In response to a resident who requested more funding be allocated to senior citizens, Councilwoman Maura Curtin said during the Dec. 5 town board meeting that Pelham is seeking a grant to make the Daronco Town House a better facility for the senior citizens who use the space frequently.

Ed Doty, a resident of Chester Park, voiced concerns about senior citizens living in Pelham, saying more money for Pelham Recreation should be allocated to the large senior citizen population in town, many of whom are disabled.

Curtin said the town is applying for a “System for Award Management Grant” to improve the town house and make it more usable for senior citizens. The grant would allow the town to renovate the space, create more storage and install kitchen appliances.

Supervisor Dan McLaughlin called to order a public hearing on the preliminary 2023 budget for the town. He said reserves fell from $425,000 to $395,000. The tax amount to be collected will be $1.7 million, a 0.84% increase due to inflation.

In November, there were 70 calls for the town EMS flycar: 40 calls from the Village of Pelham, 30 calls from Pelham Manor, three calls from the Hutchinson River Parkway and one from Interstate 95. The average response time to these calls was 8 minutes and 28 seconds, with 73% of calls being 6 minutes and under, and 51% of calls being 5 minutes and under.

The town court is still working on staffing, according to Councilwoman Kristen Burke. The “2006 Constable Handbook was highly out of date and just needed wording revisions, including background checks,” according to Burke.