The “C&D Landfill” idea, a “quiet zone” for trains, and a new bike business, were just three of the topics brought up by several area residents who spoke during the public comments portion of Tuesday’s common council meeting.
“Construction and Debris”
John “Chet” Watroba spoke in support of the ordinance to change the terms of golf commission members, and complained about an ongoing property issue on Forest Ave. He also brought up a controversial plan from the past to build a construction and demolition landfill in the City of Amsterdam in order to generate revenue for the city and offset property taxes.
“Over eight years ago…former mayor [Joe Emanuele] and [former mayor] Ann Thane, during the election, it was brought up about a landfill. I was against that landfill. But I had gotten information from an individual and I also saw some stories on PBS, Public Broadcasting, where the New England Patriots and the Denver Broncos both [built their stadiums] on clean landfills. So this would generate income and would help the taxpayer out in the City of Amsterdam. So I think that we should look into that… I was very impressed, I went to Foxborough [Massachusetts] and I did see the Patriots. And when I found out later on that they’re playing on a clean landfill, I couldn’t believe it, how nice that stadium is. So I’m kinda wondering if we can check that out. Like I said, both [former mayors] were against it, and maybe with this new administration we can look into that and see if that has any potential.”
Mayor Michael Villa responded, “Don’t call it a landfill, its construction and debris. That’s why people don’t want it, because they think garbage is going in it.”
“Right, that’s why they have to be better informed,” said Watroba. “Because when I got the information through the mail, actually it was Mike Chiara who sent me the information. And I looked at it and I thought, boy this is good…I think this would be good for the city.”
Property complaint
David Gomula appeared wearing work gloves and carrying a bag with a roofing shingle in it to illustrate his complaint about an abandoned property adjacent to his on Brookside Ave.
“I’ve been here before, complaining about the house next door to me. How bad it is, why it hasn’t come down. I’ve gotten reasons because the auction isn’t [scheduled] yet, have to foreclose on the owner, blah, blah, blah, but the roof is still sound. But it isn’t. This morning this blew off the roof next to me,” said Gomula holding up the bag with the roofing shingle in it. “This junk that I hate to touch, fell on my tenant’s car. What’s next, are the rafters going to come down? It’s unsafe, there’s holes in the roof.”
Gomula asked when the auction of foreclosed properties would be and whether the property was on the demolition list. Controller Matt Agresta said the property would be foreclosed on, but was not sure if it was scheduled for demolition. He said that he was working on paperwork that had to be filed with the state and county before the auction could proceed.
“I can’t make it move any faster than it’s going,” said Agresta.
New bike rental vendor
David Moore, from the Town of Florida, announced he was planning on opening a new business in the spring.
“I’m hoping to open a bike and surrey rental place near the bike trail over on Bridge Street this spring. Just wanted to bring that out and see if you had any input. Hopefully I’ll be contributing to the tourism here…It will be a mobile business over on Bridge Street. Everything will be off a truck on a small trailer.”
Moore said he is in the process of obtaining a peddler’s permit from the city.
“Looking forward to you coming to the city with a business,” said Villa.
“Quiet Zone” for trains
Christian Rivera proposed an idea for reducing the sound of train whistles passing through the city.
“The World Health Organization, the [Environmental Protection Agency], National Institute of Health, everybody recognizes the harmful effects of noise.” said Rivera.
He then quoted seven adverse effects of noise pollution cited by the WHO, which include hearing impairment, interference in communication, sleep disturbances, cardiovascular disturbances, disturbances in mental health, impaired task performance, and negative social behavior and annoyances.”
According to Rivera, “In 1973, [Housing and Urban Development] did a survey that [identified] noise as a leading cause of neighborhood dissatisfaction.”
“What I’m hoping we can do is establish a ‘quiet zone’ for train whistle noise,” said Rivera.
Citing information from the Federal Railroad Administration website, River said a quiet zone is a quarter-mile stretch around a public crossing, such as the one on Guy Park Ave, within which a train would not be required to sound a warning whistle. In order for the city to qualify for a quiet zone, additional “supplementary safety measures” would have to be implemented to mitigate the increased safety risk, and possibly a diagnostic team would need to be assembled to look at the situation and make recommendations. Rivera said he thought the project might cost somewhere between $13,000 to $15,000.
“The effects of noise pollution just cant’ be denied. It’s something the city really needs,” said Rivera and asked the council to consider moving ahead quickly with the idea.
Drug testing for teens
Dr. Govind Rao urged the council to pass a resolution on the agenda which would express support for New York State Senate bill S7934. The bill states, “Every child twelve years of age or older but younger than nineteen years of age may as part of his or her annual physical provided by a health care professional, be screened for the use of drugs.” The bill also requires insurance companies to cover the cost of the test.
Rao said, “I have had families, where the parents, they come to my office in complete shock, that their kids [are suffering from] drug addiction. And they don’t even know, most of them. Because both parents are working hard to make ends meet. They trust the kids, especially the teenagers, to go to the games, homework, the parties, and whatever they want to do, they do. And they do have in their mind, though, that children may get involved with drug addiction. But even though they are vigilant, sometimes it is very hard. Because once the child gets involved, the first thing they do is they hide, they lie. They don’t want to reveal there’s a problem.”
Rao stressed that drug addiction is classified as a disease, and that CAT scans and MRI’s prove that addiction changes how the human brain works. Rao compared the idea of drug testing to current mandates for children to be tested for various diseases and lead poisoning. The council later passed the resolution unanimously.
Neighborhood Watch
Jim Glorioso, founder of Mohawk Valley Crime Stoppers, a non-profit organization that provides a crime tip hotline and crime prevention information, called on the council to help get the city’s neighborhood watch program up and running again.
“We’ve kind of fell off the neighborhood watch community organization effort. Over the last three years that I’ve been here, I’ve been involved in it. We’ve had regular meetings with previous leadership and [Police Chief Greg Culick]. It was great communication, to figure out what’s going on in our community,” said Glorioso.
Glorioso said he was speaking on behalf of Georgia O’Connor who has led the organization for the past several years, but is currently occupied with caring for one of her children with a serious illness. Glorioso said he is willing to assist with the group, but was not able to lead it due to time commitments to the Crime Stoppers program.
“We really need your help in identifying someone who can take over, or at least assist Georgia with the neighborhood watch program, so that we don’t let it just fall down. Because it’s really necessary in this area,” said Glorioso.
Glorioso also suggested a law that he had seen instituted in another community where pawn shops are required to report their purchases via an electronic system. He said law enforcement officers investigating thefts could then access the purchase information via a website.
Softened up
Anthony Leggiero, a foreman at the city department of public works said, “Tonight I was going to read to you something that I prepared at about five o’clock this afternoon about events that recently occurred, actually since May of last year. But you know what, Dr. Rao really softened me up being that I have a newborn baby boy. And Dave Gomula just asked me if I wanted to go back under the veteran’s commission. So with that being said, I’m not going to bore you with anything I have written up about the City of Amsterdam municipal service commission tonight. There will be another time and another place for this. I’m going to call it to all of your attention, and we’ll see where it goes from there.”
