Join us for ‘Breakfast with the Board’

Commentary by Mayor Ellen Tillapaugh, Village of Cooperstown

Two years ago, in a May 2020 “Mayor’s Message” in the Village Voices newsletter, I wrote this:

“The residents of the Village of Cooperstown should be proud of the way they have responded to this unprecedented health crisis. Recommendations to stay home, to physically distance from others and to wear a mask when not possible to distance, have all been willingly adopted and are successfully reducing the impact locally of the COVID-19 pandemic.

At the same time, our community has doubled down on what makes us so special – we sincerely care and support one another – that consideration has never been more evident. We provide meals for Bassett Hospital essential workers. We support our neighbors volunteering with our Fire Department and EMS, and praise the grocery store workers. We reach out to vulnerable neighbors and offer to shop or deliver food. We order take out from our local restaurants to let them know we are there to support them. And on our numerous walks we stay connected with friendly waves and conversations across the street, sustaining our community bonds.”

We didn’t realize that that was just the beginning of the battle that would impact us fiscally and emotionally and reshape so many aspects of our lives. One year ago in 2021, with vaccinations available, we began to move past a year of disconnect — only to encounter variants of Covid-19 which once again had us retreating behind masks.

Through it all, your Village Board continued to meet and ensure that all Village services and projects continued. Whether we met in person or virtually, Village Board meetings were recorded and streamed so that all residents could stay informed even if they couldn’t lend their voices to the conversation.

The ease of clicking the link, “VOC Live” at the top of the page at villageofcooperstown.org and watching from home was actually preferred by many residents. I know I personally “attended” more zoning meetings via streaming than I had ever been able to attend in person.

These conveniences will not be disappearing. Our Board and Zoning meetings will continue to be streamed and recorded on the Village of Cooperstown YouTube channel.

But beginning Monday, April 25, community members will have an additional opportunity to connect with the Mayor and Trustees while also enjoying a cup of coffee and donuts. We will host Breakfast with the Board in the Meeting Room at Village Hall. This is an opportunity for residents to discuss issues on the agenda for that evening’s Board Meeting or present any concerns or questions. A casual format, complete with locally brewed coffee and bakery donuts, Breakfast with the Board will be from 8 to 9 a.m. There will be no minutes taken or hours wasted!

We hope to see you there!