Unhand Piermont!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fhD6hxrMx24

2026 PIERMONT MEET THE TRUSTEE CANDIDATES

"Meet the Candidates" - Village Board of Trustees. Wednesday, May 27, 2026.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fhD6hxrMx24

BARBARA SCHEULEN

Thank you all for coming.

I know it’s a little warm in here, but um[sic]… it may even get hotter… during our time.

The Piermont Democratic Committee hosts these foremen[sic]… forums… so the community members have an informed voice when they get to the voting booth. Your [Piermont] Democratic Committee is, and if you’re here, raise your hand… Margaret Grace… Peter Metzler… Martha Schulwolf… Myself…

Don Guyton is in Paris, unfortunately… um[sic]…

Nate Mitchell… Dana Stilley is our County Legislator and has a county legislator[sic] meeting tonight, and Bruce Tucker.

In addition, Piermont has an additional 22 people on the Orangetown Democratic Committee.

So we have a lot of representation across the town… um[sic]…

Liza Barrie, where are you? Liza chairs the Orangetown Democratic Committee.

We’d like to thank former Mayor Chris Sanders for moderating this evening. We’d also like to thank Betsy Franco-Feeney and Joan Chiaramonte for volunteering to help tonight. And importantly, Noreen and Michael Wright, who are so generous, always of their time.

As well as Talad. Talad runs this… wonderful building.

So there is much noise… about national candidates and national politics in general. But here in Piermont, we may be small, but we are mighty. In towns and villages like this, it’s… this kind of village, this kind of town that really lead[sic] the fight for Democrats and democracy.

Here in Piermont, we have approximately 1,035 Democrats and 530 Independents.

Beyond this local race, we hope everyone here will also participate in local and national efforts to elect leaders who support the Constitution and all of the people in this amazing country. Um[sic]… uh[sic]… You’ll find on the benches, there’s… um[sic]… are flyers for every Saturday. We have…um[sic]… a protest for one hour at the Four Corners in Nanuet, and it would be great if everyone would attend.

The four men you see before you all seek to guide the future of Piermont by being elected as a member of the Board of Trustees. They have drawn straws to establish order of questions. Robert Zitt, [Esq.], Mark Blomquist, Kevin Timoney, and Jeffrey Gordon, [Esq.]

Um[sic]… When you came in, you found out that you can… um[sic]… write questions to be asked if individual candidates or all candidates. We’ve received very few individual questions, so we’re going to ask the questions of all candidates. This is not a debate.

[Gulp…] At the end, they’ll have two minutes to summarize their thoughts and can react to anything that has been said.

Chris… may take the opportunity to ask for clarifications from candidates if needed.

BARBARA SCHEULEN

So now, it’s Chris.

CHRIS SANDERS

Thank you, Barbara.

Uh[sic] … The four candidates seated to my left are running for two open positions in the Democratic primary that’s on June 23rd.

And I know there’s been... [cough]… a lot of vitriol on-line over the past few years on members of our various boards, whether it be Planning, or Zoning, or [our] Board of Trustees.

Um[sic]… So before I get started tonight, and again, it’s a forum for these candidates to introduce themselves to the… the public and Democrats in Piermont. Understand that members of the Zoning Board of Appeals, Planning Board… we have different commissions… These members of the Board of Trustees or potential members of the Board of Trustees – volunteers – volunteering their time… for the betterment of Piermont, and their actions are only to do what’s right for the Village. I can guarantee that… that… that is what they all have at heart. We can disagree with perhaps the… the… path they want to take. But let’s understand that what sits behind it is a love for the Village and want[sic] to make the village better and more sustainable and be someplace we can be proud of 50 to 100 years from now. So level-setting that, we can get ourselves started tonight.

And I’d like to start with…um[sic]… opening statements from the candidates. They’ll have 2 to 3 minutes to make their case. And then we’ll start by asking the… the questions that came from… from the audience. And you can continue to add questions as well during… during tonight. Uh[sic]… We want to try to wrap up by 8:30. It’s an early morning for me, as well as some others, and we’re all gonna start falling asleep up here, which is not a good… it’s not a good visual. So to get us started… we have Robert Zitt, who’s going to make his case. We’re going to work our way down the line. So, Robert, the floor is yours.

ROBERT ZITT, ESQ.

Thank you, Mayor.

Good evening, everyone, and thank you very much for being here tonight. I want to thank the Piermont Democratic Committee, those volunteers, and everyone who helped to organize this event and make it possible. That includes Michael, Noreen, Margaret, everyone involved.

My name is Robert Zitt, and I’m running for Village Trustee.

I’m running because I love this village. And I believe deeply in the people who make the community what it is.

Piermont is not just where I live. It’s a home. It’s a home I’ve chosen for my wife Valentina, and my three children, Robert, Oliver, and Theodore.

Like so many of you, we chose Piermont because of its character, its beauty, and the feeling that this is a place where people know one another.

Over the last few years, I’ve watched more and more residents become actively engaged in the future of this village.

People attended meetings, they wrote letters, they asked questions, and they organized.

They spoke passionately about things that concerned them, that included development, transparency, flooding, infrastructure, the Fire Department, downtown vitality, and the future direction of this village.

Whether you agreed with them or not, each person showed up and spoke because they too care deeply about this place.

I’m running because I believe this kind of civic engagement should never be discouraged, dismissed, or targeted.

It should be welcomed.

A healthy community is not one where residents stay quiet. It is one where people feel empowered to ask questions, participate, challenge ideas, voice opinions, and be part of the conversation.

Professionally, I’m an attorney. I served as an Assistant District Attorney in the Domestic Violence Unit in the office of the district attorney for Bronx County. Since then, I’ve had the privilege of representing individuals, families, businesses, planning boards, zoning boards, nonprofits, municipalities, and community organizations.

That experience has given me a unique perspective, because I have seen government, business, and community issues from many different angles and different viewpoints. What I’ve learned in that short period of time is that good leadership requires independence.

It requires transparency.

And it requires the ability to listen carefully before making decisions, not after.

I also understand the importance of balancing growth with preservation.

I appreciate the pressures facing small businesses, homeowners, residents, and I understand how government decisions, especially at the local level, affect residents in very real ways.

Trust in government is built through accountability and respect for the public.

ROBERT ZITT, ESQ.

[To Moderators: Can I go? I’m sorry. Wh… That was three? Okay. I’ll yield. Thank you].

CHRIS SANDERS

Thank you, Bob.

ROBERT ZITT, ESQ.

Sure.

ROBERT ZITT, ESQ.

[Off-Mic, To Mark Blomquist: “Stickin’ to that 3”…].

MARK BLOMQUIST

[Cough]… Hi, I’m…uh[sic]… Mark Blomquist and I thank you all for coming. Thank the PDC for putting this together.

Um[sic]… Most of you at this point know me. I know most of you out there. Uh[sic]… For those of you who don’t, I’ll give you a quick…uh[sic]… back-of-the-napkin background.

Um[sic]… I’ve been a Piermont resident for 30 years. My wife and I raised two kids here. I’ve been a member of the Empire Hose Company for 20 years… um[sic]… Where I served as a fireman, an EMT, and a rescue diver.

Um[sic]… I’m one of the lunatics who dives under the ice in the Hudson in January, and if you want to hold that against me, against continuing…uh[sic]… further public office for insane reasons, I understand that completely.

Um[sic]… Professionally, I was a managing director in a corporate finance firm specializing in pharmaceuticals and medical devices for the last 30 years.

Um[sic]… I have… Educationally, an MBA in international finance… uh[sic]… graduated as class valedictorian. I’m also an attorney admitted in both New York State and Louisiana, although I am retired there and not practicing. And most importantly… um[sic]… I have served as a Trustee in this village for the last 19 years. Uh[sic]… I’ve been reelected… eight times, so I know the job pretty well, and I think most of you know that I know the job pretty well. I’ve also served as Deputy Mayor for the last 18 years under three separate administrations.

Um[sic]… My focus has always been… more than anything else on the pocketbook issues.

Um[sic]… I tried very hard to keep our taxes low over the last 19 years, and I think for the most part have succeeded.

Um[sic]… And… I… I don’t have a whole lot more to say than that other than... um[sic]… You guys know what I can do and… I’d… love the opportunity to [ea…][sic] [ta…][sic] continue going forward with that.

CHRIS SANDERS

Kevin.

KEVIN TIMONEY

Thank you… Well, good evening, everyone, and thank you for being here tonight. For those of you who may not know me, my name is Kevin Timoney [an…][sic] [uh][sic]… My husband [and][sic] Brian and I are raising our daughter, Harper, here in Piermont. And like so many of you, we chose this village because there truly is nowhere else like it.

Piermont is a special place. It’s where people at the Farmer’s Market, conversations on the sidewalk, kids running through Flywheel Park, neighbors showing up for one another, and the feeling that this village is just not where we live, it’s home.

Professionally, I serve as the Executive Director for Citywide Contracts, where I oversee large-scale public contracts, budgets, and inter-agency operations.

My career has been rooted in public service, accountability, collaboration, and finding practical solutions... that help government work for the people.

Locally, I serve on the Piermont Zoning Board of Appeals, where I’ve had the opportunity to work through important issues thoughtfully, collaboratively, while balancing the needs of residents and the character of our village.

I’ve also started the BTND Run Club here in Piermont, which has become a fun and meaningful way to bring neighbors together to build…[pause]… of[sic]… community beyond meetings and agendas, where we can duss[sic]-cuss topics like parking, the cyclists, and… d[sic]… downtown events.

I’m running for Trustee because I care deeply about Piermont’s future. I want to help strengthen the character of this village while also making sure that we’re planning responsilly[sic]… communicating openly, and governing thoughtfully.

I also believe a strong board benefits from hearing different p… perspectives and voices at the table. A healthy community does not require everyone to think the same way. It requires people who are willing to listen to one another, work respect…fully together, and stay focused on the[sic]… what’s best for Piermont.

I have met many of you before this, and I’ve heard yourd[sic]… dideas[sic], your concerns, your hopes for Piermont’s future, and I’m excited to continue these conversations. So thank you again for being here tonight, and I’d be honored to earn your support.

CHRIS SANDERS

Jeffrey.

JEFF GORDON, ESQ.

Thank you, Mayor. Good evening and thanks, everybody, for coming tonight and thanks to the PDC and Michael and Maureen Wright for putting this together and having a... videotape to memorialize this evening’s event. I’m a lifelong resident of the lower Hudson Valley. I grew up in Yonkers and have always lived in river towns, like Tarrytown, Ossining, Croton, moving to Stony Point in 2015, and now Piermont for the last 3 years. The Lower Hudson Valley holds a special place in my heart, as I’m sure it does in all of yours. I’m the father of two grown sons I’m incredibly proud of. I was a practicing attorney for 40 years until my retirement 6 years ago, which affords me the... time to devote to Piermont and its 2,500 residents. In January of this year, I had the honor of being appointed by Mayor Mitchell to fill a vacancy… of Christine McAndrews, which ends on December 31st of this year and is why I’m running in this year’s election.

Municipal law and government has always interested me. While in Pace Law School, I was the co-founder of the Municipal Law Resource Center, which provided subscription services to smaller municipalities who did not have the resources to undertake their own research. While at the Resource Center, I prepared a feasibility study for residents residing in the unincorporated area of Rye who wanted to secede and form their own village. Using that study, the village of Rye Brook was formed in 1982 - the first such village formation in over 50 years, and I’m very proud of that, that I had a significant part in that.

I started my legal career as a municipal attorney for Port Chester, Irving, Briarcliff Manor, and Tarrytown. While representing Tarrytown, I prepared comprehensive legislation creating Tarrytown’s Architectural Review Board, which was later adopted by the Village and has been used by other historic municipalities up and down the Hudson River. I have provided that legislation to Mayor Mitchell and our village council to consider while we are in the process of recreating Piermont’s own review board. In 1989, I opened my practice in New York City, maintaining it until 2020, with a focus on family and matrimonial law. For the last eight years, I’ve sat on the board of Legal Services NYC, the country’s largest nonprofit provider of... free civil legal services to the indigent of New York City, serving more than 100,000 clients annually. For the last six years, I volunteer my time serving as a court-appointed divorce mediator for the New York State Supreme Court.

I’ve spent my entire professional career and my volunteer endeavors in retirement in problem-solving and dispute resolution, tools that are particularly invaluable at this crucial time in our village history. Because of that knowledge, experience, and background, I think I’m uniquely qualified to work as a Trustee, and I’m asking for your vote in order to continue my service to all of the residents of Piermont. Thank you.

CHRIS SANDERS

Thank you, Gentlemen.

And my apologies, by the way. I realized I was not referring to you as Mr. Zitt, Mr. Blomquist, Mr. Timoney.

CHRIS SANDERS

Um[sic]… First name’s okay, right?

JEFF GORDON, ESQ.

Absolutely.

CHRIS SANDERS

Okay. It is Piermont after all.

All right, we’ll move on to the…um[sic]… the questions.

And what I like to do is we’ll keep the same format.

Robert, I’ll start with you for the… uh[sic]… first question. We’ll walk down the line with a… the minute to answer, but then I’m going to rotate in. So Mark, you’ll get the second one. So, hopefully, everybody ‘ll have that opportunity to be the first one to start and then to build on those.

So, to get us started.

For those who are serving on the Board of Trustees, what do you consider to be your biggest accomplishment[sic]… accomplishments… and why?

… Or for those not yet on the Board of Trustees, what do you consider your biggest contribution to Piermont? And what was the impact on the Village?

OK… Robert.

ROBERT ZITT, ESQ.

Sure.

I am not on the Board of Trustees. I think as many of you know, I’ve been involved the last few years in trying to get members of the public.

VOICE OFF-CAMERA

[Unintelligible].

ROBERT ZITT, ESQ.

[To Voice Off-Camera: Yeah. Thank you. Thank you.]

I think the – can you ask the question again? I’m sorry.

CHRIS SANDERS

Sure... Um[sic]… What do you consider your biggest -

ROBERT ZITT, ESQ.

[To Voice Off-Camera: “Come on, Rich!”.]

CHRIS SANDERS

And… uh[sic]… what was that impact on the Village?

ROBERT ZITT, ESQ.

OK... Look, you know, I think frankly my biggest impact, or contribution to the Village has probably been drumming-up public participation. I think one of the biggest issues, at least from my perspective, is apathy. Apathy at the local level, apathy at the national level. We have the opportunity to encourage public participation, and that’s one of the main reasons that I am running for Village Trustee. I think there’s a responsibility - owed to the public - to get you involved - even if you don’t necessarily want to be involved.

Thank you.

CHRIS SANDERS

Mark, do you need it again or are you good?

MARK BLOMQUIST

Good.

CHRIS SANDERS

Okay.

One minute.

MARK BLOMQUIST

I would say I’ve got two real big accomplishments since I first became a Trustee. Um[sic]… When I was first elected, we were in nego[sic].. in the middle of negotiating a new police contract, and that went into arbitration and took 18 months before it was worked out. Um[sic]… in a village this small, it’s extremely important to have the trust of your department heads, and I’ve worked tirelessly to establish that. And I’m happy to say the last…uh[sic]… police contract that was signed, I negotiated in under 20 minutes, and it was for 5 years instead of 3. Um[sic]… and I was also able to negotiate the…uh[sic]… the last contract with our DPW, and that was done in about 2 hours.

Um[sic]… What else do I have here?

Oh… The other thing, as I mentioned earlier, I’ve always had a focus on pocketbook issues.

Um[sic]… and one thing I’ve been very proud of is the fact that almo[sic]… in almost every... administration I’ve served with, um[sic]… our fund balance has grown significantly. For those of you who don’t really understand what that is, it’s akin to equity in a private company… Um[sic]… and… it…

OK… Sorry.

CHRIS SANDERS

OK?

Kevin, you need the question again, or are you okay?

KEVIN TIMONEY

Yeah, I’m okay.

CHRIS SANDERS

OK.

KEVIN TIMONEY

For the last 3 years, I’ve been on the Zoning Board, as I mentioned… um[sic]…

It’s… a role that I take very seriously. Where friends and neighbors are coming there, and… you’re gonna have to make some tough decisions. You’re going to have to look at the... the… plans that they have, and you’re going to have to… thoughtfully and respectfully question them and go over everything and, these might be people that you see every day, but you might have to turn them down, but you’re gonna do it in a… respectful way or ask questions and go over things to make sure that Piermont’s character or... Anything the zoning is staying in place[sic]… so I think doing that has… made me become a… better person and… um[sic]… something that I do want to do for the Board of Trustees, also… um[sic]… the BTND club that I mentioned, we meet outside Bunbury’s every Sunday, where we then go get coffee. We’re spending money at these local businesses. We… put our children at Peace in Piermont afterwards. We go to the Farmer’s Market. So we’re spending money in this[sic]… with these small community[sic]… these small businesses to help the community.

CHRIS SANDERS

Thank you.

Jeffrey.

JEFF GORDON, ESQ.

Well, the first thing that comes to mind is really a group effort, and that’s repealing the CBM Zone and having that ridiculous fence removed, which is in the process of being removed. But I think the one thing that I could... I can own is when I first got here and did some FOIL requests, I saw there was a whole bunch of missing minutes, documentation, and things of that nature. So what I did is I went out and I purchased my own video equipment and started videotaping. This period of time spans pre-Trustee and currently as Trustee for the past year. I’ve been videotaping minutes, making sure that they got uploaded to the Internet for everybody… to view.

It really didn’t hit me until I was canvassing recently and knocked on the door of someone who was wheelchair-bound. And when he found out that I was the individual who was videotaping the meetings, he got very emotional. And it really hit me at that point that what I was actually accomplishing with videotaping these meetings… that he would otherwise not be able to view or partake in Village government.

CHRIS SANDERS

Thank you.

As a… um[sic]… kind of a follow-up to that question, and we’ll start with you, Mark.

Um[sic]… How would you encourage residents to be more active in Village government?

MARK BLOMQUIST

That’s a good[sic]… very good question.

It’s hard when we’re all so pressed for time. Um[sic]... I would… n’t... First, encourage all of you, if you haven’t done it, to join one of the Village volunteer organizations. Get to know your neighbors better.

Um[sic]… and really… make some wonderful things happen. There’s[sic]… I can say…um[sic]… there’s nothing in the world that feels quite like saving somebody’s life. It’s an unbelievable experience.

Um[sic]… and then I would regularly... look at the minutes. I don’t know if I personally would have the patience to watch…um[sic]… an entire videotape, especially having been there already of a… uh[sic]… a Trustees’ meeting, um[sic]… but I think that would be the best thing to do.

CHRIS SANDERS

Kevin.

KEVIN TIMONEY

Thank you. I think… before we can ask the Village what they want to do or how they want to get involved, I think we need to… have better communication with them. I know… the… Board and uh[sic]… Piermont is in the process of getting a new website, but I think we need to make sure that this website has communication so we can… have all these activities. If someone wants to be interested in gardening, if someone wants to be interested in the Community Center… if they want to volunteer… um[sic]… at the Farmer’s Market, anywhere, that all these resources are for them and it will… let’s bring the resources to them instead of having them come to us. And that’s essentially how I think we could help the community.

CHRIS SANDERS

Jeffrey.

JEFF GORDON, ESQ.

I know that, at least for me, what got me involved, other than my background and interest in municipal law, was when I first got to the Village and I did some investigations and saw a whole bunch of stuff that was going wrong, not getting done, done improperly, in violation of certain rules and state laws. That got me involved. And so it’s easy for me to sit here and say, well, if there are problems with a particular municipality and you want to try to fix it, you know, that’s a good way to get involved. I’m hoping that while I’m on the Board, that a lot of those... issues that had existed when I came to the Village are going to be remedied. So we’ll have to find some other impetus to get people involved in the Village ‘cause hopefully it won’t be to fix the wrongs that we’re trying to right now.

CHRIS SANDERS

And Robert.

How would you encourage residents to be more active in Village government?

ROBERT ZITT, ESQ.

Sure.

You know, Mark said everyone is busy.

But I’m going to bring it back to the fact that there is no government that has an impact on residents like local government. You need to make the time - as citizens - to pay attention to what’s going on. And in terms of making efforts to make greater outreach to residents, I think that there’s some stuff that the Village Board can do, perhaps weekly newsletters, including events, stuff like that. It’s difficult to just kind of go off of Facebook these days, because it’s all over the place. I think if there were a controlled method to deliver what’s going on in the Village to the residents, I think that might be the most efficient way of handling it.

CHRIS SANDERS

Okay, thank you.

All right, starting with you, Kevin, on this next question.

Residents being the priority… how do we best balance with economic interests and the follow-up here is like partying, noise, congestion, etcetera. I guess especially as we’re coming into our busy tourism season.

KEVIN TIMONEY

So… That’s[sic]… uh[sic]…

Can you repeat the question?

CHRIS SANDERS

Do my best.

Residents being the priority, how do we balance with economic interests?

I guess I would read into that… uh[sic]… yeah downtown… um[sic]...

KEVIN TIMONEY

So I think our main issue is the parking, and we need to first address that. We have to figure out how we can get parking for our residents, but also… get it for the people that want to come and spend money in our restaurants… um[sic]…

And I think that is where… we have to… be creative with our ideas. Is it reaching out to Tallman and seeing if we can get a permit of[sic] parking there? Is it getting a bus that goes through downtown? But I think first we need to work on our... parking situation in order to help the residents, um[sic]… because I think that’s one of our main issues here. So I think, once we can get parking under control, that’s a first step for helping the residents and helping our downtown thrive.

CHRIS SANDERS

Thank you.

Jeff.

JEFF GORDON, ESQ.

Parking is a chronic problem. You know, it’s a tug-of-war between the interests of the residents and the business district which needs parking in order to be successful.

Focusing on one of the issues, noise control, which is a big complaint. Coincidentally, in the last Board meeting, we had called in the owners of Trata because adjacent landowners were claiming that there was noise pollution. They were having discos late into the evening. Complaints went unanswered. So we brought the owner of Trata’s in and basically, you know, be a good neighbor, and we won’t have to enforce our Village code, and our noise ordinance, and cite you repeatedly. So, I mean, that’s one way of handling it, is code enforcement. We have the codes on the books – like noise ordinance, and we just have to enforce it. Bicycling, I mean, we just formed the Traffic and Parking Committee. That’s going to focus on bicycling, traffic, parking, and things of that nature. Thank you.

CHRIS SANDERS

Thank you. Robert?

ROBERT ZITT, ESQ.

Sure.

You know, I think one thing that might advance at least the economic interests of the business owners in the Village as well as those private interests of the individual residents is the formation of some type of working group between those businesses and also residents, landlords, representatives… This downtown business working group might be focused on things like storefront vacancies. I know that’s something that’s sort of a concern that continues to come up. Foot traffic, events, beautification…

I think the Village can take some initiative in terms of forming this working group and have it comprised of everyone who could contribute. And I think that might be an appropriate balance.

CHRIS SANDERS

Thank you… Mark.

MARK BLOMQUIST

Um[sic]… As I said earlier, I’m a 30-year resident… um[sic]… Parking was a problem when I moved in. It’s a problem now.

Um[sic]… And I imagine it will be for the foreseeable future, I think… and… um[sic]… Mayor Mitchell has alluded to this… uh[sic]… One of the things we might want to start looking at for immediate relief is the next time we have a restaurant go out of business. Um[sic]… change things around so that inless[sic] they can come up with sufficient parking, they can’t – it[sic]… or[sic]… not that they can’t, but it’s not economic for them to open up as a restaurant. And they can open up as something else… um[sic]…

Another thing that was mentioned was possibly running vans up to… um[sic]… Tallman Mountain or… um[sic]… Tappan Zee Elementary, and that’s[sic]… I think that’s something else we ought to look at as well.

CHRIS SANDERS

Thank you.

All right. Next question… um[sic]... and Jeff, I think this is probably within your wheelhouse. So we’ll get started with you on this one as well… um[sic]... It’s about proper board operations and awareness of Open Meetings Laws. So your thoughts on how a prop[sic]… a board should properly operate under those laws.

JEFF GORDON, ESQ.

Thank you. Yeah, that is in my wheelhouse. Based on my experience, you know, I know how an efficient, responsible municipality should run. And when I came here... you know, there were a lot of issues. The Village was clearly in violation of Open Government Law. Things that should have been recorded and documented were not.

I’m liaison to the Planning Board and the Zoning Board of Appeals, as well as the Building Department. And one of the things I’m working on is not only supporting them and the fine people that run those departments and help along with this village, but making sure that the public has access in advance of meetings to documents that are being considered, whether it’s before the Zoning Board, the Building Department, or the Planning Board.

CHRIS SANDERS

[OK]... And Robert, also your background as well, I would guess... um[sic]… Open Meetings Laws, things like that.

ROBERT ZITT, ESQ.

Sure… So, you know, I think the entire Board of Trustees is in here tonight. And I’m not trying to throw anyone under the bus, but I still think we can do a better job in terms of publishing those things that are set to be discussed at meetings.

This is something that I have ranted about probably for the last two years.

And if I am somehow found to be in the position of sitting on the Board of Trustees. I will make sure that every single thing that is going to be discussed by this Village Board is published to the extent required under law.

MARK BLOMQUIST

Thank you, Robert. Mark.

Um[sic]… I agree with both…uh[sic]… Jeff and Bob that we can do a better job of this.

Um[sic]… Historically, it’s been much more difficult… we always get compared to Orangetown… ah[sic]… with people forgetting that Orangetown has a tax base that’s 19 times larger than Piermont and access to a lot more resources. And in the last couple of years, I’ve seen us catching up, and we… we are getting there. It’s just going to take a little more time.

CHRIS SANDERS

Kevin.

KEVIN TIMONEY

Yeah, I think… on a similar note, I think it’s communication. Um[sic]… you go to the website now. I know... um[sic]… We… have agendas there, but I… I’m not seeing stuff from this month. It’s not current. I don’t know where the… the… videos are. I would love to have more… availability on the website for this communication, for all the meetings to have… um[sic]… transparency, and I think that would allow the community to be able to view everything and see everything and get a better view. So… I think communication is of the major factor right now[sic]…

CHRIS SANDERS

OK… Thank you.

All right, Robert, starting with… um[sic]… with you this time.

What is the question you hear most often from your neighbors, and what do you think the Village can do to address it?

So what are you hearing out there?

ROBERT ZITT, ESQ.

To be honest with you, the question that I hear most is what’s happening with the Triangle Lot.

I don’t know the answer to that. I don’t think anyone here does. My understanding is the Village has repealed the law which enabled what it was that was going to be built.

But in terms of things that I’m hearing from my neighbors, that is frankly what I hear every single time. Another thing that I hear is... And he’s in the audience tonight. Dan Goswick is constantly talking about how we do not have affordable housing for first responders.

I think that’s something that the Village should look into, whether it be purchasing land to assist, working with the Fire Department to identify land that they could possibly obtain. I think that’s something also that deserves some attention.

CHRIS SANDERS

Thank you. Mark.

MARK BLOMQUIST

Uh[sic]… I can[sic]… Maybe it’s just my neighbors, but the complaint I hear most about is, what are you going to do to make sure the Village is not so crowded on weekends?... Uh[sic]… We can’t get downtown in our own village to get dinner reservations.

Um[sic]… There’s[sic]... Also, as many of you know, you know, constant complaints about… uh[sic]… the bicyclists. Um[sic]… parking… Uh[sic]…

For anybody who wants to make a… a stop downtown has also been a perennial complaint.

Um[sic]… And… I’d say those are the big three.

CHRIS SANDERS

Thank you, Mark.

Kevin?

KEVIN TIMONEY

I think… the most highly questioned is[sic], what’s happening with the downtown and the fence… uh[sic]… Do I know anything about it? Has it gone through the Zoning Board?... um[sic]…

Do we know when it’s coming down? So I always let everyone know, it never actually made it to the Zoning Board. There’s some false pretense that it went to the Zoning Board and we okayed it. This was back about two years ago, and I let them know that, no, it never actually made it to the Zoning Board, but it’s… everyone wants to know what’s going on with the downtown triangle and…uh[sic]… when the fence will come down.

CHRIS SANDERS

Jeff.

JEFF GORDON, ESQ.

That’s usually the question, but I’ll segue into something else since a couple of people already opined upon that. It’s safety downtown, it’s traffic, and it’s parking. And we’ve got a newly-formed Traffic and Parking Commission. One of the things we’re talking about is re-routing the traffic patterns in the downtown, on Chicklesby[sp?] and Gair Street. Noreen had brought on behalf of The Landing an issue with trucks loading and unloading at the foot of Gair Street by the intersection of Piermont Avenue. And if we made Gair Street one way, that would alleviate that problem. If we made Chicklesby[sp?] one way instead of two ways, where the police cars are parked, that would afford us more parking. We’ve got a DPW lot, and if we move that equipment up behind the DP headquarters, we’d have another 40 spots. If we take the grassy knoll on the left side of Gair Street going into The Landing and we cut it in half, we could put another 20 spots there. There are a bunch of things that are in the works that we could do to improve traffic and parking and safety in the downtown.

Bicyclists, you know, enforcement is the answer there.

CHRIS SANDERS

Okay, thank you, Jeff.

And um[sic]… I’m kind of leading into this next question, starting with you, Mark… uh[sic]…

What are your thoughts on the CBM zoning?

MARK BLOMQUIST

It would take me a whole lot more than a minute to properly answer that question. And I’ll say I’d be happy to talk to any of you out there at length about that.

Um[sic]… I would say, at this point, when it went through, if any[sic]… for me, at least, and probably almost everyone else on the Board…um[sic]… if we had known how much vitriol and misinformation and pain that was gonna… have cost, we never would have voted for it. I did vote to repeal it… um[sic]…

And… right now we’re waiting on some new proposals for the Comprehensive Plan, and I’m looking forward to…put[sic]… working on that and coming up with something that is more restrictive than what we’ve got…uh[sic]… in place already.

CHRIS SANDERS

Kevin?

KEVIN TIMONEY

Yeah, so… I’m excited to see what happens with the new CBM… um[sic]… I know that there was a Comprehensive Plan done in the past.

I know that we spent a lot of money on that, so… I would hope that we can... take stuff from that Comprehensive Plan.

What we all agreed upon, I think the major issue that people had with the CBM and the Comprehensive Plan… all these issues were… there wasn’t enough involvement. People didn’t know about the meetings. They didn’t know about what was going on. So I think… starting from letting people know when these meetings are going to be happening, who’s part of the… Comprehensive Plan, who’s part of… like[sic]… obviously the Board of Trustees for the CBM, but... letting people know what’s being involved[sic] and when they can go to these meetings… and… there’s full community engagement, I think, would be very... uh[sic]… the first step to making sure that… uh[sic]… we get a… Comprehensive Plan [nervous laughter].

CHRIS SANDERS

Jeff.

JEFF GORDON, ESQ.

The CBM was a mess. I lay the blame on that at the feet of conflicted Village Counsel. He was representing the Village as well as one of the landowners of the Triangular Lot. Should have never had his fingerprints anywhere near the CBM, nor should he have been advising the Village on the CBM. CBM has been repealed. We are now in the process of updating the Comprehensive Plan because there were issues with that. Once that is updated and finalized, we’ll be working on a new zone for the downtown, whether expanding the B[B] Zone that’s currently existing now with the repealing of CBM, whether it’s a new zone, but I can assure you - the intent is to have village residents involved. There will be notice. There will be numerous public hearings. We’ll engage experts to help us with the development of the downtown. There will be an Architectural Review Board in place as well as a Traffic and Parking Commission, all to give input into the zoning downtown.

CHRIS SANDERS

Thank you, Jeff. Robert.

ROBERT ZITT, ESQ.

I think everyone knows how I feel about the CBM.

At this point, I think the biggest concern that I had, at least when I first looked at it, was that it essentially gutted the need for any type of a Zoning Board Of Appeals.

It made things permissible as of right. It maximized “developability”.

In terms of floor-area ratio and size and scope, I think that downtown is 95% of the reason why every single person in this room has moved into this Village. It is a gem. Anything that goes up against that or threatens that is something that I will have an issue with and will fight to stop.

CHRIS SANDERS

All right, I think it’s Kevin, right?

BARBARA SCHEULEN

I believe so.

CHRIS SANDERS

Okay, looking at my list here.

Preserve Piermont has posted and re-posted vitriolic attacks on village residents and officials of differing opinions. How can you help get control of this damaging behavior?... so hard on our community.

VOICE OFF-CAMERA

[Unintelligible].

CHRIS SANDERS

Yeah, let me run that by you again.

Preserve Piermont has posted and re-posted vitriolic attacks on village residents and officials of differing opinions. How can you help get control of this damaging behavior, which is so hard on our community?

KEVIN TIMONEY

Yeah, so… I’ve stated before, I don’t use social media as a weapon. I try to use it as a tool to educate people. I think it comes to... One, having openness and a respect for everyone. I think if you’re an administrator of that group or whatnot, you have the right to delete hateful comments or something that would be... considered harassment. I think you have to, you know, it’s[sic]... instead of making it a closed group, you have to open it up and allow people... like[sic]… I don’t understand the reason why it’s a closed group to... talk about people, to make fun of people. This is a small community. It’s a small village. It’s gonna… get around. So why not have open-mindedness… and create rules… and… make respect the number one priority of it.

CHRIS SANDERS

OK. Jeffrey.

JEFF GORDON, ESQ.

Preserve Piermont has been, I believe, unfairly painted because of the actions of one individual who keeps getting brought up like Voldemort. You know, the person whose name will not be repeated. He’s not even a resident of the village. I’ve never met him. I’ve never spoken to him. I’ve never had any contact with him.

This goes back now a couple of years. And when he was shut down in Preserve Piermont by the administrators there, he opened up his own blogs, and his own website, and his own Facebook groups. But that stigma seems to always want to be attached to Preserve Piermont, even though they cut him off at the knees, they made him go elsewhere, and he obviously had a vendetta himself with certain village officials.

CHRIS SANDERS

Thank you, Jeff. Robert?

ROBERT ZITT, ESQ.

Sure… So I am one of the administrators of Preserve Piermont.

You know, it was a tool in terms of bringing information to the residents who would otherwise not have that information.

In terms of vitriol and hate and rhetoric and all of that stuff, this is social media. So, as an administrator, I control[ed] that to the best extent that I could. There are rules for the page. There are controls for the page in terms of posts review, etcetera. I think that is something that we identified early on and tried to do, and it has somehow now become a convenient political talking-point to attribute Preserve Piermont with hate and vitriol, and I just completely disagree with that. At the end of the day, I understand that there are volunteers and there are public officials who work for this village.

Can I finish this?

VOICE OFF-CAMERA

Um-hmmm…

ROBERT ZITT, ESQ.

Thank you… But at the end of the day, you are a Public O-fficial.

It does not matter what is said. You put yourself in the spotlight, and it’s fair game. And some people on social media... take advantage of that, and I fully sympathize with those volunteers who had their pictures displayed, their names tossed around. I sympathize with that, and we have tried to control it to the best that we can.

But at the end of the day, as a public official. This is America. You have the right to say what you would like about public officials in a public space. And I think that’s something that also sort of gets brushed to the wayside.

CHRIS SANDERS

OK… Mark.

MARK BLOMQUIST

I… I would agree with Jeff. I mean, the principal problem with this was that…uh[sic]… the people that were stirring things up…um[sic]… lying…um[sic]… making things up, making baseless accusations… were non-residents. And they were just doing it to entertain themselves. There was some misinformation, which I think was re… regarding the way things worked with… uh[sic]… some of the Board’s decisions. Um[sic]… but I do think… some of that was… all of that was really just not understanding how things had evolved. Um[sic]… and the best thing you can do is… y’know… um[sic]… try and shut that down the minute it starts by leaning on the administrators, but the problem is once the cat’s out of the bag, it’s… a… a genie that’s very very hard to put back in the bottle[sic].

CHRIS SANDERS

OK… Then now… it’s kind of a… good follow-up, Jeff, starting with you.

The question is, do you see social media as a hindrance or a benefit to the job of Trustee. And I think I’m going to tack-on to that, if you’re going to talk about a benefit - How? Let’s get to the meat of that.

JEFF GORDON, ESQ.

It can be used as another tool for getting the word out. As Kevin had aptly said, getting information to the people, it’s just one tool that we can use. We have a new Village website. That’s another resource that can be used. A lot of people in the Village, myself included, are up in years and may not be as savvy as I am with social media and Facebook and things of that nature.

But for the rest of us, you know, it’s a valuable tool to get the word out. And I think it’s... it’s more valuable than it is a detriment, particularly if it’s handled correctly, to inform the public and engage the public, which we try to do.

CHRIS SANDERS

Thank you, Jeff.

Robert.

ROBERT ZITT, ESQ.

Can you repeat that question for me, please?

CHRIS SANDERS

Sure.. um[sic]…

Bear with me. Here we go.

Right. The question itself was, do you see social media as a hindrance, or a benefit to the job of Trustee. And I kind of tacked-on, if you’re going to talk about a benefit, or even a hindrance - How? Is it that?

ROBERT ZITT, ESQ.

I think social media is both a benefit and a hindrance. I think that... For example, even with this data center, right? Everyone there is incredibly well-organized. You have people going to meetings. Everyone knows what’s going on. And that trickles up, frankly, to the elected officials and those officials that are presiding over these things.

Some officials, frankly, I don’t think... read anything. I think they get their information from social media. So it can certainly be an effective way of communicating with your government. In terms of hindrance, like your prior question, it’s difficult to control. It is a very ugly animal, but it can also be a tremendously helpful tool.

I am sure now that I am running for something in this village that I’m gonna have pictures of me all over the place with a crazy mustache and a shaved head… and a shaved head, and frankly, I understand that, and I’m OK with it because that’s what you take on.

CHRIS SANDERS

Thank you, Rob. Mark.

MARK BLOMQUIST

In my tenure as a Trustee, I was very fortunate to serve with one of the wiser people I ever met in my life, who was Trustee John Gussow. And as social media was just getting big, I’ll never forget her comment, which was, “I want to meet the genius who decided it was a great idea to let everyone with an IQ of 4 post things on the Internet with no editor and no fact-checker”. I tend to agree with that. I think it is often more of a hindrance, but you know it’s there as Bob said – as elected officials, we have to deal with it. You have to make the most of it and do your best to keep an eye on the administrators.

CHRIS SANDERS

Kevin.

KEVIN TIMONEY

I’m going to be an optimist and I’m gonna say it could be used as a tool. You know, if you’re the... the Board of Trustees and you’re the responsible porty[sic]… party for the social media, hopefully you can control it in a narrative that you want and… make sure you get information out. You know, we spoke about something similar at the Orangetown Democratic Committee last week about the school board and how we could have gotten more awareness for someone. So I think one of the candidates we don’t think used social media enough, and I wish they had because they were a great candidate. So I think if you use it, as I mentioned before, like as a tool, it can be really insightful and helpful. But you got to come with the punches[sic] and let it slide off you for all the hindrances. But… I think overall, if you’re the one in control of it, it can be used as a tool.

CHRIS SANDERS

Jeff.

JEFF GORDON, ESQ.

Didn’t I answer that question first?

CHRIS SANDERS

Oh, you did. I’m sorry. Yes, you did.

Okay.

[Oh, boy]. Robert, yeah. Thank you.

Do you believe the current President is good for America?

The current President is good for America.

ROBERT ZITT, ESQ.

Did you get that into the mic the second time?

CHRIS SANDERS

I don’t know. Do you believe the current President is good for America?

ROBERT ZITT, ESQ.

I think the current President is good for half of America. I respect... everyone’s opinion, everyone’s candidate of choice.

Personally, I’m not looking to get involved in a debate on national politics at this moment. Are there things that I am dissatisfied with as an American? Are there things that I am worried about as an American? Absolutely. And these are some things that keep me up at night. But in terms of this, what we’re here for tonight, I think this is a question that is going to hurt anyone that speaks on it. So...

CHRIS SANDERS

Going down the line, Mark.

MARK BLOMQUIST

No.

CHRIS SANDERS

OK.

Kevin.

KEVIN TIMONEY

Mark stole my response, but No. As a gay man with an adopted daughter, no, I don’t think he’s a good man or a good President.

JEFF GORDON, ESQ.

There’s very little, if anything, that could make me happy with President Trump… that he’s done or plans on doing.

CHRIS SANDERS

Yeah, didn’t quite catch that.

JEFF GORDON, ESQ.

Oh, I’m sorry. There’s very little that I find redeeming in anything that he’s done or said or plans to do. You know. I feel like we’re all on the same page, at least with regard to that. Now, that’s not to say that I don’t judge people, whether they’re Republican or Democrat, or independent, or liberal, or conservative. I judge people for who they are, not what their political affiliation is. Having said that, yeah, I have a problem with President Trump.

CHRIS SANDERS

Mark, what efforts would you bring to have greater transparency in Village government?

MARK BLOMQUIST

Um[sic]… Going back to some things that were discussed a little bit earlier… um[sic]… as I mentioned, we had a bit of a problem with financial resources and having things available in Village Hall… um[sic]… But I would make a real effort to get things up to date, which I know the Clerks have been working… uh[sic]… very hard to do, and making sure that... um[sic]… all the meeting materials that we get to review as Board members are available to the general public at least… um[sic]… the Friday before we… uh[sic]… vote on anything and… um[sic]… do a little bit better job about… uh[sic]… posting what’s going to be discussed at… uh[sic]… various meetings.

CHRIS SANDERS

Thank you, Mark.

Kevin?

KEVIN TIMONEY

Yeah… So… I know that there is a new website coming. I would love to be a part of helping get that done. I’ve worked in technology for over 20-plus years. I’ve worked on projects big and small… um[sic]… I have an arsenal in my office of similar types of projects. I would love to… bring some of that here and… you know… pick out stuff, let’s read it, see what we can use at a cheaper price or help the community, like the Village… uh[sic]… get up to date and more current.

CHRIS SANDERS

Thank you, Kevin.

JEFF GORDON, ESQ.

I’m sorry, Chris, what was the question?

CHRIS SANDERS

Sure.. uh[sic]… What efforts would you bring to have greater transparency in Village government?

JEFF GORDON, ESQ.

What efforts?

CHRIS SANDERS

What efforts, yeah.

JEFF GORDON, ESQ.

Oh, OK.

CHRIS SANDERS

Efforts.

JEFF GORDON, ESQ.

I’ve already started doing it with, I feel, with videotaping Village meetings, which were not in existence before I started videotaping. The Village website is a great source for transparency.

I’m working with Michael Wright to... live-stream our Village Board meetings to people who can’t or [are] unable or unwilling to come to the Board meetings themselves so they feel like they’re part of the Village.

You know, updating the Village website, making sure we comply with Open Government Law, videotaping Village Board meetings, noticing adequately, Village Board meetings, Planning Board meetings, Zoning Board meetings. I think all of that can increase the transparency that had been sorely lacking, at least in my opinion, over the past several years in the Village.

CHRIS SANDERS

Great. Thank you, Jeff.

Robert.

ROBERT ZITT, ESQ.

I’d like to come back to a theme that I have also heard for the last two years. I fully appreciate that this is a small village, but prior to any of these issues, the Village was completely able to comply with the Open Meetings Law by providing the materials that were set to be discussed at meetings in advance on the Village website. There was a substantial gap. And to suggest that... we can’t do it is, in my opinion, and I’m thinking as an attorney here, right, you’re required to post these materials to the extent practicable. So the suggestion repeatedly that this is a small village, it seems to me to try to be an escape-hatch. I think this village was capable of complying with Open Meetings Law previously, and I think it still remains capable now.

The New Village website by Civic Plus…. Can I finish?

CHRIS SANDERS

Sure.

ROBERT ZITT, ESQ.

Thank you. Civic Plus is a great program. It’s easily navigable, and I think it’s going to alleviate a lot of the burdens that Jennifer and the other Clerks in the Clerk’s Office have had to deal with. In terms of bringing greater transparency to Village Hall, one thing that I would suggest is that the Village have open meetings quarterly with residents just to shoot the crap. I think that encourages people to pay more attention, encourages participation, and I think that’s something that would... certainly encourage transparency in Village Hall.

CHRIS SANDERS

Thank you, Robert.

Um[sic]… Kevin, starting with you on this one, and it kind of related to... uh[sic]… Something you just brought up, Robert, in terms of like... issues that pop up... uh[sic]… I guess this is new. There’s been an uptick of noise pollution around Flywheel Park. Specifically, motorcycles and unmuffled cars circling the park, then the marsh and back. What can be done to stop this before it becomes a major problem?

KEVIN TIMONEY

So… we would need… so thankfully we are a village that has our own Police Department. I think we need to get the police at those spots where the high-traffic motorcycles and… uh[sic]… noise is going… um[sic]… on those days where the weekends… beautiful evenings right now… um[sic]… and make sure that they’re enforcing the… rules and the laws of Piermont and making sure if… it’s motorcycles revving the engine, you know, ticket them, making sure that they know that this is a place where there are a lot of children running around. There is… uh[sic]… restaurants[sic] right there. So… ticketing them and just police enforcement, I think, would be the main issue or the main way to resolve that.

CHRIS SANDERS

Thank you, Kevin.

Jeff.

JEFF GORDON, ESQ.

You know, when it comes to noise pollution and violation of our noise ordinances, it’s kind of easier to enforce it when you’re dealing with a bar, a restaurant, you know, a venue, then it is when you’re dealing with a transient, very quick transient issue like a motorcycle or, you know, a souped-up car with a loud muffler. We are a small village, but with an even smaller Police Department. And they can’t be all over the Village all the time. So the minute someone will call and complain about something, even if it’s a bar or a restaurant, a lot of times, and I’ve seen the police reports, when the police get there, you know, the sound is now lowered all of a sudden because someone got to the bar or restaurant owner and told them that the police are going to be called or have been called. So, it’s a problem. It’s a problem that I don’t have a really good answer to, when you’re dealing with cars and motorcycles and things of that nature. They can ticket them if they see them, but again, it’s an issue.

We’re a small village with a small police force with only a couple of officers on at any given time and they’ve got a large area to cover, including Grandview, which we have a police contract with, is to provide them for services. And they’ve got to spend a certain amount of time on their tours down in Grandview handling traffic and speeding down there.

CHRIS SANDERS

Thank you, Jeff.

Robert?

ROBERT ZITT, ESQ.

Enforcement. That is the best that we could do. I mean, we have Chief Hurley and a number of dedicated police officers in this village. If there is an issue and you see something, you should say something. I think you bring it to the Police Department’s attention as quickly as possible, and hopefully it’s addressed.

CHRIS SANDERS

Thank you, Robert.

Mark.

MARK BLOMQUIST

I agree. It’s also a matter of enforcement… um[sic]… The Chief has always been extremely receptive to… um[sic]… problems that arise, but unless he knows about them and the Board knows about them, action can’t be taken.

CHRIS SANDERS

Yeah.

I’m... I mean, just to follow up. Personally, the[sic]… [unintelligible]… it’s so specific.

The question is, well, was the police notified and did they not respond? I mean, that’s really, I mean, we’re all kind of saying the same thing. We have a small police force. They’re available to enforce these quality of life issues for the Village, but... I mean, obviously, it’s such a specific issue.

JEFF GORDON

Sometimes by the time they respond, whatever they will call to respond to is no longer an issue or existing.

CHRIS SANDERS

It’s gone.

Right, I think I’m losing track. I think I started with Jeff last time on this one, so...

KEVIN TIMONEY

I think I started that one.

CHRIS SANDERS

You started that one. All right. So then, Jeff, this is for you.

How[sic]… to start, how important is it for you to provide electric chargers to visitors and residents?

JEFF GORDON, ESQ.

You know, we have a great Police Department. We have a great Fire Department. We’ve got an existing issue right now that I’m aware of and that the Fire Department wasn’t aware of initially, and that has to do with car chargers inside the garage in The Landing.

And we know from experience up on 9W, when you have an electric vehicle fire and the batteries start to catch fire and explode, it’s potentially… it could be a deadly hazard. We have a potential hazard in the garage where we have chargers that are working and plugged into cars on The Landing. With regard to outdoor, I don’t think it’s something that we should expand our possible liability and possible causes of fire in the village. We have enough things to deal with. I don’t think we need chargers in the Village, whether they’re inside or out. Certainly not inside.

CHRIS SANDERS

Great. Thank you.

Robert.

Not a trick question.

ROBERT ZITT, ESQ.

Yeah.

Look, you know, I think people are investing in green energy. So obviously something is going to have to be done to address those investments.

I think regulation is certainly something that would be necessary for EVs, charging stations, but the Village has had a charging station across from Village Hall for the last several years, and I don’t know if it even works.

VOICE OFF-CAMERA

[Unintelligible].

Yeah, you know, look, if this is something that needs to be taken seriously, I think you take a poll to see how many residents in the Village even own electric vehicles, and then you take it from there. Yeah.

CHRIS SANDERS

Great.

ROBERT ZITT, ESQ.

That’s all.

MARK BLOMQUIST

Um[sic]… if we could find a way to do it that’s inexpensive and, for example, the Village wasn’t actually paying for it. We were farming it out.

VOICE OFF-CAMERA

[Cannot hear you!]

MARK BLOMQUIST

Sorry.

Um[sic]… we were farming it out to… um[sic]… some sort of a vendor to handle it. Um[sic]... I’d be okay with it, but I… I… certainly don’t see it as a priority.

CHRIS SANDERS

Okay, Kevin.

KEVIN TIMONEY

I certainly think it’s… uh[sic]… nice to have. I think there’s[sic] other priorities that we should tackle first, but I think there’s[sic] creative ways… um[sic]… that we could, as you guys mentioned, there are two charging stations… Why don’t we[sic]… that are broken… replace those and do like a proof of concept with a vendor that… there’s maybe no charge for us for… the… proof of concept to see how it works and we go from there and then we work on a deal with the vendor if it is successful to us, if not, then, you know, they take them out, but I think doing creative ideas like procurements like that can help the Village.

CHRIS SANDERS

Thank you, Kevin.

All right, uh[sic]… the last question… uh[sic]… before we do our wrap-up, unless there’s[sic] any other questions, anybody want to scroll down? But… um[sic]… I… I think it’s a good lead-in to your… your wrap-up. So, starting with you… uh[sic]… Robert.

And then we’ll go down and then we’ll come back with the fu[sic]… with the wrap-up.

Uh[sic]… How would you balance personal, professional commitments and your responsibilities as a Piermont Board member?

ROBERT ZITT, ESQ.

So I am a full-time practicing attorney. I have two grown boys and a two-week-old son.

I have a wife who is also an attorney. It is incredibly difficult to balance both professional, personal, and elected commitments. But when you take this on, when you say, “Hey, I’m going to throw my hat in the ring”, you stand to say you’ll do it. So, if anyone has any doubts, for somebody that has three kids, an attorney who’s a wife and a two-week-old, I’m here to tell you that I will be here if you call.

CHRIS SANDERS

Thank you, Robert.

Mark.

MARK BLOMQUIST

Um[sic]… I’ve been doing it for 19 years and I’m not seeing any problems going forward.

CHRIS SANDERS

OK, thank you.

Sure about that.

CHRIS SANDERS

Kevin.

KEVIN TIMONEY

So… so… my number one priority is my daughter, and I’m fortunate enough to have a husband… uh[sic]…family who live here, and friends who have always been willing to help out and be here, so… um[sic]…. I’m doing this for my daughter, so... I don’t see a problem with it. I can manage all. [Nervous laughter].

CHRIS SANDERS

And Jeff.

JEFF GORDON, ESQ.

I have two grown sons, one who lives in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, the other one who lives in Tel Aviv.

So it’s sad to say the Village is my life. I have nothing else going on. I mediate maybe twice a month for the Supreme Court divorces. And I sit on the board of a large nonprofit that we meet either in person at some fancy law firm in the city or we do it by Zoom. So I have plenty of time to spend on Village matters - and look forward to it.

CHRIS SANDERS

Thank you, Jeff.

Okay, we’re about to move on to… uh[sic]… closing statements from the candidates - which will be two minutes or so.

Um[sic]… I… I… just before we get started one of the things I took away from the very beginning… um[sic]… All four of these gentlemen talked about how they chose this village as home. And I think that’s important to keep in mind as we look at them to… be potential members of our Board of Trustees. So, certainly appreciate that… um[sic]… We’re going to work backwards, starting with you, Jeff, and then Kevin, then Mark, and ending with Robert on your closing statements.

JEFF GORDON, ESQ.

Closing statement?

CHRIS SANDERS

Closing statement, sir.

Make the case. Close the deal. All right.

JEFF GORDON, ESQ.

All right.

CHRIS SANDERS

Bring up World War two. I’m gonna kill you.

JEFF GORDON, ESQ.

Say?

CHRIS SANDERS

You bring up World War II, I’ll kill you.

JEFF GORDON, ESQ.

Yeah… No, no, no, no, no. You’re safe there.

Even before being appointed to the Board of Trustees 5 months ago, I felt compelled to serve the Village. I discovered, through FOIL requests, the lack of documentation and minutes of public meetings, particularly during a critical period of development in our history - in violation of state Open Government Laws.

To help fill the gap, I invested in AV equipment and began recording meetings myself. For over a year, I’ve made sure all recordings were uploaded to the Internet where they can be viewed by the public. When faced with that ridiculous, illegal fence downtown, I filed an appeal to the Zoning Board of Appeals in October of 2024. I was stonewalled by the then-conflicted Village Attorney in that attempt to have the fence removed.

As Trustee, I’ve worked to repeal the illegal CBM Zone, which was repealed at our last Board meeting last week. I’ve also worked diligently to have that blight in our downtown removed, and as you have witnessed, that is happening as I speak.

I’m working with Trustee Wright towards live-streaming village board meetings for residents who cannot attend, so they don’t feel disenfranchised, but feel engaged and informed by their village. As Trustee liaison to the Building Department and Planning and Zoning Boards, I am committed to their support while at the same time ensuring that the public has timely access to relevant materials in advance of meetings to increase the awareness of projects being proposed. I continue to engage our local business owners to refresh our Chamber of Commerce with our newly-formed Parking And Traffic Commission to assist with those major issues facing the downtown which threaten public safety and economic growth and success of all businesses in our village. As your Trustee, I’ve attended numerous government-sponsored programs, seminars, and workshops to further understand and better advise on the serious issues facing our village, such as zoning, development, traffic, parking, and the existential threats to our village of climate change. As Trustee, I’ve met with residents on 9W since the group’s inception to help get officials to focus on their plight and the dangerous life-taking conditions existing on 9W in Piermont and Upper Grandview.

If elected to a full term, I promise to continue these efforts and others to support open government and engagement of our residents in the crafting of the future for Piermont that we all hope to build. Thank you.

CHRIS SANDERS

Thank you, Jeff.

We’ll go for three.

KEVIN TIMONEY

I’m gonna keep it short. It’s hot. You guys are all champs. Thank you so much for being here tonight. Um[sic]… I just want to say… I wanna be part of this Zoning Board[sic]… uh[sic]… [nervous laughter] the Board of Trustees because… um[sic]… I wanna be a voice for… people who don’t have one, who are maybe afraid to go up and speak at these meetings. I want to be able to... give everyone a comfort and a respect that they all deserve as a Village residents[sic].

Um[sic]… I wanna make sure that there is respect and accountability and I want to help with my public service and my prior local Zoning Board um[sic]… uh[sic]… term, I wanna be able to bring that all back here into the Trustee position and… uh[sic]… make Piermont a place for the future for our children and… a great place for us. So thank you.

CHRIS SANDERS

Thank you, Kevin.

Mark.

MARK BLOMQUIST

Um[sic]… I also… uh[sic]… wanna say once again thank you to all of you who came down tonight… uh[sic]… I would also like to say thank you to my fellow candidates here. You’re all aware of the term “an embarrassment of riches”. What we’ve got here is an embarrassment of talent, and it’s a real honor to be running against them.

Um[sic]… I’ll make this part short... I’m the only one here running on a record. I’ve been doing this 19 years. I think I’ve done it really well. I know the job well. And I’d… I’d… love the opportunity to do it… uh[sic]… for one more term. So thank you all.

CHRIS SANDERS

Robert.

ROBERT ZITT, ESQ.

Thank you. Thanks again to everyone for coming out on a hot Wednesday. I appreciate it. And thank you to the organizers for putting this together.

Tonight, you heard a lot about policy, about priorities, and different visions for the future of the Village. At the end of the day, the local government is ultimately about trust. It’s about whether residents feel heard, respected, and represented by the people elected to serve them.

I’ve decided to run because I love this village. I think everyone up here loves this village. Everyone out there loves it.

You know, as an attorney, as a member of the Fire Department, as a husband, as a father, and simply as a resident, I understand how important community is.

I understand how much people care about protecting what makes Piermont a special place.

I’m not running because I think everything is broken. I’m running because I believe Piermont is something that’s worth fighting for.

I believe residents deserve independent leadership that listens, asks questions, and never loses sight of who government is supposed to serve.

You may not always agree with me on things, but you will always know where I stand. I will always be accessible. I will always listen.

I will always put the residents of this village first.

I would be honored to earn your support for Village Trustee. Thank you.

CHRIS SANDERS

Again, and as Mark had mentioned, an embarrassment of riches.

Uh[sic]… my appreciation.

Again, to the 4 candidates who are willing to take their time, put themselves out there, to engage in the public sphere…um[sic]… and… um[sic]… serve this village. So, hands for them and... We’ll look forward to June 23^rd and selecting 2 of these to be our candidates for Board of Trustees. So thank you very much,

Margaret? Comments?

MARGARET GRACE

Yes, thank you. Thank you all so much for coming. And thank you all for coming. I mean, it’s terrific to see you here tonight. And please let your friends know that they can[sic]… this will be published and you’ll have a chance to look. [Ooh, now I see how to speak]. I want to remind folks here that on June 4th, at 7 o’clock, at the Village Hall, there will be another such meeting. This meeting is to meet the candidates for the Democratic Committee for Election District One.

So, um[sic]… it’s a… it’s a contested election, and… um[sic]… it will take place at 7 o’clock at the Village Hall. I don’t know if all of you are aware of what your Election District is, but there will be… um[sic]… a... map going out to assure you if… if this is related to your… uh[sic]… Piermont committee members or…or if you’re… um[sic]… in Election District 33, which… sort of tends to be the south side of the Village and along Ferdon, the Sparkill Creek, and the apartments up behind tend to be 33… um[sic]… the area that is, north of… um[sic]… Ash Street is mostly Election District… um[sic]… 1, and that’s the Election District where the committee people are being challenged, the current committee people, and there will be a… um[sic]… meet the candidates so that you all can meet all the current committee people as well as the folks that are challenging to hold those seats.

Um… and a lot of… um[sic]… I just have to say that already the Internet is on fire about this. So it’s really... useful if you’d like to… because I know most committee people and possibly all committee people in Election District 1 don’t respond to Facebook posts. So it’s a... really good opportunity to sort of hear person-to-person… um[sic]… questions and concerns of the various candidates. So I highly recommend it… um[sic]…so… uh[sic]… for you all to come, especially if you’re in Election District 1. So that, again, is on June 4^th… um[sic]… at 7 o’clock at the Village Hall. If you have any questions, you can contact any of us. Thank you all for coming. Thank you all for being here.

And thank you. I want to thank Talad... Tal-AD… and I want to thank the rights, Maureen and her husband, Michael, for setting this up for us. That was really great.

And also, Joan Chiaramonte, who came to help us organize the questions. And of course, Chris Sanders. Thank you.