Message from Green Island Mayor Ellen M. McNulty-Ryan

UPDATE: NO EMERGENCY HAS BEEN CALLED AS A RESULT OF THIS STORM. PLOW OPERATORS WILL CLEAR SNOW IN AREAS WHERE AN ENTIRE LENGTH OF VEHICLES HAVE BEEN MOVED BUT THAT IS VOLUNTARY NOT MANDATORY.

In anticipation of the potential snow forecast for today and tomorrow we have a few tips to think about, please take caution. As of now, this storm is forecast with heavy snow starting on today and continuing through to early tomorrow morning. Please stay tuned for notification system alerts, website and Facebook posts and media releases which will keep you informed, if necessary.

If it falls as stated, it is possible a snow emergency could be called: 1. Please plan to remove your vehicles from Village streets if the snow comes as expected. If an emergency is called, all vehicles MUST be removed or they will be ticketed and towed. If you are away or sick and unable to move your vehicle, please contact family or friends ahead of time to see if they will move it for you. Any dumpsters or unattached trailers must be removed today (they should have been off the street by now anyway). 2. If your vehicle is ticketed and towed, you can report to the Parking Violations Bureau at the Village Offices, 20 Clinton Street to start the process of reclaiming it. You will be expected to pay $50 for the ticket and $75 for the tow before you can claim your vehicle. Note that this fee is probably increasing later week. Please treat them with respect and even thank them for their dedication, they have nothing to do with the ticket or tow. 3. In the event we get snow but an emergency is NOT called, it is still a good idea to voluntarily remove your vehicles from the streets so that plows can move snow back to the curb and create more space for emergency vehicles to get through and open up parking spaces for you and your neighbors as well. 4. Municipal parking lots will be available for parking during an emergency but please do not park in them until DPW has cleared them out beforehand. The Ford parking lot area on the east side (closest to the river) is available anytime at your own risk of being plowed in. All other lots will be barricaded until DPW clears them for emergency parking. Municipal lots include Lafayette Park, lot on south side of Cornerstone Housing (next to Green Island Bridge), 11 Hudson Avenue, Dudley Avenue near the Little League and the former Ford Motor Company lot. 5. If you have not signed up for alerts yet, please do so now by contacting micheleb@villageofgreenisland.com, 518-273-2201 or coming to the Village Office to sign up. Better to do that now rather than visit the office to pay a ticket and tow after (we would rather you sign up). 6. Be safe out there, especially when shoveling heavy snow. Please remember that Village Code requires owners and tenants to clear their sidewalks of snow within 24 hours of the end of the storm. 7. Please check on your family, friends and neighbors throughout, especially the elderly, to be sure they are okay. 8. As always, call 911 in the event of any emergency.

As you have undoubtedly heard already, every 10 years the federal government conducts a population count of everyone in the United States.  Data from the census provides the basis for distributing more than $675 billion in federal funds annually to Green Island and communities across the country to support vital programs – impacting housing, education, transportation, employment, health care, and public policy.  They are also used to redraw the boundaries of congressional and state and county legislative districts and accurately determine the number of congressional seats each state has in the U.S. House of Representatives.

The 2020 Census is important for you and our community.  The results will help you understand how demographics — including income and education levels — and population size are changing in our area.

The census is a valuable tool for improving communities across the country.  If our community members don’t respond, our community may not receive the funding it needs with the result being additional burdens on tax and rent payers.  It is important that everyone understands the importance of the census and participates in the process.

The Village and Town of Green Island employees and officials have been working for the last couple of years preparing for the count and putting us in a good position to be sure it is accurate.  Please do your part and cooperate so that we can get our fair share.  Thank you for your cooperation.

In addition, U.S. Census Bureau job recruiting continues in all areas, and valuable part-time positions still exist.  Those interested in learning more about these jobs and completing the one-time application process can do so at www.2020census.gov/jobs.                

Green Island residents and visitors please take note. The Village Board is proposing a substantial increase in ticket, towing and storage fees related to snow emergencies that could go into effect as soon as the end of this month. The proposal increases the ticket charge from $50 to $125, the tow charge from $75 to $125 and the per day storage fee from $5 to $10. This proposal is not meant as a means to increase revenue (we actually lose time and money when we have to tow a vehicle) but a bigger incentive to move vehicles so that snow removal operations go uninterrupted. Our snow removal operation is very expensive and costs anywhere from $1,800-$2,000 per hour depending on the situation. Anytime we have to tow, our operation is delayed, costing taxpayers money. If you have any concerns or would like to speak in support or against the proposal please attend the Public Hearing (notice below).

The Village of Green Island will hold a public hearing on Tuesday, January 21st, 2020 at 6:30 p.m. at the Green Island Municipal Center, 19 George Street, Green Island, NY.

The purpose of the public hearing is to consider Local Law No. 1 of 2020. A local law entitled repealing Chapter 157, Article IV, §157-26 – Authority to impound vehicles. The purpose of the law is to consider increasing the towing and storage charges during snow removal operations.

All interested parties may appear and be heard.

The Village, Town and GIPA offices and DPW & GIPA garages will be closed on Tuesday, December 24th; Wednesday, December 25th; Tuesday, December 31st and Wednesday, January 1st in observance of the Christmas and New Year holidays.

Garbage will be picked up according to the following revised schedule during the holidays:

Tuesday, December 24th pickup moved to Thursday, December 26th

Wednesday, December 25th pickup moved to Friday, December 27th

Tuesday, December 31st pickup moved to Thursday, January 2nd

Wednesday, January 1st pickup moved to Friday, Janury 3rd

PLEASE NOTE THAT THERE WILL BE NO PAID PICKUP ON THURSDAY, JANUARY 2ND.

THANK YOU FOR YOUR COOPERATION AND HAPPY HOLIDAYS TO ALL.

Calling all Green Island Pets! Sunday, December 15th at 9:30am, bring your human to church. Meet other cool pets and sing & howl Christmas music. Located at Church of The Good Shepherd, 89 Hudson Avenue. Call 518-956-2098 with any questions.

Festival of Trees – Update from Mayor Ellen

          I am not sure if Mother Nature is just mad at us or if she just doesn’t like Christmas, but whatever the reason, she isn’t cooperating with us for our Festival of Trees.  First she sent us so much snow we couldn’t get into to River Park to set up the trees – so we postponed it for a week.  Then she sent us warm weather and rain which helped clear the snow so our guys could set up the trees – yeah!!!  Now it looks like heavy rains on Saturday!  Bummer!

          I checked with Santa and Mrs. Claus and they are willing to once again reschedule the tree lighting.  So here is the plan — subject to change and Mother Nature’s mood.  We will have everything ready in the park by Friday morning.  Decorators can go in and decorate their trees anytime from Friday until Sunday and we will light the trees on Sunday at 5:00 p.m.

          We apologize for the changes in scheduling, but everything was beyond our control.  I want to thank Santa and Mrs. Claus for being kind enough to reschedule two times.  I want to thank our DPW and GIPA crew for making this happen in spite of the adverse conditions.  And I want to thank all of our decorators for their patience and understanding throughout the last week.  And if anyone has any contact with Mother Nature – please see if you can get her in a good mood!!!

The Snow Emergency is officially over in Green Island.

Just a reminder, please cooperate for the good of our community and residents and report any violators to the Code Enforcemnet Ofice at 518-273-2201:

Code of the Village of Green Island: Pursuant to the Authority conferred in Section 7-700 of the Village Law of the State of New York, the Board of Trustees of the Village of Green Island hereby adopts and enacts Local Law No. 1 of 2015 as follows: Section 1. § 140-7. Removal required A. It shall not be lawful for any owner, occupant/tenant or any person having the charge or control of any premises, lot, tenement or manufacturing establishment situated within the Village of Green Island to suffer or permit any snow, ice or other substance to collect and remain on any sidewalk fronting on or belonging to said premises so as to impede, obstruct or render dangerous public travel upon such sidewalks, later than twenty-four hours after the same shall have fallen or collected thereon or for more than two hours after being notified by any police officer of the Village, the Village Code Enforcement Officer or the Department of Public Works (DPW) Commissioner or his designee to remove the same. Removal is required to the extent of four feet wide or the width of the sidewalk, whichever is less. These provisions shall apply to all sidewalks within the Village. B. No owner, occupant, tenant or any person having charge or control of any premises, lot or tenement or manufacturing establishment situated in the Village of Green Island shall suffer or permit any snow, ice or other substance to be deposited into any of the public streets of the Village of Green Island, except that such individuals shall be allowed to deposit snow upon the banks that may already be established along such streets, provided that such snow is deposited along the bank on the same side of the street adjacent to the property from which it is being removed or on adjacent properties with permission from the property owner being affected, and further provided that such snow is deposited in a manner that does not cause such snow to be deposited upon the sidewalks or roadways and further that it does not obstruct parking or otherwise create a dangerous condition by leaving any accumulation of snow in the street. Section 2. § 140-8. Penalties for offenses A. Any person committing an offense against any provision of this Article shall, upon conviction thereof, be subject to a fine not to exceed two hundred fifty dollars ($250) or to be imprisoned for a term not to exceed fifteen (15) days, or both. Section 3. § 140-8.1 Village action for noncompliance If the provisions of §140-7 and §140-8 are not complied with, the Code Enforcement Officer of the Village of Green Island may elect to do one of the following: A. Serve written notice, either personally or by mail, upon the owner, lessee or occupant or any person having the care and/or control of any such lot or land to comply with the provisions of §140-7 and §140-8. If the person upon whom the notice is served fails or neglects to remove any snow, ice or other substance within two hours after receipt of such notice, or if no person can be found in the Village who either is or claims to be the owner of said lot or land or who represents or claims to represent such owner, the Code Enforcement Officer may cause any such snow, ice or other substance to be removed. The actual cost for such removal, plus 25% for inspection and other additional costs in connection therewith, shall be certified by the Code Enforcement Officer to the Village Treasurer and shall there upon become and be a lien upon the property and shall become and form a part of the taxes next to be assessed and levied upon such lot or land and shall bear interest at the same rate as taxes and shall be collected and enforced by the same officer and in the same manner as taxes. B. Said notice shall also contain the date, time, and location at which the Village will conduct a public hearing to determine whether the owner, lessee or occupant or any person having the care and/or control of any such lot or land did fail or neglect to remove said snow and/or ice from said sidewalks. Said notice shall state that the property owner, his/her agent, lessee or occupant is entitled to be heard at such hearing and present evidence or testimony. The date of such public hearing must be at least ten (10) days after service or mailing of the notice of violation. Notice of the public hearing shall be published in a paper of general circulation in the Village at least five (5) days prior to the date of the public hearing. C. Nothing contained herein shall require notice as a prerequisite to the issuance of a summons or appearance ticket for a violation of this chapter. Section 4. This local law shall take effect upon filing with the Secretary of State of the State of New York. Thank you.

Due to this week’s winter storm, our Annual Festival of Trees has been postponed to Saturday, December 14th, with the same schedule of activities.

Ellen M. McNulty-Ryan, Mayor of the Village of Green Island has declared a Snow Emergency. All vehicles must be removed from Village streets by 8:00 a.m. Tuesday morning, December 3, 2019 beginning with Hudson Avenue. Garbage pickup for Tuesday has been postponed until Thursday. Updates can be found here at www.villageofgreenisland.com. Other important information is below.

The Police Department will announce street by street before removing vehicles. Vehicles not moved will be ticketed and towed at the owner’s expense. Off street parking for village residents is available at Veteran’s Memorial Stadium, Ford Motor Company parking lot, 11 Hudson Avenue municipal lot, Cornerstone municipal lot (adjacent to the Green Island Bridge), Lafayette Park lot and the Bottle and Can Company lot (thank you Ashlee). These parking lots will be available soon. We suggest that you move your vehicles to those lots Monday night.

Cars will not be allowed back on the streets until snow removal operations are completed. Please call the Green Island Police Department at 518-655-7854 or the Village Office at 518-273-2201 during regular business hours if further information is needed. Please note the Parking Violations Bureau at the Village Office is open Monday-Friday from 9am to 12:30pm and 1:30pm to 4:30pm.

Thank you all for your cooperation.

More Snow Emergency Information:
During a snow emergency, streets are generally plowed in the following order. However, this procedure is subject to change based upon various emergency conditions, which might arise. PLEASE NOTE: We are starting with Hudson Avenue so that Heatly students can arrive safely.
Clinton Street
Tibbits Avenue
George Street
Hudson Avenue
Arch Street
Bleecker Street
Center Street
Paine Street
James Street
High Street
West Street
John Street
Mohawk Street
Swan Street
Lafayette Street
Lafayette Park
Lower Paine Street
Hamilton Street
Market Street
Albany Avenue
Lower End Side Streets -Walnut, Harlem, Saratoga, Pine and Whitehall
Lower Hudson Avenue

All vehicles which are not moved for snow plowing operations will be ticketed and towed. The fine is $50.00, the fee for towing is $75.00 and there will be a storage fee of $5.00 per day after the first 24 hours. All fines and fees must be paid at the Village Office-Parking Violations Bureau during normal office hours or the Green Island Police Department after hours before the vehicle is released. There will be an additional charge if special equipment is required to move a vehicle from the street.

Residents who work out-of-town or who leave their cars on the streets should make arrangements with a friend or neighbor to move their car for snow plowing operations.

The Department of Public Works does an excellent job of keeping our streets open for travel and emergencies until the storm ends and the regular snow plowing operation can be carried out. Some people who have had their cars towed during the past storms have complained that they have moved their car to streets they thought had been plowed and find out that they have not been completely plowed. In order to avoid this problem, PLEASE CHECK WITH A POLICE OFFICER, OR SOMEONE IN CHARGE OF THE SNOW PLOWING OPERATIONS, BEFORE YOU PARK YOUR CAR ON ANY STREET YOU THINK HAS BEEN PLOWED.

The Police Department travels the streets to announce the time that snowplowing operations will begin. If you do not hear the announcement, it will not be considered a legitimate excuse for not moving your vehicle.

You can also register for the emergency alert notification system by filling out the form on the home page at www.villageofgreenisland.com and returning it to the Village Offices at 20 Clinton Street. Completed forms can also be emailed to Michele Bourgeois at micheleb@villageofgreenisland.com. Notifications about snow removals and other important announcements will be sent directly to you by email, text and/or phone.

Your cooperation is greatly appreciated.

The Village, Town and GIPA offices will be closed on Monday, December 2nd due to the snow emergency. The Green Island Senior Citizens Center will also be closed. All other departments will be open.