• Good evening, and welcome to our
• April 22 regular meeting of the Courtland Hudson Board of Trustees. I'm mayor Brian Pugh. Please join me in the pledge of allegiance.
I pledge allegiance to the flag of The United States Of America and to the republic for which it stands,
• with liberty and justice for all.
• For the general fund, have $239,978.65.
• The water fund, we have $48,006,613
• dollars and 14¢.
• The sewer fund is for $4,915.39.
• Capital fund is for $34,002.76
• $0.04,
• and the trust fund is for $2,001.46
• even.
Do I have a motion? So moved. Second. Motion by trustee Simon, second by trustee Nicholson.
• Alright.
• Next is a, public hearing on the cable franchise agreement
• between, Verizon, New York, to operate a cable system in our village.
• Before we,
• oh, go to the public hearing manager, do you wanna briefly summarize the franchise?
• This is a long time coming.
• We've been we worked with,
• Verizon
• many years ago on a franchise agreement when,
• Fios first came out.
• And,
• you know, for business reasons, it didn't, proceed forward at that time.
• And the village had been persistent in,
• encouraging Verizon to reconsider
• and have a franchise here in the village. And earlier this year, they came to us and said that they were ready to move forward at this time. So we've moved expeditiously
• to secure that franchise so that our residents have a choice in their, cable providers.
• We did hire,
• the Cohen Law Group, which, had previously worked on our,
• Altice slash Optimum franchise renewal last year,
• and they also worked,
• on this franchise agreement with,
• Verizon for this year. And so they've provided
• they provided a memo to the board that kinda summarized,
• you know, an executive summary of the agreement.
• And,
• you know, it's it's very similar to the agreement that we have with Altice,
• you know, for reasons of fairness and,
• comparability.
• They they, under the Public Service Commission,
• they have to be relatively similar.
• The the one
• change or difference, I would say, between the two of them is that the Altice agreement is a ten year agreement and the Verizon agreement is a five year agreement.
• So they'll just be back sooner to hopefully do a renewal.
• So we do have Pamela Goldstein from Verizon in the audience.
• She's able to answer any questions that the board may have.
• You know, if you'd like to ask her anything after the after the public hearing.
Alright. Do I have a motion to open the public hearing? So moved. Second. Motion by trustee Simon, second by trustee Nicholson. All in favor? Aye. Alright. The public hearing on the franchise agreement is open. Anyone wishing to comment, this is your opportunity.
• Alright.
• Before I close the public hearing, I'd just like to invite miss Goldstein to come on down briefly,
• Share anything that she thinks is relevant and maybe take questions from the board.
• happy to answer any questions you may have. I would just say that
• the only thing standing in the way of
• 72%
• of the households in the village getting Fios TV is your vote tonight.
After you approve the agreement, we have to submit a petition to the Public Service Commission to approve the agreement as well,
• approximately
• thirty days
• after that decision is made.
• Typically, how long does the, approval take from the Public Service Commission? You know, we haven't done an initial franchise for a very long time.
• But back in the day, it took about a month or a month and a half depending on when we submitted the agreement within the month.
• So if we submitted it in time to make the next agenda,
• then it would get approved within a month. If not, it would take sometimes up to two months.
• I don't know if there's such a sense of urgency right now because
• competition is fierce in the video space,
• but my hope is that they would
• pay more attention to the initial franchises than the renewals.
• Very good. Or I should say faster attention
• to the initial franchises.
Question and welcome. I'm glad you're here. And Thank you. I'm thrilled to be here. Yeah. Thank you so much for your help in getting us to this point. So I'm I'm wondering,
• should we adopt
• the the resolution this evening and then eventually the Public Service Commission
• approve
• you going forward? What would be your initial communication
• with our with our residents? It be something that they would get in the mail? Or how would you how would you initially
roll out the marketing, I guess, for I am not the attorney who supports our marketing efforts.
• But my guess is that there would be some kind of advertising blitz in the village to let people know that Fios TV is now available.
Forward to that. Thank you. Yeah. I have a question. Is is there any kind of build out requirement before
• letting the public know it's available? Like, do they have to lay any lines, or,
• you know, is it just flipping a switch?
• areas of Croton that we have already built out. There's no obligation to build out the whole village.
• We certainly hope that we will be wildly successful,
• and then we can reconsider that decision.
• But, it doesn't preclude us from doing so. Mhmm. But it doesn't obligate the agreement does not obligate us Mhmm. To do further build. Mhmm. You And we have we have we have some
• precedent for that type of agreement. We've had a similar agreement in the town slash village of Harrison since 2014.
• Verizon has been,
• doing some build out of Fios recently.
• George Georgia Lane was,
• added. They did Fios on Georgia Lane last year, and they're gonna be starting work on Beekman this year. So, even though that's not included in the agreement, there's no obligation. Verizon is undertaking
• some additional Mhmm.
• You know, adding some additional areas to their agreement.
• I I would just tell you that right now, the as of today,
• there are approximately
• well, not approximately,
• 300
• 3,545
• addresses that can order Fios
• of the 4,958
• we have listed in our system. Right. That's right. So that's 72%.
Thank you. You're welcome. I know residents have expressed to me excitement over this. So I'm very happy to hear that. That was good.
Thank you. It it's a bit strange at this juncture that we're seeking new cable franchises,
• but we're hoping it
• it's a success.
Yeah. And then per the agreement, how how much will the revenue what will the revenue be for the village? It's it's the same as it is with Altice. So they'll pay us
• that's based on the total revenue that they bring in from their subscribers. The number of households? Yeah. It's it's a formula. It's there's certain there's certain items in the bill, you know, that
• that constitutes the franchise fee.
• Yep.
K. I'll just quickly note that the public hearing is still technically open, so one last opportunity in case
• any of this has inspired
• public comment.
• Please stand online, state your name,
• address, all that.
Gary Eisinger to 10 Cleveland Drive. I would like to say that I'm a subscriber to Verizon Fios, and they've been
• providing excellent service for the most part and
• would advise that you
• pass this agreement.
• I am curious if there is anything the the one issue I do have is occasionally, I feel like this service gets throttled, and I don't know if that's anything that you guys
• are able to negotiate with Verizon or or was brought up, but, that would be my only criticism of the Fios service. Other than that, it's been excellent, and they've been very responsive when there have been issues. Mister Rising, how would you how would you define throttled? Is it interrupted, do you mean? Or is that Yeah. The service goes up and down Right. Got it. Times. So thanks. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.
• and an early adopter with Fios in White Plains. I've loved it.
• But I thought this was only,
• Fios for TV. Right? It is. So it doesn't affect the Fios service I have from my general Internet. Is that correct? Yes. Right. So you're talking throttled? So so that probably doesn't why I thought it was Right.
• Because
• service so that so because I because in the last year, we've experienced our cellular communication
• to go in and out, but that has nothing to do with this proposal. Right? That's what I thought. Okay.
• that? Yeah. Sure. Yeah. So, yeah, just as we were kind of saying back and forth there, this,
• agreement only covers cable television services. It doesn't cover landline phone. It doesn't cover wireless phone. It doesn't cover Internet.
• You know, those services are,
• provided outside the franchise agreement.
• It's more of a federal issue.
Okay. Do I have a motion to close the public hearing? So moved. Second. Motion by trustee Simon, second by trustee Inkleson. All in favor? Aye. Aye.
• Whereas
the village has negotiated and reviewed a proposed cable television franchise agreement with Verizon New York Inc, and the board of and whereas the board of trustees has considered and reviewed the proposed agreement and determined that the franchise agreement is in the best interest of the village and that it gives village residents competitive options for cable television services. Whereas a public hearing was held on 04/22/2026
• to obtain input from interested people on the proposed franchise agreement. And whereas the franchise agreement shall become effective on the date the New York State Public Service Commission issues a certificate of confirmation of the franchise.
• And whereas the terms of the franchise agreement have been negotiated between the village and Verizon and are determined to be fair and equitable and acceptable to the board. Now, therefore, be it resolved that the village enters into a franchise agreement with Verizon New York Inc. For the provision of cable television service that the village manager be and hereby is authorized to execute said cable franchise agreement in a form to be approved by special counsel to the village.
Do I have a motion? So moved. Second. Motion by trustee Simon, second by trustee Nicholson. Discussion?
• I have to do a roll call. Okay. Yeah. Long awaited is all I can say. Okay.
Trustee Slippin? Aye. Trustee Nachteller? Aye. Trustee Nicholson? Aye. Trustee Simon? Aye. Mayor Pugh? Aye.
Thank you. Alright. Thank you. You're welcome. Thank you, manager Thank you. For moving quickly on this. Yes. Yeah. It was very, like I said, it was very exciting phone call to get a couple months ago. So yeah.
Yeah. So will we let residents know? It it sounds like Verizon's gonna do some outreach, but what's our plan for letting residents know? Think we can let people know once
• which, you know, will depend. We don't know exactly how long
• that will be.
• So,
• you know, I have not received
• the renewal franchise yet from
• Cablevision opt opt whatever we're we're calling them Opto Maltese.
• You
• know, and that was approved three months ago.
• So but,
• like, miss Goldstein said, maybe they're looking at,
• new agreements on a faster basis than renewals. So
• we shall see when when that comes.
• Alright. Responses to questions submitted via email? No questions, mayor. Alright. Public comment, on agenda items. Anyone wishing to comment on any agenda item? This is your opportunity.
• I'd to comment on a number of things.
• Is,
• one is the agenda is readable tonight.
• The agenda
• agendas
• for most of the budget hearings were not readable
• because
• the information is so wide and such of such a typeface
• that either by not enlarging them, and therefore excluding information,
• or not having the proper size TVs
• to display the agenda
• that you couldn't read most of it.
• Perhaps if you were sitting here, you could, and you had twenty twenty vision.
• But the rest of the people were just sort of guessing,
• unless it happened to be enlarged at the time. Brought this to your attention before.
• In part of your capital budget, you should have much larger screens, so you better figure out how to
• maximize the information
• font size
• so it's readable. But other why waste your time? Why waste everybody's time?
• Turn it off like you did the other night.
• What I'd like to address is that
• item number four,
• if
• you encourage remote access for these meetings,
• whether because of illness or, you know, in incapacity,
• mining children, whatever it is, by citizens
• I don't care what trustees do as long as they're here.
• They submit questions,
• at least you should have the courtesy to read the name of the person submitted the question
• and the title.
• Not what it
• with the managers did a good job in the past. Sometimes he had to interpret this. Read the subject line.
• It's from so and so. Read the subject line.
• The person gets credit for sending information,
• and the rest of the village who's attending in person or remotely
• knows what some people are concerned about.
• Because,
• that's the way people
• that's the way trustees'
• attention
• is drawn to problems,
• and that's the way,
• other citizens
• get the feeling that maybe maybe some else somebody else has recognized a problem that that the village hasn't dealt with.
• So I urge you to do that.
• In the back of this agenda,
• you have a section
• on consider adopting the board and committee guidelines as presented.
• I've been at every idea committee
• for the last six months except the last one.
• They're really not at a convenient time. They're at 02:45 in the afternoon over Friday once a month. Every Italian house, they talk on the phone, so you don't know what's going on. They haven't submitted an agenda
• before a meeting.
• Maybe they did the last time.
• But first six meeting prior, they did not submit an agenda
• you could look at prior to that meeting.
• And and because it's one of your most controversial committees,
• the one that gets you in trouble often,
• they should be one of the first
• where the liaison trustees
• suggest to the chairwoman,
• who's a very pleasant lady,
• that they follow the guidelines,
• and that others do likewise.
• On that subject,
• as a board of education meeting last night, you've talked about this
• to committees like this.
• That is high school representatives
• on village
• boards and village committees,
• not boards, committees.
• If, as has happened and has been complained about many times,
• the composition of these committees
• are overwhelmingly
• of one party or overwhelmingly
• of a political philosophy, in some case, radical,
• that means that, basically,
• those committees and boards are grooming
• a little youth corps
• to implement their programs
• in the village or in the schools.
• And that's of great concern to us in the minority.
• Thank you.
• Alright. Seeing no no one else wishing to comment on agenda items, we proceed to the report from the manager.
Thank you, mayor. Just a couple things this evening. First update I wanted to give is on Dobbs Park. The construction there is moving along very
• expeditiously.
• The new playground equipment has been installed.
• I
• spoke to the assistant general foreman, John this morning, and he's estimating about three more weeks before the project is complete and the park is,
• open. So,
• we'll certainly share information on that. We'll do a ribbon cutting, you know, something something nice to rededicate the the park.
• On Govea Park,
• we had
• started work up there. DPW had been doing some nice work
• clearing out a lot of the brush and just the thicket and everything that was around,
• like, the old
• garages and other outbuildings on the property.
• And,
• you know, they had been up there for about a week, and they were doing making some good progress.
• And then they
• were alerted to slash found
• bald eagle's nest in one of the trees. So
• just to be extra cautious,
• we halted all work
• and,
• you know, we're in contact with the DEC to determine,
• you know, if there's some sort of permit needed, if, you know, if it's advisable to wait until the nest is empty.
• So as we get more information on that, I will, I'll obviously let the board know.
• You know? But that was
• we were making a little progress up there, and that's why if you see if you happen to go in the park and you see it, you know, the construction site looks a little empty, that's why we had to pause the work up there.
• Con Edison is back in our village. They are
• they started work this week on Old Post Road North.
• They're going to be doing a gas main replacement project
• from
• Prospect Place down to Van Wyck Street, basically,
• right over here.
• And so,
• that work is going to take a couple of months.
• They're also going to work, they're gonna replace the gas main on Brook Street in coordination with the,
• storm drainage project that we are doing on Brook Street.
• And then separately, Con Edison will also be doing a project in Scenic Ridge along Amber Drive
• and,
• Oriole Lane.
• That project is a little complicated
• because Amber Drive is a village street, and Oriole Lane is a private road. So there's multiple,
• you
• know, agencies involved in that. And so,
• there was a sidewalk that took place yesterday with all the parties involved.
• And,
• as soon as we get
• as soon as we get further updates on that,
• excuse me,
• we'll certainly share that information with everybody.
• And that I I'm sorry. I don't know if I said that. That's actually underground electrical
• because,
• Scenic Ridge has the the power lines are buried underground up there. So that's not gas main. That is electric work.
• Arbor Day ceremony is this Friday.
• So the village will be planting three trees,
• two on Grand Street and one on Old Post South in front of Asbury Methodist Church. So anyone is welcome,
• 01:00 on Friday to to join us for the ceremony.
• And
• project mover,
• DPW
• has started pouring the,
• concrete base in front of
• Sonosqua.
• And
• weather permitting, work should be done by the end of the week.
• The one on North Riverside, because the state is involved, will naturally take much
a little Yeah. Okay. I'll I'll I'll be a little I'll be nice. I'll say a little longer.
• You know, we're getting ready to submit the necessary
• permit request to the state for that.
• So
• more to come on that. And then, lastly, I just wanted to,
• shout out our general foreman, Scott Marsh,
• and
• the DPW guys who undertook a little beautification project on Penfield Avenue earlier this week.
• It's the area,
• basically where Arlington and Cleveland meet, and then it's that hillside that goes down to Penfield.
• We planted a couple of trees there and put in some, decorative boulders and just made the area look a lot nicer.
• And,
• you know, we heard from
• we heard multiple viewpoints from different neighbors in the area who had,
• you know, concerns about vehicles
• coming down that hill,
• children
• who use it for sledding,
• people who use it to hang out there. And so,
• Scott was able to
• work through all those opinions and get to a place where everybody's happy. So, you know, it's always nice when we're able to to reach that point. So,
• that is that is it.
• We proceed to the consent agenda. Do I have a motion on the consent agenda? So moved.
• Second. Motion by trustee Simon, second by trustee Nicholson. Now I'll note that we have a piece of correspondence
• on it from, Bruce Obland.
• I don't know if I believe Bruce is here. Would you be interested in,
• briefly explaining,
• or provide
• providing additional context to your correspondent? Picture? Mhmm. Okay.
• 79 Old Post Road.
• There was a project for,
• oh, almost thirty years at Mass MoCA in
• North Adams called Harmonic Bridge, which turned the sound of the roadway
• of, Highway 2 Overpass
• into harmony
• and played it back out of two cubes in real time like the ones these guys are sitting on, in in fact, the same ones.
• And that provided a zone of harmony and a sort of a found Gothic
• acoustic underneath the roadway
• that was provided there.
• It was commissioned by MASS MoCA as a means of creating a harmonic zone between
• the town of North Adams and the new campus
• for MASS MoCA.
• So it's a sound art piece that was there for a long period of time. It was,
• beloved in that area. The
• cubes were polished smooth on the top by people sitting there. People didn't used to hang out underneath that highway at all, but it became a hangout spot. Families hanging out there, listening to the sound of the world around them turned into harmony, and it's a very peaceful sort of sound.
• That
• highway is coming down as a matter of public works there, so the peace got decommissioned
• and became available. My wife, Sally, thought, oh, wouldn't it be great if we put this at Croton Landing?
• So
• when you're at Croton Landing,
• it's incredibly beautiful, but it doesn't sound great. It's a highway
• and trains.
• And if you love trains, then you love that, but the highway is a little hard to love.
• So this type of piece will,
• it's been suggested by Sally. Well, why not put it there
• and use the sound of the highway and the trains, turn it into harmony
• in real time,
• and play it out of these,
• cement loudspeakers,
• which we invented. I mean, this whole process is a process invented by myself and Sam Auinger of turning roadway noise
• into
• harmony as a peaceful gesture and a humane gesture to the people who are going to be using that area.
• So
• this is
• a Photoshop
• of the actual cube that we plan to move here. The piece was
• developed
• in 1998
• for 20,000.
• The artists are
• donating the piece.
• The village has been asked to pick up some installation costs,
• and
• the piece has now been
• taken out in North Adams.
• I haven't had a chance to examine it yet,
• so there's a little bit of a leeway in the budget for things that are unseen.
• But,
• it's ready to be shipped to Croton,
• and
• I think it's
• it'll be a nice gesture there. The thing isn't loud. You could sit right on top of that cube and have a conversation.
• It just adds a peaceful dome of harmony from the real world around you and tends to bring you into
• sympathy with your environment into
• a sort of a
• a peaceful
• listening.
• So it will get louder when a train goes by because it's always responding,
• and we can put a cap on that so it only gets so loud.
• The,
• restroom facility has apparently has enough space to handle the electronics.
• The tuning tube that generates the harmony can go right on the opposite side
• of the restroom facility.
• And,
• the Department of Public Works guys took a look at it and thought, oh, here's how we could do this. Here's how we could do that. Here's how we could do this. It's been through the recreation
• committee, and they seem quite enthusiastic
• about it.
• Nobody knew this could be done. This is what Sam and I, O and A, have done for years and years all around the world, but it it is it is a very site specific thing. So you wouldn't notice it if you're walking,
• 30 paces away.
• But when you come by, you can either ignore it or
• pay attention to it or sit there and just let the world go by you for a while.
• And people tend to think that it sounds a little better than traffic. So
• that is my
Thank you. Report to you. If anybody has any questions. No. I just wanted to thank you for bringing this to us. I I I've been an advocate, you know, for a long time of of public art, and and this is, I think, a great example of it. And I
• used to work with
• a mayor who was
• who would his rallying cry was 1% of our budget for public art, so we're we're not quite there yet. But Hopefully,
• we're a tiny tiny fraction of that. Yeah. But this yeah. Exactly. But I I think this is a great and, you know, his his point of view was that, you know, this is not only these things are not only things of beauty, but also an investment, you know, in your community. And it it brings people
• to to the community and and hopefully keeps people here because it's it's something that's attractive and and makes them feel that they're part of something special. So thank you. You're welcome. And I just thank Sally for us too. Yeah. Yeah. Sally is Sally is my brain.
• proposed along that same area under the trees.
• Just to be clear, it's not just one. I
I just want to add that you also presented this to the arts and humanities committee who were very enthusiastic about it as well. So it's been through, you know, all the appropriate committees,
• and a budget. We know we we have a good sense of how much this is gonna cost, which is,
• not that much. I don't wanna misquote what the price was, but was it around? It was 3,600.
• Right. That's what I thought. With a little contingency
• haven't seen,
• I haven't seen all the things they pulled out yet.
• So,
• but I don't think it could be more than that. I mean, it can't be more than that.
• This is very, very exciting. We thank you very much. Look looking forward to it. Very welcome. Very welcome. You. I'll be happy to not have to drive up all the way to North Adams to take a listen. Thank
• you. Thank you. Thank you.
• Seeing
• no one wishing to have further discussion on the consent agenda, do I have a motion to approve? So moved. Second.
• Motion by trustee Simon, second by trustee Nicholson. All in favor? Aye. Aye. Great.
• Alright. On to resolutions.
Budget adoption resolution. A resolution adopting a budget for the fiscal year commencing on 06/01/2026
• and ending 05/31/2027,
• making appropriations for the conduct of the village of Cardinal Hudson government and establishing the rates of compensation for officers and employees for such period.
• Whereas this board is met at the time and place specified in the notice of public hearing on the preliminary budget and heard all persons desiring to be heard thereon.
• Now therefore be it resolved that the preliminary budget as amended and revised and as in here and after set forth is hereby adopted.
• And that the several amounts stated in column titled adopted in schedule a one general fund, f one water fund, g one sewer fund, h n one capital fund,
• schedule seven debt service be adopted in hereby are appropriated for the objects and purposes specified, and the salaries and wages stated in schedule five of such budget shall be and are hereby fixed at the amount shown therein effective 06/01/2026.
Do I have a motion? So moved. Do I have a second? Second. Motion by trustee Simon, second by trustee Nicholson. Manager, would you like to give us some of the budget highlights or highlight some of the changes since the tentative budget was proposed?
• I
• I I did just wanna say,
• you know, thank the all the department heads, Phyllis Treasurer, Jeanette Toon,
• and the board for their hard work during the budget process.
• You know, this was not exactly an easy budget, you know, to put together.
• We have some
• significant,
• pressures,
• right, coming from increases
• in,
• the pension costs, the health insurance,
• unknown
• increases potentially with, you know,
• national and international events.
• So we've, you know, increased our contingency fund, you know, pretty significantly
• to try to, you know, buff it against
• those those costs.
• You know, obviously,
• a large part of our increases are related to, you know, contractual obligations for the employees,
• and the benefits that I was just mentioning. But we've been able to
• include some new things as well, specifically in the capital budget where,
• we have really,
• the board and I have really taken,
• you know, a lot of the things that were discussed in the budget priority survey
• Mhmm. And tried to include that, you know, focusing,
• you know, significant
• funds for infrastructure improvement.
• You know, we have the the new sidewalk on South Riverside that's being funded. We have the steps on Farrington,
• the drainage project on Brook Street.
• You know, there's,
• you know, basically double the amount of paving
• that we that we normally do as budgeted this year.
• So,
• a lot of
• that
• feedback that we received through that survey, we we implemented in this budget. While at the same time,
• the another big piece of the feedback of that budget was,
• people wanted this budget below the tax cap. And so we've managed to succeed in both of those both of those items.
• So,
• you know, I I'm
• again, just wanted to say thank you to everybody,
• and, you know, I'm I'm happy to
to have the budget adopted tonight. Well, I want to thank you, manager, and and your team. It's
• looking at the date at the bottom, it's exactly one month and two days since we got the budget. And it seems like it's almost longer because we've been doing, in most weeks, at least two
• nights a week just working on the budget and and, you know, days in preparation for that. But I know that
• our one month and two days is
• probably about 20% of what you've done because it takes you're you're with this budget most of the year. So I'm I'm sure you were working on this in the in the fall and even before then. So we wanna thank you for the level of detail and also for for the opportunity to to to let us
• work through what some of our priorities are and what some of the
• innovations and and changes we were we we were interested in making. I think I think the process worked well, so I want to thank you for that. Thank you.
• a couple of things. So, you know, one of the bigger investments that we made in this budget was public safety.
• The digital radio system for the police department was a really significant investment and something that we had to do.
• You know, that was $666,000.
• The other piece of this budget that, you know, we talked about was the body cam piece.
• So, you know, in the new capital
• expense line, you can see the cost of the body cams kind of for the next five years.
• So, you know, it's 76,000,
• which some that's being covered by a grant. And then for the remainder of the body camera
• life,
• it'll be something that we'll be paying for. So, you know, it is a significant expense to the village,
• and, you know, it's something that we have,
• you know, discussed
• since police reform,
• and I think we'll make our community safer by having
• that
• that
• reassurance for people that when actions are taken, that there there is a recording and a backup, and I think it kind of works for the public as well as for the police department.
• But I just wanna make sure that, you know, we call out that that is a really significant investment. We're making two really significant investments in public safety here.
• And I I just wanna call that out and say that out loud. So,
• many thanks to the manager for, his work on this budget and to, the village treasurer as well for your work. Thank you.
• I know the work started in January,
• probably.
• But speaking about the body cams, I know we're gonna be doing a police study,
• So we'll understand
• what the staffing implications
• are from
• a third party
• independent consultant
• around
• accreditation,
• body cams, you know, all of that.
• So I look forward to to understanding that further and then having discussions with the board around
• the implications and how do we solve best solve for that while,
• you know, staying within tax
• cap and
• and all of that.
I will stay on the body cam topic for a minute because we did enter into a contract with that provider,
• prior
• to
• at least for myself fully understanding what the
• how rigorous the implementation would be including possibly not having the correct staffing to do so.
• So I just wanna be we
• it was a little rushed when we entered into that contract.
• And we did so knowing that we wanted to talk about it a little bit more.
• And knowing when
• what the date was that we had until which we could
• withdraw from the contract. Mhmm. I don't remember off the top of my head what that was. I don't think the police study will be done in before
• that date we arrive at that date. So I just wanna be thinking about what a plan is
• for us to understand
• that fully because if we can't
• staff whatever the body cam
• project is going to be, then I do want to make sure that we get out of that contract.
• Or whatever that looks like. I don't know what that mean exactly what that looks like. I'm sure you're thinking about it, but I think it's important for us to say that out loud since all of those conversations did go on in the public. Yeah. Sure. And so some follow-up on that would be appreciated. Yeah. I I don't think that there's
• we would
• not have the staff to do the body cameras. I mean, if there was you know, when the chief was here discussing it with us, right, I mean, he asked for a certain amount of overtime
• to implement the program.
• You know, if it turned out that that was necessary, I think the board could allocate those funds. But I'm not you know, based on the conversations and the research that I've done into similar sized departments that have had the body cams for between three and eight years,
• that have not seen a significant investment in of staff time
• into
• them.
• You know, I I just
• I'm I think that
• if those other departments have been okay with implementing it and not requiring additional
• headcount,
• to
• maintain it, then I think that
• we are, you know, going to have a similar outcome.
So And the study will confirm that. Right? I mean, that But I just like the timing I I think it was like the end was it the May that we had? I just I just wanna make sure that we
• like, so is what your assessment is
• from what you just said, the research you did, you think yeah. And despite
what the chief said, like, we gonna revisit this in some other way? Or we just think don't the wanna characterize it as despite what the chief said. I mean, the chief and I work collaboratively.
• Right? And I mean, obviously,
• the chief has to advocate for his department. Right. Right? I have to advocate for the whole village. Right. And so,
• you know, I mean, I think that
• he's just he is looking to ensure that he can provide the best level of service, right, to everybody, and, you know, maybe there's some reorganization
• or,
• reallocation of resources that would need to be undertaken.
• You know, keep in mind that when the lieutenant was here, he said the body cameras would probably not launch until October.
• I think we would have the study before that time. So if there was any sort of reallocation
• or reorganization that needed to be done,
• we would know what that
• would be.
So And just a question in terms of you've put the out the the the contract prices in the out years. Yes. But it really would fall on 3120,
• wouldn't it? It wouldn't fall under capital.
It's the yeah. I mean, you could do it either way, I think, right, because it is a it's a capital investment because the equipment's gonna last for five years.
• So
• really.
Yes and no. You're paying you're you're paying for the actual equipment. Right? So So that's capital. Yep. And and the software is sort of like an ancillary cost. Okay. So,
• you know, it's it's acceptable to do it through capital. But, you know, I think that's something that we would have to look at is do we wanna continue keeping it in capital or does it make more sense to put it in operating? Right. Because operating I mean, because when, you know, you sorta do the numbers, it's about $80,000
• And then if you think about police
• cost,
• I mean, I would guesstimate that it's maybe another $20,000
• in police time,
• which is like a, you know, 20%
• of an officer is where I'm going with that. Yeah. You know, so it's a, you know, it's about a $100,000
• a year that we would add
• going forward. Right? So that's just I I just think we just need to be kind of clear about, you know, that this is an investment, and because we're passing the capital budget tonight,
• you know, it's one step closer to,
• you
• know, confirming with the company that we're going forward with this. Yeah. Right?
• January June 15 was when the contract was supposed to start, so we had an out sort of before that time. But, you know, passing this $100,000
• this evening,
• you know, we're one step closer to that becoming a reality. So
Well, I mean, I guess, is that was that a question or a statement? That was a statement. Okay. I
• just was wondering if there was an answer.
• Yeah. For this purchase this evening.
• Be clear.
Manager, you gave us a great foundation with your preliminary budget, and I appreciate the contributions of of the Board to the final product and I'm really glad we were able to stand at the cap and
• like to hope that we were sufficiently pessimistic
• in our budgeting.
• We have a much larger contingency fund than we've usually had,
• and that should be sufficient to accommodate
• contingencies.
• Alright.
Be it resolved. The village treasurer is hereby authorized to place the following past due receivables from fiscal year twenty twenty five, twenty twenty six for the general fund, water fund, and sewer fund on the tax bills for the fiscal year 06/01/2026
• through 05/31/2027.
• General fund alarm fees, $3,000. General fund refuse, $9,320.
• General fund snow removal, $2,875.
• General fund vacant buildings, $2,700.
• General fund fire inspections, $3,955
• for a total in the general fund of $21,850.
• For the water and sewer funds, unpaid water and sewer charges, $154,228.16.
• Motion by trustee Simon, second by trustee Nicholson.
• Discussion?
• All in favor? Aye.
Whereas local law number three of 2003 was approved at a regular village board meeting held on 10/07/2003,
• and whereas this local law called for the setting of village fees through board resolutions,
• and whereas it is to the benefit of both the village and the general public to have all fees conveniently placed on one schedule, which may be amended from time to time. And whereas the master fee schedule was adopted on 10/07/2003
• and has since been modified a number of times, now therefore be it resolved that the village board of trustees hereby adopts the attached updated master fee schedule effective 06/01/2026.
Do I have a motion? So moved. Second. Motion by trustee Simon, second by trustee Nicholson.
• Discussion?
Be it resolved that the mayor is hereby authorized to sign the tax warrant for the collection of taxes for the period beginning 06/01/2026
• through 05/31/2027.
• Jeanette Toon, treasury, you are hereby commanded to receive and collect from the persons named in the tax roll hereto under annexed.
• The several sum stated in the last column here of opposite their respective names being a total of $14,000,005
• sorry. $14,005,082.16.
• For the current budget, 13,000 $13,804,169.
• For supplemental tax bills, $24,835
• for a subtotal of $13,829,004.
• Unpaid water, rents, and charges, $154,228.16.
• For alarms, $3,000.
• For fire inspections, $3,955.
• For commercial garbage, $9,320.
• For vacant buildings $2,700,
• for snow removal $2,875
• for a total of $14,005,082.16,
• and be further commanded to receive and collect such sums without additional charge until 07/01/2026,
• and thereafter to collect such of the sums as have not been there to or collected,
• additional charge of five percentum for the first month or fraction thereof,
• and 1% for each month or fraction thereof thereafter until paid. You are further commanded to return the tax roll and warrant to the village clerk on or before the February
• 2027
• and to deliver to the board of trustees at the same time an account of the taxes remaining unpaid,
• describing each parcel of real property upon which taxes are unpaid, showing the person or persons to whom the parcel is assessed, and showing as to each parcel the amount of tax unpaid.
Do I have a motion? So moved. Second. Motion by trustee Simon, second by trustee Nicholson.
• Discussion?
• All in favor? Aye. Whereas
the Hudson National Golf Club operates under a special permit granted by the village board of trustees and whereas an environmental management plan was developed for the golf club as part of the site plan approval granted by the planning board. Whereas the EMP required regular water monitoring take place to ensure all conditions of the plan were being followed. Whereas the firm used by the village for this monitoring for the past thirty years closed in 2025,
• and whereas the firm recommended that WSP Inc. Be engaged to continue the monitoring that is required, whereas WSP Inc. Has provided the proposal to undertake the monitoring in the amount of $5,500,
• and whereas the full cost of this monitoring is paid by Hudson National Golf Club. And therefore, be it resolved that the village board of trustees authorizes the village manager to accept the proposal from WSP Inc. The in amount of $5,500.
Do I have a motion? So moved. Second. Motion by trustee Simon, second by trustee Nicholson. Discussion?
• report from the, previous company, they were talking about wrapping things up. So it looks like they really have. So
• I'm I'm glad I'm glad we have a good substitute.
• On favor? Aye. Aye.
Whereas two parcels currently exist on the property tax map for underwater land in the Hudson River. And whereas in 2023, the village of Cortland Hudson and town of Cortland reduced the assessed valuation of these parcels to zero, which resulted in no additional property tax bills being generated.
• Whereas the property taxes owed for these two parcels from 2011
• to 2022
• totaled $20,590.27.
• And whereas it is unlikely that the village will be able to collect these unpaid amounts and whereas in discuss discussions with the village's auditing firm, it was recommended to write these amounts off as uncollectible. Now therefore, be it resolved that the village board of trustees hereby authorizes the village treasurer to write off these two amounts in the amount
• sorry. That should say these two accounts in the amount of $20,590.27.
Do I have a motion? So moved. Second. Motion by trustee Simon, second by trustee Nicholson.
• Atlantis is You know, the the tax map is an odd thing. And so, you know,
• for whatever reason, there's these
• like, there's this land that's assessed in the in the river. Yeah. And it's it's off of
• it's off the shoreline
• and
• north of Croton Landing. Mhmm. And,
• you know, the railroad tracks are there. So,
• I mean, there's
• there's no way to build anything. Right? I mean, besides the fact that it's underwater, but even if you build something on land, you you couldn't because the railroad tracks are there. So
take a boat out. You can look at it from the boat. Right. So, I mean, like like the resolution says that the village in the town a couple of years ago reduced it to zero because, you know, the the assessor at the time,
• you know, felt that the land was really it didn't have any value because there's no access to it and it's underwater. Mhmm. And so,
• you know, these are just historical bills that
• we don't really have any real prospect of seeing paid. Mhmm. And the attorney, you know, looked it up and the corporation hasn't done anything in a long time. It's it's been past due since, I believe, 2012.
• yeah.
• It's, you know, one of those things.
• So
the village board of trustees desire to have formal guidelines for the various advisory boards, committees, and councils that it has established.
• Whereas feedback has been received from the chairs of these various boards, committees, and councils, which has been incorporated into these guidelines. Whereas the village board of trustees reviewed a draft of these guidelines at a work session held on 02/11/2026,
• and whereas a meeting of the committee chairs was held on 03/24/2026.
• To further refine these guidelines, now therefore be it resolved that the village board of trustees hereby adopts the boarding committee guidelines as presented and be it further resolved that individuals currently serving on more than one board committee and or council shall inform the village manager by 05/31/2026
• on their decision.
• Discussion?
• Slippin and trustee Nicholson for a lot of their work on these guidelines and and the manager.
• This has been going on since I joined the board,
• which is fairly recent, but a lot of work has gone into this.
• And it and I I think it's been very collaborative as well, you know, with all of us and all the committees.
• So thank you.
• Question I have, which I'm getting, so I think I know the answer, but I'd rather you answer it, manager.
• One question is,
• why isn't the WAC planning board and ZBA
• listed,
• as one of the applicable
• groups,
• you know, that doesn't adhere to these guidelines? So, again, I think I know the answer, but I'd rather you just Sure. To those listening can explain that. Yeah. So,
well, the zoning board and the planning board are statutory boards. Right? They're not advisory boards. So these guidelines are only for the advisory
• boards.
• You know, the planning board and zoning board are are governed. There's separate sections in the code, and they're, you know, also governed by state laws. So there's very specific
• regulations for them.
• The WAC is kind of,
• you know, a creature on a on its own because
• all of the people that are on the WAC are from other boards and committees. Right? So,
• you know, they're
• they don't really they don't really fall in to the rest of those
• committees
• as, like, being
• even though they are advisory, they're not really, like, an advisory board because they're made up of other committees.
Thank you. Because that was one of the questions. Yes. Because there were some repeated people on some of these. So I was getting that question since these guidelines are are, you know, kind of advising
• that if
• that you're on one Yep. Versus these have some overlap.
• it's five member, you know, five members and
• it's
• between one and two members of the planning board, village board, and water control commission. Mhmm. Right? That's what the code says. Mhmm. So
• people who are
• already subject to open meetings law, and then you're putting them into the WAC. So that Yeah. Kind of triggers it if you have two or more when they're already on that board doing that action for the business. So it kind of pulls in open meetings law that way, which I think is what Brian's referring to.
• I'm glad you raised that because I think one of the other points that should be understood here is, like, right, we have the statutory boards, and the WAC is a very special case because under its own terms, it has to have overlapping
• membership.
• But the understanding, I think, of all of us is that this would preclude someone from being on one of these statutory boards and serving concurrently on a committee.
• Yeah.
• If
• there was in the future
• a task force
• to emerge,
• would that task force require board
• of trustee
• approval?
So, I mean, if it's a task if not a subcommittee. Right? A subcommittee would not. Not a subcommittee. But, like This is some new task force, whether it's on resiliency
• or housing. I'm I'm just making that up. Yeah. If something were to emerge. Would it be a like an ad hoc committee?
Yeah. I mean, like, you know, we've had we've had right. We had the housing task force. We had the Telecommunications.
• Telecommunications
task force, know, the Like things like that. Not the one for Gubei. Those follow
• these guidelines and No. Would those need board of trustee approval? They wouldn't they wouldn't follow those guidelines because they're not
• committees. Right? Whereas an ad hoc task force kind of, by definition, is not you know, it's just around for a task and then it dissipates.
• I'm trying to remember what we've done in the past. I think you've just announced I I don't Sometimes think they're announced, sometimes they're created by a resolution. Depends.
But I I think, manager, the the the point that you made just right right before that is that they are temporary.
• By
• similar
• to their name, they're they're put together for a specific task. Yeah. And and then
• And then they disband. Right. And, you know, and and in fact, the two that we just mentioned, the housing task force,
• and the telecommunications task force are now, you know, part of history, not not active
• So what I would ask is
• just
• for it to come to resolution so that we can discuss it
• and it could just be a conversation
• around it. And if we have any questions on it,
• we can ask questions.
• I think,
• you know, that that's what I would just ask.
Thank you. I had a question about the inclusion of the heart committee on this list because we had had discussion about that becoming an ad hoc committee,
• because right now there is some significant overlap. Yep. And also because of the nature of the
• the
• just the nature of the heart committee in general. Yep. So I wonder if we should I don't know if this is the right place to have that discussion, but I I
• would recommend that the heart committee not be included
in this list. I think it is I think it is okay. You know, this is a fine time to have that conversation if everybody wants to have that conversation.
• Mhmm.
• But
• unless unless we're in agreement that we are gonna move forward with making them ad hoc, I think we have to leave them in there because they otherwise, they would
• follow these guidelines. Right?
• removing them from this list so they're not subject to this to the
• the guidelines that we've set forth in this. So,
• Yep. So,
• I mean, at a minimum, I think,
• we should have that be a work session conversation. Yeah. That's what I was gonna say. Yeah.
• And that, I mean, we have until May 31. Okay.
Yeah, that's fine. But I just because it's we're Yeah. We're making it official in this, I just wanted to Yeah. Have the conversation about the fact that we already had the conversation, and then I guess we would amend the guidelines to Yeah. We could just we could amend it to remove Yeah.
• two years,
• trustee Nicholson.
• I don't even remember how this started, but it was a lot of meetings,
• a lot of discussions.
• A lot of the committee chairs saying,
• you know, we we ask a lot of the committee chairs, and this gives them some guardrails, some of which they want and some of which they don't want, but everybody was a super good sport Mhmm. About
• coming to some type of consensus on this. The village
• simply could not
• function without the work of these incredible committees and these amazing volunteers.
• So I'm glad that we're starting here. I think that once we implement these and we start to follow these, we'll see
• I I don't think I think this we'll revisit this at some point and see how these guidelines
• are
• in practice.
• I'm certainly glad to
• enact them and move forward with them, but also open to the reality that some things we've suggested may not in practice make a lot of sense.
• So I wanna keep this conversation going
• both among ourselves and with the chairs of the committees because the point of this was not to make it
• harder for them. It was to give them some,
• god you know, some structure
• around what they're doing. The other piece of this is it's going to give us an opportunity to sort of
• gather with the chairs of all the committees,
• not super frequently because we don't want to add that many more meetings to their calendars,
• but just so, we
• know, remind them that we're here to support them and answer the question. And also, so that the chairs of all these committees can work together. We've seen just recently how powerful it is, you know, the the piece of art that we talked about tonight, recreation advisory and
• arts and humanities,
• they didn't specifically work to get and and also Dobbs Park, which was mentioned tonight. These are examples of when committee mem when committee chairs know that other committees exist and who the chair is, then we can have these more robust community wide conversations. So
• all of that to say, I think this is a great step in the right direction and a huge
• gratitude to the committee's chairs and and members.
• be clear, you know, we created
• this also for transparency and consistency across our committees.
• You know, we had an audience member share that one of our committees has not been publishing
• agendas.
• So once the once this goes into effect,
• all of our committees will should be publishing agendas on a more frequent bay on a regular basis,
• which will improve communication and visibility to
• the village as well as village residents that are interested in what the committees are talking about. So that's great. We did take out the student portion of that, and we're gonna take that up
• at another
• work session
• prior to the summer.
• You know, one point I just wanna make is that
• having students involved is very important
• for them to grow commitment to civic responsibility,
• and that that sort that's what we're enforcing and trying to bring more students into the fold.
• Think that this will provide a lot of needed support for our committees,
• and,
• I appreciate the willingness to be flexible and
• understand it's an evolutionary process.
• Okay.
• All in favor? Aye. Aye.
• Alright. Public comment on non agenda items.
• This is the opportunity for anyone to speak on any item. Everyone has five minutes. State your name and address.
Hi. Dave from Farrington. Dave Lowell from Farrington Road. I'm happy to be here today, April 22, Earth Day. Happy Earth Day. Mhmm. I'd just like to read for you
• read to you from your own website, if I may, Croton on Hudson,
• why Croton banned gas powered leaf blowers in summer and winter months.
• The first one is air quality.
• Two stroke engines produce ultrafine
• particulate matter or PM
• 10
• and PM 2.5,
• which is a mixture of solid and liquid particles suspended in air. This pollution
• is made up of a number of components
• including volatile
• organic compo compounds
• like benzene,
• and they aerosolize
• acids, metals,
• pesticides,
• soil particles,
• feces,
• and allergens like pollen or mold spores from the ground.
• Small particles,
• 10 microns or less in diameter,
• pose the greatest problems
• because they can get deep into the lungs. The smallest particles, PM 2.5,
• can even get into the bloodstream
• and traverse the blood brain barrier where they can cause inflammation.
• Larger particles can irritate eyes, nose, and throat and trigger asthma attacks.
• Soil quality. Leaf blowers worsen
• soil quality.
• Ask your landscaper to restrict their use to driveways and paths
• and to use a mulching mower on your lawn that grinds leaves back into the soil.
• Noise pollution,
• anything in excess of 85 decibels is damaging to the ears.
• Leaf blowers regularly hit a 115
• decibels.
• Stereocelia
• in the inner ear, which are responsible for our hearing and balance,
• do not regenerate once damaged,
• meaning hearing impacts from lawn equipment noise is permanent.
• Noise pollution also adds to stress,
• which is one reason
• why communities everywhere
• have noise ordinances.
• What can you do to help?
• The best way to manage leaves is to use a mulching mower to add their carbon back to the soil.
• You can ask your landscaper to do this.
• Mulching is actually beneficial
• for for the grass.
• Now that you are armed with this information,
• we are asking you to act.
• By not banning gas powered leaf blowers, you are actively degrading the physical and environmental health of our community.
• When the science is this clear,
• why do you continue to let this happen to us and our children?
• Croton is going to pot,
• and the principal reason it's going to pot is
• not because this village board and the planning board unwisely approved
• a
• marijuana dispensary
• in the worst part of
• the village to to
• have that dispensary,
• the Harmon area.
• It's
• the process in which they did it
• with secret negotiations,
• no leaks, which is amazing in this village,
• so that the public could not get involved until the last thirty days of the process. That's about the length of time the general public,
• the people who appoint you, who vote for you, who support your administration,
• at the last minute,
• thirty days of advance notice
• that you are putting this narcotic
• dispensary.
• You know, it sounds like a medical thing. No. No. It's a it's a pot store
• right in the center of Harmon,
• where there should be a milk and bread store for the convenience of the people who live in that area, which there will no longer be a milk and bread store. Unfortunately, that store that was there had the reputation being a filthy place.
• And in in the documents that the lawyer that night
• showed the planning board,
• they were in they were uncredible
• that the owner said that 250
• people a day go to that store, and they stay in a milk store for an average of ten minutes.
• Not likely. And you notice it was not notarized.
• It was probably be either proposed by the lawyer and signed by the owner, or the owner had it there ready for the next person who went by his milk store.
• So the entire process
• of promoting this marijuana
• store in Croton from the get go years ago
• has been an ugly process to piggyback on state programs
• because we have a direct connection to the state legislature.
• It's to curry favor with the legislature and the governor of this state to the detriment of this community.
• And, therefore, your credibility as trustees and mayor and administration has been dragged
• down
• to about its lowest level possible
• because now you're looked on as either uncredible
• or a secretive bunch of people who basically collude against the best interest of the village.
• Quite frankly, you will never recover
• from this.
• And it might even be so. This don't know if this is a fact or not.
• The two of the trustees were not even aware of this until last minute. That may be or may not be true.
• But if they knew about it,
• they should have spread the word in the public because half of the leverage
• against the person like this
• who wants to put the place where he wants to put the place where he wants to put the place is public outrage,
• and you missed that up. You're lousy negotiators,
• all of you.
• Item two.
• I wanted to talk about the,
• Southern Poverty Law Conference. I'll do that next time. The reason is because that
• corrupt organization,
• it's been corrupt for thirty years. I'll go into the details some other time, has been used as a reference
• in the school district and elsewhere in this village.
• It has always been a corrupt organization for the last thirty years,
• whether it be sexual exploitation of its own employees,
• discrimination against black employees,
• offshore accounts,
• or blackmail.
• What I do wanna talk about in the last minute is r u 46.
• There was still a boycott against,
• CVS Pharmacy, one of the first people who, gleefully, according to their CEO,
• jumped into the abortion business and will soon be in the euthanasia and mercy killing business
• with drugs for your old lady or your grandmother.
• FRC
• puts out an incomplete list.
• It's incomplete because two two of the women who died in Georgia and one of the women died in North Carolina are not on this list.
• Normally, you have this number of deaths of women,
• somebody springs into action, withdraws drug a from the market. But in the abortion business or the contraceptive business, that never happens.
• In no woman's group
• remember what Kennedy said about, Clinton?
• You know, he gets two groups for free because he's pro abortion.
• That's what happens in the abortion business. But it's interesting to read, and I'm gonna read it next time.
• The number of men
• and women who've exploited this drug
• to poison their children Times expired. And kill their grandchildren
• by ordering this stuff online,
• and it involves
• Alright. Seeing no one else wishing to comment, we proceed,
• to reports from members of the board. Trustee Slippin.
• so many events coming up this weekend,
• and because we don't have another meeting
• next week.
• Right? So I'm sure everything's on the calendar, like the blood drive and the national take back day and
• the book and bake sale at the library and all those things can be found. I'm not gonna rattle off all the details, but they can be found at on our website and on our social media.
• Suffice it to say, there's a lot
• of great activities going on in the village right now.
• I wanted to just circle back for a minute about because we have kept we do keep talking about it. What's the update with the bridge?
• Our county legislator,
• who is,
• you know, we don't it's not a village,
• the Quaker Bridge.
• We can't we don't really have any control over what's going on. It does impact us.
• Our county legislator put out a pretty robust,
• update on the fact that the project is stalled
• along with some
• photograph some renderings of what it is going to look like when it goes forward.
• I shared
• some suggested language manager about something that we could put out to our list because I don't know I mean, hopefully, all of our residents subscribe to get information from the our county legislator, but I don't know if they do or do not. So I would like to just suggest,
• that at some point we revisit that and send it out because it is a question that people
• talk about. And there is unfortunately no real update. It's stalled at the federal level,
• which is frustrating, but no less.
• It's still a security, it's a safety as far as I'm concerned. It's a safety situation here, as well as an inconvenience. So,
• but I think that letting people know what that update is is important. So I don't know how we move that forward if we need to talk about at work session or if you can just send out an update or whatever that is. I just would like to advocate for that happening because we have a great list of people who are
• paying attention to who are who are who have a vested interest in that. So I just wanted to ask that
• at this meeting. I also wanted to talk about the leaf blowers because I think we've gotten I don't I I've lost count now, but I think we've probably gotten about two did somebody count? I thought you were gonna
• it's probably
• fifteen Two thousand. 20 emails
• about the leaf blowers.
• It was my understanding that and I'm sure one of my colleagues who is a,
• one of the, liaisons to the CAC. I understand that that you presented at the CAC last night.
• And it is my understanding that the CAC is going to take up a discussion about that after Earth Day because they're very busy planning for their Earth Day celebration right now. I am really looking forward to them coming back to us with some type of recommendation about how to move forward. I appreciate you coming to meeting after meeting after meeting. Happy Earth Day. But
• I do think that that is the right way to go about this. I appreciate you going through the effort of coming here, but also going through the effort of going to the CAC
• and
• having them make a recommendation to us about how to move forward. I think that that if if we undertake the right process,
• we'll get to the right outcome. It is frustratingly
• long, but I do think that that's it. So thank keep at it. Thank you. That you keep the email keep your people sending the emails.
• So I I really do appreciate it. I'm sure it's frustrating to come and tell us this and read us our stuff about how we should be doing something differently. But I think we can get to wherever we're supposed to go if we if we're able to work together on this.
• The
• fiftieth anniversary of the girls relays is on Saturday.
• It's a huge track event that actually the history of it is when the pen relays first started,
• I guess, fifty ish years ago or maybe more, women were not invited.
• And Croton
• decided to invite all the female runners
• to come and participate in a track event in Croton.
• So now there are lots of
• relay events all across the county in the section
• that include both male and female runners. But this really has
• it has deep roots, and I think it's something we should all really be proud of. So
• this year, they've added a fun run for families. I know there's a girls on the run
• organization at maybe the the elementary and the middle school.
• So I I
• have a daughter who's a runner. So this is a very this is, like, very meaningful to me, but I would just like to encourage everybody who's here to go out because it's also a wonderful
• event.
• I will the last thing I will say
• is
• and then I will hand it over to my colleague who was at the dedication of the bench at Black Rock Park
• that was donated the at the dog park that was donated by Capriccio's
• yesterday. It was really nice. Mike,
• who was the I guess, one of the original owners of Capriccio's who has since passed away,
• was a huge supporter of their community and the schools. His sons were there
• for for the dedication. So it was really meaningful event,
• and I was really glad to be able to take part in it even though it happened in the middle of the day.
• I I have actually one other question that I wanted to ask.
• During your report manager, you mentioned that there is the and maybe trustee Simon can answer this.
• There's
• there are gonna be bikes at Senesqua
• for Project Mover. And when we had this discussion
• maybe over a year I don't remember exactly how long ago it was. Sometime over the course of the last couple years, we talked about
• people using bikes on the Riverwalk.
• Yes. And I just wanna make sure I don't we don't need to talk about it right now.
• But I just wanna understand how we're going to monitor that, manage that, keep
• other people on the path. I'm sure it's tempting it's gonna be tempting to ride an electric bike
• fast
• on that nice stretch.
• But there are a lot of little kids walking and people walking dogs and all kinds of seniors. Right. So I just wanna make sure that we are gonna be
• everyone knows I have concerns about a lot of bikes on the street anyway,
• but I wanna be specifically cognizant of how we are monitoring and managing and protecting that space for people who've been using it
• without electric bikes
• up to this point. And I think even if electric bikes are not allowed on there, I think we can all be realistic that, like, it's gonna be pretty tempting to put take electric bike. I mean, there there's people using electric bikes there now. I mean Totally. Yeah. So but I just wanna be thinking about it because now we're gonna be, like, inviting people to do so. So I guess whatever the whatever however we can have a conversation about that and be proactive,
I'm all for. Thank you. We did have sorry. Just just to answer that. We did have a conversation on it last year. We did send it to the bike ped committee. We got a recommendation back from them that basically
• if I'm remembering off the top of my head, but I don't I think their recommendation was basically to leave the rules the way they were.
• And
• I think the board said that they were going to talk about it at a future work session, but I don't we never did. Yeah. Yep. So, I mean, we can we can do that. But we did we did look at this. We sent we referred it. We got a report back, and that's where that's where it stands. Yep. But now it's gonna now it's gonna be a reality, so I just wanna bring it back to the front burner if we can. Yep. Thank you.
I also don't think the bike ped should be the ultimate authority on public safety.
• I think we should have
• other groups weighing in on that as well,
• whether it's the EMS team or I you know, just other groups. I'm I'm not sure they're the Well, I don't know why EMS would
I mean, you you you and I, right, you as the board, me as the village manager, right, we're the ultimate authorities, right? But you have advisory committees to advise you, right? So it was referred to the bike ped committee to get there Mhmm. To get their advice.
• So
• but you don't have to you don't have to take it. You can, you know, go opposite of it. You you know, it's
No. I think in listening and understanding it, but I think if there are concerns,
• I don't think we had the ability
• to discuss them.
I think we have the disc honestly, I think we have the discussion before you were on the board. Yeah. I think I think it was from last summer. And we can have it again. And we'll have it again. Yeah. Yep. Yep. Alright. I'm looking forward to revisiting. Okay. So
• okay. So thank you, Quaker Bridge.
• My understanding is we need a permit that the county is waiting on a permit from the
• the
• and the Army
• Army Corps. Corps of Engineers.
• And that's federal
• and we're waiting. And so I know it sounds like the county has
• done a lot to try and move that along.
• What I had just asked is whether
• we can get in a room with the right folks at the county,
• because we're stakeholders
• in this. I know we don't own the project, you know, but we're
• we're stakeholders and our residents are really,
• you know, contacting us repeatedly.
• So if we could
• different minds jumping in a room together and coming with the lawyers in an advice of counsel,
• and brainstorming
• different
• approaches
• and how to tackle it. And, you know, I'm not suggesting that that hasn't or isn't being done by the county legislatures.
• I'm sure
• they've come up with a million ways to think about this, but
• I just think there's some different folks here that might bring some different
• ideas to pressure test,
• just some creative ways to think about it.
• So that's just something I had asked
• to consider
• of the manager when I had met with the manager.
• And then
• as far as the
• I attended on Monday,
• April 20, a housing one zero one training. It was a four hour training on housing
• by the county
• executive Ken Jenkins kicked it off. And I heard two very interesting case studies about
• smart growth and development.
• One was Port Chester, which was
• you know, that was really a turnaround story on how
• a kind of declining
• you know, I'll call it a city, that is at least what it is to me, was in decline and how, you know, development
• and, you know, riverfront revitalization
• really helped turn that city around.
• $38,000,000
• in matching grants.
• So
• that was, you know, development
• kind of housing to me on kind of
• on steroids and how it helped turn that around. And then I heard an alternative
• kind of story which was interesting from the mayor of Briarcliffe Manor
• and how, you know, his approach to development
• is
• not all about housing, but it's a mix of commercial
• and a big emphasis on commercial because that mayor had mentioned for his village
• that
• skewing commercial and housing and mixed use has a lower net impact on infrastructure
• and schools.
• And he had a lot of interesting things to say about that. And I just thought it was interesting to hear those two different
• cases and how,
• you know, and and how villages
• go about
• the development differently in that case.
• Then in the afternoon, we had a bench dedication
• as trustee Slippin said,
• at BlackRock. And
• thanks to Debbie Braddock and the RAC and John Sasso for bringing everybody together.
• Again, Capriccio is a
• a wonderful
• partner to our community. They nourish and cherish our community.
• We saw them at the Little League don't you know, making donations to teams and now a bench,
• and I just wanna thank them for that.
• And then on Friday, we had a senior club meeting. Deputy Mayor Simon and I attend the senior club
• as liaisons,
• and I know
• that that seniors club, you know, that they're very grateful to the work
• of our board in helping them get a new
• senior shuttle bus with better shock absorbers
• and also, you know, continuing the commitment to programming.
• So I know they were happy about that.
• Thank you.
• I just wanna give, a shout out to the a couple committees. The recreation advisory committee met, last week,
• and they are working on doing a kind of a scouting report of all of our parks and calling out to our,
• parks department any things that need to be fixed for the upcoming
• warm weather season.
• So, they they shared those details with the parks
• committee or parks department, and those things are being worked on.
• A nice thing just to know is that, you know, bocce continues to grow. There's now a women's group there that is playing Bocce. So many thanks to John Sasso for his continued commitment to Bocce
• and Croton because it really is fantastic.
• We
• are having Earth Day, which is coming up on May 2 from twelve to four. The CAC has been incredibly busy with all of their subcommittees
• kind of in full gear with the great weather.
• The clean committee is having a,
• cleanup at the train station this Saturday,
• at 11AM.
• They mentioned, and I just wanna point this out, that, you know, there's an issue with drainage
• as the garbage flows,
• from the parking lot into the reeds.
What does that mean? Garbage. So, like Well well, that when the lot is draining Yes. If there's garbage, it goes out with the water that's going out. I mean, the solution is for people not to litter. I mean, speaking bluntly. Right? It's like Yeah.
• If you had a well, I I'm not an engineer, so I won't make any decisive statements. But, I mean, there's a reason why near the store in dreams, says this goes right to the river. Yep. Like, think carefully about what you're doing. Yep. So if you leave a can in the parking lot, it goes into the reeds,
and then our clean volunteers will pick it up this Saturday. And, apparently, they pick up pounds and pounds and pounds of trash. So something to think about.
• Don't litter. Don't litter.
• Don't litter at everybody on Earth Day.
• I also just want to call out,
• you know, what is critically important, and this is sort of in the context of the marijuana dispensary.
• One of our responsibilities
• as board members, and we need to take it seriously, is to protect the village from litigation.
• And that is something that we need to do. And, unfortunately,
• there are times when,
• you know, we cannot share all details with the public.
• We need to be in accordance with the law, and we need to listen to the counsel of our our our council.
• So, you know, that is our responsibility.
• I think that there is some opportunity to relook at our zoning
• and
• make some amendments,
• as needed there. But, you know, again, our responsibility
• is to the,
• the Croton residents, to protect them from litigation.
• So that is what I would say about that. Thank you. Thanks, trustee Nicholson.
Speaking of the heart committee, the heart committee met on April 9. The mayor and I were there. They continue their good work.
• There'll be an announcement and invitation forthcoming to the community shortly
• regarding their next great event honoring a distinguished Croton resident
• for their lifetime of service. I'll leave it to them to make that announcement.
• On April 10,
• a week ago, Friday, just a wonderful
• event at the at the yacht club. Our
• own historian,
• Mark Cheshire,
• presented a magnificent overview of the destruction of Riverside Avenue, including the history of the that waterfront area
• and all the details leading up to the creation of the expressway.
• For me, it really filled in a lot of blanks and corrected
• some myths as well. And so I I hope Mark will have the opportunity
• to do this presentation again for the folks that didn't see it. But there were there was actually on a Friday night, there were seemed to be about a 100 people there at the at the Yacht Club to to listen listen and learn. So that was terrific.
• On April
• 11,
• it was a great honor
• to be with all my colleagues here at the board
• at the Little League parade.
• The weather was absolutely beautiful. The spirits were high. The attendance was terrific.
• Once again, we wish all the Little Leaguers a great season, particularly
• we thank all the sponsors of the individual teams
• who who make Little League possible.
• That one, we we learned in in some of the some of the remarks that
• some of the organizers had
• made about one in three of our Croton kids participate
• currently in Little League. So that's that's pretty amazing.
• On April 14,
• that last Tuesday,
• trustee Nachteller
• and I were in White Plains for a very moving experience. We participated
• in the Yom
• HaShoah Holocaust
• Remembrance Ceremony
• at the Garden Of Remembrance in White Plains.
• My thanks to the Westchester Jewish Council
• and the Holocaust and Human Rights Education Center for putting this event together and to county executive Ken Jenkins who made absolutely
• wonderful
• remarks, which I think really really put the whole whole thing in perspective.
• A word on on with respect to to Can cannabis,
• specifically the planning board. I just wanna take a moment to say thank you to the planning board for their very able work,
• April 14 in considering the application for the location of the cannabis
• retail shop at 370 South Riverside.
• I've got no doubt that there's a range of views on whether there should be such a business in Croton, but I hope there's agreement among all of us that in discharging its duties,
• the planning board did so in a manner which was fair,
• considerate to all involved, and thorough
• in exploring all of the aspects of the application under its jurisdiction.
• Thank you to chairman Rob Lunce and the members of the planning board for working hard to do your best for the village. On April 15,
• I was very pleased
• to,
• along with the mayor, provide
• some
• information to town of Bedford
• officials who are interested
• in what we've done in the in the housing area and discussion on some of our projects. And it's I think it's always encouraging when other communities have interest in what we're doing. So it was a it was a good conversation with them. Last night, our zoning board met and did their regular excellent job
• in approving three variances,
• before them.
• And, on,
• Monday, it was a real honor to, travel to, Cooperstown
• and participate,
• in the lunch session
• of the New York Planning Federation annual meeting where our former zoning board chair, Christine Wagner,
• received,
• the ultimate award that they give, for for excellence in zoning called the David
• Alley Award named after a former great zoning board chair.
• And it gave me an opportunity to talk to the the all of the assembled planners about
• the great work that Christine did in her fourteen years of service to our community on the zoning board, four as a as a member and then and then the rest as as chair. So it was it was a real pleasure to be up there.
• On April 20,
• also that I guess that same day on Monday, that was a busy day. Mayor and I participated in the arrow of lights ceremony,
• which is when cub scouts become boy scouts. And it's one of my favorite nights of the year. Not only is it a great moment for the scouts involved, but it also brings back great memories of, my own kids who, all were scouts and, participated themselves in the, hour of light ceremony. So congratulations to all the cub scouts who are now boy scouts, here in Croton.
• And, last but not least, the
• Rotary Club of Croton continues to collect donations
• for the lunch it's sponsoring for our DPW
• on May 20 to thank them for their extraordinary work during our winter of snow this year. The announcement,
• will be in the community calendar. There'll be a QR code there. It also will be in our our villa forthcoming,
• village newsletter. So looking forward to,
• a great event, and we thank the rotary for for their work on behalf of our,
• DPW.
• And also, happy Earth Day to everyone.
Well, just, quickly speaking to the cannabis matter. Obviously, I do my best to advise,
• the village, and my advice generally is
• either sometimes it's public, sometimes it's private.
• But in the context,
• privileged or nonprivileged,
• but in the context of this, I can say there was a lot of due diligence that went into dealing with this application.
• There's a lot of communications with the state.
• There was an extensive review by the planning board,
• with a planner who
• also probably gave as many many comments that are suitable under the given law, and I think there was probably more give
• with this application in terms of extra parking spaces and more
• concessions
• from the applicant than you would see typical under
• retail type
• exchange.
• And,
• you know, I think there was as much process
• that was that is as legally justifiable under the circumstances
• was was
• occurred under these circumstances.
• We we are not the the state government. We don't write the state laws. So these are the and there are cases out there from other jurisdictions
• which have dealt with similar circumstances, and we kind of are
• had to deal with that reality.
• That's it. On to the mayor.
• As is often the case,
• my colleagues have been very thorough in their,
• notices about upcoming events as well as their recollections of recent events.
• So I'll just briefly
• wish
• again everyone a happy Earth Day. I want to extend special thanks to the Conservation Advisory Council and our Sustainability Committee,
• as well as the grassroots activists who
• are frightening for a cleaner community every day. And in that spirit, I want will note that the CAC had a good conversation
• about the leaf blower question
• committed to further discussion,
• after Earth Day.
• And I'll note that I think that there are some other very useful data points,
• pieces of evidence, exhibits, whatever you wanna call them,
• that we'll be developing in the next couple of weeks or months that will be very informative,
• for making a decision in exactly what shape any amendment might take. For instance, as has been,
• reported in some media and pointed out, and I think in email to the board recently by a resident, the state legislature has passed, a law authorizing the creation of a rebate program
• for electric landscaping equipment.
• Ultimately, that's the governor's decision about whether or not to sign
• that, but decision will ultimately be made one way or another on that legislation, and that will be helpful.
• The final disposition of the Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act,
• which, sets a time frame for the
• suit I wouldn't say,
• I mean, I guess ultimately phasing out of fossil fuels, but in the near term significant reductions in fossil fuel usage in the state.
• Having a timetable for that is also very relevant.
• And perhaps most imminent,
• the and most local certainly is
• the bidding process for our own villages landscaping prod
• contract,
• which will be forthcoming in manager. What's our time frame on that again?
It should be released next week and then be awarded by the board either at the May or early June. Excellent. So,
• Apologies if someone did mention this, but I I don't think anyone did, which is drug take back day on Saturday
• from 10AM to 2PM.
• Burton Commons, which is, I think, now a pretty familiar location. So
• most people know the drill.
• But if you don't,
• it's very important
• that any unused medication is properly destroyed rather than being thrown out and allowed to infiltrate the environment. So this is an opportunity to do that.
• And if you miss it, you can always turn it in at the police station.
• But usually, the police department collects a very good haul, and it's ultimately destroyed by the DEA
and disposed of properly. Is that like a once a year event? Twice a Twice a year year Okay. Yeah. It generates about 250.
• Yeah. Great. And and they'll
• we'll take all all drugs, prescription or otherwise,
• including
• veterinary
I wanna welcome or welcome Kedra Flaherty to the exciting world of public service. I would like to appoint her to the arts and humanities committee
• and, also appoint, Kyla Black as vice chair of the idea committee at the request of the chair.
• I don't think I need a motion for the last one, but just in case, do I have a motion on So moved. Second.
• Motion by judge Simon, second by judge Nicklson. All in favor? Aye.
• Okay.