To the Editor:

We would like to take this opportunity to introduce ourselves to the community and announce our candidacy to continue as trustees for the village of Altamont, on the “Altamont First” ballot line. The election is March 19 and we hope to be able to meet and talk with as many voters as possible to discuss our vision for the future of Altamont.

Michelle Ganance was appointed to the position of trustee on the village board in September 2018 after serving a year on the Altamont Zoning Board of Appeals. Michelle holds an associate’s degree in early childhood education from Maria College and a bachelor’s degree in elementary education from The College of Saint Rose in Albany.

Michelle has a background in computer technology and has been an information technology specialist with the state’s Office of Information Technology Services for the last 23 years. She grew up in Guilderland and attended Guilderland High School.

In 2004, she and her husband, Vince, moved to the village of Altamont to raise their children, Maggie and Vinnie, in a quaint, quiet community within a wonderful school district. She and her family, along with their dog, Stella, have lived in Altamont for the past 15 years.

Trustee Ganance’s training for, and experience on, the village’s zoning board, covering the process of permits and implementation of village code, adds to the contributions she makes as trustee on the village board.

Additionally, Michelle currently serves as the vice chair of the board of directors for WeeCare at Labor, a day-care center on the state campus in Albany, and she has served as a member of the board for the Pine Bush Little League.

Serving on these boards has taught Michelle the importance of being proactive, rather than reactive. She believes that a group should work through problems with open and comprehensive communication and by having honest and straightforward dialogue from all sides.

This is a must for any village project, issue, or decision that needs to be made, as Michelle believes there is no room for divisiveness or closed-door decision-making. As a newly appointed trustee, Michelle is focused on promoting village safety, prioritizing economic stability, and protecting village resources.

Nicholas Fahrenkopf was elected a trustee in 2016 during a special election to fill a vacancy on the board and has had the pleasure of serving as the board’s liaison to the Altamont Volunteer Fire Department. Nick, and his wife, Katie, settled in Altamont in 2013 after he completed his doctoral work at the University at Albany. They have two dogs (an Airedale named Teddy, and a giant schnauzer named Zelda) and two young daughters.

Nick works as a development engineering supervisor at the SUNY Polytechnic Institute where he leads a team working on silicon photonics — fabricating the next generation of microchips using light, or photons, instead of electricity, or electrons.

Nick and Katie quickly became involved in the village community by successfully rallying neighbors to stop the Guilderland School District from closing our beloved Altamont Elementary School. In the past, he has served on the board of directors of Altamont Community Tradition Inc. and volunteers with the Ronald McDonald House Charities of Albany.

As a village trustee, Nick has been passionate about public-safety issues, infrastructure, open and engaged government, and the long-term fiscal health and stability of the village. In 2017 the village was able to purchase a new rescue pumper for the fire department combining the functions of, and replacing, two older apparatuses.

This purchase was possible because of a $100,000 grant he helped secure from New York State. The new “Engine 16” gives our volunteers modern equipment to serve the community, and sets up the village for longer-term financial savings by maintaining fewer vehicles.

Going forward, Nick continues to look at ways to improve the facilities and operations of the fire department so that the volunteers can focus on training and responding to calls for help.

Last winter, Nick added the village of Altamont to the Nixle public-information platform, which is also used by Guilderland, Albany, Colonie, and other local municipalities. Nixle allows the village to communicate time-sensitive information like snow-emergency declarations and office closings through emails and text messages. This year, he hopes to expand the use of Nixle to include alerts for items such as water-main flushings, planning board meetings, and community events.

In addition to continued work in the areas above, we both are excited to announce the launch of our new village website this spring that will expand on delivering information to the community, will be easier to use on mobile devices, and will eventually include official @altamontvillage.org email addresses for village employees and board members to allow for direct communication with the community.

Lastly, we will continue to work toward improved local infrastructure and connectivity: working with the state, county, and town to fix the roads and sidewalks in or around the village, increasing the safety and resiliency of our water system, and advocating for alternative TV and internet services.

It has been a great privilege to serve our community on the village board. We will continue do so by listening openly to the concerns of all our community members with the goal of building a better Altamont, one that thrives economically while still maintaining that “small town” feel that honors our history.

We hope to make a village government that is there when you need it with clean water, clear roads, responsive emergency services, and engaging community events, without raising taxes (which hasn’t happened in 14 years!). We hope that you share our vision for the village we call home and will support us by putting “Altamont First” on Election Day, Tuesday, March 19.

Michelle Ganance and

Nicholas Fahrenkopf

Trustees

Village of Altamont