This past week I gave testimony to the Public Service Commission at a virtual public statement hearing about the availability, reliability and affordability of broadband infrastructure in NY.  The testimony was written by Town of Essex Supervisor Ken Hughes based on discussions we have been having around the county and here in the Town of Jay.  I was only able to talk for 3 minutes, so I uploaded the much more detailed version to be part of the testimony.  I will continue to take opportunities like this to advocate for more reliable broadband and cell phone coverage in the Town of Jay and Essex County.

This week we held our first Parks Committee meeting of the year.  We discussed volunteer days to clean up our parks in the Town of Jay.  April 29^th we plan to clean the park in Upper Jay in conjunction with Wells Memorial Library.  We plan to clean up Douglas Memorial Park on May 20^th.  We will be working in conjunction with Au Sable Forks Elementary to schedule a day for the students to come help clean the Grove Park.  If you are interested in helping volunteer, please reach out to my office and we will give you details as we get closer to the date.

The Town of Jay is working hard planning the 4^th of July and Town of Jay’s 225^th Anniversary Celebration.  We held our first planning meeting with members of the Jay Fire Department, town employees and volunteers.  We are always looking for volunteers who would like to help plan and execute this incredible event.  We are excited to make this bigger and better than last year.

Lastly, we were asked to be one of three towns in Essex County to begin working on Destination Management with ROOST.  Destination Management is much different than Destination Marketing.  This process will look at our town’s housing, workforce and business needs.  This could not come at a better time as we are discussing economic development in the Town of Jay.  I am so excited to continue to talk to residents and businesses alike to work toward goals that will benefit us all!

Have a great week,
Matt.

I am sorry for missing a weekly update last week.  Due to meetings, power outages, phone calls, people stopping in and getting ready for the musical at AVCS, it was a full week.  I did want to congratulate the cast of Grease, which included several children from the Town of Jay, for a historic run of their show.  For the first time in my 12 years of directing the musical, this was the first time we had a sold out show.  That sell out was then followed by overselling out and adding chairs to the floor for Sunday’s performance.  The 4 show run totaled over 1900 tickets, a record for sales in their 30-year history!

The monthly board meeting on March 9^th was the best attended meeting I have seen in my first term as Supervisor.  We had a full room and an additional 15-19 people watching virtually as the meeting progressed.  Kelley Tucker from the Ausable River Association gave an update on Project 2 in Upper Jay, slated for construction this summer.  She also let us know Project 13 in Au Sable Forks is almost engineered and is close to going out to bid.  I gave an update on my meeting with Pride of Ticonderoga Executive Director Nicole Justice Green about revitalization in the Town of Jay.  This discussion included the creation of an Economic Development Committee for our town.  I have worked over the last week having conversations with several individuals about being a part of this committee and will bring the list of members to the board next month.  The contract for ambulance service was unanimously approved.  We also unanimously approved a new water contract with Black Brook until their new water system goes online.  You can view the recording of the meeting on our website under the Board heading, and follow the Minutes and Agenda Link: http://townofjayny.gov/town-board-meetings-agendas-minutes/

Lastly, I would like to welcome back to the Town of Jay Highway Department, former Highway Superintendent, Robbie Lincoln.  His years of service and experience will be a huge benefit for our town.  I would also like to welcome back retired Town of Jay Highway employee Chris Benway and Greg Hall as per diem employees to our highway staff.  We still have open positions at the highway department, please contact Kevin Lincoln at 518-647-2204 x-125 for more details.

Have a great week,
Matt.

The Town of Jay Parks Department just accepted delivery of its new truck this week.  Over the last couple of years Park’s employee, Paul Benway, has been using his personal truck and trailers to get the job done for the Town of Jay.  This is the first purchase of equipment over the next few years to help our Parks Department keep our parks the best they can be.  This truck will also be the first piece of equipment to have our new logo affixed to it.  Water and Sewer operator, Norm Coolidge will be applying the attached logo decal as soon as we can get the truck warmed and cleaned up!

As a member of the Essex County Board of Supervisors, I am a member of the Personnel Committee, Human Services Committee and the Fair Ground Task Force.  In addition to these duties, I am also an Ex Officio member of the ROOST Board of Directors and the Essex County Cornell Cooperative Extension Board of Directors.  This past week I had an orientation for the ROOST Board of Directors.  North Hudson Supervisor Stephanie DeZaila and I were asked by Chairman Shaun Gilliland to sit on the board to represent Essex County.  I have been invited and I am looking forward to attending the next Essex County Office of the Aging Advisory Council meeting.

This week is meeting week at the Town of Jay.  Due to the fact I was out of town for parent’s weekend for my daughter, Jenna, at the University of Florida, I am posting this after we held our monthly Planning Board meeting.  However, tonight, we hold our monthly Town Board meeting at 7:00pm here at the Community Center.  As always, you can log on from home and watch the proceedings at: https://meet.goto.com/455178293.  This month, Kelley Tucker from the Ausable River Association will be making a presentation to the board.

Have a great week,
Matt.

I hope you all had a great President’s Week and are getting back to normal with the kids back in school.  This week, at the county level, we had some great discussion about housing in Essex County and here in the Town of Jay.  Essex County Board of Supervisors will vote to submit an application for the creation of an Essex County Land Bank, it passed Ways and Means this week.  As I have mentioned in the past, this is just one tool in our toolbox to help tackle the housing crisis.  Once created, the property at 14 Springfield Road in Upper Jay will be the first property rehabbed with this initiative.  It will be exciting to see the first steps the land bank takes will be right here in the Town of Jay.

Staying on the housing topic, Pride of Ticonderoga, the nonprofit which will administer the Essex County Land Bank, discussed several other housing initiatives and grants that are available to homeowners.  The application period for Essex County’s Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) Home Rehabilitation program is now open!  If you have a need and think you might qualify, you can apply directly online at: https://prideofticonderoga.org/community-development-block-grant-cdbg/.  I will be meeting with Nicole Justice Green, Pride of Ticonderoga’s Executive Director, in the near future to discuss other opportunities for the Town of Jay, including the NY Main Street Planning Grant to help update our revitalization plan to increase our chances for future grants to help revitalize the Town of Jay.  For more information about the Pride of Ticonderoga, you can visit the County’s website: https://essexcountyny.gov/pride-housing-grants-2023/.

A few months ago, during a discussion with the Au Sable Forks Ambulance Service about volunteers and paid staff, the thought arose to offer Per Diem pay to current volunteers.  I brought this idea back to the Essex County EMS committee.  They told me a few years ago that the idea was attempted with little interest.  However, this week, Essex County will once again reach out to the EMS providers in the county to see if there is any renewed interest. If you are a certified EMT, AEMT or Paramedic please reach out to your nearest EMS service to let them know you are interested.

Have a great week,
Matt.

The last few days have been very productive at the Association of Towns Annual Meeting and Training for Councilman Steve Forbes and myself.  I was able to attend some classes to further my understanding and ability to create better budgets and financial reports through the use of web-based technology, understanding certain budgeting pitfalls, and communicating our financial status better to our town board and to you, the taxpayer.  I was able to voice my opinion about the unreliable cell service in our town and surrounding areas to state representatives.  I think the most valuable information I received was about the grant programs that are available, and how to align what the funding agency is looking to fund with the needs of our town.  Overall, this experience is one that will help shape the way I lead the Town of Jay and present ideas and issues to the Essex County Board of Supervisors.

The Knights of Columbus have scheduled their blood drives for 2023 at Holy Name Parish Center.  Mark your calendar with these 2023 dates: March 2, May 4, July 6, September 7 and November 2; all running from 4:00pm – 7:00pm.  With blood supplies low, if you have ever thought about donating, this is a very easy and local option.

Tonight, a Winter Storm Warning has been issued for the Town of Jay and surrounding areas from 7:00pm until Thursday at 1:00pm with total accumulation 8-12+ inches.  If you want updates, we do post weather advisories on our communication app, Voyent Alert!  If you have not registered, it is free to register and be informed about emergencies, snow removal times, and other community events.  Visit https:\\register.voyent-alert.us to register today. 

Hope you have a great week,

Matt.

Last week we held our monthly Planning Board and Regular Town Board meetings, these recordings are posted on our website for you to view.  During the Town Board meeting, we passed a local law to allow for the expanded use of videoconferencing.  This law will allow a board member to join a meeting virtually until this law expires on July 1^st, 2024.  We also discussed organizing a committee to plan the Town of Jay’s 225^th anniversary this summer in conjunction with the July 4^th celebration.  Finally, we voted to change the pay scale of our highway department to entice former employees to return to the Town of Jay, and encourage qualified applicants with experience to apply.

I know all of you who are land owners received a postcard in the mail about possible senior citizen tax exemptions.  This was a new requirement to have a second notification sent to parcel owners.  Most of you who qualify for these exemptions most likely have the exemptions you are entitled to.  The exemptions are for people who are 65 and over and the parcel being their primary residence.  One exemption is Enhanced Star, which you must be receiving the Basic Star exemption first.  The next exemption is the Senior Exemption in which your income must be below $29,000 for school taxes and below $25,000 for town and county.  Hopefully this information will save you the time for a visit or call to our town assessor’s office.

Lastly, I would like to congratulate the AVCS Boys Swim team on their Section VII Championship win.  AVCS also has a Section VII winner in wrestling by Dom LaPier.  In Bowling, Maxwell Benware, Makayla Lewallen and Jack Thomas will be heading to States. On the court, I just finished my first season as a Basketball coach at AVCS with the Boys Modified Red Team.  We were able to practice at the Town of Jay Community Center and the boys improved so much as a team throughout the year.  I was so proud of them as they overcame adversity and persevered throughout the year, we were able to finish the season with a 12-4 record.

Have a great week,
Matt.