Village of Gilbertsville Clerk’s Office

In response to COVID-19 the Village of Gilbertsville Clerk’s Office will be closed to the public, we apologize for any inconvenience, but our number one goal is to keep our community safe. If you do have questions or concerns regarding Village business please contact the office at (607) 783-2440

 email us at clerk@gilbertsvilleny.org or email me at mmuller20@gmail.com- we will get back to you within 2 business days.

 Thank you all for your understanding during this time and bear with us as we try to make sure everyone is safe during these uncertain times. We will update the Community on when we will re-open the office and any other information that might be pertinent.

(​CORVID-19 Updates)

Village Meeting 3/16/2020

Gilbertsville Village Update on Coronavirus (COVID-19)

As the Coronavirus (COVID-19) continues to spread, Village officials will keep abreast of the latest reports and advisories from the New York State Department of Health and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The CDC webpage “Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) in the U.S.” will be regularly updated at noon Monday through Friday
In addition, we are coordinating with the public health response with our county health department. We will take care to provide information that comes directly from either the CDC, the New York State Department of Health, or their local county health department.
Per the New York State Department of Health, while there is currently no vaccine to prevent this virus, the following steps can help stop the spread of COVID-19 and other respiratory viruses:

• Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds. If soap and water are not available, use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer.
• Avoid touching your eyes, nose and mouth with unwashed hands.
• Avoid close contact with people who are sick.
• Stay home when you are sick.
• Cover your cough or sneeze with a tissue, then throw the tissue in the trash.
• Clean and disinfect frequently touched objects and surfaces. 

As always be safe and don't hesitate to email me at mmuller20@gmail.com.

On Monday evening, March 16th, Governor Cuomo announced that he was postponing the March 18th village elections

Village has a Trustee position up for re-election.   The Trustees and I have passed a resolution on March 16th to have a special election on May 19th.  If you are interested in running please contact the village office and leave a message.

The press release may be viewed online at https://www.governor.ny.gov/news/amid-covid-19-pandemic-governor-cuomo-issues-executive-order-delaying-village-elections.

Monday 3/16/2020 Village Meeting

Monday 3/16/2020 Village Meeting

Governor Cuomo has suspended the Open Meetings Law to restrict the public from physically attending meetings of public bodies.  We will be conducting the meeting remotely by video. 

Meetings of Public Bodies

As mentioned above, Governor Cuomo has suspended the Open Meetings Law to allow Villages to restrict the public from physically attending meetings of the Village. According to Governor Cuomo (Updated March 13, 2020) the Village must provide the public the ability to view or listen to such meetings and must record such meetings.

After discussion with the Trustees, We have decided to adhire to Governor Cuomo's advice and restrict the public from physically attending Monday's Village Meeting. We will provide a video recording of the meeting here on the blog. Available on Tuesday.

Local Government Response to COVID‐19

Local Government Response to COVID‐19

On March 13, 2020, Governor Cuomo issued Executive Order No. 202.1 which suspends Article 7 of the Public Officers Law (also known as the Open Meetings Law), to the extent necessary to permit any public body to meet and take such actions authorized by law without allowing the public to be physically present at the meeting. The order also authorizes public bodies to meet remotely by conference call or similar service.  If a public body restricts in‐person access to its meetings or conducts a meeting remotely by conference call or similar service, the public body must provide the public the ability to view or listen to such meetings and must record and later transcribe such meetings. The Executive Order also requires that events with 500 or more attendees be cancelled or postponed for a minimum of 30 days. Additionally, events, gatherings, and places of business or public accommodation for which anticipated attendance is less than 500 attendees operate at 50 percent occupancy or capacity for 30 days, effective March 13, 2020. These directives do not apply to a school, hospital, nursing home, other medical office or facility as determined by the Commissioner of Health, mass transit or mass transit facility, governmental facility, law enforcement facility, or retail establishments including grocery stores. Additionally, the Commissioner of Health may allow for businesses that are not public gathering spaces to exceed 500 persons if the occupancy is less than 50 percent capacity, subject to public health review.
A copy of the Governor’s Executive Orders may be viewed online at
www.governor.ny.gov/executiveorders.

 
There continues to be no nationwide or statewide standards or guidelines for how local governments specifically should be responding to the COVID‐19 outbreak.
Consequently, local government officials should be working with their county boards of health to coordinate their response to the COVID‐19 virus. While in some instances communities may be able to contain outbreaks of COVID‐19, the current goal of addressing COVID‐19, as articulated by the CDC and the NYS Department of Health, is to mitigate against the spread of the virus and reduce its rate of transmission.

Personal Conduct

The current advice from the CDC and the NYS Department of Health is as follows:
1. Individuals should frequently wash their hands with soap and water for at least 20 seconds. If
soap and water are not available, individuals should use an alcohol‐based hand sanitizer.
2. Individuals should avoid touching their eyes, nose and mouth with unwashed hands.
3. Individuals should avoid close contact with people who are sick.
4. Individuals should stay home when they are sick.
5. Individuals should cover their cough or sneeze with a tissue, then throw the tissue in the trash.
6. Touched objects and surfaces should be frequently cleaned and disinfected.

Annual Budget Development Overview and Information.

The budget is approved annually by the Village Board in compliance with the Village Charter and municipal code and includes detailed information about anticipated revenues and expenditures for the coming fiscal year which spans from May 1 to the end of April. Guided by the policies, priorities and goals of the Village Board and the Village’s Strategic Plan, the budget is the single most important policy document produced by the Village each year. The revenues and expenditures are broken down by the various operating, enterprise, fiduciary and special funds that comprise the total spending plan.  I will be presenting the preliminary budget to the board mid -March for the tentative budget.  Next, I will put the preliminary budget in after discussion with the board, by April 10^th.  Followed by a Public Hearing Notice in the Daily Star for 5 days, after that time, the public can view the budget on our website or the Village Office.  Final Adoption of the budget will be by May 1^st.

This is a very crucial budget for Gilbertsville.  It will be setting a base rate for the water project. Keeping in mind the past administration has taken out a 2.8 million dollar no interest loan, that must be paid back, at a rate of $68,000.00/year for 30 years, which the village approved. This is a cost for the water project regardless of the amount of water used.  We are calculating this to be $85.00/quarter/user. 

Next, cost will be $45/quarter for 7500 gallons.  This is just a starting spot before we meter.  This number is based from several municipalities our size throughout the state.  This number will change based on your personal usage.

Finally, for every 1000 gallons over 7500 gallons, the cost will be $6.00/1000 gallons of water metered.

Everything else in the budget should remain the same with some adjustment based on price increases for supplies.
I will continue to keep you informed as we move forward.  

Happy Spring!

Happy Spring!!!

Now that winter has let up on its grasp, the construction season is very close and restoration from the water project will start again in earnest. The biggest and most prominent project in Gilbertsville is the total restoration of your lawns and streets. The project has a significant impact on many of us in the community. Every effort will be made to minimize the impact on village businesses, the residents and the public. However, do be mindful that it is impossible to have a project of this magnitude without having some impact as well as some significant impacts. A huge thank you to all involved. We will make sure that full restoration from the water project will be made.  Thanks again for your patience.  Almost all the meters have been installed at this point.  Thank you for all your support for this very difficult task.  The Manganese Plant is a building that needs to serve Gilbertsville community for many, many years, and is nearing completion.  We plan to put the plant into operation and start testing the water and get State Approval by May 1^st (maybe before). 

Hydrant Flushing will begin March, 19^th.  This should be the start of better water for us all. 

May 1^st – Projected date for Manganese Plant and new water source to be started. (dependent on state testing)

As soon as the weather breaks restoration on lawns and streets will begin.  I will be keeping Job Corps for our sidewalks again this year.  (We are looking to use CHIPS (Consolidated Local Street and Highway Improvement Program) money to help restore Spring Street.

Just a quick note:

 For those of you who want accurate and vetted information about Covid-19 the best source (and the one that all other levels of government are referring to) is the CDC website which you can access HERE. The CDC site has a tremendous amount of information - there is specific guidance for schools, pregnant women and children, and businesses.  There is also a section with protocols for first responders and health care providers. 

 Now that Winter is behind us, we are ready to welcome Spring and Summer and embrace the outdoor events and activities that come along with it!