Supervisor's E-Newsletter
October 2020

Early Voting at Town Center

I’m pleased to report that early voting has been very successful thus far. As of Friday, October 30^th, more than 7,700 people have voted at the Town Center and over 1,100 absentee ballots have been dropped off. There have been long lines each day, but, for the most part, the lines have moved quickly resulting in wait times ranging from 15 minutes to an hour and a half. Deputy Fire Chief Shawn Hughes has done a commendable job greeting voters and managing the voter waiting line. LMC Media installed a line-cam to give people a chance to check out the waiting line to help decide when to come vote. The voter turnout and enthusiasm are very encouraging.

All registered voters are eligible to cast their ballots early or drop off an absentee ballot during the early voting period which ends this Sunday, November 1st. Those dropping off absentee ballots do not need to wait in line.

Westchester County registered voters can go to any of the designated early voting polling sites to vote. The Mamaroneck Town Center located at 740 W Boston Post Road is the closest early voting site for Town residents.

If you are interested in voting early at the Town Center, the weekend schedule is noted below.

Saturday, October 31st: 12:00 p.m. – 6:00 p.m.
Sunday, November 1st: 12:00 p.m. – 6:00 p.m.

Please note, if you choose to vote on Election Day, Tuesday, November 3^rd, you must vote at the assigned polling site for your District. Some district locations have recently changed, so please confirm the location by checking here: https://voterlookup.elections.ny.gov/

Early Voting at Mamaroneck Town Center

Budget Season

The Town Board is in the process of reviewing the 2021 Tentative Budget presented by the Town Administrator. It’s a challenge to prepare a budget for 2021 given the unchartered territory of the financial impacts due to COVID-19. Some of the Town revenues and expenses will be very challenging to determine for 2021. One significant advantage the Town has is the financial strength of the Town government. Our adherence to the Town’s surplus management policy affords a healthy fund balance that can be accessed during this difficult and uncertain time. We will continue to plan and budget based on a conservative approach to projected revenue streams and expenses. There will be two Town Board budget meetings, one on Saturday, November 7^th and the other on Thursday, November 19^th. Residents are welcome to attend. Both meetings will be held in-person at the Mamaroneck Senior Center, 1288 W. Boston Post Road. The meeting on November 7^th will start at 8:30 am and the meeting on November 19^th will begin at 5:00 pm. The details of these meetings will be posted on the Town’s website.

Recreation News

Come enjoy a swim at the Hommocks Pool! The Hommocks Pool opened earlier this week to residents and non-residents alike. On-line reservations are required and can be made up to one week in advance.

Pool hours:

Tuesdays and Thursdays:

4:00 pm – 5:20 pm
5:30 pm – 6:50 pm

Saturdays and Sundays:
10:00 am – 11:50 am
12 Noon – 1:50 pm
Residents: $8 per person weekdays, $10 per person weekends
Rye Neck and non-residents: $10 per person weekdays, $12 per person weekends. Please visit https://www.townofmamaroneckny.org/327/Hommocks-Pool for reservations and other pertinent details.

Hommocks Pool

Also, the Recreation Department, in coordination with the Fire Department, have organized the first-ever Halloween Drive-Thru this Saturday between 1:00 pm and 3:00 pm at the commuter parking lot on Myrtle Blvd. Bring the kids for a contact-less, safe Halloween trick or treat extravaganza featuring Town staff and elected officials dressed in costumes in treat booths! For additional information about celebrating Halloween 2020, visit guidelines from the NYS Department of Health featured on the Town website.

Open Volunteer Positions

Housing Authority: Two open positions. The Housing Authority is comprised of five members, each serving a term of five years. It was established in 1992 under the Public Housing Law of New York State to provide affordable housing within the Town, including the Hommocks Park Apartments. Candidates with property maintenance experience and financial expertise would be welcomed to apply.
Recreation Commission: One open position that requires a Village of Mamaroneck resident. The Recreation Commission is comprised of seven members, each serving a term of seven years. It was established in 1954 to review and recommend recreation programs, activities and the development or expansion of facilities for the unincorporated area of the Town of Mamaroneck. Meetings are held on the second Tuesday of every month.

If you are interested in being considered to serve on one of these committees, please send a letter of interest and resume to me at supervisor@townofmamaroneckny.org

Student Sustainability Ambassadors

This summer a team of energetic student sustainability ambassadors gave a boost to the environment through their volunteer efforts. They distributed flyers and reached out to local residents in front of the Larchmont Library in an effort to build awareness about the Larchmont-Mamaroneck Healthy Yards Project and Love Your Food initiative.

In addition, under the direction of resident Luke Brussel, eight student ambassadors worked on removing invasive plants from the native plant meadow at the Sheldrake Environmental Center located at the reservoir. The team worked diligently during the hot summer months. The multi-year restoration effort at Sheldrake aims to revitalize the landscape with a plan to create a pathway that will allow visitors to better experience and enjoy its natural beauty.

Student ambassador Stella Gassman, a rising junior, shared, “One of the biggest challenges when it comes to sustainability isn’t that people are necessarily against living a greener lifestyle, but rather they lack the education and tools to do so. We also helped with Native Plant restoration in Sheldrake meadow. Truthfully, I had always known invasive species were problematic, but I never understood until now the extent of their damage to native ecosystems."

We were pleased to award the students certificates of appreciation for their commitment and hard work.

Student Ambassadors (l -r) Noah Mass, Stella Gassman, Franco Marsella, Daphne Banino

Students (l -r) Noah Mass, Stella Gassman, Franco Marsella, Daphne Banino

Town of Mamaroneck Racial Equality Task Force

Councilman Jeff King is the Chair of the Town’s Racial Equality Task Force. The seven member committee is tasked with helping the Town respond to Governor Cuomo’s Executive Order 203 that requires each municipality to complete a police reform report . The Town will hold a forum for public comment on the draft report in late November or early December. The Task Force is also addressing issues of racial equality.

Upcoming Town Board Meetings

As most people are experiencing, we’ve found that Town Board work sessions held via Zoom are not as productive or efficient for discussing Town business compared to in-person meetings. As such, the Town Board has decided to hold work sessions and budget meetings in-person (wearing masks and social distancing) at the Mamaroneck Senior Center in an effort to improve intra-board member communication and productivity. These meetings are open to the public. Members of the public will be required to wear masks and socially distance. The regular Town Board meetings will continue to be held via Zoom.

Wednesday, November 4^th, the regular session begins at 7:00 pm via Zoom and is viewable on LMC Media.
Saturday, November 7^th, a budget meeting from 8:30 am to 12:30 pm and will be conducted in-person at the Mamaroneck Senior Center, 1288 W. Boston Post Road.
Monday, November 9^th, the work session begins at 6:00 pm and will be conducted in-person at the Mamaroneck Senior Center at 1288 W. Boston Post Road.
Thursday, November 12^th, a joint board meeting with the Village of Larchmont Board of Trustees to continue the discussion of sanitation services at 5:30 pm via Zoom and is viewable on LMC Media.
Wednesday, November 18^th, the regular session begins at 7:00 pm via Zoom and is viewable on LMC Media.
Thursday, November 19^th, budget meeting from 5:00 pm to 7:00 pm, and will be conducted in person at the Mamaroneck Senior Center at 1288 W. Boston Post Road

The Town of Mamaroneck is committed to fostering welcoming communities and an equitable, diverse and inclusive society.

Supervisor's E-NewsletterOctober 2020