North Salem Town Board Regular Meeting and Public Hearing – January 27, 2026

The Town of North Salem Town Board met in person and via Zoom on January 27, 2026, at Town Meeting Hall, 66 June Road. The session opened with a 6:30 p.m. executive session to interview prospective committee/board candidates and to receive legal advice on contracts, followed by a 7:00 p.m. public hearing and regular meeting/worksession. The board adopted a volunteer firefighter/ambulance worker tax exemption local law, adopted Local Law No. 2-2026 on short-term rentals, approved a SEQR negative declaration, made personnel and volunteer appointments, and discussed the proposed Croton Falls Sewer District.

Public Hearing on Tax Exemption Local Law

• The board read the public hearing notice for a local law amending Chapter 208 (Taxation) to add Section 208.17, extending the real property tax exemption authorized by Section 466-a of the Real Property Tax Law, as enacted by Chapter 670 of the Laws of 2022, to volunteer firefighters and ambulance workers serving neighboring cities, villages, towns, counties, or school districts, provided they meet Article 6 criteria.
• No public comments were submitted or read into the record. Board members spoke in favor, saying the exemption is well worth it and would save eligible volunteers hundreds of dollars; one member noted that a neighboring municipality is doing the same thing.
• The board adopted the law unanimously. The agenda listed this item as Local Law No. 2-2026, but because it was adopted first, the board numbered it Local Law No. 1-2026.

Public Comments & Testimony

• No members of the public spoke during the public hearing on the tax exemption local law, and no written comments were reported.

Short-Term Rental Local Law and SEQR

• The board first approved a SEQR negative declaration, determining non-significance for Local Law No. 2-2026, which amends Chapter 250 (Zoning) to permit and regulate short-term rentals of certain dwellings. The agenda had labeled this as Local Law No. 1-2026, but the board renumbered it to No. 2-2026 after the tax law was adopted first.
• Board members praised the Planning Board and Lisa for the comprehensive drafting process, describing the resulting law as a model for other jurisdictions. After adoption, a board member asked Lisa to confirm whether the law must be filed with the Westchester County Planning Department in addition to the state; she said she would find out.

Croton Falls Sewer District Update and Veolia Payment

• Supervisor Warren gave an update on the proposed Croton Falls Sewer District. The total project cost was estimated at $16.262 million including contingency; a third-party construction review said $14.9 million, subject to change. Funding discussed included $8 million on hand, $526,000 already spent, $6.8 million in county QIP funding, and $1.25 million expected in pending federal/Senate legislation after an earlier grant was pulled back.
• Han Engineering survey data showed 34 stage-one properties and 75 stage-two properties, for 109 total properties. Response rates were 94% for stage one, 84% for stage two, and 87% overall; 75% were interested in connecting, 8% (nine properties) were not interested, 3% were unsure, and 13% did not respond.
• Annual maintenance costs were estimated at $58,000 overall. Residential costs were projected around $400–$500 per year, while business costs could be higher; one business was noted as using about 10% of the water district's usage.
• Board member Sandya asked whether Han Engineering had completed a parcel-by-parcel needs assessment and whether the district boundary could be adjusted. Supervisor Warren said the needs assessment was not finished and Han had so far provided only interest responses. He added that most lots in the proposed district are sub-sized with no septic expansion areas.
• A board member asked for a timeline. Supervisor Warren said district creation would take several months, comparing it to Peach Lake, followed by bidding and construction of the pump station and sewer line, with testing before hookups.
• A board member expressed caution about spending additional money before pending federal funding was secured, noting the town had already spent tens of thousands of dollars. Supervisor Warren disagreed, saying he needed to pay Veolia $6,000 for the engineering review to get final written numbers and obtain commitments from property owners. The board then authorized the $6,000 payment to Veolia Sewer New York Inc.; one board member voted no, preferring to wait until funding was in place.

Personnel Appointment

• The board appointed Judith Schumacher as a part-time senior account clerk in the Finance Department at an hourly rate of $40, effective February 17, 2026, for up to 16 hours per week, subject to a probationary period of not less than 12 weeks and not more than 52 weeks. The supervisor said her references gave glowing reports and that she is familiar with NISHIP and other payroll requirements. The start date was delayed to allow time for computer, phone, and desk setup.

Consent Calendar

• Approved minutes from the November 18, 2025 regular meeting/worksession; the November 25, 2025 public hearings on the Stephen Road stop sign, Croton Falls Water District improvements, and tax cap override; and the November 25, 2025 regular meeting/worksession, as corrected.
• Acknowledged the resignation of Planning Board member Nicholas Sands Hotis, effective January 15, 2026, with term ending December 31, 2026; board members thanked him for his volunteer service.
• Appointed Karen Roach as a volunteer in the Tax Receiver's office through December 31, 2026, which also provides insurance coverage; she has been helping new Tax Receiver Carol DeLose.
• Granted a three-month extension, to April 24, 2026, of the APRL waiver originally granted October 4, 2023 to Dawn Bossey (listed as Bossi on the agenda) for 2 Brookside Lane, violation number 2307, so the application can proceed before the Planning Board.
• Approved a filming license for Above Average Productions, LLC for various dates through March 30, 2026, per the application dated January 23, 2026; the production is a video podcast on private property and the police chief has been involved.
• Authorized the Supervisor to sign a three-year alarm monitoring agreement with All-Time Security Corp. for the highway garage at a monthly fee of $35, payable annually.

Titus Dam Engineering Contract Deferred

• The board did not act on Resolution 11 authorizing engineering services with Kleinschmidt Associates PA, PC for review of the Titus Dam. The contract was discussed in executive session and is approximately $156,000. An advisor named Roland advised the board to hold off until the next meeting, and board members received email replies from Pat on contractual questions. The item was deferred to the next meeting.

Key Outcomes

• Adopted Local Law No. 1-2026 extending the volunteer firefighter and ambulance worker tax exemption, and Local Law No. 2-2026 permitting and regulating short-term rentals, after an approved SEQR negative declaration.
• Approved the appointment of Judith Schumacher to the Finance Department and Karen Roach as a volunteer in the Tax Receiver's office.
• Authorized the $6,000 Veolia Sewer New York Inc. payment for the Croton Falls Sewer District engineering review, with one dissenting vote.
• Deferred the Kleinschmidt Associates Titus Dam engineering contract to the next meeting.
• Approved minutes, the Planning Board resignation acknowledgment, the APRL waiver extension, the filming license, and the alarm monitoring agreement.
• Convened an executive session for candidate interviews and legal advice on contracts.