Board of Trustees

Village Board of Trustees Meeting 06/23/2020 330 THREE THOUSAND THREE HUNDRED FIFTY-FOURTH REGULAR MEETING Video Conference Via Zoom June 23, 2020 A Regular Meeting of the Board of Trustees of the Village of Scarsdale was held on Tuesday, June 9, 2020 via video conference (Zoom) at 7:00 p.m. Present were Mayor Samwick and Trustees Arest, Crandall, Lewis, Ross, Veron, and Waldman. Also present were Village Manager Stephen Pappalardo, Deputy Village Manager Cole, Assistant Village Manager Richards, Village Attorney Pozin, Deputy Village Attorney Garrison, Village Clerk Conkling, and Assistant to the Village Manager Katzin. ******** Minutes The minutes of the Regular Board of Trustees Meeting of Tuesday, June 9, 2020 were approved on a motion entered by Trustee Crandall, seconded by Trustee Waldman and carried unanimously. ******** Bills & Payroll Trustee Waldman reported that she had audited the Abstract of Claims dated June 23, 2020 in the amount of $1,384,452.01 which included $41,087.79 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 Waldman and seconded by Trustee Crandall, the following resolution was adopted unanimously: RESOLVED, that the Abstract of Claims dated June 23, 2020 in the amount of $1,384,452.01 is hereby approved. ******** Mayor’s Comments Mayor Samwick stated that his comments this evening are very brief; however, he wanted to say that if anyone has been in the Village Center recently, they will see what a tremendous job the Scarsdale Business Alliance (SBA) and the Village has done and from Village Board of Trustees Meeting 06/23/2020 331 the Village Board’s perspective, Trustees Veron and Arest have spent enormous amounts of time and energy on the reopening of businesses in the Village Center. He added that Assistant Village Manager Ingrid Richards has been one of quite a number of people on the Village side, as well as the Village Engineer having been involved as well. He stated that there are others as well, but that it has been an absolutely tremendous job and everyone is very excited about what's happening in the Village Center. He also noted that not coincidentally, this is happening as we are reopening and today is the first day of Phase Three for the Mid-Hudson region for New York forward. Mayor Samwick stated that Phase Three allows for the opening of restaurants for indoor dining up to 50% of capacity. This also involves personal services that may once again be provided, and he noted that the County Executive always make sure to mention that tattoos are one of the personal service alternatives and is now available to people again. Mayor Samwick stated that it also means that groups that were formerly limited to 10 or fewer people are now expanded to 25 people or less. And in that spirit, if you look at what's going on in the community and how we are adapting to things that are part of our reaction to cope, you will see that people are creative and doing all kinds of interesting things. He stated that today he went to the high school and saw the graduation parade, and the graduating seniors were in groups of 50 with their families driving, and cars were decked out with balloons and streamers, dragging cans and all sorts of things behind them. The teachers lined a row were cheering on the graduating seniors. He stated that he was really great to see the spirit and the enthusiasm in what is ordinarily a time of great joy for people, and the adaptation is being embraced by everyone. He congratulated the Senior Class of 2020, noting that everyone is extremely proud of them as they have had to endure quite a bit this year and then to be able to celebrate in these new ways is a testament to their resilience. Mayor Samwick stated that there will be more comments from Trustees Veron and Arest about a number of other things that he has mentioned in their Trustee Reports. They will speak more about what's going on in their work with the SBA. He also stated that the Village Manager will speak about the reopening of Village Hall as part of Phase Three ******** Manager’s Comments Village Manager Pappalardo stated that Village Hall reopened today, two weeks after the Governor provided for in his Executive Order for local governments to reopen during this Phase. The standard operating hours from 9am to 5pm Monday through Friday were offered. He stated that he was happy to report that a total of 91 individuals visited Village Hall today on the first day of reopening. He reported that the morning started slowly, and shortly after 12 noon there had been only about 25 people who visited the building, but in the end there were 91 attendees. He stated that he would expect this number to increase as residents and others are informed about the reopening and obtain a level of comfort in coming to the building and conducting in-person business. It’s been roughly three months since they've had the opportunity to come in and interact with staff. Village Board of Trustees Meeting 06/23/2020 332 The staff has been preparing for the reopening of Village Hall in a manner that provides for the safety of visitors and the staff Reopening Committee worked diligently to review all applicable public health mandates and guidance documents, which resulted in their plan, available on the Village website under the COVID-19 Updates section. He stated that he welcomes everyone to go to the website and take a look at the plan if they are interested. Village Manager Pappalardo reported on some of the physical changes and procedures that visitors can expect when they do visit. The physical building changes are noticeable when you enter the building. There are a number of Plexiglas shields in place throughout the building. These shields are intended to provide a physical barrier to the transmission of COVID-19 or other diseases. These have been erected both for the internal office space for the staff and at the public counters for when staff is conducting business with residents and others. There are also floor markings and other measures that have been installed to help remind visitors of the need to maintain six feet of separation from others. He stated that they also have enhanced facility sanitation and disinfection protocols are in place. This is plainly evident when you enter the building. Village Manager Pappalardo continued, stating that there are new procedural requirements for visitors, which does take some time. These are similar to what we are doing with our employees when they enter the building, every day. He encouraged visitors to call ahead and make an appointment or to inquire whether a particular need can be supported remotely. He stated that there were a lot of appointments today, so some people are actually utilizing that option. When they come, we make sure that they get upstairs in time to meet their scheduled appointment. The Village Hall directory is also available online if someone would like to call and make an appointment. They can check that and call the department directly for which they have business. Village Hall is also now answering the phones. This was not being done when there was limited staff coming to Village Hall on a daily basis. He stated that some of the clerical employees and other departmental staff are back to work. When visitors come to Village Hall, they will be asked to provide photo identification upon entry, which will also be used for contact tracing purposes should the need arise. The Village performs health screening assessments for all visitors. The screening results will also be used for contact tracing needs includes completion of a short verbal questionnaire and any affirmative response to any of the questions that are asked, including if you are symptomatic for COVID-19, or tested positive for COVID-19, or have come into close contact with somebody with COVID-19 over the past two weeks/14 days. If the visitor answers no to all those health screening questions, we will perform a temperature check. Village Manager Pappalardo stated that today 91 temperatures were taken and fortunately, we didn't have any issues. We were able to let all of our residents through. People were very patient, and it worked out very well. He stated that we are logging all this information and saving it on our intranet in case there is a problem with a positive case, whether it be with a visitor, or one of the employees. In this way, the Village has all that information which will inform the health agencies as it relates to the contact tracing. All visitors are required to wear a mask or other face covering while visiting Village Hall, or any of our facilities. If a visitors is unable to wear a face covering, accommodations must be made before they arrive. If someone fails to bring a mask with them, the Village will provide one for them in the building. Village Board of Trustees Meeting 06/23/2020 333 Village Manager Pappalardo thanked everyone in advance for their cooperation and compliance with the new operating protocols and procedures, as well as for their understanding and patience, while the Village continues to refine its approach in response to public feedback and the shifting regulatory environment, within which we are endeavoring to maximize opportunities for the public to interact directly with staff, and while we continue to maintain the necessary public health protocols. Mr. Pappalardo stated that he felt that the Village’s Reopening Committee has done a nice job getting prepared up to this point. He stated that the plan is flexible and the Committee will continue to monitor the Governor’s Executive Orders and all the guidelines set forth by the health agencies to make sure people are kept safe as the Village moves forward with conducting business in person. ******** Public Comments Mayor Samwick opened the public comment portion of the meeting, which he stated will be subject to a 5 minute limit. He further stated that there are two public comment periods on the agenda this evening, one that will be held now and another at the end of the meeting, to the extent that the Board is at that point in the agenda before 10:00 P.M. He added that Assistant to the Village Manager Katzin will be keeping track of the time per speaker and that there will be a one minute warning at 4 minutes. Robert Harrison, 65 Fox Meadow Road, stated that Village Manager Pappalardo gave a good report this evening. He stated that he was curious about the 91 people that came to Village Hall and asked what a normal number of visitors would as it seemed to him that 91 people was a large number. However, he thought it was great that so many came to Village Hall to conduct business on the first day of the reopening of Village Hall. Village Manager Pappalardo stated that he did not have that number off hand; previously they did not normally count people coming into the building. However, now the number of people coming in will be counted along with all of the other information he mentioned previously. He noted that he thought the traffic was a bit slow in the morning, but it did pick up in the afternoon. He stated that he believed that number will increase as time goes on. Mr. Harrison next stated that he went over to the Middle School tennis courts today and he was expecting that residents could play doubles. However, only singles play was permitted. He stated that he called the Recreation Department about this and he urged the Mayor and the Superintendent of Parks and Recreation Brian Gray to allow doubles as soon as possible on the Middle School tennis courts. He stated that these courts were restored in 1983-84 through his leadership and with the purpose of allowing tennis on weekends. This was done to allow youth to have equal status with adults for play on a first come, first serve basis. Before 1983-1984, restrictions were in place until after 5:00 pm on Saturday and Sunday. He again urged that doubles play be restored on the Middle School tennis courts as soon as possible. Village Board of Trustees Meeting 06/23/2020 334 Mr. Harrison noted that the Recreation Department has been doing some work on putting up nets, and it look s like the cost for nets for the court would be about $1,000; there is three courts there so that would be $3,000 and the Scarsdale Youth Tennis League is willing to contribute money to see the nets be put up there as soon as possible. He stated that there is no reason to keep those courts for singles only. It's a great community family play area. There's a picnic bench and a practice wall where young kids and parents can hit the ball. Mr. Harrison stated that we should be using all three courts for doubles or singles and in his letter to the Scarsdale Inquirer editor, he is urging residents to buy permits because tennis, in effect, is the only real recreational game in town, and it's a great lifetime sport. Mr. Harrison encouraged the Board to work with the Recreation Department and the Scarsdale Summer Youth Tennis League is happy to contribute some funds to see this happen. The summer league is going to have difficulty with social distancing, but he hopes that the children will play with other friends and with their parents in doubles and singles on these courts. It might be possible to have a small program at the end of the summer. Village Manager Pappalardo stated that when the Village allowed for doubles play, it was just to allow it at those facilities with a single court. He stated that the Village should be in a position to allow for doubles play on multiple courts in one facility but there is an expense related to that and the Village has yet to make that expense. He stated that this discussion will be held in this regard. Myra Saul, 5 Lincoln Road, stated that she wanted to bring an issue to the attention of the Board this evening. She stated that because of the COVID-19 situation, the sidewalks have been very crowded; she is a walker and there are a lot of people riding bikes. Her daughter is a big biker, however, there is a little bit of a squeeze with regard to having the room to bicycle. She said that she knows someone who was run into by a bicycle by mistake. She would like to accommodate everybody but she doesn’t know specifically what the rules of the road are with regard to bicycle riders. Her understanding is that bicycles should be ridden on the roadway, although she understood that people with young children may feel that's an issue. Ms. Saul proposed a bike lane and that if the Village is going to do this, it should be done quickly. It is also about time that something be done about this. With the summer coming and camps closed, the traffic on the roads with bicyclists, runners, and walkers is only going to get more intense. A lot of people are going to be on their bikes and walking; there aren’t that many outlets with the pool closed until the middle of July. She stated that she would like the Board to consider an immediate action as soon as possible regarding bike lanes, or some accommodation between walkers and bikers. Nicholas Thompson, 1 Forest Lane, stated that he had emailed a letter to the Board regarding the opening of restaurants in the Village Center. He stated that there was already a huge problem with people being able to park downtown and now there is a big tent right in downtown that's by the pharmacy and Haagen Dazs. He stated that he understood that a large tent is okay so that people can practice social distancing and have food, but he questioned where people going to be able to park their cars, and stated that on a lot of the side streets there are rules as to how long you can park your car. Mr. Thompson noted that there was a local newspaper article that talked about how the Village Code has a rule concerning selling ‘stuff’ on the sidewalk and how it's not allowed Village Board of Trustees Meeting 06/23/2020 335 right now, and that was amended due to what's going on and he had written in his letter about how the Board would like to do that. He asked what would be done about people with their children and older people that may be in wheel chairs, etc., and they need to get down the sidewalk. He stated that he would hope that someone could explain exactly how older folks and people with young kids are going to be accommodated. Mr. Thompson thanked the Board for helping the residents get through this, because it's not easy and he really appreciates their efforts. Randy Whitestone, 94 Sprague Road, echoed the Mayor's comments, congratulating the Scarsdale High School graduates; it has been a memorable year for them. He stated that even with what's going on in the world between public health crises and social justice movements he is sure they will always remember their graduation time. Mr. Whitestone stated that he also appreciates the updates from the Board; however, he was hoping to get a sense from the Board and the staff about the roadmap for the budget going forward. Although it is still very early in the fiscal year, day 23, there are things that he would love to see and have been talked about in past meetings, such as a modular approach to budgeting, and the kinds of data to look at; a recognition of municipal market conditions which are very stressed right now. He stated that he would still look forward to hearing about a better sense of the roadmap for the budget process going forward, given that it's going to be a live fire exercise in budgeting this fiscal year. On another issue, Mr. Whitestone stated that traffic safety is very important right now. There are people who are home, and people who are around who might not otherwise be around and people can't go to their gyms. So there are walkers, bikers, joggers, and there are people now driving again with some rapidity. He stated that the Mayor has called on people drive with extra care, given all that's going on. He stated we also now notice noises that we didn’t before, including leaf blowers that are still blowing past the June 1st deadline, and some fireworks at night. Mr. Whitestone ended by stating that there are all sorts of quality of life issues that he thinks people will be conscious of this summer. Robert Berg, 32 Tisdale Road, stated that he has been checking out the Village Center for the last couple of days since the big white tent was erected. He said that although he believes in doing everything we can to bring life and vitality downtown, the downtown remains largely empty. He stated that the big tent is area is usually vacant, there are one or two tables with a couple of people there; however, the Parkway Diner outdoor dining area is usually full. He stated that there are just a small number of ground level retailers still in business and there are some that are taking advantage of the temporary changes the Board adopted to the Code. He stated that the vast majority of the sidewalk spaces are empty. Mr. Berg stated that he urged the Board at their last meeting to expand the scope of the new Code provision to include Scarsdale businesses beyond the ground level for just retailers and restaurants. He stated that he believed the provision should include any Scarsdale business that seeks to market its goods and services and can do so from a sidewalk booth during normal business hours without requiring public utilities and conforming to any Village Board of Trustees Meeting 06/23/2020 336 public health requirements and other reasonable standards that are necessary. He stated that in his opinion, there is no reason why an attorney, therapist, doctor, chiropractor, or insurance broker shouldn't be able to have a sidewalk booth and be able to talk to passersby. In regard to services, he or she can provide a staff member to do that. He did state that he was not suggesting a marriage counselor should be conducting confidential therapy sessions outside in public on the sidewalk, but he stated that a marriage counselor can tell potential clients about the types of services he or she provides and the rates for those services, as well as the insurance companies they participate with. Mr. Berg continued, stated that in his opinion, the Mayor seems to believe that there is something unique about a ground floor retail business that deserves special favoritism from the Village in the form of a special law that benefits just those types of businesses to the exclusion of other businesses. He stated that he believed the Board is discriminating against other types of struggling businesses for no reason. Based on his observations over the past week, he stated that he thinks that there is more than enough room for anyone who wants to set up a booth in the Village ROW and the Village Center. He urged the Board to help all of the businesses that are just trying to survive. As there were no further comments offered, Mayor Samwick closed the first public comment portion of the meeting. Mayor Samwick responded to some of the comments that were brought up during the public comment period. With regard to bike lanes, he stated that this is something that's been on the Board’s agenda from prior to the pandemic. One of the things that the Board has discussed at length during the budget process about six months ago was how to make the Village more bike friendly, and there are challenges in that regard and there are a number of roads that are rather narrow. However, one of the things that they are looking into is the Safe Routes to School Program. One of the components of that program is improving and expanding sidewalks, providing more pedestrian and bicycle options, and safety measures. This item is definitely on the Board’s agenda, but unfortunately the Board will not be able to get anything done in that regard for this summer. Mayor Samwick stated that bike lanes require a fair amount of study and work to be done before they can be implemented, to make sure that they are safe and that is the paramount issue when dealing with these. In regard to comments offered about what is happening in the Village Center, Mayor Samwick stated that from his limited experience, he has not seen the tent area empty, and there have not been any parking issues. He stated that Trustees Veron and Arest are going to be speaking more about this during their Trustee reports. He did state that at the last Board meeting he stated that there is not any discrimination happening in regard to the businesses that are utilizing the outdoor space in front of their storefronts. He also noted that this is not limited to sidewalks; the Board wants all the Village merchants and businesses to prosper and thrive. He stated that Trustees Veron and Arest are going to speak about using Chase Park as a venue for certain businesses and programs that may take place as well as other alternatives. He noted that if one looks at Spencer Place, which is closed, where the tent is, that area is certainly being used by Village restaurants and food providers across a much broader spectrum. He reiterated that there is a big difference between someone who Village Board of Trustees Meeting 06/23/2020 337 is a retail tenant and a retail business and has people walking by, as opposed to a destination business on upper floors. This is something we need to be cognizant of, while still trying to accommodate everyone's needs. The sidewalk Code change that was implemented was really only one of the tools in the toolbox. He again stated that Trustees Veron and Arest will speak to this in more detail. Responding to other comments, Mayor Samwick stated that with regard to the budget roadmap, he thinks that a number of different components exist with respect to that. One of those is that data comes in rather slowly. Approximately 70% of the Village’s revenue is real estate taxes. The next largest is sales taxes for which the Village receives quarterly payment. The Village does get some information on a monthly basis about overall sales tax revenue, so they can track these things over time. One should remember, however, the Board’s initial approach to the pandemic was with quick decisive and responsible action. The Village went into austerity mode, and the Village Manager and Village Treasurer did an outstanding job in coming to the Board with different scenarios in terms of revenue shortfall exposures the Village may have and the Village Manager and Village Treasurer identified sources with which those shortfalls might be covered at this juncture. He stated that based on all the information that they have, there is not any indication that we are off track, but it is very early in the process. Monitoring and reviewing the budget is something the Board will continue to do on a monthly basis as they always have done. Fiscal responsibility is of paramount importance to the Board; it is one of the most important things that they do and they are going to continue to do that. ******** Trustee Liaison Reports Trustee Crandall announced that sadly, Gay McCreery passed away recently. She stated that she was quite the volunteer in her own right. Ms. McCreery served as President of the Scarsdale Woman's Club for two terms, which is quite unusual. Her husband, was one of our former Trustees and she noted that he was possibly even Mayor – she asked Village Manager Pappalardo if Bill McCreery was a former Scarsdale Mayor, to which he replied affirmatively. She stated that the Board’s sympathy goes out to Mayor McCreery and his family, and friends. There will be a service tomorrow morning at 10:00 a.m. at the Immaculate Heart of Mary Church, also known as IHM located at Post Road and Carmen Roads. She stated that it is a great loss; Ms. McCreery was a role model to her and she is very sorry to announce her passing. Trustee Crandall reported that the weekly pick up of food scraps resumed yesterday. The schedule is the same as before, and those with a Monday/Thursday trash pickup should place their food scrap container out by 7:00 a.m. Monday mornings and those with the Tuesday/Friday garbage collection should place their food scraps bins out by 7:00 a.m. on Tuesdays. For more information on how to get started, Trustee Crandall stated that the information is on the Village website at www.scarsdale.com, or send an email to Composting@scarsdale.com. She thanked Superintendent of Public Works Jeff Coleman for his leadership in returning this important service to the community and she expressed her hope that many residents will participate in this program as much as possible; whatever Village Board of Trustees Meeting 06/23/2020 338 we can do to help our environment. Now, more than ever, it is an essential benefit to everyone. ******** Trustee Lewis noted that the Advisory Council on Human Relations has begun its work, as he noted a couple of weeks ago, and they started working to create a survey to help the community map out it's aspirations to be more inclusive, diverse, and welcoming. Trustee Lewis: I just a quick reaction to Myra Saul’s comments, who he sees walking all the time, and noted that she is indeed a committed walker. He stated that he would also like to note that as a cyclist, he agrees with her assessment of the behavior on our roads. He stated that he has had people shout at him from cars and he thinks that we do need to find a way to create a more welcoming environment on our roadways for walkers and bikers. Trustee Lewis stated that the Board has talked about this, as the Mayor has noted before, about initial pilot programs they have discussed in their working sessions about exploring the complete streets movement. Although the Village may be budget-challenged at this time, he stated that he would like to encourage the Board and staff to begin working with residents, perhaps in working sessions to begin to map this out, even if money requires them to wait till a later date. Trustee Lewis stated that he also wanted to note that he thought that the Board’s last budget working session was very valuable. A number of Trustees raised opportunities for follow-up, whether it related to cash flow analysis, reserve analysis, or a further conversation about our scenarios. He agreed that the data does come in slowly, but at the same time, we don't want to wait for the data to come in to plan ahead. He stated that he felt based on this evening’s short agenda, it would have been a great opportunity to discuss the budget. He encouraged the Mayor, Village Board and staff not to lose time ******** Trustee Veron stated that she had two sets of remarks around the Village Center and the Library. She stated that “as the Mayor said, today marks Phase Three of the NY Forward Reopening plan. It is actually wonderful to feel the buzz continue to return to our retail hubs throughout Scarsdale. Thank you residents for shopping and dining locally. The Special Committee on Scarsdale Reopening continues to work at rapid fire pace. The full group meets weekly for updates and subsets of the group are in touch daily. I can’t underscore enough the incredible dedication of Village staff: Ingrid Richards, David Goessl, Greg Cutler, all members of our Special Committee, and the ongoing support we’ve also received from Frank Diodati, Brian Gray, Aylone Katzin and Dan Pozin. We are indebted to our Village Manager Steve Pappalardo and Mayor Marc Samwick who have paved the way for us. There is a “can do” spirit that permeates. With our SBA partner’s co- presidents Marcy Berman-Goldstein and Ken Giddon and my colleague Trustee Arest, we’re getting the job done. To provide tonight’s update, I looked back out our list from 2 weeks ago and so much that we had hoped for is now reality. Village Board of Trustees Meeting 06/23/2020 339 Here’s the update: First: With the passage of the new sidewalk legislation, merchants immediately sought permits, and the building department has already started issuing them. Second: The Dine the ‘Dale tent that was a concept two weeks ago is now a reality with 27 participating restaurants confirmed. Bango Bowls, Buon Amici, Cafe Alaia, Chat, Chop Stix, Cooked & Co, DeCiccos, Gianonni’s, Haagen Dazs, Jackie B’s, Kirari Sushi, La Renaissance, Le Curry, Martine’s, Moscato, Parkway Cafe, Pizzarelli’s Pizza, Popojito, Sapori, Ruffled Feathers, Scarsdale Metro, Scarsdale Pizza Station, Slice of Scarsdale, 808 Bistro, Via Forno, Westchester Burger and Yeomiji. You can enjoy table service, delivery or carry out - different restaurants have different options. Signage at the tent provides more information. There is a steady stream of patrons who use the space, and we are thrilled that residents are carefully cleaning up with sanitizing wipes. The SBA has been raising funds from property owners, real estate agencies and other sponsors to begin to cover the cost. Scarsdale Flower Shop has provided decor and Scarsdale Security is managing the cameras. Given the tremendous popularity of this concept, we plan to add more tables adjacent to De Cicco’s on East Parkway. We are also working with the other Scarsdale retail hubs to help them roll out similar, smaller scale initiatives. We’ve been having active conversations with Garth Road, Scarsdale Avenue and the Golden Horseshoe and so on. Third: Paperwork has been filed with the State Liquor Authority so you can be served drinks in the Dine the ‘Dale tent. Fourth: Service businesses, many not at ground level, such as gyms and yoga studios, will be working with the Village Recreation department on programming. Fifth: The Christie Place commuter garage is now available for three hour parking on the PANGO app zone 10599. Sixth: This year, the Sidewalk Sale will be a week-long event from Monday, July 27 to Sunday, August 2, with the goal of coordination across all Scarsdale retail hubs, including the Golden Horseshoe and Five Corners. The Village Center will be closed to traffic to afford a pedestrian-friendly, social distanced experience. The Special Committee is sensitive to the needs of all merchants and service providers no matter ground level or higher level occupants. To that end, during the Sidewalk Sale, the SBA is providing space for all such businesses to set up stations. It has been particularly helpful that the SBA contains representation from a cross section of the business community, and it’s noteworthy that a top floor service provider sits on the executive committee. Seventh: Music is in the works in partnership with the Scarsdale Arts Advisory Council. Prior to Phase Four, we are hoping for instrumental or a couple vocalists. After Phase Four, we are hoping for more entertainment in Chase Park with a tentative plan for musical talent during the Sidewalk Sale. Eighth: Generosity continues with an offer to provide much overdue pruning of Boniface Circle shrubs. The hope is to enhance the aesthetics of that area, to make it more Village Board of Trustees Meeting 06/23/2020 340 inviting and publicly accessible. Thank you to Friends of the Scarsdale Parks and Susan Douglas’s Forum committee for leading the charge. Ninth: Multiple groups have pulled together to create a movie night to bring the community together and to support local restaurants. Thank you Friends of the Scarsdale Library and the Village Recreation Department as well as local volunteers. “I’m personally energized by what has been accomplished in such a short time. With an ethos of creativity and problem solving, the Special Committee has been working in unison to find a way to make things happen. As I said before, we are learning as we’re doing. Mistakes will be made. But, I have no doubt that we will iterate to find the solution just right for Scarsdale. Scarsdale community, thank you so much for you incredible positivity and support. You are living proof of the adage - if we build it they will come.” Trustee Veron stated that she wanted to give a brief update on the library as well. She reported that “contactless holds pick up at the Loft is going well. Right now, we are limited to items housed in the Loft, but holds will begin to be delivered between libraries starting July 1. Library patrons can also continue to drop off book returns in marked bins outside the Loft. Book recommendations for all ages have been posted on the Library website or you can email the library at scaref@wlsmail.org. Virtual programming for all ages is expanding; check the website for offerings. The Library is very keen on supporting the community, particularly in the summer months when people seek this type of relaxation. The Children’s Department is starting Summer Blackout Bingo. Children are encouraged to read and enjoy some fun activities. Once the Bingo card is completed, child and parent can take a photo of completed board and send to scakids@wlsmail.org for a gift card to Bronx River Books. Not only will this encourage our community to read some great books but it is also supporting a local business. The bingo card is available on the Library homepage. We are putting out a personal call to everyone in the community to share their stories so that future generations will know what happened in 2020 during the pandemic. Submissions may be in the form of digital writings, drawings, photographs, or videos. Please fill out our Covid-19 Memory Project form via our website to submit your piece. These will appear on our Local History page, in the near future.” ******** Trustee Arest stated that Deputy Mayor Veron gave a great report and that he would just like to add a few things to it in regard to the Village Center, the first being parking enforcement. While parking enforcement never stopped, priorities required fewer resources to parking enforcement due to constraints from COVID-19. Therefore parking enforcement has been lax for the past several weeks. However, going forward, that is changing, the normal force will be out. He stated that this should be made clear – enforcement is not about fundraising or the revenue that they are hoping to accomplish through parking Village Board of Trustees Meeting 06/23/2020 341 enforcement, but about fairness and turning over these spaces because we do have some reduced spaces and we want to make sure there is space for everyone and for all the merchants to have turnover in parking and to be able to have more patrons go to their stores. Trustee Arest stated that he appreciated Mr. Thompson's comments and wanted to address his points - one now, and one in a moment. He stated that we did lose 12 spots, but just repeating what Trustee Veron said, there will be a minimum of probably 100 spots in Christie place in the commuter lot temporarily available. Signs, if they are not up now, will be up shortly in this area indicating the payment option of Pango for the meters in these spaces. They will be three hour meters, and that's is actually something that residents have been asking for, for quite some time. They have wanted more than just 90 minutes to park, so hopefully residents will take advantage of this and be able to go and get a personal service, perhaps, and have a meal. With the addition of parking in Christie Place, the loss of the 12 spots in the Village Center won't be a negative impact. In regard to the sidewalk issue, Trustee Arest stated that he wanted to make it clear that while the law has changed in terms of what can and cannot go on the sidewalk, it wasn't carte blanche. It doesn't mean that someone can just take over the sidewalk in front of their store. The special committee, along with the Village Engineer and Assistant Manager Richards, put together criteria and one of the first ones was actually a space requirements on obstructed paths for anything that's put onto the sidewalk. Safety and accessibility is very important. In addition to that, the Village Engineer was also very careful about where we allow certain things to be placed for exactly the same reasons - for safety and for social distancing, etc. Trustee Arest added that the SLA has done a couple of things with the understanding that restaurants will be even more reliant on outside dining. What they did for restaurants, who have their own outdoor dining, or perhaps have space available to them, usually there would be an entire process and a review by the SLA to have their liquor license expanded. This was greatly expedited. Yeomiji was able to just submit a piece of paper to the SLA and have their liquor license covered in the space and they are listed on the menu that will be there. Additionally, because there is a focus on fairness, the Village had an opportunity to also establish the area for other liquor licenses in the area that will be able to deliver alcoholic beverages to the tents. Popojito on Christie place, Westchester Burger Company on Garth Road, and Scarsdale Metro restaurant on Scarsdale Avenue all wanted to participate. He gave a big thank you to the SBA and Marci Berman Goldstein, stating that they spent an enormous amount of time reaching out to every restaurant and making sure to see who was interested and who wasn’t. Now with those three restaurants, not only can you have food delivered, but you can also have alcohol. Trustee Arest stated that it is also important to note that this is not for a bar setting with people standing around and drinking, standing next to each other, like some of the pictures that we've unfortunately seen from Manhattan and the Hamptons and other places. In order to be served alcohol, you have to be seated - you have to be a seated patron to be served and all the same standards apply. Village Board of Trustees Meeting 06/23/2020 342 Trustee Arest stated that as Trustee Veron mentioned, they are looking at plenty of other areas. A lot of these areas would involve a public private partnership and the Village is doing everything it can to remove the red tape and the staff has been incredible about trying whenever possible not to say no and to find creative solutions. The ability and the fewest constraints to do these changes were on Spencer place and they’ve made that happen. It doesn’t, however, mean that they are not looking at other areas, such as Garth Road being another one in particular; there are some specific complexities to different areas. At this time, Trustee Arest stated that he would not get into all the different areas and what the problems might be. However, he wanted to report that the Village is doing its best to work through them and reaching out to landlords and store owners, tenants and restaurants, trying to get everybody on board, have them understand what happened at Spencer Place and see if we can help them in any way to make it easier for them, and expedite this. Trustee Arest stated that additionally, in terms of health and wellness, because we are looking at things outside of just the sidewalk area, a discussion was held with Superintendent of Parks and Recreation Brian Gray and Assistant Village Manager Richards regarding the use of Chase Park and other outdoor areas to do similar programs that are normally done over the summer through the Recreation Department through our online system where people can register – he stated that they have every intention of doing this. He stated that they appreciate all the work that Brian and his department are doing for the pool, and this endeavor will not hold them up at all. Mr. Gray will be working on this and trying to get this launched as soon as possible, so he suggested that everyone stay tuned for that. Finally, with regard to Mr. Whitestone’s comments and also his colleague Trustee Lewis, he agreed that they need to continue our budget conversations. He stated that he is confident that they will, at the very least, on a monthly basis when they receive updates from the Village Treasurer and the Village Manager. In addition, Trustee Lewis mentioned analyses on cash flow reserves, other data and some additional things, and these are conversations that they have to have, and it is his actual preference for a next step, as he mentioned this at the budget meeting. He stated that he hopes to continue this conversation. The Village Manager is already working on re-prioritizing capital projects. He stated that he thinks it is very important for our next because on one hand we have limited resources in both money and people going forward for in this fiscal year, but at the same time, the Village has needs as a community and the Board does not want to be short sighted. Trustee Arest stated that he thinks it's very important that at the very least, the Village Manager gives his recommendations concerning the budget, hears from the Board, and then the Board is able to have a discussion as they move forward through this fiscal year. He stated that for him, personally, that is his hope for the Board’s next step. However, all these other things are extremely important as well. ******** Trustee Lewis Village Board of Trustees Meeting 06/23/2020 343 Trustee Lewis introduced the following resolution regarding the sale of a surplus Village vehicle. He stated that when he was assigned this resolution, he wondered what he might find in the information attached, and what he found was educational. He stated that there were two memorandums enclosed which explain what a boom truck is, which is what the Village was selling. He stated that it was very interesting to learn about it. He encouraged people to look at this information, as it relates how the Village sells these items to get the best price for the Village for the taxpayers. There is information about Auctions International, which is a professional auctioneers’ service, and it is how the Village received 68 bids on the surplus vehicle. There are also pictures of the boom truck. Facts about the vehicle are included on the advertisement for bids as to the vehicles operational status and other facts. Upon motion entered by Trustee Lewis, and seconded by Trustee Crandall, the following resolution regarding the Sale of a Surplus Village Vehicle was approved by the vote indicated below: WHEREAS, pursuant to Village Policy #202 – Disposal of Surplus Property, the Village Manager is authorized to declare as surplus any items of scrap metal, used equipment, motor vehicles, or any other property, provided that the sale of any such item valued at $5,000 or more shall only be disposed, following either a sealed bid offering or a public auction, upon final approval by resolution of the Village Board of Trustees; and WHEREAS, on February 03, 2020, the Village Manager declared the items described in the attached memo as surplus and recommended they be sold via an online auction, publically held by Auction International of Buffalo, New York; and WHEREAS, the Village Manager reports that Public Works Vehicles #484, a 2002 International 4900 Boom Truck, was certified to him in the attached staff memorandum as having no further use or need to the Village, having exceeded its useful service life; and WHEREAS, the online auction ended on May 26, 2020, with a total of 68 bids for Vehicle #484, resulting in a winning bid of $12,900; and WHEREAS, in the interest of efficiently completing the auction sales, it is recommended that the sale of Public Works Vehicle #484, as described herein and in the attached memorandum, be approved by the Village Board in accordance with Policy #202 – Disposal of Surplus Property; now, therefore, be it RESOLVED, that the Village Board of Trustees hereby approves the final sale of surplus Public Works Vehicle #484, a 2002 International 4900 Boom Truck, for the amount of $12,900; and be it further Village Board of Trustees Meeting 06/23/2020 344 RESOLVED, the proceeds from the sale, totaling $12,900, shall be placed in the General Fund Revenue Account #A 1000020 2665-0 – Sale of Equipment, Trucks, and Cars. AYES NAYS ABSENT Trustee Arest None None Trustee Crandall Trustee Lewis Trustee Ross Trustee Veron Trustee Waldman Mayor Samwick ******** Trustee Ross Trustee Ross stated that the following resolution relates to a “fill the boot” fundraiser that the Uniform Fire Fighters Association would like to hold for the Muscular Dystrophy Association in the Village Center. He expected, of course, that the Board will permit this event to go forward. Assuming that it does, the donations that will be solicited are quite small. He stated that he hoped that the participation rate will be high so that our Fire Fighters efforts will really pay off. Upon motion entered by Trustee Ross, and seconded by Trustee Crandall, the following resolution regarding the Uniformed Fire Fighters Association Fundraiser for the Muscular Dystrophy Association was approved by a unanimous vote: WHEREAS, through a combination of volunteerism and philanthropy, both directly and through the organizations to which they belong, Village employees demonstrate support for Scarsdale community values, including participating in a variety of local and non-local activities and fundraisers benefitting worthwhile causes near and far; and WHEREAS, the Scarsdale Uniformed Firefighters Association (UFFA) has requested that the Village of Scarsdale authorize a “Fill the Boot” fundraising effort in support of the Muscular Dystrophy Association, to be held in the public areas near the Scarsdale Train Station on East Parkway and on Depot Place on September 10, 2020, from 6:00 am to 9:00 am, and from 4:00 pm to 7:00 pm; now, therefore, be it RESOLVED, that the Village Board herein approves and supports the UFFA’s efforts for a “Fill the Boot” fundraiser in the public areas near the Scarsdale Train Station on September 10, 2020, from 6:00 am to 9:00 am, and 4:00 pm to 7:00 pm, for the benefit of the Muscular Dystrophy Association. ******** Village Board of Trustees Meeting 06/23/2020 345 Trustee Veron Trustee Veron stated that the first resolution she has this evening is regarding gifts to the public library renovation project. To remind those who haven't been following in great detail the library renovations of public private partnership, Trustee Veron stated that we are so blessed as a Village to have over $8 million of the project funding come from philanthropy, which is through the Friends of the Scarsdale Library’s efforts, so taxpayers have the cost of the Library defrayed by residents so generous to our Village. The Board continues to receive these heartwarming gifts at almost every meeting. Upon motion entered by Trustee Veron, and seconded by Trustee Crandall, 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 Master Plan, dated June 10, 2013, supported by the Scarsdale Village Board of Trustees via resolution dated April 8, 2014, identified a number of building renovations and additions that would 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 constituting a welcoming and versatile learning center; and WHEREAS, the Library Addition and Renovation Project is anticipated to cost $21,826,434, with over $8,000,000 in project funding already raised through the Library Capital Campaign, courtesy of the philanthropy exhibited by Scarsdale residents; and WHEREAS, the following donations has been offered to the Scarsdale Public Library Addition and Renovation Capital Improvement Project: Leona Kern - $1,500, and the Henry Laird Smith Foundation, das directed by Jeannette Sloan Warner, $1,000; 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 Village Board hereby accepts the following gifts toward the Scarsdale Public Library Master Plan Improvement Project: $1,500 from Leona Kern and $1,000 from the Henry Laird Smith Foundation; and be it further RESOLVED, that the Village Treasurer take the necessary steps to complete the transaction and accept the financial gift totaling $2,500 and deposit said funds into the Library Capital Campaign Account; and be it further Village Board of Trustees Meeting 06/23/2020 346 RESOLVED, that the Board of Trustees hereby extends their heartfelt thanks and great appreciation to Leona Kern and Jeannette Sloan Warner for their generosity and commitment to the Scarsdale Public Library and the community it serves. ******** Upon motion entered by Trustee Veron, and seconded by Trustee Crandall, the following resolution regarding the Acceptance of a Gift to the Scarsdale Public Library was approved by a unanimous vote: WHEREAS, the Goldman Sachs Matching Gift Program has made a $1,000 donation to the Scarsdale Public Library in support of the Rappaport- Shugar Fund, which provides for a bench, planter, and their continuing maintenance; 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 Village Board hereby accepts the gift of $1,000 from the Goldman Sachs Matching Gift Program to the Scarsdale Public Library; and be it further RESOLVED, that the Village Treasurer take the necessary steps to complete the transaction and accept these financial gift of $1,000 and deposit it in the Library’s Rappaport-Shugar Fund; and be it further RESOLVED, that the Board of Trustees hereby extends their heartfelt thanks and great appreciation to the Goldman Sachs Matching Gift Program for its generosity and commitment to the Scarsdale Public Library and the community it serves.. Trustee Veron stated that we always thank residents for availing themselves of the matching gift program, which makes a tremendous difference and extends the philanthropic dollars so much more. She thanked them for doing that extra work. ******** Trustee Veron stated that the Board has discussed the following resolutions at length regarding change orders put through for the Library project. She stated that she is going on a tour tomorrow of the library and that it is beautiful to see; she can’t wait until everyone can be together and open the new library. Trustee Veron noted that in-depth memorandums accompanied the change order resolutions, which go into tremendous detail. Village Board of Trustees Meeting 06/23/2020 347 Upon motion entered by Trustee Veron, and seconded by Trustee Crandall, the following resolution regarding Authorization of Change Orders for VM Contract #1228 – General Construction, Scarsdale Public Library Renovation and Expansion Project, and Transfer of Funds was approved by the vote indicated below (6-0; 1 Recusal): WHEREAS, VM Contract #1228 – General Construction, Scarsdale Public Library Renovation and Expansion, was awarded by the Village Board on June 26, 2018, to the lowest responsible bidder, Niram Inc. (Niram), Cedar Knolls, NJ, for a total contract award of $10,307,000; and WHEREAS, during the course of construction, the combination of certain unanticipated field conditions and added project features expanded the scope of work, necessitating associated change orders in connection with VM #1228; and WHEREAS, in accordance with Section 2.9 of the Village’s Internal Control Policy, the Village Manager authorized VM Contract #1228 Change Orders GC-01 thru GC-10, totaling $195,399.80, for a revised contract grand total of $10,502,399.80, with additional change orders requiring Village Board review and approval; and WHEREAS, pursuant to Section 2.9 of the Village’s Internal Control Policy, change orders GC-11 thru GC-19, totaling $88,627.39, were authorized by the Village Board at their regularly scheduled meeting on February 11, 2020, for a revised contract grand total of $10,591,027.19; and WHEREAS, pursuant to Section 2.9 of the Village’s Internal Control Policy, change orders GC-20 thru GC-31, totaling $110,199.39, were authorized by the Village Board at their regularly scheduled meeting on April 14, 2020, for a revised contract grand total of $10,701,226.58, with additional change orders requiring Village Board review and approval; and WHEREAS, Change Orders GC-32 thru GC-36, totaling $56,127.21, as described in the attached summary, have been reviewed by Village staff, Savin Engineers, the Village’s construction management firm, and Dattner Architects, the Village’s architectural firm, and were deemed reasonable for the scope of work proposed, requiring Village Board approval pursuant to Section 2.9 of the Village’s Internal Control Policy; and WHEREAS, taking into account change orders GC-01 through GC-36, a total of $450,353.79, the revised General Construction VM #1228 contract total is $10,757,353.79 representing a 4.37% overall increase; and Village Board of Trustees Meeting 06/23/2020 348 WHEREAS, due to cost savings realized through prudent Library personnel management during construction, adequate funds remain in the Library Fund Fund Balance to cover the costs of the General Construction Change Orders; now, therefore, be it RESOLVED, that in accordance with Section 2.9 of the Village’s Internal Control Policy, Change Orders GC-32 thru GC-36, totaling $56,127.21, as described in the attached, are herein authorized for VM Contract #1228 – General Construction, Scarsdale Public Library Renovation and Expansion Project; and be it further RESOLVED, that $56,127.21 in the Library Fund Fund Balance be transferred to the Library Construction Capital Account #HL-7497-964-2018-077. AYES RECUSED NAYS ABSENT Trustee Arest Trustee Ross None None Trustee Crandall Trustee Lewis Trustee Veron Trustee Waldman Mayor Samwick ******** Upon motion entered by Trustee Veron, and seconded by Trustee Crandall, the following resolution regarding Authorization of Change Orders for VM Contract #1230 – Plumbing, Scarsdale Public Library Renovation and Expansion Project, and Transfer of Funds was approved by the vote indicated below (6-0; 1 Recusal): WHEREAS, VM Contract #1230 – Plumbing, Scarsdale Public Library Renovation and Expansion, was awarded by the Village Board on June 26, 2018, to the lowest responsible bidder, S & L Plumbing and Heating Corp. (S & L Plumbing), 56 Lafayette Avenue, White Plains, NY, for a total contract award of $874,190; and WHEREAS, during the course of construction, the combination of certain unanticipated field conditions and added project features expanded the scope of work, necessitating associated change orders in connection with VM #1230; and WHEREAS, in accordance with Section 2.9 of the Village’s Internal Control Policy, the Village Manager authorized Change Orders PC-01 thru PC-10, totaling $153,232.04 and yielding a revised contract grand total of $1,027,422.04, with subsequent change orders requiring Village Board consideration; and WHEREAS, the latest Change Orders, PC-11 through PC-16, totaling $42,874.36 and yielding a new VM #1230 grand total of $1,070,296.40, Village Board of Trustees Meeting 06/23/2020 349 representing a 22.4% overall increase, have been reviewed by Village staff, Savin Engineers, the Village’s construction management firm, and Dattner Architects, the Village’s architectural firm, and were deemed reasonable for the scope of work completed, now requiring Village Board consideration pursuant to Section 2.9 of the Village’s Internal Control Policy; and WHEREAS, due to cost savings realized through prudent Library personnel management during construction, there is adequate Fund Balance available in the Library Fund to cover the costs of plumbing Change Orders PC-11 through PC-16; now, therefore, be it RESOLVED, that in accordance with Section 2.9 of the Village’s Internal Control Policy, Change Orders PC-11 through PC-16, totaling $42,874.36, are herein authorized for VM Contract #1230 – Plumbing, Scarsdale Public Library Renovation and Expansion project; and be it further RESOLVED, that $42,874.36 in Fund Balance be transferred from the Library Fund to the Library Construction Capital Account #HL-7497-964-2018- 077. AYES RECUSED NAYS ABSENT Trustee Arest Trustee Ross None None Trustee Crandall Trustee Lewis Trustee Veron Trustee Waldman Mayor Samwick ******** Upon motion entered by Trustee Veron, and seconded by Trustee Crandall, the following resolution regarding Authorization of Change Orders for VM Contract #1244 – Electrical, Scarsdale Public Library Renovation and Expansion Project, and Transfer of Funds was approved by the vote indicated below (6-0; 1 Recusal): WHEREAS, VM Contract #1244 – Electrical, Scarsdale Public Library Renovation and Expansion, was awarded by the Village Board on June 26, 2018, to the lowest responsible bidder, Healy Electric Contacting Inc. (Healy), 4 Fisher Lane, White Plains NY, for a total contract award of $2,233,000; and WHEREAS, during the course of construction, the combination of certain unanticipated field conditions and added project features expanded the scope of work, necessitating associated change orders in connection with VM #1244; and Village Board of Trustees Meeting 06/23/2020 350 WHEREAS, in accordance with Section 2.9 of the Village’s Internal Control Policy, the Village Manager authorized VM Contract #1244 Change Orders EC-01 thru EC-07, totaling $77,369, for a revised contract grand total of $2,310,369, with additional change orders requiring Village Board approval; and WHEREAS, subsequent Change Orders EC-08 and EC-09, totaling $142,950, for a revised contract grand total of $2,453,319, were authorized by the Village Board on April 28, 2020; and WHEREAS, the latest Change Orders, EC-10 through EC-16, excluding EC-14, which will be considered at a later date, total $30,129 and yield a new VM #1244 grand total of $2,483,448, representing an 11.21% overall increase, have been reviewed by Village staff, Savin Engineers, the Village’s construction management firm, and Dattner Architects, the Village’s architectural firm, and were deemed reasonable for the scope of work completed, now requiring Village Board consideration pursuant to Section 2.9 of the Village’s Internal Control Policy; and WHEREAS, due to cost savings realized through prudent Library budgeted personnel management during construction, there is adequate Fund Balance available in the Library Fund to cover the costs of Change Orders EC-10 through EC-13, EC-15, and EC-16; now, therefore, be it RESOLVED, that in accordance with Section 2.9 of the Village’s Internal Control Policy, Change Orders EC-10 through EC-13, EC-15, and EC-16, totaling $30,129, as described in the attached, are herein authorized for VM Contract #1244 – Electrical, Scarsdale Public Library Renovation and Expansion project; and be it further RESOLVED, that $30,129 in Fund Balance be transferred from the Library Fund to the Library Construction Capital Account #HL-7497-964-2018- 077. AYES RECUSED NAYS ABSENT Trustee Arest Trustee Ross None None Trustee Crandall Trustee Lewis Trustee Veron Trustee Waldman Mayor Samwick ******** Trustee Veron stated that the following resolution before the Board is in regard to the sidewalk sale that she referenced in her liaison reports. Village Board of Trustees Meeting 06/23/2020 351 Upon motion entered by Trustee Veron, and seconded by Trustee Crandall, the following resolution regarding the Scarsdale Business Alliance Annual Sidewalk Sale was approved by a unanimous vote: WHEREAS, the Scarsdale Business Alliance, comprised of Scarsdale merchants, has organized the Village Sidewalk Sale (“Sidewalk Sale”), held annually in the Village Center over a three-day period in July, in which local retailers are allowed to place their wares on the sidewalk for retail sales and business promotion; and WHEREAS, to facilitate the event, the Scarsdale Business Alliance requests use of Village-owned rights of way on storefront sidewalks and at Chase Park, as well as for the installation of a tent, via Special Event Permit application; and WHEREAS, the COVID-19 Pandemic, and the resulting forced three month closure of the local businesses in the Village Center, Heathcote Five Corners, and Golden Horseshoe shopping areas, resulting in considerable economic hardships for the local business owners, bringing renewed focus by the Village government on its local merchants, culminating in the Village Board adopting a Local Law on June 09, 2020, amending Section 256-1 of the Village Code, to allow owners and lessees in the Village Center or other owners or lessees of rental or food establishments in other areas of the Village, to store, display and or sell goods, wares and merchandise on or directly above Village-owned rights of way; and WHEREAS, in furtherance of providing opportunities for local Scarsdale businesses, the Scarsdale Business Alliance has made application for the 2020 Sidewalk Sale with adjusted event details to enhance the event; and WHEREAS, the Scarsdale Business Alliance has requested permission to hold the annual Sidewalk Sale not only in the Village Center, but also in the Heathcote Five Corners and the Golden Horseshoe business areas, while extending the event from three days to seven days; and WHEREAS, the Scarsdale Business Alliance requests the use of Village-owned rights of way in the Village Center, Heathcote Five Corners and Golden Horseshoe, from Monday, July 27, 2020, through Sunday, August 02, 2020, from 10:00 AM to 6:00 PM each day; and WHEREAS, Sidewalk Sale participants shall furnish public liability insurance naming the Village of Scarsdale as an additional insured, as well as execute an indemnification agreement; and WHEREAS, all other licenses and permits relative to tents, assembly, amusement devices, or sale of food must be secured in advance by participating Village Board of Trustees Meeting 06/23/2020 352 merchants and vendors, with any necessary permit available on-site for inspection during the event; and WHEREAS, upon completion of the event, the participants will restore all public areas utilized to the same condition as before the Sidewalk Sale; and WHEREAS, the Sidewalk Sale event, as requested, will require the closure of Boniface Circle, Spencer Place and Harwood Court along with the use of sidewalks and of the Village lampposts for electricity; now, therefore, be it RESOLVED, that the Scarsdale Business Alliance is hereby authorized to use the public right-of-way, including the street closures and Village lampposts as described herein, for the purpose of holding the annual Sidewalk Sale in the Village Center, Heathcote Five Corners Business District, and Golden Horseshoe Shopping Center, from Monday, July 27, 2020, through Sunday, August 02, 2020, from 10:00 AM to 6:00 PM each day; and be it further RESOLVED, that all participants shall furnish in advance of the event the required public liability insurance and executed indemnification agreement; and be it further RESOLVED, that the $125.00 tent permit fee in conjunction with the 2020 Sidewalk Sale is herein waived by the Village Board, subject to the Scarsdale Business Alliance securing the necessary Fire Department inspection and approval; and be it further RESOLVED, that the Village Manager is herein authorized to approve the attached application for a Special Event Permit. ******** Trustee Waldman Upon motion entered by Trustee Waldman, and seconded by Trustee Crandall, the following resolution regarding an Intermunicipal Agreement with Westchester County to Provide for a Reimbursement for the Scarsdale Youth Sports Program was approved by the vote indicated below: WHEREAS, the Village of Scarsdale offers numerous youth sports programs that provide opportunities for children to experience an array of sports with the purpose of developing technical skills and promoting self confidence among all ages and ability levels; and WHEREAS, the Village of Scarsdale has received reimbursement for its Youth Sports Program from the County of Westchester, for approximately Village Board of Trustees Meeting 06/23/2020 353 30 years, as it is defined as a Positive Youth Development Program that enhances the experience of youth who participate; and WHEREAS, Westchester County has agreed to reimburse the Village an amount not to exceed $3,688.00 payable quarterly for the January 1, 2019 - December 31, 2019 program year, and WHEREAS, Westchester County requires execution of an Intermunicipal Agreement in order for the Village to receive the aforementioned reimbursement; now, therefore, be it RESOLVED, that the Village Board of Trustees herein authorizes the Village Manager to execute the Intermunicipal Agreement between the Village of Scarsdale and Westchester County in substantially the same form as attached hereto and to undertake all administrative acts required pursuant to the terms of the Agreement. AYES NAYS ABSENT Trustee Arest None None Trustee Crandall Trustee Lewis Trustee Ross Trustee Veron Trustee Waldman Mayor Samwick ******** Written Communications Village Clerk Conkling reported that five (5) communications have been received since the last regular Board of Trustees meeting. All written may be viewed on the Village’s website at www.scarsdale.com. • A letter from the Arbor Day Foundation President Dan Lambe, congratulating the Village of Scarsdale on earning recognition as a 2019 Tree City USA and for receiving a Growth Award. • Two emails from Robert Berg regarding the notices given for the Village Board Work Session held on June 4th and the Village Board meetings of May 29th and June 4th and his opinion in this regard as it relates to the Open Meetings Law. • An email from John Gleidman regarding the request for a stop sign at the intersection of Lyons and Sprague Roads. • An email from Nicholas Thompson concerning the posting of notice for the Village Board meeting of May 29th and his concerns regarding outdoor dining in the Village Center and parking availability due to the closure of roads. ******** Village Board of Trustees Meeting 06/23/2020 354 Before opening the second public comment section of this meeting, Mayor Samwick stated that would like to elaborate on a piece that he spoke about earlier, but didn't complete with regard to the Scarsdale High School Class of 2020. He stated that he will be issuing a proclamation making Graduation Day officially Scarsdale High School Class of 2020 Day as part of that celebration. He stated that he is very pleased about what everyone is doing to make this celebration a vibrant one for our graduating seniors and he again gave a hearty congratulations to all of them. ******** Public Comment Mayor Samwick opened the second public comment section of the meeting noting that as with the first public comment period, a five minute limit for speaking is in place. Robert Berg, 32 Tisdale Road stated that he had a couple of questions based on some of the discussion tonight regarding the permits that will be issued as a result of the recent amendment to the Zoning Law, Chapter 256 of the Village Code. He asked what the criteria for the permits are, and what the process for obtaining these permits is. He also asked if there were written rules or regulations regarding those permits. He also asked where the Village ROW is at the Golden Horseshoe Shopping Center. He thought that the Scarsdale portion of the Golden Horseshoe Property was entirely private property. Nicholas Thompson, 1 Forest Lane, stated that as an election inspector who has been doing that job for 10 years, he was curious as to what exactly the Village is doing with regard to the Village Election in September and the number of polling locations, and whether they will be the same in in November for the General Election. Robert Harrison, 65 Fox Meadow Road, stated that he wanted to continue his discussion on the tennis court situation at the Middle School tennis courts. In regard to the cost of putting up nets, he stated that he wanted to make it clear that the Scarsdale Summer Youth Tennis League, which has been in existence for over 35 years, is willing to make a contribution to put up nets at the Middle School tennis courts to allow for doubles play for both adults and youth and their families. He stated that they would put it in writing formally, and would like to discuss it with the caveat that it be done as soon as possible, because the summer has already begun and they would like to have these courts available for doubles in July and August. He stated that he will contact the Village Manager. To be clear, he stated that they are prepared to put up the money to see that these nets get put up on the Middle School tennis courts for our youth and our families and our adults. Mr. Harrison next stated that there's been some active paving on Fox Meadow Road between Olmsted Road and Butler Road, and he thinks that the job looks like it's basically done other than the painting of the yellow lines. He stated that other homeowners on the section of Fox Meadow Road from Crane Road to Olmsted Road have expressed concern and complained that this portion of Fox Meadow Road has serious potholes, which have been there for a number of years. He stated that it is time to pave that section of Fox Meadow Road and urged the Village to do it as soon as possible, not next year, but this Village Board of Trustees Meeting 06/23/2020 355 summer. He stated that there was a lot of paving done on Fox Meadow Road but the Village left that portion undone. He stated he would like a response on this. Mr. Harrison next questioned whether there will be any Fourth of July fireworks, and if they could be held in a social distance manner by not having people inside the pool area, but perhaps sitting in their cars to watch the fireworks. He asked for any comments in this regard. The other item that he would like to discuss is that the Mayor has talked about a Committee to discuss and perhaps try to alleviate any racially negative practices in Scarsdale. He asked if the Mayor could give an update on this; he stated that he has sent him emails and that he has volunteered to serve on this Committee. He asked if the Mayor is taking resumes from people that are interested in serving. Mr. Harrison inquired as to the status of this Committee. He stated that he has a lot of experience relative to his 35 years on the Board of the New York Junior Tennis League of Greater New York, which serves about 100,000 youth. He stated that they offer after school classes for the students in their subjects, as well as teaching tennis. He continued, stating that Arthur Ashe, one of the great black tennis players, was a founder of the New York Junior Tennis League in 1970, and David Dinkins as Mayor of New York, a black man, has served on that board for about 30 years, and he has served on the board for 35 years. Therefore, he believed that he has some historical information that would be valuable to the Mayor’s committee, and he is available to serve. He stated that he would be happy to submit a copy of his resume. He asked the Mayor to tell the community was his plans are in this regard. Mayor Samwick stated that there are criteria and processes with regard to what is going on in the Village Center and other commercial areas. He stated that if anyone would like to speak with the Village Manager’s office to get more detail about that, they are welcome to do so. Mayor Samwick continued, stating that with respect to the Village Election, the Village does not yet have that information that Mr. Thompson was inquiring about, and as residents may have noticed in regard to the polling locations for the Primary that is occurring today, things are in flux and things have changed. He asked the community to stay tuned; obviously voting is very important, and we want to continue to encourage that. Mayor Samwick stated that with respect to paving, there are priorities. There are also considerations for where Con Edison is going to do future work and all of that factors into what the paving schedule looks like. With respect to fireworks, Mayor Samwick stated that the Village is not having fireworks this year. Regarding follow up to the vigil that was held in Chase Park, Mayor Samwick stated that he continues to talk and listen to people; there has been a lot of interest in serving on the ad hoc council that is expected to be formed. He noted that it is important to make sure that those types of councils are managed very, carefully in terms of size and composition, etc. Not everyone who wants to be involved on the committee level is going to have the opportunity to do that, unfortunately, because there really has been quite a lot of interest. Village Board of Trustees Meeting 06/23/2020 356 However, there will be an opportunity for everyone to participate in the process, whether it is engaging in listening sessions or serving on potential sub-groups or subcommittees that exist, but it is too early to tell. One of the things that they are making sure they are doing is, listening, taking our time, and trying to be deliberate with this. This is something that is a high priority item and that is a real focal point. He stated that they want to make sure that they set it up for success as best as possible, with input from as many people throughout the community as possible. As no further public comments were offered, Mayor Samwick closed the second public comment section of the meeting. Trustee Veron stated that she wanted to clarify the question of regarding some of the retail hubs. She stated that some of them are privately held and some of them are on Village property. She stated that they have been in active conversation with even those properties that are privately held that can benefit from the experience and the practices that the Village is using on public space. She stated that there has been a lot of outreach and conversations regarding these other business areas and that each area has very specific needs. There is a different mix of merchants and different ownership; some are on Village property and some are privately held. However, they are sharing information which has been appreciative and there has been a constant dialogue with all area businesses. ******** Future Meeting Schedule: • Tuesday, July 14, 2020 – 7:00 PM – Village Board Meeting – Via Zoom Village Hall Schedule: • Friday, July 3, 2020 – Village Hall Closed for Holiday Observance which falls on Saturday, July 4, 2020. ******** There being no further business to come before the Board, the meeting was adjourned at 8:30 P.M. on a motion entered by Trustee Lewis, seconded by Trustee Crandall, and carried by a unanimous vote. Respectfully submitted, Donna M. Conkling Village Clerk