Supervisor's Report and Notice of Special Meeting

We had to declare a local state of emergency for Hydor Drive due to the occurrence of a third sinkhole in the last five months.  The bottom of the stormwater pipe is corroded and water is causing erosion of the soil to the point where small sections of the road are collapsing.  We’re using cones to prevent residents from driving on the affected side of the road and are negotiating with firms that can repair the stormwater pipe as soon as possible.  We thank the people on Hydor Drive for their patience.  We will solve this problem.

Road paving has been postponed due to scheduling issues with the company that will be paving our roads.  Paving is now tentatively scheduled to begin on August 22nd.

Our Music in the Park concert series starts tomorrow night (August 2^nd) at 6:00 p.m. in Onderdonk Park.  Music will be provided by Band of Gold.

On August 6^th, there will be a volunteer community weed pull and clean-up at Hanpton Manor Lake from 9:00 a.m. until 3:00 p.m.  This event is sponsored by the newly-formed Hampton Manor Action Group.  See their Facebook page for more information on the group and this event.

The Town Festival will be held on Saturday, August 20^th starting at noon and ending with fireworks over the lake at 8:00 p.m.  This is a great event put together by our Town Services Coordinator Jessica Lansing.
 

Public Notice: Special Meeting

The Town Board of the Town of East Greenbush will hold a Special Meeting on August 4, 2016 at 6:00 p.m. at Town Hall, 225 Columbia Turnpike, Rensselaer, NY 12144 for the purpose of scheduling a public hearing on a Local Law to waive the residency requirement for the Commissioner of Public Works.

Amended East Greenbush Ethics Code

Here's a link to the amended Ethics Code on the East Greenbush Town website, followed by a comment by Supervisor Jack Conway:

http://www.eastgreenbush.org/news/964-notice-of-public-hearing-code-of-ethics-

"We're very proud of the amended Code of Ethics.  It was redrafted by the Board of Ethics and completed by the Town Board.  Thanks to Kathleen Luria and the Board of Ethics for their skill and dedication.  The entire Code has been reviewed and major changes have been made to tighten up the requirements for financial disclosure, and rewrite the rules on nepotism and political activity on the part of Town officials.  The amended Code also includes a section on the grounds for removal of a member of the Board of Ethics.  That section is designed to protect members from removal for political reasons. Overall, the amended Code of Ethics helps fulfill East Greenbush First's promise to take politics out of our Town government.  Please review and bring your thoughts and comments to the Public Hearing.

Thanks,  Jack"

From Supervisor Jack Conway....June 27, 2016

After six months in office, it’s time to take a look at some of what has been achieved by the new Town Board.

We implemented a difficult and long overdue sewer rate increase after intensive analysis and a series of public hearings.  We’ve overhauled the planning department with a series of excellent appointments and an emphasis on the use of in-house resources instead of expensive consultants. We created a formal system for tracking and spending Generic Environmental Impact Statement (GEIS) fees so that infrastructure issues can be addressed and our parks revitalized.  Efforts to improve the Hampton Manor Park have included a volunteer cleanup, new playground equipment, the return of the gazebo, a new mural and rebuilt chimney for the Lakehouse, and a developing plan for a new walkway.  We’re seeking grants to improve the Town Park and are investigating the possibility of restoring swimming to the pond in the Park.

We restored the question and answer format to Town Board meetings and added public comment to pre-Board meetings. We’ve established an Honor a Veteran Program. We’ve held several meetings with residents of Hampton Manor concerning the drinking water in the Manor.  Efforts to revitalize Columbia Turnpike include a Rapid Action Plan that will incentivize redevelopment of small businesses, redrafting of the Town’s Building Code and Zoning Ordinance to facilitate a stronger code enforcement program, and working with landowners to improve appearances.  The Weathervane is gone.  We signed a new contract with our Police Officers and hope to do the same soon with our DPW employees and the Bruen Rescue Squad.  We’ve modernized the information technology in Town Hall by replacing our obsolete servers and purchasing new computers.

What’s next?  We’re preparing for an independent audit of the Town’s finances for 2015.

Our summer camp opens on July 5^th and once again it is fully enrolled.  Road paving is scheduled for July 25-27.  In August we’ll pass a new Code of Ethics, one that will further remove politics from the business of our Town government.  We’re researching accounting software for the Town Comptroller and new designs for our website.  There’s much to be done but we’re excited about what has been achieved to date.

From Supervisor Jack Conway.....

The demolition of the Weathervane began today. It should take 3 or 4 days to complete the demolition and site clean up.  That building stood for almost 75 years but has been vacant the last 8.  This Town Board was adamant that the building had to be taken down but we got a great response from the property owners, who agreed that it was an important first step in revitalizing Columbia Turnpike.  It's going to take a lot of cooperation between the public and private sector to make things happen and today showed the promise and possibility of getting that done.

Today was noteworthy for several other reasons.  It marks the END of the decline of Columbia Turnpike.  It is the opening salvo in a major code enforcement push on 9&20. And it lays the groundwork for a Rapid Action Plan that will provide significant incentives for redevelopment on that corridor.  This Town Board has made code enforcement and the revitalization of 9&20 very high priorities. Today is only the beginning.

From the East Greenbush Town Website

Commissioner of Public Works Position Opening

COMMISSIONER OF PUBLIC WORKS



 The Town of East Greenbush, New York is seeking a Commissioner of Public Works.  The candidate must have a strong knowledge of the principles and practices of engineering, and the design and construction of water mains, sanitary sewers, storm sewers, highways, buildings and other public works facilities, including water and wastewater treatment plants.  The candidate performs work of considerable complexity and difficulty, including supervision of a large department and project management.

Requirements:

Bachelor’s Degree and five (5) years of experience in the construction and maintenance of infrastructure and related public works activities, of which four (4) of the years shall have been in a responsible supervisory capacity, or an equivalent combination of experience and training.

A Professional Engineer’s license issued by the State of New York at time of appointment is highly preferred, but an otherwise exceptional candidate without such a license will be considered.

The position is an appointment of the Town Board, with a residency requirement that can be waived at Board discretion.

Please email cover letter, resume, list of references and salary requirements by July 1, 2016 to Lisa O’Brien, Administrative Assistant to the Supervisor, at lobrien@eastgreenbush.org.  To learn more about the Town of East Greenbush, visit our website at www.eastgreenbush.org.

We dodged a bullet

This study was just brought to my attention.  Looks like East Greenbush would have had a major problem if that Casino Thingy had been permitted to go forward as desired by the all-knowing insiders.  They should be ashamed of themselves for what they tried to dump on their neighbors. 

Institute report finds low growth in gambling revenue

By Jimmy Vielkind
11:13 a.m. | Apr. 12, 2016
As four casinos push to open their doors early next year, a report from the Rockefeller Institute of Public Policy found minimal growth in gambling revenue for states over the last decade and intangible costs associated with increased wagering options.

According to the report, which is funded by former ambassador Harry Blinken, state revenue from gambling grew by 1.8 percent between 2008 and 2015 — largely attributable to new casinos in Maryland and Ohio. Additionally, gambling revenue (including lottery revenue) declined slightly in 2015 for the second consecutive year.

"State officials considering expansion of existing gambling activities or legalization of new activities should weigh the pros and cons carefully," study author Lucy Dadyan wrote.

Here is the study: http://bit.ly/1Q4InFx

Jack Conway's Supervisor's Report for April 1st.

On April 13, 2016 the East Greenbush Town Board will hold a public hearing on the proposed sewer user rate increase at 7:00 p.m. in Town Hall.  Comprehensive information on the proposed rate increase is available on the Town’s website, www.eastgreenbush.org.  We hope residents will come to the hearing and share their views.

The rate increase follows a series of irresponsible Town Board decisions made by several administrations.  In 2008 the Town entered into a service agreement with the Rensselaer County Water and Sewer Authority (RCWSA) to borrow $6.55 million for sewers at 5.1% interest requiring an annual debt service payment of $400,000/year until 2048.  Efforts to refinance that debt are failing because the Town doesn’t have adequate documentation of how the money was used.  In 2013 we undertook a $15.6 million upgrade to our Wastewater Treatment Plant (WWTP).  After closing on long term financing in August 2016, the town will owe another $700,000/year for 30 years.  No arrangements were made to pay these bills. The sewer user rates haven’t been increased since 2011 even though we knew the WWTP bill would come due this year.

The approval and lack of oversight for the RCWSA service agreement, and the inaction of previous Town Board members to adequately address the WWTP financing has led to the unavoidable and unpleasant necessity to increase revenue.  It has been suggested that we should generate the revenue solely from the tax levy, which would result in an 8% tax increase in the 2017 budget, a cost that would also be borne by non-users of the sewer system.  An 8% tax increase would depress property values and further discourage commercial investment in our Town.  We ask that you review the proposed increases, and note that the General District, which serves more than half the residents in Town, will still have rates that are among the lowest in the Capital District after the increase has been implemented.

We have to stop the profligate spending habits and irresponsible fiscal planning of the past.  Come to the public hearing and share your views with us.