Ice Skating Rink Will Open Soon
Alex Brooks
After talking a bit about the spike in COVID cases in Hoosick as in many other parts of Rensselaer County, Hoosick Supervisor Mark Surdam moved on to preparations for opening the ice rink, but before doing so he asked the Board if they think it is wise to open the rink this year given the recent uptick in COVID cases. Surdam said his only concern is the warmup room, where skaters might be close together in an enclosed space. Bill Hanselman said, “the rink is there for the kids,” and he would like to see it open for them this year. Eric Sheffer said, “it’s tough either way,” meaning the Board is facing either a closed rink or a risk of spreading disease, but he concluded “I would like to open it, as long as there is a plan.” He said he thought it could be fairly safe if it is managed properly.
The Board agreed to create a plan for how to operate the rink in a way that will minimize the spread of disease, and to go forward on that basis. The Board then approved a motion to hire Nicholas Houghton (son of Councilwoman Jackolyn Houghton, who recused herself from the matter) as Ice Manager at $18 per hour, and Tom Margiotta as a maintenance volunteer for this winter season.
Surdam said the Town’s skate sharpener is not working. He said Tom Margiotta borrowed one from Bear Mountain and he and Rink Manager Ayla Senecal got all the skates sharpened. Surdam said the EC Foundation is making a donation of $1,500 to the rink, which will pay for new skates and possibly a new skate sharpener. Surdam also noted that the Town bought two new lengths of 1” hose for use in making ice, and he asked the Board for permission to buy a hose reel for it, which will make it more convenient to use and make it last longer. The Board approved.
Rink Lighting
Surdam said 11 of the lights at the rink are out and there is no outdoor lighting at all. The Town has an offer of a contract to replace all the lights at the rink with LED lights and also put in some outside fixtures for an upfront cost of about $18,000, but rebates are offered which make the actual cost $15,000. Surdam said they had hoped to pay this with the recreation facilities improvement grant that the Town has been planning for years, but that project is on hold at the moment and Surdam said he is not sure when or if it will go forward. He said the need for adequate lighting at the rink is urgent, and is really a safety issue, so he asked the Board to approve having the lights replaced and pay for it with fund balance. The Board approved it unanimously.
Online Law Compilation
Town Attorney Jon Schopf said he is working with a company to assemble all of Hoosick’s Town Laws in an online site. He said all of the laws are in there at this point, but he said, “it needs editing,” and he said he will be working on that for the next few months.
Schopf also said he had found a law in a town in Pennsylvania regulating the use of dirt bikes and ATVs on private property, which can serve as a model for Hoosick. He said he will work on drafting something based on that for the Board to look at.
Hudson Valley Greenway Grant
Supervisor Surdam said he has been notified that the Town has been awarded a Hudson Valley Greenway Grant to help pay for an update to the Town’s Comprehensive Plan. The plan was to work with LaBerge on this in order to bring professional expertise to the project. The Town applied for this grant quite some time ago and had thought that it was not going to happen because of the State’s fiscal crisis, but Surdam said they called him “out of the blue” with news that the grant has been awarded to Hoosick. Surdam asked the Board if they still want to undertake the Comprehensive Plan update. Surdam said as he recalled, it was a $25,000 project and the grant was for $10,000, so the cost to the town would be $15,000. The Board responded favorably, so Surdam said he would find the file and confirm all the details so that the Board can approve the project at its next meeting.
Executive Session re Naturae
The meeting ended with an executive session to discuss legal options related to the hemp plant in North Hoosick, which has so far failed to control odors coming from the plant despite repeated letters and orders from the Town.
Other News From The Meeting:
• Highway Superintendent Bill Shiland said two of his drivers are out on quarantine because they were exposed to the COVID virus and he may have to recruit temporary substitutes so that his crew can respond to the snowstorm this week.
• Surdam said the Town has received another check from Honeywell for $20,000 to pay for expenses related to the water crisis.
• Eric Sheffer said the terms for renewal of the Armory lease have been worked out, and the Town is just waiting for confirmation of the agreement. The Board will take formal action on it at the January meeting.
Jerry McAuliffe said even though two weeks ago Pan Am Railways was saying repairs to the unstable section of roadbed near Carey Avenue in Hoosick Falls were at the top of their priority list, they announced this week that they do not intend to do any work there. He asked the Board to send a letter asking the railroad to rebuild the roadbed there (see story on page 1).
Public Employer Emergency Plan
Public employers like the Town of Hoosick are required to file an emergency plan with the State. Surdam said this is due in April but the Association of Towns has a model plan that the Town can use as a template, so it shouldn’t be too difficult.
Bridge Decoration
Hoosick Rising asked the Town Board for approval of a project to decorate the Shop Bridge with flowers and lights and the Board said it had no objection to the project.