Tarrytown Board of Trustees Roundup - 10/4/2010

Here's a look at what happened Monday during the Board of Trustees' regular meeting:

Opening and Trustee Reports

• Mayor Drew Fixell opened the meeting on Monday with another moment of silence for Anthony Ruggiero and John Kelly, the men who died in a Labor Day manhole accident. Fixell noted that the flags in the village would continue to fly at half staff "for a several more days" in honor of the men.
• Village Trustee Robert Hoyt mentioned that the Tarrytown Recreation Department is holding a scarecrow making event at Patriots Park on Saturday, Oct. 9, starting at 10:30 a.m. The department is providing straw and wood frames, those who want to participate just need to bring old clothes and string to make a unique creation. The event ends at 1 p.m.
• Fixell mentioned a village-wide clean-up that is occurring this Sunday, Oct. 10, at 10 a.m. Participants will meet at the Warner Library, clean the village for a couple hours, and meet back at the library for lunch. Bring some gloves, bright clothes and a good attitude.
• Trustee Mary McGee announced that the Warner Library is having its semi-annual book sale on Oct. 16 and 17. Funds made at the book sale go to promote events at the Warner Library.

Public Comments

Over an hour and a half of the public comment period was dedicated the the issue of safety in the village and the deaths of Ruggiero and Kelly. The summary of the discussion can be found here.

Carole Griffiths, chair of the Tarrytown Environmental Advisory Council, also thanked the village for their work in promoting the previous week's which was a success for the organizers. Griffiths especially thanked the responsiveness of Village Administrator Michael Blau for helping with the event.

Trustees Restrict Parking on Sheldon, More to Come

Trustees have been concerned with the parking situation on Sheldon Avenue near the intersection with South Broadway.

Last week, trustees said the narrow roads, numerous cars and traffic due to the Korean Church and Tarrytown Honda, made the situation dangerous on Sheldon Avenue. They said that it would be impossible for a fire truck to gain access during an emergency. 

As a potential solution to the problem, trustees approved a no-parking zone on Sheldon Avenue. The zone extends 600 feet east from the intersection with South Broadway. Parking is prohibited on the south side of the street on all days except Sunday.

However, some residents didn't think the measure went far enough to solve the problem.

Michael Krieger, of Sheldon Avenue, brought a laptop with numerous pictures of the dire parking situation in the area. He said the road was plagued with parked cars, individuals test-driving automobiles and trucks dropping off merchandise to Tarrytown Honda. He said the problem was even worse on Sundays when the church was in session.

"I have to think about whether I can leave my house, because when I come back I don't know where I can park my car," he said. "I might as well move back into the city."

He also said that people speed around the tight corners in the neighborhood, leaving no room for oncoming cars to react. The sentiment was backed up by Alison Boldyrev, another resident from the area.

"It's very dangerous," she said. "You can not make the turns because of the cars, or there are constantly the trucks there too."

Boldyrev mentioned that there were two empty lots in the area that might be used to alleviate the parking problem. Trustees noted that the larger empty lot on Sheldon Avenue, was owned by the Consolidated Engine Co. of the Tarrytown Fire Department, making it currently unavailable for parking. A smaller lot is owned by the village.

Trustees passed the resolution, but will likely be back in two weeks with more guidelines that take into account citizen concerns.

Dogs to be Licensed in Greenburgh

Trustees voted to end the licensing dogs in the village. The decision came after the state legislature ended the practice of running dog registration programs as a cost-cutting measure. They instead passed the duty on to local municipalities.

Tarrytown officials said the cost of licensing dogs in the village would exceed the income from licenses and opted, along with five other villages in the town, to hand the duty over to Greenburgh.

As of January 1, 2010, all dog licenses will be obtained through Town Hall in Greenburgh.

Trustees Hold Off on NYSHIP for Two Weeks

Trustees were set to pass a resolution allowing volunteer ambulance corps members and volunteer firefighters to sign on for New York State Health Insurance Plan (NYSHIP) benefits through the village. 

Anyone who signs on would have to pay the full price for the plan. However, the wording of the resolution made it sound like the village would be providing the health care, not the state. Trustees asked for the wording to be changed and brought back for a vote.