Croton’s Conservation Advisory Council is mapping out a busy early 2026, finalizing dates for both a relocated Earth Day celebration and a new community Repair Cafe, while also pushing back on proposed village rules governing how volunteer committees operate. The most substantive discussion of the December 9 meeting centered on draft committee guidelines currently under consideration by the Board of Trustees. The proposed rules would centralize committee correspondence through the Village Manager—a shift Mayor Brian Pugh explained reflects a trustee preference for consistent information flow, similar to the formal staff support given to statutory bodies like the Planning Board. However, council members raised several concerns. They worried that compliance language could read as punitive rather than appreciative of volunteer time, and questioned practical limits on transcribing detailed minutes. Members also pushed back on a proposed limit restricting residents from serving on more than one committee, suggesting an exception for committees with unfilled seats and a provision for future reevaluation. Mayor Pugh agreed to bring the council’s feedback back to the Board. On the events front, the council reached a consensus to move the 2026 Earth Day event back to Vassallo Park, aiming for Saturday, May 2, with a rain date of May 9. The move is designed to reduce the parking constraints and logistical burdens experienced at previous locations, while aligning with a more focused mission for the event. Earlier in the season, the council will partner with the Croton Free Library to host a Repair Cafe on Friday, February 28, from 11:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. The event will rely on volunteers to check in items, direct visitors to repair stations, and track data required by the regional Repair Cafe network. The council discussed sourcing supplies through the Village’s purchasing process and reusing existing signage to keep costs down. In other updates, the Visual Environment Board is currently reviewing a mockup for new Gotwald Gardens signage, and the council is coordinating with a neighboring municipality to develop a GIS-friendly framework for updating Natural Resources Inventory and trail maps. Residents interested in volunteering for the February Repair Cafe or upcoming CLEAN waterfront trash collections can contact the Conservation Advisory Council through the Village website.