Hyde Park’s town leaders conducted a swift Town Board meeting on Feb. 25, approving numerous resolutions and capping final details to put a close to the town’s landfill remediation project. The board adopted a local law regarding electronic data submission to the planning board; renewed salvage yard, used motor vehicle and mobile home licenses and authorized additional service to town Web master, Steve Hughes, to create an email registry and notification system via the town’s Web site.
Police/court facility
Supervisor Pompey Delafield (D) addressed the revised police/court facility plan, stating that the price tag of $4,876,200 proposed by the police/court advisory committee may not be received well by some voters. “The committee has been working extremely hard,” said Delafield of the volunteer committee, led by Bob Kampf. “They’ve done a wonderful job cutting costs,” said Delafield, who noted that inflation keeps driving up construction expenses.
Delafield said that at least another $500,000 would need to be trimmed from the project budget before the Town Board could consider presenting the plan to voters, and suggested the committee bring revised plans to the March 10 workshop meeting.
Last July, voters defeated a $5.5 million project to build a new police and court facility on Cardinal Road. “We’ve got the try to get at least $500,000 out of the budget. It’s tremendously hard for the committee to do that,” said Delafield.
“It’s doable,” replied Kampf.
Skate park
The skate park project at Hackett Hill is moving along, and the town’s recreation department is seeking a grant from the Tony Hawk Foundation for $25,000 in assistance. The Town Board authorized Delafield to sign the grant application, which, if approved, would apply to construction costs.
The recreation department is hoping the second time is a charm, as they applied for the grant once before without success. “I think we have a good shot at this grant,” said Councilman Robert Linville (D-1st Ward).
Tony Hawk, one of the world’s best known professional skateboarders, established the foundation in 2002 to develop quality places for children “to practice the sport that gives them much-needed exercise and a sense of self-esteem.” Since its inception, more than 180 municipalities and organizations have opened skate parks with assistance from the Tony Hawk Foundation.