September 26, 2023

This past Thursday, I led one of our Community Walking Tours. This particular group had some good insights on the importance of how we time each of the different large-scale projects and was well-versed in the progress of our DRI projects. This was such an engaging group that I lost track of time and didn’t even think about taking photos to share with all of you! There was a suggestion that we continue similar walking tours for other projects as we advance.

Please note that our final walking tour for 2023 is scheduled for this Saturday, September 30^th, at 10 am, weather permitting. It will be led by one of my colleagues. Click here for details: https://bit.ly/WalkingTourSept30  

Did you know that COVID-19 is on the rise again? The latest data from the New York State Department of Health shows hospital admissions for COVID have increased by 22 percent when compared from July to August. As we again see an increase in cases of COVID-19, I urge all in our community to remember COVID is a treatable disease. COVID tests are easy to use as well as highly accurate. If you test positive, speak with a healthcare provider about treatment, which can prevent hospitalization and death.

Your household can get four (4) free at-⁠home COVID-19 tests this fall on COVIDTests.gov. Every U.S. household may place an order to receive four free COVID-19 rapid tests delivered directly to their home. https://www.covid.gov/tests

Have you considered becoming a poll worker? The League of Women's Voters has sent out information on how individuals can become paid poll workers.

Election inspector requirements:

• Must be at least 18 years of age or, if you are 17 years old, you may be eligible if your school district participates in a program under Education Law Section 3207-a
• Must be registered to vote in the County of Westchester
• Must be available from 5 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. or to the close of the polls

Election inspectors receive $350 for working on Election Days plus $25 to attend a training class and pass an exam.

Tasks to be performed as an election inspector:

• Prepare the polling place for voting
• Set up the voting equipment
• Sign-in and process voters
• Enforce social distancing
• Demonstrate voting procedures to the voters
• Sanitize voting equipment
• Close the polling place
• Canvass and report the results
• Assist voters if requested

Submit a completed copy of the Westchester County Poll Worker Application Form to the Westchester County Board of Elections via:

Email to:

• Ericka Sterling, Democrat,
• Jonathan Cannella, Republican,

Fax to: (914) 813-4402. or

Mail to: Westchester County Board of Elections, Attn: Election Inspector Dept., 25 Quarropas St., White Plains, NY 10601

-OR-

Complete the online Become a Pollworker Form Outside of NYC to the New York State Board of Elections.

A reminder that Early Voting is Saturday, October 28, 2023 to Sunday, November 5, 2023

General Election Day: Tuesday, November 7, 2023

Residents can bring up to 4 file-size (10" x12" x15") boxes of confidential papers per household to Joseph G. Caputo Community Ctr. from 10 AM to 1 PM on Saturday, September 30^th, for shredding. Please remove all large binder clips and covers. Papers from businesses, institutions, or commercial enterprises are not acceptable and will be rejected, as will any junk mail or newspapers, since they can and should be placed in recycle bins.

Service at the event works on a first-come-first-served basis, as the Mobile Shredder unit can reach its maximum capacity before closing.

This week's Special Meeting and Work Session will be held on Wednesday, 9/27/23, at 7:30PM at the John-Paul Rodrigues Ossining Operations Center 101 Route 9A (while the Board Conference room is still under construction). You can find a link to this week’s Agendas here:

This week's Work Session will begin with a Special Meeting. We will be swearing in a new Ossining Police Officer.

The Work Session will include the following:

• The Village has been considering a partnership with CGI for some time now—you may be familiar with CGI as the producer of triannual videos for the Town of Ossining and dozens of other municipalities in our area, where the scripted videos can be used for digital marketing—they are free to the municipality, as CGI solicits local businesses to sponsor ads on the videos. We are, instead, contemplating beginning with their Banner Program, which will supply us with banners of our design—we will receive a minimum number of banners even if we receive zero local sponsors.
• Chief Sylvester will be with us for an update on Police Reform.
• Corporation Council Kahan will present a resident’s request for a license agreement at 11 Garden Street.
• In 2019, the Village submitted 3 Village-owned sites for an RFP with NYPA (the New York Power Authority) to install Community Solar. One of the sites, the back garage at the Armory, has already been completed. The second (and only other site chosen) was the eastern parking field at the Ossining Train Station (the large parking lot parallel to Water Street). The Manager's Office, Village Engineer, and Building Inspector have been working with the team at DSD (the vendor) to understand the process. What is important at this time is for the Board and community (particularly those who buy Commuter permits, who will be affected most directly) to understand how parking will need to shift for up to 8 weeks, beginning in January. Our staff will explain the scope of the anticipated displacement and the degree to which we can accommodate the displaced.
• Corporation Council Kahan and Assistant Village Manager Zachacz will introduce a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) for Project MOVER. Ossining is an incubator community for this State-funded E-bike initiative.
• Finally, staff will discuss the plans to begin enforcing provisions of Local Law #6 of 2022, which requires payment for parking in the Main/Spring Street lots (these are currently 3-hour free parking). As we know this will be a significant change for folks in the neighborhood, we want to make sure we get the word out in a way that allows residents, visitors, and business owners to prepare and fully understand the rules as adopted last August.