[{"_1":2,"_100":-5,"_101":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,76,88],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},"mediaId",6566258,"mediaKeyId","3206123-ef3a96eec47a487b9d4d25ffeb6066da","parentId",3206123,"title","Committee moves several items to consent agenda; home‑rule sales‑tax resolution adopted for Albany submission","audioSeconds",68,"startMs",5536000,"endMs",5604000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=3206123-ef3a96eec47a487b9d4d25ffeb6066da&start=5536&end=5604","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3206123-ef3a96eec47a487b9d4d25ffeb6066da/thumbnail_5536000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6566258/New-York/Committee-moves-several-items-to-consent-agenda-homerule-salestax-resolution-adopted-for-Albany-submission","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6566258-1fd7c9b60c3bdd34d491ea8fdfcbce07/orig.mp4?Expires=1771137925&Signature=Hk3O5sSqMjWj7aUuiOMfWGINk21pih~5295XVOo72pJxOaIv7bDmsD9j9qwbLYTaTeB1Zg66-grk3i~4hOhlST7qElYF4fkPPXW6x0OTBXG9jzbiD1RTcSy-bM-Hl1rzIwP9L5dlkO2xvxOdpamGuPqD7zkAwUrXMBo8vMCQfzTiGziyAG9wiRMeekfQ3lmAb0~RzEvi1Up7IcSlt6XuLV6ZoExFxBZ45MO9a-I8rHyOhqy4ImooMHUbJLHrnx-7tdQCOM-2uGFQFJdKCOawlRKpe5sZS6RKVC0XipobN60YILM8hzcQf1KQ7BC~5ZLKqnAWokNR8MU7EykKgmHMCw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","New Rochelle","date","2025-05-06T00:00:00Z","article","The New Rochelle City Council’s committee of the whole took procedural votes on May 6 to forward several items to the consent agenda and adopted a home‑rule resolution sending a local sales and compensating use tax extension to Albany for state action.

Key votes and procedural outcomes

- Home‑rule request (Item 4): The committee voted to adopt the resolution directing the mayor and corporation counsel to transmit a home‑rule message to the State of New York requesting extension of the local sales and compensating use tax. The motion was moved and seconded on the record; the chair announced a voice vote and declared the resolution adopted and to be sent to Albany.

- Consent‑agenda referrals: Council members moved and seconded multiple agenda items to be taken as part of the consent agenda at the council’s next formal meeting. Items referred to consent included (but were not limited to): proposed free parking for the downtown summer concert series (Item 5), extension of the Empress Ambulance Services contract (Item 6), reallocation introductions and public‑hearing designations for HOME/ARP funds and CDBG adjustments (Items 7–10), budget amendment for zero‑emission vehicle reimbursements (Item 11), multiple grant applications (Items 12–17) and related resolutions to designate public hearings and accept awards. For each motion the chair called for all in favor; the council recorded an affirmative voice vote with no opposed speakers noted on the audio record.

What was not decided tonight

Most of the items moved to the consent agenda were referred for vote at a subsequent meeting; the committee did not finalize appropriations for those items during this session. Several grant applications require later appropriation if awarded.

Context and next steps

The adopted home‑rule resolution is the recorded final action of the evening and will be transmitted to Albany for the State Legislature’s consideration. Items moved to the consent agenda will be considered for approval at the body’s next scheduled meeting, where council members will have the opportunity to vote on each referred item as part of the consent calendar.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","New Rochelle - City Council Meeting - May 06, 2025","oneSentenceSummary","At the May 6 Committee of the Whole meeting New Rochelle councilmembers adopted a home‑rule resolution authorizing submission of a local sales and compensating use tax extension to Albany and moved multiple agenda items to next week's consent calendar for final action.","taxTitle","New Rochelle, Westchester County, New York","taxId",76423,"location","New York","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":77,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":78,"_41":79,"_43":80,"_45":81,"_47":82,"_49":83,"_51":84,"_53":85,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":86,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":87,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6566262,"City unveils street tree inventory and seven‑year community forest management plan",844,2666000,3510000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3206123-ef3a96eec47a487b9d4d25ffeb6066da&start=2666&end=3510","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3206123-ef3a96eec47a487b9d4d25ffeb6066da/thumbnail_2666000.jpg","/articles/6566262/New-York/City-unveils-street-tree-inventory-and-sevenyear-community-forest-management-plan","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6566262-2ab48da041beebe123fb64052085fec7/orig.mp4?Expires=1771137925&Signature=PtR~rEPMi32BqyaoP12xXYCPC6DP~j5UqlgEVAe9Tzf6vgo9~AvRDlrU~1ZA~yDruBhU-dHja54SxOPalq0UOnCQ2bgaYn~dZNjVzkEXs86BXpxGfc1JPZMsErhWGsFC5QA8wKHFsOf9ruiKJuSvYYV6YeL5sN2Xx5M4LBTvAdG1--WSb~oka4VH7zdg0ku1LavOeURLeTtT6GKKENQHvjsGBubIlfEXPLTmrHX9FxwZYV0Hux20GTY1VzIgKJ-uY38703OoyIULjTFU0h5LWLRXGE1nDNOvRUWjvIy5sRP7A3~qYjuoiHDP7q-FkOdWWkJRlOyze0v6BxOsGfrrfA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Arbor Pro, the firm contracted by the City of New Rochelle, presented the final street tree inventory and a Community Forest Management Plan (CFMP) to the City Council’s committee of the whole on May 6.

Oscar Corbera, a certified arborist with Arbor Pro, said the inventory (collected beginning February 2024) recorded 15,590 street trees and 2,233 potential public‑planting sites, representing 212 tree species and assigning a replacement value to the urban forest of more than $73 million. The work was funded in part by a New York State DEC tree‑inventory grant New Rochelle received in December (approximately $100,000), Corbera said.

Nut graf

The plan reframes trees as public infrastructure: it prioritizes safety removals and backlog pruning in years 1–2, transitions to proactive cycle‑based maintenance in years 3–7, and ties future plantings to neighborhood equity and climate‑vulnerability data. Arbor Pro also recommended an expanded, regularly reviewed planting palette to reduce reliance on overrepresented genera (maples were identified as over‑dominant) and proposed a potential municipal nursery at Ward Acres to grow native stock.

Key details and next steps

- Inventory highlights: 15,590 street trees; 2,233 potential planting sites; 212 species diversity; estimated replacement value > $73,000,000.

- Priorities and schedule: Years 1–2 — address immediate safety by removing dead trees and completing backlog pruning; Years 3–7 — move to proactive cyclical maintenance, young‑tree training and targeted canopy expansion in underserved neighborhoods.

- Equity and targeting: Arbor Pro said more than 50% of planned plantings will be located in disadvantaged or high‑need neighborhoods identified by the City’s climate vulnerability assessment and other datasets.

- Programs and tools: proposals include a resident tree‑giveaway program, a protected‑tree registry, a draft revised tree ordinance (sample ordinance provided for council consideration), and a public community‑viewer website that will show the tree inventory and per‑tree ecosystem benefits (stormwater capture, air‑pollution mitigation, carbon sequestration).

- Nursery viability: Arbor Pro reported a positive early viability assessment for a municipal nursery at Ward Acres; the nursery would allow the city to grow durable, climate‑adapted stock at lower cost over time.

Council discussion and clarifications

Council members and staff asked implementation questions. Councilmember Sarah Kaye—identified in the presentation as a driving force behind the grant application—asked for consolidated metrics and recommended sharing a draft with community stakeholders for feedback before final adoption. Arbor Pro and staff said a planting program of 300 city trees will be implemented this year using ARPA funds to start the multi‑year planting goal; the CFMP is intended to support future grant applications by documenting inventory, maintenance plans and equity metrics.

Arbor Pro cautioned that the long‑term canopy targets should be paired with sustainable maintenance funding: newly planted trees require most care in the first three to seven years to survive and deliver city benefits. The firm also noted localized parks with natural forest character (Ward Acres, Carpenter’s Pond) require distinct management approaches from street‑tree maintenance and recommended signage and a park‑specific plan for those areas.

Ending

Council members praised the interdepartmental effort and the public‑engagement elements in the CFMP. Staff said the plan will be used immediately to prioritize safety removals and to support grant applications for planting and nursery development.","Arbor Pro presented a citywide street tree inventory and a Community Forest Management Plan (CFMP) that inventories 15,590 city trees, identifies 2,233 potential planting sites, sets a short‑term planting target and outlines a seven‑year maintenance and renewal program tied to equity and climate goals.",{"_33":89,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":90,"_41":91,"_43":92,"_45":93,"_47":94,"_49":95,"_51":96,"_53":97,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":98,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":99,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6566267,"Energy Justice Center summarizes state pilot air‑monitoring data, urges New Rochelle to press for mitigation",692,135000,827000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3206123-ef3a96eec47a487b9d4d25ffeb6066da&start=135&end=827","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3206123-ef3a96eec47a487b9d4d25ffeb6066da/thumbnail_135000.jpg","/articles/6566267/New-York/Energy-Justice-Center-summarizes-state-pilot-airmonitoring-data-urges-New-Rochelle-to-press-for-mitigation","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6566267-ceda3a9af2b2ef98300a384dee2c35b2/orig.mp4?Expires=1771137925&Signature=CrQPWJDjFsXajV6gFWk4zqVVDf2KeVpCAyW2qgWDza5x6b9AviaRJXeKaXEKsEQ8vluJmEggj3au0N70T2auBGPMht-S31ASuRUPDDV-7EbNL1iyCxn1jyW8viEW0Jgy~4iMMEjJ23~1xWX3AT3DjhWVXpAUOVmft86UxBtMyBOmvnvbYsHcAu9wXxh2NtglLydgQJm9vyP~~9bmttf6hc0KTR17h~WjMfKXqlQPctkoeb~Do7jKEWYQDmtgI~lK5GeLBZ6vDEeBZHhnKGsY4Og9e1AmXhCSwM7DECD6gbe~760n~DZuCPYYyFevcPkFjBpqPaCdGXJolPOzDyHbPA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Bridal Salter, founder of the Energy Justice Law and Policy Center, briefed the New Rochelle City Council’s committee of the whole on May 6 about findings from New York State’s community air monitoring pilot and local outreach the center is running under its “Air of Truth” program.

Salter said the monitoring—vehicle-mounted sensors that drove block-by-block in 2022–2023 in 10 communities across the state including New Rochelle, Mount Vernon and Yonkers—shows that Westchester County’s air quality is poor overall and that pollution is concentrated near Interstate 95 and certain industrial sources. “The American Lung Association gives all of Westchester an F grade for air quality,” Salter told council members.

Salter said the Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act (the Climate Act) required the state to identify “disadvantaged” communities and to pilot air monitoring in some of those communities. The law also requires that 40% of certain state climate investments benefit those communities. The state’s pilot maps, she said, overlay pollution hot spots with community assets—public housing, child‑care centers and hospitals—creating priority areas for mitigation planning.

Why it matters

Salter framed the presentation as both a climate and a public‑health briefing: beyond greenhouse‑gas reduction goals, the monitoring data can justify mitigation funding and site‑specific remedies for neighborhoods exposed to fine particulate matter and other pollutants. She said the state is required by statute to develop community mitigation plans based on the monitoring and that local governments can and should engage early with that process.

Supporting details and examples

- Scope and findings: Salter described the pilot as block‑by‑block mobile monitoring done in 2022–2023. She identified I‑95 as a primary contributor to the localized hotspots in southern New Rochelle and elsewhere in Westchester. She also cited other industrial sources in the county, including a large municipal waste incinerator in Peekskill and certain cement facilities.

- Local education and engagement: Her group’s “Air of Truth” activities included high school curricula, an art‑and‑science partnership with students and a bus tour of local hotspot locations. Salter said students suggested both long‑term shifts (electrifying diesel truck fleets) and nearer‑term measures such as adding vegetative buffers and improving pedestrian safety where highways meet neighborhoods.

- Funding and programs: Salter pointed to state programs, the New York Green Bank and the 2019 State environmental bond act (which she said carries roughly $4 billion and—under the Climate Act—directs 40% of climate investment to disadvantaged communities). She also said some private foundations and federal funding streams remain available.

Council questions and staff responses

Council members asked how churches, nonprofits and property owners could access programs for electrification, ventilation upgrades or air filtration. Salter said there are multiple state and nonprofit programs and that her organization can help with community outreach. When asked about federal funding volatility, Salter said several state financing tools remain (including the Green Bank and bond‑act programs) and encouraged local officials to prepare data and applications now.

Councilmember Louis Tarantino and others pressed on how to protect residents already living adjacent to I‑95 and rail corridors, noting recent residential development along those corridors. Salter replied that effective options are site‑specific: indoor filtration, building upgrades, targeted vegetative barriers, and air monitoring to time or prioritize protective actions. She also pointed to New York’s newer cumulative‑impacts law—regulations the Department of Environmental Conservation is developing—which requires regulators to consider existing pollution burdens before permitting additional sources in already overburdened areas.

What the City can do next

Salter recommended that New Rochelle:
- Dig into the state’s monitoring maps and overlay them with local datasets (public housing, schools, hospitals) to prioritize mitigation;
- Align local climate and public‑health plans (Green New Rochelle, greenhouse‑gas inventory, climate vulnerability assessment) so grant applications show evidence and readiness;
- Engage early with state DEC on the community mitigation planning process;
- Pursue state and other grants; and
- Continue local education and youth engagement to build support for interventions such as urban forestry, filtration, and clean‑transportation projects.

Salter closed by offering her organization’s assistance with community engagement and grant coordination and by noting the state team’s willingness to brief local officials.

Ending

Council members thanked Salter for the presentation and discussed coordinating city departments—planning, development and public health—to align upcoming projects and grant efforts with the monitoring results and mitigation opportunities.","Bridal Salter of the Energy Justice Law and Policy Center presented results from New York State’s community air monitoring pilot, described hotspots along I‑95 and other industrial sources in Westchester, and urged City leaders to use the state data and funding tools to develop community mitigation plans.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Committee moves several items to consent agenda; home‑rule sales‑tax resolution adopted for Albany submission

City unveils street tree inventory and seven‑year community forest management plan

Energy Justice Center summarizes state pilot air‑monitoring data, urges New Rochelle to press for mitigation