Dear neighbor, Here is the 486th 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 –   March 30, 2020

Work Session of the Village Board

7: 30 p.m.

 

NOTE:  Please note that the meeting will not be conducted at the Stanley H. Kellerhouse Municipal Building. The meeting will be conducted via Zoom (see information below) and will also be available on the Village Facebook page.

Join Zoom Meeting via Computer or Tablet

https://zoom.us/j/7045884035

 

Join Zoom Meeting by Phone:

        +1 929 436 2866 US (New York)

 

Meeting ID: 704 588 4035

 

1. Consider adoption of a resolution to exempt emergency responders from the Families First Coronavirus Response Act.    This would ensure that our first responders remain available during the current crisis.

 

2. Review of Proposed Capital Budget for Fiscal Year 2020-21.

Link to Proposed Budget for FY 2020-21

The Village Manager has REVISED THE Manager’s Budget message.  When it was written, the Covid-19 situation had not yet developed.  It’s impacts on the proposed budget are reflected in Manager King’s revised budget statement which now calls for an increase of $39,165.33 over the allowable Tax Levy limit.  The resulting tax rate increase would be 3.62% as opposed to the earlier projection of 0.27%

 

3. Review of Proposed Fee Schedule for Fiscal Year 2020-21.  All of the Village Department fees are encompassed in a single Master Schedule.  The proposed budget includes small increases to fees for Silver Lake,, commercial sanitation collection, Planning Board application fees, monthly parking permit and a new Street Closing fee.

Link to Proposed Budget for FY 2020-21 

 

ReplyReply allForward

Dear neighbor, Here is the 485th 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 –   March 25, 2020

Work Session of the Village Board

7: 30 p.m.

 

NOTE:  Please note that the meeting will not be conducted at the Stanley H. Kellerhouse Municipal Building. The meeting will be conducted via Zoom (see information below) and will also be available on the Village Facebook page.

Join Zoom Meeting via Computer or Tablet

https://zoom.us/j/7045884035

 

Join Zoom Meeting by Phone:

        +1 929 436 2866 US (New York)

 

Meeting ID: 704 588 4035

 

1. Review of Proposed Fire Department Budget for Fiscal Year 2020-21.

Link to Proposed Budget

Fire Department includes the following expense accounts: A3410

 

2. Review of Proposed EMS Budget for Fiscal Year 2020-21.

Link to Proposed Budget

EMS Department includes the following expense account: A4540

3. Review of Proposed Police Department Budget for Fiscal Year 2020-21.

Link to Proposed Budget

Police Department includes the following expense accounts: A3120, A3150, A3189

Dear neighbor, Here is the 484th 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 –   March 23, 2020

Work Session of the Village Board

7: 30 p.m.

 

NOTE:  Please note that the meeting will not be conducted at the Stanley H. Kellerhouse Municipal Building. The meeting will be conducted via Zoom (see information below) and will also be available on the Village Facebook page.

Join Zoom Meeting via Computer or Tablet

https://zoom.us/j/7045884035

 

Join Zoom Meeting by Phone:

        +1 929 436 2866 US (New York)

 

Meeting ID: 704 588 4035

 

1. Update from Westchester County George Latimer on the COVID-19 Pandemic.
2. Overview of the Tentative 2020-2021 Village Budget by Village Manager Janine King.
3. Review of Proposed Recreation Department Budget for Fiscal Year 2020-21.

Recreation Department includes the following expense accounts: A7020, A7140, A7180, A7310, A7610

4. Review of Proposed Department of Public Works and Water Department Budgets for Fiscal Year 2020-21.

Department of Public Works includes the following expense accounts: A1620, A1640, A3310, A3510, A5010, A5110, A5140, A5142, A5182, A7110, A7550, A8090, A8140, A8160, A8170, A8510, A8560

Water Fund includes the following expense accounts: F1320, F1650, F8310, F8320, F8340

Sewer Fund includes the following expense accounts: G1320, G1650, G8120

Dear neighbor, Here is the 483rd 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 – March 16, 2020

Regular Meeting of the Village Board

8:00 pm

(Televised)

 

 

NOTE:  Pursuant to Governor Cuomo’s Executive Order #202-1 dated March 12, 2020 no members of the public will be allowed to attend Village Board of Trustee Meetings until further notice.  The Public can view the meetings live and on demand on the Village website and Channel 78.  If you wish to submit a public comment for the meeting, please go to the Village website homepage and click on send-us-comments  under Webforms.

 

 

PRESENTATIONS/OTHER: 

Presentation by Norma Drummond, Westchester County Planning Commissioner, on the Westchester County Housing Needs Assessment Study.

 

CORRESPONDENCE:

1. Email from Quinn Simmons, senior at Croton-Harmon High School, regarding the Take Back the Night march and rally scheduled for April 24th. 
2. Letter from Daniel Boglioli, Treasurer of the Croton Caring Committee, acknowledging the Village’s contribution to the committee, and the February 2020 Croton Caring Committee Newsletter.  The Caring Committee thanks the Village and looks forward to continuing its relationship in the future.
3. Letter from Dan Lambe, President of Tree City USA, acknowledging Croton’s status as a 2019 Tree City USA.   The letter is not included in the backup materials.
4. Letter from Kelly Turturro, Regional Director of the NYS DEC, regarding the stewardship program at the Croton River Gorge Unique Area.   Ms. Turturro states that its is the intent of the NYSDEC to work with the NY-NJ Trail conference to provide a Steward program for the Croton Unique Area in 2020.  They will provide 50% or up to $18,000 for the program.

 

 

 

PROPOSED RESOLUTIONS:

1. Acknowledge receipt of application from Victor Conte, owner of 34 Brook Street, requesting a change of use from office to residential and refer such application to the Planning Board for review.  Mr. Conte is proposing to go from an existing non-conforming use to another non-conforming use.  This requires a special permit from the Village Board.   It is being referred for comments to the Planning Board.
2. Consider scheduling a Public Hearing on the adoption of the 2020-2021 Tentative Village Budget for Monday, April 6, at 8 PM in the Georgianna Grant Meeting Room of the Stanley H. Kellerhouse Municipal Building.   The Village Board is required to hold a Public Hearing on the proposed Tentative Budget for fiscal year 2020-2021.  The Tentative Budget will be released on Friday, March 20.
3. Consider scheduling a Public Hearing on April 6, 2020 to consider Local Law Introductory No. 3 of 2020, repealing the prior tax cap override in Local Law 2 of 2020, at 8 PM in the Georgianna Grant Meeting Room of the Stanley H. Kellerhouse Municipal Building.   The Board previously adopted a Property Tax Override resolution to avoid penalties in the event the proposed property tax would exceed the NYS Tax Levy Cap.  This is not anticipated so the override resolution must be rescinded before the 2020-2021 budget can be adopted.
4. Consider authorizing the Village Manager to sign a revised project agreement with the New York State Department of Transportation to providing matching funds for the Croton Point Avenue Traffic, Pedestrian, and Bicycle Improvement Project in the amount of $1,000,000.  The Board would resolve to move ahead with the project, accept the NYSDOT amount of $1 million for the project, and authorize the Village Manager to complete all necessary agreements.
5. Consider adoption of a resolution affirming various practices and policies of the Village in relation to its Climate Smart Communities (CSC) submission.  In seeking to be certified as a NYS Climate Smart Community, the Board must reaffirm certain documents and studies previously performed  such as 2009 and 2018 Greenhouse Gas Emission  Municipal Inventory, 2012 and 2019  government operations Climate Action Plan, and authorize a 20-day comment period on these plans.  The Village also resolves to reduce its Greenhouse Gas Municipal emissions 20% between 2010 and end of 2025 and reduce community Greenhouse Gas emissions by 10% between 2010 and 2030.
6. Consider authorizing the Village Manager to accept the proposal from Provident Design Engineering of Hawthorne, New York, for intersection traffic control design at Grand Street and Old Post Road South in the amount of $14,250.  Following a work session discussion on possible improvements to this intersection, the resolution endorses the recommendation of the Bicycle Pedestrian Committee’s recommendation for a design that implements an all-way stop and awards Provident the contract for its implementation.
7. Consider awarding Bid #1-2020 for water infrastructure improvements to Michels Pipe Services in the amount of $1,224,666.  As part of its ongoing efforts to improve and update the Village’s aging water infrastructure, bids were requested for improvements along Cleveland drive and Old Post Road.  Two bids were received and the Village Engineer has recommended that the project be awarded to the low bidder, Michels Pipe.  They are the new owners of the former Heitkamp company that previously successfully performed all the water main relining in the village.

Dear neighbor, Here is the 482nd 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 – March 9, 2020

Work Session of the Village Board

7: 000 p.m.

(Open to Public and Televised

NOTE: The meeting will start at 7:00 pm with an Executive Session. Regular business will begin at 7:30pm.

a. The Board will enter into executive session to discuss the medical, financial, credit or employment history of a particular person or corporation, or matters leading to the appointment, employment, promotion, demotion, discipline, suspension, dismissal or removal of a particular person or corporation, as well as the proposed sale of the Village-owned Hollis Lane property.

b. Further review of the traffic study conducted around the intersection of Grand Street and Old Post Road South. The Board will review the recommendations from the traffic control study performed for the Grand Street, Old Post Road South intersection. At a prior work session discussion, board members indicated they would like more time to review the options.

c. Discussion on utilizing banners and signage to help screen the Municipal Place DPW site. The Board will look at, and discuss, some possible banners or billboards that might be located at the corner of Municipal Place and South Riverside Ave. They would be Croton-oriented and depending on design, could provide information on the Village and events.

d. Discussion with members of the Advisory Board for the Visual Environment on their role and responsibilities. Members of the VEB will present their ideas on this matter and how best they can accomplish it.

e. Further discussion on the recreational kayak program at Echo Canoe Launch. The owner of the kayak rental concession at Echo Canoe Launch, John Clark, is asking for reconsideration by the Board of a one-year contract for his rental program. He has devised a way of identifying his equipment and customers as a means of better monitoring where possible problems may be coming from. As well, Mr. Clark believes that his employees’ presence at the site provides a form of stewardship and oversight.

At its March 2^nd meeting, Croton’s Board passed two zoning amendments applicable to key village areas. The decision infuriated a large number of people. The individuals who should be MOST UPSET are residential/commercial property developers who were hoping to make millions from the changes. Real estate moguls will be furious that these modest amendments indisputably block their goal of maximizing profits derived from speculative, large-scale developments. Croton will receive ZERO proposals from capitalist construction carpetbaggers, who will walk away without investing in Croton. “Good Riddance”. 

The voices insisting that the Board adopt a “No New Housing Ever” policy were respectfully acknowledged, but unheeded. No Village official should blindly comply with such a mantra. We should not maintain a status quo that showcases our decades-long failure to incentivize the completion of tactfully designed, micro-projects in these high-profile gateway zones. Our elected leaders must instead comply with their numerous fiduciary duties, which in 2020 and beyond include: i) improving government services; ii) stabilizing/reducing Village expenses; and iii) enabling small-scale residential development to increase our depleted housing stock while gently rehabilitating declining areas. These principles have net positive impacts that would win majority support in ANY public survey – if it was properly drafted. 

Those who should be PLEASED with the vote are the many Croton residents who demanded that the Board never enact zoning changes creating traffic problems, damaging the environment, or negatively impacting our quality of life. The 80% Board vote in favor of the 2 amendments actually complies with this wise policy. The Request for Proposal document now to be drafted for the “Katz Property” will contain even more development restrictions than were already included in the relevant zoning amendment. In addition, the RFP will be authored by an independently chaired Committee dedicated to balancing diverse community voices. As for Riverside corridor development, the Planning Board’s future review of new proposals received for that area – if any at all – will present insurmountable obstacles for projects not designed with Croton’s best interests at their core. In short – the demands of Crotonites who want carefully managed changes that benefit Croton’s population as a whole were complied with – and will continue to be respected in the years ahead.

John Habib, Trustee