Month of November...
Election fraud charged in Tusten
Our Friend Carol has brought our attention to an article in the Times Herald Record "Election fraud charged in Tusten". It's a very interesting read.
CmdrChaos
Forum at Sullivan West 11/7/07:
The event was put on by the new Supt Dr. Hilton ...he mentioned that there is a perception that the School district has conducted their business without informing or consulting with the community ( Very true). So he is looking to include us, and inform us. So his powerpoint presentation detailed the declining school enrollment figures for our District, and other districts in Sullivan County. Apparently declining enrollment is mostly the norm, nationwide and in Sullivan..as a result of changing demographics. He then powerpointed out our assets, along with their pluses and minuses...ie, new high school, and its lawsuits and uncompleted athletic fields, the two unoccupied buildings, and their inevitable deterioration...plus the unused garages, and materials apparently stored all over the place.
He then opened the floor for discussion of options, solutions, questions, etc. In the audience were school board members Noel Von Swol, Shaun Sensiba, and Angela Daley...I think Rose Grotty was there , but I don't know what she looks like (I'm also not familiar with other members who might have been there).
Lots of questions about the various details and problems of the high school, and then someone proposed leasing the high school out as a hi tech computer center, and reopening the closed schools...then another man expressed his opinion that the elementary students should attend their local schools until 8th grade and then attend high school at the Jeffersonville campus. I piggybacked his comments, telling the group that Narrowsburg residents are very committed to using their school as a school, and I suggested adding a preschool component, as well as K-8. I asked why we never saw the results of the work of the Community Advisory group, who has done lots of brainstorming on this very issue. His response to me, the guy before me, and anyone who spoke about reopening the closed schools, was to say " it will cost you" Also, he did say that changing the grade structure was quite possible, ie we don't have to have a Middle School, and all its administrative costs.
Just my impression, but it was like he was equating getting rid of these "assets" the closed schools, as saving money, and using them as costing money. He was very nice, and began to acknowledge the human cost to the families and the kids in the elementary grades who were being bused long distances. Shaun Sensiba asked good questions, and VonSwol thanked Dr. H. for opening up the process. From the audience, I was hearing lots of people saying they will be at the next forum, in a way that suggested that they had a lot more to say.
I added that I thought the high school was wonderful, but its successs were not due to what building they were in, but was due to the students and the teachers...that they could continue to create a great high school in whatever building they were in. Dr. H. then closed the meeting. It was before 9:00P.
I'll try to keep some information flowing to the website on the school issues, since they are so critical to the town of Tusten. so remember to visit yourtownboard.org. And if there is information you want posted, please send me an E-mail. I hate to admit it, but I'm very new to the school district issues. the more input the better.
By Major Chaos
Town Board Meeting 11/12/07:
There was a public hearing at 7:00PM, prior to the Board meeting at 7:30PM, to invite public comment on the change in Town Zoning Law 4.15.5. This change returns the review of non conforming project to the Zoning Board of Appeals (these projects have been sent to the Planning Board). The only audience at that time were Chris and I, and I asked about the procedure that an applicant would be told to follow in getting a project approved. Dave Sparling, the Code Enforcement Officer, responded, saying that he gives applicants a list of what to do and where to go to get a building permit. He said that in all other towns where he has worked, non conforming projects go to the Zoning Boards. This is a long overdue correction.
The regular meeting followed the usual agenda. In correspondence, was the letter from Planning Board Chair Ed Jackson, expressing the Planning Board's unanimous rejection of the Adler/Feagles Lake Planned Unit Development proposal (see Planning Board's Oct, 07 meeting).
It was decided to open an account at Catskill Hudson Bank, in addition to the one the town has at the First Nat'l Bank of Jeff. they are dropping Bank of America, due to $100 a month charge for inactivity, which the others don't charge.
There was another discussion of increasing the fees paid by residential and commercial builders to the Building Department. Tusten's rates are a lot lower and the Code Enforcement Officer wants to raise them gradually, so his department is self supporting. Ben Johnson repeated his desire to have a time limit on commercial permits, with penalties for not completing commercial projects in a reasonable time. Dave S. agreed to bring new fee schedules to the Board for their approval at next meeting.
The 2008 budget was adopted without comment or questions from the public. There were quite a few people at the meeting, including Nancy DeSantos, Chuck Hoffman, and Lisa Dowling. It was decided that the final Board meeting for 2007 will be held on Dec 28, 2007, Friday, at 6:30PM...this is a short meeting, which the Board is required by law to have. I'm not sure of its purpose.
Regarding the Environmental Council, Ben announced that 5 or 6 applications have been received, and will be reviewed for discussion at the Town Board's regular December meeting on December 10, 2007. Then a motion was passed approving the Zoning Law change to 4.15.5.
During Public Comment, good questions were asked about various aspects of town business, expenditures, etc. I brought up the Sullivan West Forum on 11/7/07, which I attended, and urged the Board and audience to show up on 11/29/07 for the next forum, since so much concern has been expressed about the Narrowsburg School building. I asked Carol Wingert for a copy of the study done by the Community Committee and she is helping me find same. ANYONE who has a copy of these recommendations (the ones we never got to vote on) please let me know. I'd also like to know if there is anyone who might be interested to covering the School Board meetings for this website.
The Board adjourned to an Executive session to discuss replacement for the town bookeeper and the purchase of a laser printer for the bookeeper.
By Major Chaos
Planning Board Meeting 11/19/07
There were no new projects on the agenda, Attending were Tony Ritter, ZBA chair, Dave Sparling, Code Enforcement Officer, and Chris and I.
Correspondence included a letter to Adler/Feagles Lake stating that the Board opposes the development as presented, and opposes changes to zoning, and directs him to proceed under existing zoning law.
Ed Jackson invited Dave S. to the meeting to talk about stuff he feels should be addressed as the Town begins to revise its zoning laws to bring them into alignment with the Comprehensive Plan. It was an interesting discussion.
Dave's main goal is to raise Building Permit fees. He presented copies of the process of obtaining building permits ... leading to the issuance of of Certificate of Occupancy (C of O) ..Dave then advises the Tax Assessor, because when Cof O is issued, taxes increase. There is abuse here in that people delay completion , and sometimes live in the building during the summer, without C of O..When a building permit expires in two years, the process has to start from scratch. The Board generally feels OK about increasing the fees, which will remain well below other nearby towns.
Other areas Dave felt needed to be addressed included:
Wind and Communication towers. Tusten is in negotiation with a cell tower company that works with municipalities, and the tower will go on land that belongs to the Town (where the Town Barn is on RT 97) and therefore the fact that it is R2 zoning, which does no allow cell towers does not matter ...This company has to find a tenant..ie Verizon or Cellular One, and the Town MUST put its own stuff on the tower. Dave feels residential wind technology is coming. We are not in a good area for wind farms.
Outdoor Furnaces....Dave recommended that they be restricted to R-1 and R-2 zones, where minimum acreage is three acres. Need to have specific guidelines in zoning book.
Ridgelines....the consensus of this group was that people should be allowed to put a house anywhere they want, including the ridgelines. Tony talked about the value of the view, and Chris talked about taking the value away from the neighboring homes. In the eyes of everyone but Chris and I, ridgelines are for building...its only the "how" that is under discussion, ie siting, architecture, tree cutting, etc. Ed brought up all the great rules in the deed restrictions at Eagles Nest, which will only be enforced (or not) by a non existent homeowers association. No way for Code Enforcement to enforce. That really needs to be addressed.
Trailers ... apparently we have some excellent specifications in the zoning book, which have not been followed in the past, and which Dave is now trying to backtrack and deal with.
There's more. Lots of technical stuff. Dave was very informative. The plan is that beginning in January ...a group of town officials will meet possibly every two weeks to agree on changes to the Zoning Code. It was suggested that a neutral person be involved and Dr. Pammer from Sull Co Planning was mentioned. I mentioned the people on the Comp Plan Committee, and Lisa Dowling said there was enough "overlap" ie herself, Michael, Ken,, Ed, Ben...No mention of anyone from the proposed Environmental Council, which of course doesn't exist yet. The procedure is for the Town Supervisor to send letters to Planning and Zoning Board chairs to get the ball rolling.
The meetings will be open to the public, but public comment will be reserved for Public Hearings. These meetings will determine what zoning law we will, or will not, have to protect property values, and open space, and flood plains, and ridgelines from the pressures of development. They are incredibly important.
By Major Chaos