Editor's note: This article previews a scheduled meeting based on the published agenda packet. After the meeting is held and video is released, coverage will be updated with the actual discussion and any votes taken. The Village Board of Trustees convenes Wednesday, August 19, for a work session followed by a regular meeting with a packed agenda that touches on energy infrastructure, public safety technology, a sweeping overhaul of animal-keeping regulations, and routine end-of-fiscal-year business. Battery Energy Storage Update Lindsay Audin, chair of the village's Sustainability Committee, will provide an update on the Request for Information the village issued in July for a Battery Energy Storage System, or BESS, to be installed on municipal property. The RFI — whose responses were due August 17 — asks qualified developers whether they would install a 1 to 5 megawatt system under a 20-to-25-year lease, with the village incurring no costs and collecting monthly rent. The village already hosts a 3.5 MW battery atop the Croton-Harmon Metro-North station parking lot under a similar arrangement, and this effort would replicate that model on at least one additional village-owned site, though without any accompanying solar installation. At a June 24 work session, the board authorized a $2,000 study that helped lay the groundwork for the solicitation. Police Cameras and License Plate Readers The board will discuss the use of cameras by the Croton-on-Hudson Police Department. The agenda packet includes a 27-page compilation of case studies prepared by the department illustrating how its license plate reader, or LPR, system has aided investigations. The cases span from 2022 through early 2026 and cover a wide range: a missing juvenile located in Ossining after LPR data identified a vehicle near the restaurant where she had ordered food; serial criminal mischief at the Gouveia Property solved after a white Kia Optima was tracked across multiple incidents; a fatal motorcycle hit-and-run on Route 9 where days of LPR searching identified the suspect vehicle; burglaries, counterfeit currency arrests, a multi-state larceny ring, and a stolen-license-plate alert shared through Westchester County's real-time crime network. The presentation offers the board a detailed look at how the technology has been integrated into everyday detective work. Three Local Laws Headed for Public Hearings The consent agenda includes a resolution scheduling public hearings for September 2 on three separate local laws: *Local Law Intro 10 of 2026* would rewrite Chapter 230 of the village zoning code to comprehensively restructure the rules for keeping animals. After months of discussion dating back to a May work session, the draft law would define domestic animals and farm animals separately and permit the keeping of chickens and ducks in residential zones based on lot size, with roosters prohibited. Larger farm animals — goats, sheep, horses, cattle, and swine — would be allowed only on parcels of two acres or more, subject to minimum acreage requirements per animal. The Planning Board, which reviewed the referral at its July 28 meeting, noted that in some smaller-lot zoning districts like RA-5, the 25-foot setback requirement for chicken coops may be difficult to achieve. *Local Law Intro 11 of 2026* would update Chapter 204, Taxation, to adjust the income eligibility limits for the Senior Citizen Rental Income Exemption (SCRIE) and the Disabled Persons Rental Income Exemption (DRIE), aligning village code with updated thresholds from New York State Homes and Community Renewal. *Local Law Intro 12 of 2026* would amend Chapter 197, Streets and Sidewalks, to update the list of sidewalks that are exempt from the obligation of adjacent property owners to clear snow and ice. Two Additional Local Laws Introduced The board will also acknowledge and refer two more proposed laws for review. *Local Law Intro 13 of 2026* seeks to clarify procedures for reviewing site development plans under Chapter 230, Zoning. *Local Law Intro 14 of 2026* would amend Chapter 223, Waterfront Revitalization, to provide clarification in the review of land use applications for consistency with the Local Waterfront Revitalization Plan. Both will be referred to the County Planning Board, Village Planning Board, and Waterfront Advisory Committee. MTA Signal Project Referred to Waterfront Advisory Committee The MTA is proposing a 43-mile signal system upgrade between Croton-Harmon and Poughkeepsie that would replace existing equipment with a high-capacity vital cab signaling system. A portion of the work falls within the village's coastal area boundary, and the MTA has requested an LWRP consistency review. A 42-page package prepared by Dewberry Engineers includes a coastal assessment form and consistency analysis. The board will refer the matter to the Waterfront Advisory Committee for review and comment. Correspondence, Awards, and Consent Items The consent agenda also covers a mix of routine items: the Hudson Valley Gateway Chamber of Commerce is requesting permission to hold its annual scarecrow contest in the village during October; the village has received word from AAA Northeast that it earned a Gold Award in the 2026 Community Traffic Safety Awards Program; the 2025 Energy Benchmarking Report shows electricity usage across village buildings rose modestly as the municipality adds electric vehicles and heat pumps while continuing to transition away from fuel oil; Westchester County is seeking nominations for the Senior Citizens Hall of Fame; and the board will approve vouchers and the minutes of its July 15 regular meeting. Among the resolutions to be considered: affirming the Village Manager's execution of a Rapid Rectangular Flashing Beacon agreement with the state DOT for Maple Street at Wells Avenue; authorizing an entry permit with Metro-North for tree removal at the Croton-Harmon station parking lot; renewing the police department's use of the Westchester County RICI criminal information system; executing a second amendment to the county solid waste disposal agreement; year-end budget transfers and capital project closeouts; and budget amendments for a damaged police ladder, a Sparky the Fire Dog costume for the Fire Fair, and emergency repairs to the Arrowcrest Sewer Pump Station. Bid Awards On the proposed resolution side, the board is being asked to award four contracts: $42,557.60 to Joe Lombardo Plumbing for trade labor; $51,900 to Emergency Vehicle Specialist for a Chevrolet Tahoe police vehicle; $62,599 to FDR Hitches for a snow blower; and $9,500 to Nelson Pope for preparation of bid documents to replace traffic signals on South Riverside Avenue at Benedict Boulevard and Croton Point Avenue. The board will also consider a $32,230 proposal from Tectonic Engineering for additional engineering work required by NYSDOT for the Half Moon Bay Bridge rehabilitation project.
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