Supervisor’s Report – February 13, 2017
We were hoping for a repeat of last year’s low snowfall winter but Mother Nature had other ideas. The last week has been a serious test of our Department of Public Works’ ability to handle a persistent series of storms and they passed with flying colors. While the rest of us worry about our driveways and sidewalks, these guys have to worry about every inch and corner of our Town. Sometimes working sixteen hours at a time in dangerous, stressful conditions, they pull together and always do a great job. Commissioner of Public Works Scott Gallerie and Highway Foreman Ricky Williams deserve a great deal of credit for coordinating our efforts to keep the roads safe so that the rest of us can get on with our lives.
The month of January saw the retirement of three veterans of the Town work force. Frank Michael and Ed Wallace retired from the Department of Public Works, and Robert ‘Snapper’ Snyder retired from the Police Department. All three will be missed but we are very appreciative of their contributions to our Town. Thank you and good luck in retirement!
We’ve declared 2017 to be the Year of the Parks in East Greenbush. The Town Board and the Community and Recreation Department are beginning the process of soliciting bids for a series of enhancements to the Town Park. The Town Board has adopted an update to our Amenities Plan, and we will be moving the dog park, installing ADA-compliant restrooms, and adding an aquatic spray feature, among other additions. The best part is that all of these enhancements will be funded by mitigation fees paid by developers and will not require taxpayer dollars. Our parks have been neglected for too long but this year begins a major push to reverse that trend.
The audit of our 2015 finances has been completed. The report should be available in the next six weeks or so, and will be published as soon as we have it. This is the first step in getting our credit rating restored. It will also allow us to identify areas where we can improve our internal controls. We look forward to sharing it with you.