Minutes

City of Beacon Council Meeting

June 18, 2007

 

REGULAR MEETING

 

The regular meeting of the City of Beacon Council held at the Municipal Center, One Municipal Plaza on June 18, 2007 was called to order by Mayor Clara Lou Gould at 7:33 p.m. with the Pledge of Allegiance to the Flag.

 

Council Members Present:                               Elizabeth Foster, Charles Kelly, Phil Shea, Steve Gold and Eleanor Thompson.

 

Absent:                                                                        Lee Kyriacou

 

Also in attendance were:                                  City Administrative, Joseph Braun

                                                                        City Attorney, Gerard Pisanelli

 

Media Represented by:                                                Goldee Greene, Beacon Free Press

 

Residents in Attendance at start of meeting:    10

 

Public Hearings:

 

1.  §179-3(F) Of Chapter 179  “Sewers” Is Renumbered As §179-3f(1) And A New Subsection 179-3f(2) Is Added.  Tabled at the June 4, 2007 Meeting.  Read by City Administrator, Joseph Braun.

 

NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING - PLEASE TAKE NOTICE that the City of Beacon will hold a public hearing on Monday, June 4th 2007 at the City of Beacon Municipal Center, One Municipal Plaza, Beacon, New York at 7:30 p.m. or as soon thereafter as the matter is reached on the agenda, to consider a proposed local law to Re-number Section 179-3(F) of Chapter 179, “Sewers” to Section 179-3F(1) and Add New Subsection Entitled Section 179-3F(2).

 

This local law would take effect immediately upon filing with the Secretary of State.  Complete copies of the proposed local law are available at the Municipal Center for inspection during regular business hours.

 

All interested persons and citizens shall have an opportunity to be heard on said proposals at the date, time and place aforesaid.

 

Brief Explanation by City Administrator, Joseph Braun:  If there is a sewer or water line that is owned by the property owner and it is determined that it is under a city street and if is something that the city did that caused the break the city would pay the average cost of lineal foot.

 

Public Hearing Comments:

 

Randy Casale: What about roots? Whose responsibility is it?  I have never seen it break because of traffic.  The law has to be made very clear.

 

City Attorney Pisanelli:  I never was in favor of this resolution.  I made a comment that it should not be retroactive and that has been corrected.  Also, Joe Braun indicated that I should include language regarding if the damage is covered by the homeowner's insurance, they will pay for repairs.  If it is determined that it is from heavy traffic the city is responsible.  The tree roots will not be the city’s responsibility.  The law specifically says just that

 

Gebman:  I concur with Mr. Pisanelli.  I would like to say, “me first”.  I have property and am 400 feet from a sewer line.  If you are going to repair sewer lines for some people then you have to be prepared to provide sewer lines for people do not have them.

 

Dennis Pavelock:  Council Member Gold read the following comments for June 18, 2007 from Dennis Pavelock:

 

To Whom It May Concern:  I'd like to say first that I agree with the Public Hearing #1.  The residents should have this benefit that any part of their line whether it be sewer or water, the resident should pay for their part and the city should pay for their part.  And I would like to thank Council Member Eleanor Thompson for her insight and professionalism and to keep this issue on the table.

 

Tom Baldino:  If the roots go under the street to the sewer lines, I think the city should be responsible.  If the roots travel into the city street, I think this is worth thinking about.

 

Council Member Kelly:  I thought it was clear that if the tree was on the property, it is the homeowner's responsibility.

City Attorney Pisanelli:  Anything that has to do with tree roots is the responsibility of the property owner.

 

Motion to close public hearing:  Council Member Kelly.  Seconded:  Council Member Shea.  All voted in favor.  Motion carried.

 

Community Segment:  Guest Speaker:  Chief Tim Joseph – Fire Department

 

The City of Beacon Fire Department, 425 Main Street, Beacon, New York 12508 (845) 831-1334

 

The City of Beacon Fire Department is a combination Fire Department, which means we have paid staff and volunteers. We have 12 career firefighters 2 of which are graduating from the fire academy on this coming Friday, 1 career lieutenant and 73 volunteers. We also have a part time training officer, a part time fire prevention officer and a part time secretary.  Presently we have a Chief of department and an assistant chief. We have 3 firehouses in the city two of which are over 100 years old and were built for horse drawn fire apparatus and have out lived there usefulness for the fire department we don't have enough office space, storage space or training space the third firehouse is 30 years old.  None of the firehouses have been updated in 30 years, a committee was formed with the council's permission and an architect was hired and a compressive study was done and presented to the city council to act on, to date nothing has been done. When repairs have to be done on any fire apparatus it has to be done outside because the cabs of the fire apparatus cant be raised in quarters this means in all kinds of weather rain, snow, heat or cold work is preformed in the parking lots of the firehouses. We have 5 pieces of apparatus and 2 support vehicles in the department that we respond to emergencies with, 2 engines that supply us with water at fires one of which is 15 years old and will have to be replaced in the next couple of years, 1 tower ladder that has fire rescue tools onboard, ground ladders, and a host of other tools, it has a hydraulic ladder with a bucket that lets us work in the air or on a roof of a building as safely as possible, we have a reserve engine that is put in service at large fires or when one of our fire engines go out of service for repairs. We also have a state of the art heavy rescue truck that has specialty rescue tools onboard for structure fires, car accidents, confined space rescues and a host of other tool. We carry a rubber raft onboard that is used for water rescues we do not have any means of putting out a fire on the river. This city will have to look at purchasing a real fireboat in the very near future to keep our firefighters safe on the water not to mention the general public. We have a ferry boat running every day, a hotel conference center being built, the river estuary center being built and a lot of boats on the river plus people swimming in the river. We can't wait until something happens before we buy a safe boat for our firefighters to work off of. Presently the nearest fireboat is half an hour away, in a fire or water emergency this is not except able, peoples lives will be lost.

The main goal of the fire department is to save lives and property of the citizens of the City of Beacon from the ravages of fire. The fire Department answers over 500 calls a year for fire emergencies. We also respond for lockout where we open locked cars and or locked houses. We respond for water leaks, electrical emergencies, carbon monoxide detector activations, water rescues among other emergencies that we respond to. Our 13 career firefighters are trained EMT's (emergency medical technicians) that respond to over 1000 medical calls each year. The city also contracts out to Alamo ambulance service for a medic 24 hours a day Our paid staff is responsible for saving dozens of lives in this city every year. (I am living proof of this).  You see -

on May 10, 2006 I had a heart attack in one of our fire houses and if it wasn't for our trained EMT paid staff who acted in the highest level of professionalism using there training to resuscitate me I would not be standing here before you tonight. Our training officer trains all of our firefighters, we have New York State mandated training, Federal mandated training and City mandated training that takes a lot of time out of our volunteers' lives, which is one reason we are losing volunteers. In the near future we will have to hire more career firefighters. We also have a Fire prevention division, which goes into our schools and teaches our young people about how to prevent fires, for the past 2 years we had a grant from the health dept to install 200 smoke detectors in private residence in the city, which was very successful. Smoke detectors save lives in fires. We have a medical division in the department. Every firefighter has to have a medical every year mandated be OSHA we have to schedule every members appointment, and maintain medical records on every member paid and volunteer alike. We have an incentive program for our volunteers that we have to maintain records on, not to mention the fire records that we have to maintain all this with a part time secretary. We put more and more on the volunteers every year and we are losing more and more volunteers every year. The fire department is the largest department in the city with almost 90 members paid and volunteer and the State and Federal government mandating more and more training and record keeping every year I as the volunteer fire chief spend 20 to 30 hours a week overseeing all divisions of this department, going to many meetings that are required it is to the point that this City will have to hire a full time paid Chief of Department and a full time secretary to over see all of the day to day operations of the Fire Department. The 21' century committee that was set up back in the 1990's by the city council recommended that the city hire at least a full time secretary for the fire department to help relieve some of the work load off the volunteer chiefs. In closing I want to say that the city of Beacon has a great Fire Department with both paid and volunteers that is second to none but this city is going to have to continue to invest in the fire department from the buildings to man power to equipment to keep it that way.  Thank you Chief Timothy Joseph

 

Text from the following reports for June 18, 2007 is at the end of these minutes.

 

Communications, read by Mayor Clara Lou Gould

City Administrator, Joseph Braun read his Report of Activities

City Attorney Report of Activities – 1st Meeting of the Month

Mayor Clara Lou Gould read her Report of Activities,

Council Members read their Reports of Activities.

 

First Opportunity for Public Comments:  Pertaining to This Agenda Only

 

Randy Casale:  Was the price for the pool cleaning given out to other people to bid on?  Why are they spending $5,000.00 of the taxpayer's money to cut down dead trees?  Spending for the City of Beacon is going through the roof.

 

Dennis Pavelock, 34 Judson Street:  Council Member Gold read the following comments for Dennis Pavelock dated June 18, 2007:

 

My next concern is regarding the "Dummy Light".  The word "approximately" should be removed.  The word "approximately" tells me that in the future it can have a possibility of being moved.  And lastly I'd like to ask about #8 under New Business Resolutions.  I want to be clear that the City of Beacon is the Lead Agent with the University Settlement Community Property, and not Scenic Hudson.  I would also like to make sure the City of Beacon is in full control of Who, What, Where, when, why and How when this is all said and done.  Respectfully submitted, Dennis Pavelock, President of Concerned Citizens Coalition of Beacon.

 

UNFINISHED BUSINESS

 

Resolutions:

 

Local Laws And Ordinances:

 

1.  Resolution No. 107 of 2007 – Local Law No 09 of 2007:  §179-3(F) Of Chapter 179“Sewers” Is Renumbered As §179-3f(1) And A New Subsection 179-3f(2) Is Added.  Tabled at the June 4, 2007 Council Meeting.  Second Reading: Read by City Administrator, Joseph Braun.

 

BE IT ENACTED by the City Council of the City of Beacon as follows:

SECTION 1.                TITLE

This local law shall be entitled, A local law to renumber §179-3(F) of Chapter 179 “SEWERS” to §179-3F(1) and to add a new subsection entitled §179-3F(2).”

SECTION 2.                INTENT AND PURPOSE

This local law is intended to renumber §179-3F to §179-3F(1) and to add a new subsection entitled §179-3(2) to cover reimbursement for sewer line repair under the paved portion of a city street.

SECTION 3.                AMENDMENT

§179-3F(1).                 All costs and expenses incidental to the installation and connection of the building sewer shall be borne by the owner(s).  The owner(s) shall indemnify the City from any loss or damage that may directly or indirectly be occasioned by the installation of the building sewer. 

 

§179-3F(2).                 When the Water and Sewer Superintendent certifies that a water or sewer line has failed under the paved portion of a City street, the City will reimburse the cost of repairing the portion of that line that lies under the paved portion of the City street.  That payment will be based on the average cost of such repairs per linear foot as determined by the Water and Sewer Superintendent by January 1 of the year for which it will be effective.  The City will not reimburse the cost of repairs where the property owner or his assigns are determined to have caused the failure; or the failure is caused by tree roots; or the owner has insurance coverage for the repair.  The owner must provide all insurance information including, but not limited to, the extent of any insurance payments.  The owners of each property continue to own and be responsible for the maintenance of water and sewer lines providing service to that property from the water or sewer main to the structure served. 

 

§179-3. paragraphs “A.”, “B.”, “C.”, “D.”, “E.”, “G.”, “H.”, “I.”, “J.” “K.”, “L.”, “M.”,

“N.” and “O.” shall remain unchanged and in full force and effect.

SECTION 4.                EFFECTIVE DATE

 

This local law shall take effect immediately upon its filing with the Secretary of State.

 

Motion to add subsection to the Local Law:  Council Member Kelly.  Seconded:  Council Member Gold.  On a roll call, all voted in favor.  Motion carried.

 

Discussion:

 

Council Member Gold:  I did research to see if other municipalities have this.  They do not.  In no case did any other community go as far as we are going.  This is a good thing for our community.  I also checked tree roots.  They do not mention this because they do not have this legislature.  If you want to take this back to workshop, I will go along with that.  I personally think that we should go along with this because no other municipality has this.

 

Council Member Thompson:  If there are roots, it hard to tell where they are coming from.  I did research on this a couple of years ago and the City of Poughkeepsie does do this for their residents.  Also the town of Poughkeepsie does this.  The reason I would like to do this is because I have a problem when I hear that a homeowner has to go to the bank to take out a loan to repair this.  Therefore, I support this legislation.

 

Council Member Kelly:  I know of a situation where it was the state’s fault that the pipe was broken and they said that it was the fault of the homeowner.  Eventually the State did have to cover the cost to repair this pipe.  I support this legislation.

 

On a roll call, all voted in favor.  Motion carried.

 

NEW BUSINESS

 

Resolutions:

 

1.  Resolution No. 108 for 2007 - Authorizing the Historical Dummy Light to be Refurbished and kept Approximately in its Current Historical Location.  Read by City Administrator, Joseph Braun.

 

RESOLVED, the City Council authorizes the Historical Dummy Light to be refurbished and kept approximately in it its current historical location.

 

Motion to approve restoring Dummy Light:  Council Member Foster.  Seconded:  Council Member Gold.  On a roll call, all voted in favor.  Motion carried.

 

A question that was raised:  How much is approximate?  This will be determined in the design or at a future date.  The word "Approximate" will stay in the resolution.

 

On roll call, all voted in favor.  Motion carried.

 

2.  Resolution No. 109 for 2007 - Purchase of 57 Church Street And 14 North Cedar Street Lots For Parking.

 

RESOLVED, the City Council authorizes the purchase and/or acquisition through eminent domain of the two lots, one lot on 57 Church Street, Grid Number: 130200-5954-28-951876  and one lot on 14 North Cedar Street Grid Number:  130200-5954-28-943881 to be developed as a parking lot.

 

Motion to purchase property:  Council Member Shea.  Seconded:  Council Member Gold.  On a roll call, all voted in favor.  Motion carried.

 

3.  Resolution No. 110 for 2007 - Amend Resolution No. 54 Of 2007 Dutchess County Stop DWI Program to Increase the Payment Amount to Pay for Sobriety Checkpoints.

 

Be it Resolved, the City Council consents to amend Resolution Number 54 of 2007 to increase the payment amount to a total of $5,500 in order to pay for sobriety checkpoints and the Mayor is hereby authorized to sign the Amendment Agreement to that effect.

 

Motion to Amend Resolution for Dutchess County DWI Program:  Council Member Gold.  Seconded:  Council Member Foster.  On a roll call, all voted in favor.  Motion carried.

 

4.  Resolution No. 111 for 2007 - Authorize Mayor To Execute Tolling Agreement Regarding the Consolidated Iron And Metal Co., Inc. Superfund Site, City of Newburgh, NY.  Read by City Administrator, Joseph Braun.

 

RESOLVED, the City Council authorizes the Mayor to execute a tolling agreement regarding the Consolidated Iron and Metal Co., Inc. Superfund site, in the City of Newburgh, New York as requested by the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

 

Motion to authorize Tolling Agreement:  Council Member Gold.  Seconded:  Council Member Kelly.

 

There is a superfund site and Beacon is one of the contributors.

 

On a roll call, all voted in favor.  Motion carried.

 

5.  Resolution No. 112 for 2007 - Authorize Mayor To Sign Agreement With Hudson Cruises, Inc. for The Purpose of a water taxi service between Beacon and Newburgh.  Read by City Administrator, Joseph Braun.

 

RESOLVED, the City Council authorizes the Mayor to sign agreement with Hudson Cruises for the purpose of a water taxi service between Beacon and Newburgh

 

Motion to authorize Mayor to sign agreement with Hudson Cruises, Inc. for the Water Taxi Service:  Council Member Kelly.  Seconded:  Council Member Gold.

 

Mayor Gould:  This will not cost Beacon anything.

 

On a roll call, all voted in favor.  Motion carried.

 

6.  Resolution No. 113 for 2007 - Authorize Tax Refund For 2006 And 2007 For Sculpture Beacon, LLC, [Tax Id Number:  6054-22-184880]

 

WHEREAS, the Assessor has determined that Sculpture Beacon, LLC, was over assessed and has recommended a settlement which was presented to the New York State Supreme Court which resulted in a Consent Judgment having been executed by Hon. John LaCava, J.S.C., and

 

WHEREAS, the Assessor has determined that the execution of the Consent Judgment will result in tax refunds from the City, now, therefore, be it

 

RESOLVED, that the tax refund due Sculpture Beacon, LLC.for 2006 is $8,266.14 and the refund due for 2007 is $8,918.05.

 

Motion to authorize tax refund:  Council Member Foster.  Seconded:  Council Member Kelly.  On a roll call, all voted in favor.  Motion carried.

 

7.  Resolution No. 114 for 2007 - Authorize Mayor of the City of Beacon To Apply For And Accept Funds For a grant. Preserve America Funding from the National Park Service For Such Financial Assistance to this City of The Heritage Tourism and Wayfinding Project.

 

RESOLVED: That the Beacon City Council supports the City of Beacon Heritage Tourism and Wayfinding Project and does hereby authorize and direct Clara Lou Gould, as Mayor of the City of Beacon, to file an application and accept funds for Preserve America funding from the National Park Service. Upon approval of said request to enter into and execute a project agreement with the National Park Service for such financial assistance to this City for the Heritage Tourism and Wayfinding Project.

 

Motion to amend by removing the following: "…in an amount not to exceed $xxxxx," Council Member Thompson.  Seconded:  Council Member Gold.  All voted in favor to amend.  Motion carried.

 

Motion: to apply for and accept funds:  Council Member Thompson.  Seconded:  Council Member Shea.  On a roll call, all voted in favor.  Motion carried.

 

8.  Resolution No. 115 for 2007 - Authorize Mayor To Apply For And Accept Funds for a Grant:  The Acquisition of the University Settlement Camp Property from New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation, and if appropriate a Conservation Easement/Preservation Covenant to the Deed of the Assisted Property.  Read by City Administrator, Joseph Braun.

 

RESOLVED: That Clara Lou Gould, as Mayor of the City of Beacon, is hereby authorized and directed to file an application and accept funds from the New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation in accordance with the provisions of Title 9 of the Environmental Protection Act of 1993 or the Federal Land and Water Conservation Fund Act of 1965.   Upon approval of said request to enter into and execute a project agreement with the State for such financial assistance to this City for the acquisition of the University Settlement Camp property and, if appropriate, a conservation easement/preservation covenant to the deed of the assisted property.

 

Motion to amend by removing the following: "… an amount not to exceed $xxxxx,":Council Member Gold.  Seconded:  Council Member Thompson.  All voted in favor to amend.  Motion carried.

 

Motion to apply for and accept funds:  Council Member Thompson.  Seconded:  Council Member Gold.  On a roll call, all voted in favor.  Motion carried.

 

Local Laws And Ordinances:

 

1.  Resolution No. 116 - Proposed Local Law:  Amendment to Beacon City Charter Section 8.10, Entitled “Exceptions to referendum”:  Set Public Hearing for Monday, July 2, 2007.  First Reading read by City Administrator, Joseph Braun:

 

Motion to Set Public Hearing for July 2, 2007:  Council Member Shea.  Seconded:  Council Member Foster.  All voted in favor.  Motion Carried.

 

2.  Resolution No. 117 Proposed Local Law: To Add to Chapter 33 of the Beacon City Code entitled, ‘Harbor Management’ To Create a New Subsection C.  to  §33-8.  ‘Permit applications and procedures.’   Set Public Hearing for Monday, July 2, 2007.  First Reading:  read by City Administrator, Joseph Braun.

 

Motion to set a Public Hearing for July 2, 2007:  Council Member Gold.  Seconded:  Council Member Shea.  All voted in favor.

 

City Attorney Pisanelli:  This was adjourned in January 2005 to a future date.

 

Ratifications: None

 

Announcements:  None

 

Final Opportunities for Public Comments:

 

Tom Baldino, 19 North Street:  This scares me. The harbor has been cared for the past 25 years.  I have not heard the Sloop Club mentioned here tonight.  The public should not have to pay fees in my judgment.  There should be some discussion between the sloop club and the city to know what role the Sloop club will have.  I would like to see a means of disposing of the energy saving bulbs.  I want to keep the issue alive.  Somehow there is an outfit that uses donated funds.  The concern is what to do when those bulbs are dead.  I think we should do everything we can to get rid of the problem

 

Fred Antalek:  Regarding that tolling site.  Who dumped those cars there?  I think the City of Beacon disposes some cars there but not all.  I do not think that we should pay anything on this thing without others paying something.  I cannot believe that they can prove negligence.  I do not understand why we pay tax dollars.

 

Randy Casale:  Thank you to the building dept.  Every year Tallax grows their grass very high.  Harbor management should be paying a tax or fee to help pay for the Fire Department.

 

Mark Gebman:  At the planning board Mr. Pisanelli and Mr. Stolman did not satisfy my concern in my letter.  The letter that was presented was for the city’s response to have a hearing for property owner rights for many years.  I requested an investigation.  I’m hopeful that you people will accept your responsibility.

 

No further comments

 

Budget Amendments:

 

Motion to approve budget amendments:  Council Member Foster.  Seconded:  Council Member Shea.  Roll call all voted in favor.  On a roll call, all voted in favor.  Motion carried.

 

Review of Bills:  Total Disbursements as of June 18, 2007:                         $

 

Next Workshop:          Monday, June 25, 2007 at 7:00 p.m. – Municipal Center

 

Next Council Meeting: Monday, July 2, 2007 at 7:30 p.m. – Municipal Center

Community Segment:  Dawn Wilkins – Choices for Change

 

A Motion to Enter into an Executive Session at 9:40 p.m. regarding Potential Litigation:  Council Member Thompson.  Seconded:  Council Member Kelly.  All voted in favor.  Motion carried.

 

A Motion to End Executive Session at 10:10 p.m. Council Member Phil Shea.  Seconded:  Council Member Kelly.  All voted in favor.  Motion carried.

 

Motion to adjourn meeting at 10:02 p.m.:  Council Member Foster.  Seconded:  Council Member Thompson.  All voted in favor.  Motion carried.

 

 

Text from Reports of June 18, 2007

 

Mayor's Correspondence

 

RE: Open Reception

 

Vanbrunt Gallery - No East No West a group snow June 9th - July 2nd

Opening reception: Saturday, June 9th 6-9pm -Lodi Field

Rieke Fujinami - Hu Ren Yi - Elise Pritother Cathleen Sweeney Carl Van Brunt Catherine Welshman

 

05/21/07

RE: Resolutions

Dear PDCTC Voting Member:

This letter transmits two items requiring Executive (Policy) Committee action. Non-Voting and Technical (Planning) Committee members are receiving this Letter for informational purposes only.

 

1.  Resolution 07-03: Adoption of the PDCTC Interim Action Plan

 

This resolution seeks adoption of an Interim Action Plan in order to meet federal metropolitan planning and programming requirements as set forth in the Safe, Accountable, and Flexible. Efficient Transportation Equity Act (SAFETEA) (Pub. L. 1(19­59). Based on guidance from the Federal Highway Administration (NYS Division) and NYSDOT-Strategic Planning Bureau, a Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO) may adopt an action plan to temporarily meet the July 1, 2007 deadline for conforming to SAFETEA requirements, with the understanding that full compliance will be met when the next Regional Transportation Plan is adopted; the PDCTC expects to have the mew plan completed by November 2007. The Action Plan includes strategies to meet transportation security, congestion management, agency consultation, and environmental mitigation requirements.

 

2.  Resolution 07-04 Adoption of the 2006-2007 Self-certification Report

 

This resolution seeks adoption or the PDCTC's annual self-certification for the 2006- 2007 program year. The self-certification documents the work performed by the MPO during the recently concluded program year and shows how this work complies with federal statutes that govern the metropolitan planning process. A self-certification is used in the years between a federal (in-person) certification review, which occur every four years for a Transportation Management Area (TMA).

 

Enclosed with this letter is a list of PDCTC voting members, an official ballot, copies of each resolution, the SAFETEA Interim Action Plan, and 2006-2007 Self-certification Report. Voting Members are requested to return the enclosed ballot to the PDCTC Secretary no later than Monday. June 4, 2007.

 

If you have any questions about these actions, please contact Kealy Salomon at (845) 486-3600 or pdctc@co.dutchess,ny.us, or Jean Gunsch at (845) 431-5725 or jgunsch@dot.state.ny.us

 

Very truly yours, Robert A. Dennison III, Secretary Poughkeepsie Dutchess County Transportation Council

ENC'LS

1)         PDCTC Membership List (Effective April 1, 2007)

2)      PDCTC Ballot

3)      PDCTC Resolution 07-03 (SAFETEA Interim Action Plan)

4)      PDCTC SAFETEA interim Action Plan

5)      PDCTC Resolution 07-04 (2006-2007 Self-certification Report)

6)      PDCTC 2006-2007 Self-certification Report

DISTRIBUTION:

PDCTC Technical Committee Members

PDCTC Non-Voting Members

 

05/31/07 RE:

 

In order to accommodate the installation of 50,000 concrete railroad ties on the Upper Hudson (between Manitou and Cold Spring Stations) and New Haven lines (between Stratford and New Haven Stations), a new timetable will be issued on June 11th.  Service adjustments will affect reverse-peak Out of New York City), off-peak and weekend service only.

 

On the Upper Hudson Line, reverse peak, off-peak and weekend train schedules have been moved up to 19 minutes later. Trains will take an extra 3 to 5 minutes traveling along their route.

 

In the AM reverse peak, the 8:17 AM train from Grand Central will now leave at 8:20 AM. The 5:33 PM train from Poughkeepsie will not stop at Cold Spring and Garrison stations.  It will now depart Poughkeepsie at 5:36 PM. The 5:00 PM train from Poughkeepsie, which will now depart Poughkeepsie at 5:01 PM, will stop at Cold Spring and Garrison stations.

 

On the outer New Haven Line, off peak and weekends departure times have been adjusted either earlier or later by up to 10 minutes. Trains will take an extra 3-5 minutes traveling, along their route.

 

On the Harlem Line, the AM reverse peak - the 5:20 a.m. from Grand Central - will now depart at 8:17 AM due to congestion at Mott Haven where all three lines come together. Minor adjustments have been made to some late-night Wassaic shuttles.

 

Please find copies of the new timetable regarding these changes enclosed. All customers can also pick up a new timetable at the Grand Central Information Booth or at outlying ticket offices or check the web at www.mta.info to see how these service adjustments may affect their trips. Should you need any additional copies of the timetables, please contact Mae Patel at 212-340-3027.

 

For Release:  May 22, 2007

Contact:     Marjorie Anders or Daniel Brucker

 Metro-North's New Timetables Take Effect Monday, June 11th

 

To accommodate the installation of concrete ties this summer on the Upper Hudson and Outer New Haven lines, a new timetable will be issued on June 11th, Service adjustments will affect reverse-peak, off-peak and weekend service.

Hudson Line

During the reverse peak, off-peak and on weekends, Upper Hudson Line train schedules have been moved up to 19 minutes later, and trains will take an extra 3 to 5 minutes traveling along their route.

In the AM reverse peak, the 8:17 AM train from Grand Central will now leave at 8:20AM. Also, the 5:33 PM train from Poughkeepsie will no longer stop at Cold Spring and Garrison stations and will now depart Poughkeepsie at 5:36PM. Instead, the 5PM train from Poughkeepsie, which will now depart Poughkeepsie at