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memo 1 page

To: From: Date: April 28, 2022 Re: Mailing of Public Notices I am requesting that the Village Board of Trustees consider amending the Village Code to pass the cost of mailing legal notices for public hearings onto the applicant. The Village Attorney has reviewed this proposal and has stated that we have the legal ability to do so. The cost of sending first-class mail has continued to rise (32% increase over the past decade) and the cost of postage is only expected to increase. Some legal notices, depending on the location of the property, need to be sent to more than 50 property owners. There were almost 50 public hearings held last year that required notice. I would like to have the Engineering Department staff continue to process the mailings (so we are certain they have been sent) but pass the mailing costs onto the applicant(s). The Village Board has recently enacted legislation in the Fireworks chapter that requires the applicant to assume the cost of providing public notice as part of the permit application. This proposal is along those same lines. Rather than raising the price of permits across the board, I believe it is better to pass the actual cost onto the person or persons who are required to mail a public notice. Many other municipalities currently accomplish this by requiring the applicant to provide a notarized Affidavit of Mailing, swearing that the mailing has taken place. These municipalities include Bedford, Hastings-on- Hudson, Port Chester, Rye Brook and Tarrytown. This is also an option for the Village Board to consider. If you have any questions regarding the above, please do not hesitate to contact me. Thank you. Mayor Brian Pugh Trustees Ann Gallelli Sherry Horowitz Alejandro Rosales Len Simon Village Manager Bryan T. Healy Treasurer Daniel Tucker Village Clerk Pauline DiSanto Village of Croton-on-Hudson New York Stanley H. Kellerhouse Municipal Building One Van Wyck Street Croton-on-Hudson, NY 10520-2501