By Mary C. Marvin, Mayor of Bronxville

Nov. 23, 2016:  In last week’s column, I spoke of immediate term priorities for communities throughout the state as elected officials prepare for the upcoming 2017 legislative session.

The following looks ahead at some legislative goals as municipalities react to an ever-changing world, especially in the area of technology. 

As examples: 

Allow Publication of Official Notices Online:  New York State law is replete with provisions requiring local governments to publish official notices in local print newspapers at a cost of tens of millions of dollars yearly. 

With the decline in newspaper circulation and the decrease in the frequency of local publishing, municipalities should be allowed to communicate to their citizenry via online news outlets and their own municipal websites. A larger number of interested parties would be reached in a timely, efficient, and cost-effective manner. The irony is that as politicians are excoriated in the print media for imprudent spending and poor stewardship, the lobbyists are working aggressively to retain this outmoded expense to the taxpayer they are championing. 

Regulate Drone Activity:  Advancements in technology and the FAA's recent adoption of regulations for commercial use are accelerating drone use throughout the country. 

With the increase in drone use come legitimate concerns about privacy and nuisance. While federal law and regulations substantially pre-empt local regulations, there are areas of law including property rights and the issue of trespass and nuisance activities that are in the purview of states. However, current New York State laws are vague, ambiguous, and apparently unenforceable with respect to flying over one's property without owner permission. 

The whole issue of illegal surveillance as well as the pre-emption of state and local laws by the FAA authority is currently a source of debate and uncertainty. 

Expand Uber, Lyft, and Other Ride-Hailing Technologies:  Uber and Lyft are clearly surpassing traditional taxi and for-hire vehicles business models and technologies in substantial areas of the country with a concentration in urban centers. Riders surveyed use them for the ease of payment, ease of arranging a ride, reliability, cost, and short wait times. 

Clearly, this is the wave of the future, and the demand for expansion is significant. In New York, Uber and Lyft are used widely in New York City but are nonexistent in the rest of the state. Two major impediments in New York include insurance carrier issues and the myriad of regulatory jurisdictions that for-hire vehicles must be registered with and licensed by. 

Legislation has been proposed to centralize regulatory authority at the state or county levels. 

The immediate benefit is the enhanced local economic development that this service has already demonstrated it delivers.  The downside being local government will not have access to driving records, possible criminal records, DWI conviction, etc. that they do when licensing local taxi services and their drivers. 

Strengthen Electronic Waste Laws:  In 2010, New York State enacted the Electronic Equipment Recycling and Reuse Act to assist local governments with the expensive and fast-growing electronic waste system stream by requiring electronic manufacturers to fund a recycling infrastructure and relieve local governments of mounting fees for safe disposal. Manufacturer funding has been inadequate and inconsistent and small communities cannot sustain the cost of the proper stewardship of electronic recycling. 

Provide Funding for Water Contamination Testing:  The mounting evidence of water contamination in recent years nationwide has called into question the belief of most New York residents that access to safe, clean drinking water is a foregone conclusion. Just this past year, the Village of Hoosick Falls discovered that perfluorooctanoic acid, the chemical found in non-stick pan coating (Teflon), had poisoned its well and caused vastly increased incidences of cancer in the community. Currently, state law does not cover the entire cost of local testing and remediation in the schools per a state education department mandate, so the costs fall on every community, large and small.  

Promote the Accessibility of Farmers' Markets and Community Gardens:  Eating locally grown and produced food is not only more nutritious for consumers but economically beneficial for local farmers. Bills are in the legislature to offer benefits to our farmers who share their produce locally. Thanks to the effort of the Chamber of Commerce, the Village Trustees who I am proud to say saw the benefit of the farm to table concept early on, and the tireless efforts of former Chamber of Commerce Director, Mary Liz Mulligan, Bronxville has had a thriving Farmers Market for over 15 years. 

Community Gardens offer another means of ensuring the availability of local produce to residents and are associated with increased psychological well-being and social relations among community members. 

Again, I am proud to say thanks to the vision of the Bronxville Green Committee and its irrepressible chairperson, Mary Liz Mulligan, in collaboration with the village trustees and the generous support of our local Rotary Club and the expertise of Broadway musician cum master gardener village resident Dave Phillips, our garden near the paddle tennis courts is a reality--built, irrigated, and set for planting in early spring. 

Everything grown, hopefully through the efforts of a cadre of interested villagers, will be donated to our neighbors in programs in Mount Vernon and Tuckahoe and the Westchester Food Bank.