Poquott prepares to unveil new community dock, approves budget
Residents in the Village of Poquott will be able to enjoy a new community dock
this summer.
After years of debating and hammering out the details, the village’s dock will be completed in the next few weeks, according to Mayor Dee Parrish.
“It feels great, and everybody is talking about it on Facebook and the Instagram page for the village and people are taking pictures,” Parrish said. “It’s that time of year where spring is in the air and people are excited, and I think a lot of residents are going to get use out of it this summer.”
The dock, located in California Park at the end of Washington Street, had been discussed by residents for nearly a decade, and while several protested the idea, the village board began seriously looking at building one a few years ago.
The village took out a bond equaling $255,000 to help finance the dock construction. Officials said the village will begin paying off the bond in the end of this year, and the board approved taking the interest payment from the fund balance this year.
Trustee Jeff Koppelson, who supported the idea of a dock for residents, said lately when he walks down to the beach, he sees people checking out its progress. He said he believes many residents will enjoy it, from fishermen to those who are just taking a leisurely walk.
“I find it very gratifying, and I think for years to come it will be kind of a focal point of the village down there,” Koppelson said.
Budget
As the board began to look over its budget for 2019-20, it was first believed that the dock would create an extra $4 more per hundred in the budget, according to Parrish. However, once the numbers were crunched, the trustees announced at the April 11 village meeting that the budget increase for all village services is $3 more per hundred. The new budget of $552,969.17 is a 3% increase over last year and pierces the 2% tax cap.
At the March village board meeting, Parrish, Koppelson and trustee Chris Schleider voted to authorize the board of trustees to exceed the 2% taxing increase limit, and at the April meeting, approved the 2019-20 budget.
The budget includes $63,125 of dock expenses such as engineering fees, legal fees and construction costs.
Stormwater retention pond
The village was recently notified by the New York State Department of Transportation that it would attend to issues regarding a stormwater retention pond on Route 25A, right between Van Brunt Manor Road and Washington Street. Village officials brought the issue to the attention of the NYSDOT, which will be fencing in the pond.
Richard Parrish, Poquott’s stormwater management officer, sent multiple letters to the NYSDOT last year alerting the department of villagers’ complaints that the unfenced structure constructed of earthen walls and an earthen base could potentially collapse and cause a person or animal to fall in or become trapped. After a heavy rainfall, the structure can fill with up to four feet of water.
The mayor said she was relieved that the NYSDOT was going to remedy the situation.
“It won’t be such an eyesore, and also, I think a lot of residents worried that kids might play in it or someone may drown in it, so with a fence around it, it will eliminate that problem,” Parrish said.
