NEW LEBANON—Norm Rasmussen, a familiar face, is back on the Town Board following the resignation of town board member Britt Buckenroth. Ms. Buckenroth resigned shortly after the March town board meeting.
Supervisor Tistrya Houghtling said Ms. Buckenroth had too much happening in her life to feel she could devote the required time to the job. The supervisor said she felt it would be best to nominate a replacement who had no desire to seek the seat this November, in fairness to those who might. She indicated she knew just the person in former town board member Norm Rasmussen, who agreed to fill in for the rest of the year. The other board members concurred and approved Mr. Rasmussen’s appointment. He will fill out Ms. Buckenroth’s term until December 31. Ms. Buckenroth’s resignation means there will now be three council seats on the November ballot, 2 for 4-year terms and Buckenroth’s for 2 years to fill out the remainder of her term.
Also at the meeting, New Lebanon has been approved by the NYS Department of Transportation (DOT) to reduce the speed limit on Main Street to 30 mph. It was previously “unposted,” which means vehicles could legally travel up to 55 mph, way too fast according to the Town Board. Since this is a town-owned road, it will be up to the town to erect the new speed limit signs. A request for a speed limit reduction on Extension Street was denied, DOT stated in their letter to the town a review of the roadway does not support a lower maximum speed limit.
The board spent some time debating whether they should place a new road around the tennis court in Shatford Park, as is called for in the park’s Master Plan. It would also mean the eventual closing of the north road. Councilmember Deb Gordon opposed the move, noting the north road is currently used for the very popular town clean up day, and feared it would hinder the segregation of the summer camp participants from those using the park for other purposes. Supervisor Houghtling disagreed, noting the board has previously had this discussion and approved the concept, and she was of the opinion it would improve traffic and safety. The remainder of the council agreed and voted 4 to 1 to approve a motion to spend $8,400 as an addendum to the skate park project and allow Darcy Construction of New Lebanon to construct the road.
There is good news about the skatepark. Darcy Construction has completed the pouring of the concrete pad and former councilmember Jesse Newton’s construction team is ready to go. Supervisor Houghtling hopes the park will be open in six to eight weeks.
Another topic of discussion at the Tuesday, April 11 meeting was how long a former business site can remain closed, before any re-opening plans must undergo a site plan review by the Planning Board. The proposed change was for one year. The idea being not to say a similar business could not open at the site, but to review the structure and the grounds to make sure everything is up to the town code. Councilmember Rasmussen stated empty businesses many times do not sell within a year and thought this might be a deterrent to prospective sales. He suggested the time limit be 18 months, a compromise the other councilors agreed to.
The Climate Smart Committee (CSC) Chair Steve Powers says they have a new agreement to recycle plastics. They can be taken to nearby Hannaford or Market 32 (Price Chopper) stores or dropped into a box that will be located at the town hall. Mr. Powers said when 500 pounds of plastic are collected, the firm behind the collection efforts will present the town with a new bench made from recycled plastic. There is no charge to the town for this program. Mr. Powers also talked about placing compost bins behind the pavilion in Shatford Park. There would be three bins to handle the various stages of composting, with the finished product available to the public. The council agreed to place a fence up around the compost bins for visual purposes. The council further approved the appointment of Julie Fraad to the CSC.
Also at the meeting:
*Charley Sears was appointed Park Manager and may conduct interviews for summer camp assistants with council input
*No bids were received for a new truck engine for the Highway Department, primarily because the cost could change between the order time and delivery because of the lengthy waiting period. It was decided to rewrite the bid to allow for a cost escalator provision
*The hope to attract a childcare provider to the town has stalled because applicants would have to have a specific site approved before they could apply for certification. The council will investigate possible locations to assist in solving this problem
*High Peaks Solar of Wynantskill was selected as the firm to erect solar panels on the roof of the town hall
*The board will set a date to interview two attorneys who have expressed interest in upgrading or rewriting the town’s telecommunications policy considering expressed health concerns involving cell phone towers.
The date of the May meeting has been changed to Monday, May 15 at 6 p.m. at the town hall.
