Town Being Sued Over Former Dog Officer’s Actions

by Gary Danforth
The Town Board went into executive session at the end of the regular monthly Town of Hoosick Board meeting which took place this past Monday evening, March 8. It came back to the meeting room some fifteen minutes later, and then heard the Town Attorney recommend a law firm to assist the Town with a lawsuit which has been filed against the Town and former dog warden Matt Beck by April Stevens over the loss and damage to her dogs about one year ago. The Board passed a motion by a roll call vote, 4-0, to retain the firm’s services at the rate of $150 per hour. The Town Attorney explained that he had represented Beck in his criminal defense but would not be doing so in the civil part of the case.
Town Supervisor Keith Cipperly had called the meeting to order at 7 pm in the Hoosick Falls Armory. After the Pledge of Allegiance, the minutes of the last Board meeting on February 8 were approved without corrections. Councilpersons Louis Schmigel, Mark Surdam and Bob Ryan were present along with Town Clerk Sue Stradinger and the Town Attorney. Councilperson Jeff Wysocki was absent.
The Town Clerk’s report was accepted with eight new dog licenses, thirteen dog license renewals, two marriage licenses, one building permit and $466 in conservation fees collected being of note. Assessor Tony Rice reported that there was a 99 percent renewal rate for senior citizen property tax exemptions.
Woods Brook Still Flooding
Pam Benkoski, Winnie Restino and Bonnie Smith, all landowners along Woods Brook in the Village of Hoosick Falls, addressed the Board regarding continued flooding of the brook. They reiterated that the brook had flooded four times in 2009 and again in January of 2010. They said they were told that the $15,000 for an engineering study of the situation had first been promised and then reneged on. Mud and water from the flooding was damaging both the inside and outside of dwellings along the brook. Village of Hoosick Falls Mayor Matt Monahan was also in attendance, and he and Cipperly agreed to meet on this issue with Cipperly saying he would call State Senator Roy McDonald’s office to see if funding was available to address the flooding, which has been going on for some sixteen years according to residents along the brook.
No Town Response To
Village Dispatch Dilemma
Also, Monahan explained to the Town Board, as he had last month, that the Village of Hoosick Falls was considering eliminating its dispatch service. It was noted that the Town pays $5,500 per year to the Village for inclusion in the dispatch service. The Village has not come to a decision whether or not to keep the dispatch service and most likely will not until at least April. After the Village makes its decision, the Town will respond to the issue.
Sand And Salt
Bill Shiland, Superintendent of Highways, had asked the Board for permission to submit bids for sand for 2010-11. Shiland checked to see whether the bids contained salt mixed with sand. Salt has to be mixed with the sand or the sand will freeze in the winter. The bid from R.M. Bacon did not so the Board passed a motion to buy sand for next year from Peckham (aka Dailey) for $12 a ton delivered or $8.50 if picked up by the Town. In a related matter, the State Department of Environmental Conservation visited the Town garage site recently and said everything was in order at the Town salt/sand pile operations as far as to its impact on the nearby Hoosic River.
Vet Memorial
Requirements
The Veterans Service Officer reported that in order to get a veteran’s name on the memorial plaques in Wood Park that veteran, or his family, needs to show a copy of an honorable discharge or a DD2-14 paper. The Hoosick Veterans Memorial Committee needs to raise approximately $35,000 so that the six plaques containing an estimated 1,700 veterans names can be done. Town Historian Phil Leonard said he believed the task of having all the veterans tracked down was going to be a time consuming project.
Historical Buskirk
Leonard also reported that membership was up in the Hoosick Township Historical Society, and he thanked all those who have either renewed or gotten a membership. Also, Leonard had a picture board with historic pictures of Buskirk. Buskirk was founded by Martin Van Buskirk and a Mr. Van Ness. A hotel was there in 1958 along with a school, to which the firehouse was attached. There was a creamery and the present day covered bridge, restored in 2004. Leonard said some historical pictures were gained from negatives of local long time photographer Bill Andrick. The community, now with 400 people, was first known as Tyashauk, then Buskirk Bridge and now Buskirk.
The Board discussed policy about the Town internet site and now has a better idea of what will and will not be allowed on it after reviewing information on other Town websites.
Councilperson Schmigel reported that the HFCS boys basketball team had a fine season and finished second in the Sectionals, losing to Maple Hill. Schmigel also agreed to take on the responsibility of notifying National Grid when light poles within the township are in disrepair. Citizens may call Schmigel about non-functioning light poles.
Cipperly reminded the public that the annual tree/shrub order and pick-up will most likely be on a Saturday in May with the last date to place orders for being April 28. Cipperly also visited the Senior Center to learn more about their services to seniors and found their programs to be diversified and helpful for seniors. The hours for the Summer Camp are 7:30 am to 3 pm. People should not drop their children off prior to the starting time, and a person picking up a child has to be on the official pick up list for the child being picked up.
Also, 911 residence numbers can be ordered through the Hoosick Fire Department. These numbers should be prominently displayed on all residences to help emergency service workers find locations.
Cipperly, Surdam and Ryan discussed the upcoming St. Patrick’s Day Parade. Village Mayor Matt Monahan said that the Hoosick Falls Police will be enforcing the no outdoor drinking policy. Monahan said the open container law was never rescinded. In previous years, Delaney’s Hotel in North Hoosick had been run into by a car following the festivities, and the gas pump at Cumberland Farms had been “ripped off” by a driver. A limousine service will again be ready to take people home, and the after parade activities will again take place at the Hoosick Falls Armory, this Saturday, March 13.
The busy meeting, held on a March day when the temperature hit 54 degrees, adjourned at 8:39 pm.