The Village of Tivoli is gearing up for the future with a host of new projects.
At its Aug. 13 workshop, the board finalized plans to replace the brick crosswalks at the main village intersection, discussed long-needed firehouse repairs, set a public hearing for Community Block Grant application ideas and formed a planning committee to craft a village-wide emergency response plan.
According to Mayor Bryan Cranna, the aging crosswalks on all the four sides of the intersection of Broadway and Montgomery St.- North Road have been sinking into the roadway and must be renovated. He reported that three bids were received for the work and Arold Construction with a low bid of $78,000 was selected for the job after engineering consultants Morris and Associates reviewed their proposal.
The board agreed to accept the bid and go ahead with the work. Cranna also said the original brick will be replaced with “faux brick” that must be stamped into the roadway, costing an additional $5,500. The project will be paid for with state CHIPS transportation money.
At the workshop, Cranna also reported that he and Deputy Mayor Joel Griffith met with the Tivoli Fire Company to discuss a financial bond for repairing the firehouse. Fire Chief Marc Hildenbrand gave the board a list of work that needs to be done, including roof repair, new gutters, painting the bay floors, new lighting, and repairs on the overhead doors and windows. The Fire Company also wants to get new turnout gear for the firefighters. The board doesn’t know yet if equipment can be part of the bond.
The concerns had been raised at the July 16 village board meeting when fire company director Tom Crisci questioned the board about fire company funds in the village budget for the much-needed repairs.
“The question they (the Fire Company) had was, do we do this piece by piece or use a general contractor and will that change the bonding legislation?” Cranna asked village attorney Christine Chale.
Chale responded that they should go over the list and see what can be included in a capital project.
“If you’re going to authorize work you are ultimately going to borrow for, we might end up with more than one resolution,” she said.
“How you actually carry out the project is up to you. You can authorize the work and then do it in pieces or all at once when you do finance it,” she said, adding that all the big-ticket items will have to go out for bid.
Cranna said the fire department will be narrowing down the list and looking at pricing.
After pointed questions at the July 16 meeting from Tivoli Acres Homeowners Association board member Cathy Zipp about the lack of a village emergency response plan, the village has decided to create one.
Cranna and Hildenbrand have put together an emergency planning committee that includes village clerk Linda Gonella, Barbara Rubitone and former trustee Tony Stefaro. The plan will be modeled after the Town of Red Hook plan where each trustee has responsibilities during an emergency.
“We’ll have a plan that is specific to the Village of Tivoli, with regards to the water tower, the train tracks, the river and the water and sewer plants,” Cranna said.
At the Aug. 20 board meeting, Zipp asked the board where the old emergency siren is. Cranna said it is at the Village Hall but is very old and doesn’t work.
Griffith wondered if a siren was still necessary with all the cell phone use these days. Cranna said the village can put out blast emails now, but lots of people don’t always carry their phones, so the village is looking into purchasing a new siren with a specific tone that will warn people of an impending emergency.
The 2015 Community Block Grant application period is fast approaching so the board set a public hearing for the Sept. 17 board meeting at 7pm to hear residents’ suggestions on what to apply for. Applications are due in October.
“I personally would like to present for (the board’s) consideration an application for a new water line along Broadway or new water meters that can be digitally read” Cranna told the Observer. “Both of these projects were presented once before for the county’s consideration, and perhaps we may want to review those applications and adjust them.”
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