Please remember to get out and vote tomorrow. Polling locations are open from 6am to 9pm If you know your district the locations are below:

District 2- Elks Lodge, 6117 Newport Road

District 6- Camillus Fire House, 5801 Newport Road

District 16- Camillus Municipal Building, 4600 West Genesee Street

If you need a ride call me on my cell phone (315) 558-4513 I will come pick you up! There is nothing more important than exercising your right to vote!

Blood Drive in Honor of Tom Bieber

Monday, November 14, 2011 from 10am to 3pm. The blood drive will take place at 251 Salina Meadows Parkway, Suite 170, North Syracuse, NY 13212. Please call Amanda (315) 453-4301 or Janey (315) 453-4806 to schedule your appointment to donate!

Town Board Meeting Change

The town board meeting originally set for Tuesday, November 8, 2011 has been rescheduled for Thursday, November 10, 2011 at 7pm.  Two VERY IMPORTANT items to be aware of: First, there will be a public hearing on the 2012 budget. If you would like to see a tentative budget, it is posted at http://www.townofcamillus.com/default.aspx?PageID=929. Second, the proposed Master Parks Plan will be discussed. The plan can be viewed at http://www.townofcamillus.com/default.aspx?PageID=839

Onondaga Lake Watershed Community Forum

On November 29, 2011 there will be a meeting at the Rosamond Gifford Zoo, 1 Conservation Place, Syracuse, to discuss current progress and future opportunities of the Onondaga Lake watershed. Open House with refreshments begins at 5pm and the presentations will occur from 6-8:30pm.

Trash and Recycling

Starting January 1, 2012 the Town of Camillus will have a new vender for trash removal. Town put the contract out for bid and Dependable Disposal had the lowest bid. Good news is that the price will be decreasing from $178 to $129. You will be able to rent large garbage bins for $1 a month, if anything happens to them they will be replaced by the company. The Bad news is we will be switching to a four day a week pick up schedule. If your pick up day is currently Friday, you will be moved to another day which will be determined in the near future.

Interesting Facts

This year there are four unusual dates: 1/1/11, 1/11/11, 11/1/11, and 11/11/11.  But that’s not all: If you take the last two digits of the year you were born and the age you will be this year, the result will add up to 111 for everyone! Also this year, October had 5 Mondays, 5 Sundays and 5 Saturdays, this only happens once every  823 years!

Tuesday, September 20^th from 12pm till 8pm at the Municipal Building. Anticipated savings in year 1 are estimated at $50,000 to $60,000 (per study conducted by Bob Antonacci the County Comptroller)

The most important thing you need to remember is that you will still be able to go to Town Hall to pay your taxes! Does it matter who it is you are handing your money to? The town needs to save money because the county portion of your tax bill will increase by 11% next year. (see Post Standard Wednesday, September 14, 2011) This is because the county is taking more sales tax revenue this year and in 2013 they will take all of the sales tax revenue; even though they currently have a $79 million dollar surplus. Also, we have begun the budget for 2012 and after meeting with only two departments, we are already over budget.

If you need a ride on Tuesday, call me at (315) 558-4513 and I will come pick you up and personally take you to the polls!

Speeding

The Camillus Police Department has a neighborhood speed watch program where portable radar units are loaned out to residents. This will allow you to measure the speed of vehicles in your neighborhood. I am willing to get the radar unit and sit with you because nothing is more important than the safety of our children.

OCRRA’s 8^th Annual Shred-O-Rama

Saturday, September 24, 2011 from 8am till Noon at Alliance Bank Stadium.

Shredding confidential materials is an important step in preventing identity theft. Please remember to always recycle; blue bins are available at the Highway Department on Milton Ave. If you are too busy to get one, call me on my cell phone (315) 558-4513 and I will pick one up for you!

Vote to Dissolve the Village

Voting will take place on November 8^th but for Village Residents Only! If the referendum is passed, the Town Board is working on a plan for consolidation.

Buy American Made Products

I know they can be hard to find, but if every American spent just $64 more than normal on USA made products this year, it would create 200,000 new jobs!

Interesting Fact

What do bullet proof vests, fire escapes, windshield wipers and laser printers have in common?

They were all invented by women!

Food For Thought

How do you feel about Syracuse University joining the ACC? Email me your thoughts at mkolinski@townofcamillus.com

If you have any questions or concerns please do not hesitate to email me or call me (315) 558-4513

I remain your faithful representative,

Mark A. Kolinski

Camillus Second Ward Councilor

I first would like to wish all of the mother’s a very Happy Mother’s Day!!

If you are looking for something to do this Mother’s Day, Sycamore Hill Gardens is holding a Garden Tour and Art Exhibition from 11am-4pm. All of the proceeds will benefit the Baltimore Woods Nature Center.

2130 Old Seneca Turnpike, Marcellus

Planning Board Meeting

Monday, May 9th at 7pm there will be a planning board meeting at the Municipal Building.

• Item of importance: To consider the preliminary plan of the VIEWPOINT ESTATES EXTENSION SUBDIVISION, Section 2 which is located on Devoe Road.

West Genesee Street Proposal

Tentative public meeting will be help May 16th at Town Hall, at 6pm. If you would like information about which areas will be affected and what changes are proposed, please email me at mkolinski@townofcamillus.com or call me on my cell phone 315-558-4513.

Memorial Day Veterans Mass

The OFFICIAL Town of Camillus Memorial Day Committee-endorsed Veterans Mass will be held at 5pm on May 28th at Holy Family Church, on Chapel Drive. As in the past, this mass will include verterans, military personnel, gold star parents, dignitaries and refreshments. We will enjoy music from the Voices of Faith.

Time of Need

In times of needs the Town of Camillus family has helped so many. As many of you know, Billy Winks (former Highway Department employee) is suffering from cancer. Due to the present circumstances, the Town of Camillus is collecting money to help the family during this difficult time. Please drop off your donations to Phyllis at the Camillus Highway Department or to Terri in the Supervisor’s Office. Money will be collected until May 11th. Please continue to keep the Winks family in your thoughts and prayers.

Yard Waste Pickup

Please remember the new schedule for yard waste from the Camillus Highway Department. Effective March 2011 the Camillus Highway Department will begin a new schedule for yard waste pickups. The pick up schedule will be the first and third week of every month. Please contact the Highway Department at 672-5556 or 672-3081, if you have any questions.

Earth Day

I would like to send out a HUGE thank you to Captain Steve Rotunno and the Camillus Police Department, Lisa and Kim Sacco, Michelle Constantino-Scott and all of the volunteers who helped with the cleanup of Milton Avenue. We are hoping to make this an annual event. If you would be interested in volunteering next year or have ideas for how to expand on the work done this year, please contact me.

Buy American

If 200 million Americans refuse to buy just $20 each of Chinese goods, that would equal 1 Billion Dollars trade imbalance resolved in our favor.

If every American spent just $64 more than normal on USA made items this year, it would create 200,000 new jobs.

PLEASE BUY AMERICAN!!!!

Quote of the Week

“Do not let others define you, but define yourself.”

~ Floyd Little, Syracuse University Hall of Fame Running Back

On October 19, 2010 I traveled to Toledo, Ohio to visit the Ottawa River Sediment Consolidation Area (SCA), which is a site that also uses geo-textile tubes for the de-watering of toxic sediments. The most interesting part of the trip was that sediments with PCB levels above the federal threshold are pumped into geotubes located above a single composite liner system located outside the landfill footprint for dewatering and temporary storage. Once these sediments are dewatered, they will be removed from the site and disposed at a permitted hazardous waste facility Sediments with PCB levels below the federal level are pumped in to geotubes located above a single composite liner located within the landfill footpring for dewatering. If this is working with such success there why can’t it be done here?

Other points of interest:

Odor- While standing downwind of the tubes, no obvious odor could be detected from the geotubes. However I believe this is the result of most of the material being transported is PCB. This however is not true for the toxic sediments that will be pulled from Onondaga Lake and thus I believe odor will still be a major concern.

Lighting- For the safety of there workers, Light were placed at least 30 feet in the air. While we still do not have the final plan for Camillus, this could be a concern if they will be running a 24 hour operation.

If you would like to see the full report from Barton & Loguidice on the Ottawa River Tour please contact me and I will be happy to provide you with a copy.

Special Board Meeting

There will be a special Town Board meeting on Thursday, November 4th at 7pm in the Municipal Building. This is to present the 2011 Budget! You should be aware that the Town Board has no control over your school taxes and 75% of your taxes are mandated by the state and county. Of the 25% of taxes that we do have control over I feel that we have done a great job. I would like to personally thank all of the department heads: Kathy our Comptroller, Mary Ann and all my fellow councilors. We have come up with some great ideas to further reduce this budget in 2012!

Fall Havest Festival

The Village of Camillus will be holding their first annual Fall harvest Festival on Sunday, October 31st from 11am to 5pm in Munro Park. There will be a pumpkin carving contest, apple and pie eating contests, costume contest, food, games and much much more! Be sure to bring your own carved pumpkin or best apple/pumpkin pie recipe to be judged by local celebrities! Admission ins FREE! If you would like more information on contest rules or activities please call 315-672-3484.

Leaf Pick Up 2010

November 3-5/ November 22-24: Kasson Road West to the Elbridge town line between West Genesee Street and Howlett Hill Road.

November 8-10/November 26-30: Hinsdale Road West to the Van Buren town line between West Genesee Street and Warners Road /Van Buren Road and Winchell Road.

November 12-16/December 1-3: Kasson Road East to the Geddes town line between West Genesee Street and Gulf Road.

November 17-19/December 6-8: Hinsdale Roade East to the Solvay / Geddas line between West Genesee Street and Warners Road/ Belle Isle Road and Thomas.

Financial Fitness Day

Monday, November 8, 2010 from 11am to 1pm Empower Federal Credit Union will be having its “Financial Fitness Day”. It is located in the Mauve Conference Room in the Municipal Building. Open Accounts, Review your credit score, apply for loans and more!

Trees in the Wastebeds

Honeywell plans on planting 400 evergreen trees 6-8 feet high in the northern edge of Wastebed 13. This will act as a visual barrier from airport road into the wastebeds.

Street Names

At the last board meeting I tried to name the new road that was built off of Newport Road. The county however has rejected the name we chose. I have a list of names that the county may accept. They range from the most boring (blue, frog, black, pink) to more creative such as Honeymoon Ave, Midnight Blue and Robot Road. If you would like to see the full list or have any input as to what you think the road should be named please contact me.

Have A Happy Halloween! Please be smart and safe this holiday weekend.

” The difference between school and life; in school your taught a, lesson then given a test. In life your given a test that teaches you a lesson.” ~Tom Bodett

Town Board Meeting Tonight!

There will be a Town Board meeting tonight at 7pm at the municipal building. Items of importance for the Second Ward: Continuation of the public hearings for the mining of clay.

Budget Meeting

Discussions for the 2011 budget continue every Thursday. Councilor Philippone proposes a 10% reduction in the tax rate! We are working diligently to achieve this goal. If you have any input into the budget please contact me or attend the meetings.

Roads

Thanks to the joint efforts of  myself , Supervisor Coogan and Highway Superintendent Pigula, the road junction on Newport Road next to the old Brown Cow will finally be named. Upon approval from the Board tonight, the road will be named “Way Out Road”.

In the Second Ward, you find that there are two Armstrong Roads, within a quarter mile of each other. This is a dangerous situation for 911 and emergency calls and could cause confusion in situations where minutes can mean the difference between life or death. Therefore I am proposing to make one North Armstrong and the other South. If you have any questions or concerns on this please feel free to contact me.

Speeding

I ran for office on the promise of reducing speeding in our neighbors to ensure the safety of our family’s. The Camillus Police Department has worked diligently with me to make this happen.  They should be commended for their hard work and efforts. Please, if you see speeding as a concern in your area, email or call me.

Country Creek Lights

National Grid has FINALLY gotten back to me and your street lights will start going up on October 18th and should be finished by Halloween.

Jobs

In my continued efforts to put the people of the Second Ward, and the Town of Camillus to work a job opening came to my attention: Starting pay 9$, looking to work a 40 hour work week. If you or someone you know is interested please contact me.

If you or someone you know is hiring please send this information to me and I will be sure to include in my updates.

Wastebed 13

Since running for the Second Ward Councilor, I have fought everyday to keep toxic waste out of our town and to protect this area for our children and their children. If however higher powers deem that risking the  future of our town is the only solution, then it should be done in the safest way possible! In the documents section is a presentation which shows the benefits of alternative remediation to permanently reduce the toxicity of the materials being taken from Onondaga Lake! These solutions can and will work and should be the path taken! Above you will see a youtube video presented by Mark Tracey describing the alternative green solutions.

Council for the Conservation of the Environment

Congratulations to all of the person’s chosen to sit on the Council for the Conservation of the Environment. These individuals include: Bob Graham, Dave Colbert, Sandra Alexander, and Joe Flynn who will serve for a 2 year term. Bob Feyl, Mallory Reedy, and Tom Kehoskie will serve for a 1 year term. I look forward to working with you all in the coming year to make Camillus a leader in sustainability and conservation!

Notes from the Town Board meeting 8/24/2010

• Mr. Oudemool, our town attorney, gave an update on the negotiations with Honeywell and the DEC. Ken Lynch has agreed to meet with the Town Board and to answer any and all questions that are presented to him!

• There will be a public hearing September 28, 2010 at 7pm at the Camillus Municipal Building to discuss mining of clay in the 2nd Ward. This will require amending the Municipal code adding a a new subdivision “K”.  Please let me know your thoughts on this mining or the process involved in changing the code.

• Budget meetings for the 2011 Camillus Town Budget will begin Thursday September 9, 2010 at 5pm in the Municipal Building. If you have any input into what goes into the budget please contact me!

• The Superior Waste contract will be coming up shortly. It is my belief that senior citizens should receive a discount on their waste removal and recycling. Please send me your thoughts on this idea.

BUNCO Night

Thank you to everyone who came and supported BUNCO night! It was an amazing night and was a great success. I would also like to put out a huge thank you to the ladies of the Camillus Community Coalition for all their hard work and dedication to make the night such a success.

NO Toxic waste Signs!

If you would like a No Toxic Waste Site in Camillus sign for your front yard, I have a few left and I will drive to your house and personally put one in your front yard! No cost, please just get a hold of me so I can arrange when to bring one out to you!

Toby Shelley

If you would like to support Toby Shelley for Onondaga County Sheriff, I also have signs for his election. If you like one of these in your front yard, please contact me and I will bring one of these to your house!

Due to difficulties with yahoo’s services and so that I can be more effective at getting emails out to you, I have switched over to gmail. My new email address is camillusward2@gmail.com My yahoo account will open for awhile after this so that anything sent there will still get a response but please spread the word for everyone to begin using this email address!

Camillus Pool

The Parks and Recreation Committee met on May 17 and after reviewing the surveys, the consensus of the Board was to not open the pool this year. We received a 32% return on the 8,300 surveys mailed, an excellent response.  I want to  thank all the second ward residents who spent the time to fill out their surveys. If anyone would like to see the results of the survey, I would be happy to get you a copy.  Many of those present including Eric Bacon see this as a great opportunity to make this park into a real jewel for Camillus, not a stone. I would love to hear any ideas or feedback you have on changes that should be made to the park to ensure that your tax dollars are being spent in a way that is most efficient and useful to you the residents! I would like to extend a big Thank you to Eric Bacon (parks and recreation director) and councilman Philippone for all of their hard work on this difficult subject.

Aqueduct Celebration

On Saturday May 22 festivities to celebrate the restoration of the historic aqueducts on the Erie Canal will take place. These include:        All you can eat pancake breakfast (Elks Club)    7-11

Official Ceremonies                                                        11-12

Towpath Day                                                                     12-5

Fireworks at the Aqueducts                                        9:15

This will be a great day for the Town of Camillus and it would great to see everyone there!

Be A Star…Buy A Star!

With the parade FAST approaching it is not to late to still be a STAR. Please send your $10 donation to:

Parade Committee , Attn: Robert Cudworth      387 North Field Way         Camillus, NY 13031

Or call/e-mail me and I will come pick it up! Your thoughtful donation helps pay for the American flags for veterans graves and for distribution at the parade. Your name or the name of persons you would like to be honored will be placed on the STAR Board facing West Genesee Street outside the Municipal Building.

I would like to give a huge thank you to Tia Soliday, business manager at New Country Wolf 105.1 and Movin 100.3, for playing the Be a Star campaign on the radio the last six weeks. I feel we should support those people who support us so if you can listen to these stations, it would be a great way to thank those who have done much for us.

Township 5

There will be a public hearing for the subdivision and site plan on May 24 at 7 pm in the Municipal Building. This is during the regularly scheduled Planning Board meeting. The Board recently approved access control to the NYSDOT for the connector road which will be located between Hinsdale and Bennett Roads. I was disappointed to hear that the project is going to start with the Apartment Buildings first. It would be nice to see the shops, cinemas, and YMCA which will attract new people and businesses into the area go in first, but after 5 long years this is at least a start!

Farming Museum at Gillie Lake

Bob Feyl is seeking volunteers to help man the museum, farming experience is not necessary. If anyone has any old equipment you would like to donate, that would be greatly appreciated. If you have any questions or would like to volunteer please call/email me at your convenience.

Grant Writing

At a previous Board meeting, I brought up the point of hiring an experienced Grant Writer for the town of Camillus. It seems at the Department Head meeting this week, Supervisor Coogan brought in Jeff Brown of the Mackenzie Firm to speak of their services. I am glad to see that people are listening to the ideas brought up at the Board meetings and that this has been taken to the next step.

Jobs

I have always felt that we should take care of the people in our own community. Any job openings I hear about, I try to fill with people from Camillus and the Second Ward!

• The Town of Camillus is looking for a comptroller. Please send me your resume and I will be sure to forward it to the search company.
• Full time Warehouse opening 8:30-5, $9 an hour to start with benefits after 90 days.
• Summer job for college student. Some heavy lifting required, $8 an hour 35-40 hours a week.

The Camillus Community Coalition (CCC) is holding an informational meeting on Wednesday March, 24  at 7pm at the Camillus Fire House. I strongly urge everyone to attend!  At the Town Board meeting on March 9, I asked my fellow Board members to forget political lines and politics, and come together in support of resolution 55 “to unequivocally oppose and not allow the DEC and Honeywell’s plan for the SCA in the Town of Camillus.” Unfortunately it seems my words have fallen on deaf ears. I am not sure the 6^th Ward Councilor was listening because he states on his website “you will not be getting all the information I believe is important for you to have” (speaking about the upcoming CCC meeting). Please DO NOT LET THIS DETER YOU FROM SHOWING UP! I guarantee only the facts will be presented and you can make your own determination after the meeting. To quote the New York State Comptroller, Thomas Dinapoli, “New Yorkers must have faith in all levels of government. They should have assurances that local and state leaders are acting in their best interests.” Remember this is a Town of Camillus problem!

On March 23, Gary Bowitch, the environmental attorney, will be coming to Camillus. He plans on meeting with Ken Lynch, visiting the wastebeds, meeting with neighbors, and attending the Board Meeting at 7pm. Once again, I urge everyone to attend this meeting as well, as Mr. Bowitch will be answering questions. I commend everyone for all their hard work and dedication as we fight for the health of our children and the future generations of Camillus!

Committee Meetings Held 3/16

Public Works - We will hold a public hearing on hydrofracking at the Town Board meeting on March 23 at 7pm which will be continued on April 13. We have proposed to change our municipal code to ban hydrofracking in Camillus.

Personnel – We have extended the deadline to receive resumes for the Council for the Conservation of the Environment till March 23. All interested persons please send them to myself of Supervisor Coogan.

Agenda-   The agenda for Town Board meetings will be sent to Town Board members for approval by 4pm on Friday, and then once approved will be posted on the Town website. Everyone is FREE to go to the Town website, view the agenda, and send it out to the entire world if they so desire. On Monday, as a courtesy, Terry Davis will e-mail the agenda to whomever would like to receive one. All you need to do is e-mail Terry asking to be placed on the e-mail list to receive the agenda and it will be sent you. This new procedure is to ensure the public is getting correct information as the agenda has been known to change many times within a day of a Town Board meeting.

Discussions were held about seeking a Grant Writer for the Town. I will continue to pursue this as I feel it will be a more effective way of obtaining grants for needed projects around the Town. Supervisor Coogan is running this by the department heads.

Finance – Discussions were held on capital planning, sales tax, and health insurance.

Planning and Zoning- Discussions have been held about creating a cat leash law in the Town. Please send me your thoughts on this issue.

Councilor Bashing

It has come to my attention that the former 2^nd Ward Councilor is trying to bash Councilman Philippone. While this doesn’t warrant a response, she could at least have had the courtesy of spelling Councilman Philippone’s name correctly. Where was this passion over the last five years when the DEC/Honeywell planned to store TOXIC WASTE in our Town?

United States Census 2010

By now you should have received your US Census form. You are required by law to fill this out and return it. This is critical for New York State to receive Federal aid. It has been estimated that the  2000 Census figures did not count 200,000 New Yorkers which will result in $87 million in Lost aid by 2012.

Camillus Memorial Day Committee

The next meeting will be held April 15 at 7pm at the Municipal Building. We are still looking for volunteers. This years theme is “Freedom is All Around Us”. Please come help with this great event held in Camillus each year!

Camillus Pool Survey

I have not received my survey yet. They were supposed to be mailed out last Thursday. Please fill this out as soon as you receive it so we may begin collecting the public’s opinion on the pool. This is your time to decide how YOUR tax dollars will be spent. As always, my vote will be based on YOUR VOICE, so let them be heard!

YMCA

A meeting was held on March 11 with the committee to bring the YMCA to Camillus. I think this is a great idea and we need to continue to strongly pursue it. Please send me your thoughts and I will be sending you continuous updates on the status of the YMCA.

Bridge Painting

Starting March 22, painting of the structural steel on the bridge on 173, right after the Milton Ave intersection, will begin. NO lanes are planned to be closed, only the shoulder.

Going Green

I don’t know where this is coming from or going (I figure everyone needs a little humor in their life), but recently I replaced a toilet in my bathroom. The new toilet has a duel flush system which can be flushed one way for “#1″ and another for “#2″. Maybe I am just getting old but I thought this was so cool. It is suppose to save on water, I guess we will find out when the bill comes in! If anyone is aware of this being a tax credit please let me know.

The town has hired an environmental attorney, Gary Bowich, to represent us in our fight against the DEC and Honeywell. We are giving him two weeks to review all the information that we have collected and sent him, and then I will set up a meeting between the neighbors and Mr. Bowich, so that you may have any of your questions answered.

I want to thank  everyone for the countless hours and hard work you have put in as we have fought to keep these toxic chemicals out of our town. While we have made great progress in the past few weeks, we cannot let up! I strongly urge everyone to continue to call/email our elected officials ( local, state and national) to show them we will not stop fighting this issue. We are strong in numbers and your most powerful weapons now are your voices!

I still have t-shirts available to support our cause. If you would like one please email/call me and I can get you a shirt.

Righting a Wrong

The town board unanimously voted Tuesday to appoint Jay Logana to the Camillus Planning Board to fill the unexpired term of Richard Flaherty. We would like to thank Mr. Flaherty for all of his time, hard work and dedication to this town. With this appointment we can move forward knowing that the wrongs committed during the first organizational meeting have been corrected, and we would hope this type of hypocrisy won’t happen again. Welcome back Jay!

Camillus Pool

There has been much speculation lately, whether or not we should open or  close the Camillus Pool. Please contact me either through email, phone calls, or the website so that I can gain a better prespective of what the residents want. My vote at Town Board meetings represents your voice, and what you want to see happen in this town. Your in put will be vital as we move forward with this issue. Thank you in advance for your help.

Mark Kolinski

Monday, February 22, 2010 7pm, Camillus Fire House

I strongly urge every Camillus resident to attend this important meeting regarding the storage of toxic chemicals, and the effect this will have on our town. This issue is not simply affecting the second ward, it is a town wide problem, and together we must come together to ensure the health and safety of our friends and family!

This fight is not against the clean up of Onondaga Lake, for we all dream of one day seeing the lake cleaned. This fight is only against the disposal of toxic sediments in our town when we know there are alternative locations these sediments could go. Out of sight, out of mind does not work for the families who live within eyesight of Wastebed 13 and it is not right to impose this issue on other generations. This needs to be taken care of the right way, the first time!

Town Board Meeting

Tuesday, February 23, 2010, 7pm Municipal Building

As always I hope to see as many residents at the Town Board meeting as possible so that your voices can be heard! This is your opportunity to bring your issues directly to board members and comment on decisions being made on your behalf. LET YOUR VOICE BE HEARD!!!!!