Good evening and uh welcome to our uh town board work session of September 8th, 2026.

If we could all stand uh for the Pledge of Allegiance, Mr.

Waterhouse, why don't you lead us?

And to the Republic for which it stands under God, indivisible with liberty and justice for all.

If we could remain standing for a moment of silence as we come up on the 25th anniversary of 9-11, uh, we remember those that uh were that lost their lives, uh those that ran towards danger instead of away from danger, and we remember those who went down to help with the search and rescue efforts, uh risking their lives and uh some paying the ultimate sacrifice with these different 9-11 illnesses.

Uh, please pray for them, keep them in your heart, and may God hold them close.

Thank you.

Just want to talk one this right here.

Okay, we do have a proclamation today uh on the commemoration of the 25th anniversary of 9-11, whereas September 11th, 2001 remains one of the darkest days in the history of the United States, when our nation suffered an unprecedented terrorist attack that claimed nearly 3,000 innocent lives and forever changed our country.

And whereas 25 years later, we continue to remember the victims who were taken from their families, friends, colleagues, and communities, and we honor the courage and sacrifice of the first responders, emergency personnel, military members, and countless others who answered the call to serve.

And whereas the town of Yorktown mourns the loss of five of its own residents who perished on September 11th, 2001, Patrick William Donahy, Simon M.

Deadvik, Alan Wayne Friedlander, Paul Fiore, and Barry J.

McKinnon, and whereas Patrick Simon, Alan, Paul, and Barry were valued members of the Yorktown community, and their lives, families, friendships, and contributions remain an enduring part of the fabric of our town, representing not merely the statistics of a tragic day, but five individual lives, families, and countless relationships forever changed by the events of September 11th, 2001.

And whereas on this 25th anniversary, the town of Yorktown joins with families, neighbors, communities throughout the Hudson Valley, and people across our nation in solemn remembrance of all those who lost their lives.

And whereas we recognize that remembrance carries a responsibility to preserve the memory of those we lost to support the families of loved ones who continue to carry their loss and to ensure that future generations understand the significance of September 11th and the profound impact it had on our nation and our community.

And whereas 25 years have passed, yet the memory of September 11th, 2001 endures, reminding us of the preciousness of life, the strength of community, and the importance of standing together in times of adversity.

Now, therefore, be it proclaimed that the town of Yorktown hereby commemorates the 25th anniversary of September 11th, 2001, and solemnly remembers the lives lost that day with special recognition and profound respect for the five Yorktown residents who perished, and be it further proclaimed that the town of Yorktown extends its deepest sympathy and enduring support to the families, friends, and loved ones of those five members of our community and to all who continue to carry the memory of those lost on September 11th, 2001.

Is there anyone in the room who experienced loss of a friend or loved one either through 9-11 or through any of the uh 9-11 illnesses?

Janet who who uh your sister-in-law, our deepest condolences.

Uh could you give this to your uh to your husband for me then you give that in our honor?

Thank you.

All right.

Uh we'll now jump into personnel.

Um we will accept the retirement of Robert Reddy from the highway department, effective October 31st, 2026.

Uh I'm gonna skip the next one.

We'll do these two and then we'll go back.

Appoint Craig Armstrong as a member of the Heritage Preservation Committee, effective September 8th of 2026.

May have a motion on those two.

Motion.

Second.

All in favor?

And now we have this young man in our room, and uh to me this is a um this is a testament of uh our youth, of our school, uh and and uh to the parents of this young man who at 18 years old.

Uh thankfully 18.

I don't want to be accused of uh child labor laws being broken when we appoint you to this high paying volunteer job.

Um we we have uh a motion to appoint Henry Quintanilla as a member of the Climate Smart Task Force effective September 8th of 2026.

Can I have a motion?

I will definitely make that motion.

I will proudly send it.

All in favor?

Hi.

Uh Henry, congratulations.

Can you come on?

Come on up to the microphone and say a few words.

Um just want to say thank you for letting me have this opportunity to help the community and really get the experience for my future career.

Thank you.

No, thank you, Henry.

Thank you.

Yeah, it's great to see uh uh one of our youth rise up and and want to contribute to the community.

I know you you're going to college this year, so a heavy schedule and uh you know what to make that time uh for your community means a lot and uh God speed in all of your uh future endeavors.

So Henry, come back up here a second.

Yeah, you ran away on us.

Yeah, I have I have a question.

Could you tell us what when we interviewed you?

Um you told us the um what you'd like to do as a member of that committee and what skills that you bring to the committee, which will be an asset to the committee, which is important.

But when we appoint volunteers, we we like to know that they're they have a specific skill or experience that they can contribute, and you certainly showed that.

So why don't you explain that?

So, yeah, um as a uh youthful person, um I feel like I would bring uh students and other kids and connect the gap between more uh adults and then the kid, of course, and help uh branch that in between and also to give that experience of wanting to help knowing the environment more and to really to understand that and also I would be able to do is the social media for the task force, um, also getting the data and putting it to spreadsheets, which is adding technology part of it.

Very nice.

Hold on, no, no, wait, no, we gotta get a picture.

Put both hands on the edge of the on the edge, like this on the edge, yeah.