Peekskill Fills Vacant Council Seat

PEEKSKILL, NY — The Peekskill Common Council appointed local businessman Brian Fassett at its Monday meeting to fill a vacancy on the council created when Vivian McKenzie took office as mayor Jan. 1.

The vacant seat, now filled by Fassett, will be up for election in November.

He said his passion for making the city a better place for everyone grows every day that he wakes up and is truly honored by this appointment.

“I thank the City Council members for their trust and look forward to working with them as colleagues," Fassett said. I am proud of this council’s work and look forward to bringing my skills to this diverse team.

He said, as a council member, he’ll continue building on the touchstones he's already been involved with during the last four years as Peekskill Business Improvement District president, honoring Peekskill’s rich history and looking to a brighter future.

"I am committed to doing my best to represent all of the people of Peekskill as we are all on this journey together,” Fassett said.

He is a founding partner of Eclectic Precision, a design firm established in 2000, and Vivid RGB Lighting, an LED product development firm founded in 2011.

Drawn by the beauty of Peekskill, Fassett and his husband Sepp Spenlinhauer purchased the historic Peekskill Evening Star building in 2015 and then moved to Peekskill in 2016 after living in Crown Heights Brooklyn for 15 years.

During his time in Peekskill, Fassett won a seat on the Peekskill BID Board of Directors in 2018, and just completed his fourth year as president of the board. Under his leadership, the BID has remained fiscally solid with the bylaws updated and involvement greater than ever before.

In addition, Fassett led the effort in 2019 to form Peekskill Pride, a nonprofit organization with a mission to create safe spaces for the LGBTQ+ community, where he currently serves as president of the board.

McKenzie said the council looks forward to having Fassett become a member and believes he will make an excellent addition.

“Brian’s years of experience as a business owner along with his community involvement and enthusiasm make him the perfect candidate to complete our council," she said. "We look forward to working alongside him as we lead the city through continued growth and transformation.”