From The Desk of the Mayor

July 2014

Summer is finally here and there is much to be thankful for in the mountains as usual.
There has been progress in many areas of interest that I want to update you on so let me
get right down to it.

The Park Work has begun on the tennis courts. The site has been prepped for the
demolition of the old courts which is the next step. It is great to see this finally
happening. The finishing touches are being put on the plans for the concession stand and
playground and those will be going out to bid soon so as well.

Village Pool - As most of you now know, the Village pool will not be opening this
summer. The reasons are several and they are all related. The decision not to open was
based on the ever increasing amount of money that it costs the Village to sustain the
aging pool, and thus it was not included in the latest budget, and if it had been it would
have resulted in a sizable increase in the taxes. One of the root causes of the high cost is
the fact that the pool is very old and leaks severely and does so in such a way that cannot
really be repaired. The significant leaking causes the pool to have to be refilled constantly
with fresh ground water which is very cold. This causes the heater to have to run
overtime to keep the overall temperature in the pool at a reasonable number. There was
an outpouring of support for opening the pool and the indication from several people that
money could be found quickly to cover the expenses. This did not quite materialize
however, and what the board did decide to do at the last meeting was to appoint a
committee headed by Trustee Harriet Grossman with the mission of exploring
designs/costs/funding sources etc. for replacing the old pool with a new one hopefully in
time for the 2015 season. The committee is working on this and the Village is committed
to finding a solution that makes continuing to run a pool a financially viable proposition
for the future.

Pedestrian Bridges Below is basically a reprinting of what I wrote two months ago.
There seems to still be a lot of confusion and misinformation circulating so I hope
reading this helps to clarify. To be clear, the Villages position is to have two pedestrian
bridges built. What you also have to realize is that the County still owns both of these
locations therefore these are County projects, with input from the Village, and when it
comes to the Bridge Street situation, the land all around the road and the previous
structure is private property. In principal what this means is that the Village wants the
affected landowners to be in agreement that whatever work proceeds is the best choice
available given the circumstances. What it means in a strictly practical sense is that
without landowner approval and signature on an easement the construction cannot
happen. This project can and will be done in a way that the landowners agree is sensible
or nothing will happen there and what you see is what you get. Last year when the EWP
projects were constructed along the stream banks this was the approach and eventually
everyone who needed to be was on the same page. In the future it is critical that we work
cooperatively on flood related projects along the stream corridor because most of the land
is private, not the Villages, and we cant do projects contrary to the various property
owners will. Thats not how it works.
The process of designing the new bridges and applying to FEMA for the funding is well
underway by the County and their consultant. The design for the Lake Switzerland
footbridge is running into some expected complications because of the new regulations
that govern bridge construction and because of the tight space at that location. Although
things are being delayed, the County is confident they will eventually find a solution to
the issues that are holding up approval from FEMA. The Bridge Street pedestrian bridge
design is also moving forward. There are still a few unresolved issues related to the new
configuration of the bridge abutments and how adjoining properties will be affected and
these are sensitive issues but the science behind the analysis of the site is really helping to
guide the process so that flood levels and potential damage from future events as well as
impact on private property from construction are minimized. The final design will not be
determined until the Village wide flood analysis is complete and the full impact of the
bridge and any other future stream work is considered.

Biomass Project Work continues on the informational video about the project that
should be ready to view very shortly. We are planning a first screening of this video as
well as an informational meeting on the subject on Saturday August 9
th
at approximately
9:30 a.m., location TBD. Many have expressed great interest in how this project could
help them tremendously with heating costs. Some have also expressed great skepticism
about everything and anything the Village does. The biomass project will satisfy both
points of view because it is based on a completely voluntary model. Come watch the
video to see how this optional utility that the Village could offer will or wont affect you
depending on what you choose.

Have A Blessed Summer all.

Todd Pascarella, Mayor

P.S If you would like to receive this letter as an email or know someone who would
please contact the Village office and let us know. Thanks!



Village Office
1017 Main Street (PO Box 339) Fleischmanns, NY 12430 phone 845-254-5514
email: village39@catskill.net website: www.fleischmannsny.com