Tarrytown Board of Trustees Round-Up

Here's a look at what happened Wednesday during the Board of Trustees' work session:

Changes to Parking Enforcement and Fees

While the price of a parking ticket is going up to $20 in the village business district (upper Main St. and Broadway), trustees debated the next-day payment policy that allows an individual to halve the amount they owe the village. While trustees leaned toward keeping this policy intact, they discussed a wide range of changes to increase the amount the village collects on parking. They included:

• Increasing the fine for late payment of parking tickets.
• Changing the hours of meter use (in the business district) from the current 9 a.m. - 6 p.m., to either 9 a.m. - 9 p.m. or even 12-9 p.m.
• Increasing the cost of per-hour parking by an additional $0.15.

"This is one of the major tickets in the village," Village Administrator Michael Blau said. 

Trustees will also increase the amount they charge the US Post Office for parking spaces in the McKeel Ave. parking lot. The Post Office will receive 39 permits for $7,800 per year through to 2014.

Trustees also looked forward to charging for baseball event parking, and the creation of reduced event-parking in exchange for patronage at village businesses and restaurants.

Trustees Spar Over Preliminary Budget Decisions

Trustees were asked to help guide the administration in policy decisions that will ultimately be included in this year's draft budget. 

The current draft budget shows over 7 percent in potential tax increases for village residents.

"We've already made this an unbelievably lean budget," Blau said. "You made it perfectly clear what number you wanted to come in at, and we can't get there without direction from the Board of Trustees as to where you want to make adjustments and what policy decisions you want to make."

Trustees have been hoping to keep any tax increase below 3 percent, and they made their point abundantly clear. Trustee Doug Zollo said he didn't want to see any discretionary spending, not even for upgrades of computer systems for the police department.

"Not five cents, unless it's an obligation, not five cents, and my blood will boil if you try," Zollo said. "We can't do it any more. The money isn't there, the county is laying people off. Seven percent? I mean I wish my salary was going up 7 percent."

Trustees opted to transfer $350,000 from the village's water fund, which is currently operating at a profit, to the general fund. Money procured from the water fund created a tax increase below 5 percent. Trustees also wanted the village to examine the possibility of going to once-a-week garbage pickup and charging additional amounts for extra garbage;  increasing parking permit fees; and laying off a police dispatcher. 

By the end of the evening, the draft budget showed a potential tax increase of just below 3 percent. The draft budget will be released on March 22.

Pre-Bidding Begins on New Firetruck

The village has begun a pre-bidding process for a new firetruck for the Riverside Company. Blau said there were three companies who were looking to bid on the contract.

Village Stubborn on Shared Garage

Trustees inquired as to the ongoing discussions involving the village and the Union Free School District of the Tarrytowns over the use of a Public Works maintenance garage for the repair of district buses. The village would like the district to start paying for use of the garage. The school district, however, is already dealing with its own budget problems.

"I sent Howard (Smith, District Superintendent) the costs associated with a reasonable rental and he asked weather or not we would reduce it based on the costs they incur for providing us busing," Blau said.

Trustees have said that the district's use of the DPW garage is a storage issue, and that village equipment, such as chippers and blowers, are left outside while the district uses the garage.

Appointment of Village Officials.

Trustees began to review the village's boards and committees for the purpose of reappointing their members. However, trustees found that many of the boards are in name only, and have either not met, or haven't been needed in the village for some time.

"I guess the question is do you want to continue some of these," Blau said.

The village will hold their next regular meeting on Monday, March 15.