by Kristina Gabalski
Paul CooperTrustee Paul Cooper has been on the board eight years. He is a lifelong resident of Bergen and a graduate of Byron-Bergen Central School.
Cooper served on the village Planning Board as an alternate and on the village Zoning Board as chairman before being elected a trustee.
“While on the Board of Trustees, I have been involved in many major capital improvements including a rebuild of much of our above ground electric infrastructure as well as a $2 million upgrade to our waste water treatment plant that has doubled our capacity and allowed the school to tie into our system,” Cooper says. “This saves money for the entire school district while adding revenue to the village – a great benefit for village taxpayers. I have been involved heavily in budgeting and have been part of a two person committee that has successfully negotiated the past two – currently working on the third – union contracts with the Teamsters on the village’s behalf. I am the production manager at Gleason-K2 Plastics Division.”
Cooper and his wife, Carrie, have two sons: Matt age 13 and Ryan age 11.
If re-elected, Cooper says he would like to finish work on the current union contract and continue to improve the village’s services and infrastructure.
“I would also like to implement a new system for garbage pickup that would save money and possibly reduce per bag cost to the residents,” he says. “I would like to continue working with the town board on ways to share services and save money for the taxpayers in both the town and village.”
In regards to important issues facing the village, Cooper notes the village is currently assessing its future electric needs in anticipation of growth at Apple Tree Acres Industrial Park – where Liberty Pumps is located. “We want to make sure we have enough available power for the park to grow while keeping the best interest of the village residents in mind, both financially and environmentally. Also, we have an aging waste water system. While our treatment plant is brand new and state of the art, the miles of lines, hundreds of septic tanks and street drains are nearly 30 years old and showing signs of their age,” he says.
Cooper says Bergen is a great place to live and raise a family. “It’s close enough to Rochester, yet far enough away from Rochester,” he explains. “I like the small town atmosphere, being able to walk into the local pizza shop and knowing 95 percent of the people. I like being able to have a direct impact on my environment as a board member.
“Just a reminder,” Cooper adds, “elections should not be a popularity contest but rather a vote for the person that is best qualified to make the important decisions on finances, local laws and community planning.”
Kevin DonovanTrustee Kevin Donovan was elected to his post last year in a special election to complete a vacated term.
“I am a Republican,” Donovan says, “and Republicans, Democrats, and Independents supported my petition to run. I regularly attended Village Board meetings for years before running for trustee and followed the local issues.”
Donovan has a bachelor of science degree in chemistry and a master of science degree in statistics. He has worked for Eastman Kodak for 26 years, primarily in research and development. He and his wife, Cheryl, have two children, Sara and Sean, who are both honor students at Byron-Bergen High School. He moved to the village in 1992.
“In my short time on the board, I focused the board’s attention on start-up problems with our new Waste Water Treatment Facility that cost the village thousands of dollars, and as a result, the village received compensation benefits,” Donovan says. “I supported a more aggressive grant seeking policy. Grant funding is available and it can be very worthwhile for our village to take advantage of such funding.
“I spearheaded and organized SUNY Alfred architecture students, who used Bergen as a case study for their Conceptual Master Plan exercises. This will aid the village in constructing a long-range plan with creative visions of what Bergen could become in the future. I weigh both sides of an issue carefully,” he says, “and reach independent decisions. I don’t rely on information from one person or source. I keep our village’s best interest in mind as I contemplate decisions.”
If re-elected, Donovan says he will strive to keep the village fiscally responsible so that every tax dollar spent will serve the best interests of his constituents.
“I will make every effort to create a balanced growth plan which will be essential for the future success of our village,” he says.
Donovan is a member of the Village Tree Board, formed as part of the village’s Tree City designation. “This designation was a result of my daughter’s Girl Scout Silver Award Project,” he says. “Tree City status is beneficial to the village and can aid in the success of grant applications. The Tree Board will coordinate the planting of new trees and do a tree inventory this spring.”
A comprehensive plan is critical for the village, Donovan notes, to achieve balanced growth and encompass many important issues the village needs to address.
“We have to plan for future capacity and reliability needs,” he explains. “There is potential for increased growth of up to 25 percent in the number of homes in the village from future residential development. Growth is expected at Apple Tree Acres Industrial Park and we should prepare for potential changes at Allens food processing plant due to the recent purchase by Boduelle Groups.”
“Our current Comprehensive Plan was written in 1996,” Donovan continues, “has not been regularly reviewed, and is nearing the end of its intended lifetime. New York Village Law states: ‘Among the most important powers and duties granted by the legislature to a village government is the authority and responsibility to undertake village comprehensive planning.’ A good plan requires a great deal of work. I served over five years on the Village Planning Board and I was chairperson for three years. This experience will prove to be valuable in the process of creating a new plan.”
Donovan and his wife grew up in a small village and wanted the same experience for their children. “We found that in Bergen,” he says. “The village’s proximity permits us to take advantage of the convenience of nearby cities and at the same time allows us to maintain a rural atmosphere. Our little village has great features including the Byron-Bergen Public Library and many small parks and recreation areas such as Hickory Park. We enjoy being close by the Bergen Swamp and Gillam-Grant Community Center – both wonderful assets to our area. We’ve seen how this community supports one another through tragic times. These things have reinforced our belief that Bergen is a great family community.”
Scott MorganteScott Morgante is a 19-year resident of the village. He and his wife, Laurie, have two children.
He says his qualifications include experience in budget analysis, profit and loss analysis and contract negotiations.
“I bring with me 20 years of management with two companies. I am currently a business development manager. I have developed a strong understanding of financial statements, fiscal management, budgeting and contract negotiations over the past 20 years while working at two successful companies. The experiences I have encountered while working for these businesses have enabled me to become analytical and objective with my perception of the business world,” Morgante says. “This can only help me in fulfilling the obligations of this very important position within our community.”
Morgante says he is concerned about maintaining and improving the quality of services provided in the village without creating additional financial burdens upon residents.
“It is my belief and would be my goal, to work with the other members of the Board of Trustees to achieve positive results without bringing unnecessary financial pressures to the residents of the Village of Bergen in this very difficult economy,” he says.
Morgante is an endorsed Republican candidate (along with Paul Cooper). He adds that he will be diligent in applying his financial background to help support the needs of the village’s electrical department and the sewer treatment plant.
“Critical thinking and planning for the future needs of our community would be a priority. My intention would be to use my past experiences to create a solid community for the future. Developing and implementing a fiscally sound plan to support the needs of the community is my goal.”
Tom WilliamsonTom Williamson is a lifelong resident of Bergen. He and his wife, Shirley, built their home on Richmond Avenue next to the house Tom grew up in and raised their two children, Kevin and Darlene, there.
“The apple didn’t fall far from the tree,” Williamson says. “I believe in this little community. I’m a little older, but I’m still able to get around.”
Williamson served the village for 16 years as code enforcement officer and fire marshal.
Williamson says he’s been happy living in Bergen and does all he can to help his neighbors. He worked as a plumber and served in the U.S. Navy. He is a life member of the Bergen Fire Department; a member of the American Legion; a member of the Genesee County Honor Guard and is also a Homeland Security Officer for Genesee County.
He says he’s running to give voters in the village a choice.
“People should have a better chance of knowing what’s going on,” Williamson says. “Someone needs to watch where the money is going and (taxpayers) have a right to have a say in how it’s going to be spent. Taxpayers are fed up with the amount of money they are taking.”
As an example, Williamson notes the purchase of the Tulley Building by the village – a decision he says that never came before voters. The village worked to restore and renovate the building situated on Lake Avenue in the business district and it now houses the village hall.
Despite his concerns over the decision, Williamson said he pitched in and worked to help in the renovation work, lending his expertise in many areas including plumbing.
“We had a good time doing the building,” he says of his work with other village employees. “We were a fine-tuned orchestra, I’d say.”
“I decided to run,” he continues, “because we need to have somebody explain what is want and what is need.” He explains that what you need are the things that keep the village running on a day-to-day basis. “We need competitive bidding for supplies for the office and DPW supplies,” he says. Wants, however, need to be closely analyzed to see if it is something that is affordable and cost effective. “If it involves large amounts of money, each and every voter should have a say as to whether we can afford it.” He says he would watch the funds, “watch what we could afford and what we could not afford.”
The village needs to update its Comprehensive Plan, Williamson says. “It’s been years since it was looked at. You can’t move ahead if you don’t know in what direction you are going.”
Both trustee seats up for election are four year terms. Election Day is Tuesday, March 20, polls are open from 12 noon until 9 p.m. Voting will be held at the Village Hall, 11 North Lake Avenue.
