Hoosick Town Board Action – February 2010

by Gary Danforth
The regular monthly Town of Hoosick Board meeting took place Monday evening, February 8, in the Hoosick Falls Armory with Supervisor Keith Cipperly calling the meeting to order at 7 pm. After the Pledge of Allegiance, the minutes of the last Board meeting, January 11, and the December 14, 2009, meeting were approved without corrections. Councilpersons Jeff Wysocki, Louis Schmigel, Mark Surdam and Bob Ryan were present along with Town Clerk Sue Stradinger and the Town Attorney.
The Town Clerk’s report was accepted with eight new dog licenses, fourteen dog license renewals, four marriage licenses, two building permits and one zoning application being of note. Assessor Tony Rice reported that applications for senior citizen Town tax exemptions were sent out and are due back by March 1. Ed King, the Building Inspector, said he was busy doing fire inspections for local businesses within the township, which must be done annually.
Carnival In August
A party came forth representing San Damiano who sought to employ Bob Kelly Amusements for a carnival in August at the Town athletic field to benefit developmentally disabled children. The Town approved a motion for such use of the field pending a certificate of insurance. Kelly Amusements also puts on St. Mary’s Funtastic Fair.
Town Responsibilities For Dispatch Service
Hoosick Falls Mayor Matt Monahan explained to the Town Board that the Village of Hoosick Falls was considering eliminating its Dispatch service which as of now was budgeted for around $150,000 annually. Monahan said for years the Village service has been in addition to what service Rensselaer County now provides. Unfortunately, the County never has fully implemented what it promised the township, namely, the County has only built six of the eleven radio towers originally proposed within the County for service to Town emergency services. Both Monahan and Town Board members agreed on this default of services by the County. The elimination of the Village Dispatch would mean the County’s 911 response system would have to handle all calls within the township. At present the Village Dispatch is available twenty fours hours a day, seven days per week. Monahan noted that approximately one third of calls handled by the Village Dispatch are for Town residents so a change in the system would also affect Town residents. It was noted there are no “dead [signal] areas” within the Village, and it was also noted that the Town pays $5,500 per year to the Village to assistance with Dispatch service expenses. Monahan said a preliminary meeting for Village residents about this issue had drawn about 60 people. Monahan informed the Board that an open meeting on this issue would take place at the Senior Center in Hoosick Falls on Wednesday, March 3, at 6 pm. This meeting will be open to both Village and Town residents and County personnel will be present. These “guest speakers” would address this issue with Monahan also stating that persons who want to speak at this meeting would need to call the Village and get on the agenda.
There was some concern expressed whether the Senior Center would be large enough to accommodate the size of the expected crowd. Also, the local County Legislators would be invited to this meeting to give their input on the matter.
Oil Bid Awarded
Bill Shiland, Superintendent of Highways, had asked the Board for permission to submit bids for fuel oil, sand and heating oil. The bids were opened at this meeting. The bid from Doug’s Oil was accepted by the Board for oil and diesel fuel over a bid from Haskins because Haskins did not include the non-collusive bidding documentation. The Board tabled the bids for sand and gravel while Shiland checked to see whether one of the bids contained salt mixed with sand. Shiland also said the White Creek Bridge replacement project had been taken off the state’s list of priority projects.
The Veterans Service Officer reported that in order to get a veterans name on the memorial plaques in the Town Park veterans or their families needed to show a copy of an honorable discharge or a DD2-14 paper.
Town Historian Phil Leonard had a picture board with historic pictures of North Hoosick, including a veterans honor roll board. Leonard said 850 persons from the township served in World War Two. Leonard also gave a talk on the three different falls within the township, namely the Upper Falls, Lower Falls and Dublin Falls, between the Vermont line and North Hoosick, and the businesses which used them along with pictures of other businesses from the past.
Other Business
• The Board nominated John Coon to the Rensselaer County Fire Advisory Board.
• The Town passed two motions, one to spend $1,500 for bailiff funds for Town Court and the other to transfer funds within the budget for same.
• The Board received confirmation that the Town would be getting some money back from the $8,000 left from the ice skating rink renovation grant, minus fees for an audit of same.
• The Board passed a motion to approve penflex/point awards for volunteer fireman at the North Hoosick Fire House.
• The Board passed a motion to appoint Rick Ferrannini and Daryl Cipperly to the Planning Board and to change the date of the February, 2010 meeting from February 15 to February 16 due to President’s Day Holiday.
• The Board reported that the Town website has been upgraded and looks good. The Town will discuss at its next meeting a policy on the Town internet site.
• The Town passed a motion to have a workshop meeting at 7 pm on the night of the April 5, the Zoning Board of Appeals meeting, to discuss matters between the Zoning Board, Town Board, Planning Board and Town Building Inspector.
• The Town awarded the bid for two security cameras to be put in place at the skating rink.
• Councilperson Surdam sought a motion to get the speed limit on County Route 103 reduced by the state and such a motion was passed.
• Councilperson Wysocki said he served on the Farmland Protection Committee and wished to have Bonnie Powers appointed to the Committee, but the Board could not make a motion on same until the Board sends a letter to a present Committee member, who has not been attending meetings, and ask that individual whether he wishes to remain on the Board or resign.
• Councilperson Schmigel reported that the HFCS bowling team had a fine season and finished second in the sectionals by 63 pins to Mechanicville.
• The Board passed a motion to allow Shiland to seek figures for a new dump truck from the state and/or seek figures from another provider for same outside the state so the data will be ready for the truck bid at the next Board meeting.
• The Board passed a motion to allow the County to use the Town skating rink for tree-shrub pick-up and delivery for the annual sale, most likely on a Saturday in May.
• The Board accepted the resignation of Tom Lemon as bookkeeper, effective March 31. Lemon is retiring from a position he has held for the past nine and one half years.
The busy, discussion filled meeting adjourned at 9:40 pm.