Mayor Rabideau plans to retire in 2022

SARANAC LAKE | After 12 years and three terms as mayor here, Clyde Rabideau announced he intends to retire from the political arena next March. His tenure in what he's named the "Capital of the Adirondacks" was preceded by two years as alderman and 10 years served as mayor of Plattsburgh. That is a total of 24 years served in elected office. He lost a third bid for mayor in Plattsburgh in 1999 by 104 votes. And won his first term in Saranac Lake by 104 votes in 2010. "Those 104 votes followed me around," he quipped. During a 10-year hiatus between mayoral terms in office, Rabideau said he looked carefully at lessons learned. An executive order in Plattsburgh wouldn't be effective in Saranac Lake, where efforts focused on building consensus and collaboration, Rabideau said years ago. Notes from interviews with the mayor over the years show a civic leader drawn to the energy of the community and charged by that to set a course for growth. And he has not shied from tackling challenges amid uncertain times, such as the financial collapse that occurred in 2009, right before he ran for mayor in Saranac Lake. Or facing the departure of the U.S. Air Force presence at the Plattsburgh Air Base in 1995, which left the city with nearly 3,500 acres of used and vacant facilities. In each case, Rabideau's leadership did set a course for revival, moving through obstacles in a search of solutions that led to two specific accomplishments he believes have been the most productive in a long career. "Air Force Base closure was a big aspect of the job in Plattsburgh. But we had Bombardier in one of the old facilities within a year or two, and that addition to the local economy was instrumental. It kick-started all of the transportation and fabrication and related service industry we now have in the Plattsburgh area," Rabideau said in an interview with the Sun. "I'm very proud of Plattsburgh and happy for the success that's continued on." When he ran for office in Saranac Lake in 2010, the primary goal then was to repair infrastructure and rebuild the local economy in a sustainable manner, connecting the All America City's potential and penchant for innovation to investment funding that could support small business growth. "When I first took office in Saranac Lake, going after state and federal dollars was foreign to the village community," Rabideau said. But the former Plattsburgh mayor had forged strong connections with state leaders through the years. He understood the process and welcomed the opportunity to introduce Saranac Lake's strong scientific and recreational assets and arts and history prowess to economic development partners. "We got in tens of millions of dollars for downtown revitalization, millions for infrastructure and investment for restoration at one historic hotel and new construction of another." Detailed planning, a collaboration between village agencies, and the influx of funding have made an impact, he said. "You can tell the difference, every day. Foot traffic hasn't been this good in the village in a generation." His approach to leadership did shift focus from the city environment to the Adirondack locale, Rabideau said. "Here, I became more of the mentor for employees and fellow board members. "And I have been extremely fortunate to work with really great people. Our staff in the village office is second to none. The attitude in our office is tremendous in every aspect, from the methodology and techniques for managing municipal infrastructure, like sidewalks and water lines, to the creative ability to build Saranac Lake into its own brand through new recreational programs, like the Saranac Lake 6ers, and establish a strong relationship with ROOST. We make the top ten list on something every month." The St. Patrick's Day Parade, the Walk of Fame, which recognizes major contributions of local citizens, and connectivity in downtown parks are some of the successes he said he's enjoyed see take place. The addition of the World Snowshoe Championships to Saranac Lake was an achievement, along with holding on to the Empire State Winter Games and expanding competition events into Saranac Lake. In sport, Rabideau is also proud of the new Saranac Lake Surge baseball team and their recent win as Empire League champions. "I don't take credit for all of it, but it's part of the last ten years." Neither tenure was without natural disaster either. Rabideau was mayor of Plattsburgh during The Great Ice Storm in 1998. "In 2011, flooding from Tropical Storm Irene was a big deal, I think not as devastating as the ice storm," the mayor said. But seeing the community pull together to overcome and rebuild proved inspirational, Rabideau said. "In 1998, the response to the ice storm was coordinated through the mayor's office in Plattsburgh. During the flooding in 2011, the response was coordinated through emergency services, and we have a large and well-run volunteer force in Saranac Lake. It is a completely different methodology, and the volunteer camaraderie in the Saranac Lake Fire Department is fantastic." Mentors for Rabideau came in the early years, with "the old soldier" Joe Bornstein providing lessons in diplomacy and public speaking. "I remember one inauguration speech and Joe was the emcee, and he looked at me and goes, 'how long is your inaugural speech?' I told him I timed it at seven minutes. He looked at me, and said 'Well the Gettysburg Address is 2.5 minutes.' So I go, okay, and cut five minutes from the speech." Rabideau's other mentor Herb Carpenter was chief of police in Plattsburgh, but also went into business operating the Northeast Printing Company. "He taught me the mechanics of how a city works," Rabideau said. Through the past 40 years, Rabideau has also built and managed the Rabideau Corp., a construction company with projects here and throughout the region. Rabideau said he will be 66 when he completes this term as mayor in March 2022. He will also step back from full-time management at the Rabideau Corp., leaving precious time for family. "We have grandchildren that we visit in Plattsburgh every week," Rabideau said of he and his wife Janie's future plans. Together, Rabideau's blended family has seven children. Rabideau has said he hopes to see Saranac Lake achieve Silver designation as a Climate Smart Community before he departs next year. And he is excited to see new leadership stepping up in Saranac Lake. "I've had my day," he said. "I'm very thankful for many, very gratifying experiences. I wouldn't trade them for anything."

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Mayor Rabideau plans to retire in 2022

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