At Village Hall: Trustee Commended for Saving a Life, LWVS Poses Questions About Pool Project

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.