About this page: We well recognize the importance of newspaper reporting, and we strongly encourage everyone to subscribe to one or more papers. On our NEWS pages we post articles, ads, and news releases that we believe will be of interest, and use, to people in the Town of Claverack and the Village of Philmont. We do this to ensure that everyone can be kept apprised of goings-on, and so they can have an easily accessible means of reading about what's happened and what's been said. In no way can what's posted here fulfill an individual's personal civic duty to keep abreast of the news.

 
 
 
In the news, April '04—June '05:

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New post office could finally be in town's future
By Kate Kirschenheiter, Register-Star, Tuesday, June 28, 2005

CLAVERACK -- At a special public meeting scheduled for 7 p.m. July 11 at the Claverack Justice Court on Route 217 in Philmont, a U.S. Postal Service real estate specialist will present conceptual plans and potential sites for a new post office facility.

The Claverack post office currently resides at the corner of Routes 9H and 23 in the hamlet -- a location that many agree is troublesome at best.

"We've been pressing people to try and get it," Claverack Supervisor James Keegan said Monday. "Before there was a moratorium and I don't know if the moratorium across the county has been lifted or not, but we heard from Congressman [John E.] Sweeney that we got moved along."

According to Keegan, Claverack has been interested in moving the post office for at least 10 years and had even begun the process.

"Last time we did this we set boundaries for where we want it," Keegan said. "That's why we have this public hearing. The boundaries [set last time] were 9H between Old Lane Extension to just south of the present post office and 23 out to about Van Wick Lane."

Regardless of where the boundaries lie exactly, Keegan said that it is the town's desire to keep the post office within the hamlet area, near to where it is currently located.

"Years ago, we worked on two sites," he said. "One was across the street from the Claverack School. We had the plans for that one, but the state Department of Transportation told the owners of the land that they had to put in turning lanes and had to pay for it."

That plan fell through partly because of monetary concerns, Keegan said, adding that the second site was where Mary's Claverack Diner used to stand.

'Those two parcels are now for sale," Keegan said. "We hope to have it on one of those two sites." Both, he added, are within the previous agreed upon boundaries.

Postal Service Real Estate Specialist Paul F. Tyburski will present the conceptual plan, discuss size and potential sites for the new facility and field public comment and questions at the July meeting.

"I know they need about 3,000 square feet for the interior and about 34 parking spots," Keegan said. "It would be nice."

Questions arising prior to the meeting can be directed to Keegan at 518-851-7276 or Claverack Postmaster Lisa Cartolano at the Claverack post office at 518-851-9537.

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Digging in new water district to begin
Register-Star, Tuesday, June 28, 2005

CLAVERACK -- Residents within the town's new water district are advised that digging will begin Wednesday morning on Webb Road for some of the district's water piping, according to Town Supervisor James Keegan.

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Town Board says no to proposed moratorium
By Kate Kirschenheiter, Register-Star, Friday, June 17, 2005

CLAVERACK -- The topic of a moratorium on major subdivisions in the town seems to have come to an end -- at least for the time being.

Town Board this week rejected the idea of a moratorium on new development in the town, citing development guidelines already in effect and the proficiency of the town's Planning Board and Zoning Board of Appeals.

"We will encourage sustainable development guided by policies and practices that integrate economic goals with the objectives of the community well-being and environmental protection," Supervisor James Keegan stated in a press release. "Claverack is still a rural town."

According to the release, there have been no new major subdivisions in Claverack in the last 10 years, though it also noted there are two currently before the board.

Some people have said that those pending subdivisions, which includes a seven-lot subdivision on Old Barrington Road, were the reason that the Neighbors for Claverack group breached the subject of moratoriums.

Group member Carlos Loret de Mola stressed that this is not so. "We're not requesting a moratorium to kill Old Barrington Estates," he said. "Some think that's all we're trying to do."

He further stated that until the Comprehensive Plan Committee has had time to settle in and organize itself, proposing a moratorium would not be appropriate.

"We will pursue this in the future," he said. "We felt as a group that, even though we support a temporary moratorium, we need to give them time. We will wait until they are ready to get going."

Keegan, reached Wednesday for comment, said that he would not be comfortable subjecting current applicants for subdivisions to a moratorium, even if the board had wanted to adopt one.

"We had a moratorium on mining years ago," he said. "I felt morally obligated to the mine that already had its application in. I would feel the same way with Old Barrington."

Spokespeople for the neighbors group were not at the meeting Monday, according to the release, but the board did discuss the moratorium issue before unanimously rejecting the idea.

According to Loret de Mola, there had been a miscommunication between Keegan and the head of Neighbors For Claverack, Richard Cross.

The next Town Board meeting is slated for 7:30 p.m. July 11.

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Republicans choose their candidates
Register-Star, June 11, 2005

CLAVERACK -- Incumbent Supervisor James Keegan was again selected to lead the town's Republican ticket for the upcoming November election at the party's caucus Wednesday night.

"We're looking forward to running a strong, positive campaign," Keegan said in a press release. "We've accomplished a lot in the last four years, including establishment of the water district in the hamlet of Claverack, which was a critical issue for the town."

Also chosen for the slate at the caucus, which drew more than 50 registered Republicans, were incumbents Councilman Bill Blaauw, Town Clerk Mary Jean Hoose, Highway Superintendent Louis Lamont, Assessor Charles Brewer and Town Justice Charles Hoag.

Hoag is currently filling the unexpired term of retired Justice James Sherman.

Hoping to fill the position of longtime Republican Councilwoman Anne Twaddle is Mellenville resident Michael Johnston, who is chairman of the town's Republican Committee and owner of M.H. Johnston Trucking in Philmont.

Philmont Mayor Phillip Mossman chaired the caucus and the candidates were unopposed.

Councilmen James Van Deusen and Clifford Weigelt are not up for re-election until 2007.

"The support is obviously there for us," Keegan said in the release. "The community knows that this year is a critical election for the future of the town. We're going to be very visible and get out and meet new people and our longtime supporters and show them all the things we have accomplished for the town."

Excavation for the water district is expected to begin this fall.

"We are confident that our positive message will translate into votes this November," Keegan said.

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Subdivision hearing postponed, but board discusses proposal
Neighbors for Claverack request SEQRA form
By Kate Kirschenheiter, Register-Star, June 8, 2005

CLAVERACK -- The Old Barrington Road subdivision proposal, which is currently before the town Planning Board, was continued until the July meeting Monday night after the board was notified that the applicants couldn't make the meeting.

Old Barrington Estates is a proposed seven-lot subdivision slated for Old Barrington Road in the town of Claverack.

"The Old Barrington Estates proposal is continued by request to July," said Planning Board Chairman Albert Brouseau Jr.

Tentatively, the July meeting is set for 7 p.m. July 12 at the town office building on Church Street in Mellenville.

Though the Planning Board did not conduct the public hearing on the subdivision that was planned for Monday night, there was some discussion of the proposal.

The recently formed Neighbors for Claverack group, which previously stated that the Old Barrington subdivision proposal was a catalyst in their formation, has requested the State Environmental Quality Review Act form of the project via a Freedom of Information Law submission.

Brouseau said that the form would be available Friday and the Neighbors would have two weeks to gather their concerns and submit it back to the town, giving the estate's developers time to formulate responses.

"The SEQRA form has been available since last November," he commented, but there was no argument that two weeks was not enough time to review it.

Town Attorney Robert Fitzsimmons added that the town's engineer, Joe Romano, had also reviewed the form and had had some concerns himself.

One man in the audience ventured a question, asking the board at what stage within the process the Old Barrington proposal currently was.

"The Planning Board has accepted the application," he said. "They have scheduled the public hearing. The process is the application comes in and is reviewed. If it is accepted, then the public hearing is opened and kept open until all comment is heard. When it is closed, the board reviews the SEQRA and makes a determination. If it is negative, they make a decision on the application."

If the SEQRA turns out as a positive declaration, then the process goes on past this point. But after the initial public hearing, there are no other public comment periods within the process, he said.

He was then asked if the board could move forward with the proposal at the next meeting after hearing the responses to the SEQRA concerns.

"Theoretically they could make a determination," Fitzsimmons said.

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Public workshops to focus on managing growth, open space
By Taitia Shelow, Register-Star, June 4, 2005

COLUMBIA COUNTY -- Democratic committees in Ghent and Claverack have joined forces to present a series of public workshops on various town planning issues.

Upcoming forums in Philmont and Ghent are open to all county residents and are free. The first will be held 2 to 4 p.m. Sunday at the Philmont Village Hall, Maple Avenue and Main Street (above the firehouse).

The second forum will be held 2 to 4 p.m. June 19 at the Ghent Town Hall, Route 66 and Garage Place Road.

The purpose of the forums is to educate the public about how planning is done and about different planning and zoning options. The hope is to also spur residents' interest in helping plan the future of their towns, said Claverack Democratic Chairman George Rodenhausen and Ghent Democratic Chairman John Mesevage.

"The reason we're doing this is really as a public service," Rodenhausen said.

Both Ghent and Claverack have recently begun the process of re-evaluating their town comprehensive plans. Comprehensive plans, or master plans as they are also known, map out a community's vision for future development and other land-use and cultural aspects of a town. The town of Chatham is in the midst of its own comprehensive plan revision.

In recent years, the towns of New Lebanon and Austerlitz have revised their comprehensive plans. Many local towns' plans were last revised in the 1970s or earlier. They did not take into account the rapid growth most Columbia County towns are now experiencing.

Ghent attempted to revise its comprehensive plan about 12 years ago, Mesevage said. The revision was never approved by the Town Board. In the past year, Ghent, like surrounding towns, has been dealing with more development issues. The Town Board issued a six-month moratorium on mining so it could revisit its mining overlay zones, and most recently issued a six-month moratorium on new subdivisions so it could initiate the comprehensive plan process Chatham also passed a six-month subdivision moratorium last year.

The Ghent Democrats are thankful to the Town Board for taking these steps, Mesevage said. "It's just time for Ghent to respond to development pressure in a proactive, loving, caring way," he added.

The Sunday forum in Philmont will feature Katherine Daniels, a senior planner with the New York Planning Federation. The forum will be more like a workshop than a lecture. Rodenhausen said. Daniels will talk about comprehensive plans -- their purpose, uses and how to put them into action -- plus describe a variety of. ways to manage growth and protect open space.

The June 19 forum in Ghent will feature two speakers. James Sheldon, a writer and financial analyst from Gallatin, will talk about his research into the effects of rapid housing development on local property taxes. He will use as an example a 1,300-unit subdivision now proposed in the town of Pine Plains. He will also outline land-use strategies devised by other towns to manage similar development pressures.

The second speaker will be Verlyn Klinkenborg, a part-time Austerlitz resident and member of the New York Times editorial board. Klinkenborg is known for his essays on rural life. Klinkenborg will offer his insight on how towns should navigate the difficult task of comprehensive planning and what way of life citizens should try to preserve in Columbia County.

Both Rodenhausen and Mesevage said its no coincidence that the two town Democratic parties are sponsoring the forums. Although the forums are non-partisan and open to people of any and all parties, both men said they expect land-use planning to be an issue in this year's local elections. The county Democratic Party has made planning an integral part of its platform, Mesevage said.

"Preserving what we have, preserving our open spaces is key to what the Democrats stand for," he said.

Rodenhausen said the two Democratic committees hope to hold more planning forums over the summer and into the fall.

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Board of Supervisors chairman answers the tough questions
By John Mason, Hudson Valley Newspapers, Register-Star, May 15, 2005

ANCRAM -- Thirty years from now, Columbia County Board of Supervisors Chairman Gerald Simons said, the county will have countywide assessments, planning and a comprehensive plan. But at present, the supervisors would never go for that, he said.

"I think there will be more dialog between towns in the future," he said. Now, "too many towns consider themselves islands."

The chairman, accustomed to scenes of high pomp and ceremony, relaxed and revealed his gregarious side for two hours Saturday in the presence, of all people, local Democrats.

Ancram Democrats invited their Republican town supervisor for a public conversation and he accepted. About 15 people attended, including visitors from Claverack, Hillsdale and Canaan.

Moderator Paul Spencer praised Simons' ability to bridge divisions between parties, and his courage in taking controversial stands such as supporting the scenic overlay zone and opposing assault rifles.

The conversation ranged over a wide variety of topics, but by far the greatest amount of time was spent on taxes and assessments.

Economist Larry Salzman of Canaan said the county's municipalities are facing an impending budget crisis because of the reliance on regressive, as opposed to progressive, taxes. Regressive taxes, such as property taxes, tax people's assets, he said; progressive taxes tax their income.

Regressive taxes are making it impossible for older people to keep their homes and for young people to establish themselves in the county, Salzman said. Meanwhile, he said, the average age of Canaan's fire department is 61 on weekdays and 56 on weekends. The way things are going, the county's municipalities will soon have to pay for fire protection, and then budgets will go through the roof, Salzman said.

His answer was to switch to progressive taxes.

Simons agreed with Salzman's assessment of the problem, but he said the income tax idea had problems -- Medicaid is a federal program, not a state program. He suggested instead a 1 percent sales tax to fund Medicaid.

"You'd hurt county business," Salzman said.

"It's got to be statewide," Simons said.

Salzman said he and Canaan Supervisor Gary Flaherty had spoken to Assemblyman Patrick Manning, R-East Fishkill, and found him in agreement with them. He urged Simons to use his position to "try to stir Pat up.

There's no solution under the current situation. Is the purpose of America to drive people out of their homes? That's what we're doing"

"I see a scarcity of money on the federal and state levels," Simons said.But he gave a positive report on the county's fiscal health.

"We're at 44 percent of our taxing limit," he said, referring to a level set by the state based on the "true value" of a town vs. its tax level. Five counties in the state are at their limits, he said, meaning they have to either lay off employees or eliminate programs because they can't raise taxes.

"Erie County laid off 3,000 people," he said.

One area in which Columbia County is in pretty good shape is workers' compensation.

When he started as chairman, that program was $50,000 in the red, he said. Now there's a $3 million surplus. "But that's not enough." He said he'd like to see it at $5 million to $6 million.

Simons said the county kept its tax increase one of the lowest in the state by instituting a mortgage tax. "A half percent on a 20-year mortgage is nothing," he said. "Nobody asks what the mortgage tax is -- everybody asks about property tax."

He said he'd like to see a tax stamp on the sale of a property, like Erie County has. "Two dollars on $1,000 on every property that's sold would help us not to increase property tax on the county level."

Another topic discussed was preservation of open space. In 1975, Simons said, there were 45 farms shipping milk from Ancram. Now there are three or four.

How to preserve the family farm? asked Spencer.

Simons said the sale of the product was the only way.

"When farms are selling for the same price as in 1975, there's something wrong," he said. "It's a great life being a farmer. I don't understand why there has to be a milk cap."

He said his grandparents were farmers.

"There was no money, but there was plenty to eat," he said. "And there were opportunities. There was popcorn every night, because my grandfather grew it and sold it for a dollar a bushel. There were orchards: apples, peaches, plums, grapes. In the back were English walnut trees. We'd pick walnuts, which meant we were having fudge."

Spencer said Red Hook floated a bond to buy development rights in order to decrease development. Could that happen here?

"I could see it, but not now," the chairman said. "On the ballot, it wouldn't pass. Too many would fear their taxes would go up"

Spencer said Pine Plains has more than 1,300 homes before its Planning Board right now. "We could face that in Ancram," He referred to the Community Preservation Act now before state legislators, which would levy a 2 percent tax on the sale of homes to be used by municipalities for the purchase of development rights.

"It could help if the money went to the various towns," Simons said. "So many times I see the money not funneling down to the local governments."Meanwhile, he said, Columbia County will be hit for $500,000 in extra Medicaid costs.

And he said if the bill passed, the largest portion would go to New York City. "What will they buy? Right now of the tax stamp money, 100 percent goes to New York City. I think that's wrong. We get a buck for every transaction. Last year we had three transactions for more than $5 million. That's why I'd like to see some transfer money come to Columbia County."

Doug Clapp, former chair of the town Democrats, spoke of the incredible disparity in standards of living between county residents, from incredible wealth to degrading poverty. He asked whether affordable housing would be a possibility in Ancram. "People have real needs." he said. "How do we deal with these things that require working together on unpopular issues?"

Simons said the only places he sees affordable housing working are those with sewer and possibly water systems, like Greenport and Stockport. But he said he didn't think it would be "politically fatal" support issues like affordable housing, as evidenced by the overwhelming vote in favor of Hillsdale's sewer system in February.

'The people are often ahead of the curve," Spencer said.

Leah Wilcox, a member of the county Planning Board, said she was concerned about the town's declining equalization rate, now down to 80 percent. Simons agreed.

"You'll get away with it this year," he said. "After this year something has to happen" He said the last six sales, the assessed value was only 66 percent of the selling price.

"It's not the assessment that sends the taxes up," Wilcox said. "It's the increases in school and county budgets. The equalization rate makes me nervous"

"It makes me nervous," Simons said. "Someone's going to end up paying a lot of money."

He explained that if the equalization rate is at 100 percent, and the tax rate is $3, and then the equalization rate drops to 50 percent, then the tax rate would go up to $6. "The tax rate is based on the equalization rate," he said.

Cyndy Hall of Claverack asked whether a countywide comprehensive plan would be a possibility. "The towns share certain concerns," she said. "Shouldn't we be thinking about a county comprehensive plan, and include the whole county in a dialog about where we're going, where we should be going?"

Simons said this might be considered in the future, but municipalities weren't ready for it yet.

Wilcox pointed to the cooperation between towns on the scenic overlay zone as an example of intermunicipal cooperation, and Simons agreed this was a promising development. He said he even had to buck his father's opinion on this one.

"My dad was of the old school," he said. "He was a farmer: 'That's my land.' He was never convinced it was the thing of the future, and here we are."

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Supervisors adopt local law increasing employee wages
By Kate Kirschenheiter, Hudson Valley Newspapers, Register-Star, May 13, 2005

COLUMBIA COUNTY -- Unlike many of their counterparts in top county positions, members of the Board of Supervisors and attorneys working for the county will not receive the 3.25 percent pay increase authorized by the first local law of 2005.

The law was adopted by the board on Wednesday.

Other officers and department heads did as was negotiated when the county settled union contracts and set up raise guidelines, according to Board of Supervisors Chairman Gerald Simons, R-Ancram.

"These amount to a 3.25 percent increase in line with the union raises," said Supervisor James Keegan, R-Claverack. "We feel that these department heads deserve a wage increase, and we are confident these are in range"

The annual salaries set, retroactive to Jan. 1, had been discussed in a number of Board of Supervisors committee meetings and are as follows:

* Chairman of the board: S30,000.
* Deputy chairman of the board: $14,500.
* Majority leader: $14,500.
* Minority leader: $14,500.
* Supervisors (20): $12,000.
* County treasurer: $57,956.
* County clerk; $53,289.
* Sheriff: $82,552.
* District attorney: $119,800.
* Coroner (2): $11,203.
* Election commissioner (2): $9,399.
* Clerk of the Board of Supervisors: $49,310.

The board also authorized new annual salaries for non-elected, unclassified service personnel and exempt classified personnel. These are also retroactive to Jan. 1 and are subject to downward revision if the positions are vacated.

They are as follows:

* Commissioner of Social Services: $72,275.
* Director of Real Property Services: $45,760.
* Commissioner of Public Works: $85,078.
* Public defender: $61,950.
* County attorney: $74,340.
* Chairman Civil Service Commission: $9,398.
* Civil Service commissioners (2): $4,947.
* Emergency management director: $9,398.
* Budget officer: $9,341.

The local law also authorizes the Board of Supervisors to increase the salaries of all non-union management personnel not provided for in this local law by 3.25 percent of their 2004 base salaries retroactive to Jan. 1.

The members of the Board of Supervisors and the attorneys were not included in the raise, which is nothing new to the board.

"The board has had no raises for at least 10 years," Simons said Thursday. "I would have to go back into the books to find out when the last raise was."

In other meeting news:

* The board passed a resolution supporting the boundary expansion proposed by the Martin Van Buren National Historic Site, which had been extensively discussed by the board's Tourism Committee in April.

The county supported boundary proposal alternative "c," which includes the historic portions of Van Buren's farm plus four historic scenic setting parcels in the area.

The resolution contains wording that there is no adverse effect to property owners whose property is included in alternative "c" and that they all retain their legal rights to their property under this resolution.

* Passed a resolution to enter into an inter-municipal agreement with the city of Hudson for the transfer of the city of Hudson landfill back to the city for use as a "multi-use public space." The county will acquire the rights to city property that is adjacent to the county Highway Department building on Route 23B as part of the deal.

* Set a public hearing for the proposed local law to establish the Office of the Conflict Defender within Columbia County for 7:10 p.m. June 8. The proposal would create a new department within the county to provide legal representation to indigent individuals and avoid conflicting the public defenders if out of cases.

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http://www.registerstar.com/articles/2005/05/10/news/news03.txt
Town Board asked to adopt moratorium on major subdivisions
By Kate Kirschenheiter, Hudson Valley Newspapers, Register-Star, May 11, 2005

CLAVERACK -- A group of residents who say they believe there has been a large influx of major subdivision developments proposed in the town has asked the Town Board to consider a temporary moratorium -- at least until the Comprehensive Plan Committee has had a chance to revamp the laws.

Last weekend, 22 Claverack residents came together and formed Neighbors for Claverack, a citizen's action group comprised of people who are eager to see the town adopt a moratorium on major subdivisions and preserve the rural quality of the area.

A proposed seven-lot subdivision slated for Old Barrington Road is one reason this group of citizens took action and began the neighbors group, according to one of the principle member, Carlos Loret de Mola.

"That might be one of the catalyst developments simply because it got us going," Loret de Mola said of the Old Barrington subdivision. "We were working with that one developer and things fell through. It woke us up to a larger problem. The focus of this group is going to be the larger problem."

According to Loret de Mola, some Own residents presented an alternate development idea to the Old Barrington developer, but the idea was dropped.

"We presented an alternate plan which was quite nice," he told the Register-Star Tuesday. "Initially they expressed a lot of interest. At the end they said forget it. We took that as a sign that we needed to do something because a lot of developers are coming."

A moratorium on major subdivisions would prevent any developers from coming into the town and building until the moratorium was lifted.

Speaking on behalf of the Neighbors for Claverack at the monthly board meeting Monday night, Richard Cross, a resident of Route 23 in the town, addressed the development issue as well.

"Our point-of-view," a letter he submitted to the board stated, "is that Claverack needs to be on the same playing field as other towns by having equivalent constraints on development today -- not in a year or two -- so that the town does not become a magnet for developers who can't or won't meet building requirements in neighboring towns."

Currently, the town's Comprehensive Plan dates back to the 1970s and at April's Town Board meeting the members of a new Comprehensive Plan Committee were announced.

The seven-member committee is charged with reviewing the old plan and recommending what changes and revisions need to be implemented. At previous board meetings, residents stressed the importance of this committee's job in light of development in the town.

According to Cross, there is no reason why the town shouldn't pass a moratorium to protect its interests in terms of subdivisions. "There is no evidence we know of that the town has much to gain from subdivisions and therefore the town has little to lose by enacting a moratorium on major subdivisions," he said in the letter.

The Neighbors for Claverack requested the following three things from the Town Board Monday night:

* That we be granted a place on the agenda of the next meeting to present facts about what is happening in the town and what might be done about it.

* That we be granted an opportunity to present our case to the Comprehensive Planning Committee.

* That the town sponsor a public forum on a moratorium on major subdivisions so that it can gain the benefit of view from a wide spectrum of Claverack citizens on this critically important issue. Or, in the alternative, that the Town Board approve a moratorium that would require a public hearing, a positive step and a way to judge public sentiment on the development issues, which the town does not now have.

Enid Futterman also heads up the neighbors group and is also concerned about major subdivisions.

"We who love Claverack, as I think we all do, want to see it grow in a way that respects its rural character and agricultural heritage," her letter to the board stated. "But developers, who don't love Claverack, don't even live in Claverack, and won't live in Claverack, are buying land here for one reason. Money.

A petition with 61 names was also submitted to the board by Futterman.

According to Loret de Mola, the Old Barrington Road subdivision, currently a topic for the Claverack Planning Board, is very near to approval.

"They need to just file a couple more papers," he said. "It is very close. Once again, one development is not the end of the world. But we are using them as an example."

In regards to the three requests made by Cross and the Neighbors for Claverack, Supervisor James Keegan said that the board members will gladly hear the group's comments and they will not make a decision on the issue of the moratorium until they have.

"That's why we didn't take a stand last night," Keegan said. "We want to give them a chance to state their case."

As for the request to speak to the Comprehensive Planning Committee, Keegan said it was up to that body whether it would hear the neighbors' presentation. He added he believed they would.

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http://www.registerstar.com/articles/2005/04/25/news/news04.txt
Town's estimate for annual water district fees is revised
By Kate Kirschenheiter, Register-Star, April 26, 2005

CLAVERACK — The shovel just got closer to breaking the ground for Claverack's long-awaited, much-needed Water District 1 after the Town Board passed a resolution Monday night stating that the project, despite cost increases, was still in the best interest of the people.

Those project cost increases have resulted in the estimated annual water bill for a single-family home in the district to increase by $55, from $563 to $618.

Most of the available seating at the Town Hall was occupied for a public hearing Monday at which Clough Harbour & Associates Engineer Matthew Abatto presented a cost analysis for the project.

Abatto touched upon the major contributors to the cost increases, which included changes in the industry and prices of supplies, as well as additions to the project since the map plan report phase.

"The industry itself has seen increases due to increases in rough carpentry and the cost of oil and gas," he said. "There were also a couple of things added to the design." He explained that the map plan report had been developed early on in the design phase and that many things, in particular in respect to Greenport's facilities, had crept up during the processes over the last two years.

Original estimates put the project at $4,067,000 with a 20 percent contingency. Currently the project is expected to cost around $4,720,000 with a 5 percent contingency. That contingency amounts to approximately $200,000 for incidental costs during construction.

According to a fact sheet Abatto handed out to the public, based on the town's median household income, the water district qualified for "financial hardship" and received a $2 million grant through the New York state Drinking Water State Revolving Fund administered by the state Department of Health and the Environmental Facilities Corporation.

The maximum grant amount available to municipalities in the state is $2 million.

The remainder of the project will be funded by a 30-year, no-interest loan totaling $2.72 million, according to the fact sheet.

The $4.72 million does not just include construction-related costs. "This is the capital cost," Abatto said. "Not only does it include construction costs, but also legal and engineering fees."

Delving lightly into the nitty gritty of the numbers, Abatto pointed out some of the major cost increases that drove the project total up by approximately $832,000.

"The biggest increase was the storage tank," Abatto said. "Steel prices have been going through the roof." In the last quarter of last year, he explained, prices had changed twice and then again from December 2004 until April of this year, when the project went to bid.

The cost of the tank rose from $250,000 to a total of $980,000.

Next on the list of contributing factors was a municipal water softener to be housed at the booster pump station on Webb Road. This, however, was a positive additional cost.

This addition was decided upon after it was learned just how hard the water coming from the town of Greenport would be. And it seemed, after hearing the rational for the softener, that the public was happy with the decision.

"No one has to have their own softener in the basement," Abatto stated.

"That cost is beneficial to the public." He added that there was also the additional cost of expandingthe size of the booster pump station to accommodate the softener.

Other added costs since the original estimate were directly related to the town of Greenport. Originally it was thought that Claverack would be able to redevelop one of Greenport's existing wells for use in the new water district.

"It became apparent that they were not going to allow that," Abatto said; which meant that Claverack had to drill and design a brand new well and it amounted to about $80,000 in additional costs.

That new well led to a new generator, another cost. As was a vault to house a master water meter, which originally Claverack wanted to put in the booster pump station, but was required to house it on the town line between Claverack and Greenport—a $20,000 cost.

Prompted by water district resident Vincent Wallace, a quick calculation put a total of improvements to Greenport facilities at about $265,000.

How all this would impact the general water user was also touched on at the public hearing. According to estimates by Clough Harbour, the average single-family home would pay $618 per year, as opposed to the earlier estimate of $563.

Annually, users would pay for the repayment of the no-interest loan, plus the costs of operation and maintenance, and the purchase of water from Greenport. It was in the debt repayment that users saw the increase; from $174 to $229 a year for the average, single family using 75,000 gallons per year.

Overall, this means a cost increase of $55 a year for the average user, or about $4.50 a month.

But despite all the cost increases, the project has many benefits on top of the municipal softener. "The biggest benefit of the project is the district will have a safe and reliable water system, run by the town of Claverack," Abatto said. "There will also be great fire protection capabilities; this water is not just for potable uses such as showering."

Other benefits include a suspected decrease in fire insurance rates, by approximately $30 to $50 a year within the water district, and increased market value of homes within the district.

After Abatto's presentation, Supervisor James Keegan spoke briefly on just how many areas had been looked at for the water district, and how the costs had not so far exceeded fathomable expectations.

The resolution adopted by the Town Board Monday is subject to a permissive referendum.

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Debate flares over secrecy
By: JULIE SEDLOCK, The Independent, April 20, 2004

CLAVERACK—Tensions that have simmered here since the all-Republican board held fast against an emerging Democratic opposition last fall came to a boil at last week's board meeting.

The flashpoint was Supervisor James Keegan's announcement that the board had decided to locate the new water tower off of Old Lane Road, apparently in violation of the state Open Meetings Law.

The news re-ignited an issue at the heart of the campaign mounted unsuccessfully by Democratic challengers last fall: the lack of open meetings and public involvement in town decisions.

Recounting her view of the encounter after the meeting, town resident Katy Cashen described the April 12 board session until the announcement of the tower as "a straightforward meeting." The two major points of business were presentations from the Center for Municipal Solutions, which has offered to assist the town in regulating cell towers and wireless facilities, and from the organization that plans to establish a group home in a house across from old Ockawamick School.

But after the supervisor Water Committee report, tempers flared. The report focused mostly on the town's search for a location for the new water district's pump station. According to accounts from several audience members, Mr. Keegan was ready to move on when Cindy Hall raised her hand to ask about the water tower. In response, Mr. Keegan said that the tower would be placed on a plot of land off Old Lane Road donated by Richard Kosky.

At the previous month's meeting Mr. Keegan presented two options for tower locations, so it came as a surprise to some residents that a final decision had been made. According to resident Tim Legg, when he first asked why the Old Lane Road site was chosen over the other option—the state's Brookwood Secure Center—Mr. Keegan reportedly told him that the decision was based on the engineer's recommendation but provided little explanation of the reasons behind the recommendation.

Mr. Legg continued questioning, seeking more information about how the decision was made. Several other audience members soon joined in the questioning, and according to several accounts, the board responded with what the audience members said were inconsistent and confusing answers. "I asked four times and got four different answers about who made this decision," said Max Dannis. Mr. Dannis ran for a seat on the Town Board last fall.

Following the meeting, Mr. Keegan attributed the confusion to Councilman Kippy Weigelt, who Mr. Keegan said had misspoken in saying the Water Committee made the decision. "He was wrong, and he tried to say he was wrong," said the supervisor. Mr. Keegan said what Mr. Weigelt had described as the Water Committee was in fact a meeting held at the Old Lane site attended by Mr. Weigelt, Mr. Keegan, Town Engineer Gary Stewart and Councilman Blaauw. During that meeting, Mr. Stewart made his recommendation based on the site's elevation.

Max Dannis then asked why this meeting wasn't open to the public and whether there were minutes from this meeting. He went on to question the validity of the meeting under the state Open Meetings Law. At that point, Mr. Keegan "stood-up, pointing his finger at Max Dannis and yelled, 'That's it, no more questions, end of discussion,'" according to Ms. Cashen.

Mr. Keegan explained his outburst by saying that the audience "just kept£ going on, and I thought: That's enough. I have open session at the beginning, then I like to get on with the meeting."

It was this explosive moment that seemed to embody the crux of the issue for residents such as Mr. Legg, Mr. Dannis and Ms. Cashen. Mr. Legg said it is "frustrating to work with Mr. Keegan because it never feels like you're being heard; [with regard to the water tower,] they never asked residents for their feedback....Questions are sort of dismissed. [It's as if] they are trying to stifle conversation."

Mr. Dannis expressed a similar concern when he said, "I can't believe how dead they are to ideas and consideration" of the community's point of view.

Link to In the news: Current

Link to In the news: Dec. 2005—Feb. 2006

Link to In the news: November 2005

Link to In the news: October 2005

Link to In the news: July—September 2005

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