June 10,2010
Dear Residents,
As promised, I would like to take the opportunity to provide you with an update to
my letter of February 25,2010.
I. Election Day - Tuesday, June 15
The next general Village Election is scheduled for Tuesday, June 15. There are
two village trustee offices to be filled for a two year term. Polls are open at Village Hall
from 12:00 noon to 9:00 p.m.
II. Road and Drainage Project
The installation of drainage infrastructure and the resurfacing of Pink Woods
Lane were completed in May and was the last remaining road to be addressed in the
Phase l-Phase II Road and Drainage Project. Final landscaping and follow-up for the
remainder of the fall 2009 road and drainage work is expected to be completed shortly by
our contractor, Intercounty Paving. This work will be coordinated and reviewed by the
Village Road Commissioner and our Village Engineer. Residents with issues to be
addressed should call Sandy Albro, Village Clerk at 671-4664.
Bid packages for the 2010 road and drainage work (Phases III and IlIA) have
recently gone out to public bid and the contractors will be selected shortly, based upon
the recommendations of Sidney B. Bowne & Son, Village Engineers. Work should
commence about the middle of July. The roads to be resurfaced include:
East View Lane
Stone Gate Lane
Woodland Road
Woodland Lane
Pheasant Hill Lane
Drainage improvements will be made on Woodland Road, Stone Gate Lane and
Long Ridge Lane. As I have mentioned in past correspondence and at Village board
meetings, our Village engineers have formally evaluated the condition of all roads in the
Village as well as the necessity for drainage infrastructure improvements. The selection
of road and drainage improvements for each phase of the Village's road and drainage
project is based on these engineering evaluations.
III. Village Taxes
For the June 1, 2010 - May 31, 2011 budget year, the tax rate has increased from
$9.95 to $11.95 per $100 of assessed valuation. This increase is due primarily to the long
overdue road and drainage work being done throughout our Village. As mentioned in my
February 25th letter, the Village issued $5.0 million of 15 year bonds for road and
drainage work.
In addition, police protection costs for the next year increased more than
anticipated due to a tax increase for funding the reserve for police termination benefits,
such as the contractual payment of unused sick time for police officers at retirement. The
Village of Old Brookville did not believe that a tax increase for this reserve was
necessary this year and voted against it. However, each of the seven villages served by
the Old Brookville Police Department has a police budget vote. As a result, except for
Muttontown, the other five villages voted for this tax increase this year to fund an
increase for the police termination benefits reserve and Old Brookville was charged
accordingly.
IV. Village Communications
Once again, I would like to encourage residents to provide their e-mail addresses
to the Village by clicking on the e-mail sign up designation on the Village website. Use
of this feature allows the Village to send announcements and notices directly to you
without incurring any cost to the Village. The e-mail feature is secure and will only be
used for Village purposes. After this letter, residents preferring a traditional mailing in
the future must contact the Village Clerk in order to remain on the Village's hard copy
mailing list.
V. Village Employees/Appointees
I have served as Mayor for almost a year and would like to express my
appreciation to the Village employees and appointees for their dedicated efforts on behalf
of our Village. Ours is a busy Village and much has been accomplished over the pastyear. It has been my pleasure to be associated with such a fine team all working on behalf and for the betterment of the Village of Old Brookville.
Yours truly,
Bernie Ryba
Mayor