Documents

minutes 16 pages

Regular Meeting of the Board of Trustees of the Village of Croton-on-Hudson, NY, held on Wednesday, January 8, 2025, in the Georgianna Grant Meeting Room at the Stanley Kellerhouse Municipal Building, Van Wyck Street, Croton-on-Hudson, NY 10520. 1. Mayor Pugh called the 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 24252987-24253211. The Motion was seconded by Trustee Politi and approved with a 5-0 Vote. $480,616.41 Water Fund $36,188.54 Sewer Fund $30,845.39 3. Presentation of the Key to the Village to Ex-Chief Joshua Karpoff in recognition of his service to the Croton-on-Hudson Fire Department and the Village of Croton-on- Hudson. 4. PUBLIC HEARINGS A motion to open a Public Hearing to consider Local Law Introductory No. 15 of 2024 to amend the Code of the Village of Croton-on-Hudson by adding a new Chapter 186 entitled "Rental Housing" and by adding Article I "Good Cause Eviction" thereto was made by Trustee Simon. Motion was seconded by Trustee Politi and approved with a 5-0 vote. Frequently asked questions: 01/771f7ab8365aefc997e4c08c3f3c8525d85cfc21.pdf Comments: Email from Matilda Abena Boadi, 12 Bari Manor, Croton on Hudson, dated December 31, 2024, stating that rent hikes are unfair and put lower income families who are already Mayor Pugh Trustee Simon Village Manager Bryan Healy Trustee Nicholson Village Attorney Joshua B. Subin Trustee Politi Village Treasurer Daniel Tucker Trustee Slippen Village Board of Trustees January 8, 2025 struggling to pay rent and put food on the table in jeopardy, and is pleading with the Board to stand with tenants. Email from Andrew Cerrato, 66 Bari Manor, Croton on Hudson, dated January 4, 2025, asking the Board to do the right thing for the residents of Croton on Hudson and Westchester County, many of us have to rent and are on Rent Control because we cannot afford to own a home in New York State. Please be fair and look out for those in this predicament. Email from Christopher Walsh, 113 Benedict Blvd, Croton on Hudson, dated January 7, 2025, writing to express opposition to Croton enacting Good Cause Eviction laws for the following reasons: 1) Laws such as this one that have exclusions including build date after 2009, co-ops, condos tend to favor special interest groups which is simply not fair. 2) This law further restricts landlords rights and increases red tape which will discourage small time landlords from renting properties, reducing housing availability. This will certainly not favor housing availability. 3) The extra paperwork involved is a major burden to all but professional corporate landlords that have a property management staff and attorney on retainer. Corporate landlords will circumvent the law. 4) There's a BIG gap between a persistent nuisance tenant and a tenant that constantly violates lease conditions AND these violations would have to be proven in court with an extensive paper trail, etc. Email from Kio Stark, 110 Maple Street, Croton on Hudson, dated January 8, 2025, writes that she is in support of the strongest version of the Good Cause eviction bill, as a renter, she feels that such protections are extremely important to her and other renters’ economic stability and also our ability to be invested members of the community and civic life here in Croton. Email from Jessica Dieckman, 58 Thompson Avenue, Croton on Hudson, dated January 8, 2025, stated that she is against the proposed Good Cause Eviction law, the law will enhance the government’s ability to minimize private property rights, reduce a key niche of housing in Croton, and in turn result in making only the properties the state deems appropriate for rent made available. it is all a very underhanded tactic, small scale landlords will be greatly affected and reduced in numbers which seems to be the goal. If the law passes, private home rentals will decrease, and those that remain active will have higher rents from the beginning and longer and more complicated leasing contracts, if this gets off the ground people are no longer going to buy and maintain properties as rentals, and this will cut out a niche of housing that many residents need and find desirable. What if a landlord needs to sell and they can’t because a tenant refuses to leave? Do not pass this law and consider these points seriously. January 8, 2025 Theo Oshiro, 41 Morningside Drive, Croton on Hudson, stated that he supports Croton opting into the Good Cause Eviction Law, this law is a way for Croton to look out for our tenant neighbors in a very powerful way, many tenants struggle to make ends meet and site rising rents as a specific pressure that they feel every day and many do not know if they will be able to stay in their apartments, while some are afraid that they may not be able to renew their lease even though they have been good tenants and this law will provide stability, the law does not mean that landlords cannot raise rents, if a landlord makes improvements or experiences increases in costs, they will be able to raise rents, but unjustified and exorbitant rent increases will be a thing in the past. Ryan Orecco, stated that he supports the proposed Good Cause Eviction law, talked about the struggles his family had paying their rent after his father lost his job, and subsequently his family was evicted, because we didn’t have this law, his family could not be saved from being evicted, but families can now be saved, his family currently lives paycheck to paycheck but they make the rent each month and with these protections, he is hopeful that we can protect tenants from being priced out of Croton from unreasonable rent hikes. Karen Pecora, 92 Maple Street, Croton on Hudson stated that she is in full support of the proposed Good Cause Eviction law. Ms. Pecora gave examples of friends who were not able to stay in their apartments because landlords were raising their rents by $500.00 a month, and this law will protect tenants from that. Ed Riely, 110 Truesdale Drive, Croton on Hudson, stated that on the surface this law seems somewhat innocuous, but he would like to know why the Board supported a 20% increase in inflation and then limited landlords to the amount they can raise rents creating a situation where landlords cannot catch up, asked why would we let 11 million people into the country when we didn’t have enough housing, asked why this administration limited growth for 10 years so people were stymied from investing in housing and rental properties and why didn’t this Board object to the rise in the CPI (Consumer Price Index) that has contributed to renters not being able to afford their apartments and food and creating a situation where landlords were not able to fix their apartments. Crystal Hawkins Syska, Regional Director of the Hudson Gateway Association of Realtors, stated that she supports pro-housing, but objects to this legislation and encouraged the Board to listen to both sides, she understands how tenants are suffering, but landlords are suffering as well and believes that one of the unintended consequences of this law is that it could disincentivize property maintenance and upgrades. Ms. Syska stated that Village Board of Trustees January 8, 2025 she supports having more low-cost rental assistance by expanding Section 8 housing on an emergency basis. Joe Lippolis, 38 Thompson Avenue, Croton on Hudson, stated that as a landlord he agrees with some of the comments made by the prior speaker, he does not believe we need this law, during covid when rents were not paid, landlords were still obligated to pay taxes and other expenses that had to come out of their pockets. Mr. Lippolis stated that landlords have expenses, and they are not making a ton of money, and the Board needs to look at both sides and is disappointed that landlords were not invited to this discussion. Ben Surface, Supervising Attorney at the Hudson Valley Justice Center, a non-profit legal services organization that represents tenants throughout the Hudson Valley stated that he supports the proposed law. Mr. Surface stated that if landlords face skyrocketing costs for necessary equipment to make repairs, a landlord may raise the rent beyond the 8.45% in order to continue to operate and maintain habitable units, all this law does is say that an increase cannot happen without impunity and without this law a landlord could raise a tenant’s rent exorbitantly or just say their tenancy is over and if a landlord files the required notices, there is nothing his office can do to change that outcome. Edward Calamia, 13 Lower North Highland Place, Croton on Hudson, stated that this law provides the bare minimum of what tenants truly deserve, and insuring stability and dignity for the tenant population is a key component to having a Democratic culture in the Village and in the State. Dorothy Botsoe, no address given, stated that she is a Realtor and is opposed to this legislation, a lot of her clients are small multi-family owners, and she has seen these people losing their homes because they cannot afford to pay their mortgage and repair their property, while she understands that everyone has to be treated with dignity, she does not understand why landlords were not a part of the discussion. Antigoni Kanaris, stated that she does not live in the Croton and hopes to see this approved in her community as well. Peter Feigenbaum, 39 Wells Avenue, Croton on Hudson, urged the Board to pass this law, this law was written for NYC where the Legislators decided that predatory landlords needed to be stopped and protections for tenants needed to move forward, then the State gave the option for other communities in New York State to opt into this, this is a good law that will protect our citizens and will not hurt our landlords because it is for predatory landlords and hopefully we will not have them here in Croton. January 8, 2025 Robin Faracain, 2002 Albany Post Road, Croton on Hudson, stated that she has lived here since 2001, she has worked with four different landlords and on a whole they have been wonderful, when they did have a problem, her landlord worked with her, she found help through social services but there are not enough programs, we have to work together to find solutions and believes that this law will protect both landlords and tenants. Brian Callaci, Peekskill resident and Economist with the Open Market Institute stated that one in five Croton households are renters, and a full third of renters are living in cost burden households and paying more than 30% of their income on rent and in between the years 2018-2023 renters experienced a 35% increase in rent. Mr. Callaci stated that he believes this policy will enhance the economic health of the entire community because when people have housing stability they are going to spend more money in their community. Benjamin Faber, 170 Maple Street, Croton on Hudson, stated that he believes this legislation is good, it means that there will be a process that will protect both the tenant and landlord and does not see any downside. Jennifer Cabrera an Ossining resident and Chair of the Westchester/Putnam Working Families Party, stated that Croton has become a leader in housing affordability, this legislation will provide stability for the tenants and to the community and is in support of this law. Sidney Regier, Mount Airy Road, Croton on Hudson stated that he supports this law, many of his peers would like to live in Croton but they cannot afford it, and it would be nice to have this protection. There being no further comments to come before the Board a motion to close the Public Hearing was made by Trustee Simon and seconded by Trustee Nicholson. Motion was approved with a 5-0 vote. Resolution #1-2025 On motion of TRUSTEE SIMON, seconded by TRUSTEE NICHOLSON, the following resolution was adopted by the Board of Trustees of the Village of Croton-on-Hudson, New York with a 5-0 vote. WHEREAS the Village of Croton-on-Hudson seeks to amend the Code of the Village of Croton-on-Hudson by adding a new Chapter 186 entitled "Rental Housing" to implement the provisions of the Good Cause Eviction Law enacted by the State of New York, and WHEREAS Local Law Introductory No. 15 of 2024 was drafted for such purposes, and Village Board of Trustees January 8, 2025 WHEREAS a public hearing was opened and closed on January 8, 2025, NOW THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the Village Board of Trustees hereby adopts Local Law Introductory No. 15 of 2024, adding a new Chapter 186 entitled "Rental Housing" to the Code of the Village of Croton-on-Hudson to implement the provisions of the Good Cause Eviction Law enacted by the State of New York, which upon adoption becomes Local Law No. 1 of 2025. DISCUSSION Trustee Politi stated that meeting notices are on our website with the hope that interested parties will attend. Trustee Politi stated that not only does this legislation protect tenants, it also addresses the increased costs that landlords are experiencing and will allow landlords to increase rents to reflect those increases so that they can continue to make improvements on their properties, but giving tenants the ability to log a complaint with a landlord that their heat is not working and not to be afraid of being kicked out of their apartment is a good thing. Trustee Simon stated that the Good Cause Eviction legislation was enacted by the Legislature and emphasized that neither side got everything they wanted, they listened to all sides, and after the legislation was passed in Albany the Board held two work sessions and discussed all the issues. Trustee Simon stated that this legislation is an additional avenue to resolve landlord/tenant issues, we also received about 250 letters from the Real Estate Industry, but we believe that the fears that were expressed will not be realized. Trustee Simon stated that the FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions) provides information and suggested everyone take a look at that information. Trustee Simon stated that 40% of renters in Croton are rent burdened, which means that 1/3 of their income goes to rent, Westchester already has one of the highest rents in the State, inflation plus 5% will be the base for those covered under this law and it seems fair to him, he does not want renters in Croton to be second class citizens when it comes to the protections that they deserve, and this legislation will give tenants and landlords the tools to resolve their issues. Trustee Nicholson stated that when the Board passed the ETPA legislation, we had an opportunity for our landlords to ask questions and she encourages the Board to do the same with respect to this new legislation. Trustee Nicholson stated that in 2021 our Housing Task Force asked us to do a rental registry, and hopes that we can get this done in 2025, because it is important for us to be able to communicate to our tenants and landlords, of the 1,500 rental units in Croton we are only aware of 300 of those renters and as we are taking on new laws and responsibilities we owe it to our community to communicate in the most effective way. January 8, 2025 Village Manager Healy advised that the 300 units signifies apartments that are three family or more because those buildings are subject to more stringent inspections, a lot of those other units are either accessory apartments or two-family homes which do not have the same inspection requirements but we do have access to who owns those properties and we can certainly include those properties in the registry. Trustee Slippen stated that while she was not present during those work sessions, she did have the opportunity go back and listen to those work sessions, and even though we are committed to different channels to communicate, she feels that we missed the mark in terms of making sure that both tenants and landlords were able to participate in this conversation and would have liked to have heard from more renters and landlords to get a more complete picture exactly how everyone is feeling about this. Trustee Slippen stated that in tight housing markets with low vacancy rates tenant protections may be more impactful since renters have fewer alternatives, and in markets with more housing availability the potential market distortion effects becomes less concerning, in cities with Good Cause Eviction laws they have found eviction rates decrease and housing stability increased particularly for vulnerable populations, but research has indicated potential negative effects on housing supply and property investments as well. Trustee Slippen stated that Croton is in a development phase, and we are in the process of adding more opportunities for both tenants and landlords and believes it is a good opportunity for Croton at this time. Trustee Nicholson stated that this law will force more cases into the Courts that are already overburdened and underfunded in the State, in Croton we are fortunate that we have a Village Court and when we look at the data of the number of eviction cases we only see about two a month but she would like to see the State expand their funding and support for local municipalities who adopt this legislation. Mayor Pugh stated that the Board also approved Rent Stabilization Guidelines as well as an Emergency Tenant Protection Act and believes that the Good Cause Eviction law is a common-sense measure that will give tenants the security that many of us take for granted. Mayor Pugh stated that the American Bar Association lists ten guidelines for eviction laws, and guideline #9 states that “lease termination including non-renewal should be limited to circumstances where good cause exists” and believes we are adopting what is recognized as a best practice which has existed in other states for decades and has finally come to New York State. A motion to open a Public Hearing to consider Local Law Introductory No. 16 of 2024 to amending Chapter 135, Garbage, Rubbish, and Littering, of the Village Code, to clarify the type and size of containers to be used and the Village Board of Trustees January 8, 2025 time when containers may be placed curbside, was made by Trustee Slippen. Motion was seconded by Trustee Politi and approved with a 5-0 vote. Village Manager Healy gave an overview of the proposed changes to the law. 12/26e6883d285adf9930f70947d15f44031ec5dbd5.pdf Comments: John Ealer, 5 Prickly Pear Hill Road, Croton on Hudson, stated that he supports the law, but asked as the Village enforces the law they take into consideration the unique impact it has on people who live on private roads which are typically lengthy and may create some difficult having to bring large trash containers down to the road, it may take a little creativity for those of us who live on such roads and we may not be able to use standard containers. Ed Riely, 110 Truesdale Drive, Croton on Hudson, stated that our garbage collection staff are incredible and provide a great service that is provided by this Village, and asked if residents are going to need to purchase certain types of garbage cans. Mr. Riely stated that Croton was one of the first communities in Westchester County to do comprehensive recycling but expressed his concerns on how that recycling is handled. Phyllis Morrow, 61 Nordica Drive, Croton on Hudson, asked if residents will have to change the size of their trash cans, and suggested something be put in the newsletter with the bullet points. Email from Peter Hopkinson, 82 Maple Street, Croton on Hudson, dated January 7, 2025, detailing a discrepancy on the website regarding the size specification for a trash container, Mr. Hopkins also objects that everything must be in a container, especially for high volume/low weight items like Styrofoam packing, in the past he has used a 30-gallon bag. Mr. Hopkins also suggested that the Village institute a dark sky program, he is also pleased that the Croton Point project is moving forward and to see how well the Village is being run. 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 Nicholson and approved with a 5-0 vote. Village Manager Healy explained that we are not purchasing new trucks, our existing trucks have a tipper capability and there is no requirement that homeowners have to buy specific garbage cans. Village Manager Healy explained Village Board of Trustees January 8, 2025 that our DPW staff have always worked very well with residents who live on private roads, and he is sure that DPW staff would be more than happy to work out some sort of solution for those unique scenarios. Village Manager Healy emphasized that there is going to be an education campaign to make sure that everyone understands the changes. Village Manager Healy stated that in response to Mr. Riely’s concerns on how our recycling is being handled, he will get that information and statistics from the County. Resolution #2-2025 On motion of TRUSTEE SIMON, seconded by TRUSTEE POLITI the following resolution was adopted by the Board of Trustees of the Village of Croton-on-Hudson, New York with a 5-0 vote. WHEREAS Local Law Introductory No. 16 of 2024 has been drafted to amend Chapter 135, Garbage, Rubbish, and Littering, of the Village Code, and WHEREAS the proposed local law includes revisions to update definitions in the Village Code and set the times when garbage containers may be placed curbside, and WHEREAS the Village Board of Trustees held a public hearing on January 8, 2025, which was opened and closed on the same date, to consider Local Law Introductory No. 16 of 2024, NOW THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the Village Board of Trustees hereby adopts Local Law Introductory No. 16 of 2024, amending Chapter 135, Garbage, Rubbish, and Littering, of the Village Code, which upon adoption becomes Local Law No. 2 of 2025. 5. RESPONSES TO QUESTIONS SUBMITTED BY EMAIL - none. 6. PUBLIC COMMENT - AGENDA ITEMS Ed Riely, 110 Truesdale Drive, Croton on Hudson, objected to the people who spoke at the Good Cause Eviction public hearing who were not residents of the Village. Mr. Riely stated that we have a sign pollution problem especially along Route 129 and is concerned that people do not know how to operate around traffic circles. Village Attorney Subin stated that the Open Meetings Law in New York State allows anyone to speak at a public meeting, a person does not have to be a resident or a taxpayer. January 8, 2025 John Ealer, Chair of the Conservation Advisory Council, gave an overview of their Year-End Report. To view the report, you may log onto the following: 01/38ac5c785c036374852168d730087b9790e278b2.pd Resolution: On motion by Trustee Simon and seconded by Trustee Politi the Board of Trustees of the Village of Croton-on-Hudson approved the Consent Agenda. Motion was approved with a 5-0 vote. 7. CONSENT AGENDA: 1. Letter from PERMA awarding the Village a $950 grant for a Remote Learning Center, including a laptop and a 55-inch television to be used for safety and compliance training. 01/82d54667814d609d8de1b8c14544ce774991c1d8.pdf 2. Conservation Advisory Council Year-End Report https://play.champds.com/ATT/crotononhudsonny/2025- 01/38ac5c785c036374852168d730087b9790e278b2.pdf 3. Quarterly Report 2025 Village Clerk https://play.champds.com/ATT/crotononhudsonny/2025- 01/0b0f04260bce76d9d1290c492a21fc350447bcfa.pdf DPW https://play.champds.com/ATT/crotononhudsonny/2025- 01/f0aaf105dcc2aa52d41364c10d9af44f3d190da7.pdf Engineering https://play.champds.com/ATT/crotononhudsonny/2025- 01/151648a362fcfe47a1f004b09b8d4fa05d9fc6f9.pdf Finance https://play.champds.com/ATT/crotononhudsonny/2025- 01/8651f30c0496cfe2302fcacc4c44ff8d4368000e.pdf Village Board of Trustees January 8, 2025 Manager https://play.champds.com/ATT/crotononhudsonny/2025- 01/1bd596500bdbc1567a4a68d128a6fda9388c56ae.pdf Justice Court https://play.champds.com/ATT/crotononhudsonny/2025- 01/2b7e204095d3890f850ac2f9481f497ef7b1df13.pdf Parking https://play.champds.com/ATT/crotononhudsonny/2025- 01/de39d8ef77816a1554ab2fd22037a352708cc418.pdf Police https://play.champds.com/ATT/crotononhudsonny/2025- 01/76c6d58eb69962a666c582cc8ee0f85c4f8a5157.pdf Recreation https://play.champds.com/ATT/crotononhudsonny/2025- 01/61903dba3c9c1b46d27d782df893538994c42447.pdf b. RESOLUTIONS: none c. APPROAL OF MINUTES: Motion to approve the minutes of the Regular Meeting held on December 18, 2024, was made by Trustee Simon. The motion was seconded by Trustee Politi and approved with a 5-0 vote. 8. PROPOSED RESOLUTIONS: Resolution #3-2025 On motion of TRUSTEE SLIPPEN and seconded by TRUSTEE POLITI, the following resolution was adopted by the Board of Trustees of the Village of Croton-on-Hudson, New York with a 5-0 vote. WHEREAS Historic Hudson Valley requested police services for the Great Jack O’Lantern Blaze this year, and WHEREAS police officers are assigned to conduct traffic control, as well as to ensure safety for residents and visitors to the Village, and Village Board of Trustees January 8, 2025 WHEREAS police officers were also requested to conduct special details at the Croton- Harmon School District and Temple Israel, and WHEREAS Historic Hudson Valley, Croton-Harmon School District and Temple Israel have agreed to pay the cost of the overtime for these officers, NOW THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED: that the Village Treasurer is authorized to amend the General Fund 2024-2025 budget in the amount of $56,130.29: A3120.1200 Personnel Services - Overtime $56,130.29 GENERAL REVENUES Increase Revenues A3120.1520 Police Fees $56,130.29 Resolution #4-2025 On motion of TRUSTEE SIMON, seconded by TRUSTEE NICHOLSON, the following resolution was adopted by the Board of Trustees of the Village of Croton-on-Hudson, New York with a 5-0 vote. WHEREAS the Government Accounting Standards Board (GASB) issued GASB Statement Number 54 updating the classification of Government Funds taking effect June 30, 2011, and WHEREAS the Village of Croton-on-Hudson adopted a Fund Balance Policy defining a reasonable level of Unassigned Fund Balance as no more than 25% of the total adopted budgeted expenditures of the General Fund, and WHEREAS per the adopted Fund Balance Policy, the Unassigned Fund Balance is $666,010 over the defined reasonable level, NOW THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the Village Treasurer is directed to assign $666,010 of the Unassigned Fund Balance as follows: Increase the Assigned Fund Balance Designated for Future Retirement by $330,025 Increase the Restricted Fund Balance Reserved for Tax Stabilization by $35,985 Village Board of Trustees January 8, 2025 Increase the Assigned Fund Balance for Capital Projects by $300,000. Resolution #5-2025 On motion of TRUSTEE SIMON, seconded by TRUSTEE NICHOLSON, the following resolution was adopted by the Board of Trustees of the Village of Croton-on-Hudson, New with a 5-0 vote. WHEREAS the Village of Croton-on-Hudson entered into an agreement with the Mid- Hudson Ambulance District (MHAD) on June 11, 2024, to provide Emergency Medical Services (Croton EMS) with one Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) on a 24/7 basis at a rate of $43.79 per hour, with services delivered through the Ossining Volunteer Ambulance Corps., Inc., and WHEREAS the Village has requested that from January 13, 2025, through May 31, 2025, the contractor provide Croton EMS with an additional EMT between the hours of 6:00 a.m. and 6:00 p.m., Monday through Friday, and WHEREAS the contractor has agreed to this request as detailed in the amendment to the original agreement, which adjusts the terms to include the provision of this additional EMT coverage, NOW THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the Board of Trustees of the Village of Croton- on-Hudson hereby authorizes the Village Manager to execute the amendment to the agreement with the Mid-Hudson Ambulance District, subject to the final approval of the Village Attorney, and BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Village Treasurer is authorized to make the following budget transfers in the 2024-2025 General Fund budget: A4540.4020 – Ambulance Fly Car/Paid EMT $52,548 Decrease Expense A5010.1000 – DPW Administration Personnel $36,570 A1990.4000 – Contingency $15,978 9. PUBLIC COMMENT – NON-AGENDA ITEMS: January 8, 2025 Ed Riely, 110 Truesdale Drive, Croton on Hudson, objects to CVS selling an abortion pill that he believes has injured women throughout the United States, and if the Good Cause Eviction Law is such a good law it should apply to all landlords. Phyllis Morrow, 61 Nordica Drive, Croton on Hudson, encouraged the Board to please move forward with the Croton River Task Force, and suggested cheering up the community room, and adding nicer chairs for the seniors. The Board adjourned the meeting to enter into an advice of counsel session with the Village Attorney. F.O.I.L. Resolution: On motion by Trustee Slippen and seconded by Trustee Simon, the Board of Trustees of the Village of Croton-on-Hudson approved the following response to a Freedom of Information request from Mr. Michael Balter. Motion was approved with a 5-0 vote. This is to inform you that on January 8, 2025, the Croton-on-Hudson Village Board of Trustees (“Village Board”) met as the FOIL Appeals Board to consider the Village’s December 20, 2024, response to your December 12, 2024, FOIL request. Your said FOIL sought records of “all communications, no matter what their form (emails, text messages, notes of meetings or telephone or Zoom calls, recordings, photographs, and all other documents) between developer Phil Spagnoli and Village Engineer Dan O’Connor, that concern, reference, mention, or otherwise refer to the village owned property at 60 Whelan Avenue.” Your request for records was responded to on the basis that no such records existed or could be located. Please be advised the FOIL Appeals Board hereby upholds that determination. Herein the Village’s FOIL Officer personally met with relevant staff, searched for records responsive to your request and relevant Village Staff have confirmed the prior determination that no such responsive records have been located. Accordingly, the appeal has been reviewed, and the prior response has been confirmed. A copy of this determination will be sent to the NYS Committee on Open Government. 10.REPORTS: Trustee Slippen advised that she attended the swearing in of the new Fire Chief and other members of the Fire Department, advised that Ken Jenkins will be at Cortlandt Town Hall on January 14th at 7:00pm with staff members to answer questions regarding the Quaker Bridge project. January 8, 2025 Trustee Politi stated that she supports more crosswalk signage for the safety of pedestrians, the IDEA Committee will be working on “Croton Welcomes Everyone” and we should see stickers around the community starting in February, the business community welcomed two new businesses to Croton: Croton Children and Family Counseling and Senior Helpers. Trustee Nicholson reminded everyone that the Community Survey on Safety and Law Enforcement is out and available on the Village website; the deadline to complete the survey is January 31st, she had the pleasure to attend the Lorraine Hansberry committee meeting last night, they have some very exciting events coming up in April/May. Trustee Simon advised that he attended the Fire and EMS installations and congratulated all the incoming officers, continues to work with our business community, on January 3rd he attended the swearing in ceremony of Assemblywoman Dana Levenberg, participated in a press conference with environmental advocates organized by Senator Harckham to talk about an additional $600 million in clean water investments in the 2025-26 State Budget, read a letter Croton faith leaders put together in the recent River Journal, and asked everyone to keep residents of Los Angeles in their prayers. Mayor Pugh made the following appointments: On motion by Trustee Politi and seconded by Trustee Slippen the Board of Trustees approved the Mayor’s appointments. Motion was approved with a 5-0 vote. Arts & Humanities Advisory Council Samantha Raines Term expires 12/2026 Planning Board John Ghegan Term expires 12/2029 Police Advisory Committee Ian Murtaugh Term expires 12/2025 Waterfront Advisory Committee Leo Wiegman Term expires 12/2025 Recreation Advisory Committee John Sasso Term expires 12/2027 The Advisory Board on the Visual Environment Daniel Castner Term expires 12/2027 IDEA Advisory Committee Veronica Stanaway Term expires 12/2025 IDEA Advisory Committee Kio Stark Term expires 12/2025 IDEA Advisory Committee Amy Melman Term expires 12/2025 Heart Committee Lauren Lopano Term expires 12/2027 Village Board of Trustees January 8, 2025 Village Manager Healy advised that the Police blotters have been updated on the website through December 20th, received notice from West Point that there will be a twenty-one gun salute and canon fire at noon tomorrow for President Carter’s funeral, received confirmation that the special election for Westchester County Executive will be held on Feb 11th, early voting will be between Feb 1st through Feb 9th, our new Code Enforcement Officer started on December 23rd, and Village offices will be closed on January 20th in celebration of Martin Luther King Day. There being no further comments to come before the Board, a motion to close the meeting was made by Trustee Slippen. Motion was seconded by Trustee Simon and approved with a 5-0 vote. Meeting adjourned at 10:22pm.