January 26, 2021
MAYOR'S UPDATE
From the desk of Mayor Rika Levin
What's New This Week
We will continue our public engagement sessions regarding the Ossining DPW Redevelopment Site. Our first in the series was held on January 21st, and the next one will be held on February 2nd at 7 PM via Zoom. To view last week's session and learn more about the next in the series, click here. Most importantly, please join us and engage in the conversation.  
What's New This Week
Here is a short selection of what will be before the Board this week:
 
Nurse practitioner Teri Lukin will join us to give the BOT and the community some helpful information about the COVID-19 vaccine. She recently presented this topic to the NAACP. We thought it would be of interest to learn more about the vaccine from a medical professional, mainly related to people who may be hesitant about getting vaccinated.
 
On a different note, our Village Historian Joyce Sharrock Cole, will be back to present another request for a Street Naming—this is one for 30 year Ossining resident Joanne Tall, who passed away in March of 2020. Liberty Place is the block being contemplated. We might also get a peek into other projects Historian Sharrock Cole has in the works. 
 
The Police Reform and Reinvention Collaborative has been in progress since September of last year. Lots of good work has been completed by the Working Committee in conjunction with Matrix Consulting Group … with lots more to come!

The BOT will preview a draft plan this Wednesday. We have a dedicated section of our website that is chock full of information. We are looking forward to having more opportunities for public engagement in February and March. 

Lastly, please visit our website, which has had many changes and improvements made to the homepage and throughout the site. For example, our key current initiatives are more readily accessible at the bottom of the home page, and there is new information about taxis.
Zoom info is as follows:
Members of the public can view the meeting via computer or mobile app: https://zoom.us/j/92937130467
Webinar ID: 929 3713 0467
Members of the public can listen to the meeting by dialing in via phone:
+1 929 205 6099
Service Spotlight
The State’s Climate and Community Protection Act requires New York to have 100% clean power by 2040 and be 100% carbon-neutral by 2050. Local governments will have a significant impact on meeting these goals.
I spoke with Village Manager Karen D'Attore, this week and we agreed that there are at least three ways that Ossining can participate in becoming the greenest Village in the country: 
  1. Combat climate change by creating livable, sustainable communities. We will advance the network of green roofs and advance modernized zoning to encourage mixed land use, compact development, downtown revitalization, open space protection, historic preservation, and energy-efficient building codes.
  2. We will continue working to reduce emissions from homes and automobiles with partners like Green Ossining and Sustainable Westchester.
  3. We will continue our successful advocacy efforts to increase the number of Electric vehicles (EVs) in our municipal fleets and expand the EV charging station network. EVs reduce greenhouse gas emissions and produce zero emissions, thus improving air quality.
Village of Ossining | www.villageofossining.org