evaluation tool

For any organization or agency, the Strategic Plan serves as both a map and evaluation tool. It is critical to the health of an organization to periodically assess the progress made within a given timeframe and the efficacy of initiatives, staffing and structure. The following is the AIDA Strategic Plan which was adopted in January of 2009.

AMSTERDAM INDUSTRIAL DEVELOPMENT AGENCY STRATEGIC PLAN

Mission Statement
The mission of the Amsterdam Industrial Development Agency is to serve the City of Amsterdam and its citizens by enhancing of the quality of life and by the creation and retention of employment opportunities.

Vision Statement
The Amsterdam Industrial Development Agency will achieve its mission by a variety of means, including the recruiting of businesses to the Amsterdam area, assisting existing local businesses to grow and expand, seeking to fill the gaps in essential community services, marketing the community and its amenities, enhancing the quality and range of leisure time activities, building community spirit, and promoting small community oriented businesses.

GOAL #1 – INTERNAL ORGANIZATION
AIDA will establish a more clear description of the roles of the various participants in the AIDA governance and operations process.

STRATEGY
1. AIDA will establish or review job descriptions for the following:
- Board Members – All Staff – Consultants – Committees
2. The Board Committee structure will be examined, and revised to best meet the needs of the organization.

GOAL #2 – COMMUNICATION
AIDA will improve communication with the City of Amsterdam and other economic development organizations in Montgomery County.

STRATEGY
1. AIDA will arrange a joint meeting with the Montgomery County IDA and County economic development officials to discuss cooperative and collaborative relationships.
2. Regular meetings will be held with the Mayor to discuss projects that AIDA is working on, and ideas and projects that the Mayor’s office would like to initiate.
3. Regular communication will be established with the Amsterdam Common Council to keep Council members apprized of AIDA activities.

GOAL #3 – BUSINESS ASSISTANCE – ONE STOP SHOPPING
AIDA will establish a “One Stop Shopping” concept to assist developers and businesses seeking to locate in or expand in the City of Amsterdam. The goal is to avoid the problem of prospective businesses facing a confusing maze of agencies, and to ensure that those agencies are working in a coordinated manner.

STRATEGY
1. AIDA will gather information on the various agencies which could potentially have information or financial resources to assist businesses, as well as agencies which have regulatory responsibilities (i.e., zoning, permits).
2. AIDA will establish a mechanism to coordinate the work of various agencies when a prospective business examines Amsterdam as a potential site.
3. AIDA will provide information to prospective businesses, will assist in setting up meetings between prospective businesses and the relevant agencies.

GOAL #4 – PUBLIC RELATIONS
AIDA will seek to improve public relations, overcome any past negative perceptions, and give the public a better understanding of AIDA’s activities and accomplishments.

STRATEGY
1. AIDA will highlight its accomplishments by regular communications to the public, including press releases and news stories.
2. AIDA will provide regular, periodic presentations on its activities at Common Council meetings.
3. AIDA will prepare an “Annual Report Card” on its activities which will be available to the news media, community leaders, and the general public.
4. AIDA representatives will attend and speak at meetings of local organizations and service clubs.

GOAL #5 – MARKETING PLAN
AIDA will establish a marketing plan to recruit businesses to the Amsterdam area.

STRATEGY
1. AIDA will initiate meetings to discuss elements of the marketing plan.
2. AIDA will identify other participants with whom marketing plans need to be coordinated including the City, County, Chamber of Commerce, State and regional organizations such as the Center for Economic Growth (CEG).
3. AIDA will identify the target market to which its efforts will be directed, such as the nanotechnology industry, chip fab related industries, or other emerging growth industries that will provide economic opportunity and potential for quality of life in Amsterdam.
4. In developing its marketing plan, AIDA will identify the role of its staff and others in undertaking the marketing plan.

GOAL #6 – IDENTIFY AND INVENTORY POTENTIAL SITES
AIDA will establish a comprehensive list of sites that would offer potential for a prospective business or industry seeking to move into the Amsterdam area.

STRATEGY
1. AIDA will identify the participants, including City officials, who will assist in the process of establishing a property inventory list.
2. AIDA will establish criteria for a property to be placed on the list, and the relevant information to be gathered and included in the inventory.
3. AIDA will undertake field surveys, consult with the City assessor, and other organizations which could assist in the process, such as the County Real Property Tax Services, in developing the inventory.
4. The inventory will be periodically updated as conditions change, to ensure accurate and timely information.

GOAL #7 – FINANCIAL STABILITY
AIDA will seek to improve its financial condition for two purposes. The first is to ensure the financial soundness of the organization itself. The second is to ensure the financial capacity to undertake economic development projects and assist businesses in order to meet its organizational mission.

STRATEGY
1. AIDA will assess its ongoing financial needs, and examine the need for future revenue to support basic organizational operations.
2. AIDA will identify current and potential sources of revenue which will support the organization, and determine a course of action to achieve needed revenues.
3. AIDA will examine collaborative relationships with other economic development entities to achieve the financial backing needed to undertake major projects, such as the development of new industrial park lands.
4. AIDA will continue to explore loans and grants available through State and Federal sources to enhance AIDA’s ability to undertake economic development projects.

weigh the options

I had forwarded a digital copy of the AIDA strategic plan that was established last January to our Common Council and new AIDA Board. I expect that the new board will review the document and decide what is pertinent and what is not. It is a necessary tool for AIDA board members and the Council to evaluate staff performance. It is important to determine what parts of the organization are highly functioning and what is lacking. I posit that the grant writer, Nick Zabawsky, has been extraordinarily successful in garnering funds for economic development for the City. Unfortunately, the new board has decided to retroactively eliminate the grant writer as of January 1, 2010.

Economic development in this City is the reason AIDA was formed.

My concern is that we have nineteen open grants at various stages of implementation totaling $9.6M. Grants have been instrumental in driving projects as diverse as storm/sewer separations, street reconstruction, park enhancements, brownfield redevelopment, neighborhood revitalization and marketing. These initiatives would be facilitated by a Community and Economic Development Department, but since the former administration decided to eliminate the CEDD, we have no one to shoulder this responsibility. These grants would not be written or administered by any current department head as the grants are not specific to any particular department, not to mention the fact that most department heads lack the expertise to simply take off where this experienced grant writer has left off.

AIDA is the City’s only existing economic development arm.

Additionally, there are three upcoming grants that should be worked on now including the HOME program ($400,000), the CDBG program ($400,000), and the NYSERDA program ($500,000). The three grants alone represent $1.3M in funds that the City could very likely garner. Amsterdam has had great success with the HOME and CDBG programs in the past, and there is every reason to believe that there would be future success. The City has been averaging over $2M a year in new grants over the past 4 years and golden opportunities are being lost.

All of these grants required complex interim and final reporting, tracking, and project management. It is essential to note that for every one dollar spent to hire this grant writer, we receive approximately $74 in awarded grants. While I appreciate the budget difficulties AIDA may be having, I feel they should have had a discussion with the Council before making this decision as it has far reaching consequences operationally for the City.

It is my hope that the Council may meet with the AIDA Board to discuss their strategic plan, our symbiotic relationship, and how we will move forward. I am waiting to hear back from AIDA Chairman Dan DeRossi as to when we may hold a joint meeting. Perhaps an alternative scenario that is advantageous for all can be worked out. This is vitally important to the taxpayers of our city as we try to figure out how the City will emerge from this difficult economy.

push

I spent the day in Albany advocating for the City of Amsterdam.

The morning and a good part of the afternoon were spent waiting to give testimony before the NYS Legislature 2010/2011 Joint Budget Committee. Today’s topic was Economic Development. As anxious as I was to speak, it was enlightening to listen to the many knowledgeable individuals that contributed to this critically important discussion. I shared the stage with speakers as varied as Dennis Mullen, Chairman of the Empire State Development Corp, Kenneth Adams, President of the NYS Business Council, Brian McMahon, Executive Director of the NYS Economic Development Council, and Dr. Alain Kayloyeros, Senior VP of the College of Nanoscale Science & Engineering at the University of Albany. All told, there were 39 speakers.

After the hearing, I met with several members of the Assembly, including George Amedore and five members of the Hispanic Caucus, to thank them for their support for the City of Amsterdam as a prime location for the new State Data Center. There is $99.5M allocated for the project in this year’s budget. I will continue to tout our advantages, as a project of this magnitude would dramatically alter our fortunes for the better.

My testimony:

I’d like to thank the Chairmen and Committee for allowing me the opportunity to speak today on a topic that is so vitally important to everyone across the State of New York.

The topic, and our shared goal, is economic development. Our state, the nation and global markets are battling unrivaled economic difficulty and uncertainty. We must respond in this time of need with smart economic development policy and press forth towards financial stability utilizing every avenue along the road to prosperity, both legislatively and administratively.

I come to you to paint a picture of my small part of the world, the City of Amsterdam, New York. Much like other post-industrial cities that had sprouted up along the rivers and canals that cross our great state, Amsterdam has its share of majestic natural beauty, handsome Victorian architecture, and charming suburban neighborhoods. The truth be told, our blessings are numerous, as our city is extremely safe, our location is central to world-class cultural, recreational and educational venues, and we are an extraordinarily close and caring community. We celebrate the fact 17% of Amsterdam’s residents are Latino, which is the largest Hispanic community north of Westchester. We are proud of waves of immigrant populations that have called Amsterdam “home”, the Italians, the Polish, the Irish and Lithuanian, as we have been greatly enriched by this ethnic diversity.

That said, we struggle with a debilitated water distribution system throughout the city that is rife with leaks and damage and, in a couple of instances, has left us unable to locate a working fire hydrant at the time of crisis. The older neighborhoods are victim to creeping blight and vandalism. More and more of the financial burden is born by our residents, as businesses leave for what is perceived to be more fertile ground elsewhere. Unemployment statistics in our area hover around 10% and the school district is facing certain draconian cuts to operations that are bound to negatively affect the academic performance of our children. Our population is aging, young people are moving away, and our numbers have been in decline for decades.

We are at a point in our history where significant challenge must be met with intelligent action and resolve.

To this end, the City of Amsterdam has identified specific strategies in our Comprehensive Plan and made considerable progress in advancing our initiatives. Through our partnership with the Amsterdam Industrial Development Agency, we have developed a dynamic, new marketing campaign to elevate Amsterdam’s profile in the region and brand our image as warm, affordable and easily accessible. Restore New York grants and the Brownfield Opportunity Act are allowing us to creatively redevelop old mill sites and revamp our traffic systems. NYS Community Development Block Grants and a Main Street grant are breathing new life into our waterfront heritage area and downtown in the way of newly constructed streets, sidewalks, lighting, facades and parks. The NYS HOME Program has allowed for targeted rehabilitation of residences and we are partnering with our county to demolish debilitated structures in many of our aged neighborhoods. We are designing a vibrant, urban core for our people to visit, shop, work and live. In the near future, we will connect our north and south shores with a beautiful new pedestrian bridge that will inspire private investment in retail and commercial establishments along our main streets. These efforts are directly spurred on by the investment of public monies made available through the Departments of State and Transportation; Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation; Housing and Community Renewal; the Dormitory Authority; and Empire State Development.

It is this critically important infusion of public monies into our struggling economy that I stridently advocate for today. While understanding that your options on the Budget Committee are limited, that the decisions you make are exceedingly difficult and frequently unpopular, I encourage you to give the communities of Upstate NY the tools they need to reinvent themselves as attractive destinations for families, businesses and industry. Again, well-spent state dollars motivate the imagination of the private sector. The Empire Zone Program kept the building of a new Beechnut facility in Montgomery County and in turn, has lead to the updating of Amsterdam’s wastewater filtration systems and brought hundreds of thousands of dollars in water and utility fees to our coffers.

As Mayor of the City of Amsterdam, I look with particular interest at the proposed building of a new data center for the Office of Technology that has been allocated for in this year’s state budget. The location of a facility of this kind in the City of Amsterdam can undoubtedly provide jobs and economic assistance to this city, but more importantly light a spark of hope for the future that has long been absent. For years, we have watched hungrily as state resources were funneled to New York City, Albany, and the Northway corridor. I say to you now, that if these administration and legislative bodies are truly committed to the economic development of Upstate New York, you must fairly distribute funds north and west of the capital. Your actions this year can and will have dramatic and lasting effects. The impact of your decisions can and will be truly transformative.

My constituents and I are grateful to you for championing our interests and confronting the problems of today’s world with willingness, determination and fiscal intelligence. Thank you again for this opportunity to bring our concerns to your attention. Our faith and prayers are with you.

prayer

Lord, take me where
You want me to go;
let me meet who
You want me to meet;
tell me what You want
me to say; and keep me
out of your way.

Father Mychal Judge FDNY – died 9/11/01

back

flippin‘

fit for bear

The photo below is of a lovely meal had on Friday night, the star entree being skillfully prepared by Manfred and Susan Phemister: BEAR! I have to admit that I had some trepidation in the days before our adventure, but the meat was darkly rich and completely delicious. Thanks to the Phemister family for a great time of feast, beast and the best of conversation. What a great get-together.

When Cooking Bear Meat, Remember to Keep It Moist and Tender
By Lorelie Scorzafava

Bear meat, if cooked properly, can be every bit as tasty as beef. Those who have harvested a bear and brought it to the table can attest to this. Bear meat is actually leaner than beef, because the fat is on the outside and can be cut away. As a result, once you remove the fat, it has fewer calories and is lower in cholesterol.

But the lean meat can become tough and dry if it’s not cooked properly, due to the lack of marbling. To make sure your bear meat doesn’t dry out, it should be cooked in such a way as to preserve or add as much moisture as possible.

It’s important to remember that unlike other game meat, bear meat must be thoroughly cooked. Bear meat, like pork, may carry trichinosis.

If you remove the fat before cooking, you can tenderize and moisten bear meat by marinating in lemon juice or an oil-and-wine mixture before cooking. To imbue the bear meat with flavor and moistness, baste it often while cooking. Or, cook bear meat in a closed environment, such as a Dutch oven, roasting bag or braising liquid. Bear meat is darker and may be stronger than other game meat. It is a coarser, heavier meat that may take more seasonings or sauces, and more cooking time, to tenderize.

Below is a bear meat recipe that produces fully cooked, yet tender and moist bear meat.

Braised Bear Roast

Slow braising in a Dutch oven tenderizes this shoulder roast. You may substitute any large roast if you don’t have a shoulder left in the freezer.

1/2 c. flour
Salt and pepper
1 tsp. dried thyme
3-4 pound beat shoulder roast (at least 2 inches thick)
Vegetable oil (for browning)
1/2 pound diced salt pork or thick sliced bacon
1/2 stick butter
2 large onions sliced
1 large apple peeled, seeded, and sliced
3 tbsp. brown sugar
1 12 oz. bottle of dark beer or beef broth
1 small can tomato sauce
¼ c. apple cider
1 bay leaf
2 cloves of garlic

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Mix the flour, thyme, and salt and pepper in a large paper bag. Add the roast; and shake to coat. In Dutch oven, on the stovetop, brown bear meat on all sides in oil over medium heat. Remove bear meat; set aside. Add the salt pork to the pan and fry until brown and crisp and fat is rendered. Remove salt pork pieces from pan and reserve. Add butter to the drippings in the pan and cook the onions and apple slices until soft. Add sugar and cook and stir until onions are browned. Add beer, tomato sauce, and cider scraping any bits from the bottom of the pan. Return meats to the pan. Add bay leaf and garlic cloves. Cover; bake until bear meat is tender, about 2 1/2 hours. Serve sliced with mashed potatoes and pass the pan juices.

For an autographed copy of Lorelie’s award winning cookbook Gourmet Gone Wild, go to www.radicalbowhunter.com or visit your local bookstore.

in keeping with the joy I feel today

Taj. Forever.
Makes me hoot out loud like I’m in the front row and then get up and shake it all over this room!

recipe

Best Chicken Saltimbocca EVER.
Serves/Makes: 4 | Difficulty Level: 3 | Ready In: 1-2 hrs

Ingredients:
4 chicken breasts (5 oz size)
4 thin slices Prosciutto ham
1 tablespoon fresh sage
3 ounces olive oil
1 ounce all-purpose flour
5 ounces artichoke hearts, quartered
1/2 ounce capers
4 ounces white wine
2 ounces fresh lemon juice
2 ounces heavy cream
1 tablespoon butter
1 tablespoon salt

Directions:
Lightly salt chicken breasts. Sprinkle evenly with chopped sage. Place sliced Prosciutto on top the chicken and pound it into the breast until the thickness of the chicken measures 3/8-inch.

Meanwhile, heat olive oil in a saute pan. Lightly flour chicken pressed with prosciutto. Place in heated oil, Prosciutto side down. Brown one side, turn and brown the other side. Drain off excess oil, and deglaze with white wine.

Add artichokes, fresh lemon juice, cream and butter and cook until sauce is thickened.

On a large platter, place chicken breasts topped with reduced sauce and garnish with capers.

Recipe Location: http://www.cdkitchen.com/recipes/recs/567/Buca-Di-Beppo-Chicken-Saltimbo100527.shtml
Recipe ID: 71400

quote

“Any fool can criticize, condemn and complain and most fools do.”

- Benjamin Franklin

3/50

Let’s get with the program! I’ve signed the City of Amsterdam up and will promote this initiative as part of our downtown revitalization strategy.

fascinating factoid

“Eighth-grade achievement (measured by the four EXPLORE scores in English, Mathematics, Reading, and Science) displays a stronger relationship with eleventh- or twelfth-grade ACT scores, and therefore with college and career readiness, than does any other factor—more than students’ family background, high school coursework, or high school grade point average. The predictive power of eighth-grade academic achievement ranged from more than two-and-a-half times as strong as the next strongest factor (in English) to three-and-a-half times the strength of the next strongest factor (in Science).”

how

How do the practices of higher performing schools differ from those in average performing schools?

state of the city address 2010

2010 State of the City Address
January 15, 2010

Racing with Destiny

Members of the Common Council, Controller Reynicke, my Department Executives, honored guests and my fellow residents of the City of Amsterdam, it is with a distinct sense of privilege that I deliver to you a report on the state of the city. As we enter a new year my administration is eager to partner with a new council and together embark on a journey of success that has been unmatched in recent history. Together we will champion the needs of our citizenry, confront those issues that most affect us all, and explode into this new decade with brazen resolve and deliver all that is deserved to our fellow neighbors and friends.

As our nation begins its recovery from near financial disaster, and as our state has thrust its worrisome economic condition upon municipalities all across New York, Amsterdam will directly confront our given set of circumstances and counter with smart economic and community development policy and press forth towards financial stability and economic comfort as together we will succeed, we must succeed as this is a time for serious people confronting serious issues and this administration will answer our call to duty utilizing every avenue along the road to prosperity, both legislatively and administratively.

As the City of Amsterdam prepares to engage in the budgetary process, my administration anticipates a fruitful dialogue with the city’s Controller whereas together we will formulate a budget that not only serves as a listing of appropriations and expenditures, but acts as a guiding policy tool for the next fiscal year and roadmaps a destination with measurable goals over the next decade so that this city, our home, is prepared for the challenges we may face and so that we may reinvest in the necessities and amenities our constituents must be afforded to maintain a healthy community. This government has learned much through the partnership with the Office of the State Comptroller in review of our practices and we will implement appropriate procedures going forward.

We often speak of economic responsibility and fiscal conservatism, especially in times of uncertainty, but I do not see this period in our history as a time to shrink in on ourselves, rather I see this as a time to view economics and finances not as a liberal versus conservative issue, but to view these series of complexities through a prism of fiscal intelligence. We must enact smart money policies that not only guard our assets, but provide opportunity for growth and development thereby increasing our vital tax base and expanding our sphere of influence in the Capital Region.

As a humorous aside, let me summarize to my Republican controlled Common Council my philosophy; it is now “Grow, Baby Grow.” We will grow the seeds of opportunity, we will nurture the expansion and prosperity of our city and in this process we will strengthen our community.

In this next year we will examine and act upon the Capital Projects list, some of which has lain dormant for several years. We can no longer afford to risk the safety and security of our citizens and our employees, thus I call upon this council to work with my administration and the Controller to develop sound, practical methods by which we will invest in our future. We will focus our efforts on prioritizing those projects that require immediate attention and develop comprehensive purchase plan agreements that act in a fiscally intelligent and responsible manner. We will seek alternative funding through grants and other available resources to further aid our efforts as we must act now as material and equipment prices are low and the cost of borrowing is greatly reduced. We have a responsibility to provide our constituents with the best of services and we will meet that obligation in this process.

As we begin to identify the path we will follow in the coming years, it is important to also reflect upon our successes in the last twelve months and build upon those achievements. I am pleased to announce to the City of Amsterdam the following accomplishments that have been attained in the past year:

Through a partnership with Montgomery County, Amsterdam has seen the demolition of sixteen blighted properties throughout the city with more dilapidated properties already taken down in the new year and additional properties identified for demolition in the coming months.

The City of Amsterdam has been the recipient of a 10.2 million dollar stimulus improvement deal that will see to the upgrading of the water filtration plant and distribution system improving the city’s water quality and enhancing the facilities operational and structural efficiency. Also, the Wastewater Treatment Plant has begun rebuilding the Southside Pump Station to accommodate the Beechnut facility project, which with new water agreements will generate additional revenue for the city. Furthermore, we have seen the completion of the Northampton Box Culver project, the conclusion of the Storm‐Sewer Separation initiative and the installation of the emergency generator system at the West‐end Pump Station.

We have also seen vast improvements in our city transit department. We have also been allocated stimulus money from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act in the amount of $593,950.00 which will expand our fleet with the purchase of buses, signage and much needed garage rehabilitation at no cost to the city tax payers. New York State Department of Transportation has even conveyed that they are pleased with the progress at the City of Amsterdam’s Transit Facility and preparations have been made for the city’s traffic re‐patterning. Moreover, the collaboration of two unions (ATU & AFSCME) has resulted in sharing DPW mechanics with the Transit Department furthering the stretch of our available resources and diminishing costs.

The city’s Parks and Recreation Department has spearheaded several successes as well. The Riverlink Park restaurant underwent substantial remodeling and has resulted in increased foot and boat traffic to the park facility. Also, the construction of a new baseball field within Veterans Park which was a joint venture between the City, St. Mary’s Hospital, the Amsterdam Youth Baseball Club and the Amsterdam Cal Ripken Baseball League. In the upcoming year, we will continue to expand parking at Shuttleworth Park and continuing to push for a 1.5 mile walking path along the water.

Through engaging dialogue with the county Board of Supervisors, the City of Amsterdam was able secure an increased sales tax revenue agreement thereby prompting a more equitable distribution of the sales tax generated. Since the second week of December, the city has seen the replacement of nearly half of the previously identified thirty fire hydrants that were either malfunctioning or in poor working condition and this process has been a teachable moment for the city in terms of the infrastructure that we can no longer wait to repair. We must adopt a proactive approach in identifying equipment for repair or replacement at the first signs of wear, rather than erupting into elements of alarm when we are thrown an unexpected surprise. We must all do better; we will do better as this city cannot sustain our collective failures. In this moment of teaching we will accept our responsibilities and we will raise the bar of expectations and hand‐in‐hand we will lift our community above any instance of challenge.

The city has also worked diligently together in elevating our sense of community spirit and prompting a call for every member of this city to do their part in steadying the stewardship of this community. The creation of the Amsterdam Neighborhood Watch program, Police Academy and the Amsterdam Neighborhood Association has led to this community once again garnering a notion of ownership and responsibility in striving to make our city a better place to call home. I applaud the many members of the Amsterdam Police Department, Neighborhood Watch Captains, Neighborhood Association community organizers and countless volunteers who have made our short run a successful operation with graffiti clean‐up events, Meet Your Neighbor gatherings, National Make a Difference Day participation and the continued neighborhood safety training in community activism. We will expand the outreach efforts of our community groups in the next year with increased recruitment and continued partnership between my office, the police department and the many community leaders who have selflessly dedicated their time and attention to our all‐important cause.

Furthermore our collective notion of civic duty has continually been enhanced by the social support provided by the Amsterdam Beautification Corps and their service in planting flowers, hanging banners and fostering an ornate picture of our beautiful community. Efforts such as these have also been exhibited through the formation of a local Habitat for Humanity chapter, and the inclusion of the Youth Construction Initiative Program throughout the city in many of the community projects.

In this past year we have also begun to critically view the social support structure that we provide to our community. In collaboration with local education leaders and business professionals we have seen the development of programs such as the Suicide Prevention Task Force. In addition we have seen the implementation of the Business and Education Alliance in our area which seeks to promote healthy business teachings to our students and provides them a framework in which to prepare their professional skills upon entering the working world. It is because of programs such as these, that we as a society are able to reach greater expectations and, again, continually raise the bar for which we as a people must strive to meet.

In addition to support we must provide opportunity. The leadership of the city’s Industrial Development Agency and education efforts of my administration have resulted in the City of Amsterdam’s competitive placement in the selection process for the New York State Office for Technology’s consolidated data center. The redevelopment of the Mohasco Technology Complex will spotlight Amsterdam’s position within the Capital Region and Tech‐Valley Corridor. It is my sincere hope that I may stand before you one year from now and proudly proclaim that our city is home to a state data center that will bring with it millions of dollars of investment, job creation, economic sustainability and growth in our population.

The city has also received immense assistance from our grant‐writing staff and Urban Renewal Agency. In the past year the City of Amsterdam obtained key grants for several important projects. A $400,000.00 Community Development Block Grant was secured and together with funding from a $500,000.00 Federal Transportation grant, $150,000.00 from AIDA and $125,000.00 from the Department of State will push forward the Bridge Street reconstruction program and help fund roads, sidewalks, lighting and the burying of utility lines. In addition, we are proud to announce that twenty‐five homes were rehabilitated under the HOME and CDBG grants. One such area was a stretch of Division Street on which three decaying houses were demolished with plans for rehabilitative construction on another home through Rivercrest Development. The city has begun to target previously underserved areas and will continue to breathe life into our neighborhoods in efforts to brush off the dusting of our past and continue the systematic building of our future.

While we have made significant strides over the course of the past year, in addition to our list of accomplishments we must also set a series of goals for which we must aim in the coming years. This government and my administration must foresee an overall concept of that which we will strive to reach. The Common Council must be prepared to embrace that vision and work supportively through the legislative process as I will continue to advance the needed change in our community administratively.

My administration will be committed to community and economic development in the coming year. Through administrative partnerships with city and state agencies such as Urban Renewal, AIDA, Empire Zone and the newly formed Excelsior program, we will embark on a relentless march towards progress by identifying specific businesses and business types that will best serve our community’s needs and play to the historic and cultural advantages we inherently have to offer. We will strive to improve the face of and breathe new life into our downtown business and empire zone districts by courting the appropriate class and function of business prospects. With the availability of such enticing offers as our $500,000.00 Main Street grant program and Empire Zone tax credits, we will work in concert with entrepreneurs and our local agencies to provide every economic, financial and social incentive possible to once again drive the pulse of prosperity through our city.

My administration is also committed to the enforcement of building and codes standards. With the recent addition of a Code Enforcement Supervisor, I trust that with the recently enacted changes within the department in terms of operations and efficiency, the city will once more continue to hold property owners to the highest standards and we will embrace serious commitment so that issues will be quickly addressed and resolved expeditiously. In this past year we have generated additional revenue for the city by billing for property maintenance services on non city‐owned properties to ensure that they remain within the established guidelines of city codes.

Our commitment to public safety will continue to be a source of great results. We are fortunate to live each day under the blanket of protection provided by our police and fire department forces. Our community remains extraordinarily safe and we will further strengthen that with the efforts of our security camera system in our city’s parks, the first response software system of our fire department and we will continue to devise methods that integrate the best of technology and resources to assist our brave service members in keeping us all secure.

The city will also be entering a year of heavy construction and redevelopment. With Bridge Street reconstruction slated to begin this spring and the NYS Dormitory Authority’s recent release of contract documents and $350,000.00 in funding matching the Department of State $350,000.00 grant totaling $700,000.00 in all, the City of Amsterdam will begin the construction of Riverlink Park Phase II and continue in its endeavor to bring beauty and rehabilitation to our community. These projects will serve to bring our neighbors together and provide a necessary facelift to our Waterfront Heritage Area, which is also the focus of a Brownfield’s Opportunity Area Grant application currently in the review process. This will couple with Amsterdam’s fortunate receipt of sixteen million dollars from the 2005 Transportation Bond Act for construction of a Pedestrian Bridge that will unite our North and South shores and provide a catalyst for tourism and economic expansion with the increase that businesses will receive as a direct result of its construction. I wish to publicly extend my appreciation to Congressman Paul Tonko and all those who have assisted in providing our city with needed improvements and funding for these necessary developments.

I am also pleased to report on the comprehensive development of the city’s marketing campaign that will serve to elevate the public image of the City of Amsterdam to attract new business opportunity, promote relocation to Amsterdam, bolster population growth, expand the existing tax base and generate additional sources of revenue through business enterprise, retail sales activity and marketplace viability thereby providing the City of Amsterdam with the capability to reinvest in infrastructure, decrease its tax burden and provide amenities that generate a healthy community environment while presenting an accurate and positive city image.

In an effort to brand this city we will show that Amsterdam is a community that is warm, accessible, and affordable. Housing and cost‐of‐living priced well below the national and state average provide a comfortable and settling environment to live and raise a family, while the city’s location along the NYS Thruway, Amtrak lines and canal provide for easy access to and from the surrounding capital region. Quality education, amenities and prime conditions for economic growth also provide a supportive framework for community and economic development.

The marketing campaign has been highlighted in a tactical plan and campaign evaluation that tracks measurable goals and these documents will be available on our city website, another of our yearly accomplishments. We will utilize our existing resources such as the internet and social networking in conjunction with print and media spots produced primarily through grant funding and free resources with very limited cost to local taxpayers. We will feature radio advertisement segments, promotional videos, advertisement in print productions and the City of Amsterdam will even be featured in an eight page insert in the Legislative Gazette next month.

In a joint effort to utilize combined resources and establish subsequent cost savings and revenue enhancements, my administration will actively engage in productive dialogue and negotiations with our Common Council Inter‐governmental Committee co‐chairs, the Montgomery County Board of Supervisors shared services committee and the Greater Amsterdam School District to establish an action plan for expanded shared services. Together we will evaluate our strengths and weaknesses and provide support for one another through services such as records management, shared equipment, and the selling of services to surrounding areas. In addition, the city’s connection to NYCOM and my position as NYCOM Finance Committee co‐chair will assist in our efforts by providing unique insight on the complex solutions needed to address difficult issues. We will stand as one united community and that is why I am calling on the city, the county and the school board of education to band together in one solitary voice to champion the much needed resources and funding this community and surrounding area needs in order to effectively continue operations.

This year, city employees underwent workplace violence and safety training and we will begin implementing organized schedules of training for our employees to ensure that the City of Amsterdam is served by the most qualified and highly trained public servants. My administration will also focus concentrated attention to our own in‐house operations in the coming year. We will look to evaluate the efficiency of departments, crews and responses and strive to provide our citizenry with a return appropriate to the taxes they already pay. That is why I will be announcing in the coming weeks the formation of an Inter‐Department Task Force charged with identifying areas for improvement and establishing a supportive framework for all employees with the development and continued evaluation of departmental policies and procedures.

I have also had the opportunity recently to discuss the direction of the city and my vision with young members of our community. At a recent presentation at Amsterdam High School, I was excited to engage in intense and intelligent communication with young members of the community that will soon lead its direction themselves. As such, it is with great excitement that in the coming weeks I will be announcing the formation of the Mayor’s Youth Advisory Council where high school seniors will serve in the capacity to provide insight and criticism on the direction of the city for the youth of our community. Together we will open the lines of communication that are often lost between generations and establish a direction for the future of our city.

As we continue through the next year and approach the many challenges, circumstances and opportunities that will come our way, it is my intention to pursue the City of Amsterdam’s positive destiny. Together we will set aside our ideological entrenchment and progress within the established principles of the city’s comprehensive plan and make a commitment to community reinvestment. The resolve of my administration is strong, the call to service that I answered and that this council answered is equally strong, and in this new year my administration will bridge partisan divides as our will is firm, our hope enduring and our vision never faltering.

Thank you for the honor of allowing me to present my vision and goals for this city and I thank my fellow residents for their strident support and encouraging words.

poem

Joy

Who could need more proof than honey—

How the bees with such skill and purpose
enter flower after flower
sing their way home
to create and cap the new honey
just to get through the flowerless winter.

And how the bear with intention and cunning
raids the hive
shovels pawful after pawful into his happy mouth
bats away indignant bees
stumbles off in a stupor of satiation and stickiness.

And how we humans can’t resist its viscosity
its taste of clover and wind
its metaphorical power:
don’t we yearn for a land of milk and honey?
don’t we call our loved ones “honey?”

all because bees just do, over and over again, what they were made to do.

Oh, who could need more proof than honey
to know that our world
was meant to be

and

was meant to be
sweet?

- Julie Cadwallader Staub

progress

Sixteen blighted houses were demolished to date.
Thirteen hydrants have been replaced since the second week of December.
All pressure regulating valves have been repaired.

The Engineering/DPW Departments continue to manage daily emergencies as well as ably push forward capital projects that have captured the attention of this community.

We are in good hands.

up time

poem

Had I the heavens’ embroidered cloths,
Enwrought with golden and silver light,
The blue and the dim and the dark cloths
Of night and light and the half light,
I would spread the cloths under your feet:
But I, being poor, have only my dreams;
I have spread my dreams under your feet;
Tread softly because you tread on my dreams.

- W.B. Yeats (1865–1939) from the Collected Works of W.B. Yeats

poem

The Blessing of the Old Woman, the Tulip, and the Dog

To be blessed
said the old woman
is to live and work
so hard
God’s love
washes right through you
like milk through a cow

To be blessed
said the dark red tulip
is to knock their eyes out
with the slug of lust
implied by
your up-ended
skirt

To be blessed
said the dog
is to have a pinch
of God
inside you
and all the other dogs
can smell it

- Alicia Suskin Ostriker, from The Book of Seventy. © University of Pittsburgh Press, 2009.

christmas fixin’s

This was crazy good tonight, so I’m passing it on…

Roast Beef with Dijon-Caper Sauce

Ingredients
Roast Beef:
1 3-pound eye of round beef roast, trimmed of excess fat and sinew
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1 teaspoon dried basil
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

Sauce:
1 tablespoon butter
1 tablespoon all purpose flour
2 cups low-salt beef broth
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
2 tablespoons drained capers

Preparation
For roast beef:
Sprinkle beef with 1/2 teaspoon salt; let stand 1 hour.

Preheat oven to 350°F. Mix thyme, basil, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper in small bowl. Heat oil in large oven-proof skillet over medium-high heat. Add beef; cook until browned on all sides, turning occasionally, about 10 minutes. Sprinkle with herb mixture. Transfer skillet to oven. Roast until instant-read thermometer inserted into center of meat registers 130°F, about 40 minutes. Transfer to cutting board; let rest.

For sauce:
Place skillet with juices over medium-high heat. Add butter; stir until melted. Add flour; whisk until smooth. Gradually whisk in broth; bring to boil. Boil until sauce is reduced to 1 1/4 cups, whisking often, about 6 minutes. Whisk in mustard and capers. Season sauce with pepper.

Cut beef crosswise into very thin slices. Transfer beef to platter. Serve with sauce.

Test-kitchen tip:
Eye of round is not the most tender cut of beef. For the best flavor and texture, be sure to slice it very thinly.

Yield: Makes 6 servings

Bon Appétit | January 2009

p.s. Not to be outdone:

poem

The Loneliest Job in the World

As soon as you begin to ask the question, Who loves me?,
you are completely screwed, because
the next question is How Much?,

and then it is hundreds of hours later,
and you are still hunched over
your flowcharts and abacus,

trying to decide if you have gotten enough.
This is the loneliest job in the world:
to be an accountant of the heart.

It is late at night. You are by yourself,
and all around you, you can hear
the sounds of people moving

in and out of love,
pushing the turnstiles, putting
their coins in the slots,

paying the price which is asked,
which constantly changes.
No one knows why.

- Tony Hoagland, from Unincorporated Persons in the Late Honda Dynasty. © Graywolf Press, 2010.