Revaluation In Hoosick Is Back On For This Year
by Deb Alter
At the Monday, May 9 Town of Hoosick Board meeting, the Board discussed the pros and cons of starting the Town revaluation project this year and ultimately decided that the project should not be delayed a year, and should proceed as originally planned, starting this year. Property values are not expected to change much, if at all, so waiting a year is not expected to make a difference.[private]The first phase is to hire an assessor to do the project. In the second year, this person will work with Town Assessor Tony Rice to appraise the value of all of the properties in Hoosick. This includes some on-the-ground inspection of properties, as well as comparing properties and studying the tax rolls. The new values will hit the tax rolls at the end of the third year. The project’s objective is to make property taxes more fair for all and to encourage new development. The last Town revaluation was done over 35 years ago, and the Town and Village are technically out of compliance with state guidelines on keeping assessments up to date.
Pool Water
With swimming weather just around the corner, Town Supervisor Mark Surdam answered the question everyone has been asking, “What will be done about the water in the Town Pool?” He has been working with NYS Departments of Health and Environmental Conservation, and the Rensselaer County DOH to get the pool opened this year. The plan is to drain, rinse, and refill the pool with Village water, but the County said it would not issue a permit until they see a letter of approval from the DEC and DOH, which had been received earlier in the day. Now that they have the letter in hand, the plan can move forward.
Other Town Pool Updates
The Kiwanis Club has offered to be the “Project Champion” for fundraising for the pool slide as soon as they finish the playground project. Supervisor Surdam will be taking a course to become certified as a pool operator (CPO). Pool pricing will remain the same as last year, with the exception of swimming lessons, which will increase by $10 in each category (resident and non-resident). Summer Day Camp staff and pay rates were approved. Leo McGuire will come out of retirement to help with the physical operation and cleaning of the pool and the required water testing. He will work with Janet DeLuca, the Pool Manager as needed to make sure the pool stays clean and safe. LaBerge has begun the engineering portion of Phase Two of the Pool Project, to update the Bath Houses. Hopefully construction can begin as soon as the swim season is over.
Extending Water
Distribution Lines
The Town and Village Boards have been discussing the possibility of collaborating on efforts to bring water from the municipal system south along Route 22, as well as extending the sewer system, perhaps to the Central School, or even as far as Hoosac School. Richard DeGuida, a representative from MRB, the engineering firm that has been working with the Village on the water filtration system was a last-minute addition to the agenda.
He explained that an engineering report needs to be completed by August in order to apply for grants and low- or no- interest loans from the NYS Environmental Facilities Corporation to fund the project. The EFC is a state agency that provides low-cost financing for local wastewater and drinking water infrastructure. The cost, which would be shared by the Town and the Village, would be $24,000 for the water study and $22,000 for the sewer study. The expenditure is refundable if the EFC approves the project. The EFC, which will not even consider the project without an engineering report, awards funds based on a point system based on community need and cost-effectiveness of the proposal.
Supervisor Surdam said he had spoken to someone at EFC, and she had suggested that now was the time to do this project since there has been so much focus on the water in Hoosick and Hoosick Falls. DeGuida concurred, saying water was a “hot-button item” right now, stressing the importance of the momentum currently in the Governor’s office to help Hoosick. Other water issues could be rolled into the project as well, such as water pressure problems and hydrants that need repair. Since the Board had just received the information and the MRB proposal, they did not make a decision at the meeting. They will discuss it further and decide what course to take at the next meeting.
New Playground
The equipment for the new playground has arrived. The Kiwanis Club, who is spearheading the project, is holding a three-day community build and needs volunteers. The work will be going on Thursday and Friday, May 19 and 21, and possibly Sunday, May 21 if necessary. The Grand Opening will be the following weekend. The building schedule is on the Town website, or you can contact Wendy Larson at wenlar121@yahoo.com.
Water Update
Installation of filters on private wells is continuing, and Supervisor Surdam and Councilman Sutton highly recommended that everyone get their well tested and have a filtration system installed while the State is still offering them at no cost. Down the road, they are expecting that it will be required that wells be tested for PFOA when a property is sold.
Many fewer people have been seeking access to the DEC during the Armory hours. While the effort has been very successful for the transfer of information, the need for availability seems to have diminished. The DOH will continue with its current schedule.
The U.S. EPA has provided a soil and water sampling schedule at and near the Saint-Gobain McCaffrey Street plant, available on both the Town and Village website. This is a different program from the State’s and is intended to gather information for a federal Superfund nomination.
The Solar Committee continues to do its work and is still waiting for the NYS zoning guidelines for solar farms. Board Member Eric Sheffer attended a meeting sponsored by the Cornell Cooperative extension. He said that may municipalities are facing the same kinds of zoning and tax issues as Hoosick. There was also a discussion about the roadblocks that National Grid is throwing up that often slow down or kill solar projects. Brighten Energies came to a public meeting last month to explain how community solar projects work and can benefit the local community.
In Other Business:
• Two Budget modifications were made, one for the Castle Playground, and one for the legal costs incurred as a result of the PFOA issue.
• Penny Acree has agreed to stay on the Planning Board. The empty seat on the Zoning Board will be filled by former councilman Bruce Patire.
• Congratulations were offered to Bernard R. Davock for obtaining the rank of Eagle Scout.
• Board Member David Sutton suggested that the Town look into some new welcome signs, as some of the ones out there are beginning to look a bit shabby.
• The next regular Board meeting is scheduled for Monday, June13.[/private]