The League of Women Voters of New Castle is a nonpartisan political organization that encourages citizens to play an informed and active role in government. Basic to all our activities is observing how government at all levels is working. League observers attend local public meetings and provide the following reports.
Reports below are on meetings of the New Castle Town Board February-May 2006.
June-September 2006 Town Board notes are on another page. 2007 notes will be on another page. If you are interested in joining us and observing regularly or part-time, please email us.
Click here for Board of Education observer notes for 2007 or here for Dec. 2005-through 2006;
here for Chappaqua Library Board observer notes.
New Castle Town Board Meeting May 23, 2006
Town Board members present: Supervisor Janet Wells, Robin Stout, Elise Kessler Mottel, Barbara Gerrard, John Buckley
Others present: Town Counsel Clinton Smith, Deputy Town Administrator Penellen Paderewski, and Town Clerk Jill Simon Shapiro
Announcements:
1. On May 27, the grounds of Rocky Hills, 95 Old Roaring Brook Road, will be open to the public under the auspices of the Garden Conservancy.
2. On May 29, a Memorial Day parade will take place.
3. Because of the Memorial Day Weekend, the Recycling Center will be closed on May 27th, the garbage and recycling pick-ups usually done on Monday, May 29th will be done on Tuesday, May 30th, and that week’s Tuesday schedule will be moved to Wednesday.
4. New Castle Cable TV is sponsoring a film and video festival. New Castle residents of all ages and levels of experience are invited to submit short films and videos. The application can be downloaded from NCCTV’s website, www.ncctv.org. The application fee is $20.
5. The New Castle Police Department will undertake a “Click it or Ticket” campaign to encourage seat belt use. Check points will be established at various points around town and tickets will be given to those found not to be wearing seatbelts.
6, The public hearing on Cablevision has been postponed until June 27th.
Public Hearing on Storm Water Management
A report was given on the progress that has been made on the 5-year storm water management project. The report covered the following six topics: public education and outreach, public involvement and participation, discharge detection and elimination, construction site control, post-construction site storm water management, and pollution prevention. Statutes will be formulated and proposed to formalize certain policies that are currently being followed, but have not been codified.
Public Comment/New Business
Advanced Life Support System Consortium
In response to a resident’s question, the Board reported that there had been no comments or complaints from town residents regarding the portion of the tax bill increase that is attributable to the increased cost of the ALS consortium charges. The resident asked the Board why it didn’t prefer a dedicated fly car to participation in the consortium.
Development of Readers Digest Property
A resident suggested that the Board consider whether residences on Cowdin Lane should be included in any sewer district that is created for the Readers Digest Property.
Other Business
The Board set June 13th as the date for public hearings on proposals (a) to change certain parking spaces on North Greeley Avenue from one-hour spaces to two-hour spaces and (b) to extend the Brevoort Road Sewer District to include the Lohr property.
The Board authorized the supervisor to sign agreements relating to (a) the delivery of meals to home-bound senior residents and (b) watershed issues.
Josie Ganek
New Castle Town Board Meeting May 9, 2006
Town Board members present: Supervisor Janet Wells, Robin Stout, Elise Kessler Mottel, Barbara Gerrard, John Buckley
Others present: Town Counsel Clinton Smith, Town Administrator Genaro Faiella, Deputy Town Administrator Penellen Paderewski, and Town Clerk Jill Simon ShapiroAnnouncements:
1. Renewal applications for Chappaqua train station parking permits, which must be submitted by June 15, have been sent to all holders of current permits.
2. On May 21, The New Castle Parks Department will organize a 10K run sponsored by Northeast Special Recreation
3. On May 27, the grounds of Rocky Hills, 95 Old Roaring Brook Road will be open to the public under the auspices of the Garden Conservancy.
4. On May 29, a Memorial Day parade will take place.
5. New Castle Cable TV is sponsoring a film and video festival. New Castle residents of all ages and levels of experience are invited to submit short films and videos. The application can be downloaded from NCCTV’s website, www.ncctv.org. The application fee is $20.
6. The New Castle Parks and Recreation Department sent a questionnaire to all Town residents. Responses are still being accepted and residents are encouraged to complete and return the surveys.
7. Applications are still being accepted for the following summer internships:
a. Two six-week internships for college students who are majoring in engineering and are residents of New Castle or Pleasantville, stipend $1800;
b. Two six-week Michelle Resnick internships for college students who have completed at least their sophomore year and are New Castle residents, stipend $1800; and
c. Two 6-week internships with the Building and Engineering Department of New Castle, stipend $1800.
8. Westchester County residents are invited to public hearings sponsored by the NY Metropolitan Transportation Council to be held on May 24th at the Westchester County City Center to discuss the current status of public transportation in Westchester
Supervisor’s Report: The Supervisor reported on several matters, including the following:
1. A special issue of New Castle News will be mailed shortly.
2. Families should educate themselves regarding safety precautions to be taken in the event of a bird flu pandemic.
3. Mike Brown, a member and then chair of the Beautification Advisory Board for a total of nine years is moving, and therefore leaving the Board. The Town Board gave him a gift.
Town Administrator’s Report: The Town Administrator reported on several matters, including the following:
1. The Town is meeting with Metro North regarding upgrading electrification, clearing vines and debris around the tracks, and renovating the staircase from the Route 120 bridge.
2. Efforts are being made to find a land use consultant to work with the Town Board.
3. The Town is currently conducting negotiations with Cablevision.
4. On May 17, there is a meeting with labor counsel regarding binding arbitration.
Public Hearing re Amendment of Renewal date for Parking permits
There was a public hearing regarding a proposal to amend the Town’s Vehicle and Traffic Law to change the deadline for renewing parking permits from May 31 to June 15th. The Town Clerk’s office stays open for extended hours to accommodate people who are submitting renewal applications and, under the current statute, there has been a conflict with Memorial Day weekend. After the public hearing was closed, the Board voted unanimously to change the deadline for renewing parking permits to June 15th.
Public Comment/New Business
1. Advanced Life Support System Consortium
The Board announced that it had decided to remain a part of the Advanced Life Support Consortium of northern Westchester Towns.
2. Development of Readers Digest Property
Several residents addressed the Board regarding Summit/Greenfield’s plans to develop the Readers Digest property. Its current proposal involves rezoning the property to a “Planned Campus District” that would expand the commercial space on the property and build age-restricted residential units. Among the comments made were the following:
a. Summit/Greenfield bought the property knowing that it was zoned as a commercial district; accordingly, the Board should not feel obliged to agree to a concept of planned development that would significantly change the character of New Castle and is unprecedented in the area;
b. The proposal describes an “active adult” (age 55 and older) housing development, but this development could add significant headcount to local schools;
c. The process is moving quickly, but the Board should take the time and make the effort to gather substantial data before responding to the proposal;
d. Residents raised concerns that Summit/Greenfield had disseminated conflicting information at the meetings held with various neighborhood groups.
e. With the building of substantial additional commercial space, the impact of an increased number of employees would be severe, particularly in an area where there are already serious traffic problems. The proximity of Greeley High School exacerbates this problem;
f. The impact of a helipad would be dramatic;
g. The Town’s green space will be substantially reduced by the amount of clear-cutting planned for the parcel;
h. The plan would replace several single family houses on Roaring Brook Road with 30 condominiums. This would undercut the value and neighborhood character for the remaining single family houses;
i. The plan to locate the emergency exit from the site directly across from Greeley High School should be rejected
j. The approval of this plan could open the floodgates for other similar developments in New Castle;
k. The Town should explore having a foundation or land trust buy some of the property to keep it undeveloped; and
l. There was concern that designating the Town Board as the lead agency handling the proposal would increase the cost to the Town; the Town should have the Zoning Board consider this as part of its comprehensive examination of Town zoning, and the planner that is hired should be asked to help form a comprehensive plan, and review the Readers Digest proposal as a component of the whole.
Several residents urged the Board to take steps to alert the entire community to the existence of the proposal and to provide opportunities for learning more about the extent of the development before the Board begins its decision-making process. They believe that the proposal is highly complex and an informed electorate is required to assure that all important considerations are considered. Residents also suggested that the Board post the petition and other relevant documents electronically on the Town’s website and that it establish a system for communicating electronically about the process.
The Board announced that it had designated itself as the “Lead Agency” for reviewing the proposal. The developer must submit a scoping document, and the Board has encouraged the developer to refrain from filing that document until the town is better informed about the project and the issues to be addressed have been defined. The scoping document and the subsequent discussions will help to identify the issues that must be addressed in the Environmental Impact Statement. The Board announced that it had hired its own attorney and had published an RFP for a planner, both to advise the Board on handling this petition. The Board also announced that it would conduct town meetings to inform the public about the petition.
3. 911 Memorial
The Board was requested to reconsider the use of World Trade Center steel in the 911 Memorial and to explain its decision not to discuss this issue directly with the widows of victims of the attack who are Town residents.
4. Development on Station Road; West End Taskforce
A member of the West End taskforce expressed unhappiness with the condominium development being built on Station Road, also known as Route 133, adjacent to the Millwood Garden Center. The Board suggested that he raise the issue with the Planning Board.
He also announced that the Taskforce is looking for new members.
He advised the Board that the Millwood Fire Commissioners were holding a public meeting on Monday, May 15, at 8:30 at Firehouse # 2.
Other Business
The Board then addressed a variety of business issues including: approving a sewer district on Brevoort, appointing certain new Town employees, approving summer parking permits, and approving a variety of contracts.
Josie Ganek
New Castle Town Board Meeting, April 11, 2006
The Supervisor started the meeting by stating that it would be a short meeting due to it being a school holiday week.
Sewers County Legislator Kaplowitz reported that the County Legislature had received the petition from the New Castle Town Board regarding adding the Yeshiva, Random Farms and Riverwoods properties to the Saw Mill River Sewer District. This would allow these areas to be served by sewers. The petition was met with some hostility and was referred to 5 committees for consideration. Kaplowitz felt that a decision will come in 6 to 12 months. He noted that a petition for additions to a County sewer district had never been denied in the past and that there would be a good legal case that a negative decision would be found by a court to be arbitrary and capricious. He intended to pursue the matter aggressively and was optimistic of eventual success. The next step for the Town is to file a petition with the county Legislature seeking the allocation of “East of Hudson” to fund the construction of sewers.
Water Meter Remote Readings The Deputy Town Administrator reported that all water meter readings were now being made remotely from a car driven down the streets.
EMT Services The Supervisor reported that the EMT consortium had agreed to a revised formula for computing the sharing of costs between the cooperating towns. This will reduce New Castle’s share by about $35,000. The Town Board approved the new formula. The Supervisor then reported that, prior to the May 1 deadline for telling the consortium whether or not New Castle would continue as a member, the Town Board would evaluate proposals received from other organizations to provide dedicated EMT service to New Castle. One member of the CVAC spoke about the need for better response time which could only come from a dedicated service. However, an officer and several other members of CVAC spoke of their satisfaction with the current consortium provided service.The Town Board also took care of a dozen plus routine authorizations of appointments, conference attendance, etc. before going into executive session to discuss contract negotiations and the proposals receive for EMT services.
New Castle Town Board Work Session April 4, 2006
Councilmember Stout was absent.
Proposed Re-Zoning in Town of Yorktown – Hog Hill Site A proposed affordable housing development (200 units?) in the watershed near the Croton Reservoir is being considered with Yorktown as the lead agency for the SEQR. New Castle will submit a number of concerns: traffic potential; proposed access to be at a point previously rejected for the Seven Bridges School site (will notify school district); near Random Farms; sewer connection; water supply. Fear that such a development will derail diversion prospects in that area since application was based on assumption of no new development.
9/11 Memorial ParkOptions were discussed for 2 design plans presented by landscape architect with straight or curved walkway and different decks. The board indicated preference for curved walk and an octagonal deck. Proponents of using the steel beams spoke in favor of reinstating that proposal and provided photos of an event in which widows and children participated with steel beams display decorated with flowers. Board will proceed with asking architect to continue as originally planned.
Advanced Life Support ContractA meeting of Consortium Supervisors had reached an agreement to reapportion costs in a way which would reduce New Castle’s share of total costs. Each Supervisor was to obtain approval by the Board for the new plan. New Castle Board Members endorsed this agreement. At the same time an RFP has been issued to all providers of this service in the County for proposals to establish a dedicated ALS service in New Castle. A discussion followed as to whether endorsement of the new Consortium agreement implied continued membership in the Consortium or whether the responses to the RFP would still be actively considered. Replies are due April 6 or 13. There were differences among Board members on how to proceed. A large group of CVAC members were present as was a vocal proponent of another ALS service.
Summit Greenfield Re-Zoning PetitionThe Board is preparing to circulate a Request for Qualifications seeking a Planner to coordinate the process of consideration of the petition for re-zoning.
Route 120 Bridge Options
The proposed location of the staircase from the bridge to the station was decided in favor of the southern side of the bridge since the northern location was too difficult. The prohibition on stopping at the staircase on the bridge to let off passengers would have to be emphasized. A suggestion to put a roof over the stairs, to protect from rain and snow, was well received and included a recommendation to use a design to enhance the traditional feel of the bridge, rather than the corrugated metal used in Pleasantville.Other topics
Additional topics covered included what to do about the substantial rate increase for power announced by the Power Authority which would have a large effect on the operation of the filtration plant; a study initiated by the Town of Cortlandt to improve communications with respect to Indian Point warnings and act on the Witt report; an analysis of the segmented equalization rate for the Ossining school portion of the Town.
New Castle Town Board Meeting Feb. 14, 2006
Present:
Town Board: Janet Wells, Supervisor; Robin Stout, Elise Kessler Mottel, Barbara Gerrard, John Buckley
Others: Clinton Smith, Town Counsel; Genaro Faiella, Town Administrator; Penelle Paderewski, Deputy Town Administrator; and Jill Simon Shapiro, Town Clerk
The meeting began with several announcements:
1. North Castle Open Space Committee is sponsoring a Land Use training program at Pace University on March 24, 2006.
2. The Horace Greeley House has an exhibit of photos and other materials detailing the history of Millwood. The exhibit will remain on display until Fall 2006.
3. The New Castle Beautification Board is sponsoring a Clean-Up Day on April 29, 2006.
4. Applications are being accepted for the following summer internships:
a. Two six-week internships for college students who are majoring in engineering and are residents of New Castle or Pleasantville, stipend $1800;
b. Two six-week Michelle Resnick internships for college students who have completed at least their sophomore year and are New Castle residents, stipend $1800; and
c. Two 6-week internships with the Building and Engineering Department of New Castle.
Applications should be sent to Penelle Paderewski, Deputy Town Administrator, at Town Hall.
5. New Castle Cable TV is sponsoring a film and video festival. People of all ages and levels of experience are invited to submit short films and videos. The application fee is $20.
6. The New Castle Parks and Recreation Department sent a questionnaire to all Town residents. Responses are still being accepted and residents are encouraged to complete and return the surveys.
Supervisor's Report: The Supervisor reported on several matters, including the following:
1. Petitions have been sent by the Town Board and WENT, West End Neighborhood Taxpayers, to New York State requesting a special tax rate for those New Castle residents who are in the Ossining School District. These residents were granted special tax rates in 2004 and 2005, and it has been determined that they are again eligible in 2006.
2. Several applications have been received for the position of part-time Town prosecutor. Applicants must be attorneys, living in New Castle. The annual salary is $6,000.
3. New Castle is looking to hire a Commissioner of Public Works. Although the position calls for a 2-year term, the employment is not meant to be short-term: The last Commissioner held the job for 22 years.
4. Board member Elise Kessler Mottel is interviewing facilitators to assist Town committees in discussing the Hamlet development plans.
Town Administrator's Report: The Town Administrator reported on several matters, including the following:
The Town has requested consents from residents whose property would be affected by the sidewalk planned along Route 120. Several have submitted approvals; 8 have not responded. Efforts to obtain the remaining consents will be made.
Advanced Life Support System Consortium
Several residents spoke regarding the Town's Advanced Life Support system and the proposal to renew New Castle's membership in the ALS consortium with other Northern Westchester towns to provide emergency medical services.
Those opposed to the renewal argued that the Town pays a disproportionate share of the cost of the system, based on the contract formula. They also argued that the response time to 911 calls could be reduced if the Town had a dedicated ALS fly car and EMT on duty, thereby improving the medical care available to residents in need of emergency attention. So long as New Castle does not have its own ALS service, New Castle residents are at risk that the emergency equipment will be occupied when help is needed. They pointed out that many other Westchester towns have their own ALS fly car and dedicated EMT.
Those in favor of the renewal argued that the New Castle Police Department and the Chappaqua Volunteer Ambulance Corps provides effective first responses, supplemented by ambulances from the consortium. They acknowledged that certain deaths did occur, but believe that those situations could not have been helped by a faster response. They also argued that the additional cost would far exceed the benefit that could be obtained from the Town having its own ALS fly car. One opponent urged the Town to make a stronger effort to educate residents in CPR, increasing the likelihood that help would be on the scene when a person needed resuscitation.
The Board took the matter under advisement.
Law Suit by Millwood Fire Commissioners
The Board discussed its efforts with respect to the law suit by the Millwood Fire Commissioners challenging the need to submit firehouse plans to the Town Zoning and Planning Boards. The Board passed a resolution approving the use of the sites currently under consideration by the Commissioners for construction of a firehouse, but reiterating the intention of the Town to review any other sites proposed for that use. The resolution also provided that the Town would not subsequently challenge the suit on the grounds of delay if the Commissioners withdrew the suit in response to the resolution. The Commissioners were not persuaded to delay the suit on the basis of that resolution.
On behalf of the Millwood Taskforce, a representative expressed its appreciation for the Board's efforts to cooperate and its regret at the Commissioners' decision to proceed.
Other Matters
The Board acted on a variety of other matters, including the following
1. It authorized a public hearing to include Random Farms, the Yeshiva, and Riverwoods in Sewer District No. 2.
2. It awarded contracts for office cleaning, grass cutting, and a hazardous materials investigation.
3. It authorized the Arts Council to hold its annual antique show on June 4, 2006 at the Chappaqua train station.
4. It authorized several town employees to attend conferences applicable to their positions and approved specific expenditures related to those conferences.
5. It authorized the waiver of certain penalties for late tax payments and referred the matter to the School Board for further action.The meeting was adjourned into a working an executive session to discuss the Fire Commissioners litigation and a working session to discuss the Board's ongoing goals and objectives.
New Castle Town Board Meeting Jan. 10, 2006
Town Board members present: Supervisor Janet Wells, Robin Stout, Elise Kessler Mottel, Barbara Gerrard, John Buckley. Others present: Town Counsel Clinton Smith, Town Administrator Gennaro Faiella, Deputy Town Administrator Penelle Paderewski, and Jill Simon Shapiro, Town Clerk
The start of the meeting was delayed while the Board held a closed Executive Session to discuss litigation. The specific subject of that litigation and the results of the Executive Session were not described at the meeting, however, it became apparent during the meeting that the litigation discussed was a suit by the Millwood Fire Commissioners to prevent the Board from requiring the submission of any fire house plans to the Town Planning and Zoning Boards for review.
Public Hearing: Amendment to the New Castle Town Code to Provide for Reimbursement of Attorney’s Fees under Professional Review Fee Reimbursement Laws
The existing New Castle Town Code provides that the fees of engineers, architects, and other professionals hired by the Town to review applications submitted to the Town in connection with requests for building permits, zoning variations, etc. were to be reimbursed by the applicants. The Town Code did not provide for the reimbursement of attorney’s fees in the same circumstances, which resulted in the Town incurring legal costs for these reviews. The purpose of this amendment was to put attorney’s fees on the same footing as other professional costs incurred by the Town in connection with the review of applications. After discussion, the amendment was approved unanimously, effective as of January 15, 2006.
Report of the Millwood Fire District Taskforce
By an overwhelming majority, the members of the Millwood Fire District voted to replace incumbent Fire Commissioner, Mr. Indusi, with the challenger, Mr. Scheir. The Taskforce interprets this vote as a protest against the plans for a new firehouse.
The Taskforce representative reported that the Fire Commissioners had sued the New Castle Town Board challenging the applicability of the Town’s zoning laws to the Fire Commissioners. He said that members of the public had encouraged the Fire Commissioners to delay filing suit, but they had decided to proceed. He urged the Board to meet with the Fire Commissioners to try to avoid the expense of litigation and offered the Taskforce’s help in trying to resolve the issues.
Comment by Representative of WENT (West End Neighborhood Taxpayers)
The WENT representative also encouraged the Board to meet with the Fire Commissioners in an effort to resolve the lawsuit. He suggested that the meeting take place in a public forum. He said that, although the members of WENT agree that a new firehouse is needed, it is clear that Millwood Fire District residents would not agree to the bond issue required to finance as large a firehouse as the Commissioners plan to build.
9/11 Memorial
Michael Wolfensohn, one of the proponents of the 9/11 memorial in New Castle, asked the Board to justify its decision to oppose the inclusion of steel from the destroyed World Trade Center in the design. He said that he had many signatures on petitions that supported the use of the steel and asked how many signatures it would take to convince the Board to change its vote. He objected that the Town had hired, at considerable cost, a neutral consultant to design the memorial and then ignored that consultant’s recommendation to include the steel in an unobtrusive way.
Various Board members explained their concern about the emotional impact of the steel and there was no reconsideration of the vote.
Inclusion of a Pool on Reader’s Digest Site
The development of the Reader’s Digest site for senior residential use may include a pool. Several town residents urged the Board to require the developer to build a regulation-size pool that could be used by town residents and students involved in competitive swimming. Because there is no regulation-size pool in town, the girls’ and boys’ high school teams currently must use the pool at Westchester Community College, increasing significantly the already large time commitment these athletes make to the sport. The commentators urged the Board to take advantage of this opportunity to have a pool built in Town; an opportunity that they believe is not likely to recur in the foreseeable future.
The Board took no action but suggested that Town residents use the survey soon to be distributed by the Recreation Department to express their interest in having a pool in Town.
Other Actions
The Board acted on a variety of other matters, including the following: It voted unanimously to authorize the issuance of dog licenses for up to three years in length, extended the current limit of one year. The resolution was made effective as of January 15, 2006.
It took several actions relating to Town personnel.
It extended the expiration date of the 2005-2006 train station parking permits to June 15, 2006 in order to change the renewal schedule.
The Board held a second closed session to consider a confidential personnel matter and the meeting was adjourned
Updated Dec. 17, 2007 by Valerie Castleman
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