by David Flint
It’s budget time again and Town Supervisor Larry Eckhardt at the Stephentown Town Board meeting Monday, September 19 laid out the schedule for getting it done. Requests from departments and town organizations are due this week. [private]Eckhardt will prepare a Tentative Budget and file it with the Town Clerk by October 1. This will be presented to the Town Board at the Budget Workshop meeting on Monday, October 10, at which time it becomes the Preliminary Budget. There will be a public hearing on this Preliminary Budget on Monday, October 24.
Eckhardt said that the State requires that the budget be adopted by November 20. This likely means that the Board will have to approve and adopt the Preliminary Budget at its meeting on November 14, which would normally be the workshop meeting for that month.
Sales Tax
Eckhardt reported that the Town has received the second distribution of Sales Tax revenue for the year in the amount of $65,291.63. Another distribution is expected later but at this rate, he said, the amount the Board budgeted for this revenue should be close to the amount received.
Corkscrew Rail Trail
Joe Ogilvie and Art Karis, representing the Friends of the Corkscrew Rail Trail Association, gave an update on what’s happening with the Trail. The Trail runs along the old Rutland Railroad bed from Knapp Road south toward New Lebanon for 2.9 miles. It is open year round, except during some of the hunting season, for hiking, bicycling, horse riding and snowmobiling. The Friends maintain the trail and they also maintain a Facebook page and a website (corkscrewrailtrail.org ).
Long term they are hoping to be able to expand the trail north and south to connect with other trails in Rensselaer and Columbia Counties. Short term they are working to improve the drainage along several spots on the trail. To help with that work they could use more volunteers and especially people who could lend some heavy equipment. An amount of gravel has been offered by one donor but equipment and volunteers are needed to transport and spread it. A sign-up sheet for volunteers, they said, has been placed in the Stephentown Library.
The all-volunteer Friends Association has been very successful so far, Karis said. They don’t own any property. The property through which the trail runs is still owned by local residents and it is thanks to their generosity that the trail is open to the public. Feedback left in a logbook kept in a kiosk on the trail has been very positive. The trail, he said, is highly regarded both by local residents and visitors from other areas.
Seeking More Response To Broadband Survey
Councilman Gerry Robinson reported that 160 people have responded to the survey on broadband that has been sent to all Town residents. The survey is intended to document the need for better internet service in the Town. Robinson wants to make sure the Town is not overlooked in the State’s drive to increase broadband in rural areas.
Robinson said the response so far is good and indicates very strong support for improving the quality of internet service at affordable prices. But he would like to have about 280 responses which would represent about 20% of the population.
Robinson is working toward having the Town be included in the recent stipulation by the Public Service Commission that Charter Communications, having merged with Time Warner, provide affordable cable internet service to another 145,000 households in rural areas. He also wants to make sure Stephentown profits from Fairpoint Communication’s 7-year, federally funded plan to upgrade internet service by phone lines.
Dog Problem
The Town this month paid out another $552 to take care of abused dogs. Last month the bill came to over $2,000. The bills this month are for one particular case called the Rouse Case – $252 for boarding fees to Pondview Country Kennels and $300 to pay for veterinarian services.
Councilman Chris Demick said the case is still in the courts. It is hoped that the Town can recoup some of these costs, but it is not very likely.
Snow Is Coming?
The Board passed a resolution authorizing the Town Clerk to advertise for snowplowing at the Transfer Station and the Town Hall and for shoveling and salting sidewalks at the Town Hall. Bids are due to the Town Clerk by Friday, October 14.
Paying For The New Town Truck
The Board passed a resolution to transfer funds from the General Reserve Fund to the Building Equipment line item in the General Fund. The amount was $118,470 which pays for the Highway Department’s new plow truck, a 2017 International Model 7500 4×4 heavy duty single axle cab and Chassis from Navistar, Inc.
Highway Superintendent Aldy Goodermote said the truck is now up at Delurey in North Hoosick for installation of a Diesel Exhaust Fluid system. DEF is used to prevent the exhaust of unburnt fuel from diesel engines. The fluid is stored in a tank on board the vehicle and is injected into the exhaust system by a metering system.
Deposits And Spending
The Town Clerk turned over the sum of $728 to the Supervisor for the month of August. The distribution from the Office of the State Comptroller, Justice Court Fund to the Town was $4,742. The Transfer Station deposited a total of $9,276.
The Board audited and approved claims in the amount of $141,064.49 from the General Account and $149,337.48 from the Highway Account. The claims on the General Fund included payment for the new truck. The claims on the Highway Account included about $100,000 for chipsealing the following roads: Griffin, Fire Tower, Sutherland, Whitman, Losty, Andrews Lane, Newton and Southard.
The Board set its Budget Workshop meeting for Monday, October 10 at 7 pm and their next regular meeting for Monday, October 24 to be preceded by a public hearing on the Preliminary Budget at 7 pm.[/private]