BY ADAM ATKINSON
North Country This Week

POTSDAM — Town and village officials are expected to meet informally this coming week to try to work out how to reopen Postwood Park Beach in Hannawa Falls, but the town plans to reopen the popular swimming spot to the public even if they have to go it alone.

The beach is traditionally part of the village recreation department’s summer program and managed by that department under a contract with the town. The town contributes money to the village department (this year roughly $160,000 in two payments of about $80,000) to help underwrite the expense.

The town board recently took the unusual step to announce that the beach would be reopened after the village recreation department had indicated to a town official they would not be opening Postwood this season, Potsdam Town Supervisor Ann Carvill told North Country This Week.

Carvill said town residents who had heard rumors that the beach would be closed this summer were calling the town to voice their concerns.

“The town is committed to ensuring that the beach is open,” Carvill said.

However, management of the beach is still under the auspices of the village recreation department, which complicates things.

Village Mayor Ron Tischler told North Country This Week one of the issues with reopening Postwood beach is a lifeguard shortage in Potsdam. The village was able to hire only 9 lifeguards this season. “And its barely enough to keep Pine Street (beach) open,” Tischler said.

The mayor said in hindsight the village could have opted to open Postwood just on weekends until July maybe, or try other strategies.

Tischler said past discussions about the recreation program have included talks about the village taking charge of winter recreation and the town handling summer programs, but the town declined. He said he hoped discussions moving forward involve a town funding contribution towards the winter recreation program if the town opts out of the contract for managing Postwood and decides to run the beach itself.

“We want to work with them as much as we can,” Tischler said. “It’s all about keeping our taxpayers happy.”

The mayor and supervisor said town and village officials plan discuss the beach management contract next week at a non-public meeting. No quorum of either municipal board will be present said Carvill and Tischler. Following those informal talks, the town and village are expected to officially call a separate special meetings of their boards (those meetings will be public) to discuss and approve a new arrangement.

“We are not going to leave the public in a lurch,” Carvill said.

Carvill said town highway department personnel have already taken some steps towards getting the park beach ready, dumping sand for the beachscape and mowing. But there is still much to do before the beach could reopen, including cleanup, some maintenance and hiring lifeguards and other staff. Traditionally, this has been handled by the village recreation department under a contract with the town.

“We will be working as quickly as we can,” Carvill said.

Currently the official town announcement on Postwood reopening says beachgoers can swim at their own risk once signs are posted.