by Doug La Rocque
The Hoosick Falls Board of Trustees meeting on Tuesday, December 14 opened with a public hearing on Local Law #3, which restricted parking on Elm Street near the Village Pizzeria to 15 minutes. The change involved a 60-foot section of the road. There were no speakers, and the Board later passed the law unanimously. What did spark debate, however, was an October change that limited the number of all night parking spaces in municipal lots, particularly the one off Church Street. Several people complained that this forces more vehicles onto the street, where they are often parked for an entire day, perhaps in front of homes and businesses. It also apparently has increased the distance people have to walk between a parking spot and their residence.
The Village recently replaced some no parking signs that have been missing for more than two years near the intersection with Church, John and Mechanic Streets, very near the Hoosick Provisions store. The owner told the Trustees this hampered parking for his business and asked after such a long time without them, what the purpose of replacing them now is. Retired attorney Trish Bloomer, who owns the Sand Bar restaurant, said the no overnight parking changes eliminated 27 off road spots, and offered to help with a study of the parking situation. Village resident Doug Sauer called for a moratorium on any other parking restrictions. Enforcement is not making people happy either — Police Chief Bob Ashe reporting his department issued 56 parking tickets recently.
Mayor Rob Allen told those gathered “I hear you” and promised that he and the Board will make parking in the Village a top priority.
How Best to Spend ARPA Funding
The Board has a committee to review the best uses for the American Rescue Plan Act funding received this past July. The Board looked to Village Attorney Andy Gilchrist for any updates, after which Trustee Deb Alter suggested an open public forum for ideas. Trustee Craig Pine commented he certainly wanted to know what the public has to say, but suggested an email forum first to help prioritize such a gathering, particularly with an eye toward what projects might or might not qualify. What is certain is there will be more discussion on the subject. The Village has until the end of 2024 to appropriate the money. Attorney Gilchrist again warned there is no prior use qualifications from the federal government, but if an audit indicated the money was improperly spent, the Village would be on the hook to replace it.
Cannabis Action or Lack Thereof
Under the new Cannabis Law enacted in March, municipalities in New York State have until December 31 to opt out of sales or onsite consumption at dispensaries. If they opt out before the deadline, under the law they can opt back in at any time. Take no action by December 31, and the municipalities opt in by default with no option to get out at a later date. What action Hoosick Falls should take on the matter came up at the Tuesday meeting, with Mayor Allen apologizing for not bringing it before the Board previously. There was no opposition to the potential dispensaries, but the Mayor and Trustee Megan Walraed felt as if the Village should opt out of on-site consumption, at least until they could observe how it was working out in locations that have chosen to allow it. The remaining 5 members of the Board disagreed however, and the Trustees decided to simply let the deadline pass with no action.
Other Items of Note
Mayor Allen announced Village hours and closures for the Holiday season. Besides Christmas Eve, Christmas, New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day when the offices will be closed, the other closures and time changes will be posted on the website. A request from the Hoosick Falls Community Alliance Church for the use of Wood Park on Wednesday, December 22 at 5:30 pm for the “Forever in Our Hearts” candlelight remembrance service was approved.
Mayor Allen reviewed the recently announced Record of Decision (ROD) from the NYS Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC), choosing two wells on lands located off NYS Route 22 as the new drinking water sources for the Village, but again urged DEC to consider a third well as a clean backup source. Under the ROD, a current PFOA contaminated well would be the backup. All water, no matter what the source, would still be filtered.
The Mayor reviewed the current COVID-19 levels, Mayor Kathy Hochul’s new mandate, the fact Rensselaer County will not enforce it and CDC guidelines.
When you gotta go, you gotta go, but where you go is not really laid out well, at least when it comes to bathrooms in the Municipal Building. Mayor Allen outlined some design improvements to make where you go more user friendly, private, efficient and family oriented than current places you go when you have to go.
A resolution extending the current agreement between the Village and the Eastern Rensselaer County Solid Waste Management Authority for another year was approved. The Trustees said yes to the bid from Repeat Business for a new copier to replace the one the Mayor said recently “blew up.” There was discussion over new rules and regulations for the Dog Park off Waterworks Road. One suggestion was to make the hours from dawn to dusk, seven days a week. Village Clerk Marie O’Neil-Ferrannini was appointed Registrar of Vital Statistics and Judith Van Der Kar as the Deputy.
The Board ended the meeting by entering Executive Session to receive advice from counsel and discuss a personnel matter.