Friday April 19, 2024 
Councilman Jack Rogers Reports to the Town of North Greenbush
The Town Board approved resolutions appointing a new town court secretary and accepted a Justice Court grant. This grant will allow for an update in the court entrance, security system, and court equipment.
A new police vehicle along with required equipment was approved in order to replace an older vehicle.
A resolution was approved accepting grant funding from the federal government, The American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA). The Town of North Greenbush will use these funds in the following areas:
• Town Park Improvements
• Municipal Water Transmission Improvements
• Highway and Drainage Mitigation
• Emergency Services (Fire & Ambulance)
• Town Employee Premium Pay
• Town Facility Safety Improvements
The Town Board recognized March 2022 as Colorectal Cancer Awareness month. Raising awareness to screen, treat, and prevent Colorectal Cancer. Go BLUE for the month of March.
A Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) permit was obtained and clean up of the Wynantskill Creek was performed in order to clear the creek of debris and trees to improve water flow.
Plans are ongoing for the Easter Egg Hunt, Memorial Day Parade, and Town Celebration Weekend in September.
Check out the town website for information, announcements, and town board meeting minutes at townofng.com or contact me at jrogers@nullnorthgreenbush.org. I also post information on my Facebook page Councilman Jack Rogers. You can attend meetings in person or live stream at https://townhallstreams.com/towns/northgreenbush.
Get involved and informed about what is happening in the Town of North Greenbush.
Next Town Meetings are:
• Planning Board 3/28/22 at 6:30PM
• Zoning Board 4/13/22 at 6:30PM
• Town Board 4/14/22 at 7:00PM
Happy Spring, Councilman Jack Rogers
Town of North Greenbush Update
March has brought with it a mix of snow as well as warmer temperatures which means Spring is here. Supervisor Joe Bott is proud to announce our Annual Easter Egg Hunt which will be held on Saturday, April 9th at 10 am at town hall.
The field will be filled once again with delicious treats and Easter Eggs for the children. Bring your baskets so you can fill them up, meet the Easter Bunny and be ready for some fun! Plans are almost finalized for our Summer Concert Series which are held on Sundays in the summer. Watch for more details on this exciting musical lineup.
We would like to thank Rensselaer County for the supply of COVID-19 test kits. Please contact Supervisor Bott’s office to receive yours. At our recent board meeting, the purchase of a new police vehicle was approved. The board authorized the acceptance and expenditure of grant funding from the Federal Government American Rescue Plan Act.
Thanks to the hard work of Town Comptroller Tony Germano, we applied for over $1.2m. Funding will be applied toward town park improvements, municipal water transmission improvements, highway and drainage mitigation, emergency services funding for our ambulance and fire companies, town employee funding and facility safety improvements. The town has been working to keep our waterways clear, doing all we can to mitigate potential flooding by obtaining a permit to clear trees and other debris from the creek.
We recognized March as colorectal cancer awareness month. Planning is underway for the annual Memorial Day Parade which is gearing up to be the biggest one yet. Stay tuned for details.
From The Desk of Janice Hannigan Kerwin, North Greenbush Town Clerk
The Town Clerk’s office would like to let all North Greenbush residents who are receiving or renewing a Permanent or Temporary Parking Permit of the new changes in the process of obtaining a (handicap) tag. You will now need to bring your driver’s license or non-driver’s license with you to obtain your tag.
We will now place the last 3 digits of your license’s number on all tags you receive. If you should have any questions on this process, please do not hesistate to call the office @ 518-283-4306, Monday thru Friday between the hours of 8:00 am – 4:00 pm and I will be happy to assist you in any way that I can.
From the Desk of Janice Hannigan Kerwin, North Greenbush Town Clerk
The Town of North Greenbush NOW has FREE Covid Test Kits. They are available Monday thru Friday, 8:00 am to 4:00 pm daily in the Town Clerk’s Office while supplies last. The test kits were supplied and donated by Rensselaer County. Each kit contains 2 tests. The kits are available to those in need of testing. If you should have any question pertaining to the process of getting the kits, please call my office @ 518-283-4306. If you need special arrangements please email me at townclerk@nullnorthgreenbush.org and let me know and we can plan accordingly.
Rensselaer County Legislature Minority Office – March 2022 Monthly Report
Environment – The Minority Office submitted a resolution supporting the NYS Expanded Bottle Bill (A8668), which was first introduced 40 years ago, to include additional beverage containers, such as sports drinks, iced teas, wine and liquor, as well as dairy products. The resolution was rejected by the Republican Majority.
The Bottle Bill has had a tremendous and positive effect on the environment and modernizing and expanding the Bottle Bill will further reduce litter, increase recycling rates, reduce carbon emission and bring jobs to NYS.
Opioid Settlement – After declaring the opioid epidemic a public health crisis in 2018, Rensselaer County in concert with other Counties initiated a lawsuit against three opioid distributors. An agreement for settlement was reached with a second manufacturer and the legislature unanimously approved a resolution to accept funds from this lawsuit as restitution for its expenses resulting from the opioid epidemic. This litigation is by no way final, as other distributors may still be litigated.
Health – The legislature authorized the Health Department to purchase and replenish PCR Covid-19 testing kits for 58 county school buildings to assist in the rapid identification and monitoring of Covid-19. This purchase is 100% grant funded and will help schools maintain in-person learning and support prevention strategies to curtail the spread of Covid-19.
NEXT MEETING – Tuesday, April, 12, 2022 in the Rensselaer County Chambers located on the 3rd floor of the Ned Pattison Government Center, 1600 7th Avenue, Troy.
PUBLIC FORUM – Wednesday, April 6, 2022 at 6:00 p.m.
Residents are welcome to contact our office at 518 270-2890.
www.rensselaercounty.org & follow us on Facebook: “Rensselaer County Legislature – Democratic Team”
Poestenkill ARPA Federal Funds Public Meetings
POESTENKILL – Poestenkill has received $230,000 in federal American Rescue Plan Act fiscal recovery funds, some of which has been used for the Town’s Comprehensive Plan and the highway department. An additional $230,000 is anticipated later this year.
This is a lot of money for a small town. It needs to be used town-wide, fairly, sensibly, and responsibly. Although deciding how to allocate the funds is ultimately the Town Board’s responsibility, the community’s thoughts and views are really important.
Decisions on how best to use those funds will be made after hearing from Town residents through a series of public meetings to solicit suggestions. The goal is to make sure that this money is used in a way that has a lasting impact.
Poestenkill Supervisor Keith Hammond has formed a team of three residents to hold listening sessions to understand and keep track of everyone’s suggestions. The listening sessions are just that, to learn what is on the minds of the Poestenkill community.
At the completion of the sessions a detailed summary of the residents’ suggestions will be presented to the Town Board for their consideration; it will also be posted on the Town’s website.
The information gathering sessions are scheduled at:
* First Baptist Church, 12 Legenbauer Rd, East Poestenkill, Saturday, March 26th, 10 AM
* Evangelical Lutheran Church, 772 Round Top Road, Poestenkill, Tuesday, March 29th, 7 PM
New York State COVID safety requirements for public meetings will be strictly followed.
Columbia, Dutchess, and Rensselaer County Democratic Committees unite in support of Jamie Cheney
Jamie Cheney, Candidate for State Senate in the newly proposed District 43, has received the unanimous endorsement of the Columbia, Dutchess, and Rensselaer County Democratic Committees, showing an early united front ready to take on and beat incumbent Sue Serino.
“I am honored by the committees’ unanimous trust in me to be their candidate for the State Senate, and am excited to continue meeting with the strong and hard-working people and families that make the Hudson Valley and Capital Region the place it is. This is an important milestone for our campaign, and reflects the deep desire in this district to have the representation that the area needs and deserves.” Cheney said.
Cheney and her husband run Falcon’s Fields, a 70-head Wagyu and Angus beef farm in Dutchess County. Cheney also founded a recruiting firm focused on creating flexible roles for working parents.
This will be the first election in the newly-formed 43rd State Senate District, which voted for Joe Biden by almost four points. Cheney’s campaign to flip a seat held by a four-term Republican incumbent has generated record-setting levels of support and was recently named one of the top five races to watch in 2022 in New York.
Cheney is the daughter of a veteran and comes from a family with a history of public service. She serves on the Leadership Council of the National Small Business Association and is active in developing youth agriculture in New York State. She lives with her husband and three sons on their farm in Dutchess County.
Best Luther Fire District Public Notice
WEST SAND LAKE – PLEASE TAKE NOTICE that the regular meetings of the Best-Luther Fire District will be held on the First Thursday of the month for the 2022 year, held at 7:00 p.m. at the Best-Luther Firehouse, located at 303 Old Best Road, W. Sand Lake, NY 12196.
The location and time of the meeting may be changed by further resolution of the Board of Fire Commissioners upon proper notification to the local media of such change.Best-Luther Fire District, 303 Old Best Road, West Sand Lake NY, 12196. Phone/Fax: 518-283-5641. blfdfiredistrict@nullgmail.com