Petersburgh Town Board Action – Budget Hearing Set For November 5

by Alex Brooks
Town Supervisor Peter Schaaphok distributed to the Board members a Preliminary Budget for the Town for 2010 which incorporated all the changes discussed at the Budget Workshop held the previous Wednesday. The amount to be raised by tax is $596,318, which is $9,473 more than last year. This is an increase of about 1.5%, which would be an increase in the tax rate of about 14 cents per thousand, but, because the taxable value of property in the Town has risen, the actual tax rate increase may be less.
One of the biggest problems for the Town is that the State retirement payment is a lot higher, almost double what it was last year, presumably because it has to compensate for investment losses. The budget line jumped from $6,750 to $12,083. There are no salary increases for Town employees this year, and the Supervisor’s salary is reduced. The money which the Town pays for the Senior trips, which last year was budgeted at $4,200, was eliminated in this budget. Schaaphok said that in this tough economy he can’t justify taxing people to pay for bus trips. A Public Hearing will be held on the 2010 budget on Thursday, November 5, at 7 pm at the Petersburgh Town Hall.
Salt Shed Bid Awarded
The Petersburgh Town Board opened bids for construction of the concrete base for a salt shed. There were two bidders, and their bids were very close. Hos-Cot builders from Hoosick submitted the low bid, which was $32,700. Tim Giumarra of Cherry Plain submitted a bid of $32,994. The contract was awarded to Hos-Cot. The upper part of the shed is a metal frame bolted onto the concrete base and covered with fabric like a very large tent. Supervisor Schaaphok said it will be similar to the salt shed at the State Highway depot on Route 22 in North Petersburgh. The upper part will cost about $10,000, said Schaaphok, and will be assembled by the Town Highway crew once the base is completed.
Court Date On Potter Hill Road Issue
There is an upcoming court date on the Curtis Main matter concerning too many unlicensed vehicles on his property on Potter Hill Road, and Schaaphok said he will ask Town Attorney Kevin Engel to represent the Town in the proceeding.
Schaaphok said he spoke with a Mr. McGrath from the State about the deteriorated building in the Mill Yard who told him that “technically the State can order us to take  it down.” The price of demolition went from an estimated $15,000 to an estimated $40,000 last month because asbestos was found in the roofing material. Schaaphok said he will speak with the County about the situation. The Town has been told that the County will reimburse it for demolition costs, but Schaaphok wants to get more details on how this works.
The Board approved the usual agreement with the County on snowplowing. The County pays the Town and supplies some materials to plow and sand County roads in Petersburgh. The agreement makes money for the Town and saves the County from having to send its equipment so far east every time it snows.