City to Close on Lester's Building; Changes to FOIL Procedures

Sale of 1037 Boston Post Road Set to Close

The City will be closing on the sale of 1037 Boston Post Road on April 17^th now that the building has been cleared through environmental testing.  The sale of $5.6M to a family-owned real estate company restores the City’s fund balances, maintains some parking and puts the property back on the tax rolls at about $80,000 per year.  The Council will discuss how best to use a portion of the proceeds to reinvest in much needed City capital improvements such as roads, sidewalks, sewers and parking.

Changes in the City’s FOIL Procedures

The City has begun to centralize its Freedom of Information Law procedures and work flow that will require additional investments in time and resources into records management. One of the issues with large requests is the need to search multiple locations and systems for records.  The proposed changes to the current procedures include:  Centralizing initial requests to one records access officer (City Clerk); making it easier to submit FOIL requests electronically on the City website; and, changing the appeals process to make the (City Council) the appellate officer. The City has seen an increase over the years not only in the number of FOILs submitted, but in the amount of information requested. 

Rye Arts Center

At the upcoming Council meeting on the 17^th, the City will be discussing next steps in renewing the 30-year agreement with the Rye Arts Center which is set to expire in 2 years.  The relationship has been mutually beneficial for all and the organization provides a great deal to the community and our children in enhancing our cultural opportunities and quality of life.  Both parties are committed to renewing the agreement and are going through the process of due diligence before renewing the contract some time this year.