From the Office of the New Rochelle City Manager
New Rochelle City Manager
Wilfredo Melendez
Dear Neighbors,
Last month I presented my 2025 Work Plan to Council, outlining key City priorities for the upcoming fiscal year. I began the presentation with a visual of an iceberg, with the tip representing the achieved milestones and goals and the bottom- notably and considerably larger- reflecting the hard work of daily operations, planning and research, design and engineering and so much more that goes into our success. I can’t say enough about the dedication of our City workforce, partners and City Council that is essential to realizing all of our initiatives. You can find out more about the plan at newrochelleny.com/2025workplan.
On a related note, we are proud of our ongoing efforts spearheaded by our Department of Development to secure grant funding for our important sustainability initiatives, and just recently were awarded a number of NYS Department of Environmental Conservation Grants: $580K in Climate Smart Communities grants- the most awarded to any applicant- allocated to reducing food waste, improving fleet efficiency, and creating climate adaptation and organics management plans; a Water Quality Improvement Project (WQIP) totaling $607,912 for the Glenwood Dam Improvement Project; and an additional $115K Grant to Westchester County will assist New Rochelle and eight other municipalities in the creation of hyper-local Climate Action Plans.
Last month we wrapped up our second annual Skate at Lincoln Park, which brought hundreds of families over the vacation break to enjoy outdoor skating and free hot chocolate. In celebration of Black History Month, we hosted a special recognition event for our longtime Youth Bureau Executive Director Kelly Johnson. In March, we will continue with Irish and Greek heritage events. A full schedule is on the City website newrochelleny.com/events.
February also saw the approval of Pratt Landing, a transformative mixed-use waterfront development project that will transform our shoreline in the area of the former City Yard with new residential, retail, office and recreational spaces, and will create opportunities for economic growth while reflecting our commitment to sustainability, accessibility, and enhancing quality of life for our residents.
And although it’s still winter, we are gearing up for the summer season with applications now open for the Department of Parks and Recreation’s “Fun in the Sun” summer day camps and Youth Bureau’s Summer Youth Employment programs. Fun in the Sun serves youth residents ages 3 through middle school, as well as special needs for I/DD ages 5-21. New for 2025 as a pilot program: the City will be offering free transportation options for campers. Learn more at newrochelleny.com/funinthesun. Summer Youth Employment for youth ages 14-24 features a variety of programs, each operating 20 or 25 hours per week for six weeks during July and August and paying $16.50 per hour. The deadline to apply is Monday, April 28th, 2025 at 6PM. Youth Employment is one of the elements of the 2025 Work Plan and our City budget can accommodate jobs for 500 youth this year.
Looking ahead to spring, yard waste collection will begin on April 1. I’d like to remind you all of two programs that we have in place to reduce our City’s trash volume and save money on disposal fees: Helpsy textile recycling program, which offers home pickup of unwanted clothing and textiles; and our food scraps recycling drop-off program, with two sites located at Pinebrook Tennis Center and D’Onofrio Park. Both of these programs are making a positive impact on our community and environment.
Finally, from time to time there are openings for the public to serve on one of our many boards, committees and commissions. These openings will be listed on the City website, and shared on our social channels.
As always, my office is ready to assist you with any questions or concerns. We can be reached at (914) 654-2140 or by email at citymanager@newrochelleny.com.