Village of Dobbs Ferry – Liz Dreaper – Under Review

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Liz Dreaper

1. Freedom Of Information Compliance And Knowledge Ratings:

Under Review – No response to date – FOI acknowledgements are past due.

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Unresponsive Village Clerk Liz Dreaper
Can’t Hear Taxpayers Seeking Public
Information In Dobbs Ferry

Now in his second term Mayor Hartley Connett has repeatedly failed to bring accountability and transparency to the village clerk’s office

The single family home owners of Dobbs Ferry are constantly being frustrated in seeking seek public records as, the village assessment rolls are declining more and more each year as employee retirement and health contributions increase.

Small businesses frustrated with the lack of accountability and fairness are leaving downtown areas—yet Dobbs Ferry residents can’t get the public documents they need to come up with solutions to lower taxes.

Sadly only the taxpayer funded privileged political class in Dobb Ferry seems to be the only ones benefiting from lack of accountability and transparency in the village clerks office. All three candidates for Dobbs Ferry village trustee ran unopposed: Republican Victor Golio Jr. and Democrats Vincent Rossillo and Anna Lisa Corrales.

Dobbs Ferry employs about 113 people and its annual operating budget is approximate $17 million, but it is difficult to get Village of Dobbs Ferry Clerk Liz Dreaper to release total employee compensation figures for elected and public figures.

Liz Dreaper failed to respond to our freedom of information request seeking public documents about her salery, benefits and penson cost to taxpayers.

2. Email Address For Filing FOI Requests

ldreaper@dobbsferry.com

3, Mailing Address For Filing FOI Requests

Village Clerk
112 Main St.
Dobbs Ferry, NY 10522

4. Experience:

Ms. Dreaper did not respond to a request for a short biographical paragraph, but we found the following on the internet.

Village Clerk
Village of Dobbs Ferry
– Present

Unknown
1992 – 2003

Security Guard
Coastal Carolina Community College


Unknown
1983 – 1991

Radio Operator
Marine Corps

5. From The Village Website:

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The Clerk’s Office, located in Village Hall, is open Monday through Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.

The Village Clerk is appointed to a two-year term. The Clerk has custody of all Village records, papers, books and communications, as well as the reports and communications of the Board of Trustees.

At meetings of the Board of Trustees, the Village Clerk serves as Clerk of the Board and keeps records of the meetings. The Clerk is responsible for preparing and preserving the minutes of their meetings. In addition, the Clerk compiles a record of all Village resolutions and local laws.

The Clerk’s Office issues various licenses and permits including: annual parking permits for the business district, handicapped permits, peddler’s permits, sidewalk café permits, film permits and taxi licenses/permits.

The Vital Statistics office is also part of the Clerk’s office. The Registrar of Vital Records maintains and issues certified copies of birth and death records of the Village.

The Village Clerk is the Public Access Information Officer and processes all requests for records under the Freedom of Information Law.

The Village Clerk also provides tax records, collection of taxes and is a Notary Public.

Village Election Information

Village Elections are held every year on the first Tuesday in November, (Election Day). Elected positions include Mayor (1), (2-year term), Trustee (6), (2-year terms), and Village Justice (1), 4-year term.

Voter Registration forms and absentee ballots are available from the Village Clerk, but must be sent to the Westchester County Board of Elections for processing. Completed forms may not be sent to Village Hall. Forms are also available online at the Board of Elections website. Polling Places are open 6:00am – 9:00pm on Election Day. To confirm your polling place, call the Board of Elections at: 914-995-5700.

6. Media Reports / Related Pages

DAILY VOICE: Dobbs Ferry – How Does Your Village Work?

….As reported , a recent Dobbs Ferry Board of Trustees meeting involved heated debate over Mercy College’s future development plans. Dobbs Ferry resident Sue Sussman made a statement, which was followed by Mercy College representative William S. Null, who rattled off traffic statistics. Sussman stood up and directly challenged the legitimacy of Null’s statistics.

“It does get out of control sometimes,” said Village Clerk Liz Dreaper. “It’s more of the chairman’s [decision] to put a limitation on it.”….

Please Read More Here:

http://rivertowns.dailyvoice.com/news/dobbs-ferry-how-does-your-village-work/429319/

JOURNAL NEWS: Dobbs Ferry approves police contract after 3 years

Village police who have been working without a contract for more than three years now have an agreement that was approved Tuesday and goes into effect immediately.

The agreement calls for police to receive an 11.75 percent pay increase over five years. It also lowers initial starting pay of new officers and calls for newly hired police to pay more for health insurance.

“It took a long time because we were looking as a village to offer a competitive compensation program for our officers and at the same time we recognized the need for an agreement that is affordable for taxpayers,” said Mayor Hartley Connett.

The contract runs from retroactively from June 2012 until May 2017. The village has 25 police officers. The police budget is $4.2 million of Dobbs Ferry’s $16 million total budget……

Please Read More Here:

http://www.lohud.com/story/news/local/2015/11/25/dobbs-ferry-approves-police-contract/76313086/

PATCH: Dobbs Ferry Seeks Village Administrator

Dobbs Ferry is advertising for a Village Administrator to replace Marcus Serrano, who resigned in June.

The position is currently posted on the village website, and calls for candidates who have “at least seven years of experience in public administration.” Additionally, the village considers it a plus if the candidate have “experience in strategic and financial planning, performance measurements, and union negotiations.”

Currently, the position is being filled on an interim basis by Police Chief Betsy Gelardi, who is also a member of a search committee the village has established to help find a permanent replacement…..

http://patch.com/new-york/rivertowns/dobbs-ferry-seeks-village-administrator-0

PATCH: What You Need To Know What Is the Dobbs Ferry Party?

Mayor Hartley Connett describes the local political party he represents.

…Despite a common perception that the Dobbs Ferry party is inherently more conservative than the Dobbs Ferry Democrats, Connett said that isn’t the case. …

Please Read More Here:

http://patch.com/new-york/rivertowns/what-is-the-dobbs-ferry-party

DAILY VOICE: Dobbs Ferry Residents Voice Rivertowns Square Concerns

Dobbs Ferry Mayor Hartley Connett and the Board of Trustees fielded public opinions on the pending Rivertowns Square project Thursday night in the Embassy Community Center.

Though some residents offered a positive outlook on the project’s likely impact, the majority of those in attendance voiced concern for what some felt was a large development in a small space.

“The biggest problem is the traffic it would warrant,” said Dobbs Ferry resident Hubert Herring. “Whatever else you want to say about the project is irrelevant, because the traffic would be a disaster.”

Apprehension about more traffic in Dobbs Ferry was the most frequent complaint. The project, located between the Saw Mill River Parkway and Lawrence Street, would include an apartment building with 202 units, a gourmet supermarket, retail and restaurant businesses, and a Sundance Cinemas complex with eight theaters…..

Please Read More Here:

http://rivertowns.dailyvoice.com/news/dobbs-ferry-residents-voice-rivertowns-square-concerns/549633/

7. Notes

This Ratings Page Has Been Updated With Additional Information

About Dobbs Ferry,, New York

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Dobbs Ferry is a village in Westchester County, New York. The population was 10,875 at the 2010 census. The Village of Dobbs Ferry is located in, and is a part of, the town of Greenburgh. The village ZIP code is 10522.

Most of the Village falls into the boundaries of the Dobbs Ferry Union Free School District.

Dobbs Ferry was ranked seventh in the list of the top 10 places to live in New York State for 2014 according to the national online real estate brokerage Movoto. Dobbs Ferry is also the first village in New York State certified as a Climate Smart Community, honored in 2014 with the highest level given out in the state.

Dobbs Ferry was named after Jeremiah Dobbs, a descendent of William Dobbs, of Swedish and Dutch ancestry whose family ran a ferry service that traversed the Hudson River at this location. Jeremiah [Dobbs] was a fisherman and settled near the southern part of what is now Dobbs Ferry, and he “‘added to his meager income by ferriage of occasional travelers across the Hudson. He used a style of boat know at that day as a periauger, a canoe hollowed out of a solid log. . . From this primitive ferry the village took its name.'”

Dobbs Ferry played a vital role in the American Revolutionary War. The position of the village opposite the northernmost end of The Palisades gave it importance during the war. The region was repeatedly raided by camp followers of each army; earthworks and a fort, commanding the Hudson ferry and the ferry to Paramus, New Jersey, were built; the British army made Dobbs Ferry a rendezvous, after the Battle of White Plains in November 1776, and the continental division under General Benjamin Lincoln was here at the end of January 1777…..

Please Read More Here:

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

Population: 11,059 (2013)

University: Mercy College

Village of Rye Brook – Christopher Bradbury – 5 Stars

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Christopher Bradbury

1. Freedom Of Information Compliance And Knowledge Ratings:

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Village of Rye Brook Administrator / Clerk Christopher Bradbury quickly and rapidly acknowledged and completed our freedom of information requests for public documents. His staff is a pleasure to deal with and it is easy to give a rating of Five stars to Christopher Bradbury.

Westchester’s newest municipality has an exceptionally well run and modern public records management operation and one of the most courteous clerk’s offices in the county.

Mr.Bradbury’s staff are very helpful to both residents and nonresidents and often help them complete FOIL request forms.  Too often city, town and villages in Westchester asks a record seeker if they live in the community, but the Rye Brook clerk’s office shows no favoritism.

Mr.Bradbury’s staff even goes so far to suggest other public documents that a public documents record seeker also might want. Person’s with disabilities are given any reasonable accommodation needed to get public information that they need.

We are told that other municipal administrators and clerks often seek out Mr. Bradbury for advice and guidance.

On our opinion Rye Brook has prospered and been very well served, because for sixteen years Mr.Bradbury has made accountability and transparency a priority in the village he administers.

Rye Brook is a very inclusive community that easily shares public documents and public information.

2. Email Address For Filing FOI Requests

cbradbury@ryebrook.org

3, Mailing Address For Filing FOI Requests

Village Clerk
938 King Street
Rye Brook, NY 10573
Village of Rye Brook,

4. Experience:

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Christopher Bradbury Bio:

Christopher Bradbury has served as Administrator and Clerk for the Village of Rye Brook since August 2000.  Prior to Rye Brook he was the Assistant to the City Manager in the City of Rye from 1992-2000, and was an Administrative Intern in the Village of Croton on Hudson’s Village Manager’s Office from 1990-1992.

Christopher Bradbury Education:

BA, Hobart College (1989)

MPA, Pace University (1992)

Rye Brook Responsibilities:

The Village Administrator is the Chief Administrative Officer of the Village. It is the role of the Administrator, with the help of his staff, to operate and handle the daily business of the government.

Under the direction and policy established by the Board of Trustees, the Administrator has many duties to perform. These duties include:

  1. Supervising and coordinating the activities of all Village departments and employees as prescribed by law.
  2. Informing the Mayor and Trustees of all Village activities and recommending needed actions.
  3. Representing, or supervising the representation of the Village in affairs with employees, other governments and administrative agencies, and the public.

The Village Administrator serves as the Budget Officer and prepares the tentative budget at the direction of the Mayor and the Village Board.

The Village Administrator also serves as the Village Clerk. The Village Clerk attends to various concerns of the residents and issues legal notices related to all Village business, including public hearings and contracts. As the official “keeper of records” for all municipal documents, this is done in accordance with state mandates. This office also prepares the agenda for the Village Board Meetings, compiles the minutes, and files local laws. The Village Clerk’s Office also assists in the formation of resolutions, issues handicapped parking permits, peddler and vendor licenses.

5. From The Village Website:

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http://www.ryebrook.org/Cit-e-Access/webpage.cfm?TID=31&TPID=3835

6. Media Reports / Related Pages

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JOURNAL NEWS: Rye Brook sues Port Chester over fire service

…According to the lawsuit, Rye Brook is seeking the reinstatement of the paid Port Chester firefighter to staff the night shift in the Rye Brook firehouse and reimbursement for legal fees and overtime costs that Rye Brook has been paying its own firefighters to cover the shift.

Rye Brook Village Administrator Chris Bradbury said it costs about $2,000 per night to cover the night shift with paid Rye Brook firefighters. An agreement between the village and the Rye Brook firefighters union mandates a staffing level of at least two firefighters per shift.

“The fire services contract is very clear that Port Chester will staff the Rye Brook firehouse with a paid firefighter,” Rye Brook Mayor Paul Rosenberg said. “We have no other choice but to go to court and seek a court order which would mandate the reinstatement of the Port Chester paid firefighter.”….

http://www.lohud.com/story/news/local/westchester/rye-brook-port-chester/2016/05/11/rye-brook-sues-port-chester-breach-fire-services-contract/84220756/

DAILY VOICE: Rye Brook Board To Discuss Affordable Housing

…Fair and affordable housing (FAAH) has become a major project for Rye Brook after a settlement between the county and the Department of Housing and Urban Development mandated that certain municipalities must increase the number of affordable-housing units by 2017.

While Port Chester is not required to create more affordable housing under the settlement, Rye Brook is. The village passed legislation in December that approves the creation of a “floating zone” within Rye Brook, the application of which is subject to the board’s discretion. It allows for the village to waive dimensional zoning requirements of a particular village zone to comply with the requirements of fair and affordable housing applicants.

The village’s planning consultant prepared a paper to identify sites that are seen as affordable housing possibilities, said Rye Brook Village Administrator Christopher Bradbury after the settlement.

“Over 20 sites were listed in that report. Those had some potential to be a resource to the community, to developers and to the county,” said Bradbury, adding that the sites were not exclusive. “There could be others.”

Bradbury says the village currently has 48 units of affordable housing….

Please Read More Here:

http://rye.dailyvoice.com/real-estate/rye-brook-board-to-discuss-affordable-housing/502491/

7. Notes

This Ratings Page Has Been Updated With Additional Information

About Rye Brook, New York 

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Rye Brook is a village in Westchester County, New York, United States, within the town of Rye. The population was 9,347 at the 2010 census.

Rye Brook has been designated as a Tree City USA for 14 years.Rye Brook is located in southeastern Westchester County and shares its eastern border with Greenwich, Connecticut. The village was an unincorporated section of the town of Rye until the its incorporation and establishment on July 7, 1982 the area.

In 1982, 150 residents of the unincorporated area proposed to establish the village of Rye Brook and organized a petition containing 1,536 signatures. The petition drive, which contained the signatures of approximately 36% of the registered voters in the unincorporated area, was organized by the Independent Civic Association. It was reported by The New York Times that one resident commented, “There is a time for a community to redefine itself,” further stating that residents of the unincorporated area “should be able to elect their own officers” and “protect their tax base.”

A Pace University consultant study was completed in 1981 for the Village of Port Chester to determine “what change or changes, if any, in the Village governmental structure would best serve the Village of Port Chester today and in the years ahead.”

The residents of the unincorporated area voted on June 23, 1982 to create the Village of Rye Brook. It was the first village created in New York State in 54 years. The referendum to create the new political identity passed with 58% of the voters in favor (1,991 to 1,434). The first election in the Village’s history was held to elect a mayor and four trustees. The first village official was Lee Russillo, who was sworn in as Rye Brook’s first Village Clerk, and was responsible for the first election day.

The village is home to the William E. Ward House, which was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1976. Also known as Ward’s Castle, it was the home of the National Cartoon Museum, established by Mort Walker, the creator of Beetle Bailey, from 1976 to 1992.

In 1983, 800 Westchester Avenue, described as the “Taj Mahal of Rye Brook” and the “contemporary equivalent to the classical villa,” was constructed as the General Foods Corporate Headquarters.

Trustees:

  • Susan Epstein
  • David Heiser
  • Jason Klein
  • Jeffrey Rednick

Rye Brook has its own police and fire departments. The fire department is made up of one firehouse, and the Port Chester Fire Department has a contract with the village to respond to calls.

Village of Rye Brook Administrator: Christopher Bradbury

Village of Rye Brook Police Department Chief: Chief Gregory J. Austin

Please Read More Here:

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

Zip code: 10573

Population: 9,507 (2013)