The joint meeting, held on September 23, 2026 per the supplied timestamp, took place at the Michaelian Office Building, 148 Martine Avenue, White Plains. The agenda and minutes are dated Tuesday, September 22, 2026, and the transcript opens with September 22; this discrepancy is noted. Budget & Appropriations opened at 10:16 a.m., Public Safety & Veterans opened at 12:27 p.m., and the combined session adjourned at 12:50 p.m. The committees acted on grant authorizations, intermunicipal agreements (IMAs), bond acts, local laws, and several receive-and-file items.
Septic reimbursement reauthorization (Items 443/444): The proposed extension would continue the county septic reimbursement program for about six years, through 2032, and require applications within three years of service. Staff said the current maximum reimbursement is $300, current-year expense is $30,000, and projected annual spending is $80,000. Legislators questioned why properties remain in sewer districts while on septic and how reimbursement amounts are set. Several members supported moving the items forward and set public hearings.
Senior citizen real property tax exemption (Items 459/460): The amendment would add 55%, 60%, and 65% exemption tiers for seniors with incomes below the $50,000 threshold. Staff said eligible seniors already apply and assessors verify income; municipalities and schools must adopt separate enactments. Legislators requested written guidance for towns. Public hearings were set.
Legislation committee referrals: The committee advanced memoranda legislation on the Brownfield Assessment and Redevelopment Initiative, First Generation Home Buyer and Down Payment Matching Act, Youth Career Guarantee Pre-Apprenticeship Pipeline Act, Commercial Conversion and Readiness Act, and strengthened tethering law. A quarterly special prosecutor appointments update was received and filed.
Farm protection study (Item 406): A $400,000 bond act would fund a food-system study covering production, distribution, access, and equitable fresh-food access, with stakeholder work by Planning, the Soil and Water Conservation District, the Agriculture Board, and Cornell Cooperative Extension. The study is expected to take about two years and could identify county interventions such as cold storage and transportation connections. Legislators expressed strong support.
Harrison Avenue flood mitigation, Yonkers (Items 466-468): Approved a $1.85 million bond/environmental resolution/IMA to construct a stormwater wetland in Tibbetts Brook Park, raise the Tibbetts Brook berm, and improve drainage in the Harrison Avenue neighborhood. Construction is anticipated in 2027, coordinated with park uses.
Grasslands/Valhalla campus parking study (Item 447): Approved a $200,000 bond for a parking demand study of the Grasslands campus, with an initial phase on the western campus and a campus-wide phase; completion expected by the end of 2027.
Complete Streets municipal assistance (Items 448/449): Approved a $4.195 million bond for construction of four complete-streets projects in Tarrytown, Mamaroneck, Tuckahoe, and Sleepy Hollow. Program background: $15 million was appropriated in 2022 plus $1 million added this year; 27 applications from 22 municipalities requested nearly $30 million. Tarrytown award $1.225 million; Tuckahoe award $1 million; Sleepy Hollow award $850,000.
330 Riverdale Avenue affordable housing conveyance (Item 465): Approved amending the restrictive covenant so all 170 units remain affordable at or below 60% of area median income, correcting a prior structure that had 136 units at or below 60% and 34 at or below 130%, and starting a new 50-year affordability period. The purchaser also committed to roughly $1 million in capital improvements. Legislators expressed concern about monitoring long-term affordability and whether $1 million is adequate; staff acknowledged the monitoring program needs review.
Mount Pleasant sewer district removals (Items 408-410): Approved removing two single-family residences at 52 and 62 Larry's Lane from the Saw Mill sewer district. The parcels are not served by sewers; the removal is a 0.0058% decrease in equalized full value and no refund of past charges is provided.
Bus shelter IMA (Item 407): Approved the IMA under a new Insight advertising/maintenance agreement. Year-one payment to the county is $225,000, rising to $275,000 in year two and $325,000 in years three through five; payments are split 50/50 with municipalities based on about 300 shelters. Insight maintains and cleans shelters; municipalities are responsible for non-shelter bus stops.
White Plains exterior infrastructure repairs (Items 416/417): Approved a $2.54 million capital budget amendment and a $2.705 million amended bond act to create a new entrance vestibule at the White Plains complex/courthouse, improving ADA access, security, and energy performance. Design will finish this year; construction about nine months.
Airport snow-removal equipment building (Items 453/454): Approved a $3 million bond authorization; a capital budget amendment reduced the county share by $1.869 million because of FAA/state grant eligibility. The building will provide 17 bays for 15 pieces of FAA-funded snow-removal equipment.
Correctional facility elevators and White Plains chillers (Items 455, 456, 458): Approved a combined $30.75 million bond act, a $1.6 million capital budget amendment, and an amended prior bond for rehabilitation of 17 elevators at the correctional facility and replacement of chillers, cooling towers, and thermal storage tanks at the White Plains complex. Staff projected energy and maintenance savings of roughly $105,000 to $190,000 annually and about 109 metric tons of CO2-equivalent reduction.
District Attorney capital upgrade (Item 411): Approved an amended bond increase to $473,000 to match the approved capital budget after vendor price increases took effect July 1.
Alternatives to Incarceration grant (Item 413): Approved retroactive submission of the Article 13-A Classification/Alternatives to Incarceration Service Plan application, qualifying Westchester for about $589,026 in state Probation Block Grant funding for probation programs including substance-abuse treatment and diversion services.
Prisoner transportation IMAs (Items 445/446): Approved reimbursement agreements with Greenburgh ($214,924) and New Rochelle ($555,550) for prisoner transportation to the County Jail during 2026-2027.
National Night Out / Eastchester amendment (Item 437): Approved increasing the not-to-exceed amount under Act 2026-23 from $1,000 to $1,200.
North Yonkers pump station combined sewer overflow/electrical rehab (Item 412): Approved a $3 million bond for design and construction management to replace pumps, controls, and electrical systems. Staff noted the station's overflow is partially treated; separating the city's combined sewers remains a large municipal capital issue.
Underground chemical pipe leak detection (Items 418/419): Approved an additional $500,000 for design, bringing the total to $750,000, after inspections found additional piping needing replacement. Construction is estimated at about $6 million.
Yonkers Joint Wastewater Treatment Plant settling tanks (Item 421): Approved an additional $5 million to complete design and provide construction administration for rehabilitating primary and final settling tanks; construction is about two years.
Pump station rehabilitation (Item 452): Approved an $8 million bond for design and construction management for four pump stations: Flint Avenue, Sutton Manor, Beach Avenue, and Park/Circle Avenue. Legislators concerned about flooding in Larchmont/Mamaroneck were told stormwater flood planning is led by the Planning Department.
This meeting is being recorded and summarized. Good morning, everybody. Today is September 22nd. I am legislator Woodson Sanders chair of the budget appropriations committee. I would have started us out with a roll for vote and presence. Leader Holstein. Let's say the non BR. Let's say it appears. Present. Committee by Chair Tubbiolo. Present. Let's say to Lynn Johnson. Chairman Goshi. Present. All right. We are open at 1016 a.m. for budget appropriations committee. What's up first? I think it's legislation. Good morning. I'm David Mamore. I'm vice chair of the legislation committee. Uh I will be a chairman of the committee. Chairman Smith uh being on the Zoom. Uh so I will begin by calling Raw. Uh Chairman Smith. Uh present. Good morning, everyone. Uh I am here by Chair Clemente. Yeah, let's say a bar. Yeah. Let's say Nolan, Legislator Puja. Here. Chairman Gashi. Um we have a part. And we are all to order at 1070. All right. So the first item we're going to discuss is the septic removal reimbursement items. Should I say 443 and 444? Um we have our friend with Aiden here from the Law Department. Good morning, sir. Floor's yours. Um, so the county has a septic um reimbursement um program. So if somebody lives in a sewer district but they're not connected to the sewer, they have a septic system. Basically, they can get um you know, get it infected, get it on bad, and they can get some reimbursements sewer tax, um, but not actually benefiting, you know, not being on the sewer itself. Uh the program has been in place for a while, but every you know it's always set for six or so years, and then it'll expire. We come back to the board to reauthorize. So this would this primarily would extend the authorization for another six years to 2032. Um, the other change in here is it will specify the applications for reimbursement has to be made within three years of the date that you get the services done on the department explained as explaining that sometimes they're getting these now. You know, somebody's like, oh yeah, six years ago I did my uh I had my things inspected, and now here's my application, and so they want to say you've got three years to get the application of it, right?