The April meeting of the Marshall Town Board opened with the approval of the minutes of the February meeting and the special work session of the Town Board in March.
The April meeting was conducted by Colleen Baldwin in the absence of Supervisor Jack Buschmann.
Baldwin introduced James Genovese, Oneida County Planning Commissioner, with Kristen Campbell and Amy Heiderich of that office. They are part of a team which has created the Oriskany Creek Watershed Commission. The commission consists of a group of municipalities in the county to better control the Oriskany Creek and its tributaries, as well as mitigate flooding and improve communication among the towns and the New York State DOT and DEC.
All these departments and villages and towns need to work together to achieve success; what happens in one, Genovese said, affects the other.
Genovese said the watershed is roughly 150 square miles through Madison and Oneida counties, including 16 towns and villages. He cited the Sauquoit Creek Basin Intermunicipal Commission as the model they hope to create with Oriskany Creek.
Because the Town of Marshall boasts almost 23% of the land in the watershed, and because the town has been impacted more than once with flooding, it’s important that the town be involved in the OCWC.
Benefits include less flooding and that will save homeowners money; property values will go up; there will…