Thursday April 18, 2024 
Town of Schodack 2020 Tax Collection
SCHODACK – The 2020 Tax Bills have been mailed. The Tax Office will be open to receive the 2020 Property Tax collection on:
February – Tuesdays, Thursdays & Fridays from 8:30 AM to 4:30 PM
March – Tuesdays & Thursdays from 8:30 AM to 4:30 PM
Payments received from February 1, 2020, thru February 29, 2020, are assessed a 1% penalty.
March 1, 2020, thru March 31, 2020, are assessed a 2% penalty.
An additional $2.00 charge will be added to all bills not paid before March 4, 2020.
Payments may be left in the secure green drop box located near the entrance of the Town Hall addressed to the Receiver of Taxes. Only when the complete bill and check are enclosed, will a stamped receipt be mailed to the taxpayer after the payment has cleared the bank.
Checks should be made payable to Shawn Masters, Receiver of Taxes.
2020 Tax Bills and all Tax Payments paid through this office since 2005 are viewable on the Town of Schodack website at www.schodack.org under Departments/ Receiver of Taxes.
Rensselaer County Property Tax bills are now payable online with MasterCard, VISA, and Discover Credit Cards at a rate of 2.45%. VISA Debit Cards are also accepted, at a charge of $3.95 per transaction. Online checks or E-checks, submitted through the Town of Schodack website only, are another accepted method of payment, costing $1.75.
No payments will be accepted in person at the Town Hall or by mail after March 31, 2020. Thereafter, contact the Rensselaer County Bureau of Finance at (518) 270-2754 for delinquent tax information.
I look forward to serving you this tax season,
Shawn Masters, Receiver of Taxes Town of Schodack
Hidley Rd. Subdivision Hearing Feb. 24
NORTH GREENBUSH – North Greenbush residents care about the proposed 22-house subdivision at 120 Hidley Road. Well over 100 comments have been posted on the Wynantskill Neighborhood Group FaceBook page. People on NextDoor.com have responded as well. Perhaps the Mon., Feb. 24, 6:30 Public Hearing on the proposal will need to be held in the gym!
I foresee us listening to all sides, and to one another. How do we balance the rights of landowners and the taxation structure on our open spaces with the need for fiscal responsibility as a Town? Does building more houses mean more income for the Town of North Greenbush? Or do more houses negate any income for the town, due to their increased load on existing services and infrastructure that leads to increased demand for services and infrastructure? Are builders obeying regulations, such as those regarding filling in wetlands? How is this monitored and enforced?
Are open spaces merely vacant land, or are they part of the character of our Town? How shall we value what our open spaces do for us, such as mitigating stormwater runoff, filtering toxins from our air and water, and sequestering carbon dioxide from the air?
Sheree Cammer
Wynantskill
North Greenbush Report from Councilwoman Mary Frances Sabo
NORTH GREENBUSH – The February town board meeting was busy. A representative from the US Census did a presentation on the census which begins next month. This year for the first time, residents will be strongly encouraged to respond via the internet or phone. If no response is received, a census employee will visit your residence. The census is very important as a complete and accurate count determines so many important things, such as representation in Congress and allocation of federal funds to support important programs. I encourage all residents to respond to the census. The more people who are counted in North Greenbush, the greater the share of funding the town will receive. At my suggestion, the town, through its website and announcements in The Advertiser, invited town residents to submit statements of interest for town committees. Many residents who are not currently serving on town committees reached out to express interest. Councilman Jack Rogers has organized the names and circulated them to the board members and we were hopeful that we could vote on them at this board meeting. That didn’t happen but I am sure we as a Board will respond next month. Many of you will remember that I helped North Greenbush became certified as a “Climate Smart Community” at the end of last year. This certification has brought an exciting new opportunity to the town. Cornell Cooperative Extension has offered to assist North Greenbush with completing a Climate Smart Resiliency Assessment. The town will need to create a “Climate Smart Working Group” to work with the Cooperative Extension. I am in the process of putting together a group of town employees and interested parties who will serve in this important role. The town may become eligible for grants to improve stormwater management or purchase electric vehicles if this is done properly.
Submitted by Councilwoman Mary Frances Sabo
North Greenbush News by Supervisor Joe Bott and Deputy Supervisor Kelly Hoffman
NORTH GREENBUSH – It has been a busy few months here in North Greenbush. We are proud to announce the designation of North Greenbush as a Purple Heart Town. This is a way of honoring our soldiers who were wounded or killed during their service. With the implementation of the Veterans Banner program, this is just another step in the town recognizing the sacrifices of our military residents. You will start to see mailers to your home from the US Census Bureau and we are striving for full participation from you. The census responses are vital to ensure continued funding from the federal government and how congressional seats are apportioned. It also helps us see how our communities have changed over time so we ask that you help us have a “Complete Count in 2020”. Supervisor Bott and Deputy Supervisor Hoffman have been working with county officials on the plan to knock down the 40 year old fire training tower in Wynantskill. The replacement facility will ensure our volunteer firefighters have a safe, state of the art training center. The town is taking reservations for the pavilion at Snyder’s Lake. Please contact the Supervisor’s office for availability. Planning continues for the Rte 4 traffic improvement project as well as the new water line down Rte 43. We have some exciting events planned for the upcoming year, including our annual town celebration which will be held September 11th – 13th. Watch for more information on our annual Easter Egg Hunt, Memorial Day Parade and Summer Concert Series.
Sand Lake FYI
SAND LAKE – The Town of Sand Lake has several upcoming meetings and events. A Public Information meeting will be held on Tuesday, March 3rd at 6:00 pm in the Town Hall Courtroom regarding the Stop 13 Bridge Project. As you recall, the Town was awarded a $1.189 million grant in 2018 to replace the bridge on Stop 13 Road. Our engineering consultant on this project, Maser Consulting, will be discussing the status of the project and the projected timeline. This meeting will be broadcast online and on cable television channel 1303.
We continue to work on expanding family-friendly programs in the Town. On Sunday, February 23 from Noon-4:00 p.m., we will once again attempt to have ice skating at the Town Beach. If you are looking to enjoy some fresh air and neighborly company, please plan on attending. Please refer to our town website to see if we have to cancel the ice skating because of warm weather.
Congressman Antonio Delgado is tentatively scheduling one of his Town Hall meetings in Sand Lake for Monday, March 16 from 6:30-8:30 in the Courtroom. We invite all residents to attend this meeting. It is an excellent opportunity to learn what Congressman Delgado is working on in Washington, and to have him address your questions and concerns. This meeting will also be steamed online and broadcast on channel 1303.
All members of the Town Board signed and sent a letter to the NYS Department of Transportation supporting a study of traffic safety at the area around Glass Lake Road and Routes 43/66. DOT committed to this study after a resident raised concerns in the Times-Union about safety issues on this State road.
Concerns were raised last autumn that Sand Lake needed to provide senior transportation. I have offered to meet with those who wish to work on this issue. I have yet to hear from anyone. If this issue continues to be important to you, please reach out to me at Town Hall so we can discuss how to move forward.
Nancy Perry
Town Supervisor
Rensselaer County Legislature Office of the Minority
RENSSELAER COUNTY – February 2020 Meeting Highlights:
The Minority legislators submitted and voted on a resolution recognizing March 15 – 21, 2020 as Sunshine Week in Rensselaer County. This national initiative promotes the importance of open government and the free flow of information from government to county citizens, ensuring that our government is accessible, accountable and open.
The Legislature also recognized March as American Red Cross (ARC) Month. We would be amiss not to extend our gratitude to the thousands of volunteers, who so willingly assist after a disaster hits. The blood donor program provides nearly half of the United States needed blood supply and encourages everyone to donate, if possible. The ARC also offers training classes in water safety and first aid, as well as youth programs and elder care to name a few. We encourage you to look into the opportunities to get involved at: https://www.redcross.org/
STOP-DWI – A grant from the New York State STOP-DWI Foundation was rolled over into the 2020 budget for the Rensselaer County Special Traffic Operations Department, in order to expend any left-over monies to keep cracking down on drivers under the influence.
Mental Health – The Legislature renewed a contract for a bi-annual survey mandated by the NYS Office of Alcohol and Substance Abuse Services (OASAS) to perform a critically important survey in the county’s school districts and therefore develop strategies to prevent and reduce underage drinking and drug use.
NEXT MEETING – Tuesday, March 10, 2020 in the Rensselaer County Chambers located on the 3rd floor of the Ned Pattison Government Center, 1600 7th Avenue, Troy.
Residents are welcome to contact our office at 270-2890.
www.rensselaercounty.org & follow us on Facebook: “Rensselaer County Legislature – Democratic Team”
Poestenkill Town Board Meeting Minutes
POESTENKILL – Poestenkill Town Board – Meeting Minutes – Thursday, January 16, 2020
The Poestenkill Fire Department informed the board of the upcoming 100-year celebration of the department will take place on June 6th starting at 3pm. Craft venders and food and beverage vendors will be available with fireworks to end the event.
Lochvue – the Town Board review documents on the proposal to accept the private road as a town road and take responsible on upkeep. After much discussion the Board asked for more time to make a decision. This will be discussed at the February meeting.
Ambulance service – Supervisor Hammond asked for the creation of a committee to explore the ambulance service in town at look into potential options. A heated discussion ensued between some members of the Board. Motion by Councilman Van Slyke and seconded by Councilman Wohlleber to create the committee to study Ambulance service. The vote passed 3-2 with Councilwoman Butler and Councilman Hass opposed. Councilman Wohlleber will head up the creation of the committee.
There were several “housekeeping” votes which were taken that had been put on hold from the yearly organizational meeting, in early January.
These minutes to be approved at the next town board meeting scheduled for Thursday, February 20th, at 7pm.
For more information go to www.PoestenkillNY.com
Submitted by Councilman Eric Wohlleber
Meeting Dates for The Village of Nassau 2019-20
NASSAU – The following dates have been established for the Village of Nassau Board of Trustees Meetings. All meetings will be held at the Village Municipal Building, 40 Malden Street, Nassau, NY at 7:30pm unless otherwise posted.
March 11, 2020 Regular Meeting 7:30pm
March 18, 2020 Special Meeting Election 9:00pm
April 6, 2020 Annual Meeting 7:30pm
April 8, 2020 Public Hearing Budget 7:00pm
April 8, 2020 Regular Meeting 7:30pm
May 13, 2020 Regular Meeting 7:30pm
May 27, 2020 Year End Meeting 7:30pm
The Planning Board meets on the 1st Monday of each month (as needed) at 7:00 p.m. at the Village Municipal Building; The Zoning Board meets on the 4th Monday of each month (as needed) at 7:00 p.m. at the Village Municipal Building.
Tax Collection Town of Schodack
SCHODACK – For anyone who has not paid their 2020 Real Property Taxes, the Tax Office will be open on Tuesday, Thursday and Fridays during the month of February during the hours of 8:30am and 4:30pm. All payments received after February 29th will incur an additional penalty. All tax bills and receipts, from 2005 to present, handled by this office can be viewed and printed from the website, www.schodack.org., Departments, Receiver of Taxes.
Submitted by: Shawn Masters, Receiver of Taxes
Town of Poestenkill’s Monthly Meeting Dates
POESTENKILL – The following are the dates for the Town Board of the Town of Poestenkill’s monthly meeting dates. February 20, 2020, March 19, 2020, April 16, 2020, May 21, 2020, June 18, 2020, July 16, 2020, August 20, 2020, September 17, 2020, October 15, 2020, November 19, 2020, December 17, 2020. The meetings are held the third Thursday of each month.
Susan Horton, Town Clerk