New Police Officer Sworn In
by Denise Wright
“The February 11 Schodack Town Board meeting welcomed a new Schodack Police officer, Wally Lodin, being sworn in. Lodin comes to Schodack after serving 18 months with the Albany Police Department. His training officers will be Officer Roy and Eckel, and according to Supervisor Harris, his “character and integrity will serve the department well.” Police Chief John Hourigan presented the Schodack Police Department’s Reinvention plan. On June 12 last year, Governor Cuomo proposed executive order 203, which requires local governments to develop a “policing reform plan” that will “maintain public safety while building mutual trust and respect between police and the communities they serve.” Hourigan stated that the committee created the comprehensive plan with “community stakeholders” and input from residents through a questionnaire sent out to the public. According to Hourigan, many of the 133 questionnaire responses were “overwhelmingly positive,” and he has left the questionnaire open and welcomes any input from the community. The reinvention plan’s resolution will be presented at the March meeting to be submitted to New York State by the April 1 deadline. Supervisor Harris complimented Hourigan for his work on the plan and commented that “Schodack is in great shape.”
Local Law #1 of 2021 was also approved, which added the “additional qualification for eligibility to hold an elective office in the Town of Schodack.” The resolution states that Town officials will not be able to hold a county office simultaneously.” The Town Board approved and welcomed a new Operator 2 who formerly worked for the county to the Town Highway Department.
Resolutions 85 and 86 had public hearings and were also approved. Both resolutions focus on “the development of decent housing and suitable living environment” for individuals of “low or moderate-income” and “help finance Community development programs.” The Town had previously approved this funding, but the recently released funds needed re-approval due to the past year’s restrictions.
One of the final resolutions approved was #95, which focused on the franchise agreement between Time Warner Cable (aka Charter Communications) and the Town of Schodack. The resolution authorized payment to the Rensselaer County Bureau of Finance based on the “2020 Charter Utility report.”