Board of Trustees

Village of Scarsdale Jane E. Veron, Mayor Robert Cole Village Manager Sameer Ahuja Justin K. Arest Office of the Village Manager Karen L. Brew Scarsdale, New York 10583 Lena Crandall 914-722-1110 Jonathan Lewis Fax: 914-722-1119 Randall B. Whitestone www.scarsdale.com February 22, 2022 Village Board Meeting – 8:30 AM – Rutherford Hall and via Zoom The Village Board will meet in Rutherford Hall at 8:30 AM to conduct the Village Board meeting. All interested members of the public have the option to attend in-person or virtually through Zoom. To participate via Zoom, attend online at https://zoom.us/j/93183703358, or call into the meeting by dialing 1-929-436-2866 and entering the Meeting ID 931 8370 3358. To participate in public comment online, click “Raise Hand,” or dial 9 if commenting by telephone. For a brief tutorial or to troubleshoot a problem, see here: https://support.zoom.us/hc/en-us/articles/205566129-Raise-Hand-In- Webinar. For other user questions, please visit the Zoom Help Center: https://support.zoom.us/hc/en-us. Roll Call ______________________ Minutes ➢ Village Board Meeting of February 8, 2022 ______________________ Bills ➢ Trustee Crandall ______________________ Future Meeting Schedule Thursday, February 24, 2022 ➢ 5:00 PM – Village Manager and Treasurer to Present Preliminary Budget to Village Organizations and Others ______________________ Tuesday, March 1, 2022 ➢ 6:00 PM Village Board Work Session ______________________ Thursday, March 3, 2022 ➢ 5:00 PM Village Board Work Session - Budget ______________________ Tuesday, March 8, 2022 ➢ 6:00 PM– Village Board Work Session ______________________ ➢ 8:00 PM – Village Board Regular Meeting ______________________ Village Board of Trustees Meeting 02/08/2022 77 THREE THOUSAND THREE HUNDRED NINETY-SECOND REGULAR MEETING Video Conference Via Zoom February 8, 2022 A Regular Meeting of the Board of Trustees of the Village of Scarsdale was held on Tuesday, February 8, 2022, via video conference (Zoom) at 8:07 p.m. Present were Mayor Veron, Deputy Mayor Arest and Trustees Ahuja, Brew, Crandall, Lewis, and Whitestone. Also present were Village Manager Cole, Deputy Village Manager Marshall, Assistant Village Manager Richards, Village Attorney Pozin, Village Treasurer Scaglione, and Assistant to the Village Manager Katzin. ******** A motion was entered by Trustee Crandall and seconded by Trustee Whitestone to amend the agenda this evening to add the appointment of a new Fire chief. The vote was carried unanimously. ******** Minutes The minutes of the Board of Trustees Regular Meeting of Tuesday, January 25, 2022, were approved on a motion entered by Trustee Crandall, seconded by Trustee Brew, and carried unanimously. ******** Bills & Payroll Trustee Brew reported that she had examined the payment of bills made in advance of a Board of Trustees audit totaling $2,102,442.37 which were found to be in order, and she moved that such payments be ratified. Upon motion duly made by Trustee Brew and seconded by Trustee Crandall, the following resolution was adopted unanimously: RESOLVED, that payment of claims made in advance of a Board of Trustees audit totaling $2,102,442.37 is hereby ratified. ******** Village Board of Trustees Meeting 02/08/2022 78 Mayor’s Comments Mayor Veron stated, “Hello Scarsdale. Before I get started on Village updates, on behalf of the Board I want to extend a very Happy Lunar New Year to our Chinese community. It is the Year of the Tiger, and we wish you luck, love and health. We are deeply engrossed in the budget process and thank you for your interest and engagement. Our goal is to afford a more comprehensive, transparent and forward-looking process, and we hope that you have appreciated the changes we are making. As I have mentioned before, we view this year as a bridge from past practices to new processes. It takes time to transition, and I appreciate the community’s willingness to iterate with us as we head toward a best-in-class approach. Thank you also to Department Heads for taking this leap with us. We challenged you to propose budgets in line with the goals and objectives of your departments and the community at large. Our strategic and financial planning framework calls for hyper focus on the four pillars of government: Quality of Life, Infrastructure, Municipal Services and Sustainability, Public Safety and Land Use and Economic Development. We are also taking great care in our role as fiscal stewards, understanding the community’s desire for prudence and care. Although we have asked staff to draft what we call an Aspirational Budget, the Village Board recognizes that there is a limit to how much change can be absorbed in any given year. We have a duty to our taxpayers to exercise sound fiscal judgement. Earlier this evening, we continued the department head presentations. To increase transparency, we conducted the department head presentations over the course of several days toward the end of the workday and recorded the meetings so that the public could more easily participate. Now that we’ve had full presentations, we will invite back subsets where we need more information and conversation. On February 16 we expect to continue the water rates discussion with Woodard & Curran, will review the leaf vacuuming program analysis, and will reengage on the fund balance policy discussion. We also anticipate a deeper dive into funding recommendations for both capex and operating. The expectation is to also present the second pass budget review. Tonight, we also continued essential policy discussions that will inform how the Board makes budget decisions. Our ever-responsive Village Treasurer provided data to advance our conversations on fund balance. She also delivered fully loaded personnel costs so that all of us can understand the true costs. Despite the intense budget work, we continue to press forward with Village priorities. As you know, this Board kicked off the Village Center Mobility and Placemaking Study with Complete Streets, and we are entertaining the resolution to hire the firm who emerged as the clear leader in advancing this work. We have a strong desire to rethink how we convene in public space and peacefully coexist with motorists, bicyclists and pedestrians. We will also advance a Quality-of-Life initiative to prohibit roosters and peafowl. In a Village Board of Trustees Meeting 02/08/2022 79 densely populated Village like ours, we need to be respectful of noise concerns as we live in such close proximity. As your representatives, the Village Board deliberates policy to make Scarsdale the best place to live. But it is really the Village staff who delivers on that promise. I had the pleasure of spending a bit of lunch at the Central Garage and got to thank our staff for putting themselves out there to make sure our Village runs smoothly, even when Mother Nature wreaks havoc. They are the ones who worked through the night to plow and deice our roads. They, along with our extraordinary police, fire and ambulance corps, deserve our appreciation, keeping us safe and sound.” ******** Village Manager’s Comments Village Manager Cole stated that he didn’t have anything to add this evening in terms of Manager’s comments, as the Mayor’s comments covered everything that he was contemplating, including acknowledging the work of the Village’s Department of Public Works for their response to the recent ice and snow events. He stated that they did a wonderful job. He noted that they enjoyed some donuts that someone was kind enough to bring on her visit to DPW and expressed his thanks. Mayor Veron thanked Village Manager for his leadership, noting that it is a very exciting moment for the Board, and they really enjoy having these kinds of visionary conversations. ******** Public Comment Mayor Veron opened the public comment portion of the meeting at this time. Robert Harrison, 65 Fox Meadow Road, stated that he has strong opinions on budgeting and tax rates and the use of fund balance he apologized for being a little heated in the earlier meeting. He thanked the Board for allowing him to express his feelings. Mr. Harrison thanked Trustee Lewis for his presentation in the earlier meeting. He stated that Jonathan is a professional and has worked on Wall Street and understands the bond market and interest rates. He stated that he felt Trustee Lewis did an excellent job of explaining to the rest of the Board that they shouldn’t make a major move with fund balance. Mr. Harrison stated that he would like to meet with Village Treasurer Scaglione, stating that he had met with the previous Village Treasurer and went through all the auditors’ reports over the last 10 to 20 years. He said that he wanted to take a look at these Village Board of Trustees Meeting 02/08/2022 80 again and wants to look at the fund balance over those years. Any tax rate increase should be as low as possible; due to the pandemic, many people have lost their jobs or have different jobs and are earning less. Some have sadly, contracted COVID and it has been devastating for many families. Mr. Harrison noted that he looked forward to hearing what Deputy Mayor Arest’s thoughts are on the budget. Mr. Harrison asked Village Manager Cole about the consultant’s report regarding the Pool Complex. He stated that he has asked for this several times and he hasn’t seen it. As Chair of the Scarsdale Taxpayer Alert, he wants to do everything he can to see that the residents get good value for their tax dollars, and he looks forward to further discussions. Mayor Veron thanked Mr. Harrison for his comments and stated that the Village Manager has been very forthcoming in wanting to share the information regarding the Pool Complex. The Board will be studying this report alongside the community. The Board’s goal is to be as transparent as possible, so when they are talking about fund balance, they are really talking about what is going to be categorized as unassigned fund balance and what that level should be. Historically, there have been dollars sitting in lines that have been assigned, but have effectively acted as fund balance for them, so they really just want the number that they have as their target to reflect what is available to serve as a cushion. If Mr. Harrison would like, the Board can go into a lot more detail if he chooses to join them at their next meeting. Deputy Mayor Arest added that there was another comment regarding the American Rescue Plan monies and where it is being allocated. He stated that all of the Board’s meetings are recorded and available on the Village’s website, and he encouraged those interested to view these meetings. He further noted that staff has made recommendations for every dollar, and the Board is looking at that now. This can be reevaluated and be discussed further. John Schwarz, 2 Norma Place, stated that in the earlier meeting, Trustee Whitestone had commented that in order to make a proper decision on the fund balance, you really need to see what the assigned numbers in order to make sure you know what the full picture is. It is a very important element, before any decision is made, to get the numbers in front of you, and then you'll make the right decision. He also stated that there was a lot of discussion about the triple A rating, and we've had it for forever, and that's a very good thing. However, he stated that he can recall that during his own work experience, where he spoke with a corporate treasurer who had just been downgraded by the rating agencies, the treasurer said that this was a good thing because now he could go out and borrow more money. He stated that it might behoove the Village Treasurer to take a look. He stressed that he is not advocating that the Village tries to get downgraded, but if they were to get downgraded, what is the incremental cost of borrowing in today's interest rate environment, and if you need to lower the fund balance to a point where the rating agencies criticize you. He stated that he thought this is something the Board should keep in mind. Village Board of Trustees Meeting 02/08/2022 81 Mr. Schwarz continued, stating that he has been acting in trying to work on flooding situations, noting that his son lives in Pelham, and they've had some terrible times with this. They are trying to do something about it in terms of fixing up streets that become inundated after just moderate rainstorms. He stated that money is available from Washington and through New York State if Scarsdale is so inclined to move ahead with any projects designed to ameliorate some of the flooding issues. Now might be a really good time to try to move ahead. He stated that he has spoken to a representative of Senator Schumer’s office, and they informed him how they can get the Army Corps of Engineers in to evaluate any issues, which then leads to a funding opportunity. Typically, these situations are 65% funded by the Federal Government and 35% by the State, County, or the municipality. Mayor Veron thanked Mr Schwartz for sharing his important points with the Board. She stated that she anticipates that they will be looking at the assigned fund balance lines at their February 16th meeting. She encouraged him to join them at this meeting to discuss this further. She thanked him for the information on grant opportunities because they will pursue everything. She also stated that in terms of the triple A rating, this is something that the Board has discussed as well and thanked him for his suggestions. Ken Mazer, 47 Church Lane, stated that when he was listening about the discussion at the Board’s earlier meeting regarding the unassigned fund balance and where it should go, and the range went from 12% to 21%, he asked if the Board could talk about percentages and converting that into dollars. What was the low range to the high range in terms of dollars? Mayor Veron asked the Village Treasurer to address this question; Village Treasurer Scaglione stated that she could prepare this information with the dollar amounts for the next meeting. Deputy Mayor Arest stated that the Village’s budget is roughly $60 million, so if you want to use today's dollars and just apply those percentages, that might be helpful. They have tried not to grow the budget by more than 3-5% per year, so it is most likely a safe bet to go back to $50 million towards the beginning of that range. Jordan Copeland, 45 Woods Lane, invited the Board and the community to visit the Scarsdale Library for view an exhibit on Black history. The exhibit just opened today and there is a lot of interesting information on slavery in the black settlement on Saxon Woods Road and the underground railroad, as well as Martin Luther King's visits to Scarsdale. Mr. Copeland stated that the has been immersed in this topic for a few years now and he stated that he is having a hard time with something in that it's becoming increasingly difficult for him to reconcile the generous good-hearted people that make up Scarsdale with the fact that black people still comprise only about 1% of our population and that's in a County that's 14% black. Scarsdale is very close to the bottom, and the black representation tempers his pride in Scarsdale. He stated that with a few exceptions, black people have been Village Board of Trustees Meeting 02/08/2022 82 mostly excluded from benefiting from this wonderful village and he is speaking this evening in the hopes of just keeping this on the front burner. For the past hundred years, Scarsdale has been an overwhelming success story in all aspects of quality of life, particularly in facilitating a high level of student achievement. Mr. Copeland continued, stating that originally, the benefits of living in Scarsdale largely went to white Protestants, then later, Catholics and particularly Jews, who found a haven in Scarsdale and so much success. More recently Scarsdale has become a home for people of Asian descent and now make up 15% of our population. Black people, however, have largely been excluded from this success story. During our early years as a suburb, they were legally excluded from buying homes, and while there were efforts in later years to entice black people to come to Scarsdale, he stated that he would describe this as more of a laissez faire approach - if you can afford to, and you want to, sure you can live here. He stated that many can't afford to live here, but there are things that we can do. As a start, he suggested that racial justice with respect to black people be included in the top tier of policy considerations when it comes up, and how can we make our community more attractive to those who are presently so underrepresented here. Mr. Copeland stated that secondly, at some point, they will have to recognize that Scarsdale has some strict land use restrictions, and the lack of affordable housing has a disproportionate impact on black people because of where they sit in our economy. It’s going to become more and more imperative to start strategizing about how we can share the benefits of living in Scarsdale with a greater variety of people without changing the Village’s essential character. Mayor Veron thanked Mr. Copeland for his comments and noted that he does a tremendous service to the community. She stated that they want to be a community that welcomes all people, and they value diversity. You have to be very focused in outreach and making it a welcoming place for all and, specifically, of course, the systemic racism that has prevented black people from generational transfer generational wealth and being able to participate economically has been something that has hindered people's ability to move into places which are quite expensive. She stated that Mr. Copeland makes important points. This Board is very interested in diversity of thought and people and values. There being no further public comments offered, Mayor Veron closed the public comment portion of the meeting at this time. ******** Liaison Reports Trustee Crandall stated that for those who are looking for something to do on Valentine's Day, there is going to be a vital aging series presentation via zoom by Michelle Sterling and Ron Schulhof on zero waste tips. This will be held on Monday, February 14, 2022, from 11:00 a.m. to 12 Noon. They will offer simple, easy tips to achieve better Village Board of Trustees Meeting 02/08/2022 83 sustainability and declutter with zero waste. Advanced registration is required by contacting the Scarsdale Library reference desk at 914-722-1300, or you may sign up on the library's website. Once registered, a zoom link will be sent to you an hour before the event. This is free of charge, and once again it's thanks to the hard work of the Aging in Place Coordinator Mary Ellen Sanger. Mary Ellen can be reached at 914-723-3281. Trustee Crandall thanked Michelle Sterling and Ron Schulhof for once again helping us to reduce our waste. ******** Trustee Crandall Upon motion entered by Trustee Crandall, and seconded by Trustee Arest, the following resolution regarding the Appointment of the Fire Chief was approved by the vote indicated below: WHEREAS, Chief James Seymour stepped down from the Scarsdale Fire Department on December 31, 2021, after nearly seventeen years of service, including five years as Fire Chief; and WHEREAS, to assist in the selection of Chief Seymour’s successor, a panel consisting of Village Board members, senior Village staff, and emergency services professionals was assembled to interview and evaluate qualified candidates, one of whom was Scarsdale Fire Captain Christopher Mytych; and WHEREAS, Captain Mytych has over thirteen years of distinguished service to the Scarsdale community as a member of the Scarsdale Fire Department, four of which he has been Captain, fulfilling roles as both the Training Officer and Relief Officer; and WHEREAS, Captain Mytych’s experience as an emergency communications operator, fire safety director, and volunteer firefighter, have demonstrated his commitment to public service while at the same time contributing to uncommon richness in the depth and breadth of his professional experience; WHEREAS, in recognition of Captain Mytych’s commitment to excellence in public service and his dedication to the Scarsdale community, his courteous and professional demeanor, robust firematics knowledge, analytical capacity, and demonstrated leadership ability, the Interview Panel recommends appointment of Captain Christopher Mytych to the position of Fire Chief; now, therefore, be it Village Board of Trustees Meeting 02/08/2022 84 RESOLVED, that pursuant to §4-400(1)(c)(i) of the New York State Village Law and §A318-4(A) of the Scarsdale Village Code, Captain Christopher Mytych is hereby appointed to the position of Fire Chief for the Village of Scarsdale commencing on February 8, 2022, with compensation and benefits to be provided in accordance with the attached probationary appointment letter. AYES NAYS ABSENT Trustee Ahuja None None Deputy Mayor Arest Trustee Brew Trustee Crandall Trustee Lewis Trustee Whitestone Mayor Veron ******** Before voting, Trustee Brew stated that through the interview process that she took part in, and anyone who was in the budget meeting earlier today would have noted, she was incredibly impressed with Captain Mytych. He is very thoughtful, deliberate, analytical, and wants to really push things and look at things to do what is already done well, even better, and she thinks that he is absolutely the right person to lead us into the future. She is very pleased with his appointment. Trustee Whitestone echoed Trustee Brew’s comments about Captain Mytych. He stated that he was impressed with his vision for the department and his analytical approach to building the department for the future. We have discussed ways we can improve the department, and ways we can have it managed, in line with our future facing approach to Scarsdale Village government. He stated that all residents in the community who haven't met him will enjoy meeting him and spending time with him. He will be a great ambassador, not just for the Fire Department, but for the community. He wholeheartedly supports this appointment. Trustee Lewis stated that a Fire Chief needs to be brave, a leader, an executive and hopefully, also a visionary, and it's quite hard to get all four. However, he has been impressed with the new chief. He has the ability to lead through the fine example that he sets and to take us into the future, as we think how we redefine what public safety means in the 21st century. As he has said in many meetings, he truly believes their most sacred duty is the sanctity of public life, preserving it and ensuring that everyone in this community, whether they live here at work here or visit, are safe and the Fire Chief has a critical role in helping us reconstruct and re-engineer what that means in 2022. Village Board of Trustees Meeting 02/08/2022 85 Deputy Mayor Arest: Thank you mayor, I just think this is a theme that we have been discussing and working on which is finding leaders who can help take our Village government forward, and he stated that they have been working on this for quite some time. The many faces on the screen, are examples of that. He stated that he thinks the captain is exactly in that mold, exactly what we need for right now, and he thinks they can all be optimistic that the Department will be in very good hands and all our safety will as well. He thanked the new Chief for his service going forward. Trustee Crandall agreed with her fellow Trustees and believed that the soon to be Chief Mytych will do a great job for Scarsdale. He is planning to have more outreach into the community, so she believes that many residents will have the opportunity to meet him. Trustee Ahuja also echoed his fellow Trustees’ comments. He stated that he didn’t know him well but have enjoyed the conversations. He stated that he believed that to be a great leader, you must have kindness and the captain seems like a very kind person. It’s amazing how far that will take you. He stated that he is excited to see all the amazing things that the new Fire Chief is going to do. Mayor Veron stated that she wished they could be there in person to have the new Fire Chief stand up in front of everybody so everybody can see him and really show their hearty congratulations to him, but they will be doing this now virtually by screen. She stated that they look forward to seeing him in person, when they are all in Village Hall. Mayor Veron stated that it has been a delight to get to know him; she stated that he presents with such analytical rigor and yet with such heart and humility and she feels honored that they get to play a part in having him advance to take the helm. She stated that she thinks Scarsdale’s Fire Department will be in good hands; he is a true team player and collaborator. She stated that she is very optimistic for Scarsdale’s future for Public Safety. She wished him a hearty congratulations. Fire Chief Mytych thanked the Mayor and Trustees, stating that he really does appreciate their comments. He thanked them and the Village Manager, as well as the members of the Selection Committee for interviewing him for the role of Fire Chief. He stated that this is a tremendous responsibility, and one that he hasn’t felt since the birth of his first daughter and that's because he is charged with being responsible for the safety of his members, and certainly the safety of the residents. He stated that he will do his best to ensure optimal service delivery, while exercising fiscal stewardship, and he looks forward to learning what the Board’s expectations are and certainly that of the residents with increased engagement. He stated that this is an honor and a privilege and thanked the Mayor and Trustees once again. Mayor Veron thanked Chief Mytych for his comments, stating that they appreciate his service, and asked that he please extend that to the entirety of the Fire Department. Village Board of Trustees Meeting 02/08/2022 86 ******** Deputy Mayor Arest Deputy Mayor Arest stated that he would like to compliment Superintendent of Parks and Recreation Brian Gray and his Assistant Superintendent, as well as the whole team. Assistant to the Village Manager Katzin also had some involvement in these fees and charges as well as the Village Treasurer. The level of analysis that the Board has received over the last five years has just been a curve heading upwards, and he thinks that even the conversations that they have had this year point to additional analysis and benchmarks and comparisons which are important and necessary for future boards to make decisions. Upon motion entered by Deputy Mayor Arest and seconded by Trustee Crandall, the following resolution Establishing Fiscal Year 2022-23 Recreation Fees and Charges was approved by the vote indicated below: WHEREAS, the Village annually reviews its Recreation Fees and Charges with input from the Advisory Council on Parks and Recreation and the Board of Trustees; and WHEREAS, the Village Board reviewed the proposed Fiscal Year 2022-23 Recreation Fees and Charges Schedule at their Work Sessions held on January 18, and January 25, 2022; and WHEREAS, the Village Board discussed and agreed to a 15% surcharge for Mamaroneck Strip residents and a 20% surcharge for non-residents for all Weinberg Nature Center programs after a 2-week Scarsdale resident only registration period; and WHEREAS, Fiscal Year 2022-23 fee increases are proposed for the following existing and new programs, as detailed in the staff memo dated February 1, 2022, attached hereto: • Tennis Permits • Tennis Lessons • Tennis Camp • Platform Tennis Permits • Day Camp • Sports Camp • Soccer Camp • Teen Travel Camp • Field Hockey Fall/Spring Clinics • Football 3rd -6th Grade Tackle • Football 7th & 8th Grade Tackle Village Board of Trustees Meeting 02/08/2022 87 • Grit Ninja • Softball League • WNC – Non-Resident Surcharge • WNC – August Nature Camp • WNC – Scarsdale and Non-Scarsdale Groups • WNC – Birthday Parties • WNC – August Nater Camp 1wk/2wk • WNC – Forest Pre School (Fall, Winter, Spring) • WNC – Late Registration • 5th Grade Pool Party • Pool Permits • Pool – Aqua Tots/Tiny Bobbers • Pool – Diving Clinic • Pool – Early Morning Swim • Pool – Learn to Swim Group Lessons • Pool – Private Lessons • Pool – Splash and Play Camp • Pool – Swim/Dive Team; and; now, therefore, be it RESOLVED, that the fees and charges for recreation programs identified in the Recreation Fees and Charges Schedule, dated January 27, 2022, attached hereto and made a part hereof, are herein adopted and shall remain in effect unless amended by Resolution of the Village Board of Trustees. AYES NAYS ABSENT Trustee Ahuja None None Deputy Mayor Arest Trustee Brew Trustee Crandall Trustee Lewis Trustee Whitestone Mayor Veron ******** In regard to the next resolution concerning the retention of a multidisciplinary transportation firm to complete a strategic mobility and placemaking plan, there is a very informative memorandum from Village Planner Cutler to the Village Manager. He read from parts of the back up documents accompanying the resolution. Deputy Mayor Arest noted that this item was discussed, and an update was given from both the Village Planner and the Village Manager at their last work session. He Village Board of Trustees Meeting 02/08/2022 88 thanked the staff involved and the representation of the Board for this special project. In addition, there was a staff review team that included the Village Planner and the Assistant Village Manager, the DPW Superintendent and the Assistant Superintendent, as well as Assistant to the Village Manager. He stated that everyone was very helpful and went above and beyond on this; it is not as simple as receiving six proposals and then deciding on one. There were multiple interviews to ensure that the money was being proposed for a scope of work that would satisfy the community that would be put to use to make a difference. He stated that this is a great opportunity for the Village Center and for whatever pilots and/or ideas that come out of this. Trustee Whitestone stated that he was in support of the rationale and thoughtful approach concerning this study. Upon motion entered by Trustee Arest and seconded by Trustee Crandall, the following resolution regarding Authorization to Retain a Multidisciplinary Transportation Firm to Complete a Strategic Mobility and Placemaking Plan was approved by the vote indicated below: WHEREAS, in April 2021, the Village Board prioritized a complete streets and strategic mobility and placemaking initiative for the Village Center as one of its priority Special Assignments, citing the desire to: enhance pedestrian and cyclist safety; explore complete streets strategies to improve traffic flow; increase accessibility for all users; activate public spaces and implement sustainable design practices; and WHEREAS, the Village of Scarsdale issued a Request for Proposals (RFP) to identify and engage a professional multidisciplinary transportation firm to complete a Strategic Mobility and Placemaking Plan to 1) improve mobility and sense of place in the Village Center and its primary arterials including Crane Road, Popham Road, and Fox Meadow Road, and 2) study and recommend traffic calming strategies to reduce the speed of vehicles, decrease traffic conflict and increase pedestrian safety on Sprague Road, these strategies will be applicable to similar roadways; and WHEREAS, the Village received six proposals on the due date, November 3, 2021; and WHEREAS, a review team consisting of the Village Planning Department, Department of Public Works, and the Village Manager’s Office, independently reviewed and evaluated each submittal based on the selection criteria outlined in the RFP, attached herein; and WHEREAS, the staff review team selected three finalist submissions, discussed their relative strengths with the Village Board’s Village Center Special Village Board of Trustees Meeting 02/08/2022 89 Assignment Working Group, and together held interviews with each candidate consultant team; and WHEREAS, following a thorough review process, staff recommends the selection of FHI Studio, 11 Hanover Square, New York, NY 10005, to complete the Village of Scarsdale Strategic Mobility and Placemaking Plan for a total project cost of $93,933.24; now, therefore, be it RESOLVED, that the Village Manager is hereby authorized to execute a professional services agreement in substantially the same form as attached hereto, with FHI Studio, 11 Hanover Square, New York, NY 10005, for professional services associated with the Strategic Mobility and Placemaking Plan; and be it further RESOLVED, that the total sum of $93,933.24 shall be funded through Capital Budget Account Traffic Safety Initiative: Village Center Transportation & Mobility (Study) H-3397-962-2022-123 in the amount of $89,008 and A-8020-ADMIN-ADMIN-400 499 in the amount of $4,925.24; and be it further RESOLVED, that the Village Treasurer is hereby authorized to make the following budget transfers to provide for sufficient funding of the project: From Amount To Amount H-3397-962 2018-062 - Capital Account Trff/Prkg Downtown Streetscape H-3397-962-2022- Materials $ 18,661.00 123 $ 18,661.00 H-3397-962 2019-064 - Capital Account Trff/Prkg Traffic Safety H-3397-962-2022- Investments $ 1,232.00 123 $ 1,232.00 H-3397-962 2020-061 - Capital Account Trff/Prkg Traffic Safety H-3397-962-2022- Enhancements $ 9,115.00 123 $ 9,115.00 RESOLVED, that the Village Manager is hereby authorized to take all necessary administrative acts associated with this Agreement. AYES NAYS ABSENT Trustee Ahuja None None Deputy Mayor Arest Trustee Brew Trustee Crandall Trustee Lewis Village Board of Trustees Meeting 02/08/2022 90 Trustee Whitestone Mayor Veron ******** Trustee Whitestone Upon motion entered by Trustee Whitestone and seconded by Trustee Crandall, the following resolution regarding Authorization to Conduct the Annual 15K/4M Road Races was approved by a unanimous vote: WHEREAS, for the past 52 years, the Village of Scarsdale Parks, Recreation, and Conservation Department has conducted the Annual 15K, 4-mile, and Kids Fun Run Road races on the same day in the Fox Meadow and Greenacres neighborhoods; and WHEREAS, this year’s race is proposed for Sunday, April 3, 2022, from approximately 9:00 AM to 12:30 PM, as per the attached road race application and accompanying course map; and WHEREAS, the Scarsdale Police Department and Village Manager recommend Village Board approval of the application, inclusive of COVID-19 mitigation measures and necessary staff support activities, such as implementing traffic control activities and measures, event management, and public notification of race day detours; now, therefore, be it RESOLVED, that the Scarsdale Village Board herein approves the Parks, Recreation, and Conservation Department application to conduct the 52nd Annual 15K and 4-mile road races on Sunday, April 3, 2022, in the Fox Meadow and Greenacres neighborhoods as described in the attached road race application and accompanying course map. ******** Upon motion entered by Trustee Whitestone and seconded by Trustee Crandall, the following resolution Calling for a Public Hearing to Amend Chapter 141 of the Scarsdale Village Code Entitled “Dogs and Other Animals” was approved by a unanimous vote: RESOLVED, that a Public Hearing is hereby scheduled by the Board of Trustees of the Village of Scarsdale at 8:00 PM on Tuesday, March 8, 2022, to be held at Rutherford Hall in Village Hall, 1001 Post Road, Scarsdale, New York, and via Zoom video conferencing service to consider a proposed local law to amend Chapter 141 of the Scarsdale Village Code entitled “Dogs and Other Animals” relative to prohibiting roosters and peafowl in the Village of Scarsdale; and be it further Village Board of Trustees Meeting 02/08/2022 91 RESOLVED, that members of the public wishing to present comments may do so in person or online during the public comment phase of the hearing by accessing the meeting at https://zoom.us/j/93183703358, or by calling in using 1-929-436-2866 and entering the Meeting ID, 93 8370 3358; and be it further RESOLVED, that the Village Clerk is hereby directed to publish notice of said hearing pursuant to Village Law. ******** Written Communications Assistant to the Village Manager Katzin reported that one communication has been received since the last regular Board of Trustees meeting. Written communications may be viewed on the Village’s website at www.scarsdale.com under Written Correspondence. • An email from Susan Levine, Ardmore Road, concerning an increase in Con Edison bills. ******** There being no further business to come before the Board, the meeting adjourned at 9:01 p.m. on a motion entered by Trustee Crandall, seconded by Trustee Brew and carried by a unanimous vote. Respectfully submitted, Donna M. Conkling For the Village Clerk’s Office