February 11, 2025

I want to thank the Village of Ossining's Public Works crew for their hard work during this past weekend's snowstorm.

Did you know that during a snow emergency here in the Village, parking is prohibited on designated streets, and those vehicles left on these streets may be towed? It is important also to remember that even in inclement weather that doesn't call for a snow emergency, all parking rules remain in effect.

A friendly reminder that when shoveling, you should clear snow away from nearby fire hydrants. Consider being a good neighbor and digging out your neighbor's fire hydrant as well. We do this so that when firefighters are battling a fire to save your home, they are not delayed in hooking up their hoses because they're chipping away at snow and ice.

As always, we recommend that you prepare for the worst: keep flashlights and extra batteries at the ready, charge up your cell phones and laptops, and check in on elderly friends and neighbors. In the event of a power outage, call 1-800-75-CONED or text "REG" to "OUTAGE" to make a report. You can also download the ConEd app on your iPhone or Android smartphone to easily report outages and check on estimated restoration times -- you will need to have your account number handy to register with the app, so be sure to have it on hand to get set up. You can also use these services to report downed wires, which should also be reported to the police department.

Do you want to be a Police Officer in Ossining or Westchester County? This is a once-every-four-years opportunity to take the Westchester County Police Officer Exam! This exam is open to any age, but applicants must be 20 at the date of hire and no older than 34 at the time of the test. The deadline to submit your application is February 24th. Good luck!

Click here to submit an application: https://bit.ly/OssiningPoliceNowHiring

The Ossining Youth Bureau is participating in the “Volunteer Income Tax Assistance” (VITA) program at the Community Center through Tuesday, April 15.

A complete list of the sites with the services offered, as well as times, can be found at www.westchesterputnamonestop.com.

This week's meeting will be held at 16 Croton and begin at 7:30PM on Wednesday, February 12^th, 2025.

The Work Session Agenda will be as follows:

• The team at Creighton Manning will join Village Engineer Paul Fraioli to give an update on the Havell Street component of the Road Diet project.
• We have another dispensary who has given us notice of their intent to occupy the space at 345 N. Highland (the former nursery).
• The Board of Trustees and I will be discussing an Immigration Resolution 2025.
• Corporation Council Stuart and representation from OPD will be with us to discuss (3) applications for cabaret licenses.
• Each year, as part of the Re-Org Meeting, the Board is asked to affirm the Management Benefit Plan by resolution—this dictates how health, dental, vision, and life insurance benefits are assigned to full-time, unrepresented (not union) staff as well as elected officials and the Deputy Corporation Counsel. It was adopted on January 8^th this year (Res. N, Village of Ossining - Meeting Information) with the expectation that we had additional edits to make to incorporate employees who, instead of joining the NYS Retirement System, joined the VDC. The VDC is an alternate program that municipalities are mandated to offer to a specific class of employee, and there are several folks on our staff who have enrolled. We realized late last year that those employees are not explicitly contemplated in our resolution, and to ensure parity, we have been working with labor counsel and UMR to incorporate them at the same level of benefit as their peers in NYSLRS while also doing some clean-up work to more clearly state the benefits that exist today.
• We are approaching the 2^nd year of a 3-year agreement with Penny Lick Ice Cream for the Kiosk at Gourdine Park. The lease agreement states they can begin their season on May 1^st—the owner has expressed an interest in starting a week early (Friday, 4/25).
• Assistant Village Manager Maddi Zachacz will walk the BOT through our (Village & Town jointly) work on the CVAAP (Climate Vulnerability Assessment and Adaptation Plan), which gives us a roadmap to go forward and help NYS reach greenhouse gas reduction goals.

Village of Ossining | www.villageofossining.org

On the third Monday in February, we celebrate Presidents Day. The day takes place during the birth month of the country’s two most prominent presidents, George Washington, and Abraham Lincoln. As such, in observance of the holiday, the Village of Ossining will be closed today.