At Village Hall: Trustee Commended for Saving a Life, LWVS Poses Questions About Pool Project
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At the final regular Village Board meeting of the year on Tuesday December 9 Mayor Justin Arest recognize Village staff for their hard work over the past year. He said, “Every department came together on Friday evening and led a successful Light the ‘Dale celebration.
Proclamation
Surprising Village Trustee Ken Mazer, Arest presented him with a proclamation for his courageous actions after he saved a life at a recent wedding reception. Recognizing that one of the guests was in distress, he performed chest compressions and CPR until help arrived, saving a woman’s life. The Mayor praised Mazer for his work as a Village Trustee, for raising money for the UJA and for serving as a Volunteer Firefighter for 20 years.
Pool Meetings
The Mayor announced that the final meetings to give feedback on the schematic designs of the proposed Scarsdale pool are this week. A work session will be held on December 16 at 7:30 pm to review the feedback and discuss next steps.
Public Comments
Marion Green of Butler Road was pleased that the Village was moving forward with sidewalks replacements. She said, “Don’t confuse sidewalks and pathways… Sidewalks run along roads and are for pedestrians only. They are stable and slip resistant surfaces. There are pathways that go through fields and parks. I don’t want appropriations in the budget for pathways.”
Debbie Bhatt and Eva Romas Wilson, representing the League of Women Voters of Scarsdale, posed a list of questions to the Village Board regarding the proposed Pool Project: (see the questions at the end of this article.)
Susan Douglass of Crane Road called in and spoke about several matters:
-She congratulated the Village on a wonderful Light the ‘Dale celebration. As a member of the Scarsdale Forum Municipal Services Committee, she said she looked forward to working with the Board on improvements to the Village Center.
-She spoke about the practice of using gas powered leaf blowers to blow leaves into piles for pick-up by the Village. She said, “This practice is a failure. Many don’t follow the rules and they leave the leaves on the roadways – blocking drainage and traffic. The leaves are also slippery. Landscapers do it because there are no consequences. The current practice is not working. I would ask that the village reconsider leaf collection. It is a lose-lose process.”
-She also requested a crosswalk on Crane Road. She said, “High School students cross it to get to school.” She said, in just one morning, 25 people signed a petition to have a crosswalk there to make it safer. “This would be a great community service.”
Resolutions:
The Village Board agreed to a Banner Display Policy which provides clarity on requirements for those who want to place a banner in Chase Park or at Village Hall.
They approved the appointments of two new police officers. Ashley Farewell and Michael Quintana.
They approved a mutual aid agreement with Eastchester and Tuckahoe for enhanced policing skills and mutual aid for special emergencies. According to a memo from the Village, Scarsdale will join “Eastchester and Tuckahoe Police Department’s to become part of their Emergency Response Team. This team is a highly trained team that would be called out when a situation develops that requires a higher level of training than a general police officer receives. This type of team is called a “part-time” team in that it’s member’s primary responsibilities and duties are outside the team itself.”
Letters
The Village received three letters on the lack of sidewalks, leaf collection and mass surveillance. In an email from Josh Frankel, he include reporting on the use of Flock’s network of cameras to monitor protesters and activists.
Town Board
The Town Board approved the following statutory resolutions:
-Taylor Emanuel was named Town Clerk for a term of two years.
-The Journal News was named the official town newspaper
-Several banks were named official depositories for the Town of Scarsdale.
-The board designated the second Tuesday of every month for Village or Town meetings.
-O’Connor Davies LLP was named as independent auditors.
Reminder
The second installment of Village Tax is due before December 31, 2025.
Questions from the League of Women Voters of Scarsdale regarding the future of the pool complex
The Board of the League of Women Voters of Scarsdale (the “Board”) thanks members of the Village Administration (the “Administration”) and members of the Village Board of Trustees (the “BOT”) for this opportunity to ask questions about their Future of the Scarsdale Pool Complex Presentation (the “Presentation”). The Board also thanks the Working Group and the Pool Redevelopment Advisory Committee for their time and effort on this project. In keeping with the League’s history as a non-partisan watchdog organization with a deep commitment to Scarsdale, the Board offers some questions for your consideration.
Community Input
What was the selection process for determining who served on the Pool Redevelopment Advisory Committee? Has the Committee expanded as the potential uses have expanded? Does it include any Scarsdale residents who are not current pool users?
How many Scarsdale residents have provided feedback on the designs in the Presentation? Does this reflect the “clear community direction” the Village is seeking (slide 7)?
A timely decision on the future of the pool complex is essential in order to limit the closure to one summer instead of two. Aside from the effect on the project timeline, what is the rationale for not putting this proposal to a public vote?
Will you conduct a survey to determine which of the scenarios has the most support? If not, how will you determine which scenario to pick?
Financing, Construction and Operational Costs
What is the Village’s process to identify and measure risks (such as tariffs) to the project?
Please explain to the community the Request for Proposal process used to select the consulting, municipal advisory, rating agency, legal, and construction firms involved in this project. Is there a current estimate of these associated costs, and when will more detailed information be available? Additionally, will all services be competitively bid, or will any be sole-sourced based on cost or other criteria?
Which potential, “Value Engineering” opportunities do you plan to seek, and who will make those decisions?
What strategies to attract Scarsdale residents to the new facility are under consideration, considering that “larger non-resident participation has been necessary to avoid deficits” (slide 15)?
How was future enrollment for resident and non-resident permits projected (slide 46)?
The Operational Plan on slide 7 references potential rental fees to be charged to the Scarsdale High School Swim Team, USA Swim Team, and the Masters School Swim Program for the use of the proposed indoor facility. What was the rationale for including those particular groups in the plan and what feedback, if any, have you received from each concerning their potential use of the indoor facility?
Is the pool being designed to be a competitive pool?
Financing Options and Credit Rating Implications
What are the pros and cons regarding the use of Village Fund Balance for this project? And if this is pursued, how could this impact the Village’s current credit rating?
What happens if the actual costs exceed the bond amount?
What are the pros and cons of taking out a short-term loan or establishing a credit facility vs. issuing Bond Anticipation Notes (BANs)?
Do the BANs, which would precede the bond issuance, need a credit rating?
How will the BANs and the pool bond impact the Village’s overall debt service ratio and are there rating implications?
When will you meet with Moody’s Rating Agency and/or a municipal advisor to receive feedback on the outlook for a possible credit rating of the BANs and the bond issuance?
Will any existing debt be refinanced or retired to offset this new bond?
What are the pros and cons of pursuing private funding sources (such as the library’s combination public and private funding mechanism)?
Tax Impact
Does the Village have a long-term financial plan that will incorporate the pool project alongside other anticipated projects, such as the potential re-development of Freightway and Village Hall renovations, so that taxpayers may understand the pool project in the context of current municipal capital priorities?
Thank you for your attention to the League’s questions. We look forward to your responses.
Tree Licensing Law
Also – in from the Village a Tree Licensing Law will take effect on January 1, 2026
Beginning January 1, 2026, all companies and individuals performing tree cutting, pruning, or removal in Scarsdale must obtain a Commercial Tree Service License from the Department of Public Works. The license applies to all tree work performed anywhere within the Village, whether the contractor is hired directly by a homeowner or working as a subcontractor.
This requirement, adopted under Local Law No. 6 of 2025, is intended to ensure that tree work in Scarsdale is performed safely, responsibly, and in accordance with Village environmental and noise regulations.
Complete applications and fees must be submitted to the Department of Public Works, 1001 Post Road. Licenses are issued on an annual basis and expire on December 31st of each year. The license fee is $250, which includes one vehicle decal; additional decals cost $10 each. Decals must be permanently displayed on the rear bumper or rear door of any vehicle used in the course of performing tree removal or related commercial tree services. At least one vehicle with a decal must be on the worksite.
Residents should also be aware that most private tree removals require a Tree Removal Permit from the Engineering Department under Chapter 281. A permit is required for the removal of any tree over 6 inches Diameter at Breast Height (DBH),
For more information about contractor licensing, please contact DPW at 914-722-1150. For information regarding tree removal permits, please contact the Engineering Department at 914-722- 1106 or visit the Village website for full guidance and forms.
Latimer Engages Local Residents by Forming 7 Citizens Task Forces
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On Monday December 1, U.S. Representative George Latimer (NY-16) announced the creation of seven citizen task forces. Each task force is comprised of residents who live or work in New York’s 16th District and chaired by a leader with expertise in the respective issue areas. The task force chairs will oversee organizational meetings with the aim to make recommendations to Rep. Latimer and his staff on legislation, funding, and administration policies that can benefit the residents of the 16th District.
The task forces will focus on the following seven areas:
-Energy & Environment
-Infrastructure
-Intergovernmental
-Veterans Affairs
-Foreign Policy & Military Affairs
-Jobs & Economy
-Social Services
“We are fortunate here in Westchester and the Bronx to have many talented and engaged people whose knowledge and expertise can benefit all our communities. We have assembled seven working groups with diverse professional backgrounds, and we are going to give them a chance to be part of how the sausage gets made in Washington,” said Rep. Latimer.
The task force Chair will convene an organizational meeting within the next 30 days and determine with Rep. Latimer’s staff the issues within the task force’s purview.
“When people think of Washington, they think of a concept in a faraway place that is out of reach and out of touch with everyday Americans. That is not how I have operated in my decades in public service. I have always sought community involvement and spend every day not in Washington meeting with residents in Westchester and the Bronx. Therefore, I am excited to bring the legislative process to my district,” Latimer concluded.
A number of prominent Scarsdale individuals will be serving on these task forces, including former Mayors Anne Janiak and Jane Veron and former Village Trustee and School Board Member Jonathan Lewis.
Task Forces, Chairs & Members:
Environment & Energy
Martin Rogowsky (Chair)
Nancy Seligson
Joe Carvin
John Isaac
Nina Orville
Infrastructure
Jonathan Lewis (Chair)
Morgen Fleisig
Harmeet Goindi
Noel Ellison
Rich Nightingdale
Dylan Pyne
Michael Stanton
Intergovernmental
Nancy Kaboolian (Chair)
Richard Harley
Chance Mullen
Hector Santana
Anne Janiak
Megan Glander
Ben Boykin
Veterans Affairs
Kevin Megett (Chair)
Bill Goodenough
Bob Cypher
Joe Bello
Rod Carlson
Foreign Affairs & Military Affairs
Asha Castleberry (Chair)
Betty Cotton
Bill Schrag
Tony Kollarmalil
Andy Laub
Jobs & Economy
Jane Veron (Chair)
Meena Thever
Andrew Regenstriech
Mark McLean
Kansas Asadoorizin
Beth Cheverie
Darnell Lopez
Valon Nikci
Social Services
Jane Fisher (Chair)
Judy Troilo
Beatriz Coronel
Maritza Fludd
Judith Watson
Tom Gabriel
Village and Schools Boards Confer on Capital Projects and More
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The Village Board and the School Board held a pre-Thanksgiving work session on Tuesday November 25 to discuss items of mutual interest to both boards.
Police
The meeting opened with Scarsdale Police Chief Steven DelBene reviewing the department’s collaboration with the schools to keep children safe.
After the school shootings at Sandy Hook in 2012, police began patrolling the two to three schools each day. The walk throughs helped police familiarize themselves with the layouts and workings of each school – and served to get staff and students used to seeing police in the schools. Though the initiative initially caused panic, now it has become commonplace.
Police also use school facilities for defensive tactic and active shooter training. The training is conducted on matted gym floors at the high school when students are not present. This is a federally funded program and the availability of school facilities allows police to attract trainers to host sessions for multiple departments.
Since 2022, police have access to school cameras which they can open in emergency situations such as fires or lockdowns.
Another collaboration involves Youth Detective Moleski who teaches over 30 classes at Scarsdale Middle School and Scarsdale High School.
Commenting on the collaboration, Mayor Justin Arest said he was grateful for the relationship which has made significant improvements since 2018. He said that he attended a recent active shooter training session and was impressed.
School Board member Amber Yusuf asked if police were looking at solutions for parking around the schools? She said, “Can we remove the 3-hour school parking limitations? I think there is a real problem with student parking – if they cannot park at the Girl Scout house students will get more tickets.”
Joint Field Study
Village Manager Alex Marshall reported that as a result of the Joint Field Study between the Village and the schools, the Village is proceeding with a turf field and parking lot at Winston Field. Funds are in the 2026 Village budget and traffic and a parking studies have been done. New tennis courts are also being built at Crossway.
The schools are considering field work to be funded by the upcoming school bond. In the plans are a turf field at Scarsdale Middle School that would allow for more playing time when the ground is wet. Two new basketball courts at Scarsdale Middle School are planned along with a field for the varsity girls softball team to be constructed at Greenacres School.
Also in the works is the addition of a turf practice field at Scarsdale High School. Plans have now been submitted to the state for approval and they hope to build it in the spring or summer.
The Mayor requested that if the Scarsdale Middle School project moves forward, culverts or retention basins could be installed underneath the turf to alleviate flooding.
Capital Projects
The two boards then turned to discussion of proposed capital projects:
Deputy Village Manager Dara Gruenberg explained that the Village is now considering three options for replacement of the Scarsdale Pool Complex.
The options are:
-A full indoor/outdoor pool complex with locker rooms, meeting rooms and more at $70.4mm
-An enhanced outdoor-only complex at $47 mm
-Replacement of the current facility: $35mm
-Close the pool complex.
There have been numerous public sessions to get feedback. The Village Board will hold a work session on December 16, 2025 to decide which way to go. She asked the school administration to consider whether or not they would use the pool for physical education classes for students.
School Board member Bob Klein raised the issue of the timing of large projects by both the schools and the Village. However the Mayor explained that the Village must move forward now to prevent the closure of the pool for more than one summer.
School Superintendent Andrew Patrick discussed the four components of the ongoing bond discussions.
Under consideration for spatial work are additions to Fox Meadow and Edgewood Elementary Schools and renovations of the libraries at Heathcote and the Scarsdale Middle School.
There is a long list of infrastructure upgrades to bring buildings up to current code.
The proposal includes funds to add air conditioning to large spaces such as cafeterias and gymnasiums at all seven schools as global warming is making it challenging to use these facilities when temperatures rise.
Last there are the field projects previously discussed.
At the December 15 meeting of the Board of Education, the board will hear a presentation of estimated construction costs. They now have prioritized about $113mm in work, and the Board has asked the administration to trim that to $100mm. the $10mm bond exceeds the current debt neutral $40mm bond that falls off in 2027-28 by $60 mm.
Freightway Garage
Last there was a brief discussion of the possibility of resuscitating plans to develop the Freightway site. Mayor Arest said the Village was looking to partner with the schools on developing plans which could enhance the Village and raise additional tax revenues. He said the Village would continue to maintain the garage until new plans were in place.
Village Board Meeting
Following the work session the Board of Trustees held their regular meeting and approved the following:
Placement of a menorah in Boniface Circle from December 5-8 by Westchester Reform Temple
Placement of a creche by IHM Church in Boniface Circle from December 19, 2025- January 2, 2026.
Acceptance of a gift of $159,871 from the Scarsdale Little League for the purchase and installation of dugouts, bleachers and fencing at Crossway Fields 1 and 2.
Appointment of Leo Naughton to the Committee for Historic Preservation.
Appointment of Seth Morgulas to the Board of Architectural Review.
Hiring Capitol Market Advisors to provide strategic financial consulting to the Village.
A Concrete Step Forward on Rebuilding Scarsdale Sidewalks
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In response to months of advocacy from the Council on People with Disabilities, the Scarsdale Village Board of Trustees held a work session on sidewalks and paving on Tuesday November 18, 2025 to address their concerns.
Village engineers opened the conversation with a recap of their study on the condition of Scarsdale’s 20 miles of sidewalks. A key early question centered on whether to rebuild the sidewalks with asphalt or concrete. Engineers and board members quickly aligned on concrete as the long-term solution: although more expensive upfront, concrete lasts 40–50 years compared to asphalt’s 10, making it significantly more cost-effective over time. They noted that asphalt may still be used for urgent temporary repairs when needed.
From there, the discussion turned to prioritization, staging, funding, and timelines. Engineers identified 6.5 miles of sidewalks rated “poor” or “failing,” ultimately recommending that the first-year pilot focus on 1.3 miles of the highest-use, highest-risk sections, namely sidewalks near schools, transit, and commuter routes. Mayor Justin Arest agreed that the village should move forward with a concrete-based rebuild beginning in fiscal year 2026. The Board currently has $295,000 allocated for sidewalks, but engineers estimate $700,000 is needed for the first phase, setting off a discussion about securing the remaining $400,000. Trustees emphasized that the initiative is focused on rebuilding existing sidewalks, not adding new ones at this time.
Residents offered thoughtful and passionate input during the public comment portion. Elizabeth Lawrence thanked village leadership for listening to residents and urged a multi-year plan, ideally within five years, to replace all asphalt sidewalks with concrete. She referenced successful work around the library as an example. She also noted that deteriorating sidewalks pose “a legal liability and a hazardous condition, especially for those with special needs.” Fox Meadow resident Marian Green voiced strong support for concrete, calling it an investment with an “immediate ROI and long term” impact, while urging the Board not to allow the project to become a slow, incremental “drip, drip, drip” process. Mayor Arest assured her that this is not the intention.
Longtime resident Barbara Greenbel, who has lived in Scarsdale for 60 years and recalls the construction of the original sidewalks, expressed satisfaction with the improvements near the library and pond, and asked the Board to examine the sidewalks on Fenimore Road. Resident Tom Schiera spoke about the need for safer crosswalks at Popham and Church Lane, sharing that his son, who has since recovered, was hit by a car on his electric bicycle at that location. Via Zoom, Susan Matula echoed the community’s gratitude and noted that while sidewalk maintenance has been underfunded for years, she is encouraged that this Board “appreciates the problem at hand and is ready to open the purse strings.”
After the meeting, Marian Green, Chair of the Scarsdale Advisory Council of People with Disabilities, noted that it has taken eight months of steady work to reach this point and said she left the meeting feeling optimistic. She emphasized that while the effort may have been initiated because people with disabilities struggle to navigate the deteriorated sidewalks, “It will enhance all pedestrian safety, from commuters, school children, parents, joggers, walk-to-worshippers, dog walkers, and anyone else who enjoys the pleasure of walking.”
In the end, the meeting marked a meaningful step toward safer, longer-lasting sidewalks and while funding and phasing details remain ahead, the shared commitment from village leaders and residents suggests that Scarsdale is finally on a real path to progress and lasting improvements.
Letter to the Editor What You Need to Know About the Scarsdale Pool Project
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The following letter was written by Susan Levine
Most residents seem not to know much about the proposals for the Scarsdale Pool renovation.
Those who have been pool members and love the four pools as they have always been would like to see them totally removed and then restored to their former glory with necessary upgrades to the pool building as well. The cost to all Scarsdale taxpayers would be 35 million dollars paid over 25 years. The value of restoring the 56 year-old outdoor pool complex as a valuable Scarsdale amenity for those who Need It as their summer refuge can be understood by everyone.
BUT here is the problem. A group of residents wants to remove the beloved outdoor Diving Pool and build instead a large structure with Indoor Lap Lanes and Diving Boards for use in the cold months. And add many new elements to a newly constructed building that are not necessary but only desired and very costly.
The Cost for residents in taxes would now Double to 70 Million dollars paid over 25 years and the tax amount Increases each year. The cost also Increases from the original estimates if your home’s assessment is over $1.6 million.
My sincere concern is that a minority of indoor lap swimming enthusiasts would appear not to mind adding a huge tax burden for everyone else in Scarsdale, the silent majority. For 25 years. And the large Indoor Lap Pool and Diving building with glass doors that open on one side in the summer changes the Outdoor Pool Complex that its members love just as it is ... forever.
