The Peekskill Common Council held a work session and regular meeting on Monday, December 8, 2025, starting at 6:30 p.m. in the Common Council Chamber. The meeting began with a moment of silence and the Pledge of Allegiance, followed by roll call (all members present: Mayor McKenzie, Deputy Mayor Riley, Councilmembers Facet, Scott, Douglas, Fernandez, Talbot). The council dispensed with reading the previous minutes and entered them into the record. Agenda item 12 (Resolution re: 710 Washington Street Special Permit) was removed from the evening's agenda.
Good Cause Eviction Presentation – Jason Hilliard, Director of Government Affairs, Building & Realty Institute (BRI) Mr. Hilliard presented on the state’s 2024 Good Cause Eviction law, which municipalities must opt into via local law. He explained the law does not address the primary cause of evictions (failure to pay rent, 8–9 out of 10 cases). The rent increase cap is the lower of (5% plus CPI) or 10%; using current CPI (~3.1%) yields an 8.1% cap, which could lead to 25% increases over three years. He warned of unintended consequences: shift of disputes to already‑overburdened housing court, “leases for life” discouraging landlords from renting to applicants with checkered histories, and potential for tenant nuisance to drive out other tenants. He noted two adjustable parameters: small property owner threshold (state default 10 units; some municipalities set as low as 1 or 4) and higher rent exemption (state minimum 245% of fair market rent; cannot go lower, can increase higher). BRI supports rental assistance programs like Housing Assets Voucher Program. The council requested the PowerPoint be shared. Questions were minimal.
Department Head and City Manager Reports – Lt. Adam Renwick’s Statement on Riverfront Park Incident Lt. Renwick addressed the incident that occurred the previous week at Riverfront Green Park involving DeMar Fields. He stated he formally referred the incident to the Westchester County District Attorney’s Office for an independent investigation after reviewing body camera footage. The department is fully cooperating and providing all evidence. He cautioned against drawing conclusions from limited information (e.g., a single video). He noted the PBA’s press release expressed support for an independent investigation, but he disagreed with any suggestion that conclusions could be reached before the investigation is complete. The department will respect and uphold the process. The mayor later confirmed the officer involved is on paid administrative leave during the investigation, which is mandated by law.
meeting for today December 8th 2025. We do not have um anything on the agenda. I'm going to ask that we dispense with liaison reports and concerns and issues to go into executive session for discussion of matters concerning the medical financial credit or employment history of a particular person, persons or corporation or matters leading to the appointment, employment, promotion, demotion, discipline, suspension, dismissal or removal of a particular person, persons or corporation. So moved. Second. All in favor? Five. Okay, folks, we will be back. Our council meeting for December 8th, 2025 at this time I ask you to stand for the Pledge of Allegiance. I'd like to ask America and to the Republic for which it stands. What nation indivisible with liberty and justice for all this time I ask that we take a moment of silence in honor of those who have gone before us to give us the liberties that we experience today. Thank you. At this time I'm going to call the meeting to order. Um ask that our madam clerk do a roll call please yes good evening mayor and council good evening evening councilman facet present. Councilman Scott present councilman Douglas present also be noted uh councilman whether or not you were uh not feeling well I've been sick for a couple of weeks and thanks for bearing with me and I'm happy we can zoom thank you councilman Fernandez Councilman um excuse me councilwoman Talbot thank you present deputy mayor riley present and mayor McKenzie present at this time I ask that we dispense of the reading of the minutes from previous meeting and um enter them into the record so moved all in favor aye second second councilman douglas present yes we have to hear you when you vote our council members whether or not you were an arnie has to open the mic I've been sick for a couple of weeks and Arnie can you close your mic we can zoom thank you okay going on for public comment on agenda items you may come forward now state your name address and you have three minutes on agenda items anyone online for agenda items yes okay state your name your address uh yeah my name is John Hodgins I'm live at 1014 North Division Street um I'm coming forth here in regard to two items on the agenda item number 10 and item number eleven um item 10 your authorizing the appointment of a new police chief now I can understand appointing um an acting chief but I don't think a permanent police chief should be appointed until there's a real investigation here as to what happened down at the riverfront with the police brutality incident I mean I'm sorry that there should be no appointment of a police chief until there's a thorough investigation um and the other item I'm uh looking at here is authorizing the appointment of fire chief um james seymour as acting city manager with my understanding um usually the uh city controller takes over what's going on here so uh that is a uh is a position that is uh by appointment and uh so it's not it has not been the um action of the city for a a while to appoint the city controller as the um acting city manager uh for three years now and uh that is a matter of discussion between myself and the council okay um it sounds like this is going to be for some length of time may I ask um are you taking a leave of absence sir or you know is there so this is some sort of sickness here so this is in case Okay. Um it sounds like this is going to be for some length of time, may I ask? Um are you taking a leave of absence, sir? Or you know, is there some sort of sickness here? So this is in case I get called away. Uh so this just uh so in this position, which was formerly held by uh police chief uh Deleuski uh with um fire chief Seymour as a backup is was in place for a couple of years before this. So this is so this is just um a backup in case you're not there. That's correct. Okay. As I say it's in the in the present. Okay. All right. Um that's basically uh the agenda items I wanted to speak on. Thank you. Just so the public knows, agenda item number 12 has been removed for this evening. Is there anyone else wishing to be heard on agenda items? Okay, hearing none, we'll move on. Sorry, Mayor, just like to speak. Who was that? Mr. Paglia would like to speak. Go ahead. State your name and address. Um Arnie, we can't hear you. Yeah, I can you hear me now? Yes. Can you hear me now? Yes, can you hear us? Yes, thank you. Um I see that we're looking at agenda items. We're reappointing the civilian complaint review. Is there any new talent or is was that advertised for people who wanted to maybe some new people to come along? Do you want? So uh we just spent a good amount of time with the CCRB members, all going through um training, uh going through a uh version of the police academy and sitting with members of the police department uh and um getting acquainted with the procedures for investigations. So uh they have finished that, and they were appointed this last time.