October is cybersecurity awareness month and Fisch Solutions recently provided an assessment of Cornwall-on-Hudson’s information technology, installed in all facilities.

At the October 7 Village Board work session meeting, it was noted that based on a scoring range of 0 to 100, the village scored a 44 with a score of 50 meaning the organization is well below compliance standards. Some solutions to increase that score included two-factor authentication, not sharing passwords, and limiting the use of village provided cell phones and tablets.

Now, the board is waiting to receive a cost from Fisch Solutions to bring it into compliance.

In other business from work session:
Proclamations. At its Oct. 21 business meeting, the Board of Trustees will be presenting two proclamations. The first will be awarded to a citizen who was instrumental in saving the life of another in the Hudson River. The Cornwall-on-Hudson Fire Department and New Windsor/Cornwall EMS officials will be on hand to present something as well. The Cornwall Cleanup Crew will be recognized for its selfless efforts to remove garbage from the sides of roadways, as well as its status as a not-for-profit organization.

Bears. Mayor James Gagliano recently received a call from Helen Bunt who owns Butterhill Day School located across from Village Hall. A bear and its cubs were spotted in a neighboring yard and destroyed a bird feeder. The mother got separated from its cubs and stayed in the resident’s backyard. Police Chief Steven Dixon and Sgt. Robert Ruger were called and attempted for hours to shoo the bear along toward Idlewild Avenue. Instead, the bear climbed a tree. A call was placed to the Department of Environmental Conservation and representatives were able to move it along using non-lethal methods.

EMS. Contract negotiations continue with New Windsor EMS for basic and advanced life support services in the town and village. Gagliano said a deal needs to be reached by the end of the year so the town can plan for the expense in its budget.

Resignation. The board accepted the resignation of part-time code enforcement officer James Moore, who is also a full-time firefighter with the Arlington Fire District. He realized it was difficult to balance 20 hours with the village with his full-time position. The board will be canvassing for his replacement. In the meantime, Manny Carmona will be picking up the slack.
Water rates. The village continues to pay property taxes for water facilities, located in the town, as well as school taxes because the town levies taxes on those parcels. The village pays about $31,000 to the town and $157,000 to the school district per year paid out of the water fund. The village makes annual appeals to have the properties exempted, but is consistently denied. Gagliano said he continues to have conversations with Town Supervisor Josh Wojehowski, but said the board is considering water rate increases should an exemption not be provided.

No parking. One of the first laws Gagliano passed during his tenure as mayor was to limit parking on Churchill Street, which runs adjacent to River Avenue. Due to the narrow roadway, residents complained they had difficulty backing out of their driveways, especially when it snows or if cars are parked on the street. Unfortunately, residents with small driveways which can fit only one car are finding they have nowhere to park. Department of Public Works Superintendent David Halvorsen suggested repealing the law rather than having three no parking areas on the 25-foot one-way street. The mayor left the topic open for further discussion.

Administrative assistant. The Cornwall-on-Hudson Fire Department is seeking an administrative assistant to log calls, make sure equipment is maintained properly and goes out for servicing, make sure apparatus is tested and functioning appropriately, as well as other duties. In the past, chiefs have done this work and delegated it to line officers, but the problem is consistency. The board discussed the possibility of hiring an outside agency or bringing in a part-time employee.

Fissures. It’s been a year-and-a-half since the village’s engineer inspected the cracks and fissures in the apparatus bay of the firehouse. The firehouse was built on fill, in 1978, and in the last 45 years the building has settled. In Feb. 2023, it was determined they didn’t pose a safety hazard. No report was filed, so Gagliano is going to ask for another re-evaluation and a written report on the findings.