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Board of Trustees Minutes 12/4/2008
Village Board of Trustees
Regular Meeting
December 4, 2008
7:30 p.m.

The Regular Meeting of the Board of Trustees of the Village of Briarcliff Manor, New York was held in the Village of Briarcliff Manor Village Hall, at 1111 Pleasantville Road, Briarcliff Manor, New York of the 4th of December 2008 commencing at 7:30 p.m.

Present
William J. Vescio, Mayor
Robert Mayer, Trustee
Elsie Smith, Trustee

Also Present
Ingrid Richards, Village Manager
Christine Dennett, Village Clerk
Clinton Smith, Village Counsel

Absent
David Venditti, Deputy Mayor
Gayle Waxenberg, Trustee

Presentation by Library Board regarding furnishings

Ms. Cathy Burkhard of Library Board reviewed the furnishings, color selections materials, patterns and floor layout design for the Library.  She stated installation would begin in six to eight weeks and then the books would be loaded.  

The Board thanked Ms. Burkhard for all her hard work.  

Public Hearing, Amendment to Chapter 122, For Appeal of Consultant Fees For Land Use Applications

Upon motion by Trustee Mayer, seconded by Trustee Smith, the Board voted unanimously to open the public hearing.  

Mayor Vescio explained the change to the law.  

No public comments.  

Upon motion by Trustee Smith, seconded by Trustee Mayer, the Board voted unanimously to close the public hearing.  

Upon motion by Trustee Mayer, seconded by Trustee Smith, the Board voted unanimously to approve the following resolution:  

BE IT RESOLVED that the Board of Trustees does hereby amend Chapter 122 for the appeal of consultant fees charged on land use applications.      

Board of Trustees Announcements by Trustee Mayer
  • The 14th Annual Community Bonfire  will be on 12/14 at 5:00pm
Trustee Mayer read the following statements:

Town Meeting

Sandy Galef will be at the Ossining Library on Thursday January 22, 2009 from 7:00 to 9:00 PM to hold a “town hall meeting”.  She will be updating the public on issues before the State legislature.  We believe this is an excellent opportunity for residents to provide input to our State Assembly representative about the double-taxed library district as well as other issues.

Holiday Safety

As the holiday season is upon us, Con Edison reminds us to be aware of safety issues with regard to lights and displays

  • Make sure lights and electrical cords are UL approved;
  • Inspect all electrical cords and devices prior to installation;
  • Use extension cords sparingly;
  • Use only “exterior rated” displays and electrical cords outside.
Do not run electrical cords under carpets, through doors or near furniture where they may be tripped over or broken.

To save energy use LED lights which last 20 times longer and use 98% less electricity.

Be safe and protect your family through the holiday season.

Library Update

The Library is nearing substantial completion.  The final paving has been installed and the parking spaces will be lined tomorrow.  The site work is 98% complete and the Village just refurbished the old stairs leading from Law Park to complement the new entrance.  The bike path is complete and will be opened as soon as the parking lot is finished.  The interior floor and wall tile is also nearing completion.  The ceiling grids and ceiling trim work and hanging doors are progressing on the first floor.

It is anticipated that substantial completion by the Village contractors will be done by the end of December.  The Library casework and furniture installation will begin in early January.  The dedication of the Library is anticipated for late February/early March of 2009.  

The Village wants to thank the residents for their patience during construction.  We expect the New Library and Community Center to be a welcome asset to the Village.

Pocket Park

Construction is proceeding well and is ahead of schedule.  The parking lot has been shifted to the North.  Again, we want to emphasize that NO parking spaces have been lost as a result of this shift.  The underground work, including the rainwater capture system, has been installed.  The pavers will start next week as will the construction of the pergola.  The foundation for the clock will be poured tomorrow and the clock will be installed as soon as feasible.  Landscaping and a dedication will be held in the spring.

December, 2008

Dear Briarcliff Residents:

The Briarcliff Manor Board of Trustees remains committed to open and transparent governance.  While New York State law requires this, we also believe that residents deserve access to the information that molds our decisions, and we make decisions and laws openly based on that information; sharing that information publicly as well.  Residents who  require more detailed information have access to it on the Village’s website, through the Village office or by contacting any one of us by phone or e-mail.

Even so, residents can become easily misinformed by distorted information that is distributed by independent groups of residents, often appearing as if their information is “official”.  A most recent example of this is “Briarcliff Manor’s Community Newsletter” published by a small group of residents known as “The Residents’ Association”.   While we welcome any individual or group of people to share their opinions or ask tough questions, we cannot permit our residents to be misinformed.  Following are the facts pertaining to the issues raised by this group:

Budget and Taxes – Actions by the Board are not arbitrary.  Many months of work go into establishing a budget and determining taxes.  Our reserve funds are established responsibly based on New York State standards and in accordance with the advice we receive from our auditors.  We also believe it is most equitable to cover specific Village expenses, where appropriate, by user fees rather than including them in the general tax levy. Consistent with this philosophy was an increase in recreation fees.  Another example is the train station parking permit.  Metro North does not subsidize any municipal expense that must be endured during the construction.  Since only a small portion of our community parks at the station, all residents should not have to carry these expenses, such as valet parking, needed during this construction phase.  Once the construction is complete the service and fee will be reevaluated.  As the recent issue of the Manor Monthly reported, “The $550 Permit Fee for the year has been increased by $200 from the previous year. It should be noted that the $550 fee is comparable to fees charged by our neighbors and in many cases is lower. On an annual basis (work days only) of use, the fee equates to a cost of $2.43 per day which is significantly lower than private lots.”

Water Project - We are legally under a mandate by the NYS Department of Health to secure a new water source. Furthermore the agreement lists the specific solution and timeframe. This project has evolved to its current design over 20 years of review and analysis. Copies of key decision-making documents are now posted on the Village web for residents to review. The project as designed is the most economically feasible plan and is significantly less expensive than available alternatives.   The implementation deadline has been repeatedly extended and after reviewing different options over 20 years, a new water source will be available to our Village by 2010. In October of this year we once again received a letter from the New York State Department of Health indicating that we must expedite the project designed to completion.   

In its current form the project involves inter-municipal cooperation with Tarrytown, Greenburgh and Sleepy Hollow. Furthermore the cooperation between Briarcliff Manor, Tarrytown and Sleepy Hollow is laying the ground work for a regional water district which will lead to economies of scale for us all. The three Villages have also agreed to jointly develop a mandatory backup source of water from the Delaware aqueduct.  We are not funding anything in these other Villages that does not pertain to our ability to access a new source of water.

There is NO finalized project budget but only “guesstimates” which historically are conservative. In order to prudently plan for our Village, the Board must include budget estimates in the Capital Budget. The actual cost of any capital improvement can only be determined when the project is bid. It is expected that the project will be within an anticipated range and be completed on time.  Even so, the estimated cost has not tripled.

Further, this water from the Catskill Reservoir does not require filtration.  However, our water will have access to the ultra-violet filtration plant NYS is building in Greenburgh.  And most important, we will have access to an emergency source of water when the Catskill is closed for repairs preventing us from ever having to endure inflated rates when purchasing water from another municipality.

Lastly, the BOT has always known the project requires approval from Tarrytown’s planning board.  In fact, we even negotiated, in advance of the planning board process, an expedited process that will keep us on schedule. We are have already had our first meeting with the Tarrytown Planning Board and Architectural Review Board.

Other Capital Projects – The Board annually adopts a 5 year and 10 year capital plan.  This plan is a long range planning document to help the Board anticipate upgrades to Village infrastructure.  The BOT reviews each project before committing to a capital expenditure. There are currently no plans to put in walking trails, build a new firehouse on Pleasantville Road, or complete the entire streetscape project.  While the Board is aware of the many capital improvements necessary and their costs, we would NEVER commit to ANY project that wasn’t critical during these uncertain economic times.

Increased Terms of Office – There have not been any steps taken to increase terms of office.

Please, once again, be reminded that all of our decisions are made publicly and that each of us welcomes your direct contact if you have any questions or concerns.  

Village Managers Report by Village Manager Ingrid Richards
  • The second half of the Village taxes are due by December 31st.  
  • Registration for Recreation’s winter programs will be on December 5th from 9:00am to 11:00am
Public Comments

Mr. Eric Ploen of 50 Tamarack Road stated he attended the last Board meeting and spoke about the parking fee increase.  He asked for an explanation of the fee increase.  

Mayor Vescio explained the increase again.  

Ms. Margo Berger of 2 Elizabeth Court asked if the fee would be reduced after the construction is completed and when the first draft of the budget would be presented to the public.  

Mayor Vescio stated the presentation would be in March.  

Ms. Berger asked if the public could be included earlier as to what the headwinds and uncontrollables were.  She stated she had a deep fear of what was coming and asked what directions had been given to department heads.  

Mayor Vescio stated normally the Board didn’t get involved in the process until late February but they had met and discussed next year’s budget and what could be done to cut down the current budget.  He further stated the Village Manager was directed to inform all Department Heads they need to reduce their budgets by 5-7%.  He stated the Board wasn’t looking to do layoffs but there needed to be ways to lessen the tax burden.  

Ms. Berger asked about tax certioraris and abatements and their affect on the budget.  

Mayor Vescio stated they met with the Tax Assessor about how to improve communication and how to fight them when appropriate.  He stated the Tax Assessor is updating them on a quarterly basis.  He further stated they instructed the Village Manager to hold off on certain capital projects that could be put off for another year and to move forward on others that didn’t make sense to wait.  He stated the Board was looking at every area of the budget trying not to affect services to maintain the quality of life residents are used to.  He stated the Board was looking into joint services, grant monies and any other alternatives.  

Appointment of Village Manager

Mayor Vescio stated Ms. Richards was an asset to the Village and thanked her for her patience during the negotiation process.  

Upon motion by Trustee Smith, seconded by Trustee Mayer, the Board voted unanimously to approve the following resolution:

BE IT RESOLVED, that the Board of Trustees of the Village of Briarcliff Manor hereby makes the following appointments:

Ingrid Richards as Village Manager to fill the unexpired term of Michael Blau to expire on April 1, 2009.  

Ingrid Richards as Ethics Board Member to fill the unexpired term of Michael Blau to expire on April 1, 2009.  

Ingrid Richards to the Tree Preservation Board to fill the unexpired term of Michael Blau to expire on April 1, 2009.  

Fire Department Membership

Upon motion by Trustee Mayer, seconded by Trustee Smith, the Board voted unanimously to approve the following resolution:

BE IT RESOLVED, that the Board of Trustees of the Village of Briarcliff Manor hereby approves the membership of Nick Krebser to the Scarborough Engine Company.  

Adjournment

Upon motion by Trustee Smith, seconded by Trustee Mayer, the Board voted unanimously to close the regular meeting at 8:20pm.

Respectfully Submitted By,

Christine Dennett
Village Clerk