To the editor:

I enthusiastically join Saranac Lake residents S. Mueller, M. Keating, R. Curran, D. Amato and others who have recently sent letters to the editor supporting Paul Van Cott for village trustee.

Although I am not at this moment a village resident, it has been a lifelong dream to live in the Tri-Lakes area. I now have a lovely cottage under contract for purchase in the village’s Helen Hill Historical District. I hope to close within the next several weeks, and I look forward to joining this walkable village of abundant community spirit, only minutes from world-class outdoor recreational opportunities, including among many other things, the wonderful Adirondack Rail Trail!

Why do I support Paul? I am a retired public employee and an attorney. I know Paul Van Cott professionally. Both of us live by the credo to “Do whatever I can, wherever I am, whenever I can, for as long as I can with whatever I have to try to make a difference.” I know well that for Paul this is not mere lip service. Others have observed and recounted the many value-added attributes that Paul brings to public service and specifically to Saranac Lake.

Paul is all of the following: competent and talented with a strong interest in a positive, productive village government; an experienced attorney with skills for working through challenges and finding good solutions learned through his 30 years in state government, experience as a village attorney and two previous terms on the village board; and perhaps most importantly, Paul works constructively within a team offering his institutional knowledge and balancing the skills of board colleagues.

Paul has a proven track record of success as trustee from 2012-2019 where he contributed to downtown revitalization, streetscape improvements, connectivity and walkability. The leadership team with whom Paul served secured millions of dollars in grant funds from New York state for such revitalization efforts, including the coveted $10 million Downtown Revitalization Initiative grant. This team also helped bring back the Hotel Saranac, as well as to support the development of the new hotel on Lake Flower, all with the effect of making Saranac Lake’s business community stronger and building a commercial property tax base to ease the tax burden on residents. During his terms on the board Paul also worked collaboratively with many village businesses by finding grant money to support their facade and other improvements, including funding for the China Jade, Origins/Human Power Planet Bike Shop, Blue Line, Goody Goodys, S. Curtis Hayes, Fiddlehead and Nori’s buildings, among other projects.

As others have stated, Paul has a “palpable love and enthusiasm for Saranac Lake.” I believe he is best situated to continue to positively and productively serve the community as a village trustee.

Keith D. Martin

Clifton Park