Good evening and welcome to the May 2026 regular legislative meeting.

Madam Clerk, please call the roll.

Mayor Raymond Herbert here.

Councilmember Lopez.

Yeah.

Councilmember Tarantino here.

Councilmember Peters.

Councilmember Aston Loyay.

Councilmember K and Councilmember here.

Thank you so much, Madam Clerk.

Um moving on to our agenda.

May I have a motion and a second approving the minutes of the regular legislative meeting for Tuesday, March 17th, 2026, and the committee of the whole session for Tuesday, April 14th, 2026.

All in favor say aye for any opposed.

And I'd like to note the submission of minutes for the regular legislative meeting of Tuesday, April 21st, 2026, and the committee of the whole session for Tuesday, May 12th, 2026.

Items two through 10 are items on our consent agenda.

I've been advised particularly that for item number three, the resolution regarding the FEMA brick grant, that the project name has been added to the memo and resolution as discussed last week.

Are there any questions or comments on items number two through ten on the consent agenda?

Hearing none, may I have a motion and a second adopting items two through ten, please.

Lopez and Ashaloye.

All in favor say aye.

Any opposed.

Brilliant.

Moving on to item 11, which is a home rule request regarding the establishment of a school speed zone camera demonstration program in the city of New Rochelle.

City manager.

Yes.

So this was a um proposal that we had spoken with the Senate and um the representatives about a demonstration program that we wanted to implement here in Rochelle.

We had started the process a couple months back with the areas that were already uh in our code for um school zones.

Um we had gotten word recently that it had uh progressed through the assembly and into the Senate and is ready to be um enacted and moved on with this with this state budget.

Um so um they're looking for um a resolution as soon as possible if we can uh to progress this forward.

Um we will also concurrently have to to councilman peters' request that the last time this was brought up that we look at other areas of concern of where speeding in the school uh in school areas uh have been observed.

Uh we are in-house doing that work now to uh eventually come back to council to say, hey, you know, these additional areas uh could uh warrant to be in our code and then subject to uh this program.

So right now it's just a demonstration program.

Yeah, um it allows us to um uh to to monitor these areas uh and allows three locations uh and they could be at our discretion.

Okay.

Um so it's just to um provide this resolution in order to you know uh proceed with the process.

Okay.

Questions or comments from my colleagues on item number 11?

Councilman Peters.

Yeah, as um as city manager noted, uh the concern that that I have is both historical and current.

Uh it has to do with the fact that uh safety is being framed around children, mostly in areas where community schools are currently located.

So as such, over the years we've been talking about this.

We've got a lot of money for the link and other things associated with disproportionality and disparity and safety should not be an issue for us that remains hidden in the um in the code relative to the to the normal school system that we have, meaning locations.

And so I have a concern about that because when we talk about it, we talk about it, but it doesn't necessarily mean that it happens.

And uh it's for that reason why um uh with that that uh that I have concerns about it, and uh and I'm ready to vote.

Are there questions or comments on item number 11?

Just to be clear of the locations that it's gonna be in.

They are the speed school zones that are already in our code.

Okay, um, Webster Avenue, Craig Ridge Road, um around basically our school areas.

Okay, um Webster Avenue, Quake Ridge Road, um around basically our school areas, okay.

So that's currently in our code right now, but like I said, we are looking to add the Lincoln Avenue area into that code after we do a study, a traffic study, um, and then um submit that and then come back to council and then put that in a codify that it'd be good because uh councilman Peters and I share that border on Webster Avenue.

It would be good, especially because we've had not only accidents but fatalities on Lincoln Avenue.

If we could see if we could just do an extension of the area that's existing as well, maybe that's a possibility.

I don't know.

I just want to you know contribute to the solutions of that area.

I have I have I full disclosure, I have a family member pass away on Lincoln Avenue getting T-boned in that area.

So I I share that concern.

And I'm very grateful for this because at the same time, this is serving the Webster Avenue school zone.

A lot of people walk to school with their families.

Um, but we want to make sure that we're serving the larger community at the very same time.

So I'm grateful for this, and I definitely want to see if we can get that expansion.

Um I appreciate the the need to do a traffic study, but I am wondering given the like huge amount of data that we just got with the local safety action plan.

Is that enough for us to consult and make sure that you know there's enough nerve to move this along faster?

Yeah, and that that you know, that data would be part of the of the recommendations that um that we'll put together.

So we'll use that data, but we there's certain counts that have to be made that were not part of that study uh that we would do specifically with our own in-house forces.

So combining some of that data if it's applicable, plus the specific traffic study data specific to these types of applications that we do in-house will be put together.

But absolutely, if there's any applicable um data from that study, it gets combined and for this request.

Comes in 190.

Yeah, just wasn't enough for this, sir.

Yeah, the question is this it this allows three cameras, right?

Is it three cameras?

Three locations, three locations.

How many cameras actually physical cameras?

Yes, I don't know how many.

Yeah, no, no, but what I'm saying is it it's for intersection or street, there's three separate locations that are allowed.

Correct.

Yeah, do they all have to be in one area or they can be spread anywhere in the city?

They're at our discretion.

Okay, so now the question becomes it's for school speed zone cameras.

Um what constitutes a school speed zone?

How far away from the schools does that go?

Because I think you know there are streets that are problematic with children crossing, you know, in all different areas of the city.

So does this limit the distance from the school that the camera can go on?

Uh, and can you can you only put one camera system at one school, or you can you put two at one school?

Because you know, there's there's a problem with a lot of different schools.

Uh and you know, like um David said, there's areas that are away from the schools that the children walk to the schools that are also problematic.

So, you know, with three cameras, it doesn't really cover very much.

Um so just trying to figure out how how do you prioritize where this stuff goes?

So we prioritize based on the initial studies that we did as far as accidents and incidents that occur, um, which we was part of the original submission to the program.

The actual zone distances are all calculated based on, and I've I don't have it in front of me right now, but it might even be in the code itself where they have they have actual distances and streets um named and mentioned.

Can we get them?

Yeah, I think actually, Todd may have have it here.

So it you know, those are specifically designated in the code.

And the reason why I would like to have that is because it would make it easier for council members to understand it if they get questioned by the public about you know why didn't we get the speed zone camera?

Because obviously there's not enough to go around on with three, so you just want to be able to have some intelligent answers to to why this is right and the physical cameras.

I'm not I'm not sure right now if it's one, two, three, but whatever it is, it's gonna cover that entire zone, whether it be a block or two, or whatever that distance is.

If it's one camera that does that, or if it's five cameras that does that, I don't know.

It'll cover that entire zone.

Okay, and then the next question is when can you because I'm I'm sure that if this goes in, and it's people gonna want these in other school zones.

Uh is there any what would we have to do?

Would we have to re file with the state to request more?

How would we be able to get more than the three down the road?

Just to work yeah, I mean, this is a demonstration program, right?

So we'll be collecting the data.

Commissioner police is also coming to the you know, probably nail completely more, but I'm sure then we'll collect data on this entire program and then resubmit for you know either permanent cameras or extension of a program in different areas.

And the only reason I'm bringing that up is that child safety around the schools has become a top priority of so many parents.

Um there's more and more parents uh the children in the lower grades that are concerned about it.

I mean, we see it down at Trinity School, see at Jefferson, there's two schools, and and even in Isaac, we see the the type of some things that are going on down there and the way that people are driving to and from the schools that you know there's this concern about you know, it's like an accident waiting to happen.

So I just don't think that the three will you know cut it for the city as a whole, and just trying to understand, you know, is there anything proactively we can do to get ourselves in line for additional if we need it.

I don't know off the top of my head if there's anything that we can do right now, as the uh city manager said this is a pilot program.

Um I I'm certain that if we have the data to prove that we need to have an additional number of cameras, we we can do that, but that will come after after we do that.

Um these are three, however, we can relocate them to see if there's a change and we notice hey, we need to put it over here.

This is not um there the data was not we we don't have all the speeders that we thought we had here.

We know we have one over here.

We can move that we can move it, we can move it there.

Sorry, I thought you were gonna talk because I was being go ahead, please.

They they give us three locations, right?

But we can put them in any right now where we have a school speed zone, we can put them there.

Correct.

So all the elementary schools have school speed zones around them, and you see the big sign, 7 a.m.

to 6 p.m.

20 miles per hour.

And that's what we would need to sorry.

You have another question.

No, I'm not okay.

The only thing I wanted to add, and and not to cut council computers off, but just um obviously the councilman said we are happy to have the cameras in general, happy to be a part of the pilot.

Right.

I'm glad to hear that they're mobile, all of that is great.

I don't think I caught the third zone, but I'm sure that that can be shared later.

Um, but just to echo a little bit about Lincoln, it what gets hard is like we don't have a school in Lincoln, right?

So when you have a safety project, but but and I feel like it's something we had talked about maybe um vis-a-vis around district three, um, because I looked at the statute, and I'm just by like just raising again.

We don't necessarily have a formal school, but I thought the legislation talked about child care facilities, and there is the boys and girls club.

There like it it's tricky for me when the school district at 95 Lincoln sponsors a half-day pre-K program, so it's just essentially an extension of the school district, and then there's boys and girls club, and then there's the little daycare on prints, um, like right near the park across the street.

Um, and so um, and those are just the the one the main one.

So within a very small contiguous area on the former boundary of a school, there are kids that are walking and coming off buses.

So I'm just flagging like this is where something gets hard to process because if it's based on the code that has schools, but this area doesn't have a school, then it means this area is gonna always sort of be an app feel or end up being an afterthought around significant traffic concerns.

So I'm just I'm just again reiterating that's what's problematic about hearing it's not to take away from other schools, but this school was taken away.

I'm sorry, Councilman Peters had a hand up before I jumped in.

Um I'm well you said a little bit about what I was gonna talk about, uh just to make that clear.

So I'm not just talking about the corner of Fort Webster and Lincoln.

We're talking more deeply engaged around where 95 Lincoln is.

We're also talking about where the highway is, quite frankly, and coming up, and part of what we talked about was was slowing that traffic down.

You can't even go across the street.

You got little kids going into the daycare center, you've got coming off the highway or Lincoln and Brook, and when we start talking about the link and other things, that's like down the road a little bit, and so this would be in my mind uh uh uh it's a no-brainer around having this opportunity to utilize this particular framework for that.

And so this would be, in my mind, uh it's a no-brainer around having this opportunity to utilize this particular framework for that.

And the main concern that I have again has to do with the fact that our codes do not allow for, as the mayor just talked about, for the for us being able to transform neighborhood that we are interested in doing.

And so we have to be imaginative in that sense.

We have to make these things happen.

So we can't go by the letter of the of the law with the code on if we're looking to provide safety for our residents.

And this has been a an issue for years.

And we know that.

And so if we know that this is the issue, then we need to fix that while we have this opportunity to do that.

And uh, and again, the the way that we approach things is that we we approach things in a way that we go that we follow the codes in the letter of the code, and at the same time, it then puts something that is clearly a need on hold or on delay for a long period of time.

And that's a risk that I'm uh no longer interested in taking.

So just to just back up a little.

So just to piggyback onto this program, right?

In order to get the ball rolling, yeah, right?

Interesting.

You had a we had to submit the areas that were already deemed um school safety zones.

Yeah, officially deemed school zones, just to just to get the ball rolling, get the process rolling, right?

Um so those were the areas that are listed under in our code state limits where they can be also, so it's not arbitrary.

The state does have rules about where you can locate correct school safety zones.

So you know, those areas that are already existing areas that are in our code, submit those in so we can get the ball rolling.

Understood.

Um concurrently um looking at these areas of concern that are not in the code, yeah, getting them officially you know codified, that's a word, and then um getting them in so that the time this demonstration program starts, okay, they'll be an eligible location to receive a camera.

So we will amend the code.

Is that what we're saying?

That is correct.

So after we we do this this study, get the data, do whatever paperwork we need, come back to council here, amend the code, hopefully add those additional locations.

Okay, and I and as I mentioned before, you know, this still this even this process here still has probably a couple more months to go before it gets to the to the governor's desk to sign in order to start the program.

So hopefully we've we've I'm thinking if the timing is correct, that we'll have a council resolution that amends the code just in time that this program starts.

So even if it's not codified at the moment that we vote this in, it can still read it can still be included even if it's the resolution comes in two months after.

That's correct, because the demonstration program is for is for uh three zones that are all deemed official um school safety.

But the timing of the designation doesn't have to be contiguous if this initial uh legislation the camera could be moved to a school zone that is designated after the case.

Even if it's been by adaptering.

Okay, I mean that's good.

Well to define school zone, yeah.

What's it's not to exceed 1,325 feet on a highway passing a school building, entrance or exit of a school abutting at highway.

Uh sorry, 184.

Thank you.

Yeah, no, and that that's where I was gonna what I was gonna ask because I know that in the past when this was looked at many years ago, the um what many times we were trying to attempt to do here in Urshell, the state legislation wouldn't let us do what we wanted to do.

Right.

Uh so I don't know if that's changed since then.

Uh but what it sounds like here is that that would be problematic in attempting to designate a school zone where there's no school.

Uh and it's far enough away from a school like that legislate it says in the legislation to make it impossible to do that.

So the question would be what other alternative is there available to take these areas and and get you know, create speed zones.

Uh is there a way with the other program that is uh available, you know.

We have a direct camera, yeah.

The camera.

Uh is there another program that can this the state has where you can set up speed zones in areas that are dangerous so that you can you know handle it that way, it doesn't necessarily have to fall under school zone, it could be a danger zone, you know, whatever you want to call it.

Is there a state the state have anything, you know, and I'm asking the city manager to look at to see if there's something else out there.

Yeah, that would have to be researched because uh the the state is well not the state, people in general are very um reluctant to do that in case someone just wants it's it's and I know everybody here understands it, it's not a money grab, right?

We're talking about safety here, right?

But those people who receive a summons through any kind of program who always cry money grab, not that they were exceeding the speed limit.

So um we have to look and research what the definitions are to make certain that we fit into them so that we can do something like that.

I'd have to research with the red light camera, um, with the school speed safety zone.

Um I have to look at it again, but it it looks like it could qualify, but I just have to 95 could qualify as one of those areas that could then be put into the school speed safety zone program.

Yeah, because the alternative to that would be for everyone to uh lobby their state legislators to fill this sort of black hole that exists in in the in the law that doesn't allow us to put something in place to protect the children of our community.

It just sounds like you know, it's it's sort of there's this void there that we need to fill.

That's correct, and that's what New York City did, right?

They they had uh some agreement where they were able to expand their speed zone outside of the school zones, so they they were able to do that.

But what we should know enough about that to know how they did it, but they did making sure that uh if it doesn't exist that maybe we need to reach out and figure out a way to get it done because you know we're not the only community that has this problem.

That's right.

Many others, and I think that it's something worthy of uh push.

Of course.

I do also believe there is a as a designated New York State Daycare.

There is a caveat there.

Yes, um that then you can extend the school zone, like that becomes a part of a school zone.

Right, which is in the code, I believe.

So we want to want to research that a little bit more about it.

I just want to flag, I feel I feel like it was research, it definitely didn't share it because the language was about child care facilities and there are three like there are three contiguous to where the footprint of where Lincoln School was.

So I just want to frame it's there.

Like there's no doubt about the child care, and there was even something about walking to care and boys and girls club has people, and I remember saying I'm sure the boys and girls club will affirm the volume of kids and the buses, as would the the UPK headquarters.

So acknowledging that the state controls the number of cameras and the red light.

I I really think there's like a nuance here that we just have to tap into that there is child care here.

There are kids who come home from school in that area, not Webster, but from Prince Downward.

And I just think we've got to really, you know, I I keep my brain keeps saying, like, we know our history, so look, we can't just then skip over it and say, but it's not a school.

When we know that there was a school, and we know the care kids that are cared for after school there.

There's a loop there.

So I just I just want to lean in on that a little bit.

Um councilman Peters' point.

Councilwoman Little.

Uh yes, I'm I I'm thinking also the West End.

And I'm very concerned because so many kids really do walk to school.

And so uh not only the West End, but also I'm thinking of Isaac Young and uh you know uh the number of uh kids.

I want to make sure, and certainly lobbying and uh advocating for our districts is very very important because it's the city.

I mean, there's so many kids in the city, so we all want it, we feel that it is important to have it in every place that it's needed.

But uh, you know, I understand it's only three initially, and so how long would it take?

Or maybe we can look at the red camera, red light uh camera, something else up that at least there's something there.

Yeah, um I don't know if you're asking to speak okay, Consumer Shaling.

Um just to be clear, this is great.

This is a great start.

Um we are happy about this, and we're seeing the opportunity to solve a massive need around you know, our districts in our city.

Um with you know understanding where some of where our constituents and our neighbors have communicated that they've had serious issues.

So just navigating what this is going to look like as well.

Oh I I've received uh I mean we all have received a lot of complaints about the area on Webster Avenue that's basically like a speed zone that invites and encourages people through a straightaway with no lights to basically blast through the area.

We had a stop gap, which was the speed counter-ish, is it uh, you know, the functionality of the machine is you know, irregardless of the fact that people saw their speed and they were slowing down, but then without notification, it was moved, and then we started immediately getting complaints again.

Uh so how much will we be notified as council people if and when these cameras were to be considered for being moved to another area as well, as opposed to getting additional cameras, because I don't want you know, just like with the stopgap where we put the speed check there, and then we saw the alleviation of the issue for quite a bit of time, and then it was moved without notice, and then we started getting emails and phone calls again up to including the crossing guard and the families in the area sending some very um strongly worded emails about the crossing garden children almost getting hit.

So, how are we monitoring, you know?

How will we know and how could we advocate to keep the solutions that we put in our communities where they are and just build off of that?

Oh we we can look at how we move the cameras, but we we move a camera when we move a speed trailer, we're moving it to a location where we've gotten other things.

I think one solution I we can we can purchase more speed trailers.

Um that's one.

Um as far as how I don't really know yet until we get into this program, I won't know how, when, why we kind of know why we'll move it, but I just don't we have to get in there first and see what it looks like and get some data and find out um before I can say, hey, this is how we're going to to do this, and then we'll we'll figure out how we're going to make the notifications at that time.

I think we're way ahead of that.

Yeah, I think we start obviously where the data, the initial data tells us, right?

Where where the high um incident locations are or where the problematic areas are from either history or we know where they are.

So we start with those first three, we collect all that data, okay.

Then that at some point there'd be a decision point whether you know to continue monitoring at that location, you know, maybe things have peaked off, and those are the things that we have to kind of drill down with the program administrators, right?

On what determines that, you know, that decision point whether to, you know, when to move uh uh uh uh move to a different location.

And I'm sure when we do that um and collect that data, that is definitely something that we would communicate to with all of council, right?

To say, hey, you know, you know, maybe give the results of what what has what we have seen in this particular area, you know, we could graph it and show it and see what you know, maybe it's tail down, maybe it's got maybe there is a criteria that you know, for a certain amount of time when you know it hasn't reached a certain threshold that you know it's not effective anymore.

So, you know, I'm just saying, so I'm sure when we get to that point, that'll be communicated to council.

Okay.

Councilman Peterson?

Yeah, I just I just want to be clear, right?

So resolution is around demonstration project associated with schools, and for the safety cameras to be for three of the three schools for the for the demonstration project.

I also want to be clear that what we're describing and what you just talked about is how we would what we were looking to do was to be inclusive of that in a place where there had been a school and we were and we're fully aware of that.

And so, with respect to that, what we're talking about is the Lincoln Avenue area.

We're talking about coming up over there by where there's a daycare center where clearly that can meet the criteria so that it becomes inclusive for what this particular home rule is is all about right now.

So what we're looking at isn't necessarily what we're looking at right now, the expansion into the other areas, although that's I'm not against that, but what I am for, and in this particular moment, as we're voting on this, is to make sure that that the Lincoln Avenue area that we described and that we're we're clear about that that now becomes part of what we are looking to do and amending the code based upon what happens here.

That's what we're talking about.

So that's a great point.

So at a minimum here, right?

What we want hopefully at the end of the day, what we wind up is not only the Lincoln Avenue corridor being able to receive a camera as part of this program, but in permanently be designated as a as a as a zone.

So you have signage and you have enforcement that could happen outside of the program.

So that's like the minimum that could happen, you know, the the bare benefit here is that going through this exercise, the Lincoln Avenue corridor will become a big school speed zone area.

So simultaneously with the traffic study, there's B legislation making it a corridor, a part of a school zone corridor, whatever the languages that meet.

It's a Quaker and Webster areas.

Okay.

So there's like three trains moving.

Right.

This was just a little head.

Okay.

All right.

Other questions or comments on item 11.

And I think the robustness is just a reflection of all the concerns we hear, right?

And so it's an opportunity to ask the questions and community that we but other questions or comments on item 11.

We are being asked to vote.

So may I have a motion to end a second formally adopting the home rule request regarding establishment of a school speed zone camera demonstration program in the city of New Rochelle?

And Stern, all in favor say aye.

Any opposed.

Thank you both very much.

Just abstaining from voting until that actually I can do that.

I think we have to do a roll call.

Okay, so run it back, as the kids say.

Um I or needs to state a basis for recusal or an abstention is what if he has to state a basis.

So say so what's the instructions, council?

The instruction is you're going to abstain or recuse, you need to state the basis upon which you're doing that.

Okay, so I'm not recruiting, I'm abstaining.

So the basis for my abstaining is that I'm I am waiting for the inclusion of the within the resolution for the Lincoln Avenue.

I think we have to do the roll call.

So then just vote present.

Vote present as opposed to yay or nay.

Okay.

Got it.

Okay.

So Madam Clerk, please call the roll for item number 11.

Okay.

Um I need a motion and a s motion and a second to do the roll call, I'm guessing procedurally, right?

A motion and a second to go to roll call for item number 11, please.

Oshan Loyer and Stern.

Madam Clerk.

Okay.

Councilmember Lopez.

Yes.

Councilmember Tarantino?

Yes.

Council Member Peters.

Present.

Councilmember Austin Leah?

Yes.

Councilmember Kay?

Yes.

Council Member Stern.

Yes.

Mayor Angel Service.

Yes.

And he doesn't have to say anything though.

No, please put this basis on the record before.

Okay, great.

So item 11 passes.

Moving on to item 12.

Similarly, a vote, I believe we discussed uh this was subject to a public hearing last week.

It's the proposed thank you both very much, uh, Commissioner Deputy City Manager.

Proposed amendment to chapter 312 of the code of the city of New Rochelle regarding vehicle impound authority, subject to a public hearing last week.

Any other questions or comments on item 12?

Hearing none, may I have a motion and a second adopting item number 12, please?

And the second uh K.

All in favor say aye.

Any opposed.

And item number 13, another vote is a proposed reallocation of community development block grant funds.

Um questions or comments in item 13.

Hearing none may have a motion and a second adopting item 13.

Stern and Kay, all in favor say aye.

Any opposed.

Um we have one item for executive session, and it's related to appointments.

Is that the formal appointments?

A motion and a second to break into executive session, please.

Uh Kay and Peters.

All in favor say aye.

Any opposed?

I do not anticipate coming back to public questions.

So please go enjoy the sun, friends.

Enjoy the sunlight.