Rye NY July Town Meeting Notes

1) HUNGER IN RYE TOWN. The monthly meeting was led off by a report by Town Ombudsman and Model American Community (MAC) Administrator Greg Arcaro, whose presentation (attached as a PowerPoint file) included an overview of hunger in Rye Town as well as an update on the Town’s summer internship program and the launch of the Town’s Green Sustainability efforts.

The core question raised by the Town hunger study is: does our community have a hunger problem and, if so, is that problem being adequately addressed? The study found no easy way to answer that question.

The bulk of the efforts to combat hunger in Rye Town are focused in the Port Chester schools, where 69% of the students receive free or reduced cost lunches and 100% receive free breakfasts. There are a number of soup kitchens and food pantries that are dealing with the issue, all operating pretty much independently, and Arcaro reported that the Town is going to call a meeting of all these providers to see if ways can be found to distribute the food more effectively as well as get a better overview on the size and nature of the problem.

One important question not addressed in the study is: who feeds the Port Chester school children during non school days (summer vacations and term breaks)?

Readers of these monthly reports will remember that the Town sponsored Tools for Change group supervised by Duke University Professor Bill Tobin also analyzed the extent of hunger in Rye Town and to what extent the efforts to fight it could be better coordinated.

This is a story that cries out for coverage by local and regional publications and media outlets, and Mr. Arcaro’s report is as good a place as any to start your inquiry, together with phone interviews with Supervisor Joe Carvin, Deputy Supervisor Bill Villanova, Mr. Arcaro, and, of course, the heads of organizations running the food kitchens. If I can be of help steering you as to where to start on this story, let me know.

2) THE TOWN MOVE TO THE PORT CHESTER VILLAGE GOVERNMENT CENTER. With all the leasing documents now signed with the Village of Port Chester regarding the Town’s move to 224 South Grace Church Street (The VPC Government Center), Mr. Nowotnik could report that an initial grand planning meeting with all involved, including the contractor, will be held July 22, and that he was projecting a move out of Town Hall into the new facilities over the Columbus Day weekend. Councilman Tom Nardi, who runs a professional plumbing business, said he could pretty well guaranty that there would be unexpected delays—there always are, and that the Town would be lucky to move by mid November. Supervisor Carvin said he absolutely did not want to be sitting in the current Town Hall either in November or beyond, and demanded that Mr. Nowotnik ride herd on the construction process on a daily basis and report any hint of delays to the Board immediately. There are no financial bonuses for finishing early, or penalties for finishing late, in the Town’s construction contract, so…..there was a general sense of finger crossing and wishing Mr. Nowotnik and the construction team thorough good luck.

3) CERTIORIS, IN REM. The main business of the Town is assessing property values and collecting taxes imposed by the school districts, and villages, in the Town, as well as collecting County and Sewage District Taxes. And so not a meeting goes by without reports on whether (and how many) commercial property owners are challenging their assessments (the “certiori”), and whether homeowners are paying their taxes, and if they refuse, foreclosure on those properties. On a positive note, fewer and fewer commercial property owners are challenging their assessments, in large measure because of the Town’s new law mandating property owners turn over financial statements when challenging their assessments, or face 3% penalties on their owed taxes. So the main news continued to be the one homeowner with $37,000 in unpaid property taxes, and with a home owned outright that is worth over $500,000, who refuses to pay those long due taxes. Receiver of Taxes Nick Mecca and Town Attorney Paul Noto reported once again they had reached out to this homeowner several times, only to be rejected. Supervisor Carvin said he himself would like to meet with the homeowner in question and give a brief tutorial on why it makes no sense to throw away a half million dollar home over a $37,000 tax bill. This saga will be continued.

4) CRAWFORD PARK RENTAL POLICIES. The Town’s new rental policies for Crawford Park were put to the test when Lead Pastor Jeremy Ziegler of the Redemption Community Church appeared before the Board to request permission to stage a movie night at Crawford Park both for his Congregation and any interested Town residents. Under questioning from Deputy Supervisor Bill Villanova, Pastor Ziegler confirmed that his Church is based in Harrison, and at this time has no facility in the Town of Rye, although one is planned for sometime in the Fall. The Board denied Pastor Ziegler’s request based on its Crawford Park policy of reserving use of the Park and its facilities to Rye Town based organizations and resident. New Board policies also mandate NO FESTIVALS of any kind at Crawford Park unless approved by the Board, and any organization or individual planning an event where more than 200 attendees are expected must get permission in advance from the Town Board. There is a maximum capacity of 225 persons for Crawford Park now for any event.

5) BRIDGE REPAIR REPORT. Town Superintendent of Highways John DeCrescenzo estimated that all work on the Jefferson Avenue Bridge should be completed by the end of July or the beginning of August. Only paving the bridge surface and the roads leading to it needs to be done. And repairs to the Otter Creek Bridge are on hold until Mr. DeCrescenzo can find a firm with the expertise (and the willingness) to make minor repairs to this small bridge which require over-water work.

6) ODDS AND ENDS. The Board voted to donate $1,500 to the organizers of the Columbus Day Parade.

Dick Hubert
Videoware Corporation
53 Doral Greens Drive West
Rye Brook, New York 10573