 Town Board Passes Historic Ethics Law and Blasting Regulation
The Town Board voted for transparency and resident protection at the September 6, 2023 Town Board meeting, as the Board adopted two landmark pieces of legislation on ethics and blasting.
At Wednesday's meeting, the Town Board enacted an amendment to the Town Ethics Code (Chapter 15) to require all elected officials to annually file a disclosure statement pertaining to business positions, investments, interests in real property and related matters.
The law was introduced earlier this year by Councilmember Louise Daniele, who felt the Town could do more to demonstrate transparency and give residents confidence in their local government. The Board supported the move, and Town Attorney Stephen Gaba of Drake Loeb prepared the amendments to the Town Law while Councilmember Daniele and Councilman Carmine Istvan teamed up to prepare a disclosure form which the Board is expected to approve at its next meeting on September 20.
The form, which will be submitted annually by all elected officials at the Town level, will include things such as employment history, involvement in public or private organizations, and other financial or business interests.
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The Board also adopted major changes to Town Code Chapter 65 “Explosives and Combustibles” to require more comprehensive application information, provide for additional notice to neighboring property owners, further clarify the criteria for blasting permits, and impose strict liability for any damages caused by blasting activity.
Town Supervisor Ozzy Albra asked Mr. Gaba to review and prepare the amendments to the code after residents complained about a lack of notification about blasting taking place on properties near their homes and expressed concern about possible property damage.
Mr. Gaba presented the Board with sweeping amendments to the code, extending notice requirements for surrounding properties and ensuring the Town's water providers are notified to make sure residents' water and sewer systems are not at risk from the blasting.
The law also establishes strict liability, holding developers and contractors accountable for any damage to neighboring properties caused by blasting and empowering the Building Inspector to order work to stop for any violations of the permit.
 Town to Observe 9/11 Anniversary Monday
Monday will mark 22 years since the September 11, 2001 terror attacks. While the smoke has cleared and new buildings have risen from the rubble, the pain of that day still lingers, and Americans everywhere pause to remember more than 3,000 coworkers, first responders, neighbors, friends and loved ones who were lost.
The Town of Fishkill will observe the anniversary of the attacks with a short but solemn ceremony at 930am at the Town's 9/11 Memorial in front of the Police Station at 801 Route 52. Town officials will be in attendance and will offer brief remarks before placing a wreath in the memory of the Americans who gave their lives that day.
All residents are invited to attend.
County Warns Seniors to Beware of Scammers
 The Dutchess County Office for the Aging wants seniors in Fishkill and around the county to be aware of the risk posed by scammers. Scammers often contact seniors by telephone or by email, many times posing as representatives of legitimate organizations such as Medicare, Social Security or utility companies.
The County has released an info sheet of excellent resources for seniors and all Fishkill residents who may be contacted by a scammer. The photo above contains the contact info for more than a dozen organizations and agencies which respond to incidents of scammers and fraud, and the list can also be downloaded by clicking here.
The Town encourages all residents to keep these resources handy and be safe with your personal information to protect against scammers.
Fishkill Serves at Renegades!!
The Fishkill Serves initiative to fight hunger was on display at Heritage Financial Park on Tuesday.
Town officials and Fishkill Food Pantry staff were on hand to collect donations and educate those in attendance about the work the Food Pantry undertakes to put an end to hunger in the Hudson Valley.
Fishkill serves is a partnership between the Renegades, the High-A afilliate of the New York Yankees, the Town of Fishkill and the Fishkill Food Pantry, the largest food assistance organization serving southern Dutchess County. The program launched last year at the initiative of Councilman Wrye. The pantry assisted more than 600 individuals last year, and the Town has been involved in a number of food drives and initiatives to help the pantry in its mission to eradicate hunger in the Hudson Valley.
Town Supervisor Ozzy Albra and Councilmember Louise Daniele came with a bag full of items to donate, and everyone at the game was treated to fantastic Renegades baseball as the play-off bound Baby Bombers shut out their opponents in dominant fashion, winning 13-0.
For more information about the Fishkill Food Pantry, click the link below to visit their Facebook page!
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 Town Board Wowed by Child Abuse Organization
The Town Board was amazed on Wednesday as it learned about work going on to protect children and families here in Dutchess County.
The Board heard a presentation from Jessica Wexler and Jessica Ferrantino of the Center for the Prevention of Child Abuse (CPCA). They told the Board about the many programs and services the organization provides, including parenting classes, in-school education for children grades K-8, and intervention and investigation assistance for children and families experiencing child abuse or mistreatment.
Ferrantino and Wexler also told the Board about an upcoming 5k walk/run event taking place in Beacon this month, which raises awareness and funds to help the center assist dozens of families and educate thousands of students in Dutchess County each year.
Supervisor Albra thanked Councilman Brian Wrye for organizing the presentation to the Town Board. Click the link below to watch the presentation and view the event flyer at left to learn more about the event. For those interested in CPCA and the services it provides, visit the organization's website at http://www.thecpca.org
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Board Votes to Oppose Central Hudson Rate Hike
At Wednesday's Town Board meeting, the Board voted to authorize Supervisor Albra to send a letter to the New York State Public Service Commission, opposing proposed Central Hudson rate increases which would affect customers in Fishkill and the utility's entire service area.
Supervisor Albra penned the letter after learning of the proposal, which would increase utility costs by more than 10 percent. He brought the letter to the Town Board to request the Board authorize him to send it on behalf of the entire Town Board, and the Board quickly agreed.
The letter reads, in part:
"I am reaching out to you today on behalf of the residents and Town Board of the Town of Fishkill, regarding Central Hudson's rate increase petitions. This proposed increase constitutes an excessive burden to place on the backs of the countless seniors, veterans, unemployed, and all residents who are struggling to pay their current bills. This would have a serious negative impact on the quality of life of all the residents who have been trying to navigate through Central Hudson's horrible billing practices which we all know have been a failure."
Supervisor Albra said the letter was sent on Thursday, and he thanked Councilmembers Louise Daniele, John Forman, Carmine Istvan and Brian Wrye for supporting his letter.
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This week, Supervisor Albra also sent a letter to Dutchess County Transportation Council administrator Mark Debald, urging the County to analyze ways to improve traffic on the Route 9D corridor.
Supervisor Albra is a member of the Dutchess County Transportation Council, representing Fishkill. The Supervisor has heard complaints and concerns from many residents along the Route 9D corridor, and has worked with Wappinger Town Supervisor Dr. Richard Thurston on traffic matters affecting both municipalities in this area.
Last month, Supervisor Thurston penned a letter to Administrator Debald, and Supervisor Albra quickly joined his colleague to urge the County to commit to this critical area and develop solutions to ease traffic and improve the quality of life for all who live and travel along Route 9D in Fishkill.
WCSD School Tax Collection Begins
The tax receiver has begun collecting WCSD school tax payments for the 2023-2024 school year and will continue to do so until Tuesday, October 10, 2023. Beginning Wednesday, October 11, 2023, payments will be accepted with a 2% penalty added, until the deadline of Wednesday, November 1, 2023. Check and money order payments must be made payable to: Katherine Buneta, Receiver of Taxes. Payment by credit or debit card can be made on our website. Cash payments must be exact amount to the penny, no exceptions, as we are unable to make change.
If you have not received a bill by Friday, September 8, 2023, please contact the Receiver of Taxes by calling 845-831-7800 ext. 3338 or emailing treceiver@fishkill-ny.gov. You can also view, print, and/or pay your bill on our website.
This week, Councilmember Louise Daniele stopped in to see the tax receiver and pay her school tax bill, and was delighted to see that the school tax collection fee which had been on tax bills in the past, has been removed. This past year, Councilmember Daniele spearheaded a Town Board move to eliminate the collection fee, which had been in place since 2012. Councilmember Daniele worked with Councilman Carmine Istvan with support from Supervisor Albra and the rest of the Board to eliminate the collection fee, meaning residents no longer have to pay a fee to be able to pay their taxes.
If you have any questions or concerns, please contact Katherine Buneta, Receiver of Taxes, by emailing treceiver@fishkill-ny.gov or calling (845) 831-7800 ext. 3338.
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As always, Supervisor Albra invites any resident with questions about anything related to the Town of Fishkill to contact him at any time by email at supervisor@fishkill-ny.gov or by phone at (845) 831-7800 ext. 3309, or you can contact Town Councilmembers Louise Daniele, John Forman, Carmine Istvan or Brian Wrye by email through the Town Website, or by phone at (845) 831-7800 ext. 3393.
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