Leaf Disposal Inspires Heated Discussion at Village Hall
- Details
- Written by: Joanne Wallenstein
- Hits: 8608
Who knew that the question of leaf disposal could draw a crowd to Village Hall and inspire a passionate discussion? On the Tuesday night before Thanksgiving I was surprised to find so many residents in Village Hall for a hearing on a proposed new leaf collection law that would eliminate the vacuuming and collection of loose leaves from Village streets during the fall months.
The new provision would require residents to mulch their leaves in place, bag them for collection or haul them to the Crossway Leaf Transfer Station for recycling. The intent is to encourage more residents to mulch the leaves on their lawns and to utilize this organic matter to feed lawns – rather than haul the leaves away. However – those who opt not to mulch or cannot, can purchase biodegradable leaf bags from the Village at a cost of .80 each or ask their landscapers to load their leaves on trucks and transport them to Crossway.
Scarsdale's Superintendent of Public Works Benedict Salanitro explained that the Village now picks up 12-13,000 tons of leaves a year, hauls them to Crossway and then sends them to facilities upstate where they are made into compost.
Anne Jaffe Holmes, a proponent of leaf mulching from the Greenburgh Nature Center said that over 20 communities in Westchester are now examining the issue and that mulching has proven to be effective in many cases. Holmes said, "I am not saying that every leaf can be shredded and used on a property. But we are trying to get people to remember that we will all benefit by recycling the leaves onto our own properties. Mulch mowing is effective and efficient."
Residents who spoke at the meeting were split on their views:
Those opposed included Harvey Barton who has lived on Overlook Road for 46 years. He said, "We are avid conservationists and we have been mulching for years. I think there are some benefits to mulching – but on the other hand if you take 5600 families in Scarsdale and divide 5600 homes by $800,000 that comes to $160 per home. If landscapers take on this burden it will be far more expensive. In Mt. Vernon they bag leaves and the gardeners raised their fees. Bagging and mulching is labor intensive. From a practical point of view I simply don't think it is going to work!"
Susan Grosz, a 30-year resident of Scarsdale agreed. She said, "Many homes are on tiny 
plots of land – I have .15 acres and huge oak trees. It would be a burden if we had to bag our leaves or take them to the recycling center. Why is it more environmentally sound for my gardener to move the leaves than for Scarsdale to do it? My gardener said it would be considerably more work. If you enact this new you are in effect giving us a tax increase."
Chris Corrini, 22-year resident of Scarsdale said, "We are strongly against the proposal. It pushes the cost and burden onto the residents. The village is a cooperative and performs services in an efficient and effective manner....Scarsdale residents chose to live here because of the high level of services. These services are best handled collectively. We all could have moved elsewhere – but we are happy to put our taxes to good use. Many are not equipped to mulch their own leaves. Our homes have large trees and mulching cant take care of all the leaves."
Betty Bloom said, "Cutting services may save the Village money but will not save taxpayers a penny. The union will not allow cuts and you will need to buy new trucks to pick up the bags. For residents with disabilities this will be an impossible hardship. Encouraging mulching where it is feasible is good. We do our own gardening and it will be a hardship to do what you are asking."
Landscaper Frank Sensate who is a member of the NYS Landscaping Association said, "Try to mulch leaves and you will swallow dust all day. Dry leaves block your eyes. Customers will come home and see torn leaves on top of their grass."
Mr. McFarlane who lives on a corner lot on the Post Road said, "Environmental responsibility is high on my agenda. But at our age it is becoming more difficult for us to take care of the property. We are retired. We don't want to be pushed out by another tax in one form or another. There are ways to accomplish this by phasing it in. At the moment it is not physically practical for us to gather all the leaves, mulch them and redistribute them. At this point we can't afford to hire someone to do that. Please give careful consideration to how you implement it."
A relative newcomer who said she has only lived here for seven years said, "For those of us who live on small lots it is not feasible to compost the leaves. We mulch and compost and still have mountains of leaves. It will be very expensive and labor intensive to bag the leaves. I wish I could imagine what it would be like for the elderly people who try to stay here. There is a limit to what they can physically accomplish."
Susan Levine of Ardmore Road has lived in Scarsdale for 45 years. She said she is willing to try to mulch but her gardener was against it, even though she offered to buy him the mulching blade. She said, "I am concerned that the gardeners are pushing back. We need cooperation from the landscapers."
Speaking in favor of the proposal Kelly Sperling of 63 Tunstall Road said, "I am concerned with the leaf piles in the streets and my husband is concerned with lawn aesthetics. We tried mulching this year. The gardener used a regular mower and it looks fine. The only difference is that the grass is softer. We are pleased with the results –- it's worth a try."
Betsy Bush who tends to her own ½ acre property on the Post Road said, "We have mulched the past few years and it is fine. It's easy – I am not scooping up loose leaves. Once we (the Village) starts doing it, it will be fine ... its an inevitability. This budget line item can be redeployed to do something that can benefit everyone. Future boards will have to face this issue. If you push off the decision, feelings are going to harden and people will be not nice to each other – there is a nasty edge in the room. These leaf piles are dangerous. Landscapers are in the middle of the road blowing the leaves Who is going to responsible when someone gets hurt?"
Former Village Trustee Dan Hochvert of Woods Lane said that he purchased an extreme mulching blade and installed it himself. He now mulches the leaves to less than ¼ inch and they decompose more quickly.
Bob Berg of Tisdale Road said that 50% of the leaves are in the street and not on the lawns. It is not very sanitary. Safety issues are enormous in town and wet leaves are slippery. I asked by landscaper to mulch and I watched him as he blew them into a pile and mulched them. It's fine! I am sure our lawn will look a lot nicer next year.
Amy Goldstein of Brewster Road said she had an "Easy introduction to mulching."
She "found a new landscaper who matched the price of her former landscaper." She said, "It doesn't take longer. It was a "positive easy experience at the same cost."
Michelle Sterling of Brayton Road is also a proponent. She lives on a ½ acre property with large deciduous trees. She said, the "leaf piles I the street are massive and cause you to weave when you drive. Our two lane street is now a one lane street."
About mulching she said, "My landscaper agreed to do it – and I couldn't see the difference. I actually timed him and it took him less time." She continued, "Right now our leaves are vacuumed up and trucked to a transfer station. Then they are sent to Columbia County where they are mulched and bagged and sold back to us as mulch.
Why are we giving away our fertilizer and buying it back? Should we keep doing the same old or do we make a change? I hope we agree to do something as a community.
Some favored mulching but asked the Village to retain the vacuuming service:
Lee Fishman who serves on the Conservation Advisory Council said, "I support mulching but do not support the change in the law. Overcoming apathy and coordinating with landscapers will take time. The more we educate the less jarring the change will be." He continued, "We can collect less frequently. We can advocate for a county requirement that all landscapers use mulching blades. It is worth a try –an optimal outcome might be a blended approach."
Phyllis Finkelstein who has lived on Fenimore Road for 45 years said, "I do my own lawn maintenance. We have been subsidizing the schools as empty nesters
I want the village to help me manage the village owned trees on my lawn. The discussion to mulch became coupled with a discussion of eliminating vacuuming.
The two issues need to be separated. Mulching has become a battle cry. Well-minded advocates have simplified the issue. 100% compliance is not a realistic goal.
I suggest we back off the discussion of leaf vacuuming and continue to educate about the benefits of leaf mulching. After voicing my concerns twice I was asked to join the leaf education task force. I do believe that mulching is viable for many – it is a slow process. Calm the waters – move away.
Mayor Steves thanked everyone for their input and promised to take it all into account when considering the adoption of the new law.
Scarsdale Police Invite Feedback and Greenburgh Police Receive Donation
- Details
- Written by: Joanne Wallenstein
- Hits: 6180
Residents are invited to provide feedback on the Scarsdale Police Department's service and performance on December 8th as part of an assessment by the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies, Inc. According to Police Chief John Brogan, the commission will arrive in town on December 7th to examine all aspects of the Scarsdale Police Department's policies and procedures, management, operations and support services, Chief John A. Brogan announced today.
Verification by the assessment team that the Scarsdale Police Department meets the Commission's state-of-the-art standards is part of a voluntary process to maintain National Accreditation, a highly prized recognition of law enforcement professional excellence.
As a part of the on-site assessment, the public is invited to offer comments at a public information session, December 8th, 2014 at 5:00 P.M on the third floor of Village Hall. If you are unable to attend, but would still like to provide comments you can do so by telephone by calling 574-6526 on December 8th, 2014 between 1:00 P.M. and 4:00 P.M.
Telephone comments, as well as those made at the public information session are limited to 10 minutes and must address the agency's ability to comply with the Commission's standards. A copy of the standards is available at the Scarsdale Village Library and Scarsdale Police Headquarters. For further information, call Sergeant James Newman at 722-1200.
Persons wishing to make written comment about the Scarsdale Police Department's ability to meet the standards for accreditation are requested to write: Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies, Inc., 13575 Heathcote Boulevard, Suite 320, Gainesville, Virginia 20155
Chief Brogan said "Re-accreditation will be a confirmation from our peers that we continue to meet the highest standards of law enforcement practice. Through the accreditation process, we have already been able to improve every facet of our operations and the delivery of service to the citizens of Scarsdale."
The Accreditation Program Manager for the Scarsdale Police Department is Sergeant James Newman. He said the assessment team is composed of law enforcement practitioners from similar, but out-of-state agencies. The assessors will review written materials, interview individuals, visit offices and other places where compliance can be witnessed. Once the Commission's assessors complete their review of the agency, they report back to the full Commission, which will then decide if the agency is to be granted re-accredited status.
Accreditation is for three years, during which time the agency must submit annual reports attesting to continued compliance with those standards under which they were initially accredited.
Greenburgh Police Receive Donation from Metropolis Country Club:
On Friday, November 21, 2013 representatives from the Metropolis Country Club Foundation presented Chief Chris McNerney of the Greenburgh Police Department with a check for $7,000 which will be used for a future law enforcement initiative.
The funds were raised during the Club's 2014 Celebration of Giving Fundraising event and the police department will be one of several community organizations that will benefit from the support and generosity of the members of Metropolis Country Club.
Presenting the check to the chief are from left to right, Alan Waxenberg, Chief Chris McNerney, Natalie Robinson, Sergeant Anthony McVeigh.
Generous Donors Offer to Match Your Donations to SVAC
- Details
- Written by: Joanne Wallenstein
- Hits: 4823
This week all Scarsdale households will receive a letter from the Scarsdale Volunteer Ambulance Corps (SVAC) asking for your support. If you give this year, your contribution will go much farther because some very generous Scarsdalians have offered to match your gifts.
The appeal is signed by the Bezos family, Kate and Scott Eichel, Joy Henshel, Susi and John Manley, Cheryl and Philip Milstein, David and Roy Raizen, Jill and Robert Serling, Elaine and Alan Weiler and Scarsdale Improvement Corporation who have all stepped up to match your gifts to fund a vital community service.
Why? Because they recognize the value, competence, and necessity of SVAC and know that without the volunteer corps Scarsdale would be forced to hire a commercial emergency service (like those servicing most of our neighboring communities), adding upwards of almost $1,000,000 to what is already a very over-burdened Village budget.
Each year SVAC is forced to absorb additional expenses imposed by state agencies that 
regulate the service. They recently trained the staff to face a potential ebola threat. There is a limit to the extent that SVAC can offset these expenses while funding on-going operations with their well-trained volunteers. The costs of maintaining their team of paramedics are also increasing. With only 18-20% of Scarsdale households donating to SVAC, it has been difficult to fund this critical service.
With the help of their new matching donors, SVAC hopes to continue to provide this essential service that saves lives every year. Please respond to the appeal from The Scarsdale Volunteer Ambulance Corps in your mailbox.
CNC Announces Election Results
- Details
- Written by: Joanne Wallenstein
- Hits: 4568
The votes have just been tabulated, and Procedure Committee of the Citizens Nominating Committee is pleased to introduce the CNC Class of 2017. Here are the names of those who won the election:
- Edgewood: Elaine Lamb Moreno, Robert M. Schecter, and Michael Stevens (vacant position 1 year).
- Fox Meadow: Lena Crandall and James Pullman
- Greenacres: Mary Blumenthal-Lane and Neil Kanner
- Heathcote: Leonard Benowich and Myra Saul
- Quaker Ridge: Ellen Nadel and Anna Paternoster
One candidate was disqualified prior to the election.
The Procedure Committee wishes to thank all the candidates who participated in this election. Those new nominees will join the members of the CNC to select a slate of candidates for the Village offices of Trustee and Mayor in accordance with Scarsdale's non-partisan system.
Another Revaluation in the Works
- Details
- Written by: Joanne Wallenstein
- Hits: 5357
Though Scarsdale residents have still not paid their first real estate tax bill based on the 2014 Village-wide revaluation, plans are afoot for the next reassessment effective for the June 1, 2016 tax assessment role. This next phase will be a "de novo" or fresh approach and all properties will again be revalued. This may come as a surprise to the 750 homeowners who now have grievance appeals before the court. What it means is that even if the court grants these property owners reductions now, those assessed values will only be in force until the new assessment role is issued. The new valuations will be based on recent sales, not on the current assessments on the Village tax role.
Why now? In order to benefit from the Aid for Cyclical Reassessment Program from the NYS Real Property Services the Village will need to do a reassessment every four years. Though this program will only provide Scarsdale with $29,000 in aid, ($5 per parcel) it is considered best practice for municipalities to conduct regular reassessments and maintain the tax role at 100% of market value.
Unlike the recent reassessment, inspectors will not enter every home to do a physical inventory. Instead, full inspections will be done at newly constructed homes and those that have undergone renovations and additions. Village Assessor Nanette Albanese estimates that 300-400 homes will have interior inspections.
The aid program also requires that every property be physically inspected once every six years. In order to comply, over the next six years the assessors office will view all properties from the street and scan current photos on file.
In order to reassess the entire Village inventory, the Village will use a Direct Market Model Method and a Cost Approach. Using sales data from July 1, 2013 to June 30, 2015 statisticians will formulate a statistical model to predict current market values of all parcels in Scarsdale. The Cost Approach incorporates a land valuation component, an estimate of current improvement costs and depreciation. This data is secondary and only used for unique properties and new construction.
For the recent reassessment, Scarsdale used an Automated Comparable Sales Technique (AVM) along with the Direct Market Model approach. The Village will not use the AVM method for the next reassessment because (according to the Village Assessor) "the public frequently cannot accept that the valuation of their property that was predicted on computer-selected comparable sales that they do not necessarily see as the most comparable; and regardless of the accuracy of the final value estimates, this technique has been shown to produce results that can also vary markedly from the prior year."
The cost for the next revaluation is estimated to be $255,000 that will be paid over three years, with $105,000 from the 2014-15 budget, and $75,000 per year from the 2015-16 and 2016-17 Village budgets. This amount is not exempt from the tax cap, making it even more challenging for the Village to comply with the cap while maintaining services.
Residents and brokers will have to get used to a new tax assessment system where properties are reassessed on a regular basis – making it trickier to predict future assessments. On the other hand, this new protocol will prevent the great inequalities in real estate taxes that existed before Scarsdale's 2014 tax revaluation, which was done after 45 years. Village managers hope that eventually the number of grievances will drop as residents can see how their assessments relate to market value and accept the validity of their valuations.
