The White Plains Common Council held its regular monthly meeting on March 2, 2020. At this meeting, the council held public hearings on discontinuing an unimproved section of N. Lexington Avenue and on allowing the Mount Zion AME Church to be used as emergency overnight shelter. One neighbor of the church expressed his concern of intrusions on his property by users of the shelter. It also took the following actions:
• Approved about $20,000 in tax refunds due to reduced property assessments
• Accepted a grant of $24,000 for a youth employment program, as well as one for $546,000 to create an Emergency Rental Housing Repair and Tenant Displacement Support Fund and hire a Neighborhood Conditions Coordinator/Community Liaison (Ms. Puja opposing the latter grant).
• Approved a contract to install LED lights on city-owned properties.
• Passed a law requiring stores to charge five cents for paper carryout bags.
• Amended the traffic laws to remove a prohibition on right turns into Burke Rehabilitation from Heatherbloom Road despite the mayor’s opposition.
• Appointed Lynette Spaulding as City Court Judge.
The council set public hearings for April 6 on Living Word Christian Church’s application to construct a two-story building at 1236 Mamaroneck Avenue and on 440 Hamilton Avenue’s request for a special permit to increase the size of the existing building.
At the Citizens to be Heard session before the meeting, citizens spoke about labor issues connected to the redevelopers of the White Plains Mall and the 52 N. Broadway redevelopment.
Submitted by LWVWP Board Member Clifford Blau
The calendar of upcoming meetings for the various boards and agencies can be found at https://www.cityofwhiteplains.com/853/Common-Council-BoardsCommissions-M...
Meetings and Citizens to be Heard can be viewed at http://whiteplainsny.swagit.com/live/ or on your government cable access channel.
