Discussion Breakdown — Share of Meeting
Transportation Safety███████████████████████████████31%
Arts And Culture████████████12%
Community Events██████████10%
Parks and Recreation██████████10%
Parking Regulations█████████9%
Procedural███████7%
Public Engagement██████6%
Budget Equity Analysis█████5%
Youth Programs████4%
Summary of Proceedings
Pleasantville Village Board of Trustees Regular Meeting - July 1, 2025
The Pleasantville Village Board of Trustees held a regular meeting on July 1, 2025, beginning with a work session at 7:00 PM and the regular session at 8:00 PM, followed by an executive session. Key items included a presentation honoring student travelers through the Pleasantville International Association, a presentation on a public mural selected for Jackson Alley, a public hearing on a proposed stop-sign ordinance for Ashland Avenue and Nanahagen Road, and approval of eight resolutions covering financial transfers, claims payments, petty cash, a snow/ice control extension, a personnel promotion, and an amended declaration of restrictive covenants for a housing development. Additionally, the board received updates on the newly opened Pleasantville pool, the upcoming Music Festival, and a red-light camera bill advancing at the state level. The next regular meeting is scheduled for July 14, 2025.
Consent Calendar
- Res. 2025-225: Approved minutes of the June 9, 2025 regular meeting.
- Res. 2025-226: Approved budget amendments for FYE 2025 totaling $26,977, transferring funds among accounts (e.g., $19,064 from Health Insurance to Police Overtime; $3,766 from Camp Part-Time to Camp Credit Card Fees).
- Res. 2025-227: Approved payment of claims for FYE 2025 totaling $84,304.32 (General Fund $66,952.48; Water Fund $9,876.91; Capital Fund $4,991.21; Refuse Fund $2,483.72).
- Res. 2025-228: Approved payment of claims for FYE 2026 totaling $525,370.46 (General Fund $454,961.90; Special Purpose Fund $424.00; Water Fund $40,672.99; Capital Fund $3,647.60; Refuse Fund $25,663.97).
- Res. 2025-229: Established a petty cash fund of $7,500 for making change at the Pleasantville Music Festival front gate box office on July 12, 2025.
- Res. 2025-230: Authorized amending and extending the NYSDOT Municipal Snow and Ice Control Agreement (Contract #D014836) for a five-year period from 2024 to 2029.
- Res. 2025-231 (renumbered): Promoted Vanessa Bongarzone to Recreation Leader, effective June 24, 2025, at a salary of $61,819, subject to a probationary period of 12 to 52 weeks.
- Res. 2025-232: Authorized the Mayor or Village Administrator to execute an amended Declaration of Restrictive Covenants for 52 Depew Street/1 Vanderbilt Avenue, adjusting permissible rent and occupancy limits for 7 of the 71 units (deed-restricted as AFFH housing) under the Lighthouse Pleasantville LLC project.
Public Comments & Testimony
Public Hearing on Introductory Local Law 3 of 2025 (Stop Signs on Ashland Avenue and Nanahagen Road)
- Terry Khan (co-chair of pedestrian committee) spoke in support, highlighting safety concerns for motorists, pedestrians, and students, and noting the intersection serves the school and the new pool.
- Neil Chimachowski (2 Ridgewood Drive) expressed support for the stop signs as a first step, and urged the board to revisit adding sidewalks on Nanahagen Road, citing pedestrian demand and data from apps like Strava. He acknowledged the cost and disruption but asked what the community could do.
- Peter Rogovan (70 Ashland Avenue) supported the stop signs, and requested moving the 15 mph school speed limit sign further south on Ashland, and designating certain areas as no-parking to improve visibility (e.g., on Nanahagen and the last 30-50 feet of Ashland near the country club driveway).
- Chris Tumelty (Fort Orback Lane) supported the stop signs, asked for clarity on speed limit signage, and advocated for sidewalks on Nanahagen despite costs.
- Kathleen Williamson (11 Sunnyside) noted she never saw the speed limit sign and supported better placement.
- Joan Horton (50 Nanahagan Road) supported the stop signs but strongly opposed revisiting no-parking restrictions on Nanahagen, stating that previous public hearings had resolved the issue and that parked cars actually aid pedestrians by acting as chicanes to slow traffic. She also argued that the country club’s use as a school drop-off point violates a planned unit development agreement.
- Chris Tumelty (Fort Orback Lane) shared a story of his kindergartner requesting speed bumps two years ago, illustrating persistent safety concerns.
- Diana (via Zoom) reiterated support for the stop signs.
- One email from Mark Orwell opposed the change, focusing on vehicular conditions and not addressing pedestrian safety.
Discussion Items
- Pleasantville International Travelers Ceremony: The board presented certificates and village bags to student travelers. Students shared their destinations and projects: Sarah Agabob (Palma de Mallorca, Spain – marine biology), Caroline Carthy (Rome, Italy – homestay, Italian classes), Avery (Spain – ecosystems and sustainability in Spanish), and one student already departed to Ghana. The Mayor commended the program and its impact on cultural understanding.
- Public Art Mural Selection: Stuart Vance and Greg Nemick presented the winning mural design for Jackson Alley (on the back wall of Jacob Burns Film Center). The project originated with a community photo shoot using a green screen; the design features large colorful figures representing diverse village residents. 23 submissions were received from artists nationwide. After a public comment period, the Vance/Nemick proposal won by a 3-to-1 margin. Assemblywoman Mary Jane Shimsky secured a grant through the Westchester Arts Council. A community paint day is planned for late July/early August, with high school students and a recent college graduate assisting. The board praised the collaborative process.
- Stop Sign Ordinance Discussion: The board explained the rationale for adding stop signs at the Ashland/Nanahagen intersection (near the country club and school), based on the pedestrian committee’s recommendation and village engineer Anthony Carr’s opinion. The public hearing was opened and, due to noticing requirements, will remain open until the July 14 meeting, when the board expects to close it and pass a resolution. All board members expressed unanimous support, noting only one negative email received. Supplementary discussion included speed limit sign placement, no-parking zones, and the feasibility of sidewalks on Nanahagen (estimated to cost millions and disrupt properties).
- Red-Light Camera Legislation: Assemblywoman Mary Jane Shimsky reported that the state Assembly and Senate passed authorization legislation allowing Westchester County to install a red-light camera on the Saw Mill River Parkway in Pleasantville. The bill awaits the governor’s signature. The county has agreed to allocate one of its approved camera authorizations to the village. The board commended the effort as a significant step toward improving safety.
- Pool Opening: The board celebrated the successful opening of the new Pleasantville pool over the weekend (June 28-29). Despite budget overruns, the pool was completed in 10 months, with a ribbon-cutting and first slide ride by community member Jim Kennedy. Large crowds enjoyed the free opening weekend. A shade canopy is on backorder and expected soon. The board acknowledged the contributions of Eric Morrissey, Mike Newman, Anthony Carr, and the design by Steve Roncunis.
- Music Festival and Civic Space Concerts: The Pleasantville Music Festival will be held Saturday, July 12, 2025 (tickets via pleasantvillemusicfestival.com). The board announced three free outdoor concerts at the Civic Space, starting Saturday, June 28 (band: G Force, with Cousins Main Lobster food truck). The Civic Space is partially built and will eventually be expanded.
Key Outcomes
- Public Hearing Continued: The public hearing on Local Law 3 (stop signs) was opened and will be continued to the July 14, 2025 meeting, at which the board expects to close the hearing and adopt a resolution to install the stop signs.
- Resolutions Approved: All eight resolutions (Minutes, Budget Amendments, Payment of Claims x2, Petty Cash, Snow/Ice Extension, Promotion, Amended DRC) were approved unanimously.
- Red-Light Camera: The state authorization legislation is pending gubernatorial action; the board will monitor progress.
- Next Steps: The board will consider additional traffic calming measures (e.g., speed limit sign relocation, no-parking evaluations) and continue planning for the mural community paint day. The pool shade canopy installation is pending.
- Next Meeting: Monday, July 14, 2025, followed by an executive session.
Meeting Transcript
All right. Good evening, all welcome. We're now beginning the regular session, having uh finished our work session for the Pleasantville uh Board of Trustees. Today is Monday, June 23. We began with work session at seven, our regular session now at eight, and then following our regular session, we have an executive session tonight. Our next regular meeting is on Monday, July 14. Uh following our regular schedule of meeting on the second and fourth Monday of each month. So we have a few things to do tonight. Uh, but the first item on our agenda is uh to welcome a group of young people from Pleasantville who are uh launching around the globe uh this summer through the Pleasantville International Association. So let me head to the podium. We have a little something to hand to each of you. Eric's got the you guys can have so once a year. Uh we wear enough the Pleasantville Department of State, uh, which we don't normally have, but if we have ambassadors, we must have a State Department, and so here we are. Um I I uh I speak uh with some credibility as the Secretary of State because my own daughter, now 35, went to Costa Rica through PIA, and uh we did the whole bit raison by the new Christmas trees and house tours and all of that to help support this. Just an incredible thing that has uh existed in Pleasantville for now. How many years do you know how many? Anyone know it's like 40, 50 years, something like that. Um where uh kids have gone off to uh visits to other countries many times with a home stay, many times with a work uh or or service project component, and they come back and talk about what happened, and that becomes a role model for the folks who follow you. Uh that certainly was the case for my daughter, who I think would say if she were here today that she never would have done that had it not been for the fact that you know, as a freshman and as a sophomore, she saw other upperclassmen doing this, and it sort of made it possible to consider doing this. Um, which you know is it's not an overstatement to say it's it's not only an act of curiosity, it's an act of some courage to uh jump off the diving board uh into a plane and and fly off uh to some uh far-fetched place and and live there often with a family. So um we have uh certificate for each of you and a little uh pleasantville bag, and it's it's our uh our hope that at some point in your travels, you'll have something that says Pleasantville, and you'll take a picture, a selfie with that thing in some iconic place in the country uh you go to. Um but you know, heaven knows nothing could be more important in the world we live now to have uh better understandings of other cultures, better connections between uh our people and and uh people who live elsewhere, uh a clearer opportunity for folks who live in the relatively affluent circumstances in which we find ourselves here and to see how people live in other places at all levels of the spectrum. And so uh you guys uh lead the way on that, and I uh can't applaud you enough for doing that. So um I'll call each of you up. And if if we have spelled your name wrong on this certificate, do not suffer in silence, we'll fix it. Um if if each of you would be willing uh to say at least uh a sentence or two about where you're going and whether it's a homestay and service project, uh, and perhaps how is you decided on that country? Feel free to do it if you rather not still case single. So first is Abigail Callahan, who's going to Ghana. She's already there. And we didn't zoom in. Wow. Wow. All right. Well, uh, we'll save this for Abigail upon her return. I think it's time to hope that he'll start.
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