BY PAUL MITCHELL
North Country This Week

RENSSELAER FALLS – The Town of Canton will provide financial assistance for several summer projects slated in the Village of Rensselaer Falls.

Town leaders agreed at the board’s June 8 monthly meeting to basically “subcontract” a price tag of $19,425.87 for the projects.

The move includes fuel and labor at a cost much cheaper than contracting out the work.

“The town went above and beyond. It’s a good thing,” said Town Supervisor Mary Ann Ashley.

Once the projects are completed the town will be reimbursed by the Village of Rensselaer Falls.

“This unique partnership with the Town of Canton is vital to the taxpayers of Rensselaer Falls and town,” stated Mayor Michael Hammond. “Not only does it save the taxpayers money to share services with another municipal entity, it also puts money back into the town’s coffers in the end.”

“Myself and the village board of trustees would like to thank the Canton Town Highway Superintendent [Steve Smith] and crew along with the town board for always looking out for the village’s best interest,” Hammond remarked.

The Village of Rensselaer Falls board of trustees unanimously approved the summer projects presented by the mayor at its June 6 board meeting.

“I met with Highway superintendent Steven Smith and his foreman back in April to discuss this year's project lineup for Village trustees to choose from,” Hammond said.

The list of projects include removing and replacing roughly 240 feet of a failing culver system on Congress Street in front of the Fire Station, stump removal in various locations around the village, enhancing the work done on the corner of Heuvelton and Front Streets where the shoulder is low, fixing a ditch on West Front Street.

The last project, explained Hammond, is located on State Street South and South Street, behind the Villages cemetery. The goal of this project is to clean up the shoulders and ditch lines around the cemetery. Back in February board members contracted with TTS tree service out of Canton to remove dead trees and overgrowth along the cemetery's road ways. The end goal of this project, that is a couple years out, is to ultimately widen the road to 20 feet all the way around the cemetery to match State Street North in diameter. This will allow the funeral procession to stay out of the cemetery and provide easier access to the grounds. These enhancements will also be the starting point for mending larger drainage problems the Village has experienced in recent years.

“It is the team approach that is noticed by town and village residents and folks from outside. Rensselaer Falls works with pennies in terms of a budget money compared to other municipalities' dollars. Furthermore, it has always been the board's intent to stretch those pennies as far as they can, to get the best outcome for the investment,” said Hammond.

With escalating asphalt and fuel costs, the village, like every municipality, has to take a close look at paving

“As for paving, the Village will look to work with the county highway crew in conjunction with the Town crew regarding this year's paving schedule. At this point with the cost of asphalt and fuel the Village board will be looking to decide if much paving will be on the schedule for this summer. Overall our streets are in good shape in the Falls and holding off on paving until next year might be in the taxpayers best interest. Hopefully costs start coming down so the village can continue to flourish and grow,” the mayor noted.