Village of Red Hook Mayor’s Report April 2024
INSURANCE: NYMIR Insurance is up for renewal on June 1. Our insurance brokers, Marshall & Sterling, are working on this and I should be receiving something shortly. The health insurance switch of plans has occurred, and I have heard of no issues to date.
COMMUNICATIONS NOTE: You haven’t missed it. May newsletter hasn’t gone out yet.
SEWER PROJECT: Long-term financing is scheduled to close on May 16, 2024. EFC is providing the longterm financing at zero interest. Part of the transaction on May 16 includes EFC paying off the USDA-RD $3.6mm loan. There will be some final interest to pay to USDA-RD of about $18,000, which will be paid out of the capital funds collected in the Sewer Fund. Once complete, our loan with EFC is for 30 years with payments due annually on March 18[th] for $205,430.
I have worked through most of the details and updates with USDA-RD for the December disbursement request. Once finalized, I will prepare the final disbursement request and that will complete the project. I am waiting for a response from USDA-RD about whether the requested sewer related items can be purchased using the remaining contingency funds. These are grant funds so there will be no savings if we cannot use these funds.
SEWER EXPANSION – PHASE II: Delaware Engineering has been working on the grant application for the Sewer Phase II Expansion. Our working group meets every two weeks to continue the process. The grant application is due in mid-June. The proposed map includes the three potential development projects – Cookingham East, the Ross property & Anderson Commons – as well as expanding service to the south of the WWTP along Rt. 9, to the West to include the Middle & High schools, to the East to include the former Red Hook Electric and to the South East to include the Light Industrial District and a good portion of the residential district. Once we have applied for the grant, any additions will not change the grant amount. We can always make the expanded area smaller so it is advantageous to apply for a larger area.
The Town is simultaneously working through their procedure to establish a sewer district, which they are required to do for the Village to provide them with sewer services. Part of the process includes an Intermunicipal Agreement between the Town & the Village. A draft agreement is with our Village attorney. Once he has reviewed it, I will forward to the board for review. We will need to approve it at our June meeting to meet the Town’s timing for the grant for which they are applying.
ABRAHAMS PARK TASK FORCE: The Abrahams Task Force met on April 12. Amy Parrella & Betsy Brauer each did a separate sketch of the park including various elements that have been discussed and have come up in discussions with residents and users of the park. These include parking, a bathroom, stage/amphitheater, picnic/pavilion, a “natural playground”, walking trails.
Betsy developed a survey to collect more feedback around park usage. Edits were recommended and Betsy was going to work on a final version.
Next steps are to finalize the survey and distribute it as widely as possible. Continue to work on the parking plan, which is focused on the area off Linden Avenue. Contact the park planner at Scenic Hudson to see what assistance they might be able to provide us. Schedule the next meeting.