Board of Trustees Work Session
Okay. Thank you. Alright. Welcome to our February 11, work session. The first time of business will be a discussion of, operational study, for the village manager. Would you like to present on that topic?
Sure. Thank you, mayor. So as I outlined in the memo that accompanies this agenda item, the village undertook an operational study of the engineering department in 2024, and I found that to be a worthwhile, endeavor. We've made a number of changes that were recommended as part of that study in the engineering department. Two of the larger ones were the consolidation of the assessment function with the town of Cortlandt and the hiring of an assistant building inspector to supplement the staff in the engineering department. I think everybody in the village, both with the board and the staff here, were pleased with how that study was conducted. They felt that it was, representative that there any concerns they had were listened to, any, any experiences that they shared were given value. And I would like to see that, done elsewhere in the village. Mhmm. As I outlined in the memo, I think, specifically, the administrative offices, the manager, clerk, and treasurer would be a good place to have one done. Our workload has increased significantly there. We're still actually down a full time person since prior to COVID. We, you know, we used to have 10 full time people in that in those three departments, and we only have nine right now. And, you know, there's just there's a lot going on in those three departments. And so I'd like to see I would like to see a study done there. I think, our public safety departments, you know, we we know that, the police are obviously a department that we would like to, have an evaluation done on as well as fire and EMS, which, the county is actually conducting an EMS county wide plan,
which is a requirement of a recent bill signed into law by the governor. All 62 counties or and maybe the city's exempt the 57 counties need to, need to undertake that. And so we just started, meeting with other EMS, agencies throughout the county in developing that plan. And our fire department actually had a study that was done in the mid nineteen nineties, and, you know, there were recommendations made in that plan that for various reasons were not implemented. And so, that, you know, that was over thirty years ago, and it's probably time to revisit, you know, doing a study for them to ensure that we are operating as efficiently and effectively as we can here in the village. With all that being said, because of certain timelines that, are required be followed under New York State law, my recommendation for the first department that we do at this point would be the justice court. You know, as certain members of the board know who were here in 2022, we did kind of do an in house study of the justice court and evaluate whether or not, it would be beneficial to shift those responsibilities to the town of Cortlandt. Ultimately, the board decided not to move forward with that proposal. New York state law only allows such a proposal to be considered at the, end of a justice's term. Mhmm. So, you know, that the term ended in 2022, and then, obviously, the the next end of the term would be four years later in this year, 2026. So, I reached out to get a proposal from, the Center for Governmental Research, CGR, and, you know, they've put together a comprehensive proposal. And, you know, just to I I wrote this in the memo as well, but just to be clear,
there is no predetermined outcome Mhmm. With this. Right? This is a comprehensive study that's going to look at the staffing levels of the court, the ticket volume of the court, the the criminal volume of the court, the, you know, the landlord tenant issues, everything that the court does, compare that with, municipalities in our region that are a similar population and ticket volume, and make sure that our court, again, is operating as efficiently and effectively as it could potentially be doing. And then in addition to that, they're also gonna be looking at what a potential consolidation would look like. Right? Because, you know, that is still an option if the board wanted to consider that. There are still potential savings that could be realized, and, you know, they're going to go into great detail about what those potential savings could be, you know, if there were any trade offs that might be as a result of those savings. Right? You know, maybe there's, you know, a difference between our court operates in the daytime. Mhmm. You know, what if there was night court? Right? The town of Portland does court at night. Mhmm. So, you know, things like that. And so they're going to look at all of those items, that we spelled out here in the memo. And, you know, also, they have experience
in doing these studies for other courts. Mhmm. Right? One of the ones that was outlined in their proposal was the village of Port Chester.
The village of Port Chester court, was assumed by the town of Rye. And so, you know, that has that has been a very beneficial, merger for the village of Port Chester. Obviously, each community is different, so that doesn't necessarily equate to it being a beneficial one for here. But it's just an example of one that that they studied, that that that it was ultimately, moved ahead by the village, and it had a successful result. So I think that's pretty much a good outline of what this proposal is, and I guess I'll see if there are any questions for anybody.
No no specific questions, manager. Although, I just wanted to wind it back to four years ago. In fact, one of one of the outcomes of, four years ago when this was last considered was, our, determination that if we were to consider it again, it would be preceded by a study, which is which is where we where we are now. So I'm glad to see this. And and I'm also I'm also glad to see that the organization, CGR, is so Westchester based in their work. I counted. They they provided us with a list of just the work that they've done since 2015, and I I counted for some reason Mount Vernon isn't on this list, although they mention it in their text. But, if you add Mount Vernon to that, they've done comparable work, whether it's courts or other other, organizational studies in 10 different communities within within Westchester. So I think they're they're fairly familiar. The only thing I'd say I guess it's sort of a question. If you go to page three of the study, I would just wanna add really it's really I guess it's more of a suggestion. But in the list of folks that of institutions that they're gonna talk to, I I'd recommend that we just add the police in there as you know, because the police are so integrated in terms of their operations with what goes on in the courts. It would be good for them to spend some time with our our chief and and his his team there. But I think it's a I think it's a logical step. I think it's a good proposal. I think the the good outgrowth of where we were four years ago, and I look forward to the results.
And I just have a couple of things. So I think that's a really great suggestion to include the police's perspective. Just in terms of, you know, there there is no public feedback as part of the consultant's work. So my question is kind of where where does the how does the process work? Where would we get that public feedback? And I know this is subject to referendum. Can you just talk about, you know, kind of where where what the process would be if we did decide to consider consolidation?
Yeah. So well, let me start with your first item. You know, the they can add a public component to this. Right? I mean, that's obviously up to the decision of the board, but, you know, they can, if you wanted to have some sort of, like, focus group Mhmm. That involves certain members of the community or if you wanted them to do interviews with, frequent users of the court. Right? Whether, you know, it might be, staff from the district attorney's office or, attorneys that practice regularly in the court, right, something like that, they can they can add that to their scope. That's not that's not an issue. Okay. In terms of the, public participation after the fact, right, you know, as as it was in 2022, you the board would need to adopt a local law. Right? So you would be adopting a local law to, you know, no longer have the office of village justice, and that's, would have a public hearing that members of the public could obviously either come in person, submit written comments, to share their thoughts. And then if the law was to be adopted by the board, it is subject to permissive referendum, which requires a petition to be circulated and signed by 20% of the voters on the roll at the time of the last general election. So, I believe that number would be somewhere around, like, 1,300 or 1,400 people.
Yeah. And, manager, on on that point, I don't mean to interrupt, but, I was just wondering how that relates to the timeline that they've provided is visible on page four, which I think is ambitious, but I think very very doable because they're you know, they they've got a a good team, and it's still only early February. So they would, give us a completed report in June and what would be, you know, just theoretically be our window of decision making in terms of terms of the calendar from that point on. So,
you know, depending on I think their goal is right. Their goal here is to have a completion by the June. I think they're giving themselves a little room. I think that they wanna have it in by the June. Mhmm. Because the board would need assuming that you would want any potential referendum to be on the ballot in November Mhmm. Right, as opposed to hosting a special election just for that. Mhmm. The referendum would need to get to the county board of elections by the August. And so, you need to give people thirty days before that to collect the signatures. So you would need to make a decision by the end I'm sorry, by the July. So
So if we had a referendum on the ballot, we would also potentially have a candidate for justice on the ballot as well. Right? That's a little
I'm just yeah. That's little because you're right? Because if the referendum fails, right, if the referendum fails, then the office is abolished. Right? Because the question would be Mhmm. You know, do you want this law repealed or not? Right. And so if they voted to repeal the law, then the just the Office of Justice stays. So if they voted to not repeal the law, then it would remain
abolished. And I think that's important to emphasize that the decision is the boards to make, but can be overturned by a popular vote in in November. Can we just back this up for one minute? Yes. It feels like all all of the conversation we're having
is not around the efficiency of the court, the accessibility of the court, the the for lack of a better word, the community support of the court. All of this conversation has been around whether or not we're gonna get rid of the court and what's the timing for dissolving the court and moving the court. And I feel like I wanna make sure that we're entering into this understanding. Even the bullets that that you put together in your memo, more like, almost half of the bullets are with are are regarding move potentially moving the court. And, I mean, I can remember back to the last time we had this conversation. This is not a popular idea here. People in Croton like the idea of having the court here. The residents really spoke very loudly about that. I'm all about figuring out if there are efficiencies. I think that from our conversations, we understand that there are some ways that the court could maybe run differently or there are some opportunities to make different types of offerings of the court to the residents of Croton. But I would just like to reframe the conversation that we're having so far because I don't wanna enter into this process with the ultimate goal of having a study that tells us that we should move the court. And then having the the, and then having the public so upset that that's what we're we're recommending that they're going to force it onto the ballot in an idiotically small timeline. Because now we're saying that we're gonna have all this information by June. Now it's the middle of summer, and we're expecting people to give this enough attention in the middle of the summer for us to get it on the ballot in November.
So I don't know exactly how this lays out, but the timeline of this makes me uncomfortable in the way that we're talking about it. If we're talking about efficiencies and make running a department better, which is what happened with the engineering department. It was a great study. It gave us so much knowledge. We now have, for a variety of reasons, a really, really well functioning engineering department, and and with the with additional road map to make it even better. That's not the conversation I feel like we're having here. So maybe I'm, like, mishearing
the way we're talking about study. I mean, you know, among other things, it looked at a lot of different options, and it then narrowed and focused. Right? So one of the things that it did consider and then all ultimately recommended against was a combination of engineering and DPW. That was something that was considered at the start of the process. I'm just saying I wanna listen to the way we're talking about this. Sure. Yep. But that look. That is obviously the most consequential decision, which is why it's Yeah. And with all of
do respect and I agree with you. Also, we sorry. We abol we did abolish the position of village assessor on the recommendation of the Liberge report. And, again, so we this was a we still don't know how that worked. So now Croton residents do not have access to an assessor here, and comparing the assessor's office to the village court is apples to oranges. But we decided to make that move. We haven't even gone through one whole process. And I understand the timing of when we're doing this and how it what the fact that we're doing it right now. But we don't even know we don't know if the people who need that office, the assessor's office, are gonna get the same level of service that they got when it the when the assessor was here. So, you know, I think that we are in a time crunch right now because of the the the fact that the village justices seat is up for election this year. But I just wanna I wanna understand how we are approaching this. Like, you were in the process of saying something, Nora.
Trustee Nicholson. Sorry. With all all due respect, I I completely understand what you're saying. I mean, the the this study will give is doing the due diligence, right, that we are going to look at the court and really understand up and down from a neutral body how it should be functioning, what are the, opportunities in the court, what are the, you know, ways to make it more efficient. One of the things because of the timing, right, we can only look at this every four years in terms of consolidation. Right? So if we don't do this in 2026, we won't have another look at this again until 2030. So this this study would just allow us to do due diligence from, you know, from the perspective of making the court more efficient and possibly saving us more money. Right? Keeping you know, I think in the the manager's memo of this you know, there's no predetermined outcome. And I think we should all be going into this with those that set of eyes. I'm just saying that what I'm hearing is it sounds like we're not I'm just listening to to what everybody's saying. And to me, it doesn't sound like
we're just going on a fact finding mission. We don't know where it's gonna take us. We're going on a fact finding mission that we think is probably gonna take us to a place where we're gonna end up consolidating.
I'm just saying those that's that's what I'm gonna look at it, and the redetermining
it is saying we're not gonna look. Well The other thing is that I I just don't really like, the timing of this is really tight. If we had decided to do this Just so so I mean, that is the timing if the board wants it on the November ballot. If you you can schedule a special election at any time. Right? If you got if you wanted to wait let's say you didn't wanna make the decision until August. Right? You you hold off on voting on the law until August. Yeah. And then people have thirty days after that, and then let's say they submit a petition in September, and then you would be able to schedule a special election
in whatever time frame that would allow you to do it. But it would have to be before November? Could we do it after November? I don't think so because you have to do it before to be before November. Right? Yeah. Yeah. Because once if we get to November, we elect a justice,
then then this conversation goes to 2030. Correct. This the term yeah. Yeah. Yeah. This is a baseline study that's taking a look at the court operations, including even staffing and, and and, timing and and other issues in terms of, the day to day work that the court does. I don't I don't have any preconceived notion on on where it leads. That's why we're doing the study. We had the LeBerge study fully disagree. Oh, let me let me let me just finish. Okay. Oh, yeah. I'm just finishing. We we had the LeBerge study, and, it took us about a year to, to implement it. We can we can accept this study, do the study, good good organization that, that we would bring in to do it, and decide not to do anything for, for for, an until, until the future or do nothing at all. But I think it's it's worthwhile to to find out what, from a, from an analytical point of view, how is the court doing compared to other courts, and what are some of the changes full range of changes that that we should be considering in the future just like we did with the engineering department. And, you know, I think any any question about what that leads to and is really just academic and and something that that we should know, you know, going into in terms of what the what the what the calendar looks like and and what some of the possibilities, might be because those questions are gonna come up. But as the manager said, in his in his memo, as with the engineering study it's a quote. As with the engineering study, it is important to state that there is no predetermined outcome expected from this study.
No. Thank you. You know, I I think if you look at this study, I think if if we if I applaud efficiency. I I know that manager, you've done a great job, right, helping us on cost savings, driving efficiencies. But when I read this study this study, the first sentence on page one is a request for a proposal to study the feasibility of dissolving the village justice court and shifting it to Cortlandt. Then when you continue on, it says they're gonna provide an impartial impartial analysis. When I look at the actual study and I've I have twenty years experience doing studies, I think there are opportunities here to make it more impartial. It's not impartial right now. I'll give you an example. This study cannot do analysis that it should not do analysis that includes COVID financial data because COVID financial data has costs that are stagnant of the court and revenues that have dropped off a cliff from parking permits. Right? And so if you're gonna include those costs that are you know, remain stagnant and significantly less revenues, it's gonna skew the data, and it's gonna skew the recommendations. You know, we went from parking permit revenues during COVID at a $152,000. Now in 2025, the external auditors said that our parking permits jumped to $3,000,000. So, you know, that is gonna skew the data. The set the other point is, you know, that we should also be open minded and talk to municipalities that ended up consolidating their justice courts with towns and understand, was there any buyer's remorse there? You know, is there anything that we can learn from that? You know, I mean, that's a fair learning to get. You know, not not not just looking at who's done it and how they did it, but who did it and who was disappointed
by it after the fact, and what can we learn by that. The other point that I just wanna make is this study, if we end up recommending or or having a law that says that we are looking to consolidate the court to Cortlandt and we provide this study provides a framework for doing that, There are benefits of this study to the town of Cortlandt, and I think they should be paying a portion of this study. I don't think it should be a 100% funded by Croton. So those are just, you know, a few points and suggestions that I feel very passionate about.
Well, thank you, trustee Nachtalerl. I'll I I will just say I was looking back at some of my material from 2022 earlier today, and I did find a memo to file where I had detailed the conversation I had with the village of Ossining because they have consolidated their court with the the town of Ossining, And they were very satisfied with how that had gone. Mhmm. They you know, I also I have a conversation scheduled for tomorrow to speak with the village of Port Chester. But, like I was saying earlier, all the information that I have heard, which admittedly was from CGR, but they have been very happy with how that has played out. You know? But I I I absolutely agree. We should if there are if there are more people that we can talk to, we should absolutely talk to them. I I agree, Trustee. I think that is a great point about
discussing with the other communities that have gone through consolidation again. I think that this is needs to be about more than just consolidation. If we're retaining the court, we should have the most efficient version possible, and we should make sure very sure that's within the scope of work. And we'll we'll get there in a minute. I mean, I think that if and what if we were to engage with CGR, we should probably have a kickoff or launch meeting and have some discussions with them in the form of a work session or whatever. That that will I'm sorry. We can kind of I mean, right now we can say where Yes. Trusting you know, like, points like you've made, trustee Nochteller that, you know, can be shared and emphasized with them. But I think, you know, going to the other communities that we've consolidated, it makes total sense. I think it's worth noting that much like with the assessor where the position can be eliminated by the board, it can also be brought back by either our current or future board. So that's true of courts. That's also true of the assessor. Yeah. And I It's difficult to do, but possible.
Yeah. And I wanted to also, compliment, trustee Nachtalerer on, the points that she raised, and just emphasize that this is a this is a response to a request for proposal. It's not a contract or scope of work. And should we get to that point of asking them to to do this work, we will have a negotiated scope of work, you know, that that hopefully deals with some of those concerns and and and emphasizes the neutrality
of the approach from the get go. Yeah. And I just wanna, you know Yeah. Make sure that, her point is taken in terms of revenues, because I think that that's a really valid point of making sure that we're, you know, looking at our current revenues and not basing anything on COVID
Yeah. Time frame. Yeah. Absolutely. Right? I mean, the the study that was done in 2022, the whole village was in a different place in 2022 than we are Yeah. Today. Right? I think I think everybody realizes that. Right? You know? But that being said, the general trend in terms of financials remains the same in that, you know, there is the court brings in money, but it also costs a lot of money too. So it's it those need to be analyzed closely, which is what is being proposed. And
we have the luxury of a little more time. Now this is, like, a finite timeline, but it is a few you know, it provides them the time that CGR takes to do this work does count. They are doing research on our behalf and be I you know, they've been around for over a hundred years, and they've done, you know, research for a lot of communities. So I think that they will try to do a thorough job, and then it will give us time as a board to deliberate and give the community time to deliberate to see if people wanna file a petition to call for a referendum. But, you know, that is a much more relaxed or not relaxed, but let's just say longer time frame than what we were looking back at 2022 where it was being done really in the context of the budget. And Yeah. You know, fortunately, I don't wanna say it was mooted, but, the the the pressures abated kind of concurrently with, the the board, felt
less pressure based on good good news from an evolving and rebounding local economy. Let's put it that way. Yeah. I think it's it's a baseline study if we go forward with it. It gives us a range of options on, different aspects of the court, and then we can decide which among them we wanna consider and also, more importantly, when we wanna consider them. Mhmm.
And then just in terms of the cost. So this is sort of, you know, I agree with the manager. I think there's an opportunity to be working with consultants, to help us understand kind the streamlining of our government. $36,000 is not a small amount of money. 36,500. I love the idea from, trustee Nachtaler to have the town of Portland pay. So, if that was a possibility but where do you plan to get this money? Is this coming from where where would this money be coming from? This year's budget?
I yeah. Most likely. Mhmm. Yeah. We'd have to we'd have to look and see. There's probably some revenue that we can allocate in the budget. Mhmm. You know, recognize additional revenues that we've received to, pay for pay for the cost of the study.
in the funding? I I think that's very unlikely. I think we can make the request. I wouldn't condition a study on that.
You know, the just going back to the last time this was talked about, right, the town and and they had a similar approach with the assessor as well is that, you know, the town is legally required to assume these services from the village, but they want the village to make the full and complete decision. They don't wanna be seen as influencing the any decision one way or the other. So I I don't believe that they would want to participate in any great way in it. Mhmm.
But I I do think that the framing of the proposal when it comes to a scope of work could be, less pointed to trustee Nachtaler's point and to Trustee Slippen's point that it's all about consolidation. Because, like, we wanna be clear. It's it's not. It really is a study of a function of our village government that every four years, we have the opportunity to take a look at, and and this is the time to do it. Yeah. I I agree. Absolutely.
Does that mean that you would go back manager and revise the scope a bit to reflect this input?
Yeah. And this is not I mean, you're not voting to approve this tonight. Right? I mean, this is gonna come to a meeting to vote on. This was just a discussion on it.
Yes. And at that meeting, the public will we will get a sense of public perspective on, on on on this, which will be very, very helpful. Yep.
And if if you thought if if we thought that it would be helpful for mister Bishop to join us online or on on Zoom to answer questions, think that would be fine as well.
Yeah. We can Yeah. We can look at that. As the lead or, you know, mister Bazila.
Both. And if I can just ask a clarifying point. So if this becomes I guess the question is, is the board of trustees able to approve or vote on the dissolution of the court to Cortlandt without a ref permissive referendum? I'm not saying that that's what we're gonna do, but is that something that we're allowed to do?
I are are you saying that could you vote to just send it directly to the voters?
of, elected office to be a permiss a topic of permissive referendum. But permissive referendum requires petitioning. Correct? Correct. Yes. Okay. So so I think you should restate that because Right. I don't think that that Okay. It's not a mandatory.
Correct. Yeah. There's two type there's two type of referendums. Right? There's a mandatory referendum such as the LOSAP. Right? When you change the LOSAP for the fire department Mhmm. That's a topic of mandatory referendum that had to go to the voters. You had no choice. Permissive referendums are, the board can either voluntarily send it to the voters or voters can, you know, circulate a petition and submit a petition requesting it to go on the ballot.
Okay. Thank you. Yep. Okay. So it sounds like the manager's got a little bit of work to do in revising this proposal, adding in police input as well as some public
Yeah. I mean, do you want are you sorry. Go ahead. Well, I mean, I would also make I think that there should probably be, like, again, a follow-up conversation if we engage with them Mhmm. To really go into even greater detail on this a bit and provide some commentary. But while we're doing that right now, I would also say, you know, as I think was previously discussed, the district attorney's office, and I would also say, you know, the public defender's office as well. I mean and if there's some way to deal with court having them involved. Yeah. Sure. And if there's some way to deal with the actual clients, I mean, I don't I don't know how if if they're able to, if that's something they've done. I don't think it would hurt. I think, you know, the proportionality,
it would be helpful. Like, I know that there's a statistic that, twenty percent of our cases are Croton residents.
Like, I'd like to be able to validate that number. No. I think that's essential, but, I mean, also a qualitative look to the extent possible. Mhmm.
Oh, no. I was that twenty percent number during COVID? I was just didn't know if COVID impacted that with
I I that You know? I don't remember I don't remember the exact, time frame that that number came from. I'd have to go back and look. Right. Yeah. Okay.
But, the the other point is that that is from a few years ago, and we're gonna get new data, and we're gonna have you know, the idea would be for it to be developed and reviewed by CTR. But, yes, I think that, you know, some basic statistics on the parties that appear before the court and then, again, to the extent that there's able a way to get qualitative information, I don't think it hurts.
In terms of the public participation, right, I mean, there was are are you interested in having some sort of focus group or some sort of outreach to regular resident you know, citizens of the village, like, you know, prior to it coming like, as part of the review process.
Yeah. I I mean, I would I would ask CGR kind of what their best practices are Yeah. To get public feedback, what the most efficient, cost effective, time effective.
Yeah. I mean, I I'd like I mean, the other thing is I'll just think that it's essential based on the based on the history of Yeah. This conversation. Yeah. I think it's essential for this to be the real kind of transparent look at this situation that we want. There has to be a mechanism for public input. I don't know what that is. I would like I mean, they don't have a space for that right now. Yeah. Which But I think that that that it's essential that that's part of it's gonna be impossible to make that decision without without that bit of information. The only other thing I'm noticing is and I don't know if this but in the list of individuals, I guess, the associate village justice or whatever that title Mhmm. Is like, that's somebody that's something that's not listed on here Yeah.
As well. And I just wanted to emphasize. I think it's it's been said, but not by everybody, so I'll say it. But the the public participation process should be part of the CGR effort as opposed to us getting a report and then, you know, having a hearing or a town hall, which which we may do. I was gonna say you'll do that anyway. But yes. But I I'd like to see them engage the public as part of their process. And and as I think trustee slip and said, they they've got ways to do that that that have probably worked well with Yeah. With And I'll ask I I will find out from Port Chester
what, if any, public part you know, participation they had in their in their, study. You know, I do understand that we keep going back to Port Chester as an example. Port Chester and like, comparing Port Chester merging with Rye and Croton merging with like, or or whatever that looks like is pretty different. I think I would like to try to find Well, told you I spoke with Ossining as well. Right. But Ossining is a Ossining Town and Village also share services in a way that Croton and Cortlandt don't necessarily do. Even if it's not in Westchester, I would like to try to find a comparable, you know, or a comp that that that is really comparing what this looks like for us. I you know, as somebody said, like, this this company has been around for a hundred years. So Yeah. If anybody's gonna be able to do this type of assessment, I think $40,000 is I mean, I am a consultant, so I don't really wanna balk at consultant fees, but this feels like a huge expenditure. And I just wanna say it again. I you know, I wish that this was something we could have done the study. Like, we're we're really in a very tight time crunch right now. So I guess, you know, getting a revised proposal and figuring out if you know, how to move forward with this, you know, especially understanding the
you know, having them reframe how they're looking at this. Because, as trustee Nachtaler pointed out, it's very clear from the first sentence that, you know, at least my approach to this is not aligned with what their approach is to it. So I think a revised
proposal is in order. And and if they could come up, I think it was was also mentioned previously, just more examples of their court work regardless of what jurisdiction took place would be helpful in the last hundred years. So
yeah. I mean, most of them are fairly recent. Right? Because the whole consolidation thing has only really picked up steam.
But it it is According to ChatGPT, the village of Brockport in Monroe County and Lake Placid in Saranac Lake, they both consolidated and,
you know, and had some concerns with it. So there are some recent examples that we can learn from. Mhmm. I wouldn't really necessarily compare those to the village of Croton either if we're not saying that Osson and Port Chester are We'll get some, I mean, I think the desire for comps is reasonable. Yes. Can you find a perfect analog? No. Because we're special. We're unique. Right? Of Yeah. But but we you know, I think a few including a few case studies definitely has value, and I think especially exploring whether or not there have been cases of reversal.
Which, I mean, to some degree, I think, is the true test of regret. Like, if it you have the option of reversing it, well, you can say, oh, you know, it wasn't everything I wanted. But if you didn't reverse it, then
that that is the case. I wanna undertake this thinking. Maybe we should undo the maybe we should consolidate so that we can then I mean, I think that we can I know? We have an opportunity to do this in a way. My my point is just that for the cases of regret, like, you'll always find people that have,
you know, had weren't a 100% happy with the decision. But if they had the option of reversing it and chose not to, I mean, that does tell you something. Okay. But, yeah, we we should get cops. No disagreement. I think there's work to be done here, but I think we're it you know, it's worth looking at
I was gonna add that, CGR was founded by George Eastman who founded another another company. So Yeah. Yeah. Yes. Which is maybe consolidating.
I'm sorry. I researched them, and they do have very good credentials. I mean, it looks like, manager, you you selected a a strong
company to do work like this. Yeah. They're they're they're, like, the best in the in the state with regards to, that kind of work. Mhmm. Mhmm.
Moving on? Yes. Alright. So the next topic is, the America two fifty celebration. Very exciting. So, I put together just a little memo outlining what we could, potentially do to celebrate the occasion. We have normally our July 4, Independence Day celebration at historic Hudson Valley each year. It's probably unlikely to be hosted there this year because of the, construction project that's going on. So, we could be looking at another alternate location. Mhmm. I did hear from our historian this morning who, is recommending that we don't do the event on fourth of July weekend because of the fact that the tall ships are coming into New York Harbor. And, he said that that is, like, the official what did he say here? The tall ships are coming to New York City, which is the official national celebration location. So, so he he recommends not scheduling it for that weekend. He's and he also said, you may find it difficult to book reenactors that month because there are so many other events. I'd start with booking first because the date may depend on their availability. Right. So so we can certainly look at that and see. But that yeah. The plan would be to continue to have that event at some venue.
Mhmm. Yeah. And that's, you know, that's we've done this now two or three years in a row. I think three. Yeah. I mean This would be the fourth. It's a really very nice event, well attended. Yeah. Re re re recreators that we use are local. Yes. Right? So that's kinda nice. It's not a giant recreation. It's kind of a No. It's a chill relatively small one. You know, we could do we could add on to that event a little bit with,
you know, some food. Pigment kind of thing. Yes. Yes. Like, could we sort of make that. It's been evolving over the years. That that would be the the the next logical step to come in as sandwiches so people would stay. And, particularly, I think if we're at Senesco, people are very comfortable there. Yeah. We could do lots of lots of interesting things. So Yeah. I agree. And then the fourth versus another date, I think it's it's it's
something to think about. Yeah. Yeah. Because, I mean, the other thing is this year, the fourth is on a weekend. So are people going to Yep. Be around, or are they gonna go away? And yeah. So, I mean, I think there are some reasons to look at Yep. Which date may be better. I think there's some alternate dates. I think that we might even want to
there's some positives, right, is again, in addition to the competing events just in general, right, for the July weekend, a lot of people go away. You know, I'll note that flag day is on a Sunday this year. Yeah. So, I mean, I think Mark's idea of looking at a different date and seeing if it works for our reenactors and, you know, if there can be some, you know, kind of patriotic significance to that date would be good. Yep. And we should just be flexible.
So I think that that's just a week after Summerfest. Right? Because I think Summerfest is late this year. Yep. So Well, I think the Summerfest idea is a good one of of Yeah. Having a a two fifty theme
And I know that the Croton Historical Society does have a booth at Summerfest. Yes. It kinda does a nice job, but I'm I'm just wondering if that could be more
Mark talked about that too in his email. He is he's requesting if they could have a a second booth, which, of course, they can, to talk about Croton and the revolutionary war. He's created two large panels, and plans to create some more, and also giving out copies of the there's a visitor's map that revolutionary Westchester has created about Westchester County's revolutionary war sites, And so they would plan to be handing that out, and, you know, potentially having a reenactor at the at the booth So as that'd great. Or and or even just walking around would be nice as well. So, yeah, so he's got he sent over all that information this morning. Fantastic.
I'd like to find ways or a way that we could include the school in some way in the celebration. Mhmm. Whether it's something that you know, if it's gonna happen once the school year has ended, maybe it's something that we encourage the, you know, the the schools to get involved in before school is over or if it we did it on June 14. Yeah. It would be before school is over. So I don't know what that looks like, and it could just be, you know, part of whatever else we're doing. But I would like to be able to involve the youth of the community in some way. Think that's and then the other thing is I can't remember if for another have we done a time capsule?
We have. We did that for the hundred twenty fifth. Oh, right. Okay. So right. Okay. It's in the it's in the office. Right. Because NICOMP NICOMP suggested that as one of the activities also. But since we did one so recently, I didn't Right. Okay. Yeah. You know, one thing I thought of and I think the list all all of the one, three all the four items on the list, I think, are are great. In addition, it would be interesting just to you know, not not to get into our next conversation, but to give the committees an opportunity to propose something that they that they would do. Not a mandatory thing, but just say to the bicycle committee or or any any committee, you know, that if you've got some ideas that you'd like to mount, including doing the work for them, you know, that that would be that would be appreciated. Know Well yeah. I know that I was talking to one of our local artists who would be very interested in doing a photography show or a photography community wide photography where where folks would would come in with with photos that were that were two hundred and fiftieth themed, finding examples of of that throughout the village and that we would just have a little display, you know, someplace for a show or something like that. So, you know, there are all kinds of good ideas there. So I I wanna I'll just encourage the committees. Again, not mandatory, but if you got something, you know, that would be great. Just just like we're saying to all of the potential paraders in Summerfest, you know, give us something two fiftieth, we'd be saying to the committees,
think about, some two fiftieth, activities. And I mean, that kind of that may go into item number five as well on the agenda because, I mean, you know, we're already if we're gonna add we already have four things that we're talking about here, then we're gonna be adding potential more things that the committees are gonna involve the village in. I mean, it's just
but I don't know know if we necessarily need to I kind of agree. The committees are doing so much work anyway, and I think that some things may naturally come together. I think an art, you know, something that the arts and humanities committee is doing is naturally that. But I don't what I don't I want us to be able to celebrate, but I as you started the meeting out saying, you're down a full staff member. Yeah. So I don't wanna make this more of a I wanna make it something that so if we can dovetail with summer fest, great. If we can plant a tree, great. But beyond that, I think adding work,
you know, is The the message would be they're all welcome to do it if they want to. There's no pressure or mandate to do it. That's the important part. So
Well, we traditionally plant a tree for Arbor Day. Right? I was gonna and, yeah, to trustee to what trustee Slippen is saying. Right? We already planned Summerfest, so that's not really additional work there. And we already plant a tree for Arbor Day, so that's not necessarily Right. A lot of work either. You know, the the and we already and we already have been planning the Independence Day celebration. So that's I mean, it might be a little little more work because we're gonna potentially make it bigger. But as of right now, this these ideas are not really more staff intensive. But, you know, if we if we had five committees plan their own separate things that I know. Right. That might be. Yeah. They are good. I mean, they're but I would be I would welcome them to participate in Mhmm. These if they if they wanted to, of course. And then I think just, you know, in terms of getting the schools involved,
and I'm sure Mark is very interested at the, Village Historian is maybe the panels that he's making for Summerfest, those can visit the school, if not before school ends Yeah. In the fall. Right? Yeah. And he, you know, he's been doing a several presentation. He's awesome. So he's doing a lot of presentations about the history of the revolution and America's place in it. So if the schools are interested in sort of having him as a He's very he's he's actually the vice president of revolutionary Westchester. So he's very involved and, you know, I mean, he's just such a font of knowledge in in all things anyway. So Do we know when if they're are they coming back to Croton Point Park in The I believe and they're not? They're not. Oh. This year, they're doing I I think that I think they were something. They're doing the big re recreation that's gonna happen in Pound Ridge.
But, yeah, I asked that last year at the Croton Point event. 250 Pound Ridge, and that's where and then they're gonna have one up in Albany near Saratoga that's gonna be like Is that that rev fest? Is that what it's Yes. So I know that specifically
our the communications firm we're working with did a tremendous in part of their proposal, they talked about dovetailing Mhmm. Our communications with RevFest. I think they did work with them. So I think this is an opportunity to be going to enormous creative and asking them whatever we decide because Yeah. Even if we just do the things that we're already doing, but we frame them slightly differently Yeah. As a celebrate a two hundred and fiftieth celebration, I think there's also an opportunity there. So I just wanna make sure that we're bringing them. Yep. Abs absolutely.
And if I could just ask, how do you involve or how do we involve the American Legion? And I I remember I think was it Veterans Day? They, mayor the you know, I mean, there was a really nice event, at was it holy name of Mary?
that that was well done. I mean, considering the two fifty anniversary is anchored in, you know, the war, and we're so grateful to everyone who fought and continues to fight for freedom, you know, and just how do we make sure they're engaged and supported and
Yep. We should definitely coordinate with them. Yeah. I mean, so the, you know, the as my memo kinda says here with the historic marker, that was ordered in coordination with the Legion. So I would imagine that they would be involved with that. And we can cert you know, they the Legion usually participates in summer fest with a booth, so they'll be involved with that anyway. And, you know, we can invite them
to whatever else we ultimately decide to do. And potentially, the placard that we're getting honoring the two revolutionary war Yes. People that are buried, like, maybe that can be on display at Summerfest. So before we put it up,
the public has an opportunity to As long as it arrives in time. But yes. Oh, okay. Yeah. I don't know. I have to look back and see what the estimated delivery time was. Yeah. Because I think the issue I I don't think it's supposed to arrive until sometime in June, so it may not be here before Summerfest. But, yeah, absolutely. If it if it comes before then, that would be great. Okay.
And I was correct that the RevFest this year is going to be October, and it's going to be at, War Pond. Okay.
So just, I mean, is everybody okay? So with the liberty tree, I gave three, potential locations. I don't know if anybody had a particular
Mud. Yes. And and But I'm all for more trees at the site. Yeah. Yeah. And it's I forgot about the the Yeah. Wonderful tree planted by the Girl Scouts. I apologize. It's it's it's it's progressing. Yes. I'd say. It's a lot. It's it's it's a lot.
And Well, and the tree that was Senesqua, That I assume that tree when that tree came down, that was has been replaced. The big the big weeping below?
I mean, I don't think so. Because, I I mean, that would be an opportunity there. I mean, I know there's, a flooding situation.
It needs to be a separate plantable. Yeah. But who knows? We can Right. Mean, spot that used to have an iconic tree in Croton that I mean, you know what? I mean, you could plant trees at all these locations. There's nothing that says you have to only plant one. Mhmm. So you know?
Yeah. Yeah. It just it's nice to have a sort of, like, the bicentennial tree. Yeah. Yeah. Kind of and maybe maybe do a plaque for that. Right? For the Did we have a bicentennial tree here?
I know there I mean, there there was a plaque for the The Mormon Oak. Yeah. I'm asking it's a constitution tree. Yeah. Well, that was because it was around in the revolution. Yeah. Yeah. So.
Okay. Well, this is all great ideas. Yeah. Great. Thank you. So what's the next step here?
So, I mean, as long as everybody is okay with it, we'll we'll look at we'll look at some potential dates for the reenactor. Mhmm. Right? So we'll reach out. I'll ask Mark Duncan to reach out to Duane and see what his availability is. We will proceed with advertising Summerfest and the parade with the America two fifty theme. Mhmm. But, actually, we have to start doing that in the next couple weeks. I think we start advertising in early March for that. I mean, for the Liberty Tree, do you wanna think about that and and come back with a to with an idea, or do you wanna just have us move forward with all three locations? Or
Well, I think move forward. Yeah. And, you know, and we'll we'll we'll fine tune as we go along. Yeah. So we'll so we'll look at all three locations, see if they're suitable
spots in each of them, and then we'll, we'll bring that back and let let you know what we find out. And then, we are moving forward with the historic marker. It's just a matter of when it when it arrives. Okay. So
I do think that's a good idea trying to sync it up with those other revolutionary heroes, that and even if they're not here, maybe have information about the fact that it's coming. It would be great if they were here, but it's like a a small I don't know. Some some way to let people know it's coming because I think it will really Mark could
put together I mean, Mark did a lot of the research to determine who the two people were that were buried in Bethel. So, you know, he could probably put together a board. Oh, that'd be great. That'd be really good. Yeah. That could be on display. Yeah.
And, you know, maybe get some recommendations from our our arborist friends about, you know, what what tree might do well or or may Oh, yeah. Yeah. Maybe one that's got a a little more growth to it when we put it in. So, know, so it's got a little decent Yeah. It would be nice to
I mean, we can wait, but, know, some sometimes it takes, you know It would definitely be nice to have a fuller tree Exactly. As
opposed to just like a sapling or something. Right? That's exactly the point. So so, you know, I mean, we're doing this, of course, for the for those who will be celebrating the three hundred and fiftieth, but it would be nice if those of us that may not be here, you know, could could see a little bit more.
next item is just another is a I think this should potentially be quick. Just a further discussion on the national police week observance. We had this memo, that was on the agenda at last week's board meeting, and so, you know, the board seemed interested in moving forward with some sort of observance. I just wanted to bring this back so that, the police advisory committee could have some guidance as to, how to proceed. So, you know, the first the the police department, they sent me an image of the flag, which I can actually bring up here. Should've had this ready.
So that's the flag that the department is proposing. I I don't know how I feel about the words on the flag. So I just don't know if that's aesthetically pleasing. I don't know if other people have thoughts on that.
So, I mean, I think the other thing if you you know, you could always refer this to the VEB. This is kind of in their purview if you wanted to get their Mhmm. Their feedback on it. Yeah. Think that's a great idea. I think that's why they exist. Exactly. Right? They're they're for the aesthetics Yeah. Of the village. Yeah. I mean, maybe it's maybe it's just the there's just something about the the Well the maybe it's the font or something. I don't know. It's just And the and the placement blue because
should match the logo blue. Yeah. One Oh, that's good yeah. That's a good point. Yeah. With the with the flag. And I think, you know, a flag of that size, you have the opportunity to have the the badge larger. Mhmm. And you could probably Yeah. The the badge larger and centered.
Yeah. And, you know, if we're if we're gonna go with All graphic designer. Yeah. I think I think I would love to know what the VEB thinks. I think those are the experts, and I think that I support this idea. I don't I don't have a negative reaction to this, but I'm not graphic designer. So but if they have some feedback, I think that would be, that would be great. But I do think that if this is what the police department is suggesting, I don't I'm sure they would be open to whatever the Oh, yeah. No. I I've
they would welcome feedback. That's why they Yeah. That's why they sent it up. So Mhmm. Yeah. Okay. So we'll we'll get that over Good start. Yeah. We'll get that over to the VEB for their thoughts. Okay. So I think everyone is okay with having the a flag raising ceremony here during the National Police Week. Right? Mhmm. So we'll Yes. The the PAC wants to have, the scouts involved and and participate, have some sort of refreshments afterwards.
I just wanted to call out that it is Lorraine Hansberry's birthday also that week. So just to I know that Lorraine Hansberry coalition planning some
something So one day we'll have bagels. One day we'll have cake. Right. Okay. And so always win the summer. It will be busy. It's a great week, May.
And I think I I I think I'm correct that, at least the official national night out is August 4. So we'll we'll see. Yeah. So that'll be something else to look forward to. Good. Last year's was just fantastic. Mhmm.
So one of the suggestions here was to purchase pins for various people to wear. You know, it's $400 for 40 pins. I don't know if do you have do you mind if I ask Caroline a question since she's here? Do you have the money in your budget for that? Okay.
Thank you. Yeah. I I think it's a very nice idea, but I don't know if it's strictly necessary for the event. Right? I mean, I think, obviously, for the like, you know, a flag raising ceremony, you need a flag. Right? So I think the funds should obviously, you know, go towards go towards that.
But this is kind of would become our awards night as well. Our awards presentation
I think there there I think there would be some sort of not necessarily as part of the flag raising ceremony. I think that would take place at a board meeting. Okay. Yeah. That's what the pins are for. No. The pins are for the are for this the flag raising. Yeah.
Maybe we would Yeah. I I mean, I think the the large right. I mean, the majority of the pins would be a one time expenditure. And then, you know, assuming we had new police officers, new board members, new whoever. Right? You'd have to Dole them out. You'd have to get more. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Okay. So I'm Sorry. Please go ahead. Like, stickers.
I know people also like stickers and then could be less money than pins if there's any budget constraints, but just just as a thought. That's a nice idea.
Alright. So then the the next thing is about planting blue flowers around the flagpole or in a prominent location on the outside property of the municipal building. You know? So the the flag would be flown on the Opus North flagpole. Right? Because that's the that's the designated pole there. Doesn't really have an area, strictly speaking, that surrounds it that is like a flower bed. You know, we do have the wooded wooded is not the right word, but there there's the area with wood chips that is adjacent to it in the corner of the property here. I don't know if that's we could look at putting flowers there, or we could we have the the two urns, I would say, that are on either side of the entrances of the building that we could look to that we could look to have
Now would would these be you may not know the answer to this, but would these be planting perennials there, or would this be flowers just for the purpose of the the the the duration of the ceremony?
I I don't think they'd be perennials. I mean, I think they would just be some some type of spring flower that, you know, that bloom that bloomed at that around that time. You know, we'd have to we'd have to talk to DPW and our gardener, Mary, and see what what the plans are for the for the area because, you know, there's usually a there's usually a very set schedule of, you know Yep. What what goes in when.
Mhmm. And then issuing a proclamation for National Police Week. I don't think that's a That's easy. That's an issue. Right? Yep. Yep. And then as we've mentioned previously about doing some sort of a a medals and awards night, you know, the chief said that when I spoke to him about this a couple weeks ago that, they they submit, incidents or activities where the officers go above and beyond the the call of duty, to the Westchester County PBA. And the Westchester County PBA, issues, certificates of recognition or lifesaving awards or whatever it might be. Right? And so those could be, formally presented as part of, as part of this ceremony. Mhmm. So and that was that was what was in the memo. I don't know if the board has any other comments or questions.
No. No. Thank you. I I guess I just we but, you know, I just wanna make sure that you don't have any other comments that you wanted to make or anything you wanted to add to the memo.
the next PAC meeting is so we should get you feedback by March 12 if we have it. Okay. Thank
and actually, of these deals with fallen police officers, so that's Yep. So there are, five new, tax exemptions that the state has authorized, municipalities to offer their residents. So although we no longer are, an assessing unit, right, and tax exemption applications are filed with the town of Cortlandt now. The village still retains the ability to adopt exemptions that are different from the town of Cortlandt. Right. Right? So there's you can choose to install your own exemptions even if the town has not necessarily Right. Adopted them. So but the the bill that or the assessment that our
villagers get from Cortlandt will take into account the exemptions that we've adopted. That's correct. Yes.
So, the first one is an exemption for veterans who have a 100% service connected disability. So, veterans who are honorably honorably discharged who are considered to be permanently and totally disabled would be completely exempt from village taxation. The veteran must be rated a 100% disabled by the US Department of Veterans affair affairs and be rated as individually unemployable among other qualifying conditions. So the the actual text of the law has a number of qualifications that the veteran would have to meet, but the the gist of it is that they're a 100% disabled as a result of their service. Mhmm. So I don't know. Yeah. So, basically, I need to I need to know if this is something you wanna see us adopt or I would propose that we would adopt that.
Okay. Well, perhaps in the style of the consent agenda. I mean, from my perspective, fortunately, in almost all these cases, I think, the populations affected are gonna be relatively low, and therefore, the impact Thankfully. Yes. Village one way or another is gonna be low. But for the people that are eligible for them, it could make a big difference. And so, I mean, if there's one item that people have specific concerns about, I think we or what you know, whichever items people have specific concerns, we can discuss. But I don't have yeah. I don't have specific concerns. Just a question, manager, and you you may you may know the answer to this. But do we know and it's I'm just interested to
hear what we what we've heard on this. If number two, if killed in the line of duty includes first responders affected by nine eleven impact in in years ahead.
If they were volunteers right? So if somebody was a member of the FDNY, let's say, for example, this would not apply to them because this is for volunteer Right. Firefighters. So if there was somebody Who went down. Who went down in a volunteer capacity and then later Ten or fifteen years later Yeah. I mean, I believe we we would need to get clarification on that, but, I mean, I believe that, does you know, passing away as a result of nine eleven related illness is considered a line of duty death. Right? I mean, I think that's that's how the governor
treats treats them. Right? So, I mean, I think that that's And I I think, as the mayor said, by acclamation, just be interesting to know. And and I think possibly it could apply to number five as well for for for police officers that that went down to nine eleven.
Okay. All of these would be The only the only quest well, there's there's two here. Right? So for number two and number three, they're not set the percentages are not set amounts. Right? So for the surviving spouses of the volunteer firefighters, you can choose to you can choose anywhere from the standard 10% up to the 50% of the assessed valuation. Mhmm. And then for the active duty military, you can go anywhere from, you know, one percent to 25%. Right? It's, it's up to. So do you wanna go with the max? Or I would be in favor of the max move. Just yes. Okay. Yep.
Okay. Manager, can I just ask you a question? When we were talking about this, when we were talking about the assessor's office pre at some point, I think you were saying that people who were eligible for village exemptions did not do you know what I'm talking about? Can you can you explain what I'm talking about? Yeah. And can we talk about how to make sure that people are we're communicating this so people sync up? Yeah. So
the town assessor reached out to me just kind of in the course of talking about other things. She mentioned that only 13 members of our fire and EMS department had registered with the town on last year's role. Right? So not for the current role, but excuse me. In in 2025, only 13 members had registered to get the town tax exemption. And I believe I I believe our number was something like 33 or 36. So there were a lot of people that had not taken advantage of the fact that they could get the town exemption. And, I mean, this was something that we brought up as part of the assessment consolidation discussion was that people did not realize that they needed to go to both places. Right? They just thought filing here covered them everywhere. Mhmm. And, you know, that obviously, that was not the case. Right? So, you know, now it is the case. Right? You'd only have to file in one place, and it will cover you everywhere. And so we just need to make sure, and I've already I have already reached out to the chiefs to make sure that they remind their eligible members to, apply for the exemption, as well as their members that don't live in the village but live in Cortlandt, make sure that they apply and at least get the town exemption as well. So, so I've I've communicated that directly with them, and, you know, everyone that has, an exemption with the town will be will get a renewal notice in the mail. Those, I think they sent they probably sent them out already. I think they we're sending them out the the February 1 around that time. Yeah. We should we should probably reiterate that at the fire council meeting Yes. Next week. Yeah. And we put we did put it in the newsletter,
this month reminding people about the need to go to the town of Cortlandt. Mhmm. We can continue to do that, and we can, you know, use our, you know, social media and our other our other channels to get the word out. People have until May 1.
I should let me But I think direct making direct contact with those people, we know who they are. I think as trustee Simon said, if we you know, doing it at the fire council probably is a is a a good idea. I don't you know, we're we want to make sure that these people are realizing the gratitude that we're extending to them. Yeah. And May 1 is the deadline to submit your application to the town.
So And we talked a little bit a while ago about we have been pretty aggressive about making like, really proactive about putting, these exemptions into our tax law. Yes. I'm and we talked about maybe communicating that over to the town board and making sure that, you know, they were also being proactive about that or at least considering that. Mhmm. Is that something that we've had that conversation?
I I have to go while ago. I have to go back and look. I think I did send a memo to doctor Becker and, the assessor k. And and let them know what we had what we had adopted. I don't know if they took any action based off of that. I do know that, the school district is looking at some exemptions as well. Okay. So because that was part of the conversation that I was having with the town. So, you know, so hopefully, there will be some, you know, parity with the other taxing districts. Great. Yeah. Okay. So we will we will draft that. I don't know if it will be on the next agenda, but there's not really a rush here because these these exemptions wouldn't be available until 2027 anyway. So, but we will get the we will get it moving. Okay. And then next is the board and committee member guidelines. So I don't know how would you like me to proceed here. Do you want me to kinda go over what has changed since the last version? I mean, to start from the beginning?
So what we've done here, we got we got a lot of feedback from the various chairs of our committees, which was appreciated very much. And we, or I tried to take all of that into consideration when revising this document. Right? So, you know, I think one of the overarching themes here is that we have made the language more accommodating or or more Supportive, I I would say. Supportive. Yeah. Thank you. So, you know, I don't think it was anyone's intent to make these guidelines overly rigid or impersonal. Right. Right? I mean, I think Appreciate that everyone is a volunteer. Yes. Yes. So, you know, we've taken all of that into consideration here. That's that's just the overarching theme. Mhmm. So, you know, the relationship to the village government, you know, the committees are accountable to the village board. That hasn't changed. We are going to be providing each committee chair with an official village email, and that will, greatly assist in the foil aspect of it. So that as long as, the chair is that that village email address is being used and being copied on the emails, everything will be retained on the village's, server. And so there won't be any there won't be any real, record retention needed by the by the committees.
You know, the the advisory committees have a chair that's appointed by the mayor. The chair will have a sec I'm sorry. The committees will have a secretary to
work on the agendas and take the minutes. Could I could we stop for a minute? Are we do you wanna go through the whole thing before we interject? Or You wanna take comments as they come? I just well, I just wanted to talk about and the mayor and I have had a little discussion about this regarding chairs and co chairs and vice chairs. And I think that there is an opportunity to I I think that the mayor should appoint a chair, but I think it's also just for the continuity of the meetings. It having having a chair and a vice chair is a good idea structurally for the committees if the committees wanna set up a secretary or however they wanna do the rest of that. But I think that, you know, having somebody who's leading the meetings and somebody who can lead the meetings in the absence of somebody who is appointed to lead the meetings. Also, you know, the chair is typically the one who liaises with or, you know, with the board via the liaison or, you know, the one who writes the memo and sends it. Mhmm. And I think that if we can clearly define those roles a little bit Mhmm. It makes it easier having as someone who sits through a lot of these meetings, and all the committees are a little different. So I'm in favor of adding to that, having a chair and a vice chair, just to so that those clear those roles are clearly defined. And is is the mayor appointing the
chair, and is the chair appointing the vice chair? It's a great question. Mhmm. I mean, that's that's that's the way we have it right now. Right? I mean, that's
But not Larry, which way do we have it? The way well, the way that they're they're written right now At the discretion of the chair, but Right. I mean, except in the case of the planning board. Right? Where But that's not covered by this yeah. That's not But I I I yeah. It's not covered, but it is a precedent, and I think it should be appointed by the mayor. I know that's something talking about in the book, but I kinda think so also just because it's
I think it makes it easier on the chair if they're not then, you know, the chair isn't supposed to pick from the I think it just takes the pressure off the chair if they have Okay. As long as every I mean, you guys sit through committee meetings also. Defined
roles on a committee advisory committee, is a chair and a vice chair appointed by the mayor. Yep. And the secretary is at the discretion of the chair. I mean, I know, like, in the CAC, for example, they rotate
secretaries. They don't have secretary is should I think should be at the discretion of the chair. Mhmm. However, there should be a secretary. Well, and that's that's exactly secretary. That's how it's written. Right? I mean, it's it's shall designate a secretary. Mhmm. But the secretary can be one person or it could be a rotation. Right? That's how it's written in here. As long as there are minutes from like, with whatever whatever mechanism works for each committee to have minutes. Yep.
So this is, adding an element of chaos here, but I do wanna throw it out there for discussion. Do we wanna say, oh, entertain the idea of allowing for co chairs?
I don't think so just because then you have two people who have to confer with each other who's in charge of reaching out. Do you have to I I think it just makes it It certainly makes it harder. It makes it makes it more murky. We've sort of we've kind of lived through that in in on one of my committees. And I think it if the rules are clearly defined, it just makes it easier for everybody Okay. To do so. The point is taken. I just wanted to make sure that I don't I'm I would like to know how other people feel, but I from the committee that I had with co chairs, I think it's just Yeah. I agree. Confusing. I agree. Okay.
I just wanna make sure that we ventilated the issue. So if it comes up, we can say that the board has made conscious decision on it, that it is best to have it structured this way. Yeah.
No. I I agree. I mean, I I you know, I manager, I think you did a really nice job reflecting the all the feedback that was Yeah. And and and
Faye, and thank you, trustee Nachtaler, because you you gave a lot of a lot of, thought and input on this also. So
So and I defer to trustee Slippen and try you know, trustee Nicholson, deputy mayor, the mayor because I don't have as much experience on these committees. So, you know, I I I agree with the recommendations. A chair, if the mayor can make the co chair, it's easier on a chair to do that. And having a rotating secretary, if necessary, I think, be is fine.
So we you know, they, in regards to agendas, we eliminated the strict deadline that was there and just said that committee should do their best to, get the agendas to the to the village manager as, prior to each meeting and explain why we're we're doing that. Right? It's to help to help them, basically, you know, see if there's any any, information that we can provide guidance or feedback on in advance of their meeting that might make them run more efficiently.
Well and I think also it's so the public can see what is are the agendas then gonna be posted on the committee page? Because I think it's helpful.
I the thing is I agree I absolutely agree with you, but what I what we can't necessarily have is we post the agenda one month and then, oh, well, I was too busy to send you the agenda, so I couldn't get it to you. So it wasn't posted the next month. And then if we get if a committee is is committed to providing us the agenda consistently, then we absolutely can post it. But it it can't be well, sometimes it's posted and sometimes it's not. But I think it should be a a
strong recommendation because we have had instances where conversations happen at committee meetings, which are obviously of interest to the public at large. And the public at large does not know necessarily that that's being discussed at the meeting. I mean, that's I think if there's some way we can recommend it and maybe try it out, and then we see if some committees are I think
but, I mean, if that's part of the job of chair, it doesn't have to be perfect. It just needs to be here. I had it in here two days in advance. Right. The the general feedback from the chairs was that they didn't want that. Yeah. So I changed it to be voluntary. If you wanna put it in as as back to a certain time frame,
we can do that. I think is there a am I I mean, the the the agenda could be I mean, it could be it could just be a list of topics that you think The the sample agenda which is in here is Right. Bare bones. Right? I mean But I I do think that I mean, we've had some we've had some situations just recently where committees have discussed something that was that is of interest, and the public would have no way of knowing that they were gonna discuss it. I mean, the public does have to then go to the committee page to look at the agenda, but at least then it is available and then we can't say
And they can post they get they can get to the agenda when it's posted right from calendar. So if they see Right. They see it on the calendar, they just click on it, then it break could bring them right to I do think it I do think it's kind of important.
I would like to phrase it as a best practice versus mandatory. Yeah. I can I agree? Yeah. I agree with that. You know, we're just kinda starting this. Yeah. So let's see how this goes
before we make it mandatory for our I mean, I think and I think fairs. I I think the phrasing as we have now is kind of like that best practice. Right? Mean, it shall endeavor. I mean, that's Yep. You know? Right. But I also I I want us to be encouraging it to happen. I don't want you know, we're not gonna You mean it's like shall make best efforts too. Right. Mhmm. We're I don't wanna we're not gonna kick a somebody off a committee because they're not giving us an agenda, but I you know, it's it makes what's happening at the committee the what's happening at the committee should be transparent, and this is I I agree. I listen. I would like to have a good So let's see if we if we say if we when we roll these out to the chairs, how much pushback we get. But I agree. Mandatory is sounds a little too aggressive, maybe. Yeah.
Okay. So for the minutes, we changed the time frame based on the feedback that we got. So the minutes should be submitted within forty five days, ideally sooner. Mhmm. Right? If you, you know, if you're able to meet, you know,
thirty days after the meeting, and then you could send them in after that. I mean, I think that I would like the minutes to be submitted or draft minutes to be submitted prior to the next meeting.
You know what I mean? So I get I mean, we don't even we don't necessarily we don't even do that for our statutory boards. So
Yeah. I I think that that that like, because then you're I think I think it's just confusing. Because then you're like, then we're getting two different sets of minutes, and, oh, those were in the draft minutes. Now these are the final minutes. Like, I I think forty five days, once they're approved, is okay.
Yeah. I think just based on work with different commit some committees have their some committees send out their minutes right after the meeting because there are different mechanisms for taking minutes. Right? Yeah. Some committees have a do a tape and have it turn into a and use AI. I think some people do it long hand, but it's just more about the community being able to know what's going on at the meetings. So, I mean, I I understand why 45
makes sense, but Yeah. And I but I mean, thing is also that if there's an agenda posted, and hopefully there will be, they'll know if something's going on and they could always ask if Right. Okay. Right. I mean, so hopefully that's that will assist in that. Yeah. You know, and like I said, hope if people have the minutes available sooner than that, then we can obviously post them sooner. Mhmm. So and then this didn't really change, you know, formal recommendations or responses to referrals should be sent in from a in a written memo, and the memo goes on the agenda at the discretion of the village manager. Annual reports. Annual reports are due by January 31 of each year as opposed to December 31, so we gave an extra month for that. Financial requirements for the committees. So, budget the the committees that would like to have funds are to submit their budget by February 15 of each year, you know, detailing what their estimated costs are and any anticipated needs.
Expenditures and non routine resource utilization get approved by the village manager in advance. Non routine should be the use of staff for research assistance or general administrative support. You know, something like, oh, I need to have the room scheduled for a meeting. Right? That's, like, routine. But, you know, if you ask if you have somebody on staff to, like, you know, find out every banner we ever hung in the village, you know, then that's gonna take up a lot of time. So, you know, an approval of the expenditures should not be reasonably withheld, if they're within the budgetary amounts that the board has established.
So Manager, do the committees know the budgets are due on the fifteenth ahead of these guidelines?
No. Well, this wouldn't apply to this this doesn't apply to this year. So I had I had reached out to the committees in January about their budgets for this year.
Yeah. Committees are expected to operate within their approved budget. If they're gonna exceed that, they have to get approval from the board. Funds can't be used for transportation, lodging, meals, other incidentals, again, unless they receive explicit approval from the board. They are prohibited from political activities, advocacy, gifts, honorariums, donations. Purchases shall comply with the village's procurement policy. It's preferred that committee purchases that committees purchase any supplies through our accounts. Just makes everything so much easier. Can you say a little bit more about what that means? Having the supplies either ordered from, like, Amazon where the village has an account that's tax exempt, and it's very easy to order. Right? I mean, you can just literally say, email me the they can just email us the link and be like, I need six of these, and then we can order it. Right? Or, you know, they can go to Buchanan Hardware and charge it on our account. Right? You know, we have a card from ShopRite that they can Specifically, I was curious about the ShopRite one because I know that the arts and humanities committee did something, and there was a
I think somebody from that committee came and got the card from here. So I just don't know how somebody on the committee happened to know that. I didn't even know that. So I think being more specific about what the procurement policy is specifically even specifically about those Yeah. Obviously ordering from Amazon, what what that means or go you know, we have an account at Buchanan Hardware. But I think when we communicate this, especially to newer chairs who might not know that Yeah. If if we could be a little bit more specific. Yeah. Absolutely. Right? I mean, the shop so we have a we have a card from ShopRite that
it's like it's like a credit card, it's, you know, it's not really. But you can go down there and and use this card, and it's like a house account. It's you know, they they know that we're tax exempt, so they don't charge tax, and they know to, just invoice us for whatever supplies we we purchase. Right. And this is kind of our phase one
is, you know, creating these rules and guidelines. And then phase two is really having a handbook. Correct. Yes. And that would be part of the handbook of, you know, when you wanna purchase something, like best practices. Yes. Yeah. Yeah. But, I mean,
I just wanna say again, for any committee chairs that are listening, we would much prefer you to come through us. We know that there are times when things pop up and you're like, oh, I had to run to, you know, Dunkin' Donuts and get this and here's my receipt because, you know, and these whatever it happens. But, you know, we can't we don't reimburse for sales tax. So that's that's always an issue, unfortunately, when people buy things on their own. You know, if if you must if you must buy something on your own, you can get a copy of our sales tax exemption letter, which hopefully the store that you're going will honor. And that way, at least you're not paying the sales tax, and then we can just reimburse you for what you actually, spent. And then, you know, just committees cannot independently enter into contracts without approval of the village board. So alright. Subcommittees. This was also added. Subcommittees are formed at the discretion of the committee chair and should be reported to the village manager and the trustee liaisons for the parent committee. Subcommittees should be led by an appointed member of the parent committee, but may have volunteers who are not committee members. And so those volunteers are not, excuse me, are not subject to the responsibilities of committee members.
Activities of the subcommittee should be discussed at the meeting of the parent committee and documented in those minutes, and then funding for the subcommittee should be included in the annual budget request made by the parent committee if there if there are any.
Interest question on that. Yep. You know, with these subcommittees, I guess one concern could be what if a committee forms a subcommittee, and for some reason, the majority of those people are not from Croton. You know, is there I guess, how does the board feel about that? And if it's a concern, do we wanna put any kind of guidelines there?
Yeah. I mean, I think there's some I think committees, any members of any committees, especially ones who are requesting funds, should be residents of the village. I think it's kind of awkward. You know, I know in in the past, we've made exceptions for people with specific expertise to participate in committees or on committees when they have not when they've maybe lived in the school district, not in the within the village. But I think that a lot of our committees have, more applicants than spaces, and we have had we have had people we have asked people to leave committees because they are not residents. So although it is potentially a little awkward Mhmm. Members of outside you know, nonresidents can obviously attend the committee meetings, but I think that village committees are village committees. And so I think that Mhmm. It's hard to make an exception.
But there there there are exceptions from time to time, as you said, based on specific expertise or background.
Yeah. But I mean just now. That's right. Yeah. I think the in May in the future. With regards to the subcommittees particular, you don't I I mean, at least as it is currently and as it's proposed, the board's not gonna necessarily know the exact names and and locations of those members. Right? Because you're not appointing them. Yeah. They're they're just kinda like volunteers that like like the trails committee. Right? They just go subcommittee. They just go out and work on the trails. You don't Why is the trails committee a subcommittee and not a committee?
Because yeah. Yeah. That's a great question. Well, because its primary activity is trails cleanup, and, you know, it's basically done on ad hoc basis. I mean, I've been at trails cleanups. There's, you know, some some repeat customers, but it doesn't have the same kind of consistency as a committee.
And I mean, they they were a committee for Yeah. They were. A long time. And I I like, that's an example of something that I I I know that's not what we're talking about right now, but that to me seems like it's its own
committee. Not it's not a It because, functionally, when we follow the insistence of Nimer on requiring, the mandatory trainings that we ask for all committees,
that was the end of the trails committee. It would yeah. Fair enough. And I mean, it was also that they weren't they didn't host meetings. Right? Like, their meetings were their trail cleanups. So they were not really you know, they weren't having, a meeting in the meeting room being, like, oh, you know, let's discuss our activities. Right? I mean, that So functionally, was folded into CAC with one member
Yeah. And that's actually where it started. Yeah. And that started as a subcommittee of CAC and then broke out into its own. You know? I just didn't know the history, so that's why I asked the question. I'm sure. Well,
They were they were very pleased and relieved in many ways to become part of Anyone that does physical labor for the village on a volunteer basis?
Well, do we wanna add any language to this section that just says subcommittees? It's it's strongly encouraged that participants are village residents unless, you know, certain expertise is, like, an exception for certain expertise or, you know, just
So and I guess I would also like to understand a little bit. So you're saying the trails committee is a subcommittee of the CAC, and the chair of the does the chair does the trails committee have a chair?
So that would mean that that would how that's how we should that's how any how it's that's how it's written here. The idea. Right. Yeah. So then if any other committees have subcommittees so are we saying members of subcommittees should don't have to be village residents or members of any committees don't have to be village residents.
formations. Right? So it varies on committee. No. I mean, there's really no I mean, in terms of your advisory committees, there's really no legislated residency requirement. We did we had some, like, ambiguous well, there was some ambiguous language in the idea committee resolution that we actually removed when we did an updated resolution in December. Right? You know, obviously, your planning board and your zoning board members have to be village residents, but they're not covered by this. Mhmm. It's possible that other committees may have some language in there, but I can't really think of any off the top of my head that specifically say they have to be village residents. Change the arts and humanities to allow
But in any you know, the in just while I'm pulling this up, in terms of the subcommittees,
you know, we currently I think I'm I'm I apologize. I think it was something like if there were no village residents if there was an if there was an opening and there was no village resident of interested,
A nonresident would Yeah. Then a nonresident could fill the spot or something. I mean, I guess the manager's gonna work it up. Yeah. I like that.
So arts and humanities, it was originally no no fewer than three than no fewer than three, no more than seven members. It doesn't say anything about residency.
But then let me just see here because we actually It just might have been really ad hoc. We changed I mean, arts and humanities went wanna have a formal stipulation, I would just add in the new section under its own heading about residency and say, all chairs in all chairs must be residents, and majority of members must be residents and leave it at that.
Mhmm. But I also think that a nonresident shouldn't take the spot of I know we're getting into rewriting things that we've already litigated, so I don't wanna do that. But I think that if just knowing this round of of committee vacancies and there were people who were turned away from committees because there weren't enough seats for them. So I don't really want a nonresident
taking the seat on a committee if a resident is interested. If there's a vacancy and a need on a committee, then we can I really don't think you need to put something like that? I think that this is an area that needs to come down to judgment. If you have someone who basic are you saying that the least qualified or let's put it this way. An unqualified resident should take the place of a like, on the sustainability committee. You have, you know, doctor Oppenheimer And, I don't know why you'd want the inventor of the atom bomb on it, but I think you get what I'm saying. I think I think and someone with, like, no actual understanding or qualification of the work of the committee, but they live on you know, they're 10 feet 10 yards apart on the village boundary. We're we're gonna we're gonna pick the person without
don't this was a Yeah. I kind of think so. I mean, I think that you're this is a way for village residents to be engaged in the committee
If you I diss I disagree. I think we have to have a judge You're going through and vetting the people. I don't Yeah. Yeah. Well, that that that's that's exactly my point. It's That we have to vet. Mayor. That we have a responsibility to vet. That we can't outsource our our there has to be an element of judgment I think and an element of responsibility.
Judgment. And I think if this was a few years back and the mayor wanted to ask Aaron Copeland to be a member of our There you go. That's better than that. You know? And it's it I think in every instance, it's gonna be very narrow and very you know, it's rare. You know? And so I don't think we're gonna have an over, representation
of But there are very qualified people on the sustainability committee that do a lot of work for our village who are not residents. And I'm not gonna say they have to leave because, hypothetically, you know, some person with no real or vastly, you know,
lacking in similar qualifications wants to be on and not get You're the mayor, so it is up to your discretion. But I think that it is the the village committees are for village residents. I think, like, I I feel kinda strongly about that, but it's the appointments are up to the discretion of the mayor. So but I I do think that I would like to give preferential
committee assignments to the village residents. Look. There's a lot of weight that goes into being a resident, but I'm not gonna make it an absolute rule that, you know, there's no there's no act, like
Like, would you agree all chairs should go to the That was the first thing I said when I said Right. We're with the we just include that in the language? I said all chairs in a majority.
But I I mean, I still if we can put that language in, I still don't necessarily feel like you need to include that in here. Right? I mean, because you are you are vetting all of your applicants and, you know, if you have that as your Are we vetting subcommittees? We're not vetting the subcommittees. We No. But we're not we're not talking about subcommittees. We're talking about committee chairs and a majority of committee members.
You are I mean, going back to an element of judgment, you know, they're under the committees. We're gonna have to we're appointing the chairs. Presumably, we trust their judgment. If we have concerns about it, then they don't get reappointed as chair. I mean Yep.
I just I don't know where we're going with it. But But but no place in particular. But, you know, but I think it's really it's really been the exception rather than the rule and and not even a a frequent exception. Well, I I mean, I think at one point in the recent past, we did have a number of nonresident members on our committees, and I think we have trimmed that back. Mhmm. And I think we're kind of at the point now where it is, like, at a at a minimum where, you know, the people that are still participating are, like the mayor said, bringing a great value. Yeah.
I have removed people because or not removed people, but when their term is expired,
I've replaced them with residents because a qualified resident applied. I think that I think it's important then to codify it because, like, let's put it in here that we want our chairs to be residents. We want the majority of our committee members to be residents because we did somehow go astray at some point.
So Yeah. Well, no. I I don't I no. I wouldn't say we went astray. I don't think we ever had a chair who wasn't a resident. And I don't think that there was ever a committee where a majority of the members were nonresidents. But I think I think the point is to be explicit in the practices of you know, if this is to be guidelines, we should be transparent about how we approach this. And that that is true for subcommittees as well. Right? I mean, except that We're not except we're not checking and, I mean, subcommittees, again, in the broadest sense of, like, you know, there are really two at the moment. Three?
Yeah. I I mean but I think I I don't think anyone is suggesting it at this point, but it would just be very difficult. I mean, take it clean for an example. Right? I mean, there's literally new different people at every single one of those. We have no idea who is participating in those things. It's just not feasible for us to try to keep track Yeah. Of these non appointed subcommittee members. So
okay. So it sounds like Yeah. I mean, at the risk of belaboring the point. Right? Like, these are typically exist to perform one off or ad hoc things like the cleanup or the case of Lurie in Hansberry, like one of their, you know, like the birthday kind of commemoration. If the person who's, like, handing out the iced tea at that isn't a resident.
Right? And, I mean, or the person that's doing, like, the graphic design on the brochure. I mean, like, what what are we Well, what about the person who's requesting the funds from the village via the committee
that they're a subcommittee of? I think that person should be a resident. We're talking about Well, but no. But that's what we that that's in here. Right? Because it says that
The chair. It says that the the subcommittees are expected to be led by a member of the parent committee. Mhmm. And I mean, I think That is a resident of the village.
I I don't think it needs to say that. I think because the it's the committee that is it is the parent committee that is managing and overseeing the subcommittee.
And the general and the general rule is that the members being appointed to committees are residents with few with few exceptions.
Yeah. Yeah. But, mean, we have a real world example of of of, you know, this this is gonna come up. Right? I'm you know, we have a subcommittee that's currently run by a nonresident. Yes. So, you know, I I I think clarification of, do, you know, do we wanna chair Unique circumstances. Resident. Yep. Yeah. Yeah. And And pieces, you know, that that particular committee is also doing kind of some countywide outreach Mhmm. To get members of that committee. Right? So to to Maria's point, you know, it it it that committee is becoming less local and more has a larger geo geography. And is that what we wanted for our subcommittees? So, I mean, I I I don't know. And, again, we're just starting this process, so I don't think we need to nail everything out right now perfectly. But I do think in the back of our minds, like, that our intention here is, to Maria's point, committee should be about village residents. It should be about the village and benefiting the village. So, you know, I I think going into the language for committees in general, saying the chair should be a resident, majority should be residents. And then, really, that same spirit should be taken for subcommittees as well Mhmm. Whether or not we need to codify that. Yeah. With exceptions, you know, when when necessary.
Because we do I put the big language in there. So we wanna we wanna put in a a sentence saying that chair the chairs of each committee shall be residents. Yes. And a majority of the members on these committees Right. Shall be residents. Yes. Yes. I think and I think that's sufficient. I just wanted to add one or ask one more question just,
and I'll be brief because, actually, I'm double parked, and I so but I did get this this question from one of our esteemed residents. So where where is the is there language that we've adopted or will adopt on one person
or or one person serving only on one committee, or is that just a general agreement that we I think that that's something that we have to talk about. I mean, we can talk about that now since we're talking about residency. I mean, I think there there certainly is there certainly are some board members that would like to see that. I don't know if all wanna see that. You can certainly speak to that. Okay. You know, there are a number of, people that were serving on, more than one committee have kind of already Yeah. Proactively made a decision and have removed themselves from the other committee. Other people are planning to do that whenever the board makes a makes a decision on it. Right. You know, but they're continuing to serve in that dual role right now. Okay.
note. Yeah. I mean, I you know That's fine. That's fine. I think what we talked about but, I mean, I do think we need to have a conversation about it because what we when we talked about this the last time I got now. There was what did you say?
You've been kicking this can. What what does it do? I mean, I just think we have more people interested in joining committees than we have spaces for. Exactly. And why should we let somebody I mean, you can attend any meetings you want as a resident Yeah. Or a non you could go to you could go to as you could go to all the committee meetings if But you I think that we learn you know, we had to turn people away in this last call for on on a lot of committees because there were people interested in joining and there wasn't a space for them. Yep. So I think that one person per you know, one committee assignment per person
is is is fair. Yeah. I think it's fair and I think it's particularly fair if we have an an overabundance of people applying for that committee. Right? So, like, arts and humanities is a good example. Yes. Right? Where we that committee is full at capacity, and we had more applications for roles on that committee. Right? So in that situation, the
that we should be that that, you know, we shouldn't have duplication there. And, you know, my point was I I thought we'd, you know, pretty much come to that conclusion anyway. So I I I expected that this might be a decent place for it. Yes. Yeah. I mean, I think I think the the only
I don't know if if I guess the the only decision at this point would be when is that implemented. Right? I mean I think we had said we were gonna do it in
cycle off. Well, I think that I think that was part of we didn't wanna wait that long because some people could be years from now. Right? So Fiscal year unless there's and then we talked about whether there were some projects that were on that they were particularly involved in that were ongoing. We could make, you know, a few months exceptions,
but, you know, with within the year, I'd say. Yeah. So, I mean, we could say June 1 because that's the end of the fiscal year. Yep. And then, hopefully, that gives I mean, if you if you kinda make that if you make that decision now, right, I mean, that kinda gives people Right. Plenty of time to
figure out what they what they ultimately wanna stick with. Yeah. Some people knew as somebody just said, some people knew this were coming and already made a decision because they Right. You know? So I I don't Yeah. But there are there are some people that haven't made that decision yet. So Right. But I think because we have you know, if we say to people, you have to decide by May what you're doing, then they'll look at the committees they're on and they'll decide Yeah. By May what they're doing. But, you know, if if we don't give people a deadline, then they're they're not gonna That's what I'm trying to Yeah. That's what I'm trying to get you. Remember why we had come up with mayor, I don't remember I I thought I thought you had said May or June, and I couldn't remember what it was at was maybe after the budget. I don't remember what the I thought it was June, but that's where I I think we said the end of the fiscal year so that they could finish out their, yeah, their projects. Right. Alright. So if everybody's comfortable with that, then I'll I'll put that in. Yeah. Write it in. Yeah. Yeah. That's good. The only challenge with this is, again, like, when we have an overabundance of people for a committee,
this is great because we have people to fill that slot. When we have a committee where there aren't an overabundance of people and we barely have anyone on a committee Yeah. Then what do we do? Right? Then it becomes, do are we dissolving the committee?
Well, I think we could have a mechanism to say, you know, thanks for applying to the bike ped committee. There aren't enough slots. But on committee x y z, you know, there there are openings if you'd like to do that. Now that goes back to the mayor's point. Maybe somebody who has an expertise in bicycle pedestrian knowledge is not gonna be as knowledgeable on, you know, I don't know Arts and humanities. Humanities. Yeah. Right? But I I I still think that if if residents are expressing an interest in becoming involved, this is their only mechanism to do so. You know? So I I think that making it available for people to participate
I mean, most of our we have a we have a good number of committees. Almost all of them are full. I mean, we we really don't have a problem of people not of not being able to staff our committees. Mhmm. So don't I don't think that that's necessarily a huge concern. Okay. So I don't know if we wanna talk about the other committee that it is a concern on. We could.
Yeah. I mean, I think we probably should. I think it's Yeah. I mean is the time. Because not
to belabor this conversation, but, I mean, you know, I think for the heart committee, right, that's that's the committee that we haven't had success in really getting a lot of applicants for. We have two vacancies,
and we have got someone who is open to filling one. And I think that, you know, as, the other, we've had a super abundance of applicants or an abundance of applicants for other ones, a surplus in some cases, and we'll see if some of them would be interested.
Well, I think that what I was what I was going to say was that the policy that was adopted for the gifts the naming of the places and accepting the gifts kind of envisions an ad hoc committee that would be serving at the pleasure of the board Mhmm. To assist in determining, like, where a monument should go or what a if a place should be named for somebody. Right? And that kinda seems like a natural slide in for the Hart committee to kinda serve as that ad hoc
it group. Is dissolved as an official committee, but there are They would be available to be called upon. That committee who if that need arises I would say that that would be an option if it becomes a challenge to sustain it, but I don't think we're there yet.
Yeah. I mean, just, you know, for we've had other ad hoc committee groups like that. Right? Like, the the TOD task force, the housing task force. Right? Those were all ad hoc groups that were called upon, you know, and have been called upon multiple times to to work on various things.
working on filling that committee and if it Yep. And and I would encourage them to, you know, let give us a sense of what they think their agenda is and what their frequency is and all that. Yeah. And I mean, just it it is real you know, it's it's still a relatively new effort, and Yeah. It's evolving. And just one final
point on that, and then we can move on. You know, because it would be an ad hoc committee and not at a formal committee, right, they it wouldn't be subject to the only one Right. Agreed. Mhmm. The you know, people could be on that committee as well as on other committees. So okay.
Yeah. So how do so what's the process for turning that into an or is the mayor saying that because of the lack the the interest in that committee now, there's this is not really the time to make it an ad hoc committee. That's what I'm saying.
He's saying that we should wait and see if we get additional interest in that committee. That's right.
I mean, listen. We have until we have until June 1. Right? So we could see what happens over the next couple months and then, I mean, yeah, you can make that decision at any time. Yep. So okay. When did we talk about inter committee coordination? I don't even remember if we got that far. We did not. Okay. So alright. So this didn't really change. I mean, it did change a little bit in that it's not a mandatory item anymore as it was in the previous draft. It's just good good practice that, you know, committees should coordinate with other relative committees where their work overlaps. And then committees that desire to have a permanent liaison, should advise the village manager before proceeding, and the village manager may seek the council of the village board before approving such requests. I mean, I think that that's important to still have.
Yeah. I'm also thinking about some of our committees have student members. So I think just letting you know, like, do you know that there's a student member on We were gonna have a we were gonna have a separate
Area for students? Yeah. Because I think we had talked about this briefly. We kinda wanted student members to have, like, a different term so that it it aligned with the school year and, you know, just the fact that they're, you know, not adults. There's probably some things that we should have addressed in there. I don't know if it's parents' approval or, you know, I don't know, something like that. Right? So Yeah. You know, there there there's probably some things specific to students that we should address.
Wait. So can you go back? So what so are we going at what point are we gonna implement this student?
you know, that's on the list of some committees that are are running with a student. No. No. I know. I know. But it's it's So is that are we is that, like, some type of liability if if we have a kid coming to meetings with a bunch of adults unsupervised? I don't
I don't necessarily think it's any I mean, I don't think there's any more liability than if somebody came to this this meeting unsupervised. Right? I mean, you know, it's they're they're public meetings. Right? People can come to them. I think there's a difference if the board actually appoints the member, which you're not really doing. You don't really you're not really appointing student members at this point. You know?
And is a student member a 17 or 18 year old or a 11 or 12 year old? I don't I don't know. Right? That's what we have to, you know, I don't think you should I feel I just feel like that's we because we have a student member on at least one committee Yeah. We should have But you don't. Sooner rather than I mean, somebody may claim that they're a student member, but you have an appointed student members to the committee. But, like, the committee has appointed them on that. Well, they don't have that authority to do that. So So then I that's why I'm saying I think that needs to be in here because if a kid comes to a meeting and get I I don't I don't know and I don't know what happens, but something happens,
then it's a kid that was part of a village committee and But they're not part of a village committee. That's what I'm saying. You know, it's it's like, you know, somebody could say that they are, but they're not. I know. But they think they are. And the chair has told them. The chair has told them that they are. But that's like that's like, you know, that's like saying somebody, you know, if they
tripped in on the sidewalk and they're like They're gonna sue you. Yeah. But they're not gonna they're not gonna have a case because the village wasn't notified of it. Right? So I mean, I don't I don't saying, like, maybe, like, maybe, like and maybe it is as simple as I mean, I I think we could really go down a rabbit hole here. 100%. Or it could be committees with a desire to include a permanent liaison or student should advise the village manager.
Well, I I I think that the manager is correct. The the student member should be its own thing and have probably a specific set of rules for it or guidelines. But in the meantime, we should have some way of formalizing and regularizing what's going on. 100%. And so we should just have a provision for interns, and it can say, like, the committee committees may have an intern
with notice and approval of the village manager or something like that. Okay. I mean, I I'm not saying it's gonna take a long time to draft student member guidelines. It's just that
we've been doing one thing at a time. Right? We were trying to get this document done and, you know, then we can work on the student one next. Yeah. I I mean, I I we have done we have spent a lot of time talking about it. Yeah. I think Even tonight, we have spent a lot of time. Yeah. And we're like, I wanna add the student right. Let's just add something in about on a sentence that you're advised of it. Yep. And then it's really to your distur discussion about
Right. And then And at some future date, there should probably be criteria. I mean, the person should probably meet with the mayor. That's how people get on these committees. They don't just Which is why I'm saying we should just add for interns and just Yeah. Yeah. That's fine. We wanna treat the person as an intern right now because the member is a little different. Yep. But if they're a young person that wants to help with the committee
Yep. Yeah. But the other thing is some commit like, arts and humanities committee was somebody from high school reached out to the artsandhumanitiescom or she reached out to me as the liaison to the arts and humanities committee at the beginning of this year saying, we have an interest in having students be part of the arts and humanities committee. And we didn't the arts and humanities committee did not go back and meet with this person. It was Erica Fiorini at the high school. Did not go back and meet with her because they were waiting for some type of guidance regarding how to do this. That was August. Now it's February. Okay. Well I'd like to be able to give some type of something so that the chairs, if they want, can do this. But, like, the school's asking us to do this. Mhmm. The the committees are asking for a mechanism to do this.
Today's the day. Right. No. I mean, it's not That line is exactly what they're saying. We can put we can put that in, but, I mean, it's not, you know it's not like I could just put these guidelines into chat GBT and have them spit out everything we want. Right? I mean, this has taken a long No. Like, time. It's, you know, we can't acknowledging in this policy that we can committees can have interns. Yeah. You need to be aware of them. Yes. I I agree with that. Absolutely. Yeah. And, you know, I mean, it's just yeah. Some things take a little time. So, you know, I'm I'm sorry that we weren't able to get arts and humanities a student member this year, but, hopefully, we'll have it ready for next next fall. Well, it was right. Okay. Yeah. I mean, I I don't really know what else to say about it. I mean, it's already happened. It's, you know
Right. But I think it this is the time to have the conversation. I think we we want to create that opportunity for this collaboration between for for young
members of the community to participate in Yeah. No. I I and I don't disagree with that. I'm just saying I don't have all the facts to be able to do that at this point. So we can put in about the interns if we wanna put it at that classification,
but I don't have all the facts about actually making somebody a student member. And I don't wanna keep beating the dead horse, but some committees have just, without thinking about the fact that maybe there were rules around it, have a student member. And some committees are concerned about not following the rules, so they don't have a student member. Mhmm. So I don't know how we equalize that. That's my desire. Them interns,
and they need to make in this policy, we call them interns, and they need to be the manager needs to be made aware of them.
Okay. So that's what the arts and humanities committee could do Yes. If they want to do this. Or that's what should be communicated to the guidance department at the high school. We'll do that as soon as this is done. We're just fine we're just figuring this out now. Yes. Yeah. I I mean, unless
yeah. What the manager is saying is that if they're gonna be a member, we need a more involved process. I don't disagree. But if we wanna actually be able to incorporate people, I've laid out a path to do it. Yeah. Okay. Yep. Okay. Very good.
Compliance and enforcement. So this this was obviously a a section that people had concerns over. We've tried to make the language as, you know, friendly as possible. But, I mean, the board still needs a way to ensure that as trustee Slippen was just saying that everybody is on the same playing field and that people are following the rules. Right? So, you know, the board, not myself as some people thought, I don't have the authority to do this. The board has the authority to temporarily suspend or dissolve a committee. That's that's with the board. Mhmm. So, you know, I'm available if people have questions or they have challenges. Right? They can talk to me. You know, the board is authorizing me to interpret these guidelines and try to resolve the ambiguities, and then you're going to review the guidelines annually and update them as necessary. So That's good. Okay. Good.
And then Oh, hold on. Sorry.
Yeah. No. It is what it is. Okay. Or do we wanna just change the name of that section to oversight?
have strong feelings one way or other. Think it's I think oversight goes with our, support of editing, you know, there. I think it's a rather than compliance and enforcement.
Yeah. Enforcement sounds Well, let's how about compliant? Gotta come together. How about compliance and oversight? Maybe that. Compliance and oversight. Yes.
And then the the these last two sections didn't change really at all. The the these are the responsibility responsibilities committee members and the removal process. These had been previously approved. The board had adopted these regulations previously. So these are already in effect Mhmm. That, you know, if members miss four meetings in a in a year without telling the committee chair they can be removed, if they don't take the training every year, they can be removed. And the clerk or the deputy clerk notify them of their removal, they can appeal to the village manager, and then the mayor and I would review it and make a decision on the on the appeal. So good. Okay. And then there there's two appendices
that have sample I just I don't know where this would go, but I think that there should also be something mean, in maybe this goes without saying, but the chair should be notified of the individual's appointment, you know, and and at that point, given their contact information and something, you know, and, like, sent the the chair should send a welcome letter to the or a welcome email to the like, what's the mechanism for it may sound obvious, but it mean I I think different committees are doing it different ways right now. So I think that's just I've
have been notifying the chairs. Right? I'm the deputy clerk, so I know I've been notifying the chairs, and I give their contact I give the new member's contact information to the chair. And what about What they do after that fact Yep. I don't know. So that I mean, we So in your email to that chair, g she's really curious. Their email I mean, it's implied that they should reach out to them. You would think so. Right? I mean, I say I say at the board meeting, it's usually the day after. I say at the board meeting last night, the mayor and board appointed so and so to the x y z committee. Yeah. Here is their email and telephone number. Yep. Right? So, I mean, I'm assuming that they are adding them to their email list for whatever committee that is then. Right? That's
Okay. Kind of implied. But what about people who are not selected? How are we communicating with them and thanking them for reaching out and letting them know that maybe there's an opportunity on the heart committee for them? I'm not I'm not I that would be my responsibility. Okay. And is that happening? It will. Okay. Love that. Yeah.
So yeah. And then, obviously, Paula reaches out to them to whatever the whoever the new members are about taking the training. If they're required to sign the oath book, she takes care of that. So, I mean, we do we do outreach to the to the new members.
So So I feel like it is a bit of a downer to end guidelines on removal. I would like to humbly suggest that we take the two, items, those two items, and, make them, subitems of number two of the responsibilities of committee members. I think that's a good idea. Because that that that Yeah. Item two says they'll be eligible for removal. Mhmm. So I think that's also a logical location. I think that makes sense. Yeah. That makes sense. Well Uh-huh.
So I mean, either either. So you wanna do you wanna just Or just do it do it it as fine. Fold to do it somewhere. You wanna fold that into responsibilities committee members. Yeah. And just or yeah. Just have it somewhere in there and
Well, into that matter, we could actually since we have an overview, we know we could have just a little end paragraph met manager that I'm sure you could write very well that where the the the board thanks all committee members for their hard volunteer work or something. Says that in the beginning. Yeah. But it should it should start and end on positive note. Okay. So I mean, I I don't
I don't know that I think fewer words is I should put I should put, like, what what do they call those things? An Easter egg in there? Like, if you if you've read this far, contact the manager for a gift card. Okay. Are we good there? Yeah. Yep. Okay. Last but not least, professional development for the village board. You know, there had been a request to have, like, board retreat, that the board members could use for some training, professional development opportunities. I did reach out to a former, county manager, who is recommended by NICOM, who does this sort of thing. And, you know, he's given me a proposal to come down and he would, you know, meet with us, the board and myself, and, kind of facilitate this, exercise. There would be training on open meetings law, training on the council manager form of government, training on, you know, board relationships, you know, the the sorts of topics that are especially helpful for, know, part time elected officials. Right? So,
you know, I I just wanted to bring that for discussion to the board and see what your thoughts were on it. Let me just pull it up here so I can give the nope. That's not it. Sorry. You know, the the fee that was proposed was $7,500, but he said that is you know, he will certainly work with us because he's he's done this in larger communities and, you know, he he recognizes that we're a smaller community and that, you know, it could be, he could be flexible on that. So
Can you, mind repeating open meetings line and what else was Yeah. Sure. So it was, like, meetings law,
council manager form of government, you know, board relationships, you know, inter interpersonal relationships, how the board works, you know, with all facets of government, whether it's Mhmm. You know, federal, local, state, that sort of stuff. So you know, and and he's open you know, if there if there's something that I haven't said that you're like, oh, boy, I'd really like training on, I don't know, how to use whatever sort of resource. Right? I mean, he's open to to
developing this into something that will be the most beneficial for the board. In your discussions or in this typical format, how how much time does this usually
take? It would be he's saying multi hour slash half day. Half day. Okay. Yeah. Yeah. Mhmm.
new, You know? So I did the open meetings log webinar on from Nikon, and that was, like, an hour, you know, webinar. And then, you know, I don't know if that's gonna be beneficial for all of you. You know? I mean, for some of those things, we could just get a link and make sure we see it. But I think it's what are those areas where we think we could make improvements on? Or maybe it's the latter examples that you gave manager.
Yeah. I mean, I think, like I said, if they're I'm happy to go back to them with whatever you think. And, you know, feel free. You guys can just email me individually or call me and and let me know if there are certain things that you would like to you would like to see in here. So
And would it also include, like, a work session on legislative priorities
separate. Okay. Yeah. This because and and I should have said this. Right? I mean, this this would not be a public session. Right? Because this is a training it's a training for the board, so that is not subject to the open meetings law. So this would be, but the the legislative the priorities, right, that is
a topic of the open meetings law. So that that would happen at a work session, and I think it's scheduled for the next work session. The twenty fifth. Mhmm. Yeah. Yeah. Mhmm. But in terms of you know, obviously, we operate differently than the school board does. But when the school board has a board retreat in executive session, it's facilitated by the attorneys, which I assume is just part of the retainer. So is that an opportunity to do that so that we could have and, hypothetically, our attorneys are experts in this these types of topics.
So would it make sense to think that's I I think that all you you could only really say that about the open meetings law and everything else is really not that.
Yeah. I don't I don't think any I don't I don't know I don't know if any attorney would necessarily be an expert in how council manager, formal government works or
Well, but to trustee Knocktailor's point, I don't I mean, council manager, formal government is a definition. I don't know what we need to spend $8,000 to have that definition explained to us. I I I want to take time to do know, to invest in professional development, but I also don't $8,000 goes a long way in a committee. So I I just wanna be thoughtful about
Well, I mean, it's not it would not be $8,000. Like I said, the fee is gonna be less than that. But
But, I mean, I do feel like I I feel based on my experiences that those topics would be beneficial to everybody, you know. So Mhmm. But that doesn't mean that they have to be long topics. Right? I mean, it doesn't have to be doesn't have to be the whole retreat. But I think that, you know, we our relationship as a board, right, is an unusual one because we don't have the ability to speak together,
except for at meetings. Right? So a lot of our challenges in communication come from the fact that we can only have two people talking. Right? So I I would actually I I think that that how to be in a more effective board and how we can communicate better and how we can do our jobs better and how we can communicate with the public better. I mean, all of those things, think, are really valuable in getting the advice of of of really how a good functioning board could work. Not to say that we're not a good functioning board,
Yes. And I do think that, like, if all of our professional lives, you know, we can have group discussions
Here, it's it's the opposite. Exactly. Like, we can have an email thread with colleagues and talk about things. We can't do that. Yeah. So I think that that having an expert sort of talk about communication, how we function, how we could be better would be beneficial. But to Maria and, Stacy's point, like, you know, we we could, you know, leverage Ignicom for kind of the basics we should continue to do. Absolutely. Yeah. Yeah.
Yeah. I don't know if NICOM has a facilitator on that topic that, you know, Nora was just saying.
He is the NICOM recommended facilitator. Mhmm. That's I reached out to the executive director. She gave me his information. Okay. Yeah.
Yeah. Well, I think we we start with the presumption that the list of topics is blank. You you've suggested some. Mhmm. Now it's up to Yeah. Board members to suggest others. Absolutely. Right. Based on, you know, a reasonable estimation of time allocation, you know, we'll all figure out which ones, you know, are are in the actual agenda for that day and and how much time for for each one. So Yeah. Okay.
looking into this. Oh, you're welcome. I guess that brings us to You wanna talk about anything else?
Thank you. Thanks, everybody. Thank you. Thanks, Stacy. Enjoy the rest of your vacation. Yeah. When are when are you back?
February 20, soon. Having a great time? Having a great time? Yeah. It's nice. Okay. Wonderful. Of course, the weather is strange here as well, so I think it's a global phenomenon right now, sadly.
You you may be you may be present for the fall of the British government. So oh, lord.