HOMETOWN HAPPENINGS: Looking Back

By Supervisor George Hoehmann
Town Supervisor’s Column

As December comes to an end and we enjoy the holidays, I can’t help but look back on the past year and all that we have accomplished together. It was a memorable year with some great achievements that we can all be proud of.

We have cut expenses, reduced our bonded debt, strengthened our code enforcement, and continued to deliver real property tax relief.

We appointed a new Recreation Superintendent, Elaine Apfelbaum, who hit the ground running. We opened one of the pools earlier than ever, made improvements to several parks, added many new programs and events, opened an extremely successful Clarkstown farmers market, created the first Winter Wonderland in Rockland County and broke ground on the renovation of Street Community Center.

This year, we worked with our state representatives, civic groups and historians to see that the Tallman-Budke and Vanderbilt-Budke-Traphagen Houses in West Nyack were added to the New York State National Register of Historic Places.

Many families and businesses joined us as we launched our Military Tribute Banner program town-wide, and honored over 160 local veterans and active duty service members in each of the hamlet centers.

The Town Board appointed a new Clarkstown Police Chief, Ray McCullagh, who brings over three decades of law enforcement experience, having been a member of the Clarkstown Police Department for the past 28 years and the New York City Police Department prior.

We worked to keep our infrastructure up to date and secured a $623,000 grant from New York State to replace three sewer pump stations in the town. We received word that the state also granted us $1,470,000 for the rehabilitation of the Snake Hill Road Bridge. Last week, we were pleased to receive word of the largest Economic Development Award from Governor Cuomo in Rockland of $1,050,000 for our West Nyack Revitalization project that will commence in 2018.

We converted nearly 4,000 traditional street light fixtures with more energy efficient LED bulbs, which emit light from all directions, use at least 75 percent less energy, and last 25 times longer than incandescent lighting.

We’re preserving the character of Clarkstown by cracking down on illegal housing and overdevelopment, doubling the amount of violations issued and the amount of offenders we have brought to court. We created the “No Knock” law and have over 6,000 residents registered. We have also created the rental registry to ensure safe and legal apartments across Clarkstown.

As I reflect on the past year, I’m proud of all these accomplishments and many more, but I’m most proud that we accomplished them by working together all with the same goal…to keep our town the best place to live.

Please join us on January 2, 2018 at 7 p.m., at the Town Board’s annual reorganization meeting, where I, the Town Board, Highway Superintendent, Town Justices and Town Clerk, will be sworn into office.

I’m looking forward to working with Councilman Frank Borelli and our three new councilmembers—Peter Bradley, Donald Franchino, Patrick Carroll and Highway Superintendent Frank DiZenzo—on many new initiatives. Mostly, I look forward to continue working with all of you, the residents of Clarkstown.

I wish you and your families a very happy holiday season, and health and happiness in the new year

  2017, 2018, Clarkstown, george hoehmann