Town Welcomes Namibians, Reviews Reval Study

by Judy Silberstein

(June 5, 2008) Before its public session on Wednesday, June 5, the Mamaroneck Town Board:

• welcomed a delegation from Namibia seeking help;
• reviewed a study on property tax revaluation
• and got updates on numerous ongoing projects, including the much delayed staircase replacement at the Larchmont train station.

Namibians Seek Aid

The African delegation was supposed to be headed by Queen Angelina Ribebe Mantumbo, one of five royal leaders of the Kavango region of Namibia. But the queen had been rushed to New Rochelle’s Sound Shore Hospital earlier in the week, where she had slipped into a diabetic coma. Now recovering, she was represented by Michael Shikongo, a regional councilor, Christiana Nanzira Sikongo, a secretary of the Tradition Shambyu Tribe and and Margaret Mate Darocha, a Mamaroneck Town resident from Namibia. The purpose of the mission was to request aid for Kavango, where there is a particular need for wells and pumps to supply water for drinking and irrigation.

Mamaroneck Town Board Receives African Delegation. Seated: Christiana Nanzira Sikongo, Margaret Mate Darocha. Standing: Councilwoman Nancy Seligson; Councilman Ernie Odierna; Town Attorney Bill Maker; Councilman David Fishman; Michael Shikongo; Supervisor Valerie O'Keeffe; Ambulance District Administrator Michael Liverzani and Councilwoman Phyllis Wittner.

Board members peppered the delegation with questions about their country and about their region – an area about the size of Connecticut. The Namibian visitors explained that their people had originally settled along the Kavango River, but in modern times had been pushed inland, where water is scarce. They are seeking support to purchase pumps, at around $2000 per unit, to help women water their crops. They are also looking for larger scale support – starting at 20,000 - for wells to draw water from an underground aquifer.

“We have a critical condition about water,” said Ms. Darocha, who also requested help for the for the Margaret Mate Darocha School, which she had started in 1995 to house and educate 75 AIDS orphans. Many in the original group of orphans have left the school for education at a higher level, but Ms. Darocha aims to upgrade the building to serve the next generation. It has been functioning with volunteer teachers and inadequate water, among other handicaps.

Supervisor Valerie O’Keeffe pondered how the board could best help. A financial donation is not legal, she explained, “but we have contacts that can help you.” She offered to make inquiries and to help put the Namibians in touch with individuals, church groups and other organizations who might be in a position to offer advice or material assistance.

The Namibian delegation was appreciative of the board’s attention. “When we go back to Africa, we will tell them we met with the counselors of Mamaroneck,” Ms. Darocha said. The group will be visiting two local elementary schools this week to thank the students and their parents for their support. Check back with the Gazette for reports on the school efforts.

Consolidated Assessment & Reval Coming?

The drum beats of support for both consolidating government services and revaluating property continue to quicken – at the local, county and state level. On May 8, County Legislator Tom Abinanti from Greenburgh called for quick action on a proposal for county-wide assessment and revaluation that would essentially revive legislation vetoed by Governor George Pataki in 1996. On June 4, The NY State Commission on Property Tax Relief, headed by Nassau Executive Tom Suozzi, issued its recommendations, chiefly a cap on property tax increases and adoption of efficiency measures that include a countywide property tax assessment. (See: Property Tax Relief Report.) Closer to home, the Larchmont Village Board has been pressing Mamaroneck Town for a commitment to undertake a reassessment – either on its own or in collaboration with New Rochelle.

The Mamaroneck Town Board has been waiting for results of a study commissioned from Frey Appraisal & Consulting Services, Inc. into possible impacts and costs of a reassessment. In their work session, the Town Board reviewed the consultant's latest draft and found a few errors that need attention. A corrected report is likely to be released to the public within the next two weeks along with an executive summary to help residents wade through the many complicated and technical aspects of the study.

As an interim step, Mamaroneck Town has proposed to Larchmont Village a consolidation of the tax rolls. Currently Larchmont Village properties appear on two separate rolls – one for the Town and one for the Village - even though the two assessments do not differ significantly. A consolidation could save the assessor’s department an estimated $30K - $40K per year.

When consolidation was raised at a February 2008 joint meeting of the boards, Larchmont Trustee Jim Millstein voiced concerns about giving the Town sole control to settle tax cases that could reduce Larchmont’s revenue. (See: Town & Village Make Progress On Taxes, Tunnel & Parking.) Mamaroneck Town Attorney Bill Maker has since crafted a possible solution, which Larchmont Village will be reviewing next week, according to Mr. Millstein.

Town Juggles Multiple Projects

Town administrator Steve Altieri updated the board on a number of projects – some that are going smoothly and others that are experiencing frustrating delays.

Moving Along On Pipes & Paving

The contractor replacing a collapsed drain pipe between the Hommocks Ice Rink and Little Harbor Sound has already laid around 700 feet of pipe and should be finished with the installation by next week, reported Mr. Altieri. Clean up and restoration of the area, which passes by the new artificial turf field in Flint Park, is on track to end by the second week of July.

New drainage pipes are being laid from the Hommocks Ice Rink to Little Harbor Sound.

Also on schedule was the redo of West Brookside Drive. Sidewalk and curb contractors will begin “saw cutting” the street next week to get ready to replace the curbs, but the heaviest construction will begin at the end of June. One complication is that Con Edison has recently scheduled replacement of gas mains in the same area. But by coordinating schedules, it should still be possible to conclude the repaving by the end of August.

Taking Much Longer Than Anticipated: Train Stairs & Garden Lake

Board members expressed frustration with news of additional delays in replacing the stairs at the Larchmont train station, this time because of a heavy workload at the fabrication plant. With the stairs out of service, many commuters have been resorting to unsafe shortcuts, long detours or unsavory walks through a badly degraded underground tunnel. Meanwhile, Larchmont Village is delaying maintenance on its tunnel until completion of the stair project, which is now projected to be mid-August.

Westchester County’s restoration of Gardens Lake is also way behind schedule, according to Mr. Altieri, because a new engineering firm had to be found. The project, designed to improved water quality in the lake and Sheldrake River, involves removing material from the lake and installing new planting benches. The new firm, AKRF, will be at the board’s next work session to address ways to ease maintenance at the lake.

The board also heard updates on: grant proposals that had been submitted for developing affordable housing at the VFW hall; a possible consolidation of senior and community services with Mamaroneck Village; replacing the telephone system; renewing a lease agreement with J&F Chatsworth; bank stabilization along the Sheldrake River, and a capital improvement study for the Hommocks Ice Rink.

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