Tarrytown Board of Trustees Meeting Roundup

Here's a look at what happened at Wednesday's Board of Trustees regular meeting of September 8, 2010:

Honoring Anthony Ruggiero and John Kelly

Mayor Drew Fixell opened the meeting by addressing the deaths of 29-year village employee and volunteer firefighter Anthony Ruggiero Jr. and volunteer firefighter John Kelly. 

You can read the full story and hear Fixell's speech here. 

9-11 Service Planned

The one announcement from the meeting is that the Fire Department will be going ahead with a 9-11 service in Patriots Park at 8:45 a.m. on September 11.

Trustees Open a Number of Public Hearings

Trustees quickly opened a number of public hearings on amendments to the village code. No one was at the meeting to speak to the amendments. Trustees voted to keep the public hearing open until the board's next regular meeting on September 22. 

The public hearings involve the following changes to the village code:

1. Chapter 305, Zoning

The change to Chapter 305, Zoning, Section 305-134 C, would make it a requirement to include topographic data for the purpose that applications to the Planning Board  include a map showing areas of slope exceeding 25 percent at two-foot intervals.

2. Chapter 297, Water

The change to Chapter 297, Water, 297-11, changes the village's penalties for not paying your water utility bill on time. The penalty provision would be cumulative, and another penalty would be added should the water arrears for a property be placed on the property tax rolls. The change aims to quash the practice of land owners purposefully not paying their water fees so that the amount goes to their property taxes, they can then claim a higher tax deduction at the end of the year. 

3. Chapter 273, Taxicabs and Liveries

The change to Chapter 273, Taxicabs and Liveries would replace the responsibilities of the Mayor in the law with the Village Administrator with the exception of the Mayor's participation in the Police Committee. The move is meant to take the mayor out of decisions on taxi and livery licenses. 

4. Chapter 225, Peddling and Soliciting

Changes to Chapter 225, Peddling and Soliciting, would remove language that currently only allows peddlers to be in one spot for 1o minutes. The change will also more clearly define where peddling can occur. 

5. Chapter 221, Parks and Recreation Areas

Changes to Chapter 221, Parks and Recreation Areas, would set uniform times for all parks in the village to open and close. If approved, all parks would be open a half hour before sunrise to a half hour after sunset each day.

6. Chapter 125, Dogs and Other Animals

Changes to Chapter 125, Dogs and Other Animals, Section 125-2, will eliminate restricting dogs in certain parks within the village. If it passes, dogs will be allowed in all public parks.

Village Accepts Old County Money

Trustees voted to accept $17,000 from Westchester County.

The money is from a commitment made by the county in 2009. When Boys and Girls Club shut down last year, the Villages of Tarrytown and Sleepy Hollow stepped in to provide free summer camps for kids who were displaced by the closure. At the time, the county said they would pitch in for the effort.

Now, over a year later, the county has released the funds it promised. Since the village's books for that time are already closed, the money will go into the general fund.

Village Agreement with NYSERDA

The village entered into an agreement with the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority to allow all the streetlights within the village to be converted to LED lights. The lights will last about 20 years on average, save on energy consumption, and are more bright then current signals in the village. The lights will not be installed on state roads such as Route 9 and Route 119.

Trustees Set Two New Public Hearings

Two additional public hearings were set on Wednesday. The first would remove language that bans all domestic animals in the village. Domesticated animals are described as animals that are not typically kept as pets such as goats, chickens and llamas.

The second public hearing involves the use of gas-powered leaf blowers. The current time period restrictions would be the same, but trustees are hoping to clear up a loophole that allows for corporations with private grounds crews to use leaf blowers whenever they wish. The change would make the exemption only for single and double occupancy homes. 

Both public hearings are set to open on September 22, 2010.

Fixell Addresses the Heroes of Monday's Tragedy

Fixell ended the evening by again praising the efforts of the Tarrytown Volunteer Fire Department, the Tarrytown Police Department and the Tarrytown Volunteer Ambulance Corps.