Greenberg supervisors, community leaders spar over scope of new independent traffic safety committee

At its Jan. 7 work session, the Town Board of Greenberg debated a proposal to reactivate or reconvene an independent, citizen-led traffic safety committee intended to expand community engagement and push priority safety projects. Supervisor (speaker S1) introduced the item as a citizen committee “independent of the town,” saying it would help generate public support and pursue grants to accelerate sidewalks and crosswalk work.

Dylan Pine, president of the Edgemont Community Council, told the board he welcomed citizen involvement but said he and other neighborhood leaders were surprised by a recent email blast announcing the committee and wanted clearer rules about scope and coordination. “I am Dylan Pine and I am president of the Edgemont Community Council,” Pine said, and pressed the board for details about how the new committee would relate to the ECC’s existing traffic-safety work.

Lucas Chiaffe (speaker S8), who described himself as a co‑chair of previous traffic-safety efforts, said the group intends to replicate the Edgemont process townwide and to organize into teams focused on different neighborhoods. “We’re gonna replicate the success that Dylan and I had in Edgemont for other areas of Greenberg,” Chiaffe said, adding that the group would take a higher-level, townwide view and would not speak for Edgemont.

Several board members sought written clarifications about membership criteria, the committee’s jurisdiction, and whether its recommendations would duplicate or conflict with existing civic associations. One council member said the board had learned about the committee from an email blast and requested a written memorandum outlining the committee’s purpose. The supervisor said a memorandum (from an earlier iteration of the group) was available and agreed to share it with members for review.

Board members and community leaders emphasized that the town ultimately makes policy and that any citizens’ committee would be advisory. The session produced no formal action to authorize the committee; members instead asked staff and the proponents to supply documentation and agreed to coordinate outreach so existing neighborhood councils would not be undermined.

The board moved on after the exchange with a request that the committee proponents provide a written proposal and that staff place related materials on the municipal website ahead of further discussion.