Dana Levenberg, Town Supervisor
phone (914) 762-6001
fax (914) 762-0833
16 Croton Avenue
Ossining, NY 10562
The Supervisor's Office is located on the third floor of the Town offices. Office hours are Monday - Friday, 9:00 am - 4:30 pm.
Happy Friday! Hope you’re staying warm and dry at the end of a cold, rainy week.
We had a very busy Town Board meeting Tuesday. First, more personnel updates: as expected, the Town Board accepted my resignation (effective December 31) at this week’s meeting. However, because one of our Council Members was not able to appear in person, we did not have enough Board members present to vote on a motion to appoint Deputy Supervisor Liz Feldman to serve the remaining year of my unexpired term. That resolution has been tabled until next Tuesday, December 20, at which point we expect to officially make the appointment.
The Town Board also accepted, with regret, the resignation of Victoria Cafarelli from her position as Administrative Assistant and Budget Director in the Supervisor’s Office, effective December 31. I have known Victoria professionally since she started interning for Assemblywoman Sandy Galef when she was just 14 years old. At the time, she was also teaching CCD at St. Ann’s, a student in the acclaimed Ossining Science Research Program, a leader in Junior States of America, and a high honors student, among many other responsibilities. She has continued to exceed all expectations as an employee and a leader in various roles, diligently executing all responsibilities while also, at different points in time, earning her bachelors’ and master’s degrees in public administration, and pinch hitting as Town Clerk. We are incredibly fortunate that someone so intelligent, competent, and kind has chosen a career in public service right here in our community! While her departure from Town government is a loss for 16 Croton Avenue, I know that she will continue to serve the Town and the Lower Hudson Valley well in her next role.
There were also happy personnel changes this week! We were very excited to promote Martha Quituisaca to the role of Administrative Assistant and Budget Director in the Supervisor’s office, effective January 1, 2023. Martha has been working for the Town for several years now, first in the Tax Office, and now as Deputy Town Clerk. She has contributed so much to these offices during her years with the Town, all while completing her Masters in Public Administration from John Jay College (just like her predecessor!). She is already learning the ropes from Victoria and we are confident she will hit the ground running in January. We are so proud of Martha and cannot wait to see all she will accomplish in this new role in her continued service to our community.
In other good news, we passed a resolution increasing the real property tax exemption available to senior citizens. County law now enables seniors to exempt all medical and prescription drug expenses that were not reimbursed or paid for by insurance from their income calculations. These exemptions, combined with the recent increase in the income level one can receive while still qualifying for the tax exemption, will make it easier for senior citizens to afford to age in place in Ossining. We are always looking for ways to improve affordability, while making fiscally responsible decisions that enable us to maintain services.
We also officially adopted our 2023 Budget! The final budget is tax cap compliant and contains a 6.5% tax rate decrease for the Town General Fund and a 6.3% decrease for the Unincorporated Fund. This does not necessarily mean that the amount you pay in taxes will go down; it means that because the overall pool of assessed value has increased, everyone can pay a slightly smaller piece of the pie. Thank you to everyone who provided input during the budget process. A huge round of applause is due to our incredible finance team of Comptroller Dale Brennan, Deputy Comptroller Liz Naccari and Budget Director Victoria Cafarelli, as well as all of our Department Heads, for their input and work helping us put forth a sound budget for 2023. This budget will continue to help keep our community environmentally, economically, physically and mentally healthy while working toward improving equity.
Lastly, we passed resolutions for a number of intermunicipal agreements to secure key services for next year and beyond, as well as authorization to enter into an agreement with Mike Risko Music to administer the Summer Concert Series part of RiverJam, in 2023. Thank you to the Riskos for once again helping to select an awesome line up of diverse musical styles and coordinate the bands so we can offer another great summer of music, food, and fun at the Ossining Riverfront. It certainly feels nice to think of warm summer days as the temperatures continue to drop!
In other news, the season of giving continues! Tomorrow, December 17 from 12 - 2 PM, State Senator Pete Harckham and I will be hosting a holiday food drive at the Ossining High School parking lot. If you can, please pull together some non-perishable food items to donate and stop by! Collected items will benefit the Ossining Food Pantry. The most needed items are listed on the flier below.
There are also multiple ongoing drives for holiday gifts, winter clothing, and more. We are hosting a Toys for Tots box here at Town & Village Hall (16 Croton Avenue)!
If you’re in need of generosity as the temperatures continue to drop, help is available for your home heating costs. The New York Public Service Commission expects heating costs to rise by at least 20% this winter, which will undoubtedly be a huge burden for many households. If you are anticipating difficulty with paying your heating costs, check out the New York State Home Energy Assistance Program (HEAP). HEAP can help eligible households with assistance to pay their energy bills this winter. Learn more about this program and other ways to reduce your heating costs by visiting www.ny.gov/heat. If you are low-income and behind on your bills, you can learn more about the Electric and Gas Debt Relief program here. The deadline to enroll is December 31st, 2022.
That’s all for this week! For upcoming events and more, keep scrolling. Happy Hanukkah to everyone who is celebrating! All are welcome to join in the fun for the menorah lighting in Market Square on Tuesday, December 20.
If you’re doing some last-minute shopping for the holidays, be sure to do it locally and #ShopSmall! We will see you soon - till then, be safe and healthy.
--Dana
If your business, non-profit, or community group has an event that you would like to submit to be a part of the Supervisor's Update, please complete this form. We are happy to pass along events that provide a benefit to the community and support our local economy. Thank you for helping us to highlight all the best Ossining has to offer!
Subscribe to our email blast list and receive Town news and updates.
Happy Friday! Hope you’ve had a great week.
This week’s Town Board meeting took place on Monday to enable me to attend new legislator orientation in Albany. I recently received confirmation that my election to the New York State Assembly has been certified by the Board of Elections. As such, I formally submitted my letter of resignation, effective December 31, to the Town Clerk earlier today. I anticipate the Town Board will accept my resignation at our meeting next Tuesday, and formally appoint Deputy Supervisor Liz Feldman to the remaining year of my unexpired term. The Town Board will be posting for the vacancy on the Town Board in the coming weeks, and residents are encouraged to apply.
It has been an honor and a pleasure to serve the Town of Ossining as Supervisor. We have accomplished so much in the last seven years, and I am confident the Town will just keep getting better and better with the strong foundation we have. I look forward to serving you and the rest of this district in my new capacity, and I will continue to spend my remaining time as Town Supervisor ensuring a smooth transition to the next administration. We still have quite a bit of work to do before the end of the year!
On Tuesday, the Ossining Communities That Care (CTC) coalition, of which the Town is a stakeholder, met for its monthly meeting. We were joined by County Executive George Latimer, who is deliberating on the Board of Legislators’ recently passed legislation banning the sale of flavored cigarettes, including menthol cigarettes. He took lots of input from the coalition on its thoughts. Regardless of the decision the County makes in this regard, it is important for all of us who have young people in our lives to continue having conversations about the dangers of drugs, alcohol and tobacco. The holiday season is also a time when gatherings make alcohol in particular more readily available and prevalent, so this is as good a time as any to have one of those conversations! The CTC’s Grown Ups Show Up campaign provides guidance for this; click here to visit the Grown Ups Show Up website to learn more.
CTC’s Teen Tip Talks series continues next Tuesday, December 13 at 6:30 PM in the Ossining High School library with a presentation called “Ending the Silence,” geared toward helping people identify signs of an emergent mental health condition. Please attend if you can!
On Wednesday, the Town joined the Village and the Centralized Committee of Organized War Veterans for the annual community Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day celebration. Deputy Town Supervisor Liz Feldman and Town Board Member Angelo Manicchio joined Village Mayor Rika Levin to represent the municipal governments at the remembrance. Thanks once again go to Honorable Michael G. O’Connor and the Committee for their efforts to preserve traditions that strengthen our memory of these important events.
Later that day, our deputy supervisor joined the Mayor, Village Trustee Omar Lopez, State Senator Elijah Reichlin-Melnick, Ossining Recreation Superintendent Bill Garrison and members of our parks and recreation staff for a ribbon cutting celebrating the installation of a new, ADA-accessible inclusive playground at Veterans’ Memorial Park. We are grateful to Senator Reichlin-Melnick for securing $150,000 in funding for our recreation department to install the new playground.
In other news, the season of giving continues! Next Saturday, December 17 from 12 - 2 PM, State Senator Pete Harckham and I will be hosting a holiday food drive at the Ossining High School parking lot. If you can, please pull together some non-perishable food items to donate and stop by! Collected items will benefit the Ossining Food Pantry. The most needed items are listed on the flyer below. If you are able to volunteer at the event, please email to let us know.
There are also multiple ongoing drives for holiday gifts, winter clothing, and more. We are hosting a Toys for Tots box here at Town & Village Hall (16 Croton Avenue)!
If you’re in need of generosity as the temperatures continue to drop, help is available for your home heating costs. The New York Public Service Commission expects heating costs to rise by at least 20% this winter, which will undoubtedly be a huge burden for many households. If you are anticipating difficulty with paying your heating costs, check out the New York State Home Energy Assistance Program (HEAP). HEAP can help eligible households with assistance to pay their energy bills this winter. Learn more about this program and other ways to reduce your heating costs by visiting www.ny.gov/heat. If you are low-income and behind on your bills, you can learn more about the Electric and Gas Debt Relief program here. The deadline to enroll is December 31st, 2022.
That’s all for this week. For upcoming events and more, keep scrolling! We will see you soon - till then, be safe and healthy!
--Dana
If your business, non-profit, or community group has an event that you would like to submit to be a part of the Supervisor's Update, please complete this form. We are happy to pass along events that provide a benefit to the community and support our local economy. Thank you for helping us to highlight all the best Ossining has to offer!
Subscribe to our email blast list and receive Town news and updates.
‘Tis the season! Sending today’s message a little early with an invitation to join us for the annual Christmas Tree lighting in Market Square, taking place at 5:45 PM tonight. There will be performances by our local schoolchildren as well as fan favorites the Mike Risko Band, followed by the lighting itself and a visit from Santa, set to the musical stylings of DJ Johnny G!
And save the date for our local menorah lighting, coming up on Tuesday, December 20 at 6 PM, also in Market Square.
Hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving! Here in the Town, we held a “Townsgiving” dinner to celebrate the season and honor our recent retirees, including our Assessor Fernando Gonzalez for his 10 years of service, and John Hamilton, our Building Inspector who has served the Town for 20 years.
We also took a moment to recognize Budget Director Victoria Cafarelli for her many contributions to the Town over her 7+ years serving in various roles, writing grants, pinch-hitting as Town Clerk, and basically making all of the many pieces fit together. She has been such an incredible asset in the Supervisor’s office, and I know she will continue to offer so much to our community.
It was a great opportunity to be together, particularly after two years of holiday gatherings being postponed or altered due to COVID, and with so many changes on the horizon for 2023.
The Town was not the only municipality handing out honors this week! Westchester County held its Senior Citizen Hall of Fame ceremony earlier today on Zoom, and four Ossining residents were among those celebrated. Congratulations to author Sarah Bracey White, who was among two receiving top honors, as well as Honorable Michael G. O’Connor, former Town Highway Superintendent; Honorable Mary Ann Roberts, former Town/Village Clerk (and first female Village Mayor!); and Francine Vernon, former School Board Trustee (among her many advocacy roles). Our community is richer for their many contributions over the years, and we are glad to see them receive recognition.
Earlier this week was Giving Tuesday, and we took the time to highlight some local nonprofits that support the Ossining community on our Facebook and Instagram pages. If you are in a position to be able to make donations, please consider looking locally first! Like Small Business Saturday, dollars donated here support our local economy and help our community thrive.
If you’re looking to have some fun with your donation, consider joining Gullotta House for Casino Night, coming up next Friday, December 9 from 6-9 PM!
If you have items to donate, please consider supporting one of the many local holiday drives. For our part, we are hosting a Toys for Tots box here at Town & Village Hall (16 Croton Avenue)!
If you’re in need of generosity as the temperatures continue to drop, help is available for your home heating costs. The New York Public Service Commission expects heating costs to rise by at least 20% this winter, which will undoubtedly be a huge burden for many households. If you are anticipating difficulty with paying your heating costs, check out the New York State Home Energy Assistance Program (HEAP). HEAP can help eligible households with assistance to pay their energy bills this winter. Learn more about this program and other ways to reduce your heating costs by visiting www.ny.gov/heat.
If you are low-income and behind on your bills, join the Public Utility Law Project & Communities for Local Power for one of their workshops to learn more about your utility’s low-income bill discount program and New York State’s Electric and Gas Debt Relief Program. There is an in-person session taking place next Thursday, December 8 from 5-7 PM at the Newburgh Free Library, and an online session taking place on Friday, December 9 from noon-1 PM. Click here to register for one of the sessions.
During the workshop, advocates will help you check your bill to see if you’re enrolled in your electric/natural gas company’s low-income monthly bill discount program. Receipt of that monthly bill credit also makes you eligible for a state program that will eliminate any utility debt accrued through May 1st, 2022. For the in person session, there will be snacks, free filing assistance, and free postage to send in your application! The deadline to enroll in the Electric and Gas Debt Relief Program is December 31st, 2022.
That’s all for this week! For upcoming events and more, keep scrolling. We will see you soon - till then, be safe and healthy!
--Dana
If your business, non-profit, or community group has an event that you would like to submit to be a part of the Supervisor's Update, please complete this form. We are happy to pass along events that provide a benefit to the community and support our local economy. Thank you for helping us to highlight all the best Ossining has to offer!
Subscribe to our email blast list and receive Town news and updates.
Happy Friday! Hope everyone is doing well and staying warm as the temperatures have begun dropping this week.
Big news on the e-bikes front this week. Congratulations to the Village of Ossining for winning one of the grand prizes in NYSERDA’s Electric Mobility Challenge for Project MOVER! The three-year, $7 million grant will enable the Village, the Town and surrounding communities to develop a system that will put e-bikes at the disposal of residents and visitors seeking an alternative mode of transportation. State Senator Pete Harckham, County Executive George Latimer, County Legislator Catherine Borgia, Deputy Supervisor Liz Feldman, Village of Tarrytown Mayor Karen Brown, Village of Croton Mayor Brian Pugh, Ossining Trustee Dana White, Tarrytown Trustees Thomas Mitchell, David Kim, Effie Philipps-Staley, Dobbs Ferry Trustee Nicole Sullivan, Town Clerk Sue Donnelly and Highway Superintendent Pete Connolly joined me and Village Mayor Rika Levin for the announcement. Representatives from Acton Bikes and partnering organizations IFCA, Neighbors Link, Hudson Link, Open Door Family Medical Centers, Green Ossining, the Ossining Public Library, Ossining Police Department, OVAC, and the Village EAC were also in attendance.
You can read more about the program and grant here. The Village will be hosting a meeting about Project MOVER on Wednesday, November 30 at 7 PM at the Ossining Public Library; be sure to join to learn more!
It’s hard to believe that next week is already Thanksgiving! As Thanksgiving approaches, so does holiday shopping season. As we have in the past, the Town of Ossining is encouraging everyone to shop local and support Small Business Saturday, coming up on Saturday, November 26.
The Ossining Small Business Scavenger Hunt is currently underway and will run through November 29. The more you shop, the more chances you get to win a basket of goodies from Ossining businesses! The greatest prize of all, of course, is a thriving local economy. Pick up a Scavenger Hunt card at any participating business, or click here to access the Facebook event. Participants include Sing Sing Kill Brewery, Mike Risko Music, Hudson Valley Books for Humanity, First Village Coffee, Penny & Ting, Melita’s Home, The Tasty Table, and many many others.
Get into the Shop Small spirit early with the Festive Fair at Holbrook Cottage this weekend, benefiting Ossining Children’s Center!
Melita’s Home will be hosting a local artisans pop-up market on Small Business Saturday and Sunday, November 27 - a great way to support small businesses and local artists with your holiday shopping.
If you’re able, please consider donating to one of the local toy and winter clothing drives. We are also hosting a Toys for Tots box at Town & Village Hall (16 Croton Ave.)
As we continue preparing for 2023, we encourage members of the public to review the 2023 tentative budget on the budget office page of our website. We also invite you to join the Town Board for a public hearing on the budget, scheduled for 7:30pm next Tuesday, November 22 via Zoom and in-person at the Ossining Municipal Building at 16 Croton Avenue. Zoom details are as follows:
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/87069189290
Or Telephone:
US: +1 929 205 6099
Webinar ID: 870 6918 9290
Public comment will be taken at the Public Hearing, by phone at (914) 762-6001, or by email to the Town Board at .
That’s all for this week! For upcoming events and more, keep scrolling. Note that Town offices will be closed next Thursday and Friday in observance of Thanksgiving, and next Friday there will be no Supervisor’s Update. Waste and recycling pickup will be impacted by the holiday; consult the calendar on the Waste and Recycling page of our website or, better yet, download the Recycle Right app if you haven’t already! This is the best way to stay attuned to changes in the waste and recycling schedule. Links to download the app are also available on the Waste and Recycling page.
We hope you enjoy the holiday! If you’re in need, consider joining Gullotta House for Thanksgiving dinner at St. Ann’s on Sunday, November 20th between 1:45 and 6 PM.
We will see you soon - till then, be safe and healthy!
--Dana
If your business, non-profit, or community group has an event that you would like to submit to be a part of the Supervisor's Update, please complete this form. We are happy to pass along events that provide a benefit to the community and support our local economy. Thank you for helping us to highlight all the best Ossining has to offer!
Subscribe to our email blast list and receive Town news and updates.
Happy Friday! Lots to report this week. First, a word of thanks to the Ossining Central Committee of Organized War Veterans for holding their annual Veterans Day ceremony and helping the Town and Village honor those who risked their lives for our freedom and safety.
It was especially meaningful to hear former Congressman Joe DioGuardi speak of the many Black and African American heroes from WWI and II who he helped receive the Medal of Honor who had gone unrecognized.
I look forward to hearing and helping with more of those in the future. We are grateful to all those who have served and continue to serve us all.
Next, I would be remiss if I did not pause to acknowledge and thank the voters of the 95th Assembly District for electing me to be your next representative. I am humbled by this vote of confidence, and I look forward to representing our communities in Albany starting in January. Even if you did not vote for me in this election, please know I am committed to being a dedicated and effective representative for each and every resident of AD 95, from here in Ossining, up along the Hudson River to Cold Spring, and east to Yorktown. I will continue to be dedicated to my role as Town Supervisor until December 31, and have begun assisting the Town with transition planning. The Town Board will have some announcements soon regarding a plan to ensure that the operations of the Town remain smooth and consistent into 2023.
We are also fortunate that we will continue to have dedicated, experienced and competent representation in the State Senate, as Senator Pete Harckham also won his election to represent this district. And, the Environmental Bond Act passed! This will enable the state to spend $4.2 billion on a variety of projects to promote clean air, clean water and green jobs. Very good news for the state.
And congratulations to our very own Town Council Member Jennifer Fields-Tawil for her successful win of the remaining 3 years of the term she was appointed into. She has hit the ground running and will continue to represent the Town well and especially as a many-year resident of the Unincorporated Town. Kudos to Village of Ossining Mayor Rika Levin and Trustees Dana White and Manuel Quezada for also successfully securing additional two year terms. We are grateful for their continued service to the public!
In other news, we continue to plan ahead for next year. At next week’s Work Session, our Budget Officer Victoria Cafarelli will deliver a presentation on the 2023 Tentative Budget in advance of the public hearing on the budget, to take place the following week. Click here for information about next week’s meeting, including Zoom details.
We encourage members of the public to review the tentative budget on the budget office page of our website. We also invite you to join the Town Board for a public hearing on the budget, scheduled for 7:30pm on Tuesday, November 22 via Zoom and in-person at the Ossining Municipal Building at 16 Croton Avenue. Zoom details are as follows:
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/87069189290
Or Telephone:
US: +1 929 205 6099
Webinar ID: 870 6918 9290
Public comment will be taken at the Public Hearing, by phone at (914) 762-6001, or by email to the Town Board at .
As budget season continues, so does cold and flu season. Make sure to get your flu shot to be protected against the flu this season, in addition to the new COVID-19 booster which protects against the original strain and Omicron strain of the virus. COVID vaccines are offered at OVAC on Fridays; walk-ins are welcome, but appointments are preferred. Make your appointment at www.ossiningvac.org. OVAC is not yet offering flu vaccines, but flu vaccines are available locally at most pharmacies and healthcare providers.
Speaking of OVAC, they recently got a lovely shoutout in the local press from Greenburgh Town Supervisor Paul Feiner, who praised them for their tireless efforts to keep us and our surrounding communities healthy and safe. Click here to read his letter to the editor. Thanks for once again making us proud!
It is also getting to be the time of year when we switch our thermostats back to heat. The New York Public Service Commission expects heating costs to rise by at least 20% this winter, which will undoubtedly be a huge burden for many households. New York State Home Energy Assistance Program (HEAP) can help eligible households with assistance to pay their energy bills this winter. Learn more about this program and other ways to reduce your heating costs by visiting www.ny.gov/heat.
That’s all for this week! For upcoming events and more, keep scrolling! We will see you soon - till then, be safe and healthy!
--Dana
If your business, non-profit, or community group has an event that you would like to submit to be a part of the Supervisor's Update, please complete this form. We are happy to pass along events that provide a benefit to the community and support our local economy. Thank you for helping us to highlight all the best Ossining has to offer!
Subscribe to our email blast list and receive Town news and updates.
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