The Town of Henrietta is accepting applications for the position of Highway Superintendent.  The person in this position is responsible for supervising the operation of the Henrietta Highway Department under the supervision of the Henrietta Town Supervisor and the Henrietta Town Board and in conformity with the applicable Highway Laws of New York State and the Codes of the Town of Henrietta.

Prior supervisory experience and experience in road construction, public highway snow clearing operations, drainage improvements, engineering, and related fields preferred.  The Town Board reserves the right to make sole evaluation of said experience.  Henrietta residency also preferred.

Resumes (and/or questions) may be e-mailed to supervisor@henrietta.org or mailed to Michael Yudelson, Town Supervisor, Henrietta Town Hall, 475 Calkins Road, Henrietta, NY  14467.  No phone calls please.  Resumes should be received by January 27, 2012.

Henrietta 2012 Preliminary Budget: Spending Cut; No increase in Town Tax Rate

The Henrietta Town Board’s 2012 Preliminary Budget proposes there be no increase in the general town tax rate. Expenses in the Town Budget would actually decrease 1.1% from $17,094,353 to $16,905,310.

The Public Hearing on the Budget was held during the November 16 Town Board meeting.  The Board will vote on the 2012 Budget during their December 7 meeting.

“Given how slow the economy has been to turn around, it is especially important to not place any additional burden on Town taxpayers” Supervisor Michael Yudelson said.

“This budget was prepared to allow the Town of Henrietta to continue to provide a high level of services while at the same time being extremely mindful of keeping a careful eye on town spending.” Supervisor Yudelson said in presenting his Budget Proposal to the Town Board.

If approved, the town tax rate will remain the same for the seventh consecutive year at $1.21 per $1,000 of assessed value.

In addition to keeping the property tax rate the same for 2012, Supervisor Yudelson has proposed a 5% decrease in the Drainage Fund charge that is on each taxpayer’s bill.

The costs that the Town has no control over place the greatest strain on the budget. The budget for the required payment to the New York State Retirement System is increased by 35.6%, a growth of $286,921. That follows a 75% increase in the amount the Town has to pay this year versus its 2010 payment.

Salary increases are based on collective bargaining agreements already in place but are largely offset by the elimination of three vacant positions.

Despite this careful budgeting, important projects are included in the 2012 Tentative Budget:

The Highway Department will include several miles of roads in its annual Road Paving and Maintenance program. There are many projects planned for the Sewer, Drainage and Parks departments including updating the playground near the cabins in Veterans Memorial Park, further improvements to Martin Road Park and Breese Park, additional picnic tables for the parks around Henrietta, and continued improvements to the infrastructure of Henrietta’s sewer system.

The Town will also replace two plow trucks, one of them the Town has had for 25 years; the other one the Town has owned for 20 years. They will be replaced as part of the Town’s Equipment Replacement Schedule which was put into place two years ago.

Henrietta 2012 Preliminary Budget

The Town Board held a Public Hearing on November 2 in regard to a proposed change in the definition of the term “family” as used in the Building & Zoning code.  Many people spoke and provided a wide variety of viewpoints and feedback to the Board.  As a result there is a great deal of information for the Board to discuss and review before voting upon changes to the code.

Accordingly there was not a vote taken at the November 16 Town Board meeting on this issue.  When the Town Board does schedule a vote on the proposed code change notice will be made here on the Town’s web site.

The Henrietta Highway Department is responsible for snow and ice control on all Town roads. By contract, we also provide snow and ice control services to all Monroe County and New York State highways within the Town of Henrietta (with the exception of the NYS Thruway and I-390). Our dispatchers are on duty twenty-four hours a day during the winter season and may be reached at 359-7005.

Our Highway Department follows the “Sensible Salting Guidelines” established by the County of Monroe, in conjunction with the Environmental Management Council. This requires us to use only enough salt to make our highways safe for motorists, but requires you to reduce your driving speed according to road conditions.

In order to facilitate snow removal operations and eliminate potential hazards, the parking of vehicles on all highways within the Town, including the shoulders of the roads, is prohibited between the hours of 2:00 AM and 9:00 AM from November 1st to April 15th. Vehicles in violation of this ordinance are subject to parking ticket (minimum $25.00). Repeat violators or vehicles that prevent plowing of a street may be towed and the vehicle’s owner will be responsible for all towing and storage charges incurred by the Town.

The Town of Henrietta is one of a small number of towns that still repairs or replaces mailboxes damaged during snowplowing operations. Since there is no statutory or legal authority which grants an owner or resident the right to place a mailbox along a public road in the right-of-way, our repairs and replacements are done as a courtesy and must be limited to standard size steel rural mailboxes and steel pipe posts. Custom posts and mailboxes cannot be replaced with anything other than the standard replacements. If you have an expensive and/or decorative mailbox or post, you may want to consider the option of storing it for the winter and replacing it with an inexpensive substitute. This decorative category also includes the one-piece plastic post and mailbox combinations, which are extremely susceptible to winter damage.

When clearing your driveway of snow, please remember that New York State Law requires that the snow remains on your own property. Any snow pushed, blown, or plowed onto any street is a safety hazard and may result in tickets being issued under New York State Vehicle and Traffic Law. If your driveway is plowed by a private contractor, both the homeowner and the plow operator share the legal responsibility for compliance with these regulations.

Thank you for assisting the Town in trying to ensure motorist safety during the winter months.