Westchester County Board of Legislators Regular Meeting – July 20, 2026

The Westchester County Board of Legislators met on Monday, July 20, 2026, at 7:06 PM in the Legislative Chamber of the Michaelian Office Building, White Plains. The meeting was called to order by Chairman Vedat Gashi with a quorum present. The board approved the minutes of the June 29, 2026 regular meeting, conducted two public hearings, and adopted a consent calendar with multiple items. All votes were 14–0, with Legislators Erika Pierce, Colin Smith, and David Tubiolo absent. The meeting adjourned at 8:24 PM.

Consent Calendar

• Minutes Approval: The minutes of the June 29, 2026 regular meeting were approved unanimously.
• Communications (County Executive): 18 items were received, filed, and referred to appropriate committees, including:
  • Resolutions to set public hearings on real property tax exemptions for active duty and disabled veterans (public hearings set for September 14, 2026 at 7:30 PM).
  • Bond acts totaling over $22 million for infrastructure projects: infrastructure improvements ($500,000), building management system upgrade ($2,525,000), correctional facility fire alarm system ($7,960,000), labs and research facility upgrade ($3,200,000), South Yonkers trunk sewer reconstruction ($1,000,000), building access control and video surveillance ($1,300,000), new bus radio/data system ($2,065,000), county clerk IT upgrades ($1,300,000), and Ice Casino improvements II (amended to $62,789,000).
  • Intermunicipal agreements (IMAs) for prisoner transportation with Peekskill and White Plains.
  • Acts amending the 2026 capital budget for Ice Casino improvements and building access control.
  • An act adopting the Westchester Community College proposed 2026–2027 budget.
• Legislators’ Communications: Five items received and referred, including an IMA with Mount Vernon for a summer basketball program (up to $15,000, July 6–August 14, 2026) and four memos of legislation from Legislator Tyrae Woodson-Samuels (Brownfield Assessment, First-Gen Homebuyer Down Payment Matching, Youth Career Guarantee Pre-Apprenticeship, and Office-to-Housing Commercial Conversion Readiness).
• Other Communications: Items reviewed for informational purposes: NR IDA notice of deviation, County Executive’s opposition to OMB’s proposed Uniform Guidance rewrite, and Election Commissioner Certification.

Public Comments & Testimony

• Probation Officer Early Retirement: Multiple speakers (Peter Tripodi, Joseph Daly, Nolaida Sanders) urged the board to adopt a 25-year retirement option for Westchester County probation officers. They argued that police and correction officers already receive this benefit, while probation officers—a predominantly female and minority workforce—do not; they noted that state law has allowed this since 1999 and that nine other counties have opted in.
• Water Quality & Sewer Infrastructure: Seven speakers from the Westchester Coalition for Clean Water (Tracy Brown, Nancy Seligson, Lorraine Walsh, Josh Pearson, Faye Serafika, Carolyn McLaughlin) addressed chronic sewage pollution from the Yonkers Wastewater Treatment Plant, combined sewer overflows (CSOs), and aging collection pipes. Specific requests included: developing a CSO long-term control plan, conducting daily water quality testing after spills, improving public notification, and advancing the New Rochelle Sanitary Sewer District consolidation pilot. They noted a July 3 failure that discharged 39 million gallons of untreated sewage and closed the Hudson River for 10 days.
• Playland Park Attractions: Maddie Highland (Long Island resident) urged updates to dark rides at Playland Park, specifically the Zombie Castle and Old Mill, which have not been updated since 2002.
• Camouflaged Vaping Devices (Public Hearing): Molly Franco (American Lung Association/Power Against Tobacco) supported the legislation, noting that youth are drawn to inexpensive, easily accessible, and flavored products—and that Westchester has over 900 tobacco retailers, more than Orange, Rockland, and Putnam combined.
• Master Plumber 51% Ownership Requirement (Public Hearing): Lewis Picani (Teamsters Local 456) and Eric Pope (Burke Energy) supported eliminating the requirement, arguing it creates a monopoly, hinders businesses, and forces unnecessary costs. Pope stated the rule has been misused by local inspectors to block HVAC companies from doing plumbing connections.

Discussion Items

• Local Law – Prohibit Sale of Camouflaged Vaping Devices (2026-44): Legislators Imamura and Williams Johnson presented the law as a necessary step to protect children from deceptive products designed to evade adult detection. Legislator Alvarado shared a personal story about a child’s death from vaping. The law passed 14–0 after correcting ministerial typos.
• Local Law – Eliminate Master Plumber 51% Ownership Requirement (2026-295): Legislator Imamura moved adoption; the law also gives the County Executive authority to appoint the chair of the plumbing board. Consumer Protection Director Jim Maisano and the Law Department were thanked. Passed 14–0.
• Appointments and Reappointments: Ten appointments/reappointments to various boards (Professional Prequalification, Veterans’ Advisory Council, Refuse Disposal District No. 1, Traffic Safety Board) were all adopted 14–0. Legislators Barr and Williams noted the qualifications of appointees.
• Act – Credit Card Fee Surcharge (2026-299): Amends Act No. 8-2002 to require credit card users to pay any service fee/surcharge; the county currently spends about $140,000 on such fees.
• IMA – Services to Seniors (2026-300): Authorizes IMAs with Yonkers and New Rochelle for outreach to seniors, funded with up to $40,000 in county tax dollars.
• Bond Act – Tibbetts Brook Park Pool Rehabilitation (2026-301): $800,000 bond to fund design for comprehensive pool upgrades including filtration, decks, water slides, and accessibility features. Legislator Williams stressed the pool’s importance to Yonkers and all Westchester.
• Westchester Community College Budget Resolutions (2026-303, 304, 305): Set a public hearing for August 3, 2026 at 10:30 AM, adopted hearing rules, and suspended Rules 9 and 11 for the hearing.
• Airport Counsel Agreements (2026-306): Authorized renewal of “Of Counsel” legal services with Kaplan Kirsch and Wicks Group for airport matters, not to exceed $200,000.
• Flood Mitigation – Ardsley Package (2026-316, 317, 318): Authorized $550,000 bond, amended stormwater reconnaissance plan for Saw Mill and Pocantico Rivers, and approved an IMA with the Village of Ardsley. County will fund up to 50% ($1M+). Legislator Imamura thanked partners for a year of work.

Key Outcomes

• Local Law 2026-44 (camouflaged vaping devices): Adopted unanimously (14–0).
• Local Law 2026-295 (master plumber ownership requirement): Adopted unanimously (14–0).
• All ten appointments/reappointments: Adopted unanimously (14–0).
• Act 2026-299 (credit card surcharge): Adopted unanimously (14–0).
• Act 2026-300 (senior services IMAs): Adopted unanimously (14–0).
• Bond Act 2026-301 (Tibbetts Brook pool): Adopted unanimously (14–0).
• Resolutions 2026-303, 304, 305 (WCC budget): Adopted unanimously (14–0).
• Act 2026-306 (airport counsel): Adopted unanimously (14–0).
• Items 2026-316, 317, 318 (Ardsley flood mitigation): Adopted unanimously (14–0).
• Memorial Resolutions: Adopted unanimously; legislators honored nine deceased community members.
• Next Meeting: Monday, August 3, 2026 at 10:00 AM.