A bulk of the action items on the next Rye City Council agenda focus on the use of the city’s roads and parking lots. The meeting is set for 8 p.m. May 6 at the Locust Avenue Firehouse.
After a one-year hiatus, the Rye Chamber of Commerce is requesting to use city streets for the revival of Mistletoe Magic, now under a new name: Holiday Stroll. The event would take place 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Nov. 29 on the stretch of Purchase Street spanning from the Village Green to Purdy Avenue. Last year’s event was cancelled due to a lack of funding.
Apple Studios requested to use parts of Purdy Avenue and city parking from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. June 23 to film an episode for Season 3 of “Your Friends & Neighbors.” The show, starring Jon Hamm, filmed parts of Seasons 1 and 2 in Rye, and now hopes to return for the upcoming third season. The council was scheduled to approve the street use in its previous meeting, but Apple Studios changed the filming date from May 14 to June 23.
In another request from the Rye Chamber of Commerce, city streets will be used for the annual sidewalk sale from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. July 16-18.
Other action items:
- The council will discuss authorizing a payment to the Rye Neck Union Free School District of $98,522.56, the balance of unpaid Rye Neck UFSD taxes on property within the City of Rye. This balance represents 0.7% of the total tax levied, $13,396,181, on Sept. 1, 2025. According to the agenda item, arrears notices have been mailed in conjunction with the 2026 city tax bills and March 2026 and will again during May 2026 and June 2026, to try to collect these balances prior to the filing of the list of delinquent taxes with the county scheduled for July 1, 2026. In accordance with the city charter, it is requested that the city council authorize the city comptroller to pay Rye Neck UFSD the amount due on Feb. 28, 2026.
- Authorization for City Manager Brian Shea to execute an agreement with the Research Foundation for Mental Hygiene for the CARES UP Grant Program, which supports first responders’ mental health and wellness through structured training, resource development, and organizational support initiatives, with a total potential funding amount of $41,275. The grant provides reimbursement-based funding tied to quarterly deliverables. The base grant award for year two is $30,000, with an additional training reimbursement not to exceed $11,275. Execution of this agreement will allow the City of Rye Fire Department to continue building upon the progress made in year one by enhancing mental health resources, improving resiliency among personnel, and strengthening long-term wellness programming within the department.
