TOWN OF TUXEDO

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Agenda for Town Board Meeting October 9, 2024

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Town Board Meeting September 23, 2024

The Town Board met on Monday, September 23, 2024 at 7:00 pm.  Councilmember Dollbaum was absent.

The meeting began with a presentation entitled Police Department Update given by Deputy Supervisor Marsh. He began by thanking the previous Town Board for reactivating the midnight shift of police. The current Board has reinstated dispatchers which frees up police officers to do police work instead of working on paperwork.  The Deputy Supervisor is now proposing that the Town hire 2 additional police officers.  This would make it possible to split officers up allowing for on-duty coverag in each of the three separate areas of Town (Eagle Valley, Hamlet and North) which should make response times better. The additional officers will also help to cut down on overtime hours, which are currently very high! 
Department Updates:
Police Department – Chief Trazino reported that the Renaissance Faire is going well.  Attendance was low the first few weeks due to bad weather, but it has picked up.  The Faire made some improvements to the parking lots and because of these, traffic is getting off the road much quicker than it used to.  He cautioned that Apple Fest is coming up on October 6, and traffic will be bad on that day!
Town Clerk Marisa Dollbaum reported that the DMV mobile truck will be back in Town (at the train station) on October 24.  The truck can handle/process anything that is handled at the regular DMV offices.
Recreation – On behalf of the Recreation Department, Deputy Supervisor Marsh reported that the Fall Basketball League in Circle Field has been a huge success. The league is being run by Ryan McKenna and John Sandak, with sessions on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 5:30 until dark. The plan is to keep it going through October and then perhaps to switch to another sport, likely an indoor one. The Committee would like residents to know that this program is for the entire community, not just Hamlet residents! 
The Fall Festival looks to be fantastic.  There are at least 8 food trucks and many other vendors scheduled to be in attendance.  These include jewelry, clothing, candles and more.  Mighty Spectrum Band as well as Kickin Nash and Hudson Blue will be providing the live entertainment.
 
Plans for a Kickball League have been delayed until Spring as it has started getting dark too early for play.
Recreation Director Metcalf is working on a Paint Party for adults at the Train Station.  It is tentatively scheduled for October 17. 
Tuxedo’s Trunk or Treat (location to be announced) will on October 26 from 3-5 pm.

Public Comments on Agenda Items:
There were none.

Agenda Items:

1. Resolution to Approve of Purchase of Security Cameras – These are for the Police Department and are being paid for by a grant of $45000.  The resolultuion was approved unanimously
2. Resolution to Authorize Supervisor to Sign Change Order No. 1 for Police Station Repairs – These  repairs have already been completed.  The Board was oringially intending to fund the project with  ARPA funds, but have decided to take it out of the B fund instead.  The resolution was approved unanimously.
3. Resolution to Authorize Contractor’s Application for Payment No.1 (Final Payment) for Police Station Repairs – This payment to Tam Industries was approved unanimously.
4. Resolution to Authorize Supervisor to sign Change Order No. 1 for Tuxedo Hamlet Sewer District Sanitary Sewer and Manhole Rehabilitation – This resolution was unanimously approved.
5. Resolution to Authorize Contractor’s Application for Partial Payment No. 2 for Tuxedo Hamlet Sewer District Sanitary Sewer and Manhole Rehabilitation – This was approved unanimously.
6. Resolution to Approve Purchase of Defibrillator – In order to use Circle Field for basketball, Education Law required the purchase of a defibrillator.  The resolution  was approved unanimously with the funding to  come from ARPA funds.
7. Budget Modifications – These were unanimously approved.
8. Resolution of SEQR Negative Declaration and Approval of Purchase of Real Property/209 Route 17 – This is for the purchase of the old Junction property.  The Town plans to re-sell the property  to someone who is going to put a business in there.  The resolution was approved unanimously.
9. Bond Resolution Authorizing the Acquisition of Land for the Estimated Cost of $600,000 -This was approved unanimously.

Town Supevisor/Town Board Updates:
Deputy Supervisor Marsh announced that the Town has received a $125,000 grant for improvements at Powerhouse Park.  He and Councilmember Murphy have met with Senator Skouffis to go over the plans for this property.  He also announced that the Town has finally received the grant money for the purchase of a truck for the Highway Department. 
Councilmember Murphy noted that she and Michele Lindsay have been working on the New York Forward grant which is due on October 18. 
Supervisor McMillen took a moment to formally recognize Town Clerk Marisa Dollbaum whom he called “the glue that holds the Town Board and the Town together!”

Minutes for the regular Town Board meeting held on September 9, 2024 for accepted unanimously.

Vouchers were approved unanimously.

Public Comments:
Irene Denaro wanted to know when the roof on the concession stand at Tichy Field will be repaired.  She was told that Highway Superintendent Dollbaum (who was not present) would be the appropriate person to accurately answer this question.  Deputy Supervisor Marsh added that he was under the impression that the building is not salvageable according to the insurance company.
Dale Mottola asked why the funds for police station repairs were coming out of the B Fund and not ARPA funds? She was told that the B fund was always where the money should have come from and since there were ample funds available, that’s where they will take it from.
Evelyn David wondered if anyone was looking to put a tennis court in at Powerhouse Park?  She was told that this is a “long term” project and yes, that is one of the suggestions that will be researched.
Michele Lindsay said she would like permission to submit the Town’s municipal Orange & Rockland bills to Joule to see if they might be eligible for the Community Solar program.  The Village has already done this.  The Board then unanimously passed a resolution to make this possible.

The Board then adjourned into an Executive Session for a personnel matter at 8:14 pm.
 Following the executive session, the Board voted unanimously in favor of entering into a contract with Claudia Bakhtiary to administer paperwork requirements for the clean energy program at a pay rate of $20 per hour not to exceed $1000.

Town Supervisor Update: Town FAQ (Posted 9.25.24)

This FAQ was created in response to a number of concerns circulating within the community regarding several important local issues. Misinformation or misunderstandings can sometimes arise, leading to confusion about the role and actions of the Town of Tuxedo in various projects and decisions. To address this, we wish to provide clear, accurate, and transparent information. By presenting this information, the town seeks to foster open communication, dispel any misunderstandings, and reaffirm its dedication to serving the needs of the community efficiently and transparently.
Dave McMillen
Supervisor, Town of Tuxedo NY

Q: Is the Town of Tuxedo purchasing the IGA building in the Hamlet as well as the antique store across from Dotty Audrey’s?
A: No. There have never been any discussions between the Town Board and the property owners regarding any purchase agreements nor are their any future plans to do so.
Q: Is the Town of Tuxedo delaying the completion of the new gas station?
A: No. The delays are due to two issues on the owner/developer's end. First, the canopy that covers the fuel pumps is on backorder due to high demand. Recently, the owner opted to modify the canopy's dimensions, which placed the canopy on backorder by BP Oil, further delaying the process.
Second, the owner is installing a fast EV charging station, which requires specialized switchgear produced by Siemens in Germany. Due to high demand, Siemens has a significant backlog, delaying the installation. This equipment is essential for connecting the station to its main power supply. The town has fully supported the owner by promptly approving the site plan and will continue to assist in bringing the business online as soon as the equipment issues are resolved.
Q: Is the Town of Tuxedo responsible for the increase in school taxes?
A: No. School tax rates are determined by local school boards. Each school district’s Board of Education sets the annual budget, which is then typically subject to a public vote by the district’s residents. The budget dictates the total revenue needed from property taxes. Once approved, the Town of Tuxedo’s Tax Assessor calculates the tax rate based on the school district’s assessed property values and updates residents' tax bills accordingly. The Town Board and the Tax Assessor’s office are not responsible for any increases in school taxes, as those decisions are made by the local school boards and voters.
Q: Does the Town of Tuxedo, NY, have any authority over the Village of Tuxedo Park’s decision to build a cell phone tower?
A: No, the Town of Tuxedo does not have jurisdiction over the Village of Tuxedo Park’s decisions. The Village is an incorporated municipality with its own local government and planning and zoning boards, which are responsible for reviewing and approving projects like cell phone tower construction.

Agenda for Town Board Meeting October 23, 2023

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Town Board Meeting October 11, 2023

The Town Board met on Wednesday, October 11, 2023 at 7:00 pm.  Deputy Supervisor Jay Reichgott was absent.

Supervisor English began the meeting by calling for a moment of silence to reflect on the on the escalating conflict in Israel and Palestine

Public Hearing – Tax Exemption for Volunteer Firefighters and Volunteer Ambulance Service: The Supervisor announced that the Town Board intends to implement an exemption at the highest level allowed by Gardiner Hempel, Vice Chairman of the Board of Fire Commissioners and  President of Tuxedo Fire Department, Company 1, said he applauds the  Board for pursuing this action as it is important and helps the department with their need to attract volunteers.  There are presently 82 active volunteers over all 3 districts in the Town and of those, he estimates that 43 would be eligible for these benefits.  Out of the 7 taxing jurisdictions in Tuxedo (Orange County, the Fire District, Tuxedo Union Free School District, Village of Tuxedo Park, Monroe Woodbury School District, Tuxedo Park Library and the Town of Tuxedo) only the Library and the Town have not passed this new law.  Mr. Hempel will be meeting with the Library soon.  
Supervisor English noted that there is also available a $200 annual credit for firefighters who don’t claim a property tax exemption. 
Mr.Hempel confirmed this and said they had recommended that people pick whichever of the two would result in a higher reduction. 
There were no other comments and the hearing was then closed.

Public Hearing  - NYS Unified Solar Permit Implementation: Councilmember Lindsay explained that New York state is encouraging solar installations on homes.  This is for smaller scale installations to be standardized  25 kilowatt hours or less. It will standardize the permitting process as well as the application process throughout New York, which should make it easier for contractors and customers to know what they can expect when considering a solar installation.  Adopting this legislation would be a step in the Town’s pursuit of certification as a clean energy community, which will give them the ability to apply for  more grants.   There were no comments and the hearing was then closed. 

Agenda Items:

1. Resolution to consider adopting Local Law # 5, NYS Unified Solar Permit Implementation -This was approved unanimously.
2. Resolution to consider adopting Local Law # 4, Tax Exemption for Volunteer Firefighters and Volunteer Ambulance Service – This was approved unanimously.

Discussion –
ATM at the Train Station – This was tabled because Deputy Supervisor Reichgott, who has been leading this discussion, was absent.

Monthly Reports:
Police Chief Trazino said that no sooner was the news about the terrorist activity in Israel made public than he started receiving inquiries from residents about  security in the Tuxedo area.  He reassured residents that the Tuxedo Police Department has been training for terrorist attacks and  are also working on streamlined mutual aid between local departments.  The Tuxedo department has a Field Intelligence Officer and is partnered with NYPD Terrorist Division.  Additionally, he reported that he has also been working on improving conditions at the Ren Faire, but will wait and give that report in full at the next meeting.
Councilmember Lindsay reported that she had been working on Community Choice Aggregation (CCA) where they are waiting for the administrator, Joule Energy,  to go out for bids.  The Town has been able to join with a large consortium of municipalities who are renewing their contracts and because they are such a large group, she feels they will be able to get better pricing!  Additionally, she reported that the workshop meeting on October 2, where they covered plans for the revitalization of the Eastern side of Route 17, had gone well.  Plans and ideas for the Western side, where the MTA is proposing a crosswalk and a traffic light, will be covered in the next workshop to be scheduled soon. 
Councilmember May brought everyone up to date on events happening around Town over the next few weeks; the Back to School Carnival on October 13, the Pickleball event on Saturday October 14 (might be postponed due to a forecast for rain) the Fall Festival at Murphy Field on October 21 and Trunk or Treat at Powerhouse Park on October 29 from 12:3-2:30 pm.   Additionally, she is working on setting up a Chair Yoga course at Town Hall, dates still to be determined. 
Councilmember Murphy reported that the DOT had denied the Town’s  request for a school zone, however they will be able to install flashing lights along 17 on either side of the school, so  the Town will work on getting individual Highway permits instead.  She has also been working on Chapter 2 of her recently introduced workbook for Town Revitalization.  This chapter will deal with the West side of Route 17. 
Supervisor English reported that the Tuxedo Farms LDC will be hosting an open house tour of the new sewer plant on October 28 from 2:00-3:30 pm.  This information is important for residents of the East Village, the Hamlet and a few houses in Tuxedo Park who will be serviced by the new plant.  The Tour will be led by the Supervisor and Deputy Supervisor and will provide an overview of the plant’s operation and plans for the future.  All residents would be welcome and those who will be serviced by the plant have received an invitation in the mail.  Next, he commented that there will be an important Tuxedo Police Update at the next Board meeting on October 23 at 7:00 pm.   In order to be ready for a return to 24/7 police coverage they will be swearing in three new police officers and promoting Officer Shiloh to Detective. Finally, he updated everyone on events coming up, specifically a N Y/NJ Trail Conference run on Saturday October 21, a Forest Run fundraiser which will take place mostly in Harriman State Park although it will begin and end  in Powerhouse Park and lastly the Fall Festival on October 21 at Murphy Field from 12 noon – 4 pm.

Department Updates
Town Clerk Marisa Dollbaum announced that Early Voting will start on October 28 and take place every day until November 5th at the Monroe Town Hall and in Warwick. Details can be found on the Town website.  Additionally, she announced that the US Postal Service is again offering 4 free covid tests per family.  These details can also be found on the Town website.
Highway Superintendent Rob Dollbaum reported that he had met with the DOT and the MTA regarding their plans for the railroad crossing earlier in the day  Nothing has been changed since it was last reported on.  He next noted that his men have been planting more bulbs in the berm in front of the train station.  They have also started crushing rocks and concrete at the Highway garage in order to minimize material which is stored on the site.  The work on the floor in the garage is moving along very well and they are currently working on cracks in the floor.  Leaf pickup started on October 11.  There was a dumping incident on East Mombasha road but the material in question has all been removed.  Lastly, he reminded everyone that mulch and stone are available for residents at Quarry Field.

Minutes:
The minutes of the regular Town Board meeting held on September 25 were approved unanimously.

Vouchers were approved unanimously.

Public Comments:
Jerry Mottola complained about traffic backing up through Town during the Ren Faire.  He was told that the next meeting would be the right time for him to bring that complaint to the police.  He also wanted to know how much residents in the Hamlet sewer district would be paying.  He was told that rates are still to be determined as they are trying to straighten out the collection system and its pipes, which have not been maintained well for years!
The meeting was adjourned at 8:23 pm.

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Agenda for Town Board Meeting October 11, 2023

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Town Board Hamlet Revitalization Workshop Meeting October 2, 2023

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Town Board Meeting September 25, 2023

The Town Board met on September 25, 2023 at 7:00 pm.  All members were present.

Public Hearing, Short Term Rentals law: This was a continuation of the Public Hearing from the September 11 meeting.  The Supervisor began by presenting the public with some background information regarding the year-long process they have been engaged in with this legislation.  Initial discussions began on July 11, 2022 when the building department raised the question as to whether such uses were allowed.   Almost a year later, on June 12, 2023, the Board agreed to review a rough draft Short Term Rental Law.  Deputy Supervisor Reichgott took the project on, compiling feedback and comments from Town Board members and residents alike with the goal of presenting a draft in July.  Discussions continued throughout that month, with the Board consulting counsel to make sure that any legal issues were addressed and that the draft complied with existing restrictions and regulations.  A new draft was presented at the August 28 meeting and a public hearing subsequently set for September 11.   “This issuing of a draft law is an opportunity for the Board to hear from the public … and we did!  I think you’ll hear in our responses tonight that we heard you loud and clear.”
Deputy Supervisor Jay Reichgott  further suggested that they had put together the law as a way to open the discussion with residents on the subject.   After listening to the residents who spoke at the first hearing on September 11, the Board was planning to rescind the draft law and go back to the drawing board.    He added that when initially investigating the legality of short-term rentals in Town, the Board had discovered that, they are actually not a permitted use, but there is unfortunately no easy way to enforce that.  In putting together the legislation, the Board worked to maintain a balance between those residents who are very much against short-term rentals and those who think that some short-term rentals would be a good thing.  The current draft law was their attempt at legislating that balance. 
Councilmember May said that she had been surprised to hear some of the comments at the previous meeting and that some people had “assumed malice or carelessness” on the part of the Board because the Board is there to serve the residents. “We did this because we heard you and we heard your complaints. You are our neighbors and our friends and for you to think that any of us would demean a part of town or do something out of malice or distain was really surprising to me because I don’t think that we are that kind of Board.  We work hard for you through our service.” 
Councilmember Lindsay added that the Board had put numbers into  the draft law with regard to days and weeks, but it was only meant to be a starting point for them to collect feedback.  They have been looking throughout the State of New York as to what other towns are doing in an effort to come up with the best possible solution.   They realize that there are short-term rentals that exist and they wanted to try to find a way to regulate them so they wouldn’t have an impact on Tuxedo’s neighborhoods.
Supervisor English pointed out that all of the comments received on September 11 had been critical and suggested that the Town should be adopting legislation to prevent short-term rentals rather than just regulating them.  He summarized a number of the comments, providing his responses to them and there was some Board discussion. Among other things, topics addressed included the recent drug bust that occurred in a short-term rental as well as the existing Tuxedo Park Law, which prohibits short-term rentals altogether.  The Supervisor further noted that the need to update the Town Code was obvious and that it would be the task of the Town Board to make sure that this is done properly.
Deputy Supervisor Reichgott commented that the Town could not simply ban short-term rentals.  Instead, they need to craft a new law that gives definition to what is allowed while also clearly outlining a procedure for enforcement.  They are also investigating the idea of putting restrictions and possible prohibitions on other things, such as advertising, which ultimately lead to more illegal short-term rentals . 
Attorney Amy Lavine cautioned that one has to be careful when legislating the ability to advertise because this could be construed as limiting free speech.
Barbara Vazza  inquired as to whether advertising was something that could get people in trouble because she knows people who definitely are advertising their properties for rent.  She wondered if these people would be held accountable. Finally, she mentioned that Clarkstown, Haverstraw, Stony Point and Blooming Grove have all made short-term rentals illegal and she would be happy to give copies of their laws to the Board. 
Mary Hanson said that she had been walking around her neighborhood with a petition against the proposed law.  She has 59 signatures which is almost everyone
Sharon Radulov commented that based on what she had heard during the Board discussion, she was not going to read her prepared presentation but would rather wait for the new version of the law.  In response to Councilmember May’s comments, she noted that community members had been shocked at the idea that the Board would even suggest allowing/regulating short-term rentals and the only explanation they had been able to come up with was that the reason they were comfortable doing It was because it would not impact the neighborhoods in which the Board members lived.  “That same emotion that you were feeling is the exact same emotion that I was feeling.  I felt that you were not looking out for my best interest.”  She further stated that she would be providing the Board with copies of a laws from the Town of Stony Point, Haverstraw, Blooming Grove and Clarkstown, where short-term rentals have been prohibited.
Bill Lemanski presented a study written by a researcher at the University of Virginia entitled “Rental Housing and Crime – The Role of Property Ownership and Management.” This report indicates  there is a direct correlation between rental properties where the landlord is remote and reported criminal activity.  Further it suggests that non-resident managers may be more likely to ignore things like tenants’ misbehavior towards neighbors.  It also suggests that non-resident managers may be less selective in choice of tenants and more accommodating of lifestyles that would not be accepted if they were next door to thier own residences.  His final thought was that the law as presented is not in the best interest of Tuxedo residents.
Kristy Apostolides commented that she lives next door to an illegal AirBnb and that she actually does not have any issues with it because a management company is in charge of the property, which she considers to be the best-case scenario. Still, she doesn’t feel comfortable in her own home not knowing who will be living next to her on any given weekend.  Thus, she is pleased to hear that the Board  will be rescinding the law.  In the future she would recommend that they find a way to incorporate the opinions of residents into the process of drafting the law. 
Anthony Maletti and Kristin McInerny stated that they felt the underlying issue code enforcement which seems to be lacking and not the law itself. 
Nicole Ramos has big concerns about the draft law.  She personally has stayed in Air BnBs but only ones located in secluded areas so she can’t bother the neighbors.  She feels that Town residents have the responsibility to be on the lookout to see what’s happening in their neighborhoods and then report any concerns when they arise.   She thanked the Board for all they were doing. 
The hearing was closed at 8:04 pm.
The Deputy Supervisor then made a motion to withdraw the draft local law, noting that the Board would  further consider the matter in order to draft a better law. The motion was approved unanimously.

Public Comments on Agenda Items:
There were none.
Agenda Items:

1. Resolution to consider bid proposal for Ford F250 – The Board accepted the bid of Healy Brothers Ford of $68,626.50.  This was approved unanimously.
2. Resolution settling tax certiorari – Upon recommendation of Kara Cavallo of Jacobowicz & Gubits, the Board voted unanimously to accept the proposed tax reduction for Martin Friedman. 
3. Resolution to authorize J&G Law  for 2023-2024 tax certiorari proceedings – There are two cases pending, LR Tuxedo Development Group and Martin Friedman.  This was approved unanimously.
4. Resolution to authorize J&G Law to draft request for proposal (RFP)for companies to provide fuel for the Town of Tuxedo – The Town supplies fuel for Town of Tuxedo vehicles, Police cars, Building Inspector, Animal Control Officer, Ambulance Corps, Fire District, Village of Tuxedo Park Police & DPW and School buses.  There are no agreements in place to cover any of this and the Board would like J&G to put together formal agreements  for business going forward.  Also, the Town has never gone out to bid for the l fuel supply and the Board would like to start doing that so they need an RFP for fuel.  It was unanimously agreed that they would ask J&G to do this work.
5. Resolution to Introduce Local Law and Schedule Public Hearing to increase tax cap – This is something that the Board does annually.   It gives them the option to raise the cap if necessary,  which they hope they won’t have to do.  It was approved unanimously.  The Public Hearing was set for October 23 at 7:00 pm.
6. Resolution to approve Town Investment Policy – This is the model from the State Comptroller’s Office.  This was tabled in order to give the Board time to study it.

Other Business
One Day Pickleball Clinic -  A one-day Beginner’s Clinic will be held at Tichy Field on October 14 from 9:30 am to 11:30 am.  Attendance will be limited to 15 people and the cost is $25.  In order that she be able to effectively organize the event, extra hours were approved for Recreation Coordinator, Kathleen Metcalf. 

Discussion Item-

ATM placed at Train Station – Deputy Supervisor Reichgott introduced this item explaining that since Chase wasn’t in Town anymore, residents no longer have access to a 24/7 ATM.  He has located a company, All County Vending who would be willing to install an ATM on the track side of the Train Station.  It would be for case dispensing only.  The Board agreed to look at a proposal for this.

Minutes:
The minutes for the regular Town Board meeting on September 11, 2023 were approved unanimously.

Vouchers:
The vouchers were approved unanimously.

Public Comments:
Jerry Mottola wondered if the Board would  approve an As-built Permit for his house.  Deputy Supervisor Reichgott responded that he would look into it.

Department Updates:
Town Clerk Marisa Dollbaum  announced that Early Voting will take place starting on October 28 and will be happening at the Monroe Town Hall and Warwick Senior  Center. She further announced that garbage collection would be the same as always on Columbus Day.

Town Supervisor/Town Board Updates:
Supervisor English reported that with regard to the renovation at the Tuxedo Train Station, the project is moving along as scheduled.  Work on exterior woodwork has been completed,  prep & painting is almost complete,  bathroom fixtures are being installed and the new copper downspouts and gutters have been installed.  The Supervisor is looking forward to a ribbon cutting sometime in October.  The Tuxedo LDC has approved a grant of $140,000 to cover this work. The Supervisor expressed his appreciation to Deputy Supervisor Reichgott for his work on the grant. Additionally, he announced that the Town has received a Police Armor and Tactical Gear grant of $3333 which will be used to purchase specialized equipment needed to respond to active shooter incidents as well as other emergency situations.
Deputy Supervisor Reichgott announced that the next meeting of the Tuxedo LDC (sewer plant) will take place on Monday October 2 at 4:00 pm.
Councilmember Lindsay reported that she had met with the Administrator for the Community Choice Aggregation program along with Josh Sherer and Jim Hays from the Village.  Since they don’t think the price of energy is going to fall anytime soon, they have agreed to put out RFPs and are in the process of being referred to other municipalities so they can put together a consortium for the purchase of energy.
Councilmember Murphy noted that she and Councilmember Lindsay have put together a workbook which provides all of the measurements as well as the perimeters for what will be allowed on east side of Route 17 in the hamlet area. The workbook also includes pictures of what is being discussed.  They think this will be helpful for the workshop meeting that will be held on Monday, October 2 at 7 pm which will focus on this section of Town.  The next workshop will focus on the west side of Route 17.

The meeting was adjourned at 9:04 pm.

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Agenda for Town Board Meeting September 25, 2023

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The meeting will begin with a continuation of the Public Hearing on Short Term Rentals.  A copy of the draft Short Term Rental Local Law can be found here: https://www.tuxedogov.org/town-board/pages/proposed-local-laws-0

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Town Board Meeting September 11, 2023

The Town Board met on Monday, September 11, 2023 at 7:00 pm.  Councilmember Murphy was absent.

The meeting began with a moment of silence in remembrance of  September 11th.

Public Hearing: Short Term Rental Local Law-
Supervisor English opened the hearing, commenting that the Town Board has been “wrestling” with the issue of short-term housing.  “We don’t have any set ideas completely yet.  We have a proposed local law but we are here to listen to the public and try to come up with a remedy that moves Tuxedo forward but also addresses the realities of what’s happening in this market with short-term rentals. Communities from New York City all across the nation are trying to deal with this.  We’re going to do our best.  We’re all homeowners and property owners here too…so believe me….I want to try to get this right.  We’re not going to rush through this process just to check a box.”
Sharon Radulov of Susan Court was the first speaker.  She began by saying that she and her husband are whole heartedly against issuing short- term rental permits in the Town of Tuxedo.  While she understands that the Board may believe that regulating these rentals would be better than doing nothing, she feels there is another option, which is to follow in the footsteps of the Village of Tuxedo Park by passing a law to prevent short term rentals entirely.  She questioned why those Board members who live in the Park would want anything less than this for residents of the Town. She referenced several stipulations as spelled out in the Village law and suggested that the Town should copy it.  She further suggested that the draft law as proposed was unenforceable.  She wondered who was going to police the houses to ensure that the proposed 180-day time limit was being enforced.    She feels that the Town should be protecting their residents, not regulating them.  There is a large home in her neighborhood that has not been permanently occupied for more than two years.  The owners have moved out of State and seem to be unable to sell the property.  As a result, they have been leasing and renting it to various tenants including, for a short time, a nursing home. She is confident that whatever time limit the Board decides on, her neighbor will rent the property accordingly.  “If the Town Board allows short-term rentals of two days per visit, that is exactly what we can expect our neighbor to have.  If the Town Board allows 180 days of renting, then we can expect 180 days of transient occupants as our new neighbors.”  Ms. Radulov went on to caution that, in her view, the proposed law was in direct conflict with the Town’s Comprehensive Plan, which envisions a tranquil and peaceful existence in these areas.  She questioned why certain zones had been chosen while others were spared.  She suggested that the Special Recreation Zone would be a more a more appropriate place for this type of thing than the Conservation Zone.  She also feels that the Tuxedo Town Center might be a more appropriate area as it is along the Route 17 corridor and would be less effected by noise and traffic.  “The chosen zone seems misguided at best,” she stated.  Next, she wondered if the Town was prepared to hire more personnel to regulate the rentals or increase the salaries of those already on staff, concluding that if passed, the law would ultimately create a tax burden for residents.  After voicing a plethora of additional concerns, she concluded by suggesting that if the Town Board felt the need to go forward with the law, rather than to vote on it as a Board, they should add it as a referendum to the next election ballot so that the residents could be the ones to decide. 
Mary Hanson of Bramertown Road and a former long term Planning Board member, said she agreed with Ms. Radulov’s comments and cautioned that what was being proposed would change the zoning of R1, R2 and C zoned properties from residential to commercial.  “Think about it!  People will be able to run a commercial establishment.  You are opening up a can of worms.”  She went to express concern over the types of people who might occupy the rentals, wondering how they would even know if an occupant were on the sexual predator list.  She further wondered if the Town would receive any sort of fiscal benefit. “Are we gonna get anything?  Probably not!” She noted that she had been watching the Red Apple Rest fall apart for years while the Town has done nothing about it.  “Last week, a whole side of it fell over!  I’ve been watching that for two years! Does the Town do anything about that?  That terrible eyesore.  No, that’s on the northern side of Town.  You people who live down here, you don’t care!  Be careful what you’re doing!  Why are you doing this and why are we just finding out about it?”  She ended by stating that she felt what was being proposed was very scary and she wondered why other sections of Town had not been selected.  
Barbara Vozza of Alma Court said she’d run an Insurance Agency in Park Ridge, NJ for many years as well as working in real estate and to her knowledge, this kind of property (short-term rental) is very difficult if not impossible to insure.  These types of rentals have been prohibited in many communities.  “The damage that these people do to your home. is unbelievable,” she stated, further suggesting that property’s value would decrease if the law were passed. 
Lauren Miranda of Benjamin Meadow Road wanted to know where the idea for this legislation had come from.
Anthony Maletti and Kristin McInerny of Woods Road who live across the street from an active Air Bnb, stated that they are completely against the proposed legislation.  He suggested that there would be nothing to regulate if they simply prohibited the practice of short-term rentals. A number of communities have prohibited them already and he urged the Town to do the same,    They added that they have seen as many as 9 cars parked on their road in association with the house across the street and that people come and go from there with regularity.  There has been garbage and there have been issues resulting in visits from both the police and the ambulance. “I have children.  I moved to Tuxedo for that environment. Not to have people coming in and out that I don’t know.  It’s wrong and you’re not thinking of the safety of the people in our neighborhood.”
Claudia Bakhtiary of Fawn Hill Rd said she was confused because Air Bnbs already exist in her area of Town.  She was hoping the law would be some sort of tool to help control them. I wasn’t aware that it was an option to do away with the short-term rentals altogether.  She would like to hear more from the Town Board about this. 
William Lynch of Clinton Road read a statement into the record.  He strongly opposes the proposed law and disagrees with the premise that it protects and ensures the safety and quality of life for current residents.  He and his family were attracted to Tuxedo for its tranquility and community and never imaged the possibility of living next to a short-term rental.  He expressed concern over trash, traffic, parking and noise, further suggesting that the residents of Clinton Woods have already been dealing with these issues.   “Calls to the police mostly just go to voice mail and when they arrive it’s virtually too late to be actionable.”  Safety is also a serious issue as thorough background checks are not completed on the individuals renting the properties.  Additionally, there are not regulations covering pets. He urged the Board to be transparent with the community, furthering wondering why this had suddenly become an issue now.  “The Town attorney has recused himself to avoid conflict of interest.  Can all Board members attest that they have no direct interest, rental ownership or investment in an associated company or indirect benefit, potential revenue or business services based on passing of this law?”  He wondered why it was being implemented in an area that should be protected rather than those areas where many of the Board members who would be voting reside.  Has a cost benefit analysis been completed?  Will first responders be available late at night, early in the morning or on weekends to respond to disturbances?  Will they need to hire more officers or extens what are the current Town minimum liability insurance thresholds?  Noting that he appreciated the opportunity to voice his views, he commented that he did not think the proposed law was in the best interest of the Town and that ultimately it would make the community less desirable. 
Jo Ann Tuttle of High Hill Rd stated she agreed with what everyone else was saying.  She reiterated that there are safety and noise issues.  “It goes against everything that most of us have moved here for, which is the peace and quiet.”  There are currently 2 of these houses in Laurel Ridge.  “There’s no way to effectively monitor who, what, when and where these people come from and we don’t know if they are using drugs or traffic drugs!  That’s another consideration.” 
Bronwyn Roantree of West Lake Road expressed her concern that taking away housing from potential full-time residents with kids could further doom the already small Tuxedo School District.
Daria Bekersky of Clinton Rd remarked that she concurred with everything that had already been said, further reiterating that this should not be voted upon by the Board, but rather by the residents who had moved here seeking a quality of life that they don’t want to see ruined by short-term rentals. 
Barbara Vozza wondered what would happen if people from their neighborhood petitioned to form an HOA, and then chose to outlaw short term rentals.
It was pointed out to her that one already exists and further suggested that a meeting be called.
Mary Hanson commented that 2 months ago there had been an FBI raid on a house in Benjamin Meadow Road that resulted in a huge drug bust.  The house was a rental.  “This is shocking for our neighborhood,” she added reiterating that the law should not even be considered.  
Marie Warniaha of East Place agreed with everything that had previously said. She wondered whether the Town Board had considered Tuxedo’s limited police force. 

Some people are asking “why now?” Supervisor English noted.  “Why now? A lot of it has been triggered by complaints that have been received by the Town Board and we’re just trying to figure it out!”  He reiterated that the proposed law is their attempt to deal with the problem and that no decisions have been made.  This hearing was one of the first steps in the process The Board wants to hear from residents.
Deputy Supervisor Reichgott further explained that the Board has received complaints and that they have been looking for a way to rein in or control the existing short-term rentals.  The Town code currently doesn’t speak to them at all.  There is a weak line of defense which identifies the fact that the use is not covered by zoning and therefore should not be allowed.  This has been brought up by the Town’s council and it has been an issue in other communities. “Short-term rentals are so ubiquitous that they are starting to fall under the catch all other common uses to this principal use.  Also, there is some suggestion that short term rental is residential by its very nature and without some sort of regulation on it, it can’t be regulated.”  He suggested that the proposed legislation was their attempt to regulate these kinds of rentals without banning them altogether because some people have said they might be a good idea. 

Following some additional comments, Supervisor English thanked all of those who had spoken before  adjourning the hearing to September 25 at 7 pm.

Discussion Items:
Update regarding Volunteer Firefighters and Ambulance Corps Property Tax Exemption Proposal – New York State has proposed a new law for exemptions for first responder volunteers.  In order for the law to take effect, all of the taxing authorities must first pass it.  Tuxedo has seven different taxing authorities:  Orange County, the Fire District, The Village of Tuxedo Park, Tuxedo Union Free School District, Monroe Woodbury School District, the Tuxedo Park Library and the Town of Tuxedo.  Orange County and the Tuxedo School District have already passed the law.  The Board passed a resolution introducing a local law to cover the exemptions with a public hearing set for Wednesday October 11 at 7:30. 
United Solar Permit Application – a local law entitled “New York State Unified Solar Permit Implementation” was formally introduced and a public hearing set for October 11 at 7 pm. 
Schedule Hamlet Revitalization and Beautification Workshop – The workshop was scheduled for October 2 at 7:00 pm.
Duck Cedar Plaza Letter of Support for MTA Sewer Proposal – The Board agreed unanimously to sign the letter as the sewer system for the Plaza needs to be increased and in order to do that they will need to run it underneath the railroad tracks.
Parks and Recreation Local Law – This is an ongoing discussion. Fees for new construction (subdivisions) need to be discussed.  The fee is currently $1500, but it hasn’t been revised since 1996. The Board must continue to discuss in order to determine what the next steps will be.

Agenda Items:
Resolution to approve RFP for Ford F250 truck for Highway Department – This will include a spreader, plow and salter.  It was approved unanimously. 

Department Updates:
Monthly Reports
Highway Superintendent Dollbaum reported that his crew had finished blacktopping and cleaning up some berms. Next they will be busy with drain clearing and then leaf pickup.  The dirt pile screening has been completed for the year.  Now, they need to deal with the rocks.
Town Clerk Marisa Dollbaum announced the mobile DMV would be at the Eagle Valley Firehouse on Tuesday, September 12  from 10am-12pm and  1:00-3:00 pm.

Town Board Updates
Councilperson May announced that Congressman Pat Ryan would be at the Library on Tuesday September 12 from 2:30 – 3:30 pm.
Councilperson Lindsay reported that she would be participating in a conference call for a Community Choice Aggregation Update on Thursday, September 14.  She will  also begin doing a deep dive into the Town’s monthly utility Bills.

Minutes:
The minutes of the regular Town Board meeting held on August 23 were approved unanimously.

Vouchers were approved unanimously

Public Comments:
Jerry Mottola reported that the Building Inspector had come to his house with a folder detailing all the work that has been done on his house.  There was only one thing mentioned, which was Jerry’s sunroom.  Since there weren’t any other permits or applications, Jerry wondered if he could have an as built permit issued. 
Deputy Supevisor Reichgott responded that he would like  to take closer look in order to make sure there wasn’t anything else but that he thought something could be worked out.

The meeting was adjourned at 9:47pm.

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Agenda for Town Board Meeting September 11, 2023

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Town Board Meeting August 28, 2023

The Town Board met on Monday, August 28, 2023 at 7:00 pm.  All members were present.

Public Comments on Agenda Items:
There were none.

The meeting began with a report from Police Chief John Trazino who noted that the opening weekend of the Renaissance Faire had gone very smoothly with the new traffic guards working well. 
Next, he announced that he is proposing the creation of a new multi-municipality Search and Rescue Team to be made up of members of the Town of Tuxedo Police Department, the Tuxedo Park Police Department and the Greenwood Lake Police Department.  The Town already works with these departments in emergencies but forming the committee would give them the ability to train together so that they could in turn better respond to emergencies and coordinate their participation.  The Chief is looking to schedule the first training with the Forest Rangers in the end of September.

Agenda Items:

1. Resolution to introduce Local Law entitled “Short Term Rentals,” and schedule Public Hearing – The Board has been discussing this law in their meetings for the last few months.  A full version of the proposed law can be found here.  There will be opportunities for the public to comment at a public hearing to be held on both September 11 and 25 during the scheduled Town Board meetings.  The resolution was passed unanimously.
2. Resolution to authorize Town Attorney to prepare bid packet for Ford F250 – This is for the Highway Department and it was passed unanimously.

Department Updates:
Town Clerk Marisa Dollbaum announced that the Orange County Clerk will be bringing the mobile DMV unit to the Tuxedo Town Hall on September 1.  They will be available to residents from 10am to 12noon and from 1pm to 3:30pm. Next, she reported that school tax bills will be coming out soon.  These will come from the school district and can be paid there, but not at the Town Hall.  Finally, she noted that Town Hall will be closed on Monday September 4 in celebration of Labor Day.  Garbage will be picked up on September 5 and  garbage and recycling will be collected onSeptember 8 that week.

Town Board Updates:
Deputy Supervisor Reichgott reminded everyone that the Town Board had passed an “as built permit law,” earlier this year.  When the law was passed, it came with a moratorium until January 1, 2024 meaning that there would be no violations charged to anyone caught doing work on their house without a permit until that date.  As of January 1, the moratorium will be over and after that if anyone is caught, they will be charged whatever the normal fee would be PLUS a $2000 fine for having done work without a permit!  He then reminded everyone that the days were getting shorter and he hopes that people who are out walking will wear appropriate clothing that makes it easier for motorists to see them.
Councilmember Lindsay reported that the Climate Smart Community Task Force has taken the summer off, but they will be starting up again in September.  Anyone who wants to join the group would be welcome. The group is planning for a table at the Farmers Market to focus on recycling and provide information about what can and cannot be recycled.  Next, she reported that she had recently attended a webinar on the New York Forward program at which it had been suggested that when working on Town revitalization projects and the like, the Town should not just ask people what they wanted to see in Town but WHY they want to see it.  The thought was that this line of questioning would yield better information.   She and Councilmember Murphy have been working on the Greenway Study grant and as such are putting together an updated list of current and vacant businesses in Town.  They also had a follow up meeting with the Department of Transportation (DOT) and will be producing a report for the Board detailing what the Town can and cannot do along Route 17 with respect to sidewalks, lighting and landscaping. 
Councilmember May has been working on the upcoming Fall Festival which will take place on October 22. She also noted that she is waiting for one final bill to arrive for this year’s summer camp and then will have a report on the financials for the next Town Board meeting.
Councilmember Murphy reported that aside from the forementioned work with Councilmember Lindsay she has been working with Town Clerk Dollbaum to produce a segmented email list which will allow them to target emails to people for different subject matters. They will be utilizing Constant Comment for this and as they cannot use the current email list with that system, they will be sending out an email asking people to please respond and let them know which things they would be interested in hearing about.

Minutes of the regular Town Board meeting held on August 14 were approved unanimously.

Vouchers were approved unanimously.

Public Comments:
Jerry Mottola expressed his concern that the men working on the train station were going to take down electrical cords.  He was assured that they would not be doing this.

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Agenda for Town Board Meeting August 28, 2023

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Town Board Meeting August 14, 2023

The Town Board met on Monday, August 14, 2023 at 7:00 pm.  All members were present, with Councilperson May attending remotely.

Public Comments on Agenda Items:
There were none.

Agenda Items:

1. Resolution to approve temporary sign permit – Masker Orchards: This is an annual request to post signs directing people to the Orchards during apple picking season.  It was approved unanimously.
2. Resolution to approve temporary sign permit – Renaissance Faire -This is an annual request for 2 large signs to be placed on Route 17, one in Southfields coming South and one in Tuxedo going North, directing people to the Faire. It was approved unanimously.
3. Resolution to consider bid proposal for Highway Garage Floor Rehabilitation: The Board only received one bid for this project from Culbertson Company for $162,821.  They voted unanimously to accept it.
4. Resolution approving Shane Smith to attend Basic Wastewater
   Treatment Certification Course – The course will be held at Jamestown Community College and will cost approximately $5,000.  (This includes room and board for the 2-week course).  It was approved unanimously.
5. Resolution to introduce Local Law entitled “Short Term Rentals,” and schedule Public Hearing- This motion was tabled as Deputy Supervisor Reichgott, who has been in charge of working on this issue, said he needed just a little more time in order to have the best possible law.  It will be introduced at the next Town Board meeting.

Next, the Board went into Executive Session to seek advice from Town Attorney Howard Protter regarding two lawsuits.  When they returned to the meeting 25 minutes later, they introduced a Resolution Settling of Tax Certiorari Claim.  In summation, Tuxedo Farms commenced a tax certiorari proceeding against the Town in an effort to lower the taxes on their currently vacant land.  The Board felt this action was triggered by the additional number of units they are now allowed to build and also because they now have special permit approval.  After meeting with the Town Attorney, the Board agreed to lower the assessed value of the land, which is currently vacant, by $958,751.  Once units have been built, taxes can and will go back up.

New Business:
Porta-potty rental for Train Station/Farmers’ Market- The Train Station renovations are set to begin on August 15 and will last for approximately 2 months. The building will be closed to the public for the duration of the renovations. During that time, the Farmers’ Market will be open and those businesses have been using the bathrooms in the Train Station. The Board agreed to rent 2 porta-potties (one should be handicapped accessible) for 2 months at a cost not to exceed $1000.

Department Reports:
Town Clerk Marisa Dollbaum reported that she has been issuing lots of parking permits along with the usual marriage licenses and dog licenses.  She also announced that Orange County will be holding a Hazardous Waste Collection Event on September 30 from 9 am to 1 pm at 401 Washington Street in Newburgh.  Among other things, they will accept paint, fluorescent bulbs and pharmaceutical waste.  She will put the flyer on the Town website. 
Highway Superintendent Rob Dollbaum reported that his department has been busy putting salt in the salt barn as well as working on the dirt pile, screening material every day and patching roads and fixing curbs around Town.  They have also just finished a drainage job in Clinton Woods.  There is no more compost available for residents, but mulch can still be found in the parking lot of Quarry Field.

Town Supervisor/Town Board Updates:
Supervisor Ken English reported that the renovations to the Tuxedo Train Station would start on August 15 and continue for approximately 2 months.  During that time, there will be no public access to the Train Station.  Progress continues for all three LDC grant recipients, Augusta Properties, Karlyn Realty and the Tuxedo Historical Society.  The Town has also submitted a proposal for the Train Station project.  They are seeking $140,000. Finally, he announced that Town auditor, Cooper Arias, has received the final information necessary to complete the 2022 audit. A draft is expected soon.  Additionally, they are preparing a summary of the 2023 year to date activity for the Board to review. 
Deputy Supervisor Reichgott noted that he had spent most of his time working on the Short-Term Rentals law.  There is still more work to be done.  He also reported having spoken to the Department Of Transportation regarding a request from Jerry Mottola to close off lanes on Route 17 on weekends when the Renaissance Faire is open so that residents can get in and out of their properties with relative ease.
The DOT informed him that this would not be possible. 
Councilmember Lindsay reported that she, along with Councilmember
Murphy and Highway Superintendent Dollbaum had met with the DOT in Poughkeepsie.  She has requested a workshop meeting to go over what they learned and how this can relate to plans for the future of the Hamlet district.  Additionally, the same group met with representatives of the MTA who outlined their plans for installing a signal at the intersection of Route 17 and East Village Road.  Finally, she suggested that she would like to explore the idea of appointing a Conservation Advisory Committee, which is already established as a part of the Town’s Comprehensive Plan.  Deputy Supervisor Reichgott commented that he would want to see reports with all the details of why the Town should appoint this committee  as well as the proposed scope of work before he considered voting on it. Councilmember Murphy spoke about having the Town establish an account with Constant Contact, which is a service that manages emails.  This would be a way to improve communications with residents.  The cost of the service would be $900/year. 
Councilmember May thanked all of the people who had helped with this year’s Summer Camp program including Recreation Director Kathleen Metcalf and her staff, Assistant Camp Leader Craig Jacoby and all the counselors, lifeguards and CITs.  Next up for Town Recreation will be the Fall Festival on October 21.  This event will take the place of Family Fun Day.  The idea is to have an event that will hopefully attract all residents and not just families with small children. 

Minutes of the regular Town Board meeting of July 24 were approved with Supervisor English abstaining because he didn’t attend. 

Vouchers were unanimously approved.

Public Comments:
Dale Mottola commented that she had been in the Library recently where she heard that they were being impacted by commuters and people from the Farmers Market using their restrooms.

Discussion:
Parks and Recreation Law
Councilmember May requested that they defer this discussion as she is the Board member who has been handling recreation and she is currently on vacation until the middle of the week.  The Board agreed to do that but had a preliminary discussion anyway.  Town Attorney Protter suggested that the Board needs to decide whether they want to establish more rules and regulations for the parks and recreation program that is currently in place or if they want to create a new department. They need to decide on what direction the discussion and the subsequent action will take.   Supervisor English commented that he was not ready to add any staff at this point.  Councilmember May stated that she thought the Board needed to be thinking of the future because with Tuxedo Farms coming, there will be lots of new people and with them come new needs for recreation.  Deputy Supervisor Reichgott said he thought the Town Board should work to establish the framework for how the department will grow.  Supervisor English commented that to date a lot has been accomplished with volunteers and seasonal employees and he felt that these same people might be able to help any advisory board that would be appointed.  
The discussion will be continued at the next Town Board meeting.

The meeting was adjourned at 9:41pm.

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Agenda for Town Board Meeting August 14, 2023

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Town Board Meeting July 24, 2023

The Town Board met on Monday, July 24, 2023 at 7:00 pm. Supervisor English was absent and Councilperson Lindsay attended via Zoom.  

Public Comments on Agenda Items:
There were none.

Agenda Items:

1. Resolution to establish hourly wage for seasonal Traffic Guards – These employees will be fully funded by the Renaissance Faire although they will report to the Town of Tuxedo Police Department, specifically the officer in charge of the Renaissance Faire.  The fee was set at $25 per hour.  It was passed unanimously.
2. Resolution to appoint seasonal Traffic Guards – Daniel Francis, Jozef Javorsky, Sean Mallon, John Michael Ryan and John Trazino were appointed unanimously.
3. Determining the Validity of a Petition for a Proposition to Increase the 2024 Budgetary Allocation for the Tuxedo Park Library to be included on the 2023 Ballot – This annual request from the Library simply allows the question of whether or not to pass the proposed budget on the ballot.  It was passed unanimously.

At this point Councilperson May interjected to thank Library Director Diane Loomis for loaning an internet hot spot to the Summer Camp staff for 2 weeks so they could communicate with each other during drop off and pick up.

1. Resolution to consider bid proposal received for Police Vehicle Outfitting-This will include the things required by New York State such as lights and sirens.  The bid was $39,946.72 and it was accepted unanimously.
2. Resolution to allow Tuxedo to participate in the 2024-2026 CDBG (Community Development Block Grant) Urban County and Home Consortium – This will allow the Town to apply for grants from this entity and it was passed unanimously.

Other Business:
Councilmember Lindsay asked for clarification on what is needed from the Town Board regarding the wetlands permit for the Skyview Skylights project, which is currently before the Planning Board.  She said she wanted to make sure that the applicant paid an application fee for a
Wetlands Permit if they were going to apply for one. 

Department Updates:
Town Clerk Marisa Dollbaum reported that she had had a visit from a Sloatsburg Food Pantry Volunteer, who mentioned that they are in desperate need of reusable grocery bags.  For anyone wishing to donate, these can be left at Village Hall in Tuxedo, St. Mary’s Church, Tuxedo Town Hall or Sloatsburg Town Hall. Additionally, she reported that Orange and Rockland has a program which allows them to monitor customers during power outtages.  To register call 877-434-4100.  They will also provide a number for a dedicated line to report power problems. 

Town Board Reports:
Deputy Supervisor Reichgott noted that he had been busy working “behind the scenes” and thus had no formal report.
Councilmember May reported that the Recreation Department will be holding Tuxedo Fall Festival in place of Family Fun Day this year.  The reason for the change is that they want to attract everyone in the community to attend and they feel that primarily those families with young kids were attending the Family Fun Day event.  She further reported that the Town’s Summer Camp program has been going very well “The kids are having fun and really loving it!” she added. 
Councilmember Murphy reported that she, along with Councilmember with Lindsay and Highway Superintendent Dollbaum had attended a meeting with the DOT to discuss future plans.  The Town’s request to redesignate a School Safety Zone has been denied.  However, they were told the Town could put up signs and lights if they wish to do so.  When inquiring about getting permits for sidewalks, they were told that the Town would need to meet state standards and unfortunately Tuxedo does not have enough property in several places to qualify.  Also, the request for a crosswalk across Route 17 at Hospital Road “doesn’t look good,” because there is not enough pedestrian traffic.”  If the Town were to put these things into their Comprehensive Plan, then the State would have to go along with them.  As it is however, the state doesn’t want to put in a Complete Streets program because Tuxedo’s streets are not wide enough.  Finally, they were told that the DOT has no plans for a “Road Diet,” but if the Town were to do all the groundwork and then apply, they might give them permission to do it themselves. When asked why Sloatsburg was able to do all these things, but not Tuxedo, the answer was that because Sloatsburg is a Village (and not a Town) things are different there.
Councilmember Lindsay reported that the Town has completed the investment of Town Funds in Chase Bank Certificates of Deposit (CDs) as follows:
$5 million for 30 days @ 4.69%
$2 million for 90 days @ 4.73%

Interest earnings for the initial 30 days will be $27,050.
The Town intends to renew the CDs upon maturity.  The amounts and maturities will depend on cash flow analysis.

Minutes for the regular Town Board meeting on July 10 were approved unanimously.

Vouchers were approved unanimously.

Public Comments:
Jerry Mottola asked if it would be possible for the police to put up traffic cones on weekends so that residents who live on roads off of Route 17 would have extra space to turn on and off of their streets. This has been hard due to the additional traffic resulting from the Sloatsburg “road diet.”  He was told that the Board would look into it.   Next, Mr. Mottola wondered if the Town would ever consider revisiting the “Town/Village” configuration.  He was told that the Town had been told pretty convincingly by the Comptroller that this could not happen.

Discussion Item:
Proposed Short-term Rental Local Law- The Board continued this discussion.  The plan is to develop a draft proposal for a local law, which would then be considered and the subject of a public hearing.  Among the topics for discussed were the creation of a house policy to be displayed on the property, quiet hours (9pm-8am on weekdays and 10pm-9am on weekends), number of vehicles allowed per renter, the location of parking for renters, number of guests allowed for renters, maximum occupancy, digital monitoring of property and requirements for sufficient lighting in all recreational areas.  It was decided that the Building Inspector would be responsible for doing a compliance inspection.

The meeting was adjourned at 9:05 pm.

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Agenda for Town Board Meeting July 24, 2023

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Town Board Meeting July 10, 2023

The Town Board met on Monday, July 10, 2023 at 7:00 pm.  Councilmember Murphy was absent.

The meeting began with Commendation Awards given to Tuxedo’s Daisy Troop #40264. The girls donated their profits from cookie sales to the St. Mary’s fundraiser for Summer Camp, which helped fund the program for those families who could not otherwise afford to send their children.

Public Comments on Agenda Items:
Nick Balistreri inquired as to the details of the Highway Department floor project.  He was informed that the work essentially entails spot patching to the floor.

Agenda Items:  

1. Resolution to accept Mary Harriman grant – This is an annual grant.  This year it will give $3500 to the Tuxedo Police Department.  The Board voted unanimously to accept it.
2. Resolution to appoint full time Police Officer – The Board voted unanimously to appoint 2 officers:  Savino Catriniti at a salary of $62,844 and Michael Tierney at a salary of $73,342.
3. Resolution to establish Camp employee hourly wage schedule – As an addendum to the wage schedule adopted at the last meeting, the positions of Recreation Aid, Lifeguard, Water Safety Instructor and Medical were adopted.  Also, due to the number of campers enrolled (there are currently 88 campers), they added 2 Recreation Aids and one Lifeguard.
4. Resolution to authorize bidding of Highway Garage Floor Rehabilitation Project – This will just allow the project to be put out to bid and was passed unanimously.

Other Business:
The Board accepted a bid for a Ford F-550 truck with dump/salter/plow at a cost of $91,082.50.  This bid, from Healy Brothers was the only one received.  The truck is ready for delivery.

Department Updates:
Recreation Coordinator Kathleen Metcalf reported that Summer Camp had been operating for 4 days and is going well.  There are 88 campers.  The only “glitch” has been with the Bclutch app which she and the staff had intended to use to track camper drop-offs and pickups. The app has not been working properly as the wifi service in the GGM building is unreliable.  For the moment, they have counselors with clipboards and walkie talkies handling the coming and going of campers, but they are hoping to borrow a “hotspot” so they can use the app as intended.  She also reported that they had their first field trip last Friday, taking 55 campers bowling.  This coming Friday, they will visit The Castle Fun Center.
Highway Superintendent Rob Dollbaum reported that his department has been busy cleaning up from the storm.  Thankfully, there was no significant damage here in Tuxedo.  Aside from that, they are still patching roads in Laurel Ridge and have completed a dirt relocation project at the Highway Garage. Elyse Fuller of 40 Circle Drive inquired as to when and how the Town would be dealing with the the flooding issues that have been existing in her neighborhood for almost two years.  Highway Superintendent Dollbaum responded that he believed the flooding had come from a private residence and that this is what had caused the damage.  The department was on the site 3 or 4 times and the offending property owner was told what he would need to do to clean it up.  “If he hasn’t cleaned it up,” he continued, “the Town is not going to clean up his property or stop that.  As far the berm that you wrote that we never put up….we did put up berms by your house.  You know we did.”

Discussions:
Proposed Short-term Rental Local Law:
Using a law from another municipality as a guide, the Board began discussing what they would like to see in a short-term rental law.  At this point, they are thinking that short-term rentals will only be available for properties with single family detached dwellings and no more than one rental per lot.  A resident will have to apply for a permit which will be renewable annually.  Only 2 short term rentals per person will be permitted.  Further discussion is needed.  Some things to think about moving forward:  should rental be restricted to a limited number of days per year?  180 days has been suggested but other numbers will be discussed.  The full discussion can be viewed on the Town’s You Tube Channel (below from 55.22-.51.28) and the discussion will be continued at future meetings.

Investment Options for Town:
The current Town Investment Policy dates back to 1994 and needs to be updated.  Among other things, the Comptroller’s list of permitted investments now includes commercial paper and the Town policy needs to include that.  Councilmember Lindsay was asked to look into NY Class, a cooperative purchasing group for investments, which the Village of Tuxedo Park has recently enrolled in.  Town Attorney Protter has also suggested that she explore Treasury Direct, which deals with Treasury bills and commercial paper.  Councilmember Lindsay also spoke with Betsy Davis at Chase Bank about certain investments (mostly certificates of deposit) which might be available and has reached out to Andrew Girard who deals in treasury bills and commercial paper at Chase. 
Supervisor English noted that upon looking at the current Investment Policy, he had discovered that the Town Supervisor is given authority to make investments for the Town without any further discussion with the Board.
After a lengthy discussion, it was determined that the Board would take a deep dive into the current Investment Policy.  Supervisor English and Councilmember Lindsay will also meet with Town Finance Director Carey Alley to discuss what changes should be made.  They are hopeful that they will be able to continue the discussion and possibly even bring it to a conclusion at the next meeting.

Town Supervisor/Town Board Updates:
Supervisor English reported that there are two Police Officer in the final hiring process.  The Board also voted unanimously to hire the six seasonal traffic agents. These agents will be used for traffic generated by the Renaissance Faire and will be under the control of the Tuxedo Police Department (although they will be paid for by the Faire.)  The contract for work on the Tuxedo Train Station has been awarded to Tam Enterprises of Goshen.  A pre-construction meeting with Town Engineer Sean Hoffman and the Supervisor has been scheduled for July 13.  Site Visits to Augusta Properties, the Tuxedo Historical Society and Karlyn Realty were conducted and all three met the criteria for the second grant disbursement.  Moving on, the Supervisor reported that the Town of Tuxedo’s checking accounts are in the process of being converted to interest bearing accounts yielding 2.3% interest.  This will be effective August 1, 2023.  The Supervisor further noted that he had toured several neighborhoods to inspect the aftermath of the recent torrential storm and found the Highway Department diligently cleaning storm drains.  The Board is still looking for a contractor who specializes in the relining of sewer lines and manholes that feed the sewer plant. Three companies are currently being considered.
Councilmember Lindsay reported that she had met with the MTA to discuss their plans for a streetlight crossing at Route 17 and East Village Road, which would then connect to one of the entrances to the Village of Tuxedo Park.  She and Councilmember Murphy gave their thoughts to the MTA, who will go back and try to revise their plan to incorporate some of their ideas.  They will then return with a revised plan, which Councilmembers Lindsay and Murphy will present at a future Town Board meeting.  The Councilwomen have also been talking with Senator Skoufis, who is very interested in the construction and funding of pocket parks.  They are proposing that he consider a pocket park for Tuxedo on the property just beyond the Town Commuter lot where the Town’s Christmas tree is located. They will meet with landscape architects who specialize in this kind of park and subsequently present those ideas to the MTA, who would be the ones constructing the park. On July 20, the Councilwomen also will meet with the DOT (Department of Transportation) to discuss a road diet for Tuxedo, complete streets and sidewalks and a crossroad at Hospital Road. 

Minutes – Minutes for the regular Town Board meeting held on June 24 were approved unanimously.

Vouchers were approved unanimously.

Public Comments:
Evelyn David would like to see a stream gauge installed in the Ramapo River so residents and others would have data when a big event like the recent flooding occurs.  Supervisor English told her that he would look into it and follow up with her.

The meeting was adjourned at 10:20 pm.

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Agenda for Town Board Meeting July 10, 2023

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Town Board Meeting June 26, 2023

The Town Board met on Monday, June 26, 2023 at 7 pm.  All members were present with Councilmember Lindsay participating remotely.

The originally scheduled Commendation to the Daisy Troop was postponed to the next Town Board meeting due to the weather.

Police Detective Stefan Christian appeared to announce his retirement as of July 6, 2023.  The Board thanked Detective Christian for his years of service to the Town and wished him well in the future.

Public Hearing
Proposed Amendments to the 2022 Special Use Permit for the Tuxedo Farms Planned Integrated Development:
The hearing began with a lengthy presentation from representatives of Related.  This can be seen viewed in its entirety on the Town’s You Tube Channel or by clicking here.
Brad Schwartz, attorney for Related led the presentation.  The developer is seeking two changes to the approved Special Permit.  The first one is the sequencing of the approvals by the ARB and the Planning Board.  As it stands now, the applicant must get approval first from the Architectural Review Board (ARB) followed by approval by the Planning Board.  Currently, they are undergoing Site Plan Review for the section of the development known as The Commons as well as Quail Road.  The applicant would like to reverse the timing of the approvals with the Planning Board to come first, followed by the ARB.  The reason for this is that they are not quite ready for the ARB review yet. Both the Planning Board and the ARB have reviewed this proposal and both have agreed to it. 
The presentation next went into details for Road Hierarchy and Parking.  The applicant has moved parking to both sides of two roads located around the Commons area (Lower Mountain Road and Courtland Place) which will create more parking space for the central part of the Commons.  In addition, the proposed site plan gives the details of the ways in which balconies and bay windows can and will be used on the buildings in this section of the development.  Finally, the Special Permit currently lists various plantings that have been approved for the Commons and some of them had been inadvertently left out of the final document so now they are
proposing to add them back in.  They are also proposing to add additional pavement types to the Performance Standards. 
There were no comments from the public and the Board voted to approve the proposed amendments.

Agenda Items:

• Resolution to enter into an agreement with the Renaissance Entertainment Corporation – This is the same as last year’s agreement with the addition of 6 traffic agents who will work directly with the Tuxedo Police Department to assist in keeping the traffic flowing leading up to and around the Renaissance Faire.  The Renaissance Entertainment Corp. will be paying for all police presence.
• Resolution to consider accepting bid proposal for Repairs to the Train Station project – The Town only received one bid for this work from Tam Enterprises in Goshen.  The Building Department did some research on the firm and recommended that the Board accept the bid which is for $288,000.  It was approved unanimously.  Councilmember Murphy commented that it has been 12 years since the Train Station was renovated and she would like to see a maintenance account added to the budget so that the station would not fall into disrepair again. 
• Resolution Settling of Tax Certiorari Claim – Said and Karen Haidar had their assessment reduced from $690,000 to $621,000.   This was approved unanimously.
• Resolution to Approve RFP for Highway Truck – The proposed bid package was unanimously approved.  Bid opening was set for July 10 at 12 noon.
• Resolution to Approve bid packet for Police Vehicle Outfitting – This was approved unanimously with a bid opening scheduled for July 17 at noon. 
• Resolution to appoint Summer Camp employees – This set the wages for this year’s camp employees and also set what these jobs would pay if the employees returned for subsequent summers.  The Board approved the list of actual employees and said they would approve the figures at their next meeting.

Discussion Items:

• Proposed Short-Term Rental local law –Deputy Supervisor Reichgott had initially planned to have a first draft of this law ready for the meeting however, this did not occur.  He noted that he has received comments from all Board members and would be ready for discussion at the next meeting.  In the meantime, those present were in agreement that people with short term rentals should be limited to 2 such properties.   
• Consideration for Hiring an Additional Full Time Police Officer –

The Board will soon be hiring another full-time police officer (to replace Detective Christian.  They have a good prospect and will be making an offer to someone who was trained by Chief Trazzino in another community.  They will be continuing interviews as the Board wants to hire one more officer in order to restore the A Line. 

Department Updates:
    Town Supervisor/Town Board – Supervisor English stated that he had no update.  Deputy Supervisor Reichgott reported that he had been working on shifting Town bank accounts from accounts garnering no interest to ones that would collect interest.  This could result in approximately $150,000 per year in income for the Town. Councilmember May reported that 78 campers have registered for the summer recreation program. Of these 59 are Town residents and 19 are from outside of the Town. Councilmember Murphy stated that she had no update.  Councilmember Lindsay said she is working on changes to the Town’s investment policy and hopes to have some suggestions for the next meeting. 
Town Clerk Marisa Dollbaum congratulated all the recent graduates living in Tuxedo.   She also wished resident Freda Sloat a happy 100th birthday!  Next she reminded everyone that Town Hall will be closed on July 4.  And finally, she announced that the annual Fishing Derby will take place at Watchtower Pond on Long Meadow Rd. on July 8 from 9 am –12 pm. 

Minutes for the regular Town Board meeting on June 12 were approved unanimously.

Vouchers were approved unanimously.

The meeting  was adjourned at 9:54 pm.

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Agenda for Town Board Meeting June 26, 2023

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Town Board Meeting June 12, 2023

The Town Board met on Monday, June 12, 2023 at 7 pm.  All members were present. 

Public Comments on Agenda Items:
There were none.

Agenda Items:

1. Resolution to enter into agreement with TUSFD for Summer Camp -The main expense is busing.  Since the School no longer owns their buses, the Camp is having to rent buses which are expensive.  In an attempt to cut down the cost, they will no longer provide transportation to and from camp on a daily basis.  Also, there will be two separate trips to WeeWah each day with one group eating lunch at the beach and one eating at the school.  The resolution was passed unanimously.
2. Resolution to enter into an Intermunicipal Agreement with the Village of Tuxedo Park for the use of the Wee Wah Beach area for Summer Camp – The fee for this will be $5,000 – an amount which has not changed from last year.  Both the Town and the WeeWah will be providing life guards.  The Town’s insurance will cover the camp while they are using the property.  The resolution was passed unanimously.
3. Resolution scheduling a Public Hearing on proposed amendments to the 2022 Special Use Permit for the Tuxedo Farms Planned Integrated Development – It was explained that the Planning Board needs more flexibility in order to make the approval process more streamlined.  The way things are currently structured, the Architectural Review Board (ARB) the must issue their approval prior to the Planning Board.  The applicant would like to get going on the infrastructure for the Commons area but they have not fully completed the architectural plans for all of the buildings.   Therefore, they are hoping the sequencing of approvals can be changed so that they can begin work on the infrastructure as soon as possible.   Then, they will come before the Planning Board one building at a time for approval.  Planning Board Chairman John Banyo agreed that these changes would help facilitate the project going forward.  Related is also asking for a road classification change on two roads located on the outer edge of the Commons area in order to provide additional on street parking for visitors. Ultimately, the Board voted in favor of setting a public hearing for 7 pm on June 26. 
4. Resolution to approve purchase of Police Vehicles – The Board passed a resolution to purchase 2 Tahoe vehicles at a cost not to exceed $100,000 for both.  These purchases were accounted for in the Town Budget from last year.
5. Resolution to approve Energy Audit proposal from The Daylight Savings Company – The contract being proposed is for $6000 to provide funding for an energy audit of Town Hall.  It was approved unanimously.
6. Memorializing Resolution: Opposition to NYS Bill A 02875: Act to Amend the Real Property Tax Law, in Relation to Telecommunications Equipment Owned by Other Than a Telephone Company – The State Legislature is considering legislation to exempt certain telecommunication property from being taxed by the Town.  Memorializing the resolution will implore Governor Hochul, Assemblyman Brabenec and State Senator Skoufis to oppose the legislation, which would result in revenue be taken away from the Town.

Monthly Reports:
Town Clerk Marisa Dollbaum reported that marriage licenses, parking permits, hunting and fishing licenses and dog licenses all expired last month!  Next, she noted that although there aren’t any primary elections in Tuxedo this June, the deadlines for the next fall election have been posted to the Town website.  Lastly, she announced that Town Hall will be closed on Monday, June 19 in observance of Juneteenth.
Highway Superintendent Rob Dollbaum reported that a water pump at Tichy Field is not working. The department will be replacing the pump this week.  Additionally, he is in receipt of a bid from Young Paving to seal and put new lines on the basketball court in the Eagle Valley mini park.  The proposal is for $3260.  The Board voted unanimously to accept the bid.  Next, the Superintendent reported that paving in Laurel Ridge is mostly completed.  They will be starting work on the dirt pile on June 13.  Finally, he remarked that there is plenty of mulch at Quarry Field for residents to go and get.

Town Supervisor/Town Board Reports:
Supervisor Ken English reported that he and Police Chief Trazino had interviewed 4 candidates from the Civil Service list for full-time police officers.  Offers are expected to be made soon.
On Monday, June 12, The Related Company delivered the funds to cover the first three grants announced by the Tuxedo LDC.
The Supervisor has bee working with Chief Trazino and Ren Faire General Manager Buffy Marie Favata to establish a security contract to improve traffic and security for the 2023 Faire.  Proposed improvements include the addition of six Traffic Agents who would work under the supervision at and direction of the Tuxedo Police. The hope is that they can improve traffic flow on Rt. 17A, as well as reduce bottlenecks near Long Meadow Rd. and to ensure that Bramertown Road is not used for Faire access.  These agents would respond as needed to traffic problems at the discretion of the Tuxedo police.  All costs for this security will be paid by the Ren Faire.  Ren Faire will also be contracting with Orange County Sheriff’s Office and NYS Troopers for additional police details.
The Supervisor has also been working with Chief Trazino and Renaissance Faire General Manager Buffy Marie Favata to establish a security contract with the aim of improving traffic and security at the 2023 Faire.  Proposed improvements include the addition of six Traffic Agents, who would work under the supervision and at the direction of the Tuxedo Police. The hope is that they can improve traffic flow on Rt. 17A, as well as reduce bottlenecks near Long Meadow Rd. as well as to ensure that Bramertown Road is not used for Faire access.  All costs for this security will be paid by the Renaissance Faire.  The Renaissance Faire will also be contracting with the Orange County Sheriff’s Office and NYS Troopers for additional police details.
Finally, the Supervisor along with Town Attorney Howard Protter and his colleague Amy Lavine is working to update the agreement with Altice for franchise renewal.  They have already managed to get high-speed internet connection to businesses on Contractor’s Road, an improvement that had been on hold for 10 years!.
Councilmember Lindsay reported that she has been looking at investing Town Funds and, as such, has been looking into New York Class which is sort of a mutual fund for municipalities. Since investing with them might mean the Town would have to make minor adjustments to their investment policy, she has also been looking into other ways to invest the money.  She also reported that the Climate Smart Task Force had met on Monday, June 12.  The Village of Tuxedo Park is now ahead of the Town in garnering points toward certification, but the hope is that the Town will have enough points for certification next year!
Councilmember May noted that she had met with the Seniors Committee.  They are looking for ways to more easily use the Town website.  They wonder if all the information that pertains to them could be put in one place.  Town Clerk Dollbaum responded that there is already a Seniors tab on the website which would be the logical place for that.  She will check to make sure updates are being made regularly.
Deputy Supervisor Reichgott commented that he has been looking at the Town’s procurement policy because there is some confusion with it.  This is a work in progress.  He has also been working with Superintendent Dollbaum and Town Engineer Hoffman on repairs to the floor of the Highway Garage.  Finally, he reported that there was excitement with the police last week involving “bad guys”, speeding cars and maybe some gunfire.  As a result, three “bad guys” were arrested and while that was going on, one person was rescued when their car went into the river. So…a busy week for the Police!
Councilmember Murphy reported that she has been working on the revitalization of downtown.  As such she has put together a document stating which agency or entity would need to be consulted for any of the projects that have been talked about.  She further noted that engineering plans would be required for quite a lot of these projects.

Minutes:
The minutes for the regular Town Board meeting of May 22 were approved unanimously.

Vouchers:
The vouchers were approved unanimously.

Public Comments:
There were none.

Discussion:
Short-term Rental Agreements – It was established in the beginning of this discussion that as the Town’s zoning law currently exists, short-term rentals are not permitted.  The issue becomes unclear because residential use is not defined by a time limit.  Town Attorney Protter stated that in his opinion, the Town should have regulations with renewal permits issued.  Then, they could be regulated.  The Board agreed that they would all do research and think about it before having another discussion at the next Town Board Meeting with the hope that they can work toward passing a local law regulating these situations.  Several Clinton Woods residents were in attendance and stated that there was a current situation going on in that neighborhood that is “intolerable.”  These residents have called the police and tried to do what they can, but they are getting nowhere.  They did seem grateful to see the Board getting ready to enact regulations even though it seems likely that it will be a rather long process. 

The meeting was adjourned at 9:30 pm.

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Agenda for Town Board Meeting June 12, 2023

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Town Board Meeting May 22, 2023

The Town Board met on Monday, May 22, 2023 at 7:00 pm.  All members were present.

Public Comments on Agenda Items:
There were none.

Agenda Items:

1. Resolution to Appoint Recreation Leader for Summer Camp – Craig Jacoby, a Special Ed. Teacher at the Suffern Middle School was unanimously appointed.  He currently does some coaching in Suffern and has worked with Recreation Director Kathleen Rooney-Metcalf before.  Currently, the Department is waiting for camp registration to get underway so they can get an idea of how many counselors they will need to hire. 
2. Resolution to Approve Temporary Sign Permit for the Tuxedo Farmers Market – This will be the traditional sign they put up near the Train Station.  The market will open on June 17.  This was approved unanimously.

Department Updates:
Town Clerk Marisa Dollbaum began by thanking Tom O’Reilly and the staff at Tuxedo Union Free School District for sponsoring the recent Volunteers fair. Additionally, she announced the following upcoming events:
May 29 - Annual Memorial Day Parade and Library picnic.  Garbage pick-up in the Town will be Garbage on May 30 and Garbage and recycling on June 2.
July 8 – Annual Fishing Derby – 9am – 12 noon at Jehovah’s Witnesses building on Longmeadow Road
Highway Superintendent Dollbaum reported that his department had been busy with patching on roads, sewer work, cutting grass, hanging flowers and flags in the Hamlet.  Also,Tichy Field has been sprayed for insects. 
Councilmember Lindsay said she has been working on cost estimates for the Survey of Hamlet revitalization. She further explained that the Town will need a survey for the connectivity and safety plan as outlined in the Burgis Study.  She is also working on getting the Climate Smart Action group representation at the Farmers’ Market. 
Deputy Supervisor Reichgott reported that the new Building Inspector had done an annual visit to the Police Station, Train Station and Highway Department. Unfortunately, all 3 buildings failed to pass the inspection. 
Councilmember Murphy said that she has been in touch with the DOT and started the process of bringing a road diet to the Hamlet. 
Supervisor English stated that he was going to pass on his Supervisor’s report.

Minutes:
The minutes for the regular Town Board meeting held on May 8 were approved unanimously.

Vouchers were approved unanimously.

Public Comments:
Dale Mottola announced of upcoming events: on May 26, St. Mary’s will be holding a movie night on their lawn to raise funds to send children from Town to Summer Camp and on June 10- The Sloatsburg Food Pantry will be holding a fundraiser at the Tuxedo Club.

The Board then adjourned to an Executive Session to discuss real estate, pending litigation and the negotiations in the Altice Cablevision franchise agreement. Before doing so the Supervisor noted when they returned to the regular session, the Board would be discussing adding items to their meeting agendas going forward.

When they returned, Supervisor English stated that he felt                  the Board needed to discuss how to set meeting agendas so that they could effectively move projects forward.  He believes that agenda items should be those things that require Board actions and wondered how they prioritize these things.   He further suggested that items on the agenda requiring any kind of involvement from an outside agency or expenditure of some kind should also include an analysis as where the money to pay for it would come from.  Also, to be considered when prioritizing projects should be whether or not the proposed project would cost the Town more money down the line if the Board decided not to act . 

Councilmember Murphy commented that she has heard ideas and suggestions for projects that would help to keep the Town moving and stable, but she has not heard any ideas for projects that would physically and aesthetically improve the Town, which she believes is just as important.  Deputy Supervisor Reichgott agreed. There followed a somewhat lengthy discussion, some of which got a bit heated, regarding the process as it relates to the Burgis Study/Hamlet revitalization efforts as well as other current projects.  Ultimately, the Board agreed to work together on prioritizing their requests for agenda items and Board actions going forward. 

The meeting was adjourned at shortly after 10 pm.

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Agenda for Town Board Meeting May 22, 2023

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Special Town Board Meeting May 18, 2023

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Notice of Special Town Board Meeting May 18, 2023

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Town Board Meeting May 8, 2023

The Town Board met on Monday, May 8. 2023 at 7:00 pm.  All members were present.

The meeting began with the swearing in of 3 police officers:  Tia Frunzi, Antonio Jennings and Margaret Carey.  This was followed by the swearing in of Councilmember Jay Reichgott as Deputy Supervisor.  Next, Chief Trazino presented Commendations to Detective Stefan Christian and Police Officer Gerard Shiloh for their part in administering lifesaving skills to a Tuxedo resident who was having a cardiac arrest in November of 2020.

Public Comments on Agenda Items:
There were none.

Agenda Items: 

1. Resolution to award bid for Route 17 Corridor Economic Development Greenway Study – Supervisor English read a resolution awarding the bid to Nelson Pope Vorhees (Town Planners).  Councilmember Murphy explained that the point of the study is to analyze and show all the opportunities that exist in the Route 17 Corridor, which runs from the south end of Town through Southfields.  The study will examine and evaluate those things that are presently occurring in addition to any other possibilities that might exist in this area. Through this activity they hope to develop an actionable marketing plan. Councilmember May asked how long the study would take and Valerie Monastra from Nelson Pope Vorhees responded that they believe the initial work will be completed by the end of October.  The cost of the study is $18,000.  The Town applied for and has been awarded a grant of $9,000 which will pay for half of this fee.  The Board voted unanimously to approve the study. 
2. Resolution to approve sign permit – Tuxedo Park Library- The Library has applied for permission to post  24” X 35” signs at various intersections around Town advertising their Memorial Day picnic.  It was approved unanimously. 
3. Resolution to approve form of petition for the Proposition to increase Town Board budgetary allocation for the Tuxedo Park Library – This is an annual request that allows the Library to circulate a petition for putting the Library’s budget request on the ballot in November.  It was approved unanimously.
4. Resolution to approve rental fees for Town Parks and facilities – The Board discussed potential rental fee proposals/amounts.  Some of them are currently mentioned in the Town Code, but the Board feels they need to be clarified and expanded.  Councilmember Lindsay believes that they should add a section about security and traffic control for events and the Board agreed with her.  The discussion will continue at future meetings. 

Discussion Items:

1. Review Energy Audit Proposal for Town Hall – The Board is looking for an over-arching plan for work that needs to be done in Town Hall including analyzing the heating and cooling systems and making suggestions as what could and should be done to them.  So far, they have received a proposal from Daylight Savings, but they are looking for additional proposals. They would like to get a quote and proposal from NYPA.  (Councilmember Lindsay has already met with former Councilmember Bill Lemanski, who used to work for NYPA.) NYPA could not only do the analyzation, but they could manage the project as far as installing any new equipment.  Ultimately, they decided to wait until they got any further estimates before making any decisions.
2. Sam Grant for Highway Equipment – These grants work by reimbursing municipalities for approved purchases after the fact.  9 years ago, we applied for one of these grants but we have not received the reimbursement funds. The municipalities are supposed to purchase the trucks outright, but we leased ours.   Councilmember Lindsay has been working on trying to get the money for the Town.  Now they need new trucks as the original ones are old and have high mileage. The new ones have been budgeted for and will be purchased outright.  Councilmember Lindsay wanted to delay the purchase so she could try to make a few more phone calls about getting the money.  The Supervisor said “Enough is enough!” He feels that the Town needs the trucks and he wants to go ahead with the purchase and if they should get money back e which could be put toward the purchase, so much the better.  .”  Ultimately, the issue came to a vote and the purchase of both trucks was passed on a vote of 4-1 with Councilmember Lindsay voting nay.

Town Supervisor/Town Board Updates:
Supervisor English reported that he,  Highway Superintendent Dollbaum, Deputy Supervisor Reichgott, Town Engineer Hoffman and Environmental Consultant Bill Canavan had met with DEC Site Monitor, Wesley Salis.  In regard to the remediation of the mulch piles, they are trying to avoid further costly testing as the process continues.  Mr. Salis agreed that he would take the findings to his supervisor and report back about options for testing and disposal of the material.  As President of the Tuxedo LDC, the Supervisor has been managing the coordination of the startup of the new sewage plant as well as the emergency actions needed to remediate the excessive infiltration of stormwater into the system. This has involved signing an agreement with InLiner Solutions to begin the scoping/camera work necessary to analyze the storm and groundwater infiltration into the Hamlet Sewer District’s Collection sew er system is currently feeding a much larger than anticipated amount of water into the new sewer plant.  A new vendor, Insituform, has been identified to begin lining the degraded sewer collection pipes.  The Supervisor is working with Engineer Sean Hoffman and expects a scope of work and quote within a week.  Meanwhile, the Highway Department has replaced lengths of pipe on both Mountain Road and areas within Tuxedo Park.
Deputy Supervisor Reichgott announced that the Memorial Day parade will start a half hour early this year with lineup at 11:00 am and push off at 11:30 am.
Councilmember Lindsay reported that she would be meeting with Senator Skoufis later in the week.  Topics for discussion include State funding for Climate Smart projects, a Route 17 Road Diet and solar possibilities in Tuxedo.  She is also working on the upcoming community presentation of the Burgis Plan, which will take place on May 18 and plans to take a table at the High School Community Fair on May 22 which will feature opportunities to help the Climate Smart Task Force. 
Councilmember May is working on a grant to help pay for the sewer system repairs.  Additionally, she reported on progress with the 2023 Summer Camp (interviews for lifeguards and other personnel.  They also had a successful interview for a Camp Leader) as well as the Senior Committee meeting.  The Committee met with Chief Trazino, who came to listen to their concerns.
Councilmember Murphy has been working on the publicity for the May18 meeting on the Burgis Plan.  Additionally, she and Superintendent Dollbaum studied all the sidewalks in the downtown Hamlet area and measured them.  The State says the sidewalks must be 5 feet wide in certain areas in order to accommodate two wheelchairs passing each other.  She also called the DOT to inquire about a Road Diet.  One of the suggestions she received was that the Town should paint in a Road Diet first to see how it works and whether or not they like it before going through with all the additional work involved with widening the sidewalks and putting in the 5 ft. wide spaces. 

Department Updates:
Town Clerk Marisa Dollbaum reported that New York State now offers a one-day Officiant License. If an individual wants to be able to marry someone, they can apply for the license at the Town Clerk’s office.  The fee is $25.  
Additionally, she brought everyone up to date on upcoming events at St Elizabeth Chapel – the annual flower sale will take place May 11 through the 13 and a Spring Lawn Sale on June 10.  Also, upcoming, the Pollinator Meadow Volunteers are holding a meeting at the Library  at 6.:30 on May 24.  They have recently been gifted with 128 Milkweed plants (these attract Monarch butterflies) and need help planting them.
Highway Superintendent Rob Dollbaum noted that his department has finished sweeping the Town streets and that they are now officially clean. He and the Department have been working on the sewer lines.  They have discovered several sump pumps that are pumping water directly into the sewer lines.  Lastly. he and 3 seasonal workers spent a day cleaning up the cemetery in Arden.  This had not been done in several years and people have been calling to thank them!

Minutes:
The minutes of the Regular Town Meeting of April 24,2023 were approved unanimously.

Vouchers:
The vouchers were approved unanimously.

Public Comments:
Evelyn David wondered if it would be possible to have an official Tuxedo Rain Gauge with the findings posted to the website so that people who weren’t in Town could somehow check on this remotely.  She was told that weather.gov (not weather.com) is very thorough and frequently has Tuxedo information.

The meeting was adjourned at 9:45 pm.

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Agenda for Town Board Meeting May 8, 2023

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Town Board Meeting April 24, 2023

The Town Board met on Monday, April 24, 2023 at 7:00 pm.  All members were present with Councilperson Lindsay attending remotely via Zoom.

The meeting began with a moment of silence for Town Residents Stu Turner and Andy Rogers, both of whom died recently.

Continuation of Public Hearing on Sewer Use Regulations:
There were no speakers so the hearing was closed.

Agenda Items:

1. Resolution to adopt Local Law – Sewer Use Regulations: This was passed unanimously.
2. Resolution assigning duties of Sewer Superintendent to Highway Superintendent: This was approved unanimously.
3. Resolution to enter into agreement with TUFSD Board of Education for the 2023 Summer Day Camp – This was tabled until the next meeting.
4. Resolution to approve purchase of BeClutch app for Recreation Dept.- Recreation Director Kathleen Rooney-Metcalf said this will allow them to put everything for the upcoming Summer Day Camp online.  It was approved unanimously.
5. Resolution to enter into a Seasonal contract with Pest Shield – The Police Station is in need of some pest control.  The resolution was approved unanimously.

Discussion Items:  

1. Schedule date for Burgis Study Presentation – This will be an opportunity for Town residents to see what is being proposed for revitalizing the Hamlet section of Town.  It will take place at Town Hall at 7pm on Thursday, May 18. 
2. Recreation Advisory Board – The Board is looking into appointing a  5 member recreation board that would be comprised of one member from each voting district plus one member representing senior citizens.  It had been suggested that this Board could be responsible for all matters relating to planning, policy formation, programming, legislation and use of parks and recreation facilities.  Councilmember Lindsay commented that she felt the Town Board should be responsible for most of those things and that in her view the proposed Board should focus on recommending recreational events for the community and then running them.  It was agreed that this would be an ongoing discussion.
3. Accounts Clerk Carey Alley inquired as to whether the Board would consider reframing their procurement policy as it is cumbersome for some of the repetitive activities such as repairs to equipment in the Highway Department.  The Board said they would think about this and discuss it further at future meetings. The Supervisor also said he would work on this with the Town Attorney.

Department Updates:
Highway Superintendent Dollbaum reported that his department had been busy fixing berms, cleaning sidewalks and sweeping streets. They have also replaced pipes in 2 of the sewer lines in Town (one in the Park and one on Mountain Road.) Additionally, he said he had been asked to move the speed limit sign with radar into Town from the north over to the grass, but the Town doesn’t own the property in question so he doesn’t want to do it.  Supervisor English said the signs were legal in their current locations.  Moving on, the Superintendent commented that he has budgeted for 2 new trucks, which will arrive soon.  Lastly, he reminded everyone that there is mulch and compost available for residents in the Quarry Field parking lot.  

Town Board Reports:
Councilmember May reported that the Town did not get the grant she had just applied for with Senator Ryan’s office to help pay for the necessary repairs to the hamlet sewer system, however she has discovered several other grants she can apply for with the same purpose and all the necessary application work has already been done. 
Councilmember Lindsay commented that she is still working on the energy audit and that she had had a meeting with Bill Lemansky, who is helping her with this. 
Councilmember Murphy reported that she has started having meetings with the County Planner focused on how the Town should proceed with plans for Route 17.  She has also been talking with the Village of Sloatsburg about this. 

Deputy Supervisor Reighgott announced that long time town Building Inspector, Dave Maikisch has resigned.  Fortunately, Al Fusco Engineering was hired by the Town to support the Building Department at the last meeting.  This firm has been doing work for the Town for years so is familiar with what is needed here. Chris Watkins from their firm has been assigned to be our new code enforcement officer. 
Councilmember May added that she wanted to thank the High School for the wonderful Earth Day clean up on Saturday and also reported that in spite of the fact that it had been pouring rain, the annual Earth Day Fun Run and 5K event had been a success on Sunday morning.
Supervisor English announced that the LDC had recently approved  the first three grants that are available to existing Hamlet businesses: : first to the Historical Society who are putting in a new entrance and patio at their new location (former Chase Bank).  Second, Karlyn Industries will be refacing their building as well as putting on a new roof and adding new doors and windows and finally Augusta Properties will be making parking lot and landscape renovations (the old Orange Top lot) as well as adding outdoor seating for a restaurant.  He also reported that he and Town Attorney Howard Protter have been working on the franchise agreement for Cablevision/Altice which is up at the end of the year.  The big thing they are pushing for is internet connectivity for the businesses on Contractor’s Road. 

Minutes: The minutes for the regular Town Board meeting of April 10 were approved unanimously.

Vouchers: were unanimously approved.

Public Comments:
Jerry Mottola inquired as to what if anything was being done with the existing sidewalks in Town which, in his opinion, are in bad shape.  He was told that that the Highway Department would be working on them, repaving and patching where necessary.  Additionally, Mr. Mottola  expressed concern about speeders through Town, specifically traffic coming north on Route 17.  The Supervisor thanked him for his comments.

The meeting was adjourned at 8:50 pm.

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Agenda for Town Board Meeting April 24, 2023

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Special Town Board Meeting April 12, 2023

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Notice of Special Town Board Meeting April 12, 2023

Click here to view the notice

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Town Board Meeting April 10, 2023

The Town Board met on Monday, April 10, 2023 at 7:00 pm.  All members were present. 

Public Hearing – Sewer Use Regulations:
Deputy Supervisor Reichgott led the public hearing and he began by explaining that the Town has never had a law covering sewer use before while most other municipalities do.  Also, the Town has been under a consent order from the DEC and passing this law is a condition of getting out of the order.  There is an addition to the law which states that non sewage water (or inflow) is not permitted.  If inflow is found coming from a residence, the owner will be responsible for paying to remedy this.  A copy of the law can be found here.
Evelyn David wanted to know if Tuxedo Farms would be using this system.  She was told that while they will be, there is a different collection system just for them.  There were no other comments from the public so the Board voted to adjourn the hearing until the next Town Board meeting at on April 24.

Presentation – Hamlet Revitalization Update:
Councilperson Murphy provided an overview of the project to date, detailing all of the things she and Councilperson Lindsay have been hard at work on.  The last of these was the Burgis Plan, which is a proposed plan for the immediate hamlet business district.  The plan focuses on connectivity and covers the area from the lower commuter lot up to the Entrance of Tuxedo Park, then down the west side of Route 17 along Park Avenue and Store Road to Hospital Road. Also included in the plan’s scope is the area down to the Railroad tracks on the East side of Route 17.  Click here to view.

Presentation – Assemblyman Karl Brabenec:
The Assemblyman provided a quick update on what’s going on in Albany with the budget process and then spoke on constituent outreach available from his office.  (They can help with grants.)

Public Comments on Agenda Items:
There were none.

Agenda Items:

1. Resolution to Appoint Part-time Police Officer- Margaret Carey, presently working for the Greenwood Lake Police Department was        appointed unanimously.
2. Resolution to enter agreement with Fusco Engineering to provide Building Dept. Services – This will be an at will agreement with services of plan review, inspection and enforcement.  This firm has the expertise and necessary number of employees to inspect Tuxedo Farms as well as any other building going on in Town.  The resolution was passed unanimously.
3. Resolution Settling of Tax Certiorari Claim – Genesis Real Estate Partners will have their 2022-2023 taxes reduced from $246,000 to $203,300.
4. Resolution to approve purchase of John Deere Mini Excavator - at a cost of $76,613.43 – This was approved unanimously.
5. Resolution to approve purchase of John Deere ZTrak Mower at a cost of $13,331.01.  This was approved unanimously.
6. Resolution for the Town Clerk to put Town Equipment out to surplus -This is the Toro mower which is being replaced by the John Deere mower because they can no longer get parts for it.  This was approved unanimously.
7. Resolution to approve Town Clerk Annual Training – The training will take place on April 23 – April 25 in Syracuse.  The resolution was approved unanimously.
8. Resolution to approve BMI Imaging Services to convert microfiche to digital files – This was approved for an amount of up to $6,000.

Minutes:
The minutes of the regular Town Board Meeting on March 14 were approved with Deputy Supervisor Reichgott abstaining due to his absence from the meeting.
The minutes of the March 27 meeting were approved with Councilpersons May and Lindsay abstaining due to their absence from the meeting.

Vouchers were approved unanimously.

Town Board Updates:
Councilperson May reported that Senator Pat Ryan’s office will be announcing grant recipients on either Monday or Tuesday of next week.  (The Town has applied for one of these grants) She also gave the details of Earth Day events in Tuxedo, which can also be found on the Town website.
Deputy Supervisor Reichgott stated that the water department in Tuxedo Park will be flushing hydrants over the next two weeks.
Councilperson Lindsay commented that she was working on an update of the Town Energy Audit.  She also noted that the outreach in the education portion of the Community Choice Aggregation effort will continue through mid-July, with the opt out period in September and program launch in December.

Public Comments:
Jerry Mottola asked about the Town’s desire to obtain the parking lot adjacent to the Post Office.  He was told that they are not interested at the moment as the Town Commuter lots are only about 40% filled on an average weekday.

Adjournment:
The meeting was adjourned into an Executive Session to discuss personnel issues at 8:34 pm.

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Agenda for Town Board Meeting April 10, 2023

Click here to view the agenda

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Town Board Meeting March 27, 2023

The Town Board met on Monday, March 27, 2023 at 7:00 pm.  Councilmembers May and Murphy were absent.

Public Hearing – Police Mutual Aid – A brief explanation was provided.  Essentially,  the proposed law changes the chain of command for what happens if and when mutual aid is needed by the police.  Currently, if an officer wants to call for aid from other departments, approval from the Town Supervisor is required.  Under the new law, permission could be granted by the Chief of Police or the officer in charge of the situation.  Click here to view a copy of the law.

There were no public comments.

Public Comments on Agenda Items:
There was none.

Agenda Items:

1. Resolution to adopt Local Law entitled “Police Mutual Aid” – This was passed unanimously.
2. Resolution to introduce Local Law entitled “Sewer Use Regulations,” and schedule Public Hearing – The proposed law will cover the Hamlet Sewer District only. The Town is currently under a consent order from the DEC which requires the passing of this law.  Click here to view a copy.    The public hearing will be held on April 10 at 7:00 pm.
3. Resolution to appoint Part Time Police Officer – Antonio Jennings a resident of Greenwood Lake and current MTA police officer was appointed by unanimous vote.

Town Board Discussion:
Councilmember Lindsay presented the Board with additional information pertaining to the Burgis Study.  The study, which is on-going, is aimed at revitalizing the Hamlet section of Town. At the March 13 meeting of the Board, Councilmember Murphy provided a detailed update complete with conceptual drawings. (Click here to view the drawings) .   Councilmember Lindsay suggested that they would be looking to apply to the LDC for matching funds to help pay for some of the projects.  In Summation, they have moved away from their initial recommendation of opening Store Road to two-way traffic and are instead suggesting a walkway along the East side of the road.  They are also suggesting pedestrian walkways along the North-Bound side of Route 1, mostly along the West side of the train station parking lot.  Click here to see a copy of the updated presentation.  The presentation was followed by a discussion during which both Supervisor English and Deputy Supervisor Reichgott provided feedback.  Generally speaking, they suggested that the project needed to be more clearly defined and if it was something that would fit into a larger plan for the Town, this needed to be clearly stated.  They were both looking for more detail.  Following a lengthy discussion, The Supervisor  determined that the conversation would be continued at the next Town Board meeting on April 10, which would allow .Coucilmembers Lindsay and Murphy time to put together some more detailed information about what was being proposed. 

 Department Updates:
Town Clerk Marisa Dollbaum announced several Earth Day Events: on Saturday, April 22, the Tuxedo School District is organizing a Town wide clean up.  This will begin at 9 am in the upper parking lot of the school.  On Sunday, April 23, the Town is hosting  a Fun Run followed by a 5K.  The events begin at 8:30 and 9am respectively.  The Meeting place for both is Quarry Field.  Next, she announced that the Town Garbage collector, IWS will pick up Bulk items every Thursday by appointment only.  To make an appointment, residents should call them at  866-DIAL IWS. 
Highway Superintedent Rob Dollbaum reported that his department would be done with tree cutting by Friday, March 31.  Next they will be patching  potholes and taking care of anything else that needs to be brought back up to speed after the winter. This work will begin on Monday, April 3.   They are also looking to replace a Toro lawnmower.  A new one  will cost roughly $13,000.  Lastly, he announced that since Spring is here, mulch, compost and stones will be coming to the bins at the Quarry Field parking lot. 

Town Supervisor/Town Board Updates:
Supervisor English commented that he would forego his report because the meeting was running so late.
Deputy Supervisor Reichgott stated that he wanted to pay homage to absent Councilmember May, who had done a great job by responding to Congressman Ryan’s call for proposals for grants for municipal projects.  She put her proposal together quickly. In a couple of weeks they will know whether or not the Town will receive a considerable sum. Additionally, he noted that spring is the time of year when Bears wake up and come out of their dens and they will be hungry. He cautioned residents to take down bird feeders and shore up their garbage cans!
Councilmember Lindsay reported that she and Recreation Director Kathleen Metcalf were planning to visit the WeeWah Beach so the new Director can get a better idea of what type of camp activities she might want to plan there.  They also plan to meet with the Village’s Wee Wah Committee so that they can discuss what the price will be for using the facility.  Lastly, she announced that she would be participating in another Climate Choice Aggregation presentation.  This one will be for The Woodlands homeowners.

Minutes: 
The minutes for the regular Town Board meeting held on March 13 could not be addressed because Deputy Supervisor Reichgott recused himself due to not have attended the meeting and without him, they didn’t have a quorum. It was agreed that  they would further review and vote on them at the next Town Board meeting.

Vouchers were approved unanimously.

There were no public comments and the meeting was adjourned at 9:15 pm.

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Agenda for Town Board Meeting March 27, 2023

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Tuxedo LDC Meeting March 23, 2023 

Notice of Tuxedo LDC Meeting March 23, 2023 

Click here to view the notice (complete with Zoom Access information)

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Tuxedo Farms LDC Annual Meeting March 22, 2023 

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Notice of Tuxedo Farms LDC Annual Meeting March 22, 2023 

Click here to view the notice (complete with Zoom Access information)

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Town Board Meeting March 13, 2023

The Town Board met on Monday, March 13, 2023 at 7pm. Supervisor English and Councilmembers May and Murphy were present in person at Town Hall.  Deputy Supervisor Lindsay attended remotely via Zoom and Councilmember Reichgott was absent.

Agenda Items:

1. Resolution to Approve and Authorize Supervisor to sign 2023 Stop DWI Intermunicipal Agreement with Orange County – This is an annual agreement and it was approved unanimously.

Click here to view the agreement.

1. Resolution to introduce Local Law entitled “Police Mutual Aid,” and schedule a public hearing – Chief John Trazino has discovered that there is no State or County law covering this action. Therefore, he and Town Attorney Howard Protter  are recommending that the Town pass this law so that there is no delay in providing or receiving mutual aid.  The Board, Chief and Town Attorney all indicated that they were in favor of moving forward and a public hearing was set for March 27, 2023 at 7 pm.

Department Updates:
Superintendent of Highways Dollbaum reported that his department was prepared for the snow storm expected later that night.  He added that they are currently down 2 men and 1 truck which might slow them down a bit,  but they will get to everybody in a timely manner.  The department has also been busy with their continued work on the rock/mulch pile.  For the last 3 years, they have rented a mini excavator to do this work, but Supervisor Dolbaum is recommending that they enter into a lease/purchase agreement with a different company for a John Deere mini excavator, which will be cheaper.  The payment would be $1000 less per month. He would also like to rent a crusher which will allow him to make gravel out of the rocks.   The Board was agreeable to this recommendation and suggested that he pull together a bid with  agreement so they could vote on it at their next meeting.
Town Clerk Marisa Dollbaum noted that she had “nothing earthshattering” to report and thus was going to defer to the Town Board so that all could get home before the expected snow storm.

Town Supervisor/Town Board Updates:
Supervisor English gave the following report:
Regarding the Tuxedo LDC he noted that three applications for Hamlet Revitalization funds had been submitted. The projects are subject to Planning and ARB approvals.  Applicants are responding to Board feedback and the LDC expects to receive completed submissions at their next meeting on Thursday, March 23 (5:00-6:30).
As President of the Tuxedo Farms LDC (the agency that owns the new sewer plant). The Supervisor has been managing the coordination of the startup of the new plant and the emergency actions needed to remediate the excessive inflow of stormwater into the system, which is feeding a much larger than anticipated amount of water into the new sewer plant. InLiner Solutions has been hired for $62,400 to help with remediation. Scoping work necessary to analyze the infiltration of storm and groundwater into the Hamlet Collection system is expected to begin next week. Highway Supervisor Dollbaum’s team has provided a detailed analysis of where the suspected trouble spots are which will hopefully help to save money and time needed to identify the areas of concern.  The annual meeting for the Tuxedo Farms LDC is scheduled for Wednesday, March 22 at 10 am.  The meeting will be both in-person at Tuxedo Town Hall and live streamed on the Town’s Zoom account. 
The Tuxedo Club Tax Certiorari claim has been settled. The total amount of the refunds to the Tuxedo Club for the 2023 Town and County taxes is $65,851,06.  Approximately $41,200.09 is for Town taxes and $24,651.03 is for County taxes. This is approximately a 47% reduction from the prior assessed values. 
Lastly, he reported that the final payment had been made on a $250,000 settlement regarding the property at 60 Woods Road, owned by Mr. Howard Shaub.  This ends an obligation that was paid over 5 years.  The 2024 Town budget can eliminate this expense line. 
Deputy Supervisor Lindsay reported that she has been working along with Councilmember Murphy on the Burgis Study which offers plans to implement infrastructure projects in the Hamlet Business district that will help with connectivity of the east and west sides of Route 17, pedestrian safety and Increased public parking.
She has also been working with the state agency DASNY to revive the $75,000 grant for a Highway Department truck and truck accessories. Estimates supplied by Superintendent Dollbaum have been submitted and she is working on the next steps.
Finally, she said she would consult the Town’s bond counsel with regard to issuing Revenue Anticipation notes if the Town should be  awarded federal grants for the Hamlet Sewer infrastructure.  She will also discuss Bond Anticipation notes in case the Town needs additional funding for the Hamlet Sewer District.
Councilmember May reported that she had been working to obtain funding for the sewer project from Community Funding Project.  This requires getting letters of support from the community.  She has already received letters from Anthony Davidson of the Tuxedo Park Library, Mayor David McFadden of the Village of Tuxedo Park and Noreen Fennell of the Chamber of Commerce.  She has also written to  State Senator Skoufis and Assemblyman Brabenec requesting their help.  Additionally, she announcd that Kathleen Metcalf, the new Recreation Director, had started work on March 6.  Her hours are 9:30-3:00 on Monday and 9:00- 3:00 on Tuesday and Thursday.
Councilmember Murphy reported that she had been working on various grants.  The tourism grant (for $4950 to fund an outdoor event this summer) is ready to be signed.  The Greenway grant needs an RFP and Town Attorney Protter is working on that and should have it done by the close of business on Tuesday.

Minutes:  The minutes for the regular Town Board Meeting held on February 27 were accepted unanimously. 

Vouchers  were approved unanimously.

Other Business:
Supervisor English announced that Deputy Supervisor Lindsay has decided to resign her position as Deputy Supervisor although she will continue to work on economic development as well as  climate smart and other energy issues along with energy expenses and financing.  The Board has also decided to expand the Building Department so that it can oversee the Buildout of Tuxedo Farms.  The Supervisor then appointed Councilmember Reichgott as both Deputy Supervisor and head of the Building Department. 
Councilmember Murphy provided an update on the Burgis Study, which is on-going. To see the latest drawings detailing what has been proposed, click here.  The Board will have a public discussion on this topic at a later meeting.

Public Comments:
Jerry Mottola commented that it had been his understanding that the Town wouldnhold a public hearing on the Burgis Study before moving forward with anything that had been proposed.  The Board members responded that they were nowhere near ready to implement any plans and that there would be plenty of time for the public to make their opinions known.  Next, Mr. Mottola observed that in trying to ramp up recreation in the Town, they keep scheduling different “runs” (Earth Day run, Turkey trot, etc.) but they haven’t been doing any advertising so they aren’t attracting many participants. As a result, they are burning up municipal resources for small events.  The Board thanked him for his input.

The Board then adjourned into Executive Session to discuss personnel issues as requested by Councilmember Lindsay.  They noted that they would not be taking any action following the session.

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Agenda for Town Board Meeting March 13, 2023

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Town Board Meeting February 27, 2023

The Town Board met on Monday, February 27, 2023 at 7 pm.  All members attended with Deputy Supervisor Lindsay and Councilmember Murphy participating remotely via Zoom.

Public Comments on Agenda Items:
There were none.

Agenda Items:

1. Resolution to appoint Recreation Director – As pre-approved by the Orange County Civil Service office, Kathleen Metcalf was unanimously appointed as Part-Time Recreation Director with a start date of March 6, 2023.  Civil Service has approved the position for 17.5 to 30 hours a week.  Kathleen has many years of experience with sports and recreation programs in Monroe and other locations.  The Town is planning to offer a summer camp program for children The Town is planning to offer a summer camp program for children this summer.
2. Resolution to terminate lease agreements – Painting & Sandblasting, Inc and Engines Plus, Inc. have both been renting space at the Highway Garage.  The Town has decided to terminate these lease agreements because they feel they will need the space to properly service Tuxedo Farms in addition to the rest of the town.  The leases are terminated as of March 31, 2023 and the tenants will have until May 1, 2023 to vacate and restore the premises.
3. Resolution to accept  Municipal Tourism Grant from Orange County- The grant is for $4950 and is to be used to produce an outdoor event in the art and music genre, as well as to establish a list of properties available for filming in the Town.
4. Resolution to approve Budget Modifications- Several budget modifications were proposed by Town Auditor and Town Financial Consultant, Andrew Arias.   They were approved unanimously.

Department Updates:
Town Clerk Marisa Dollbaum reported that she had been looking into upgrading the phone system in Town Hall.  Currently, they can only receive 2 incoming calls at a time.  If there are more calls, they are directed to whichever line is open at that moment, resulting in calls often getting directed to the wrong department.  She suggests switching to a cloud based system with the same company for a modest price increase, which would allow the Town to receive more calls at the same time.  It was agreed that Mrs. Dollbaum would submit the specifics of the new plan as outlined to the Board for their review and that Town Attorney Howard Protter would be asked to review any resulting contract. 
Highway Superintendent Rob Dollbaum reported that his department is still working on trimming trees.  They are also getting ready for the snow that was predicted for Monday night into Tuesday as well as another storm due on Thursday and Friday!

Town Supervisor/Town Board Update:
Supervisor English reported that he has been working with a group that includes Town Engineer Sean Hoffman, Sewer Plant Operators H2O Innovations, Highway Supervisor Dollbaum and Town Councilmember Reichgott to inspect the collection system for the new sewer plant.  This system is very outdated and has not had sufficient maintenance over many years.  The group recently had a 2.5 hour meeting at the sewer plant.  Among other things, they are working on an updated I&I map.  Howard Protter has been working with the company who will come in to do necessary remediation (using ARPA funds). They hope to have a proposed plan with  estimate by next week.  The Board has capped the contract at $100,000 and if the estimate exceeds that, it will come back to them for deliberation.   Councilmember Reichgott added that this would be a multi-year project.  He has also been working on the new sewer law.  He hopes to have something for the 2nd meeting in March so they can hold a public hearing and get the law on the books.
Councilmember May reported that she had been working on getting the Recreation Department going again!
Deputy Supervisor Lindsay noted that she has been working on funding for the sewer system.  She had a chance to chat with the Town’s Bond Counsel at the recent Association of Towns meeting.  She feels Tuxedo might look into short term revenue anticipation notes to pay for everything the Town will need.  The recently passed Inflation Reduction Act has a provision for Towns to get a direct payment (instead of a tax credit) for things such as solar projects. Finally, she reminded everyone of the presentation on the CCA which will be held at the Tuxedo Library (and via Zoom) on Saturday March 4 at 3pm. Registration for the event (necessary to get the Zoom link) is through the Library’s website.  Also, the Climate Smart Task Force will meet on Monday, March 6 at 5:30 via the Town’s Zoom. (Details will be published on the Town website.)
Councilmember Murphy reported having received the Tourism grant and further noted that she was working to put together a project list.   She has also submitted a request to remove the speed limit signs on Long Meadow Road to the DOT. Additionally, she received a proposal from Nelson Pope for the Greenway Study and is putting together a project list so they can get additional proposals for the work. 

Minutes from the regular Town Board meeting of February 13 were unanimously approved.

Vouchers were unanimously approved.

Other Business:
Governor Hochul signed legislation granting a 10% reduction from property taxes for volunteer firemen and volunteer ambulance workers.  Since there was no way to effectively get things in place for this year (the taxes have already been billed and collected in January) it will be done and ready for next year.  The Town supports this reduction for their volunteers.
Abigail Klein was hired as a seasonal intern on a part-time basis. She will be assisting with clerical work for 8 weeks.

Public Comments:
Sue Scher commended the Town Board for getting the Recreation Department rebuilt in a timely fashion.  She wondered if this would be a good time to reinstate the Recreation Advisory Committee? She was told that the Board supported this idea. 
Councilmember May stated that she would like to be appointed as the Board Liaison to the Silver Dollars and it was unanimously agreed that this would be done. 

Adjournment:
The meeting was adjourned at 8:02 pm.

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Agenda for Town Board Meeting February 27, 2023

Click here to view the agenda

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Town Board Meeting February 13, 2023

The Town Board met on Monday, February 13, 2023 at 7pm.  All members were present.

The meeting began with a presentation from the Tuxedo Senior Survey Committee which is a subcommittee of the Silver Dollars Club.   The committee put a tremendous amount of work into developing, distributing and analyzing the results of a senior survey and they have subsequently written a report detailing 27 recommendations for follow up actions that could be taken.  Supervisor English thanked the committee for their hard work but acknowledged that executing many of the recommendations would be somewhat difficult as they are expensive, have not been built into the budget and taxpayers might not be willing to pay for all of them.  He further suggested that a good starting point might be to work with the Orange County Office of Aging to see what help the Town could get from them.  Councilmember May also suggested asking both the Tuxedo and Monroe Woodbury Schools if there would be any students who might be interested and willing to help.  Councilmember Murphy felt it would be good to prioritize the recommendations.  

 
To view a copy of the presentation, click here.

To read a full copy of the report, click here.

Public Comments on Agenda Items:
There were none.

Agenda Items:

1. Resolution to allow sale of raffle tickets by the Onyx and Breezy Foundation in the Town of Tuxedo – This is an annual request.  Onyx and Breezy has been selling their raffle tickets here for many years.  It was approved unanimously.
2. Resolution to approve grant writing services from Millennium Strategies not to exceed $4000-the Town needs to replace a culvert on Benjamin Meadow Rd. which is in bad shape and keeps collapsing (due in part to the fact that beavers keep damming it up!) This grant writing firm was recommended by Town Engineer Sean Hoffman.  The project will cost $239,000 so a grant would make it affordable.  It was approved unanimously.

Department Updates:
Town Clerk Marisa Dollbaum reported that she has received a letter from Woodlands HOA President Fran Liza in support of moving the speed limit sign on Long Meadow Rd. The request will now be forwarded to the County.  Next, she reported that the Town’s Escrow policy had been officially filed with New York State and subsequently added to the Town Code.  Moving on, she thanked Tom Reilly and the TUFSD Interact Club who assisted the DEC in refurbishing and installing a sign by the Ramapo River in the East Village which states it is a public fishing area.  She further noted commented Orange County Clerk Kelly Eskew has published a brochure from the Return a Favor program which contains a list of businesses that will give discounts to veterans. The information can be found on the Town website under the Veterans tab.  Finally, she announced that Town Hall will be closed on Monday, February 20 in observance of Presidents Day.  Garbage pickup will not be affected and will proceed as usual.
Highway Superintendent Dollbaum reported that his department has been working on tree trimming and the rock pile.  They are also working on mapping out the entire sewer system and have discovered several leaks in the pipes that lead to the new sewage

Town Supervisor/Town Board Updates:
Supervisor English reported he has been working with Highway Superintendent Dollbaum on the aforementioned sewer problem.  The problems with the collection system are a consequence of many years of deferred maintenance but they must now be addressed in order to service Tuxedo Farms.  The Town will need to identify a contractor who is able to address the problem and is available to do the work as soon as possible. 
 Deputy Supervisor Lindsay noted that she had nominated Sue Heywood for the Orange County Citizen of the Month award which she recently received.  Sue gives many hours to St. Mary’s outreach and the Sloatsburg Food Pantry among many other things she does for the community.  Next, she reported on the Community Choice Aggregation presentation that was given at the Tuxedo Park Library and reminded everyone  that future presentations will take place on February 15 at the Village of Tuxedo Park Trustee meeting, by Zoom on February 16 at Town Hall in a program given by the Climate Smart Task Force and again at the Library (in person and by Zoom) on March 4 at 3 pm. She has also been working with Highway Superintendent Dollbaum to revive a SAM grant from a few years back.  They need to revive the purpose of the grant which will now be for a snow plow and a sander.  They are working with Senator Skoufis on this.  Lastly, she announced that she would be attending the Association of Towns meetings on February 20 and 21. 
Councilmember May announced that Recreation Coordinator Claire Dougher has resigned as she will be going back to school.  The Board is interviewing candidates for the job.  She has also been working on the Town’s ARPA funds and looking to use that money for fixing the sewage collection system. 
Councilmember Murphy remarked that she has been following up with the Greenway grant awarded to the Town to finance a study on the Route 17 corridor to see what kind of businesses might work here.  She has requested a proposal from Town Planners Nelson Pope for this project and then will be opening it up to other entities for bid.  She has also submitted another proposal to Orange County for a $5000  tourism grant to host an event as a follow up to the Tuxedo Art and Music programs.  She would also like to use the funds to put together a catalog of all the special places in Tuxedo that might be appropriate for film projects or commercials so that they can in turn  be added to the Orange County registry that exists for potential filmmakers to find locations. She has also been in touch with the Burgis group about their proposal and lastly, she has been working on an outline and budget for the Town’s camp program. 
Councilmember Reichgott commented that in working with Sean Hoffman on the sewer problem, he has discovered that the Town is required to have a sewer law but they don’t currently have one.  He has been working on this and hopes to have a draft ready for consideration at the second meeting in March. 

Minutes – for the regular Town Board meeting on 1/23/23 were approved with Supervisor English abstaining as he was not there.

Vouchers were approved unanimously.

Public Comments:
Jerry Mottola suggested that the Town should consider reviving the Ned Northrop award which was established by the 10K Committee and awarded to a member of the community for outstanding community service.  Councilmember Reichgott volunteered to work with Mr. Mottola to put together the criteria for awarding this honor. 

Other Business:
The Board unanimously passed a resolution that would allow for the retention of professional services to investigate the sewage pipes in the hamlet and to develop a mitigation plan for these pipes.  The work is not to exceed $100,000.  The plan is to use ARPA funds to pay for this project.

The Board then adjourned into an Executive Session to discuss leases at the Highway Garage site and personnel. 

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Agenda for Town Board Meeting February 13, 2023

Click here to view the agenda

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Town Board Meeting January 23, 2023

The Town Board met on Monday, January 23, 2023 at 7 pm.  Supervisor Ken English was absent. All other Town Board members were present.

The meeting began with a joint session with the Tuxedo Park Board of Trustees for the purpose of holding a Public Hearing on the Annexation of territory in the Town of Tuxedo to the Village of Tuxedo Park. As part of the 2005 Special Permit for Tuxedo Farms, it was agreed that this property known as Rattlesnake Mountain Preserve would be annexed into the Village, but it has never actually been done.  There were no public comments either in person or submitted in writing so the hearing was closed, but the records were left open to receive written comments until January 30.   Both entities voted unanimously in favor of authorizing their attorneys to prepare orders, resolutions and agreements to approve the annexation. After this the joint session was adjourned and the Village Board members left the meeting. 

Agenda Items:  

1. Resolution to adopt As Built Permit fees – These fees cover the circumstance where someone has had work done on their property without getting a permit and then when the property is sold, the need for a permit is discovered and the permit is applied for.  The Building Inspector wanted the fee to be $2500, but after some discussion, it was agreed that it would be $2000.  This was passed unanimously.
2. Resolution to adopt Fire Inspection fees (Return or Reinspection) – These fees come into play when someone makes an appointment for an inspection and then cancels the appointment without notice.  It was agreed that the fee would be the amount of the original fee.  This was passed unanimously.
3. Resolution to adopt Escrow fees – In accordance with the Escrow law passed on 12/28/22, the following fees were agreed upon:

Escrow-Private Residential Projects-$5000 (Planning Board)
Escrow-Commercial Projects/Major Subdivisions -$10,000 (Planning             Bd)
Escrow-Techinical Advisory Committee (TAC) meeting-$550 (Planning Bd)
Escrow-Private Residential Projects-$1000 (ZBA)
         Escrow-Commerci al Projects-$5000 (ZBA)
These fees were agreed upon and the resolution passed unanimously.

Department Updates:
Highway Superintendent Dollbaum reported that his department is plowing and salting the roads as necessary.  They are in the middle of tree pruning and trimming and are currently working in the Laurel Ridge area.  Finally, work on the rock pile at the Highway garage is ongoing. 

Town Board Updates:
Deputy Supervisor Lindsay gave an account of the Hamlet Revitalization LDC Information meeting that was held on January 17.  The meeting was well attended and the Committee expects to see several applications for the available grants.  On January 23, the Silver Dollars met and heard a presentation from Jeff Demansky on the Community Choice Aggregation project.  Future meeting dates are as follows:
   February 9, 7 pm at Tuxedo Park Library (in person and via the Library’s Zoom)
   February 16 - 7pm, the Climate Smart Task Force, a joint committee from both the Town and Village, will hold a meeting via the Town’s Zoom
   March 4, 3 pm at Tuxedo Park Library (in person and via the Library’s Zoom)
Councilperson May reported that she had attended the Town Bonfire on January 21 and it was both fun and well attended.
Councilperson Murphy reported that she is working on the “grant portal” for the Town and is trying to put together an economic study of the Corridor.  She has applied for a $4999 grant and wants to put together a digital list of all properties available in the Town that could be used for films. She is also working with the Orange County Arts Council to put together a program for Tuxedo Art and Music at Powerhouse Park.

Minutes: The minutes for regular Town Board meeting held on January 9 were approved unanimously.

Vouchers were approved unanimously

Public Comments:
Dale Mottola said that she attended the Bonfire held at Powerhouse Park on Saturday night and the walk between the parking lot and the field was very dark.  She was told that the lights had not been working properly.

Other Business:
Deputy Supervisor Lindsay reported receiving a proposal for electricity from New York Power Authority but its only good for a week.  She was thinking about trying for an extension on the proposal.  She was told that they Power Authority puts  out a new proposal every week so they decided to wait until the next proposal.

The meeting was adjourned into an Executive Session to discuss personnel at 8:40 pm.    When they came out of the session, no action was taken and the meeting was adjourned at 9:54 pm.

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Notice of Special Town Board Meeting January 26, 2023

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Agenda for Town Board Meeting January 23, 2023

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Town Board Workshop January 11, 2023 

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Town Board Meeting January 9, 2023

The Town Board met on Monday, January 9, 2023 at 7 pm.  All members were present with Councilmembers May and Murphy attending via Zoom.

Public Comment on Agenda Items:
There was none.

Agenda Items:
   Resolution approving Supervisor to sign Rockland Paramedics, Inc. contract – The total contract price is $750,358.50 with $654,306 being the cost of the paramedic.  It was explained that this sizeable increase is due to wages and insurance.  The Corps has been covering some of these expenses with their surplus fund, but that has run out.  The $654,306 charge is payable in monthly payments of $54,525. It is a 2 year contract. This was approved unanimously.
   Town Reorganization – Following some discussion and a few minor changes, the Board voted unanimously in favor of approving the Reorganization document .  Details are as follows:

The following appointments were made by Supervisor English:

 Additionally, the following positions/salaries were approved:

Department Reports:
Town Clerk Marisa Dollbaum stated that the dumpsters located at Quarry Field and Murphy Field are overflowing.  She will look into the possibility of getting additional or larger dumpsters and report back.  Additionally, she announced that the Town will hold a bonfire (of old Christmas trees) on January 21 at 6pm at Powerhouse Park.  The last pickup of trees will be on January 20.  Weather permitting, ice skating will be available and there will be a food truck from The Hungarian Hotspot!
Highway Superintendent Rob Dollbaum reported that the Department will be picking up old Christmas trees through January 20. They have also been doing tree work on Warwick Brook Road and will move next to Laurel Ridge. Lastly, he announced that the new Sewer Plant will be hooked up on January 11!!!

Town Supervisor/Town Board Updates:
Supervisor English reiterated that the Sewer Plant will be operational on Wednesday, January 11. Next, he announced that the Hamlet LDC would be holding a meeting on January 17 at 7 pm.  Town Businesses interested in applying for grants should attend to get details. 
Deputy Supervisor Lindsay reported that at a recent Village of Tuxedo Park Climate Smart meeting, she learned that the Village has obtained electricity from the NY Power Authority for their municipal buildings. They are also looking into using heat pumps for there.  Next, she noted that the Community Choice Aggregation program has moved into the public outreach phase. There will be meetings for interested residents on February 9 and March 4 at the Tuxedo Park Library.  Both meetings are scheduled for 7 pm.  There will also be a meeting at Town Hall on March16 which will be available via the Town’s Zoom. 
Councilmember May reported that Gardiner Hempel is looking into the recently passed law allowing for tax reductions for resident volunteers of the Fire Department.  She asked about the NYS cannabis laws and wondered if the Board should be taking any additional action?  Town Attorney Protter responded that cannabis can now be legally sold at a dispensary.  The Town does not have to do anything else at this time.  Any dispensaries will be subject to New York State regulations.  Finally, Councilmember May reported that she and Councilmember Murphy have been working with Recreation Coordinator Claire Doughey on creating a Town Calendar of events.
Councilmember Reichgott  spoke about the Tuxedo Bag Project, started by some TPS students for the purpose of collecting reusable grocery bags to be donated to the Sloatsburg Food Pantry.  These can be left in boxes available at the Tuxedo Town Hall, the Tuxedo Park Village Office, the Sloatsburg Town Hall and  the Clubhouse at the Woodlands. 
Councilmember Murphy has written a public relations article about Tuxedo Farms and submitted it to Related for approval.  She will be sending it out for publication in various places in the near future. 

Minutes for the regular meeting held on December 28 were approved unanimously.

Vouchers were approved unanimously.

Public Comments:
Jerry Mottola inquired as to when the Cablevision contract would be up.  He was told at the end of 2023.  It doesn’t look like there are any viable alternatives available for the Town.  Highway Superintendent Dollbaum added that Cablevision has never supplied service to any of the businesses on Contractor’s Road and all of them would like to have that option! Mr. Dollbaum suggested that the Town consider putting pressure on Cablevision to  hook up those businesses when the contract renewal is being discussed.
Dale Mottola commented that it seems to her as though the garbage company is “double dipping.” as the Town already pays for glass recycling in the contract and now they are charging us for dumpsters to collect it in.  This will be discussed with IWS. 

The meeting was adjourned at 8:15pm.

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Agenda for Town Board Meeting January 9, 2023

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Notice of Town Board Workshop January 11, 2023 

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Tuxedo Town Board Applauds New Police Officer and Plans Path to Community Choice Aggregation

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Notice of Special Tuxedo Farms LDC Board Meeting January 4, 2023

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Town Board Meeting December 28, 2022

The Town Board met on Wednesday, December 28, 2022 at 7 pm.  All members were present with Deputy Supervisor Lindsay and Councilmember Murphy attending via Zoom. 

Public Hearing – Establishing an Escrow Policy and Its Administration- Town Attorney Howard Protter gave a brief explanation of the law.  There were no comments so the public hearing was closed.

Public Comment on Agenda Items:
There were none.

Agenda Items  

1. Resolution to appoint a full-time police officer – Tia Frunzi, a Sullivan County Sheriff was unanimously appointed.  Police Chief Trazino enthusiastically endorsed this appointment.
2. Resolution to approve equipment purchase for Police Department – at Chief Trazino’s request, the Town is replacing all of the departments’ firearms which are all quite old.  The cost for the guns is $8,518.72.  There will be an anticipated credit for trading in the old guns which should be $3,055.00 making the final cost an anticipated $5,463.72.  The resolution was passed unanimously.
3. Warwick Humane Society contract -This remains the same with the exception that the per diem fee for boarding an animal went to $25 from $20.  It was approved unanimously.
4. 2023 Refuse Contracts – As usual, two companies received approval…IWS (29 trucks) $5800 and Sterling Carting (4 trucks) $800 This was approved unanimously.
5. Resolution to adopt Introductory Local Law “Establishing an Escrow Policy and Its Administration,” – This resolution was passed unanimously.

Department Updates:
Highway Superintendent Dollbaum announced that his Department is collecting Christmas trees for their annual bonfire. Next, he inquired as to what someone should do if they have a stray dog or cat to be picked up?  He was told that they should call the police who would take it from there. 
Town Clerk Marisa Dollbaum advised that the IWS pickup service for the week of January 2 will be Tuesday pickup for garbage and Friday pickup for both garbage and recycling. 

Town Supervisor/Town Board Updates:
Supervisor English reported that he had been busy with recruitment and hiring having just hired a new, full-time police officer and also interviewing a prospective planning board member earlier in the evening to fill the sear recently vacated by Kristy Apostolides, who has resigned her position on the Board.  He also announced that the next Town Board meeting will take place on January 9.  On January 17 at 6:30 pm, there will be an information session for local businesses (in the Hamlet district) given by the LDC for Hamlet revitalization.
Deputy Supervisor Lindsay remarked that the Town is now in the public outreach portion of the Community Choice Aggregation process.  Meetings are being scheduled at the Tuxedo Park Library, as well as in  the Woodlands and one for Silver Dollars members.   She hopes to have these meeting dates finalized by the end of the week. Once finalized, they will be posted on the Town website.
Councilmember May reported that she met with the town bookkeeper and discovered that the Town has $237,987 leftover in ARPA funds.  She stated that she had recently taken a look at the sidewalks in Town which she believes are not in good shape and need to be repaired.  She suggests that the funds be utilized for this project which was estimated to be $394,000 the last time a quote was received.  It was pointed out that the Town has also discussed using these funds to replace the HVAC system in Town Hall.  A meeting with the Burgis group to discuss their ideas for the Hamlet district will be scheduled and it is anticipated that this will take place at the second meeting in January. 
Councilmember Reichgott noted that he had nothing pressing to report and wished everyone a Happy and Healthy New Year.
Councilmember Murphy commented that the Town’s Holiday Concert at St. Mary’s on December 17 was a big success.   Roughly 75 people attended and $700 was raised for the Sloatsburg Food Pantry.

Miniutes:
The minutes for the December 12 Town Board meeting were accepted and approved unanimously.

Vouchers:
Were approved unanimously.

Other Business:
The Board adjourned into an executive session to discuss the Planning Board candidate.   They returned 5 minutes later and appointed Susan Reif to a new 5-year term beginning on 1/1/23 and running through 12/31/27.

The meeting was adjourned at 8:34.

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Agenda for Town Board Meeting December 28, 2022

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Town Board Meeting December 12, 2022

The Town Board met on Monday, December 12, 2022 at 7:00 pm.  All members were present.

Public Comments on Agenda Items:
There were none.

Agenda Items:

• Resolution to introduce draft local law entitled “Escrow Policy,” and set public hearing -This policy will enable the Town to collect money from applicants looking to build in the Town. When many of these projects go to the Planning or Zoning Boards, the Town has to hire consultants to help with the oversight.  These can include the Town Engineer, the Town Planner, the Town Attorneys, architectural advisors, etc.  The new law will allow the Town collect some money up front so that the consultants can be paid and thus go to work.  The public hearing was set for December 28 at 7:00 pm. 
• Resolution approving towing license applications for 2023 – The following submitted applications and paid the required fee:  NJV Auto, Apple Auto Body, Loyal Tire and Auto, Itzy’s Collision and Freeman’s Auto Service. They will be added to the on-call rotation for when someone needs towing services and doesn’t know who to call. 

Monthly Reports:
Town Clerk Marisa Dollbaum announced that the Town Menorrah Lighting will take place on Thursday, December 22 at 6 pm with a reception to follow.  She also reported that the Electronic Recycling event at the Highway Department is ongoing.  They will accept all electronics except tvs.  There are several places that will accept tvs in Orange County but all involve a fee.  Finally, she said that the Town & County tax bills are being printed.  They will go in the mail as soon as she receives them from the County.  The Town can begin receiving taxes on December 28.  Payment can be made in person at Town Hall, by mail or online via the Town website. 
Highway Superintendent Rob Dollbaum reported that his department had been out plowing snow.  He further reminded everyone that they will continue picking up leaves up until December 15.
Town Supervisor/Town Board Update:
Supervisor English reported that on Wednesday, December 13 he and Police Chief Trazino would be interviewing two candidates for the position of full time police officer.  The Supervisor  also met with Superintendent Dollbaum and Town Engineer Sean Hoffman at the train station to discuss repairs that are needed to be made to that building.  They are working on an RFP for that project.  Finally, he noted that the Town LDC grant orientation for businesses interested in grants would be held on January 17 in Town Hall. 
Deputy Supervisor Lindsay stated that the Climate Smart Aggregation is now in the rollout stage with meetings to be held in Town in January and February.  She also reported participating in a County wide Climate Smart meeting on November 30.
Councilmember May said that she was still working on the ARPA funds.  Councilmember Murphy reported that everything was still on track for the Town’s Holiday Concert scheduled for December 17 but the time has been switched from 4 to 4:30pm.  The concert and a reception to follow will be held at St. Mary’s Church.  Moving on, she further reported that she had received a letter from the State DOT denying her request to lower the speed limit on Longmeadow Rd.  She also noted that she had received the requested letter from the TUFSD Board of Education regarding establishment of a School Zone so she will forward it to the State DOT.  She and Deputy Supervisor Lindsay met with representatives from the Orange County Partnership. They showed them Town owned properties around Town which are available to be developed.  Orange County Partnership will try to come up with ideas for the various properties and recommend people who might be interested in doing some of these things.  Lastly, she reported that she had finished writing a press release on Tuxedo Farms and sent it to Related for their approval prior to releasing it to local press. 
Councilmember Reichgott had nothing to report.

Minutes:
The minutes for the regular Town Board meeting held on November 28 were approved unanimously.

Vouchers:
The vouchers were approved unanimously.

Public Comments:
Speaking for the Chamber of Commerce, Jerry Mottola thanked Highway Superintendent Dollbaum and his crew for their help in decorating the Train Station.

Other Business:

• a Resolution to approve Town Engineer Sean Hoffman’s work list for the Train Station and authorizing him to put a bid package together was approved unanimously.
• Sue Scher reported having received 178 responses to the survey sent out to Seniors in Town.  She will have a report by the end of January.

The Board then adjourned into an Executive Session to discuss compensation for employees.  This has to do with the Reorganization which will happen next month.

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Agenda for Town Board Meeting December 12, 2022

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Town Board Meeting November 28, 2022

The Town Board met on Monday, November 28, 2022 at 7:00 pm.  All members were present with Supervisor English and Councilmember May attending via Zoom. 

Public Comment on Agenda Items:
There was none.

Agenda Items:

1. Resolution to approve equipment purchase for Police Department – The Department has re    quested Live Scan equipment and software for arrest processing.  This system can send finger prints and mug shots to State and Federal Departments digitally and get a response in a couple of hours.  Lt. Norton was given kudos for doing the research on the subject and then applying for and receiving a $15,000 grant, which will pay for the technology.  An additional $20,000 will be needed for the equipment. The Department has applied for an additional grant to fund this.  The Board voted unanimously to accept the grant. 

Chief Trazino answered a question from Jerry Mottola who would like to see  the damaged radar sign replaced and also regular patrols out enforcing the speed limits.  The Chief replied that patrols have been increased and the officers are out and about enforcing the law.  Additionally, the Chief reported that the department had received active shooter response tactics training. 
Councilmember May commented that she had recently attended Stop the Bleed training and found it to be very good.  She wondered if it could be offered to residents.  The Chief replied that there are plans in the works to do so. Jerry Mottola commented that he thought all Post Office employees should also get the training. 

1. Resolution Settling of Tax Certiorati Claim – On the advice of the Town Assessor and Kara Cavallo of Jacobowitz & Gubits, the Town has decided to settle the Tax Cetiorati claim filed by the Tuxedo Club.  The settlement calls for reimbursement to the Tuxedo Club of approximately $26,000 for 2021 and approximately $40,000 for 2022.  Ms. Cavallo recommended that the Town accept this agreement as she said it would help avoid any further litigation.  The resolution was passed unanimously.  The School Board must also approve the settlement.  The Village of Tuxedo Park has a separate suit but will end up with the same assessed values as the Town. 
2. Budget Modifications – This is a matter of moving money around which was proposed by the Town’s Accountants. It will result in a net increase of $0 and was passed unanimously.

Department Updates:
Highway Superintendent Dollbaum reported that his department was still picking up leaves and will continue to do so until December 15 after which leaves must be bagged. They will be borrowing a bucket truck from the Town of Monroe to start setting up the Town’s Christmas lights. Finally, he noted that the radar sign will soon be coming down for the winter season. 
Town Clerk Marisa Dollbaum reminded everyone about the Town Tree Lighting starting at 5:00 pm on Friday, December 2.  She also announced the Toy Drive being run by the School District with donation boxes at Town Hall and various businesses throughout Town.  A “Senior Survey” for residents 60 and older is underway and it is not too late for eligible seniors to complete it. Hard copies are available at the Town Clerk’s office and there is a link on the website as well.  Finally, she reported that she had filed the Tuxedo Farms resolution which was passed on November Town Hall and various businesses throughout Town.  A “Senior Survey” for residents 60 and older is underway and it is not too late for eligible seniors to compelte it. Hard copies are available at the Town Clerk’s office and there is a link on the website as well.  Finally, she reported that she had filed the Tuxedo Farms resolution which was passed on November Town Hall and various businesses throughout Town.  A “Senior Survey” for residents 60 and older is underway and it is not too late for eligible seniors to compelte it. Hard copies are available at the Town Clerk’s office and there is a link on the website as well.  Finally, she reported that she had filed the Tuxedo Farms resolution which was passed on November 22 and sent all the Tuxedo Farms paperwork to the Orange County Planning Board. 

Town Supervisor/Town Board Updates:
Supervisor English reported that he was continuing with recruitment of police officers. Additionally, he noted that there had been a New York Power Authority Training for Town Hall employees on November 17.  This was done so they would all be up to date on the Community Choice Aggregation process.  After much hard work, the Tuxedo Farms project was approved on November 22 and The Supervisor expects to have a full update on the new wastewater treatment plant by the next Town Board meeting.  He has been assured by Greg Gushee that this will be up and running by the end of the year. 
Deputy Supervisor Lindsay gave an account of the Hamlet Revitalization LDC meeting held earlier that day.  The application and guidelines for applying have been finalized.  They hope to have a meeting with eligible applicants on January 17 at 7 pm.  The Town of Tuxedo, as well as non-profits will be eligible to apply.  Lastly, she announced that she and Councilmember Murphy will be presenting the Burgis Associates findings for Hamlet revitalization at the Town Board meeting on January 9. 
Councilmembers Reichgott and May both said they had nothing new to report.
Councilmember Murphy reported that she had been working with the Burgis group on their presentation.  Additionally, she noted that the Town is still  waiting for a letter from the School Board pertaining to the establishment of a school zone so that they can in turn  submit everything needed to the DOT. She will also be meeting with the NYSDOT in December to go over some things that can be done to slow down traffic  through Town.  These things will need to be acceptable to the businesses in Town.  Lastly, she anounced that on December 17 at 4pm, the Hudson Valley Chamber Music Association will be presenting an hour-long concert, sponsored by the Town at St. Mary’s with a small reception to follow in the Church. 

Minutes:
The minutes of the regular Town Board meeting held on November 14 were passed with Supervisor English abstaining as he was not present.

Vouchers:
The vouchers were passed unanimously.

Public Comments:
John Sandak asked for the dates for leaf pick up. He was told that it would continue until December 15 after which time, only bagged leaves will be picked up. 
Dale Mottola wondered how the Town was collecting potential applicants for the Hamlet Revitalization grants.  She was told that Councilmember Murphy had a list that she had put together while running the Plein Air event.  The informational meeting on January 17 will be held virtually as well as in person.  It will also be recorded with the recording posted on the Town website so people should be able to get the information.  The grants will be for exterior improvements to buildings in the hamlet area.   The LDC is looking to give out around 5 matching grants of $200,000-$250,000.  The first approval will have to come from the LDC but the grants will be conditional on approvals from the Planning Board and the Architectural Review Board. 

Other Business:
Residents Maureen Coen and Janet Galuska have approached the Town with the “Peabody Project,” to help get feral cats in Town under control.  There followed a lengthy discussion on this subject with no solutions found.  It will be discussed further at a later date. 
Supervisor English commented that at the next Town Board meeting, there will be a discussion on the Town Reorganization.  The Board is proposing to add several things to the process such as PILOT programs and contract dates.  The purpose will be to make the Reorganization Document something more useful to the Town Board and all Boards in Town. 

The meeting was adjourned at 8:48 pm.

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Agenda for Town Board Meeting November 28, 2022

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Special Town Board Meeting November 22, 2022

The Town Board held a Special Meeting on Tuesday, November 22, 2022 at 7:00 pm.  All members were present.   The purpose of the meeting was to consider the 2022 Special Use Permit for the Tuxedo Farms development.  They Board began by reading the 10-page resolution out loud, taking turns with the reading. 
A copy of the resolution can be viewed  here. 
Next, Supervisor English gave some remarks,  listing some of his reasons for supporting the project. He really appreciates the “missing middle” concept of the design which, he feels makes the project meet a market that Tuxedo and Orange County do not provide for prospective residents.  Also, he likes the fact that the project will be tax positive for the Town and the School and that it will, among other things, give the Town a much needed new wastewater treatment plant. 
Next, Deputy Supervisor Lindsay gave her thoughts on the Special Permit.  She believes that this is a truly exciting time for the Town and that residents can look forward to a project that will be net positive for both the Town and the School District while providing an “interesting and vibrant” new commercial space and meeting market trends.  She briefly outlined the process that had brought them to this juncture, thanking everyone for all of their hard work.  To read her thoughts in full, click here. 
Councilmember Reichgott commented that the only thing he has routinely hears from residents, besides “when is Tuxedo Farms going to happen?” was “what about economic development in this Town?”  He feels that this project will address both of those things.   Following these statements, the Board voted unanimously in favor of adopting the resolution.  This was met with a round of applause from those in the audience. 

Supervisor English next invited comments from the public who were present in Town Hall.  Related Vice President Greg Gushee expressed his satisfaction with how the project has turned out, referring to the negotiation process as a “public/private partnership which resulted in an amazing plan.” Mitch Newman from Lennar (project builder) noted that it was rare to see the kind of commitment from a Town Board and he felt it would make for a better outcome.  There were also positive comments from Planning Board Chair John Banyo, Code Enforcement Officer Dave Maikisch and Highway Supervisor Rob Dollbaum.  Members of the public adding their support and thanks were Irene Denaro, former Town Board member Dave McMillan and Nick Ballistreri. 

Wishing everyone a Happy Thanksgiving, Supervisor English adjourned the meeting at 8:08 pm.

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Notice of Special Town Board Meeting November 22, 2022

The Town Board will hold a Special Meeting on Tuesday, 11/22 at 7:00pm to consider a resolution to approve an amended Special Use Permit for the Tuxedo Farms Planned Integrated Development. The meeting will be in person at Town Hall and also on Zoom. 

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Town Board Meeting November 14, 2022

The Town Board met on Monday, November 14, 2022 at 7 pm.  Supervisor English was absent. 

The meeting began with a presentation by Jeff Domansky of Hudson Valley Energy, who is the Town’s Local Program Manager for the Community Choice Aggregation Program.  The Town is currently in the exploration phase of the project.  They have entered into agreements with Joule Assets and Hudson Valley Energy.  Joule is a NYS approved CCA program administrator and Hudson Valley Energy is a Local Program Manager, appointed by Joule.  Joule will work with the Town Board to obtain renewable energy supply contracts while Hudson Valley Energy will be in charge of community outreach/awareness and “customer support.”   They will be running informational meetings for residents and will cover the following topics: 

• What is Community Choice Aggregation?
• What are the benefits of CCA?
• Will CCA affect me?
• Orange and Rockland bill
• Next Steps
• FAQ
• Mr. Domansky explained that the majority of residents will be automatically included in the CCA although they can always opt out at any point.  Basically, the CCA will act like a bulk buying club for energy purchase.  If one looks at their current Orange & Rockland bill, the electricity delivery charges will not change, but the electricity supply charges will change.  There will be many opportunities for Town residents to meet with representatives of Hudson Valley Energy and get more explanation and answers to questions.  The Community outreach part of the program will run through the Spring.  Councilmember May asked whether residents who had already signed up with O&R alternatives would have to opt in in order to be included in the CCA.  The answer was that all other residents will be automatically included but may opt out at any time if they so wish. 

Public Comments on Agenda Items – There were none. 

Agenda Items:

• Resolution to reappoint Fire Commissioner Edward “Benji” Brennan:  This was unanimously approved. Mr. Brennan’s term will last for another 5 years, expiring on 12/31/27.
• Resolution in support of Establishing a School Speed Zone on State Route 17 at George F. Baker High School: This will establish a school zone and speed limit in the vicinity of the Tuxedo Union Free School District.  It was passed unanimously and will be sent to the School. It will be up to the School Board to start this process which could take up to 8 months.
• Resolution to approve Holiday Concert and Reception at St. Mary’s-in-Tuxedo:  This will be an hour-long program of chamber music performed by The Hudson Valley Chamber Musicians on December 17 at 4 pm.  There will be a small reception at the church afterward. The concert will be free for residents with a voluntary donation to the Sloatsburg Food Pantry.  The Board set the budget for the concert at not more than $1,000 and it was passed unanimously.

Departmental Updates:
Superintendent of Highways Dollbaum commented that snow is expected on Tuesday night and his department had spent the day getting their trucks ready.  There are currently 3 trucks down but they feel they will be able to handle Tuesday night’s weather.  Additionally, he reminded people that leaf pick up will continue until December 15 after which leaves will need to be bagged. 
Town Clerk Marisa Dollbaum reported that the November 24 garbage pick up will not happen due to the Thanksgiving Holiday but trash and recycling will be collected on November 25.  Also, the following events will be happening around Town: 

• The TUFSD is having their annual Toy Drive.  Collection boxes have been placed around Town (Town Hall, Library and other places) for new, unwrapped toys and they will be there until December 16. 
• On Thanksgiving Day there will be a Turkey Trot at Quarry Field with a race for little kids starting at 8 am and a 5K for adults and big kids starting at 8:30. 
• The Annual Tree Lighting will take place on December 2.  

Also, Mrs. Dollbaum announced that she has produced a “Zoom Room Manual” which is available for anyone who wants to know how it works.  Contact her if you want a copy!

Town Board Updates:
Deputy Supervisor Lindsay reported that she will be meeting with the New York Power Authority on Thursday, November 17 to discuss pursuing an energy audit so they can go ahead with the HVAC update in Town Hall.
Councilmember May noted that a “Senior Survey” is being conducted to discover what kind of services the Senior residents would like.  If anyone is interested in taking part in this anonymous questionnaire, contact her or Sue Scher. 
Councilmember Reichgott observed that we are now on Standard Time and thus it is dark at night.  He asks everyone to dress accordingly if they are out at night.  Also, it is deer mating season so they are jumping out on the road.
On behalf of the Hamlet Revitalization Group Councilmember Murphy reported that the Greenway Grant has been submitted.  The Burgis Study is under review. The Town should hear by November 18 which things they believe the Town can support.   There will be a LDC meeting to review Hamlet Revitalization applications at 2 pm on November 28.

Minutes:
The minutes for the Town Board meeting on 10/24 were approved unanimously.

Vouchers – were approved unanimously.

Public Comments: There were none.

Other Business:
The Board scheduled a workshop discussion about Town Reorganization at 6 pm on December 12. 

The meeting was adjourned at 8:19 pm.

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Agenda for Town Board Meeting November 14, 2022

Click here to view the agenda

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Public Hearing for Town of Tuxedo Preliminary 2023 Budget November 9, 2023

The Town Board met on Wednesday, November 9, 2022 at 7 pm.  The main purpose of the meeting was for a Preliminary Budget hearing.  All members were present. 

Supervisor English opened the meeting by providing a quick overview of the proposed budget.  He further noted that the Town’s tax cap has been reduced by 0.63%.  This was accomplished by allocating some steady funding from mortgage taxes and court fines.
A copy of the budget can be found  here

Public hearing:
John McNamara expressed concern over the proposed increase in the Supervisor’s salary. Noting that his comments were not meant for any one person in particular and that he would be making them regardless of who was in office, he pointed out that the rate for the Federal minimum wage is $7.25/hr. and the rate for the NYS minimum wage is $14.20/hr.  The increase to the Supervisor’s salary works out to be $21.63/hr. which he considers outrageous.  He added that everyone serving on the Board knew what their salaries would be when they agreed to take the job and that the positions were meant to be part time.  Mr. McNamara’s feels that any Supervisor or Board member who cannot do the job for the salary there were hired at, should immediately resign.  The United States is currently experiencing the worst inflation it has seen in 40 years and increase in salaries are only contributing to that. 
As there were no other comments from the Public, the hearing was closed. The floor was then turned over to the Town Board members.
Deputy Supervisor Lindsay said that the Board had been discussing which projects they would like to work on/accomplish in the coming year and that instead of putting these into the budget and taxing the residents, they have decided to create a master plan with timeline and then allocate funds as they go along.  The kinds of projects they have been talking about include arts and culture, projects for the aging, the climate smart community plan, and the engagement of consultants to help the Town in pursuing grants and tourism funds.   The Deputy Supervisor believes that the Town needs to add more personnel to Town Hall in order to make its government run more efficiently, especially in light of the Tuxedo Farms project coming to fruition.  None of these things are currently in the budget.  The list of projects to be included in the Towns’ Capital Plan is large although the plan has not yet been put in place.  She would like to see them move forward with solidifying that plan.  Additionally, she reported that she had spoken to Town Auditor Andrew Arias who suggested that the Town prioritize these projects by putting them into a contingency line and appropriating the funds as needed. 
Councilmember Reichgott commented that he felt the proposed increase in pay for the Supervisor was appropriate and the he believes the position is currently underpaid.   He added that the Board might be considering the addition of a Town Manager as well and that in his view, this person would need to make somewhere between $150,000-$200,000 dollars.
Councilmember Murphy added that the job description for the Supervisor and Board members has changed and that additional duties had been added since the Board looked at those positions during the last reorganization process.  She believes that the job descriptions should be accurately posted on the Town website. 
Town Attorney Howard Protter pointed out that all the duties for Supervisor and Board members were detailed under Town law, which was  made by the State. 
Supervisor English noted that the part of the Supervisor’s job that he had not been aware of when he accepted the position was the two LDCs that the Supervisor is required to run (the Hamlet revitalization and the Sewer District).  Both of these entities have taken up a lot of his time and will continue to do so in the future. 
With that, he called for a vote on the budget and it was passed unanimously.

Councilmember Murphy added that the job description for the Supervisor and Board members has changed and that additional duties had been added since the Board looked at those positions during the last reorganization process.  She believes that the job descriptions should be accurately posted on the Town website. 
Town Attorney Howard Protter pointed out that all the duties for Supervisor and Board members were detailed under Town law, which was  made by the State. 
Supervisor English noted that the part of the Supervisor’s job that he had not been aware of when he accepted the position was the two LDCs that the Supervisor is required to run (the Hamlet revitalization and the Sewer District).  Both of these entities have taken up a lot of his time and will continue to do so in the future. 
With that, he called for a vote on the budget and it was passed unanimously.

Resolution to approve Sewer Services Agreement and authorize Town Supervisor to sign agreement:   The Town wants to maintain control of day to day operation, maintenance and repair of the sewer district and this agreement makes that possible.   It was passed unanimously.

Resolution to set fees for Food Truck permit: The fees were set as follows:
              Daily Food Truck Permit Fee - $50.00
              Annual Food Truck Permit Fee - $400.00
This was passed unanimously.

With the Sewer Agreement passed, Related has asked the Board if they would move up the date set for voting on the final approval of the Special Permit for Tuxedo Farms, which had been set for November 28.  The Board agreed and set a Special Meeting for the vote to be held on Tuesday,  November 22 at 7 pm.

The meeting was then adjourned at 8:25 pm. 

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Public Hearing for Town of Tuxedo Preliminary 2023 Budget to Take Place November 9 @ 7pm

The public hearing for the 2023 Preliminary Budget is scheduled for Wednesday, November 9th at 7:00pm. The meeting will be in person at Town Hall and on Zoom.

Click here to view the hearing notice.

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Notice of Special Town Board Meeting November 1, 2022

Click here to view the notice

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Town Board Meeting October 24, 2022

The Town Board met on Monday, October 24, 2022 at 7pm.  Supervisor English attended via Zoom.  All other Board members were present. 

The meeting began with a public hearing on Food Trucks.  Councilmember Reichgott noted that he had received several comments from people in Town (both businesses and residents) asking that the proposed hours of operation be changed from 7am – 9 pm to 7am – 11 pm.  He added that he does not have any issues with the change and does not feel it would be problematic for the Town.  If, for example, a food truck is generating an undue amount of noise, there are existing laws that would allow the police to shut it down.  Click here to see a copy of the law.

Jerry Mottola commented that he doesn’t understand the concept of food trucks.  He feels people should just open up businesses in town instead of bringing in food trucks. In fact, he feels that food trucks would kill the town as they wouldn’t be paying anything to the Town.  He pointed out that currently vendors come in and sell their wares on a weekly basis at the Farmer’s Market and pay nothing to the Town.  He wonders if Tuxedo really wants more of that type of thing!
Evelyn David asked what hours the trucks would be open and wondered if they would interfere with whatever restaurants might open up in Town.  She was told the hours would be 7am – 11 pm and that the available location would be restricted in that the trucks must be at least 150 feet away from any restaurant. 
As there were no further comments, the public hearing was closed. 

Public Comments on Agenda Items:
Deputy Supervisor Lindsay stated that in regard to the amended SEQRA Findings Statement for the Tuxedo Farms Planned Integrated Development, the Town Board had requested comments from the Tuxedo Planning Board, the Orange County Planning Board, NYS Department of Transportation and the Tuxedo Union Free School District and that they had carefully reviewed all comments they received.

Agenda Items:
Consideration of a resolution adopting amended SEQRA findings statement for the Tuxedo Farms Planned Integrated Development: The resolution was read into the record by the Town Board members.  Click here to view a copy.  After the reading, the Board voted unanimously in favor of approving the resolution.

According to Town Attorney Larry Wolinsky, the next step in the process will be finalizing the Special Permit itself along with all of the appendices.

Department Updates:
Highway Superintendent Dollbaum inquired about replacing the speed trailer that was damaged recently.  He was told that the Board definitely wants to replace that one and Supervisor English added that he would like to buy more of them to put around Town as he feels they have been very effective.   Moving on, Superintendent Dollbaum reported that his department was officially into leaf season. He reminded everyone that they will be collecting leaves only (no stones, no mulch, no sticks) that have been blown and raked to the curb.  Aside from that they are busy preparing for winter.  They recently repaired the salt barn and paved the bottom of it.
Town Clerk Marisa Dollbaum announced that Early Voting starts on October 29 and runs until November 6.  The closest place for Tuxedo residents to vote early is in Warwick.  Additionally, she said that Sunday, October 30 is Trunk or Treat Day in both Tuxedo and Sloatsburg.  Events  will run from 1-3 pm in Sloatsburg and then from 4-6 pm in Tuxedo at Powerhouse Park. 

Town Supervisor/Town Board Updates:
Supervisor English commended his Board for all the work that they have put in on the Tuxedo Farms project.  He also commented on how great the new tennis and pickleball courts at Tichy Field are.  He sees them being used a lot.
Deputy Supervisor Lindsay reported the following:

1. The Community Choice program will kick off on November 1. There will be a 60-day public education and outreach phase. Local organizations will be contacted to spread the word. It is anticipated that the RFP Request for Proposals will be sent out early next year to suppliers of electricity generated by renewable sources. Tuxedo will be part of a consortium of municipalities that will be going out for the bids together. The Town expects that, if the proposals are agreeable, that they will be able to initiate the buying program in the Spring.
2. She has contacted firms to conduct an energy audit of Town Hall in preparation to replace the HVAC system.

Councilmember Reichgott commented that he had been meeting with Highway Superintendent Dollbaum and Town Engineer Hoffman and they are working to come up with a plan for the floor at the Highway Garage which, as previously reported, is in need of repair.  He also reminded the Board that it is time to start thinking about decorating the Town for Christmas.
Councilmember May noted that she is still working on the money from the American Reinvention program. 
Councilmember Murphy reported that she has been working on a Holiday concert.  She has been working with St. Mary’s Church and they have found a chamber music quintet to come and give a concert the week before Christmas for an hour in the afternoon. Details will be given at the next Town Board meeting.  Additionally, she is still working on the Greenway grant and that is moving along nicely.  Finally, she reported that she and Highway Superintendent Dollbaum continue to work on Eagle Lake.  They met with PIPC and are making plans for future work there. 

Minutes:
The minutes for the regular Town Board meeting held on October 12 were approved unanimously. 

Vouchers:
The vouchers were approved unanimously.

Public Comments:
Jerry Motolla made a plea for a “more permanent speed sign” and also for a more active police presence in Town.
Mary Graetzer commented that the section of Route 17 coming into Town from the South always used to be a School Zone complete with a sign and a 30 mph speed zone.  At some point, the sign got knocked down and no one has been able to successfully get it put back up.  Mrs. Graetzer hopes the Board will take this on and work on bringing the school zone back to Tuxedo.  Town Attorney Howard Protter said he would look into it. 

Other Business:
Deputy Supervisor Lindsay announced that there were positions available on the Zoning Board, Planning Board and Board of Assessment Review.  The Board will issue notices of the positions and then interviews can begin.

After a brief discussion, the Board decided to change the hours for food trucks from 7am-11pm to 7am-10pm and then they voted unanimously in favor of approving the Food Truck law.

The meeting was adjourned at 8:45 pm.

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Agenda for Town Board Meeting October 24, 2022

Click here to view the agenda

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Special Town Board Meeting October 20, 2022

The Town Board met together with representatives from the Related Co. and their consultants and the Tuxedo Union Free School District and their consultants on Thursday, October 20, 2022 at 7:00 pm. 

Supervisor English opened the meeting and explained that the purpose of coming together was to provide the representatives of Tuxedo Farms and the Tuxedo Union Free School District an opportunity to publicly discuss their differences on the project, which is currently undergoing SEQRA review by the Town.

Town Attorney Larry Wolinsky began by summarizing the current status of the application and where the Board is in the process.  Before the project can move forward,  the Town must complete their SEQRA review, which is almost done.  The last remaining pieces relate the issues raised by the School District.  Once these have been settled, the Board can complete the process and the project will advance to the next stage.

Next, the applicant summarized what they perceive to be the School District’s main concerns.  There are four of them as follows:

• Related changed the 40-acre lot that is to be donated to the TUFSD
• The School Lot is not usable for TUFSD needs
• Related is not living up to its promises of preparing the School Lot for school facilities
• Tuxedo Farms is fiscally negative for TUFSD and will cost the Tuxedo taxpayer $1.28M per year.

 Using a PowerPoint presentation, they proceeded to analyze and refute each of these concerns, concluding that the project as proposed, according to their research, would be tax positive for both the District and the Town.
The School District was then given the opportunity to respond.Superintendent of Schools Jeff White began his remarks by noting that while the District supports the project and wants to see it happen, they disagree with a number of what they consider to be assumptions and statements made by the applicant. He proceeded to elaborate on this in some detail with the assistance of his consultants, the District’s attorney and Board of Education President, Joe Rickard.  In closing he reiterated that the School District wants to work with the applicant and that what they are asking for at this point is for the Town to hold off voting on the project until a solution that works for everyone can be negotiated. “When that happens,” he noted “I think we can move together as a complete team.”
After the School’s presentation, the applicant asked for time to discuss amongst themselves what they’d heard so that they could respond to the District’s points.  The applicant and their consultants then left the room to have a conference.  When they returned Greg Gushee, representing the Applicant,  stated that nothing he had heard from the school had changed his mind that the project would be tax positive.  Additionally, he noted that the District kept asking for the Town Board to hold off until an agreement could be reached, but an agreement had been reached and signed off on by both the School and the Town back in 2015. A copy an agreement signed by both Andrew Dance of Related Companies and Board of Education  Vice President,  Diane Petrosky, was presented.  The agreement specified that the 40-acre parcel would be offered to the District in the form of a gift and further that two cash contributions totaling 2.5 Million would be made to the District at various stages of development.  Based on this, Mr. Gushee  concluded, there is nothing else to negotiate.

Superintendent  White suggested that the applicant had used an incorrect equalization rate, calling upon the School’s Business Consultant, Anthony Cashara, to elaborate.  Mr. Cashara pointed out that if the agreement presented by the applicant is realized, it will leave the School needing to raise taxes to the fullest extent allowed by the tax cap every year in order for them to realize any of the revenue.

Next, Town Planning Bonnie Franson, who has been working on the project since 1990, was called upon to offer her thoughts.  She provided her recollection of the project timeline, noting that  in 2015, for a variety of reasons,  there was a shift and that the school had agreed to accept a cash donation in lieu of grading the property as originally proposed.  This can be found within the finding statements.  Having reviewed all of the current information as well as the concerns expressed by the TUFSD, there has been some confusion with regard to the numbers provided and she elaborated on where the confusion lay and how this had impacted their comparisons of the two sets of numbers that had been provided by the applicant and the school.

After some further discussion and a brief outline of next steps from Board Attorney Larry Wollinsky, Supervisor English stated after 3 hours he felt enough had been said on both sides.  A motion to adjourn was passed unanimously at 9:55 pm.

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Notice of Special Town Board Meeting October 20, 2022

The Town Board will hold an advice of counsel meeting at 5:00pm on October 20th.  This meeting is for Town Board members and legal counsel only. 

Additionally, the scheduled public meeting starting at 7pm is being held to facilitate discussions between the Town Board, Tuxedo Union Free School District, and Related (the applicant for Tuxedo Farms).  There will be limited seating for the public at Town Hall, but the meeting will be live-streamed through Zoom and recorded.  There will be no public participation. No action will be taken during this meeting. 

Associated documentation for the meeting can be found on our website at https://www.tuxedogov.org/home/news/tuxedo-farms.  The documentation is listed under 10/11 and 10/14 submissions. 

Click here to view the official meeting Notice

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Town Board Meeting October 12, 2022 

The Town Board met on Wednesday, October 12, 2022 at 7 pm. Supervisor English attended the meeting via Zoom as he is under quarantine due to a family member who is afflicted with covid .  Deputy Supervisor Lindsay ran the meeting from Town Hall. 

The meeting began with the swearing in of new Police Chief John Trazino.  Several of his family members were present to witness the swearing in as well as several members of the Tuxedo Police force. 

Public Hearings:
The first hearing was for a tax levy limit override for fiscal year 2023.  It was explained that this measure was being taken as a precaution, but it will only be used if necessary.   
The only speaker was Mike Santoianni of Tuxedo Park.  He wanted to make the point that the School Board, of which he was a member for many years, did not have the luxury of this same procedure.  Instead, they are required to put any overrides before the voting public.  .
As there were no other comments, the public hearing was closed.

The second public hearing was on Local Law #5 of 2022.  This law increases the number of single-family houses in the Tuxedo Farms development by 30 to 269 and makes the minimum number of duplex units 174.  Deputy Supervisor Lindsay stated that this change had been requested by the Town Board, not the developer. She further cautioned that the hearing at this meeting was set to address only this change, and not any other issues relating to Tuxedo Farms. She added that the Town had received a response from the School District just the day prior and that this had been immediately posted to the Town website.  The Town Board’s consultant is currently reviewing this response and their comments are expected by the end of the week.  Once they have been received,  they will also be posted to the Town website.  It is the Board’s  understanding that further talks between the school and the applicant are ongoing and they anxiously await the results of said discussions. Finally, the Deputy Supervisor noted that there would be no action taken at this meeting on SEQR or the Special Permit.  

The following comments were then made:

Gary Heavner, resident and current School Board member, noted that his comments were based on a Facebook post from TPfyi in which a recent article from the Times Herald Record was shared.  He had 3 questions/comments based on the THR article.  First, he wanted to know where the 30 houses will be built.  Next, he voiced some concern over statements in the article made by Mr. Gushee of Related Companies, which he considers to be improper.  In the article, Mr. Gushee referred to both the 40-acre parcel and the $2.5 million offered by the developer to the District as “gifts,”  however, as per the original project negotiations,   these are obligations and not gifts!   He further expressed concern that the developer is proposing to increase the number of single family homes at this at this stage of the process, cautioning that the new homes are supposed to have a net positive impact on the school district. Lastly, he wanted to know how many houses could be built on the land without the need for any zoning changes?
Deputy Supervisor Lindsay responded that the increase under discussion had not been requested by the developer.  Rather it was requested by the Town Board and it would not increase the total number of overall units or the bedroom count in the development. 
Town Attorney Larry Wolinsky added that the proposed houses have not been “located” as of yet. If approved, they will be “absorbed” into the development and the developer will have one year in which to figure out how to do that and modify their preliminary plan accordingly. 
 Diana Petrosky wanted to know whether some other part of the development would be eliminated or “taken away” to accommodate for the proposed 30 single-family homes being added.  She was told yes.  The developer will also have one year to decide on this but most likely the number of town homes will be reduced. 
Turning back to the proposed Tax Cap Override Legislation, John McNamara noted that technical difficulties had prevented him from commenting earlier.  He noted that the Board was heading into the period where they would be negotiating a budget with the various departments and vendors and that passing this law would only alert those entities to the fact that the Town could spend more money if they wanted to.  He was told that the Board not necessarily looking to spend more money, they just want the flexibility to do so if they deem it necessary. 
Mike Santoianni wanted to know if there would be additional meetings at which to make public comments on the special permit before it is voted on. He was told that the public hearing on the special permit had been conducted in June and was subsequently closed.  Attorney Wolinsky added that the current hearing was unrelated to SEQRA and that there would be a special meeting on Thursday October 20 at which this would be discussed but there will be no more comments from the public.  It is possible that the vote on the special permit could occur on the 20th.  The Town Board’s consultant, Bonnie Franson is working on a response to the School Board’s latest submission and that is expected by the end of the week.  When received, it will be posted to the Town website and it will also be discussed at the October 20 meeting. (click here to visit the Town website, where the reports can be viewed.) Attorney Howard Protter stated further that after the Permit has been granted, the applicant will appear before the Planning Board for site plan approvals for the various neighborhoods within the development.  Those site plan approvals will require public hearings and so there will be additional opportunities for the public to comment in the future.  Councilmember Reichgott added that he believes that it is every citizen’s right or responsibility to make their opinions heard by the Board.  While it may not be possible to do that as part of a public hearing, citizens can use other means, such as telephone calls and/or emails to the Board members to make their opinions known. 
Mike Santoianni then provided a brief  history of the development from his perspective as a former member of the school board.  Related has made changes to the proposed 40-acre site.  Lot lines have been changed and the Developer is no longer willing to grade the property, which is more mountainous than that which was originally offered.  Sadly, the Town Board never consulted the school board and asked for their opinion on these changes when they were made.   Now it seems as though Related won’t change their offer because they think they don’t have to.  He suggested that unless the Town Board tells the developers that they have to change back to what was originally offered, he does not believe they will do it.   As Mr. Santoianni had more than exceeded the  3-minute time-limit for public comments, he was then cut short and told that this subject would be discussed at the October 20 Special meeting. 
Diana Petrosky stated  that she had been on the School Board for 18 years and during that time, there were numerous negotiations with Related.  She wondered why the Town re-negotiating with the developer about the property offered for a new school?  She was told that the current negotiations are dictated by the SEQRA process, which requires them to review all the past negotiations.  Mrs. Petrosky then wondered whether part of the review would include the changes made by Related when they put the emergency access to their development on someone else’s property without permission? Mr. Wolinksy told her that yes, it would. 
Superintendent of Schools, Jeff White commented that he came to his position in July of 2021 but hadn’t learned about any of the controversy with the proposed donation of property until a month or so later.  When he learned about it, he met with the Town Supervisor who assured him that the project would not move forward until the school was satisfied with what was being proposed.  But “the conversation changed” on June 2 when he was notified that the project would be moving forward whether the school was satisfied or not.  As a result, the school spent the next 3 months putting together a comprehensive response to what had been proposed.  They found that there was inaccurate information in the Tech memo such as the inclusion of $750,000 of State revenue which would come to the district. There were several other inaccuracies and misinterpretations as well.  He feels it is most important that these things be sorted out.  As such, he is currently working directly with Greg Gushee of Related trying to come to a mutual agreement.  In the meantime, he doesn’t think the Town should be in a hurry to grant total approval to the project. 
Aoife Geoghegan stated that, to her knowledge, no one sitting on the current  Town Board had any children who were currently attending Tuxedo Schools or who had attended them in the past.   She asked for confirmation of this.  In response, many of the Board members stated that this was irrelevant. Board member Maria May stated that by the time she moved to Tuxedo her children were mostly grown, but that she had worked as an educator and a Board member in the Suffern District for years.  She was offended by the insinuation that not having children in the Tuxedo District made her any less qualified to thoroughly fulfill l her duties as a Board Member as it pertains to this project.   Ms. Geoghegan suggested that because none of the current Board members have or have had children in the District, they have  a whole different perspective on what might happen than those residents who are more directly affected by what goes on at the school. She implored the Town Board to sit down with the School Board and begin an open dialogue and discussion about what is happening with Related.   
Diana Petrosky asked the Board not to close the Public Hearing because, she said, things have changed with the addition on 30 single family homes and the removal of other components of the development to make up for that.  Attorney Wolinsky responded by noting that these changes had been analyzed and that this was a part of the current tech memo available on the Town web site. 
The Board then voted unanimously to close the public hearing.  It was noted that there would be public comments at the October 20 meeting in relation to the revised tech memo as well as the response of the Town’s consultant to the School Board’s letter.  Councilmember Reichgott reiterated that members of the public could always express their opinions by sending an email to Board members.  
Superintendent White suggested that the two Boards needed to meet and come to a mutual agreement about these matters before the Town Board votes on the application.

Agenda Item:

1. Resolution to adopt Tax Levy Limit Override 2023 Fiscal Year – This was passed unanimously.

Discussion Item:
Rockland Paramedics Contract – Tim Egan, Executive Director of Rockland Paramedics gave a presentation on his company and their relationship with the Town of Tuxedo.  To see a copy of this presentation, click here. 

Department Updates:
Town Clerk Marisa Dollbaum gave her report which consisted of listing events happening soon in Town.  Details on all events are on the Town website (and also on TPfyi). 
Town Supervisor/Town Board Update:
Supervisor Ken English commented that he and all Town Board members have been working very hard to move the Tuxedo Farms development forward.  He also said that the recent town Family Fun Day was “amazing,” – a real team effort!
Deputy Supervisor Lindsay reported that she continues to work on the Community Aggregationn project.  On October 19, Jewel (the administrator) will be present to meet with all Town Hall employees.  On October 24, they will make a presentation at the Town Board meeting.
Councilmember Murphy said that the recent Plein Air Event was a great success with over 200 people turning out for the cocktail reception.  The vendors were also very pleased!
Councilmembers May and Reichgott both said they did not have reports.

Minutes:
The minutes for the regular Town Board meeting held on September 26 were approved unanimously.

Vouchers:
The vouchers were approved unanimously.

Public Comments:
Jerry Mottola reported that the speed sign at the southern end of Town had been crashed into and destroyed during the night recently.  Supervisor English commented that the Town will replace this sign as he thinks these signs are very valuable and have made a difference in all the places they have been placed.  Mary Graetzer asked if anyone would be able to retrieve the information off of these signs as has been promised several times in the past.  She was told that the information now goes directly to the Highway Department and they are working on getting the information off the signs. 

The meeting was adjourned at 9:05 pm. 

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Agenda for Town Board Meeting October 12, 2022 

Click here to view the agenda

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Town Board Meeting September 26, 2022 

The Town Board met on Monday. September 26, 2022 at 7:00 pm.  All members were present. 

Supervisor Ken English began the meeting by stating that he was aware that many people in the audience were there because of the School District.  He continued that there was no agenda item about the school and that the Board was awaiting a report from their consultants, Nelson Pope Voorhis who are reviewing the information submitted by the Tuxedo Union Free School District.  They expect the report by the end of the week, at which time it will be made public.   Until the report has been received, the Board will not have anything to say on the subject. 
 
The next item on the agenda was a report from consultant Valerie Monastra of Nelson Pope Voorhis on the subject of a proposed Greenway Grant application.  If received, the grant would help fund a study to help the Town attract businesses to the Route 17 corridor.  One of the main objectives would be to identify the types of businesses that would be good for the Town. During this process, a detailed description of the market area would be developed, current economic trends would be identified, the potential of tourism would be discussed and possible sites for locating business would be determined.  The study would cost approximately $18,000 with the Town paying $9000 and the remaining $9000 to come from the grant.  The grant and subsequent study would be in addition to the Burgis study which is underway and which covers design improvements for development in the area between Hospital Road and the entrance to Tuxedo Park. According to Ms. Monastra, the Greenway Grant is much more comprehensive, and she feels confident that the Town will qualify.  At the end of the discussion, the Board voted unanimously to apply for the grant. To see a copy of the presentation, click here.

Agenda Items:

1. Resolution to introduce Local Law and schedule Public Hearing to increase tax cap - This proposed law would make it possible to increase the mandated tax cap should the Board find it necessary during the budget process.  There is no firm plan to implement the increase at this time but as there have been increases in both garbage services and the price of fuel,  the Board feels it might be necessary.  A Public Hearing was set for October 12 at 7:00 pm.
2. Resolution to re-open the Public Hearing for Local Law #4 of 2022- This law will now be known as Local Law #5.  The law increases the required minimum of single family detached homes in Tuxedo Farms from 239 to 269.   This is at the request of the Town Board and it will be at the expense of 30 townhouses currently in the Tuxedo Farms proposal.  There will be a public hearing on October 12 at 7:15 pm.
3. Resolution Authorizing Agreement for Snow and Ice Control on Old Forge Rd in Warwick. – This is a standard contract for a service that the Town has been supplying to Warwick for a number of years.  There is no increase in the price. The resolution was passed unanimously.  

Department Updates:
Highway Superintendent Rob Dollbaum reported that his crew is getting ready for Leaf Season which will run from October 16 to December 15.  Any leaves either before or after those dates will need to be bagged.
Town Clerk Marisa Dollbaum announced that the first Board meeting in October will be held on October 12 due to Columbus Day.  Upcoming events in Town are the ribbon cutting for the new Historical Society building (former JP Morgan Bank) on September 29 at 10:30 am and the Back to School Carnival on September 30 from 3-6 pm.  Also, the General Election will be held on Tuesday, November 8.  The polls will be open from 6:00 am to 9:00 pm.  Early voting begins on October 29.

Town Supervisor/Town Board Updates:
Supervisor English announced that he would be passing on a Supervisor’s Update.
Deputy Supervisor Lindsay reported that the Community Choice Aggregation program has hired an administrator.  Now there is a rollout period.  It has been mentioned that the best time to roll out the actual bulk buying program will probably be April of 2023. She has also been working with Debra Villanueva from the Town Building Department to set up escrow agreements for developers and people coming before the Planning Board so that if consultants are needed for projects, the Town will not have to pay for them. 
Councilmember May announced that the second payment for the American Reinvention Act has come in and she is working on what it should be used for. 
Councilmember Reichgott, along with Highway Superintendent Dollbaum and Town Engineer Sean Hoffman met to inspect and assess the floor in the Highway garage.  They are working on a plan to repair and shore up the floor as it has deteriorated over the years.  Next, he commented that he had attended the last Tuxedo Park Board of Trustees meeting and noted that the water main which feeds the East Village and other areas of the Hamlet has had problems for quite a while and the Board has come up with a solution which will be implemented before long.  Lastly, he mentioned the Tuxedo Bag Project, started by two students from TPS which collects reusable grocery bags that people do not need and donates them to the Sloatsburg Food Pantry.  Collection boxes are located in the Village Office, Town Hall, Sloatsburg Town Hall and the Woodlands Clubhouse.

Councilmember Murphy reported that the Plein Air Event would begin on September 27.  There are 30 artists out and about the in both the Town and the Village painting.  The event will culminate in the Artists Reception on Friday, September 30 from 6:00pm to 8:00 pm.  Wine and “small bites” will be served and the paintings will be for sale.  Additionally, this year each artist has created a small 5” x 7” painting and these will also be for sale.  The pictures will remain on display and for sale throughout the Farmer’s Market and on Sunday as well. 

Minutes The minutes from the regular meeting on September 12 were unanimously approved.

Vouchers were unanimously approved.

Public Comments:
With regard to the impending report from the consultants concerning the proposed property donation from Tuxedo Farms to the School District, School Superintendent Jeff White asked how many similar engagements  the Town’s consultant had had?  He also wanted to know if the consultant would make a public presentation of their findings and in so doing disclose their process to the public? Next, he wondered if the same firm who was looking at the proposed property donation would also be reviewing the school district data? He wondered specifically what expertise this particular firm might have with school districts and with state aid to school districts? He also asked if there would be an open dialog between the school and the consultant reviewing the data regarding the impacts of Tuxedo Farms on the school district. Further he wanted to know whether the consultant would review the estimated market valuations in the Technical Memorandum and if the Town Assessor has reviewed the market valuations.
Lastly, he wanted to know whether Local Law #4 would give a final special permit modification after the public hearing if the Town Board approves the resolution and law.  He added that he thinks that increasing single family homes is a good thing but suggested that if they were renegotiating increased population with the developers and the builder, they must also  address the increase in school age children generated by any increase in units.
Dan Castricone commented that when Tuxedo Farms was first proposed, the process had been that in order to contradict any impact on the Town taxpayers and school district, the Developer agreed to give certain things to the Town and/or school to mitigate the impacts.  This was the reason that Related initially agreed to donate and clear the vacant land as well as offer  a sum of money … so that the school wouldn’t be put in a position of economic loss because of the development.  As a member of the School Board, he looks forward to working with the Town Board to ensure that that the school district will be able to afford to educate the additional children who would be generated by the project.
George Grant Mason Principal Dolores Trelecky urged the Board to keep in mind that the school is the heart beat of the community and that they should do whatever was necessary to make sure that they were able to children in the Town. 
Mike Arone inquired as to whether or not  Related was really going to go through with the project?  He said he was asking because he knows for a fact that over the past several months, the owners have been actively showing the property to prospective buyers. He even saw people up there just that very afternoon.  He was told that as far as the Board knew, that was not true.  The Board is in the process of negotiating an amended agreement with Related.  The people on the property that afternoon were Councilmember Murphy and Deputy Supervisor Lindsay.   
Board of Education President Joe Rickard said that he had hoped to be more a part of the process.  “This is becoming a big, big issue for the school.  As you know, not using our numbers but using Relateds’ projections of the number of students who will come in in the next five years assuming everything gets signed….it will be in excess of 350-400 students.  This will more than double the size of our school and we don’t have the capacity to handle those kids.  The idea was that we would be working with the Town and with Related to ensure that we had usable property in order to accommodate what's essential.  You can call it a negotiation but it’s really not a negotiation.  It’s what’s needed to support the new size of the school.”
He went on to say that they had held a meeting a few weeks back at which a lot of information and date was shared and analyzed and that since that time, Related had been in touch with the District on a daily basis.  There has however been no communication from the Town Board and in fact, this evening was the first time they learned that the Town was having their data reviewed by consultants.  “There was no conversation.  No questions about the data or the information we presented,” he stated.  “There’s not even any comments from the person who is doing the audit, which is very unusual.  When somebody does an audit of information the first people they call is those who provided the data so they can review it!”
He further expressed concern over the proposed timeline, noting that the Supervisor had indicated that a report would be forthcoming in the next week.  “I am assuming that you will conversations with us and the consultant will be talking to us vs. publishing the report because I don’t think you really want to do that.  I think you want to make sure that you have the information right.  Some of the consultant reports that we received previously were incorrect and had to be fixed after the fact.  It would be a good idea if you would work with our administration to make sure that we have a common understanding.  Can I get that agreement from the Town?”  He implored that Town Board not to make any decisions until this was settled and everyone was on the same page.  “We don’t want to hold things up.  We never said we wouldn’t give you any data or any information.  We want to work with you,” he stated.  “The consequences of not doing it right will have significant consequences not just for the kids, but for the Taxpayers afterwards,” he cautioned.  “I think you are aware of that.”
John Horneff expressed his concern with the Town Board having the right to exceed the tax cap as per the proposed Local Law# 4 (which will actually  become Local Law #5).  He was told that it was not the intention of the Board to exceed the cap, but there were indications that things might be difficult because of increases that are beyond the control of the Board (gas prices, garbage company increases, medical costs, retirement costs etc.). If they do ultimately determine that they need to exceed the cap, they need to have this law in place in order to do so. 
Alyssa Horneff, a School Board member, reiterated that there were a lot of important questions on the table and that in the interest of the Disitrct and the Taxpayers the two Boards should move forward together with Realted to get them answered in a timely fashion.  

Other Business:
Resolution introducing local law and providing for public notice and hearing- Some of the businesses in Town have inquired about bringing in food trucks, but this is not covered in the current zoning law.  Councilmember Reichgott and Town Attorney Protter have put together a draft law and the request is to set a public hearing for the law.  Supervisor  English said he didn’t feel ready for a vote.  Councilmembers May and Murphy indicated there had been a request for a permit for a food truck and that they would like to vote on it.  Following some discussion, the Board voted unanimously to hold a public hearing on the proposed legislation on October 24.
Councilmember Reichgott  that the State has just announced they are open for marijuana dispensaries.  Since Tuxedo is one of the only municipalities in the region who didn’t opt out of having these dispensaries, he feels they need to discuss what rules they will put in place.  Personally, he feels that any future marijuana dispensaries should be reviewed much the same as bars and liquor stores currently are—the police do an investigation of the business and make a recommendation for granting permission.  There was a quick discussion on this but no firm decision was made.

The meeting was adjourned at 8:57 pm. 

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Agenda for Town Board Meeting September 26, 2022 

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Notice of Special Town Board Meeting September 20, 2022

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Town Board Meeting September 12, 2022 

The Town Board met on Monday, September 12 at 7pm via WebEx.  All members were present.

AGENDA ITEMS:
2022-23 Tax Certiorari Proceedings – The Board voted unanimously in favor of approving a resolution to hire the firm of Jacobowitz and Gubits to defend the Town in a tax certiorari proceeding brought by 5 agents who are contesting their taxes.  Those agents are:
The Tuxedo Club, Martin Friedman, Tuxedo NY LLC, Karen and Said Haidar and Genesis Real Estate.
Resolution to Appoint Police Chief – The Board voted unanimously in favor of appointing John Trazino as the new Chief of Police at a starting salary of $35,000 per year.  John is a Warwick resident with roots in Tuxedo.  He graduated from George F. Baker High School and went on to a career with the Orange County Sheriff’s Department that spanned more than 20 years.  He has extensive experienced training and mentoring officers.
Resolution to Approve Part-Time Police Officers – The Board voted unanimously in favor of appointing Eric Tursi and Kyle Conklin as part-time police officers at the rate of $31.62 per hour.
Resolution to Approve Field Use Application – NY/NJ Trail Conference – The Board voted unanimously in favor of approving the NY/NJ Trail Conference request to use Powerhouse Park for a Trail Race between the hours of 6:30-9am on October 15.

Monthly Reports:

Supervisor English reported that the Town Board was continuing to move forward the Special Permit for Tuxedo Farms and he believes they are getting closer and closer every day.  Hopefully there will be something to announce by the end of the month.
Deputy Supervisor Lindsay reported having met with Town Engineer Sean Hoffman and Elinor Peck, the new contact from the Hudson Valley Regional Council.  Elinor provided them with a fair amount of information and this will be discussed during the “Other Business” section of the meeting.  Additionally, there was a Climate Smart Committee meeting earlier that day and they are moving forward with a number of action plans.  They are getting close to certification as a Clean Energy Committee and there are also some items to address during “other business” on this topic.
Councilwoman Maria May noted that she did not have anything new to report.  They are waiting to learn when ARPA (American Rescue Plan Act) funds will become available.
Councilman Jay Reichgott explained that the Covid-related State of Emergency orders would expire that night and further they will not be renewed.  What this means is that public meetings can no longer be entirely remote and that at least three Town Board members will need to present in Town Hall for their bi-monthly meetings.  Secondly, he reminded everyone that Family Fun Day would be taking place on October 8 and that this year there would be an Apple Pie baking contest.  Next, he noted that they were in receipt of some correspondence pertaining to the floor at the Highway Garage which is starting to show its’ age.  After having taken a look at it, he feels that the Town will need to consider doing something there in the “relatively near future” although he does not believe it is an emergency.  Town Engineer Sean Hoffman will also be looking at it in the coming week and generating a report for their review.  Lastly, he noted that a few meetings back the Board had been discussing food trucks and that subsequently their attorney, Howard Protter, has put together and circulated a  draft local law for comment.  He is hoping that the Board members will all weigh in with comments so that they can finalize the draft and present it at the next meeting and then schedule a public hearing as it appears to be an issue that has some urgency for some people.
Councilwoman Diedre Murphy reported that she had been working on the Plein Air Art Festival, which is moving along nicely.  This year’s event will feature a silent auction, for which each artist has been asked to donate a 5x7 piece of artwork.  The bidding starts at $35 and the monies will go towards funding of the event.    She also consulted with the County Highway Department about the previously discussed speed limit issue  and they are consulting with the County.  Additionally, she is working with the Deputy Supervisor on a strategy for grants moving forward and how they might be able to incorporate a lot of their plans for marketing etc. into future applications for grants based on new issues that are coming up in the Town.  She hopes to have an outline of steps forward prepared for the next meeting.

Department Updates:
Town Clerk Marisa Dollbaum reported that Local Law #4 of 2022 for Video Conferencing was filed with the Department of State on September 2 and is now officially on the books.  School taxes are due by September 30 without penalty.  Everyone should have their statements by now.  Payments are due to the individual school districts and not at Town Hall.  Both Districts accept online payments and there are links to the respective webpages on the Town website.  She has also been working with Councilwoman Murphey to try and build better emails lists or subscriber e-alerts through the website so that residents can sign up for content that they want to receive vs. mass emails from the Clerk.  The website does have that capability, they just have to get more people interested and then begin utilizing it. 
Click here to view a copy of the Police Report.
Highway Superintendent Rob Dollbaum was not present and therefore there was no report from the Highway Department.

Public Comments:
Evelyn David inquired about the new Zoom Room, wondering whether there would be call-in directions for attending posted to the website and if people would still be able to unmute and ask questions.  The answer to both questions was yes.
Irene Denaro thanked the Supervisor and the Board for updating Tichy Field commenting that the work was beautiful and long overdue.  The Supervisor agreed that things looked great and suggested that perhaps they should have a ribbon cutting ceremony in the near future. 

Other Business:
Deputy Supervisor Lindsay noted that Mr. Protter had circulated the final contract with Jewel Assets to become the Town’s Community Choice Aggregation Administrator for electricity supply and community solar.   April is the target date for commencing the program.  They are targeting next year as a good time to move forward with a program for Natural Gas for which they will use a different administrator.  Following some further discussion, the Board voted in favor of authorizing the Supervisor to sign the agreement. 
Moving on, The Deputy Supervisor turned to the Clean Energy program.  The Town needs to complete 4 of 10 action items in order to be certified as a Clean Energy Community.  The Town has completed two of these to date.  They have talked about pursuing a unified solar permit and energy audit in order to fulfill the requirement.  In order to move forward with the unified solar permit, there will need to be a law drafted amending the building code to create an exception.  Both of these action items were discussed at some length and the Board voted in favor of authorizing Mr. Protter to draft the necessary law for the Unified Solar Permit.  It was agreed that the Deputy Supervisor would reach out to the various vendors that had been provided for the energy audit to determine what would be involved and report back.  Additionally, Town Engineer Sean Hoffman will take a look at it in order to determine if the Town might be eligible for any associated municipal grants.  Once the Town has completed the 4 action items and becomes certified, they will receive a $5,000 reward and this can be towards anything that might not be fundable through grants. 
With regard to the Climate Smart Community certification, the State now has a program to help municipalities calculate their greenhouse gas emission inventory.  There are a couple of volunteers who are willing to work on this.  In order to take advantage of the program and all the tools that the State has in place, the Supervisor will need to sign a letter of commitment.  The associated costs will be minimal.  The Board voted unanimously in favor of authorizing the Supervisor to sign the letter of commitment subject to approval by Mr. Protter.
Councilwoman May reiterated that Family Fun Day would take place on October 8 and that there would be “many fun things happening.”  She encouraged everyone to spread the word and attend the event.
Councilman Reichgott circled back to the topic of food trucks and the draft local law that had been circulated and it was discussed at some length.  The draft proposes two types of permits, one being long-term and the other being a daily permit for an event.  Discussion focused primarily on the potential locations of the trucks, the possibility of “non-compete” clauses as well as possibly making the trucks seasonal.  Ultimately, Councilman Reichgott will continue to collect thoughts from the Town Board and work together with Mr. Protter to produce an updated draft for the next meeting. 
Changing topic, the Deputy Mayor suggested that the Department Heads come together to work on a Capital Plan in an effort to help them off-set costs associated with major work/repairs through appropriate planning over time.  The Supervisor agreed, further noting that in his view the plan should prioritize items that could be reasonably be completed in the next 3 or 4 years.   

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Agenda for Town Board Meeting September 12, 2022 

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Town Board Meeting August 22, 2022 

The Town Boared met on Monday, August 22, 2022 at 7:00 pm via Web Ex.  Deputy Supervisor Lindsay was absent.

Public Hearing  - Video Conferencing Local Law:
Councilmember Reichgott gave a brief explanation on the proposed law.  Since the State is still operating under a state of emergency due to Covid, the Town Board meetings have been taking place virtually via Web Ex.  It is expected that this situation could change soon.  Since the Town has recently installed a Zoom Room giving it the capability to broadcast their meetings via Zoom, a new law governing those meetings was proposed.  Essentailly, the law only applies to Town Board members as it gives the rules for attendance and voting in meetings.  The public will still be able to attend the meetings virtually although the format will change from Web Ex to Zoom.   To read a copy of the proposed  law, click here.

Public Comments:
Evelyn David, wanted to know if she would still be able to dial in and attend meetings virtually.  The answer was yes. 
Kimberly Breiland noted that she really liked being able to attend the Town Board meetings virtually and also observed that when she was on the Board of Education, quite a lot of people would attend meetings once they became available virtually. 

Following this discussion, the public hearing was closed and the local law was adopted by unanimous vote.  The Board then unanimously adopted their policy for video conferencing, which states that Board members are expected to show up at Town Hall for meetings but there are certain circumstances when they can attend virtually.  The policy will be posted on the Town website. 

Agenda Item:
Resolution to approve facilities use application – Powerhouse Park:
Representing the Tuxedo Community Activity Council, Kimberly Breiland has applied for permission to use Powerhouse Park on September 24 from 10 am to 2 pm for a community garage sale. The rain date is proposed for October 15.  Residents from all over Town will be able to bring their own table and set up to sell items for a fee of $5 per table.  Currently, residents of Tuxedo Park are not allowed to hold garage sales.  Also, since the Town of Tuxedo is so spread out, it can be hard to attend several sales on the same day. Bringing everything together on one day and in one location would be a way for that to happen.  Also, the council has been approached by someone who would like  to hold a Classic Car Show and after some discussion, they have decided that they would like to combine the two events.  Ms. Breiland inquired as to whether  the Town could supply a “port-o-potty” for the event and the Supervisor responded that they could.  She further inquired about signage, noting that she wanted to make sure there was visible, clear signage all over Town for Powerhouse Park as well as directions from Route 17.  She was told that signage for all the town’s parks is needed and the Board is hoping to work on this soon.   Finally, she asked if the Town would be willing to co-sponsor the event.  Following some discussion, the Board unanimously approved the event as well as the “port-o-potty”.  They also agreed to be co-sponsors. 

Department Updates:
Town Clerk Marisa Dollbaum  reminded everyone of the primary election to be held on August 23 from 6am to 9pm. The election is for Democratic Candidates in the 18th District only. Town Hall is the only polling location. 

Supervisor’s Update:
Supervisor English reported that the Town camp had ended on August 12.  It was a very successful year for the program with 70 kids participating.  He thanked part time Recreation Director Claire Dougher for all her hard work and then read a letter from camp parent Victoria Love who thanked everyone involved for such a wonderful experience for her children.  Additionally, he reported that the Tuxedo LDC had filed their first required PARIS report (Public Assistance Reporting Information System) with the New York Comptrollers Office.  Finally, he announced that the Tuxedo Police Department had recently received two grants, one for a Child Passenger Safety program and the other for participation in the Police Traffic Services program, which has a goal of increasing seat belt usage and reducing dangerous driving behaviors. 

Town Board Updates:
Councilmember May thanked the police department for their recent successful and fun event to support the dog park. She also thanked everyone responsible for the event held at the Pollinator Meadow on July 29th commemorating the person who founded a station for the study of insects.  
Councilmember Reichgott noted that despite the recent rain, things are still really dry and he cautioned everyone to be careful.
Councilmember Murphy stated that she will have an update on all of her projects for the next meeting. 

Minutes:
The minutes for the August 8 Town Board meeting were approved unanimously.

Vouchers:
The vouchers were approved unanimously

Public Comments:
There were none.

Other Business:
Maskers Orchards was given permission for their usual 7 seasonal signs advertising  apple picking.  The permit will cover the period of late August” to November 15.
Councilmember May commented that she has observed signs from Republican Candidate Colin Schmidt being put up in Town and further noted that these are illegal as Town law states that no campaign signs can go up until 45 days before the election .  The Board asked Town Attorney Howard Protter to look into this.

The meeting was adjourned at 8:14 pm.

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Agenda for Town Board Meeting August 22, 2022 

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Notice of Special Town Board Meeting September 1, 2022 @ 5:30pm

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Town Board Meeting August 8, 2022

The Town Board met on Monday, August 8, 2022 at 7:00 pm via WebEx.  Supervisor English was absent.

Discussion Items:

1. Escrow policy for Building Department – The idea behind this is to have a policy in place for applications coming to the Planning Board and Zoning Board.  The purpose is to provide the Town with some money up front with which they can pay the consultants necessary for a project.  The Board members agreed that this is a good idea but were unsure as to how much the fees should be.  Ultimately, it was agreed that they would ask Deborah Villanueva, the Town’s Project Coordinator, to provide them with a range of what the typical application costs the Town in consultant fees and then plug those numbers in to a proposed local law. Town Attorney Protter will draft the law for a public hearing to be held at the next Town Board meeting on August 22. 
2. Food Trucks – The Town has received an inquiry regarding food trucks and what is and is not allowed in Town.  There is presently no mention of food trucks in the Town’s zoning code.  Town Attorney Protter suggested that the rules would be different  depending on where the food truck was situated.  If the proposal is for a food truck on private property, then the applicant would need site plan approval from the Planning Board before it could be allowed.  If the proposal is for a food truck on Town property, then the Town Board would have control over what would be allowed.  If the proposal is for a food truck on Town property, then the Town Board would have control over what would be alowed. Additionally, he cautioned that when determining the locale for a food truck,  the Town should consider placing it in an area where it would not have a negative impact on any existing local restaurants.  He agreed to put together some samples of what other municipalities have done and circulate them to the Board for their consideration. 
3. Virtual Meeting Attendance Policy and Local Law for Videoconferencing -  The laws regulating public meetings have changed somewhat since Covid.  Historically, a quorum of a Board needed to be present in a publicly accessible place  in order for the meeting to be legal and complaint with the Open Meetings Law.  Now, the State Legislature has said that the quorum no longer needs to be in a public place.  Instead, Board members can join meetings via a video conference and be visible to the public that way.   Since the Town has recently installed a “Zoom Room,” there needs to be a policy which governs how it can and will be used.  A draft local law has been put together and can be viewed here. After a brief discussion, the Board voted unanimously in favor of setting a public hearing for the next Town Board meeting.

Public Comments on Agenda Items:
Rob Dollbaum asked for an explanation of the Greenway grant.  He was told  that this is a grant that provides money to  municipalities to assist them in planning for revitalization.

Agenda Items:
Resolution to engage town planners Bonnie Franson & Valerie Monastra and Town Engineer Sean Hoffman for Greenway grant writing assistance – If received, the money from this grant would fund studies necessary for economic development.  In particular, it would allow for a study that would outline all the commercial properties in Town in order to determine what is “missing” and what is “not missing.” This information would then allow the Town to apply for another grant, which would assist with moving the commercial development in Town forward.  There was a lengthy discussion about exactly what the proposed cost of each grant might be. Councilmember Reichgott asked several probing questions focused on what the Town would be getting for their money. The resolution was initially introduced with a cost “not to exceed $5000,” but was reduced to “a cost of up to $2000.” Councilmember Reichgott wondered whether this was an accurate figure and if they would be able to successfully do the work for $2000.   The answer was “if they can’t, we won’t do it.” 
The resolution was passed by a vote of 3-1 with Councilmember Reichgott voting no.

Monthly Reports:
Town Clerk Marisa Dollbaum announced that the Zoom Room installation had been completed the previous week and would be ready for the next meeting!  She also reported that she had been working with General Codes and that the Town codes had been updated through December, 2021.  She has one, physical copy in her office and urged anyone else wanting a copy to use the ecodes available on the Town website as printed copies are costly.  Finally, she stated that the Optimum franchise agreement is up in 2023 and the company will be contacting the Town to negotiate a further contract.  Also coming up for renewal is the lease agreement on the phone system in Town Hall.
Highway Superintendent Dollbaum reported that road patching is mostly complete in the Town.  The department has fiber matted and chip sealed Benjamin Meadow and Brammertown roads and chip sealed Warwick Brook Rd.  He is hopeful that there may be enough money left to chip seal in Eagle Valley.  Work continues on the dirt pile. They also installed the new Town billboard near Warwick Brook Rd.
Town Board Reports:
Deputy Supervisor Lindsay reported that the Board had met with both Counsel and the Town Planner to review the design guidelines for Tuxedo Farms.
Councilmember May added that she had attended the cleanup and repainting of Lucky Skate Park.
Councilmember Reichgott noted that everything is very dry due to drought conditions and he cautioned residents to be vigilant about potential fire hazards. 
Councilmember Murphy announced that 28 artists have already signed up for the Plein Air Event and the campaign to sign up sponsors will start soon.  Also, Heather Bullard has agreed to do catering for the event again this year.  Additionally, the Orange County Arts Council has proposed putting on a production of A Christmas Carol performed by the Greenwood Lake Players on a Sunday evening in December at the George F. Baker Auditorium.  The cost for this production would be $7,000.  Following a brief discussion, the Board decided that the proposed expense was too much and therefore, it was not approved.

Minutes – The minutes for the regular Town Board meeting on July 25 were unanimously approved.

Vouchers – The vouchers were unanimously approved.

The meeting was adjourned at 9:08 pm

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Agenda For Town Board Meeting August 8, 2022

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Town Board Meeting July 25, 2022

The Town Board met on Monday, July 25, 2022 at 7:00 pm via Web Ex.  All members were present.

Agenda Items:

1. The meeting began with an update from Supervisor English and Town Attorney Protter on the Town/Village consolidation issue.  Mr. Protter explained that the Census Bureau had been confused by the issue and had contacted the Comptrollers Office who in turn contacted him.  Apparently, the problem lies with the fact that if the Town is also going to be a Village (and thus get powers only available to Villages) they need to act as a Village.  This would include, at a minimum, filing some reports that Villages are required to file, maintaining  a separate budget for the Village of Tuxedo and adopting some standard Village laws.  In other words, a Village Government must be established.  Mr. Protter  believes that there might be a way to work things out, but he will need time to develop  a process.  The Board members were unanimously in favor of attempting to work things out, but they would like to do so in a manner that will not end up costing the Town a huge amount of money. 

Supervisor English stated that the Board would not be voting on this issue at the present meeting, but if anyone would like to make a short statement, the Board would be happy to have them do so.  John McNamera wanted to know how the Town would know whether the proposed solution would solve the problem?  He was informed that this question could not be answered yet as the Board doesn’t have enough information about what is being proposed.
Mr. McNamera then wondered whether the Town could revert to being just a town, as they were before.  The Board believes that this will be possible, but will have to wait and see.
Mr. McNamera also wanted to know what would happen if Tuxedo Farms decided, down the road, that they wanted to become their own Village? The Board did not have an answer to this question.
Bonny Takeuchi noted that she had the same questions as Mr. McNamera and that she was happy that the Board would not be voting on this particular item just yet.

1. Resolution to approve sign permits – NY Renaissance Faire: These are the usual signs and are proposed to go on Hank Salzer’sproperty in Southfields and at Vera Johnson Antiques (across from Dottie Audrey’s) – The resolution was unanimously

Department Updates:
The Police Department is still planning to hold their BBQ Fundrasier on August 13 from 12 noon to 6 pm.  All proceeds will benefit the Tuxedo Dog Park.
Town Clerk Marisa Dollbaum announced that there will be a Democratic Party Primary Election on Tuesday, August 3 from 6am – 9pm.  The election will determine who will run for the Congressional seats on the Democratic line in Orange County. Town Hall will be the only polling place in Tuxedo. Additionally, she reported that the Town’s Zoom Room is in progress!!!  They anticipate that it will be completed in 1-2 weeks. 
Town Highway Superintendent Rob Dollbaum reported that his department was currently working on chip sealing Warwick Brook Road Thus he  recommended that people avoid using this road for the next couple of days. In the coming weeks, they will be completing some drainage work on August and Nursery Roads. Lastly, work continues on the “dirt pile” at the Highway garage.
Town Supervisor/Town Board Updates:
Supervisor English reported that the new sewer plant is moving forward and will be ready for hook ups on schedule.  He and Deputy Supervisor Lindsay are working with the Tuxedo Farms LDC to schedule the hook ups.  The Town Board had had a special meeting with Attorney Larry Wolinsky to go over the latest proposed special permit for Tuxedo Farms.  Another special meeting will be held on July 26th to go over design standards and the smart code.  After this, they will report back to residents and show them the next iteration of the agreement. 
Deputy Supervisor Lindsay reported that she had been busy checking the references provided by the two applicants for the Commmunity Choice Aggregation Administrator. 
Councilmember May attended a meeting of the Silver Dollars.  They are working on a survey for all senior residents to find out what services they want and/or need.  She thanked Sue Heywood as well as Kimberly Breiland & Adam Patrick, who hosted a fundraising event for people to aid in sending local kids to the Town Camp.  The event was very successful and they reached their goal with a little left over to be saved for the same cause next year.

Councilmember Reichgott announced that the Lucky Park repainting party has been rescheduled for August 6.  Additionally, he congratulated the Eagle Valley Fire Company on their 50th Anniversary  which they celebrated over the last weekend. 
Councilmember Murphy, along with Deputy Supervisor Lindsay has been working on finding ways to get money to fund the Hamlet Revitalization.  She spoke with the Orange County Arts Council and told them that the Board has decided to move their contract until next year, but would be interested in a Holiday Event.  The Council in turn suggested a play to be put on by the Greenwood Lake Players, who have a great interest in performing in the High School auditorium.  The High School is very interested as they have just finished some renovations to that space and would like to use this as a way to introduce the “new” auditorium to the public.  The performance would take place on a Sunday and Councilmember Murphy has asked them to make it a matinee.  She will continue to keep the Board updated as the details are ironed out. 

Minutes for the regular Town Board meeting held on July 11 as well as the special meeting on July 14 were unanimously approved.

Vouchers were unanimously approved. 

New Business
Deputy Supervisor Lindsay announced that the contract for CCA Administrator for electricity will go to Jewel.  The contract for natural gas will go to Good Energy.

The meeting was adjourned at 8:35 pm.

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Tuxedo Consolidation Update (Posted 7/22/22)

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Agenda For Town Board Meeting July 25, 2022

Click here to view the agenda

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Notice of Special Town Board Meetings July 14 & 19, 2022

Click here to view the July 14 Notice

Click here to view the July 19 Notice 

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Town Board Meeting July 11, 2022

The Town Board met on Monday, July 11, 2022 at 7:00 pm via WebEx.  All members were present. 
 
The meeting began with a presentation from John Berg, a Community Choice Aggregation Administrator from Good Energy.  This company is one of two who answered the Town’s RFP.  They handle the procurement and management of both electricity and natural gas.  He spoke about his company’s education and community outreach programs. 

Public Comments on Agenda Items:
There were none.

Agenda Items:

1. Resolution to approve Town of Tuxedo Police Department Facilities Use Application – This event is a BBQ on August 13 at Powerhouse Park and will be a fundraiser for improvements to that location’s Dog Park.  It was approved unanimously.
2. Resolution determining the Validity of a Petition for a Proposition to increase the 2023 Budgetary Allocation for the Tuxedo Park Library to be included on the November 2022 ballot.- This is the annual request from the Library to have their fund allocation placed on the ballot.  It represents a 3% increase in funds and was approved unanimously.

Discussion:
  Hamlet Revitalization Plan – Burgis proposal:  The discussion focused on the financing of the studies proposed by Burgis for a plan that was included in the 2003 Comprehensive Plan for the Town.  The plan has two phases.  Phase 1 would study the area west of Route 17 and Phase 2 would study the area east of Route 17.  This would produce some concept drawings which the Town could then use in focus groups.  The proposed cost for this work is $5600 for both phases.  Congressmember Murphy outlined some potential sources for grants to cover the funding.  Eventually, the Board unanimously approved funding for up to $6000 to cover both phases.  Councilmember Reichgott asked why the Town wouldn’t use funds from the Tuxedo LDC (non sewer district one) to fund this.  Deputy Supervisor Lindsay replied that when she had applied for funds previously, she was told that she needed to show evidence that the Town was committed to the plans being discussed. 
   Airbnb/Short Term Rentals – The Town already has code in place for Bed and Breakfasts but it doesn’t really address the short term rentals that are typical for Airbnb and other similar companies.  There has been quite a lot of discussion on this subject over the years.  At the moment, Supervisor English stated that he personally was against allowing AirBnb type rentals as he would be unhappy if that were to happen close to his own property.  Deputy Supervisor Lindsay said she would be open to Bed and Breakfasts in “mixed use zoned” areas.   Both Councilmembers May and Murphy said they used Airbnbs frequently and would be happy to see them in Town.  Councilmember Reichgott pointed out that our code covers Bed and Breakfasts and not short term rental agreements which cover Airbnb and similar companies.  He added that he felt these properties were inevitable whether the Town allowed them or not.  Also, he pointed out that whether or not the Town allowed them, the presence of these properties would add work for the Building Inspector in particular and the Building Department in general and he feels the Town needs to address that. 

Department Updates:
Town Board Updates – Supervisor English reported that on July 8 the Town has bee informed by the NYS Division of Budget that the remaining 50% of the American Rescue Plan Act funding will be $152,307.  Projects reported so far were the water treatment system installed at the Highway Department ($32,000) and the purchase of the Zoom Room equipment for Town Hall ($52,127). Additional eligible projects are being considered by the Town Board. On Monday, July 11, it was reported that the final work for activating the new wastewater treatment plant has been authorized by Related. An updated timeline and completion plan is expected.  Also, the Tichy Field tennis court/basketball court renovation project is moving forward.  Demolition has been completed, new draining has been installed and paving has been completed.  Court surfacing, line painting, fence installation, nets, backboard, etc. will be completed soon.
Deputy Supervisor Lindsay said she has been working on checking references of the candidates for Community Choice Aggregation Administrator.   She has applied for an extension of allotted time for picking an Administrator until the next Board meeting.  (7/25). 
Councilmember May has been working on collaboration with the Orange County Department of Aging.  She is putting together a list of proposed projects for the remaining ARPA funds. 
Councilmember Reichgott reported that the Lucky Park repainting project had been postponed due to several people being diagnosed with Covid.  It will be rescheduled. 
Councilmember Murphy stated that the Department of Transportation has conducted a survey on the speed limit on Long Meadow Rd and will be issuing a report by the end of the month.  She would like to make the Recreation Council an active board which works on various activities throughout the community. 

Town Clerk Marisa Dollbaum said a flyer with details about the BBQ on August 13 manned by the Police Department will be forthcoming on a flyer soon.  She also reported that there will be another primary election on Tuesday August 23.  This one is  for Congress and State Senate seats and is due to the change in district lines. 
Highway Department Superintendent Rob Dollbaum reported that his department has been working on patching roads.  There has been a dilemma with patching in Laurel Ridge because of a new gasline scheduled to be installed by Orange and Rockland. Thus, Sylvan Way, Fawn Hill and Spice Bush will not be done this year and instead work will be done on Benjamin Meadow and Brammertown roads as well as Warwick Brook Rd.  In addition, the Highway Department  has been working on moving their dirt pile to the rear of their property and will continue with grass cutting. 

Public Comments:
Evelyn David remarked that Warwick has lots of Airbnb properties which seem to be working well.  She recommends that the Board look into what regulations they have there as it all seems to be well under control.

Supervisor English announced that there will be a short special meeting on Thursday, July 14 at 5 pm for the purpose of approving vouchers and minutes.   The Board then adjourned the meeting into an Executive Session with Town Attorney Howard Protter for the purpose of discussing litigation. 

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Agenda for Town Board Meeting July 11, 2022

Click here to view the agenda

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Town Board Meeting June 27, 2022

The Town Board met on Monday, June 27, 2022 at 7:00 pm via WebEx.  All members were present.

The meeting began with a presentation from the Sarah McKay, Executive Director of the Orange County Arts Council. This organization is an independent entity and a not-for-profit 501C3.  Among other things, they work as contracted project managers.  For their fee of $20,000 per year, the Town can choose 3 events that they will manage.  They will survey Town residents to discover what kind of performances they want to see.  Then they will book and maintain contracts with performers, develop marketing content, manage the set up and break down of the event, directly pay for contracted vendors (such as sound technicians) coordinate volunteers, and obtain and provide certificates of insurance as needed.  They have an “extensive” list of musicians and performers that they work with, most of whom are local. 

Agenda Items:

1. Resolution to close Public Hearing on proposed Local Law #4 of 2022 – This public hearing was opened at the  June 23 meeting.  The law sets limits on the number of homes and the kind of homes that can be built in the Tuxedo Farms development.  The only public comment came from Kristy Apostolides, who inquired as to why there had been no dialog on this subject.  She was told that this was a public hearing and that the Board felt that dialog was not appropriate. Responses will come later on. The hearing was then closed although written comments will be accepted for the next ten days or so. 
2. Resolution to approve Tuxedo Arts & Music Facilities Use Application -  This is for the use of the Train Station for the Friday night reception at the Plein Air Event taking place in the fall. Also, paintings will be displayed there throughout the weekend.  It was approved unanimously.

Department Updates:
Town Clerk Marisa Dollbaum reported that all the zoom room equipment has been delivered and now she just needs to coordinate with  an electrician and their IT consultant before the zoom team from California will come to install the system.  She anticipates this will happen by the end of July!  Next, she announced that the Primary Election would take place t on June 28 from 6 am – 9 pm at all polling places.  Lastly, she announced that next weeks’ garbage pickup for the Town will be pushed back one day because of the July 4th holiday.  Thus, garbage will be picked up on Tuesday July 5 and both garbage and recycling will be picked up on Friday, July 8. 
The Police Department has two upcoming community days.  The first is the Lucky Park Spruce Up on July 9 from 10 – 1 pm.  The skate ramps will be repainted and refreshments will be served.  The second event will be a Community BBQ at Powerhouse Park on August 13 from Noon to 6pm.  There will be music with karaoke requests from DJ LT. Officers will be flipping burgers and dogs as well as serving time in a dunk tank!!!  All proceeds will go to sprucing up Powerhouse Park and the Dog Park. 

Town Supervisor/Town Board Updates:
Supervisor English reported that he had attended the Orange County Planning Board meeting on the Tuxedo Farms development on June 22.  There were lots of positive comments about the project.  On June 27 he took part in a security walk-through for the upcoming Renaissance Faire with Detective Christian and security staff from the Faire. 
Deputy Supervisor Michele Lindsay noted that she had attended the Tuxedo Planning Board meeting on June 22 where they discussed Tuxedo Farms as well as the proposed amendments to Local Law #4. She has also been reviewing the RFPs for a Community Choice Aggregation Administrator.
Councilmember May reported that she has been working to set up a meeting with the Council on Aging in Orange County to discuss what they might have to offer the Town.
Councilmember Reichgott commented that he had nothing to report although he had been working hard “behind the scene.”
Councilmember Murphy announced that the artwork for the upcoming Billboard was finished and would cost about $900. A vote was taken to allocate funds not to exceed $1200 for this project. It was passed unanimously.

Minutes for the June 13 Town Board meeting were unanimously approved.

Vouchers were unanimously approved.

The Board then adjourned into a private attorney/client meeting with Town Attorney Howard Protter.  They returned from the meeting at approximately 10 pm but no further action was taken. 

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Agenda for Town Board Meeting June 27, 2022

Click here to view the agenda

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Public Hearing for Tuxedo Farms - June 23, 2022

The Town Board met on Thursday, June 23, 2022 at 6:00 pm. The meeting was held in the multipurpose room of George Grant Mason Elementary School.  All members were present. 

The main purpose of the meeting was a continuation of the public hearing on the application for the Tuxedo Farms project.  As such, Supervisor English and the Board members made the same statements that they gave the week prior at the first hearing.  This was followed by Town Attorney Larry Wolinsky, also repeating his remarks.  Next, the team from Related and Lennar gave their presentation on the project.  To see a copy of this presentation, click here.
The following public comments were then made:
Joe Rickard, member of the TUFSD Board of Education began his remarks by noting that the School considers this great timing for the development.  The District now has “a great Superintendent and great Principals with many years of experience” and the administrators and staff know how to run a great small school.  However, he feels the project presents a challenge for the district as their current financial model and instructional program are built on a district of 220 students.  Over time, the development will expand the district to over 600 students.  The School Board is working on assessing building capacity, staffing and faculty needs.  The new residents and the current taxpayers will expect the District to be flawless in their planning.  They don’t feel that they can place hardships on them by waiting for assessments.  Additionally, even in the best of times, fields and property for the district and town have been inadequate.  Parents and students will expect recreation fields not only for the High School, but for the Middle School as well.  The School District will need financial assistance and property in order to adequately transition the district to the larger student population.  He then posed the following questions for the applicant: 

1. Knowing that Related’s environmental, planning and engineering consultants are currently working with the district to develop a long-range plan of the impact and the timing of the impact, he wondered when it would be a good time for the school board and the town board to meet to discuss their findings?
2. In what timeframe can the financial assistance and property transfer be expected to be completed?
3. The School Board knows that the attorneys are in contact with each other, but they want to know what else specifically will be needed from the school district in order to facilitate the finalization of the agreement.

Kimberly Breiland asked if Related would be involved in keeping up the property once the building and the selling was done?  She was told there would be an HOA in place to take care of that. 
Kelly Spranger said she was thrilled to hear that the Board of Education and the Town Board would be working together! She commented that there is a lot of history in Tuxedo and she hoped Related could be trusted to keep that history in mind as well as bringing new people to the Town and School.

Supervisor English then read 2 letters received by the Board into the record.  One was from State Senator James Skoufis and the other from Michael Bruno. Both were very supportive of the project.  Click here and here to read copies of these letters.

As there were no further comments, the public hearing was then closed.  The Board will accept written comments from the public for the next 2 weeks (up until July 7.)

Next on the agenda was a Public Hearing on Introductory Local Law #4 of 2022:  This is a law which already exists having originally been passed in 1998 but now the Board is updating it with new figures for the current project.  Specifically, the law states that the maximum number of homes to be built in Tuxedo Farms is 1,609.  Of those homes, no more than 500 units can be multi-family units and a minimum of 239 single family detached units shall be built.  In addition, no less than 174 units shall be duplex.   

There were no public comments on the proposed law.  This public hearing shall remain open until Monday, June 27 at the regular Town Board meeting.

The meeting was adjourned at 7:35

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Public Hearing for Tuxedo Farms - June 16, 2022

The Town Board held a Public Hearing on Thursday, June 16, 2022 at 6pm.  The hearing was in person only and was held in the Multipurpose Room of the George Grant Mason Elementary School.  All members of the Board were present. 

Supervisor Ken English opened the meeting with the following statement :
“Good evening and welcome. Tonight’s Public Hearing is an important step in the renewal of the Tuxedo Farms’ proposal. This project will construct housing and commercial space needed to fulfill the Town’s Comprehensive Plan. This Town Board has been diligently working with a team of consultants, Larry Wolinsky of Jacobowitz and Gubits, our lead attorney, has extensive experience in large development projects. Bonnie Franson, our Town Planner from Nelson Pope, Voorhis, is a leading expert in the Hudson Valley with expertise in all facets of municipal planning. Both have been on this project for decades. And Sean Hoffman, our Town Engineer who has served the Town for several years, working for H2M Engineering and now has formed his own firm.

This team provides the continuity of experience and knowledge of this project that the Town Board needs.

The Town Board team, of Michele Lindsay, Deputy Supervisor, Maria May, Jay Reichgott, and Deirdre Murphy, councilpersons, and myself, have dedicated hundreds of hours over the last year, negotiating a plan that will bring forward the promise of our Master Plan. Supporting us throughout, Town Clerk, Marisa Dollbaum, has kept us moving forward, scheduling our meetings and organizing the many documents required. Thanks Marisa!

We’ve held more than 12 public meetings, eight of which were special workshops devoted only to this topic. Most were delivered by WebEx. We share each draft of our work on the Town’s website to keep the public informed. All of our meetings have been recorded and are accessible on our website. In tonight’s meeting, it would be impossible to reiterate all of the steps that have brought us to this point. Our goal is to update the Special Permit, holding on to as much of what was agreed to as possible. We will minimize the impacts on the environment and design a community that will invigorate our Town with the new residents needed to promote prosperity for our businesses and the TUFSD school.

Key to this project is the new state of the art WasteWater Treatment Plant that was constructed and completed about four years ago. This plant is essential to the Tuxedo Hamlet and will serve about 260 homes and businesses that urgently need its final connection.

We have worked hard to deliver a project that will meet the Town’s needs that includes opportunities for amenities like public meeting spaces, hospitality such as a restaurant, options for recreation, connections to our existing Hamlet, and an increased tax base to support our emergency services and schools. The project will add a housing mix that welcomes new families and young professionals looking to establish roots here in Tuxedo.

The fiscal analysis shows ample projected tax revenues, both to the Town and the School district. Traffic studies have been updated to include data that considered changes to the Rt. 17 corridor. Although the unit count has increased to 1,609 residences, about 60 acres of undisturbed land have been added to the project. The town received more than 700 acres of open space in the Northern tract off Warwick Brook Road, preserving more land adjacent to Sterling Forest. A proposed entrance from Southgate Road has been designated as an emergency vehicle only access. The agreement with the school, reached back in 2015, has been restored. As of today, I know there are still talks between the TUFSD and Related. I look forward to a final understanding.

County and local Planning Board reviews are underway. Extensive public comment has been submitted and incorporated into the various drafts that have been part of this process. All were given to Related and are being addressed. 

So tonight, the process continues. We need to hear from you, the residents. We will listen carefully. A stenographer will capture all comments. We will then categorize them and consider all that we learn. We won’t be responding directly until we conclude the hearings.”

Following this statement, the individual Town Board members each made a brief statement.  All of them are looking forward to this development seeing it as a positive step forward for the Town.  Next to speak was Attorney Larry Wolinsky who outlined the process taken so far and set forth what will happen next saying that the Town Board and the Planning Board will review the application including the Technical Memorandum as well as comments received from the public and the County Planning Board. 

Next on the agenda was a presentation from the team from Related (property owner) and Lennar (builder).  To view this presentation, click here.

Following the presentation, the public was invited to speak and/or ask questions.  Their comments were:
Jerry Mottola commented that he has been a resident of the Town for almost 70 years.  “I am tired of hearing about windows and finishes!  Let’s get on with it…let them build!”  he stated, adding…”welcome!”
Catherine Zuckoff who lives in the Woodlands said expressed concern about traffic on Eagle Valley Road. She wondered what the “connection” to the Woodlands was that had been mentioned by one of the Town Board members during their opening remarks.
Dan Castricone introduced himself as the President of the Board of Education.  He called upon those members of the BOE and Administration who were also present to rise, noting that almost all of them were present.    “This project is crucially important to the School District,” he stated, adding that although the District has the right demographics and the right teachers, need a “few more students!”  The Board aims to make the District a Top 100 District and with Tuxedo Farms in place, he feels they can do it.  He went on to note that the project is also crucially important to the Town.  He believes the development will give the Town more political clout, more tax dollars more and more opportunity.  He also feels things will improve socially and that there will be opportunities for the school to expand recreation for the Town. “I know it will be great for Lennar!” he stated, referring to the builders.   Over the years the Board of Education has seen many different permutations of what the District might get from the developers, including several different plots of land. He recalled having worked on the project several years prior, when he had served on the Town Board , and noted that at that time 4 of the 5 Board members had children enrolled in the school.  He further suggested that because of that, the Board had been more in tune with the schools’ needs when it came to conversations with the Developer.  This is no longer the case.  In the plan that is currently filed with the County, it appears as though the Development’s water tower has been located on the same piece of property they had previously proposed to give to the school and there may also be a road there! “The better you make it for the school, the better you’ll make it for the Town,” he suggested.   He went on to say, “Please don’t see us adversely…we want to work with you to make the project work for Related, for the Town and for the School District.  If you need a variance or an easement for a water tower or a road, we can work that out.  What we don’t want is a piece of property that is only a liability for the school!”  We will need facilities and we need a piece of property we can work with and we want so much to work with you guys.”
Laura Denberg said she was really excited about the project.  From a real estate perspective, she loved the concept of “the missing middle” as presented earlier by the builders.   She  also especially likes the 760 acres that will be kept development free.
Kimberly Breiland had just one question……..will there be there a community pool?
Gary Heavner expressed some concern over the clarity and accessibility of the maps for the project.  He suggested that there should be a place on the Town website just for the maps. He also thinks the maps need to be expanded.  For the uninitiated, its hard to  tell where the 700 acres are, where the power lines are, where the Town boundaries are as well as what the topography of the property is (i.e. where are the hills? the lakes? the streams?)
John McNamara had several questions.  First, he noticed a tax revenue figure in the developer’s presentation and wondered how did they had  come to that number.  Secondly, he wanted to know if there would be an HOA involved with the community. Next he inquired about the price range for the homes and whether the developer anticipates a slowdown in the project due to interest rates hitting new highs? Lastly he inquired as to who will own and maintain the roads in the community.
Kelly Spranger , president of the PTO President commented that she also wanted  to know about a pool.  She also inquired as to how many wells had been drilled, further wondering how the project will affect properties to the south of it. She  is thrilled to see  that pollination and environmental paths have been built into the plan and she would like to know more about them.  Lastly, she wondered who had come up with the names of the neighborhoods?
Maureen Portnoy noted that she had heard the developer say there would be retail stores. She would like to know what kind of retail?  And secondly, she would be very interested in a community center which is something she feels is lacking in the Town.
Dan Castricone interjected that there is a wall in George F. Baker High School with the names of people who have served the country and didn’t come back.  He suggested that moving forward when they are considering names for things, they should come and look at the wall. 
John Sandak commented that he used to be President of the Little League and now that doesn’t exist anymore because there are not enough children. Kids have been leaving the school District and going to private schools to get more opportunities.  He hopes that when they are making plans for their community, they will give a thought to building a community pool, a Town Rec Center or some such place where people can gather and recreate in order to sustain the children as a community. 

There were no further speakers so Supervisor English made a motion to continue the meeting on Thursday, June 23 at 6 pm in the same venue. 

The meeting was adjourned at 7:18 pm.

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Town Board Meeting June 13, 2022

The Town Board met on Monday, June 13, 2022 at 7:00 pm via WebEx.  All members were present.

Public Comment on Agenda Item:
There was none.

Agenda Item:

1.  Resolution to provide Police Department with equipment - This will supply the police force with a mobile data terminal, which will put them in better communication with Orange County.  The terminal is free of cost. The resolution was approved unanimously.

Discussion Items:
Public Hearings – In preparation for the upcoming public hearings on the Tuxedo Farms applications, the Board discussed the procedures that will be used with Attorney Larry Wolinsky.  The following guidelines were agreed upon: 
While there is no set time limit for speakers, people will be asked to keep their comments to 5 minutes so that everyone can be heard.  After some discussion, it was agreed that the Board would be able to reduce the time limit if there were a large number of people who wished to speak.
School/Camp Agreement – The Board voted unanimously in favor of authorizing Supervisor English to sign the proposed agreement which was submitted by School Superintendent Jeff White. 
Police Cars – The Board is in receipt of a proposal from Lt. Norton for possible additions to the Town’s fleet of police vehicles. Subsequently, Supervisor English and Deputy Supervisor Lindsay spent some time talking to various officers who were present at the Discover Tuxedo Event about which vehicles they preferred.  After a lengthy discussion, the Board decided that they would authorize the purchase of 2 vehicles.  The Police will be asked to come back to the next meeting with a recommendation of which vehicles would be best for the Department.  The vehicles under consideration are a Chevy Tahoe and a Ford SUV.  There was also some discussion about possibly adding a pickup truck to the fleet at a later date. 
Police Station Roof – Emergency repairs  to remediate a leak as well as a small amount of mold on the roof at the Police Station have been completed.  The price was $7,750 and the work was done by Precision Roofing. 
Town/Village Consolidation – Supervisor English read aloud an email that had been sent to the Board late that afternoon from Town Attorney Howard Protter.  The Comptroller’s Office has expressed concern that the consolidation is not legal.  Mr. Protter has suggested that the Board pass a resolution indicating  that the Consolidation had failed (and therefore the Town is still a Town) and further that it will seek special legislation to accommodate the it’s “unique problem with any gas pipeline.” 
Deputy Supervisor Lindsay noted that the Consolidation had been a voter-initiated action.  It was laid out by the Town’s attorneys and then the public voted and approved it. Thus, she feels that the public should be involved in dissolving it.  As Mr. Protter was not present to consult with the Board, they ultimately decided to table the issue until the next Town Board meeting on June 27 at which he will be present. 
Lucky Skate Park CleanUp – Councilmember Reichgott reported that he had been contacted by Police Officer Gundermann about the state of this park, which is riddled with graffiti.  Officer Gunderman has suggested an event with both police officers and kids who use the park to repaint.  Everyone agreed that this was a good idea.  Councilmember Murphy said that she, too, had been contacted and was working on a promotional flyer for the event.  The hope is to schedule this for late June or early July.
Hamlet Revitalization – Councilmember Murphy reported that she and Deputy Supervisor Lindsay had met with the Burgess Group, who made plans for the Hamlet 20 years ago.  They have submitted a proposal which essentially consists of putting together some conceptual plans.  The plans would take 6-8 weeks to draft and would be ready for initial presentation to the Board by the end of the summer. After receiving feedback, Burgess would refine the plans based on the input and put together a final conceptual plan, to be completed by early October.  This would be followed by a formal presentation to the Town Board as well as submission to the Planning Board.  The crux of the plan revolves around turning Store Rd. into the Main Street of the Hamlet. 
Supervisor English feels that the Town should first complete the traffic changes they have discussed, which involve making Library Road a one-way street.  Councilmember Murphy is collecting some quotes, which she  hopes to have before the next Town Board meeting.  Supervisor English suggested that before moving forward they should reach out to the property owners who live on Store Road.  Councilmember Murphy feels that they should develop a concept plan first.
Monthly Reports:
Town Clerk Marisa Dollbaum reported that the last piece of equipment for the Zoom Room has been shipped! She is currently working with Zoom on the final organizational details needed before installation.  She estimates that installation will happen sometime in the next month.   Next, she announced that June 28 is Primary Election Day (statewide contests for Governor, Lt. Governor and Sheriff in both parties).  Polls will be open from 6 am – 9 pm. Early voting begins Saturday June 18.  Finally, she reminded everyone that Town Hall will be closed on Monday, June 20 in observance of Juneteenth.
Town Supervisor English reported that on June 1, he, along with Highway Superintendent Dollbaum and Building Inspector Maikisch had toured the Police Department to examine a leaking roof that had caused a small amount of mold.  As reported earlier, the initial repairs have been made by Precision Roofing but additional repairs will be needed.  The Board has authorized the Supervisor to move forward with up to $4800 of additional repairs.  On June 2, the Supervisor met with Lt. Norton and Buffy Marie Favada of the Renaissance Faire to review plans for traffic and security for the upcoming season. On that same day from 5-8 pm, the Board held a Special Workshop Meeting on the Design Guidelines for Tuxedo Farms. On June 9, the Board held a Special Meeting to schedule a Public Hearing on a proposed Local Law that would amend the Tuxedo Farms Unit Mix by setting a minimum number of units for single family dwellings and capping the number of multifamily units. The Discover Tuxedo Event held on June 11 was a great success with more than 20 groups participating.  Lastly, he reminded everyone about the Public Hearings for Tuxedo Farms to be held on June 16 from 6 – 9 pm and June 23 from 6 -9.  Both hearings will be held at George Grant Mason Elementary School Multipurpose Room and both will be in person only.
Deputy Supervisor Lindsay – reported that both the Town and the Climate Smart Committee had tables at the Discover Tuxedo event and she felt the day had been very helpful for both entities.  The Climate Smart group handed out surveys and sign ups and have been gauging people’s interests.  The committee has been working on compiling a report detailing Greenhouse Gas Emissions, with the help of a company that handles those.  The Town’s contract with this company is up and the Deputy Supervisor would like to renegotiate it for another year.  The Board unanimously agreed that she had permission to do so.   Jim Hays is finishing up a similar report for the Village and was present to give a short explanation of how it is done.  Essentially, the amount of fuel (gas, natural gas, etc) used is tallied up and then converted  to get determined the tons of CO2 emitted.  Compiling the report will set a benchmark for the Town.  Finally, the Deputy Supervisor spoke about the need to educate residents with regard to not recycling glass. When glass is comingled with recycling, it winds up in a landfill!
Councilmember May formally thanked the people responsible for putting together the Discover Tuxedo Day, namely The newly formed Tuxedo Activities Council which is made up of Kimberly Breiland, Meg Vaught, Claudia Bahktiary, Amy Bush, Noreen Fennell and Sue Scher.
Councilmember Murphy reported that design work on the Town’s billboard has been completed.  It should take about a week to produce and then the Highway Department can install it. She anticipates that the project will be completed by the end of the month.  She also reported having met with PIPC regarding Eagle Lake and is waiting to hear back from them with their thoughts and possible solutions to what is becoming “a big mud pile.”  Lastly, she is still waiting to hear back from Orange County with regard to the audit they are doing on Long Meadow Road, the purpose of which is to determine whether or not the speed limit can be effectively lowered there.
Highway Superintendent Rob Dollbaum expressed his concern that graffiti in Town could spread from the Skate Park to the Thruway bridge and the back of Town Hall.  The Department is still working on the dirt pile.  They’ve had a set-back in that the County has indicated that they can only take dirt for site specific work and cannot stockpile it.  All the same, work is moving forward and they will begin screening the next pile.  Finally, the Superintendent noted that someone has been dumping their garbage near the mulch available for residents at Quarry Field.  He requested that anyone who is doing this please stop!

Minutes: The minutes for the May 23 Town Board meeting were unanimously approved.

Vouchers: were unanimously approved.

Public Comments:
There were none.

The meeting was adjourned at 9:50 pm.

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Agenda for Town Board Meeting June 13, 2022

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Special Town Board Meeting June 9. 2022

The Town Board met on Thursday, May 9, 2022 at 5 pm via WebEx.  All members were present. 

The purpose of the meeting was to set a public hearing date for a Local Law amending Local Law#3 of 2011.  The intent of the law is to make a “clear stipulation” that reflects Table 3 in the Tech Memo.  This table sets numbers for the different kinds of housing (single family detached, single family attached and duplexes) within Tuxedo Farms. 

The hearing was set for 6:00 pm on June 23, 2022.  It will take place in the multipurpose room of George Grant Mason Elementary School.  Op

The date was agreed on unanimously.

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Notice of Public Hearings for Tuxedo Farms June 16 and 23 at 6pm

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Town Board / Tuxedo Farms Workshop Meeting June 2, 2022

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Town Board Meeting May 23, 2022

The Town Board met on Monday, May 23, 2022 at 7:00 pm via WebEx.  All members were present. 

The minutes for the Town Board meeting held on May 9 were unanimously accepted and approved.

The vouchers were unanimously approved.

Town Supervisor/Town Board Updates:
Supervisor Ken English reminded everyone about the upcoming Memorial Day events on Monday, May 30.  The day begins with a ceremony at the Southfields Memorial at 10 am.  Next, the parade kicks off from the High School at 11:30. This is followed by a ceremony at St. Mary’s church and finally the Library picnic which is back after a 2 year hiatus due to Covid. 
The Tuxedo Farms Consultant meetings are continuing.  They are currently working through the Tech Memo and Design Standards. 
 Finally, the Supervisor commented on the annual Fishing Derby which was held on May 21 at Watchtower Pond and which was a great success.
Deputy Supervisor Michele Lindsay stated she had no update .
Councilmember Murphy reported that she and Highway Superintendent Dollbaum have a meeting scheduled with Joshua Laird for the first week in June to discuss what can be done with Eagle Lake.  Site evaluation continues on Long Meadow Road to decide if the speed limit will be lowered. 
Councilmember May has been researching organic tick control products for use in the dog park.
Councilmember Reichgott amended his statement pertaining to pedestrian safety from the last meeting to say that people should ride bikes in the same direction as cars and walk in the opposite direction facing the cars. 

Department Updates
Town Clerk Marisa Dollbaum began by providing a quick update from the Highway Superintendent who was not able to attend the meeting.  Over the weekend, it was discovered that someone had dumped construction debris at Quarry Field near the containers for mulch and compost.  This is not allowed.  The Highway Department cleaned it up but it would be appreciated if people did not dump construction debris here in the future.  Presently, mulch mulch and compost are available for residents at this location.
Moving on, Town Clerk Dollbaum reported that the Town Hall had undergone a safety inspection from the NYS Workers Comp. and they passed with flying colors.  Next, she announced that next week’s garbage pickups will be changed due to Memorial Day with garbage collected on Tuesday and Friday and recycling collected on Friday.  Finally, she noted that there will be a Hazardous Waste Collection on June 11 in Port Jervis.  Chemicals and paint etc. will be accepted there.  The details will be posted on the Town website.  She added that residents frequently inquire about how to dispose of old tvs and that there are 3 county sites that will accept them—old sets as well as flat screen. 
Police Chief Dryer gave her final report as her resignation is effective beginning Friday, May 27. Prior to her departure she has been working on the department’s accreditation and she estimates this will be between 90 and 95% complete before she leaves. The department is set for the Memorial Day parade and picnic. She further noted that she had sent an estimate for remediation for black mold on the Police station which “really needs to be fixed.”  
Discussion Items:

1. New York State Unified Solar Permit – The Climate Smart Community Task Force is hoping to secure Climate Smart certification for the Town.  In order for them to do that, the Town needs to complete a certain number of action items one of which is adopting this permit for people who are looking to install solar.  This permit would cover projects with a 25kw threshold.  Board member Reichgott, along with Supervisor English and Town Attorney Protter questioned whether or not a change to the permit was necessary or would be advantageous to the Town.  Deputy Supervisor Lindsay informed them that it would be advantageous because the Town would be ready if and when residents want to install solar at their properties.  Also, the Town would get points toward the Climate Smart certification. 
2. Capital Plan – The Board is looking into evaluating the HVAC in Town Hall.  They believe that they may need a mechanical engineer but plan to start with Town Engineer Sean Hoffman.  They are also looking into the police vehicles in order to determine when they will need replacement.  The Building Department also needs a system to transfer all their files from microfiche to digital data.  The idea of hiring a consultant to help them put together a capital plan was then discussed. 
3. Hamlet Revitalization - ?In researching this topic Councilmember Murphy and Deputy Supervisor Lindsay discovered that 20 years ago, the Town employed a consultant to develop a plan for this very idea.  That woman, Brigette Bogart, has now started her own company and the Councilwomen met with her to discuss their idea of trying to make Store Road “the new Main Street” for Tuxedo.  They have also asked her to look into the walking paths that have been proposed for Tuxedo Farms (specifically the ones that are close to the Hamlet) to see whether they could be incorporated into the Town’s plans.  Councilmember Reichgott suggested that the Store Road idea was a “great idea 20 years ago that nobody had done anything about.”  He wanted to know what it would cost to update that plan.   Councilmember Murphy replied that without a plan, nothing would get done and in order to have a plan, they  would need to have concepts.  They are currently looking at what it will cost to develop those concepts.  The Antique Store in the IGA Building and the Wine Bar across the parking lot have been exploring the idea of having “food truck Friday” set up in the parking lot between the two businesses.  After some discussion it was decided that the businesses would have to apply to the building department for a permit. As this would be a commercial use in a commercial district, it would likely be approved. This process needs to be investigated thoroughly.
4. Orange County Arts Council Proposal – The Council has proposed bringing 3 events per year to Tuxedo.  The Council would do all the administration for the events for an annual fee of $20,000.  It was agreed that the Council should be invited to attend the next meeting on June 13 so as to fully explain their proposal and answer questions. 

There were no public comments, so the meeting was adjourned at 9:02 pm. 

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Agenda for Town Board Meeting May 23, 2022

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Town Board Tuxedo Farms Workshop, May 19, 2022 

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Town Board Meeting May 9, 2022

The Town Board met on Monday, May 9, 2022 at 7:00 pm via WebEx.  All members were present.

Public Comments on Agenda Items:
There were none.  

Agenda Items:

1. Resolution to appoint Part-Time Police Officer – Former NYPD Police Officer and Town Resident Michael Cardone who has been the Animal Control Officer was appointed to this position.  He intends to remain as Animal Control Officer with the Police Department’s blessing.
2. Resolution to appoint Part-Time Account Clerk – former Monroe NY employee Carey Alley was appointed to the position.  The plan is for her to become the main Accounts Clerk.  She needs to pass some Civil Service testing before this can happen.  Current Accounts Clerk Brian Sullivan will stay on for the foreseeable future to train her before he retires. 
3. Resolution approving purchase of environmentally sensitive property identified as Parcel 201-1-34.2 (Rt. 17A, 27 acres) from Orange County for $106,500.00 – This property came to the Town’s attention when Beckman Associates did their appraisal for the Town.  It is located on Indian Kill reservoir and there used to be a nuclear reactor on the adjacent property.  Years ago, there was a chemical plant located here and after that a Korean church.  Taxes were not paid and the property  was on the list to be auctioned off by Orange County.  The County Legislature has agreed to sell it to the Town instead for the amount of the back taxes owed which is $106,500.00.  The money will come from the Town’s Reserve A fund.  This was passed unanimously.
4. Re-allocate funds for the Highway Department to repave Town roads – the Board did a budget modification for “no more than $150,000 to fulfill this request from the Highway Supervisor.  There has been an increase in petroleum prices which makes it necessary.  The work will be done on town owned roads. 

Train Station bid opening – the RFP was for removing rotting and damaged wood and repainting on the inside of the station.  The Town received only one bid for $207,000 which seemed excessive to the Board.  Since they legally have 45 days to accept or reject the bid, the Supervisor will be asking the contractor to meet him on site and explain how they got the proposed price. 

Presentation:
Developing a marketing strategy for Tuxedo by Councilmember Deirdre Murphy:
Councilmember Murphy has been working on putting together a program that would reach Tuxedo residents, businesses and visitors who come to Tuxedo to sell the Town as a place to live work and play.  The first thing recommended was to add all community events to the Town Webpage making it a go to place for information about what is going on in Tuxedo.   She also suggests that work be done on the Town’s email list to turn it into a comprehensive list that could then be segmented so that they could reach certain areas of the Town as needed.  This work could be outsourced.  She feels the Town must encourage more cultural events.  There are currently 160,000 people attending the Renaissance Faire and another 50,000 signing into the Sterling Forest State Park Visitor Center on an annual basis.  These people should be encouraged to stick around and patronize businesses and events in Tuxedo.  Joining  Councilmember Murphy in the presentation was Brenda Zuck, a Town resident and advertising executive.  She had lots of suggestions including an interactive map with QR codes (Town residents Sue Scher has already been working on this.)  Brenda and Councilmember Murphy have been working with the Chamber of Commerce.  One idea here is to move the entrances to business along Route 17 South to the back of those buildings and have the fronts on Store Road.  This could make Store Road into the new Main Street of Tuxedo.  They have also been working with the Orange County Arts Council who proposes providing 3 programs a year.  The Council would do all the administration for an annual fee of $20,000. Tuxedo has no place for people to sleep and very few places to eat.  A “business round table” to get ideas has been suggested. Also suggested is marketing Tuxedo as the Gateway to the Hudson Valley.  The main conclusion was that the Town of Tuxedo must be branded.  It was recommended that they put the program together and then outsource the execution!

Town Attorney Howard Protter commented briefly on his talks with the Comptroller’s Office regarding the Town/Village Consolidation, which the Comptroller is now suggesting is not legal because once the Town consolidated the Village disappeared.  Mr. Protter is continuing to look into this.  He feels that the Town does not really need a consolidated entity…they just need consolidated powers.  One of these powers is to exclude pipelines. Councilmember Reichgott added that one of the Village powers that is important to people is that a Village cannot be subdivided…in other words, no one can make a Village inside a Village and he wondered if there was any way to get that done without consolidation.  It was agreed that Mr. Protter would have another conversation with the Comptroller’s Office to find out if there was a way to get that done.

Minutes:
The minutes for the April 25 regular meeting were approved unanimously.

Vouchers:
The vouchers were approved unanimously.

Town Supervisor/Town Board Updates:
Supervisor English began his report by announcing that Police Chief Tamara Dreyer has resigned effective May 28, 2022.  She advised that she has accepted a full-time position with another police department.  The recruitment process for a replacement is expected to begin again soon.
The Orange County Clerk’s Office has notified Tuxedo that April Mortgage Tax receipts were $39,103.50. The Town’s reported receipts for 2022 to date were $133,385.50.
The ARPA (American Rescue Plan Act) report, which documents how the Town is using the $303,614 federal award was filed on time. Projects reported on were the completed water treatment system that has been installed at the Highway Department making the water potable and usable; the purchase of the Zoom Room equipment for Town Hall, which will allow the Town to hold meetings that are virtually fully interactive two way communication with the public remotely.  Supply chain issues continue to delay the installation by the vendor expects delivery next week.
The Town held the bid opening for the Train Station renovation on Monday and only one bid was submitted.  The Supervisor will be speaking with the vendor as his bid seems awfully big. 
Finally, Special Town Board Workshops regarding Tuxedo Farms have been scheduled for Thursday May 19 and Thursday June 2.  The workshops will take place from 5:00-8:00 pm and will be held through the Town’s WebEx portal.  
Deputy Supervisor Lindsay reported she has been working with the Building Department to convert all their microfiche files to digital files.  She also noted that Building Inspector Dave Maikisch had attended a webinar on battery storage for first responders and would be attending one on solar permitting process the next day.  He will update the Board on both subjects. 
The Deputy Supervisor will be meeting with Orange and Rockland to finalize the LED Streetlight conversion, which is almost done.  (The project has been held up by Covid). Lastly, work on the Town Hall roof has begun.
Councilmember Reichgott reminded everyone that the Memorial Day Parade and Library picnic are happening this year and urged everyone to buy tickets for the raffle, which are available at the Library.  He also reminded residents  that in those areas where there are no sidewalks present, pedestrians should walk facing traffic so that they can be seen by oncoming cars. Finally, he cautioned that bears are awake and out & about so residents should take in their birdfeeders and make sure garbage cans are secured.
Councilmember Murphy reported that she is waiting for feedback from the DOT on the speed limit reduction for Long Meadow Road.  She has also been talking to various residents about Eagle Lake.  It has filled up again but there are still problems, one of which involves a drainage system that goes under Town Roads.  She will report back when she learns more.
Councilmember May reported that she had been working on the ARPA report, which has been turned in.  She wanted to remind everyone that the School Budget vote and Board of Education elections will be taking place on May 17.  Both Tuxedo and Monroe Woodbury will be holding votes on that day. 

Department Updates:
Town Clerk Marisa Dollbaum reached out to IWS because residents were reporting that their cans of the smaller size had gone missing.  It turned out that IWA’s trucks arms cannot properly pick up the smaller cans and they were falling into the trucks! Many of the residents who have the smaller cans have limited space to store them so the Clerk is working with IWS to come up with a solution.  Also, she had reports that the dumpsters for glass recycling are full and it turned out that IWS was not picking up from these dumpsters.  She is trying to confirm what the schedule for emptying them will be going forward as they should be serviced every other week.  Finally, she reminded all that the Youth Fishing Derby will take place on May 21. 

Discussions:
Councilmember Reichgott  commented that he is worried about the future of the Town Board once Tuxedo Farms has been built out. Since they will potentially have a much larger population that the rest of the Town taken together, he proposed that the Town consider switching to a Ward System.  The 6 wards that he thinks would work are:

1. The Village of Tuxedo Park
2. Tuxedo Farms
3. The Hamlet and the Apartments on   Route 17
4. The Woodlands and Eagle Valley
5. Southfields and Arden
6. Laurel Ridge, Clinton Woods, Benjamin Meadow, Brammertown

Councilmember Murphy remarked that she likes the idea of wards although the Town of Ramapo attempted the system and it failed. 
Deputy Supervisor Lindsay commented that she thinks this is a good idea but wonders if it would need to be balanced by population.
Supervisor English added that he also worries about balance and wondered what would happen if a ward was unable to find a candidate to stand for election.
Councilmember May stated that she likes the idea of wards.

The group then agreed to put together a list of topics for discussion at future meetings.

The meeting was adjourned at 9:10 pm.

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Agenda for Town Board Meeting May 9, 2022

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Notice of Town Board/Tuxedo Farms Workshops May 19 & June 2, 2022

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Town Board Meeting April 25, 2022

The Town Board met on Monday, April 25, 2022 at 7 pm via WebEx.  All members were present.

The meeting began with a presentation by The Related Company on their updated vision of “The Commons” for Tuxedo Farms. Paul Milana, Lisa Higgins and Greg Gushee gave the report for the Related group.  The presentation was accompanied by slides depicting  plans for the Commons and, to some extent, the surrounding communities. 
Following the presentation, each Board member was given the opportunity to provide feedback.  Generally speaking, they were largely supportive of with the plan as proposed.    They feel that the team from Related/Lennar has been listening to their feedback and making changes that reflect what has been requested. 

Agenda Items:

• Resolution to approve sign permit – Tuxedo Park Library- The Library asked for permission to place 14 signs around Town advertising their annual picnic on Memorial Day.   This was passed unanimously.
• Resolution to approve the Form of Petition for the Proposition to Increase Town Board Budget Allocation for the Tuxedo Park Library – Permission was passed unanimously for the standard wording that gets placed on the ballot every year.
• Resolution to approve part-time Account Clerk – Brian Sullivan is retiring.  In order to replace him, the Board needs to create a new position. It will be a part-time position for $32.37/hr. with 17.5 hours per week.  The position will pay $29,456.70 annually.  The Board voted unanimously to establish the position.
• Resolution to approve Requested for Proposal (RFP) for Community Choice Aggregation Administrator – This was passed unanimously and serves to move the process along to the next step in the Community Choice Aggregation program.  There will probably be 3-4 candidates.  The bid opening will be on June 6 with hopes of  moving forward at the June BOT meeting.

Monthly Reports:

Department Updates:
Building Department – ­There were 14 Building permits issued and 52 fire inspections completed during the month of April. 
Police Department – Chief Dryer reported that things are going well in the department.  “The police force is great,” she commented.  A stolen vehicle was recovered in NJ and there were several traffic accidents on Route 17.  There was an investigation into kids banging on doors and making threats.  All of the parents were notified and no arrests were made.  All Officers have completed their ADCPR training. 
Town Clerk – Marisa Dollbaum reported that the annual Youth Fishing Derby will take place on Saturday May 21 at Watchtower Fire Pond on Long Meadow Rd. Also, Summer Camp registration will be opening soon.  Camp will take place from July 6 to August 12.  It will be located back at the GGM Elementary School and the kids will be also able to swim in the WeeWah Lake. Finally, she announced that the bid opening for the Train Station Restoration Project will be on Monday, May 9 at 1 pm.
Highway Department – Superintendent Rob Dollbaum reported that his department had begun patching.  They started in Southfields and will be working their way around the Town.   Anyone who sees a big pothole should feel free to call and report it.  All of the Town playgrounds have been mulched.  The department helped with the community clean-up over the weekend and will do so again in Brammertown for their scheduled clean up next weekend. 

Town Supervisor/Town Board Updates:
Supervisor English reported on a meeting of the Tuxedo Farms LDC (sewer plant)  with representatives of Related and Lennar as well as the contracted operators of the plant and Sean Hoffman of H2M Engineering at which the final plan for activating the plant was discussed.  An updated timeline and completion plan is expected from Related. 
The Tichy Field Tennis Court/Basketball Court renovation plan began on Friday, April 22.  The project is being done by R. Young and Sons Paving.  Demolition has been completed and new drainage is now being installed.

Deputy Supervisor Lindsay reported that she has been working on the Comprehensive Plan with the Building Department.  She and Councilmember Murphy visited more Lennar properties in New Jersey. Finally, she has been working on hamlet revitalization and looking into setting up meetings with business owners and property owners.
Councilmember Reichgott did an inspection of all of the Town’s parks and playgrounds and is working on a list of short-term improvements that can be incorporated into the Comprehensive Plan. 
Councilmember Murphy remarked that she would deliver her marketing report at the next Town Board meeting.
Councilmember May reported that the Earth Day Cleanup held Saturday with the GFB Environmental Club was a great success.  She and the kids walked from Quarry Field to the Duck Cedar Plaza and picked up 15 bags of garbage along the way.  Many thanks to Marley Vaught, who organized the event, as well as Police Officers Gunderman & Christian and the DPW crew who retrieved the bags.  Councilmember May also gave a shout out to Irene DeNaro who cleaned up Quarry Field all by herself

Other Business:
Town Attorney Howard Protter noted that he had received some questions from the State Comptroller’s Office regarding the recent Town/Village Consolidation. He has been going back and forth with the Comptroller’s office and has another call scheduled for this week. He will report back to the Board afterward.  Next, he reported that Rick Golden is leaving his firm to become the Orange County Attorney.  Subsequently, his former partners Kelly Naughton and Ashley Torre will be starting a new firm and they are proposing to take over the Planning Board and Zoning Board assignments currently being handled by Burke, Miele, Golden & Naughton.  The Board unanimously passed a resolution supporting this change. 
The Town has received an updated contract from Hydro Environmental who does the testing on the material from the Highway Garage.  A resolution was passed unanimously for the Supervisor to sign the new contract.  The DEC has approved Hydro and their plan.

Minutes for the regular Town Board meeting were approved with Deputy Supervisor Lindsay abstaining because she was absent.

Vouchers were approved unanimously.

Public Comments:
Mary Graetzer commented that there had been 3 serious accidents on Route 17 in recent weeks which concerns her.   She wondered what, if anything, could be done to proactively address the problem.  She was told that most of these incidents were due to distracted driving and there really isn’t anything in particular that can be done about that.  They do see people slowing down as they enter Town because of electronic signs which have been placed there. 

The meeting was adjourned at 9:13 pm.

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Agenda for Town Board Meeting April 25, 2022

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Town Board Meeting April 11, 2022

The Town Board met on Monday, April 11, 2022 at 7:00 pm via WebEx.  Deputy Supervisor Lindsay was absent.

Public Comments on Agenda Items:
There were none.

Agenda Items:

1. Resolution to approve Field Use Application – The application submitted by the Community Activity Council for “Discover Tuxedo Day,” was approved for June 11 from 10am-2pm.  This is an event planned for new people in Town to help acquaint themselves with the various groups, businesses and organizations that are available in Town.  It will be set up in Powerhouse Park. 
2. Resolution to approve Town Clerk training – Town Clerk Marisa Dollbaum was approved to attend the training given by the NYS Town Clerks Association in Albany 4/24-4/27.  The cost is $500.

Presentation:
Developing a marketing strategy for Tuxedo by Councilmember Deirdre Murphy was tabled as Ms. Murphy feels it is something that should be presented at a live meeting.

Monthly Reports:
Town Clerk Marisa Dollbaum reported that her donation drive for the Ukrainean people is going well.  The Ambulance Corps recently donated several pairs of crutches.  She also reminded people to sign up for the Earth Day 5K walk/run being held on Saturday April 23.  The Town will be collecting items needed by the Warwick Humane Society (a list can be found on Town website). Additionally, she reported that the Town’s Memorial Day parade and the Library picnic are back on this year and will take place on Monday May 30.  The Library is looking for volunteers to help with the event.  Lastly, she  thanked the Board for approving her training remarking that she was excited to be able to attend her first “in person” training.
Highway Superintendent Rob Dollbaum reported that his department had been busy cleaning in the East Village.  Additionally, the sewer surveyor has been in Town.  The Railroad crossing work in the East Village has 2 more days to go and should be finished by Wednesday, April 13.  In the coming weeks, his department will working to clean up the landscaping around the train station and will also recommence working on the dirt pile at the Highway garage again soon.  They anticipate bringing in somebody to screen the pile in June. 

Town Supervisor/Town Board Updates:
Supervisor English reported that he continues to conduct interviews for an Account Clerk reporting to the Supervisor.  He is considering replacing this position with a Bookkeeper title.  He and Secretary Lori Cosgrove are working with Orange County Civil Service on this. On Wednesday March 30, the Supervisor met with Police Chief Dryer and Labor Relations Consultant Richardson to review the Tuxedo Police Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA). Policy related to drug testing and a required annual physical was discussed.  A subsequent meeting with the union to identify how the contract policy will be implemented has been scheduled.  This meeting will not be open to the public. On Monday April 4, the Supervisor and Chief Dryer met with Michael Cardone, retired NYC Police Officer and current Tuxedo Animal Control Officer to interview him for a part-time position with the Tuxedo Police.  He has been offered the position and the onboarding has begun.  Expectation is for him to transfer from Animal Control to the police department in May.  Finally, he reported that a memorial service for long-time Tuxedo Park resident Pamela Cromey had been held on the morning of April 9 at the Tuxedo Historical Society.  Mrs. Cromey was a founding member of this group and actively supported it for many years.
Councilmember May reported that the Tuxedo High School Environmental Club is planning a clean-up event for Earth Day (April 23) Marley Vaught is the contact for the school.  Details will be forthcoming. 
Councilmember Reichgott reminded everyone that it is now spring and as such the bears will be coming out of hibernation. Residents should make sure their garbage is secured and also consider taking down bird feeders. 
Councilmember Murphy reported that the Town Clerk has filed an application for the lowering of speed on Long Meadow Rd.  She is still concerned about Eagle Lake and commented that the beavers are back and have re-dammed the lake.  She has also been working on organizing the Town’s capital expenditures and as such needs department heads to give her estimates for the next couple of years. Additionally, she would like lists of unfunded projects/things not previously anticipated.  These lists should be handed in within a month.  She will start working with an inventory of vehicles owned by the Town.
Minutes of the March 28 Town Board meeting were approved.

Vouchers were tabled.

Other Business:

1. Repairs to the Tichy Field Tennis Court – The Town only received one bid, but thought it was reasonable so they unanimously accepted the bid for $146,630. 
2. Bid specs for proposed work at the train station were approved.
3. Final Approval for the proposed Wine Bar in Town has been held up because of an interpretation of Town Code as it pertains to parking. It looks like things have been resolved for this particular applicant but the Board will look into solving the problem with parking permanently. 
4. Communications with the Village of Tuxedo Park regarding the relocation of the Village Office and DPW are continuing.  According to Town Attorney Howard Protter, the Town will need a formal resolution from the Village before things can move forward. 

Public Comments:
Evelyn David requested that the Town stick with WebEx meetings rather than go back to in person.  She was told that the Governor has extended the virtual meetings permission through June 8. 

The meeting was then adjourned into an Executive Session so the Board could receive advice from Counsel.

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Agenda for Town Board Meeting April 11, 2022

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Town Board Meeting March 28, 2022

The Town Board met on Monday, March 28, 2022 at 7:00 pm.  Councilmember Reichgott was absent.

The meeting took place in-person at Town Hall.  The Governor’s Executive Order to hold meetings remotely was rumored to be expiring. Therefore, the Board scheduled the meeting for in-person and two public hearings were noticed as such.  At the last minute, the Executive Order allowing remote meetings was extended another month.  Thus, the next monthly meeting (April 11) will take place via WebEx and then it will depend upon whether the Governor extends these remote meetings or not.    The meeting began with two public Hearings.

Public Hearing – Creating Community Choice Aggregation Program:
The Board has held multiple education sessions on this topic and the individual Board members all voiced their support of the program. 
Francine Liza was the only speaker.  She said that she saw no downside to the program and consequently supports it as she hopes it will drive energy costs down.

Public Hearing – Amending Chapter 98 of the Code of the Town of Tuxedo to Revise Special Use Permit Regulations for Existing: The sentence that limited the expansion of fuel stored on site has been amended.  The Board wants existing gas stations to have the ability to replace existing tanks and make improvements as technology advances.
There were no public comments.

Public Comments on A Agenda Items:
There were none.

Agenda Item:

1. Resolution to approve Local Law creating Community Choice Aggregation Program.  This was approved unanimously.
2. Resolution to approve Local Law
    Amending Chapter 98 of the Code of the Town of Tuxedo to Revise Special Use Permit Regulations for Existing Automotive Gas Stations.  This was also approved unanimously.
3. Resolution to approve change order for Town Hall roof project – This was tabled.
4. Resolution Authorizing Execution of Agreement with Warwick Humane Society for 2022 Animal Shelter Services – This agreement has not changed any and has been in use for many years.  It was unanimously approved.
5. Resolution to retain Gary Rich, Licensed Land Surveyor, for survey of sewer system – The Town’s sewer system is old and in need of updating.  In particular, there are 8 inch terra cotta pipes that run along the bank of the Ramapo River which have been giving the Town problems.  They would like to move the pipes to a place along the railroad tracks.  The first step in the process is a survey which is estimated to cost $12,000.  It was approved unanimously.

1. Earth Day Cleanup approvals-  A student from the George F. Baker Environmental Club has requested permission to organize a Clean Up Day to be held on Saturday, April 23 – the day after Earth Day.  The Board expressed interest in knowing if any adults would be involved and will get in touch with the school to find out.  Lt. Norton of the Police Department spoke up and said that the police would be happy to help and could be there to direct traffic around people cleaning up as needed in order to ensure they were safe. 

Department Updates:
Chief Dreyer was present and reported that she was making arrangements to have the speed control signs returned to “duty” on the Town roads now that plowing season is over.  She has pledged to educate herself on how to download the data that these signs amass.  As part of the on-going community engagement effort, she is in the process of organizing “Coffee with the Cops,” sessions to be held during evening hours in June.   Lt. Norton cautioned that there are frequently people around who are “up to no good” and he urged all residents to lock their cars and houses so as to protect themselves. 
Town Clerk Marisa Dollbaum announced that the MTA will be changing the grade crossing to the East Village April 8-10.  Train service will be suspended and they will provide an alternative route for getting in and out of the East Village.   Additionally, she reported that Monday April 4 at 10 am will be the bid opening for the work on the tennis court and basketball court at Tichy Field.  Lastly, she noted that the Town Code is being updated and codified to reflect all the recent changes that have been made.  The updated version will be posted on the Town website.  She is having one copy printed which will be available in her office. 

Town Supervisor/Town Board Updates:
Supervisor English reported that a site inspection for the renovation project involving the Tennis Court and Basketball Court at Tichy Field took place on March 18.  Bids are due on April 4 at 1 pm. 
Next, he stated that the Tuxedo LDC (Sewer Plant) held their annual meeting the week prior at which all required reviews and reporting were completed.  On Tuesday March 22, the Supervisor met with TUFSD Superintendent Jeff White to discuss communications with Related regarding Tuxedo Farms as well as pending tax certiorari proceedings.  He also interviewed a candidate for the Account Clerk/Bookkeeper position, which is being vacated by Brian Sullivan.  He has another interview scheduled next week for this position. On Thursday, March 24, the Supervisor met with Police Chief Tarmara Dreyer and they discussed setting goals for hiring part-time officers, the rollout of body cameras and setting a date for a meeting with the Police Reinvention Committee.  Finally, the Supervisor reported on the special meeting held on March 24 with participants from Related and builder Lennar at which the Town Board shared their comments in response to the March 9 Tech Memo submitted by Related.
Deputy Supervisor Lindsay noted that the refinancing of the Bonds had gone forward on March 17.  The paperwork is now being prepared.  She also stated that she is working on completing the conversion of the Town’s streetlights to LED this year.  Finally, she reported that the LDC for Hamlet revitalization is putting out an RFP for repairs to the train station. 
Councilmember May reported that she had met with Sue Scher and Linda Pallack to discuss how to increase Town services for Seniors.  This might include a “Friendly Visitor program,”  where residents are trained to provide social visits as well as rides to doctor offices or for shopping, congregate meals, chore services, transportation services, caregiver support and education, nutrition and medication education, Senior games, assistance with funding for the building of a bocce court and reshaping tennis courts for Pickle Ball, and education for police department staff regarding responding to people with Alzheimer’s and dementia. 
Councilmember Murphy reported that she is still working on getting the speed limit reduced on Long Meadow Rd.  Additionally, she is working on designing a new billboard for the town.  She is also working on getting a capital expenditures program in place and as such has created a spreadsheet that can be used as a guide for this project.  Finally, she spoke about the condition of Eagle Lake, which is not good.  The Lake is constantly being drained and it is no longer attractive or pleasant for residents to walk around. 

Minutes  for the regular Town Board meeting on March 14 were unanimously approved.

Vouchers were unanimously approved. 

Public. Comments:
There were none.

The meeting was adjourned at 8:28 pm.

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Agenda for Town Board Meeting March 28, 2022

Click here to view the agenda

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Town Board / Tuxedo Farms Workshop Meeting March 24, 2022

The documentation that was  reviewed at the meeting can be found here  

Community Choice Aggregation Presentation March 21

Community Choice Aggregation Presentation March 21 @ 7pm

Click here to view larger 

Town Board Meeting March 14, 2022

The Town Board met on Monday, March 14, 2022 at 6:00 pm via WebEx.   All members were present.

The meeting began with a presentation given by the Related/Tuxedo Farms team on the portion of their development known as “The Commons.”  To see a copy of the presentation, click here.

Agenda Items:

1. Resolution to retain Appraiser for tax certiorari proceedings – This item was postponed until the end of the meeting so the Board could consult with their attorney before addressing it.
2. Resolution introducing Local Law and schedule Public Hearing on “A Local Law Amending Chapter 98 of the Code of the Town of Tuxedo to Revise Special Use Permit Regulations for Existing Automotive Gas Stations.” – This proposed law will only remove one sentence about limiting the expansion of fuel storage.  The Board did not really address this issue when they were updating the code.  The amendment will not automatically allow stations to increase fuel storage.  Instead, it will incentivize existing stations to update fuel tank storage as new safety measures are introduced.  The resolution was passed unanimously and a public hearing was set for 7 pm on March 28, 2022. 
3. Resolution to enter Stop-DWI Intermunicipal Agreement with Orange County – This is an annual activity which is funded through Orange County.  It will run from March 12  through January 1, 2023. The resolution was passed unanimously.
4. Resolution to approve film permit – High Roller Productions in Newburgh is requesting permission to film at the Tuxedo Motel in Southfields on April 11 and April 12, 2022.  They will be staging at the Red Apple and walk across 17 to film at Tuxedo Motel.  All required paperwork has been submitted including a contract with the Tuxedo Police Department.  The resolution was approved subject to review by Counsel.
5. Resolution to approve Tuxedo LDC by-laws- This is the LDC for Hamlet Revitalization.   The by-laws will be amended to read that the Town Board will be the member (consisting of the Town Supervisor, Deputy Supervisor, Chairman of the Planning Board. Greg Gushee from Related will also be a member and a loan officer from the bank where the funds have been deposited will be added when that institution is in place.). The resolution was passed unanimously.
6. Resolution to approve budget modifications and to approve the purchase of Highway Equipment - This resolution will allow for the purchase of a midlevel plow truck which will replace a truck that was “surplussed” last year.  Immediately following the adoption of the resolution, the purchase of the truck was approved.
7. Resolution to approve further budget modifications – As per a memo from auditor Andrew Arias, “typical end of the year budget modifications” were approved unanimously.  There was no increase to the budget as a result.

Department Updates:
Animal Control Officer Michael Cardone introduced himself.  He is an East Village resident and a former canine officer with the NYPD.  He reported that a beagle who was recently found running free in Sterling Forest had been captured and is currently at the Warwick Humane Society.  The dog is a part of the activity which has seen many beagles abandoned throughout Orange County and the surrounding areas in recent months. Mr. Cardone feels this is being done by a breeder who, when he is “done” with litters, simply abandons them!!
Town Clerk Marisa Dollbaum reported that the RFP for the Tichy Field Tennis and Basketball Court repair & renovation has been issued.  A walkthrough will be conducted at 9 am on Friday, March 18.  Bidding will be opened on Monday, April 4 at 1 pm.

Town Supervisor/Town Board Updates:
Supervisor Ken English reported that the Town Board had held another “marathon special meeting” on March 3 at which builder Lennar presented its various home design elevations and explained how the various products will be modified to meet design standards that will be approved by the Town Board.  Various material configurations and styles were presented. 
The new Chief of Police, Tamara Dryer  was sworn in and welcomed to her new position on Monday,  March 7.  A formal swearing-in will be held in Town Hall at a Town Board meeting after she has received her uniform. Lastly, the Supervisor reported that he and Deputy Supervisor Lindsay had welcomed NYS Senator Skoufis and Staff to Town Hall.  They met with Mitch Newman of Lennar as well as Greg Gushee and Dillon Norris of Related and the Senator received an overview of the Tuxedo Farms project after which the group toured the site. Following that, the Senator was given a tour of the new Wastewater Treatment Plant and was apprised of the challenging conditions of upgrading the aging Hamlet sewer lines along with the expected activation of the new plant in late spring.  Also. Steve Germano of Steve’s Pizza attended the meeting and spoke about his reasons for investing in Tuxedo as well as his expectation that the development will invigorate Tuxedo’s business opportunities. 

Deputy Supervisor Lindsay reported that she continues to work on the reissuing of the Town’s bonds.  Moody’s has been reviewing and rating the bonds.  The interest rate has gone up because of turmoil in the market.  The Town’s bond counsel is monitoring this and will advise the Town as to whether or not they should put the bonds out for sale on March17 as they had planned to do.  Next, the Deputy Supervisor announced that the public hearing on the Community Choice Aggregation law would be held on March 28 at 7 pm.  There will be a workshop held for the public on March 21 at 7 pm via WebEx so that residents can inform themselves on this subject.  Finally, Deputy Supervisor Lindsay noted that she had attended a Capital Plan training session and feels strongly that the Town should have such a plan in place.  Councilmember Murphy agreed with her and volunteered to put together a memo to be sent to Department Heads in order to gather up all the potential projects for such a plan. 

Councilmember Murphy reported that she had been working on the marketing presentation for the Town and as such had spoken to the Orange County Arts Council.  In addition, she is working with a committee to petition Orange County to reduce the speed on Long Meadow Road to 35 mph from where it joins Sterling Mine Road for 2 miles to Blue Lake.  The Town of Warwick has agreed to also petition for this reduction.

Councilmember May has been working on figuring out how the Town can spend the money they are receiving from the American Recovery Act. Information on this subject has been slow to become available.  She is also working to figure out what the process will be to report any expenditures.
Councilmember Reichgott stated that he had nothing new to report.

Minutes from the February 28 Town Board meeting were accepted unanimously.

Voucherswere approved unanimously.

Public Comments:
There were none.

Adjournment
At 8:06 pm the Board entered into an Executive Session to receive advice from Counsel. They re-entered the public meeting at 9:12 pm at which point they unanimously approved a Resolution to approve an appraiser for a Tax Certiorari proceeding followed by unanimously approving Beckman Associates for the appraisal services. 

The meeting was then adjourned at 9:15 pm.

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Agenda forTown Board Meeting March 14, 2022

Click here to view the agenda

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Town Board / Tuxedo Farms Workshop Meeting March 3, 2022

The presentation of product types proposed by Lennar can be viewed HERE.  

Additional documents can be viewed here https://www.tuxedogov.org/tuxedo-farms/pages/2022-tuxedo-farms-documents.

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Town Board Meeting February 14, 2022

Town Board Meeting February 28, 2022

The Town Board met on Monday, February 28, 2022 at 7:00 pm via WebEx.  All members were present.

Public Comments on Agenda Items
There were none.

Agenda Items:

1. Resolution to retain Appraiser for tax certiorari proceedings – Martin Freedman has commenced a tax certiorari proceeding against the Town.  Town Attorneys have recommended that the Board hire a "court ready appraiser.”  The Board voted unanimously to hire James Molinaro at a fee of $2000.    
2. Resolution introducing Local Law and schedule Public Hearing on        “Creating Community Choice Aggregation Program” – The first step in bringing community choice aggregation to the Town is passing a Local Law.  This was explained during the presentation at the last meeting.  The Board passed the proposed local law unanimously and set the date for the required public hearing for March 28 at 7:00 pm.  Deputy Supervisor Lindsay is working on setting up some public information meetings for those residents who want to inform themselves.  Details will be announced as soon as they are available.

Department Updates:
Police Department – Lt. Norton reported that everything had been quiet in the Police Department. 
Town Clerk – Town Clerk, Marisa Dollbaum, reported that the next step in moving the Town’s  Zoom Room forward is to make a payment and that this would happen once the vouchers had been approved later in the meeting.  After payment has been made, the team from Zoom will then arrive and install the equipment.  
Highway Department – Superintendent Rob Dollbaum reported that his department had been busy  plowing, salting, fixing trucks and working on Warwick Brook Road. 

Town Board/Town Supervisor Updates:
Town Supervisor Ken English reported that he had attended the Cannabis Conversation which was run by New York State.  This program is still in the early stages of being rolled out.  Information can be found at cannabis.ny.gov and  any questions or comments can be sent to cannabisconversation@ocm.ny.gov. 
or comments can be sent to cannabisconversation@ocm.ny.gov. 
Next, he stated that Police Chief interviews had been held on February 23.  The three top civil service candidates were interviewed.
Also on February 23, the Supervisor, Highway Superintendent Rob Dollbaum, Councilmember Reichgott and Town Engineer Sean Hoffman conducted a site visit to the Sewer plant.  The group reviewed maps that show the current location of manholes and pipes that bring sewage from west to east across Route 17 to the pump station.  It was established that H2M needs an updated survey in order to determine relocation options along the bank of the Ramapo.
The Supervisor also reported having toured Lennar Development sites across New Jersey during which he saw a variety of town homes and age restricted homes. (Lennar is the builder who has been contracted to work on the Tuxedo Farms Development) 
Finally, he commented that an RFP has been drawn up for work on the tennis court at Tichy Field.  The proposed action will also encompass the adjacent basketball court and will include accommodation for pickleball lines on the tennis court as well.  
Deputy Supervisor Lindsay reported that she had met with representatives from Orange & Rockland to discuss rebates for installing electric vehicle chargers.  She also toured the Lennar development sites and reported that she was very impressed with what she saw. She is feeling much better about the project as Lennar seems to be very willing to work with the Town. 
Councilmember May commented that she had checked the bin at Quarry Field which had been put out to collect glass and was delighted to see that it is being used and used properly!
Councilmember Murphy added that she had checked the recycling bin located at Murphy Field and was pleased to report that it was filled with wine bottles. She also toured the Lennar sites and was happy with what she saw.  She has been working on marketing the Town and more specifically. what will be done with the Town’s billboard.  Additionally, she has been active with the Community Action Committee and will be working on creating a calendar of Town events.  Finally, she has been working on the Plein Air Event which has been moved to 9/27-10/2.
Councilmember Reichgott reminded people that the bag project for the Food Pantry is still going on.  Drop off places for bags are: Tuxedo Town Hall, Tuxedo Park Library, the Train Station, the Woodlands and the Tuxedo Park Village Offices as well as Sloatsburg Town Hall.    He also gave a brief report on the recent water main break on and around Circle Field. 

Minutes:
The minutes for the Regular Town Board meeting on February 14 were unanimously approved.

Vouchers:
The vouchers were approved unanimously.

Other Business:
Police Chief – The Board interviewed the top 3 candidates from the civil service list and all agreed that Tamara Dreyer was the one they will hire.  She has 23 years of experience working with the Orange County Sheriff’s department most recently as the Lieutenant of the Road Division and Special Units.  She will be a full time employee with reduced hours.  This is the same status as former Chief Abbott.  She will work 17 hours a week in the Police Station. 

Public Comments:
 There were none.

The meeting was adjourned into an Executive Session to receive advice from Counsel at 8:17 pm.

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Agenda forTown Board Meeting February 28, 2022

Click here to view the agenda

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Notice of Special Town Board Meeting February 23, 2022

Click here to view the notice

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Town Board / Tuxedo Farms Workshop Meetings February 17

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Town Board Meeting February 14, 2022

The Town Board met on Monday, February 14, 2022 at 7:00 pm via WebEx.  All members were present.

The meeting opened with a presentation from Jeff Domanski of Hudson Valley Energy on Community Choice Aggregation. Click here to view a copy of this presentation.

Public Comments on Agenda Items:
There were none.

Agenda Items:

1. Refunding Bond Resolution – Richard Tortora, President of Capital Advisors (financial consultants to the Town for many years)

was present to discuss this item with the Board.  He explained that the Town issued bonds both in 2003 and 2014.  While the 2003 bonds have been eligible to be called for a few years, the 2014 bonds will become “callable” in April of this year.  Interest rates for both bonds are now quite a bit lower than they were when issued. Therefore, he is recommending that the Town refinance the bonds now.  Ultimately, the Board voted unanimously to pass a resolution for the refunding.  This will get the process moving and the Board will have another chance to make a decision before the bonds are eligible  to be called in April. 

1. Review proposed compensation for the position of Alternate Planning Board Member – The Board voted that the compensation for the new alternate member of the Planning Board should be the same as that for a regular Planning Board Members or $2,938.08. 
2. Resolution to allow sale of raffle tickets by the Onyx and Breezy Foundation in the Town of Tuxedo – This is an annual request and it was approved unanimously.
3. Resolution Approving Towing License Permits – The following businesses were unanimously approved for their annual Towing Licenses:  NJV Auto Center, Apple Auto Body and Loyal Tire and Auto. 

Other Business:

1. Resolution to approve renovation of tennis court at Tichy Field – The tennis court at Tichy Field is in serious need of repair.  Supervisor English has copies of some bids, which are approximately a year old.  The Board decided to take the old bids and ask their attorneys Jacobowitz & Gubits to prepare a spec sheet with which they can then go out to bid on the project.  The resolution was passed unanimously.
2. Resolution to request Jacobowitz & Gubits to draft a local law to authorize the Town Board to enter into a Community Choice Aggregation program – This was passed unanimously.

 Monthly Reports:
The Supervisor acknowledged receipt of reports from Dog Control, the Justice Court and the Town Clerk.
Highway Superintendent Dollbaum reported that there is a problem with the sewer line which goes underneath the railroad tracks and along the river to the pump station.  The line is clogged with wipes and masks!  As a result, there was a backup into a building along Route 17 over the weekend!  The Superintendent asked residents to STOP disposing of those items by flushing them!  He also cautioned that the proper way to get rid of grease from cooking is by putting it into the garbage and not down the sink.  He recommended that the Town either reline the pipe (along the Ramapo and then crossing Route 17 and into the Gulf Station) or move the pipe over to the West side of the railroad tracks.  The last time he remembers seeing a quote for this work it was approximately $100,000 (for relining the pipe).  He feels that the Town should start getting updated quotes on this work as soon as possible.  It was agreed that Superintendent Dollbaum, Supervisor English, Engineer Sean Hoffman and Councilmember Reichgott would have a meeting to work out the details. 
Supervisor’s Update – Supervisor English reported that he has been notified by the Orange County Department of Finance that the total 2021 sales tax revenue has exceeded the budgeted amount.  This will result in a fourth quarter supplemental payment of $75,369.91!  This payment will be made to the Town before the end of February.  Also, the Orange County Clerk’s office notified the Town that they will be getting $23,997 for the Mortgage Tax in January 2022.   Next, he announced that the next workshop with Tuxedo Farms will be held via WebEx on Thursday, February 17 at 5:00 pm.  For this meeting, they will be focusing on Design Standards.  He also reported that Police Chief Interviews will be held on Wednesday, February 23 from 5:00 to 8:00 pm.  There are 3 candidates scheduled.  Finally, he commented that there have been important voting district boundary line changes affecting Tuxedo.  James Skoufis will be  the new NYS Senator and Mondaire Jones will be the new Congressman. (Tuxedo is now the 17th District).  The Supervisor is looking forward to working with both men. 
Deputy Supervisor Lindsay reported that she would soon be meeting with representatives of Orange and Rockland to discuss charging stations for electric vehicles.  She will also be looking into adding a battery storage component to this as well as  adding battery storage to the roof on the
 Highway Department.
Councilmember Reichgott reminded everyone about the Tuxedo Bag Project, which is being run by some kids in Tuxedo Park.  They are collecting bags to be given to the Sloatsburg Food Pantry.  These are always needed so he asked people to donate their bags to Town Hall, the Library, the Train Station and other marked locations around town.
Councilmember Murphy is concerned with the speed limit on Long Meadow Rd.  She has discovered that the Board will need to pass a resolution to the County to ask that the limit be lowered. She was tasked with writing a letter to the County and requesting this action.  Next, she reported on the work her committee is doing for a Plein Air Event for this year to be held on October 7th.  (Columbus Day weekend)
Councilmember May thanked Recreation Coordinator Claire Dougher for all her work on the Bonfire which took place on February 12.  She also commented that she would like to see some improvements made to the Dog Park (located at Powerhouse Park) She has found an organization called Bark for your Park which sponsors dog parks and gives grants for upgrades. 

Minutes:
The minutes for the regular Town Board meeting held on January 24 were approved unanimously.

Vouchers:
These were approved unanimously. 

Public Comments:
There was a question about when the electronic speed limit signs would reappear.  It was explained that these have been removed for the winter so as not to interfere with any plowing. 

Adjournment was at 9:50 pm. 

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Notice of Town Board / Tuxedo Farms Workshop Meetings February 17 & March 3, 2022

Click here to view the notice

TOWN OF TUXEDO - NOTICE OF TOWN BOARD WORKSHOPS - NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN

That the Town Board of the Town of Tuxedo will hold two Public Workshops to review Tuxedo Farms documents on February 17th and March 3rd at 5:00 pm. These workshops will be held virtually via WebEx.

These workshops will be held via Webex at https://www.tuxedogov.org/webex-virtual-meetings or dial 408-418-9388 and use access code 796 956 205. 

The documentation that will be reviewed can be found on our website at https://www.tuxedogov.org/tuxedo-farms/pages/2022-tuxedo-farms-documents.

There will be no public participation for these meetings.

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Agenda forTown Board Meeting February 14, 2022

Click here to view the agenda

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Town Board Tuxedo Farms Workshop Meeting February 10 2022

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Town Board Tuxedo Farms Workshop Meeting January 27 2022

Click here to view a video of this meeting

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Town Board Meeting January 24, 2022

The Town Board met on Monday, January 24, 2022 at 6:00 pm.  All members were present. The meeting began with an Executive Session for the purpose of interviewing candidates for Boards. 

The public portion of the meeting began at  7:00 pm via WebEx. 
The meeting actually began at 6:00 pm with an Executive Session for the purpose of interviewing candidates for Boards. 

Public Hearing -Alternate Planning Board Member:
A public hearing was held to discuss the proposed local law “Alternate Planning Board Member,” which would establish an alternate planning board member for the purpose of substituting a member when a quorum is needed.  There were no public comments and the Board subsequently voted unanimously to adopt the measure as Local Law #1 of 2022. 

Public Comments on Agenda Items:
Evelyn David asked for an explanation of Item #1, a resolution to abolish the Building Moratorium.  She was told that this was a measure put in place while the Town was considering changes to the Comprehensive Plan and Zoning Law.  Since those measures have now been passed, the resolution is no longer necessary and thus should be abolished. 

Agenda Items:

• Resolution to abolish building moratorium – Councilmember Reichgott commented that there are a couple of applicants who have asked for moratorium waivers and those people should now go directly to the applicable Boards as there is no longer a need to get Town Board approval first.  Also, he pointed out that there will still be a sewer connection moratorium in the Hamlet Sewer District, clarifying that that moratorium would not be affected by this action.  The resolution was then approved unanimously.
• Resolution approving Towing License Permit – This is the annual appointment and/or renewal of towing licenses in the Town.  The Town Clerk has only received one application so far with others still pending. Approval was unanimously granted for Freeman’s Auto Service in Harriman which is a successor to C.A.R.S. and Harriman Auto.
• Resolution Approving Refuse Collection License – Licenses were granted to Interstate Waste Services (for the Town) and Sterling Carting (for the Village). 
• Appoint Planning, Zoning and Board of Assessment Review members – The following people were appointed:

Planning Board:
Susan Boyle, term ending 12/31/26
Ned Kugel, term ending 12/31/26
Alternate Member – Justin Jennings, term ending 12/31/22
Zoning Board of Appeals:
Chris Dollbaum, term ending 12/31/26
Alternate Member – Sharon Rothlauf, term ending 12/31/22
Board of Assessment Review:
Howard Zukof, term ending 12/31/26

New Business:
Deputy Supervisor Lindsay introduced the idea of refinancing the Town’s outstanding bonds. The Bonds are due in 2044.  On the advice of Town financial Consultant, Capital Market Advisors, the Board will look into the refinancing which could potentially save the Town $18,000 per year.  After discussion with Town Attorney Howard Protter, the Board decided to authorize Bond Counsel (Hawkins Delafield to prepare a resolution for the Board to discuss and vote on at the next meeting (Feb.14) at cost of no more than $10.000.  This was passed unanimously.

Department Updates:
Town Clerk – Marissa Dollbaum reported receiving an email from O&R informing her that there have been people posing as O&R employees and using that to gain access to private homes.  The utility company has provided all employees with photo identification cards so if an O&R employee should show up unannounced, residents are advised to ask to see their identification.  Next, she announced that she had put a link on the Town website through which residents can order their free home covid tests.
Work on the upcoming Zoom Room for Town Hall in on-going. 
Finally, she reminded everyone of the Town bonfire scheduled for Saturday, January 29. Because there have been predictions of bad weather, she will make sure Recreaction Coordinator Clair Dougher keeps everyone informed if it needs to be postponed.  Any information she received will be posted on the Town website.
Highway Superintendent Rob Dollbaum reported that his department is still working on trimming trees around town.  They will continue to pick up Christmas trees until Saturday.  Lastly, he announced that the ice rink at Powerhouse Park had been flooded and cleared and is all ready to go for skating.

Supervisor English submitted the following report:

• Hiring /Candidate search. Lori Cosgrove and I are working closely with Orange County Human Resources / Civil Service unit to identify eligible candidates for two positions:
• Chief of Police - there are 29 names on the open competitive list. Canvas Letters were sent to all eligible candidates who were given until Wednesday, February 2nd, to respond.
• Bookkeeper - there currently is no open competitive list for this title. We were given the list of 15 candidates who are approved for the civil service exam, to be given on Saturday, February 5th, 2022. These candidates were sent a canvass letter, job description, and the details of the Tuxedo vacancy, to consider for a provisional appointment. Once the open competitive list is produced, expected in about 4-6 months, we MUST hire from the list.
• The Town Board has completed interviews to fill vacant positions in the Planning Board, Zoning Board of Appeals, and the Board of Assessment Review. It is our policy to encourage residents to consider applying for these positions through active outreach. We are committed to an open recruitment process. Appointments were filled at the meeting.
• Tuxedo Farms - Related has selected a builder, Lennar, one of the largest homebuilders in the country. Representatives will participate in our special meeting, this Thursday, January 27th, via WebEx at 5:00. We expect the emerging details of the project to be presented and that important documents (Tech Memo, Design Standards, Concept Plan, etc.) will be shared for Town Board review and comment. These meetings are scheduled to begin at 5:00 and will be through the Town’s WebEx portal. Another meeting is scheduled for Thursday, February 10th.

Deputy Supervisor Lindsay reminded everyone that Jeff Demansky from Hudson Valley Energy, who recently gave a presentation to the Climate Smart Community Task Force/Community Solar will be giving a short presentation at the February 14 Town Board meeting. 
Councilmember May reported that a group of people have formed the Community Activity Committee to help come up with fun events for all residents.  Deputy Supervisor Lindsay wondered if these residents would like to join a Recreation Advisory Board which the Town is considering putting together. Councilmember Murphy has also been talking to this group and she reported that consensus there seemed to be that many of the activities in around Town have become fragmented and they want to find a way to bring more of the community together through activities and events.
Minutes:
The minutes for the January 10th Town Board meeting were accepted and approved.

Vouchers were approved.
Public Comments:
There were none.
Adjournment – The meeting was adjourned into an Executive Session to discuss a possible future real estate transaction. 

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Board To Conduct Tuxedo Farms Workshop Meeting January 27 & February 10, 2022

In the coming weeks the Town Board will conduct two workshops with representative from both the Related Companies and Lennar Homebuilders concerning the future of the Tuxedo Farms development.  A short workshop was held on January 13, during which the applicable introductions were made.  Detailed plans were not reviewed during that meeting however, both the Developer and the Builder informed the Board that that the updated conceptual plan, including proposed changes to the design standards as well as the Tech Memo, would be forthcoming and that these would be formally presented in public on the January 27.  

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Agenda forTown Board Meeting January 24, 2022

Click here to view the agenda

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Town Board Tuxedo Farms Workshop Meeting January 13, 2022

The Town Board held a Tuxedo Farms Workshop meeting on Thursday, January 13 at 5:30pm via WebEx.  All members were present.  The purpose of the meeting was to provide an opportunity for the the Related Companies to formally introduce the Board members to  representatives from Lennar Homebuilders, with whom they have partnered on much of the Tuxedo Farms project. Greg Gushee and Dillon Norris represented Related, while Robert (Bob) Calabro (Vice President and project lead), Mitchell Newman  (SVP, Director of Land Acquisitions),  Lisa Higgins (Director of Forward Planning), and Stephen Dahl (attorney) were present on behalf of Lennar.

The meeting was relatively short (28 minutes) and broad in focus.  The public was not permitted to ask questions directly, however questions submitted via the chat were entertained and answered.  

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Notice of Town Board Tuxedo Farms Workshop Meeting January 13, 2022

Click here to view the notice

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Town Board Meeting January 10, 2022

The Town Board met on Monday, January 10 at 7pm via Webex.
All members were present.

Oaths of Office:
Supervisor English, Councilmembers Jay Reichgott and Diedre Murphey and Town Clerk Marisa Dollbaum were all sworn in. 

Public Comment on Agenda Items:
There were none.

Agenda Items:
2022 Reorganization - Following a relatively brief  over-view, the Board voted unanimously in favor of approving the 2022 Reorganization document. 
Click here to view.
Resolution to approve Association of Towns training February 20-23 for Town Board members – Following some discussion, the Board voted unanimously in favor of approving the training for any interested Town Officials. 

Discussion Items:
Review Contract for Town Hall Roof – The RFP was restructured and the project rebid in December.  One bid from Precision Roofing was received.  A meeting was subsequently held with Precision for the purpose of value-engineering the project in an attempt to bring the cost down and through this process they were able to reduce price from $294,000 to $230,000.  This will be paid for utilizing the $100,000 State Aid To Municipality Grant that was awarded to the Town by former State Senator Jenn Metzger and the $125,000 that was budgeted by the Town for the project.  Following some discussion, the Board voted unanimously in favor of awarding the contract to Precision Roofing in the amount of $230,000 base price (this does not include the cost of any deteriorated plywood decking that might need to be replaced.  If needed, the decking will cost $10 per square foot.). The work will hopefully be scheduled for early spring. 
Discussion – Addition of Alternate to the Planning Board – The Town Board has been considering the idea of adding an Alternate to the Planning Board.  The term would be 1-year. The individual serving in this position would not vote unless there were a conflict of interest on the Board or a quorum could not be achieved.  Through serving they would gain valuable experience which would help to prepare them to fill upcoming vacancies on the Board.  They would be compensated at the same rate as the other, standing Planning Board members.  A draft local law prepared by Board Attorney Howard Protter was reviewed and discussed.  The Board voted unanimously in favor of setting a public hearing for January their January 24 meeting and also authorizing the attorneys to draft a resolution of adoption. 
Woodlands Request to Have Roads Recognized – The Woodlands Home Owner’s Association has made a request under Vehicle and Traffic Law Section 1660A to have the roadways in their development formally recognized by the Town.  Under this section of the law, the Town police would then have the ability to regulate and enforce traffic laws and regulations on the private roads within the Woodlands. 
Board member Diedre Murphey wondered what specifically the Home Owners Association was looking for with the request.  There is an existing 5mph speed limit on roads within the development.  Will the Tuxedo PD be expected to enforce that?   Additionally, there is a “no overnight parking” rule. Will the Tuxedo PD  be asked to ticket offender?  “Do they want people to be ticketed for going 25mph in a 5mph zone?  Frankly, Long Meadow Road is a racetrack where people are going 85mph and the idea that we are going to worry about 5mph in the Woodlands….I don’t understand!  I don’t want to detract from what is going on in the Town by taking valuable resources and supporting a private community…even though I live in that community!”
Board member Jay Reichgott suggested that they needed to get some advice from their attorney as to exactly what was being requested.  Is the Town being asked to enforce private regulations or would this bring those roadways into compliance with the other Town roads for enforcement.  Additionally, he suggested they explore it with the Police Department directly in order to determine whether or not they have sufficient resources to make it happen.  Lastly, he suggested that they reach out to the Woodlands and ascertain exactly what it is they believe they are asking for. 
Following some further discussion, it was agreed that they would work to more clearly establish the parameters of what was being requested before moving forward.
Request from Village Mayor David McFadden – Village of Tuxedo Park Mayor has circulated a preliminary assessment from engineers Westin & Sampson for the relocation of the Village Hall and DPW facilities.  He is asking that the Town consider allowing the Village to utilize some of the land near Quarry Field for this purpose. The plan does not specifically estimate which properties the Village would need to acquire from the Town, nor does it account for any land surveying of confirmation of Village/Town boundaries.  The Board has a number of questions and concerns with what has been proposed.  As the plan is only in the preliminary stages, it was suggested that the main focus should be to determine exactly what property the Village is hoping to acquire and subsequently what the Town would like in exchange for that land.  It was agreed that Supervisor English would seek additional information from Mayor McFadden with respect to the property in question.
Schedule Dates for Public Meetings on Community Choice Aggregation and Community Solar Programs – Deputy Supervisor Michele Lindsay reported that the Climate Smart community had met earlier that evening to receive a presentation on Community Choice Aggregation, which amounts to the purchasing of power and use of solar programs.  In order to move forward the  Town Board must pass a law enabling the action.  Said law would not commit the Town to the program, but it will get the ball rolling.  A template of the law as enacted by other municipalities has been circulated to the Attorneys as well as each of the Town Board members.  The Deputy Mayor is recommending that the Board move forward by asking their attorneys to draft a similar law for their consideration.   It was agreed that an informational session for the public should be scheduled as part of their next meeting. 

Department Updates:
Town Clerk – Town Clark Marisa Dollbaum reported that Interstate Waste had dropped off two dumpsters for glass recycling.  One is located at Quarry Field and the other is in the parking lot across from the Eagle Valley Firehouse.  Unfortunately, the one at Quarry Field was left in the wrong spot so as soon as she has confirmed that it has been moved to the correct location, she will be advertising them to the community.  Highway Superintendent Rob Dollbaum suggested that they might not want to leave the dumpster at Quarry Field as planned because there are no cameras there and he is concerned that an unmonitored dumpster will become a dump site.  He doesn’t believe there is going to be a ton of traffic associated with the recycling of class and therefore recommended that they install it over by the old highway department.  The Supervisor agreed. In other news, property owners now have the ability to pay their Town and County property taxes online via the Town website utilizing an electronic check, credit or debit card.  Additionally, a Town Clerk account will be established shortly and this will allow for people to pay for their parking permits, dog licenses etc. online as well. 
Highway Department – Highway Superintendent Rob Dollbaum reported that they had run a new water line for the water filtration system, which will be installed on January 27/28.  Additionally, they have acquired a bucket truck until March and will be  utilizing it to work on tree trimming around Town.  Residents can put out their Christmas trees for collection.  There is no set schedule for this, but as they are put out, the trees will be collected and brought to Powerhouse Park for a bonfire. Residents are  reminded that parking on the streets is not permitted  if inclement weather is expected and they should pull their cars off the roadways so that they can be appropriately cleared. Lastly, with regard to a berm in Laurel Ridge, he reported that its’ purpose is to prevent flooding onto Sylvan Way.  They plan on leaving  It there until after the spring thaw, after which it will be removed.  If they move it now, they will not have enough material to prevent flooding on Tichy Field. 
Board Member Maria May commended the Highway Department for their diligent work during the ice storm the week prior, noting that most of the surrounding communities were not nearly as well prepared. 

Supervisor’s Update:
Supervisor English reported the following:
Tuxedo Farms - Related has selected a builder, Lennar, one of the largest homebuilders in the country. Representatives will participate in a special meeting, this Thursday, January 13, via WebEx at 5:30. They expect this initial meeting to be a brief introduction of the Lennar team. Further meetings are scheduled for Thursday, January 27 and Thursday, February 10. These meetings are scheduled to begin at 5:00 and will be conducted through the Town’s WebEx portal.
Chief Arthur Abbott has submitted his resignation. He has served the Town since June of 2017. He worked closely with the Town Board to implement the Governor’s Police reinvention initiative, to procure body cameras for Tuxedo PD, hire the Towns’ newest Officer, Alexandra Gunderman, and worked towards attaining NYS Accreditation of our Police facility by bringing the Towns’ Juvenile Room in compliance with required code and policy.  “Art always brought his open personal demeanor to all of my interactions with him,” the Supervisor commented further wishing  him all the best in his future endeavors.  Together with his secretary Lori Cosgrove, the Supervisor is working  with Orange County Human Resources / Civil Service, to identify eligible candidates to fill the vacancy. Until that is accomplished, Lt. Norton will be the Officer in Charge.
Lastly, the Town Board is continuing interviews to fill vacant positions in the Planning Board, Zoning Board of Appeals, and the Board of Assessment Review. It is their policy to encourage residents to consider applying for these positions through active outreach. They  are committed to an open recruitment process. No more applications are being accepted at this time. The application process has finished and they are almost finished with the interview process.  Appointments will hopefully be announced at the next Town Board meeting.

Town Board Updates:
Deputy Mayor Michele Lindsay reported that there would be an LDC meeting on Tuesday, January 11 at 4pm for the purpose of meeting with auditors. 

Public Comments:
Via the chat, a resident inquired as to whether or not the new sewer plant has been brought online yet.  The answer was no. 

The Supervisor apologized but noted that they did not have time to entertain any further public comments due to a scheduled attorney/client meeting.  The  Board then adjourned into an executive session for the purpose of meeting with their attorney.  They re-entered the public session at 9:42pm. No action was taken as a result of the session.  The minutes and vouchers were unanimously approved and the meeting was adjourned at 9:49pm.

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Agenda for Town Board Meeting January 10, 2022

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