EG1st Platform

EAST GREENBUSH First

CAMPAIGN PLATFORM

 

Mission Statement

 The mission of the East Greenbush First candidates is to provide essential Town services in the most cost-effective manner; develop effective means of financial recovery; institute ethical, transparent and accountable government; create a mutually collaborative relationship between Town officials and the public; promote smart development; maintain and upgrade the Town’s infrastructure; attract and retain businesses by making East Greenbush a good place to do business; and promote a strong sense of community.

 

Town Finances

The financial state of East Greenbush remains unclear and uncertain.  We are in our sixth year of a municipal bond rating in Junk Bond status; our financial records for at least three of the last five years are unable to be audited; we are facing decades of massively increased tax bills to pay the debt service on financing for the new Wastewater Treatment plant.  The crisis in Town finances must be addressed with an aggressive, multi-faceted strategy that seeks to restore our credit rating, control the rising cost of government, access external sources of funding, and implement a strict system of internal controls.  We must create sound long-term financial policies and keep the public informed.

Improve East Greenbush’s financial health  

  • Implement a rigorous system of internal controls to promote efficient operations, safeguard resources, and ensure that financial data used by elected officials and policymakers is reliable and up-to-date.
  • Implement efficient and effective financial operating principles.
  • Research, purchase, and install accounting software.
  • Conduct full and meaningful external audits.  Publish the results in a timely manner. Address audit findings as soon as possible.  Follow up on the findings of past audits.
  • Link long-term and strategic planning to the annual budget.  Begin strategic planning 5-6 months prior to the start of each fiscal year.
  • Produce monthly financial reports and publish them online.
  • Establish and publish a schedule to pay back inter-fund borrowing with periodic updates.

Control Taxes 

  • Investigate methods, including external sources of funding, to mitigate the impact on local property taxes of the debt financing for the Wastewater Treatment Plant.
  • Establish a system for fair and equitable water and sewer rates.
  • Seek State and Federal grants to augment local efforts to expand and upgrade infrastructure. 

Town Operations 

A new approach that can improve employee productivity and morale is central to improving the administrative efficiency of Town operations.  This can be achieved by establishing a formal Human Resources capability, ensuring adequate staffing, and entering into good faith negotiations with union employees to craft fair new contracts.

Town Employees 

  • Establish a good faith process for negotiating fair contracts for police officers and employees in the Department of Public Works.
  • Manage, promote and maintain professional employer/employee relationships within a safe and healthy work environment.
  • Ensure adequate staffing and assignments appropriate to the provision of essential services.
  • Conduct on-going equipment and vehicle assessments to ensure safety and reliability.  Establish a plan for maintenance, repair and replacement of vehicles on a regular basis. 

Human Resources 

  • Develop a formal Human Resources (HR) capability to allow the Town to process labor issues internally, ensure compliance with Civil Service regulations, and meet minimum training standards for professional staff.
  • Recruit and retain qualified employees. Ensure that appointments and promotions are based on merit.
  • Create and implement a best practices method for posting open positions and interviewing and selecting candidates.
  • Conduct a workload analysis for all Town departments to ensure adequate staffing for essential services.
  • Develop and implement measureable goals for each town department. 

Procurement Policies

  • Ensure that competitive bidding is open and fair.
  • Establish criteria for the use of consultants. 
  • Establish a code of conduct for consultants. 

Open Government

At its best, government is a collaborative effort involving elected officials, town employees and the public. A lack of transparency has plagued our Town government.  Officials have failed to share the information that has shaped their decisions.  Public input has not been properly solicited and often ignored.  Collaboration requires a new strategy that embraces the public’s right to know and recognizes public trust as an essential element in successful governance.

Transparency 

  • Redesign the town website to increase the sharing of public information in a timely manner.   Make the website more interactive and easier to navigate.
  • Respect the Freedom of Information Law.
  • Reduce the need for residents to pay for information that can be freely accessed in the public domain.
  • Request the Chairs of the Planning Board and Zoning Board of Appeals to attend and/or make presentations at Town Board meetings.
  • Require agendas to be published at least 48 hours prior to meetings.
  • Require monthly reports from department heads, including the Town Comptroller, to be published on Town website at least 48 hours before monthly Town Board meetings. Utilize annual performance reviews to assess and recognize goal attainment by department heads.
  • Stream Town Board meetings online.
  • Provide an annual report from the Supervisor on the state of the Town. 

Public Participation 

  • Create a culture of collaboration in Town Hall.
  • Respect the Open Meetings Law.
  • Seek and respect input from residents.
  • Return to the question and answer format at Town Board meetings. 
  • Hold pre-board meetings in the evening for the convenience of residents. 
  • Permit public comment at pre-board meetings.
  • Create a logging system in the Supervisor’s office for receiving and responding to comments and questions.  Data on trends will be included in Supervisor’s reports on Town website.
  • Reconsider and clarify the role of the Citizens Financial Advisory Committee (CFAC). 

Ethics

A Code of Ethics functions to ensure that business conducted by Town officials is conducted solely in the public interest and not for the benefit of individuals, family members, business associates, political cronies or any other entity.  The current Code of Ethics is narrowly conceived and must be expanded to effectively protect the public interest.  A Board of Ethics must have the tools to function as an independent entity.  The whole system of monitoring ethics begins with a commitment to ethical conduct on the part of elected officials, a commitment that has previously been lacking. The following recommendations will accomplish these essential priorities.

Board of Ethics

-Establish an independent panel to nominate members of the Board of Ethics.

-End the appointment of political cronies to the Board of Ethics.

-Provide funding for the Board of Ethics to:

  • train Town employees to observe the provisions of the Code of Ethics;
  • retain outside counsel when necessary;
  • retain a staff person to take minutes at meetings when the Board meets in public session;
  • send Board members to training seminars.

Code of Ethics

Amend the Code of Ethics to:

  • expand the definition of the term ‘Relatives;’
  • broaden financial disclosure requirements;
  • include reasonable nepotism and post-employment limitations;
  • expand prohibitions on political activity among Town officials;
  • specify criteria for appointment to and removal from Board of Ethics.  

Planning and Development

The planning process has suffered from a failure to consider individual developments within the context of the Town’s Master Plan.  All applicants for planning permission will adhere to the same process, which must be fair and equally accessible to all.  Special attention must be paid to commercial expansion on Columbia Turnpike and traffic calming measures for Route 4.  External sources of funding and partnerships will be sought to improve our parks and increase recreational opportunities.

Master Plan 

  • Respect the provisions of the Comprehensive Land Use Plan.  Require members of the Planning Board and Zoning Board of Appeals to participate in a public review of the Plan to ensure familiarity with its general concepts.
  • Focus growth and redevelopment in areas with sufficient infrastructure (e.g. Columbia Turnpike). 
  • Address the enhancement and creation of walkable places with a unique and identifiable character during the site approval process.
  • Protect and preserve open spaces by creating guidelines for greenspace and open space conservation area design. 

Planning 

  • Restore the position of Director of Planning.
  • Handle planning applications in a fair and equitable manner.
  • Closely monitor the building permit process.
  • Provide monthly Project Review Team meeting summaries at Town Board Meetings.
  • Establish strict criteria for the approval of Planned Development Districts (PDDs).  

Development 

  • Focus commercial expansion on Columbia Turnpike.
  • Limit commercial expansion on Route 4 south of Route 151, as recommended in the July 2014 Corridor Plan and Design Guidelines.
  • Explore ways to mitigate traffic congestion on Route 4.
  • Measure the impact on Town services of businesses on the Route 4 corridor.  Negotiate an agreement with Walmart to provide increased private security. 

Parks and Recreation 

  • Explore recreation grants to enhance the facilities at Town Parks.
  • Explore partnerships with the Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts, YMCA and others for park use and enhancement, including summer camp programs.
  • Recruit local businesses to run recreation programs in the parks; explore partnerships with water rowing, kayak groups to provide exercise classes/programs at the lake.
  • Explore additional activities and/or events to promote community engagement and involvement. 

Revitalization of Columbia Turnpike

The most important planning and development issue in Town centers around the revitalization of Columbia Turnpike.  Town government must assume an active role in spurring commercial development by providing investment incentives and opportunities for developers to build successful businesses that enhance the aesthetic look and foster vibrant, pedestrian friendly and accessible new enterprises that will attract consumers and enhance the tax base.

Goals 

  • Restore Columbia Turnpike to its natural position as East Greenbush’s Main Street.
  • Use land use and site design strategies to create a unique and identifiable character for each of the transect zones identified by the 2014 Corridor Plan and Design Guidelines.
  • Achieve a high quality built environment that enhances the special attributes of the corridor and supports the planning vision expressed in the Town’s Master Plan.
  • Attract new investment and stimulate commercial development while enhancing the attractiveness of the landscape, creating a pedestrian-friendly environment, and establishing an identity for Columbia Turnpike.
  • Establish a balance in consumer and vehicular traffic between Route 4 and Columbia Turnpike through revitalization efforts. 

Implementation 

  • Create a mapped overlay zoning district to complement current zoning provisions.
  • Develop commercial design guidelines to encourage developers to use building patterns and architectural elements that unify the identity of key transect zones along the 9 & 20 corridor.
  • Conduct site-specific cooperative planning with landowners to develop key parcels that can act as a catalyst for future redevelopment.
  • Ensure code enforcement for vacant buildings.
  • Develop an inventory of vacant commercial properties and a marketing package including incentives for the redevelopment of underutilized sites.
  • Encourage business owners to form a Business Improvement District (BID).
  • Encourage patronage of local businesses by creating ‘Shop Local’ promotions.
  • Explore grants to enhance arts and culture. 

A Plan for Hampton Manor

Hampton Manor has been neglected for some time now and requires a number of interventions by the Town to improve the quality of life for residents and maximize the contribution of the Lake and Park to the overall amenities inventory of the Town and the redevelopment of Columbia Turnpike.

Water

  • Work with residents and the Water Department to provide dependable, high quality service.

Lake

  • Seek State and Federal funding to dredge Hampton Manor Lake.
  • Make Lakeshore Drive a one way street and develop a path for walking, running and biking.

Playground

  • Seek grants to upgrade and expand the playground.
  • Remove the tennis court and consider alternatives, including a community garden.

Conclusion

The comprehensive platform outlined above represents long term goals and short term objectives of the East Greenbush First candidates. Many of the objectives will be implemented immediately, while others will be implemented over time.  This ambitious four-year plan will be dependent on reliable financial data that ensures available funding, and securing grants.  The platform is a representation of the ideology of the East Greenbush First candidates: Jack Conway, Tina Tierney, and Tom Grant.