🦅 Conservation Advisory Council
Croton Library Repair Café Set For 2026
The Conservation Advisory Council finalized plans for a Croton Library Repair Café tentatively set for February 2026 and reviewed progress on the village's Natural Resources Inventory, while Mayor Brian Pugh reported 17 off-season leaf blower violations issued in 2025.
◆ Key Actions & Decisions
- **Resolutions Passed:** None
- **Resolutions Failed:** None
- **Applications Reviewed:** None
- **Public Comments:** No members of the public were in attendance; no public comments were offered.
- **Reports:**
- **Natural Resources Inventory (NRI):** Jason Mencher, Madalyn Bozinski, and Steve Krisky reported on the first NRI meeting held September 22nd in Cortlandt, which focused on logistics. The next update meeting is scheduled for December 10th at 6:00pm at Croton Village Hall.
- **Repair Café:** Sherry Horowitz reported that the CAC will partner with the Croton Library to host a Repair Café (tentatively February 7th or 28th). The CAC will manage fixers, organize volunteers, and provide financial support for food and supplies. Chair John Ealer will follow up with Brian Healy regarding funding.
- **Garden Club:** Eva Thaddeus and Halle Clarke reported on an end-of-season potluck at Senasqua (~12 attendees) and a Lasdon Arboretum tour. Thaddeus is coordinating a November lawn conversion and pollinator garden event with the Recreation Department. Plants at Gottwald were replaced and horticultural signs are on the way.
- **Trails:** David Daly reported a busy summer for the trails committee, with workdays pausing for the winter. Two new trail signs were installed on North Highland, and ¾ of the Upper Highland Loop crossings are marked. Daly met with John Bouchard about a new trail section near Duck Pond.
- **CLEAN:** John Ealer reported a September 28th waterfront cleanup with Temple Israel yielded ~100 lbs of trash between Senasqua and the Landing. This was the final cleanup until spring.
- **Conservation Corner & Enforcement:** Halle Clarke will coordinate a rotating calendar of topics for the Village newsletter's "Conservation Corner" with Amy MacNamara. Mayor Pugh reported that 17 violations have been issued in 2025 for off-season leaf blower use. The council was asked to brainstorm goals for Earth Day 2026.
Croton’s Conservation Advisory Council is teaming up with the Croton Library to launch a community Repair Café, a move aimed at keeping broken household items out of the local waste stream.
During the CAC’s October 14 meeting, council member Sherry Horowitz announced that after consulting with Hudson Valley Repair Café coordinator Suzie Fromer, the library was chosen as the ideal venue. The CAC will act as a primary partner, taking charge of recruiting "fixers," organizing volunteers, and covering the costs of food and supplies. Chair John Ealer noted he will follow up with Brian Healy to secure the necessary funding. The inaugural event is tentatively scheduled for either February 7th or 28th.
In other environmental updates, Mayor Brian Pugh, serving as the council's liaison, shared that village enforcement is actively policing seasonal noise and pollution rules. So far in 2025, the village has issued 17 violations for off-season leaf blower use.
The council also received an update on the ongoing Natural Resources Inventory (NRI). Representatives who attended a September 22nd kickoff meeting in Cortlandt described a positive, logistics-focused initial session. The next NRI update is set for December 10th at 6:00pm at Village Hall, after which materials will be shared with the full CAC.
Residents can also expect to see improvements to local green spaces. The Garden Club replaced plants at Gottwald Circle and has ordered new horticultural signs. Additionally, the Recreation Department is partnering with the CAC on a November event focused on lawn conversion and pollinator gardens—those interested can sign up through the Recreation Department.
On the trails front, the committee is winding down its busy summer season, pausing volunteer workdays for the winter. Recent achievements include installing two new signs on North Highland and marking three-quarters of the crossings on the Upper Highland Loop. The council is exploring adding a new trail section near Duck Pond and potentially integrating the updated trails map into the NRI.
The CAC rounded out the evening by looking ahead, asking members to brainstorm a vision and concrete goals for Earth Day 2026, and planning a rotating seasonal topic calendar for the "Conservation Corner" of the village newsletter.
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