Town Board - Regular Meeting

Good evening, it's Wednesday, July 8th, 2026, and welcome to the Carmel Town Board. Tonight's town board meeting is a voting meeting followed by a work session to call this meeting to order. Everyone please rise, face the flag. Councilman Kerns-Lewis and the Pledge of Allegiance.

to take a moment of silence for all our active duty, military, overseas defending our freedom, and all our first responders who put their lives on the line every day to make sure that we're safe. Thank you.

IF OUR TOWN CLERK WOULD PLEASE DO A ROLL CALL ATTENDANCE.

COUNCILMAN CHANNELL. HERE. COUNCILMAN LUGO. HERE. COUNCILMAN KEARNS.

PRESENT.

COUNCILMAN LIMBARDI. HERE. SUPERVISOR CAZZARI.

HERE. OUR FIRST RESOLUTION IS COMMITTING TO MATCH FOR THE CONSOLIDATED FUNDING APPLICATION TOWN OF CARMEL.

Councilman Shaw, could you read that, please? Whereas the Town Board of the Town of Carmel recognizes the importance of investing in parks, recreation, environmental protection, waterfront planning, and critical infrastructure improvements to enhance the quality of life for residents and visitors. And whereas the Town of Carmel desires to submit applications through the New York State Consolidated Funding Application, known as CFA, processes for the following projects. Local Waterfront Revitalization Program, LWRP, Quality Improvement Project, WQIP, Dam Restoration, New York Kicks Program for improvements at Airport Park, New York State Parks Recreation and Historic Preservation Grant Program for improvements at Jimmy McDonough Park. And whereas the town board has determined that these projects are in the best interest of the town and its residents and will enhance recreational opportunities, environmental stewardship, and public infrastructure. And whereas the town of Carmel acknowledges that the proposed grant programs require varying levels of local financial participation and desires to commit the required local share should funding be awarded. Now therefore, be it resolved that the Town Board of the Town of Carmel hereby authorizes and submission of applications through the New York State Consolidated Funding Application, CFA, for the grant programs identified above. Be it further resolved that the town supervisor or his or her designee is hereby authorized to execute and submit all applications, certifications, agreements, assurances, and any other documents necessary to apply for, accept, and administer grant funding for the above reference project. Be it further resolved that the town of Carmel hereby commits to providing the required local matching funds for each project awarded as follows. Local waterfront revitalization program twenty five percent local match water quality improvement project dam restoration twenty five percent local match new york kicks program airport parks improvement fifty percent local match new york state parks recreation and historic preservation grant program mcdonough park improvements fifty percent local match be it further resolved that the town board commits to a appropriating and making available the required local matching funds and any additional project costs not covered by grant funding, subject to applicable budgetary procurement and legal requirements. Be it further resolved that the resolution shall take effect immediately. I offer this resolution as read.

Second.

Please get a roll call. Councilman Shannon? Yes. Councilman Lugo? Yes. Councilman Kearns? Yes. Councilman Laborde? Aye. Supervisor Kazarian? Yes.

Second resolution is adding someone to the Lake Secor Park District Advisory Board. Councilman Lombardi, could you please read that?

Resolve the Town Board of Town of Carmel hereby appoints Siobhan McCullough to the Town of Carmel Lake Secor Park District Advisory Board for a term commencing immediately and expiring December 31, 2026. I offer this resolution as read.

Second.

And all those in favor? Aye. Aye. Anonymous? Number three is a promotional appointment to the building department. Councilman Kerns, could you please read that?

Resolve the town board of the town of Carmel. Hereby appoints Joseph Wilkowski to the position of assistant building inspector on a promotional probationary basis, effective retroactive July 6, 2026, subject to the provisions of the civil service law and civil service rules and regulations at a CSEA group nine step four salary level. I offer this resolution as read. Second. Second. Please roll call.

Yes. Yes. Yes.

Yes. Congratulations, Joseph. Number four is in support of the Commission for Traffic Studies.

BEFORE I DO READ THIS, I WANT TO THANK ASSEMBLYMAN MATT SLATER. HE HEARD US LOUD AND CLEAR. OBVIOUSLY THE RESIDENTS OF THE TOWN OF CARMEL KNOW THAT THE MAJOR ROADWAYS TRAVELING THROUGH OUR TOWN NEED MAJOR REPAIR. I THINK WE COULD ALL COME TO AN AGREEMENT UP HERE THAT We are going to push and advocate for that to happen after having conversation with our highway superintendent as well. I think he can also agree that we are in favor of pushing this through and we're 100% behind the agenda. So whereas the town board of the town of Carmel is aware that the New York Metropolitan Transportation Council provides the services of collection, analysis, and provision of critical data related to the mobility, infrastructure, financing, safety, and other essential planning topics for the various portions of New York State. including the Hudson Valley and the town of Carmel, and whereas the town board is aware that prior studies conducted by NYMTC have included the analysis of safety, operational, and mobility issues for the Route 6 and Route 202 corridors in neighboring municipalities, and whereas New York Assemblyman Matt Slater has issued communications of NYMTC urging that prior studies be extended to include the Route 6 corridor and connected traveled ways within the town of Carmel. Now therefore, be it resolved that the town board of the town of Carmel hereby supports the immediate commission and conduction of further studies by NYMTC, which include but are not limited to safety, operational, and mobility issues existing within the entity of the town of Carmel and its Route 6 corridor, as well as all major connecting roads thereto in accordance with Assemblyman Matt Slater's letter to NYMTC dated June 24th, 2026, and be it further resolved that it is requested that such studies be commissioned and conducted with all possible expediency, and be it further resolved that Town Supervisor Michael Kazari is hereby authorized to transmit a copy of this resolution to the NYMTC New York State Assemblyman, 9th District, Matt Slater, New York State Senator, 40th District, Pete Harcum, the New York State Department of Transportation, and the County of Putnam Department of Highways and Facilities immediately. I offer this resolution is read. Second.

Just amend that to say 94th District.

I would like to amend that to the 94th District.

Thank you, Frank. All in favor? Aye. Aye. The item is again. Number five is appointing a fire inspector to the building department. Councilman Shannon, could you please read that?

Resolved that the town board of the town of Carmel hereby appoints Kyle Trellis to the position of title of fire inspector in the town of Carmel building department on a probationary basis effective August 3rd, 2026, subject to the terms of the civil service law and civil service rules and regulations at a CSCA groups eight step one salary level. I offer this resolution as read. Second. Could we get a roll call again?

Councilman Channel? Yes. Councilman Lugo? Absolutely. Councilman Kearns? Absolutely. Councilman Lombardi?

With pleasure.

Supervisor Kazeri?

Yes, thank you.

Congratulations, Kyle.

The next resolution is appointing a real property data collector to the assessor's office. Councilman Lombardi, could you please read that?

Resolved the town board of Town of Carmel hereby appoints Jessica Moravec to the position and title of real property data collector in the Town of Carmel assessor's office on a probationary basis effective July 27, 2026, subject to the terms OF THE CIVIL SERVICE LAW AND CIVIL SERVICE RULES AND REGULATIONS AT A CSCA GROUP FIVE STEP ONE SALARY LEVEL. I OFFER THIS RESOLUTION AS READ.

SECOND. COULD WE GET A ROLL CALL AGAIN, PLEASE?

COUNCILMAN CHANNELL? YES. COUNCILMAN LUGO? YES. COUNCILMAN CURRANCE?

YES.

COUNCILMAN ABORTI? AYE. SUPERVISOR GUZZIERI?

YES. Number seven is a resolution making appointment to the maintenance worker town of Carmel Recreation and Parks counseling occurrence. Could you please do that?

Resolve the town board of the town of Carmel hereby appoint Samuel St. George to the position and title of maintenance worker in the town of Carmel Recreation and Parks Department on a probationary basis effective August 4, 2026, subject to the terms of the civil service law and civil service rules and regulations at a CSEA group five step one salary level. I offer this resolution as read. Second. Second.

Roll call again, please.

Councilman Channel? Yes. Councilman Lugo? Yes. Councilman Kearns?

Absolutely.

Councilman Lombardi? Aye. Supervisor Casari?

Yes. I don't remember. Next up is resolution awarding bids for the collection of refuse, garbage, recycled materials, and bulk refuse for the cluster properties within the town of Carmel under garbage contract C313. Councilor Lula, could you please read that?

Whereas the town board of the town of Carmel has previously authorized advertisement for the solicitation of bids for the collection of refuse, garbage, recyclable materials, and bulk refuse within the town of Carmel garbage district for cluster and multifamily type properties. And whereas the town board of the town of Carmel has reviewed the bids submitted for such services as had conducted inquiry into the qualifications of the lowest respective bidders. Now, therefore, be it resolved that the Town Board of the Town of Carmel, upon the recommendation of Town Engineer Richard J. Frenzetti, P.E., hereby awards the bids of collection to refuse garbage, recyclable materials, and bulk refused within the cluster of multifamily-type properties within the Town of Carmel Garbage District, to Interstate Waste Services, 307 White Street, Danbury, Connecticut, as the lowest responsible bidder meeting specifications for years 2027, 28, 29, at an annual cost of $456,000. And be it further resolved that upon submission of bonds and insurance certificates in form acceptable to the town attorney, town supervisor Michael Casari is hereby authorized to execute said contract and any other necessary documentation required pursuant to this authorization. I hope this resolution is read.

Second. Can we get another roll call, please?

Councilman Shannon? Yes. Councilman Lugo? Yes. Councilman Kearns?

No.

Councilman Lombardi? Aye. Supervisor Cazeri?

Yes. Number nine is accepting the annual fiscal report from the town's independent audit for fiscal year 2025. Councilman Shannon, could you read that?

Resolved that the town board of the town of Carmel hereby accepts the comprehensive financial independent audit report of the town's independent order of P.F. O'Connor Davies for fiscal year 2025 and hereby directs town clerk Alice Daly to publish all notices required in connection here within the official newspapers of the town. I vote for this resolution as read. Second.

Could we get a roll call again?

Councilman Shannon? Yes. Councilman Luca? Yes. Councilman Kearns? Yes. Councilman Lombardi? Aye. Supervisor Kazeri?

Yes.

I would like to walk on a resolution. I would like to schedule a, I've been in contact with our town attorney, Greg Fulcetti. Myself and our town planner, Pat Cleary and Michael Carnazza, we've been going through the town codes. And I want to schedule a public hearing for August 5th to place a moratorium on any new site plans for multi-family dwellings in the HMC zones. So I'd like to make a motion to schedule a public hearing for August 5th.

Second. All in favor?

Aye.

Yeah, yeah.

Thank you. Yeah, superintendent, you want to mention the striping while we still have the clerk here, please?

I'm sorry, I thought we were done. We are.

We'll just vote for this now and not later.

Good evening, Board. For your consideration, the Highway Department is requesting authorization to purchase reflective street line striping per Putnam County Award Bid RFP 2325 for the contract period 10-125 through 9-30-26 from Safety Markings, LLC. We're piggybacking, obviously, off the county for this one. They have done a great job in the past two years for us, and we go on a cycle. They're going to be coming down next week, so we kind of have to. I'm asking for an emergency vote on this one tonight. It's in a rotation. Their rotation is coming down this way, and our lines are really bad from the past winter, so we need to get it done.

Thank you.

I think Frank's gonna read the resolution.

We just have to change the top.

to change the top line to strike.

He figured that out already. Thank you.

Well, I didn't think it was considered as concrete. So plus half the board can't say that word. I can't say that. I know.

Yeah.

Right. This is a resolution authorizing award of reflective street lining. Resolve the town board of Tanna Carmel hereby awards the bid for purchase of reflective street line striping for Putnam County bid RFP 23-25 to safety marking LLC per New York general municipal law section 103 subsection 16 for the period commencing October 1 2025 through and including September 30th 2026. I offer this resolution as read. Second.

Can we get a roll call, please?

Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes.

Thank you very much. And just a quick update from what we were speaking about earlier for any of the residents on Agour Lane. The road is still closed. Comcast and Verizon are the last two standing who have to get their wires up for the road to be opened up. They were supposed to be out there this afternoon and have not showed up yet. But by tomorrow morning, we're hoping that we can get everything else tree-wise cleaned up around it and have the road open tomorrow morning for the residents of Agor Lane. All right? Just wanted to give an update on that for anyone who's watching.

And thank you to John and the tree crew. They're doing such a great job. They've done a great job.

And again, all day long, our police department, yourself, myself, we've been trying to contact everybody under the sun to get every, you know, these agencies out there, but they are tending to other stuff in other towns that are a lot worse than Mayapac right now, so... We know they're working hard and they're gonna get to us as soon as possible. So, thank you.

Thanks. Thank you for all your hard work Mike.

Thank you So somebody make a motion to thanks Mike the voting meeting and Second second all in favor aye Thank you. Thank you Alice So a motion to open up the work session second and all in favor aye So first and last is Richard Franzetti, town engineer. There's about eight trees.

It's just documentation for the history books.

So Lake Secor Park District Maintenance is first up.

So an RFP was solicited from contractors for the reference maintenance contract, which is Lake Secor. We sent it out to 10 direct mail solicitations. The term would be three years starting May 1st, 2027, ending around April 30th, 2030. with unilateral options for the town to extend the contract for two one-year periods. Bids were received from Mike's Blue Whales, Kikos Landscape, and Lake Mayapak Landscaping. Kikos was the lowest by about 50 bucks. They have been performing their services at various town locations, notably Tea Kettle, excuse me, since 2021. Their performance has been satisfactory, so we recommend the project be awarded to Kikos over the life of the contract is $24,250. I did Teakettle first. It should have been Secor, right? Sorry about that.

It's okay.

Same thing, though, on the grant. So that was Secor. I apologize. That was Secor I read. They've been doing it at Teakettle, but this was for Secor at $24,250.

And Teakettle is?

Teakettle is next. I'm going to do that one. So again, the same thing for this RFP, uh, we issued a direct mailings to 10 direct mail solicitations, uh, three years, May 1st, 27 ending around April 30th, 29, three, uh, with two unilateral options, three contractors bid Mike's blue whisk. He goes landscape, Lake may pack landscape. In this case, Kiko's landscape again was the lowest at 33,500. They've been doing this service in tea cattle since 2021. We recommend that it be awarded to Kikos Landscaping for this contract.

And emergency repairs.

So these are just emergency invoices submitted in excess of $10,000 for services rendered. Cornwall Sewer District 2 CMF strainers, I'll leave with this, 50% reimbursed by New York City DEP. The CMF units at Cornwall Sewer District 2 have three strainers. One is out of service, another has deterioration, so it does not work to full capacity. The third is working. Due to the partial use of one, And the other being offline, it's recommended that the strain will be replaced. There's an invoice in the amount of $39,951 for the purchase of this equipment. Again, 50% from city. Carmel Water District 14, there was a leak at 31 Mandy. B&J, the operators of Water 14, notified the engineering department a leak in the area between 27 and 31 Mandy the three-quarter inch copper surface lying to the house uh was up to around seven feet deep and runs across Mandy Lane so the uh and it's a transite pipe so the pipe is across the street uh there's an invoice in the amount of sixteen thousand ninety eight dollars and nine cents to make the repair there are sufficient funds for this and then carmel water district 8 leaked between 47 and 51 glenridge on 621 b and j the operators of water district 8 notified the engineering department there was a leak in the culver sack that services the references addresses two one inch service lines were located and repaired there's an invoice in the amount of seventeen thousand three hundred forty three dollars and forty four cents to make this repair

And contract C-311.

So bids were received for the reference contract, which includes town hall and police department and recreation. They were received by the clerk on Thursday, June 25th at 11. Bid results were attached. The scope of work involves cleaning services for town hall, including PD, Sycamore Park, and Airport Park. Specifications are on file in the engineering office. Seven bids were received. As listed, the lowest uh bitter cleaning services from hudson valley at 266 749 but we check their references uh... and evaluation intake forms are on file uh... at the engineer office these folks do work at the western connecticut state university town of boonton town of riverdale rivervale and borough of montvale along with putnam county so i called some of we called some of those references and they you know they were okay with their work uh... and so we recommend that it be uh... uh... awarded to hudson What is their name now? Cleaning Services of Hudson Valley, as identified.

Who's currently doing the- Reliable.

So they were number three on the list. Apple Maintenance, as noted in my memo, they didn't acknowledge the addenda. Apple Maintenance had done it for the town a handful of years ago, and then Reliable took over, and now Cleaning Services of Hudson Valley is what we're recommending to do.

Was the last bidder, did he think he was going to rebuild Town Hall?

I have no idea where they were coming with that money, 1.4 million. But the lowest three, the lowest four were relatively close to each other, so that's the important thing. That's just an outlier there, so.

I thought that was a typo. And then hydro raking.

engineering department circulated a request for proposal for Lake Secor and Long Pond Lake Sycamore Park hydro raking for four years, 27, 28, 29, and 30. On May 29th, the RFP was also posted on the town web page and New York State bid net. Former RFPs were received in the office on July 2nd. Two companies, Solitude Lake Management and New England Equality Services submitted proposals. Proposal was to provide the multi-year, which was four years, commencing May 1st, 27, ending in 2030, with two unilateral options after that. The lowest proposal, Solitude Lake Management, provided cost at relatively what they're doing for it now. They're doing that work for us right now. And so we recommend that we award them the multi-year proposal.

Thank you.

Last but not least- Cemetery. Cemetery, so proposals again were solicited to ten vendors, direct mail solicitations. The contract would be effective for three years on or about January 1st, 27 ending 12, 31, 29. Two unilateral options for us to extend the contract. SAME THREE COMPANIES PROPOSED, MIKE'S BLUE WHEELS, KIKOS LANDSCAPE, AND LAKE MAPAC. IN THIS CASE, MIKE'S BLUE WHEELS WAS THE LOWEST PROPOSER. WE SPOKE WITH SOME REFERENCES ALONG WITH SUPERVISOR CAZZARI. THEIR PERFORMANCE HAS BEEN SATISFACTORY, AND WE RECOMMEND THE PROJECT BE AWARDED TO MIKE BLUE WHEELS FOR THE CEMETERY MAINTENANCE.

AWARDED 12. ARE WE STILL RESTRICTED?

So water 12 is, I don't know, they haven't given me an update. I didn't have a chance to follow up with that. So most likely not after the rain we had, but we did have to deliver about $10,000 worth of water, like a seven or eight truckloads. I'll be coming to the board with that in August as the emergency, uh, invoices with that. So unfortunately the rain didn't come soon enough for what happened. Uh, you know, we were dry before that. So hopefully this help I'll confirm and I'll send an email to the board. regarding Cornwall Water District 12 tomorrow, just advising them. Cornwall Water District 2, the samples have been collected. Now they're just waiting for the results. They're ready to move on Lindy tanks soon after that, but those water restrictions are still in effect.

Oh, good. Yeah, and Kirk Lake filled up. not to the top, but Kirk league filled up now. So those residents are, I haven't seen it.

So I'm sure it's gone up a little bit because it's really driven by rain.

Yes. So I just asked the board to review the minutes from June 17th for our next meeting comics. Oh, June 17th.

Review the minutes that Alice Daly, our town clerk has provided got stuff.

You guys don't have a thing.

I just want to hope that everyone had a safe and fun holiday weekend. My family and I enjoyed the weekend out on the lake. It was great to see that the Carmel PD was out there making sure everybody was safe. I hope everyone had a great week. Also, I just want to touch back on that moratorium. Again, I know I mentioned that we're going to be having a public hearing on August 5th. Myself and Councilman Lugo and other board members, we have been chatting. Recently, we had just adopted our zoning codes with the master plan, and we want to make sure that we are not handcuffing ourselves. So we took a look at the HMC zones along the Hamlet and Carmel and in Mayapak. And right now, we want to make sure that we are promoting advantageous development within our town. So we don't want multi-family dwellings oversaturating the business district. So that's why we're going to take a look at and do a study and see what's best for both the Hamlet in Carmel and the Moho Pack downtown. So that's why we are scheduling that public hearing.

And any type of boarding houses to that also, where the owners don't live in the house and they have a lot of tenants that aren't related. Correct. I'd like to look into that also.

Yeah, we'd like to see more of a commercial businesses along that strip, other than, you know, multifamily dwellings with, like Councilman Channel said, you know, boarding houses with multiple people living in them along the main street.

Thank you. i hope i wish everybody a happy fourth of july weekend we had a great time uh i know we got hit hard with the storms i'm glad and thank you for your help highway department police department all that helped out um nothing more to say other than the 25th i'll be hosting a kites over carmel kids day all the kids are welcome bring your children grandchildren each kid will get a kite also get a hot dog an ice cream and a goodie bag it should be a great day and hope there's a lot of wind and a lot of good sunshine That's it.

Thank you. Just, uh, want to give our condolences to, uh, last week we lost a prominent member of our community, uh, William bin bins. Mr. Bins, if you all, anyone knew him always had a smile on his face. And in fact, at his wake, they give out smiley faces to put on your lapels. Mr. Binns ran a business here in town, was very prominent in his community, very well liked, and he will be very well missed. And to the Binns family, our condolences.

Thank you. So motion to close the meeting? So moved.

So moved.

second all in favor aye good night everybody oh