Wishing everyone a safe and healthy winter and holiday season!
Snow accumulation means our Public Works Highway crews are out early salting and plowing 22 routes covering nearly 460 miles of Town, County, and State roads. Our crews are well prepared for winter, transforming equipment used to haul asphalt in the summer and collect leaves in the fall into an entire fleet of winter-ready plow and salt vehicles.
Much work also happens behind the scenes before plow crews are dispatched. Two Perinton Public Works professionals – Jeff Sens and Frank Ventura – are the eyes and ears of the fleet. They, along with other on-call employees, act as Nightwatch, monitoring the weather and road conditions for the Town during the evening and overnight hours Monday through Friday as well as during the weekend from November until April.
They assess road conditions, monitor radar, record road surface temperatures, and supervise traffic cameras. They are also prepared to help in emergencies – assisting the Water Authority with water main breaks, aiding in clean-up from motor vehicle accidents, helping clear snow for first responders, removing dangerous downed trees, and getting ahead of any winter storm coming our way. When difficult conditions are forecasted, they hit the road to salt overpasses, hills, and bridges and check on roads susceptible to snowdrift. These acts save plow crews critical time, as they are typically on the road by 3 a.m. and responsible for plowing hundreds of miles of roads.
The Public Works Nightwatch gives our snow and ice crews a considerable advantage in battling difficult road conditions. Our Public Works team provides an incredibly valuable service to our community. I know we are all grateful for their dedication and willingness to spring into action at a moment’s notice.
As we enter the snowy season, please remember to take extra precautions while driving in poor weather conditions and give plows plenty of space on the roads. As always, never pass a plow.
Looking forward to 2023, we have a new Town Budget that provides a stable property tax rate at $2.40 – the third-lowest town tax rate in Monroe County. What does that mean for the average Perinton taxpayer? It means $7 of every $100 on your tax bills goes to the Town. Where does that money go? It goes into our parks and trails, senior and youth programming, Community Center, road and drainage improvements, weekly yard debris pick up, and more. I am proud of our work to guarantee quality services while delivering a stable tax rate for our residents.
This winter, we are preparing and planning for several large-scale projects that will occur in 2023—first, the Spring Lake Trail project. We will be constructing a 2,100 linear-foot-long trail along Irondequoit Creek that will connect Spring Lake Park to the existing Irondequoit Creek Trail, which currently extends 6.2 miles from Irondequoit Bay through Channing Philbrick Park to the Perinton Town Line. The new trail will follow an existing worn path along Irondequoit Creek and have a 3’ to 5’ wide stone dust surface. Large stone will also be installed to stabilize a challenging 300-foot-long portion of eroded creek embankment. Most of the project will be federally funded, and we expect the trail to be constructed and open to the public in Fall 2023.
Another significant project is the Perinton Skatepark in Perinton Park. We held our first skatepark design workshop and received outstanding engagement and input from our residents. We’ve also held two public surveys to collect feedback and ideas. Notably, 80 percent of survey respondents support building a skatepark in Perinton Park. This is a true community project, and your input makes all the difference.
The skatepark is planned alongside a realignment of the existing Lower Parking Lot in Perinton Park. The skatepark and plaza will be situated where the parking lot currently sits, and the lot will move parallel to O’Connor Road. Perinton Park has 43.6 acres and many beautiful and highly used attractions. The skatepark project will not remove any amenities from Perinton Park; it will strengthen our world-class parks system, contribute to our quality of life, bolster our local economy and businesses through tourism, and provide a safe outlet for kids of all ages.
Our community is known for its outstanding recreation opportunities. Winter is a wonderful time to enjoy our many parks and trails. Whether hiking, skiing, or snowshoeing, we have parks and trails for all abilities. I encourage you to get outside and check them out! I hope everyone has a great winter and finds joy in the holiday season.
If you have any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to stop by, call or email any time. My number is (585) 223-0770, and my email address is channa@perinton.org. I look forward to hearing from you.
Sincerely,
Ciaran Hanna
Town Supervisor
