Open Space Plan - Public Feedback

There will be a community meeting held April 18th @ 6:30 pm at the Rensselaer City School for the Open Space Plan. The City’s Planning Department will be doing an educational presentation and soliciting feedback from the public. The Open Space Plan is a follow up to the City’s Natural Resource Inventory, which was completed in June 2020. The Open Space Steering Committee hopes to educate the public on the benefits of establishing local conservation areas, stormwater management areas, environmental justice areas, and public waterfront usage.

The city’s Open Space Plan will address the following areas:

1. Ensuring that future land use does not harm natural resources such as creeks and forested areas;

2. Prepares for the impact of new development on stormwater management (especially in floodplains and at the bottom of steep slopes);

3. Ensuring that neighborhoods in the city that currently suffer from quality of life issues resulting from the dump and the industrial area are recognized and prioritized in the review of future land use pro- posals that might negatively impact air and water quality for these neighborhoods; and

4. Ensuring that private development of the waterfront includes public access and preparing the public for what that could look like in the coming years! (Especially with the Livingston Avenue Bridge replacement – once we are connected to Albany, it is reasonable to expect that the lands north of the bridge will be developed)

The steering committee will need public feedback so STAY TUNED! This study is anticipated to be completed mid-summer2023.

Fire Captain Exam Bulk Pick Up Schedule

Rensselaer County Civil Service has announced the upcoming Fire Captain exam for the City of Rensselaer to be held on June 24, 2023.

NOTE: Deadline to apply is May 12, 2023. Click on the link below to apply view the qualification and apply https://renscoportal.mycivilservice.com/

Please follow the days below for when your trash is picked up on a weekly basis

For normal Tuesday pick up your date is April 24th

For normal Wednesday pickups your date is May 1st

For normal Thursday pickups your date is May 8th for normal Friday pickups your date is May 15th

Common Council Workshops 1st and 3rd Mondays

Last month, we informed you about the Common Council Meetings that take place on the 1st and 3rd Wednesday of each month. Did you know you can attend the Workshops on Monday’s prior to the Meetings as well? Workshops are open to the public and give you the opportunity to voice your opinion before the Common Council regarding the resolutions on the table. Workshops takes place before the Common Council makes final decisions on placing a resolution on the agenda. At the workshop, you can help push an issue forward or stop a resolution’s vote. Sometimes by providing additional facts and/or information to the Council, you will give them more insight on how residents feel about an issue.

Please consider attending these Workshops that are held every 1st and 3rd Monday of each month at 6:30 PM at City Hall (see Calendar on last page of this Newsletter).

Public speaking begins at 6:30 PM sharp. Agendas are posted on the City’s website the Monday prior.