FORUM FOCUS



September 2022

Development



The Committee will be working on the development of a strategic plan, with goals, objectives, and actions designed to ensure that the Forum continues to carry out its mission and purposes well into the future. Forum members interested in participating are welcome to join us, and should contact Committee Co-Chairs Barry Meiselman at barwest2@aol.com and Ed Morgan at eamlaw@optonline.net.

Downtown Revitalization

The Downtown Revitalization Committee is studying the proposals of FHI Studio regarding their recommendations for placemaking and mobility. We plan to have our own written recommendations ready for comment in advance of the next FHI Studio public meeting on September 13. If you would like to participate please join us. Contact Chair Susan Douglass, susanudouglass@gmail.com.

Education

The Education Committee is working on a report focused on mental health and well-being throughout the school district. Recommendations and areas for further study will be proposed and shared with district administrators and the Board of Education. See the Committee's seminal Report on collaborative communication among school stakeholders. Contact Chair Barry Meiselman, barwest2@aol.com.

Recreation

The Recreation Committee is planning for a busy year where we anticipate projects aimed at evaluating current conditions and usage of our parks, fields, paths, green spaces and recreation facilities. We will endeavor to:

•   Create a long-term action plan to delineate best practice standards and expectations of how recreation facilities and green spaces should be maintained on behalf of residents and stakeholders:

•   Explore partnerships with other Forum committees for the purpose of integrating issues relevant to recreational facilities and green spaces;

•   Participate in the joint committee work on the future of the Pool Complex;

•   Prioritize health and safety concerns in the context of Village recreation programs and facilities; and

•   Provide input to the Village recreation budget for ongoing and future projects and outside sources of funding.

We hope Forum members from all neighborhoods will join this dynamic and active group. If you would like to participate, please contact Committee Chair Erin Rudensky, ejzerring@aol.com.

Scarsdale Fiscal Affairs

The Committee requested from the Village the pool project consultant's report on the pool survey results (7/1/22 per the posted project schedule), and also requested the survey questions and responses. While waiting for responses and for the presentation of survey results that was scheduled for 7/26/22, the Committee is studying earlier proposals to construct a community center that included two indoor pools adjacent to the pool complex site. The proposal attracted considerable community support and dollar commitments and was projected to generate sufficient revenue from year-round operations to be self-supporting and sufficient to repay construction costs. The Committee will be participating in the Forum's joint committee project with the Municipal Services and Recreation Committees on the future of the Pool Complex.

Two committee members met with Village Treasurer Ann Scaglione for a demonstration of the financial software used to manage Village finances and the budget and were impressed. They also had a productive conversation about preliminary plans for next year's budget process.

The SFA Committee will be exploring a multi-committee updated report on leaf collection, which would follow up on the SFA's March 2022 budget Report on the Village's Tentative Budget. Contact Chair Anne Hintermeister, ahintermeister@gmail.com.

Municipal Services

The Municipal Services, Recreation, and Scarsdale Fiscal Affairs Committees will be joining forces to study and report on possible alternatives for the Village Pool Complex. Anyone interested in taking part in this joint committee project should contact Municipal Services Chair Madelaine Eppenstein or Scarsdale Fiscal Affairs Chair Anne Hintermeister. More information about the Village Pool Complex project is included in the Municipal Pool Complex Market Study and Existing Conditions Survey here. The Village press release is here.

Municipal Services members are encouraged to participate in Village Board work sessions and hearings on Scarsdale's Complete Streets plan outlined in the "Village Center Strategic Mobility and Placemaking" RFP. Copies of the Committee's three traffic safety reports were re-submitted to the Village for use in the planning stage of its Complete Streets project (latest report link below). In the News: NYS has enacted legislation first introduced by Scarsdale Assemblywoman Amy Paulin that enables Scarsdale to lower the speed limit on local roads to 25 mph.

Municipal Services will resume its joint committee follow up on recommendations made in the Report on "Gas Leaf Blowers, Leaf Vacuuming, and Leaf Mulching" in view of the Village Board's recent decision to continue current leaf vacuuming policy, and recommendations made in the most recent Municipal Services Report on traffic safety and implementation of complete streets and safe routes to schools policy and design. The Committee plans on follow up with the Sustainability group and the Conservation Advisory Council regarding the status of Scarsdale's participation in New York State's Climate Smart Communities program, and the degradation of the Village tree canopy despite recent code regulations meant to preserve it. Contact Chair Madelaine Eppenstein, meppenstein@eppenstein.com.

Sustainability

The Committee supports initiatives for an environmentally sustainable and healthy environment that provides quality of life for village residents. Recognizing the absolute inter-dependency between the health of our environment and our own health, the Committee continues to support recycling, green energy, storm preparedness, and Scarsdale's Climate Smart Community initiative. Recent work focuses on: landscape management including the promotion of mulch mowing and grass recycling over street leaf pile vacuuming; a total ban on the use of gas blowers and the elimination of non-organic and environmentally harmful pesticide use; and year-round containerized pick-up of yard waste and excess leaves instead of the environmentally counterproductive practice of leaf vacuuming. The collaboration with other Forum committees produced the Report on banning smoking in outdoor village spaces and opting out of retail cannabis dispensaries until state regulations are promulgated and can be assessed. Both initiatives were adopted by the Village Board on December 14, 2021, and the no-smoking local law took effect on January 1, 2022. Contact Chair Darlene Le Francois Haber, M.D., dlefranc@montefiore.com.