A New Era Begins For Berlin
by Kieron Kramer
At its first regular meeting of the new year the Berlin Town Board voted unanimously to purchase the former Berlin Lumber facility for use as a municipal center that will include a Town Hall and Town Highway Garage. Almost 40 people attended the meeting, and it seemed that they might have been there just to get a view of the new Town Board in action with its three new Board members, Tara Cinney, Dean Maxon and John Winn. But many were there hoping the Board would address the Berlin Lumber issue and wanted to be present when it did. [private]The vote came about two-thirds of the way through the meeting and came as a bit of a surprise since it was not included in the agenda. Town Supervisor Jaeger made the motion right after the Board had returned from a 15 minute executive session in which they discussed the contract negotiations with the union representing the Highway Department workers. He made the motion that the Town purchase the Berlin Lumber property. “Pursuant to the referendum vote in July 2010,” he said. He listed the revenue streams the facility would provide as well as the fact that the price still remains at $499,500. A roll call vote was taken with each Board member voting in favor. This was followed immediately by applause and shouts of approval and downright joy by mostly everyone in the room. And so, on Thursday, January 12, a new era began for the Town of Berlin.
The move to a new municipal center has been a long haul for the Town. It has created significant dissension in the Town ever since it was first proposed by Jaeger in July of 2009. The Town had been saving money in a Capital Fund to invest in a new Town Hall or a new Town Garage since the early 1990s when Stanton Goodermote was Supervisor. Over the years $587,000 was amassed in the Capital Fund for this purpose. In December of 2009 a referendum was held to give the Board permission to use the Capital Fund to purchase the Berlin Lumber property. At that time the price of the property was $569,000, and it was successfully argued that the needed renovations would not be covered by the Capital Fund and that the upkeep of the large facility would break the Town’s budget. So Berlin citizens voted 210 to 131 against the purchase. Then the price dropped to $499,500, and another referendum was held. This time the citizens saw it as a good deal since there would be money left over in the Capital Fund for renovations and since a plan was suggested to rent space at the facility to the County Highway Department, to rent out the current Town Garage and to save the rental on garaging the Town trucks at Cowee’s, which became Hoosic River Hardwoods and is now Green Renewable. The referendum on July 19, 2010 passed 186 to 137. The purchase was not made, however, because the Board at that time, flouting the will of the voters, and after an engineer’s feasibility study rated the buildings in good condition, voted not to make the purchase. The November election changed all that.
Follow The Money
At Thursday’s meeting there was a brief presentation by Jaeger listing the reasons why the purchase should be made. Some had to do with quality of life issues like providing a soccer facility for the Taconic Valley Soccer Club, developing a public park and recreation area on the property and holding events like a gladioli festival that will draw people to Berlin. One side effect is that the current Town Hall will be turned into a museum of Berlin history with an archive of historical documents and a meeting place for historical presentations. But to the sceptics of the project and, more importantly, to all taxpayers, the most persuasive points he made related to the financing of the project. “We will stay within the boundaries promised to the taxpayers,” he said. The promise was not to spend more than what is in the Capital Fund for the purchase and renovations. Since Laberge was paid $9,525 out of it, and the closing costs are estimated at $10,000, there will be approximately $68,000 left in the Capital Fund to renovate the new Town Hall and the new Garage for use immediately. Jaeger said he has a commitment from County Executive Kathy Jimino to rent the front of the main lumber mill building for $6,000 per year to keep valuable County highway equipment under cover when not in use. They have a half million dollar paving machine that they don’t use in the winter, he said. Jaeger said he also has a commitment from a private individual to rent the back of the building for $12,000 per year. He expects that the current Highway Garage can be rented for about $4,800 per year; at one time Morse Heating expressed some interest in renting it. This is a new revenue stream for the Town of $22,800. Add to this, Jaeger said, the $19,000 in the 2012 budget for building maintenance
and improvements, $12,000 allocated for heating and maintaining the current highway garage and the $6,000 saved by not renting garage space from Green Renewable. By this calculation Berlin has $59,800 available in this year and probably in future to pay all of the utility expenses for all the Town buildings with enough left over to use for gradual improvements to the new municipal center. “There will be a transition period, but we have money in the budget right now to start,” Jaeger said. “We will not just spend money but will follow the business plan,” he added. In an interview after the meeting Jaeger said that the closing would take place as soon as the lawyers draw up the papers.
Jaeger said that someone had already made an offer to the Berlin Lumber property owners but withdrew his offer in deference to the Town, an act of civic responsibility. Jaeger added that the delay in purchasing the property cost the Town $25,000, the amount the owners had offered to sweeten the pot in April 2011 before the Board at that time voted against the purchase, and some equipment and furniture that was to be left to the Town at the closing.
But there is no sense in looking back because a new era has begun in Berlin. For the people in the room Thursday night and for the rest who voted for the new municipal center in 2010 and for many across the Town who are heartened by the first new, large business to move into Town in a long time, Green Renewable, the future of Berlin looks bright.
The Rest Of The Meeting
The rest of the meeting Thursday was ordinary by comparison. It began with Jaeger saying, “If the Board will speak up we won’t need to do a roll call on every vote.” So all of the votes at this meeting were voice votes, like in most other Eastwick towns, except for the Berlin Lumber purchase. He also announced that from now on the workshop meetings on the fourth Thursday of the month will be held only when needed. Workshops are public meetings, and business can be done during them, he added.
In his role as Water District #2 Supervisor Jim Winn reported that there was a leak in the main at the bridge on Elm Street. He expected to fix it on the Monday after the meeting because it is a school holiday, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, and the water can be shut off without affecting the Berlin Elementary School. Winn will install a shut-off valve in the main. In the spring he will install a shut off valve in the main on the other side of the bridge because the County has scheduled a replacement of the bridge in 2013 and obviously the water must be shut off on both sides so that the water pressure at the school and for the residents in the area, supplied by alternate mains, won’t be affected.
Jaeger added that residents who leave for the winter often do not notify the Town so leaks in their vacant houses can drain the system, as was the case recently on Elm Street when a resident’s sprinkler system went off. Winn, in his slicker, had to enter to try to shut it off.
As Highway Superintendent Winn reported that they have been doing “odds and ends stuff,” some plowing, and that they fixed the sander that “fell apart.”
Peripatetic Doggies
Dog Control Officer Doug Goodermote reported that he had picked up one dog and found a home for it. He also said that the case of possible animal abuse in Brookside Park reported in October ended satisfactorily when the dog owner voluntarily took the animal to the Hudson Mohawk Animal Shelter to be taken care of.
In an interesting tale, Goodermote told the story of six German shepherds that “came over the hill from Hancock.” Their kennel is on Rathbun Road in Hancock, MA, and they came over the mountain, through the wildlife sanctuary and along George Allen Hollow Road into Cherry Plain. One hung out at the high school, Goodermote said. Three others visited Simon Carr. The owner picked the four up when notified – the lucky ones – they were driven home. One made its way home right away. The last to return home was a six month old pup that got home five days later. It seems that dogs finding their way back home doesn’t just happen in the movies.
Who’s Complaining Now
Code Enforcement Officer Allan Yerton said that he had received a “neighborly complaint” from someone on Bauer Road. When Yerton got there it turned out that the complainant was in violation of code with numerous junk cars on his property.
Planning Board Chair Pam Gerstel reported that that Board and the Zoning Board of Appeals (ZBA) are still revising the 1988 regulations. The next Planning Board meeting is on January 26. She said that they will get a secretary and appoint a Deputy Chair who will replace Gerstel when she goes away. The Town Board received a letter of interest from Jami McMartin to be a Planning Board alternate. The Board voted unanimously, 4-0, to appoint McMartin, who also serves on the Board of Assessment Review. Deputy Supervisor Tara Cinney recused herself from the discussion and vote; McMartin is her daughter.
Reporting on the transfer Station Ivan Wager said that they had “purchased a little steel” for some repairs to the containers which have been started this week. He also reported that he had gone to Albany to meet with the DEC to learn about the new rules regarding the reporting of the disposal of electronic equipment. Wager will be leaving for a well deserved winter vacation. “Eddie will do the paperwork as he has done in the past, and I will call in every day,” Wager said.
No Gladioli For Old Men
Don Calman reported on changes to the Beautification Committee. He is stepping down as Chairman. The Committee has nominated Rebekah Hartman to be the new Chair. Calman will remain on the Committee. “One of the reasons I resigned as Chairman is that I am getting old,” Calman said. Sharon Klein and Sandi Slattery have resigned from the Committee, and Calman said, “We need two new members hopefully under 50.” Tara Cinney will be serving on the Committee. Calman hoped that this Board will support the Beautification Committee. “Moral support is important, but financial support is also important,” he said. Later in the meeting the Board appointed Hartman as Chair of the Beautification Committee and Calman and Cinney as members.
How To Attract New Business
Chair of Assessors Allan Yerton announced that the assessors are presently accepting Senior and Enhanced Star applications for property tax reductions. The applications need to be submitted by March 1.
Regarding attracting new businesses to Town, Yerton suggested an incentive program such as a property tax break. He said the Board would have “to set up a policy that the assessors can go by when setting the tax.” He said that Berlin does not have enough commercially zoned properties because the Town uses the same commercial zones set in 1988. “We really need to do something to build business in Town,” Yerton said. He suggested that the Town needs to “set up some kind of corridor.” He suggested that the Town get an experienced grant writer to apply for public and private grant money and recommended William Osterhout, Jr. Ivan Wager added that one of the first questions asked for public grants is “Are you NIMS (National Incident Management System) compliant?” “If not, that’s as far as the application goes,” he said. This reinforced the notion to new Board members that they should get their NIMS training and to the Board that they have to set their new chain of command.
At the Organizational meeting on January 3, Richard deLeon Jr. was appointed to serve out the term of Jim Saunders, who resigned from the Board in September 2011. DeLeon had already served on the Board in 2011 when he was appointed to fill the vacancy caused by Richard von Schilgen’s untimely death. DeLeon’s term will run to December 31, Jaeger announced. There was some debate as to whether an election will be held in November to fill the seat in 2013. DeLeon thanked everyone for his appointment.
Other Business
The Board agreed to publish requests for bids for highway materials with the same specifications as last year with bids to be opened at the February meeting.
The Board approved the Bank of America as the Town’s depository having forgot to do so at the Organizational meeting.
The Board reappointed Bonita Maxon to the Planning Board for a five year term.
The Board reset the reimbursement rate for mileage at 55.5 cents.
Jaeger announced to the Board that they will audit the Justice Office with Justice Joe Rechen after the February meeting.
As an aside, Jaeger stated, “With the FEMA reimbursement we may be able to buy the truck we should have bought last year [to replace the old tandem axel truck].”
The property owner of the corner at the controversial intersection on Bly Hollow Road asked to be present when more trees are taken down. The Highway Department has cut some trees on its right of way to improve the line of sight at that intersection. Winn and Jaeger said that they would meet with him the next day.
The next regular Town Board meeting will be February 9 at 7:30 pm.[/private]