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2003-01-27 """OWN OF WAPPINGEl( SUPERVISOR JOSEPH RUGGIERO TOWN COUNCIL VINCENT BETTINA CHRISTOPHER J. COLSEY JOSEPH P. PAOLONI ROBERT L. VALDATI SUPERVISOR'S OFFICE 20 MIDDLEBUSH ROAD WAPPINGERS FALLS, NY 12590-0324 (845) 297-2744 FAX: (845) 297-4558 Memo To: All Town Employees From: Joseph Ruggiero, Supervisor Date: January 15, 2003 Re: State of the Town Message The State of the Town Message will be delivered on Monday, January 27th at 7:30pm at Town Hall. All Town Employees are invited. I encourage you to attend to see the progress that the Town has made over the past year. I look forward to seeing you on January 27th. TOWN OF WAPPINGER SUPERVISOR JOSEPH RUGGIERO TOWN COUNCIL VINCENT BETTINA CHRISTOPHER J. COLSEY JOSEPH P. PAOLONI ROBERT L. VALDATI SUPERVISOR'S OFFICE 20 MIDDLEBUSH ROAD WAPPINGERS FALLS, NY 12590-0324 (845) 297-2744 FAX: (845) 297-4558 PRESS RELEASE Wappinger Town Supervisor to Deliver State oftbe Town Message (Wappingers Falls, NY, January 15, 2003) Town of Wappinger Supervisor, Joseph Ruggiero, will be delivering the State of the Town Message on Monday, January 27, 2003, 7:30pm at Town Hall. "I am excited to be delivering this year's State of the Town Message", Supervisor Joseph Ruggiero said. "This past year, the Town of Wappinger has made a lot of progress. I look forward to discussing our accomplishments, as well as proposing some new goals. I am proud of how well this Town Board has worked together in serving the people of Wappinger", Supervisor Ruggiero continued. If anyone has any questions regarding the State of the Town Message, please contact the Supervisor's Office at (845) 297-2744. , . . .. Town of Wappinger Supervisor's State of the Town Address January 27, 2003 , . TOWN OF WAPPINGER , ( SUPERVISOR JOSEPH RUGGIERO TOWN COUNCIL VINCENT BETTINA CHRISTOPHER J. COlSEY JOSEPH P. PAOlONI ROBERT l. VALDATI SUPERVISOR'S OFFICE 20 MIDDlEBUSH ROAD WAPPINGERS FAllS, NY 12590-0324 (845) 297-2744 FAX: (845) 297-4558 March 10, 2003 Hon. Robert L. Valdati Hon. Vincent F. Bettina Hon. Christopher J. Colsey Hon. Joseph P. Paoloni The Town Board Wappinger Town Hall 20 Middlebush Road Wappingers Falls, New York 12590 Dear Honorable Members of the Town Board, Enclosed you will find a copy of the State of Town Address that I delivered on January 27th, 2003. In retrospect, our accomplishments for 2002 can be attributed to the harmony and goodwill each one of you brought to our deliberations throughout the year. I am proud to have selVed this past year with each of you, and I look forward to continuing our work for the people of the Town of Wappinger. As I stated that evening, it was my task to deliver the state of the town, but to improve the state of town is the task of us all. I am confident that working together, we can achieve even more success for the people we represent. Thank you for your support and my best wishes to you and your family in this New Year. Sincerely, ~ f{ . ~Ruw)ero~ (}~=~f~appinger , (" State of the Town Address Supervisor Joseph Ruggiero January 27, 2003 One year ago this month, I took the oath of office as Supervisor of the Town of Wappinger. And when we embarked on a new administration in Town Hall we remained committed to improving the quality oflife in the Town of Wappinger. The phrase "the quality oflife" has become a political cliche to some, but to the members of this Town Board it is not a cliche but the mission of this town government. The duty of government to improve the "quality of life" has been discussed as far back as in the founding documents to our democracy. The Declaration of Independence states, "..With certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness. --That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted.." Even the preamble to The Constitution of the United States is clear that government has been established to, "form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquillity, provide for the common defense, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity." Whether we use the words of 18th century America or the lexicon of today, the ideal remains the same; - our number one goal in serving our neighbors, collectively through our Town Government, is to strive towards a more perfect Town and a better quality of life for all our people. Page 1 . j . \ State of the Town Address Supervisor Joseph Ruggiero January 27, 2003 It is my task tonight to report the state of the Town, but to improve the state of the Town is the task of us all. This past year we have seen this Town Board work in a harmonious, united fashion promoting and improving the quality of life in the Town of Wappinger. The residents of this town should be proud of the accomplishments of this Town Board. It has been my honor and pleasure to serve with my distinguished colleagues here tonight. In 2002 the Town Board passed over 15 different local laws working on improving town government and life in the Town of Wappinger. I am most proud of the Local Law # 1 of2002, which the Town of Wappinger joined the Greenway Compact and adopted the Greenway Principles to guide our future development and planning. Joining the Greenway Compact has opened the Town of Wappinger to new opportunities that would not have been realized otherwise. The Town has been awarded over $32,000 in grants that will assist in our developing Reese Park and Greystone. I look forward to the day when our vision for Greystone of being a center for the arts and culture, telling the enriched history of our Town is a reality and open for the public to enjoy. Page 2 . , i \ State of the Town Address Supervisor Joseph Ruggiero January 27, 2003 I want to thank Carmella Mantello, Executive Director of the Hudson Valley Greenway and the entire Hudson Valley Greenway team for being true partners and- who have shown tremendous leadership and has worked so well with the Town building a strong bridge between state government and town government. Willing to help organize, coordinate, and harness the various state agencies and resources has given Wappinger a great opportunity - with the Greenway's commitment we can turn Greystone into the shining jewel of our Town. Last October, I had the honor of giving a VIP tour to many heads of different state agencies who were awed by the beauty of the Greystone property, impressed with the majesty ofCarnwath Manor, and moved by Greystone's breath taking view shed of the Hudson River which rivals the best sights from DIana in Columbia County. When one is on top of the great hills of Grey stone, you can get a panoramic view of the Hudson River where you can see the Mid Hudson Bridge and Newburgh-Beacon Bridge at the same time, and the contour of the river in between. Greystone will join the league of great Hudson River valley estates and become an anchor on our Hudson River - as a tourist destination, a place with culture rich with our own history. This past year, the Town committed resources into preserving the Carnwarth Manor. Over the years, the elements of weather and time have done some damage to the Page 3 . ' State of the Town Address Supervisor Joseph Ruggiero January 27, 2003 home. Now the house has been weather proofed by historic preservationist so that the elements of harsh weather with not add to the further deterioration of the Carnwarth Manor. This short-term stabilization of the manor will give the Town time to plan and develop our vision for Greystone, and prepare for the restoration of this mansion. I had an opportunity this past year to travel to the town of Colonie in Albany County and vistit the Pruyn House. The Pruyn House is an 18th century Dutch Colonial home that was restored by the Town of Colonie. Pruyn House is the place of many cultural, educational, and social activities. The Colonie Supervisor Mary Brizzell and Comptroller Fred Shellard informed me that they are able to generate over $20,000 a year in proceeds from outdoor concerts and over $35,000 a year in wedding receptions. As part of the Town of Colon ie's plan they created a "Friends of Pruyn House" that helps plan programs, manages the facility, and raises funds to support the Pruyn House activities. Currently there are over 600 contributors to the Friends of Pruyn House that raises over $15,000 in cash donations annually. The Town of Wappinger can learn some lessons from our sister town to the North. The Pruyn House should be a model for our plans for Greystone. But before we can talk about creating a similar partnership between our Town Government and a "Friends of Greystone" we need to develop a master plan for the use of the property and facilities at Greystone. Page 4 . . State of the Town Address Supervisor Joseph Ruggiero January 27, 2003 I applaud the vision and dedication of this Town Board to hire grant writers and planners to help craft a master plan for Greystone that is feasible, realistic, and will deliver a final product that we can all be proud of. I want to recognize the members of the Fraser Associates team for being here today. These folks are working hard on developing a plan to restore our mansion, develop a master plan, and raise money to make Greystone a success. Fraser Associates will be applying, on behalf of Wappinger, for $850,000 in grants. Grants to help pay for restoration, planning and development. I look forward to continue to work with you on this project. As talented as our professional staff is, I would be remiss in failing to recognize the key behind any success we will have with Greystone, which is the citizen partici pation in developing our plans at Greystone. Will the Citizens Committee on Greystone please stand and be recognized. Our Citizens Committee will start work next month on brain storming the possibilities of elements for a master plan for Greystone, and hopefully in a year will make recommendations to the Town Board for a master plan. Once the master plan is completed, this will open the opportunities for more grants, and notoriety. I am confident that Greystone will truly be the Hallmark of our Town where we can tell the proud 127 year history of the Town of Wappinger. Page 5 , . State of the Town Address Supervisor Joseph Ruggiero January 27, 2003 From the time that the New York State legislature created the Town of Wappinger, severing us from the Town of Fish kill, the people of the Town of Wappinger have shown true character. As I was saying, the people of our Town have shown great character. From within our many Hamlets ofHughsonville, Chelsea, New Hackensack, and Swartoutville, to our great Village over the Falls, the spirit ofvolunteerism and community pride is synonymous with the residents of Wappinger. I think of the numerous parents who volunteer their time to assure that our youth have supervised recreational activities from Little League to Soccer. I know the many firefighters who volunteer their time to rescue and save lives daily. I have had the opportunity to meet with the many civic and church organizations who dedicate themselves to altruistic causes which improve the quality of life for so many. Organizations like the Rotary Club, Knights of Columbus, Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts, and our Southern Dutchess Chamber of Commerce. All dedicated to our community, town, and our people. When you work in your community or in public service, it gives a chance for you to share a little bit of yourself with your neighbors. Some have said the greatest gift anyone can give to another, - is their time. Each day there are countless volunteers who Page 6 . . State of the Town Address Supervisor Joseph Ruggiero January 27, 2003 serve our community, and when you serve your community, you are serving your country. I always remind people, that the Town of Wappinger is our piece of America and it is up to us to make it the best place possible to live. Tonight, I would like to recognize one of our town's citizens who exemplifies community spirit in that American fashion. This individual's volunteer work has made our community and our country a better place to live. That is why it is my honor to present the Town of Wappinger Supervisor's Award for Excellence in Community Service to Bernie Roe. Bernie Roe has been a 47 year resident of the Town of Wappinger. Bernie's list of volunteer activities have included coaching Town of Wappinger Little League, 44 year Member of the New Hackensack Fire Company where he currently is the Captain of Fire Police and a Trustee, Member of the Volunteer Fire Police Association of Dutchess County, a former Sunday School Teacher of the New Hackensack Reformed Church, Volunteer for the Mohonk Preserve, and for the American Heart Association, and Volunteers to raise funds to fight Batten Disease which tragically took the life of his mece. Page 7 . . State of the Town Address Supervisor Joseph Ruggiero January 27, 2003 Also this past October, Bernie Roe road his ten speed bicycle over 408 miles from Niagara Falls to Wappingers Falls. Bernie will be featured in an upcoming issue of the Southern Dutchess News. Tomorrow night, the nation will hear from our President on the State of the Union. Americans and the citizens of the world will listen very attentively to the words of the President of United States as he outlines the course of action that our nation's military will be facing. I expect that the President will use this opportunity to layout the seriousness and rationale of the issues facing us over Iraq. Tens of thousands of our nation's soldiers are being mobilized, answering the call of duty for our country in a moment's notice. Many of them leave behind their families, jobs, and communities to serve our country with great honor and distinction. As these soldiers depart for foreign shores, they join the history of so many before them, who have served our nation, in order that our nation can continue to fulfill its mission of being a place where freedom and democracy will flourish for our people, and be a beacon of hope for all humankind around the globe. Tonight, it is my privilege to recognize one of those soldiers who will be going over seas in the next few weeks to answer that call. This individual has served the people of the Town of Wappinger since 1999 as coordinator for the Town of Wappinger Patrol. Sgt. Gary Corbett has been with the Dutchess County Sheriff s department since Page 8 . , State of the Town Address Supervisor Joseph Ruggiero January 27, 2003 1971. SGT CORBETT has also serves as first sergeant, in the 442nd Military Police Company, New York Army National Guard. SGT Corbett's company was activated after the September 11th attacks to provide security in lower Manhattan. Once again his unit has been activated but this time to go to Iraq. SGT. CORBETT, on behalf of all the people in the Town of Wappinger, we thank you, we salute you, and wish you success in your mission, and look forward to your safe return. Once again, it is my honor to present the Town of Wappinger Supervisor's Award for Excellence in Community Service to SGT GARY CORBETT. Again, SGT Corbett we wish you the best. It truly takes extraordinary people who come forward to serve our community and country. I think of all the men and women, like SGT. Corbett, who are making such sacrifices for their country. The price of defending freedom is high, and the harsh reality is that some of our brothers and sisters who go off to war, will be wounded and come back disabled as of result of their service, while others will make the ultimate sacrifice with their lives. I think that it is important that we should do everything possible to honor our veterans. Each year, my colleagues and I, pay tribute to veterans by participating in Memorial Day and Veteran's Day Observances. However this year, I think we need to Page 9 State of the Town Address Supervisor Joseph Ruggiero January 27, 2003 pay tribute in a different fashion to our Veterans; that is why the Town Board will be working on legislation creating a special tax exemption for Disabled Veterans and Serious Disabled Veterans. These tax exemptions will enhance existing Veteran's Exemptions that the Town has in place. If you are a war time veteran and you were seriously disabled, then you and your surviving spouse could receive up to 100% relief from your town taxes. This is a small sacrifice for the Town to make compared to the sacrifice given by our veterans. Service to our country is a great honor and deserves recognition and praise. As service in the military has its dangers, so does the service to our community. The events of September 11th made that all too clear to us. Many of our volunteer firefighters and government employees are the first responders in an emergency on domestic soil. The amount of training required being a "volunteer" firefighter and the willingness to put one in harm's way responding to emergencies at all hours of the day deserves respect and earned recognition. That is why the Town Board will also be working on legislation creating a Volunteer Fire Fighters Tax Exemption. These new exemptions for our veterans and firefighters are indicative of our appreciation and gratefulness for a job well done. I was proud this past year to be authorized by the Town Board to renew our service contract agreement between the Town and Sloper Willen Community Ambulance Page 10 State of the Town Address Supervisor Joseph Ruggiero January 27, 2003 company for another four years. Sloper Willen has been serving the Town of Wappinger for over 49 years and we have the highest regard for their service to our community. In 2002, Sloper Willen Ambulance responded to 1,928 ambulance runs in the Town of Wappinger, an increase of 10% from 2001. Our new agreement with Sloper Willen has no increase cost for service, for the 9th year in a row, while adding a new benefit for our residents where Sloper will provide physician referred non-emergency medical transportation for Town of Wappinger residents. --I thank Josh Potter, Director of Operations, representing Sloper Willen Ambulance for being here tonight. The number one mission of government is to provide for the safety and security of the people. In a moment's notice local government is responsible to react to a crisis or an emergency. Last year, the Town of Wappinger officials had to deal with an emergency right here at Town Hall when a car crashed through our building destroying the Department of Recreation and the Tax Assessor's offices. All of our Town's Department Heads and Employees responded tremendously in the immediate moments and days that followed, as we worked to restore the center of government operations at Town Hall. Even last week, the New York State Police and Dutchess County Sheriff s office were mobilized to respond to a statewide lockdown of all our schools here in Dutchess County. During the lockdown, my office was contacted, because the Page 11 State of the Town Address Supervisor Joseph Ruggiero January 27, 2003 Wappinger Town Hall was to be the information center for parents looking for information on the status of lock down. We live in a world of uncertainty, and events around the globe and here at home demand that government be prepared to handle any crisis or emergency. That is why I am appointing a committee to help update our Town of Wappinger Disaster Preparedness Plan. This committee will consist of representatives of all of emergency responders units in the Town; town officials, our fire chiefs, state police, county sheriff, village police, ambulance, County Emergency Response, Dutchess County Airport, and school districts safety officials. I am appointing Fire Inspector Mark Liebermann to head that committee. Mark's many years in the emergency service field as fire inspector, police officer, and fire commissioner ofHughsonville, will provide the right leadership necessary to re-draft our preparedness plan. This committee will work to make sure that during an emergency that the lines of communications are open and accessible between all government agencies and emergency responders. They will develop the protocols necessary to coordinate a town response to an emergency, and help identify the resources needed to successfully implement our plan. Page 12 State of the Town Address Supervisor Joseph Ruggiero January 27, 2003 Inter-municipal cooperation is critical during an emergency. However adjoining municipalities should not have to wait for a crisis to work together. When municipalities choose to work together they can accomplish many things for their shared constituents. This year we will be working with our neighbors in the Village of Fish kill to expand the Fleetwood Water District in the southern area of our town. In 1995, our municipal well failed, forcing the Town to truck water to the Fleetwood neighborhood. The Village ofFishkill was instrumental in helping the Town of Wappinger solve its water problems in Fleetwood, and we look forward to working closely with Mayor Miccio and his Village Board as we work to embark on Phase II of the Fleetwood expansion. This past year, the Wappinger Town Board and the Village ofWappingers Falls Trustees held a summit to discuss topics of mutual interest of both municipalities. Since then, the Town and Village have made joint applications to the Department of Transportation for grant monies to help the Town and Village work on re-designing the Route 9 corridor. These grant monies will help pay for the Technical assistance expenses both municipalities will incur when working with the State as it plans to widen Route 9 through the Town and the Village. These projects are slated to receive 95% funding from the federal government. I celebrate the renewed relationship this Town Board enjoys with Village Board. Page 13 State of the Town Address Supervisor Joseph Ruggiero January 27, 2003 I congratulate Mayor Mary Ross and the Village Trustees for doing an excellent job in the Village. Today the village is the place where a great revitalization and renaissance is going on. We look forward in this New Year in continuing in that partnership. Besides working with the Village Government, the Town has enjoyed a strong relationship with County Government. From our great relationship with Sheriff Anderson and his fine deputies who cover our Wappinger Patrol to our County Economic Development Corporation team, county government has been a true partner. Last year working with County Executive Steinhaus and Ron Coan, President of the EDC, the Town of Wappinger was able to create two Empire Zones inside the Town. These Empire Zones will offer the necessary incentives to lure business into our Town and County and bring jobs for our people. I applaud the Town Board for quickly passing the necessary legislation to accept these zones. The Town of Wappinger was proud to do its part to help assist in expanding our Dutchess County economy. Our partnership and commitment to the County and the EDC has quickly proven to be fruitful, when last fall the EDC announced that the South Eastern Container Company would be opening a bottling company in the Town of Wappinger at Airport Drive. South Eastern Container has the exclusive contract to manufacture the bottles for the Coca Cola Company. South Eastern Container Company will initially create over 80 jobs and will eventually expand to 160 jobs with an annual payroll of over 6 million dollars. I look forward to the day when I can buy the whole town a Coke! Page 14 State of the Town Address Supervisor Joseph Ruggiero January 27, 2003 As we look to advance future opportunities for inter-municipal cooperation with our Village and neighbors in Dutchess County, the Town must look inward and re-plan our own future. The Town's Master Plan needs to be updated to prepare us for the future of the Town of Wappinger. The New Comprehensive Master Plan must address and plan not just for next year, not the next decade, but the next generation's growth. As we plan the town's future development, we should take into careful consideration the Greenway principles we adopted a year ago which we are proud of such as; open space preservation, historic preservation, farmland preservation, waterfront revitalization, creation of affordable housing for seniors and for those first time home buyers. There needs to be opportunities in this Town to grow, while maintaining a balance between that new growth without devastating our environmental interests and our country charm. That is why I am proud of the unanimous and bi-partisan support that is being shared in the Town Board's efforts to create an Architectural Review & Desien Standard Law for future commercial and multi-family developments. Once this legislation is in place, we can further implement our Greenway Principles, where development can occur and be aesthetically pleasing in terms of architecture and landscaping. There are lessons to be learned from our sister towns across New York State and even here in Dutchess County where the Town Government stresses the importance of smart growth, good planning, and provides guidelines to achieve aesthetically pleasing development. Page 15 State of the Town Address Supervisor Joseph Ruggiero January 27, 2003 In Dutchess County, our Town is the second largest in population and the second smallest in geography making our job of maintaining a balance between growth and meeting the needs of our people even more challenging. In parts of our town, we are experiencing the failure of well and septic systems that are decades old and miles away from any municipal system for relief. The cost of construction to bring municipal systems to serve residential neighborhoods can run into the millions of dollars. Careful planning and study work is needed to target the appropriate areas so we can prioritize in terms of necessity. Last year we completed Phase 3A of the Tri-Municipal Sewer project and added 500 residences to be served for the first time on town sewer. Now as the Town Board prepares this year to study and develop Phase 3B of Tri-Municipal Expansion, I am proposing that the Town Board conduct a Town Survey of all properties outside of our water and sewer districts to assess the status and quality of the private wells and septic systems throughout the Town. Once we collect this data, the Town will be able use GIS mapping to demonstrate the areas of the town that are most critical and develop a plan to tackle the priorities. This Town Government has made the tough decisions to invest over $40 million dollars in infrastructure over the last 10 years upgrading our water and sewer systems. Two weeks ago, the Town just completed a water project that we initiated last year, Page 16 . . State of the Town Address Supervisor Joseph Ruggiero January 27, 2003 where the Oakwood Knolls neighborhood was connected into the Central Wappinger Water District. The Oakwood Knolls water district is a 79 single family home neighborhood, whose central well production was starting to fail and the quality of its water was poor. Now the residents of Oakwood Knolls enjoy the service of a larger district of better quality and more stable source of water. This year the Town will work to solve the water problems in the Wappinger Park neighborhood. Wappinger Park is similar to Oakwood Knolls where you have about 78 residential homes whose central well is not the best quality water for its residents. The Town issued a high sodium and chlorides notice for residents alerting them of this problem, which can be a health concern for anyone with hypertension. Like Oakwood Knolls, the Town will work to connect the Wappinger Park district to the larger Central Wappinger Water District. This project will be approximately $780,000. This past fall the Town was successful in securing a grant for $102,000 from the Dutchess County Community Development Block Grant Fund to help pay for this project. This is the first time~, the Town has received a grant to help subsidize any water project. The Town has always been told that we were too affluent to receive any funding. Yet through the cooperation of the Wappinger Park residents, the Town was able to do an income survey in Wappinger Park providing the real income data and needs of our people instead of relying on 12 year old census data which the County was basing Page 17 State of the Town Address Supervisor Joseph Ruggiero January 27, 2003 their funding decision. Twelve years ago, we were an ffiM community and of a different means than we are today. I want to recognize two people on our staffwho worked very hard in putting that survey together, distributing it to the residents, collecting it, and writing the final report to the County under an incredibly short deadline, -- their efforts made receiving this grant possible. Would Vince Fabiano and Gina Basile please rise? Vince and Gina thank you for all your hard work. Besides receiving money from the County, the Town is working aggressively in seeking funds from the NEW YORK STATE DEC to further assist paying for the Wappinger Park's Connection to the Central Wappinger Water District. Due to the concerns of MTBE contamination within the immediate area, and the proximity of the Route 9 corridor to the Wappinger Park Wells the town must be proactive in making this critical water connection before the MTBE contamination reaches the water source at Wappinger Park. A few short years ago, the problems of Wappinger Park and Oakwood Knolls would have seemed impossible to fix if it was not for the Town Board's decision to develop our well fields at the Atlas Aquifer along the Wappinger Creek. In 2003, construction of the Central Wappinger Water District Water Improvement Project 99-2R will continue as a new 17,000 foot water transmission main is built between the new Page 18 , . State of the Town Address Supervisor Joseph Ruggiero January 27, 2003 Atlas Wells along the Wappinger Creek to our new storage facilities on top of Cider Mill Loop, This $9 million dollar project will see the letting of three more contracts this year that will bring this project to a close in calendar year 2004. These upgrades have provided the Town of Wappinger with nearly two million gallons per day of water to serve the residents of the Town. As the Town faces the challenges of upgrading our infrastructure, to meet our basic needs and existing demands, while preparing for new growth, we realize we have other responsibilities to address in improving the quality of life. Our recreational needs of a growing population in terms of numbers and demographics must be addressed. Although, according to the 2000 census, the total population of the Town of Wappinger only grew slightly more than 2% over the 1990 census, our populations amongst age groups have changed significantly. The Town of Wappinger has the fastest growing senior population in Dutchess County. When I meet with county officials, I am told that the Town of Wappinger's senior population is the largest user of the Dial A Ride bus system out of any other town or city in the county. The Town Board has been told, by Senior Center Director, Kathi DeLisa, the waiting list to join the senior center has been up to 200 people long and waiting years to come in. We have one of the finest senior programs in the County, I am proud of the work that the staff in the Senior Center has done of behalf of the Town and the residents. I Page 19 State of the Town Address Supervisor Joseph Ruggiero January 27, 2003 receive compliments from different agencies all over Dutchess on how well our program IS run. The expansion of the Senior Citizen Center that was completed in 1994 has become obsolete in meeting our demand. That is why the Town Board has been studying, and moving forward on constructing a new community center. Last year The was ready to embark on constructing a community center located out on Montfort Road but due to the flood plain issues could not go forward with that plan. So the Town Board, revisited the idea that the Community Center would be placed here on the Town Hall campus which is centrally located within our boundaries. It is the goal of this Town Board, to make this New Community Center truly available for all of its citizens, where there will be a Senior Citizen Center during the day, a Teen Center after school, and in the evenings available for civic organizations, and on weekends it could be rented for social events or private parties. Since the construction of the Community Center would use the last developable land on the Town Hall Campus, the Town Board decided it better address all the needs of this site. The most obvious need to be addressed is that of the Justice Court. The inadequacy of current Justice Court facility is the cause the Town of Wappinger to be in violation with office of the Court Administration for years. Page 20 State of the Town Address Supervisor Joseph Ruggiero January 27, 2003 In order to save the cost of building two separate facilities for our Community Center and Justice Court, the Town Board has decided to realize the benefit of combining these two facilities into one building. -- The Municipal Center Building. This new 22,000 square foot facility will house the Department of Recreation, the senior center, the community center, and the Justice Court. As the Town Board works this year getting all approvals in place, we hope to break ground in early 2004 and open later that year. I know the public and the Town Board are looking forward to the day of the completion of this project. Another area, I know where there is tremendous public support is the lighting of Robinson Lane. I look forward to the day this Spring, when we officially will light the ball fields at Robinson Lane for the first time. Since the Town Board cast their vote two weeks ago, authorizing this project to go forward the phone calls of public support and requests for use of the facility have been coming in non-stop. The lighting of this facility will finally create recreational opportunities to a new age group of town residents until now, have had little recreation programs offered to it by the Town. I applaud this Town Board for finally advancing this decision, after many years of deliberations. The Town Board has been able to act upon many ideas and projects because the fiscal health of our town is in good condition. Page 21 State of the Town Address Supervisor Joseph Ruggiero January 27, 2003 I would like to recognize our Town Comptroller Jerry Terwilliger for doing an excellent job for our Town. As Chief Fiscal Officer of the Town, I can report to people and Town Board we have a hard working, intelligent, and competent Comptroller who is on top of our fiscal situation daily. He has been a tremendous asset in working with me in managing our town finances. As we look to embark on new endeavors, we be must mindful of the financial impacts our decisions will have on the budget and our taxpayers. Again, I have to applaud the Town Board for the smooth budget process we had this past fall as they worked to adopt the 2003 budget. Tough decisions were made around the finance table, but in the end we presented a budget to the public that was real, balanced, and met all of financial obligations in delivering the services to our residents as well as meet the needs of our town employees who provide those services. The Town enjoys a double AA bond rating, and we ended the fiscal year 2002 with reasonable and appropriate budget surpluses in each one of our town funds. Our Town Wide fund ended with an un-appropriated fund balance of$377,581 and our Part Town Fund ended with an un-appropriated fund balance of $200,343. Page 22 , . State of the Town Address Supervisor Joseph Ruggiero January 27, 2003 I am happy to report that we are at a unique time in our town in terms of the demands on us for new services; --our fiscal house is in order, and the economic environment which we live, enables us to make progress. Bonding and interest rates are at an all time low, and starting this year and through 2005 we will see the retirement of the debt on 5 different bonds, incurred from the 1970's and 1980's, which will free up capital dollars. The Dutchess County Legislature's sales tax increase will produce an additional $175,000 in revenue sharing for 2003, for which we did not project in our budget, and will add to our ability to move forward. Besides, our own fiscal ability to pay for projects, the Town has been very aggressive in this past year seeking grants to assist us in developing new projects. The Town has taken steps and has been awarded nearly $524,150 in grants. Our ability to get grants has made it possible for us to afford new projects that we might have otherwise not considered. . $280,000 grant from Dutchess County for simply joining the Greenway in 2002 as contribution for the land purchase of Greystone. . $32,000 in Greenway grants for development of Greystone and Reese Park . $21,000 in State Archive Grants (SARA) . $4,250 grant for Justice Court Metal Detector Page 23 . , State of the Town Address Supervisor Joseph Ruggiero January 27, 2003 , . . $102,000 grants from Dutchess County Community Development Block Grant . $2,000 Grant from Assemblyman Miller for Beautification . $82,000 grant from New York State for a New Recycle Center The Town's award of nearly $82,000 will be used to develop a new recycle center up at the Town Highway Department. Last week the ground was broken and the project started. I look forward to the opening of this new recycle center by late May 2003. Having this new recycle center will provide a new service to Town residents. As you know, each Spring, the Town of Wappinger conducts its curbside bulk clean up. Our Curbside Bulk Cleanup service will continue, however we are adding a new service where now residents can choose to drop offbulk items at the recycle center year round instead of having to wait for Spring Cleanup. Another grant that I mentioned, is one regarding Beautification. Assemblyman Miller's office was able to get us some seed money to start the Town of Wappinger Beautification program. The Town has also applied for additional grants through the Hudson Valley Greenway to help beautify the Town. The Town will be beautifying the different entrances to our neighborhoods and hamlets throughout Wappinger. The focal point of these Beautification locations will be the placement of a beautification sign. Page 24 . . State or the Town Address Supervisor Joseph Ruggiero January 27, 2003 The Town of Wappinger will be kicking off a new program called "Adopt a Spot", where we hope the business community and other organizations will adopt beautification spot and donate the landscape work around our Beautification Signs. A sponsorship sign will be erected at each "Adopt a Spot" crediting that organization for its contribution. Last year, we received nearly $21,000 in grants from the States Archives Records Administration (SARA) to archive our town hall records. Three weeks ago, we finished building our archive room on the second floor of Town Hall, and we have developed a schedule for a file retention system for all Departments in Town Government. The great thing about the SARA grant program, is that it is a 5 year program where Towns can go through a progression on how they archive records from simply filing hardcopies in cardboard crates to having documents stored with digital imagery. We are already in the process of making application for a second round of grants, which will focus on technology updates. Our Town Board is committed in bringing Town Government into the 21 st century. That is why this year we authorized a Technology Master Plan to be developed for Town government, where the mission is to upgrade all town computer systems to be able to talk to one another, and share information. We are working to implement GIS software so town officials have the modern tools to map, forecast, and plan our town's Page 25 . . State of the Town Address Supervisor Joseph Ruggiero January 27,2003 needs. With a GIS data base system, we will be able map and inventory all storm drains, roads, pavement conditions, sewer and water lines. For the first time we will be able house all information, A to Z, from Assessment to Zoning, regarding every parcel in Wappinger into one database. Bringing Town Government into the 21st century requires us to modernize our technology and increase our ability to share information between departments electronically, but the true success will be when we provide e-government, or as I call it E-Wappinger. E-government or E-Wappinger is the concept where the public can go on line through the Internet and conduct transactions with Town Hall electronically. Before we can develop e-government the Town of Wappinger needs a web page first. That is why I am happy to unveil for the first time the Town of Wappinger Web page. As of tomorrow, residents can go online, down load a form, look up a local law, or even get the history of our town. The Town Board will be able to publish their agenda online, people will be able to list garage sales, look in the lost and found for a dog, and or learn how to apply for building permit. Residents will be able to email our officials, and eventually conduct transactions on line. A section of the web site will link visitors to our town businesses and their Page 26 , . , . State of the Town Address Supervisor Joseph Ruggiero January 27, 2003 web sites. Our Web page is a dynamic site that tells our history and puts out the "cyber welcome mat" to the Town of Wappinger. You can even watch a video clip from our community day which captures the spirit of our people in the Town of Wappinger. Ladies and Gentlemen, I thank you for coming here this evening. I am proud to tell you that the State of the Town of Wappinger is well, but as always, I look forward to new opportunities to make it even better. I thank you for allowing me this honor to serve you as your Town Supervisor, and I am eager to get to work in this New Year with my colleagues. Thank you and my best wishes to you and your family for a healthy and safe New Year. Page 27