WEBVTT 1 00:00:00.840 --> 00:00:02.960 Hudson River Radio dot com. 2 00:00:03.279 --> 00:00:04.559 It beats listening to nothing. 3 00:00:05.639 --> 00:00:10.240 My goodness, it's Frank being Frank fright, where the only 4 00:00:10.279 --> 00:00:15.839 way to be is Frank. Hello everyone, and welcome to 5 00:00:15.960 --> 00:00:19.239 being Frank. We're the only way to be is Frank. 6 00:00:19.640 --> 00:00:21.760 I'm your host, Franklborn, and i'd like to thank you 7 00:00:21.800 --> 00:00:23.839 for joining us on what we like to call the 8 00:00:23.879 --> 00:00:28.640 Intelligent Conversation Podcast, where no conversation is out of bounds 9 00:00:28.679 --> 00:00:32.159 and all points of view are welcome. Those familiar with 10 00:00:32.200 --> 00:00:35.359 the program know the routine. I give you the dates 11 00:00:35.560 --> 00:00:38.439 so you have some context and relevance. It is the 12 00:00:38.600 --> 00:00:42.560 seventeenth of December, well on the way into the holiday season. 13 00:00:42.560 --> 00:00:45.920 The Happy Hanuka to everyone, and sooner Merry Christmas, whatever 14 00:00:46.000 --> 00:00:50.039 holiday you choose to celebrate. Former Speaker of the House 15 00:00:50.079 --> 00:00:53.640 Tip O'Neil is most famously associated with the phrase all 16 00:00:53.679 --> 00:00:57.240 politics is local. Of course, by that he meant that 17 00:00:57.439 --> 00:00:59.799 no matter how high the office is, it all boils 18 00:00:59.840 --> 00:01:02.719 down to the people and if their basic needs are 19 00:01:02.759 --> 00:01:06.120 being met or not by a candidate. Perhaps that's why 20 00:01:06.280 --> 00:01:09.040 local elections are the most important of all. It is 21 00:01:09.280 --> 00:01:12.040 these people that we elect that will ultimately have the 22 00:01:12.079 --> 00:01:15.959 most effect on our daily lives. It's also become cliche 23 00:01:16.000 --> 00:01:18.840 to say this is the most important election of our lives. 24 00:01:19.040 --> 00:01:21.799 But I find that to be trite because every election 25 00:01:21.959 --> 00:01:24.879 is important, and more than fifty years of voting, I've 26 00:01:24.879 --> 00:01:28.400 never missed it's that important, and certainly, considering the sea 27 00:01:28.480 --> 00:01:31.760 change we are witnessing on the federal level, every election 28 00:01:31.959 --> 00:01:35.640 does take on additional importance. One of those key local 29 00:01:35.719 --> 00:01:39.519 elections is the New York State thirty eighth Senatorial District 30 00:01:39.560 --> 00:01:42.680 that consists of most of Rockland County, the exception being 31 00:01:42.719 --> 00:01:47.400 Stony Point. It pits GOP incumbent Bill Weber versus his 32 00:01:47.519 --> 00:01:51.760 Democratic challenger, the current mayor of Nyak, New York, Joe Rand. 33 00:01:52.000 --> 00:01:54.040 We have invited mister Rand to join us for some 34 00:01:54.079 --> 00:01:57.280 intelligent conversation on the most important issues in this race. 35 00:01:57.799 --> 00:02:00.760 Let me introduce you to Joe Rand. He is the 36 00:02:00.799 --> 00:02:03.280 mayor of the village of Niak, New York, also serving 37 00:02:03.359 --> 00:02:07.120 as both a trustee and deputy mayor since twenty twenty one. 38 00:02:07.680 --> 00:02:11.240 As mayor, he was responsible for securing the highly competitive 39 00:02:11.719 --> 00:02:16.879 four point five million New York Forward Downtown Revitalization Grant, 40 00:02:16.960 --> 00:02:20.680 as well as millions in other federal, state and County 41 00:02:20.719 --> 00:02:24.719 grants to build sidewalks, upgrades the village fleet, and remake 42 00:02:24.879 --> 00:02:28.719 Memorial Park. He also has an extensive professional background as 43 00:02:28.719 --> 00:02:33.080 the chief creative officer of the RAND Realty Brokerage, which 44 00:02:33.159 --> 00:02:37.400 last year helped consumers sell six thousand homes worth over 45 00:02:37.599 --> 00:02:41.159 three billion dollars in value throughout the Tri state area. 46 00:02:41.599 --> 00:02:45.319 He is also a civic leader, educator, and author whose 47 00:02:45.360 --> 00:02:50.000 career SPAN's municipal government, real estate, higher education, and non 48 00:02:50.120 --> 00:02:53.199 profit service. A resident of Rockland County for more than 49 00:02:53.280 --> 00:02:57.919 thirty five years, Rand has built a reputation for pragmatic leadership, 50 00:02:58.280 --> 00:03:02.680 innovative problem solving in a deep commitment to strengthening the 51 00:03:02.719 --> 00:03:06.080 communities he serves. Mister Mayer, Joe Ryan, thank you so 52 00:03:06.199 --> 00:03:07.800 much for joining us here on being front. 53 00:03:08.639 --> 00:03:10.240 Hi. It's my pleasure, Frank to be here. Thank you 54 00:03:10.319 --> 00:03:13.120 for having me. It's good to be back. Joe. 55 00:03:13.199 --> 00:03:15.039 Let's look talk a little bit again. You have very 56 00:03:15.159 --> 00:03:17.560 very background, as we mentioned, How did you first go 57 00:03:18.080 --> 00:03:23.240 from real estate to basically business to politics. How did 58 00:03:23.240 --> 00:03:24.199 you make that transition? 59 00:03:24.719 --> 00:03:26.879 Well, you know how they say timing is everything right, 60 00:03:26.960 --> 00:03:30.240 And what happened with me was that in September of 61 00:03:30.280 --> 00:03:33.039 twenty twenty right is the COVID restrictions were winding down, 62 00:03:33.840 --> 00:03:36.479 we did a deal. I've been in the real estate business. 63 00:03:36.759 --> 00:03:38.240 I was in the business for twenty years, but when 64 00:03:38.240 --> 00:03:40.159 I got out of college, I got a law degree. 65 00:03:40.319 --> 00:03:41.960 I then was a law clerk. I worked as a 66 00:03:42.039 --> 00:03:45.400 law professor, and then got in two thousand and one, 67 00:03:45.439 --> 00:03:47.599 I got pulled into my real estate company, my family's 68 00:03:47.599 --> 00:03:50.639 real estate company, to work with them. I did marketing, 69 00:03:50.680 --> 00:03:54.759 I did legal, I did training and education and compliance 70 00:03:54.759 --> 00:03:57.520 and things like that, and we built a company. We 71 00:03:57.560 --> 00:04:01.680 had a wonderful run, turned it to like ten times 72 00:04:01.719 --> 00:04:03.639 the size it was when I got there, my brothers 73 00:04:03.680 --> 00:04:06.199 and I and my mother who had founded the company. 74 00:04:07.159 --> 00:04:10.240 And then twenty twenty, I decided to get out. I'd 75 00:04:10.360 --> 00:04:12.000 been doing it enough on a day to day basis. 76 00:04:12.080 --> 00:04:14.680 I've been living or dying with every house sale, and 77 00:04:14.719 --> 00:04:17.480 it just got so stressful. So we sold part of 78 00:04:17.519 --> 00:04:19.279 the company. I sold most of my interests out. I 79 00:04:19.360 --> 00:04:21.240 kept some, so I still have an interest in the 80 00:04:21.240 --> 00:04:23.519 family company, and I still rooting for them, and I'm 81 00:04:23.519 --> 00:04:26.360 doing some work with them periodically. But I got out 82 00:04:26.360 --> 00:04:28.439 of the day to day which was really grinding me, 83 00:04:29.480 --> 00:04:32.199 and I was going to do a lot of speaking. 84 00:04:32.240 --> 00:04:34.000 I had written two books in real estate. I was 85 00:04:34.000 --> 00:04:37.680 getting invited to speak at associations and brokers across the country. 86 00:04:37.720 --> 00:04:40.360 I was making good money doing that. In the midst 87 00:04:40.399 --> 00:04:42.759 of that, Elijah Wright with the Milly got elected to 88 00:04:42.800 --> 00:04:45.040 the state Senate and he was a trustee in Nayak, 89 00:04:45.439 --> 00:04:48.079 and it left a spot open on the board of trustees. 90 00:04:48.279 --> 00:04:52.240 And right around that same time, the board of Trustees 91 00:04:52.439 --> 00:04:56.120 of South Nayak had put themselves in a position where 92 00:04:56.160 --> 00:04:58.519 they had to dissolve the entire village. A village with 93 00:04:58.560 --> 00:05:01.199 one hundred and fifty year history got dissolved in the 94 00:05:01.240 --> 00:05:03.920 span of about six months because of mismanagement by the 95 00:05:04.000 --> 00:05:07.560 administration there, and it was really sad. And I saw 96 00:05:07.600 --> 00:05:08.959 what had happened in South Nike, and I didn't want 97 00:05:08.959 --> 00:05:10.360 to see what happened tonight. So I said, you know what, 98 00:05:10.600 --> 00:05:12.600 I really should get involved, because I think I'm good 99 00:05:12.639 --> 00:05:15.079 at what I do, and I think i'd be good 100 00:05:15.120 --> 00:05:17.279 at it and I could make sure that where I 101 00:05:17.319 --> 00:05:19.519 live is well taken care of. So I went to 102 00:05:19.560 --> 00:05:21.800 Don Hammond, it was the mayor, and I volunteered for 103 00:05:21.839 --> 00:05:23.680 the position. And there were a bunch of very good 104 00:05:23.680 --> 00:05:27.120 people who volunteered, but he chose me. I then finished 105 00:05:27.120 --> 00:05:29.399 out that term. I got elected that fall in twenty one, 106 00:05:29.759 --> 00:05:31.560 got elected again in twenty three, and then when he 107 00:05:31.600 --> 00:05:36.879 stepped down he retired, I decided to run from mayor. 108 00:05:36.879 --> 00:05:39.079 I got elected two years and got reelected last month. 109 00:05:39.600 --> 00:05:41.399 And I really that was why I got involved. It 110 00:05:41.439 --> 00:05:44.120 was really about the fact that I want to protect 111 00:05:44.120 --> 00:05:44.560 where I live. 112 00:05:45.120 --> 00:05:48.120 I really, did you know, Joe, considering the state of 113 00:05:48.240 --> 00:05:51.560 local politics and my old TKR days, I had some 114 00:05:51.720 --> 00:05:56.680 involvement with it and realized it's tougher that most people realize. 115 00:05:56.839 --> 00:06:00.639 So some might say you went from the stress of 116 00:06:00.639 --> 00:06:02.920 of the frying pan and jumped into the fire. 117 00:06:03.920 --> 00:06:06.439 Yes, there's a lot of that. Well, I'll give you 118 00:06:06.439 --> 00:06:09.680 an example. I'll give you an example that you know. 119 00:06:10.680 --> 00:06:12.560 We ran the real estate company. It was actually like 120 00:06:12.560 --> 00:06:15.360 four or five companies. It was real estate, mortgage, title insurance, 121 00:06:16.680 --> 00:06:19.720 and they're all Every month we have the P and L, 122 00:06:20.399 --> 00:06:22.360 and every month we have a big monthly nut to 123 00:06:22.439 --> 00:06:25.240 hit to pay all the employees, to pay for all 124 00:06:25.240 --> 00:06:27.279 the facilities, and to pay all the marketing, and to 125 00:06:27.319 --> 00:06:30.600 pay the agents and for their share of the commissions 126 00:06:30.600 --> 00:06:33.279 and things like that. So every month you get those 127 00:06:33.319 --> 00:06:35.399 numbers and it's like you live or die by those numbers. 128 00:06:35.560 --> 00:06:37.279 And that was what really was causing me to stress. 129 00:06:37.319 --> 00:06:38.800 So I said, you know what, at least you know 130 00:06:38.839 --> 00:06:41.399 you run a village. Yeah, it taxes, It's not like 131 00:06:41.720 --> 00:06:43.800 it kind of runs. The taxes don't go up and 132 00:06:43.839 --> 00:06:46.600 down the way that profits do in a real estate company. 133 00:06:46.839 --> 00:06:50.800 Taxes are pretty steady. So that's okay. But little did 134 00:06:50.839 --> 00:06:52.439 I realize that one of the things that I was 135 00:06:52.480 --> 00:06:56.399 going to take leadership of when I got when I 136 00:06:56.399 --> 00:06:59.360 became mayor was I really did want to help revitalize 137 00:06:59.399 --> 00:07:02.639 the downtown and particularly post COVID. I wanted to make 138 00:07:02.639 --> 00:07:05.439 sure that our downtown was going to survive the downturn, 139 00:07:05.920 --> 00:07:08.240 which it did very well. I'm not saying as because 140 00:07:08.240 --> 00:07:13.040 of me, but I did try to help. Yes, Yeah, 141 00:07:13.120 --> 00:07:15.480 and now it's back to I think it's it's back 142 00:07:15.560 --> 00:07:18.720 to nearly full you know, like full employment is three 143 00:07:18.720 --> 00:07:21.079 percent employment because there's always some people move around. We're 144 00:07:21.079 --> 00:07:24.720 pretty close to full occupancy either places are coming or 145 00:07:24.720 --> 00:07:28.199 they're already here. So that's been fine. But the thing is, man, 146 00:07:28.240 --> 00:07:31.439 I'm telling you, all those years I worried about the 147 00:07:31.480 --> 00:07:33.759 p and L from my company. Now I worry about 148 00:07:33.759 --> 00:07:36.079 the P and F. Like two hundred businesses. I worry 149 00:07:36.079 --> 00:07:37.839 about every one of them, and when one of them 150 00:07:37.839 --> 00:07:39.800 goes out of business, it breaks my heart. It does 151 00:07:39.800 --> 00:07:41.560 when when some of these business that have gone out 152 00:07:41.560 --> 00:07:44.000 in the last few years, I just it's a heartbreak 153 00:07:44.759 --> 00:07:45.920 because I really want the mine. 154 00:07:46.240 --> 00:07:48.279 Well, you know, I live in town. I walk regularly, 155 00:07:48.319 --> 00:07:50.759 see you walking, et cetera. And there are you know, 156 00:07:50.800 --> 00:07:55.199 there are less still vacant storefronts and people interpreted a 157 00:07:55.240 --> 00:07:57.079 certain way the town is. But you see it, you 158 00:07:57.120 --> 00:07:58.920 see it online all the time. People out of the 159 00:07:58.959 --> 00:08:01.319 town is fading. I've lived for thirty years. It's never 160 00:08:01.360 --> 00:08:04.319 been worse. You and I've lived here over forty years, 161 00:08:04.319 --> 00:08:07.160 and it's dying every other year. We know that, but 162 00:08:07.839 --> 00:08:10.600 not to make light of it. It is concerning when 163 00:08:10.600 --> 00:08:12.600 you see there are many empty stories. 164 00:08:12.959 --> 00:08:15.240 I love every storefront to be finished. And now I 165 00:08:15.279 --> 00:08:17.319 will tell you this, I know the story in virtually 166 00:08:17.319 --> 00:08:19.240 every storefront. I know what's going on with each one 167 00:08:19.279 --> 00:08:22.079 of them. Some of them are rented and the landlord, 168 00:08:22.439 --> 00:08:24.959 the tenant just hasn't gotten their act together to get 169 00:08:25.000 --> 00:08:28.839 it opened. Some of them are being rent are are 170 00:08:29.360 --> 00:08:32.840 unoccupied and unrented and the landlord just has an unrealistic 171 00:08:32.840 --> 00:08:35.559 expectation of what the rent should be. There's very little. 172 00:08:36.039 --> 00:08:40.399 Put it this way, there's very little in naiak where 173 00:08:41.120 --> 00:08:43.000 not being rented because there's no demand. There is a 174 00:08:43.000 --> 00:08:45.279 lot of demand for businesses to come here. I mean 175 00:08:45.320 --> 00:08:48.080 it's weird because, like running a small businesses one of 176 00:08:48.080 --> 00:08:50.279 the hardest things in the world. But people do want 177 00:08:50.279 --> 00:08:51.840 to work here. It's a good environment to work. It's 178 00:08:51.879 --> 00:08:55.559 a tough environment, but it's probably the most robust downtown 179 00:08:56.399 --> 00:08:58.919 in rock and County. And I mean there's a lot 180 00:08:58.919 --> 00:09:01.360 of good downtowns rock County, but like nik is is, 181 00:09:01.840 --> 00:09:03.279 you know, it's the most it's the biggest. I mean, 182 00:09:03.320 --> 00:09:06.080 we have a we have an actual linear mile of 183 00:09:06.159 --> 00:09:08.840 retail stores. We have two hundred businesses in our downtown, 184 00:09:08.879 --> 00:09:11.960 two hundred business Our village consists of seventy five hundred 185 00:09:11.960 --> 00:09:14.519 people and we have two hundred businesses, which means we 186 00:09:14.600 --> 00:09:16.320 got to do a good job of attracting the rest 187 00:09:16.320 --> 00:09:18.879 of Rocking County and Bergen County and the whole region 188 00:09:19.240 --> 00:09:21.279 to come to ni to shop and to dine. And 189 00:09:21.320 --> 00:09:23.039 it's a real challenge. And like I say, I live 190 00:09:23.080 --> 00:09:25.399 and die, and when I'm centered, I'm gonna live and 191 00:09:25.440 --> 00:09:27.519 die with every business in Rock and County. I'm gonna 192 00:09:27.519 --> 00:09:30.720 the same thing. I'm gonna I'm gonna feel responsible for 193 00:09:31.279 --> 00:09:33.720 you know, how everybody does and how can we make 194 00:09:33.759 --> 00:09:36.320 it better? And that's that's you take it on a 195 00:09:36.320 --> 00:09:38.279 lot and I and I didn't necessarily anticipate that I 196 00:09:38.279 --> 00:09:40.159 would feel that kind of responsibility, but I do. 197 00:09:41.240 --> 00:09:44.480 Interesting, you know, Joe, we read just part of your bio, 198 00:09:44.840 --> 00:09:46.799 as with most of my guests. All of you guys 199 00:09:46.840 --> 00:09:49.000 are so accomplished. If I just read all of it, 200 00:09:49.200 --> 00:09:52.080 we spend the first half of the show to streaking bios. 201 00:09:52.200 --> 00:09:54.159 But you've got a good idea that you have a 202 00:09:54.279 --> 00:09:58.360 very diverse background, lots of experience in both education, business, 203 00:09:58.360 --> 00:10:01.679 et cetera. What do you feel that you bring from 204 00:10:01.720 --> 00:10:05.240 those life experiences that serves you best as a politician, 205 00:10:05.279 --> 00:10:06.320 as a mayor. 206 00:10:08.720 --> 00:10:11.720 I would say that the biggest thing that I've developed 207 00:10:11.799 --> 00:10:14.360 over the talent that I developed over the course of 208 00:10:14.399 --> 00:10:16.279 a long period of time, both as a teacher and 209 00:10:16.320 --> 00:10:19.120 then you know, teaching law school and then as a 210 00:10:19.200 --> 00:10:21.360 lawyer and then working at the real estate coument for 211 00:10:21.399 --> 00:10:23.559 twenty years, both as a lawyer and then teaching agents. 212 00:10:23.559 --> 00:10:28.320 How to be successful is communication, Like I really am 213 00:10:28.759 --> 00:10:31.159 really good at communication. I'm good at talking to people. 214 00:10:31.200 --> 00:10:33.799 I'm good at explaining things. I'm good at going online 215 00:10:33.840 --> 00:10:37.120 and trying to diffuse situations. It's one of my strengths, 216 00:10:37.120 --> 00:10:42.080 both written communication and speaking. And that was you know, 217 00:10:42.159 --> 00:10:44.240 I wasn't always that way. It really developed, and you know, 218 00:10:44.240 --> 00:10:45.879 the more you do it. The ten thousand hours thing 219 00:10:45.960 --> 00:10:47.440 like I did a lot of speaking. I spoke in 220 00:10:47.440 --> 00:10:48.720 front of a lot of audience. I've done a lot 221 00:10:48.720 --> 00:10:51.120 of teaching in my life, you know, and I'm very 222 00:10:51.120 --> 00:10:53.919 comfortable in front of the big audience. And it does 223 00:10:54.000 --> 00:10:55.440 help because there's a lot of what you have to 224 00:10:55.480 --> 00:10:57.279 do as mayor and a lot of what I'll have 225 00:10:57.320 --> 00:11:00.200 to do as a senator is communicate to people and 226 00:11:00.279 --> 00:11:04.519 sometimes explaining them a difficult situation, sometimes explaining them what 227 00:11:05.519 --> 00:11:08.279 needs to be done to solve a problem. And that's 228 00:11:08.279 --> 00:11:10.320 a big one. Communication is a big one, I would say. 229 00:11:10.320 --> 00:11:17.200 The other big one is the ability to identify, understand 230 00:11:17.240 --> 00:11:20.720 and then solve problems. Like That's another strength that I 231 00:11:20.759 --> 00:11:23.360 like to feel like I've developed over time, is the 232 00:11:23.399 --> 00:11:28.399 ability to look at a problem from multiple perspectives, see 233 00:11:28.440 --> 00:11:30.759 them from different perspectives to be able to see all 234 00:11:30.759 --> 00:11:32.799 around the problems, so I don't just look at it 235 00:11:33.080 --> 00:11:35.879 from a like a rigid point. Like in business, you 236 00:11:35.919 --> 00:11:38.200 really should not have a fixed point of view on 237 00:11:38.240 --> 00:11:40.320 any problem because new problems come up. You know, if 238 00:11:40.360 --> 00:11:43.320 your fixed way of looking at things is built on well, 239 00:11:43.440 --> 00:11:46.000 I really wanted it's the most important thing we do 240 00:11:46.080 --> 00:11:49.039 is search engine optimization. Okay, Well, then AI comes along, 241 00:11:49.120 --> 00:11:51.279 and if it's like well, no, I see always where 242 00:11:51.279 --> 00:11:54.639 it's at and you're missing AI, your business is going 243 00:11:54.919 --> 00:11:56.919 is gonna is gonna have a difficulty. You got to 244 00:11:56.919 --> 00:12:00.879 look at every problem from every perspective, and that helps me. 245 00:12:01.039 --> 00:12:03.879 That has helped me be solved, problem solving, problem solving, 246 00:12:03.960 --> 00:12:06.799 and it also helps me be persuasive and to work 247 00:12:06.799 --> 00:12:11.159 with people, because you cannot persuade somebody on an issue. 248 00:12:11.480 --> 00:12:14.960 You can argue with them and just butt heads until 249 00:12:15.080 --> 00:12:17.879 you both give up, but you can never persuade somebody 250 00:12:18.039 --> 00:12:21.360 until you understand their perspective on the issue and figure 251 00:12:21.399 --> 00:12:23.279 out the right way to talk to them. You have 252 00:12:23.320 --> 00:12:25.879 to kind of puzzle it out and say, Okay, how 253 00:12:25.919 --> 00:12:27.840 do they see this problem? And how can I talk 254 00:12:27.919 --> 00:12:31.559 to them in a way that would would address their 255 00:12:31.600 --> 00:12:35.240 concerns rather than just saying the same thing over and 256 00:12:35.240 --> 00:12:37.240 over again and why I'm right and there wrong, because 257 00:12:37.240 --> 00:12:39.080 that doesn't work. That never convinces anybody. 258 00:12:40.120 --> 00:12:43.679 It's a good segue into my next question, Joseph, can 259 00:12:43.720 --> 00:12:46.080 you give us a sense of what's a day like 260 00:12:46.159 --> 00:12:48.720 in the life of a mayor of a small New 261 00:12:48.799 --> 00:12:52.360 York village. Is there such thing as a typical Day's 262 00:12:52.600 --> 00:12:56.360 typical day? Maybe that's maybe that's the challenge. 263 00:12:56.799 --> 00:13:00.000 The day is there's no typical day. I mean, I'm 264 00:13:00.159 --> 00:13:02.000 in I'm an early riser, so I'm in the office 265 00:13:02.000 --> 00:13:05.480 sometimes four thirty five o'clock. Most days i'm here by 266 00:13:05.519 --> 00:13:10.039 six thirty. And uh. In fact, I got a ticket 267 00:13:10.039 --> 00:13:13.240 the other day because I was up at three and 268 00:13:13.279 --> 00:13:15.519 my car was in the was in the driveway, and 269 00:13:15.519 --> 00:13:17.440 I moved in front of my house and I put 270 00:13:17.480 --> 00:13:19.480 it on the side of the road where I was 271 00:13:19.519 --> 00:13:22.000 supposed to be for that night, but it was still 272 00:13:22.159 --> 00:13:24.320 the previous night, and so I got a ticket at 273 00:13:24.360 --> 00:13:27.000 five point thirty because it was until six I had 274 00:13:27.000 --> 00:13:29.039 to move the car. So right, I still do get tickets. 275 00:13:29.039 --> 00:13:35.399 Everybody in America everyone there, but that usually I forget 276 00:13:35.399 --> 00:13:37.919 some movement. I deliberately moved to the side of the 277 00:13:38.000 --> 00:13:40.559 road that it was supposed to be on for that night, 278 00:13:41.039 --> 00:13:42.759 but it was not that night yet, it was still 279 00:13:42.799 --> 00:13:44.679 the previous night. It was just too damn early. So 280 00:13:44.720 --> 00:13:47.960 I'm up early. I'm in the office early. I you know, 281 00:13:48.240 --> 00:13:50.759 a lot of my day is there's a lot of 282 00:13:50.759 --> 00:13:52.799 paper to push around. There's a lot of emails to address, 283 00:13:52.840 --> 00:13:56.240 there's a lot of phone calls to make. There there 284 00:13:56.240 --> 00:13:58.000 are a lot of events. I go to a lot 285 00:13:58.000 --> 00:14:00.519 of events. I do a lot of I do you know, 286 00:14:00.720 --> 00:14:03.320 Like today, I was at something I'll be at UH 287 00:14:03.600 --> 00:14:06.240 later on Today I'm going to a mural unveiling at 288 00:14:06.360 --> 00:14:11.240 UH that the Art Collective is doing at at at 289 00:14:11.639 --> 00:14:16.600 Burgloft Tomorrow, I think Friday there's something at there's an 290 00:14:16.759 --> 00:14:21.080 art display at Rock Rock Shop. So it's all things 291 00:14:21.120 --> 00:14:23.480 like that. I mean, the Minora lighting on Sunday. I mean, 292 00:14:23.480 --> 00:14:25.960 there's always something going on and as mayor, you want 293 00:14:25.960 --> 00:14:29.080 to be there for it. But the typical day also, 294 00:14:29.360 --> 00:14:32.679 you know, there's things that you're there's big projects that 295 00:14:32.759 --> 00:14:35.399 on any given day you're trying to push forward, like rocks. 296 00:14:35.440 --> 00:14:36.879 You're trying to you're trying to get them a little 297 00:14:36.879 --> 00:14:39.519 further along the path. And you know, I'm always working 298 00:14:39.559 --> 00:14:42.600 on four or five major projects that have to get advanced. 299 00:14:43.000 --> 00:14:44.679 Almost every day I got to work on them to 300 00:14:44.720 --> 00:14:46.840 some extent, you know, Like it was the New York 301 00:14:46.879 --> 00:14:48.639 Forward Grant, there was a lot of work with the 302 00:14:48.639 --> 00:14:51.480 New York Forward Grant. Every day there was something, Yeah, 303 00:14:51.480 --> 00:14:52.960 every day there was something for me to do on that. 304 00:14:54.080 --> 00:14:56.200 You know, I might be working on the new event 305 00:14:56.240 --> 00:14:58.279 guide that we have out, the new seasonal event guides 306 00:14:58.279 --> 00:15:00.080 that give you a list of all the events going 307 00:15:00.120 --> 00:15:03.120 on in the village for the next three months. I'm 308 00:15:03.159 --> 00:15:05.200 working recently, I have a new thing coming out. It's 309 00:15:05.240 --> 00:15:08.639 going to be a downtown shopping map, a map with 310 00:15:08.679 --> 00:15:10.759 all the shopping districts and all the businesses that are 311 00:15:10.799 --> 00:15:13.279 in the shopping districts. That's going to be coming out soon. 312 00:15:13.320 --> 00:15:15.759 It's almost done. I've been working on for months. I 313 00:15:15.840 --> 00:15:19.480 might be working on the holiday programming that we're doing 314 00:15:19.519 --> 00:15:22.240 with the There's always something going on that's going to 315 00:15:22.279 --> 00:15:23.600 take my time. And then there's the big but there's 316 00:15:23.600 --> 00:15:26.600 the legislature. You know, we have we laws, we pass laws, 317 00:15:26.600 --> 00:15:28.120 and I got to read them and I got to 318 00:15:28.120 --> 00:15:31.759 figure out whether they makes sense. So it's just it's 319 00:15:31.879 --> 00:15:33.960 it's what's interesting about the job is it's never the 320 00:15:34.000 --> 00:15:40.559 same every day. The problems are often complicated, and there's 321 00:15:40.600 --> 00:15:42.720 a lot of satisfaction in solving the problems and a 322 00:15:42.759 --> 00:15:45.000 lot of these times some problems you can't solve. Some 323 00:15:45.120 --> 00:15:47.399 problems you just you make them a little better, you 324 00:15:47.399 --> 00:15:49.759 put a band aid on them. But sometimes you actually 325 00:15:49.919 --> 00:15:52.519 solve the problem. And that's a really good feeling when 326 00:15:52.559 --> 00:15:54.360 you fix somebody. Somebody comes to you with something and 327 00:15:54.360 --> 00:15:55.679 then you fix it for them. That's great. 328 00:15:56.279 --> 00:15:59.240 Another great segue into my next question. It's a two parter. 329 00:16:00.159 --> 00:16:02.879 What would you consider your greatest achievements? And then, of 330 00:16:02.879 --> 00:16:04.840 course you know part B of that is no boy 331 00:16:05.039 --> 00:16:07.840 with the biggest challenge is what you see where you failed? 332 00:16:07.919 --> 00:16:09.679 Of course that never happened, no one ever. 333 00:16:09.799 --> 00:16:11.840 Yeah, no, no, you learn. 334 00:16:11.960 --> 00:16:15.159 Let's let's talk with stuff. Let's start with the good 335 00:16:15.159 --> 00:16:18.120 stuff first. What would you say is among your greatest 336 00:16:18.120 --> 00:16:19.200 achievements while. 337 00:16:19.000 --> 00:16:21.600 Making I would say a couple of things that I 338 00:16:21.639 --> 00:16:23.759 would highlight as being what I've been, what I've been 339 00:16:23.759 --> 00:16:26.960 able to accomplish. One of them was was securing the 340 00:16:26.960 --> 00:16:30.200 four point five million dollar forward grant. That's a significant 341 00:16:30.200 --> 00:16:32.720 amount of money. That's you know, our entire budget is 342 00:16:32.799 --> 00:16:35.559 six point five million dollars, so getting a four point 343 00:16:35.600 --> 00:16:40.440 five million dollar injection of cash into our downtown is significant. 344 00:16:40.440 --> 00:16:43.240 I mean, that's that's that's twenty years worth of investment 345 00:16:43.279 --> 00:16:45.519 that would take us to make a four point five 346 00:16:45.519 --> 00:16:48.279 million dollar investment into our lights and in downtown restaurant. 347 00:16:48.480 --> 00:16:50.720 So we're going to get a downtown restaurant or sorry, 348 00:16:50.759 --> 00:16:54.320 marina restaurant. It's gonna be really a nice, little fast 349 00:16:54.360 --> 00:16:56.679 casual place where you go, you have a drink, you 350 00:16:56.720 --> 00:16:59.240 have a bite, right looking at the boats and looking 351 00:16:59.279 --> 00:17:02.120 at the water. To replace the it's not going to 352 00:17:02.200 --> 00:17:05.319 fully replace the this thing that you ever be there, 353 00:17:05.559 --> 00:17:07.839 the River Club, because it's not gonna be it's not 354 00:17:07.880 --> 00:17:09.880 gonna be a full service restaurant. But because we couldn't 355 00:17:09.880 --> 00:17:11.720 afford build quite honestly, you couldn't afford to do it. 356 00:17:12.480 --> 00:17:15.839 We're gonna put all new light lamp posts along Broadway 357 00:17:16.079 --> 00:17:18.279 to make them like the lamp posts on Maine. That's 358 00:17:18.319 --> 00:17:22.279 a big deal. We're doing tons of renovations to a 359 00:17:22.279 --> 00:17:24.920 lot of the nonprofits. That John Greenhouse is getting four 360 00:17:24.960 --> 00:17:28.920 walls for the first time, the UH, the Hopper House, 361 00:17:29.200 --> 00:17:33.519 the Angels getting an HVAC system, the UH. We're doing 362 00:17:33.519 --> 00:17:36.599 stuff for NIAX Center as well as for Elmwood Theater 363 00:17:37.200 --> 00:17:40.440 Elmwood Playhouse. So we're getting a lot done. And that 364 00:17:40.559 --> 00:17:42.720 was a big deal because that's a competitive grant, like 365 00:17:42.839 --> 00:17:46.160 they give out about one They give out one grant 366 00:17:46.680 --> 00:17:50.680 or two grants to every region, and we got one 367 00:17:50.720 --> 00:17:52.720 of them, and we had tried for five years to 368 00:17:52.759 --> 00:17:55.480 get it. And I feel like two things made a 369 00:17:55.480 --> 00:17:58.559 difference with me doing it. One of them was that 370 00:17:59.279 --> 00:18:00.839 I made it. I made made a decision or I 371 00:18:00.920 --> 00:18:03.960 made a recommendation that we followed. Wasn't my decision, it 372 00:18:03.960 --> 00:18:06.559 was a committee decision, but it was to There was 373 00:18:06.599 --> 00:18:08.359 a ten million dollar grant and a four point five 374 00:18:08.359 --> 00:18:10.319 million dollar grant, and we'd always gone for the ten 375 00:18:10.359 --> 00:18:12.440 million and we'd always lost. And I said, you know what, 376 00:18:12.640 --> 00:18:15.079 we're a small village. Those ten million dollar grants are 377 00:18:15.079 --> 00:18:18.319 going to like Syracuse and like Peak Skill in yon 378 00:18:18.400 --> 00:18:22.240 Cooaty City. Yeah, you know, we're small, Like ten million 379 00:18:22.240 --> 00:18:23.960 dollars is too much money for us. Let's go for 380 00:18:24.000 --> 00:18:25.920 the four point five, we'll be more competitive. And the 381 00:18:25.920 --> 00:18:27.400 first time we went for the four point five, we 382 00:18:27.440 --> 00:18:29.200 got it. And the second thing I think I brought 383 00:18:29.200 --> 00:18:31.319 to the table on that is I've been working on 384 00:18:31.400 --> 00:18:33.920 economic development in the Hudson Valley for twenty five years. 385 00:18:34.279 --> 00:18:37.599 You know, we my company and my brother and I 386 00:18:37.599 --> 00:18:39.680 had been on the board of the HVDC, the Hudson 387 00:18:39.759 --> 00:18:43.200 Valley Economic Development Corporation run by my friend Mike Oates, 388 00:18:43.759 --> 00:18:46.119 wonderful guy. I does a great job. We've worked with him, 389 00:18:46.279 --> 00:18:49.440 We've worked with the Rockland County Economic Development, We've worked 390 00:18:49.440 --> 00:18:53.359 with statewide Economic Development of initials. Those people knew me 391 00:18:53.799 --> 00:18:56.720 who made that decision, and they knew that I would 392 00:18:56.720 --> 00:19:00.200 be a good, good steward of their money. And so 393 00:19:00.240 --> 00:19:02.440 I think that really did help us get it, and 394 00:19:02.480 --> 00:19:03.839 I'm very proud of that. I think it's been a 395 00:19:03.880 --> 00:19:06.279 very good problem was fun this year. It was tough work, 396 00:19:06.319 --> 00:19:09.640 but it was fun to uh, really flesh through the 397 00:19:09.640 --> 00:19:11.440 projects and forge all we wanted to do. And I 398 00:19:11.440 --> 00:19:15.039 would say the second thing that I'm happy about is 399 00:19:15.079 --> 00:19:18.000 that it's it's more fixing a problem than it is 400 00:19:18.039 --> 00:19:20.119 doing something new. Like the Forward was kind of getting 401 00:19:20.119 --> 00:19:23.920