Dirt Track And Hemp Process Top Town Board Meeting
by Doug LaRocque
There are two issues that just won’t go away, or at least are not resolved yet. The first deals with the controversial dirt track in West Hoosick. Neighbors have repeatedly complained to the town board about the noise and dust, and back in May, the town board referred the matter to the Zoning Board of Appeals (ZBA) for more clarification as to what is commercial and what is personal, as the owners of the track claim it is. In August, the board received the ZBA’s recommendations, but some, particularly Deputy Supervisor Eric Sheffer, though they were too constraining. He stated that under the ZBA’s proposal, he could have a small loop style track on his farm for his young son to ride on, but he could not be joined by anyone else except family. If he wanted to have a small friend over, it would take ZBA approval. Mr. Sheffer feels more public input is needed before the town board acts on any changes to the land use law. To that end, the board decided to schedule a public workshop on the issue for 6:30 pm on Tuesday, October 13 at the Armory.
The Hemp Still Stinks
Despite two cease and desist letters from the town, a hemp processing operation on Route 67 in North Hoosick is apparently still operating, at least on a limited basis. The hemp is processed into CBD products, but not without an odor than is offensive to its neighbors, particularly when the doors are left open. Town Supervisor Mark Surdam indicated they are discussing the matter further with their attorney, and that it might perhaps end up in court, which has just recently re-opened.
More Scrutiny Of Fire Department Budgets
Towns are beginning what they call budget season, where the spending plan for the next fiscal year is hammered out, put before the public for comments, and then either approved or rejected by the town board. Part of these municipal budgets is related to fire protection. In Hoosick, there are five independent fire companies, which submit their budgets to the town for inclusion in the overall town spending plan. Their portion is part of the overall tax bill, but is often broke out as a separate tax line. Councilman Sheffer and Supervisor Surdam both stated they were not comfortable with the way the process was handled last year, as they were asked to approve the budgets while taxpayers expressed some concerns they could not answer. Supervisor Surdam said he wants more transparency in this year’s process, and suggested that perhaps a representative from each fire company be present at the budget hearing to answer any questions.
Two fire departments have scheduled a public hearing on their budget so far, for Thursday, October 22. In West Hoosick the hearing begins at 6 pm while in North Hoosick the session begins at 6:30 pm. Both hearings are at the respective firehouses.
Sales Tax Collections Are Down
Supervisor Surdam informed the board that sales tax revenues are down through the second quarter of the year by about 10 percent, or slightly more than $15,000. Conversely, he said the county has indicated mortgage tax collections for the town are up this year, so he is hoping that in the end, it will be a wash.
Teamsters Agreement
The town and the Teamsters Union had previously reached an agreement on most issues, but any salary increases for the town employees (mostly the highway department), remained to be negotiated. That matter has since been resolved, with a 2% wage increase for both 2021 and 2022 now part of the contract. The board agreed with the numbers and authorized Supervisor Surdam to sign the document.
Other Business
According to Highway Superintendent Bill Shiland, the Beck Road project is complete, including the paving. The Board also approved a budget modification to pay for the improvements.
A meeting has been scheduled with CIT in Bennington to discuss the ongoing phone system issues.
Long time Planning Board Attorney Stanton King has announced his retirement at the end of October, and Codes Enforcement Officer Fran Rogers has given Supervisor Surdam verbal notice he intends to leave at the end of 2021, possibly sooner. The board is also discussing raising the salary for that position, because of the time it demands. They are still looking for a volunteer to sit on the Board of Assessment review, which typically meets once a year, on Grievance Day.
The Board approved a resolution to update the policies and procedures as they relate to public access of town records. The last update was in 1974.
The Supervisor mentioned some recent correspondence from Verizon FIOS, as it pertains to some possible door to door solicitation. He indicated most of this would be taking place in the village, though some parts of the town were as mentioned. To do so, they would needs a peddlers permit. The board is also looking to make some changes to the Peddlers Permit Local Law, which would essentially grant exemptions to farmers markets and town functions.
News from Senator Daphne Jordan’s Office was not good, concerning any System Award Management (SAM) grant for recreational improvements. According to the Senator, no money will be forthcoming in the near future, because of the state’s economic woes.
The scanning of older employee files that have been stored in a fireproof box is now complete. The next chore is to scan 160 plus boxes of permanent files stored in the record room, to the cloud.
Next meetings: The board will hold a budget workshop on Monday, October 5 at 6 pm and because of the Columbus Day holiday, the next regular board meeting will be held Wednesday, October 14 at 7 pm.