by Kristina Gabalski
Primary Day is September 10 and Republican primaries will be held in the Monroe County towns of Hamlin and Clarkson and in Clarendon, Orleans County. Polls are open 12 noon until 9 p.m.
Hamlin Supervisor
In the Town of Hamlin, primaries will be held for both town supervisor and for two seats on the town council.
Eric Peters is running for Hamlin supervisor and says he would like to promote the town and put it in a positive light.
He explains that there has been much divisiveness during the past 12 months, including over the library construction issue.
“The library situation didn’t need to happen,” he says. Peters explains he’s not interested in placing blame but, “…. in moving the project forward in an expedient manner. I have five children and would love to have a library.”
He says he would work to repair the divide which has developed between the support boards and the town board.
Peters says he has been active in the community and in his church, St. John Lutheran. He has worked for 18 years in municipal service as Hamlin-Kendall water superintendent and as head of the Sewer Department. Peters currently works for the Monroe County Water Authority where he oversees contracts which often-times are multi-million dollar projects.
He has lived in Hamlin for 25 years and is also a U.S. Air Force veteran.
As supervisor, Peters says he would like to work to bring the town together.
“Division is never good for the people,” he says and would work to create an open, inclusive and honest town government. Peters explains that the town board is not an entity onto itself, that board members work for the people and need to be professional.
Fiscal responsibility is extremely important, he says, “every dollar should be used wisely.”
Hamlin will always be an agricultural town, he notes, and people along the lakeshore have different priorities than those living in other parts of the town.
“I would like to see more development where appropriate – where it is zoned for,” he says.
Peters would also like to see more businesses come into town which surround the agricultural community.
“There are nice things in town which we need to promote and get more people out here,” he says, and would create an ad hoc committee to help with promotion of the town.
Peters says he would like to talk with developers and utilize the contacts he has cultivated with them and with homebuilders.
The town has subdivisions which need to be finished and high vacancy rates in plazas, he notes.
“We are also part of a larger community which includes Monroe County as well as New York State. Close ties need to be built back up. They can help us and we can help them,” Peters says.
He explains that careful development can also help stabilize tax rates.
Peters has the Conservative Party endorsement. “My style is to identify the problems, solve them, see what went wrong and fix it and not assign blame,” he says.
Incumbent Supervisor Thomas Breslawski is seeking a second two-year term. A Hamlin native, his family has operated a farm in the town for three generations. He and his wife have one daughter.
“I’m running because I’d like to continue to offer the best services to the residents for their tax dollars,” Breslawski says. “I have a long history of involvement in the town and thus, a large personal investment.”
A lifelong Republican, Breslawski says he has volunteered for the Friends of the Library, Friends of Hamlin Beach State Park and Life Solutions. Prior to being elected supervisor, Breslawski served on the Conservation Board and was an elected member of the Hamlin Town Board.
He says his accomplishments as supervisor include moving the library project to fruition by seeking grant funds to augment the 2003 McGrath donation. Breslawski says he works 30-40 hours each week and meets weekly and even daily with staff.
“I provide additional time to meet with residents, work with grant writers and other public officials at the state and county level to make progress for the town,” he says.
He has built strong relationships with state and county representatives, Breslawski says, and explains those relationships have helped the town obtain a $466,000 grant for the library and an additional $15,000 for a computer upgrade at the library.
“Senator Robach, Assemblyman Hawley, the NYS Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation, and Monroe County Executive Maggie Brooks have all partnered with the Town in supporting the creation of a Lakeshore Sewer District,” he says.
Priorities if re-elected include keeping the tax rate low.
“I’ve used consolidation of services – building inspector with Clarkson, for example – to save the town money,” Breslawski says, “… and have hired a grant writer to pursue grant funds for items that would otherwise require a large capital investment, such as the library. We are currently seeking state funds for a Lakeshore Sewer District.”
Breslawski says he will continue to seek grant funds, will work to complete the new library and pursue natural gas service to more areas in town, specifically lakeshore residents, and communicate with townspeople.
He would like to look into term limits for support boards or shortening terms to three years for both planning and zoning boards.
“As supervisor, I truly believe being available to the residents on their terms is such a benefit to them. I plan to continue to account for our taxpayer funds properly, following all the recommendations of the NYS Comptroller and to continue to work with the town board and town staff to increase transparency, accountability, and segregation of duties where appropriate.
“The Town of Hamlin is on its fourth supervisor since 2005. I have no doubt that this lack of consistency contributed to the problems found in the State Audit. I buckled things down and fixed the errors. Some consistency in this office would greatly benefit the town,” he says.
Hamlin Town Council
There is also a Republican Primary in Hamlin between three candidates seeking two terms on the town board.
Kurtis Goltermann is the newcomer and facing incumbents Craig Goodrich and Jason Baxter.
The 34-year old has been married for a little over three years and has an eight-year old stepson and an 18-month old son.
He has lived most of his life in Hamlin.
“My parents owned a gas station in the center of Hamlin and they also currently own the car wash by Tops. I understood at a young age that hard work pays off. I was also blessed to have a very close and loving family. We are always there for each other. I attribute these important family values to my parents.”
Goltermann works as a certified registered nurse anesthetist. He has a bachelor of science degree in nursing from SUNY Brockport and a master of science degree from the University of Buffalo Nurse Anesthesia Program.
As a taxpaying resident, Goltermann says he has a vested interest in his community.
“I would like to bring a new attitude to the town board and help change the lack of respect currently present. I feel as though I represent a respectable number of Hamlin residents in more than one way. Whether someone is of a younger generation, professional, family oriented, self-employed, or works for a small business, I can relate to them.”
If elected, Goltermann says he would encourage participation in local government. “Participation can be as easy as just being informed,” he says.
He says he understands the local business mindset and wants to encourage development. He supports the construction of the Hamlin Library and the Lakeshore Sewer Development project and will advocate for the Senior Citizens Project and the Senior Housing Development.
Young members of the community are also important, Goltermann says. “I believe continuing to develop and expand Hamlin Recreation services only helps our youth. They gain team building and team-work skills, as well as an additional source of exercise to continue their health and well-being.”
Maintaining low taxes is important Goltermann says, and adds consolidation of services, when it can be done appropriately, can help to keep costs down.
He also believes in term limits for support board members. “This creates an additional checks and balances step for Hamlin residents,” Goltermann says.
“These priorities have one common goal. That is to redirect and shape Hamlin and continue it on a positive path for not only the present, but future growth.”
Town Board member Jason Baxter has served on the board since January of 2012 and before that served more than two years on the Conservation Board.
He says he is thankful to the voters of Hamlin for the privilege of serving the town and is running because he is, “dedicated to an open, honest, inclusive and ethical town government … to bring our town government together to better work for all of us.”
His priorities include delivering a budget that does not increase the tax burden already placed on Hamlin residents.
“We need to do more with less and make sure every dollar spent is spent wisely,” he says.
He would like to help find ways to promote the construction of already approved housing developments in the town. “Every new home helps to bring the amount of tax levied down,” Baxter explains.
“We need to find a way to attract new businesses to fill the empty buildings and plazas we have in town. Another priority would be to help the lakeshore owners against the IJC’s latest plan – BV-7.”
During his time on the Hamlin Town Board, Baxter has been past liaison to the Library Board of Trustees and Clerks. He is currently liaison to the Recreation Commission, Hilton-Parma Fire District, United Way, and Parks and Security. Baxter is also a member of the Zoning Review Committee.
He is a member of the Friends of Hamlin Beach State Park and donated, developed and maintains their website at no cost. He volunteers at Earth Day at the Park and I Love My Park Day.
Baxter has helped create and assists with the Hamlin Dog Control Facebook page. He helped with the town’s kennel and Dog Days event as well as volunteered at the Free Rabies Clinic, assisting residents with multiple and large animals get through the process in only one trip through the line.
He has helped the Friends of the Library with their book sale and their annual Spaghetti Dinner.
Baxter has the Conservative and Independence endorsements.
Town Board member Craig Goodrich is seeking another term on the Hamlin Town Board because he says he is very concerned about the town.
“I’m fortunate to always have enjoyed working,” Goodrich says. “You get to a certain stage when you don’t need to work for a living, but you can work for a better living for others.”
Goodrich says he proposed that the town board and support boards sit down and talk openly to discuss and settle the difficulties over the new library project. But that never happened.
“Who would be against the library?” he questions. “No one is against the library.”
Goodrich says he is not happy with the way the town is currently being run. He says he believes in teamwork, “… many hands make light work. I would like to bring everybody together. I’m tired of the strife and internal arguments. I’m a team player.”
He says he would like to see further expansion of the town’s dog kennel. “There are wonderful people who come in and take care of the dogs,” he says, and would like to see the kennel expanded to include a running area and a playing area.
The Towns of Parma and Hilton now contract with Hamlin to kennel their stray dogs.
Goodrich would also like to see new businesses come into the community to help maintain and lower the present tax structure. Bringing in businesses that produce a finished agricultural product such as cheese, would benefit the town, in particular, he says.
“We need to work with state, local and national lawmakers,” he adds.
He says housing tracts need to be completed and Hamlin should interface with other government entities as well as look into municipal electric. Another priority is a sidewalk running from the Ryan tract to Route 19.
Goodrich is retired after a 32 year career with Kodak, working mainly in purchasing as a senior buyer.
He enjoys antiques, books, woodworking, stonework, and gardening. “I enjoy seeing things grow,” he says. He and his wife have two grown children.
“I want to enhance, preserve and protect the Town of Hamlin,” he says, “and make it better for everybody.”
Goodrich is endorsed by the Conservative and Independence parties.
9/1/13
