M'burgh Village Names Grants Committee

By David Avitabile

MIDDLEBURGH - Five people were named to a grants committee Monday night to help the Village of Middleburgh pursue revenue for important projects.

In February, village officials sent out a questionnaire asking residents for their ideas of needed improvements in the village and other issues. The village also asked for volunteers to serve on a grants committee.

At Monday night's village board meeting, board members named Mayor Tim Knight, Trustee Bob Tinker, and residents Patty Paser, David Avitabile, and Susan London as members. The remaining interested residents were named as alternates, Karen Brathauer, Nathan Searles, James Snyder, Candy Reynolds-Cummings, and Sara Masterson.

The committee will probably meet two or three times, Mayor Knight said.

In order to aid with the pursuit of grants, the village will be holding a walkthrough of the business district on Tuesday, June 10 at 9:30am with representatives of the Mohawk Valley Economic Development District and SEEC to "understand the total picture." The Middleburgh Area Business Association and the members of the grants committee are also invited.

In other grants news:

* Delaware Engineering has submitted the village's EPG for a sanitary sewer extension.

* Mayor Knight submitted a Technical Grant application, with MVEDD's assistance, for the DEC's Drinking Water Source Protection Program.

In their questionnaire, of the 14 projects noted, improving the village pool came in first with 222 responses or 55 percent of the responses received.

Coming in second was extending the sewer lines with 19 responses or 47.5 percent of the responses. Third and fourth were: replacing residential sidewalks and improving village parking, both with 15 responses or 37.5 percent.

Other suggested improvements were: replacing Main Street sidewalks, making the village hall accessible, improving Main Street crosswalk, reducing speed limits, installing more crosswalks, planting more trees, building a new firehouse, replacing Railroad Avenue sidewalks, improving public parks, and building a new DPW facility.