The evening of 2023-08-14 was a meeting of the Mendon Town Board.
The big topic of the meeting was the Anvil at the entrance to the Mendon Farms housing development. Apparently it had been hit by a car and now the question was to rebuild or demolish. Apart from having determined it’s Town property, so their responsibility, no decision was made tonight. Besides from going to look into it, which isn’t an ‘action’ from a Board standpoint, but a necessary step before action can be taken. I would expect it to be decided at a future meeting, and likely before winter.
The Splash park has re-opened. So get out there and enjoy it before summer is gone. There was talk about when the closing date would be, but a formal date wasn’t set. Informally, I would expect something near the end of September. From the sounds of it, no need to rush closing, so leave it open until it’s cold enough people won’t want to use it. It will still need to be ‘winterized’, but 32 degrees is a good distance off 60.
Traffic Control (ie signage) at the Bull Saw Mill/Pittsford Mendon Center Road intersection is being adjusted. Details weren’t clear to me, but it sounds like removing one sign and adding another. Maybe with some restructuring of the intersection. Either way, something to be aware of if you use this intersection often. Changes are coming in the not too distant future.
Property assessments and equalization rates were discussed. As it has been a while since a full reassessment, the State wants that to be done, and they use the equalization rate as a method of encouragement. But reassessing has a projected cost somewhere in the ~$150k ballpark. Yet that expense wouldn’t increase revenue for the Town. It would shuffle around how the taxes are collected, but the Levy is the number that matters. If everyone’s property value goes up, the tax rate goes down, so the amount paid should be (roughly) the same as it was before. At least in theory. In practice might well be why last time this happened there were so many unhappy residents. It was an interesting contrast with a similar discussion at a recent School Board meeting.
The Mendon Youth Center is planning to open in October. I heard the 2nd, but there will be an open house first, so likely a number of official announcements. If you (or your kids) are interested, at least you know roughly when this option becomes available.
Payroll procedure and Voucher forms are being changed. Didn’t sound like this will have any impact on those of us outside the Town office/employment. In many ways, sounds like it will only really impact the Town Board itself. The interesting part was the cause for the change. Turns out another Town was audited and was criticized for not doing things ‘right’. So in the time honored tradition of learning from other peoples mistakes, Mendon is adjusting practices before being audited.
And those are my Observations From Audience Land for the August 14, 2023 meeting of the Mendon Town Board.