Supervisor

Dana Levenberg, Town Supervisor
phone (914) 762-6001
fax (914) 762-0833
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16 Croton Avenue
Ossining, NY 10562

The Supervisor's Office is located on the third floor of the Town offices. Office hours are Monday - Friday, 9:00 am - 4:30 pm. All Town offices (except for the Town Clerk’s Office) will close at 3:15pm on Fridays from July 1st through September 2nd.

Supervisor's Update - September 30, 2022

Details: Last Updated: 30 September 2022 30 September 2022

TGIF! Hope everyone is doing well at the end of the first full week of fall.

This week was bittersweet for Team Town, as we said goodbye to two outstanding employees. Yesterday, we presented a proclamation to recognize Angela Juarez for her cheerful and dedicated service to the Town in the Tax Receiver’s office since 2019. We wish her all the best in her future endeavors, especially the master’s program in Physician Assistant studies she will be starting soon!

Today, we said farewell to Fernando Gonzalez, IAO, our Assessor for the past ten years. Fernando oversaw the Town-wide reappraisal and re-assessment in 2015, and has helped us maintain our assessment at 100% of full market value ever since. In recognition of his accomplishments and superlative leadership in the area of assessment, the Town Board has proclaimed September 30, 2022 to be Fernando Gonzalez Day in the Town of Ossining. Thank you, Fernando, and best wishes for a long, happy and healthy retirement!

In other news, on Wednesday I participated in a press conference at Ossining High School, recognizing the milestone of 75,000 food and school supply deliveries to families in Ossining, Peekskill, Yonkers and Mount Vernon through the partnership of United Way, DoorDash, Feeding Westchester and the schools. Ossining High School students participate in the program by bagging fresh fruits and vegetables to be delivered to households in need by DoorDash drivers. New York State Senate Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins was also in attendance, along with Assemblywoman Sandy Galef, Ossining School Superintendent Ray Sanchez, leaders from United Way of Westchester and Putnam, Feeding Westchester, and DoorDash, and several of the students who participate in the program.

We're grateful for public-private partnerships such as this that help address these problems in the short-term as we work to implement long-term solutions. The added benefit of student participation in delivering food which gives them additional skills towards employment as well as a reality check on what is happening in their immediate world, speaks volumes to the good work United Way leads regularly to address some of our most intractable challenges like hunger.

I’m also pleased to share that next Thursday, October 6, the Ossining Community Equity Task Force will be holding an important meeting on equity for representatives from the Town and Village volunteer boards and committees. The goal of this session, which we’ve dubbed “Equity University,” is an initial meeting to help our volunteer board members begin to explore how they can use equity as a lens through which to view their decision-making. This has been a project the Equity Task Force has been working on for some time, and we hope it will be a fruitful exercise for all of our volunteer boards as the Equity Task Force works to develop a Diversity Equity and Inclusion Strategic Plan for the community.

You should have received a notice this past week regarding the new Westchester Power electricity supply contract, and Sustainable Westchester is hosting information sessions where residents can get the facts about the new contract and ask questions. If you have questions, be sure to attend a session! Visit this Westchester Power web page to sign up for one and/or access more information about the program. The new contract begins on November 1, and you can opt out at any time.

Lastly, a tax reminder - payment for the first half of school taxes are due today, September 30. If you pay directly instead of through an escrow account and have questions or need assistance, please call the Tax Receiver’s office at (914) 762-8790. The Tax Receiver’s office will be open until 6 PM tonight in case you need help. You can also view and pay your bill online at the Tax Receiver’s page of our website: https://www.townofossining.com/cms/receiver-of-taxes.

That’s all for now! For ideas for what to do this weekend and beyond, keep scrolling. A heads up regarding a Town Board schedule change: next week, we will hold our Work Session on Monday, October 3 rather than Tuesday, as some of us will be observing the Jewish Holiday of Yom Kippur Tuesday night and Wednesday. We will see you on Monday, and wishing those of you who celebrate Yom Kippur an easy fast!

--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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Supervisor's Update - September 23, 2022

Details: Last Updated: 23 September 2022 23 September 2022

Happy Friday! Hope your week has gone well.

It has been a busy week in the Town! Last Saturday, we kicked off our Car Free Day celebration with a pop-up at the Farmer’s Market. Pedego Bikes in Croton demonstrated one of their e-bikes, and a representative from 511NY Rideshare joined us to talk about ridesharing options and take Car Free Day pledge cards from attendees.

The Ossining School District joined in the fun, demonstrating a car-lite method of traveling - carpooling - in this video! And seven of our local businesses offered incentives to people who pledged to go car-free or car-lite. Thanks to Mike Risko Music School, Bigfoot Creamery, Hudson Valley Books for Humanity, Logrea Dance Academy, The Tasty Table, Sing Sing Kill Brewery and Family Veterinary Care for participating.

Thank you to Miriam Risko, Suzie Ross and Dorian Burden of Green Ossining; Ray Sanchez, Maria Angelica Meyer and Nancy de la Cruz of the OUFSD; Pedego Bikes; Modou Cham of 511NY Rideshare; and Maddi Zachacz and Jaimie Hoffman from the Village of Ossining for collaborating with me and my office, Victoria Cafarelli and Acacia Mauriello, to pull together more innovative Car Free Day programming! Last year, Ossining won the prize for most signups of any municipality in New York, and we were also acknowledged for innovative programming; fingers crossed we’ll do it again.

If you were unable to participate last week, you can still choose any work day between now and September 30 to take the pledge to alter your commute and have your sign up count toward Ossining’s total for this year’s contest. The purpose of Car Free Day is to reduce our carbon footprint and envision a less car-dependent future, and that’s something you can do any day! If you take a photo or video of your car-free/car-lite travel, tag us (@townofossining) on Facebook or Instagram and we’ll share.

This Sunday at 5:30 PM, one of the businesses promoting Car Free Day, Sing Sing Kill Brewery, is presenting a documentary about another mode of carbon-neutral travel. Windshipped tells the story of the Schooner Apollonia, the Hudson Valley’s fossil fuel-free sail freighter. Entry is free. Come for the informative and inspiring content; stay for the sustainably-produced beer!

This past Sunday, the Town participated in Ossining Padres Hispanos’ 3rd annual Hispanic Heritage Festival. I was joined by Deputy Supervisor Liz Feldman and Town Board members Gregory Meyer and Angelo Manicchio, as well as State Senator Pete Harckham and a representative from his office.

On Tuesday at this week's Board meeting, we held a Town Hall regarding our New York Forward grant application for funding to revitalize the Executive Boulevard/Stormytown Road area of Town. We envision the grant funding would be helpful with establishing new bike and pedestrian infrastructure in the area and zoning that incentivizes economic development, mixed use developments, and “missing middle” housing (housing that hits a range of affordability) while also incorporating open space that is accessible to the public. If you have ideas about how this area might be developed, or anything else, you are always free to email the Town Board at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

Notices are in the mail now regarding the new Westchester Power electricity supply contract, and Sustainable Westchester is hosting information sessions where residents can get the facts about the new contract and ask questions. If you have questions, be sure to attend a session! Visit this Westchester Power web page to sign up for one and/or access more information about the program. The new contract begins on November 1, and you can opt out at any time.

A reminder that the New York City Department of Environmental Protection has been drawing 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. The increased release is expected to continue until approximately September 27th. More details in the message below.

Lastly, a tax reminder - school tax bills have been sent out, and payment for the first half is due next Friday, September 30. If you pay directly instead of through an escrow account and have not received your bill yet, please call the Tax Receiver’s office at (914) 762-8790. You can also view and pay your bill online at the Tax Receiver’s page of our website: https://www.townofossining.com/cms/receiver-of-taxes.

That’s all for now! For ideas for what to do this weekend and beyond, keep scrolling! We are now back to our regular meeting and office schedule, and are also back to hybrid meetings. You can still participate and watch remotely. We will be in person at 16 Croton Ave. Hope to see you soon!

--Dana

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Supervisor's Update - September 16, 2022

Details: Last Updated: 16 September 2022 16 September 2022

Happy Friday! Hope this week has treated you kindly.

On Sunday, the Town and its two villages came together with our emergency service organizations for our annual remembrance of 9/11. We are grateful to the Ossining Volunteer Fire Department for annually organizing this event to honor those lost that day as well as the first responders who we lost as the result of their heroism. State Senator Pete Harckham and Assemblywoman Sandy Galef joined us, as did Chair of the Westchester County Board of Legislators, Catherine Borgia.

In other news, my office has received word that the notification mailing for the new Westchester Power electricity supply contract has gone out. Sustainable Westchester will be hosting ten additional information sessions - eight in English and two in Spanish - where residents can get the facts about the new contract and ask questions.

This is particularly important after a Lohud headline spurred some misinformation about what the contract might mean for customers who remain opted in. While it is true that Westchester Power rates are going up, it is also true that all suppliers are experiencing high prices that are expected to increase further. Con Edison issued a press release last week indicating that they anticipate increased prices this winter; click here to read more about what they’re predicting and to learn about options for energy conservation and managing increasing costs.

In the long run, the biggest benefit of the 100% Green Westchester Power option is reducing our carbon footprint. But another key benefit of the Westchester Power program is that rates remain fixed over the course of the two year contract, which means your bills will be more predictable. Opting out of the program could mean risking big price swings, similar to what some people experienced this past winter. Cost savings in one month could be wiped out by big bills in another.

I encourage everyone to get all of the facts about your options to make the best possible decision for your households. In addition to the information provided by Con Edison above, residents can click here to view the Westchester Power site with schedules for upcoming webinars, FAQs and more information.

Now to something more fun: Who else is looking forward to Car Free Day? We’re kicking off the fun tomorrow, September 17, at the Farmer’s Market with a demonstration by Pedego Bikes and a visit from 511NY Rideshare. We also have some businesses offering fun giveaways to incentivize taking the pledge to go car-free/car-lite for a day. Special thanks to Miriam Risko of Mike Risko Music for once again helping us line up business participation! Here are the first five offers:

Take the pledge now to reduce or eliminate your car usage for at least one day during Car Free Week. Then, stay tuned to @townofossining on Facebook and/or Instagram for additional businesses being added this weekend, as well as all the rest of the car-free/car-lite fun!

If you are the owner of a local brick & mortar business that would like to support Car Free Week, there’s still time to be part of our promotional efforts. Please fill out this Google form to let us know what you might like to offer patrons as a reward for participating and we will add your establishment into the rotation.

Join us for a town hall at next Tuesday’s Town Board meeting, in which we will discuss the Town’s application for a New York Forward grant. For those who are unaware, the New York Forward program is very similar to the Downtown Revitalization Initiative that the Village of Ossining won in the last round, but is scaled down to meet the needs of communities without large downtowns. We have decided to put our hat in the ring for the Executive Boulevard/Stormytown Road area. The Town Hall meeting will take place Tuesday, September 20 at 7:30 PM. Click here to join the meeting, learn more and share your input.

A reminder that the New York City Department of Environmental Protection has begun 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. The increased release is expected to continue until approximately September 27th. More details in the message below.

Lastly, a tax reminder - school tax bills have been sent out, and payment for the first half is due by September 30. If you pay directly instead of through an escrow account and have not received your bill yet, please call the Tax Receiver’s office at (914) 762-8790. You can also view and pay your bill online at the Tax Receiver’s page of our website: https://www.townofossining.com/cms/receiver-of-taxes.

That’s all for now! For ideas for what to do this weekend and beyond, keep scrolling. Note that we are now back to our regular meeting and office schedule, and are also back to hybrid meetings. You can still participate and watch remotely. We will be in person at 16 Croton Ave. Hope to see you soon!

--Dana

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Supervisor's Update - September 9, 2022

Details: Last Updated: 09 September 2022 09 September 2022

Welcome back! Hope you enjoyed your Labor Day weekend. You got a great head start on it if you joined us last week for RiverJam; our season finale did not disappoint. Beautiful weather, great food and beverages, and a fantastic concert - take a look!

If you, like us, are missing RiverJam Fridays, thank Mike and Miriam Risko for putting together this RiverJam video recapping some of the highlights of the summer, including snippets of each band’s performances. They also shared the lovely photo below of all the bands who joined us this year. It was a banner year for the concert series, with no rainouts and a truly fantastic vibe expressed perfectly by the new name and the now iconic graphics created by Brian Sheridan of Hothouse Design, which can all still be viewed at the Ossining RiverJam website.

Can’t wait till next year! If you’re a band or vendor that is interested in joining the fun, you can feel free to complete the appropriate form on the RiverJam website to place yourself under consideration.

On a more somber note, this weekend we pause to reflect and remember those we lost on 9/11. Please join the Town, its two Villages and our emergency service organizations at a 9/11 remembrance ceremony this coming Sunday, September 11 at 5:30 PM at Louis Engel Waterfront Park.

Westchester County and Volunteer New York have also teamed up to create a really robust weekend of programming for the 9/11 Day of Service. Click here to check out the full list of volunteer opportunities. The County is also hosting a service at the Kensico Dam in Valhalla, incorporating the now one-year old memorial honoring first responders who died of 9/11-related illnesses.

Whenever I think about this day - picturing first responders running into burning buildings, putting themselves at risk, to save lives - I am struck anew with awe and gratitude for the courage and selflessness of the first responders who showed up. This weekend, we mourn the loss of those killed on 9/11 and those who have passed due to 9/11-related illnesses, and honor the bravery and unselfishness of those who rose to the occasion when fate called.

Returning to current events: we are progressing in our application for a New York Forward grant. For those who are unaware, the New York Forward program is very similar to the Downtown Revitalization Initiative that the Village of Ossining won in the last round, but is scaled down to meet the needs of communities without large downtowns. After discussing with our grant writer and Town Planner, we have decided to put our hat in the ring for the Executive Boulevard/Stormytown Road area. We will have the grant application on the agenda for public input during an upcoming Town Hall meeting on Tuesday, September 20 at 7:30 PM. I hope you will join us to learn more and share your input on how that area might be revitalized.

Have you taken the Car Free Day pledge yet? 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 we were 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.

That’s all for now! For ideas for what to do this weekend and beyond, keep scrolling! We are now back to our regular meeting and office schedule; we will see you soon!

--Dana

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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!

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

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