Welcome to the Town of Taghkanic
in New York's Upper Hudson Valley

The Assessor's Office will be closed on Wednesday, December 13th.

PUBLIC MEETINGS

All meetings of the Taghkanic town boards and committees are open to the public. Meetings are held in person at the town hall, unless labeled "Zoom-Only". The town makes every effort to post meeting times and locations in advance, along with the meeting agenda and any additional relevant documents.

Attend In-Person or on Zoom

All meetings are available on ZOOM and can be accessed by clicking on the camera icon on the Upcoming Meetings calendar on this page.

View / Download Zoom Recordings

Zoom recordings of town meetings can now be downloaded for viewing. To locate a recording, click here Zoom Recs .

MEETINGS CALENDAR
Meetings scheduled for this week & next week
Date Time Meeting Agenda Docs Zoom
Dec 4 7:00pm Public Hearing - Short-Term Rentals - Firehouse
Dec 5 7:00pm Planning Board Meeting
Dec 11 7:00pm Town Board Meeting
Dec 14 11:00am Financial Advisory Committee

PUBLIC NOTICES

NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING
SHORT-TERM RENTALS in the
TOWN OF TAGHKANIC

PLEASE TAKE NOTICE that the Taghkanic Town Board will hold a public hearing on December 4, 2023, at 7:00 p.m. at the Taghkanic Fire House located at corner of Old Route 82 and County Route 10, West Taghkanic, New York, for the purpose of considering the adoption of Local Law No. 3 of the year 2023 enacting regulations for Short Term Rentals within the Town of Taghkanic.

The meeting will also be available on ZOOM at the following link: ZOOM LINK.

All persons interested in commenting on the proposed local law shall be heard at such time.

A copy of the text of this proposed local law can be downloaded HERE. It is also available at the office of the Taghkanic Town Clerk during normal business hours.

The Town Board will be holding a workshop meeting at 6 pm.

DATED: November 15, 2023
Cheryl Rogers
Town Clerk

THE COLUMBIA COUNTY HIGHWAY DEPARTMENT IS NOW ACCEPTING APPLICATIONS FOR THE FOLLOWING POSITION:

One (1) Full Time Laborer - Permanent

GRADE 11A - $44,258

Special Requirement:

Applicants must be able to commit to working show and ice control and be able to respond to work at any hour of any day.

Typical Work Duties:

Include but are not limited to: erecting and dismantling snow fence, cleaning culverts and ditches, cutting brush and trees, flagging traffic in work zones, operating a wing during the performance of snow and ice control operations, clearing snow from bridges, cleaning equipment, and other related work as required.

Please submit an application/resume to or come by and pick up an application:

  • Anthony F. DeMarco Jr., Director of Highways
  • Columbia County Highway Department
  • 178 Route 23B
  • PO Box 324
  • Hudson, NY 12534
  • 518-828-7011 / 518-828-8740 FAX
  • Deadline For Applications: ___ Until Filled

Columbia County is an Equal Opportunity Employer

Legal Notice
ANNUAL ELECTION OF THE CRARYVILLE FIRE DISTRICT

NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that the Annual Election of the Craryville Fire District will take place on December 12, 2023 between the hours of 6:00 p.m. and 9:00 p.m. at the Craryville Fire House located on County Route 7, for the purpose of electing one (1) Commissioner for a five (5) year term, commencing on January 1, 2024 and ending December 31, 2029 and electing a treasurer for a three (3) year term, commencing on January 1, 2024 and ending on December 31, 2026. All voters registered with the Columbia County Board of Elections on or before November 20, 2023 shall be eligible to vote.

Candidates for District Office shall have filed their names with the Secretary of the Craryville Fire District, no later than twenty (20) days before the election, November 22, 2023.

K.I.S.S. - Keeping Identities of Seniors Safe

As a public service aimed at preventing documents containing confidential information from getting into the wrong hands, where it could be used to help cyber-thieves steal your identity, K.I.S.S is sponsoring another round of document shredding at Town Hall.

What Documents Should I Shred: Bank Statements - Copies of Birth Certificates - Pay Stubs - Canceled/Voided Checks - Credit Card Bills/Receipts - Credit Reports & Histories - Expired Credit Cards & Identification Cards - Expired Passports & Visas - Legal Documents - Insurance Documents - Tax Forms - Medical & Dental records - Utility Bills (phone, gas/electric, water, cable) - Transcripts - Investment, Stock & Property Transactions - Employment Records - AND: ANYTHING with your Account Numbers, Passwords, PINs, Signatures, Social Security Numbers and your Date of Birth!

Sponsored by the Columbia County Clerk’s Office, Holly Tanner, County Clerk

THE COLUMBIA COUNTY HIGHWAY DEPARTMENT IS NOW ACCEPTING APPLICATIONS FOR THE FOLLOWING POSITION:

One (1) Full Time Motor Equipment Operator (MEO I) Permanent Grade 12B $49,053

Minimum Qualifications:

Completion of a grade school education and one (1) year of experience in the operation of some type of automotive equipment.

Special Requirement:

Possession of a CDL Class A or B permit at the time of appointment. CDL license is REQUIRED prior to the end of the probation period.

Please submit a letter of interest and application/resume to:

Columbia County is an Equal Opportunity Employer

Taghkanic Residents in the
Germantown School District

The Germantown Central School District will hold meetings on Nov. 15 and Dec 6 to present and discuss a Proposed Capital Project. The project is aimed at addressing years of deterioration of the school building and grounds, as well as providing a variety of other essential upgrades to infrastructure. This may be of interest to the 50+ families in Taghkanic who are in the Germantown School District. Full details can be found HERE.

Public Hearings will be held at 6:30pm in the school auditorium, 123 Main Street, Germantown CSD on Wednesday, November 15th & Wednesday, December 6th. The Public Hearings will also be available online by clicking on this LINK.

A vote on the project will take place on December 19, 2023.

Town of Taghkanic
Planning Board
Public Hearing Notice

Please Take Notice: In accordance with the Town of Taghkanic Zoning Law, you are herein advised that three (3) Public Hearings will be held December 5, 2023 in the Taghkanic Town Hall, New York State Route 82, (at the corner of Route 82 and County Route 10) Taghkanic, New York.

Hearing Date: December 5, 2023

  1. 7:05 pm For the Application of: Luks
    Property Address: Sopak Road (Taghkanic) NY
    Purpose of the Application: Subdivision
  2. 7:20 pm For the Application of: Ellis
    Property Address: Taghkanic Road (Taghkanic) NY
    Purpose of the Application: Subdivision
  3. 7:30 pm For the Application of: Spark Rock LLC
    Property Address: Country Route 10 (Taghkanic) NY
    Purpose of the Application: Subdivision

The purpose of the hearing is to answer all questions and concerns of the Public. If you cannot be present but wish to express an opinion you may do so by certified letter, return receipt, to the Town Clerk Cheryl Rogers, 483 County Route 15, Elizaville, New York 12523 to the Attention of the Planning Board. Be aware that this will be your only opportunity to be heard before your property is influenced by the decision which must be made on this application.

VACANCY ANNOUNCEMENT

The following vacancy is announced in the Taconic Region, New York State Office of Parks, Recreation & Historic Preservation:

TITLE: Trades Assistant (Park and Recreation Aide 4)

HOURLY RATE: $17.95/hour

WORK LOCATION: Lake Taghkanic State Park, Columbia County

NEGOTIATING UNIT: CSEA, NU03 (Operational Services Unit)

JURISDICTIONAL CLASS: Labor Class

TYPE OF APPOINTMENT: Year-Round Seasonal

DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:

Under the direction of the Trades Generalist, the employee will:

Town of Ancram Public Hearing

Town of Ancram Public Hearing on Local Law #6 of 2023 (Zoning Amendments) - The Ancram Town Board will hold a public hearing on proposed Local Law #6 of 2023 (Zoning Amendments) at 6:30 pm on Thursday, November 16, 2023 at the Ancram Town Hall, 1416 CR 7, Ancram NY 12502. Background materials related to Local Law #6 of 2023 and a draft copy of Local Law #6 of 2023 will be available from the Ancram Town Clerk, will be posted on the Town website at www.ancramny.org and will be available in the Town Hall conference room .

Monica Cleveland, RMC
Town Clerk
Town of Ancram

Columbia County Solid Waste Stations collecting Food Scraps

The Solid Waste department is now collecting food scraps at all our stations (except the recycling center at the Town of New Lebanon). Effective January 1, 2022 the NYSDEC has required certain businesses and institutions to either donate excess edible food and/or recycle all remaining food scraps if near an organics recycler (very few Columbia County businesses are required to do such at this time). The Columbia County BOS has been proactive and is promoting food scrap recycling in an effort to stay ahead of the mandates and food donation and food scrap recycling laws that are being put into place. With that, the County has purchased an EcoRich 1000 that is able to take any food scrap (meat, dairy, leftovers, bones, fish, desserts, etc) and reduce the quantity almost 95% producing a food scrap compost that can be added to soil as a nutrient (4 parts soil to 1 part of the food scrap compost). The EcoRich is located at the Greenport Transfer Station. Residents can bring their food scraps to any station, free of charge.

Download Flier

Columbia County Highway Department
Six (6) Seasonal Labor Job Openings

THE COLUMBIA COUNTY HIGHWAY DEPARTMENT is now accepting applications for Six (6) Seasonal Laborers, Temporary Positions. These are laborer class Positions in the Highway Department which will run from November 1, 2023 through April 1, 2024. GRADE 11A - $21.27/HR

Please submit an application/resume to or come by and pick up an application:
Anthony F. DeMarco, Jr., Director of Highways
Columbia County Highway Department
178 Route 23B
PO Box 324
Hudson, NY 12534
518-828-7011 / 518-828-8740 FAX

Click Here to Download Flier

RETURN THE F.A.V.O.R.
(Find& Assist Vets of Record)

The office of Holly Tanner (Columbia County Clerk) is asking for your help to inform our veterans of Columbia County's "RETURN THE FAVOR" Discount Program (Find & Assist Vets of Record).

This initiative continues to be a way that our county can recognize the service and sacrifices made by our returning veterans. Under the RETURN THE FAVOR Discount Program, eligible individuals will receive a photo identification card identifying them as an honorably discharged returning veteran. Participating merchants agree to offer discounts to these individuals as a way of "Returning the FAVOR".

Click below to download a PDF containing the flyer which can be displayed, a merchant application, a veteran 's application to sign up for the FAVOR program, as well as a flyer listing our current participating merchants. Feel free to check us out on Facebook at Return the FAVOR Columbia County Clerk and follow us!

We offer our sincere appreciation and support for those who keep us safe and fight for our freedom and we thank you for joining our efforts in "Returning the FAVOR".

Click to download PDF

Thank you,
Holly C. Tanner
Coordinator, RETURN THE F.A.V.O.R. Discount Program

TOWN INITIATIVES

Taghkanic Community Fridge

A community-sponsored program

Free-fridge guidelinesThe fridge is open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. You can't miss it - the cheery yellow building sits alongside the back door of Town Hall. The fridge and pantry are stocked with all manner of foods, including meals prepared by West Taghkanic Diner and Columbia County Recovery Kitchen.

There are many ways for folks to get involved. We welcome food donations - click on image to download full-size PDF of Guidelines. If you'd like to join our brigade of fridge volunteers and help manage, clean and stock the fridge, please contact Betsy (betsyalbertfortaghkanic@gmail.com).

Donations made directly to the Fridge (either through VENMO (@taghkanicfridge) or by dropping a donation in the box inside Town Hall) are NOT tax deductible. However, if you'd like your donation to be tax deductible, OR if you have a matching donation program through your employer and would like to double your impact, you can make a donation to the Purpose Cooperative. The Purpose Cooperative is a 501c3 through which we receive our Shared Plate stipend. You can send a check to Purpose Cooperative, 95 Main Street #546, Philmont, NY 12565 and ask that it be earmarked for the Taghkanic Fridge.

Town Hall gets Heat Pumps

Poster highlighting the heating and cooling capacity of heat pumps In June 2022 the Town Board voted to install heat pumps in the Taghkanic Town Hall, which at the time was served by oil-based heating and window air conditioning units. The work involved the installation of a total of 4 Mitsubishi air-source heat pumps, two upstairs and two downstairs. See full article.

Community Solar Campaign

The Taghkanic Climate-Smart Task Force sponsored a campaign from November 2021 through the end of January 2022 to encourage town residents to sign up for community solar. It was designed to benefit residents, who were to receive a Visa gift card for signing up, and once assigned to an existing solar farm were assured an annual savings of around 10% on their electric bill. The results of the campaign were well beyond our expectations, with Taghkanic residents signing up for 45 (official tally) new community solar accounts. The town, for its efforts, will receive $3950 from Ampion, and an additional $5000 grant from NYSERDA to be used in future climate/conservation-related programs. Thanks to all who participated in this small but important contribution to New York State's effort to move away from a reliance on fossil fuels and toward sustainable resources of electrical power.

Update on Community Solar Campaign - June 2023

The development of solar farms to provide electricity and savings for Taghkanic residents has been much slower than anticipated. If you signed up for Community Solar through our campaign with Ampion and were eligible for a $50 or $100 gift card, you should have received it long ago. If you did not receive your card, please notify Doug Craig at doug@taghkanic.org, and he will help resolve the issue. As for the delay in getting connected with an active solar farm, the problem is not with Ampion. I have checked with other solar providers and learned they are facing the same issue. The bottleneck seems to be getting new solar facilities connected to the electrical grid. In addition, some developers have taken a wait-and-see approach while they wait for the roll out of the incentives in the new Inflation Reduction Act. The Climate Smart Communities Task Force is checking in with state officials regularly for signs of progress.

Read more

Official Town Newsletter