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.