Speaker numbers apply only to this recording.
This work session of the Peekskill Common Council covered a wide range of topics including urban forestry, a community hub proposal, the 2027 budget, fire department equipment grants and sales, downtown intersection improvements, parking regulations, holiday promotions, a BRICS grant application for community center funding, and a discussion on updating Chapter 416 regarding bicycles and e-bikes in city parks. No formal votes were taken; most items are expected to return as resolutions at a future meeting.
Uh for October 19th, 2026. We have a presentation this evening from our Oregon Forestry Management Plan and then agenda items as well as an 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 at this time I'll turn it over to our city manager. Good evening, Mayor and Council. Good evening. I did uh mess up the agenda. Um I did include this in item number 11, but it refers to another presentation that I would uh like to make tonight, and that is from Sloyd and the woodworkers and the boat building and the Peak Skills group. And so Ted Haber, um, Mr. Jim Taylor, Kurt Steiger, and Michael Odland are all going to uh be here uh to talk to you about that, maybe only one of them, but um they're all here to answer questions. Uh so if you're okay with that, I'd like to put part of number 11 right after presentation item number one. That's fine. Okay, great. And I apologize for that. So we'll start off with uh Sam is from our planning department is going to uh talk to us about this effort and introduce EOC and environmental. Good evening. Good evening, even okay, great. Um good evening. Um I just wanted to give you a quick update on where we are with the tree planting. Uh, since last time we spoke, um we have we are now underway on our tree planting. Um previously I presented that we would plant 68 trees. We have been able to increase that amount. Um with in staying within budget and actually under budget. Uh we are up to 87 trees, 81 of which are being planted by our DPW. Um the rest are being planted as part of the Brown Plaza renovations. Um we currently have 35 trees planted. Plantings are underway, including today. Um, they're working their way through the project and are aimed to be done in a handful of weeks, certainly before the you know, real cold sets in. Um we have been able to keep the costs down um through the work of our DPW to do the planting and the way we acquired the trees, um working partly with the um New York Power Authority uh tree power program as presented and also with uh a local distributor that was able to give us better pricing on what couldn't be uh discounted through that program. Um so we've gotten down to 120 dollars per tree, which is exceptional. Um, as presented, you we have focused our efforts on the areas of the city um with the highest urban heat island effects, so the areas with more or less with the most pavement uh areas as well as um pedestrian sort of thoroughfares to try to you know make these trees as targeted as possible. Um the work that's been done by the DPW. Um so they've been out there including today, they're out on union um before uh and then the previously the last few days they've been out on in DePew Park as well. Um we have selected all New York native trees um for these plantings and you know hope to continue that into the future. Um and then just looking forward for next year. Um we you know hope to continue this expansion of our urban forest um through new plantings in the parks and on the streets. Um we there's possibility we could, you know, instead of giving DPW such an enormous lift in one season, perhaps split these up a bit, um, and then uh go up for grants um to support much more comprehensive. Um the DEC has further grants that may be available. Um, and then perhaps work with homeowners um on areas where there may not be adequate space on the street, um, perhaps working with homeowners uh to find locations close to sidewalks, close to the streets that um could work for everyone. Um so that's something we can explore um in the future. And I just wanted to, as a point of introduction, note that all of this has really been made possible by the work of Sarah Lilly and Eocene who have put together both the survey of the trees, which located the places for planting, as well as this larger tree management plan.