OF WHITE PLAINS, BUT THE HOSPITAL IN GENERAL. I THINK THAT THE PARKING STRUCTURE IS WELL NEEDED. IT WILL KEEP PEOPLE CLOSE AND SAFE TO THE HOSPITAL. AND I'M VERY, VERY MUCH FOR THIS NEW ENTITY, SO I HOPE I WISH IT THE BEST OF LUCK. GOOD EVENING. ANDREW OLADIPO 18. GETTING PARK DRIVE NUMBER ONE I'M SUPPORTIVE OF THIS GARAGE. UM RIGHT THERE'S OBVIOUSLY A NEED FOR THE BUILDING. THERE'S A NEED FOR PARKING IN WHITE PLAINS. AS GABRIEL STATED EARLIER. UM MY CONCERN IS THAT RIGHT THE GARAGE IS ABSORBING PUBLIC PARKING. UM, SO ALONG, UM, EAST POST ROAD ALONG BROOKFIELD STREET, UM, THERE'S PARKING THAT IS BEING ABSORBED. SO. RIGHT. MY QUESTION IS, WHAT IS THE PLAN TO MAKE RIGHT. THE PUBLIC. UM, RIGHT. WHAT'S THE EXCHANGE FOR THE PUBLIC? BECAUSE. RIGHT. THIS GARAGE IS ABSORBING PARKING FOR THESE RETAIL BUSINESSES THAT ARE ON THAT STREET FOR. [01:15:03] RIGHT, THE FOLKS WHO LIVE ABOVE THOSE RETAIL BUSINESSES, WHEN THEY HAVE VISITORS, WHEN THEY HAVE GUESTS, FOR CUSTOMERS THAT ARE, UM, RIGHT, GOING TO THOSE BUSINESSES, WHERE DO THEY PARK? AND SO I AGREE WITH GABRIEL THAT IT WOULD BE NICE TO HAVE THE HOSPITAL ACCOMMODATE, UM, SOME KIND OF PUBLIC PARKING FOR THOSE BUSINESSES AND RESIDENTS THAT WILL BE AFFECTED BY THIS GARAGE. SO NUMBER ONE. RIGHT. COMPLETELY SUPPORTIVE OF THE GARAGE. I JUST WANT TO SEE THE PUBLIC BENEFIT, UM, NOT JUST THE HOSPITAL, BUT THE PUBLIC, THE BUSINESSES, THE CUSTOMERS, THE RESIDENTS IN THAT AREA BENEFIT. THANK YOU. IS THERE ANYONE ELSE WISHES TO BE HEARD? I WANT TO NOTE, IMPORTANTLY, THAT THERE WERE TRAFFIC ANALYSES THAT WERE PRESENTED AS PART OF THIS APPLICATION, AND THEY WERE REVIEWED BY YOUR TRAFFIC ENGINEER AND EVALUATED AS PART OF THE ENVIRONMENTAL FINDINGS THAT ARE RELATED TO THIS PROJECT. AND FOR EACH OF THE PROJECTS, I KNEW THERE WAS SOME ALLUSION TO A PROJECT DOWN ON WESTMORELAND THAT THAT A FISHER HILL HAD COMMENTED ABOUT IN EACH OF THE APPLICATIONS THAT I'VE BEEN INVOLVED WITH IN THE 40 YEARS THAT I'VE BEEN WORKING WITH THE CITY. TRAFFIC IS ANALYZED ON A PROJECT BY PROJECT BASIS AND IS REVIEWED BY YOUR YOUR PROFESSIONAL ENGINEER WHO'S A TRAFFIC CONSULTANT AND UM, AND ADDRESSED. SO THAT HAS BEEN CONSIDERED. IT'S NOT SOMETHING THAT THAT I KNOW THE CITY OR ANYBODY ELSE TREATS LIGHTLY. IT IS A CONCERN AS, AS IMPACTS AS FAR AS PARKING HERE, UM, STREET PARKING WILL BE AVAILABLE. WE ARE. BROOKFIELD STREET WAS DISCONTINUED. THE THE PUBLIC AREA OF BROOKFIELD STREET AND THE PARKING THAT THE HOSPITAL IS BUILDING IS GOING TO BE LIMITED TO HOSPITAL EMPLOYEES. UM, WE'RE GOING TO HAVE, UH, PARKING, AS I SAID, 180 PERMIT SPACES FOR RESIDENTS OF BROOKFIELD COMMONS. AND IN ADDITION, THE CONCEPT, THE PLAN IS THAT THE EMERGENCY DEPARTMENT WILL HAVE A SEPARATE DRIVEWAY THAT YOU CAN THE PEOPLE CAN PULL INTO, AND THEIR CARS WILL BE TAKEN BY VALET TO BE PARKED IN THIS GARAGE AS WELL, AT THE TIME THAT PEOPLE COME TO THE EMERGENCY DEPARTMENT. UNDERSTANDABLY, IT'S A VERY STRESSFUL TIME, AND WE THINK IT'S BEST TO HAVE SOMEBODY ELSE DRIVE THE CAR ACROSS POST ROAD INTO THE GARAGE. BUT OTHER THAN THAT, THERE'S NO PLAN FOR PUBLIC PARKING AND THERE'S NO PUBLIC FUNDS THAT ARE GOING TO BUILD THIS GARAGE. ANYONE ELSE WISH TO BE HEARD. THERE IS, JUST, BY THE WAY, BY ELIMINATING THE FIRESTONE AND THE MEDICAL SUPPLY, BUILDING THOSE DEMANDS AND COMPETITION FOR PARKING ON THE STREET ARE BEING ELIMINATED AS WELL. SO I UNDERSTAND THAT I'M NOT UNSYMPATHETIC TO THE QUESTION ABOUT PUBLIC PARKING, BUT THIS IS NOT GOING TO BE A PUBLIC PARKING GARAGE. OR ANYONE ELSE WISHES TO BE HEARD ON THIS PUBLIC HEARING. IS THERE A MOTION TO CLOSE THE PUBLIC HEARING? [Items 3 - 11] SO MOVED. SECOND. ALL IN FAVOR? AYE. OPPOSED. CARRIED. COUNCILMAN MORTON, WOULD YOU MOVE THE COMMUNICATIONS? I MOVE THAT THE COMMUNICATION FROM THE COMMISSIONER OF BUILDING COMMISSION. COMMUNICATIONS FROM THE DESIGN REVIEW BOARD. COMMISSIONER OF PLANNING, WHITE PLAINS PLANNING BOARD, COMMISSIONER OF PUBLIC SAFETY, COMMISSIONER OF PUBLIC WORKS, DEPUTY COMMISSIONER OF PARKING, TRANSPORTATION COMMISSION, COMMISSIONER OF PARKING IN WESTCHESTER COUNTY. PLANNING BOARD BE FILED AND SPREAD IN FULL UPON THE MINUTES. [12. Resolution of the Common Council of the City of White Plains approving the application submitted on behalf of White Plains Hospital Center, 34 EPR, LLC and East Post Road LLC for site plan and special permit approval for the development of a parking garage on property located on East Post Road, White Plains, New York.] SECOND. ALL IN FAVOR? AYE. OPPOSED. CARRIED. ITEM 12 IS A RESOLUTION OF THE COMMON COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF WHITE PLAINS APPROVING THE APPLICATION SUBMITTED ON BEHALF OF WHITE PLAINS HOSPITAL CENTER 34 EPR, LLC AND EAST POST ROAD LLC FOR SITE PLAN AND SPECIAL PERMIT APPROVAL FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF A PARKING GARAGE ON PROPERTY LOCATED ON EAST POST ROAD, WHITE PLAINS, NEW YORK. ADOPTION OF THE RESOLUTION. SECOND, IT'S BEEN MOVED AND SECONDED. ANY DISCUSSION? ALL IN FAVOR? AYE. [13. Public Hearing in relation to an ordinance amending the Zoning Ordinance of the City of White Plains pertaining to eligible facilities requests for personal wireless service facilities.] OPPOSED. CARRIES. THE NEXT ITEM ON OUR AGENDA IS ITEM 13, A PUBLIC HEARING IN RELATION TO AN ORDINANCE AMENDING THE ZONING ORDINANCE OF THE CITY OF WHITE PLAINS PERTAINING TO ELIGIBLE FACILITIES. REQUESTS FOR PERSONAL WIRELESS SERVICE FACILITIES. MOVE TO OPEN THE PUBLIC HEARING. SECOND. ALL IN FAVOR? AYE. OPPOSED? THE HEARING IS OPEN. IS THERE ANYONE WHO SHOULD BE HEARD ON THIS SUBJECT? IS THERE A MOTION TO CLOSE THE PUBLIC HEARING? SO MOVED. SECOND. ALL IN FAVOR? AYE. AYE. OPPOSED? WAIT. [Items 14 - 24] THE HEARING IS CLOSED. OH, SORRY. WAIT. NO. NO. NO. COUNCILMAN BRASS, WOULD YOU MOVE THE COMMUNICATIONS? I MOVED THE COMMUNICATIONS FROM THE COMMISSIONER BUILDINGS [01:20:03] DESIGN REVIEW BOARD. COMMISSIONER OF PLANNING, WHITE PLAINS PLANNING BOARD, COMMISSIONER OF PUBLIC SAFETY, COMMISSIONER OF PUBLIC WORKS. DEPUTY COMMISSIONER. PARKING. TRANSPORTATION COMMISSIONER COMMISSION, COMMISSIONER OF PARKING. WESTCHESTER COUNTY PLANNING BOARD AND ENVIRONMENTAL OFFICER BE FILED AND SPREAD IN FULL UPON THE MINUTES. SECOND. [25. Ordinance amending the Zoning Ordinance of the City of White Plains relating to eligible facilities requests.] ALL IN FAVOR? AYE. OPPOSED. CARRIED. AN ITEM 25 IS AN ORDINANCE AMENDING THE ZONING ORDINANCE OF THE CITY. WHITE PLAINS RELATING TO ELIGIBLE FACILITIES REQUESTS. I OFFER THE ORDINANCE AND ASK FOR UNANIMOUS CONSENT FOR ITS ADOPTION. SECOND. HEARING NO OBJECTION. HEARING NO OBJECTION. SUCH CONSENT IS GRANTED. I MOVE ADOPTION OF THE ORDINANCE. SECOND AND MOVE AND SECOND. AND, MADAM CLERK, WOULD YOU PLEASE CALL THE ROLL? MR. BRASH? YES, MR. FRY PEARSON? YES. MR. MARTIN? YES. MR. PAYNE? YES. MISS PRESSER. YES. MRS. PUJA. YES, MR. MAYOR. YES. THAT CONCLUDES OUR AGENDA FOR THIS EVENING. I JUST WANT TO REMIND PEOPLE THAT, FIRST OF ALL, I WISH EVERYONE HAPPY HOLIDAYS. I HOPE EVERYONE HAD A NICE THANKSGIVING. AS WE ENTER THE HOLIDAY SEASON, I WISH YOU ALL WELL. AND I KNOW THE COUNCIL DOES AS WELL. A COUPLE OF ITEMS THAT ARE COMING UP. WE'VE GOT THE ANNUAL, UM, DOWNTOWN WHITE PLAINS HOLIDAY MARKET, WHICH IS THIS YEAR GOING TO BE LOCATED IN WHAT SOME WOULD CALL A BARNES AND NOBLE SPACE. ANOTHER WOULD CALL THE SPIRIT SPACE, BUT IN THE CITY CENTER. AND THAT IS GOING TO BE DECEMBER 5TH THROUGH DECEMBER 14TH FROM 11 A.M. TO 7 P.M.. IT WILL HAVE 35 LOCAL VENDORS OFFERING ARTISANAL GOODS, HANDMADE CANDLES, FRESH SANGRIA AND HANDCRAFTED GIFTS. ET CETERA, ETC. AND ON NEW YEAR'S EVE, AND AS I OFTEN COMMENT, THIS IS THE ONE HOLIDAY THAT WE CELEBRATE ON THE ACTUAL HOLIDAY IN WHITE PLAINS. UM, WE ARE GOING TO HAVE OUR ANNUAL BALL DROP AND PARTY. UM, SO THE WELCOMING WILL TAKE PLACE AT A 9:50 P.M. AND THE MUSIC WITH THE DJ STARTS AT TEN. UM, THE BAND COMES ON AT 11 AND THE BALL GETS DROPPED AT MIDNIGHT. SO WE HOPE TO SEE YOU ALL THERE. IS THERE A MOTION TO ADJOURN? ADJOURN THE MEETING. SO MOVED. SECOND. ALL IN FAVOR? AYE. OPPOSED. CARRIED. THANK YOU EVERYONE. THANK YOU. * This transcript was compiled from uncorrected Closed Captioning.