Mayor Newhard offers the ‘state of the village' message

Warwick — The 2005-06 fiscal year in the Village of Warwick saw a decrease in taxes, nature’s fury wreak havoc and a new Zoning Code nearing completion. Mayor Michael Newhard gave his state of the village address last week. “The State of the Village address is a way of recognizing village activities over the past year,” said Newhard. “This report is also to recognize the organic quality of local government. Government is constantly interpreting, re-accessing and evaluating the significance of local law and policy for its citizens. No easy task but essentially a non-partisan display of true representation.” During the year, the village and town renegotiated the police contract for the village. Since the village and town police departments merged over a decade ago, the village contracts for police services through the town. This year it was done differently, resulting in a savings of $160,000 for the village. Most police charges for the village are now billed on homeowners’ town tax bills. The new police contract, combined with paying down debt in the village’s sewer and water department budgets, lowered taxes across the board for the upcoming fiscal year. This past year also brought with it some trying times, thanks to Mother Nature. Two one-hundred-year storms occurred, resulting in horrific flooding. Newhard thanked the Department of Public Works, which worked alongside the Fire Department and the police, to restore order. “I believe we have a great team of men whose individual talent makes a stronger whole,” said Newhard of the DPW. Infrastructure The village completed streets and sidewalks on Van Buren Street and Howe Street that were partially funded by Housing and Urban Development grants. The final phase of the sidewalk project is Division Street, which will be done this year. Water is an issue throughout the village for one reason or another. Much has been done over the past year to improve situations in many neighborhoods, according to Newhard. The village struck an agreement with developer Jonah Mandelbaum to reconstruct a new drainage system that will run from the Liberty Green site through Pond Hill at a cost of $200,000. Mandelbaum is building the Liberty Green development, a subsidized senior rental community that has received final approval from the Planning Board. The village has begun to develop a new purification system for one of its wells because of higher purification requirements from the state. The old, outdated sewer pump station at Village Green Court in Homestead Village was completely replaced with higher efficiency equipment. This was done as part of a contractual agreement with Leyland Alliance, developers of Warwick Grove. The village had chronic problems of overflow at Village Green Court and Park Lane. The Park Lane issue will be analyzed this coming year to pinpoint the failure in the system and hopefully be repaired. Traveling down Main Street and South Street is a little smoother now that Norfolk Southern Railroad upgraded its crossings after years of chronic problems. The crossing at Forester Avenue is currently being worked on. The Village Board and Planning Board have been working together to rewrite the Zoning Code so that it reflects the Comprehensive Plan. That project is nearing completion, Newhard said. Working with local businesses Newhard made note of the creation of an Independent Business Alliance here in Warwick. “The changing business climate which involves retail expansion in our region, globalization, and internet sales are all having a marked effect on our local economy,” Newhard said. “Even with the expansion and growth within our business district, success rate, as well as economic diversity, remains a problem. Locally, an Independent Business Alliance has been formed to help educate the public on the importance of shopping locally.” The board is included in that. Newhard mentioned the village’s decision to lease trucks from a Ford dealership in Rockland County. The village took some heat for it from some local business owners, including Leo Kaytes, owner of Leo Kaytes Ford. “It is clear that as a representative board we must support the businesses that support us,” Newhard said. “Clearly, we together as a community must say loud and clear to our local businesses — our hard-working small businesses — that we are in it together and that their success will be our success. Together we will make a stronger and better Warwick for everyone.” The announcement that Georgia Pacific will close its Warwick facility has shaken the village. At the same time, Warwick Valley Communications has begun downsizing. “Luckily, Warwick is a quality community that I believe by its strong foundation can weather these storms,” Newhard said. He also thanked the village employees for their hard work throughout the year, including the Department of Public Works, Village Hall staff and the building inspector. ‘Place we call home’ “The coming year is rich with unexpected and daily challenges, projects, goals, large and small,” said Newhard as he completed his address. “In a recently published article about our village in the New York Council of Mayors bulletin I wrote this: What is loved about this village is not only its physical beauty, but its people. The Village is simply a stage set, without the actors that create it vitality. The best form of government is driven by an active, caring and responsive citizenry. The residents of this village are just that. The government that spans generations embraces the preservation of village life, historic fabric, rural values and love for the place we call home.”