Documents

minutes 18 pages

Regular Meeting of the Board of Trustees of the Village of Croton-on-Hudson, NY, held on Wednesday, April 23, 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 24254646-24254895. The Motion was seconded by Trustee Nicholson and approved with a 5-0 Vote. $191,117.93 Water Fund $27,045.19 Sewer Fund $4,230.99 Capital Fund $43,646.64 3. RESPONSES TO QUESTIONS SUBMITTED BY EMAIL - none. 4. PUBLIC COMMENT - AGENDA ITEMS - none Resolution Approving the Consent Agenda On motion by Trustee Simon and seconded by Trustee Nicholson the Board of Trustees of the Village of Croton-on-Hudson approved the Consent Agenda. Motion was approved with a 5-0 vote. Trustee Simon encouraged the community to review the departments Quarterly Reports, it is a great way to understand what is happening in the individual departments. Trustee Nicholson suggested that the Police Quarterly Report be done in Excel so we can see the trends more easily. 5. CONSENT AGENDA: Village Attorney Joshua B. Subin Trustee Politi Village Treasurer Genette Toone Trustee Slippen Village Board of Trustees April 23, 2025 a. CORRESPONDENCE TO THE BOARD: 1. Notice from Westchester County seeking to assume Lead Agency under SEQRA for the Quaker Bridge Replacement Project. Resolution #78-2025 On motion of TRUSTEE SIMON and 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 Assessor has advised that a veteran exemption form filed in June 2024 was inadvertently left off the 2025 final assessment roll, and WHEREAS the property is located at 46 Mount Airy Road, known as 68.17-1-4 on the Village Tax Maps, and WHEREAS this omission necessitates the correction of the assessment roll to reflect the accurate assessed value with the exemption applied, NOW THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the Village Board of Trustees hereby authorizes the Village Manager to sign the RP-554 form prepared by the Village Assessor, and BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Village Treasurer is hereby authorized to make the tax roll correction. Resolution #79-2025 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 would like to amend Chapter 230, Zoning, of the Village Code to transfer the authority to issue special permits to the Planning Board, and WHEREAS the Village Board is considering the adoption of Local Law Introductory No. 2 of 2025, which has been drafted for such purposes, and WHEREAS the Village Board has received comments back on the law from the Village Planning Board and the Waterfront Advisory Committee, Village Board of Trustees April 23, 2025 NOW THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the Village Board of Trustees hereby schedules a Public Hearing to be held on May 14, 2025, at 7:00 PM in the Georgianna Grant Meeting Room of the Stanley H. Kellerhouse Municipal Building to consider the adoption of Local Law Introductory No. 2 of 2025, to amend Chapter 230, Zoning, of the Village Code to transfer the authority to issue special permits to the Planning Board. Resolution #80-2025 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 would like to amend Chapter 125, Fire Prevention, and Chapter 197, Streets and Sidewalks, to update various provisions, and WHEREAS the Village Board is considering the adoption of Local Law Introductory No. 6 of 2025, which has been drafted for such purposes, NOW THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the Village Board of Trustees hereby schedules a Public Hearing to be held on May 14, 2025, at 7:00 PM in the Georgianna Grant Meeting Room of the Stanley H. Kellerhouse Municipal Building to consider the adoption of Local Law Introductory No. 6 of 2025, to amend Chapter 125, Fire Prevention, and Chapter 197, Streets and Sidewalks, to update various provisions. Resolution #81-2025 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 severity of this winter resulted in higher-than-average heating bills for the Municipal Building and Grand Street Firehouse, and WHEREAS the bills for the remainder of the year are anticipated to exceed the amount budgeted in the 2024-2025 General Fund budget, NOW THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED the Village Treasurer is hereby authorized to make the following budget transfer in the 2024-2025 General Fund budget: Increase: A1620.4300 Buildings – Natural Gas $3,005.59 Village Board of Trustees April 23, 2025 A3410.4300 Fire – Natural Gas $ 901.86 Decrease: Contingency Contractual $3,907.45 c. Approval of Minutes: Motion to approve the minutes, as amended, of the Regular Meeting held on April 9, 2025, was made by Trustee Simon. The motion was seconded by Trustee Nicholson and approved with a 5-0 vote. Motion to approve the minutes of the Executive Session held on April 16, 2025, was made by Trustee Simon. The motion was seconded by Trustee Nicholson and approved with a 5-0 vote. d. Quarterly Reports: Clerk https://play.champds.com/ATT/crotononhudsonny/2025- 04/7fa78f0a4e61f69f3a0e3f33686323a108079762.pdf DPW https://play.champds.com/ATT/crotononhudsonny/2025- 04/7039c80a7118f8d282ef542270d72eb97c7c6a1c.pdf Engineering https://play.champds.com/ATT/crotononhudsonny/2025- 04/342096f59991e0632372b25c220449790d557e9e.pdf Finance https://play.champds.com/ATT/crotononhudsonny/2025- 04/d504ad500d22b7bf62d0e383c6b0a9988e929e50.pdf Manager https://play.champds.com/ATT/crotononhudsonny/2025- 04/279451e622ea41613e3a965da77bf7622f028485.pdf Parking https://play.champds.com/ATT/crotononhudsonny/2025- 04/640163e2a8ee0821310c716e4f637f00f7ce40ab.pdf Police Village Board of Trustees April 23, 2025 https://play.champds.com/ATT/crotononhudsonny/2025- 04/e0f7073adbfdfde88759a780619b525ca6f266cb.pdf Recreation https://play.champds.com/ATT/crotononhudsonny/2025- 04/f57837eaf87be6f1463d33e418829910288a85d6.pdf Justice Court https://play.champds.com/ATT/crotononhudsonny/2025- 04/d5142590a3ee8178ad35d394bf9c72086da9a8ff.pdf 6. PROPOSED RESOLUTIONS: Resolution #82-2025 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. BUDGET ADOPTION RESOLUTION A RESOLUTION ADOPTING A BUDGET FOR THE FISCAL YEAR COMMENCING ON JUNE 1, 2025, AND ENDING MAY 31, 2026, MAKING APPROPRIATIONS FOR THE CONDUCT OF THE VILLAGE OF CROTON-ON-HUDSON GOVERNMENT AND ESTABLISHING THE RATES OF COMPENSATION FOR OFFICERS AND EMPLOYEES FOR SUCH PERIOD. WHEREAS this Board has met at the time and place specified in the notice of public hearing on the preliminary budget and heard all persons desiring to be heard thereon, NOW THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the preliminary budget as amended and revised and as hereinafter set forth is hereby adopted and that the several amounts stated in column titled “Adopted” in Schedule A1 - General Fund F1 - Water Fund G1 - Sewer Fund HN1 – Capital Fund 7 - Debt Service be adopted and hereby appropriated for the objects and purposes specified and the salaries and wages stated in Schedule 5 of such budget shall be and are hereby fixed at the amounts shown therein effective June 1, 2025. April 23, 2025 DISCUSSION Trustee Simon thanked the Manager, Finance Department and all of the Department Heads for their hard work in putting this Budget together, it includes a number of important initiatives, treats our team in the various departments very fairly and has some creative new activities for our Village, all with a zero-tax increase. Trustee Simon also complimented Trustee Nicholson for the points she raised with respect to the Purple Heart Park proposal and looks forward to revisiting this discussion. Village Manager Healy advised that he has already asked the Recreation Advisory Committee to put this on a future agenda. Trustee Nicholson thanked the Manager, Finance Department and the entire team; this is a big deal for us to be able to offer a flat tax rate while adding almost a million dollars of spending, we’ve added additional resources to the Department of Public Works, and to the Code Enforcement Office, but reminded everyone that our resources are limited and we need to make very careful decisions and continue to look for additional revenue sources. Mayor Pugh stated that it is good to have a no tax rate increase budget, but it is important to understand the context over the last few years and the specific and unique headwinds that our Village has faced and overcome such as the decline in parking lot revenues. Village Manager Healy did a comparison of revenues for fifteen areas over a seven- year period; to view the power-point presentation, you may log onto the following: 04/c37aa9c983ef3727f915705535c82c83df151ebe.pdf Trustee Slippen suggested that similar to what we recently did for the Engineering Department, we consider hiring a consultant to look at our other departments. Trustee Slippen added that our committees are doing incredible work for the Village and what we have heard from our discussions with them is that they would like to see more financial support and would like to continue to have discussions with the Board on this issue. Mayor Pugh stated that Trustee Slippen’s point about the examination of the operations of other Village departments is well taken, from the perspective of this Board it is not just doing these examinations to cut costs, or finding the cheapest way to do something, it is about finding the way to do it with the best value and Village Board of Trustees April 23, 2025 that includes making sure that we get the most output for the inputs we are putting in, if a modest increase in investment yields a much better outcome that is something, in general, we would do, and that is what we are doing with our Engineering Department by divesting ourselves of a non-core function and reinvesting in Code Enforcement which is critical to the health and safety of our residents. Mayor Pugh stated that this Budget also adds a Field Manager position in the Department of Public Works, and a daytime EMT that will provide coverage during weekdays when it is tough to get volunteers. Mayor Pugh advised that the Village continues to score very well with the New York State Comptroller’s Office for both fiscal and environmental stress and that reflects the fiscal prudence of the Village Administration as well as the strength of the local economy. Resolution #83-2025 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. BE IT RESOLVED the Village Treasurer is hereby authorized to place the following past due receivables from fiscal year 2024-2025 for the general fund, water fund and sewer fund on the tax bills for the fiscal year June 1, 2025, through May 31, 2026: ALARM FEES $3,300.00 REFUSE $5,720.00 SNOW REMOVAL $2,357.00 VACANT BUILDINGS $1,200.00 SIDEWALK REPAIR $12,494.15 TOTAL $25,071.15 WATER and SEWER FUNDS UNPAID WATER AND SEWER CHARGES $121,939.83 Resolution #84-2025 Village Board of Trustees April 23, 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 Local Law No. 3 of 2003 was approved at a regular Village Board Meeting held on October 7, 2003, and WHEREAS this Local Law called for the setting of Village fees through Board Resolutions, and WHEREAS it is to the benefit of both the Village and the general public to have all fees conveniently placed in one schedule, which may be amended from time to time, and WHEREAS a Master Fee Schedule was adopted on October 7, 2003, and has since been modified a number of times, NOW THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the Village Board of Trustees hereby adopts the attached updated Master Fee Schedule effective June 1, 2025. Resolution #85-2025 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. BE IT RESOLVED that the Mayor is hereby authorized to sign the Tax Warrant for the collection of taxes for the period beginning June 1, 2025, through May 31, 2026 TAX WARRANT YOU ARE HEREBY COMMANDED to receive and collect from the persons named in the tax roll hereunto annexed, the several sums stated in the last column hereof opposite their respective names, being a total of $13,483,300.98. For the current budget $13,334,191 For Supplemental Tax Bills $2,099 Sub-total $13,336,290 For Unpaid Water Rents and Charges $121,939.83 For Alarms $3,300.00 For Sidewalk Repair $12,494.15 Village Board of Trustees April 23, 2025 For Commercial Garbage $5,720.00 For Vacant Buildings $1,200.00 For Snow Removal $2,357.00 TOTAL $13,483,300.98 and FURTHER COMMANDED to receive and collect such sums without additional charge until July 1, 2025, and thereafter to collect such of the sums as have not been theretofore collected, an additional charge of five per centum for the first month or fraction thereof and one percent for each month or fraction thereof thereafter until paid, and FURTHER COMMANDED to return the tax roll and warrant to the Village Clerk on or before the first day of February 2026, and to deliver to the Board of Trustees at the same time an account of the taxes remaining unpaid: describing each parcel of real property upon which taxes are unpaid, showing the person or persons to whom the parcel is assessed and showing as to each parcel the amount of tax unpaid. Resolution #86-2025 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 one vacancy in the Croton Police Department currently exists for the position of Police Officer (Spanish Speaking), and WHEREAS Chief of Police John H. Nikitopoulos has interviewed several candidates for the position and recommends the hiring of Osvaldo K. Tovar for the position of Police Officer (Spanish Speaking), NOW THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that Osvaldo K. Tovar is hereby appointed as a Police Officer in the Croton-on-Hudson Police Department as of April 25, 2025, at an annual salary of $71,876.58. Resolution #87-2025 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. April 23, 2025 WHEREAS the Village would like to repeal and replace Chapter 208, Trees, of the Village Code to strengthen provisions related to trees on public and private property, as well as enact stiffer penalties for the illegal removal of, or injury to, trees, and WHEREAS the Village Board is considering the adoption of Local Law Introductory No. 4 of 2025, which has been drafted for such purposes, and WHEREAS the Village has completed Part 1 of a Short Environmental Assessment Form (EAF) and a Coastal Assessment Form (CAF), NOW THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED AS FOLLOWS: 1. The Village Board hereby determines that the Proposed Action is an Unlisted Action. 2. The Village Board hereby declares itself to be the Lead Agency for SEQRA purposes in connection with the Proposed Action. 3. The Village Board hereby issues the EAF and CAF which it has before it in connection with the Proposed Action. 4. The Village Board hereby refers the Draft Law, the EAF and the CAF to the Village Waterfront Advisory Committee for a recommendation back to the Village Board in accordance with Village Law. 5. The Village Board hereby directs Village staff to make any other circulations and notifications regarding the Proposed Action as may be required by law. Resolution #88-2025 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 would like to amend Chapter 227, Wetlands, and Chapter 230, Zoning, of the Village Code to update provisions related to trees, and WHEREAS the Village Board is considering the adoption of Local Law Introductory No. 5 of 2025, which has been drafted for such purposes and Village Board of Trustees April 23, 2025 WHEREAS the Village has completed Part 1 of a Short Environmental Assessment Form (EAF) and a Coastal Assessment Form (CAF), NOW THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED AS FOLLOWS: 1. The Village Board hereby determines that the Proposed Action is an Unlisted Action. 2. The Village Board hereby declares itself to be the Lead Agency for SEQRA purposes in connection with the Proposed Action. 3. The Village Board hereby issues the EAF and CAF which it has before it in connection with the Proposed Action. 4. The Village Board hereby refers the Draft Law, the EAF and the CAF to the Village Planning Board for a recommendation back to the Village Board in accordance with Village Law. 5. The Village Board hereby refers the Draft Law, the EAF and the CAF to the Village Waterfront Advisory Committee for a recommendation back to the Village Board in accordance with Village Law. 6. The Village Board hereby refers the Draft Law, the EAF and the CAF to the Westchester County Planning Board for review in accordance with law. 7. The Village Board hereby directs Village staff to make any other circulations and notifications regarding the Proposed Action as may be required by law. Trustee Simon emphasized that should the Board adopt this law we will need to have a thorough education on the part of the Village in terms of outreach so that everyone understands the new provisions. Village Manager Healy explained that this law changes a portion of the Wetland law, if you have a tree that is within the Wetland or the Wetland buffer, you will have to get a permit to remove it regardless of its location and size. Resolution #89-2025 Village Board of Trustees April 23, 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 in 2021, the EMS facility at 44 Wayne Street was deemed uninhabitable due to mold and structural issues, requiring the relocation of EMS services to a temporary space at the Harmon Firehouse, and WHEREAS following a comprehensive review and design process involving Sullivan Architecture, P.C., it was determined that an addition to the Harmon Firehouse would serve as a permanent solution for the EMS facility, and WHEREAS the Village of Croton-on-Hudson solicited sealed bids for a brick veneer paneling system under Bid No. 6-2025, and WHEREAS two bids were submitted by the deadline of April 17, 2025, and WHEREAS the lowest responsible bid received was from Brick-It of Bohemia, New York, in the amount of $48,696.72, and WHEREAS Superintendent of Public Works Frank Balbi has reviewed the submitted bids and has recommended awarding the contract to Brick-It, NOW THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the Village Manager is hereby authorized to award Bid No. 6-2025 to Brick-It of Bohemia, New York, in the amount of $48,696.72, and BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that funding for this project has been allocated in capital account H4540.2102.23445. Resolution #90-2025 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 the Village of Croton-on-Hudson assumed the ownership of and maintenance requirements for the Half Moon Bay Bridge over the Metro-North Railroad tracks in 1996, and WHEREAS in order to address past safety issues and the proper maintenance of the bridge, the Village is moving ahead with the rehabilitation and reconstruction of the Half Moon Bay Bridge, and Village Board of Trustees April 23, 2025 WHEREAS on April 23, 2023, in order to advance the Project, the Village Board authorized the Village of Croton-on-Hudson to pay in the first instance 100% of the federal and non-federal share of the cost of Preliminary Engineering work for the Project or portions thereof, and WHEREAS on February 7, 2024, the Village Board authorized retaining Tectonic Engineering of Rocky Hill Connecticut, as its consulting and engineering design firm for the project, and WHEREAS as Tectonic has continued to develop plans and specifications for the project, additional requirements have been implemented by the New York State Dept. of Transportation, and WHEREAS the Village has received a proposal from Tectonic Engineering related to these additional requirements in the amount of $38,460, NOW THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the Village Board hereby authorizes the Village Manager to accept the proposal from Tectonic Engineering of Rocky Hill, Connecticut, in the not-to-exceed amount of $38,460, and BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that funding for such proposal is available in the following capital accounts: H5110.2106.15287. Trustee Simon thanked former Congressman Mondaire Jones for securing these funds back in 2022 for the Village. Resolution #91-2025 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 the Code of the Village of Croton-on-Hudson requires that property owners maintain the sidewalks which abut their property, and WHEREAS the maintenance of sidewalks has been a priority of the Village to ensure schoolchildren, commuters and other pedestrians have safe ways to get to school, the train station and other areas of the Village, and WHEREAS the Village Manager, in consultation with the Village Engineer, has drafted the Sidewalk Repair Policy document attached hereto, and Village Board of Trustees April 23, 2025 WHEREAS the purpose of the policy is to provide guidance to property owners and contractors to ensure they are in compliance with the Village Code, NOW THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the Board of Trustees hereby adopts the attached Sidewalk Repair Policy for the Village of Croton-on-Hudson. Trustee Nicholson expressed her concerns that the thirty days may be a tight window for some residents and reminded residents that the Village no longer has a Sidewalk Fund and it is indeed the responsibility of the homeowners. Trustee Nicholson also asked that when the Code Enforcement Officer does his inspections, the sidewalks be marked so that it is clear to the homeowners. Village Manager Healy explained that the thirty-day notice is a standard in the New York State Code, but the Policy says that if a homeowner can provide sufficient documentation that they are in the process of getting their sidewalk repaired then an extension can be granted. Mayor Pugh stated that the cost-share program was always going to be a temporary measure designed to incentivize people to come forward voluntarily to remedy their deficient sidewalk, that program actually ran longer than originally thought because we had the ability to do so much of the work in-house, we cleared all the homeowners that had signed up in the last round of the cost-share program and after that the decision was made to reposition the DPW to focus on other infrastructure capital projects for the benefit of the community at large. Resolution #92-2025 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 the Village of Croton-on-Hudson solicited sealed bids for the Harmon Firehouse roof installation project under Bid No. 9-2024, and WHEREAS on December 2, 2024, the Village Board awarded the bid to Armor-Tite Construction Corp. in the amount of $73,000, and WHEREAS it has since been determined that the roof needs to be constructed to withstand higher winds than normal due to its location, and Village Board of Trustees April 23, 2025 WHEREAS Armor-Tite has submitted a change order in the amount of $17,800 for this work, NOW THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the Village Manager is hereby authorized to execute Change Order No. 1 with Armor-Tite Construction Corp. in the amount of $17,800, and BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that funding for this project has been allocated in capital account H4540.2102.23445. Resolution #93-2025 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 on April 20, 2015, the Village Board of Trustees approved a resolution to enter into an agreement to participate in a Sustainable Westchester Community Choice Aggregation (“CCA”) program for the purpose of procuring an energy supplier who will contract with the Village to supply energy for its residents, and WHEREAS on April 4, 2022, and June 12, 2024, the Village Board of Trustees authorized the continued participation in the CCA program, and WHEREAS Sustainable Westchester has provided the Village with a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) regarding its participation in the program for the period beginning December 1, 2025, NOW THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the Village Board of Trustees hereby authorizes the Village Manager to execute the Memorandum of Understanding with Sustainable Westchester regarding the Village of Croton-on-Hudson’s participation in the next CCA iteration, subject to approval by the Village Attorney. Trustee Simon reminded everyone that they are automatically opted into the program by virtue of the Village being a part of it, but opting out is quite simple and well detailed in the information that is mailed to all homeowners. 7. PUBLIC COMMENT – NON-AGENDA ITEMS: April 23, 2025 Gary Eisinger, 210 Cleveland Drive, Croton on Hudson, believes that using $500,000 from the $1,000,000 gift from Laurel Gouveia is against the wishes indicated in her Will, the Will states that the funds be used for the care and upkeep of the park, not for a large expansion and if the Village wants and needs a multi-million-dollar Recreation Center, it should have been put in this year’s Budget for a public debate. Mr. Eisinger asked who the Executor of the Will is, what is the balance of the $1,000,000 endowment and how much of Village funds have been spent over the years for care and upkeep. Mr. Eisinger asked what change in legal authority will be brought by the transfer of authority to issue Special Permits from the Board of Trustees to the Planning Board, and will the Planning Board have less authority to reject or accept a Special Permit application then the publicly elected Mayor and Board of Trustees and believes that larger projects belong with the Board of Trustees. Mr. Eisinger asked for a description of the planned scope of work for the Half Moon Bay Bridge rehabilitation project and stated that it would be helpful if the Village put out an RFP for sidewalk repair so residents have an idea of what it will cost. 8. REPORTS: Trustee Slippen stated that she looks forward to receiving feedback from the public on the Dobbs Park Playground proposal and encouraged the community to view it on the Village’s project page and submit their comments. Trustee Slippen stated that the improvements to the Gouveia property are long overdue, this property has sat vacant for a long time, which was not the original intent when it was acquired, and the improvements are necessary for public use. Trustee Politi advised that a fundraiser will be held at the Green Growler this weekend and La Catrina will hold its ribbon cutting this coming Friday. Trustee Nicholson advised that the Lorraine Hansberry Committee is holding an event this Saturday from 2-4pm at St. Augustine’s Church highlighting the work of Pauli Murray, the Lorraine Hansberry Committee will also be holding a photography exhibit at the Unitarian Church beginning Friday May 2nd from 7-9pm, Croton Earth Day activities will take place on May 3rd, our Police Department will be holding a Civilian Traffic Stop training session on May 3rd to educate the public on how to act when you are stopped by a Police Officer. Trustee Nicholson stated that the Gouveia property is in disrepair, there are fences that are falling down, walkways that are a hazard, and over the ten Village Board of Trustees April 23, 2025 years the Village has owned the park we have only done some general maintenance, which included a new parking lot with the $250,000 coming out of the endowment. Trustee Simon advised that Drug Take-Back Day will take place on April 26th at Croton Commons from 10-2pm, on June 14th Riverfest FPS will be bringing back, in a new modernized format, the old Pete Seger Clear Water Festival, for more information you may log onto the following: https://riverfestfps.org/, on May 4th a Croton Comic Con will be held, Planning Board met last week and held a public hearing on the Croton Point Avenue project, they also approved a detached Accessory Dwelling Unit on Lounsbury Road, the Matra Group’s housing project at 1380 Albany Post Road will be applying for their Building Permit, and held a good discussion on the transfer of responsibility for Special Permits, attended a meeting with members of the Project Mover/Bike Share Program, on April 10th our Business Group held a very productive meeting, attended the Westchester Municipal Officials meeting where we talked about the Con-Edison rate increases and is pleased to announce that thirty eight communities have signed up to participate in a Con-Edison rate proceeding, prior to the Board meeting this evening, he attended an MTA meeting in Hastings where they talked about Climate Change and how its effect on the MTA. Village Attorney Subin advised that he has reviewed the Gouveia Park Bequest, the language appears to be pretty broad with respect to the use and upkeep of the property and does not see any issue from a legal standpoint, his firm does have legal counsel who work on Trusts and Estates and if the Board would like he can pass this along for their review. Mayor Pugh thanked Legal Hand for organizing the first Tenant’s Rights webinar highlighting Good Cause Evictions. Mayor Pugh invited everyone to celebrate Arbor Day this Friday at Gotwald Circle and encouraged everyone to watch the Assessment webinar this Tuesday at 7pm. Village Manager Healy advised that the email regarding the Dobbs Park Playground will be going out tomorrow, the current Gouveia Endowment is $758,019.21, as Trustee Nicholson indicated the largest expenditure was the creation of the parking area, we have also spent about $30,000 for tree work, with respect to the Half Moon Bay Bridge project, they have determined that there is deterioration of the concrete and steel structure and the following issues require remediation: super-structure joints and painting, Village Board of Trustees April 23, 2025 deck wearing surface, solid piers, piers bearing bolts and pads and utilities and supports, the engineer who had looked at this bridge prior to the Pandemic recommended corrective action to the joints, replacement of the concrete deck and the existing steel support structure be cleaned and properly recoated, they have also discovered both lead paint and asbestos and remediation will need to be undertaken. Village Manager Healy stated that even though we have a very robust Capital Plan in the Budget, the Budget still reduces our total debt by $615,799 and it has been a goal of his to continue to complete infrastructure projects while being fiscally prudent in reducing our debt and is happy that we are able to continue to do that. Village Manager Healy stated that we are under the Cap by $328,206 and some of that will be carried over and be available in next year’s budget if necessary. There being no further comments to come before the Board, a motion to close the meeting was made by Trustee Simon. Motion was seconded by Trustee Nicholson approved with a 5-0 vote. Meeting adjourned at 8:33pm.