October 17, 2023

This past weekend, many folks in our community came together to show that our spirit cannot be broken even when world affairs create tumult and heartache for many. We started with the Ossining Recreation and Parks Department hosting our annual Pumpkin Patch and Halloween Hayride at Nelson Park on Friday evening. Our staff did a fantastic job by providing fun family time for all. On Sunday, the fun continued. In the words of Trustee Dana White: “Finally a Sunday without rain – the perfect opportunity to experience an eclectic array of local events, from the ENU Builds fundraiser at Harbor Square to the Hispanic Festival sponsored by Ossining Padres Hispanos, to jazz in Dale Cemetery hosted by the Ossining Historic Cemeteries Conservancy."

It's budget time! A local government’s annual budget indicates a community’s civic priorities, projected revenue and costs, capital expenditures, investments, and plans for the future—what revenue will pay for which departmental services. Our staff has been working on the 2024 budget and is ready to present it to the Board of Trustees for discussion and approval. As part of their fiduciary responsibility, only the five elected Village officials, the Mayor, and the Trustees can approve the annual budget. We take this role very seriously. The development of the annual budget in the public sector is more than just number crunching; the budget reflects a strategic plan, and its conception considers the needs and priorities of all stakeholders, from government administrators and employees to residents, businesses, and volunteers, and affects decisions of future Boards. We hold a number of meetings to review the recommended budgets and welcome the public to observe these discussions. Here is a preliminary meeting schedule:

• November 7^th – 9:00am-4pm and 4:30pm-7:30pm
• November 8^th - 6:00pm-11:00pm (estimated)
• November 9^th - 5:00pm- 10:30pm (estimated)
•  November 9th 6:00-10:00pm (estimate - if needed by the Board)

All meetings are held in the Board Room at Village Hall and recorded via Zoom.

Ossining's busy waterfront is home to the Summer Concert Series and Food Truck Fridays, the Louis Engel Spray Park, playgrounds, picnic areas, and unbeatable views of Hudson River sunsets, and directly abuts the Ossining Boat and Canoe Club, the Ossining Metro North railroad station and the Haverstraw/Ossining ferry. The Village hopes to find a tenant to run a seasonal ice cream concession in the Kiosk beginning in May 2024.

Please visit the Village Clerk's page on the Village of Ossining website to view the RFP - all responses must be returned to the office of the Village Clerk by 10AM on Monday, November 13th.

This week's Legislative Meeting is on Wednesday, 10/18/23, at 7:30PM at the Birdsall-Fagan Police Court Facility. You can find a link to this week’s Agenda here: Legislative Meeting - Oct 18, 2023