This article appeared in the Townsman, June 12 2008 edition
A number of residents came to the June 10 meeting of the Woodstock town board to speak against a resolution written but not offered by councilman Chris Collins to “prohibit any changes, improvements and alterations of any kind to the Comeau property” until such time the conservation easement on the property authorized in a 2003 referendum is upheld by the courts. Collins’s reasoning was “changes, improvements, and alterations may jeopardize the present litigation, generate more litigation or jeopardize any possible agreement with a land conservancy.” Unable to provide any back up for his assertions, in fact a letter from Kevin Smith, president of the Woodstock Land Conservancy, appeared quite contradictory, Collins sat quietly as supervisor Jeff Moran read several letters of protest and opened the floor for comment.
A letter from Damian DeLisio, who is very involved in children’s soccer, expressed the urgent need for expanded parking as the present situation won’t allow access by emergency vehicles in case of accidents on the soccer field. He also cited lack of shelter for children and parents during surprise thunderstorms and the complete lack of sanitary facilities. Tim Rands, speaking from the floor, wondered aloud what “constituency” Collins was talking to, and suggested he “talk to some of the kids who play soccer” before petrifying the property. Kristin Eberhard urged the board to be more receptive to the changing needs of kids and community.
Discussion of the Collins resolution was entwined with two resolutions, written but not offered by Moran, calling for the enlargement of the Comeau upper parking lot and creating parking spaces along the road. On these proposals councilman Jay Wenk expressed his support for the soccer community, but with respect to more parking he commented, “I don’t see why they can’t carpool.” Paul Shultis Jr., member of the planning board, pointed out the inconsistency of councilwoman Liz Simonson’s support last year for the installation of a storage shed for the soccer players, which violated the terms of the draft easement, and her lack of support for enlarged parking which is in keeping with the document.
It was finally decided to await the report from the Comeau Users Group, and ad hoc committee, before making any decision on either of the Moran and Collins resolutions.
Another spirited discussion arose from the supervisor’s decision to charge for parking in the municipal on the days of the Farm Festival, and his offering of a resolution to make his action policy. Simonson criticized his unilateral action, opposed his resolution, and went further to ask, “Why is every thing a cash cow?” She felt the supervisor’s action was directed at the Farm Festival, and claimed that the villages of Saugerties and Rhinebeck offered free parking for their farmers markets. Susan Goldman, a Farm Festival representative, thanked the supervisor for revising his resolution from and earlier draft that stated the costs of the festival to Woodstock taxpayers (stated to be approximately $6000), and went on to oppose the supervisor’s action to collect fees. Moran explained that the Town was headed toward a budget crunch what with the dramatic decline in mortgage tax receipts. He also stated that encouraging visitors to the town incurs costs, and that “anytime we can relieve the taxpayers of an expense it is our obligation to do so.” Councilman Jay Wenk suggested the town charge for parking at the Mountain View parking lot, but several persons pointed out that parking lot receives little traffic. Simonson suggested fees be raised for building permits to offset any shortfall. The matter was tabled.
The villages of Saugerties and Rhinebeck are incorporated, and unlike Woodstock which has no incorporated villages, town wide taxpayers do not pick up the costs for their farmers markets.
Prior to the above discussions the public portion of the meeting had begun at the Community Center at 7:35 PM after the town board met in executive session to interview a candidate for the Commission of Civic Design and to discuss a lawsuit against Leslie and Peter Lane, a Wittenberg family with an alleged zoning violation.
The supervisor asked tennis players and gardeners that use the Andy Lee Field facilities to obtain passes at the town clerk’s office so that they would be allowed on the property during the summer recreation program for young children. He also advertised the availability of free parking stickers for residents, also available at the town clerk’s office.
Town historian Richard Heppner, with Historical Society member Weston Blelock made a brief presentation, announcing that grants from the New York State Council of the Arts enabled strategic planning for the museum on the Comeau property, and resources to prepare the facility for exhibits, the first on which will be “The Changing Face of the Village of Woodstock Over 100 Years, which will open around July 1. They also got a nod from the board supporting their request for funds to offset the costs of a historic marker to be placed in front the Church On The Mount, which celebrates the Eastern Rites of the Catholic Church and has been owned by the Town since gifted to it back in the ‘70s. Mr Blelock informed the board that a panel including Jean Young, Micheal Lang, Paul McMohan and former town supervisor Jeremy Wilber will meet at the Colony Café on August 9 to discuss the “roots of the 1969 Woodstock festival.” Alan Chartock will moderate.
With a very ambitious agenda ahead of them, the room reacted very positively to councilwoman Terrie Rosenblum’s resolution to end the meeting by no later than “around 10:00 PM,” which carried unanimously.
Wenk was given the floor to advance, once again, his nine-point proposal for setting the agenda for town board meetings. He was met with an energetic lecture from resident Greg Stanton, who received loud applause from the room when he compared the deliberative process of many other communities with “your adolescence, your misuse of process,” and declared he was “appalled by the subversion of the role of the supervisor.” Very tepid discussion among the board ensued, finally ending after forty-five minutes in an agreement to try better to respect each other’s wishes with regard to setting the agenda.
A resolution requiring board members and employees of the town to “coordinate with the supervisor before contacting…consultants,” which Moran introduced after citing legal bills run up by board members (Rosenblum excepted). This was tabled after an agreement to make the practice more transparent to other board members.
Jason Neil was appointed to a permanent position as Youth Program Assistant. Barbara Yusko’s resignation from the Commission for Civic Design was accepted, the town board adding its thanks for her service.
The supervisor held a meeting earlier in the day with the task force created by the town board on June 3 comprised of members of the planning board, environmental commission and other individuals, which is looking for funding for a town-wide bio-diversity study estimated to cost approximately $140,000 and also working on a grant with a June 27 deadline for up to $60,000 from the New York State Estuary program to be used toward such cost. He then offered a resolution authorizing the task force to seek funding, which passed unanimously.
Rosenblum reminded people that there is a pesticide notification law, and to be aware of it even if one is going to engage professional services on their property.
Other small bits of business were conducted, and the meeting adjourned at approximately 10:15.
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