To the Editor:
The Village of Sleepy Hollow has three critical environmental challenges facing us and one slate of candidates in the November 4th election that has the expertise, the energy, and the determination to tackle them: Marjorie Hsu, Cory Krall, Jared Rodriguez, and Jairo Triguero.
Our village government must address:
1)The ongoing and slowly unfolding crisis in our water and sewer infrastructure. We have unpermitted releases of raw sewage onto our streets (Riverside) and into the Hudson, as well as increasingly frequent failures of our 100+-year-old sewers.
2)Implementing the environmental and climate recommendations in our Comprehensive Plan and Climate Action Plan.
3)Environmental sensitivities of redeveloping the east parcel along the tidal and flood- prone portion of the Pocantico River.
Each of these challenges are complex and expensive, and require both long-term vision and a clear-eyed view toward capital planning. They require a mayor and a board who will work together and engage the community. Marjorie Hsu, Democratic candidate for mayor, has implemented multi-billion infrastructure and systems for the private sector while also caring enough about our entire Village to spearhead the new Barnhardt Park community garden. She understands how to manage urgency in the face of complexity.
Trustee Jared Rodriguez has spent his time on the Board working extensively with Sustainable Sleepy Hollow and consultants on the Village’s Climate Action Plan, electric mobility study, solar and EV charging investments, and an effort to modernize codes and standards to drive emissions reductions. Through his advisory firm, he has helped to deliver climate and energy policy across the country, most notably on initiatives to accelerate the clean energy economy and decarbonize the built environment that have informed new laws in New York, Vermont, Maryland, and California.
In contrast, Unite Sleepy Hollow is a status quo party offering more of the same go-slow approach we’ve seen for years, and planning to fund it all with money we might or might not have without any specific plan. They’ve shown no appreciation for the urgency or magnitude of these issues, and their magical thinking approach to finance will not accomplish our goals.
We have no time to lose when it comes to addressing today’s environmental challenges. It’s time to get serious about putting Sleepy Hollow on a path to a vibrant, healthy and sustainable future. Hsu, Rodriguez and the rest of the Democratic slate are the people who will begin tackling this on day one.
Vote Row A all the way on Tuesday, November 4th, or during eight days of early voting, which began this past Saturday.
Sacha Spector, Ph.D.
Sleepy Hollow
