Bethlehem Supervisor John Clarkson hopes to focus the second year of his term on sustainable development, civic improvements and economic expansion.
At his State of the Town address given at Town Hall on Thursday, Jan. 24, Clarkson laid out his plans for 2013 while outlining accomplishments made over the past year. The first-term supervisor cited as victories a budget below the property tax cap, a new capital spending plan, the use of citizen advisory committees and ethics reform. Clarkson also touted consolidation of services and a knowledgeable work force.
“We are a town in good condition and I think it’s our responsibility to set a good example for the region and the state,” he said.
Having tackled a budget crisis in 2012, Clarkson said he is looking to revisit Bethlehem’s comprehensive plan. The Comprehensive Plan Assessment Committee has been meeting for several months and town employees have been presenting their ideas about land us to the group. Discussions have focused on revitalizing the Hudson River shoreline and doing zoning overlays corresponding to the Delaware Avenue and New Scotland Road hamlets for mixed residential use.
“There will be pressure points,” said Clarkson. “Open space I’m sure is going to be one but ultimately these are issues the town board should deal with, must deal with, and I know that we will.”
Clarkson said he would like to bond to finish most of the Delaware Avenue Hamlet Improvement Plan, which calls for new sidewalks, curbing and more trees along the busy thoroughfare.
“This is our center of town, this is our main street,” said Clarkson. “It’s our defining characteristic, in many ways. It’s why people move here and it’s a wonderful resource no matter what corner of town you live. I think we have to not only maintain it, but take steps to improve it.”
The plan calls for improvements from Delmar’s Four Corners down to Elsmere Avenue. There could also be future plans to develop all the way to the City of Albany line through a public/private partnership and the use of volunteer help.
Clarkson also proposed bonding to install sidewalks along Feura Bush Road, as development has increased in that area.
“This is going to be the new Delmar and we should make improvement there to service those neighborhoods,” Clarkson said.
The Delaware Avenue enhancement project is expected to cost about $1.7 million. The sidewalks along Feura Bush Road may be done in two phases, with the first phase leading to Glenmont Plaza. That portion of the project is estimated to cost $640,000.
To stimulate economic growth, Clarkson proposed hiring a part-time employee to work with the town’s Director of Economic Development and Planning, Michael Morelli, and partner with the town’s Industrial Development Agency.
“We need to do a better job assuring the town and the IDA are aligned,” he said, also suggesting a Town Board member be placed on the IDA board.
Lastly, after announcing the retirement of Highway Superintendent Gregg Sagendorph, Clarkson said he would like to see the position of highway superintendent be appointed, not elected. Proposals to end public elections for several town offices were before the town in 2011 after being pitched by a committee Clarkson was a key member of, but the idea never found traction.
“I knew this before becoming supervisor and after, that putting a town department head up for election that, it can cause pressure that I don’t think are good for a town manager,” said Clarkson.
Because of the weekday morning timing, only two Town Board members, Bill Reinhardt and Kyle Kotary, were able to attend the address.
Kotary said he agreed with Clarkson’s assessment of the town’s successes and looks forward to working with him in 2013 on the priorities outlined.
“I support investing in our town infrastructure, including sidewalks, when we can afford to do so and where our community committees have prioritized,” he said. “Furthermore, how we pay for those investments really depends on the situation and I think the board will all evaluate which financing mechanism is best given the particulars of each.”
Also in attendance was Republican Committee Chairman Fred DiMaggio, who said he did not agree with additional bonding.
“Town staff is already overwhelmed with the projects they have already,” he said. “The other issue is, more bonding also means more money to the tax payer. I don’t see any reason why you would bond out for operating costs. That has been a problem in the past and all your doing is deferring instead of looking at the reality of the costs.”