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Dear fellow residents,
This is the first quarterly report of 2010, (and the fourth I have sent out since the election a year ago), describing major initiatives and programs underway. It was quite a quarter, with two major storms from which we are still clearing up. A great deal of the Village’s energy was devoted to dealing with the weather and its substantial aftermath. Even with that, quite a bit got done.
Budget
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The Village Manager submitted a preliminary version of the budget, with a proposed tax increase of 7.9%, despite several position cuts and spending freezes. Both revenue drops and State-imposed increases in required pension payments and other mandated cost increases are largely responsible for the proposed tax hike. Trustee Armacost has run a budget-to-actual expenses analysis and identified a number of areas we believe we can achieve further savings. The month of April will be spent largely focused on the budget, as the Board reviews the proposed budget line by line. Given economic uncertainty, we will be assuming austerity spending levels.
The Waterfront
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We have seen extraordinary progress on the waterfront. BP Arco demolished a number of buildings, leaving behind spectacular views obscured for over a century. We also secured a $2 million commitment from Arco to preserve and improve the remaining building (“Building 52”). Meanwhile, on the less-contaminated southern 14 acres of the waterfront site (which is owned by Exxon, Chevron, and Uhlich), we saw a consent decree signed with all the parties, agreeing on the level of clean-up. The next step is to review the actual design, and we expect to see actual remediation underway this year. The work on these 14 acres will take 3-5 years in total and may rely heavily on a natural remediation technology that activates bacteria resident in the soil to devour the volatile chemicals there.
Finally, the DEC continues to review with BP Arco the preliminary remediation design for the northern 28 acres. This process is making some progress but we would certainly like to see it accelerate. Trustee Quinlan continues to work closely with both BP and the DEC and is working with Scenic Hudson, a non-profit advocacy organization to determine how to continue to move the process along.
Sustainability
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Trustee Jennings has completed a detailed sustainability strategy for the Village that lays out a number of actions and initiatives to address everything from green building codes to conservation to storm water management. It has deadlines and benchmarks and identifies accountable parties, and has the full and eager support of an invigorated Conservation Committee, headed by its new chair, Kerry-Jane King. A copy of the strategy can be found here at http://www.hastingsgov.org/Pages/HastingsNY_Documents/0155E4B8-000F8513
Downtown
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Trustee Walker, along with a dedicated and extremely competent crew of volunteers, has put on two Friday Night Lives this year – the poetry-themed one in March, and the art-themed Friday Night live we just enjoyed. They’re enormous fun, bring great energy to the Village and have included concerts at the Community Center that have been top-quality. Increasingly, Hastings draws music to its downtown and we reliably have live music several times a week in an increasing number of venues, including Rainwater Grill, the Roadhouse Bar, concert series at the Community Center and at the Station Café, at Antoinettes and at Harvest. (Seriously, how cool is that?)
Comprehensive Planning Committee (CPC)
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A volunteer-led effort to devise a comprehensive plan for the Village is heading toward the completion of a draft Comprehensive Plan. The consulting company has submitted a preliminary version, and the Committee is engaged in a painstaking review. They expect to have a draft posted on the (new!) village website this month, and residents will be invited to three public sessions in May to review the document. This effort, now into its third year, has consumed great energy and time from the eleven volunteers on the Board and we are grateful for their civic contribution to the Village’s future.
Deer
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We have received a draft license from the NYS Fish and Wildlife unit, after months of discussion and waiting, that will allow the Village to address the deer overpopulation problem in our Village. A recent accident on Farragut by the school during the morning school rush hour reminds us of the safety issues involved, as do the constant stories of Lyme’s disease. Due to timing, we will have to wait until next winter to take action. This will give us, as a Village, a chance to examine the issue in detail this summer and discuss in public the methodologies involved, safety protocols, and likely results. This is going to be a difficult issue to tackle, one fraught rightfully with emotion. This will test our mettle in engaging in the appropriate discourse to determine the next steps for our Village.
Web Site
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We have a new website that will continue to grow and evolve. Easier to maintain and navigate, it should provide residents with a handy place to check on DPW schedules, find Parks and Recs programs, get the latest recycling and composting tips, reach out to the Village government and do a whole lot more. Check it out at www.hastingsgov.org.
Other Issues
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We have received two donations of substantial and important sculptures for our public places. One, by the local artist David Anderson, celebrates Draper’s astronomic accomplishments. Another work, sponsored through the Cropsey Foundation and celebrating the Hudson River School of painting (which Hastings played a major role in) will be sculpted by the well-regarded Greg Wyatt and will be likely placed in Maceachron Park.
In short, the Village government continues to seek to deliver meaningful programs and change at the least cost to residents. We continue to seek public involvement on all our initiatives, and if you are interested in sharing your expertise or willing hands on a project or committee with us, we would welcome hearing from you by emailing us at volunteer@hastingsgov.org. If you have an issue you want to discuss or want to hear more, always feel free to reach out to us.
Sincerely,
Peter Swiderski
Mayor
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