January 23, 2024

Mayor’s Message [Postponement of Joint Special Meeting with Town Related to Water System]:

Dear Residents and Friends of the Village of Cornwall-on-Hudson,

I am making the difficult decision to cancel Thursday’s scheduled Joint Special Meeting that was to conjoin the Village Board and Town Council and was related to water system matters that impact both municipalities. We will reschedule the meeting for Thursday, February 29, 2024 at 7:00 p.m., again to be held at Village Hall, 325 Hudson Street, Cornwall-on-Hudson, NY 12520.

This office will ensure we post the notice across all platforms well in advance of new date.

After careful consideration and discussions with a number of residents who all get their news from different sources, I simply want to ensure we are making a solid effort to publicly notice this meeting on all the appropriate sites. I sincerely apologize for any confusion this may have caused. But far better to take a step back and ensure we have a well-informed community.

On behalf of your Village Board,

James A. “Jimmy” Gagliano

Mayor

Mayor’s Message [Rapid COVID-19 Test Kit Availability Edition]:

Dear Residents of the Village of Cornwall-on-Hudson,

The Orange County Department of Health has graciously provided to the Village of Cornwall-on-Hudson a limited supply of Rapid COVID-19 Antigen Self-Test kits. They are available on a first-come, first-served basis to Village residents ONLY while supplies last. Each household may receive up to two FREE boxes (two self-test kits per box). Simply stop by the Village Clerk’s Office during normal business hours of 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday. Be advised that we are closed next Monday in observance of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s birthday.

Do not fret the expiration dates and feel compelled to trash expired kits. The manufacturer advises that the test kits are good for one year beyond any expiration dates. ‘Tis the season for colds, sniffles, flu, RSV, and COVID-19’s various strains. Take advantage of these FREE self-test kits. Stop by Village Hall, say “hello,” and pick up your FREE self-test kits today.

On behalf of your Village Board,
James A. “Jimmy” Gagliano
Mayor

January 9, 2023

Mayor’s Message [Impending Weather Warning Edition]:

Dear Residents and Friends of the Village of Cornwall-on-Hudson,

As the region braces for yet another significant weather event -- one which compounds melting snow, high winds, and yet another hyper-localized rainfall, here are some forecasting and precautionary information provided by the County Executive’s Office and the Orange County Deputy Commissioner for Emergency Management, Alan C. Mack:

“[T]he Orange County Emergency Management team is closely monitoring the forecast for upcoming Winter Storm Finn. Today’s storm, combined with recent Winter Storm Ember, may be problematic because of wind and potential flooding. The National Weather Service forecast shows temperatures leaving the low twenties up to a high of 52 degrees. At the same time, the wind will slowly ramp up to steady-state 22 MPH with gusts up to the mid-thirties. At 10:00 AM, we’ll have another small round of snow, with no appreciable accumulation. None of these (on their own) are a problem, but starting at 1:00 PM, rain begins to fall around the County until 1:00 PM Wednesday. 7:00 PM Tuesday night thru 7:00 AM Wednesday is the main problem. The rain is forecasted to fall hard and fast with excessive volume. We may receive over two inches of rain between 7:00 PM -7:00 AM. This is a lot of rain on its own, but the snow on the ground will melt with the higher temperatures and the large volume of rain. The snow that fell during Ember had a 7:1 liquid to snow ratio (seven inches of snow equals one inch of water). Based on past experiences, we believe we’re going to see some significant localized flooding.”

So, as our Village (and Town) crews continue to labor to mitigate flooding within the greater Cornwall area, and in coordination with Cornwall’s Office of Emergency Management Director Kurt Hahn, we are making available a supply of sand bags and sand within the Village at our Municipal Water Building located at 21 Maple Avenue. Any Village OR Town residents seeking to use sandbags to redirect water can stop by and are encouraged to take up to TEN sandbags. You will have to fill them yourself with material and shovels provided. Please take only up to ten bags. Honor System is in effect. You may use our municipal lot to fill bags while securing them and park without obstructing. Please respect the neighborhood while you are doing so. This was the best agreed-upon location that will be open 24/7 and available until material supply runs out.

For Village residents: To be kept informed, you  may register for the Village’s messaging system by either texting the keyword COH1250 to 99411 or by clicking on the below weblink:

https://public.coderedweb.com/CNE/en-US/BF39E0553EE3

The guidance from the County is to be taken seriously. Within the Village of Cornwall-on-Hudson, our stalwart road crews continue to remove snow from the streets and are working to clear any and all obstructed storm drains, ensuring a path for melting snow and impending rainfall. The volume of rain we are expecting – much like the storms of 12/23/2022, 7/9/2023, and 12/17/2023 – will overwhelm our storm drain system. Some of our infrastructure simply cannot handle what the Governor of New York State has referred to as a “1,000-year storm” – the types of storms we are seeing all too frequently of late. We will continue to keep residents updated with any relevant storm-related news or precautions. Please reach out with any needs.

Mayor’s office number: (845) 534-4200 (x311).

On behalf of your Village Board,

James A. “Jimmy” Gagliano

Mayor