The Eastwick Press Newspaper

Eastern Rensselaer County's Community Newspaper

Grafton Town Board Action – Work Begins On The Budget

By

by Alex Brooks
Grafton Supervisor Tyler Sawyer said he has been meeting with Town Department heads to  talk about the 2012 budget, in preparation for presenting a preliminary budget in September. Sawyer said he is aiming for no tax increase.
Sawyer also said he and Ed Fredricks and Fire Chief Goyer have met to plan a solemn observance for the tenth anniversary of the 9-11 attacks. He expects to have the plans firmed up in a week or two and will send a release to the local papers about it.
Sawyer said the IRS has raised its mileage reimbursement rate in a rare midyear adjustment, apparently because of higher gas prices, and the Town adopted the revised rate of 55.5 cents per mile effective July 1 (it had adopted a rate of 51 cents per mile in January)
Highway Superintendent Herb Hasbrouck said his crew has been working on a joint effort with the County to fix the drainage near the intersection of South Road and Steve O’Dell Road. Work on that project has been completed. He also said he found that a 5′ culvert on Steve O’Dell Road needs to be replaced. The replacement culvert will cost $3,300.
Building Inspector Tom Withcuskey said he has issued 100 permits so far this year, 70 of them under the amnesty program and 30 normal permits. He said there will be an additional Grievance Board meeting in October so that adjustments to property assessments that came out of the amnesty program can be challenged if the owners feel the need to do so.
Withcuskey also said that the Town Attorney has sent a letter to the bank which has foreclosed on the property at 6 Palitsch Road demanding that garbage and debris at the property be cleaned up immediately, and he expects to have it cleaned up this month.
The Rescue Squad received 14 calls this month but was unable to confirm a crew for two of them, so it responded to 12. There was a car accident, a fire investigation, two standbys, a stroke, three falls, one sick person, one difficulty breathing, one laceration and one “unknown problem.” The crew traveled 267 miles and put in 111 volunteer hours on calls.