RyeCity REVIEW THE
October 23, 2020 | Vol. 8, Number 43 | www.ryecityreview.com
Latimer announces proposed 2021 capital budget Mello’s memory lives on
TJ Ciafone, left, and Jack Griffiths were named the 2020 recipients of the Christopher Daniel Mello Memorial Scholarship Award on Oct. 17 at Rye High School. The scholarship is given each year to commemorate the life of Chris Mello, a former Rye standout who died in the attacks of Sept. 11, 2001. For story, see page 16. Photos/Mike Smith
Board moves to cap delivery service fees on takeout To protect local restaurants and consumers during the COVID-19 pandemic, the Westchester County Board of Legislators passed a measure that caps the fees third-party delivery services—like Grubhub, Uber Eats, Doordash and others—can tack on to the purchase price of online orders. The measure passed the board on Monday, Oct. 19, by a vote of 15-1. County Legislator Catherine Parker, the legislation’s chief sponsor and co-chair of the Westchester County Reopening Task Force says the relief comes just in time. “With occupancy restrictions limiting how many customers our local restaurants can serve
on premises, takeout orders have become essential,” Parker said. “That will be even more true this fall and winter when outdoor dining may be less practical. These fees, which mom and pop restaurants don’t have the market power to negotiate, drive up costs to customers—who also are relying on takeout delivery like never before—and can really impair a restaurant’s ability to compete. This legislation will give restaurants and consumers protection during times of emergency so they can sustain themselves now and thrive in the future.” During the COVID-19 pandemic, many restaurants have come to rely on these third-party food delivery services. These services charge commission fees
based on the purchase price of the food orders. Agreements between the services and restaurants vary, but all include delivery commission fees of up to 30% or more. The legislation passed Monday night caps those delivery fees at 15%. It also caps other service fees the companies might charge at 5%, making the all-inclusive cap 20% total. The caps do not cover fees charged by credit card companies that may be passed through by the delivery services. “This is a real positive thing for the industry in Westchester,” said Casey Egan, owner of Emma’s Ale House in White Plains. “We appreciate the hard work the Board has done to provide some shelter in the storm coming for
restaurants this winter.” The legislation is similar to legislation passed in May in New York City. It also prohibits the service companies from complying with the fee caps by reducing compensation rates paid to drivers or by garnishing their tips. The legislation only would apply during a declared emergency and would end 90 days after the end of the emergency declaration. “This legislation could very well provide the sales-boost incentive restaurants need to be able to remain open this winter versus closing until spring or maybe for good,” said Louie Lanza of the Hudson Hospitality Group and co-chair of the county Reopening Task Force. (Submitted)
Westchester County Executive George Latimer has sent to the Westchester County Board of Legislators the 2021 Proposed County Capital Budget. This is the third proposed budget of the Latimer administration. The 2021 Capital Budget proposes an additional $231.8 million in new appropriations. This includes: $138.8 million for the general fund, $80.4 million for the sewer and water districts, $1 million for the refuse district and $11.6 million for the airport. Additionally, the County Capital Program supports over 2,000 permanent jobs within the County, which comes at a critical time when the region’s economy has been negatively impacted by the COVID pandemic. “Despite the challenges we have faced this year, we are continuing to invest in the County’s capital infrastructure,” Latimer said. “This is not only important to maintain our assets, but also in creating jobs within the County. With our partners in the construction industry, we will award over $130 million in construction contracts in 2020, representing 31 projects throughout the County. A number of these projects have been recommended by County Legislators; we have incorporated their advocacy into our plans.” Year-to-date the county has expended more than $155 million on capital improvements. The backlog of capital projects has also been reduced by $400 million since Latimer took office in 2018. Over the past three years, Latimer’s Administration has made great strides to improve the capital program and increase efficiency. The most notable improvement resulted from the approval by the New York State Legislature to eliminate the $10 million bond referendum cap, which ultimately saves the county money by eliminating extra costs from breaking up projects unnecessarily into pieces.
“This was part of the County Executive’s desire to move projects forward,” said Joan McDonald, director of operations. “All of these reforms have allowed us to reduce the project backlog significantly.” Additional improvements to the program have included: • Moving short useful life items (i.e. passenger vehicles) to the operating budget • Adding resources such as: - 10 additional positions for engineering - Funding for feasibility studies, asset management, and facility plans • Consolidating planning and project delivery functions within the Department of Public Works • Raising the RFP threshold from $100,000 to $250,000Streamlining the Board of Legislators approvals on certain projects to not breakup design from construction Additionally, by being able to start implementation on Jan. 1, the county will improve project delivery speeds dramatically. “By authorizing some debt in conjunction with the budget each year we are taking a major step forward,” said Lawrence Soule, county budget director. “This debt authorization changes all of this for the better—resulting in a quicker turn around for the residents waiting for these projects to be completed.” Housing The affordability of housing within the county remains the county executive’s top priority. This budget proposal requests $20 million in new appropriations: $10 million for the New Homes Land Acquisition Fund and $10 million for the Housing Implementation Fund for the construction of infrastructure necessary to support the development BUDGET continued on page 4