Good afternoon and welcome to the April 2026 committee of the whole meeting.

Madam Clerk, please call the roll.

Mayor Ramos Herbert here.

Councilmember Lopez.

Councilmember Tarantino.

Here.

Councilmember Peters.

Councilmember Assile.

Councilmember K here and Council Minister.

Here.

Good afternoon again, and on this glorious day, welcome to our committee of the whole meeting.

The first two items on our agenda are presentations by the Department of Public Works.

We have a deck, and I believe we'll have a presentation.

Yes.

Copy.

Good evening.

Thank you.

Before we start, I just wanted I just realized this is the first time have the opportunity to introduce you to our new, although not so new, city engineer.

Gino, he joined us back in August last year.

And he's he brought the excellent experience for exactly what we needed in our department.

So thank you, Gene.

Happy to be here.

Thank you.

Thank you.

All right.

All right, good.

Excellent.

So thank you to uh Mayor and City Council for me to present to you the flood mitigation uh update for 2026.

Um during this presentation, I'm going to offer a brief overview of completed projects, um, those anticipated to begin construction during this fiscal year.

Projects currently in the engineering design phase that are expected to be completed and ready for public bidding by late 2026 or early 2027.

Uh I'll focus on providing project highlights and details on anticipated construction and design efforts for this fiscal year.

I'll summarize the current status of flood mitigation program.

Alvaro is going to discuss challenges we're facing and outline proposed adjustments to improve how we evaluate and prioritize future projects.

I'll review our awarded grants, our anticipated grants for this fiscal year and upcoming funding opportunities for 2027 and future years.

Summarize our next steps forward, and provide a question and answer opportunities for any questions at the end.

So starting to date, we've successfully completed a total of six construction projects and two engineering studies between late 2024 and early 2026, targeting flood-prone areas throughout the city.

These efforts focused on installing new and upgraded drainage infrastructure, improving system conveyance, and restoring critical stormwater capacity.

And increased over 62,000 cubic feet of flood storage capacity within the upper Hutchison River system.

Engineering studies in the Interlaken and Emerson area areas further advanced long-term strategies and locations surrounded by wetlands and FEMA floodplains.

Again, it is located in a wetland area in a FEMA floodplain, but we were able to at least provide some small benefit in this area.

For 2026, our targeted projects continue to advance our flood mitigation and drainage improvement projects with the intent of reducing flood risk, improving stormwater conveyance, and enhancing infrastructure resilience across the multiple priority areas.

Nine of the 11 projects that you see in front of you listed projects, they span various stages, including conceptual planning, design permitting, bidding, and early construction.

These projects reflect multi-year capital effort and the majority of the construction activities scheduled between 2026 and 2027.

Permanent efforts are largely focused on engineering design, however, several projects, such as the Wiltshire Road, Sheldrake River culverts, and Pelham Road, Whitewood Avenue have progressed to bid phases and contract award and will be in construction this fiscal year.

The City Park, Ashland Avenue, Sunhaven, Stevenson's Brook Projects are currently in engineering design with the anticipation of construction either late 2026 or early 2027.

We continue to advance our efforts with the link drainage and Quaker Ridge Road projects.

We anticipate our engineering design efforts to be finalized for the linked stormwater components upon completion of the phase 1A.

Our eventual design will be localized drainage improvements to the Prince Street and Brook Street area.

And we've also expanded the scope of our Quaker Ridge Road projects as the effective drainage area was much larger than originally anticipated.

We have a limited right-of-way, high groundwater table, high bedrock elevation.

So all the components that really make a successful project are right here.

But we're looking further upstream to kind of incorporate a little bit more of storage area and retention for a successful project.

We anticipate completion of a design and potential bidding in early Q1 2027.

So with the nine drainage improvement projects, either in queue for construction in this fiscal year or various stages of engineering design.

We decided to move forward with two additional projects for 2026.

First is a third effort that we've dubbed mini drainage.

We basically select one project from each watershed, something that's kind of small but put together, encompasses a larger drainage project, and that's very more effective because it's more visible citywide.

We're not just focused and hyper focused on one area.

We're using smaller drainage infrastructure projects, but spreading it throughout the city.

The second is a larger project, Sub Basin 5, that's going to focus on drainage improvements along the East Chester Road and North Area.

We plan to issue an RFP in Q3 2026 upon the acceptance of a BPL26 grant with the Westchester County.

Our Sheldrake Culver project.

The existing drainage basin encompasses an area of approximately 196 acres.

Those of you familiar with ward area or ward park, it's about 62 acres.

So we're talking just a little over three times the size of ward acres is the drainage basin associated with these three culverts or the two culverts and one diversion chamber.

Flooding in these localized areas was mainly caused by insufficient capacity of the existing culverts at Pinebrook Drive and Tua Plain.

An H8 study of the area was completed and resulted in the resizing of these two culverts, providing additional conveyance and a reduction of flooding.

Two culverts will increase in size and provide nearly three and six times the amount of conveyance as previously designed.

And a bypass was added at Dennis Drive that will also provide additional 200 cubic feet per second conveyance.

Now this project at Sheldrake is going to be out is currently out for bid, and we anticipate the bid speed will be due back by May 13th, and we're anticipating a start date of around July 1st.

With a six-month construction project, so it looks like we're going to finish this project in 2026.

Our Wiltshire Road project.

The watershed report for this area found limited drainage infrastructure and undersized piping ticket-based stormwater, resulting in overflows on Wiltshire Road from Malvern Lane to Dorchester Road, and additional increased overflows into the Golden Horseshoe property.

In order to enhance stormwater conveyance, total of an H and H analysis was utilized to assist the design improvements and capture convey stormwater up to a 25 year storm.

The results is 1,100 linear feet of new and upgraded drainage piping, 14 new upgrade, 14 new structures, and three new catch basins, and two new drainage manholes.

Lastly, to ensure that stormwater stays off private property and is conveyed properly through the streets.

We're adding about 850 linear feet of concrete curving to ensure that everything is conveyed properly.

And our third project that we're scheduling for this year is our Pelham and Whitewood Avenue.

Pelham project lies within the shore watershed.

However, also received stormwater flows from the adjacent Burling Brook watershed.

In total, there's about 1,000 acres that's flowing in this watershed, eventually culminating at the outfall at Pelham and Whitewood.

It's rather large.

So we did again the existing system is a six by six box culvert.

Was found to be well insufficient of conveying flow from let alone a 25-year storm, but not even a hundred year storm.

Okay, so after we did the HH analysis, we were able to design the new system to pass the 100-year storm.

And that's consisting of 2500 linear feet of new stormwater piping, including a new upsize 12 by 8 box culvert designed as a pressurized system.

So even under high tides, stormwater will flow.

It won't be backed up, won't be blocked, it'll flow through the new outfall.

We're putting a new concrete outfall, 32 new drainage structures, and 1700 linear feet of new curving.

This project is anticipated to go out for public bidding sometime early to mid Q3.

Right now we're waiting on Veolia to move a water main, and then once they're done, we're going to coordinate with Con Ed to move a gas main to give us a clear lane.

Again, the box culvert that's going in place is rather large.

It's 12 feet wide, inner diameter by 8 feet.

So we're talking probably 16 by 10 foot.

You know, it's a it's a rather large structure.

Our sub basin five.

I mentioned this earlier in the project list.

The subbasin five is associated with the Stevenson's Brook Watershed Study near East Chester Road and North Avenue, identify this as being very prone to flooding due to either inadequate a combination of inadequate stormwater capacity and large flows from the upstream areas of Pain Lake and Quaker Ridge Road.

Watershed report made recommendations for widening the existing channel along North Avenue, incorporating a diversion chamber at the intersection of North Avenue and East Chester Road, and the installation of approximately 1,000 linear feet of new drain piping and 10 new drainage structures.

While I'll discuss grants a little later in this presentation, the city was awarded nearly $1 million from Westchester County for the design and construction of the drainage improvements at this location.

Once the grant is executed, we will we anticipate issuing an RFP for the engineering design by Q3 2026 and are hopeful to have a completed design by Q127 with an anticipated bid sometime in the spring to early summer 2027.

And last but not least, our second project for 2026, our second new project is our mini drainage again.

I touched upon this a little earlier.

Again, these are small projects that encompass you know one project for each watershed.

While they're smaller, they're more effective and visible citywide.

This year, in addition to the six projects, we added two more projects through areas that we found that residents were complaining of inadequate or missing stormwater infrastructure or inadequate uh road pitch.

So to wrap up our flood mitigation program, we have completed eight successful projects.

We have 10 projects that are currently active, and we're awaiting grant agreements on two additional projects.

Our total grant uh received, not city funded, this is just money that we receive in grants, was 4.2 million dollars for these grant projects.

Um we're on track and uh we're fully committed to the uh to our flood mitigation program.

Um next, I'm going to hand it off to Alvaro who will discuss some program challenges and a uh revised uh look at how we select our projects.

Sure.

If you remember from my my past presentation, I have uh a slide that you know I think it said the data is in the details.

And what I explained at the time is that we've uh we've been through many challenges as we advance these projects from concept to detail design.

We've run into property boundary constraints, uh the presence of rock, the need for easements, um topography challenges where some of these projects end up discharging on floodplains.

Um many of these details were missed at the conceptual uh stage.

Um and that's resulted in some delays and and changes uh throughout the design.

Um another uh somewhat challenge and frustration that we faced is also with the with the grant uh with uh funding and and the delays just inherent inherent to the process in execution agreements and all the bureaucracy attached to those uh to those grant uh funded projects.

So we adjust, we we fine-tune and we have uh we have a few um adjustments that we wanted to present to you today.

Um the first two are uh pretty simple and some some things that we've learned just just from uh being you know on our uh now third year of the program.

Um is the to design ahead.

Uh if you look at the cost pi uh of a project, you know, uh if the total design and construction cost is the full pie, the design piece is really is really uh a tiny slice of the total cost.

Uh yet it really dictates the path forward whether we go for grants or not.

It helps us with budget planning.

There's uh much value in that investment.

Um so one adjustment we want to make is um pursue these designs and advance the designs and almost have them ready to go on a shelf.

Uh whether we pitch them the grant route, those are projects that where we feel can wait or have a good opportunity to being awarded a grant, then we pitch that route, right?

The other ones we just go ahead and fund through the program and move forward.

Um the the and then the the most uh perhaps the most drastic improvement or change that we're that we're looking into, and we expect to be coming back to you with more detail is the development of a drainage model for for these very distinct uh drainage corridors that run through the city.

Um when we started this this initiative, this program, um we we really had these consultants look at the different watersheds that comprise the city and uh look at distinct projects that or potential you know flood mitigation or drainage improvement projects.

So we ended up with hundreds of scattered uh projects that we could pursue.

Um from learning more about the city system and the topography, and it's clear that they're very distinct drainage corridors within the city.

In fact, that image that you see there uh comes from a new tool that the uh USGS developed uh for compound uh flood hazard uh modeling.

Um basically uh these model that they developed, um they just unveiled it two months ago.

Uh it considers all the flood hazard in Long Island Sound when you look at uh rainfall, uh tide influence and groundwater.

Um it's a pretty advanced tool.

All these factors that really uh contribute to flooding conditions are sort of cooked into the model.

And one uh piece of information that was kind of amazing to see there uh through this tool was that you know we asked the tool to show us what the drainage corridors are, even though we're already new just from being wrestling these flood mitigation programs for a couple of years now, and sure enough, it the the you know the the tool identified these very distinct drainage corridors that that we have running through the city.

So the approach or change that we want to um you know adjust to this problem.

Uh we would like to invest on a drainage model that uh would allow us to uh model potential improvements within the drainage corridor and assess the benefit from those improvements.

Um so what that means is um we would have to perform uh satellite topography analysis, survey some critical drainage infrastructure within a particular drainage corridor, and then build uh computer model uh where you could see in essence uh how water flows under different storm events through that corridor.

I've talked to a few consultants and other municipalities who have actually invested in this tool, and it's actually quite amazing where you could see in the model how you know you you sort of let it rain in the model and you see how these areas start you know backing up and it becomes pretty aerial where the the junction points are along the corridor.

And once you have that model, uh you can really be very uh very intelligent about where you invest for it for improvements.

So rather than peaking a conceptual project and developing through design and and building it, we would take a completely different approach if we had this tool.

Instead, we would say, all right, if we if we were to dedicate $2 million for drainage improvements alone, this corridor, where should that money go?

Where is the most benefit cost uh approach or solution for that investment?

And that takes uh playing and and working with the model, and basically is uh it's a what if analysis, right?

So use the the consultant who who um builds the model would would basically look into an area that's problematic and and start you know playing with the model and seeing okay what happens if we upgrade these five to these size.

Well have well the benefit is not significant, but we do, then we can foresee also impacts downstream.

So it's a much more comprehensive uh understanding and approach to the to this program.

Um it's a significant investment uh that we feel is gonna go a long way in the selection and investment of the future flood mitigation monies.

Um what we hope to to do is uh uh develop an RFP uh to bring this sort of cotton edge.

Um there's a few firms who are proficient at this.

Um these proposals, review them, let them present to a selection committee, and once we uh feel we have a good fit for these endeavors, we would be coming back to you to seek approval to award uh a contract and and and make that investment.

Um so that's work coming up on this program.

Okay, so just to give you a uh brief synopsis of our successfully awarded grants and what we're going to be applying for and future opportunities.

Right now you could see that we were awarded several 200,000 grants through the risk program, one at City Park, one at Stevenson's Brook, and one at Sunhaven.

Uh and those programs, those grants are designed for uh to get a project uh through the engineering design phase and into the conceptual level design, typically up to a 30% conceptual design.

Uh so right now, again, City Park is near is about 90% complete, and I'll talk about that at the next slide also.

Uh Stevensons Brooke and Sunhaven are approximately 50% complete.

Um we also have a climate smart communities grant approved at the Ashland Avenue that will take us from conceptual level, which we are at right now.

We just got the purchase order on approval to move forward that design for final design, and that'll take us through construction.

Um we have a 1.5 million dollar grant that was just awarded from the Army Corps of Engineers for the Schaldrake project up at Kawani.

Um, our subbasin five, it's on the agenda for today.

We're looking to execute an agreement with the county to accept uh an award.

We're nearly one million dollars uh for the subbasin five.

I mentioned that earlier.

That's the project at East Chester Road and North Avenue.

Um right now, these are on the queue.

The red are in the queue for 2026.

Uh our city park project is mentioned a few times here.

That's through some of the uh the CFP requests from the house.

Uh but you can also see in the second line the risk grant.

Five million dollars.

We would just be became aware a few months ago that RISC is now offering up to five million dollars for a project that is already designed and will be into construction.

The RISC folks, I've I've had converse many conversations with them.

They're they like to provide money for conceptual designs, but they're looking for now a project that will bring us to completion.

We feel that the City Park project is really gonna be a be a home run for this project.

We're confident of this of this grant.

I don't want to be too confident, but I think this project right now is right now near 90% complete.

So rather than put this out to bid now, we're gonna hold off on this and wait for the risk grant.

Once that's done, we'll hopefully if that's if that grant is awarded, we'll have start uh we'll have started construction for this project early in 2027.

And we also have the BPL26 that we could apply for once the announcement for the risk grant is is given.

Um we also intend on applying for the uh flush truck again.

Last year we were denied, but we had a follow-up conversation with the folks at DEC.

We found out where we went wrong.

We're gonna correct that mistake and reapply because I think we got a good shot at this as well.

And then the opportunities again for 2027.

We're looking at another uh Army Corps grant, the county BPL 26 is always available to us, and what's also uh available to us is the RWG, that's the resilient watershed grant.

For those of you who may not know, New York State DEC ran a bunch of these resilient watershed grant uh reports throughout the state.

This grant is only open to those reports.

So we have one report on the Hutchinson River, and there's three areas identified high risk area three, four, and five.

So that's something that we intend on applying for this year.

Um run down on our grants.

Stakeholder uh engagement.

I believe I firmly believe after being in engineering construction for over 25 years, communication is key.

Absolutely, communication is key with stakeholders.

So what we'd like to do is after a pre-construction meeting or prior prior to a project being started, we'd like to meet with the key stakeholders before.

So we let them know what to expect, communicate with the residents on what the project benefits would be, and anticipated schedule.

Um we will have a dedicated contact person, as you know, we're putting up flood mitigation project signs throughout our areas.

The dedicated contact person will have his name up there and contact information.

Um then results.

What are the results of good communication?

Fewer complaints, better cooperation from residents and businesses, and it's basically most importantly, establishing a stronger public trust and credibility for our projects.

And saying below, maybe a cliche, but a technically perfect project can still be can still fail if stakeholders uh stakeholder engagement is poor.

While a more challenging project can succeed as long as communications are kept open.

So lastly, our drainage enhancement uh our enhanced drainage maintenance.

So our plan again for 2026, we're looking to uh put in a grant for a new flush truck.

Um we did hire a new sewers and drains management working well with our uh deputy commissioner.

Um we are utilizing CT C C TV inspections on our stormwater system.

We completed around 5300 linear feet of inspections last year.

We utilized the emergency contract, repaired six locations in 2025, and at the 55 locations we are conducting our enhanced maintenance and hotspot preparedness.

Uh we're cleaning them more frequently, more routinely, but not only that, before and after storm events.

Um future enhancements.

We are looking to purchase an additional flush truck to replace one that's 18 years old.

That's not an addition to the one that we're looking for for a grant.

And we are always looking to enhance our mapping.

We're keeping our maps updated.

Every drainage project that we finish, uh, we send to our consultant to up or upgrade uh or update our GIS system.

So to summarize, uh, where are we?

Uh we've established our 2026 work plan.

Uh we're always identifying and applying for grant opportunities for new projects.

Uh we're continuing to manage our drainage designs and constructions.

Uh we are developing proposals for uh the 2026 projects.

We're on track with that.

Uh we are on track with our bidding and procurement of our three projects that we have for 2026, and we're gonna continue our enhanced maintenance and uh we're gonna continue to engage the public.

Like to open the floor for any questions.

Thank you so much.

Questions or comments from colleagues?

Councilman Smith.

Um, first, thank you.

I I can attest to uh just how successful your communications have been when um residents have been concerned about the flooding issues and um hopefully have good news to share it's great.

Yeah, not as good news to share your video, but it communicated well, so I appreciate that.

Um I just want to understand a couple things related to the timeline with the Sheldon River call replacements.

I know we're waiting on environmental permitting, but you said you know we're looking at July start date.

Do we have a sense of when that permit would be approved, or do we have any kind of indication?

So we were just informed uh we were trying to communicate with the Army Corps of Engineers.

That's a difficult thing.

Our consultant kept on sending emails.

We followed up with emails, and we just came to understand that the gentleman that was in charge of the project, Paul Timanello retired.

So now we're being uh we're being pushed to a new individual.

Uh we anticipate those projects and we don't really anticipate any pushback on the project.

We're hopefully anticipating a permit by uh within within about 30 days.

Okay.

Uh and uh similarly I see with called the horseshoe project or utility conflicts, are those usually pretty easy to install or do they take a long time?

As long as we have accurate surveys of the area, those are those are pretty easy to define.

It's just basically trying to maneuver and fit in the new drainage infrastructure.

Sometimes we have the increased typing or increased locations of catch basins to capture taquille locations along the uh conveyance route.

That's kind of the conflict.

So we try to maneuver and uh either work with the utility to move their their existing infrastructure or try to move our infrastructure where it makes sense.

Yeah, but uh the communication with the uh with the utilities has been has been very good.

Okay.

Um for Quick Ridge Road.

If we are fortunate enough to get the grant that we need for the road resurfacing and you know the changes there, I see we have construction for the uh flood mitigation work in quarter two, 2027.

From what I understand from previous presentations, the flood mitigation work really needs to begin first.

Is that right?

We'd like to do the flood vacation first prior to redoing the entire complete streets and then ripping it off.

Yeah.

So yes, it's key for that flooding issue to be completed.

But as we said, the more and more we looked at the area, the larger the area really kind of grew and encompassed, and that's that location became a little more difficult.

We had high groundwater table, high bedrocks, so underground detention became difficult driving up the construction cost, so we kind of looked elsewhere upstream.

As we looked upstream, we found more difficult these uh you know, larger, larger culverts that we didn't know were as large were there.

Um so then we you know we're looking further up than meter fans into the dividing areas between them to utilize that as kind of a um a uh retention or detention area.

Okay, so we're kind of increasing the area, hoping to provide uh provide more benefit.

We obviously like to get the flooding down to a nuisance level of support completely on the new one.

Yeah.

Um my last question is around the um the drainage model, which it looks exciting to be able to have that kind of uh modeling system.

I guess my other question is is it a replacement for anything that we're currently doing, or is it an additional step that allows us to be more effective somehow?

Sure.

So um is it's just a tool to help to improve the approach to the program.

Um it it um you know it it will help us better uh uh you know uh to to use the funding more intelligently uh along these very distinct drainage corridors that we have uh to the city.

I don't know if that answers the question.

I I guess I'm trying to understand like because we I I appreciate especially that first point about these like you know, an ounce of design is worth a pound of you know better construction.

Um but if we're already doing the design up front, which seems really important, is this modeling replacing?

I I guess that's where I'm just gonna.

I understand.

So the goal would be to pilot one of these drainage corridors.

We would now go ahead and and um try to procure a drainage model for each of these drainage corridors.

It's a significant investment.

That's satisfying I think you know we have one very distinct drainage corridor that's full of problems that we would possibly look into to pilot.

Um that's the Quaker Ridge corridor, by the way.

Um but so if we did that, that model would from that point forward uh sort of dictate what kind of improvements we do along that drainage corridor, but in parallel we would continue to advance these projects the same exact way we've been doing it.

And uh, you know, the the the long vision is the long-term vision is that if we're seeing that these drainage model is in fact working out so well for us, then you know we justify the investment on these older drainage corridors and uh that the model really scope the improvements.

Okay, so councilman councilwoman Lopezino and Peter Slope has terrantinous.

Thank you.

Thank you so much for uh very comprehensive.

We forked while we did work uh in the uh Harman drive and starter, I know that it alleviated the problem somewhat, and I know that uh the connection from the village of Pelham needs to be done in order for the water to flow.

Do we have an idea as to when or what is happening in the time because they have had floods you know in the past year?

Yes.

Um I I don't know where the where where the village stands with those downstream improvements, but I'll find out.

Thank you.

Tian Tina, cousin.

Yeah.

Um, the question about the Whitewood Avenue Powell Road.

Um that area, you talked about a thousand acres basically that's draining off through that area, correct?

It's in in one way, shape, or form.

It's kind of on the cusp of two watersheds.

So we are receiving water from I think Burlingbrook, it's even though it's in the shore.

We're gonna water like from the the Costco home.

Correct.

But all the way up, I guess.

And my question is this is that you know, I'm I'm looking at the size of the piping, which is substantial, 32-inch pipe.

But we're looking in the in the future at that the corner of Wayman and um US one and Kings Highway, and everything sort of runs downstream toward this area, right?

All drains into that area, and there's gonna be more eventually it'll be more roadway there.

Um are we allowing for an expansion?

Also, that area has a lot of potential development in that area there.

Are we allowing for any uh expansion of this?

Is that 42 inch is it better to go to uh put us at 42?

Is it better to go to a 48-inch just to be safe?

And if so, would it be that much costly to do that?

Because that area, everything runs you know, downstream from a very heavy industrial area, which a lot of parking lots and and areas that you know just tremendous amount of water runoff in that area, and uh, you know, like have we looked at that?

So uh I think you're talking about a 40 to the 42-inch pipe, yeah.

So that's secondary.

Okay, the primary is the 12 by 8 foot box cover.

Okay, that was designed to 100-year storm to basically convey flow from the entire watershed up down through the cost going through those areas and through the box cover.

So that's that pipe is there, is a secondary, which it's gonna remain.

The the major enhancement is gonna come from the upsizing of the existing six by six box culvert to 12 by 8, which will enhance flow.

Again, this was designed up to the 100-year storm.

Right.

So typically when you're designing stormwater infrastructure, you kind of designed the 10-25 year storm.

This has well sufficiently.

So we're really we're really compensating for the potential of a different additional uh surfaces being basically the parking lot.

Okay, but we are we you know covering.

I I just want to make sure that we don't have to go back and do something all over again.

Or upstream is the uh piping upstream sufficient enough because many times what we've had happen in the Earth Shell is that we've increased the hydraulics in one area, but it gets through that area, and you have a forgiveness a 30-inch pipe going into a 12-inch pipe, and all it does is just you know sit there.

It doesn't go anywhere.

Are we is a plan in place that we'll make sure that the way we're structuring basically the entire city is structuring it for the water that runs down toward Long Island Sound, that we're making sure that the piping gets bigger as it gets further south so that it can handle the increases that happen as we're further north.

Are we doing that?

Yes, we are, and and just to because it is uh actually a really good question, and the answer is is complex because the the we looked at potential future development upstream, of course, and not only that, but what would happen as we you know upsize upstream, right?

And this is that the very most downstream junction of that drainage corridor.

So for that reason, as you know said, we went uh as large as we could possibly fit within the right of way.

So that that cover right now does transit the 100 year storm, and it's properly line to proper line.

It's gonna be very challenging to install.

Uh now in you know, the regulations for storm water are such that in theory any increase in impervious surfaces or on any potential lot would be self-metigated.

So, you know, as part of each site development project, the engineer would have to demonstrate that that site would not you know run off a higher rate of runoff or the lever a higher rate of runoff onto the system.

So you know, many instances were sort of constrained with the real estate we have.

I guess fortunately in this instance when we went the full right of way, we could transit upon two years.

And the other one other question, and it pertains, I guess, to all where all the water ends up going into Long Island and like is on Long Island Sound.

And you know, where I live, if you go down to a Titus Mill Pond and you go down to Hudson Park and you see the drainage coming into the sound, and so many of the pipes, either from silting in or just the way they were designed originally by the rules and regulations that were set years ago, the pipes seem to be much lower.

So when we get high tide, uh the outflow is reduced.

Um is there anything we're doing with the federal government or the state government to look at the possibility of improving that outflow from the I know the federal government has a requirement about the height of the pipe uh based upon a high and low tides, but you know, it's they've been there for so many decades that whatever the plan was then to me seems to be sort of obsolete with what we've done, you know, as far as building throughout the city.

So is there any conversation about looking for ways of getting that improved grants or involvement with the federal and state government?

Well, we we haven't grouped into that, at least you know, just yet.

Um the that tool that that takes into account that what we call compound flooding, um, pretty clearly shows exactly what you're saying, right?

That uh flooding is highly sensitive to the tide.

Right.

And you know, these systems obviously the outfall to the sound is is the control, meaning if you raise that pipe, then you flood everything upstream.

So it's uh it's a major undertaking to adjust you know the outfill elevation because that has repercussions.

Well, that's where we're shocked with this because in Titus Mill Pond, you know, we have areas that we've done improvements, and Will had been great with that and fixing some of the problems.

Uh I don't get as many calls as I used to, thank God.

Um people got trapped in their homes from when we had serious flooding.

Uh but when it's high tide, the pipes that are down there are literally, you know, they're gone, and the water just no matter how big the pipes are under the streets, it's just not the outflow isn't big enough to allow the water to escape.

So we run into that problem, and when we questioned it years ago, the question the answer was that you know the federal government's requirements about the placement of the pipe, the height uh of where they are uh would not allow them to raise them.

So the question is can we reach out to somebody to get these pipes raised so that it would help the outflow because that would also help whatever else you're doing throughout the city because that's where ultimately all this water is ending ending up.

I think I think we can we can do that, absolutely.

Um I guess the challenge is right, or the difficulties that if you raise the tide, if you raise the just the outflow end, you you soften the slope of discharge, right?

Okay, uh, but you could put technically hold the the inlet on the upstream end.

But then if you raise the whole pipe, then everything upstream would be in backwater.

Um so yeah, it's um and then in some instances, uh some of the outflows are actually fairly shallow, uh, you know, at the discharge point.

So you know, they're pretty much as high as they could be without showing above the surface.

Um it's uh you know, uh I guess what I what I would say for now is that I'm not saying we're not gonna look into it, but that when we look at these projects, that's one key consideration.

Um, you know, why wouldn't the case in point that's one outfall that's merged, the new large culvert is going to be submerged at times just by virtue of the land being at a certain elevation and these infrastructure being underneath.

The other question, this is the last question I'll have.

Last question I'll have on this is that you know, a lot of them are have been silted in uh obviously because of where they're located, and is there a method of uh or uh an ability to dredge around the pipes to sort of open them up more?

So if a pipe is a diameter of I'm just using uh four feet, it's now only showing uh you know, two feet or one and a half feet.

We you know I don't know exactly I never measure them, but uh they're all but the openings are are shrinking uh because of the silt buildup that's happening.

So I don't know if that's something that we can look at if there's grants or something.

We could look at that, that would require again uh permitting issues, you know, DC uh potential army core permits, but we can we can certainly look into the opening of the alcohols and keeping them clear.

Okay, thank you.

Just to add one thing to what you mentioned.

Um I think what Albert described before, that tool of getting that computer model is actually going to kind of show us what you're talking about.

Right.

So getting that field data and going that one level down getting the existing conditions out there and looking at the corridor and being the discharge point being the most critical.

I would say now that if we go ahead and implement that, that it's actually gonna show those issues, which we actually then give us the data to address that.

So just like running that exercise, it's gonna show that you know your pipe is submerged, or you your invert elevation is not where it should be, or the slope is not correct from that tool.

So I think that's one good thing from that tool that is going to show those conditions because we we've done projects in the past, spent millions of dollars, and we've had very disappointing results.

And you know, part of from what I understand is part of the disappointment is because when the water get when you get further downstream, uh that's where the restriction and the the pushback happens, and no matter what you do upstream, if there's not an opening at the bottom for it to release, no matter how you put a 60-inch pipe, it's not going short.

So thank you.

Counselor Peters.

Yeah, um, thank you.

I um I noticed here uh around Print Street Remage and Sickles and Geon and LinkedIn out in the corridor and Brook Street, uh, that that's been included in this particular recent update.

So my question is uh specific to the the columns that you have associated here.

So in terms of target scheduling, you have TDD to be determined, and then you have scoping and progress as new phase AT.

What do you mean by that?

Phase 1A.

Correct?

Um so that basically is now going to be in conjunction with completion of the link project phase 1A.

Uh the phase one B will incorporate the stormwater improvements uh at those localized areas by uh by Prince and Brooke.

Uh so once phase 1A is on track and moving, we'll be moving forward with uh with these warmwater improvements in that area.

And when do we anticipate that realistically being on moving and on track?

Um I don't know.

I I think there is uh I uh there's some certainty is that that our control DOT and there's sort of complications that make it difficult to predict.

I think you know, like what I can say is that that by all means the goal is to do phase one A these year.

That's correct.

Um so yeah, the design is substantially complete for one A.

So as soon as we work through some permitting issues with the state, hopefully we could get that contract out to bid very soon.

So we anticipate that one A should be in construction this year sometime.

Um but concurrently um we'll be following up right now with the design of 1B.

Right.

And 1B is where most of the stormwater improvements are gonna be are going to take place.

So you know, everything goes well, we'll continue to just roll into the design effort.

We just finished the 1-8 designer for now, we'll go right into the 1B within the next couple weeks, and do design 1B for the remainder of the year, hopefully in 2027, um at some point uh have a construction package for 1B.

And 1B is where all the storm major stormwater improvements are gonna happen at the link.

So as far as the what's listed here is the complications for the process that you're describing to come online.

Um how confident are we in terms of that actually occurring in the time frame that we're talking about now?

So the complications that we had listed there was kind of high pad rock at that location.

So we'll just take that into consideration for our design.

And you know, we just have to design around it, whether it's expanding the area, making it a little bit larger rather than going deep and we wind it up.

But rest assured that those are the locations that we are going to be enhancing the uh the stormwater improvements.

Uh so our our design engineer is ready to go to provide us with any uh updated uh proposals for for that scope of work.

Once we uh once we have a revised scope, we we'll be ready to go for our design.

We'll be ready to incorporate that.

So, as far as the the use of uh this particular new tool, which seems to be a discernment tool, particularly around some of the obstacles that seem to be consistent with this area as well.

Um but when you talked about using this tool, you talked about it in relationship to piloting in in the Quaker Ridge corridor associated with that.

And so I'm wondering to at what point in time does this assertment tool, which is really critical to some of these barriers that you're describing, becomes the tool uh uh for utilization in this particular area that we that we're talking about now.

Because it seems to me that this tool is meets what has been described over a period of time, some of the barriers that have delayed the possibility of something like this happening quicker.

Yeah, um you mentioned the tool, the drainage model.

Yes, yes, so so the this project is already very far ahead.

We we know exactly the flavor of the improvements that would take place as part of phase one B.

Um the the more the drainage model, if if the one we end up uh procuring includes you know, these area would be built upon the improvements that you know would be already in place or design in these locations.

So we don't anticipate at this point uh that we're gonna find something that we that has now emerged that makes it more difficult for this to happen because that was what we talked about before.

That as we continue to move forward, as you were looking at this, you've been department, that it you came upon some additional challenges that that were requiring a second or a third or a fourth look.

So what I'm referencing is this second, third or fourth look, and what is what is different now in relationship to moving forward that was not that that is separate from what it was before.

Sure.

Gino, I think we landed, we've looked at these many times different ways.

If you can speak for the challenges where you know, where we are.

I don't think from where we are, I don't foresee anything changing for phase one B improvements.

No, uh the phase one B improvements are going to be localized improvements specifically at the uh at the Prince Gillon Street uh locations and Brook and Lincoln, those are kind of the when you look at the uh when the watershed analysis was was created for this area, those two locations were kind of the hot spots here, and those still remain the locations where we're looking to enhance uh uh for drainage improvements in the area.

So our our goal is to uh maximize the amount of stormwater uh storage conveyance to reduce uh to the maximum extent possible the amount of flooding that is is received in the area.

What storm that is, we we really don't know at this point.

Once we have our engineer engaged and focused on these areas, we'll we'll be able to have uh uh more intelligent or better discussion to tell you exactly what we what we can uh provide enhancement for.

And and how will this enhancement impact or affect what comes down Lincoln Avenue all the way down where all the churches that are that are historically been there consistently get flooded again and again and again and again.

How will this impact that or will there be something separate and apart from that to kind of impact that in a way that causes that to perhaps not be as devastating as it is now?

That could be another enhancement, I think at further upstream.

Um right, we we could probably have some further other detention areas, perhaps into another diversion chamber, um, another future enhancement further upstream of the area to prevent some of the water from heading in that you know, kind of diverting in that direction.

So, in addition to the phase one B will also we can also look to incorporate a different phase to kind of you know enhance that area.

Not just at that location but further upstream.

But to be clear the the the role of those phase one B improvements right is you know they involve uh on the ground storage so the the the concept is that these runoff that's coming down rushing down to these low point at Memorial Lincoln would be stored and throttled out so that shouldn't result in in downstream issues for okay so the the other questions that I have have to do with what I'm talking a little bit around now right and it has to do with the sense of uh what determines the kind of grant opportunities that we pursue if in fact we know this particular condition consistently remains in place so what kind of like what determines what grants can we pursue we talked about and had a list of the number of different grants that we're that we're looking at to to what degree like what determines that the ones that we pursue uh yeah I mean you're talking about in general or these particular projects well I mean we have a list of the ones that we're pursuing relative to these particular projects so now I'm specifically asking around the district three area particularly around quarter is it an area in which we are looking at enhancements relative to pursuing grants because I'm not clear around what determines what grants we make decisions to pursue because we're going to need more money.

Yes we're gonna need money to get this done so we work we work we have a grant specialist who's very competent he we work closely with his with the departmental development and uh it it's um you know he he has the pools on the grant market so to speak and you know we have conversations where you know we explain the different um hardships that we have and whether a particular project would include uh stormwater quality features and then he would know based on the solution that we're we we have on the table conceptually whether one project or another project would be a better fit for one particular grant there are grants that focus on uh investigations and pre-planning activities and you know those large projects that require a lot of uh due diligence up front we we we we seek those grants for to start doing the survey others that are heavy on certain water quality then we package impeach and you know for for those grants that that we want to seek um you know funding for so it's um it's an interactive process and and it's really I guess I would say the decision is really based on what what he and I feel would be the better match or the better chance of securing so how do how does how does this particular area get get further upstream relative to to prioritization of procuring more grants for that to occur if in fact it's described as being such a being a challenge which has always been described as how do we get further upstream and in terms of the way in which the processes of securing these grants happen how does how does that happen can we speak for that because I mean what one of the adjustments that we presented and we're going to be pursuing is is deciding ahead the you know we also you know have learned through this process that having the design already in in in you know um advanced is a huge advantage when it comes to applying for the grant because the grant questionnaires they ask for many details that we don't have necessarily upfront in the concept plan.

So we run into that issue not having enough details we run into other issues where we know we apply for certain certain amount based on the concept and then when we advance the design we go geez we we we should have asked for more but that's the information we had at the time so I think something that um it will help us have a better chance of securing you know the grants in these areas is precisely advancing these uh designs ahead and I don't do that so more more than that too some of these grants are time compulsive like I mentioned before time compulsion okay you have a certain period of time to execute and complete the project so for example the city park project uh the folks at risk have always uh granted money for conceptual level designs well this came up and said well we'd like to see a project complete but once the grant execution is is you know once once the grant is executed we want you to be ready to go within a year so like Albert said to me to match his point some of these are time compulsive where you have to have a project ready to go that's why we're feeling very confident about the city park project it's it's a risk funded project for the conceptual design but we have the opportunity for another additional five million dollars for the construction and the only reason why we're able to apply for this is that we feel confident that if the grant is awarded we're ready to go and then uh I'm not sure exactly what time compulsion is but I believe there is a three year completion cycle too.

And the only reason why we're able to apply for this is that we feel confident that if the grant is awarded, we're ready to go.

And then I'm not sure exactly what time compulsion is, but I believe there is a three-year completion cycle too.

So, in addition to the one year start, there's a three-year completion.

So that makes a lot of sense to me, which is why I'm asking these particular questions.

So it's not so much the questioning around where it's going to happen.

It's more my questions are more around what's been the process for how it happens.

So when you're when you're describing that if projects are close to completion, or there's been there's been some work that has occurred in that area to make it more available for these time set it grants, that to me seems to be a pathway for success around being able to move forward.

So if I'm talking about an area where that kind of process is not necessarily in place for that to happen, then it then by definition is going to delay the possibilities over a period of time.

So my question is how do we how does this area get further up front in relationship to that kind of a process where completion is really integrated into progress that has occurred in the area.

If there's no progress in the area, there's no completion.

So how do we get further up in this area?

Because up to this point that hasn't occurred.

So they want one thing I want to point out too as far as grants that we've learned through the process.

One of the key questions on every grant application, especially in stormwater, is benefit cost.

Um so usually projects that high have a high benefit cost ratio, there's a large benefit with a lower cost are more successful as far as a grant application.

Projects that have very high costs, but very little benefit, don't normally do well.

So that is a key parameter that has to be evaluated with each location that we look at.

And part of the advantage of advancing the design ahead of time is that we'll know that information.

So it's part of that design effort will actually ask to generate the cost benefit analysis for that project.

And that will then feed into a grant application.

So that's one of the strategies that we're kind of talking about doing and doing that analysis up front, knowing what that cost benefit is, and that makes the grant application a lot more successful.

Also, doing that across, if you do that across multiple projects, you can then see in different corridors, you could see which projects have that higher cost benefit ratio, and that is something that you've got to factor into your decision making as far as picking jobs.

But it's important to note that you know that is an important factor when evaluating different areas, right?

Um, there are some improvements that might generate or yield lower cost benefits, which which then make it a little bit more difficult for grant opportunity, even though they may seem like a trouble area and you know, uh uh a problematic area.

So they those are the decisions that we have to take that are more you know non-technical.

So you may not have you may have a low cost benefit, but we know that that is a really site-specific um area.

So that we may attack differently.

We may tackle this with a different type of project, we may not seek for a grant because we know we might not be successful, we may attack that with more capital projects.

So I think to your point, we would you know, we have to evaluate these specific locations and see what you know really comes.

One of the major things is the developing a cost benefit ratio for each of the locations, regardless of where they are, and that really factors into our grant uh process.

So that makes a lot of sense to me because what really drives us is the story that we tell.

So to what degree, and and also the measurement of what in fact is is high benefit or not, because now we're we're looking at how are we qualifying or quantifying what's a high benefit, and to what degree is that is that occurring uh disproportionately relative to it being successful in areas where that benefit in terms of people's lived experiences is really very high.

So, how are we quantifying and qualifying and what kind of story are we telling in relationship to flooding that goes across these areas?

So that becomes important, and this is connected to what you're describing when we're talking about getting more up front.

So uh so in terms of the way in which this works, the collaborative efforts around this become critical.

So I'm I'm still stuck in and wondering uh and asking what kind of approach can we begin to think about that gets it further up this list because clearly it has to touch each of these areas in order for it to be productive.

I I think if I if I may, um, because you know I lived on Prince for 12 years, so this was a big getting some flood remediation was a big goal of mine as a council member because it was something that I had to live with with my neighbors.

I I think the part that we're maybe not um as my as I understand it because I feel like I made it a standing every week for the last year, is um, you know, I think we haven't said it at the table, is we got the 16 million from the Fed in 24, it got taken back in 25.

We just got it back in 26.

So I think there has been a little bit of a yo-yo impact with respect to the funding and the availability to like do the deep dive.

Like they were able to start, they saw there was more bedrock, but then the funding was pulled away, so they had to kind of pivot.

Um, I think he understood there was a commitment to do something on the link, so they shifted to the phase 1A.

Now, February, the governor comes in, turns out there's still some bureaucracy attached, I'll say it, with getting that money, even though we had a nice show.

Um and so I I'm just reflecting that I don't think it's a lack of of I think we have to remember what you're saying and and and make sure that we keep the lived experiences.

I just think that the resources that the team has had to do that deep dive so we can continue advocating for the more money that we will need.

I think the yo-yo effect of it has impacted some of that as well.

So I just feel like we haven't, and I'm just saying this based on like how I recall our conversations since I've become mayor, um, because the the 60 million came in in April of 24, so within the first four months of our of our our first year as this governing body.

Um so I think that's also played a little bit of an impact in sort of where we are and what the design can look like and why it maybe is not quite at the level um that it should be.

But I think now that we have a little bit more assurance that that money is coming in, um, even though we're managing some stuff with DOT, I think we'll be able to see more of the design required to create the successful cost uh the high benefit lowered cost ratio to secure the funding.

That's why I understand that's just I'm summarizing how I've understood our conversations as someone else who's been advocating for this probably since 2020, and certainly um when I knew I was going to become mayor, it was pretty much one of the top things I've I've talked about as a council member.

So does that feel consistent?

I mean, I and I I appreciate that.

I I see that as a as a as one as one prong in a series of success, is to have that baseline relative to funding.

But but when we're listening to this conversation, there are other areas that will that will make that success actually happen.

And up to this point, what I what's missing from from in my view is some involvement and integration in these other areas because it cannot and won't be, it's not it's not a sustainable pathway to progress associated with the funding that we that we currently have.

It's just not so I'm wondering, and I'm asking that we begin to uh begin to create uh that kind of a of an integrated pathway for success and not rely on uh a funding stream that that is in and of itself is not it's not going to bring that into existence, it's just not so anyway.

That's that's those are my questions, and those are the things that I want to be able to follow on with appreciate it.

Uh councilwoman uh Kay.

Um thank you very much for this update.

Um, and really just uh the tremendous progress that's been made and continue to do, and I appreciate your ability to sort of continue to find creative ways to be able to finalize more projects.

Um I wanted to ask you about a handful of projects at the park in the update, um not to diminish everything that's been accomplished, but if you live in one of these neighborhoods, you just care about what's happening in your neighborhood.

So um Valley Road and Pane Lake.

Is that going to be a part of Sub Basin 5, or if you know it's been listed in previous update as a separate project?

That's uh part of the uh one project that's already on there, it's identified as um basement five.

Subbase and five is part of it, but then up in lake we have we have a conceptual design at Stevenson's Brook, calling it Stevenson's brook.

So that'll take us from the lake all the way up to trainer drive.

We have a conceptual design right now at 30%, and uh we are advancing the conceptual design to a uh final design.

Uh again, we are looking to uh put that one, we'll possibly be out the bid in early 27th.

Um that's the area you're talking about, right?

By trainer and valley road up like the lake up to trainer drive.

Yeah, right.

Correct.

Um basin seven, where we're talking about Brookdale and Halcyon.

Uh we can look into that.

I I saw I think there's a uh a desire to apply towards running in 2028.

Right.

It feels like a very long time for now.

Right.

I had just a brief discussion with our grant specialist on that location, and that looked like it was possibly an opportunity for a grant application for next year, but we'll look into that in the way.

Okay.

Um Devonshire.

That's in the large Mount Woods neighborhood.

I'll be able to do that.

Yes.

Um I will have to get back to you on that.

I don't recall where that is.

I know that um we did inspect and walked the area.

Um you know, they they and I think we provided a brief summary of the findings, which which basically was that there is a wetland area, sort of where we're pine root dams, you know, uh nature woods coming down.

Um there is a series of outfalls that that you know go through and discharge into the pine broke drainage corridor, which gets overwhelmed, and we're looking to improve as part of the sheldric uh improvements.

Um so I can follow up with you uh give us okay with more details on this.

Um about Congress Street.

That's the idea.

Yeah, so uh we uh we had put the project out to bid, but uh we had found out that there's a potential that Congress place itself is not a city street, it's not a map city street, so unless it is a city street, we're not gonna be making improvements on private property, which we fully understand that that location may be just a large driveway that's shared by multiple homes.

Um we we did some research uh first off this.

We did some research for Costols online looking through land records, and right now we've uh moved forwarded it to uh to legal for their assistance to confirm uh our our um understanding that it is potentially a uh pay project which doesn't belong to the city.

Thank you.

We would have to be a drainage improvement if it became a city street, so we would look to see if something that we want to incorporate.

So when when uh these all came out, you know, uh to like when we were doing the surveying and advancing the side um during that time we also spoke with the you know various stakeholders in the area, and you know they at least to me they didn't uh raise any concerns with floor, which is somewhat shocking.

Um so then uh compounded with the fact that it was a private street.

We felt um you it was better use of the program funding to look at all the areas that are also in need for improvements or you know, public areas heard conflicting information about flooding in that area.

Sure, I um maybe we could have a meeting with stakeholders or internally because um yeah right now that project is still roll for these reasons.

Okay, um, Morro's half where all those streets sort of intersect has been a really problematic area.

It was project in one of the earlier updates that haven't heard much about it since um just so that area is just north uh city park of the barn art school.

Um so we have City Park project that is uh is nearly complete the full and full design.

Uh adjacent to that is Ashland Avenue, and then further south is Sunday all within the same watershed again.

The you know, working from downstream upstream.

Uh we could I I did have a conversation recently with a resident uh looking for updates on that, and uh it was an enjoyable conversation, rather long conversation, but uh it's a potential for logically speaking, engineering wise, yes, when you move from downstream, you move upstream next.

And uh it was an enjoyable conversation, rather long conversation, but uh it's a potential for logically speaking, engineering-wise, yes, when you move from downstream, you move upstream next.

But um we have to evaluate where we're gonna start our next range plan logically, yes, we're happy the next one.

But again, as Will also mentioned, then if the cost where are we gonna be doing our next project that has more of a benefit for more residents?

Um that we could certainly look into maybe enhanced ourselves into a mini drainage project where we upsize some fetch bases and pipes and then come back a few years later and do some additional curbing.

I know I know the issues are specifically at the watershed for, but we'll be looking at that mostly.

I can't give a time frame yet, but it's not right.

Okay.

Um the last one is um board acres.

In the past, uh we were looking at grant opportunities to do a hydrology study.

There's some stormwater infrastructure within the park.

Um, but I didn't see it on the list of potential grant applications in this update.

Um all days we're gonna have to get back to you on that.

Um thank you for your presentation of your work.

It's it's very thorough.

I just want to ask about uh around the Glenwood Lake area uh and on the Pelham border.

Um first, what's your definition of Store Avenue?

Because the store avenue that's north of Lincoln Avenue that leads into Glenwood Lake uh neighborhood, and then there's store avenue that uh district one and I share that leads uh south.

So, you know, first what's your definition of that, and then along for the improvements that you're including in your list, and then also around the the lake, you know, uh is that included in lake improvements, or is that a part?

I would assume that it would be a part of the broader flood mitigation strategy.

So what are we looking at there?

Because residents, especially the residents that are on the border that are at the bottom of the hill is touching Pellone, you know, everything is leading into their house.

Their house is everyone else's pool.

So I store I mean just complete a project stuff.

Yes, yeah, yeah.

Um council members, so store avenue for for us is is the the portion, you know.

Um scroll section, uh you know, Harmon and Storer, that intersection that's uh handle intersection, that junction uh from there to Lincoln basically is what we you know what's within the sea of new shell uh uh and then the I believe the leg you're referring to is Glenwood Lake End.

Yes, so that project is not even though it will uh the uh result in you know uh flood mitigation improvements is not really tracked under the flood mitigation program, it's really a dam safety project.

Um we were currently waiting uh for permits from the from the state uh to go to release those those B documents and and getting to construction.

That's that's great for dam safety, but I'm asking about the people that live along Lakeside Drive in wood place, you know, the people that are dealing with overflow, the people that are dealing with not just the lake overflowing, but you know, rainwater running down into their homes.

It's a very very hilly area.

So I'd like to understand now that is included in flood medication because it does flood.

Sure.

We would have to look into that area um you know the uh can think of a project that specifically adversity that area right now.

In what place added as one of the smaller projects?

It's yeah, it's it's a it's a smaller drainage improvement project in there.

It's more or less just uh pipe upgrades and and an addition of uh of a uh drainage infrastructure, but very very minor to that mini drainage project.

Right.

But we'll we'll we'll look at look at this more as kind of a hole and see what was in the watershed report and and get back to you.

Okay, excellent.

Um just super quick, just a no gratitude of thanks.

Honestly, everybody's asked a question, but it is it's it's great to see you know 20 projects, although maybe it's a little more because some of the projects have different streets.

Um but you know, I remember the initial assessment was a little over a hundred um to see significant progress in our third year.

Um, I think is exciting.

This is not uh object like straight data, but I know the phone rings significantly less on rainstorms and the emails and the frantic and the kind of anxiety that residents communicate, which you know is reflective of just the fear, has has dissipated for sure, and uh I love that in the deck you had community engagement called out explicitly.

It's I think it's just a reflection of the the values and the leadership and understanding of the needs.

Um signs are great, people know who to call, who to email, you know, what the what the scope of the project is, another kind of communication tool.

I love um I'm gonna use a phrase that I don't fully know, but it popped up in my head.

Your the computer system, like the predictive modeling, you know, that's just really cool and probably gives us more bang for buck.

Um so really excited about that, and um just just really grateful for the continued effort, and um, you know, I I I will say when when I'm in either other parts of Westchester with colleagues from the county or even other parts of the state, we do get a lot of compliments for having this comprehensive plan and a sense of direction.

Um we do stand out that way, so I know that you know if we had an infinite number of people and money, um, you know, you'd be able to deploy and launch and fix all 120 projects at the same time.

Um we really do like some people say like we we can't even get like one project funded or completed, and y'all have all these many deployed at various stages, and in any given year you're working in the this year, the last year, and the future year.

So there's like a three-year cycle in any given month, so I just want to make sure I say that because I've been able to be here from before the initial stages and in this 30 years, so it's a testament to the continued leadership from our city manager down to our commissioner and and to you, Gino on the team.

We really appreciate that on behalf of the residents.

So thank you.

And we were not done.

Right, we didn't do the other one yet, right?

It just hit me.

I was like, oh gosh.

So part two of the DPW update.

Yay.

Computer turned off.

It is kind of excellent.

All right, so our second presentation.

Uh this is just uh a quick update uh recap on uh snow and boat holes um uh citywide.

Uh you know, I just was at a construction site earlier and it's 90 degrees almost, and so it's hard to comprehend, you know, recording snow a few months ago.

Um so as part of this presentation, I just want to go a little bit over the uh the statistics and uh these recent winter storms that were endured.

Um go through um our snow management operation and some some improvements that we've identified.

Um then um conclude with the uh roadway conditions uh both storm and uh what our improvement plan is.

Um so for context, uh the these um this graph shows uh the average temperature and the average snowfall uh for the past six years in the region.

So um what what um this is very telling because as you can see uh just from January through March, um the blue bars are uh snowfall amount and the uh dot chart is temperatures.

Um so uh clearly uh you know if you compare the the amount of uh rainfall death, I'm sorry, snowfall death uh uh historically, uh we almost received uh about twice as much as we did in 2021, which was sort of the last uh the harshest storm we've had in the past you know five years.

Um if you compare the amount of snowfall with more recent years, we had more than four times the amount uh just in these three months.

Um also very telling that the temperatures were uh uh very low and unsustained.

Um so we had you know uh very uh cold temperatures uh that lasted for longer in time.

Uh just starting this year, started with the right foot storms back to back, um of which were um declared you know biggest storm in more than a decade.

Um we have a various amount of uh snowfall uh in the region.

Uh but the first week we were hit with was uh in January 17th, then uh almost you know, a week later, another one, uh major winter storm furn, January 25th.

Um then again almost 10 days later.

Uh we had another uh uh cold wave and and snow, snowfall.

Um other few days later.

Uh we had Hernando, which was a blizzard, um, and then um about two weeks after that we were hit with uh another blazer.

And for safety.

Snow plowing is staffed by various departments.

We we shuffle, we should we recycle the staffing of the equipment so we can attend to uh to snow plowing during the storm events.

We have a total of 13 routes within the city.

We call them snow routes, and some of those routes are managed or attended for by contractor that we have on their on the contract.

It's more so for those you know, tight, you know, tight roads that we're not well equipped to handle.

Um but um the majority of the plowing snow plowing is done is done by in-house resources.

We also rent uh two trucks uh to help with the operation.

Um the primary focus during a snow snowstorm is really keeping the the primary roads and the secondary roads um clear.

Uh when a snow uh emergency is declared, then we really focus on on the snow routes, uh some of which are also primary roads.

Uh but again as snow is falling, really the goal is to uh keep those main roads or emergency routes clear for emergency vehicles, police, um, and then once uh the snow uh the snowfall subsides, we can adventure out into our secondary roads and dead ends and tertiaries.

Um you know, speaking for for challenges, um I would say the first one was the storm timing.

Um all of these storms ended up getting into the weekend.

Um we had in total um five weekend days across these storms, uh, three of which were Sundays.

Um that is both challenging from um you know a staffing perspective, but also uh from a budgeting perspective because we do pay you know two twice uh labor rates uh when the staffing happens uh on a Sunday.

Um and again we had three Sundays uh in the mix.

Um also uh with storm timing was the duration.

Uh we had to cycle through uh various um shifts to cover the full duration of these storms that also protracted uh over time between uh forecasts and just the the um the weather condition.

Um another um challenge was the the sustained uh winter conditions.

Um we had low temperatures as we showed uh in that graph before that that sort of lingered uh for days and that uh creates all sort of challenges.

Uh we we we received water main breaks, emergency repairs, we also had um uh difficulty in going back to the deployment of salt uh with all the freezing uh temperatures and snow still on the ground.

Um resources again staffing during the weekend.

Uh we I have to say our team really step up to the plate and I'm very uh you know grateful to their commitment.

They all they all showed, they all they're always ready.

Uh but of course we have we have ocean regulations, we have only so many hours we can we can uh cycle through with our employees, so that that was um a little bit of a challenge to be able to maintain uh the um to be staffed for the whole duration of the storm.

Um equipment, we had equipment breakdowns, uh it happens.

Uh we had we have a terrific uh fleet manager, and um it's just unbelievable how these conditions really push the limits on the equipment, and we do have breakdowns.

Um we dove into specifically what the issues are and what equipment is breaking, and we have some some ideas for improvement there that we're gonna speak about next.

Another challenge was parked vehicle.

Parked vehicles really hinder the whole operation.

And city management activated reparking downtown with the emergency declarations.

We still had many vehicles on the road, all these emergency routes that were really an impediment to the flow of our operation.

Now when it's snowing and taking space, you know, many street, how much volume are we going to have?

How much is it going to cost?

And we just had so much volume when you plow these volume out of the road, and then you have the private residents also clearing you know their sidewalks, you start running out of space.

Particularly downtown, for example, where you don't have you know enough room to store the snow.

Our salt shed is very far south.

So the timing to go back to the north as and then whether it's to reload on salt or troubleshoot and equipment issue is just it's just really a killer in terms of coming back, it's already sort of behind the able, and when we go back to those roads in the north.

So we we've had several meetings once the we were past the storm, and uh you know, as we typically do, we met with the team, we we we understood the challenges, we discussed them, and we have some ideas for improvements.

Um one improvement that we actually started these with these recent storm events, and I think uh uh worked out very well was uh scope very close coordination with the schools.

Um you know uh previously it was a little bit of a of a battle.

We push we plowed the snow, they put it back on the road.

Uh then you know, by the time we were both done, we had you know a big berm of snow, and you know, was we didn't really have a drop of area cleared.

So, anyway, we're now working, we worked this this time very closely with the school district, and um we we coordinated the timing, the area, the you know, first roles, responsibilities, the drop of areas, and that that worked out very well.

In fact, when we you know, when school theories resumed, it was it went much more smoother than than in the past.

Uh, just thanks to that coordination.

Um, complaint management.

We um we receive an avalanche of requests after the snow, the snowstorms.

Um, we learned that a lot of these uh requests uh for snow removal or for an issue uh were coming in in duplicate.

We we had locked them in internally at DPW, they had also been reported with city management.

So there was uh there were inefficiencies in the whole process and and um duplication of resources in attendance of the same exact um complaints.

So now we have a cloud uh repositories, a cloud-based database that we populate after the you know these storm events, and so that when city management receives a call or complaint, um they know if we have it logged, if not we log it in, it's just uh really uh make the whole process more efficient.

Uh it also helps us keep tats on these particular complaints and how we uh as we clear them.

Umly police and enforcement um we we began doing that with with with PD as we were learning that you know these these vehicles that remain parked really had to be um towed early in the process, you know.

Towing is not something we like to do, uh, but in these storms, you know, where snowfall sort of jump jumped at us, the the intensity just uh went up exponentially.

Um by the time we had to remove the the some of the cars that the toll company, you know, they don't remove snow, they took cars with them don't remove snow.

So we had some cars that already imported in snow, so that that was a little bit of a monkey wrench, so the plan there is to really start those enforcing and towing early.

So the plan there is to really start those enforcing and towing early.

Equipment upgrades.

I'm sorry, snow route declarations.

This is something that we will be presenting to you for consideration.

We looked at areas and roadways around the schools.

There are roads that you know, they're residential roads where the residents have a driveway.

So they should have the ability to park within the driveway and clear the streets.

But if they were and those routes would be cleared, we could do a much better job and be much more efficient in clearing those roads around the school.

So we may be coming back to you, council too with uh with a proposal to declare some of these very particular roads around schools and make them uh uh snow snow routes in our uh in our city code.

Um for um equipment upgrades uh we have we we learned that you know uh a common issue was the PTO.

The PTO is a piece of equipment that basically takes power from the engine to to operate the hydraulics, the the source spreaders, the plow, when the PTO you know breaks down, uh you can't really operate the snow or the salt or the floor.

Um we're looking into possibly replace these PTOs with uh more uh you know uh durable brands that are out there.

Um so you know, we're pricing and looking if it may if we do end up replacing our PTOs with with new PTOs, that would be a capital upgrade, you know, that would be part of next year.

Um staff communications.

We are in the process of uh, as a matter of fact, we just last week we approved the last uh quote to deploy uh deploy a radio communication system for all our our fleet.

Um so our city manager um our uh manager of streets and highways and can communicate with any any truck out in the road uh via radio that will be deployed this year, and that that um improved communication is going to help a big deal.

A staff training.

We we have a terrific team, they're they're on the junk on the younger side.

Uh we we've a lot of our veteran drivers have you know retired.

Um you know, we notice sort of a conflict, right?

When the direction to sort of these new new new drivers is you know, you have to be very careful with the curve, don't hit the plow, you know, and then that that's very valid.

Uh but you know, they were also being a little shy on the width that they were clearing during snow plow.

And you know, that when that the issue with that is that once we that the traffic resumes, they start dragging snow from the banks to into the road and it becomes a mess.

So we're looking to deploy um you know these flow markers in certain areas to kind of help them get experience, see the edge of the road, and you know, eventually there'll be like the our veteran drivers that can we they know exactly where it is, where the corvies or where the obstacles are.

Um snow management technologies.

Um shopping around, this will be a big focus on my future attendance to DPW expos.

Um there are systems that uh can track our our equipment, our snow plows.

You can see them in real time.

There is all sort of um you know um advanced um technologies where you can even see if the plow is all bird down or tilted by vehicle.

Um so I'm I'm shopping around if we do end up investing in in a system like that, it'd be a capital ask uh for deployment maybe next year.

Um but um you know a few municipalities near us are doing that, and it's um it's it's a great system because the manager can really see exactly where the the trucks are, he can dispatch particular trucks to you know certain areas.

Um so I'm very excited about that.

Um then uh pre-winter educational campaign that would be uh uh just information that we're looking to disseminate with our uh comms uh team.

Um just you know, explaining to our residents what it means to be on a snow route, um, you know what that means uh if you are in an emergency declaration, a little bit about you know what the the priorities are.

We have you know residents, and um it's understandable calling you know about snow in in uh in a cold sack, but we're still contending with the primary roads uh because snow is still falling.

Um so we we're gonna be working together in some uh you know educational material that we hope will help uh help the operation and the standing.

So, yes, our roadways uh took a bidding this this winter.

Um these sustain temperatures resulted in in frost heave, uh cracks, potholes, um year to date of you know, those sustained uh low temperatures resulted in 47 water main breaks from the eLia.

Those were 47 emergency um repair permits that we issued.

That picture that you see there, that photo is our truck that failed through uh uh water main repair.

Wow, and the issue is that uh when they repaired these water mains, uh they had to backfill, but it was still freezing.

And so that was uh high quality backfill, it was frozen, or you couldn't really achieve compaction.

So we went back, we worked with them uh to identify all of those repairs, and we had them uh you know revisit the backfield, replace it and fix it properly.

Um we've um today repair uh almost 1800 uh potholes uh that you know um relative to last year that's a 24% increase just in the first quarter.

And the other thing that's telling is that the amount of asphalt that we're using to patch the potholes this quarter is uh much much higher than last year.

So that means we're dealing with larger potholes this year.

Uh so not only more in quantity but larger.

Um we still have 19 uh you know um locations.

So what we do is we go out there, really the the name of the game is filling potholes.

You know, um it's really an ongoing operation, but right after we're out of the snow season, that's really all hands-on-deck backfill.

Um and we make note of uh potholes that are eligible for for an enhanced repair with uh what we're calling the blacktop crew.

Uh you know, whether the pothole is too large or we have a cluster of little potholes, we we jot down those locations and we will revisit those uh with the black blacktop crew to just meal and pave with the new equipment we just uh acquired.

Um we still have 82 streets uh in the queue uh in new pothole repair.

So the pothole quantity we we log in after we fill them.

Uh so we go to each one of these 82 streets and we log in, which how however many um uh potholes resulted from each after we attended attend to them.

Um so for improvements uh on overall roadway conditions.

Um we as you know we were uh enforcing new uh new legislation on corp to core restoration, so those repairs, emergency repairs, and new utility repairs.

Um we're now demanding uh you know core to core restoration for the permanent restoration.

Um we are um uh also again going uh citywide backfilling um with the with with with hot asphalt mix.

We're we're also introducing um uh reinforced cold patch material that's kind of is the new thing that would allow us to they claim the the band the manufacturer claims that it performs just as good as well as the hot mix and you know we we're going to try that uh because that would allow us to really start patching before the the athlete plants open.

Um we're also uh ramping up our uh black tube crew to start doing those enhanced repairs, that's a new thing.

Um we uh we just completed last last week.

Uh Gino is really managing all that effort, the condition assessment for our roads uh citywide.

Um it's great that uh we were able to do that after this harsh winter because that will capture really the most up-to-date conditions citywide, and we use that data to scope our um you know uh dearly paving contracts.

Um and then of course we have our uh citywide paid paving improvement contract um uh being made uh later this year.

Uh we're planning to finish that scope by the end of May, and we anticipating meeting and paving and doing all their uh uh technologies for for our uh paving contract um between July and November.

Um so uh in terms of uh uh budget, we've um we had a spike in um historically right uh in snowfall and and temperatures and resulting uh repairs and issues.

Um we will be coming back with a request to adjust the budget to carry us through the the Q4 season.

Um as of right now, I don't think it really makes sense to uh staff up or change anything drastically these just by looking at the data, this was somewhat of an outlier here.

Uh if we do see a trend in these sort of conditions, then that then we would look into possibly readjusting budgets moving forward and and re readjusting our operation.

Um that's it for the update.

Any questions?

Thank you so much.

Questions or comments from colleagues on this presentation, council and Peterson.

Well, just comments.

I once again I think this is like incredible work, you know.

Well, all I heard from the people emailing and calling and asking and asking after well they they would talk about oh they came or all they know they've done it.

You know, it's just such a just the volume was just incredible in the way in which the the entire team responded to this and and did not let go of it was really impressive, and I really appreciate the the work that you just described and the way in which things have uh unfolded.

We had a lot of complaints about paddles still if you have that.

But um, you know given given what's occurred and how you're the C P slot, we just want to commend you for entertaining for all the work that you're doing.

And just to mention what the volume you mentioned that that's that's quite accurate.

Just downtown, we we believe or not we ended up um removing uh about 620 droploads of snow.

So it's a lot of potholes as well.

Yes, I know we had a very very rough winter.

Uh do we contract out for you know uh assistance removing snow?

Because I know that we couldn't keep up with all of the snow and uh as people were like trying to clean the other the plow would come and then it would throw it back in.

So uh I know that many companies were reaching out to us saying, you know, what is there a contract uh where you hire small, you know, uh MWBs, for example, here in the neighbor shell.

And if if we do, when do we do it?

Sure.

Um yes, we we that's a contract that we're gonna be out this year again uh for snow removal.

Um we um we also have uh contractor currently uh on board for cleaning downtown, and they also have snow removal responsibilities.

Um and um yes, in this instance we ended up um you know contracting two-night shifts of snow removal uh downtown, you know, area or business district.

Uh the rest was done in-house over uh 10 days spent.

Because I would like to know when so that we can let all of the different companies know, you know, how to go about yes.

And uh about patholes, yes.

I mean it's been really hard in uh you said there's still like what 90 locations listed for enhanced uh improvement, I think 17 are in my ear.

So if we can just check at those and thank you.

So I need to get out of this.

Okay, Council Marshal.

Um thank you again for your work.

Uh as everyone said, we we got a lot of of course we got a lot of variety in our feedback, but so much of it was positive, it was very impressive.

And uh for the people that did have issues, they almost came back immediately and said, Oh, they came a day later.

It must have already been in the queue.

They came three days later, you guys were incredibly responsive.

I think you uh did mention it though uh in the coordination with the school district.

Uh some of the families that are in the neighborhood of some of our schools were complaining that um as soon as they would like particularly at the corners, the intersections they would they would plow through, and then the plows that come through and refill what they just plowed, and then they plow again, and then the plows would come through because we got snow again, so then you're plowed, you know.

So I don't know necessarily what what could be done about that, maybe coordination with the neighborhood associations.

I I I don't know.

Yes, you know, about uh if you could speak to that a little.

Absolutely.

Um yeah, so we we work very closely on precisely that particular operation with the school district, but I you know, part of our informational campaign is to explain in a diagram where the snow needs to end up.

Right.

Because that is, you know, it sounds you know, uh common sense, but the reality of it is you know, residents are just trying to clear, which is great, you know, they're they're battling their own responsibility, and we're doing the same, and we end up, you know, on each other's toes.

So, you know, I I hope that with this informational campaign we'll be we'll aim at the amenity strip and we won't be you know interfering with each other.

Um and the the other comment I would say I I think it has much more to do with our management team and our effort towards communications.

Um you know I I would say the south end of Main Street representing a part of nurse that feels kind of left out of the picture.

There were a lot of complaints.

Oh, my road never gets plowed, you know, they're never coming through here.

And I I feel like uh it was difficult to encourage people that they could communicate with the city and then get a response.

So, you know, I don't I don't know if this is necessarily for you then it is for all of us, you know.

If we could find more ways to get you know more people to be more responsive and engaged, maybe with our app, you know, or responding directly to our management team.

I just want to put that out there for all of us.

Um because it's it's a difficult you know, life experience to to you know break through on.

That was interesting.

Couple of Tarantina.

Yeah, um, two things.

One one was the um about the snow management um with uh private properties, mainly larger properties with large parking facilities on site.

And I know like Bill got many, many calls for me on that.

Um one of the problems it seemed to be is that you know, we had a five-year span between major storms, so I think that a lot of the locations uh changed management companies, plowing companies, whoever was doing the work, and uh what we were seeing is a lot of the snow was being removed from the private properties and thrown into the streets.

In fact, some of the streets were almost pests of them, they you just couldn't get through.

Uh you know, Will did get it uh through your department, he did get you cleaned up, which I thank you both for.

Um but also another thing, and and you know, we heard some criticism that you know my street didn't get plowed.

Um in fairness to the crews that were out there, a lot of them, you know, there was a five-year span.

Nobody's been plowing this type of snow in five years, and uh there were a lot of people I'm sure that retired from DPW during that five-year span, and there are a lot of new people uh just you know getting their feet wet and removing this kind of snow.

And I see I saw it with some of the drivers when they were out there.

However, as the storms hit, we saw an improvement each time.

Uh so it was on the job training basically for many of these people.

But do we have a program or do anything now?

Being that we got hit with this uh to somehow train uh the employees to be able to understand how better uh to position the plows and and how to to move the snow because that seemed to be yes, we we recognize that as a challenge because we have the these newer drivers.

Um you know, we think the the training is going to come it's it's a combination of assisting them with understanding the limits and practice, right?

Um, you know, we right now we don't have um you know plans to send them to plow school.

I think they they they will they're improving, right?

And and we're gonna assist them with uh with the markers.

Um the with the radius, uh they'll be able to get uh real-time feedback, you know, uh as the super working supervisor is patrolling what they had just cloud, and we think that approach will will get get them there.

Right.

I mean we we had in in the South End, they were off Pell and Road area a lot in particular.

We had about 10 water main bikes, you know, all on the same rock, and I gotta say they were very, very good at coming back, salting the roads um and keeping them safe.

So you know, they did a great job with that.

But the the bigger the bigger issue is the the problem with the private properties uh and the dumping of the snow because you know really bothers me to watch the property owner on a major developments are paying someone to plow the snow instead of taking the property and piling it up on on site, and a lot of these sites have sufficient area to put the snow, they're throwing in the street and then the street, the city is then paying men over time to remove the snow.

And I think that is there a way we send letters out to we notify all of these property owners with these bigger parking, and then it doesn't only have to be apartment complexes, it's also you know, basic commercial properties.

I mean Home Depot was the one that I called you numerous times on.

They were taking the snow from the site and throwing it onto Wayman Avenue and just pile it up next to the um YMCA uh in the mountain of snow.

So, you know, I think you know, I think it's important for us to before the season starts and to reinforce it before a storm somehow to have a point person at these locations that we can reach out to and and uh you know notify them that you know storms coming through, make sure you keep snow on your site, and you know, and if you don't, we're going to we don't have any system in place to find them or back charge them for the removal.

No, firstly no, it's uh it's I I share your pain.

Uh I mean it's just uh it's very expensive to the city, especially the fact that our storms hit on weekends, on Sundays, uh Saturday nights, Sundays.

I mean, it it was it whatever happened to us this year, it costs twice as much as it would normally cost because there was so many Sunday storms.

So I think we we did these badge police to issue sums because that's a code violation.

Right.

And we we cut a couple ones.

Um but I think that's a great idea.

We'll we'll look into issue layers to this holders.

Thanks very much.

Councilman Stern.

I'll go quick because I know you're running on two hours in the house.

Um the salt point you mentioned about only being the South End.

I would just throw out there.

I wonder have can we look at the other municipalities and can we get like an intermunicipality agreement of some kind if they have their facility nearby?

We yes, we did.

I was very excited with the possibility of partnering with with Scarsdale, and I had uh uh couple meetings with the D BW commissioner.

He was he was um you know uh very amenable to the idea, although he always told us he's gonna ultimately be up to the board.

Um we as we we even drafted um uh a memorandum of understanding, you know, before we executed some some sort of agreement.

The idea is that we could use their salt, you know, load up our trucks in their facility at five corners, yeah, and then replenish them within 24 hours.

Uh but that you know that fell through for two main reasons.

One is uh they don't uh they don't have a loader.

They you know their their personnel self-load their trucks, and we don't have that those capabilities.

Our you know, drivers don't use the equipment, the loader.

Uh so huge liability, and it's really we're not really equipped, or we could even park an operator there for the occasional loading of the north end.

So that that that was the main reason.

And the other reason is um it seemed that um there wasn't much of appetite from Scarcell.

We began sensing that maybe you know this is a little far-fetched.

Um regarding contract labor.

I think you know, I I had raised in my meeting with city manager um having you know a community program like what we saw in New York City did, you know, having people get paid.

And you know, you raised good points around liability and just the challenge of administering a pro program like that.

I do wonder though if there's an ability to have a contractor who you know can essentially subcontracted out or something.

Um just I'm thinking of a lot of the places that are harder for our equipment and you know, just labor intensive um that we don't really have the waiver for for like crosswalks and bus stops um that you know, even like weeks after the storm.

Um and so I would just love to consider that as an option.

Um again, so excited by what you are saying because actually the uh consumer protection has a list of all of the certified uh companies from the Rochelle that are small companies that are licensed and that's subcontract with local people.

Yeah, yeah.

That would really be a um regarding the complaints when people reach out to you know your office versus another office versus the city manager's office, is all of that going into Munis, or is there are there different systems for tracking complaints?

Yes, they're all going to they all okay.

Um and then for the technology point, I love the idea of having it all GPS track.

Uh my only request would be if we can make that public so that we can have people see when the plat where the files have been and you know hopefully you know if they've been by their street and uh I think that's the sort of information that would just be another step towards the comparison.

Sure.

Um and then we'll sorry my last question is uh the new uh potholes fixing the machine with the million paving.

I feel like I asked about this a lot, but uh what's what's the timing on that?

I know we've received it.

Yes, we we're only uh waiting for one uh uh one troll that you know to bring but we have another one that we're planning to use since that we get the the new one.

Um we're we're starting that in May.

The inhabit there is with the black group.

Great, right?

Um just very quickly uh uh echoing thanks again.

I think I said it in the past, just it was amazing to see the guys out in the bitter cold, literally hacking away at ice or shoveling the snow and and then even the last two days, well it's crazy it is 90 degrees, they're still out in the morning with the potholes, like it's sort of the same guys, and so um yeah, I guess which makes sense manager wise, but just really thank you to you and the team.

Um just a couple of cool um uh just pulling on councilman Stern's point, um whether it's leveraging the GPS technology or working with our comms team, just messaging what blocks are gonna be plowed, it would just it's amazing and and every you know, I guess people have a sense that my paw has not been, you know, I just it's just helpful I think to communicate it.

I would imagine with the technology, and I'm so thrilled that you've referenced technology a lot in the last two hours.

Um but how do we flip that information so that it's external facing um whether the the software allows you to do that or comms can sort of distill a list or something else, I think that would help us support you guys as well and mitigate some of the questions.

And then the only other the only other area vis-a-vis um snow removal that stood out to me was around bus stops and just not is that a us or the county?

Um because I just sort of felt and again this is not based on data, but just wondering like how is that part, how is it we talked about schools, absolutely smaller cul-de-sacks, all of that makes sense.

Councilman Stern talked about some of the tighter areas, but I'm just curious and you don't have to answer now 603, but um it just there were you know there's a few bus stops that are near like sensitive areas, you know.

I'm thinking of like by 64 Lincoln, which is a 10 it's a building of of senior disabled folks that I know that use um assisted mobility to to get around.

I can't imagine how they were getting on the bus for a few days.

So I'm just wondering how that if that's an us or a county question of who has the the primary responsibility to to remove the the snow from the bus stops.

Um and I were you jumping in councilman K?

Councilwoman Kind of okay.

Um but other than that, a hearty thank you to everything you guys have done the team is done.

Councilwoman K.

Thank you.

I wasn't gonna say anything in the interest of time.

One thank you very much for all the hard work.

Um but with the communications to also just to be balanced in it because there was a lot of communications like we're coming back through the downtown to plow certain streets, and I know that effort was being made in the north end, but that wasn't communicated, and so you if you were just following the comms, you wouldn't think that there was some more efforts happening throughout the city, and just don't want to give people a false impression.

604.

Um welcome.

Yeah.

Make sure you come back now.

Item number two of 15 is complete.

Thank you, gentlemen.

Thank you.

Okay, we might be able to pick up some time here.

Um item number three is a and I apologize that you guys are sitting there.

I'm just trying to make sure we have a able to stand before our public hearing.

Um item number three is the proposed it's um sorry, it's the public hearing for the proposed acceptance of the supplemental D G I S as complete regarding the downtown party zone tonight is the public hearing.

Um my understanding is tonight is the speaking part, but the written comment period will be open for some days, and I'll announce that date at the days, right?

For people to send email.

Any questions or comments on item three, even though it's public hearing?

First, I I just want to make a statement that I had a conversation last week with the city manager about um voting because I think it's something that you know we need to clear up one.

And we in the discussion you said that um I would be able to vote going forward.

I was gonna I'm going to vote, but I just wanted to make sure we don't so we don't have to deal with it in the in the future.

Uh the other thing I wanted to ask is that we keep an open mind to see what comes in tonight from from the public and and you know what content and issues there uh that we possibly leave the public hearing open to another public hearing if the input is intense and and and heavy because we've done that before when we've had you know sort of a controversial or a uh an issue where a lot of people uh want to speak and have questions and want to get their answers back before we come in and vote.

So I think that it would be important that if you know, just to consider it if that's the case.

Thank you.

Uh Councilwoman Kay.

Um so I just want to reiterate a prior request to see how the greener framework was going to be integrated in the DOZ amendments.

Um, just looking beyond general language but actual substantive standards that are measurable and enforceable and not simply aspirational.

Thank you.

Okay, there's a council minute.

I actually have a question related.

So you know, we get feedback is it true that we have you know there has to be a response to all the feedback as well.

Correct.

Um in June there'll be a presentation at the June CAW of the FSGIS, which will be a full um, you know, a final supplemental generic environmental act statement, which will include um all of the responses line by line for all of the different uh comments that were received.

And and for you know, I heard council uh person Kay with you know talk about the greener the green and our standards being added.

We do have um a very specific recommendation that includes the checklist with the uh weighted scoring that we discussed and have seen as an example in some other municipalities that we're gonna add into the um the zoning.

So that kind of final product will uh be presented in June as well.

And if that goes far enough for you all, then um you know we can decide what to put to do for that.

Sorry, compensation then back to Peters and then our city manager.

Then you know we get feedback presuming we you know hear things that are you know uh feedback that we'd like to incorporate.

You know, if there are changes, how does that affect things going forward?

Um depending on the magnitude of the changes.

I mean, if we hear something that is you know exceeds the the the you know the recommendation it can't be reconciled uh you know back to the original sort of secret process that was started, um then uh you know I guess potentially we we we'd have to either take that item out or we um have to start a new secret process again.

But but generally speaking, based on the types of comments that we've heard so far, I think that um a lot of them can be dealt with within the um the original EIS.

But if there are things that we hear tonight that um you know in any way will affect the trajectory, I will uh report back to you all between now and uh June and let you know based on what we've heard and by the conclusion of the public comment period, which is for 10 days beyond the public hearing, so the 24th of April Um, we will have done you know, shortly thereafter we'll have done an inventory, like a check, a review of all the comments.

We can flag any issues that we think are impactful of the time, right?

It's uh Peter City Manager in the Osh and please in that same vein that's so far as the individual and everyone around this.

We would we would have an opportunity after the public hearing to kind of assess and re-evaluate if needed, particular comments that that perhaps uh made sense to us or where we felt were were important enough to reconsider what we currently have.

So we would have the capacity and ability to sort of have a second pass on this if in fact that's what we decide.

Correct.

Yeah, all right.

That's fine.

The time frame is our own.

You know, we have to at least use our minimum time frames, so um we can work within that that feedback and we can have separate meetings and you know go over the comments that affect your area.

Absolutely.

Consultation, sorry, absolutely.

Um we've been receiving letters and emails and comments so far.

I mean several this year, but the the there's been an increase in quantity leading up to uh tonight's public hearing.

Are we including them as well or like some of the emails that we've received with letters attached and things like that?

So we are including those.

Okay.

Absolutely.

Everything we've received correspondence on this particular issue is being recorded and logged and will be responded to in the FSGIS.

Said another way, so anybody that's reported like or delivered a letter or recommendation since like the last meeting or since the last public meeting.

Yes, yeah.

If it's sent to us as a comment to the 2026 throws the amendments, you know.

Got it.

We have received some.

All right.

Uh no further action on number three.

Number four is a negative declaration regarding the authorization to Nikoshi and acquire the parcel on 38 First Street and you shall I believe this is in Councilman Lukas's district and it's related to parking.

Um acquiring space for parking city manager, anything that we need to straightforward negative declaration declared.

Which is like it sounds like uh Yeah, no, no, it's no significantly.

Excellent.

Um I have that parking.

I have a note that there has to be changes to the memo.

No, no.

Oh, sorry, next one.

Sorry, sorry.

Okay.

Motion in a second to move item number four to the consent agenda.

Lopez NK, all in favor say aye.

Any opposed.

Number five is a proposed amendment to the code of the city of New Shell regarding the property tax exemption for veterans with a hundred percent service related disability.

Hello, Commissioner.

Um, apologies.

This is the one that I have a note.

Uh we need to make some verbal changes to the memo to clarify requirements.

Yes, yes.

Good afternoon, everyone.

Uh so yeah, by way of background, as previously discussed, uh, New York State recently amended the real property tax law section 458 requiring a complete tax exemption for qualifying veterans with 100% service related disability.

So I'm gonna list uh initially is the what the prior uh language was in the memorandum, and then I will list the new uh language name.

To qualify, a veteran must meet all the following criteria.

Have a qualifying condition under New York State Veterans Service defined as post-traumatic stress disorder, traumatic brain injury, or military sexual trauma, be a discharge LGBT veteran with and or then dishonorable or bad conduct discharge, and have a hundred percent disability rating with a permanent and total designation from the UPA, and have a total receivability based on the individual unemployability designation from the VA and qualify for the VA specifically adapted housing brand.

So that was the old language, and this is the new language for that radical.

The primary residence of any searching disabled veteran who A1 was discharged or released there from under honorable conditions, and two has a qualifying condition, including post-traumatic stress disorder, traumatic brain injury, or military sexual trauma, as defined in section one of the veterans service law, and has received a discharge other than bad conduct or dishonorable from such service, or three is a discharge LGBT veteran as defined in section one of the veteran service law and has received a discharge other than bad conduct or dishonorable from such service, and B.

It's considered to be permanently and totally disabled as a result of military service, and two is rated 100% disabled by the United States Department of Veterans Affairs, and three has been rated by the United States Department of Veterans Affairs as individually unemployable.

And four, who's eligible for curk canary assistance from the United States government or has received preconceived assistance from the United States government and has applied such assistance towards the acquisition or modification of suitable housing unit with special features or movable facilities made necessary by the nature of the veteran's disability and the necessary land thereof shall be fully exempt from taxation and special district charges, assessments and special ad galarm levels, provided that such a veteran meets all other requirements listed below.

Although no formal action is required by a city, we're the staff is recommending the amended code incorporate the new property tax exemption for qualified veterans with a hundred percent service connected disability inconsistency with prior practice.

That was a lot.

Um just kind of just say yeah, okay.

But I think yeah, no process, and I don't envy your role.

Um I'm just cognizant that I'm voting.

Um so I think we have to probably make a motion to amend this amendment, not the legislation.

So we'll do it administrative and we'll include it in the updated version will be in the final agenda for next week.

Okay, R L Mother, okay.

Questions or comments on item number five, aside from read that again.

Okay.

Uh may I have a motion and a second to move five to the consent agenda, Peters um and Oshaloe, all in favor say aye.

Any opposed.

All right.

Oh, sorry.

Sorry, I thought you were going to move.

I was okay.

And I think you want to ask your question.

It's it's just that in terms of the language a little bit.

Um that's some of the trending to minimize advice is to just to humanize the person, and then after that, relate to the condition that may that they may be experienced.

So for example, when we say socially disabled veteran, right?

And and as a result, it is a so it's experienced being socially disabled, things like that.

You hear what I'm trying to say?

It's the it's the inverting of the language that is more the trend, so that it's not it's not it's not as descriptive as the as the individual's unanimous, but more so what is occurred as a result.

Your problems.

Yeah, so the the trend towards that in language as you're considering that just think a little bit about it.

Okay.

Thank you.

Item number six is a proposed authorization to execute an intermunicipal agreement with Westchester County um Commissioner of Public Works back up.

Um regarding BPL-26, the stormwater management law funding, Commissioner.

Yes, what do you mean?

Um these uh these two fund the project that was listed and presented by Gino uh DPL OU project number 25052, which is uh just downstream of the Twin Lakes.

It's just a road.

The um the total grant value is 2.2 million, it's a 5050 um deal.

Um and uh it seek is to permission to to engage to execute an IMA and access those uh those grant funds.

Excellent questions or comments on item number six.

Motion and a second to move six to our consent agenda, please.

K and Stern, all in favor say aye.

Any opposed?

Thank you so much.

Item number seven is a um proposed acceptance of the New York State Authority DASNES State and Municipal Municipalities, rather.

Um, same grant awards for reservoir number one Lake Isle Dam.

Commissioner.

Yes, the these um the CS2 allows access to a grant um uh in the amount of 4.1 million.

Um is really um that would give us the opportunity to cover costs associated to uh reservoir uh one.

Um there are costs that may be coming our way, and the goal here is to be uh position to tap these grant if we need to uh proceed with some improvements of the over that.

Great, thank you so much.

Questions or comments, councilman Stern.

I'll just say thank you.

I know uh this is an important um asset for the for the city for at least for the park that we own.

Um, and also thank you, city manager, and mayor and corporation council.

Um we're getting closer, we hope, to a resolution here.

Um, and it's good to know that we have the funding available.

Any other questions or comments on seven?

Hearing none, may I have a motion and a second to move seven to our consent agenda?

Stern and Lopez.

All in favor say aye.

Any opposed.

Item number eight, we're being asked to vote on because there is a deadline that is approaching.

It is a proposed authorization to submit a grant application regarding the New York State Department of Transportation, Roadway Departure, Safety Action Plan, local call for projects for Prem Book Boulevard.

Commissioner.

Um this is uh this is another grant uh through DOT uh New York State DOT that would um uh allow us to access uh 11.4 million dollars uh for a total value of twelve million.

The grant would um could could potentially cover costs or improvements in your right of way.

Um for mission is being seeked or authorization to submit the grant.

I just want to say thank you.

I had heard that it was because of the diligence of staff that we heard about this opportunity, and you're encouraged to apply.

Other questions or comments on eight?

Another 19 to 1 match.

Pay $600,000 to get $11.4 million.

That's incredible.

Good work.

Thank you.

I have to, I'm sorry, I have to give credit to our ground specialty uh Nick Suefus who work very diligently on these.

I'm shocked.

A track record at all, right?

No.

Um we have to vote this one in.

So a motion and a second to authorize the submission of this grant as described.

Councilwoman K and Ashelay.

All in favor say aye.

Aye.

Any opposed.

Moving on to item number nine and ten, which are a pair.

Number nine is the introduction of the item.

Number ten is designating the public hearing, which we need to vote on this evening.

Both are related to the proposed amendment to chapter 312 of the code of the city of New Rochelle regarding the vehicle impoundment authority.

Commissioner, good evening.

Good evening.

How's everybody doing?

Great.

All right.

There you go.

Um, so this will allow us to remove unregistered vehicles from the streets sooner than we can.

What happens is we'll typically get a call from a resident saying that there's been a car there for a certain amount of time.

That clock doesn't actually start ticking until we go and we do the things that we need to do.

But oftentimes those cars are unregistered.

Under the current code, we cannot tow that car as soon as we get there, find out that it's unregistered.

We have to wait for it to be declared abandoned, which we do.

So that's another 48 hours that the car has to sit there.

So this just um makes that process quicker.

That's great.

Questions or comments on this pair?

Uh Austin Louie.

So this just actually came up in res the residence pardoning Red Association meeting last night.

Okay.

Um I would just like for you to elaborate a little bit on what goes into the process of determining that a car is abandoned.

Um, just so in case people have their cars disappear, they understand that you guys have done your due diligence on that.

Yeah, you're not allowed to leave your car in one spot for more than 48 hours.

Uh so we get called by a resident, we come down, there's an orange sticker that we put on the window, chalk the tires or mark it so that we know if it moves or not.

And if it doesn't, we would then we would then tow it.

If somebody returns to a space and their car is not there, generally they'll call the police department, we look it up, and we say, Oh no, we towed that car, or we say, Oh no, we don't have it, and then we would send an officer to investigate whether or not that car was stolen.

Okay.

Um that was the concern about being too quick in the process.

Now to speed the process up potentially.

I don't want to sound like big brother, but for the streets where we already have surveillance, where we have cameras, uh, where we look for, you know, if a crime happens, we check our cameras for things like that.

Would we be able to include that in the time period for observing that a vehicle is abandoned?

Let's say it's been there for a week and you could check the cameras, you know, X amount of time in retrospect from when you get the call.

Could we consider including that in the time?

I would say no.

It's that's very labor intensive to go back and check that.

I I would think that we we would not want to go down that road.

I think we would want to first, we would want to go there physically.

I agree.

I just would I want you to communicate that so that people understand these are the time constraints.

This is why because I do every time I get a email from people, I let them know what the what the parameters are.

Of course.

Thank you.

Thank you, Commissioner.

Any other questions or comments on this?

I just want to say uh thank you because I know I've always called in you.

That's all right.

So we're here for tonight.

The vote is to set the public hearing, which would be for May 12th, guys.

Um 2026.

May I have a motion and a second to set the proposed public hearing for this ordinance?

Item number 10.

Lopez and Kay, all in favor say aye.

Aye.

Any opposed.

Thank you so much.

Number 11 is a proposed amendment to the 2026 budget regarding a New York State Department of Homeland Security and Emergency Services Tactical Team Grant in the amount of 75,000 dollars.

Commissioner.

Yes, which would be voting on here is to accept uh a New York State uh DHS grant for 75,000 dollars.

We use that grant for things like uh as far as we use for training and for equipment for things like ballistic heavy vests, um ballistic helmets, some cameras, some repelling gear, and things like that.

That's what we use it for.

Thank you.

Questions or comments on item number 11.

Hearing none, may I have a motion and a second to move 11 to our consent agenda, please?

Um Stern and Lopez.

All in favor say aye.

Any opposed.

Moving on to item number 12, which is a proposed amendment to the 2026 budget regarding the New York City Department of Homeland Security and Emergency Services Explosive Detection Canine Team Grant in the amount of $60,000.

Commissioner.

Yes, this is uh exactly what you said.

New York State Department of Homeland Security, $60,000.

This is for um an actual canine.

The the canine that we have that's trained for explosives is is about nine years old now, so we know we're we're getting near the end of that career.

And um it goes into training equipment.

There's things that we have to have, such as uh explosive training devices, so we have to upfit one of our cars, or we can buy a new car.

If we bought a new car, uh we have $37,000 that we could put towards a car, and then we would have to pay for the rest, or we could upfit an older car if we find one to use, but that's what the vote would be for.

Awesome.

Any questions or comments on 12 loops?

What do we do when they're retired uh they they stay with the handler?

Oh, good, and the handler takes care of them.

And uh probably best for for the rest of their lives.

I'm a nice happy light.

Yes, well, retired labs are thank you for meddling.

Um questions on item 12.

So we're getting a dog.

That's I know I was just looking at dog.

So I want to make the handler sad.

All right.

Um, so aside from making pitches to adopt a dog, um I have a motion and a second to not adopt, but move number 12 to the consent agenda, please.

And Lopez, all in favor say aye.

Aye, any opposed.

Brilliant.

Item number 13.

Thank you, Commissioner.

Thank you.

Is a proposed acceptance of additional New York State Office of Mental Health Care Um Funding.

Chief, how's it going?

Good evening.

Good evening.

Yes, so we already accepted the uh CARES Up grant, which is a uh very uh wide-ranging mental health and aware and uh wellness grant.

Uh can be for a variety of uh purposes, uh physical, uh mental health kind of stuff, and there's an additional ten thousand, that's thirty thousand a year for two years that we would get, and there's an additional ten thousand a year available that again this is quote unquote free money, there's no match or anything, and um the ten thousand has to be used specifically for training, like for our members for uh peer support, uh things of that nature, and uh certainly we could use that money as well.

Uh, this is all there's an awesome program that the state has, and uh suicide prevention, things along those lines, and uh yeah, I think it's uh good stuff.

So that's it.

Thank you.

Questions or comments from my colleagues on item number 13 motion and a second to move this to our consent agenda.

Peters and Stern all in favor say aye.

All right.

Any opposed.

Um item number, I think item number 14.

Uh, a proposed amendment to the 2026 capital budget and ordinance amending the ordinance.

Deputy city manager.

So we're back for more changes.

Um this is kind of that couple times a year.

I come up here and just ask you guys to we go through the capital budget, we clean it up, we move some money around to complete it, you know, projects that are already completed to other projects.

Um that's really what this is.

Um, there is at the end of it, the last page, there is some ARPA money that was allocated to projects that might not have used every single dollar.

So we don't want to leave anything on the table, so we're moving them into projects that were obligated as of 1231 2024.

Um, I do need to add one item to this verbally so it can go for next week.

Um, there's one additional change, which is moving 394, 710.38 cents out of project code 2519, which is paving, and also 22,883 and five cents out of project code 2519A paving, and moving combined project moving combined total of 417,59343 to 24519, also just another year of paving.

And moving combined project moving combined total of 417, 59343 to 24519.

Also just another year of paving.

So it's just reallocating into project codes.

That is actually ARPA money as well that we are just moving into another contract.

So it's already been basically spent, but it's just questions or comments on item number 14 calls in Tarantina.

Is that going into another paving area?

Or is it going to be it's an old contract?

It's it's really just reallocating funding that has been spent and making sure that that is allocated to a specific contract that we can report to the federal government.

So are you gonna do are you gonna be doing anything?

We're doing a pavement contract in 2026.

Yes.

Okay, so it's a pay, but it's coming into a paving contract.

This particular one I just read is old money.

So it was in an old contract, it is going into an old contract.

We have a uh set aside, I think probably over three and a half million dollars of state funding for this year's paving contract, 2026 because we never can have enough money for pay.

Yes.

And we're trying to go through that process now and identify some of these are moving money into the 26th paving account or the 25 to create more money for paving.

Okay.

Councilwoman K.

Uh, I just want to note that I noticed there's a new column explaining the reason why money is being moved and just how much I appreciate that transparency, and you probably got fewer questions because tried to add that for this one specifically.

So I just want to say thank you for that, and just I I always appreciate how creative you've been in just making you know, finding the money, but not adding to the you know amount of money that we're asking, you know, tax credits for and so really appreciate it.

Yeah, thank you.

Appreciate it.

Appreciate keeping it up to date.

Yeah, as managed by who does that guy those department works on, isn't it?

The paving contract.

Yes, that's all public works, yeah.

But I have the job of looking over the capital.

So I think we'll need a motion and a second to agree to the amendments as listed, Kay and Stern.

All in favor say aye.

Aye.

Any opposed.

And then we'll move item number 14 as amended to the consent agenda motion and a second, please.

K and Oshan Louie, all in favor say aye.

Any opposed.

Brilliant.

Thank you so much.

Item number 15 is a proposed transfer of city council member Albert Tarantino stipends.

Councilman Tarantino, do you want to see that?

Yeah, um, yeah, we're a little late with this.

It's a 2025 stipend that I wanted to um give to 2500 dollars uh to Neuroshelf Fund for Educational Excellence and 2500 for the Hudson Park Children's Greenhouse.

I think the two important assets uh to the city, and we can use the money to continue their work.

Complete selections.

Questions or comments on item 15?

Hearing none, a motion and a second to move item 15 to our consent agenda.

Uh Tarantino and Peters, all in favor say aye.

Uh any appointment.

Uh moving on to item number 16, which is a proposed resolution accepting the climate vulnerability assessment report.

Uh Commissioner.

Hi, good evening.

Um so last year, if you recall, we presented to council the climate vulnerability assessment, but we never actually formally adopted it.

Now this year we're seeking to get a climate smart community silver certification through the state.

And uh the deadline for that is May 22nd.

Uh, this is a critical action in order to uh be eligible for that silver certification, and it sort of builds on the progress we've made this in the last year with the adoption of the green and our sustainability plan, the um green landscaping program that I know has been fits and starts, but we're we're set to launch.

We are launching uh the greenhouse gas inventory, the solid waste uh and food scrap recycling program, as well as the community forest management program, all of which will uh make our application very strong.

So we're hoping to get that silver certification and this is a critical action.

Uh councilwoman Kate, she's this is you know, this is I'm just letting you run this show here.

So when you presented this to us, I think like over a year ago I provided a lot of feedback, and I just want to say a really good job on incorporating that to give them time into the final to the draft or final product.

Yes.

There's just one small thing that was missed.

It's um figure A26 housing.

Um hard assigned is misidentified as affordable, and I believe it's low-income housing tax credit property.

Okay.

I'll check it out.

And I'll make a correction between now and just have the wrong color on that.

Okay.

Um no wait.

I guess I was gonna suggest voting it tonight if you just wanted it to so you could work on the grant and give you space.

I mean, that would be great.

But I don't know how critical the amendment is.

We can make the amendments if it I will make the amendments as well if you will vote that.

Just so you have time for the grant up the week.

It's another week you get in timing wise.

So um can I have a motion and a second to vote to adopt the resolution, adopt accepting the CD8?

Uh K and Ashen Louis, all in favor say aye.

This is as amended.

As amended as amended.

Okay and Ashton Louis all in favor say aye.

Aye.

Any opposed?

Great.

Um number 17 is the proposed authorization to award an RP specification number 5830 for consulting services related to the innovative finance and asset concession asset scan for the reconnecting communities transit oriented development.

So just like rolls off.

Yes, go ahead, Commissioner.

So this is an asset scan.

Um what we've done here is we we're well, first of all, kudos to our grant specialist who's gotten a lot of attention today.

But you know, and uh Nicola Soufus and Seth Kay uh both uh work together to get us this million dollars to really look at all of the assets that contribute to our transit-oriented development in New Rochelle.

So we're we're looking to build a list of those assets.

We're we're hiring uh we're recommending, we're proposing that we hire this consultant MPAC collective.

They worked with us previously, they've been involved um uh with the tr for with the downtown overlay zone, uh the form-based code.

We've uh retained them as a consultant, they've worked on several uh zoning initiatives and uh as as planning and economic development consultants.

We conducted a an open solicitation, they were selected by the selection committee, and uh we think this is a critical aspect.

They'll be looking at all of the uh you know the downtown, all within a a certain proximity of a of a of a quarter mile to transit.

So looking at how we can leverage the assets themselves, but also the partnerships that are available to us, the funding streams that are available to leverage and activate those assets.

So you know, and and transit is yes, it's the tran it's the train station, but it's also bus lines and things like that.

So it kind of really um is a pretty broad brush.

Um, and we're excited to work with them to sort of put together, you know, not only this asset scan but the series of recommendations that are going to result from from this scan.

Excellent questions or comments on item number 17.

Hearing none, I motion and a second to your moving or to move number 17 to the consent agenda, Ashen Louis and K.

All in favor say aye.

Any opposed.

And our last two items are a pair.

Number 18 is the introduction, number 19 is setting the public hearing for May 12th.

Both are related to a proposed reallocation of the community development block grant button, C D B G.

Commissioner.

Yeah, so we're proposing this um uh for to help us put funds kind of where we need it, where those projects are uh the projects that the target where we're sending these these funds to are shovel ready and ready to go.

Uh one of them is the sidewalk um ADA improvements throughout the city.

There's a there's a there's a uh a scope that's has been uh issued by uh is ready to be up put out to bid by by DPW when they told me that they would like these funds to be uh reprogrammed if possible.

And another is associated with the link 1A project.

There is a significant amount of sidewalk and ADA improvements that are part of that scope for which these funds are eligible.

Um I understand that um you know we also have some old admin money that has been reprogrammed that has been sitting there for a while, and we have a cap on that category of expenditure, so we can't spend it now as an admin project, so we have to reprogram it into one of these capital projects in order to spend it anyway.

So there's that money.

I know, Councilman Tarantino, that you were concerned about the don't Dinofrio reallocation, and um, you know, I just I want to say that you know that work was identified a couple of years ago, the pavilion repairs.

Uh we put in a significant amount of money in that code.

That work has been designed, um that bid has been issued, and those improvements are going to happen.

These funds are in excess of that scope, and we did work closely with the parks department, and you know, we're not impeding in any way any of that work at D'Nofrio that um you know that that is gonna happen.

Just to answer that, uh, you know, my question, my concern wasn't so much about reallocating it.

It was, you know, I always felt that when just before we were talking about paying and we're reallocating money for paving.

I'd like to see us when we reallocate money from recreation, we reallocated in the rec, you know, we've got many, many locations that can be in my district or anybody's district that we can reallocate money from recreation into other recreation facilities that need work because I it it it to me it doesn't seem right to take money from paving and put it into say recreation or taking money for recreation and put it into paving.

My concern was about trying to keep it in the same lane.

Which in this case, I mean it's it wasn't intentional, but I think we are adding it to the link project, which does have a recreation and open space component to it.

So but I do hear you.

Yeah, and I think it's a good idea.

And just going forward, I think we need to, you know, make sure we're we're aware of that.

We make sure that the money stays where it should be in that department.

That's a good point.

Unless you have all the recreational facilities.

Other questions or comments on um this topic.

Hearing none, may I have a motion and a second?

We're voting to set the public hearing for this.

So item number 19 of May 12th.

Uh Peters and Lopez, all in favor say aye.

Any opposed?

Okay.

I'm advised we have one matter for executive session related to the ending litigation.

Is it the right phrase?

Um a motion and a second to break to executive session, and then we will reconvene at 7 p.m.

for the public hearing, public comment portion of the evening.

Motion and a second.

Peters and Stern.

All in favor say aye.

Any opposed?

Thank you so much.

See you at seven guys.

Yes, good evening.

I'd like to call this portion of tonight's meeting to order.

Please rise for the Pledge of Allegiance.

I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the Republic for which it stands.

One nation under God, indivisible with liberty and justice for all.

Good evening, and welcome to the April public comment portion of tonight's um meeting.

We have two portions of this meeting.

The first is related to a public hearing.

Comments during that portion must only be on the topic of the public hearing.

The second portion is citizens to be heard, of which you can speak of any topic of your choosing.

For both, you are time limited to three minutes.

For both, please state your name and address for the record.

I have to read the notice for the public hearing.

So um bear with me for this.

The notice of joint public hearing for the supplemental draft generic environmental impact statement and proposed 2026 downtown overlay zone DOZ amendments.

Um pursuant to chapter 331 of the code of the city of New Ishell, Section 239-M of the general municipal law of the state of New York.

Um, we are holding a public hearing this evening for the proposed action.

The City of New Shell has prepared a supplemental draft generic environmental impact statement analyzing the proposed action, which consists of amendments to Article 22, Chapter 331-175 of the downtown overlay zones.

Um publication notice of this hearing was published on March 29th, March 30th, March 31st.

Um you can still submit written comment um up until April 24th to seeker.

So S is in Sam, E is an elephant, Q is in Queen, R as in Robert comments, plural at New Rochelle NY.com or by mail in care of Kevin A.

Cain, City of New Rochelle Department of Development, the 515 North Avenue, New Rochelle, New York 10801 address.

After April 24th, this hearing will be considered closed.

Um, I will call people up in groups of three, just so that you're prepared for your turn on the list here.

So our first three speakers are Aisha Cook, Dr.

Bruce Soloway, and Maxine Gallum.

Feels so special.

Hi, my name is Aisha Cook, um, 95 annual place.

I wear many hats here in New Rochelle, but I'm here tonight as a proud member of New Roar, New Rochelle against racism.

A few of us will read parts of an editorial published recently in New Roar News.

On April 14th, the City Council will hold a public hearing on the proposed amendments to the downtown overlay zone.

We urge council to use this opportunity to codify the expectations of the community as it relates to careers, local hires, green space, home ownership, and truly affordable rents.

Unlike the previous administration, this council should move from simply hoping for the best from developers to demanding a return on the taxpayers' investments.

Since its inception in 2015, the form-based overlay zones have proven to be a well-documented boon to developers and new members of our community fleeing the high rental market of New York City.

In that same time period, however, for homeowners, those who are rent-burdened, local union trades members, seniors on fixed incomes, and the 10% of our neighbors living in poverty, the much heralded success of development has not matched the reality.

Homeowners have not seen a decrease in city taxes, working class families are still rent-burdened, seniors on fixed incomes are still struggling to remain in the community, and those who qualify for subsidized housing have fewer options than ever before.

It must be noted that our current mayor and city council members, with one notable exception, did not vote for the overlay zoning structure and in fact have called for a moratorium based on what they have heard from various members of the community.

Now is the time for the council of work alongside corporate council to make sure that the various goals of the promised but never codified community benefits agreement are firmly firmly enshrined in the overload overlay zone code.

The summary presentation of the 392-page 2026 amendment to the Neurochell downtown overlay zone speaks to updates to theoretical development models as well as lessons learned.

Yet the projections for jobs and job creation mirror the theoretical model used in 2015.

And there seems to be no lesson learned about the anemic level of local hire and full-time families supporting job creation.

Yeah, here.

I'm Bruce Soloway, proud 35-year resident of New Rochelle, now unfortunately living in White Plains because there are so few opportunities for downtown homeowners for downsizing in the downtown area.

What is missing in the proposal are required labor standards, required labor standards, based on a rigorous review of job creation over the past 10 years, and an outline of the penalties, including clawbacks for developers that did not meet the de minimis standards for job creation and local hire.

In other words, council should add firm requirements, third-party rigorous compliance oversight and enforcement to the 2017 economic opportunity and non-discrimination policy.

We applaud the amendment that requires any community benefits bonuses generated in DOZ8 to remain in DOZ 8.

However, before receiving credit for providing affordable units, developers should be required to outline all non-negotiable add-ons that are being piled on to renters who win the lottery for so-called affordable units.

In many instances, the additional costs for such things as shared water use, excess garbage fees, amenities fees, and parking bring so-called affordable rents to market rate pricing.

The price that developers pay into the community benefits bonus funds should be reported quarterly to the public and to the city council.

This reporting should be a statutory requirement.

Those funds should also be a clearly identifiable line item in the city's budget with oversight by the city council and administered by the city manager.

Leaving these funds within the Department of Development is not best practice.

Area median income percentage, AMI percentage cited for developers based on HUD housing and urban development guidelines should also include the AMI of the census tract in any presentation of affordable units.

The New Rochelle community deserves to know the gap between what is mandated by HUD and what's actually helpful to our community.

How can the issue of true affordability be addressed if the gap is not clearly defined?

How can incentives be put in place for developers if we don't start by looking at local AMI and challenging developers to find a way to provide rents without mandatory add-ons that will address the needs of our economically vulnerable citizens?

Ms.

Gollup was unable to come, so we can continue maybe with Ms.

Font.

Ms.

Holland's a little bit to Michael Yellene Casanel.

I am also a former member of New Rochelle on now in White Plains because we couldn't find an apartment here.

I'm really sorry you need senior citizens, must be able to stay in New Rochelle.

We recommend the city manager for making quality of life his signature priority.

We urge him to work with city staff to address issues that persist in historically neglected and underresourced areas, especially those in City Council District 3 that are part of the expanded downtown overly zone.

The immediate implementation of the much needed pedestrian safety tool of four-way signal stops at the intersections of Lincoln Avenue with Memorial Highway and North Avenue should be a priority.

Other quality of life issues, such as restricting restricting 24-hour stores and targeted areas, improving the limited access to healthy food and quality supermarket options, focused efforts to control the explosion of the deer population in residential neighborhoods, and intentional investments in communities impacted by decades of neglect and disinvestment are a few of the ways in which the expansion of the downtown overly zone can have a meaningful positive impact on the quality of life for the residents of Council District 3.

As the New Rochelle skyline changes, and we read glowing reports of the success of our housing development, there has been a severe disconnect between what longtime residents have experienced and we and what we are told has been achieved.

This gaslighting does not serve us well.

We urge Council to meet the moment and recenter development around the urgent community need for local hire, pathways to union jobs, housing that is no more than 30 percent of a family's income and transparency and input as to where the millions of dollars being collected from developers are being used.

In the past two years, Council has indicated its intention to do all of these things.

We urge Council now to apply the full powers of both the city code and administrative rules to make your intentions crystal clear that a strong new Rochelle requires affordable, stable, and sustainable housing and the growth of family supporting jobs.

Thank you.

It will be Michael to Dominic to uh Dominic Cassinelli, rather, and then Anthony Umbro.

Good evening, Michael Yellen, 38 Lakeside Drive.

I'm speaking for the Neurochell Alliance for Justice and Alliance of Faith, Community and Labor Groups organizing for equitable development in New Rochelle, and some of our members are here tonight.

If folks from the trades could stand up, please so people can see you.

Okay, thank you very much.

We appreciate your recognition of the need to make corrections to the city's planning policies, which have put developer interests above all others since 2015.

You have the opportunity, you have the power to lift up resident interests and fulfill the promise of creating family supporting union jobs and truly affordable housing through this redevelopment.

And we'll look we look forward to working with you to accomplish these goals.

Regarding construction jobs, the SDG EIS Section 3.42.3 impacts of construction and annual operations projects the average annual wage for construction workers will be 101,230, and that's 48 dollars an hour.

Yet the data developers report to the city shows them paying Nourishell residents only $20 to $25 an hour or roughly $50,000 a year, and those are poverty wages.

Knowing that the $100,000 wage figure in the SDG EIS is off by half, calls into question the other data in the construction section.

This needs to be addressed.

It can and should be addressed in the quote unquote mitigation measures section of the SDGEIS.

Right now, the section reads no mitigation proposed, requiring project labor agreements on publicly subsidized developments and strengthening the economic opportunity and non-discrimination policy to require apprenticeship opportunities for Neurochell residents can achieve the $100,000 plus wages.

And we suggest this be included in the proposed mitigation measures.

Regarding affordable housing, as you know, the inclusion of 10 percent of units at 80 percent of AMI does not meet the needs of most Nourashell residents.

The city needs to use the SDGEIS to lock in much deeper affordability.

You have the power, you have the responsibility, the clock is ticking, time is running out, and now is the time for you to take action to ensure the benefits of the redevelopment are shared equitably among residents.

Thank you very much.

Thank you.

Dominic uh Casanelli, Anthony Umbrough, and James O'Toole.

Together.

We hope.

We hope.

Yeah.

Okay.

They want to be together.

Good evening, Mayor.

Uh members of the council.

Uh my name is Dominic Casanelli Jr., I'm uh the proud Vice President of Teams is local 456 and recording secretary with the Westchester Putnam Building Construction Trades Council.

I'm here tonight representing organized labor and the hardworking men and women of my union, the building trades, and many of our members which are here tonight in the in the crowd.

Uh thank you for the opportunity to speak.

Uh, though I wish it was under better circumstances.

Uh, the current path of development here in No Rochelle is just simply not working for working people, and that's a fact.

Uh, we are seeing seeing billions of dollars in development, but not enough of those jobs go into local residents, and it's a shame.

And too many are low-wage positions with little or no benefits and no real pathway to a career.

We have heard it directly from workers, our members.

Uh, major projects are being built by contractors who don't hire locally, pay poverty wages, and who fail to provide benefit meaningful benefits for their workers.

That's not economic development.

That's a race to the bottom.

The numbers don't lie.

In 2025, 434 residents were placed into jobs through the first source referral center with an average wage of $21.53 an hour.

Only $168 of those were in construction.

And some of those projects paid as little as $20 to $25 an hour.

That is not factoring into the cost of health care, the rising cost of health care.

So you can figure those numbers are probably cut in half.

And I don't know about anybody here, but I don't know that you can live in Westchester, let alone NeuroShell for $15 an hour.

At the same time, the City's goal, the goals around apprenticeship and local hiring are not being met.

If they were, we would see far more Nourishell residents building real careers on these projects.

So what does this mean?

It means cranes in the sky, but not enough opportunity on the ground.

It means luxury development without shared prosperity.

It means working families being left behind.

But it doesn't have to be this way.

You guys are the gatekeepers.

When union labor is used, we get fair wages, strong benefits, safer job sites, and a real career pathway.

We get local hiring and middle class jobs that support families.

So tonight, we are all of us, we are calling on you, the City Council, the mayor to act, require project labor agreements on these projects, strengthen local hiring agreements, enforce real apprenticeship standards, hold developers accountable, and raise the bar on qualif what qualifies as economic opportunity in the city.

Because development should just not be about buildings.

It should be about building careers.

And that's not what is happening right now.

The people of NeuroShell are not asking for handouts.

We are asking for an honest day's work for an honest day's pay, just a fair shot to earn and build a future in their own city, right here in Neurochell.

We are ready to partner with you, but we need leadership, we need standards, and we need action, and we need them now.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Our next speaker is Anthony Umbrough, followed by James O'Toole, followed by Jam uh Jim Clorin.

Okay, my name is Anthony Umbro.

I live at 178 Pershing Avenue in NeuroShell.

I'm a lifelong resident in Nourishell and a 39-year member of International Operators of Engineers.

I'm a little nervous.

It's disheartening for me to live in Neurochell and see all these projects going.

And uh I work for a company that's located in Nourashell, Montesanto Brothers.

And the job like uh on North Avenue and Main Street, we get an $80,000 job to connect the sewer into from the building into the sewer because the developer isn't able to do that kind of work.

But out of a 40 or 50 million dollar job, that's the only job we get 80,000.

Uh I worked at the boys club and the uh the building they put over there.

And Mike Yellow will tell you how many people came in there looking for jobs.

We'd send them into the office there, they'd come out, oh, they gave us the runaround, they gave us a few numbers a week later, the same same Nourishell residents that lived in that area.

Oh, they gave us a number, nobody ever answered, nobody ever got back to us.

You know, it's it's it's horrible that in Nourishell, you know.

Was the top city in in New York in Westchester.

Now it's like it's like backwards, you know.

Th you have these jobs.

If you ever was to say to these developers, we're not going to give you any more uh pilots, you know, a 20-year tax abatement, then they'll they'll go somewhere else.

You know, you you want to give these these people, you know what I call it is municipal municipal welfare.

If you're gonna give that to them, make them use, you know, uh uh a living wage, a working wage, uh uh a standard uh, you know, the prevailing wage.

So uh uh, you know, I'm a middle class man, I'm not a wealthy man, but I want to live in Nourashell.

You know, it's making it tougher and tougher when I see guys working there for 30 cents on a dollar, a van coming from New Jersey with 15 guys in there, and might need 15 of them to afford one of these apartments.

No, it's it's terrible.

And like I said, my uh my son's friend, he wanted to get into the trades.

He became an apprentice in uh Carpenter's Union.

He hasn't worked in Nourashell in the last four years.

He's got to go elsewhere because there's no opportunities for him here.

He's going up to Fishkill here or there.

It's terrible.

You know, um, you know, that's what I say about the uh as far as uh, you know, you want to give these uh developers a handout, no taxes.

I'm the one that's paying for all that.

I paid for the sewer main, the water main that went down Webster Avenue.

That came out of my taxes.

You know, and the quality of uh in the 10 years that these buildings are going on, the my quality didn't get any better in Nourishell.

No shall has the worst roads, the worst parks.

You go to Hudson Park, it's run down.

You go to uh five islands, you got a bathroom, the pavilion there has been closed off for two years.

You know, it's terrible.

Take make one of these developers put some money into the the parks or something instead of putting everything into their pocket.

It's terrible.

Thank you.

Our next speaker.

James O'Toole, followed by Jim Calorin and then Steve Mayo.

James O'Toole, 230 North Avenue, 60-year resident of the city.

Nothing against you, union guys, but I'm here on a totally different subject about this DOZ.

The DOZ downtown overlay zone does not need to be touched.

You want to add hundreds of thousands, thousands of more people into the downtown.

We are oversaturated already.

There is nothing that you can tell me that you need to add more people into the downtown.

If you want to add it in other areas of the city, go right ahead.

Be my guest.

But do me a favor, make sure they're union jobs because those buildings that are built downtown are all garbage.

They're all garbage.

Every single night there's a problem in one of those buildings.

Either there's pipes bursting, there's walls falling down.

Just look at the reports.

It's all junk that you built down there.

All right, and what's moving into them?

We don't even want to talk about that because the police incidents that have gone up is remarkable of what's going on down there.

So I don't know what these landlords or these developers told you, and what they gave you as dinners and parties and campaign donations and everything else.

But we've had enough.

As a lifelong resident of downtown Neurochelle in the middle of it all, this is absolute garbage that you put down here.

All right, you've taken away more parking with all these buildings going up in front of them, right?

The bus stop that goes, and somebody was talking about who cleans the bus stops today at the snow removal.

The bus stop at the corner of North in Main Street has now been moved down to Monroe College because you've got all this development, and the people can't even get to a bus anymore.

And I use the bus.

They don't come.

So no one's coming.

If you want to say, oh, it's a walkable city, let's do transportation.

You've ruined it all.

And then you got these laborers coming in from, like the gentleman just said from New Jersey and everywhere else in white vans that are parked on North Avenue every single day.

Every day, starting at 6 a.m.

with 15 to 20 workers coming out of it and going into that cellar building to work.

And prove me wrong, because I got the pictures to prove it.

I got cameras on my building.

I can prove every one of you wrong.

Maybe if you all started living in the downtown, come down and stay at my apartment for a couple of nights and see what goes on.

I got the rats the size of Lassie running around.

I got everything.

I got the bums behind CVS, and these are the people that you say you want to attract to the downtown.

You're nuts.

Come on, man.

Get with it.

This DOZ thing should be banned, not even happen.

Shouldn't even happen.

It's absolute trash.

And by the way, I want to know why.

When you had a public meeting back here today, I was denied access to this building until 6 45.

So that meeting that you just had back there should be null and void because that's against the government act.

You people shut me out from coming into this building until 6 45.

And that was an open public meeting.

That's wrong.

Our next speaker is Jim Calorin, followed by Steve Mayo, and then John Delfs.

Jim Kaloran, 25 Leroy Place, co-chair of Neuro is Enough Is Enough.

And you know, we don't need one more developer in this city.

And you the thing is, you aren't the ones that meet with them.

It's the development staff here.

And they're not the people in the Rochelle that are asked.

So the developers come in, like New Rock did, and I was there, and I sat at the zoning meeting.

Lewis asked me, well, if the space shot is the only thing that can make this happen.

And Michael was there, Michael who spoke so well about the unions.

Thank you, unions, for what you do.

But uh, you know, the uh and the IDA was chastised for not hiring any local people back then.

I don't even know what an IDA is.

It should be an illegal uh instrument.

It doesn't make any sense to me in in this day of the 250th anniversary of America that we have an IDA.

And it was mentioned pilots, pilots for the people.

We don't need another pilot.

These developers are billionaires.

We've paid for them to make that money.

The school system is drastically going down.

The state mandated a charter school, and and the kids don't even know what end of a hammer to use.

I I'll behold as a builder's camp.

I build homes, I built 28 homes in Yonkers and 10 in White Plains, and we build all over.

But the secret is that CICRA really doesn't count in the Rochelle.

They don't care about the environment.

They go up to Arsening with press releases in a conference that was held up there today on clean action and clean air.

But in the meantime, we are have fumes and cars and buses that are coming, and there's no bike lanes.

15 years ago, I picketed because I knew this would be an S show.

And and and I was right.

We don't have any home ownership.

The schools are horrible, and the developers own you and own the development department.

I got nothing against developers.

If you're foolish enough to let them take you, take us.

If they let them take us, it's time to change them.

And that that's what has to happen.

So environmental injustice.

It's great.

This is on Earth Week.

Points that need to be addressed.

Selling all parking lots to developers.

Well, that was bright.

Let's do a deep dive where we park now.

Oh, that was good.

Uh it's a nightmare as cars circle around endlessly.

13.2 miles of Neurochell, yet only point uh zero one of people are stuffed into the downtown and illegal DOZ uh buildings put in that are horrible, not built well, panels falling off 360, stabbings at Church Street.

Is that quality improvement?

Approving project, and then you know, what acres?

You do a nice press or Facebook post what acres, you get grass and goats.

What do we get?

We get uh uh ready mixed con and rats in in in concrete parks that are horrible.

Thank you, Mr.

Kalorin.

It's totally unjust what you guys have created.

And we are oh, we're not against anybody.

We're all one.

Everybody right here tomorrow could start building up Memorial Highway, home ownership for people.

We don't need one developer.

They've raped us and you and us, and it's gotta stop.

And it's gotta stop.

Thank you.

Uh Mr.

Steve Mayo, followed by John Delphs and then Michael Cammer.

Thank you, everybody.

Steve Mayo, 38 years on Neurochell's North End.

Um, also co-host with Jim Killoran on AM 1490 Radio in Greenwich.

Newer Shell's downtown retail haven has gone to seed.

No fault of anyone here, of course.

This sweet suburban city cannot control loss of industry to Asia or family held chain or even independent stores.

But still, where's the promised retail?

We can try to control the fallen rise of commerce and community, and I emphasize commerce and community that have defined Neurochell, well, since its founding, I suppose.

The awesome constructions that rule our skies do nothing of the kind.

Transit oriented development, nice phrase, great, I suppose AIA created uh item.

That's American uh Institute of Architects.

I have not met anyone in our South End who likes this trend.

I don't know anyone on the North End who knows or cares.

Just threaten them with developing, just threaten them with developing ward acres someday.

Let's do it.

Most of them visiting East Chester, of course, Memarinick and other places to shop and to use services, and unfortunately also to use their libraries, even though I've always thought we had a great lumbery.

This is not ideological partisan conservative Democrat Socialist.

Uh they don't differ.

The Republican Party in hiding, not heard from lately.

But where is the retail?

Where is the homeowner tax relief?

Excuse me.

Maybe we have to go to the Latin.

I don't know Latin, but my daughter learned it in NeuroShell High School.

Quibono, who benefits?

Not Neurochell Citizens or its collection of great communities.

Quibono.

Who benefits?

Where's the retail?

Thank you.

Our next speaker is John Delfs, followed by Michael Cammer and then Michael Umbrough.

Hi, John Delft, 16 Hemlock Place.

I'm speaking on behalf of the Residents Park Neighborhood Association.

Given the serious quality of life issues already being felt in downtown and the surrounding neighborhoods, including insufficient green space, windy sunblock, congested streets, and inadequate parking.

The RPA board has significant reservations about approving additional residential units at this time.

Before adding another 2,800 units to the theoretical development scenario, the city should first demonstrate that the livability fundamentals are in place.

Community gathering space, walkable sidewalks or parking to support the residents and businesses it has attracted.

Incentives alone have not worked.

This is our chance to fix these issues.

The green and our plan gives the mandate.

It is now critical for you, our city council to do so.

If the council moves forward, we respectfully urge three specific strengthening measures incorporating requirements rather than incentives for the proposed amendments.

First, significant additional green space is needed.

These amendments should require they do require continuous public frontage for civic space is a good start.

But please add a required quantitative standard.

Any project over 100,000 square feet must provide publicly accessible open green space equal to at least 10 percent of the lot area with living plantings and trees, not concrete parks.

Second, wider sidewalks are needed with real tree canopy.

Amend the build a line and frontal frontage rules to require a minimum 15-foot clear sidewalks and all DOZ1 and DOC2 frontages with continuous tree pit or structured soil zone and tree trees, street trees planted.

Third, municipal parking is needed that actually supports downtown, as well as a plan to alleviate the current overparking problems in our adjoining neighborhoods.

Direct a portion of the increased $50 per square foot community benefits bonus fee into a dedicated downtown public parking and mobility fund or shared garages zone loading zones and transit connections.

Density without greenery, community spaces, walkability, and access is not smart growth.

It does not support a healthy, viable, vibrant downtown.

Please get the fundamentals right before approving more units.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Our next speaker is Michael Cammer, followed by Michael Umbro, and then Marion Whitaker.

Hi, good evening.

Michael Cameron, 91 Avenue Neurishale, New York.

I've really liked what I've been hearing tonight.

Thank you for all coming out and talking.

To woo developers, before I start, I should say that you know when development was discussed for downtown years ago.

I was supportive of it, but I thought that there really needed to be requirements.

I like that the word requirement was used in the last speaker used the word requirement.

And I've been, you know, very disheartened to see that there weren't requirements, there were encouragements, and none of them were really followed through on.

So to woo developers that cut to build in Nourish Hell, deals were cut for deferred taxes and payments in lieu of taxes.

We, the public, were assured that new development would not negatively impact school and library budgets.

It could be argued that pilot payments have benefited the schools.

However, we have questions about whether developers are trying to claw back some of what they have paid in.

This is budget season for the schools and the library.

The proposed library budget on the ballot has a line of tax related and debt service for $269,000 for SCAR, tax tertiary, and debt service.

The proposed school budget has a similar line, refund on real property taxes for $50,000.

Based on the library number, we suspect the school's liability is higher than stated at $50,000.

Regardless, it is our understanding that at least $16,000 of the library's budget request is because developers are clawing back money that they already committed to pay or have already in fact paid.

So that's a line in the budget.

Large developers are challenging their payments or assessed values retroactively, and that the schools and libraries have to raid their prospective budgets to make back payments.

We need the City Council to investigate this and to explicitly disallow this in future laws and contracts.

Certainly no entities that have already have tax breaks should be getting additional compensation, especially not retroactive revaluations.

While I have the podium, I'd also like to point out that if we really believe in new row strong, I remember during COVID we had all those new row strong signs all over the place.

This means we should means hiring local workers, experienced or as trainees.

I really think getting some trainees local would be awesome to build Nourishell.

Also to assure higher wages and higher quality work, the majority of labor should be union labor.

We've heard that before tonight.

We should hear it again.

You should make it a requirement.

So in conclusion, please find out whether developers are taking money back from already generous deals.

And if they are, stop the practice.

And please promote, I'm sorry, I mean require the use of local labor.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Our next speaker is Michael Umbro, followed by Marion Whitaker and then Lisa Burton.

Good evening, uh Michael Umbrough, lifelong NeuroShow resident.

Um state worker, 32 years, union.

Um I initially saw this posting a couple weeks ago about the meeting up here, 2800 new units, blah, blah, blah.

First thing that came to my mind was okay, tax break for the builders.

And I was comparing myself to that.

I'm going to fix income.

I got my tax bill.

I'm not getting any break.

I could go on all night with that.

But I see the union here tonight.

My brother's in the union.

It made me think about things.

You guys up here, you care about the builders.

But these young men and women, think about these people that build, build careers, families.

That's what unions build.

Not these builders.

That get these labors to work, they use them up, and they're done with them.

The unions build careers, structure, benefits.

Give these guys a break.

Think about them instead of the builders.

Build up people, not just buildings.

Thank you.

Our next speaker is Marion Whittaker, followed by Lisa Burton and then Serge Becker.

Okay.

Good evening, I'm Maryan Whitaker, 25 Little Roy Place.

I just want to say I'm somewhat impressed with the turnout, and I'm, you know, deeply moved by what's going on here tonight.

I'm a member of the local group, Enough is Enough, which has been advocating for responsible and smart development by the city of New Rochelle.

Enough is enough refers to the over proliferation of high-rise apartment buildings as the development of choice since 2015 to revitalize the city.

It has become a lesson to us when developers instead of real bona fide urban planners are given uncontrolled power to fully dictate what should be built and not what is necessarily the best for our citizens.

We represent approximately 600 citizens who have over the last year signed a petition to figure out a way to get the city to listen to us, to heed the warnings of something that has become to many a runaway train.

We are not NIMBEs, a convenient labeling used by others to push back on those who might disagree with them.

We have supported and continue to support projects that make real contributions to the newer shell community, whether it be for affordable housing, senior housing, or something that substantially benefits the public.

Smart planning doesn't translate into rampant high-rise buildings developed one after another.

It also means the defined intention of integrating real green space, trees, real neighborhood playgrounds into the plan, as well as thought out areas of mid-rise uh housing and also housing to, you know, for people to buy and and put their, you know, get something out of this.

Um this sadly has been lost in the mire of the high-rises.

We are left with a large parking deficit and traffic problems that affect the people who live downtown and affect the ability to revitalize the commercial areas.

The city knew already by 2021 that traffic capacity studies done at that time, that the intersections of Main Street and Center, division in Maine, and other intersections were already operating in unacceptable conditions at peak times, with ratings of LOSE or F, and additional development was expected to have significant negative impacts on traffic flow at these intersections.

These are bad ratings, and everything, and yet everything just proceeded as if there were there were no warning signs.

They existed in 2002 uh 2021 and in 2024 when amendments were done to increase the units in the DOZ plans.

I'm almost done.

Look, look at where we are.

Now you wish to expand again and add 2800 units.

We honestly want to trust our city government to do the right thing, but it is getting difficult to do so with another expansionistic plan before us.

Thank you for your time.

Ms.

Whitaker, if you want to.

I was gonna ask her to send the paper.

I'm sorry, uh, Lisa Burton, followed by Serge Vecker, and then Sean Wyowatsky.

Hi, Lisa Burton, 257 Center.

You guys are so lucky.

You are so lucky to be able to change this overlay zone plan.

There have been amendments to the overlay zone, and I'm sure you did not get this audience because we finally figured out that this is our opportunity to make substantial changes to things that are just not working for the city.

This is your opportunity to go from asking, incentivizing, suggesting, to actually making real change.

You have the code, you have the you have the you have this amendment to do it.

The overlay zone, I've always had a problem with it because it really reduced public input to nothing.

So here is uh an opportunity because when we go to planning, planning says, well, we can't we can't.

They check the boxes, we can't, and it's city council has decided that this is okay.

You go to the IDA, they say we can't, we can't.

This is the intent of the city council.

In front of you at the time that you're going to make an amendment, a substantial amendment to this overlay zone.

We can't go back to 2015.

The buildings are already here.

We have extended the downtown to this neighborhood and beyond.

We don't need what went wrong in the downtown to go wrong here.

So you have this great opportunity to work with corporate council.

And if our corporate council can't do it, then please look to other cities that have done a better job than we have.

Because you do not see in White Plains all the development there, which I'm sure they have their own issues, but you do not find renters in their affordable units being charged for water and being charged for heat and being charged for excess garbage.

We do that here because not that we're bad people, not that it's your job to read 60 pages of a lease agreement, but that's what's happening.

And we're telling you that this is happening and that there's an opportunity and that we urge you to take it.

Because we know that not there's you are not the council that started this, but you can be the council that changes it for the better.

You can be the child the the council that listens and and and it needs to be tweaked.

Again, this is not the first amendment to this this DOZ um plan.

But this is the first one where we are coming to you with very specific asks.

Asks that were were mentioned back in 2015.

Because I remember 2015, where when it passed, people said, Well, you know, we're gonna have these luxury buildings that we won't be able to afford in.

We can do better, you can do better, and we're we're so happy that you're here to make those changes for us.

Thank you.

Our next speaker is Serge Becker, followed by Sean Wayowatsky, and then Alison Rivers.

Good evening, council members.

Um25 Laroy place.

Um great great uh comments tonight.

And I would like to fill in uh a few numbers.

I think we heard some numbers today.

I'd like to just add some numbers for perspective.

And perfect uh speaker kind of did a great uh job of outlining where we started was 2015.

We had 5500 units uh residential units authorized for the downtown overlay zone.

Nicely spaced out, was the core in DO1, you know, majority bulk of the units in DO2, and then as we found out from the uh the train station progressive a little lower.

Uh as time has uh gone, uh all the development uh boon seems to have concentrated in DO2, and DO2 zone has been building and building and building, and to date it uh encompasses in terms of author authorized units, uh with the agreements that are before you 6400.

64 units.

So the entire the single zone that has seen the most development has now mostly completed, but still in you know, a few projects up for the most development of the entire downtown zone concentrated in this one zone.

Uh there were you know, there are a number of you know w reasons why that happened.

You know, we spoke about this before before this council about how that happened, but the reality of the situation is that you're now contemplating an addition of 2800 units on top of the 10,000 units that were last studied uh in uh 202, which became 2024 amendments.

Uh that was the last secret process that already doubled the number of original units and contemplated you know, or or realized that residential units is the only thing that the DOZ can build.

There are no commercial buildings, there is no retail and no associated taxes that are initially built into that onto those financial models.

None of that was coming.

The only thing that was coming to New Rochelle is residential construction, and the residential construction of the kind that maybe in the beginning was sufficient, high density, right, 2800 or plus uh residential units, which many residents of downtown feel we've had enough.

And we've had and it's not just a feeling, it's the it's it's supported by the numbers.

None of the the the the the development in DO2 and DO1 uh is is has gone beyond any studied limit, and and in New York's DGIS, nothing is said about real studies.

We're we're 10 years into the plan, and not a single uh real study has been conducted.

Everything has been is being uh all the decisions are made based on theoretical development scenarios.

And that needs to change.

Thank you, Mr.

Vesher.

Our next speaker is uh Sean Wayowatsky, followed by Allison Rivers and then Paul Martin.

Good evening, City Council.

I'm Sean Waywanski, I live at 25 Leroy Place.

Um we've now been coming here since January to talk about this amendment, so I'm starting to feel like a broken record.

But this time we're here with a lot of friends and seekers involved, so it's important to restate a few items.

Over the past few months, the development department has said some good things publicly about this amendment, but there isn't a lot of substance when you actually look at the document.

It's a continued pattern of best efforts and half measured.

But the time for that is over.

We've seen that story play out over the past ten years.

All that does is lead to the developers being in the driver's seat and the residents left by the wayside.

We need real changes with some teeth.

For example, the development department acknowledges some density problems, and so they create a moratorium zone.

But they put it in one section of DO2 and gave carve-outs for quote unquote vested properties without describing what those properties are.

We happen to know one of those properties is the prospect street parking lot, which would be an absolute disaster for everyone if that is actually ever developed.

What are the other vested properties?

And aside from approved projects, why are there carved outs to begin with?

The moratorium should apply to areas that have already absorbed large amounts of development, all of DO2 at a minimum.

The development department has also acknowledged parking issues.

They've stated people don't want to park in the new buildings because valet is unpopular and the price are too high.

That drives these ten these new tenants into the already overburdened streets and municipal lots.

To address that in this amendment, they reduce the credit they give for valet spaces.

But what about the cost issue?

They didn't do anything about that.

The cost of a parking space in these new buildings should be capped at a set 4% of the median rent in that building.

The development department also talks about lower density housing options being missing from the DOZ.

And they're right.

They are missing.

But to address this, they're increasing the height allowed for certain lot sizes.

They should also be decreasing the max heights allowed in the various zones.

Cut the max allowable heights for DO1 and DO2 in half.

88% of the development DO2 has already been high rises.

It's enough.

Also, so far there are 5,000 apartments completed or under construction with another 5,000 apartments that have already been approved or reserved but not started.

As Serge just mentioned, and other people mentioned, this amendment would add another 2800 allowable units on top of that.

I understand the process of converting non-residential space that was previously approved into residential space to enable that, but it's gone too far.

The original vision for downtown was for a diversity of property types, not for a sea of residential towers that we have now.

This is so far from the original vision now that it shouldn't be called an amendment.

It's a totally different plan.

Just finish what's approved.

That's already double where we currently are.

You don't have to add any more.

To all of this and everything else, everyone is highlighting.

You might say, well, that wouldn't be profitable for the developers, or developers don't get out of bed for anything less than 16 stories.

Frankly, you weren't elected to represent the developers.

You were elected to represent us.

If there's if there's a developer that doesn't want to participate in the community's vision for the future with all the things newer shell inherently has to offer, that's fine.

They can move on.

We've earned the right to be selective.

We're patient, we can wait.

Listen to your citizen, do it do what's right.

Thank you.

Thank you, Sean.

Our next speaker is Alison Rivers, followed by Paul Martin.

Uh Alison, just give one second.

I think some folks are leaving just for noise.

And then after Paul is uh Matt Rooney.

I just don't want it to be disrupted.

That's fine.

Elections next year, right?

Elections next year.

Um, I think you can start.

Thank you.

Sure.

They have to get up early for work.

Okay.

Allison, Dr.

Alison Rivers, 147 Storer Avenue.

I would like to say, I think another speaker said something similar, that I trust our city council and I trust our New Rochelle government.

I do not.

I remember standing here in 2015, being told how great the development was going to be, how I'd get tax breaks as a homeowner, how we'd get an infusion of cash into our schools and our library and our civil services.

I haven't seen that.

I've seen my taxes go up.

I've seen that I had to get a high-powered gas line installed in my house because of downtown development that I do not want, right?

I've seen changes to the downtown that don't benefit me.

I've seen that it's hard for me to park.

I've seen that going to the library with my children involves running into homeless people who are right next to me urinating and having to pay to go to my own library that I fund with my tax dollars.

I would like to see real change in the downtown.

I would like to see retail businesses that promote community, not dispensaries, not unhealthy food choices.

I would like to see retail and green space, spaces where we have we can have those third community spaces, right?

Where we can get together as a community.

We can we can gather, we can socialize, we can have meaningful interactions.

I feel like that's missing right now in the downtown.

My husband is local three, IBEW.

We are only able to live in New Rochelle because of his union job, because of his benefits.

It's not for me as a physic, it's not for me as a doctor.

It's from his union job.

Right.

It is increasingly hard to live here on even with excuse me, even with a livable wage, right?

There are so many unsafe practices that happen on non-union jobs, right?

And jobs that are partial non-union.

That's another fire storm that occurs.

You might, a developer might think they're saving money, or the city might think they're saving money, but what you're doing is you're hurting families' livelihood, you're hurting workers' safety, and you're hurting the future residents who are going to live in those buildings, right?

With all the problems that can go wrong.

It they can go from just minor annoyances to real life-threatening issues.

We need to invest in our community.

We need to invest in the homeowners who are already here, the renters who are already here, the people who want to use our community.

And we need to invest in local labor.

I have a friend who moved to downtown, quickly left after six months, and I liked the way she described it.

She said, your downtown is not downtowing.

I urge you to please make massive changes to this overlay zone.

I do not see this as beneficial as a homeowner.

I'd like to see meaningful change again in our community that benefits everyone, not the developers.

Thank you.

Our next speaker is Paul Martin and then Matt Rooney.

Paul Martin, 55 Decatur Road.

We remain extremely concerned by the rush process that the city is employing to push this forward.

We're particularly concerned by an apparent effort to get our district two council member to recuse himself from the process, even though he's participated in all previous DOZ matters.

We feel this process and approach is eroding, not building public trust.

The residents want a vibrant downtown that is balanced with commercial activity and other uses.

And the original intent of the DOZ was to revitalize the downtown, not to perpetually build tax advantage rental developments.

So some key concerns we have.

First of all, the 2,800 increase in residential units, none of which offer the promise of homeownership.

We're particularly concerned by the more than doubling of residential units in the DO4, the River Street commercial district that's near our neighborhood.

That has primarily commercial and mixed use underlying zoning.

And so to us it's not a question about building more density.

It's a question should the city be providing preferential zoning and tax treatment to convert existing commercial and mixed-use space with parking inventory into primarily residential units with parking deficits.

We'd argue no.

And we'd argue that the increase is not in line with the original intent of DO4, the River Street commercial district.

Secondly, the city's analysis of fiscal impact does not reflect real-world conditions.

The city cites 20 million dollars in increased tax revenues from this uh amendment.

And yet it explicitly excludes the use of pilots, which we all know, everyone in this room knows that are used extensively.

And so if you were to apply the city's standard 20-year pilot to that $20 million number, that gets you down to 11.7 million.

If you're to revisit revenue loss from vacancy assumptions, revenue loss from existing properties, potential pilot extensions, which have happened last year, and the number goes down from there.

And so I think you need to revisit the assumptions because you cite increased revenue as a mitigant to many of the other development risks, including police and fire protection, uh parks and recreation.

Lastly, on parking, these amendments do little to improve the parking conditions, but they should in tandem with the parking strategy.

We should remove incentives for developers to reduce the required parking through valet parking.

We should raise the parking in lieu of fees to re uh reflect rising construction costs and limit them to areas where there's substantial chair parking.

We should not be reserving uh city-owned municipal lots for redevelopment into residential units like the prospect street lot.

And we should include per uh bedroom parking requirements that uh like the underlying zoning.

Uh there's more comments, but my uh neighbor will uh continue our comments and we'll submit more uh extensive comments in written form.

Thank you.

Matt Rooney Good evening, my name is Matthew Rooney, 66 Decatur Road.

As I listened to the speakers today, and I've reviewed uh the voluminous documents that you put out, really raised two questions to me.

One is who wants this?

Who's calling for this change?

Number one.

And the second is why is it such a rush?

It seems like over the years, what we've done here is we've put a pedal or pedal to the metal to try and build as much housing as we can as quickly as we can.

For a decade, we've heard about this once-in-a-generation development that's happening in the Russia.

Well, right now, you can see that we're at an inflection point in that process.

And what we need as citizens here is generational leadership from Oliver View to tell us what needs to be done to move this project forward and to move this city forward.

And one of the things that concerns me the most is that we do the DOZ zones, and then they're constantly being amended.

We have these processes all the time.

So we go through this, and then there's an amendment.

And then as one of the speakers says, what you end up doing is subverting the public process completely.

Okay?

You you've amended things so much that the residents on LaRoy had a nice concerted public effort to offer comments, and the answer that they got was sorry, the DOZ has already been approved.

There's nothing we can do.

There's not good governance.

And it's not what your constituents are asking you for.

Okay.

And you all should be aware that when you make these changes, you're not just impacting a single development, you're impacting families, right?

You have all these guys and girls here that can't get a living wage on these buildings.

Why is that?

Why has that not been fixed?

There's a lot of buildings that have already gone up.

Why have they been shut out of every single one of them?

How many people, in addition to the union labor jobs, even if they're not union, as long as they're well paying, how many of those have you provided?

How many young architects, engineers, have you had the opportunity to train and to learn into good paying solid white-collar jobs?

How many have you done?

How many apprenticeship programs have been provided with all of these buildings that have already gone up?

To my knowledge, the answer is none.

And I think that that's an epic failure on your part.

Okay.

But most importantly, it's something that can be corrected.

And it's up to you guys to correct it.

And I really think that you should.

And one of the challenges that I have with these um amendments that keep coming through is they're talked about ad nauseum.

Okay.

You guys are well, and whether there's going to be 700 units or 7,000 units, they're all the same.

All the documents that you provide are all the same.

It's not going to be any real impact, right?

Obviously, everybody knows that's not true.

For years you talked about the waterfront and how the waterfront is such an important part of New Rochelle, right?

Mayor, you even had a video saying about how it needed to be redeveloped and needed mitigation and everything else.

Now, in this development, I mean I'm sorry, in this proposal, all the waterfront excess fees have gone away.

You just did them two years ago.

Why are we taking them out now?

So I know my time's running out, but I want to return to my original question.

Who wants this?

You guys are you guys are an elected body.

Do you have your constituents knocking down your door telling you to do this?

So it doesn't look like it.

So the only reasonable conclusion that any of us can come to is that it's private interests that are driving these changes.

And that's very concerned.

Thank you.

Mr.

Rooney was the last registered speaker for the public hearing portion of this meeting.

And so I will call the public hearing to a close.

You can still send emails to the 24th.

We, if you would like to speak, then you can fill out a blue card for the public hearing.

The emails will still be accepted until April 24th.

You can fill out a card after, Ms.

DeSim.

Sir, are you coming to speak as well?

Okay, you can oh you can felt the card while she's speaking.

Uh it's the blue card for the public hearing.

Okay.

Pass it to record, please.

Good evening, Miriam DeSim, Mountjoy.

Um this is suspicious timing.

Um, you know, your re-election is coming up.

We heard uh we're gonna have moratorium and all this development.

Kind of got my heart racing because I've been dying to hear this.

Um I really don't even know what the amendment is about.

Um, but the fact that you're still talking DOZ is unacceptable.

We have everyone is saying we don't want overlay zone.

It has um effectively remove the citizen input from it, and the reason it has done that is because before what was done uh is that you had to approve city council every project.

So that gave the citizens input on the project before it went to development, before it went to IDA, where we could actually make changes.

But any overlay zone that you do still effectively leaves us out.

So we don't want any more of it.

I don't want an amendment, take it out, and then take back your control in City Council where every project has got to come to you.

I mean, the the previous administration and and you guys continued, which is why they put you in office to continue this, um, bragged about how, oh, we couldn't get anything done in Neurochell before, and now, you know, we can get the things done in in three months.

We approve the buildings.

So that's that's what you've been doing.

I have to emphasize that because it's not just whatever your amendment is, it's remove it altogether overlay zones, bring every project back to when city council votes on every project, and we then get a chance to tell you, the ones that we voted for, whether we want it or not.

That's when we were able to shut things down.

So that's what we want back.

You had said we don't have appetite for it.

I think again, you're hearing the appetite for it.

Do it.

So that's one.

You have priced us out.

It is disheartening.

And then you've got um propaganda articles from Wall Street John talking about that they the rents have been reduced.

No one believes that.

Your 5 a.m.

TikToks talking about how we've done all this wonderful development and we're gonna do more.

Is it is unreal.

We had the most affordable housing, City Park, Carrington Arms.

You allowed under you, because now market value has gone so so high that you increase on low-income people, increase their rent to 1 1,500 and in in City Park.

That's when as high as that increased rent within 60 days, right?

And then in Carrington Arms, they increased it by a thousand dollars, right?

And told people, oh well, we haven't increased it in a while, so you should have saved up and be ready to do it.

That those increases have gone.

Those are places that we've been able to do affordable housing, and that's all been wiped out.

There's so much that we need to discuss.

Get rid of your overlay zones.

Thank you.

And our next speaker is Joseph Cinkimani.

Good evening.

Good evening.

Uh, thank you.

Uh my name is Joe Cinquamani.

I'm uh I live at 115 Harding Drive in New Rochelle.

I've been a resident for almost 25 years.

I'm a real estate lawyer and a real estate broker, but I think most relevant for here tonight, I want to announce to you that I'm the Republican candidate for Congress to represent you, all these disenfranchised labor union workers, all the independent homeowners, including myself, to hold some accountability to the Democratic Party and the one party rule here in New York, because it's obviously obviously not serving us.

When the Democratic Party loses the union vote, there's something very, very wrong.

And that's why I'm here.

I'm here to answer for all the union members, because it's inconceivable to me that the city would give away tens of millions of dollars in tax abatements, and then extend them.

While we're all footing the bill for the money that you're giving away, and on top of that, you don't hire union labor.

You don't make that as a requirement.

I don't know whose pockets are getting padded in addition to the developers.

But I'm telling you, it's not our union workers.

It's not our families in Neurochelle.

And it's not the independent homeowners who are paying for the difference of the gifts that you're so freely giving away, administration after administration.

This is why one party rule in this city in this state has to end.

Because we're all being pushed out.

Now, as far as the overlay program goes and the development, again, as a real estate lawyer and a broker, to me, the answer seems painfully obvious.

You need NeuroShell needs.

That employ a bank, an insurance company, a tech company, some big company that can employ 200, 250 people.

They come into the city every day, they shop at our retail, they eat at our restaurants, and they buy sandwiches at our delis, and they help employ the people of Neurochell.

And then they leave.

Thank you, Mr.

Shinkimone.

Mr.

Ortigo, for Mr.

Ortega?

For process, you wrote Mavis.

Is it related to the development amendment, or do you want to speak about the just for public hearing purposes, it's supposed to be on the development?

Do you want to do it?

Okay, so please come up.

I have no notes, and uh I want to thank you guys for um having me speak.

Um I want to everybody's side is statistics, so I want to speak from a personal perspective.

I imagine everybody in the panel, such as yourself, mayor and city council and city manager, either has not grown up in New Rochelle or had parents who didn't grow up in the Rochelle.

I'm a Bronx boy.

My wife's a Bronx girl.

We came here.

It's almost like the American dream.

We thought growing up in the Bronx, Mount Vernon was the pinnacle until we moved to New Rochelle.

So this is where we live now.

Um I imagine that everybody here on this panel would be disappointed if they knew that they bought a property and then they're going to build a six, eight unit or six, eight-story building right behind them.

28 stories.

Or 28 stories.

So I don't think anybody on this panel would be comfortable with buying a property, achieving the American dream, and then having an eight-story or 28-story building built right behind them.

So what I like you guys to do is to take off your political hats for a second, and then come on this side and look at it from our perspective.

Everybody on this panel, take off your political hats, come on this side, and then ask yourself would you be comfortable moving from the Bronx, Brooklyn, Queens, achieving this dream, and then having a building go up right behind you.

I imagine none of you would want that, or you wouldn't have bought into that.

So my ask is to reconsider.

If you're going to build something behind us, build it so that it conforms to the properties that is there.

My sense is that this decision has already been made.

I imagine that the developers yourselves have already kind of formed an idea of what you want on North Avenue.

So I don't know what I'm going to say to convince you otherwise, except that I would ask that you look at it from your perspective, not your political hat perspective, but from a residential homeowner perspective and ask yourself, would you allow that if you were on this side of the podium?

I imagine none of you would.

Nobody would, in fact.

Nobody buys a home in New Rochelle looking to have an 8 to 28 story building built right behind them.

So what I'm asking is for some empathy, some compassion, and some realization that this would not go over with anybody on the other side of this panel.

I hope you would reconsider and at least work with the community to figure out a better way to get this accomplished.

Thank you.

Sarah Lang's Langster Longstrath.

Sorry about that.

Um I'm Sarah Longstreth.

I moved here 12 years ago when I was 22.

Uh I used to write for Westchester magazine, and I had some assignments covering the developments here and the exciting mixed-use promises that were being uh included in them.

Anyone remember the black box theater?

Yeah.

Yeah.

Um so I think I, as a young professional, am who this development was being pitched to and marketed for people with um who don't have these hard jobs who have leisure time and things, and I just want to say first I want a city that is shared with my neighbors who have homes who have trade jobs not built on their backs, and second of all, it's not giving me what it was offering me either.

Um suburban city needs a bookstore, it needs a theater, it needs LGBT friendly spaces, it needs event spaces like the ones that are currently walled off inside some of the luxury buildings.

Um there are people who would want to live here who want to to have all these things, and right now the best that we can offer them is a place to sleep while they go to New York City or at best white plains for those things.

So I just wanted to offer a little additional perspective, both to amplify the voices of the people who have already spoke and just to look at it from yet another side of this that isn't being considered, which is the people that ostensibly the developers are making these promises to directly that are still not being filled.

Um I also just want to say uh I love the city, I love our history with um the performing arts.

Um with uh arts in general.

I think there is really something here that we could connect to as a large um as a deep, diverse, interesting place to be.

Um, and I uh would I don't have the um powerful arguments that have been made already, but I do wish to um add to your goals in your new vision that is uh being created with all of us as a community to bring those new types of experience here.

Um it's both our past and our future, and thank you.

Thank you.

That was our last registered speaker for the public hearing, so I will call it to a close and we will transition to citizens to be heard.

As a reminder, uh the time limit is three minutes.

Um still request that you give your name and your address.

I will call you up in groups of three as I did before.

I'll give it a second so folks can leave.

I can't tell.

That's why I was not a good thing.

I wonder how many speakers here.

Yeah, something was it must be.

I I forgot the last one.

Oh, okay.

That's what happened.

We're gonna transition now to the citizens um to be heard portion of the meeting.

I think the doors are closed.

Our first um three speakers signed up are James O'Toole, followed by James Clorin, followed by Steve Mayo.

Okay, just checking.

Good evening, James Old School 230 North Avenue.

Just want to go with a couple couple of things that I've noticed in the last two or three weeks in a downtown.

You got most of you were at a ribbon cutting last week on North Avenue.

Some of you are at another ribbon cutting on uh another place on North Avenue.

But these new places that are opening up don't have anywhere to put their garbage.

And I don't know if that's a recommended code, but if you look down North Avenue, right by where I live and on Anderson Street, these places have now decided to put out receptacle bins in front of their businesses all day and all night long.

And as you know, I've had major problems downtown with the rats.

And this is just now adding to the problem.

I've gone into these businesses, but they said there is nowhere where you can put the cans.

I I don't know what you can do about it, but some kind of code has to be done because you can't have these garbage pails sitting out there all day long, especially when you want to say we want to beautify the city.

So this has to be addressed.

Because as more and more of these businesses open in these small spaces, they have nowhere to put their garbage.

Or they're going to just start putting into the city pails like they used to do years ago.

And the other thing is now that we have the street cleaners coming out at night, the enforcement has to be done on Main Street, North Avenue, after 4 a.m.

Because cars are parked up and down Main Street all night long.

And Shane could have to test to this.

But if the street sweepers have to go around cars, guess what?

Those curbs are going to look like garbage.

The streets are going to look like garbage.

Nothing's getting picked up.

So the enforcement has to start.

And I heard today when you had that um snow thing, which was good, like the meeting.

I think the city did a good job in removing the snow.

Unfortunately, they weren't able to do that good of job on Main Street because the snow emergency routes were never enforced.

You could have towed all those cars down to the city yard.

I don't care where you put them.

But we would have had curb the curb pickup, uh curb the curb snow removal if the system was enforced.

And the other thing is maybe you should start looking into eliminating the alternate side eliminate in the winter time from January 1st to March 31st, because all the people that complained that their streets weren't plowed were all these streets where they're both parked on both sides of the street.

So maybe maybe in the winter time go to one day, one day, so the plows can go down and clear these streets.

And it would be a big big help in the West End of Rochelle.

I know they don't have anywhere to park, but if you eliminated that alternate side, you know, the ban in the in the months from January to March, I think you would have a much better snow removal process.

Thank you.

Our next speaker is James Clorin, followed by Steve Mayo and then Lisa Burton.

Just a few more things.

Again, thank you for the time and to everyone who's here.

Jim Calor, with the full asset for housing, Millard Fuller founded an international movement that he built home ownership.

He got awards from President Clinton.

I was there when President Bush gave him a sidewalk.

President Carter got really uh the notoriety, but it was the fuller, and last Saturday we dedicated our 10,000th home in 20 years that the Fuller Center International has built.

Yet here in New York and the Rochelle, we're last in home ownership.

We're last.

That means we don't care about our kids.

We don't care about an intergenerational New York.

And they're throwing three months' rent for free, and it's really really very uh sad, and we don't care whether these decisions here made impact the schools.

You might send your kids to private school.

I couldn't afford that.

They went to the Rochelle High School.

So uh I just wanted to add that.

I was one of the first speakers in the fake caring meetings uh that was asked to speak on biking 15 years ago.

And while the whole world is biking, we don't have one bike lane, except a $16 million bike lane on Quaker Ridge.

Are you kidding me?

That's got to be gold.

I mean, did Trump do that?

What?

I mean, who could spend that money on who's gonna ride up Quaker Ridge?

I mean, it's ludicrous.

Yet the bikeable movement in the city that's around, yeah.

I mean, I I bike all the time.

And and it's um I want to thank the police, the firefighters, the building department, people that I work with closely downtown.

Every day, by the way, they're being called now.

The CVS guys have now moved down by the doctor's office building 421 and by Pintard, and they're drinking at 8 o'clock every morning, and there's usually a fight, and they were called again by 2 o'clock, there's usually three or four police cars.

We did see two police bicyclists today, so it's real.

I gave donated a bike years ago to the to the bike uh bike team, but there's no bike lanes.

And I was biking at the same time, and they had to stop in between two cars who one who had to go around the uh the crane at the Allery building, which caused him to hit another car coming center.

The density of downtown with cars is is nuts and unhealthy.

And those two biking police were at danger.

I am.

There's not one bike lane.

I mean, it's like the quality of life stuff.

It's like throwing scooters.

And there's no rhyme or reason to where they're put.

So those are things.

And then the company, the biggest company that can really make the change is bringing 250 people from this building into the vanguard, the on guard, the empty retail, and the developers have all empty retail.

This I love no one wants to leave this building.

But that would be an economic engine into the retail and bring you down, bring these employees downtown.

And the people, not you guys, but the people who are making decisions with the developers need to be held accountable.

The paid employees that you never get to see and sit in those meetings with, and they're selling us down.

Their careers on our back with press releases are going out to biz now and everywhere and going out to conferences.

And none of this, we heard, has come to fruition.

So this has to change.

The DAZ zone has to get out.

We have to stop this madness now.

And you're bright enough to say yes, your careers are on the line for this as well.

Thank you.

Our next speaker, Steve Mayo, followed by Lisa Burton and then Alison Rivers.

Again, thank you for the opportunity.

I'll just continue my maybe ruminations on tonight.

But I have two secrets to share with you.

Number one, transit-oriented development TOD is clearly good for trains, but not for Nourishal citizens.

Yeah, yeah.

This is out of the air, concocted philosophy that makes no sense.

I have another secret to share with you.

I have property in the Bronx where my business was.

I've been approached by developers who basically want to pay nothing for it.

But these people are so giddy with power, as we've seen in New Rochelle, that they brag.

They brag that we don't have to provide the parking like we used to.

Quote.

We don't have to provide the parking per apartment.

They used to.

Instead of telling me how tough it is to come up with this price, they're bragging how well they're doing.

They're laughing at us, small property owners, and they're la laughing at local governors like you.

I can only tell you that they're bragging about local government laxity in contract and law enforcement.

That's what it comes down to.

The contracts and the basic local and state laws are being ignored, and I think it's to everybody's detriment.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Our next speaker is Lisa Burton, followed by Alison Rivers, and then uh Kirk O'To Ortega.

If they've left, then it's Miriam December.

Hi, Lisa Burton 257 Center.

So I choose to be optimistic about this because there's actually nothing else to be.

We've if you've lived in New York long enough, you will know that there have been some great success stories.

When Rhonda Quash was a councilwoman, she took she took a whole bunch of people down to where Home Depot is now and shut it down until they hired local.

She shut it down until they had a union.

When when Rhonda Quash and others, they built those um attached townhouses for workforce housing.

You could buy, you know, it was a lottery system, it was 150,000.

I put my little shit in because that was like gold to have a four-bedroom apartment.

You just had to agree to live there for 20 years.

Twenty-five years later, 30 years later, those homes are going for like three and a quarter.

And they're they're nice homes.

They're kind of too close to the memorial highway.

But but it gave people, especially if you were a city worker, you got a little bit of a bonus to be able to be part of that load.

So we've we've done it, we've done it before, where people who live here and work here have an opportunity to own a home and a reasonable home, not something up in the sky.

Um I walk down.

I used I I live very close to the downtown, and I walk, I used to walk and enjoy the view.

There is no view.

It's like walking in Lower Manhattan.

But again, it's done.

It's done, it's done, it's done.

Fine.

But we don't need to continue it.

Two things can be true at the same time and yet be in opposition.

So, yes, we have a vibrant downtown.

It is great to see all these young people downtown.

Their dogs, not so much, but these young people, you know, they're they they come with energy and they're they're happy to be here and they're from the city, and you know, they dress interestedly, and it's it's lovely.

It's lovely.

But my sons couldn't afford to buy here because my boys they don't they don't pay rent.

They're like, if I don't own it, I'm not doing it.

So there's not an opportunity, and they want to be here, and there's not.

It's hard.

So again, you have a great opportunity.

You really do.

And nobody, I mean, everyone says, you, you, you, but you guys weren't here 10 years ago.

You were not sitting with the exception.

Um you weren't sitting in these seats.

And and you didn't know what the projection was.

But now, you know, we need a density in order to get retail.

Well, we have density, but we can't get retail because we don't have parking.

Well, we want to have people have own ownership opportunities, but it's too high because of AMI and because Westchester.

There's all these except except except.

So one thing is true, but it the other part is also true, is that we're struggling with this, and we can do better.

We just need to try a little harder.

Thank you.

Our next speaker is Alison Rivers.

I'm looking because I think she left.

Um, okay.

Uh Kirk Ortega, I think also left.

Um, so we have Miriam DeSim and then Jackie Mills.

And then one more, sorry.

Uh Miriam, you can come up.

I think the other the other two left.

Yeah.

No, I think um yeah.

Mountjoy.

Okay, so continuing on what we were discussing before.

Um, we have you know, when we talk about development in this town.

I grew up here, go down North Avenue, you know, in the corner of North and Huguenot, these new big buildings.

You feel like you're in a tunnel.

Center and Huguenot.

Again, you're like it's dark, it's it you feel like the buildings are about to topple over you.

And I heard the latest TikTok from the development department.

God save us.

Um, you know, they're talking about oh, we're gonna do mid-level development, which is really where we should have started because that's what our town is really like.

So your plan from the get is so flawed, but you've already done a lot of that, so you need to stop.

If I didn't make it clear before, that's one, right?

Yes, let's renovate the buildings that we have.

You keep talking about businesses, and then all you did with this new development is kick out existing businesses.

You kick them all out, and then when you save one or two, you passionately talk about how our developers were so good at keeping them.

Robert Young, for one, ask you about Robert Young, who came here who wanted to take over our parks, right?

Our floor flowers park.

That wasn't enough.

One week he's in here, supposed to be our savior because we don't have enough money because you don't tax these buildings, right?

So then the following week or so, he's in the IDA saying he doesn't have enough money to sustain his buildings, and you guys give them another 15-year tax abatement on top of what they have for two buildings on North Avenue, and then you glorify how wonderful of a developer he is.

He did all these wonderful things.

He kept the little barbecue place, and he's just, you know, so what he tore down five multifamily homes on on uh Fifth Avenue, which were very affordable.

We don't see that part.

You speak passionately about the developer's plight.

Your math doesn't math, your latest video.

We gotta make the math, math, the math is in mathing.

And and you know, so developers are it's a capitalistic society.

Well, what about the math of the people?

$4,000 a month for rent.

This is people with good jobs.

This is not people who say I can't afford it, they have good jobs, and they're saying I can't sit here anymore, right?

$4,000 a month, $200 a month for parking.

You didn't count, you don't talk about that math.

You only talk about the developers' math.

And and that's what we've been doing.

You keep hiring all of these carpet baggers from that don't belong here, know nothing about Nourishelle.

And we want to work here and make it right and do it right.

It's gotta change.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Our next speaker is Jackie Mills, followed by Paul Martin.

I see you, okay, and then Sheila Small.

Good evening, Mayor and City Council, Jackie Mills to Lemkey Place.

You have to speak a little closer.

Sorry, sorry.

Name and address.

Hi, good evening, Mayor and City Council.

My name is Jackie Mills from Two Lemke Place in Rochelle Heights.

I am here to speak about the DOC overlay development and your plans to amend that program.

Enough is enough.

Over saturation.

The definition for that in Webster's for those of us who still use Websters is beyond capacity.

An excessive degree.

We are at capacity.

We are now contemplating bringing the buildings from downtown to our side of the world.

We have these beautiful historic homes.

We have these beautiful parks.

We can't afford to have eight family buildings, six family buildings, build on North Avenue, but in the historic district and the Lincoln Avenue.

Imagine the traffic.

Right now we have an exploding deer population.

We have nobody did environmental study on that.

We have people parking cars all over the place and leaving them overnight with all kinds of garbage.

Imagine when you develop that stretch of North Avenue, what's going to happen to these beautiful neighborhoods that we've maintained.

I've lived here 38 years.

But you've oversaturated three buildings, four buildings, yes.

But you just you're like Pac-Man.

Enough is enough, and your constituents are begging you.

I worry when I drive down uh Ugunaten and North Avenue with the high rises.

How the how are the firemen going to get to those high rises?

How is the police going to get in there with all those people?

How is sanitation going to work?

How are the schools being overcrowded going to work?

We know there's no parking.

Even the Metro North now has become a New York City subway.

The Metro North, where you could sit and have a cup of coffee, has become a New York City subway.

We're just asking for you guys to listen.

And we understand you have you're trying to do the right thing for New Rochelle, but you also have to listen.

You're destroying our homes.

You're destroying you we no longer know anyone.

You would meet the former mayor in the supermarket, your child's teachers.

It was a really betted, it was a community.

Now it's become New York City.

We have stabbings and shootings and people brewing drugs in the hotels.

And I every day I'm like, whoa.

We pay a ton of taxes.

We elected you.

Please think about what you're doing and listen to us.

Thank you.

Our next speaker is Paul Martin, followed by Sheila Small.

Thank you, Paul Martin, 55 Decatur Road.

Um I presented our neighborhood comments, um, and I now wanted to appeal to the City Council as a private citizen directly to please take time to consider these amendments.

Um 400 pages, DOZY changes, significant impact to the city's fiscal position, traffic and parking, and the overall fabric of the downtown.

Please don't rush it.

Uh please also consider the context in which these amendments were released.

Um, as as Miriam mentioned, mid November, you saw significant backlash from the public to the RFP process that lacked public input to allow a private developer to redevelop uh Flowers Park.

And you paused that.

And there because there was clear developer fatigue.

And no less than a week later, as Miriam also mentioned, that same private developer at the center of the controversy received a three million dollar pilot extension from developments in the DOZ.

Less than two weeks later, the city announced these amendments.

Consider the optics of that rapid progression of events.

At the same time that this process started, you saw public opposition to the 570 main at the planning board.

But the opposition didn't matter to the overall and ultimate approval because the planning board's hands were tied by the design of this DOZ.

That's what makes this DOZ amendment so consequential because the abilities of the public after the fact is limited.

I've truly feel that this process has lacked opportunities for public input that we've seen with previous uh amendments.

Uh easy to digest materials that show the overall changes and is progressing at almost as fat the fastest pace it can.

Five months from release of DOC amendments to public hearing, no publicly released DO by DO breakdown as promised, contradictory statements on the storefront requirements.

Residents are asking if their council members even going to be able to vote on this effort.

We had to call multiple times to get the public hearing notice on the city website uh in a timely fashion.

Just compare that process to the last 2021 amendment changes and ask yourself if this process has been robust, inclusive, and is designed to maximize input and support.

Today you're hearing from people who were originally excited about the DOZ are now disillusioned by the uneven pro progress of development and the continued one-sided expansion of uh rental residential units.

It's not a question about whether we build or not.

It's a question do we provide streamlined zoning and tax abatements?

And what do you get as a result?

If you rush this process, you're going to add credence to the idea that the DOZ is a mechanism tilted towards developer interests rather than a tool designed to maximize community benefit and economic vibrancy.

So I ask yourself, have you truly considered all the ramifications of these changes?

Have you truly looked through the 400 page document to understand it?

And are you willing to be proud co-signers of these amendments when you have to face your voters next year?

Thank you.

Our last speaker is Sheila Small.

Good evening, good evening, good evening.

Well, there's a lot of stuff that's been on my mind lately.

I almost didn't even make it out here tonight.

And you know, you present and then you ask us to come and give our comments and what our desires are, what we want to hear from you.

And by the time we leave here, we find out like next week the deal has been sealed.

So I feel like my time is valuable.

I have a lot of energy that I could put to other uses, but I also feel I just paid my taxes last week and I need to have a voice, so that's why I'm here.

So I have a couple of things I want to talk to you about tonight.

First of all, I live in the historic district, and you've heard some of my comrades speak.

We want to go on record officially publicly to let everyone know that we do not want any of your development abutting our neighborhoods, in our neighborhoods, on our public parks, anywhere near our neighborhoods.

That's what we don't want.

So if anybody's not clear, let the record show.

We were public servants.

But we were basically fired because we stood up for the underdog and for the people that nobody looks to.

Nobody's looking to develop anything for them.

But what they are looking for is to take that property from them at the first possibility, especially considering where it's located along close to the water in a downtown area.

So I submit to you, if you don't know how or don't feel like developing a program, we have one for you.

We did a whole year-long study, Michael Yellen and I, with our commissioners who were let go.

We have a program.

And if you're really really serious about home ownership for everybody, especially the people on the lower income level, come talk to us.

We can help you out.

Thank you.

That concludes the public hearing portion of our meeting.

Everyone get home safely and good night.

I have no idea.