Traffic engineer will review DGEIS
■ The Cold Spring Village Board on Wednesday (Feb. 12) voted 3-2 to hire traffic engineer John Canning for $3,500 to review and comment on the traffic sections of the Draft Generic Environmental Impact Statement (DGEIS) for the Hudson Highland Fjord Trail. Ted Fink of Greenplan has already been hired, for $8,500, to provide comments on the DGEIS but said in a Feb. 7 letter to Mayor Kathleen Foley that he isn’t qualified to conduct a traffic review and recommended Canning. Foley, who along with trustees Laura Bozzi and Tweeps Phillips Wood spoke in favor of the idea, said village attorney John Furst also backed Fink’s suggestion. Trustees Eliza Starbuck and Aaron Freimark voted against the motion.
■ The Planning Board recently held two workshops to discuss the DGEIS. In a Feb. 12 report, Chair Jesse St. Charles said the workshops, which included public comment, helped the board form “deeper opinions and consensus.” The Planning Board will release its comments by the end of the month.
■ Foley said that letters from a collection agency that some residents have received for unpaid parking tickets are legitimate and should be dealt with through the agency. She encouraged those who receive parking or other violation tickets to respond within the required 30 days, either disputing the ticket or paying the fine. After 60 and 90 days, fines increase and can be paid directly to the village but after 120 days the agency takes over collection.
■ The Historic District Review Board on Jan. 21 approved an application by Our Lady of Loretto to replace the rectory’s slate roof with asphalt architectural shingles. The approval was conditional upon slate shingles in good condition that are removed will be kept for any future repairs.
■ The Cold Spring Police Department responded to 80 calls in January, including 10 medical assists, six traffic stops, three motor vehicle crashes and four assists to fire departments and other agencies.
■ The police department is working with Haldane High School and the Putnam County Youth Corps to establish an internship program for seniors interested in law enforcement. Officer-in-Charge Matt Jackson said the tentative plan calls for one student to spend 20 hours a week for three weeks. The intern will not ride along on calls but will learn about the radio and computer systems and the administrative duties that officers perform. The intern also will learn the basics of the local court system.
■ The board approved a contract renewal with Royal Carting for trash and recycling pickup. The current agreement expires Feb. 28 but Royal agreed not to raise prices before May 31 while the village prepares its 2025-26 budget.
■ The board approved sending 16 unpaid property tax bills to Putnam County for collection.
■ Bozzi reported that the lid to the food scrap container on Kemble Avenue was broken, making it awkward to use. While it is being repaired, residents can use the drop-off station on Lane Gate Road on Saturday mornings.
