December 9, 2025

My warmest congratulations to the Westchester Ballet Company on achieving the outstanding milestone of your 75th Anniversary! I wish to extend my sincerest admiration for your lasting contribution to the arts. Westchester Ballet has been a respected pillar in our cultural community. Thank you for your continued dedication to local arts and culture in the County – cheers to the next 75 years!

What a festive weekend in Ossining! Santa was in town, and the holiday cheer was contagious.

Our dedicated Recreation Staff worked non-stop to ensure Santa's visit was smooth and memorable for everyone. We are so grateful for their hard work! However, we must say a huge thank you to the entire community—your enthusiasm and participation are the essential ingredients that make these events such a highlight of the season.

The fun began with the annual tree lighting in Market Square on Friday, followed by a jolly good time on Saturday when Santa hosted breakfast for our local families.

The Central Committee of Organized War Veterans of the Town of Ossining held its annual Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day commemoration outside Village Hall. The ceremony paid tribute to the many men and women who served in that period of American History. ⁠Several veterans and their families call Ossining their home, and we thank them for their service.

Did you know that we have a growing and vibrant aging in place community? In addition to the many senior programs that are already offered in Ossining, we are excited to introduce a new initiative.

Get ready to “Take Charge of Your Aging with the engaging Aging Alone Together®” six-week series, proudly offered at no cost by DOROT in collaboration with the Village of Ossining.

This program is designed for adults aged 60 and above, offering an opportunity to build community while learning, discussing, and reflecting on the social and logistical challenges of aging with independence.

Please join us for an information session on December 18^th @ 10 AM at the Joseph G. Caputo Community Center. This is a great chance to connect and get ready for the future. You can sign up online, click here: https://dorotusa.jotform.com/252614487702156), calling 914-485-8361, or emailing infowestchester@dorotusa.org.

The season is coming to a close for the Project Mover e-bikeshare program on December 19^th – and will be back early April 2026. Follow Project Mover on Facebook to learn more about our relaunch next Spring.

The Project MOVER bikeshare program's 2025 season was focused on a major expansion that optimized our 2024 pilot with an introduction of hubs in Croton, Dobbs Ferry, Sleepy Hallow, Tarrytown and the Town of Ossining.

A big thank you to the community of riders who joined us this year. You took almost 4,700 rides across the county (with 1,700 of those miles in JUST the Village of Ossining) and covered over 13,000 miles which is roughly equivalent to making 4.3 round trips across the United States.

Here are the top key points for the 2025 season in Ossining and Westchester County:

• Program Relaunch and Expansion (Westchester County)
• Relaunch: The Project MOVER e-bikeshare had dynamic relaunch in Spring 2025 after concluding its initial pilot phase in December of 2024.
• Expansion Target: The project's objective was to launch the bikeshare program of up to 300 e-bikes across the Electric Micromobility Incubator (EMI) communities, including Ossining (Village/Town), Tarrytown, Sleepy Hollow, Croton-on-Hudson, and Dobbs Ferry.
• Ossining System Growth: The program added new station locations to the original 11 sites in the Village of Ossining. Expansion in the Village focused on connecting more neighborhoods, public parks, and linking to the new Town of Ossining stations.
• Infrastructure Investment: Based on pilot data, the team has reinforcing high-demand hubs with more racks to improve parking capacity for the re-launch.

New Programs and Payment Options

• New Mobility Programs: Project MOVER introduced two new programs to complement the public bikeshare:
• E-Bike Library: A program to fill mobility gaps and act as a feeder for widespread e-bike adoption, utilizing a community-based operations model.
• E-Bike Ownership Pathway Program (EBOP): An incentive program to encourage personal e-bike ownership through a $1,000 discount voucher for income-qualified residents, along with an option for a gap financing loan.
• Flexible Pricing: New pricing plans were introduced in Spring 2025. The fee structure was updated from the 2024 pay-per-ride pilot to include monthly and annual membership options, as well as a discount program for users who meet income requirements.

This week’s meeting will be held at 16 Croton and will begin at 7:30PM on Wednesday, December 10^th.

The Work Session agenda will be as follows:

• We will begin with a presentation by PRAC Chair Rev. Mary Phifer, followed by a conversation led by Deputy Mayor Lopez about next steps for the Committee.
• Valerie Monastra, AICP- Principal Planner- Nelson Pope Voorhis will join us for a series of agenda items related to planning and housing issues, including:
• There is currently a Village-wide moratorium on adult-use cannabis dispensaries/ smoke shops/ vape shops, enacted to give the BOT a chance to consider additional time, place, and manner regulations. Valerie has produced a memo (and accompanying zoning table) which outlines proposed language amending the Village code (embedded in the agenda) which will serve as a follow-up to the draft regulations presented at the October 8^th Work Session.
• At the October 22^nd Work Session, the BOT discussed the Affordable Housing set-aside, specifically as pertains to the petition from Wilder Balter Partners for 34 State Street. Valerie will lead a discussion detailing our recommendations on changes to the Village’s policy that incorporates the BOT’s feedback from the prior discussion, as well as staff suggestions.
• Finally, we will discuss the Village’s first two PILOP (Payment in Lieu of Parking) applications for two projects currently before the Planning Board. 
• Village Manager Karen D’Attore and Community Engagement Manger Jaimie Hoffman will lead a presentation about proposed AV upgrades for the Board Room at 16 Croton, and eventually the Courthouse on Spring Street.
• Corporation Counsel Stuart Kahan and Assistant Village Manager Maddi Zachacz will introduce an additional agreement with FBS (our parking enforcement vendor. While the active agreement governs parking ticket administration and will remain in place, this new agreement will govern the use of, and compensation for, their parking permit hosting service.
• Finally, Corporation Counsel Stuart Kahan will be reviewing a group of 2026 Cabaret applications with the BOT.

Village of Ossining | www.villageofossining.org

Hanukkah begins at sundown on Sunday, December 14th! May each candle you light remind you of all the love that surrounds you. Here’s to making more memories together this holiday season.