It has been a busy couple of weeks since my last update. This week the Community Center ADA upgrade construction has begun. The highway department moved the water fountain and electrical so Branon Construction can work on installing the lift to the second floor. Within the next few weeks, there will be a temporary ramp installed to the Court Side Front door so the highway department can remove the old ramp and stairs. This project should be finished by the end of July, but will make the entire building accessible to the public. This project is fully funded by a CDBG grant, ARPA funds and zero taxpayer funding. The attached picture is required for the CDBG funding.
Last week, I was able to attend the Association of Towns and Villages conference in New York City. I was able to attend classes that talked about Economic Development, Tourism, Housing and EMS. This prompted a phone call with Nicole from the Pride of Ti to discuss possible grant opportunities through CDBG’s small business and microenterprise funding. We will also be looking at the recently announced Restore NY grant opportunity to deal with blighted structures.
This week, I have been at the New York State Association of Counties conference in Albany. This conference has had some overlap of topics, but the state is really focused on building resilient communities. This means utilizing such programs as the Essex County Landbank to create affordable housing through preserving older housing stock. I was also able to visit the Governor’s Mansion and talk to the Governor and DEC Commissioner, Basil Seggos, about our upcoming Wastewater Treatment Plant upgrades and the DEC WQIP grant for this project. I look forward to sharing updates for these projects as they progress.
Hope you have a great week,
Matt.
