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Image provided by: Guilderland Public Library
->•\ 4 -hf r The Altamont Enterprite — Thurtday, October 16,1997 <jj V 13 Running for a second term, Houghtaling says heV'ayailable' A By Bryce Butler N^W SCOTLAND — Demo- crat Scott Houghtaling is the only incumbent running for councilman in New Scotland. Three other . candidates on • pages 15, * 16, and 17 \ '' \«-'•—• ••—••-> — —• • • • -—..-A.— He was first elected in 1993, along with Victoria Ramundo, who is stepping down after one , term The Democratic Plate that year, led by Supervisor Herbert W Reilly, criticized the data col- lection and full-vdljue assessment project that had ]ust been com- pleted by the firm Cole-Layer- Trumble ' Asked if he still questioned the: reval project Houghtaling sa^'d he hadn't thought about it. As'a ,campaign issue reval was part of \a collective approach,\ he said, \but it never made my ma- terial. I would assume most peo- ple have forgotten about Cole- Layer-Trumble Shortly' after (the project), we got a favorable settlement The process now has worked out after four years, and five grievance periods, and a settlement with CLT It is in the past\ Houghtaling was a membe^ofi the ad hoc committee that wrote drafted a version of the new zoning law But the committee's draft ran into strong opposition At a contentious hearing in Feb- ruary 1995, Houghtaling voted with the town board majority to return it to the planning board for more consideration He also voted against the more restric- tive provisions of the drafted law. \I went to every public meet- ing,\ Houghtaling said \When we referred it to the planning board, I went to all the meetings, and I listened. I listened to both sides, to the personal issues, to the issues of the schools, and the business issues And I made a decision based on everything I heard, VA the end, I believe what the planning board came-^yp with was the right answer \ The original draft was based on trying to protect the \rural character\ of Albany county's centra] and, with the escarp- ment, arguably most scenic town. ,Asked what, if anything, should be done to protect what has been called \the jewel of Albany county,\ Houghtaling said: \Nature itself is going to protect the escarpment Nature built it, and nature will prqtect 'it\ Similarly, Houghtaling doesn't believe the town needs to protect < against a, rash of building when water .comes in \Look where we have water,\ he said. \It has not brought development. Feura Bush has a 55-acre parcel, which \has been for sale for 10 years, and has \never been developed; it has water on two sides. The open property in the Clarksville Water District; I can't tell you if there have been even a few/ [houses built]. There- has been no development, certainly no large- • scale development. On Swift i Road, there is a subdivision road Jjuilt: by'IVte'r Baltis, and I don't see a house on it\ • ,, Well-being of the town - . Houghtaling'.is a banker, sec- ond vice president at Chase , Manhattan Bank's Albany a * branch. Asked what was most\- ' important'for the well-being of ( the town, he unhesitatingly' an- swered \budget and finance. If you arte running on a deficit, yon are not positioned for anything.\ . The town has%r-offer services, and fdr that, \y^u need a good , 1 tight budget/* |he said. \The school taxes havfr* caked put of Scott Houghtaling control, and what we can control lis not the school taxes, but'town taxes. What is important for the town is good clean finances, well-planned, well-thought, and with a dash of common sense \ Like many municipalities, New Scotland has bought into the Length of Service Award Program In LOSAP, towns col- lect money, which is put in an in- terest account and used to re- ward eligible firefighters who have reached retirement age Unlike most LOSAP partici- pants, New Scotland offers \de- fined contribution \ That means the town contributes $450 a year for each eligible firefighter, for every yeai' of eligibility Success- ful investment can make ' this worth far more than that to a young fire fighter upon retire- ment Under the more c6mmon \defined return\ system, suc- cessful investment would lower the amount municipal taxpayers^ have to contribute Asked about his support foi the defined contribution, he re- peated \the same thing I said several months ago I am all for a defined contribution, and let- ting the (volunteers] pick their mvestment\ Moreover, he said, depending on how investments prosper, defined benefit could result in more payment from taxpayers, rather than less \If we make a defined benefit, we are responsi- ble for growth, and the invest- ment risk As it is, it is borne by t^e firemen It could go up and it could go down I think they need good advice on investments, and they need to be comfortable with them, because the risk is theirs, riot ours.\ Houghtaling added that the tax item for the LOSAP program is down because of a change in admimsttators, and will go down further as the town finishes providing for volunteers who have already reached 1 he age of eligibility Water topped the list of the amenities Houghtaling said the town should provide. \[We should] make as many districts as we Can to service people in need,\ he said, \and work at as good relations as we can with Guilderland, Bethlehem, and Albany, and with Voorhoesvillc, too \ Houghtaling recently held dis- cussions with Albany officials yiat led to an agreement in prin- ciple for the town to buy water directly from the city. Asked what other contribu- tions he would point to in nearly four years on the board, Houghtaling refused to name one particular thing. \I had my hands on improving the parks, and on the Northeast Water District,\ he said \In the past four yearns, we have added two soccer fields. I would like to find places for more soccePfields In . Feura Bush, we have senior leagues, and junior leagues, and dn Sunday mornings, an „ adult league. If we could find two more spots we would put \in more fields. , \I know we would have to be creative. We have $20,000 of, playground equipment for kids \ We just finished resurfacing the' 'courts^, for, bas ke.feball and tennis. and we put up pdvihons, one is complete m Feura Bush, mid ono .is being built now in Swift Road'' . ' ^i With' his banking background, Houghtaling /answers questions on interest rates, total interest. and other details of loan*, and investments /When the cost* were being /figured for the Northeast Water District, \I wa.- there, the pencil was out, the pa- per was out,\ Ire said j In fact, following anl error where , the 'supervisor had counted a $100,000 source of money twice, Houghtaling produced several choices of payment plans that would allow the district io5 be accepted by the state comptroller's office Houghtaling did mention one major disappointment in his time on the board, and that was North Road. A petroleum spill in 1995 polluted wells there and,on nearby [Flail Rock Road The state Department of Environ- mental Conservation, has pro- vided filters and bottled water for, residents whose wells are affected, and has also treated the groundwater But residents want the Clarks- ville Water District, which comes within a mile of the area, extended to their homes Hough- taling and /others brought petitions aroupd in the area, and the town board has tried to get water for an extension,,but so far with no success The. DEC \is ^supposed to be looking at the quahtv of the wa- ter, and instead, they seem to be driving in the othe,r direction. ^They want to recoup the money - and get out of there. They -don't want to step up to the,plate with' a permanent solution,\ Hough- j taling said.\ \All our advisors tell us there ib s nothing moreljjhe town can'do,\ v he sajd He said-he had gone to state Sen.- Neil Breshn ,abput the problem. \It was \ perfect,'\ -Houghtaling said \He was out- raged b^some of my comments,' where the DEC scorned to'-be. beating around the hush.\ ° t With the recent announcement that the level of pollutants in the well/at the apparent* snill site has gorle up again, HoughtaMng requ$ted a public meeting with DEC official/-, to discuss the current state of ti^e problem. The meeting will-be held-Wednesday, Oct. \22 at 7 p.m. in Tow fl n Ha1£ * Personal . % / Scott Houghtaling is 29. He was born in New Scotland, and graduated from ' Ravena-Coey- mans-Selkirk High School in 1986 and Siena College'in 1990. He has a wife, ,Lori; a son, Timmy. who is 2; and ^daugh- ter, Kate# who was'borm last jjumraer' He lives on Jones Avenue m Feura Bush. Asked if he had any final •Jomrnents to add to a campaign interview he requested that his phone number, 478-7200, be in- cluded in an article \1 will al- ways be available, and always give it 100 percent.\ he said. A 1 HiiiiiiHil Wine k Liquor Wine lasting Friday, Qctpber 24 5:30-8:30 p.m. i i Featuring the wines of Columbia Vineyard from the state of Washington and New York State Glenora Champagne No purchase is necessary You muse be 21 years of age Co caste ' Booth's Gin 1.75-$18.50 New and different wines arriving weekly Open: Mon-Sat. 10-9 p.m. Closed Sundays 104 MapCe Jftvenue 8G1-S3S& We take care of your family's health, and yours. At Altamont Health Center, we care for your entire spectrum, of health care nee°ds—with complete adult and pediatric services. \ I Our children's services include: • well child routine care • sick child exam's • school and camp physicals • sports physicals • immunizations • health maintenance and education • access to other hospital services and referrals to specialists Our adult services include: • routine physical exams • comprehensive chronic care management • treatment of acute illnesses and minor injuries • preventive health care and education • access to other hospital services and referrals to specialists As part of the Mercycare System of Care, Altamont Health Center offers you access to the complete range of referral resources—including St. Peter's Hospital, The Cardiac Care Center at St. Peter's • Hospital, The Cancer* Care Center at St. Peter's Hospital and St. Peter/'s Addiction Recovery Center, among others For more information or to make an appointment call 861-8157. r Most insurance and HMO plans are accepted including Medicaid. ^The staff of St. Peter's Akamont Health Center; Left to right: Barbara Hauser, MD and Hedy Migtien, Mp. , ALTAMONT HEALTH 6ENTER 5POf)SOMO « V M E R C V C A H 6 765 Route 146 Altamont, N^ew York 12009 A '*.-/ v- v M .
