The August meeting of the Hamilton Town Council opened with comments by the public. Concerns were raised about violations of the speed limit at the main intersection in Hubbardsville. Acting Sheriff John Ball promised to address the issue.
Local railroad historian, writer, and preservationist John Taibi commented favorably on the town’s process of documenting the old freight station and preserving what was possible. Taibi remarked that the new Town Office plan shows thoughtfulness and attempts to maintain historic flavor, while, keeping the cost to taxpayer down. He also recognized the town highway crew for doing a good job of salvaging parts of the building.
News from the Town Office—the town successfully completed its annual audit, with minor recommendations to be considered. Last year’s winter Storm Stella has been declared a FEMA reimbursable event, with funds available to cover damage to Madison County towns.
Our Highway Crew has been busy with general road repairs— fixing shoulders, unplugging pipes and ditching. The Crew also addressed storm damage on Willey, Chapel, Borden, Wickwire, & Smith Roads.
Councilor Darby reported that the Partnership for Community Development is working with a recreation committee to create trails and new signage. The PCD is also working with FoJo Beans on a grant for a coffee roasting and retail location in the village of Hamilton.
Planning for the new office at 38 Milford Street Building continues. The bids submitted earlier in the month were rejected as they exceeded the $500,000 limit for a single prime contract. The town will consider a different structure for the next round of bids.
Our Upstate Institute Fellow, Emily Eastwood, has almost completed her work on green
educational outreach for the Town. Look for a new tab on the Town website. Being Green in
Hamilton will feature information on topics such as recycling, energy conservation, and how to
buy local. Hard copy of the information will be available in the Town office and at local libraries.
The town is also pursuing classification as a Clean Energy Community and has completed 3 of the 4 steps to be designated. Colgate has donated $10,000 to the town to complete the final step and aid in the installation of an electric vehicle charging station near the library.
Certification as a Clean Energy Community will qualify the town for a $50,000 grant for use on
energy saving projects.
Service from Frontier Communications continues to be a problem for residents and businesses in the town of Hamilton. The Town will work with our state representatives to insist that Frontier improve their service.
The Hamilton Town Council meets on the second Thursday of the month at the Village Courthouse in the village of Hamilton at 6:30 p.m. Our next meeting is Sept. 14. We invite and encourage you to join us. For more information, visit townofhamiltonny.org.
Editor’s note: Chris Rossi is a member of the Hamilton Town Council.