Dear neighbor, Here is the 581st 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 –  April 25, 2022 

 Regular Meeting of the Village Board

7:00 pm

Georgianna Grant Room

Municipal Building

CORRESPONDENCE:

a.      Request for an LWRP Consistency Review from the New York State Dept. of Environmental Conservation regarding site improvements at Van Cortlandt Manor.  The NYSDEC is asking the Village to confirm that this project is consistent with the Village’s LWRP.  It will be referred to the Waterfront Advisory Committee for review.

PROPOSED RESOLUTIONS:

A.    Consider adoption of the 2022-2023 Village Budget for the fiscal year commencing June 1, 2022, through May 31, 2023.  The proposed budget for Fiscal 2022/2023 falls under the NYS Tax Levy Cap.  It calls for a total appropriation of $19,222,047.  Of this amount, $12,655,820 would be raised by property taxes.  This amounts to a 2.38% rate or $6.479 per $1000 of assessed valuation.

b.      Consider the addition of past due receivables to the tax bills for the 2022-2023 fiscal.

C.    Consider adoption of the Master Fee Schedule for 2022-2023.

D.    Consider authorizing the Mayor to sign the Tax Warrant for the collection of taxes for the period commencing June 1, 2022, through May 31, 2023.

E.     Consider authorizing the Village Manager to execute a revised Memorandum of    Understanding with Sustainable Westchester to participate in the upcoming ESA with Westchester Power.  The previously approved MOU stipulated a not-to-exceed price of 12.5 cents during their bidding process for an energy supplier.  Due to the volatility in the energy market, this would revise the not-to-exceed price to 13.9 cents.

Dear neighbor, Here is the 580th 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 – April  21,  2022

Work Session of the Village Board

7:00 pm

Georgianna Grant Room

Municipal Building

1.      Review of 2022-2023 Capital Plan  The proposed Capital budget for the General Fund 2022/2023 calls for $2,093,720 in expenditures to paid for with monies from Debt, Trust, CHIPS funding, and grants.  Projects include equipment purchases, storm water improvements, infrastructure improvements including sidewalks and roads. Fire Department, EMS and Police Department expenditures and an IT server for the Municipal Building.  Details can be found in the backup materials on the Village website.Continued Discussion on Recap of 2022-2023 Tentative Budget .  Manager Healy and Treasurer Tucker will continue the discussion and update on the tentative budget including changes resulting from previous discussions and new information

Dear neighbor, Here is the 579th 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 –  April 18, 2022 

 Regular Meeting of the Village Board

7:00 pm

Georgianna Grant Room

Municipal Building

PUBLIC HEARING:

a.       Public Hearing on Local Law Introductory 5 of 2022 to amend Chapter 230, Zoning, of the Village Code to adopt provisions regarding cannabis shops.  The proposed zoning amendment adds restrictions on locations where cannabis retail shops could be located in the Village as follows: “… except that no cannabis shop or vape or tobacco shop shall be permitted within 500 feet of the property line of the Pierre Van Cortlandt Middle School and Croton-Harmon High School and may not be located within 500 feet of any other cannabis shop or vape or tobacco shop.”

LWRP Consistency Review for the installation of a generator at Symphony Knoll (15 Mount Airy Road).   This project is federally funded and as it is located in Croton which has an approved LWRP, the Village must determine that it is consistent with the Village’s adopted plan.  The project is to build a 4×8 concrete slab and a five-foot-wide trench to house the gas and electric pipes for a new generator adjacent to the existing senior residential facility at 15 Mt. Airy Road, Croton on Hudson, NY.  This project requires no expenditure for the Village.  The Waterfront Advisory Committee (WAC) found it to be consistent. 

CORRESPONDENCE:

1.      Email from DJ Goldman, Director of Athletics at Croton-Harmon School District, requesting permission to hang banners at Firefighters Memorial Field.  The banners are of CHHS Senior athletes.

2.      Email from Marie Considine, Executive Director of NAMI-Westchester, requesting the hanging of banners and ribbons in recognition of Mental Health Awareness Month.  These banners have been displayed in the Village during the month of May in past years.  Ms. Considine is requesting that this continues for this year. 

3.      Email from Carolyn Whiting, Police Advisory Committee Chair, regarding the annual police survey for 2022.   Ms. Whiting is requesting the Board approve the postponing of the annual survey on Law Enforcement and Public Safety until spring of 2023.  The committee would like more time to “ more thoroughly analyze the 2021 survey results, and to make changes to the survey to make it more relevant and easier for residents. We would also like time for the Police Department to make any suggested adjustments to their work and to put in place avenues to better communicate to the residents the work that the police department is doing.         ‘

4.      Memo from Daniel O’Connor, Village Engineer, regarding a building permit extension request for 3 Mount Airy Road.  Engineer O’Connor recommends that the existing permit be extended to August 2022 in order to ready the building for sale.

5.      Email from John Munson, Fire Council Secretary, regarding membership changes in the Croton-on-Hudson Fire Department.  As required, the Fire Council is notifying the Village of membership changes in status in the various departments.

6.      Memo from Village Manager Bryan Healy detailing an Eagle Scout project for Black Rock Dog Park.   Manager Healy has approved an Eagle scout project proposed by Justin Rose-Sommers.  The project will create an agility course for dogs at the Black Rock Dog Park inside the existing dog park space.  It will entail no cost to the Village.

PROPOSED RESOLUTIONS:

1. Consider amending the official map of the Village of Croton-on-Hudson to change the name of O’Reilly Court to O’Riley Court.  When the subdivision map for River Landing was approved in 1990, the spelling for this street was in error.  It was intended to be named for Clifford O’Riley, a resident of the Village who was killed in action during World War II.   
2. Consider adopting a home rule request for a residential parking permit system on Benedict Blvd. between South Riverside Avenue and Hastings Avenue.  The Village Board would like to extend the existing residential parking system that is on Young and Hastings Avenues to Benedict Blvd.  A resolution of request to the NYS legislature is required.
3. Consider authorizing the Village Manager to execute an agreement with Holy Name of Mary Parish for the rental of their parking lot for municipal parking for the period of June 1, 2022, through May 31, 2027, at a cost of $4,000 per year.   The term of the lease is 5 years.  The Village performs necessary maintenance at the lot.
4. Consider authorizing the Village Manager to execute an Intermunicipal Agreement with the Town of Cortlandt for shared purchasing.  This shared service agreement applies to supplies and materials.
5. Consider authorizing the Village Manager to execute an Intermunicipal Agreement with the Town of Cortlandt for the sharing of equipment. This agreement allows the Village to save on costs of purchasing and/or renting equipment and vehicles.  The City of Peekskill, Towns of Cortlandt and Philipstown and the Village of Buchanan are parties to this agreement.
6. Consider authorizing the Village Manager to execute a termination agreement related to the restrictive condition on property located adjacent to 72 Thompson Avenue, known on the tax maps as 79.09-2-2.   The restrictive condition having to do with utility locations prevents this property from being combined with an adjacent property allowing its sale. 
7. Consider authorizing the Village Manager to accept a proposal from Antonucci & Associates of Pelham, New York, for the preparation of bid documents and special inspections of the engine room floor at the Grand Street Firehouse at a cost not to exceed $30,000.  This work will eventually upgrade the fire house floor in the building.
8. Consider authorizing the Village Treasurer to make an interfund transfer in the amount of $3,000 for the revision of construction plans for the Grand Street Retaining Wall project.  This project was initially proposed in 2020 but delayed due to pandemic considerations.  The Village has since received a matching grant for this work from Westchester County.
9. Consider authorizing the Village Treasurer to make an interfund transfer in the amount of $8,000 for the purchase of a new diesel vehicle inspection station.  This work is undertaken to comply with NYS Inspection requirements.
10. Consider adopting a statement of consistency with the Village’s Local Waterfront Revitalization Program for the installation of a generator at Symphony Knoll (15 Mount Airy Road).  This affirms that the Board has found the proposed generator at Symphony Knoll to be consistent with our Village’s LWRP.

Recap of 2022-2023 Tentative Budget

Manager Healy and Treasurer Tucker will review proposed changes to the tentative budget since it was introduced in late March.

Dear neighbor, Here is the 578th 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 – April 11,  2022 

Work Session of the Village Board

7:00 pm

Georgianna Grant Room

Municipal Building

1.      Review of Proposed Fee Schedule for 2022-2023.  Proposed fee changes include raises in Silver Lake passes for non-residents and daily fees for resident,  increases for Senasqua Pavilion rentals and kayak storage, false alarm charges when there is no Alarm permit, rail station parking fees, and various Building Dept. fees.

2.      Review of the Recreation Department Budget

The five account lines include Recreation Administration, Playgrounds and Recreation, Special Recreation Facilities, Youth Programs, and Senior Citizens.  Overall, the 22/23 budget calls for expenditures of $559,683 with an increase of $33,997 over the prior year.  The largest increase is in youth programs.

3.      Review of the Administration Budget

The Administrative budget lines includes the following lines: Board of Trustees, Mayor, Manager, Auditor, Treasurer, Assessment, Tax Advertising, Village Clerk, Law, Engineering, Central Communications, Data Processing, Contingency, Registrar, Parking, Publicity, Historian, Zoning Board, Planning Board, Conservation, Emergency Disasters, Natural Resources and Undistributed. 

The Tentative Budget is available on the Village website and the following codes apply to the Administration budget: A1010, A1110, A1210, A1230, A1320, A1325, A1355, A1362, A1410, A1420, A1440, A1650, A1680, A1900, A1990, A4020, A5650, A6410, A7510, A8010, A8020, A8710, A8760, A8790, A9000

Dear neighbor, Here is the 577th 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 – April 5,  2022 

Work Session of the Village Board

7:00 pm

Georgianna Grant Room

Municipal Building

1.    Review of the EMS Budget  Overall, the amount requested is $438,219, an increase over FY 2021/2022 of $12,601 or 2.96%.  The annual contracts for EMT and Paramedics has increased $16,776.   

2.      Review of the Fire Department Budget  The total request is $587,758, an increase of $10,642 (1.84%).  One component on the increase in the annual payment for the Length of Service Program, increased $15,915.  There was also a decrease of $23,000 in other lines.

3.      Review of the Police Department Budget   The Police Department proposed budget calls for an increase of $9,996 to $3,303,481.  This includes a proposed increase of $20,000 in the DARE program which was substantially curtailed during the Covid period. The proposed budget includes funding for one vacant Officer position of $68,916.

The complete proposed budget is available from the Village’s website as well as the backup documents for this agenda.

Dear neighbor, Here is the 576th 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 – April 4, 2022
Regular Meeting of the Village Board
7:00 pm
Georgianna Grant Room
Municipal Building

LWRP Consistency Review for the NYSDOT Bridge Painting Project for the Warren Road Overpass. The Board will review the proposed painting project for consistency with the Village’s Local Waterfront Revitalization Plan (LWRP).

CORRESPONDENCE:
a. Letter from the Arbor Day Foundation declaring Croton-on-Hudson a 2021 Tree City USA. The Village has been selected as a 2021 Tree City, one of 3,600 nationwide. Recognition materials will be sent to Village for a future Arbor Day ceremony.
b. Letter from the New York State Department of State requesting a LWRP Consistency Review for the installation of a generator at Symphony Knoll (15 Mount Airy Road). Westchester County received an award of $5,469.396 from the Federal Housing Urban Development CDBG. As a member of the Urban County Consortium, the Village is eligible to benefit from this grant. The proposed project is to install a generator at the Senior Housing development of Symphony Knoll. This would ensure electricity is available during any service outages. The estimated cost of the project is $100,000 which would be fully paid by the award. Since the Village has a Local Waterfront Revitalization Program (LWRP), the Board must first find that this proposal is consistent with that plan.

c. Memorandum from Daniel O’Connor, Village Engineer, requesting a building permit extension for 22 Wells Avenue. Engineer O’Connor recommends a six month extension due to COVID-related issues that caused delays in the project completion.
d. Letter from the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation regarding the issuance of a permit for the Croton-Harmon Train Station Solar Canopy Project. The DEC has granted a permit for the proposed solar array installation at the railroad station. It was needed because parts of the area are located adjacent to a recognized freshwater wetland.

PROPOSED RESOLUTIONS:
a. Consider proclaiming April 29 as Arbor Day in the Village of Croton-on-Hudson. This is the 150th Anniversary of Arbor Day. The Village has been a Tree City since 1984.

b. Consider adopting a home rule request for a residential parking permit system on Benedict Blvd. between South Riverside Avenue and Hastings Avenue. A residential parking permit system has previously been instituted for sections of Hastings and Young Ave. This action, on a public street, required the approval of the NYS Legislature. The Board is now requesting the Legislature to approve enabling such a residential parking system for a portion of Benedict Blvd. Assemblywoman Galef and Senator Harckham have submitted bills to enable this but it requires a resolution from the Board as well.

c. Consider adopting a home rule request for a residential parking permit system for the Croton River area: Nordica Drive, Truesdale Drive, Cedar Lane and a portion of Old Post Road South. As in the above resolution, the Board is requesting that the Legislature enable a residential parking system in the named streets. Our State representatives have submitted bills to that effect and the Village Board must also submit a resolution requesting it.

d. Consider authorizing the Village Manager to extend the landscaping contract with La Teja Contractors and Landscaping of Ossining, New York, for the period from June 1, 2022, to May 31, 2023. A one-year extension of the current contract.

e. Consider authorizing the Village Manager to execute a Memorandum of Understanding with Sustainable Westchester to participate in the upcoming ESA with Westchester Power. The Village would agree to future continuation in the Community Choice Aggregation program beginning in July 2022.

f. Consider scheduling a Public Hearing on Local Law Introductory 5 of 2022 to amend Chapter 230, Zoning, of the Village Code to adopt provisions regarding cannabis shops, for April 18, 2022, at 7 PM in the Georgianna Grant Meeting Room of the Stanley H. Kellerhouse Municipal Building. The proposed zoning amendment adds restrictions on locations where cannabis retail shops could be located in the Village as follows: “… except that no cannabis shop, or vape or tobacco shop shall be permitted within 500 feet of the property line of the Pierre Van Cortlandt Middle School and Croton-Harmon High School and may not be located within 500 feet of any other cannabis shop, or vape or tobacco shop.”

g. Consider adoption of a statement of consistency with the Village’s Local Waterfront Revitalization Program (LWRP) for the NYSDOT Bridge Painting Project for the Warren Road Overpass. This is the project that the Board reviewed for consistency at the beginning of this meeting. The Waterfront Advisory Committee already found it consistent.

h. Consider authorizing the Village Treasurer to make an interfund transfer in the amount of $19,450 for additional services being provided by AKRF for the South Riverside Area Zoning Study. This would fund a Traffic Impact study for this area currently being studied for potential rezoning.

i. Consider authorizing the Village Treasurer to amend the 2021-2022 General Fund Budget in the amount of $6,020 to account for the forfeiture of street opening bonds. The Village receives performance bonds for street openings done by private contractors to ensure they are properly closed to the Village’s standards. Two openings were not closed to the satisfaction of the Village and performance bonds associated with that work have been forfeited.

j. Consider authorizing the Village Treasurer to amend the 2021-2022 General Fund Budget in the amount of $20,352.42 to account for the reimbursement of police overtime. Con Ed, Altice and PCI Industries requested Police help during road restoration work being performed by them. They agreed to reimburse for overtime expenses.