Notes from the Hamilton Town Council April meeting
By Chris Rossi
The Hamilton Town Council welcomed Travis Olivera, director of the Hamilton Public Library. Olivera thanked the town council for its continuing support of the library.
Highway Superintendent Jason Florenz reported on road crew work, which included cutting trees, sweeping roads with the new Tool Cat and installing new road signs. The town has plowed 757 lane miles for the county during the month of March.
Colgate University made its annual voluntary gift of $83,624 to the town; the gift is appreciated, as it helps defray operating expenses for the town.
The town office will be closed April 23 and 24, as the clerk and deputy clerk will be attending training.
Codes Officer Mark Miller and Clerk Sue Reymers are working on a list of vacant/zombie houses in the town. Town office staff will be reaching out to the community to gain information on vacant properties.
SOMAC’s expertise in handling and transporting the meningitis patient from Colgate was commended. The case was effectively isolated, and the patient is recovering.
Councilmember Peter Darby spoke about how the Hamilton Business Alliance, the Hamilton Initiative and the Partnership for Community Development are working together to benefit of the community.
The annual Father’s Day breakfast will be at Hamilton Central School this year and will be geared toward families. The PCD is sponsoring a workshop on women- and minority-owned businesses. Starting May 17, Hamilton village businesses will be open until 7 p.m. as part of a shop local “Third Thursdays” initiative.
The town council considered drafts of both the Solar Zoning Law and the Right to Farm Law. The zoning update committee and municipal planner Nan Stolzenburg created the draft laws based on accepted standards and tailored for the needs of our community. An attorney will review the draft laws before they are presented at a public hearing and then for adoption by the town council.
Thanks to Jeff Schindler for starting a new term on the zoning board of appeals.
The Bridge NY Grant is being prepared to address the cost of repair of the Williams Road bridge. Discussion revolved around potential payment for any costs beyond the $1 million dollar grant amount.
Supervisor Eve Ann Shwartz updated the board on countywide emergency services. Madison County resolved to apply for an emergency services certificate of need to support the work of first-responders in communities that are currently underserved. The county is considering the use of fly cars to deploy paramedics as one possible solution in those communities.
The Hamilton Town Council now meets on the second Wednesday of the month at the village
court house in the village of Hamilton at 6:30 p.m. Our next meeting is Wednesday, May 9. 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.