Croton funds $260 trail surplus, February Repair Cafe

Key Actions & Decisions

• ◆ **Resolutions Passed**: October meeting minutes approved.
• ◆ **Resolutions Failed**: None.
• ◆ **Applications Reviewed**: None.
• ◆ **Public Comments**: No members of the public spoke.
• ◆ **Reports**:
• ◆ **Budget**: Reviewed the $4,600 total budget (covering June through May). Spending is proposed by the chair to the comptroller. An additional $260 from an Eagle Scout trail project surplus is earmarked for trails.
• ◆ **Earth Day 2026**: Extended discussion on revamping the event. Key suggestions included making it invite-only for vendors to align with Earth Day themes, adding educational talks, increasing child-friendly activities (like a judged poster contest), and avoiding co-locating with larger events to prevent the CAC's presence from being overwhelmed. A date will be finalized before the end of the year.
• ◆ **Garden Club**: New plant identification signs have been installed along the circle path. Larger signs are delayed due to concerns about driver distraction. The grassy area needs re-sodding rather than re-seeding; Chair John Ealer will follow up with the DPW. Member Eva Thaddeus will give a talk on converting lawns to pollinator gardens on Sunday at 1 PM in the Municipal Building.
• ◆ **Natural Resources Inventory (NRI)**: No update; awaiting the next task force meeting.
• ◆ **Trails**: An Eagle Scout project successfully finished installing bridging over two wet areas on the North Highland Loop. The scout's surplus funds ($260) were donated to the village. No major trail issues reported by volunteers; cleanups will resume in the spring.
• ◆ **Clean-ups**: No organized events until spring.
• ◆ **Repair Cafe**: Scheduled for February 28 at the Croton Library. Sherry Horowitz and Halle Clarke are organizing, utilizing library volunteer lists and CAC "coaches." The CAC has committed to providing organizational help and financial support from its budget.
• ◆ **Village Newsletter**: Halle Clarke is writing a December column focusing on "reduce, reuse, recycle" for the holidays, including tips on wrapping paper.