Dear Neighbors,
At last week’s work session meeting, the Board of Trustees explored a persistent problem: parking regulations on the Village streets adjacent or close to the Croton River., specifically Truesdale, Nordica, Cedar Lane, and a small section of Old Post Rd South and Morningside.
In the summer of 2019, this area of the Village experienced a very high incidence of non-residents attempting to access the Croton River, resulting in multiple incidences of trespassing, large crowds at and on the Croton River, noise and garbage. To address these issues, in 2020 the Village instituted parking restrictions on these streets that restricted parking on the weekends but also affected residents of these streets for their own Cars and guests.
The Village also requested Home Rule legislation from the NYS Legislature which would allow us to establish a Residential Parking System on these public streets. In NYS, parking regulations for public streets cannot give residents special permission to park on streets otherwise designated as non-parking streets unless the municipality has received permission from the Legislature to establish a Residential Parking System. A prior request to the Legislature in 2020 failed to pass so the Village set some new parking regulations on the streets that affected everyone – both residents and non-residents. These regulations created hardships for residents by limiting their own and their guests parking, sometimes resulting in parking tickets and fines.
The Village is now considering asking the NYS Legislature once again to pass the same Home Rule legislation, allowing it to create a Residential Parking System, giving more options for residents of these streets. Given the State legislative calendar, it is unlikely that any such law, if passed, would be in effect prior to the Fall of 2023.
As a result, the Village is considering what steps to take to improve the parking situation on these streets. As noted by Mayor Pugh, as well as several of the speakers, there are no easy answers to the anticipated summer parking situation. Many options are under consideration such as setting certain hours of no-parking, prohibiting certain days for all on -street parking, adding signage, increasing patrols and gate attendants, etc. The Village does not have the option of issuing guest passes. Also, whatever parking rules are implemented will also affect the ability of all Village residents who wish to visit this area.
While recognizing that there is not a solution that will make all residents happy, the Village is open to hearing additional suggestions to help alleviate the summer parking problem. A survey will be sent out to residents of the affected streets in the next week or so. An analysis of past parking violations, by the hours they occurred, will also be done to determine the time frame when on-street parking in the area presents the biggest problem.
Recognizing that there is no perfect answer, the Village is seeking to find the least intrusive parking regulations. In combination with regular monitoring, the goal is to help residents of these streets enjoy their homes during the summer and prevent over-crowding of access points along the Croton River as well as prevent trespassing of private properties along the river. Based on the information received, and studying past information, the Board hopes to settle on a viable solution in the next few weeks in advance of the summer months ahead.
Ann Gallelli

Dear neighbor, Here is the 606th 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 – January 9, 2023

Regular Board Meeting of the Village Board

7:00 pm

Georgianna Grant Room

Municipal Building

PRESENTATION:

Presentation by Melanie Dodson, outgoing president of the Croton-Cortlandt Food Pantry, related to services provided during the COVID-19 pandemic.

PUBLIC HEARING:

a.      Public Hearing to consider the issuance of a special permit to convert the existing mixed-use building at 193-195 Grand Street, a nonconforming use, to an all-residential building with five one-bedroom apartments, another nonconforming use.   This application is for the former Grandstand property.  The Village Board previously referred it to the Planning Board for a recommendation on the special permit.  The Planning Board provided an affirmative recommendation with some suggested conditions to met during site plan approval.

b.      Public Hearing to consider the renewal of a special permit for the operation of a day care center at 10 Old Post Road South.   This hearing is to consider the renewal of an expired Special permit.

CORRESPONDENCE:

a.      Memo from Village Manager Bryan Healy regarding the proposed Solar Array at Hudson National. Manager Healy wrote “Matrix Development and Hudson National Golf Club, respectively, submitted letters to formally withdraw their special permit applications and other related applications in relation to the above project. These letters are available for review on the project page of the Village website.”

b.      Memo from Village Manager Bryan Healy regarding the impact of the December 23rd storm.  Manager Healy recounts the preparations made by the Village in advance of the late December storm and resulting flooding.  Emails were sent to station permit holders and the general public to avoid certain areas of the lot based on past flooding experience. Sections of the lot did flood.  The worst damage was a seawall at Croton Landing Park.  The Village is awaiting an insurance determination prior to commencing repair work.

c.       Email from Fire Council Secretary John Munson regarding membership changes in the Croton Fire Department.  Secretary Munson informs the Village Board of changes in the membership as required.

d.      Email from Amy Yarmosky regarding parking on Wayne Street.  Ms. Yarmosky writes to request and remind the Board that they had considered requesting a Home Rule Law by the NYS Legislature to restrict parking on Wayne Street.

PROPOSED RESOLUTIONS:

Consider authorizing the Village Manager to sign an intermunicipal agreement with the County of Westchester to replace the retaining wall on Grand Street using funds from the Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) Program.   The Village will receive $59,076 for the replacement costs of the wall on Grand Street.

Consider authorizing the Village Manager to execute the supplemental consultant agreement with Bergmann Associates for design engineering services for the restoration of the Van Cortlandt Manor entrance project.   The Village is the sponsor agency for Van Cortlandt Manor (non-profit) entrance project and, as such, approves all expenditures for this project.  There are no costs incurred by the Village but expenditures must be approved.

Consider declaring the Village Board as Lead Agency under SEQRA for the Telecommunications special permit requested by DISH Wireless for the monopole located at 26 Veterans Plaza and referring the application to the Waterfront Advisory Committee for a recommendation of consistency with the Local Waterfront Revitalization Program (LWRP).   This will begin the SEQRA process for the DISH application for location on the Village’s monopole at the rail station.

Consider authorizing the Village Treasurer to amend the 2022-2023 General Fund Budget in the amount of $50,853.84 for monies that have been received for reimbursements of police services.   This reflects reimbursements for services provided by Croton Police to Historic Hudson Valley, Temple Israel, Croton Harmon School District, and Con Edison.

Consider authorizing the Village Treasurer to make an interfund transfer in the amount of $5,278.93 to upgrade the Village’s emergency alert and notification services., The Village is seeking to upgrade its emergency alert and notification services to reach a higher proportion of the community during critical events;

Consider authorizing the Village Treasurer to amend the 2022-2023 General Fund Budget in the amount of $15,000 for the purpose of celebrating the Village’s 125th anniversary through art, music performances, exhibitions, and community celebrations throughout the year.   Funding for this celebration was not included in the 2022/2023 budget.  This budget amendment covers activities and events for the period through May 31, 2023 as proposed to date.

Dear neighbor, Here is the 605th 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 – December 19, 2022

Regular Board Meeting of the Village Board

7:00 pm

Georgianna Grant Room

Municipal Building

PUBLIC HEARING:

Public hearing on the special permit renewal application for the operation of a day care center at 114 Grand Street at the Holy Name of Mary Church.  This is a renewal application.  The Planning Board has reviewed it and recommends approval.

CORRESPONDENCE:

a.      Letter from Ingrid Haeckel, NYS DEC Conservation and Land Use Specialist, regarding the Town of Cortlandt and Village of Croton-on-Hudson’s application to the Natural Resources Inventory Technical Assistance Project.   The Town and Village is notified that their application to be part of this project was not accepted.

b.      Email from John Munson, President of the Croton Fire Council, regarding the results of the annual election of Fire Chiefs for the Croton Volunteer Fire Department.   John Munson was elected Chief, Josh Karpoff was elected as 1^st Assistant Chief and Chris Colombo was elected as 2^nd Assistant Chief.

PROPOSED RESOLUTIONS:

a.      Consider scheduling a public hearing on January 9, 2022 to consider the renewal of a special permit for the operation of a day care center at 10 Old Post Road South.  This would schedule a Public Hearing for the renewal of the Special Permit for Happy Hearts on the Hudson.

b.      Consider scheduling a public hearing on January 9, 2022 to consider the issuance of a special permit to convert the existing mixed-use building at 193-195 Grand Street, a nonconforming use, to an all-residential building with three one-bedroom apartments, another nonconforming use. This is the location of the former Grand Stand business. The Planning Board has reviewed this application favorably.

c.       Consider scheduling a public hearing on January 23, 2022 to consider Local Law Introductory No. 18 to update and clarify certain provisions of the Village Code.    Following a review of Croton’s Code by General Code, Inc., a number of rewordings and clarifications are recommended.  A Public Hearing is needed prior to the proposed updates to the Code.

d.      Consider accepting the Draft Local Waterfront Revitalization Program Amendment as complete and ready to be submitted to the New York State Department of State for State, federal and regional agencies’ review.   After several years of review in coordination with the NYS Dept. of State, the updated Local Waterfront Revitalization Program (LWRP) for the Village is ready to be submitted for final approval.

e.       Consider expanding the membership capacity and residency requirements for the Arts & Humanities Advisory Council.    The intent of this Council is to support increased public awareness and appreciation for the arts, the integration of art into our public spaces, and to recognize and celebrate the achievements of our local arts community.  This resolution would increase the Council from 7 to 9  members and allow up to 3 members to  live elsewhere in Westchester County.

f.        Consider authorizing the Village Manager to accept the proposal from AKRF, Inc. in the amount of $12,000 for assistance in developing an RFP for the redevelopment of Lot A.The Village is interested in soliciting interest and future redevelopment proposals for the approximately 1.2-acre Village-owned parking lot known as “Lot A”, located on the north side of Croton Point Avenue at the intersection of Veterans Plaza that was recently rezoned. AKRF will provide assistance in developing a request for proposals (RFP) for the site;

g.      Consider authorizing the Village Manager to award the contract for RFP #03-2022, Emergency Generator System Maintenance, to Gentech Ltd. of New Windsor, New York, in the amount of $10,880.  The Village owns and maintains emergency generator systems at various buildings and facilities and wishes to have regularly scheduled preventive maintenance performed on them.  Four responses were returned from the RFP with Gentech Ltd. being the lowest responder.

h.      Consider authorizing the Village Manager to accept an estimate in the amount of $39,866 from JC Ironwork and Steel Fabrication of Poughkeepsie, New York, for the emergency replacement of the front gate at the DPW facility.  In November, 2022, the front gate at the DPW building was damaged by a passing vehicle, leaving the building accessible during non-working hours.  

Dear Neighbors:

At Monday’s work session, the Board of Trustees of the Village of Croton-on-Hudson reviewed our 2022 Audit Report by PKF O’Connor Davies.

The audit report covered the financial statements for the fiscal year that ended on May 31, 2022. We received a “clean” audit. Our independent auditor found that “the accompanying financial statements referred to above present fairly, in all material respects, the respective financial position of the governmental activities.”

Despite the pandemic and its economic consequences, the Village ended the fiscal year with more money and less debt.  The audit found a decrease in serial bonds of $2,134,990 from the prior year.  The Village ended the year with an unassigned general fund balance of $5,862,360–an increase from the prior year of $2,054,982.

The Village  reaped the benefit of refinancing some of its debt at lower interest rates – shortly before those interest rates began their climb. Finally, our auditor told us that Croton’s “rainy day fund,” the unassigned fund balance, was strong and a high percentage of overall expenditures.

As we look ahead to 2023, we must use this fiscal strength wisely. We have received our final infusion of federal aid under the American Rescue Plan Act. Borrowing costs have increased significantly due to rising interest rates. Our Village government has not been immune to the rising prices, especially in energy, that have burdened so many households.

Based on our experience to date, I’m confident that our Board, with the leadership of our Village Manager & the guidance of our Village Treasurer, can navigate these challenges.  

Sincerely,

Brian Pugh, Mayor

December 15, 2022

Dear neighbor, Here is the 604th 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 – December 12,  2022

Work Session of the Village Board

7:00 pm

Georgianna Grant Room

Municipal Building

1.      Review of 2022 Audit Report by PKF O’Connor Davies.

A representative from O’Connor Davies will present the overview to the Board.

2.      Presentation by the 125th Anniversary Committee on Proposed Events and Projects.  The Committee will present a Power point presentation with their plans and proposed events for the 2023 125^th Anniversary year.  The Power point is available from the Village website under Meetings and Agendas as well.

3.      Review Chapter 50 of the Village Code Regarding Residency Requirements for Members of the Arts & Humanities Advisory Council.   Currently all standing committee and board members are required to be Village residents except one member of the Visual Environment Board and the Village Historian.

4.      Discussion on the New York State Dept. of Environmental Conservation Draft East of Hudson (EOH) Unit Management Plan.  The NYS DEC has released a draft plan for management of 6,000+ acres they control in Westchester, Putnam, Dutchess and Rockland counties.  The Croton Gorge Unique Area is part of this proposal.  Two trail options are proposed for the area which is detailed starting on page 64 of the 197 page report.  The full report is available from the Village website under Meetings and Agendas.

Dear neighbor, Here is the 603rd 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 –  December 4, 2022

Meeting of the Village Board

7:00 pm

Georgianna Grant Room

Municipal Building

NOTE: The Village Board Organizational Meeting will be followed by a Regular Meeting of the Village Board.

ORGANIZATIONAL MEETING:

1.      Appointment of Village Officers and Board/Committee Members

            The oath of office will be administered to Trustees Ann Gallelli and Len Simon.

2.    Adoption of Board Policies.  The policies to be adopted include: Fund Balance, Procurement, Breach Notification, Sexual Harassment, Debt, Investment and Work Place Violence Prevention. Policies,

3.      Setting of Meeting Times and Places   The dates for Village Board meetings for the coming year will be established.

The following are work place policies that are adopted annually:

4.      Designation of Official Newspapers

5.      Naming of Official Depositories

6.      Setting of Standard Work Day Hours for Employees

7.      Setting of Employee Bond Levels

8.      Adoption of Rules of Procedure for Board of Trustees

9.      Setting of Standard Work Day for Elected and Appointed Officials

10.  Adoption of Mileage Reimbursement Rate

11.  Advance Approval of Claims

12.  Adoption of Conference & Travel Policy

REGULAR MEETING:

Public Hearing on Local Law Introductory No. 17 of 2022, amending Chapter 20 of the Village Code, Code of Ethics.   The Village’s Code of ethics has not been updated in many years. This updated version follows the guidelines of the NY Conference of Mayors (NYCOM).

CORRESPONDENCE:

a.    Email from John Munson, President of the Croton Fire Council, regarding membership changes in the Croton Fire Department.  Chief Munson provides an update on membership changes in the Fire Department.

b.   Information from the New York State Independent Redistricting Commission on upcoming public hearings regarding the court-ordered New York State Assembly redistricting plan.  A draft redistricting plan for the State Assembly is being submitted for public review and comment in accordance with the order of Justice Laurence Love of the Supreme Court of New York County in his opinion of September 29, 2022.  Twelve public hearings will be held in the State.  The closest to Croton is at Pace University Law School on January 30 at 4 pm.

c.    Letter from the NYS Division of Criminal Justice Services confirming the receipt of the Village Police Department’s application and participation agreement for the NYS Law Enforcement Accreditation Program.  The Croton Police department has been accepted into the NYS program to become accredited.

d.   Invitation to the 2022 Pearl Harbor Day Ceremony, which will take place at 235 Tate Avenue in the Village of Buchanan.  The ceremony will be at noon.  It is co-sponsored by the Village of Croton and the Town of Cortlandt, and the City of Peekskill.

e.    Letter from Daniel O’Connor, Village Engineer, requesting a building permit extension for 150 Grand Street. The permit is for a rear building extension which has been partially completed.  A 6-month extension is requested.

PROPOSED RESOLUTIONS:

a.    Consider authorizing the Village Manager to execute all documents necessary in connection with the closing of the sale of the 41-51 Maple Street Property to Westchester County subject to the Village Attorney’s final approval.  The closing on the property, which the Village has owned since 2008, will be later this week. The sale price is $2 million.  As a result of the financing arrangement the developer has with Westchester County an additional step is required whereby the Village first transfer it to the County and then the County transfers it to Regan Development Corp. This resolution authorizes the Village Manager to execute these steps.

b.   Acknowledge receipt of a special permit application from the property owner of 193-195 Grand Street to convert the existing mixed-use building, a nonconforming use, to an all-residential building with three one-bedroom apartments, another nonconforming use, and referring the necessary documents to the Village Planning Board as required by law, as well as the Westchester County Planning Board.  The Village Code allows a change from one non-conforming use to another provided the Board considers it either less restrictive in its nature or the same.

c.    Acknowledge receipt of a special permit application from Dish Wireless LLC to collocate new transmission equipment on the existing wireless tower near the Croton-Harmon Train Station, and consider determining that the Proposed Action is an Unlisted Action under SEQRA, declaring the Village Board’s intent to be Lead Agency under SEQRA, and referring the necessary documents to the Village Planning Board as required by law, as well as the Westchester County Planning Board.  As Sprint has merged with T-Mobile, there is now an open spot on the tower at the railroad station which Dish Wireless proposes to take over. 

D.   Acknowledge receipt of a special permit renewal application from   Happy Hearts on the Hudson for a day care center at 10 Old Post Road South and consider referring the necessary documents to the Village Planning Board as required by law.  This is a renewal application for a previously authorized permit.

E.   Consider scheduling a public hearing on the special permit renewal application for the operation of a day care center at 114 Grand Street at the Holy Name of Mary Church for December 19, 2022, at 7 p.m.  This application for a renewal was previously reviewed by the Planning Board which recommended its approval. 

f.     Consider reestablishing the Croton Trails Committee as a sub-committee of Croton Conservation Advisory Council.  The existing Trails Committee was established in 1992 as a sub committee of the CAC before becoming a stand-alone committee.  The CAC has recommended that the committee return to being a subcommittee of the CAC.

g.    Consider authorizing the Village Manager to accept the proposal from DTS Provident Design Engineering to conduct a traffic study related to lowering of the Village-wide speed limit at a cost of $4,400 and authorizing the Village Treasurer to make an interfund transfer in the same amount.  NYS has recently allowed municipalities to establish 25 mph speed limits.  The law requires that a traffic study be performed prior to taking this action.  The Village’s Bicycle Pedestrian Committee has studied the NYS provisions and favors establishing the lower speed limit.

h.   Consider authorizing the Village Treasurer to make an interfund transfer in the 2022-2023 General Fund budget in the amount of $7,000 to cover increased overtime expenses connected with seasonal events. Various seasonal events that were not held during COVID are now occurring again, requiring more employee involvement.

i.     Consider authorizing the Village Treasurer to make interfund transfers in the 2022-2023 General Fund and Sewer Fund budgets in the amount of $190,955.90 to allocate funds for various Department of Public Works-based services.  This moves the funds to the actual account where the expenses occurred from the main General and Sewer fund accounts established at budget approval time.

Dear neighbor, Here is the 602nd 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 21, 2022

Meeting of the Village Board

7:00 pm

Georgianna Grant Room

Municipal Building

PUBLIC HEARING:

Public hearing to consider Local Law Introductory No. 16 of 2022, increasing the income eligibility level for the tax exemption for persons with disabilities.  Following the NYS Legislature’s adoption of a new eligibility level for such a tax exemption, the Village law would be amended to increase the income level for eligibility from $19,500 to $50,000.

CORRESPONDENCE:

a.      Memo from Village Manager Bryan Healy regarding future plans for two Village-owned parcels.   Manager Healy addresses two -Village-owned properties.  He suggests starting an RFP (Request for Proposal) for Lot A, th upper parking lot at the Croton train station.  He also suggests that 119 Radnor Ave. (at 5 corners location) be donated to the Veterans for the purpose of building a home for a Veteran family which would have the added benefit of returning it to the Tax roll.

b.      Email from Terrence McGarty, Trails Committee Chairman, requesting approval from the Board to transition the Trails Committee from a formal committee to a group.  The Trails committee does not conduct meetings but only convenes on the Village Trails for clearing and other maintenance.

c.       Letter from Daniel O’Connor, Village Engineer, requesting a building permit extension for 1250 Albany Post Road.   The applicant relates that Covid delays in materials and worker shortages have caused the dal.  This extends the permit to May 2023.

d.      Notice of Layoff for Indian Point Energy Center (IPEC) subsidiary of Holtec International; Holtec Decommissioning International, LLC in connection with the Federal and State WARN Act.     IPEC is notifying area governments of the layoff of 30 employees in February.  This is a requirement of the State AND Federal law.

e.       Letter from Denise Harrington-Cohen, Croton-Harmon Schools Assistant Superintendent for Business, with an update on the CHUFSD District-Wide Capital Improvement project.    The district has sent  the SEQRA EAF Part 3 documentation regarding their proposed capital improvements.

PROPOSED RESOLUTIONS:

a.      Consider appointing Mark E. Frascello as a Police Officer in the Croton-on-Hudson Police Department at an annual salary of $68,580.43, pending the passage of medical exams and approval from Westchester County Department of Human Resources.    This position was scheduled in  this year’s budget.  Officer Frascello is currently with the Westchester County Police.

b.      Consider scheduling a public hearing on Local Law Introductory No. 17 of 2022, amending Chapter 20 of the Village Code, Code of Ethics, for December 5, 2022, at 7 p.m. in the Georgianna Grant Meeting Room of the Stanley H. Kellerhouse Municipal Building.   The Board will hold a Public Hearing to update its Code of Ethics consistent with NYS standards.

c.    Consider authorizing the Village Manager to sign the STOP DWI Patrol Project Reimbursement contract with Westchester County commencing October 1, 2022, through September 30, 2023.This program is an overtime, added, patrol effort to enforce the New York State Vehicle and Traffic Laws against intoxicated and impaired driving (DWI/DWAI) in Westchester County.  The Village ay be reimbursed up to $10,000. Croton has been part of this program for multiple years.

d.      Consider a resolution of support for the development of an intermunicipal natural resources inventory (“NRI”) for the Town of Cortlandt and the Village of Croton-on-Hudson.   , A natural resources inventory (“NRI”) compiles maps and descriptions of natural areas and provides a reference for planning in a community. The purpose of an NRI is to provide information for comprehensive land use and conservation planning, and to allow natural resource information to be included in local planning and zoning. The Town of Cortlandt and the Village of Croton-on-Hudson are interested in working together on an intermunicipal Natural Resources Inventory. The NYSDEC Hudson River Estuary Program is offering a 1-year technical assistance opportunity for two watershed municipalities to create a basic NRI, at no cost to the Village of Croton-on-Hudson but requiring a significant volunteer contribution.

e.       Consider a resolution of support for Sustainable Westchester’s proposal to add a Solar Credit offering to the Westchester Power program.   The Solar Credit offering will provide up to 10% savings on the electricity bills for eligible households and small businesses, and will be made available first to residents in participating municipalities who are enrolled in the utility’s low-income assistance programs.

f.        Acknowledge receipt of a special permit renewal application from the Church of the Holy Name of Mary for a day care center at 114 Grand Street and consider referring the necessary documents to the Village Planning Board as required by law.   This is a renewal application.  It will be referred to the Planning Board for review and the renewal fee would be waived.

g.      Consider authorizing the Village Manager to sign the 2022-2023 Volunteer Fire Department Service Fee Agreement with Penflex in the estimated amount of $6,700.   Penflex provides the actuarial and administrative services necessary to administer this program.

h.      Consider authorizing the Village Manager to extend the contract for welding services with Santella Welding of Putnam Valley, New York, for a one-year period beginning December 5, 2022, through December 5, 2023.  A one-year renewal of an existing contract.

i.        Consider authorizing the Village Manager to accept grant funding from the CREST program in the amount of $100,000 and work with New York State to allocate the funding towards the Harmon Firehouse expansion project.   The CREST program is the Community Resiliency, Economic Sustainability, and Technology (CREST) Grant.  The award was through Senator Harckham’s office and may be spent on Capital projects.

j.        Consider authorizing the Village Treasurer to make an interfund transfer in the amount of $10,956.48 to replace two flow meters within the Village’s water distribution system.  The Villageutilizes flow meters at its water distribution pumps to measure the amount of water being pumped through the distribution system.

k.      Consider authorizing the Village Treasurer to make an interfund transfer in the amount of $5,751.30 related to solid waste invoices from fiscal year 2022.  This is budget housekeeping.

l.        Consider authorizing the Village Treasurer to make an interfund transfer in the amount of $2,475 to replace the Photo ID Card Printer System in the Recreation Department.   The printer system used for issuing photo ids has become outdated and unreliable and needs to be replaced.  The money is available in the budget.

m.    Consider authorizing the Village Manager to accept a donation from Justin Rose-Sommers in the amount of $170.53.  Justin Rose-Sommers fundraised $4,700 to create a new agility course at Black Rock Dog Park for his Boy Scouts of America (BSA) Troop 49 Eagle Scout project. He is donating the unused portion to the Village’s Park’s fund.

Dear neighbor, Here is the 601st 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 14, 2022

Work Session of the Village Board

7:00 pm

Georgianna Grant Room

Municipal Building

1. Octoberfest/Fall Festival debrief. The Board, DPW, Police, members of the Croton Business Council, and other Upper Village merchants will discuss the recent event.
2. Village Treasurer presentation on expanded reporting. Treasurer Tucker will provide an update on the Year-to-Date budget status and cash flow of the General Fund.
3. Discussion on lowering speed limit minimum within Village boundaries. The Bicycle Pedestrian Committee has unanimously endorse the establishment of a 25 mph speed limit on all Village Streets where it is not otherwise prohibited by NYS Law (Albany Post road, Riverside, Route 129).
4. Continued discussion on development of Gouveia Park. The Board will discuss a memo from Trustee Horowitz who has reinitiated the discussion of the future uses of the Gouveia property. She points to two groups that made proposals in 2015 and 2019 but no further action was taken. Trustee Horowitz suggests that “the Village should be working on a Master Plan for the park’s development, prepared by a site planning professional with input by the community. The Master Plan will become a dynamic instrument to balance the interests of various stakeholders against time and budget, allowing for informed, phased improvements with an eye to the whole.”

Dear Neighbors:

Legislation titled “Local Law Introductory No. 11 and No. 12 of 2022” may bring on a yawn, but their details have the potential to help guide the Village’s towards an exciting future.

Our Board adopted those two laws November 1 after more than 1 ½ years of analysis, environmental review, hearings and consideration by advisory bodies, helped by talented planners and, most importantly, Croton residents actively participating in the process.

The evolution of this effort can be viewed at the Project Page for the South Riverside Avenue Area Zoning Study at https://www.crotononhudson-ny.gov/ongoing-projects-initiatives-proposed-infrastructure-improvements/pages/south-riverside-avenue-area and at our Board meeting for November 1, 2022 when we adopted the legislation at https://play.champds.com/crotononhudsonny/event/808.

Our objective in adopting these laws was to encourage revitalization and reduce commercial vacancies in the Harmon neighborhood and introduce a mixed-use transit-oriented concept to the train station area.

Mixed used buildings, containing both retail/commercial and housing have been permitted in Harmon for many years. The changes adopted would allow housing without a retail/commercial component, since the requirement for it may be an impediment to future housing development. The new law also permits housing to have three full stories rather than requiring the third story to be constructed within the roofline of the building.

Our hope is that with these modifications, there will be more housing, some affordable but most of it market-rate, for those currently living or working in the Village or for those who aspire to be part of our Croton community, and, of course, new customers for Croton businesses.

The legislation also allows for transit-oriented mixed use and multi-family residential development in the Light Industrial zoning district near the train station. For Example – “Lot A” – the overflow parking lot across from the main train parking lot – is not needed in post-Covid commuting, so it could be an appealing site for development that would enhance our Village.

These new Zoning amendments establish the rules for future development in these areas. But actual development will only happen on a project-by-project basis under the scrutiny and oversight of our Planning Board and the Board of Trustees, with ample neighborhood and public engagement at every step in the process.

As we proceed, we will be eager to learn from the development community of their interest in pursuing opportunities on vacant or underutilized land and on properties owned by the Village. I’m looking forward to a bright future for these parts of Croton, and the active involvement by Village residents to make it so.

Len Simon, Trustee

Village of Croton-on-Hudson