Village of Green Island Emergency Services including Police, Fire & EMS, Waste Collection, and Water & Sewer Services Continue to Be Available
Many Non-Emergency Services Will Only Be Available Remotely, Including Bill Payments and Permit Applications
Green Island Mayor Ellen M. McNulty-Ryan and Town Supervisor Rachel A. Perfetti to Prohibit the General Public from Entering any Village and Town Buildings Unless Expressly Stated Below and to Prohibit Certain Actions during COVID-19 Outbreak
ORIGINAL 3/16/2020 UPDATED 4/6/2020
GREEN ISLAND, NEW YORK – Mayor Ellen McNulty-Ryan and Town Supervisor Rachel A. Perfetti have announced that the Village and Town Offices and all Green Island public buildings, including fire and police headquarters, will now be closed to the public through Wednesday, April 29, 2020 by the Governor’s Executive Order, except in very limited circumstances as detailed below. That date will be re-evaluated as it nears.
The Green Island Police Department and Green Island Fire Department will continue to respond to all emergency calls, and the Department of Public Works will continue curbside waste collection pickup as scheduled.
“We apologize for any inconveniences created by these closures and changes in procedures, but the health and well-being of our employees and our residents must be our highest priority. We will continue to re-evaluate these changes as we learn more”, said Mayor McNulty-Ryan.
A department-by-department list of municipal services currently available and unavailable can be found below:
Green Island Police Department:
- GIPD will continue responding to all emergency calls 24/7. Officers will be practicing social distancing procedures when interviewing and may not enter buildings unless the emergency warrants it.
- Minor calls for service, such as minor property complaints, may be handled via phone or through report.
- Access to administrative reports, including police incident reports and FOIL responses, will be handled via email and/or phone. No in-person document requests will be facilitated at Police Headquarters. The Police Department will be closed to the public until further notice.
- Call 911 for any non-emergency or emergency Police Department call or use the callbox located in the front of the Police Station.
Green Island Fire Department:
- GIFD will continue responding to all fire and EMS emergency calls for service 24/7. For EMS calls, dispatchers will be asking questions related to COVID-19 symptoms so that responding personnel are aware of the situation. If COVID-19 symptoms are reported, personnel will respond as per protocols established through our Medical Director.
- Access to administrative reports, including fire incident reports, will be handled via email to the Village Clerk at annes@villageofgreenisland.com. No in-person document requests will be facilitated at Fire Headquarters.
- The fire department will be closed to the public until further notice.
- Call (518) 273-1041 for more information on non-emergency Fire Department information. In an emergency, please dial 911.
Department of Public Works/Green Island Power Authority Garage:
- All curbside waste collection and recycling pickup will continue as scheduled.
- The DPW/GIPA garage is closed to the public. Individuals can call (518) 273-5565 or email dpw@villageofgreenisland.com with any questions.
- Thursday bulk pickup has been suspended until further notice. No new tags will be distributed at this time.
- Green Island Power Authority bills may be paid online at www.villageofgreenisland.com or by mail. Exact payment can also be put in a sealed envelope and through the mail slot at 20 Clinton Street as per normal procedures. The office is closed to the general public.
- If you have a power emergency, the Green Island Power Authority can be contacted through Albany County dispatch by dialing 911.
Department of Water & Sewer:
- Your tap water is safe to drink – the COVID-19 virus has not been detected in drinking water. Learn more about the virus and water/sewer infrastructure by visiting https://www.epa.gov/coronavirus/coronavirus-and-drinking-water-and-wastewater#boil
- With the reports of toilet paper being hard to get, we are anticipating that some are considering the use of baby wipes or other paper towels. Please do not flush these down the toilet. They will cause clogs and backups, which may bog you down with costly plumber bills or messy backups during these already trying times. Those deemed “disposable wipes” also cause problems with our sewer system and could cause the same issues. The only items that should be flushed down a toilet are human waste and toilet paper.
- Water/Sewer bills may be paid online at www.villageofgreenisland.com or by mail. Exact payment can also be put in a sealed envelope and through the mail slot at 20 Clinton Street as per normal procedures. The office is closed to the general public.
- If you have an emergency (back up, sink hole, water main break, flooding) please call 911.
- Non-emergency Water Department calls can be made to 518-273-4959.
Village Clerk:
- FOIL Requests or questions about Village bids must be done via email to annes@villageofgreenisland.com.
- Handicap Parking Permit requests can be made by calling 518-273-2201. If no answer, please leave a message and someone will get back to you as soon as possible.
- Certificates of Residency will not be issued during this time.
- Notary services are not available at this time.
Town Clerk & Vital Statistics:
Services that will continue to be accessible by calling the Town Office at 518-273-0661 or email jiannone@townofgreenisland.com:
- Death Certificates
Services that are suspended until further notice include:
- License applications for Marriages & Domestic Partnerships
- Sporting licenses
Buildings & Codes Department:
- All permit applications and other transactions will take place via phone at (518) 273-2201 (leave message) or email to maggiea@villageofgreenisland.com.
- All non-emergency inspections are suspended until further notice.
- Construction inspections (for essential projects only), emergency inspections, and vacant building inspections will continue to occur.
- Transactions that must be facilitated in-person may only occur by appointment. Individuals must email maggiea@villageofgreenisland.com to set up an in-person appointment.
Planning, Zoning & Industrial Development Agency:
- All permit applications and other transactions may take place via email to annes@villageofgreenisland.com to the Village Clerk.
- Meetings of the IDA, Planning Board and Board of Zoning Appeals may be held via teleconference and will not be open to the general public during this emergency. More information will be included as part of each meeting’s public notice.
Department of Recreation/Green Island Senior Citizens:
- All indoor Recreation facilities and programs will be closed effective immediately to evaluate further precautions necessary to safeguard the health and well being of community members and staff.
- The Paine Street Park is closed. All other parks and trails remain open. Please do not use tables and benches, including the gazebo at the River Park.
- For Food Pantry requests, call (518) 273-2201 and leave a message. Someone will get back to you as soon as possible.
- All Senior Citizen in house programs are suspended until further notice. A lunchtime meal delivery program started Monday, March 23rd for Green Island residents only. ORDERS MUST BE PLACED THE DAY BEFORE DELIVERY. See separate website post and Village newsletter for more details.
Parking Violations Bureau:
- Tickets can be paid as per the instructions on the tickets themselves, with the exception being that in person payment must be put in the sealed envelope provided and left in the mail slot at the Village Office, 20 Clinton Street, Green Island, NY 12183. Please contact the Parking Violations Bureau by calling (518) 273-2201 (leave message) or micheleb@villageofgreenisland.com.
Assessor:
- For questions regarding exemptions or anything Assessor related, please contact (518) 273-2201 phone (leave message) or email brad.canning@villageofgreenisland.com.
Public Meetings, including meetings of the Village Board of Trustees, Town Council, Green Island IDA, Planning & Zoning Boards, Green Island Power Authority and all Public Hearings:
- Effective March 17th, all municipal meetings and other gatherings of Green Island public boards, authorities, and commissions that have not already been cancelled will be physically closed to the public until further notice.
- Public hearings may be required to be open to the public but will have restrictions. In lieu of appearing personally, speakers are encouraged to submit comments via the procedure outlined below and your testimony will be entered into the meeting minutes.
- Meetings that continue as previously scheduled may be held via teleconference and would be available by podcast or live stream. Public comment can be submitted ahead of time via mail at Village Clerk, Village of Green Island, 20 Clinton Street, Green Island, New York, 12183 or email to annes@villageofgreenisland.com. All messages will be entered into meeting minutes as is already done in the normal course of business.
Town Court:
Effective immediately, the following changes to the Town Court schedule have taken effect as per the New York State Office of Court Administration’s memo:
- All scheduled court dates have been adjourned until June 2nd.
- A notice will be sent that will include a new adjudication date
- Please do not come to Court to adjudicate the applicable case – a notice will be sent that will include a new adjudication date
- Please contact the Court Clerk at (518) 273-0661 or via email at jiannone@townofgreenisland.com with any additional questions.
COVID-19 Prevention and Symptom Information:
As a reminder, please visit the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), the New York State Department of Health and the Albany County Department of Health for the most recent guidelines regarding COVID-19 precautions and symptoms. You may also find a variety of COVID-19 response information specific to the Village and Town of Green Island by visiting www.villageofgreenisland.com.
