In case you were confused, Mayor Harry Tutunjian outlines the role of Jeff Pirro, Troy's deputy director of public information, in an e-mail to Councilman Bill Dunne, D-District 4, after his and other Council members' attempts to get information about the operation of the County Waste facility in South Troy. Apparently Dunne attempted to go through Pirro on three separate occasions and was either ignored or told "we're looking into it."

Council members should contact me or the Deputy Mayor to get prompt and accurate information about issues involving city government. The Deputy Director of Public Information is the FOIL officer and is charged with providing information to the general public.

There you have it. Maybe this will help facilitate communication between the administration and members of the City Council.

As for the information regarding the County Waste facility (which has completed an application to increase the daily average throughput and its hours of operation), Tutunjian said that they are "in the process of gathering that information right now. We will make it available to you when it is complete."

The Department of Environmental Conservation is soliciting public comment on the expansion up through August 12. Councilman Michael Loporto, D-At Large, has called a meeting of the Public Works Committee for Wednesday, August 4, to obtain an update on the proposal. The meeting is scheduled to take place immediately after the Parks and Recreation Committee meeting at 5:30.

The North Lansingburgh Neighborhood Watch is soliciting suggestions for historic boulevards that are in need of a little TLC. The group will be out trimming trees and bushes over several evenings in the coming weeks.

"The boulevards are a unique aspect to the Lansingburgh community," said group leader Jim Gordon in a press release sent out today. "Keeping up their appearance will add to the appeal of our neighborhoods as well as increasing safety on the streets." He specifically addressed areas where overgrown bushes and trees can block sight lines at street corners for drivers and pedestrians.

"This is a great way for our group to lend a helping hand to the city's workforce and to also get out into the community and show that there are people who care," said Gordon.

The group is looking for suggestions for which boulevards should be considered. Residents are encouraged to e-mail Gordon at jgordon003@nycap.rr.com.

For more information, contact Gordon at 365-2270.

Troy resident Richard Herrick sent out an e-mail today calling on the city and the community to come up with a new name for the Downtown Troy Business Improvement District and the Troy Downtown Collaborative.

From the looks of the e-mail, Herrick sent it without consulting BID director Elizabeth Young, saying that he hopes she will "take the e-mail and run with it."

In the e-mail, Herrick writes that the terms "BID" and "Collaborative" are boring, and that a new name should be created that would represent the vibrancy of downtown and to match the city's new logo (above).

There have been no public e-mail responses to Herrick's call to action -- from Young, the city or any other Troy resident -- with suggestions for a new name or even opinions on whether the name needs to be changed at all.

What do you think? Does the Downtown BID need a new name? If so, what should it be?

Below is the e-mail sent by Herrick in its entirety.

Perhaps I'm jumping the gun and trying to be positive about Troy and I hope that Elizabeth Young takes this e-mail and runs with it.

Now that the Troy BID has being established lets build on this success and have a contest to create a new name and BID identity that reflects the focus of the new BID’s mission. The BID’s new role in recruiting, retaining and developing businesses downtown is to say the least exciting but don’t ya think that BID and Collaborative are kinda boring names?

The Troy Downtown Collaborative and the Troy BID names will not go away because that's their legal name. What I am suggesting is that Downtown start looking for a new name to basically express everything great that's happening in downtown Troy. The new Troy logo is colorful and alive and really represents everything that we are and what we do for downtown Troy.

We have great talent in Troy, great experienced marketing and communications firms and great long time downtown businesses that can develop a new name using the City’s new logo.

Mayor Tutunjian I’m sure will join in this challenge and I hope that an effort to create new name and identity can emerge for the BID and Collaborative that can be more meaningful to Troy residents.

Again, lets create a new name to reflect Downtown’s greatness and on-going comeback.

The challenge is here so let the contest begin.

GO DOWNTOWN!!!!!!

Representatives from W Architecture -- the consultant overseeing the redevelopment of Riverfront Park -- will present preliminary design alternatives at a public meeting tonight at 6 p.m. at the Italian Community Center.

This will be the first of several public meetings to showcase plans and solicit input from the public on how the park should be redeveloped after the former City Hall building in Monument Square is demolished.

Last week the city Planning Board made negative declarations on both the demolition of the former city hall and the redevelopment of Riverfront Park, allowing both projects to move forward.

Mayor Harry Tutunjian said that "an inviting public space like Riverfront Park is a key component of economic development, attracting visitors to Troy and enhancing river access for boaters to bring more people to our shops and restaurants downtown" in a press release.

The city has taken other steps to improve riverfront access to the Hudson, including the construction of the Madison Street Fishing Pier. The pier was funded by a grant from the New York Department of State Division of Coastal Resources and an adjacent kayak launch is expected to be built before the end of the year.



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