Board of Trustees

BOARD OF TRUSTEES October 15, 2024 PRESENT: Mayor Monachino Lapey Trustee Bennett Trustee Owen-Michaane Trustee Case Trustee McLaughlin Attorney Cornachio Manager Luft 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 Mayor Monachino Lapey opened the meeting and welcomed everyone. She said she hoped those who celebrate Columbus Day or Indigenous Peoples’ Day enjoyed the holiday. She said that Village Manager Lindsey Luft continues advanced training and completed a FEMA program. Manager Luft said that she attended a three-day session on Emergency Center Planning which was hosted by Westchester County. Trustee Bennett said that she connected with Town Councilwoman Rae Szymanski when a resident was in distress. She said that the Police Department and the paramedics were there. They dislodged the food from the resident and they were transported quickly. She thanked the police officers and paramedics for their life saving work. Trustee Owen-Michaane spoke about leaves and said that they may be placed at the curb unbagged from October Fifteenth until December Fifteenth. Mayor Monachino Lapey said that they have received questions on the Proposition regarding Village Elections. She said that there is information on the website and Village’s Facebook page. Trustee Bennett expressed her opinion that the Board is a managerial board and is not political board. She said the strength of our community is hearing conversations, discussions and details. Trustee Case explained that the currently Village runs its own elections at a cost of approximately five thousand dollars, which is a small part of the Village’s budget. He said that Pelham Manor works with Westchester County and uses election workers that are trained and certified by the County. Trustee McLaughlin said that the New York State has March as the default for Village elections. Trustee Owen-Michaane said that the School District has its election in May, and spoke about the current Village system. Mayor Monachino Lapey explained that what is in place currently prior to a Village Election is a caucus system. Trustee McLaughlin spoke about a recent qualifying golf event featuring a very high level of play. He said that Trustee Bennett’s son, Thomas Bennett, qualified and will be going to the championship round. ---------- 1  PROCLAMATIONS FOR THE PELHAM CIVIC ASSOCIATION’S PERSONS OF THE YEAR The Mayor said that this year the Pelham Civic Association will honor Tina Constable and Dan McLaughlin. She praised them for their many years of service to the community and read the proclamations. PROCLAMATION WHEREAS, the Pelham Civic Association, one of Westchester County’s largest and most active volunteer organizations, has announced that it will honor Tina Constable as 2024 Person of the Year, and WHEREAS, Tina Constable, has lived in Pelham for over twenty years with her late husband Rob and sons Spencer and Tyler, and WHEREAS, Tina Constable was the catalyst of the “Thanksgiving In A Box initiative which started more than twenty years ago as a modest outreach program and has become a program that serves thousands of people each Thanksgiving, and WHEREAS, Tina Constable re-imagined Thanksgiving In A Box from serving twenty-five families a meal in the gym of Huguenot Memorial Church to food delivery supplying over one thousand families with enough food for a week, and WHEREAS, Tina Constable is an active member of Huguenot Memorial Church and has served on its Board and Mission Committee, is involved with meal runs to New York City and mission trips with high school students, and WHEREAS, Tina Constable is a successful senior level executive in the media/publishing industry where she is currently an Executive Vice President and Random House Christian Publishing, a position she has held since 2018 following other executive positions at Random House and other major publishers. NOW, THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, That the Board of Trustees of the Village of Pelham Manor hereby recognizes and thanks Tina Constable on the occasion of her selection by the Pelham Civic Association as 2024 Person of the Year, and be it further RESOLVED, that a copy of this Proclamation be presented to Tina Constable. The Mayor announced that Dan McLaughlin was in attendance and she presented his proclamation to him. PROCLAMATION WHEREAS, the Pelham Civic Association, one of Westchester County’s largest and most active volunteer organizations, has announced that it will honor Daniel McLaughlin as 2024 Person of the Year, and WHEREAS, Daniel Mclaughlin and his wife Rita have lived in Pelham for thirty-nine years, and are the proud parents of Michelle and Daniel and the grandparents of Mackenzie Carolina, Daniel III and Teresa Rose, and WHEREAS, Daniel McLaughlin has been Supervisor of the Town of Pelham for six years, Councilman for the Town of Pelham for ten years, Member of the Pelham Civic Association for more than thirty years and has served as Chair of every major program including President and Chairman of the Board, Commissioner and Member of the Pelham Recreation Commission for ten years, Pelham Little League Coach, Pelham Girls Softball Coach, Commissioner of Pelham Girls Traveling Softball team, and Manager of Pelham Memorial High School Varsity Hockey for five years, and 2  WHEREAS, Daniel McLaughlin spent his entire career in the financial sector where he was a Vice President of Lending at Chase Manhattan Bank for twelve years, thirty years at various entrepreneurial companies, five years as an Adjunct Professor of Entrepreneurial Finance at Baruch College of Busineess, City University of New York, and WHEREAS, Daniel McLaughlin has made a lasting impact on the well-being and development of the Town of Pelham and his selflessness and generosity have made Pelham a better community and the Pelham Civics a stronger organization. NOW, THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, That the Board of Trustees of the Village of Pelham Manor hereby recognizes and thanks Daniel McLaughlin on the occasion of his selection by the Pelham Civic Association as 2024 Person of the Year, and be it further RESOLVED, that a copy of this Proclamation be presented to Daniel McLaughlin. All in attendance congratulated Daniel McLaughlin and Tina Constable for their achievements. --------- MINUTES Mayor Monachino Lapey asked if there were any comments or questions on the minutes from September 23, 2024 There were no comments or questions on the minutes. After discussion and upon motion duly made and seconded, it was unanimously RESOLVED, that the minutes from the September 23, 2024 regular meeting be and hereby are approved. ----------- REPORTS Fire Commissioner Case discussed the Fire report with Chief Greco. There were forty-eight calls this month and two hundred twenty hours of training. Chief Greco spoke about an e-bike, being transported by a county bus, that fell to the ground and caught on fire and the working relationships with Pelham and White Plains mutual aid. Chief Greco said that this was Fire Prevention month and firefighters will be visiting the schools. He also mentioned that Firefighter Chrisopher Gray represented the Village of Pelham Manor at the annual Tunnel to Towers race. The DPW Superintendent spoke about the MS4 report. She said that the permit was updated and the Village has made progress toward certification. The Village broke ground on a sidewalk project as well as a smaller sidewalk and drainage project. Design is underway for Manor Lane in Watershed 1, trees have been ordered for the year, streetlights have been replaced and fifty percent of total tons are being recycled. David Montilla, Communications Director for Senator Fernandez’s office, gave an update on the culvert in New York City Parks and spoke about expanding culverts. He said that New York City has expressed concern on where water would go if culverts were expanded. He said that there is no firm time line on this issue. RESOLVED, that the Fire and DPW reports be and hereby are approved. ---------- CONSDERATION OF SITE PLAN AMENDMENT Mayor Monachino Lapey said that there was quite a bit of work proposed for the Pelham Country Club 3 at 940 Wynnewood Road. She recommended that the Site Plan Amendment be forwarded to the Village’s Planning Board for additional review. She said that the Village has highly qualified members on the Planning Board. After discussion and upon motion duly made and seconded, it was unanimously RESOLVED, that the Site Plan Amendment for 940 Wynnewood Road be and hereby is forwarded to the Planning Board for review. --------- CONSIDERATION OF A RESOLUTION TO APPROVE SITE PLAN AMENDMENTS The Planning Board reviewed two properties and sent positive recommendations back to the Board of Trustees. Two applicants, 4760 Boston Post Road – CVS and 925 Spring Road – Public Storage, are both Type 11 actions which require no further review under SEQR. CVS is in the retail district and there are very minor changes to a new sign request. 925 Spring Road, Public Storage, requested a large solar array and underwent a robust review by the Planning Board. After discussion and upon motion duly made and seconded, it was unanimously RESOLVED, that the site plans before the Board of Trustees and the Planning Board be and hereby are approved. --------- LOCAL LAW 4 OF 2024 The Mayor said that updating the Village’s Vehicle and Traffic Code was a vast effort. This proposed local law would reposition a Stop Sign at Grant Avenue and place a new Stop Sign on Hudson Street at the intersection at Plymouth Street. After discussion and upon motion duly made and seconded, it was unanimously RESOLVED, that Local Law 4 of 2024 be and hereby is set for October 28, 2024 at eight fifteen in the evening at Village Hall. ----------- CONSIDERATION OF A RESOLUTION TO AWARD CONTRACT On October 10, 2024 three bids were received for the annual sanitary sewer lining and manhole rehabilitation project. The results from that bid are listed below. Skanex Pipe Services $ 470,700 National Water Main $ 729,210 Insituform Technologies $ 1,107,500 The Village’s consulting engineers, AI Engineers/Dolph Rotfeld Engineering, recommended awarding the project to the low bidder Skanex Pipe Services. After discussion and upon motion duly made and seconded, it was unanimously RESOLVED, that the low bidder, Skanex Pipe Services, be and hereby is awarded the contract for annual sanitary sewer lining and manhole rehabilitation at a cost of four hundred seventy thousand seven hundred dollars. --------- RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING THE MAYOR TO SIGN ABSTRACT OF VOUCHERS 4 NUMBERS 32882-32936 After discussion and upon motion duly made and seconded, it was unanimously RESOLVED, that the Mayor be and hereby is authorized to sign Vouchers Numbers 32882-32936. --------- REQUEST TO CLOSE STREETS FOR SIWANOY SCHOOL’S ANNUAL HALLOWEEN PARADE The Mayor said that this was an addition to the agenda. Kimberly McGreal has requested that two streets be closed around Siwanoy School for the Halloween parade. It would be held on October 31, 2024 and run from two-thirty in the afternoon until three o’clock in the afternoon. She said that the petition signed by residents on the two streets was attached to the request. After discussion and upon motion duly made and seconded, it was unanimously RESOLVED, that Kimberly McGreal’s request to close two streets around Siwanoy School for its annual Halloween Parade on October 31, 2024 from two thirty in the afternoon until three o’clock in the afternoon be and hereby is approved. ---------- PUBLIC COMMENT The Mayor asked if there were any comments or questions from the public. Allison Frost, 4579 Boston Post Road, spoke about a child that was hit while crossing Wolfs Lane at Iden Avenue. She said that the child’s mother Kate Kerrigan was going to be at the meeting tonight but she was sick. She said that she was speaking on behalf of Kate Kerrigan whose eight-year old daughter was hit last Saturday. Manager Luft said that a few local laws have been adopted and significant strides in safety have been made. She said that this builds on years of improvements by the Village. Mayor Monachino Lapey said that she was glad that the child was OK. She said that this is an ongoing process and the Village is committed to continuous improvement. She said if Miss Kerrigan would like to set up a meeting with Manager Luft, the Manager will meet with her. She said that Board members are here for her too. Trustee Bennett asked if the incident was reported to the Police and Ms. Frost said that she thought it was reported after the fact. Trustee Bennett asked if this was the crosswalk where an officer is assigned and was told yes, but that is for weekdays and this happened on a week end. Allison Frost spoke about the New York State Public Officers Law Section 74. Gianni Magnani, 435 Carol Place, spoke about being an independent voter, the cost of local elections, the two petitions brought to change the Village election from March to November, and mixing national and local politics. ------------- EXECUTIVE SESSION 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 pending litigation. No action was taken in Executive Session. ---------- ADJOURNMENT OF MEETING 5 There being no further business to come before the Board, the meeting was adjourned. ---------- Clerk 6