Village Manager Steve Pappalardo Announces July Retirement
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Scarsdale Village Manager Steve PappalardoScarsdale’s Village Manager, Stephen M. Pappalardo, has announced plans to retire in July 2021 after 30 years in Scarsdale. Pappalardo was promoted from Deputy Village Manager to Village Manager in 2015 when longtime Village Manager Al Gatta retired. Pappalardo shepherded the Village through many difficult situations including severe storms, the 2016 tax revaluation, legal challenges and the COVID outbreak. But it wasn’t all crisis management. Under his stewardship the Village undertook a major renovation and expansion of the library and launched sustainability initiatives that are now being replicated in other towns. In addition, he got Con Edison to agree to pay for extensive road repaving in the Village when they disrupt roadways for installation and repair of gas lines.
Commenting on his decision to retire, Pappalardo said, “It has been an honor and a privilege to have worked for the Village of Scarsdale for the past 30+ years and I will forever be grateful for the opportunity afforded me by the Village Board to serve as your Village Manager for the past five. My positive professional experiences working for the Village are too numerous to list, as are the many wonderful people I have encountered, many of whom have enriched me and influenced my life both professional and personally. I consider myself fortunate and it has truly been a great career in public service for the Village.
Mayor Marc Samwick commented, “Steve’s leadership, professionalism, and fiscal stewardship have not only resulted in the Village of Scarsdale being recognized in municipal government circles as a model for local governance, but his efforts to maintain and enhance Scarsdale’s broader reputation as a great place to live and raise a family have yielded meaningful results in that our local quality of life has continued to remain in the top tier of suburban communities regionally and nationally throughout his over three decades of esteemed public service.” Mayor Samwick added, “Steve has been – and will always be – a treasured member of the Scarsdale family.”
Although Manager Pappalardo will be retiring this year, he is continuing to press forward on matters of local importance, with a keen eye on the FY 2021-22 Annual Budget and other important work needing his focused attention. He related to the Village Board, “. . . there is still much Village work to complete over the next five months and I remain fully committed to this effort. My July 12, 2021, retirement date allows for the completion of the FY2021-22 budget process and the close of the finances for FY2020- 21. Both will better inform us toward a path forward for the Village government into the new June 01, 2021, fiscal year and beyond, as we transition from COVID-19 back to normal operations.”
We asked Pappalardo what he planned to do after he leaves Scarsdale and he made it clear that he has lots to accomplish before he steps down in July. He said, “I’ve still got five months to go and much work to complete, not the least of which is the most difficult budget in a decade. That being the case, I plan on taking the summer months to consider my next move, but I envision working in some capacity leaving time for family, friends and hobbies.”
How do you Perceive Diversity and Inclusion in Scarsdale? Give Your Input
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The Ad Hoc Council to Combat Racism and Bias (CCRB), formed by resolution of the Village Board on July 20, 2020, is interested in learning about your viewpoints on diversity and inclusion in Scarsdale, including the incidence of discrimination and bias within the community.
To that end, the CCRB has been conducting listening sessions over the past several months with various segments of our community and is now expanding outreach to solicit insights and experiences from all residents, as well as others who visit, work, and have other occasion to be in Scarsdale. While such sessions have been focused on gaining insights from target Scarsdale population to-date, the next listening session, being held on Wednesday, January 27, at 8:00 PM by ZOOM, is to hear from all Scarsdale residents wishing to express their viewpoint or relate a specific experience. To participate, please send an email to the CCRB using [email protected] and a confirmation will be provided, including the information needed to join the listening session. Please note that the CCRB listening sessions are not public meetings; only persons wishing to convey their relevant viewpoints and experience(s) are invited to participate and there will not be opportunity for Q&A or other form of public comment.
To facilitate broad public participation in this effort, including persons unable to attend a CCRB listening session, the CCRB has launched a Community Experience Questionnaire.
Every Scarsdale resident is requested to complete the online questionnaire, indicating whether they have experienced racism, bias, or discrimination in Scarsdale, and if so, to share such experiences with the Council. In addition, please provide ideas focused on how Scarsdale can be a more inclusive community. Non-residents are encouraged to complete the questionnaire, as well. Hard copies are available in the Village Hall lobby and may also be requested by emailing [email protected]. Feedback received will help to inform future public meetings on this topic and help to shape the findings and recommendations report that will be prepared and presented to the Village Board. Please take time to complete the Community Experience Questionnaire today.
Conservation Advisory Council Recommends Changes to Village Code Regarding the Use of Gas-Powered Leaf Blowers
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The following was written by the Scarsdale Conservation Advisory Council (CAC)
Did the constant noise of leaf blowers this fall make you crazy? The onset of Covid-19, necessitating many residents to work from home and students to attend school from home, has created a heightened awareness of the negative effects of gas leaf blowers and has caused renewed requests from the community to address this issue. The Scarsdale Conservation Advisory Council (CAC) recently studied this issue at the request of the Village Board of Trustees and submitted a report, Mitigating the Health, Environmental, and Quality of Life Impacts of Gas Leaf Blowers, to the Board with recommendations on how to bring our community some much needed relief.
The CAC is proposing three strategies to address the negative impacts of gas leaf blowers: (1) implement “quiet days” when gas leaf blowers are prohibited; (2) limit gas leaf blower use to the time of the year when they are needed; and (3) promote the use of electric leaf blowers. The CAC believes this approach will significantly help address the noise impact, air pollution, and adverse health effects of gas leaf blowers.
The proposal seeks to mitigate the negative impacts of gas leaf blowers in a reasonable way that can be feasibly implemented by landscapers and homeowners. Advances in electric leaf blower technology have made it possible to use electric leaf blowers successfully during certain times of the year and for most landscaping needs. The proposal will both help alleviate the impacts of gas leaf blowers as well as support a longer-term shift to electric leaf blowers. With the approval of the CAC proposal, Scarsdale would join a number of other municipalities in Westchester that have recently enacted regulations to limit the impacts of gas leaf blowers.
To support the CAC proposals please write the Mayor and Trustees at [email protected] to make sure your voice is heard. The Board of Trustees is also holding a working session to discuss the CAC proposal on January 12, 2021 at 5:30 p.m. Residents are also encouraged to log onto the working session meeting to hear more about the issue and proposed solutions. The meeting agenda and working session zoom link can be found here.
A copy of the full CAC leaf blower report is available here.
Trustees Agree to Hold a Public Hearing on Proposed Limitations on Gas Leaf Blowers
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Prior to the Village Board meeting on1-12, Trustees held a work session to review recommendations from the Conservation Advisory Council on limiting the use of gas leaf blowers which the CAC’s recent report says are noisy and negatively impact the environment and the health of those who use them. Similar bans have been enacted in other towns in Westchester. According to Michelle Sterling, Chair of the CAC, they “proposed an incremental set of requirements that would be reasonable and feasible and strike a balance between the need for peace and quiet with the desire for a manicured property.”
The discussion centered around two option of three options.
The first is to bar the use of gas-powered blowers from Saturday – Monday during leaf season, and also ban them in May. (They are already banned from June to September.)
Option three designates Saturday and Sunday as quiet days in leaf season and also bans gas-powered leaf blowers in May.
The discussion centered on the ability of landscapers and the Village to use battery-powered electric leaf blowers to clean up leaves when the gas-powered leaf blowers are banned. The CAC contended that it’s necessary to change behavior for the public good and that residents and landscapers would adapt once these new regulations were enforced. Sterling argued “Code changes influence behavior. Larchmont implemented a full year ban – and so did Irvington. Landscapers who have battery powered electric blowers will get more business and those with gas blowers will get less. It will cause a market shift.”
Village Manager Steve Pappalardo was concerned that Village crews would have fewer days in leaf season to clean up leaves before snowfalls and that education would be required to change landscapers’ practices. He said, “The gas leaf blowers are faster.” He expressed reservations about the ability of the current Village staff to enforce the regulations, saying, “The code enforcer we have is busy with building code violations. Enforcement will fall on the police department. We would need to have dedicated crews to go out in the neighborhood and look for landscapers looking for leaf blowers and take appropriate action.”
Trustee Jonathan Lewis asked for a financial analysis of the proposal. He saw the fines as a potential revenue source for the Village, especially if the fees were graduated. He said, “The fines which will help us become more sustainable. If you have hefty fines for violations, and make the third offense $1,000, it can be a “six figure revenue generator” and you can get compliance.”
Police Chief Andrew Matturro reported that police were giving out “70 tickets per year on average for use of leaf blowers in the summer months … We have had a ban on gas leaf blowers from June 1 to September 30 since 1993.” He said, “We are trying to change behavior with the fines, but cautioned, “We will have difficulty doing that alone as a Police Department.”
Trustee Seth Ross asked, “There will be additional operational costs for residents and landscapers. I would want to know from landscapers what the additional costs will be and what their issues will be and how that will affect the residents. Are they willing to do this at no additional cost?”
Trustee Justin Arest expressed support for Option 3 and said, “We do want to hear more from the community – we would want to call for a public hearing.”
Trustee Randy Whitestone said, “We are in transition on the technology. I would like to gather input. I am in favor of one of these options – I don’t know which one.”
During public comments, former Trustee Bill Stern said, “One of the functions of government is to protect people from themselves. The gas blower situation has been studied, including by NIH that shows it is not just the noise, it’s the long-term effect on the population. Gas blowers push out an enormous amount of pollution – which induces asthma on a long-term basis. They diminish hearing.”
Madelaine Eppenstein, representing Friends of the Scarsdale Parks, said they support option 1 as a first step. She said, “This is an incredibly important issue and the Village should consider that there does come a time to make more progress.”
Elaine Weir said, “It’s good for the workers. The faster we get rid of the gas powered blowers the better.”
Dr. Darlene LeFrancois Haber said, “This is an issue of public health. These two stroke engines are extremely hazardous. They are not blowing air. The fumes are invisible. My patients are the landscapers. Am I concerned about my health? Yes, but not concerned enough to stop going to work and taking care of my patients. The landscapers don’t cover their ears. They have hearing loss and headaches. We need to do the right thing for them. We are part of the problem right now. I strongly support option one.”
Susan Douglass agreed wholeheartedly with what has been said. She said, “I am a proponent of option 1. There is a strong educational component here. Landscapers resist change – but if you say this is what you must do they will do it and accept it.”
Robert Alonzi Jr., the Golf Course Superintendent at Fenway asked “How do you feel this will translate for other industries? It will have a dramatic impact on the way we operate.”
Sterling responded that there is an exemption for golf courses and schools, and a proposal for a buffer within 100 feet of a residence.
Trustee Lena Crandall proposed that the Board pass a resolution to bring the matter to a public hearing and the trustees agreed to schedule one.
Letter Re: Prospective Retroactive Tax Increase on Wealthy New Yorkers
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The New York State Legislature is considering imposing new tax levies on wealthy state residents to fill the gap in the state budget partially due to the coronavirus crisis. Senators may vote to make these higher rates retroactive to an earlier point in 2020. These revenues would be used to avoid cuts to education and social service funding.
Scarsdale resident Lena Crandall objects to a retroactive tax increase on New Yorkers and sent the following letter to Andrea Stewart-Cousins and Assemblywoman Amy Paulin as a private citizen, not on behalf of the Scarsdale Board of Trustees, where she is a member of the board.
Here is her letter:
An open letter to NYS Senator Andrea Stewart-Cousins and Assemblywoman Amy Paulin:
I am writing to express my concern that the New York State Assembly is considering enacting significant tax increases in the midst of the negative economic impact the pandemic is having on many businesses and residents. In addition, I am strongly opposed to the NYS Senate's proposal to make any tax increases retroactive to 2020. New York State already has taxes that are among the highest in the country. The loss of the SALT deduction has made the tax burden a much more significant economic issue. The number of my friends and acquaintances who are considering relocating to a tax friendlier jurisdiction is unprecedented. I am very concerned that while these tax increases may help address a short-term budget hole, they will result in a long term loss of tax revenue as those individuals and businesses that are able to relocate will.
Businesses have learned from the pandemic that allowing employees to work remotely can be a successful economic model, with less need for office space in New York City or State. Many Scarsdale homeowners have also discovered that they can work from anywhere. Substantial tax increases targeted at NYS residents and businesses that the State depends upon the most as a tax base for long-term economic stability are not in the best interests of our State or local communities.
From a governance standpoint, I am particularly disappointed that many people are unaware of not only the potential tax hike, but that it may be applied retroactively to the 2020 tax year. Your unsuspecting residents are currently dealing with a major snowstorm, the holidays, year-end business matters and a deadly pandemic. Many of those impacted will be caught off guard in January or April 2021 when they do their tax returns and find out that their tax bills for 2020 are significantly higher than anticipated.
Please focus on good process: Discuss appropriate measures to address the budget shortfalls in the New Year when everyone is paying attention. Remember why you went into public service and the promises you made to work in a clear, transparent way to represent all New Yorkers.
Respectfully,
Lena Crandall*
227 Fox Meadow Road
Scarsdale, New York 10583
*I am writing this letter as a private citizen and not on behalf of the Village of Scarsdale.
