Board of Trustees

Village Board of Trustees Meeting 09/08/2020 412 THREE THOUSAND THREE HUNDRED FIFTY-NINTH REGULAR MEETING Video Conference Via Zoom September 8, 2020 A Regular Meeting of the Board of Trustees of the Village of Scarsdale was held on Tuesday, September 8, 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 Pappalardo, Deputy Village Manager Cole, Assistant Village Manager Richards, Deputy Village Attorney Garrison, Village Clerk Conkling, and Assistant to the Village Manager Katzin. ******** Minutes The minutes of the Limited Agenda Board of Trustees Meeting of Tuesday, August 25, 2020 were approved on a motion entered by Trustee Crandall, seconded by Trustee Waldman and carried unanimously. ******** Bills & Payroll Trustee Veron reported that she had audited the Abstract of Claims dated September 8, 2020 in the amount of $1,089,612.04 which included $27,827.53 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 Arest, the following resolution was adopted unanimously: RESOLVED, that the Abstract of Claims dated September 8, 2020 in the amount of $1,089,612.04 is hereby approved. Trustee Veron further reported that she had examined the payment of bills made in advance of a Board of Trustees audit totaling $1,032,432.31 which were found to be in order and she moved that such payments be ratified. Upon motion duly made by Trustee Veron and seconded by Trustee Arest, the following resolution was adopted unanimously: Village Board of Trustees Meeting 09/08/2020 413 RESOLVED, that payment of claims made in advance of a Board of Trustees audit totaling $1,032,432.31 is hereby ratified. ******** Mayors Comments Mayor Samwick stated that he did not have any prepared comments this evening but that there are two items he would like to discuss. He noted that the Village Election will be held on Tuesday, September 15 th and that there are three open Board seats. He encouraged every member of the community that is eligible to vote, to please do so. He then asked Village Clerk Donna Conkling to explain the voting options that remain. Village Clerk Conkling noted that as the Mayor stated, the March 18 th Village Election was postponed due to COVID-19 and will be held on Tuesday, September 15, 2020. The polls will be open from 6:00 am to 9:00 pm at the Scarsdale Congregational Church in Dyckman Hall at 1 Heathcote Road. She stated that there is parking across the street from the church, and that there will be a police officer present to escort voters across the road. Precautionary measures will be taken as set forth by the CDC; there will be extra masks and gloves available, and we will have a staff member sanitizing the area on a constant basis, including the voting machines and the privacy booths. Village Clerk Conkling continued, stating that there is also an opportunity to submit an absentee ballot. Today was the last day that our office could receive mail-in applications. Tomorrow, September 9th, is the last day that our office may mail the absentee ballots to voters. However, from this period until the end of the day Monday, September 14th at 5:00 pm, voters can come to our office, fill out an application for absentee ballot and the ballot will be delivered to them on the spot for them to place their vote. There is ample time to do that, and if they decide to take the ballot with them, the ballot can still be delivered to Village Hall on Tuesday. At the end of the day on Tuesday, any absentee ballots will be brought over to the polling location for the election inspectors to count. She encouraged everyone to vote, and if anyone has any questions they can call the Village Clerk's office at 914-722- 1175. Mayor Samwick stated that before this meeting, Trustee Arest inquired about when those who are elected will be seated as Trustees and it looks like it may occur prior to the next Board meeting on September 22nd. If that is the case, and that will be confirmed shortly, then it looks like this is actually the last meeting of Jane Veron sitting as a Trustee He stated that he had not prepared remarks to this effect because he thought that she would be sitting for another meeting. Therefore, he stated that he would just speak from the heart. Mayor Samwick stated that not only has Jane been the longest serving Trustee in Scarsdale history, and he didn’t think that there's been any ranking before, but if there were a ranking, he couldn’t imagine anyone else being on top. He stated that Jane has been nothing short of a dynamo and that he couldn’t even list the impact that she's had in so many areas of the Village, as he is just speaking off the cuff right now. He stated that Scarsdale is a Village Board of Trustees Meeting 09/08/2020 414 much better place because of Jane and everything that she has done for our community. So Jane from the bottom of his heart, he thanked her. Mayor Samwick stated that on a personal level, it has been an absolute pleasure getting to know her and to working with her. He stated that he looked forward to seeing her and seeing what they could do together in the future for the benefit of Scarsdale. Mayor Samwick stated that anyone else who wishes to say anything, may do so now. He realized that no one had any time to prepare remarks, so he would like to also invite people to have the opportunity to say something at the next Board meeting if they'd like to. Trustee Veron thanked everyone, stating that it has been a privilege to do this job and the people trust you to do work that benefits all of our community. She stated that it is an honor and something she takes extremely seriously. It is an opportunity that you never get again in your life, to work with such committed, dedicated members of the Board, members of the Village staff, and volunteers in the community. She stated that it’s like a treasure trove of positivity and she cares so deeply about and feels so honored to have had an opportunity to do this. Trustee Crandall stated that she didn’t think she’d ever agreed with the Mayor more. His comments about Jane off the cuff were absolutely perfect and appropriate. She stated that it’s really been an honor and privilege serving with Jane on the Village Board, and that she has never known anyone like her. She is incredibly intelligent, kind, hardworking and always prepared. She thanked her for her continuous service to Scarsdale and for helping her to hopefully become a somewhat better public servant. She hoped that Jane would enjoy her free time, and asked her to please remember to eat once in a while. She suggested that she try to put her feet up, but knew that may be a challenge. Trustee Crandall stated that she couldn’t thank Jane enough, and stated that she expects more great things from her. She stated that Jane is really one of the few people she has ever encountered in her life who is so incredible and so easy to talk to. She wished her all the best. Trustee Arest stated that when he realized that this was Jane's last meeting about 10 or 15 minutes ago, and not the next meeting,, he started to think about how amazing it's been to work with her and he looked back when they officially started as an Ad Hoc Committee on Communications in October of 2016 and they knew each other a little bit before then, but mostly just from him attending meetings and asking a lot of questions. But getting to know her as a friend has been an honor, and working with her and learning from her has certainly been a privilege beyond words that can be expressed. He stated that obviously this is not goodbye, and he expects her involvement to continue, and he thinks Scarsdale is better for it, and for what she has already done, and he thanked her. He stated that he won’t say ‘stay in touch’ because she isn’t going anywhere. Trustee Lewis stated that Jane sets a high bar for public service and that she sets an extraordinary example for collaboration for how to work with your colleagues and colleagues on the Board and Village staff, collaboratively and respectfully. She is someone who has the vision to see what's important strategically and she sweats the details to get it right tactically. She sets a very, very high bar for the rest of us to follow. He thanked her for her years of service. Village Board of Trustees Meeting 09/08/2020 415 Trustee Ross stated that he felt he knew Jane pretty well, even before they served on the Board together. And so he had incredibly high expectations of serving with her; he knew that he would learn a great deal. He knew that it would be a pleasure. He stated that he also knew that she would provide guidance to the Board and would foster an atmosphere of collegiality, while at the same time really getting things done and getting the right things done and moving in the right direction. He stated that he didn't prepare any statements either, and really intended to when the time came, and of course the time came, and he didn't. He echoed Trustee Arest’s sentiment that this is not goodbye and it’s not really the end of anything. He stated that he is sure it is really just a transition to the next phase, and for better or worse, expectations for her future service remain sky high. He stated that she has never let the Board down and that he is really just looking forward to continuing to be active in this community with her, learning from her and to seeing all the good that she continues to do. Trustee Waldman stated that she echoed what everyone has said before her and added that she is sorry that this is their last meeting together, and that she will definitely be missed. She thanked her personally for her guidance and support when she joined the Board. She stated that she knows that they will work together again in the future in some capacity and wished her good luck. ******** Manager’s Comments Village Manager Pappalardo thanked Trustee Veron for her years of service to the Village. He stated that as the rest of her colleagues have said, he is sure this is temporary and that we will see her down the road. Village Manager Pappalardo stated that he has a couple of items this evening, the first one being the School tax bill that was issued. He stated that due to a software issue in the school tax bill file printing system, the first installment of the School tax bills issued last week misstated certain tax information, specifically the property tax assessment information in the body of the bill. This information was incorrect and the IT Director, Christopher O’Brien, indicated this on the screen during the virtual meeting. That number is wrong and the number below it is also incorrect. However, the amounts identified on the two pink payment coupons for the first and second installments are correct. There is a coupon for the both tax installment payments, with the bill amount, the first payment being due by September 30th, and the second one being due on January 31, 2021. When you add these two payments together, this is the total tax bill for the property. He stated that homeowners should pay the amount identified in the first coupon installment. The subtitles of the tax amounts in the pink spaces at the top of the bill represent the first payment, and on the bottom represent the second payment, which makes up the entire tax bill. Village Manager Pappalardo stated that the Village issued a press release on September 1st regarding the tax bills and have responded to and assisted to hundreds of taxpayers to clarify and confirm the correct tax bill amounts. In consultation with the Village Attorney and out of an abundance of caution, the Village plans on reissuing Village Board of Trustees Meeting 09/08/2020 416 corrected tax bill statements to each property owner at the end of this week. This is currently scheduled to occur this Thursday, September 10 th. These statements will be mailed to all property owners, regardless of whether the taxes for that property have already been paid. Those homeowners who already paid their tax bill should retain the revised and corrected statement for their records. A letter will accompany the corrected bills, advising the taxpayers to use the previously provided payment coupons, as previously mentioned. The due dates remain unchanged. Staff, including himself, is scheduled to meet with the software vendor this week to obtain further information on what went wrong and to correct and improve as needed. Village Manager Pappalardo thanked all resident homeowners for their patience and understanding and apologized for any confusion or inconvenience this may have caused for anyone. He stated that the residents have been very understanding of the issue, the staff will make sure that there is not a repeat of this in the future. Village Manager Pappalardo stated that the second item he wanted to talk about today is that since the onset of COVID-19, the myriad of home collections and services at the recycling center are varied, and he thought it would be a good idea to provide the community with an update as to what the current statuses are of all the sanitation services that the Village provides. There have been some phone calls received that lend to a sense that there is some confusion in the community in this regard. Village Manager Pappalardo stated that apart from the COVID-19 protocols for visitors to the recycling center, the majority of sanitation services have returned to normal schedules and operations. It should also be noted, and he stated that this is important, that the special procedures for storm related debris from Tropical Storm Isaiah concluded on August 25th. He noted that the Village was allowing all yard waste to be brought directly to the recycling center and dumped for free by residents or their contractors. This is no longer permitted; this ended on August 25th. All of the normal organic waste rules and procedures are now back in effect; those that are in the Village Code. Village Manager reported on the status of the major sanitation and recycling services. He stated that bulk trash collection is done either on Thursday or Friday, and it is always the second garbage collection day of the week. The standard curbside schedule rules and services are currently in place. Commingled and paper recycling standard curbside schedule rules and services are in place; commingled and papers are every other week on Wednesday. On non-holiday weeks, Food Scrap Recycling is a weekly service, which is provided on the first collection day, either Monday or Tuesday, depending on where you live. For non- holiday weeks for residents wishing to drop off food scraps in person, the recycling center drop off site is open Monday through Saturday, 8am to 3pm. Residents should be sure to wear a face a covering and practice social distancing if they visit the recycling center, which is very important during these times. Additionally, the Village has instituted online ordering and contactless pickup of compostable bags and food scrap bins for the Food Scrap Recycling program, which is also a great addition. The furniture donation container at the recycling center unfortunately remains closed. The vendor is not picking anything up at this point. When the vendor is back in operation, the Village will be able to offer that service. Village Board of Trustees Meeting 09/08/2020 417 Village Manager Pappalardo continued, stating that the mobile shredder is something that is done periodically during the year by Westchester County; they have a shredder that they loan to municipalities. The Village has always gotten theirs on a Saturday, and he stated that this past Saturday and although participation has always been very popular with the shredder, it has never been greater than what was out there on Saturday. The lines just to enter the recycling center were backed up and they had to get a Police Officer out there to direct traffic. The Village may need to speak to the County about providing that shredder more frequently for Scarsdale. Village Manager Pappalardo continued, stating that yard waste is a weekly collection on the second garbage collection day of the week, with standard curbside schedule rules and services. It is important that yard waste be properly tied in bundle branches less than five feet long and three inches in diameter. Paper bags should not weigh more than 50 pounds that contain grass clippings leaves and other garden materials. Importantly, as we approach the fall we get ready for our leaf collection program. He stated that it is too early to leave loose leaves at the curb. That will happen in mid- October in accordance with the Village’s program and there will be some further information to follow on the leaf collection program for 2020. Village Manager Pappalardo again stressed that with COVID-19 protocols for in person visitors to the recycling center, for the safety of Village staff and residents, face coverings are mandatory when visiting village facilities, including the recycling center. If anyone needs to enter the sanitation office down at 1 Secor Road, photo identification is required and you'll have to submit to a COVID-19 health screening prior to entry, similar to what is done at Village Hall. Lastly, Mr. Pappalardo noted that the Village of Scarsdale strives to ensure access to its programs including sanitation and compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act. Any resident requiring an ADA accommodation should contact the Department of Public Works at 722-1150 or the Sanitation office at 722-1294. Mayor Samwick thanked Village Manager Pappalardo for his reported and he stated that DPW doesn’t always get the spotlight and recognition for the really outstanding work that they do. What the Village Manager just described is a very clear indication of how professional, how flexible, how adaptable, and how resident focused the DPW is., and so he just wants to make sure people are aware of it and to give a thank you to Jeff Coleman and throughout his organization, they really do an outstanding job on behalf of residents every day. ******** Public Comment Mayor Samwick opened the public comment portion of the meeting, noting that five minutes is allocated for each speaker. Shortly before the five minutes are up, Assistant Village Manager Ingrid Richards will hold up a time clock showing the final time elapsing. He noted that there is a second public comment section of meeting later on. Village Board of Trustees Meeting 09/08/2020 418 Dara Gruenberg, 24 Hampton Road, thanked Trustee Veron for her incredible service to the community. She stated that she is an exceptional Trustee and set the bar high for everyone who follows in her footsteps. She stated that she loved working with her on the Ad Hoc Communications Committee and will hopefully continue to carry the mantle of improving Village communications as it is always a work in progress. Trustee Veron had the foresight to start tackling this issue, which is an enormous undertaking, to modernize and create clear and efficient Village communication. She noted that it was also a pleasure working with her in her own capacity as President of the Friends of the Library. Trustee Veron has been a champion of the library since and she can't wait to celebrate with her when the library reopens, which will be very shortly. Robert Berg, 17 Black Birch Lane, thanked Trustee Veron for her service. Speaking in his capacity as a member of the Board of Assessment Review, he wanted just to briefly recap their work over the summer. First, he stated that they had a very, very positive interaction with Victoria Sirota, the new Assessor. The Town Board of Assessment Review is an independent board, but her office provides them with all the support for their work and Victoria is a real breath of fresh air and it is terrific working with her. He stated that he knows from residents who dealt with her that they really appreciated her reaching out to the community before grievance day, inviting them to come in and discuss their assessments before they file their grievances with the Town. She's really very user friendly. She's got a terrific attitude and they are really delighted on the Board of Assessment Review just to interact with her. She fights for the Village very hard and really knows her stuff. Yet she deals with the public in a very effective way which is just great. It's really what we needed and what we've been lacking for so long. It's a very difficult and challenging job. We needed someone who can deal with the public in a very friendly open manner. He stated that he had a neighbor who actually withdrew his grievance after speaking with Victoria because she explained how she got to the valuation, or why the evaluation is fair. And he said, yeah, I guess you're right, and that he wasn’t going to grieve. And that's the kind of Employee we really want to have on the Staff; someone who can deal well with our residents and yet does her job effectively. He and his fellow Board members are thrilled with the new Assessor. Mr. Berg stated that the Town Board of Assessment Review dealt with 492 grievances; 15 were withdrawn, so there were 477 actual grievances. The Board granted 24.3% of the grievances filed. He stated that many of the pro se grievances where people did not use a tax representative, and where people actually got an appraisal, the Board bent over backwards to consider their grievances and in many instances, those people were successful. People who followed their requests to do it on their own. He stated that you don’t need a property tax rep to do this and they submitted an appraisal with evidence or proof of recent sales; they were successful. Mr. Berg stated that the Board worked until the very end on August 31 st. It was a good team effort. They worked one or two nights though out the summer. Mayra Kirkendall-Rodriguez, Fox Meadow Road, thanked Trustee Veron for her service, noting that it is a lot of hard work and that she has dedicated many hours to Scarsdale. She stated that a few months ago she wrote a personal note to her, thanking her Village Board of Trustees Meeting 09/08/2020 419 for her speech on racism in America and for her efforts, together with Mayor Samwick, to create an Ad Hoc Council to combat racism and bias in Scarsdale. Ms. Kirkendall-Rodriguez stated that at the Board of Trustees meeting on the 14th of July, she presented a number of questions about the ad hoc committee in terms of its design, objectives, and transparency. She requested an update as to what the objectives of this committee are. For instance, how has it been able to include more residents? She stated that she knows that unfortunately there was not a public call for volunteers. But now, if there are still people who are interested in joining, how does that work? Ms. Kirkendall-Rodriguez stated that during her career and here in Scarsdale, she volunteered in numerous gender diversity, multicultural, and inclusion organizations and committees, so based on that experience she posed a number of questions for which answers would still be appreciated greatly. She stated that she would like to know what the specifics are of the committee, what the objectives are. By mid-July, the committee had already met three times. She stated that it would be good to know if they've met more, and asked if any of these meetings are ever going to be public. She stated that she understood that there will be some meetings where a number of sensitive topics will be covered, but it would be good to get a lot of transparency out of this group. Ms. Kirkendall-Rodriguez noted that there were a lot of challenges with the way that the School Restart Committee was designed. When there was a rumor that was leaked, which later turned out to be true, it caused an incredible amount of unnecessary angst by quite a number of the parents. She urged the committee to discuss openly what's going on in this ad hoc committee that the Board has created. She stated that her second point is that, as she mentioned the last time, she’s grateful that the Board has created this committee, but it's important to really take a good serious look at all of the organizations and committees, such as the Citizens Nominating Committee, the Village Boards and Councils, the Library Board, etc., because these are not diverse in some cases; some of these committees are completely Caucasian. Therefore, while it's a good idea to create this ad hoc committee, that’s really not going to solve the issues of bias because all these other committees are very, very homogeneous. Mayor Samwick stated with respect to the Council to Combat Bias and Racism in Scarsdale, it is something that has begun its work in terms of not only meeting but listening. There was a listening session a few weeks ago with a couple of either current or former high school students coming to speak about their experiences. Mayor Samwick stated that this is important. And in terms of transparency, there will be transparency. But as this current government has alluded to, some of these conversations are sensitive, and it's very important to make sure that people feel that they are free to openly discuss what they think is important for the community to hear. There will be a lot of opportunity for community engagement. Without active community engagement, the Council will not be able to do its work in a in an effective way. Please stay tuned; there is more to come. Robert Harrison, 65 Fox Meadow Road, seconded the remarks on Jane Veron that were made by previous speakers. He complimented her on her great time on the Board and Village Board of Trustees Meeting 09/08/2020 420 all the issues that she has been involved in. He stated that the tent downtown is very successful and is helping the merchants during a very difficult period. He stated that he hoped that they will survive through the residents continuing to patronize their businesses. Mr. Harrison then spoke about the recent School tax bill and expressed his gratitude that the tax bill is now split into two payments. Mr. Harrison then spoke about his favorite subject, tennis, and stated that it was a very active Labor Day weekend on the tennis courts all over the Village. He stated that he tried to play with his grandchildren and he could not find a court on Labor Day. All the courts were filled and they had pre-booked. He stated that he had just bought his grandchildren their permits. He stated that he would like it noted in the minutes that this afternoon, the total number of adult permits sold to date is 852, the total number of junior permits sold are 593, and the total number of senior permits sold are 86, bringing the total number tennis permits sold to 1,531, up from approximately 900 sold last year. Mr. Harrison stated that on page two of the Scarsdale Inquirer, one of the items under the Calendar section is the Scarsdale Open, a tennis tournament for boys and girls age 6 years old through 18 years old, to be held at the Scarsdale Middle School tennis courts. As of now there are not a lot of signups. There will be separate tournaments; one for beginner novice, one for intermediate, and one for advanced so the players will have a chance against similar competition. Everybody will receive participation trophies and winners will get championship trophies. Social distancing will be practiced and masks will be required to enter the courts. Players must have a valid Scarsdale tennis permit. Every player will play at least two matches. The tournament fee is $50.00 per player. He stated that anyone that is interested or has questions to call him, Bob Harrison volunteer director of the tournament and summer youth program for 35 years, at 914-725-0962 or on his cell phone, 914-646-4054, or his email proscars@aol.com. As there were no further comments offered by members of the public, Mayor Samwick closed the public comments portion of the meeting at this time. He reminded everyone that there is another public comment section towards the end of the meeting. ******** Trustee Liaison Reports Trustee Waldman announced the Lunch and Learn program for seniors. She stated that this is a program that is conducted in collaboration with the Scarsdale Edgemont Family Counseling Services, the Aging in Place Initiative and the Scarsdale Business Alliance. This program will take place every Monday from 1:00 P.M. to 2:00 P.M. in the food tent in Scarsdale Village, and it will begin this Monday, September 14 th, and run every Monday until October 26th. The calendar of guests for the program will be published in the Scarsdale Inquirer and on Scarsdale 10583. If anyone would like more information, they can visit www.sfcsinc.org or contact Mary Ellen Sanger at 914-723-3281. This program for seniors will be educational, as well as safe and socially distanced. Trustee Waldman encouraged people to attend. Village Board of Trustees Meeting 09/08/2020 421 ******** Trustee Veron stated that to segue from Trustee Waldman’s report, she wanted to acknowledge the significant collaborative spirit that took place. She stated that Trustee Crandall introduced the concept from her work with Scarsdale Edgemont Family Counseling Service, and Trustee Arest and herself working with the SBA and Trustee Waldman working with the older adults – everyone pulled together to offer this great program. Trustee Veron stated that her first update is about the Scarsdale Business community. “The Dine the ‘Dale tent as well as our more liberal use of sidewalk space have kept our Village buzzing this summer. Our residents have liked the transformed Village Center so much that many have contacted us to express their appreciation. The Special Committee on Scarsdale Reopening wants to seize upon the positivity. We tried something and it worked better than we could have imagined. As the colder weather approaches we have decided to explore ways to continue to use outdoor space. Village staff has been working behind the scenes with their legal, engineering and public safety colleagues to iron out the details. At our next Village Board meeting, the Village Board will announce a public hearing to discuss proposed code changes to extend the time for merchants to take advantage of outdoor space to sell wares and to host sidewalk cafes. We’re hoping that Mother Nature cooperates so that we can enjoy outdoor patronage through year end.” Trustee Veron next reported on updates regarding the Library: “I am excited to report that there’s been lots of activity at 54 Olmsted, the site of our newly renovated and expanded library. Furniture and shelving are being delivered, and movers are also bringing books back from storage. In addition, the Library currently has an RFP out for vendors to run the cafe at the Library. And while we wait for our new space, please know that Contactless pickup of books is continuing at the Loft with patrons making reservations for pickup. Additionally, librarians are available for book recommendations for patrons of all ages. Complete the form on the Library website and they will email you back suggestions. Fun online programs, book clubs and activities for children and adults are continuing this fall. Some require registration so please check the Library website. The Library has a YouTube channel and the librarians have recorded story times for children on the site. ******** Trustee Arest Upon motion entered by Trustee Arest, and seconded by Trustee Crandall, the following resolution regarding Acknowledgement of the Justice Court Audit for Fiscal Year Ending May 31, 2020 was approved by a unanimous vote: Village Board of Trustees Meeting 09/08/2020 422 RESOLVED, that the Village Board herein acknowledges completion and receipt of the independent audited financial statements for the Scarsdale Village Court accounts for the year ending 5/31/20, consistent with Section 219-a of the Uniformed Justice Court Act. ******** Trustee Lewis Trustee Lewis stated that the following resolution is to call for a public hearing on the number of taxicabs to be licensed in 2021. He stated that he wanted to call everyone's attention to the memo dated September 2, 2020 by Village Clerk Conkling, which includes a very important, invaluable analysis. The memo speaks to not just the history of the number of taxicabs that the Board has issued and authorized, but also the trends in Metro North ridership, and the detail which supports the recommendation. It's worth noting, because it's useful information as we think through the different scenarios that we're working on. Trustee Lewis stated that Ms. Conkling points out that ridership has fallen precipitously since mid-2020 on Metro North. To that point, Metro North reports that both inbound and outbound boarding’s have dropped 95% in April and May. The months of June and July indicated a small improvement with an average drop in ridership of 82 86%. While there's been some modest further improvement in August, the ridership remains down approximately 79 - 82%. Trustee Lewis stated that while there may be arguments to be made for varying amounts of taxicab licenses, at the end of the day, the process for changing the number of taxicabs to be licensed would be sufficiently onerous since it is rather straightforward to continue with the levels recommended from the past, and so therefore that's the recommendation. The other important detail that's in here just for people to know that you know our taxis are inspected by our Scarsdale Police Department; these inspections are for public safety and it is an important process that the Village has in place. Upon motion entered by Trustee Lewis, and seconded by Trustee Crandall, the following resolution regarding Calling for a Public Hearing on the Number of Taxicabs to be Licensed in 2021 was approved by the vote indicated below: RESOLVED, that a Public Hearing is hereby called by the Board of Trustees of the Village of Scarsdale to be held at 7:00 PM via Zoom video conferencing on Tuesday, September 22, 2020, to determine the number of 2021 taxicab licenses available for issuance in Scarsdale pursuant to Section 272-3 of the Village Code. Members of the public wishing to participate in the meeting may do so online at https://zoom.us/j/93183703358, or by calling 1-929-436-2866 and entering Meeting ID 931 8370 3358; and be it further RESOLVED, that the Village Clerk is directed to advertise said Public Hearing. Village Board of Trustees Meeting 09/08/2020 423 AYES NAYS ABSENT Trustee Arest None None Trustee Crandall Trustee Lewis Trustee Ross Trustee Veron Trustee Waldman Mayor Samwick ******** Trustee Ross Upon motion entered by Trustee Ross, and seconded by Trustee Veron, the following resolution regarding Acceptance of a Gift from the United States First Responders Association for the Scarsdale Fire Department was approved by a unanimous vote: WHEREAS, in recognition of the Scarsdale Fire Department’s provision of essential public safety services in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the United States First Responders Association, a 501(c)(3) with an educational and social networking purpose, has partnered with Mast- Jägermeister of White Plains, NY, to make an unrestricted $5,000 gift to the Department; and WHEREAS, pursuant to Policy #106 of the Village of Scarsdale Administrative Policies and Procedures Manual entitled, “Gifts to the Village of Scarsdale,” acceptance of any gift valued at $500 or more must be approved by the Village Board of Trustees; now, therefore, be it RESOLVED, that the Village Board of Trustees hereby accepts the gift of $5,000 from the United States First Responders Association; and be it further RESOLVED, that the $5,000 gift be deposited into Fire Department Gift Account #TE 93-09; and be it further RESOLVED, that the Village Board of Trustees hereby extends its thanks and appreciation to the members of the United States First Responders Association for their generosity. ******** Written Communications Village Clerk Conkling reported that no written communications have been received since the last regular Board of Trustees meeting. ******** Village Board of Trustees Meeting 09/08/2020 424 There being no further business to come before the Board, the meeting was adjourned at 7:53 P.M. on a motion entered by Trustee Ross, seconded by Trustee Veron, and carried by a unanimous vote. Respectfully submitted, Donna M. Conkling Village Clerk