Mayor Meg Grenier

April has been a busy month in the Village of Menands.

The special election held in March resulted in Aileen Nicoll and Lisa Proskin, who were appointed in 2011 to their positions, being sworn in as Village Trustee and Village Justice in April to begin their second year with the Village. The election also approved moving future Village elections from March to June.

On April 2nd the Village Board unanimously approved my recommendation of resident Bill Giering for the position of part-time Director of Economic Partnerships. Bill brings with him 30 years of experience from NYS Dept. of Economic Development. Bill’s vast experience and many contacts should prove invaluable in advancing Economic Development opportunities in Menands.

On April 16th the BOT approved the 2012/13 budget. The budget stayed under the 2% Tax Levy imposed by NYS with an increase of 1.5% of the tax levy after adjustments which equates to an overall tax increase of $.17 cents per thousand. As recommended by NYCOM and the State Comptroller, to safeguard the Village from any penalties due to errors in calculations based on the numbers provided by the State, the Board passed a resolution to override the tax cap as a precautionary measure, despite having stayed below the mandated 2%.

Opening Day of baseball took place on April 21^st. The Menands Jr. Baseball & Softball League has grown to over 230 kids. DPW Foreman Tim Boyd was invited to throw out the first pitch in thanks to his crew for all of their help in getting the field ready and installing the new score board. April 27^th will begin this seasons night games that are held on Friday and Saturday nights. It is an awesome experience for the players and spectators.

On April 28th the new offices of the Menands Fire Dept. and Auxiliary will be sworn in. The Village is grateful for their dedication and commitment to the residents and businesses in Menands. Congratulations to all.

Another addition to our Village is in the form of new seating for our court room. Following the recommendation of an audit done by the Office of Court Administration to replace the folding chairs with benches for security reasons, Justice Lisa Proskin and Chief Mike O’Brien reached out to the City of Watervliet and St. Patrick’s Church to acquire pews from the closing church. At no cost to the Village they were able to increase security for the court and preserve a piece of history from our neighbors by bringing the pews to Menands.

Until next time.

Mayor Meg