Village Mayor, Board of Trustees Present Updates
By Stephen E. Lipken
Village of Pelham Mayor Chance Mullen called the March 10th Board of Trustees Regular Meeting to order, beginning with Trustee Allison Anderson listing new Sustainability Advisory Board (SAB) members Divya Bendre, Adam Levenson, Brian Papa, Liza Schaeffer and Carole Upshur to be sworn in at the next Board meeting. “As the sustainability liaison on the Board of Trustees, I will be Chair of the SAB,” Anderson noted.
Trustee Krystal Howell presented an update on the PTA Council, regarding pedestrian safety, working with Pelham Manor Deputy Mayor/Police Commissioner Breda Bennett to get bicycle helmets through a County-wide initiative. Howell reached out to Legislator Terry Clements to obtain funding. Howell also pointed to ID Badges to help track missing children.
Regarding the Pelham Fire Department, Howell said that there was a fire in a vehicle parked in a driveway outside a home and a house fire. She noted that the Fire Department stressed that smoke alarms should be in every home.
Howell then mentioned that the Council on the Arts will be showing collected artwork and is inviting the public to submit artwork, to be displayed in Village Hall.
Trustee Don Otondi is looking forward to meeting with the Chamber of Commerce and will report on the results at the next meeting.
Administrator Chris Scelza said that Department of Public Works (DPW) will collect leaves through April 30th. “Residents are asked to place only leaves curbside; all other organics must be bagged,” Scelza stated.
In the Mayor’s Report, Mullen remarked that the DPW is addressing potholes, starting with the main roads. The Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with PHP Partners regarding the new owners of the Picture House and 163 Wolfs Lane was terminated; it was nonbinding. There is no role for the Village to play.
Following the Mayor’s Report, the appointment of Kenneth Shirreffs to the Planning Board was approved, term expiring in December 2031.