by Bea Peterson
Ric Tinkham addressed the Hoosick Town Board at its regular monthly meeting held on Tuesday, October 12, instead of Monday because of the Columbus Day holiday. He said the intersection of Routes 7 and 22 is “extremely dangerous. It is absolutely the worst project I have ever seen.” When making a left turn from Route 22 onto 7 it is almost impossible to see traffic coming because of the high guardrails, he added. He suggested the Town Highway Supervisor send a letter to State DOT regarding the problem. He fears a local resident could have a bad accident in that spot.
Later in the meeting Town Councilman Louis Schmigel said he and Highway Superintendent Bill Shiland had walked the new roadway to the Town’s property off of Route 7. Schmigel said he and Shiland were very dissatisfied with the entryway. He said the roadway is 40 feet wide, but 12 to 15 feet of the 40 feet is located on the property to the right of the Town
property. That property has a sign in the window stating it is Carmody East. Carmody is a Ford/Mercury dealership in Greenwich. Schmigel is concerned that when that dealership starts putting cars out, it will block the Town entrance. He said the access wasn’t put where it belongs and that it is half off Town property. He said 10 to 12 feet should be added to the roadway on the Town side. There is concern the roadway will be unsafe for Town Highway vehicles as well.
Deputy Supervisor Mark Surdam was approved to accept $2,200 from NYS DOT for the Town land taken for the southern side of the new Route 7 bridge.
Surdam also read a letter from the Federal Highway Department that states that the steel used for the micropiles on the Caretaker’s Bridge may not have been American made. If that is the case the Town could be assessed $36,280 for not meeting the Federal requirements. This may be a paperwork error by the contractor, and it will be checked into.
Town Clerk Sue Stradinger reported that conservation and other license fees for the month amounted to $30,570.10. The amount received by the Town was $13,221.96. Six building permits were issued for the month.
Assessor Tony Rice reported he has begun fall data collection and “Enhanced Star” renewal letters will be mailed out the first week of November.
Eagle Scout Project
Boy Scout John Otruba of Troop 65 wants to remove underbrush and clean up the small cemetery on Johnson Hill Road for his Eagle Scout project. Town Historian Phil Leonard said the Johnson that is buried in that cemetery is a Revolutionary War veteran and the road is named after him. Otruba wants to put wood chips around the outside of the cemetery to help prevent overgrowth from reclaiming the site. The Board approved the request.
Damage To Castle Wall
Damage to one wall of the children’s Castle playground was reported. The Board hopes that the surveillance camera captured the incident. Board members were saddened this damage occurred and are considering taking down the outside walls of the playground and replacing them with a chain link fence.
Clark Brenenstuhl requested that the missing Brenenstuhl Road sign be replaced. Councilman Bob Ryan said that a couple of years ago the Town replaced every sign in Town and two weeks later 20 of them were missing and had to be replaced again. This is a serious concern, particularly for ambulance services, such as Mohawk, that are now trying to find their way on unfamiliar roads.
State Reclaims Barnett House
Town Historian Phil Leonard reported that everything has been removed from the Barnett House since NYS Parks will soon have one of its employees from Saratoga living in the house. Before the Town oversaw historic tours from the building it was empty for some time but had previously been a home for Parks’ employees.
Leonard explained his latest display board which showed scenes from Church and Classic Streets. One photo was of soldiers marching down Church St. leaving to fight in the Spanish-American War in 1898. He explained that once Church St. was a vibrant roadway with countless businesses on either side.
Looking For Vietnam Vets
Leonard said the recent fund drive for the Veterans Wall has raised almost $28,000. He said plans are being drawn up for the landscaping phase of the project. All names to be on the plaques should be submitted by November 11. Leonard said he knows there are several Vietnam veterans who have not filled out applications, and he hopes they will do so.
Budget Meetings
The Board will meet for a Budget Workshop on Tuesday, October 26, at 6 pm, and a Public Hearing on the preliminary budget will be held on Thursday, October 28, at 6 pm.
Audit
The Town books have been audited for 2008. The auditor suggested changes in purchasing procedures and budget amendments. The Board approved postponing the next audit until 2011 so the suggested changes can be implemented.
Local Dog Law
Town Attorney Dave Gruenberg said the Town’s 2002 Dog Law will have to be repealed and a new one put in place as the Town will soon be responsible for licensing dogs. He said he has the new law ready for review and suggests it be discussed at the November meeting and then a vote to adopt it can take place at the December meeting.
In other business the Board approved:
• the appointment of Annette Nealon as Deputy Town Clerk at $10.30 an hour, not to exceed a total of $2,854 for the year and as Deputy Records Management Clerk at a salary of $1,200 a year;
• renewal of Cahill’s junkyard permit;
• the Town Court applying for a Bureau of Justice Assistance Grant;
• payment of half the cost of servicing the Armory boiler, estimated to be $450.
Election Day
Town offices will be closed on Election Day, November 2. Polls will be open from 6 am to 9 pm. Councilman Ryan said he was upset that anyone who had not taken the training session on the new voting procedures could not work the polls. He said only one session was held in Hoosick Falls and the other sessions offered are inconvenient for working people. He has complained to the Election Board. He said some poll workers simply have people sign in the book and they don’t assist with the voting, yet they cannot work this election.
The Town Halloween Parade will be Saturday, October 30, from 6 to 9 pm.
