This month, I will submit the tentative 2024-2025 Village Budget to the Board of Trustees for their review and consideration. As you will read about in this newsletter, there are a number of work sessions and meetings scheduled to discuss the budget in detail.

The Village Board sat as the Board of Assessment Review on February 20, 2024, for a meeting known as Grievance Day. The Board received over two dozen grievances from residential and commercial property owners. The assessor is continuing to analyze the applications received and will provide additional recommendations to the Board later this month.

On February 28, 2024, the Village Board received Local Law Introductory 5 of 2024 to repeal and replace Chapter 206, Telecommunications Towers, of the Village Code. This law replaces the existing 25-year-old legislation with a modern-day code chapter that incorporates the latest regulations from the Federal Communications Commission. This local law is a result of a months-long process undertaken by Village staff, the Telecommunications Advisory Committee and the Village’s consultant, Televate. The Board has referred the law to the Waterfront Advisory Committee for a statement of consistency with the Village’s Local Waterfront Revitalization Program (LWRP).

The Village Board has received a recommendation from the Recreation Advisory Committee to amend the law to allow on-leash dogs at Gouveia Park. If adopted by the Village Board, Gouveia Park would join Black Rock Park and Croton Landing Park as parks where dogs are allowed on-leash in some or all areas. The Village Board will consider scheduling a public hearing on this change at their next meeting on March 13, 2024.

Finally, please remember to check the Projects and Initiatives page of the Village website for updates on various other work being done. These pages are updated regularly as more information becomes available. If you have a question or comment regarding anything in this report, please contact me at bhealy@crotononhudson-ny.gov or 914-271-4848.

Sincerely,

Bryan T. Healy

Village Manager

Since the beginning of the year, the Village Manager and Village Treasurer have been meeting with department heads to prepare the annual Village budget for the 2024-2025 fiscal year. As required by state law, the Village Manager must file the tentative budget in the office of the Village Clerk on March 20th. Once the tentative budget is filed, the Board of Trustees will begin holding budget work sessions to review the tentative budget and make any revisions necessary. 

The Village Budget consists of the General Fund (which funds most Village operations), the Capital Fund (used for capital projects such as purchasing equipment & infrastructure improvements), the Debt Fund (which pays the interest and premium on bonds) & the Water and Sewer Funds (which fund those systems).

Below is the present calendar of dates for budget sessions. All meetings will begin at 7 p.m. unless otherwise noted and will be held in the Georgianna Grant Meeting Room. These dates are subject to change. For up-to-date meeting agendas, please visit the Village website and subscribe to E-Alerts to receive agendas by email.

• Wednesday, March 27 – Public Hearing on Budget
• Wednesday, April 3 – Department of Public Works
• Thursday, April 4 – Police, Fire Department, EMS
• Wednesday, April 17 – Recreation, Admin, Fees
• Thursday, April 18 – Capital & Recap
• Wednesday, April 24 – Budget Adoption

ADU Amnesty Period Ends April 12th – Act Now for Compliance!

The Village of Croton-on-Hudson recently updated its regulations related to Accessory Dwelling Units (ADUs). The Village encourages all property owners who have an existing ADU or are interested in adding an ADU to their property to review the FAQ at crotononhudson-ny.gov/ADU. As a reminder, Village Board has temporarily waived penalties for existing construction undertaken without an Accessory Apartment Permit for the period of January 11, 2024, through April 12, 2024. After this amnesty period, noncompliant accessory dwelling units will be subject to enforcement action, and a penalty fee will be applied if a property owner seeks to legalize the construction of a noncompliant ADU.

Village Partnering with Helpsy to Offer Curbside Textile Recycling

The Village of Croton-on-Hudson, in collaboration with Westchester County, has partnered with Helpsy to offer a free home pickup clothing recycling service for residents. Helpsy is a certified B corporation that partners with municipalities to recycle and reuse unwanted clothing and other textiles to provide communities with an environmentally friendly alternative to throwing clothes in the trash. 

Helpsy will accept clothing, shoes, linens, and certain textiles in any condition so long as they are clean, dry, and odorless. A full list of acceptable items is available here.

Croton residents can visit www.helpsy.com/crotononhudsonny and schedule at-home pickups on Thursdays, starting March 7, 2024. After scheduling a pickup, residents can leave the items at their front door in clearly labeled plastic bags. Drivers make home pickups between 7 am and 5 pm. Helpsy recommends requesting a pickup when you have a minimum of 3 bags to minimize emissions. For additional questions, please email info@helpsy.co or call 1-800-244-6350.

Application Period Now Open for Maple Commons (43-45 Maple Street)

The application period for Maple Commons (43-45 Maple Street) is now open. A brochure outlining the Qualification Guidelines is available here. Applications can be completed online at housingactioncouncil.org or by filling out the application and delivering it to: Housing Action Council, 55 South Broadway, 1st Floor, Tarrytown, NY 10591. The deadline to file an application for the housing lottery is April 18, 2024. The housing lottery will take place via Zoom on May 3, 2024, at 2 p.m. If you have any questions, please contact the Housing Action Council at 914-332-4144 or hac@affordablehomes.org.

Composer/singer Gillian Margot and the Grammy award-winning pianist, Geoff Keezer performed at the Croton Library on January 14th as part of the Riverview Concert Series, held in tribute to the Croton jazz icon Manny Albam. A video of the performance is available here. The next concert in the series, which is hosted by the Croton Arts and Humanities Committee, will take place on March 10th.

The Croton Litter-Free Education Advocacy Neighborhood initiative (CLEAN) is a sub-group within the Conservation Advisory Council that aims to organize support and volunteers to keep Croton-on-Hudson clean. On March 2nd, CLEAN volunteers collected and removed 12 bags of trash from the area around North Riverside Avenue. For more information on upcoming cleanups, visit crotononhudson-ny.gov/CLEAN

We thank our Department of Public Works for keeping the roadways clear of snow and ice during the snow storms on February 13th and February 17th!

The Croton Recreation Department offers seasonal rack rentals at Echo Canoe Launch and Croton Landing Park to enable individuals to store their kayaks and canoes by the water. Village and School District residents can apply for a rental space online starting March 11th. Non-Residents may apply starting April 1st. Space is Limited - Proof of Residency is Required.

2024 Season Fees

Village Resident - $300

Village Resident (Age 62+) - $180

School District/Non-Resident - $400

Canoes and kayaks can be stored on the racks from April 13 to November 2, 2024. Online registration will be available at https://www.crotononhudson-ny.gov/kayak

2024 Summer Camp Registration Begins

Monday, March 18, 2024 

Croton Recreation offers two summer camp programs: Day Camp (Grades K-6) and Tiny Tots (ages 4-6). Staring on Monday, March 18th, summer camp registration forms for both Day Camp and Tiny Tots camp will be available online at crotononhudson-ny.gov/camp and in the Recreation Department office.  Summer Camp registration is open to both Village & School District Residents. Non-Resident applications will be accepted after May 1, 2024, space permitting. Early registration is strongly encouraged due to limited space. To be notified by email when Summer Camp registration opens, sign up for Recreation E-News here.

DAY CAMP (Grades K-6)

Location: Holy Name of Mary Gym, 114 Grand Street

Time: 9:00 AM – 2:15 PM

2024 Day Camp is open to Grades K-6, youth who have finished Kindergarten through the completion of 6th grade. The day camp program includes arts, crafts, games, swimming, special events, trips and more! A weekly activity schedule will be provided on the first day. Campers must bring a water bottle, sunscreen & lunch. 

Day Camp Fees

Session 1: July 2 – July 12 (no camp on July 4) Fee: $380 Resident / $455 Non-Resident

Session 2: July 15 – July 26 Fee: $405 Resident / $480 Non-Resident

Session 3: July 29 – August 9  Fee: $405 Resident / $480 Non-Resident

Full Season: July 2 – August 9  Fee: $995 Resident / $1135 Non-Resident

TINY TOTS CAMP (Ages 4-6)

Location: St Augustine’s Church, 6 Old Post Road North

Time: 9:15 AM – 12:15 PM

Tiny Tots Summer Camp is a half-day program, open to campers ages 4-6. Camp activities include games, music, arts & crafts, entertainers, story time, and more! Campers must be fully pottytrained.

Tiny Tots Camp Fees

Session 1: July 2 – July 12 (no camp on July 4) Fee: $235 Resident / $300 Non-Resident

Session 2: July 15 – July 26 Fee: $260 Resident / $315 Non-Resident

Session 3: July 29 – August 9  Fee: $260 Resident / $315 Non-Resident

Full Season: July 2 – August 9  Fee: $560 Resident / $665 Non-Resident

Croton Recreation Photo ID Cards

Recreation Photo ID Cards are available to Village of Croton Residents and Croton-Harmon School District Residents. Croton Recreation Photo ID Cards / Park Passes are required for entrance into various Village Parks, and for certain activities such as Pavilion Rental, Facility Reservations and Golf at Hudson National. The Croton-on-Hudson Recreation Department is pleased to residents the ability to purchase park passes or renew existing Photo ID Cards online. Two proofs of residency are required to apply: for example, a photo ID such as a driver’s license, and a tax bill, bank statement or utility bill that includes your name and current address. Senior residents of the Village (age 62+) can apply for a Photo ID free of charge.

Riverview Jazz Concert Series: Andy Farber & Friends

Sunday, March 10th, 2:00 PM

Croton Free Library

Enjoy an afternoon of jazz, featuring Andy Farber & Friends, at the Ottinger Room of the Croton Free Library. Show will begin at 2:00 PM - seating is limited, first come first served. This is the third of a four-part series offered in tribute to the late Manny Albam, a long-time Mount Airy resident, a renowned trombonist, arranger, and director of the BMI Composer's Workshop. This Jazz Sundays series is co-sponsored with the Library by the Village of Croton-on-Hudson's Arts & Humanities Council.

Cortlandt Repair Café

Saturday, March 16th, 10:00 AM to 2:00 PM

Muriel H. Morabito Community Center, located at 29 Westbrook Drive in Cortlandt Manor

Repair Cafés are FREE community events where you bring your broken but beloved items and volunteer repair coaches help you fix them! Following Croton's successful Repair Café event on December 9th, the Town of Cortlandt will host its first-ever Repair Café that will take place on Saturday, March 16, 2024 from 10:00 AM to 2:00 PM at the Muriel H. Morabito Community Center, located at 29 Westbrook Drive in Cortlandt Manor. Pre-registration required. Register at https://forms.gle/Un5Cyb8irExWw4JQ7

The Repair Café is sponsored by the Town of Cortlandt and the Village of Croton-on-Hudson. For more information about this event, please visit www.townofcortlandt.com/repaircafe or email repaircafe@townofcortlandt.com.

New York State Boating Safety & Personal Watercraft Certification Course

Sunday, March 24th, 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM

Croton Yacht Club, located at 6 Elliott Way 

The Croton Yacht Club, located at 6 Elliott Way in Croton-on-Hudson, will be hosting a New York State Boating Safety & Personal Watercraft Certification Course on Sunday, March 24th from 9:00 AM – 5:00PM. The course is being offered by the New York Boating Safety organization and the fee is $75.00 per student. Pre-registration is suggested by visiting: https://nyboatingsafety.com/product/new-york-state-safe-boater-jet-ski-certi

Utility Bill Payment Reminder - Bills Due April 15th

Utility bills will be mailed in mid March and payment is due by April 15th. Bills can be paid using one of the below methods:

• In-person at the Municipal Building during business hours;
• Online by going to the village website and clicking "Online Payments" under the Citizen Action Center;
• Mailing them to Attn: Utility Billing, 1 Van Wyck Street, Croton-on-Hudson, NY 10520;
• Using the secure drop-box outside the Municipal Building (no stamp required).