Peekskill's New City Council Members Wrap Up Orientation

Peekskill City Council’s two new faces have popped up at local ribbon cuttings, Martin Luther King Jr. events, Eagle Fest and more in the last six weeks. But in addition to attending the city’s entertaining social events, newly elected council members Darren Rigger and Kathleen Talbot have also been hard at work. The two Democratic council members, who defeated their Republican opponents in the Nov. 8, 2011 election, were officially sworn in on Jan. 1, 2012. Read their full biographies here.  

Six weeks after their swearing in, the two have issued a press release on their orientation and activities. Read a slightly abbreviated form of the release below:

Rigger and Talbot attended a day-long training in Fishkill run by NYCOM (the New York State Conference of  Mayors and Municipal Officers) in January. The training provided an overview of New York State laws and procedures with which city officials must be familiar. This seminar also included lectures and role play covering topics such as rules of procedure at meetings, points of recent law and ethics to name a few.  

“The training at NYCOM was very helpful,” said Kathleen Talbot. “I was especially glad to learn more about the tax cap and new ethics rules. Having an opportunity to meet and interact with mayors, council members and city managers from several Hudson Valley towns nearby was an added plus." 

The newly elected officials then slowly met with Peekskill department heads in order to gain a greater understanding about the day-to-day functions of City government.  This involved meeting with: the clerk, the assessor, the comptroller, police, firefighters, finance, legal, economic development, planning and even having lunch with the seniors at the City’s senior center.

“I am truly impressed by the work our City staff does” said Darren Rigger, “The City has grown but the budget has not.  These folks have been asked to do more with less and they have responded tremendously.”

A highlight of the orientation was a visit to Peekskill’s water reservoir in Putnam County and a tour to the award winning water treatment plant. (Attached is a photo of the two Council members at the reservoir)

 “We take for granted the clean water that comes out of our faucets and showers but it is all due to the hard work and vigilance of our City staff in the water department” said Talbot.

Both Council members feel the city is moving in the right direction and are very excited about what the future holds for Peekskill.