Peekskill Common Council Meeting and Work Session - August 31, 2026
Peekskill Common Council Meeting and Work Session - August 31, 2026
The Common Council held a work session followed by a regular council meeting on August 31, 2026, starting at 9:00 a.m. The agenda included awarding the 2026 street resurfacing bid, authorizing a letter of support for the Broad Howard development, and a presentation on a youth woodworking and boatbuilding community space proposal. The council also received liaison reports and conducted an executive session.
Consent Calendar
- Minutes Approval: The minutes from the August 17, 2026 meeting were dispensed with and entered into the record unanimously.
Public Comments & Testimony
- No members of the public spoke in person during the public comment portions of the meeting. One email from D.T. Henry regarding Resolution J1 (street resurfacing) was received and entered into the record.
Discussion Items
- 2026 Street Resurfacing Bid: DPW Superintendent Cornell Hammonds reported that on August 24, 2026, three bids were received for the 2026 resurfacing of streets contract. The lowest bid was from Laura Lee Industries, LLC at $842,492.25. A list of streets to be resurfaced was read aloud (e.g., South Division, Decatur Street, Orchard Domain, Lita Drive, etc.). Work is expected to begin within two to three weeks after contract finalization.
- Letter of Support for Broad Howard Development: City Manager explained that the city is negotiating a PILOT agreement with the developer and the IDA for the proposed 57-unit Broad and Howard development. The agreement is structured to ensure the city does not lose tax revenue. A non-binding letter of support is requested to help the developer secure tax credits. The council discussed that this is a formality and similar to last year's support.
- Youth Woodworking and Boatbuilding Community Space: City Manager presented a proposal from Sloyd, a nonprofit that has expanded from Jim Taylor's boatbuilding program. Sloyd proposes to use space at the youth bureau (828 Main) with a glass storefront, and eventually build a boatbuilding facility at the riverfront (subject to flood zone challenges). The council was informed that no action is required at this time; the presentation was for awareness and future discussion.
- Liaison Reports:
- Councilman DeGucio reported on the successful backpack giveaway event at the youth bureau, thanking partners.
- Councilman Fachman had no fire department report; the next bid meeting is scheduled for September 1, 2026 at 6:00 p.m.
- Councilman Rieger raised concern about gas-powered leaf blowers being used on a Sunday morning and suggested a moratorium in June, July, and August.
- Councilwoman Chang reported on the HRC meeting on August 25, 2026; membership is growing and the commission is developing priorities and engaging in the community hub resident input form.
- Councilwoman Talbot reported on Paramount Theatre marquee work and parking issues on South Division Street.
- Deputy Mayor reported on the library board meeting: the tax levy proposal was submitted on time, a pilot school library registration program with the school district was discussed, and the board approved an emergency response plan and social media policy updates. Also reported on the senior pool party (held at the neighborhood center due to rain) and the senior advisory meeting scheduled for September 15, 2026.
Key Outcomes
- Resolution J1 (Award 2026 Street Resurfacing Bid): The council voted unanimously to award bid number 2026-003 for resurfacing and repair of city streets to the lowest responsible bidder, Laura Lee Industries, LLC, at $842,492.25, and authorized the city manager to enter into an agreement.
- Resolution J2 (Authorize Letters of Support for Broad Howard Development): The council voted unanimously to authorize the city manager and city assessor to issue letters of support for the Broad Howard development (57 residential units) to assist the developer in securing financing, contingent on the PILOT agreement being fiscally feasible for the city.
- Executive Session: The meeting was adjourned to executive session to discuss matters concerning the medical, financial, credit, or employment history of a particular person, persons, or corporation, or matters leading to appointment, employment, promotion, demotion, discipline, etc.
Meeting Transcript
Oh wow, thank you so very much. All right, good morning, everyone. Welcome to our committee of the whole meeting for today, August 31st, 2026. We have a light agenda, and then uh we will have 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'll turn it over to our city manager. Okay. Good morning, Mayor and Council. Good morning. Uh we really wanted to we apologize for having this meeting at all, but we needed to uh make sure that we awarded the resurfacing of streets uh for 2026, and uh we're pleased with the results, and so uh our DPW superintendent will talk to you about those, but we do also have two other items that were timely. Uh one is just a letter of support that's non-binding, and the second and the third item is a proposal that we wish to keep bringing back to the council. So that's just as an introductory item. Uh so at this time I'd like to ask our DPW superintendent Cornell Hammonds if he would approach the council and talk to them about the resurfacing of streets. Good morning, Mayor. Um on August 24th, 2026, proposal was received and opened for the 2026 resurfacing of street contract. We receive a total of three bids, and the lowest bid would law life industry 842,492 dollars and 25 cents. Um I'm recommending that we go out with uh LOLA. Can you what was the the lowest bid? Did you say one or eight? I'm sorry, eight forty-two. Eight four you said eight forty two or one forty eight forty two. Okay. Okay, thank you. We work we worked with Loreline. That was my pass, correct? Yes. Yep. Okay. Council, any questions? No. No, I don't. Um, the list of the streets are in the resolution. Yes. That's although okay. Yeah. And we could add a delete according to what we see fit pretty much. Okay. So just so the public knows, can we just read those streets off? We'll do it in the resolution, but would you read the streets or do you have it with you? I can do it if you don't have it. We do, yeah. Street. Yeah, the streets. Uh yeah, we have would you just read them because the public is very curious. You want me to read them all? Please. Okay, the streets that we have. Not either all subject to change, though. Okay, no worries. We got South Division, Board 202, Decatur Street, Orchard Domain. We got Lita Drive, Request Street, Smith to South, Horton Drive, Lincoln Terrace, Grant Defense, Constant Avenue, Nelson to the Dead End, the Boulevard, Prospect of Riverview, the Pugh Street, Franklin Hudson, Short Street, Lower Washington Street, a thousand lower Washington Street to the City Line, Phoenix Avenue, Highland to Division, Hamilton Avenue, Courtland Street, North Division, to James Street, Central Avenue, Nelson to Washington Ramp, Beldon, Haddon to St.
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