Fire Department Leadership Change

Many thanks to outgoing Fire Chief Sean Scogna, Jr. (pictured center) for his year of service to the Village as the Chief Engineer of the Tarrytown Fire Department. Hearty congratulations to Chief Frank Morabito (pictured right) who was sworn in on Friday, April 5th, as well as to incoming First Assistant Chief Engineer Patrick Derivan (pictured left) and Second Assistant Chief Engineer Raymond Tuohy (not pictured). The all-volunteer service is comprised of dedicated men and women who give of themselves to preserve the health and safety of Village residents.

Ever thought about volunteering for the Tarrytown Fire Department?

On Saturday, April 13th the Fire Department is hosting an Open House and Recruitment Drive at Tower Ladder 78 located at 157 White Plains Road from 10am to 4pm. The Open House event will include food, drinks, equipment demonstrations, firehouse tours and more.

At the Board of Trustees Meeting on April 1, the Board of Trustee closed the public hearing following no comments submitted regarding the Tentative Budget. The Village Administrator and Village Treasurer are now preparing the budget documents for adoption on April 15th. If any members of the public have any further feedback on the budget for FY 2024-2025, please email them to the Village Administrator and copy the Village Clerk at your earliest convenience and prior to April 10.

This year's Tentative Budget includes a 5.9% increase in General Fund expenditures. The overall tax levy increased by 2.86% while assessed property values increased by 4.85%. The combination of an increase in property values and a more modest increase in the tax levy means the tax rate is decreasing by 1.6%.

For more on the Tentative Budget for FY 2024-2025, check out the new digital platform powered by ClearGov. While residents can still access the Tentative Budget in hard copy form by visiting Village Hall or the Warner Library, or downloading the pdf from the Village website, the Digital Budget Book provides an interactive platform that allows residents to access budget data in an intuitive and easy to digest online format.

Report from the Board of Trustees Meeting on 4.1.2024

ICYMI, you can watch Village Board meetings online.

• Support for the New York Assembly and Senate to Pass a Strong Packaging Reduction and Recycling Infrastructure Act and Expand the State’s Bottle Bill: The Board agreed to issue a letter in support of the Packaging Reduction and Recycling Infrastructure Act, a State proposal which among other things would place the burden of managing and recycling packaging waste on the companies that produce it instead of on taxpayers, and would prohibit the use of certain toxic chemicals currently used in food packaging including PFAS, lead, mercury and formaldehyde. For more information on the legislation, check out the NY State Senate website.

• Support for Local Journalism Sustainability Act: The Board voted to support the inclusion of the Local Journalism Sustainability Act in the State budget. The legislation would provide tax credits to news outlets to employ local news journalists. More on the bill can be found in one of our local news outlets.

• Request for School Speed Zone on Broadway: The Board voted to send a request to the New York State Department of Transportation requesting a 20 MPH School Speed Zone on Broadway between Cobb Lane and the border with Sleepy Hollow or as far down Broadway as is permitted to protect the health and safety of children and families walking and biking to the John Paulding School, the Sleepy Hollow Middle School and the Sleepy Hollow High School. A 300 ft School Speed Zone currently exists on Broadway in front of the Washington Irving School.

• Non-resident Tennis Court Fee: The Board authorized the addition of a $100 annual fee for the use of the tennis courts at Pierson Park by non-residents. This is because the tennis courts have become very popular, particularly with the addition of pickleball, and so to ensure the availability of the courts for use by Tarrytown residents and taxpayers, non-residents will now have to pay a $100 annual fee to make court reservations and use the courts which they can do through the Court Reserve app. It is free to sign up for an account on Court Reserve.

Meeting for Tenants of Asbury Terrace

At the March 4 and April 1 Board of Trustee meetings tenants of Asbury Terrace brought concerns about a steep rent increase of which they were notified on February 28. Asbury Terrace is an affordable housing development located at One River Plaza with a mix of housing units, some of which are part of the federal Section 8 program, and some of which are not. The 70%- 80% rent increase posted on February 28 will apply to households not currently participating the Section 8 program. As the Asbury Terrace complex is mandated to remain an affordable housing development until 2070, no tenants in Asbury Terrace have to pay more than 30% of their income for rent and utilities, and any vacancies must be filled by tenants who make 80% or less of Area Median Income. While the Village has no authority over the building, its administration and its management, in an effort to provide resources and information and identify possible solutions to the tenant concerns, the Village has organized a meeting on Monday, April 8 with the current owners of the building. The meeting is open to the public, but only tenants of Asbury Terrace will be permitted to speak at the meeting. More information about the meeting and about the tenant concerns can be found on the Village website.

Coming up:

The Board of Trustees will hold its next Work Session on Wednesday, April 10 at 6pm. The agenda can be found on the Village website.

Want to learn what's on the docket for the Board of Trustees? You can sign up to receive agendas in your inbox here.

Interested in what is currently before the Land Use Boards? Sign up to receive agendas in your inbox, or find them posted on the website, three days before the scheduled meeting.

Current applications before the Planning and Zoning Boards can be viewed online:

Planning

Zoning Board of Appeals

Major Road Paving Project April 9 - April 12

The Village of Tarrytown is notifying our residents and businesses of a large paving project to close out the latest phase of the Con Edison gas main work. The project will occur between Tuesday, April 9^th and Friday, April 12^th. 

The streets included are:

·        Main Street from Baylis Court to Cortlandt street

·        Franklin Courts to the meter building

·        White Street

·        Cortlandt Street from Main Street to Wildey Street

·        Grove Street from Neperan Road to Elizabeth Street

·        Franklin Street from Washington Street to White Street

·        Windle Park

Please expect intermittent traffic delays. Residents will be unable to park on these streets during the milling and paving.

Temporary parking will be allowed in Parking Lot A and the South Washington Street East lot also known as Lot 3.

Project Mover: Exploring E-Bikes for Tarrytown

In 2023, in an effort to reduce congestion and find low cost alternative forms of transportation in very hilly Rivertowns, the Village of Ossining secured a $7million grant to plan and implement an e-bike program for Ossining as well as five neighboring incubator communities. As one of the incubator communities, Tarrytown has the opportunity to benefit from the expertise of the planning consultants engaged through the grant program as well as funds to procure and install e-bike infrastructure if the Village chooses to do so. Tarrytown is not obliged to move forward with procuring and installing e-bike infrastructure, but in the course of the coming year, will. be working with the planning consultants to explore possibilities in Tarrytown, and to engage Village residents about the same. As Ossining will be implementing their pilot program in 2024, Tarrytown will also benefit from learning from their experience. In early March, Mayor Brown and Trustees David Kim and Thomas Mitchell joined the demonstration event in Ossining designed to try out three potential e-bike models for the program. For more on the Project Mover Program, check out Ossining's website, and stay tuned in the coming year as Tarrytown investigates options for the Village.

Climate Action Plan for Municipal Operations: Seeking Public Input

Thanks to a State grant awarded in 2019 but delayed until 2023 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Village has been woking with Westchester County and seven other municipalities to produce a Climate Action Plan for Municipal Operations. At the Board meeting on Monday, April 15th, the Climate Action Planning Institute Task Force will be presenting the priority actions to be included in the plan, and will be seeking public input. Please come out to the meeting or tune in via Zoom on Monday April 15th at 7pm. The Draft Climate Action Plan will also be available for review on the Village website and will be open for public comment via an online survey.

Earth Month in Tarrytown

This year the Tarrytown Environmental Advisory Council is collaborating with the Sleepy Hollow Environmental Advisory Council on a suite of activities throughout Earth Month. The full calendar of events can be found on their shared website: https://earthmonth10591.org.

Among the events scheduled are a Compost giveback Day on April 6th in preparation for springtime planting, a walk through the forest with local arborist and Tree Commission member, Redmond Tsao, on Saturday, April 20, and a Clean-Up day on Sunday April 21st.

RECREATION RUNDOWN

For information about all of the upcoming events and programs organized by the Recreation Department, click here, or sign up to get the news straight to your inbox every other week.

Find the latest TEAC Newsletter here:

Other Volunteer Opportunities

Village Committees are not the only way to give back to your community. There are lots of civic groups in Tarrytown doing important work. Like TEAC, the Friends of the Riverwalk are looking for volunteers to help maintain the plantings on the waterfront. Many more organizations are listed in the Volunteer Directory that has been assembled by the Community Coalition and Kids Club of the Tarrytowns.

New Digital Resources Available At the Warner Library

Nearby Solar Eclipse Activities

In addition to the live streaming of the eclipse at the Warner Library, Westchester County Parks will be hosting events in the following locations:

Learn about and safely see the Solar Eclipse, Monday, April 8 at one of the following Westchester County Parks.

• Cranberry Lake Preserve in North White Plains, 2 p.m. to 4 p.m.
• Edith G. Read Wildlife Sanctuary in Rye, 2 p.m. to 4 p.m.
• Lasdon Park and Arboretum in Katonah, 2:30 p.m. to 4 p.m. ($7 - $15 per person; registration required.)
• Lenoir Preserve in Yonkers, 2 p.m. to 4 p.m.
• Trailside Nature Museum at Ward Pound Ridge Reservation in Cross River, 2 p.m. to 4 p.m.

Westchester County’s Annual Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) program

The VITA program helps low- and moderate-income individuals and families eligible for the Federal Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) file their taxes for free. The program also provides help for people with disabilities, senior citizens, and those for whom English is a second language.

VITA relies on dedicated volunteers to act as greeters, and assist with translation and call-center operations. Tax preparation is done by IRS-certified volunteers with free electronic filing.

The program is operating now through April 15 at nine locations throughout Westchester and the Bronx. Residents can call 211 or 1-800-899-1479 to schedule an appointment at one of nine locations listed below.

In 2023, the Westchester VITA program helped 1,759 residents. A total of $2.2 million federal and state refunds were received by Westchester residents.

This year, students from Mt. Vernon High School are volunteering for the program as part of the VITA Student Initiative, a partnership with students from Ossining High School, Westchester Community College and Mercy University. Eleven students were trained and received IRS certification to prepare returns. New volunteer students work alongside experienced VITA volunteers to provide tax preparation services to members of the community who could not otherwise afford it, providing a learning experience while offering valuable services to the Westchester community.

Call 211 or 1-800-899-1479 to make an appointment at one of the nine locations listed.

VITA Free Tax Prep Program Runs from February 2 through April 15

Volunteer tax preparer and language translator assistance runs from February 2 through April 15 and is available at the sites below. Call 211 or (800) 899-1479 to make an appointment at one of the Westchester County VITA/EITC Tax Assistance locations.

Free Tax Prep Locations

White Plains Career Center, 120 Bloomingdale Road, 2^nd Floor, White Plains, NY 10605

Note: Entrance at rear of the building.

Dates/Times: February 12 to April 15 | Mondays: 4 pm –8 pm

Saturdays, beginning February 17, ending April 13: 10:00 am–4:00 pm

Mercy University—Dobbs Ferry Campus

555 Broadway, Victory Hall, Room 100, Dobbs Ferry, NY 10552

Note: The entrance to Victory Hall, Room 100 is the second entrance after Mercy’s main entrance on Broadway. Park in the Lot.

Dates/Times: Saturdays: February 3 to April 13 | 9:30 am–3:30 pm

Last Day: April 13

Mercy University - Bronx Campus

1200 Waters Place (1st Floor, Room 1380), Bronx, NY 10461

Dates/Times: Fridays: February 2 to April 12 | 11:30 am–5:30 pm

Last Day: April 12

Mount Vernon Career Center

130 Mount Vernon Avenue, Mount Vernon, NY 10550

Note: Entrance on Macquesten Parkway. Parking is available in lot on Mt. Vernon Ave.

Dates/Times: Fridays, starting February 16 to April 12 | 10:00 am–4:00 pm

Saturdays, starting February 17 to April 13: 9 am–3 pm

Last Day: April 13

Ossining Youth Bureau

Joseph G. Caputo Community Center, 95 Broadway, Ossining, NY 10562

Dates/Times: Saturdays, starting February 17 to April 13 | 10:00 am–4:00 pm

Last Day: April 13

Ossining High School

29 South Highland Avenue, Ossining, NY 10562

Dates/Times: February 12 to April 15

Mondays: 3:30 pm–8 pm |

Last Day: April 15

Westchester Community College (Gateway Center, Valhalla Campus)

75 Grasslands Road, Room G144, Valhalla, NY 10595

Note: Entrance is across from parking lot 1.

Dates/Times: February 12 to April 15

Mon. & Wed.: 9 am–4 pm

Last Day: April 15

Westchester Community College (Cross County Campus)

843 Kimball Avenue (Learning Commons),

Yonkers, NY 10704                                                                                                              

Dates/Times: Saturdays, starting February 17 to April 13 | 1:00 pm–4:00 pm

Last Day: April 13

Westchester Jewish Community Services – Hartsdale

141 North Central Avenue, Hartsdale, NY 10530

Note: Parking/Entrance is in the rear. The Verizon Store is an outstanding marker that you have arrived at the correct shopping center. It is the shopping center before the Trader Joe’s. 

Dates/Times: Tuesdays and Thursdays, starting February 13 to April 11 | 5:00 pm–7:00 pm

Last Day: April 11

Who Qualifies for EITC?

The potential maximum tax credit includes federal, state and New York City credits and depends on income, marital status and number of qualifying children in the household. Qualifying children can be a son, daughter, grandchild, adopted child, step child or foster child as long as the child is under 19 years of age, under the age of 24 if a full-time student, or be permanently and totally disabled at any time during the year. The child must have the same principal residence as the taxpayer for more than half the tax year and not provide more than one-half of his/her own support for the year.

THE WESTCHESTER-PUTNAM WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT BOARD (WPWDB) is comprised of leaders and staff of state and county government agencies, non-profits, public education, and the private sector who work together to strengthen the partnerships between business, education, and service providers within the “Career Center Network” to meet the needs for a skilled workforce. The WPWDB pursues funding opportunities and develops model programs and leading-edge practices. The “Network” is made up of four Career Centers (White Plains, Mount Vernon, Peekskill, and Carmel) as well as partner agencies that provide state-of-the-art technology, training, resources, and services to youth, adults and employers. For more information, visit www.westchesterputnamonestop.com.

Small Business Credit Initiative (SSBCI)

More than $500 million in federal funding is now available to support the resurgence of small businesses across New York State through the State Small Business Credit Initiative (SSBCI), a program through the American Rescue Plan Act. Managed by the U.S. Department of Treasury, SSBCI provides funds to support programs for small businesses to recover from the economic effects of COVID-19 and allow them opportunity to succeed in the post-pandemic economy.

Visit esd.ny.gov/ssbci for information on resources available

Did you know?

Local businesses can find resources, classes and other opportunities on the Westchester Catalyst website:

https://westchestercatalyst.com/events/

Tuition Reimbursement Program for EMS AND Fire Volunteers

Citizen volunteers are often called on to respond to emergency situations in Westchester County. Due to a variety of factors, local volunteer fire departments and volunteer Emergency Medical Services (EMS) agencies are currently experiencing a critical need to recruit and retain members.

As an incentive for local residents to serve at volunteer fire departments and EMS agencies the Westchester County Department of Emergency Services (DES), has developed a program of recruitment and retention incentives for volunteer emergency services agencies. The program is designed to provide tuition or student loan reimbursement to volunteers for their service in the County.

For more info: https://emergencyservices.westchestergov.com/contact-us/h-e-r-r-o