Greg Helsmoortel
“I still have connections, and I’ve been told pretty much nothing is going on [with economic development],” he said. He acknowledged the E-ZPass test track and Spinnenweber Supply pipe storage facility being located on Kings Highway this year, and said while that’s good for Saugerties and he has no criticism for the companies, “I wouldn’t hang my hat on that as economic development.”
Myers believes she’s better equipped to market Saugerties to new businesses. She said the town is building a new website to promote itself. She also talked about a plan in the works to bring water service to Malden Turnpike for further economic development, with the Thruway Authority footing the bill because it wants a connection to its rest stop.
“Saugerties is really poised for exciting growth right now,” she said. “We have all the infrastructure in place. A number of years ago we weren’t quite there. Now we’re here. There’s quite a lot here to market. We have quality of life. We have educated workforce. We have infrastructure. There’s a real depth here. There’s a solid core of people who really care about the community. They have skin in the game– they have businesses here, they devote volunteer time.”
She said retaining existing businesses is important as well.
“This past two years, I’ve visited 95 different businesses,” she said. “We need to grow and we need to retain those businesses. We’ve seen a steady increase in sales tax– that shows growth. When businesses do well that helps our taxes.”
Ciarlante says visits and phone calls are all well and good, but businesses view the regulations and review process as excessively onerous.
“We have to change the reputation,” she said. “I really want to see what the local ideas are from entrepreneurs who are living here who are too intimidated by the process. They avoid starting a business here because of all the regulations.”
She said the historic preservation and planning boards make things hard on businesses.
“Who’s on the Planning Board– are they business friendly?” she said. “I’m not saying they’re not but we need to make sure they are. I think some of them are more concerned with the trees being planted.”
She suggested the board find a volunteer to guide business owners through the planning review process, which is necessary for any new business or significant addition. (It’s an idea that’s come up in previous elections but hasn’t ever been implemented.)
She also feels like the current situation isn’t something anybody should be fighting to take credit for. In a letter, she wrote: “We need to keep in mind that when the past and current supervisor says Saugerties is doing well they are referring to the Saugerties government; it is not a statement that reflects the well-being of the citizens of Saugerties, many of whom are preparing to move to a place they can afford.”
She says Helsmoortel and Myers are out of touch with much of the community.
“They both say that we’re attracting business and we have new business coming here,” she said. “But when I go door to door I see people who are worried about whether or not they can afford to stay here. They say, ‘look, I have one more year before I retire. I can’t afford to stay here.’ There’s a huge disconnect. People don’t feel like the government is listening. Maybe because it’s not. I’ve had one family say, ‘look, you have to promise me if you get in you’ll make things better because we can’t afford to stay here. We can’t make ends meet.’ I get it every day.”
