Established a TOWN EMAIL delivered most Fridays of the year; now have over 100 members on the list; all welcome to sign up on our new WEBSITE which we got up and running as well.

Passed Cold War Veterans Real Property Tax Law Exemption

Lease with Library

Began setting up the first of 3 forums with the Durst Organization with the result that they are re-designing the entire project as a passive solar healthy lifestyle resort/development. Project Manager Lisa Baker has been coming to town ever since, meeting with people at various locations to discuss their ideas. This will continue.  We are in touch with her on a weekly basis.

Became a Climate Smart Community. As part of this, we installed an EV Charging Station behind the bank as a way to draw people with elector cars—who are often healthy lifestyle folks—to visit our town. Because it takes a few hours to charge the cars, they stay and eat and shop. Drew attended Climate Smart Code Enforcement, and we approved LED lighting for the rest of our lights which will be a savings of about $6000/year in utility costs.

Passed our Trails Report which paves the way for zoning creation of trails

Passed a Deferred Compensation Plan for town employees and a short-term disability insurance program.

Saw the County repair our bridge on Route 83 and the State repair the west side of 199.

Bought tasers with a grant for PD and created Taser Policy; hired Michael Belliveau to the Town Police; and hired Kerry Yamashita as special prosecutor for our court. Her work has cleaned up the process for us and we are really lucky to have her. 

Water Dept dealt with numerous leaks and bad meters and saved town a lot of money. 

Wilson Endurance took over the Triathlon; very well run and they hope for a bigger turnout this year. Events like this are a part of our economic development.

PPMH is also a part of our economic development. Contrary to what some people believe, this is a 501c3 enterprise, not a profit-making organization, but a charitable one. It is a real gift to Pine Plains and something everyone can be a part of and contribute to either monetarily or with work. It will bring concert-goers and art lovers to town as well as music and art. 

Once again our Summer Camp was awesome, and the added middle school program was very successful. We re-paved the basketball court and added Pickleball to its capacity. We bought and installed an ice rink at the ball fields which is already very popular.  

We are trying to buy the Ruth Pulver House on the north side of the municipal parking lot, and await very slow response on this.

We made a deal with American Tower to lease our cell tower for the next 40 years. Helped add Dutchess Views Farm to the Land Conservancy and still have not sold the Old Library. We did shut it down this winter in order to save approximately $2400 in utility costs.

We created additional Town Board Workshop meetings every month, which have tackled highway department issues, solar law, etc.

We started a Town Clean-up Day to which Lenny Liberta donated the dumpsters. This was very successful and we plan to do it every year from now on. The brush pile was finally chipped up and townsfolk invited to take what they want for their gardens. 

A family of beavers was apprehended cutting the ropes at the beach. Due to the high cost of incarceration it was determined that they be transported to higher ground. 

New town signs were built and installed by Anthony Silvia for cost as an expression of his love for Pine Plains.

We passed resolutions to create Saturday hours for the Town Clerk—2nd and 4th from 10-12—come see Judy or she’ll be lonely—and to repair the beach septic system. 

We passed an updates sexual harassment policy and a new Investment Policy and invested our Fund Balance at a rate of over 2%, which could garner as much as $20,000 year revenue for the town. Bought a new Tractor for the Highways Dept. Invited a CAPE drug addiction counselor to town with the help of Gregg Pulver for funding.

Businesses have been sponsoring banners at the recreation fields.

Thanks to the following people for all their dedication to Pine Plains: outgoing Christi Acker, Nancy Proper, Bob Cordella, Kathy Rigano and Peter Salerno and incoming Ibis Guzman, Tricia Devine, Lori Patricola, Sandy Koch and Lynda Wisdo. Jim Mara will step down as chair of our assessors to be replaced by Rich Diaz. Our gratitude to both men.

Thank you go to Anthony Silvia for our beautiful new town signs;

to George McGhee for re-painting our historic signs; 

to Lenny Liberta for all his help with Town Clean-up Day; Vinnie Parliman and Mike Coons for their help that day as well, and everyone who brought their junk to the dumpsters; 

to Dennis Williams for maintaining our town clock after the death of Greg McEldowney; 

and to our fire department for their dedication to our citizens in need, our highway department ditto, our police department, all our volunteers and board members for your energy and wisdom: you keep Pine Plains running well and happily and make it the wonderful place that it is.