Amenia Board addresses town business

AMENIA — The Town Board took care of a number of matters at its May 12 meeting. Below are some of the issues that were discussed.Firemen’s CarnivalThe Town Board voted to pass Resolutions No. 21 and 22 regarding the Amenia Firemen’s Parade and Carnival. Resolution No. 21 rescinds the open container law in the carnival area, closes roads used by the parade and carnival and hires constables to monitor the events. Resolution No. 22 specifies the duties of the constables and requires the Amenia Fire Company to pay all costs associated with hiring constables.Amenia transfer stationTown Supervisor Wayne Euvrard gave a report on the Amenia transfer station. He said that although the station is used only by roughly 200 residents, in recent years the town has been able to half the losses it incurs from subsidizing the program.“We can serve more people,” said Councilwoman Vicki Doyle. “We could increase the cost of tickets, but we need to increase demand.”After discussing how it is cheaper for residents to use the transfer station than it is to use Welsh’s curbside pickup, the board decided to create case studies to determine the exact financial benefit of using the transfer station.There was also discussion of ending the subsidization from the town, then letting residents from any town use the facility.The board members agreed that publicizing the transfer station is necessary, but more discussion is necessary to determine the best way to do that.Landfill remedial design reportThere will be a meeting to discuss the remedial design report for the former Amenia Landfill held on May 19 at 6 p.m. at the Amenia Town Hall. The meeting is open to the public.Wassaic Project traffic lawThe Town Board discussed the possibility of creating a new local law to allow the closure of some Wassaic roads during the Wassaic Project, which runs from Aug. 5 to 7. It appears unlikely that a law allowing road closures for three consecutive days will pass, because current local laws limit road closures to 10 hours or one day. The board discussed the “impassable traffic” from previous years, but ultimately decided to discuss the topic again at a later date after more research on other laws had been conducted.Town Hall rental spaceThe board discussed renting space in the Town Hall building to two classes: a gymnastic class for children and a defensive driving course. The gymnastics instructor has already submitted a request for use. Her paperwork is currently being processed.JNS cell towerJNS, which built a cell tower in Amenia, will enter an asset purchase agreement with Crown. Once the agreement is finalized, Crown will assume all of JNS’ obligations.The board will follow up to make sure the transition is smooth.After comment from the town videographer, Gary Bonds, there was also discussion about cell phone service providers circumventing contracts by piggy-backing with other service providers. This was noted and will be looked into to ensure that the town is not losing profits.Painting Town Hall exteriorThe board discussed asking for Request for Proposals (RFPs) regarding the painting of the Town Hall’s exterior. There was short discussion about whether the painting project should be divided into stages, but further discussion will be needed before the town sends out RFPs.Memorial DayMemorial Day, which falls on May 30 this year, will be celebrated with a parade and a ceremony in Amenia. The parade will start at the Amenia firehouse at 10:30 a.m. All veterans are invited to march. A ceremony will follow the parade at 11 a.m. at Fountain Square.Important datesMore information about these events will be given closer to the respective dates.• June 11: Amenia’s Strawberry Fair• June 11: Prescription Pill Drop-Off at the Amenia firehouse from noon to 2 p.m.• Aug. 6: Hazardous and flammable material disposal• Aug. 15: Senior picnic• Sept. 17: Community Day; This year’s theme will be “Salute to Local Farmers.”