Gilboa Has EZ Pass Dilemma, Flat Creek Road May Reopen soon

GILBOA –  There were a number of topics for Gilboa Town Board members on Sept. 14,  their meeting a week late due to Labor Day last Monday.

Mike Shiffer was present to ask the board if they were amenable to his pursuing a project with the Gilboa-Conesville Central School art teacher to paint historic scenes on the town's old plows. He said it would combine education, history and the town.

If the school approves the project, Highway Superintendent John Wyckoff will look into cleaning the plows in preparation for the murals.

Shiffer said a ping pong table has been donated and it is set up in the pavilion at the Gilboa Museum and is available to be played 24/7.

William Schilling was present from The Mountain Eagle, to introduce himself and to say he is interested in doing a story on volunteer firefighters - why they do what they do and the various ways each township works to recruit new firefighters. He said he has already spoken to firefighters in the Stamford Fire Department and Broome Fire Department. He said he would like the town board to fill him in on the Gilboa district.

Supervisor Alicia Terry explained Gilboa contracts services with the Grand Gorge Fire Department and the Conesville Fire Department, while another portion of the town lies within the Stamford Joint Fire District. She said there are townspeople who volunteer to all three departments and she encourages those who volunteer to speak with him.

Wyckoff said the town is benefiting fro the state Department of Transportation's (DOT) paving of state Route 30. The town is getting all of the millings from the project, which saves the town money and can be used to surface dirt roads. He said they continue to mow along the roadsides and he said they have continued to work with Schoharie County Department of Public Works (DPW) on Flat Creek Road. He said the road surface is nearly completed and the roadway may be reopened within two weeks.

He said Cape Horn Road, Charcoal and Kniskern Road will be  surface with Comprehensive Highway Improvement Program funds.

The town will hold a Tire Day from 8 a.m. until noon on October 10 for tires up to 24-inches. They will not accept tractor tires or rims.

The town’s special Ag Review Committee will meet October 8 at 6 p.m..

The town of Gilboa has a license plate on one of its town dump trucks that is  similar to a city transit bus that results in the town receiving numerous bills from Tolls by Mail. It includes all the extra charges for city travel as well. They have sent photos of the truck and the license plate and Supervisor Terry said they are sure their trucks are not in Manhattan, which it is charging a Manhattan toll. To have an EZ pass transponder, costs $500 and the town does not travel the thruway often. If they do it is generally in the Albany area and not Manhattan.  Town Attorney Joann Crum is looking into it, but Gilboa Town Clerk Linda Wyckoff has had enough of arguing over the EZ Pass charges. 

Supervisor Alicia Terry said the Schoharie County Clerk ran the plate and it did come back to Gilboa although it is not the exact plate number as the bus. The town has attempted to show them the vehicle the similar plate is on is  dump truck and not a bus, but the charges keep coming.

Crum has vowed to look into it, but the town may have to change the plate in order to get away from the repeated claims.

The next regular meeting of the town board will be held October 13 and a budget workshop was set for Oct. 20. A public hearing for the budget and the town's fire protection district will be held Nov. 5. The budget hearing will remain open until Nov.5 at 6 p.m.