Sleepy Hollow president warns of $2 million water-main need, proposes town halls and possible referendum

President Courtney Bowe opened the meeting with a state-of-the-village address that centered on infrastructure and budgeting, saying the village must confront a growing list of needs and decide what it can realistically afford. "We are a community with champagne expectations and perhaps a tap water budget," Bowe said, framing the tradeoffs the board will face.

Bowe said the village's most urgent infrastructure requirement is a water-main replacement she estimated at a minimum of $2,000,000 and said the project affects well over 100 residents. "At minimum, $2,000,000 for a water main replacement project," she said, adding that inflation and frequent main breaks have pushed replacement costs well above earlier estimates. She described efforts to pursue state and federal grant funding and low-interest loans but noted that Sleepy Hollow's limited commercial tax base and the village's existing pipe materials reduce eligibility for some funding sources.

On staffing, Bowe said the village is losing officers to higher pay elsewhere. "One of our officers resigned" last month after accepting a neighboring community's offer with better pay and a pension, she said, noting the village faces choices about whether to increase wages and how to sustain any change.

Bowe said she has compiled a spreadsheet of roughly 104 items gathered from residents, staff and campaign inputs and asked trustees to rank priorities, attach estimated costs and propose timelines so the board can identify short‑, mid‑ and long‑term needs. She proposed holding one or more town halls in February to share proposals with residents and suggested the board may consider a referendum in the next one to two years if major capital projects require voter approval. "Please do not recoil at the r word," she said, asking for patience while the board develops detailed cost projections.

The president asked trustees to work with staff and the finance committee to analyze options, saying the committee will meet this week to drill into water infrastructure and police/staff compensation. She also told trustees to keep weekly journals of interactions and institutional knowledge so future administrations will have clearer operational documentation.

The board subsequently approved the payment of warrants totaling $109,889.12 after the village administrator presented the monthly claims. A separate resolution setting Planning & Zoning meeting dates for 2026 (changing the first listed date to Jan. 12) was discussed and adopted by roll call.

Bowe closed by urging constructive feedback from residents and by promising to publish the prioritized lists and cost estimates for public review before any referendum planning.