Hyde Park’s Town Board generally votes in agreement on most resolutions, but Nov. 24, they broke tradition and offered dissenting votes on whether or not to accept bids for the sale of surplus vehicles.
Prior to Monday night’s vote, Walt Doyle, Hyde Park’s Superintendent of Highways, asked the board to reconsider a resolution rejecting bids for several surplus vehicles.
“Don’t reject all bids,” asked Doyle, who explained that several older vehicles that are no longer being used are stored at the Highway Department. “There’s no sense in this stuff sitting out in the yard for a whole other year,” he said. Dutchess County did not hold its annual surplus auction, leaving local municipalities to sell surplus merchandise and vehicles on their own accord. Doyle explained that the town received offers from one bidder, and while the dollar amount was lower than the town had hoped for, he would like to see some of the vehicles sold.
“At least I would like to see the Jeep and dump truck awarded,” said Doyle.
Board member Valerie Hail (D-2nd Ward) agreed with Doyle. “Let the Jeep and dump truck go, and keep the roller for a higher bid,” she said.
Hannah Black (D-3rd Ward) suggested putting the items up for a second bid rather than wait for the next county auction. “All three bids, we felt, were too low,” explained Black. In the end, the board voted 4-1 to reject all bids for surplus vehicles, with Hail the dissenting vote. The town will now decide whether to offer a second bidding process to sell the vehicles or wait until the county holds another auction.
Stop sign gets a no vote
The “no” votes were cast for a resolution to set a public hearing to add a stop sign at Franklin Road in the Harbourd Hills neighborhood. The Town Board has been considering several new stop signs in Hyde Park and Supervisor Pompey Delafield (D) prepared the first vote for Monday’s meeting.
Board member Rich Perkins (I-4th Ward) said he’d prefer to have one vote that would include all pending stop sign additions. “Let’s set up one meeting and do it all,” said Perkins before casting his no vote on resolution No. 6. All members agreed to wait, casting no votes across the board.
Roofing work moving forward
The board changed a resolution at the last minute, authorizing a contract for analysis of the insulation on the town hall’s roof. According to Delafield, Town Engineer Pete Setaro has already received three quotes to perform a moisture density test. The roof has been leaking and showing signs of deterioration, and the town needs to determine how much moisture has been collecting in the roof’s insulation. After reviewing bids, Setaro recommended the town hire Infrared Analyzers, Inc. at a rate of $1,550 to commence moisture testing.
Greenfields District improvements OK’d
Delafield was surprised that residents did not show up at Monday’s meeting to voice public comment on a proposal to improve facilities at the Greenfields sewer district. When no comments were offered, the town voted to spend up to $260,000 to improve the sewer facilities, including the replacement of sludge holding tanks, piping and other improvements.
Fate of town hall Nativity scene
Hyde Park resident Eileen Neville spoke at Monday’s meeting to voice her concern that the Nativity scene return to town hall this holiday season. Neville had volunteered to lead a committee to review various faith-based displays, and said she’d been in contact with the town hall staff and was told no progress had been made. Delafield assured Neville that he has been addressing the issue of displays on town hall property. “We’ve gotten the principles together,” said Delafield, who did not provide further information as to whether the nativity would return to its spot on the town hall lawn.