Town Council - Special Meeting

Hey, you can talk, Randy. Randy, ready to go. Can you move to your left? Correct. Okay. Okay, guys. We're gonna start in five, four, three, two, one. All right. Welcome everybody to the special meeting of the Ry Town Council on April 7th, 2026. Please rise and join me for the pledge of

allegiance to the flag of the republic for it stands one nationy and justice for all. Please remain standing. Oh Lord, bless this assemblage. Grant us the wisdom to make every decision fairminded and the best interest for all its residents. Amen. Amen. Amen. Call the role, please help. Council person Deborah Freedman here. Council person Pamela Jaffy here. Council person Randy Sier here. Council person Thomas Nardy here.

And supervisor Gary Sugerman

present. I note that uh Councilman Selier appears via video conference um and has an acceptable excuse and he may vote at the meeting. Um, our first item is a resolution for the town of Ry to serve as lead agency uh for the um for the Rytown Park uh sustainability project and also to adopt a determination of signific significance under secret and my computer just flipped. off.

There we go. Yep.

Um, by way of background, um, the town of Ry on behalf of Rytown Park received a green resiliency grant program from the state of New York for what we call the Rytown Park Sustainability Project. Uh at our last meeting, which was more than 30 days ago, the town council uh adopted a resolution to act as lead agency for the project and submitted part one of the um of SRA. Um 30 days has elapsed, which is the permitted period if we don't get any uh objections for us to declare lead agency status. uh formally. So before us is a resolution together with the EAF parts two and three and a determination of significance which determines that um there will be um no uh potential adverse impacts to Rytown Park as a result of this action. Uh for those of you watching on television or on computer, this uh project is a total of approximately $10 million uh to um do both the put in a green parking lot at Rytown Park and to do a storm water mitigation project from Forest Avenue through the pond and through the park. Um, we've also gotten a matching grant from the county of Westchester in the amount of $1.9 million $1.9 million.

Um, which matches the uh the county Westchester is a 50% grant. The state of New York grant is a 90% grant. So unless the cost goes totally through the roof, uh we should have no actual local taxpayer contribution for the project. Um this will be almost the last step to pass this resolution uh in order to get a contract from the state and to begin work. Any questions or comments? Nicely done. No. May I have a motion and a second? So moved. A second. Please call the role. Council person Freriedman.

Yes. Council person Jaffy. Yes. Council person Sier. Yes. Council person Nardy. Yes. And supervisor. Yes. Our next item of business is to authorize the supervisor to execute a lease for municipal office space at 111 South Rid Street in Rybrook. Um, Debbie, I think you have a request. I have a request. I had some questions. Um, and I got answers to some of my questions. I have some more questions, but I think it would be beneficial for the board to have a discussion and a conversation so that everybody could hear um questions and answers and ask their own answers before. Do I have a motion to go into executive session?

I have a motion to go into executive session. Yes. May I have a second? I'll second. Uh all in favor this this is a motion to go into executive session regarding specific contract terms. So um I have a roll call on this please. Council person Freriedman. Yes. Council person Jaffy. Yes. Council person Sier. Yes. Council person Nardy. Yes. And supervisors. Yes. The board will now go into executive session and no action will be taken until we return for public session hopefully shortly thereafter. Thank you.

I'll stay here and wait for you. Heat. Heat.

There's another Ry's right there. Hi, Randy.

Hi. Hi, Randy. Hello. Hello.

Three, two, Um uh we are back in open session having concluded our executive session. Um and now uh we're ready to speak about the uh the lease at 111 South Ridge Street. May I have a motion and a second to approve the resolution? I'll make the motion. I'll second. Is there any further discussion? I assume somebody from the audience wants to talk about it. If not um what is it?

What's the resolution?

Resolution is to approve a lease to execute a a resolution to for the supervisor to execute a lease for municipal office space at 111 South Street. Um, by way of background, the um town occupies space at 222 Grace Church Street, owned by the village of Portchester. Um, we've been looking for more satisfactory space for several years. We've explored at least 10 locations. Uh we thought we had one about a year ago that did not uh uh prove to be uh satisfactory for several reasons. And now we have found this space which is the first floor at 111 South Rich Street which is across the street from the Ry Ridge shopping center. Uh the town will be occupying the entire first floor and the um the rent per foot is actually less than what we're paying to the village of Portchester at the present time. So with that, anybody from the council wish to speak? If not, please call the role.

Council person Freriedman, yes. Council person Jaffy, yes. Council person Sier, yes. Council person, yes. And supervisor Zum, yes. Thank you. Um, if there's no other business before the council, I will entertain a motion to adjourn. A second. All in favor? I I thank you everybody. We got a chance to catch up.