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Town Board
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Art Baer, Town Supervisor
Ann Baldwin
Carmen Barbato
Peter Cipkowski
Augie Sena
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HillsdaleTown Hall
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518-325-5073
Monday 8:30-4pm
Tuesday 8:30-5pm
Wed 8:30-3pm
Thurs 8:30-4pm
Friday 8:30-4pm
Sat 10am-1pm
(M-F closed 12-1)
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Town Clerk
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Julie Kane
325-5073
townclerkhdale@fairpoint.net
Hunting and fishing licenses; dog licenses; registrar of births, deaths and marriages
Tuesday 9:00am-5:00pm
Saturday 10:00am-1:00pm
Evening hours, 2nd and 4th Thursdays of each month, 6:30-8:30 pm
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Court Clerk
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Jan Keefner
325-5073
hcourt@fairpoint.net
Mon, Tues, Thurs, Fri 8:30-Noon & 1:00-4:00
Wed 8:30-Noon & 1:00-3:00
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Town Justices
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Juliette Crill
Russ Immarigeon
Court convenes
Wednesday 6 pm
Town Hall
325-5073
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Building Inspector
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Glenn Smith
Tuesday,
Thursday 12:00-3:00 PM
Town Hall
Inspection tours Mon. Wed. Fri. 12:00-3:00PM and by appointment.
518-325-1702
bihdale@fairpoint.net
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Zoning Enforcement Officer
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Edward Ferratto
zeohdale@fairpoint.net
Monday 8:30-4:00
Tuesday 8:30-1:00
Thursday 8:30-4:00
Town Hall
518-325-5073
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Transfer Station
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Wednesday 7:30am-12noon
Saturday 7:30am-4:00pm
65
Holm Road
(518) 325-3844
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Highway Department
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Highway Superintendent
Richard Briggs
Town Garage, Old Town Road
hillsdalehighway@fairpoint.net
518-325-4744
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Tax Collector
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Joe Hanselman, Jr.
joejr@fairpoint.net
518-325-5537
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Assessor
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Pamela Cook
hillsdaleassessor@fairpoint.net
Friday 8:30-Noon
Town Hall
518-325-3636
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Planning Board
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Hank Henward, Chairman
Theresa Kisselbrack,
Secretary
Patti Rohrlich
Charles Gardner, III
Richard Freiman
Ellen Levy
Mark
Barbato
Deborah Bowen
meets second Monday
of the month
at 7:30pm
Town Hall
518-325-7991
Kisselbrack58@gmail.com
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Zoning Board of Appeals
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Craig Norton, Chairman
Dean Atwood,
Secretary
Juanita O'Rourke
Casey Kuhn
Rocco DeFronzo
Jeffery Sills
meets
first Tuesday of the month
at 7:30pm
Town Hall
Phone & fax:
Dean Atwood at 518-391-3141
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Comprehensive Plan Review Committees
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Comprehensive Plan Review Committee, Chair
Tom Carty
vancarty@gmail.com
325-5260
Affordable Housing
Ellen Levy
mandelevy@yahoo.com
325-5899
Hamlet
David Ruede
davidruede@gmail.com
718-290-4218
Natural Resources
Gretchen Stevens
gstevens1231@fairpoint.net
325-5925
Preservation
Alexia Lalli
lex.lalli@gmail.com
325-5738
Renewable Energy
Paul Solovay
solovay@fairpoint.net
325-7335
Janis Smythe
yayajanis@yahoo.com
325-3964
Scenic
Deborah Bowen
info@iagr.com
325-7248
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Board of Assessment
Review
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Craig Norton, Chairman
Mary Ann Foote
Frederick Laing
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Animal Control
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Animal Control Officer
Dan Reed
518-329-1409
cell #518-755-8868
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Summer Youth Program
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Sharon Foster
392-7750
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Volunteer in Hillsdale
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Help keep the flower barrels beautiful!
Lynda Brenner
lb2@taconic.net
325-7364
Roe Jan Community Library
Roe Jan Park
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Quick Links
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Town of Hillsdale
Roeliff Jansen Library
Roeliff Jansen Park
Columbia County
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Newsletter "staff"
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Tom Carty
Iona Lutey
hillsdalecalendar@gmail.com
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Greetings!
Welcome to the first edition of the Town of Hillsdale monthly e-newsletter. We want everyone to know what the various town committees are up to so we will be sending this out once a month. Please send us your suggestions and comments. We want to hear from you! You can e-mail them to hillsdalecalendar@gmail.com. And please forward this newsletter to anyone you think may be interested. We will only send this to people who have asked to be on the mailing list. Encourage your friends and neighbors to sign up!  Art Baer, Town Supervisor (third from left) Town Board (left to right): Julie Kane (Town Clerk), Peter Cipkowski, Art Baer, Ann Baldwin, Augie Sena, Carmen Barbato |
Building Committee
New Town Hall in the old Library Building?
A public hearing was held on May 19, prior to the monthly town board meeting, to discuss the possibility of using some of the funds in a capital reserve for the acquisition of the old library building (photo below.) These funds, amounting to $420,000, are strictly earmarked for town hall development and cannot be used for any other purpose. About a dozen residents attended the hearing and supported the concept, including representatives from the Hamlet and Pr eservation committees. In the Town meeting that followed, a resolution was made and unanimously supported to extend an official offer to the library committee. The town proposes the extension of an offer for the building's appraised value: $245,000.
The Town Board believes that the old library building, with its historic roots in the community, notable architecture, spacious parking, and prominent visibility can become a viable town hall with relatively minimal renovation. Though no additional square footage would be added, the central room in the library will more than double the space we currently have for public meetings and will accommodate up to one hundred people. The ground level includes additional space with room for the construction of new offices.
After renovation, the intent is to bring the existing Town Hall building back on the tax roll.
Working in tandem with our building department, Hudson-based Dennis Wedlick Architects provided pro-bono renovation estimates and outlined what it will take to the make the building "town hall-ready." Preliminary costs are estimated at $115,000 to $175,000. These would be paid out of funds dedicated to the town hall development and structural renovations.
The total costs for this project are significantly less than what it would take to build an entirely new structure and will not require any new tax revenue to fund. We could certainly never afford to replicate a building of the library's stature. This simple fact, joined with the reality that (a) the library building is available for sale and (b) there are funds dedicated for acquisition and renovation, make this is an extremely positive opportunity for the Town of Hillsdale.
Please feel free to contact any town board member who serves on the committee if you have questions.
Ann Baldwin abaldwin@fairpoint.net
Peter Cipkowski pcipkowski@gmail.com
Augie Scena augustsena@yahoo.com
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Highway Department
Still cleaning up from ice storm!
Highway Superintendent Richard Briggs and his crew are still hard at work cleaning up 22 miles of road damaged in the (beautiful but destructive) December ice storm. They are on a very tight schedule to complete the work quickly so that the Town can receive its share of funds from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). This has meant at least a doubling of the time normally devoted to spring cleanup. Consequently, blacktopping and drainage that are typically done at this time had to be postponed until later in the season. Richard asks for residents' patience and assures everyone that this work will be completed, but a bit later than previously scheduled.
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Hillsdale Park and Recreation Committee
Roeliff Jansen Park Steering Committee
200 Trees Planted in the Roe Jan Park!
On Sunday, May 24, park volunteers planted 200 native trees and shrubs along the stream in the Roeliff Jansen Park. The trees were donated to the park by NYDEC's Hudson River Estuary Program "Trees for Tribs."
Designed to conserve the shoreline of tributary streams, these trees will protect water quality, fish and wildlife, and will also reduce erosion and flooding. You can view the planting field from the newly installed community garden. The protective covers will keep wildlife from dining on the trees.
The "Trees for Tribs" initiative started in 2007. In just two years, it has been responsible for the planting of more than 32,000 feet of stream buffers along the estuary's tributaries with 12,000 native trees, shrubs, and grasses. Over 70 projects have been completed to date with the help of some 1,200 volunteers.
An additional 200 trees will be planted in the Roeliff Jansen Park this October. Check back at www.roejanpark.org for more information
 
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Comprehensive Plan Review Committees
 Committee chairs, left to right (committee info in sidebar on left): Tom Carty, Gretchen Stevens, Paul Solovay, Lex Lalli, David Ruede, Ellen Levy. Missing from photo: Deborah Bowen
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Affordable Housing Committee
Working to keep housing within reach
The Affordable Housing Committee has received a grant of $2,500, with an approval for an additional $1,500 if funding is not received elsewhere, from the Dyson Foundation in Millbrook, New York. The grant will fund a study of the housing needs of residents of the Town of Hillsdale, define the requirements for below market rate and workforce housing for potential inclusion in the Town's zoning code, and help create feasible policies and strategies to achieve the Town's goals of maintaining a diverse community.
The committee has selected the Housing Action Council, a non-profit group that has had over thirty-four years experience working in the Hudson Valley and Westchester solely on housing issues, to conduct the study. Although $1,000 is still needed to fully fund the project, the committee hopes to begin the work in the near future and receive an initial report within six months. (Contributions to this effort would be greatly appreciated.)
Anyone interested in joining the committee should contact Ellen Levy at 325-5899 (mandelevy@yahoo.com) or Tom Carty, Chair of the Comprehensive Plan Review Committee, at 325-5260 (vancarty@gmail.com).
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Hamlet Committee
Spring Clean-up!
The Hamlet Committee held is Annual Spring Clean-up on Saturday, April 4th and bagged quite a bit of roadside trash. Spirits were high in spite of the chilly weather and the messy task at hand. Kelly Fox provided warm drinks and a delicious lunch afterwards at The Mount Washington House.
Hamlet Beautification Fundraiser yielded $675
The following weekend was our Hamlet Beautification Fundraiser. We set up tables throughout the Hamlet to raise money for planting of the barrels along Main Street and to finance other beautif ication efforts. Again, the weather was less than ideal, drizzly and cold; however the thoughts of summer kept us at it. Counting the money is always the fun part as Ira Madris, Bill Demma, Tim Stookesbury and Lynda Brenner can attest. We collected $675! Regardless of the economy, our neighbors are appreciative and generous. Thanks!!!
IGA helps bring in $755
Again this  year, our fellow committee member Laurie Laverack, spearheaded a beautification fundraiser at the IGA on two consecutive weekends in May. Chuck Weldon and Laurie donated $ 150 worth of flowers which were handed out with each donation. The table was staffed by IGA employee Felicia Amash, who did an amazing job. The total collected at IGA was $755! Altogether the generosity of our residents and visitors helped us raise $1,430. Very impressive indeed!
Volunteers planted the flower barrels
And where did some of this money go? Our barrels were planted the week prior to Memorial Day weekend so that all would be looking great for the upcoming weekend and the Hamlet Committee Flea Market. Lynda Brenner again spearheaded this effort. Fellow planters and "soil preparers" included members and volunteers. Thanks go to Lynda Brenner (pictured below), Ira Madris, Mary Lou Kersten, Janis Smythe, Vivian deGeorges, Tom Carty, Howard Van Lenten and Susan Scheck.
Flea Market was fun and yielded $5,000!
 
The Hamlet Committee held its first Flea Market on Saturday of Memorial Day weekend to raise funds to hire a Hamlet Planner. As a result we are $5,000 closer to reaching our goal to engage the firm of Project for Public Spaces (www.pps.org.)
Mike Dvorchak (above right) suggested the Flea Market idea at our February meeting and immediately agreed to spearhead this huge undertaking. His ownership, passion and leadership made this day a huge success.
Our entire community generously donated beautiful and practical items to sell and 45 vendors purchased tables and joined in the event.
David Sheehan designed a great Hillsdale logo for our t-shirts, which sold fast and furious.
Special recognition also goes to Tony Avenia, Lynda Brenner, Richard Briggs, Tom Carty, Peter Cipkowski, Bill Demma, Kelly Fox, Diane LaConte, Joyce Lapenn, Laurie Laverack, Ira Madris, Augie Sena, Tim Stookesberry, Steve Tiger, Howard Van Lenten, Joan Wallstein, Robina Ward, Matthew White and Bart Ziegler.
We must also acknowledge all the "Honorary Hillsdalians" -- these were friends and family members who were visiting and pitched in for the day.
What a great day it was for Hillsdale and a great start for what we hope to be an annual event.
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Natural Resources Committee
Protecting our Water
Our water -- we take it for granted, expect it will always be there, but don't know where it comes from or how much of it is left. The Natural Resources Committee has embarked on project that will tell us where Hillsdale's water is and what we need to do to make sure it keeps flowing.
What follows is a bit technical, but stay with it. It is a description of how Hillsdale is working to prevent the depletion of our surface water and to provide us with an important water protection plan.
The Natural Resources Committee was granted funds from the Town of Hillsdale, the Berkshire Taconic Community Foundation and the NYS Hudson River Valley Greenway to conduct an aquifer study of our Town's water resources.
The New York Rural Water Association (NYWRA), a not-for-profit organization, was hired to conduct this study and they have begun work on the project. They have collected available water well data from the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation and the U.S. Geological Survey and have acquired test-bore data from the New York State Department of Transportation. These sources provided subsurface data from 165 locations throughout the town. NYRWA has also conducted a preliminary analysis of bedrock yields and has mapped linear features that may reflect bedrock fracture zones.
In addition, they have used subsurface data, soils data, and field reconnaissance along all major roads in order to map the surface geology of Hillsdale. This information, along with subsurface data, will be used to identify the aquifers of Hillsdale. These watersheds, in conjunction with the topography and surface geology, will help calculate stream base flows and provide recommended housing densities to avoid the depletion of surface water.
Finally, this data along with other upcoming analyses will be used to produce a comprehensive report and groundwater protection plan.
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Preservation Committee
Discovering Our Important Hamlet Residences
In 2008 The Historic Preservation Committee hired Larson Fisher to conduct a survey of the buildings within the boundaries of the Hamlet. This effort was funded by grants from the NYS Preservation League and The Berkshire Taconic Foundation. Larson Fisher determined that many of these buildings had historic and architectural significance for the Town.
As a result of this survey, the Historic Preservation Committee, with a further grant from the Kaplan Fund, has asked Larson Fisher to prepare the documentation necessary to apply to the New York State Preservation Office for recognition of a portion of the Hamlet as an historic district.
In January 2009, Hillsdale residents were invited to attend a presentation by Larson Fisher Associates, Preservation Planners, highlighting the historic homes and buildings discovered through the Hamlet survey. More than 80 residents attended the presentation. (Copies of the survey books are available for review at the Roe Jan Public Library and the Hillsdale Town Hall. In addition, for a small fee, a CD of the survey is available. Request forms are at the Library and the Town Hall.)
The designation carries no restrictions for the homeowners, but does offer some nice incentives for large renovations and some good guidance and consultation from NYSPO on any future construction within the district by State or Federal departments.
In the next few weeks, Hamlet residents will be working one-on-one with their neighbors within the proposed district to give out information and answer questions about what the historic district designation would mean for home and business owners within the district.
Historic House Tour August 22
A Historic House tour is being planned for August 22. The tour will start with a very special a picnic lunch, with live music, in the gardens of two adjacent houses that will be part of the tour. Participants will then tour three houses clustered just north of the light at the junction of Routes 22 and 23, as well as the local Methodist church. Guides at each of the sites will provide guidance and information. The tour will conclude at the former Aubergine Restaurant where there will be an exhibition on the history of Hillsdale. The cost of the lunch and the tour is $35. Patrons of our preservation efforts who pay $100 will also be able to attend a cocktail reception on August 23 at the home of Matthew White and Thomas Schumacher.
Reservations for the lunch and the tour on August 22 and the cocktail reception on August 23 are required. Call 518-325-1498 for reservations or more information.
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Renewable Energy Committee
Exploring ways to reduce our energy use
The Renewable Energy Committee has begun the task of identifying projects for possible implementation during the coming fall and winter.
The initial list of projects developed by the Committee includes:
Lecture Series - discovering topics of interest to residents and developing a format for their presentation.
Web Site - researching sources for information that would be valuable to the Town and its residents and working with the Communication Committee to have this information available on the Town web site.
Bio-Diesel - Learning how to produce bio-diesel and researching ways that the bio-diesel product can be used by the Town and its residents.
Lower Municipal Utility Bills - researching ways that might be of use in our effort to reduce town energy costs and sharing them with residents.
Wind and Solar Power - researching methods that other communities have used to ensure safe, efficient and economical construction of wind and solar installations by residents and encouraging adoption of measures that are right for Hillsdale.
Our list of projects is ambitious. And making them a reality requires your help. Won't you join us to work on one or more of these efforts and help us make Hillsdale an even "greener" community?
Please contact Janis Smythe at 325- 4223 for more information or to sign up.
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