October 24, 2023

This past Sunday, my colleagues in local government, Senator Harckham, and I had the pleasure of celebrating “movers and shakers” in our community at the Hispanic Heritage Awards ceremony at the Ossining Public Library. Senator Harckham presented five honorees from the 40th Senate District with NYS Proclamations for their service to the community:

• Dr. Madeline Diamond, Director of Multilingual Learners Programs, Peekskill City Schools
• Noya Guerrero, Client Resident Services Manager, the Community Center of Northern Westchester
• Ossining’s own Ana Guzman, Founder and Executive Director of Ossining Padres Hispanos
• Ricardo Orellana, First Hispanic Business owner in Mahopac and community leader
• Dolores Vidal Roy, Mount Kisco community leader

Things don’t always work out the way we hope. We have to report that, unfortunately, the pool's reopening has been delayed. As work continues at the pool and locker rooms, the contractor has found that the pool has a significant leak. Numerous tests have been performed, and experts have been called in to help identify the location and source of the leak. The source has yet to be determined. On Monday, October 30th, a pool company will conduct more extensive tests to detect the location. Work in the locker rooms and spray pad will continue as this process progresses. Once we know the location and source of the leak, we will provide an estimate as to when the pool will be operational again.

This Saturday, October 28th marks National First Responders Day. This is an important day to honor the folks who put their lives on the line to keep us safe – including police officers, EMTs, fire crews, and more. We appreciate your service and willingness to make enormous sacrifices for our community. Thank you, first responders!

Join us for our Annual Trunk-or-Treat event being held in Market Square in Ossining on Tuesday, October 31st, from 6:00 – 8:00 PM. Take a stroll and gather goodies – all while checking out our tricked-out trucks!

Click here for Early Voting for the November 7th, 2023 General Election: Schedules, Locations, FAQs:

https://citizenparticipation.westchestergov.com/voting/early-voting-2023

Your vote matters. If you ever think that just one vote in a sea of many cannot make much of a difference, consider this: During an off year when there are no national elections, voter turnouts are low, but their importance on local issues is very high.

A Portland State University study found that fewer than 15 percent of eligible voters were turning out to vote for mayors, council members, and other local offices. Low turnout means that important local issues are determined by a limited group of voters, making a single vote even more statistically meaningful.

I encourage every person that can vote to do so. We in Ossining are fortunate to have easy access to voting locations.

This week's Work Session & Special Meeting is on Wednesday, 10/24/23, at 7:30PM at the Birdsall-Fagan Police Court Facility.

You can find a link to this week’s Agenda here:

• Work Session - Oct 25 2023
• Special Meeting - Oct 25 2023

We will begin with a brief Special Meeting—the property at 43 South Highland Avenue is seeking permission to pay its outstanding Village taxes after the redemption date. The Village Treasurer can only collect this payment with a resolution from the Board.

The Work Session agenda will be as follows:

• RAB Chair Pat Yost will join Superintendent of Recreation & Parks Bill Garrison to discuss the RAB’s recommendations for capital improvements to Village Parks next year. Further, Bill will give an update on the Village’s 2023 camp experience, including families served, lessons learned, and how 2024’s budget and fee schedule may be affected.
• Stuart Kahan, Corporation Counsel & Paul Fraioli, PE, Village Engineer, will be with us to discuss two potential changes to Village Code Chapter 229 (Streets and Sidewalks):
• Revision to chapter 229 (Streets and sidewalks- resurfacing)- Requires a permittee performing roadwork/excavation where pavement is removed or damaged to restore the area from curb to curb as well as 10 feet in each direction from the area disturbed. It also requires restoration beyond the limits of the pavement if there is damage. The section also clarifies the period of maintenance. Finally, the proposed local law includes new subsections regarding the placement of road plates.
• Revision to Chapter 229 (Streets and sidewalks- liability of abutting property owner)- The proposed local law, modeled on the City of New York Administrative Code, makes the owner of real property abutting any sidewalk or curbstones liable for any property damage or personal injury caused by the owner’s failure to maintain the sidewalk and curbstones in a reasonably safe condition. Failing to maintain the sidewalk in a reasonably safe condition includes the negligent failure to install, construct, reconstruct, repave, repair, or replace defective sidewalk flags and curbstones and the negligent failure to remove snow, ice, dirt, or other material from the sidewalk. The liability provision would not apply to one- and two-family residences (i) owner-occupied and (ii) used exclusively for residential purposes. The proposal also requires affected property owners to have a liability insurance policy for injuries resulting from the failure to maintain the sidewalks and curbstones in a reasonably safe condition. Finally, the proposed local law details an abutting property owner’s obligation regarding sidewalks and lots.