3 June Central Hudson Cornwall Project - Quaker Avenue Timeline June 3, 2022 By Danyelle Barrett General 0 Central Hudson has advised they will start work again on Quaker Avenue the week of May 30th and expects work to be completed the end of that week. If weather delays are experienced, an additional week would be needed and work will be completed at the end of the week of June 6th. Related Articles Joint Public Statement from the Town of Cornwall & Village of Cornwall-on-Hudson Boards For Immediate Release May 19, 2022 Subject: Proposed 3-Year Contract Between Cornwall and the New Windsor Volunteer Ambulance Corps (NWVAC) for Basic Life Support and Advanced Life Support Services As most residents understand, individual municipalities are responsible for providing and maintaining an effective and sustainable ambulatory service to their communities. Of recent, it has become more difficult to provide this critical volunteer service due to soaring costs and the dwindling number of available volunteers. This issue has been a topic of debate within the New York State legislature recently, with legislation introduced to establish EMS (the provision of urgent pre-hospital treatment and transport for medical care) as an “essential service.” Long overdue, this effort could potentially reconfigure how ambulatory services are administered across New York State. Unless and until the County and/or State elect to make certain changes, municipalities must seek effective methods to sustain and improve services. Experts contend that the paradigm is evolving and that mergers, or consolidation, exist as an intermediate solution. For over a year, New Windsor Volunteer Ambulance Corps (NWVAC) has contracted with the Town and Village to provide Advanced Life Support (ALS) services to Cornwall residents for a fee, while Cornwall Volunteer Ambulance Corps (COVAC) provides Basic Life Support (BLS) coverage for a fee, as well. ALS includes the highest level of emergency medicine – paramedic-level treatment – and NWVAC (or another EMS provider with ALS capabilities) has long answered calls within Cornwall for mutual aid, bereft of a contract. COVAC, staffed with Emergency Medical Technicians, or EMTs, has remained a fixture in our community since 1955. A number of years ago, COVAC made the request to bill patients directly and a decision was subsequently reached to dissolve the “ambulance district” overseen by the Town. By billing insurance providers directly, this was to be a more efficient process that allowed for the Corps to remain solvent without monies allocated from Cornwall. The global pandemic and an attendant paucity of available volunteers has made staffing across the past several years a concern. This, coupled with significant debt accrual resulted in COVAC’s appeal for subsistence from the taxpayers – which the Town and Village jointly agreed to support. Despite the provided financial support, there continue to exist a number of issues that have not been resolved, as relates to the professional administration of ambulatory services to our residents. Public safety is of paramount concern. Both the Town Supervisor and Village Mayor have met privately with COVAC leadership and members of COVAC’s elected board and operational membership appeared before a joint boards’ special meeting on January 11, 2022. While COVAC maintains they have mitigated their insolvency issues and improved their first-call response rates, it is the consensus of both boards that NWVAC – widely regarded as the “gold standard” for local ambulatory care – will be contracted to cover both BLS and ALS responsibilities for Cornwall residents. This assumption of responsibilities can be considered a consolidation. Current COVAC members who wish to continue to serve Cornwall residents may interview with NWVAC, and be afforded opportunity to operate out of 1 Clinton Street location, be attired in Cornwall EMS uniforms, and respond to Cornwall service calls in a Cornwall-branded ambulance. This serves both professionalization and training standardization efforts. On balance, we believe that this decision for establishment of a contemporary public/private partnership model -- created and supported by multiple municipalities, including Town of New Windsor, Town of Cornwall and Village of Cornwall-on-Hudson -- will ensure our residents receive the high-quality emergency medical care they deserve. NWVAC enables Cornwall leadership to remain confident in the model’s financial viability and sustainability, administrative transparency, leader oversight, and accountability while serving as an example for the region. This was not an easy decision. Careful consideration was given to all impacted equities. Town and Village elected officials reflected deeply on the many decades of selfless service that COVAC and its volunteers have provided to our community; indeed, it is an honored local institution. But the primary responsibility of public officials is ensuring their constituents are afforded best available services for their hard-earned tax dollars. In our estimation, the proposed three-year contract with NWVAC ensures this. Know that we have explored innumerable options to guarantee confidence in the provision of EMS. And we have reviewed a number of similar municipal consolidated-services agreements. This is the best path forward for Cornwall. On Thursday, May 26, 2022, at 7:00 p.m., inside the Edward C. Moulton, Jr. Village Board Room, located at Village Hall, 325 Hudson Street, Cornwall-on-Hudson, New York 12520, the Town and Village boards will convene a joint special meeting to address this matter publicly. Meeting will be publicly-noticed and contract provisions will be disclosed. The public will be afforded an opportunity to speak and boards will address some factors that led to this decision. On behalf of the Town and Village Boards, Joshua Thomas Wojehowski Supervisor James A. Gagliano Mayor New York Forward Small Project Fund Launch The Town of Cornwall and the Village of Cornwall-on-Hudson are pleased to announce the launch of the Cornwall NY Forward Small Project Fund, a new funding opportunity designed to support small-scale projects that strengthen Downtown Cornwall. The Town of Cornwall Small Project Fund (SPF) is a grant program designed to support building improvements, small business assistance, and reinvestment in commercial and mixed-use properties within the designated program area. Funded through the New York Forward program, the SPF aims to strengthen the downtown, support local businesses, and encourage long-term economic vitality. Property owners and eligible businesses are encouraged to review the program materials and attend the public Information Session to learn more about eligibility, funding opportunities, and the application process. Information Session: Thursday, February 12th 6-8 pm Munger Cottage Initial application due date: Friday, February 20th at 4 pm for more information and program documents, visit https://nyf.cornwallny.gov/ 4th of July 2026 Information 4th of July Information Office Closures: Town Offices, including the Highway & Sanitation Departments will be closed on Friday, July 3rd in observance of Independence Day. There will be no trash or recycling pickups on that day. Trash pickup will resume as scheduled, Tuesday, July 7, 2026, for residents who normally have trash pickups on Tuesday & Fridays. Recycling will have to be held until the following week, Friday, July 10, 2026. Any questions or concerns please call the Highway Dept. @ 845.534.2171. July 4th Celebration: The Cornwall Independence Day Committee is a group of VOLUNTEERS from the community dedicated to planning and coordinating a memorable celebration for the community. Visit https://www.cornwall4th.org/ and follow Cornwall Fourth of July for a more information and to view the schedule of events. Parking: On Saturday, July 4th, 2026, there will be no parking from 8:00 am to 11:00 pm on both sides of the following streets: Main Street from Hudson Street to Academy Avenue, Hudson Street from Main Street to First Street, North Street, South Street, Center Street, Quaker Avenue from Elm Street to First Street, Hasbrouck Avenue from the Traffic Circle to Clinton Street, McCann Lane, Tamara Lane and Union Street. Parking will be restricted to one side of the street on the following: Hazen Street and Broadway - No Parking on the west side of the street Clinton Street and Grand Street – No Parking on the south side of the street The following restrictions will also be in place: **Main Street from the Traffic Circle to Willow Avenue – No Parking on either side from *3:00 pm to 6:30 pm **Main Street from Willow Avenue to South Street – No parking on either side from *3:00 p.m. to 11:00 p.m. Main Street will be closed on both sides from the traffic circle to Curie Road from *3:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. **IMPORTANT! Parking is permitted on Main Street from the Traffic Circle to South Street up until 3:00 p.m. Vehicles then have to be removed in preparation for the parade. After the parade vehicles may park on Main Street from the Traffic Circle to Willow Avenue, but there is NO PARKING on Main Street from Willow Avenue to South Street for the remainder of the night due to the large influx of pedestrian traffic. There will be no public parking in the rear of Town Hall. A limited number of Disabled Parking will be available on a first come, first served basis. A state issued disabled vehicle plate or parking placard is required. If you have any questions about Fourth of July traffic or parking only, please call the Town of Cornwall Police Department at (845) 534-8100. Check Village of Cornwall on Hudson for information on road closures and parking restrictions in COH. It’s going to be a hot one folks! Be sure to take precautions and stay hydrated throughout the day. Take breaks from the sun in a shaded area, cooling station, and be sure to visit the art show in the Ice House. Cornwall, NY Office of Emergency Management has great tips for beating the heat on their social media pages and their website: ready.cornwallny.gov The Cornwall Independence Day Committee has done an excellent job securing vendors that will have plenty of food and beverages for purchase throughout the day. In addition, the Town will have cooling stations in the following locations: • Munger Cottage Senior Center • Girl Scout Cabin • Tented Area Outside of Town Hall As always, Cornwall/NWEMS will be standing by to provide medical care as needed and running the cooling station outside of Town Hall. Water will be available at cooling stations and for sale by vendors. Keep an eye on the sky! weather awareness & alerts: wx.cornwallny.gov A big shoutout & thank you to the Cornwall Independence Committee, Buildings & Grounds/Sanitation Department, Police Departments, Cornwall EMS, Cornwall OEM, the Historical Society, 250th Anniversary Celebration Committee, and all those involved in making the Cornwall 4th of July Celebration Iconic! Have a Happy & Safe 4th of July! See less Proposed Treetop Warehouse Project Treetop Companies is proposing a warehouse project on the former Cornwall Commons site off 9W. The project currently is before the Planning Board and Town Board for review and approval. Below is the link to their presentation. Treetop Project Website Link 5-2-22 Amended Notice of Public Scoping Session/Pos Dec Package Link Treetop Cornwall Presentation Download Link Volunteer with The Town of Cornwall Friendly Visitor Program The Gift of Independence-Volunteer with The Town of Cornwall Friendly Visitor Program Attend a 90-minute Volunteer Zoom Training and complete an application! It is that easy. Tuesday 12/20/22 at 5:30 pm Thursday 1/5/23 at 10:00 am Tuesday 1/17/23 at 5:30 pm Other training dates available. Contact The Town of Cornwall Friendly Visitor Program. Call: 845-534-42168 or 845-341-1173 ext. 305 or email [email protected] to register for the training or for more information about services available. The 90-minute Zoom training will prepare you to provide support to older adults in your own community with the Friendly Visitor Program. Volunteers provide local transportation to essential appointments, grocery shopping, friendly visits, phone check-in calls and light chores. Volunteering is rewarding and flexible. Reservations are required. Background checks and Insurance while volunteering is provided. The Town of Cornwall partners with JFS of Orange County and the Office for the Aging to support older neighbors in Cornwall and Cornwall on Hudson Cornwall Goes Green Recycling Day Cornwall Goes Green Recycling Day on Saturday, June 13 from 9AM–12PM at Cornwall Town Hall. Accepted items include electronics, eyeglasses and hearing aids, clean used clothing, unused or expired prescription drugs, used crayons, and personal paper shredding (no bulk). Open to Town of Cornwall and Village of Cornwall residents only Comments are closed.