Lots Happenin’ in Homer, From the Walkable Homer Project to Amnesty Day

Matt Brooks: [00:00:00] Good morning. I’m Matt Brooks on X 1 0 1 Always Classic, and for another edition of Happening in Homer. And we got a full studio this morning with Village of Homer, pat, mayor, Pat Clune, and Mike Galleoti, deputy Superintendent for the DPW. Good morning guys. How’s it going?

Pat Clune: Good morning, Matt.

Mike Galleoti: Good morning, Matt.

Good day.

Matt Brooks: Well, we have a lot to talk about. It is. Finally fall. So, let’s start off with walkable Homer project, replacing the sidewalks. Where have we ended up for the end of the summer?

Mike Galleoti: Well, I’ll

Pat Clune: let Mike handle that.

Mike Galleoti: Well, after three years, we’ve completed pretty much everything that we were started out to do.

Let’s see, when I started, adding up the numbers, we put in about 8,400 feet of new sidewalk. Wow. Eh, that’s a lot. Yeah. No, you guys were

Matt Brooks: hard at work. I, I remember driving through the village through the even the hottest of summer days and you guys were just

Mike Galleoti: Yeah. There wasn’t a no weather. Well, basically what was at the [00:01:00] beginning, all it did was rain.

Yep. Set us back. But we still came in two weeks under.

Matt Brooks: Now is there anything that would have to be touched up or finished up in 2026 or,

Pat Clune: Yeah, we’re looking at James Street. We had some, issues with, how the concrete set, so we’re gonna go back in 2026 and fix that.

Matt Brooks: Okay. Well, that, that sounds good.

It’s nice that it’s gonna have a fairly quick turnaround to make sure that these new sidewalks do, stick around for a while. Yeah. Now it is fall, that means, leaves are starting to fall. Brush, is gonna need to be collected. Where are we at with, brush cleanup?

Pat Clune: So, great timing. They finish up with the sidewalks just in time to get the trucks in on one October, the DPW guys will be out there getting, brush and leaves.

Make sure that the brush is all facing one way. Please keep the sticks and leaves separate ’cause we’ve got a great leaf collector that mules it up. But, sticks kinda. Cause a, a hiccup in the system. Yep, [00:02:00] they do.

Matt Brooks: Yep. So, but you also make sure they’re out of the road too.

Pat Clune: Yes. Yeah. A lot of people think it’s easier on to put on the road, but it creates a hazard for drivers.

So we have a leaf sucker and that just does great on grass. So just keep it between the curb and the sidewalk and the guys will get it.

Matt Brooks: Alright, sounds like a plan. And it’s gonna be starting right on October 1st, so couldn’t be any sooner. Yeah. Now speaking of, the fall, there’s a amnesty day is also right around the corner.

Can you tell me about that,

Mike Galleoti: Mike? The 18th of October. Basically, metal, wood, you know, mattresses, couches, anything that’s got free on. If it’s still got it in it, do not bring it.

Matt Brooks: Yeah. So don’t bring your air conditioner. Don’t bring the fridge. Nope.

Mike Galleoti: Unless it’s done, tagged with a red tag on it, meaning that it’s been disposed, then you can bring it.

Matt Brooks: Anything like tires or stuff?

Mike Galleoti: No tires, nothing. No, I’m just, I, I’d

Matt Brooks: rather get the nose [00:03:00] out. Go through the nest list. There’s a lot of stuff that can, can be brought, but, yeah.

Pat Clune: Yeah. No garbage. Like, no, household garbage. But this is, you know. Cleaning out your basement, cleaning out your, attic, getting ready for winter, right?

We, same thing. Bring your, this is only for village residents, so bring your ID and it goes through the same thing. You’ll enter through the DPW, they’ll check IDs, you’ll drop off your stuff, and then you’ll exit through the, compost.

Matt Brooks: Alright, sounds good. Now, mayor Pat Clune, I have, I am looking at the, headers we had for today’s discussion, and I just have question marks.

What’s, what’s next?

Pat Clune: So, in 1995, about this time, the, the village made a great decision and hired, the gentleman sitting to my right. And after 30 years. He’s, he’s leaving us, I can’t believe it, 30 years and he decides to up and retire. Can’t say enough great things about this gentleman sitting to my right.

Heart and soul. Jack of all trades, masters. [00:04:00] Quite a few of them as well, and we are gonna miss him. So if you see him. Wish him a happy retirement, but, we plan on keeping him close.

Matt Brooks: Yeah. You, you can’t escape, pat. Yeah. I knew you were gonna do it. Yeah. I knew you were gonna put me on the spot. Yeah, no, no.

I, I appreciate, I mean, yeah, you, at least I’m old enough to say that I’ve, I’ve been around for your, for your 30 years of service, but I was quite young when you started. So appreciate all that you’ve done for the community. Yeah.

Mike Galleoti: It’s been. It’s been an experience. All right. It’s been an experience.

Matt Brooks: I, I think that’s a great way to wrap it up.

Get you guys outta the studio, get you to closer to retirement sooner. And, got gotta. Thank you both you, for stopping in today.

Mike Galleoti: Thanks for having us, Matt. Yep. Thank you very much.

Matt Brooks: It’s been another edition I happen at Homer. You’re on X 1 0 1. I’m at Brooks.