Scarsdale Village Board Says Goodbye to Mayor Flisser and Trustee Harrison
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This week marked the changing of the guard at Scarsdale Village Hall. On Wednesday March 27, the outgoing Board had a celebratory dinner before their last Board of Trustees meeting when they both roasted and lauded outgoing Mayor Miriam Flisser and one-term Trustee Bob Harrison. Though Harrison fought for years to earn a seat on the Board of Trustees, after his initial two-year term he opted not to run again. Mayor Flisser completed four years as a Village Trustee, immediately followed by two-years as the Mayor of Scarsdale, serving the Village for a six years and remarkably never missed a meeting.
On Tuesday March 19, Trustee Robert Steves was elected Mayor and two new trustees were elected to fill Harrison and Steve's positions on the Board of Trustees.
At the final BOT Meeting, Mayor Flisser called the accomplishments of this Village Board "remarkable," and listed the following projects that had been implemented during her term on the Board:
Infrastructure:
- Fox Meadow Drainage Basin Project at George Field Park and Cooper Green
- Planning for the Sheldrake River Project
- Ardsley Road Pump Station
- Modernization of Reeves Newsome Pump Station
- Opening of Public Safety Building
- Planning to Modernize Fire Station #1
Legislation:
- New code regulating the installation of permanent emergency generators
- Revision of neighborhood notification law
More:
- Beginnings of changes in the building and engineering department
- Expansion of rain garden
- Leaf mulching demonstration
- Publication of the Historic Resources Survey
- Emergency notification System
- Beginning of Village-Wide Tax Revaluation
She ended by saying that "all of these require continued diligence" and wished the Board "the greatest success."
In remarks about Bob Harrison, Trustee David Lee credited Harrison with "long and fruitful devotion and service to Scarsdale." He noted Harrison's "tireless advocacy and outreach to residents and said, "your passion for Scarsdale's betterment runs to your very core." He called the Mayor's work on behalf of the village "outstanding" and complimented her on the "enormous energy" she brought to the job. Flisser "made sure that every resident communication to the board was answered, and promptly replied to phone calls all "while maintaining a full time medical practice."
Stacey Brodsky told Harrison that she was "consistently impressed with the number of people he counts as friends," and cited his work on the personnel committee where he conscientiously reached out to dozens of people to encourage them to apply for positions on Village Boards and Councils." She congratulated him on two years as a Village Trustee and three decades of service to Scarsdale.
She complimented the Mayor on her passion, conviction and great love for the community and thanked Flisser for her commitment to process and open dialogue.
Jon Mark called Harrison the Cal Ripkin Jr. of community engagement due to Bob's claim to have attended 3,000 community meetings. He cited Bob's willingness to debate issues, reach consensus and find workable solutions.
He told Mayor Flisser that she "finds herself at the end of the road of a long term of civic service and listed much of the work that had been done in the last six years. He invited her input in the future but also wished her well in her next endeavor.
In her remarks to Harrison, Kay Eisenman reviewed two definitions of the term "gadfly": the first is "a person who is an irritant or who upsets the status quo by posing upsetting or novel questions," while the second definition refers to one who does "honorable work or civic duty."
She said, "Perhaps the most famous of gadflies was the philosopher Socrates: During his defense when on trial for his life, Socrates, according to Plato's writings, pointed out that dissent, like the gadfly, was easy to swat, but the cost to society of silencing individuals who were irritating could be very high. Socrates said "If you kill a man like me, you will injure yourselves more than you will injure me," because, as he said, his role was, "to sting people and whip them into a fury, all in the service of truth."
She said that Bob had lived up to the second definition and "kept us on our toes." Referencing Bob's tendency to challenge she said, "you were always courteous in your disagreements."
Eisenman referenced her shared past with Mayor Flisser. They both came from families of World War II refugees and together attended NYU's Heights Campus. She praised Mayor Flisser on her "unfailing commitment to her office" and said that the Mayor "deserves our praise and our thanks."
To Bob Harrison, newly elected Mayor Bob Steves said, you have "shown a deep concern for the community and you have been heard. We haven't always agreed. But we have been prodded and pushed so that we don't settle into a point of view."
He complimented Mayor Flisser on "enthusiastically and energetically embracing the role of Mayor." He added "To be a true public official there has to be a depth of concern for the community."
Moved and choked up Bob Harrison then offered comments to each Board member as well as his wife Terry to whom he said, "It's been 44 year and we are still married."
Unable to stop himself, Steves interjected, "that's because you went to 44 years of meetings!"
Harrison encouraged David Lee to continue to investigate $600,000 in overtime at the fire department and thanked Stacey Brodsky for working with him on the Personnel Committee where they filled over 70 vacancies on Village Boards and Councils. To Kay he admitted that he would prefer to be called "Citizen Bob" than the "Village gadfly," and thanked her for work on sustainability and municipal services.
At that point the Mayor wielded her oversized gavel to tell him he had run out of time, but that didn't stop him.
He continued by saying he "could talk about Jon (Mark) all night," and told him not to "worry about the triple A bond ratings." He apologized to Bob Steves for "asking too many questions" and said, "I know you will be an excellent mayor and do an excellent job."
To Mayor Flisser Harrison, said, "You have responded to some and been badgered by some and you were cool. You cut some ribbons. I always admired your background of being born in a DP camp to holocaust survivors and coming to America, the land of the free. You worked your way up to become a wonderful pediatric doctor, a trustee of the village and the mayor. What a great life – congratulations!"
Mayor Flisser again thanked each Board member individually and then gave a shout out to her husband Harvey, who "took the pictures and documented everything we got done."
Water Water Everywhere
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Water Mains to be Flushed the Week of April 1: The Scarsdale Village Water Department reports that the periodic water main flushing program will begin Monday, April 1st and will continue until all pipes in the system have been systematically flushed. The program is scheduled to prevent discoloration of water during the heavy demand periods of the summer. Slight discoloration may occur during the flushing period but will settle out in a short time. Though the water is safe for consumption it may stain clothes if washed in it.
During the week of April 1st the cleaning operation will be in Greenacres, Fox Meadow, Village Business District, and Village Hall and then proceed into the area of Hyatt Field. During flushing, water in the general area may become discolored. Anticipate discolored water during the day and early evening. Surrounding areas may also experience some discoloration.
The weekly activities of the program will be broadcast on Cablevision 75, Verizon 43 and in the Water Department section of the Village Web site at scarsdale.com.
Water Leaks:
In addition, the EPA reports that one in every ten homes has a leak that is wasting at least 90 gallons of water per day. The EPA's WaterSense program encourages residents to check and replace leaky plumbing fixtures and sprinkler systems, helping households save more than 10,000 gallons of water per year and as much as 10 percent on utility bills.
According to the EPA, easy-to-fix household leaks waste more than 1 trillion gallons of water annually nationwide, which is equal to the amount of water used by more than 11 million homes. In just 10 minutes, businesses and homeowners can: check winter water bills and fixtures for water waste; twist and tighten pipe and hose connections; and consider replacing broken or inefficient fixtures with WaterSense-labeled models.
If winter water usage for a family of four exceeds 12,000 gallons per month, it is likely that the home has a leak problem.
Here are some easy tips:
- Check toilets for silent leaks by putting a few drops of food coloring in the tank at the back and, if after 10 minutes, color shows up in the bowl before flushing, it may be time to make an easy repair and replace the flapper.
- Check outdoor hoses for damage from winter frost and tighten connections at the water source.
- For in-ground sprinkler systems, a professional certified through a WaterSense-labeled program can inspect sprinkler heads and pipes for signs of leakage and help homeowners maintain an efficient system and healthy lawn.
- Check additional plumbing and outdoor fixtures for leaks. They may just need a quick twist or pipe tape.
WaterSense, a partnership program sponsored by EPA, seeks to protect the future of our nation's water supply by offering people a simple way to use less water with water-efficient products, new homes, and services. Since the program's inception in 2006, WaterSense has helped consumers save 287 billion gallons of water and $4.7 billion in water and energy bills.
Learn more about fixing leaks, find a certified irrigation professional, or search for WaterSense labeled plumbing and irrigation products by visiting their website at: http://www.epa.gov/watersense.
Vote Today for Scarsdale Mayor and Trustees
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A winter storm that caused a two-hour delay in the opening of the Scarsdale Schools has not stopped the election for Scarsdale Village Mayor and Trustees today, Tuesday March 19 at Village Hall. Trustee Stacey Brodsky, who is on the ballot for a second two-year term, was out campaigning at Hartsdale Train Station early this morning, hoping to bring as many voters as possible to the polls.
Four candidates, nominated by the Scarsdale Citizen's Non-Partisan Party, are running unopposed today:
- Robert Steves: Mayor
- Stacey Brodsky: Village Trustee – second term
- Thomas B. Martin: Village Trustee – first term
- William Stern – Village Trustee – first term
Voting is taking place at Scarsdale Village Hall from 6 am to 9 am and from 12 noon to 9 pm tonight. Following the election, a reception will be held at 
the Scarsdale Woman's Club on Drake Road to toast the newly elected mayor and trustees. Everyone is encouraged to vote today and attend the reception tonight.
(Pictured at left: Stacey Brodsky at the Hartsdale Train Station)
Bob Steves Elected 52nd Mayor of Scarsdale
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A small group of Scarsdale's leaders gathered at the Scarsdale Woman's Club on Tuesday March 19 to toast the newly elected Mayor, Bob Steves and three Village Trustees, Stacey Brodsky, Thomas B. Martin and William Stern. The four were elected on an uncontested ballot on Tuesday with a total vote count of 245.
The count was far below the number of votes cast a ballot in 2011, when a total of 1,028 voters turned out. At that time, two write-in candidates, Sharon Lindsay for Village Mayor and Robert Selvaggio for Village Trustee galvanized voter turnout. In 2012, another independent candidate, Harry Reynolds, challenged the Citizen's Party nominees and 421 votes were cast.
This year the mood at the Woman's Club was calm and convivial. The election was run by David Irwin
who chaired the Citizen's Non-Partisan Party Campaign and announced the results before the newly elected team gathered around the cake for photos.
The newly elected Board will be led by Mayor Robert Steves who has just completed his second two-year term as Village Trustee and will served as the 52nd mayor of Scarsdale. Brodsky was elected to serve her second term while Martin and Stern are newcomers to the Village Board.
They will join Kay Eisenman, David Lee, and Jon Mark on the seven-member Village Board. Leaving the Board will be Mayor Miriam Flisser who has completed six years on the Village Board and Bob Harrison who served one term but opted not to run for a second stint.
Commenting on the election Steves said, "I am delighted to be Mayor of Scarsdale. You can't be an effective Mayor without good people around you and I look forward to working with my colleagues on the Board and to hearing from people in the Village about your concerns."
Here is the official vote tally:
Total votes: 245
Bob Steves - Mayor - 235 votes
Stacey Brodsky - Village Trustee - 234 votes
Thomas B. Martin - Village Trustee -216 votes
William Stern - Village Trustee - 219 votes
There was also one write in vote for Bob Harrison.
Resident Fees Rising in Scarsdale
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It's official! You will now pay every time you flush. At the Scarsdale Board of Trustees meeting on Tuesday night March 12, the board passed a new law, called "sanitary sewer systems" that will allow the Village to charge residents a sewer rent fee. Revenues will be used to defray the costs of maintaining and improving the Village sewer system which dates back to the 1920's and is in need of repair. Village managers estimate that the average homeowner uses 200 units of water each year and will pay approximately $60 while commercial establishments use an estimated 1,200 units of water per year and will pay $390 per year. The Village expects to collect $400,000 per year from this new fee. Trustees passed the new law with little objection from residents or business owners.
However, members of the Scarsdale business community came to the meeting to protest another proposed increase in fees. In order to raise more funds, Village managers had proposed expanding metered parking downtown from 6 to 9 pm. Currently it is free to park on Village streets after 6 pm. Under this new scheme, those parking downtown would need to feed the meters during the evening hours as well.
This did not go over well with restaurant owners and retailers who protested that their businesses has already been hurt by construction on the Popham Road Bridge and the ongoing work on the Crane Road Bridge. Some estimated that business had fallen by 30% since the roadwork began. Rush Wilson, Don Zaccharia, George Stone and others came to the meeting along with Scarsdale Chamber of Commerce President Carolyn Stevens. They argued that free parking at night is a benefit to business. Former Mayor Stevens said, "With new restaurants trying to gain a foothold in the Village, increasing metered parking until nine o'clock is not business – friendly. Overall, it is not good for the health of the Village." According to Stevens, the $15,000 in additional revenue that would be gained with evening parking fees would have little impact on the Village budget.
Also passed at the Village Board meeting were a new schedule of 2013-14 Village wide fees and charges. Among the increased fees were:
- A filming fee of $500 per hour
- Increased fees for tree removal permits
- Application fees for zoning changes, variances, or a re-hearing by the Board of Appeals
- Parking fees – Freightway annual parking fee to go up from $890 to $950
See the schedule of all fees here.
