Despite flooding which literally put a damper on village and city projects, mayors from Greene, Oxford and Norwich say 2006 was a year of growth and improvements.
Greene mayor, John Bennett explains flooding hampered projects and impacted families oftentimes more than once in the village this year but says he was grateful no serious injuries or fatalities occurred. Throughout the year Greene has seen many improvements and additions. The fire station was dedicated and substantial work to the municipality electric systems got underway.
The Raymond Corporation has a 66,000 foot expansion currently in the works and Bennett says business’s have moved into the area with a high success rate. With the opening of a new restaurant, Nathan Greene’s Publik House, a new formal shop and music shop have made business in the village boom. He says projects are moving forward.
The village of Oxford has seen significant changes as well says mayor, Terry Stark. The biggest project in 2006 was the completion of putting what the village calls well number 3 on-line.
“Getting the well up and running has been a project we have been working on for almost 10 years, now that it is complete water will not be an issue for many years to come,” Stark said.
The new pump provides 30 million gallons of water a year to the village and Stark says it is well suited for the future. Along with the new pump the village tax payers contributed $120,000 for a new ambulance. The floods in June and again in November Stark says, cost the village between $20-30,000 in damages but he says compared to many other places in the county, Oxford was not hit that badly.
“The state and county have been a great help with flood damages and reimbursements,” he said.
Another project currently underway is the replacement of the bridge in Oxford. Design plans are currently being reviewed and the estimated completion date for the project is for 2008. Stark says the village also just received a $7,500 grant from the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) for the planting of trees in the village. The program called “Village trees” in Oxford works to plant trees between curbs and sidewalks.
Stark says Oxford has seen growth throughout the year and says the future looks good.
Norwich Mayor, Joseph Maiurano says the city has seen growth in business with the opening of many new store fronts. He says people are aggressively working to get business booming downtown and have done a great job. He says he is also continually trying to utilize his time to provide new ideas to help save the tax payers money regarding sales, property and other taxes.
The flooding like in many areas of the county this year took a considerable amount of time and money from the city. Maiurano says flooding slowed the progress in some aspects but overall the city worked together and continues to work together to get damages repaired. The Canaswacta Creek Dam is an area still ongoing after June flooding and he says he checks the dam every few days to keep track of when removal can take place.
Golden age apartments has seen major upgrading and remodeling this year and there are homes being built throughout the city says Maiurano.
The most important aspect to running any village or city, Maiurano says is to have a sense of cooperation with all parties involved. He wants the city to continue to go in the right direction and everything takes time, but he ensures it all gets done. Maiurano says his motto still remains; “ everything needs to be done in a positive manner.”