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1) RYE TOWN DISSOLUTION. Town Supervisor Joe Carvin reported that he sees stumbling blocks to Rye Town’s proposed dissolution falling by the wayside, with the solution to the Town of Mamaroneck’s legal concerns over the future of Rye Neck in the process of being addressed most notably by State Assemblyman Steve Otis (D-Rye).
2) TOWN NEWSLETTER. Carvin announced that a newsletter for all households in the Town of Rye is in preparation and will be distributed in the near future.
3) IN REMS AND TOWN FINANCES. Town Attorney Paul Noto outlined the latest foreclosure actions (for properties whose taxes had not been paid), and Carvin used the occasion to point out that the town has a severe $1,000,000 cash flow problem caused by a rise in the percentage of property owners who fail to pay their taxes on time, or not at all (hence, the time consuming process of foreclosure and sale).
4) FIELDS FOR PORT CHESTER SCHOOLS. Deputy Supervisor William Villanova said he was making a major effort to see that a long standing Westchester County commitment to provide $6,000,000 in funding for ball fields for the Port Chester Middle School was honored.
5) ANOTHER BRIDGE TO BE REPAIRED OR REBUILT. Town Supervisor of Highways John DeCrescenzo reported that the 70-year-old Hillside Avenue Bridge, of which the town is one-third responsible for repair and maintenance, is showing its age and may well have to be rebuilt in the very near future.
6) RYE TOWN SUSTAINABILITY COMMITTEE: Councilwoman Christina Collins, who chairs the Rye Town Sustainability Committee, reported on her meetings with Bedford officials and residents involved in that town’s sustainability efforts. Collins said she would be working with local officials to create a webpage, shared by all the Town’s governmental entities on their websites, to show what was happening in other Westchester towns and how those efforts could be replicated within Rye Town borders.
7) TOWN AUDITORS. The board rehired the auditing firm of O’Connor, Davies for its 2014 audit for a fee of $23,500. The firm has also been hired by the Rye Town Park Commission to audit Rye Town Park for a fee of $13,500.
8) TOWN OMBUDSMAN. Town Ombudsman Greg Arcaro was rehired as both program administrator and town ombudsman, a part-time job.
9) ASSISTANT CLERK. Town Clerk Hope Vespia recommended the town hire Vivian Vallejo as a part time clerk to replace Neiva Garces, who is now working part time for the town’s judges.
10) SHREDDING DAY. Vespia announced that the county shredder would be coming to the parking lot at the Port Chester Village Government Center (where the town offices are) at 222 Grace Church St. on Saturday, Feb. 7, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.
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