Colonie Supervisor Peter Crummey delivered his fourth State of the Town address this month.
The former Colonie Town Justice and second-term Republican spoke at the Century House in Latham. Crummey says he's taking "bold steps" to address the town's aging infrastructure, adding that "public safety begins with safe roads."
"Colonie has nearly 1300 roads consisting of nearly 331 miles in my first year as town supervisor, we delivered the largest town road restoration program in Colonie's history, restoring 89 roads covering 22 miles," said Crummey . "During my second year as town supervisor, we exceeded that mark, restoring 128 roads, restoring nearly 26 miles. Last year, my third year as town supervisor, we restored 107 roads equaling 23 miles. And as for 2025 we plan to restore nearly 100 roads equaling more than 21 miles, we are getting that job done."
Crummey says the Albany County town’s water district pumps an average 10 million gallons a day to homes and businesses. He says upgrades to water infrastructure are reducing the risk of significant future repairs.
"We are currently building a 2 million gallon state of the art water tank along River Road to, among other things, replace aging infrastructure installed in the 1950s, and to enhance our water quality and delivery capacity," Crummey said. "Unfortunately, two thirds of our water pipe is cast iron, which was the typical pipe utilized during the applicable installation period. Cast iron does not flex, so it can easily break under pressure. We are moving forward with pipe replacement in some of our most challenged areas, even in the face of increased costs for pipes and materials. In 2024 we suffered 172 water main breaks."
Crummey says ambitious programs to enhance recreation are paying off.
"I have commenced a deep dive into our 200 acre Mohawk River Park and Pool complex, and I will continue this effort," said Crummey. "The old tennis courts left inoperable for years due to surface decay and large cracks have been replaced with eight new pickle ball and two new tennis courts, which were open for play in the spring of 2024. We mitigated water chestnut infestation along the shoreline of our Mohawk River Park, and we will continue to do so each year. The next effort is to engage shoreline dredging, so as to reinstall or re-site a boat launch at our park. Last fall, we again cleared weeds and decaying vegetation across our waterfront lands so as to restore the sweeping views of the Mohawk river from our park. Additionally, our Mohawk river park trails have been rehabilitated, which allows all residents easier access."
Crummey announced planned enhancements to Colonie's public notification system are beginning to go into effect, with "electronic opportunities" for citizens to facilitate the use of town services. He stressed the importance of recruitment and retention in town services to foster sustainable growth.
Crummey lauded the town's commitment to "green initiatives," including eliminating dead spots in cellular phone service and making accommodations for electric vehicles.
"This past year, we installed the town's first four EV charging stations at our town library," Crummey said. "Along with that initiative, we also introduced the first EV to our town's fleet, and we are seeking grant funds to add four more such vehicles are appropriate for light duty local routes and have a place in our fleet. In addition, during my first term, I directed our Climate Smart Communities Task Force to achieve a climate smart community designation for our town. Mission accomplished, as our town has been certified a climate smart community, we continue our efforts to achieve more significant climate smart designations in the future."
Crummey says Colonie continues to enjoy fiscal stability. He closed out his address noting that for the third consecutive year, the town property tax rate at 2.47% stands "well below inflation rates and well below the state tax cap" of 2 percent or the rate of inflation, whichever is less.
