Snyder will step down as coordinator

Snyder will step down as coordinator

DUNDEE--Project Coordinator for Our Town RoCKS Lauren Snyder announced she will be stepping down from her position in February 2015. She announced her decision to the Dundee village board during their regular meeting Thursday, Nov. 13. Snyder said she made the decision because she was unable to continue to meet the full-time demands of the job and wanted to spend more time with her family.

"For several months, I have felt that I needed more time with my family and that the OTR project really needed full-time attention which I was not able to do," Snyder said. "There are so many activities that the area residents want to accomplish, I truly feel the project deserves and needs a full-time coordinator."
Snyder said she has been involved with Our Town RoCKS for six years this past summer. She said has been involved with many projects during her time there, adding, "I don't know that I could come up with a number." Snyder said she takes pride in the fact the area towns have been able to work together to the benefit of all communities.
"I am so proud of the fact that the residents and organizations of Barrington/Starkey/Dundee have been so willing to come together to work on the wide variety of activities that they feel will benefit the social, economic and physical health of the community," Snyder said. "But, if I had to pick one project that I am most proud of, it would be the Rocks and Reads program. The activities over the last four years or so to inspire family reading in a way that promotes early literacy feels like our greatest effort. As we all know, if we really want to make lasting change, we have to start with our children. The collaboration between the school, the library, and area residents has been wonderful to watch."
Snyder said when she steps down she hopes to spend more time with her daughters Jennie in Penn Yan and Bethany in Rochester, along with her parents, ages 90 and 95. She added she also hopes to have time to travel with her husband and read more books. Snyder said she hopes work will progress at Our Town RoCKS in her absence.
"There are several projects underway at the moment that I hope will continue to progress," Snyder siad. "For example, there is a committee in the village of Dundee working on a Complete Streets project, there is an ongoing program to help fund start up and expansion of small businesses, and there is also an effort to improve the look of the business district in Dundee. Other projects, too numerous to mention them all, will also continue such as the Winter Concert Feb. 7, the Fairy Tale Festival March 21, a 5K in May that is being organized by a local resident to benefit one or two organizations, etc."
Offering words of advice to her yet to be selected successor, Snyder said it is important to listen to what the residents want.
"Follow the lead of the residents," Snyder said. "Your job is to help the residents accomplish what they set out to do. Help them make the right connections, to keep their 'eye on the prize' -- which is better health for the community and everyone in it, and to have fun. Barrington/Starkey/Dundee--it's a wonderful community. People who live here should be very proud."
In other business:
• The village board approved a 10-year $285,000 bond resolution for the village watertower project. Village Clerk Christine Sutherland said the village has received a $600,000 grant for the project and will need the bond to fund the remaining portion of the $885,000 project.
• The board wanted to make it clear that Gary Boardman is no longer the village's code enforcement officer, adding he is still receiving calls from residents.