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Written by Joanne Wallenstein

Published: 05 February 2011

Created: 05 February 2011

Last Updated: 20 February 2011

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The announcement of the surprising slate of candidates from the Citizens Nominating Committee last week brought back the uneasy feelings I had when I served on the CNC several years ago.

As I had just completed five years of service on the School Board Nominating Committee and as Vice-Chair, I was well versed in the rules of Scarsdale’s non-partisan system. I understood that the role of the nominator was to seek out candidates who:

• Have demonstrated an ability to work effectively in groups
• Are critical thinkers and problem solvers – akin to the kind of students Scarsdale seeks to educate today
• Have no prescribed agenda and were not seeking the position to move forward or halt a specific project or plan
• Are open-minded and would use their best judgment to do what’s best for Scarsdale

In addition, during the vetting process, the committee was to consider only input that could be attributed to a named source; i.e. committee members could not make comments on a candidate based on hearsay.

Accustomed to the civil and fair-minded proceedings of the SBNC, I was taken aback by my experience on the Citizens Nominating Committee where conversations were rife with rancor and innuendo. Though some of the nominators were new to Village government, there seemed to be a core of longtime cronies who had served on the committee many times or who had taken public positions on issues before the Village government. Included on the committee were former mayors, wives of former mayors and former trustees. Unlike the SBNC, the meetings were not run by elected nominators, but instead chaired by the leadership of the TVCC (now renamed as the Scarsdale Forum) which itself takes positions on issues before the Village Government. I was even more disturbed when I learned that if the CNC could not find enough candidates from each area to run for the nominating committee, the Procedure Committee simply named someone for the seat.

During some of the sessions there were heated arguments; however it was not clear to the “outsiders” like me what was at stake. It was only later that I pieced together the behind the scenes agenda and realized that many in the room had come with the purpose of nominating candidates who would serve their own goals.

As I have now spent the last two years observing Village politics while reporting for Scarsdale10583, I have become familiar with the key players in town. So when I learned whom the committee had selected for Village Mayor and Trustees, I took a look at who was serving on the nominating committee this year and was struck by the list :

Among the nominators were:

• A husband and wife
  
• A former TVCC President who previously chaired the committee
• Several people who have formed a coalition to vociferously lobby for a neighborhood cause
• The wife of a current trustee
• A former trustee
• Several chairs of TVCC committees who have taken strong positions on village issues

Given the alliances and histories of the members, how could they objectively consider candidates’ fitness for the position of Trustee or Mayor? They are entrenched in Village politics, have longstanding relationships with one another and clear conflicts of interest. Though I am certain that many of the nominators have the right goals the roster includes too many with complex pasts and scores to settle.

In contrast, the School Board Nominating Committee (SBNC) attracts many parents with children in the school and often brings newcomers into the process. It is rare that people choose to serve more than one term. Since the leadership of the SBNC for the following year is taken from the group of representatives who have completed their three-year terms, those who have been elected by Scarsdale residents moderate the meetings.

On the other hand, the CNC is managed by the leadership of the Scarsdale Forum, which has been outspoken in their positions on issues that affect Scarsdale such as village-wide tax revaluation, compensation for teachers, and development. In my view, there is an inherent conflict in a partisan group managing an ostensibly “non-partisan” committee.

According to several reliable sources the process was further compromised this year when a large number of absentee ballots were delivered in a single bag to those counting the votes. In addition, a new rule allowed nominators to make private phone calls to candidates where they asked for their views in off the record conversations. As all CNC deliberations are confidential, the lack of transparency makes it even more difficult to address issues with the nominating process.

What can be done?

Here are a few suggestions for changes that can be made to the Non-Partisan Resolution :

• Limit service to one three year term, with no “repeat” performances
• Bar former mayors, trustees and their husbands and wives from serving
• Bar more than one member of a household from serving at the same time
• Have the proceedings managed by elected nominators who complete their terms and are selected by the group to lead for the following year
• Prohibit the Procedure Committee from selecting applicants to fill vacant seats

By restoring the integrity of the process, Village government will attract a wider cross-section of talented and committed citizens and ensure balanced leadership. When the non-partisan system is taken hostage by partisan leadership it is no longer an effective system and cries out for reform.

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Published: 15 February 2011

Created: 15 February 2011

Last Updated: 20 February 2011

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Car Wash? You risk more than getting stuck in traffic when shopping on Central Avenue. On Sunday February 13, Alexa Guarino of Pleasantville parked her BMW in the lot at the Christmas Tree Shop at 393 North Central Avenue. An aggravated woman approached her and claimed that Guarino had taken her parking spot. Guarino ignored her and watched from the store as the woman drove away in a black Honda Accord. When Guarino returned to her car, she noticed that a similar BMW was parked next to her and it was covered with Tide detergent. A witness who had been in the lot at the same time saw the angry woman return to the lot and pour the detergent on the car. The owner of the sudsy BMW was contacted and said she would take it to get washed. Though police have the license plate number of the suspect she had an unlisted phone number and they were unable to reach her.

Burglary at the Scarsdale Golf Club: In the early morning hours of February 7, someone entered a rear door of the Scarsdale Golf Club and stole two television sets, each valued at $250. The crime was captured on videotape and reported to police by Bruce Gilmore who works as the Maintenance Manager at the club.

Drunk Driver: At 2 am on February 10, Daniel Appelman, age 29 of Garth Road Scarsdale was stopped by police on Central Avenue and found to be inebriated with a BAC level of .23%. He was arrested and charged with driving while intoxicated and speeding.

Fight! At 1:20 am on February 11, a group of young adults got into a fight in a parking lot at 1075 South Central Avenue. Katianne Bellantoni age 19 of Tuckahoe was speaking to her ex-boyfriend Robert Dante Cacace age 20 of Yonkers when a car with three other young adults drove up. According to Bellantoni, Melissa Murphy, age 21 of Grand Boulevard, Scarsdale yelled at Bellantoni, punched her in the right eye and pulled her hair until the others broke up the fight. Though she does not wish to press charges for assault, Bellantoni wanted police to document the incident.

Smokin': Police arrested James Frank, age 53 of Hartsdale for smoking a joint in the parking lot of Fieldstone Drive on Saturday morning 2/12. He was taken to headquarters and released on $50 bail pending a court date.

Inside Job: John Lyons of New Rochelle came to police on 2/12 to report that items were stolen from his car when it was parked at 2 Fountain Lane in Scarsdale on Superbowl Sunday, 2/6. He was attending a party at the apartment of his ex-girlfriend, and he suspects that during the game, his ex stole items that belonged to his new girlfriend from the car.

Gas Leak: On Monday afternoon 2/7, due to a gas leak on Scarsdale Farms Road the fire department needed to get into several houses to check for the source of the leak. No one was home at 19 Scarsdale Farms Road, and the fire department entered through the garage to inspect. No leak was found.

From the Scarsdale Police:

Scammed: A 26-year-old Scarsdale resident was the victim of a scam when he met a Delaware woman on Match.com. The young man became acquainted with a woman over the internet and traveled to Delaware to meet his match. However, she had misrepresented herself and was actually 45 years old and had shown pictures of someone else on her profile. She followed him north to Greenburgh where he paid her expenses and she started harassing him on his cell phone, at work and via the mail.

He contacted the Scarsdale police because the woman and a friend of hers were repeatedly making bogus phone calls to his office claiming to be from the N.Y. Supreme Court and the State of New York District Court. In addition the schemers sent the young man a Fedex package at his home. Inside the package was a letter from “Scarsdale Justice Court” requesting a payment of $1,000 for a civil judgment. On February 7, in response to the complaint from the Scarsdale man, the Scarsdale police contacted the woman and advised her to cease all phone call or contact with the young man.

Robbed: Greenacres residents were robbed sometime between 9 am and 2:50 pm on February 8th. Suspects forced open a porch door of the Brewster Road home and stole jewelry valued at $15,000 plus all of the family’s passports and a social security card. Police are investigating those who had recent access to the house.

Vandalized: Two cars parked in the lot at the Scarsdale Alternative School were vandalized on the night of February 7th. The front passenger window of a 2010 Infiniti was shattered and a play station game, valued at $200 was stolen from the car. In addition, the passenger side door window of a 2007 Honda was broken and a Toshiba laptop and a tote bag were stolen.

Money Trouble: A 79 year-old Aspen Road woman reported that someone had stolen one of her personal checks, filled it out for $7,000 and attempted to cash it. Chase Bank called her on 2/1/11 to verify the transaction but when the Scarsdale woman said she did not issue the check, they denied the transaction. She came to headquarters to make the report on February 7th.

Violeta Lopez of Peekskill, NY came to police headquarters on the afternoon of 2/11 claiming that someone had withdrawn $600 from her Chase Bank account without her permission. In order for Chase to review the video of transactions, Lopez needed to file a police report and have it sent to Chase for processing.

Lost: Richard Schechner of Montgomery Road Scarsdale reported that his license plate and bracket were taken from his car when it was parked on Depot place on the night of February 7th.

Found: Mr. Lavi of Kingston Road found a purple bag in front of his house on February 8 and contacted the police. The bag contained schoolwork, a zip drive and business cards. Police were able to track down the owner of the bag in Armonk who explained that the bag had been stolen from her car on February 7 when it was parked in White Plains. She came to Scarsdale police headquarters to claim on the night of 2/8.

Frances Tussing of Cohawney Road found a wallet in the backseat of a cab on East Parkway on February 7th. She turned the wallet over to police who contacted the owner, a White Plains woman.

Accidents: Richard Otake of Garth Road could not decide whether to go right or left at the intersection of Fenimore Road and the Bronx River Parkway, and as a result, he hit the median and struck a stop sign on February 11.

Joann Roche of Hartsdale was walking on Depot Place with a shopping cart on Friday afternoon 2/11, when a car turned and hit her cart and caused her to fall. She complained of pain in her right leg and was taken to White Plains hospital.

Daniel Centonze of Garth Road had a collision with a garbage truck around noon on Friday 2/11. Centonze was attempting to pass the truck on Wilmot Road, when the driver of the garbage truck opened the door and Centonze’s side mirror hit the door.

Two cars collided at the intersection of Brewster Road and Fenimore Road at 4 pm on 2/9. A car of teens was travelling north on Brewster ran into a car at the intersection of Fenimore. No one was seriously injured and Police contacted the parents of the teens to pick them up.

A 17 year-old girl from Black Walnut Road slipped on ice on East Parkway on Wednesday 2/9 and was hit by a passing truck. The girl stepped off the curb and waved for the truck to pass her, but as he passed, she fell and the rear wheel of the truck hit her foot. She was taken to White Plains hospital by SVAC.

A man driving a moped at 6:45 pm on Monday 2/7 was hit by a 2010 Lexus driven by a Ferncliff Road woman. The man was thrown from the bike and complained of pain in his right arm and shoulder but refused medial assistance. The accident occurred at the intersection of Boulevard and Nelson Roads.

Gun: On February 13, the son of a Wakefield Road man who recently passed away turned in his father’s revolver for safekeeping until he could have it licensed.

Coyote Watch: a coyote was reported walking north on Brite Avenue at 10:51 am on 2/9.

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Published: 31 January 2011

Created: 31 January 2011

Last Updated: 31 January 2011

Hits: 3861

The Personnel Committee of the Village Board is asking residents interested in volunteering to serve on Village Boards, Councils and Committees to submit their names for consideration. New terms will begin April 4, 2011. This year, there are openings on most Boards and Councils. The Committee strongly encourages residents to apply for these positions.

Trustee Kay Eisenman, Chair of the Personnel Committee, said interested residents are encouraged to submit their own names, together with a brief listing of community service and relevant professional background. It is also helpful for Scarsdale residents to provide written suggestions of individuals who should be considered for appointment. Please submit contact information including email addresses per the instructions at the end of this post.

Pursuant to the general policy adopted by the Village Board, guidelines for membership on Scarsdale's appointed Boards, Councils and Committees cover four areas:

1. Residency: Boards, Committees and Advisory Councils are comprised of residents of the Village. While comments from outside the community can be sought as needed, actions recommended or taken by Boards, Committees and Advisory Councils should ultimately reflect the views of Village residents.

2. Professional or Business Affiliation: Various professional skills and training are required by Village law or deemed desirable by the Village Board of Trustees for the successful fulfillment of some Board, Council or Committee charters.

3. Civic Interest and Involvement: The majority of the members of Village Boards and Councils are appointed by reason of demonstrated interest in Village affairs, through volunteer involvement. Scarsdale is the beneficiary of a long history of voluntary civic endeavors. Since the overriding purpose of Boards, Committees and Councils is to assure the continuation of high community standards, it is appropriate that members on Boards, Committees and Councils be those residents who have demonstrated willingness and initiative to work in support of this objective.

4. Specialized Knowledge: Certain Boards, Committees and Councils benefit by having one or more members with specialized knowledge. For example, the Cable Television Commission benefits by having people with knowledge of the communications industry; the Advisory Council on People With Disabilities would benefit from the experience of residents with disabilities; the Advisory Council on Youth would benefit from people who have worked with young people; the Advisory Council on Parks and Recreation would benefit from having a parent active in the Recreation Department's Elementary School Sports Program.

The following are the terms of office, and responsibilities for members appointed to the Boards, Councils and Committees:

BOARD OF APPEALS - (5 years - one term). Rules on appeals from zoning requirements, including setbacks; on permits for construction of swimming pools and tennis courts, and on non-conforming uses.

BOARD OF ARCHITECTURAL REVIEW - (3 years - two terms). Its basic purpose is to preserve the character and appearance of the Village. Review of all applications involving construction of buildings, or additions to, or reconstruction of existing buildings affecting the exterior appearance.

PLANNING BOARD - (5 years - one term). Advises Village Board on master planning; rules on applications for sub-division of lots, street designations, construction in wetland areas and non-residential buildings.

BOARD OF ETHICS - (5 years - one term). Possible conflicts of interest or other issues of ethics affecting Village personnel are referred to this Board by the Board of Trustees.

CABLE TELEVISION COMMISSION - (5 years - open-ended terms). Administers and monitors the Cable Franchise Agreements with the Village and encourages use of the cable access channels.

CONSERVATION ADVISORY COUNCIL - (2 years - open-ended terms). Advises the Village Board on such matters as programs, areas, facilities, public relations and other matters pertaining to conservation of the environment.

COMMITTEE FOR HISTORIC PRESERVATION - (3 years - two terms). Determines if a structure located in the Village for which a permit for demolition has been requested is a structure of historical importance.

LIBRARY BOARD - (5 years - one term). Responsible for the administrative and operating policies of the Scarsdale Public Library. Operates independently of the Village Board and selects its own President.

ADVISORY COUNCIL ON PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES - (2 years - open-ended terms). Advises and assists the Village Board in matters of concern to residents with disabilities. Assists with programs and activities, increases public awareness of the needs of the disabled, acts as liaison with other Advisory Councils, and promotes participation in community affairs by disabled persons.

ADVISORY COUNCIL ON HUMAN RELATIONS - (2 years - open-ended terms). Considers and recommends actions at the request of the Village Board to foster mutual respect and understanding among all members of the community.

ADVISORY COUNCIL ON PARKS AND RECREATION - (2 years - open-ended terms). Promotes the recreation program in the Village and advises the Village Board on the use of Village parks for recreation and passive uses, recommends the use or non-use of all open space, and acts as a liaison between the Village Board and the community on all matters relating to recreation and parks.

ADVISORY COUNCIL ON SCARSDALE SENIOR CITIZENS - (2 years - open-ended terms). Advises and assists the Board of Trustees in all matters concerning the senior citizens of the Village of Scarsdale.

TOWN BOARD OF ASSESSMENT REVIEW - (5 years – open-ended terms). This Board reviews property tax grievances filed with respect to property tax assessments.

ADVISORY COUNCIL ON TECHNOLOGY - (2 years - open-ended terms). This Council has a broad mandate in advising the Village Board and staff on technological matters. It provides advice, explores strategic options, and develops recommendations on how the Village Board can best utilize technology, including the Internet to improve efficiencies.

ADVISORY COUNCIL ON YOUTH - (2 years - open-ended terms). Advises and assists the Board of Trustees in responding to the needs of Scarsdale's young people and works to generate a favorable climate for growth and development of youth in the community.

JUDICIAL QUALIFICATIONS ADVISORY COMMITTEE - (5 years - two terms). The Committee’s function is to assist the Citizens’ Nominating Committee and the Mayor, respectively with the selection of individuals who are qualified for the offices of Village Justice and Acting Village Justice.

REPRESENTATIVE TO SCARSDALE ARTS COUNCIL - (2 years - open-ended terms). At-large representative (total of 4 appointed by the Village Board) to the Scarsdale Arts Council Board. The Council’s mission is to encourage the arts to flourish in Scarsdale by, among other methods, improving communication among arts programs and by attracting grant support and to raise public awareness and participation in the arts.

Nominations: Nominations should be made in writing and should include information on the candidates’ civic involvement, work experience or other qualifications in sufficient detail to help the Village Board evaluate the prospective candidate. Nominations should be submitted via the Village website or sent to Trustee Kay Eisenman at Village Hall, 1001 Post Road, Scarsdale, NY 10583 by February 25, 2011.

To apply, go to the village website or bring materials to Village Hall:

Via the Village Website – click “read more” under Volunteers Needed for Boards and Councils (located under Village News on the home page). On the next screen, complete the on-line form under “Boards and Councils Nominations” and follow the on-screen instructions.

Via Village Hall – Alternatively, the information may be forwarded to Kay Eisenman at Village Hall, 1001 Post Road, Scarsdale NY 10583

All materials should be received at the Village website or Village Hall by February 25, 2011. Residents should feel free to contact the Village Clerk, Donna Conkling with questions by telephone at 914-722-1175 or e-mail at: dconkling@scarsdale.com .