Village Manager Gill’s First Year – How Did It Go?

by Kathy Savolt -

The Mamaroneck Observer spoke with Village Manager Kathleen Gill about her first year in Mamaroneck.  Here’s a recap of our conversation.  Gill’s responses are edited for length and clarity.

Before we got into the prepared questions, Gill volunteered that her first priority was to develop a balanced and responsible budget.  Next, she turned her attention to building a team with new hires and existing staff.  Her third priority was creating processes where they were needed.  Gill summed up her first year as “building a foundation.”

TMO:  What has been your biggest surprise?

KG:  The lack of process.  Staff was doing things the ways they always did and some of those ways were not meeting State requirements.  The Village is now in compliance.  I commend the staff for embracing the need to learn and offering no resistance.

TMO:  When we spoke before you started (the job), you said you loved challenges.  What has been your biggest challenge?

KG:  It’s that the Village faces such a huge problem with flooding.  It’s not one project or two but many multi-million dollar projects to address flood mitigation.  It’s finding the resources.  It’s frustrating that the Army Corps project is moving so slowly.  What we are doing will take a long time.  And it’s flood mitigation.  It will still flood somewhat.

TMO:  At the last several BOT meetings, you explain X issue and then residents get up to the mike and appear to not have heard you or to not understand what you said.  It must be frustrating.  Are you planning to change your approach or something else to ensure that residents understand what’s happening?

KG:  I noticed that.  I think that they might not be able to hear me since they are behind me.  You are at the meetings.  Can you hear me?

TMO:  It’s hard; perhaps you should move to the podium.

KG:  I’ll do that.  I also thought we should list what updates there are on the agenda.  We are now publishing a monthly newsletter and revising the website to make it easier to get information.  The website will be ready in April.

We are talking about using social media and maybe even a podcast.  We want to be transparent and get information out.  A suggestion was made to provide information in Spanish which we will do.  We did work with the Community Resource Center staff before Sunday’s storm to get information out.

TMO:  When we met last year, you said you’d reach out to neighborhood associations and other groups.  How’s that going?

KG:  I have met with the Chamber of Commerce and the Washingtonville Association several times.  I go when I’m invited and I don’t say no.  I’d like to do more.

TMO:  What do you think has been your best accomplishment?  Why?

KG:  The staff hires.  I’m very happy with our team.  We need a strong staff.  Dennis (Assistant Village Manager Dennis Delborgo) and I have a great partnership.  And the staff I inherited are also great.  It’s very important.

TMO:  What did you try hard to do but couldn’t get done this past year?  What happened?

KG:  The Army Corps (ACE) project.  The pace of it is so frustrating; there are several layers of government bureaucracy.  That the (Westchester) County stepped in for the first project was a life saver.

TMO:  One of your stated priorities last year was the Building Department.  Despite staffing changes, they still seem to be struggling.  What’s the plan now?

KG:  There was no staff last year.  We have filled all but one position.  It’s a good group but there was a tremendous backlog.  The staff is working through that now and reviewing old determinations that were erroneous.  They are fixing the mistakes.  We can’t run at full steam yet.

TMO: We recently ran a story about the Flood Permits and how they have been issued after the projects are approved or even completed.  It doesn’t seem logical.

KG: When (former Village Engineer) Gino (Frabasile) left, he left a big stack of applications for flood permits.  That was one of the choke points that was causing projects to take so long for approval.  To meet time requirements, we had to move some applications along and not wait for the flood permit.  But you are right, it’s not logical and not the right way to do things.

TMO:  More than other Managers, you seem to look for ways to help the business community.  Why?

KG:  Yes, I have recommended some code changes.  We want the Avenue to be healthy.  We have several long-standing successful businesses, and we need to encourage new business.  We have to do better aesthetically with cleaning and code enforcement.  The lengthy approval processes could deter new businesses.  If someone is a good neighbor, maybe they don’t have to go back to the Zoning Board for renewal of their special permit.  And we need a strong code enforcement team.

TMO:  Do you think we can increase commercial property taxes enough to help the residents?

KG:  Not significantly but we might be able to mitigate tax increases with increases in commercial property taxes.

TMO:  Several issues from the past have been uncovered in the last year.  One being former Mayor Murphy’s taxpayer funded health insurance as he walked out the door.  Then his personnel file is missing.  Can you explain how he qualifies for free health insurance?  Has the file been located?  Is there any ongoing search or other work to determine if the taxpayer expenditures were and are legal?

KG:  First, Tom got health insurance because Jerry (former Village Manager Barberio) gave it to him.  And his file has not been found.  The former Director of Human Resources file is also missing.

With regards to health care coverage, both the Police Department and the CSEA employees’ coverages are negotiated with their unions.  In retirement, a police officer qualifies for health care coverage if he or she has 20 years of participation in the New York State Retirement System, at least 10 years with the Village of Mamaroneck and retires from Mamaroneck.

The CSEA contract is currently under negotiation.  Non-represented employees (Editor’s note: typically management) negotiate coverage during recruitment and, usually, 20 years of participation in the NYS Retirement System is required.

Currently there is no written policy regarding elected officials.  Besides Murphy, there are others who are receiving health care coverage after some years of service with the Village as an elected official (Editor’s note:  positions usually thought of as parttime).    The Village is currently creating a written policy and has determined that legally, it can be applied retroactively.

TMO:  What’s happening with the excess vehicles at this time?  Any plans to try to get the taxpayers some of their money back?  Were they bought through the capital budget and if so, are we still paying for them?

KG:  We recently received a grant for an organization assessment and inventory of our fleet.  A Request for Proposals (RFP) was issued, and we received about 20 proposals that we are reviewing now.  And yes, the vehicles were paid for by borrowing, and taxpayers will be paying for them for years after the vehicles are gone.

TMO:  Anything you would like to add?

KG:  Yes.  Tell your readers to subscribe to Village emails and the Village Newsletter.  It’s hard to get people’s attention.  Everyone is busy and we are trying hard to communicate.

We thank Village Manager Kathleen Gill for her time and candid responses.  To sign up for Village notices and the Newsletter, click HERE.

See December 2024 article introducing Gill HERE.

Village Manager Kathleen Gill