Sluice Gate Project Continues to Move Ahead; Benefit Vote Tonight at Rye City

Last night's Village Board meeting Rye Brook brought a flood mitigation project closer to realization. Tonight's Rye City Council meeting brings a vote to change benefits for city employees wrought from the post-storm death of building inspector Vinny Tamburro.

The Rye City Council will hold a special meeting Wednesday at 7:30 p.m. for an anticipated vote on changes to benefits for city employees. Following the , there has been a groundswell of support to extend health care benefits to the spouse and children of city employees who die "in the line of duty."

The council will also vote to transfer $85,000 of contingency funds to cover storm damage at the Locust Avenue Fire House.

The Bowman Avenue sluice gate project continues to clear its administrative hurdles. Now the Rye Brook Planning Board must review the project. Last night, the board set Nov. 8 for public hearing of the project site plan.

Eighty percent of the project cost is being borne by the City of Rye, 20 percent by the Village of Rye Brook. Rye Brook approved payments for the project of up to $136,710 at its Sept. 13 meeting. The sluice gate will be located in the Village of Rye Brook on property owned by the City of Rye.

Once the administrative details are completed, the project is anticipated to take 8- 12 weeks to construct. Half the money for the $2.2 million project came from a county grant after area flooding in 2007.