Speaking French: Mayor’s Update – Hot Consolidation, Bridges, Sharrows, Dam Gate, 1037 & More

Here is the next edition of Speaking French, the Mayor's Update.

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City Council Updates from Mayor Douglas French

Public Hearing on September 12th for Fire Lieutenant Position

The City continues to work closely with the Board of Fire Wardens on the future organization of the Rye Fire Department — first by aligning the volunteer and paid personnel in conjunction with the office of the City Manager, and now with the creation of a combination fire inspector/lieutenant position.  The Rye City Code must be amended to reflect the administration of this new position whose supervisory duties, among other things, shall include the responsibility for fire inspections within the City.

Agreement between the City of Rye and the Rye CSEA Local 1000 Clerical Unit

The City was pleased to come to agreement with the clerical unit for the contract period of 01/01/2011 – 12/31/2013 at 0%, 0% and 2% salary increases over the period along with an increase in the cap for healthcare contribution.  The Union ratified the proposed Memorandum of Agreement which expired on December 31, 2010.  The deal is representative of the drag the economy continues to have on the City, its employees and residents and is reflective of the shared sacrifice everyone is making.

City Expected to Award Construction Bid for Central Avenue Bridge

At the Council meeting on September 12th, the Council is expected to award the bid to begin construction on the Central Avenue Bridge.  Despite years of regulatory and compliance delays with New York State Department of Transportation who is funding the project, the City is pleased to finally have approval to move this project forward.  An orientation with impacted residents on the construction schedule will be set once a final bidder is accepted.  I want to thank the Governor and Lt. Governor in my outreach to them for their continued support of local governments.

Old Post Road Bridge

As part of the City’s pedestrian safety initiatives, this bridge has been widened for safer passage and is being funded by Westchester County.  The project is on schedule and should be open by the time school opens this September.

Forest Avenue Sharrows Project

Based on a 2007 review to make Forest Avenue safer for bikers, joggers and walkers, the City received funding for the painting of sharrows on Forest Avenue through a $20,000 grant received by the Rye YMCA. The painting project includes striping Forest Avenue with a white line for a ten-foot travel lane and installation of Sharrows approximately every 250 feet. Sharrows, a permitted form of lane marking under the Manual for Uniform Traffic Control Devices, are a “share the road” sign. The white striping will serve as a traffic calming device and help to keep vehicles away from the edge of the roadway where people walk.

Bowman Avenue Dam Sluice Gate

As part of the City’s flood mitigation initiatives, City Manager Pickup reported that work is on schedule for the Sluice Gate at Bowman Dam which will help regulate water flow downstream.  The project is planned for completion by mid-September.

Pavement Management Study and Capital Improvement Plan

The Council held its annual Capital Improvement Plan meeting last week and reviewed the pavement management conditions report.  The goal of the pavement management system is to minimize the amount of structural repairs needed on our roadways and implement more routine and preventive maintenance procedures over a wider range of roadways each year.  Rehabilitation of the Boston Post Road from Parsons to the Police Booth is schedule next as part of this program, however, many of the lowest ranking roadways in the report are located in and around the downtown area.  The Central Business District (CBD) projects have been a high priority with respect to deficiencies in sidewalks, intersections and street infrastructure.  These include reconstructing Smith Street, including adding sewer and drainage improvements, and making improvements to the Smith Street/Purchase Street and Elm Place/Purchase Street intersections to improve traffic flow and pedestrian safety.    

1037 Boston Post Road

The Council will decide the future direction of the property that remains available for sale at a special meeting of the Council on September 5th.  The City has been offered $3.6M for the building by the current tenant – Lester’s.  The site was appraised at $4.5M prior to the City's purchase in 2006.  The City purchased the building for the public purpose of building a Police Station/Courthouse but that option has been ruled out.  The offer includes some designated parking for the City and also puts the building back on the tax rolls at about $80,000 per year.