August 13, 2004

Notes from last night's Town Board meeting

The August Town Board meeting was relatively brief and not very dramatic. Only three board members (Trumbull, Stelick, and Hattery) were there. It included:

  • Nancy Zahler and Liz Vance presented on the Tompkins County Recreation Partnership, discussing Dryden's participation, the distribution of participants within Dryden, and some options for changing the Partnership structure.

Households participating in Recreation Partnership programming
Households participating in Recreation Partnership programming.

  • John Andersson of the Tompkins County Health Department discussed a preliminary report on the water problems experienced at 730 Midline Road.
  • Ann Hotchkin of Thoma Associates talked with the board briefly about grant possibilities.
  • Monika Roth of Cornell Cooperative Extension presented possible ways for the Town to apply for New York State Purchases of Development Rights and administer them after the purchase.
  • The Highway Department is having problems because of the endless rain we've had this summer. Mowing has been very difficult, and roads and culverts are under greater pressure because of the saturated ground.
  • County Legislator Mike Lane reported on the county's striving toward a budget, the complications of having to deal with both an emergency communications project and a possible jail project at the same time, and the county's own road problems with the rain.
  • The Recreation Department's concerts have had less than hoped for attendance and a cancellation because of the constant rain, but people are still turning out with umbrellas. The Fishing Derby - on a rare sunny day - went very well.
  • Congressman Boehlert inspected the Virgil Creek work on which FEMA is challenging the town's handling of a grant and pledged support, and Senator Schumer's office is also involved.
  • The board appointed Oers Kelemen to chair the Zoning Board of Appeals as Walter Matyjas has to resign because of a promotion in NYSEG, but held off appointing a new member to the board.
  • The board approved adding a streetlight to the intersection of Brooktondale Road and Route 79, and will charge costs for it to the highway budget.
Posted by simon at August 13, 2004 8:46 AM in agriculture , politics (local) , recreation , roads, traffic, and transit , weather
Note on photos