Village of Hoosick Falls Board Meeting – 50 Dwellings Lack Water Meters

by Bea Peterson
At the Hoosick Falls Village Board meeting held on Tuesday, January 17, Mayor Matt Monahan said there are still 50 dwellings in the Village that do not have water meters. He said the owners will be fined $150 every three months until a meter is installed. The Village is also looking into having the water to those buildings shut off within 90 days of notification.
[private]Water Leaks Prevalent
Mayor Monahan said the Village Clerk has sent out over 200 letters notifying households that they have a water leak somewhere in their building. He said the new water system lets the Water Department know when a water meter has run continuously for 24 hours. “For some people it may be that they have their heating systems on, and there is a small leak somewhere in the line,” the Mayor said. He added that the recorded leaks run from two gallons a day to 150 gallons a day. Anyone with a leak should have received the notice by now.
The Mayor also suggested that residents may want to Google “conserve water” to look at ways to reduce water consumption.
River Road Study
C.T. Male Associates representatives Robert Flores and Jim Houston were on hand to discuss the River Road study they will be undertaking. Eighty-seven and a half percent of the $26,700 study, the Mayor said, will be reimbursed by FEMA. Houston said he noticed two major problem areas, one near the Town Garage and one coming down River Road from Route 22. Part of the study includes soil boring and a full survey of properties bordering the road as the road may have to be realigned, especially where the evergreen trees are. There is also the issue of culverts and water and sewer lines that must be taken into consideration. Obviously, the banks on both side of the road must be fixed. The study will include options, alternatives and proposed costs. The Mayor said the goal is to meet the FEMA deadline and, hopefully, do the work this summer. He also said no changes are expected to the River Street bridge for at least seven years.
Dissolution Study Proposals Opened
Mayor Monahan opened three proposals submitted to the Village for a Dissolution Study with Alternatives to Dissolution. The study will be paid for through a Local Government Efficiency Grant awarded the Village. Of the three proposals, the two from CGR, Center for Government Research, and The LaBerge Group will be considered. The Board made the motion that the Mayor and members of the Board will review the two proposals and, after the review and discussion, the Mayor will sign the winning proposal. This will all be competed before the next Village Board meeting.
Continuing Issues
Dan Thompson asked what the Village was doing about 1 Fiske Street being owner occupied. He said an upstairs apartment will soon be empty. The Mayor said he will have the apartment inspected. Village Clerk Ann Bornt said Village Attorney John Patterson was working on the problem.
Nearby residents asked what was being done about the property at 1/2 Griffin Avenue. Mayor Monahan said the owner has received seven warnings and two citations. He added that the Village is continuing to fine the owner. So far those fines are more than $900. If improvements aren’t made, the fines will go to $750 every 30 days. The neighbors noted that they have been complaining about the property since 2008.
Woods Brook
Pam Benkoski of Main Street and Winifred Restino of Hull Street once again addressed the Board about the Woods Brook problem near their homes. Mrs. Restino pointed out that in past years the Brook flooded maybe once every 10 or 15 years. That, she said, was tolerable. “But we have had eight floods in the last four years.” She added that the premiums on her flood insurance have gone from $340 to $1,600. She said she no longer stores anything in her cellar and her garage had to be redone because of mold.
Benkoski said, “There has been a significant change in the Brook in the past year.” Some of the homeowners abutting the Brook in the Village believe recent work done at the Hoosick Falls Country Club, the new housing developments, plus work done to prevent further flooding at the Woodbridge Apartments have all contributed to the problems they are experiencing.
Once again Benkoski asked about the $15,000 for a study of the Brook discussed when they met in August. Mayor Monahan said there are no FEMA funds available until a disaster happens, but he is willing to pledge $15,000 of Economic Development funds for a study as long as Brook residents are willing to work with the Village and submit income statements to qualify for the funds.
Benkoski added that she hoped there would be improvements in the communication between the Village and the Town as the Woods Brook must be studied all the way from the top down.
The Mayor said the Hoosic River is not part of the State’s restorative waterways. He talked to NYS Senator Roy McDonald who said he had been told by the previous governor that the problem was taken care of. McDonald said it will take a simple amendment to have the Hoosic River and its tributaries added to the list of restorative waterways. Monahan also recommended Benkoski resend the information she had previously sent to the past Governor to Governor Cuomo.
“Everyone has been very patient,” the Mayor said. Benkoski said they do appreciate that the Village helps remove debris from the Brook when they are unable to get it out themselves.
Trash
Trustee Bob Downing reported that the charge for picking up trash in the Village is increasing $2.39 per ton. That puts the charge at over $73 a ton. There are complaints throughout the Village that people are putting items in trash containers that should be taken to the transfer station. This, of course, adds to the cost paid by every Village household.
No Village Voter Registration Day
The Board resolved that there will not be a voter registration day for the Village March election. The Village will use the County Roll to determine voter eligibility.
Voting for three Village Trustee positions will take place on Tuesday, March 20, from noon to 9 pm. First Ward residents will vote at the Head Start Building on River Road. Second and Third Ward residents will vote at the Village Hall and Fourth Ward residents will vote at the Danforth Adult Home on Danforth Street
Independent Nominating Petitions, with the required signatures, for the three Trustee positions must be submitted to the Village Clerk’s office by Tuesday, February 14. The seats up for election are currently held by David Borge, Jeremy Driscoll and Robert Downing.[/private]