Documents › Board Of Trustees, 2022-08-01

minutes 10 pages

Regular Meeting of the Board of Trustees of the Village of Croton-on-Hudson, NY was held on Monday, July 18, 2022, in the Georgianna Grant Meeting Room at the Stanley Kellerhouse Municipal Building, Van Wyck Street, Croton-on-Hudson, NY 10520. The following official was absent: Trustee Horowitz 1. CALL TO ORDER Mayor Pugh called the meeting to order at 7:00pm. Everyone joined in the Pledge of Allegiance. Trustee Simon made a motion to approve the following Fiscal Year Vouchers, claims numbered 21227312 through 21227368 and 2223000 through 22230171. The motion was seconded by Trustee Gallelli and approved with a 4-0 Vote. $228,647.14 Water Fund $6,573.64 Sewer Fund $3,585.14 Capital Fund $68,280.71 Trust Fund $2,416.27 Debt Fund $63,232.68 3. RESPONSES TO QUESTIONS SUBMITTED BY EMAIL – none 4. CORRESPONDENCE a. Draft letter from Village Manager Healy seeking to conduct a neighborhood survey on parking restrictions in the Harmon area. https://play.champds.com/ATT/crotononhudsonny/2022- 07/e737afc1045fcd121d0152f99d92d67e06749f71.pdf Mayor Pugh Trustee Gallelli Village Manager Bryan Healy Trustee Rosales Village Treasurer Tucker Trustee Simon Village Attorney Linda Whitehead Village Trustees Board Meeting July 18, 2022 b. E-mail from Seaver Wang, Croton Rotary Club President, dated July 13, 2022, requesting to reserve the train station parking lot for their September 25th Car Show Resolution: On motion by Trustee Simon and seconded by Trustee Rosales the Board of Trustees approved the request from the Croton Rotary Club to use the train station parking lot for their September 25th Car Show. Motion was approved with a 4-0 vote. c. Letter from Jud Ramaker, Race Director of the Harry Chapin Memorial Run Against Hunger, dated July 8, 2022, requesting support from the Village for their October 16th event. On motion by Trustee Gallelli and seconded by Trustee Simon the Board of Trustees approved the request from the “Harry Chapin Memorial Run Against Hunger” Director asking for support from the Village for their October 16th event. Motion was approved with a 4-0 vote. d. Letter from “NYS Division of the Budget” dated July 8, 2022, regarding the Village’s second allocation of “American Rescue Plan Act Local Fiscal Recovery Funds.” https://play.champds.com/ATT/crotononhudsonny/2022- 07/055653ea6502dc2e2f663c372dd908491570377b.pdf 5. PUBLIC COMMENTS ON AGENDA ITEMS - none 6. RESOLUTIONS: Resolution #112 of 2022 On motion of Trustee Simon, seconded by Gallelli, the following resolution was adopted by the Board of Trustees of the Village of Croton-on-Hudson, New York, with a 4-0 vote. Village Trustees Board Meeting July 18, 2022 WHEREAS the Westchester County Fire Mutual Aid Plan has recently been amended and approved by the State of New York, NOW THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the Village of Croton-on-Hudson approves participation by the Croton-on-Hudson Fire Department in the Westchester County Fire Mutual Aid Plan ("Plan"), as amended from time to time, and further certifies to Westchester County, through its Commissioner of Emergency Services, that it shall comply with the provisions of the Plan, and BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that there are no resolutions in effect that restrict outside service and training by the Croton-on-Hudson Fire Department, and BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED there are currently no limitations, conditions or restrictions on the Fire Agency from providing prompt assistance, and the Commissioner of Emergency Services shall be notified in writing if any such limitations are imposed subsequent to the adoption of this resolution, and BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Croton-on-Hudson Fire Department shall respond to all calls for assistance from another fire agency through the Westchester County Emergency Communications Center a/k/a "60 Control", and BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Village of Croton-on-Hudson hereby acknowledges and accepts its financial responsibility pursuant to applicable law, and BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that a copy of this resolution shall be filed with the Westchester County Commissioner of Emergency Services. Resolution #113 of 2022 On motion of Trustee Simon, seconded by Trustee Rosales, the following resolution was adopted by the Board of Trustees of the Village of Croton-on-Hudson, New York, with a 4-0 vote. WHEREAS the Village of Croton-on-Hudson was awarded $5,000 through the Public Employer Risk Management Association, Inc. (PERMA) to reimburse the Croton-on- Hudson Fire Department for the purchase of a Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) washer, and Village Trustees Board Meeting July 18, 2022 WHEREAS this award requires that a contract between the Village of Croton-on- Hudson and PERMA be executed so that funds may be distributed, NOW THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the Village Manager is hereby authorized to execute the contract with PERMA for a grant in the amount of $5,000 to reimburse the Croton-on-Hudson Fire Department for the purchase of a Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) washer. Village Manager Healy stated that this is a very important investment for our fire department, it replaces a washer that was twenty years old and will do the job more efficiently and result in a faster turn-around of gear. Resolution #114 of 2022 On motion of Trustee Gallelli, seconded by Trustee Simon, the following resolution was adopted by the Board of Trustees of the Village of Croton-on-Hudson, New York, with a 4-0 vote. WHEREAS Historic Hudson Valley (HHV) is a non-profit organization which owns and maintains the historic Van Cortlandt Manor property, located on South Riverside Avenue, and WHEREAS HHV applied for and received a grant from New York State for the restoration of the Van Cortlandt Manor entrance, and WHEREAS the Village is serving as the sponsor agency for the grant, which requires no expenditure of Village funds, and WHEREAS Bergmann Associates of Albany, New York, has been retained as a consultant for design engineering services, NOW THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the Village Manager is hereby authorized to execute the supplemental consultant agreement with Bergmann Associates for design engineering services for the restoration of the Van Cortlandt Manor entrance project. Resolution #115 of 2022 Village Trustees Board Meeting July 18, 2022 On the motion of Trustee Simon, seconded by Trustee Gallelli, the following resolution was adopted by the Board of Trustees of the Village of Croton- on-Hudson, New York with a 4-0 vote. WHEREAS Veterans Memorial Park is a public park owned and maintained by the Village of Croton-on-Hudson, and WHEREAS the park contains a monument dedicated to Croton residents who lost their lives while fighting an American War, featuring flags of the United States Armed Forces, and WHEREAS the monument serves as a gathering place for the public to thank, honor, and celebrate the lives of all who served, and WHEREAS the Village is seeking to install two additional flag poles at the Veterans Memorial Park monument, and WHEREAS the estimated cost of purchasing and installation for the two flagpoles is $3,235.50, and WHEREAS funding for this expense was not included in the 2022-2023 General Fund Budget, NOW THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the Village Board authorizes the Village Treasurer to transfer $3,235.50 from Contingency Account #A1990.4000 to the following account: A8510.4000 – Community Beautification: $3,235.50 Resolution #116 of 2022 On the motion of Trustee Gallelli, seconded by Trustee Simon, the following resolution was adopted by the Board of Trustees of the Village of Croton- on-Hudson, New York with a 4-0 vote. WHEREAS the Village Code for the Village of Croton-on-Hudson was originally codified in 1990, and WHEREAS the Village desires a comprehensive review of the Village Code to ensure that all fines, legislation and references are up-to-date and in line with New York State and neighboring communities, and Village Trustees Board Meeting July 18, 2022 WHEREAS the Village has received a preliminary quote for Codification Services, including an editorial and legal analysis of the Village Code, from General Code® of Rochester, New York in the amount of $6,400, and WHEREAS such analysis has not been completed since the original codification project, and WHEREAS funding for this expense was not included in the 2022-2023 General Fund Budget, NOW THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the Village Board authorizes the Village Treasurer to transfer $6,400 from Contingency Account #A1990.4000 to the following account: A1420.4000 – Law $6,400 DISCUSSION Trustee Gallelli emphasized that this is just a review of our current Code, we are in no way changing any policies or zoning but rather eliminating inconsistencies that may have occurred since it was last reviewed. Trustee Simon stated that this is a reasonable cost for such a large undertaking and important for the Village so that we do not have conflicts with various sections of our Code. Village Manager Healy stated that in addition to finding inconsistencies, they can also advise us where we might look to make changes in areas that may not be consistent with New York State laws. 7. PUBLIC COMMENTS ON NON AGENDA ITEMS Signe Bergstrom, 228 Hessian Hills Road, Croton on Hudson, stated that she objects to the proposed cell tower by Homeland Towers, she believed that purchasing property adjacent to one of the Village’s main water systems would have reduced their risk of having to deal with builders who do not respect the character of the area, she works from home and her job requires hours of solitude and quiet, the proposed 2,400 square foot fenced compound would be one-hundred feet from her property line and less than one-hundred and eighty feet from her home and because the Village Trustees Board Meeting July 18, 2022 compound is uphill from her property the idea of hiding such a large installation with landscaping is unrealistic. Ms. Bergstrom stated that her family’s financial future is based on the value of their home and urged the Board to reconsider this proposal from advancing any further. Aaron Lamar, 228 Hessian Hills Road, Croton on Hudson, stated that when the sales representative of Homeland Towers indicated that only a few neighbors would be impacted and that it would make for a pretty good site selection, it sounded like the Village would only have to sacrifice the aesthetics, tranquility and property value of a few of its residents, the truth is that this project impacts more than just his family and those of our neighbors, it also affects the property value and aesthetics of many homes throughout the Mount Airy neighborhood, it would be visible from multiple locations in the Village, be within a half mile from the Croton Arboretum and less than half a mile from Temple Israel of Northern Westchester, it would also be next to Croton’s two main water pumping stations and the Con-Edison power lines, for a Village working to promote itself as being “Green”, this project directly contradicts that mission statement, many trees would be cut down and it will block a proposed Village trail that appears on the Village’s own Trail Maps, while the negative health effects caused by cell tower radiation can be debated, insurance companies specifically do not cover such health related risks from those towers, this proposal was not solicited by the Village, no alternative locations, co-locations or solutions to the Village’s technical issues were discussed and asked who gets to decide how we upgrade and integrate new technologies into our community. Mr. Lamar asked that the primary interest should be the health, safety, privacy, security and well being of its residents and urged the Board to reject this project. Renee Curci, 233 Hessian Hills Road, Croton on Hudson, requested that the balloon test scheduled for August be postponed till the fall when the leaves are down to give all of us the ability to see what it will look like during a significant part of the year. George Ivanoff, 233 Hessian Hills Road, Croton on Hudson, requested that in addition to the balloon test being moved, the footprint of the cell tower Village Trustees Board Meeting July 18, 2022 should be marked out along with all the trees that are going to be impacted which will help everyone to visualize what this impact will really be. Ed Riely, 110 Truesdale Drive, Croton on Hudson, stated that whether it is a cell tower or the huge expansion of the railroad’s diesel electric shop, the Board needs to care more about the beauty of Croton. Mr. Riely stated that hard times are here and encouraged the Board to relieve the pressure on taxpayers, by encouraging the growth of businesses. 8. APPROVAL OF MINUTES: Motion to approve the minutes as amended of the Regular Meeting held on July 5, 2022, was made by Trustee Simon. Motion was seconded by Trustee Rosales and approved with a 4-0 vote. 9. REPORTS: Trustee Rosales advised that he attended last week’s Zoning Board of Appeals meeting, it was an interesting opportunity to hear what has been going on and looks forward to attending the next meeting. Trustee Simon advised that he attended a presentation by Con-Edison regarding their Grand Street project, work has begun on the “Safe Streets and Roads for All” grant and thanked Emily Mancini for the great work she is doing as “captain” of that process, attended the Hudson Valley Gateway Chamber meeting last week, thanked outgoing Rotary President Seaver Wang for all his hard work and welcomed new President Janeen Valente, the Planning Board meeting focused on the conclusion of the Half Moon Bay project, the new shed at the sailing school and the 1380 Albany Post Road project, on July 14th the Cannabis Board held a meeting on line wherein they presented regulations for the issuance of licenses. Trustee Gallelli stated that Con-Edison did a great job explaining the Grand Street project and encouraged those who were unable to make the meeting to watch it on the Village’s website, DPW continues to work on clearing the Elliott Way walkway and thanked them for their hard work, Village Trustees Board Meeting July 18, 2022 DPW Superintendent Balbi, Village Manager Healy and herself visited the Gouveia park to look at the possibility of a community garden, participated in a call with Con-Edison with regards to their preparations for the heatwave and urged everyone to be careful. Mayor Pugh appointed the following residents to Croton’s 125th Anniversary Committee: Marc Cheshire , Nicole Belle DeRise, Alanna Fraase, Joel Gingold, Eleanor Kwei , Nancy Libow, Carrie Sena, Matilda Weekes and Carolyn Whiting, and Trustee Gallelli and Trustee Simon as Trustee Liaisons. Mayor Pugh thanked the residents who came out this evening to address their concerns regarding the proposed Homeland Cell Tower, he understands their desire to have it rejected entirely outright, but there is a potential benefit to the community, and the Board has to weigh the benefit against the burden which requires a more thorough analysis to determine the extent that the impact will have on the neighborhood and the possible benefit it could have to the larger community. Mayor Pugh addressed the comment about the Metro North diesel electric shop, those shops have existed for a very long time, but the State Legislature has specifically exempted the Metropolitan Transportation Authority from local zoning. Village Attorney Whitehead emphasized that the Metropolitan Transportation Authority does not have to come before the Village and does not require any permits so there is no opportunity for the Village to say no. Village Manager Healy reminded everyone that the Library serves as a designated cooling center, they are open most evenings until 9:00pm and and suggested checking their website for exact hours, in the event of a power outage, the Village’s community room would open as a cooling center, the annual Village Tag Sale is scheduled for September 17th and the annual Fall Fest will be held on October 1st, and reminded all residents that under both Village and State laws dogs are required to be licensed. Village Trustees Board Meeting July 18, 2022 There being no further business to come before the Board, a motion to close the meeting and enter into an Executive Session to discuss matters of personnel was made by Trustee Rosales. Motion was seconded by Trustee Gallelli and approved with a 4-0 vote. Meeting adjourned at 7:55pm Respectfully submitted, Judy Weintraub, Board Secretary _______________________ Paula DiSanto, Village Clerk