by Bea Peterson
At the Hoosick Falls Village Board meeting on Tuesday, March 10, Bob Murphy of Barton & Loguidice DPC (B&L) addressed the Board regarding a grant application for a study of Woods Brook. Murphy and Brad Grant had made a similar request at the Hoosick Town Board meeting the evening before and the Town Board gave B&L the go-ahead to complete the grant application at a total cost of $7,000 with the Town and Village each paying half. The Village was certainly in favor of a study.
[private]However, Deputy Mayor Ric DiDonato, who has walked the Brook with Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) people, said the Town and Village should not apply for a study until B&L have an opinion from DEC as to what can and can’t be done in and around the Brook. The Board approved paying the $3,500 for the grant application contingent on B&L contacting DEC and receiving their guidelines. DiDonato said it was important to keep the ball rolling on resolving the Woods Brook problems, but it must proceed within DEC requirements.
Lab Results From Individuals
Mayor David Borge said the Village is waiting for ground sample results regarding the perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) issue. He said he knows some private individuals have done some testing and he hopes those individuals will share the information they have received with the Village. “A copy of those results would be very helpful,” he said. That way the Village can put together a more comprehensive picture of the water and ground situation. He added that the Department of Health is putting together a spread sheet of the information collected. He reiterated that there is no quick fix for this problem. “We know of three other communities with this problem and we are looking into what they are doing to about it,” he said.
Snow Street
Mayor Borge said improvements to the water lines on Snow Street had been put in the budget that ends May 31. However, the Village has been dealing with several issues that caused them to use that $45,000 elsewhere. He said the Village has spent more than $10,000 on PFOA samples, $26,000 for a PFOA pilot program study and $37,000 as a payment on a loan that had to be taken out this past year to cover DEC-mandated sewer line repairs near the River Road pump station, repairs to the Rogers Ave. water tank and for a new police cruiser. “We received a $95,000 grant to cover the water tank repairs from NYS Senator Marchione, but we haven’t seen that money yet,” he said. The Mayor is hopeful funds can be put back into the budget to cover Snow Street, but at this time, it is still uncertain.
Appointees From Outside The Village
The Board adjourned the Public Hearing on allowing duly qualified individuals outside the Village, but living in Rensselaer County, to hold appointed positions in the Village. The Hearing will be delayed until May so the law can be further defined.
Filling Vacancies Left By Whalen
The Board approved a motion to appoint Town Assessor Tony Rice as acting Assessor for the Village for six months, effective February 15. “There is a great deal involved,” said Mayor Borge. “And we need to look at appointing a new Assessor or combining the two Assessor positions into one.” The Town and the Village have different tax structures.
The Board will select a new Justice by Resolution at its April meeting.
The Assessor and Justice positions became vacant with the recent death of Dick Whalen.
A vacancy has been created in the Police Department by the resignation of Assistant Chief Harold McClellan to become Town Justice. Chief Robert Ashe asked that Jeremy Connor be appointed a part time Police Officer. The appointment passed. Deputy Mayor DiDonato and Trustees Kevin O’Malley, Ben Patten and Karen Sprague voted yes, and Trustee Robert Downing voted no. Village Trustee Bob Ryan was absent
The Board also approved, by the same vote, the appointment of Mark Surdam as 35 hour a week/full time Building Inspector. Though Surdam is also Hoosick Town Supervisor it has been determined there is no conflict of interest. O’Malley said Surdam was the candidate with the most well-rounded credentials. Surdam owns apartments in the Village, it was pointed out. Those apartments will be inspected by someone else, said the Mayor. Surdam has resigned his position at Delurey Sales & Service and will begin as Building Inspector on March 23.
This position is expected to generate about $30,000 in revenue for the Village through inspection fees, permits and fines.
Four applicants will be interviewed to fill the one vacancy on the Highway Department.
Scams
Chief Ashe said a new series of telephone scams have been reported in this area. One is a request for funds for the Police Department. “The Police Department does not solicit for funds,” explained Ashe. Another phone scam requests payment of federal taxes. The IRS always handles tax claims through the mail, never by phone, said Ashe.
New Sign
Phil Leonard, chairman of the Wood Park Veterans Memorial committee, submitted a picture of a sign that will be placed in Wood Park noting it is the former grounds of the Wood Mansion, and Walter A. Wood High School. It also mentions the summer band concerts, the Hoosick Veterans Memorial and the Jose DeCreeft sculpture. The cost of the sign, which will be similar to those created by the State of New York years ago, will be paid for from leftover Veterans Memorial funds.
Transfer Station
Starting April 7 the Transfer Station will be open Tuesdays from 8 am until noon as well as on Saturdays from 8 am until 2 pm.
Downing said that leftover latex paint can be left at the Transfer Station for pickup by ERCSWMA.
It was noted that Hoosick Falls did not slide through this winter unscathed. The Village did have broken water lines and residents did have frozen pipes, but they were repaired quickly.
Organizational Meeting
The Village Organizational Meeting will be held at 6 pm on Tuesday, April 14, followed by a Public Hearing on the 2015-2016 Tentative Budget. The regular meeting will begin at 6:45 pm.
Mr. Ding-a-Ling was given a peddler’s permit from April 15 to September 30.
The meeting began with the Pledge of Allegiance and a moment of silence in memory of Mike (Larry) Stowell.[/private]