Sewer Project Bids Delayed
By Doug La Rocque
Mayor Rob Allen told the Village Board Tuesday night, January 8, that the bids for the pipeline portion of the sewer project are in, and the good news is they are lower than expected. However, after a review by the NYS Department of Environmental Conservation’s (DEC) engineers, it was discovered that a soil and water permit would be needed, from both DEC and the Army Corp of Engineers. DEC has already approved the permit, but the Village is still waiting to hear from the Corp. Because of that, the awarding of the bid was tabled until the Board’s February meeting.
Another project still on hold is work to replace the Rensselaer Street Pump Station. The Board in December awarded the bid for the purchase of the equipment from money left over from the Snow Street replacement work, with the remainder being kicked in by the Village. Approval to use that money must come from the issuing agency, in this case the Dormitory Authority of the State of New York (DASNY), which has yet to be forthcoming. The bid award is contingent upon this approval from DASNY, an agency that is notoriously slow to act.
The meeting opened with two announcements from the Mayor, the first being a HFCS Board of Education workshop on a proposed 2019 Capital Renovation Project. The second being the need for two members for the Zoning Board of Appeals and one for Planning Board. Interested individuals may contact the Mayor or the Village Clerk’s office.
The Walls Will Come Tumbling Down
Or more appropriately put, knocked down. The Board requested bids for the demolition of three structures in the village. They were opened last month, with Ambient Environmental and Spectrum Environmental being the lowest bidders for two of the structures. According to Codes Enforcement Officer Mark Surdam, the difference between the two bids was about $10. Ambient Environmental was the higher, but also came very highly recommended. The Board voted to award them the bid for the structures at 6 Spring Street and 22 John Street. The third building on Waldron Avenue, that was destroyed by fire, has been demolished by the owner.
It is hoped the demolition work will begin as soon as all the required permits can be obtained.
The Federal Government Shutdown Has an Impact Locally
The stack testing at Saint Gobain’s McCaffrey Street for PFAS and PFAS related compounds was scheduled to begin on January 21. The testing is a joint effort between the NYS Department of Environmental Conservation and the federal Environmental Protect Agency (EPA), where specialized instruments were to be brought in to obtain real time qualitative measurements of the level of contaminants. Mayor Allen said that due to the Federal government shutdown, and the fact that many agencies (including the EPA) have not yet received additional funding, there has been no confirmation that the January 21 date is still solid, and probably won’t be known until the EPA re-opens. The longer the shutdown looms, the less likely they are to hit the target date.
Blood Testing For PFOA Is Extended
According the NYS Department of Health (DOH) requests for new blood tests have dropped of quite a bit. The Mayor says anyone who did not complete their 2018 test orders, will now be sent a new set of orders with an expiration of March 30. Anyone can still call to be tested.
Mayor Allen also said the last round of tests showed an overall drop in PFOA levels in the blood, though a few remained about the same, and some more showed an increase. He indicated some questioning of those showing an increase needs to be done, to see if there is a common factor amongst them.
A Proposal To Purchase the Street Lights Goes Dim
For two months, the Village Board has voted to table a proposal from a firm known as SmartWatt, to investigate the feasibility of the village purchasing the majority of the street lights from National Grid, which could results in a $60,000 dollar cost savings, There have been several unanswered questions that board members fear may end up costing the Village More in the long run. Trustee Brain Bushner urged the board to lean on National Grid to correct several infrastructure problems with the Village’s lighting system, including lights that are too dim, cycling on and off, or out completely. He did indicate he has had some limited success in discussions with the utility and the board suggested they make an inventory of the lights not functioning properly. Village Police Chief Bob Ashe indicated he had two cars on patrol that night, and said he would ask them to create the inventory for the board, as patrol duties allowed. The board voted to table the measure once again.
Police Report
Chief Ashe said the department responded to 110 calls in the month of December, up five from the previous month. For the year, they reported 1289 calls, down from the 1450 recorded in 2017. Conversely, the total arrests in December were down from November, but up over 2017.
The Chief also reported that the department, with the help of the Man of Kent Tavern, was able to provide a Christmas Dinner for a needy family. The officers also provided gifts for the family.
Housing the Highway Department
Department of Public Works Superintendent Niel Stowell has completed his reworking of the proposal to construct a new Highway Department Garage, to be located on the same site as the current facility. He also said the new Sewer Department truck should be in house in a couple of weeks. but reminded the Board he still needs to replace a 2005 Highway Department truck.
The board ended the night by going into Executive Session to discuss pending litigation.