Two Trustees Recap the April 28 Village Board Meeting

This agenda item was a request by the local organization "Pittsford CommUNITY" for a non-municipal permit to display Pride ribbons during the month of June — more specifically, to hang rainbow ribbons on lamp posts in the Village from June 1–30, 2026 to celebrate Pride Month.

This was a major hot button issue during the Public Comment portion of the meeting. The Board had an Executive Session after public comment concluded to discuss potential modifications to the Village's Banners and Flags code.

At the end of our session, the other Board members were, well, afraid to make the motion in public for fear of backlash. I volunteered to make the motion to consider a resolution adjusting the Village's code, specifically: ribbons can be no more than 3" in width; ribbons can be put in place for up to 3 days; ribbons can only display colors; and ribbons cannot contain logos or writing.

The Board voted unanimously to adopt the resolution, and it was immediately applied to the permit application. Pittsford CommUNITY's pride ribbons will be displayed for three days — Thursday, June 11 through Saturday, June 13th, coinciding with the Pittsford Pride Parade.

While I think three days is short, I'm pragmatic. The beauty of this new approach is that it allows for equal application of free speech opportunities while keeping the Village hands-off, removing legal liability and protecting the First Amendment. If any group wants to put up their colors — go right ahead. Buy the ribbons (3" max width, colors only), get your liability insurance ($1M single occurrence minimum), submit the permit application, put the ribbons up yourself, and take them down after your three days.

A resident requested a small sign be posted at the front desk of Village Hall regarding Pollinator Week (June 22–28), inviting residents to participate in the Pollinator Pathway Challenge.

At one point, the resident was showing off a cool little metal sign you receive when you complete the challenge. Trustee Dave Marshall got focused on how the sign isn't allowed in Village Code, then decided to snitch on himself — noting that his own home is in violation because it has a security provider sign in the yard. Our lawyer reminded him that the request before us was to put a sign up at the front desk of Village Hall, not whatever a resident does with a small sign they receive after completing the challenge.

Once we were back on track, the Board voted unanimously to approve the Pollinator Pathway Challenge sign to be posted at the front desk of Village Hall.

This agenda item covered: (i) the drafted 10-year lease agreement between the Village and Stonegate Lane property owners; and (ii) authorization for the Mayor to execute the agreement on behalf of the Village. The lease states that Stonegate Lane will be open to public vehicular and pedestrian traffic, and in exchange, property owners will receive Village snow plowing, salting, and brush and leaf debris removal.

The Board voted as follows: Mayor Plummer, Trustee Lisa Cove, and Trustee Dave Marshall voted YES. I was the only Trustee to vote NO — because two of the Stonegate lease signatories have since sold their homes; a 10-year term is too long for this arrangement; the Board did not properly calculate the total cost to taxpayers including legal fees, fuel, maintenance, and salt over a decade; and creating a bespoke agreement to make decades of inappropriate gifting of municipal services "OK" doesn't smell right. We should have stuck with our approach of ceasing snow plow services and let Stonegate property owners handle their private property like every other Village resident.

This item came from Pittsford Canalside Properties LLC — the legal entity that owns Westport Crossing, the new apartments near the Monroe Ave. bridge. Monroe County Executive Adam Bello recently wrote to developers including Chris DiMarzo / Mark IV Enterprises noting that COMIDA completed a Housing Study finding Monroe County faces a shortage across multiple price points. As a result, COMIDA has adopted a refreshed approach to housing development incentives.

Westport Crossing now qualifies for COMIDA's Housing Plus program. The developer requested that the Village write to COMIDA in support of the property's participation, contingent on the Village entering into a Host Community Agreement (HCA). HCAs are extremely customizable and help ensure the Village is made whole on any difference in tax revenue.

The Board voted unanimously to move forward with our legal counsel drafting a letter of support, contingent upon HCA execution. I believe this agenda item will be quite important very soon — stay tuned.

A discussion of creating a proposed survey to Village residents regarding their preferred date for Village Election Day — a follow-up from February 24, 2026, when the Mayor made a motion to request a resident survey. Mayor Plummer and I voted yes. Trustee Marshall voted yes with the caveat that the Board has ultimate veto power regardless of results. Trustees Cove and Limbeck voted no.

Then things got weird. Trustee Marshall and Trustee Cove are still adamant this survey can't be binding — the Board can ultimately veto the results — which is a real slap in the face to voters completing it. They keep saying the survey "is only one piece of other research we need to make a decision," which doesn't make any sense. If voters have told you their preference, you have your answer. Trustee Marshall kept saying "no government ever regulates by way of survey" — which is funny, because isn't voting at a voting booth effectively completing a survey?

The Board will continue working on the survey and anticipates including it in the tax bills mailed in late May. So make sure your voice is heard and please complete the survey when it arrives. If some Trustees ultimately ignore your voice — reflect on that.

A discussion of proposed local legislation addressing grease trap maintenance and enforcement. Proper grease trap maintenance is really, REALLY important — especially making sure employees are trained in proper disposal procedures to avoid environmental damage.

It appears there is a business on Main Street that consistently disposes of grease improperly, forcing Village DPW to be dispatched to clear the clogs. Taxpayers are indirectly paying for clearing this business owner's clogs — which is obviously ridiculous. New legislation would create a formal way to recoup costs and enforce rules. The Board voted unanimously to move forward with drafting grease trap maintenance and enforcement legislation.

After opening the public hearing, receiving no comments from the public, and closing the public hearing, the Board voted unanimously to approve the short-term retail business permit for Harladay Hots. They have been serving lunch in the Village since 2009. Enjoy the good food everyone!