Village Board Gives Center For Nursing And Rehab A Reprieve

by Bea Peterson
At the February meeting of the Hoosick Falls Village Board, members of the Board of The Center for Nursing and Rehabilitation at Hoosick Falls (formerly the Health Center) requested forgiveness of the rest of the loan owed to the Village. In 1995 the Village received a $400,000 block grant which they then loaned to the Center. The Center has been paying back the loan since then, but not the interest. The Village Board chose to table the Center’s request until March for further discussion. At Tuesday’s meeting the Village Board unanimously agreed to defer the loan payment for one year, to waive all interest payments on the loan and to refinance the rest of the loan, $135,301.82, for payment over 10 years.
[private]Police Contract
The Board went into Executive Session for a short time to discuss the union negotiations on the Police Department’s contract. When they returned the Board voted unanimously to accept the three year agreement.
One Cent Tax
At the request of Rensselaer County Executive Kathy Jimino, the Board approved sending a letter of support for a one year extension of the additional penny of sales tax that is shared with local government and the State. The County receives $48,823, which is shared with County Villages and Towns.
Split Vote On SAFE Act Resolution
The Rensselaer County Legislature sent a letter to the Village encouraging the Board to pass a Resolution similar to the County Resolution disapproving of the NY SAFE Act. Mayor Matt Monahan said he was in favor of the resolution because the Act did not go through due process, it happened behind closed doors and he feels it was not handled properly. Trustee David Borge said he would support a letter asking the law be reviewed, but he was not in favor of the Resolution as such. Monahan added he hated the way it was done. At the request of the Board, he read the entire Resolution. Trustee Ric DiDonato said he did not feel it was the place of Village government to take such a stand. He felt individual letters of protest were the way to go. Deputy Mayor Paul Haynes said a Resolution would show the Board’s displeasure with the way it was done. The motion was made to approve the County’s request and pass a Resolution as written by the County. The vote was three to two in favor of adopting the resolution.
The Board approved Resolution #3 of 2013 for an Engineering Study Grant by MRB Group. The matching fund grant is for $30,625. The Village match is $6,125 or 20 percent, which can be matched by billing for the time Village employees work on the project.
The Board approved a loan transfer of $40,000 from Economic Development checking to the combined General, Water, Sewer account in anticipation of receipt of a Village tax relevy check from Rensselaer County. The loan is for one month as, the Mayor said, there is a cash flow issue this time of year. He expects that two years from now the accounts will take care of themselves and there will be no need for such a transfer.
Motions
The Board approved the following motions:
• to block off Elm Street from Main to Church Streets on March 27 between 9 am and 3 pm to allow school buses to unload and load at the side of the Armory for students to attend the Annual Hoosick Falls Outdoor Expo;
• to award the Sewer Engineering Project to MRB Group for $3,900 for work on sewer mains; MRB Group was the low bidder;
• for the Mayor to sign an agreement authorizing the Rensselaer County Department of Youth to reallocate Hoosick Falls’ 2013 Service and Recreational Funding to the Town of Hoosick for its summer camp; the Mayor pointed out this is something the Village does annually;
• for the Mayor to sign an addendum to the STOP DWI program increasing the amount the Village receives from $3,000 to $9,000;
• to appoint Pat Smith to the Village Planning Board;
• to appoint Michael Danforth to the Zoning Board;
• to appoint Peyton Ogden and Ryan McDonald, who have worked for the Village previously, as part time Police Officers;
• to Appoint Kyle Filli and Peter Zownir part time Police Officers, with six months probation, and
• to sponsor Thomas Finn to attend Police Basic Schooling in July.
Words From The Mayor
Mayor Monahan said he had visited the Armory Art Gallery and it was awesome. He said everyone should make a point to get there. He said the Board recently lost member Ersel Hickey. “He was really a terrific guy. He was a strong Board member, and he definitely will be missed.” He added that a memorial will be established at a later date.
Monahan reminded everyone that next Tuesday, March 19, is the Village election. “I know the candidates are running unopposed, but you should come out to vote and show them your support. He told Board members that a quorum will be needed to approve election results and they should be at the Municipal Building at 9:15 pm. A budget hearing and organizational meeting will be held on Thursday, April 18, at 6 pm. This will allow time for any budget issues to be resolved.
Monahan concluded, “This is my last meeting [as Mayor]. It has been a pleasure, a seven year learning experience. Leaving is bittersweet. Residents don’t know how fortunate the Village is to have such a dedicated staff, in the office, in the plants and on the roads. They make close to nothing and put in lots of hours.” Mayor Monahan and Deputy Mayor Paul Haynes are not seeking re-election.
Building And Codes Report
The Building and Codes report for February listed four permits reviewed and two permits closed. Ten apartment inspections were made, and 15 code violations issued. There are 15 Court actions pending, and three Court appearances were made. The Building Inspector received 20 complaints, responded to three fire calls, attended one Planning/Zoning meeting, 12 public office meetings and five municipal office meetings.[/private]