Dear Residents,
 
On behalf of the Village Board, we want to wish all the residents a
 Happy Holiday Season… Merry Christmas! … Happy Chanukah!
However you celebrate during this time of year, we want everyone to be safe and healthy. We are especially thankful for all the staff and civil servants who work hard through-out the whole year – Administration, Public Safety, Public Works and Parks, Civil Service, Recreation, Library Services, Seniors Programs, Courts and Traffic – helping to make Dobbs Ferry a better place to live. We wish all of you and your families a Great Holiday Season.
 
In this report we wanted to just look back a little bit on 2011, update recent developments and actions taken by the board as we finish the year, and then take a quick look ahead at some of the board’s priorities for the New Year and looking further ahead.
 
Looking Back …
 
2011 was a busy year in Dobbs Ferry. Several significant ground breaking events took place; the Waterfront Shoreline Stabilization and Renovation Project got underway, and a new Aqueduct Trail entrance into the Downtown Cedar and Main Street ‘Gateway’ was completed. Major upgrades were made to the recreational facilities in Gould Park, including resurfacing and installation of new fiberglass backboards for the basketball court; a refurbishment and new grass sodding project to improve the ball playing field on the lower portion of the park (in partnership with the School District). These improvements have created new facilities which the community can be more proud of. One common element of these projects is a combination of Public and Private Sector Funding coming together. The village has worked hard to seek and attract external State and County funding; in addition to the commitment and generosity of private interests and residents, this funding strategy has helped the village to achieve long-term improvements and complete projects which it could never afford on its own.
 
Several large Capital Improvement Projects were undertaken and completed. The Broadway and Livingston Intersection Project has been a major improvement to the village’s ‘Southern Gateway’; plantings in the new island and sidewalk areas will be done in the spring; the Beacon Hill Drainage Project fully corrected the longstanding storm water flooding condition which had been damaging the Broadway roadway and retaining wall, and harming the pool and field facilities in Gould Park. Taking advantage of the shared service initiatives of the Village Officers Committee (‘VOC’), more miles of road way was repaved in Dobbs Ferry this year using the same amount of dollars as the previous year. Energy Efficiency and Sustainability Initiatives were completed including the installation of Solar Panels on the village’s DPW and Library Buildings; new LED light fixture replacements throughout the village, and a complete retrofit of the Library’s energy monitoring system, which will save the village significant energy costs in the long-run. In a very competitive environment, the village was successful in receiving a large share of grant funding to support these efficiency projects, greatly improving the economic pay-back to the village. In Dobbs Ferry, the mantra became “what is good for the environment can also be good for business”.
 
Redevelopment Projects were approved and moving ahead for the Gateway Business District, including the Stop & Shop Renovation Project and Walgreens (11-17 Ashford Avenue). Voting unanimously – with the recommendation of the Planning Board - the board felt strongly these projects will bring much needed improvement to what has been a dilapidated business district for too long; in addition to internal improvements to the store, Stop & Shop will be adding over 30 new parking spaces, which helps local downtown businesses; with prudent review and guidance from the Planning and the A&HRB Boards, Walgreens will construct a new building designed to enhance the entire area; and in these most difficult economic times, the company brings a strong balance sheet with long-term financial stability. While there is always apprehension and resistance to change – and it hurts to lose smaller businesses – the board felt strongly that these projects will mark a positive transition of the Gateway Business District, which is in the best long-term interests of the majority of residents and tax payers.
 
Although the general economy continued to struggle, there were signs of improvement in Dobbs Ferry; new downtown developments are being completed (lower Main Street), the restaurants are busy, and new shops are opening up. The Ferry Festa has become a major regional event. The Dobbs Ferry Local Development Corporation provided funding (saving taxpayers) for the retention of a professional village marketer; this included the creation of special downtown events like the Halloween Pet Theme Parade; there is also development of an Outreach Program to match potential new businesses with vacant properties, and design of a new ‘welcoming packet’ for investors who want to join in developing the vision for a more vibrant downtown for our village.
 
There was more progress in terms of relationship building and contributions from the village’s larger tax exempt institutions. It was great to help commemorate the opening of the new outdoor athletic facility on the campus of The Masters School; the new track is a welcomed new recreational resource which is now available to the residents of Dobbs Ferry during daylight hours. MercyCollege recently rolled out the Dobbs Ferry Discount Coupon Book, which has been distributed to all of the college’s staff and students to encourage the population to shop and eat in participating local Dobbs Ferry businesses. Mercy also returned $20,000 to the village for an older service contract which both sides agreed had not worked out as planned; and the college has reached out to youth and athletic organizations in the community to offer assistance and field facilities where it can help. The village will continue to work on strengthening these relationships, with appeals for stronger contributions from all the institutions going forward. Separately, the village has communicated especially well with the Dobbs Ferry School District – and we will continue to reach out to seek opportunities for mutual cooperation (Gould Park Field Renovation Project as example).
 
Quick update on recent ACTION and fresh developments …
 
Waterfront Stabilization and Renovation Project
 
As we have been reporting and many of you who regularly visit the Waterfront Park will know, significant progress was made on the Phase I shoreline stabilization part of the project; much of the rip-rap work has been completed from the northern section of the park, down to Willow Point; impressive memorial steps are also completed on the southern and northern shores of the main park area; much of the unsightly underbrush and tree growth has been removed, opening up more beautiful visionary fields looking out across the Hudson River, to the opposite shore, the Tappan Zee, Palisades and beyond. There is still Phase I work to be completed, including the new supporting panels which will be placed along the northern sections of Willow Point (and additional work to be done extending south from the Point – more on this below); this work will commence in the early spring. More detailed plans are also taking shape for the Phase II Upland Improvement part of the project. It is anticipated these updated plans will be presented to residents in January.
 
There are also some new and exciting developments to report in regards to this project:
 
First, as many of you know (and which has been reported in previous Newsletters) the bid for the shoreline stabilization work came in lower than expected, thus lowering the initial estimated expenses for the whole project.  Taking advantage of the expense savings, the village board has voted (unanimously) to extend the shoreline and upland improvement project further south from Willow Point, into the property owned by Halfmoon Restaurant. By doing this the village can achieve an expanded and enhanced project - afforded by the lower then expected shoreline bids – and still fully utilizing the village’s original funding commitments along with the NY Department of State’s Matching Grant amount. The village is in process of drafting and executing a permanent easement – as well as required engineering reviews – to allow for the extension of the work south. In return, the business owners have agreed to contribute $75,000 to help off-set the village’s portion of the costs for the additional work.
 
The second bit of news is Dobbs Ferry was awarded a competitive grant to partially fund the construction of a Fishing Pier / Boat Dock as part of the whole waterfront renovation project; this will add income and expense items into the budget. In view of this news, the board has taken the preliminary steps to commit village funds for an engineering study which will be required to determine the scope of work required to build the structure. This has always been on the ‘wish list’ of the Waterfront Committee and the Project Design Team.  A fishing pier / boat dock has the potential to take the Waterfront Park to a whole new level, and it should be pursued in a thoughtful and economic manner.
 
Project budgets are not always perfect – costs and expense and income can change, contingencies might need to be modified; and as we see recently, there are sometimes exciting twists (opportunities) that present themselves unexpectedly along the way.
 
As we recognize the budget can and will change as the project moves forward – and because a group of residents have been working hard to organize private community fund raising to close the budget gap – the project’s budget will be posted on the village’s website (in the ‘Projects and Initiatives’ section under ‘Waterfront Redevelopment’). The budget will be updated going forward as determined by the Village Administrator, so everyone will have the latest information.
 
Ashford Avenue Paving Project
 
As most of you all know –and as reported in the previous Newsletter – there are portions of the newly paved Ashford Avenue which have a ‘washboard’ effect that you feel when driving your car on the roadway; it is especially pronounced when driving east towards the Ardsley Bridge, on the portion of road between the Hospital and Ogden Avenue. There are other stretches too; it is more pronounced the faster you drive. Meetings have been held between the Contractor and the Village’s Administrator, Attorney, Engineer, Heads of Public Safety and DPW, and with the Mayor. A final solution will not be easy, but both parties are communicating in a manner to solve the problem (not the blame). At this point, it is too late in the season to consider any remediation work; instead, the village and the contractor have agreed that 50% of the amount of the Ashford Avenue paving project will be withheld (i.e. the village will not pay this portion); in addition, the village holds a performance bond which can be triggered at the village’s option for additional financial recovery if necessary. In return, the parties have agreed to continue to work together to determine the best way to remediate and fix the problem. This might include re-milling and re-paving the effected portions. The village would note the contractor has been working in good faith; they have an excellent reputation having paved County roads for over 25 years with a record of good performance. In the meantime the road is safe, and we will have to live with the bumps through the winter.
 
Rivertowns Square Redevelopment Proposal
 
The BOT determined the applicant’s Draft Environmental Impact Statement (‘DEIS’) as complete. This will now open and begin the public review and input process of this document. A previously announced and noticed, a Public Hearing is scheduled for tonight, Monday December 19th at 6:30 PM in Village Hall. It is anticipated that 1-2 additional Public Hearings will be scheduled in January; this is to make sure there is reasonable time and opportunity for the public to comment and give input on the important issues of the project, in particular the applicant’s answers (presented in the DEIS) to the questions and issues posed in the Scoping Document. The hearings will be organized and communicated ahead of time to focus on the particular and most important aspects of the proposed development, and its potential impacts to the community. This will also allow the public to better prepare for the meetings, and to encourage focus and thoughtful comments and input. We encourage all residents with interest to attend the Public Hearings … whether you are for, or against, or have not made up your mind yet and want to learn more. The Board wants to hear from as many of you as possible.
 
Gould Park Field Renovation Project
 
If you have driven by Gould Park you will notice a major improvement to the lower field; the work is now mostly completed, which includes a major re-leveling of the entire field, removal of the old softball field, backstop and benches; a newly skinned baseball diamond, and re-sodding of the entire playing portion of the mixed-use field. Extensive work was also done to reposition the irrigation system to conform to the re-leveled surface.  The budget estimate for the initial renovation work was $25,000, which did not include new sod for the entire playing surface (some areas would be seeded). However, once the work got underway and the vision of the new playing surface was becoming more real– and as the Village Administrator and Recreation Head assessed the economics and benefits of sodding the entire playing surface – and taking advantage of the fact that over 1000 yards of clean top soil had been made available to the project at no cost – it became clear (and the board unanimously agreed) that it would make sense to ‘finish’ the job right … that is to sod the entire field; this would also reduce the risk the seeded portions of the field did not take root or looked unsightly, which risked the field would not to be ready to fully accommodate the school and recreation activities commencing in the spring. Therefore, the BOT decided to authorize the Village Administrator to execute a Change Order with the contractor to include a full re-sodding of the field. This increased the total costs of the renovation project to $47,000. The economics for this project are still attractive. Given the village’s access to a one-time-unique opportunity for free top soil (in a very large quantity); it would have cost 3-4 times the amount to get this project completed. What started as a small step to improve the field ultimately turned into the look of a major capital improvement project. In the end, it was the right decision and the village got a huge bang for its buck. As previously announced, this project will be funded in partnership with the School District, which helps to distribute the expense across the 2 tax entities, and is an important step for mutual cooperation and support in the future. Come spring, the Gould Park field will be a facility the community can be more proud of.
 
Looking Ahead …
 
The Board of Trustees will continue to be busy and active in 2012. For one thing, a body in movement usually tends to stay in movement, the result of positive energy and moving things forward. The new board has a good mix of individuals – experienced and new – and has every reason of continuing to be a productive body.
 
Certainly there will be a lot of business and initiatives which should keep us busy.
 
There are exciting new development proposals before the village, some which have the potential to have a big impact on the community (especially Rivertowns Square). These will require open and thorough review. Over the next few months this will get more intense, which is always the case for any community when it comes to larger-scale land use issues or development projects. The village is well equipped to manage the process; the statutory review boards are made up of high quality members from the community, and most have relevant professional experience and core skill sets to bring to the table. The village also retains experienced legal and planning resources in these matters.
 
It is important to keep an open mind on the review of development projects in Dobbs Ferry. New development and growth is imperative to off-set the poor financial trends and lower assessed valuations which are negatively impacting the village’s financial condition; the village needs to increase (or at least maintain) its current property valuations; one-time development fees can also go a long way to help improve facilities; but it cannot be done at too great an expense of things which the majority of residents deem to be most important. An open approach will be the best way to find compromise and balance, which will lead to the best result for all sides.
 
It is possible the transformation which will start to be seen in the Gateway Business District in the first or second quarter – especially the Stop & Shop renovation project - could lead to some movement on several other empty or underutilized properties in the immediate gateway and downtown business district. Passage of the new Zoning Code and of the Master Vision Plan was a signal to investors that Dobbs Ferry wants to be open to new business; along with some improvement in the general economy, let’s hope this will be the case in 2012 and beyond.
 
While the budget planning and communication process is a full-time and full-year activity, the next 2-3 months will see a sharpening of the village’s focus on the upcoming fiscal year budget process. The challenges to the municipality remain severe; tax assessments continue to experience significant declines (record grievances awarded), which is equivalent to a company experiencing significant declines in revenue and income. At the same time, costs continue to rise, including the village’s retirement contributions which are mandated by NY State to support the guaranteed pension return agreements with the Union, which the village has no ability to control. Health care costs also continue to rise, in which case the village also has little or no ability to control. Add to this the challenge of managing within the New York State’s mandated 2% Property Tax Cap, which is an ill-conceived and untenable scheme limiting the amount of money a village can spend to operate; but where there is no limit to the amount of dollars the state can mandate villages contribute to the government pension and insurance systems – which of course are the highest contributors to the costs of running a village! It is a stupid system, and it just doesn’t work. As we focus and communicate more on the budget planning process in the coming months, we will communicate more details and comments on the Property Tax Cap, its potential impact on Dobbs Ferry, and how the village will decide the best way to manage through and around it.
 
The Village continues to communicate with the Representatives of the village’s Union Workers (Police and DPW), but has yet to agree on terms for new contracts. This is of course frustrating, for both sides. While we attempt to find a balance that can make sense for the village and which is sustainable for the long-term –and at same time remains competitive and fair for the employees – the village has / will / and is bound by law / to continue to honor the terms and conditions of the expired contract, without exception. These terms are extremely competitive and fair, and will not change as the 2 sides continue in negotiations.
 
The board will continue as a priority to seek plans and solutions to improve the active recreational assets of the village. We will leverage the successes of the past year and deploy the positive momentum to other projects; we will continue to appeal and work with the tax exempt institutions and the school district to contribute in cooperation; we will look to the help of residents and volunteers along the public/private funding models which have worked recently on other projects completed or in process throughout the village (Waterfront Park, Gould Park, and Aqueduct Projects as examples). There are also some development projects proposed which have the potential to make significant contributions to the village’s recreation fund, and/or help fund facility upgrades.
 
In looking at the bigger recreational picture and a better Vision for the Village … As a priority we will seek to develop a plan for a new Youth Recreation Center in Gould Park, which will by default create the opportunity for a new and dedicated Senior’s Center at the current Embassy Community Center. This is a big-ticket goal, but it is not impossible. There is a strong desire (and potential help) within the community to see these become a reality. The Facilities Committee will take the lead to engage and communicate with residents, who have an interest to get involved; it will also include the Senior Advisory Committee (“SAC”), and the Village’s Recreation Department and Recreation Committee.  It is important for the youth of our community to have things to do, and a positive place to do them … what better location then a Recreation Center in Gould Park, the center of town? At the same time there is also no greater need to address the changing demographics of our society, for improved resources to meet the needs of our growing senior population. Dobbs Ferry is recognized as having the premier senior program in Westchester County, primarily through the incredible work and time put in by people volunteers and the village’s Recreation Department; these efforts should be supported under the roof of a proper and dedicated facility. The seniors of our community – and the growing numbers of residents who are getting there quickly – deserve to have a dedicated facility which will help to improve their quality life.
 
Well that is enough for now … we will communicate again in the New Year.
 
To finish, and at a time when we reflect back on things - and then look forward - it is most important to note the high level of volunteerism that now takes place in Dobbs Ferry. A lot of what is written in these Newsletters would not be possible without the help and involvement of so many volunteers who help. The measure of a community’s health is directly related to the number if residents that give back in a positive way; by that measurement, Dobbs Ferry has a lot of good things to look forward to in 2012.
Happy Holidays! … Happy Chanukah! … Merry Christmas!
 
No matter how you celebrate this time of year
 
We wish you All the Best
 
And a Safe, Healthy, and Prosperous New Year Too All
 
Mayor Connett
December 2011