Highlights from the May 21st meeting of the Westchester County Board of Legislators

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: May 22, 2007

Contact: Betsy DeSoye, Director of Communications, (914) 995-3277

Legislation passed mandating the testing of private wells

To ensure that residents of the approximately 20,000 Westchester households that rely on private well water as their source of drinking water are not drinking contaminated water, the County Board approved legislation that mandates that private wells be tested for contaminants upon the sale of a property served by a private well. The law also requires regular, ongoing testing of wells on rental properties,testing of new wells and of wells not used as potable water supplies for five years. Test results will be required to be submitted directly to the County Health Department.

Bond acts approved

• $1.38 million and $790,000 respectively, to finance the cost of preparing surveys, preliminary and detailed plans, specifications and estimates necessary for planning the replacement of two existing Bronx River Parkway bridges immediately north and south of Harney Road;
• $1.1 million to rehabilitate the bridge on Ashford Avenue over Interstate 87 and the Saw Mill River Parkway in Ardsley;
• $1.6 million to fund the rehabilitation of the Warburton Avenue Bridge over Factory Lane, originally built in 1890, in Hastings-on-Hudson;
• $170,000 to finance the design of a central food storage and distribution warehouse on the Grasslands campus in Valhalla to be used in the event of a large scale disaster or emergency as well as to address the need for a larger storage facility for donated and salvaged food that supplies the county’s food pantries.

Public hearings set for June 4 at 7:30 PM on the following proposed laws that would:

• Empower the county’s Human Rights Commission (WCHRC) to award compensatory and punitive damages in discrimination cases initiated by the WCHRC executive director; allow for punitive damages in all discrimination cases; permit WCHRC to assess civil penalties in housing discrimination cases; and, award reimbursement costs for expenses, including attorney’s fees in certain cases. Amendment also includes miscellaneous procedural changes.
• Clarify the powers and responsibilities of the county’s Board of Plumbing Examiners and the Electrical Licensing Board.
• Revamp the licensing law relating to septage collectors to eliminate two internal laws regulating the collection of septage that are duplicative and replace it with one licensing process administered by the Health Dept. and mandate more comprehensive reports and minimum level of training for contractors. Twelve percent of county’s housing units (40,000) are served by septic systems; 75% of those systems are located within watershed area.
• Ban the sale or use of fertilizer that contains phospherous and regulate the use and application of lawn fertilizers.

Resolutions on Various Matters

Indian Point Resolution (overed by Oros, no vote taken) calling on the federal Nuclear Regulatory Commission to have the proposed 20-year license renewal for the Indian Point nuclear power plants be subject to the same criteria that would apply to proposed new nuclear plants.

National Health Care Resolution (recommitted by Spreckman, no vote taken) supporting federal legislation to institute a national single-payer health care system, not tied to employment, as a basic right of all citizens.

Federal Education Policy Resolution (approved with amendment) calling on the U.S. Congress to amend No Child Left Behind to make the testing of Limited English Proficient students more equitable and fair.

Approved resolution to adopt the Westchester County Hazard Mitigation Plan developed by the WC Hazard Mitigation Committee that identifies hazards that cause property damage and loss of life and cost effective ways to mitigate the hazards; authorized the submission of the plan to FEMA.

Appointments Approved

• Confirmed appointment of Kathy Thorsberg as Commissioner of Finance Dept.

Citizen Advisory Boards

Consumer Advisory Council

• Brian Rauer (Tarrytown) as the Business Self-Policing Group representative
• Alex Garcia (Yonkers) as the Area 1 representative
• Andrew H. Kulak (Scarsdale) as the Area 4 representative

Board of Health

• James E. Carnicelli (Scarsdale) reappointed as an at-large member
  Professional Prequalification Board
• Victor G. Carosi, P.E. (White Plains)

African American Advisory Board

• Marilyn Price (New Rochelle) reappointed
• Barbara Edwards (Mount Vernon) reappointed as board chair
  Police Board
• Giulio A. Cavallo, M.D. (Bronxville) reappointed
  Refuse Disposal District No. 1 Advisory Board
• James J. Vanoli, P.E. (Thornwood) reappointed as a town representative
• Patrick J. Lofaro (Ossining) reappointed as a town representative
• Richard F. Herbek (Briarcliff Manor) reappointed as a village representative

Hispanic Advisory Board

• Isabel E. Villar (White Plains) reappointed

Parks, Recreation and Conservation Board

• James J. Houlihan (Eastchester) reappointed

Domestic Violence Council

• Camille F. Murphy (Director of the Westchester County Office for Women) reappointed

Board of Ethics

• Lawrence B. Eichler (New Rochelle) reappointed

Community Services Board

• Leo Leiderman, Psy.D., CGP (Harrison) reappointed as a voluntary sector representative

Planning Board

• Marcus Griffith (Mount Vernon) reappointed

If you would like additional information on any of the above, please contact Betsy DeSoye at (914) 995-3277.