Board Hears Transfer Station Tales Of Woe
By Michelle Van Horn
Councilmember Bill Jennings’ report on the transfer station said that there is a bit of a bear problem. He said that “the bears have woken up,” which can be seen with trash and rubbish sprawled throughout the woods. Superintendent Larry Eckhardt is a little concerned about the bear presence and questioned if they might make a habit of coming back for free handouts. In pondering how to handle the issue, Jennings jokingly offered to put up a ‘No Bears Allowed’ sign. An electric fence around the transfer station perimeter was mentioned, which unlike the sign would, quite literally, have a shocking impact. Councilmember PJ Roder iterated this point about the electric fence by saying, “they do respect them.” Jennings reminded the Town and board members that there have been bear problems in the past at the transfer station that seem to have worked themselves out over the years, and perhaps this season will be no different. His take is that the bears seem to be just getting up and out, and will move on after their full awakening. Perhaps they were looking for the bare necessities, pun intended. Jennings would like to table the conversation until next month’s meeting while monitoring the bear situation closely – it could barely be an issue. Stay tuned.
Someone or some people (not the bears) have broken into the transfer station. The gate and shed keys were taken out of the porta-potty and used to open both structures. The shed was rummaged through, and a small amount of tip money was stolen from transfer station supervisor Agnes Hoffman and attendant Bob Olson. The thief/thieves locked the gate when they were done, but did not return the gate and shed keys. The lock was put on in a different manner than usual, which is what gave away the break-in. Both gate and shed keys have been replaced, and Town Clerk Stephanie Wagar will look into getting a combination keypad lock moving forward.
Requests for less expensive transfer station permits have been made, and it is suspected that weekenders/second homeowners/downstate residents here to escape the city’s COVID crisis are the culprits. In the past month, 5 new permits have been sold. It is unclear if the ones requesting the prorated amount are year-long residents, or vacationers. Regardless of the resident type, the fee is $40 per year, averaging $3.33 per month, with a $3 fee per 30 gallon purple bag, which can be purchased at the transfer station and the Town Clerk’s office. Note that purchasing purple bags is mandatory.
Transfer Station hours of operation:
Mon – 3 to 7 pm (June, July, August only)
Wed – Noon to 7 pm
Fri – 1 to 6 pm
Sat – 8 am to 4 pm
Summer Camp A Victim Of Covid-19
Summer camp programs will be canceled this season, with virtual camps as a possibility depending on the amount of interest. A Facebook vote on the Stephentown Library page will be announced and tallied to determine the answer. Some virtual camp session ideas are dance lessons and a multitude of craft projects. One idea is to run sessions 2 or 3 days per week rather than 5 days a week.
Further updates will follow.
New Roof For Town Hall
The Town is requesting roof bids for the Town Hall’s roof, which is a public works project. This includes a complete roof removal and new roof installed. Sealed bids will be publicly opened on June 15. A completion date will be set, which is to be determined. Check the Stephentown website for more details.
Answer the Census Stephentown!
Stephentowners! Supervisor Larry Eckhardt has cordially invited you to answer the 2020 Census, which is in full effect! Uncle Sam (and Larry Eckhardt) want you to be counted, accurately. In the past, Stephentown was one of the towns to respond in low numbers, and Eckhardt seriously wants this to change. As of April 22, 40.9% of Stephentowner’s have answered the Census. Let’s get the other 59.1% answered! Although the Stephentown Memorial Library is closed, the Wifi is free and open to everyone, so you can sit in the parking lot and turn in the census on your phone, which is even more secure than on your computer! You can also respond via phone (844-330-2020), or by paper copy. Keep in mind that the census brings funding to Stephentown residents who receive government benefits. Census numbers fund the fire department, senior services, roads, schools, jobs, healthcare! The truth is, if you don’t answer, you’re essentially lessening the amount of funding for every community member in need of such benefits. This is why everyone counts. Lastly, it’s required by law to answer, accurately. So, let’s make Superintendent Eckhardt proud, and for the love of our democratic rightfully-owed government funding, pretty please and thank you for answering the 2020 census, accurately.