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BE IT RESOLVED, that the Village of Fonda, Location code 40433/01, hereby establishes the following as standard work days for its employees and will report days worked to the New York State and Local Employees' Retirement System based on the time keeping system or the record of activities maintained and submitted be these members to the clerk of this body:

                  Title                                              Standard Work Day (Hrs/day)          

Village Deputy Clerk-Treasurer                                               6

On this 10th  day of June, 2013

I, JoAnn M. Downing, clerk of the governing board of the Village of Fonda, of the Sate of New York, do hereby certify that I have compared the foregoing with the original resolution passed by such board, at a legally convened meeting held on the 11th day of June 2012 on file as part of the minutes of such meeting, and that same is a true copy thereof and the whole of such original.

I further certify that the full board, consists of 5 members, and that 5 of such members were present at such meeting and that 5 of such members voted in favor of the above resolution.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto

Set my hand and the seal of the

Village of Fonda

Attention: Village of Fonda residents

Beginning June 1^st, garbage and recycling pickup day will be on THURSDAYS.  All other rules and regulations remain unchanged.  As a reminder: Containers may not be placed on curbside for pickup earlier than 5:00 P.M. of the day before pickup and must be removed by 8:00 P.M. on the day of pickup.  Thank you for your cooperation.

WHEREAS the Village of Fonda currently is provided fire services by its own Village Fire Department, Incorporated as Snell Hose Company; and

WHEREAS the Village of Fonda has experienced increased cost associated with the operation of the Fire Department and is unable to meet all current and future needs of the Fire Department without burden to the tax payers of the Village of Fonda; and 

WHEREAS the Village of Fonda Board of Trustees has determined that duplication of services is unnecessary cost to the resident tax payers; and

WHEREAS the Village of Fonda Board of Trustees has determined that for the survival of other resident services within the Village costs must be controlled with minimal, and when possible, no further burden to the tax payer; and

WHEREAS the Village of Fonda solely resides within the Town of Mohawk, serviced by the Town of Mohawk Fire District; and

WHEREAS the Town of Mohawk Fire Commissioners have agreed to contract fire services to the Village of Fonda and have further agreed to take the legislative steps necessary to expand the Fire District to be inclusive of the Village of Fonda as the “Fonda Station”; and

WHEREAS the Village of Fonda Board of Trustees, in accordance with New York State Village Law, § 10-1020 has voted to dissolve the Fonda Fire Department through this resolution wherein a role call of all trustees was taken and recorded by the Village Clerk,

NOW, THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that:

1.      Village of Fonda dissolves the Village Fire Department; and 

2.      The Chief of the Village Fire Department will relinquish all fire equipment and property, balance of funds of the Village Fire Department to the Village of Fonda Clerk no later then 10 days from the effective date of this resolution, making this date March 24, 2013; and

3.      That all Village Fire Department financial records and documents be provided to the Village Clerk by March 24, 2013.

 DULY ADOPTED at the regular meeting of Village Board of Fonda, Montgomery County, NY this 11^th day of February, 2013.

Village of Fonda

William F. Peeler, Mayor for the Village of Fonda

ATTEST:

JoAnn Downing, Village Clerk

Record of Vote by the Board of Trustees

CONTRACT FOR FIRE PROTECTION TO DISTRICT
The Agreement made this 12th day of February, 2013 between the Town of Mohawk Fire
District, a political subdivision of the state of New York located in Montgomery County, with a
mailing address of 2550 State Highway Route 30A, Fonda, New York 12068, (the “District”)
and
The Village of Fonda, a municipal corporation organized under the laws of the State of
New York located in Montgomery County, New York with a mailing address of PO BOX 447, 8
E. Main Street, Fonda, New York 12068, (the “Village”).
WITNESSETH:
WHEREAS, The Town of Mohawk has established a Fire District known as the “Town
of Mohawk Fire District”, embracing the entire Town as such territory is more fully described in
the resolution establishing such district and duly adopted by the Town Board; and
WHEREAS, the District wishes to contract with the Village for the furnishing of fire
protection to said Village for a period of time of time from Midnight, March 14, 2013 through
Midnight of March 13, 2015. This contract may only begin upon the full and successful
disolvement of the Village of Fonda Fire Department. This agreement may be terminated sooner
by mutual consent of both parties only in the event that the District be expanded to encompass
the Village for the purpose of providing fire protection to the properties within the Village.
Termination of this contract must be in writing, at least six months prior to the expiration of the
contract date; and
WHEREAS, a public hearing was held at 8 E. Main Street, Fonda, New York, County of
Montgomery on February 11th at 6:30 p.m., after due publication of notices of such hearing and
such hearing having been called for the purpose of aiding in the determination of whether or not
a contract should be made between the said Village and the District for further fire protection;
and
WHEREAS, at said public hearing there were no objections to the making of such
contracts; and
WHEREAS, at such meeting the Village of Fonda and the Town of Mohawk Fire District
duly authorized this contract upon the terms and provisions herein set forth;
NOW, THEREFORE, The Village does engage the District to furnish fire protection to
the said Village and the District agree to furnish such protection commencing on Midnight,
March 14, 2013 in the following manner, to wit:
1. During the contract period, the Village would retain the ownership of all Fire
Department Equipment in their possession whether needed by the District or not. The Village
will house the current pumper within the Village Facilities. Additional apparatus owned by the
Village for use by the Fire Service will be appraised and sold to the highest offer per New York
State requirements. Additional equipment such as radio equipment, turn out gear, etc., will be
taken on a case-by-case- basis.
The District shall evaluate the village’s equipment on an item by item basis. The District
will advise the Village of equipment that they will accept and use or reject.
Housing of the fire pumper at the Village facility would be of no additional cost to the
District. Operation of the equipment, i.e. gas and regular maintenance would be at the expense
of the District.
2. The District agrees to designate the Village as a “named insured” throughout the terms
of this Agreement on the following insurance coverage for the volunteer firefighters and the
operation of the Village Fire Department: general liability, motor vehicle liability, volunteer
firefighter’s benefits and workers’ compensation benefits.
The District agrees to defend and indemnify the Village against any actions, claims, suits,
or demands which may be asserted against the Village for any causes of action arising out of the
acts or conduct of the District or the officers, employees, or firefighters thereof.
Should the District decide to utilize Village equipment they would pay for additional
insurance at that time.
3. The Consideration for the furnishing of fire protection to the Village during the term
of this Contract shall be a charge upon the Village to be assessed and levied upon said properties
in the Village. This charge will be based on the same tax rate as the Town of Mohawk Fire
District residents.
As the tax year for the Village does not begin until June 1st, the annual cost of services
coinciding with the signing of this contract will be prorated to that date. This would be broken
down into a daily service rate and calculated for the prorated amount based on the remaining
days within the fiscal year.
4. During the contract period, the Village Board of Trustees would retain positions and
decision-makingauthority for the Village of Fonda Fire Department. The Village of Fonda
Board of Trustees will sign and execute the contract for the Village. The District will provide
fire and rescue services. The officers and Commissioners for the District will be making
operational decisions for the fire services rendered.
5. The District shall report and communicate to the Village of Fonda Board of Trustees
any activities of the District directly affecting the Village. Such communication shall be prior to
the regular Board of Trustees meetings held the second Monday of each month. The reports
shall include any and all progress reports with regard to the consolidation of the District with the
Village Fire Department and incorporation of the Village properties in the District for the
purpose of fire protection.
During the contract period, the Village of Fonda Board members shall be allowed to
attend Town of Mohawk Fire District meetings as observers just as any other citizen of the
District. The Board of Trustees, prior to any participation in a District meeting wilwill make a
request of the District to Participate prior to the meeting.
6. Membership applications for the Town of Mohawk Fire District’s Fire Department
shall be provided to the Village for completion by current members desiring to do so. Decisions
on these applications will be the sole responsibility of the Town of Mohawk Fire District based
on the protocols of the Fire District by-laws and those of the Town of Mohawk fire department
as well as recommendations from the Village Board of Trustees.
7. The District will provide fire protection within the incorporated boundaries of the
Village during emergency situations. Emergency medical services will continue to be covered
by GAVAC as the initial responder. The District will not provide emergency medical services,
but will assist the ambulance service with any special requests.
8. Grants may be available at the State or Federal level to assist with costs regarding
consolidation. Both entities must work collaboratively with State and Local officials to assure
all available grants and funding mechanisms are implemented to help our local tax payers.
9. The Town of Mohawk Fire District is sensitive to the history and heritage of
independent fire companies and the membership of the Fonda Fire Department. The Fonda Fire
Department shall, once special legislation is complete, become a component of the said Town of
Mohawk Fire District’s Fire Department. The District will use sound fire protection practices
and principals to determine the need of a Fonda Station.
10. Nothing herein contained shall be deemed to limit or affect in any way the
responsibility or liability of the Village for injury sustained by any firefighter who is a member
of the Village of Fonda Fire Department or for the death of any such firefighter while engaged
upon the performance of his or her duties, and otherwise, as provided by section 205 of the
General Municipal Law or any other statute of the State of New York and members of the
Company while engaged in the performance of their duties answering, attending upon or
returning from any call provided for by this contract, shall have the same rights, privileges and
immunities as volunteer firefighters as provided for by law.
11. This Contract is written pursuant to Article 11, section184 of the Town Law.
In WITNESS WHEREOF, The parties have duly executed and delivered this Agreement
the 12th day of February 2013.
Village of Fonda
William F. Peeler, Mayor
Town of Mohawk Fire District

Dear Village of Fonda Residents and Taxpayer –

In staying in the statements I have made with regard to maintaining communication with our taxpayers and residents, I find that I need to bring you up to speed with what is happening, and what you may have read about in our local media, regarding the Village Fire Department.

First and foremost – the Board of Trustees and I do not wish to have the membership of our fire department to feel in the least unappreciated for any service they have provided to our Village residents. We have had a strong history of our residents participating and volunteering for the community through fire protection, and this is something that can continue. We are very proud of our firemen that have served the community with dignity and respect throughout the years.

What has the fire department cost our property owners – the Village fire department, not unlike other fire departments, have previously shared in the expense that comes with the operation of the fire department – in 2009 the Village Real Property Tax provided $29,290, 13.80% of the real property tax, to operate the fire department, in 2010 this amount was $28,629, or 15.20% of the real property tax collected. In the 2012-2013 budget we are looking at a cost of $43,166, or 22% of the real property tax.

What has brought us here – In the May meeting of the Board of Trustees, the Fire Chief for the Village of Fonda informed the board, that the fire department did not wish to park cars on a regular basis at the Fonda Parking Lot. The Chief explained that the members did not want to have to work to volunteer as a fire member. The board upon verification with the Chief that this is what the wish of the members was past a resolution allowing any not-for-profit organization to make application to park cars for fund raising purposes.

To offset the cost of maintaining the park and parking area we attached a $1 fee to the $3 previously collected by the fire department, leaving the amount an organization could benefit from each car parked at $3.

Historically the fire department has raised funding to maintain operations of the fire protection services and would come to the Village for very little – as I only have been provided the money raised in 2010 through the fire departments fund raising efforts I can only quote that dollar amount, which was $19,257. This equates to nearly half of what the 2012-2103 fire department budget is at and would save the taxpayers nearly 11% of the real property tax paid for needed improvements of Village services.

By law, the Village Board of Trustees may not dictate to the Fire Department what the donated funds are used for; in years past this was placed to the use of improving or maintaining equipment but is not the case today.

I would be remiss to not mention the forever-increasing cost of operating our government services and doing business.

We cannot afford to give the fire department what they need – the average fire department that is able to maintain proper fire services or progressively move forward with maintaining and purchases of new equipment have a budget of over $100,000.

The Village of Fonda has been setting aside $10,000 to $15,000 per year for the purchase of a new pumper to replace the aging fire pump truck currently used. The current cost of replacing this pump is $350,000; to date we have just about $110,000 saved. For the Village to save the needed amount for a new pumper truck it will take 16-24 years, and this does not equate the cost of maintaining the current truck if possible at all possible and the increase in the purchase of a new pumper truck.

Our alternatives – We are faced with three alternatives as I see it to give the appropriate money needed to operate a productive fire protection service.

1.     Provide nearly 66% of the real property tax to the fire department’s budget creating a shortfall of 44% to other needed services within the Village; or

2.     Increase taxes to the property owners in the amount of nearly 44% to cover the expense of the fire department that would not take in to consideration for the other cost or increased costs for services provided by the Village; or

3.     Consolidate financial resources and human resources with the Town Fire District resulting in the dissolving of our fire department.

·      Initially the move to consolidate with the Town Fire District would be through contracted agreement and then through expansion of the Town Fire District.

Some of the Questions our residents may share with Town residents – Immediately our residents along with Town residents would like to know – will this increase my taxes? The answer is NO to the Town residents and the answer for our Village residents is initially NO as well.

If the Town Fire District is agreeable with the our proposition to pay the same rate per $1,000 as being paid by the Town tax payers currently the Village of Fonda will save approximately $21,000 per year. This would continue until such time as the Town Fire District expands its boundaries to encompass the Village of Fonda.

Once the Town Fire District expands its district to include the Village of Fonda the real property taxpayers within the Village will pay a separate tax line provided by the Town Fire District. Having said this, the Village will be saved from overwhelming real property tax increases and the Town tax real property taxpayer will be saved money, as the amount collected will be spread across more parcels. Likewise, if the budget of the Town Fire District remains the same the rate of tax per $1,000 will decrease for both the Town and Village taxpayers.

So what does this mean in real money – the current rate per $1,000 of assessed value is $.849 based on a budget of $130,000 per year for the Town Fire District. If you own a home that is valued at $50,000 this would equate to $42.45 per year, likewise if you own a home that is valued at $90,000 this would equate to $76.41 per year.

Will this happen overnight – the answer is absolutely NO. We are currently working on the points of the contract. Included in these points is the assurance from the Town Fire District that they will pursue expansion of the Fire District and all other considerations for our community.

Once the agreement is in place we will then bring a resolution to the Board of Trustees for a vote of dissolving the Fonda Fire Department, if the resolution is past it will then be 30 days before the fire department will be dissolved.

None of this is a done situation – the Town Fire District will receive input from it’s members, and then the Village of Fonda must receive agreement from the Town Fire District Board of Commissioners.

Accountability to the taxpayer and Voters – not unlike the Board of Trustees for the Village, the Board of Commissioners for the Fire District are elected to their positions; maintaining appropriate accountability to the taxpayers and voters within the Fire District. As such, they are entrusted to do the business of the people that provide for the Fire District.

What does this mean to the fire protection of our properties – really when we get to the point of this, “it comes down to why fire departments exist,” “to protect our homes, businesses and the lives of those we love from harm.”

Through sharing the cost of one fire department vs. two fire departments the maintenance and ability to purchase needed new equipment will improve, ultimately giving the tools need to the fire members in protecting our properties and us.

As I have stated before, there are a number of fire members who have good hearts, “the majority I would say,” that are volunteering to protect the community, this does not need to change. The Town Fire District will consider membership from our current fire members if that is their desire, and this is my hope. If all of our members were to apply and be accepted to membership within the Town Fire District it would increase the number of members to approximately 51-52 members, this is from our current membership of 15. I need to point out – that one of the members of the Fire District who is sits on the Board of Commissioners and the Membership committee shared with the Village during the November 26^th public meeting, only one applicant has been refused membership in his 12 years as a fire member.

During the contract period, prior to expansion of the district, our fire apparatus will be maintained at our firehouse for use of the District Members. We have asked the Town Fire District to consider maintaining the “Fonda Station” beyond the contract period when the Fire District may be extended. In any event, the Town Fire District houses their equipment within one mile of our current station.

So there it is, we have been entrusted to protect the people of our community and it is in our strong opinion that not only are we protecting our community but also we will improve this protection of our residents through the appropriate measures we are currently attempting to take. Once more, the taxpayers of our Village have entrusted us with the tax dollar, and we are looking to protect that while maintaining our other obligations to you.

It is my hope that this may answer any questions that you have. I, with the support of our Trustees and in the interest of our taxpayers, will continue to consolidate resources available and cut unnecessary costs whenever possible.

Sincerely,

Bill Peeler, Mayor

So what have we been up to since April? It has been busy and continues to be busy with a number of projects.

At issue currently, is the need for a preventative maintenance program that is managed. As we are all aware money restraints are tight and will require the Village to think outside of the box in completing the needs of our operations and future progress.

We need to work smarter at replacing and maintaining the infrastructure as well as our water facility and equipment. We need to get things done today and not tomorrow; procrastination is the enemy of saving money; we need to plan in advance determine the cost and get it done.

CSX and State Road Work

So what have we been doing and what are we up too? Well to-date we have been working with the numerous issues surrounding the state road construction that has been continuing within the Village on Route 5 and Route 30A North and South. The good news is that much of the "major" work has been completed with the exception of the removal of the OLD CSX Bridge. CSX has been less then cooperative with New York DOT in approving the method and schedule of removing this bridge. In addition to this, we averted the complete blocking of the Western end of Railroad Street with the addition of a wider sidewalk and removal of the tree installation that was to take place. During October's board meeting we will be discussing the reversal, or removal of a resolution passed prior to my arrival that allowed for the New York State DOT to ultimately close the Broadway and Center Street railroad crossings on a temporary basis. If approved by our attorney and the Board of Trustees, I will be sending a letter to the State and the Contractor for the State, asking that barriers placed be removed as the major construction has past. It is my intention that the barriers be removed until such time as a ruling is made from the previously held hearings.

 Paving and Flood Mitigation

Paving will be taking place throughout the Village that will include areas where repairs to water leaks was previously made. Additionally we will be working on the drainage issues in Midway alley and have worked on storm drains on North Center Street. This spring, with the Trustees approval, I instructed DPW to trench the lower part of the creek that follows Broadway to the southern portion of the Village. This has alleviated potential issues with flooding. We continue to work with Montgomery County and the Town of Mohawk on further mitigation from flooding in this area. As part of one of the grants we have applied for, we have requested a barrier system that may be used for flood protection among a number of other uses such as, ponds during droughts and firewater reservoirs for large fire emergencies.

Renovations to the Village Facilities

The Village facilities had come to the point of needing renovations for both safety and extending the life in usage of the facilities. Electrical lines and the alike were dangerous and over burden with use creating a safety risk. The efficiency of the building and its lighting and heating systems was at what I would rate a very poor level. The heating and cooling system was at best 60% efficient, far below today's current standards. So what have we done and how are we paying for it? The former Mayor and Board of Trustees had approved $30,000 for expansion of the meeting room in the current budget along with $10,000 for replacement of the current cooling system. What I have done is extended this work with the same money to include: All new electrical and computer network wiring in the offices and some extended areas, New efficient lighting that will include LED or T8 lighting fixtures, Insulation of the Main building with new fire rated drywall, Smoke Detectors, improved meeting space and new computer systems/software, Flooring, Repair of and Sealing of the Lower Roofs that had numerous Water leaks, Water and Sewage Lines, Emergency Lighting, and the installation of two 95% efficient furnaces with two cooling systems for the first and second floors of the Village hall.

This work will need to continue. We will need to continue masonry work on the structure on the Northeast and Southeast corners of the building as the old block and concrete is crumbling.

So why did we make use of this money for the building vs. returning it to the budget for other uses. To me it is common sense; spend the smaller dollar amount for correcting the disrepair and maintenance issues now or spend the million to three million dollars later to replace the structure. The Mayor and the Trustees are the Guardians of the Taxpayers assets and we need to expend what we have been entrusted with wisely if we are to look to the future of the Village.

Waterfront Project and Park Improvements

Prior to my arrival, I believe in 2009, the waterfront project began. I am sorry to report that this project has been sitting with little to no movement. To-date the grants received for this project has totaled nearly $140,000 with all but about $17,000 has been expended for Planning and Administrative Costs. The remaining $17K is for moving the fence line at the Canal side of the project and landscaping. The issue I find with the current plans is the excessive cost of construction and improvements.

It is my intention to work with the board to move forward on improvements to the waterfront and park with funding we have on hand from various requests made in addition to money received for damages to Village property from previous flooding. The plan is to add a boat launch with parking on the canal property with docking, the addition of a seasonal restroom for use by patrons of the facility, the addition of a parking attendant building that is built for protection during flooding. In addition we are working to place a memorial near the current recreation area. Much like we have done with the Village facility, my intention is to use in-house labor with any assistance made available from our counter parts.

Uses for the facilities once completed may include: Bass Fishing Tournament, Memorial Day Festivities, Fourth of July Celebration and Carnival. I would also like to open the facilities up for a weekly Farmers Market and other events approved by the Board of Trustees. The Village owned parking lot is now available for sign up and usage by not-for-profit organizations that wish to raise money during races and other events requiring parking facilities. The Village, through resolution, has created a $1 fee for every vehicle parked by the fundraiser to offset the cost of maintenance and improvements.

Master Plan and Infrastructure

The Village is in dire need of repair to water, sewage and storm systems throughout. In addition we are in need of improvement to paved roadways and sidewalks. Beginning in 2013, we will be returning to sidewalk improvement efforts with Village property owners. As the law is constructed, property owners are responsible for the repair and replacement of sidewalks in the front of property owned. The Village will create a schedule that will allow resident to signup for repair or replacement of sidewalks wherein the materials will be paid for by the resident and the labor will be provided by our DPW.

One of the steps we will need to take when approaching the infrastructure issues we face will be the need to have professional consultation to determine what work will need to be done. We need to explore replacement or repair of the various branches of the system. One of the possibilities for the sewage line infiltration is to have a liner placed within the line wherever possible. But as I say, this will require advisement before decisions are made.

To save cost to the Village in infrastructure repairs and cost to our property owners we need to consider a by-pass for commercial traffic around the Village. I am well aware that this creates concern over the loss of sales tax and I will be the first to say, we cannot lose our sales tax revenue. So what does this mean? We need to ask the partners making the decisions to think outside of the box. The Towns, County and State need to consider a bypass that will require a contract, or pact, if you will, that will disallow the creation of commercial establishments along the bypass route. If properly planned, we would still have private vehicles traveling through our Villages and frequenting our businesses to not affect our sales tax revenue. If the study completed on this bypass would recommend, I would suggest limiting the bypass to heavy commercial vehicles only with a usage toll. Consideration also must be made on the impact of our Town neighbors as well, and I believe with time and effort we will be able to come to an appropriate solution.

Consolidation of Services

Rubbish Removal and Spring/Fall Cleanup

When I arrived to office I recognized that we needed to find a cost effective manner in returning spring and fall cleanup efforts. Working with the Town of Mohawk we were able to reduce the need of some curbside pickup by having a drop off point at the Town facilities this spring. As a result of the savings experienced from the spring pickup, this fall, October 27^th, we will be offering receptacle for residents of the Village to drop of materials that have been outlined. Each resident will be allowed to dispose of one load as described that will not include construction debris.

In addition to the manner we are completing spring and fall cleanup we have been looking in to the potential savings that may be experienced by returning weekly rubbish pick up to in-house DPW workers. On the outset of our research in to this we may be looking at a savings of $30-$40,000 annually after labor and equipment cost. If these numbers are true we will be looking at the avenues to purchase the needed equipment.

Further consolidation considerations include the working with town residents on the fringe of the Village for trash services should we complete the purchase of our own rubbish truck. If my estimates are correct, we will be able to provide service to these folks that will help offset the cost of our equipment and afford these outer residents some savings.

Repairs and roadwork within the Village are difficult and costly, when you consider the purchase cost of heavy equipment to complete the work and the massive amount of work that needs to be completed. I plan to continue to work with the County and the Town whenever possible to complete the needed work required. I have found that it is more cost effective to work with other municipalities then private sector contractors. This is not to say that we wish to lay our burdens on the other municipalities but it is my hope to work with them in a manner that is beneficial to all involved.

Public Safety

Our Fire Department services have been a topic of discussion in recent weeks and I would like to provide what the intentions of the Village are. To-date we are at an expenditure of $43,000 for the fire department budget. This is tax payer money spent and does not include any donations provided to the fire department. Currently the fire department has one fire pump/engine, one response vehicle and one small SUV. The age of the fire engine creates concern for me and the board and the cost it will take to maintain this equipment as our only fire apparatus. Even with the expenditure of taxpayer's dollars being what they are, we cannot afford to provide the fire department everything they need. On more then one occasion in public meetings the fire department has informed the board they do not wish to raise money to support the fire department and they feel they should not have to. So I, and now the board, have begun looking in to the possibility of consolidation with the Fire District. We are looking at the share of the cost that the taxpayer will have to pay vs. what we currently are spending. But what else needs to be considered is the fact that with the consolidation of monies received from the taxes we will be better able to have equipment needed for fire protection. Currently the Fonda Fire Department has approximately 15 members, the Town of Mohawk Fire Department has over 35 members; if a consolidation were to occur the volunteers for the Village will be allowed to make application for continued volunteering with the fire district.

Additionally, the Village Board will ask that fire apparatus be maintained at the Fonda station.

This consolidation of fire services, should it move forward, will not cause the Fonda Fire Department to lose its identity, and for the volunteers who have shown the spirit of wanting to help the community, they may continue to do so if they wish.

The Village of Fonda, like a number of other local municipalities, still contracts with the Greater Amsterdam Volunteer Ambulance Service (GAVAC), who is the primary responders to medical emergencies. GAVAC is still using the Village garage for overnight storage of the ambulance along with a second floor area for housing personnel. This consolidation of contractual services has served the Village well and we plan to continue this service for the foreseeable future.

Waste Treatment Facilities

The Fonda-Fultonville Joint Waste Treatment Facilities continues to work together. I am currently working with our attorney's and Mayor Headwell of Fultonville on the contract that will govern the joint sewage operations and board. Currently the board is comprised of two members from the Villages with one member serving as the Chairman currently this is Mayor Headwell. I am requesting in our negotiations on this contract to expand the board to encompass one member from each of the Town of Mohawk and Town of Glen with a board appointed chairman from outside of all the communities. We are proposing the individual municipal boards make appointments to the board and that member appointments do not exceed two-year individual terms with a maximum total years allowed to serve. 1 am also proposing that we have meetings on a monthly basis that is publicly announced and held per the "open meeting" laws. Another consideration that 1 am proposing is that we have a contracted bookkeeper for record keeping and bill payment employed for the joint sewage board. I am asking that the contract also include a restriction of appointment for any public elected officials from the municipalities.

Water Rates and Facilities

The current condition of the water treatment plant is not dismal but is in great needed improvement from lack of maintenance. We have been working to this end throughout the summer to circumvent larger issues later. I have instructed our DPW Supervisor to work on establishing a preventive maintenance program for this facility as I previously stated. Repairs and maintenance must be addressed before the smaller dollars turn in to larger expenditures.

Delivering the water has been an issue; we have repaired no less than a dozen leaks since I have been in office. We have had individual leaks that have accounted for losses as high as 80,000 gallons per day that translates to wasted money spent on filtration chemicals, labor and supply with no return on revenue.

Currently our water rates are some of the lowest in the state, and possibly the lowest in the county. I want to maintain this with minimal increases while considering other avenues for needed repairs.

One of the steps I will be taking in our October meeting will be a change in the manner we bill commercial customers for water services. Currently commercial, (larger users) of the system are billed bi-annually like our residents, this needs to change. By billing monthly for water and sewage services we reduce our risk to nonpayment and maintain our cash flow for Village operations. Although we may relevy a property owner for non-payment of services this takes time and places the Village without funds until the re-levy is processed and paid by the property owner or in many more cases, by the "new" property owner.

Community Services and Workforce Experience Program

The Village has in previous years worked with both the Community Services and Workforce Experience Programs on a limited basis. I am seeking to expand one these programs with workers that will give back to our community and who will learn skills needed to enter a productive employment situation.

These workers will not be treated any differently than our regular employees in that they will be provided an orientation meeting and will be required to learn and follow all rules and procedures established by the Village. Previously these workers reported to the DPW Supervisor only but this will be changed to the Mayor with daily reporting to Department Heads. Our Volunteers and Community Services Workers will not be provided uniforms paid for by the Village but will receive Identification Cards to identify them. We are working with each program to provide shirts that identify them as a Workforce Experience Volunteer or Community Services Worker.

Currently we are seeking 3-4 workers for the winter months that will be assigned various duties such as recordkeeping, office cleaning, snow removal and other Village DPW operations.

Winter Work and Snow Removal

At the October public meeting I will be discussing snow removal for the Village with the Board of Trustees and our DPW.I am looking to have DPW maintain all intersections wherein appropriate sidewalks exist as to not allow snow blockage or buildup from the roadway plowing. It is my intention to have our Volunteers from the Workforce Experience Program work alongside our DPW employees to accomplish this.

In addition, I am notifying DPW that we will need to maintain the sidewalks on the bridges that are used by our residents.

We have requested that the Town of Mohawk contract with the Village for two of our major roadways, Park and Cemetery Streets.  This requested contract was denied by the Town Board. The Town Board and Bill Holvig, Highway Superintendent, have stated they will do courteous plowing when Town plows exit and return from the Town facilities. I am ordering that our DPW workers be available to schedule treatment of the roadways when the Town provides these courtesy services. In addition the Village DPW workers will provide cleanup at intersections and along the roadways.

Through agreement with the Town of Mohawk, the Village will be moving its salt shed to the Town Facilities for DPW workers use. The shed will be separated from the Town materials so that accountability will be maintained for materials. This will allow easy access for our employees and will free space for the Village Municipal Building.

What's Ahead of Us

As with any municipality, small or large, we face financial considerations and a great need for repair and maintenance of our facilities and infrastructure. We need to work to this end without passing the burden on to our residents.

As I have said, we need to work smarter in accomplishing our needs and reducing the cost and saving money. It is my hope that we are able to continue with our fiscal responsibilities with no increase in taxes; unfortunately it is probable that we will experience an increase in water rates in the coming year.

I would like to create a not-for-profit organization for the parks and recreation use and promotion, "Friends of the Village Parks" would be focused on raising private money for improving our parks and usage of these areas. If you are interested please let the Clerk know so we may be in contact when the time comes.

In addition I would like to create zoning laws that would closely shadow some of the laws created by our Town. We need to improve the landscape of our Main Street and how we approach current businesses and new businesses entering the Village. In conjunction with this I would like to see cooperation with our business owners who have placed money at stake with placement and building business in our community.

We need stronger code enforcement when it comes to new structures and maintenance of some of our properties. I am having our Village attorney review our current local laws when it comes to DPW performing the work on non-compliant snow removal and mowing. Our local laws have an allowance for D PW to take action with charges referred to the property owner. Although it is not our desire we need to better our steps in compliance.

As a cost saving measure, I am reviewing with the Board of Trustees the reduction of Cobra style lights throughout the Village, particularly when it comes to duplicate lights on Main Street and Route 334. The cost of lights is one of the many high priced residual costs to the Village.

If You Are in Need of Services

I ask that residents communicate with the Village personnel when services are needed. JoAnn (Village Clerk) and Anna (Deputy Clerk), Chris (DPW Supervisor), along with our regular DPW workers, Charlie and Ron, are available during normal Village hours and of course during Emergencies.

I sincerely hope that your holidays are filled with quality family time and that our new year is prosperous to you.

Sincerely,

Bill Peeler

Mayor

The following information is quoted from the text copy of the draft order that was presented at the public hearing held May 23, 2012: (this is what is being considered)

 DRAFT ORDER
CASE 38492 Center Street grade crossing, Fonda

That the closure and discontinuance requested for the public at-grade crossing
of Center Street of CSX Transportation, Inc., Mohawk Sub Division, milepost QC
186.17, in the Village of Fonda, Montgomery County (USDOT #508-734J) be
approved;

That CSX Transportation, Inc. shall be responsible for full removal of all grade
crossing appurtenances, including automatic flashers, gates, and the crossing
surface;

That, prior to the aforementioned crossing removal, the Village of Fonda shall
install and maintain MUTCD-compliant barricades (or alternative barriers,
including landscaping, where permissible) on both sides of the existing crossing
at the edge of the crossing right-of-way; that, upon prior review and
concurrence, CSX Transportation, Inc. shall reimburse the Village for the cost of
all material and installation of said barricades/barriers.

That the Village of Fonda shall install and maintain MUTCD-compliant roadway
curbing, signage and pavement markings appropriate with the aforementioned
crossing closure. That, via Municipal Agreement, the New York State
Department of Transportation shall re-imburse the Village for the cost of design
and construction, including materials and installation, of said work;

That, prior to the above actions, the Village shall submit plans depicting the
proposed measures to the New York State Department of Transportation
Highway-Rail Grade Crossing Safety Section and Regional offices for review
and approval.

That the requested crossing closure and discontinuance and associated safety
measures, be completed and finalized no later than December 31, 2012.

Village property owners who have questions on the recent property assessment information should contact the Town of Mohawk Assessor

Stella Gittle
2-4 Park Street PO Box 415
Fonda, NY 12068
Email: tnmohawk@frontiernet.net
Phone: 518.853-1464
Fax: 518-853-4730
Website: townofmohawkny.com/index.htm