Supervisor's Update - Friday June 5, 2020

Details

Last Updated: 05 June 2020 05 June 2020

This week we saw a nationwide call for respect and change following the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis. This led to deep and difficult conversations within many households across the country. These conversations are important – if often uncomfortable – and can lead to better futures for all of us. I was proud to have seen peaceful “protests” and constructive forums in our community this past week. I would like to thank the organizer, Jalay Knowles, who many of you may know as a star Girls Basketball player and graduate of Ossining High School, as well as all those community members who spoke and stepped up, for engaging in such a thoughtful manner. You are truly an inspiration. These calls for justice are especially poignant today on what would have been Breonna Taylor’s 27^th birthday.  Breonna’s life was taken senselessly by police, and no arrests have yet been made as a result of her murder. There are no words to describe this awful situation, but we owe it to Breonna and her family, and George and his family, among, unfortunately, many others, and all those who have suffered at the hands of institutional racism to work much, much harder for change.

 

 

The Town Board and I shared a statement earlier this week, available on the Town’s website. As your local elected officials, we want our community to know that we are humbled by our responsibility to root out hate and counter racism within our own spheres of influence and daily interactions with others. We know it is our responsibility as policy makers, even in a Town such as Ossining whose board is not the direct policy setting agency for the police department that serves us, to demand that law enforcement professionals face the same accountability to the public as we expect from all other public servants. We will continue to work closely with our partners in the Village of Ossining, including Police Chief Kevin Sylvester, to ensure the hard work continues to get done to develop interpersonal relationships between the police and our community to root out implicit bias, and revise policies to strengthen those that pertain to the use of force. As always, I remain so proud of the Ossining community in the face of extreme challenges. We look forward to working closely together with our entire community as we look towards a brighter and more equitable future for all.

 

 

On a related, though slightly different note, there are several additional protests, marches, and rallies planned locally. We encourage all participating residents to continue to protect themselves from potential exposure to Coronavirus by wearing masks and social distancing as often as possible. I attended a protest at the waterfront last Saturday and again last night, Thursday, and was impressed to see almost everyone wearing a mask and working to space themselves out appropriately. We encourage those of you who do choose to attend these important events to be safe and continue to wear your mask and keep your distance from those not living in your household.

 

 

Today we held a meeting with our still nascent Community Equity Task Force, to engage with community members and stakeholders. We had started this hard work with a group who were tackling symbols of hate that had appeared in our community and how we could do better in responding to, and preventing them from occurring here in Ossining. Now, more than ever, we knew we needed to come together to reassess our goals. First we wanted to listen to those participating in events in our Town. Then we discussed what we thought we should be doing as a committee in relation to what has been discussed in forums being held in Ossining. The goal of our discussion was to identify strategies for dismantling systemic racism built into our institutions, educating the broader community about institutional racism, advocating against racism, allying ourselves with one another, acknowledging feelings, helping gain access for underrepresented, making our work inclusive and visible, and listening to one another. We thank everyone who participated in the Task Force discussion today. Anyone with an interest in getting involved can contact me at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

 

 

In other important issues: Ossining is currently in Phase 1 of the reopening process, as designated by Governor Cuomo. While entrance to Phase 1 was determined by reaching a series of benchmarks, Phase 2 requires that a region maintain or improve those metrics for a two week period. Our region, the Mid-Hudson, is currently on track to meet that goal.

 

 

Phase 2 businesses include retail, real estate, and administrative services. The Governor also recently added outdoor food service to the list of Phase 2 businesses. If you are unsure whether your business would be considered eligible for Phase 2, you can use the state’s Business Look-Up Tool as part of the New York Forward guidelines. When the official date comes, a business cannot open their doors as they did before the Crisis began - owners are required to file affirmations of safe operation and should review the State guidance, including templates for workplace safety plans, affirmation forms, and other resources.

 

 

We dedicated several sections of the May 29 Supervisor’s Update to information for businesses. We encourage business owners to take a look. One topic of particular interest was the availability of loans through the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) and New York State. The State program targets landlords of small units, businesses that have under 20 people on payroll, and small non-profits. Information about this loan and other resources for small businesses are available on the New York Forward website. If you are a business owner who is looking for more information about the CARES Act’s PPP, the New York Volunteer Network has relaunched their initiative to connect business owners with volunteers trained help navigate the loans available.

 

 

The Greater Ossining Chamber of Commerce, in partnership with the Town, has created an Economic Recovery Task Force specifically for North State Road businesses. If you are interested in participating in this discussion, please select availability times using this easy access form.

 

 

We all want to help our community succeed during this difficult time. The Chamber of Commerce has created an easy way to connect donations and resources to businesses and charities. Learn more at https://virtuouscollective.org/

 

 

Thankfully, the number of cases of Coronavirus in our community has drastically declined from when we first were faced with the COVID-19 outbreak. In fact, we have seen only one new cases added in a week in Unincorporated Ossining. Today, there are a number of tests available to residents. If you feel sick or believe you were exposed, you should get a diagnostic test to determine if you have contracted Coronavirus. Governor Cuomo has urged all those who have participated in protests where social distancing is not possible to get a test – this will protect efforts of reform as well as protect at-risk communities. Your healthcare provider may be offering tests, but click here for more nearby Coronavirus testing sites as well - including the Open Door Family Medical Center. Antibody tests, designed to determine if you have already had the virus, are also available to the public, though they should not be considered a way to determine immunity to COVID-19. This virus is new to us and it is unproven whether having antibodies is the same as having immunity.

 

 

You may be asked to get a viral diagnostic test if you are contacted by a Contact Tracer. These trained workers will only contact you through the dedicated “NYS Contact Tracing” caller ID. Once a positive test is received their job is to reach out to any person who may have been exposed. If you see this caller ID please pick up the phone! The Contact Tracer will help you get the information you need to stay safe, including ensuring you have access to food and other resources, have the ability to get a test, or provide a note for your employer. In the interest of preventing scams, please be aware that a Contact Tracer can ask about medical information or about people you have interacted with. A Contact Tracer cannot refuse to speak to you based on financial status, race, immigration status, gender identity, stance on controversial issues, etc. Information shared with Contact Tracers is confidential and is necessary for getting people the medical help they may need.

 

 

I know it feels like every day we asked to juggle something else. 2020 has certainly not been easy for anyone. Mental Health resources, as well as information on food distribution, WiFi access, domestic violence prevention, and a wide range of other topics is available in a Resources Document. This document is continuously updated by Town and Village staff members to include current information.

 

 

One easy way to feel a little lighter is to vote. You will be able to clear some ballot envelopes off your desk (or kitchen counter) and get the self-satisfaction of participating in democracy! Okay, I know that’s not exactly how we all feel looking at a ballot, but it is very important. Given the Coronavirus crisis, eligibility for absentee ballots has been expanded and even required for the school board and budget votes. This year you can vote by absentee for the presidential primary, local/congressional primary, Village of Briarcliff board, and school district boards, library board, and budget votes. The Ossining and Briarcliff School Districts’ vote will be conducted entirely via absentee ballot – with pre-stamped envelopes included. You must complete your ballot and it must be received in the mail by 5pm on Tuesday, June 9. That’s received by, not postmarked by, so don’t risk your voice being left uncounted. If you have any questions, you can reach the Ossining School District Clerk at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. and the Briarcliff School District Clerk by calling (914) 432-8130. If you didn’t receive a ballot for the other elections you may need to request an absentee ballot. You should contact the Westchester Board of Elections ASAP at (914) 995-5700.

 

 

Each week we circulate a list of restaurants that are open in the Town and Village. This week’s color is blue. Try a new place or help support an old favorite. Feel free to share the list or comment your menu under the posts when you see them on Facebook. The color changes each week to keep the new version at the top of the conversation.

 

 

All businesses that can maintain health-conscious practices can offer curbside pickup now that we have entered Phase 1. Last week we asked for your help in adding to this list of open businesses, and we know there’s more out there. Reach out to help us update this list and help get the word out.

 

 

We post census information every other day on Facebook. Did you know you can fill out your Census by mail, online, or by phone? The Town of Ossining has a 63% response rate which is good, but not great. That means about 27% of residents have not returned their Census survey – that represents at least $3,712,500 in funds Unincorporated Ossining and related programs will not be eligible to receive. Do not let language get in the way, help us reach your family and your friends who may not understand the importance of the Census.

English: https://my2020census.gov/ or 844-330-2020
TDD (Telephone Display Device): 844-467-2020
Portuguese: https://2020census.gov/pt.html or 844-474-2020 
Spanish: https://my2020census.gov/ or 844-468-2020
Chinese: https://2020census.gov/zh-hans.html or 844-391-2020 (Mandarin) 844-398-2020 (Cantonese) 
Vietnamese: https://2020census.gov/vi.html or 844-461-2020
Korean: https://2020census.gov/ko.html or 844-392-2020
Russian: https://2020census.gov/ru.html or 844-417-2020
Arabic: https://2020census.gov/ar.html or 844-416-2020
Tagalog: https://2020census.gov/tl.html or 844-478-2020 
Polish: https://2020census.gov/pl.html or 844-479-2020 
French: https://2020census.gov/fr.html or 844-494-2020 
Haitian Creole: https://2020census.gov/ht.html or 844-477-2020 
Japanese: https://2020census.gov/ja.html or 844-460-2020

For more language options, visit the US 2020 Census website’s language center: https://2020census.gov/en/languages.html. The Census is a new concept for many people. Remember: it is a count of each resident and is completely confidential by law. 

 

 

When you have finished filling out your Census and had a chance to reflect on all the amazing things Ossining has to offer, here is another great thing to add to your list. The Ossining Farmer’s Market is reducing pick up times by allowing pre-ordering! Fill up a virtual shopping list by Thursday each week and pick-up on Saturday.

 

 

The Village of Ossining and Feeding Westchester have teamed up to distribute food at many different locations. Dates and times are different each day of the week, so below is a helpful graphic of all available distributions in Town!

 

 

Tonight from 4-5:30 at Stop & Shop in Ossining, Gullotta House in partnership with Neighbors Link, the Ossining PTAs and other volunteer groups, anticipates handing out their 50,000 prepared meal. Unfortunately, the need does not seem to be dwindling so be sure to support these local organizations to help our community. www.gullottahouse.org.

 

 

Briarcliff residents can visit any of our food distribution sites as well, including the Ossining Food Pantry. The Pantry is expanding their list of recipients, providing fresh produce, and delivering meals and gift cards to residents who need an extra hand. You can email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. to apply or for more information.

 

 

Ossining Community Action Program is continuing their efforts to connect struggling new parents with much needed supplies. You can get baby diapers and wipes by reaching out to 914-488-2277 or emailing This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

 

 

County Executive George Latimer has been an integral part of our COVID-19 emergency response. In fact, we participate in a call several times a week with elected officials across the County to troubleshoot issues and share our ideas for community responses. A County Executive is the highest official in Westchester County and this Saturday’s Zoom call is deigned to connect you and allow you to discuss your concerns with leaders directly. More information and registration information is available through the Coffee and Conversation Facebook event.

 

 

Family members concerned about the seniors in their lives may be interested in these senior-specific classes. Stepwise Now is offering classes focused on balance and movement for seniors, with safety in mind.

 

 

Ossining raised a Pride Flag in Market Square today to celebrate Pride Month. This year’s ceremony was a socially-distanced success and I’m proud to support this effort along with many other community members. Statements officials in attendance (and pictures!) are here.

 

 

On Sunday, the LOFT LGBT Community Center Staff is hosting a virtual Pride Flag raising via Zoom. The zoom viewing is free to all who register here. Pride Month was founded to demand respect, equality, and visibility of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people.  The Village of Ossining also hosted a Pride Flag raising in Market Square today.  The Town Board and I were proud to participate "virtually" by providing statements of support to the small group of folks gathered to mark this special event.  Complete statements from the event, pictures, and link to a video recording are available here.

 

 

The Maryknoll Bells Salute continues to be a hit. Tonight and every night, listen closely for Maryknoll’s bells joining the chorus of cheers in cities honoring healthcare workers. The bells ring at 7, the exact time of the daily shift change for frontline workers in hospitals. The Salute can be heard far across Town, including a lovely rendition of God Bless America but if you cannot hear them at 7, you can listen via livestream on their Facebook page.

  

 

The Ossining Public Library continues to amaze. This week they launched a curb-side pickup program! Place an item on “hold” so they can be picked up. They have also maintained a great list of concerts, music, kids storytime readings, and museum tours during these challenging times. Here's a list of their "stuck at home" activities! Much love to our dedicated Library Staff for this work.

 

 

It’s great to see people taking advantage of our beautiful public spaces. As the temperature continues to tick up day by day, Ossining parks are a great place to stretch out and get some fresh air. Did you know Ossining has over 13 acres of parkland? Take a look at the map below. How many parks are near your home, and how many are new to you?

 

Every Tuesday you can drop off donations of new or gently loved books at the Rec Center for the Book Harvest. Books will be distributed to local kids during the summer months when the “summer slide” can have a negative impact of reading levels. (The books will be quarantined before they are distributed.) Books should be non-denominational - no Christmas, Easter, Hanukkah, etc. stories for this particular drive. Recommended options include picture books, Junta, multicultural, young adult, bilingual, and chapter books. No textbooks please. Stop by with book donations of all reading levels from 9am to 11am to help support this program. For more information, visit the Book Harvest event page on Facebook.

 

 

Help save a life on June 13 by donating blood. The Ossining Volunteer Ambulance Corp is helping increase the low amount of blood in blood banks. Usually, blood banks can hold large scale events, a plan scrapped in light of COVID-19. Eat breakfast, stay hydrated, and help be a hero. 

 

 

Donating blood is a great way to be a hero – but there is another easy way too! Organ donations in New York State are some of the lowest in the country. A single organ donor can save the lives of up to eight people! You can register to be an Organ Donor at the New York State Donate Life site. State Senator Carlucci is holding a Virtual 5K race to help raise awareness of the importance of registering as a donor.

 

 

The pandemic has impacted everyone. Hear how one entrepreneur has adapted to these crazy times. This Zoom meeting takes place on June 16^th at 7pm. Meeting ID 815 5386 1376. Zoom link: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/81553861376

 

 

Parents of teens may feel especially cut off from the world during the pandemic. For parents looking for a forum of discussion to hear their questions and share their experience, the Student Assistance Services Corporation is hosting a zoom call every Tuesday. Topics are different each week, kicking off with teen sleeping patterns and then teen vaping.

 

 

The Center at Mariandale is hosting virtual classes for homebound folks looking to learn something new. Their online catalogue includes classes about self-publishing, human-trafficking, religious connections, and more.

 

 

We are looking at another warm and beautiful weekend, and I am sure many of you will be looking to get outside and enjoy some of our parks and public spaces. I would like to remind you that certain areas of our parks remain closed, including playgrounds and the dog parks at Cedar Lane and Ryder Parks. We have maintained these closures throughout the pandemic in an effort to help reduce spread of the Coronavirus. At this time, we simply do not have the tools or resources to ensure these areas are continuously disinfected, nor do we have the ability to facilitate safe, social distancing. Bathrooms remain closed for renovation in all of our parks, but we have ordered portapotties and placed them throughout some of our parks. We are also waiting to hear from New York State if we can re-open the spray park at Louis Engel Park. If we receive the go ahead from the State and are able to follow prescribed guidelines, we will hopefully look to reopen some of these park favorites sometime over the summer. You also may have seen a new dock installed at Cedar Lane Park thanks to some funding designated by Senator David Carlucci. We hope to be able to open that soon for everyone’s enjoyment. Thank you for your patience and thank you for helping us keep our parks clean during these times of heightened use.

 

--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!

Statement from the Ossining Town Board - June 2, 2020

Details

Last Updated: 02 June 2020 02 June 2020

The past few months have been unprecedented, not just for Ossining and New York, but also across the entire world.  As Town Supervisor and Town Board, our primary focus since early March has been curbing the spread of COVID-19.  The fear, stress, and anxiety caused by this pandemic, we know has been felt by all.  And yet, our suffering has not been borne equally.   Across the country, and yes, here in Ossining, our experiences with COVID-19 have been divided by the differences in the color of our skin, our age, and the places we call home.       

 

This chasm has only become more palpable following the murder of George Floyd by a police officer in Minneapolis, while other officers stood by. This horror, in addition to the murders of Breonna Taylor, Ahamaud Arbery, Tony McDade, and David McAtee, continues to throw into stark relief the ugly realities of racism that our Black community members live with. Each of these people should be alive. When the people in our government who we trust to protect life instead take life, when we as government officials fail to confront our country’s legacy of racism, or fail to invest in raising up our community members, we fail our public.  We cannot allow this. We believe that Black Lives Matter. Black futures matter. We are committed to amplifying the voices of our Black community members who are advocating for change that is long overdue.

 

This weekend, young people from our Ossining community came together to remind us of how important it is to listen, educate, and advocate against racism. The horrific and violent actions that led to Mr. Floyd's death cannot go unnoticed anywhere. Here in Ossining where we strive to be inclusive and recognize the beauty of our differences, where we celebrate our diversity, where many come to live, specifically because they believe this is a place of acceptance, we know we are not immune. We must fight this scourge by standing up to hate. We must and we will continue to assert that we will not tolerate it here or anywhere.

 

President Obama recently shared some compelling thoughts on how, as a country, we can help capture this moment and capitalize on the opportunity to inspire real change.  Mr. Obama noted that elected officials on the local level across the country really are the ones who matter most when it comes to reforming the criminal justice system.  As your local elected officials, it is humbling to read his words, and we want our constituents to know that we take that responsibility very seriously.  We see on a daily basis how important local government is to the real life issues our residents face. It is our responsibility as policy makers, even in a Town such as Ossining whose board is not the direct policy setting agency for the police department that serves us, to demand that law enforcement professionals face the same accountability to the public as we expect from all other public servants.

 

We are confident that our partners in Village government, including Police Chief Kevin Sylvester, take their responsibility to the Ossining community very seriously. We are inspired by our colleagues in the Village of Ossining, the Ossining School District, and so many other organizations in our community who work hard to build on the aspects that make a community thrive.  As Ossining School Superintendent Dr. Ray Sanchez noted in his recent message to the community, we all must challenge ourselves to confront racism and root out hate within our own circles and our own spheres of influence.  The Town Board and I aim to rise to this challenge. Earlier this year, we announced that we were forming a Community Equity Task Force with the goals of sharing resources and beginning the uncomfortable, yet necessary, conversations surrounding racial inequality with the community as a whole.  The Community Equity Task Force, which is currently comprised of representatives from Town and Village government, Ossining Public Library, Ossining NAACP, former educators, and members of the faith community, will be meeting this week to discuss ways to galvanize the current climate and move towards real change within our own community.  If you, or an organization you are affiliated with, are interested in joining this effort, please do not hesitate to contact me at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..  

 

As always, I remain so proud of the Ossining community in the face of extreme challenges.  We look forward to working closely together with our entire community as we look towards a brighter and more equitable future for all.

 

Sincerely,

Supervisor Dana Levenberg

On behalf of the Town Board: Deputy Supervisor Jackie Shaw, Councilmembers Elizabeth Feldman, Gregory Meyer, and Northern Wilcher, Jr.

Planning Board Meeting - Wednesday, June 3, 2020

Details

Last Updated: 29 May 2020 29 May 2020

A meeting of the Planning Board of the Town of Ossining will be held on:

Wednesday, June 3, 2020

7:30 P.M. 

THIS MEETING WILL BE HELD VIA VIDEO CONFERENCING ONLY

Pursuant to Governor’s Executive Order 202.1 dated March 12, 2020

Members of the public can view the meeting via computer or mobile app:

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/87213067268

Members of the public can listen to the meeting by dialing in via phone:

Meeting ID: 872 1306 7268

(929) 205-6099

**Please note that by dialing in, your phone number will be visible to the host, participants, and attendees of the meeting.**

Preliminary Agenda

 

·       John Marricco, 125 Morningside Drive, New Single-Family Residence Architectural Review

 

·       Bruce Fiorito, 39 Old Albany Post Road, New Duplex, Architectural Review

 

·       Sunrise Solar Solutions, LLC, Club Fit Briarcliff, 584 North State Rd., Site Plan Approval

 

Please visit the Planning Board Projects Page to view PDF copies of documents pertaining to the Agenda for June 3.