The Town of Clifton Park will be changing its website domain name in 2025.  In December of 2024 Governor Hochul signed a bill introduced by Senator James Skoufis (D, Orange County) requiring all municipalities with a population greater than one thousand five hundred residents maintain an official website with a “.gov” domain name that is accessible to the public by the end of the year. The goal of this bill is to provide the public accessible basic information, financial reports, meeting and election notices, meeting agendas and minutes, and up to date versions of local codes and laws. The Town of Clifton Park has been providing all this information and more to the public for many years on its current website, CliftonPark.org. This change will only affect the domain name for the town’s website.  The website will still look the same and will continue to provide residents with up-to-date information about what is happening in town.

Although this mandate is not required until December 2025 the Town will be making this transition sooner than later due to the implementation of a new communication platform that will be rolled out in late spring of 2025 which will also include the use of the Town’s domain name. This new program which is designed to help local government entities connect with residents will be an additional source of information for our residents to gain more detailed information about the projects, programs and events that are happening around Town. More information about this program will be made available as the program is implemented.

At this time the Town has applied for a .gov domain name. Once it has been approved, we will announce it.  With this change email addresses for all town staff and elected officials will also be changing to match the new domain name. The Town of Clifton Park will continue to update residents and the general public about this transition as it moves forward.

Vischer Ferry Nature Preserve to Re-Open February 22, 2025

The Town of Clifton Park closed the Vischer Ferry Nature Preserve last Friday, February 14th due to two separate encounters with an aggressive coyote in this area of Town. We assume the coyote was of failing health due to the nature of the encounters. DEC was immediately contacted, and agents have been patrolling the area regularly since these encounters occurred. Since February 14th, there has been no evidence of aggressive coyote activity in the Preserve or in this general area of Town. The Town of Clifton Park thanks our partners at DEC and the Canal Corporation for their support in this situation. The Vischer Ferry Preserve will open to the public Saturday morning. As with all of our many beautiful parks and nature preserves, please use caution while visiting.

Twin Bridges to Begin Curbside Pick-Up April 1st

Twin Bridges will be conducting curbside yard waste pick-up for Clifton Park residents in 2025. The service will be offered beginning April 1st through the end of November, weather permitting.

“The Town has offered this valuable service to Clifton Park residents for many years, said Town Supervisor Phil Barrett. This year the Town is partnering with Twin Bridges Waste and Recycling to ensure yard waste is removed, processed, and recycled timely and professionally”.

Leaves, grass clippings, tree and shrub trimmings and other brush will be collected in brown paper yard waste bags only. The yard waste along with the bags are recycled through a processing system. No yard waste will be collected from garbage cans or any other containers. Small, bundled brush that is less than four feet long and three feet in diameter will also be collected. Bundles need to be tied to allow for easy pick-up and disposal.

Items that will not be collected include animal waste, garden debris, tree or shrub roots of any type, tree stumps or logs, waste products including household garbage, pressure treated wood, railroad ties, building debris, plastic, metal, or other foreign materials.

Twin Bridges will be working their way through the Town weekly. Residents are encouraged to have their yard waste ready for pickup by Sunday evening. At various times of the year when yard waste debris pick up is heavier than normal, sections of Town may take longer to collect. Please do not cover the bags with tarps. Bags must be visible on the curb.

The Town Transfer Station also accepts yard waste all year long during regular business hours from Clifton Park residents only. No permit is needed but an ID is required. More information can be found at https://cliftonpark.org/departments/transfer-station.html

The Town Board is offering a free bulk waste drop off service April 5th and 12th at three locations (Clifton Common, Veterans Park and Clifton Park Transfer Station), from 8am to 4pm. Residents of Clifton Park will be able to dispose of bulk items free of charge. The service was offered in 2024 and based on the popularity of the program; we have expanded the hours of operation in 2025. Please see the additional information posted for further details. Please note the eligible items for this program.

Occasionally we receive inquiries about a curbside Bulk Waste pickup as the Town had offered in the past. Unfortunately, due to the significant increase in the cost of offering this non-core governmental service and the inability to receive competing bids due mainly to a lack of workforce, the Town has not conducted the curbside service in recent years. The Bulk Waste drop off service was instituted last year as an opportunity to continue to offer an additional option to dispose of unwanted items for free. Like all organizations, we have experienced rising costs in all our core governmental services.

Town personnel and volunteers will be present at each site to assist.

We offer many services throughout the year at the Clifton Park Transfer Station. We will soon provide reminders of the services that are available for disposal and recycling at the facility.

Supervisor Barrett, in his capacity as Chairman of the Saratoga County Board of Supervisors has secured “Speak Sobriety” presentations with Stephen Hill, a renowned national speaker on substance abuse prevention and mental health awareness with an inspiring comeback story.

Supervisor Barrett met with families who have lost loved ones to drug abuse or have a person in their life struggling with addiction.  During the meeting, he asked what their priorities would be to offer assistance to families in our County.  A speaker series to connect directly with students and parents was a top priority.  Following that meeting, a pilot program was established. 

This will be the second appearance of Stephen Hill in a few Saratoga County schools. Supervisor Barrett initiated a pilot program featuring Mr. Hill and Chris Herren. Mr. Herren spoke at Shen and Burnt Hills-Ballston Lake.  Due to the positive reviews of the initial events, the program has expanded throughout Saratoga County.  The sessions will take place directly with the students.  Two evening community events with Mr. Hill have been scheduled and are open to the public.  One evening event will be held at Schuylerville High School on April 2^nd at 6pm and the other will be held in the Shenendehowa East Auditorium at 6pm.

Schedule of student events at area schools:

• Ballston Spa High School, March 31, 2025
• Saratoga Springs High School, April 2, 2025
• Schuylerville Middle/High School, April 3, 2023
• Waterford-Halfmoon Jr/Sr High School, April 11, 2025
• Shenendehowa High School East, April 21 & 25, 2025
• Shenendehowa High School West, April 24, 2025
• Stillwater High School, April 23, 2025
• Burnt Hills- Ballston Lake High School, May 1, 2025
• Galway Jr/Sr High School, May 2, 2025
• Oliver W. Winch Middle School, South Glens Falls School District, May 27, 2025

“Partnering with our school districts, students and families across the County through comprehensive support efforts to assist with the battle against substance abuse, has been a consistent focus for Saratoga County. I witnessed the ability of Stephen Hill to engage with students in a meaningful fashion during the first phase of this program.  The Saratoga County Board of Supervisors has also approved a new program offering CRPAs (Certified Recovery Peer Advocates) who work directly with our schools and students.  We will continue to expand our ongoing efforts to combat the opioid epidemic and address substance abuse in our communities. I thank our participating schools for allowing us to bring Speak Sobriety to Saratoga County students and community members,” said Supervisor Barrett.

CLIFTON PARK HOSTS SPRING SHREDDING DAY
Saturday April 26th, 2025 at Clifton Park Center Mall

The Town of Clifton Park, in partnership with Clifton Park Center Mall and Confidata Confidential Document Shredding, will host its Spring Town Paper Shredding Day on Saturday, April 26th from 10am-12pm in the Clifton Park Center parking lot near the DMV and Boscovs.

Residents of Clifton Park are eligible to participate and bring sensitive documents with personally identifiable information, to the event .  Binders, plastic carriers, folders, or metal spiral notebooks will not be accepted.  There is no cost for the shredding.  In exchange for the free service, we will collect non-perishable food items for people in need.

“Clifton Park has been offering this free service for seventeen years, said Town Supervisor Phil Barrett.  We appreciate the generosity of our volunteers and people who participate in the program for your donation of time and non-perishable food items in support of our community.”

Registration is not required for the event. Each household is limited to 4 bags or boxes of papers.  There will be Town volunteers on hand to assist with this drive-thru service and organize traffic.  Confidata Confidential Document Shredding will provide the shredding service on site. Similar events have been held semi-annually since 2008.  Each year the shredding events serve hundreds of families and collect approximately 2500 pounds of food for the Jonesville Food Pantry.

Town of Clifton Park Receives Arbor Day Foundation Distinction
2024 Tree City USA

The Arbor Day Foundation named Clifton Park a 2024 Tree City USA, for the fourth consecutive year, in honor of its commitment to plant, grow, and maintain trees to benefit its community.

The Arbor Day Foundation is a global nonprofit with a mission to inspire people to plant, nurture and celebrate trees. Its network of more than a million supporters and partners has helped the organization plant more than 500 million trees in forests and communities across more than 60 countries since 1972. The Tree City USA program has recognized cities and towns that leverage urban forestry to enhance the livability and sustainability of their local area for over 40 years.

“We all have a role to play in shaping our future and tree champions like Clifton Park are leading the way,” said Michelle Saulnier, Vice President of Programs at the Arbor Day Foundation. “Trees are critical infrastructure, building resiliency and fostering good health in our nation’s cities and towns. We’re proud Clifton Park is among the Arbor Day Foundation’s growing network of communities dedicated to creating positive impact through trees.”

Trees are proven to reduce stormwater runoff, improve air quality, and boost mental and physical health. When the right trees are planted in the right places, they can also reduce traffic noise, increase property values, and lower energy costs for homeowners.

“We are proud that Clifton Park has again been named a Tree City USA”, said Deputy Supervisor Anthony Morelli. “It is a testament to the commitment and prioritization of this town and its residents when it comes to preserving and enhancing the environment in a smart and balanced manner.”