Supervisor's Update - February 21, 2020

Details: Last Updated: 17 March 2020 17 March 2020

First of all, a big congratulations goes out to our Town/Village Engineer Paul Fraioli, P.E. who was honored last night by the Westchester/Putnam Chapter of the New York State Society of Professional Engineers as Outstanding Engineer in Government at their annual National Engineers Week dinner. So many people came out from our Town and Village to recognize all of Paul’s many years of committed work to our municipalities. Town Clerk Susanne Donnelly presented Paul a proclamation from the Town naming this Monday, February 24, as Paul Fraioli Day in the Town of Ossining. We hope you will take some time to reach out to Paul to congratulate him and thank him for so much of the infrastructure work that is in place, sturdily, for many years, because of him. If you have a chance this weekend to enjoy the weather, take a stroll on the beautiful Sing Sing Kill Greenway, a signature project dreamed up by Paul as part of an additional public benefit created out of a sewer main infrastructure improvement (funded in large part by NY State, I believe).

Last Saturday, I was so excited to participate in the 3rd Annual Escape from Sing Sing Plunge! Yes, I did take the plunge and believe me, it was bitter cold, but also a tremendous amount of fun!!! It was great to see so many community members, local organizations and businesses, our first responders, and community leaders join together to support the Gullotta House and the specific fundraising causes of this event, including scholarships for local students and financial support for families in need, among others. I sure hope you'll take the plunge with me next year!

Several Town staff and board members started off the week at the annual Association of Towns Conference in New York City. As always, it was a very informative two days of training and we are looking forward to bringing what we've learned back to our work here in the Town. Some of the workshops I attended included one with the heads of both Association of Towns Jerry Geist and New York Conference of Mayors Peter Baynes discussing what is going on in Albany and how the budget session might impact Towns. Specifically they discussed their collective work to increase AIM (Aid and Incentives to Municipalities) funding and CHIPS (Consolidated Highway Improvement Program) funding which are both state funding streams that help municipalities offset property tax payments for services and infrastructure projects. AIM funding hasn’t increased in 11 years, and the governor actually tried to get rid of it all together last year, but we worked collectively to fight to keep it in the state budget. CHIPS funding is for road projects and has had the same base for the last 8 years. As we all try to comply with the tax cap annually and do our best to look for ways to save money while still delivering excellent services, safe roads, and sustainable infrastructure, we count on state dollars to help us. Unfortunately, these funds have not kept pace with our needs. We will continue to advocate to our state representatives that they keep these funding streams in place.

I also attended a workshop on Economic Development vs Infrastructure Development and which must come first, the implications of Marijuana in the Workplace if cannabis is legalized in our state, which we are hearing is likely, and other sessions on relevant topics for our Town. We also had an opportunity to meet one on one with the Department of State to see if there are other opportunities for grants if we look for additional areas to share resources with our neighboring municipalities. As always, it was a great opportunity to network and share best practices and learn from other Towns around the state, as well as find out about new resources and approaches to best practices.

When we got back from our training, it was a short week of catching up and preparing for next week's Legislative Session. We canceled our Work Session this week to accommodate the Association of Towns training, but are back with a full agenda on Tuesday. We have a few appointments (and unfortunately one resignation from a long-time employee of our Senior Nutrition Program), as well as budget adjustment resolutions to close out 2019. We are so lucky to have an excellent Finance staff to always guide us in the right direction -- shout out to Deputy Comptroller Dale Ferreira for all her hard work! Next Tuesday we will also have two departmental reports, one from Receiver of Taxes Holly Perlowitz and Parks Foreman Mario Velardo. Both Holly and Mario have been hard at work these past few months, and we are looking forward to hearing all they have been up to in the first quarter of 2020. I know Holly is fresh off of another tax collection season from January, and Mario has been riding this excellent spring-like weather we've been having to get all of our parks in tip top shape by springtime. Hope you will join us, catch us live on GOTV, or check out the video on YouTube afterwards.

As a reminder, we are less than one month away until all households will start receiving invitations by mail to participate in the 2020 US Census. Keep an eye out in your mailbox between March 12 and March 20 for the postcard that will provide you with the necessary information to participate in the census count. An accurate count is so important -- did you know that children under five years old were among the most undercounted during the last US Census? In 2010, nearly one million children, or about five percent of children under five, were not counted according to the US Census. Learn more about the upcoming 2020 Census so you will be prepared come March for your invitation.

The New York State Plastic Bag Ban goes into effect next weekend on March 1! Start the habit now -- make sure you always have a reusable bag (or two!) with you when you go to the grocery store. Did you know that New Yorkers use over 23 billion plastic bags every year? That is simply unacceptable and devastating to the environment. Learn more about the plastic bag ban online.

The Ossining Schools and families have started up their advocacy efforts again as the State Legislature is well into its 2020 session and budget meetings. As you may know, the Ossining Schools are part of "The Harmed Suburban Five" alongside Port Chester, Glen Cove, Riverhead, and Westbury School Districts. Since the Foundation Aid Formula was established in 2008, the Harmed Suburban Five have experienced increasing student enrollment; decreases in community wealth; and also received less than 55% of the Foundation Aid funding originally promised, while other school districts have remained fully funded, or in some cases, over funded. The Foundation Aid gap in these Districts will continue to grow as student needs and enrollment increase. Our communities are simply asking that these Districts be funded at the same level as our peers by providing us with at least 80% of the fully phased-in amount and that this matter be discussed and resolved in legislative conference. Sign the Change.org petition to Governor Cuomo, or learn more about the District's advocacy efforts at the Ossining School District's website. The Town will also be writing a letter to the Governor and state legislators advocating for this funding.

The Village of Ossining is seeking proposals to lease the Kiosk at Gourdine Park. Ossining’s busy waterfront is home to the Summer Concert Series and Food Truck Fridays, the Louis Engel Spray Park, playgrounds, picnic areas and unbeatable views of Hudson River sunsets, and directly abuts the Ossining Boat and Canoe Club, the Ossining Metro North railroad station and the Haverstraw/Ossining ferry. The Village hopes to find a tenant to run a seasonal concession in the Kiosk beginning in May 2020. If you have a great idea for the Kiosk, or know someone who does, please have them visit the Village’s website to view the RFP; all responses must be returned to the office of the Village Clerk no later than 10AM on Monday, March 9^th.

Starting in February and ending April 15th, IFCA Housing Network is providing free income tax preparation services at their offices on Spring Street and at Ossining High School. This program is for New York State residents, who work in New York State, have incomes less than $56,000 per year, and who are eligible for the Earned Income Tax Credit. You can start making appointments now by calling (914) 941-5252 for sessions at IFCA's headquarters at 138 Spring Street and appointments are available Monday (12pm-3pm), Tuesday (10am-3pm), Wednesday (1pm-5pm), Thursday (10am-3pm), Friday (1:30pm-3:30pm), and Saturday (12:30pm-3:30pm). There will also be walk-in hours on Mondays from February 3rd through April 6th at Ossining High School (Room 202) from 4pm through 8pm. Please note the walk-in hours at OHS will not be held on February 17th, April 6th, and April 13th. This program is sponsored by Wells Fargo Foundation.

CANCELED Town Board Work Session - February 18, 2020

Details: Last Updated: 14 February 2020 14 February 2020

The Town Board Work Session scheduled for Tuesday, February 18, 2020 at 7:30pm has been CANCELED.

The next scheduled meeting for the Town Board will be a Regular Meeting on Tuesday, February 25, 2020.

Please also note all Town offices will be closed on Monday, February 17 in observance of Presidents Day. The Town Justice Court will also be closed on Tuesday, February 18 due to mandatory training at the Association of Towns Conference. Other offices may be understaffed on Tuesday, February 18 due to the Association's annual conference. Please call ahead before visiting Town offices on Tuesday in case the staff member or office you need assistance from is attending the conference. Thank you for your patience!

Supervisor's Update - February 14, 2020

Details: Last Updated: 14 February 2020 14 February 2020

It has been a love-filled week in the Town of Ossining!

I started off the week on Monday visiting the Montrose VA for their Salute to Veterans week. I joined the staff and residents there for an ice cream social, visiting several of the different inpatient care centers just up the road from Ossining. I have participated in this event for the past few years, and it is always such a meaningful way to thank those that have given so much in service to our country. Thank you to the staff in the Voluntary Services office for always inviting me to join in the fun and huge shout out to the Ossining Girl Scouts for making Valentine's Day cards to share with the veterans!

This morning, I joined the Ossining School District and the staff of our Senior Nutrition Program for the annual Valentine's Day breakfast for seniors at the Community Center. There were so many talented performers from the Ossining Schools, with breakfast served by the wonderfully enthusiastic students of Ossining High School's National Honor Society.

There were even a few celebrity sightings! County Legislator Catherine Borgia was there, along with other elected officials like Senator David Carlucci and Mayor Victoria Gearity.

I also ran into some familiar faces, here's Legislator Borgia with Chris and Dom Cafarelli (yes, the grandparents of the Supervisor's Office's very own Victoria Cafarelli!)

It was such a great way to start Valentine's Day and I very much enjoyed being able to spend time with our community's seniors to kick off a fun day.

Then, I joined Assemblywoman Sandy Galef, other elected officials, and the staff of New York Presbyterian Hospital for a press conference at New York Presbyterian Hudson Valley Hospital Center in Cortlandt Manor to highlight how you can spread the love this Valentine's Day by becoming an organ donor. Signing up to be an organ and tissue donor is an easy way to help save lives and give hope to the thousands of people on the list waiting for a life-saving transplant -- one life can save the lives of eight! Learn more and sign up to be an organ donor today by visiting LiveOnNY's website.

This week was also the first week of kit sales for our new Food Scrap Recycling Program. Marcus DaSilva, our part-time coordinator for this program, attended EagleFest with volunteers from Green Ossining for the first few sales of residential kits for participants. Here's Green Ossining Chair Suzie Ross purchasing the first of the bins! You can now purchase a kit of your very own at Cedar Lane Arts Center (235 Cedar Lane, Ossining, NY) on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Saturdays from 9am to 4pm. Starter kits can be purchased for $20 ($21 credit/debit card). Kits include one 2-gallon countertop pail, one 6-gallon home storage & transportation bin and one roll of 25 compostable bags for your pail. Visit www.ossiningcomposts.org for more information and sign up for our mailing list to learn of additional locations to purchase kits coming in the near future. The Food Scrap Recycling drop off-bins are located at the Cedar Lane Park (235 Cedar Lane). The drop-off site is open during the park hours of operation (Monday-Sunday, dawn to dusk). There is no charge to drop off food scraps and this program is available to all Town of Ossining residents, including residents of the Villages of Ossining and Briarcliff Manor. Thank you, once again, to our partners Teatown Lake Reservation and Green Ossining for helping with this exciting program. If you have any questions, send an e-mail to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

We received an update from the Village of Ossining Water Department today regarding the steps they have taken to address the taste and odor issues many residents have been experiencing in recent months. Please read the message here for more information.

A few messages from our Highway Department:

Did you know that the Town of Ossining Sanitation and Recycling calendar is now available online? Get ALL your waste and recycling-related questions answered easily, accurately and when you need it, at your fingertips! Visit the Town's website OR, download the free mobile app for Apple and Android devices. Search keywords are “Westchester” and “Recycle. How is this better?

Get your address-specific sanitation and recycling schedules - download, print or add it to your iCal or Google calendars.
Get reminders to set your trash and recycling out - via phone call, text, app, or email
Receive service alerts about pickup cancellations - same as above
Find out how to dispose of just about anything using ‘Recyclopedia’ - an up-to-date and ever improving directory of what goes where.
Ask questions and report a problem at any time of day
Access all of the above in 7 languages!

Also, the Highway Department would like to remind everyone to not flush baby wipes or even wipes labeled as "flushable" down the toilet! These items will clog up our sewer system and often cause issues with our sewer lift stations, which could cause serious problems if they are damaged. The Highway Department staff will be very grateful if everyone helps out a little and does their part by making this simple change.

The Ossining Schools have started up their advocacy efforts again as the State Legislature is well into their 2020 session and budget meetings. As you may know, the Ossining Schools are part of "The Harmed Suburban Five" alongside Port Chester, Glen Cove, Riverhead, and Westbury School Districts. Since the Foundation Aid Formula was established in 2008, the Harmed Suburban Five have experienced increasing student enrollment; decreases in community wealth; and also received less than 55% of the Foundation Aid funding originally promised, while other school districts have remained fully funded, or in some cases, over funded. The Foundation Aid gap in these Districts will continue to grow as student needs and enrollment increase. Our communities are simply asking that these Districts be funded at the same level as our peers by providing us with at least 80% of the fully phased-in amount and that this matter be discussed and resolved in legislative conference. Sign the Change.org petition to Governor Cuomo, or learn more about the District's advocacy efforts at the Ossining School District's website.

The Village of Ossining is seeking proposals to lease the Kiosk at Gourdine Park. Ossining’s busy waterfront is home to the Summer Concert Series and Food Truck Fridays, the Louis Engel Spray Park, playgrounds, picnic areas and unbeatable views of Hudson River sunsets, and directly abuts the Ossining Boat and Canoe Club, the Ossining Metro North railroad station and the Haverstraw/Ossining ferry. The Village hopes to find a tenant to run a seasonal concession in the Kiosk beginning in May 2020. Please visit the Village’s website to view the RFP; all responses must be returned to the office of the Village Clerk no later than 10AM on Monday, March 9^th.

Starting in February and ending April 15th, IFCA Housing Network will be providing free income tax preparation services at their offices on Spring Street and at Ossining High School. This program is for New York State residents, who work in New York State, have incomes less than $56,000 per year, and who are eligible for the Earned Income Tax Credit. You can start making appointments now by calling (914) 941-5252 for sessions at IFCA's headquarters at 138 Spring Street and appointments are available Monday (12pm-3pm), Tuesday (10am-3pm), Wednesday (1pm-5pm), Thursday (10am-3pm), Friday (1:30pm-3:30pm), and Saturday (12:30pm-3:30pm). There will also be walk-in hours on Mondays from February 3rd through April 6th at Ossining High School (Room 202) from 4pm through 8pm. Please note the walk-in hours at OHS will not be held on February 17th, April 6th, and April 13th. This program is sponsored by Wells Fargo Foundation.

There is also tax preparation help available at the Ossining Public Library. Here are the details:

Tomorrow, Saturday, February 15th at 12 noon, the day has finally arrived to join me at our very own Louis Engel Park beach for Gullotta House’s 3^rd Annual Escape from Sing Sing Plunge. It’s supposed to be both a beautiful day and MIGHTY cold--maybe below freezing, yikes! You can join me or sponsor my fellow plungers and I by visiting www.gullottahouse.org. Money collected will support scholarships for OHS students as well as local families with emergency needs. I sprung for a new suit just for the occasion—bathing suit that is!

Tomorrow is the February meeting of the Talk Culture Literary Book Club at the Ossining Public Library. As part of OPL's adult programming recognizing Black History Month, the book this month is Underground Railroad by Colson Whitehead. You may have run out of time to read the book, but if you want to give speed reading it a try, copies are available at the information desk at OPL. Otherwise, grab your copy of March's book, Song of Solomon by Toni Morrison, and get started for next month's meeting. All discussions take place on Saturdays at 3pm in the 2nd Floor Conference Room.

On Thursday, February 20, the Ossining Documentary and Discussion Series is also honoring Black History Month with a screening of “The Trials of Constance Baker Motley” at 7pm at Sing Sing Kill Brewery. This film follows the story of Constance Baker Motley, who joined the NAACP’s legal team at the height of the Civil Rights movement, and went on to achieve pioneering successes in the fields of law and public service as the first black female New York State Senator, Manhattan Borough President, and Federal Judge. What an incredible life! Join Ossining residents Rick Rodgers (the film’s director and producer) and Joel Motley (the film’s producer and Constance’s son) for a special Q&A discussion of this important film.

On Saturday, February 22, the Mala Waldron Quartet, a group of internationally acclaimed jazz virtuosos headed by jazz vocalist/pianist/composer Waldron accompanied by her top-flight backup group, will make a rare local appearance in Westchester Collaborative Theater (WCT)’s Jazz in the Box Series. Waldron, will perform a sophisticated blend of soulful jazz together with Steve Salerno on guitar, Michael T.A. Thompson on drums, and Jennifer Vincent on bass at WCT’s black box performance space, 23 Water St. in Ossining. The Mala Waldron Quartet will play sets at 7:30 and 9:00 pm. General admission is $20, and tickets are available now online.

This event is a month away, but Gullotta House has limited free tickets, so reach out to them at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. to claim yours!

Start working on your award winning chili recipe now for the chili cook off fundraiser for the Ossining Pride 11U JCYS baseball team at Sing Sing Kill Brewery also coming up next month.

Finally, all Town offices will be closed on Monday, February 17 in observation of Presidents Day. Next Monday and Tuesday are also the dates of the Association of Towns Annual Conference, so we have canceled our Work Session for Tuesday, February 18. Most staff will be back in the office on Tuesday, but please call ahead if you need immediate assistance from any office and plan on visiting us on Tuesday. The Town Justice Court will be closed on Tuesday, February 18 as the whole staff will be attending training at the Association of Towns conference. Everyone will be back and ready to serve you on Wednesday! I hope everyone enjoys the long weekend, or for those will school aged children, a nice and relaxing winter break!

Happy Valentine's Day!

--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!