Rensselaer County Legislature – Shaken But Not Stirred

by Kieron Kramer
The discontent of the voters, evident at all governmental levels in the recent election, was powerfully expressed in the election results for the Rensselaer County Legislature. When the Legislature met on Tuesday, November 6, one week after the election, the landscape of the Legislature had been changed considerably. The balance of power between the parties has not changed, there will still be 13 Republicans and 6 Democrats, but ten of the 19 Legislators will be new in January.
Perhaps the most surprising result is that all six seats from District #1, the City of Troy, were won by Democrats. This means that the powerful and charismatic Chairman of the Legislature, Neil Kelleher, is no longer a member of that body. He first joined the Legislature 20 years ago and was elected Chairman in 1995. His mother, née Frank, hailed from Hoosick Falls. Kelleher, who is a gifted politician, will no doubt emerge in some other political arena.
Robert Mirch, the outspoken Majority Leader was also turned out, as were Kelleher’s and Mirch’s handpicked, recent appointees, Catherine Vandenburgh and Michael Picarillo, both from Troy.
The Democrats lost all four of their seats in District #2. Minority Leader Ginny O’Brien of Rensselaer did not run. She took the opportunity to commend the service of her colleagues who remain and especially the departing Democrats, “Who,” she said, “brought energy and transparency to government.” She singled out for praise Deputy Minority Leader Keith Hammond, who was not returned to office. The lone incumbent Democrat remaining is Peter Grimm of Troy.
Needless to say there was a funereal air to Tuesday’s proceedings, the shortest Legislative session in recent memory, with no debate and no rancor, just exhaustion and disappointment.
Resolution In Honor Of Past Emergency Services Personnel
The Rensselaer County Emergency Services Memorial Ceremony was held on October 4 on the campus of Hudson Valley Community College. The ceremony honored “past emergency services personnel who, by their faithful and loyal devotion to duty, have rendered invaluable service to our community and its citizens.” The Rensselaer County Ambulance and Rescue Association, Rensselaer County Fire Chiefs Association, Rensselaer County Law Enforcement Association and Rensselaer County Bureau of Public Safety sponsored the event. At Tuesday’s Rensselaer County Legislative session a resolution was passed that honored the past emergency personnel who were honorees at the ceremony.
The resolution says, “Emergency services personnel play an essential role in the protection of lives and property in our local community. These individuals put forth the commitment and dedication to save the lives of others, often risking their own, provided services to those in need 24 hours a day, seven days a week, freely gave of their time to attend training, certifications and seminars and provided the highest level of professionalism in the performance of their duties. Many family members, friends, co-workers, elected officials, EMS personnel and colleagues from around the County gathered to remember this year’s honorees, the men and women of emergency services who have passed this year.”
The honorees from eastern Rensselaer County are Wilma M. Anderson, Captain of Berlin Rescue Squad, Treasurer – Board of Fire Commissioners, Berlin Fire District & Berlin Rescue Squad; Dorothy Bentley, Member, Berlin Fire Dept.; Thomas W. Brown, Life Member/Past Chief, Taborton Fire Dept.; Richard Frederick Brown, Past Member, Stephentown Fire Dept.; Steve Bullis, Firefighter, Eagle Mills Fire Dept.; Neil Dalessio, Board of Directors – Sand Lake Ambulance, Honorary Member West Sand Lake FD, Sand Lake Ambulance, West Sand Lake Fire Dept.; Samuel Danish, Life Member, Eagle Mills Fire Dept,; Thomas J. Downey, Life Member – Hoosick Falls Fire Dept., Current Fire Commissioner, Former Member of the Town of Hoosick Rescue Squad, Hoosick Falls Fire Dept., Hoosick Falls Joint Fire Dist.; Carl B. Fitzpatrick, Captain/Past President Rensselaer Co. Fire Chiefs Association, Eagle Mills Fire Dept.; Harold Foster, Past Member, Grafton Fire Dept.; Sidney Gallant, Life Member, Fire Company Trustee, Averill Park Fire Dept., West Sand Lake Fire; Ernest Legenbauer, Life Member, Poestenkill Fire Dept.; Richard William Long, Life Member, Tsatsawassa Fire Dept.; Robert W. Mandeville, Oldest Charter Member, Center Brunswick Fire Dept.; Dianne Pettit Menard, Member, Pittstown Rescue Squad; Ann Muellecker, Life Member, Taborton Fire Dept.; Donald Oliver, Life Member (50 years), Board of Fire Commissioners, West Sand Lake Fire Dept.; Mark E. Peyser, Member, Stephentown Fire Dept.; Laura Robinson, Founding Member, Grafton Rescue Squad; Clifford Viall Sr., Charter Member, Schaghticoke, Fire Dept.; Ruth Wager, Past Captain, Berlin Rescue Squad; Walter L. Webster, Jr., Assistant Chief/Deputy Battalion Coordinator, Eagle Mills Fire Dept. Special tribute was paid to Dale R. Long, Paramedic and 1988 Vermont EMS Advanced Rescuer of the Year from Bennington, VT, who lost his life in the line of duty.
Copies of the resolution, suitably engrossed, will be presented to Kelly Paslow, Bureau of Public Safety Director, the Rensselaer County Ambulance and Rescue Association, the Rensselaer County Fire Chiefs’ Association, the Rensselaer County Law Enforcement Association and Hudson Valley Community College.
Easement Over Dyken Pond Property
A resolution was passed authorizing an easement allowing access for ingress and egress by the Friends of Dyken Pond Center over the County’s Dyken Pond land to the recently purchased parcel of vacant land approximately 22 acres in size immediately adjacent to the Dyken Pond facilities and fronting the cove known as Otter Creek. According to the resolution the State of New York is insistent that the Friends of the Dyken Pond Center be allowed open access to the County’s Dyken Pond Center. A grant from the State of New York Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation to the Friends of the Dyken Pond Center assisted it in paying its mortgage on that vacant lot. A requirement of the State grant is that the Friends of Dyken Pond Center will guarantee a permanent conservation easement severely limiting the development of Otter Creek.
As far as the County is concerned, the Friends of the Dyken Pond Center has always supported the efforts of the County in its operation of the Dyken Pond facilities and has assured the County that the access it seeks over the County’s property shall be consistent with the County’s intentions and use of the Dyken Pond Center.
Mortgage Tax Distributions
The Legislature passed a resolution distributing $1,969,489.84, which represents the local share of mortgage tax collected for the period April 1, 2009, to September 30, 2009, to the cities, towns and villages of Rensselaer County in accordance with Section 261 of the Tax Law of the State of New York. The Eastwick municipalities receiving this distribution are: (I=increase; D= decrease)
Berlin                         $15,762.59 I
Brunswick                182,988.07 I
Grafton                       27,633.95 D
Hoosick                      51,033.47 D
Hoosick Falls           10,571.39 D
East Nassau                4,249.80 I
Petersburgh               11,466.34 I
Pittstown                   46,538.48 D
Poestenkill                64,436.87 D
Sand Lake               153,883.42 I
Schaghticoke          119,476.87 D
Stephentown            33,674.63 D
Adjourning In Memory Of Harold Kyer
The meeting of the Legislature was adjourned in memory of Harold Kyer, who died on October 3. He was born in West Hoosick. His parents were the late Lorens and Harriet ‘Haddie’ Jacobs Kyer. He was educated in the Troy Central School District and had been employed at Wiley Brothers Inc. in Schaghticoke for 26 years. He also served as the Building Inspector for the Town of Pittstown for over 20 years, retiring in 1989. In the 1950s he was a longtime race car driver in the famous car P61, winning numerous events at the State Line and Rutland speedways.