A RESOLUTION SUPPORTING A SCHOOL SPEED ZONE FOR LINDEN AVENUE MIDDLE SCHOOL (LAMS) AND RED HOOK HIGH SCHOOL (RHHS)

State Route 199 falls under NYSDOT jurisdiction (Vehicle and Traffic Law §§1620–1623 govern speed limits on state highways), and County Route 79 falls under Dutchess County jurisdiction. The Village has no direct regulatory authority to establish or enforce speed limits on either roadway. If the resolution is intended as a formal expression of support to NYSDOT and the County — rather than an exercise of Village regulatory power — it is likely within the Board's general expressive authority, but the record should make clear that the Village is petitioning the relevant state and county authorities rather than purporting to act unilaterally. Consider whether counsel should confirm the resolution is framed as a legislative memorialization or petition, not a regulatory act.

Under New York Vehicle and Traffic Law §1622-a, the Commissioner of Transportation has authority over speed limits on state highways, including the designation of school speed zones. A Village Board resolution alone cannot establish such a zone on Route 199; the operative path would be a formal petition or cooperative agreement with NYSDOT and/or Dutchess County Highway. The resolution does not reference this process. While this does not render the resolution invalid as an expression of support, trustees may wish to ensure a corresponding petition or communication to NYSDOT and the County is authorized or directed, so the resolution produces a practical next step. Consider consulting VTL §1622-a and §1623 for the applicable petition and approval procedures.

The procedural record is complete in its formal elements — mover (Maccarini), seconder (Smith), and a unanimous vote are all noted. However, the resolution authorizes no specific follow-up action: no staff member is directed to transmit the resolution to NYSDOT or Dutchess County, and no timeline is specified. As a best practice, particularly where Board action is intended to initiate an intergovernmental process, some recorded discussion or a directive to the Village Clerk or Mayor to forward the resolution to the relevant authorities would strengthen the practical utility of the resolution and provide a clearer public record of intent.