TOWN SUPERVISOR COLUMNS
as published in the Brighton Pittsford Post - 2000-2005
Over a six year period, Town Supervisor, Bill Carpenter wrote articles which periodically appeared in the Brighton Pittsford Post. Links to the columns are listed below.
- 2005 -
Twelve years of accomplishments
Posted 7/1/2005
Due to this being a re-election year for me, Messenger-Post Newspapers will temporarily suspend my Town Supervisor's column following this writing until after the fall vote. That being the case, I want to take this opportunity to thank the residents of Pittsford for their support and trust over the last twelve years. I am truly thankful to be the Supervisor of a community I love. (More...)
The Role of the Town in the Village
Posted 6/3/2005
One of the questions I hear most often is, "What is the difference between the town and the village?" The easy answer is, "The town has green trucks and the village has orange ones." But there are actually a number of subtle yet important distinctions between the two municipalities. (More...)
State of the Town - Community Vitality
Posted 4/22/2005
In the final installment of my series on the State of the Town, I will discuss community vitality. The dictionary defines vitality as "the capacity to live, grow or develop." A further meaning of vitality is "physical or intellectual vigor, energy." (More...)
State of the Town Recreation & Parks Services
Posted 3/24/2005
In the third installment of my series on the State of the Town I will continue the discussion of the major services we offer residents, specifically, our Recreation and Parks services. (More...)
State of the Town Services
Posted 3/11/2005
In the second installment of my series on the State of the Town, I would like to begin discussing the major services we offer residents. As an organization we have worked hard to improve the quality and efficiency of our services. In doing so, we are committed to meeting or exceeding the expectations of our customers. To accomplish this we recognize that once we learn to do something well, we will need to figure out how to do it even better. (More...)
State of the Town Finances and Taxes
Posted 2/25/2005
This is my twelfth year as Supervisor of the Town of Pittsford. It is an honor and privilege for me to serve in this capacity and I thank each of you for your continued support and trust. My passion for the community and for the position remains high and I am committed to serving you in the best way I know how. (More...)
- 2004 -
Community Library Update
Posted 12/16/2004
I have been receiving a number of questions about the new library facility and thought I would provide an update on the project status. We are now approximately ten months from the Grand Opening that will coincide with the weekend of Pittsford Celebrates scheduled for September 17. (More...)
King's Bend Park
Posted 12/3/2004
Saturday, December 4th, we started booking 2005 reservations for the King's Bend Park lodges. Our first year has been a huge success and I thought I would share with you some of the statistics about the use it received and some of the comments we received from park patrons.
King's Bend Park was opened in September 2003. This 15-acre park sits on the north side of Jefferson Road between Clover Street and the Village of Pittsford. The park contains two ponds, the biggest of which is around 7 acres in size, that serve as a Stormwater Management facility for the Allen's Creek drainage basin. The park also features 2 lodges accommodating small groups of up to 50-persons in the South Lodge and large groups of up to 100-persons in the North Lodge. This past September, at the request of users, we were able to secure a grant and add a playground with swings, slides, etc. (More...)
Library Consolidation
Posted 10/13/2004
On Tuesday, October 5 the Town Board and the Library Board of Trustees held an informational meeting pertaining to the proposed consolidation of the Main Library and the Janes Branch Library. The Library Trustees originally made the proposal as part of their budget presentation to the Town Board on September 21. (More...)
Monroe Avenue Improvements
Posted 8/25/2004
One of the biggest transformations that has taken place during my tenure as Supervisor has been that of the Monroe Avenue commercial area. In 1994, Pittsford Plaza was half empty. There was a mix of retail and distribution warehouses. We were not quite sure what was going to happen in the long-term. (More...)
Yard Debris Collection and Recycling
Posted 8/18/2004
The collection and recycling of yard debris is one of the largest services we offer our residents. In providing this program, we recognize that the care and upkeep of your lawns and property is important to you and we have tried to design our yard debris program accordingly. (More...)
Supervisor's Columns
Posted 7/21/2004
Perhaps you've noticed that my Supervisor's Column has been absent from the Brighton Pittsford Post over the last few weeks. In theory I have the ability to submit a column every other week except from September to November during an election year. (More...)
Quality Communities Award For Excellence
Posted 6/9/2004
On Tuesday May 25th, I was honored to accept the New York State Governor's Quality Communities Award for Excellence. This award was presented to the Town of Pittsford in recognition of work that has been accomplished to promote and preserve agriculture, farmlands and open space areas; efforts to maintain a vital community center through the Library project; collaborative efforts to strengthen intergovernmental partnerships and for promotion of community input. (More...)
Community Collaboration
Posted 5/12/2004
One of the recommendations of the Pittsford Community Forum, held in 2001, was to look for opportunities for increased collaboration and communication among the town, village and school district. To accomplish this, it was suggested that there were the three following components, each vitally important: (More...)
Greenprint for Pittsford's Future
Posted 4/26/2004
Recently there has been some discussion of the "Greenprint for Pittsford's Future" and I thought I would take this opportunity to look back on its history and provide an update on the status of the plan. To this day, the Greenprint remains an important planning tool for Pittsford and continues to serve as a model for communities across the United States. (More...)
We're On The Move!
Posted 3/19/2004
Over the next few weeks and months you will begin to see a number of changes related to town facilities and services. I wanted to take this opportunity to provide you with an update and a schedule for these activities. (More...)
Assessment Update
Posted 2/25/2004
Over the last year, the Town Assessor has been working on completing an update of the assessment of all properties. The last update was accomplished in 2000, and it is important that the assessment roles be updated every few years to maintain the most equitable assessments possible. I thought I would take this opportunity to provide you with some information about the update process and what you might expect from it. (More...)
Railroad Crossings
Posted 2/11/2004
About every 90 minutes there is a collision between a vehicle and a train in the United States. Many of these accidents occur at points where the railroad tracks cross a highway at grade. You are 30 times more likely to die in a collision involving a vehicle and a train than an accident involving two vehicles. (More...)
Another Upstate Winter
Posted 1/28/2004
This year has turned out to be another upstate winter as many of us recall them to be, cold and snowy. At one point this month, I believe we had 19 straight days of snowfall. While we are not seeing the total snowfall we did last year, the temperatures have been extremely cold with 18 days where temperatures were recorded at less than 15 degrees. (More...)
A Preview of 2004
Posted 1/14/2004
As this is my first column of 2004, I want to wish you a very happy and prosperous New Year. All the indicators are pointing to an ever-improving economy, which is good for everyone. (More...)
- 2003 -
A Year of Accomplishments
Posted 12/31/2003
As hard as it is to believe, it is time to look at 2003 in perspective. I would like to close the year by reviewing some of the goals that we achieved this year. (More...)
A Decade of Accomplishments
Posted 6/4/2003
I have been informed by Messenger-Post Newspapers that this will be my last column until November since this is a reelection year for me. As such, I wanted to take this opportunity to thank the residents of Pittsford for their support and trust in me as your Supervisor over the last ten years. I truly am thankful to be the Supervisor of a community that I love. (More...)
Design Workshop Generates Excitement and Enthusiasm
Posted 5/14/2003
On Saturday, April 26th, the Library Trustees sponsored a library Design Workshop to obtain public input on some important design questions that will help shape the look of the proposed new building. Currently we have developed conceptual designs. The information obtained from the workshop will assist the project developers in designing the building itself and the site amenities that will help the new library fit into the fabric of the village. (More...)
Library Design Workshop
Posted 4/23/2003
Saturday, April 26th, a library design workshop will be held to obtain community input that will help ensure that this new facility reflects the interest of all stakeholders. The workshop will be held in the Presbyterian Church located at 21 Church Street, from 10:00 am to 2:00 pm. The public is welcome to join in this workshop and we ask, if possible, that you call 248-6275 to let us know that you would like to participate. (More...)
Emergency Preparedness
Posted 4/9/2003
All of us who lived through the 1991 ice storm thought there slim to no chance of getting hit that hard again. It was said that a storm of that magnitude only occurs once every hundred years. So much for statistics. (More...)
Proposal for New Library
Posted 2/26/2003
Last year, the Town Board received recommendations from Citizen Advisory Committees regarding the Library and a proposed Community Center. At that time the recommendations were tabled in deference to the community debate that was on going relative to the school facility issues. In identifying our priorities for 2003, the Town Board and I announced that we would revisit these recommendations in the first quarter of this year. (More...)
Department of Public Works Reorganization
Posted 2/12/2003
Over the years, the Town Board and I have been committed to continually looking for ways to streamline our town government and make it as efficient as possible. We look for efficiencies that will improve the way we deliver services to residents. We also look for efficiencies that will assure that our manpower and equipment are aligned in the most cost-effective way possible. (More...)
What a difference a year makes
Posted 1/15/2003
Last year at this time, many people were commenting to me about how mild the winter was and how the Town must be saving lots of money. My comment then and always is, "We save money until the weather changes. It only takes one big storm to bring us back to reality". (More...)
A Preview of 2003
Posted 1/8/2003
2003 will be another extraordinary year for the Town of Pittsford and its residents. Our community will once again capture the nation's attention when the 85th PGA Championship is played at Oak Hill Country Club in August. On a local level, we will celebrate the September opening of a new Town park facility, discussions on the library and community center will resume in the spring, and an eagerly anticipated canal path project will be started in July. (More...)
- 2002 -
2002 in Review
Posted 12/24/2002
The Town's approach to continuous improvement is described in our Strategic Plan. The Plan directs us "to recognize that once we learn to do something well we need to figure out how to do it even better." As I reflect on 2002, I see a year that will be hard to top. As a Town, we did many things well. There were many successes. Among them is the satisfaction of a long-term goal, the launch of a brand new community event, the formation of several resident volunteer committees to review services, and the completion of Phase 1 of a new park facility. (More...)
Pittsford's Tree of Success
Posted 12/4/2002
Since becoming Town Supervisor, it has been my vision and goal to build a Town organization that operates on good business principles. Accordingly, town operations are based on 1) efficiency, 2) quality of service, and 3) the needs of residents and employees. (More...)
Pittsford Values Its Youth & Families
Posted 10/30/2002
One of the prime objectives of the town community events is to promote activities that bring our youth, families and community together. Positively Pittsford and Pittsford Celebrates provide an opportunity to take time out from our busy lives, gather in the center of our community and enjoy a night of food, music and friends. (More...)
Leaf Pickup
Posted 10/16/2002
As hard as it is to believe, fall is upon us. Soon the colors of the trees will be in spectacular display. We are blessed with a rich and wonderful landscape in Upstate New York, and it is most amazing when the fall colors are in their peak display. (More...)
2003 Operating Budget
Posted 10/3/2002
One of the most important responsibilities that the Town Board and I have is adoption of the annual operating budget. This is the vehicle by which we can look at the whole array of programs and services that we offer. This is also the time that we are always mindful that tax dollars are your dollars and that we need to always be conservative in our use of your money. (More...)
"A Community Working Together to Preserve the Past and Pioneer the Future"
Posted 7/4/2002
As Supervisor for the Town of Pittsford, N.Y., I am thrilled about the opportunity to submit a letter and Pittsford momentos for the time capsule in honor of the Village of Pittsford's 175th Anniversary Celebration. (More...)
Facilities Update
Posted 6/27/2002
A number of people have recently asked me what the status of the Town's facilities plans is and I thought this would be a good opportunity to address this issue. I hope this helps bring some clarity to the situation. (More...)
Pittsfsord Community Forum Update
Posted 5/16/2002
Approximately six months ago, the Pittsford Community Forum Steering Committee presented its Action Item Recommendations for the Future. These recommendations were based on the feedback received from the 165 residents who participated in the 22 study circle groups. (More...)
Community Events for 2002
Posted 5/2/2002
Now that the weather has finally turned to blue skies and warmer weather we can now set our sights on the upcoming summer. We are excited about the calendar of events we have put together for this year and hope that you, your family and your neighbors will be able to take advantage of as many of these activities as possible. Let me give you an overview of what these events will be. (More...)
Pittsford Values Its Youth
Posted 4/3/2002
In November of 2000, I had the opportunity to attend the Search Institute's Annual Conference on Healthy Communities - Healthy Youth. This national initiative seeks to motivate and equip individuals, organizations, and their leaders to join together in nurturing, competent, caring, and responsible children and adolescents. This mission is accomplished through research, evaluation, resource materials, training, technical assistance and networking opportunities based on the Search Institutes framework of developmental assets. (More...)
Important Community Decisions
Posted 2/20/2002
Pittsford has long been viewed as a proactive and leading community in Monroe County. We were the home of the first school, the first lawyer and doctor's office in Monroe County. The Erie Canal helped spur the development of the Village of Pittsford that is now one of the best preserved canal villages in New York State. Our school system is one of the best in New York State. The Greenprint for Pittsford's Future will preserve over 2,000 acres of important open space resources and is being used as a model in communities across this state including the towns of Penfield and Webster. (More...)
Quality Government Begins at Home
Posted 1/23/2002
When I first ran for Supervisor, one of my goals was to make our Town government more business-like. In stating that I, realize that there are things that government does that will always be much different than any business. However, there is no reason that all governments can't develop business practices that include understanding the needs and expectations of the customer in service delivery, providing services in a cost efficient manner and understanding that as a service business, our customer relations are critical to us. (More...)
Priorities for 2002
Posted 1/10/2002
This year marks my ninth year as Supervisor of the Town of Pittsford. I am honored that this community continues to trust and value the work I have done in my first eight years and I pledge that I will continue to work hard to lead this community to meet the goals that are of importance to our community's future. (More...)
- 2001 -
Pittsford Community Forum - Building a Vibrant Future
Posted 11/28/2001
One of the strategic priorities that was set for this year was to strengthen our community partnerships to further common goals. To do so I indicated that I would be calling on leaders in the community to hold a community discussion about our future. I further indicated that it ought to be a big-picture discussion about Pittsford, leading to the development of a compelling vision and actionable steps to accomplish the vision. (More...)
The Monroe Avenue Corridor
Posted 10/10/2001
The Monroe Avenue Corridor has been a focal point of attention over the past several years.
The 1995 Comprehensive Plan update identified the commercial section of Monroe Avenue as an important economic development area. At that time there were a significant number of vacancies within the commercial area and appeared to be in trouble. Since this area represents 10% of our total tax base we believed it was important to help stimulate changes to help this area remain a vital commercial area. (More...)
Community Events
Posted 8/8/2001
This has been a very active year with Community Events. It started off with our Memorial Day Parade which was our biggest and best ever. We then held the first Positively Pittsford street dance with the Skycoasters, which drew a big crowd. We have also had our traditional series of concerts at the Port of Pittsford Park that will conclude on August 17 with a concert featuring the Pittsford Fireman's Band. (More...)
A Community Working Together
Posted 7/11/2001
Recently the Town announced that it was going to begin a discussion around the need to address the Library and build a Community Center. The School District recently announced that it needed to reconsider its plans for addressing the expanding needs of Sutherland High School as well as the Pittsford Middle School. We are also aware that the Village of Pittsford is in the midst of addressing its Comprehensive Plan. (More...)
Facilities
Posted 6/13/2001
Recently the Town announced that it was going to begin a discussion around the need to improve some of our facilities. This is a discussion that has been occurring on and off for eight years now and the Town Board and I would like to find a reasonable solution to the problem. I thought I would take this opportunity to address some of our thinking about facilities at this time and where we see it going. (More...)
Positively Pittsford
Posted 5/30/2001
On June 10th, we will hold an event called Positively Pittsford. This is a new event that has been planned by an events committee made up of staff, merchants and residents. It was decided that we would try to have an event on a Sunday afternoon. We have also tried to fill in the gap resulting from the decision of the Village Merchants Association to end the Colonial Days weekend activities. (More...)
Walk to See a Miracle
Posted 5/10/2001
Our children are our most precious resource. I can not imagine what it would be like to cope with a significant illness or death of either of my daughters. Unfortunately there are parents who are forced to face these issues and I am always amazed and emboldened by their strength. (More...)
2001 Community Events
Posted 4/30/2001
Now that the weather has finally turned to blue skies and warmer weather we can now set our sights on the upcoming summer. We are excited about the calendar of events we have put together for this year and hope that you, your family and your neighbors will be able to take advantage of as many of these activities as possible. Let me give you an overview of what these events will be. (More...)
1995 Comprehensive Plan
Posted 4/2/2001
Last week, there were two articles in the news that referred to the Town's Comprehensive Plan that appear to draw different conclusions as to its current status or effectiveness. One article was regarding Gov. Pataki's announcement of grants under the NYS Farmland Protection Program in which Pittsford received $683,000. The other article was in reference to a discussion by the School Board regarding the possibility of the town establishing a moratorium on further housing development. (More...)
Pittsford Community Forum
Posted 3/21/2001
One of the strategic priorities that was set for this year was to strengthen our community partnerships to further common goals. To do so I indicated that I would be calling on leaders in the community to hold a community discussion about our future. I further indicated that it ought to be a big-picture discussion about Pittsford, leading to the development of a compelling vision and actionable steps to accomplish the vision. (More...)
Around the Town Meetings
Posted 3/7/2001
Recently, Bill Smith, Pittsford's Monroe County Legislator and I sent a town-wide mailing announcing that we would be holding a series of "Around the Town Meetings" throughout Pittsford over the next few months. The purpose of these meetings is to make it as convenient as possible for people to let us know their views face-to-face on matters of importance to them. (More...)
- 2000 -
Looking Ahead to 2001
Posted 12/27/2000
In my last column I reviewed our accomplishments for the year 2000. It was clearly a year we finalized a number of issues that had been on the table for a while. It was also a year in which we improved the way we organize our business operations and practices in a way that will help us better serve our residents. (More...)
2000 Year in Review
Posted 12/13/2000
Another year has come to a close. It was a year in which we lived up to our vision of "preserving the past and pioneering the future". Much of our agenda has been based on our strategic plan that helps us focus on the needs and desires of the residents of this community. (More...)
The Asset Approach
Posted 11/1/2000
Recently I had the opportunity to attend the Search Institute's Fourth Annual Conference on Healthy Communities - Healthy Youth. This national initiative seeks to motivate and equip individuals, organizations, and their leaders to join together in nurturing competent, caring, and responsible children and adolescents. This mission is accomplished through research, evaluation, resource materials, training, technical assistance and networking opportunities based on the Search Institutes framework of developmental assets. (More...)
2001 Operating Budget
Posted 11/1/2000
On Thursday evening, the Town Board and I will adopt the operating budget for 2001. We are pleased to present a budget that will result in a tax decrease of 1.4%. This marks the fourth year in a row that we have held the line on town property taxes while maintaining the level of services that you expect of us. (More...)
Monroe County Council of Governments
Posted 10/4/2000
In April of this year, our County Executive, Jack Doyle, recognized the need to improve collaborative efforts and called for the formation of a Council of Governments (COG) to initiate and facilitate greater communication and cooperation among Monroe County's town, village, city and county governments. Jack Doyle said, " The Council of Governments will offer Monroe County's municipalities a working forum to discuss ways we can all work together more closely, with greater efficiency and more cooperation. Monroe County is already a model in this state when it comes to inter-municipal cooperation and this council will create a formal body where ideas can be shared and actions can be taken - all for the benefit of our residents and taxpayers." (More...)
Representative Government
Posted 8/23/2000
Town government in New York State is a representative form of government. This means that the town residents elect a Supervisor and Town Board members to protect the general health, safety and welfare of the town as a whole. (More...)
New Emergency Services Committee
Posted 6/14/2000
Emergency services in Pittsford are provided through the Monroe County Sheriff's Department, the Pittsford Volunteer Fire Department, the Pittsford Volunteer Ambulance and by a number of departments within the Town of Pittsford government. (More...)
Town Encourages Dialogue in Cyberspace
Posted 5/31/2000
The Town of Pittsford has recently unveiled a new and improved web page that we are excited about. The Town Board and I are continually looking for ways to communicate with our residents and those interested in our community. We know one of the best ways to do this is on the Internet. (More...)
Citizens Play Big Role in Town Government
Posted 5/3/2000
Town government is an organization that operates with its regular staff to deal with the majority of day to day tasks. It is also dependent on citizens to fill the role on various volunteer boards that are essential to the town's overall operations. (More...)
Council of Governments can help County
Posted 4/19/2000
Recently, Monroe County Executive Jack Doyle called for the formation of a Council of Governments to initiate and facilitate greater communication and cooperation with Monroe County's 19 towns, 10 villages and the city. In doing so, Mr. Doyle created a steering committee to draft objectives and an implementation strategy for the council. I am very honored that he has asked me to take the leadership role of this steering committee. (More...)
Greenprint is a Model for Conservation
Posted 4/12/2000
Over the last few years I have had the good fortune to meet and talk with many people about "The Greenprint for Pittsford's Future." We are a community that is revered by planners and conservationists for the proactive work we have done in dealing with our land use issues. I wanted to share some of these experiences with you since you are a critical element of this success story. (More...)
Town, Village Ready to Tackle Monroe Avenue
Posted 3/8/2000
Last week an inter-municipal planning effort was announced between the Town and Village of Pittsford, the Town of Brighton and the City of Rochester. This initiative will let us look at opportunities that exist along the entire length of Monroe Avenue with the hope of creating a unified strategy that helps bolster this corridor as a desirable place to live, work and play. (More...)
Town to help plan for new school
Posted 2/9/2000
A number of residents have contacted me to ask me what role the Town will play in the planning for the new high school approved in the December referendum. I thought I would take this opportunity to share our position with all of you. (More...)
Pittsford to tackle reassessment in 2000
Posted 1/26/2000
As is my custom, I would like to begin this New Year by informing you of what our town priorities will be for the year ahead. I am proud of the accomplishments we have made over my first three terms as Supervisor and pledge that I will continue to work hard on your behalf. (More...)