FEMA Declines To Declare Disaster For July Flooding
At the December 12 meeting of the Village of Hoosick Falls Board of Trustees Mayor Robert Allen began by relaying the news that FEMA had made a decision not to declare a disaster area in response to floods from the July rainstorm which hit the Village so hard. The news that no federal funding will be forthcoming to help the Village and the homeowners affected by this event was devastating news to some who had lost their houses or businesses to the flooding. Allen said he has not heard much yet about the basis for this decision, but he hopes to get a report at some point which would shed light on how the agency reached its conclusion.
The Board received an emphatic rejection of its offer to purchase a utility easement from Jack Cataneo for the sewer project. Cataneo sent back the offer letter with numerous comments written on it, describing the eminent domain procedure as a criminal enterprise and writing in large letters scrawled across the letter “REJECTED.” Village Attorney Andrew Gilchrist said now that the Village has received a written rejection of its offer, it can commence litigation to take the easement by eminent domain. The Board authorized him to proceed with eminent domain proceedings by a unanimous vote.
David Bond from the Center for the Advancement of Public Action at Bennington College attended the meeting because his organization is requesting permission to put its questionnaire about health effects of PFOA exposure in the Village’s water bills. Bond said his organization is trying to maximize the number of completed questionnaires and is seeking a means of doing that. He said when they go door to door they get a great response, but they have only been to about 5% of the houses and they don’t have the manpower to get to all the houses. Trustees said they are willing to include the questionnaire, but the Village Attorney said it must be clearly explained that it is not a Village undertaking, and that a response is not required. Mayor Allen said he will draft a letter to go with the questionnaire and pass it around to make sure everyone is satisfied before it goes out.
Terry McGuire spoke to the Board about her annoyance about enforcement letters she had received from Code Enforcement Officer Mark Surdam and asked the Board to consider more landlord-friendly policies. She highlighted the difficulty of being a landlord in Hoosick Falls these days, saying the rent you can get is barely enough to cover the cost of owning the building. Frank Downing spoke to the Board in a similar vein, saying he had “given away” a building because it is no longer feasible to be a landlord in Hoosick Falls. The Board expressed a desire to learn more about this subject and to review its policies. Trustee Bushner went so far as to suggest consideration of a tax credit for good landlords after a certain period of time.
Water Superintendent Jim Hurlburt told the Board that both compressors at the water plant need to be replaced, and it will cost $13,210 to replace them, including installation. The Board, having not much choice, authorized Hurlburt to go ahead with replacement of the compressors.
The Board accepted a proposal from a company called SmartWatt to take over the streetlights in Hoosick Falls and put LED bulbs in them. The company will handle all the paperwork, and the Village is expected to save $61,365 annually because of the reduced electricity costs from the LED lighting. It is a 20 year contract.
The Board received 5 bids from companies offering do the engineering work for the Snow Street Water Main Replacement Project. The least expensive was Delaware Engineering for $26,800. Next highest was Barton & Loguidice for $27,000, then MRB for $32,200. The other two were in the neighborhood of $50,000. Although the Village is familiar with Delaware Engineering and has had good experience with them, Trustee Kevin O’Malley said he preferred to accept MRB’s proposal because “Dave Lucas has been very generous with his time” over the course of the water crisis. Bob Ryan agreed, and Attorney Gilchrist said the Board is well within its rights to accept a slightly higher proposal if it has greater confidence in the firm. The Board unanimously accepted the MRB proposal.
The Board discussed terms for offering for public bid the property at 62 Mechanic Street. Bids will be sought by January 4, with a minimum bid of $5,000 and a requirement that renovation of the building be substantially completed by the end of August. Attorney Gilchrist said a performance requirement of that kind can be tricky, but he said it can be done, and he will provide language for the bid specifications.
In other news:
The Board agreed to host the St. Patrick’s Day Parade on Saturday, March 17. A big event will be scheduled in Wood Park after the parade, similar to the event in Wood Park last summer. The Sand Bar will be involved, providing food and drink in an enclosure in Wood Park.
Trustee Ben Patten said Village Treasurer Denise McMahon is trying to get the new accounting system to work and is having “all kinds of problems” with the new software and may have to go back to the old software.
The Board agreed to a three year agreement with the Village’s labor relations attorneys, Roemer, Wallens, Gold, & Mineaux for $1,350 per month in 2018, $1,375 per month in 2019, and $1,400 per month in 2020.
The Board granted permission for Unihog Barbecue, a restaurant planned for a location on Center Street by Jasen Von Guiness, to have a liquor license for beer and wine only. The restaurant still needs to get a State liquor license.
At the end of the meeting the Board went into executive session to discuss potential litigation.