Heated Exchanges At The Hoosick Town Board Meeting

by Gary Danforth
The regular monthly Town of Hoosick Board meeting, with passionate exchanges between Board members and audience members, took place this past Monday evening, June 8, in the Hoosick Falls Armory with Supervisor Marilyn Douglas calling the meeting to order at 7 pm. After the Pledge of Allegiance the minutes of last month’s regular monthly meeting were accepted without having them read aloud. Councilpersons Mark Surdam, Mark Cottrell, Kevin O’Malley and Bob Ryan were present as was Town Clerk Sue Stradinger and Town Attorney Tom Kenney.
The Town Clerk’s report was accepted with three death certificates, seven building permits, twenty one dog license renewals, eight dog licenses, six marriage licenses and $1,125 in conservation fees collected being of note. The Court Clerk still needed one justice to sign his report. Building Inspector Ed King reported that two properties within the township had been cleaned up, one by its owner.
On an issue which provoked passionate exchanges from the Board and the audience, Tammy Woods, Curt Bogardus and Pam Edwards addressed the Board, expressing concern over a recent issue with the Town Dog Control Officer and two missing dogs. They were told by the Board that the Dog Control Officer had submitted a letter of resignation to the Board and that the Board had received little information about the case from any law enforcement agency and that the case was still in the legal process.
Ms. Edwards asked the Board for a meeting to discuss how the Dog Control Officer case has been dealt with and that meeting will be set up.
Ken McGuire addressed the Board about his New England Trail Riders having a motorcycle race through the woods within the township on August 29 and 30. The club has had this event before, but Douglas said she had received complaints from neighbors about dust and noise levels related to this event, which was held two years ago. McGuire wondered why his club had not been informed of these complaints until now. He said his club teaches young people to ride motorcycles in a safe manner and asserted that his club was exempt from the Town mass gathering law as his event is educational and not for profit in nature. The club will have to submit a permit. The event has 200-300 participants and 200-300 spectators who buy goods and services within the township and have helped stimulate the local economy for the past twenty years according to McGuire. McGuire said the event is a family oriented event which takes place between the hours of 9 am and 4 pm with riders racing over a five to six mile course in the woods, thereby keeping the dust and noise levels down by the very nature of where the race is run. Louise Ciuk said she objected to having the race run within the township due to the noise levels it produces.
Pam Benkoski expressed more concern over the Woods Brook flooding situation which she says has been going on for ten years with no one doing anything about it despite numerous attempts by residents to gain assistance from Village of Hoosick Falls and Town officials. A meeting with Department of Environmental Conservation personnel will try to be arranged.
Also, ten year old Joel Senecal-Moseley informed the Board that he will be accompanying his Christian organization to Uganda to help build an infirmary. He asked, and received, permission to put out a box for items for the Ugandan people such as soap, toothbrushes and small toys such as yo-yos and super balls, etc. which he will dispense as part of his two week visit. He will report back to the Board about his experiences upon his return.
Bill Shiland, Superintendent of Highways, said his crew is busy patching potholes and that $84,067.89 of $96,000 of expenses incurred by the Town by the December, 2008 ice storm is going to be reimbursed by the federal government.
Town Historian Phil Leonard was absent so there was no picture board presentation. The Barnett Homestead will host a Flag Day celebration from 1 to 4 pm with a ceremony at 2 pm.
Members of the new Town Zoning Board attended a training at Hudson Valley Community College. The Board appointed Joseph McDonald to the Zoning Board of Appeals and Mark McQuerrey as legal advisor to the Board for meetings. Zoning Board meetings will be the first Monday of the month, if necessary. Douglas handed out copies of a Wind Energy Law, which the Town of Grafton may be adopting, to Board members. The law may give applicants and the Board some guidelines for wind mill installations. On July 12 there will be a garden show to benefit the Hoosick Falls Health Center. Letters will be mailed to persons in agricultural districts regarding the Farmland Protection Grant due by June 30.
Councilperson Bob Ryan was told the construction on the bridge in Hoosick will start Thursday, June 11. Between $7.5-8 million of work will be done by Rifenburg Construction.
The Board passed a motion to appoint Max Goldstein, Adam Lowe and Jacob Meerwarth as pool lifeguards and Samantha Merwin, Kevin Woods and Megan Wood as summer camp counselors.
The Board passed a resolution supporting milk income losses protection for local farmers for farmland protection and loss of federal monies to farmers.
Finally, the Board passed a motion to have Brian R. Holbritter survey the 40 acre parcel of land along the Hoosic River, near the Hoosick Bridge, which the Town now owns, for $6,200.