Pleasantville Village Board of Trustees Work Session Meeting – April 7, 2025

The meeting began with the annual organizational meeting required by state law, during which the board approved routine appointments, resolutions, and policies. The board then moved into a work session to discuss the Fiscal Year Ending (FYE) 2026 tentative village budget, including adjustments for raises, camp scholarships, and capital expenditures.

Consent Calendar

• Resolution 110: Approved appointments for Village Clerk (Alyssa Hoxtein), Deputy Village Clerk (Eric Morrissey), Deputy Village Treasurer (Christine Pinello), Associate Justice (Michael Duffy, Esq.), Prosecutor (George Capitals, Esq.), and Assessor (Lloyd Tech) for one-year terms expiring April 2026.
• Resolution 111: Designated Alyssa Hoxtein as Records Access Officer and Eric Morrissey as Records Appeal Officer.
• Resolution 112: Set regular meetings for 8 p.m. on the second and fourth Mondays, with organizational meeting on the first Monday at 7 p.m.; work sessions at 7 p.m. on second and fourth Mondays from May to February, and every Monday in March and April.
• Resolution 113: Established procedure for calling special meetings (by mayor or at least two trustees).
• Resolution 114: Designated the Journal News as the official newspaper.
• Resolution 115: Approved authorized signatures for financial transactions.
• Resolution 116: Designated Bank of New York, JP Morgan Chase, Webster Bank, and others as depositories.
• Resolution 117: Authorized village administrator to approve in-state conferences; out-of-state conferences require board resolution.
• Resolution 118: Set standard business mileage rate per IRS guidelines.
• Resolution 119: Authorized advance payment of claims for utilities, postage, etc., with liability for disallowed amounts.
• Resolution 120: Authorized investment policy implementation.
• Resolution 121: Adopted purchasing policy.
• Resolution 122: Adopted fiscal policy.
• Resolution 123: Adopted credit card policy.
• Resolution 124: Approved petty cash limits: Justice Court $200, Finance $150, Village Clerk $100, Clinton Street Center $50.
• Resolution 125: Approved employee policies (harassment, cyber breach notification, cybersecurity, drug-free workplace, employee handbook, equal opportunity, health emergency, sexual harassment, vehicle use, code of ethics, workplace violence).
• Resolution 126: Approved mayor's appointments to boards and commissions (names listed), with addition of Edwin Kuo to Climate Smart Task Force.
• Resolution 127: Authorized no parking on streets for leaf pickup April 11-12, 2025, with towing authorized.
• Resolution 128: Authorized village administrator to execute documents for real estate services related to sale of village-owned property at Section 106.5, Block 1, Lot 45.

Discussion Items

• FYE2026 Budget Adjustments: The board discussed several adjustments to the tentative budget:
  • Added $1,500 raises for each board member (general fund).
  • Added $5,000 to the administrator's salary, split 60/30/10 among funds.
  • Camp scholarships: The CM account had approximately $7,500 left over from fundraising; the board debated funding level relative to prior years. In FY2025, $33,435 was spent ($21,171 village contribution, $12,263 donations). Trustees considered partial scholarships and involving the Rotary Club. It was proposed to allocate $20,000 total ($7,500 from CM account + $13,000 new budget) and discuss management further with Mike Newman.
  • Capital transfers: $120,000 for portable bollards, $50,000 for Soldiers and Sailors (to be potentially deferred to pool project), $40,000 for police department bulletproof glass windows.
• Portable Bollards: A detailed discussion on purchasing bollards for events (cost ~$120,000). Mayor and several trustees supported purchase as a safety measure against vehicle attacks, comparing to concrete blocks and rental costs. One trustee dissented, citing cost and aesthetics. Ultimately, the board decided to proceed with purchase.
• Other Budget Items: No parking resolution for leaf pickup and authorization for real estate services were approved early in the meeting.

Key Outcomes

• Approved all resolutions and appointments as listed in the consent calendar.
• Tentatively agreed to keep $20,000 in the budget for camp scholarships ($7,500 from CM account + $13,000 new allocation) pending further discussion with the Rotary Club and Mike Newman.
• Included $120,000 in the capital budget for portable bollards, with one trustee dissenting.
• Included $40,000 for police bulletproof glass windows.
• Transfers to capital for the pool project will include the $50,000 previously planned for Soldiers and Sailors if deferred.
• The tax rate increase is approximately 2.3%, with about $44,000 under the levy limit, allowing breathing room for next year.
• The board will post the budget for a public hearing on Monday, April 14, 2025.
• The board moved into executive session to discuss personnel and contractual matters at approximately 8:00 p.m.