UNDERGROUND WIRES LED TO FELLING

Vote On Replacement Flagpole

May Come Monday, Falk Says

By JIM KEVLIN • Special to www.AllOTSEGO.com

COOPERSTOWN – Village Trustee Cindy Falk, Streets Committee chair, said a few minutes ago she hopes to have a motion for a new flagpole at Main and Pioneer ready for approval by the Village Board at its monthly meeting on Monday.

DPW Superintendent Mitch Hotaling is exploring the options and will be making a recommendation, Falk said.  She estimated a new pole alone will cost about $3,000, and wants to make sure there’s a sufficient base to allow better illumination when the flag flies at night.

According to the trustee, the intent was to leave the flagpole as is when Delaware Engineering crews began working Monday morning on the intersection, part of the $1.2 million reconstruction underway of Pioneer Street from Lake to Church.

“The initial plan was for the Pioneer Street work to go around the flagpole,” Falk said, “and for the pole (replacement) to be part of the TEP project,” the federal Transportation Enhancement Project scheduled for summer 2018.

“What they found when they started digging around: There are a good number of communication lines that run under there.  Where they anticipated digging really complicated this, and threatened to effect everybody’s telephone service.”

So the decision was made to run the lines straight through the intersection, and this required removing the polce, she said.

Since a truck making a turn took out the flagpole in 2007, the replacement flagpole is 15 feet shorter than the original, so the idea is to return the pole to its original height, Falk said.  Also, she said, a solar-power light attached to the shorter flagpole was the only nighttime illumination of the Stars & Stripes, so the idea is to adding wiring to ensure brighter lighting.

“The intention is that it will be going back up relatively quickly,” she said.  “

On a related note, Falk said Delaware Engineering, to take advantage of the warm weather, is bringing on a second crew to speed the project along.   The idea is to ensure the work is done “before the snow flies,” perhaps by mid-November.

A temporary pavement will be installed, with the final coat to be applied next spring.