Category: UNRESPONSIVE

Greenburgh Town Clerk – Judith A. Beville – Under Review

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Judith A. Beville

1. Freedom Of Information Compliance And Knowledge Ratings:

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Status – Under Review – Greenburgh Town Clerk Judith Beville has failed to respond to some of our freedom of information requests and phone calls to her office.

Ms. Beville’s Office seems not to be consumer oriented at all.

Oddly, the clerk’s web page lists the town’s main number instead of the clerk’s phone number. When asked about this Carol in the office said that Ms. Beville did not want her staff bothered with calls that might be for other Greenburgh town departments.

Ms. Beville’s staff can be difficult at times, because of the clerks attitude of not wanting to be bothered with questions from residents.

Ms. Beville fails to realize that the Greenburgh Clerk’s office is often the first point of contact for many town taxpayers and voters that have a question or concern.

It is important forMs. Beville to do a better job in order to ensure access to information in an efficient, convenient and unencumbered manner.

Ms.Beville needs to do more to help to facilitate a resident’s access to information as well as assisting them in navigating their course through local government on any matter or issue.

Maintaining a customer friendly environment for the public needs to start being of high importance to Greenburgh Town Clerk Judith Beville.

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Quickly and efficiently responding to and completing FOI Requests seems to a bit of a problem. In public statements Ms. Beville has said the hardest part of her job is…

“The most challenging part of my job is just making sure that things are done in a timely manner.“

“I suppose that one of the most challenging parts of my job is keeping a clear desk! But I really enjoy what I do. As a reelected official, we are going to be confronted with challenges every day.“

Ms. Beville has often stated that that Greenburgh has a statutory period of time to first acknowledge receipt of a request for information and that she has the right NOT to immediately respond or produce any information.

This is a very bureaucratic approach that doesn’t lead to accountability, confidence or transparency in Greenburgh.

When Greenburgh Town Clerk Judith Beville can legally and unnecessarily withhold a taxpayer’s access to a public document until the last minute of the last hour of the last day of the FOI laws stated statutory times, but morally and ethically it is wrong for Ms.Beville to unnecessarily withhold a taxpayers access to a public record.

Sadly many taxpayers in Ardsley, Dobbs Ferry, Elmsford, Hastings On Hudson, Irvington and Tarrytown feel that Ms. Beville’s motives for withholding public records are political in nature.

Ms. Beville, likes playing it both ways.

When a New York State’s “Committee On Open Government” Executive Director Robert Freeman issues an advisement in her favor, then she is quick to use it to deny taxpayers access to public records they technically own.

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But when one of Mr. Freeman’s issues an advisement from the Committee Open Government not in her favor she takes the position that

“While that has been the position of the Committee on Open Government, we note that its advisory opinions are not binding upon the Town“

With Ms. Beville’s FOI games a Greenburgh town resident is damned either way.

Often Greenburgh’s taxpayers, who want access to public documents, must go through the additional expense of an FOI appeal or court case. This is because of Ms. Beville’s inconsistent manner in handling Freedom of Information requests for public documents.

If Ms. Beville or others in Greenburgh’s privileged political class want to keep secrets inside town hall.

New Yorks problem with local corruption is a lack of accountability and transparency. Ms. Beville’s failure to provide quick access to public record and her inconsistencies make a fertile ground for corruption that the taxpayers of Ardsley, Dobbs Ferry, Elmsford, Hastings On Hudson, Irvington and Tarrytown must ultimately pay for.

2. Email Address For Filing FOI Requests

townclerk@greenburghny.com

3, Mailing Address For Filing FOI Requests

Town Clerk
177 Hillside Avenue
Greenburgh, NY 10607

4. Experience:

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Greenburgh Town Clerk Judith A. Beville refused to provide a short biographical paragraph to this public interest project to measure the responsiveness of Westchester County’s town clerks.

On the internet we found the following for Ms.Beville: 

City/Town of Residence: Town of Greenburgh (White Plains)

Once a member on the Valhalla Union Free Public School Board.

Email: jabeville@yahoo.com

Many town residents have said Beville’s hosting of fundraisers, farmers market music guests, cable public access shows and other events distracted Beville from her core responsibilities.

Despite Ms.Beville and the town board’s efforts to license massage parlors in town. The town is plagued by massage parlors that are really being used for prostitution.

5. From The Town Website:

Trucks drive through a flooded road in Greenburgh, N.Y. Sunday, March 14, 2010 after a storm passed through the region. (AP Photo/Craig Ruttle)
Trucks drive through a flooded road in Greenburgh, N.Y. Sunday, March 14, 2010 after a storm passed through the region. (AP Photo/Craig Ruttle)

WELCOME TO GREENBURGH: Image From The Town Of Greenburgh Website Home Page, Managed By Town Clerk Judith Beville

The Office of the Town Clerk Provides the Following Services for Town Residents

Agendas & Meetings
Coordinates and prepares all Town Board Agendas (Tentative, Final, Special Meetings, Work Sessions, Outreach Meetings, receives requests for street closings for holiday and civic association events and prepares resolutions for agenda)

Bids
Places Legal Notices for all Town Departments in Official Town Newspaper.  Receives and files Bids.

Cable
Serves as liaison between Town residents and Cable companies.  Assists resident’s in resolving Cable related problems and oversees Cable contracts along with the Legal Department.

Dog Licensing
Serves as Administrator for the Dog Licensing Program for Unincorporated Greenburgh and the Town’s Six Villages.  Issues New Licenses, Annual Renewals, and Replacement Tags

Elections
Coordinates Elections with Westchester County Board of Elections.  Acts as a satellite office for the Board of Elections on all election days. Coordinates the use and set-up of the Town’s 81 Polling Places. Assists in the delivery of materials for the Board of Elections to polling places. Works with Elections Inspector Coordinators in assigning election inspectors.  Supplies Voter Registration and Absentee Ballot Forms.

Freedom of Information (FOIL)
Receives all Foil requests and disseminates to appropriate department for review and response.  Contacts applicant upon response, provides submitted documents, collects any associated fees.  Coordinates Foil Appeals with Town Board. The Town Clerk serves as the Freedom of Information Officer.

Licensing & Permits
New York State Licenses: Fishing, Hunting, Handicap Parking Permits
Town of Greenburgh Licenses: Cabaret, Canvassing/Peddlers & Solicitors, Filming, Going out of Business, Sanitation, Taxicab and Taxi Driver

Records Management Officer
Coordinates the retention of all Town records, keeping in compliance with the New York State Retention Schedule. Generates departmental reports for all records stored.  Oversees the scheduling for destruction of all Town records, as per the New York State Retention Schedule.

Senior Citizen Rent Abatement Program (ETPA)
Serves as liaison for qualified Town residents and New York State Division of Housing & Community Renewal Office, including annual report for Receiver of Taxes

Vital Records
Issues original birth, death and marriage certificates. Retains all vital records and issues certified copies.  Does searches for Genealogy. Apostles

Sales Tax Letters
Issues letters to residents and businesses for correct Sales Tax amount for the Town

Code Of The Town Of Greenburgh
Files newly adopted Local Laws with NYS Department of State; Maintains and updates Town Code Books, distributes supplements to all Agencies

Miscellaneous
Maintains book of Dangerous Conditions; Town Clerk is the receiver of the following documents; Notice of Claims, Summonses, Petitions, Certioraris, Scar Applications, etc. Maintains Oath of Office Book for elected officials and all other oaths administered by Town Clerk; Maintains and updates Boards & Commissions and  Civic Association lists; Maintains records for the Board of Ethics; Coordinates Internship program for the Town

6. Media Reports

GREENBURGH TOWN CLERK SAYS DON’T BLAME HER FOR TOWN’S POOR WEBSITE

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It seems Town Supervisor Paul Feiner and Town Clerk Judith Beville, both of whom are running for reelection this fall, are touchy on the subject of who is to blame for the Town’s failing grade for its website.

Town Clerk Judith Beville said today that she is not responsible for the Town’s website, which received a failing grade last fall from Albany-based public interest organization Empire Group…..

Even though Ms. Beville claims to have never had any responsibility whatsoever for the town’s website, a press release from Mr. Feiner published (and long since buried) on the town’s website itself states otherwise.

On June 13, 2011, under the headline, “Town Website needs improvement – Task Force Being Formed,” Mr. Feiner said that in response to months of complaints from residents that the town website was difficult to navigate,  “I have asked Town Clerk Judith Beville to head up a task force to improve the website.”  He then asked if residents had any “comments or suggestions,”  they should contact him and Ms. Beville.…..

Please Read More Here:

https://edgemontecc.com/2015/03/22/town-clerk-says-dont-blame-her-for-towns-poor-website/

PATCH: Massage Parlors Under Scrutiny in Greenburgh

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A proposed law to regulate the establishments is meeting resistance, according to attorney and community advocate Bob Bernstein.

In recent years, the number of massage parlors in Greenburgh has grown, a move that has many in the community upset because they claim the establishments are brothels merely posing as massage parlors.

The Journal News reports that some officials and residents are trying to take matters into their own hands by passing strict legislation to regulate the establishments. But according to one local attorney and community advocate, the matter is being met with some resistance.

On The Edgemont Community Council website, group president and local attorney Bob Bernstein writes that a proposal to regulate such businesses is being opposed by Town Attorney Tim Lewis and Town Clerk Judith Beville, namely because Lewis questions whether local jurisdictions can regulate the businesses under New York State laws…..

Please Read More Here:

http://patch.com/new-york/tarrytown/massage-parlors-under-scrutiny-greenburgh-0

DAILY VOICE: Uncontested Races Retain Incumbents In Greenburgh, Ardsley

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Incumbency is alive and well in the Town of Greenburgh, where the 24-year town supervisor and his entire board was reelected on Tuesday unopposed.

The same held true in three of the six villages within the Town of Greenburgh on Tuesday: Voters in Ardsley, Dobbs Ferry and Irvington all elected village officials who ran unopposed this fall…..

…Also in the town of Greenburgh, Town Clerk Judith Beville, a Democrat, ran unopposed; as did three Democratic candidates for Town Justice: Arlene Oliver, Delores Brathwaite and Walter Rivera…..

Please Read More Here:

http://greenburgh.dailyvoice.com/politics/uncontested-races-retain-incumbents-in-greenburgh-ardsley/601367/

WCBS: Greenburgh Town Hall To Be Open Sunday For Gay Marriage Licenses, Ceremonies

Gay Marriage (file / credit: DANIEL KFOURI/AFP/Getty Images)

Greenburgh town supervisor Paul Feiner says it’s a moment in history.

Gay couples in New York have waited for the right to marry and so Sunday, he realizes, is a meaningful day.

Therefore, the town hall will be open to approve and perform ceremonies….

…They’re asking couples planning to do so to contact the town clerk by phone at 914-993-1500 or e-mail at townclerk@greenburghny.com ahead of time.

Right now, the plan is to make licenses available until 2:00 p.m., but that could change with demand.

http://newyork.cbslocal.com/2011/07/20/greenburgh-town-hall-to-be-open-sunday-for-gay-marriage-licenses-ceremonies/

MID HUDSON NEWS: Over a dozen same-sex couples tie the knot in Westchester

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TOWN OF GREENBURGH – It was all smiles and wedding bells Sunday afternoon in the Town of Greenburgh as some of the first legally recognized same-sex marriages in the Hudson Valley were performed at the Greenburgh Town Hall by Town Clerk Judith Beville.

Beville opened the clerk’s office at noon and preformed ceremonies while on her day off Sunday afternoon….

Please Read More Here:

http://midhudsonnews.com/News/2011/July/25/MarEq_WC-25Jul11.html

7.. Notes

This Ratings Page Has Been Updated With  Additional Information

About Greenburgh, New York

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Greenburgh is a town in the western part of Westchester County, New York, United States. The population was 88,400 at the 2010 census.

The Romer-Van Tassel House served as the first town hall from 1793 into the early 19th century. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1994. Other locations on the National Register are the Church of St. Joseph of Arimathea and Odell House. The Spanish American War Monument to the 71st Infantry Regiment in Mount Hope Cemetery was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2011…..

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

Zip code: 10607

 

Population: 88,400 (2010)

Pelham Town Clerk – Colleen Walsh – 2 Stars

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Colleen Walsh

1. Freedom Of Information Compliance And Knowledge Ratings:

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Pelham Town Clerk Colleen Walsh has failed to provided a response to all of our Freedom of Information Requests for access to public documents under New York States FOI laws.

It appears that Colleen Walsh doesn’t know how to respond to a simple FOI request for access to a public document. After many written and phone inquiries the town had the attorney listed bellow to respond to our FOI request for the town clerk’s compensation.

While it is good that after nine days we finially got a copy of the current budget with Ms. Walsh’s pay listed, it is bad that the honest hard working taxpayers had to pay for a Manhattan attorney to do Ms. Walsh’s job for her.

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Thomas Richard Kleinberger, Esq
411 Fifth Avenue, 9th Floor
New York, New York 10016
(917) 326-5523 (Telephone)
(917) 326-5525 (Fax)
tkleinberger@adamsre.com

But the attorney for the town attorney is very temperamental. When we emailed a FOIL of his invoices to the town.

We wanted to learn just how much Pelham’s attorney was was pocketing in fees due to Ms. Walsh’s incompetence when it came to responding to FOI requests for documents.

In less than an hour of getting a Freedom of information request for copies of any invoices from the Pelham Town Attorney responded to the email saying,”In future any FOIL requests will only be addressed by the Town if in  a physical writing (i.e. a letter).”

We had to to respond to Thomas Kleinberger’s mini meltdown with…..

“New York’s courts have repeatedly ruled that every town subject to the Freedom of Information Law, and must accept emailed FOILS provided that it has the ability to receive requests for records from the public and transmit records by means of email, is required to do so.“

Some have joked in Pelham that the hussy fit throwing Mr. Kleinberger got his law license at Sears.

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Town Clerk Colleen Walsh was not just unresponsive with us. When the League Of Women Voter’s sent her a questionnaire in the 2015 election she refused to respond.

From The 2015 LWV Voting Guide:

TOWN CLERK – PELHAM Term: 2 years; Salary: $5,500
Candidate: Colleen W. Walsh Party: R, REF
Questions: – no response –

Sadly abuse and corruption can flourish in Pelham and in New York when government officials feel entitled and refuse to follow New York State’s Freedom Of Information statutes that allow taxpayers and the media to bring accountability and transparency to local government.

Pelham Town Clerk Colleen Walsh would have gotten a rating of FAILURE, but Pelham Town Attorney Thomas Richard Kleinberger was able to provide a copy of the 2016 budget listing her pay.

So we are tentatively given Ms. Walsh TWO STARS as we wait to see if Mr. Kleinberger can try not to be so emotional and complete the other open FOIL requests, when he returns from vacation next month.

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However, if we could we give Colleen Walsh the Bubble Headed Bleach Blonde Award, because she need to get TomKleinberger, Esq to complete a simple Freedom Of Information Request asking for her pay as an elected official.

What good is a town clerk that doesn’t have the skill set need to respond to an FOI request for a public document. It is laughable that she uses the email address toptownclerk@aol.com.

2. Email Address For Filing FOI Requests

toptownclerk@aol.com

Or

townclerk@townofpelham.com

3, Mailing Address For Filing FOI Requests:

Town Clerk
34 Fifth Avenue Town Hall
Pelham, New York 10803

4. Experience:

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UNRESPONSIVE: We got no response from Pelham Town Clerk Colleen. Walsh on our information request about her experience.

From the internet we learned Ms. Walsh is a fitness trainer who provides personal training and group fitness classes and has sometimes called her classes,”Sun and Moon Fitness”.

She even made a video called “Strong Mamas/Fit Families”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F09pSoOUWq4

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Colleen Walsh

Ms. Walsh apparently has a “Corporate Wellness Coaching” Certificate and a “Holistic Life Coaching” Certificate from some place called the Spencer Center.

Many in Pelham say that Ms. Walsh’s fitness training experience doesn’t give her the experience needed to bring the accountability and transparency that Pelham desperately needs.

Honest hardworking town residents are grossly over taxed and pay too much for often poorly delivered services. This is because they can’t access to the public documents and information they need to bring about real change in the town.

5. From The Pelham Town Website:

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FAILING WEBSITE – GRADE

It looks like that as of the date of this post Town Clerk Colleen Walsh has failed to have the town website updated with the latest information about the Pelham Town Clerk’s Office, which lists another person, Timothy Case, as the Pelham Town Clerk.

The Clueless Ms. Walsh has been the Town Clerk since January 2014, so for 2 years And 7 months she has listed someone else as the Town Clerk on her Town Of Pelham Web Page.

Worse yet the Town’s web Page is not ADA compliant.

The Pelham Town Website Reads:

The Town Clerk is an elected official and serves for a term of two (2) years. The Town Clerk is charged with custody of all legal records, books and papers of the Town and is responsible for the recording of all of the Town Board’s Proceedings and decisions. In this regard, the Town Clerk’s charged with publishing items tobe considered by the Town Board during its meetings and is charged with posting all notices required by law.

The Town Clerk supervises all town wide general elections, primaries related to those elections, conducted in the Town of Pelham pursuant to applicable laws. Applications for absentee ballots, and voter registration forms are available in the Town Clerks Office.

The Town Clerk also serves as Registrar of Vital Statistics, which includes records of Marriages, birth, deed records as early as 1860. Current birth & death records are kept in the Village of Pelham and the Village of Pelham Manor.

The Town Clerk’s office also issues Marriage licenses. It is necessary to make an appointment to obtain a Marriage license.(9:30 AM – 3:30 PM Monday – Friday) Please call (914) 738-0777.

The fee for a Marriage license is $40.00.

Marriage Transcripts are $20.00.

Dog Licenses are available at the Town Clerks Office for Village of Pelham residents. The requirements for the license are (1) Village of Pelham Resident, (2) updated paperwork on dog, which should include current rabies information and proof of neutered/spayed, (3) Owners I.D.

The fee for a dog license is $16.00 (neutered/spayed)

$23.00 (unaltered)

$5.00 for a lost tag.
Click here to print out application.

****Pelham Manor Residents must go to Village of Pelham Manor (Village Clerk at 4 Penfield Place) to acquire a Disabled permit and/or Dog license. If you have any questions please call 914/738-8820.  ****

If you are a new voter, have moved since the last election, or wish to change your registration you may do so by visiting the Town Clerks office.

Timothy Case
Town Clerk

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6. Media Reports

Extra, Extra Read All About It!!!!

Pelham’s Privileged Political Class Wins Again!!!!!!

Only 54 People For For Colleen Wash To Be Town Clerk!!!!

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DAILY VOICE: Pelham Residents Vote For Uncontested Candidates

Voters Tuesday turned out to vote for Pelham supervisor, town clerk, two council seats and receiver of taxes — all of which were uncontested.

With 10 percent of the vote counted at 9:30 p.m. Supervisor Peter DiPaola Jr had 56 votes – 100 percent of all votes cast. DiPaola ran on the Republican line.

Republican Colleen Walsh received 54 votes – 100 percent – for town clerk…..

Please Read More Here:

http://pelham.dailyvoice.com/politics/pelham-residents-vote-for-uncontested-candidates/412525/

7. Notes

This Ratings Page Has Been Updated With Additional Information

About Pelham, New York

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Pelham is an inner-ring suburban town in Westchester County, New York, approximately 14 miles northeast of Midtown Manhattan. As of the 2010 census, it had a population of 12,396.

Historically, Pelham was composed of five villages and became known as “the Pelhams”. Pelham currently contains two independently incorporated villages: the Villages of Pelham and Pelham Manor

Approximately 28 minutes away from Grand Central Terminal by the Metro-North train, Pelham is home to many New York City commuters and has an active social community for its residents.

In 1654, Thomas Pell bought the area within the present-day town from theSiwanoy Indians. He named his manor “Pelham” in honor of his tutor, Pelham Burton.

Pelham was incorporated as a town on March 7, 1788. It included all of City Island and present-day Pelham Bay Park east of the Hutchinson River. In 1895, the town was reduced in size to its current boundaries. In 1891, the village of Pelham Manor incorporated. In 1896, the village of North Pelham and the village of Pelham incorporated. In 1975, the villages of North Pelham and Pelham merged, forming the present village of Pelham. The Village of Pelham and the Village of Pelham Manor share several services such as school and recreational activities.

There is a grassroots movement to continue the consolidation of services in order to reduce taxes.

The Pelham Picture House was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2010..

Pelham is home to four elementary schools (two located in each village), one middle school, and one high school. The elementary schools are Hutchinson, Colonial, Siwanoy, and Prospect Hill. Pelham Middle School and Pelham Memorial High School gather students for all of Pelham. These are all part of the Pelham Union Free School District. There are also several private and religious based schools. Since 1948, New York City has paid the district to educate children who live in a small strip of land between Pelham and Pelham Bay Park that is part of the Bronx due to a boundary error, as doing so is less expensive than sending school buses there….

Please Read More Here:

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

Pound Ridge Town Clerk – Joanne Pace – Under Review

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Joanne Pace

1. Freedom Of Information Compliance And Knowledge Ratings:

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Under Review – So Far The Highly Compensated Pound Ridge Clerk Joanne Pace Has Failed To Respond To Four FOI Request We Sent. Most Of The Other Town Clerks In Westchester County Have Responded.

And it appears that we have to soon appeal to the New York State Department’s Committee On open government concern  Ms. Pace’s failure to respond to our requests to the town clerk’s office.

http://www.dos.ny.gov/coog/

There appears to be a problem with Ms. Pace meeting deadlines and complying with New York State Laws.

In the past, Pound Ridge had control of most election chores. Not anymore. When asked by the county in January, Pound Ridge clerk JoAnne Pace refused to give the county its keys to its lever voting machines.

Under a law created by New York State, Westchester County has control of the elections in 2006 and beyond.

The Pound Ridge government’s act of defiance ended when Pound Ridge received a letter from the county in March that said “despite numerous requests, the board [board of elections] has not received your municipality’s voting machine keys.”

Reginald A. LaFayette, the commissioner of the board of elections, wrote that he “regretted” that if Town Clerk Jo anne Pace did not comply with the request for keys and unless the keys could be inventoried, the county would notify the New York State Board of Elections that the town did not comply with state law.

The county further wrote that “we will be unable to certify your voting machines for the upcoming 2006 elections.”

Joanne Pace, immediately drove the keys down to the Westchester County offices in White Plains.

Ms. Pace was also unresponsive when the League Of Women Voters sent her a questionaire for the 2015 voter’s guide.

From The Voter’s Guide….

TOWN CLERK – POUND RIDGE Term:
4 years; Salary: $71,415
Joanne Pace
Questions: – no response –

2. Email Address For Filing FOI Requests 

jpace@townofpoundridge.com

3, Mailing Address For Filing FOI Requests

179 Westchester Avenue
Pound Ridge, NY 10576

4. Experience:

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Pound Ridge Clerk Joanne Pace did not respond to a request to provide a biographical statement to this project to measure how well Town Clerks respond to and comply with New York State’s Freedom Of Information Laws. Compliance With The law and transparancy appear not to be a priority with Ms. Pace.

5. From The Clerk’s Town Website:

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6. Media Reports

7. Notes

This Ratings Page Has Been Updated With Additional Information

About Pound Ridge, New York

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Pound Ridge is a town in Westchester County, New York, United States. The population was 5,104 at the 2010 census.

The town is located in the eastern corner of the county, bordered by New Canaan, Connecticut, to the east,Stamford, Connecticut, to the south, Bedford, New York, to the west and Lewisboro, New York, to the north.

In the early seventeenth century Pound Ridge was inhabited by Native Americans who spoke the Munsee language[ and were members of the Wappinger Confederacy. The geographical boundaries of the tribes within the Confederacy are unclear. Pound Ridge has been variously listed as within the territory of the Kitchawong,Siwanoy and Tankiteke tribes. These claims are not necessarily exclusive as tribal boundaries were not fixed and the land used by different tribes was often interlaced or shared. Interaction with Europeans caused Indians to change their settlement locations over time. Furthermore, the territories listed in sales to Europeans by particular tribal chiefs are not strict guides to the boundaries of tribal control or occupancy. The Siwanoy are generally agreed to have lived along the north Long Island Sound Coast with a maximum range extending from Hell Gate to Norwalk, Connecticut. The Tankiteke appear to have occupied eastern Westchester County and Fairfield County. The territory of the Kitchawong is thought to have extended from the Croton River to Anthony’s Nose along the Hudson and some distance east from the river.

The Wappinger Confederacy participated in Kieft’s War which began in 1640 as a result of escalating tensions over land use, livestock control, trade and taxation between the Dutch West India Company colony of New Netherlandand neighboring native peoples. In March 1644 a Wappinger Confederacy village in present-day Pound Ridge was attacked by a mixed force of 130 Dutch and English soldiers under the command of Captain John Underhill. This event is now known as the Pound Ridge Massacre. The attackers surrounded and burnt the village in a night attack killing between 500 to 700 Indians. The dead included 25 members of the Wappinger tribe, with the remainder being either Tankiteke or Siwanoy or both. The New Netherland force lost one man killed and fifteen wounded. More casualties were suffered in this attack than in any other single incident in the war. Shortly after the battle four Wappinger Confederacy sachems arrived in the English settlement of Stamford to sue for peace.

The territory of modern Pound Ridge was first permanently settled by Europeans in 1718 in the present-day Long Ridge Road area. Long Ridge Road was originally an Indian path and had been used by the first settlers of Bedford, New York as they traveled to that destination from Stamford. Although the very first settlers were from Huntington on Long Island, most of the original settlers of Pound Ridge were from Stamford. A large portion of Pound Ridge was included in the town of North Castle when it was incorporated in 1721.

Three thousand acres in the northern part of present-day Pound Ridge were included within the more than 86,000 acre Cortlandt Manor grant which extended from the Hudson River in the west twenty miles east to the Connecticut border. A member of the historically prominent Lockwood family first purchased land in Pound Ridge in 1737 and several members of the family settled in the town within the next six years. The Scofield family first settled in the area in 1745 and the first Fancher settled in the area in 1758. Roads in the modern town bear the name of each of these families.The first record of the term “Old Pound Ridge” to refer to the present-day town’s territory is found in the North Castle records from 1737. “Old Pound Ridge” begins to appear in Stamford records in 1750. The name “Old Pound Ridge” is thought to have originated from the presence of an Indian game pound on a hill within the territory when the settlers first arrived.

…..

Please Read More Here:

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

Zip code: 10576

Population: 5,104 (2010)

 

Area code: 914

Village of Croton-on-Hudson – Pauline DiSanto – Under Review

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Pauline DiSanto, Has Not Yet Sent In Her Photo

1. Freedom Of Information Compliance And Knowledge Ratings:

Under Review: The very highly compensated Village of Croton-on-Hudson Clerk Pauline DiSanto claims to need more than a month to respond to the same freedom of Information requests that most clerks responded to and completed in less than a week.

There appears to be a good reason that Croton-on-Hudson taxpayers have often complained to Village Manager Jamie King and Chiropractor / Mayor Mayor Dr. Greg Schmidt about the lack of accountability and transparancy in their community.

The Village of Croton-on-Hudson, New York is a small very high taxed village in the northern suburbs of New York City, with a population of about 8,000 people and an area of less than five square miles.

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Mayor Greg Schmidt

Residents Are Gravely Concerned About The Village Debt That Was Unanimously Increased By 33% By The Board Of Trustees

Sadly, the current spending levels are unsustainable and the priorities, if any, are misplaced – the single family homeowners of Croton-on-Hudson are often frustrated in getting the public documents they need from Village of Croton-on-Hudson Clerk Pauline DiSanto to advocate for changes their community needs.

Dr. Gregory Schmidt, a Democrat, is a local chiropractor, he and his wife, Susan. Dr. Schmidt has served three terms as a Croton Village Trustee and two terms as Mayor.

During Dr. Gregory Schmidt’s tenures, he repeatedly failed to bring instrumental improvments and departmental efficiencies to the village clerk’s office.

Dr. Schmidt spends a lot of his time as a key organizer of ‘Summerfest’ and Rotary’s classic car show as the village taxes have increased and increased and increased on his watch.

Deputy Mayor Bob Anderson, along with his wife, Leslie live in Croton-on-Hudon. A 1972 graduate from SUNY-New Paltz, Mr. Anderson taught school for a bit. but he left teaching to spend several years as a tennis professional at clubs around Westchester.

In 1983, Mr. Anderson joined IBM Research as a designer of laboratory and office space. He later served as an executive assistant to an executive recruiter.

Deputy Mayor Bob Anderson just doesn’t seem to have the skill set needed to bring efficiency, accountability and transparency to  Village of Croton-on-Hudson Clerk Pauline DiSanto’s office.

The single family homeowners of Croton-On-Hudson Deserve better than this

2. Email Address For Filing FOI Requests

pdisanto@crotononhudson-ny.gov

3, Mailing Address For Filing FOI Requests

Town Clerk
1 Van Wyck Street
Croton-on-Hudson, NY 10520

4. Experience:

Pauline DiSanto refused to provide a short biographical paragraph and photo. We are unsure if Ms. Disanto has benefited from higher education or received certifications in her field of study.

5. From The Village Website:

Image = croton-on-hudson-website header 74

Quick Links
Election Information:
Other
Applications & Forms

6. Media Reports / Related Pages

FIND THE DATA: Pauline DiSanto Salaries

2011 $89,004

2013 $90,858

http://state-employees.findthedata.com/d/a/Pauline-DiSanto

New Deputy Clerk Appointment

…..WHEREAS, from time to time it is necessary for the Clerk to be away from the office and  it is advisable that someone be authorized to perform the duties of the Clerk at such times; and

WHEREAS, the Village Clerk, Pauline DiSanto has recommended that Kristine Gilligan be appointed Deputy Village Clerk.

NOW, THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED:  that the Village Board of Trustees hereby appoints Kristine Gilligan to be the Deputy Village Clerk, who shall have full authority to exercise and perform any of the powers and duties of the Clerk effective January 6, 2009,

AND BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED:  that this appointment will fill the unexpired term vacated by Genette Toone which ends April 6, 2009,

AND BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED:  that the Village Board of Trustees hereby sets the Deputy Clerk Kristine Gilligan’s annual salary at $42,000….

http://crotononhudson-ny.gov/Public_Documents/CrotonHudsonNY_WebDocs/AgendaRes/010509/resf

7. Notes

This Ratings Page Has Been Updated With Additional Information

About Croton-on-Hudson, New York

Image = Croton-on-Hudson_highlighted.svg

Croton-on-Hudson is a village in Westchester County, New York, United States. The population was 8,070 at the 2010 census. It is located in the town of Cortlandt, in New York City’s northern suburbs. The village was incorporated in 1898.

Clifford Harmon, a realtor, purchased 550 acres of land next to the village of Croton in 1903. He gave part of the land to the New York Central Railroad to build a train station, on the condition that the station would forever be named after him. Today it is called theCroton-Harmon station of the Metro-North Railroad. In 1906, the station became a major service facility for the railroad. The station expanded even further in 1913, when it became the stop at which electric trains from New York City switched to steam engines…..

Croton-on-Hudson’s economy has historically thrived on the Metro North train station that up until 1968 served as the point at which northbound trains would exchange their electric engines for other modes of conveyance. During those days, the train station and its super-adjacent area was known as Harmon. Because maintenance of diesel and steam engines was then very labor-intensive, there were many workers whose needs were served by abundant service businesses, such as restaurants and bars. Because of the separate development of both the Harmon and the Mt. Airy communities, there were originally two commercial districts—one centered on Grand Street, and the other in Harmon—though in recent years the two have merged into a single sprawling commercial district. There is also a North Riverside commercial district serving communities along Riverside Drive, Brook Street, Grand Street, and Bank Street.

After the New York Central Railroad folded, Croton-on-Hudson’s economy slowly stagnated. Although Croton-Harmon station still served as the main transfer point northbound between local and express trains, the laborers who had earlier fueled a bustling service economy were no longer present in Harmon. The exodus of labor during the early 1970s was compounded by thestagflation that was a result of higher oil prices and skyrocketing interest rates.

There has been an ongoing effort since the early 1990s to develop the riverfront for recreational use. Among the accomplishments are a pedestrian bridge spanning U.S. Route 9 and NY 9A between the lower village and Senasqua Park, the Crossiningpedestrian footbridge across the Croton River, the bicycle trail extensions around Half Moon Bay Condominiums, rehabilitation of the “Picture Tunnel” (repaving and closing it to cars), and acquisition and clearing of the Croton Landing property. In addition,Croton Point Park is also along the riverfront…..

Please Read More Here:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Croton-on-Hudson,_New_York

Area: 10.81 mi²

Elevation: 164′

Population: 8,206 (2013)
Area code: 914

Village of Dobbs Ferry – Liz Dreaper – Under Review

Image = Village of Dobbs Ferry - Liz Dreaper 74

Liz Dreaper

1. Freedom Of Information Compliance And Knowledge Ratings:

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

Image = Head-In-The-Sand
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:

image = Dobbs-Ferry-seal-blue-74

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

Image = Dobbs_Ferry_highlighted.svg

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