Philmont bus service to begin, Town Hall building study, and much more!

PHILMONT BUS SHUTTLE SERVICE TO BEGIN IN SEPTEMBER
As you know, we worked hard to get a bus shuttle service for Philmont residents approved. I’m very happy to announce that the new service will begin operating on Monday, September 12th. The new shuttle service, part of the lumbia County Public Transportation System, will take passengers to and from Hudson and Greenport twice daily, each and every Monday. This will allow residents access to goods and services not readily available in the Village. The ride will cost passengers just $1.00.  Many thanks to Johnston & Pulcher, Inc. and Columbia County government for helping make this happen.  We’ll provide more information on the routes and pick-up/drop-off times and locations soon.
 
FALL BRINGS COOLER TEMPERATURES, PUMPKIN EVERYTHING, AND BUDGET WORK
Fall is almost here and along with the cool air, colorful mums, and comfort food comes the always difficult work of crafting the following year’s budget. As outlined in previous updates, we’ve been able to make good progress cutting town government’s dependency on cash reserves, and moving the town to a strong financial position – but further work needs to be done. We’re faced with a very difficult tax cap for 2017, but are determined to produce a budget that complies with the cap, which would once again bring much needed relief and State property tax rebate checks to Claverack residents. The budget is the single most difficult issue that we deal with as your town officials, and certainly one of the most important.
 
TOWN HALL/COURT BUILDING
As announced earlier this year, we’ve undertaken a study of the current Town Hall/Court to get an idea of the structural condition of the building, and to review the space needs for town departments and organizations that use the Town Hall.  An inspection of the building by the engineering firm Crawford & Associates found serious structural issues making it necessary and prudent to abandon the current building. The committee will now begin looking at alternative options (rebuilding on the same site, or relocating to a new location) and what to do in the interim.
 
KEEPING IDENTITIES OF SENIORS SAFE (DOCUMENT SHREDDING PROGRAM)
The office of Town Clerk Mary Jeanne Hoose, in conjunction with County Clerk Holly Tanner, will once again sponsor the KISS (Keeping Identities of Seniors Safe) document shredding program for town residents in September.  Seniors may bring sensitive documents for shredding to the Town Office on Church Street Monday through Friday, 9:00 AM – 3:00 PM, from September 6th to September 23rd. More info here.
 
BROADBAND SURVEY
The Columbia County Board of Supervisors Broadband Sub-Committee is working collaboratively with grassroots groups and industry leaders to expand broadband service to residents across Columbia County. As part of that effort, an online survey has been created to help map underserved areas. There are separate surveys for residential and commercial (business) customers. Links to both surveys can be found below. (Note that the residential survey asks for your address, but that information is not required to complete the survey).
Link to the residential broadband survey here
Link to the commercial (business) broadband survey here
 
OTHER ITEMS OF NOTE
The final concert in the Claverack Republican Club’s 2016 Summer Concert Series was held Thursday, August 26th. I’d like to thank the many volunteers who work so hard to bring these events to our town park each summer – and special thanks to the generous sponsors who help pay for the entertainment and allow the concerts to be offered free-of-charge.  We’re also happy to report that approximately 150 kids took part in this year’s Summer Youth Program at the town park! The kids participated in a variety of recreational programs, sports, and field trips during the six-week camp. A huge thank you to all of the staff and volunteers who help make this program a success every year.
 
Congratulations to Philmont Volunteer Fire Company on 120 years of dedicated service. Your selfless devotion to the safety and wellbeing of our community is very much appreciated!
 
The September meeting of the Claverack Town Planning Board will be held on Wednesday, September 7th due to the Labor Day holiday.
 
The Mellenville Fire Company will host the 18th Annual Kim Harvey Memorial Golf Tournament on Saturday, October 1st. Contact Jim Brady at 518-755-8878 for information.
 
Columbia County Hazardous Waste Collection Day will be held Saturday, September 10th at the County Highway Garage on Route 23B in Greenport. Residents with large quantities of materials must contact the DPW Administrative Office prior to the date by calling 518-828-2737. The event runs 8:00 AM to 12:00 PM.  Click here to review what materials will be accepted.
 
The A.B. Shaw Fire Company will host its Annual Car Show & Chicken BBQ on Saturday, September 24th from 10:00 AM to 6:00 PM (Chicken BBQ starts at 3 pm) at their firehouse on Route 23B.