The State of the City

PURSUANT TO THE CITY CHARTER, I WOULD LIKE TO PRESENT THE STATE OF THE CITY TO THE MEMBERS OF THE COMMON COUNCIL, AND TO YOU, THE CITIZENS OF PORT JERVIS. 

WE ARE VERY FORTUNATE TO LIVE IN A CITY SO RICH IN HISTORY AND BEAUTY. OUR VALLEY, WITH IT'S ROLLING MOUNTAINS, FLOWING RIVERS AND PICTURESQUE LANDSCAPE, IS TRULY A TREASURE TO BEHOLD. OUR VALLEY'S RICHEST TREASURES, HOWEVER, ARE THOSE INDIVIDUALS WHO LIVE, WORK, PLAY AND VISIT THIS WONDERFUL CITY.

THANKS TO MAYOR ROSS DECKER, MY TRANSITION TO THE MAYOR'S OFFICE HAS BEEN SMOOTH. MY FIRST TWENTY-NINE DAYS IN OFFICE HAS BEEN BUSY AS WELL AS REWARDING. NOT A DAY HAS GONE BY THAT SOMEONE HAS NOT CALLED OR STOPPED BY THE OFFICE INQUIRING ABOUT STARTING A BUSINESS, DEVELOPING A PIECE OF EXISTING PROPERTY OR PURCHASING PROPERTY/LAND. IT IS OBVIOUS THAT OUR CITY, WITH ALL THAT IT HAS TO OFFER, IS OF GREAT INTEREST TO MANY.

AS YOUR MAYOR, I, AS I HAVE SAID MANY TIMES IN THE PAST, WILL ALWAYS PUT PORT JERVIS FIRST. EACH AND EVERY PROPOSAL FOR DEVELOPMENT THAT COMES ACROSS MY DESK WILL BE PRESENTED TO THE COMMON COUNCIL. AS SOON AS INFORMATION REGARDING PROPOSED DEVELOPMENT CAN BE MADE PUBLIC, IT WILL BE.

OUR CITY HAS THE GOOD FORTUNE OF BEING BLESSED WITH A VERY PROFESSIONAL WORKING STAFF OF DEPARTMENT HEADS,ASSISTANTS AND EMPLOYEES WHO ARE TRULY THE LIFE BLOOD OF OUR CITY. THESE MEN AND WOMEN REALLY MAKE PORT JERVIS TICK.

OUR DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC WORKS, UNDER THE DIRECTION OF VINCE LOPEZ AND ASSISTANT JOHN WOLFF, KEEP OUR CITY ALIVE. FROM BELOW GROUND TO TREE TOP THE EMPLOYEES OF THE DEPARTMENT CONTINUE TO TAKE PRIDE IN THEIR WORK, WHILE GETTING THE JOB DONE. BE IT 100 DEGREES IN THE SUMMER OR 15 BELOW IN THE WINTER, THEIR EFFORTS SOMETIMES GO UNNOTICED BUT ARE VERY MUCH APPRECIATED.

A FEW OF THE DEPARTMENT’S ACCOMPLISHMENTS FOR 2003 INCLUDE THE CONSTRUCTION OF THE CITY’S NEW HOCKEY RINK AT RIVERSIDE PARK, INSTALLATION OF 68 NEW ADA COMPLIANT SIDEWALK RAMPS, COMPLETION OF THE WEST END MEMORIAL PARK AND INSTALLATION OF 2,000 FEET OF NEW WATERMAINS.

A FEW OF THE GOALS THE DEPARTMENT HAS SET FOR 2004 INCLUDE AN AGGRESSIVE PAVING PROGRAM IN AREAS OF NEWLY INSTALLED WATER MAINS, CREATION OF THE “HERITAGE TRAIL” AND TO BEGIN IMPROVEMENTS TO RESERVOIR #2 DAMS AND DIKES.

OUR POLICE DEPARTMENT, LED BY CHIEF CRAIG CHERRY AND LIEUTENANTS JIM BISLAND AND JOE DURYEA, KEEP OUR CITY STREETS SAFE AND OUR MINDS AT EASE. DUE TO THE DILIGENT AND PROFESSIONAL MANNER IN WHICH THE MEN AND WOMEN OF THE DEPARTMEMNT GO ABOUT THEIR DUTIES, 2003 SAW A 21% DECREASE IN “PART I” CRIMES AS WELL AS A 3% DROP IN “PART II” CRIMES.

THE DEPARTMENT’S STRONG COMMITMENT TO FIGHTING THE WAR ON DRUGS WAS EVIDENT DURING 2003. SEVENTY-EIGHT ARRESTS WERE MADE FOR ILLEGAL DRUG POSSESSION/SALES. THE DEPARTMENT CONTINUES TO WORK, HAND IN HAND, WITH LOCAL, COUNTY AND STATE POLICE AGENCIES TO RID OUR COMMUNITY OF THOSE WHO PROFIT FROM ILLICIT TRAFFICING OF NARCOTICS.

2003 ALSO SAW AN INCREASE IN ADDITIONAL NEIGHBORHOOD POLICING EFFORTS. UNIFORMED AND PLAIN CLOTHES OFFICERS WERE ASSIGNED TO PATROL THE CITY’S RESIDENTIAL NEIBORHOODS, CONCERNING THEMSELVES WITH QUALITY OF LIFE ISSUES. THE OFFICERS FOCUSED ON VIOLATIONS OF OUR NOISE AND DOG ORDINANCES AS WELL AS THE OPEN CONTAINER LAW. OVER 300 APPEARANCE TICKETS WERE ISSUED AND SEVERAL “RASH TYPE” CRIME SPREES SOLVED.

THE JUVENILE AID BUREAU OFFICER AND THE D.A.R.E. OFFICERS CONTINUE TO WORK WITH THE YOUTH OF OUR AREA, BOTH IN THE CLASSROOM AND ON THE STREETS.

SOME GOALS SET FOR THE POLICE DEPARTMENT IN 2004 INCLUDE ENHANCEMENT OF THE NEIGHBORHOOD WATCH PROGRAM, CONTINUED OFFICER TRAINING, UPGRADING COMPUTER AND SURVEILLANCE SYSTEMS AND PARTICIPATING IN THE NEW YORK STATE DRUG COURT PROGRAM.

CITY CLERK TREASURER LISA KRUPINICH, ASSISTED BY DEPUTY CITY CLERK TREASURER JILL KHORS, PROVIDES NUMEROUS SERVICES FOR OUR CITIZENS. THE STAFF IS VERY KNOWLEDGEABLE ABOUT ALL CITY DEPARTMENTS AND WATCHES THE PURSE STRINGS OF THE CITY VERY CLOSELY. LISA'S OFFICE GLADLY ISSUES BIRTH CERTIFICATES, SADLY ISSUES DEATH CERTIFICATES, COLLECTS TAXES, PAYS THE BILLS AND KEEPS RECORDS OF ALL KINDS.

FOR 2004, LISA IS EXPLORING THE POSSIBILITY OF EXPANDING OFFICE HOURS  TO INCLUDE SATRUDAYS, SO THAT OUR CITIZENS CAN BE BETTER SERVED. SHE CONTINUES TO TAKE A PROACTIVE APPROACH IN UPDATING THE OFFICE’S COMPUTER SYSTEM AND WOULD LIKE TO DEVELOP INTERNET ACCESS FOR VARIOUS FORMS OF INFORMATION.

CITY ASSESSOR, YVONNE DURYEA, CONTINUES TO DO A STELLAR JOB FOR OUR CITY. HER OFFICE HAS BEEN VERY BUSY DURING THIS RAPIDLY CHANGING HOUSING MARKET. YVONNE KEEPS ON TOP OF THE REAL ESTATE MARKET THROUGH ON SITE INSPECTIONS WHICH ARE ESSENTIAL IN MAINTAINING FAIR ASSESSMENTS. SHE PLAYS A VITAL ROLE IN EDUCATING THE PUBLIC REGARDING THE STAR PROGRAM, WHICH IN 2003 REALIZED IN EXCESS OF 2.5 MILLION DOLLARS.

YVONNE HAS BEEN VERY SUCESSFUL IN OBTAINING GRANT MONIES ALLOWING HER TO CONTINUELLY UPGRADE THE OFFICE COMPUTER SYSTEM. ANOTHER $6,100 WAS RECEIVED IN 2003 BASED ON GOOD ASSESSING PRACTICES.

OUR FIRE DEPARTMENT, LED BY CHIEF MICHAEL CICALESE, FIRST ASSISTANT DONALD DEVORE AND SECOND ASSISTANT JAMES FULLER, IS SECOND TO NONE. THE DEPARTMENT, COMPRISED OF MORE THAN 300 MEN AND WOMEN, IS ALL VOLUNTEER. IN 2003 THE DEPARTMENT ANSWERED 353 CALLS RANGING FROM FALSE ALARMS TO BLAZES IN MULTI-STORY STRUCTURES, GOING ABOUT EACH WITH THE SAME PROFESSIONALISM, DEDICATION AND ENTHUSIASM. THE 353 CALLS ANSWERED EQUALED MORE THAN 102,000 MAN HOURS WHICH, AT $20.00 PER HOUR/ EQUATES TO OVER TWO MILLION DOLLARS. OUR FIREFIGHTERS ALSO LOGGED 7,162 HOURS OF TRAINING, WHICH EQUATES TO IN EXCESS OF $143,000. THE FIRE DEPARTMENT’S ANNUAL BUDGET IS $138,500.

THE CITY'S CODE ENFORCEMENT OFFICER, WAYNE KIDNEY,PLAYS A VITAL ROLE IN THE DIRECTION IN WHICH THE CITY IS TRAVELING. AS AN ENFORCEMENT OFFICER WAYNE'S JOB IS NOT ALWAYS POPULAR BUT I CAN ASSURE YOU IT IS MORE THAN NECESSARY.  SAFE AND SANITARY HOUSING, CLEAN AND ATTRACTIVE PROPERTIES AND PROPER CONSTRUCTION BODES WELL FOR OUR CITY. WAYNE HAS THE KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERTISE TO CONTINUE GETTING THE JOB DONE.

IN 2003 WAYNE PREFORMED OVER 1,800 INSPECTIONS, ISSUED OVER 800 VIOLATIONS AND ISSUED 445 PERMITS.

OUR FIRE INSPECTOR, MIKE REILLY, LIKE OUR CODE ENFORCEMENT OFFICER, IS NOT ALWAYS THE MOST POPULAR GUY IN TOWN. MIKE'S EXPERTISE AND KNOWLEDGE OF VARIOUS FIRE CODES PROVIDES SAFTEY TO OUR CITIZENS, WHILE AT WORK,PLAY AND ASLEEP. IN 2003 MIKE IMPLEMENTED A SPRINKLER SYSTEM INSPECTION AND TESTING PROGRAM TO ENHANCE FIRE SAFTEY. HE ALSO PROVIDED FIRE SAFTEY PREVENTION EDUCATION, DURING FIRE PREVENTION MONTH, TO OVER 2,000 PARTICIPANTS, RANGING FROM PRESCHOOLERS TO SENIOR CITICENS. ALTHOUGH A PART TIME POSITION ON THE BOOKS, MIKE HAS A FULL TIME ATTITUDE.

RECREATION IS HEADED BY JOHN FAGGIONE WHO OVERSEES NUMEROUS PROGRAMS, THROUGHOUT THE ENTIRE YEAR. JOHN'S HOME BASE IS THE YOUTH CENTER, ALTHOUGH HIS DAILY TRAVELS TAKE HIM TO THE BEACH, PLAYGROUNDS OR ONE OF OUR MANY PARKS. HIS MANY PROGRAMS RUN MORNING, NOON AND NIGHT.

2003 SAW 662 CHILDREN PARTICIPATE IN THE SUMMER PROGRAM, 1,100 SUMMER LUNCHES SERVED, 5,000 YOUTHS VISIT THE YOUTH CENTER AND 20 DIFFERENT COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS UNTLIZE THE CENTER’S MEETING ROOMS AND SPECIAL EVENTS. THIS IS BUT A FEW OF THE DEPARTMENT’S ACCOMPLISHMENTS. THE RECREATION DEPARTMENT’S GOALS ARE BOLD BUT SIMPLY STATED; TO INCREASE PARTICIPATION NUMBERS.

KATHY HENDRICKSON HEADS THE COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT AGENCY. 2003 SAW A SUCCESSFUL BROWNSFIELD GRANT APPLICATION COME TO FRUITION WITH THE CITY BEING AWARDED $325,000.00 FOR CLEANUP OF TWO SITES, THE STATEWIDE OIL PROPERTY AND THE ERIE ROUNDHOUSE PROPERTY. KATHY’S OFFICE SECURED NYS GRANT FUNDS, WHICH ASSISTED IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF A COMPREHENSIVE DOWNTOWN PLAN BY THE LEBERGE GROUP

CDA’S GOALS FOR 2004 INCLUDE APPLICATION FOR FUNDS THAT WOULD KICK START THE REVITALIZATION OF OUR DOWNTOWN IN RELATION TO THE LEBERGE GROUP’S REPORT WHICH WAS ADOPTED BY THE CITY COUNCIL IN 2003.

LEONARD STATEMAN HEADS OUR DOWNTOWN AND TOURISM DEVELOPMENT. TWO MAJOR ACCOMPLISHMENTS ARE THE ADDITION OF SOME 20 VARIED BUSINESSES’ TO OUR BUSINESS DISTRICT. A WINE WAREHOUSE, ART GALLERY AND TWO MEDICAL OFFICES ARE AMONG THE TWENTY. THE SECOND MAJOR ACCOMPLISHMENT IS LEONARD’S CLOSE WORK WITH THE LEBERGE GROUP. GATHERING DATA, RECRUITING INVOLVMENT OF LOCAL CITIZENS AND ASSISTING WITH EDITING REPORTS ARE BUT SOME OF HIS INVOLVMENT.

IN 2004 LEONARD HOPES TO CONTINUE EFFORTS TO FILL OUR DOWNTOWN WITH RETAIL ESTABLISHMENTS AS WELL AS OFFICES.

THE SENIOR DINING PROGRAM, UNDER THE DIRECTION OF KATHY SHORTELL, CONTINUES TO OPERATE AT FULL CAPACITY. BESIDES PROVIDING ON SITE MEALS, THIS PROGRAM PROVIDES HOT MEALS DELIVERED TO HOMES BY VOLUNTEER DRIVERS.

2004 MAY SEE THIS PROGRAM EXPANDED TO BE THE HUB FOR WESTERN ORANGE COUNTY.

IN ADDITION TO THE EFFORTS OF THE AFOREMENTIONED DEPARTMENTS I WOULD LIKE TO THANK, FROM THE BOTTOM OF MY HEART, ALL THOSE MANY PEOPLE WHO SERVE SO DILIGENTLY ON THE VARIOUS BOARDS AND AGENCIES OF THE CITY. WITHOUT THESE DEDICATED VOLUNTEERS, OUR CITY WOULD NEVER BE THE JEWEL THAT IT IS.

I WOULD ALSO LIKE TO THANK PETER OSBORNE, PAST CITY HISTORIAN, FOR ALL HIS EFFORTS OVER THE PAST MANY YEARS. A BETTER FRIEND TO THE CITY WOULD BE HARD TO FIND.

I LOOK FORWARD TO WORKING WITH THE CITY’S NEWLY APPOINTED HISTORIAN, RICHARD K. ROBERTS. ONE OF DICK’S FIRST CHORES WILL BE TO PUT TOGETHER A COMMITTEE TO PREPARE FOR OUR CITY’S 100^TH BIRTHDAY, JUST A MERE THREE YEARS AWAY.

SO WHERE DO WE GO FROM HERE? WELL, BESIDES THE GOALS SET BY OUR DEPARTMENT HEADS FOR THEIR INDIVIDUAL DEPARTMENTS, I SEE GOOD THINGS AHEAD FOR OUR CITY. WHILE NO ONE CAN ACCURATELY PREDICT THE FUTURE, I FEEL THE CITY HAS GREAT POTENTIAL FOR JOB GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT. I FULLY SUPPORT IMPLEMENTION OF THE LEBERGE GROUP REPORT RECOMMENDATIONS FOR DOWNTOWN DEVELOPMENT AND REVITALIZATION. I TRULY BELIEVE WORKING TOGETHER, EACH AND EVERY ONE OF US, OUR CITY WILL CONTINUE MOVING IN A POSITIVE DIRECTION. THROUGH OPEN LINES OF COMMUNICATION, AN OPEN MIND AND TAKING A RISK TO “THINK OUTSIDE THE BOX”, PORT JERVIS WILL TRULY BE LOOKED UPON AS THE JEWEL OF ORANGE COUNTY.

TO GOOD PEOPLE COME GOOD THINGS. AS I STATED IN THE BEGINNING OF THIS ADDRESS WE ARE VERY FORTUNATE TO LIVE IN A CITY SO RICH IN HISTORY AND BEAUTY. OUR CITY’S RICHEST TREASURES TRULY ARE THOSE INDIVIDUALS WHO LIVE, WORK, PLAY AND VISIT HERE.

THANK YOU ALL FOR YOUR TIME AND MAY GOD BLESS EACH AND EVERY ONE OF YOU.

 Copyright © 2004 The City of Port Jervis, New York. 

All rights reserved.
Revised: September 22, 2004.