Pleasantville Village Board of Trustees Work Session - January 20, 2026

The Pleasantville Village Board of Trustees held a work session from approximately 7:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. at Village Hall, 80 Wheeler Ave, 2nd Floor, Pleasantville, NY. This summary uses the meeting date of January 20, 2026 (2026-01-20) as supplied; the agenda and raw transcript identify the session as Monday, January 12, 2026. The agenda covered A1 zoning/daycare use, FY 2026-27 recreation fees and pay rates, and continued Master Fee Schedule discussion. No formal public comment period was held.

Discussion Items

• A1 Zoning District and Daycare Use: Robert (staff) reported that a review of the Two to Time daycare property found that daycare/private school use was not listed as a permitted use in the A1 zoning district, likely an oversight. A proposed local law amending Chapter 185 would distinguish private schools from pre-K/daycare and add pre-K/daycare as a permitted use in A1. Judd added that the revision draws a distinction between K-12 private schools and pre-K programs; districts that already allow both types remain unchanged, while A1 would now allow pre-K use. The board confirmed that a private school serving grades K-8 would fall under the K-12 private school definition, not the pre-K category. Next step: prepare a draft local law and a resolution scheduling a public hearing.
• FY 2026-27 Recreation Fees and Pay Rates: Mike Newman, recreation director, presented the proposed fees and pay rates.
  • Summer camp: Raise the counselor base rate from $15.00 to $15.25 per hour and expand junior camp from a half-day to a day ending at 2:30 p.m. Fees would increase for junior, senior, team-travel, and after-camp programs to cover rising trip and busing costs. Board members supported the expansion, saying it helps families needing full-day care; no after-care will be offered for junior camp this year because the after-care building can hold only 58 people, though after-care may be explored later.
  • Panther Club: Increase monthly fees by 5%, the first increase since the program began, to cover supply and staff costs and to support staff-led clubs. The board discussed moving registration earlier to the first Saturday after school lets out and a possible lottery instead of first-come online sign-up because of equity concerns about internet access and work schedules. Staff will explore options and report back.
  • Pool: No membership fee increase is proposed; the plan would add back the 10% reduction taken from proposed fees last season. Guest fees would rise from $10 to $15, compared with $20 at nearby Mount Pleasant. Resident 10-pack day passes remain $250 and school-district 10-packs remain $330. Board members supported the plan.
  • Scholarships: The board asked to continue the recreation scholarship program. Staff said that because school lunch is now free for all students, eligibility will be based on SNAP enrollment proof instead of free/reduced lunch letters. Last year the budget was $13,000, actual spending was about $11,000, and approximately $7,000 of that was covered by fundraised funds held in a trust account.
• Continued Master Fee Schedule Discussion: The board continued reviewing recreation fees paid in lieu of land dedication for residential development. The current fee for residential units subject to park-land dedication is $5,000; the previously proposed increase was to $12,000, and a board proposal was $15,000, which would tie the village with only one other community as the highest in the county. For multifamily units, the current fees are $5,000 per unit with two or more bedrooms and $2,500 per unit with fewer than two bedrooms. Previously proposed increases were $6,000 for efficiency/one-bedroom units, $8,000 for two-bedroom units, and $10,000 for three-bedroom units. The higher board proposal was $8,000, $10,000, and $12,000 respectively, with $15,000 for single-family attached/detached units versus the previously proposed $12,000. The Mayor recommended the previously proposed lower figures to avoid having the highest fee in the county and to avoid adding to the cost of modestly priced housing. Several trustees supported the higher figures, saying the fees are a small share of development cost and the village needs recreation revenue. Trustee Paul Alvarez said he would vote for the higher $15,000 figure. A non-binding straw poll showed a majority of board members favoring the higher numbers; the Mayor indicated he would vote against that outcome. A formal resolution will be prepared.
• Metro North Substation Update: The Mayor reported that Metro North has resumed discussions about buying a village-owned parcel near the Wells Fargo lot to build an electrical substation. Village officials are discussing height flexibility, including a possible 30-foot height, even though no known substations are that tall; the Mayor and Eric plan to visit a substation with Metro North to discuss the design. The negotiations have been intermittent for about ten years.

Key Outcomes

• The board will move forward with a draft local law amending Chapter 185 and a resolution scheduling a public hearing on A1 zoning/daycare use.
• The board supported the proposed FY 2026-27 recreation fee and pay plan, including counselor pay, the full-day junior camp change, the Panther Club 5% increase, and the pool guest fee increase.
• Staff will develop Panther Club registration options, including earlier enrollment and a possible lottery.
• Master Fee Schedule fee levels were not formally adopted; a majority straw poll favored higher amounts, and a formal resolution is planned.
• Metro North discussions continue, with a site/substation visit planned.