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Record of Proceedings

Westchester County Committee Meetings on Emergency Sewer Repair, Playland, Woodfield Cottage, and WCC Report - October 5, 2026

Board of Legislators & Committees — Monday, October 5, 2026

BodyWestchester County, New York

SessionBoard of Legislators & Committees

DateMonday, October 5, 2026

StatusFILED

Video Record

0:00 / 1:53:13

Transcript — VerbatimClick a timed line to jump · ⧉ to share it

Speaker numbers apply only to this recording.

Speaker 1

0:02

Diane, do you have something to that point?

Speaker 2

0:06

Yeah, two comments, which I definitely would request that DEF confirm.

0:12

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.

0:28

And um I believe that this work is intended to be accomplished on a somewhat expedited basis.

0:36

But again, I need uh Vinny and Lou and Jasmine to confirm that.

Speaker 3

0:41

Commissioner Yes, no, no, no, we've had conversations with DEC.

0:46

DDC is very interested in having us do this as soon as possible.

0:52

Uh we did not receive an order of consent or an administrative order.

0:57

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.

1:07

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.

1:16

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.

1:28

This is going to cover the design of this emergency work and the installation of this emergency

Unassigned speaker

1:38

work,

Speaker 3

1:38

and

Unassigned speaker

1:39

the

Speaker 3

1:39

back and the rest of the money is going to be for the design of the you know for the remainder of that pipe.

1:46

It's not for construction of the second half of the pipe.

Speaker 4

1:49

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.

Unassigned speaker

2:04

I can go back to the

Speaker 4

2:12

just a reminder, we can't hear anyone on the back on the back um.

Speaker 3

2:20

Um, so yeah, I can try to get you something.

2:24

I mean, it's gonna be

Speaker 4

2:25

Yeah, we don't we don't have a meeting tonight, so you got you got time.

2:30

Good answer

Speaker 1

2:30

to that to that point, Ms.

Speaker 5

2:32

Yeah, to the point of something that uh Commissioner Biggie said.

2:36

Thank you, uh Mr.

2:37

Chairman.

2:37

The DEC is asking for a timeline.

2:39

So what is the timeline you're giving the DEC?

Speaker 3

2:42

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.

2:52

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.

3:06

That's like an outside date.

3:08

We would like to get this in again.

3:11

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.

3:19

We have a meeting going on in the other room with the contractor about

Unassigned speaker

3:22

the

Speaker 3

3:22

pipe that we're specifying for the permanent installation.

3:26

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.

3:36

And I think that's due to the the water table there and the salt in the water, and it was eroding the pipe.

3:43

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.

3:54

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.

4:03

Um you know, May is on the outside.

4:06

Uh, but um

Unassigned speaker

4:08

of

Speaker 3

4:09

course it really depends on um delivery time.

4:12

But again, the HD the HDP pipe that's going to be the uh the bypass pipe, those are typically readily available.

4:23

Um and if that's the case, we're just ironing out which

Unassigned speaker

4:27

you

Speaker 3

4:27

know, specifying exactly what type of pipe we need.

4:30

If we can get that right away, I'd like to break ground here within the next couple of weeks and get that in before Thanksgiving, if it's possible.

Speaker 6

4:44

All right, we have

Speaker 4

4:45

to that point.

4:46

So can you just let us know when conversations um with uh DEC started for this um this particular issue?

Unassigned speaker

4:54

Uh this was I forget exactly the date of the break, but it was it was the day after the uh break.

Speaker 3

5:00

Um August 25th was the first one.

5:05

Two breaks in the same week on this on this pipe within a hundred feet of each other.

Speaker 1

5:11

Understood.

5:11

So uh we have a cue, so let's say the Nobby R then Let's say uh Williams Johnson.

5:15

Thank you.

Discussion Breakdown — Share of Meeting

Youth Programs███████████████████████23%

Water And Wastewater Management█████████████13%

Procedural██████████10%

Parks and Recreation██████████10%

Public Safety█████████9%

Budget Equity Analysis█████████9%

Education And Training█████████9%

Engineering And Infrastructure████████8%

Public Health████4%

Summary of Proceedings

Westchester County Committee Meetings on Emergency Sewer Repair, Playland, Woodfield Cottage, and WCC Report - October 5, 2026

The meeting convened at 10:00 AM and adjourned at 12:20 PM, covering multiple agenda items across several committees including Seniors & Youth, Budget & Appropriations, Public Safety & Veterans, and Infrastructure & Housing. Discussions focused on an emergency sewer force main repair, a bond act for Playland Park drainage improvements, a pay plan amendment to transfer Woodfield Cottage juvenile detention to county operation, and a third-quarter financial report from Westchester Community College. Legislators also considered a motion on subscription transparency.

Consent Calendar

No separate consent calendar was noted; routine approvals were handled within each item.

Public Comments & Testimony

No members of the public provided testimony or comments.

Discussion Items

Emergency Sewer Force Main Repair (Item #490 – Bond Act Amendment)

Commissioner Rocco Pozzi (Probation) and Deputy Commissioner Mary Frascello presented on an emergency repair for a force main that experienced two breaks within a week in August 2026, both within 100 feet of each other. The pipe, originally installed in the 1960s, failed due to exterior corrosion from the water table and salt. The proposed $11 million increase (total project cost estimated at $30 million) covers design and construction for 1,750 linear feet of temporary bypass and permanent replacement. A temporary HDPE pipe is to be installed before Thanksgiving, with permanent replacement expected by May 2027, weather permitting. The DEC is monitoring closely but has not issued a consent order. Legislators expressed concerns about the cost breakdown, timeline, and communication with the Village (Rick Paris, Superintendent of Water and Sewer). Commissioner noted that the remaining 1,350 linear feet of pipe and a pump station will be addressed in a future phase, with potential additional emergency work if needed. The item passed without prejudice.

Playland Park Drainage Improvements (Item #490 – Bond Act Amendment)

William Bland (Acting Commissioner of Parks, Recreation & Conservation) and Rob Bopane (Director of Park Planning) requested $14 million in additional bonding (total $21 million) for paving and drainage work in the bus parking lot behind the Westchester Children's Museum, including replacement of historic colonnades (boardwalk canopies). The project includes pedestrian safety improvements such as crosswalks, ADA ramps, sidewalks, and signage. Legislators questioned bus routing safety near the museum; parks officials noted ongoing discussions with the museum about potentially relocating bus stops. The historic canopies will be rehabilitated with pressure-treated wood and synthetic roof tiles to match original appearance. Construction is estimated at 14–16 months. The item passed unanimously.

Woodfield Cottage Pay Plan Amendment (Item 2026-489)

Probation Commissioner Rocco Pozzi and Deputy Commissioner Mary Frascello detailed chronic failures by the vendor Together for Youth, which assumed operation on January 1, 2026, after Children's Village did not renew. Issues included severe direct-care staffing shortages (only a few staff initially), lack of food service (county had to contract a deli), security lapses requiring a $1.6 million county-funded security contract, and diversion of probation officers from their duties. The county recommends taking over operations, hiring 150 employees at pay grade 9 (salary increase from ~$48,000 to ~$68,000). Annual operating cost is estimated at $30 million, with state reimbursement of ~$28 million (based on historical rates), leaving a net county cost of $1.2–$2.4 million. Legislators expressed support but raised concerns about the reliability of state funding and long-term cost growth. The item passed without prejudice, with a request for additional schedule and cost breakdown details.

Westchester Community College Third Quarter Report

Dr. Velenza Miles (SUNY WCC President), Garrett Council (VP IT), Ben Naylor (Chief of Staff), and Jackie Clark (VP Admin Services) presented the financial report through May 31, 2026. Enrollment headcount increased 33% from fall 2020 to spring 2026 (11,305 to 15,023), and FTE rose from 3,579 to 3,733. Operating revenues projected at $108.6 million, expenses at $108 million, with a balanced budget. Personnel costs constitute 85% of expenses. Capital projects total $143.3 million, with $122.6 million appropriated. Key projects include administration building renovation ($36.7M), site improvements ($17M), and roof replacements ($9.3M). The college assisted the county in closing 14 older capital projects and securing $350,000 in state reimbursements. The report was received and filed.

Key Outcomes

Item 490 (Sewer Emergency): Approved without prejudice; commissioners to provide cost breakdown and timeline.
Item 490 (Playland): Approved unanimously; approved by Budget & Appropriations, Infrastructure & Housing, and Parks & Environment committees.
Item 2026-489 (Woodfield Cottage): Approved without prejudice by Seniors & Youth, Budget & Appropriations, and Public Safety & Veterans committees; passed on a voice vote with some legislators voting without prejudice. Further details requested by October 19.
WCC Report: Received and filed.
MOL on Subscription Transparency (by Legislators Amora, Nabiar, Williams Johnson): Continued for future consideration.

Meeting Transcript

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.

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