Editor’s note: This statement was provided by Village of Pelham Mayor Chance Mullen. The Pelham Examiner publishes statements in the form received as a service to the community.
I hope you’ve had a restful summer break and you’re looking forward to a new school year. It’s been a busy and productive time for the Village, and I’m writing to share three important updates on our work.
First, we’ve steadily progressed on our Village-Wide Flood Mitigation Project this summer. As you may recall, we conducted geotechnical testing at Julianne’s Playground in early June to collect and evaluate subsurface data, which is necessary for designing the detention system and pump station. This marked the official start of the project’s “engineering phase.” Our engineers have spent the last two months assessing the data collected at the playground while also developing preliminary drawings for the entire project (both the “North Pelham” and “Highbrook” watersheds). The preliminary drawings will include plans, profiles, sections, and design calculations for the primary system components necessary for the geotechnical testing we’ll be conducting on the Village roadways. We expect to commence that testing before the end of the year, and I’ll be sure to share more information as it becomes available.
Second, I’m pleased to report that we closed the last fiscal year in June with an annual budget surplus for the third year in a row, increasing our reserve fund to approximately 20% of our annual operating budget (from just 6% in FY2020-21). Our reserve fund is now in line with New York State guidelines and the strongest it’s been in our village’s history, which helped us secure an excellent AA+ credit rating from S&P Global a few weeks ago. On Tuesday, the news got even better. After accepting nine bids, we converted approximately $8.9 million in Bond Anticipation Notes (BANs) to long-term bonds at a very low interest rate, fixed at 2.857%. This will yield significant annual savings over the next 13 years. And it’s worth sharing that last year’s surplus has allowed us to double this year’s road paving budget – something I’m sure is welcome news for all of us! I sincerely thank Village Administrator/Treasurer Chris Scelza for his exceptional leadership over the last few years as we’ve worked to put the Village in such a strong position.
Finally, please be advised that the Village speed limit will be reduced from 30 mph to 25 mph starting this Sunday, September 1, 2024. The Village Board of Trustees commissioned a comprehensive traffic engineering study last spring after significant feedback from the public about traffic in Pelham. We decided to reduce the speed limit for a very simple reason: safety. Studies have found that changing the speed limit from 30 mph to 25 mph shortens the distance needed for a vehicle to stop and reduces the risk of pedestrian fatalities by approximately 70%. The new speed limit will apply to all Village roads, with the exception of Lincoln Avenue, which is governed by Westchester County, and the maximum speed limit in school zones will continue to be 15 mph. Over the coming weeks, you can expect to see new signage throughout the village and increased enforcement by the Pelham Police Department. Let’s all prioritize pedestrian safety as we head into the new school year. Thank you in advance for your partnership.
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