Grant money is helping
If the Town’s grant application is accepted, seniors may get to ride in a new bus — instead of the current vehicle, which is more than 10 years old.
The Town Board met on April 18 to discuss projects that might qualify for a Community Development Block Grant (CDBG). The board also welcomed input from the public. But the audience had no new ideas to suggest at the Thursday night meeting. There’s an income restriction that eliminates most neighborhood projects.
The Town used its most recent CDBG to make the Little League softball field more accessible. In the past, spectators and players had to hike up a hill to get to the diamond. The league made the trip easier by shuttling people up the incline in a cart borrowed from the Storm King Golf Club.
Now it will be possible to drive up to the field and park there. Town employees did most of the work. The new parking area was due to be blacktopped on Wednesday, April 24.
There will be a lot of blacktopping in the area this year. The Town will be using a grant secured by former Senator Larkin to resurface the Little League Drive and the area around Munger Cottage. “It’s in rough shape now,” Supervisor Richard Randazzo said, “and we’ll need to put some drainage in.”
Mr. Randazzo expected to sign a contract this week to replace the roof of the police annex. A grant will cover part of the project with the balance of the money coming from the Town’s capital account. The cost of the job escalated after workers discovered asbestos.
Mr. Randazzo said the roof is more important than the other items on the Town Hall “to do” list. He added that the “beefed up” insulation should have a positive effect on the heating and cooling bills.
The Town will begin one other grant-related improvement in the near future. An engineer will come up with a plan for the drainage at Laurel Crest Park. The timetable for doing the work hasn’t been determined. Mr. Randazzo said he hoped it could be done during the summer so it wouldn’t interfere with the youth soccer season.
