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Written by Tracie Kurland

Published: 12 December 2013

Created: 12 December 2013

Last Updated: 16 December 2013

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The results are in! The hydraulic modeling analysis to determine if Cayuga Pond modifications are needed to the opening of the pond (to improve storm water drainage) is complete and has returned positive results.

This and other Sheldrake River Basin project updates were detailed by Vice President Robert DeGiorgio of Dvirka and Bartilucci Engineers (D&B) to the Scarsdale Village Trustees during the December 4 Scarsdale Village Municipal Services Committee Meeting.

In addition, D&B determined that:

• The combination of refining the Cayuga Pond outlets and adding overflow drainage pipes to balance flows does provide improved flood mitigation up to and including 100 year flood events.
• There has been a reduction in flood elevations in the P-designated (critical) areas varying from 7 to 5 inches of rain.
• There has been successful removal of accumulated silt and debris from the pond, creating additional storage in the pond, which allows for the collection of three million gallons of water.

D&B is working to convert Cayuga Pond from a recreational pond into a storm water detention basin to allow the pond to retain water during heavy downfalls and release it slowly over time. In addition they are improving the culverts (drain pipes that allow water to flow under roads) on Cayuga and Canterbury Roads. This will allow for better water flow and balance through the piping systems.

The Village first retained D&B in 2004 following a Storm Water Drainage Condition Survey. They were asked to address storm water issues in the Sheldrake River Basin, which extends from Cushman and Sheldrake Roads to the Fenway Golf Course flowing down to the Scarsdale Middle School, onto the Scarsdale Medical Center and into New Rochelle.

In order to mitigate flooding upstream, D&B formulated the 2009 Comprehensive Storm Water Management Plan, which proposed certain modifications to the current drainage structure. The modifications primarily focused on improving the Sheldrake River Drainage Basin and reducing excessive water runoffs during heavy storms that have caused devastating flooding for Scarsdale residents who live in the area.

Earlier this year, the Village Board formed a working group including Board members, residents, Village staff and the Village's consulting engineer from Dvirka and Bartilucci (D&B). Based on discussions amongst this working group at a May 14 meeting, D&B revised the project scope to include six major tasks:

1. Hydraulic analysis of modified Cayuga Pond outlet structure to determine if modifications are needed to be made to the existing orifice opening.
2. Clean the culvert under Oneida Road
3. Construction of new culvert crossings at Cayuga Road and Canterbury Road that will eliminate the road infrastructure and provide open gratings to allow for additional flow capacity.
4. Construction of a connector pipe to open the channel on the south side of Canterbury Road to help balance the current flow and allow it to continue downstream.
5. Removal of accumulated silt throughout the open watercourse that abuts the properties of 6 Cayuga Road and 14 and 18 Canterbury Road.
6. Perform hydraulic modeling of these improvements to determine if they would result in any negative impacts downstream.

Subsequently, the Board appropriated $600,000 from the General Fund for D&B to design the Sheldrake River Drainage Basin Modified project at its August 13 meeting based on D&B's estimated project cost of $400,000 - $650,000.

Several residents were in attendance at the meeting and were visibly upset. They reiterated their concern that their properties continue to flood during harsh storms. One resident asked why D&B wasn't "talking about digging down further in the Pond to clear water faster from the neighborhoods," to which DeGiorgio answered that digging deeper won't help because it's "dead storage." Another concerned resident wanted to know if they could break up the concrete and do more plantings to absorb more water near the middle school. This is also not a possibility because the area is owned by the Scarsdale Schools and the water table in that area cannot accommodate additional water.

Next Steps for D&B:
• Meet with NYSDEC
• Determine dam permit needs
• Develop design

Project Schedule:
• Secure design/permits: 6/13 – 12/13
• Bidding/permits: 1/14 – 3/14
• Construction: 5/14 – 12/14

Update on South Fox Meadow Storm Water Improvement Project

The detention basins at George Field Park and Cooper Green have mitigated flooding along the South Fox Meadow Brook. Additionally, the 2,900 square foot rain garden at Cooper Green and the rehabilitated wetland at George Field Park have worked to filter and clean storm water runoff.

Construction on the final segment of this project, Harcourt Woods, started on Monday, December 2. The project has been revised to address concerns that were expressed at the Village Board's Municipal Services Committee meeting on June 5. Namely, the scope of work has been modified regarding the removal, protection and planting of trees, reduction of the size and location of the maintenance path and alternatives to drainage diversion along Brewster Road. The Village has written a Change Order that addresses these modifications and enhances the project by including additional "green" features, such as the construction of a vegetated swale along Brewster Road in front of the gravel parking lot. The Change Order also resulted in a saving of $37,224 to Scarsdale, as the project cost was reduced from $760,900 to $723,676. Most of the work in the Harcourt Woods Project is scheduled for completion in September of 2014.

Scarsdale Public Library Rain Garden Project Update

The Village developed a grant proposal for a storm water runoff reduction and water quality treatment project at the Scarsdale Public Library for an estimated cost of $247,091. The project involves the construction of a 1,800 square foot rain garden at the Library allowing for 90% of the storm water run-off from the library's roof (approximately 450,000 gallons) to infiltrate into the ground. The Village was awarded a grant for $188,091.50 by the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation with the $59,000 balance being funded through a Village match via $26,100 in cash and $32,900 of in-kind services. The Village Board authorized a professional services agreement with D&B for a total cost of $24,600 for design, engineering and construction management services at its August 13, 2013 meeting.

Tracie Kurland works as a Marketing Communications Specialist and Professional Outreach Coordinator in Scarsdale and resides in Irvington, NY. She is a passionate writer and often twilights as a freelance reporter. Follow her Politically Purple Blog here. 

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Published: 20 December 2013

Created: 20 December 2013

Last Updated: 20 December 2013

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Over 100 people weathered the cold to help celebrate SAS's 75th anniversary over "Brunch and Brahms" on Dec. 15. Students, board members, advisory committee members, instructors, and supporters of SAS were all in attendance. Mark Russ Federman engaged the crowd with stories about his family, and the history of the lower east side, and his family's appetizing store, Russ & Daughters. Beyond laughter and memories, the food he supplied was also outstanding, with herring, lox, and pickled olives being some of the crowd favorites. Edmund Niemann, introduced as one of the "crown jewels" in the SAS stable of instructors, closed out the day with a special recital of 3 Brahms pieces. In the words of SAS executive director Jill Serling, "a good time was had by all and the event was a great way to end our 75th year of celebration."

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Published: 10 December 2013

Created: 10 December 2013

Last Updated: 10 December 2013

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Unanswered questions about the newly formed Scarsdale Schools Education Foundation abound and this was the subject of a statement read at the Board of Education meeting on Monday night December 9 by LWVS President Susie Rush and League Board member Deb Morel. The statement focused on the process that the Board of Education and the Superintendent will use to allocate foundation grants and on the Board and administration's transparency with the community.

The newly-formed Scarsdale Schools Education Foundation announced their first gift to the schools of $90,000 at the October 7, 2014 meeting of the Board of Education. The funds were given to the Center for Innovation at Scarsdale High School, to the Middle School for interactive games and to the elementary schools for the "makerspace program." At that time, residents had questions about the Foundation's fundraising efforts and the process for evaluating grant applications and making awards. Foundation President Ellen Miller-Wachtell said that the Foundation would make a presentation at an upcoming board meeting. Now Board of Education President Suzanne Seiden has said that the Foundation's presentation is scheduled for January 13, 2014.

Below is the statement from the League of Women Voters of Scarsdale

Background
In 2010, the League of Women Voters of Scarsdale (the League) completed a study and evaluation on whether an education foundation should be established in Scarsdale as a source of funding to supplement the taxpayer-approved school budget. Although we were unable to reach consensus at that time on whether an education foundation should be established, we issued a statement in which, among other things, we made certain observations, including the following:

"If an education foundation were to be established, significant checks and balances must be addressed in defining the role of an education foundation and its governance."; and

"It is important that the board of education be involved in the grant process of the foundation to safeguard the priorities of the school district as formulated by the board of education and the superintendent of schools."

It is with those observations in mind that we make this statement.

It should be noted that we are not commenting on the composition, governance, mission, or process of the Scarsdale Schools Education Foundation (SSEF) nor do we ask that private deliberations of the SSEF be made public. We understand that the SSEF is a private entity, which does not have the same obligations to the public as does the Board of Education (BOE). The BOE has a responsibility to the community to act with transparency, including providing relevant information to the public, subject to any legal restrictions that may limit disclosure by the BOE, which restrictions are beyond our purview. Further, the BOE is duty-bound to engage in public deliberation and public discussion, and to give the public an opportunity to observe the BOE's decision-making process and to weigh in on its deliberations. As elected officials, school board members are accountable to the public.

The presentation by the SSEF and acceptance by the BOE at a BOE meeting in October of an aggregate gift of $90,000, although generously given and gratefully accepted by the BOE, was a surprise to the League, and we understand to many in the community as well, given the absence of meaningful public deliberation by the BOE prior to the presentation of the gift.

Observations
To our knowledge, since the establishment of the SSEF, there has not been a meaningful public discussion by the BOE of district priorities with regard to the SSEF, how gifts from the SSEF will be consistent with the district priorities as formulated by the BOE and the Superintendent, or what procedures are in place for the safeguarding of those priorities. Nor has there been public disclosure of the BOE's formal relationship to the SSEF or explanation as to how gifts from the SSEF fit within existing gift policies adopted by the BOE.

The foregoing observations are based on a review of accounts of BOE meetings as they appeared in the Scarsdale Inquirer, scarsdale10583.com, and other electronic media. We did not undertake a review of the minutes of the BOE meetings. We have reviewed BOE policies relating to gifts as posted on the district's website.

Recommendations
As a nonpartisan political organization dedicated to promoting the informed and active participation of citizens in government, we seek, among other things, to ensure that all levels of government keep their citizens informed. Given the nature of the newly established foundation, we ask the BOE for clarification regarding the following matters to gain a better understanding of the relationship between the BOE and district administration and the SSEF:

• the priorities of the district as currently formulated by the BOE and the Superintendent and how determination will be made as to whether gifts from the SSEF are consistent with those priorities, and whether the gifts are appropriate for funding by a private entity versus the school district;
• the process for vetting projects proposed and approved for funding by SSEF, including criteria to be utilized and consideration of the impact of implementation of a project on the school budget in subsequent years, and assessment of the project following its implementation in the schools;
• how current policies adopted by the BOE in relation to gifts to the district apply to gifts to the district by the SSEF, paying particular attention to the BOE's policies regarding "any semblance of influence over programs or activities sponsored or conducted" by the district and policies in relation to community fundraising;
• the role of the Superintendent vis à vis the SSEF; and
• the role of the BOE liaisons to the SSEF and their reporting obligations to the BOE and to the public.

In addition, we recommend that a formal presentation to the BOE by the SSEF be included as an agenda item at a BOE meeting in the near future and that the BOE engage in a public discussion regarding its relationship to the SSEF and its philosophy regarding consideration and acceptance of gifts by the SSEF to the district, including the items identified above. We urge the BOE to publicly disclose the memorandum of understanding between the two entities formally setting forth their relationship and obligations.

We also suggest that the BOE consider developing and adopting a new policy, specific to gifts given by the SSEF to the district, in light of the new and unique relationship between the BOE and the SSEF.

The League recognizes that current and past members of the BOE have likely expended considerable energy in exploring the establishment of an education foundation in Scarsdale. The League believes, however, that the school district and the community would benefit from a more transparent process and one that schedules opportunities to engage the community.

To that end, the League hopes that the BOE will promote an ongoing dialogue with residents as the BOE had envisioned when it began considering an education foundation and provide the public the benefit of hearing board members' thinking as the BOE moves forward in defining its relationship with the SSEF and safeguarding the formulation of the district's priorities. The League encourages the BOE and district administration to remain committed to the high standards of openness and transparency that we have come to expect.

LEAGUE OF WOMEN VOTERS OF SCARSDALE
BOARD OF DIRECTORS

By: ________________________________

Susie Rush, President