Plastic Bag Ban to Take Effect in Mamaroneck Village; $215K Police Annex to be Built

After months of discussion, the decision to with handles was officially made a .  The ban—which will go into effect within the next six months—will become the second Westchester community to ban plastic bags. Rye's ban took effect in May of this year.

Please click to the right of this article for a copy of the proposed law as well as other supporting documentation from the meeting.

June and Richard Ottinger also got what they wanted when the board decided to accept their letter of map revision from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). And, the board tabled a public hearing about the cumulative damage provision in the local law regarding the requirement for homeowners to raise their homes, which will remain open until the board meets in September.

The village did authorize spending $215,000 to build a new modular police annex that will include gendered locker rooms, an exercise room and separate showers.

“The annex is a long time coming,” said Police Chief Christopher Leahy. “It would be great if we are able to do this for the officers of the village.”

After an audience member stated it was “long overdue,” trustee John Hofstetter agreed, claiming that the “facility has been substandard for a long time” and that the solution would be cost-effective. The measure passed unanimously.

All trustees also agreed to buy three new Ford Interceptor vehicles for the department at a cost of $121,272.96 and auction off older vehicles, which Hofstetter said is “something we have to do.”  Parking enforcement will also get two new Prius vehicles (at almost $23,000 each) to “replace the antiquated buggies” currently in use, said Mayor Norman Rosenblum, which tend to get extremely hot during the summer.

The Fire Department recently received a new Gator vehicle, which offers more maneuverability and off-road capabilities and last night, the board approved the purchase of a new one for the Parks Department for $10,500. Hofstetter said that a pickup truck could do the job envisioned by the Gator (driving onto ball fields, he said) but was outvoted.

Even Westchester County is spending new money in the village. Tom Lauro, commissioner of the county’s Department of Environmental Facilities, reported that the county will also be spending an extra $2 million on repairing the roof and the tower at the sewage treatment plant, which is added to the cost of renovating and repairing the plant.

Work crews found cracks in the tower, but since the building is historic and has been damaged by recent storms, the project consists of “more than just a repair,” Lauro said.

The county will fix the roof and replace all the bricks in the tower and the building beneath it. The new bricks will match the old ones. Demolition will continue through the winter and the work is scheduled for completion in Fall 2013.