January 12, 2007
New Town Board in action
I missed the Dryden Town Board organizational meeting, so last night was the first time I got to see the newest version of the Board together.
Newcomer David Makar joins Marty Christofferson, Steve Trumbull, Steve Stelick, and Mary Ann Sumner on the Dryden Town Board.
A few topics dominated the meeting:
the new Town Hall's construction (mostly okay, except for some late mechanical plans)
the decision of what to do with the house near the new Town Hall that the Board bought. Demolish it? Preserve it? The Town has cleared out the building and surrounding area. Part of the barn, in particular, may have historic value.
history, as County Historian Carol Kammen came to talk with the Board about a historical brochure for the town and the current lack of a Town Historian. Board member Steve Stelick also talked about having historical displays in the new Town Hall.
a growing realization that the work on new zoning, along with related stormwater and riparian buffer zone issues, will be gigantic. (Zoning comes from the comprehensive plan completed last year, while stormwater management and riparian buffer zones are state-mandated projects.) Environmental Planner Dan Kwasnowski will have an incredibly busy year - busy enough, in fact, that the Board agreed to contract with former Environmental Planner Debbie Gross to work on some of the stormwater management project.
contemplation of the work involved in supporting Advanced Design Consulting's move to Dryden, which will require major study with participation by multiple agencies.
continued discussion of community center funding. A subcommittee of Steve Stelick and David Makar will be working to finish off 2006 funding, sort out 2007, and plan for 2008.
One item notable for its brevity was the approval of the 2007 fire contracts, which will go to the fire companies without much change. There is $40,000 in the fire district budget that isn't in the contract which could go to the Etna Fire Company, but the Board will decide that later. There are also questions about matching funds for OSHA gear, training, and physicals, mostly about how these should fit with the contract and how reimbursement should be handled. There were also some questions about monthly reports mandated by the contract. New Emergency Services Committee members Mary Ann Sumner and David Makar will be working to address these questions and plan for 2008.
Posted by simon at January 12, 2007 8:48 AM in planning and zoning , politics (local)Note on photos