Submitted by Chris Rossi
Highway Superintendent Jason Florenz reports the crew has made improvements to the garage, rebuilding the tool bench and painting the interior. The crew installed new road signs and cleared trees downed by wind damage. Our snow plow crews were out for 20 runs between Nov. 10 and Dec 14. The use of brine has helped to cut back the use of salt and keeps roads open longer. The town council resolved to trade in the 2015 F350 truck for a 2018 F550 dump truck, with payment coming out of the equipment reserve fund.
Seasonal road closings will be noticed on the town website and in the press. Poolville residents have expressed concerns about difficulty with speeding vehicles and visibility. The town council is considering traffic calming methods for the hamlet and other areas, which may be enacted with help from the county.
The county will be mailing out the 2018 town and county tax bills after the holiday and, once again, taxes will be paid through the county. Look for instructions about paying your tax bill and information about emergency preparedness in your tax bills. Contact the town office if you need a copy of tax bills for early payment.
The Town Office Building Committee has been meeting to consider cost-saving design changes and building options. The committee is composed of community members Jody Palmer, Roger Bauman, Travis Dubois, Shari Taylor, Tim Trueworthy and John Bailey, as well as town council and town office members. Right now, a single-floor option with storage space in the loft area, which closely resembles the first design for the office building, is being considered. Modular and post-frame construction options are being explored.
The Clean Energy Grant from NYSERDA, which was originally intended for the town office project, is on a tight deadline. As the office project is delayed, the town is considering other uses for the $50,000 grant—either for replacing bulbs in the lighting districts with LEDs or in the highway garage for energy-efficient geothermal heating.
The Hamilton area recently received three Regional Economic Development Awards for community arts, recreation and infrastructure projects—Arts at the Palace Theater, Chenango Canal Towpath Trails and the village of Hamilton’s sewage treatment facility. Thanks to the Partnership for Community Development for their support in obtaining the award for the Towpath Trails project.
The Zoning Update Committee continues work on zoning for solar projects. A draft of the updated zoning document will be submitted to the town council and the public for consideration in 2018.
Thanks to the students from Colgate’s ENST class who have completed a town wide greenhouse gas inventory for Hamilton. The work will count toward the town’s Climate Smart Communities actions. Participation in CSC program provides access to grants from the DEC for energy saving and climate resiliency projects for the town.
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. The next meeting is Thursday, Jan. 11, 2018, and will be the annual reorganization meeting. The public is invited and encouraged to attend. For more information, visit www.townofhamiltonny.org.
Editor’s note: Chris Rossi is a member of the Hamilton Town Council.