Board of Trustees

BOARD OF TRUSTEES May 24, 2021 PRESENT: Mayor Monachino Lapey Trustee Senerchia Trustee Bennett Trustee Cataldi DeLillo Trustee Owen-Michaane Attorney Cornachio Manager Pierpont PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE AND FIRE SAFETY ANNOUNCEMENT Mayor Monachino Lapey led those assembled in the Pledge of Allegiance and notified those in attendance where the fire safety exits were located. OPENING REMARKS The Mayor opened the meeting. She welcomed everyone and said that there is revised guidance from the CDC and the New York State Department of Health. The Mayor said that in accordance with that guidance we have an area for those who are vaccinated and she asked those who are not vaccinated to wear masks and sit six feet apart. She said that we are very thankful that we have made strides against Covid 19. The Mayor announced that it was Deputy Mayor Cataldi DeLillo’s birthday. All in attendance congratulated her. Mayor Monachino Lapey said that class 1A and 1C from Siwanoy school sent handwritten thank you notes to her for her virtual visit with them. She said that made her weekend. The Mayor spoke about the Town’s modified Memorial Day event. It will feature a motorcade that will start at the Manor Club at eleven thirty on Monday, May 31st. It will terminate at the gazebo. She said that Trustee Owen-Michaane sent a message over the weekend on social media letting people know about a Coffee and Chat series. Trustee Owen-Michaane said this will be a monthly series. The first one is scheduled for the first Saturday in June, which is June 5th, at nine o’clock in the morning. He said that future dates will be announced. -------------- MINUTES FROM THE MAY 10, 2021 REGULAR MEETING The Mayor asked if there were any questions, comments or concerns to the minutes from May 10, 2021. There were no questions, comments or concerns. After discussion and upon motion duly made and seconded, it was RESOLVED, that the minutes from the May 10, 2021 Regular Meeting be and hereby are approved. ------------ REPORTS Fire Commissioner Senerchia discussed the monthly report with Fire Chief Ruggiero. There were thirty- seven calls in April. There were brush and trash can fires in the Pelham Parkway area. Fire Commissioner Senerchia asked if they were in mulching areas from cigarette butts and was told yes. The Fire Chief said that the dry weather was also a contributing factor. The Fire Commissioner asked if we could reach out to the businesses. The Chief said that there are sprinklers in the beds and it’s hit or miss on whether they’re operating. The Fire Commissioner said that people should dispose of their cigarettes properly or not smoke at all. Fire Commissioner Senerchia asked about the structure fire at 656 Esplanade and was told that roofers were re-roofing and were soldering flashing when a decorative chimney, made of plywood, caught on fire. The fire department knocked it down right away. There were three guys on the roof. The house is high and it has Mediterranean tile. The twenty seven hundred dollar loss could have been much higher. The Fire Commissioner said that he heard the response was very good. The Fire Commissioner asked about the elevator that was stuck in Dave&Busters. The Fire Chief said that he will get more information on this, but said that a button that was stuck got unstuck. The Fire Commissioner asked if the department was equipped with elevator keys and was told yes. Fire Commissioner Senerchia asked about in service inspections and was told that between nine and ten were done. The Chief said that the department is getting back into doing multi family dwelling inspections. The Mayor and Board thanked the Chief for his report. The Village Treasurer said that this report is for the eleventh month of our operations and there were no surprises. There is one payroll left in this fiscal year. He said that we will come in under budget on the largest expense area. We will come in one and a half to two percent under budget. He said that it’s a good outcome and he watches it very closely. The sales tax number was received and the Village will meet its projected number which is good news. The Treasurer discussed 5 Canal Road. The Village leased the property. Covid put the soccer field out of business. He said that we were looking at a hole in our non- property tax revenue. The new tenant is paying twice as much rent as the former tenant. This business is using the facility for storage of supplies and vaccines related to Covid. The Treasurer said that he was looking forward to closing out the Fiscal Year. Trustee Cataldi DeLillo asked if this was a more conservative estimate at the beginning and we did not achieve that number. It was not what we’ve normally gotten. The Treasurer said that two things happened. The County raised the sales tax rate and the sharing of the sales tax. The amount of the tax revenue was originally predicted to be larger, but Covid was starting to become an issue. He said that when the budget was being put together in January Covid was starting. He tried not to be overly optimistic and used a number he thought the Village would be able to meet. Trustee Owen-Michaane spoke about 5 Canal Road. He said the new lease is for one year. He was told that there is an option to renew for two years. The new tenant has to let the Village know not later than ninety days prior to the expiration of the lease if they want to renew the lease. Trustee Owen-Michaane questioned whether the Village was getting double the amount that the last tenant was paying and was told yes. Trustee Owen-Michaane spoke about the substantial month for building permits. The Treasurer said that April was twice as large as any other month. He said that there were many swimming pools included in this month. He said that the Village hit its revenue number in April. He said the Village will be in the black and we’re already tracking expenses for next fiscal year. He said that this Board had a good handle on Covid early. Social distancing was started in late January and early February. The Village was doing contact tracing long before it was required. He said that we were fortunate to have taken this issue as seriously as we did. Trustee Owen-Michaane said that this Board and Manager put together a budget that was on track and said that we’re on solid footing. After discussion and upon motion duly made and seconded, it was unanimously RESOLVED, that the Fire and Village Treasurer reports be and hereby are approved. ----------- REQUESTS TO USE SHORE PARK David Sparano, 555 Manor Lane requested permission to use Shore Park on Saturday June 19, 2021 from four o’clock in the afternoon until seven thirty in the evening for the Cub Scout Blue and Gold picnic. After discussion and upon motion duly made and seconded it was unanimously RESOLVED, that David Sparano be and hereby is granted permission to use Shore Park on Saturday, June 19, 2021. Rose Cruz, 4810 Boston Post Road, requested permission to use Shore Park on Saturday, July 3, 2021 from two o’clock in the afternoon until six o’clock in the evening for a birthday party. The rain date would be Saturday, July 10, 2021 with the same time. After discussion and upon motion duly made and seconded, it was unanimously RESOLVED, that Rose Cruz be and hereby is granted permission to use Shore Park on Saturday, July 3, 2021 with a rain date of Saturday, July 10, 2021. ------------ RESOLUTION TO APPROVE SIGN PERMIT FOR CRAB DU JOUR The Village Board received a memo from the environmental planning consultant AKRF regarding the proposed signs for Crab Du Jour which is a new business located in the Pelham Manor Shopping Center. The design went through several iterations before it conformed with the Tenant Sign Design Criteria and was recommended for approval by AKRF. They have filed for permits and are applying for permanent signs. They have addressed the concerns outlined by AKRF. Mayor Monachino Lapey said that she was happy to approve the sign for this business. Trustee Owen-Micihaane said that the small business trying to open during Covid should be encouraged. The Mayor said that back in the 1990’s or early 2000’s the Board put sign criteria in place for the business district. It was well crafted and has served the Village well. The Mayor said that these business owners have gone back and forth to meet the sign permit requirements of the Village and it was vetted and approved by the Village’s consultant. After discussion and upon motion duly made and seconded, it was unanimously RESOLVED, that sign permit for Crab Du Jour be and hereby is approved. ------------ ACTION ON THE ANNUAL STORMWATER MANAGEMENT REPORT After discussion and upon motion duly made and seconded, it was unanimously RESOLVED, that the Annual Stormwater Management Report be and hereby is adopted. ------------- RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING THE MAYOR TO SIGN ABSTRACT OF VOUCHERS NUMBERS 28739-28786 After discussion and upon motion duly made and seconded, it was unanimously RESOLVED, that the Mayor be and hereby is authorized to sign abstract of vouchers numbers 28739-28786. ---------------- PUBLIC COMMENT Mayor Monachino Lapey asked if there were any comments or questions from the public. Tai Montanarella, 464 Esplanade, thanked the Board regarding the environmental issues of food scrap collection and planting wildlife seedlings on public land. She also spoke about the possibility of a gas leaf blower ban. She said that this past weekend she had been able to stay outside without hearing the noise of the leaf blowers. The Mayor said that at this time there is a zero- tolerance policy on gas leaf blowers. Tai Montanarella said that she was in favor of banning the gas leaf blowers and favored the legislation by the Village of Larchmont. She spoke about small businesses. She said that most are not residents and they should conform to the Village’s requirements. She spoke about education and landscape practices. She said that the New York State Turf and Landscape Association is a well- funded organization. She said that she thought we should worry about children more than landscapers. The Mayor said that the Village is continuing to look at this issue. The Board has reviewed different legislation and has been in contact with business leaders and landscapers. She said that the industry is starting to follow the lead of municipalities. There are concerns about putting people out of business and creating a severe business hardship for hardworking people. Trustee Senerchia said that he believes more research is needed. He has been looking at how the batteries for the leaf blowers will be charged. This is an environmental concern for him. He also wanted to know if there would be a generator on the truck. He is concerned how landscapers are going to charge the batteries. He also said that electric leaf blowers may not be as quiet as some people think. He said that he has an old corded one and it is loud. He said that he believes most landscapers in the area are moving away from gas powered leaf blowers. Trustee Cataldi DeLillo said that she was leaning in the direction of the Mayor and Trustee Senerchia with some form of ban. She said that the Village of Larchmont’s legislation on gas powered leaf blowers has a tighter framework than Scarsdale’s ordinance. They ban totally. Their fines are extremely prohibitive and they will fine the owner, the operator and the business owner. She said that Scarsdale has chosen a slightly different framework. She said that there are certain circumstances where large machines are more effective. She gave the example of using them after a large storm for clean- up. She said that she is excited that this grass roots movement is shaping the industry. Trustee Cataldi DeLillo said that there is an appetite for this. She also said that some landscapers are our residents. She also thought that if we restrict competition, we may be inadvertently creating a narrower playing field. Trustee Owen-Michaane said that he appreciated Tai Montanarella coming to the Board meeting. He said that his landscaper has been pivoting toward electric blowers. He said that some landscapers can do it faster than others, but he thinks they are moving in this direction. He said that there are health benefits associated with this, and he mentioned that he has asthma. He said that we have to make sure that the school district, which uses gasoline blowers, is subject to enforcement. Trustee Bennett also thanked Tai Montanarella for coming to the meeting. She said that the Village is looking at coming up with a good balance and we will come up with what works for Pelham Manor. Trustee Cataldi DeLillo said that residents might like to see what this type of garden looks like. The leaves will be left on it in the fall. A little less than one thousand square feet of grass was removed and seventeen to eighteen seedlings were planted and supporting shrubs along the green space create a buffer zone. The Mayor said that is it located on the Esplanade and Boston Post Road. It is located across from Veterans’ Park. Peggy Nicholson, 915 Wynnewood Road, said that she came to Pelham in the nineteen sixties. She spoke about the Board of Education election in May and said that there were one hundred fifty absentee ballot applications this year. There are normally twenty- eight. She said that ninety- two of those ballots were taken by two Village of Pelham Manor Republican Trustees or Board members. Sixty-seven ballots were taken by Trustee Bennett and twenty- five were taken by Trustee Owen- Michaane. She spoke about harvesting ballots and said that she thought that it was highly unusual and unethical to do this in Pelham Manor. She said that it was not a good look. Trustee Bennett said that she did nothing unethical. She said that many of her neighbors are elderly or sick and they wanted to vote in this Board of Education election that was very publicized. We are still in a pandemic. She said that they asked her to help them, and as a resident, she helped them. Peggy Nicholson questioned that she brought absentee ballots from sixty- seven people. Trustee Bennett said that she knows a lot of people. She enfranchised them to vote. Nothing unethical was done. She said that it doesn’t look bad for a resident to empower people to vote. She said that people asked them for help. They wanted to vote absentee. She said that they have no idea how they voted. She said that we enfranchised people. There was nothing wrong with what was done. She said for the record that she is an Independent. She is not a Republican or a Democrat. She said that she doesn’t see how party had anything to do with this. Mayor Monachio Lapey said that she appreciated Trustee Bennett’s comments. Trustee Owen-Michaane said that his husband was running for office and he said that supporting a spouse doesn’t look bad. He said that people wanted to vote absentee and we empowered them to vote. We don’t know how they voted. We enfranchised people to vote. He said what didn’t look good were the personal attacks against his spouse. Toby Marxuach Gusciora, 901 Plymouth Street, asked if people can send away for Absentee Ballots and was told that they can do that. Trustee Senerchia said that this discussion is about the Board of Education election. Trustee Owen-Michaane said that his husband was singularly excluded from the debates. Toby Marxuach Gusciora said that it was a debate for Democratic candidates and the Democratic Party did that. She asked if there were any updates on the monopole and the Save the Sound lawsuit. The Mayor said those two topics were discussed at the last Board of Trustees meeting and there have been no changes. She said that all the calendars are very slow. Allison Frost, 4579 Boston Post Road, spoke about a Board of Ethics and asked if such a board would be considered. The Mayor said that was something that the Board of Trustees could consider and take a look at. Ms. Frost asked about the process for having a block party. The Manager said that generally speaking, the neighbors that are affected are canvassed about closing the street. A petition with the date and time of the potential street closing is submitted to the Board of Trustees and the Board will make a determination. He said that we try to keep the agenda open for as long as possible to accommodate requests. The Mayor said that we’ve added requests the night of the Board meeting. Ms. Frost asked about the traffic study and spoke about a bad car accident near her home on Boston Post Road. She said that the people were ok, but she showed the debris from the accident that was found in her driveway. She spoke about the speeding on Boston Post Road. Mayor Monachino Lapey said that we’re working on this and said that Ms. Frost raised some good points. The Mayor said that Boston Post Road is a New York State controlled route. She said that we will be speaking again with Senator Biaggi’s office and this Board adopted a Home Rule message which has been sent to Albany. She said that the Village Manager has been in contact with the State DOT. The Village Manager said that we have been in contact with DOT. They want speed data on the Boston Post Road. He said that we want that objective data. Boston Post Road is on the list. It will be done after Manor Ridge Road and Esplanade. Trustee Senerchia said that he is familiar with that stretch of road. To make a left turn onto Ely Avenue from Boston Post Road is illegal. He followed one resident who made the left turn and spoke with him. He said that he was hoping that the resident got the message. He said that sometimes our residents are the ones that need to be reminded. The Mayor said that it is a significant issue all down Boston Post Road which is heavily trafficked. She said that it is an ongoing effort. Allison Frost said that speed is an issue and she thought the area needs better signage. She said it was confusing. Mayor Monachino Lapey said that we pushed and got a sign that says and shows that the right lane narrows. She said that we worked with the DOT who is the ultimate decision maker at the state level. Trustee Owen-Michaane spoke about enforcement on illegal left turns. He said that Chris Ganpat is on Wolfs Lane and Boston Post Road and he has brought up this issue. Trustee Owen-Michaane said that The Police Commissioner and the Police Department are on top of enforcing this issue. He said that it’s illegal, but people still do it. Gianni Magnani, 435 Carol Place, spoke about speeding by parents who drop their children off at the middle school or high school and go through the Library and speed up Carol Place. He said these weren’t truckers speeding. These are our own residents. He thought that the speed monitor on Carol Place might help. He said that there are fifteen children on a lot of ten homes on Carol. He asked that the speed monitor be considered for this area. -------------- EXECUTIVE SESSION The Mayor said that we have a personnel matter regarding collective bargaining. After discussion and upon motion duly made and seconded, it was unanimously RESOLVED, that the Board be and hereby is authorized to conduct an Executive Session to discuss the following: A personnel matter and open litigation No action was taken in Executive Session. -------------- ADJOURNMENT There being no further business to come before the Board, the meeting was adjourned. -------------- Clerk