HERMON – As the Village of Hermon considers dissolution of village government, a new web page has been unveiled which is specifically designed to help residents stay informed of developments.

Since neither the village nor town has a website, the Development Authority of the North Country is hosting the web page on their website.

The page, at http://www.danc.org/operations/engineering/hermon-dissolution-study, has been launched by the village-appointed Dissolution Study Committee to ensure village and town residents have access to all of the information and materials being considered by the study committee.

The Dissolution Study Committee consists of Hermon Mayor Cathy Race, Village Trustee Nathan Young, Hermon Town Councilman Lee Carvel, former Town Councilman David Dorion, and residents Jeff Foster, Sheri Smith, Tracy Woodrow and Jamie Matthews.

The committee will also conduct public meetings and a public hearing on the final dissolution study, which will include a plan for dissolving village government and alternatives.

At each stage of the process additional information will be available on the website.

Village trustees decided to investigate dissolution because population has been declining, businesses have closed, and there is a loss of financial resources making it increasingly difficult for the village to provide municipal services, a press release from the village said.

Many government functions are being provided by the Town of Hermon or St. Lawrence County.

The village’s population for 2010 was 415 people, making it the fifth smallest village in St. Lawrence County.

Hermon Trustees have observed the Village of Edwards dissolution process unfold, resulting in the that village’s dissolution in 2012.

The village Board of Trustees applied for a $10,000 Citizen Reorganization Empowerment Grant from the state Department of State, which was awarded in June.

The grant will cover half of the cost of the $20,000 dissolution study.

The village has engaged the Development Authority of the North Country and C2AE to complete the study.

The Dissolution Study Committee, with assistance from the consultants from DANC and C2AE, will prepare a report that will satisfy the grant requirements: to develop a detailed dissolution study with a recommended plan and alternatives to dissolution that will answer questions that Hermon village and town residents have about the dissolution process, impacts of dissolution, and how dissolving would affect residents and local governments. The final report will be transmitted to the Village Board for approval.

The entire process will take about 24 months and is slated to be completed by June 2016.