Village announces milestone, meeting to activation of the new water source

The Village of Hoosick Falls announces the acquisition of the new water infrastructure activation of its new water source, to be made official at an evening event on Monday, March 31st at 6PM at the Hoosick Armory.

In this event and short Special Meeting of the Board of Trustees of the Village of Hoosick Falls, several invited guests will speak to commemorate the moment, including Acting DEC Commissioner Amanda Lefton and Executive Deputy Commissioner Sean Mahar, NYS Department of Health Commissioner James McDonald, Town Supervisor Mark Surdam, current Village Mayor Robert Allen, and Village Mayor-Elect Dan Schuttig.

“Concluding this journey that began 10 years ago will be a major point in our Village’s great history. We have once again shown that our community is hard-working, resilient, and able to rise up and achieve great things,” Mayor Allen said. “A new water source and a permanent filtration system, financed by the responsible parties, is a historic and unprecedented response to PFAS water contamination, and will serve as an attainable goal for future communities. We are very excited to mark this important moment in the Village’s recovery and thank all of the agencies and people involved.”

This event is open to the public and will begin at 6PM on Monday March 31st at the Hoosick Armory, 80 Church Street, Hoosick Falls, NY.

Sampling results and the certification of completion can be found here. The Village also requested a second round of PFAS sampling on both wells.

The Mayor put out a video explaining the moment and giving information on the new water source. The transcript is below:

Hello Village of Hoosick Falls. This Monday evening, March 31st, at 6PM at the Hoosick Falls Armory, we will be gathering to mark a major milestone for the Village of Hoosick Falls: the switch-over to our new water source. The Hoosick Falls Board of Trustees will be officially accepting the new water wells, pump house, and infrastructure, and will be making the permanent switch to the new water supply.

What can we tell you about this water source and new water infrastructure? First, the two new wells and wellhouse are located about a mile away from the existing water source. Once the water is pumped from there, it will be sent along a new mile-long stretch of piping that has been installed, tested, and given the green light to use. The water will then be treated by the Village’s existing Water Treatment Plant, including the GAC Filtration, which will remain a part of the Village’s infrastructure.

These new wells have consistently tested non-detect for PFOA and PFOS. However, extremely low levels of two PFAS compounds have been detected. The findings of these miniscule levels demonstrate the wisdom of the Village’s insistence that the GAC Filtration System remain in place and that the companies bear the cost for the operation of that system. The two compounds, PFBA and PFNA, that have been detected in single digits of 7 and 3 ppt. This data is all available on our Village website by clicking the “Water Website” link on the right of the homepage and then clicking “testing” on the left side.

Regarding the event tomorrow evening, it will be part celebration, part press event, and part Special Meeting where the Village Board will accept the new water infrastructure and switch over to the new water source through Resolutions the Board will consider and vote on. We are expecting many local and state agency members and elected officials to join us for this occasion, including members of the Hoosick Town Board, the Rensselaer County Legislature and other elected officials, and many from the Rensselaer County Department of Public Health, NYS Department of Conservation and NYS Department of Health. All members of our community and beyond are invited to attend, and we plan to begin at 6PM on Monday the 31st at the Hoosick Falls Armory. Thank you.

Notice of Special Meeting March 31st at 6PM at the Armory

NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that the March 31st Special Meeting of the Board of Trustees of the Village of Hoosick Falls will take place at the Hoosick Armory, 80 Church Street, Hoosick Falls, New York, commencing at the regular time of 6 p.m., for the purpose of considering a Resolution accepting the new wells, well house, and new water infrastructure, as well as a Resolution officially activating the new water source for the Village of Hoosick Falls.

Location Change for Special Meeting on Wednesday, March 26th, 2025 at 6PM

NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that the March 26th Special Meeting of the Board of Trustees of the Village of Hoosick Falls, previously announced as taking place at the Hoosick Armory, will instead be held at the Hoosick Falls Village Highway Garage, 7 Water Works Road, Hoosick Falls, New York, commencing at the regular time of 6:00 p.m. for the purpose of holding a Public Hearing for Proposed Local Law B of 2025 (a Local Law modifying the Senior Citizen Tax Exemption), the appointment of a Transfer Station operator, to consider a resolution approving the Corrective Action Plan in regards to the Office of State Comptroller Audit Report, and to consider the appointment of a full-time officer to the HFPD, together with any other business that may come before the Board of Trustees.

Village Election: Tuesday, March 18th from noon to 9PM

Here is all information related to the Village Election:

Date: Tuesday, March 18th 2025
Time: The polls are open from noon to 9PM
Location: Village Hall/Municipal Building: 24 Main Street, Hoosick Falls, NY. This is the building by Wood Park/next to Walgreens, not the Armory.

On the ballot are the following:

• One Mayor Seat (2-Year Term): Doug Sauer & Dan Schuttig
• Three Trustee Seats (2-year terms each): Todd Burdick, Kevin O’Malley, & Robert Ryan

We are expecting a much higher than normal turn out. Because of this, we will be using Rensselaer County Voting Machines. We wanted to thank Rensselaer County Board of Election Commissioner Henry Zwack and Legislator Jeff Wysocki for their assistance in securing the machines for this election.

Special Meeting on Thursday, February 27th at 7:00PM

NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that a Special Meeting will be held by the Board of Trustess of the Village of Hoosick Falls on Thursday, February 27th 2025 commencing at 7:00 p.m. at the Hoosick Falls Highway Garage, 7 Waterworks Road, Hoosick Falls, New York, for the purpose of consideration of a resolution awarding bids for Contract 1G (General) and Contract 1E (Electric) for the Waste Water Treatment Plant UV Filtration Project, consideration of a resolution amending the existing engineering agreement with Delaware Engineering to add construction administration and construction observation (for the same Waste Water Treatment Plant UV Filtration Project), and consideration of a resolution appointing a Community Service Coordinator (subject to prior review and approval of the creation of the title and job duties by the Rensselaer County Civil Service Commission), together with any other business that may come before the Board of Trustees.

Special Meeting on Monday, February 3rd at 7:30PM

NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that a Special Meeting will be held by the Board of Trustess of the Village of Hoosick Falls on Monday, February 3rd 2025 commencing at 7:30 p.m. at the Hoosick Falls Highway Garage, 7 Waterworks Road, Hoosick Falls, New York, for the purpose of considering a resolution to hire a new full time laborer for the Department of Public Works, together with any other business that may come before the Board of Trustees.

Job Openings: Code Enforcement Officer & Deputy Treasurer

The Village of Hoosick Falls is seeking applicants for the position of Deputy Treasuer and for the position of Code Enforcement Officer. Both are full time positions and will increase the size of each department. Applications, resumes, and cover letters are due 2/7/25 to the Village office.

Posting - Deputy Treasurer

Posting - Code Enforcement

Opening - Laborer

The Village of Hoosick Falls is seeking applicants for the position of Laborer within the Highway Department. This is a full time position. Applications are due 1/24/25 to the Village office.

Posting - Laborer

Mayor Allen announces he will not seek re-election

In a video posted online, Mayor Allen has announced that he will not be seeking re-election, meaning that the upcoming March 18th Village Election will determine the Village's next Mayor, who will begin their term on April 1st, 2025. Mayor Allen reflected on what has been accomplished, thanked the many, many people involved, and offered some thoughts about changes he will advocate for regarding the Mayor position itself. Mayor Allen's video can be found here.

January 2025 Regular Meeting Rescheduled to Thursday 1/16

NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that the January 2025 Regular Meeting of the Village Board of Trustees of the Village of Hoosick Falls, previously scheduled for Wednesday, January 8th, 2025, is rescheduled to take place on Thursday, January 16th 2025, commencing at 6 p.m. at the Hoosick Falls Village Highway Garage, 7 Water Works Road, Hoosick Falls, New York.

Notice on Special Meeting & Public Hearing - 12/19 at 7:30PM

NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that the Village Board of Trustees of the Village of Hoosick Falls will hold a Special Meeting on Thursday, December 19th, at 7:30 p.m. at the Hoosick Falls Highway Garage, 7 Waterworks Road, Hoosick Falls, New York, for the purpose of discussing the Village’s intent to submit a project for funding consideration for Round 9 of the Restore NY program, to hold a Public Hearing seeking comment from the public related to the application, and for consideration of a Resolution in support of the project, along with any other business that may come before the Board.

ADDITIONALLY, NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that the Village Board of Trustees of the Village of Hoosick Falls will hold a Public Hearing during its Special Meeting on Thursday, December 19th at 7:30 p.m. at the Hoosick Falls Highway Garage, 7 Waterworks Road, Hoosick Falls, New York, for the purposes of obtaining citizens’ views and comments relative to the submission of an application to Empire State Development for financial assistance under the Restore NY Communities Initiative. This project, titled “1 Center”, is intended to rehabilitate the currently-vacant 21,000 square foot mixed-use building located at 1 Center Street, Hoosick Falls NY 12090, into an active mixed-use Commercial and Residential Property.

Notice on Public Hearing - 11/13 at 6PM

NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that the Village Board of Trustees of the Village of Hoosick Falls will hold a public hearing during its meeting on Wednesday November 13th, at 6:00 p.m. at the Hoosick Falls Highway Garage, 7 Waterworks Road, Hoosick Falls, New York, regarding proposed Local Law No.5, amending the Code of the Village of Hoosick Falls to allow the placement of an additional stop sign on Abbott Street facing southbound at corner of Abbott & Wilder. All interested persons will be heard at the Public Hearings.

Proposed Local Law and Resolution for review.

Special Meeting on September 3rd to further discuss Village's NY Forward projects

NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that a Special Meeting will be held by the Board of Trustees of the Village of Hoosick Falls on Tuesday, September 3rd, 2024 commencing at 6:00 p.m. at the Municipal Building at 24 Main Street, Hoosick Falls, New York, for the purpose of receiving updates on the Village’s NY Forward Grant proposals, to hear comments from the Board of Trustees as well as the public, and to discuss potential uses of the 3M Class Action Settlement Funds, along with any other business that may come before the Board.

Village to receive estimated $3M over 3 years as part of 3M PFAS Class Action Settlement

The Village of Hoosick Falls expects to receive $3M over the next 3 years as a result of the Village joining a national class action settlement related to PFAS.

By joining the 3M Class Action Settlement, the Village of Hoosick Falls will be receiving funds from part of the nearly $12 Billion settlement that involves PFAS Manufacturer 3M and DuPont. 3M has been estimated to pay around $10.5 billion as part of this settlement, while DuPont expected to pay over $1 billion.

In a video posted to the Village's social media, Mayor Allen explained the significance of the situation. "When comparing our situation to other locations that have faced PFAS contamination in drinking water, we find ourselves surprisingly ahead of the curve: we have a permanent filtration system and a brand-new water source arriving soon, and the vast majority of this was paid for by the responsible parties."

This settlement is separate from and unrelated to the Village's ongoing discussions and legal matters with Saint-Gobain Performance Plastics and Honeywell International. Both companies were named as the responsible parties for the PFOA contamination by NYS DEC and the US EPA. Along with a permanent GAC Filtration system (that has been operating since 2017), the companies have been directed to provide a new water supply to the Village. That new groundwater supply, located over a mile away from the Village, is currently under construction, with early 2025 as the expected time the new water source will be online and operational.

"These accomplishments are a product of the Village’s continued advocacy by the community, its elected officials, consultants, and attorneys, as well as the regulatory work and oversight provided by New York State," Mayor Allen said. "The results of our efforts have led to a historic response to PFAS contamination that serves as a model for other communities as to what can be accomplished."

The full video can be viewed on the Village's YouTube page.

August Regular Meeting rescheduled to Monday, August 19th

NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that the August Regular Meeting of the Board of Trustees of the Village of Hoosick Falls previously schedule for Wednesday, August 14th, 2024, is rescheduled to take place on Monday, August 19th, 2024, commencing at 6 p.m. at the Hoosick Falls Village Highway Garage, 7 Water Works Road, Hoosick Falls, New York.

Special Meeting on August 5th to discuss Village NY Forward projects

NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that a Special Meeting will be held by the Board of Trustees of the Village of Hoosick Falls on Monday, August 5th, 2024 commencing at 6:00 p.m. at the Municipal Building at 24 Main Street, Hoosick Falls, New York, for the purpose of hearing a presentation by the Mayor on proposed Village projects for the NY Forward Program, and to hear comments from the Board of Trustees as well as the public, along with any other business that may come before the Board.

Notice of Zoning Board of Appeals Special Meeting on July 2nd

NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that the Zoning Board of Appealsof the Village of Hoosick Falls will hold a meeting on Tuesday, July 23rd 2024, at 6:00 p.m. at the Municipal Building at 24 Main Street, Hoosick Falls, New York, for the purposes of reviewing fence related variance requests for Kristen Wuelfing at 74 High Street Hoosick Falls who wants a 6 foot fence in the backyard for a purpose of her dog and to review a fence variance request for Anthony Balarin at 16 Lyman Street Hoosick Falls who would like to put up a 6 foot fence for the purpose of privacy in his backyard.

Village to consider acquiring former Oak-Mitsui site at Special Meeting Wednesday

The Village of Hoosick Falls Board of Trustees will consider authorizing the Mayor to execute an agreement that would deed over the Oak-Mitsui property, located at 80 First Street, over to the Village of Hoosick Falls. The special meeting is set for 7PM on Wednesday, June 26th at the Highway Garage located at 7 Waterworks Road in Hoosick Falls.

"This is a positive and important development for the Village,” Mayor Robert Allen said. “Our hope is that this land will fill several important strategic goals we have prioritized for our Village: improved walkability, better access to the Greenway, more public lands and greenspace (especially for 2nd Ward), and additional public parking."

In 2017 Oak-Mitsui entered into a Consent Order with NYS Department of Environmental Conservation under which Oak-Mitsui conducted a Site Characterization and Remedial Investigation, after which the site was closed and capped under DEC’s supervision. A Site Management Plan has been prepared and approved by DEC to ensure the property will remain properly capped and monitored.

"This agreement requires that the major responsibilities for the Site Management Plan will remain with Oak-Mitsui. The Village responsibilities will be limited to mowing and maintaining whatever fencing we keep, and we will make sure any improvements to the site will follow the SMP and maintain the environmental work done. This also allows the Village to submit project ideas for funding via the NY Forward Program."

Click here to view the draft agreement and the Site Management Plan. Other site related documents are available on the Hoosick Falls Area site maintained by NYS DEC.

Notice of Special Meeting on June 26th 2024 at 7PM

NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that the Village Board of Trustees of the Village of Hoosick Falls will hold a Special meetingon Wednesday, June 26th 2024, at 7:00PM at the Hoosick Falls Highway Garage, 7 Waterworks Road, Hoosick Falls, New York, for the purposes of considering a resolution authorizing the Mayor to execute an agreement allowing the Village of Hoosick Falls to obtain the former Oak Mitsui First-Street site, located at 80 First Street, for $1 along with any other business that needs to be talked about.

Notice of Zoning Board of Appeals Special Meeting on July 2nd

NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that the Village Zoning Board of Appealsof the Village of Hoosick Falls will hold a Special Meeting on Tuesday, July 2nd 2024, at 6:00 p.m. at the Municipal Building at 24 Main Street, Hoosick Falls, New York, for the purposes of reviewing two variances: a use variance request from Jason VonGuiness to build a single-family home at 7 Hoosick Street (in C-I zoning), and a variance request from Orlando Acevedo for a 6ft fence around his back yard at 60 Wilder Ave.

Greenway & Waterworks Road restrictions - June 17 to July 5th

VILLAGE ANNOUNCES A 3-WEEK CHANGE IN AVAILABILITY OF WATER WORKS ROAD & THE SOUTHERN END OF THE GREENWAY; Hoosic River Greenway to remain fully walkable throughout the process.

The Village of Hoosick Falls is announcing a change in the availability of the southern end of the Greenway and the southern end of Waterworks Road, running from 6/18 to 7/5, due to construction of the new waterline. Extra efforts have been made to make sure that the Greenway remains accessible and walkable from all directions.

There is a 3-week long scope of work that requires construction vehicles, equipment, and supplies to be stationed and used at the end of Waterworks Road and the southern end of the Greenway.

For the full announcement and all of the information, please click here for the one-page printer-friendly announcement.

Notice of Public Hearing on June 12th 2024

NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that the Planning Board of the Village of Hoosick Falls will hold two public hearings during its meeting on Wednesday, June 12th 2024 at 6:00PM at the Municipal Building, 24 Main Street, Hoosick Falls, New York, regarding proposed Local Law D of 2024 – a local law that would authorize municipal purchasing based on best value instead of lowest bids. The Local Law will be posted on the website and in the Municipal building for all to review. All interested persons will be heard at the Public Hearings.

Notice of Special Meeting Wednesday, May 29th 2024 at Highway Garage

NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that a Special Meeting will be held by the Board of Trustees of the Village of Hoosick Falls on Wednesday, May 29th, 2024 commencing at 6:00 p.m. at the Highway Garage, 7 Waterworks Road, Hoosick Falls, New York, for the purpose of holding the Village’s Organizational Meeting, together with any other business that may come before the Board of Trustees.

Notice of Planning Board Public Hearing May 21st 2024 at Municipal Building

NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that the Planning Board of the Village of Hoosick Falls will hold two public hearings during its meeting on Tuesday, May 21st, 2024 at 7:00PM at the Municipal Building, 24 Main Street, Hoosick Falls, New York, regarding:

• the site plan application of Stewart's Shop concerning their potential future project to demolish a current structure and build a new Stewart's Shop at 129 Church Street, and
• the final site plan application of a bar and bakery at 24 Classic Street. All interested persons will be heard at the Public Hearings.

All interested persons will be heard at the Public Hearings.

Zoning Board - Notice of Meeting Tuesday, May 21st at 6PM

NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that the Zoning Board of Appeals of the Village of Hoosick Falls will hold meeting on Tuesday, May 21st, 2024 at 6:00 p.m. at the Municipal Building, 24 Main Street, Hoosick Falls, New York, for the purpose of reviewing sign related variance requests for the Stewart's Shop monument sign for their potential future project at 129 Church Street and to review a variance request from Jasen VonGuinness to build a house at 7 Hoosick Street (in C-I zoning) and two fence applications: 44 River Street (Bedney) for a 6-foot fence in the backward, and 46 4th Street (Bailey) for a 6-foot fence around the backyard.

Notice of Zoning and Planning Board Meetings Monday April 29th 2024 at Municipal Building

NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that the Zoning Board of Appeals of the Village of Hoosick Falls will hold meeting on Monday, April 29th 2024 at 6:00 p.m. at the Municipal Building, 24 Main Street, Hoosick Falls, New York, for the purpose of reviewing three fence-related varaince requests (5 Barton Avenue, 15 Easy Street, and 99 Classic Street) and to review a variance request to build a house at 7 Hoosick Street (in C-I zoning).

NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that the Planning Board of the Village of Hoosick Falls will hold meeting on Monday, April 29th 2024 at 7:00 p.m. at the Municipal Building, 24 Main Street, Hoosick Falls, New York, for the purpose of receiving an informational update from Stewart's Shop regarding their potential future project at 129 Church Street, and to review an application for a bar and bakery at 24 Classic Street.

Notice of Special Meeting Monday, April 29th 2024 at Highway Garage

NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that a special meeting will be held by the Board of Trustees of the Village of Hoosick Falls on Monday, April 29th, 2024, commencing at 6:00 p.m. at the Highway Garage, 7 Waterworks Road, Hoosick Falls, New York, for the purpose of discussing and adopting the 2024-2025 Municipal Budget, together with any other business that may come before the Board of Trustees.

Notice of Public Hearing on Tentative 24-25 Budget

NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that a public hearing has been scheduled on the tentative budget for the fiscal year June 1, 2024 through May 31, 2025. Such tentative budget has been prepared and filed in the Office of the Village Clerk. The tentative budget is available for inspection by any interested person during regular business hours of the Office of the Village Clerk.

FURTHER NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that the Board of Trustees of the Village of Hoosick Falls shall conduct the public hearing upon such tentative budget at 6:15 pm on Wednesday, April 10th at the Hoosick Falls Highway Garage, 7 Waterworks Road, Hoosick Falls, NY, at which time all persons interested may be heard concerning the tentative budget as compiled or any item therein contained.

Tentative Budget Files: General Fund, Water Fund, or the Sewer Fund.

Notice of Special Meeting Wednesday, April 24th 2024 at Municipal Building

NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that a special meeting will be held by the Board of Trustees of the Village of Hoosick Falls on Wednesday, April 24th, commencing at 6:00 p.m. at the Hoosick Falls Village Highway Garage, 7 Waterworks Road, Hoosick Falls, New York, for the purpose of discussing and adopting the 2024-2025 Municipal Budget, together with any other business that may come before the Board of Trustees.

Notice of Special Meeting Monday, February 5th 2024 at Municipal Building

NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that a special meeting will be held by the Board of Trustees of the Village of Hoosick Falls on Monday, February 5th, 2024, commencing at 7:30 p.m. at the Ann Bornt Municipal Building, 24 Main Street, Hoosick Falls, New York, for the purpose of appointing a part-time police officer and appointing a CRRB members, together with any other business that may come before the Board of Trustees.

Notice of Special Meeting Monday, January 22nd

NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that a special meeting will be held by the Board of Trustees of the Village of Hoosick Falls on Monday, January 22, 2024, commencing at 6:00 p.m. at the Hoosick Falls Highway Garage, 7 Waterworks Road, Hoosick Falls, New York, for the purpose of appointing part-time police officers, appointing members to the Village’s Planning Board and Zoning Board of Appeals, and to introduce a local law, together with any other business that may come before the Board of Trustees.

Hoosick Falls wins $4.5 million NY Forward Program

Today, Governor Kathy Hochul announced that the Village of Hoosick Falls was one of two Capital Region winners of the NY Forward Program’s second round. Along with the Village of Schuylerville, Hoosick Falls will receive $4.5 Million through the program. Many members of the Village Board of Trustees and the committee members who worked on the 1st and 2nd round applications over the last two years were on hand for the announcement, which was held in Lake George.

Hoosick Falls Mayor Robert Allen had this to say: “On behalf of our entire community, we are elated to be the recipient of this grant and to once again partner with the state to better serve and provide for our communities. We are extremely grateful for this honor and look forward to hitting the ground running.”

“This program is the work product of an amazing group of Village leaders, community members, residents, and small business owners, many of whom have worked on this for the past two years,” Mayor Allen continued. “This group put together a proposal for the first round that included survey results from over 700 community members. After not being chosen, they immediately went to work adjusting and improving on their original proposal. The second proposal led to a guided tour on location with members of the group and many of the state committee members, which in turn led to a final round presentation where more detailed questions could be asked.”

The New York Forward Program is a relatively new program that comes on the heels of the Downtown Revitalization Initiative, or DRI. From the 2023 DRI/NYF Brochure: “New York’s downtowns are both a reflection of our past and a catalyst for future growth and revitalization. They are centers for commerce, culture, diversity, entrepreneurship, ideas, and entertainment. The DRI and NY Forward will accelerate and expand New York’s downtown revitalization. The overarching goals of the two programs are to revitalize downtowns and reinvigorate local and regional economies by creating a critical mass of vibrant downtown destinations in each region.”

“This is yet another example of the resilience, determination, and spirit that is present here in the Village of Hoosick Falls,” Mayor Allen said, reflecting on many of the past several years of events within the Village. “This is the same resilience that pushed state and federal regulators to action on PFAS water contamination, the same determination that allowed the Village to partner with the State to make significant improvements on flood mitigation after the 2017 flood, and the same spirit that recently led to the reopening of the Immaculate Conception Church in time for this year’s Christmas Eve Vigil Mass. It is a tremendous honor to be part of such an incredible and special community.”

Huge thanks and recognition go to the members of the committee who have worked for the better part of two years on this effort:

• Village Trustee Doug Sauer, the organizing and driving force behind both applications.
• Marianne Zwicklbauer, President of Hoosick Rising and a local business owner of Hoosick Provisions, who has invested incredible amounts of her time, energy, and resources into our community and its economy.
• Village Trustees Dan Schuttig and Kevin O’Malley, who were active members for most of the duration, the latter of which was the first to advocate for the Village to pursue this program.
• Samantha Graves, our grant writer, for her incredible and beautiful work that encapsulated our vision for this grant.
• The remaining Village Board members: Deputy Mayor Robert Ryan, Trustee Megan Walraed, local business owner and Trustee Deb Alter, and former Board Member Robert Decker.
• Trish Bloomer, local business owner of the Sand Bar.
• Barbara Sussman and Jayne Stokes of the non-profit CiviCure, which owns the Wood Block building.
• The Hoosic River Greenway Committee, led by Paula Kamerman.
• James Monahan, local resident and part owner of the Thorpes Block.
• Yucel Erdogan and Ilze Melngailis of the Byte building on John Street.
• Craig Kennedy, community member and Vice President of AOW Construction.
• Jasen VonGuinness, local resident and business owner of UniHog.
• Mike Willemsen, community member and developer of the Salluzzo Building.
• Mike Danforth, local resident.
• Janet Spitz, local business owner of Hoosick Falls Jewelry.
• Aaron Buzzinski, local resident and owner of Wilders Cabinet
• Jamie Jerome, owner of the Hoosick Falls Country Club.
• All those who provided letters of support, including Rensselaer County Executive Steven McLaughlin, Rensselaer County Office of the Majority, Town of Hoosick Supervisor Mark Surdam, President and CEO of Southwestern Vermont Medical Thomas Dee, Abigail Brown of Brown’s Brewing Company, and Christian Marsh of Marsh Hometown Realty LLC.
• The over 700 community members who responded to the committee’s survey, many of which were local high school students and residents.

More information on the New York Forward Grant Program, and the Village’s application and presentations, will be available on the Village website.

The Governor’s Press Release can be found here.

Village announces the retirement of Police Chief Tim Colaneri

Hoosick Falls Police Chief Tim Colaneri has announced his intention to retire at the end of 2023 to the Village Board and the Hoosick Falls Police Department, bringing a close a career in law enforcement that spanned four decades. “I am truly humbled and grateful to have been part of such a great community,” he said. “I am looking forward to enjoying my retirement with my family and friends,” and pointed out one of the things he is most excited about: spending time with the newest additions to his family: twin boy grandchildren.

Hoosick Falls Mayor Robert Allen thanked Chief Colaneri for his service to law enforcement and for bringing his experience to the HFPD and called the news bittersweet. “I am very sad to be losing you as our Chief and grateful for the time you spent with us… giving us a new direction and new priorities. You will be missed. At the same time, if there is ever a great reason to step back and out of employment, it is for the wonderful role of grandfather!”

Tim Colaneri began his law enforcement career in the Troy Police Department, where he rose through the ranks as an Evidence Technician, a member of the Police Color Guard, a 16-year member of the SWAT Emergency Response Team as a Police Sniper, a Sergeant, and a Detective. Before his retirement from the Troy PD in the spring of 2023, he had worked in multiple areas within the department, including the Domestic Violence Unit, the Street Crimes Unit, and the Community Police Unit. He retired in May of 2023, and thereafter interviewed and was appointed the Chief of Police of the HFPD.

“Even though [Chief Colaneri’s] time leading the HFPD was shorter than we all had hoped,” Mayor Allen said, “he was able to set a new trajectory quickly and successfully for the department, help us establish short-term and long-term priorities, and work well with our officers, Trustees, and community members, all with the aim of better supporting the HFPD and their work.”

HFPD Sergeant John Hudson will be appointed as the Officer-In-Charge of the Hoosick Falls Police Department, where he plans to continue the same initiatives that Chief Colaneri set for the department.

Chief Colaneri had some parting words of advice for members of the HFPD: “Continue to be humble and proud that you protect our citizens and always display integrity, show kindness to your fellow officers and to the public. Never forget: our job is to serve and protect. I wish all of you success in this amazing journey and I know that you will continue to make me proud.”

The Village again thanks Chief Colaneri for lending his time, experience, wisdom, and leadership to the Hoosick Falls Police Department and our community. Congratulations to you and your entire family on your retirement and your new role as a grandfather!