This week in the villages: It is expected that Rockland County will meet the requirements to enter Phase 2 of the NY Forward Reopening plan on Tuesday with more businesses allowed to reopen. Mail-in ballots for the Nyack Schools budget vote and board election are also due on Tuesday. The Town of Orangetown warns of an email scam targeting residents and about recent break-ins of unlocked vehicles.
Rockland Enters Phase 2 of NY Foward Plan on Tuesday
Rockland County and the Mid-Hudson Region will enter Phase 2 of the NY Forward Reopening Plan on Tue, June 9, 2020. Businesses included in the Phase 2 reopening include: offices, real estate, essential and Phase 2 retail, vehicle sales, leases, rentals, retail rental, repair, cleaning, commercial building management, hair salons and barbershops, and outdoor dining and take-out/delivery food services. All businesses must view the summary guidelines for their industry, affirm that you understand and will abide by them, and a safety plan must be created and kept on file. A safety plan template may be found on governor.ny.gov.
Village of Nyack
Nyack Schools Budget Vote and Board Election
This year’s Nyack Schools’ budget vote and board election will be 100% vote by mail.
On June 7, NYS Governor Andrew Cuomo extended the deadline for school districts to receive school budget ballots to be counted. Ballots can be accepted by hand delivery through 5p Tuesday June 9 OR received by mail through June 16 by the school district.
Registered voters will be mailed a ballot. Completed ballots can be mailed in or deposited in a drop slot at the Nyack Schools’ Administration Building on Dickinson Ave. To find out if you are registered to vote in the Nyack School Board election, visit Nyackschools.org. Find out more about what this means for the local election, who the candidates are, and what the district might expect in “Vote By Mail Stresses Nyack Schools, Budget Vote, Candidates.”
Click on the names below to read why each of the candidates for the Nyack Schools Board of Education think you should vote for them:
Reopening Nyack
The Village of Nyack has put together a “Guide to Reopening Our Village” with information for residents and businesses. It may be found on nyack-ny.gov.
Property Tax Update
Property tax bills will be mailed out during the first week of June. Governor Cuomo has granted a 21 day penalty-free period making the bills due by July 21, 2020. On July 22, 2020, a 5% penalty will be added. An additional 1% penalty will be added on the 1st of the month, every month after until and including October. On Nov 1, 2020, all unpaid tax bills will be sent to the county to be relevied onto the county bill in Jan, 2021.
Expedited Outdoor Seating Permit Process
At the May 28, 2020 Nyack Board of Trustees meeting, the Village Board approved a resolution to expedite the outdoor seating permit process for restaurants and businesses. An Outdoor Sidewalk Cafe Application may be found on nyack-ny.gov. For more information, contact the Village of Nyack Building Dept at buildingdepartment@nyack-ny.gov or call 845-358-4249.
Moratorium on Gas Powered Leaf Blowers
The Nyack Village Board recently enacted a moratorium on gas-powered leaf blowers until the end of June, 2020. Residents are requested to please share the landscaper notification with your landscaper. All concerns regarding this moratorium should be directed to Jim Politi, Village Administrator at 845-358-3581. Please do not contact the Orangetown Police Department about leaf blowers.
A Show of Support for Montefiore Nyack Hospital
In order to provide a small bit of joy to the staff of Montefiore Nyack Hospital, the hospital is looking for musicians from the community who would be willing to do a short, solitary set of music during the hospital shift change around 7:15a and 7:15p each day. The musician would stand on the corner of Haven Court, near the hospital (but a very safe distance away), and play or sing a set of their choice.
Interested musicians and vocalists may sign up here. The sessions will also be shared with the hospital on a Facebook page that recognizes the bravery of our first responders and hospital employees. If you have any questions, please contact Melody Patrick, Recreation Director, Village of Nyack.
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The Village of South Nyack
Tue, June 9, 2020 Virtual Village Board of Trustees Meeting
A Village Board of Trustees meeting will be held on Tue, June 9, 2020 at 7:30p. You may join from a PC, Mac, Linux, iOS or Android at meetings.ringcentral.com/j/1495712476 or by telephone at +1 (470) 8692200 (US East), Meeting ID: 149 571 2476. An agenda for the meeting may also be found on southnyack.ny.gov.
Free Face Masks
The Village of South Nyack has face masks for South Nyack and Grand View residents. Reusable cloth masks are available for senior citizens, and non-sterile surgical masks are also available for any other resident. The masks may be picked up at South Nyack Village Hall, 282 S Broadway from 9a-4p M-F. Visit southnyack.ny.gov for more information.
Town of Orangetown
Reopening Businesses
On Tuesday, the Town of Orangetown is expected to enter Phase 2 of the NY Forward reopening plan. If you are unsure if your business is allowed to reopen, please visit businessexpress.ny.gov for more information. If you know your business is allowed to reopen and you have yet to fill out your affirmation, please visit the Town of Orangetown’s Kickstart Orangetown Page.
Phase 2 allows outdoor dining and the Town Board has authorized a Temporary Outdoor Dining Permit. The Temporary Outdoor Dining Application and additional information may be found on orangetown.com. A sketch plan is required to be submitted. Please send an email containing the business name and address to buildingfoils@orangetown.com or through the town’s online system to inquire if an existing site plan and/or survey exists, or you may call 845-359-8410. The building department is open from 7:30a to 5:15p for summer hours, but the building is closed to the public until further notice. They ask that all communications be via phone or email. You can call or you may also send an email to obzpae@orangetown.com and directly to your assigned inspector.
Save the Date – Kickstart Orangetown Car Parade to Celebrate Reopening Businesses
On Sat, June 13, 2020, there will be a car parade throughout Orangetown to acknowledge those businesses who have been allowed to reopen. It is still a work in progress but we will be driving through the Village of Nyack and the Hamlets of Sparkill, Tappan, and Pearl River. For further information, please email kickstart@orangetown.com.
Scam Alert
An email created to appear as if it has been sent by the Town of Orangetown is being sent to residents from a scam artist reporting an alleged offense. The email is made to appear as if it is an official document sent by the Town of Orangetown. The email demands payment of a fine for an offense that never occurred.
If you receive an email like this from orangetownviolationsandlaw@gmail.com or any other sender, do not open the email. Delete the email immediately. The town does NOT send any official communication from a GMail, AOL, or any other email provider account. Please do not forward the email to the town.
Protect Your Car and Valuables
The Orangetown Police Department wants to remind everyone to PLEASE lock your vehicles and remove your belongings at night. A few weeks ago, approximately 20 cars were either stolen or had items taken from the cars. None of these cars were locked.
New Pool Installations
Many of us will be taking “stay-cations” this summer. If you are thinking of putting in a pool, whether it is above ground or built-in, you must file for a permit with the Town of Orangetown Building Department. Information about building permits may be found on the Building Department webpage.
Orangetown Highway Department Drop-off Center
The Orangetown Highway Department Drop-off Center is now open on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays. A list of COVID-19 Access Regulations and Safety Guidelines may be found on orangetown.com.
Town of Clarkstown
Save the Dates – 2020 Comprehensive Plan Workshops
The Town of Clarkstown will be holding Comprehensive Plan workshops by ward via teleconference on the following dates where residents are asked to voice their opinions and share ideas for the future of the town:
- Ward 2 – Councilman Michael Graziano – Mon, June 22, 2020 from 7-9p
- Ward 3 – Councilman Donald Franchino – Thurs, June 11, 2020 from 7-9p
- Ward 4 – Councilman Patrick Carroll – Mon, June 15, 2020 from 7-9p
Residents are encouraged to participate by phone at 845-286-9068 or by watching through Facebook Live on the Town of Clarkstown Facebook Page. To learn more and submit comments, please visit compplan2020.clarkstown.org.
Tele-Town Hall Mon, June 8, 2020, 3p
Join Supervisor George Hoehmann for an update on a group telephone call to ask any questions or bring up any concerns you may have. Call 845-203-6304 to join, or watch on FB live.
Town Pools and Town Camps
The Town Board announced this week the difficult decision was made to close the town camps for the 2020 summer season, out of precaution for health concerns and lack of facilities as New York State mandated all schools to be closed through the summer.
At this time, there has not been a decision made on whether the town pools will be opened for the 2020 season. The town is waiting to receive guidance from New York State on opening municipal pools.
Reopening Clarkstown: A Helpful Guide for Small Businesses Webinar
The Greater Nanuet Chamber of Commerce, the New City Chamber of Commerce, and Supervisor George Hoehmann recently hosted a webinar to discuss the process of reopening small businesses after COVID-19 closures. If you missed the webinar, it may be viewed on the Town of Clarkstown YouTube channel. A copy of the powerpoint presentation may be found on town.clarkstown.ny.us.
Community Centers
The Clarkstown Recreation Department has been filming activities for residents to enjoy while home and social distancing. They will be broadcast every day on the Town of Clarkstown Government Access Channels (Cablevision/Altice Channel 78 and Verizon Channel 35). A schedule for the week may be found on town.clarkstown.ny.us. There will be other recreation activities broadcast on FB Live (on the Town of Clarkstown Recreation & Parks) led by recreation staff and volunteers at 11a each day. Videos will also be on the town YouTube Channel.
Clarkstown Mulch Site Open
Residents of the Town of Clarkstown may pick up compost and wood mulch during regular park hours for use at their residence at Germonds Park, 185 Germonds Rd, West Nyack.
Rockland County
New York State Primary Election Tue, June 23
The New York State Primary is coming up on June 23, 2020. This includes presidential, federal, state, and local races. Polls will be open that day and early voting starts June 13. And thanks to an executive order by Governor Cuomo, you can also vote by absentee ballot, but you must apply for an absentee ballot on or before June 16, 2020. All the information you need may be found in Weekender Recommendations: Voting Absentee in June 23 Primary.
UnPause Dashboard
Rockland County has launched an UnPause Dashboard which tracks the seven metrics used by New York State to determine reopening status as part of the NY Forward plan. Data is retrieved, tabulated, and updated each weekday afternoon on the dashboard. This is the same data used by New York State to determine the regional metrics. The dashboard may be found on rocklandgov.com.
Save the Date: Police & Patrol Officer Civil Service Examination on Sept 26, 2020
Rockland is now accepting applications from candidates interested in a career in law enforcement. A written competitive examination for the Civil Service positions of police officer and patrol officer is scheduled to be held on Sat, Sept 26, 2020, but may be subject to change based on the current health crisis. There are also examinations for Spanish, French/Creole, and Yiddish speaking officers. If interested, applications to take the examination must be received by Wed, July 15, 2020. An online application may be found at mycivilservice.rocklandgov.com. You may also apply by mail at Rockland County Department of Personnel, 50 Sanatorium Rd, Building A, 7th Floor, Pomona, NY 10970. The application fee is $30. For questions, contact the Rockland County Department of Personnel at (845) 364-3737 or at RCPersonnel@co.rockland.ny.us.
