OPENPUBLICA · PUBLIC MEETING RECORD
Record of Proceedings

Peekskill Work Session and Common Council Meeting - January 12, 2026

Meeting Portal — Monday, January 12, 2026
BodyPeekskill, New York
SessionMeeting Portal
DateMonday, January 12, 2026
StatusFILED
Video Record
0:00 / 1:49:35

Transcript — Verbatim
0:00

Today, January 12th, 2026, we have a short agenda and then 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 corporations.

0:22

So at this time, I'm going to turn it over to our city manager.

0:26

Good evening, Mayor and Council.

0:28

Good evening.

0:35

And so I'd like to ask Carol Samel if she could talk to us about Esther Street closure extension.

0:42

Yes, thank you.

0:43

Good evening, Mayor and Council.

0:45

Good evening.

0:47

Yes, happy to follow up on Esther Street closure.

0:51

And what we're asking to do is to renew the closure of Esther Street, which has been closed for a number of years.

1:12

And Esther Street and its closure will be a part of that study.

1:16

And that's an important um context because it also will involve looking at all the stakeholders that are involved, and the traffic flow, quite frankly, in the downtown, um, as well as in the rest of the city.

1:32

That's clearly one small part of the safe streets for all, but I think it's important context for the closure of Esther Street.

1:39

That said, so that I think will help us understand what our next steps are with that.

1:44

That said, um I also reached out uh at your request to the two new businesses that are on um Esther Street to find out what they thought of the closure and whether their business needs were being met.

1:57

And um they both um uh are supportive of the closure.

2:02

Uh one loves the closure, uh, really appreciates it, thinks about ways to engage the business uh have his business engage in the the um the closure closed area, the plaza, if you will.

2:16

The other had concerns really more about monitoring.

2:19

Um really, you know, appreciated the closure, appreciated having the additional open space, but wanted to make sure that we were staying up on monitoring.

2:27

And that is just I think something we can take up with the police department in their routine, you know, circulation around the downtown.

2:35

Um the specific issues that she had, she raised um related, she thought we discussed how those might be addressed, and we you know, we really said well, a final design would really help with those things, including you know, loading issues, safety concerns, people hanging out, the lighting, that kind of thing.

2:54

Um so I said, well, a final design, we should be thinking of those things with with that in in mind.

3:01

Um but at the end of the day, we are proposing to keep it closed for the year with the thought that we would um studied in the safe streets for all study and um you know make improvements as we can.

3:15

Any questions, council?

3:17

Carol, uh we we're not doing any snow removal or any uh treatment uh th throughout the winter could it seems.

3:24

Um is that is that still known?

3:28

Because it looks like we're not we're not shoveling in who would be responsible.

3:32

I think that would still be a city uh responsibility.

3:36

I will look into that aside to let you know the plaza the plaza itself.

3:41

So the city has uh you know this this park has only been in place since the pandemic, and so the city has uh gone in there and cleaned up when it's necessary, and we'll take a look at that tomorrow.

3:56

Thank you.

3:58

Okay.

3:59

Any other questions?

4:02

All right, thank you.

4:03

Thank you.

4:04

Thank you.

4:04

Thank you.

4:09

Okay, uh the next item is uh that we have some professional services to be renewed.

4:21

And uh Eric, you want to talk to us about those?

4:25

Good evening, members, council members.

4:26

Uh evening.

4:28

So uh there are as Matt as the city manager stated, there are a number of uh professional services providers that we get retainers from each year or renewal agreements each year.

4:39

Um some such as uh the the consultant for the planning department or on multiple year um contracts, but most of the legal ones are annual um retainers.

4:50

So listed on the memorandum.

4:52

I'll give you a rundown of what the individuals, what service the individuals are providing.

4:57

I've included the retainer agreement through each of those giving the hourly rate.

5:01

Um it's difficult to estimate the cost because we don't know exactly the um amount of work or cases that they're gonna have over a year, the types of cases.

5:10

So um we could go on the past budget, I you know, past what they've been paid in the previous year, but um so I relieve with the firm um he's on his own.

5:23

I believe he provides um advice to the asset tax assessor regarding um tax sortiari proceedings.

5:32

He helps doing doing the negotiations when they go beyond just the standard um tax sociari proceeding when they move to the next level.

5:40

Um and then Bill Maker from Maker Fragale and Discostanzo, Costanzo handles the actual if a proceeding actually goes to trial, Billmaker is the one who actually handles the trial.

5:51

So there's three levels.

5:53

There's the assessor, there's Ira Levy, and then there's Bill Maker who actually handles the trials.

5:58

Um the next individual that provides the services is Hodges Walsh and Burke.

6:03

They actually do a lot of the city's um tort actions, the a lot of the slip and fall cases, accident cases.

6:10

They also handle some of the um excessive force matters, uh police department uh matters involving excessive force.

6:18

Um they they are you know they work on a number of those proceedings.

6:22

Um similar to uh insurance, you know, they are similar to insurance defense and uh the the current insurer, they're on the uh current insurer's list of counsel that can fall within the uh within the insurance um engagement.

6:37

Ingrid O'Sullivan has been the city prosecutor, I think, for many years.

6:41

She handles the city court prosecutions, all the zoning um, she handles all the zoning violations.

Discussion Breakdown — Share of Meeting
Public Safety█████████████████████████████29%
Immigration Policy█████████████████████████25%
Procedural██████████████14%
Senior Services█████5%
Transportation Safety███3%
Pending Litigation███3%
Public Engagement███3%
Engineering And Infrastructure███3%
Water And Wastewater Management███3%
Summary of Proceedings

Peekskill Work Session and Common Council Meeting - January 12, 2026

The Peekskill Common Council held a work session followed by a regular meeting on January 12, 2026 at 6:30 p.m. The work session included updates on the Esther Street closure extension, approval of professional services contracts, reappointment of Keane and Beane as city attorney, and a substantive discussion on adopting a non-cooperation policy with federal immigration enforcement ("Peekskill for All"). The regular meeting passed nine resolutions unanimously and heard extensive public comments on immigration policy, police accountability, and other community concerns.

Public Comments & Testimony

  • Jen Zawacki (Peekskill Walks) supported permanent closure of Esther Street as a pedestrian plaza, citing benefits seen in New York City. She urged the council to make the closure permanent after the temporary extension and noted that business concerns could be addressed through planning.
  • Ann Jackley requested that the city codify a non-cooperation policy with ICE similar to the Westchester County Immigration Protection Act, extending beyond police to all municipal resources. She emphasized the need for a law, not just a policy.
  • Rebecca Morris voiced urgency for clear police stance on ICE cooperation, expressing anxiety about rising fascism and calling for police to protect all residents regardless of status.
  • Robin Alpern linked the call for "Peekskill for All" to justice for Damar Fields, criticizing lack of accountability after police use-of-force incidents.
  • Courtney Williams (remote) supported codifying non-cooperation, tying local police brutality (Damar Fields, serial sexual assault) to the need for trust.
  • Callan Knight (remote) supported "Peekskill for All" and demanded justice for Damar Fields, asking about Officer Regs' suspension status.
  • Angel Floatus criticized policing as inherently brutal and requested decolonized training. She also raised safety concerns about speeding on Ferris Street.
  • John Condon questioned why the mobile response team was not activated for Damar Fields and criticized confusing police commands.
  • Lincoln Alpern emphasized that policy tweaks do not stop police brutality and called for systemic change.
  • Brian Kalashi supported legislative codification of non-cooperation and also advocated for good cause eviction legislation.
  • Gail Bennington praised the council for considering "Peekskill for All" and suggested an alert system for ICE presence, noting the city is often not notified.
  • Tyron Patterson alleged illegal detention, evidence tampering, and assault by Peekskill police, demanding accountability.
  • Steve Collius voiced support for "Peekskill for All" and condemned excessive force against Damar Fields.
  • Additional written comments were entered into the record.

Discussion Items

  • Esther Street Closure Extension: Planning Director Carol Samel reported that the temporary closure would be extended through December 31, 2026. She consulted with two new businesses on Esther Street; one fully supports the closure, the other had concerns about monitoring and loading which could be addressed through a final design. The closure will be studied as part of the "Safe Streets for All" program. Council discussed snow removal responsibility (city will handle).
  • Professional Services Contract Renewal: City Attorney Eric presented retainer agreements for various legal and consulting services, including tax certiorari (Ira Levy, Bill Maker), tort defense (Hodges Walsh & Burke), city prosecutor (Ingrid O'Sullivan), ethics counsel (Leventhal Mulaney & Blinkov), debt advisory (Munistat), and tax foreclosure (Harris Beach & Mertha). Spending caps were added: $50,000 for the first two lines, $425,000 for the next two, $665,000 for Hodges Walsh/Burke/O'Sullivan, and $14,100 combined for Munistat and Harris Beach. Council approved.
  • Reappointment of Keane and Beane as City Attorney: City Manager requested reappointment as per city code. No objections, approved.
  • Peekskill for All – Immigration Non-Cooperation Policy: Extensive discussion. City Manager Matt reported that other municipalities (Irvington, Poundridge, Ossining) passed resolutions, not local laws. Peekskill police have already changed policy. Council members supported a resolution codifying policy for all city departments, not just police. Police Chief Renwick stated officers do not conduct immigration enforcement and will not change. Council asked about public communication in English and Spanish. Deputy Mayor suggested monitoring issues. Decision: staff will draft policy language by January 20 (Committee of the Whole), and council will consider a resolution to adopt the policy on January 26. Chief confirmed training includes de-escalation and proper restraint techniques. He assured a thorough investigation into the Damar Fields incident.
  • Liaison Reports: Deputy Mayor reported on senior advisory council meeting: elevator issues at River Point, taxi concerns, reserved parking enforcement, procession route diversion, lights out at Forest View, CPR classes, cooking classes, etc. Mayor reminded residents to contact building department for heat/hot water issues. Con Edison gas safety brochures available.

Key Outcomes

  • Resolution J1 (Hudson View Peekskill Tax Certiorari Settlement): Unanimously approved.
  • Resolution J2 (Annual Dam Certifications): Unanimously approved.
  • Resolution J3 (Invest in Kids Grant $50,000): Unanimously approved.
  • Resolution J4 (Build a Boat Grant $5,781): Unanimously approved.
  • Resolution J5 (Summer Lift Grant $12,166): Unanimously approved.
  • Resolution J6 (Esther Street Closure Extension to Dec 31, 2026): Unanimously approved.
  • Resolution J7 (Professional Services Agreements for 2026): Unanimously approved with stated spending caps.
  • Resolution J8 (Reappoint Keane and Beane as City Attorney): Unanimously approved.
  • Resolution J9 (Termination of Westchester Power ESA): Unanimously approved.
  • Immigration Policy Next Steps: Council directed city manager to draft a policy to codify non-cooperation with ICE across all departments, to be presented at the January 20 Committee of the Whole meeting, with a formal resolution and adoption vote on January 26.
  • Damar Fields Investigation: Chief Renwick confirmed investigation ongoing, no rush, comprehensive accountability promised.
  • Public Communications: Police to develop outreach materials in English and Spanish regarding non-enforcement of immigration laws.

Meeting Transcript

Today, January 12th, 2026, we have a short agenda and then 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 corporations. So at this time, I'm going to turn it over to our city manager. Good evening, Mayor and Council. Good evening. And so I'd like to ask Carol Samel if she could talk to us about Esther Street closure extension. Yes, thank you. Good evening, Mayor and Council. Good evening. Yes, happy to follow up on Esther Street closure. And what we're asking to do is to renew the closure of Esther Street, which has been closed for a number of years. And Esther Street and its closure will be a part of that study. And that's an important um context because it also will involve looking at all the stakeholders that are involved, and the traffic flow, quite frankly, in the downtown, um, as well as in the rest of the city. That's clearly one small part of the safe streets for all, but I think it's important context for the closure of Esther Street. That said, so that I think will help us understand what our next steps are with that. That said, um I also reached out uh at your request to the two new businesses that are on um Esther Street to find out what they thought of the closure and whether their business needs were being met. And um they both um uh are supportive of the closure. Uh one loves the closure, uh, really appreciates it, thinks about ways to engage the business uh have his business engage in the the um the closure closed area, the plaza, if you will. The other had concerns really more about monitoring. Um really, you know, appreciated the closure, appreciated having the additional open space, but wanted to make sure that we were staying up on monitoring. And that is just I think something we can take up with the police department in their routine, you know, circulation around the downtown. Um the specific issues that she had, she raised um related, she thought we discussed how those might be addressed, and we you know, we really said well, a final design would really help with those things, including you know, loading issues, safety concerns, people hanging out, the lighting, that kind of thing. Um so I said, well, a final design, we should be thinking of those things with with that in in mind. Um but at the end of the day, we are proposing to keep it closed for the year with the thought that we would um studied in the safe streets for all study and um you know make improvements as we can. Any questions, council? Carol, uh we we're not doing any snow removal or any uh treatment uh th throughout the winter could it seems. Um is that is that still known? Because it looks like we're not we're not shoveling in who would be responsible. I think that would still be a city uh responsibility. I will look into that aside to let you know the plaza the plaza itself. So the city has uh you know this this park has only been in place since the pandemic, and so the city has uh gone in there and cleaned up when it's necessary, and we'll take a look at that tomorrow. Thank you. Okay. Any other questions? All right, thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Okay, uh the next item is uh that we have some professional services to be renewed. And uh Eric, you want to talk to us about those? Good evening, members, council members. Uh evening. So uh there are as Matt as the city manager stated, there are a number of uh professional services providers that we get retainers from each year or renewal agreements each year. Um some such as uh the the consultant for the planning department or on multiple year um contracts, but most of the legal ones are annual um retainers. So listed on the memorandum. I'll give you a rundown of what the individuals, what service the individuals are providing. I've included the retainer agreement through each of those giving the hourly rate. Um it's difficult to estimate the cost because we don't know exactly the um amount of work or cases that they're gonna have over a year, the types of cases. So um we could go on the past budget, I you know, past what they've been paid in the previous year, but um so I relieve with the firm um he's on his own. I believe he provides um advice to the asset tax assessor regarding um tax sortiari proceedings. He helps doing doing the negotiations when they go beyond just the standard um tax sociari proceeding when they move to the next level.

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