Village Of Hoosick Falls Board Action – HAYC3 Seeks $60,500 Loan From Village

by Bea Peterson
All the chairs in the Hoosick Falls Village Board meeting room on Tuesday, May 14, were filled. Other people either stood against the walls or sat on the floor. Many of those attending the meeting were HFCS students completing their Government class assignment.
At the start of the third hour of the meeting Mayor David Borge began a discussion of the agenda item on Economic Development guidelines. He suggested the $10,000 cap limit be lifted and that each business approaching the Board for Economic Development funds be judged on its own merit. [private]He gave an example of a business person in the Village who wanted to start a second business here and needed funding. The person didn’t approach the Board because funds needed were over the cap. That person then started the second business outside the Village. He suggested that every applicant have an opportunity to speak to his or her request and that the business be looked at individually and judged on its merit. Trustee Ric DiDonato added that it was important that any business applying for Economic Development funding should present the Board with a legitimate and viable business plan. The Mayor also clarified that the Board can charge from zero to three percent interest for these loans.
Next Mayor Borge suggested that not-for-profits be eligible to apply for Development funds. Trustee Robert Downing raised the issue that not-for-profits are not tax paying businesses. Another question raised was a not-for-profit’s ability to repay such a loan. Mayor Borge said he had spoken with HUD (Housing and Urban Development), the originator of the Village’s grant money and the agency had no problem with either change. Though not mentioned at the meeting, neither issue should have been a problem as the Center for Nursing and Rehabilitation is a not-for-profit and it has been paying off a huge Economic Development loan to the Village for years and the precedent had been set. The majority of the Board agreed to lifting the cap and approved allowing not-for-profits to apply. Downing voted no to the changes.
HAYC3
The ink was barely dry on the changes when HAYC3 Executive Director Aelish Nealon asked the Board for a loan of $60,500 to make safety and code upgrades to the Armory. Her request was supported by Village Building Inspector Ed Holland and engineer Bill Cottrell.
Nealon said years ago that the Armory was a communal hub. “The community wants it to be that way again. We want everybody of all ages to use the building. We’ve been given our marching orders,” she said. “And that is to make the Armory a true communal place.” In order to do that the building must deal with several safety issues, such as easy egress from the lower level in case of fire. The lower level is not handicap accessible and is difficult for seniors to navigate. The building does not have a handicap accessible bathroom. There needs to be better exit signs, and the fire alarm system and fire hoses need to be upgraded.
A primary question was how HAYC3 could repay the loan. Nealon said HAYC3 had been operating in the black for several years now. She said every space in the Armory is rented. She added that they have grant funding but most of that funding must go back into the community. “What we don’t have is brick and motor grants,” she said. A big community desire is for a Food Co-op. If the building was upgraded and the Food Co-op in operation, then HAYC3 could apply for employment grants. “These necessary safety and code issues are stopping us from economic development,” said Nealon. The HAYC3 Board would like to get the Co-op going as soon as possible. Nealon added that she would not be comfortable having large parties or wedding receptions in the building until the improvements are made. Cottrell believes all the work could be done in three months. Holland believes it can be done within the price range presented to the Board.
No business plan was submitted with the request. Nealon said the HAYC3 Board was working on it and it should be ready by their meeting on May 28 or 29. Mayor Borge sensed some urgency in the request, and he suggested the Village Board hold a special meeting on June 4 to review the business plan and the loan request. The Board agreed.
When asked, the Mayor said the Economic Development Fund has two accounts. One has $110,000 in it and the other has $250,000. He said they would use the larger account if there was to be a loan. In answer to another question, he said almost all of the outstanding loans are being paid back on a regular basis.
Use For The Old Waterworks Building
Mayor Borge said he had been approached by Hoosick Falls Fire Chief Carlton Coon to use the old waterworks building as a training facility. At the moment the closest training facility is in Wynantskill. He said firefighter training is required and it is costly to take a truck that far, plus the time involved. The Police Department could also benefit from such a training facility. The Mayor said he has talked with Rensselaer County Safety Coordinator Kelly Paslow and he supports the proposal. He assured the Board the building will not be set afire. The training would involve getting people in and out of a building, for example. There is a hydrant nearby as well. Building Inspector Holland said the building is deteriorating. It will cost $30,000 to fix it up. Perhaps there are Fire Department or Police Department grants that would help with the cost. Otherwise the Village is looking at $20 to $30,000 to take the building down.
Since the site is near the Greenway and the Youth Ball Fields,there were concerns about when these training exercises would take place, especially when it was mentioned that departments in other towns might like to use the facility. Trustee Downing, who lives nearby, was very concerned about the hours and noise involved. When the subject of Police training came up he expressed concern about gunfire. He was assured there would be no gunfire. Since the Fire Chief was at a training session and unable to attend the meeting no action was taken on the proposal.
Letter Answered
HFCS third grader Gabriella St. Hilaire, a student in Mrs. Burdick’s class wrote a letter to Mayor Borge as part of a classroom assignment. The Mayor invited her to come to the meeting where she read her letter aloud. It was a daunting task in front of a very large crowd. In her letter she told the Mayor that the Town is very nice, but why doesn’t it have nice sidewalks. She said they aren’t safe and it is very difficult for her to ride her bike because the sidewalks aren’t smooth. The Mayor told her, “we’re going to fix the sidewalks.” He said the Village does have some money to fix some of the sidewalks because “we want everyone to be safe.” He said they will try to get some of them fixed this summer. He added that when the sidewalk is fixed he will contact her and she can come and put her initials in the corner of the new sidewalk. The Mayor said Highway Superintendent Neil Stowell doesn’t like it when people do that, but this time he “will let it slide.” He thanked Gabriella for her letter and said “one person can really make a difference.”
Pavilion At Ball Fields
The Town of Hoosick Youth Baseball and Softball requested permission from the Board to construct a 32×24 foot pavilion behind the backstop and in front of the Greenway at the ballfields. The permeant open structure would have a gravel floor and, possibly a metal roof. There would be picnic tables in it. It would provide shade, an eating area and a place to get out of inclement weather. It would be especially welcoming during tournaments. If the Board approved the request, it would be completed this season. The Board approved.
TV Station
At the start of the meeting the Mayor made several announcements. He said television channel 14 would be moving back to the Municipal Building from the Armory because of technical difficulties. He expects it will be back in operation within a couple of weeks.
Village Cleanup
Mayor Borge said he was very pleased with the Village Cleanup Day. He said over 200 volunteers and a lot or organizations were involved in a coordinated effort and they did a great job. He said people have told him they are starting to notice a difference in the appearance of the Village.
Tops
The Grand Union store will officially become a Tops Market during grand opening ceremonies on May 28. The Mayor said the company is committed to staying in the Village and that is a good sign.
He added that the HFCS budget is up for vote on Tuesday, May 21. “Please go, please vote,” he said.
He also mentioned that the Hoosac School has a group of volunteers in their Hoosac Cares program that are willing to help people in the community. To find out about the program contact the headmaster Dean Foster at headmaster@hoosac.org.
The issue of properties not being maintained came up. The Mayor stated, “we are not the Lawn Police,” but if properties are neglected they should be reported. He said if elderly or disabled or financially strapped people cannot maintain their properties to let the Village know because there are often agencies to help.
The Mayor said he has looked into refinancing the bonds for the water and sewer plants and he has been informed that the Village has got the best dealing going right now.
On Friday Monolith Solar will start putting solar panels at the Municipal Building and both water plants.
Downing reported that the recycling is paying off. The Village has a credit of $11,800 for recycled materials. Electronics can now be dropped off at the Transfer Station.
DiDonato reported that the Village website is being used more and more and more calendar events are being submitted. He said Pat Bakaitis has completed the clearing of the upper section of the Greenway.
Purchase Streetsweeper
Trustee Bob Ryan suggested the Village purchase a used streetsweeper instead of renting one. He said it was definitely within the Highway budget and would pay off in the long term. The Board agreed to advertise for bids for a used sweeper. Bids should be received by June 7.
Trustee Kevin O’Malley said there was a major water break on Hoosick St. that was repaired. The Mayor added that the repair under the railroad tracks went quickly once permission was received from the railroad. O’Malley, Trustee Ben Patten and the Mayor all commended Water Wastewater Plants and Highway personnel for working very well together and being very professional.
No Grease
O’Malley said there are issues of household grease plugging sewer line. He asked that residents not pour grease down the sink. Rags are another item that block sewer lines as well.
Revitalization Committee
The Mayor set up a Revitalization Committee and appointed Trustees Ric DiDonato and Ben Patten to serve on that Committee. Members are Dennis Casey, Ken Facin, Jim Martinez, Ellen Scott, Mark Surdam, Jackie Stroffoleno and Fr. Tom Zelker. The Mayor has given them a copy of the Economic Development Plan of 2005 for review. He said he hopes the group can come up with some ideas for the community no later than September.
A representative of LaBerge Group addressed the Board regarding upcoming NYS Main Street Development Grants. He said it is important for communities to link together to get any of the $30,000,000 that will be available statewide. His company is willing to work with communities to put together a regional plan or a greater Hoosick plan. He used the Town park and pool as an example. He said it is extremely difficult for small communities to get any of this money without outside help.
In other business the Board approved:
¥ a peddlers license for three months for Kyle DeGraff
¥ the appointment of Josh Magisano as permanent Assistant Water Treatment Operator
¥ the appointment of Holly Snyder as assistant Deputy Clerk on an as needed basis for data entry
¥ the appointment of Michael Gordon as a part time Police Officer
The Board went into executive session to discuss a personnel issue.[/private]