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Minutes of a Public Hearing On Proposed Charter Review Revisions 8-10-10 Page 27 I would like to encourage Council and the Mayor to give us a consistent message. I have two examples that I, I guess I have to start by saying that I am a LEAD AP with the U.S. Green Building Council and a green home rater and so that's where I am coming from and my concern is what I have been told in the past with first the condos that were built and we are each year ,addressed by Mayor Rinker which I greatly appreciate and was initially told at our meeting and I brought it up, that they would not be clear-cutting the trees to create the condos and then I saw them after the fact that it was totally clear cut. I didn't understand it. To me it felt like a lie because of the inconsistency. The second was, and I believe Mayor Rinker also is aware of this because I left him a message with his secretary and I also called the Building Department or, I forget, whoever cut down the trees. The trees were cut down, probably about half of them, on SOM. Again, Mayor Rinker came to our Kenwood Gardens meeting and told us how the trees had been specifically selected and they had gone through a long process and had looked at New York trees and had gotten a list of good trees and had really put a lot of effort to putting in trees that were good quality trees that would be there and grow. I was leaving the park one morning and saw them being cut down and I turned around and stopped and said, you know, what are you doing? And they said, we're cutting down the trees. I said why, these are healthy trees? I am also a master gardener. I know a healthy tree. They were healthy trees. They said, well they've been here six years which was again a lie, it had only been about three years, and they aren't growing fast enough. I said, they've only been here three years, that's not true. Let me talk to your boss. So they called their boss on the phone, whoever was cutting down the trees. I talked to him and he said they were diseased. I said, no, they're not diseased. He said, I said, when are you going to replant them? He said, when we get the funding. I said, well, I know the Village doesn't have much money to replant these, so I don't think they're going to be replanted any time soon, is that true? He says, well, that's probably true, I don't know. So that was where it was left. He wouldn't stop them from cutting down the trees, so then I called the Mayor and left a message which I didn't hear any response, but that's okay with me. I just wanted to voice my concern that he spent so much time creating good quality trees and it looked beautiful and these trees, and I heard from other sources when I asked that they were, I heard all kinds of things, but none of them that I've heard have been true, so I still don't know why they were cut down, or, but this is just inconsistency and I would appreciate it, really appreciate getting consistent responses from the Council. Thank you very much. The audience applauded. Bill Coughlin 806 Hanover Anybody who's been by 806 Hanover knows that I am not a master gardener. But the only point I want to raise is I am sensing some confusion. I know I have it in terms of what is Council's role exactly with respect to acting on the proposed Charter amendments. I am understanding Mr. Diemert's saying there really is no role or there was some vote taken. I am hearing other people