Village Sets January 2027 Deadline for Revised Animal Code as Leaf Blower Debate Heats Up

The Board of Trustees took a significant step toward overhauling Croton's animal regulations at its July 1 meeting, introducing a rewritten zoning amendment that would prohibit roosters and cockerels, ban disallowed species from being kept indoors, and give current owners until January 1, 2027 to come into compliance — with no grandfathering.

The draft of Local Law No. 10 of 2026, which amends Chapter 230 of the village zoning code, was shaped by extensive discussion at a June 24 work session and will now be referred to the Westchester County Planning Department and the village Planning Board for review. Village Attorney Joshua Subin said a zoning code text amendment requires a minimum of 60 days under state law, and the earliest the board could adopt the law would be its second meeting in September. "I think it's helpful to have that January 1 date rather than, say, doing it 90 days from when we enact it," {{quote:1390}} Deputy Mayor Len Simon said. "Rather than doing that, we end up with a shorter period likely." The law will cross-reference existing enforcement provisions in the village zoning code rather than creating separate penalties. "No intent to punish anybody above and beyond. No intent to forgive anybody above and beyond. It's all in accordance with what already exists," {{quote:1649}} Subin said. The board also directed that roosters and cockerels — young male chickens — be added to the list of prohibited animals, and that species not permitted outdoors also be barred from being kept inside homes. The fastest timeline would have referrals returned by late July, a public hearing at the August 19 meeting, and adoption by the second September meeting — though Village Manager Bryan Healy noted that receiving comments that "give you pause" could push that back. Trustee Maria Slippen, who has received heavy community feedback on the topic, asked that enforcement details and the proposed local law page on the village website be kept current throughout the process. "We got a tremendous amount of feedback on this topic from people all across the village, which have brought us to this point," {{quote:1751}} she said. ## Student members approved for eight advisory committees After a year-long process that began with a request from the high school, the board adopted a formal policy allowing high school juniors and seniors to serve as nonvoting members on eight advisory committees: arts and humanities, bicycle and pedestrian, conservation advisory, art, IDEA, police advisory, recreation advisory, and sustainability. The policy limits each committee to one or two student members depending on its size, requires residency within the village, and mandates a recommendation from a school guidance counselor with parental permission. Terms run from September 1 through August 31. Slippen, who led the effort, described it as a way to strengthen ties between the village and the school district. "I think this is a great way to get the ball rolling. We may have to make some adjustments once we see what this looks like in practice," {{quote:2038}} she said. She noted that her own daughter had participated as an informal student member on the Conservation Advisory Council, using her science research project to contribute to the committee's work. ## Microfilm records to be digitized for $11,534 The board approved a $11,534 contract with Kofile to digitize the village's microfilm records, which include payroll, tax, and personnel records dating back decades. The machine that reads the microfilm has reached the end of its useful life, and Village Treasurer Genette Toone relies on the records most frequently to verify employment history for pension claims.

"People go to retire, they try to claim, oh, I was a camp counselor for two years and they want that added to their pension. Then we have to go back in the records and look to see if that's true or not," {{quote:2291}} Healy said. The digitized files will be stored on the village's cloud-based Laserfiche system. Board minutes, Planning Board, and Zoning Board records have already been digitized. The village plans to seek a state grant for a second phase: preserving deteriorating ledger books containing vital records such as birth and death certificates. ## Village switches to state cybersecurity program, renews animal shelter contract The board authorized switching from Westchester County to New York State's Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Services for endpoint detection and response services, which monitor municipal systems for ransomware and cyber threats. The state program is free, replacing the county's shared services arrangement. Simon noted that ransomware threats target every municipality. "Anything that we can do to strengthen our approach, and not pay for it, is a pretty good deal," {{quote:2661}} he said. The board also approved a one-year contract with SPCA of Westchester in Briarcliff Manor for dog shelter services at $4,400, running through May 31, 2027. The village had declined to renew its previous agreement and instead returned to SPCA, which it had contracted with previously. The $4,400 cost is lower than what the village paid in 2019. Under a separate arrangement, the village also serves as the dog control officer for Buchanan, picking up stray dogs and transporting them to the shelter. ## Con Edison draws resident complaints; leaf blower debate continues During public comment on non-agenda items, Brook Street resident Christian Meyer delivered a detailed account of disruptions from Con Edison's gas main replacement project on Old Post Road North, including improperly installed steel plates that caused sleepless nights, contractor vehicles blocking driveways, excessive idling, and materials placed against a historic stone wall. He criticized the village's coordination and oversight of the utility's work. Healy had noted in his manager's report that Con Edison began pole replacement work along Old Post Road South without notifying the village, the school district, or emergency services — violations of its permit that the village said it would seek penalties for. The gas main work is expected to continue on Old Post Road North through August before shifting to Brook Street through mid-September. Mayor Brian Pugh acknowledged the limitations of the village's leverage over utility companies, calling it "the consequences of entrusting so much of our utility infrastructure to a for-profit monopoly." He said the village would be in touch with the Public Service Commission to address the failures. Trustee Stacey Nachtaler said residents are dealing with simultaneous disruptions from Con Edison, overnight Metro-North construction, and the upcoming Quaker Bridge replacement — all outside village control. "We've got a bunch of big issues going on in our village with entities that really don't have accountability to us," {{quote:4647}} she said. The leaf blower debate also continued, with residents Ned Rust and Carly Shanks urging the board to move faster toward a ban on gas-powered leaf blowers. The board had voted earlier in the evening to spend $2,628 from the sustainability fund on battery-powered equipment for the DPW. The Conservation Advisory Council is reviewing the issue and has been asked to provide a timeline for its recommendations.

## Other business * Quaker Bridge replacement by Westchester County is set to begin July 7 and is expected to take 10 months. * Cleveland Drive repaving is scheduled to begin July 13, with the village working to extend the scope after the project came in under bid. * Farrington Road steps reconstruction began June 30 and will proceed in two phases to allow reopening for the school year. * The board appointed Vanessa McCritic to the arts and humanities committee, Thomas Hannigan as an alternate to the Planning Board, Gary Eisinger to the bicycle and pedestrian committee, and Millie Verastugui to the IDEA committee. * The village is opening its community room as a 24/7 cooling center through the heat wave and has waived daily fees at Silver Lake through Friday.