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Mayor's Annual Report, 2001
The new year is actively underway, and as we prioritize our goals for 2002 it's essential to check the progress that was made last year and in previous years, what remains to be done, what new community priorities are added to the list. It’s a big help to focus on the forward steps, build on progress already made, to keep the momentum going. Some highlights of 2001. Our revitalization continued and our economic development arm, the Greater Southern Dutchess Chamber of Commerce, arranged an all-time high of 27 ribbon cuttings. Most of these were Main Street businesses and included the long awaited hardware store, Nichols Hardware in the 400 block, who relocated from Carmel. Seven of the twenty-seven were art businesses; the remainder were other categories including a few restaurants. One day included ribbon cuttings for four women owned businesses. In response to a question in a grant application our Building Inspector checked his records and reported in October that in the last ten years $6,995,473 has been invested in our Main Street. And just as important as businesses opening is local support of those businesses. We hope you don't need a reminder that a business can't survive without customers. Be sure to check your local stores first. Inevitably some of the businesses, which open, are not successful, either from lack of a good business plan, or lack of support. Another of the 2001 openings was Wingate at St. Francis, bringing formerly exempt property on to the tax rolls, and creating 300 new jobs, as well as filling a need for nursing home care and sub-acute care. And we were pleased to see that some of the ribbon cuttings were on the west end of Main Street, as revitalization continues to advance the length of the street. Dia Center for the Arts continued its restoration of the former Nabisco building, and also planted the flowering trees which will greet visitors to the site and provide an attractive entrance and parking area. Current plans are for the official opening to take place in Spring of 2003, when the trees are in full bloom and coincidentally just in time for the city's 90th birthday celebration, Dia continues to work with our community, and has begun their interaction with the schools. We were notified by the Governor's office that our grant application was successful for redesign of our waterfront, to coordinate the plans in progress for our dock, Metro North improvements including a station combined with a visitors center, approaches to the planned Hudson River Estuary Trail, Beacon Landing and Dia, along with a one year funding of a coordinator. Visitor Information kiosks. revision of the city brochure, signage to connect visitors to Main Street where additional information kiosks are planned, were part of an earlier grant and will be coordinated as well. Meetings of all property owners and agencies took place regularly, with subcommittee meetings to deal with specific issues, to be sure that efforts weren't being duplicated, that everyone was working together, following the city LWRP, and responding to the community input received over the years. The long awaited trolley to connect the waterfront and train station to Main Street will start first as a smaller bus, beginning with a weekend schedule. The hoped for start date is May 2002. Other waterfront news is the continued planning for the Hudson river Estuary Trail to travel along the length of our waterfront , connect with Dennings Point State Park and continue on to Madam Brett Park and the Fishkill Creek trails, with an ultimate connection to Main Street and the Mountain. Another waterfront plus was designation of Riverfront Park as a Greenway Water Trail site, with Dennings Point receiving a designation as well. Dennings Point has begun to improve its entrance and the parking area near the old factory, and now has a 24-hour presence. And the Scenic Hudson plans for Long Dock/Beacon Landing are moving forward, with an update given the public at a Council meeting in February 2002. Other economic development news: two Beacon sites were included in the Empire Zone designation, an important aid to developers. The sites are Beacon Terminals and Brewster Sand and Stone. Our Recreation Commission continues to provide us with excellent programs, and in 2001 the Skate Park opened. We thank the young people and their parents and everyone who worked so hard to make it a reality. We also had a wonderful testimony that our residents know we value their input. A suggestion was made that to protect our children it might be wise to enforce the city's curfew law. An outpouring from the community resulted instead in doing away with the law and reinstating the Human Relations Commission in a very proactive Stance and a volunteer Youth Activities Committee. That committee has completed a Directory which includes Recreational activities for all ages, a list of organizations, houses of worship and religious centers, art and culture facilities, the Beacon Health Resource Center activities and the Howland Public Library programs. The Directory is available for review at the Mayor's office at the Municipal Center, at the Howland Library, and at come of the listed organizations. It was also pointed out by those attending meetings that we must address the fact that some of our young people need to be motivated to take advantage of the opportunities available, and a serious effort will be made to do that. The Community is looking~ forward to the opening this fall of our new High School, which will be a wonderful community resource as well as a magnificent learning center for our young people. To prepare for the opening, Matteawan Road was reconstructed, Cannon Street no longer goes through to Verplanck Avenue, and the Greenway Compact tree, a pin oak, was planted at the Verplanck end of Cannon. The walking trail on the Cannon Street side of the road is completed and already in use, and the trail on the other side of Matteawan Road will be completed this year, funded by a grant. As an incentive to keep our seniors in the city the senior tax exemption was increased. And as an incentive to retain our volunteer firefighters. a retirement plan was established. Firefighters are required by law to take more and more courses. The president of Lewis Tompkins Hose has suggested that the preparatory educational courses might be given at the high school level. The information taught is beneficial to everyone, and a high school course might help acquaint young people with the need for volunteers. 911 numbering was completed and documented, to ensure the safety of our residents. Those few who haven't complied will be required to do so. We thank the Tioronda Garden Club for another year of continued and expanded beautification efforts, and the Veterans' for the flags on Main Street and the entry roads to our city. They are both demonstrations of community pride, and add greatly to our quality of life. We continued to work on updating our comprehensive plan and our zoning, an ongoing effort to be sure we keep what makes us special while accommodating necessary growth in a way that benefits everyone. 200i addressed the Business district, and began the final portion of the plan, a review of the vacant properties in the city. Evaluation of more sections of our Historic District began, including the east end of Main Street so property owners will be able to take advantage of incentives allowed to buildings listed on the State and National Registers. The West End already has that designation. And as we continue to move our projects forward we continue to work toward improved communication--with the community, among ourselves, with our neighbors, with the county and the state. We try for a local focus and a regional attitude. We know that communication is an important priority for all levels of government, and we will continue to make every effort to keep them all informed of what is important to us, in case they might be able to help. And we ask that you continue to keep us informed. We also remind you again, as we constantly remind ourselves, of the advice of the Countryside Exchange a few years ago: Emphasize our history, emphasize our scenic beauty, emphasize our focus on the arts. and whatever we do, put community first. If it's a good place to live, it will be a good place to visit. And with regard to visitors, it surely is a plus to know of our wonderful diversity. At last count it included immigrants, and descendants of immigrants, from 44 countries, so wherever you come from there's probably someone from there already here, so you should feel at home. So come see us. As my ancestors would have said, Cead mille failte - a thousand times welcome. |
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