Town of Ogden 2023 Fall Newsletter

2023 FALL NEWSLETTER

playground at town hall, and completed our new pole barn at Pineway Ponds Park.

Thanks to extensive guidance from the Building Department, we have made some positive changes to our town code. These changes benefit residents by streamlining our zoning process and saving residents both time and money. We also adopted a new town wide Emergency Preparedness Plan, hired an excellent new DARE officer and successfully brought back Mobile DMV services that were halted due to the COVID-19 pandemic Now, we’re in the process of completing a new comprehensive plan which will ensure Ogden’s character is preserved for many years to come

I would also like to take a moment to address the 2024 budget As inflation continues to drive up costs of essential goods like gas and groceries, we remain committed to responsible fiscal management on our town It remains my top priority to ensure that our community remains financially stable while maintaining the high level of services that you deserve Thank you for your trust and support during these challenging times I encourage you to attend the Public Hearing on our 2024 Budget on Wednesday, October 25th to share your thoughts

While we have made great strides in our efforts, there is so much more to accomplish, and I am eager to continue working on behalf of our wonderful community As we draw nearer to the holiday season, I would like to tell you about some exciting events that will be happening in our community

First, I’d like to invite you to the Town of Ogden’s Second Annual Christmas Tree Lighting Ceremony on Friday, December 8th at the Ogden Town Hall Last year’s inaugural event was a wonderful evening filled with Christmas carols, hot chocolate, festive lights and fellowship with the community. We’re excited to make this year’s event even better. I hope to see you at this fun, free event. Preparation is also underway for the 2024 Solar Eclipse. As you may know, Western New York is in the path of totality for this historic event taking place on April 8, 2024. The duration of the totality will be up to 4 minutes and 27 seconds, almost double that of the eclipse that occurred in 2017! I will keep you informed as we plan for this thrilling occasion.

All the progress we have made this year was only made possible thanks to the hard work of our dedicated town staff, and support and guidance from the Ogden Town Board I am grateful to be surrounded by such an exceptional group of professionals with a shared vision to serve the residents of this special community

I welcome you to read the rest of this newsletter to learn about more of the wonderful things being done in each department to improve life for our town If you ever have questions or concerns related to town matters, you can email me at supervisor@ogdenny com or call my office line at (585) 617-6100

Aaron Baker Councilman

Sal Gerbino Councilman

Josh Hinman Councilman

Steve Toms Councilman

TOWN BOARD: 2nd and 4th Wednesdays at 7pm

***Workshops as needed, on alternate Wednesdays at 5pm

PLANNING BOARD: 2nd Thursday at 7pm

ZONING BOARD OF APPEALS: 1st Thursday at 7pm

CONSERVATION BOARD: 1st Tuesday at 7pm

Mike Zale Town Supervisor

Noelle Burley, Town Clerk Clerk's Office

Come to the Town Clerks office for your hunting/fishing license, dog license, marriage licenses and passport needs. We process passports and passport cards. Refer to the Town Clerk tab at www.ogdenny.com for additional information or travel.state.gov for daily updates regarding passport processing times, fees and procedures

FALL 2022 NEWSLETTER

The Department of State has advised us of changes regarding passports as well As an Acceptance Agency, we are able to process routine and expedited applications during normal business hours An appointment is required and can be made by calling our office Passport renewals for qualified applicants do not have to be processed through an Acceptance Agency and can be mailed to the National Passport Processing Center by the applicant We recommend you ask USPS to send your renewal (Form DS-82) and supporting documents using a trackable delivery method Do not use UPS, FedEx,

Dan Wolf, Highway Superintendent Highway Department

Stormwater Wetlands Information

The stormwater wetland in your subdivision provides two primary benefits to you and the environment

Stormwater wetlands detain stormwater during and after a storm and thus safeguard against downstream flooding Stormwater wetlands filter pollutants contained in stormwater runoff. Without a stormwater wetland, these pollutants would be transported to our streams, bays, ponds, and lakes. These resources would be degraded for recreational and other uses.

The stormwater wetland in your subdivision is carefully designed to remove pollutants from stormwater runoff The wetland plants, such as cattails, are a critical part of this process The plants slow the flow of water, thus allowing suspended particles and associated pollutants to settle and water to move downward into the soil Pollutants, such as phosphorus, are utilized by the plants and abundant microorganisms Chemical reactions convert pollutants into less harmful substances

John Cohen, Director Ogden Farmers' Library

Greetings from your local library! You can visit us at town hall and check out all the books, movies, CDs, audiobooks you desire, and use our publicly available computers, fax service, and more Or enjoy the library from the comfort of your own home using our online providers, Libby and Hoopla

It’s been a great year for us here at the library In August, we welcomed Bridget LaDuca as our new Genealogy & Local History Library Assistant Bridget has been offering personal genealogical assistance to community members, and she has teamed up with adult librarian Kate to provide even better and more frequent events for

or DHL since the address you need to send your renewal form and supporting documents to is a Post Office (PO) Box The Clerk’s Office is committed to supporting residents, town employees and the entire community Our drop box is located just outside the main entrance to Town Hall near the flagpole and is a touchless alternative to coming into the building This drop box is to provide residents with the ability to make your payment even when the office is closed Only checks or money orders are accepted in the lock box Please include a payment stub with each check Office staff will collect the deposits at 8:30am during normal business days All work removed that morning will be processed on the previous days business date Tax information can be found at www monroecounty gov Features include ability to view/pay taxes online

The Town Clerk’s office is open from 8:30am - 4:30pm, Monday through Friday If you have any questions, please feel free to contact us at (585) 617-6111

Highway

Road Projects and Revenue

The highway crew micropaved, surface treated, paved, and crack filled 43 roads in the Town of Ogden this summer Off road drainage remains a high priority and we will continue to work on these projects this year.

Monroe County and other government projects have been an important source of revenue for the Ogden Highway Department. Utilizing these shared service agreements, the highway department brought in revenue exceeding $739K in 2023

Leaf Pickup

Leaf pickup will begin when the leaves start falling Rake leaves to the curb and our trucks will be around to vacuum them up

New in 2023

Pumpstation generators have been installed at 3 different locations! A digital sign was installed in front of the Highway Department building to improve communication between the town and residents

Coming in 2024

New onsite fuel system

adults If you’re 18+, don’t miss out on crafts, movie nights, topic talks, and more!

Kids events have been going great too Our story times have been SUPER POPULAR this year – It seems like you all love Mr Steve’s stories and songs! We want to say a special thanks to Supervisor Mike Zale for helping us out with story time every month

For teens 6th-12th grade, check out our teen events calendar Teen librarian Brad has been hosting crafting and game events for you to express your creativity and skills! Visit us online at Ogdenlibrary com to learn about services we provide and our upcoming events and keep an eye out for our BIG BOOK SALE in October!

FIND US ON FACEBOOK @TOWNOFOGDENHIGHWAYDEPARTMENT

Brian Thompson, Building Inspector Building Department

The Town of Ogden Building Department has experienced one of the busiest years to date The “post-COVID building boom” has meant an influx of both residential and commercial applications Some notable mentions are the relocation of The Pirate Toy Fund to Turner Drive in Spencerport This organization is dedicated to distributing new toys year-round to children in need throughout the Greater Rochester region Additionally, the Golisano Community Engagement Center is now open at Roberts Wesleyan University This Center serves as a hub for connection, community interaction, and student life resources on campus It’s gratifying to see community-based programs and businesses growing once again in the COVID aftermath

Our department initiated a permit process for fire safety inspections (required by the State of New York) for commercial properties, places of public assembly and multiple family dwellings Fire safety inspections were always done, but this change in procedure allows us to be more efficient and offset our administrative costs and reduce the taxpayer burden.

We just recently rolled-out Municity, a community development software which will eventually let homeowners apply and pay for permits and schedule inspections on-line Watch for the online service to become available in the summer of 2024 This new

Travis Gray, Chief Ogden Police Department

2023 has been a busy year here at the Ogden Police Department. Whether it’s responding to calls for service, assisting our residents or simply walking foot patrol, our officers are always busy!

Late in 2022 Officer Marc Lawrence was hired as a lateral transfer from the City of Batavia Police Department Officer Lawrence has completed his field training and is already proving to be an asset to our agency In January retired Rochester Police Department Lieutenant Jeremy Lindauer was hired part-time to teach DARE in our schools and conduct community outreach programs Finally, in May we welcomed retired New York State Trooper Zone Sergeant Dana Paduano in a part-time capacity Officer Paduano will help fill gaps in the schedule when full-time officers are on vacation or out sick These hires filled existing vacancies and bring us back up to full staff

software will enable us to better use our time and perform our duties

We also completed a historical review of applications made to the Zoning Board of Appeals The results showed a need for some revisions to the Town Zoning Code After our findings and suggested changes were submitted, the Town Board amended a handful of codes to better serve our residents, saving many of you the time and money of having to apply for a zoning variance Some of the notable improvements were to the fence, shed, and accessory structure codes within residential districts

Our team is continuing our intermunicipal agreement with the Village of Spencerport We will continue to administer all the required Building Department functions directed by the village, NYS Building, and Fire codes As in the past, the Village will enforce its own Fire Code inspections, and property maintenance code violations This year brought significant growth, new construction, and several commercial renovations in the Village of Spencerport. We are especially pleased to see that Midland Apartments, in the heart of the Village, is now moving forward with construction.

We are proud to serve such a vibrant community and are here to help you with all aspects of Building Permits and code compliance As we grow and adapt to this everchanging township, we are continuously looking for ways to improve our processes to better serve you Please don’t hesitate to contact us with any building or code related questions

In addition to answering calls for service, our officers have participated in several traffic safety initiatives throughout the year, including statewide campaigns such as Buckle Up New York, Operation Safe Stop, and Speed Week. In August we partnered with our Ogden Highway Department to ensure crews were safe in work zones.

As Chief, one of my goals for our department is to increase the amount of community outreach programs we offer to the community In collaboration with several local businesses, we participated in National Night Out, held a bicycle safety campaign throughout summer, and gave away dozens of donated children’s books to promote literacy Additionally, I am proud to announce that our department will be introducing the Ogden PD Explorer Program this fall. Students in grades 9-12 are welcome to attend an informational meeting at the Ogden Town Hall on October 4th at 7pm for more information.

In closing, I would be remiss if I did not give a huge shout-out to our all-volunteer Special Police. Whether it be assisting our officers at major incidents, conducting house checks for residents, or working at festivals, we could not achieve all we do without our Special Police.

Officers Dana Paduano, Jeremy Lindauer and Marc Lawrence (left to right)

Andrea Hansen, Director Parks and

Recreation Department

Time passes quickly when you’re having fun! We’ve had so much fun, that it’s hard to believe we’re headed towards the end of the year!

This winter our Fitness Center cardio equipment was updated The treadmills, ellipticals, and bicycles have been a welcome update for our fitness enthusiasts In the Spring, a new playground was installed at the Ogden Community Center, completed with a rubber surfacing In addition, our gymnasium received a facelift with new basketball hoops and a center curtain We are excited to put these to use as we venture into the indoor sports season

This summer, our School Age Camps were filled with 8 weeks of crafts, games, and field trips Our Preschool Camp made a successful return to programming, as well! Thank you to our wonderful OPR Team members for making this summer shine! Pineway Ponds Park was busy with sports teams and family picnics, while Heritage Park provided a place to throw a line in the canal or paddle away on a kayak. Ogden was surely full of summer fun!

As our hallways fill with the laughter of children going back to school, we are excited for the return of our Fall programming. Themed preschool programs, sport clinics and leagues for youth, art and enrichment for youth and teens, fitness and sports for adults fill the

Pam Dolliver, Town Assessor Assessor’s Office

Exemption Renewal Applications for 2024:

Mailing of Exemption Renewal Applications: Renewal applications for the Low-Income Senior Citizens, Persons with Disabilities and Limited Incomes, and various other renewable exemptions will be mailed to current exemption recipients by the end of September 2023.

You may be eligible for the Enhanced STAR exemption if you are (or will be turning) 65 by December 31, 2024, have been receiving a Basic STAR exemption on your current property (prior to 2015), and the 2022

Jesse Diehl, Ogden Historian

Historian's Office

It has been another busy year in the Ogden Historian’s Office I have really enjoyed settling into my new office at the historic Little Red building I am pleased to share that the Village of Spencerport’s Historian, Virginia Parker now uses Little Red as an office space as well I have really enjoyed this collaboration between the Town and the Village and believe it will help us to better serve residents

I successfully completed an online course offered by the American Association for State and Local History (AASLH) This training helped me establish a Collection Management Policy for the Town’s historical documents and items. Lastly, I have continued to

calendar for the Autumn months Many seasonal favorites return, so make sure to register before the classes fill! Our favorite town events make their return this fall, too Join us for 5k fun at the 9th annual Pineway Ponds 5k Run/Walk, dress up in your favorite Halloween attire to visit canal-side businesses at our Town Trick or Treat, clean out your clutter and reserve a spot to sell it at our Townwide Garage Sale, celebrate our community’s Veterans at the Ogden Senior Center Veteran’s Day Celebration and share in our Town’s holiday cheer by driving through our annual Santa’s Magical Express Parade.

Though time is moving fast, there are still so many days to have fun, and we hope you will spend them with us. Our Fall Program Guide is available, with all the programs and events listed. Check out our website at www.ogdenparksandrec, and follow us on FB at www facebook com/ogdenparksandrec for up-to-date Department information

income of all owners was below $98,700. *Other requirements may be applicable You may be eligible for a “low-income” Senior Citizen exemption if: you are (or will be turning) 65 by December 31, 2024, have owned and resided on the property for at least 12 months, and the 2022 income of all owners was below $58,400 *Other requirements may be applicable

All exemption applications (new and renewals) must be submitted to the Assessor’s Office no later than March 1, 2024 The Assessor’s Office page at www ogdenny com contains links to exemption application forms, useful publications, and STAR information My staff are available to answer any questions you have about any of these programs Feel free to call us at (585) 617-6107 with any questions

build a searchable database for our historical collection. This will make for a more effective and efficient retrieval process.