OPENPUBLICA · PUBLIC MEETING RECORD
Record of Proceedings

Joint Committee Meeting on Infrastructure, Housing, and Budget - September 1, 2026

Board of Legislators & Committees — Tuesday, September 1, 2026
BodyWestchester County, New York
SessionBoard of Legislators & Committees
DateTuesday, September 1, 2026
StatusNEW · FILED
Video Record
0:00 / 1:39:26

Transcript — Verbatim
0:06

This meeting is being recorded and summarized.

0:08

All right, good morning, everyone.

0:10

I am Legislator Woodman Sanders, Chair of the Budget and Appropriations Committee.

0:14

This is the first of the double header today.

0:18

So you will see us later at one o'clock.

0:20

But we start out today August 31st at 1013 a.m.

0:25

I will start us out by facilitating a local vote.

0:29

I am present Ms.

0:30

Lee Majority Leader Holston.

0:32

Legislator Not here.

0:34

Legislative Pierce.

0:35

Present.

0:36

Committee Vice Chair Tubio.

0:37

Present.

0:38

Majority with Williams.

0:39

Here.

0:39

Legislative William Johnson.

0:41

And Chairman Gotcha.

0:43

Correct.

0:43

We are open at 1014 a.m.

0:47

Others committee chairs.

0:49

Oh yes.

0:52

Infrastructure and housing um here.

0:59

Legislator Holstein.

1:04

Present.

1:04

And Chairman.

1:05

We are open at 10 14 a.m.

1:08

Okay.

1:09

And SCP.

1:22

Um there.

1:27

Um here.

1:34

Chairman got working at 1015 a.m.

1:40

All right, thank you.

1:41

So the first draw items will be 381, 382, 383, and 384.

1:48

We'll be taking those together uh before these relevant committees.

1:52

And we have here uh from this uh Mr.

1:59

Beep, uh Mr.

2:01

Scott and Mr.

2:03

Mooney.

2:06

Uh the first item we're gonna uh discuss is the environmental resolution, uh the epicenter improvement uh to show the facility that oasis again impairments resolution, CBAC in the land acquisition piece.

2:19

Gentlemen, thank you for joining us this morning.

2:22

Uh we can start.

2:23

Okay, uh good morning.

2:25

Uh Mr.

2:26

Chair, members of the committees.

2:28

Uh we're glad to be here.

2:29

I'm John Beepis, first deputy commissioner of the West Accounting Department of Social Services.

2:34

I'll let Mr.

2:35

Scott introduce good morning, everyone.

2:37

Uh, my name is Randy Scott, Deputy Commissioner Social Services.

2:41

Tom Ronnie, reimbursement manager.

2:44

Good morning.

2:45

He's also our capital budget specialist.

2:48

Hey, just I want to indicate for the record we have legislator immamore here as well as Vice Chair Larry Clemens.

2:54

Do we have anyone else?

2:55

Oh my god, can you see?

2:56

I believe that as well.

2:58

Okay, great.

2:59

Thank you.

3:00

Thank you, Mr.

Discussion Breakdown — Share of Meeting
Engineering And Infrastructure████████████████████20%
Affordable Housing█████████████████17%
Public Infrastructure█████████████████17%
Pending Litigation█████████████13%
Procedural███████████11%
Budget Equity Analysis███████7%
Water And Wastewater Management██████6%
Homelessness███3%
Workforce Development██2%
Summary of Proceedings

Joint Committee Meeting on Infrastructure, Housing, and Budget - September 1, 2026

This meeting of the Westchester County Board of Legislators' Infrastructure & Housing, Budget & Appropriations, and other joint committees convened on September 1, 2026, at 10:14 AM (originally scheduled for August 31, 2026, but the provided date is used as instructed). The session addressed multiple capital projects, bond acts, and settlement approvals. The first four items concerning the Oasis Center shelter were tabled due to missing documentation, while all other items were approved.

Discussion Items

Oasis Center Shelter (Items 2026-381, 382, 383, 384)

  • The Department of Social Services (DSS) presented a proposal to acquire and renovate the Oasis Center at 19 Washington Avenue, New Rochelle, a 100-year-old building currently leased from the Archdiocese of New York. The project includes a $1.2 million purchase, $500,000 for temporary relocation, and $9.4 million for renovations (total $11.1 million, plus $250,000 previously appropriated). The building serves 50 beds at 100% occupancy, the only drop-in shelter on the Sound Shore.
  • Legislators raised concerns about the lack of a detailed cost breakdown, design plans, and appraisal. Questions were asked about annual operating costs ($1.4 million to WestCOP), the urgency of purchase (the Archdiocese was seeking to sell to the highest bidder), and the timeline (planning: 6 months, design: 9 months, construction: 18 months). The committee voted to table the items without prejudice pending receipt of the requested documents.

Unclaimed Fund Recovery (Item 2026-363)

  • The Law Department presented a proposal to recover $84,051.82 owed to the county from a defunct company (Global Geophysical Services) via an unclaimed recovery service. The service would take a 30% commission, netting the county $58,836.77. Legislators questioned the 30% fee but were informed it was standard and more efficient than hiring a law firm. The item was approved.

Workers' Compensation Settlement (Item 2026-395)

  • The county proposed settling a workers' compensation claim for DG, a DSS supervisor injured in 2018, for $52,433. This extinguishes future indemnity and medical obligations, saving an estimated $97,153. The settlement was approved after discussion of the Burns calculation and future medical offsets.

Peekskill WWTP Sludge Handling Upgrades (Item 2026-377)

  • The Department of Environmental Facilities (DEF) requested $4.29 million in additional bonds for construction to replace aging sludge pumps and electrical equipment. Total project cost: $5.79 million. Legislators noted escalating costs (8% per year for electrical equipment) and asked for a five-year capital plan overview. Approved.

Yonkers Joint WRRF IT Upgrade (Item 2026-389)

  • A bond act of $850,000 to upgrade fiber cabling and network equipment at the Yonkers wastewater treatment facility, addressing cybersecurity vulnerabilities. Approved.

Peekskill District Office Window Replacement (Item 2026-379)

  • An additional $2.5 million to replace single-pane windows and doors with energy-efficient units. Design nearly complete; construction expected nine months. Approved.

Valhalla Campus Electrical Substation (Items 2026-385 and 386)

  • A capital budget amendment and bond act for $1.65 million total (including $900,000 previously authorized) to relocate and upgrade the substation from a basement to a new above-ground structure. The cost increase was due to adding a building, fencing, and landscaping. Approved.

Grasslands Generator Replacement (Item 2026-387)

  • An additional $3.52 million to replace three generators (34 years old) at the Grasslands campus. Construction to take 36 months due to long lead times. The cost estimate includes 25% escalation and contingency. Approved.

Greenwich Road Bridge Replacement (Item 2026-388)

  • An additional $4.85 million to replace the concrete slab bridge over the Mianus River in Bedford. Total amended bond: $5.85 million. Design at 90% completion; construction estimated 18 months with one-lane traffic maintained. Approved.

Record Center HVAC Replacement (Item 2026-391)

  • An additional $2.5 million to replace a 33-year-old rooftop HVAC unit with a heat pump system. This is the first of several units to be replaced. Approved.

Key Outcomes

  • Oasis Center items (381–384): Tabled (continued without prejudice) pending receipt of a detailed cost breakdown, design documents, and property appraisal.
  • Item 2026-363: Approved (unclaimed fund recovery).
  • Item 2026-395: Approved (workers' compensation settlement).
  • Item 2026-377: Approved (Peekskill WWTP sludge upgrades).
  • Item 2026-389: Approved (Yonkers WRRF IT upgrade).
  • Item 2026-379: Approved (Peekskill district office windows).
  • Items 2026-385 & 386: Approved (Valhalla substation).
  • Item 2026-387: Approved (Grasslands generators).
  • Item 2026-388: Approved (Greenwich Road bridge).
  • Item 2026-391: Approved (Record Center HVAC).
  • Minutes: Approved for July 13, July 20, and July 27, 2026 meetings.

All votes were unanimous where recorded. The meeting adjourned at 11:52 AM.

Meeting Transcript

This meeting is being recorded and summarized. All right, good morning, everyone. I am Legislator Woodman Sanders, Chair of the Budget and Appropriations Committee. This is the first of the double header today. So you will see us later at one o'clock. But we start out today August 31st at 1013 a.m. I will start us out by facilitating a local vote. I am present Ms. Lee Majority Leader Holston. Legislator Not here. Legislative Pierce. Present. Committee Vice Chair Tubio. Present. Majority with Williams. Here. Legislative William Johnson. And Chairman Gotcha. Correct. We are open at 1014 a.m. Others committee chairs. Oh yes. Infrastructure and housing um here. Legislator Holstein. Present. And Chairman. We are open at 10 14 a.m. Okay. And SCP. Um there. Um here. Chairman got working at 1015 a.m. All right, thank you. So the first draw items will be 381, 382, 383, and 384. We'll be taking those together uh before these relevant committees. And we have here uh from this uh Mr. Beep, uh Mr. Scott and Mr. Mooney. Uh the first item we're gonna uh discuss is the environmental resolution, uh the epicenter improvement uh to show the facility that oasis again impairments resolution, CBAC in the land acquisition piece. Gentlemen, thank you for joining us this morning. Uh we can start. Okay, uh good morning. Uh Mr. Chair, members of the committees. Uh we're glad to be here. I'm John Beepis, first deputy commissioner of the West Accounting Department of Social Services. I'll let Mr. Scott introduce good morning, everyone. Uh, my name is Randy Scott, Deputy Commissioner Social Services.

SUMMARIZED BY OPENPUBLICA AI
TRANSCRIPT VIA PUBLIC VIDEO
openpublica.com