Photo by A. Warner

By Staff

April 17, 2024: The Bronxville Board of Trustees held its regular monthly meeting last week.  The meeting opened with Justic Primps swearing in Justice Natasha Nordahl and Trustee Mary Taylor Behrens, who were reelected in March, for their upcoming terms.  Trustee Helen Knapp was not present and will be sworn in at a later date.

Mayor Marvin's Report

Mayor Marvin read the list of individuals reappointed to their roles for one year and the annual action items.  She also reported the following:

-The Village had a fabulous Easter Egg hunt.

-The Bronxville School is doing outdoor improvements.  The School's plan includes updating some of the trees, including possibly nine trees on Pondfield Road and two trees on Midland Avenue.  The village will help pay for the cost of the new trees.  The trees will all be native to this area.

-The Bronxville Women's Club is celebrating its 99th Anniversary on April 24th.

Trustee Mary Behrens reported the following:

-Two new police officers have joined the Bronxville Police Department

-The Police Department published its 2023 Annual Report in March. 

Jim Palmer reported the following:

-Gas powered leaf blowers are permitted in the village for the next couple of months. That being said, the village encourages using electric leaf blowers rather than gas powered blowers.

-He asked people to make sure their hedges and other plantings don't obstruct, sidewalks, roadway or signs.

Public Hearing Regarding the Proposed 2024-25 Budget

Mayor Marvin opened the public hearing for the 2024-25 Budget.  The Proposed Budget is available on the village website.  Mayor Marvin highlighted the following items:

-The tax rate increase is 1.68% which is an increase of $61 for every million dollars in assessed value.  

According to Mayor Marvin, the big "drivers" in the Budget are:

-increase in Workmans Compensation of $300k

-increase to health insurance costs of $275k

-reduction in sales tax revenue which is happening nationwide

-interest on bond notes of $4.5m to finance capital projects such as those related to the flooding issues in Bronxville.

Village Administrator Jim Palmer noted that the village tax bills go out on June 1st and the first payment is due the end of June and the second payment is due the end of September. The Budget is available on the village website. 

Margaret Majer, who serves on the Bronxville Library Board, commented on the Library Budget. She said that the Bronxville Library budget will increase about 4% or $75k on a $1.7 million budget.  She noted that the last major renovation of the library interior was over 20 years ago and that the interior is aging and in need of improvements. She also said the outdoor patio is coming along nicely and is targeted for a June 1st completion.

Outdoor Dining

During COVID, Bronxville restaurants needed outdoor dining to exist. Since then, the village brought in a consultant called StreetPlans to help set up esthetic and spacial guidelines for outdoor dining.

In December, StreetPlans finalized the designs, permitting requirements and maintenance and operational regulations for the 2024 on-street dining program.

Merchants were required to submit an application form by April 1, 2024.

The guidelines cover sidewalk regulations including permitting, fees, maintenance, facility types, and materials.  They also include "aesthetic standards."

Mayor Marvin said that the six dining establishments that currently have outdoor dining will continue this year. They will have to meet certain standards such as safety, attractiveness, and cleanliness. Additionally, the size of the outdoor dining space will be reduced.

Mayor Marvin noted that village outdoor dining is now in the purview of the planning board.  

Other Items

The Village is installing a new traffic signal at Midland and Tanglewylde Avenues. The existing signal is old and often needs repair. The cost of the new signal is $23,060.

The Village ratified a new four-year agreement with the Bronxville Police Department.

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