Rye Brook trustees approve appointments, licenses and program changes in Jan. 14 meeting

The Rye Brook Board of Trustees on Jan. 14 approved multiple resolutions covering personnel, property encroachment, an engineering contract, program fees, donations and a grant application. The board voted unanimously on the items recorded in the meeting minutes.

Votes at a glance (roll-call outcomes as recorded):

- Resolution 1 — Permanent appointment of Jessica Carpentieri as senior office assistant/office manager, annual salary $54,007.23, effective Jan. 15, 2025: approved. - Resolution 2 — Authorize a license agreement with Donald and Caitlin Amell for a portion of entry steps encroaching into the right of way at 235 Iron Hill Avenue; subject to required permits, approvals and counsel modification: approved. - Resolution 3 — Conditional appointment of Matthew Sherf to police officer, annual salary $64,006.96, estimated start Feb. 17, 2025: approved. - Resolution 4 — Accept proposal from Ramble Emeritus Engineering Services for the Brook Lane stormwater study, estimated $100,000 (grant-funded): approved (separate article covers details). - Resolution 5 — Accept donation of a ping-pong table from Joyce Ascarazia valued at $300 (Friends of Rye Brook): approved. - Resolution 6 — Add two after-school programs (My First Lemonade Stand, Budding Entrepreneurs) to the license and fee schedule at $180 each, with outside contractors receiving 75% of fees: approved. - Resolution (shared services) — Declare intent to apply to New York State Department of State Local Government Efficiency Grants Program for a feasibility study on shared human-resources services with neighboring municipalities: approved. - Resolution (emergency repairs) — Authorize emergency repair purchase for Fire Engine 14 with Hendrickson Truck Center due to imminent threat to public safety: approved. - Minutes approval — Approve minutes from July 9 and July 23, 2024 (one trustee asked to be marked absent for July 23 and to check votes): approved as amended.

Each resolution passed following a motion and a second; roll-call votes as read in the meeting recorded the trustees voting in the affirmative (Trustees Epstein, Fisher, Heiser, Merlino, Molina where present, and Mayor Klein). Where the resolution text specified conditions—such as required permits, architectural-review-board approval, or counsel modification—those conditions were retained in the board approvals.

Board discussion flagged next steps for multiple items: staff will finalize the Iron Hill license agreement and its exhibit sketch and the Amell property must still receive any required ZBA or architectural-review approvals; the police hire remains conditional pending completion of civil-service procedures; the village will advance consultant funds for the Brook Lane engineering and seek reimbursement from the state grant; and the fire-truck emergency repair will be executed with follow-up on final cost and a future procurement decision on replacement.

Motions and recorded votes for the meeting items are in the actions array below.