Two Significant Guests Appear at
Board of Trustees Meeting

By Stephen E. Lipken

Bronxville Mayor Mary C. Marvin opened the May 9th Board Meeting, with the swearing in of Village Justice William Primps by fellow Justice Natasha Nordahl.  She then swore in Trustees Helen Knapp and Mary Taylor Behrens. 

Next, two significant guests appeared, Maxwell Goldberg, EMT-B, Vice President/Deputy Chief of Operations, Eastchester Volunteer Ambulance Corps, Inc. and Carole Upshur, EdD, Bronxville Green Committee (BGC)/Bronxville Climate Smart Communities Committee, who gave a Greenhouse Gas Emission Report.

“We currently operate four ambulances and 2 SUV’s with 150 volunteers, 42 paid employees, and two paramedics,” Goldberg began.  “My function is to raise funds for general operations.  We rely on generous donations since we are not tax funded. 

“Bronxville averages 700 calls yearly. If Mayor Marvin called 911 on a Land Line, it would go to Bronxville Police Department; then 60 Control, Westchester County Emergency Communications in Valhalla.  Cell phone calls go to New York State Police, then 60 Control.”  Marvin asked where mental illness distress calls would go; Goldberg replied either Mount Vernon or White Plains. EVAC serves Bronxville, Eastchester and Tuckahoe. 

Dr. Upshur noted that progress has been made reducing gasoline miles per hour, plus conversion to solar energy.  However, global temperatures are rising 3 degrees Celsius.  New York State temperature is going over one degree Celsius. 

“The important thing for Bronxville is that local communities have the most power to change our climate,” Upshur noted.  “We must subscribe to International Consortium on Local Environmental Initiatives (ICLEI).  BGC member Susan Cody and I collected utility bills, 2018 Base Year.  Assistant Village Administrator Stephen Shallo gathered data on every trash truck’s age, miles per gallon, how much diesel and gasoline consumed.

“Buildings such as the Public Library generates 290 megatons of CO2 in GHG heat; streetlights, 181 megatons. Changes can be made by going to cooler LED street lighting and purchasing electric Police vehicles.”

New Business Resolutions included appointing Mark Heinbockel as Assessor; new Parking Office Manager Janine Marsigliano and expending $1,189,974.40 for signal improvements to Pondfield/Midland; Pondfield/Gramatan intersections.