WOODRIDGE - Helen Budrock, Assistant Director and Community Planner for Sullivan Renaissance (SR), was in attendance at the first-ever Village of Woodridge daytime board of trustees meeting on Monday. She presented a check to the village, who are the recipients of a SR grant in the amount of $17,300.

“In the past, we have relied solely on volunteerism. Volunteers can only do so much. Hence-now, we incorporate municipalities across Sullivan County,” Budrock said.

“We look forward to working with the Village of Woodridge for the enhancement of beautification, its maintainance, and proper building code enforcement,” she added. “There is a meeting at Bethel Woods with [NYS Assemblywoman] Aileen Gunther, soon, where there will be a possible grand prize grant of $250,000 awarded.”

For 2018, Woodridge's proposed project for Sullivan Renaissance Grants is ranked number one by SR officials.

Joan Collins, Mayor of Woodridge, discussed Krieger Park at Silver Lake. Collins said, since the dam at Silver Lake had been reconstructed in the fall of 2016, movement towards beautifying the park is in-action. The ecology of the Silver Lake area is coming back.

Mayor Collins will direct construction of the Meditation Garden and the Reflection Park (at the Krieger site, which abuts Silver Lake) this spring or summer. The park will host exercise classes.

The O & W Railtrail will be enhanced, adding better signage to assist visitors.

Engineer Will Illing cemented his intentions in agreement with the Board: repairing part of the roof of the water treatment facility, addressing potential alkalinity, leak detection, utility/pipe locating, maintaining water mains and catch basins, and testing the soil around the water treatment facility.

Accountant Andrew Pavloff [of Waschitz-Pavloff CPA in Monticello] handed the board a 180-page overview of the Woodridge budget. Pavloff concentrated on the management section of the overview. He showed the past balance sheet, and explained the successful accomplishments of the Village of Woodridge within budgetary bounds. Budget policies and pensions are outlined in the overview; according to Pavloff, tax collection success in the village is at an all-time high. County practice findings in audits will help in the future, such as selecting water and sewer jobs within budget. Pavloff emphasized segregation of duties and appropriations, as the key for further success.

Roosevelt Avenue in Woodridge will undergo drainage repair and beautification treatment in June.

Mayor Collins has been involved in co-op beautification organizations in Sullivan County. She was a part of Sullivan First, and had a major hand in establishing the Woodridge Betterment Committee.

“Less than four-percent was not collected in taxes this past year. So, more than 96 percent of taxes were collected from the village. The results appear ok,” said Woodridge Treasurer Brenda Cohn.

Mayor Joan Collins summed up the day's meeting: “We are all looking forward to what's going on at Krieger Park.”