Board of Trustees
Regular MeetingScarsdale, NY · June 27, 2017
Minutes
Village Board of Trustees 06/27/2017 270
THREE THOUSAND TWO HUNDRED EIGHTY-THIRD
REGULAR MEETING
Rutherford Hall
Village Hall
June 27, 2017
A Regular Meeting of the Board of Trustees of the Village of Scarsdale was held in
Rutherford Hall in Village Hall on Tuesday, June 13, 2017 at 8:00 P.M.
Present were Mayor Hochvert, Trustees Callaghan, Finger, Pekarek, Ross, Samwick,
and Veron. Also present were Village Manager Pappalardo, Assistant Village Manager Cole,
Assistant Village Manager Richards, Village Attorney Esannason, Deputy Village Attorney
Garrison, Village Treasurer McClure, Village Clerk Conkling, and Assistant to the Village
Manager Ringel.
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The minutes of the Board of Trustees Regular Meeting of Tuesday, June 13, 2017
were approved on a motion entered by Trustee Pekarek, seconded by Trustee Veron, and
carried unanimously.
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Bills & Payroll
Trustee Veron reported that she had audited the Abstract of Claims dated
June 27, 2017 in the amount of $2,424,824.67 which includes $76,632.65 in Library Claims
previously audited by a Trustee of the Library Board which were found to be in order and
she moved that such payment be ratified.
Upon motion duly made by Trustee Veron and seconded by Trustee Samwick, the
following resolution was adopted unanimously:
RESOLVED, that the Abstract of Claims dated June 27, 2017 in the amount of
$2,424,824.67 is hereby approved.
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Mayor’s Comments
Mayor Hochvert stated that he attended a meeting called by Westchester County
Executive Rob Astorino about ten days ago in response to Governor Cuomo’s continued
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urging that municipalities find more ways to share services to reduce taxes. It was attended
by most of, if not all of the municipalities in Westchester. Most of the comments had to do
with the existing ways that municipalities are sharing services. Mayor Hochvert stated that
he brought with him a memorandum containing 8 ½ pages of shared services that the then
Deputy Village Manager Pappalardo had written to Village Manager Gatta. He shared this
memorandum with the Mayor of White Plains. He stated that he had suggested to the
County that the municipalities share a centralized composting site. The Mayor of White
Plains had commented that he was looking into getting an anaerobic composting capability
and perhaps sharing the cost with other interested municipalities in the vicinity. Mayor
Hochvert stated that he felt that the ‘urging’ from Albany is unnecessary because the Village
staff and Boards have always looked for ways to share services without diminishing those
services to keep the taxes as low as possible.
Mayor Hochvert next stated that he had the pleasure of attending the annual
meeting at 50 Popham Road, of that organization and he found that their most important
concern was traffic in the vicinity of 45 and 50 Popham Road. One suggestion that might be
a safety benefit would be to have a red light in the right hand turn lane auxiliary to the light
overhead. There are those who are not familiar with the intersection, who do not even
recognize that the light is for them or that there is a ‘No Turn on Red’ sign there. It would
be more effective to put a red light there in conjunction with the overhead light. It would
also show that the Village responds to the concerns of the residents.
Regarding the Board’s resolution to hire a consultant to review the operation of
the Assessor’s office, Mayor Hochvert stated that from what he has seen and heard, he
believed that there has been some misunderstanding in the rationale. One issue had to do
with a question that was posed to the consultant; some thought that Tom Frey had not
answered the question. However, Mr. Frey answered with three items including that the
exemptions that are applied for create a lot of work for the department and he implied that
this might be an area he would look into in the Village’s Assessor’s office. The Assessor’s
office is to be looked at in terms of future operation, not in terms of the personnel in the
office. Personnel will always change over time – the work of the consultant would be
applicable to all of the people that might work in the Assessor’s department in the future. In
addition, there was a reference to a report that the president of the firm that was hired – that
report does not directly apply to the Assessor’s department but to organizations in general.
There may be some applicability of the broad understanding that the president of
organization was trying to portray in the article but it isn’t yet determined that they are
applicable because the consultant is going to have to understand how the Village’s Assessor’s
office is run and whether there are important changes on the broad idea of how you
organize it and make it run efficiently. When you apply those broad principles to the
Assessor’s department there may be some applicability.
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Manager’s Comments
Village Manager Pappalardo reported on the gas main work being done by Con
Edison. He explained that they are installing roughly 3200 linear feet of new subsurface
plastic gas mains along Palmer Avenue (New York State Route 125) and Mamaroneck Road.
The new gas mains will increase natural gas service capacity during high demand periods and
will be a benefit to the residents. The limits on Palmer Avenue are between Wilmot (north
of the Golden Horseshoe) and Mamaroneck Road through the Five Corners – at the
Mamaroneck Road site between Secor and somewhere around the Middle School by
Leatherstocking Lane. As a condition of the Village street opening process, the Village will
require that Con Edison pay for Scarsdale Police Officers to conduct traffic control. Even
with police presence, problematic traffic delays have occurred. These intermittent delays are
expected to continue for the next few weeks until Con Ed moves further north on Palmer,
through and out of the Five Corners intersection. Travelers moving both north and
southbound on Route 125 should utilize the Heathcote Bypass whenever possible;
mandatory Heathcote Bypass detours are likely to occur as necessary. The Village is also
talking to Con Edison about other potential changes to the work plan in order to expedite
the completion of the work which is expected to take another six to eight weeks on Palmer.
The work on Mamaroneck Road is scheduled for completion within the next two to three
weeks with construction crews currently operating on Mamaroneck Road Bridge. A single
reversible traffic lane has been implemented for most of the period with intermittent road
closures on Mamaroneck Road as well. During these closures, eastbound traffic is detoured
to Brookby Road out to Heathcote Road. In order to better control the traffic at this
intersection, the Village has required Con Edison to fund the deployment of an additional
police officer. In order to avoid the construction congestion site completely, eastbound
motorists on Mamaroneck Road should consider turning left on Garden Road out to
Soundview Avenue, turn right and then turn right again onto Old Mamaroneck Road or
Route 125 again and that will allow one to head east and avoid the situation completely.
Staff will continue to monitor the project and continue to work with Con Edison to
minimize community impacts and expedite completion of the work. Important updates
concerning this project and related impacts will be issued through Village press releases as
necessary.
Village Manager Pappalardo next reported on assessment grievances and updates
of certain SCARs. As of today, of the 449 total of the filings for the 2016 assessment roll,
there are 19 claims outstanding, still to be resolved. Nine of the 19 homeowners refiled
grievances for the 2017 roll. The Assessor will continue to work towards the settlement for
the 19 unresolved SCARs up to July 18th of this year when the small claims court hearing is
scheduled to settle whatever SCARs are still outstanding at that time. As of today, there
remains to be resolved approximately 135 of the 143 certioraris that were filed against the
2016 assessment roll. These take multiple years to settle out but a few have been settled
over the last few months. In regard to the 2017 Tentative Assessment Roll, a total of 725
grievances were filed. The Assessor was able to settle 65 of these grievances that were filed
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between June 1st and June 19th, prior to Grievance Day. There is a balance of 660 pending
grievances on the 2017 roll that the Board of Assessment Review will have to consider. In
order to begin deliberations on these grievances the BAR has scheduled a number of
meetings over the summer, the first one being tomorrow night. They have five meetings
scheduled in July and another ten meetings scheduled in August.
Village Manager Pappalardo reminded the community and the Board that the annual
fireworks spectacular will be presented at the Scarsdale Pool this Thursday night, June 29th at
9:15 p.m. He explained that the fireworks will be held on this date because the Village has to
coordinate the date with the County of Westchester – the fireworks are located on the
second hole of the Saxon Woods Golf Course and the Village needs County approval for the
date. This was the closest date to the actual holiday they could give to the Village this year.
The Westchester Band will be performing at the pool at 7:30 p.m. There is a $2.00 fee for all
non-pool members. At 8:00 p.m. all individuals entering the pool complex will be charged
$2.00. He explained that this charge helps to offset the charge of the band and the cost of
the fireworks. There are also a number of employees that are needed at that time to assist
with parking, traffic control, etc. Picnicking is allowed on the grounds but alcohol and
smoking is not. The fireworks will begin at approximately 9:15 p.m.
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Committee/Liaison Reports
Trustee Ross stated that he sent an email to the members of the Drake/Edgewood
Neighborhood Association to help find people to invigorate the Association. He received a
number of very positive responses and he anticipates that this will soon be an active
organization.
Trustee Ross next reported on the Cable Television Commission, which he stated is
beginning to schedule meetings with Sue Buske, the consultant who has been retained by the
Village to advise on the renewals of the Village’s franchise agreements with the cable
providers. Two October dates have been proposed. Meetings are expected to be scheduled
by the end of July and held in October.
Trustee Ross stated that earlier this month on June 3rd, there was a planting day at
Secor Meadows. A dedicated group of volunteers worked on a project that had been
conceived by the Conservation Advisory Committee. The Department of Public Works has
been very supportive of the project and next steps are being discussed. On June 16th,
Madelaine Eppenstein of the Friends of the Scarsdale Parks met with Lee Fischman, former
CAC Chair and Superintendent of Public Works, Benny Salanitro and his foreman. The
Friends of the Scarsdale Parks are mostly acting in an advisory capacity at the meadow that is
yet to be created although the Friends of the Scarsdale Parks planted a mixed shrub and
perennial border there. Also, the Friends planted the flower beds at Village Hall this spring
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and hopes that everyone is enjoying the display. He thanked them for all of their work to
make Scarsdale a more beautiful and environmentally sound community.
Trustee Pekarek read the following press release regarding burglary arrests: “The
Scarsdale Police Department, with the assistance of the Westchester County District
Attorney’s Office, has arrested the following two individuals in relation to the burglary of an
occupied residence on Berwick Road in April 2017. Alexander Crooks, age 25, of Mount
Vernon, New York and Antwan Hall, age 25, of Bronx, New York. Both defendants were
charged with Burglary 2nd Degree, a Class “C” Felony. Both defendants were arraigned in
Scarsdale Justice Court and remanded to the Westchester County Jail for a future court
appearance in Scarsdale Justice Court. These arrests are the result of an ongoing
investigation into the Berwick Road burglary, with additional arrests anticipated.” Trustee
Pekarek added her thanks to Chief Matturro and the entire Police Department – especially
the Detective Investigative Group and their tireless work from April through June to solve
this particular burglary and their dedication to keeping Scarsdale safe.
Trustee Pekarek reported that Chief Matturro’ s command staff – Captain Altizio,
Lt. Dusavage and Detective Lt. Murphy met with the Board of Trustees at the Public Safety
Building last week and videotaped a presentation that was an update on current technology,
crime analysis and burglary prevention. They reviewed some of their covert security
cameras, three license plate readers (LPRs) – they photograph and record license plates,
stored in a database and shared with law enforcement agencies County-wide. The Board will
continue to review the technology needs of the Police department. The Police department is
looking for grants that might be available in order to augment some of the technology needs.
Trustee Pekarek also offered tips from the Police Department to discourage crime related
incidents. She stated that the videotape is available for viewing in three locations: Scarsdale
Public Television website, the Scarsdale Village website, the Scarsdale Police Department
homepage, and it will be on rotation on Scarsdale Cable Television.
Trustee Pekarek added that the Tree Code is being reviewed; there is a working
group consisting of Village staff, the CAC, and the Friends of the Scarsdale Parks that will
soon be presenting their work.
Mayor Hochvert noted that crime is shifting from the physical (break-ins, etc.) to
technology related crimes (scams, etc.) via the internet. We all have to protect our money
sources – we all have to be aware of these issues. The Police Department is looking into this
to fight this type of crime as well.
As liaison to the Scarsdale Volunteer Ambulance Corps, Trustee Callaghan stated
that David Raizen hosted a program for Scarsdale High School Seniors entitled ‘Senior
Options’ for EMT training classes.
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Trustee Callaghan next reported that there are some personnel changes happening
in the Fire Department. Three seasoned Captains retired and replacements need to be found
for the three fire fighters he promotes into those positions. There are many qualified
candidates they will be interviewing. There will be some overtime involved during the
transition; however, the transition period will be a very short event.
Mayor Hochvert stated that the safety of the Village is in good hands; there are
arrangements to cover where there are vacancies. He stated that people should not react to
the fact that personnel are changing because the department is in good hands.
Trustee Veron stated that she had four items to report. The first item is on
communications; the first inaugural newsletter was sent out, the Scarsdale Official, right after
the last Board meeting. There are already 517 subscribers. She thanked Deputy Village
Manager Cole for all of his hard work on this. She asked interested residents to visit the
Village’s website at www.scarsdale.com, select “Notify Me” and select “Scarsdale Official”.
Secondly, Trustee Veron stated that a survey was developed for residents, looking
at the way the Village communicates with residents in both a quantitative and qualitative
manner. The survey is coming close to an end, and if residents would like to weigh in they
should visit the Village website, you can write ‘communications survey’ in the search bar
which will pull up Press Releases and take you to the survey. The survey takes very little
time to complete and all responses are exceedingly valuable.
Trustee Veron continued on the subject of communications, noting that the
Village Manager spoke about road closures. If residents would like to be updated on what is
going on with road closures, etc., go to the “Notify Me” on the Scarsdale Village website and
select “Press Release”. You will get up to the minute press releases in whatever mode you
desire. If you choose not to do that, you can always go to the Village website and look at the
press releases online. All of this is an effort to communicate better with residents. She
thanked the Ad Hoc Committee on Communications for all the recommended changes in
partnership with the Village staff.
Trustee Veron next spoke in regard to the Scarsdale Arts Council. She stated that
she hoped that everyone had seen the latest installation in Chase Park of ‘Pearl Necklace’.
This is the first art installation by the Scarsdale Arts Council. In the continued effort to
bring energy and talent into the Village Center there is a partnership between the Scarsdale
Arts Council, local merchants, and TAP to have a ‘Meet the Artist’ evening hosted by
Wilson and Sons Jewelers on Thursday, July 13th from 6:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. This is the
same night as the concert in Chase Park. There will be wine and hors d’oeuvres provided by
Zachys and Moscato – merchants pulling together to generate enthusiasm around the Village
Center. Wilson and Sons will be displaying beautiful pearl jewelry and you can meet the
artist who designed the pearl necklace installed in Chase Park.
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In regard to the Advisory Council on Parks and Recreation, Trustee Veron stated
that although they spend a lot of time speaking about sports, there is also a focus on parks.
Each member of the PRC is assigned a park to walk and assess and make recommendations.
There are many activities on the docket – the Village Manager shared the excitement
surrounding the July 4th celebration – the Scarsdale Day Camp starts on Monday, July 3rd and
there are still some openings at this time. Those interested in registering may do so, they
only need to wait a week to begin camp. Tennis and pool permits are available. Two parties
in the park are coming up; 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. – one on Friday, July 14th at Davis Park
and another one on Friday, July 28th in Chase Park. The concert series with Westchester
Band will be kicked off the night of the fireworks but will also continue on July 6th, 13th, 20th,
27th and August 3rd and 10th. There is a potential gift of batting cages from the Scarsdale
Little League that is under consideration. The West Quaker Ridge Neighborhood
Association has been contacted because the batting cages would be located outside the
perimeter of the left field at Crossway 3 and the PRC would like to reach out to the
neighbors. These batting cages with netting seem to be an improvement in safety.
Trustee Veron next reported on the Library, stating that she hoped everyone
received in their mailboxes the first edition of a revised and updated notification from the
Library to the community. It is colorful and provides a summary of the progress report of
the Library as well as information on the campaign of the library building project and project
highlights. This information is also available on the Scarsdale Library website. Not only is
the library working very hard on the design development; they remain 100% focused on
providing service today. There is excellent programing that continues – the summer reading
game has just been kicked off and you can get access to that in the Children’s room of the
Library. The book sale will be collecting donations as of July 5th.
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Public Comment
Robert Harrison, 65 Fox Meadow Road, congratulated Trustee Veron on the
inaugural edition of the Scarsdale Official. He suggested to Trustee Veron, in her role as
liaison to the Advisory Council on Parks and Recreation that the PRC should publish when
its meetings are being held – on the website and on the bulletin board in the Village Lobby,
as well as the agenda. Trustee Veron noted that the meetings are usually held on the third
Wednesday of the month.
Mr. Harrison thanked Village Manager Pappalardo for the detail he gave during
his report of the grievances that have been filed with the Village. He noted that in 2013
there were 234 grievances filed; in 2014 after the Tyler revaluation there were 951 grievances
filed; in 2015 - 361 grievances were filed; in 2016 after the Ryan revaluation there were 1,103
grievances filed and finally, in June 2017 there were 725 grievances filed. He noted that even
a year after the Ryan revaluation the number of grievances is higher than in 2015, a year after
Village Board of Trustees 06/27/2017 277
the Tyler revaluation which is indicative of the problems that arose from the Ryan reval. Of
those 65 settled by the Assessor prior to June 15th, Mr. Harrison asked Village Manager
Pappalardo is any of those were settled by tax reps. Village Manager Pappalardo responded
that he did not believe any of them were and that it was just the individual property owners.
Mr. Harrison reported on the number of tennis permits sold this year – a total of
879 tennis permits have been sold this year encompassing 523 adults, 76 seniors, and 280
youth. He also stated that tennis attendants are needed to supervise the tennis courts to
insure that those playing have permits from the Village to do so. This is a revenue area that
has declined substantially. At the very least there should be a ‘rover’ – someone who drives
from court to court where there are no attendants to make sure those playing have a permit
to do so.
Mr. Harrison reminded everyone that the 33rd season of the Scarsdale Summer
Youth Tennis League program starts on Monday, July 10th; it is a four week program, four
nights a week. The brochure for the spring and summer programs from the Recreation
Department went out a few weeks ago. The applications will be accessible on the Recreation
Department’s website later this week. Eligible youths are between the ages of 6-18 years.
The fee is $50.00 – included in that fee is a t-shirt, a pizza and ice cream party at the end of
the program, participation trophies, and a tournament. There will be a travel team at the end
of the tournament.
In regard to the Scarsdale Little League, Mr. Harrison stated that on the applications
there are certain grades that play on specific evenings. He hoped that no one forces these
children to play baseball every night. Our youth should have the opportunity to play
baseball and tennis.
Mr. Harrison then read a list of Scarsdale Senior High School students who will be
attending Penn State for summer programs this year.
Mayor Hochvert stated that the Board had a discussion about what was driving the
number of grievances that were filed this year. There may have been a factor that
contributed to it – because of the equalization rate, included on each of the tax bills is a full
market value figure. The important thing for residents to recognize is that their taxes are not
based on the full market value. Their taxes are based on the assessment, which is the lower
number on the bill. There may have been some grievances filed based on something the
residents didn’t understand, so they are just trying to make that more clear this evening.
That is a possibility for the 725 grievances being filed – it may have been somewhat less if
people had understood that.
There being no further comments, Mayor Hochvert closed the public comments
portion of the meeting.
Village Board of Trustees 06/27/2017 278
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Finance Committee
Upon motion entered by Trustee Finger, and seconded by Trustee Samwick, the
following resolution regarding the Acceptance of a Gift – Funding for Phase 3 Chase Park
Irrigation System was approved by a unanimous vote:
WHEREAS, the Village of Scarsdale and the Friends of Scarsdale Parks, Inc.,
(“FOSP”) have been working cooperatively on landscaping
beautification improvements to Chase Park for many years; and
WHEREAS, on January 26, 2016, the Village Board of Trustees accepted a $3,500
gift from the FOSP, which combined with $2,788 in remaining
funding from the completed de Lima Park project to yield a total
FOSP contribution of $6,288 toward Phase 1 and Phase 2 of the
Chase Park Irrigation System Project, which cost $12,650 in total; and
WHEREAS, a Request for Proposals was distributed to five companies seeking
bids for the final irrigation system phase, Phase 3, with two bids
having been received; and
WHEREAS, Michael C. Palotta Lawn Irrigation, Inc., submitted the lowest
responsive Phase 3 bid, $5,285, plus an additional $495 for an
unanticipated controller upgrade; and
WHEREAS, the FOSP wish to donate $3,000 toward the total project cost of
$5,780, leaving $2,780 to be paid from the PRC Special Reserve
Fund; and
WHEREAS, $2,780 in additional project funding was appropriated for this
purpose in the FY 2017/18 Capital Budget – Chase Park Irrigation
Project; and
WHEREAS, pursuant to Policy #106: “Gifts to the Village of Scarsdale” of the Village
of Scarsdale Administrative Policies & Procedures Manual,
acceptance of all gifts valued at $500 or greater must be approved by
the Village Board of Trustees; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, that the Board of Trustees hereby accepts the FOSP’s gracious gift of
$3,000 to support Phase 3 of the Chase Park Irrigation System
Project; and be it further
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RESOLVED, that the Village Board of Trustees hereby extends its gratitude to the
FOSP for their generosity to the community.
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Mayor Hochvert noted that although the aforementioned gift comes via the Friends
of the Scarsdale Parks, it comes from hundreds of residents of the Village. The thank you
goes much broader than just the Board of the Friends of the Scarsdale Parks.
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Municipal Services Committee
Upon motion entered by Trustee Veron, and seconded by Trustee Samwick, the
following resolution regarding Authorization to Execute a Professional Services Agreement for
Conducting Employee Physicals, and for Drug and Alcohol Testing was approved by the vote
indicated below:
WHEREAS, the United States Department of Transportation issued regulations
pursuant to the Omnibus Transportation Testing Act of 1991
governing the use of drugs and alcohol by commercial motor vehicle
drivers, and requiring employers to conduct mandatory drug and
alcohol testing of drivers; and
WHEREAS, in accordance with the Omnibus Transportation Testing Act,
Department of Public Works regulations, and the collective
bargaining agreement between the Village and Local 456,
International Brotherhood of Teamsters (IBT), the Village randomly
drug tests all full-time IBT employees, as well as other employees in
safety-sensitive positions; and
WHEREAS, the Village’s three-year professional services agreement with Clarity
Testing Services to provide the aforementioned drug testing services,
as well as pre-employment physicals for prospective public works
department employees and inter-department transfers, expired in
December 2016; and
WHEREAS, Clarity Testing Services has provided satisfactory service to the
Village and their unique ability in the industry to provide mobile
testing services at any site staff designates has been helpful in
managing our seasonal employee testing needs; and
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WHEREAS, pursuant to a bid solicitation, two bids were received and reviewed by
staff, resulting in a recommendation to enter into a professional
services agreement with Clarity Testing Services, 150 White Plains
Rd, Suite 204, Tarrytown, NY 10591, for the unit bid prices reflected
in Appendix “B” of the attached agreement, with an estimated total
annual expense of $6,000; and
WHEREAS, the proposed agreement is for a two-year term with an option to
renew for one additional year; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, that the Village Manager is hereby authorized to execute a two-year
professional services agreement with Clarity Testing Services, 150
White Plains Road, Suite 204, Tarrytown, NY 10591, in substantially
the same form as attached hereto, for the listed unit bid prices in a
total amount not to exceed budgeted appropriations; and be it further
RESOLVED, that the Village Manager is herein authorized to undertake all
administrative acts as may be required pursuant to the terms of the
agreement, and to renew said agreement for one additional year at his
discretion.
AYES NAYS ABSENT
Trustee Callaghan None None
Trustee Finger
Trustee Pekarek
Trustee Ross
Trustee Samwick
Trustee Veron
Mayor Hochvert
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Upon motion entered by Trustee Veron, and seconded by Trustee Finger, the following
resolution to Award VM Contract #1218 – Furnish and Deliver Water Meters was approved by
the vote indicated below:
WHEREAS, the Village of Scarsdale Water Department receives, pumps, treats,
and distributes potable water to approximately 5,800 accounts,
consisting of both village residents and residents of Eastchester
Water District #1; and
WHEREAS, there are older water meters located throughout the service area that
either do not have remote reading capability, under-report water
Village Board of Trustees 06/27/2017 281
usage, or have otherwise failed with age, therefore necessitating
replacement; and
WHEREAS, it is critical that water meters feature up-to-date technology and
function properly in order to accurately measure water usage, enable
remote reading, and reduce field labor costs; and
WHEREAS, the bid solicitation for VM Contract #1218 - Furnish and Deliver
Water Meters was published in the Scarsdale Inquirer on Friday,
April 21, 2017, advertised on the New York State procurement site,
Bidnet, and distributed directly to two known meter vendors; and
WHEREAS, on the bid opening date, May 1, 2017, three sealed bids were
received, as per the attached bid tabulation sheet, with the lowest
responsive bid received from Schmidt’s Wholesale Inc., 150 Jefferson
Street, Monticello, NY 12701, to supply Badger brand water meters
in the required sizes and quantities for the stated unit bid prices, not
to exceed budgeted appropriations; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, that VM Contract # 1218 – Furnish and Deliver Water Meters, be
awarded to the lowest responsive bidder, Schmidt’s Wholesale Inc.,
150 Jefferson Street, Monticello, NY 12701, for the specified unit bid
prices, as follows, with the total expenditure not to exceed budgeted
appropriations, with an estimated total expense of up to $111,000: ¾-
inch ($93.95), 1-inch ($156.75), and 1-inch with register ($156.75);
and be it further
RESOLVED, that the cost be charged to the Water Enterprise Budget, Account
#EWS-8310-DSTRB-OP/MT- 400-424, which includes a
combination of $44,000 in FY 16/17 funding and $67,000 in FY
17/18 funding available for water meter purchases; and be it further
RESOLVED, that the Village Manager is hereby authorized to execute VM
Contract #1218 with Schmidt’s Wholesale Inc., 150 Jefferson Street,
Monticello, New York 12701, and to undertake administrative acts as
may be required pursuant to the terms of the agreement.
AYES NAYS ABSENT
Trustee Callaghan None None
Trustee Finger
Trustee Pekarek
Trustee Ross
Trustee Samwick
Village Board of Trustees 06/27/2017 282
Trustee Veron
Mayor Hochvert
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Before he voted on the above resolution, Trustee Finger noted that this program is a
very important Village program. Aside from saving water and getting proper readings, it is
ultimately not only going to save in staffing time, but in pollution because staff will be able to
do more direct readings that don’t require them to drive around.
********
Upon motion entered by Trustee Veron, and seconded by Trustee Samwick, the
following resolution regarding the Scarsdale Concours Car Show was approved by a unanimous
vote:
WHEREAS, Scarsdale Concours has requested permission to hold the 14th Annual
Scarsdale Concours Car Show in the Village Center on Sunday,
October 1, 2017; and
WHEREAS, the Scarsdale Concours Car Show requires the temporary closure of
several streets in the Village Center (map attached), including Spencer
Place, Harwood Court, Boniface Circle, and Chase Road, with the
Scarsdale Police Department overseeing the street closures and
providing traffic control during the event; and
WHEREAS, the Scarsdale Concours Car Show is an event coordinated by
dedicated volunteers, including former Scarsdale High School
students and Village residents, and has been successfully held in the
Village of Scarsdale for the past thirteen years; and
WHEREAS, the event draws hundreds of attendees to view a wide variety of
antique automobile and show-cars, with recommended event
donations helping to fund local service organizations, such as the
Scarsdale/Edgemont Family Counseling Service, Paulie Strong
Foundation, and Scarsdale Police Benevolent Association Warrior
and Family Assistance Fund; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, that the Village Board is desirous of accommodating this event and
grants permission to hold the 14th Annual Scarsdale Concours in the
Village Center on Sunday, October 1, 2017, conditioned on the
timely receipt of a certificate of insurance listing the Village of
Scarsdale as an additional insured; and be it further
Village Board of Trustees 06/27/2017 283
RESOLVED, that the Village Manager is herein authorized to execute the attached
Village Event Permit form.
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Written Communications
All communications received that are written to the Mayor and Board of Trustees
can be viewed on the Village’s website, www.scarsdale.com under the Board of Trustees or
Village Clerk section.
Village Clerk Conkling reported that three (3) communications have been received
since the last regular Board of Trustees meeting from the following:
• Two emails from Susan Levine, Ardmore Road, with suggestions regarding
the Village’s Leaf Blower regulations and her thanks to the Communications
Committee for their work and for the new “Scarsdale Official”, the Village’s
new e-newsletter.
• An email from Lika Levi regarding downtown revitalization.
*******
Future Meeting Schedule
• Tuesday, July 11, 2017 – Committee of the Whole – 6:00 P.M. – Trustees’ Room
• Tuesday, July 11, 2017 – Personnel Committee – 7:00 P.M. – Trustees’ Room
• Tuesday, July 11, 2017 – Agenda Meeting – 7:30 P.M. – Trustees’ Room
• Tuesday, July 11, 2017 – Village Board Meeting – 8:00 P.M. – Rutherford Hall
*******
Village Hall Schedule
• Tuesday, July 4 2017 – Independence Day – Village Hall Closed
*******
Village Board of Trustees 06/27/2017 284
There being no further business to come before the Board, the meeting was
adjourned at 9:04 P.M. on a motion entered by Trustee Ross, seconded by Trustee Finger
and carried unanimously.
Donna M. Conkling
Village Clerk
Agenda
Village of Scarsdale
Dan Hochvert, Mayor Stephen M. Pappalardo,
Village Manager
Office of the Village Manager
Matthew J. Callaghan Scarsdale, New York 10583
Carl L. Finger 914-722-1110
Deborah Pekarek Fax: 914-722-1119
Seth Ross www.scarsdale.com
Marc Samwick
Jane E. Veron
Village Board Agenda
June 27, 2017
Agenda Committee Meeting - 7:30 PM – Trustees Room
Village Board Meeting - 8:00 PM - Rutherford Hall
Roll Call
Pledge of Allegiance
Minutes
Village Board Meeting of June 13, 2017
Bills
Trustee Veron
Mayor’s Comments ______________________
Manager’s Comments ______________________
Committee Reports
Liaison Reports
Public Comments ______________________
Committee Items
Finance Committee –Trustee Finger
Resolution re: Acceptance of a Gift – Funding for Phase #3
Chase Park Irrigation System ______________________
Municipal Services Committee - Trustee Veron
Resolution re: Authorization to Execute a Professional Services
Agreement for Conducting Employee Physicals, and for Drug
and Alcohol Testing ______________________
Resolution re: Awarding VM Contract # 1218 – Furnish &
Deliver Water Meters ______________________
Resolution re: Scarsdale Concours Car Show ______________________
Written Communications (3)
Susan Levine Re: Leaf Blower Ban
Susan Levine Re: Thank You
Lika Levi Re: Downtown Revitalization
Future Meeting Schedule
Tuesday, June 27, 2017
6:00 PM - The Village Board of Trustees will sit as an Appeals
Board pursuant to Chapter 182 of the Village Code to hear an
appeal from Zarin Steinmetz, attorneys, representing David and
Courtney Peretz, property owners in regard to the Committee on
Historic Preservation’s decision not to issue a certificate of
appropriateness to permit the demolition of a residential structure
located at 24 Morris Lane, Scarsdale, NY.
Tuesday, July 11, 2017
7:30 PM Agenda Committee Meeting ______________________
8:00 PM Village Board Meeting ______________________
Village Hall Schedule
Tuesday, July 4, 2017
Independence Day – Village Hall Closed
Village Board of Trustees 06/13/2017 250
THREE THOUSAND TWO HUNDRED EIGHTY-SECOND
REGULAR MEETING
Rutherford Hall
Village Hall
June 13, 2017
A Regular Meeting of the Board of Trustees of the Village of Scarsdale was held in
Rutherford Hall in Village Hall on Tuesday, June 13, 2017 at 8:00 P.M.
Present were Mayor Hochvert, Trustees Callaghan, Finger, Pekarek, Ross, Samwick,
and Veron. Also present were Village Manager Pappalardo, Assistant Village Manager Cole,
Assistant Village Manager Richards, Village Attorney Esannason, Deputy Village Attorney
Garrison, Village Treasurer McClure, Village Clerk Conkling, and Assistant to the Village
Manager Ringel.
********
The minutes of the Board of Trustees Regular Meeting of Tuesday, May 23, 2017
were approved on a motion entered by Trustee Samwick, seconded by Trustee Finger, and
carried unanimously.
********
Bills & Payroll
Trustee Samwick reported that he had audited the Abstract of Claims dated
June 13, 2017 in the amount of $437,550.61 which includes $18,162.04 in Library Claims
previously audited by a Trustee of the Library Board which were found to be in order and he
moved that such payment be ratified.
Upon motion duly made by Trustee Samwick and seconded by Trustee Veron, the
following resolution was adopted unanimously:
RESOLVED, that the Abstract of Claims dated June 13, 2017 in the amount of
$437,550.61 is hereby approved.
Trustee Samwick further reported that he had examined the payment of bills made in
advance of a Board of Trustees audit totaling $115,909.23 which were found to be in order and
he moved that such payments be ratified.
Village Board of Trustees 06/13/2017 251
Upon motion duly made by Trustee Samwick and seconded by Trustee Finger, the
following resolution was adopted unanimously:
RESOLVED, that payment of claims made in advance of a Board of Trustees audit
totaling $115,909.23 is hereby ratified.
********
Mayor’s Comments
Mayor Hochvert stated that he wanted to thank the residents who advised their
landscapers that gasoline driven blowers are not permitted by Village Code between June 1st
and September 30th. He has noticed that the noise levels have dropped. Anyone who has
not had an opportunity to advise their landscapers that gasoline driven blowers are
prohibited during this period should advise them of such.
Mayor Hochvert stated that on Sunday, he attended an event where there were 7
Gold Award Girl Scouts. Most of their achievements were in the area of looking after
people who needed help. There were also a couple of unique ones – one was a Scout who
taught kids how to play games so they would form a more social environment. Another one
brought some kids information on astronomy. This was followed by an event with three
Eagle Scouts in an Honor Court also. All three of them were builders of some sort.
Mayor Hochvert reported that the other events he was involved in since the last
Board meeting was an affair held by the Community Support Council at a Forum meeting.
People were asked to consider what they could do to help others in the Village. One of the
conclusions reached was that it all starts in neighborhoods. Everyone is working very hard
on the Neighborhood Associations. At a recent SNAP meeting, they elected a new
President, Ira Solfin, following up on Matt Martin, who did a great job keeping that
organization moving ahead.
********
Manager’s Comments
Village Manager Pappalardo stated that he had a few reports this evening;
however, first he called Library Director Elizabeth Bermel to the podium to give an update
on the fund raising efforts of the Library Board relative to the Library project that is
underway.
Library Director Bermel reported that the Library has received nearly $3.8
million in commitments to date. Of that $3.8 million, they have received a total of
$3,226,580 in cash which includes the resolution being approved tonight by the Village
Village Board of Trustees 06/13/2017 252
Board, and it includes the amount paid by the anonymous donors for the first quarterly
match. As the Board may recall, there are two anonymous donors who are doing $1 million
dollar matching grant apiece, and they are doing this on a quarterly basis. They have nearly
$500,000 in written pledges, and as of yesterday the Library will receive $511,242 in
matching funds for the second quarter. The quarter ends at the end of the month so they
anticipate to have more in at the end of the month as well. Without any additional matching
funds, the total amount raised will be $4,284,351 – almost $4.3 and rising. She thanked the
entire community for their generosity.
Trustee Veron asked for the number of families that had contributed to date to
the Library Project. Library Director Bermel replied that there have been 135 families that
have donated to date.
Trustee Callaghan asked Ms. Bermel how much cash they had on hand. Ms.
Bermel responded that they had $3.2 million in cash, but some of that has been spent. Over
$1 million was encumbered at the last meeting, but she did not have the exact number this
evening. Ms. Bermel stated that she would get back to the Board with that information.
********
Village Manager Pappalardo then began his report, beginning with the road
resurfacing project. He stated that subsequent to various curbing work that has been done,
the Village began to resurface roads this week. It is a contract service that is managed very
closely with the Engineering staff to make sure the work is done in accordance with the
contract. The roads that were paved this week are Drake Road in its entirety, a section of
Fox Meadow Road from Butler Road to Highland Way, and the section of Butler Road from
Highland Way to the Bronx River Parkway. They continued paving today, completing the
section of Penn Boulevard, from Weaver Street to Swarthmore Road, Stratton Road from
Weaver Street to Franklin Road, and sections of Boulevard, Carmen, Bradley, and Potter will
be paved over the balance of the week to complete the paving cycle. These roads
encompass roughly two miles. During the month of July and part of August, additional
roads planned for paving will be prepared with curbing and other work with the intent to
conduct another two miles of road resurfacing prior to the commencement of the school
year in September. The budget for curbing and road resurfacing is approximately $1.3
million. This consists of a combination of a General Fund transfer of $167,500 at the time
the Board adopted the budget, New York State grants totaling $588,000 – this is a
combination of CHIPS money, a Pave New York grant, and a Winter Recovery Grant. He
stated that we do anticipate an additional transfer of $500,000 from General Fund Fund
balance subsequent to 2016/17 Year End closeout review, and that would be transfer to
Capital for roads. With the $1.3 million, the Village has four miles of paving planned and is
hoping to do a few more sometime in August.
Village Board of Trustees 06/13/2017 253
Village Manager Pappalardo next reported on the 2017 Tentative Assessment
Roll, which was completed and posted on June 1st. All information is posted on the website
on the Assessor’s departmental page. In accordance with the 2017 roll, a total of 165
Change of Assessment letters were mailed to homeowners. With the issuance of the
Tentative Roll, the statutory grievance period has commenced, with property owners able to
file grievance applications with the Assessor’s office until Grievance Day which statutorily is
the third Tuesday in June, which is June 20th this year. Applications are available on the
Village website and at the Assessor’s office in Village Hall. Homeowners wishing to speak
to the Board of Assessment Review on Grievance Day may do so as well. They should
schedule a time slot with the clerk when they submit their grievance application at the
Assessor’s office. If you are going to speak to the Board of Assessment Review, you will
need to provide six copies of your grievance application for each member of that Board.
Mr. Pappalardo next gave an update of the 449 small claims assessment reviews
(SCARS) filed for the 2016 assessment roll. He stated that a total of 396 have been settled
and/or adjudicated with 53 SCARS still pending. The Assessor will continue to negotiate
the remaining SCARS until the June 20th Grievance Day. At that time, the Board of
Assessment Review is authorized to review grievance applications. Those 2016 properties
still unsettled on June 20th will have to refile their grievance for 2017 and await the BAR’s
determination and the final Assessment Roll which must be filed by September 13th. If still
unsettled, or the property owner is unsatisfied, they can file another SCARS for 2017 and
again commence settlement discussions with the Assessor.
********
Other Committee Reports
None.
********
Liaison Reports
Trustee Veron gave report on the Ad Hoc Committee for Communications. She
stated that the first e-newsletter will be launched tomorrow to those in the community who
have selected to hear from the Village through the ‘Notify Me’ process on the Village’s
website. She stated that you will first be alerted to the fact that you will be getting a
newsletter – if you are not interested you may decline but the Committee is hoping you will
be interested and encourage your friends to sign up. It is a collaborative effort between the
Ad Hoc Committee for Communications and the Village staff who worked very hard to get
this done. The e-newsletter will be sent out approximately twice a month, with news from
the Village Board meetings and various updates.
Village Board of Trustees 06/13/2017 254
Secondly, she stated that there is a survey from the Ad Hoc Committee for
Communications which is open for response through July 1st. The Committee would like
those interested in completing the survey to go to the following link: tinyurl.com\Scarsdale-
survey. You can also go to the search bar on the Village website and look for the
Communications survey. The topic is about the quality and quantity of information that one
receives from the Village government and what could be done better to insure a dialogue
with residents.
Trustee Veron stated that she attended a SNAP meeting and had an incredibly
engaged crowd of SNAP Presidents and looked through the functionality of the website and
spoke about all the ways the website will help improve communication to the community.
The Presidents of SNAP wanted to invite the members of the Ad Hoc Committee for
Communications to come and provide that input to their organizations. Trustee Veron
offered to any group in the community that are interested in sharing the robustness of the
website that the Ad Hoc Committee would be willing to do this. There are also tutorial
videos on line at the Village’s website.
Trustee Veron next reported on the Library, noting the exciting news related by
Library Director Bermel earlier in this evening’s meeting. She stated that there is so much
activity – the community should be very proud of the Library Board and the Friends of the
Scarsdale Library. Newly redesigned bookmarks will be mailed to residents with photos and
a lot of information. This will also be sent as an e-blast. This highlights the programs that
currently exist that will expanded, such as homebound delivery to make library more
accessible to those who are homebound.
Trustee Veron added that the Library book sale is proceeding – it will be the last
opportunity to do the book sale in the current building. Design development has been
launched and a communications committee has been initiated along with plans for a new
website.
With regard to the Drugs and Alcohol Task Force, Trustee Veron stated that the
results of the survey done with the high school students are in; the data will be shared – she
will announce where one can get the information. The Task will be sending out factoids
with information that the community should know. They are working on formalizing their
Board structure and finalizing their logo. They are working hard on their mission.
Trustee Veron stated that she hoped the community got to see in Chase Park the
installation authorized by the Board of the Pearl Necklace. There is also cooperation from
the business community. If you go to Wilson’s Jewelry you will see the display in the
window. It is an incredible collaboration between the business community and the Scarsdale
Arts Council in an effort to bring in foot traffic and revitalize the Village Center.
Village Board of Trustees 06/13/2017 255
Mayor Hochvert pointed out that the pearls hanging in Chase Park were done by a
Scarsdale resident artist, Simone Kestelman.
Trustee Callaghan reported that tomorrow evening the Board of Appeals will be
considering a variance to change the Scarsdale Historical Society’s building to a residential
building.
Trustee Callaghan next reported for the Advisory Council on Scarsdale Senior
Citizens and the Council on People with Disabilities, stating that the Police Department put
together a form that is available on the Village’s website. The form will indicate whether any
of your family members have disabilities – mental and/or physical. For those that submit
this form, the Police Department will make a telephone call every day and if they don’t hear
back from you in three hours, they will dispatch a patrol car to your address. The Police
Department has extensive training in mental and physical disabilities.
At the Old Scarsdale Neighborhood Association, Trustee Callaghan reported that
the Police Chief explained how the police patrol the neighborhoods during the evening
hours. He told a short story which indicated how well the police check the neighborhoods.
Trustee Callaghan reported that SVAC has been involved in several emergency drill
procedures and those members are getting extensive training in disaster management
response.
Reporting as Fire Commissioner, Trustee Callaghan stated that the Fire
Department is down volunteers. There used to be 150, and they are now down to 70
volunteers. He asked those listening this evening to give consideration to being a volunteer.
The Village and the community needs your help.
Mayor Hochvert noted that he had the privilege of sitting down with Company 1
and Company 3 who are a great bunch of volunteers. He stated that the ranks are thinner
than they should be. It is a great opportunity and you learn a great deal as a volunteer and
you provide a great service.
Trustee Pekarek reported on a Police Awards Ceremony that occurred on May
30th. She stated that there were a variety of awards that acknowledged a job well done of the
Police Department. She noted that we don’t often hear about the kinds of things they do –
they are ‘unsung heroes’. She noted that she read the resolutions at the Board’s last meeting
citing the commendations for these police officers and she read the highlights of each one at
this time. She stated the ceremony was wonderful in celebrating these good works.
Trustee Pekarek stated that the Scarsdale Family Counseling Center will have
their annual meeting on Thursday evening, July 15th in the Scott Room of the Library.
During the meeting she attended, they reviewed and they will review for the public the
Village Board of Trustees 06/13/2017 256
myriad of services they provide for the community including in school support and
counseling for both middle school and high school students. They have parent support
groups. There are links with the Drug and Alcohol Task Force, the Coalition for Healthy
Relationships, and many others.
Trustee Pekarek stated that she and the Mayor attended the Fox Meadow
Neighborhood Association meeting and many topics were discussed. The value of advocacy
for neighborhood associations was discussed. She noted that the Fox Meadow
Neighborhood Association was crucial in convincing Westchester County to position the
proposed pathway along the Bronx River Parkway on the west side, rather than the previous
proposal to position it on the east side of the parkway.
Trustee Pekarek reported that she attended a ‘Project Worthy’ on June 7th. This was
sponsored by the Westchester County, “Westchester Opioid Response Teams Helping
You”. This is the latest extension of our safer communities’ initiative of Westchester County
and draws on public and private resources from around the County with the key being
integration of services and mobilize all available services to deliver effective and long lasting
results. The opioid epidemic is of huge concern to every neighborhood and every
community in the United States.
Trustee Samwick reported that last evening the Freightway Steering Committee held
its 4th meeting which was the first public workshop. It was extremely well attended; he
estimated that there were over 100 people present. It was a very helpful and constructive
meeting. One of the main goals of the Freightway Committee is to hear from the
community. He borrowed some of the comments from the Chair of the Committee, former
Mayor Jon Mark made at that meeting to give more of an overview of the Committee:
“In general, it is the goal of this Committee to try to determine two main points:
first, what improved use for the Freightway site might be acceptable to stakeholders in the
Village; and second, of the possibilities that might be considered, what might have the best
chance of succeeding from an economic standpoint. This second point is as important as
the first, since a wish list of proposed ideas for the site will not get out of the starting gate if
it doesn’t make sense economically. It is not the goal of this Committee to reach any sort of
final conclusion of what should be done. Rather, the Committee’s objective is to determine
what sorts of proposals might work in the manner mentioned so that as a next step, requests
for proposals that address might be learned might be issued to the development community.
Our present timeline for completing the Committee’s work extends into the first quarter of
2018 so there will be many, many more opportunities for public contribution and input.
That said, a conclusion to do nothing would not be a particularly satisfying result of
the Committee’s work, nor for the Village – although it must be recognized as the reality for
the Freightway site has been discussed for at least the past 30 years. In 1995, a Citizens’
Advisory Committee dealing with Freightway had this to say: “Without improvement and
Village Board of Trustees 06/13/2017 257
enhancement, the Village Center will deteriorate. Downtowns are never static: they either
grow in vitality or decline. Scarsdale is no exception. Thus ‘doing nothing’ is not a viable
alternative.”
That observation is as true today as it was then – and perhaps resonates even more
loudly today. The viability of our Village Center is very much on our minds as we see the
number of vacant store fronts increase and remain so for extended periods. The challenge
faced by brick and mortar stores in the face of the rising acceptance and use of e-commerce
is as apparent in the Village as it is in village centers and cities across the region and the
country. While development of the Freightway site will not address that situation at present
– or directly -- it has, among other things, the potential of fostering a broad sense of renewal
that could benefit the entire Village’.
Trustee Samwick stated that this is a process that really is highly reliant on public
interaction. He urged people to go to the Scarsdale website at www.scarsdale.com/fw -
there is an enormous amount of information there. There will be at least two more public
workshops as well as other meetings. All meetings are public and open to everyone. You
may also send an email with your comments or rsvp to freightwaystudy@scarsdale.com.
He stated he was very pleased to see the participation and positive reaction last evening.
Mayor Hochvert added that a very unique tool was used at the meeting last night –
on the live broadcast, people could use their device to participate in a survey and the results
were displayed on a panel. During the process, it was learned that people watching live
could use their device from home to participate in the informal survey.
Trustee Finger stated that he attended the Heathcote Neighborhood Association
Annual meeting last week. It was a well-attended meeting and it was a good opportunity for
him and the Mayor to hear about some of the things that are going on. One of the items
discussed was Wynmor Park and the improvements that have been budgeted for that site.
One of the issues of concern that they need the community’s help on is the driving and
traffic. They need the help of those who drive their kids to school and when they pick them
up from school to drive safely and adhere to the No Standing and No Parking signs as that
makes a big difference in the traffic patterns. This is clearly an issue in the Heathcote area.
Hopefully we can count on everyone to help out with this issue.
Trustee Ross reported on the Cable Television Commission, stating that the Village
will be shortly renegotiating its franchise agreements with Verizon and Altice (formerly
Cablevision). On June 6th, members of the Commission and Village staff met with Sue
Buske of the Buske Group, the Village’s consultants in this matter to discuss the needs
assessment being undertaken by the Village in anticipation of renewal of those franchise
agreements. As part of the needs assessment, there will be outreach to the community. The
public will have an opportunity to make their feelings known and he encouraged all residents
to do that.
Village Board of Trustees 06/13/2017 258
********
Public Comment
Marty Rolnick, 113 Lee Road, gave the following statement: “The number of
vacant store fronts in our Village of Scarsdale recently reached a high of 15. I think that
revitalizing Scarsdale is one of top priorities for us as a community. There’s a strong
collective effort underway by a number of citizens to solve this problem, yet we need to do
much more and fast.
Just like advancements in technology can be a major cause of what looks like the
impending death of retail, it can actually save retail in Scarsdale. As a philosopher, marketing
lunatic & ideaholic, my craft is all about the conceiving and spreading of ideas.
Together with a technology genius, I’ve developed an idea for a smart phone
application called Virtuous Scarsdale. It has great potential to revitalize Scarsdale! It will
satisfy the hunger of our small businesses imperative to increase foot traffic and sales, quest
the thirst of Scarsdale Not-For-Profit (NFP) Organizations to maximize fundraising efforts
while harnessing the passion of Scarsdale Residents who desire to make a positive difference
in our community. It’s a sustainable business model that will keep your hard earned money
in circulation throughout our Scarsdale Community 365 days each and every year! Hence
the name, Virtuous Scarsdale!
Any local merchant and NFP wanting to participate would be programmed into
the user friendly, turn-key Virtuous Scarsdale App. All Scarsdale NFP’s who choose to
participate will have one month to unleash the power of social media and call out to all the
friends and family members of their favorite organization to spend as much money as
possible for the goods and services of the participating small businesses of Scarsdale.
A Virtuous Scarsdale App Leadership Committee would be formed representing Scarsdale
Village Government, 501 C3 Clearing House, Scarsdale Local Merchants, Scarsdale NFP
Organizations, Scarsdale Residents, Scarsdale Village Landlords. This committee will decide
the particular month in which each NFP will participate. The goal is to space out equally
over the year all the NFP’s month of fundraising so there will be consistent and significant
foot traffic every day, 12 months a year throughout the Village.
Here’s how it works: first, the Virtuous Scarsdale App needs to be downloaded.
After a shopper makes his/her purchase at a participating downtown merchant, she/he
opens the app, searches and clicks on that merchant, then does the same for their favorite
NFP, enters the purchase total and then takes a picture of the receipt. When she clicks
‘submit,’ 10% (or whatever % the business decides) of that purchase is immediately
designated for her chosen NFP.
Village Board of Trustees 06/13/2017 259
All this data would be seamlessly pooled to a designated 501 C3 organization
like Scarsdale resident Jane Veron’s TAP. Because it is also a 501(c) (3), the 10% (or x%) that
is sent by the merchant may qualify for a tax-write off. In addition, another benefit of the
transactions generated from the Virtuous Scarsdale App would result in the acquisition of
real time data that could be used to help our business community grow.
TAP or a similar 501C3 organization could also become the village’s de facto
marketing resource available for all Scarsdale merchants. It would provide expertise in
advertising, email and promotional campaigns, exterior signage and more. Wouldn’t that be a
good value added incentive to attract potential businesses to our community?
Through the power of technology, the Scarsdale Virtuous App will be
programmed to send out monthly invoices for reconciliation, auto debit the funds from the
merchant’s accounts and deposit the funds raised directly into the NFP accounts.
The Virtuous Scarsdale App will allow all stakeholders to have real time access to all
transactions. Each stakeholder will have a dashboard along with a user id and password to
access the data.
It’s a powerful tool for both the economy and the ecology of our community.
A recent empty nester, I’ve been a proud resident of over 17 years in Scarsdale and have
experienced the incredible generosity of our community. Together with my wife Marguerite,
we raised three wonderful children who were fortunate to graduate and benefit from the
amazing Scarsdale School system. I love living in Scarsdale. And it’s because of this I want to
give back!
The price to develop the Virtuous Scarsdale App would require only a $12,000
investment with a $250 monthly hosting & maintenance fee after it went live. It will be
owned by our community! For the record, I will not be receiving any financial benefit from
the application. I would like this to be my contribution to the Scarsdale community.
I’d welcome any thoughts and help to move this idea from conception to execution. Living
with the Virtuous Scarsdale App will revitalize our downtown and will benefit us all.”
Robert Harrison, 65 Fox Meadow Road, stated that he appreciated all of the
liaison reports from the Trustees. He noted that there is a resolution on the agenda to hire a
consultant to review the Assessor’s office. He stated that he did not see any dollar amount
in the resolution. He suggested that the amount be placed in the resolution.
In the tax levy resolution on the Board’s agenda this evening, Mr. Harrison noted
that it shows that the Assessor’s office in the budget is $569,111 for the coming year.
Mr. Harrison spoke about his efforts over the years to build a summer tennis
league for the youth in Scarsdale. In the early mid 1990’s there were 2,700 tennis permits
Village Board of Trustees 06/13/2017 260
sold. He would like to FOIL the information to see how these numbers have declined.
Only 850 tennis permits have been sold this year encompassing adults, seniors, and youth.
He noted that he had submitted a letter to the editor of the Scarsdale Inquirer
urging the youth of Scarsdale to join the 33rd season of the Scarsdale Youth Summer Tennis
League. He also stated that tennis attendants are needed to supervise the tennis courts to
insure that those playing have permits from the Village to do so. This is a revenue area that
has declined substantially.
The program starts on Monday, July 10th; it is a four week program, four nights a
week. The brochure for the spring and summer programs from the Recreation Department
went out a few weeks ago. The applications will be accessible on the Recreation
Department’s website later this week. Eligible youths are between the ages of 6-18 years.
The fee is $50.00 – included in that fee is a t-shirt, a pizza and ice cream party at the end of
the program, participation trophies, and a tournament. There will be a travel team at the end
of the tournament.
Mr. Harrison stated that the new assessment roll came out; Village Manager
Pappalardo did an excellent job in reviewing what is coming up with Grievance Day. He
noted to those listening that residents have up until June 20th to file a grievance papers and
he is available to help anyone with their grievance filings at no cost. He said that at the last
meeting he asked for help with the Real Property law books and the Village Attorney’s office
did allow him to look at those books. He stated that he would still like to get some help on
what the statutes are and the numbers that relate to filing grievances. He reviewed the
grievance application form for the audience. He stated that the problem with this package is
that it doesn’t give any details as to why you might not be able to apply. Information should
be within the packet. It would be nice to know if you can apply again if you already got a
reduction last year.
Mayor Hochvert thanked Mr. Harrison for his comments and for mentioning that
the amount to be paid to the consultant for review of the Assessor’s office was not included
on the resolution. That resolution will be amended as the Board gets to that item on the
agenda this evening.
There being no further comments, Mayor Hochvert closed the public comments
portion of the meeting.
********
Finance Committee
Upon motion entered by Trustee Finger, and seconded by Trustee Ross, the following
resolution regarding the Levy of Village Taxes for 2017-2018 was approved by a unanimous
vote:
Village Board of Trustees 06/13/2017 261
WHEREAS, Pursuant to the provisions of Section 17-1722 of the New York State
Village Law, the Board of Trustees must levy Village taxes for the
current fiscal year not later than the twenty-fifth day of June; and
WHEREAS, in order to allow sufficient time to process the tax bills, it is necessary
that this resolution be adopted at the June 13, 2017, Board of
Trustees meeting: now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, that pursuant to Village Law Section 17-1722 there be levied and
assessed against the taxable property in the Village of Scarsdale, as
contained on the last completed single Village/Town assessment roll,
the sum of $39,297,482.00, being the net amount to be assessed and
collected in accordance with the 2017-2018 Budget adopted April 25,
2017, which sum together with the other revenues estimated in said
budget shall be applied to the purposes set forth in said budget, as
described in the attached Tax Warrant summary; and be it further
RESOLVED, that pursuant to Real Property Tax Law Section 1432 (1), the Village
Treasurer is hereby authorized and directed to collect said amount;
and be it further
RESOLVED, that pursuant to Real Property Tax Law Section 1432 (2), the Board
of Trustees hereby determines that on all such taxes remaining
unpaid after August 1, 2017, a two percent (2%) penalty will be added
for the first month and an additional one percent (1%) for each
month or fraction thereof until paid; and be it further
RESOLVED, that the Village Clerk shall cause to be published in the
Scarsdale Inquirer notice of collection of the taxes levied herein.
********
Upon motion entered by Trustee Finger, and seconded by Trustee Samwick, the
following resolution regarding Acceptance of Gifts for the Scarsdale Public Library Addition
and Renovation Project was approved by a unanimous vote:
WHEREAS, the Scarsdale Library Board completed a Master Plan dated June 10,
2013, which identifies a number of building renovations and
additions that will increase the capacity of the library to provide a
broader range of rapidly evolving library services while maintaining
popular traditional collections and programs by offering a more
balanced utilization of the building space within a safe, attractive and
Village Board of Trustees 06/13/2017 262
inviting comfortable environment, said master plan supported by the
Scarsdale Village Board of Trustees via resolution dated April 8, 2014
(attached); and
WHEREAS, the improvements identified in the Master Plan will transform the
Library into a multi-purpose community asset for future generations,
maintain its preeminent status among free public libraries in the
County and State, enhance its technological capacity to further library
services and create a physical environment that will be a welcoming
and versatile learning center; and
WHEREAS, the Scarsdale Public Library Board, at their October 21, 2013
meeting, authorized the retention of the fund raising consulting firm
of Plan A Advisors, P.O. Box 165, Thornwood, NY 10594, to design
and conduct a capital campaign to implement such a project,
subsequently identified in the July 20, 2015, Schematic Design Report
prepared by Dattner Architects, at an estimated construction cost of
$16,500,000 and total project cost of approximately $19,500,000; and
WHEREAS, in accordance with a Village Board request at a March 07, 2016,
Committee of the Whole meeting, the Library Board and Architect
value engineered the schematic design plans, reducing the total
project cost to $17,900,000, as identified in Option A-1 (attached),
which the Architect presented at the July 19, 2016, Committee of the
Whole meeting; and
WHEREAS, on December 13, 2016, the Village Board of Trustees authorized a
$9,900,000 bond to pay part of the $17,900,000 addition and
renovation of the existing Scarsdale Public Library Building, with the
remainder of the $17,900,000 to be paid by private donations and
grants; and
WHEREAS, on January 09, 2017, and with thanks to Assemblywoman Amy
Paulin, the New York State Dormitory Authority awarded the Village
of Scarsdale a $500,000 State and Municipal Facilities Program grant
in support of the project, with the execution of a grant agreement
pending upon completion of various program review requirements;
and
WHEREAS, the following donations have been offered to the Scarsdale Public
Library Addition and Renovation Capital Improvement Project:
$25,000 from William and Diane Stern, and $48,304.13 from the
Friends of the Scarsdale Library; and
Village Board of Trustees 06/13/2017 263
WHEREAS, pursuant to Policy #106: “Gifts to the Village of Scarsdale” of the Village
of Scarsdale Administrative Policies & Procedures Manual,
acceptance of all gifts valued at $500 or greater must be approved by
the Village Board of Trustees; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, that the Village Board hereby accepts the following gifts toward the
Scarsdale Public Library Master Plan Improvement Project: $25,000
from William and Diane Stern, and $48,304.13 from the Friends of
the Scarsdale Library; and be it further
RESOLVED, that the Village Treasurer take the necessary steps to complete the
transaction and accept these financial gifts totaling $73,304.13 and
deposit said funds into the Library Capital Campaign Account; and
be it further
RESOLVED, that the Board of Trustees hereby extends their heartfelt thanks and
great appreciation to the above donors for their generosity and
commitment to the Scarsdale Public Library and the community it
serves.
********
Upon motion entered by Trustee Finger, and seconded by Trustee Veron, the following
amended resolution (amended on the floor by a motion entered by Trustee Finger, seconded by
Trustee Samwick and carried unanimously) , regarding a Professional Services Agreement with
Management Partners, Inc., for an Organizational Assessment of the Town/Village Assessor’s
Department was approved by a vote of 6 – 1 as indicated below:
WHEREAS, the Village of Scarsdale places a high level of importance on trust in
local government and the effective, efficient, and ethical delivery of
public services, including those of the Assessor’s Department, which
directly influence the lives of every Scarsdale resident and
homeowner; and
WHEREAS, community controversy arising from completion of the 2014 and
2016 revaluations precipitated the need to thoroughly examine both
the Village’s approach to conducting and overseeing future
revaluations, and also the Assessor’s Department overall structure
and operations; and
WHEREAS, although Village staff has developed reasonable insights into the key
issues and concerns surrounding the 2014 and 2016 revaluations, the
Village Board of Trustees 06/13/2017 264
production of an independent, comprehensive, thoroughly
researched analysis and report inclusive of actionable
recommendations and reflective of external stakeholder perspectives
and feedback is prudent; and
WHEREAS, such a comprehensive, objective organizational assessment of our
approach to revaluations and the Assessor’s Department staffing and
operations, policies, procedures, and protocols not only requires a
significant amount of time unavailable to staff, but also recognizes
that the credibility of such an undertaking would be greatly enhanced
if performed by a qualified third party; and
WHEREAS, after soliciting and evaluating proposals from qualified local
government management consulting firms, staff recommends award
of a professional services agreement for an Organizational
Assessment of the Assessor’s Department to the firm Management
Partner’s, Inc., of Cincinnati, OH, a management consulting group
with demonstrated ability to successfully execute the scope of work,
having also submitted the lowest bid proposal received for the
project; and
WHEREAS, this item appeared on the February 14, 2017, Village Board agenda,
having been referred to the Committee of the Whole (COW) for
further processing and resident engagement; and
WHEREAS, through the course of two subsequent COW meetings, the first on
February 28, 2017, and the second on June 06, 2017, Management
Partners presented a qualified assessment subject matter expert to
assist with their work, effectively addressed Village Board questions
and concerns, and conveyed necessary insights to residents in
attendance; and
WHEREAS, a majority of the Village Board members at the June 06, 2017 COW
meeting, indicated their desire to place the item on the Board’s June
13, 2017, regular meeting agenda for positive action; now, therefore,
be it
RESOLVED, that the Village Manager is herein authorized to execute an agreement
in the amount of $34,990, in substantially the same form as attached
hereto, with Management Partners, Inc., 1730 Madison Road,
Cincinnati, OH 45206, for an Organizational Assessment of the
Assessor’s Department; and be it further
Village Board of Trustees 06/13/2017 265
RESOLVED, that the costs associated with this agreement be charged to the
Assessor’s Department Operating Budget Account # A 1355
ADMIN-ADMIN 400-459, and be it further
RESOLVED, that the Village Manager is herein authorized to undertake all
administrative acts as may be required pursuant to the terms of the
agreement.
AYES NAYS ABSENT
Trustee Finger Trustee Callaghan None
Trustee Pekarek
Trustee Ross
Trustee Samwick
Trustee Veron
Mayor Hochvert
Before the roll call was taken for the above vote, Mayor Hochvert explained that
there was a meeting held last week and the comments he heard from the people the Board
represents were very much in favor of this action. He then asked for a roll call.
Trustee Callaghan explained his vote of opposition to this resolution, stating that he
had asked the representative of the consulting firm what the common deficit was that he has
found in his experience in examining and analyzing an Assessor’s office – he never received
an answer. Also, the founder of this firm published an article regarding organizational
reviews and not one of those items are listed in their proposal; he doesn’t know where they
are coming from. He then questioned why the Board is doing this now, since in two years
the Village will have a new Assessor in place? The Village should be spending its time
looking for a new Assessor now because it takes time.
Trustee Callaghan continued, stating that these consultants did not go into what their
basic job requirements are. There are many of them including their knowledge, their skills,
their mathematics – they didn’t touch them at all.
Noting that he was in the consulting business for 45 years, Trustee Callaghan
summed up his opinion, stating that they always followed a model from Wayne Gretsky, the
great hockey player. His success, he says is not knowing where the puck is, but where it is
going to be. Trustee Callaghan stated that he did not think that these consultants have that
facility.
Trustee Finger stated that he would vote in favor of the above resolution. With
respect to Trustee Callaghan’s comments, he stated that he thought the consultant’s
presentation was excellent. He stated that he is not willing to presume where they will be in
Village Board of Trustees 06/13/2017 266
two years. In order to be where we want to be in two years it is important to start the
process now.
Trustee Pekarek stated that she would also be voting ‘aye’, echoing the words of
Trustee Finger. She felt that this consultant will give the Board future orientation and will
help them make better decisions as they move forward with work on assessment.
Trustee Samwick stated that he would also vote ‘aye’ and would like to comment that
in his opinion this process is to see exactly where the puck is going. There are a number of
different elements to this consultant’s task – how do we move forward with assessment; how
do we do that in an efficient and professional way that gets us as close to accurate
assessment for as many people as possible.
Trustee Veron stated that she would also vote ‘aye’, stating that she respected
Trustee Callaghan’s position. She felt that the consultant was very thorough in response to
the Board’s questions and understood the importance of best practices and gathering
analysis from other areas. She also felt that they were very responsive to their initial
concerns when the Board felt that the initial expert brought to them didn’t meet the criteria
they had established so they brought back an expert with more relevant experience. She was
also encouraged that the consultant was very clear about what their expertise was and was
not. She stated that she appreciated the scope being very clear.
Mayor Hochvert stated that he would vote ‘aye’; he admired the experience of the
individual the Board heard; he looked at all of the people who had awarded him praise as
well as his vast experience over the years. Mayor Hochvert stated that he thinks he is the
right person to help them make improvements in the way assessment is done in Scarsdale.
Trustee Samwick added that the consultants were vetted thoroughly – references
were checked and that certainly helped the Board get to this decision.
********
Municipal Services
Upon motion entered by Trustee Veron, and seconded by Trustee Samwick, the
following resolution regarding Authorization to Execute a Professional Services Agreement for
Updating the Existing Pavement Management System was approved by the vote indicated
below:
WHEREAS, The Village of Scarsdale (Village) maintains approximately ninety one
center line miles of roadway, approximately seventy nine of which are
owned by the Village; and
Village Board of Trustees 06/13/2017 267
WHEREAS, for nearly the past two decades, Village Engineering and Public
Works staff have utilized a 1998 Pavement Management System
(PMS) as a tool to assist with the analysis, budgeting and
programmatic scheduling of maintenance and resurfacing activities
for Village roads; and
WHEREAS, in 2008, the Village solicited proposals from vendors qualified to
develop pavement management studies to upgrade/replace the 1998
PMS, ultimately awarding a contract to MHM Associates of South
Bend, Indiana for $40,800 with the resulting PMS completed in
February of 2009; and
WHEREAS, since 2009, roughly 30 miles of Village roads have been resurfaced
utilizing the grading system identified in the PMS, while the
conditions of others roads also changed, making the report less useful
in the staff’s annual analysis of roadway conditions; and
WHEREAS, it is therefore prudent at this time to update the 2009 PMS report to
capture these changing roadway conditions; and
WHEREAS, on March 6, 2017, the Village Engineer received a cost proposal from
Mr. Jerry H. Mohajeri, of MHM Associates in the amount of
$44,900 to prepare an update to the 2009 PMS; and
WHEREAS, Engineering and Public Works staff evaluated the proposal and
determined that certain costly and sophisticated technological tools
to capture video of road surfaces were not essential to identifying the
pavement conditions of the roadways and as such, eliminated these
components and negotiated a revised fee of $29,600; and
WHEREAS, a professional services agreement has been drafted by the Village
Attorney and reviewed and executed by MHM Associates; now
therefore it be
RESOLVED, that the Village Manager is herein authorized to execute a
professional services agreement on behalf of the Village of Scarsdale
with MHM Associates, Inc., 50805 Ravenna Court, South Bend, IN
46628, to update the Village’s existing 2009 Pavement Management
System, in the amount of $29,600; and be it further
RESOLVED, that all costs associated with this work be charged to the FY 2016/17
Department of Public Works Operating Budget Accounts in which
Village Board of Trustees 06/13/2017 268
adequate funding exists, as determined by the Village Treasurer and
Superintendent of Public Works; and be it further
RESOLVED, that the Village Manager is herein authorized to undertake
administrative acts as may be required pursuant to the terms of the
agreement.
AYES NAYS ABSENT
Trustee Callaghan None None
Trustee Finger
Trustee Pekarek
Trustee Ross
Trustee Samwick
Trustee Veron
Mayor Hochvert
********
Recreation Committee
Upon motion entered by Trustee Callaghan, and seconded by Trustee Veron, the
following resolution regarding Acceptance of Gifts – Protective Sports Netting for Boulder
Brook Field and an Equipment Storage Shed for Supply Field was approved by a unanimous
vote:
WHEREAS, The Parks, Recreation and Conservation Department in conjunction
with the Advisory Council on Parks, Recreation and Conservation,
annually partners with certain Independent Sports Organizations
(ISOs, comprised of community volunteers, to provide youth sports
programs to the community; and
WHEREAS, the existing protective sports netting between Boulder Brook Field
and the associated adjacent parking lot is deteriorated and in need of
replacement, while the on-site sport equipment storage space at
Supply Field is inadequate for current needs; and
WHEREAS, the Scarsdale Youth Lacrosse Association (SYLA), a recognized ISO,
wishes to gift to the Village of Scarsdale a protective mesh netting
system for Boulder Brook Field, designed to stop soccer, field
hockey, and lacrosse balls, as well as a 10ft. x 10ft. equipment storage
shed at Supply Field to provide additional storage for SYLA use, said
netting system and storage shed valued at approximately $2,100 and
$3,500, respectively; and
Village Board of Trustees 06/13/2017 269
WHEREAS, Village of Scarsdale Facility Maintenance Staff will install the
protective netting system along the eastern side of Boulder Brook
Field, as well as the storage shed at Supply Field, while the
Department of Parks, Recreation and Conservation will assume
maintenance of these items once installed; and
WHEREAS, pursuant to Village of Scarsdale Administrative Policy #106: “Gifts to
the Village of Scarsdale”, acceptance of all gifts valued at $500 or greater
must be approved by the Village Board of Trustees; now, therefore,
be it
RESOLVED, that the Village Board of Trustees hereby accepts the gifts of one
protective mesh netting system to be installed at Boulder Brook
Field, and one storage shed to be installed at Supply Field,
cumulatively valued at approximately $5,600; and be it further
RESOLVED, that the Village Board of Trustees hereby extends its gratitude to the
Scarsdale Youth Lacrosse Association for their generosity to the
community.
********
Written Communications
All communications received that are written to the Mayor and Board of Trustees
can be viewed on the Village’s website, www.scarsdale.com under the Board of Trustees or
Village Clerk section.
Village Clerk Conkling reported that no communications were received since the last
regular Board of Trustees meeting.
*******
There being no further business to come before the Board, the meeting was
adjourned at 9:25 P.M. on a motion entered by Trustee Veron, seconded by Trustee Pekarek
and carried unanimously.
Donna M. Conkling
Village Clerk
RESOLUTION RE: ACCEPTANCE OF A GIFT – FUNDING FOR
PHASE 3 CHASE PARK IRRIGATION SYSTEM
WHEREAS, the Village of Scarsdale and the Friends of Scarsdale Parks, Inc.,
(“FOSP”) have been working cooperatively on landscaping beautification
improvements to Chase Park for many years; and
WHEREAS, on January 26, 2016, the Village Board of Trustees accepted a $3,500 gift
from the FOSP, which combined with $2,788 in remaining funding from
the completed de Lima Park project to yield a total FOSP contribution of
$6,288 toward Phase 1 and Phase 2 of the Chase Park Irrigation System
Project, which cost $12,650 in total; and
WHEREAS, a Request for Proposals was distributed to five companies seeking bids for
the final irrigation system phase, Phase 3, with two bids having been
received; and
WHEREAS, Michael C. Palotta Lawn Irrigation, Inc., submitted the lowest responsive
Phase 3 bid, $5,285, plus an additional $495 for an unanticipated
controller upgrade; and
WHEREAS, the FOSP wish to donate $3,000 toward the total project cost of $5,780,
leaving $2,780 to be paid from the PRC Special Reserve Fund; and
WHEREAS, $2,780 in additional project funding was appropriated for this purpose in
the FY 2017/18 Capital Budget – Chase Park Irrigation Project; and
WHEREAS, pursuant to Policy #106: “Gifts to the Village of Scarsdale” of the Village
of Scarsdale Administrative Policies & Procedures Manual, acceptance of
all gifts valued at $500 or greater must be approved by the Village Board
of Trustees; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, that the Board of Trustees hereby accepts the FOSP’s gracious gift of
$3,000 to support Phase 3 of the Chase Park Irrigation System Project; and
be it further
RESOLVED, that the Village Board of Trustees hereby extends its gratitude to the FOSP
for their generosity to the community.
Submitted by: Village Manager
Date: June 22, 2017
For: June 27, 2017
Village of Scarsdale
Memorandum
Parks, Recreation, and Conservation Department
To: Stephen M. Pappalardo, Village Manager
From: Brian Gray, Superintendent PRC
Date: June 15, 2017
Re: Acceptance of Gift – FOSP – Chase Park Phase 3 Irrigation Project
The Village of Scarsdale and the Friends of Scarsdale Parks, Inc. (FOSP), have been working
cooperatively on landscaping beautification improvements to Chase Park for many years.
On January 26, 2016, the Village Board of Trustees accepted an FOSP $3,500 gift to help fund
Phase 1 and Phase 2 of the Chase Park Irrigation System Project, an investment necessary to
protect our landscaping investments. The final phase, Phase 3, is being undertaken this year and a
Request for Proposal (RFP) seeking bids for the work was distributed to five companies on April
19, 2017. Two firms submitted a bid, while a third submitted an email stating they will not be
bidding on this project, and a fourth indicated inability to perform the necessary scope of work at
this time. The lowest responsive bidder was Michael C. Palotta Lawn Irrigation, Inc., for a total of
$5,285.00.
During an on-site pre-construction meeting with the successful bidder on June 02, 2017, it was
discovered that the existing control box is not capable of accommodating six additional zones, as
Phase 3 requires. Mr. Parlotta subsequently provided a $495.00 estimate to replace the existing
controller with a Rain Bird ESP4SMT, which supports the additional six zones and complies with
the original, 2015 RFP specifications, while the existing controller did not.
The FY 2017/18 Capital Budget includes $10,000 for Chase Park Irrigation, Phase 3, anticipating
a $5,000 FOSP gift and $5,000 from the PRC Special Reserve. However, the total project cost
($5,780) is less than originally anticipated. Following the generous $3,000 FOSP donation, only
$2,780 in PRC Special Reserve funding will be used for this project.
Pursuant to Internal Control Policy #106; “Gifts to the Village of Scarsdale” of the Village of
Scarsdale Administrative Policies & Procedures Manual, acceptance of all gifts valued at $500 or
greater must be approved by the Village Board of Trustees. Attached herewith is the required
resolution and supporting documentation for the Village Board’s consideration at their meeting on
June 27, 2017. Please do not hesitate to contact me with any questions.
RESOLUTION: AUTHORIZATION TO EXECUTE A PROFESSIONAL
SERVICES AGREEMENT FOR CONDUCTING EMPLOYEE
PHYSICALS, AND FOR DRUG AND ALCOHOL TESTING
WHEREAS, the United States Department of Transportation issued regulations pursuant to the
Omnibus Transportation Testing Act of 1991 governing the use of drugs and
alcohol by commercial motor vehicle drivers, and requiring employers to conduct
mandatory drug and alcohol testing of drivers; and
WHEREAS, in accordance with the Omnibus Transportation Testing Act, Department of
Public Works regulations, and the collective bargaining agreement between the
Village and Local 456, International Brotherhood of Teamsters (IBT), the Village
randomly drug tests all full-time IBT employees, as well as other employees in
safety-sensitive positions; and
WHEREAS, the Village’s three-year professional services agreement with Clarity Testing
Services to provide the aforementioned drug testing services, as well as pre-
employment physicals for prospective public works department employees and
inter-department transfers, expired in December 2016; and
WHEREAS, Clarity Testing Services has provided satisfactory service to the Village and their
unique ability in the industry to provide mobile testing services at any site staff
designates has been helpful in managing our seasonal employee testing needs; and
WHEREAS, pursuant to a bid solicitation, two bids were received and reviewed by staff,
resulting in a recommendation to enter into a professional services agreement
with Clarity Testing Services, 150 White Plains Rd, Suite 204, Tarrytown, NY
10591, for the unit bid prices reflected in Appendix “B” of the attached
agreement, with an estimated total annual expense of $6,000; and
WHEREAS, the proposed agreement is for a two-year term with an option to renew for one
additional year; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, that the Village Manager is hereby authorized to execute a two-year professional
services agreement with Clarity Testing Services, 150 White Plains Road, Suite
204, Tarrytown, NY 10591, in substantially the same form as attached hereto, for
the listed unit bid prices in a total amount not to exceed budgeted appropriations;
and be it further
RESOLVED, that the Village Manager is herein authorized to undertake all administrative acts
as may be required pursuant to the terms of the agreement, and to renew said
agreement for one additional year at his discretion.
Submitted by: Village Manager
Date: June 22, 2017
For: June 27, 2017
Village of
MEMORANDUM Scarsdale
To: Stephen M. Pappalardo, Village Manager
Thru: Benedict A. Salanitro, Superintendent of Public Works Department of Public
Works
From: Tyler Seifert, Department of Public Works Scarsdale, New York 10583
914-722-1150
Date: June 21, 2017 Fax: 914-722-1119
www.scarsdale.com
Re: Professional Services Agreement for Drug and Alcohol
Testing Services – Clarity Testing Services
The U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) issued regulations pursuant to the
Omnibus Transportation Testing Act of 1991, which govern the use of drugs and alcohol
by commercial motor vehicle drivers and require employers to conduct mandatory drug
and alcohol testing of covered drivers. According to the DOT Compliance Manual, the
Omnibus Act requires the following types of drug testing:
Pre-employment drug testing before a new hire can perform any safety-sensitive
function, and when a person transfers internally to a safety-sensitive function;
Post-accident testing following an accident where a life was lost or driver was
cited for a moving violation, and if a driver refuses to submit to post-accident
testing, he or she cannot continue on the job;
Random, unannounced testing of a certain percentage of drivers each year as
follows:
- 25% of drivers are being tested for alcohol during 12-month period
- 50% of drivers must be randomly tested for controlled substances during a
12-month period;
Testing for reasonable suspicion if the employee’s supervisor believes that a
driver’s behavior or appearance may indicate drug or alcohol use; and
Return-to-duty testing for drivers in certain situations.
As you know, language relative to reasonable suspicion and follow-up testing are
included in the Village’s Collective Bargaining Agreements with the International
Brotherhood of Teamsters (IBT) Union Local 456.
In accordance with these requirements, Scarsdale randomly drug tests all full-time IBT
member employees and employees in safety sensitive positions, i.e., foremen and water
department. Additionally, the Village requires pre-employment physicals for new public
works employees and transfers. All tests are funded through the Department of Public
Work’s Operating Budget, with expenditures totaling approximately $6,000 per year.
Clarity Testing Services has been contracted for drug testing services since 2001, with the
current agreement having expired as of December 31, 2016, but continuing under the
same terms of conditions pending a new contract or selection of a new vendor. On
February 17, 2017, a request for quotation was sent out to five vendors to obtain quotes
for drug testing services. Only two quotes were received back on the due date of March 7,
2017. A third vendor notified staff they were not interested in bidding, while a fourth
could not comply with the employee physical requirements, as they lacked the proper
equipment.
Upon reviewing the two bids received, staff discovered that Empire Consulting’s bid
included only the minimum DOT physical, but the Village had requested pricing for a
more thorough DOT physical, to also include an EKG, chest X-ray, back X-ray, and
blood work (CBC and Chemical Panel). After explaining this to Empire Consulting, they
modified their bid accordingly, resulting in an associated bid increase. In addition, the
Village spoke with Clarity to ensure they understood all bid requirements, they felt it
necessary to refine their rates accordingly, resulting in more advantageous pricing for
some of their services.
As added background, the Village requires all temporary Fall Leaf Program employees to
submit to and pass a pre-employment drug test. During the months of September and
October, Village staff tests approximately forty candidates for such seasonal
employment. Unlike other vendors, Clarity Testing is able to provide on-site drug testing
with a mobile testing unit. The mobile unit is equipped with all the necessary materials
and space to collect the specimens without using a Village-owned facility. Thus, such
high volume, single-day testing does not interfere with Village needs and operations.
Additionally, Clarity Testing, the Village’s current vendor, has consistently provided
satisfactory, DOT-compliant drug testing and other pre-employment health screening
services to the Village. Therefore, Village staff negotiated a professional services
agreement that maintains current levels of service at a marginally higher cost for certain
services, as reflected in the Appendix “B” fee schedule of the proposed professional
services agreement. Rather than accept Clarity’s bid for background investigation
services, staff will utilize the same vendor used by our Human Resources Department,
which will significantly reduce costs when compared against Clarity’s bid. The term of
the agreement is for two (2) years with the option to renew for one (1) additional year.
I have prepared a resolution authorizing the execution of a professional services
agreement with Clarity Testing Services and request that it be placed on the agenda for
the Board of Trustees consideration at their June 27, 2017 meeting. If you have any
questions or require additional information, please contact me. Thank you.
Bid Comparison
Scope of Service Empire Clarity
Drug Testing (DOT Compliant) $60 $68
Breath Alcohol Test $45 $45
DOT Supervisor Training Program $79/Supervisor No Charge
Hepatitis B Titer $45 $55
Hepatitis B Vaccine $285 $270
Bloodborne Pathogen Training $20/Employee $600 Flat Rate
24-Hour Coverage $350 $350
DOT Pre-Employment Physical $585 $525
RESOLUTION RE: AWARDING VM CONTRACT # 1218 – FURNISH AND
DELIVER WATER METERS
WHEREAS, the Village of Scarsdale Water Department receives, pumps, treats, and
distributes potable water to approximately 5,800 accounts, consisting of both
village residents and residents of Eastchester Water District #1; and
WHEREAS, there are older water meters located throughout the service area that either do
not have remote reading capability, under-report water usage, or have otherwise
failed with age, therefore necessitating replacement; and
WHEREAS, it is critical that water meters feature up-to-date technology and function
properly in order to accurately measure water usage, enable remote reading, and
reduce field labor costs; and
WHEREAS, the bid solicitation for VM Contract #1218 - Furnish and Deliver Water Meters
was published in the Scarsdale Inquirer on Friday, April 21, 2017, advertised on
the New York State procurement site, Bidnet, and distributed directly to two
known meter vendors; and
WHEREAS, on the bid opening date, May 1, 2017, three sealed bids were received, as per the
attached bid tabulation sheet, with the lowest responsive bid received from
Schmidt’s Wholesale Inc., 150 Jefferson Street, Monticello, NY 12701, to
supply Badger brand water meters in the required sizes and quantities for the
stated unit bid prices, not to exceed budgeted appropriations; now, therefore, be
it
RESOLVED, that VM Contract # 1218 – Furnish and Deliver Water Meters, be awarded to the
lowest responsive bidder, Schmidt’s Wholesale Inc., 150 Jefferson Street,
Monticello, NY 12701, for the specified unit bid prices, as follows, with the
total expenditure not to exceed budgeted appropriations, with an estimated total
expense of up to $111,000: ¾-inch ($93.95), 1-inch ($156.75), and 1-inch with
register ($156.75); and be it further
RESOLVED, that the cost be charged to the Water Enterprise Budget, Account #EWS-8310-
DSTRB-OP/MT- 400-424, which includes a combination of $44,000 in FY
16/17 funding and $67,000 in FY 17/18 funding available for water meter
purchases; and be it further
RESOLVED, that the Village Manager is hereby authorized to execute VM Contract #1218
with Schmidt’s Wholesale Inc., 150 Jefferson Street, Monticello, New York
12701, and to undertake administrative acts as may be required pursuant to the
terms of the agreement.
Submitted by: Village Manager
Date: June 22, 2017
For: June 27, 2017
Village of Scarsdale
Memorandum
Village Manager’s Office
To: Stephen M. Pappalardo, Village Manager
From: Stephen A. Johnson, Water Superintendent
Date: June 21, 2017
Re: VM 1218- Furnish & Deliver Water Meters
The bid solicitation for VM #1218 – Furnish and Deliver Water Meters was published in the Scarsdale Inquirer on
April 21, 2017, advertised on New York State’s Bid Net, and distributed to two known water meter vendors. On
the bid opening date, May 1, 2017, the following bids were received:
Name Item & Quantity Unit Price Total
Type Meter - Neptune
Rio Supply, Inc. 3/4” Water Meters as specified (640) $156.00 $99,840.00
100 Allied Parkway 1” Water Meters as specified (50) $206.00 $10,300.00
Sicklerville, NJ 08081 1” Water Meters, (with register $211.00 $4,220.00
for Meter pit installation) as specified (20)
Total $114,360.00
Type Meter - Badger
Schmidt’s Wholesale Inc. 3/4” Water Meters as specified (640) $93.95 $60,128.00
150 Jefferson Street 1” Water Meters as specified (50) $156.75 $7,837.50
Monticello, NY 12701 1” Water Meters, (with register $156.75 $3,135.00
for Meter pit installation) as specified (20)
Total $71,100.50
Type Meter – Mueller-Hersey
E.J. Prescott, Inc. 3/4” Water Meters as specified (640) $128.21 $82,054.40
198 Ushers Road 1” Water Meters as specified (50) $185.26 $ 9,263.00
Round Lake, NY 12151 1” Water Meters, (with register $195.51 $ 3,910.20
for Meter pit installation) as specified (20)
Total $95,227.60
The Water Department did extensive research on the Badger brand meters, including requiring a physical
demonstration to prove the meters are capable of properly communicating with our Meter Interface Units (Radio
Readers). The Badger meters were found to be compatible with our existing system in all respects. The Badger
meters meet or exceed the bid specifications, as conveyed in the bid solicitation.
Therefore, staff recommends that Contract VM-#1218 – Furnish and Deliver Water Meters be awarded to the
lowest responsible bidder, Schmidt’s Wholesale Inc., 150 Jefferson Street, Monticello, New York, 12701, for the
specified unit bid prices, not to exceed budgeted appropriations of approximately $111,000, comprised of $67,000
in FY 17/18 funding and $44,000 carried-over from the FY 16/17 budget.
RESOLUTION RE: SCARSDALE CONCOURS CAR SHOW
WHEREAS, Scarsdale Concours has requested permission to hold the 14th Annual
Scarsdale Concours Car Show in the Village Center on Sunday, October 1,
2017; and
WHEREAS, the Scarsdale Concours Car Show requires the temporary closure of
several streets in the Village Center (map attached), including Spencer
Place, Harwood Court, Boniface Circle, and Chase Road, with the
Scarsdale Police Department overseeing the street closures and providing
traffic control during the event; and
WHEREAS, the Scarsdale Concours Car Show is an event coordinated by dedicated
volunteers, including former Scarsdale High School students and Village
residents, and has been successfully held in the Village of Scarsdale for
the past thirteen years; and
WHEREAS, the event draws hundreds of attendees to view a wide variety of antique
automobile and show-cars, with recommended event donations helping to
fund local service organizations, such as the Scarsdale/Edgemont Family
Counseling Service, Paulie Strong Foundation, and Scarsdale Police
Benevolent Association Warrior and Family Assistance Fund; now,
therefore, be it
RESOLVED, that the Village Board is desirous of accommodating this event and grants
permission to hold the 14th Annual Scarsdale Concours in the Village
Center on Sunday, October 1, 2017, conditioned on the timely receipt of a
certificate of insurance listing the Village of Scarsdale as an additional
insured; and be it further
RESOLVED, that the Village Manager is herein authorized to execute the attached
Village Event Permit form.
Submitted by: Village Manager
Date: June 22, 2017
For: June 27, 2017
Print
Application for a Special Event Permit Submission #161
Date Submitted: 6/20/2017
Special Event Guidelines
1. Any individual or group wishing to hold a special event in the Village of Scarsdale on Village property must
provide a certificate of insurance listing the Village of Scarsdale as an additional insured. A Certificate of
Insurance may not be required for block parties or parades. 2. Any individual or group wishing to hold a special
event in the Village of Scarsdale must sign a “hold harmless” or indemnification agreement with the Village.
3. Any individual or group wishing to hold a special event in the Village of Scarsdale must file an application with
the Village Manager’s Office. 4. The applicant will receive written confirmation from the Village Manager’s Office
when approval has been granted. 5. The Police Chief, Fire Chief, Building Inspector, and Superintendent of
Public Works will be notified of the event by the Village Manager’s Office. 6. For special events to be held on
sidewalks, permission allowing the use of the sidewalk must be obtained from abutting merchant(s) and
forwarded to the Village Manager’s Office as part of this application. 7. Individuals or groups wishing to hold a
block party must circulate a petition approving the block party and must have the petition signed by majority of
the impacted households. A copy of the petition will be forwarded to the Village Manager’s Office as part of this
application. 8. All Village ordinances shall be heeded. This includes the prohibition of fireworks as specified in
the Village Code. 9. Pursuant to §111 of the Village Code, the consumption of alcohol on public property is
prohibited unless special permission is granted by the Village. 10. Complaints of noncompliance could result in
disbanding the event, forfeiting the right to hold such events in the future, or both.
Name of Event*
2017 Scarsdale Concours d'Elegance
Purpose of Event*
Uniting automotive enthusiasts to raise money for local charities.
Contact Person* Contact Email*
Leif Waller wallerleif@gmail.com
Contact Telephone* Contact Address*
9178226747 201 Brewster Road, Scarsdale, NY 10583
Date(s) and Time of Event* Date2
10/1/2017 7:00 AM — mm/dd/yyyy hh:mm am/pm —
10/1/2017 6:00 PM mm/dd/yyyy hh:mm am/pm
Event Location*
Village of Scarsdale
Activities Planned*
Automotive Concours event, live music and food from local merchants.
Setup and Equipment
Decorative setup of the area with balloons, small vendor tents and band.
Special Requests/Comments
Access to electricity for a band near Boniface Circle.
Insurance Coverage Date* Insurance Coverage* Insurance Other Insurance Documentation
Information Upload
8/31/2017 Garber Atlas Fries &
Associates Choose File No fi…osen
Indemnification Indemnification & Hold Signed Indemnification
Agreement* Harmless Agreement Agreement*
I understand that Indemnification & Hold 2017ScarsdaleConcoursIndemnificationAgreement.docx
Harmless Agreement Please submit with this
I, or an agent of
Download application a signed
the organization,
Please download, sign, indemnification agreement.
will be required to
scan and submit with this
sign an
application a signed
indemnification
indemnification agreement
agreement,
.
indemnifying and
holding harmless
the Village of
Scarsdale.
Authorization of Merchant(s)
Signature Form for Establishing Merchant Merchant Authorization Form
Choose File No file chosen Click Here to download the form.
If you're setting up your event in coordination with a Village
business (i.e. in front of deciccos) please have that
business sign the Merchant Authorization Form
Other Supporting Documents
Choose File No file chosen
Please feel free to upload any additional supporting documentation
For Internal Use Only
Approved
Disapproved
Signature Line_______________________
Comments
cc: Police, Fire, Building, Public Works
Draft Site Plan—Scarsdale Concours 10/14/2012
SITE PLAN - SCARSDALE CONCOURS CAR SHOW 10/01/2017
Spencer • Road Closure
Place
Boniface Circle
Ch
aseR
oa • Car Show area
d
Harwoo
d Court 10/02/16 Event—Site Plan/ Map
d
Ro a
se
Ch a
Donna Conkling
From: Bal1998
Sent: Wednesday, June 14, 2017 6:16 PM
To: Clerk's Department
Subject: ToThe Board ot Trustees From Resident Susan Levine...About Scarsdale's Summer Leaf
Blower Ban
Dear Board of Trustees..
I have been trying to encourage compliance with our Summer
Gas Leaf Blower Ban...a Village Law that is in effect from June 1-September 30
each year..
and have been contacting my neighbors to let them know about
the Ban and to ask that they let their Gardeners know
that they should obey the Ban.
Some of my neighbors have said that since everyone is Disobeying the Ban..
why should they obey it??
Perhaps we might consider fining the Homeowner as well as the Gardener
when a Leaf Blower violation occurs?..Is that an Option?
**Might I also respectfully suggest that as Village Trustees you consider letting your
neighbors
on the streets where you live know that they should ask their Gardeners
to Obey the Leaf Blower Ban..just as I have done...
I must assume that you have already asked your own gardeners to respect the Blower
Ban**
Getting compliance one block at a time might be
a beginning.
Communication about the Leaf Blower Ban
is mostly lacking..since most residents do not read the local
newspaper or watch Board Meetings on Cable TV.
New residents.. as well as many other homeowners ..do not know about the Ban.
Ask around and you will see what I mean.
Although the Blower Ban has been in effect in our Village for 15 years..compliance
is a long way off.
Every little bit can help.
1
Thanks very much.
Susan Levine
Ardmore Road
2
Donna Conkling
From: Bal1998
Sent: Thursday, June 15, 2017 1:26 PM
To: Clerk's Department
Subject: Thank You to Trustee Jane Veron..for all the Information on Line
To Trustee Jane Veron..
Thanks very very much to you and your committee for all the new communications that
are flowing to
residents via email...
Really good..especially the new "Scarsdale Official"..
Now your task will be to get as many Village Residents' email addresses
as possible
so that you can send the "Scarsdale Official" to many more people...
and to Publicize the Scarsdale.com Village Website as often as you can..
at all Board Meetings and elsewhere..so more residents know about it.
Public awareness on Village matters is essential.
These efforts are very helpful in increasing it.
With my thanks again..
Susan Levine
1
Donna Conkling
From: Lika L. Levi <lika@save-scarsdale.org>
Sent: Thursday, June 22, 2017 6:16 PM
To: Marc Samwick (marc.samwick@verizon.net)
Cc: Donna Conkling
Subject: 7-11 on the Planning Board Agenda and Downtown Revitalization
Ms. Conkling: Please distribute. Thank you.
Mayor Hochvert, Village Board of Trustees,
In this first communication with this new Board first I want to congratulate you all on your new positions and
wish you the very best.
Having said this, I am sure you know my position on development issues in our Village and how unhappy I am
with all the building going on. I was very critical of our volunteer system during the past elections, simply
because I fail to understand how resident-volunteers can do so much harm to our very own Village.
1. Trustee Samwick and I had a brief conversation the other day while on the Freightway walk with BFJ
Consultants. He was concerned about the state of the downtown. I did not have an answer then, but thought later
the following might help:
Just make parking free the first 15 days of the month for the next six months and see how business will flourish.
I think this is definitely worth a test. Give some, to get some. Some show of goodwill, a nice gesture will go a
long way, I think. At least, it is definitely worth a try given the sorry state of the Village Center. Add to this, if
you can free wifi and business will go through the roof...
Which brings me to my pother point:
2. Living so close to the Village Center, my neighborhood is very concerned about 7-11 moving to Scarsdale
Avenue. This simply cannot be allowed. On Garth Road this store attracted an unwelcome crowd. We do not
need it to move closer to become our 24 hour headache.
Please stop this.
3. Further you have to address the Big House, Old House problem as I am calling it. Old houses cannot go on
being demolished and huge houses cannot go on being built on tiny lots. I hope this Board is capable of
handling this challenging, prescient issue.
With best wishes,
1
Lika
Lika L. Levi
Office: (914) 722-0004
Home: (914) 725-9119
www.Save-Scarsdale.org
Lika@Save-Scarsdale.org
2
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