John Barbelet

The Architectural Review Board meeting agenda included continued items and new items requiring approval. Continued items involved requests for a 6' high cedar wood fence installation at 3 Mallard Rise and an addition and renovation project at 612 Gracemere. New business included requests for approval to repair stone and install fencing at 40 So. Washington Street, installation of new fencing at 33 Gracemere, and a proposal for 90 affordable housing units, comprising multifamily and townhouse styles with a recreation building, at 50 White Street (Franklin Courts JV). Public written comments were to be received by noon on Monday, March 16, 2026.

The meeting featured a presentation from the Tarrytown Environmental Advisory Council (TEAC) detailing their 2025 activities, including pollinator garden maintenance, Eco-Fair coordination, and invasive vine combatting. The Fire Chief provided a detailed report on a recent structure fire, noting that although two hydrants were frozen, continuous water supply was maintained via other hydrants and mutual aid resources. The Board addressed concerns about water pressure in the Crest area and planned follow-up discussions. A significant portion of the meeting involved public commentary regarding a resolution petitioning the U.S. Government to address ICE and CBP abuses, which the Board subsequently approved unanimously. Other resolutions passed included authorizing an agreement with Labella Engineering for H-Bridge rehabilitation construction inspection services, awarding a cleaning services bid to Crown United Services, approving a change order for the 2023-07 Water Project, supporting a USDOT BUILD Program Planning Grant application for the NYS Rt. 119 Complete Street project, and authorizing a budget amendment for Fire Department emergency escape harnesses. The Board also approved the 2025 Fire Service Records for LOSAP, approved Fire Department membership changes, settled two tax certiorari cases, appointed members to the LWRP Advisory Committee, and approved audited vouchers.

The Board considered and approved an action item authorizing a budget amendment to transfer funds from the Contingency line to increase funding in the Fire Department Personal Equipment / Gear line. This transfer, amounting to $18,949.00, was designated to fund the procurement of Fire Department Bunker Gear. Following this action, the Board continued with remaining Work Session items before closing the public portion of the meeting to enter Executive Session.

The meeting addressed several action items. The first involved authorizing payments to the Municipal Employee Benefit Consortium (MEBCO), including a regular February payment and a special reconciliation invoice for high-cost claims, totaling over $562,000. The second action item was the authorization of the second amendment to the truck purchase order for a new Seagrave Aerialscope Fire Apparatus for Washington Ladder Company, resulting in a net price increase of $377 due to necessary flow meter upgrades. The third item authorized the execution of an agreement for a $15,000 Cares Up grant from the Research Foundation for Mental Hygiene to fund wellness and resilience training for the Tarrytown Police Department. The session concluded with discussions continuing into other work session business and an executive session.

Key discussions included posthumously recognizing William "Bill" Burnette for his extensive community contributions during Black History Month, where his grandson and son expressed gratitude. The Board received a presentation on the draft "Safe Streets for All Plan" for Tarrytown and Sleepy Hollow, which outlines 55 draft actions across 15 strategies focusing on safety, traffic calming, and safe routes to school, with public comment period open until February 20, 2026. Several resolutions were approved, including appointing Michael Maskin to the Housing Affordability Task Force, authorizing the execution of an Intermunicipal Developer Agreement (IMDA) for the Wilder Balter MHA redevelopment project seeking up to $5,000,000 in Housing Implementation Fund monies, and authorizing collaboration and cost-sharing with the Village of Sleepy Hollow for a joint July 4th, 2026 fireworks event. The Board authorized the purchase and installation of new surveillance camera servers for the Parks, Recreation, and Police Departments, totaling $84,049.56. A resolution was passed agreeing that the proposed use of a portion of Patriots Park by the NYSDOT Route 9 Complete Streets Project would have a de minimis impact on the parkland. Personnel actions included appointing Sandro Rivera as Motor Equipment Operator and Michael Schnabel as Part Time Availability Automotive Mechanic II. Hourly wage rates for 2026 Tarrytown Pool Employees were also set.