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Supervisor's Update - September 2, 2022

Details: Last Updated: 02 September 2022 02 September 2022

It’s Labor Day weekend, and the very last Ossining RiverJam Friday of Summer 2022 is tonight! Alas, all good things must come to an end, until next year. Be sure to follow @townofossining on Facebook and Instagram for the latest updates on tonight’s festivities.

The food truck lineup for tonight, starting at 5 PM, is as follows: Brothers Fish and Chips, Delicias Peruvian Kitchen, Wanna Empanada, Jegoma Food, Wrappers Delight, New England’s Finest Lobster, Weenie Wagon, Tacoish, Paradise Taqueria & Birrieria, Dough Nation Pizza Truck and Bigfoot Creamery. Duncan’s Abbey and Brooklyn Cider House will be joining Sing Sing Kill Brewery at the final Craft Beverage Corral of the season, and the Chamber will once again host menus for some of your favorite local eateries in case you want to order delivery to the park. Note that parking near the waterfront area is extremely limited on Friday evenings - you are likely to have more luck if you look for parking in the train station area before the overpass.

Andrea and the Armenian Rug Riders will perform at 7 PM. If you love classic rock and dance, you really won’t want to miss this concert. Come on down!

A big round of applause for the amazing team that has made this series possible. To our Ossining RiverJam partners – Mike & Miriam Risko, Eric Gearity of Sing Sing Kill Brewery, Gayle Marchica and Johnny G of the Greater Ossining Chamber of Commerce, Jermain Smith of ENU Builds, Brian Sheridan of Hothouse Design, Recreation Superintendent Bill Garrison, our fantastic sound guys Keith Heilmann and John Chocianowski, our very own Town Parks foreman Mario Velardo and his crew, and Victoria Cafarelli and Acacia Mauriello for the PR, coordinating, and oh so much more -- a million times, THANK YOU! Our fabulous first responders, the Ossining Police Department and OVAC, deserve a very big shoutout for keeping us safe as we have fun. And another huge THANK YOU to our event sponsors: New York Presbyterian, Gracelane Kennels, Bigfoot Creamery, Coral Sea Pools, Seiden Real Estate Team, Matero Fine Jewelry, PKF O’Connor Davies Accounting, who join the Town and Mike Risko Music, Sing Sing Kill Brewery, the Chamber of Commerce, and Ossining Recreation in providing the funds that make this event possible.

Though summer is ending, there’s no shortage of things to look forward to as fall begins. School started yesterday in the Ossining School District, and Briarcliff Schools will be back in session starting next Wednesday. (Please be sure to drive even more carefully than you normally would, particularly around buses!) For my part, I was pleased to be able to join the OUFSD during New Teacher Orientation last week to welcome this new cohort to our wonderful community and discuss how working together benefits all of us.

This week’s Back to School Block Party was also loads of fun!

There’s more fall fun on the horizon as we prepare for Car Free Week - yes, week! We are hard at work with Green Ossining, the Village, 511NY Rideshare, the Ossining Schools and the local business community planning a fun suite of forward-looking, sustainable activities for the days surrounding Car Free Day. Car Free Week will begin on Saturday, September 17 and run through the official Car Free Day, September 22. Take the pledge now to reduce or eliminate your car usage for at least one day during Car Free Week, and be sure to follow @townofossining on Facebook and/or Instagram to enjoy all the car-free/car-lite fun! Last year, Ossining won the prize for most signups of any municipality in New York, and was also acknowledged for innovative programming. We’re looking to repeat that feat this year, with everyone’s help!

If you are the owner of a local brick & mortar business that would like to support Car Free Week, please fill out this Google form to let us know what you might like to offer patrons as a reward for participating (for example, $1 off any purchase of $10 or more; a stamp on a frequent customer card, etc.), and we will add your establishment to our promotional efforts.

Other things to look forward to this fall: the end of the Westchester Power pause, and the return of 100% green, fixed-rate electricity supply! The program notification letter will be mailed later this month, and the new contract begins on November 1. If you follow @townofossining, you might have already seen that Sustainable Westchester began its public engagement about the new contract earlier this week; we will continue to share opportunities to learn more and ask questions on our social media pages and here as we find out about them.

There is one more opportunity to attend a Westchester Power webinar this week, tonight at 7 PM - follow this link to sign up. However, I’ll give a brief rundown of the details on the program here for those who want to learn more while also enjoying tonight’s concert! The current program rates will be 15.128 ¢/kWh for 100% NYS renewable energy and 13.364 ¢/kWh for standard supply until the new contract ends in November 2024. In addition to giving us a way to dramatically reduce our carbon footprint, this program offers a buffer against fluctuating and volatile utility pricing, which has never been more important. As before, you will be able to opt out, opt back in or change supply at any time without fees or penalties. If you have any questions, feel free to email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or call (914) 242-4725 X111.

The County and Volunteer New York have also teamed up to create a really robust weekend of programming for the 9/11 Day of Service next week. Click here to check out the full list of volunteer opportunities.

There is still time to give us your input on Ossining’s climate adaptive shoreline! Please review the proposed designs and provide your input at the Shoreline Revitalization Project virtual open house website. The survey window has been extended to Wednesday, September 7 to give you more time to take a look and share your opinions. You do not need to have any special expertise to participate; all you need is approximately ten minutes to review the designs and share your opinions on them.

Speaking of rising water levels, the New York City Department of Environmental Protection has informed us that beginning next week, they will begin to draw down water levels in the New Croton Reservoir to allow for routine operational inspections of the New Croton Dam and spillway. As DEP begins lowering the water level of the reservoir, there will be significant increases in the flow of water into the Croton River. Members of the public should be extra cautious while the increased water is released into the river. Activities such as wade fishing and kayaking are discouraged, as the fluctuating flow in the river could make them unsafe. DEP will initiate the increased release starting on or about September 6th and continuing until approximately September 27th. More details in the message below.

That’s all for now! For ideas for what to do this weekend and beyond, keep scrolling. If you have little ones who love the splash pad at Louis Engel, be sure to take them this weekend, as it will close for the season after Labor Day.

Town offices close at 3:15 PM today for the last of our Summer Fridays; we’ll be back to 4:30 closures starting next week. We will also be closed on Monday in observance of Labor Day; be sure to check the Waste & Recycling calendar for holiday-related changes to your pickup schedule. (While you’re there, consider downloading the Recycle Right app if you haven’t already! We have a new demonstration video uploaded to the page to show you what the app is like - check it out! If you’re ready to download now, click here to download it to your Android phone and here for iPhone.)

We will see you soon; hope you enjoy your Labor Day weekend safely!

--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 complete this form. 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!

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Planning Board Meeting - Wednesday, September 7, 2022

Details: Last Updated: 01 September 2022 01 September 2022

Town of Ossining Planning Board & Architectural Review Board Meeting

Wednesday, September 7, 2022, 7:30pm

The meeting will be held via Zoom videoconferencing ONLY in accordance with State authority.

Please click the link below to join the webinar:

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/81696588896?pwd=emtaUXBtVnFCcHdyRkNPeUMxdldkdz09

Passcode: 983317

Or One-tap mobile:

1-646-931-3860

Webinar ID: 816 9658 8896

Passcode: 983317

Preliminary Agenda

Picucci Subdivision, 51 Croton Dam Road, PUBLIC HEARING CONTINUED
Rose Lodge, LLC, 83 Somerstown Road Wetlands, Fill & Grade Permit, PUBLIC HEARING
Terra Rustica, 550 North State Road, Site Plan Amendment

Please visit the Planning Board Projects Page to view PDF copies of the documents pertaining to the agenda for Wednesday, September 7, 2022.

Supervisor's Update - August 26, 2022

Details: Last Updated: 26 August 2022 26 August 2022

Happy Friday! Tonight is the second to last Ossining RiverJam Friday of Summer 2022. There is a chance of rain in the forecast, so be sure to follow @townofossining on Facebook and/or Instagram for the latest updates just in case!

The food truck lineup for tonight, starting at 5 PM, is as follows: Brothers Fish and Chips, Delicias Peruvian Kitchen, Wanna Empanada, Jegoma Food, New England’s Finest Lobster, Weenie Wagon, Tacoish, Paradise Taqueria & Birrieria, Rock n Rollz Exotic Egg Rolls, Bigfoot Creamery, and Homestyle Desserts and Creamery. 6 Degrees Brewery will be joining Sing Sing Kill Brewery at the Craft Beverage Corral, and the Chamber will once again host menus for some of your favorite local eateries in case you want to order delivery to the park. Note that parking near the waterfront area is extremely limited on Friday evenings - you are likely to have more luck if you look for parking in the train station area before the overpass. If you need to drop your stuff and your family, do that first, then park on the other side of the train tracks.

The Track will perform at 7 PM. The Track is a Westchester-based alternative rock band featuring some familiar faces including Drew Bordeaux, Rich Kelly, Chris Burke, and Tito Wilson. We are so excited to have them join us!

I continue to be grateful for the amazing team that makes this event possible. A big round of applause for our Ossining RiverJam partners – Mike & Miriam Risko, Eric Gearity of Sing Sing Kill Brewery, Gayle Marchica and Johnny G of the Greater Ossining Chamber of Commerce, Jermain Smith of ENU Builds, Brian Sheridan of Hothouse Design, Recreation Superintendent Bill Garrison, our fantastic sound guys Keith Heilmann and John Chocianowski, and of course our very own Town Parks foreman Mario Velardo and his crew. Our fabulous first responders, the Ossining Police Department and OVAC, deserve a very big shoutout for keeping us safe as we have fun. Thank you thank you thank you! And another huge THANK YOU to our event sponsors: New York Presbyterian, Gracelane Kennels, Bigfoot Creamery, Coral Sea Pools, Seiden Real Estate Team, Matero Fine Jewelry, PKF O’Connor Davies Accounting, who join the Town and Mike Risko Music, Sing Sing Kill Brewery, the Chamber of Commerce, and Ossining Recreation in providing the funds that make this event possible.

In administrative news, I’m happy to announce that we came in under budget for the Morningside Drive and Morningside Court paving project! Thank you to our Highway Superintendent Pete Connolly, Town/Village Engineer Paul Fraioli, and Comptroller Dale Brennan for keeping a close eye on our capital projects so Town resources can be maximized when it comes to improving our infrastructure. Those funds have been re-allocated to another capital project to fund the paving of Ridgeview Drive, which is almost complete.

As we work to improve our roads and other infrastructure, it is worth pointing out an often overlooked contributor to their deterioration: climate change. As temperatures rise, the volatility of our weather puts increasing stress on our built environment. Please know that your Town government is hard at work advocating at all levels for the resources we need to keep the roads that run through our jurisdiction smooth and safe. Also know that our commitment to pursuing sustainability stems from a desire to protect our infrastructure and make all of our lives, and those of future generations, smoother and more pleasant in the long run.

One of our favorite ways to promote sustainability, Car Free Day, will be here before you know it! We will once again be partnering with the Village, Green Ossining, 511NY Rideshare and the local business community to bring you an exciting few days of programming designed to help us all envision a less car-dependent lifestyle. Car Free Week will begin on Saturday, September 17 and run through the official Car Free Day, September 22. Take the pledge now to reduce or eliminate your car usage for at least one day during Car Free Week, and be sure to follow @townofossining on Facebook and/or Instagram to enjoy all the car-free/car-lite fun!

This week’s rain was a brief moment of respite from an otherwise fairly dry few weeks. Though Westchester County is not in an official drought condition, we are still at an elevated risk of fire due to dryness. The County government recently sent out a bulletin with some fire prevention tips that are worth reading as people prepare for Labor Day barbecues and other end of summer gatherings around the grill, fire pit or campfire.

Water conservation is always a good idea, and it may become more important if the weather continues to be drier than normal. Establish water-friendly habits before we need them with this list of tips from Ready.gov! Another way to reduce water usage and promote sustainability more generally is to incorporate more sustainable landscaping practices at home. New York’s Department of Environmental Conservation has a list of tips to help you do just that.

We are still looking for your input on Ossining’s climate adaptive shoreline! Please review the proposed designs and provide your input at the Shoreline Revitalization Project virtual open house website. The survey window has been extended to September 7 to give you more time to take a look and share your opinions. You do not need to have any special expertise to participate; all you need is approximately ten minutes to review the designs and share your opinions on them.

Speaking of rising water levels, the New York City Department of Environmental Protection has informed us that in early September, they will begin to draw down water levels in the New Croton Reservoir to allow for routine operational inspections of the New Croton Dam and spillway. As DEP begins lowering the water level of the reservoir, there will be significant increases in the flow of water into the Croton River. Members of the public should be extra cautious while the increased water is released into the river. Activities such as wade fishing and kayaking are discouraged, as the fluctuating flow in the river could make them unsafe. DEP will initiate the increased release starting on or about September 6th and continuing until approximately September 27th. More details in the message below.

As summer wraps up and kids head back to school (starting next week!) please be sure to drive even more carefully than you normally would. Also, a reminder that the Ossining Schools’ back to school block party, co-hosted by the Ossining Police, is coming up on Monday, August 29 at 4:30 PM. Lots of fun to be had and resources to be shared!

If you have supplies to give away, there will be a collection at the Farmer’s Market for Ossining Padres Hispanos. I’ll be there bright and early to drop off some backpacks full of supplies!

That’s all for now! For ideas for what to do this weekend and beyond, keep scrolling! A reminder about summer schedules for the Town. Summer hours started on July 1, with most Town offices (except for the Town Clerk) closing at 3:15pm on Fridays through Friday, September 2. There will be no Town Board meeting this Tuesday, August 30, as it is a 5th Tuesday. Please stay safe and healthy, and we will see you soon!

--Dana

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