RyeCity REVIEW THE
September 8, 2017 | Vol. 5, Number 36 | www.ryecityreview.com
City backs dredging municipal Boat Basin By FRANCO FINO Staff Writer
Those ummer days
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The 24th annual Summerfest celebrated the final days of the season by bringing the community together for an afternoon of ice cream eating contests, potato sack races and carnival games. For more, see page 11. Photo/Taylor Brown
First positive West Nile virus case in Westchester Westchester County has learned of its first human case of West Nile virus this year, which was confirmed in a 63-year-old Briarcliff Manor resident who had been hospitalized, and is now recovering at home. The Westchester County Department of Health found signs
of mosquito breeding activity around the resident’s home and removed them. “This first case of West Nile virus should serve as a reminder to residents to take precautions against mosquito bites by removing standing water from their property after it rains and using
repellents when they spend time outdoors, especially from dusk to dawn, when mosquitoes are most active,” said Westchester County Health Comissioner Dr. Sherlita Amler,. The health department prepared for the mosquito season by educating the public through
news releases and Keep Healthy and Bug Off messages distributed through flyers, social media, and on our website, by giving fathead minnows to residents with ponds to reduce the mosquito population and by evaluating and treating VIRUS continued on page 10
Five years after dredging Rye’s Boat Basin, city lawmakers are aiming to move forward with another plan to remove sediments around the marina, with bipartisan support from members on the City Council. According to City Manager Marcus Serrano, the Boat Basin Commission has already hired a consultant to begin creating a sediment sampling plan that will help the city prepare a proposal. The city manager said the sediment sampling and analysis plan, which is used to determine the total volume of sediment to be dredged and removed, will help the city figure out the logistics of its expected proposal and the estimated cost of the project. Typically, dredging is used to excavate shallow seas or freshwater areas to rid them of broken down material and debris. The technique is used every couple of years to keep waterways navigable and creates a clear pathway for boats. “At this point, we really don’t know how much the project is going to cost,” Serrano told the Review, explaining the estimation will rely on the results of the sediment sampling analysis, which could take until next fall to complete. For that reason, the city manager said a dredging proposal will not be a part of the upcoming
2018 budget discussions, but it will likely be relevant for the following year. “I can speak for the council and say we’re committed to ensuring that the marina remains viable for as long as possible, and that includes going forward with the dredging,” said Mayor Joe Sack, a Republican. “We’re not newcomers to the idea of dredging. We successfully dredged before and will successfully dredge again.” The city has dredged on several occasions over the last decade, including most recently in the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy, the most deadly and most destructive hurricane of the 2012 Atlantic hurricane season, and the second-costliest one in U.S. history, as of press time, according to the National Hurricane Center. Councilwoman Emily Hurd, a Democrat and liaison to the Boat Basin Commission, said she is “appreciative” of the mayor’s support for dredging the cityowned and -operated municipal marina, located at 650 Milton Road, which provides more than 400 numbered summer boat slips. The Boat Basin, similar to the Rye Golf Club, was established as an enterprise fund, meaning it is responsible for all costs associated with the operation and maintenance of the facility so that it does not require subsidization from city taxpayers. DREDGING continued on page 8