OPENPUBLICA · PUBLIC MEETING RECORD
Record of Proceedings

New Rochelle Committee of the Whole Meeting - March 10, 2026

Meeting Portal — Tuesday, March 10, 2026
BodyNew Rochelle, New York
SessionMeeting Portal
DateTuesday, March 10, 2026
StatusFILED
Video Record
0:00 / 2:31:58

Transcript — Verbatim
0:20

I just call this meeting to order.

0:22

Good afternoon and welcome to the March committee of the whole session.

0:25

Madam Clerk, please call the roll.

0:27

Certainly.

0:29

Council Member Lopez here.

0:31

Councilmember Tarantino.

0:33

Councilmember Peters.

0:34

Councilmember Asiloye.

0:36

Councilmember Kay.

0:38

Here.

0:38

And Councilmember Sturge.

0:39

Here.

0:40

Thank you.

0:41

Again, well, thank you.

0:43

On this beautiful 70 degree weather day, I almost want to request next year we just get to have this one outside.

0:50

But since I did not have prior planning, we will start our committee of the whole meeting with a presentation by the Near Shaw Police Department.

0:57

I saw a deck.

0:58

I have a copy of a deck.

1:00

And turn it over to the floor.

1:03

Good evening.

1:03

How's everybody?

1:04

Great.

1:06

Good afternoon, I guess.

1:08

So this is going to be a brief presentation.

1:12

I'm gonna talk about some things from last year, just a few, and some things from this year, just a combination since this is so early in the year.

1:20

And here we go.

1:25

There was any.

1:32

So this is the mission of the RSH Police Department.

1:34

This is something that we all take very seriously.

1:36

And when it comes down to it, this is what we have.

1:39

This is this is what we do.

1:41

Um we we protect life and property and we make sure we do it in a fair manner to everybody that we come into contact with, and that's everybody.

1:54

People that we arrest, people we don't arrest, people are giving directions.

1:58

That's our motto.

1:59

Dignity and respect to everybody.

2:02

This is our organizational chart, hasn't changed, and I don't see any um changes in foreseeable future.

2:12

Our index crimes.

2:13

So the index crimes are the eight serious crimes that the FBI utilizes to um indicate community safety and law enforcement effectiveness.

2:25

Now you'll see that there are more than eight crimes there, and you'll see I I noticed when I was going over it that I made an omission, and under larceny on the left-hand side there should be arson.

2:38

Should be arson.

2:40

And though those arson numbers, the numbers on the left in bold are 2026 year to date, and those arson numbers are zero for this year and one year to date this year.

3:00

And you can see that we're um we're right in line with with last year.

3:06

Uh obviously, when it comes to crime, we want to stay on the low side of that.

3:13

Um just some performance measures on this next page.

3:19

Calls for service, where we are up, index crimes, the overall index crimes.

3:25

Uh I'm sorry, let me go back real quick.

3:26

One thing I forgot to mention.

3:28

Those other crimes that you see there, those are part two offenses.

3:31

So the ones on the left are part one, part two, the so-called less serious offenses, those are on the right-hand side.

3:38

The FBI, I believe they have both, but they really track when you talk about safe cities and things like that, you're talking about part one index crimes.

3:47

So that's that's there.

3:49

And these are our um performance measures, same that I use when when I give the budget presentation.

3:55

And we are um up in calls for service, index crimes, overall down.

4:01

Now the calls for service, just to point this out.

4:04

Calls for service are calls where we actually are putting in our computer.

4:08

That does not mean that those are the contacts that we have.

4:12

So we could have an officer stop, and if it's just a small um minimal interaction, somebody asking for directions, somebody asking um just some other question that doesn't warrant fall into some category of call that we have.

4:28

We we won't even take a time for it.

4:30

But I'm just pointing that out so that you can understand that our contacts are much much more than this 11,000 that that you see.

4:41

Um it's it's tough to indicate, but it could be as high as as 10 more thousand contacts.

Discussion Breakdown — Share of Meeting
Public Safety████████████████████████24%
Zoning And Land Use█████████████████████21%
Public Engagement████████████12%
Procedural████████8%
Parks and Recreation███████7%
Economic Development██████6%
Veterans Affairs████4%
Affordable Housing████4%
Fiscal Sustainability███3%
Summary of Proceedings

New Rochelle Committee of the Whole Meeting - March 10, 2026

The New Rochelle City Council held a Committee of the Whole meeting on March 10, 2026, at 20:45. The meeting included a presentation from the Police Department, discussions on several resolutions and ordinances, an update on the Pratt Landing project, and a public comment period. Key topics ranged from public safety initiatives and downtown development to trust account amendments and grant acceptances. The public hearing on the Downtown Overlay Zone (DOZ) amendments was rescheduled to April 14, 2026.

Consent Calendar

  • Dog Park Trust Account (Item 2): Amended resolution to allow use of Paul’s Place Dog Park trust funds for broader capital improvements, ecological restoration, trails, and related park improvements at Ward Acres Park. Moved to consent agenda.
  • Playground Donation (Item 3): Accepted donation of a new playground structure for Nanafrio Park valued at $399,642.69 from Lou and Sandra Montalione. Moved to consent agenda.
  • Grandpa’s United Grant (Item 4): Accepted a grant award from the White Plains Youth Bureau to support the Grandpa’s United program. Moved to consent agenda.
  • Tree Replacement Fund (Item 5): Amended Chapter 301 of the City Code to restrict the Replacement Tree Fund to tree acquisition and planting, removing maintenance costs. Moved to consent agenda.
  • Participatory Budget Steering Committee (Item 6): Appointed members; the designation of a chairperson was removed for executive session discussion. Moved to consent agenda.
  • State Aid Resolution (Item 7): Adopted a resolution supporting increased New York State aid to municipalities, advocating for continued and enhanced funding. Moved to consent agenda.
  • CLG Grant (Item 8): Accepted a $40,000 New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation Certified Local Government grant for historic district design guidelines. Moved to consent agenda.
  • Iona University Hub (Item 9): Authorized an agreement with Iona University for an economic and small business development hub at 500 Main Street, funded by $286,000 from the community benefit bonus fund. Moved to consent agenda.
  • IDA Appointments (Item 10): Reappointed Miguel Ayala, Howard Greenberg, and Garrett B. Lander to the Industrial Development Agency; welcomed new member Keith Singletary. Moved to consent agenda.
  • Purchase of 38 First Street (Item 12): Authorized purchase of real property at 38 First Street for parking; moved to consent agenda.
  • Lead Agency for 38 First Street (Item 13): Voted to designate lead agency for the acquisition; adopted.

Public Comments & Testimony

  • John Delfs (Residents of Park Neighborhood Association): Expressed admiration for downtown transformation but urged focus on livability, green space, and human-scale design in DOZ amendments.
  • Serge Vecker (Enough is Enough Group): Criticized the approval of 570 Main Street luxury tower, citing lack of affordable housing, overconcentration in DOZ2, and poor labor practices by developers. Urged council to prioritize real affordable housing and local union jobs.
  • Jim Calorin: Raised quality-of-life issues including traffic deaths, crimes, racial graffiti, and lack of city offices downtown. Called for changes to development policies.
  • Michael Yellen (New Rochelle Alliance for Justice): Stated that the city’s planning policies have prioritized developers, failing to deliver affordable housing, union jobs, and green space. Noted that less than 3% of work on certain projects went to New Rochelle residents despite a 20% goal. Called for labor standards.
  • Aiden Lilly: Supported union contracts and apprenticeships for downtown projects.
  • Carlos Barragan: Noted that union carpenters have not worked in New Rochelle in 10 years; urged inclusion in development.
  • Sean McGee: Also a union carpenter; requested local union participation in projects.
  • Pedro Galavis: Representing Union Carpinteros local; requested union inclusion.
  • Miriam Decime: Criticized snow removal, lack of dog waste management, and the city’s failure to address development concerns. Questioned the timing of a moratorium discussion after the 570 Main Street approval.
  • Sean Wayowatsky: Opposed the 570 Main Street project; noted 31 public comments and a 4-hour planning board meeting. Called for fundamental changes to the development plan.
  • Vincent Malfatano: Criticized the planning board for meeting in executive session after the 570 Main hearing. Called for a new mayor and planning board. Also discussed rising electric bills and state policies.
  • Malik Mohammed: Expressed personal grievance regarding a trespassing charge and alleged failure of officials to uphold the Constitution.
  • Lorraine Carl: Opposed restricting Councilmember Tarantino’s vote on DOZ amendments, as he represents District 2. Criticized zoning and planning board decisions and IDA tax exemptions costing the school district.
  • Paul Martin (Sutton Manor Association): Opposed proposed DOZ amendments, demanding community input and support. Raised concerns about removal of storefront requirements (appeared to be citywide, not just side streets) and removal of waterfront access fees. Called for a strategic pause.

Discussion Items

  • Police Department Presentation: Chief presented a detailed overview of 2025-2026 operations. Index crimes (part one offenses) are down year-to-date; calls for service are up. Double parking summonses increased over 100% year-to-date due to targeted enforcement. Upcoming initiatives include foot patrols in downtown, education for delivery drivers, exploring double-parking cameras, red-light camera program restart, school speed zone cameras (surveys within 1-2 months), community mental health outreach, a “Strive and Thrive” boxing mentorship program for at-risk youth, public safety advisory meetings (police, fire, DPW), body-worn cameras for Community Service Officers, and an interactive online statistics dashboard (including officer demographics and civilian complaints). Also noted: boat christening and police memorial rededication during Police Week (May 13-15). Council members expressed appreciation for enforcement and community engagement. Councilmember Stern asked about de-escalation training; Chief confirmed it is part of annual in-service training (February-May).
  • Dog Park Trust Account Amendment (Item 2): Councilmember Kay proposed broader language to include capital improvements, ecological restoration, trails, and related park improvements at Ward Acres. Amended and moved to consent agenda after discussion of the trust’s scope. Councilmember Peters noted that Ward Acres is the city’s only actual dog park; other sites are pocket dog runs.
  • Downtown Overlay Zone (DOZ) Public Hearing (Item 11): The public hearing originally scheduled for March 10 was postponed to April 14, 2026, due to notice requirements. The comment period remains open; residents can submit written comments to Kevin Kane (development) or the Department of Development. The final adoption of the supplemental generic environmental impact statement (DGEIS) and zoning amendments is targeted for June 2026, depending on the volume and complexity of public comments.
  • Pratt Landing Update (Item 14): Commissioner of Development provided an update. Since planning board approval in January 2025, the project has been working through land acquisition, state reverter lifting for the armory parcel, veteran community demands for design tweaks, revised building code requiring subterranean parking garage redesign (increasing costs), and rising construction costs (20% increase). Developers have not requested changes to density, height, or unit count. The site plan approval has a two-year window (one year as-of-right, plus one-year extension). Councilmember Tarantino expressed concern about public perception and asked for periodic updates.

Key Outcomes

  • Police Department Initiatives: Noted as ongoing; no formal vote needed.
  • Consent Agenda Items (2-10, 12): All moved to consent agenda and voted on collectively, with a unanimous “aye” from all present council members (Lopez, Tarantino, Peters, Asiloye, Kay, Sturge).
  • Item 13 (38 First Street Lead Agency): Adopted unanimously.
  • Item 14 (Veterans Tax Exemption): Update only; no council action required. The exemption will take effect for the tax cycle beginning September 2027; veterans can apply in December 2026 for the April 2027 roll.
  • Public Hearing Rescheduled: The DOZ public hearing is set for April 14, 2026.
  • Executive Session: Held to discuss appointments; public comment portion of the meeting resumed at 7 p.m.
  • Call to Action: Multiple public speakers urged the council to incorporate stronger labor standards, affordable housing requirements, and community input into the DOZ amendments.

Meeting Transcript

I just call this meeting to order. Good afternoon and welcome to the March committee of the whole session. Madam Clerk, please call the roll. Certainly. Council Member Lopez here. Councilmember Tarantino. Councilmember Peters. Councilmember Asiloye. Councilmember Kay. Here. And Councilmember Sturge. Here. Thank you. Again, well, thank you. On this beautiful 70 degree weather day, I almost want to request next year we just get to have this one outside. But since I did not have prior planning, we will start our committee of the whole meeting with a presentation by the Near Shaw Police Department. I saw a deck. I have a copy of a deck. And turn it over to the floor. Good evening. How's everybody? Great. Good afternoon, I guess. So this is going to be a brief presentation. I'm gonna talk about some things from last year, just a few, and some things from this year, just a combination since this is so early in the year. And here we go. There was any. So this is the mission of the RSH Police Department. This is something that we all take very seriously. And when it comes down to it, this is what we have. This is this is what we do. Um we we protect life and property and we make sure we do it in a fair manner to everybody that we come into contact with, and that's everybody. People that we arrest, people we don't arrest, people are giving directions. That's our motto. Dignity and respect to everybody. This is our organizational chart, hasn't changed, and I don't see any um changes in foreseeable future. Our index crimes. So the index crimes are the eight serious crimes that the FBI utilizes to um indicate community safety and law enforcement effectiveness. Now you'll see that there are more than eight crimes there, and you'll see I I noticed when I was going over it that I made an omission, and under larceny on the left-hand side there should be arson. Should be arson. And though those arson numbers, the numbers on the left in bold are 2026 year to date, and those arson numbers are zero for this year and one year to date this year. And you can see that we're um we're right in line with with last year. Uh obviously, when it comes to crime, we want to stay on the low side of that. Um just some performance measures on this next page. Calls for service, where we are up, index crimes, the overall index crimes. Uh I'm sorry, let me go back real quick. One thing I forgot to mention. Those other crimes that you see there, those are part two offenses. So the ones on the left are part one, part two, the so-called less serious offenses, those are on the right-hand side. The FBI, I believe they have both, but they really track when you talk about safe cities and things like that, you're talking about part one index crimes.

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