Grant writer to aid in town hall project
KNOX With plans to renovate Town Hall, the town board voted Tuesday to hire a grant writer to aid in the project.
The board voted unanimously to enter into a one-year renewable contract with Susan Lombardi of Community Development Resources, based in Burnt Hills (Schenectady County). Lombardi was also hired this year by Glenville as its grant writer.
The town will pay Lombardi a $325 retainer, which will be applied to her first five hours of service. She will be paid $65 per hour. Supervisor Michael Hammond called Lombardi "a very viable candidate."
Lombardi, Hammond told The Enterprise, has put forth "quite the resume," and been "very successful" securing money for capital projects.
"We have several changes that will be made," Hammond said of the project.
The plans originally had a garage for an ambulance, which is no longer needed because the Emergency Medical Services has made other arrangements.
Plans, under discussion on and off for over a decade, were most recently discussed in January. The town board ruled the million-dollar price too high after plans came back two years ago.
The latest plans include: a multi-use assembly space for the town court, the towns three boards, polling, and storage; an elevator; and a more accessible entrance. Renovations would make the toilet facilities and access to all floors and spaces code-compliant. Plans also include two conference rooms, a fire-proof storage space for all town records, and driveway paving and landscaping.
In January, the board revisited plans after resident Helene OClair in December recommended the town reconsider the project and appoint an oversight committee.
The $1.05 million figure for the project, Hammond said in January, isnt accurate. The plans were drawn up by Charles Sacco, of Sacco-McKinney Architects, in April of 2005.
In addition to the ambulance squad finding a different facility, other cuts discussed in January include: driveway paving could be completed by town employees, and the State University of New York College of Agriculture and Technology at Cobleskill could do the landscaping, which amounts to $35,000. The towns capital reserve fund, for special building projects, Hammond told The Enterprise, is now at about $260,000, plus any interest accrued since January.
"I think we’re in a good position to support this project financially," Hammond said.
Other business
In other business, the town board:
Voted unanimously to approve Hammond’s attending a May budgeting workshop sponsored by the Association of Towns and the state comptroller’s office. The Finance and Management School is an annual workshop held at the Gideon Putnam in Saratoga Springs (Saratoga County). Hammond said the workshop is "critically important" and trains elected officials on "unique bookkeeping" and "how-tos" for successful budgeting. The $200 registration fee, Hammond said, includes breakfast, lunch, dinner, and materials;
Heard from planning board Chairman Robert Price that, shortly after a local law was enacted for cell-tower placement, an individual is showing interest in placing a cell tower in the town. "It’s still very much up in the air," Price said. Price said there is an abandoned 5-acre lot on Street Road, where the tower could be placed. He said he and the individual discussed the possibility of a 150-foot tall "free-standing" lattice tower, which would cost less than a monopole and "you’d be able to see through it";
Voted unanimously to authorize Highway Superintendent Gary Salisbury to purchase a new hydraulic cylinder for the towns recycling center not to exceed $3,200, including shipping. Salisbury said he had trouble purchasing from Marathon Equipment Company, a recycling equipment company based in Vernon, Ala. Salisbury said the cylinder has cracked, resulting in five gallons of hydraulic fluid leaking in one week. The cylinder, he said, had been welded but continues to crack in other places.
"If it doesn’t work, we have immediate problems," Salisbury said. Councilman Nicholas Viscio recommended R and L Hydraulics in Ohio. Viscio said R & L is "reasonable" and "very fast." Price said he had recently bought two hydraulic cylinders from Parker Harrington, which he suspected have similar specifications. Price said he would investigate the ram and meet with Salisbury; and
Heard from Salisbury that the Association of Towns will hold its annual highway school in Ithaca (Tompkins County) in June.
