Speaker numbers apply only to this recording.
The Budget & Appropriations Committee, joint with Infrastructure & Housing, Parks & Environment, Seniors & Youth, and Public Safety & Veterans, met on October 5, 2026 at 10:00 AM. The committee discussed and voted on several capital projects and a pay plan amendment, and received and filed reports. No public comments were heard.
The Department of Environmental Facilities (DEF) presented a request for a bond act of $14,180,000 to finance the replacement of a force main that had two breaks in August 2026 within 100 feet of each other. The pipe, installed in the 1960s, had suffered external corrosion due to the water table and salt. The project includes a temporary bypass pipe (HDPE) to be installed before holidays, with permanent replacement planned by May 2027. The total project cost is estimated at $30 million, with $3.18 million previously appropriated for design. Legislators expressed concerns about cost estimates ($11 million increase) and requested a detailed breakdown. The committee voted without prejudice.
The Parks Department requested an amended bond act adding $14,000,000 (total $21,000,000) for drainage and paving improvements at the bus parking lot near the Westchester Children's Museum, including historic boardwalk canopy replacement. The project includes pedestrian safety improvements (crosswalks, ADA ramp, signage) and security cameras. Legislators discussed bus access and pedestrian safety, particularly for children crossing. The design is 14-16 months from completion. The committee voted in favor.
The Probation Department recommended taking over operations of Woodfield Cottage, a juvenile detention facility, due to repeated failures by the vendor. The current operator, Together for Youth, had staffing shortages, lack of food service, and safety issues, requiring county intervention (including a $1.6 million security contract and diversion of probation staff). The new county-operated model would add 150 employees at pay grade 9 (starting at $68,000 annually), with total operating cost of $30 million per year offset by $28 million in state reimbursement, leaving a net annual cost of approximately $1.2 million. Legislators expressed support but raised concerns about state funding guarantees and potential future costs. The motion passed in all committees with some voting without prejudice.
| Item | Vote / Action | |------|--------------| | 2026-475 & 2026-476 – Flint Avenue Forcemain (Capital Budget & Bond Act) | Passed without prejudice (Budget & Appropriations; Infrastructure & Housing later approved) | | 2026-490 – Playland Parking Lot Drainage (Bond Act) | Passed (Budget & Appropriations; Infrastructure & Housing; Parks & Environment) | | 2026-489 – Woodfield Cottage Pay Plan | Passed (Budget & Appropriations; Public Safety & Veterans; Seniors & Youth) | | 2026-328 – WCC Quarterly Report | Received and filed | | 2026-477 – Sales Tax Exemption Memo | Received and filed | | 2026-488 – Subscription Transparency Memo | Continued for future action |
Meeting adjourned at 12:20 PM.
Diane, do you have something to that point? Yeah, two comments, which I definitely would request that DEF confirm. I believe that we the one of the main drivers to asking for the full amount to do the break the repair to the breaks is A, there's um a time sensitivity due to DEC monitoring. And um I believe that this work is intended to be accomplished on a somewhat expedited basis. But again, I need uh Vinny and Lou and Jasmine to confirm that. Commissioner Yes, no, no, no, we've had conversations with DEC. DDC is very interested in having us do this as soon as possible. Uh we did not receive an order of consent or an administrative order. However, um basically based on you know they were looking for a timeline for us, they look for uh schedule for for this replacement as soon as possible. So we haven't received, like I said, any consent order for this, but they are watching this very closely and they want this you know installed as soon as possible. The other money that we're talking about is really just design, which it's not additional, it's construction of the second half of that forcemain. This is going to cover the design of this emergency work and the installation of this emergency work, and the back and the rest of the money is going to be for the design of the you know for the remainder of that pipe. It's not for construction of the second half of the pipe. Okay, can you then please just get us a breakdown which will show how much is for design for the next stage, how much is for design for this stage, and how much you're estimating for construction for this stage, so that we can at least see those three buckets. I can go back to the just a reminder, we can't hear anyone on the back on the back um. Um, so yeah, I can try to get you something. I mean, it's gonna be Yeah, we don't we don't have a meeting tonight, so you got you got time. Good answer to that to that point, Ms. Yeah, to the point of something that uh Commissioner Biggie said. Thank you, uh Mr. Chairman. The DEC is asking for a timeline. So what is the timeline you're giving the DEC? Uh it's really based on delivery of material, but we would like to get the uh temporary pipe in the ground before the holidays. Uh once the temporary pipe is in the ground, I believe we gave them a date of May of next year for complete construction, but that is weather dependent uh re plan. That's like an outside date. We would like to get this in again. It's it's it's I I can't even tell you you know when the permanent pipe is going to be delivered because we're still talking again. We have a meeting going on in the other room with the contractor about the pipe that we're specifying for the permanent installation. And because that because that pipe saw so much corrosion and why it failed, it wasn't being eaten from the inside, it was from the outside. And I think that's due to the the water table there and the salt in the water, and it was eroding the pipe. So we're having to switch gears a little bit here, maybe do a coating on the outside of the pipe, and that all impacts, of course, the delivery uh you know of the new pipe. So it really depends on delivery of a pipe, but I would love to get this in January, February if we can, if we have a mild winter. Um you know, May is on the outside. Uh, but um of course it really depends on um delivery time. But again, the HD the HDP pipe that's going to be the uh the bypass pipe, those are typically readily available. Um and if that's the case, we're just ironing out which you know, specifying exactly what type of pipe we need.