Croton trustees approved $41,540 in additional engineering work for the Half Moon Bay Bridge on January 7 and adopted a law allowing alternates to serve on the Planning Board and Zoning Board of Appeals. Proposals to expand dog-park access and weekend hours received discussion, but no approval that evening. The bridge authorization passed 5-0. Tectonic Engineering's additional assignment covers structural repairs to the pier cap beams and coastal-review requirements. Its proposal explains that corrosion had reduced sections of the beams and that replacing them completely was not feasible because of their proximity to active railroad tracks. The design instead calls for reinforced concrete inside the existing cap beams. Engineering proposal Village Manager Bryan Healy explained that an earlier temporary-support approach was not acceptable to the railroad, while working from above would have required closing the bridge. The revised repair method was more involved. The vote paid for additional design and review work; it was not a construction-contract award. Bridge discussion Healy explained the rejected alternative: “They could have done it from above, but that would have required the full closure of the bridge.” Read 37:26▶ The board separately voted 5-0 to adopt Local Law No. 1 of 2026, permitting one alternate on each of the two land-use boards for a term of one official year. The mayor may appoint alternates with the trustees' consent. They would serve when regular members cannot participate, rather than adding a permanent extra voting member. Healy emphasized that the law creates an option and does not require an appointment. Meeting minutes Healy said: “You are at no point are required to appoint an alternate member.” Read 42:28▶ Another substantial change was already moving through village operations. Healy announced plans to switch the village's existing diesel-powered vehicles to renewable diesel after a three-month pilot. His January 5 memo set January 9 as the target. The Sustainability Committee estimated an annual reduction of approximately 186 metric tons of carbon dioxide, or roughly 12.5% of the village's total carbon footprint, based on annual diesel use. Those figures were projections in the manager's memo, not measured annual results of the completed transition. Healy said the village planned to cover the fuel's added cost using revenue from the DPW solar-canopy lease, which he put at approximately $26,000 a year. Renewable-diesel memo At Black Rock Dog Park, the Recreation Advisory Committee recommended extending weekend closing time from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. and allowing up to 12 school-district residents who live outside the village to register for an additional fee. Its memo proposed taking those registrations on a first-come, first-served basis. The committee also sought an automated external defibrillator at Black Rock Park and a CPR/first-aid course for residents. Recreation recommendations Public commenters supported later weekend hours and raised questions about guests and people caring for a resident's dog. In response to a question about why the park closed earlier on weekends, Healy described a compromise between dog-park users and neighboring households. Trustees wanted further discussion and an opportunity for neighbors to weigh in. Healy said he would first check whether changing the hours fell under the manager's authority or required board action. The consent vote filed the recommendations for the record; it did not implement them. Mayor Brian Pugh made that limit explicit: “we're not taking an action tonight. We're just acknowledge we're just acknowledging receipt of the memo.” Read 25:00▶ Dog-park discussion The same consent vote approved the Fire Department's annual Big Bucks raffle and filed the Conservation Advisory Council's 2025 report. The council's work included the joint Croton-Cortlandt Natural Resource Inventory, trail maintenance, invasive-species removal, pollinator gardens and preparations to restart the Repair Café with the Croton Free Library. Residents' access to village information also came up. After a public commenter asked for more visible promotion of local art exhibits, Healy suggested the train-station banner location. Trustee Maria Slippen said the village had engaged a communications firm to examine its outreach, including ways to reach people who do not routinely use a phone or computer. That discussion did not approve a new outdoor digital sign or a specific marketing arrangement. Slippen said: “I think that we're gonna we're just at the beginning of this process, but there are a lot of opportunities for growth and improvement in this area.” Read 55:36▶ The board also approved vouchers, December 17 meeting minutes and appointments to the Planning Board, Zoning Board of Appeals, Waterfront Advisory Committee and IDEA Committee. The January 7 minutes were subsequently approved on January 21. This report describes the January meeting; proposals and implementation targets are presented as they stood then.