Spring Update from Your Councilmember

Dear friends and neighbors,

Spring is finally here, and I wanted to share a few quick updates on what we’ve been working on at Town Hall over the past several months.

Financial Updates & Planning

One of my biggest priorities since taking office has been getting up to speed on the Town’s finances. I’ve had regular meetings with our bookkeeper, which have been extremely helpful in understanding both day-to-day operations and our longer-term financial picture.

Some recent progress:

• Successfully filed our Annual Financial Report (AFR) by the state extension deadline — despite our CPA resigning in the middle of the process

  • Great news - our General unassigned fund balance is at $463,403 (15% of our '26 budget), providing an important reserve for emergencies and unexpected expenses

• Engaged a new accounting firm that will support budgeting, financial reporting, and long-term capital planning

• My work with the bookkeeper has also helped me feel comfortable supporting budget adjustments related to zoning updates and Municipal Separate Storm Sewer System (MS4) work

I’m optimistic that these efforts will help strengthen our financial planning and stability moving forward.

Zoning Code Update

The Town has kicked off an update to our zoning code to better align with our 2019 Comprehensive Plan and improve the clarity and consistency of our Town Code

Why this matters:

• Clearer standards for residents, businesses, and developers

• Better guidance for planning decisions

• Modernization of outdated or inconsistent code language

Opportunities for community feedback will occur before changes are finalized.  This is an important long-term planning effort, and I encourage residents to stay engaged as the process moves forward.

Smart Housing Initiative

We approved a resolution supporting participation in the Smart Housing Initiative, which will help Esopus explore thoughtful approaches to housing and planning challenges facing Hudson Valley communities.

We are currently seeking volunteers interested in participating in these discussions and helping shape future planning conversations. If you are interested, please reach out.

Thank You to Our Volunteers

I also want to thank the residents who have recently stepped up to serve our town. Volunteer service is essential to local government, and we greatly appreciate their willingness to contribute their time and expertise.

Recent appointments include:

• Waterfront Advisory Board:  Susan Epstein, John Hickey, Elizabeth Tendyke

• Assessment Board of Review:  Thomas Fitzpatrick

Thank you all for your service to Esopus!

Last Frost Fest — May 17

The Town of Esopus Environmental Board will be hosting the Last Frost Fest 

• Sunday, May 17:  10 AM–2 PM

• Mid-Hudson Valley Federal Credit Union (185 Broadway, Port Ewen)

• The event will include: Free plants and compost, plant and seed swaps and lots of other activities! 

You do not need to bring plants to participate — it should be a great community event, and I hope to see many of you there.

Stay in Touch

As always, I appreciate hearing from residents and welcome your questions, concerns, and ideas. Thank you for the opportunity to serve our community.

February Update from Your Councilmember (Better Late Than Never!)

Dear friends and neighbors,

I'll be honest — February flew by, and this update is a little overdue. But there's a lot to share, so thank you for your patience!  It's so nice to see grass again even if temps are dropping, I thought the snow would never melt.

Learning the Ropes at the NY Association of Towns Training School

In mid-February, Supervisor Pecora and I attended the NY Association of Towns Training School in NYC. I concentrated on finance sessions like Developing an Effective Budget and Analyzing Financial Condition — both directly relevant to my role as the Board's liaison for town finances.

A few things I'm especially excited to bring back to Esopus:

• Guidance from the Office of the New York State Comptroller (OSC), which I sought out directly at the conference. They gave me great advice for our situation, including how to ensure we stay on top of our Annual Financial Report (AFR) filing. Our AFR is due March 31st, and we will be filing an extension to April 30th as permitted by the state due to our CPA's transition (more on that below)

• OpenBook NY, a tool from the OSC that makes historical financial data for New York towns publicly available. This will be a great resource not only for transparency, but also for me to analyze Esopus's financial history and trends

• Frameworks for longer-term financial planning, including how to think strategically about our fund balance and future capital investments (like replacing snow plows!)

I look forward to working with Supervisor Pecora, our bookkeeper, and fellow Board members to put some of these ideas into practice.

February Meeting Highlights

• Financial Housekeeping: Our town CPA completed cash audits of the Justice Court, Town Clerk, and Tax Collector for 2025 — all came back clean. However, he then notified the Town that he will not be continuing as our CPA in 2026. With the above mentioned extension, he will be able to help us file our AFR this year and I have begun leading the effort to solicit proposals from local accounting firms.  We will have a replacement in place ahead of budget season. This is a priority.

• Grants: It was a busy month for grant activity. The Board authorized and submitted applications for several grants.  We are seeking three grants to support our parks — $37,000 for a pavilion and bathroom at Freer Park, $154,500 for Ross Park bathroom and playground improvements, and $54,500 for a basketball court, fence, and playground at Clark Park in West Park. We are also working to secure a DASNY grant for restoration work at Riverview Cemetery, including fallen headstones, foundations, landscaping, and roadway improvements.

• LWRP Progress: The Board unanimously passed a resolution to advance the update of our Local Waterfront Revitalization Plan (LWRP), last adopted in 1987. The updated plan expands protections along the Hudson River, Rondout Creek, and Wallkill River. A public hearing is scheduled for March 19th — I hope to see you there.

• Zoning Update: We retained a consultant to help review and modernize our zoning code, bringing it in line with our 2019 Comprehensive Plan. Thoughtful planning today means better outcomes for Esopus tomorrow.

• Welcome to New Committee Members! The Board appointed the members below to two of our town commissions.  Thank you to all of them for stepping up to serve!

  • Parks & Recreation Commission: Serina Bass, Debra Chapman, and Kelly Oldham

  • Port Ewen Water Board:  Wesley Monica

• Financial Update: As your finance liaison, I'm keeping a close eye on the budget. One item I flagged: legal expenses came in over budget in 2025 ($131k spent vs. $90k budget), and we'll need to monitor that line carefully in 2026 ($95k budget).

Volunteers Still Needed

We still have vacancies on key town committees — serving is one of the best ways to make a real difference in Esopus. Committees currently seeking members:

•  Environmental Board

• Waterfront Advisory Board

Learn more and apply here.

Mark Your Calendars

Coming up in March:

• LWRP Public Hearing + Town Board Meeting: March 19, 7 PM — your chance to weigh in on the waterfront plan

• Last Frost Festival: May 17 — mark your calendars!

Stay in Touch

As always, I love hearing from you. Please reach out with questions, concerns, or ideas for how we can make Esopus an even better place to live.

January Update: Getting to Work in Esopus

Dear friends and neighbors, 

I hope everyone is staying safe and warm during today’s snowstorm. I'm so appreciative of our Highway Department for the work they're doing to clear our roads!  Here's an update on my first couple weeks in office.

Sworn In & Ready to Work

On January 3rd, we held the ceremonial swearing-in of our new town officials, followed by the Town Board’s reorganization meeting. It was great to see so many familiar faces in the room and at the reception afterward — thank you for starting the new year with us.

Minutes from the 2026 Organizational Meeting are available here.

Focus on Town Finances

Given my financial background, Supervisor Pecora asked me to focus on the town’s financial operations. I was appointed liaison to the Town Clerk/Dog Control, Tax Assessor, Tax Collector, and Bookkeeper.

Over the past few weeks, I’ve met with the Tax Assessor, Tax Collector, and Bookkeeper to understand their priorities and challenges. I’ve also put together a financial due diligence request to help the Town Board develop a clearer picture of Esopus’s financial position and support informed decision-making.

January 17 Town Board Meeting

We held our first regular Town Board meeting on January 17th. As we work toward livestreaming meetings, Paul Brooks recorded the meeting and shared it on YouTube here.

During public comment, residents raised concerns about winter vehicle access to Sleightsburgh Park. When Supervisor Roscoe took office, he closed the gate — not the park — due to safety concerns. The Town Board passed a resolution to keep the gate closed for now while we work toward a long-term management plan, with the goal of keeping the park accessible and safe for Esopus residents.

At the same meeting, we interviewed and approved two new members of the Parks & Recreation Committee: Jeanne Sammons and Scott Barfield. I’m excited to see them jump right into this year’s projects, including planning for the annual Easter egg hunt.

Volunteers Needed — Please Consider Serving

We still have vacancies on several town committees that are essential to the town’s work and to achieving the goals residents care about.

Committees in need of members are: Environmental Board, Port Ewen Water Board, Parks & Recreation Commission and Waterfront Advisory Board

Learn more and apply here

What’s Next

In mid-February, I’ll be attending the NY Association of Towns Training School where I'll continue to build my knowledge of town government and how to serve Esopus.

Upcoming meetings:

• Town Board Workshop: February 5

• Town Board Meeting: February 19

Stay in Touch

I’ve appreciated hearing from many of you already and encourage you to continue reaching out with questions, concerns, or ideas. Thanks, as always, for staying engaged and involved.