Village of Bloomfield Newsletter

From the Office of the Mayor

TTY 1-800-662-1220

January 2008 

FIRE HYDRANTS

Please adopt a hydrant. Keeping snow away from a fire hydrant can save time in an emergency. It only takes a few minutes to locate a hydrant near your home and shovel it clean.

SNOWMOBILES

 There are state laws that regulate the use of snowmobiles on the road.  There is a village law that prohibits snowmobiles and ATV's from operation on village sidewalks. It has also been observed that some snowmobilers have been operating their sleds on private property. Please be courteous to your neighbors, ride your sleds appropriately.

VILLAGE ELECTIONS

The annual village elections will be held on Tuesday, March 18TH from Noon to 9 PM in the Town Hall, 99 Main Street. Two trustee positions, currently held by Mark Falsone and Tim Charlebois, are up for election this year. Anyone interested in running for a village position should contact the village clerk at her office at 12 Main St. to obtain a petition and complete details.

                                       '08-09 BUDGET

January is the month when village officials start working on the village budget. If you have any suggestions for improvements please contact the Mayor, Dan Kwarta.

                                                                                          TREE TRIMMING

Annually the village has all the trees in the village right of way evaluated. By doing so the village maintains healthy trees and removes the trees and branches in trees that could cause danger during an ice or wind storm. This policy protects property within the village and keeps electricity to residents. In discussing tree maintenance with our consultants, they suggest that trees on private property be evaluated about every 5 years and trimmed as needed.  This suggestion may be of assistance to village residents in preventing any damage to their property.

                                         HOLIDAY CHEER

A special THANK YOU to the Bloomfield Garden Club, the Gardening Angels and the tree lighting elves for decorating the village this holiday season. If you would be interested in joining either one of these groups, contact the village and we will refer you to a member.

 

                                                  SUSPICIOUS ACTIVITIES

With the current terrorism alerts and the overall awareness needed in every community we are encouraging residents to report any suspicious activity to the Sheriff's office by calling 911. The village is especially concerned about unauthorized individuals being around the water and sewer facilities.  If anyone sees activity around these village facilities and is not sure why they are there, please call 911 and report the activity. 

                                       WATER WORKS

The village is under orders from the Department of Health (DOH) to make improvements to the Oakmount water system. The village is presently having a contractor work on the approved improvements to the system.  This includes cleaning of the wells and streams, testing the water supply to insure purity and to insure that no surface water gets directly into the system.  They are also looking to make sure the facilities are properly secure.  The board is also looking for additional water sources at the Michigan St. site. The DOH would like the village to have an ample supply of water in reserve in case of an emergency including a drought

HANDICAPPED PARKING PERMITS

State regulations insist that residents of the village obtain their Handicapped Parking Permits from the village clerk. For further information contact the village clerk.

SNOW REMOVAL

The village through its annual budget plows the sidewalks of the village.  These walks are plowed by 7:30 AM and again by 2:30 PM Monday through Friday.  They are plowed on the weekend as needed. The village board does not wish to shift the burden of sidewalk snow removal onto the property owner.  The concern that has arisen is that when a driveway is plowed, snow is placed on the sidewalk and makes it difficult for the pedestrian to use the sidewalk.  Please make an effort to keep the walk clean after the driveway plow removes the snow.

Please be aware that Article 33, Section 1219 of the Vehicle and Traffic Law does prohibit injurious substances onto the highway. This includes snow.  Recently, snow from driveways has been plowed across highways. This practice is illegal creating a hazard on the highway and can also cause property damage to the neighbor.  Please be aware of these regulations and be a good neighbor when removing snow.

 

HOME MAINTENANCE LAW

The State of New York has updated its property maintenance law.  In the law it covers almost all aspects of maintenance except for graffiti.  The village board has asked the planning board is studying the state law and to make recommendation regarding this issue. The state maintenance law and any local law will be enforced by the code enforcement officer.  Any questions, concerns or complaints should be forwarded to the code enforcement officer with a copy to the village office.

     

RECREATIONAL NEEDS

What are the recreational needs of the village residents?  The village has land next to the sewer treatment plant that it would like to use for recreational purposes. What would be best for the space? Send your comments and suggestions to the mayor at the address in the banner.

SUMP PUMPS

Is your sump pump hooked up properly?  If you're not sure the village will conduct a free inspection to check hookups. Call the WWTP at 657-7319 to make arrangements.

LISTEN-IN

The mayor is scheduling his quarterly listen-in for Wednesday, January 30th from 6 to 7 PM at the village office, 12 Main Street.

                                                                              PUBLIC NOTICE

The village of Bloomfield is an equal opportunity employer without regard to sex, age, or color. The Village of Bloomfield is an equal national origin or handicap. 

BUILDING PERMITS

Some individuals are unaware that building permits are required in the village for a number of projects.  These permits are required to insure that the state building codes and local building requirements are met.  They also insure the safety of the current residents and inform prospective buyers that all codes have been met. Recently, we have had a number of lawyers, acting for a new home purchaser, ask for permits that go back a number of years to make sure that all codes have been followed and proper papers filed.  This is done to insure that the client will be purchasing a home that meets standards and is not in violation of any building regulations.   So when in doubt about a permit call the Code Enforcement Officer at 657-5455 and ask if a permit is required.   Here are some areas that need permits: building a house, additions to a house, some alteration to a house, woodstoves, fireplace, chimney, wood burning device, swimming pool, signs, roofing, fence, demolition of a building, utility sheds, bulk storage, fill.  

DPW CHANGES

The village Board of Trustees has appointed 20 year employee Jeff Henehan to the position of Public Works Supervisor.  His seniority, experience in the field and administrative ability lead the board to its selection.  The Board has also hired Brian Steemburn who resides in Bloomfield to the vacant position as a Sewer Treatment Plant Trainee.  Brian was selected by a committee that had 35 applicants for the position.   Congratulations to Jeff and Brian.

HOUSE NUMBERS

It is a requirement that all residences within the village have at least 4 inch numbers in a contrasting color that are visible from the road on their residence.  Numbers written in words are not allowed.  This is to insure your safety in case of an emergency.

                                              RECYCLE

Christmas trees and other tree limbs can be taken to the WWTP for recycling. The location is well marked. The trees will be mulched and the mulch available for use in the spring, 

BLOOMFIELD LION’S CLUB

The Lion’s Club of Bloomfield has fun while helping others, primarily in the areas of sight and hearing.  Their goal for 2008 is to increase community awareness of the club, their activities both locally and internationally, and to increase membership.  They encourage any business person and individuals, both men and women, of the community to join them at one of their meetings to learn first hand just how involved the Lions are in Bloomfield.  The club meets the 1st and 3rd Wednesday of each month with an evening dinner meeting at a local restaurant.   Call President Barb Thorpe (657-6358) or Secretary Karl Smith (657-7813) and arrange an evening with the club. You will enjoy the experience.

BLOOMFIELD ROTARY

The  Bloomfield Rotary club meets on Monday’s for breakfast at St. Bridget’s parish hall at 7:30 AM.  The object of Rotary is to encourage and foster the idea of service as a basis of worthy enterprise. The Bloomfield Rotary sponsors a number of local activities and internationally is working to eliminate polio in the world. Increasing community awareness of their activities both locally and internationally is part of their goals for this year. Anyone interested in discovering Rotary in The Bloomfield’s is invited to attend a Monday breakfast or can contact the membership chairman Don Cicchino at 301-0320. 

AMERICAN LEGION SPAGHETTI DINNER

Spaghetti Dinners continue!! Come and enjoy a fine Italian Spaghetti Dinner on the 2nd Wednesday of the month from 5:00 until 7:30 PM (includes spaghetti, meatballs, Italian bread, salad and ice-cream). The price is only $7.00 for adults, $3.00 for children 12 and under, and free for pre-school children. Enjoy a dinner with some old friends and support the programs sponsored by the American Legion.  (Proceeds support local Veteran’s and community activities).

AGEING INFRASTRUACTURE

 The village has completed the water line replacement on Elm Street and is presently evaluating the other lines in the village that need to be replaced. The village systems were installed in the mid 1930 and are starting to fail.  The sewer treatment plant that was completed in 1966 is also starting to show its age. Mechanical equipment in the facility is in need of replacement.  The Superintendent of Public works and the Village engineer are evaluating the infrastructure of the village and will be making recommendations to upgrade our infrastructure.

                                                        TOWN AND VILLAGE PHONE NUMBERS

Town Hall       657-6515          Town Court     657-7248

Town High.     657-7727         Town Super.    657-7700     

Code enforce.  657-5455         Assessor          657-7368

Village office  657-7554          Village fax      657-7554

Village DPW   657-7319          DPW fax         657-7211

DID YOU KNOW?

Pedestrians have the right of way on sidewalks. The driver of a vehicle emerging from or entering an alleyway, building, private road or driveway must yield the right of way to any pedestrian approaching on any sidewalk extending across such alleyway, building entrance, road or driveway.(Vehicle and Traffic Law Art.27, 1151-a)

                                                              CABLE  TV

Is your cable TV reception poor?  Is there a problem with your receiver?  Do you wish to have additional service? One of the items mentioned is improving service to the users. If you have service concerns call Time Warner at 1-800-756-7956.

LEGAL NOTICES

What is the purpose of legal notices?  Why does a person applying for a variance or planning a project within the village send me a letter or visit my house?  A legal notice is required by law to inform individuals that there is a planned change within the village or neighborhood. If a person sends you a letter or visits your home and asks you to sign a paper, it only means that the person has informed you of their plans. You do not have to agree or disagree with the proposal/variance.  Your signature indicates that you have been contacted by the individual.

You do not have to agree or disagree with the variance.  Individuals that agree usually do not attend the meeting scheduled to discuss the change. Those that disagree, usually attend the meeting. The village boards encourage all interested parties to attend the meeting.   This is where your voice can be heard.  If you can not attend you can send a letter BEFORE the scheduled meeting. Your letter will be entered into the records.  The village attempts to keep the residents informed to the best of our ability according to the law. We request your participation at the meetings so that the boards will hear all sides of an issue before a decision is made.

                                             PARKING

There is NO parking on village streets from 2 AM to 6 AM year around. This time of the year it is important to comply so snow plows can properly clean the streets. The Sheriffs Department has been asked to enforce this overnight parking regulation.

MEDICINE CABINET CLEANING

When cleaning out our old medicines, what do you do with them?   It is recommended that they be placed in the trash and not flushed down the drain.   Some medicines that are placed into the sewer system can kill the bacteria that we use to clean the water at the sewer plant. Some medications that get into the water system are harmful to plants and wildlife that live near the stream.  Please dispose of you medicines properly and DO NOT put them down the drain