February 25, 2025

Given the recent outbreak of avian influenza (bird flu) in the region, it is imperative to adhere strictly to these regulations as it is unauthorized to keep fowl and not only violates local laws but also poses significant health risks to the community. In the Village of Ossining, local regulations govern that keeping chickens and other fowl is prohibited here, violating Chapter 75 of the Village Code.

Remember, the public plays a crucial role in disease prevention. By reporting suspected Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) outbreaks in wild birds through the New York DEC's online platform, you are contributing to the ongoing effort to monitor HPAI in New York. Your actions can help minimize risk and limit disease spread, so please continue to prevent contact between domestic animals and wild birds.

If you encounter a live, sick bird or mammal, contact your Regional DEC office or a local wildlife rehabilitator for guidance. Call ahead to make sure there is a wildlife rehabilitator or veterinarian willing to accept the animal, as accepting these animals may put other animals in the facility at risk. Do not handle, transport, or euthanize any sick birds or other wildlife yourself.

I encourage community members to contact the Police if you see chickens on any property in the Village.

Click here for the NYSDEC Avian Influenza Reporting Form

Exciting news from the Ossining Police Department! They rescued a man who fell down a steep ravine into an icy brook last Wednesday night. Our officers used their drone with an infrared camera to locate the man so Ossining Fire Department members could pull him out.

Ossining police use infrared drone to locate man who fell down ravine into icy brook

Please join me in congratulating the Village’s Historian, Joyce Sharrock Cole, as she is honored at the National Council of Negro Women, Inc. (NCNW) – Westchester’s Section’s 17th Annual Black History Month Celebration for her exemplary service and to the Community of Ossining. On Wednesday, February 26th, Westchester County will be proclaimed Joyce Sharrock Cole Day!

Let’s all extend our congratulations to Rev. Shaun Ellison Jones and Rev. Tenee` A.H. Jones who were presented with the NYS Commendation Awards from Senator Pete Harckham for their leadership, dedication and commitment to Ossining’s residents.

Ossining in the news:

• Service is the Mission at Ossining Volunteer Ambulance Corps
• Ossining's Claremont students tour the Black History exhibit at Bethany Arts Community
• Westchester celebrates Black history: Exhibits explore theme of African Americans, labor

This week’s meeting will be held at 16 Croton and will begin at 7:30PM on Wednesday, February 26^th, 2025.

The Work Session Agenda will be as follows:

• The Project MOVER team (led by Dru van Hengel of Nelson Nygaard) will be presenting on our progress to date, and giving some details on the next phase of bikeshare (both in the Village and neighboring communities) as well as the Lease to Own program in the Village, which should be opening this Spring.
• As we prepare to draft the requisite public referendum for the LOSAP (Length of Service Awards Program) for the Ossining Fire Department, Assistant Village Manager Maddi Zachacz will give an update on our progress and what we anticipate will be our next steps.
• Each year, as part of the Re-Org Meeting, the BOT 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 incorporate employees who joined the VDC instead of joining the NYS Retirement System. 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.
• As the Village will be undergoing many capital projects in the coming years, several of which are scheduled to break ground in 2025, Village Manager Karen D’Attore will give a short update on how, if at all, the BOT wishes to amend the Events Policy to give organizers better predictability as we enter this complicated logistical period.
• Multi-Modal Transportation Hub (MMTH) requires the Village to undergo the SEQR analysis. Staff suggests that the BOT consider declaring themselves Lead Agency for the SEQR process. Danielle Dreyer from NPV will be joining us to provide further explanation of what this means and the steps ahead.
• Finally, the Village was awarded $100K to purchase (2) hybrid vans through a CREST grant to the Youth Bureau (this was approved in the 2025 Capital Plan). In addition, the BOT approved the installation of related EV chargers and infrastructure. Village Manager Karen D’Attore will be presenting on a Con Edison incentive for the “make ready” work to accomplish this—she sent an email about this just moments ago!

We will also have a Special Meeting to a) accept a $500 donation for Rec programming and b) adopt the CVAAP.

Village of Ossining | www.villageofossining.org