Highlights from May meetings

By Michael Turton

At the May 22 meeting of the Cold Spring Village Board, trustees took no action on a request from the Recreation Commission for $5,100 to purchase an apparatus to clean up goose droppings at Mayor’s Park. The board discussed other, less expensive solutions, including the use of fake coyotes or creating a dog park to discourage geese from landing.

The board approved a request from Lee Cone to operate a food cart on Fair Street near Mayor’s Park. Trustee Lynn Miller abstained, saying the cart would compete with Go-Go Pops, the Main Street shop she co-owns with her husband. Cone initially asked to set up a cart on upper Main Street near the pedestrian tunnel.

The board approved a flat, $10-per-unit quarterly increase in the sewer rate, effective July 1.

The board approved a contract with the Cold Spring Police Benevolent Association that ends May 31, 2020.

The village received a grant of $2,500 from the John T. Sloper Community Fund to purchase portable automated external defibrillators (AED) that can be applied to someone undergoing cardiac arrest.

The board approved a contract with Managed Technologies to provide the village with telecommunications services.

Robert Downey Jr., crew chief at the Highway Department, was given the OK to sign a new, four-year agreement to share services with the state Department of Transportation.

Ralph Lauren was given permission to conduct a fashion shoot on May 31 in the village.

From May 8 …

Larry Burke, the officer-in-charge of the Cold Spring Police Department, briefed trustees on meetings he attended with school officials about traffic control at Haldane School, especially for vehicles entering before school from Route 9D.

Mayor Dave Merandy complained that communication with Haldane on the issue has been poor.

“It seems like the last people to learn about this is the Village Board of Trustees,” he said. “It irritates me to no end.”

Merandy said he was informed of the proposed changes by Superintendent Diana Bowers in a letter, but that she did not ask for village input. “It hasn’t been the first time Mrs. Bowers has shown little respect for my office,” he said, adding that the Village Board should have the final say on any traffic changes.

Burke also reported that his officers answered 54 calls for service in April and issued 56 parking and 20 traffic tickets. He urged residents to fill out a “dark house” form at the village office before leaving on vacation so that officers know to check on those homes while on patrol.

Greg Phillips, the superintendent of water and wastewater, reported that he has been assured by the Putnam County Highway Department that no pesticides will be used as they were last year along Fishkill Road, which parallels Foundry Brook, the source of Cold Spring’s water supply.

The Code Update Committee has completed draft documents evaluating flood and steep-slope standards and is in the process of producing a draft for a ridgeline protection overlay district.

Behind The Story

Type: News

News: Based on facts, either observed and verified directly by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources.

Turton, who has been a reporter for The Current since its founding in 2010, moved to Philipstown from his native Ontario in 1998. Location: Cold Spring. Languages: English. Area of expertise: Cold Spring government, features