GUILDERLAND — Grants galore headlined Tuesday’s town board meeting here as Republican Senator George Amedore and Democratic Councilwoman Patricia Fahy were on hand to talk about the state funds they had secured for Guilderland — for stormwater management in McKownville and for park improvements at Tawasentha.

The pair helped secure $2.5 million for what Amedore described as “much-needed improvements for stormwater management” in McKownville. The longstanding problem has flooded basements and closed roads, he said. The improvements, he said, will “hopefully bring up property values.”

Fahy said that, during her six years in the State Assembly, the McKownville grant is the single largest she has been able to secure. She described the flooding as “a really difficult situation that impacted a neighborhood.”

The town board voted, 4 to 0, to designate Bast Hatfield Construction as the lowest responsible bidder for the project in the amount of $5.7 million.

“We worked for eight years to secure funding for McKownville,” said Supervisor Peter Barber. “The assemblywoman and senator stepped up.”

Aged and “ill-situated” water pipes will be replaced at the same time as the new stormwater system is installed, said Barber. “Ample reserves have been set aside,” he said, noting, if the road were to be dug up for stormwater work, it makes sense to replace the water infrastructure at the same time.

John Brust, principal with Delaware Engineering, the town’s designated engineer, agreed, calling it an “economy of scale.”

Amedore went on to announce a $700,000 capital grant through the State And Municipal Facilities Program, known as SAM, to make improvements at Tawasentha Park, which he referred to as “the crown jewel of the town.”

Brust said the park opened 49 years ago and that Delaware Engineering would “start a design effort quickly” and bring the designs back to the board for approval.

He outlined the three main areas where improvements will be made: at the central restroom facility near the park’s large pavilion, which will be replaced with an “environmentally friendly” facility; at the large pavilion itself; and at the performing arts center.

Amedore said residents now sit on a “steep embankment” when they go to GPAC to hear concerts and the sound technicians are situated in “a little hole on the side of the hill.”

The new design calls for a patio area in front of the amphitheater, terracing on five levels with steps up the center of the terracing; new lighting and sound-booth improvements; a new roof on the concession building; and reorienting the access road, paving the exit road, and creating a parking area for people with disabilities.

The large pavilion is to be expanded by 30 feet, the open-pit barbecue is to be repaired, lighting and the electrical system are to be upgraded, and the siding is to be repaired.

Barber commended Amedore for visiting the park to understand its needs and share insights on improvements. The senator and his family own a construction business, Amedore Homes.

Fahy went over other grants as part of the state Department of Transportation’s 2018 Multi-Modal Program — $250,000 for sidewalks along Carman road to Pine Bush Elementary School “and hopefully beyond”; and another $250,000 for Fred D. Abele Park, a 4.5-acre park off of Schoolhouse Road in McKownville, which had “been a little neglected.”

Fahy also said there was a $50,000 grant for painting and window replacement at the town-owned Frederick-Mynderse House in Guilderland Center.

“We can’t write the checks,” said Fahy, noting that elected representatives can designate funding and it is up to the town to write the criteria.

She concluded of the grants described at the meeting, “Not only is this good health; it is good business … bringing up property values.”

Future grants?

The board heard from Donald Csaposs, the town’s grant writer, about three applications he has in the works. All three are under the DOT’s Transportation Alternatives Program, known as TAP, and the Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality Improvement Program, known as CMAQ:

— For sidewalks on Gun Club Road, with a projected cost of $656,000;

— For sidewalks on East Old State Road for $501,572; and

— For a bridge for bicyclists on French’s Mill Road for $531,437.

Csaposs called the program “highly competitive.” Each application required the board to commit to the town paying 20 percent of the cost, either in cash or in kind.

All four board members — Barber, Lee Carman, Rosemary Centi, and Patricia Slavick —  agreed. Paul Pastore was absent. Barber said Pastore called in, stuck in his travels by the weather, and missing his first board meeting ever.

Other business

In other business, the town board:

— Appointed Kenneth Kovalchik as town planner, filling a vacancy left when longtime planner Jan Weston retired from her post at the end of 2016. Kovalchik said he had worked for the last five years at the neighboring town of Bethlehem, which he said had similar growth to Guilderland.

He said he would “get very quickly up to speed” and looked forward to the challenge and opportunity. He will work 35 hours per week for a starting salary of $78,000;

— Appointed Zeynep Tas as senior planner. She will work 35 hours per week with a starting salary of $43,000;

— Appointed Taylor Mead as recreational program and activities coordinator;

— Heard from Barber that the town’s new ambulance built for obese patients went into service on Monday and transported a 500-pound patient on Tuesday.

The board appointed 10 part-time emergency medical technicians: Peter Austin, Kyle Henderson, Christopher Scholer, Doniesea D’Andrade, Laura Stachnik Leonard, Harjup Singh, Alexander Stevens, Bethany Sterritt, Brendan Murphy, and William Doynow;

— Appointed Diane Krempa as human resources specialist;

— Authorized Barber to sign the 2018 Technical Assistance Program agreement with the Capital district Transportation Committee for developing the town’s trail network;

— Authorized Barber to sign an agreement with the State Farm Utility Corporation and scheduled a public hearing for Aug. 21 on the town’s proposed acquisition of the corporation’s assets.  “The town has been maintaining it,” said Barber. “This closes out State Farm ownership of a private sewer system”;

— Waived the building permit fee for a fence at property owned by the McKownville fire district; and

— Waived the building permit fee relating to fire damage at 2781 Curry Rd.