Sounds like fun to me......I'll be there.....

I e-mailed John Mertz to ask him what's so "special" about this meeting.  Tonight is actually the agenda meeting.

BK, let us know what the meeting is going to be about. I would like to attend. I do have an appointment that night, but I will see if I can get it changed.

The quick reply from John was

Quoted Text

Regarding the ad, no idea.  I'll probably find out something this evening at the agenda meeting.  I'll let you know if I find something out...

I am guessing that because it is a "blind ad" (with no identified owner), that it was likely placed by a resident or group of residents and not be someone in town government.  If I were a betting man, I would wager that it is likely regarding the new tax assessments.  The ad, however, doesn't indicate what the invitees are "concerned" about.  Not to be a conspiracy theorist, but it may have been placed by the opposition in the upcoming election.

Quoted Text

Not to be a conspiracy theorist, but it may have been placed by the opposition in the upcoming election.

I am a conspiracy thinker, on certain issues, and this is exactly what I thought from the beginning.

That's my first guess.  They came up to the podium at the last town board meeting and actually said that they were running for the board, then gave comments on how their school taxes were too high, living in Mohonasen.  

Now, I got both of the following out of a story by Justin Mason at the following link...

http://www.rotterdamny.info/b-General/m-1183336488/

Quoted Text

ROTTERDAM
School tax bills come as a shock for some
BY JUSTIN MASON Gazette Reporter

Quoted Text

Mohonasen school Superintendent Kathleen Spring said district officials were not involved in the preparation of GAR’s disclosure notices. She said Mohonasen mailed its own notices to district residents and held public hearings prior to the May school budget vote, notices that estimated the tax rate would be approximately $14.30 per $1,000 assessed value.

Quoted Text

GAR based its estimates on the assumption Schalmont would adopt the homestead rate, which it did. The district adopted tax rates of $17.22 per $1,000 for residential properties and $20.05 per $1,000 for commercial properties.

Now, I realize that this is quite a bit of a jump for the residents of the Mohonasen School District, but where do they get off complaining (besides how everybody in town has been complaining that the re-eval is essentially a joke) when they're actually paying the LOWER of the possible rates in Rotterdam?

And if Mohonasen went with the Homestead Act, then the homeowners would be paying an even lower amount.

Now, I don't dispute that this is probably partially because of the fact that over the years, Mohonasen has actually kept their spending under control more than Schalmont has...who by the way has a bond vote coming up to raise the Schalmont school taxes AGAIN, MID-YEAR for projects that they wouldn't need to do if they fixed it right and didn't decide that they needed the major additions on to the school, but when you're paying 17% less in school taxes ($14.30 / $17.22 = about 83%) and you're going to complain that you're OVERTAXED?  

Maybe now is the time to give some tax relief to the people of Schalmont and merge the 2 school districts.  It would definitely help to bring down the taxes on the Schalmont residents.

But you know what?  This isn't something to complain about at the town board meeting, take it to your school board, as with looking at these figures, I think I'm about ready to go RUNNING to the school board.

I was speaking with Mr.DePalma and he seems to think it could be from the folks who own the old Grand Union lot......they seem to be getting 'bumped' from their #1 spot(after they moved up from 2) in line for the renew NY Grant funds coming our way......there seems to be talk that those funds could be going to the Curry Road Plaza........

well, heck..........quick and fast is nothing......those folks who put bids/developement packages in must have been baited(show me the $$ trail)......

WHERE ARE THE SEWERS ON HAMBURG STREET......DO WE HAVE TO WAIT FOR A SHOOTING TO COME FROM MONT PLEASANT???????

BLIGHT IS MORE THAN RUN DOWN BUILDINGS....BUT RUN DOWN AREAS BRING THE INTEGRITY CHALLENGED FOLK AROUND---THEY ASSUME THERE IS NO INTEGRITY THERE......AND THOSE IN THE FRONT PEWS THINK SO TOO!!!!!!!!!!!! >

I don't know who placed that ad in the gazette, and although they may have an issue they need to bring before the board, they really should have stated exactly what the issue was. Although curious, the mystery does not intrege me.

AND AGAIN


http://www.dailygazette.com

Quoted Text

While I don't know what it's about, still, I would bet that you're going to see it tomorrow, too.  A 3 day push to get into the meeting.

http://www.dailygazette.com

Quoted Text

Development funding topic of hearing

   ROTTERDAM — Town Board members have set a hearing tonight to review a grant application for a second round of funding from the Restore New York Communities Initiative.
   The town is seeking funding for a plan to redevelop the largely defunct Curry Road Shopping Center. Polito Homes and Columbia Development have submitted plans to build 94 two-bedroom condominiums and a pair of commercial buildings on the land, which is now owned by the town.
   The proposal to use the funds for Curry Road stirred some debate during the board’s last meeting, when board member Robert Godlewski questioned why the application didn’t include a request for funding to improve the former Grand Union on Hamburg Street. But because there are no existing plans or studies to rehabilitate the property, Supervisor Steve Tommasone said the town would be highly unlikely to receive any funding.
   Public discussion about the grant application appears to be the reason behind a private advertisement appearing in Tuesday’s Gazette, urging “concerned Rotterdam residents” to attend today’s meeting at 7 p.m. in Town Hall. Tommasone speculated the ad was placed by the owners of the Grand Union because their building wasn’t included in the application.    “I understand they are frustrated, but no one else has done this before” he said regarding town efforts to spur redevelopment of the Grand Union.
   Restore New York’s Communities Initiative is designed to aid municipalities in rehabilitating or removing obsolete or rundown commercial and residential properties. Last year, town officials received $2 million through the program to make improvements at two former military warehouses in the Rotterdam Industrial Park.  

  
  
  

Yes it is the Hamburg St. issue in regards to the ad in the gazette. And I hear that there was a Rotterdam Merchants meeting last night that was a bit hot and heavy. I guess they feel that more should be being done in the Hamburg St. area. While I agree, I also see this town in need EVERYWHERE!! And everything and everywhere can't be fixed all at the same time. I guess it's a 'pick your poison' thing goin' on!

Here are just some on the list of issues in Rotterdam:
Hamburg St
Curry Rd
Rt 7 Corridor
Thruway 25 Corridor
Masullo water problems
Rotterdam Jct. Water Tower
Sewers needed....everywhere
The Reval
MFH going up everywhere.
....and the list goes on.

At least these issues are being addressed as they haven't been in the past. I feel that Mr. Tommasone is going to get the heat for finally addressing everything the last administrations never did. In fact the last administrations are responsible for the issues we face today.

Bumble you're absolutely right about past administrations being responsible for the shape that Rotterdam is in right now. The problem is if the Town Board tries to correct everything at once it'll sink we tax payers with high taxes and that will be the end of the incumbents as the people in this town will never go along with that even if it's the right thing to do. The town has too many problems and too few funds to really correct everything that's wrong. All we can hope for is that the town will fix the more serious problems first and just continue to correct our problems as funds become available.