by Bea Peterson
At its regular meeting on Tuesday, November 12, the Hoosick Falls Village Board approved the appointment of Mickey, an 18 month old black lab, to the Hoosick Falls Police Department. Mickey’s handler is Village resident and Police Officer Crystalee Quell. [private]Mickey was a gift to the Department from part time Officer Justin Ashe. The dog will undergo two weeks of training at a cost of $2,000. HAYC3 will underwrite the training cost under its drug free grant. Mickey will be trained to detect marijuana, cocaine, meth, crack and other drugs. Hi
s training will be non-aggressive, though he is devoted to his handler and will be protective of her. Police Chief Robert Ashe said Mickey and Quell will interact with school children and youth at the HAYC3 teen center as part of their duties. The dog will have an additional four hours of training per month. Officer Ashe, who has K9s he uses at the Troy P.D., will conduct the training while he and Quell and Mickey are on duty. Chief Ashe said the Department’s SUV can easily be outfitted for Mickey. The Village will pay for food and veterinary costs. Trustee Bob Ryan noted that was a small price to pay for the service the dog will provide. Mayor David Borge pointed out that Hoosick Falls is often used as a way station for drug traffickers. “We want them to know we are not just a sleepy little town,” he said.
Acknowledgment From NYS Police
Chief Ashe read a letter from NYS Police Senior Investigator Bob Stampfli acknowledging the “great work done by your department” on November 1. After the robbery at Subway, the letter states, “It was your officer, Crystal Quell, who saw a car which matched the description pull into a driveway on South Street. She then alerted the other patrols and when the vehicle left the residence she assisted myself, a Deputy and another of your officers, Paul Aleksonis in effecting a traffic stop which led to the suspect being questioned about the robbery.” Stampfli went on to say subsequent investigation led to the arrest of the subject and a confession to the crime. “Thanks to the dedication and alertness of your officers a potentially violent felon was removed from our midst. It was an example of great interagency teamwork that brought this case to a successful conclusion in a very short time.” During the Board meeting both Officers were commended for their actions.
Chief Ashe pointed out that the Department responds to an average of four calls a month in the Town. “This event justifies why we go outside of the Village,” he said.
Police Activity
Assistant Chief Harold McClellan read the calls from October 9 to November 12. Burglary-4, Larceny-5, V&T Arrest-2, Criminal Mischief-2, EMS-7, Motor Vehicle Accidents-5, Vehicle Repossess-2, Citizen Assist-6, Harassment-6, Investigations of 911 Hangups-5, Parking Complaints-1, Animal Complaints-4, Noise Complaints-1, Missing Persons-1, Trespassing-1, Domestic Violence-7, Warrant Arrest-1, Fraud Investigation- 2, Assault-2, Suspicious Persons/Activity-1, Property Checks-1, Alarm of Fire-1, Sexual Abuse Cases-3, Juvenile Problem-1, Found Property-1, Drug Arrest-1, Total Arrests-8.
Mayor Borge commended the Department and said, “Every day our officers put their life on the line.”
The meeting began with the Pledge of Allegiance, followed by a moment of silence for recently deceased former Board Member Walter (Wally) Davendonis and for Norma Brenenstuhl, who is now at home recovering from a fall in early October.
The Mayor next expressed his appreciation to HAYC3, the HFCS ninth grade class and teacher Amy Ferullo for the outstanding job they did in cleaning up the Village for their Community Service Day.
He congratulated the HFCS sports teams for their very successful seasons. The Field Hockey team won the Sectional title, and the Football team won the Sectional Super Bowl for the fifth year in a row. “Not only are they great athletes,” he said, “they are terrific students.”
Speaker System
Phil Leonard said he was disappointed the new speaker system could not be used on Veterans Day. Kevin O’Malley and the Mayor agreed that a sign-up form needs to be initiated for events in the Park that require a microphone. A thank you was expressed to Deputy Mayor Ric DiDonato and his son for installing the new speakers in the gazebo.
Leonard went on to say he has spoken with Gary Sussman about a sign for the DeCreeft Memorial and that he is looking into some sort of sign for the Wood Mansion pillars. This tied in with the Mayor’s recommendation of attractive signs at the entrances of the Village and a sign in front of the Municipal Building. Trustee Kevin O’Malley will look into the different types of signs that are available.
The Mayor said as a result of a Revitalization recommendation concerning marketing the Village, a Social Media Marketing person will speak at the December Board meeting.
The Board approved making a final payment of $112,927.68 to Jersen Construction for completion of the River Road project, though the company will return in the spring to reseed the grass areas. The project total was $17,604.06 less than the estimate. The cost of the project will be refunded by FEMA and New York State.
Trustee Bob Ryan apologized to Deborah Myers regarding the drainage issue on her property. He said he had stopped by her home and had called several times, but had been unable to reach her. He said that work on correcting the issue on her property will be the first issue the Highway Department deals with in the spring.
Trustee Jeremy Driscoll said the Court audit is finished. He said he is working with others to start up a local Youth Boxing Club again.
Mid-meeting the Board went into a brief executive session to discuss CSEA negotiations. When they returned the Board voted to accept the CSEA contract.
A credit to the sewer account of Matt Monahan in the amount of $2,161 was approved. When the new sewer lines were installed a couple of years ago, a line in front of Monahan’s house was crushed and shoddily repaired. The problem was discovered when backups were not resolved with clearing tree roots from the line on the property and then scoping that line; the street was torn up and the problem found and resolved. The amount approved was for Monahan’s costs.
NYS Financial Restructuring
The Board passed a resolution to participate in a NYS Financial Restructuring Board for Local Governments program. The Mayor explained the Village is eligible for this program based on its tax base. “It’s no secret our tax base is shrinking,” he said. The program is designed to help communities manage their finances and offers them a long term plan to follow. The recommendations do not have to be followed. However, if recommendations are made and financial assistance in the form of loans or grants is offered, then the recommendations must be followed. The Mayor added this is a four to six month process and will undoubtedly benefit the Village.
Money Move
Mayor Borge noted that last year a grant of $30,000 was given to HAYC3 from the Village’s Fund Balance. “Grants can’t be given from Fund Balance,” he said. The Board agreed to take $30,000 from the Village’s Economic Development Fund and place it in the General Fund. “It was an error,” the Mayor said. “But it is important we correct the mistake ourselves [before an audit]. He also noted that HAYC3 used the grant wisely.
Lock Boxes
Building Inspector Ed Holland explained to the Board that the NYS 2010 Fire Code requires businesses to have lock boxes on their buildings. He and Village Attorney John Patterson agreed that a Village law is not necessary. The Board agreed that Holland would meet with Hoosick Falls Fire Chief Carlton Coon to see what buildings should have these boxes, according to the law.
In other business the Board:
• voted Denise Paylo as its insurance broker;
• agreed with the new flood map for the Village, though the process of completing it will be lengthy;
• appointed Maggie Kinney, Matt Monahan and Bernie Davock to the Village Ethics Committee, which meets once a year or as needed;
• approved payment to Mountain Diesel in the amount of $1,100 for work done on the Village’s seven generators;
• approved a motion to publish the offices of three Trustees for two year terms and Village Justice for a four year term for the March 2014 election;
• delayed awarding bids for the Municipal Building roof and renovations until the bids are better understood, and
• agreed to begin interviewing candidates for a position on the Highway Department.
The Mayor said the Village Assessor is now accepting application for aged tax exemptions. For more information call Assessor Richard Whalen.
The next Board meeting will be Tuesday, December 10, at 6 pm.[/private]