And the fire department building – this should not have been an amendment. There should be announced meetings where the public can address their concerns. Eddie McCarthy did a good job of explaining. Patty Villanova did a good job of questioning. Both got a little irritated at the end. The public needs more information. The fire department did their homework, but did not share that homework until this was all planned. The public should be able to ask questions and they should know ahead of time that this is the topic. An $8 – $12 million project is not a mere last minute presentation at the beginning of a Town Board meeting. This subject deserves its own, well advertised meeting. Someone other than testy Tendy should Chair, so that there will be no badgering, “What was the question? This is a question and answer session.” And no one should feel that if they have concerns, and want to ask questions, that they are un-American, or do not appreciate what our volunteers do for us. [...]]]> Town Board August
Amendments to the agenda
Executive Session – the specific litigation must be announced. They use this one a lot to hold backroom meetings.

And the fire department building – this should not have been an amendment. There should be announced meetings where the public can address their concerns. Eddie McCarthy did a good job of explaining. Patty Villanova did a good job of questioning. Both got a little irritated at the end. The public needs more information. The fire department did their homework, but did not share that homework until this was all planned. The public should be able to ask questions and they should know ahead of time that this is the topic. An $8 – $12 million project is not a mere last minute presentation at the beginning of a Town Board meeting. This subject deserves its own, well advertised meeting. Someone other than testy Tendy should Chair, so that there will be no badgering, “What was the question? This is a question and answer session.” And no one should feel that if they have concerns, and want to ask questions, that they are un-American, or do not appreciate what our volunteers do for us. Patty has been asking questions that others in the community are too afraid to ask. People shouldn’t be afraid to ask about a $10 million building project in a bad economy.

“We can’t spend all night on this.”- BT We need to spend time on this. It is important. – DP

Ag district law – listen to Gene Yetter on this one. The board adopted a neg dec on this law before discussing it, and of course, they didn’t discuss the impacts (a legal requirement). This Town is supposed to adopt a ‘right to farm’ law. This isn’t it. This a farm deterrent aimed at ‘so-called farms’ according to the Supervisor. If you were thinking of getting a few chickens, forget about it. They just outlawed it.

Wendy said, “I feel a little the way Gene does.” Watch her explanation before you vote. The primary is September 15. After 3 1/2 years, she still does not know what she is talking about.

And why is Bob Cinque no longer recused on agricultural issues? Was there an expiration date?

Peekskill Hollow Road – Councilwoman Whetsel has decided that this is a good campaign issue, and that she should talk about it, not actually do anything, just talk. She did not attend the two Physical Services Committee meetings on this important issue. She did not come to this meeting with any action in mind. All she did was table Bob’s “loosy-goosy” letter and make the public wait until the end of the meeting for discussion. Par for the course. Talk about alternative energy and defeat solar panels. Talk about smart development, then broker a secret deal for a development on a dead end road with a grade of 15%.

Bob said that the legislature was showing political cowardice for listening to the public.

The big new is that Mr. Cinque is growing a beard and seeking public opinion. I got a ugh! And an eeuuuuuw… I’m fond of facial hair, so he’ll probably shave tomorrow.

BZ and WW were color coordinated, he in a yellow tie, she in a yellow shrug.

They decided that you should pay for your neighbor’s private road.

They are hiring an outside attorney to represent the Town in a new lawsuit. I don’t know why.

They passed a resolution on LOSAP (length of service awards program – for the fire department) without knowing the cost.

The important information:

Primary, September 15, both Republicans and Democrats

We will be using new voting machines. Be prepared. These are the locations for demos:

SEQUOIA IMAGECAST DEMONSTRATIONS FOR PUTNAM VALLEY

September 9
1PM – 3PM PV TownHall, 265 Oscawana Lake Road

September 11
2PM – 4PM PV Library, 30 Oscawana Lake Road

We will also have some changes in polling places. I will blog that closer to the election. That little card that the Board of Elections sends tells you where you vote.

Hopefully this will all be posted on Channels 18 and 20.

DP

I arrived late so as to avoid the razzle dazzle, but it didn’t work. When I got there they were going on about the ag law. It wasn’t on the agenda. I asked the person next to me why they were talking about it, and she said they had extended the public hearing, so they didn’t have to put out a public notice of the continuation. Huh? I had heard someone say at the work session that there were farmers who could not attend so they didn’t want to close the hearing. Is that the same as publishing a notice that there is a public hearing?

This is a bad law. Mr. Adorno’s attorney was at the real public hearing. He said that you cannot discriminate against farmers, and rezone their parcels if they stop farming. The Town cannot unnecessarily restrict farming. This was all discussed before, so why did we even go to a public hearing with this law, and then why would we have a continuation without public notice. They voted to close the fake public hearing.

These meetings go on and on pointlessly.

Although, [...]]]> July Town Board meeting – July 15, 2009

I arrived late so as to avoid the razzle dazzle, but it didn’t work. When I got there they were going on about the ag law. It wasn’t on the agenda. I asked the person next to me why they were talking about it, and she said they had extended the public hearing, so they didn’t have to put out a public notice of the continuation. Huh? I had heard someone say at the work session that there were farmers who could not attend so they didn’t want to close the hearing. Is that the same as publishing a notice that there is a public hearing?

This is a bad law. Mr. Adorno’s attorney was at the real public hearing. He said that you cannot discriminate against farmers, and rezone their parcels if they stop farming. The Town cannot unnecessarily restrict farming. This was all discussed before, so why did we even go to a public hearing with this law, and then why would we have a continuation without public notice. They voted to close the fake public hearing.

These meetings go on and on pointlessly.

Although, there was another interesting, albeit also too long, presentation about an industrial solar electric generating plant proposed on Peekskill Hollow Road on the side of Piano Mountain. In the middle of residential 3 acre zoning, probably in the biodiversity corridor, would we want an industrial zone? I’m sure the neighbors will be happy. They would sacrifice 5,000 trees. This would require rezoning, but I’m sure that this charming, well heeled member of the Republican committee can get that.

Now if he wants to do this at Indian Point, I’d be all for it.

Then Mr. O went on and on and on. He’s right about home health aides, though his math was wrong. He said that we get 91% back, but the county pays Medicaid, so it just comes from a different line. We don’t actually get it back. And he’s right about the septic repair program. From all the talking he’s doing, it appears that he is planning to run for County Executive.

I attended the meeting for 2 agenda items – cats and Peekskill Hollow Road. Councilwoman Keresey has been consistent in her commitment to animals, and I appreciate that. She is trying to introduce a trap/spay/neuter policy for stray cats to enhance quality of life for residents, to protect the environment, and to be humane. Putnam Felines works very hard to control the problem, and to place cats ready for adoption.

There are kittens for adoption. Adopt a couple. They will bring joy to your life.

And then there’s the pork project on Peekskill Hollow Road – it sounds like they are all on the same side. They are not. So take what they are offering, but be vigilant. Mr. Cinque was right about this one. Pass a resolution asking the county to preserve the road as a historic roadway. Then pass a local law, like the North Salem law to protect the road. The Supervisor kept telling us that it is illegal. Mr. Zutt kept trying to tell him that it’s not. Meanwhile, the county has not changed anything about how this is all proceeding. Stay alert, and vote them out. Once you get that pork, you just can’t get rid of it.

Backtracking, there was a work session discussion about Incentive Zoning. This is a pet project of the Supervisor’s. He wants to allow more houses than the Planning Board will allow. He keeps saying that you need to do this for cluster subdivisions.

That is untrue. Cluster is in our current code, and in even better format in the draft zoning code. He keeps saying that you need to do this to protect our biodiversity, that the biodiversity corridor does not have the force of law. That is because he has stalled the draft zoning code. We don’t need to allow the Town Board to allow more houses than the Planning Board will allow. We need to pass the Comprehensive Plan committee’s draft zoning code.

The two projects that he continues to mention are the Haeusgen/Marinelli property on the old Wagner farm on Oscawana Lake Road, and Fieldstone on Bryant Pond. The Haeusgen property is constricted by steep slopes and wetlands. I don’t think most residents want to see more houses built there. The taxpayers have already funded a well on their property. That is enough benefit to the developer from the Town.

The Fieldstone project had a well attended Planning Board scoping session. The public
was eloquent and clear. The Supervisor made fun of them. The two ball fields at this location would destroy the wetland buffer and the houses would damage the NYC watershed. There were lots of other problems. It is the wrong location. So why would we give incentives to the developers to do a project that is not appropriate?

This is a bad law. The discussion should be over.

There is a new name for the wordsmiths committee. Now they are called the “zoning code amendment committee.” The mandate of this committee has changed again, and only one person is deciding. Nobody else knows what this committee is doing or what they are supposed to do. This time, it was called “fine tuning of the code.”

Public comment was Patty Villanova telling us about the fire department’s plans. The Supervisor says he does not have any information. The fire department’s building plan is on last night’s ZBA agenda for a variance.

The cemetery and Mema’s were on the Planning Board agenda Monday. I’ll have to
watch to see what happened.
DP

Good Monday Morning,

If you were around on Saturday, you’d have noticed that pretty much every shop and business was open and so the question is: who gets a holiday? The answer is white collar workers. The service industry (the vast majority of Americans) largely works on national holidays.

When I’m President, national holidays will be just that, National Holidays, and aside from emergency services, everyone will be off from work, malls will be closed, gas stations and convenience stores tidily shut… everything. It’s easy to plan a day ahead so quit complaining about not being able to get that last minute beer or ice. Oh, and election day will be a national holiday as well as it is in many other countries. I know, I know… we’re in a global economy but just try to reach someone in France or Germany during August. If they can shut down for a month and still be more productive than we are, surely we can honor our [...]]]>

Good Monday Morning,

If you were around on Saturday, you’d have noticed that pretty much every shop and business was open and so the question is: who gets a holiday? The answer is white collar workers. The service industry (the vast majority of Americans) largely works on national holidays.

When I’m President, national holidays will be just that, National Holidays, and aside from emergency services, everyone will be off from work, malls will be closed, gas stations and convenience stores tidily shut… everything. It’s easy to plan a day ahead so quit complaining about not being able to get that last minute beer or ice. Oh, and election day will be a national holiday as well as it is in many other countries. I know, I know… we’re in a global economy but just try to reach someone in France or Germany during August. If they can shut down for a month and still be more productive than we are, surely we can honor our own for one day.

Is There No Balm in Gilead?

What would you do if you woke up one morning to discover that the explosion and shaking and scattering of rock falling from the sky wasn’t the Rapture but a well connected developer blasting away on three sides of your house?

This is not some make-believe scenario, but a real situation that has been plaguing Carmel resident Lori Kemp and will into the future.

Surrounded on three sides by Pulte Homes’ “The Retreat” her life has been turned into a living nightmare for the past couple of years and will continue on for quite some time.

Bulldozing, blasting, rock ‘scraping’, grading and all of it often as close as 50′ to her 1890 home that sits next to the Gilead cemetery which is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Now the cemetery and the home are separated by a blasted out gulf of stagnant water and invasive reeds where an old farm lane used to be. And the hill that use to rise to her south is slowly being removed. Rock by rock. Ledge by ledge. Piece by piece. Slowly. Day in and day out. Week after week and month after agonizing month.

Can you imagine what it must be like living surrounded by all that? Have you ever heard a rock drill run for hours or the sound a bulldozer makes as it tries to scrape chunks of ledge away? Now imagine that every day – all day.

What do you do when your town building inspector doesn’t seem to care? When the DEC throws up roadblocks and hurdles too high for the average person to leap over? What happens when you are forced to defend yourself in a court that gives you conflicting information – and you’re not an attorney? What happens when your house physically moves with each blast of the bedrock that underlays it and pieces of that tortured and blasted rock rain down on your property covering everything with lung clogging dust? When a property line dispute turns into a protracted Kafkaesque journey?

These are not rhetorical questions for Ms. Kemp. They are the life she lives each and every day.

I’ve written about this many times before and the NYJN used to (until Pulte Homes started advertising in that paper perhaps?) cover on a regular basis but the story is now relegated to obscurity. But the hell she lives continues on and not only does government not seem to care, they are, to put it mildly, completely unconcerned about the welfare and safety of a resident while bending over backwards to accommodate an out-of-county developer.

I’m not talking corruption or conspiracy or malfeasance for those are words best used in a court of law, assuming one could find one in this county clear of the influence of the criminal acts being perpetrated against a fellow citizen. But I am talking about a situation that everyone knows exists and feels powerless to alter, change or influence and that may only be corrected if the unthinkable happens at the Kemp home.

What’s going on down in Carmel is not unique and if the economy doesn’t finally kill Patterson Crossing this is a situation that will occur at the Lake Carmel community when another verdant Putnam County hillside is reduced to shit for political gain and profit, leaving the rest of us to pay for its way.

So be aware. Look around. Who serves on your town boards and how are they connected to the people who force these things upon us? Do they actively and progressively defend you or do they sit passively claiming their hands are tied?

Watch closely who funds and otherwise backs their election campaigns this season and what out-of-county entities get themselves involved, even remotely, even distantly, even with just a whispered word to the ‘right’ officials…

It’s your county. Let’s take it back from the forces that work against us.

The Choking Game

Yeah, it’s something kids play and have been playing for a long time and even my friends knew about it back in the day. You choke yourself in any number of ways, and just before you pass out you let the air back in and experience a bit of a rush. Sadly, too many kids don’t let go at the right moment and since we’ve been keeping stats on this specifically, several hundred kids have died. So far this year 19 American children have died – but we only count the ones directly tied to the game itself. In the past, and still today, many parents and police automatically assert suicide as the motivating action but we’re learning that’s it the quest for something else, for some fun, for a rush.

This is not one of those issues that requires school meetings and fear-filled parents screaming at the wind, nor is it a ‘wave sweeping across the land!’ as some would insist but it is something for parents to be aware of, coolly, calmly and with careful thought. Check with your kids and let them know, gently, that choking yourself for fun, isn’t fun. The moment you become hysterical, to your children, it becomes an even more enticing challenge. So stay cool.

Space Station Marathon

If you’ve never seen a spaceship with your own eyes, now is your chance. The International Space Station (ISS) is about to make a remarkable series of flybys over the United States. Beginning this past weekend, the station will appear once, twice, and sometimes three times a day for many days in a row. No matter where you live, you should have at least a few opportunities to see the biggest spaceship ever built. Check NASA’s ISS Tracker for flyby times.

Lastly, while the American Empire crumbles around us and people are taking to the streets to protest, Long Island Congressman Peter King, a suggested hopeful to run against Kirsten Gillibrand next time around, took time out of his busy weekend solving our national problems to decry Michael Jackson as a “pervert”. Whatever Peter.

And now, the News:

1. Putnam avoids commuter lot fines, but faces residents’ suit
2. Counties’ votes to secede from MTA will play out locally, says Metro-North chief
3. Aqueduct leaks may pose big dangers
4. New Jersey court says towns cannot force developers to provide open space
5. Go Green This Summer: Save Water, Save Money, and Prevent Pollution
6. New York inches closer to offshore wind farm
7. Fighting light pollution

Putnam avoids commuter lot fines, but faces residents’ suit

Barbara Livingston Nackman
bnackman@lohud.com

MAHOPAC – Putnam officials have resolved a state permit issue that could have cost the county a $37,500-a-day fine on a commuter parking lot project off Route 6.

The state Department of Environmental Conservation cited the county for failing to provide information about the construction work before bringing in backhoes and work crews.

It was one more obstacle in Putnam’s efforts to build or upgrade five commuter lots with $3.4 million in federal funds. The new lot for 60 cars at Mount Hope Road in Mahopac will replace leased space at Temple Beth Shalom at Croton Falls Road, county officials said. The other lots have not generated controversy.

The Mahopac project has sparked much community opposition, and 43 residents are suing the county to stop the work.

Read More

Counties’ votes to secede from MTA will play out locally, says Metro-North chief

GOSHEN – Votes by the county legislatures in Rockland and Orange counties to explore pulling out of the MTA region are decisions that are up to those local governments, according to the head of the Metro-North Railroad.

The counties are furious about increased and new taxes imposed on the public and business.

Metro-North President Howard Permut said those moves are up to the counties. “I think those are political decisions that the counties will be exploring and that the pullout would actually be from the MTA,” he said.

Read More

Aqueduct leaks may pose big dangers

Greg Clary
gclary@lohud.com

NEWBURGH – James Simpson looked down at a running stream of water behind the Danskammer power plant and wondered aloud how he could see through it so clearly.

“If this were stormwater runoff, it would be cloudy,” said Simpson, a lawyer with the environmental group Riverkeeper. “It has rained almost every day for a month. Every other stream looks like coffee. And this is cold. Clear and cold sounds like drinking water to me.”

Simpson and concerned residents along the 85-mile Delaware Aqueduct believe the water that has flooded basements and backyards comes from two leaks of as much as 36 million gallons a day of drinking water from the huge underground pipeline.

The water represents a small percentage of the daily flow to the faucets of New York City and the Lower Hudson Valley, but is thought to be the cause of a basketball-court-sized sinkhole that collapsed 10 feet deep less than a quarter-mile from the power plant.

Read More

New Jersey court says towns cannot force developers to provide open space

The state Supreme Court agreed Thursday that municipalities cannot require housing developers to set aside land for open space and recreation, or charge fees in lieu of those improvements to get construction approval.

The Supreme Court upheld a June 2008 ruling by the state Appellate Court that said while open space is laudable, New Jersey land-use law limits municipalities’ authority to require water, sewer, drainage and street improvements and set aside land within planned developments for open space and recreation areas. The ruling did not elaborate on whether builders could sue to get their land or fees back.

While the decision was made about lawsuits filed by the Builders League of South Jersey against Egg Harbor Township and the New Jersey Shore Builders League against Jackson Township in Ocean County, it will affect municipalities and building companies throughout the state.

Read More

Go Green This Summer: Save Water, Save Money, and Prevent Pollution

Save over 30% off the purchase of a rain barrel
Contacts:
Kathryn Swartz, American Rivers, 419-936-3759
Joan Freele, New England Rain Barrel, 781-910-9036

Toledo, OH — Northwest Ohio and Southeast Michigan residents have a great opportunity to save money and water by purchasing discounted rain barrels, thanks to a partnership between American Rivers, the Toledo Stormwater Program, the Rain Garden Initiative of Toledo – Lucas County, and The New England Rain Barrel Company. Rain barrels help residents use water more wisely and reduce pollution in local streams by capturing stormwater runoff.

The rain barrel sale is just one part of the comprehensive approach American Rivers is taking in the Great Lakes region to reduce stormwater runoff and protect clean water. From its office in Toledo, and a soon-to-be-opened office in Milwaukee, American Rivers is working with decision-makers to promote natural stormwater management practices like permeable pavement, rain gardens, and green roofs. These approaches help save money and energy, reduce flooding, and improve water quality.

“We all need clean water, and it’s important that we use water wisely. Rain barrels are an easy way to catch and store rain for watering gardens, shrubs and trees. They also help prevent stormwater from overwhelming our aging sewer systems or flowing over dirty streets and parking lots and polluting local streams,” said Kathryn Swartz, conservation associate for American Rivers. “By catching the rain and reusing it, residents can help the environment and save money at the same time.”

Did you know?
• 40% of the average homeowner’s water use is outdoors.
• 700 gallons of water runs off a 1,200 square foot roof after only one inch of rainfall. Using a rain barrel is an excellent way to conserve some of this water.
• A quarter inch of runoff from an average roof will easily fill a rain barrel. If you have five storms a season, that equals 275 gallons of free water.
• Rain barrel use reduces the stress on municipal water systems during the summer months and improves stormwater management.

Read More

New York inches closer to offshore wind farm

Project has the potential to be the largest of its kind in the U.S.
By Timothy Gardner, Reuters

NEW YORK – Government agencies and power companies said on Wednesday they are gauging interest from developers and manufacturers about building a wind farm about 13 miles off the New York city coast that could end up being the largest such project in the United States.

The Long Island Power Authority, the New York Power Authority, other agencies and Consolidated Edison Inc hope to build the 350-megawatt wind farm off the Rockaway Peninsula in the Atlantic. Potentially, the project could be expanded to 700 MW, giving it a shot of being the biggest U.S. offshore wind farm.

One megawatt powers about 1,000 homes in New York, but wind does not blow all of the time.

Taking stock of the interest of developers is a precursor to issuing a request for proposal for the project which is anticipated for release by the end of the year, the collaboration said.

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Fighting light pollution

The International Dark Sky Association works with cities to curb light pollution.

The International Dark Sky Association (darksky.org), a group of astronomy enthusiasts, nature lovers and anyone else who’s interested in light management, works with cities and towns to curb this excess glow. Their  strategy not only provides more stargazing opportunities, but also improves safety by reducing  blinding glare and  tamping down excess energy use.  Sounds like a wish come true.

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