Month: November 2017

Ann Gallelli: Decoding Village Agendas No. 384

On By crotondemocratsLeave a comment

ann2016Dear neighbor, Here is the 384th installment of Decoding Village Agendas to keep Croton residents informed of the actions of the Village Board at their meetings.  I continue to add recipients to this email update on agendas so you may be receiving it for the first time. I enjoy getting your feedback and hope to continue to hear from you.  If you do not wish to receive these periodic email updates from me, please reply to this email and your name will be removed from the email list.

Ann Gallelli

 

 

 

Decoding Village Agendas –  November 6, 2017

Regular Meeting of the Village Board

8:00 pm

 (Open to Public  – Televised)

 

PUBLIC HEARINGS:.

  1. Public Hearing to consider a special use permit request for the construction of a new 2nd and 3rd story and the addition of dwelling units at 425 South Riverside Avenue.   The Board is the Lead Agency for the proposal.  The site of the proposal is the current location of Straddles and ET equipment.  It calls for a mixed use building with four apartments on the first floor in the rear and 6 apartments on the 2nd and 3rd floors above commercial uses.  The Planning Board has reviewed the special permit application and recommended in favor.  The Waterfront Revitalization Committee has found the proposal to be consistent with the Village’s LWRP.
  2. Public Hearing to consider Local Law Introductory No. 5 of 2017, which would allow dogs on leashes at Black Rock Park in the area that currently prohibits dogs.  The proposed law would enable residents with licensed dogs on a leash to walk their dogs in Black Rock Park outside of the separate, enclosed dog park.  The Recreation Advisory Committee recommended against this change but also recommended expanded hours for the enclosed, unleashed dog park area.  They also recommended that resident ID’s have a sticker on them indicating they own a licensed dog.

 

CORRESPONDENCE:

 

  • John Ghegan, Commander, American Legion Fox-Eklof Post 505; re: Invitation to the Village Board of Trustees and Village Manager to attend the Veterans Day ceremony on Saturday, November 11 at the Croton Veterans Memorial Plot (Veterans Corners).   The ceremony on November 11 begins at 11 am.

 

 

 

  • William Nazario, Chairman, Cortlandt Hudson Valley Veterans Committee; re: Invitation to attend the Veterans Day celebration on Friday, November 10, 2017 at 12:30 at the Muriel H. Morabito Community Center, 29 Westbrook Dr. Cortlandt Manor, NY.   The Town of Cortlandt’s Veterans’ Day ceremony will take place on November 10, the National holiday.

 

 

 

  • Thomas A. Kaplan, Fire Council Secretary, Croton Fire Department; re: Membership update.   The Fire Department is required to keep the Village Board updated on its membership.  This letter indicates that Corey Stierli has been accepted as an Active Member.

 

 

 

  • Karina Tarnawsky, Events Manager, Teatown; re: Planning for EagleFest to be held on Saturday, February 10, 2018.  Eaglefest is scheduled to return to Croton Point Park.  Sponsored by Teatown Reservation, the organizers are asking that the Village allow Echo Boat Launch area to be used as a viewing location.

 

 

 

  • Dan Ahouse, Area Director of Government Affairs, Altice; re: Notification that as of October 5, 2017 ESPN Classic has been eliminated from the Optimum channel lineup. Customers will be notified.  This does not affect  viewing of ESPN and ESPN2.

 

 

 

  • Leslie J. Snyder, Snyder & Snyder, LLP, representing Verizon Wireless; re: Notification that Verizon Wireless has submitted proposals to the Town of Cortlandt for collocation on an existing public utility wireless facility at 451 Yorktown Rd and 5742 Albany Post Road in the Town of Cortlandt.    This does not require any action on the part of the Village but is a notification requirement of the Town of Cortlandt.

 

 

 

ADOPTED RESOLUTIONS:

  1. Village Board of Trustees authorized the proposed tax certiorari settlement with the owner of 193-197 Grand Street (68.17-4-58) and authorized the Village Attorney to consent to the Final Order and Judgment reflecting this  settlement with the Supreme Court of the State of New York.   The refund for the years of  2016 and 2017 is $1,836.01.

 

PROPOSED RESOLUTIONS:

  1. The Village Board to affirm its determination that the proposed action, an amended special use permit for an expansion of an existing garden center and new showroom at 1360 Albany Post Road, is applicable and consistent with the Village’s Local Waterfront Revitalization Program. The Board also considers the issuance and adoption of the EAF Part 3, and adoption of a Negative Declaration in connection with the Proposed Action.  This proposal is at the existing location of Croton Country Gardens.  It is an Unlisted Action under SEQRA.  A public hearing has been called for November 20.
  2. The Village Board declares its intent to be the Lead Agency for SEQRA purposes in connection with a special permit application for a mixed occupancy building at 25 South Riverside Avenue in order to construct a 2nd and 3rd story with a total of 26 units over a new open parking structure; directs the Village staff to circulate the EAF, CAF, and other application documents to involved and interested agencies of such intent; and, also refers the application to the Village Planning Board, Zoning Board, NYS Department of Transportation and Westchester County Planning for its review and recommendation in accordance with law.  This is the site of the former Croton Hardware.  The site is in a C-1 Commercial Zone.  The proposal would create a new building covering the site with first floor open parking and a commercial space.  A Special Permit is required and this resolution  starts the process by establishing the Board as Lead Agency and referring it to other boards for recommendations.
  3. Authorizing the Village Manager  to award the contract to Santella Welding for Welding Services at the labor rate of $94.00 per hour for the Welder and 89.00 per hour for the Welder’s helper  for a period of  two years with an option to extend for one additional year if the contractor agrees.  Santella Welding was the only bidder for providing this service as needed.  They have been the Village contractor for welding services for the past 16 years.
  4. Authorizing the Village Manager to accept the Drug Free Communities Support Program grant received from the Federal Government Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) in the amount of $125,000. This grant funds the Croton Community Coalition, which is a group of like-minded business, municipal, school and community leaders who work proactively to keep teenagers in the Village safe and drug-free. The Village administers the grant money for the Coalition.  This is the ninth year the Coalition has received this money for which it reapplies each year.  The maximum time for receiving this grant is ten years.
  5. Authorizing the Village Treasurer to transfer $9,050 from the 2017/18 General Fund Contingency Account to cover upgrades to the Munis software that came in over budget. Munis is the software system the Village utilizes for financial management.    The Village under budgeted the expense of this upgrade and proposes to pay for it through a transfer from Contingency Funds.

Brian Pugh: Croton CAN Do Better!

On By crotondemocratsLeave a comment
To The Editor:brian-pugh-group-cropped
I am running for Mayor in the November 7 election because I am extremely troubled by the stagnation that has set in within Village administration under the control of the Croton United majority.  As a member of the Board since 2014, I have had a first-hand seat to the majority’s lazy approach to governance that has allowed the cost of living in our community to needlessly rise with ever-increasing rents, energy prices and taxes. We deserve better.
We CAN do better.
We CAN control electricity prices by joining with other communities through Sustainable Westchester’s Community Choice Aggregation program, which has secured electricity from 100% renewable sources for less than the 2015 cost of Con Edison power.
We CAN moderate rents by expanding the coverage of our rent control law.
We CAN ease the burden of property taxes on homeowners by taming insurance costs through municipal purchasing cooperatives and workers compensation groups that leverage the power of multiple public employers to secure better rates.
 We CAN share the burden more widely by broadening our tax base with new mixed-use developments like those finally being created under the Democrat-supported Harmon Rezoning law.
 We CAN build our Village’s bank account by promoting revenue-producing uses at Gouveia Park, as recommended by the Ad Hoc Committee for Proposed Gouveia Park. Selling or leasing unused/underused Village-owned properties, like the Katz Property and Municipal Place, in conjunction with a coordinated economic development plan, will make them economic assets beneficial to our community.
In the coming days, please take an objective look at the record of Croton United in office. Consider my proposals for our village and think about the kind of village you want and the kind of village that we deserve.
If you want to move our Village forward, I respectfully ask you to vote for the slate appearing on the Democratic, Working Families, Independence and Women’s Equality lines on Tuesday’s ballot: Amy Attias and Sherry Horowitz for Village Trustee and Brian Pugh for Mayor.
Thank you,
Brian Pugh