Village Board Passes Limitations on the Use of Gas Leaf Blowers at Final Meeting
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On Tuesday, March 23rd, Village Mayor Marc Samwick hosted his last Board of Trustees meeting as the Mayor of Scarsdale. For Trustees Rochelle Waldman and Seth Ross, this meeting also marked their last, as their terms as trustees come to an end this month. In his opening remarks, Mayor Samwick spoke about the senseless killing of eight people in Atlanta and the horrific hate crimes against the Asian American and Pacific Islander community. As a village, Scarsdale seeks “to build a community that is just, fair, welcoming and inclusive, where dignity is maintained. We value and celebrate our community’s cultural commonalities and differences while strongly rejecting bias towards any group.” Mayor Samwick encouraged residents to attend the Vigil in Chase Park this Saturday, March 27th from 1-3 pm to honor the victims of this horrifying and deadly attack. Click here to read his statement.
Mayor Samwick went on to congratulate newly elected incoming Mayor Jane Veron who is an “exemplary volunteer and leader” and said that “we are in outstanding hands with Jane at the helm and I could not personally select a more qualified and proven leader than Jane to be our next Mayor.” He then addressed the entire Board and highlighted the best qualities of each trustee. Speaking to the two retiring members, Mayor Samwick told Trustee Ross that his "smart, balanced, and open-minded approach to Village government is the embodiment of the ideal that has long been sought when selecting trustees” and that he will miss Ross’ “deeply thoughtful, ethical, and logical approach to addressing the issues that will face the Village in the future.” To Trustee Waldman, he said that she comes to “every meeting fully prepared with intellectual curiosity, an open and critical mind, and a constructive attitude. You regularly sought common-sense solutions that fit our community, without a preset agenda. Personally, I could always count on you to provide me with honest, balanced and highly valued insights and counsel. Your focus on listening, consensus-building and understanding of the role and responsibilities of a Trustee are ideals that future Village Board members we be well-served to emulate.” The Mayor had wonderful and thoughtful things to say about each Trustee, and he closed his remarks by saying:
Now, the thought of leaving Village elected service is a mixed blessing, mixed in having much more time to my family and myself knowing that I gave myself fully to the service of the Village we love and yet never being able to do as much as I would have liked. And, the blessing of knowing that I will have more time to share with my beautiful wife.
Thank you for giving me the opportunity to serve. It has been my honor and a great privilege to serve such an esteemed community. Thank you.
Next, each trustee had the opportunity to address and thank each other for their work over this term.
In his farewell remarks, Trustee Seth Ross said that it was “bittersweet to leave the Board” and that his time spent as a trustee was “uniquely satisfying… It’s been a pleasure and I will treasure the memories.” He had particularly kind words for Mayor Samwick, whom he said, “always accepts responsibility and never seeks credit when things turn out well even if [he] is the moving force.”
Trustee Waldman also said her goodbyes and thanked Mayor Samwick for making her “experience as a trustee as meaningful as it has been.” She had thoughtful things to say about each of the trustees and thanked Village Manager Pappalardo and Village Staff Rob, Ingrid, Donna, and Ann for their hard work and dedication over the past few years.
Speaking about the mayor, Trustee Arest stated that although “we don’t agree on everything, we have the same best interests for the village at heart” and that his “steadfast leadership during the pandemic carried the community through one of our darkest times." Trustee Lewis added that “tonight we say farewell to three great public servants…. These are the type of unique public servants you hope to serve with. They are non-complaining, have hopeful attitudes, are problem solvers, and [they prioritize] the implementation of actionable policy.” Trustee Crandall announced that the Board all chipped in, as a goodbye gift for the three retiring members, for gift certificates to one of Scarsdale’s “many great restaurants so that you can spend your free time dining the ‘dale.”
Covid-19 Update – County Executive George Latimer:
Westchester County Executive George Latimer joined the meeting to provide an update on the state of COVID-19 in Westchester. He announced that we are on the backside of the second bell curve; There was a rise in cases in fall 2020, it peaked around the holidays and New Years in December and January, and we are now on the backside of the slope. He hopes that the combination of effective vaccine distribution and the warm weather will help the county continue to improve going into the summer.
There are currently 5,319 active COVID-19 cases in the county; this is compared to the 6,264 cases we had at this time one month ago, and the 11,000+ cases we had two months ago. As of March 23rd, there were 256 hospitalizations, which is far better than the 389 we had one month ago, and the 584 we had two months ago. Thus far in Westchester, we have seen cases of the U.K. COVID variant, but no cases of the Brazilian or South African variants. In terms of fatalities, Westchester has lost almost 2,200 residents. While the percentage of fatalities is decreasing, each loss is deeply felt and mourned by the community.
Concerning vaccinations, the Westchester County Center vaccination site located in White Plains has vaccinated well over 125,000 people. Combined, the four major vaccination locations in Westchester have vaccinated almost 200,000 people. So far, 15% of Westchester residents are fully vaccinated, and an additional 15% have received one vaccine dose. Every New Yorker will be eligible to receive the vaccine on May 1, 2021, and Latimer expects that by the end of spring, any resident who wants a vaccine will have one.
Trustee Crandall pushed Latimer for more information about how to vaccinate homebound residents who for various reasons are unable to make it to vaccination sites. Latimer directed any resident who falls into the homebound category to call his Deputy Director of Operation Emily Saltzman who will arrange for vaccines to come to these individuals’ homes. She can be reached directly at 914-995-2912.
Public Hearing – Proposed Amendment to Gas-Powered Leaf Blower Regulations
Next came the most highly anticipated event of the evening – the public hearing on gas-powered leaf blowers. Many residents attended this Board meeting so they would have an opportunity to speak their mind about this issue. In total, the Board heard from 44 people on this topic and all but four were in favor of the proposal.
The Village’s current regulations limit the use of gas-powered blowers from June 1st through September 30th, but after hearing complaints about the noise from many residents, the Village asked the Conservation Advisory Council to put together a report on this issue. The report was completed in December 2020, and as a result of the report and input from the community, the Village drafted a proposed law that will prohibit the use of these blowers from May 1st -September 30th 2021, and during leaf season, the blowers will be allowed only Monday through Friday. Additionally, the draft dictates that they cannot be used on holidays. Starting in February 2022, the blowers can only be used from October 1st through December 31st. Electric leaf blowers can be used at any time. This draft law is designed to slowly begin to phase out the use of gas-powered blowers. Many town members urged the Board to follow the model of many neighboring towns and outlaw the blowers completely.
Dozens of residents spoke out in favor of this proposal, and many urged the Board to go even further and ban the use of these blowers entirely. Resident William Stern stated that "this era has taught us to trust the science [and the science has shown that] gas-powered blowers are dangerous to health and hearing, and they cause great discomfort with their nose levels.” Kelly Sperling details these health concerns and said that they “reduce the quality of life and penetrates houses so you can’t escape the noise by going inside. [They] lead to permanent hearing loss, emissions of carbon monoxide, more air and ozone pollutants, dangerous particulate matter and smog, increased risk of asthma attacks, cancer, dementia, and dizziness.”
Resident William Roberts, who is a physician and high school biology teacher, spoke about the chronic headaches, hearing loss, higher blood pressure, buildup of particulate matter, and various central nervous system issues that are associated with the use of these blowers.
Many residents also spoke to the issues related to enforcing these laws. Often when gas blowers are being used against code, the police do not arrive at the scene soon enough to enforce the law with the landscaping company. Residents, including Kristen Lewis, noted that this is not a good use of time for the police to be involved in these civil matters. She stated that it is the Village Board’s responsibility to develop effective enforcement mechanisms without involving the police. The current proposal does designate one person in the administration to be in charge of enforcing this matter, and Ms. Lewis said she hopes this person is given a substantial amount of power and resources to properly enforce the ban.
Resident Marc Greenwald expressed his support both for the proposed legislation and the process by which it came about. He said that when he began to work from home and was disturbed by the noise of the blowers, he reached out to Conservation Advisory Council members and expressed his concerns. He said that he is “pleased the process worked in this excellent way… they developed a report and brought it to the trustees… it is a sign of a healthy community that we have volunteers that work at all these levels.” He also spoke to the issue of enforcement and stated that homeowners need to take responsibility for the machinery used on their property and that if landscapers need to charge more for the use of electric equipment, it is homeowners who need to accept this additional financial responsibility. Some speakers, including Daniel Hunt, urged Scarsdale to adopt the most restrictive ban possible and suggested that homeowners, and not landscapers, should be the ones fined for infractions. Others also supported the idea of homeowners internalizing the additional costs that come with new electric equipment and batteries.
Many residents echoed these sentiments and stated that the noise and environmental pollution of these blowers interfered with their ability to work from home, ride bikes, go on runs, study, play and record music, and allow their children to play in the yard.
Darlene LeFrancois Haber made a particularly emotional plea in support of the ban by stating that “as an essential healthcare worker, I can’t breathe at work because of COVID and I can’t breathe at home [because of these blowers]”.
Two younger residents, Henry Libow and Kristen (both in the 3rd grade) also spoke in favor of the proposal. Henry “supports the change because the leaf blowers pollute everything, including animals, which is a waste of the earth.” Additionally, his friend Kristen added that the blowers “plague the next generation of people and kids (and cause) lots of gas in the house across from me that is hurting my breath.”
Almost every resident who spoke in favor of the legislation voiced their support for electrical equipment instead. David Fenigstein stated that “battery technology is proven and is ready for this transition. Batteries are safe and safer than internal combustion engines. They require much less maintenance and will be much cheaper over time.”
Joel Morse hit on a key point when he highlighted the need for "a partnership between homeowners and landscapers." He said that the key will be in providing landscapers with blowers that can plug into the electrical sockets outside of the home without batteries and declared his support for the proposal.
The four people who spoke out against the legislation were all landscaping industry professionals. Mike, a representative from the New York State Landscaping Association, was infuriated by the proposed law. He accused the legislation of discrimination and said that “when you have a business with 25 homes a day, where are you going to get all these batteries, where do you charge them? You’re taking a tool that we use to make our living away from us… do we ban all gas-powered cars? Should we all get Teslas? Does Scarsdale have electric trucks to plow the snow? Where does it end?” Furthermore, he stated that “the technology is not there. There is a time and place for electric, but you can’t do it yet… you’re looking to restrict us from working…. What happens if there is bad weather? I have 100 customers in Scarsdale, and they are the first to complain if we aren’t there because of bad weather with wet leaves or pouring rain.” He also declared that Scarsdale may be putting itself in a position for a possible class action or discrimination of trade lawsuit.
Wayne, another landscaper, expressed his dismay and confusion over how the work will get done without these blowers. “Scarsdale has huge trees and stuff is dropping 24/7. How are you going to do this? Are you going to take a rake?” He warned that the town might look very different based on the amount of debris that will not get cleaned. He also pointed out that this could be dangerous in the case of a natural disaster like Hurricane Sandy. Village Manager Pappalardo responded to this concern by clarifying a provision in the code that the village manager can waive the ban in the event of a storm to clean the village and make it safe.
The other two landscapers who spoke out were Larry Wilson and Michael Galaxy, both of whom pointed out this hypocrisy of the legislation, which allows the schools, the village, and golf courses, to use gas-blowers, but not landscapers. They also stated that some of the information in the CAS report is misleading and pointed out several logistical and practical issues with using batteries to operate equipment. They also questioned many of the allegations raised by Scarsdale residents that the blowers are worse sources of pollutants and particulate matter than other things.
After hearing this lively commentary from 40 supporters and 4 opponents of the legislation, the Board voted. The proposal passed unanimously with no dissenting votes. Trustee Arest, addressing some concerns about the pace of the ban stated that the Board “tried to make this more incremental because we understood the impact on landscaping. I did not appreciate the threat of a lawsuit and we would not vote for something if we thought there was something illegal about it. Plenty of [other towns] have taken similar actions… I am proud of this board and this is an incredible first step.”
Scarsdale Greets New Mayor and Elects Three Village Trustees
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Jonathan Lewis, Karen Brew, Jane Veron and Sameer Ahuja were elected to serve on March 16, 2021A total of 423 residents cast their votes for a new Mayor of Scarsdale and three Village Trustees in the March 16, 2021 Village election. In a sign of the times almost a third of the votes were cast by absentee ballot as people preferred not to vote in person due to the pandemic.
The tallying of the votes when the polls closed at 9 pm was subdued, as the candidates ran uncontested and the outcome was assured. Unlike past years when independent candidates challenged the Non-Partisan Party Slate, this year there was unanimous support for the four people who had been vetted and selected by Scarsdale’s Citizen’s Nominating Committee.
Last year the election was put off from March 2020 to September 2020 due to the COVID crisis. A slate from the Voter’s Choice Party challenged the SCNPP slate and a total of 1,921 votes were cast with the SCNPP slate winning 2:1.
Scarsdale will now be led by Mayor Jane Veron, a former two-term Village Trustee and community volunteer with a lengthy record of service to Scarsdale. Her team will include Jonathan Lewis, who was elected for a second term with newcomers to the Board Sameer Ahuja and Karen Brew along with current Board members Justin Arest, Lena Crandall and Randy Whitestone. Mayor Marc Samwick, Seth Ross and Rochelle Waldman will complete their terms of service.
The vote count, tallied and announced by Village Clerk Donna Conkling at the Scarsdale Congregational Church was as follows:
Mayor Jane Veron: 406
Village Trustee Sameer Ahuja 398
Trustee Karen Brew: 393
Trustee Jonathan Lewis: 394
Due to COVID restrictions, the traditional celebration at the Scarsdale Woman’s Club could not be held, but candidates did get to cut the cake at the home of former Mayor Jon Mark.
The Board has much work ahead including balancing the Village budget, repairing the Scarsdale Pool, revitalizing Scarsdale’s business district and perhaps making another attempt to repair the Freightway Garage or redevelop the site.
Here are comments from the newly elected Board members:
Mayor Jane Veron
I am honored to serve our community. I am deeply committed to making Scarsdale a wonderful place to live, and I feel exceedingly lucky to get to work with this extraordinary Board and our dedicated Village staff. Together, we will continue to fortify the strong foundation of our community, and we will create a vision for Scarsdale that honors our past and builds for our future.
Village Trustee Sameer Ahuja
I am so excited to serve the Scarsdale community and work with such a wonderful group of Trustees, Village Staff and volunteers. Scarsdale is a special place for my family and I and I look forward to help to make Scarsdale the best it can be.
Village Trustee Karen Brew
I am honored to have been nominated by the CNC and now to be elected with this wonderful group. I am excited to be joining this team and want to do the work and give back. I enjoy living here and want to make Scarsdale a place that everyone continues to enjoy.
Village Trustee Jonathan Lewis
"I am very grateful to the Citizens Nominating Committee for nominating me, and honored that the voters of Scarsdale turned out in such strong numbers during a pandemic to support the entire slate. I am honored to be given the chance to serve a second term as Village Trustee, and looking forward to working with Jane, Karen, and Sameer. I will miss working with Marc, Seth, and Rochelle, but know we can count on their guidance in the months ahead."
Lewis added, “The turnout in this uncontested election was similar to the turnout in 2019. Given the pandemic, I felt that was a strong outcome.”
Apply Now for a Freightway Garage Parking Permit
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The application period for Freightway Garage Semi-Annual permits is now open. Permits will be issued on a first-come, first-served basis, so apply today!
Permit applications will only be accepted by mail or via the drop box marked Parking Permits, located at the Village Hall front entrance. Please be advised that having a permit does not guarantee a parking space.
Important Information to Remember:
1. There are no automatic renewals – existing permit holders must reapply and are not guaranteed a permit; apply as early as possible to increase your chance of success.
2. Permits, which are issued electronically by license plate number, will be valid from April 01, 2021, through September 30, 2021.
3. Semi-annual permits for residents and Scarsdale Village Center merchants (and their employees) are $605.00; the fee for non-residents is $880.00. All payments must be by check or money order, payable to the Village of Scarsdale.
4. All permit applicants must supply a copy of their valid driver’s license, vehicle registration(s) for up to two cars per permit, and both home and work telephone numbers. Applicants requesting a resident permit must also provide a copy of their most recent utility bill. Employees of Scarsdale Village Center merchants seeking a permit must provide a note from their employer on business stationery, as well as a copy of their most recent paycheck stub.
No person with an unpaid parking ticket is eligible to apply for or receive a permit until the ticket is paid in full. The permit application and terms and conditions are available online
Harrison Asks Trustees to Reduce Proposed Village Tax Increase
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This letters was written by Bob Harrison:
To the Editor: The Village Board has been stuck on a 3.42 % proposed tax increase for our hurting
Scarsdale taxpayers during their budget workshops over a number of weeks. In the meantime the Scarsdale School Board has wisely proposed a school tax increase of only 1.93% which will be voted on by our residents in May.
Do you think our taxpaying residents would approve a 3.42 % tax increase if we could vote on the Village Budget during the current pandemic economy. The answer is a resounding NO. We have seen about 10% of our homeowners or 500 homes who have been unable to pay their village and school taxes on time and have incurred 10 % late fees on their taxes.
We feel strongly that any Village tax increase should NOT exceed 2%. To his credit only Trustee Jon Lewis has spoken out regularly in budget meetings to hold any Village tax increase to the 2 % area.
Now we have new information that the American Rescue bill just passed by Congress will have $ 1.96 million to help Scarsdale Village during Covid. In addition there was no accounting in the 3.42% tax increase for late fee tax payment income of $ 800,000 for school taxes and $180,000 for village taxes. Every $420,000 of income to the village can reduce the tax rate by 1 % so the Village Board could reduce the Village tax rate increase to 1.42 % or more for the coming fiscal year. The Village Board has further flexibility in reducing the Village tax rate increase with the use of the $ 1.96 million in FED funds and tying it with the use of our large
unassigned fund balance.
Now is the time for our tax paying residents to DEMAND that our Village Board reduce any Village tax increase to under 2 %!!!
Please send your DEMAND to the Mayor and Village Board at [email protected] and to the Village Clerk at [email protected] with copies to Bob Harrison at [email protected]. Call Bob Harrison at 914 725-0962 to discuss any comments on village taxes.
Bob Harrison
Chairman
Scarsdale Taxpayer Alert
65 Fox Meadow Road
Village Accrues over $900,000 in Fees for Unpaid Taxes and More from the Village Board
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When the Village Board of Trustees approved installment payments of taxes in 2020, they hoped to ease the burden of large school and village tax bills on residents, especially in light of the pandemic. So rather than receiving one payment coupon for their school and village taxes, property owners received envelopes with two coupons. A printing error cause some confusion but most paid the first installment of their tax bills on time. However, when it came time to make the second installment, it seems that many forgot. To date, 414 property owners have not paid the second installment of their school taxes, leaving them liable for steep penalties. Others neglected to pay their Village taxes as well. So this new installment tax plan may prove to be a very expensive gift to the Village who is realizing sizable revenues from penalties for non-payment.
This was to be the subject of a work session of the Scarsdale Board of Trustees scheduled before the Village Board meeting on Tuesday, February 23rd. However, the Board spontaneously switched the work session to a private Executive Session, leaving participants in the dark. Village Mayor Marc Samwick later reported that this change was made so that the Board could consult with legal counsel relating to the issue of unpaid taxes with Scarsdale’s new two-installment payment system.
At 7 pm the Board reconvened for its regularly scheduled public meeting where members voted on several resolutions and heard from constituents on a variety of issues. Mayor Samwick opened the meeting by addressing two key issues facing the town; the fees for delinquent taxpayers due to the new two-payment tax system and the Village’s 2021-2022 fiscal budget. Regarding the tax payment delinquencies, Village Treasurer Ann Scaglione reports that about 500 homeowners failed to make their second payments on-time and incurred sizable fees. As of Monday, February 22, fees for unpaid school tax bills amount to $787,000 and fees for unpaid Village taxes amount to $180,000. Treasurer Scaglione wants residents to be aware that the penalty on unpaid Village taxes increases from 8% in February to 9% in March, and she encourages all unpaid taxes to be paid by the end of February.
Below are excerpts of the Mayor’s statement on these two topics:
Two-Payment Tax Collection System:
Recognizing the havoc [the pandemic] wreaked upon personal finances, a suite of strategies was developed to reduce the financial burden of property taxes… Scarsdale Schools approached the Village in May 2020 and suggested that we consider transitioning to a two-installment tax collection system, rather than our long-standing single-installment plan. The rationale was simple: Help Scarsdale property owners with cash flow by allowing them to defer half of their property tax obligations to a second installment… The Village Board adopted a resolution implementing the new system on June 09, 2020.
Subsequently, the Village’s multi-pronged communication effort included mayoral commentary during Village Board meetings, press releases announcing the transition and reminding taxpayers of last dates to pay without penalty or interest, and delinquency notices after payments that were missed.
The tax bills, themselves, plainly stated the percent penalty information for late payments as well as the dates of penalty escalation. Our efforts exceeded the regulatory notification threshold by a substantial margin.
The Village not only leveraged numerous tools in seeking to help taxpayers amidst the pandemic, including transitioning to the two-installment tax remittance structure, but also endeavored to reduce taxpayer exposure to penalties and interest by providing notification of upcoming dues dates, stating statutory penalties for late payment, and providing late payment reminders to delinquent taxpayers… I and the Village Board regret that a portion of our taxpayers neglected to remit payment on-time and were thus exposed to seemingly harsh statutory penalties, which the Village lacks legal authority to reduce, waive, or reimburse. It is unfortunate that our efforts to help reduce fiscal stress amidst the pandemic yielded an unintended outcome for some, though I am also encouraged to report that over 94% remitted timely payment.
In the future, I implore all taxpayers to diligently track the tax remittance schedule and to call our Treasurer’s Office at 914.722.1170 with any tax remittance questions. We are here to help residents, within the confines of State and local codes.
21-22 Village Budget:
The Village went through extraordinary measures to propose a budget for the 21-22 fiscal year, which starts on June 1st... The Village acted quickly and decisively to address the fiscal impacts of the pandemic by implementing austerity spending constraints, which the Village continues to operate under, and to allocate funds into a COVID Reserve Account that now totals $2.25 million. The Village further identified $1.7 million of funded capital reserves that could qualify, if needed, for borrowing with an associated reallocation of those reserve funds to further supplement the COVID Reserve Account…Looking forward to the 21-22 budget, we continue to see some of the strains from the pandemic on our budget, most notably from an expected shortfall in parking and related revenues. The proposed tentative budget uses $2.25 million of fund balance, consisting of the use of $1,023,000 of unassigned General Fund Balance that is generally included each year in the budget plus funds from the COVID Reserve Account.
The First Pass Budget showed a proposed tax increase of 4.87%. This level of tax increase was not acceptable to the Board and staff and we pushed to find an incremental $187,300 of revenues and to reduce $413,705 of expenses, for a total net budget reduction of over $600,000. The resulting year-to-year proposed increase in the tax levy is now 3.42%, for a total tax levy of $43,239,747 and an overall General Fund budget of $60,131,681. To put this in perspective, a residential property owner owning a home assessed at $1,510,000, representing the current average home assessment in Scarsdale, would pay $7,293 in Village property taxes in FY21-22. This represents an increase of $182 year-to-year. The tax levy increase of 3.42% is below the NYS Property Tax cap limit for 2021-22…We will be conducting public briefing sessions to review the operating and capital budgets, including the public’s ability to ask questions and provide input in the proposed budgets. The Operating Budget Briefing Session will be held tomorrow, February 24th, at 5pm and the Capital Budget Briefing Session will be held one week later on March 3rd, also at 5pm. Both meetings will be held via Zoom and links to join the meetings may be found on the Village website.
Public Comments
Following the Mayor’s comments, the Board heard from Scarsdale residents during Public Comment.
• Michelle Sterling requested that the Board schedule a public hearing on proposed changes to the leaf blower code so that residents can reap the benefits.
• Bob Harrison, conveyed his dismay at the Board’s surprise private Executive Session earlier that evening. He also asked for an update on the updated Village and school taxes from last year and asked if there were plans to use those overdue funds to reduce the 3.4% proposed tax increase for the 2021-2022 fiscal year. Mayor Samwick responded by stating that it would be financially imprudent for the board to use funds from a current fiscal year (that may result in a deficit) in a subsequent year. During the second round of Public Comment later in the evening, Mr. Harrison again expressed his displeasure about the 3.41% tax increase and said he felt strongly that the Board could lower the increase further.
• John McCann said that he was looking forward to the vote later in the evening on the renaming of Crossway Field and he notified the Board that he would raise the funds to pay for any plaques or sign changes associated with the renaming.
• Paul Fix spoke about the significance of Coach Richard “Rippy” Phillips to his family. He stated that it was “astounding how many letters [supporting the field name change] came in. To see how many members of this community, how many lives were affected is breathtaking… [this name change] is the first step towards thanking Rippy for everything.”
Next, Trustee Crandall announced that the library’s Virtual Vital Aging Series “Covid-19 Vaccinations: With Dr. Michael Palumbo” on March 3rd at 1:00 PM is available for signups HERE. Trustee. Crandall also said that the Senior Citizen Advisory Council reported that seniors have been able to schedule their Covid-19 vaccinations despite some technological obstacles and the short supply of available appointments. The Senior Citizen Advisory Council is looking forward to the Scarsdale Library grand reopening and would appreciate a designated space and time to use the library when it opens. Finally, Ms. Crandall announced that seniors in the community have been taking advantage of the Zoom events available to them, and many are attending Westchester Chamber Music Society and Scarsdale Recreation Department online events.
Trustee Waldman updated the Board about library events where they are ending the celebration of Black History Month with an event on black citizenship in the age of Jim Crow on Friday, February 26th at 7:00 PM. Residents are encouraged to learn more and sign up HERE. Additionally, if any teenagers are interested in joining the Teen Advisory Library Board, there is a meeting on Saturday, March 6th at 2:00 PM and you can sign up HERE.
Next, the Board voted on five resolutions, all of which passed unanimously. The first was the Resolution to Establish Fiscal Year 2021-22 Village Wide Fees and Charges presented by Trustee Arest. Mr. Arest emphasized that the Board can change certain charges at any point, so just because a charge is constant at this point does not mean that rate is permanent. Village Clerk Donna Conkling will publish the changes of the fees and schedule to the Scarsdale Village website. Trustee Crandall stated that she is "looking forward to further discussion of water rates… it is important to keep a close eye on those to keep up with present and future expenses… during [the Board's] next term I hope the Board can address the penalty for offenses… the standard penalty is $250 per violation per day. Our expenses have gone up, and we hear from the public that we need to do a better job of enforcing the Village Code. We need to study the penalty amount to see if it is still appropriate.”
The second resolution, presented by Trustee Crandall, was the Resolution to Establish the Climate Smart Communities Task Force. The resolution states that “whereas the Board of Trustees believes that climate change poses a real and increasing threat, exhibiting the potential for significant harmful disruption to natural and human systems, including environmental, social, and economic impacts; and whereas, by way of resolution (attached) adopted by the Village Board on February 11, 2020, the Village of Scarsdale adopted the Climate Smart Communities Pledge, comprised of the following goals:
1. Build a climate-smart community
2. Inventory emissions, set goals, and plan for climate action
3. Decrease energy use
4. Shift to clean, renewable energy
5. Use climate-smart materials management
6. Implement climate-smart land use
7. Enhance community resilience to climate change
8. Support a green innovation economy
9. Inform and inspire the public
10. Engage in an evolving process of climate action”
The task force is charged with “developing, recommending, and assisting, as needed, with implementing context-sensitive strategies and activities supportive of CSC Certification program goals” and drafting and presenting a proposed workplan to the Board that will be updated annually. Mayor Samwick stated that the Board is “excited about the many opportunities” this task force will present to address the climate crisis and he looks forward to the future of the task force.
The third resolution, entitled the Authorization to Execute an Intermunicipal Agreement with Westchester County for the Use of Voting Machines, provides for the use of four Optional Scan Voting Machines, one Ballot Marking Device, and three Privacy Booths, and the technicians necessary to operate the voting system for the Annual Scarsdale Village Election on Tuesday, March 16th.
The final two resolutions were presented by Trustee Waldman. The first was the Resolution to Name the Football Field at the Crossway Athletic Complex the Richard “Rippy” Philipps Field at Crossway. Below is the bio of Richard “Rippy” Philipps that was included in the resolution:
Philipps Bio Richard “Rippy” Philipps has been an integral and passionate part in the success of Scarsdale Youth Football for the past 26 years. He is the President of Scarsdale Raider Football consisting of athletes participating in Youth Flag and Tackle Football Programs, as well as enthusiastic parents that help out in any way they can to improve the interest in youth football in the Scarsdale community. In addition, Rippy was an Executive Board member within the Scarsdale Youth Football League (tackle) formerly run by the Scarsdale Recreation Department and is now part of the Westchester Youth Football League Board creating and implementing all safety Policy and Guidelines for the league ensuring Scarsdale youth tackle football remains vibrant and competitive. His countless hours and tireless effort on and off the field to improve the youth football program in Scarsdale has been extremely beneficial to the whole community.
Some additional Scarsdale Raider Football club responsibilities include ordering game uniforms, practice jerseys, and player and field equipment. Rippy is also the head coach for the 7th/8th-grade football team, his biggest and most fulfilling role as a volunteer. His inspirational leadership has benefited many Scarsdale athletes moving on the high school and college levels. What goes under the radar is the significant amount of student athletes he has mentored not only in sports but assisting them in real life matters in the Scarsdale community. With the recent COVID-19 pandemic, and the lack of tackle football not being allowed in NYS, Rippy help create, in conjunction with the Scarsdale Recreation Department, an energized Youth Flag Football program in Scarsdale which has over 230 participants from Kindergarten to Grade 8. In 2007, Rippy received the Westchester County "Volunteer Youth Sports Coaching Award. Lacrosse is one of his other passions. He has previously coached in our Scarsdale Recreation Department youth lacrosse programs.
What sets Rippy apart from all of our other volunteer coaches and makes his dedication to the Recreation Department and the Scarsdale community that much more special, is the fact that he has never had a child go through the football or lacrosse programs. The Scarsdale Recreation Department greatly appreciates his continuing contributions and dedication to not only our Recreation Department but to all student athletes and non-athletes in the Scarsdale community.
Before voting yes, Trustee Arest, commented that “this vote was harder than I thought it would be… we have not had a process on this and we haven’t had discussions on what policies will look like going into the future. It hurts our credibility when residents come and ask us for things… and we tell them we must follow a process… and then we didn’t follow them here… Rippy has had a great impact on so many people in Scarsdale… the letters written on his behalf were moving and spoke well on his behalf… it is incredible what he has accomplished… so many have had their lives touched and improved by Rippy and that is why I will vote aye.”
Trustee Whitestone also spoke about the impact of Coach Rippy and said that "his dedication and commitment has provided the vitality for the program that has impacted hundreds of people… I have seen this firsthand with the participation of my own son… he continues to make these meaningful contributions… it is great to be able to honor him in this way.”
The final vote came from Mayor Samwick who stated that he “would like to enthusiastically vote aye… I have three sons all of who went through the football program. I have seen how Rippy works with young children with kids not just on his team and in high school… I have heard stories of him helping people with jobs and being there for people when they are in need… and then we saw this incredible outpouring from the community, it was overwhelming, it was remarkable. As elected leaders of the Village, we have to work on a wide array of things here, [it is nice] to do something that is so heartwarming, so based in the goodness of our community. That is what Rippy is… he exemplifies the goodness that is Scarsdale.”
The final resolution was the Authorization to Conduct the Annual 15K/4M Road Races. For the past 51 years, the Village Parks and Recreation Department has partnered with the Scarsdale Antiques Running Club to sponsor the annual 15K, 4-mile, and Kids Fun Run road races in the Fox Meadow and Greenacres neighborhoods. This year’s races will take place on Sunday, April 11th from 9:00 AM – 12:30 PM. The races will include Covid-19 mitigation measures and necessary staff support activities, including traffic control measures, event management, and public notification of race day detours.
As the last agenda item, Mayor Samwick announced the upcoming scheduled meetings:
Thursday, February 25, 2021, 5:00 PM – Village Board Work Session – via Zoom: To consider the appointment of individuals to various Boards, Councils and Committee Positions/Vacancies
Monday, March 01, 2021, 6:00 PM – Village Board Work Session – via Zoom: Advisory Council on Technology – Presentation of Village-Wide Information Technology Report
Tuesday, March 09, 2021, 7:00 PM – Village Board Regular Meeting – via Zoom (Subsequent Meeting Notice with Time and Format Changes to Follow)
Thursday, March 11, 2021, 5:00 PM – Village Board Work Session – via Zoom: Consider the appointment of individuals to various Boards, Councils and Committee Positions/Vacancies
Monday, March 22, 2021, 4:30 PM – Joint Meeting of the Scarsdale Board of Trustees and the Scarsdale Board of Education – via Zoom
Budget discussions:
Village Board Work Sessions – Zoom Video Conferencing Tuesday, March 09, 2021 – 5:00 P.M.
Briefing Session – Zoom Video Conferencing:
-Wednesday, February 24, 2021 – 5:00 P.M. – Operating Budget
-Wednesday, March 03, 2021 – 5:00 P.M. – Capital Budget
