The regular semi-monthly meeting of the Board of Trustees of the Village of Menands, held on Tuesday, March 16, 2026, was called to order by Mayor Brian Marsh at 6:00 P.M.
PRESENT:
Brian Marsh, Mayor
Molly Harbour, Trustee
Nicholas Kalogridis, Trustee
Timothy Lane, Trustee
Lisa Neuman, Trustee
Donald Handerhan, Village Clerk
Mary Jane Vredenburg, Village Treasurer
Stephen Rehfuss, Village Attorney – Virtual
Ryan St. Gelais, Police Chief
Kevin Schwebke, Police Lt.
David Ognan, Fire Chief
Also attending: Bill Garvey, Mark Carnegie, Jason Carnegie, Charles Ansert, Diane MacFarland, Jerry Ruppert, Diane Leonard, Mike & Susan MacKay, John Finelli, Mark Sargent, and Melissa Marton from Creighton Manning.
Virtual attendance: Steve Boulet, Kathy Mosca, PBA2, Rob Jewett, PBA 3, Tony Lapari, Gary Jeffries, Catherine Sheridanand Gary Dlugas
The Mayor led the Pledge of Allegiance and stated that he is recording this meeting.
Mayor Marsh officially opened the Public Hearing regarding the Local Law #1 of 2026 Override of the 2% Property Tax Levy at 6:01 PM.
The Clerk read the following:
VILLAGE OF MENANDS PUBLIC HEARINGS
Tax Cap Override authorizing a property tax
A Public Hearing will be held on Monday, March 16, 2026, at 6:00 P.M. in the Village Municipal Building at 250 Broadway for a purposed Local Law # 1 of 2026 Tax Cap Override authorizing a property tax levy in excess of the limit established in General Municipal Law §3-c. with the regular meeting to follow. To view via Google Meets, please use the following link: meet.google.com/mre-txbp-btk or Join by Phone (US) +1 401-646-0768 PIN: 541 841 494# Such public meetings are open to the public and are handicap accessible. All are encouraged to attend or present comments in writing before noon on the meeting day to Clerk Don Handerhan at dhanderhan@menandsny.gov.
Mayor Marsh explained the reasons to Override the 2% Property Tax Levy.
LOCAL LAW # 1 OF THE YEAR 2026
Village of Menands, County of Albany
A local law authorizing a property tax levy in excess of the limit established in General Municipal Law §3-c.
Section 1. Legislative Intent
It is the intent of this local law to allow the Village of Menands to adopt a budget for the fiscal year commencing June 1, 2025, that requires a real property tax levy in excess of the “tax levy limit” as defined by General Municipal Law §3-c.
Section 2. Authority
This local law is adopted pursuant to subdivision 5 of General Municipal Law §3-c, which expressly authorizes a local government’s governing body to override the property tax cap for the coming fiscal year by the adoption of a local law approved by a vote of sixty percent (60%) of said governing body.
Section 3. Tax Levy Limit Override
The Board of Trustees of the Village of Menands, County of Albany, is hereby authorized to adopt a budget for the fiscal year commencing June 1, 2025, that requires a real property tax levy in excess of the amount otherwise prescribed in General Municipal Law §3-c.
Section 4. Severability
If a court determines that any clause, sentence, paragraph, subdivision, or part of this local law or the application thereof to any person, firm or corporation, or circumstance is invalid or unconstitutional, the court’s order or judgment shall not affect, impair, or invalidate the remainder of this local law, but shall be confined in its operation to the clause, sentence, paragraph, subdivision, or part of this local law or in its application to the person, individual, firm or corporation or circumstance, directly involved in the controversy in which such judgment or order shall be rendered.
Section 5. Effective Date
This local law shall take effect immediately upon filing with the Secretary of State.
Public Comments: No comments
Mayor Marsh closed the Public Hearing at 6:03PM
Mark Sargent and John Finelli of Creighton Manning presented the Speed Study to reduce the Village Speed Limit to 25 MPH. Discussion followed.
Introduction
Changes in New York State’s legislation have enabled cities and villages to set area-wide speed limits as low as 25 mph instead of the previously permitted 30 mph minimum. The purpose of this evaluation was to review streets under the Village of Menands’s (Village) jurisdiction and make a recommendation for a Village-wide speed limit. This evaluation is based on a technical review of traffic engineering industry guidance for determining appropriate speed limits and an assessment of peer municipalities that have set a Village-wide speed limit below 30 mph to help develop an approach for evaluating Menands streets.
Based on our technical review, analysis, and engineering judgment, a Village-wide speed limit of 25 mph (with exceptions as needed), will most likely meet the Village’s policy goals and be safe, enforceable, fair, and accepted.
Summary of Best Practices
Based on the Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices (MUTCD), other technical guidance, and peer studies, there is no single, standard method for municipalities to select appropriate speed limits.
Accordingly, we reviewed the following technical resources to help substantiate our approach (see attachments A and B for details):
• MUTCD
• Managing Speed (TRB Report 254)
• Methods and Practices for Setting Speed Limits (FHWA)
• NYSDOT Traffic Safety and Mobility Instruction (TSMI) 17-05
• A Model for Setting Credible Speed Limits in Urban Areas (ITE)
• NACTO City Limits
• Peer Studies (East Greenbush, Albany, Tivoli, Red Hook, and New York City)
The approaches cited by these resources generally fall into two categories:
1. Past Experience and Area Characteristics: These methods review historical and existing conditions data to determine operating speeds and motorist comfort on a given roadway. Based on the data and assessment of environmental conditions, speed limits are set to align policy with prevailing existing conditions.
2. Desired Outcome and Safe Systems: These methods identify policy goals, including improved safety and feasibility of compliance and enforcement, and set speed limits that align with desired outcomes.
Both methods were considered in this assessment.
Analysis Methodology & Findings
Only Village-owned streets were considered for this analysis. Streets outside of the Village’s jurisdiction are not eligible for a municipally mandated speed limit reduction as per New York State law. Geographic Information Systems (GIS) and tabular datasets were gathered from a variety of sources, including NYSDOT’s Traffic Data Viewer (NYSDOT TDV), the New York State GIS Clearinghouse, and the US Census Bureau. The following factors were considered to determine the appropriate speed limit for a given street.
1. Roadway Environment
A. Functional Classification and Roadway Characteristics
• Guidance & Discussion: Each street or road serves a unique role in moving traffic across a larger transportation network. Roads must balance competing functions such as access (the ability to reach a destination) and mobility (the ability to move through an area). The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) defines roads in terms of their functional classification, which is based on the extent to which they balance those needs.
• Methodology & Analysis: Functional classification data was acquired from the NYSDOT 2019 Traffic Data Viewer (NYSDOT TDV). This data was mapped and filtered to show only Village-owned streets. The results indicate that Village-owned streets consist of two basic functional classes: Collector (Class 17) and Local Street (Class 19). All Village-owned streets are classified as Local Streets, except Wards Lane which is the classified as a Major Collector. A review of Map 6 – Functional Classification also shows that the Village streets are short, or curvilinear and are not conducive to higher speeds.
• Determination: Local streets are conducive to a Village-wide 25 mph speed limit.
B. Land Use & Parcel Density
• Guidance & Discussion: Land use refers to the classification of land based on its primary function or purpose, such as residential, commercial, industrial, agricultural, or recreational.
• Methodology & Analysis: Parcel-based land use data was acquired from the NYS GIS Clearinghouse. The results suggested that there are no land uses adjacent to Village-owned streets that would benefit from a higher speed limit or require higher speeds to support surrounding land uses (e.g., heavy industrial or agricultural uses). Broadway (US‑4) functions as the primary commercial spine, with retail, services, offices, and mixed‑use buildings running alongside the corridor. Residential areas dominate much of the interior of the Village. Community services are concentrated along the Broadway corridor. Relative parcel density shows concentrations of small parcels typical of an urban environment with pedestrian activity and would likely benefit from reduced vehicle speeds.
• Determination: Menand’s existing land use and density patterns are conducive to a Village-wide 25 mph speed limit.
2. Reported Crash Experience
A. Crash History
• Discussion & Guidance: Examining the crash history for a period of 12 months or more is essential to understand the safety performance of roadways.
• Methodology & Analysis: Five years of recent crash data (2020–2025) were obtained from the NYSDOT CLEAR database and analyzed to understand crash frequency, severity, and patterns along key roadway segments. Map 5 – Crashes 2020-2025 was developed to evaluate the spatial distribution and density of incidents on Village streets. No fatal crashes occurred during this period; however, Wards Lane experienced two serious‑injury crashes, three minor‑injury crashes, and several additional lower‑severity incidents. A separate data cluster, including one serious‑injury crash, was identified on Simmons Lane near its intersection with Broadway. Additional concentrations of crashes were observed at the intersections of Wolfert Road with both Hutton Street and North Pearl Street, as well as at Menands Road and Jones Court.
• Determination: Though crash density and distribution have little to no impact on the feasibility of a speed limit reduction, lower speed can reduce the number and severity of crashes.
3. Speed Distribution and Traffic Volumes
A. Average and 85th Percentile Speeds
• Discussion & Guidance: Analyzing speeds, specifically average speed and 85th percentile speed, provides insights into how fast drivers typically drive. The average speed represents the typical speed of traffic under free-flowing conditions, while the 85th percentile speed represents the speed at or below which 85 percent of drivers travel, which indicates the speed most drivers find comfortable. Lower average and 85th percentile speeds generally support a lower speed limit.
• Methodology & Analysis: Speed data was sourced from the NYSDOT 2023 and 2025 TDV and mapped in GIS. It is recognized that the speed data is limited, but it is considered representative of speeds on typical Village streets due to the short street lengths and local setting. The average and 85th‑percentile speeds support reducing the speed limit to 25 mph on most streets, as most motorists are already traveling at or below that speed. The only exception was along Wards Lane, where the 85th‑percentile speed is 39 mph. Based on the higher speeds, and roadway characteristics along this segment, engineering judgment concluded that this segment should not be included in the speed reduction, without other countermeasures to bring speeds down.
B. Determination: The average and 85th percentile speeds along Village-owned streets do not rule out the implementation of a 25 mph Village-wide speed limit.
C. Average Annual Daily Traffic (AADT)
• Discussion & Guidance: AADT reflects the average volume of vehicles on a roadway normalized across an entire year and is included for reference. Volume alone is not a determining factor in setting speed limits.
• Methodology & Analysis: AADT data for the Village of Menands streets was sourced from NYSDOT Due to the nature of the State’s sampling methods, many village streets
did not have a recorded AADT. The data shows that volumes are typically low on the Village’s streets, with Wards Lane carrying the most traffic at about 3,700 vehicles per day.
Recommendation
Based on our review of best practices, the technical analysis outlined above, and our traffic engineering judgment, a 25 mph Village-wide speed limit for Village streets is considered appropriate, except for Wards Lane. A 25 mph Village-wide speed limit will most likely meet the Village’s policy goals and satisfy the four criteria outlined by the FHWA1: a speed limit that is safe, enforceable, fair, and accepted.
Implementation
To enhance safety and promote consistency, implementation of a Village-wide 25 mph speed limit must align with the MUTCD and the New York State Supplement to the MUTCD and applicable technical guidance on area-wide speed limit signage. Based on the technical guidance:
• NYR2-5 signs (VILLAGE SPEED LIMIT XX, UNLESS OTHERWISE POSTED), should be placed on all main streets entering the Village to clearly mark the 25-mph limit, ensuring that drivers are informed as they enter and leave the Village.
• Additional signs should be used as needed within the Village to reinforce the speed limits, and to differentiate streets with other speed limits.
The MUTCD emphasizes consistent signage placement beyond intersections and near boundaries to guide drivers effectively as they transition between different speed-regulated areas, to ensure compliance and safety (NYS Supplement to the MUTCD, § 2B.13, Paragraphs 00T to 00X; (see attachment A: References). The goal is to minimize sign clutter while maintaining clear visibility of the speed restriction.
The following are the main steps for the Village of Menands to implement a Village-wide 25 mph speed limit:
1. Adopt a local law by creating a 25-mph village-wide speed limit.
o See samples compiled by the New York Bicycling Coalition, and others in Attachment D to this report.
2. Amend the Village Code to be consistent with the local law
o For school speed limit zones: Review the Village Code and amend it, if needed, to make school zone designations consistent for any throughout the Village.
o For non-school zone streets with existing posted speed limits of less than 25 MPH: Review discrepancies between the Village Code and NYS law regarding enforceable speed limit minimums (see note on page 3), and update the code as needed.
3. Complete an inventory of existing speed limit signs.
1 Federal Highway Administration Safety Program (2012) – Methods and Practices for Setting Speed Limits: An Informational Report. Link to document.
1. Develop a detailed sign plan identifying signs to be removed, signs to be replaced, and new signs to be installed.
o Include a plan for school speed limit zone signs (signs to remove and new signs to add)
2. Confirm funding and responsibilities for implementation.
3. Coordinate with Village law enforcement personnel and other key Village staff to ensure they understand the new law.
4. Develop a public outreach campaign to educate residents and others about the new law before it takes effect.
o See sample messaging from Worcester, MA; Lowell, MA; New York City; and St. Paul, MN
5. Replace, remove, and install signs based on the sign plan.
o The sign plan should outline a construction sequence to make sure it is reasonable and to minimize conflicts. This could include the following steps:
Remove existing signs
Install new signs
The new signs may be covered when installed, then uncovered efficiently in a timely manner.
Discussion followed.
Trustee ______ made a motion to accept the March 2, 2026, Village Board Meeting Minutes, seconded by Trustee _______. Tabled
Resolution Number: 260114
Trustee Lane made a motion to approve payment for the following, seconded by Trustee Harbour.
WARRANT # 03/09/26:
WATER totaling $269,378.20
Warrant # POLICE INVOICE 03/13/26:
GENERAL totaling $ 100.00
WARRANT # SCHWEBKE 03/14/26:
GENERAL totaling $ 100.00
WARRANT #20:
GENERAL totaling $120,769.65
WATER totaling $ 8,549.92
SEWER totaling $ 10,812.79
TOTALS $140,132.36
PAYROLL # 20: totaling $104,205.19
(03/06/26- 03/19/26)
ADOPTED:
Trustee Harbour voting AYE
Trustee Kalogridis voting AYE
Trustee Lane voting AYE
Trustee Neuman voting AYE
Mayor Marsh voting AYE
The Clerk advised the Board that Mayor Marsh has presented Preliminary Budget. Copies of the Preliminary Budget will be available in the Village Office tomorrow and will be on the Website in the morning.
Resolution Number: 260115
Trustee Harbour made motion to hold a Public Hearing on April 6, 2026, at 6 PM for the purpose of Local Law 2 of 2026 Lowering Village Speed Limit to 25 MPH, second by Trustee Kalogridis.
ADOPTED:
Trustee Harbour voting AYE
Trustee Kalogridis voting AYE
Trustee Lane voting AYE
Trustee Neuman voting AYE
Mayor Marsh voting AYE
Mayor Marsh led a discussion regarding Local Law #1 of 2026 Override the 2% Property Tax Levy.
Resolution Number: 260116
Trustee Lane made a motion to approve Local Law #1 of 2026 Override the 2% Property Tax Levy, second by Trustee Harbour.
ADOPTED:
Trustee Harbour voting AYE
Trustee Harris voting AYE
Trustee Kalogridis voting AYE
Trustee Lane voting AYE
Mayor Marsh voting AYE
Mayor’s Report:
1. A successful and enjoyable PURIM event was held at the Firehouse Hall on March 3rd. Thanks to those who attended, and to Rabbi Rubin and his family for organizing.
2. Brianna Coughlin and Peter Murphy have agreed to run the GSP summer park program starting July 6th.
3. The Times Union had a story about the Albany County Wastewater Treatment plant capital improvements this past weekend.
4. The SE Water and Sewer project is scheduled to ramp back up this FRIDAY, 3/20, and go full steam on Monday, the 23rd. They will be continuing from where things left off on Amsterdam Ave.
5. DPW has posted signs on structures deemed “vacant” under our building registry law. Invoices will be going out by 3/31 for the annual fee.
6. We had some HVAC systems fail recently, resulting in some maintenance work being needed. At 234 Van Rensselaer, we had a heating unit seemingly overheat and burn out and luckily the circuit tripped before causing a fire, we had a heating unit in the chlorine room of the water intake plant at 589A Broadway need replacement, likely due to the corrosive chlorine and we had a system circulator pump go bad in the boiler room of 250 Broadway go bad, needing replacement. We are using the backup currently.
7. After the insulation improvements we made to 250 Broadway, our heating bill consumption this heating season is down by nearly 17%, even though it was colder on average so far this winter. A good use of our NYSERDA energy grant funds.
8. We should be getting details on the $1 million from Congressman Tonko to get those funds from the EPA Community Grants program, and then we will finalize the change orders to add additional work to the SE project.
9. The next edition of the Menands Monthly will arrive April 1, hopefully.
10. I met with the folks from Regeneron to talk about their continuing renovation plans at 431 Broadway. They hope to proceed this summer.
11. I have worked out a tentative agreement with the DPW/Teamsters for consideration by the board. It is very fair and continues our competitive compensation package, recognizing their contributions to Menands. I will finalize some details with them, discuss the elements with our labor attorney, and present the package to the board in April. The current contract expires 5/31/26.
12. The NYS AFR for the period ended 5/31/25 has been posted in the Board folder for review. It will be available on the Menands website.
13. Our Moody’s investment rating report has been completed for the period ending 2024. It has been posted online under financial information for that year. We will work on 2025 next.
14. In a collaborative effort, we have received approval and completed the implementation of using a different web security program as part of Albany County’s IT efforts. ABS implemented the program, which will eliminate our need to subscribe to similar programs to protect our IT infrastructure and save us about $10,000 per year. This was completed in a shared services agreement with NYS, Albany County, and several other municipalities.
Trustee’s Report:
Neuman:
1. Menands Library will be hosting a Kid Movie Night on Thursday
2. The Library is hosting a Book Club
3. Working with Matt Rodgers from LaBella regarding starting the Polk-Switzer Park Project
Kalogridis:
1. The Fire Company will be continuing Fish Fries for next two Friday’s
Lane:
1. Diane MacFarland will be assisting as Gardener this year.
Harbour:
1. Kindergarten Registration is open until 4/10/2026
2. No School on Friday
3. Menands Girls Scouts will be selling Girl Scout cookies that the next Fish Fry
4. Menands School Drama Club will be performing “Alice in Wonderland” Friday 3/27/26 at 6 PM and on 3/28/2026 at 2:30 PM
5. Seniors have more trips planned
6. PTA is looking for volunteers
7. Working the PTA to host an Earth Day event
Clerk’s Report:
1. With the help of Office of Court Administration, I have received a 33-page list of Menands Civil Judgements that are on file with the Albany County Clerk.
• Total Fines $229,316.25
• Civil Fee $ 3,145.00
• Surcharge $118,616.00
• State Fees $ 1,080.00
• Total $352,157.25
2. On Tuesday, May 26, 2026, from 1 PM – 6 PM the Red Cross will be holding a Blood Drive in the Village Hall.
3. Park Reservations started today. We had 12 people sign up for the Park.
Treasurer’s Report:
1. Still working on the Budget
General Comments:
TO: All Village Board Members
FROM: Bill Garvey Jr.
I got several reports dealing with important Village items as follows:
1. He saw items blocking fire extinguisher at Stewarts and reported to Menands Police + Code enforcement Officer
2. He is happy to hear DPW will clear weeds, vines, and brush from utility pole on N Lyons Ave
3. One light on pole #53 on Broadway is out
4. He scrapped ice off parking lot and double door at 250 Broadway
5. He purchased an ice scrapper – property of Bill Garvey Jr. and the Village of Menands
6. He is looking forward to cleaning up trash around the Village
7. At 2/2/26 Board Meeting he stated he would be helping with cleanup after Fish Fry Events
8. He looks forward to volunteering to cleanup Little Leage Field and Kickball field
9. He is opposed but will support going over 2% State Tax Cap limit
10. He would like to borrow 2 cones, trying to remove red graffiti from pole on Harts Lane
11. He supports and glade Bldg. 11 at Menands Market is being repaired
12. He is requesting Village to require Market to post stop sign where white top letters are
13. In addition to fines, he is suggesting surcharges violations and minor crimes
14. He scrapped additional ice from parking lot at 250 Broadway also removed snow from reserved parking spot
15. He is glad the NYSDOT repaired yellow traffic signal at Menand Rd + Broadway
16. He quested who is responsible for removing tree branches that are block signs
Resident Mike MacKay asked at what point will the Village be out of money. Discussion followed.
Resident Patty Brundage asked for clarification regarding the Vacant Property Registry
At 6:48 P.M. Trustee Lane made a motion to enter Executive Session to discuss a Harbour, seconded by Trustee Personnel Matter.
ADOPTED:
Trustee Harbour voting AYE
Trustee Kalogridis voting AYE
Trustee Lane voting AYE
Trustee Neuman voting AYE
Mayor Marsh voting AYE
The regular meeting is reconvened at 7:37 P.M.
Trustee Harbour made a motion to adjourn, seconded by Trustee Lane.
ADOPTED:
Trustee Harbour voting AYE
Trustee Kalogridis voting AYE
Trustee Lane voting AYE
Trustee Neuman voting AYE
Mayor Marsh voting AYE
The meeting was duly adjourned at 7:37 P. M.
I, Donald Handerhan, Village Clerk for the Village of Menands, Do Hereby Certify that the foregoing is a true and correct report of all motions and resolutions and or enacted, and all other procedures had and taken by the Village of Menands Board of Trustees at the regular Meeting held on March 16, 2026.
_____________________
Donald Handerhan
Village Clerk