Town of Colonie: News Stories

In an ongoing effort to improve and expand the sanitary sewer system in the Town of Colonie, the Department of Public Works, Division of Pure Waters has recently completed two major rehabilitation projects encompassing 27 strategic areas in the Town at a cost of approximately $625,000.

Over a ten month period, two contractors and Division inspection and maintenance staff have been hard at work upgrading existing sanitary sewer facilities in the areas of Spruce Street, Eastern Avenue, Alice Avenue, Michaelangelo Street, Braintree Street and Troy-Schenectady Road. These projects also included the expansion of the public sanitary sewer system and the elimination of private septic systems for existing homes on portions of Fonda Road and Albany Street.

For questions regarding the public sanitary sewer system, please contact the Division of Pure Waters at 783-2766.

New Property Identification Law Takes Effect
Imagine being home sound asleep in your upstairs bedroom when you are jarred awake by the sound of your smoke detector going off. As you try get out of your room, you find that you are trapped by heavy smoke in the hallway. You quickly dial 911 on your phone and, while you give the dispatcher the information, you can now see smoke in your room. Within minutes, you can look out the window and see several fire trucks drive by your home. They pass back and forth in front of your house several times. While they are searching for your home, the smoke is getting very heavy and you are coughing. Finally the fire apparatus stops in front of your house. They quickly locate you and assist you down a ladder as they extinguish the fire. Luckily, you are only very scared and there is only minor damage to your home.

Why did it take the fire department a few minutes to find your house? Maybe it is because you had no street numbers visible on your home. Maybe the numbers that were there were small or had been painted the same color as the house. This same scenario could be repeated should you need to call the police or for an ambulance. Every second is vital in an emergency. If emergency responders have to waste time trying to locate your home, it could mean the difference between life and death.

In a recent change to the New York State Fire Prevention and Building Codes, all new and existing residential and commercial buildings are required to display a legible street number that is visible from the street or road fronting the property. For commercial buildings, the numbers may be mounted to the building or to a permanently installed freestanding sign. For private residences that sit back off the road where the home is not visible, they may be attached to a post or mailbox at the road's edge. These numbers shall be of a contrasting color from the background on which they are mounted. Each number must be a minimum of 4" in height and ½" in width, but the larger the better. The numbers should be installed where they are not blocked by plantings, trees, snow, holiday decorations or any other obstructions. It is also beneficial if they are installed near light fixtures so the numbers can be illuminated after dark.

Please help us, help you. Make sure we can easily find your house in an emergency, Install your house number. For any further information, please contact the Town of Colonie Department of Fire Prevention and Investigation at 783-2712.

Vial of Life
When a medical crisis occurs, emergency response personnel need information fast. That's when the Vial of Life comes in. It is an identification program designed to provide information about you in a medical emergency.

If emergency personnel are called to a home, they can access medical information stored in a vial in the refrigerator. The Vial of Life provides residents with a blank medical information form, a vial to store the completed for and a sticker to place on the refrigerator to alert personnel that the medical information is located inside. Should you be unable to provide medical information yourself, it will aid emergency personnel and will accompany you to the hospital.

Sometimes knowing about the patient's medical condition can mean a difference between life and death when minutes are precious. Information stored with the vial includes: medications taken, medical history and conditions, physician's name and phone number, insurance information and relatives who should be notified in an emergency and a health care proxy.

Pick up your Vial of Life today at the Senior Resources Department, which is located in the Beltrone Living Center, Six Winners Circle in Colonie. They can also be picked up at the Town Clerk's Office at Town Hall. For more information, please call the Senior Resources Department at 459-5051.

Voices of Colonie: Words, Faces and Memories
The purpose of the project will be to encourage, promote and coordinate the preservation and collection of Town of Colonie's history, past and present, through oral histories. Audio taped interviews will be conducted with lifelong (long-term) Town of Colonie residents who volunteer to participate. Additionally, each interviewee will have a black and white photo taken of themselves. In turn, partial transcribed portions of the interviews along with the photos will be developed into an exhibit which will be available for public view.

Viewed as a whole, the exhibit will present a complex of moments in the development of the Town of Colonie, and will be seen as points of passage, rather than a series of interviews. Hopefully, the exhibit will demonstrate the quality and transformation of life in the Town over the last several decades.

Youth Employment Service News

The Town of Colonie Youth Bureau provides a year round Youth Employment Service for Colonie residents, ages 14-21. The service assists young people in finding part-time, full-time and seasonal private sector employment, as well as odd jobs in residents' homes. (Baby sitting, yard work, housecleaning, snow-removal, etc.)

Please note that these jobs are available to Colonie residents only. Because jobs are routinely filled, the list of openings cannot be guaranteed as accurate, but reflective of typical job availability. Please call for the most up-to-date information. Click here to view the current job opening list.

If you are a Colonie business in need of summer, temporary or part time employees, or are a resident in need of someone to help around the house with such things as: babysitting, cleaning, yard work, etc., the Town of Colonie Youth Employment Service is available to help.

Since 1984, the Youth Employment Service has placed 11, 684 youth (as of 12/04), age 14-21, in private sector employment - perhaps we could be of help to you!

During the winter months, Youth Employment needs youth ages 14 and above interested in snow removal:Needed during the summer are residents, age 16 and above, interested in lifeguarding (must be certified), lawn mowing and babysitting. Also needed are youth age 14 and above interested in odd jobs and babysitting. If you are a Colonie youth, age 14-21, who wish assistance in finding private sector employment or an employer wishing to place a job order, please call us at 456-3786.

Advisors are also available at Colonie Central and Shaker High Schools throughout the school year. Please listen to morning announcements for days and times.

For more information regarding services and programs, please call Lisa Heywood-Drake or Barbara Mahaney at 456-3786 or visit www.colonie.org/yes.

Helpful Hints From Chris Semon, Town Assessor
Tax relief may be available for eligible applicants applying for any of the following five major exemptions:

1. Seniors -You may be eligible for a partial exemption from Real Property Taxes as a senior citizen if you meet the following requirements. Owners named on the deed must be 65 years of age during the calendar year (January 1 - December 31). Combined income of all owners cannot exceed $32,400 including Social Security. Eligibility is based on all 2002 or 2003 year income. Please bring the following information with you when you apply: proof of age, executed copy of income tax (if filed), Social Security benefit statements, statements of wages, pensions, interest, dividends, capital gains, non-taxable interest, worker's compensation, rental and alimony if applicable. This application must be renewed each year.

2. Veterans -The Assessors Office will accept applications for qualified residential property, owned and occupied by veterans who served during defined periods of war. Surviving spouses of a veteran may also be eligible to apply. This exemption applies to the town and county portion of the General Property Taxes. It does not affect school taxes or special district tax levies. The qualified residential parcel will receive a 15% reduction of its taxable assessed value, and, if combat duty can be documented, an additional 10% will be applied. If the veteran received a service-connected disability rating, one-half of the disability rating will be added to the exemption. Each of these items is subject to a maximum assessed value of $180,000.

3. Disability - The New York State Real Property Tax Law allows local governments the option of granting a reduction in the amount of property taxes paid by qualifying persons with disabilities. To qualify, persons with disabilities must have a Notice of Award from the Social Security Administration. This award must certify the applicant's eligibility to receive Social Security Disability Insurance. A certificate from the State Commission for the Blind and Visually Handicapped may be used as well as an award letter from the Railroad Retirement Board certifying the applicant's eligibility to receive railroad retirement disability benefits. Also an award letter from the United States Postal Service certifing disability pension. The property must be owned by the one or more persons with disabilities or by a husband, wife, or both; or by siblings at least one of whom has a disability. Combined Income and Eligibility is the same as Senior Exemption (see above). However the disabled person DOES NOT have to be 65 years of age. The application must be renewed each year.

4. Basic STAR -The Basic STAR exemption is for ALL owner-occupied residents. The application must be completed and returned to the Assessor's Office along with proof of residency. Basic STAR applications do not need to be renewed.

5. Enhanced STAR -The Enhanced STAR exemption is for all owner occupied residents that are at least 65 years of age and the adjusted gross income of all owners is under $63,750. The application must be completed and returned to our office along with proof of age, residency and a copy of their 2002 federal income tax return. These applications must be renewed each year.

Option for Enhanced STAR
Income Verification Program - Property owners who are currently receiving the Enhanced STAR Exemption have the option of eliminating the annual renewal form requirements. Interested seniors can obtain an application for the Income Verification Program (IVP) from the assessor's office. If a senior chooses this option they still have to renew this year by signing the renewal form and they must enclose their 2002 federal income tax return. Then they must complete the IVP form by furnishing names, taxpayer's identification numbers (social security numbers) and signatures for all owners. The signed STAR renewal form and their 2002 income tax return must be returned to us by March 1, 2004, along with the IVP form. If you complete the IVP form you will not have to annually renew your application or submit your income tax form starting in the year 2005. The State will inform the assessor if your income requirement is met. Seniors not choosing the IVP will be sent renewal forms annually.

Third Party Notices
If a senior would like their renewal forms sent to another person, they can obtain a Third Party Notice Application from the Town Assessor's Office. All renewal forms would be sent to the person designated on the form.

All applications must be filed before March 1, 2004. For more details regarding
exemptions, please call the Assessor's Office at 783-2701.

The Albany County Special Needs Registry is a voluntary registry of individuals who would require assistance in the event of an emergency. This assistance could be as simple as advising emergency responders of a patient's medications if called to a medical response or of those who need evacuation assistance in the event of a natural or man-made emergency. This registry alerts emergency responders as to resident locations and gives them the vital information they need to better meet the resident's special needs. Participation in the registry is voluntary and all information is strictly confidential, used only for emergency purposes. The Town of Colonie Emergency Management & Planning Office has been working with Albany County to make this program available to qualified residents within the Town of Colonie. Our department's mission is to assess and plan for hazards and emergencies and work with other public safety and municipal agencies to ensure public welfare. As a pre-planning tool, the Special Needs Registry should be considered strongly for all people who have special medical needs (i.e. oxygen or life support systems that are dependent upon electrical power) or have physical disabilities that would make it difficult to evacuate independently if the need arose.

For more information on this service, contact the Emergency Management & Planning Office at (518) 783-3460 or by e-mail to McLaughlinL@colonie.org.

New York State Building Code Scheduled To Change Effective January 1, 2003

New York State will have a new building code, replacing the existing building code which has been in effect since January 1, 1984. This change will affect all new building permit applications received after January 1, 2003. The new code changes many requirements for new homes, additions, renovations, decks and property maintenance.

Part of the new code, the Energy Conservation Construction Code of New York State, is already in effect, becoming effective on July 3, 2002. If you applied after July 3, 2002 for a new home, addition or other work affected by the Energy Conservation Construction Code, then you are already aware of some of the changes.

Some of the changes that are in the new state building code impact:
emergency escapes, rescue opening sizes and required locations, living spaces in basements, thickness of insulation, patio enclosures, upgrade of smoke detectors in existing residences when performing alteration work, minimum requirements for maintenance of property, and many more.

If you are planning a project for your home, it would be wise to contact the Building Department to review some of the changes that might affect your construction project. As always, please bring your plans in early enough so there is plenty of time to do a thorough review especially after January 1, 2003 when compliance with the new code is necessary. Additional time will be needed for the building inspectors to review the plans while they also become more familiar with the new code. For additional information, please contact the Building Department at 783-2706.

Cellular Telephone Reuse Program

With the frequent changes in the Cellular Telephone Industry, what is a resident to do with the large number of unwanted but still usable cellular telephones? Well in the Town of Colonie , residents have several choices.

The Town collect usable cellular telephones for recycling through our Senior Resources Department. The Senior Resources Department use the proceeds from the recycling of the cellular telephones to fund our Town Senior Programs.

The Town also accepts usable cellular telephones for reuse in a program established by the Albany and Saratoga County Sheriff Department for Victims of Domestic Violence. The Town's collection program accepts old cellular/digital telephones at the Town of Colonie , Department of Public Works, Division of Environmental Services Office at the Town Solid Waste Management (Landfill) site. When sufficient phones are accepted, the Sheriff's program then accepts the cellular telephones, has the cellular telephones reprogrammed to only call emergency 911 and they are provided to victims of domestic violence. This allows the victims immediate reach emergency personnel when they may need it most and to allow our police agencies to respond rapidly to domestic violence incidents.

It is estimated that American's discard over 100 million cell phones each year and, unfortunately, a majority of these end up in landfills. These phones contain heavy metals that can be better managed through a reuse or recycling program than through a disposal program. With the number of cell phone users increasing each year, we see that the need to provide an option for cell phone users to manage these items in an environmentally prudent manner and to allow the beneficial reuse of these phones is very important.

There is a continuing need for additional cellular telephones for these programs and we will be collecting old working cellular and digital telephones under this program for the foreseeable future. Anyone wishing to donate their cellular telephone may bring it to the Division of Environmental Services facilities and give it to the staff at the Residential Toll Booth or Drop Off Station located at the Town Landfill Site at 1319 Loudon Road, Cohoes, New York 12047 during regular hours of operation (Monday through Friday, 7:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. and Saturday, 7:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.). If you have any questions regarding the program please contact the Division of Environmental Services at 783-2827.

We want to express our appreciation for all that have donated their cellular and digital telephones for this program. It is much better for the environment to eliminate the need to dispose of these materials as wastes and to reuse or recycle the telephones and your efforts truly are helping others.

Artists Needed For Art Shows At Town Hall

Anyone interested in displaying their art work at Town Hall can contact Mary Harris at 783-2728 or e-mail her at harrism@colonie.org . She will be happy to discuss any details regarding having a show at Town Hall.

Town Code Available Online

As a resident of the Town of Colonie, have you ever wondered what the licensing requirements are for your dog? Do you need to know what the Town rules are for off-road vehicles, junkyards, or fireworks displays? Are you curious about zoning restrictions, or how to get access to public records, or perhaps what the penalties are for traffic offenses? The Town of Colonie is pleased to offer it's residents and business owners answers to these and many other questions they may have about Town policy 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

The Code of the Town of Colonie contains "all currently effective legislation (local laws, ordinances and certain resolutions) of a general and permanent nature enacted by the Town Board." Easy access this document is now available online from the Town's Homepage at http://www.colonie.org (or go directly to the Online Code by clicking here). The online Code is searchable and will be updated regularly.

For those who prefer to use the print version of the Town Code, copies are available for use at the Town Clerk's office and at the William K. Sanford Town Library.

Fire and EMS Volunteers: Neighbors Helping Neighbors......

You see them several times every day - fire trucks and ambulances rushing to an emergency. You may have needed to call for them yourself for a medical emergency, a fire, to pump water from your basement or to help someone back into bed. They are the people of Emergency Medical Services and the Fire Departments in Colonie. The majority of the emergency services in our community are provided by VOLUNTEERS!
People from all backgrounds and walks of life....people like you....neighbors helping neighbors.

Have YOU ever thought of being an emergency services volunteer? All of Colonie's Fire Departments and the EMS Department need help; we need people just like you to help our community. It does take time to be trained and answer alarms, but it is time well invested in both the community and yourself. There is great satisfaction in helping your neighbors and in learning how to respond to emergencies.

To join a Volunteer Fire Department in Colonie please call 475-2929, or visit them online at http://www.colonie.org/emer/Index.htm

To join the Colonie EMS Department please call
782-2645, or visit them online at
http://www.colonie.org/ems/index.html