Village Board Approves Site Plan For Expanded Cumberland Farms Store
by Alex Brooks
Attorney Stephanie Bitter attended the meeting on behalf of Cumberland Farms along with Scott Shearing of Bohler Engineering, with a site plan map showing plans for the renovation of the Hoosick Falls store incorporating the lot on which the former Elks building now stands. [private] The plan to remove the Elks building and renovate the the current store, adding more parking spaces on the additional land. The plans included an 18” high masonry wall along Church Street near the corner of lower John St., and that corner will have some landscaping to make it like a small park. There will be a flag pole and some kind of historical plaque noting that the Elks building once stood on this site. They agreed to work with Town Historian Phil Leonard on the design of this plaque. There will be a new entrance to the parking lot onto lower John Street, and in order to accommodate traffic turning in and out of that entrance, they asked that parking be eliminated on the other side of the street across from the entrance. Although many on the Board regretted the loss of the Elks building, they recognized that no one could be found who wanted to renovate it, and that Cumberland Farms is making a significant investment in upgrading their store. They approved the site plan presented and passed a local law prohibiting parking on the north side of Lower John Street for 135’ from the corner of Church Street.
Mayor Borge said a new contract with the police union had been worked out, and he presented it to the Board for approval. The current contract expired May 31. The new contract is for a three year period and it has been ratified by the police union. It calls for a 2% pay raise retroactive to June 1 of this year, time and a half pay for working on certain specified holidays, and an incentive payment for officers who stay on the Hoosick Falls police force for five years or more – $500 after 5 years, $1,000 after ten years, and $1,500 after 15 years. Chief Ashe said the contract negotiations “went well,” saying they came to an agreement after only two meetings. He noted that other police contract negotiations have dragged on for a lengthy period.
The Board approved the new contract.
Mayor Borge said he had appointed a search and interview committee for hiring an economic development person for the Village. This committee included Joe Shaw, Tom Vallone, Rick Ferrannini, Karen Sprague and Kevin O’Malley from the Village Board, and may include others. The group is advertising the position right away, and hopes to fill the position by the end of January.
Water Update
Mayor Borge said work is progressing swiftly on installation of the full-capacity filters, and flushing and testing of those filters should begin soon. After testing is complete, the Village water system will switch over to the full capacity filters. Borge estimated that the temporary filters will be removed sometime in late January or February. He said the Village, Saint-Gobain and State agencies are still working out the details of when the free bottled water will be discontinued. He said there will be plenty of notice about when this is going to happen.
Borge said an alternative water source is actively being investigated. A potential site has been identified. They now plan to drill a 10” well to test if there is a sufficient quantity of water there.
In other matters:
• Trustee Robert Downing said the Village’s transition of its financial software from Quickbooks to Williamson has been slow, and it is not yet completed..
• Mayor Borge said the Village’s new (used) dump truck has arrived, and the Village will be advertising to sell the old one.
• The Board approved the appointment of Jessica VonGuiness to a vacancy on the Zoning Board.
• There was no report from Code Enforcement Officer Mark Surdam, as he is recovering from surgery. [/private]