As we move into 2013, I thought I would re-cap some of the events of 2012 in the Village of Menands in my first Mayor’s Message of the year.

Infrastructure:

We have nearly completed the second phase of our infrastructure projects that will upgrade and improve our sewer and water service in various neighborhoods in the Village. Both the S. Lyons and the Sky Hollow/Sage Hill projects will resume in the spring with completion soon after. We will be continuing this program over the next few years in order to guarantee safe and reliable sewer and water services for our businesses and residents.

Paving:

With the completion of the infrastructure construction in the S. Lyons area, 2012 saw the paving of S. Lyons Ave., Upland Rd., E Kenmar & W. Kenmar, Villa Road and Upper Brookside Avenue.

Also in the 2012 paving season, Highland Street, Hendrick Avenue, Clifford Road, Railroad Avenue and the Main Pump Station were paved. Additional paving will continue in the spring.

NYS DOT focus for 2012 was the maintenance of existing roadways and bridges. Menands saw paving on Rt. 378 and also bridge work on the Troy-Menands Bridge. Additional work during the 2013 – 2018 Transportation Improvements Program will include continued improvement to Rt. 378 and Rts. 32 and 377 will see re-striping during this time frame.

System Upgrades:

To upgrade the computer system for water distribution in the Village, a new SCADA (Supervisory Control And Data Acquisition) system was  installed allowing for technical support  by improving system performance and reliability. We are also in the process of upgrading the Wards Pump Station.

Economic Development:

In April 2012, Bill Giering was hired as part-time Director of Economic Partnerships. Bill has been very busy getting acquainted with the businesses in Menands. He has toured the Village with existing and potential business owners, developers and public officials in an effort to learn and share the potential for doing business in Menands. Recognizing that one key to long term prosperity for our Village is a comprehensive energy policy; Bill began an energy audit program for all Village businesses, to help them reduce their energy bills. (For additional information about saving money on energy for your business contact Bill Giering at the Village Office). Bill has more initiatives planned for 2013 to further enhance economic development in Menands.

Many of our businesses underwent major upgrades of their facilities last year including Riverview Center, Dunkin Donuts, GCR Tire, Key Bank, and Albany Truck Sales. And our former Menands Diner has reopened as the Broadway Diner after an absence of over five years. We are grateful to these businesses for their commitment to doing business in Menands.

We continue to be approached by businesses that wish to relocate to Menands in order to take advantage of our instant access to I-90 and I-787. We also have a significant amount of commercial space available in various square footages that will fit different business needs and we continue to seek prospective businesses to fill this space.

CDTC has received a $240,000 planning grant from the US Department of Transportation to examine redevelopment options along the Hudson River waterfront and the I-787 corridor including the Village of Menands. The funds will be used to determine short and long term infrastructure needs for I-787 and its related access roads. As a member of the CDTC Planning Committee, Paul Reuss is the contact person for the Village for this study.

One of the highlights in 2012 occurred last March when Paul Reuss and I met with the developer of the Harmony Mills Project in Cohoes, Uri Kaufman, for a tour of that facility, while discussing the potential to undertake a similar project at the former Albany International site. We continued a dialogue with the principals and with the $1.35 million purchase of the site in October; we are looking forward to the redevelopment of the property for both commercial and residential use. Mr. Kaufman is pursuing financing for an apartment conversion, which he estimates will cost $40 million.

First Call:

We implemented our First Call Program which is a notification system that the Village has enacted in order to keep our residents and businesses informed of any emergencies or community events around Menands. Menands School is also part of this system so that the School may notify parents instantly of snow emergencies, early dismissal, and other important notices. Signing up for the program may be done through our website.

Village Website:

Our Village website has been expanded and improved in order to offer more information to users with respect to Village Government, community events and general information about Menands. Please visit our website at: www.villageofmenands.com for continued updates.

2012 was a very productive year in the Village of Menands. I look forward to and am excited about continued progress this year in many areas and will keep you updated in future Mayor’s Messages.

I wish you and yours a Healthy and Happy 2013.

Until next time, Mayor Meg