North Salem Town Board Regular Meeting/Worksession – June 23, 2026

The Town of North Salem Town Board met in person and via Zoom at Town Meeting Hall on June 23, 2026. Per the agenda, the meeting was scheduled to begin with a 6:30 p.m. executive session followed by the 7:00 p.m. regular meeting. The board entered executive session for just over an hour, then reconvened and unanimously approved all six agenda resolutions (plus one resolution offered from the floor) covering community event funding, a longevity bonus, water district engineering work, a highway truck purchase, an escrow release, and a tax assessment consent judgment. The board also heard public testimony from a neighboring resident about pickleball noise at the town tennis courts.

Executive Session

• The board unanimously adopted Resolution 1 to enter executive session for legal advice of counsel, contracts, and personnel matters involving particular persons. The session lasted just over an hour before the board reconvened and resumed the regular agenda.

Resolutions

• Norm Hathaway Moonlight Swing Band – $1,500 payment. The board unanimously authorized payment of $1,500 to the Hammond Museum for the annual Norm Hathaway Moonlight Swing Band event on August 14, 2026, which the town underwrites so the concert remains free to North Salem residents. The amount was increased from the prior $1,000; Council member Martin, who made the motion, said the increase reflects the large orchestra's higher costs.
• Planning Board Secretary longevity bonus. The board unanimously authorized an annual longevity bonus of $3,660.80 to Planning Board Secretary Dawn (surname transcribed in the record as 'Andoffrick'), commencing July 25 after completing 25 consecutive years of full-time service to the town.
• JEM Engineering agreement – Candlewood Park Water District. The board unanimously authorized the supervisor to sign the attached quote with JEM Engineering for $2,250 to replace the precision digital level control at the Valeria Circle Well Building. The motion was amended to add 'Candlewood Park Water District' for clarity. Any additional work needed to troubleshoot the radio modules will be billed at $170 per hour. The supervisor estimated troubleshooting would likely be a couple of hours if needed and said the total should not exceed $3,000. The roughly 70,000-gallon tank is currently being managed manually because the radio-based on/off controls need replacement.
• New York Freightliner / Western Star truck purchase. The board unanimously authorized the supervisor to sign the attached quote with New York Freightliner and Western Star (spelled 'Wernstar' on the agenda) for $147,610.64 for a 2027 Freightliner 108 SD 4x2 cab chassis. The resolution amends the town's prior authorization of $169,090.77 for a truck from which the town had been officially released. Discussion noted that most area towns now use two-wheel-drive trucks with traction aids such as front on-spot chains and continuous salt/sand application in front of the wheels. A new plow and hydraulic system will cost approximately another $160,000, and the supervisor said he will return with final pricing; delivery is hoped for by December. The body of the old truck will be stripped and reused, and the truck with the blown motor will be converted to a salt brine truck and auctioned in January.
• Escrow release – 6 Brookside Lane. The board unanimously authorized release of the building department engineering escrow for 6 Brookside Lane, North Salem, in the amount of $731.94, as approved by Building Inspector James Duhig on June 22, 2026. The check is payable to Robert Fogle of 75 Lake Shore Drive (transcribed as 'Lake Short Drive'), Brewster, New York.
• Consent judgment – Nash Road Holdings LLC v. Town of North Salem. The board unanimously authorized the town attorney to execute a consent judgment in Nash Road Holdings LLC v. Town of North Salem, Index No. 710/4/2025 (as transcribed), for assessment year 2025. Under the judgment, the assessed valuation of Lot 43-1137-40 was reduced by $292,400, Lot 43-1356-26 was reduced by $38,400, and Lot 44-1356-157 was not changed at all.

Public Comments & Testimony

• Tom Walsh, a resident whose home is next door to the town tennis courts, expressed disappointment with the decision to add pickleball lines to the tennis courts, calling it a nuisance that affects his quality of life. He said the sound is piercing, that he cannot open his windows, and that he can hear play inside his home with the TV on. He reported play continuing until 9:00 p.m., people ignoring posted time signage, and weekends being the worst (including a Father's Day gathering with family). He said his property is roughly 150 feet from the courts versus what he believes is the recommended 500-foot separation, that he does not like pickleball there 'period,' and he asked to be included in future discussions about relocating pickleball and about sound barrier options. He stated his concern is with the town and parks department, not with the pickleball club or players.

Discussion Items

• Pickleball noise mitigation. Board members discussed possible responses to Walsh's concerns, including having police drive through the area, installing soundproofing on the back of the fencing (estimated at about $15,000, with effectiveness not yet measured and height constrained by storm concerns), obtaining acoustic data or scientific studies from sound barrier manufacturers, enforcing or adjusting time-of-day restrictions, and considering alternate locations. The recreation committee, which meets the first Monday of each month and is updating the town recreation plan, was identified as the appropriate venue for long-term pickleball siting; the board agreed to connect Walsh with recreation liaison Lauren Rosasko. One board member noted the board's compromise had been more expansive than the recreation committee's initial proposal and that the arrangement is 'not written in stone' and can be adjusted based on how it works in practice.

Key Outcomes

• All seven resolutions passed unanimously on June 23, 2026: (1) executive session; (2) $1,500 payment for the Norm Hathaway Moonlight Swing Band event; (3) $3,660.80 longevity bonus for the Planning Board Secretary; (4) $2,250 JEM Engineering agreement for the Candlewood Park Water District level control replacement; (5) $147,610.64 Freightliner/Western Star truck purchase amending the prior $169,090.77 authorization; (6) $731.94 escrow release for 6 Brookside Lane; and (7) the Nash Road Holdings consent judgment.
• The board agreed to have police drive through the tennis court area, to research sound barrier effectiveness, and to connect Tom Walsh with recreation liaison Lauren Rosasko for the recreation plan update.
• The supervisor will return to the board with final pricing for the new truck's plow and hydraulic system.