Tivoli trustees approve retirement reporting rules, extend engineering contract and authorize Memorial Drive drainage design

The Village of Tivoli Board of Trustees on its May meeting approved several housekeeping resolutions and authorized engineering work to advance a long‑studied drainage project on Memorial Drive.

The board adopted a resolution establishing standard workday lengths for retirement reporting—7 hours for the court clerk and deputy court clerk and 8 hours for laborers—and a companion resolution setting procedures for reporting elected and appointed officials’ time to the New York State and Local Employees’ Retirement System. The trustees also authorized an addendum to the village’s professional services agreement with Crawford and Associates, Engineering and Land Surveying, extending the firm’s role; and approved a task order for Crawford to prepare design and construction administration services for the Memorial Drive drainage improvement project, funded by a $200,000 Dutchess County Community Development Block Grant (CDBG). The task‑order fee is capped at $40,000, described in the proposal as 20% of the grant amount, without further village authorization.

The retirement‑reporting resolutions are administrative steps required so the village can report members’ days worked and time‑of‑service correctly to the state retirement system. The board recorded that the court clerk and deputy court clerk should be reported as working a standard 7‑hour day for retirement accounting and that laborers should be reported as 8‑hour employees.

The addendum to the professional services agreement with Crawford and Associates extends the firm’s contract period by three years to allow continued engineering and survey support on village projects. The board then took up a related, itemized task order for Memorial Drive. The resolution approving the task order states Crawford will prepare design and bid documents and provide construction administration on a time‑and‑materials basis capped at $40,000; the proposal is dated May 13, 2025. The task order documentation notes the work will be funded by the Dutchess County CDBG award of $200,000 for the Memorial Drive drainage improvement project.

Mayor said the board has studied flooding at multiple locations and that moving into design and construction administration is “exciting.” The board discussed that the village has been examining the drainage problem for years and that the work is intended to mitigate flooding at several sites along Memorial Drive.

The resolution authorizing the Memorial Drive task order was moved by Paul Dina and seconded by Ben Jered; members present voted in favor. Other resolution motions were moved and seconded during the meeting and recorded as approved.

What the actions mean: the retirement reporting changes affect how the village reports time for retirement credit and do not by themselves change daily schedules. The Crawford task order advances the engineering design phase but does not commit the village to any construction beyond the scope of the CDBG award or to expenditures above the $40,000 cap without further board approval.

Next steps include completion of design documents by Crawford and the village proceeding to bid and construction administration if funding and bid results support moving forward.