A $240K Safe Walk in the Forest; Osborn Plans Come Out of Retirement & More: Rye City Council Agenda for March 16, 2022

The city council’s agenda for its meeting at 6:30pm on Wednesday, March 16, 2022 is out. The meeting is on Zoom (not in person).

The Council will convene at 5:30pm for executive session (not open to the public) to discuss pending litigation, personnel matters and pending contracts. The meeting will also be aired on Cablevision Channel 75 and Verizon Channel 39. We’ll also see you on the Internet (live and archive).

Formal office hours of the Mayor and other officials have been suspended.

Residents may email comments regarding the public hearing to: [email protected]. All comments must be received by 4:15 pm on the day of the meeting. The subject of the email should reference the hearing topic. Please include your name and address.

TO PARTICIPATE IN THE PUBLIC HEARING, PLEASE ATTEND THE ZOOM MEETING VIA THIS LINK. Password: 819269

Or phone: (646) 558-8656 or (301) 715-8592 or (312) 626-6799 Webinar ID: 982 5233 8886 Password: 819269

Let’s check the batting order and highlights from the 14 agenda items.

• Ida Don’t Want That to Happen Again. Post Ida Storm Update.
• Blasted! Set a public hearing for April 6, 2022 adopting a six-month moratorium in the City of Rye temporarily limiting the approval of any new mechanical rock removal, drilling or boring application to fifteen (15) calendar days and prohibiting the review, processing or approval of any blasting applications for the duration of this moratorium.
• A $240K Safe Walk in the Forest. Authorization to fund $240,000 in engineering consulting services for the design of the Forest Avenue Pedestrian Improvement Project.
• Decomposing the Data. Food Scrap Recycling Program discussion.
• Osborn Plans Come Out of Retirement. Continue the public hearing for consideration of a petition from The Miriam Osborn Memorial Home to amend the text of the City of Rye Zoning Code Association to create new use and development standards for “Senior Living Facilities” in the R-2 Zoning District.
• Open Mic. Residents may be heard on matters for Council consideration that do not appear on the agenda.
• Ida Don’t Have to Pay. Consideration to waive through September 1, 2022, certain building permit fees related to repairs for flood damage and certain fees related to flood mitigation projects such as elevating homes, flood proofing a business or building a new home that has been deemed to be substantially damaged by Ida and requires reconstruction compliant with FEMA flood standards.
• Rotten Food, Good Idea. Consideration of a request from Rye Sustainability Committee to co-host a Compost Give Back Day on Saturday, April 23, 2022 from 7 am – 2 pm at the Rye Town Park parking lot at a cost to the City not to exceed $1500. Rye residents may collect free compost with their own shovel and container to coincide with spring planting.
• Greening Rye. Resolution expressing the City’s support for Rye Sustainability Committee’s (RSC) campaign seeking to earn credit for the Community Campaigns High-Impact Action under NYSERDA’s Clean Energy Communities Program, specifically Clean Heating and Cooling and Energy Efficiency.
• Blown Into the Future. Adjourn until April 20, 2022 the public hearing to create a new local law, Chapter 122, “Landscapers and Leaf Blower Regulations” requiring all landscapers to obtain an annual permit in order to operate as a landscaper and restrict the use of leaf blowers.

The next regular meeting of the City Council will be held on Wednesday, April 6, 2022 at 6:30 p.m.