MINUTES -- 6/3/02

MINUTES

COUNTY BOARD OF LEGISLATORS

JUNE 3, 2002

The County Board of Legislators met pursuant to adjournment.

The Honorable Lois Bronz in the Chair.

The Chairman opened the meeting with the salute to our flag and an invocation.

The roll call resulted as follows:

Legislators: Young, Oros, Abinanti, Alvarado, Kaplowitz, LaMotte, Latimer, Maisano, Mosiello, Pinto, Rogowsky, Ryan, Spreckman, Stewart-Cousins, Swanson, Wishnie, – Chair – 17.

Absent: None.

Motion – Approval of Minutes. Mr. Young moved that the minutes of May 20, 2002 be approved – Carried.

Mr. Young moved to suspend the regular order of business for the purpose of holding a Public Hearing – Carried.

PUBLIC HEARING: Sewer Modification: Proposed Modification to the Saw Mill Sanitary Sewer District to remove one parcel of property in the Village of Briarcliff Manor located at 149 Long Hill Road East.

The Clerk presented proof of publication of the notice of Public Hearing and read the rules for its conduct.

There were no speakers.

No other person wishing to be heard, Mr. Young declared the Public Hearing closed and moved to resume the regular order of business.

COMMUNICATION: COUNTY EXECUTIVE: Central De-Icing Facility: Proposed Resolution declaring the Board of Legislators’ standing as lead agency for the environmental review of the County’s proposed construction of a Central De-icing Facility at the County zAirport was on motion of Mr. Young received, filed and referred to the Committee on the Environment & Health.

COMMUNICATION: COUNTY EXECUTIVE: WCHCC Agreement: Proposed Act authorizing the County to enter into an agreement with the Westchester County Health Care Corporation whereby the County will provide records storage and retrieval services to WCHCC was on motion of Mr. Young received, filed and referred to the Committee on Budget and Appropriations and the Committee on the Environment & Health.

COMMUNICATION: COUNTY EXECUTIVE: Prisoner Transportation: Proposed Act authorizing the County to enter into an IMA with the City of Yonkers in order to provide reimbursement for prisoner transportation to the Westchester County Jail was on motion of Mr. Young received, filed and referred to the Committee on Budget and Appropriations.

COMMUNICATION: COUNTY EXECUTIVE: Appointment of Acting Commissioner of Public Works: Proposed Resolution confirming the appointment of Ralph Butler as Acting Commissioner of Public Works was on motion of Mr. Young received, filed and referred to the Committee on County Officers and Departments.

COMMUNICATION: COUNTY EXECUTIVE: Affordable Senior Housing: Proposed legislation that would authorize the County to purchase and subsequently convey approximately 3.78 acres of real property, consisting of a three story, 110 bed former nursing home building located at 19 Narragansett Avenue in the Village of Ossining, for the purpose of providing affordable senior housing was on motion of Mr. Young received, filed and referred to the Committee on Budget and Appropriations and the Committee on Housing.

COMMUNICATION: COUNTY EXECUTIVE: Capital Budget Amendment: Amending the County 2002 Capital Budget – Feasibility Studies was on motion of Mr. Young received, filed and referred to the Committee on Budget and Appropriations.

COMMUNICATION: COUNTY EXECUTIVE: Property Donation: Proposed Act authorizing the County to accept a donation from John Shutowick and Associates, Inc. of approximately 1.3 acres of real property abutting the South County Trailway in the Village of Hastings-on-Hudson was on motion of Mr. Young received, filed and referred to the Committee on Budget and Appropriations.

COMMUNICATION: COUNTY EXECUTIVE: Affordable Housing Project: Proposed Act authorizing the County to purchase and subsequently convey approximately 10,000 square feet of real property located at 726 Old White Plains road in the Village of Mamaroneck for the purpose of developing a 10-unit multi-family affordable housing project was on motion of Mr. Young received, filed and referred to the Committee on Budget and Appropriations and the Committee on Housing.

COMMUNICATION: COUNTY EXECUTIVE: Acquisition of Easement: Proposed Act authorizing the County of acquire a permanent easement from 666 Apartment Corporation permitting the County to enter upon certain real property owned by the Corporation on Pelham Road in New Rochelle in order to inspect, maintain and/or repair a County-owned underground sewer line, sewer interceptor and related appurtenances was on motion of Mr. Young received, filed and referred to the Committee on Budget and Appropriations.

COMMUNICATION: COUNTY EXECUTIVE: Mortgage Taxes: Proposed Act authorizing and directing the Commissioner of Finance to pay the Mortgage Tax Receipts was on motion of Mr. Young received, filed and referred to the Committee on Budget and Appropriations.

COMMUNICATION: HON. URSULA LA MOTTE: Youth Violence: Forwarding a report from the Westchester Children’s Association entitled Children and Guns: Violent Death Reporting System was on motion of Mr. Young received, filed and referred to the Committee on Public Safety and Criminal Justice.

COMMUNICATION: HON. LOIS BRONZ: Property Tax Relief Act: Forwarding a letter from the Executive Director of the Lord’s Pantry urging the Board to pass the Property Tax Relief Act was on motion of Mr. Young received, filed and referred to the Committee on Budget and Appropriations and the Committee on Legislation.

COMMUNICATION: HON. MICHAEL KAPLOWITZ AND HON. LOIS BRONZ: Indian Point Shutdown: Forwarding a Resolution passed by the Town of Yorktown authorizing the Town to join the coalition calling for the immediate shutdown and safe and orderly decommissioning of the Indian Point Nuclear Facility was on motion of Mr. Young received, filed and referred to the Committee on Public Safety and Criminal Justice and the Committee on the Environment & Health.

COMMUNICATION: CITIZEN COMMUNICATION: SUPERVISOR PAUL FEINER: Establishment of a Dog Park: Calling for the establishment of a Dog Park, possibly located at Ridge Road Park in Hartsdale was on motion of Mr. Young received, filed and referred to the Committee on Parks.

COMMUNICATION: HON. RICHARD WISHNIE: Property Tax Relief Act: Forwarding a letter from the Director of Jan Peek House urging the Board to pass the Property Tax Relief Act was on motion of Mr. Young received, filed and referred to the Committee on Budget and Appropriations and the Committee on Legislation.

COMMUNICATION: HON. RICHARD WISHNIE: Property Tax Relief Act: Forwarding a letter from the Executive Director and CEO of Abbott House urging the Board to pass the Property Tax Relief Act was on motion of Mr. Young received, filed and referred to the Committee on Budget and Appropriations and the Committee on Legislation.

COMMUNICATION: HON. RICHARD WISHNIE: Property Tax Relief Act: Forwarding a letter from the Chief Executive Officer of the YMCA urging the Board to pass the Property Tax Relief Act was on motion of Mr. Young received, filed and referred to the Committee on Budget and Appropriations and the Committee on Legislation.

COMMUNICATION: HON. RICHARD WISHNIE: Property Tax Relief Act: Forwarding a letter from the Director of the Victims Assistance Services urging the Board to pass the Property Tax Relief Act was on motion of Mr. Young received, filed and referred to the Committee on Budget and Appropriations and the Committee on Legislation.

COMMUNICATION: HON. RICHARD WISHNIE: Property Tax Relief Act: Forwarding a letter from the Executive Director of Community Housing Innovations, Inc. urging the Board to pass the Property Tax Relief Act was on motion of Mr. Young received, filed and referred to the Committee on Budget and Appropriations and the Committee on Legislation.

COMMUNICATION: HON. SUZANNE SWANSON: Sewer Modification: Forwarding a Resolution passed by the Town of Mount Pleasant asking for parcels located on Cecilia Lane in Pleasantville and Todd Lane and Hardscrabble Road in Briarcliff to be removed from the Saw Mill Sewer District was on motion of Mr. Young received, filed and referred to the Committee on Public Works.

COMMUNICATION: HON. THOMAS ABINANTI: Energy Conservation: Forwarding a letter from the Supervisor of the Town of Greenburgh regarding a law he is proposing for the Town that will mandate energy conservation in the Town over and above the State’s standards was on motion of Mr. Young received, filed and referred to the Committee on the Environment & Health.

COMMUNICATION: HON. THOMAS ABINANTI: Bus Service: Forwarding a letter from the Supervisor of the Town of Greenburgh regarding Bee-Line Bus Service in the Town was on motion of Mr. Young received, filed and referred to the Committee on Community Affairs.

COMMUNICATION: HON. LOIS BRONZ: WCC Board of Trustees Appointment: Forwarding a copy of her letter appointing LeRoy Mitchell as a member of the Westchester Community College Board of Trustees was on motion of Mr. Young received, filed and referred to the Committee on County Officers and Departments.

COMMUNICATION: HON. LOIS BRONZ: Work Badge Policy: Forwarding a proposed Resolution regarding the County’s Work Badge Policy was on motion of Mr. Young received, filed and referred to the Committee on County Officers and Departments.

COMMUNICATION: HON. URSULA LA MOTTE: Casino Complex Opposition: Forwarding a Resolution passed by the Town of North Salem expressing opposition to the proposal by the Schaghiticoke Indian Tribe to build a casino complex in Danbury Connecticut was on motion of Mr. Young received, filed and referred to the Committee on Community Affairs.

COMMUNICATION: HON. URSULA LA MOTTE: Jail Conditions: Forwarding a letter from a County resident expressing opposition to the regulations that require all offenders, no matter how young or how nonviolent their crime, to spend 23 hours of every day for their first month in lock-down was on motion of Mr. Young received, filed and referred to the Committee on Public Safety and Criminal Justice.

COMMITTEE ON BUDGET AND APPROPRIATIONS: Bond Act: (BOND) ACT 136-2002: Authorizing the issuance of $500,000 in bonds – Replacement and acquisition of equipment to support the Department of Labs and Research’s Programs. (BLR2A)

Mr. Wishnie presented the following report and act and moved that the report be received, filed and approved and the act adopted, which motion was carried by the following vote:

AYE: Legislators: Young, Oros, Abinanti, Alvarado, Kaplowitz, LaMotte, Latimer, Maisano, Mosiello, Pinto, Rogowsky, Ryan, Spreckman, Stewart-Cousins, Swanson, Wishnie, Chair – 17.

NAY: None.

COMMITTEE ON BUDGET AND APPROPRIATIONS AND COMMITTEE ON THE ENVIRONMENT & HEALTH: WCHCC Agreement: ACT 137-2002: Authorizing the County to enter into an agreement with the Westchester County Health Care Corporation whereby WCHCC will provide psychological examinations on an as-needed basis for probation officer trainees to aid the Department of Probation in assessing the psychological fitness of a trainee to carry a firearm.

Mr. Wishnie presented the following report and act and moved that the report be received, filed and approved and the act adopted, which motion was carried by the following vote:

AYE: Legislators: Young, Oros, Abinanti, Alvarado, Kaplowitz, LaMotte, Latimer, Maisano, Mosiello, Pinto, Rogowsky, Ryan, Spreckman, Stewart-Cousins, Swanson, Wishnie, Chair – 17.

NAY: None.

COMMITTEE ON BUDGET AND APPROPRIATIONS AND COMMITTEE ON THE ENVIRONMENT AND HEALTH: WCHCC Agreement: ACT 138-2002: Authorizing the County to enter into an agreement with the Westchester County Health Care Corporation whereby the County, through its Department of Social Services, shall assign for employment on the premises of WCHCC County employees whose sole duty shall be to accept and process applications for Medicaid and persons seeking medical assistance from the Westchester County Health Care Corporation or the Taylor Care Center.

Mr. Wishnie presented the following report and act and moved that the report be received, filed and approved and the act adopted, which motion was carried by the following vote:

AYE: Legislators: Young, Oros, Abinanti, Alvarado, Kaplowitz, LaMotte, Latimer, Maisano, Mosiello, Pinto, Rogowsky, Ryan, Spreckman, Stewart-Cousins, Swanson, Wishnie, Chair – 17.

NAY: None.

COMMITTEE ON BUDGET AND APPROPRIATIONS: County Clerk Operating Budget Amendment: ACT 139-2002: Amending the 2002 County Clerk Operating Budget.

The following Act was laid “OVER” under the Rules by Mr. Wishnie.

COMMITTEE ON BUDGET AND APPROPRIATIONS: E911 Operating Budget Amendment: ACT 140-2002: Amending the 2001 E-911 Operating Budget.

Mr. Wishnie presented the following report and act and moved that the report be received, filed and approved and the act adopted, which motion was carried by the following vote:

AYE: Legislators: Young, Oros, Alvarado, Kaplowitz, LaMotte, Latimer, Maisano, Mosiello, Pinto, Rogowsky, Ryan, Spreckman, Stewart-Cousins, Swanson, Wishnie, Chair – 16.

NAY: None.

Legislator Abinanti was not present when the vote was taken.

COMMITTEE ON LEGISLATION: Home Rule Request Resolution: RES 72-2002: Supporting the enactment of A11397A/S7069B entitled “AN ACT to amend the retirement and social security law, in relation to disability benefits applicable to criminal investigators, senior criminal investigators and chief criminal investigators employed by the office of the Westchester county district attorney in certain instances and providing for the repeal of such provisions on the expiration thereof.”

Mrs. Stewart-Cousins presented the following Resolution and moved its adoption, which was declared adopted.

COMMITTEE ON COUNTY OFFICERS AND DEPARTMENTS: Youth Board Reappointment: RES 73-2002: Confirming the reappointment of Gregory Robinson as a member of the Youth Board.