by Bea Peterson
At the regular meeting of the Hoosick Falls Village Board on Tuesday, November 8, Mayor Matt Monahan announced that the Village has received a Local Government Efficiency Grant from New York State in the amount of $48,910. The Mayor explained that the Village must prepare a scope of work on a shared services plan with the Town or dissolution of the Village into the Town. It will take six to eight weeks work for the plan to be approved, then it will be put out to bid. Once the bid is awarded, solutions, consolidated services and dissolution will be studied and discussed at public workshops. If the most efficient plan is dissolution of the Village, then a referendum vote will be taken by Village residents. The Mayor added that there will be three public hearings, and he expects there will be a report by next November. “This is a hot topic,” he said. When asked if the Town would have a say if the Village was in favor of dissolution, he answered that the Town would not. But, he added, there would be tax incentives and support offered to have the transition go smoothly.
Jeremy Driscoll Replaces Bornt
Mayor Monahan introduced Jeremy Driscoll
who was appointed to the Board to replace Ann Bornt. Bornt resigned from the Board to become Village Clerk. Driscoll will serve out the remainder of Bornt’s term, which ends March 2012.
In that same vein, later in the meeting a motion was made to publish notice of offices to be filled for the March 2012 election. Three Village Trustee slots will be open for two year terms. The three spots currently are held by Bob Downing, David Borge and Jeremy Driscoll.
Bakaitis Recognition
The Mayor said he had received a request from Neil Waytkus to place a sign in the Fourth Ward Playground dedicating the playground to Peg and Jack Bakaitis. Considering all the time and effort the Bakaitis family has put into the playground the Board heartily approved the request. The couple were essential, along with many other volunteers, in restoring the playground in 2005. Since then Peg has been recycling bottles and cans, raising thousands of dollars. This year she was instrumental in adding more items to the playground, including a gazebo and a picnic table.
River Road Still Closed
Mayor Monahan said the Village hosted a FEMA meeting last week for Hoosick, Hoosick Falls and nearby Towns affected by Tropical Storm Irene and the horrendous storm the following week. He said the work on River Road is not complete yet because the Town and Village are following FEMA guidelines. If they follow the guidelines, they will be reimbursed by FEMA for 75 percent of the cost. The State will pay another twelve and a half percent, and the Village will only be responsible for twelve and a half percent of the cost.
Truck Purchase
The Board agreed to purchase a 2001 International dump truck with sander and hydraulics from Delurey Sales and Service, Inc. for $34,285. In a 4-2 vote, and after much discussion, the Board voted not to purchase a 2011 three quarter ton pickup for over $30,000 as well. Both trucks would have been used for plowing and many other tasks.
Water Issues
Several people came to the meeting to complain about various water problems. The worst problem was that of Mr. and Mrs. Norman Scott of Snow Street. The new water tank on Rensselaer Street is located above their house. On October 28 the new tank overflowed and “water ran like the Hoosic River into our backyard,” said Snow. It happened several times with the old tank, but they were assured it wouldn’t happen with the new tank, and it has. They said they spent three days cleaning water out of their cellar. They suggested some sort of catch basin and ditch be installed to divert the water into the roadway.
The Mayor apologized to the couple for their emotional distress and said there are sensors on the tank that should have alerted the Water Dept. to the overflow, but the sensors were not installed correctly. “We aren’t any happier than you are about this situation,” the Mayor said. He admitted there was still cleanup to be done where the old tank had been removed as well. He said the Water Dept. will be monitoring the tank closely and he will have a written response to the couple at least two days prior to the December Board meeting.
The Scotts also complained about the low water pressure. The Mayor responded that lines on the street have been “piecemealed and piecemealed. There are a lot of problems and, hopefully, we can get that main replaced in the next year or two.” He added that “the street is at the top of the list.” The couple reminded the Board that they are paying the water rate, just like everyone else.
Robert Rios came to the meeting with his water bill. He has a four family house, which he lives in. The bill states he is allowed 25,000 gallons of water for the whole building and then he must pay extra. The Mayor said this is an error. It should read 25,000 per unit. It will be looked into and resolved.
Mayor Monahan said he has spoken to a few of the Town Board members, and he would like the two Boards to meet some time this month regarding Town residents connected to Village water. “This is not a Green Heights issue,” he said. “This is a Town-wide issue.” He added that water rates already set will be in effect through May 31. The Board will make a decision on the new water/sewer budget by May 1 for the next fiscal year, which begins June 1.
A proposal by Trustee David Borge regarding water meters was approved. Borge said there have been a small number of complaints that water meters are not working correctly. These meters, he said, can be sent to a specialist in Rochester who will determine if they are working correctly and, if not, repair them. The cost would be about $100 per meter, plus shipping and handling. To purchase equipment to check the meters in the Village would cost about $20,000. Sending the meters to Rochester is far less costly. An agreement would be signed by the meter owner that if the meter was faulty, the cost would be on the Village. If the meter was not faulty, and the problem was in the property owner’s water lines, then the property owner would pay the cost of having the meter checked.
Rogers Avenue Parking
Several residents of Rogers Avenue attended the Board meeting to discuss further the proposed local law for no parking on portions of Rogers Avenue. The Mayor apologized that no public hearing was scheduled for this meeting on the law. He said there will be a public hearing before the December 13 meeting. He said he was torn about enacting such a law as it could set a precedent for many streets in the Village. He admitted he was sympathetic with their cause. He said the ideal situation would be to widen the road but that will not happen.
Dan Thompson of Fiske Street was at the meeting again to complain about the number of cars in adjoining apartment buildings parked haphazardly on the street and near his home. He noted many of them had Vermont license plates and that is an issue that should be taken care of. The Mayor responded that if their name is not on the lease, there is not much the Village can do about the Vermont plates. Thompson said Cooperman, the property owner who does not live in this area, doesn’t care in the least what is happening there. Meanwhile, Thompson said, his house and his cars continue to get dents in them from these other vehicles.
New Youth Sports Fields
A representative of Youth Football was at the meeting to discuss with the Board the possibility of building a football field on Village land near the water plant. The Mayor said Youth Baseball is also looking for another field. The Board is receptive to the additional fields and possibly a dog park in the area as well. Trustee Ric DiDonato said with smart planning it can all be accomplished. It was agreed that what was most important was what was best for the kids. The Mayor said, “It’s safe to say we will accommodate you, with a shared facility at best.”
Greenway And Snowmobile Use
DiDonato announced that ground breaking ceremonies for the Hoosick Falls Greenway will be held either the Saturday after Thanksgiving or the following Saturday.
The Board approved an agreement with David Sutton to clean out trees, shrubs and trash from either side of the Greenway trail from the old water plant to Center Street for $14,050. The funds are from Greenway grants and at no cost to the Village. Work begins next Monday.
The Board approved an agreement with the Hoosic Trailmasters again this year, with two minor changes. DiDonato commented that snowmobiles are only allowed from the Shop Bridge to the north end of the Greenway trail. “They are disallowed anywhere else,” he said.
Village Website Up
DiDonato reported that the Village website is active. The domain name is Village of Hoosick Falls. It is definitely a work in progress and has a long way to go before it has a lot to offer. But, it is off to a good start. The Greenway website is accessible from the Village website.
Upcoming Events
The Veterans Wall in Wood Park will be dedicated on Friday, November 11, at 11 am.
The Board approved a Holiday Parade and Tree Lighting from Wood Park on Friday, December 9, at 6 pm.
Mayor Monahan congratulated the HFCS sports teams for their successful season this year. “For a small community we have a great deal of success in sports,” he said. The girls soccer team and the football team are still in competition.