Congratulations to our new governor. In light of current events at the State level of government, I want to assure our community that in the Village of Ossining, we take compliance with training, policies, and procedures regarding sexual harassment very seriously. When a new employee is hired in the Village, they receive copies of Village policies. They have an opportunity to ask questions about any aspect of any policy that is unclear. Once they've started work, all employees receive repeated training on a series of topics mandated to be covered annually, including Sexual Harassment and Workplace Violence Prevention. In partnership with the Village management team, I strive to encourage a culture where employees, volunteers, and visiting members of the public can feel safe and protected and understand the procedures to report incidents without fear of retribution.

On a different matter, I am excited to share that the Village of Ossining currently has several ways for community members to participate in civic engagement: following are opportunities to give us your input and have your voice heard. 

In early 2021, the Village of Ossining participated in a series of "community campaigns" around energy reduction through the Energy Smart Homes program, in partnership with the Town of Ossining, Village of Briarcliff, Green Ossining, and Sustainable Westchester. As part of NYSERDA's Clean Energy Communities program, the Village won a $5000 grant for our Grid Rewards "Demand Response" campaign, which can be used on a clean energy project, program, or initiative.

In concert with the Village's recent Mobility and Parking study, and in preparation for Car Free Day 2021 (Click here to take the pledge - September 22nd), it became clear that an investment in bike racks throughout the Village was a smart choice. Please share some information below (and ask members of your household to do the same before the deadline of August 31^st) - and thank you in advance for helping us make this project a success for Ossining!

The Village of Ossining invites you for much-needed input for the NYS Downtown Revitalization Initiative (DRI) 2021 Application. This initiative is designed to look at a comprehensive approach to boosting local economies by transforming communities into vibrant neighborhoods where the next generation of New Yorkers will want to live, work, raise a family or retire. It is a multi-step process, and one of the most important components is community engagement. This initiative can be life-changing for our businesses and community residents.

There are two ways that you can share your ideas with us over the coming week:

1) Public Survey: This survey will help gather critical input on the community's vision for a thriving, vibrant, diverse, and unique downtown (closes on Wednesday, September 1st, 2021).

2) In-Person: On Saturday, August 28th, from 9-11 AM at Market Square, bilingual staff will be on hand during the Ossining Farmer’s Market to hear and gather ideas about downtown revitalization from residents and visitors. We encourage you to participate and pick up a few things at the market!

This week we have more awesome entertainment for the whole family. It’s free and open to the public.

Be sure to grab dinner from one of Ossining's local eateries, a lawn chair, and of course your family and friends - and we'll see you there!

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For this week’s Work Session, our agenda items include some key highlights:

This week’s Work Session will be in person at 16 Croton Avenue in the Board Room. We will also stream via Zoom for those community members/ consultants who wish to watch/participate from home. Work Session - Aug 25 2021

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

Webinar ID: 929 2724 2629

Members of the public can listen to the meeting by dialing in via phone: +1 929 205 6099