Parking and mobility have been an issue in our Village for some time now. The Board is committed to moving this initiative forward and finding the best long-term solutions for our Village. This past Saturday, Staff and our mobility consultants met and spoke directly with residents and visitors at the farmers market. Visitors were asked to give their feedback on recommendations in the study. The goal is to make parking, walking, biking, and wayfinding in our Downtown easier, and our team has come up with more than two dozen strategies for the Board and Administration to consider going forward. The team estimates that they engaged in conversation with more than 100 people who had visited Market Square and shared their ideas in English and Spanish.

We look forward to hearing the results and findings later this month.

Last Wednesday, the Village of Ossining, home to a deep-rooted African-American community, raised the official Juneteenth flag in Market Square. This event was hosted by the Juneteenth Council and proudly attended by local, county, and state elected officials, as well as representatives from the Ossining Union Free School District, clergy from Ossining's Black churches (Full Gospel Tabernacle Church, Star of Bethlehem Baptist Church, Holy Spirit Church, and HORAC Ministries), and students from Ossining High School My Brother's Keeper program.

Juneteenth has been the under-recognized and under-celebrated second Independence Day in the United States. I'm so proud that the Village of Ossining was able to raise the flag to signify this momentous occasion. I hope that we make this an annual tradition, raise people's consciousness, and find common ground with this simple yet profoundly democratic act.

The flag will be flown throughout the month of June to acknowledge and honor the freedom of formerly enslaved Africans in America, as well as the ancestors of Ossining's Black community. While I am proud to say that Ossining is the first community in Westchester County to raise this official flag and keep it raised throughout the month of June, I would be happier if I could report that many communities will be joining us in the future.

On Friday, the rainbow flag was raised in Market Square, honoring June as LGBTQ+ Pride Month. This is the third year that the Village has partnered with the Ossining LGBTQ Alliance to observe Pride Month with a flag-raising. The rainbow flag is raised in June to commemorate the anniversary of the Stonewall Riots, which was the catalyst for Pride Month. During this time, we reflect, honor and amplify the voices of the LGBTQ+ community past, present, and future. We thank all the volunteers that made this occasion so powerful, the speakers who shared their stories, and the government officials who were there to show their support.

Raising the pride flag signifies to all LGBTQ+ residents and their families that they are welcomed. The Village of Ossining is proud to be a strong ally. We raise a flag to commemorate our differences and to include all members of our community. It’s a beautiful flag ... one that shows our diversity. I believe that we are all better off when we live our lives in a state of inclusion and wonder at the diversity of humanity in our community.

On this week's Work Session Agenda, we are pleased to have members of the Recreation Advisory Board present their update to the Board. We have about a dozen volunteer boards and councils and look forward to every opportunity we have to hear from them.

We will be discussing our next steps regarding the comprehensive plan. I continue to impress upon the public the importance of this plan and how its final draft will help plan our future as a Village.

Corporation Council Kahan will be reporting to the Board the EAC’s determination of consistency with the LWRP (Local Waterfront Revitalization Plan) for all 4 CDBG Grant Application projects and SEQR determinations next steps.

The full and more detailed agenda for this week’s Work Session and Special Meeting can be found here:

Members of the public can view the meeting via computer or mobile app:

Webinar ID: 982 8618 5412

We are happy to report that our Public Works team has shifted one of the Village's material handling operation areas on Water Street to a spot a little further down the road. This work included a complete property "makeover" using existing fill material to create a visual buffer for area residents, as well as relocating the access gate away from the Verium Condo building.