Supervisor's Update - March 27, 2020

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Last Updated: 27 March 2020 27 March 2020

Coronavirus continues to be the number one focus in the Town. This week the number of cases in Ossining rose past 90 and applying for unemployment claims are reaching unprecedented levels in New York State and across the country. As businesses are feeling the pain, and all of us are holed up, to the greatest extent possible, in our homes, we are also seeing a tremendous outpouring of people wanting to help, and innovations taking place.  While many of us are increasingly stressed out about when the virus will hit home, there are a tremendous number of resources now being offered for food distribution, mental health support, social networking, municipal service alternatives, and so much more.  Additionally, check out the Town Website for FAQs from many of our departments. Many of these resources will also be listed on our website for easy reference. Before jumping into those, I want to encourage you again to only trust information from official sources. Be wary of scammers selling tests or requesting private information. The best way to protect yourself and your family is to maintain social distances, wash your hands often, and avoid communal surfaces/spaces. Policies, mandates, and guidance from the Federal Government, plus our State and County partners have been changing by the day, and sometimes even by the hour. I encourage you to sign up for updates from New York State so you can remain informed with current and accurate information and check out the Westchester County website as well.

 

 

I want to give a HUGE shout out to all our volunteer and professional first responders who have been working on the front lines of this pandemic, and to our healthcare workers.  We cannot thank you enough for being there for all of us.  You are our heroes!

 

 

The leadership from the County and State remains unwavering. Governor Cuomo sent out a call to therapists and social workers to volunteer their services, and has since established a FREE mental health hotline! Call (844) 863-9314 to schedule an appointment. The County has started a Q&A hotline for those with questions about Coronavirus: (866) 588-0195. The Federal Government has announced an income relief package that will allow independent contractors and gig-workers to be eligible for unemployment. Small businesses will be issued grants on the condition they retain their employees. Households will be receiving money by direct deposit or check in the upcoming weeks. New York State residents who are homeowners can contact their mortgage lenders for flexibility in payments. Information regarding deferment of payment for tenants has not been outlined yet, however evictions have been halted completely.  The Westchester County Bee Line Bus system has moved to only allow rear-door boarding and exiting all buses.  This means that no fares are currently being collected on Bee Line Buses to avoid close contact with the bus driver.  Metro North Railroad will also be moving to an amended Saturday schedule on the Hudson, Harlem, and New Haven Lines starting today, Friday, March 27, until further notice.  If you are still using Metro-North for commuting, be sure to check the schedule before arriving for your "usual" train.

 

 

This week Governor Cuomo arranged for personal protective equipment (PPE -- now we all know what this acronym means!) to be distributed to hospitals and medical professionals to help combat the ongoing crisis. However, there is a worldwide shortage of supplies and we already find community resources that are short, and this bound to get worse before it gets better. Right now, our local first responders have the equipment they need, but we want to ensure there is no gap in protection for them or our local health clinics. We are overwhelmed with the generosity of everyone who has donated supplies so far. For any household or business that wants to donate gloves, masks, or other personal protective equipment, we have established a drop off point at OVAC headquarters at 8 Clinton Avenue in Ossining. The donations will be distributed to our first responders and local clinics in this crisis.

 

 

 

Town and Village offices continue to be closed to the public – but we are online and available by phone! All offices, with the exception of the Justice Court, remain fully operational. If we do not already have a remote solution set up for a specific function, each Department is ready, willing, and able to find a solution to provide all services either via mail, e-mail, or over the phone.  Contact information for each department is available on each individual department's page of the Town website. Online services include dog license renewals, tax payments, FOIL requests, assessment records, and your refuse/recycling schedule (if you live in the unincorporated Town you can even download an app that lets you check your schedule daily on your phone, specific to your address!). If you have any difficulty contacting a Town department, please contact the Town Supervisor’s office at (914) 762-6001.

 

 

Our updated FAQ on our website is a great reference for a quick answer. (Of course, we’re happy to hear from you directly if you have a question or need assistance.)  This week, Town and County Tax Bills went out in the mail and are now available for online payments.  It has been encouraging to see that many of you have already taken advantage of paying online, which is perhaps the most reliable remote option for paying your taxes while our offices remain closed to the public.  As a reminder, you can also mail your payment to the Tax Office at 16 Croton Avenue (mail is still being delivered and opened by staff on a regular basis), drop your payment in the dedicated mail slot at the Ossining Post Office, or utilize online bill pay with your bank.  However, please be wary of bill pay with your bank -- banks do not use the United States Postal Service, so your payment does not receive a postmark.  We can only accept payments that either arrive to our office by April 30, or have a valid US postmark of April 30 or earlier.  If you choose to use bill pay, give your payment ample time to arrive in our office.  Alternatively, just use our online payment function!  You get instant proof of payment (subject to collection from your account) and you don't need to stress about your bank mailing the payment in time.  If you have any questions, Receiver of Taxes Holly Perlowitz is ready to help, just give her a ring at (914) 762-8790 or send an email to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. 

 

 

We know this is an extremely tough time for many who have had to put businesses and pay checks "on pause."  We are working hard with the State, County, and other Westchester Municipalities to find a way to make it easier for those who may have trouble paying their taxes on time.  We will keep you posted.

 

 

In an effort to reduce the spread of the virus, all playgrounds, courts, ball fields, dog parks, and gathering areas remain closed for public gatherings, congregate sports, etc. Dale Cemetery and Sparta Cemetery are also closed, except for burials which are limited by the State's Executive Order, to very few people. You can continue to enjoy our parks and public spaces for individual activities like walking, hiking, visiting the gravesite of a loved one, or just enjoying the fresh air. Social distancing is a must! Our Food Scraps at the Cedar Lane Park drop off site is also still open. We are currently looking into options to resume residential kit sales for the Food Scraps program with an option to pick up your pre-packaged, sanitized kit curbside at Cedar Lane Arts Center.  Stay tuned!

 

 

We are thrilled to see so many people practicing safe social distancing practices while enjoying the improving weather! We’re looking forward to the summer months when hopefully we can once again all hang out together again. We greatly appreciate your patience and understanding as we make difficult decisions during this very challenging time.

 

 

 

I also have a message to share from our Highway Superintendent, Pete Connolly.  Please only flush toilet paper down the toilet!  Wipes are NOT flushable -- yes that also includes the wipes that are commonly labeled as "flushable!"  These items clog not only our sewer pump stations and infrastructure, but could also wreak havoc on your home's waste lines and pipes.  That is a mess none of us want to deal with right now.  Thank you for your cooperation, your Highway Department thanks you!

 

 

Our Ossining Community always rises to the occasion and we’re proud to say a global pandemic has not been an exception. Feeding Westchester and Gullotta House are distributing meals at sites around Ossining.  We will continue to provide updates on the dates, times, and locations of the Feeding Westchester drives -- huge thanks to the Village of Ossining for helping to coordinate this effort!  Please refer to the Gullotta House website to donate and view the food giveaway dates they are sponsoring. Our beloved restaurants are trying to adapt to these new challenges – and we appreciate their efforts. Below is a list of restaurants still open for take out/delivery, though we ask that you check their websites and Facebook pages to confirm their hours. If you know a senior or isolated person/family in need of food or supplies please contact us and we will do our best to help coordinate needed materials for them. Also, we continue to provide nutritious meals to homebound seniors – call our Senior Nutrition Program at (914) 762-1350 to sign up. Seniors can also receive daily RUOK calls from our program staff, again, just call (914) 762-1350 to sign up. Please also share this information with any of your neighbors, friends, or family that may greatly benefit from these services.

 

 

 

After a couple of weeks of basically no fun announcements, we are excited to share some virtual events and community resources emerging in Ossining this week!

 

 

The Ossining Public Library has curated a mind-blowing list of events, concerts, music, kids story time readings, museum tours.  You can even still check out eBooks, Audiobooks, TV shows, and movies from OPL remotely.   Check out the list and their other resources here! Much love to our dedicated Library Staff for this work.

 

 

The Ossining CAP is collecting school supplies for students who may be in need, now that they are learning remotely.  Please be generous, if you can. 

 

 

 

Sing Sing Kill Brewery is hosting a Virtual Happy Hour with Matt & Eric TONIGHT at 6pm via Facebook Live. The owners of SSKB will talk about their process in opening up a NY Farm Brewery in the lower Hudson Valley, and answer viewers' questions!

 

 

Many local businesses are also offering some of their services or programs virtually.  Here are just a few we have learned about recently.  In addition to those listed below, our friends at UMAC Briarcliff on North State Road have also been offering classes via Zoom.  Check out their Facebook page for more information!  If you are a small business that would like to share your new virtual offerings, please let us know.  Hopefully, through these virtual connections we can start to feel like we have reached some version of normal.

 

 

 

 

 

You may have heard that certain internal restrictions were enacted in Census offices to protect workers, but US Census has not been postponed and many of you might have received your invitation to participate within the past week. If you haven’t received this information, you will be able to respond to the Census online, by phone in one of 13 languages, or by mail. Census data directly affect how more than $400 billion per year in federal and state funding is allocated to communities for neighborhood improvements, public health, education, transportation, and much more. That's more than $4 trillion over a 10-year period. Spending just a few minutes to fill out your census form will help ensure Ossining gets its fair share of federal and state funding. We have been informed by Westchester County that local field offices for the US Census have been closed for the next two weeks.  For more information, visit the Ossining Counts page.

 

 

 

The deadline to submit a request for an Absentee Ballot is April 3^rd. Upcoming elections for New York State Residents include the Democratic Presidential Primary election date on April 28^th and Congressional and Local primaries on June 23^rd. So far, we have not heard of any changes to these dates. We hope we can all go to the polls those days, but absentee ballots can be used to vote by mail for all. Residents are permitted to request a ballot under the “temporary illness or disability” allowance.

 

 

 

If you feel you have developed flu-like symptoms please call your medical provider or a hospital before appearing for testing. Mobile testing centers are by-appointment-only and must be scheduled through the hotline. If you have trouble breathing (including bluish fingertips or lips) or chest pains call 911 immediately. As a reminder, most cases of Coronavirus do not present with severe symptoms. For questions regarding COVID-19, please call the New York State Coronavirus Hotline 1-888-364-3065 or dial 211 for information. The CDC website is an excellent resource for information. As a reminder, please refer only to official sources of information to avoid the dangerous effects of misinformation at this crucial point.

 

 

Thank you for proving Ossining is a wonderful place to live. I am inspired every day by our community’s kindness and compassion. If the Supervisor’s Office can be of any assistance to you, please do not hesitate to call at (914) 762-6001, or via e-mail at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..  The health, safety, and wellbeing of our constituents remain the highest priority for us.  

 

 

--Dana

If your business, non-profit, or community group has an event that you would like to submit to be a part of the Supervisor's Update, please e-mail a flyer and brief description to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. We are happy to pass along events that provide a benefit to the community and support our local economy. Thank you for helping us to highlight all the best Ossining has to offer!