Month of June...



Town Board meeting 6/9/08 2008


The Board consisted of Carol W. , Eileen F. Lisa D. Ben Johnson Supv. Lou Meckle, Kathy M. and Barbara B., Deputy Supv.


Routine business was conducted. Correspondence included: UDC...Technical Assistance Grants, application due July/Aug, and mention was made to use for Zoning Updates NYRI powerline ....NYRI is requesting a waiver, absolving them of their requirement to come before local Planning Boards, According to Sull Co Planning, it is important for towns to deny this waiver, and Tusten will go along with this.


Under New Business:
NYS Retirement workday schedule.....appears that the Supt of Highways must account for his hours in order to participate in this retirement fund. A system for reporting this is being devised. This speaks to the Supv arguement that we need an appointed Supt of Public Works because the elected Highway Supt did not have to account for his hours.


Under Old Business:
Dept of Public Works. Job Descriptions were given to the Board, for Supt of Public Works, and Deputy Supt of Public Works. As the Board began to read them, the public got very bored and they recessed.


IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENT.....
Special Town Board Meeting on Tues June 24, at 7:00PM for the Board to discuss the Town of Highland's action to enact a moratorium. this is not a public hearing, but is open to the public, to observe. It would be at the Supv discretion how much comment would be allowed. If you have strong feeling about enacting a moratorium to prevent the issuance of gas drilling permits until the Town has more time to review its liability, and protect itself, call or write to Ben Johnson, Town Supv. or come to the meeting.


Change of vote:
Board member Carol Wingart changed her vote on a previous motion which had something to do with tax exempt properties, specifically the Gurdjieff Foundation. The supv was not prepared to share what that was all about. Her vote was made in an executive session. All agreed that the NYS Legislature should be petitioned to clarify the law governing tax exempt properties and the Board wlll pass a resolution to that effect.


By Major Chaos


Planning Board meeting 6/19/08


Board consisted of Michael E. Shorty Strumpler, Georgia Campfield, Ed Jackson, Ken Baim, Dick Crandall, and seretary Amy Lohmann


Minutes approved


Correspondence was reviewed.
Trainings discussed.
The Sklar property is still up in the air, with the property owner in denial that he needs to get approval for a subdivision if he divides his land.


Most of the meeting was devoted to a discussion of gas drilling. Ed Jackson said he has changed his thinking on it, from being happy to sign a lease, to referring to the whole thing as "scary" He reported to other board members details from the Highland meeting regarding a moratorium, and suggested the Planning Board send a letter to the Town Board expressing that they are in favor of a moratorium. This motion carried unanimously with one abstention by alternate Georgia Campfield, who had signed a lease. She said she believed that the DEC would protect her from abuses.


By Major Chaos


Town of Highland meeting regarding moratorium on gas drilling June 3, 2008


Bill Pammer, head of Sullivan Co Planning was there, as well as Kathy LaBuda, legislative rep. The Town Board of Highland, and an audience of 20 to 30 people.


Highlights:
Their lawyer said local towns are precluded from preventing drilling via codes (zoning law). If town codes do not address drillin, not much you can do. If their are zoning laws on the books, you could move to prevent...no towns have contested it as yet.


DEC issues a permit whose "provisions shall supercede local laws."..except roads. Therefore, towns can obtain bonds to cover road repair...Can towns impose weight limits????


Their lawyer has prepared a moratorium which he described as a 4 month cooling off period. It would not prevent people from signing leases. It would say "no activities or applications" The town would have to present a plan as to how they would use the moratorium period, ie public hearings, public presentations, and so forth. The lawyer also said they want the gas companies to come before the public and explain what they do, how they do it, what chemicals they use, etc. Their Town Supervisor said its about "property rights vs. spillover effects" and was especially concerned about horizontal extraction, which would allow drilling and extraction on someone elses land without their permission.


Pat Carullo from Damascus Citizens did his talk, and also said a Federal Court ruled against the exemption from the Clean Water Act and referred to NRDC media section.


Dr. Pammer pointed out that there are 3 DEC inspectors to monitor 100,000 or more acres. Heather Jacksy, County Planner, pointed out that the County does not have good aquifer maps. How does this affect leases?


Lots of pro/con discussion....Beaver Brook Hunt Club and Eldred Preserve are in negotiation. Citizens asked about eminent domain. Can gas companies cross their land without permission?


It was pointed out that local towns have responsibility to protect public health and safety, Can a Town Board be held liable if they fail to do this? Lots of questions about liability, and insurance. Lots of questions, and little if any opposition to a moratorium from this group.


Where it stands now....the Town of Highland will have a Public Hearing and will put forward a motion to declare a moratorium. They will also hold a Public Forum. The DEC will come to a meeting held by the County and all town supervisors will attend. Highland's next meeting will be on Tues June 24, and, as noted above, Tusten will hold a meeting on this topic on the same night, at 7:00PM in Tusten Town Hall.


By Major Chaos