Candidate Profile: Pamela Jaffee For Town Of Rye Council

TOWN OF RYE, NY — Election season 2023 is here and there are plenty of races with candidates eager to serve in elected office.

Patch asked candidates to answer questions about their campaigns and will be publishing candidate profiles as Election Day draws near.

Name: Pamela Jaffee
Age: 51
Hometown: Rye Brook
Running for which office: Town of Rye Councilperson
Education: BA, Literature and Rhetoric, Binghamton University
Political experience: 4 years, Town of Rye Council; Village of Rye Brook Tech Committee; St. Paul's Evangelical Lutheran Church (Rye Brook) Council Member; Port Chester/Rye Brook/Town of Rye Council for Community Services; Planned Parenthood Hudson Peconic volunteer advocate
Work experience: Pamela Jaffee is an accomplished public relations and brand development professional, personally invested in representing the under-represented. For decades, Pamela has been a standard-bearer on behalf of the romance industry. She has worked to abolish bias against the genre, and elevate books written for women, by women, with gaze focused at the evolution of women at the center of “the story” in society today. Pamela has long championed BIPoC and LGBTQ+ voices across genre publishing, increasing media awareness and sales for diverse and inclusive voices. This passion for equal representation communicates to Pamela’s personal life: having spent years speaking on behalf of reproductive rights to New York State legislators, and serving on various community boards and committees, she was elected to the position of Councilperson for the Town of Rye in 2019. She currently helms the Town’s Sustainability and DEI committees.
Family: Husband, Scott; Children Kate (20) and Will (17)
Campaign website: https://www.facebook.com/RyeTo...

Why are you seeking this office?

I believe great change starts on the local level; in listening to and advocating for your neighbors-constituents, giving your community a voice that reflects their needs and the issues most important to them. Too many politicians are "in it" for their own gain, or as a stepping stone to higher office. My goals have been localized to our community: prepare the Town of Rye for New York State's ambitious climate goals; beautify the historic Town of Rye African American Cemetery and provide more awareness around this local treasure; better ADA access to our Town parks; uplifting the local LGBTQIA+ community through vibrant Pride month celebrations; honor Juneteenth and MLK Jr. Day with commemorations and community service.

What are the major differences between you and the other candidate(s) seeking this post?

I'm not a politician; I am my constituents' neighbor and their ear; their voice on the Town Council. If I am asked to provide a service, such as increased community service hours for students, or help provide access to green spaces to the youth of Port Chester, I work with the Supervisor, the Council and the Town Staff to bring those opportunities to life.

What is the single most pressing issue facing your constituents and what do you intend to do about it?

We are under pressing "green" environmental goals from New York State (70% of the state's electricity is to be powered by renewable energy by 2030. With zero emissions from our electric grid by 2040. And an overall 85% reduction of greenhouse gas emissions by 2050); and We need to keep working with our partner municipalities and organizations such as Sustainable Westchester, Save the Sound, NYSERDA (NYS Energy Research & Development Authority) to educate residents on how they can achieve these goals locally, with minimal barrier to entry (via opting into Community Solar; downloading Con Ed's Smart Rewards app (which gives residents money back for reducing power usage during peak spikes in the summer months), and more.

How would you address the affordable housing issue in the community?

I've been endorsed by Shelley Mayer's SWAC (Southern Westchester Action Committee) PAC; a commitment to affordable housing is a key component of that endorsement. I have watched affordable housing built here in my home community of Rye Brook, and applaud it, would love to see it expand (including affordable housing for seniors!). Port Chester is seeing a boom in new apartment high-rises, but safe, affordable housing in the area is becoming harder to access. We are well aware as well of difficulties for the elderly and people with ability limitations, and have passed the Local Law 1, Year 2023 – “An Act in Relation to Property Tax Exemptions for Persons with Disabilities and Limited Income.

How would you protect the drinking water in the community?

Living on the Sound, and along the brooks and creeks of our Township, it's mandatory to take an interest in clean waterways and potable water reservoirs. Whether in working with the Airport Advisory Board to investigate possible groundwater contamination from the site and help communicate the need to create long-term solution up the governmental chain to affect change. In fact, the first winter we moved to our home on Lincoln Avenue, before I was ever even in government, we noticed the brook below our home was studded with pink foam, emitting foul odor. Being a publicist - I turned to the consumer watchdog reporter at LoHud, who informed me it was the result of de-icing product used on the tarmac in winter; it's only in being vocal and activating the levers that spur change to situations like this get resolved. On the ground level, I organize twice-yearly, multi-municiple community clean-up days, where residents of Rye Brook, Port Chester, Rye, Mamaroneck take to the egress points of local bodies of water to physically clean out litter and debris that would otherwise feed out into the Sound, affecting quality of life far beyond our Township.

What other issues do you intend to address during your campaign?

I'd like to remain a voice for diversity and inclusion in the Town, making our commitment to Pride, ADA access, underrecognized communities even stronger, and woven into the very fabric of the Town and its municipalities. I love the idea of working with the Town's Spanish-speaking staff to make sure we are communicating more clearly to the residents of Port Chester. Encouraging residents to participate in Town activities, meetings, committees so they can become more aware of the services we currently provide - and CAN provide with their input - and providing more transparency on what services the Town provides, as opposed to the Villages in which they reside, because it can be confusing...even to those running for this office!

I'd like to support these Town Environmental Goals for 2024-2028:

• Work with our partner villages to facilitate grants and opportunities to facilitate local goals as part of Governor Hochul’s New York Housing compact, a plan to build 800,000 new homes across the state, in the next decade.
• Re-energize the local Sustainability committees and municipal officers to New York State Climate Act goals: 70% of the state's electricity is to be powered by renewable energy by 2030. With zero emissions from our electric grid by 2040. And an overall 85% reduction of greenhouse gas emissions by 2050.
• Town of Rye is designated a Climate Smart Community (This is a commitment to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and adapt to a changing climate will greatly benefit the residents in your community.)
• NYSERDA (NYS Energy Research & Development Authority) Clean Energy Community Bronze Certification achieved; support high-impact actions to achieve Silver designation over the next 4 years.
• Continue to oppose, create resolutions that communicate our opposition to state and national leaders
• Alerted to Indian Point’s recent plan to dump wastewater into the Hudson River via WMOA; communicate our support for NYS’ “Save the Hudson” bill 9/23
• Open ears, open meetings for local environmental groups in regards to issues such as the creation of “dirty energy” Danskammer (fracked gas) Power Plant up the Hudson by Newburgh.· If built, this fossil-fuel plant would contribute to climate change, set back NY's clean energy goals, and pollute our air and water. It’s our job to lend our voices and support, to residents and up to the highest level of government to actively oppose dirty energy, and help create solutions on the local level (such as working w/Sustainable Westchester to help residents opt into shared power via solar farms, sign up residents for ConEd’s Grid Rewards app (pushes alerts that activate reduced power usage on days of peak stress on our power grid, for credit back on your power bill!)
• Sound Shore: continue to work to clean the local brooks, creeks and waterways that empty into the Sound to reduce pollutants. Put an eye to STORMWATER, which affects not only our beaches, but creates damage to homes along local waterways, an issue that immediately affects residents in areas such as Rye Neck.
• Achieve A+ grade rating for Rye Town Beach, per “Save the Sound” metrics; Prioritize investment in repairs and improvements to infrastructure and stormwater systems. (According to 2023, Oakland Beach rates a B+)

What accomplishments in your past would you cite as evidence you can handle this job?

In the past four years, I've helped the Friends of the African American Cemetery dramatically beautify this local landmark and help bring it regional and national attention. I've worked with the Crawford Park Mansion Community Center team to provide more vibrant offerings for the community, making it a true community center. I've lead inter-municipal environmental action days. I've helped draft and pass anti-hate legislation into Town record. This year, at the third Pride celebration that co-chaired with Amanda Timchak of pRYEde, a couple from Mamaroneck approached me at Rye Town Beach, at the conclusion of the festivities saying, "We've never been here before. But now we know we are welcome and we belong, and we'll be back."

What is the best advice anyone ever gave you?

Perhaps not advice, but my father's mantra. "Okay, I'll do it." Make a commitment, stick to it, do a great job...and continually keep an open, growth-mindset to how you can improve in the future.

Is there anything else you would like voters to know about yourself and your positions?

I've been endorsed by Eleanor's Legacy as a candidate who supports reproductive access; I am a Moms Demand Action Gun Sense Candidate. I keep my promises to the community, I follow through, I show up. I work very hard for you, and I'd be honored to have four more years working on behalf of ALL the Town's residents.