Credit: Will Maitland Weiss
After public comments dominated its July 18 meeting, the Ancram Town Board agreed that it will hold an additional public meeting before each future board meeting for added public input. The board also accepted a $35,500 bid for a new mower and confirmed appointments to the Agricultural Advisory Council.
Several residents expressed their grievances over the board’s June 20 decision to hire the engineering firm Greenman Petersen Inc., from Albany. The firm was contracted, for $14,000, to analyze the dangers of the intersection of County Route 7 and State Route 82 in the heart of Ancram and to provide suggestions for its improvement.
Supervisor Jim MacArthur said, “We can go on talking about this until midnight. But we voted on it last month. It’s done.”
Credit: Will Maitland Weiss
When the public continued to ask for more input, board member Colleen Lutz proposed holding a monthly “workshop” before each regularly scheduled board meeting, to discuss upcoming resolutions and allow the public to hear board views before votes. The board agreed and will identify a recurring day each month for these workshops.
In addition to addressing the public’s concerns, the board confirmed appointments to Ancram’s Agricultural Advisory Council, including new members Susan and Conor O’Sullivan, and existing members Colleen Lutz, Susan Arterian, Sarah Chase, Stuart Farr, Frank Grisanzio, Julie McGanney and James Tufankin.
Board member Bonnie Hundt reported on the $2-million award of state housing funds to Columbia County for affordable accessory dwelling units, and that application information is expected later this summer. She said that the nonprofit Hudson River Housing is considering property in Ancram for affordable rental units. In response to a public question, she clarified that no additional town funds are being requested. Hundt also shared a recent report, “Out of Reach,” from Hudson Valley Patterns for Progress on the regional housing shortage.
Board member Lutz updated the board on outstanding grants due or potentially available to the town. These include more than $150,000 awarded from the state for the highway department’s new salt shed, more than $12,000 awarded for an educational project on invasive species, more than $5,000 awarded for electric chain and pole saws and a pending $10,000 application for an open space inventory from the state-funded Hudson River Estuary program. Ancram has also applied for a portion of the $25,000 awarded by the state to Columbia County for lifeguard recruitment and training and has until late August to apply for federal Department of Transportation Safe Streets and Roads funding for the engineering work on the intersection of County Route 7 and State Route 82, which the town contracted for at its June 20 meeting.
Steve Olyha, a member of Ancram’s Financial Advisory Council, updated the board on bids to add a covered pavilion to the recreational facilities at Blass Park and praised the various committees, local businesses and individuals who have contributed to this project over the past three years.
Town attorney Elena DeFio Kean provided a draft policy statement for the town email chain, which will be used for notifications from the town board, departments, committees and local nonprofits, but not for advertising or direct solicitation.