Public Hearing for Dutchess Park Sewer Rate Revision Aug 7, 2013 at 7 PM

Planned rate increases for residents in the Dutchess Park Sewer District will be the focus of a public hearing at Fishkill Town Hall on Wednesday, Aug. 7 at 7 p.m. The Town Board is proposing the revised rates to defray costs of operating the sewer district and to restore a significant negative fund balance in the district. The increases would be in the minimum charge, for 1,000 cubic feet of sewage, from the current $41.40 to $97.29. The rate for flows above the minimum would go from $0.04140 to $0.09729.

http://www.fishkill-ny.gov/content/public-hearing-dutchess-park-sewer-rate-revision-aug-7-2013-7-pm

Hudson River Fjord Trail update

On the question of the Route 9D speed limit, the legislators heard from John Teagle, the caretaker at Little Stony Point, and Paul Elconin, of the Open Space Institute, vice president of the Friends of Fahnestock and Hudson Highlands State Parks, as well as from Nelsonville resident Vincent Tamagna, county transportation manager. All have also been involved in the proposed Hudson River Fjord Trail for pedestrians and cyclists between Cold Spring and Beacon.

Because 9D is a state highway, running through Putnam and Dutchess Counties, neither county can reduce the speed limit directly.

“The Little Stony Point Citizens Association has been trying for years to get the speed limit reduced” near Little Stony Point and Breakneck Ridge, Teagle said. He gave legislators a map showing 25 miles of 9D between the Bear Mountain Bridge and the terminus near Wappingers Falls. Of the entire length, only a 3-mile section has a 55-miles-per-hour speed – and those three miles start a half-mile from Cold Spring and coincide with the busy area where hikers reach trails, he said. “That’s the crazy part.”

The narrow road twists around curves, with little or no shoulder or grass verge for pedestrians. “You have hikers who have no place to go” but along the road, Teagle told the committee. “You have bikers. You have cars. You have tractor-trailers” and motorcycles, “and they’re all sharing the same roadway.”

Although crosswalks for pedestrians might seem to help, until the speed limit is reduced, “we won’t ask for a crosswalk because people will get killed in the crosswalk,” thinking it safe, only to be hit by a speeding vehicle, Teagle explained. “We’re looking to get all this [stretch] at 30 miles per hour.”

As Teagle’s map indicated, 9D’s speed limit is a hodge-podge: 30 miles per hour in Cold Spring, 40 miles per hour south of Cold Spring to the Bear Mountain Bridge and for a short stretch just north of Cold Spring, 35 miles per hour approaching Beacon and lower than that within it, 45 miles per hour at one stage between Cold Spring and Beacon – and 55 miles per hour at the hiking trail access points. The hiking area also lacks adequate parking, with vehicles crammed into small, makeshift sites by Little Stony Point and Breakneck.

“It really is an accident waiting to happen,” Elconin said. He referred to various Fjord Trail activities underway to improve the situation, including pursuit of grant money to create better parking and start upgrading trails.

District 1 Legislator Barbara Scuccimarra, who represents Philipstown, lent her voice to the pleas. “I’m asking for that support also,” she informed Pena and her legislative colleagues.

“Traffic here is tremendous,” Pena agreed, focusing on the hiker-laden stretch and sounding a bit incredulous that “the speed limit is still 55 miles per hour here.” He pledged to bring the matter to the county’s traffic safety committee and to advocate that New York State reduce the speed limit. “I think it’s a reasonable request,” Pena said.

District 3 Legislator Richard Othmer, a Physical Services Committee member and the chairman of the full Legislature, said that he and others “absolutely” would support a formal resolution asking the state to reduce the speed limit. “The faster, the better, you get it in” the hopper for legislative attention, he told proponents of the change.

Tamagna kicked off the discussion by playing a video, made by Cold Spring residents involved in the Fjord Trail, which shows chaotic conditions at Little Stony Point on a summer day, with cars whizzing past at high speeds, pedestrians literally dodging vehicles to cross 9D to reach a trail, and drivers maneuvering erratically.

He and the others in the informal trolley-trail delegation said safety also could be enhanced by revising the route of the trolley, so it can bring pedestrians from the Cold Spring train station and elsewhere to the trails. Currently, because of various regulations, the trolley cannot do that.

“We talk a lot about the Fjord Trail and this is only going to be heavier traffic” if the trail is created, he said. Tamagna has been drafting a trolley rerouting and soon expects to take town supervisors and other municipal officials on a ride to help finalize the route. After that, he advised the committee, he would seek legislative approval of the trolley changes.

Elconin added that rerouting the trolley would minimize reliance on cars to reach trails or the need to walk along the road, while also supporting businesses and the economy in Cold Spring.

An online petition launched by Cold Spring resident Dar Williams asks Tamagna to champion the change. “The extended trolley route would be a great benefit to the village, town and pedestrians who enjoy our state parks and tourist destinations along the Hudson River,” it says.

http://philipstown.info/2013/07/26/putnam-county-legislators-promise-efforts-to-change-9d-speed-trolley-route/

For more area news, check out the papers website.

7/24/2013 Special Fishkill Town Board Meeting

Please note that this meeting was not televised or recorded on the internet.

http://fishkilltownny.iqm2.com/Citizens/Detail_Meeting.aspx?ID=1097

There was a big discussion about whether a police officer was allowed to be granted a Competitive Classification. The Town of Fishkill operates a part time 24-7 PD. The PBA contract with the town does not cover such. PBA representatives stated that this was a breach of contract as this officer was granted a special privilege that was not granted to everyone else.

Voting yes were Supervisor LaColla, Councilman Buck and Councilman Curry.

Voting no were Councilman Callahan and Councilman Tuttle.

It also appears that the PBA will be filing a lawsuit against the town for this action.

Also, a Public Hearing is set for August 7th 2013 in regard to raising sewer rates from $41.40 a unit to $97.29. This is in regard to paying off debt. I asked the board if they were going to notify the public by mail. They said no and indicated they were going to do a Public Notice.

DC Conservative Coup' in Fishkill tossed by Supreme Court

http://midhudsonnews.com/News/2013/June/27/DC_Conservs-27Jun13.htm

For more free local news check out the papers website as I do.

Court tosses effort to take over Dutchess Conservative leadership

POUGHKEEPSIE – An effort to take over the leadership of the Dutchess County Conservative Committee by a renegade faction has been rejected by the State Supreme Court. The court ruled the effort by committee member Maureen Natrella and her supporters to place her in the chairman’s seat, was illegal because proper procedures were not followed. The Dutchess County Board of Elections had previously ruled the Natrella effort was illegal. Since the leadership terms had expired with no new vote taken, former Chairwoman Patricia Killian was named to fill that role temporarily. She said Thursday that she was pleased with the Supreme Court ruling and at such time as when new leadership is sought, she will step aside and allow new blood to take over the county committee.

Southern Dutchess News story on NYS Comptroller's audit in Fishkill

For more good weekly local news. Subscribe to the Southern Dutchess News as I do, or get it at news stands.

By Kristine Coulter

At the town board's recent meeting Fishkill Supervisor Bob Lacolla said the New York State Comptrollers Office would be working with town officials on town finances.

"In our exit interview, they recognized marked improvement in the financial condition of the town," said LaColla recently.

He said the state auditors also mentioned "they see a long way to go."

"While the auditors were here, the town administration uncovered some irregularities in one of the departments and we're working with the NYS Comptroller to address that," the supervisor stated.

When asked what department, LaColla responded that he was asked not to say at this time which department.

In regards to the Siscar sewer project, LaColla said, "They recognized, as we had, that money was to be held in reserve for the Siscar sewer project and they've asked us to book that on a reserve account. By doing so, that's going to increase the deficit of the Dutchess Park Sewer." (District)

The amount that is to be booked on the reserve account is $758,000.

"We are coming close to proposing a payment plan to the City of Beacon and when we come to terms we'll be able to chart a timetable of payment for Dutchess Park Sewer," said LaColla

LaColla added, "There are irregularities like that everywhere, we're just trying to address them. Unfortunately, it means a increase (in) water and sewer rates of Dutchess Park."

Brian Butry, Deputy Press Secretary from the NYS Comptrollers Office, said in an email, the office's audit of the town is still ongoing.

Discovery of an Underground Railroad station

By Ronald G. Greene

On May 19, 2013 I experienced the humbling honor of being recognized for having discovered the Zion Pilgrim Methodist Episcopal Church of Baxtertown in Fishkill, NY - a church that was a Station on the Underground Railroad. The foundation of the church is on my property, and during the recognition dinner I received the first annual Hudson River Valley Heritage Award.

After moving up from New York City in 1982 pursuing career advancement opportunities in NYS service, I purchased the property in 1998 from a local builder. For years we were afforded accounts that the property had formerly been owned by African Americans, that Baxtertown had been a relatively large, vibrant African American community in the 1800s - early 1900s, and that there had been an active church on the property. Following a Fishkill Planning Board meeting in October 2012, my interest peaked in the church and I embarked on a search for information which ultimately lead to the discovery of the church’s role is facilitating Freedom Seekers quest for independence from the horrors of slavery.

Since October 2012 we have amassed information about the church from several reliable sources including town records and maps, county records and maps, local and regional periodicals, through meetings with Fishkill town officials, through contact with the historian of Mother AME Zion church in NYC (Dabney Montgomery, who is a Tuskeegee Airman, by the way) and through documents on file at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Most notably, the Chapel Hill document by Bishop James Walker Hood entitled, "1831-1919: 100 Year’s of the African American Episcopal Church - or The Centennial of African Methodism" specifically cites the Zion Pilgrim ME Church of Baxtertown as a "Station". And, Bishop Hood’s citation of the church is the only suchreference in the 625 page document.

In his 1957 publication of "Blithe Dutchess" President Emeritus Henry Noble McCracken specifically wrote about the church and the Baxtertown area. He wrote that "a rigourous church life arose among them" speaking of Blacks and Wappinger Indians, and he wrote that "Baxtertown was a station on the underground railway – probably working with Quakers." So, the history of the church is clear.

We are in the process of working with NYS Parks & Recreation to gain historic recognition of the property in New York State. Inclusion of the property of the US national register will then be pursued. We seek recognition of the Zion Pilgrim ME Church of Baxtertown because its history is everyone’s history and the story should be brought forth for all to know. The process has been slow but our attention to the goals has been steady and, ultimately, we are confident that the community will witness the erection of a historical maker to connote the church, its role as a Station of the Underground Railroad and its former vital role in the life of Baxtertown in Fishkill, NY.

The May 19th event was well attended by family, friends, Democrats, Republicans, young and old alike. We were drawn together in the spirit of community - and of that I am particularly proud. Pray for us as we continue this important work.

Letter to Poughkeepsie Journal on 6/16/2013 regarding robo call