Accolades for Veron and Lewis at the Final Meeting of the Village Board
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Rob Cole, Jonathan Lewis, Jane Veron and Randy WhitestoneThere was praise around the dais at Village Hall at the final Village Board meeting for departing Mayor Jane Veron and Trustee Jonathan Lewis on March 28, 2023. Veron completed two years as Mayor and four and a half years as Village Trustee, as her service was extended due to the delayed election during COVID, and Lewis concluded four years as Village Trustee. At a meeting that extended to 11 pm, the two were rewarded with words for hundreds of hours of volunteer work on behalf of the residents of Scarsdale.
Veron went first, thanking the Village staff, her colleagues on the board and community volunteers. She called the staff, “dedicated, professional and cutting edge,” and applauded their ability to deliver for residents.
To Village Manager Rob Cole she said, “we worked side by side to ensure excellence,” and credited Deputy Village Manager Alexandra Marshall for her tremendous work ethic.
She recognized each Board member individually, commenting on Ken Mazer’s “warm and welcoming way, his good questions and frequent outreach and his success at increasing volunteer involvement.”
To Jeremy Gans she said, “I am impressed by your passion, strong grasp of the details and commitment to the community.” She noted his understanding of residents’ recreation interests, his spot-on questions and thoughtful insights.
She called Karen Brew a dedicated and insightful partner who did a great job managing the MRTA (Marijuana Regulation and Taxation Act) decision for the Board. Veron said Brew “championed myriad impactful initiatives, shepherded the pool process and carried an enormous portfolio for the village.”
To Sameer Ahuja, she said, “We have transformed our IT capabilities and developed a strategic vision for our telecom platform. You have been actively involved in improvement efforts and embraced the pool project.”
She thanked Trustee Randy Whitestone for being a wonderfully supportive Deputy Mayor and offering “sage advice.” She called him our “go to communications expert,” and said she was “guided by excellent questions, strategic listening, improved stewardship and transparency.”
Turning to Jonathan Lewis she said, “We leave together… you brought a strategic vision of excellence.” As out Public Safety chair you forged a “Long term sustainable relationship between the Village and the Schools ….. you leave the community far better off.” She thanked him for his financial acumen and his insightful questions, saying “You nudged us into new territory.”
Turning to her parents, husband and two daughters who were present in the audience she said, “I could not have done this without the support of the family. They lived with my commitment to government. I can’t tell you enough how much I appreciate you rallying around me.” She said it was her daughter’s 18th birthday and said, “I hope you all carry my love with you.”
County Executive George Latimer and Deputy Ken Jenkins came to Village Hall and presented Veron with a proclamation. Latimer praised both Veron and Scarsdale’s Non-Partisan System which he learned about as a member of the County Board of Legislators 30 years ago.
Ken Jenkins, Jane Veron and George Latimer
He said, “There is nothing like this system anywhere else in Westchester. You have a lot to be proud of… I see the wisdom and benefit of this system to the people who live in Scarsdale. Why don’t we have more of this in Westchester? This is not about getting your brother in law a job. The Village staff are professionals. This is an admirable system.”
Turning to Jane Veron he said, “You can be duly proud of your exemplary leadership. It is a community with a structure that works beautifully.” He said, “There is a time to come and a time to go. I hope I can help you to find a path to more service.”
Ken Jenkins read the proclamation and said that March 29 would be Jane Veron day in Westchester, with her name on the jumbotron at the Westchester County Center.
There were accolades from the public as well as fellow trustees. Here are a few excerpts:
The LWVS thanked Veron for the strategic and financial process, encouraging community engagement, ensuring transparency and being accessible and approachable. They thanked Lewis for strengthening cyber security, modernizing technology and managing Village reserves.
Trustee Jeremy Gans told Lewis, “You have benefited every resident of the Village by improving how we invest our money. You are a passionate advocate for safety.”
To Veron, he said, “Sometimes people ask me if I want to be Mayor…. But given how hard Jane works, my answer is NO. You contribute countless hours to make Scarsdale a better place…. You are always available… you respond to every single email from residents… you make sure everyone feels heard… Thank you for your guidance for me and your service to Scarsdale.”
Ken Mazer said, “When people ask me what I think about Mayor Veron I say, “She should not be Mayor – she is too good for the Village. I hope you will use these skillls in the future….You empathize, you acknowledge and you care. Your strategic vision and the soft touch is unique and valuable.
Karen Brew said to Veron, “You outperformed even my highest expectations. You do everything with thought and caring. You kicked off your term with the four pillars. You brought remarkable institutional knowledge to the job. You work tirelessly to make Scarsdale the best it can be. I gained a trusted colleague and a friend.”
To Lewis she said, “You moved mountains with the schools. You understood that work needed to be done for communal safety. You broke down barriers that led to strategic result and challenged past practices and brought new ideas to the dais. Jonathan you have added so much over four years on the Board.”
Completing his remarks on the dais, Sameer Ahuja said about Lewis, “I have sat next to him for the last two years. I have been waiting to sit in his chair – it looks more comfortable….I disagreed with him often but he made healthy disagreement and challenge cool again. I hope we can continue to engage in robust and eloquent debate. The village, county, the state are expecting more from you.”
To Veron he said, “After more than six years on the Village Board I knew there would be many accolades and I did not want to be redundant. … The world needs good leaders. Jane is a great leader. A true leader leaves things better than they were before she got there and residents are better off than they were 2 and 6 years ago.”
Deputy Mayor Randy Whitestone called Veron a “change agent,” who “created a blueprint for government moving forward.” He said, “You have worked us hard but also worked yourself hard. Your rigorous approach to decision making will outlast you. You served an extra six months as trustee and you hold the all-time record for the longest serving member of the board.”
To Jonathan he said, “My dear friend. I have been fortunate to have you during a time of fiscal dislocation. Your financial talents have been a gift. … You are a deep student of history with perspective and a knowledge of cautionary tales. You are always up for a debate and you relish a good discussion because a healthy exchange improves the decision. You’ve been the conscious of the board.”
Jonathan Lewis said he was honored to serve the Village for seven years, three on the Board of Education and four on the Board of Trustees. He offered these parting words:
1.People move here because they are drawn to a community of engagement and civic values. Those people, our neighbors, are our greatest resource. Figuring out how to engage them more consistently and deeply is our greatest challenge and opportunity. This mission, engagement, should be integrated into every aspect of how we conduct business.
2. The nonpartisan system works. Excellence in local governance is technocratic and skills based, not political. It is built on a solid foundation of transparency and integrity. Embracing technology and modern communications techniques to enhance transparency further is essential.
3. For this to be meaningful, there must be open debate and then collaboration. The nonpartisan system does not demand unanimous votes or consensus thinking. Without vigorous debate, I believe the nonpartisan system loses credibility. We strengthen it when we offer alternative viewpoints and debate them in a fact based, process driven manner. This thoroughness of debate strengthens the nonpartisan system. This gives the nonpartisan system its credibility.
4. Yet, we faces challenges. The world is speeding ahead, the private sector is evolving in structure and practice at an extraordinary rate. We must recognize that Darwinism applies to government too. Local government’s place in our social ecosystem rests on its will to thrive and survive. We need to continue to evolve municipal government at a fast rate - if we are to sustain it as a successful organism of a vibrant society.. In these past 2 years there has been much progress, we can not rest, there is more hard work ahead. I will be cheering from the sidelines.
5. That evolution in government means rethinking our value proposition and service package, our structure and staffing, and considering new ways to collaborate internally and externally with other organizations. That work is well underway and must continue it as well.
6. Finally, how do we sustain excellence in municipal government? People, process, performance. We are fortunate to have an excellent team in place and the accomplishments of the past 2 years were only possible because of the revived leadership in our government, led by our Village Manager Robert Cole, and the team he has assembled.
Lewis thanked each of his colleagues individually and ended with this quote from Henry David Thoreau, “To affect the quality of the day, that is the highest of arts.”
What You Missed at the Scarsdale Democrats’ March Meeting
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Featured guests were County Executive George Latimer, County Legislator Ben Boykin, State Senator Shelley Mayer and State Assemblywoman Amy Paulin. Boykin and Latimer discussed the Trustful Disclosure bill which would require candidates for county office to provide their credentials for the public record, to avoid future “George Santos” situations. Latimer reported that crime is down in Westchester. All officials expressed reservations over some aspect of the governor’s budget; Mayer and Paulin both described their efforts to make sure that the final budget works for our community and others in the state.
All are welcome to the Scarsdale Democrats' monthly meetings. The next meeting will be April 20 at 8:00 pm in the top floor meeting room of Village Hall.
Your locally elected Democrat District Leaders will be knocking on doors in the coming weeks to collect the signatures needed to put candidates on the ballot in November. To learn more about getting involved in the local party visit: www.scarsdaledemocrats.org.
Westchester County D.A. Holds Court at Scarsdale Library
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- Written by: Deborah Skolnik
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Libraries, stereotyped as places where stern librarians hush visitors, are thought of as paragons of law and order. But on Sunday, March 12th, Scarsdale Public Library took things to the next level when the Scarsdale Forum hosted Westchester District Attorney Mimi Rocah for an informative, hour-long talk. Heading into her third year in office, she spoke about her experiences on the job so far, from victories to continuing challenges. A rapt audience listened to her reflections, while also volunteering thoughtful questions.
To kick off the conversation, a moderator asked Rocah to list the three accomplishments she is proudest to have achieved in her two years in office thus far. “Top of mind, it’s in creating the conviction review unit,” she said. This team, she explained, closely examines convictions to ensure the correct person is being punished. “It is something that I think every modern prosecutor's office needs to have,” Rocah contended. “I'm sure you've read in the news that innocent people do get convicted of crimes…it's a guardrail against that.”
Next, she cited her office’s work with crime prevention through diversionary programs. Typically, these initiatives direct eligible felons with mental health or substance abuse issues into treatment programs rather than prison. “But [my office] said, ‘what about people who are committing lower-level crimes—the misdemeanors, the small-non-violent, low-level first-time offenders and second offenders?’ We want to get those people social services and get them out of the criminal justice system at that early stage,” Rocah shared. She and her office have made numerous efforts towards this goal, including by creating Fresh Start, a diversion program which lets participants avoid a court record.
Lastly, Rocah expressed pride in structural changes she has made within her office. “Some of those would literally put you to sleep,” she joked. To make things simple, she focused on one key shift: reducing the number of prosecutors who work on a given case. “Maybe two people [now] have the case, and they have it through the life of the case,” she says. The end result is that the system is more victim-centered and responsive.
Rocah’s partner in the presentation was Berit Berger, Executive Assistant District Attorney for Policy and Strategic Initiatives, and Chief Ethics Officer. Berger explained what a massive undertaking some of the restructuring has been. “We have a hundred and thirty line prosecutors, assistant district attorneys, thirty-four criminal investigators, and over ninety support staff,” she explained.
Rocah also brought up a rule she instituted: “When there is a violent crime or homicide, someone from our office will contact the victim or the family of the victim within 24 hours,” she said. In addition, her office has set up a streamlined hotline, so callers aren’t drawn into a black hole of transfers. To address hate and bias crimes, she has appointed a special coordinator who makes sure such offenses are tracked and prosecuted when possible.
As the event progressed, Rocah and Berger reflected on their efforts working with the federal government and local organizations for better gun control. “One of the things we’re making a push on is to educate the community about the tools we have, because you can have the strongest gun rules in the country, but they’re not self-executing,” Berger said. “If people don’t know about them, we can’t use them.” The office has also reached out to schools to share the red flags that a teen is in danger of shooting themselves or others.
Of course, Rocah still faces challenges as well. One audience member, who volunteers at the Pace Women’s Justice Center, asked what is being done to address domestic violence. Rocah acknowledged that the D.A.’s office could use more resources in that area, but stressed that within the past six months, it developed a Misdemeanor Domestic Violence Bureau. The group’s mission is to make sure that local courts that handle domestic violence cases be supervised by a prosecutor who specializes in this area.
Yet not all crimes involve physical violence. Rocah spoke about the new head of her office’s Cyber Crimes Bureau, who has years of experience addressing the problem. When another attendee asked what was being done to prevent scams aimed at the elderly, Rocah reassured him that her office has an Economic Crimes Bureau focused on such issues. Not surprisingly, the topic of cannabis use came up as well. “This whole landscape is really changing,” Rocah acknowledged. Her office, she said, is particularly concerned on the sale of cannabis to minors, as well as those who drive under the influence.
For anyone interested in learning what other problems the Westchester County District Attorney’s Office can help with, its website (https://www.westchesterda.net/) has useful guidance. Simply by attending the afternoon’s talk with Rocah, though, audience members came away with a wealth of insights.
Photo Credit: Lisa Van Gundy
Pictured at top: Mimi Rocah and Berit Berger
Pictured above: Mimi Rocah, Susan Douglass, Berit Berger and Eli Mattioli
Assemblymember Amy Paulin Awards 2023 NYS Women of Distinction
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Assemblymember Amy Paulin has awarded ten women of Scarsdale and Edgemont with the NYS Assembly 2023 Women of Distinction Award. The award honors and recognizes local women who have worked to improve their communities and positively impact the lives of others. Each year Assemblymember Paulin awards applicants from different towns in her district, and this year she awarded the women of Scarsdale and Edgemont. Awards were given for work and accomplishments in the following categories: education, health care, humanitarian work and community volunteerism.
The winners are (in alphabetical order) Sarah Bell, Wendy Gendel, Marcy Berman Goldstein, Dr. Darlene Haber, Dr. Supriya Jain, Elaine Lu, Pamela Montgomery, BK Munguia, Tracey Tsai and Khushbu Upadhyay, and were honored at an awards ceremony on Sunday, March 5 at 3:00 p.m. at the Scarsdale Library.
“It’s important that we recognize the remarkable women who are working to effect positive change in our communities,” said Assemblymember Paulin. “That is why, in celebration of Women’s History Month, it is important to pay tribute to those who are helping to make our communities a more vibrant place to call home. I am amazed and in awe of their tremendous accomplishments and contributions to our community. Awarding these remarkable women as NYS Assembly Women of Distinction was a pleasure and an honor.”
(Pictured Above)
Back: Tracey Tsai (with the glasses and the pink scarf), Marcy Berman Goldstein, Wendy Gendel
Middle: Khushbu Upadhyay, Darlene Haber, Amy Paulin, Supriya Jain, Pamela Montgomery, BK Munguia
Front: Sarah Bell, Elaine Lu
Justin Arest: Candidate For Scarsdale Village Mayor
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The election for Village Mayor, Trustees and Village Justice is coming up on Tuesday March 21, with voting at Scarsdale Public Library. Former 2-term Village Trustee Justin Arest, has been nominated by the Scarsdale Citizens' Non-Partisan Party as their candidate for Mayor of Scarsdale. See below for his views on some of the issues that are top of mind at Scarsdale Village Hall.
Tell us about yourself – including your past volunteer work and your professional life.
I have lived in Scarsdale for 10 years with my wife Allison and our two children. Volunteerism has always been a priority for me. Shortly after moving to Scarsdale, I applied to serve on the Village Zoning Board of Appeals and was fortunate to be appointed. During my four years on the Zoning Board, I became familiar with our code and how the village operates. In my experience, volunteer work in Scarsdale leads to more and more involvement. I also served on the Library’s Capital Campaign Committee and Building Committee and the Village’s ad hoc Communications Committee as well as on the Board of the Scarsdale Forum among other civic committees. In 2018, I was elected to the Village Board where I served for two terms, including being appointed Deputy Mayor by two mayors, Mayor Samwick and Mayor Veron.
As for my professional career, I have spent the last 15 years investing in and managing commercial real estate. I have a BS in Finance and International Business from NYU Stern and a JD from the George Washington University Law School. Much of my experience regularly working with architects, engineers, designers, branding firms, lawyers, and finance professionals, prepared me well for the responsibilities and challenges that I faced as a Village Trustee and I am confident will do the same in the role of Mayor.
Why do you want to serve as Mayor? How do you think you can contribute?
I believe that my local civic experience over the past decade, particularly my service on the Board of Trustees and as Deputy Mayor, coupled with my legal education and business background, has prepared me to be Scarsdale’s next Mayor. I have forged strong working relationships with the Village Manager and his office as well as the various Department Heads. I have worked tirelessly with and for Scarsdale residents in myriad roles, and I would be honored for the opportunity to continue to serve our community.
Over the past five years, I have been proud to be part of the transformation of our municipal government. There have been numerous improvements made in various areas including finance and personnel. Our budget process is now more transparent and accessible. I also helped to improve the Board’s hiring process for critical positions. During my tenure, I was an active participant in filling multiple department head positions, including Village Manager. Despite all of the great work we have accomplished, there remains a lot of important projects ahead as we continue shaping the Scarsdale of 2030 and beyond.
There are many initiatives pending before this Village Board including the pool renovation, the traffic study and changes to the Village Center. How would you prioritize these projects and what would be your process for reaching consensus so that we can move forward?
Should I be fortunate to serve as Mayor, my first task would be discussing these projects with my fellow board members and village staff as well as listening to the community. While I have remained engaged and attentive this last year since the end of my term on the Village Board, a lot of important work has been done in many areas and I believe it’s prudent to listen to others before projecting priorities. I look forward to meeting with the Board and staff and speaking with residents and other community stakeholders. I hope to collaborate with my colleagues to continue moving our community forward and planning for the next decade. We have numerous infrastructure challenges that need to be addressed and the time to plan to prioritize and tackle those is now.
The Governor has called for increased housing in suburbs along the Metro North line. Though this has not yet been passed by the NYS legislature, this is the second year in a row she has made a call to increase housing in general and affordable housing in our area. Do you anticipate that the Village Board will reconsider a multi-use development project like the proposals we received for development at Freightway? What is your view on this? Also discuss your thoughts on her proposed plan to override local zoning code and mandate 3% housing growth every three years.
Having been very involved in the early stages of a potential Freightway project, I am keenly aware of the community’s concerns for the impact development can have on our schools, infrastructure, and the environment. I am monitoring this closely and am very appreciative of the comments already made by Assembly Member Paulin and State Senator Mayer.
Several years ago, the Village hired an outside attorney rather than having an in-house attorney on staff. What’s your view on this – how’s it working?
I think the model is working well. I was a strong proponent of this change when it happened. I think having a bench of legal experts readily available to the Board and staff has provided better information and depth of knowledge and experience.
What is your view on the tax cap – and exceeding it if necessary?
I believe it is the responsibility of every local government to provide the services its residents desire, while doing so in a way that is fiscally responsible and minimizes the tax burden on its residents. There are only limited tools available to a Village Board to balance its budget. And, if the choice is between a tax increase commensurate with the investments that our community needs or additional deferrals, choosing the latter option could be more expensive in the long run. The tax cap formula accounts for inflation but only up to 2%. Therefore, it may become quite challenging to remain under the cap if inflation remains at or near its current level. Regardless, I do not take the fiduciary duty bestowed upon the Board lightly and will continue to work hard to find ways to minimize the tax burden on our residents. This will require continuous focus on improving our government’s efficiency.
Con Ed has embarked on an ambitious project to upgrade the gas lines in Scarsdale. Other than road repair, do you think there is anything more we can get for them in exchange for this disruption?
The Village has spoken with Con Edison at various times over the past few years about running conduits under the ground for future work as well as better coordination with our Department of Public Works that oversees our infrastructure (e.g. paving and water/sewer lines). There has been some improvement in coordination but no success in burying lines or at least providing future options. However, that does not mean that the Village has given up in trying to effect change. No one on the Village Board or staff that I have worked with takes the disruptions on residents lightly. I hope to continue keeping pressure on the utility providers and the Public Service Commission to do better for Scarsdale, particularly during emergencies.
Scarsdale Citizens Non-Partisan Party cordially invites community members to stop by for a candidate meet and greet on Sunday, March 19th from 3:00 - 4:30pm at the Scarsdale Public Library. This is an opportunity for residents of the village to meet the candidates for an informal gathering. The candidates are Justin Arest for Mayor; Sameer Ahuja, Karen Brew and Dara Gruenberg for Village Trustee; and Cynthia Dunne for Village Justice. The event will take place in the Scott Room. Refreshments will be available. As a reminder, the Village election is on Tuesday, March 21st at the Scarsdale Public Library from 6am to 9pm.
