March 16, 2010 Town Board Meeting

The Guilderland Hamlet Neighborhood Master Plan was presented to the Board by Mike Welti of John Behan & Associates. Residents there have concerns about lack of sidewalks, truck traffic, and speeding. Discussion about the feasibility of a roundabout at Rt 146 and School Rd was discussed.

The Board went into Executive Session to discuss an item concerning the PBA contract negotiations. Councilman Grimm expressed concern the agenda item was added at the last minute.

The Board unanimously approved the request of the State Farm Utility Corp. to borrow money from a commercial lender to do an engineering study on a private sewer system at Presidential Estates. Homeowners are behind the move because of longstanding sewer problems there.

March 2, 2010 Town Board Meeting

The Board unanimously authorized a $7,900 payment to prepare an application to the DEC to allow the town to remove sludge from the town’s water supply and reuse it as soil in construction projects.

If approved by the DEC, 100 tons of alum sludge from the town’s water treatment plant could be removed at a cheaper price, and in a more environmentally sound way.

The town’s water department now adds a chemical (alum) to the town’s water supply to filter dirt out of town water. The town disposes the sludge created at the Colonie landfill for $41.50 per ton.

The plan is to combine the sludge with other soil and reuse it as a “beneficial reuse."

Water Supt. Bill West says cost can probably be reduced by as much as $31.50 per ton or an overall 70 percent savings per ton.

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The Board unanimously approved a resolution opposing the closing of Thacher State Park.

Councilman Grimm said, "it is hard to believe there is no money available to keep our parks open given the proposed state budget is $134-billion. Our parks are one of the few government entities all citizens get to enjoy. We should all speak up to protect them.”

Though Thacher Park is not in Guilderland, it provides recreational, scenic, educational and economic benefits to Guilderland residents and businesses.