Town Board Hires Fire Inspector and Court Clerk

Due to the air quality alert issued on Tuesday July 6, the town board moved its scheduled meeting from Downing Park to Town Hall where they appointed new personnel, reappointed a current town employee and discussed matters on the agenda.

Supervisor Susan Siegel wanted to clear up the rumors about a company giving a $1 million donation to for the expansion of the Yorktown Community and Cultural Center. She said the one to two-story addition was estimated at $1.9 million, some of the funds for which would have come from the $1 million donation. But the donor, whom she has not disclosed to the town board members, or anybody else (except for her husband), chose the money to go to someone else.

"We had a good shot," Siegel said. "But it didn't work."

The town board advertised a public hearing, which will be held on July 20 at the Mohegan Lake Colony for a proposed law to elect a retirement incentive program for eligible employees.

"In another effort to reduce expenses, my office is currently reviewing whether to recommend to the Town Board that the Town offer a retirement incentive to selected town employees," Siegel said in a newsletter. "The decision will be based on whether the Town will be able to maintain its current level of services without filling the positions that might become vacant because of the retirement."

Employees would not be required to take the incentive. There are currently nine positions targeted, with a potential of 10 positions because one person holds two titles.

"We have to work hand in glove with the departments," Councilman Jim Martorano said.

He expressed that if a department does not need certain positions, then they would be eliminated.

A heated discussion started when board members discussed selling a two-parcel town property.

Councilman Nick Bianco raised the question to board members about why they need to sell the land when they can make it into an open space since the environment is more important.

"Because we can make money," Councilman Terrence Murphy said.

"We need to be prudent and cautious," Councilman Martorano said. "We need to do everything we can to protect the environment."

Siegel said the issue in selling the property is whether the town has an interest in doing so, because now they are paying taxes on the property.

Councilman Vishnu Patel also felt strongly about the issue and asked people not to tell him that he does not know anything about the environment, because he is a scientist and has also studies the "internal structure of the Earth."

"If the person does not meet the environmental requirements, then he can't build on it," he said.

The final vote for selling town property was 3-2, with Councilmen Bianco and Martorano casting the opposing vote.

"In a move designed to raise revenue and reduce expenses, my office is moving ahead aggressively to sell unneeded town-owned property," Siegel said in a newsletter. "With the exception of one property that was donated to the Town many years ago, the properties were acquired for non payment of taxes and the town has been paying school and county taxes on many of these properties since 1998. Once sold, the properties will go back on the tax rolls. The list of properties will be advertised in July and the Town will accept sealed bids for each parcel."

During the meeting, the town board announced the resignation of Brad Huntington, who will be moving out of the area and thanked him for his service. They appointed Anthony Tripodi to the zoning board of appeals, Jay Kaplan to the conservation board, and reappointed Walter Plankl.

They also appointed a new fire inspector for the Town of Yorktown at an annual salary of $59.945 effective August 9, 2010. Edward W. Kolisz, of Shrub Oak, is currently a firefighter for the Lake Mohegan Fire Department and a fire inspector in Mamaroneck.

"Plans are progressing for the establishment of a new fire inspection program, including hiring a full time fire inspector in July and the passage of new fire inspection legislation that will bring the Town into compliance with the NYS Building and Fire Prevention Code," Siegel said in a newsletter. "The program's focus will be to inspect places of public assembly with 100 or more persons and businesses that store and handle hazardous materials."

A public hearing for a law repealing and replacing Chapter 15, Building Construction and Fire Code Administration, and Chapter 130, Building Code and Fire Prevention will be held on July 20 at the Mohegan Colony Beach.

The town board met for the first time with Isabel M. Klein, who was appointed as town court clerk at an annual salary of $75,000. She is currently the chief clerk of the Goshen Court in Orange County, and would start work in Yorktown on August 1.

Some of the resolutions passed by the board members on July 6 were the authorization of a police officer to attend a Basic School Resource course scheduled for August 30, 2010 through September 3, 2010 in Geneva, NY. It was further resolved that his attendance would not create any overtime or overtime backfill for his absence.

The town board also extended the current town residential garbage recyclable material collection and disposal contract with C.R.P. Sanitation, Inc. until December 31, 2011. They current contract was to expire on December 31, 2010.

Supervisor Siegel also signed the Declaration & Public Access Easement, Conservation Easement, and Water Easement with Crompond Road Associates LLC, associated with the site plan approval for the JPMorgan Chase Bank, located at 3394 Crompond Road in Yorktown Heights.

The town properties authorized for sale by the town are Bronx Road, 496 Vine Road, 1281 Ivy Road, 1569 Wenonah Trail, 3050 Lexington Avenue, 491 Fisher Pond Road, 2285 Saw Mill River Road, Baldwin Road, 586 Croton Heights Road, 566 Croton Heights Road, and 400 Aqueduct Avenue.