A New Stone And Gravel Contract And Bridge Questions Top Berlin Town Board Meeting
By Doug La Rocque
Receiving just one bid to provide the Town with sand and gravel, the Board awarded the contract to Quality Construction of Cherry Plain. The contractor listed his pricing for sand, gravel, item 4 and cobble stone, both loaded at his yard or delivered. [private]Berlin will get a 50 cent discount per cubic yard if they load their own trucks. Prices listed were the same as last year. The Board gave its unanimous approval.
Tammy Osterhout expressed concern about the Park Avenue bridge, especially in light of the heavy truck traffic using it. She asked if a weight limit could be placed on it. Highway Superintendent Jim Winn said it is a Rensselaer County road and they would have to address it. It was noted there is a newer bridge nearby which the trucks could use.
Members of the Town Board inquired of Winn if there are any other bridges in the Town they should be concerned about. He said there are no red flags at this time. He also noted that there are now only three bridges in the Town that are subject to inspection. Those are Lanphier Lane, Brimmer Road, and Satterlee Hollow. Winn said they had some roadside washout and plugged gutters on Mattison Hollow and Cowdry Hollow roads following the recent rains, but those problems have been resolved. The very mild winter has also allowed the Highway Department crews to do some ditching and bring in their snow fence.
PFOA Levels Very Low In Berlin Municipal Water Supply
Winn is also the Commissioner of Water District 2. He said test results from both the State and County all have shown levels well below 20 parts per trillion. He has shared these results with the Berlin Central School District as well. Town Supervisor Rob Jaeger credits the Town’s quick sharing of this information with the public as one of the reasons for the relative calm about the problem. He said he had only two inquiries as to the status of the Town’s drinking water. Anyone who is concerned about water from their private well can contact the Rensselaer County Health Department to arrange for testing.
Some price increases in the disposal of televisions and tires led the Town Board to approve the purchase of a scale for the transfer station, that accommodates objects up to 330 pounds. The cost was $266. The transfer station is now being charged 25 cents per pound on televisions, and without a scale they had no way to properly charge for the disposal. They feared they were losing money. The Board also agreed to slightly raise the price of disposal of some larger tires because of a price increase to them. Supervisor Jaeger said the new rates will soon be posted at the transfer station and on the town’s website. The Board also approved the purchase of new hardwood beams to replace the ones currently being used to store large cardboard bails. The transfer station will be closed on March 27, Easter Sunday.
Jaeger also reported that to date this year, the Town has received $5,700 from Cersosimo Lumber for wood cleared from their timber lot.
Department Reports
Dog Control Officer Doug Goodermote says it was a quiet month, with just one complaint – a cat up a tree. He informed the Board that the next Town Rabies Clinic would be April 21, cats from 6 to 7 pm and dogs from 7 to 8 pm. The clinic is open to everyone from the Taconic Valley. The cost is $10 per animal (cash only).
Codes Enforcement said it was a slow month for new permits, but that six previous building projects have been completed, and the information turned over to the Assessor’s Office.
The Zoning Board of Appeals heard two appeals this month. One case is ongoing, the other has been resolved. The ZBA is still looking for another member, as is the Planning Board. Anyone interested in either position may contact Town Clerk Anne Maxon. The Assessor’s Office said they are wrapping up the processing of senior exemptions, and Town Clerk Anne Maxon reported local, county and state revenue amounted to $7.196 in February, with non-local revenues at $3,401.49
The Town Board next meets in workshop on March 24 at 7 pm.[/private]