Bedford board organizes for 2025

BEDFORD, N.Y. - Deirdre Courtney-Batson, a longtime member of the Bedford Planning Board and its chair for more than a decade, was tapped last week to continue leading it for another year.

In a 5-0 vote, the Town Board reappointed Courtney-Batson to a five-year term on that key land-use panel and named her the planning panel chair through 2025. “She is interested in working on a succession plan for a new chair,” Supervisor Ellen Calves told the board’s Jan. 7 meeting.

In addition to Courtney-Batson’s appointment, the Town Board also returned Peter Michaelis to his role as chair of the Zoning Board of Appeals and filled other committee-member slots.

A member of the Planning Board since 1990, Courtney-Batson had been deputy chair when she took up the chairman’s gavel in 2013. Since then, she has guided the board through a number of important projects, including oversight of the latest revision of the town’s comprehensive plan, its formal blueprint for future development.  

“I think it’s very important she stay on as chair at this time,” Calves told the board,  citing “a lot of challenging applications before the town that require a great deal of sensitivity and firmness and thoroughness. I really appreciate that Deirdre’s going to stay on and see these through.”

Michaelis, a Zoning Board member for 20 years, was given another five years in the Town Board vote as well as at least one more year as chair. The board also appointed Les Maron to a three-year term as a ZBA alternate member. 

Other committee appointments included these:

Wetlands Control Commission 
Andrew Messinger and David Beckett, to three-year terms;

Conservation Board
Simon Skolnik, Dan Farkas, Janeen Sudaka-Karlsson and Anne C. Kronenberg, to three-year terms and Filippine de Haan Hoogland for three years as an associate member;

Bedford Village Historic District
Architects Craig Intinarelli and Cynthia Filkoff to three-year terms on the Review Commission; 

Katonah Historic District
Matt Kendall, a district resident, to a term on the advisory commission ending Jan. 20, 2029; and architects Shelley Smith and Stephanie Bush, to advisory commission terms ending Jan. 20 in 2028 and 2027, respectively;

Historic Building Preservation Commission
Amelia (Amy) Parsons and Shelley Smith, to terms ending  Aug. 10, 2027;

Veterans Advisory Committee
Steve Kucerak, John Quincy Lawton, Clark Petschek (chairman), George Rosamond, Laurie Ciavardini (associate member) and new members Frederick Nagle and Larry Turner to three-year terms.

Rec Fees Increasing 

Taking a splash in town pools or packing the kids off to summer camp will cost residents more this year, the Town Board voted last week.

In setting the new fee schedule, the board endorsed hikes of 10 percent in day camp pricing and 2.5 percent for seasonal pool memberships for families, adults and children. Chris Soi, superintendent of recreation and parks, attributed the increases to higher operating costs and said they were supported by the citizens Recreation and Parks Advisory Committee.

Councilwoman Stephanie McCaine, the Town Board’s liaison to Rec and Parks, called the increases “reasonable and rational” without being “cost prohibitive.”

Library Funding 

Bedford will provide $788,788 to the Katonah Village Library, by far the largest slice of a $1.8 million aid package approved by the Town Board last week for its three hamlet libraries.

Bedford Hills Library ($535,058) and Bedford Free Library in Bedford Village ($464,999) will also share in the funding.  “The town provides up to 75 percent of their operating and maintenance budgets,” Supervisor Ellen Calves said of the nonprofit libraries. 

Under state law, as “association libraries” the three cannot levy taxes and must rely instead on town contributions as well as their own fundraising to meet growing expenses. “We just gave them an increase [in aid] this year,” Calves noted, “and consistently hear that they need more.”