Category: Delayed FOI Response

James M. Palmer

1. Freedom Of Information Compliance And Knowledge Ratings:

Under Review – James Palmer has responded to our Bronxville Freedom of Information requests with….

“We are unable to respond to your request at this time. If the information you request is available, we will contact you within 20 business days.”

One of the Freedom of Information requests asked how much was the compensation for his taxpayer funded job.

Really?

LOL – Maybe James Palmer makes so much money off of the taxpayers that it takes him 20 days just to count it up.

2. Email Address For Filing FOI Requests

JPalmer@vobny.com

3, Mailing Address For Filing FOI Requests

Village Clerk
200 Pondfield Rd
Bronxville, NY 10708

4. Experience:

A graduate of St. Michael’s College in Colchester, Vermont, with a degree in business administration and a minor in political science, Palmer earned his master’s degree at the Rockefeller College of Public Affairs and Policy at SUNY Albany.

While still in graduate school, Mr. Palmer entered professional local government management when he accepted a position with Schenectady County Manager Robert McEvoy, former manager for the Town of Rye and assistant city manager of Yonkers.

From Schenectady County, Palmer moved to the Village/Town of Mount Kisco, where he began his 20-year tenure working for the village manager, eventually assuming that position.

With Mount Kisco being one of only five coterminous village/towns in the State of New York, and the only one with separate assessing units, Mr. Palmer served as both village assessor and town assessor.

Mount Kisco, along with Scarsdale and Harrison, are the only three coterminous municipalities in Westchester.

In Bronxville, beyond the administrative aspects of the village administrator’s position, Palmer is involved in the many village projects currently in progress and soon to be initiated. His duties also include serving as the village clerk and the records management officer.

Mr. Palmer got the job after a lengthy search process that com-menced in February. At the end of the previous year, former Village Administrator Harold Porr announced his retirement after 10 years on the job.

The salary for this position is $170,000

Interim Bronxville Village Administrator Donald Marra, who is filling in, was also hired in March to lead the search for Mr. Porr’s replacement.

Soon after completing the administrative search in Bronxville, Mr. Marra was hired away to help the Village of Tuckahoe with its own search for a village administrator, a new position the village is creating.

Rye Brook’s assistant village administrator, David Burke, was eventually hired for the Tuckahoe position.

Mr. Palmer, who is a board member of the state’s City/County Management Association.

Mr. Palmer will remain a resident of Mount Kisco, where he lives with his wife Xann and five-year-old twin daughters Zoe and Siena.

Bronxville is a small village with many wealthy residents.

5. From The Village Website:

Duties & Responsibilities

6. Media Reports / Related Pages

MY HOMETOWN BRONXVILLE: James M. Palmer, Mt. Kisco Village Manager, Appointed Bronxville Village Administrator as of June 23

May 14, 2014:  The Bronxville Board of Trustees, in a unanimous vote at its May 12 meeting, affirmed the appointment of James M. Palmer, the current Mount Kisco village manager, as Bronxville village administrator effective June 23. Palmer will succeed Harold Porr, who retired from the position in March, and will assume responsibilities from Donald Marra, who has served as interim village administrator since Porr’s retirement.

Palmer comes to Bronxville with over 20 years of experience in Mount Kisco. Prior to becoming village manager, a position he has held for six years, Palmer served as assistant village manager and tax assessor. He also worked for the village as a building inspector and as human resources manager.

During Palmer’s tenure as village manager, he administered construction of a new village library and directed the conversion of village street lighting from incandescent to LED fixtures…..

Please Read More Here:

http://myhometownbronxville.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=7007:james-m-palmer-mt-kisco-village-manager-appointed-bronxville-village-administrator-as-of-june-23&catid=5:bronxville-govt-hist&Itemid=5

YONKERS TRIBUNE: Park Avenue Construction Begins in Bronxville 

By Village Administrator JAMES M. PALMER

BRONXVILLE, NY — October 4, 2015 — As you may be aware, the Village has awarded a contract to have a portion of the Park Avenue brick road, between Wellington Circle and Tanglewylde Avenue, restored and to also add additional drainage down Tanglewylde Avenue, where it approaches Midland Avenue. The two month project will commence Monday, October 5, 2015, with the construction of the drainage work on Tanglewylde Avenue to be followed by the reconstruction of Park Avenue. As a result of this work, it will be necessary to have a limited amount of material and equipment stored along Tanglewylde Avenue and Park Avenue. It may also be necessary to have limited through traffic on Tanglewylde Avenue and Park Avenue during certain periods.

Please know that the Village will ensure that the Contractor, Tony Casale Inc., maintains the area in a neat and safe manner throughout the project and fully restores the area upon its completion.

Please do not hesitate to contact me directly should you have any additional questions regarding the project. I can be reached directly at 793-0721.

http://www.yonkerstribune.com/2015/10/park-avenue-construction-begins-in-bronxville-monday-october-5-2015-by-village-administrator-james-m-palmer

PATCH: Palmer Leaving Mount Kisco for Bronxville

Bronxville has hired James Palmer, currently the Village Manager of Mount Kisco, as its new Village Administrator, according to Bronxville Mayor Mary Marvin.

Here’s part of what Marvin wrote about him:

After a very deliberate process, we have chosen James (Jim) M. Palmer as our new Administrator.   Jim has been the Village Manager of Mount Kisco since 2006.  Prior to being elevated to Manager, Jim wore almost every hat in municipal government including the titles of Town and Village Clerk, Assessor, Building Inspector and Human Resources Manager.   In essence, Jim has sat in every seat of those he will be supervising.   

Jim dealt successfully with many of the issues that have also presented themselves here in Bronxville in recent years.  He guided the demolition and then construction of a new library…..

Please Read More Here:

http://patch.com/new-york/chappaqua/palmer-leaving-mount-kisco-for-bronxville

EXAMINER NEWS: Palmer To Leave Mount Kisco Village Manager’s Post

A chapter in Mount Kisco government will come to a close in June, when James Palmer, who has served as village manager for the past six years and has worked for the municipality for nearly two decades, will leave to become village administrator in Bronxville.

Palmer said it was a difficult decision to leave Mount Kisco, where he also lives. Bronxville is one of “a very few communities in Westchester that I would consider leaving for,” he said.

“First and foremost, I think of it always as an honor and a privilege to serve the community,” said Palmer, who starts his new job June 16.

Palmer said he did not actively seek a new job, but the Bronxville opening was “a unique opportunity that came up.” Bronxville is similar in many respects to Mount Kisco, with a vibrant downtown but with some challenges, such as empty storefronts that need to be filled.

He said he planned to continue living locally and take part in community activities after he moves on to his new job. Palmer currently earns a $159,500 salary in Mount Kisco.

Please Read More Here:

http://www.theexaminernews.com/palmer-to-leave-mount-kisco-village-managers-post/

DAILY VOICE: Mount Kisco Village Manager to Leave for Bronxville Post

Mount Kisco Village Manager James Palmer will leave his current post to become the village administrator in Bronxville, according to theexaminernews.com.

Palmer said he didn’t seek out the Bronxville position, but was was drawn to it because of the unique challenges it presents…..

Please Read More Here:

http://mtkisco.dailyvoice.com/news/mount-kisco-village-manager-to-leave-for-bronxville-post/447175/

Bronxville superintendent ‘search’ wastes money: Letter

Re “Bronxville school superintendent search begins,”

I know the school board President Denise Tormey to be a woman of great integrity and surely she means well by hiring an expensive firm to do a national search for a new superintendent.

Having taught in Bronxville for 22 years, however, I can say with 100 percent certainty that the money for the search firm would be much better spent on programs, staff or infrastructure.

This is because the new superintendent will most certainly be the current assistant superintendent, and every person who works in Bronxville knows this. The Bronxville community deserves more and can do better than a preordained successor, so please use the search wisely.

Jeff Zuckerman

Tuckahoe

http://www.lohud.com/story/opinion/readers/2016/07/05/bronxville-superintendent-search-wastes-money-letter/86548020/

FACEBOOK:

https://www.facebook.com/1124024424306257/photos/a.1124034174305282.1073741828.1124024424306257/1141507312557968/?type=3&theater

7. Notes

This Ratings Page Has Been Updated With Additional Information

About Bronxville, New York

Bronxville is a suburban village in Westchester County, New York, located about 15 miles north of midtown Manhattan. It is part of the town of Eastchester. The village comprises 1 square mile (2.5 km²) of land in its entirety, approximately 20% of the town of Eastchester. As of the 2010 U.S. census, Bronxville had a population of 6,323. As of 2014, it was ranked 18th in the state in median income.

Millionaire real-estate and pharmaceutical mogul William Van Duzer Lawrence sparked the development of Bronxville as an affluent suburb of New York City with magnificent homes in a country-like setting. The area, once known as “Underhill’s Crossing”, became “Bronxville” when the village was formally established. The population grew in the second half of the 19th century when railroads allowed commuters from Westchester County to work in New York City. Lawrence’s influence can be seen throughout the community, including the historicLawrence Park neighborhood, the Houlihan Lawrence Real Estate Corporation, and Lawrence Hospital. John F Kennedy, the president of the United States, also resided here for a time.

The village was home to an arts colony in the early 20th century during which time many noteworthy houses by prominent and casual architects were built. After the Bronx River Parkway was completed in 1925, the Village expanded rapidly with the construction of several apartment buildings and townhouses much of it built by the Lawrence family. As of 1959, they continued to own or manage 97% of the rental market. In both rentals and ownership, the village discouraged and effectively prohibited Jewish residency, earning the name “The Holy Square Mile.”

The Gramatan Hotel on Sunset Hill was a residence hotel in the late 19th century and early 20th century. Gramatan was the name of the chief of the local Siwanoy Indian tribe that was centered in the Gramatan Rock area above Bronxville Station. Chief Gramatan sold the land to the settlers. The hotel was demolished in 1970, and a complex of townhouses was built on the site in 1980. 

Elizabeth Clift Bacon, General George Armstrong Custer‘s widow, lived in Bronxville, and her house still stands to this day.

St. Joseph’s Catholic Church, located in the downtown area, was attended by the Kennedys when they were residents from 1929 to about 1936. In 1958 future-senator Ted Kennedy married Joan Bennett in St. Joseph’s Church. In 1960, the Village voted 5:1 for Nixon over Kennedy.

The US Post Office–Bronxville was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1988. Other sites on the National Register are the Bronxville Women’s Club,Lawrence Park Historic District, and Masterton-Dusenberry House..

Bronxville’s 10708 ZIP code covers the village of Bronxville proper, plus Chester Heights and other sections of Eastchester, parts of Tuckahoe, and Lawrence Park West, Cedar Knolls, Armour Villa, and other sections of Yonkers. This brings the ZIP code’s population to 22,411 (2000 census), covering an area more than twice as large as the municipality of Bronxville itself and encompassing several notable institutions, such as Sarah Lawrence College in Yonkers. In fact, there are more residents of Yonkers using a Bronxville mailing address than living in the village itself. The Bronxville Post Office serves residents of the village…..

Please Read More Here:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bronxville,_New_York

Bronxville Trivia

• Bronxville has 2,300 addresses in the Village but over 10,000 people use Bronxville as their postal address.
• In 1898, at the time of its incorporation as a Village, Bronxville had 300 citizens.
• Sixty percent of our residents live in single-family homes and townhouses while 40 percent reside in apartments, co-ops and condominiums.
• In the most recent census, ethnicity in the Village was 20 percent Irish, 11 percent Italian, 11 percent German and 10 percent English, with all other nationalities below double digits.
• Per the same census, the Village has 3,358 female residents vs 3,060 male.
• Twenty percent of the land in the Village is tax exempt.
• The Bronx River was actually re-routed and the Village border changed to accommodate the construction of the Bronx River Parkway.
• There are 1,356 parking meters in our Village and they all work. (Most days!)
• The Village has over 70 acres of parkland.
• The original soil at the Alfredo Fields, near Siwanoy Country Club, was sold and trucked to Queens for the World’s Fair in 1939.
• Scout Field, both upper and lower, are Westchester County parkland with over 95 percent of the actual field areas in the cities of Yonkers and Mount Vernon.
• Bronxville residents pay more in property taxes to Westchester County (approximately $8 million per year) than they do to run Village government.
• With the exception of the Hasidic village of Kiryas Joel in Orange County, Bronxville is the only other community that is co-terminous with their school district and has the municipality issues both School and Village tax bills.
• When United Water or Con Edison needs to do repairs underground, it is their responsibility to repave and repair the disrupted surfaces. Of late, repairs seem to take much longer because the work is now subcontracted out to different entities.
• Homeowners are responsible for the care, maintenance and replacement of sidewalks abutting their property. The Village is responsible for road maintenance.
• According to a Con Edison study, the cost to relocate the overhead electrical lines in Bronxville would be approximately $62 million. In addition, there would be a charge to connect individual homes which would average between $18,000–$25,000 per dwelling. If the overhead lines from the feeder substations that run through adjoining communities are not buried as well, Bronxville would still lose power if the lines are hit.
• Crews from the Village Department of Public Works cannot remove tree branches or debris near a wire until Con Edison has determined the wire is not live and poses no danger.
• Our police department offers many ancillary services to residents including:
  • security survey of homes or businesses to assess vulnerabilities and suggest ways to increase security
  • a vacant house check for residents on vacation
  • a key file service allowing homeowners to keep a key at the police department for emergencies
  • the assistance of officers who are certified infant seat technicians to inspect or install car seats

All of these services can be requested by calling the police desk at 914-337-0500.

• As part of their duties, police officers report all non-working street lights. If a light remains out for several days, it means there is an electrical issue requiring assistance from Con Edison.
• Kevlar police vests last only five years. Then the fibers start to decompose.
• A 14-year-old providing alcohol to a 20-year-old can still be charged with the crime of providing alcohol to a minor.
• The New York State Vehicle and Traffic Law sets the minimum speed of 30 mph for villages. It can be lowered only with evidence of exceptional circumstances such as a designated school zone or proof that an area has a history of multiple serious accidents caused by conditions particular to that stretch of road.
• In 1960, villagers voted 5:1 for Richard Nixon over former resident John F. Kennedy
• The Village has no County-owned roads and only one State road, Route 22. It is only Route 22 that cannot be repaved or upgraded by the Village’s capital plan. If you notice, the state built Route 22 in Bronxville with no catch basins adding to our flooding issues.
• In 1934, 301 babies were born at Lawrence Hospital. Last year, the total reached over 2,500. Village government is responsible for the production of their birth certificates.
• Palumbo Place is named for Joe Palumbo the long time Village Public Works Director. Leonard Morange Park, on the west side, is named after the first Village resident to die in service of our country in World War I.
• Famous people who called the Village home included John F. Kennedy, Eddie Rickenbacker, Beat writer Lawrence Ferlinghetti, Baseball Commissioner Ford Frick, Elizabeth Custer, Jack Paar and Marvin Bower.