[Citizens to Be Heard on June 1, 2026.]
          [00:03:54]
          GOOD EVENING. I CALL THIS JUNE
1ST MEETING OF CITIZENS TO BE HEARD. THE FIRST PART OF OUR
COUNCIL MEETING. THIS IS AN OPPORTUNITY FOR ANYONE WHO
WANTS TO TESTIFY FROM THE CITY OF WHITE PLAINS TO HAVE THREE
MINUTES TO SAY WHATEVER THEY WOULD LIKE TO SAY. YOU. WHEN
YOU COME UP, PLEASE STATE YOUR ADDRESS. PLEASE ADDRESS US WITH
RESPECT AND YOU HAVE THREE MINUTES AND WE''D LOVE TO HEAR
WHAT YOU HAVE TO SAY. 
          JEFFREY KLEIN. 
          OKAY. 
          GOOD EVENING, MAYOR AND MEMBERS
OF THE COUNCIL. UM, I AM JEFFREY JEFFREY KLEIN, 25
ROCKLEDGE AVENUE. UM, I''M A RESIDENT OF THE CITY FOR OVER
50 YEARS. UH, I''M HERE TO SPEAK VERY BRIEFLY IN THREE MINUTES. 
          ON THREE SUBJECTS. THE FIRST IS
EASY. I WANTED TO CONGRATULATE KEVIN HODAPP ON HIS NOMINATION
TO BE THE BUILDING COMMISSIONER. I HAVE WORKED
WITH HIM WITH CLIENTS OVER 
          [00:05:01]
SEVERAL YEARS, AND I KNOW THAT
HE''S A VERY GOOD CHOICE FOR THAT POSITION. SO
CONGRATULATIONS. UH, SECOND, UM, I REPRESENT A GOOD NUMBER
OF TAXI OPERATORS, OWNERS, AND BASE STATIONS IN THE CITY, AND
I AM HERE TO PLEAD FOR AN EMERGENCY. GASOLINE SURCHARGE
ON TAXI FARES. UM, A YEAR AND A HALF AGO, I WROTE A LETTER TO
THE PRIOR ADMINISTRATION ASKING THAT THE TAXI FARES BE
INCREASED BECAUSE THEY HAD NOT BEEN INCREASED SINCE 2003. THE
MAYOR SAID HE REFERRED THAT TO THE LEGAL DEPARTMENT. I DIDN''T
HEAR A THING SINCE, YOUR HONOR. 
          I SENT ALMOST AN IDENTICAL
LETTER UPDATING THE FIGURES AT THE BEGINNING OF YOUR
ADMINISTRATION, AND YOU WERE GRACIOUS ENOUGH TO REFER IT TO
PUBLIC SAFETY, WHICH ACTUALLY REGULATES TAXIS. I''VE HAD
SEVERAL MEETINGS WITH THEM, AND I AM VERY HOPEFUL THAT IN THE
NEAR FUTURE YOU WILL RECEIVE A COMMUNICATION FROM THE
COMMISSIONER OF PUBLIC SAFETY RECOMMENDING A PERMANENT
INCREASE IN THOSE FARES. BUT UNTIL THAT HAPPENS, MY PEOPLE
ARE STARVING OUT THERE. THEY''RE GOING OUT WITH THEIR TAXIS AND
THEY''RE PAYING $4.50 A GALLON FOR GASOLINE. WHEN A FEW MONTHS
AGO, THEY WERE PAYING $3 AND THAT WAS EXORBITANT. WITH THAT,
THEY WERE BARELY MAKING IT. NOW SOME OF THEM ARE LOSING MONEY
AND STAYING HOME. SO I DON''T KNOW WHAT THE EMERGENCY POWERS
OF THE MAYOR AND THE COUNCIL ARE. BUT PLEASE DON''T WAIT FOR
THAT COMMUNICATION THAT I''M HOPING FOR FROM THE
COMMISSIONER OF PUBLIC SAFETY. 
          SEE WHAT YOU CAN DO IN BETWEEN
MEETINGS, AT YOUR WORK SESSIONS. 
          UM, THE FINAL ITEM I SEE THAT
THERE IS A, UH, A AN ITEM ON TODAY''S AGENDA WHERE THE
COUNCIL IS ASKED TO AUTHORIZE A, LAWSUIT AGAINST DISH
WIRELESS. I AM CURIOUS AS TO HOW MUCH THE ARREARS ARE THAT
ARE BEING SOUGHT, AND WHICH PUBLIC PROPERTY DISH WIRELESS
IS USING. CAN SOMEONE TELL ME. 
          WE CANNOT? YOU SHOULD CALL THE
LEGAL DEPARTMENT PROBABLY TOMORROW AND ASK THEM. 
          AND THEY WILL GIVE ME AN
ANSWER. 
          IT MAY BE IN OUR PACKET, BUT
YOU KNOW WELL, SOMEBODY WILL GIVE YOU AN ANSWER. AND IF THEY
DON''T, YOU SHOULD CALL ME PERSONALLY TOMORROW. AND I WILL
SEE TO IT THAT YOU SPEAK TO SOMEBODY WHO CAN GIVE YOU AN
ANSWER. 
          THANK YOU. 
          MAYOR. THANK YOU. DO WE HAVE
ANYONE ELSE? WOULD ANYONE ELSE LIKE TO SPEAK AT CITIZENS TO BE
HEARD? WELL, THEN I WILL, UH. 
          UM, WE WILL WE WILL ADJOURN THE
SESSION AND CLOSE THIS SESSION OF CITIZENS TO BE HEARD. AND WE
WILL. WE WILL COMMENCE OUR OFFICIAL AND REGULAR MEETING AT
07:30 P.M.. THANK YOU. THANK YOU.
* This transcript was compiled from uncorrected Closed Captioning.