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2007-04-11 Town of Wappinger State of the Town Message April 11, 2007 Hon. Joseph Ruggiero, Supervisor RECEIVI-I} APR 1 3 2007 TOWN CLERK State of the Town Address Supervisor Joseph Ruggiero April II, 2007 I have the privilege of working with the town's staff. Our employees on a day in and day out basis, are working diligently, doing the work of town government, serving their fellow neighbors and are doing the best job they can with the resources we have provided them. I also have the honor of working with our town's professional team; our Town Attorney Al Roberts, Special Counsel Marco Cavigilia, Town Engineer Jay Paggi, Town Planner David Stolman, Water & Sewer Operator Mike Tremper, and Town Architect Don Swartz. I thank you for your service. Also, I have the pleasure of working with the many members of our Planning Board, Zoning Board of Appeals, and our Recreation Commission. To each and every one of you, I thank you for your service to our Town. I also want to thank two town-wide elected officials who I have really a great of honor of working and serving with. First, is our Highway Superintendent Graham Foster. Graham Foster has been our Highway Superintendent for 17 years. The people of this community can count on Mr. Foster doing a terrific job. Winter storm after winter storm, Town of Wappinger roads are the first roads to open regardless of the hour. And believe me they work in the most difficult of conditions. Although he could not be here this evening, I want to commend Graham Foster and his team for all they do for us in the winter months with snow removal. I also want to thank Graham and his team for saving the town tens of thousands of dollars each year in how they handle the repaving program, maintaining our roads, and all the services they provide for us at the town recycle center. We thank them so much. Page 2 State of the Town Address Supervisor Joseph Ruggiero April 11, 2007 The other town-wide official that I want to thank tonight on behalf of the town is our Town Clerk Chris Masterson. Chris has done a lot to change the way the Town Clerk's office does business. Last year he instituted a rabies clinic for giving out dog licenses and rabies shots. He is going to be instituting two clinics again this year. It is clear we have a hard working Town Clerk who is very diligent in his duties. Most people don't realize that that this young man works late into the evening digitizing records decades old. Where other municipalities have had to contract out this work, costing well over $100,000 for these types of projects, Chris Masterson, for the cost of purchasing a scanner and some software has done all this by himself. Using laser-fiche technology, the Town Clerk has digitized all Town Board minutes back to the 1960's. Once enhancements are done to the Town's website, these documents will be searchable, giving the public easier access to these public records. The Town clerk's office has also created a database cataloging the indexes for all marriage, births, and deaths since 1882. Over 34,046 entries are entirely searchable. When the clerk's office use to get a genealogy request, it literally took weeks, now it is done in a few minutes. In 2006, the Town Board authorized The Town Clerk to use the Minute Traq software. This software makes all the Town Board resolutions and minutes searchable. There will be a link on the Town's website this year, allowing the public to peruse our minutes without having to file a Freedom of Information request. Page 3 State of the Town Address Supervisor Joseph Ruggiero April 11 ,2007 Clerk Masterson, we thank you for your service. You are a remarkable leader and we are proud of you. Besides our elected officials, town hall staff, and our professional team there are many individuals who serve our town in different capacities. From citizens who volunteer at our firehouses, to those parents who serve through our sports organizations, to the many charitable organizations, and the religious institutions, the people of the Town of Wappinger are constantly serving their fellow neighbor. Tonight there are four individuals who are serving the town in different capacities that I want to recognize. First, is a town employee who is celebrating her 20th anniversary with the Town of Wappinger this year. This individual started as a part-time employee in our Receiver of Taxes office in 1987. Recognizing the quality of worker, the Town had found in this person, the Town steadily increased her hours from part-time to full time status, and then in 1990 she was appointed to the position of Receiver of Taxes. Ever since then, Trish Maupin has been serving the people of the Town of Wappinger as their Tax Receiver. Many people would not be envious to be known as the "Tax Lady" - and sometimes her office has to deal with some people who are not too happy about paying their taxes. But even the most ardent of customers cannot refute the professionalism of Trish Maupin, especially when she greets them with her polite manner, and calming smile. The people of our Town are grateful to have such a fine department head and public servant. Trish, on behalf ofthe entire Town Board, I want to thank you for your many years of service and for a job well done. Page 4 State of the Town Address Supervisor Joseph Ruggiero April 11, 2007 And on behalf of the people of the Town of Wappinger, it is my honor to present Trish Maupin with the Town of Wappinger Supervisor's Award for Excellence in Community Service in recognition of your 20 years of loyal service to our town. The next public servant that I want to recognize tonight is somebody who needs little introduction in our town. This longtime town resident has been a friend to many - both young and senior alike. For nearly five decades, this individual and his wife have been committed to improving the quality of life for our town. Ralph Holt has been the Chairman of the Town of Wappinger Recreation Committee for over twenty years. Under Ralph Holt's stewardship and vision, he help developed the Town of Wappinger's recreation department, into one, which offers the finest variety of programs and activities for all ages. From the Children's Summer Program to the Senior Center, Holiday festivities, Community Day Celebration & Parade, bus trips and tours, our town residents know Ralph Holt's work. This past month, Town residents were mailed the new 2007 recreation guide outlining all the programs available. Prior to his role as our Town's recreation Chair, Ralph served many years as the President of the Town of Wappinger Little League; volunteering with many other Wappinger parents developing a former farmer's field into the premiere little league facility in the entire county of Dutchess. Ralph's hard work and leadership help build one of the most successful little league programs in New York State that has served literally tens of thousands of Wappinger's boys and girls for nearly two generations. In my opinion, Ralph Holt is the finest public servant that has ever served our town. It is with great pride and honor for me, on behalf ofthe people of the Town of Wappinger to present Page 5 State of the Town Address Supervisor Joseph Ruggiero April 11 , 2007 Ralph Holt with the Town of Wappinger Supervisor's Award for Excellence in Community Service for his nearly 50 years of service to our town. Last November, I was invited to attend a dinner at the Villa Borghese. This event was organized by an amazing woman, Ms. Patty Peck. Patty organized a meal for families who could not afford to prepare their own Thanksgiving Dinner. Patty Peck worked diligently to get food donated and busses for transportation to get over 400 people to the Villa Borghese for a holiday meal. This is not the first time Patty Peck has done this. Each day, Patty gathers food from various grocery stores and makes deliveries to families and organizations throughout Dutchess County . In 1999 Patty was shopping at the grocery store when she saw a worker throwing out food. She asked why the food was being thrown out, and why it could not be donated. It was then that Patty decided to take action and pick up the food every day, and distribute it to families in need. Patty has dedicated her life to helping families in our community every day. Since first starting her endeavor, Patty has developed a non profit organization called His Table Ministries. When Patty Peck started this project, it would cost her $100 in gas per week to deliver the food because she was using her own car. Since then, a van has been donated to use for her deliveries which take an average of four hours a day to deliver approximately $2,000 worth of food. Since the start of her mission, Patty Peck has expanded beyond just food delivery. She now delivers various toiletries, toys and clothes. She makes deliveries to the Living Room in Poughkeepsie, the Beacon Commonwealth Agency, the Fishkill Food Pantry, the Salvation Army, the Vineyard Church's food pantry, Hudson Valley Regional in Newburgh, and home Page 6 State of the Town Address Supervisor Joseph Ruggiero April 11, 2007 deliveries to about a dozen single-parent families every week who live in the Town of Wappinger. Most recently, Patty began working with Family Services of Dutchess County. It is Patty's goal, to one day, open a Soup kitchen in Dutchess County which would be open twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week. Too often the poor and the less fortunate segment of our society are forgotten. We often only hear of the big catastrophes that afflict the great masses such as a natural disaster. I mention this tonight to shine light on the quiet catastrophe of poverty, which occurs each day here in our community. It is important to acknowledge what is going on, and give support to people like Patty Peck. Patty Peck is a remarkable public servant that cares for her fellow neighbor. It is with great pride and honor for me, on behalf of the people of the Town of Wappinger to present Patty Peck with the Town of Wappinger Supervisor's Award for Excellence in Community Service for her selfless acts of kindness and compassion and for which we as a community are grateful. This next individual is a role model for all ages. I had the honor of meeting this young lady in 2005 to celebrate the first season of the Town of Wappinger Little League Challenger program. Her name is Bettina Bricetti. At the age of 13, Bettina approached her mother and asked why the 8 year old son of a family friend could not participate in little league like her brother. Bettina's mom explained the difficulties that a young child with seizure disorders would have in participating in Little League. Page 7 --~' State of the Town Address Supervisor Joseph Ruggiero April 11, 2007 Bettina thought it unfair that her family friend could not participate in Little League, so she did some research and found out about the Challenger program. Bettina took the initiative to bring her idea to the Town of Wappinger Little League Board, where they voted to create a Challenger Program for Wappinger in 2005. Bettina organized to get other teenagers to volunteer their time to the Challenger Program. Many volunteers "buddy up" with the ball players of the challenger program, which has opened the door for children with disabilities, such as autism, cerebral palsy, and other physical disabilities to play baseball. In 2005 the program started with 18 players and has now grown to 40. Bettina, now 15 years old and a sophomore at Roy C. Ketcham High School is taking on a larger project to build a handicap designed field with a rubberized surface, to make it easier for the kids to play ball. Bettina has raised over $3,350 from Pitch For Kids, Sons of Italy, and the Renegades. Bettina won a $1,000 Radio Disney Scholarship, and the National Youth Leadership Award. The bylaws of Little League calls for the members of its board to be at least 21 years old, however Bettina holds the position of "Organizer" with our town Little League Program. When Bettina goes off to college, she has informed her mother, Theresa that she has to serve in Bettina's absence on the Board, until Bettina returns from college. Bettina Bricetti is an inspiration to this entire town. She gives hope not only to the children she has touched through her Challenger program, but to all the people of our Town that our future is bright with such future leaders like Bettina Bricetti. Page 8 State of the Town Address Supervisor Joseph Ruggiero Aprilll, 2007 On behalf of the people of the Town of Wappinger I am happy to present Bettina Bricetti, with the Town of Wappinger Supervisor's Award of Excellence for Community Service. Day in and day out, our mission here at Town Hall has always been the same; to serve our constituents, to work for our town, and to improve our community. Once again this evening, I get the distinct honor to report on the State of our Town. This year, we find ourselves with a change in leadership in Albany, a new Governor has taken office and with that we have new hope for New York State. Not because the Governorship has changed political parties, but because the attitude from Albany has indicated one of reform, one of change, and one that is signaling that they want to be partners with local government, and not pass the burdens from state down to the local level. For that we welcome and applaud the change and we are hopeful to hear what our leaders in Albany are going to do to address our problems. On the 10cal1evel, our authority is limited in what we can do. Towns have tremendous authority over planning and zoning but within the constraints set up by the State of New York. We in local government have broad responsibility when it comes to water and sewer infrastructure but we are limited in what we can do because of the State of New York. Our residents are only able to afford so much yet the challenges that face us, require greater partnerships than just we as a town can do alone. We need to partner with other towns as we have with our sister town of Fishkill. We also need to reach out to our larger governments like County, State and Federal. Page 9 State of the Town Address Supervisor Joseph Ruggiero April 11, 2007 The change in the Congress that has occurred since January also gives us hope. Hope that a new Congress will take on a new direction that will help reinvest into infrastructure, which is so greatly needed in communities across this state including Wappinger. Nearly thirty years ago, the Town of Wappinger had opportunities to partner with the Town of Poughkeepsie and the Village of Wappingers Falls, to form the Tri-Municipal sewer system, a program that was 87% funded by the Federal Government and the remainder would be paid for by the state and local governments. This made the Tri-Municipal Sewer Treatment facility a reality. Such Federal programs do not exist today. I know Senator Schumer and Congressman John Hall are looking to re-open the dialogue at the national level to invest heavily in our localities around this country to assist in water and sewer infrastructure. Federal dollars are desperately needed. Congressman John Hall's first amendment has passed the House as a part of the Water Quality Financing Act. His amendment is an anti-sprawl measure that would direct money to critical wastewater and sewer infrastructure funding in the Hudson Valley. Passage of this Act would take the historic step of reauthorizing the Clean Water State Revolving Fund for the first time since 1994, and combined with passage of the Water Quality Investment Act and Healthy Communities Water Supply Act would mark the first time in over a decade that Congress has taken bold and sweeping action to protect clean water and help communities meet their wastewater infrastructure needs. This will be beneficial to the Hudson Valley communities since the cost of replacing old water and sewer infrastructure is one of the top challenges facing Page 10 State of the Town Address Supervisor Joseph Ruggiero April 11 , 2007 municipalities all across the Hudson Valley. The five counties that make up the 19th District have an estimated $475 million in unmet needs for Clean Water State Revolving Fund money. Without federal assistance, the next planned Phase 3B extension ofthe Tri-Municipal Sewer project cannot go forward. Currently, preliminary estimates for the cost of the project exceed the level of afford ability for our residents. The sewer main extensions alone would cost the average household about $1800 a year in new taxes - and that does not include the cost of a sewer plant expansion or the operation of the system. We urge the United States Senate to pass these infrastructure bills so that municipalities like Wappinger can receive the financial assistance necessary to make these needed improvements. Unlike the situation of our sewer expansion project being on hold, the town has made tremendous strides with our water system. In 2006, the Town of Wappinger took a bold step forward, when we sought Special Legislation and was granted approval by the New York State Legislature and Governor to consolidate the Town's eight water districts into one United Wappinger Water District. This Special Legislation allows us to level the playing field in the amount of taxes people are paying for water. Our residents now share a common quarterly operations and maintenance water rate; and this law gives the power and flexibility for us to expand our water district to serve those existing homes whose wells are marginal, and have poor quality drinking water. Now with this new found authority, I am calling on the Town Board to undertake a study to expand our town water system to four areas of the Town of Wappinger to serve: Page 11 State of the Town Address Supervisor Joseph Ruggiero April II, 2007 Appleblossom Lane, Pine Ridge Drive, Peter Road area; Sucich Place, Losee Road area; Fowlerhouse Road, Peggy Lane and Card Road area; and Cedar Hill Road. These neighborhoods which have been in existence for the better part of 50 years, and whose wells have been reported to us to have serious issues with quantity and quality of water are in desperate need of relief. Prior to our water district consolidation, these areas could not afford the cost for the Town bringing water to their homes. And now with this legislation, with the state of our water system upgrade near complete, our water supply just, we can now begin to do what has been promised for decades, deliver potable and sustainable water to more of our current residents of this town. I look forward to working with this Town Board to undertake this new expansion of our water system, and develop a map, plan and report this year to study the finances and costs to undertake this endeavor so we can begin this critical project. Wappinger is fortunate to have had a series of Town Board actions over the last decade, which has positioned us to deal with the demands that are facing our water systems. Some communities around us, do not have the ability to deal with their water situation as we. About two-thirds of our town residents have municipal water. As willing as our Town Board is in expanding our central water system to reach as many town residents as possible, that system has a finite supply of water and therefore we are limited to the number of residents we can serve. This Town Board and future Town Boards must continually work to acquire new water Page 12 State of the Town Address Supervisor Joseph Ruggiero April 11, 2007 supplies for our town. There are nearly 3,000 parcels that are served by private individual wells throughout Wappinger. This past January, County Legislators Sandra Goldberg of the Town of Wappinger and Marge Horton of East Fishkill introduced a County-Wide Well Testing Law that would mandate the testing of private wells at the time of the selling of property. This bill would have gone along way to have the Department of Health to document the conditions of hundreds of wells, track pollution, and notify neighboring and adjacent properties of potential hazards to the local water supply. The Legislature passed this bill narrowly only to see it vetoed by the County Executive. The failure of this law to be enacted is not a political victory or defeat for either party. This law has the bipartisan support of lawmakers, town supervisors, the Board of Health, and I believe the general public at large. The failure of this bill to become law is a defeat for the health and safety of all residents across Dutchess County. The County Executive has recommended that each municipality adopt its own version of a well testing law. Having each town adopt its own well testing law, is a step that could notify would be property buyers the condition of their well. However, only having a "buyer beware" approach to well testing without the full support and resources of the Dutchess County Department of Health is like an ostrich with his head in the sand approach to solving our water problems. There are many communities in this county that do not have the resources to enforce such a law. The water, which flows underground, knows no municipal or political boundaries, and pollution and contaminants are not discriminatory to which wells they would afflict nor to which child they could make ill. Page 13 State of the Town Address Supervisor Joseph Ruggiero April 11, 2007 In 1999, the Town of Wappinger passed a local law mandating water testing regulations stricter than those of New York State for our own municipal wells. Tests for cryptosporidium and giardia as well as MTBE are done twice a year. This self-imposed protocol exceeds requirements for municipalities that are outlined in Part 5 of the New York State Sanitary Code. Now the Town of Wappinger must act once again, but this time to protect our residents who are on private wells by passing our own well testing law. The Town of Wappinger will join the towns of Fishkill and East Fishkill to protect our residents because it is obvious that Dutchess County doesn't care! In my 2005 State of the Town Message, I stated that water is our most precious commodity. Even the number of lots of a neighborhood or subdivision that is planned is contingent on the water supply. Our ability to re-develop our commercial corridor is based on our water supply. A perfect example is our ability to create partnerships with local businesses that have helped extend our water lines down Old Hopewell Road, and down Route 9. In the process of serving our commercial corridor, private businesses extended water lines down Route 9, at no cost to the Town, and are now the water line is closer and better able to serve residents on Fowlerhouse Road, Peggy Lane and Card Road. Had this partnership not occurred, the residents of that area would not have been able to afford the burden of costs associated with the extension of the water line. Page 14 State of the Town Address Supervisor Joseph Ruggiero April 11, 2007 Having to expand our water system retroactively throughout neighborhoods decades old is a symptom of a time when planning for our communities was not a priority of government. In the last two years, the Town Board has undergone a redrafting of Wappinger' s master plan. Our citizens committee reported its findings a year ago to the Town Board, and this past Fall, our Town Board reviewed and revised that draft Comprehensive Plan. A few short weeks ago, the Citizen's Comprehensive Committee and the Town Board sat injoint session and finalized the draft document to finally present to the public. This spring we will have a dialogue with the residents of our community to discuss the future vision of the Town of Wappinger. Our New Town Comprehensive Plan implements those Greenway Principles, which we adopted as Local Law Number 1 of 2002. The plan is balanced because it calls for up-zoning of land, designates multifamily zones, plans for workforce and senior housing, and revitalizes historic hamlets. The new plan calls for parts of the northeastern area of our town to up-zone in order to reduce density, control growth, and allow development to take into consideration the flood plains and wetlands of that area. In 2005, the Town of Wappinger adopted one of the most environmentally protective wetland laws in Dutchess County. This wetland law has allowed us to protect wetlands which neither the state nor the federal wetland laws were protecting. Besides our wetland law, the Town Board adopted the Net Area Use law in 2002. This helped to greatly reduce the size of some Page 15 State of the Town Address Supervisor Joseph Ruggiero April 11, 2007 proposed neighborhoods in the Town of Wappinger from harming some environmentally sensitive lands. As good as these environmental laws are, they cannot do the job alone. That is why it is essential that the town's master plan also take into consideration these areas by up zoning to control growth and reduce the density in the Town of Wappinger. The master plan coupled with our environmental laws give the tools to the Planning Board to assess and protect the environment while planning for development. Our wetlands law allows for permitted uses when the right conditions exist. In recent years, the Federal Government rolled back the environmental movement, setting it back decades, while the Town of Wappinger has moved forward. Where the Federal Government has failed to protect our environment, the Town of Wappinger has stepped in to help. Currently the federal wetlands law requires three thresholds of soil types, vegetation types, and hydrology to be met in order to protect a wetland. The Town of Wappinger wetlands law requires only one of the thresholds to be met to protect a wetland which makes it one of the most environmentally protective wetlands law in Dutchess County. In Wappinger when one talks of the environment, one thinks ofthe memory of Mrs. Franny Reese. In 2003, the Town of Wappinger saw the passing of its premier citizen - Mrs. Frances Stevens Reese. Mrs. Reese was a pioneer in the environment movement before it was Page 16 State of the Town Address Supervisor Joseph Ruggiero April 11 , 2007 fashionable to do so. Her legacy includes saving Stormville Mountain and helping to found Scenic Hudson. After Franny's passing, her family approached the town on how to handle the dissolution of her 240-acre estate known as Obercreek. Most of Franny's children no longer live in Wappinger and the selling of the estate for development was inevitable. After extensive well studies on the property, it has been concluded that there is plenty of water on the property to fully subdivide under the current R20- R40 zoning. The current, as of right zoning for this property, if developed, would change the character and charm of the New Hamburg Road area and the Hamlet of Hughsonville. Working with the Town, and in the spirit of his mother's life work of good planning and open space preservation, and on behalf of his brothers and sisters, Alex Reese has put forth a plan and vision for Obercreek which our Town Board has included in the draft Comprehensive Plan. This Comprehensive Plan proposes to up-zone properties along New Hamburg Road in the Town of Wappinger to three, five, and ten-acre zones protecting our historic Hughsonville Hamlet character. By using "transfer development rights" within the Reese estate we will move the density off of New Hamburg Road protecting that view shed forever, and clustering the density on the north end of the property to construct Town Homes. Page 17 State of the Town Address Supervisor Joseph Ruggiero April 11,2007 At the same time on the south side, the Reese proposal plans a village and hamlet community with small shops and a farmers market. Working with the Reese family, we will impose covenants and restrictions to preserve open space, mandate architectural standards for all buildings and set aside property to be forever farmed. The Town Board, while considering this request, weighed the merits the project has in preserving open space, the setting of architectural standards, and our gaining a tremendous municipal benefit. In doing their research in proposing this plan, it was determined that there is a significant amount of water on the Reese property. The Town of Wappinger and the Reese family will enter into an agreement, to extend a water line from their water source, to help deliver water to the Tall Trees Water District that has been plagued with a year round permanent ban on outside water use since 2002. We can and we will revitalize the Hughsonville hamlet to be known more than the intersection of Route 9D and Old Hopewell Road. Our vision is to create a sustainable hamlet, making it a premier community in our town once again. We look forward to this. The new master plan will be the future blue print for our new zoning and housing laws. Affordable housing is a concept in which anyone municipality really cannot have any major impact. Right now we have an absence of role of County government in this process. The County Executive, in his State of the County Address, stated that it is up to municipalities and called on the towns to mandate that 10 percent of all the homes built in all the subdivisions be affordable housing. That is not realistic. There are such elements to affordable housing as land, Page 18 State of the Town Address Supervisor Joseph Ruggiero April 11, 2007 infrastructure, and material costs that need to be addressed. We need a partnership and a coordinated effort through County Government to really impact this issue. Wappinger is willing to do its role. However, absent of any real blanket policy from the county; we have a hodgepodge of plans being put forth. Some communities in our county are not putting forth any attempt at all and that is wrong. I look forward to working with the Town Board this year to pass senior and workforce housing legislation. The Town Comprehensive Plan is just not limited to addressing future growth and development; it also takes into account open space and historic preservation. In 2000, the Town of Wappinger led all the municipalities in Dutchess County by putting two-million dollars forward to purchase the lands then known as Greystone and later renamed Carnwath Farms. In that purchase, there were several historic buildings that are part of the estate. Some of those buildings, which serve as the jewels in the necklace of our community, have fallen victim to time and the elements. This Town Board, through emergency action, has directed the reconstruction of the Carnwath manor and the carriage house to eliminate the danger of collapse. There are some who would criticize this decision as being wasteful and that it is too risky of a venture. Our Town Board debated for many hours; wrestled with their decision; and did not take their sense of responsibility or duty lightly. And then our Town Board put forward a commitment and re-affirmed its vision for this property, a vision that preserves open space, a vision that saves a piece of our town history. Page 19 State of the Town Address Supervisor Joseph Ruggiero April 11, 2007 Not just brick buildings that were manorly at one time, a reconstruction of facilities that one day will allow our townspeople a recreational venue that is unprecedented in any town. The manor house, once restored, will be the site of weddings, events, and cultural activities. The carriage house, with all of its architectural grandeur, which now is only being used for recreation equipment storage, will someday expand its use and opportunity for our townspeople. We are the stewards of this town, and too often I hear from residents that the Town has not done enough to preserve open space or protect land and historic buildings. There is a reality and limit to what we can do in government. There is a constitutionally protected right that landowners can develop their land within our zoning and planning constraints. Historic buildings cannot always be saved because the only absolute way of controlling the fate of property or a building is to take ownership. The town does own Camwath Farms. We own those buildings-- and when faced with the decision to spend roughly one million dollars to demolish two historic buildings only to be left with a hole in the ground, or restore them and save them forever, the choice was not hard at all. Once these public amenities are preserved and restored, they will always be here to serve our people. For that I commend the brave decision of this board to make such a historic dedication to that facility, I applaud each and everyone of you. I believe it is the responsibility of the people who are elected to the town to care for the infrastructure of the town. We have invested in my time here, a lot of money in our road system -as we should. The highway department has done a terrific job. Two years ago we saw the entire redevelopment of the two miles of Widmer Road, done by our Highway forces for less than $400,000. Page 20 State of the Town Address Supervisor Joseph Ruggiero April 11, 2007 We are currently working with Highway Superintendent Graham Foster identifying his capital needs in the future years. This year alone we are facing some significant capital projects that we as a town need to address. The Granger Place drainage project alone is estimated to be $800,000 to replace a drainage culvert that is over 40 years old which has exceeded its life expectancy by 15 years. We are working with Congressman John Hall to re-appropriate federal monies already allocated to the town to go towards this project. Another one of the big projects facing the town is what to do with our Airport Drive soccer fields complex. For the last 12 years, Town of Wappinger United Soccer Club has extensively used those soccer fields and we have seen those fields come into disrepair. We are very mindful of spending the taxpayers' dollars, but making sure that our town infrastructure is up to par and meeting the expectation of our constituents is always a priority. I feel we would be reneging on that priority, especially being the stewards of this great town, if we didn't do the right thing out at our airport soccer fields. In 1995 I was very proud, as a councilmember, to help open those soccer fields for the children of our community. For 12 years the soccer fields have been worn down, a level playing field no longer exists and it has become unsafe for the children. Drainage is a major problem. We have a report from the town engineer giving us two alternatives; one being that of a sod project for three fields and the other being a turf project, each alternative having a price tag of $880,000 and $1.4 million respectively. Now some would see the price of either project and feel that this is too expensive of a venture. However, I want to remind the public and the Town Board of a major decision that we made in 2004 when we set the recreation fee for $5,000 per lot, as an impact fee for all new development coming into the Town of Wappinger. Currently in our trust Page 21 State of the Town Address Supervisor Joseph Ruggiero April 11, 2007 and agency account for parklands we have approximately $440,000 for park improvements and development. Over the next 6-8 years that fund is to receive another $2,050,000 from other subdivisions that are slated to go in the Town of Wappinger. That alone will bring this fund to $2.5 million. The leaders of the Town of Wappinger United Soccer Club has reached out to the Town and have generously made an offer to this Board that they are willing to put $140,000 of their club's money towards the rehabilitation of our soccer fields. Now it is time for us to act. This project, could initially be bonded to get the construction capital up front, and can be paid for without using any tax money, without it coming out of the town budget, because that parkland/recreation fund, that has been set aside, is solely funded by impact fees from new development. So I am going to ask the Town Board this year to make a commitment to work with the soccer leagues to redevelop the Airport Soccer fields. Even though the cost of this project can be covered by our Parkland Trust fund, and a generous donation from our Soccer League, the Town of Wappinger does not have to go it alone. Last month, Wappinger hosted a recreation summit between the Towns of Fishkill, East Fishkill, Lagrange, Poughkeepsie, and Wappinger to discuss future ventures and collaboration for shared services to address our region's recreational needs. The Town Supervisors, Recreation Directors, and Recreation Commission members of all towns participated. Each municipality brought many ideas to the table and identified the common issues that we all face; growing populations and the lack of land and facilities to meet the ever increasing demand for recreation. This mutli-town recreation summit meeting is the first of many to come. Our goal is to provide Page 22 State of the Town Address Supervisor Joseph Ruggiero April 11, 2007 common recreation facilities that are cost prohibitive for anyone community to do alone, while assuring enough people from our neighboring communities participate making the program a success. One idea that the recreation leaders would like to explore is that of a Southern Dutchess Pool facility. I look forward to these future meetings and working toward a common solution for all of our constituents. As a result of our meeting, we also discussed the Soccer Complex at Airport Drive. Supervisor Pagones has agreed to work with the town of Wappinger and develop a shared services agreement for the use of Airport Soccer Fields. Currently, the Town of Fishkill does not have a soccer facility to serve its residents so their kids have participated, in the United Wappinger Soccer League. Fishkill's children makeup approximately 30% of the participants in our soccer program. Once again, I thank our colleagues in Fishkill for their cooperation and commitment to working on a regional basis to solve our common problems. 2007 marks the first year of our Cooperative Assessment Program with our friends in Fishkill. Our two town boards comprised of Democrats and Republicans unanimously appointed a new sole assessor for the two communities, Mr. Christian Harkins and we welcome him aboard to Town Hall. Christian has his hands full, coming into this new position as the joint assessor for these two towns. At this time, both municipalities are undergoing a major re-valuation. It has been over two decades since the Town of Wappinger has had a re-valuation. Notices have been sent to our constituents of what the new re-assessment and tax impact would be to their properties. We continue to encourage our residents who have concerns or questions regarding their assessment to call the toll free number that is on their official notice. Our assessor is ready, willing and able to assist residents in reviewing their property inventory and making sure all data Page 23 State of the Town Address Supervisor Joseph Ruggiero April 11, 2007 is correct. I want to assure the residents of Wappinger that we are doing everything in our power to make sure this is a fair and equitable process. I can assure the public, working with the 8 other towns in this revaluation consortium that not all of the Supervisors and Councilmembers have gone insane at the same time. Too often politicians are criticized for not standing up and doing the right thing. This reval project is an example where you see, communities coming together across party lines, across municipal boundaries, dealing with a mandate that is upon us from the state of New York. I do believe that residents of the Town of Wappinger will fare well. I believe when the May 1st tentative roll comes out Wappinger will bode well in our school district, and ultimately I believe that the people of this town will feel that we made the right decision. This year we will receive nearly $150,000 in additional state aid because of this joint venture in assessing. Again, it just shows the best thing to do is to share services and work with our neighbors. One of the biggest challenges this Town Board has faced in previous years was the selection of an ambulance service. In 2005, we contracted with Transcare Ambulance to provide service to the town residents. Under that agreement, residents in the Town of Wappinger can have confidence that when they call 911 for an ambulance, they will have an immediate response. We have now by far the best response times in Dutchess County, in 2006 the average response was 5 minutes 49 seconds, which is far below the 9 minute minimum criteria that is established per our contract. Our ambulances are responding to our residents and I have heard nothing but accolades from our Fire Chiefs and the residents regarding the Transcare service. I appreciate all that they Page 24 State of the Town Address Supervisor Joseph Ruggiero Aprilll,2007 have done, and our Emergency Services Coordinator Joe Kovalsky for a\1 he has done, being our watchdog on top of this system. However, we are still relying on private ambulance companies to provide 911 medical services. In the past the town dealt with one private ambulance company who put profit before service and did not honor its agreement to provide the required ambulances for our town. For that reason, the Town Board terminated their contract in 2004. Today, the Town is facing a different issue among private ambulance companies and that is the practice of ca\1 jumping, -- where ambulances are coming into our town without going through the 911 dispatch center. It is problematic, especia\1y at the scene of an accident, to have ambulance providers fighting as to who will serve that patient. I am asking the Town Board to take up legislation this year outlawing the practices of ca\1 jumping. Ambulances other than the one contracted as our provider, will be only allowed to respond to an emergency ca\1 under a mutual aid call at the direction of County 911 or emergency personnel. In no way does the town want to outlaw any ambulance from providing service to our community, however Wappinger wants an orderly and systematic approach to our 911 system and we need a local law to protect our residents from such practices. I ask you to pass this law this year. Most folks don't realize a\1 the effort that goes into making the town government work day to day. No one person is responsible for making it happen. It is really a conglomeration of the efforts of many people. It is cooperation, it is collaboration, it is brainstorming, it is disagreements, it is votes, and the people who serve our community; from our town employees, town professional staff, highway department, to the residents themselves. Day in day out these are the people who make the Town of Wappinger work, and they make it work for the better. I Page 25 State of the Town Address Supervisor Joseph Ruggiero April 11, 2007 am honored to be the leader of this town, and I get to watch our town move forward and help be a part of that progress, for that I am very grateful. It is so often that we take for granted the work that goes on quietly. A year ago, I attended a prayer breakfast, and one of the things that was said is to do good quietly. It's not the headline or your name in the paper that matters, it's your impact. We have 27,000 people in this community who do good quietly everyday. They go to work, they raise their families and they make this town a better place to live. Halfway around the globe tonight are tens of thousands of our soldiers who are doing good quietly because their country asked them to. In the name of freedom and liberty they are serving our country. We pray for them, their families and for their safe return. Those are the highest public servants of the community and they are doing all they can do to serve their community of America. Their service makes an evening like this possible. Our state motto is, Excelsior, which is Latin for Ever Upward. I think that is the perfect adjective to describe the state of our people and our town: -- Forever upward! !! No matter what challenges or adversity that confronts us there is nothing that our collective will as community cannot overcome, for we are Americans. Remember, Wappinger is our piece of America and I am proud to be its Supervisor and I thank you, and good night. Page 26