Woodstock Town Board Meeting April 15, 2008 Part 2

This article appeared in the Townsman, April 24 2008 edition

Woodstock, April 15 2008

The April monthly meeting of the Woodstock town board began with supervisor Jeff Moran's suggestion to widen the road to the town offices to accommodate additional parking, and also to surface and stripe the upper Comeau parking lot. These measures, he stated, are necessary to maintain a safe environment, particularly when children’s soccer games are played and create chaotic parking conditions.

Councilwoman Liz Simonson was "anecdotally" aware of the situation, but suggested that before any action the Town should perform a "needs assessment" and collect data. Supervisor Moran offered her the task. Simonson suggested the town board first agree on a "protocol" for the needs assessment. Councilman Wenk and Simonson agreed to work on such protocol. Minutes from the March 11 meeting, approved later in the meeting, quote Simonson saying with regard to the Comeau parking, "we need more [parking] space."

Supervisor Moran reported a snag in the $186,000 sale of the California Quarry property to the Open Space Institute. OSI objects to his demand to adjust the subdivision lines drawn up in 2007 so as to allow the Town to take quarry rubble from a portion of the property that had been slated for conveyance. Moran feels that the material may be needed for emergency repairs, citing the 2006 floods that washed out some town roads. There were no stated objections to the supervisor's position.

The supervisor also reported an estimate of $35,000 to update the Town's computer hardware. To defray the unanticipated cost he cited savings in the budget line for computer technical assistance, and there was also a suggestion to use money originally appropriated for an energy efficient vehicle. No decision was made on the matter.

Paul Shultis Jr., representing the Skate Park Building Task Force appointed by the town board for the purpose of recommending "optimum design of the proposed multi-use recreational facility at Andy Lee Field," in a preliminary report indicated that poor soil conditions would require the approximately 10,000 square foot enclosed structure to be built on piers. Questions as to whether the building would be metal or wood, and if solar energy panels would be included were undecided. The exact location of the proposed building on Andy Lee field is not yet determined, nor the visual impact, funding sources, and insurance costs. In response to a neighbor contiguous to the existing outdoor skate park the town board agreed to a "blind" sound test of the existing facility and to consider adjusting hours for its use.

The supervisor then called for subcommittee reports.

Simonson reported, as she has since January, that she still has not converted the data collected for the Sawkill study into electronic format, nor has she submitted the paperwork to the state for reimbursement. The $15,000 grant has so far cost the Town $15,225, minus a partial reimbursement of $2596 received in June 2007. The townships of Ulster and Kingston have already backed out of paying a share toward the grant, which expired at the end of '07. Her monthly report on 'green fleet,' the project she took on just prior her re-election in 2005 to investigate purchase of less polluting vehicles for the Town's fleet still had no recommendations (Simonson voted with the rest of the board at its March 11 meeting to purchase conventionally fueled vehicles totaling approximately $100,000).

In an interesting twist considering Simonson had led the charge in 1998 to prohibit a personal wireless (cell phone) service on the so-called Moncure tower at the top of Overlook Mountain, she distributed to the board a report prepared by Ken Panza that looks favorably on the prospect of mounting such a service on the existing 300 foot tower (the so-called RNN tower, although it is now controlled by a different interest) near the Moncure facility. The Panza study indicates the tower may provide cellular service to the western areas of the town not served by the cell tower on California Quarry. The Town's land use attorney, Drayton Grant is in discussion with town officials on the matter.

Councilman Collins again reported progress with amendments to the zoning law protecting the town's aquifer and wetlands. With regard to the Comprehensive Plan Collins still had no product based the report made by professional planner, Kathy Daniels, who the Town paid $500.00 to study the document that had been drafted in 2000. In that report, received more than a month ago, Ms Daniels cites numerous deficiencies with the draft plan.

The Town has apparently been somewhat successful in persuading many residents near the municipal wells to replace or upgrade their underground oil tanks. Data provided by Councilman Wenk indicate there were at one time at least 55 underground tanks 25 years or older. The older tanks are now reduced to 14, and appear to be concentrated on Overlook Drive. Wenk didn't say what his next step would be to address these remaining tanks. Wenk, also acting as liaison to the Senior Recreation Committee, criticized New York State for impeding a plan initiated in an Orange County community which would allow senior citizens to work for the town up to 100 hours a year at $8.00 per hour to help pay their property tax. "What happened to home rule?" he asked.