Doug' Last Town Board MeetingWednesday, December 16, 2009 8:49 AM EST
There was standing room only at Kinderhook's December meeting. As reported by Robert Lachman of the Register Star:
There was standing room only at Kinderhook's December meeting. As reported by Robert Lachman of the Register Star:
It was the last hurrah for Kinderhook Town Supervisor Doug McGivney Monday night as he presided over his final Kinderhook Town Board meeting. It was a bittersweet moment for many in the audience and for McGivney. Before the meeting started, state Assemblyman Tim Gordon, I-Bethlehem, presented McGivney with a proclamation from the State Assembly in the form of a plaque, listing many of McGivney’s accomplishments during his 10 years as supervisor.
Mark Leinung, a representative from the Governor’s Office, also presented McGivney with a letter signed by Gov. David Paterson which read, in part: “... On behalf of all New Yorkers accept my profound appreciation for your exemplary work.”
After the laudatory celebrations the board got down to business for the last time this year.
Councilman Peter Bujanow discussed a proposal that’s in the works that would help meet Paterson’s 45-15 energy strategy for the state. “The New York Power Authority has initiated a plan for offering municipalities a 100 megawatt solar photovoltaic system that will allow a municipality to put in solar power for energy. It’s part of the governor’s plan for 45 percent self-sufficiency by 2015,” he said. According to Bujanow, the state provides municipalities with all the equipment at a fixed price that will be paid off over 20 years. He also explained there is a new general municipal law that provides loans to property owners for energy self-sufficient measures. “The town of Bedford in Westchester did it in 2007. It allows towns to get government funds and they add it to the tax bill,” he said. “I visualize with the current technology we could cut our bills in half in five years,” McGivney said. “There’s
been a lot of thought by the legislature going into this.”
The next item of business echoed what the village of Kinderhook has been dealing with recently — outdoor wood boilers. Unlike the village, which just passed a law outlawing any new OWBs, the town took a more measured approach in its draft proposal. “We decided not to outlaw them,” Bujanow said, “but to to restrict their design.” He also said the OWB situation is on a moratorium until February.
Finally, the fire district dispute with the town of Stuyvesant came up and McGivney discussed how the negotiations had gone smoothly for awhile and had reached an impasse.
“In talking with (Kinderhook Village Mayor Bill) Van Alstyne he doesn’t see any movement from Stuyvesant,” he said. He also made a final comment after the meeting had ended on the supposed feud between Van Alstyne and himself. “I’m still disappointed that discord still exists with the village. Village taxpayers who are also town taxpayers get the short end of the stick and I’m hoping that the Fire Committee will be able to address the problem in the future,” he said.
As the meeting closed board members thanked McGivney for all his hard work with Deputy Supervisor Debbie Johnson praising his dedication and hard work.
Councilman Peter Bujanow discussed a proposal that’s in the works that would help meet Paterson’s 45-15 energy strategy for the state. “The New York Power Authority has initiated a plan for offering municipalities a 100 megawatt solar photovoltaic system that will allow a municipality to put in solar power for energy. It’s part of the governor’s plan for 45 percent self-sufficiency by 2015,” he said. According to Bujanow, the state provides municipalities with all the equipment at a fixed price that will be paid off over 20 years. He also explained there is a new general municipal law that provides loans to property owners for energy self-sufficient measures. “The town of Bedford in Westchester did it in 2007. It allows towns to get government funds and they add it to the tax bill,” he said. “I visualize with the current technology we could cut our bills in half in five years,” McGivney said. “There’s
been a lot of thought by the legislature going into this.”
The next item of business echoed what the village of Kinderhook has been dealing with recently — outdoor wood boilers. Unlike the village, which just passed a law outlawing any new OWBs, the town took a more measured approach in its draft proposal. “We decided not to outlaw them,” Bujanow said, “but to to restrict their design.” He also said the OWB situation is on a moratorium until February.
Finally, the fire district dispute with the town of Stuyvesant came up and McGivney discussed how the negotiations had gone smoothly for awhile and had reached an impasse.
“In talking with (Kinderhook Village Mayor Bill) Van Alstyne he doesn’t see any movement from Stuyvesant,” he said. He also made a final comment after the meeting had ended on the supposed feud between Van Alstyne and himself. “I’m still disappointed that discord still exists with the village. Village taxpayers who are also town taxpayers get the short end of the stick and I’m hoping that the Fire Committee will be able to address the problem in the future,” he said.
As the meeting closed board members thanked McGivney for all his hard work with Deputy Supervisor Debbie Johnson praising his dedication and hard work.
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