Village Newsletter: Nov. 5, 2021
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Halloween Re-Cap, Congrats, Bill Florin!, Veterans Day, Composting pumpkins, Friendsgiving for Seniors, Senior Bus and Booster Shots, Library Happenings
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Sacred Heart parking, Main Street sidewalk, 398 Ashford approved, Storm Street crossing improvements, Energy Performance RFQ, residency requirements for public officials, police radio equipment, Positive Youth Development Program, Holiday Hustle December 12, Cannabis laws to be considered November 9
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Dobbs Ferry Historical Society Cocktail Culture event
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FEMA deadline for Hurricane Ida funding is Dec. 6
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November 2nd was Election Day and I would like to thank everyone who took the time to vote. I was re-elected as Mayor, Trustee Patino was re-elected and Shari Rosen Ascher and Matt Rosenberg were elected as Trustees. Matt and Shari are replacing Trustees Knell and Daroczy who did not run for another term. We will be sworn in at our Annual Reorganization Meeting on December 6, 2021.
I'd like to welcome Shari and Matt to the Board. Trustees Knell and Daroczy will certainly be missed, and I hope they will continue to play an active role in our Village.
I appreciate the support and trust that the community has demonstrated in this election. As the Mayor, I feel a great sense of responsibility for the well-being of the Village. Despite the extremely difficult conditions over the last two years, the Board has addressed many issues, such as diversity, infrastructure, responsible development, pedestrian safety and sound fiscal policy.
Hopefully, we will not be consumed by pandemic issues over the next two years, so we can continue to move forward on issues that are important to the Village and the people who live, work and go to school here.
Vincent Rossillo
Village Mayor
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Downtown Trick or Treating
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A very long line of pets in costume - too many adorable puppies to count.
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Congratulations, Bill Florin!
William (Bill) Florin is well-known in Dobbs Ferry for his leadership of the local American Legion post and the community events he organizes to honor our veterans. Now, he is being recognized by the County for his many years of service at the 39th Annual Seniors Hall of Fame on December 3rd. Congratulations, Bill, on your nomination! And thank you for all that you do for Dobbs Ferry.
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Veteran's Day - Village Holiday and Ceremony
The American Legion will be hosting a Veteran's Day Ceremony in front of the High School at 11am on Thursday, November 11th.
Village offices will be closed. There will be no recycling collection on Thursday.
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Compost your rotting pumpkin
Want to compost your pumpkin? Dobbs Ferry's Food Scrap Recycling Program is located at 1 Stanley Avenue in the green bins at the end of the parking lot closest to the back of Chipotle. Before recycling your pumpkins, be sure to chop them up or smash them.
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Senior Bus available for shopping transportation
The Senior Bus runs once a week to take residents shopping. If you or someone you know are interested in using Senior Bus services, please call Abby Connett at 693-0024.
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COVID-19 booster shot for Seniors
Are you or someone you know a senior who needs help getting your COVID-19 booster shot? If so, call Senior Advocate Abby Connett at 693-0024 to learn about options.
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Diwali Celebration on the Library Plaza
Saturday, November 6
3:00 pm - 4:00 pm
All ages.
Celebrate Diwali outside on the library plaza with sand art, a diya craft, a storytime with Dr. Nitin Gupta, and more!
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Virtual Pokemon Tournament
Thursday, November 11
12:00 pm - 4:00 pm
Ages 8+
Get ready to rumble! Build a Pokémon deck and battle other kids online via Zoom and https://pokemonshowdown.com with the help of New York Society of Play instructor Marielle. The student with the most wins will be crowned champion!
Register by emailing dobchildref@wlsmail.org, calling (914) 693-6615, or stopping by the Children’s Room to sign up.
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Sacred Heart Church: plans to improve parking
Anthony Zaino presented on behalf of Sacred Heart Church a proposal to improve the parking area of Sacred Heart Church. The proposal will better organize the lot to increase the number of spaces, will improve safety with lighting and grading, and will plant shrubs and native plants to beautify the landscaping. The site plan was approved for referral to the Planning Board.
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Main Street Sidewalk Project
George Pommer of Hahn Engineering once again presented the Main Street Sidewalk Project to the Board to consider whether to move forward with the project. The project was originally put out to bid in early 2020, but due to the uncertainties that arose as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Board decided to postpone work. Because the Village has been awarded substantial grant funds for the project, and is required to complete the work by the end of 2022 under the terms of the grants, if the project does not move forward at this time, the Village will have to forego the grant award. The Main Street Sidewalk project will replace the sidewalks from Main Street at its intersection with Cedar down to Chestnut Street on both sides of the street. The project will ltake place in stages over a period of six months. residents should expect substantial disruption in the downtown area during project construction, but the project should result in sidewalks that are safer and easier to navigate for residents of all abilities.
The presentation included street tree selections which were made in collaboration with the Village Landscape Design Consultant, Suzanne Nolan, and the Dobbs Ferry Tree Consortium. In order to replace the sidewalks, the majority of trees on Main Street will need to be removed. They will be replaced with Flowering Cherry, Japanese Lilac, and Japanese Zelkova trees. Tree well filler was also discussed and there are two alternates under consideration - an environmentally-friendly porous material that reduces compaction and allows for water and air to feed tree roots and keep them healthy, or tree grates which do the same but are substantially more expensive.
The Board requested that the bid process move forward.
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398 Ashford Site Plan approved
The proposal to renovate the multi-family building at 398 Ashford, close to the entrance to the Saw Mill River Parkway, adding three additional dwelling units and expanding the parking area, was approved by the Board of Trustees. The proposal to add additional on-street parking for the building at the entrance to the Parkway was rejected by the Board due to safety concerns.
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Storm Street crosswalk improvements
The Board considered revised plans for pedestrian safety improvements at the crosswalk intersection of Storm Street and Ashford Avenue. The project is part of a multi-modal grant opportunity made possible by Assemblymember Tom Abinanti. The revised plans will shorten the crossing by installing curb bump outs at the intersection and installing flashing beacon lights to alert vehicles to pedestrians in the crosswalk.
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Energy Performance Contract RFQ
The Board approved the issuance of an RFQ for an Energy Performance Contractor following the presentation by Honeywell about the substantial energy savings the Village could realize if they make improvements to municipal buildings. The projects under consideration include upgrades to the HVAC system in Village Hall, conversion to LED lighting in those areas of the Village that have not yet been upgraded, and an addition of a building management system to optimize energy use throughout municipal facilities. The Energy Performance Contractor would guarantee energy savings which would then help finance the building improvements. The RFQ will be issued in the coming weeks.
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Revising residency requirements for public officials
The Board scheduled a public hearing for November 9th on a local law to amend the Village Code Chapter 78 which requires that public officers live in Westchester County. The proposed amendment will expand the pool of applicants to include the entire state of New York and any other counties adjacent to Westchester.
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New radio equipment for Police Department
The Board approved the purchase of new police radio equipment. Because the radio system is currently run through copper lines which are being discontinued as Verizon converts to fiber optic cable, the police department requires an overhaul of its emergency communications system. For the first phase of that overhaul, the Police Chief has requested the purchase of new radios which can be financed with assistance from American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds which were issued by the federal government to support municipalities in the wake of COVID-19. The Board approved the purchase request.
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Positive Youth Development Fund
The Board approved the signing of an Inter-Municipal Agreement with Westchester County to continue the Positive Youth Development Program. The program supports the work of the police department in Dobbs Ferry schools and various programs that promote positive police interaction with Dobbs Ferry youth.
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Holiday Hustle coming December 12th
The Board approved the date for the Holiday Hustle this year: December 12th! Organized by the Youth Services Council, the annual Holiday Hustle, a 5k race, supports the work of the Council and the annual gift donations they make to children in need. So get ready to get in the holiday spirit, don a costume, and run for fun! More information about registration coming soon.
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Coming November 9: Consideration of Cannabis Local Laws
At the next Board Meeting on November 9th, the Board will consider whether to opt in or out of retail dispensaries and on-site consumption licenses for legalized cannabis. For information about how to participate in the meeting, please see the meeting's agenda on our website. You may also submit written comments to Village Clerk Liz Dreaper who will circulate comments to the Board: ldreaper@dobbsferry.com.
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Do you have a community event you would like to include in the biweekly Village newsletter? Email us.
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