White Plains, NY — In response to the COVID-19 outbreak, the Board of Legislators is instituting a range of steps to protect the public health and the safety of our staff, while at the same time insuring that the essential work of government can continue.

These steps, include the suspension of in-person public access to meetings, pursuant to a recent Executive Order issued by Governor Andrew Cuomo; new procedures for written participation in public hearings in lieu of in-person access; new procedures for Committee meetings; and in-person staffing changes.

Detailed explanations of these new procedures are below:

Suspension of In-Person Public Access

Pursuant to Governor Andrew Cuomo’s Executive Order 202.1, all in-person public access to Board meetings and Committee meetings is suspended. The public can view meetings in real-time and archived on the Board's website.

Written Comments for Public Hearings

At the March 9, 2020 Board Meeting, four (4) public hearings were scheduled for the next regularly scheduled Board Meeting on March 23, 2020. These four (4) public hearings will be opened on March 23, 2020 but because public in-person access is suspended, the Board of Legislators will provide a written comment period for ten (10) days. As a result, members of the public will be able to submit written comments until April 2, 2020. All written comments will be considered by the Board and entered into the public record, provided they are received by the Clerk of the Board by 5 p.m. on Thursday, April 2, 2020.

Public Hearing comments may be submitted by email to BOLpublichearingcomments@westchestergov.com or by mail ATTN: Clerk of the Board of Legislators, 148 Martine Ave., 8th Floor, White Plains, NY 10601

Below is the list of scheduled public hearings. Please use the subject lines when submitting written comment:

• SUBJECT LINE: RES-2020-33: PH - Prohibiting Wild or Exotic Animal Performances
  "A local law amending the Laws of Westchester County by adding a new Chapter 682 prohibiting certain performances and displays of wild or exotic animals within Westchester County.”
  
  
• SUBJECT LINE: RES-2020-29 : PH - Filling a Vacancy in the Office of County Legislator
  “Local law amending Section 107.11(2) of the Laws of Westchester County in relation to filling a vacancy in the office of County Legislator.
  
  
• SUBJECT LINE: RES-2020-30 : PH - Tax Exemption for Volunteer Firefighters and Ambulance Service Members
  “Local law of the Westchester County Board of Legislators amending Chapter 475 of the Laws of Westchester County by extending the expiration date of tax exemption for volunteer firefighters and volunteer ambulance service members.”
  
  
• SUBJECT LINE: RES-2020-31 : PH-Amend IMA with Mount Vernon-Memorial Field
  “A local law authorizing the County of Westchester to enter into a second amendment to an intermunicipal agreement with the City of Mount Vernon for the design and construction of improvements to Memorial Field, in order to revise the description of the improvements, specify that the terms of the agreement and the lease shall terminate after the expiration of any County bonds issued in connection with the improvements and increase to twenty-nine million, six hundred two thousand ($29,602,000) dollars the County’s commitment to finance the improvements.”

Committee Meeting Procedure Changes

Any Committee meetings necessary to be held to conduct time-sensitive County business should be conducted jointly with the Budget & Appropriations and/or Legislation Committees, which are our required Charter Committees, to limit the total number of meetings.

We are asking that only the Chair or the Vice Chair of each committee be at the table for their meetings and that all other Legislators participate remotely.

Staffing Procedure Changes

Board of Legislators in-person workforce will be staggered and work-from-home procedures for certain staff members have been implemented to reduce the number of staff present in the office at any given time, consistent with the Governor’s Executive Order 202.4.