Good News About Road Projects
by Miranda Sehl
Oh what a difference a day makes! At the Berlin Town Board meeting on Thursday, June 11, Highway Superintendent Jim Winn said he was still waiting on a letter from New York State outlining how much Consolidated Highway Improvement Project (CHIPs) monies it could expect to receive this year. Mr. Winn said he has several road repair projects in mind, such as on Bly Hollow, but does not dare start them, until he’s sure the money is there to pay for them. In the meantime, his crews did effect some repairs on Nichols Hill Road, along with more ditching, grading and roadside trimming.
Fast forward 24 hours, and in comes the letter from the State which outlines the amount of CHIPs money the town will receive, with a caveat, it might well be reduced this year by as much as 20%. This is due to the state’s budget deficit, which has tripled in the last three months because of reduced revenue and increased expenses related to the COVID-19 pandemic. Given the potential cutback along with the late start to road repair season, Mr. Winn cautioned some projects may not get done this year, even if roadwork continues into October.
Dog Bite
Dog Control Officer Doug Goodermote reported on a very serious dog attack that took place only a few days before the meeting. According to the DCO, a 10-year old boy was severely bitten on his right arm, face and nose, requiring more than 100 stitches. The dog, owned by the boy’s aunt, was put down and tested for rabies. Fortunately, the test results were negative.
Mr. Goodermote warned that any dog that bites without proof of rabies vaccination would also meet with the same fate.
The Town’s Spring Rabies Clinic was postponed because of COVID-19, but Mr. Goodermote says if things continue to open back up, he hopes to reschedule it in the not too distant future.
The Town Is Growing
Codes Enforcement/Building Inspector Alan Yerton told the board, May was one of the busiest in recent years, with two houses under construction on Dyken Pond Road and another on Spring Lake. He also indicated there is planned work on the former Bridgeway in Cherry Plain.
Where there is construction, there is also debris. So much in fact it’s keeping the transfer station busy, sometimes hauling two containers of construction debris out a week. Lead Attendant Bud Hall also mentioned they do not take junk trailers, so don’t even bring them down. He also asked anyone looking to dispose of an old hot tub, please cut it into quarters first.
Let NYS Do It
The Berlin Planning Board hasn’t had much to do of late, like many planners in the county because of COVID-19. There is a project that has the state’s attention, that being the Sweeney Mine Restoration. The work is apparently complicated enough to require a full blown State Environmental Quality Review. NYS sent an inquiry to Supervisor Rob Jaeger, asking if the Town or the Planning Board wanted to assume lead agency for the review, something many small towns rarely have to become involved in. When Supervisor Jaeger asked Planning Board Chair Pam Gerstel her pleasure on the matter, she replied “let the state do it, sounds a little involved.”
Assessor Woes
Mention was made at this meeting of numerous complaints about the Town’s assessors, including not being available during office hours, not returning phone calls or showing up when requested. The consensus at the meeting was there are issues to be worked out.
Dire Straits
Rensselaer County officials have been warning for weeks that sales tax revenues were going to take a hit because of the shutdowns due to COVID-19, and it appears they were right. The latest sales tax payments to the town were down 50%. The sales tax, according to Supervisor Jaeger, represents about 25% of the town’s budgeted revenue and he added, he does not expect the next payment to be much better. “It’s having a huge impact.”