Common Council July, August, and September Notes

Common Council July, August, and September Notes

Type: 
News

CLIFF'S CORNER:


 HIGHLIGHTS OF RECENT COMMON COUNCIL MEETINGS
by Cliff Blau
 
JULY:  The White Plains Common Council held its regularly-stated monthly meeting on July 1, 2024.  Two public hearings were held on amending the purchasing law to allow consideration of best value rather than just lowest price, and an amended site plan and special permit for White Plains Hospital to build a new emergency room, etc. There were no objections during either hearing from the public. The purchasing law was approved.
The council also approved:
  •  Various capital improvement projects for the new fiscal year and the related borrowing totaling $8.8 million
  • Remaining in the Sustainable Westchester, Inc. Community Choice Aggregation Program
  • Stop-arm cameras on school buses
  • Accepting a $20,517 grant from NYSERDA for the purchase of electric leaf blowers and public safety grants totaling $808,000 for, among other things, purchase of license plate readers and surveillance cameras
  • Accepting grants for the Youth Bureau totaling $437,000
  • Settling a law suit against the city for $72,500
  • Property tax refunds of $306,000
  • An agreement with the NYC Police Department to provide de-escalation training to parking enforcement officers
  • The Local Government Operations Climate Action Plan
  • A labor contract with the Teamsters union
At the Citizens to be Heard session, people spoke against a proposed Buddhist temple on Sycamore Lane, and about excessive noise from the YWCA.


AUGUST:  The White Plains Common Council held its regularly-stated monthly meeting on August 5, 2024.  Public hearings were scheduled for September 3 on an amendment to the hotel occupancy tax and an amended site plan and special permit for 70 Westchester Avenue.
 
The council approved:
  • Various capital improvement projects totaling $7.8 million and the related borrowing of $7.4 million, largely for water lines and valves
  • Accepting a $126,510 grant from NYSERDA for energy conservation
  • Accepting grants for the Youth Bureau totaling $92,224
  • The White Plains Hospital’s special permit and amended site plan for an expansion
  • Property tax refunds of $144,190, mostly for Westage Towers Condominiums owners
  • An extension of the site plan and special permit for Brookfield Commons Phase 3
  • An amended site plan for 250 Mamaroneck Avenue

At the Citizens to be Heard session, people spoke about empty spots in a permit parking lot,
against a proposed Buddhist temple on Sycamore Lane,  and about a lack of parking for the hospital.


SEPTEMBER:  The White Plains Common Council held its regularly-stated monthly meeting on September 3, 2024.  Public hearings were held on an amendment to the hotel occupancy tax and an amended site plan and special permit for 70 Westchester Avenue.  No one from the public spoke. Both were then approved.  A public hearing was scheduled for October 7 on a proposed parking lot at 290 Ferris Avenue.
 
The council also approved in a 16-minute meeting:
 

  • Various capital improvement projects totaling $7.8 million and the related borrowing of $7.4 million, largely for water lines and valves
  • Hiring a law firm to audit Verizon’s cable franchise fee and an engineering firm to review the draft environmental impact statement on the redevelopment of the Ridgeway golf course.
  • Accepting a grant for the Youth Bureau of $40,000
  • A contract for up to $46,100 with the College of Westchester for various educational services for high school students
  • Property tax refunds of $142,000

There were two special meetings in August: August 14 just to approve a street closing for National Night Out, and on August 26 the council heard about the Vision Zero Action Plan, which aims to eliminate traffic deaths and serious injuries, and presentations from the developers of 70 and 80 Westchester Avenue and 6 Cottage Place on proposed site plan amendments.
 
At the Citizens to be Heard session, two people spoke against a proposed Buddhist temple on Sycamore Lane.

League to which this content belongs: 
White Plains