Mayor & Village Board of Trustees

VILLAGE OF PELHAM BOARD OF TRUSTEES REGULAR MEETING MINUTES TUESDAY, APRIL 9, 2024, 8:12 PM VILLAGE HALL - 195 SPARKS AVENUE, PELHAM, NY 10803 Join by Zoom Video: https://zoom.us/j/98917409392?pwd=U09KN2MxTnJHWEU2Nm9ndWxQSEgwZz09 Join by Telephone: (929) 205-6099 Meeting ID: 989 1740 9392 Passcode: 030699 AGENDA ITEMS 1. Call to Order 2. Pledge of Allegiance 3. Roll Call 4. Village Trustees’ Reports 5. Village Administrator’s Report 6. Mayor’s Report 7. Public Comments Non-Recurring Items 8. Public Hearing on the Fiscal Year 2024-25 Tentative Budget 9. Resolution Authorizing Attendance at NYCOM Annual Meeting (5/15/24 – 5/17/24) 10. Other Business – Electric Vehicle Charging Station Update Recurring Items 11. Authorizing Accounts Payable 12. Authorizing Minutes of: March 26, 2024 Work Session and Regular Meeting 13. Adjournment Next Regularly Scheduled BOT Meetings: Tuesday, April 23, 2024 (Note: Fiscal Year 2024-25 Budget Adoption) Tuesday, May 14, 2024 Village Board of Trustees Regular Meeting Tuesday, April 9, 2024 Item # 1 - Meeting Called to Order: Mayor Mullen called the meeting to order at 8:12 PM. Item # 2 - Pledge of Allegiance: Mayor Mullen led the pledge at 8:12 PM. Item # 3 - Roll Call: Attendee Name Present Absent Late Mayor Mullen ☒ ☐ ☐ Deputy Mayor Carpenter ☒ ☐ ☐ Village Trustee Eldahry (Virtual) ☒ ☐ ☐ Village Trustee McGreal ☒ ☐ ☐ Village Trustee Mohan ☒ ☐ ☐ Village Trustee Otondi ☒ ☐ ☐ Village Trustee Solomon ☒ ☐ ☐ Village Administrator Scelza ☒ ☐ ☐ Item # 4 - Village Trustees’ Report: Village Trustee Eldahry – Village Trustee Eldhary wanted to thank the town of Pelham as well as firefighters Phil DeSimone and Frank Bellantoni for providing an AED & CPR certification course that she attended where she witnessed the new Lucas device being used. It is offered more than once a year and is free of charge for Pelham residents. Village Trustee McGreal – nothing to report. Village Trustee Mohan – the Fire Department has responded to 71 calls in the month of March, and 14 of those calls were alarms. Chief Benkwitt wants to remind everyone not to go near live wires when they are down as well as not going past yellow tape when it is up. Some residents did not abide by these safety precautions which can cause issues for emergency services. The Fire Department now has a Lucas compression device which allows them to perform CPR automatically. This is a big help given the number of firemen we have responding. Chief Benkwitt also attended a chief’s meeting with Pelham Manor, Yonkers, Mount Vernon and the Fire Department of New York to improve coordination. They also wish to extend their condolences to the Pelham Manor Fire Department as retired firefighter Paul Sutorius has passed away due to 9/11 related injuries. Village Trustee Otondi – Village Trustee Otondi had a visit with the head of the Department of Public Works, Robert Giustino. They discussed many ideas including switching from reactive to proactive measures depending on what can be done. The two also discussed concerns ranging from vehicles, to meters, to sidewalks and roads and signs as well. The next stage is a walkthrough on 5 th Ave and discussing the ideas in mind. Village Trustee Solomon – nothing to report. Deputy Mayor Carpenter – happy eclipse! Village Board of Trustees Regular Meeting Tuesday, April 9, 2024 Item # 5 - Village Administrator’s Report: Nothing to report. Item # 6 - Mayor’s Report We are now connected more directly with the Westchester County Department of Planning. A meeting has been scheduled for May 10th to discuss the work trying to be done, work that has also been prioritized by the county. There is another membership meeting as well that will take place in Ossining on Thursday. A shoutout to Pelham Police Officers for handling the situation that occurred near Lincoln Ave and 5th Ave with an individual. The police handled the situation calmly and professionally, a job well done and thank you for your service. Village Board of Trustees Regular Meeting Tuesday, April 9, 2024 Item # 7 - Public Comments Rookaya Bawa, 305 6th Ave – has been in the United States for almost 25 years and lived in Pelham almost 15 of the 25 years. She has lived and worked for the Carnegie Corporation of New York, primarily here in the international program working 8 countries. Rookaya now lives in London but her home is primarily in Pelham. She has relied on the local lot for parking, however now there is none. Rookaya states that her building is home to people from all over the world, and they are deeply upset that they were displaced in such a manner and that the only place they had to park their cars has been taken away. She hopes there is some kind of plan in place for her as well as other residents in the building. Mayor Mullen responds that a few years ago we had a parking lot on the corner of 3 rd Street and 4th Avenue which was 200 spaces. That parking lot had beams that were rusted and it needed to come down. The Village did a project under construction and when we went into the project, we knew the hardest piece of dealing with the parking would be this current moment. The lot had to be closed so we could do work there, but the 60 spaces in the new building have not been built yet. When we say we have lost parking, the reality is we have moved it. So, some have been moved by Sergio’s, and some spots have been added. Rookaya is asking for clarity so they can understand one another. Is this a temporary arrangement with a permanent arrangement forthcoming? If so, they will calm down as a community, understanding that the difficult situation they are in is going to be resolved amicably soon. Their apartments have always had access to 2 lots close by which for the last 15 or 20 years they have enjoyed. If that has arbitrarily been lost, Rookaya says it devalues the unit value of their apartments and would like to know if the situation can be resolved. She states another issue with the current situation is that she travels and cannot leave her car in the street for long periods of time. Rookaya would like to know how to get on the list for the upcoming 60 spots. Mayor Mullen responds that although there are 60 spots coming, the lot still has to be built. Although it is a year or two away from being built, parking will become available to Rookaya once it is. A current resolution for leaving her car for a long period of time is to leave it in Lot 7. Daragh Murphy, 7th Ave – Daragh Murphy has lived on the dead end of 7th Ave for 20 years. On her block, there is no 2-hour parking. They did have permit parking, but for the last year people have been parking all over and can barely get into any spots. She states it is shameful because there are permit holders that park in those lots and they go home and express that they can’t even get into their space. Daragh says that in the last year there have been no tickets given out to those who don’t have a permit because she sees that the cars are parked there for long periods of time. She believes we are losing revenue, and the police should be ticketing the people that park here with no permits. Daragh thinks it is time to go around at night and collect the revenue, because there is a lot of it. Some of these vehicles are taped off and have broken windows. She came to Pelham to be safe, and she does not feel safe. When Daragh calls the police, they tell her these people are on the list to get parking, even though she states the people parking there do not live on her street. On another note, Daragh also states that flooding on her block was horrific when she first moved to Pelham. When a lot of rain is expected, New Rochelle will drain the lake so she rarely sees the end of her block flooding unless it is a flash flood. It has been a dramatic difference for her. Alison Frost, 4579 Boston Post Rd - is representing the PTA Council Pedestrian Safety Committee. She is here to read their statement and continue to ask everyone to make pedestrian safety a priority throughout not only Pelham Manor, but Pelham as well. The statement reads: Village Board of Trustees Regular Meeting Tuesday, April 9, 2024 “On behalf of the PTAC Pedestrian Safety Committee we want to extend our heartfelt support to the family of the first grader struck by a car Friday morning on Iden Ave. Instances like this are why we must continue to advocate for pedestrian safety in Pelham. They urge parents, families, schools, municipal leaders, community members and elected officials to make changes to ensure the safety of our children as they commute to and from our schools. Some changes that can be made are speedbumps on cut through roads such as Iden Ave, reduce speeds to 25-mph, implement a public safety campaign and to educate our children on the importance of being aware of their surroundings as they walk to and back from school. The time to act is now and they look forward to collaborating with our municipal officials on these next steps to protect our entire community, especially our children.” Village Trustee Solomon first and foremost prioritizes the wellbeing of the little boy and hopes he is okay. As far as the 25-mph speed limit that is something they are exploring and wanting to do. He has spoken to Administrator Scelza and they are aware of the cost, but unaware as to how long it may take to accomplish. We need to engage the traffic engineer to do a village wide study to reduce the speed limit. Village Trustee Solomon would like to offer his services in the public safety campaign and is planning on meeting with Chief Greene and Chief Benkwitt as well as possibly partnering with the Board of Education to further discuss. Mayor Mullen’s question is; will it be as simple as doing a study? Administrator Scelza states that it will be, it is a simple evaluation that summarizes traffic safety data. Roads like the intersection at Lincoln Ave and 3rd Ave would remain 15-mph because it is near a school. They have also begun to address the signage on Wolfs Ln and Colonial. Maureen, 146 3rd Ave - has lived here most of her life. Her neighbors are very concerned about their real estate values. They work very hard to maintain their property and keep it looking nice, so they believe the detention system at Julianne’s Playground would be a monstrosity and devalue their property. Last time she spoke on this, she was told that Mayor Mullen was going to meet with an engineer and asked what the outcome of that was. Mayor Mullen responded that Brian, the engineer, was going to put something together and that he will check back in with him to see. It is something that probably will not be feasible in terms of a financial standpoint. Maureen asks why that is the case despite having grants and funding, Mayor Mullen explains that there is still an ROI and there will be a work session explaining the process and different options for the project. Maureen states that she would not want to bring a child down to a park with industrial pumps and carcinogens. There are many elderly residents, families with infants, and school children who come from the Hutch to play in the park. In the future, she does not feel it is a safe alternative to add pumps there. Mayor Mullen emphasizes that not doing this project guarantees that homes will continue to flood. Maureen follows up with the question of how many homes are in North Pelham are in the flood zones, Mayor Mullen answers that there are 249 total homes, with 160 being in North Pelham. Rachel – Rachel attended the Board of Education meeting and wants to know if Mayor Mullen and the Board of Trustees are being spoken to regarding a land swap or sale? She is asking for clarity and transparency regarding this situation. Mayor Mullen responds that everything is on the table currently, and that the playground is one of the options. Rachel states that he is unsure of what is underneath the playground, and is curious if there is a plan B. Deputy Mayor Carpenter states there is no plan B that is not being shared with the public. Rachel then asks if anyone is in touch with Pelham Manor regarding their flood mitigation report, asking what their plan is and how the Village of Pelham and the Village of Pelham Manor are working Village Board of Trustees Regular Meeting Tuesday, April 9, 2024 together. Mayor Mullen says it is essentially two separate systems, the North Pelham system and the Highbrook system. They are just expanding these two systems, and the people of North Pelham will benefit largely from this. Mayor Mullen also states that the tennis courts at Julianne’s are the low point for water coming from 3rd Ave, 5th Ave and Mayflower as well as a strain running down 4 th Ave and Lincoln. Although pipes are there, they are simply not big enough. Rachel brings up the mention of another report and asks what the outcome of this report was and if they are accessible online? Village Trustee Mohan states the importance of keeping communication open throughout this process, which is why in 2 weeks they will be having an open public work session with the experts in attendance. In the past public work sessions, Mayor Mullen states that the information that he shared was seen by the board and the public at the same time, so transparency is indeed important, but so is the public refraining from spreading misinformation. John Hynes, 316 3rd Ave – John has been a Pelham resident since 1978 and is checking in regarding water situation. He states there has been concern from Pelham as well as Pelham Manor residents and thinks the work session in 2 weeks will be helpful. Although the playground will not be lost, there will be a part of it taken away. Despite only 15% of chemicals being there, it is a big concern. There are many people who visit the park and nobody wants to lose the playground. Village Board of Trustees Regular Meeting Tuesday, April 9, 2024 Non-Recurring Items Item # 8 – Public Hearing on the Fiscal Year 2024-25 Tentative Budget VILLAGE OF PELHAM NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING Scheduling a Public Hearing for the Tentative Budget of the Village of Pelham for Fiscal Year 2024-25. The Board of Trustees of the Village of Pelham hereby schedules a public hearing to be held at 8:00 p.m. on Tuesday, April 9, 2024. This meeting will be held in Village Hall at 195 Sparks Avenue and virtually on Zoom and members of the public wishing to present comments may do so online during the public comment phase of the hearing by accessing the meeting at: *** https://zoom.us/j/98917409392?pwd=U09KN2MxTnJHWEU2Nm9ndWxQSEgwZz09 Join by Telephone: (929) 205-6099 Meeting ID: 989 1740 9392 Passcode: 030699 *** A copy of the budget is available at the office of the Village Clerk and on the Villages’ website at www.pelhamgov.com in compliance with New York State Law. Any interested person may inspect the Tentative Budget or request a copy during normal office hours of 9:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. As required by New York State Law, notice is hereby made that the compensation of the Mayor and Village Board of Trustees is as follows: Title Positions Annual Compensation Mayor (1) $5,000 Trustees (6) $2,000 * Note: The Budget Hearing may be continued for more than one meeting, but must be adjourned on or before April 23, 2024. By New York State Village Law, the Budget must be adopted on or before May 1, 2024. By order of Mayor Chance Mullen and Village Board of Trustees Adriana Rugova, Deputy Village Clerk Publication Date: April 3, 2024 Village Board of Trustees Regular Meeting Tuesday, April 9, 2024 Vote Record - Item # 8 – Opening the Public Hearing for the Tentative Budget Fiscal Year 2024-25 Village of Pelham Board of Trustees Regular Meeting – 9:06 PM Tuesday, April 9, 2024 Yes/Aye No/Nay Abstain Absent ☒Approved Mayor Mullen ☒ ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐Approved as Deputy Mayor Carpenter ☒ ☐ ☐ ☐ Amended Village Trustee Eldahry ☒ ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐Tabled Village Trustee McGreal 2nd ☒ ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐Withdrawn Village Trustee Mohan ☒ ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐Discussed Village Trustee Otondi ☒ ☐ ☐ ☐ Village Trustee Solomon Motion ☒ ☐ ☐ ☐ Vote Record - Item # 8 – Closing the Public Hearing for the Tentative Budget Fiscal Year 2024-25 Village of Pelham Board of Trustees Regular Meeting – 9:07 PM Tuesday, April 9, 2024 Yes/Aye No/Nay Abstain Absent ☒Approved Mayor Mullen ☒ ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐Approved as Deputy Mayor Carpenter 2nd ☒ ☐ ☐ ☐ Amended Village Trustee Eldahry ☒ ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐Tabled Village Trustee McGreal ☒ ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐Withdrawn Village Trustee Mohan ☒ ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐Discussed Village Trustee Otondi ☒ ☐ ☐ ☐ Village Trustee Solomon Motion ☒ ☐ ☐ ☐ Village Board of Trustees Regular Meeting Tuesday, April 9, 2024 Item # 9 - Resolution Authorizing Attendance at NYCOM Annual Meeting (5/15/24 – 5/17/24) Whereas, the New York State Conference of Mayors and Municipal Officials (“NYCOM”) is an association of, and for, cities and villages in New York. Since 1910, NYCOM has united local government officials in an active statewide network focused on the singular purpose of finding the most effective means of providing essential municipal services; and Whereas, NYCOM hosts its annual meeting at Sagamore Hotel Bolton Landing each year; and Whereas, Attendance at this training event is permitted by § 77-b of the General Municipal Law. Now, therefore, be it resolved, that the Board of Trustees of the Village of Pelham herein authorizes Village Trustee Solomon to attend the 2024 Annual Meeting at the Sagamore Hotel on behalf of the Village of Pelham from Wednesday, May 15, 2024 to Friday, May 17, 2024, with cost of said meeting including travel, hotel and registration fees not to exceed $1200.00 to be covered by the Village. Vote Record - Item # 9 – Resolution Authorizing Attendance at NYCOM Annual Meeting (5/15/24 – 5/17/24) – 9:08 PM Village of Pelham Board of Trustees Regular Meeting Tuesday, April 9, 2024 Yes/Aye No/Nay Abstain Absent ☒Approved Mayor Mullen ☒ ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐Approved as Deputy Mayor Carpenter ☒ ☐ ☐ ☐ Amended Village Trustee Eldahry ☒ ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐Tabled Village Trustee McGreal 2nd ☒ ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐Withdrawn Village Trustee Mohan Motion ☒ ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐Discussed Village Trustee Otondi ☒ ☐ ☐ ☐ Village Trustee Solomon ☒ ☐ ☐ ☐ Village Board of Trustees Regular Meeting Tuesday, April 9, 2024 Item # 10 – Other Business Electric Vehicle Charging Station Update – 2 days before COVID, the Village of Pelham engaged a consultant who relied on state funding and grant opportunities to install public charging stations. This consultant would apply for grants for the charging stations, and we would then purchase and receive them. The idea behind this is that the labor is the match for the grant which in term grants the Village 5 free charging stations. These 5 stations have been placed throughout the Village, however one issue in placing them has been finding the proper locations. It was not as simple as finding a spot where there is electricity, they needed to be placed in spots recommended by ConEdison. All the areas where Mayor Mullen and the Board of Trustees wanted to place the chargers, they could not. On the other hand, the spots that could be used would require large transformers. The installation cost of these transformers is hundreds of thousands of dollars, to which the consultant tried to apply for grants from ConEdison but were unsuccessful because it essentially means they are paying for their own work. Effectively, this project is unable to happen. The next step is possibly meeting with firms that handle the costs out of pocket, and who then pay themselves back with the electricity that is generated by these chargers. Mayor Mullen believes it is worth exploring, and that he has heard positive feedback from other Mayors who have went this same route. Trustee Eldahry states although it is disappointing in terms of the way it turned out, the positive note is that there are other options and we can go from there. Village Board of Trustees Regular Meeting Tuesday, April 9, 2024 Recurring Items Item # 11 - Authorizing Accounts Payable Deputy Mayor Carpenter is auditing the Accounts Payable. Whereas, pursuant to § 5-524 of the New York State Village Law, the Board of Trustees shall audit all claims against the Village. Now, therefore, be it resolved, that the Board of Trustees of the Village of Pelham after audit of the following vouchers, authorizes payment for services rendered and materials received, for the following items that have been submitted to the Treasurer's Office for payment and authorized by the Village Administrator/Treasurer: Fund Name: Amount General Fund (A) $ 82,555.87 Capital Projects Fund (H) $ 92,360.43 Trust & Agency (T) $ 0.00 Private Purpose Trust Fund (TE) $ 0.00 Grand Total $ 174,916.30 Be it further resolved, that the Village Board of Trustees hereby approves payment of the above- mentioned claims and authorizes payment thereof. Vote Record - Item # 11 – Authorizing the Accounts Payable – 9:19 PM Village of Pelham Board of Trustees Regular Meeting Tuesday, April 9, 2024 Yes/Aye No/Nay Abstain Absent ☒Approved Mayor Mullen ☒ ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐Approved as Deputy Mayor Carpenter ☒ ☐ ☐ ☐ Amended Village Trustee Eldahry ☒ ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐Tabled Village Trustee McGreal ☒ ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐Withdrawn Village Trustee Mohan ☒ ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐Discussed Village Trustee Otondi ☒ ☐ ☐ ☐ Village Trustee Solomon ☒ ☐ ☐ ☐ Village Board of Trustees Regular Meeting Tuesday, April 9, 2024 Item # 12 - Authorizing Minutes of: March 26, 2024 Work Session, Regular Meeting and Executive Session Vote Record - Item # 12 – Authorizing the Minutes of March 12, 2024 Work Session, Regular Meeting and Executive Session Village of Pelham Board of Trustees Regular Meeting Tuesday, April 9, 2024 Yes/Aye No/Nay Abstain Absent ☒Approved Mayor Mullen ☒ ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐Approved as Deputy Mayor Carpenter ☒ ☐ ☐ ☐ Amended Village Trustee Eldahry ☒ ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐Tabled Village Trustee McGreal ☐ ☐ ☒ ☐ ☐Withdrawn Village Trustee Mohan ☒ ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐Discussed Village Trustee Otondi ☒ ☐ ☐ ☐ Village Trustee Solomon ☒ ☐ ☐ ☐ Item # 13 - Adjournment A motion was made by Village Trustee Solomon, seconded by Village Trustee McGreal, voted unanimously by all at 9:20 PM to adjourn for evening. Respectfully Submitted, Adriana Rugova, Deputy Village Clerk