https://sleepyhollow.localarchives.org/files/original/4400f8e2054ece81a55d6837a92e6102.pdf e42b78f8edfbc492f2b4a663d508a222 PDF Text Text The Board of Trustees of the Village of Sleepy Hollow held a meeting on Tuesday, February 24, 2015 at Sleepy Hollow Village Hall, 28 Beekman Avenue, Sleepy Hollow, New York. Present: Mayor Kenneth G. Wray Deputy Mayor Jennifer Lobato-Church Evelyn Stupel Bruce Campbell Glenn Rosenbloom Karln Wompa Dorothy Handelman Trustees Also Present: Anthony P. Glacclo, Village Administrator Sara DiGlacomo, Treasurer Rich Gross, General Foreman Greg Camp, Police Chief Janet Gandolfo, Village Attorney Sean McCarthy, Village Architect Rich Dallesandro, Ambulance Chief Robin Pell, Recreation Supervisor Patrick Haggerty, Fire Chief At 7:00 p.m. Mayor Wray called the meeting to order with a pledge to the flag and a moment of silence for the passing of Katherine Rose Mercante and Patty Capossela Rand. Auditor's Report! Auditors Chris Kopf and Jeff Shaver of O'Connor and Davies summarized the Village's annual audit for the budget year 2013/2014. The Village increased its fund balance by a significant amount due to increased revenue. The Village's overall expenses stayed within budget. Approval of Warrants: A motion was made by Deputy Mayor Lobato-Church, seconded by Trustee Rosenbloom to approve warrant 15FEB24 in the amount of $437,671.43. Motion carried 6-0 (Handelman arrived late). Approval of Minutes: A motion was made by Deputy Mayor Lobato-Church, seconded by Trustee Wompa to approve the January 13, 2015 minutes. Motion carried 6-0 (Handelman arrived late). A motion was made by Deputy Mayor Lobato-Church, seconded by Trustee Campbell to approve the February 3, 2015 minutes. Motion carried 6-0 (Handelman arrived late). �Mayor's Announcements.- Mayor Wray Introduced Emi Logan who was given the honor of ^^Mayor for the Day". Emi assisted with the Pledge of Allegiance and other village business. Mayor Wray presented Emi with a proclamation and a key to the Village for her efforts. Mayor Wray announced that there has been progress with the water tank negotiations and that the agreement with the Rockefeller's Brother's Fund is just about finalized. The Village is moving forward with the completion of plans that will be submitted to the health department for review. Administrator's Report! See attached Recreation Report; Recreation Supervisor, Robin Pell reported on recreation. The recreation department is planning a trip to see a Westchester Knicks basketball game at the County Center on March 12. Donations are being accepted. The after-school program is running smoothly with approximately 60 children participating. Spring and summer sports camps are being organized. This year's camps will feature a basketball camp with NBA players and a soccer camp with players from the Cosmo's soccer team. Ambulance Department Report: Ambulance Chief, Rich Dalessandro reported on the ambulance corps. There were 73 calls during the month of January. The response time is improving and there are less mutual aide calls. The new electronic billing system should result in an increase to revenue. A meeting was held with Kendal-onHudson to address concerns. A meeting was held with the Tarrytown Ambulance Corps to see how the two departments can work better together. Fire Department Report: Fire Chief Patrick Haggerty reported on the fire department and provided statistics for the month of January. The fire vehicles are requiring more and more maintenance. There has been an increase In reported gas leaks as a result of the cold weather. Chief Haggerty reminded residents to check their fire alarms and carbon monoxide detectors. Public Comments: Frank Benoscat asked why Greg Lobato was not hired as a police officer. He recommended that police officer hires be done after the election. No further comments. �Resolutions: - See attached R1 - Retain Engineer Jim Halin for Route 9 Streetscape Project Oversight R2 - Approve use of the Kathryn W. Davis Bathhouse on September 5, 2015 for "It Tal<es a Village" Fundraising Event R3 - Approve Disposal of Surplus Equipment R4 - Approve Maintenance Agreement for Village Clock [tentative, pending confirmations] R5 - Authorize Mayor to sign Service and Maintenance Contracts related to the Water Department R6 - Authorize Mayor to sign Inter-Agency Agreement with Northeast Recreation to provide Special Recreational Services R7 - Authorize hiring Temporary Employee for the After-School Program New/Old Business: Trustee Campbell read a statement (attached) in response to comments made by Deputy Mayor Lobato-Church at a previous meeting. Mayor Wray said that the trustee's comments should not be political In nature. Deputy Mayor Lobato-Church responded to Trustee Campbell's statement by saying that some of the information is incorrect and that she still believes it was poor judgment to distribute documents to the newspaper without consulting the rest of the Board. Village Attorney Gandolfo said that the Board could not have legally withheld these documents anyway. Mayor Wray said that there was not a FOIL request for the document in question and so the rest of the Board should have been notified. The matter was debated. Correspondence: None Public Comments: Frank Benoscat asked what happens if there Is a 3-3 vote. Mayor Wray responded by saying the motion would not pass. Mario Belanlch said he felt that it was inappropriate for trustees to walk out on a Board meeting. Executive Session On a motion made by Trustee Campbell and seconded by Trustee Stupel and carried unanimously the Board moved to executive session to discuss a personnel matter. �On a motion made by Deputy Mayor Lobato-Church, seconded by Trustee Rosenbloom and carried unanimously the Board moved out of executive session. At 9:30pm, on a motion made by Trustee Handelman and seconded by Trustee Wompa and carried unanimously, the meeting was adjourned. Respectfully Submitted, r ^ ) AnthonVsiaccio Village Administrator �Two weeks ago Trustee Lobato-Church used this Board as a forum to launch a strident attacic against Trustee Wompa and myself. It was accusatory with cross-examination style questioning and when she would not stop, and when the Mayor either could not or would not stop her, we had no recourse but to leave the meeting, as unfortunate and distasteful as that was. Ms. Lobato-Church criticized us for releasing the findings of an investigation by the Federal Labor Department, an investigation into charges of discrimination when the Board decided not to hire her brother as a police officer. Three points: First, the investigation whose findings Trustee Lobato dislikes was not requested by Mr. Lobato. The results are from an inquiry he initiated and as soon as he asked for, the investigation became part of the public record. A miMc investigation provides what we all SAY we want but some of us only want selectively: transparency. The report was prepared by the Village's labor lawyer after an investigation that included interviews with everyone who was involved in the hiring process. It was the basis for the Labor Department Investigator...after conducting his own interviews...to say he was quote - closing the file - end quote with no action. Second, the report actually provides a resolution to a difficult dilemma. For months people have come here and demanded to know why the Board did not hire Mr. Lobato. While these reasons were discussed in detail in Executive Session, the Board majority maintained we could not provide them publicly because what is said to or about someone in a hiring interview or subsequent discussion is confidential. �This principal is universally practiced in both business and the public sector. To suggest that we were "hiding behind" this principal, as Trustee Lobato-Church did at least twice, shows a gross misunderstanding of and lack of respect for the guiding ideas under which this Board operates. We did not "hide behind" these principals. We were doing our best to uphold them. Now, however, with this report The Board is able to maintain its mandate for privacy but the public can hear, not from us but in the words of an outside investigator, what actually happened. 1 understand why Ms. Lobato-Church is upset. The report does not reach the conclusions she had hoped for. It disproves the myth that there were reasons other than Mr. Lobato himself - like we discriminate against veterans - that led to his not being hired. A lot of people, people who really know very little about this hiring, have lept to many false conclusions - and they've done it loudly and often. This was not, as some suggest, a slam dunk. It may be hard for some people to accept, but the simple truth is Mr. Lobatto was not the best choice for our Village. That said, 1 respect the fact that reasonable people can disagree. But there haven't been many reasonable people. Trustee Rosenbloom was at the same interview 1 was and came to a different conclusion. 1 accept that. But others have to also accept that Lean reach a different conclusion. Even the Mayor has said, in a different case, that all hiring is really an educated guess. We don't all have to reach the same conclusion. When we don't the majority decides and we move on. It's called Democracy. Among the most troubling things in this case is the refusal to accept the majority decision - there's an arrogant insistence that one opinion is the only possible and right one. �Finally, Mr. Lobato seems like a very decent young man and it is truly a shame if his career has been at all harmed. As I say, we did our best NOT to do that. If anyone has hurt Mr. Lobato it is those, with their own political agendas, who have used him as a political football, those who care less about helping him than in trying to discredit those they see as political opponents. For months the Mayor and the co-chair of the ironically titled Unite Party have used this Board as a forum for a series of attacks on sitting trustees accusing them (in this case) of discrimination, (in others) misappropriation of funds, code violations and improper gains from the sale of a home. All with no basis in fact, and all quickly discredited by various official agencies who ruled them without merit. It has harmed the real business of the Village, forced the Village to spend money unnecessarily and, perhaps most importantly, demeaned the integrity of the Board. Through it all, Trustees doing their best for the Village have been called names, threatened and bullied. The Mayor has at least tacitly and often actively condoned all of it. It is Washington-style extremist politics at its worst and it has no place in Sleepy Hollow. � Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Board of Trustees Meeting Minutes & Resolutions-2015 Text A resource consisting primarily of words for reading. Examples include books, letters, dissertations, poems, newspapers, articles, archives of mailing lists. Note that facsimiles or images of texts are still of the genre Text. Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource MINS_TRUST_2015-02-24 Subject The topic of the resource Board of Trustees Minutes-2015 Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2015 Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource Village of Sleepy Hollow All Rights Reserved. Type The nature or genre of the resource Text