To the Editor: 

On a chilly morning this past Saturday, I accompanied the Knox Town Board on a thorough walk-through of the town's various facilities.  The idea for a walk-though was Supervisor [Vasilios] Lefkaditis’s and I think it's safe to say that it was an eye-opening adventure!

It started at the town hall, which to the naked eye appears to be in great shape.  But for a building that is only seven or so years old, I was amazed at the neglect and the problems, big and small, it housed. 

Some problems were dire: 15-by-2-foot stretches of black mold possibly being introduced into the heating, ventilation, and air-conditioning system; an HVAC system that can't sufficiently heat the building; a generator that doesn't work; faucets that were missing or not operating; an emergency light that didn't work; floors and stair treads that were coming up; stair rails that were dangerously loose.

Some problems were small like damaged drywall, loose handrails, a detached cabinet handle, and peeling doorway thresholds.

From there, we went to the town hall's exterior, which is full of damaged siding and missing or broken concrete board all along the bottom.        

Next stop was the Knox Historical Society building, which in my opinion was actually in better shape than the town hall and all in all in not so terrible shape given its age. 

After that, we toured the town park, which hasn't had a major upgrade in decades and it showed.  From the unsanitary, dated outhouse to the dangerous concrete exposed piers on the ancient playground equipment, I can only guess that the park is just about beyond repair.

Fourth on the list was the transfer station.  With alarming structural damage to the foundation that looks like it can go at any minute, missing roof shingles, destroyed gabion baskets, outdated equipment, and eroding pavement, I don't know what to say other than, as a taxpayer, I'm very concerned.

 Our fifth stop was the highway garage, which was like taking a step into a time machine.  When we walked in, the smell of raw sewage was so overwhelming it was almost impossible to even walk into the kitchen area let alone the bathroom where the smell originated.

It was explained that, whenever the main sewage clean-out had to be accessed, the raw sewage smell would back up into the building, causing the temporary stench.  The conditions were deplorable and I dare anyone to enjoy his lunch in that smell.

Asked about the sewage system, no one was able to give an explanation because, like the transfer station, to the best of anyone's knowledge, there were no architectural drawings or site plans to review.  The highway garage, built sometime in the 1960s, was not insulated and was burning, according to the highway superintendent, Gary Salisbury, as much as 300 gallons of heating oil a week in the cold winters.

Immediately inside each of the garage doors, the slab has begun to cave in and the workers there backfill with dirt to keep the cold air from coming in under the garage doors.  It was reported that the facility was recently cited for more than a dozen safety violations and Mr. Salisbury and the crew were quickly addressing the issues.

Many of the roof panels leak and have been patched with tar over the years.  With the exception of a wing that was put on in 2003, I wouldn't give you a bucket of spit for the whole building.  And I tip my hat to the highway workers who work in these conditions day in and day out without complaining.  Thank you, guys.

Our last stop was the boardwalk that was built some 20 years ago.  When we arrived, it was closed off with a sign that read dangerous and structurally unsound.  Need I say more?

I did have one other business owner that resides in the town with us and we both agreed that, if we operated our facilities like this, OSHA [Occupational Safety and Health Administration], Encon [the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation], the EPA [the federal Environmental Protection Agency], and other government organizations would have shut us down in a minute.

We also agreed that, with the neglect of these problems in the past, ideas of low taxes was because nothing has been maintained or updated. I believe in maintaining an economic structure but get ready for a tax increase just to repair these facilities, as they should have been done over these past years.

The members of this town board have their hands full and I don't envy what they've inherited.  It's my understanding that a full report will be given on March 8 at the town board meeting and I encourage anyone interested in hearing more to attend.

Ed Ackroyd

Knox

Editor’s note: Ed Ackroyd joined town board members for a tour of Knox facilities on Feb. 27. Louis Saddlemire, in charge of maintenance, led the group through the town hall; Councilman Dennis Barber, president of the Knox Historical Society, led the group through the Saddlemire homestead, which houses the society and its museum; and Highway Superintendent Gary Salisbury led the group through the transfer station and highway garage.

“I’m not interested in looking backwards; I’m interested in looking forwards,” said Vasilios Lefkaditis who became Knox supervisor on Jan. 1 and initiated the tour. “I want to work with the board to address problems before they become more than maintenance issues, before we find ourselves in a Westerlo moment.”

Lefkaditis said he’ll present the board with a detailed facilities plan at its March 8 meeting.

The Public Employee Safety and Health Bureau inspected the Knox Highway Department garage on Nov. 5, 2015 and issued 16 violations on Jan. 20; the more serious violations included open platforms, missing rails, and the need for an emergency shut-off valve for fuel, said Lefadidtis.

“Gary and boys got everything fixed,” he said and a re-inspection will be set up shortly.