Town Board, 4/17/2012

 Gil Kaumann, chairman of the Senior Advisory Committee said that he hadn’t gotten a response to his request two weeks ago regarding what the plan was to provide the senior clubs with additional transportation this year.In response, Supervisor Grace said that there would be about 14 hours of overtime to operate the existing vans and that the additional cost would be ”nominal.”

Explaining that she had been approached by many seniors who were still confused about the bus issue, Jennie Menton reviewed the history of the issue and how, she said, the Town Board agreed to provide the transportation this year even though the clubs had been told last year that there would be no out-of-town transportation for lunches this year.She added that when the Senior Advisory Committee was told last year that there were no funds for supplies for the senior computer room, the Committee accepted that decision and looked for outside money. But now, she said, maybe we should ask again.

Rhoda Sussman repeated the need for continuing the bus service.

During Courtesy of the Floor, Gil Kaufmann, chairman of the Senior Advisory Committee and Jennie Menton both raised questions about the resolution passed last week that would give five senior clubs additional bus transportation this year. Pointing out that there are seven, not five clubs,Mr. Kaufmann wanted to know how the additional trips were going to be paid for and how the town would handle requests for two clubs on the same day. Saying that it shouldn’t have been necessary for her to be at this meeting, Ms. Menton chastised the board for not followingthe Town’s rules and regulations and for undercutting Mary DeSilva, the head of the Town’s nutrition program. She asked the board to rescind last week’s resolution. She said that this was the second time that the board had compromised on a senior issue and implied that the decisions were influenced by election year concerns. (Editor’s note: the earlier decision, in 2009, made the Jefferson Village Travel Club eligible for Town funds to subsidize the club’s trips.)

When Councilman Bianco explained that the vote was a compromise and that in a democracy we have to compromise, Ms. Menton took exception to his definition of democracy stating that democracy did not mean going against rules and regulations. Compromise, she said, meant doing things the right way.

Councilman Bianco said he had been told that the Town had the money to pay for the additional transportation.

Members of several senior clubs appeared before the board to try to resolve the issue over whether the Town will provide transportation to special club luncheons held outside of Yorktown (at Cortlandt Colonial Restaurant). Calling the issue “confusing,” Supervisor Grace asked Mary DeSilva, the director of the Town’s nutrition program and the person in charge of senior transportation to clarify the issue.

Ms. DeSilva explained that before the clubs started meeting at the YCCC, they arranged their own bus transportation for these luncheons. Once they started meeting at the YCCC, the Town provided the buses. However, she explained, as the Town’s transportation services to seniors to bring them to the Nutrition Center as well as for shopping and medical appointments within Town have expanded over the years, she did not have the resources (buses and/or drivers) to transport seniors out of town. She said that she had advised the clubs last year that this service would no longer be available in 2012. Despite that notice, three clubs scheduled a total of five out of town luncheons for 2012 and made deposits.

It was also explained that the transportation to the luncheons that was being requested by the clubs was separate and apart from the $2,100 each club receives on an annual basis to subsidize special out of town trips selected by the clubs.

There was some disagreement over what actions the board may have taken when the issue was brought to their attention at previous meetings. While some participants thought that the board had promised to provide the transportation, Tony Grasso said that as someone who has attended all board meetings, he did not recall the board ever voting on the issue. What may have happened, he suggested, was that one person on the board said that the issue would be addressed. Supervisor Grace said he recalled that the board said, “It would work on it” but that no decision had been made. It was a mistake, he added, that the issue had not been dealt with.

Explaining that he was trying to get all the parties to “play together nicely in the sandbox,” Supervisor Grace said he didn’t want to get involved in issues of equity and fairness among the different clubs which vary in size from 45-200 members. Nor did he want to micro manage the clubs.Acting on his suggestion, the board voted 4-0 with Councilman Paganelli abstaining because some of the clubs hold their functions at Traveler’s Rest, to consider 2012 a transition year that would provide every club with transportation, including to out of town sites, once only this year in a 14 passenger van. The offer wouldbe extended to clubs that have not previously asked for transportation. The board will also develop a policy for the following year so that everyone will know exactly what services and resources would be available to them in the future. ( It was not clear if the policy for next year would continue to provide luncheon transportation within town. ) The cost of providing this additional service for 2012 was not discussed.

Mr. Grasso and Jennie Menton were not pleased with the compromise and accused the board of giving in to the people with the loudest mouths and having done a disservice to their own employees.

Town Board, 3/6/2012

During Courtesy of the Floor Rhoda Sussman, representing Senior Clubs 1 & 2, asked for clarification about the availability of the town’s senior vans to take club members to four special luncheons scheduled this year at the Cortlandt Colonial Restaurant. Councilman Bianco said he thought that this issue had been resolved earlier and that the drivers would work flexible schedules on those days. Supervisor Grace said he would work it out.

During Courtesy of the Floor, Rhoda Sussman, president of Seniors Chapter 1 and vice president of Chapter 2 started to raise the issue of transportation to the seniors’ annual Christmas luncheon at the Cortlandt Colonial restaurant when Supervisor Grace and Councilman Bianco interrupted her to say that the problem had been solved. At issue was the availability of the town’s senior van to transport people to the restaurant without incurring overtime costs. The problem was solved during the board's pre-session discussion when it was deciced that the time for the luncheon could be adjusted and that flextime could be used to adjust the schedule for the drivers.