ANCRAM—The Town Board wrapped up the old year and rang in the New Year on the same evening, January 4.
The town bid adieu to 2015 with about $800,000 in cash in the bank, which is the Town Board’s targeted amount to have in reserve. The sum is about two-year’s worth of non-property-tax revenue, and about a year’s worth of taxes, according to Town Supervisor Art Bassin’s meeting notes.
At the Town’s 2016 organization meeting Community and Economic Development Advisory Council Chair and Town Grant Writer Gerry Fultz told the board that Habitat for Humanity is interested in three properties in the center of the Ancram hamlet for renovation as affordable housing, which would be sold to local families with mortgages held by Habitat.
According to Supervisor Bassin’s meeting notes, Habitat has visited the properties multiple times and proposes a $12,000 architectural and engineering study to determine the feasibility of the projects.
Also, Habitat asks that the community fund half of the $12,000 project.
The board authorized Mr. Bassin to use the Ancram email list to raise the $6,000 needed through donations, which the supervisor indicated would not be a problem.
The Habitat projects are in the early stages of analysis and there is no guarantee they will actually be implemented, the supervisor cautioned in his notes.
The Town Board approved a long list of 2016 organization resolutions, appointments and designations which are posted on the town’s website at www.townofancram.org.
The board’s regular meeting this month is January 21, starting with a public hearing on Central Hudson’s proposal to replace the town’s 31 streetlights with LEDs at 6:30 p.m.
To contact Diane Valden email dvalden@columbiapaper.com
