Peekskill Common Council Work Session – January 20, 2026
Peekskill Common Council Work Session – January 20, 2026
The Common Council of Peekskill, New York, held a work session on Tuesday, January 20, 2026, at 6:30 p.m. in the Common Council Chamber. The meeting covered the city's 250th anniversary (semiquincentennial) plans, finance items, recreation memorandums of understanding, a special permit public hearing, a police contract renewal, and a proposed immigration enforcement policy. The council also moved into executive session at the end of the meeting.
Consent Calendar
- No formal consent calendar was presented; routine approvals were discussed as individual agenda items.
Public Comments & Testimony
- No public comments were made during the open portion of the meeting. Several council members noted that the public would have opportunities to comment at future meetings, including on the proposed immigration enforcement policy.
Discussion Items
Peekskill 250 Semiquincentennial Presentation
- Jonathan Zamora, Site Manager and Director of the Community Hub, presented a year-long series of proposed events and activities to commemorate the 250th anniversary of the United States and highlight Peekskill's historical contributions.
- Proposed events included: a time capsule and poster boards in January; a warmth/clothing drive of 250 items in February; a Fort Hill walk/talk on March 23rd; an oral history booth and 250-pound compost challenge in April; Memorial Day flags and a heroes poster series in May; Red, White, and You picnic pop-ups and a citywide tag sale (America's Attic) in June; a July 3rd program with Declaration of Independence reading, 13-minute silent gratitude, and a July 4th celebration with 16,000 attendees last year; made-here micro features and youth civic creators week in August; Constitution Day trivia and Peekskill Participates Week in September; a scavenger hunt and Fort Hill Lantern Walk in October; Veterans Day spotlight reel and citywide food drive in November; and community sing-alongs and a year highlight reel in December.
- Council members expressed strong support, praising the community-focused approach, the incorporation of local history, and the breadth of activities. They suggested involving boards/commissions, the Paramount Theatre, museums, and community partners. Council members noted the national climate may make celebrations challenging, so emphasizing community pride was welcomed.
Finance – Consolidated Fee Schedule Update
- Comptroller Tony Tracy presented corrections to the 2026 consolidated fee schedule adopted by resolution on December 8, 2025. The billing system had correct rates, but the printed schedule contained errors.
- Corrected rates: residential water minimum from $38.24 to $39.26; residential sewer from $8.77 to $8.96; industrial water from $95.80 to $99.49; industrial sewer from $21.80 to $22.84.
- A council member asked about an alignment issue on page 3 of 23; Tracy said a cell may have been deleted and would be fixed.
- Tracy said he would send the updated schedule to council for review and bring a resolution next week.
Finance – 2026 Tax Anticipation Note (TAN) Issuance
- Comptroller Tracy explained the need for a $6 million tax anticipation note because the city collects taxes in April (not January), and a $6.3 million state retirement bill is due February 1.
- The city issued a similar TAN last year at an estimated 3.75% interest, paid back in November.
- Council members asked about the interest rate and whether this would recur annually; Tracy confirmed it is typical given the tax collection schedule.
- Resolution to be brought next week.
Recreation – MOU with Cumbe Soccer
- Jonathan Zamora returned to discuss a proposed MOU with Cumbe Soccer to administer the city's soccer programs. Currently, winter soccer serves ages 7–12; spring programs are more robust.
- The organization would provide experienced instructional staff and a holistic coaching/mentoring approach. City recreation staff would remain as assistant instructors, with no staff loss. Costs to participants would not increase; scholarships would continue.
- Revenue would be shared via the Community Pass portal with a percentage and facility fee, similar to the Peekskill Racket Association.
- Cumbe Soccer would carry its own insurance and indemnify the city.
- Programs would be co-ed and use Depew Park and sometimes Franklin Park.
- Council members expressed support and asked clarifying questions.
Recreation – MOU with McNamee Construction Corporation
- Zamora presented a request to rent six parking spaces at Peekskill Stadium for the Louisa Bridge construction project. Work is expected to begin when weather warms and last approximately until Thanksgiving.
- Council members asked about traffic disruptions and street closures; Zamora said DPW would provide more details. The MOU would be reviewed by Corporation Counsel Eric.
Recreation – Bicycle Sundays in Depew Park
- Zamora proposed reinstating Bicycle Sundays in Depew Park from May 3 to November 1, 2026, closing roadways on Sundays from 7 a.m. to 12 noon.
- This year, recreation and police will offer bicycle and scooter safety sessions. Attendance will be tracked.
- Council members supported the program, especially the safety component, and suggested promotion in parks and via schools.
- A council member also asked about ice skating on Lake Mitchell; Zamora confirmed that if the ice freezes to at least four inches thick, marked areas will be provided with signage and social media notification.
Planning – Set Public Hearing for 1050 Lower South Street Special Permit
- Planning Director Carol Samuel requested scheduling a public hearing for February 9, 2026, on a special permit application by Westchester Industrial Complex for open parking/storage of construction vehicles at 1050 Lower South Street.
- The site is almost 13 acres, in an M2B zone, with an existing ~50,000-square-foot building, three parcels, and a proposed lot line adjustment. It has 13 businesses and 100 employees.
- The planning commission made a positive recommendation on January 13, 2026, and declared itself lead agency for SEQRA.
- The applicant would add 50 employee parking spaces (total ~100–102), and outdoor storage is for passive parking only—no outdoor work. Trucks would be funneled to the southern entry, with Louisa Street entrance reserved for emergencies.
- Council members asked about screening, permanence, precedent, truck movement (15–20 trucks at peak, operating 6 a.m.–6 p.m.), and tree removal. Samuel said a retaining wall may require some tree removal, and additional planting could be required. A cap on the number of trucks was requested.
- Council agreed to schedule the public hearing for February 9; final action will wait until the planning commission completes SEQRA.
Police – SPCA of Westchester Contract Renewal
- Chief Renwick presented a memo to renew the annual contract with the SPCA of Westchester for accepting stray cats and dogs. The contract expired at the end of 2025.
- Last year, 127 total animals were brought in (30 by police/municipal agents; the rest by citizens). Numbers were elevated by an animal hoarding case and a dog abuse case.
- The cost remains $10,000 per year. Council members praised the program and asked for a yearly review of animal statistics.
- Resolution to be brought forward.
Legal/City Manager – Immigration Enforcement Policy
- City Manager Alexander presented a draft policy on immigration enforcement and non-discrimination, based on models from Irvington, Ossining, and Pound Ridge. The administration favored the Ossining version.
- The policy would codify that the city does not enforce federal immigration law, limits cooperation with ICE, and applies across city departments.
- Council members discussed adding accountability measures: prompt written notice to the council of any internal policy changes, a community complaint process, inclusion of U.S. Code section titles (e.g., 8 U.S.C. § 1373 and § 1326) and links, community education, and Spanish-language accessibility.
- Council agreed to have staff revise the policy, bring it back for review, then schedule a public hearing for February 23, 2026.
Council Liaison Reports and Concerns
- Councilwoman Chang reported on a Westchester County Board of Health meeting: highest flu outbreak in New York State during Christmas–New Year's, now declining; three pediatric flu deaths in New York State; and New York State following its own childhood vaccine schedule.
- Councilwoman McTalli mentioned a Parks Board meeting next week and noted she currently serves on two boards.
- Councilman DeCrucio announced a Martin Luther King Jr. celebration by the Youth Bureau on Wednesday, January 28 at 6 p.m.
- Deputy Mayor Tassin gave a Business Improvement District (BID) liaison report: new social media company Enormous Creative reviewed key metrics; contracts approved for 2026 farmers market and flea market managers; consideration of a smaller farmers market in April/May; flea market on James Street was incident-free and brought in approximately $17,000 revenue after expenses; BID renewal process underway with a committee meeting City Manager Alexander; artist David Abervailla shared success of drawing classes at the Lofts on Main; PAA holiday boutique success and open studios planning; next BID meeting February 3 at 6 p.m.
- Mayor announced the city's warming center at the Neighborhood Center main level community room, running Wednesday, January 21 through Friday, January 23, 2026, from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m., with possible extensions due to cold weather.
- Mayor noted RSV is on the rise, attended Governor Hochul's State of the State (initiatives: universal child care, housing, and CEQR reform), and attended a Papaa/NAACP Dr. Martin Luther King event at Mount Olivet Baptist Church.
Key Outcomes
- The council directed staff to return with a resolution next week to correct the consolidated fee schedule.
- A resolution for the $6 million TAN issuance will be brought next week.
- MOUs with Cumbe Soccer and McNamee Construction Corporation will be prepared for formal approval.
- Bicycle Sundays in Depew Park will be scheduled for May 3–November 1, 2026, Sundays 7 a.m.–12 p.m., with safety sessions.
- A public hearing for 1050 Lower South Street special permit was scheduled for February 9, 2026.
- SPCA of Westchester contract renewal will be presented as a resolution next week.
- The immigration enforcement policy will be revised, brought back to council for review, and a public hearing scheduled for February 23, 2026.
- The meeting adjourned into executive session to discuss matters concerning medical, financial, credit, or employment history of a particular person/corporation, or personnel matters.
Meeting Transcript
Items and then we'll move on to uh executive session for discussion of matters concerning the medical financial credit or employment history of a particular person or corporation or matters leading to the appointment, employment, promotion, demotion, discipline, suspension, dismissal, or removal of a particular person, persons, or corporation. At this time, I'll turn it over to our city manager, Mr. Alexander. Okay. Good evening, Mayor and Council. Good evening. Good evening. Uh tonight we have uh quite a few items on the agenda, but we're going to start off by having Jonathan Zamora talk to us about Peak Skill 250. And that is for the semi-quincentennial, which is 2026, the 250th anniversary of the United States, and our efforts to put together a program for that. Good evening, Council. To be here. Um, so we find ourselves in a unique uh historical moment to educate and uh and celebrate uh the semi-quincentennial uh the founding of our nation to 250th anniversary of the country, and to highlight really uh Peakskill's historical contributions to that role. So we've uh been meeting and uh we have some ideas uh throughout the calendar year that I'll present here. Uh I think you have copies as well, and we can continue that conversation. We do not then we don't have it wasn't included in our package. Oh, I apologize. I do have a PowerPoint. We just put this together as a presentation note for Jonathan to present to you tonight. That's fine. Just wanted to make sure we didn't miss something. Oh no, I can get you copies, of course. Uh so the semi quincentennial highlights the 250th uh celebration of the founding of our country. Peak skill uh with its uh deep roots is to historical ties throughout. Um we've put together a uh after custom conversations uh of some planned activities and events uh to commemorate these to commemorate the the entire year. So uh for January and we have here uh time capsule. While these are all proposed, these are all just kind of working um activities at the moment, and obviously we're reaching out into stakeholders uh to get their feedback and input and uh we'll be meeting later this week as well. Uh so for January a time capsule wall, um placement of poster boards uh and but in city hall and library and other spaces um for residents to answer. What do you hope Peak Skill looks like in 25 years or in 250 years? Going back to a lot of questions, um, you know, looking in historical context, uh where we to know where we're going, we have to understand where we've been. And so I think that's really important. Uh I think everyone does to understand uh that framework. Uh for February, uh a warmth drive or a clothing drive, 250 items donated, uh, coats, blankets, and socks. Um in March, specifically March 23rd, uh, remembering the 17 uh 77 raid, a Fort Hill walk and talk uh with a script of what happened here. Uh obviously the the theme throughout uh this year is uh the 250, so that number is gonna resurface at a number of different times. Uh in April, we can have an oral history booth set up, a phone or camera at a tripod outdoor events and tell us a 60-second Peak Skill story. This is what Peak Skill means for me. And getting some of that feedback, especially in our our our senior uh department uh and recreation. We get to interface uh often with the public and we sort of hear these stories uh from years ago, and we want to really commemorate and celebrate those. Uh service theme, so a community effort, 250 pounds of compost challenge uh in April. We want to try to link together as many uh city departments, groups, boards, and organizations, and loop this in as a complete community effort to celebrate uh the semi-quincentennial, and also highlight some of the things we we have that people either have heard about or want to participate in more. We want to sort of extend invitations to um participate. Uh in May, Memorial Day uh flags for families, uh having resident making flash small flags available. They can put them in their planters in their yard and tag hashtag peak skill 250. We really want to uh generate some buzz and and a common theme that that has been coming up uh from residents is really uh the idea notion of peak skill pride. And when you when you're proud of of where you Peak Skill Pride. Oh, pride. Right. So um, you know, it's kind of like a moniker, uh, but obviously may getting people more involved and and intentional in these things is is very important to kind of drive community building. Uh the heroes of Peakskill poster series. Uh we can feature uh submissions for veterans, first responders, and longtime civic leaders in the city of Peakskill, uh so we can commemorate their contributions and and highlight the importance uh of all of the good work that's been happening.
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