Shelly A. Powell, 48, worked for the state

By EMILIA TEASDALE

VALATIE—The Kinderhook Town board held its organizational meeting and first meeting of 2025 on January 6. The board made several appointments to committees during the organizational meeting, including new appointments to the Planning Board, Zoning Board of Appeals (ZBA) and Board of Assessment Review (BAR).

Frank Colaruotolo is joining the Planning Board as the agriculture member and Brittany Buchanan is the alternate member. Kevin Crumb is joining the ZBA and Jim Waterhouse was appointed to a term on the BAR. The board also appointed Steve D’Ambrozio as the new town events coordinator with an annual stipend of $2,500. That position was created in the 2025 budget.

Melissa Miller was reappointed as dog control officer at a salary of $2,473. During the regular meeting, Councilwoman Deborah Devine said that over the holidays her family had to call Ms. Miller for help with a missing dog. She said to her fellow board members of Ms. Miller, “we need to give her more money in her budget.” She and Ms. Miller talked about basic equipment needed to do the job, like traps and trail cameras, that Ms. Miller borrows from other communities when they are needed. “Just little things,” she told the board. Town Supervisor Tim Ooms asked Ms. Miller to make a list and Deputy Supervisor Phil Bickerton said “And we’ll buy them.”

The board also has a contract with Columbia-Greene Humane Society for taking dogs that are lost. They renewed the contract at the meeting.

Also at the meeting, Ms. Miller, who is on the town’s Climate Smart Task Force, said the committee had worked with Cornell Cooperative Extension of Columbia and Greene counties on a Flood Preparedness Guide and a Disaster Preparedness brochure that they were trying to get to town residents. The flood brochure is a fold out with a map of the town and places with “flood prone roads” and 100 year flood zones (with a 1% change of flooding in a given year).

The Disaster Preparedness and Recovery Tips list supplies to have and a plan that can be made in case of an emergency. The brochure reads, “Our aim is to give you the knowledge and tools to take action before something happens.”

The brochures are currently available in the Martin H. Glynn Municipal Building and Ms. Miller said the committee is discussing other places the information can go.

The committee also recently worked with Puresky on a community solar program which allows residents to sign up to use off-site solar panels to get a credit on their electric bills. Committee member Christi Wright who signed up with Puresky said she was frustrated that National Grid charges a subscription fee. She said she’d asked National Grid about the fee, saying it was them and not Puresky. If enough residents sign up for the program with Puresky the town will be eligible for state grants. There is information on the town’s website at www.kinderhook-ny.gov

At the end of the meeting, Councilman Bickerton, who is also on the Climate Smart Task Force, pointed out that gas prices are higher in Kinderhook than in other towns. He said a family member pointed out to him that gas is several cents cheaper in Rhinebeck in Dutchess County and other board members said that they get gas in Hudson where it is less expensive. Mr. Bickerton said the town would craft a letter to the corporate offices at Stewart’s and Cumberland Farms about why the prices are higher.

The next regular board meeting will be February 3 at 6:30 p.m. at the Martin H. Glynn Municipal Building. For more information and agendas for the meetings go to www.kinderhook-ny.gov

Comp Plan to gather at ICC auditorium

VALATIE–The Kinderhook Town Board will be hosting a public meeting on Sunday, January 26 from 2 to 4 p.m. at the Ichabod Crane High School Auditorium to collect public input on the future Town Comprehensive Plan. All residents, property and business owners are invited and encouraged to attend.

This public meeting is the first step (Phase I) in a planning process to collect public sentiment on desired future goals, policies and direction for Kinderhook covering a variety of topics including zoning, housing, economic development, agriculture, recreation, natural resources, water and sewer services, traffic, village coordination, tourism, and many more. This meeting is sponsored and organized by the Kinderhook Comprehensive Plan Update Committee, and will be hosted and facilitated by planning consultant, Regrowth Planning.

Attendees of the meeting will learn about the planning process and be invited to share their ideas, concerns and vision for the community going forward. The input collected at this meeting will also be instrumental in the development of a public survey which will be launched in late winter/early spring to solicit more detailed responses on the different topics and ideas identified in the meeting.

This meeting will also be broadcast (viewing only) on Zoom for those who are unable to attend in person. Zoom details will be posted www.regrowthplanning.com/kinderhook shortly before the event. For added convenience, a video of the meeting is also expected to be posted on this webpage shortly afterwards for those who were unable to attend either in-person or remotely.

Ideas and comments can always be submitted anytime using the comment form linked at www.regrowthplanning.com/kinderhook