Marybeth Majestic
Three months after closing Town Hall, we are very carefully reopening. By appointment, you can meet with staff in our lobby to accommodate your needs. Masks required.
The Town Board continues to move forward on pending issues, including closely monitoring our 2020 “Covid Budget,” which is reviewed and tweaked monthly. It helps us identify anticipated shortfalls in revenues and track our expenses more closely than before.
Despite Covid, our wonderful residents, who are our greatest resource, have delivered meals, cared for neighbors and also continued their pre-Covid efforts on behalf of the Town, via the internet. For example, the Environmental Conservation Commission and the Open Space Commission have continued their collaboration with the NYS DEC to develop a Natural Resources Inventory. Please check the website for the video that demonstrates the results and value of their work.
Since many people are home with more time on their hands than before, we are asking for your help. In addition to volunteering to serve on a committee or commission there are several community opportunities to advance current initiatives in Gardiner. Using our own Climate Smart Task Force as an example of community “self-organizing,” we are hoping the community will consider a similar approach to organizing around three other important needs:
The Comprehensive Master Plan: Over the past four years, we have relied on the comprehensive plan to guide decisions, and we have cataloged the accomplishments resulting from the 2004 plan. We need an updated comprehensive plan so that we can pursue funding resources and implement improvements.
Emergency Planning: The Town of Gardiner has an Emergency Management Plan that is about 20 years old. Since then, all manner of climate and health-related dangers have evolved. We need to update the plan to meet modern needs, like the current pandemic, as well as resiliency planning.
Economic Planning: We also need an economic plan to attract new and innovative businesses while protecting the qualities of our community and enabling residents to make the most of their home investment. We need to build on Gardiner’s unique assets to create economic opportunity. Innovation in this realm is almost limitless.
Toward this end, we are hopeful that there may be sufficient interest and talent within the community to pursue these initiatives. We welcome any and all input. Pease reach out to me at 845 255-9675 x 101 or supervisor.tog@gmail.com.