Please find and view the most up to date news and information regarding the Town of Crawford listed below.
NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that sealed Request for Proposals by qualified vendors to seal and stripe the Town Hall Government Center and the Senior Center parking lot in the Town of Crawford, NY (hereinafter 'RFP') will be received by the Town of Crawford at the office of the Town Clerk, Town Hall, 121 Route 302, Pine Bush, New York 12566, until 10:00 o'clock A.M. on August 19, 2024, and then be publicly opened and read aloud.
Copies of the Information and Specifications for the RFP may be obtained at the Office of the Town Clerk at the above address. RFP’s must be submitted on official forms and in sealed envelopes at the above address and shall bear on the face thereof the name and address of the bidder, designation of the RFP item exactly as specified above and "Town of Crawford". Questions or comments can be sent to crawfordsupervisor@townofcrawford.org
The Town Board reserves the right to reject any and/or all proposals and to readvertise for new proposals. RFP’s shall be awarded in accordance with General Municipal Law §103.
Dated: August 5, 2024
BY ORDER OF THE TOWN BOARD OF THE TOWN OF CRAWFORD
JESSICA KEMPTER, TOWN CLERK
Annual Drinking Water Quality for 2022 - Pine Bush Water District
P.O. Box 109, Pine Bush, N.Y. 12566
To comply with State and Federal regulations, the Pine Bush Water District will be annually issuing a report describing the quality of your drinking water. The purpose of this report is to raise your understanding of drinking water and awareness of the need to protect our drinking water sources. This report provides an overview of last year’s water quality. Included are details about where your water comes from, what it contains, and how it compares to State standards.
If you have any questions about this report or concerning your drinking water, please contact Chris Finnegan, Superintendent of Water and Sewer, at 744-2515. We want you to be informed about your drinking water. If you want to learn more, please attend any of our regularly scheduled Town Board meetings. The meetings are held at 7:30 pm on the third Thursday of the month.
WHERE DOES OUR WATER COME FROM?
In general, the sources of drinking water (both tap water and bottled water) include rivers, lakes, streams, ponds, reservoirs, springs, and wells. As water travels over the surface of the land or through the ground, it dissolves naturally-occurring minerals and can pick up substances resulting from the presence of animals or from human activities. Contaminants that may be present in source water include: microbial contaminants; inorganic contaminants; pesticides and herbicides; organic chemical contaminants; and radioactive contaminants. In order to ensure that tap water is safe to drink, the State and the EPA prescribe regulations which limit the amount of
certain contaminants in water provided by public water systems. The State Health Department’s and the FDA’s regulations establish limits for contaminants in bottled water which must provide the same protection for public health.
Our water source is entirely a ground water (well) supply consisting of three wells. During 2022 the water was pumped from the wells and treated with chlorine to destroy microorganisms and injected with phosphates to control iron and manganese prior to delivery to the customers. An average volume of approximately 241,000 gallons per day was withdrawn from the wells. Total water drawn from the wells for the year for 47,688,00. This supply served a population of approximately 2,100 plus a central school system of approximately 5,650. Some water loss can be attributed to water main breaks, flushing and normal system losses. The annual average charged for water during 2022 was $6.00 per 1000 gallons.
ARE THERE CONTAMINANTS IN OUR DRINKING WATER?
As the State regulations require, we routinely test your drinking water for numerous contaminants. These contaminants include total coliform, inorganic compounds, nitrate, nitrite, lead and copper, volatile organic compounds, total trihalomethanes, and synthetic organic compounds. Table I depicts which compounds were detected in your drinking water. The State allows us to test for some contaminants less than once per year because the concentrations of these contaminants do not change frequently. Some of our data, though representative, are more than one year old. A supplement containing all the test results is available for viewing by contacting Christopher Finnegan at the Water Department. Please call 845-744-2515. You may request a copy of the supplement containing these results.
What Does This Information Mean?
We have learned through our testing that some contaminants have been detected. We are required to present the following information on lead in drinking water:
“Infants and children who drink water containing lead in excess of the action level could experience delays in their physical or mental development. Children could show slight deficits in attention span and learning abilities. Adults who drink this water over many years could develop kidney problems or high blood pressure” If present, elevated levels of lead can cause serious health problems, especially for pregnant women, infants, and young children. It is possible that lead levels at your home may be higher than at other homes in the community as a result of materials used in your home’s plumbing. The Pine Bush Water District is responsible for providing high quality drinking water, but cannot control the variety of materials used in plumbing components. When your water has been sitting for several hours, you can minimize the potential for lead exposure by flushing your tap for 30 seconds to 2 minutes before using water for drinking or cooking. If you are concerned about lead in your water, you may wish to have your water tested. Information on lead in drinking water, testing methods, and steps you can take to minimize exposure is available from the Safe Drinking Water Hotline (1-800-426-4791)) or at http://www.epa.gov/safewater/lead.
It should be noted that all drinking water, including bottled drinking water, may be reasonably expected to contain at least small amounts of some contaminants. The presence of contaminants does not necessarily indicate that water poses a health risk. More information about contaminants and potential health effects can be obtained by calling the EPA’s Safe Drinking Water Hotline (800-426-4791) or the Orange County Health Department at 845-291-2331.
Although our drinking water met or exceeded state and federal regulations, some people may be more vulnerable to disease causing microorganisms or pathogens in drinking water than the general population. Immuno-compromised persons such as persons with cancer undergoing chemotherapy, persons who have undergone organ transplants, people with HIV/AIDS or other immune system disorders, some elderly, and infants can be particularly at risk from infections. These people should seek advice from their health care provider about their drinking water. EPA/CDC guidelines on appropriate means to lessen the risk of infection by Cryptosporidium, Giardia, and other microbial pathogens are available from the Safe Drinking Water Hotline (800- 426-4791).
WHY SAVE WATER AND HOW TO AVOID WASTING IT?
Although our system has an adequate amount of water to meet present and future demands, there are a number of reasons why it is important to conserve water:
* Saving water saves energy and some of the costs associated with both of these necessities of life;
* Saving water reduces the cost of energy required to pump water and the need to construct costly new wells, pumping systems and water towers; and
* Saving water lessens the strain on the water system during a dry spell or drought, helping to avoid severe water use restrictions so that essential fire fighting needs are met. You can play a role in conserving water by becoming conscious of the amount of water your household is using, and by looking for ways to use less whenever you can. It is not hard to conserve water. Conservation tips include:
* Automatic dishwashers use 15 gallons for every cycle, regardless of how many dishes are loaded. So get a run for your money and load it to capacity.
* Turn off the tap when brushing your teeth.
* Check every faucet in your home for leaks. Just a slow drip can waste 15 to 20 gallons a day. Fix it up and you can save almost 6,000 gallons per year.
* Check your toilets for leaks by putting a few drops of food coloring in the tank, watch for a few minutes to see if the color shows up in the bowl. It is not uncommon to lose up to 100 gallons a day from one of these otherwise invisible toilet leaks. Fix it and you save more than 30,000 gallons a year.
* Use your water meter to detect hidden leaks. Simply turn off all taps and water using appliances, then check the meter after 15 minutes. If it moved, you have a leak.
There are presently three New York State Department of Health certified water operators employed by the Pine Bush Water District. Each operator must receive continuing education throughout the year. We at the Pine Bush Water Department work around the clock to provide top quality water at every tap. We ask that all of our customers help us protect our water sources, which are the heart of our community, our way of life, and our children’s future.
PLEASE CALL MY OFFICE IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS. 845-744-2515.
Christopher Finnegan, Chief Operator, Water & Sewer
Footnotes:
1. If iron or manganese are present, the total concentration of both should not exceed 0.5 Mg/L. Higher levels may be allowed by the State when justified by the supplier of water.
2. Iron has no health effects. At 1,000 ug/l a substantial number of people will note the bitter astringent taste of iron. Also, at this concentration, it imparts a brownish color to laundered clothing and stains plumbing fixtures with a characteristic rust color. Staining can result at levels of 50 ug/l, lower than those detectable to taste buds. Therefore, the MCL of 300 ug/l represents a reasonable compromise as adverse aesthetic effects are minimized at this level. Many multi-vitamins may contain 3000 or 4000 ug/l of iron per capsule.
3. The Food and Nutrition Board of the National Research Council determined an estimated safe and adequate daily dietary intake of manganese to be 2000-5000 ug/l for adults. However, many people’s diets lead them to consume even higher amounts of manganese, especially those who consume high amounts of vegetable or are vegetarian. The infant population is of greatest concern. It would be better if the drinking water were not used to make infant formula since it already contains iron and manganese.
4. Excess manganese produces a brownish color in laundered goods and impairs the taste of tea, coffee, and other beverages. Concentrations may cause a dark brown or black stain on porcelain plumbing fixtures. As with iron, manganese may form a coating on distribution pipes. These may slough off, causing brown blotches on laundered clothing or black particles in the water.
5. Water containing more than 20 mg/L of sodium should not be used for drinking by people on severely restricted sodium diets. Water containing more than 270 mg/L of sodium should not be used for drinking by people on moderately restricted sodium diets.
6. The level presented represents the 90th percentile of the 20 sites tested. A percentile is a value on a scale of 100 that indicates the percent of a distribution that is equal to or below it. The 90th percentile is equal to or greater than 90% of the copper values detected at your water system. In this case, 20 samples were collected at your water system and the 90th percentile value was the third highest value. The action level for copper was not exceeded at any of the sites tested.
7. The level presented represents the 90th percentile of the 20 sites tested. A percentile is a value of a scale of 100 that indicates the percent of a distribution that is equal to or below it. The 90th percentile is equal to or greater than 90% of the lead values detected at your water system. In this case, 20 samples were collected at your water system and the 90th percentile value was the third highest value. The action level for lead was not exceeded at any of the sites tested.
8. Lease note that in addition to PFOS and PFOA, the lab ran the analysis for the entire EPA method 537.1, which includes 16 additional perfluorinated chemicals, 4 of these additional chemicals were detected, the highest of which was 4.19 ng/l. These additional analytes are not currently regulated and do not have an MCL.
Pine Bush W.D.
Source Water Assessment Report Summary
The NYS DOH has completed a source assessment for this system, based on available information. Possible and actual threats to this drinking water source were evaluated. The state source water assessment includes a susceptibility rating based on the risk posed by each potential source of contamination and how easily contaminants can move through the subsurface to the wells. The susceptibility rating is an estimate of the potential for contamination of the source water, it does not mean that the water delivered to consumers is, or will become contaminated. See “Table of Detected Contaminants” for a list of the contaminants that have been detected. The source water assessments provide resource managers with additional information for protecting source waters into the future.
As mentioned before, our water is derived from three drilled wells. The source water assessment has rated these wells as having a medium-high to susceptibility to microbials, nitrates, industrial solvents, and other industrial contaminates. These ratings are due primarily to the close proximity of SPDES permitted discharge facilities (industrial/commercial facilities that discharge wastewater into the environment and are regulated by the state and/or federal government), the low-level residential activity and the pasture that are located in the assessment area. In addition, the wells draw from an unconfined aquifer of high hydraulic conductivity and the overlying soils may not provide adequate protection from potential contamination. While the source water assessment rates our well as being susceptible to microbials, please note that our water is disinfected to ensure that the finished water delivered into your home meets New York State’s drinking water standards for microbial contamination.
The Town of Crawford has made some significant upgrades to your water system with guidance from our water operatrs from H2O Innovation. Including, Fire Hydrants have been replaced, relocation of hydrants to better suite the needs of the public.. All Hydrants in the system have been tested and working. Flushing of the district has continued, we have daytime and nighttime flushing operators. Every Spring and Fall, the town will send out information beforehand. This removes all settling common to natural minerals in the system mains. We have noticed significant improvement of water quality out of our hydrants with this flushing program. Meters throughout the system have been repaired to insure correct asset management of our water.
Green Sand filter project is ongoing at all well houses to improve the quality of drinking water in the town. This will be a significant upgrade to the towns drinking water.
A copy of the assessment, including a map of the assessment area, can be obtained by contacting us, as noted in this report. H2O Innovation 24 hour answering service number (845)888-5755. Thanks!
Non-Detects (ND) - Laboratory analysis indicates that the constituent is not present.
Action Level - The concentration of a contaminant which, if exceeded, triggers treatment or other requirements which a water system must follow.
Conversion Factor - Multiply By To Obtain
Mg/L(ppm) Multiply detected Ug/L(ppb)
Level by 1,000
Divide By To Obtain
UG/L(ppb) Divide detected MG/L(ppm)
Hardness - Measured in grains (1 grain=17.1 mg/L) or mg/L, any water over 10 grains is considered very hard.
Maximum Contaminant Level - The “Maximum Allowed” (MCL) is the highest level of a contaminant that is allowed in drinking water. MCLs are set as close to the MCLGs as feasible using the best available treatment technology. MCL’s are set at very stringent levels. To understand the possible health effects described for many regulated constituents, a person would have to drink 2 liters of water every day at the MCL level for a lifetime to have a one-in-a-million chance of having the described health effect.
Maximum Contaminant Level Goal – The ”Goal” (MCLG) is the level of a contaminant in drinking water below which there is no known or expected risk to health. MCLGs allow for a margin of safety.
Maximum Residual Disinfectant Level (MRDL): The highest level of a disinfectant allowed in drinking water. There is convincing evidence that addition of a disinfectant is necessary for control of microbial contaminants.
Maximum Residual Disinfectant Level Goal (MRDLG): The level of a drinking water disinfectant below which there is no known or expected risk to health. MRDLGs do not reflect the benefits of the use of disinfectants to control microbial contamination.
Parts per million (ppm) or Milligrams per liter (mgl) - One part per million corresponds to one part of liquid in one million parts of liquid ( parts per million - ppm)
Parts per billion (ppb) or Micrograms per liter - One part per billion corresponds to one part of liquid in one billion parts of liquid (parts per billion - ppb)
**IS OUR WATER SYSTEM MEETING OTHER RULES THAT GOVERN OPERATIONS?
We are required to monitor your drinking water for specific contaminants on a regular basis. Results of regular monitoring are an indicator of whether or not your drinking water meets health standards. Please see below all sample results required from Orange County DOH for our water system in 2022.
Violations:
Table of Detected Contaminants
Contaminant
Violation
Yes/No
Date of Sample
Level Detected
(Avg/Max)
(Range)
Unit
Measure-ment
MCLG
Regulatory Limit (MCL, TT or AL)
Likely Source of Contamination
Barium
No
7/10/18
Max = 0.23
Range =
0.11 to 0.23
mg/l
2
MCL = 2
Erosion of natural deposits.
Arsenic
7/18
Max = 1.4
ND to 1.4
ug/l
N/A
MCL = 10
Sodium
7/15/22
Max = 88
0.42 to .086
See Note 5
Road Salt
Nickel
7/14/21
Max = 3.2
1.9 to 3.2
100
MCL = 100
Erosion of natural deposits
**Copper6
9/30/19
90th%tile= .021
MG/L
1.3
AL=1.3Mg/l
Corrosion of household plumbing systems
**Lead7
90th %=3.4
(ND-9.1)
Ug/l
0
AL=15
Nitrate
10/19/22
AVG= 0.134
10
MCL=10
Run-off from fertilizer use
Coliform
no
10/4/202
Positive coliform
MPN
n/a
Bacteria
Table of Detected Contaminants Con’t
Organic/Inorganic Contamination Chemical
Total Trihalomethanes (TTHMs – chloroform, bromodichloromethane, dibromochloromethane, and bromoform)
7/11/22
11
MCL = 80
By-product of drinking water chlorination needed to kill harmful organisms. TTHMs are formed when source water contains organic matter.
HAA5
8.4
Uranium
7/10/17
Max = 2.86
N.D to 2.86
MCL = 30
Iron1/4
Yes
2/24/21
9/8/21
12/23/21
Max = 0.27
ND to .27
0.3
Naturally occurring
Manganese3/4
YES
Max = 0.321
Range
0.042 - 0.321
bromomethane
3/29/22
0.99
5
Used to kill a variety of pest
Total Phosphate
Jan-Dec
365
Samples
Avg.=.90
Range=
.10 to 3.0
NSF
MAX=29
Water additive for Iron and Manganese control
Annual Drinking Water Quality for 2023 - Pine Bush Water District
121 State Route 302, Pine Bush, N.Y. 12566
2. Iron is essential for maintaining good health. However, too much iron can cause adverse health effects. Drinking water with very large amounts of iron can cause nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, constipation, and stomach pain. These effects usually diminish once the elevated iron exposure is stopped. A small number of people have a condition called hemochromatosis, in which the body absorbs and stores too much iron. People with hemochromatosis may be at greater risk for health effects resulting from too much iron in the body (sometimes called “iron overload”) and should be aware of their overall iron intake. The New York State standard for iron in drinking water is 0.3 milligrams per liter, and is based on iron’s effects on the taste, odor and color of the water.
3. Manganese is a common element in rocks, soil, water, plants, and animals. Manganese occurs naturally in water after dissolving from rocks and soil. Contamination of drinking water may occur if manganese gets into surface or groundwater after dissolving from rocks and soil. It may also occur if manganese gets into surface or groundwater after improper waste disposal in landfills or by facilities using manganese in the production of steel or other products.
4. Manganese is an essential nutrient that is necessary to maintain good health. However, exposure to too much manganese can cause adverse health effects. There is some evidence from human studies that long-term exposure to manganese in drinking water is associated with nervous system effects in adults (e.g., weakness, stiff muscles and trembling of the hands) and children (learning and behavior). The results of these studies only suggest an effect because the possible influences of other factors were not adequately assessed. There is supporting evidence that manganese causes nervous system effects in humans from occupational studies of workers exposed to high levels of manganese in air, but the relevance of these studies to long term drinking water exposure is less clear because the exposures were quite elevated and by inhalation, not by ingestion.4. Excess manganese produces a brownish color in laundered goods and impairs the taste of tea, coffee, and other beverages. Concentrations may cause a dark brown or black stain on porcelain plumbing fixtures. As with iron, manganese may form a coating on distribution pipes. These may slough off, causing brown blotches on laundered clothing or black particles in the water.
7. The level presented represents the 90th percentile of the 20 sites tested. A percentile is a value of a scale of 100 that indicates the percent of a distribution that is equal to or below it. The 90th percentile is equal to or greater than 90% of the lead values detected at your water system. In this case, 20 samples were collected at your water system and the 90th percentile value was the third highest value. The action level for lead was exceeded at one of the sites tested. Please see section “What does this information mean?” for health information on Lead.
8. Please note that in addition to PFOS and PFOA, the lab ran the analysis for the entire EPA method 537.1, which includes 16 additional perfluorinated chemicals, 4 of these additional chemicals were detected, the highest of which was 4.19 ng/l. These additional analytes are not currently regulated and do not have an MCL.
The Town of Crawford has made some significant upgrades to your water system with guidance from our water operators from H2O Innovation. Including, Fire Hydrants have been replaced, relocation of hydrants to better suite the needs of the public.. All Hydrants in the system have been tested and working. Flushing of the district has continued, we have daytime and nighttime flushing operators. Every Spring and Fall, the town will send out information beforehand. This removes all settling common to natural minerals in the system mains. We have noticed significant improvement of water quality out of our hydrants with this flushing program. Meters throughout the system have been repaired to insure correct asset management of our water.
Green Sand filter project is completed and we are seeing great removal or iron and manganese in the system, we will continue to flush to remove and keep our water safe.
During 2023, our system was in compliance with applicable State drinking water operating, monitoring and reporting requirements.
8/22/23
Max = 76.5
11.1-76.5
9/27/23
90th%tile= 0.34 (0.018 - 0.432)
90th %=8.74
(ND – 74.8)
6/22/23
8/21/23
Range = 0.119-0.358
NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that sealed Request for Proposals by qualified vendors to seal and stripe the Town Hall Government Center and the Senior Center parking lot in the Town of Crawford, NY (hereinafter 'RFP') will be received by the Town of Crawford at the office of the Town Clerk, Town Hall, 121 Route 302, Pine Bush, New York 12566, until 10:00 o'clock A.M. on July 22, 2024, and then be publicly opened and read aloud.
Dated: June 26, 2024
Town of Crawford
County of Orange
State of New York
PLEASE TAKE NOTICE that the Town of Crawford Town Board will hold a public hearing for the purpose of discussing the Town of Crawford Consolidation Plan on Thursday, August 15, 2024, 7:00pm at the Crawford Town Hall, 121 State Route 302, Pine Bush, New York. A copy of the Consolidation Plan may be examined on the Town of Crawford website and at the following locations: Town Clerk Bulletin Board in Town Hall, Pine Bush Post Office Bulletin Board, Thompson Ridge Post Office, and Bullville Post Office Bulletin Board.
The Town of Crawford will make every effort to assure that the hearing is accessible to persons with disabilities. Anyone requiring special assistance and/or reasonable accommodations should contact the Town Clerk.
Date: June 20, 2024
BY ORDER OF THE TOWN BOARD
TOWN OF CRAWFORD
Jessica M. Kempter, Town Clerk
CONSOLIDATION PLAN
The stated goals of the Petition for a Consolidated Town of Crawford is to establish a village with the same boundaries as the Town of Crawford in order to give the Town government greater authority, flexibility and efficiency to provide services to its residents without increasing costs by authorizing the Town government to exercise the powers of a village while continuing to operate a single government as a town. The electorate voted to establish a new village having boundaries coterminous with the Town’s boundaries and to consolidate the new village and the Town of Crawford.
The State Comptroller’s office (OSC) subsequently informed the Town’s attorney that such consolidation would create a single government and would not accomplish the goals of the petition and that incorporation of the village with coterminous boundaries alone accomplishes the goals of the petition. Therefore, having established the new village having coterminous boundaries with the Town, the goals of the petition are accomplished, and proceeding with consolidation of governments w
ould not achieve the goals of the petition.
Since the voters approved a consolidation, the state General Municipal Law §760 requires the Town Board to prepare a consolidation plan. In order to accomplish the goals of the petition and the voters, the plan is to maintain the status quo of a village having coterminous boundaries with the Town of Crawford.
The plan, in response to each of the items set forth in General Municipal Law §760(2), is as follows:
(a) Governments. The two government entities are the Town of Crawford and Village of Crawford, which, in order to achieve the goals of the petition, shall not be consolidated.
(b) Name of Governments. Town of Crawford and Village of Crawford, to be known as the “Town of Crawford”.
(c) Rights, Duties and Obligations. The Town/Village of Crawford will be principally operated as a town. The Town of Crawford shall possess all the rights, powers, duties and obligations of a town, together with the rights and powers of a village. In the case of conflict between the rights and powers of a town and a village, the Town Board may determine which shall be applicable. If additional rights, powers or privileges are granted in the future by New York State to towns and/or villages, the Town shall have such rights and powers.
(d) Territorial Boundaries. The territorial boundaries of the entities each shall be the boundaries of the Town of Crawford.
(e) Type and/or Class. The type of the local government entities shall be a town and a village.
(f) Organization and Officials. The Town of Crawford and Village of Crawford shall remain organized as a town and shall have the same positions for officials and employees, both elected and appointed, as the Town of Crawford. The role of each elected official shall not change. Officials shall possess any additional powers of corresponding village officials, with the exception that the Town Supervisor will not possess the chief executive powers of a village mayor. If there is a conflict between the powers of a town official and corresponding village official, the Town Board shall determine which powers are applicable.
To the extent that Town officials are required to also act as Village officials, the Town Supervisor shall act as a village mayor (except the Town Supervisor shall not have the chief executive powers of a village mayor), Town Board members shall act as Village trustees, and the Town Clerk shall act as a Village clerk. There shall be no separate elections for village officials, except to the extent required, in which case the same person shall seek election for the town office and corresponding village office. There is no need for a transitional plan and the schedule for elections and appointments of officials will be retained.
(g) Costs and Savings. There will be minimal transition costs. The intention is for the government to operate more efficiently and with increased powers.
(h) Assets. The Town’s assets are set forth in its annual report, incorporated herein by reference and publicly available in the Town Clerk’s office. This plan will not affect Town or Village assets.
(i) Liabilities and Indebtedness. The Town’s liabilities and indebtedness are set forth in its annual report, incorporated herein by reference and publicly available in the Town Clerk’s office. This plan will not affect Town or Village liabilities and indebtedness.
(j) Terms of Disposition. The Town will retain its assets, liabilities and indebtedness. The Village will not have independent assets, liabilities or indebtedness.
(k) Laws, Rules and Regulations. The Town’s laws, rules, regulations, orders and the like, as may be amended from time to time, shall remain in full force and effect in the Town and Village, and shall be administered and enforced accordingly.
(l) Effective Date of Consolidation. In order to achieve the purposes and goals of the petition, there shall be no effective date of consolidation.
(m) Notice of Hearing on Plan. A public hearing on the proposed plan shall be held on Thursday, August 15, 2024, at 7:00 PM at the Town Hall, Route 302, Pine Bush, New York 12566.
NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that sealed Request for Proposals for the Construction of a New Town Hall and Police Pole Barn in the Town of Crawford, NY (hereinafter 'RFP') will be received by the Town of Crawford at the office of the Town Clerk, Town Hall, 121 Route 302, Pine Bush, New York 12566, until 10:00 o'clock A.M. on July 15, 2024, and then be publicly opened and read aloud.
Copies of the Information and Specifications for the RFP may be obtained at the Office of the Town Clerk at the above address. RFP’s must be submitted on official forms and in sealed envelopes at the above address and shall bear on the face thereof the name and address of the bidder, designation of the RFP item exactly as specified above and "Town of Crawford".
Dated: June 17, 2024
Coterminous Town-Village Information
Hello Town of Crawford Residents,
Many of you signed a petition to form a coterminous town-village in the Town of Crawford. The Town Board has approved this petition, and we are asking registered voters to vote on this referendum on December 12, 2023, between 8am and 9pm at the Crawford Community Center, 115 St. Rt 302, Pine Bush. We believe this move is in keeping with the Master Plan formed in 2014 and adopted on May 18, 2017. At that time, town residents, business owners, town officials and others came together to form a comprehensive plan for the Town of Crawford. Surveys were sent out to all residents, and public Community Visioning sessions were held to determine what we all wanted for our town. Part of the Mission Statement that was formulated included the following:
We pledge to work in partnership with our residents to foster community pride, to develop a vibrant, diversified economy, to plan for the future, to support the health and well-being of all residents and to preserve and enhance the natural beauty of our environment through strong relationships between residents, the Town, businesses, educators, non-profits, and our faith-based community. The Town of Crawford will facilitate a forward-looking, people-friendly community that champions our community’s diversity and results in a better place to live, work, play and raise families.
We believe that forming a coterminous town-village strongly supports the vision of Town of Crawford’s future that we all shared. Many of you have asked questions about what this actually means for our town and residents. We hope the following information answers these questions for you.
What is the petition asking for? The petition is a request by Town residents to transform Crawford from a town to a consolidated or coterminous town-village. Coterminous means having a shared border. The new village would take up the Town of Crawford entirely. This means that no other villages could be formed within our town. At the time of this writing, this is still possible. The residents who signed the petition want to keep the Town of Crawford as it is, without any other villages being formed within our town limits.
What would happen if another village were formed within the Town of Crawford? If another village were formed within the Town of Crawford, they could form their own municipal government, enact their own laws, and create their own highway department and ambulance services. This could, and probably would, result in additional expenses and overlapping taxes for Town of Crawford residents.
If the petition passes, will it prevent other villages being formed within the Town of Crawford? Yes, if the petition passes, it will prevent other villages being created within Town of Crawford borders. We would form a coterminous village which means the village would be the exact same size as the Town of Crawford with the same borders. We would then immediately form the village back into a town called the Consolidated Town of Crawford, but we expect that it will informally continue to be referred to as the Town of Crawford.
Why would we transform the village to a town? Reverting back to a town format would enable us to keep everything in town exactly the way it is: the same highway department, ambulance services, utilities and water service, Town Board, Town Supervisor, Town Clerk and Tax Collector format. It would be the same Town of Crawford we now know, only now we can be sure that no other villages will be formed within our borders.
When do we vote on this proposal? On December 12th, you will have the opportunity to vote on this proposal. It will be a “combined referendum,” because it will ask you to vote on two things: (1) forming a coterminous (sharing the same boundaries with the Town of Crawford) village and (2) transforming that village back into a town.
What exactly will we be voting on? Two yes/no questions will be posed to eligible voters as follows:
Why should I vote yes for each referendum? The existence of a village prevents other villages from incorporating within the same borders. The creation of a town-village within the Town of Crawford’s existing borders will prevent any other villages from incorporating in the Town of Crawford.
What happens if I vote yes to one referendum and no to the other? If you vote yes to one referendum and no to the other, your vote will count as a NO. In order for your vote to count as a YES, you need to vote yes to both items in the referendum: (1) yes to forming a coterminous village and (2) yes to transforming that village to a consolidated town.
What changes will be made to the existing Town Board and Supervisor powers if the petition passes? No changes will be made. The Town Supervisor and each Town Board member will retain the same abilities.
Will there be any extra steps or changes in the process of applying for building permits? No, the procedure will not cause any extra steps or changes in the building-permit application process.
Will there be any changes in our current zoning laws?
No, the procedure itself will not cause any changes to the current zoning laws.
Will this change result in any type of new taxes for the new town-village? No, there will be no impact on taxes for the new town-village.
Will it be necessary to re-assess all the properties in the new town-village? No, there is no need to impose a reassessment of properties within the new town-village.
Will this in any way affect our current school district boundaries? No, the school district boundaries are not affected by this procedure.
What is required for this petition to pass? In order for the petition to pass, a majority of residents have to vote yes to BOTH items in the referendum.
What happens if the petition doesn’t pass? If either referendum fails, the reorganization will not take place, and the process cannot be reinitiated for at least four years. During that time, other villages could be formed within the Town of Crawford. This is why it’s important to vote yes to both items so that we will become a consolidated town and no other villages can be formed within our borders.
Are absentee ballots permitted? Absentee ballots are prohibited for incorporation referendums, so they would not be allowed in this vote.
The Town Supervisor and Town Board strongly encourage all to vote yes to both questions in the dual-referendum to keep our town whole and undivided. If you have any questions or concerns about this vote, feel free to stop in to Town Hall and see the Town Supervisor or Town Clerk or call 845-744-2020.