Submitted by Chris Rossi for Hamilton Town Council
(Hamilton, NY – Jan. 2016) The January Hamilton Town Council meeting opened with comments from the public. Mayor McVaugh gave an update on the ongoing deer cull in the village, which will continue until the spring.
As the first Town Council meeting of the year, this annual organizational meeting is when appointments are made to various positions and committees. Among the appointments were:
Deputy Supervisor and Budget Officer – Peter Darby
Town Attorney – Steve Jones (contractual)
Bookkeeper – Brynley Wilcox (contractual)
Codes Enforcement Officer – Donald Forth
Dog Control Officer – Larry Butts
Historian – Jack Loop
For a complete list of appointees, including planning and zoning boards, please visit the Town of Hamilton website or call the Town office.
Justice Haight gave his end of year report on criminal, civil, vehicle, traffic violations and misdemeanor charges, which generated $6,220 for the Town. Our area remains a safe place to live, with very few penal code violations. In addition to Hamilton, Justice Haight continues to provide arraignments when needed for Brookfield, Madison and the Village of Hamilton. Our thanks to Town Court Clerk Vivian Phoenix, who is retiring after serving since 2003. And our gratitude to Justice Haight for his dedication and willingness to serve the Town of Hamilton as well as the Village of Hamilton and surrounding areas as needed.
Speed limits on Poolville Road, Earlville Road, Payne Street and other roads are being reviewed for safety reasons. Our road crew has begun to plow as needed, while also replacing damaged traffic signs and doing general maintenance.
The Town of Hamilton was awarded $255,000 from the New York State (Department of Environmental Conservation) DEC Water Quality Improvement Program, which will pay more than 80 percent of the cost of building the new salt shed.
Councilmember Darby reported that the Partnership for Community Development (PCD) has been at work on a number of town-wide projects. A meeting at Lifelong Learning highlighted plans for a new senior housing pocket neighborhood in Hamilton, proposed by a building firm from Syracuse. The PCD is working with a volunteer committee to make local recreational opportunities more easily accessible and visible. They are also working with the County to improve broadband service and have obtained a $50,000 grant for the Village of Hamilton to market the Mid York Airpark.
At the County level, the emergency services study is moving forward. Supervisor Shwartz has been appointed to serve on the County Health and Human Services Committee, Solid Waste Committee, and Public Utilities Committee for 2016.
The Hamilton Town Council meets on the second Thursday of the month at the Town of Hamilton office at 16 Broad St. in the Village of Hamilton at 6:30 p.m. Our next regular meeting is Thursday Feb.11 at 6:30 pm. We invite and encourage you to join us.
For more information, visit www.townofhamiltonny.org.