The Zoning Board of Appeals agreed on October 28, 2025, to send the village trustees questions about a proposed alternate-member law without taking a formal position for or against it. Members wanted clearer rules about participation, preparation and the length of an alternate’s term. The meeting had no property applications. The board welcomed new member William Goldsmith, reviewed the referral from the trustees, discussed its meeting schedule and approved two sets of earlier minutes. Draft Local Law Introductory No. 14 of 2025 would allow an alternate to serve when a regular Planning Board or ZBA member was absent, recused or otherwise unable to participate. The draft called for a one-year appointment and limited voting and quorum participation to occasions when the alternate was substituting for a member. It had been referred for review; the October 28 discussion did not enact it. Chair Christine Wagner asked whether the proposal meant one alternate shared by the two boards or a separate alternate for each. She also questioned whether an alternate would participate in every hearing or sit with the board only when replacing a member. The discussion extended to how an alternate would follow continuing cases, attend site visits and prepare for an absence announced at short notice. Members questioned whether a one-year term would provide enough time to gain experience. Some saw unnecessary complexity in a system they felt was functioning adequately; others saw value in avoiding delays when the board lacked its full membership. They sought an explanation of the problem the trustees intended to solve, along with the proposal’s advantages and disadvantages. During public comment, Ed Riely of Truesdale Drive opposed the proposal, calling it unnecessary and arguing that an alternate could dilute the work of the existing boards. His view that an alternate would participate fully was disputed during the discussion. Another participant described an understanding from the Planning Board review that an alternate would join deliberations only when serving in a member’s place. The uncertainty reinforced the request for clearer wording. The board settled on a memorandum summarizing those practical concerns rather than recommending adoption or rejection. The decision about whether to pass the law remained with the Board of Trustees. On scheduling, members agreed to move regular ZBA meetings to the third Tuesday of the month beginning December 16, 2025. The official minutes connect the change to the Planning Board’s move to the second and fourth Tuesdays. This was an agreement on scheduling, rather than a recorded roll-call vote. The board approved its August 26 minutes and approved its September 30 minutes with edits. James Tuman moved approval of the August minutes. Wagner moved approval of the September minutes after reviewing wording about the findings for the North Riverside Avenue addition and an Irving Avenue carport. Those edits concerned the record of the earlier meeting; they did not constitute new votes on those applications.