OPENPUBLICA · PUBLIC MEETING RECORD
Record of Proceedings

Peekskill 2026 Inauguration Ceremony and Common Council Meeting - January 1, 2026

Meeting Portal — Thursday, January 1, 2026
BodyPeekskill, New York
SessionMeeting Portal
DateThursday, January 1, 2026
StatusFILED
Video Record
0:00 / 1:25:22

Transcript — Verbatim
0:02

Good morning, everyone.

0:04

Please welcome the 57th Governor of the Great State of New York, Governor Kathy Holton.

0:36

And good morning.

0:38

Happy New Year to all of you, and welcome to the City of Peakskill.

0:42

My name is Matt Alexander, and I'm the city manager.

0:46

Thank you all for joining us this morning for Mayor McKenzie's third term as mayor of the City of Peaksville.

0:59

Terms for Mr.

1:00

Charlie DeGruccio.

1:05

Miss Beverly Chang.

1:10

And Mr.

1:11

Darren Rigger, who is returning to serve another term after a hiatus.

1:19

With us today, we are joined by elected and appointed officials.

1:25

And we have our uh constant devoted servant, Senator Pete Harcom.

1:36

We have been sent a video from Dana Leffenberg's office.

1:42

And we have County Legislator Colin Smith joining us.

1:48

And we never know.

1:50

I do believe County Executive Ken Jenkins will be for part of this program.

1:55

And of course, we have our dear neighbor, Cortland Town Supervisor, Dr.

2:00

Richard Becker.

2:07

We are also joined with Sister City of Mount Vernon's Mayor Sean Patterson Howard.

2:22

And I believe we have a Peakskill judge, Sophia Trott with us as well.

2:32

I would like to ask all city staff to please stand.

2:37

They are joined with us.

2:42

This is our hardworking crew.

2:45

And I'd like uh new police chief Adam Renwick and new superintendent of public works, Cornell Hammonds, to please remain standing.

2:58

They will be honored here today.

3:01

And now I would like to ask the Reverend Valerie Greenaway from the United Methodist Church to lead us in an invocation.

3:19

Good morning, everyone.

3:21

And happy new year.

3:24

I'm gonna apologize to my dad.

3:26

I have the red glasses on, and he said that people wouldn't take me seriously if I couldn't find the other ones.

3:36

Let us go to the Lord in prayer.

3:41

Holy loving God, maker and creator of the heavens and the earth, and whom God you give us all life and breath.

3:54

We thank you, God, for this day and this opportunity.

3:58

As we've come together as a community, as one people, as humanity, as sacred image bearers of your presence here on earth.

4:15

And though God, you are known by many names and honored in many ways, source of wisdom, justice, compassion, and peace.

4:29

And for the shared responsibility of leadership and community.

4:34

We give thanks for the city of Peakskill for its people, its history and its hope-filled future.

4:42

We lift up Mayor Vivian McKenzie today, grateful for her willingness to serve, and for the trust placed in her by this community.

4:54

May she be guided by wisdom, strengthened by integrity, and sustained by deep love for all people she serves.

5:02

We also offer our support and prayers for all of our new council leaders and our and the mayor's council, common council.

5:13

May their leadership be marked with clarity, courage, and fairness, and may their voices reflect both conviction and compassion and their decisions be rooted in common gold.

5:25

Common good.

5:37

City workers, first responders, educators, caregivers, and every resident who contributes to the life of this city.

5:45

May cooperation overcome division, and may understanding replace fear, and may justice and dignity guide every policy and practice.

5:56

Spirit of unity teach us to listen across differences, to honor the richness of our cultures and beliefs, and to care for one another with respect and humility.

6:09

And may this city be a place where every child is protected, every elder is valued, and every neighbor is treated with dignity.

6:20

As this new chapter begins, may wisdom lead our decisions, compassion shape our actions, and hope strengthen our resolve to build a peak skill where all can flourish.

6:32

We offer this prayer and shared hope and mutual respect, trusting that when we work together for the good of all, we honor the sacred worth of every human life.

6:44

Amen.

7:10

And ladies and gentlemen, Drew Claxton, a U.S.

7:15

Air Force veteran, former council member and currently serving on the city's IDA will lead us in the Pledge of Allegiance.

7:23

Thank you.

7:25

Congratulations to all.

7:27

Well, everyone stand, thank you.

7:35

And to the Republic for which it stands, one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.

7:44

Thank you.

7:52

And now I would like to introduce the Westchester women's chorus who will sing the national anthem.

8:31

What's a wrong remote that the twine life's last whose rush rise and right songs through our side on the road for us all me and the rock is red light singing in who are the flag once in all same man.

9:54

And thank you so much to Westchester's women chorus.

Discussion Breakdown — Share of Meeting
Community Engagement█████████████████████████████████33%
Procedural█████████████████████████████29%
Arts And Culture██████████10%
Affordable Housing██████6%
Public Safety██████6%
Public Engagement██████6%
Economic Development███3%
Mental Health Awareness██2%
Education██2%
Summary of Proceedings

Peekskill 2026 Inauguration Ceremony and Common Council Meeting (January 1, 2026)

The City of Peekskill held its 2026 Inauguration Ceremony and first Common Council meeting on January 1, 2026 (2026-01-01), beginning at 11:00 a.m. local time (16:00 UTC) in the Common Council Chamber. Governor Kathy Hochul administered oaths of office to Mayor Vivian McKenzie, Councilmembers Charles DiGruccio, Beverly Chang, and Darren Rigger, and Police Chief Adam Renwick. The program included an invocation, Pledge of Allegiance, national anthem, performances, and benediction, followed by a business meeting in which the council unanimously adopted four routine resolutions.

Inauguration Ceremony

  • City Manager Matt Alexander welcomed attendees and introduced elected and appointed officials, including Senator Pete Harckham, County Legislator Colin Smith, Cortlandt Town Supervisor Dr. Richard Becker, Mount Vernon Mayor Sean Patterson Howard, and Judge Sophia Trott.
  • Reverend Valerie Greenaway of the United Methodist Church offered the invocation; Drew Claxton, a U.S. Air Force veteran and IDA member, led the Pledge of Allegiance; and the Westchester Women's Chorus performed the national anthem.
  • Governor Hochul praised Mayor McKenzie as an extraordinary leader, mentioned the $10 million downtown revitalization initiative, and urged the city to build more housing and advance waterfront transformation, including a hotel, sewer, and housing. She also expressed support for law enforcement, noting $3.9 billion in state assistance.
  • Governor Hochul administered the oath of office to Councilmembers DiGruccio, Chang, and Rigger, then to Police Chief Adam Renwick, and finally to Mayor McKenzie.
  • Mayor McKenzie described accomplishments from her previous term, including staff customer-service training, a promote-from-within policy, employee recognition events from 2022 through 2025, a Cclickfix resident reporting platform, downtown code enforcement and beautification, wayfinding signage, a Paramount Theater HVAC grant, a community hub, a $2 million grant for Cosmo Market, the opening of HQ Racing and a downtown gym, waterfront housing initiatives, community policing, a civilian complaint review board, a quality-of-life committee, quarterly planning reports, a comprehensive master plan RFP, parking garage upgrades, and DRI-funded projects at Monument Park, Pugsley Park, and Fleischmann Pier.
  • Councilmember Charles DiGruccio emphasized partnership and support for city employees and volunteers; Councilwoman Beverly Chang highlighted mental health, quality of life, and collaborative governance; Councilman Darren Rigger committed to making decisions that would make children proud and expressed support for Governor Hochul's reelection.
  • Written and video congratulations came from U.S. Senator Chuck Schumer and Assemblywoman Dana Levenberg. Senator Pete Harckham also spoke. Musical and spoken-word performances were given by Daisy Joplin and student poets Max Marcarian and Hannah Kesser. Reverend James Perry of Mount Olivet Baptist Church delivered the benediction.

Consent Calendar / Committee of the Whole Resolutions

  • The council considered four proposed resolutions from city staff; each was moved, seconded, and passed unanimously.

Discussion Items

  • Order of precedence: The city clerk presented the 2026 order after the mayor: Deputy Mayor Patricia Riley, Councilwoman Kathleen Talbot, Councilman Brian Fassett, Councilman Charles DiGruccio, Councilwoman Beverly Chang, and Councilman Darren Rigger.
  • Official newspaper: The city clerk explained that Section 20 of the Municipal Home Rule Law requires a five-day notice period for public hearings and recommended The Journal News as the official newspaper, with Westchester Hispano as a supplemental newspaper as needed.
  • Official banks: The city controller's office recommended continuing the city's banking list, including Wells Fargo, JPMorgan, Orange Bank and Trust, PCSB Bank, Flagstar Bank, Webster National Bank, TD Bank, M&T Bank, Capital One Bank, Cogent Bank, and New York Liquid Asset Fund/New York CLASS.
  • City engineering services: The city manager reported that CPL (architects, engineers, landscape architects, and surveyors) would continue as the city engineer and planning consultant, effective immediately through December 31, 2026, under City Charter section C-12.

Public Comments & Testimony

  • The mayor opened the floor to citizens desiring to be heard with a three-minute limit. No members of the public came forward.

Key Outcomes

  • Resolution J1, designating the order of precedence, carried unanimously.
  • Resolution J2, designating The Journal News as the official newspaper and Westchester Hispano as supplemental, carried unanimously.
  • Resolution J3, designating the official banks, carried unanimously.
  • Resolution J4, approving CPL as city engineer and planning consultant through December 31, 2026, carried unanimously.
  • Cornell Hammond was recognized as the new Superintendent of the Department of Public Works; the city manager noted Hammond has served Peekskill for over 30 years, with most of that time spent in the water department.
  • The meeting adjourned with thanks to attendees and an invitation to light refreshments.

Meeting Transcript

Good morning, everyone. Please welcome the 57th Governor of the Great State of New York, Governor Kathy Holton. And good morning. Happy New Year to all of you, and welcome to the City of Peakskill. My name is Matt Alexander, and I'm the city manager. Thank you all for joining us this morning for Mayor McKenzie's third term as mayor of the City of Peaksville. Terms for Mr. Charlie DeGruccio. Miss Beverly Chang. And Mr. Darren Rigger, who is returning to serve another term after a hiatus. With us today, we are joined by elected and appointed officials. And we have our uh constant devoted servant, Senator Pete Harcom. We have been sent a video from Dana Leffenberg's office. And we have County Legislator Colin Smith joining us. And we never know. I do believe County Executive Ken Jenkins will be for part of this program. And of course, we have our dear neighbor, Cortland Town Supervisor, Dr. Richard Becker. We are also joined with Sister City of Mount Vernon's Mayor Sean Patterson Howard. And I believe we have a Peakskill judge, Sophia Trott with us as well. I would like to ask all city staff to please stand. They are joined with us. This is our hardworking crew. And I'd like uh new police chief Adam Renwick and new superintendent of public works, Cornell Hammonds, to please remain standing. They will be honored here today. And now I would like to ask the Reverend Valerie Greenaway from the United Methodist Church to lead us in an invocation. Good morning, everyone. And happy new year. I'm gonna apologize to my dad. I have the red glasses on, and he said that people wouldn't take me seriously if I couldn't find the other ones. Let us go to the Lord in prayer. Holy loving God, maker and creator of the heavens and the earth, and whom God you give us all life and breath. We thank you, God, for this day and this opportunity. As we've come together as a community, as one people, as humanity, as sacred image bearers of your presence here on earth. And though God, you are known by many names and honored in many ways, source of wisdom, justice, compassion, and peace. And for the shared responsibility of leadership and community. We give thanks for the city of Peakskill for its people, its history and its hope-filled future. We lift up Mayor Vivian McKenzie today, grateful for her willingness to serve, and for the trust placed in her by this community. May she be guided by wisdom, strengthened by integrity, and sustained by deep love for all people she serves. We also offer our support and prayers for all of our new council leaders and our and the mayor's council, common council. May their leadership be marked with clarity, courage, and fairness, and may their voices reflect both conviction and compassion and their decisions be rooted in common gold. Common good. City workers, first responders, educators, caregivers, and every resident who contributes to the life of this city. May cooperation overcome division, and may understanding replace fear, and may justice and dignity guide every policy and practice. Spirit of unity teach us to listen across differences, to honor the richness of our cultures and beliefs, and to care for one another with respect and humility. And may this city be a place where every child is protected, every elder is valued, and every neighbor is treated with dignity. As this new chapter begins, may wisdom lead our decisions, compassion shape our actions, and hope strengthen our resolve to build a peak skill where all can flourish. We offer this prayer and shared hope and mutual respect, trusting that when we work together for the good of all, we honor the sacred worth of every human life. Amen.

SUMMARIZED BY OPENPUBLICA AI
TRANSCRIPT VIA PUBLIC VIDEO
openpublica.com