MAYOR'S UPDATE
From the desk of Mayor Rika Levin
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Halloween in the Hudson Valley is truly right out of a storybook. On Monday, our Main Street was transformed into a spooktacular destination for our annual Trunk or Treat event. I am thrilled that the Village was able to bring this back after a two-year hiatus due to Covid. Thank you to everyone who came out – especially to the Ossining Police Department and Ossining Recreation Department, who always seem to have boundless energy! |
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Did you know that early voting has begun? Registered voters can cast their ballot locally at the Joseph G. Caputo Community Ctr. during the days and hours listed below. If you cannot participate in early voting, be sure to cast your vote on Tuesday, November 8th. Voting gives us a wonderful opportunity to take our children and teach them about how democracy works. While you are at it don’t forget to flip the card and vote on Proposition 1.
Please note that due to the election, my next Mayor’s Message will be going out on Wednesday, November 9th.
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The budget process is one of the most important items that come in front of the Board. Only your elected officials can approve the budget each year. We take great care in reviewing all the submissions presented to us by the staff, including the legal department, police, emergency crews, and fire department, to name just a few. We also thoughtfully review the capital projects and grants that often have significant costs and affect the infrastructure for years to come. In essence, the budget is the roadmap for the Board and staff to focus on and its priorities. I have ensured that we look at the initiatives through the lens of equity and the environment.
You’re invited to watch the Village of Ossining’s 2023 Budget Review process. The first meeting begins today both in person @ 16 Croton Ave and via Zoom at 9:00AM.
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Peaking power plants, also known as peaker plants and occasionally just "peakers," are power plants that generally run only when there is a high demand, known as peak demand, for electricity.
Join Sustainable Westchester on Thursday, November 10th, 7:00-8:00pm on zoom for a discussion on the environmental justice impacts of peaker power plants and how communities can band together to eliminate their use.
This webinar will introduce the Clean Energy Group's Peaker Plant Mapping Tool and provide an overview of how it can be used to explore peaker plants' economic and racial disparities. UPROSE, a community-based organization fighting peaker plants impacting the Sunset Park neighborhood of New York City, will also present the impact of peakers on their communities and the work they are doing to retire and replace fossil peakers with renewables and energy storage. We will then hear from a local solution provider, Logical Buildings, about how their demand response tool called GridRewards can help Westchester residents take action and reduce the need for peaker plants.
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Some items of note:
- As part of the Manager’s Report, Village Manager Karen D’Attore and Village Treasurer Dale Brennan will present the 2023 Managers (Tentative) Budget. During the meeting, the BOT will call for a Public Hearing on the budget at the next legislative Meeting, which is scheduled for 11/16.
- As discussed during Village Treasurer Dale Brennan’s Q3 presentation last week, she requests a budget adjustment for our health insurance lines due to updated projections to ensure we are covered through year's end.
- The Board will be asked to vote on a resolution assigning Preferred Developer Status to Wilder Balter Partners for the Main/Spring Street lots. Similar to the process at 30 Water Street, this status allows the Village to enter negotiations with the development team, though only for (180) days, which means (like 30 Water Street) an extension or two will likely be necessary to get to the signed LADA agreement sometime in the future.
- There are two resolutions pertaining to the Request for Special Permit for 30 Water Street (the old DPW)—one is to approve the Waterfront Special Permit (as the Public Hearing was opened and closed on 10/19 after a presentation from the developer team). The other is confirming that, as a property west of Route 9, the work has been deemed by the EAC (as of June 2022) as conformance with the LWRP (Local Waterfront Revitalization Plan).
- The BOT will be asked to formally approve the “Recording in Village-Owned Buildings” policy, as discussed at last week’s Work Session.
- There is also a resolution terminating the probationary employment of an OPD employee.
- Under Continuing Business, we are returning to some components of the Vehicle Use Policy that should help us prepare for budget discussions.
- Similarly, under New Business, we are working to move forward on the Vehicle Use Policy. The Board will have a resolution that will satisfy one part: the Driver Safety Agreement. The expectation is that this will apply to anyone who drives for the Village, whether in a Village-owned vehicle or on Village business (including OPD and OFD).
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Village of Ossining | www.villageofossining.org
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