Video recording

Taylor here. Liz, take it away. Sorry, you didn't have to go back to your seat. Good evening. Thank you to the town of Webster town board members and deputy supervisor um for letting me speak on this issue that I've been thinking about the last few uh few weeks. As a Webster resident, I have been noticing these past few months that the litter on our roadways have become an eyesore. Now, recently, like in the past day or so, I know we're now in the spring season and businesses um are starting to be aware of what's on their property and having landscapers come in and pick up. But prior to the last couple days, I have taken upon myself to, you know, as a resident of Webster, I want to live in a nice environment, as do all of you.

So, I have gone out numerous times and picked up stuff at North Ponds Park. I have picked up stuff in the property behind Wendy's across the street at that business where the AT&T business is. And recently, I just went over to the uh AMC movie theater and picked up stuff on their green space right in front of the parking lot. And I did speak to the manager of the theater and he is aware that a lot of the litter that we get on Empire Boulevard tends to come from, you know, where whomever that's driving down Empire. It's a very busy um roadway. I understand that. But one, I'd like to know uh who controls that roadway, if it's county, state, or town, because it divides into Webster, into Penfield.

So, it's a kind of a challenging road to monitor. But, uh, one of the culprits I believe that is the reason for so much litter is our companies that pick up our garbage. And I can tell you that I have followed a couple garbage trucks over the last few years and they don't either they're not patting down the garbage or it's when they're flinging the stuff into the garbage trucks. They're I don't it's just like there's stuff that's left on the ground and I don't understand. I think it comes from the fact that I know they're in a rush. they have to do their job. But, you know, as a resident, I would think that if if that's on their property that the homeowner would say, "Oh, there's stuff that's on the ground.

I need to pick that up." But many don't. And so, what happens is on windy days as as we have had in the last uh few, you know, last few months, that stuff gets traveled into someone else's property. The biggest concern I have along with that is there's a lot of areas along Webster that are considered I don't call them dead zones but I don't know who who owns the property. They're woodsy areas on Empire across from CVS and so um nobody's monitoring that property. So what happens is it becomes like a a garbage dump. I have I don't know I'm very aware of my surroundings and when I'm driving and and when you're walking you see things that you don't see when you're in your car.

So I'm asking the town of Webster and if the supervisor was here that he would be hearing this as well. I really think that as the town I think we need to take some action whether it's adopt a highway. I know that's on 490,590, but I I think that as as a community, I think we need to take part in that. And that may be to let the businesses empire take more ownership. I know the village has, as Miss Kaldi was telling me the other day, they seem to they have a network of of a community that takes part in making sure that the village looks presentable. You know, if you're an out oftowner and you come into a town and you're seeing litter all over, it makes you wonder, you know, what's going on here.

Um, I know over the winter things at, you know, it it it's a messy season as far as I'm concerned and then spring shows up and then you see things that are being exposed. So, I guess I one I'd like to have either the supervisor send out something to, you know, like waste management or um Cassella. Um I think they just need to tell their their employees to be more um I don't know, just when they're doing their job, just be more respectful of when they're removing trash. Secondly, the business in the Empire Boulevard. Um, I would say from from the intersection of Shoe Craft or Hard Road, Empire Ridge to Empire, it seems like as you go now, if you were to drive down there right now, you would say, "Oh, things look pretty good." Yeah, because some of that I picked up and as well as you know some of the businesses stepping up and and making their businesses look presentable.

So I know there are one in particular landlord who owns the ATN that little plaza there across from the old raid. Um I don't I don't I think he's a little negligent. I don't know who the person is who owns that um property. Um, but I do know from someone who came out of one of the businesses said that they all lease that space from this landlord. So, I don't know if you guys have access to who owns properties throughout Webster, but um it would make me feel better if you know something can be, you know, acted on, you know, whether it's something we could connect like with the village and maybe these businesses on Empire could take some part in because I'm sorry, it's few weeks ago it was like really this this is awful.

And I'm very as I've the I don't know I'm just because I go down empire constantly and I'm more aware of that what I'm seeing. So if that's something that you as the town board could maybe think about maybe try to I don't know. I'm up for any other ideas but Liz thank you. I think we're probably closing in on five minutes but I want to thank you for coming and thank you. We did speak the other day um at length and um first of all I want to thank you for being so passionate about it and for going out and actually taking action and cleaning up. Um I I did want to be sure that you were wearing gloves and you were wearing some sort of safety equipment while you're doing this.

We don't want you to be injured. Um I believe that state route it's a state route 404. Um which would be Ridge Road Empire Boulevard through there. Um, I also did speak with our director of communications about the possibility of putting something out from the town with a message that that we need to be mindful of keeping our community clean and um being sure that we can all be proud of it. So, um, as far as the supervisor, I'm pretty sure he's probably watching tonight, so he I'm sure he heard you. And if not, we will talk about it next week. But I know that when I've been gone for the past few weeks on Thursday nights, I'm tuning into the meeting and watching it.

So I suspect he is too. Um and and we'll do what we can. Yes. Thank you. Appreciate it. Is there any You were the only one who signed in. Is there anyone else who wishes to speak tonight? No takers. Okay. Thank you. The next item on the agenda are minutes to be considered for approval from the April 3rd and the April workshop and the the town board meeting. Um, unfortunately, I was not present at that meeting and I cannot vote on these. I can't move it and I can't vote on it, which only leaves us two board members this evening. So, I am going to make a motion to table the approval of those minutes of the April 3rd workshop and town board meeting to be approved at our next meeting on May first.

1. That's my motion. Second. Thank you. Deputy Supervisor Cataly I. Councilwoman W. I. Councilwoman Wright I. The next item is consideration to approve bills as submitted by the director of finance. Um, Councilman Cahill approved looked at the bills this week and he did send me a message saying that everything was in order and it was uh he would vote to approve those. I will make the motion in his absence that we approve the bills as submitted by the director of finance. Second. Deputy Supervisor Cataly I. Councilwoman Wright I. Councilwoman W. I. Uh, next we have approval for the prepaid warrants is submitted by the director of finance.

I did have a chance to review those and I would move that we approve them. Second. Deputy Supervisor Cataly I. Councilwoman Wright I. Councilman W. I. Uh, and also I reviewed the purchase orders and I would make a motion that we approve those. Second. Deputy Supervisor Cataly. Councilwoman Wright I. Councilman Wyn I. That's okay. Are we all good? We're good. The fourth item on our agenda tonight is a recision of resolution number 128 of 2025 that set a public hearing for May 1st, 2025 that was to be published in the April 16th edition of the Webster Herald on potential code changes relating to code enforcement.

This Oh, sorry. Yep. Not yet. This relates to um a presentation at the workshop on April 3rd of potential code changes such as property maintenance, storage of cars outside and and various items that were being recommended by our department of community development that we look at revising. I want to address this because a lot of people see things on social media and they assume that it's true. And of course, most of us know that nothing could be farther from the truth. So, something that was posted yesterday said that the town board temporarily rescended a motion to revise the local laws related to zoning and development, most likely to align with New York State smart growth principles as set forth by Kier Engineering toward the purpose of aligning local law with New York State Webster government 2040 comprehensive plan that they hope to develop in conjunction with the New York State government.

I'm not even sure what that means, but that is not what this motion is. So, in order to clarify the motion that we are about to vote on, I am going to read it so that there are no questions as to what it is. at a regular meeting of the Webster Town Board of the Town of Webster, Monroe County, New York, held at the town board meeting room 10002 Ridge Road on the 17th day of April at 7:30 p.m. The following resolution, and I will make that resolution, is whereas the final language of the proposed changes to section 243, 320-22, 324, and 350 of the Webster Town Code has not been finalized and is still in development.

and as a result it would be premature to schedule a public hearing. Whereas on April 3rd by resolution number 128 of 20125 the town board and the town of Webster passed a resolution to schedule public hearing for May 1st at 7:30 to consider a local law to change the above mentioned sections of the Webster Town Code and to publish notice in the Webster Herald at least 5 days prior to such public hearing. I am assuming and Josh is not here tonight. I am I am assuming that when the um language of those proposed changes is ready, we will publish that and we will set the public hearing at that time.

So for now we are moving to resend that previous resolution and we will revisit at a later date. That is my motion. Second. Deputy Supervisor Cataly I. Councilwoman Wright I. Councilwoman Wyn I. And for anyone who's tuning in at home and might be tuning in a little bit late, um, don't leave to get the popcorn yet because this is our last resolution for the evening. It's a very brief meeting and I would move that we approve surplus or transfer. This is actually a truck that is going to auction from the sewer department. It is a 1994 Chevy Kodiak dump truck, asset tag 3928. I did speak with Art Patron, our supervisor of this sewer department, and he told me that this is going to auction.

They've actually, and it's a full-size dump truck from 1994. they've actually procured a smaller truck which is is much more um compatible with their needs. So they are they have taken delivery of that and they're excited about that and they're ready to move this one on. So that's my move my motion. Second. Deputy Supervisor Cataly I. Councilwoman W I. Councilwoman Wright I. We do have some department heads with us tonight. Bridget, did you have anything you'd like to add? Um yes. Um we um have a few exciting things on the horizon. Um I won't steal the thunder um of what I assume Councilwoman Wright will You can steal my thunder.

You work so hard on putting these. So last week we had a um press conference announcing the start of our comprehensive plan um project um and our first community meeting for that will be next Tuesday, April 22nd at the um rec center and later this week we'll be cutting the ribbon on the new highway facility. Um so a lot of exciting things coming up. Um, I'll also put it out there that we've been hosting community office hours every month um since February um to raise some awareness about the reevaluation that is going to be happening in 2027. But we want to raise community awareness about that to make sure everyone's informed and is with us on this journey um and that we want to be your partner and your place for good information throughout that process.

So stay tuned for um more community engagement events for that. And that is why Bridget is our head of communications. Beautifully stated. Thank you, Bridget. Thanks, Patty. Paul, do you have anything you want to add from the finance department? Sure. I uh I filed the town's uh ARPA report this uh this past week. Uh it's due uh at the end of April of each year. It covers covers the fiscal year from April to the end of March. And uh we have to report uh the money that's been utilized. We received over $4 million dollars of ARPA funds a couple of years ago. So we have to report how those have been spent and how we expect to spend the remainder.

Uh all remaining funds are now obligated which we are required to do by the end of December and uh we have to have those funds spent by the end of uh 2026 which should not be an issue. So, the the two remaining largest pieces are we're devoting funds to the u the reevaluation and to the highway building project. So, thank you, Paul. Kyle, do you have anything you want to add? I don't have anything tonight. Thanks, Patty. You're welcome. And last, but certainly not least, Denine. Um, it's business as usual at the town clerk's office. We are collecting our fourth installment payments for town and county taxes.

Um you can use the dropbox in between the two front doors at town hall. Mail them in or come in person. We're always happy to see anyone. Thank you Bridget. You did such a great job on catching everybody up with all that's new. I am going to make a motion that we close the meeting of April 17th. Excuse me. Can I say something? I mean it's um because it's the coming up is the 50 years of the downfall of Saigon. So I would like to take this time to um share a little bit of history about my family and also to thanks all the veterans. April 29, 1975, the day that changed my family and many other South Vietnamese lives forever.

With less than one day from being a wealthy and privileged life, we got into nothing. My father, an electrical engineer, a lieutenant colonel officer of the South Vietnamese army, a green bare specialist also, you know, we lost everything and we was forced to leave Saigon to find freedom. He wanted to live on he he did not want to live under the communist regime so we escaped s the communist. He chose to live in America because he knows we could build a new life here and he was right. He worked really hard to take care of his family. We have doctor, engineers, pharmacist, naval officer in our family.

My father always told his children, "America is the greatest country in the world. Don't move anywhere. If anything happened to her, we stand here and we fight with her. Freedom is worth fighting for." My family owe gratitude and great appreciation to all veterans, our fallen heroes, and our military for their sacrifice. My son and I want to serve our community to give back the generous act that they were giving to us. Please say thank you when you see our veterans, our Vietnam veteran especially and all the soldier, all the men and women in their uniform for their courage. Also, I would like to switch.

There will be an event in the Webster Library for a special needs student I mean parents resource fair this coming Saturday from 12 to 2:00 p.m. And there's a book sales as we're going on the end of this month at the library and also when have a tech drugs too on Saturday um next week from 10 to 200 p.m. Please come out and support our Webster Library and Webster Museum. They exist because of you. Also, please shop and dine our locally um at our local businesses. And pe please be kind and be thankful for what you have. Appreciate and embrace our differences for that is what America is about. God bless you all and God bless America.

Thank you. Thank you, Jenny. Jennifer, do you have anything to add? We may as well. Um, not after that. Nice job, Jenny. Not after that. I'll save it for next meeting. Okay. And the when drug takeback, uh, that Jenny mentioned on Saturday the 26th is out right outside in front of this building, just so everybody knows where it is. Um, and with that, I will move that we close the meeting. Second. All in favor? I I The meeting is closed. Thank you. Thank you.