Mayor Says More Information Will be Gathered on the Pool, Plus News from Village Hall

Here are comments made by Mayor Justin Arest at the Village Board meeting on May 9, 2023.

I would like to start my Mayor’s comments by inviting our Police Chief to address the board and community on the organized car theft rings that are impacting our region.

The Village has issued a press release with safety tips and will continue to look for ways to reach the community. We also need the help of the press and our neighborhood associations. We must be vigilant. Our PD is doing everything it can and we are fortunate to have them protecting us. We live in a very safe community but can’t take that for granted. We need to share the important safety tips from our PD including locking our car and house doors, bringing keys inside, setting our alarms and when possible, using installing exterior camera systems.

One of the priorities that we have discussed is making an even greater effort to ensure all that we do is considered through the lens of inclusivity. The Village’s Human Relation Council, under the leadership of Purnima Srivastava and Aubrey Phillibert have been working closely with Governance and Administration Chair Trustee Gruenberg and Vice Chair Trustee Ahuja who is also Board Liaison to the council. There will be more to discuss about the Council in coming weeks and the work they hope to accomplish over the coming year but tonight I want to express my appreciation for their work assembling a list of May celebrations that I will read tonight and the first board meeting of every month going forward.

May Celebrations:

Asian Pacific Heritage Month
May is Asian Pacific Heritage month in the United States. The month of May was chosen to commemorate the immigration of the first Japanese to the United States on May 7, 1843, and to mark the anniversary of the completion of the transcontinental railroad on May 10, 1869. AAPIHM originated in 1978 when it was passed as a singular week by Congress, designating it as the first week of May 1979 by President Jimmy Carter. President George H.W. Bush later issued Presidential Proclamation 6130 on May 7, 1990, making May 1990 the first Asian American Heritage Month, now known as AAPIHM. In 2021, a record 20 million Asian Americans were able to trace their roots to more than 20 countries in East and Southeast Asia and the Indian subcontinent. Village of Scarsdale celebrates this month with our fellow AAPI residents.

Older Americans Month
May is Older Americans Month, established in 1963 to honor the legacies and contributions of older Americans and to support them as they enter their next stage of life.  On this 60th anniversary of Older Americans Month, we honor our community’s senior citizens, whose lifetimes of hard work, devotion to family, and commitment to community have laid the foundation for the community we are today.

Jewish American Heritage Month
May is Jewish American Heritage Month, which recognizes the diverse contributions of the Jewish people to American culture.  Jewish American Heritage Month originated in 1980 when Congress passed a resolution, which authorized and requested the President to issue a proclamation designating April 21-28, 1980 as Jewish Heritage Week. Following a series of annual presidential proclamations designating a week in April or May of each year as Jewish Heritage Week, President George W. Bush proclaimed May as Jewish American Heritage Month on April 20, 2006. Village of Scarsdale is enriched by the contributions Jewish Americans make to this community

Mental Health Awareness Month
May is Mental Health Awareness Month (or Mental Health Month), which aims to raise awareness and educate the public about mental illnesses and reduce the stigma that surrounds mental illnesses. Mental Health Awareness Month was established in 1949 to increase awareness of the importance of mental health and wellness in Americans’ lives and to celebrate recovery from mental illness. I want to add here that I met with Jay Genova, director of SFCS, earlier today and he asked that I let the community know there is no waiting list to see a mental health professionals. They are available to meet with you and if you need any help, please do not hesitate to reach out to them right away.

Cinco de Mayo
May 5: Cinco de Mayo, a Mexican holiday commemorating the Mexican Army’s 1862 victory over France at the Battle of Puebla during the Franco-Mexican War (1861–1867). This day celebrates Mexican culture and heritage with a variety of festivities, including parades and mariachi music performances. More popular in the United States than Mexico, Cinco de Mayo has become associated with the celebration of Mexican-American culture. Celebrations began in California, where they have been observed annually since 1863.

Lastly, I am happy to recognize Food Allergy Awareness week. I have a proclamation to read… This is not the first year that we have recognized this issue, in fact it has been a number of years now and I want to thank Deputy Manager Marshall for her support in putting this together.

Before I turn it over to the Manager for his comments, I also want to update the community on a work session schedule going forward. Of course, there are many important projects that are being evaluated and much more work on community priorities to come. We have met twice as a Board to discuss community priorities and the ball is now in the Manager’s court. Staff’s input is vital to how we move forward. They will help us understand the required resources for each goal and help us ensure we are moving forward in the most effective and efficient ways. The expectation is for at least some of that information to return to the board in the next week or two and to have more information on scheduling of Board work sessions on specific topics at our next board meeting.

As for the Pool Project and our current facility:

• The Scarsdale Pool Complex is scheduled to open Saturday, May 27. We can’t wait to welcome everyone Memorial Day Weekend!

• We are very fortunate to have an experienced and dedicated team assigned to pool operations who will work all summer to give our residents the best experience
possible.

The Immediate Next Step for the Pool Project is additional research.

• Based on the results of the May 2022 survey, it’s clear there is significant interest among many residents in pursuing enhancements to the Scarsdale Pool Complex.
• In the near term, we have determined that additional information gathering is merited, given the estimated costs of a project of this potential scale.
• In-depth interviews will begin soon with municipal staff at pool complexes in several comparable communities throughout the country to analyze best practices,
design plans and sustainable models, as well as other financial and operational considerations.
• The findings from this phase will complement the consultant work completed to date and will help to inform our next steps for the project.

We Want to Hear From You!

• As always, community input and engagement remain a top priority.
• We encourage residents to continue to engage with us at Village meetings, ask questions, share opinions and offer ideas throughout the process.
• There will be more opportunities for residents to learn about the plans for the Pool Complex and provide feedback as the project gets underway.

I would like to emphasize that just because we are doing this additional work before moving forward into the schematic design phase, where we will work with the community to design the complex, does not mean that the time sensitivities previously explained do not exist. As I believe the community is aware, serious equipment issues would require improvements and substantial improvements would bring the complex under newer code. But, it still is not prudent to rush any part of this project. This is a generational opportunity and must be done the right way. This Board and I know the community appreciates our Parks and Rec team and their efforts to make the Summer of 2023 a great time to spend at our pool.

Appointments to Boards and Councils

Jennifer Fischman was appointed to the Library Board to fill the term vacated by Gary Katz. Her term will end on April 1, 2024.

Janice Starr and Eli Mattioli were appointed to an. expanded Board of Ethics.

Elizabeth Hoexter was appointed as an alternate to the Board of Appeals ending April 6, 2026.

Lynne Clark was appointed to serve on the Town Board of Assessment Review until September 20, 2024.

Resolution

The Board will hold a Public Hearing to revise law concerning unsafe building structures and equipment on May 23, 2023.