The Capital Planning Committee is establishing an inventory of Capital Infrastructure assets in Tuxedo Park, including the Village Office, the Department of Public Works (DPW) facilities and equipment and the Sewer and Water plants among other assets. The Committee is also reviewing and prioritizing maintenance and critical repairs of Village infrastructure and making recommendations to the Village Board of Trustees about capital spending priorities. Longer term, the Committee is studying appropriate reserves for the maintenance of Village infrastructure.
Committee Members
Name
Title
JoAnn Hanson
Chair
Michele Lindsay
Committee Liaison
Josh Scherer
Trustee
Tom Birmingham
Gardiner Hempel
Cellular Communications & WiFi
The Village of Tuxedo Park Communications Committee’s primary mission is to explore options for improving the cellular phone service within the Village while also considering ways to improve internet service for Village residents including the Village municipal entities.
With guidance from outside, an independent consultant hired by the Village and expert in cellular connectivity, areas within the Village will be identified that are most affected by poor cellular phone and internet service. The consultant will make recommendations to the Board of Trustees to improve the service, along with pricing estimates, for their consideration.
Committee Members
Name
Title
Sam Spinowitz
Chair
Jedidiah Turner
Committee Liaison
Climate Smart Community Task Force
Climate Smart Communities (CSC) is a New York State program that helps local governments take action to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and adapt to a changing climate. The program offers free technical assistance, grants, and rebates for electric vehicles.
Registered communities have committed to act by passing the CSC pledge. Certified communities are the foremost leaders in the state; they have gone beyond the CSC pledge by completing and documenting a suite of actions that mitigate and adapt to climate change at the local level.
The Village of Tuxedo Park has adopted the Climate Smart Community (CSC) pledge and formed a task force that works jointly with the Town of Tuxedo CSC. We enthusiastically welcome residents to join us. Together we review the actions required to gain points toward certification as a Climate Smart Community. With certification, the Village can apply for grants for infrastructure projects that will mitigate our own exposure to climate change, contribute to the statewide commitment to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and that will save the Village money in energy costs! Actions completed for CSC certification also apply to a Clean Energy Community (CEC) certification.
Tuxedo Lake, Pond #3 and Wee Wah Lake all belong to our Village, unlike most lakes in New York State which belong to the State. Our community was built around them and they remain its focus. Most important, Tuxedo Lake provides drinking water to our Village residents and to some residents in the Town of Tuxedo, and its water flows into the Ramapo River, connecting with reservoirs that serve millions in New Jersey.
The health of the lakes and the quality of the water is our Village government’s responsibility and the critical concern of all Village residents.
Established in the late 2000s the Committee advises and assists the Village Board of Trustees (BOT) on matters related to the ecological health of our lakes. It is an active participant of CSLAP (Citizens Statewide Lake Assessment Program), a volunteer lake monitoring and education program managed cooperatively by the DEC (Department of Environmental Conservation) and NYSFOLA (New York State Federation of Lake Associations).
In 2009 the Committee recommended, and the BOT sponsored, a comprehensive study of our lakes by the professional water resources management and engineering firm Princeton Hydro. The firm identified water quality and watershed issues (watershed is the mountainous areas of land that drains its water into Tuxedo Lake and its runoff lakes) and established baselines against which improvements (or deteriorations) could be measured. The committee further recommended, and the BOT approved the retention of a professional Lakes Manager to annually measure changes in the lake’s water quality and advise the BOT on appropriate actions.
In 2021 the Committee prepared a report on the Tuxedo watershed and recommended actions to reduce pollutant input naturally occurring in the soil as well as from manmade sources (e.g., fertilizers, pesticides and construction activities) into our lakes. Pollutants encourage the growth of invasive water plants such as Eurasian water-milfoil and harmful algae bloom and impair the health of the lakes and quality of the water.
Some progress has been made but much remains to be done.
Committee Members
Name
Title
Todd Yannuzzi
Supervising Lake Warden
Elizabeth Cotnoir
Lake Warden Wee Wah
Greg Libby
Lake Warden Tuxedo Lake
Jedediah Turner
Lake Warden Pond #3
Joshua Scherer
Trustee Liaison
Trails Committee
The Village Trails Committee was established in 2015 with a generous one-time donation of $200,000 from the Sonne family to set up a Trail Maintenance Fund. The Trails to be maintained are the Village-owned bridal paths and hiking trails that are mainly on the periphery of the Park. They include the following, though there may be others:
• Eagle Mountain Trail from Eagle Mountain Road to South Gate Road Brook Road
• East side: Ringwood Ave trail, Ridge trail, Crows Nest trail, Ant Hill trail, East Valley trail, Cliff trail
• Fox Hill
• Improvements include picnic sites with views over the lake.
• New trail signs have been posted.
The trails are cleared for hiking in the spring, summer and fall, and also for cross-country skiing and snow shoeing in the winter. The Committee hopes that this Fund will be ongoing, with others who care about this Village amenity contributing to it in the future. It is also hoped that Village residents will assist in some of the work. Perhaps in the fall when it is cool, and insects aren’t attacking, there should be a “Trail Day,” organized by the Committee, to help clear an area. Some could clip overhanging vines or small growth, and more hearty folks could take chain saws for heavier jobs. This beats sweating in the gym and is infinitely more useful.
We have assembled a dedicated committee to oversee and guide the improvements on the property. The committee members include Denise Tavani and Matthew Tinari as Co-Chairs, along with Agnes Turner, Chrissy Corredor, and Michael Bruno.
We are currently seeking additional members from the hamlet to join our improvement sub-committee, as we believe their valuable perspectives will contribute to the overall success of our efforts.
We are committed to ensuring that this village-owned property on Wee Wah Lake is utilized to its fullest potential and managed to benefit our entire community. Together, we can enhance this valuable resource for present and future generations.
If you are a new neighbor and would like to hear from the Welcome Committee, please contact Elizabeth Doherty, Welcome Committee Member & Village Clerk.
Our purpose is to welcome new community members and help them learn what our community and area have to offer. We share the best places for food shopping, dining out, goods & materials, and entertainment. We are always looking for new and innovative ways to help our new neighbors, and if you would like to be involved, please contact us.
