Greenacres Town Meeting

On the eve of their 100th anniversary, the Greenacres Association held a Town Hall Meeting at Greenacres School on Thursday night March 1. Representatives from all major Scarsdale Village organizations were on hand to provide an update on Village affairs and the meeting was well attended by Greenacres neighbors and Village trustees.

Mayor Flisser, who is near completion of one year of her two year term, told the group that plans for the Fox Meadow flood remediation project were moving forward. Bids are currently under review with construction planned to begin in April. She asked residents with homes along the watercourse to give the Village access to their property to de-silt and repair the course.

Reporting on the Village budget, she relayed that the Board overrode the tax cap to allow for storm water remediation, sewer line and road repairs. The Village budget will go up 5.5%.

In his remarks, Village Manager Al Gatta conveyed concern about keeping Scarsdale independent in light of the tax cap. He believes that the state government imposed the cap to put pressure on local governments to merge and share services. Since the cap prevents local governments from increasing taxes and fees to fund rising expenses, he fears that the state is forcing consolidation on local municipalities.

School Board President Jill Spieler and School Superintendent Michael McGill were up next with updates on education and the school budget. Spieler reported that the Board and Administration are working on a school budget that is “right for Scarsdale,” without considering arbitrary spending caps. The Board will present their budget to the community at the March 5 meeting. The budget will come in under the cap due to projected decreases in school enrollment, lower salary costs and savings on energy and health insurance. The budget of $141.6 million represents a 3.81% tax increase for Scarsdale residents and a 2.64% increase for those in the Mamaroneck strip.

McGill told the group that the school is designing an education for the 21st century, teaching students to think creatively and critically and linking the work of Scarsdale students to international standards. The 2012-13 budget includes funds for the newly formed Center for Innovation to investigate how technology can be integrated into the educational program. The school is also looking at ways to redesign the physical plant to reflect new learning methodologies and allow venues for collaborate learning.

Greenacres School Principal Jerry Young thanked the Greenacres Association for the new basketball courts at the school. He reports that they are used by both students and the community. In light of two incidents of exposure at the playground he asked the community to be vigilant and take action if they see something unusual.

According to Fire Chief McCain, The fire station adjacent to Village Hall and the training station on Secor Road will both be remodeled in the coming year. Fire Station #1, built in 1923, is badly in need of repair. The supports will be reinforced and it will be remodeled to accommodate larger fire engines. The building at the recycling center will be renovated so that it can be used for training.

Representing the Police Department, Andrew Matturo reported that there were 18 burglaries in Scarsdale in 2011, 7 of those in Greenacres. He reported that police met with concerned residents, increased patrols in marked and unmarked cars, are scanning license plates in the area and are going door to door in the affected areas to tell residents how to safeguard their homes.

Suzanne Busby, Director of Parks, Recreation and Conservation said that the recreation brochure will be out in a few weeks. You can now renew pool and recreation passes online using the new system.

And speaking for the Scarsdale Ambulance Corps. Steve Rambone made a plea for more volunteers. SVAC will train willing adults (18 years+) and relies on volunteers and contributions to respond to over 1,000 calls each year.

Barry Meiselman, Chair of the Greenacres Centennial Committee shared plans for the upcoming celebration. There will be a gala at the Scarsdale Golf Club on June 2, a time capsule will be created, trees will be planted and a house tour is scheduled for fall, 2012. Participation is welcome. Anyone who wishes to get involved should email Barry at barwest2@aol.com.

Thanks to Greenacres Association President Kathy Steves and the Board of the Greenacres Association for producing an informative program.