VALATIE–Mayor Gary Strevell told the Village Board at the regular meeting this week that the village and the Town of Kinderhook have signed a contract with the school district for the sale of the Martin H. Glynn School building. The closing date is set for November.
The village and town are jointly buying the building on Church Street for $1, a deal that district residents approved along with the annual school budget vote last May. The municipalities plan to move their offices and the town court to the building.
At the October 9 meeting, Mayor Strevell said the Ichabod Crane School Board added a clause in the contract that saying the municipalities could not sell the building for 5 years. “I see no problem with the clause, since it’s not our intention of selling it, it’s our intention of moving in,” he told his board.
The board also approved a renewal of the lease for space in the American Legion Hall on Main Street for the Sheriff’s Office substation there, though board members discussed moving the substation to the school building.
The mayor said the village has no firm date for the move, and though officials plan to have a space in the school building for law enforcement, since the town court will conduct its business out of what was once the cafeteria, they haven’t made any decision about moving the sheriff’s substation.
“There are a lot of factors involved in that,” Mayor Strevell said of moving the substation, which is used by sheriff’s deputies and houses the equipment to monitor the surveillance cameras on Main Street. The board signed the lease with the Legion Hall for $3,000 year, back-dating it to September when it was due.
Also this week, the board:
*Heard the across the street from the school building Williams Street is being repaved and sidewalks are being added along one side of the street. Village Clerk Jason Nastke said there is now wiring in place for street lights.
*Heard that major upgrades at the village sewer plant continue. The village received a $3-million, interest free state loan to do the work and just recently received a $2 million grant to pay back the loan.
*Discussed some major work going on at the Valatie Community Theatre on Main Street. Board member Amy Frienberg-Trufas and Mayor Strevell met with an engineer and general contractor about the heating units needed for the main hallway, brickwork on the outside of the building, and fencing behind the theater. There is also landscape work being done currently in the lot next to the theater.
The village owns the building and has budgeted about $9,000 for upgrade projects.
Ms. Frienberg-Trufas said that the Valatie Community Theatre board was created to raise funds for restoring the building, but that improving the building is also the responsibility of the village. In response, the mayor said, “We don’t want to raise taxes to do these projects.” So the board is looking into state energy grants to help with the upgrades and is hoping more funds will be raised.
*Village Clean-up Day is moving to Pachaquak Preserve, off of Route 203, and will be on November 3 from 8 a.m. to noon. Villagers who sign up with the clerk, either in person or by email at clerk@villagevalatie.com, can bring one truck full of trash to the dumpsters at the park.
The next village board meeting will be Tuesday, November 13 at 7:30 p.m. at the Village Hall.
To contact reporter Emilia Teasdale email eteasdale@columbiapaper.com.
