Stephentown

By Denise Wright
The Clean-up day for the town has been scheduled for Friday, June 9th, from 10 am to 8 pm, and the Hazardous Waste Day has been slated for April 29th in Schaghticoke. Councilmember Jennings stressed that residents must register on the website if they want to take part in Hazardous Waste Day. He also noted that the transfer station still takes paint cans and invites residents to use the program. 

STEPHENTOWN VOLUNTEER FIRE DEPARTMENT

Submitted by Bob Adler
The Stephentown Volunteer Fire Department (SVFD) will hold an open house and recruitment drive at the fire station on State Route 43 on Saturday, April 22nd, from 10 am to 2 pm. The event will highlight the duties and rewards that come with being a volunteer. Students can join at age 16-17 as junior members. With no upper age limit, we welcome retirees, especially as drivers. Veterans, scouts, and scouters are a natural fit. Multi-generation organizations enrich the lives of all members.

By Denise Wright
The March 20th Town Board meeting was active, with lots of discussion about spring projects and proposals. 

After approving the bills, the transfer station reported that the Hazardous Waste Day had been scheduled for Saturday, April 29th, in Schaghticoke, and the Clean-up Day for the village had been scheduled for June 9th, from 10 am to 8 pm. The same rules will apply as last year. A new electronic service is under review because the individual who used to collect the appliances and electronics has gone out of business. Because of a new service, changes are most likely anticipated. 

Some residents asked questions about the transfer station and potential changes that could be happening in the future. Because of inflation, there has been a 7-8 percent increase in hauling fees, impacting the station's budget. Bids for hauling contracts will assist with that problem. A concern for recyclables was raised, and

by Denise Wright 

Even with Supervisor PJ Roder on vacation, the Stephentown Town Board was working hard at a brief meeting on February 20th. The board approved bills from the General account totaling approximately $19,000 and claims over $38,000 from the highway account with an overall total of $57,854.98. 

After approving the minutes from the January 16th meeting, the Town Clerk and the Justice Court reported that they turned over funds to the town accordingly. The transfer station said that, typically, December is a slow month but did deposit $5,206. The paint can program is in effect, and residents may clean out their garages and bring their cans to the station. The only requirement is that paint cans be in sealed cans labeled as paint. No cleaning materials, such as mineral spirits, are accepted. Residents are reminded that it is mud season, so please be careful at the transfer station. While the 2022 year ended with a small deficit of $1,000, the hope is that more residents will take advantage of the transfer station in the upcoming year. 

By Denise Wright 

The January 16th monthly meeting approved $35,709.01 in the general fund and over $24,390.16 from the highway fund to pay the monthly bills. The annual fee for a new program was mentioned during the bill report for residents to be able to pay for their dog licensing online. The Town Clerk said the system still needs to be implemented because they are waiting on a credit card machine. Once the system works, residents will still have to bring updated rabies certificates into the office to be validated. 

The transfer station reported an annual income of $92,415 which is down from the $99,283 from the year before. It was concluded that residents purchased fewer permits and bags. Also, the difference could be attributed to seniors having a discounted price. The transfer station is proud to announce that they have started the paint can program again now that they have a lockable storage facility. This program is available during regular hours at no cost to residents. They only stressed making sure it is discarded paint and nothing else. Supervisor Roder commented that the program is a good service, free of charge for all residents. 

By Denise Wright
The Town Board of Stephentown worked hard on November 21, paying the bills, reviewing/approving minutes, and passing resolutions. 

Members highlighted two bills that involved purchasing a microphone in conjunction with the court from the general account, and a culvert replacement near Webster Hill Road. The microphone will come in handy for the court and Town to use on various occasions. 

The Board approved minutes from the budget workshops, solar energy public hearing, and Town Board. The preliminary budget and special meeting to adopt the budget on November 14 were also approved. The transfer station reported that workers had repaired the gate after a resident had run into it. It isn't as pretty, but it does work. They also said they temporarily suspended the paint program until a lockable storage solution was in place. With inflation happening, officials decided that prices will not be increased this year.