Documents › Board Of Trustees, 2026-02-04

minutes 12 pages

Regular Meeting of the Board of Trustees of the Village of Croton-on-Hudson, NY, held on Wednesday, January 21, 2026, in the Georgianna Grant Meeting Room at the Stanley Kellerhouse Municipal Building, Van Wyck Street, Croton-on-Hudson, NY 10520. The following Officials were absent: 1. Mayor Pugh called the regular meeting to order at 7:00pm and led everyone in the Pledge of Allegiance. Trustee Simon made a motion to approve the following Fiscal Year Vouchers, Claims numbered 26004083-26004282. The Motion was seconded by Trustee Nachtaler and approved with a 3-0 Vote. $101,884.71 Water Fund $23,653.40 Sewer Fund $25,724.85 Capital Fund $17,592.40 3. Presentation of the Key to the Village to former Zoning Board of Appeals Chair Christine Wagner (to view the entire presentation you may log onto the following: https://play.champds.com/crotononhudsonny/event/1123 (Section 22.02.02). 4. Motion to open a Public Hearing on the renewal of the cable franchise agreement with Cablevision of Wappingers Falls, Inc. to operate a cable system in the Village of Croton-on-Hudson was made by Trustee Simon. Motion was seconded by Trustee Nachtaler and approved with a 3-0 vote. Village Manager Healy stated that as part of this new agreement, the Village will be receiving “PEG Grant” funds, Cablevision will be paying the Village fifty cents per subscriber per quarter and these funds will be used to improve equipment that is used for broadcasting meetings and upgrading the technology at Village Hall. Village Manager Healy advised that as part of the renewal process, our Special Counsel undertook an audit of the Franchise Fees that are paid to the Village and they found all fees to be in order with what Mayor Pugh Trustee Simon Village Manager Bryan Healy Trustee Nachtaler Village Attorney Joshua Subin Village Treasurer Genette Toone Village Board of Trustees January 21, 2026 they owed the Village. Village Manager Healy explained that a lot of the rules and regulations that deal with Cable Franchise Agreements are regulated by New York State through the New York State Public Service Commission and this is something that communities are required to undertake every ten years. Ed Riely, 110 Truesdale Drive, Croton on Hudson, stated that there has been drastic reductions in the number of people participating, and asked what taxes apply to the internet portion and what are their responsibilities for the wiring and polls in the Village. There being no further comments to come before the Board, a motion to close the public hearing was made by Trustee Simon. Motion was seconded by Trustee Nachtaler and approved with a 3-0 vote. Village Manager indicated that there has been a decline in the number of subscribers over the past ten years and we have accounted for that in our budgets. Village Manager Healy emphasized that there are no franchise requirements for internet and telephone services and this agreement only covers cable television. Village Manager Healy addressed the question about poles, and stated that the agreement does not cover poles, but the Village has a separate law that deals with double poles, so when a utility replaces a pole they have a set timeframe under Village law where they must remove the old pole. Trustee Nachtaler reminded residents that New York State requires the cable company to reimburse subscribers if there is an outage that is four or more hours. Village Manager Healy stated that it is not an automatic credit, the subscriber has to request it. Trustee Simon thanked Village Manager Healy on the multi-year effort to renew this agreement and commended the firm who worked with the Village Manager. Mayor Pugh stated that the Village continues to advocate to get FIOS services in Croton. Resolution #4-2026 RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING THE VILLAGE OF CROTON-ON-HUDSON TO RENEW A CABLE FRANCHISE AGREEMENT WITH CABLEVISION OF WAPPINGERS FALLS, INC. January 21, 2026 TO OPERATE A CABLE SYSTEM IN THE VILLAGE OF CROTON-ON-HUDSON was made by Trustee Simon. Motion was seconded by Trustee Nachtaler and approved with a 3-0 vote. WHEREAS the Village of Croton-on-Hudson (the “Village”) is a “franchising authority” in accordance with Title VI of the Communications Act of 1934, (the “Communications Act”), and is authorized to grant one or more nonexclusive cable television franchises pursuant to Article 11 of the New York Public Service Law, as amended, and Title 16, Chapter VIII, Parts 890.60 through 899, of the Official Compilation of Codes, Rules and Regulations of the State of New York, as amended (collectively the “Cable Laws”), and WHEREAS the Village executed a franchise agreement with Cablevision of Wappingers Falls, Inc. (the “Franchisee”) on September 14, 2015, which was thereafter confirmed and made effective by the New York State Public Service Commission (“Commission”) on December 3, 2015, for a term of ten (10) years (Case No. 15-V-0558), and WHEREAS said franchise agreement expired on December 3, 2025; and WHEREAS Franchisee has submitted a proposed franchise renewal agreement (the “Franchise Renewal Agreement”) to continue operating its system within the Village, and WHEREAS the Village and Franchisee have mutually agreed to the terms of said Franchise Renewal Agreement, and WHEREAS the Village has determined that the Franchisee is and has been in substantial compliance with all terms/provisions of its existing franchises and applicable law, and WHEREAS the Village has determined that Franchisee has the requisite legal, technical and financial capabilities to operate a Cable Systems within the Village and that Franchisee’s proposals for renewal of the franchises meet the cable related needs of the Community, and WHEREAS a duly noticed Public Hearing, affording an opportunity for all those interested parties within the Village to be heard on the proposed Franchise Renewal Agreement was held before the Village on January 21, 2026, NOW THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the Village Board of Trustees determines that it is in the best interest of the public to award the Franchise Renewal Agreement to the Franchisee, and Village Board of Trustees January 21, 2026 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Village Board of Trustees hereby authorizes the Village Manager to enter into the Franchise Renewal Agreement with Cablevision of Wappingers Falls, Inc., and to execute any other documents necessary to effectuate the granting of the franchise renewal on behalf of the Village of Croton-on-Hudson. 5. RESPONSES TO QUESTIONS SUBMITTED BY EMAIL - None 6. PUBLIC COMMENTS ON AGENDA ITEMS: Ed Riely, 110 Truesdale Drive, Croton on Hudson, thanked Ms. Wagner for her professionalism as Chair of the Zoning Board of Appeals, she always conducted the meetings in an organized and inquisitive manner. Mr. Riely stated that he supports the proposal by our American Legion Post to have a plaque recognizing John “Rifle Jack” Peterson being placed on the piece of property opposite the Veterans Memorial. 7. REPORT FROM THE VILLAGE MANAGER: Village Manager Healy went over the following rules and regulations with respect to snow events in the Village: Village snow regulations are implemented with snowfall of 2 inches or more. The Village will declare an official end time to each storm, which will be posted on the Village website and social media. Please follow our Facebook, X and Instagram pages for any snow updates. Residents are also encouraged to subscribe to the "Snow Alerts" email list to receive notification of storm end times. In order to facilitate keeping our streets clear of snow and ice, no parking is allowed on any village street when there is 2 or more inches of snow. See Section 215-29-B - Seasonal Parking Upon an accumulation of two or more inches of snow, no vehicle of any kind shall be allowed to remain standing on any street or public highway until the snow has ended and the road has been cleared of snow. Vehicles must be relocated to off-street locations and may be parked on the Village right-of-way area directly in front of the vehicle owner’s residence, except that vehicles may not be parked on any part of a street, sidewalk, or curb. All vehicles in violation of this subsection are subject to towing. Residents may park vehicles in the Municipal Building parking lot, Asbury Methodist parking lot, Merwin Oak parking lot, and South Harmon parking lot but must be moved within 12 hours after snow has ended. January 21, 2026 Residents with limited access to off-street parking can apply for a seasonal parking permit. See Section 215-29-C - Seasonal Parking: Special hardship permits. In cases where there is no off-street location or right- of-way area which can be used, the Village Manager shall, upon written application on forms to be supplied by him and verification of the applicants special hardship, issue an annual permit granting permission to park motor vehicles on the street or public highway except for certain streets designated by the Village Manager, upon recommendation of the Superintendent of the Department of Public Works, provided that such parking conforms to all other laws and regulations. No permit parking shall be permitted on those streets designated by the Village Manager. Hardship permit holders shall move their vehicles no later than 12 hours after the snow stops. Streets not to be parked on even with a Seasonal Parking Permit during a snow event: • North side of Grand Street between Old Post Road North and Riverside Avenue • Both sides of Croton Point Avenue • Both sides of Benedict Blvd. • Both sides of Maple Street • East side of Riverside Avenue between Brook St. and High St. • West side (High School side) of Old Post Road South between Maple St. and Cleveland Dr. Please also remember that it is the responsibility of the homeowner to clear the sidewalk in front of their home. The Village thanks you in advance for clearing your sidewalk of snow and ice — doing so creates a safer environment for our pedestrians and especially children who walk to school. See Section 197-15-C - Snow and Ice on Sidewalks; Time Limits: Snow and ice shall be removed from sidewalks within 12 hours after the end of a snowfall. In addition, sidewalks adjoining commercial establishments and commercial parking lots shall be kept free of snow and ice at all times between the hours of 9:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. When clearing sidewalks and driveways, do not shovel or blow the snow back on Village streets. See Section 197-15-F Village Board of Trustees January 21, 2026 No person, firm or corporation shall deposit, throw, place or strew, nor shall any person, firm or corporation cause to be deposited, thrown, placed or strewn, any snow or ice upon any street, avenue or roadway within the Village. Mayor Pugh requested that, in recognition of the unexpected intensity of the snow event this past Saturday that took some residents by surprise, the Village waive, one-time only, the snow parking summonses that were issued. Mayor Pugh emphasized that the Village will do their best to remind everyone of their responsibilities to remove cars off our roadways but this is a long-standing law and residents need to be diligent. On motion by Trustee Simon and seconded by Trustee Nachtaler the Board approved waiving the snow parking summonses issued last Saturday. Motion was approved with a 3-0 vote. 8. CONSENT AGENDA: On Motion by Trustee Simon and seconded by Trustee Nachtaler, the Board approved the Consent Agenda with a 3-0 Vote. Trustee Nachtaler thanked the American Legion, Marc Cheshire and the Recreation Advisory Committee for their thoughtful recommendations regarding the proposed monument for Revolutionary War veteran John "Rifle Jack" Peterson. Trustee Nachtaler stated that she is not sure who is driving the coordination of this project and suggested that we put in some deadlines if we want to see this done in the spring. Village Manager Healy stated that the Board is going to need to have a discussion at one of our upcoming work sessions to see what direction we should be taking. Village Manager Healy advised that a historical sign has been donated by the Pomeroy Foundation that will be placed at Cleveland Drive on the side of the cemetery honoring two soldiers that are buried in Bethel cemetery, once it has arrived, the Village is planning to hold a ceremony when we are ready to install the sign. 1. Emails from the Recreation Advisory Committee and Village Historian Marc Cheshire regarding the proposed monument for Revolutionary War Village Board of Trustees January 21, 2026 veteran John "Rifle Jack" Peterson as well as Pierre Van Cortlandt and Philip Van Cortlandt. 09/93724e4e9699fc6cd5cc0c47af480a90245482fe.pdf https://play.champds.com/ATT/crotononhudsonny/2026- 01/539ef8d237f7ad6afcc7643fef16a0eceaf01847.pdf 2. Letter from the New York Conference of Mayors regarding AIM Funding in the State Budget. https://play.champds.com/ATT/crotononhudsonny/2026- 01/3f2aefee7391da472f11e27e1f0d6d30f9f3b647.pdf b. RESOLUTIONS: Resolution #5-2026 On motion of TRUSTEE SIMON, seconded by TRUSTEE NACHTALER, the following resolution was adopted by the Board of Trustees of the Village of Croton-on-Hudson, New York with a 3-0 vote. WHEREAS New York State enacted legislation in 2012 that established a “property tax cap” on the amount that a local government’s property tax levy can increase each year, and WHEREAS under this law, the total amount to be raised through property taxes charged on the municipality’s taxable assessed value of property, is capped at 2% or the rate of inflation, whichever is less, with some exceptions, and WHEREAS the rate of inflation this year has been set by the State Comptroller’s Office at 2.63% for municipalities operating on a June through May fiscal year, and WHEREAS the state legislation provides for local governments to override the cap to protect the Village from unforeseen financial circumstances, and WHEREAS the state legislation requires that in the event an override is necessary, the law enabling it must already have been adopted by the Board of Trustees, and WHEREAS Local Law Introductory No. 1 of 2026 has been drafted to override the “property tax cap” law enacted by State Legislature, if necessary, and Village Board of Trustees January 21, 2026 WHEREAS no decision has been made at this point to override the “property tax cap” for the upcoming fiscal year, NOW THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the Village Board of Trustees hereby calls for a Public Hearing on February 4, 2026, at 7:00 PM in the Georgianna Grant Meeting Room of the Stanley H. Kellerhouse Municipal Building to consider Local Law Introductory No. 1 of 2026 to override the “property tax cap” law enacted by State Legislature. Resolution #6-2026 On motion of TRUSTEE SIMON, seconded by TRUSTEE NACHTALER, the following resolution was adopted by the Board of Trustees of the Village of Croton-on-Hudson, New York with a 3-0 vote. WHEREAS New York State Village Law provides for the Village Board of Trustees to audit all claims presented to the Village for payment, and WHEREAS Section 5-524 of the Village Law authorizes the Village to establish the office of auditor, which would undertake these duties of the Village Board of Trustees, and WHEREAS Local Law Introductory No. 2 of 2026 has been drafted to create the office of Village Auditor; and WHEREAS, the local law was reviewed and discussed at a work session held on January 14, 2026, NOW THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the Village Board of Trustees hereby calls for a Public Hearing on February 4, 2026, at 7:00 PM in the Georgianna Grant Meeting Room of the Stanley H. Kellerhouse Municipal Building to consider Local Law Introductory No. 2 of 2026 to create chapter 9, Auditor, Village, of the Village Code to establish the office of Village Auditor. Resolution #7-2026 On motion of TRUSTEE SIMON, seconded by TRUSTEE NACHTALER, the following resolution was adopted by the Board of Trustees of the Village of Croton-on-Hudson, New York with a 3-0 vote. WHEREAS the collective bargaining agreement with the Croton Police Association establishes a set amount to be paid to members for the cost of police uniforms, and Village Board of Trustees January 21, 2026 WHEREAS the 2025-2026 General Fund Budget does not have sufficient funding available to pay this contractually required amount, NOW THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the Village Board hereby authorizes the Village Treasurer to transfer $6,600 from Contingency Account A1990.4000 to the following account: A3120.4260 – Police Department–Uniforms. Resolution #8-2026 On motion of TRUSTEE SIMON, seconded by TRUSTEE NACHTALER, the following resolution was adopted by the Board of Trustees of the Village of Croton-on-Hudson, New York with a 3-0 vote. WHEREAS the Recreation Advisory Committee has recommended that the Village purchase an automatic external defibrillator (AED) to be installed at Black Rock Park, and WHEREAS the Village Board discussed this request at a work session held on January 14, 2026, and is supportive of the request and WHEREAS, the 2025-2026 General Fund Budget does not have sufficient funding available for this purchase, NOW THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the Village Board hereby authorizes the Village Treasurer to transfer $4,410 from Contingency Account A1990.4000 to the following account: A7110.2000 – Parks-Equipment. Resolution #9-2026 On motion of TRUSTEE SIMON, seconded by TRUSTEE NACHTALER, the following resolution was adopted by the Board of Trustees of the Village of Croton-on-Hudson, New York with a 3-0 vote. NOW THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED: that the Village Board of Trustees hereby undertakes the following actions: 1. Authorizing the Deputy Mayor to sign the New York Conference of Mayors AIM Letter. 2. Filing for the record the recommendations from the Recreation Advisory Committee and Village Historian Marc Cheshire regarding the John “Rifle Jack” Peterson memorial. January 21, 2026 c. Approval of Minutes: Motion to approve the minutes of the Regular Meeting held on January 7, 2026, was made by Trustee Simon. The motion was seconded by Trustee Nachtaler and approved with a 3-0 vote. Motion to approve the minutes of the Work Session held on January 14, 2026, was made by Trustee Simon. The motion was seconded by Trustee Nachtaler and approved with a 3-0 vote. Motion to approve the minutes of the Executive Session held on January 14, 2026, was made by Trustee Simon. The motion was seconded by Trustee Nachtaler and approved with a 3-0 vote. 9. PROPOSED RESOLUTIONS: Resolution #10-2026 On motion of TRUSTEE SIMON, seconded by TRUSTEE NACHTALER, the following resolution was adopted by the Board of Trustees of the Village of Croton-on-Hudson, New York with a 3-0 vote. WHEREAS the Croton-on-Hudson Police Department makes use of a computer-aided dispatch (CAD) system to document all calls for service that are received, and WHEREAS the department wishes to upgrade to a newer system that has enhanced functionally, including the ability to share information with neighboring departments, and WHEREAS the Croton-on-Hudson Police Department, Town of Yorktown Police Department and the Village of Briarcliff Manor Police Department are investigating the use of a Motorola CAD system, which is currently used by six other departments in Westchester and Putnam counties, and WHEREAS the three communities desire to apply for a grant through the New York State Local Government Efficiency Grant Program, and WHEREAS, a memorandum of understanding (MOU) has been developed to establish the relationship between the three communities in regards to this grant application; and WHEREAS the signing of the MOU does not commit the village to spend any funds, Village Board of Trustees January 21, 2026 NOW THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the Village Board hereby authorizes the Chief of Police to execute the memorandum of understanding with the Yorktown and Briarcliff Manor Police Departments related to the local government efficiency grant program. 10.PUBLIC COMMENT – NON-AGENDA ITEMS: Ed Riely, 110 Truesdale Drive, Croton on Hudson, stated that the New York State budget has a lot of corruption and needs a DOGE review, a March for Life bus will be leaving from Briarcliff Manor this Friday to Washington, D.C. , and talked about an ongoing boycott of CVS with regards to abortion drugs. 11.REPORTS: Trustee Nachtaler thanked Christine Wagner for her incredible service as Chair of the Zoning Board of Appeals, congratulated Jim Tuman on his appointment as Chair, and welcomed new member Ethan Lewis. Trustee Nachtaler also thanked our DPW crew for all their work during the last two snow events. Trustee Simon thanked Christine Wagner for her service, thanked the DPW staff for keeping our streets safe, on January 15th he attended a zoom meeting with Congressman Lawler, on January 8th he and Trustee Nachtaler attended the monthly Westchester Municipal Officials meeting where Brian Coffin, Legislative Director of the New York Conference of Mayors gave an update on what is happening in the State Legislature, on January 15th the Bicycle and Pedestrian Committee met and talked about the expansion of the Project Mover program, and possible locations for red light cameras, on January 18th the Sustainability Committee met and talked about EV chargers at the train station, reported on the renewal diesel program, and the train station solar canopy, on January 28th he participated in a call with County Executive Ken Jenkins and his team where they talked about County initiatives, on January 17th, Fire Inspector Jim Ferguson gave a wonderful presentation to our Seniors, this Friday By the Dam Books will be holding a reading of Winnie-the- Pooh books in recognition of its one-hundredth anniversary, and announced the passing of Jeanette Gingold on January 10th. On motion by Trustee Simon and seconded by Trustee Nachtaler the Board approved the following appointments with a 3-0 vote. Shiloh Shea Conservation Advisory Council Term Ending 12/26 Dana Nicholson Bicycle Pedestrian Committee Term Ending 12/28 Seyed Hosseini Alternate Member, Planning Board Term Ending 12/26 Village Board of Trustees January 21, 2026 Adriana Zavala IDEA Committee Term Ending 12/26 There being no further business to come before the Board, a motion to close the meeting was made by Trustee Simon. Motion was seconded by Trustee Nachtaler and approved with a 3-0. Meeting adjourned at 8:03pm.