The Village board of trustees passed laws against urination and defecation in public places as well as aggressive panhandling during its regular session on June 24. The board also began discussions about drafting a local affordable housing law because the current code is outdated, according to Mayor Chance Mullen, and Westchester County keeps pressing the village to adopt an ordinance.
The first new statute forbids individuals from relieving themselves in public places, including streets and sidewalks, parking lots, shopping centers, playgrounds, parks and schools. The second statute forbids aggressive panhandling in the same public areas, but particularly near ATMs. The board passed both laws unanimously.
In a work session prior to the vote, Mullen urged his trustees to consider an affordable housing law for the village.
“The county has been urging us to establish an ordinance for years now,” he said. “We made a commitment two years to ago to begin considering a draft.” Mullen also argued that the town’s access to state and federal affordable housing programs are becoming contingent on the village having an articulated ordinance.
“Our code is outdated,” he said. “It’s becoming increasing odd not to have an articulated ordinance in our code. It’s like not having an up-to-date fire code.”
The board, alongside Village Planning Consultant Nanette Bourne, also began discussions about drafting an affordable housing local law for the village at the board’s work session on June 24. According to Mullen, it “feels like we’ve been negotiating for affordable housing for a very long time.”
One option is to have public housing, which the town would own, said Mullen. In this option, a percentage of housing has to be set at a percentage of the area’s median income. Mullen said this type of affordable housing would have to be broadly marketed, and a lottery would be held to rank the incomes of people applying for the program. According to Mullen, a nonprofit would usually qualify the incomes of applicants.
Bourne suggested that workforce housing could be included in the village’s affordable housing plan. This would shift the percentage of median incomes for prospective applicants. Trustee Russell Solomon, Deputy Mayor Michael Carpenter and Trustee Theresa Mohan voiced their support for workforce housing.
During the session, Carpenter said, “the closer we stay to the county’s language, the more safety we have.” Solomon agreed with Carpenter and said to keep the language of the local law simple.
Mullen also said during the discussion that “if we pass something that makes the municipal center not feasible, it’s a bad law.” Mullen said he wants to add a provision to the local law that lets the board negotiate the percentage of affordable housing for each project. He said this after discussing the public benefit the municipal center has on the Pelham community.
Bourne said that it is good to talk to developers about what is feasible after asking for affordable housing, because it can change the financing of the project.
“It’s good for us to spend time thinking about this,” said Mullen. “Let’s dig into it. Let’s get it right.”
