White Plains council adopts sweeping consent agenda including affordable housing agreements, sewer bonds and parkland acquisition

The White Plains Common Council voted on Feb. 3 to adopt a consent agenda covering items 1 and 3 through 60, approving appointments, budget and capital adjustments, intermunicipal developer agreements for affordable housing, bond issuance for sewer improvements, property acquisition for park use and a slate of grants and administrative items.

The motion to adopt the consent agenda was offered by Council President Presser and seconded by the mayor; roll call recorded unanimous consent. Councilman Martin had submitted a waiver authorizing action on first‑reading ordinances.

Notable approvals included the appointment of Peter Wilcox to the Historic Preservation Commission (Item 1). Councilman Brasch praised Wilcox’s longtime local civic roles, including leadership of the Battle Hill Association and work with local beautification efforts.

The council approved intermunicipal developer agreements and capital project authorizations tied to two affordable housing initiatives: Brookfield Commons Phase 3 and the 97–99 Church Street/6 Cottage Place project. Councilwoman Puja spoke in support, noting that the Church Street/Cottage Place project would include fully affordable home‑ownership opportunities rather than rentals and thanked the county for the partnership.

Financial and property items: The council authorized the issuance of $1,212,000 aggregate principal amount of serial bonds to finance sanitary‑sewer system improvements (Items 18–22). It also approved acquisition of a 0.36‑acre parcel at the intersection of Ferris Avenue and Cemetery Road from Westchester County for park and municipal recreational use (Items 25–26). Councilman Brasch described the purchase—reported at a nominal price from the county—as a “win for the city” and said the parcel would be used as a passive, native‑planted area.

Other consent items: The package included settlements of litigation (Items 23–24), authorization to commence litigation under New York General Municipal Law against the Village of Sleepy Hollow and its police department for reimbursement of officer training costs (Items 27–28), authorization of professional agreements (including a two‑year agreement with PKF O’Connor Davies LLP), grants from the New York State Governor’s Traffic Safety Committee for safety programs (Items 40–45), Fenway Charitable Foundation grants (Items 46–49), an agreement with Pace University for use of space at Elizabeth Howe Law School (Items 50–51), changes to the table of organization (Items 52–53), traffic ordinance modifications to create a stop intersection on Lakeview Drive at Abbey Drive and a no‑standing zone on E.J. Conroy Drive (Items 54–55), referrals and extensions of site plan applications for various residential projects (Items 56–58), and transmission of the capital improvement program status report and unaudited interim financial report for the quarter and six months ending Dec. 31, 2024 (Items 59–60).

Councilwoman Puja noted changes to the Department of Recreation and Parks fee schedule to expand trips and transportation for the Condor teen camp—an increase that she said reflects added programming (four trips per week) and transportation costs; she also noted that scholarships remain available and that dozens of camper spots were recently removed from wait lists.

The consent package passed on a roll call after the motion and second; there were no recorded no votes. The council indicated staff will refer necessary matters to appropriate departments, boards and commissions for implementation.