Uh good evening folks. Uh welcome to the
town board of the town of Red Hook Town
Board meeting Tuesday, August 11th,
2026.
Would I kindly request that you join me
in the pledge of allegiance, please?
I pledge allegiance to the flag of the
United States of America and to the
republic for which it stands, one nation
under God, indivisible, with liberty and
justice for all.
» Thank you. Good evening. And uh Suzanne,
if you would be kind enough to head over
to the big screen so we can show the
folks at home what we'll be what what
we'll be discussing tonight. Uh we're
going to start off with uh as we always
do for the first meeting of the month,
the supervisor's report. That's a
financial snapshot at any given moment.
Uh the clerk's report as well. Tonight
we have a public hearing on a topic that
has been uh the matter of several uh
agendas and meetings and that's the uh
acquisition and disposition of water
district surplus lots over in the Lynen
Acres subdivision and the potential to
acquire them with the town's community
preservation fund uh programming.
And uh we will have a public comment. I
might make a slight suggestion tonight
that we take public comment after I
agenda item number one. Um because
that'll be a segue right into that
agenda item which is uh the discussion
of potential resolution to authorize the
sale of those surplus properties in the
water district. Um and then we'll take
public comment and then resolutions
authorizing uh the sale of surplus items
in the highway department. We're going
to uh put one item up for auction and we
are going to sell uh old van to uh red
oak billing.
We then have a resolution authorizing
the town clerk to advertise a request
for seal bids for the purchase of ice
control abrasives asphalt and various
materials. We do this each year, highway
materials. Um we're going to discuss the
bond resolution. You'll notice there are
lengths in the bond resolution because
it's not ready yet for prime time. Um
we're going to continue some discussion
on that aspen wall bridge. Um some good
news related to that and decide whether
or not we want to consider some
alternative materials. If not, then we
can go ahead and uh fill in and prepare
resolution for a subsequent meeting. Um
we have uh the annual uh auditor uh
results and so we have our draft
resolution to accept those audits.
Uh number six uh we had um we had to do
an emergency uh replacement of the roof
in the annex here in the building and we
had to take off the solar panels. we're
about to put them back on and the solar
developer uh basically said, you know,
they're quite old, 13 years. You might
want to consider putting half as many um
on there and they produce the same
amount of uh energy and you would have
newer panels and safer um installation.
So, we're going to take a look at that.
Um we if you uh recall a couple years
ago we got a grant for a drinking water
source protection plan too. Um and so we
developed that plan and that plan was
finalized by the state bill help me
remember maybe a year ago
>> a little less than a year ago. Um we're
now at the uh point at which uh we're
going to take some next steps which is
the implementation of the plan. So often
times you hear us talk about plans and
we're taking action related to a plan
that was adopted either recently or
several years ago. Um this is that
process now where we're taking the
second step which is implementation.
Um we're going to continue discussion.
We had a request for a cannabis expo um
over at Greg Farm and so we got some
additional information uh right away. by
the way, um we've requested from upstate
fines. And then uh Diana's going to talk
to us for a moment uh near the end of
the meeting about uh voluntary shelter
contributions
on dog license applications. This is a
fairly new thing through Agon Markets as
of last year, I believe, if I'm not
mistaken.
And so that's what we have uh for
tonight's uh meeting. We've got some
correspondence. And uh with that being
said, apologies for being about 3 or 4
minutes late on the public hearing. And
Diana, would you be kind enough to uh
read the notice for tonight's
uh public hearing and we'll start with
that. We'll come back for the
supervisor's report, clerk's report.
Notice of public hearing regarding
disposition of town of Red Hook Water
District number one surplus lots and
acquisition under the town's community
preservation fund program. Please take
notice that a concurrent public hearings
will be held by the town board of the
town of Red Hook on August 11th, 2026 at
7:35 p.m. local time at the town hall
7340 South Broadway, Red Hook, New York,
pursuant to town law section 1981 to
hear all interested persons regarding
the disposition of vacant properties
described below by the Town of Red Hook
Water District. Number one, the parcels
described below are owned by the town on
behalf of the town of Red Hook water
district number one water district and
are proposed to be declared as surplus
property unnecessary for the water
district purposes. The proposed ter
terms of sale are to be based on the
estimated fair value of the water
district parcels as determined by the
town board on the basis of an appraisal
with receipts to be credited to the
water district. Please take further
notice that a concurrent public hearing
will be held at such time, date, and
place pursuant to town's community
preservation fund program to hear all
interested persons regarding the
acquisition of an interest or right in
real property to preserve open space
pursuant to section 247 of the general
municipal law regarding the properties
described below. The town proposes to
purchase the parcels for purposes of
preservation of open space including
protection of wetlands. The parcels are
collectively up collectively
approximately 8.55 acres and are
identified on applicable applicable tax
maps as Aspen Mall circle
134889-6273-13-182357
approximate acreage per tax map 3.2 2
assessed value 6 $60,100
47 Albi Road 134889-627313186379
2 acres 577
Aspen Mall Road 134889-627313188303
1.80 80 acres approximate $60,100
12 Chestnut Street 134889-627313214377
63 acres $34,800
Aspen Wall Road 134889-627313156333
9.92
acres $39,500.
All interested all interested persons
will be given an opportunity to be heard
in person or by directing comments in
writing to the town board, 7340 South
Broadway, Red Hook, New York. All
reasonable accommodations will be made
for persons with disabilities. In such a
case, please notify the town clerk in
advance so that arrangements can be
made. Please take further notice that
copies of materials connected with this
proposal are available for review at the
town at the office of the town clerk at
the Red Hook Town Hall, 74340 South
Broadway, Red Hook, New York. By order
of the town board of the town of Red
Hook, dated June 24th, 2026. Diana
Cochran, Town Clerk,
Town of Red Hook.
>> Thank you, Deanna. Appreciate that. Um
many of you I think have been uh here at
previous meetings so you know uh the
area that we're discussing but in case
you haven't been um we're talking about
um the area off of Aspen Law and Albi
Road um to help orient you. I will let
you know that when you come in uh Park
West over here on Lyndon, you have those
stun done dust paths. The exit comes out
around here and then you make your way
to the blue trail over here if that's
the way you want to come to uh the
Winnick trails. Um these parcels that
we're discussing tonight are 1 2 3 4 5.
Um what's new since um we last met on
this topic is we thought on this parcel
here um that there was a right of first
refusal that existed to the adjoining
parcel owner. It turns out when we got
title work back that actually that right
did not extend to them. It was a right
that did not run with the land. It was
to the owners at the time and they are
no longer the owner of that property.
And so um there there won't be a
conveyance um which seems to be fine
with this adjoining land owner. They get
a little strip here that they've been
maintaining which they still get to
maintain um because that did that
easement did run with the land. So
that's an update uh for folks um and who
would like to uh speak uh on this topic.
I'd like to make a motion to open the
public hearing. Is there a second?
>> Second. Thank you, Christina. All in
favor? William.
>> Hi,
>> Jacob.
>> Hi, myself. I
>> I
>> Thank you, Christina.
>> Who would like to speak on this? Would
anybody like to speak on this matter?
>> Speak.
My name is Al Treza, 77 West Curly
Corners Road, New York.
Um,
Robert, the land is already in the name
of the town. There is absolutely no
legal justification
for you to now offer for sale and buy it
back. This is simply an opportunity for
you to misuse community preservation
funds to benefit the water district. And
it's totally wrong. The water district
does not own this property. The legal
title is the name of the rental. You
want to preserve it for open space,
don't do anything with it. You've
already done it.
There's no rationale for this at all.
And I'd like to have your attorney
present so we can question him or her as
to what the legal justification is. I'd
like to have them present here with us
tonight, not coming in by Zoom.
So, I'd like to really know uh and like
the public to know this is mere
substitute to bail out the water
district. It's wrong and you should not
be doing this. And if the rest of you
agree with him, you're also wrong. I'm
looking at you, Jacob, and you, William.
You already own the property. Do you
really believe that it's legal or proper
to do this? It's like you selling your
house to yourself, will you?
That's ridiculous. And you know that,
and you shouldn't be doing it. Thank
you.
>> Steal.
>> Thank you, Aral.
Would anybody else like to speak on the
topic?
>> My name is Jeremy Cohen. I live in Lynen
Acres. I've spoken at prior meetings
supporting the uh the preservation of
this space. The land is integral to the
character of the community. Lynon Acres,
if these were to be developed, would be
no different than any other suburban
strip uh subdivision.
I understand that the gentleman has
questions about the legality.
I've heard at heart meetings the concept
of a trustee and distinct
>> on the
>> distinct ownership. As long as uh the
town is comfortable and um the lawyers
are comfortable with that, I'm strongly
in favor of preserving the space and
urge you all to do so.
>> Thank you, J.
» Anybody else like to speak on this
matter?
» No.
Okay. I know that we've had previous
meetings and folks uh especially
immediately surrounding the area have
had an opportunity to speak up um uh
many of them in favor of preserving the
parcels. I did have a chance to meet
with many of the joining land owners and
I saw some of you out on the road there.
Um
and so it seems like there's quite a bit
of support um within Lin acres to to go
ahead and preserve these parcels. Um I
would like to say that um this is very
um consistent with some of the more
recent projects we've done partnering
with Winnie Land Trust to protect the
lands adjoining the salail for the
preservation of uh the wildlife. And I
just want to read off um chapter
community preservation
um acceptable uses includes the
following. A preservation of open space.
B establishment of parks. Nature
preserves for recreational areas. I
think I read this at a previous meeting.
Um C is agricultural. Uh D is scenic. E
is preservation of freshwater and
saltwater marshes and other wetlands. Um
F is preservation of aquaer recharge
areas. Um G is undeveloped beach lands
or shoreline. Um H is wildlife refu
refugees uh for the purpose of
maintaining native animal species
diversity including the protection of
habitat essential to the recovery of
rare threatened or endangered species.
Um I is preservation of unique or
threatened ecological areas. Um K is
preservation of forested lands. L is
preservation of public access to lands
for public use including stream rights
and waterways.
Um M is historic places and N is
undertaking any of the purposes of this
subdivision in furtherance of the
establishment of a green belt. And those
are um the uses that are detailed in the
code of community preservation.
Um,
I appreciate the thoughts. The the uh
question has already been answered by
our attorney at a previous meeting as it
relates and in fact is referenced in the
community preservation fund advisory
committee uh recommendation report that
in fact um the uh property is owned on
behalf of the water district. We gave
some other examples. Um the town
acquired the street lights. Um some of
the street lights belong to the town
like everywhere in the park. Some of the
street lights belong to uh the lighting
district which is a separate entity like
a sewer district or a water district.
It's all owned in the name of the town
on behalf of either the lighting
district or the water district, sewer
district, or in this case um on behalf
of
um
>> Robert, not true. You own the property.
You don't own it on behalf of anyone.
There is nothing in the deed that says
you own it on behalf of the water
district. You own the property now.
And I don't And you're right. You read
what the community preservation funds
can be used for. I'm not disagreeing
with that. What I'm disagreeing with,
you already own it. You already own it.
You don't own it on behalf of the water
district. The water district is simply a
district created within the township.
If they owned the property, it' be a
different story. But it was never done
that way.
>> I was your attorney at the time of the
transfer.
>> The town owns the property.
You cannot spend this money to buy
property from yourself.
You cannot use that subtrifuge. It's
wrong.
And I want to tell you something else.
Is this a Is this
Excuse me. Is this subject to permissive
referendum with the spending of the town
money?
>> More do you have more comments that you
>> I can't hear that.
>> Do you have more comments? I want to
know is it subject to a permissive
referendum? Robert,
>> public hearing is to hear what you said.
Is it subject to a permissive
referendum? Yes or no?
>> You're not going to answer the question,
Robert.
>> Thank you, Albert.
>> First call tomorrow is going to be to
our attorney.
>> Thank you, Alvin.
>> Now, answer the question, please. Yes or
no?
>> Thank you. We'll make a determination if
it's subject to permissive referendum.
>> I can't hear you, Robert. Speak up. You
will look at the resolution. When we get
to the resolution, we'll discuss that.
Do you have more comments for the public
hearing on it?
>> Robert, answer the question.
>> Thank you. Anybody else?
>> Answer the question, please.
>> Is there anybody else who'd like to
speak on the matter?
>> Robert, I don't spend this money.
>> This is the public hearing time. Thank
you.
>> We close it. I question for fine. Are
there more comments from the public on
the matter?
All right. Um, let's uh shall we include
in our review? We took a look at the
secret documents one, two, and three.
Does anybody have any questions about
those in re-reviewing them? We have
added to that we have a community
preservation funds
um advice on it. Um there was the
question of ownership raised by one of
the one of the members. There was the
clarification
um
for the public's benefit.
>> Before we have this conversation, should
we close the public hearing?
>> No, we don't have to close the public.
No. If you'd like to make that motion,
go ahead.
>> I move to close the public hearing.
Nobody else is
>> I think we should leave it open.
Is there is there
>> I mean we could close it when we're done
discussing it, but I mean
>> is there a second on uh closing the
public?
» Okay,
we'll leave it open. All right,
for now uh so we we also received um the
memo from the CPF advisory board. Um
they spoke about who was in attendance.
Um, I think they mentioned I was in
attendance, but I really wasn't. I was
in my office working. They did come in
and have a question or two. Um,
» that's not what I heard.
You went in and convinced most of the
people in that board to vote for this.
>> Sorry. And I was asked a question about
ownership. Okay. I gave my best answer
and I went back to my office.
>> That's not what I heard. Well, I'd be happy to have somebody come
forward and and say otherwise. Um,
so, uh, the question of ownership came
up. Um, the committee confirmed with
Chris Shaw, Esquire,
not there when that happened. Town
attorney that based on town's record,
the parcels proposed for acquisition
were formally owned by the Anandale
Waterworks Corporation. It's a
transportation corporation. For folks at
home, if you don't know how it works in
New York State, when a developer comes
in, they need to provide their own water
and sewer for a development, they they
set up a transportation corporation. I'm
sure somebody correct me if I get any
details wrong. They have to own it for
at least 5 years. Um, and then when they
abandon it, it becomes an obligation of
the municipality. So know that um that's
something that could be coming down the
pike with any u developments like that.
It was transferred um uh the the assets
were conveyed to the town for the
benefit of it says it but I think they
meant to say of the town water district
number one. Michelle also explained that
because a town water district is not a
corporate entity, the town holds
property on its behalf and must account
for the proceeds of disposition to the
water district. Just like we must
account for
certainly when we're creating the sewer
district, we must account for all the
funds related to the sewer and the
lighting district. We must account for
all the expenses associated with the
lighting district and make sure that
only those users benefit users. They're
called special benefit assessment
districts get charged for those uh
expenses.
Uh the question came up about the
expense
um and uh wanted to know what the
balance is. The balance right now in the
community preservation fund is
approximately $3.7 million. So, this is
going to be uh I would say 8%.
>> Uh yeah. Well, we have it the resolution
you'll see is for 222 for acquisition
um plus expenses up.
>> How did we get to those numbers?
>> Well, you saw you saw the appraisals and
the appraisals came out to 222.
And so,
>> can you show can you bring up the
appraisals? Um, I don't have it up on
the screen, but I did print out some
hard copies again cuz
maybe that would come out.
So, we have the appraisals um
broken up. There were two separate
appraisals. As you know, we were
initially looking at
um appraising the four parcels because
we didn't think that we were going to
look at the fifth parcel. We're going to
sell that to
the joining land owner because they had
expressed interest in exercising their
right which is not um
something that is
a case.
>> Well, what jumps out at me is that the
one if you go to the packet um the the
sheet that shows the wetlands.
The
>> wetlands. Sure.
We have this one,
>> right? So that so that the parcel that's
not a wetland parcel,
>> this one here.
>> Yeah.
>> Yep.
>> So what what is the appraised value of
that parcel?
>> $122,000.
And and just I I think just read the
other the other four. What's the
appraise value of the other four?
>> 100,000.
>> Sorry.
>> 100,000. The five parcels total 222.
doesn't seem like a lot for five parcels
of land already subdivided. And I think
I explained Board of Health tries to
work with
property owners when they have already
subdivided parcels to,
you know, in many cases you would you
would know this, I'm sure, just going to
be in your profession. In many cases,
you have to
do a above ground septic or something if
you have to stay away from environmental
constraints, but they try to work with
property owners who have existing
lots of record. So 222 doesn't seem like
a lot of money to make to protect this
region. And again,
>> did we get one appraisal or two?
>> We got two appraisal.
Because we initially thought we were
doing just the four parcels, then we had
to get the fifth one.
>> You want to protect it, Robert. Why
doesn't the town board give them a licky
land trust and conservation easement for
nothing? And it's protected.
» Answer your question,
» folks. I think we've explained this. I I
understand you may not be satisfied with
the answer, but it's been explained by
our attorneys and it's been explained at
Nauseium. We have a fiduciary
just like we do to the lighting
district. We have to replace the lights.
We have a fiduciary to the water
district if we own something on their
behalf to ensure that we are being fair
to them as well as to the community
preservation. Explain. Albert, I'm going
to ask you to please
>> Albert. I'm going to please ask you to
not not interrupt. Okay? We're going to
make it through here. We can just agree
to disagree on this one. Okay? Our
attorneys have already explained it.
>> There are many instances when a town
owns something on behalf of a special
benefit assessment district.
You know this. You you were a former
town attorney.
>> Okay. Couple questions. So the reason I
was confused is because in the packet it
it's
emphasizing the assessed value like the
tax.
>> You list the parcel. You list the parcel
number. You you list the assessed value.
>> Interrupting her. Robert, let her
finish.
>> I'm answering her question, Albert.
>> Yes. So you list the assessed value.
Yeah.
>> Correct. So So this was circulated a
while ago in June.
>> Yep.
Where's the second assessment?
Sorry, appraisal.
>> Don't you have it there?
>> These are both from
>> Those are two separate
>> from the same from the same company.
>> How does that work?
» What? I don't get it.
We had an appraisal for the four
parcels.
When we realized we didn't have to offer
the right to the adjoining land owner,
we then asked them to also appraise the
fifth parcel.
>> But where's the only one appraisal?
>> We don't get we don't get two sets of
appraisal.
>> Oh, that was what I asked.
>> No, no, we don't.
>> But yeah, we get one appraisal.
>> Yeah, we don't we don't often get two sets of appraisals.
I mean from other appraisers.
>> No, I mean we we've had other issues. I
thought um
>> there's been other other issues that
have come up. I thought we got two
appraisals.
>> No, we don't always in in a small a
small thing like this. There's
>> it's hard to get two appraisers these
days. By the way, we wait months for
that.
I'm
>> We don't always get to praise.
>> Do we sometimes
>> trying to remember? Um
>> No, I don't I don't think so. I think we
I don't think so.
>> I don't I don't recall an instance where
we've had two different appraisers. I
mean, if you're not satisfied with the
work, then sometimes you do get a second
opinion.
says the man marriage of a physician
that you know people do.
>> No, I I I appreciate that the that the
lot that is buildable was appraised for
a higher value than the other than the
other lots. And I was confused because
as I'm looking through the packet, which
is what the public is seeing, we're
looking at the assessed values and
they're all kind of about the same. So
that was that was confusing to me
looking at this. Um
>> Okay.
And
I think that um it's important to say
that the reason that we're doing this is
because the water district has been
charging
um
lower rates for too long. And so this is to essentially bail out the um
the close to 500 families that live in
that in that district. And we've heard
from people on multiple meetings and
there's been support for this. So um
I'm I'm not against it, but I think that
it's like it needs to be clearly stated
like what the goals are and why we're
doing this.
>> Sure. Well, I can't speak for others on
the board, but I I couldn't disagree
with you more. There's there's no
bailout here. First of all, the dollar
amount is not significant enough to be
all that meaningful to the water rates
that are necessary to uh pay for this
capital upgrade. This is something that
and that was the second question that I
was going to ask actually was going to
do this. Hang on a second. enough money
to cover what the water district needs
to to get back on top of its costs.
>> Okay. So,
if I could finish, we had the water
board chairman come in here several
months ago and explain that he has been
for years saying that these are surplus
properties. They don't need them. they
would like to dispose of them. For
years, he's been saying that there was
no real reason to do it at any
particular time. It seemed like when
there was an upgrade that this would be
a good time to do it. That it's that
simple. It's not a bailout. We've heard
very hyperbolic comments over here.
We've heard scaring people into having
two houses or something on properties.
This is a This is a a suburban
subdivision. There's nothing scary about
two more houses where 100 already exist.
And this is not a bailout.
This is this district like the lighting
district owns the lights. Even though we
own it, the town on their behalf, it's a
similar thing. They have made a decision
that this would be the right time to
dispose of these parcels. if we'll pay
for 200
net maybe $210,000
of what we now know is a lower than
expected project cost of $1.2 million or
less. This is minuscule as it relates to
the costs of operating um water district
number one. So whether it's in or out,
it's not going to make a significant
difference. But we have an opportunity
still as it turns out because we've
delayed the borrowing till next week. So
we have an opportunity to apply these
funds as we know that they're coming
since they've started the project
already if we so choose to move forward.
And I can't for the life of me
understand why you wouldn't move
forward, but um there you have it. There
is no bailout. The water district and
the water district rates will be just
fine
um in the ensuing years um with or
without this. Oh, so now I'm even more
confused though because um
can you explain why we would spend 8% of
our CPF funds on this land? Because what
I heard from from every person almost
that came up and spoke about this was
that the people that live in this
neighborhood,
they don't want this land developed. So, the motivation was to say that we
don't want this land sold. We don't
want, you know, more density in our in our neighborhood. And we heard
from
>> whole bunch of people that lived in this
um the surrounding area and and I mean
that's what I that's what I heard. But
it was almost confusion over what what
the issue was, right? So the land
>> never confusion with me. It might have
been confusion with you. It was an
opportunity to create a green space, a
pocket green space.
>> Robert, I'm a I'm an intelligent person.
If I'm confused, other people are
confused. So, I think that it's
important to just say what what we're
doing and why.
I I I think you've reiterated, we've all
reiterated, it's an opportunity to
create a pocket green space in the
middle of Lynen Acres where, you know,
there is biodiversity and there's
wetlands to protect and it's very
consistent with a lot of the work that
we've been doing.
>> So, let me just finish because you
mentioned 8%. And I'm not quite sure why that's significant, but um $222,000
I think in the last 2 months that we've
had collections, we've collected about
$220,000
in the CPF funds. So if it's 2 months
worth of collections
uh or thereabouts, seems to me like a a
worthwhile cause. um once the CBF funds
are used um then they can't be um the
lands cannot be disposed of and um
developed for residential use and that's
what you know the folks we've heard from
uh tonight but also in the previous
meetings where we had more people here.
So,
>> um, all right. So, so to be clear, so
the land is currently owned by
>> the town.
owns it on behalf of the water
district.
>> On behalf of the water district.
>> Where where does it say it in the deed?
>> It doesn't have to.
>> Do you have children? Do you ever open a
savings account for your kid?
>> No. This is No, this is the This is what
it is. If you open a savings account for
your child, the bank is not going to let
a minor open their own account. So you
act as a trustee, but you have a
fiduciary responsibility to manage that
account on behalf of your child. This is
the same thing.
>> Yeah, but you're saying that it could be
built on that could never happen unless
this board agrees on it.
>> Okay.
>> The deed is in the town's name. Well,
just to clarify, you don't
this this board right now could put a
conser we could talk to Santa C and DLC
and put a conservation easement on that
>> without buying it. I think it's a poor
use of funds.
>> No, that's fine. We have a fiduciary.
Look, you may not be used to having a
fiduciary to two separate entities, but
we have it in this situation. We have it
with the water district uh that we're
about to create. We've had it with the
sewer district that we created 2 years
ago. We've had it with the lighting
district which was created I don't know
how many years ago but many years ago
before me. We have a fiduciary to both.
So when we purchased the street lights
and you're going to see in the budget
just how much money we've saved both
town taxpayers and people in the
lighting district because we transferred
them all to LEDs and we own them and
don't rent them from Central Hudson. We
own them on behalf of the lighting
district. We must account for those
monies separately. They do not belong to
us. Just because they're in our name
doesn't mean that we don't have a
fiduciary to uh the water district.
Okay. I think we've batted this around
long enough, right? We can just agree to
disagree, right? And if you don't want
to expend the funds to permanently
protect, and by the way, you can't just
go to Winni and say, "We want to put on
this because it's going to require the
input of the water uh uh district um in
order to do so. And I don't think
they're going to be very happy that they
have an asset that has some value that
you want to remove all the value because
you would prefer that."
>> Wait, what? Well, I'm going to I'm just
I'm going to address that.
Hank Van Parlles, who's the chair of who
runs the water department and the water
board, have repeatedly come to the town
and said that these parcels since they
discontinued the wells, they viewed them
as an asset of the water department to
be considered for disposition at some
future date. They've been very clear
about that in these meetings uh at their
meetings that I've been present for
because I'm the liazison and they view
it as an asset as an opportunity and now
they felt this was the right time to
dispose of the asset. Now I this is the
question I had for Al. You had said it's
a bailout and so did you down there. If the water department if we as a town
put them up for sale on the open market,
would you still consider that a bailout?
>> Absolutely not. put it on the open
market. You're using community
preservation funds to do my
>> No, no. I'm talking about the issue of a
bailout. The issue of a bailout is
trying to save a financially struggling
organization.
>> Here, here's and here's my answer to
you. You put it up for sale
to the open market, which I think you
should if you want to get rid of it.
That's the proper way to do it. The
money will go into the town's general
fund, not into the water district fund.
It is not owned by the water district
and you are not a fiduciary
responsibility. You own it. You are
responsible for it. And in the lighting
district, you set the rates. The problem
here is the water department, our water
district has been not properly managed
on setting the rates and setting forth
what's going to happen in the future.
That's what's got me upset. These people
need to pay for their district. Just
like the lighting district pays for its
district, the sewer district is going to
pay for its district. Everybody pays.
Look what happened in the village of Red
Hook. Started out at 750 a year and now
they've doubled
because the sewer needs sewer district
needs the money. And that is the reason
I'm objecting to this. You own the
property. Put it up for sale. put an
internal fund, save the taxpayers some
money, the rest of the taxpayers in the
town, including those in the water
district.
>> Thank you.
>> Now, that is why I'm objecting to this.
>> Fair.
enough.
>> Thank you.
And again, it's our
attorney's view that's not possible to
put it in the general fund.
>> Okay.
>> Um,
>> wait. So, Bill,
>> um,
» so I I I think it just needs to be clear
like what
>> we're doing and I know you've spent a
lot of time with the water uh board and
we just approved recently
um the rehab for the tank and we talked
about that there the rates are too low
like
>> we raised the rates
>> we correct
>> I think this situation is a little
unusual and that it's a confluence of
two different issues. It's a confluence
of the issue of the water department has
an asset that it has viewed as money in
the bank for some time and
has made the decision that it believes
this is a time to liquidate. But it's
also a confluence because this is an
environmentally sensitive area. It's
primarily wetlands. Um, and it and I'll
talk later about water source protection
and about that report because the state
department of health and DEC are very
concerned about protecting our water and
to the extent that you you are able to
accomplish two things at once. That's
why I think it's unusual. I I have to
take the advice of our lawyers on
whether it's legal or not because I'm
not a lawyer. Um, and I, you know, I
have done some research on the issue of
being a fiduciary and and and trustees.
Uh, there's a disagreement just because
it says it in the D that it's the town.
Um, my understanding is it was always
set up that we're we act as their
fiduciary. Um, and since I have a
fiduciary responsibility to the water
department and it's their asset, um, I I
know I know Al disagrees, uh, but I I
see this as a twofer actually. Um,
>> I I could agree with you on the four
properties that are potentially wetlands
because I could, one could make the
argument that they're not really going
to sell on the open market because
they're not buildable.
And I hearing the people that spoke at prior meetings saying we don't want
density in this area. We don't we we we
value this open space. Like that makes
sense to me. But the lot that is valued
at what was it Robert? 100
>> 120 Like
why not sell that on the on the open
market? Why not let a family buy that
and and build a home there? Like I don't
believe that it's going to devalue the
neighborhood if you put one more house
on the on the one buildable lot that is
left. So that that doesn't make sense to
me.
>> Um I'm trying to think where that that
» Ariel is.
Oh, where is it written that we have a
fiduciary?
>> Is it written somewhere?
>> Yeah, you can. Yes, you can look up.
>> It's not on the D.
>> Is it stated somewhere?
>> You can look up special benefit
assessment districts.
>> Can you talk into the mic, Robert?
>> Sorry. You can look up special benefit
assessment districts and there's whole
laws regarding that and our role with
them. Well, why wasn't that presented to
this board and to the people if
>> Can you please explain this? The
attorney was here to explain it, but
let's see it in writing. Let's see the
document that shows that.
>> No, I agree. It's very confusing. Like I was so confused today looking at
the packet because I'm looking at it
going all the parcels are valued the
same and we didn't include the
appraisal. like I I just want to we I
think it's very important that we tell
the whole story completely and I and
Bill I appreciate what you're saying
that that um
it's an asset to the water district that
I mean that makes sense
and and if that's true then
um buying land that's unbuildable
>> could be a a benefit to that to that uh
to that district. But the buildable lot,
I mean, that would sell for for more
than
120 potentially. So So why are we buying
that?
>> Hang on. Hang on.
You you're you're making these
declaratory statements that are not
helpful, Christina. That's not
buildable. There are four lots there. We
had our engineer again to help
satisfy
questions or concerns you had. We had
our engineer look at these lots and what
did she say
>> that she she felt very comfortable
saying
>> two houses could could be constructed,
right? She does. Okay. and she has
experience in that. And we know that
Department of Health likes to work with,
you know, none of us have the crystal
ball likes to work with each independent
lot of records so that they can help the
land owners understand how they can
build a house. And sometimes it's one of
those above ground septics that you
raised bed septics that are expensive.
Um, so that does devalue the parcel, but
it doesn't necessarily mean that you
can't build on those parcels. These are
federal wetlands and I think we all know
that they lack the protections that they
did once upon a time. So again, we go
back to where we are. Um I'd like to be
able to get through the seeker. I think
we've all sort of
>> No, but I'm missing I I need to I need
help like connecting logic because if if
this is an asset to the water board
>> bill like water district
>> water district. Okay. If this is an
asset to the water district, then we
want to get the most out of that asset
that we can given the feedback from the
public, which is don't build on this
land. Don't create more density. We
value the open space.
>> Well,
that one lot
>> I
>> for for you have an opinion that it
might be worth more than 122,000. I
don't know necessarily that I would
agree with you, but I'm not an expert
either. Um, it has an easement on it,
right? So, the the adjoining land owner
can continue to use a portion of that.
>> Yes, that that's been explained. We went
over all of that
>> previously.
>> Um,
>> and Christina, if it didn't have that
easement, I'd be in agreement with you,
>> but I think that's a complication that
is
>> guys, that's why we have a a
>> would go to the town,
>> right? If if the town bought it, then
the easement would belong to the town.
>> No.
>> Carrie, please. No.
>> What? What do you mean, please? You're treating me like you're treating
Christine like it's not important what
we're asking.
>> It's an easement. It's an easement to
maintain a portion of that parcel that
does not go to the town. I explained
earlier and I realized that you came in.
Can you show I'm sorry. I explained
earlier and I realized you came in late.
I explained earlier that the easement
the ements here the whole time and she
doesn't understand that either. So,
>> I don't think I missed anything.
>> I'll see if I can get an aerial up and I
can explain to you that there is an
easement as I have in previous meetings
where the adjoining land owner can
maintain a portion of that property. I
don't know that I would put Ariel here,
but I can give you my best uh iterations
over here. There's a triangle that
exists. If you look at my cursor,
>> Robert, I'm going to need to see like
the language of the easement or or the
>> title. The title report was shared. The
title report was shared and it is the is
not a means being title report was
shared and it's maintained. I can show
you on parcel access. This adjoining
land owner is maintaining a triangle
here that runs with the land. The right
of first refusal, as I explained
earlier, the title company reported does
not exist.
>> So, hold on. Let's let's just zoom out
for a second. So, what are we trying to
accomplish tonight?
>> Tonight, we're going to entertain a
resolution
to uh dispose of and to acquire these
parcels. We're now on month, I don't
know what, um with this. And if we'd
like to apply it towards the principal,
we can figure out now that we've
delayed. We're we're we're essentially
we're having a closing on these on these
parcels.
>> Not tonight. We are entertaining the
approval, but we need to get through a
couple of steps.
>> No, I I like I need to understand. So,
um
what are the next steps after this?
It's going to come back before us or are
we making a decision tonight whether
we're going to buy?
>> We need to get We need to just finish.
Any questions on the seeker? Any
questions about the workforce?
>> These are things.
>> Christina, did you read the resolution?
>> I did. But you know what? I think that a
lot of people are confused. And so what
would be helpful is for us to summarize
like just in plain language what we're
doing.
>> The parcels are surplus.
>> We're looking to acquire them under the
CPF to preserve them as open space.
>> Yep. I think that's it. Is there is there more? Is there more?
Well, yeah, because like if this is so
my question was I mean this is a
reasonable question like if we're buying
these parcels, this is our real estate
closing on these our our decision
tonight is the last part of acquiring
these parcels and we don't even have the language of the easement like
>> you've been shared the title report.
>> Yeah,
>> that has all of them.
>> Where is it? You've been hold
>> you've been shared you've been shared
the title workbook which which describes
that if you look in the appraisal uh you
can also see the mode area that has an
area it's a it's about the line that I
described
>> well maybe it'll be helpful to
understand what the basis of the
easement is
>> Kenny Kenny knows this cuz he used to
drive
it to the property
>> you don't buy a property without looking
at the language anguage of the land. I'm
going to give you the plain language of
the easement. Is that adjoining
>> Can you speak up?
>> The adjoining landowner has the right to
continue to maintain this triangle here.
You can even put up fencing.
>> We can't you moving your mouse on the on
the page is not like we're going to
close on this land like like
>> Okay.
>> Germany, is this more you would like to contribute, please?
>> Yeah. Yes, I do. I would like to um
because I understand Christina's
question and I think um
>> could you talk into the mic?
>> Sure.
>> Thanks.
>> I understand Christina's question. I
also understand that there's a fair bit
of ranker both within the town as well
as within the board about other issues
that have made it perhaps more difficult
for everybody to communicate clearly and
to believe that everybody is coming from
the best of intentions. I think that
everybody in this room loves this town.
everybody including Robert, including
William, including Ken, including Jacob,
including Christina. Christina, I
understand your question to be if
there's a potential buildable lot, why
sell to the community preservation fund
if the if the land is owned in trust for
the water district?
What I would like to say is that I
assume the appraisal has taken into
account the conser excuse me the
easement as well as all other relevant
considerations within uh the context of
the land and determining the appraised
value of that land.
As such, if you're looking to maximize
the proceeds from the perspective of the
water district as you're acting as
trustee for it, I think it's perfectly
appropriate then to rely on that
appraisal. And the concern, the question
that you were raising, I think is
answered by that. And I understand the
reason why you might have been
frustrated by the response of some of
the members of the board there, but I
think that everybody is working towards
the same thing there. And I think that's
the how you square those two circles in
conjunction with what Bill was saying in
terms of being able to effectively kill
two birds with one stone, which is
maximizing proceeds for the water
district as well as maintaining um and
preserving land for the uh in
furtherance of the purpose of the fund.
>> Thank you, Jeremy. Okay. Uh folks, I
want to get to the secret part of it.
We've had um the only new additions has
really been um the update as it relates
to the ROFR
um and um the CPF advisory. Uh we
reviewed in previous meetings part one
um we did a review of part two as well.
Were there any questions um that you
had? I didn't hear any. Um obviously the
impacts are no or small. is not a
development proposal.
This a simple form.
>> I was going to ask on the part three.
I'm not looking for that yet. It's
marked as the potential largest
significant adverse impact.
>> Yeah, that was the wrong boxes checked.
I think we corrected that on our
previous thing, but we should make sure
that this one is corrected.
Yeah, it's the wrong box, I think. Yeah,
>> I get the person next door.
» Yeah. So, we corrected on the last one.
Let's make sure this looks like
didn't have that 76.
It's not correction number.
» The other thing that's not correct is
this application.
It says all the parcels are federal,
>> right? And that was the other uh and it
was that since we increased the the
application to be a fifth parcel.
Um
it says federal wetlands run through
each parcel. We should clarify that to
say um run through
uh the four parcels.
Maybe you could bring your mic closer to
your mouth
>> because I know you're just talking to
each other, but we'd like to hear. I'm
sorry. It's really hard to hear you out.
>> Sorry.
>> Just make sure the application
uh clearly states that now that there's
a fifth parcel, the federal wetlands run
through four of the parcels as mapped.
It says C maps provided. Um, description
of property, former well site. The town
wishes to purchase the parcels for water
resource protection. No current or
future plans.
Uh, it would be entrusted if this were
to be voted upon tonight and then closed
on by CPF funds and could not be sold
for development in the future. And there
will be a pocket green space in the
middle of London acres.
Um so for part three of the description
wait let's just see if we get through
part three please Christine if you have
questions related to that
>> um for each of the 11 impact assessment
>> maybe if you put the microphone closer
to your mouth
>> you having a hard time hearing me
>> I am
>> okay
» for each of the 11 and I'll get to that
so you can read it while I
There we go. In case you can't hear me,
this is what I'm reading from. For each
of the 11 impact assessment questions in
part two, all answers were no impacts.
The action is the addition of five
undeveloped parcels of land forming a
collection of parcels that as a group
are contiguous with Red Hooks Recreation
Park West and the Winnie Land Trust Inc.
So Sale Trails Preserve. No development
is proposed on the parcel. Since the
parcels but lands used for passive
recreation activities like trail walking
and bicycling, connections with existing
trails may occur in the future. The
parcels contain extensive wetland and
flood plane areas. According to
Hudsonia, which surveyed the adjoining
Winnick lands, the area's wetlands
generally are important for amphibian
breeding and support several bird and
reptile species of greatest conservation
need. No trail development activities
will occur without further environmental
assessment and if needed, obtaining
permits from appropriate state and
federal agencies. According to uh state
parks and wreck and historic
preservation Chris database, no
prehistoric or historic cultural
resources are associated with the five
parcels nor with any of the lands that
adjoin the parcels. Web mapping
databases of the New York State
Department of Environmental Conservation
were query to determine if any state
records exist related to the five
parcels, including the Hudson Valley
Natural Resource Mapper and the DEC info
Locator. None were identified. The
parcels have significance to water
quality because two tributaries of the
sockill flow through four of the five
parcels.
The salt kill is a source of drinking
water to approximately 2,800 persons
downstream. Prime farmland soils exist
in some areas. Riparian buffers follow
the outlines of the two tributaries and
contiguous habitats exist linking the
parcels with the town parkland and the
Winnick land trust preserve parcels.
Finally, no adverse impacts on the water
district are expected because the
parcels are no longer used for the
district's wells and may not be a
suitable location for new wells under
current regulations.
And um the box is checked for if you
have determined based on the information
and analysis above and any supporting
documentation that the proposed action
will not result in any significant
adverse environmental impacts. The
mapper is included as part three
for the ND deck. Any questions about the
narrative there? I think that clarifies
some of the questions about four out of
five parcels.
>> Yep.
>> Okay. Yeah, I'm just saying that the
application that we submitted.
>> Can you talk into your mic? I It's just
I'm having the hardest time hearing the
people.
>> Okay.
>> No, I'm talking about Bill. I don't know
what you just said.
>> I don't know if the volume is low. Bill,
if you want to grab that.
>> If you just move them closer to
yourselves.
>> Okay.
Uh what I said is in the application for
the CPF
it states incorrectly that wetlands run
through all five parcels and I said we
have to correct that.
Okay. So we'll clarify federal redlands
as it's described in the seeker run
through the four parcels as mapped
now that we are looking at five parcels.
Okay, that that changes made as well.
Uh we have reviewed the CPF advisory
committee's recommendation.
Um
the majority spoke in favor of the
purchase.
I think I've read um the long list of
acceptable uses of the funds. many of
the categories are relevant um and
explain why we've used CPF funds for
adjoining Winnick land trust lands. I
think Kenny we use some CPF funds to
acquire
>> um
prop properties owned by by your uncle
there and the Wy land trust for state
water preservation on the south co
there.
Um
all right. Is there anything? We still
have a public hearing open.
Um
» close it stands.
>> It stands. All right. Do you want to
deal with um a vote on the neck deck?
Shall we?
» I don't think we have a resolution. We
do. Well, the neg itself is is a is a
resolution. Yeah.
So I I have a question.
>> Sure.
>> So I'm reading from the meeting uh the
CPF meeting.
>> Yeah.
>> And it states
that
parcels proposed for half years old.
>> Hey Kenny, can you bring your mic
closer?
>> Parcel. This is
Anyway,
uh were formerly owned by Anendelle
Waterworks Corporation, a transportation
corporation, and were conveyed to the
town for the benefit if I think that's a
typo, of the water district. So, how
were they conveyed?
I mean, how do you convey it from the
Anenddale Water Works Corporation to the
town water district? And now, uh, the
town holds them on behalf of the water
district. So, all I'm asking for is
where I would like to see the document
that shows these, how they were
conveyed, and and
>> I I think that those documents exist in
the clerk's office. I think in 1903 or
so. Uh
going off of recollection.
>> So I just want to see the legal document
and I think that should have been
you know brought up months ago so we
could see the connection between the
town and the water district.
» Okay. I I I think it's been explained. I
know it's been explained and I see it in
writing where where it's in the document
of the you know you said it's somewhere
in the town and it says
Chris said it so why can't we
>> I think we've talked about it for months
Kenny if you if you wanted to see that
document I think it's appropriate that
maybe you had asked for it months ago
we've explained that it it is owned by
the town right it's not in dispute on
behalf of the water district I feel like
we're just wasting a lot time. What is
the So, I I'll tell you this. I'm I'm in support of the neg.
>> Okay.
>> Um
>> so, let's see if we can get that
accomplished.
>> All right. But but what is what is the um timeline here? What what
>> the time is if we'd like to if we'd like
to apply it to the rehab project, we
should vote on
>> Exactly. So, this is part This is this
money is needed for the rehab project,
which is why I said it's a
>> if we It is not a bailout. I mean,
that's really
>> It's not neat. It just lowers the debt
for everybody else.
>> It's not It's really not appropriate. I
mean, you know, get your sensational
headline that you want to get your, you
know, if that's what you'd like. Can you
answer
>> I'd like to continue to move I'd like to
continue to move forward with the work
of the town, please. Well, I I'm I
>> You can vote. You can vote no project.
If you if you
>> I will tell you that I'm I am likely in
support of the purchase if we have all
of the information and if I can
understand all of all the information,
which I currently don't.
>> Okay.
>> So, I I can't I I will support the NED
deck, but I can't vote on this tonight
because um I I don't have information on
the on the easement. I mean, Kenny made
a good point. You you've been sent the
information on the easement.
>> Well, I mean, we're not
>> The public doesn't know. Why isn't it
not in the title? The title report is an
extensive title.
>> We're sitting here. Then then let's go
through it.
>> We're not going to go through a 60 some
odd page.
>> Sorry.
>> We're not going to It's a title. It's a
full title report. Um the language of
the easement is within that large
document.
Um, we've explained it to you. We've
done this in previous meetings. We
showed you exactly where the easement
was. We showed you the aerial. I feel
like we're just reiterating the same
thing.
>> No, I mean, we tal I I we did talk about
the easement, but I haven't seen any
language.
>> Yes, you were sent the title report
which includes the language of the
easement.
>> Let's just look at it.
>> What What would it change for? What
would it change for? Yeah.
Well, I'd like to see like I don't I
besides Robert moving his mouse on the
screen, I don't know where the actual
Eastman is. I mean, Kenny said he knows
from living in in the area that there
used to be a driveway there. We talked
about that at a few meetings, but like I
would like to see the boundaries of the property and understand
how much of it is an easement and and
how much of it is buildable because it I
mean it affects the value of of the land
just like we're looking at like a
wetlands map. If we're just talking that
okay, there's wetlands and we don't know
where the wetlands are. We didn't I mean
the whole thing is very loose to me. We
didn't get the wetlands flagged. We
don't have two appraisals. And can
anybody back me up that we just talked
about another property that we were
getting two appraisals for?
>> Bill,
>> Jacob, Ken, I mean, did we not talk
about this recently?
>> I'm not sure.
>> Yeah. I don't I don't know what you're
talking about.
>> I really don't know what you're talking
about.
>> Like, do you like what do you know what
it is? Are you just like do you have
something in mind that you're trying to
like
>> talk about but you're not talking about?
>> Uh yes. I mean there I I can't I can't
say things that we talked about in
executive session but there were there
were other properties that we talked
about getting two appraisals for.
>> Okay. Um
>> I mean am I crazy?
>> I I just think you're mistaken. I don't
think you're crazy. Um here's here's the
aerial. Okay. The easement language in
plain terms allows them to continue to
mow and maintain the area that they
>> That's partial access. That's not That's
not easement language.
>> That is the language in making dis.
>> You could actually see it on paral see
it on parcel access
>> part that's green.
>> Come on. You would never
>> I guess I don't understand what
>> this is. This is the way it was written.
We would not write it this way. This is
the way it was written years ago. It was
written between the developer and the
adjoining land owner. We would maybe
have meets and bounds, but that's not
the way it was written. Okay? And so,
>> truthfully, I am not trying to be
difficult. I I do not think that we have
you would never
>> you would never sign all the closing
papers for this property if you don't
have this information in front of you. I
have I have the information
>> to say that you sent an email and it was
circulated.
>> No, like you gota you gota
>> Okay, we
>> it's unclear.
>> Let's let's see what steps we can make.
You you you've said you uh
>> seeker So we have a NEG deck um
proposal as drafted as modified with the
uh the change there. Um, who would like
to make a motion to
uh approve a negation?
>> I will make a motion to approve the ND
deck on the speaker.
>> Okay. Who would like to second?
>> I'll second.
>> Thank you. Is there further discussion
on the negative?
>> Okay. All in favor? Kenny.
>> Hi,
>> William.
>> Hi,
>> myself. I Jacob.
>> Hi.
>> Christina.
>> Hi.
>> Okay. So, we've got an egg deck, got a
referral,
we've discussed
a couple of things that not everybody is
happy with the explanation.
Um,
that's the way the world works. Not
everybody is happy with explanations.
We've, I think, spent a lot of time on
this.
>> We've spent many months on this issue.
We've discussed these parcels
adnauseium. We've discussed the purpose
of these parcels that it was a two birds with one stone type of a
situation and here we are. Um and if
you're in favor of the project, it would
be nice to know so that we can go ahead
and entertain
um
uh a resolution which we have drafted.
It's now 8:45. We have a lot of business
in front of the board. Um,
>> can't do that till we close the public
hearing.
>> Yes, sir. Would you like to make that
motion?
>> I'll just continue the motion they made
previously to close the public.
>> I'll second your motion.
>> Thank you.
>> Um,
further discussion about that? All in
favor? Kenny.
>> I.
>> William.
>> I.
>> Myself. I. Jacob.
>> Hi,
>> Christina.
>> Hi.
All right. So, the resolution
is for the town's potential acquisition.
It's authorizing the disposition of the
water district number one surplus lots
and acquisition. So, it's a twofer in
the resolution
under the town's community preservation
program. I'm going to read the
resolution. Whereas the town of Red Hook
on behalf of the town of the water
district owns parcels located in Red
Hook identified on applicable tax maps
that been read to you before
collectively totaling approximately 8
and 12 acres. Whereas the surplus water
district parcels are vacant parcels
formerly the site of water source wells
which the water district's water board
has determined are unneeded for purpose
of the water district. Whereas the
proposed terms of sale are based upon
the estimated fair value of the surplus
water district parcels and the estimated
fair value is 222,000.
The public hearing was duly held by the
town board on the 11th day of August at
7:35. a town hall in accordance with
town law and discussion on the matter
having been had and all persons desiring
to be heard having been heard including
those in favor of and those in
opposition regarding the disposition.
Whereas pursuant to chapter 57 of the
town code, the town board has
established a community preservation
fund
and uh the project plan and the board
has referred the application to the
advisory committee duly appointed by the
board for review of such application and
rating according to the program criteria
established under the plan. taking into
account the importance of the resource
and the anticipated availability of
funding by others and availability of
funding under the town's community
preservation fund program. Whereas the
town has recognized in its plan adopted
pursuant to chapter 57 that the open
space is vital to the future social,
economic and environmental health of the
town. And whereas pursuant to the town
CPF program, the town is proposing to
purchase the surplus water district
parcels for the purpose of preserving
open space including wetland areas. And
whereas the surplus water district
parcels were identified in the CPF plan
as a high priority for preservation
based on ecologically significant areas
and significant biodiversity areas.
Whereas in concurrent public hearing was
duly held by the town board on the 11th
day of August 2026 at 7:35 prevailing
time at the town hall in the town in
accordance with section 575 of the town
vote and section 247 of the GML and
discussion on the matter having been had
and all persons desiring to be heard
having been heard including those in
favor of and those in opposition
regarding the acquisition of an interest
or right in real property to preserve
open space with respect to the surplus
water district parcels, including use of
monies from the CPF fund. And whereas
the community preservation funding
advisory committee has reviewed the
proposed acquisition of the surplus
parcels based on the priority ranking
set forth in the CPF plan and provided
its findings dated July 22nd.
sufficient monies are available in the
fund. Whereas on May 27th, the town
board adopted a negative declaration
under secret determining that the
proposed disposition of the surplus
parcels and the acquisition from the
community preservation fund will not
have a significant adverse effect. Um
therefore be resolved. the town board
uh by the favorable vote of not less
than the majority finds that the surplus
water district parcels are unneeded for
the purposes of the water district and
that the disposition of the surplus
water district parcels on the proposed
terms of sale is in the best interest of
the town. The town board finds that the
acquisition of the water district
parcels is consistent with the town's
community preservation fund project plan
and will preserve open space including
wetland areas on the water district
parcels and that acquisition is the best
alternative for the protection of
community character of all the
reasonable alternatives available to the
town. The town board approves the
disposition of the surplus water
district parcels for purchase of price
of 222,000
and the expenditure of community
preservation fund monies in an amount
not to exceed $240,000
for the acquisition of water district
parcels and related costs.
the supervisor or in his absence, the
deputy is hereby authorized and directed
to execute such deeds and conveyance
instruments as are consistent with this
resolution. Officers, employees, and
agents of the town are hereby authorized
and directed for in the name and behalf
of the town to do all acts and things as
may be necessary or in the opinion of
the officer, employee or agent acting
desirable and proper to affect purposes
of the forebe resolution.
So that's the resolution.
We have spent many meetings on this. I
realize that not everybody is
completely satisfied on some of the
answers. That is the way it goes
sometimes.
I think it's important to uh protect
these parcels for that green space for
the area. There's nothing we've done in
the town of Red Hope that's been a
leader in protecting green space for our
community. It is the economic driver of
this town. The people move here and
invest here because of the quality of
life. We have an opportunity to once
again to enhance the quality of life in
this particular neighborhood and we find
ourselves doing it in each and every
neighborhood uh throughout the town. And
so, um, I'm, uh, ready to entertain this
resolution, and I know that not
everybody may be at this time. Um,
thoughts? You do have a resolution. What
number would it be, Deanna?
>> 40.
>> I just find it frustrating. I think that
it like things could be a lot easier if
we were just kind of working together
and um like I earn like I want to
support this but I I feel like I'm
hitting a roadblock when I ask questions
about it and as somebody who's elected
to represent people I imagine like if I
have questions about it other people
have questions about it right like it's
>> well I I hope you see that I I can't
speak for any other board members. I
think we've tried to answer your
questions, Christina. I mean, you you may have questions well beyond the
time of acquisition of these parcels,
but at some point we do have to
>> feel like you answered my question.
>> I appreciate that. I did say
>> not everybody may feel their questions
have been answered to the degree. I
would suggest, however, if you have
additional questions that you want,
please give us give me some more time.
If you had a question about a form that
was actually in there or a memo that was
actually in in the document where it
was, give us time, not at the meeting to
say, "Oh, can you can you go get this or
go get that?" We've been talking about
this for months. So if you have
questions, I would encourage you to
maybe develop that list of questions a
little sooner so that I mean we are on
probably 10 months of this. I don't
know. I'm I'm just putting it out there.
Something like 10 months for for the
acquisition of these parcels. So I think
that if there's if you give the list of
questions, we'll do we'll do the best
that we can. But recognize our job is to
advance the interests of the township.
It isn't necessarily to answer all the
questions that you have. though we are
trying to do that.
>> Oh, I I wholeheartedly disagree when
there's when there's questions.
>> I I hope you see that we're trying to
>> I hope you see we're trying to get you
the answers to the questions that you
have, but we don't know what questions
are going to come up. And at some point,
we do have to take action. in in in the
10 years that I was on the planning
board, when there was a question, you
can't think of everything about every
project all the time, but when there was
a question and somebody on the board
would say, "Oh, what like what was that
thing about the thing?" We would pull it
up. We would pull it out of the file and
be like, "Oh, I here's the answer."
>> I I I think I
>> No, you haven't given the answers. And
like that's frustrating to me
>> because I I think that I'm asking very
basic questions.
>> Yeah. Well, I I did my best to try to
answer those questions, but if if I can
after tonight as well, I'd be happy to resend you things. I reprinted things
out for you. I mean, I can't at some
point I I work for everybody. So, I I
need to I need to continue to advance
the progress in this community. So, I
think 10 months, lots of questions, a
lot of repetition, some of the comments
that people have made.
I I'm ready. I'm ready to take action on
this. I don't know how others feel.
>> Is that a motion?
>> Sounds like a motion. Uh I'd like to
move resolution number 40, please, as uh
both described and um
and shown
>> the layout zone for the water department
and water district. I will second that.
Okay. on their bad.
>> I hesitate to say further discussion,
but I'm going to say further discussion.
» Okay. If not, all in favor? Kenny?
>> Nay.
>> All right. William,
>> hi.
>> Myself,
>> I. Jacob,
>> hi.
>> Christina,
>> nay.
>> Okay. Uh, the resolution passes. Thank
you very much. Thank you all
>> talking to the mic.
>> Thank you all who attended
um not only tonight's public hearing but
all the previous meetings um as you see
uh democracy has both people in favor of
and against uh certain matters. I I will
remind everybody the most contentious
thing still to this date that occurred
in the town of Red Hook as documented
was the CPF was also now 20 years later
probably the most transformative. Um it
was put to public referendum as required
by law and passed by I think it was 33
votes. um timing being uh what it was
with the real estate uh crash of 2007,
without CPF, we would not have uh the
ability to protect um much of the
farmland, certainly on West Curly
Corner, as we heard from uh Mr. Treza
tonight. We were fortunate enough to be
able to partner with him um protecting
uh that farm and adjoining familyowned
farms. Um Mr.
rally as well. Um, many farmer
>> I I'm explaining
>> I'm driving to the city at 3:00 a.m.
tomorrow. So,
>> I I agree with you. I'd like I'd like
our meetings to to run as well.
>> We're done with this as well.
>> Let's go. Let's move on, please.
>> Okay.
>> Thank you.
>> Uh, with that said, um, our next item on
the agenda, oh, we're going to take some
public comments.
Who would like to make some general
public comments tonight? And thank you
all for coming. Um Roxan, if you would
be kind enough to.
>> Roxan Fishiser, Barry Town.
>> Thank you.
>> I am informing the board and the public
that I have received formal confirmation
from the office of the New York State
Controller acknowledging receipt of my
fourth supplemental complaint. This
formal submission to Chief Auditor James
Letainer's team documents a persistent
pattern of fiscal impropriy,
statutory non-compliance,
and compounding municipal waste. In his
July 17th coverage with Daily Catch,
Supervisor McKeen admitted his intent to
divert open space revenue, stating
verbatim, "When we conclude the final
two elements of the Cookingham project,
we will have not because that we
intended to, we will have made enough
already on Cookingham so much so much
money on that project. we will have paid
for not only these legal fees but any
ensuing legal fees. To be clear, under
New York State town law section 64H,
CPF funds are restricted solely for open
space preservation, not a slush fund for
general litigation and court defeats.
Furthermore, on June 25th, Justice Rosa
handed this town its second major court
defeat, striking down local laws B and C
for continuous seeker non-compliance.
In spite of multiple multiple lawsuits,
our foils to the town have not yielded
any invoices for 2026,
which must mean that there are
skyrocketing costs from our legal
partners for multiple lawsuits. Finally,
the board continues to ignore
insurmountable realities. restrictive
deed covenants barring public parks and
an open active CSX rail line bordering
the access route. No amount of money can
offset the catastrophic safety liability
of routing public park traffic alongside
active train tracks. Council member
Duchon was entirely correct when she
noted on the record the total lack of
basic planning behind this project. The
current 32 block is squandering public
money on an unviable project. But 32
majorities are not set in stone. Tonight
I appeal to Hamilton Tester. You have
seen the court rulings, the mounting
legal bills. You know the severe
liability risks of the site. Continuing
down this path exposes our town to
continuous financial and legal jeopardy.
Step forward,
re-examine the facts, and vote to resend
your previous authorization for these
eminent domain proceedings. Restore
fiscal integrity to Red Hook.
>> Thank you, Roxan. Would anybody else
like to make some public comments?
» Lisa Polo Alresent West Corner Road.
Lisa Polo was unable to stay. She had
other meetings tonight. She asked me to
read this on her behalf. At the July
14th board meeting, many of us witnessed
unprofessional behavior by council
member Jacob Testa directed at council
member Christina Duchon. That behavior
was also the subject of a fair number of
social media comments. Councilman
council member Tester repeatedly
interrupted her spoke in harsh and
raised tone and turned his back on her
while she was speaking.
When council member Duchon requested to
serve as a point person for
communications regarding a recently
filed lawsuit, council member Tester
accused her of being biased in favor of
the Poke Club. accusing a fellow board
member of bias simply because she
unapologetically
listens to her constituents and is a
blatant double standard.
Uh by that same logic, council member
Tester's consistent voting record
against the vote club demonstrates his
own undeniable pre-existing bias. What
council member Tester characterized as
bias is in fact the desire of most of
the community and we applaud council
member Ducharm's comm commitment to
speaking on behalf of the constituents.
We have witnessed similar behavior by
the supervisor. You will recall his
condescending tone to a very capable and
highly regarded highway superintendent
as he disputed her wellressearched
vehicle recommendations and lectured her
on following procedure
procurement procedures. How ironic. At
the same time behind the scenes he was
engaged in multiple law firms. He was
engaging multiple law firms without
following proper approval procedures.
and many of us recall his dismissive and
exclusionary treatment by the former
town clerk and deputy town clerk. One
might notice a common theme among the
targets of such behavior.
Councilman Tester, that is not the
behavior you should want to emulate.
Not only is it disrespectful and
unprofessional, but is certainly
unbecoming of an associate dean of civil
rights. Disagreement is a natural and
healthy part of local governance, but
berating a colleague, cutting off
debate, and using hostile behavior is
completely unbecoming of an elected
official representing this town. The
residents of this town deserve a town
board that treats each other with
dignity and basic courtesy. The conduct
we witness sets a dangerous precedent
for how business is conducted in this
hall. Respectfully submitted, Lisa
Polar. Thank you.
>> Well, would you like to make some
remarks?
>> Absolutely.
>> Wait a minute. I got one more. Go ahead.
I'll ask my own question here.
» Folks, if we could, we'd like to keep it
to 15 minutes as as we
>> paid time.
>> Thank you,
>> Mr. Tesla, Mr. Hamill.
Without town water approval, you have
been parties along with the dictator
to the illegal squandering of local
taxpayers money to the sum of $300,000.
Shame. Shame.
How much more has been spent by the
dictator
without global approval?
Shame. Shame.
I believe this money could have been
better spent by the residents for their
personal needs. The board of elections
has a total count of $862
voters in the town of Red Oak.
This $300,000
expense paid for by taxpaying voting
residents, people you'll be talking to
in the next year
if you want to run back run again.
may be allocated as follows. Registered
Democrats 144,510
48.17%.
Registered Republicans 59,280
19.76%.
Other enrollments
$96,210.327%.
Residents deserve open government honest
representation.
Majority rule, not the past practice of
hidden inexecutive session perpetuated
by the dictator.
afraid to let the consultants hear
discussion and compromise and the truth.
Mr. Dictator,
shame, shame, shame all of you.
>> Thank you.
» Sorry. Thank you.
>> Anybody else like to make some comments?
>> I'd like to make a comment on my own
behalf.
For the last year, Robert, you and Bill
and uh Jacob have indicated that it is
your position that the the majority of
the town is in favor of your eminent
domain proceeding. At the last meeting,
Christina made a motion to hold a public
referendum. Well, and you all voted no,
the three of you. I don't understand it.
If you believe that the resid residents
of this town are in your behind you in
this matter on eminent domain, why not
hold a public resolution? Show us that
you're right.
Show us that you're correct. Quite
frankly, I don't agree with you because
I think no matter what your station in
life is, what your political persuasion
may be, whatever your personal feelings
may be, people really resent a
government taking and stripping people
of their property rights. But I'd like
you to reconsider your thoughts. Not
this meeting. Christina, I'd ask next
meeting to make the motion again. Let's
see if you guys can reconsider and show
us that you really believe that the
public is behind you. And as far as the
cost is, it's nominal. You've already
spent $300,000 fooling around with
lawsuits and now you got four of them,
five of them pending right now. So a few
thousand to hold a public referendum is
peanuts in this matter. Show us you're
right. Show us you're correct. Robert,
Bill, Jacob, that the town is behind
you. Vote for a resol. vote for the
permissive referendum and let's find
out. Thank you.
>> Thank you. Okay, we'll take one more.
Thank you, Carrie.
>> Carrie Kitner, Barrytown, New York. Um,
actually, um, uh, Al
covered what I wanted to say. I had
heard that there was a motion for a
referendum. And actually, I hate to
point at you, Jacob, after you've been
uh kind of pointed at already, but uh I
know that you and I share being
democratic socialists. And um I think
your reason for wanting the vote club is
because you think it should belong to
everyone.
Um but that's just socialism. That's not
democratic socialism, which is really
different.
Socialism is when a powerful government
takes things from the people and decides
for them how it should work. Democratic
socialism is allowing a democracy
to decide and that is the people. So you
can't be for democratic socialism and
vote against a resolution that is
dividing this town in a way that is
breaking my heart. We started with the
pledge of allegiance and when I was
thinking about socialism I was like oh
yeah a lot of people think of socialism
because we grew up with the USSR but
that was never socialism. That was
communism and oligarchy and powerful
government. um real socialism is
actually for the people. And then when
we were talking about the United States
of America, I think about how that's not
really true anymore in so many ways. And
we're not the United States anymore.
We're like the divided states. And I
feel like it's happening here in our
town. And it's really distressing.
And so as a democratic socialist and
that means that I'm for social security
and public schools but I am not
fortaking
from a collective which this I mean you
know this group this boat club number
one I'm for social clubs this is a
social club and I think people should be
allowed to have clubs and they are
they're a little community of a hundred
families. So that's hundreds of people
sharing two acres of land and you want
to take it for everyone like it it's a
limited resource you know like
healthcare that's a big resource and
schools it's like for everyone this is
not for everyone this is this is for
like people who have motorboats so
anyway just want to say as a democratic
socialist to another democratic
socialist
please let's have a referendum let it be
a democracy proceed.
>> Thank you.
» We're going to get on with the agenda. I
just want to remind you all just the
rules of decorum for our meetings are
such please do not target your comments
to any individual board member. The
comments are for the board as a whole.
Um and we ask that you not
>> I'm sorry. I didn't know that.
>> Yeah.
>> Sorry. But it's okay.
>> I think that there have been things that
have been misrepresented tonight. I
don't feel like fighting it, but thank
you for your comments.
>> Okay, let us move on, shall we?
>> In furtherance
to the supervisor's report, let's go
back. Um, we heard we heard some
comments. Well, folks folks are gone.
Um,
already working on next year's budget.
very happy to talk about uh the finances
of the town of Red Hook and
how taxes are lower than they were a
decade ago and we've got 90 plus
projects completed. Um the
snapshot is for the period ending July
31st.
I will put my signature on this when you
make a motion to accept. Uh we started
the month with an opening balance of
11.5 million at receipts of 856,000
dispersements of 88,000.
We have a balance of 11,597,000
and change. you have as part of your
packet some uh budget adjustments
prepared by an Conway.
Um
any questions you have on that, please
let me know. Um and
you have your variance report as you do
each and every month showing where we
stand versus budget for each one of the
accounts.
Any
questions? Board members 913
at night.
» If not, who would like to make a motion
to accept the supervisor's report?
>> Kenny.
>> Sure.
>> Okay.
>> Second.
» Jacob. A second.
>> Um, all in favor? William.
>> Christina. Five.
>> Five. Um, Diana, could I impose upon you
to do the clerk's report? Then we'll
move to agenda items.
>> Town clerk's report for the period July
1st through July 31st, 2026. Amount paid
to the town of Red Hook, $7,670.60.
Amount paid to New York State
Agriculture and Markets for the Spay
Neuter Program, $39. Amount paid to New
York State Department of Health for
marriage licenses, $45. Amount paid to
New York State Environmental
Conservation for hunting and fishing
license $198.40.
Total state, county, and local revenue
$7,953.
And I hereby certify that vouchers
number 35127 to 35222
processed in the month of July 2026 or
an accurate reporting of the abstracts
approved for payment by the town board.
» Okay.
Motion to accept the court report.
>> Second
bill got in there before Christina. All
in favor Christina.
>> I
myself I Jacob.
>> Okay, let's go.
» We're going to skip around. We're going
to skip around since we don't have our
highway super um with us tonight. Um,
we do have
We're going to go to water first.
>> Sorry, David. I'm going to go to water
first. They they got here oily. Um,
>> so uh item number seven, drinking water
source protection plan two, next steps.
Um, I think I sort of described a little
bit of where we are. Who wants to talk
first?
>> Maybe it's appropriate that I do since I
was the designated town board member.
>> Okay, I'm going to step away for one
minute.
>> All right, I'll keep talking.
>> You keep talking. Thank you. Okay. So,
the New York State Department of Health
and Department of Environmental
Conservation have a program called uh
water source protection. And what it is they like to work with municipalities
um to find ways to protect our water
sources. And
you work with them to come up with a
plan that the primary focus is to look
for the things that are your contaminant
potential contaminants of water.
And um
we've been at this for a while. We
finally have a finalized report. right
now at this maybe 3 years um to give a
finalized report and and the the benefit
of this finalized report is now the town
of Red Oak has access to certain uh
state assets. um not just grants but um
they have staff that help do certain
things and um they make certain um
certain things available to the
municipalities that have this this plan
and I don't want to get too much because
the plans are really long. Um, but I
think what's important is in the plan
and it goes to what we just voted on
regarding the CPF fund acquisition of
those parcels,
there's a in the plan, it's made of part
of the public document, there's a series
of maps and there's a map that has a
list of parcels that the state has
determined would be ideal for the town
to acquire to protect the water for the
town. And most of those parcels sort of
reside along the Sill Creek, which is a
major water source for the town. And
they didn't know at the time that they
finalize this cuz it has to go to State
Department, state, everybody else. We
had just uh uh done the acquisition or
the easement on the uh Camp Rising Sun.
And um they were very pleased to hear
when we had the final meeting to to I
guess adopt this this plan. They were
unaware that a mile and a half of the
sockill and that was one of their big
parcels had been protected. Uh there's
another one next to it and a few others
on the other side that go more
downstream I believe. And then there's a
list of other other properties. So,
they're very very much um supportive of
any action that we take to help protect
our water source. The other big one is
potential sources of contamination,
whether they be oil depots, uh salt
sheds, whatever they are. So, they have
another map that has all of those
throughout the town, um and the
villages. And so, the now that we have
the report done, it's been approved. Um
the next step is really the next steps
are to implement the plan and some of
the implementation we already did by the
camp rising sun uh easement acquisition
with was
>> we haven't closed yet
>> we haven't closed but that's I mean that
was really they were very uh surprised
by that they didn't know that that had
happened uh because it's one of the
biggest parcels they said that we need
to protect. Um but there are many others
and then there's issues related to how
we deal with our salt for the water uh
you know brining the roads a variety of
things and so the next steps for this
process if you will is to the implement
the things that are um that are on the
plan and I'll just go real quick there
are five goals one is to foster inter uh
community discussion and promote
collaborative partnerships among the
communities water systems and water
users users uh promote equitable,
sustainable, and climate resistant
development in Red Hook that preserves
the area's unique aggregant history and
character. Evaluate pres uh evaluate
present and future land use to minimize
threats to existing and prospective
drinking water sources through proactive
zoning and other measures. Engage and
educate communities, water systems, and
water users about drinking water sources
and source protection. And lastly,
pursue funding opportunities to increase
water supply and treatment reliability,
including s uh source water and
conservation easement acquisition. Um,
and so they were unaware that we're in
the getting in the late stages of our
community uh the comp plan. And so that
is that falls into one of these goals.
So we in many ways have have been
without even having this plan doing many
of the things that the state is very
supportive of. The the bonus here is
they can help us uh with certain
resources, certain assets potential uh
makes us more competitive for certain
kind of grants and um and this will be
the roadmap for you know the foreseeable
future on how the town uh goes about
trying to preserve what is really
outstanding quality water. Whether it's
in our water district from our wells or
even all of us who have our own wells.
Uh we have really excellent water. We
have a really excellent group of
aquafers. They often come go down
towards the river. And the sewer is
another one of those. Uh I know it's
counterintuitive for people to think of
a sewer as protecting your water, but it
really is one of the best ways to keep
your water safe. And as they discovered
in the village as they started putting
in their sept their their sewer system
there were um septic systems private
ones that were on the verge of
catastrophic failure which would have
polluted our water. So in many ways
we've been way ahead of the curve and
now this is just a validation of that
and more support and more help for the
town in the future. That's it.
Okay. Um,
» public comment.
>> Did you want Well, you're you're a part
of this. You're a part of this effort.
>> I was on the committee with Bill and um
it was a it was a very interesting
process. The uh people from the DC were
very capable. um really knew their stuff
and um it's one of the important uh
>> you could speak up a little bit.
>> One of the important um effects of
accepting this plan and implementing it
is that we we have basically have
consultants that aren't going to cost us
anything.
>> Right.
And who know who and don't have
to be brought up to speed because they
know what's already going on. So, uh I
think that in itself makes the the whole
process really valuable. But um it was interesting because while we were
doing it, we kept while we were in the
process of evaluating what the water was
and what needed to be preserved and
stuff. We were also in the process of
doing it.
>> Right.
Which I think was um uh uh we
were kind of a step ahead of them the
whole time, which is unusual for most
towns, I think.
>> Right.
>> And it's surprised that
just a few.
Excuse me. I'll go to the mic. Uh, I
think it's a wonderful plan. It's very
comprehensive. It's so comprehensive it really is hard to kind of really get
in there to the nitty-gritty. And in any
plan as comprehensive as that, I do
think there are some odds and ends that
I could really argue with in and there's
a few inconsistencies in there. Nothing
that that I think is a particular
concern. I'll give you one one example
for uh one part of the document talks
about uh uh um land that should be
acquired because it's along a major
tributary and then other times they just
talk about land to be acquired along a
tributary and I think there needs to be
some clarification as to whether or not
you're going to look at lands on every
single creek uh and stream uh in the
sock watershed or the defined major
tributaries along the sockill
uh I don't think I I will uh say that
the
part that we're involvement with the
sawill is really to advocate for the
watershed uh and not any individual
properties within that. Uh we're looking
at the whole entire watershed and the
need the continu I can't stress enough
the continued need for information and
data to base things on. Uh and as we
stand here now, the data collection
process uh you know because of the
relationship we've had with Bard is in
the future is not necessarily going to
be uh there for us uh that we implore
the town to keep an open mind and in
terms of what it's really going to mean
to continue to collect reliable data
throughout the whole wershed and it is
going to take some uh financial
resources and I was pleased to see that
though there are financial resources is
in the plan. Uh I think we might need a
little bit more than that, but but
everybody's going going to say the same
thing.
>> Yeah. Uh I you know, as an individual
watershed community for a minute, it but
just as a regular community member, you
know, I do have a general concern about,
you know, how do you go about uh
acquiring property? What is the process
for that? uh you know we we we had a lot
of discussion tonight about acquiring
property. What does acquiring mean and
where does it go and what is the process
and who's involved in that process. I
think particularly today uh that's going
to be a real key uh if this is going to
be successful and folks are really going
to be on board with it. I do need to
think it has to be in a very very above
board process. Uh and and the broader uh
constituency you can get involved in
that the the better it's going to be all
around. But I think it's really a
wonderful report. Implementation of it
is going to be huge. Uh and you know
we're here with the SA wershed community
to say we're we're here to support that.
Okay. Thank you. If
>> I can just add one quick thing. Um just
something for all of us to keep in mind
going forward. Uh the accumulated data
we have on the water temperature in the
sal indicates that it is now half a
degree warmer than it was 10 years ago.
Okay.
>> This is a direct result of climate
change and uh it has serious
implications for
the future in terms of what we put into
the water and uh what we get out of it.
and uh things like requiring the water
district parcels uh to uh for for
wetland protection become increasingly
important as we go forward.
» Great. Thank you. Um
I I would just add you talked about
acquisition. One of the nice things
about this is this is really a small
subset of the community preservation
plan. There's something in the
neighborhood of,300 parcels in that
plan. all are eligible for acquisition
and it talks about all the different
>> but if I'm one of the parcels that
that's being called out to be acquired
uh you know uh what's going to happen
when you knock on the door and say we
want to acquire your property
>> Sure. Sure.
>> When is that going to happen?
>> Yeah.
So I mean
>> and what does it mean to acquire
property?
>> Well, exactly. Um, so there are a bundle
of property rights and often times
you're you're looking at in these cases
easements, conservation easements to
protect the uh resource. Um, for
example, uh, Bill referenced Camp Rising
Sun, which hopefully we'll be closing on
in the next couple of months. Um, that's
a state water quality improvement uh,
program grant funding. Winnipeg Land
Trust are partnered with that. That's
number 15 here. Um, and so you can see
just the length of the soft field right
here and just how how protective it is.
And by the way, since we're talking
about camper rising sun, if you haven't
been to the pool, go to the pool and
walk the grassy trails. They're
available. They've opened them up early
for the public to see and enjoy. Um, but
like here's a here's a parcel that has
recently sold within the last couple of
years. And so what we might do as an
outreach and just say, "Hey, look, there
are these volunteer voluntary programs
um available. This this one actually
has, you know, really good agricultural
resources and has been a farm for um
generations. Um so, yeah, there was a a
very extensive process to reduce the
targeted, if you will, um parcels if
you're trying to maximize protection
along the salt kill. And as you can see,
um, it's really very efficient to
>> and it's tributaries. I think that's key. What what constitutes it
again again part of the document talks
about major tributaries and then names
them and then some of the parcels are
not along those tributaries. They're
along unnamed tributaries. Sure. Sure.
>> We've identified at least 11
tributaries.
>> Fortunately, we have partners in Winni
Land Trust and Scenic, you know, with
these, you know, Duchess Land Conser. We
have partners uh who share the same
>> Yeah. I mean they share the same goals
and agenda um and have helped us you
know lot that that 15 is is huge. Um and
so you know the hope is that over time
that some of these other parcels that
the owners of those parcels
uh might we might be able to sell the
purchase easements rights or other
things so that the
>> just be careful with the with the
concept of acquiring property.
>> Yeah. Well, there's the physical
property and then there's the easement,
right?
>> An important distinction.
>> Yeah.
>> The uh stream along through the rising
sun is just beautiful
>> through the
>> rising sun. I mean, if you get a chance
to go look at it, it's it's just
>> it's what it should be. You know,
>> this this section here I know very well.
>> This is part of our farm
>> and that's under and that's underneath.
We've left it available to become a
trail in the future of passing trip that
section. So that's also covered.
>> And I didn't see a definition in there.
Uh however, and this may be a common
legal term, cultivated land. What is
meant by cultivated land? Right.
Well, well,
>> I know what a dictionary definition is,
but there might be a legal definition
because if you you look at the legal
definition, it means I mean not the the literary definition. I mean any land
that's been used
for farming, right?
>> But there's a lot more properties in our
town
that are not included to be acquired
that would fall under that. There's also
a lot of land that was at one time used
for farming is still considered
agricultural by the county um but is not
currently being farmed.
>> Okay.
>> So, um then just
>> what's the process going forward with
CDC on this? I mean, do we have like a
schedule of meetings of some sort? just
do.
>> Well, we try to work with Michael um at
Department of Health to schedule some
like I think
>> regular meetings but we're going to
have a we're going to schedule I guess a
kickoff or an implementation meeting
>> to kind of go over the things that were
done that they were unaware of as the
plan was being finalized and then
perhaps prioritize
what we think are the things that are,
you know, achievable. uh short-term,
medium-term, long-term, and I don't even
know what long-term means in this
context cuz I I'm certain it's a
multi-year process, many multi-year
process, but the idea is to set things
in motion in a way so that, you know,
future leaders can pick up where we left
off and continue that process uh without
too much interruption. Well, we we were
uh we wanted to have a uh to sponsor a
community meeting to present the report.
>> Oh.
>> Uh and bring in Michael
thought about that, but I think that's a
good idea.
>> Yeah. So, uh uh have water community
sponsor that. One suggestion is that to
the extent that we've been having
community meetings regarding the comp
plan and this really in many ways is a
subset of that. Yeah.
>> Uh or help will help inform the comp
plan. Maybe that's an opportunity we can
speak to Julia Solomon um at the next
>> Well, they've reached out the comp plan
has already reached out.
>> They have. Yeah.
>> Okay, great. and then maybe that's an
opportunity to present this and um and
talk about it and where we are
is it really is a a comp plan.
>> Yeah. I mean when we we held a a kitchen
table conversation we had some meetings.
>> Okay.
>> That was very much.
>> Thank you.
>> So has there been uh testing of the
water along the sill?
>> Yes.
Where where are the results? Well, we we
are not in here.
>> No, no, no. There if you'd like to see
the um the the long decades long series
of water testing results, you can go to
the Salt Hill Waterershed Community
website.
>> Well, we pres we presented the we we we
have been doing testing for how many
years now?
and mo mostly through BART and the the
data. Okay. The the the the testing that
we did in 2025, we presented a report to
the town uh and that was made public in
July of 2025. It was I believe post and
I believe it's on the town website also.
In addition to that, we submitted a
summary executive report in October of
2025. Okay. That's much that really
focuses in and I would encourage every
board admit I'm surpris I'm disappointed
the board hasn't read that about you got
nothing else FROM COVER TO COVER. OKAY.
But I think you know Ken the data is
there. The the concern I was talking
about at the microphone though is, you
know, are we going to be able to
continue collecting the data and having
the data analyzed, especially since the
support we've gotten in the past from
BARD may not be there as much as it has
in the past.
>> And how many locations on the
>> well like a dozen?
>> Well, not on the no on sulus 15. And in
addition to that, for the first time
last year, we included two sites on the
Stony Hill. Uh because that is part of
the town. Uh so we we expanded it last
year. But the historical data goes back,
you know, decades to tell you the truth.
>> And in addition to that, excuse Bard
published a released a database where
any citizen can go in and and access
that data.
>> Yeah. Online.
>> Online. Yeah. and that that you can
access that there's a portal for that on
our website.
>> But u the the the long series of data
that goes back for more than 20 years uh
is why we know that the average
temperature on the on the
>> and that has you know serious
implications for flooding and um
wetlands and drinking water
and just all sorts of bad stuff.
>> Well, thank you. And the data the data
collection has not only been through
with BR students but it's been community
volunteers also including how a lot of
the high school students have gotten
involved.
>> Great.
>> Thank you so much.
>> Great.
>> Okay.
>> Can we start spending the money?
>> We'll hear more about implementation.
>> Okay.
>> Well, we would love to be part of that
processing too. Absolutely. Terrific.
>> Thank you.
>> Okay.
>> All right you guys. Thank you so much.
Thanks. Have a good night.
» We're sorry.
>> We jumped your line.
>> Whatever it is.
» Um
I I did in rushing to get ready. I think
I printed out a copy of your latest
edition. I think it came today
somewhere. Anyway, come talk to us.
>> Sure. Um, I also just want to be
respectful of the time.
>> Yeah.
>> Um,
>> thank you.
>> So, I'll always I'll have this little
spiel, you know,
for a while.
Red Hook Housing Committee, we're about
5 years old. Um, we've spent those five
years, you know, researching solutions
to both create and preserve affordable
housing in the town. Um,
that that time has been spent both a
little bit of research, a little bit of
self-coralysis.
We're doing our best. hopefully in a new
era now in which we are trying to pivot
toward storytelling for you all. Um, and
the proposal that you received in the
packet prior to tonight's meeting uh is
the second of that sprint or marathon.
I'm not exactly sure what the metaphor
is. Um, and it refers to a good cause
fiction. Uh there is a New York state
good cause eviction law um that
puts some parameters on uh reasons for
eviction among fair market value ren
fair market value renters. Um this is
does not apply to subsidized or
otherwise affordable housing you know
formally affordable housing. It does not
apply to super high-end luxury housing.
There is actually a cap on fair market
value. Um and the state law was written
in a way that uh communities like ours
have to opt into it. Um while the state
law has a lot of parameters already
built into it, it actually extends more
selection of parameters to the
communities that do optin um such as the
that fair market value cap um as high as
345% fair market value. It allows opt
optin communities to determine um the scope of of of a landlord's real
estate portfolio. Um how big or small it
can be. So there are uh so the housing
committee is suggesting or recommending
that we are one of those optin
communities and the parameters that are
available to us you are included in our
proposal. the highest fair market cap of
345%.
Um to protect the widest swath of
renters. Um even those who are maybe
nominally in the luxury market they they
deserve protection too. Um the proposal
also defines uh the size of the
portfolio and it's we have defined it as
rather small um as of because it there
is some uh
fields experience that suggests that the smaller the portfolio the the
less likely a person can establish
multiple LLC's by which they
through, you know, through which they
can sort of surreptitiously
own multiple properties
>> and and avoid the application of the
good cause of law to their portfolio.
>> Yes.
>> Yeah.
>> Um
>> it's not limiting the amount of property
somebody can own, it's whether this law
applies to what they own.
>> Uh and as you'll see, the you know, the
more times I stand up at this
microphone, the more out of my depth I
will become because you can only become
so fluent in affordable housing
strategies over a short period of time.
Um, so thank you for having my back
there, Jacob. Um, and you happy to
field, you know, whatever questions you
have about it, you know, within my
abilities. Um, but I think that, you
know, this proposal is, you know, has
the the depth and detail, you know, that
the previous one did. um I think is a
nice nice counterpoint to the home share
proposal you know because uh whereas
homeshare is you know refers to the
development
of affordable housing opportunities it's
really just you know maximizing the
opportunities that were already our
midst is about preserving you know the housing of folks who are already
here um so one is about development the
one is the other is about stabilization
however I did actually want to take a a
little bit of a detour um from this
because uh as Jacob mentioned to you in
an email this evening, we've just
roughed out another proposal. And of the
three, you know, that are now before
you, this third proposal is actually
more timesensitive than the other two.
Um good cause eviction, you know, can happen at any time. Home share could
happen at any time. Ideally, it happens
at the pace of our conscience. Um,
however, this third proposal, you know,
is is time-sensitive because it has to
do with emergency housing in wintertime.
Um,
emergency housing experiences of of
homelessness, it's not exactly something
that we had wanted to take on over the
course of this committee's 5 years. Um,
it is a gnarly systemic problem. You
know, when you think about people who
are experiencing homelessness, you often
need to think about wraparound services.
It was just bigger than the committee
thought itself capable of grasping. It
didn't really feel like it was in our
within our remit. Um, but over these
years, we have been visited by residents
like Charlie Rubin. Um, we have been,
you know, we have heard about the
efforts of Red Hook together. Um, and
we've also had members who have joined
the committee, you know, with an eye to
the both visible and invisibly unhoused
populations of Red Hook. And so, um, you
know, we felt compelled to to, uh,
participate in this dialogue, you know,
however much it doesn't necessarily feel
like it's in our wheelhouse. And so the
proposal that is not in your packet but
you know just circulated by email this
evening actually you know tries to touch
at that um it is just in full
transparency
um whereas the first two proposals are
lowhanging fruit you know we have a
state law we have a olster county
precedent you know for both you good
cause eviction and home share
respectively what we are proposing here
it's a
You know, you see things happening in
Burlington, Vermont. You see things
happening, you know, in Kingston. You
see, you know, cosmopolitan communities
that have our climate. And so um but
this is you know I think that because
the precedents are fewer because our
climate is more extreme than like places
like California that are thinking about
you know emergency housing and housing
stabilization
you know in nicer weather. Um we don't
have too much to build upon
incrementally. So, like I said, in the
spirit of transparency, I feel like this
proposal that was just emailed to you
maybe the least resolved of the three.
Um,
you also I think also it was least
resolved because we were avoiding it for
a lot of our history. Um, but it is it
does feel like the most urgent. You
know, we we did have a warming center
two winters ago. the warming center, you
know, did not materialize last winter.
Our one of our members, Cat Viega, you
know, has talked repeatedly about
knowing two people who have died of
exposure. Um, and so, uh, you know, it
just felt
moral like the morally responsible thing
to do is to is was to share this
storytelling with you, you know, however
uncrystallized it is. Um, so you know,
if you have to, you know, I know you
have very full plates, but if you had
the pri, you know, if you could
prioritize one of these three proposals
for brainstorming and outreach, um, it
would be this one. Um, we at your
disposal to you continue workshopping
ideas and making connections. Um, and I
will say that, you know, the word
continuum is coming up a lot in in the
housing committee's conversations. You
know, a continuum of housing
preservation to housing development, a
continuum of a person who needs
emergency housing to the person who
maybe, you know, one medical bill away
from being housing insecure to folks
like me who just, you know, are always
nervous about paying the mortgage. um
you know there's it's just a continuum
of of security and insecurity. So you
know this third proposal you know
dovetales into that continuum. Um but
because it is at the most urgent end of
the continuum it does seem like it
should be the most urgent one for us to brainstorm about.
» Thank you. Um
>> thank you.
>> I have a question.
>> Yeah, of course.
Um
when the state passed the law,
>> what are you on? Good. good cause.
>> Yeah. Sorry. Lot of
>> Did they did they do what they did with
cannabis which says if you opt in, you
can never opt out.
>> And I asked that because um
you know when I and I very much
appreciate getting the list of all the optins in in the area. It's very
helpful. But what I noticed was most of
them were either cities or much larger
communities than ours. I'm not saying
we're not a large community. We're in
that sort of weird sweet spot. Um,
and
you know, I I want to make sure that we
don't commit to something. and when the
cannabis thing happened, you know,
notwithstanding the fact it's still a
federal crime, which was my main reason
for voting against it. But the other
reason was the state had not um they
were very far from completing their
regulations and implementing a program.
And I had uh serious reservations which
were proven over time that it took them
a long time to figure out how to get to
where they wanted to really be. And I
wasn't happy
proving something that you're stuck with
forever
when you don't. It's like driving blind
really. And so I want to make sure I
mean I I think this is very important
and I also think it's a part of our comp
plan, you know, I mean this is this is
long-term stuff, but I want to make sure
that that what we're being asked to do
is not something that we can't undo.
>> Yeah. Yeah. An escape hatch, right?
Sometimes we, you know, act with
the best interests, good faith, as much
information as we have and then s, you
know, the uh what what what does
Ramshield called? What did he call it?
The unknown knowns or the known whatever
one of those. Um, so yes, I mean, you're absolutely right that there are
unknown unknowns. Um, and
>> why are we borrowing something that we
don't know everything about? Can I may I
make you the promise of um reading the
state law and then
>> that would be great responding to Jacob.
>> Yeah, I mean it should it should be in
there somewhere.
>> Um
>> but it would just be helpful to know
>> what we're committing ourselves to.
>> Yeah.
>> Um
>> most of our proposals, you know, have
come with some kind of re uh you know
retrospective review at the end of a
period like two years. are not I can't
remember if that text is in the good
cause eviction proposal per se. Um but
either you
well we'll have to see what the state
law says right because if there is no
opt out in the state law but we codify
an opt out then once your council sends
it to the state there's going to be a
little disconnect that you know that
makes
>> that makes authorization a little funky.
So, so let's start with this reading the
state law and we'll take it from there.
>> I think the risks here are different
from cannabis sale or consumption sites
as far as like whether you undo like
protections for renters versus
>> but there are economic consequences uh
for this. Um and you know the other
thing that I saw was you know
the issue of agriculture and far and
housing for people who work in farms and
Kenny can speak to this but you know I
didn't I tried to delve into what was
provided previously
and I didn't see anything that
I'm not saying there should be a car but
there should be some acknowledgement
that it's a different kind of
population. Um, and like my wife's
family are farmers in Oregon and they
provide housing for families who work,
you know, they're not seasonal workers.
They're they work full-time on the farm
and they have for generations actually.
And so I I want to I there it's a it's a
piece of a conversation that I don't I'm
not sure has been had or raised. to
those seasonal workers or even year
round workers. Are they saw market value
renters?
>> I saw the thing about seasonal but I
didn't see anything about year round and
we are
>> we should continue to be an agricultural
town. So there there just some things,
you know, that kind of when I saw it, um
I there were questions that came up and I think your timing is actually kind
of excellent cuz we are on the sort of
backside of getting a draft of a comp
plan hopefully end of the you know end
of the year and I think these are since
we only do one every 30 years this this
would be a great opportunity and since
zoning housing all these are sort of
really comp plan issues. Yeah.
>> Um I think it would be great to get
that. Yeah. Get it in there.
>> The existing the existing state carveout
that you know a a semantics person
expert might say is that um you know one
of the exemptions to this regulation
are are people who live on site or
landlords who live on site as long as
you know there are 10 units of housing
on site or less. Could that apply to a
family farm? Yeah, potentially. But, you
know, should there be, you know,
agricultural language in the state law?
Yeah, that's it is it's a state law and
the state comprises both urban and rural
areas. Okay.
>> You make a good point.
>> My my question relates to efficacy. So,
you have a law that's designed to help
protect the more affordable, we'll call
them, units in your community,
of which most of them are in the village
versus the town.
>> Yeah.
>> And so, I I wonder, have you all
discussed this with the village and, you
know, what their thoughts on on it might
be? Um,
>> where the village is.
>> Yeah. Where the where the village is.
Yeah.
>> Karen and Emily are, you know, are kind
of clued in, you know. Okay. Compton's
family
yard sale day to tell her what's going
on. Um, I bring it up for a couple
reasons. One one of the things that I
discovered when I was on the county's
housing task force in 2021 or whatever
that was was that we had in the
township, we did not have one
multifamily of 20 units or more in our
community anywhere, which is a decision
the community. I'm not saying we have.
I'm just saying that that was news to
me. Um, and so when we look at, for
example, a portfolio that's about to
change hands in the village of Red Hook
with 73 units, I think it is something
like that. Um, I'm going to just take a
guess and say they probably include many
of our more affordable units. I just
wonder if that's um, you know, that's
important for us to to take a look at
that.
>> Yeah. and and how that may have impact
or may not impact the uh
>> yeah the proposal advocates for
simultaneous adoption across
jurisdictions. Um but I but there is uh
you know baggage that comes with this
regulation. You this the potential
economic consequences that Bill was
hinting at. I believe specifically
you're thinking that you know there is concern that this kind of
regulation in a world of regulation is
going to be the is going to be the straw
you know by which some
>> real estate holders do not want to build
or keep their portfolios here.
Um,
>> yeah. Well, there's a long history of rent
regulations in communities and really
when you look throughout the nation,
>> um, this is new.
>> Um, but most of rent control went away.
In fact, I think Boston and New York
City still has it. Boston, I think, is
the last pull out.
>> I think it's
>> because there's that that sort of push
and pull about the small landlord and
will they have enough money to maintain
the property and have a a decent return.
>> This is a nuance that we didn't discuss
in the committee, but you bring up an
interesting point about
>> um if we cannot have simultaneous
adoption, then does it actually create
the jurisdictional confusion that we all
complain about, right? We don't know
where the
>> where town and village or hamlet, you
know, and gets
>> and and it's not intentionally
obuscatory, but but it it you know,
makes people confused and we don't want citizens confused.
>> Yeah.
>> Um and as far as emergency housing,
so I think you and I have discussed
Hudson River housing has grant funds all
ready to go. We have, you know, the
advice of council is do not put it on
municipal land. Um, we're not in a
position to really supervise. We've
discussed that at least
from from what folks know there there
may be some mental health issues with a
couple of folks we're worried about and that's our primary concerns. We're
worried about them. Um
and I did notice um that there was yet
another pilot program coming from the
state. We talked about K through K2
um mental health uh assistance
um I think just announced this week um
pilot program Duchess County
Duchess maybe it's Duchess. So maybe
let's look into that as well. See if
that might be an opportunity. But again,
I go back to it's the where because the
money's already lined up, the people who
have experience in setting up these
shelters. In fact, Hudson River Housing
set up that one that you referenced a
couple of years ago.
It's the where and who's willing to have
that. Yes.
>> In their in their neck of the woods. You
heard comments tonight from people who
weren't boat club members, but they live
in Barry Town. And so we see whenever we
try to do any project, there is a please
not in my backyard kind of a a sentiment
that that comes from it. So it's a real
challenge in this situation.
>> It's the stickiest wicked.
>> We need to we need to to find something
that works in this situation because
everybody deserves to have a roof. I'
I've been as a child housing insecure. I
know what that feeling's like and and
it's not good.
>> Um
>> some of it's messaging too. I mean I've
heard a lot of conflation even on the
Cookingham project about these ideas
that you know a housing project's going
in, you know, and you live across the
street. Um, you know, I think some of
it's about properly messaging
what it is we're doing so that people
understand
what it is as opposed to these, you
know, very scary ideas about about that.
>> Sure. You know, and
>> and definitions, you know, and the
optics of this, you know, are another
dimension of, you know, another
challenging dimension. even the the
transitional housing fund, you know,
which doesn't necessarily touch upon,
you know, folks who may be suffering
from mental health issues. It may just
be, you know, that family that's, you
know, that one medical bill away from
insecure, but they want to keep their
kid in the school district, right?
>> Um, I mean, even that can be
misconstrued, right, as as a handout.
>> Yeah. So you you know like I you know
there many reasons why this third
proposal of ours is least resolved.
>> Yeah.
>> Um it's it's it's also just a really
it's really tough.
>> Um
but you know I think I I appreciate that
we're making a good faith effort you
know to think about you know even if we
>> even if we can't find that silver
bullet.
>> Well I mean you guys are boots on the
ground. I know cat, you know, is is
around the village and elsewhere. I
mean, and other members. It's really
about identifying where where can we do
this? Um, and and you know, maybe these
mobile units are great. I mean, they
sound like, you know, a potential
solution. The problem is the support
services we all talk about. Can we find
them more than just shelter? Because
it's it it's better. You know this, you
don't need me to tell you this, but it's
better if we can provide a housing
accommodation near where services can be
provided so that all of their well-being
can be improved and they can be the
member of society that
>> there is talk of of family services.
>> Yes. Yeah.
>> Make putting a base down here
>> which would be great because we know
that some you sometimes access to
services
>> isn't necessarily about geography or
transportation. It's just
>> personal resistance,
>> right? either to, you know, crossing the
threshold into that office or getting on
the bus to get to that office.
>> Um,
>> yeah, it's, you
tough nuances here. Um, I I don't, you
know, afraid I'm a little afraid to say
this on the p, you know, for public
record, but, you know, I am afraid that,
you know, we might not find the site,
you know, that weaves this all together
>> in time for the winter.
>> Yeah. Um, but at least we're on we're at
least we're on the record for for
starting, you know, the hard work of of trying.
>> Yeah. It might need to knock on doors.
>> Yeah.
>> Might have to come down to
>> um in the meantime, I will look into opt
out and and any kind of farming language
in state law and I'll I'll I'll email
you.
>> That'd be great.
>> Yeah. Okay.
>> Thank you, Barbara.
>> Thank you for for Karen. Of course.
>> Thank you. Have a good night.
>> Okay.
We are
number two. It's 10:00 and we're number
two.
>> The clock on the watch. I mean the hands
on the watch. Uh we've got we're back to
surplus.
I didn't want to say this, but we also
wanted a truck, but we own it on behalf
of the highway budget DV fund. Um,
so we've got two resolutions, right? One
is for the van,
>> one is for the van
and one is for the dump truck. So, um,
41
>> 41 would be the 2005 Chevrolet surplus.
You know, the rec department looked at
it and they were like
maybe the village DPW Jake is handy. Um
$1,500 as they know going anywhere in
the same garage.
>> Yeah.
Somebody approached me from the
wreck department saying that they were
using their own vehicle or something.
>> Yeah. So, remember we talked about those
pickup trucks? Remember we approved
pickup trucks earlier in the year?
>> Uh, yep.
>> So, there's going to be a surplus pickup
truck.
>> Okay.
>> I think they might be interested in that
>> versus this van.
>> How does that get transferred?
>> Well, when she she asked for that one to
be put up as surplus then we
>> Okay.
And the value gets created for
that one.
So in this case we've got 41 resolution
declaring the 2005 Chevy van surplus and
authorizing its transfer of the village
of Brea. Um they've inspected it. Um the
value has determined it's
recurring thing. The town board has
determined that the van is no longer
needed for town purposes. Well, we've
determined based upon the input of our
highway superintendent. I believe we
went under the van to check it. Um, and
then it's transferred to the village of
Breto for the purchase price set forth
there and is in the best interest of the
town. Now, therefore, be resolved. The
town board of the town of Redo as
follows declares the following vehicle
surplus property and let's fill in the
amount of $1,500. The town board hereby
authorizes the transfer and sale of the
people to the village of Red for the
purchase price of stated 1500 in asis
whereas condition no give backs village
of without any representation or
warranty by the town supposedly on to
the highway department.
>> So move second.
>> Any further discussion?
1500 minutes on this one. All in favor?
K. I
>> hi
>> myself. I Jacob and Christina.
>> Hi.
>> Thank you very much. Uh resolution 42
surplus items were now at the 2002
international dump truck.
Um highway superintendent has
recommended that the disposition of the
surplus equipment described here in in
the manner set forth town board of the
town of Red Hook as follows. declares
the following items as surplus
equipment.
Purchasing agent is authorized to engage
a reputable I can't even speak.
Online auction agent uh approved by the
purchasing officer. Actually, it's the
highway superintendent. Let's make that
change. Purchasing officer throughout
this second one.
It shall be available for inspection of
the town highway department. It's
resolution number 42. Who still is the
less on the
>> So moved.
>> Thank you, gentlemen.
>> Who would like to second this one?
>> Second.
>> Further discussion?
If not, all in favor? Kenny.
>> I.
>> Myself. I
>> Jacob. Hi. All right, that's 42.
Okay, we have uh 40 through3.
We don't want to be abrasive, but we do
go out to for a bracelet. So, it's
authorizing the town to advertise or
request for sealed bids. We go out the
bids trying to get the best pricing each
year for the materials and sometimes for
the labor associated with highway
projects.
Um
those are the ice control abrasives, a
request for seal bids for hot mix
asphalt and a request for proposals for
various materials for 2027.
These materials are listed here in the
memo. Do we quantities or like how does
that get filled in?
>> Well, it's so here's the here's the
document itself
and so um she will go out to bid and
they will prepare
» based upon a tonnage so each
page.
So, usually whenever we do this, we'll
get the results back and it'll show like
price and unit and all that.
>> So, it's based upon the time. You see
how it's
>> Yep.
>> Okay.
>> Got it.
>> And it says 1,700 tons hot mix asphalt
concrete for example.
And it's one of those picked up.
Okay. Uh
43.
Yes.
» May we
would like to move 43.
>> So moved.
>> Second.
>> Thank you both. Um further discussion.
If not, there's a return date in there
somewhere.
Right.
All in favor of Kenny I.
>> William I.
>> Jacob.
>> Hi
>> Christina.
>> Hi.
>> Thank you.
>> All right. Uh we jumped around a bunch
tonight.
Audits. So we get
our auditor
comes and audits various departments and
offices.
honor those letters.
Um reviewed uh the justice courts, the
office of town clerk, office of tax
collector and the management letter.
General fund reviewed the consolidated
checking account for consiliation each
month for completeness and accuracy
in assessing the cash dispersements.
Three vouchers per month. So they they
do all these spot checking
um cash receipts
clear audit trail all checks received by
the bookkeeper who deposited three
business days office of state controller
local government management guide states
the employee responsible for collecting
cash prepar
should not be um we have just one
bookkeeper
um so there's not the possibility of um
by procating those duties.
Um justice courts uh audit
and what they do. This is what they do
for the spot audits the findings. Um
and we will have merch courts for next
year when it happens.
Town clerk, same thing findings.
It's very positive uh management uh
letter, tax letter, collector
um
2026 tax receipts and dispersements
reconciled completely.
All daily receipts evaluated positive
and timely manner.
for their segregation of duties.
>> They're a clean office.
>> Clean office. And there they are. You
are all welcome to look at them website.
They will be posted upon approval.
So, uh,
>> is that correct on the, um, page
I think it's page five.
>> That one is that does that, is that 2026
or 2025.
>> Uh, find
collection period should say 2025. There
was one other type of
>> used my collection this year 26.
>> Oh, she used this one. Oh, right, right, cuz your season is January
through March. So it is it is correct
Christina.
>> Okay.
>> The 2020. What is not correct however is
uh did we get the correct man? There was
a typo in there. I think she
accidentally had in the initial draft
the management letter
tree bosser and right. Did she collect
that? Correct that.
I think Alex posted uh yeah good. Okay.
Um,
>> page two.
>> Sorry.
>> On page two, it still says street.
>> Oh, it still says page page.
>> Yeah,
it's like the second one right after the
resolution.
» He's still the judge. He's just not our
judge.
>> I guess yours is right. The one that I
had from what was in the mail is wrong.
So, whatever that update is is
>> Yes. So, the correction was made and
that's a matter of Yeah.
Okay. Uh, where where are we? Did we
vote on that?
>> Resolution 44.
» 44.
>> No, you didn't vote on it.
>> We didn't vote on it.
>> Okay.
>> This this would be 44.
>> Yeah.
Motion to
accept the audit reports for the year
ended December 31, 2025 and for text
misspelled collection if we can make
that.
We're trying to be bilingual
period uh tax collection period
2026.
» Who moved it?
Nobody move it.
>> Okay, I think Christina got here. Uh,
bill.
>> Further discussion? If not,
congratulations to all the departments
on a successful audit. Um, all in favor?
Kenny.
>> Hi,
>> William.
>> Hi, myself.
>> I hi Christina.
>> Hi.
>> Thank you.
>> All right. Uh, I think I mentioned uh
the beginning of the meeting the solar.
So, we had an emergency roof
replacement.
Um, call the solar installer. Please
book back the solar panels so we can get
our free electricity from the panels
that
we were placed. And a lot of that was
grant funded years ago. Um
and he pointed out something and if
you've been following for the last 20
years what's been happening in um a lot
of clean energy industries but
especially in solar the cost of the
panels have declined. The efficacy and u
resiliency of the panels have only
increased. is they're 13y old panels and
literally for $200
difference.
Um they can put on new panels half the
amount, 43 panels versus 22,
half the amount and give us a lot more
roof. So if we want to expand and get
more
free electricity um a new warranty as
well
>> and the new warranty and newer panels
the degra deg degradation
folks at home probably doing more
exciting things than I am but studying
things like how do solar panels degrade
typically it's about half a percent per
atom so you would start out at no panel
is 100% but you would decline by half a
percent a year. So a 13y old panel,
you're already starting at you know
somewhat of a deficit. It's a it's a
great it's a great south facing and in
this subsequent email he points out it's
a great south facing
um roof. So you know good good thing to
consider taking.
>> Can you just explain what like what um
the diagram that we're looking at? So
>> sure the uh
>> let's go to the video tape.
What number are we on?
>> Thank you Jes.
» Okay.
>> So So
just briefly what are we what are we
looking at? Okay. Like so yellow is is
um
>> this is town hall yellow.
>> We're in L shape.
>> Okay. These are the panels that were not
affected. We had to replace this roof.
>> So what what um
>> we have 43 panels.
>> What's the yellow represent on the roof?
Is there like
>> It's just the roof.
>> That's the roof.
>> It's just the roof. It doesn't mean like
>> No. like any like effective area like
obviously the southern
>> um part of the roof is the better part
of the roof.
>> Yellow is better than yellow is better
than orange or is that not true?
>> Yellow is better than brown.
>> Well, only because it's north.
» And how how are we deciding how far over
to to put them towards that valley?
Uh I wasn't planning on uh deciding
that. I was going to leave that to uh
the installers who are engineers to
figure that out. But I mean if you have
some thoughts on that um you can weigh
that. Um I think that's 22 panels there.
We had 43 panels on this whole roof.
>> Um and and we would now have more.
Right.
>> I mean, it just it to me if if we're
going to put them on the southern on the
southern face of that roof, that would
it would make sense to to max that out
>> other more than other other slopes of
the roof? Like could we fit another row
on the bottom or like
>> we looked at that? And then the other
thing is um have they reviewed? There's
something in a code about needing to um
have
fire department access across a roof.
>> Yes. So, this is a safer
um Yes. This I think Dizzy Coverin has
communications with us. Um this is a
there's new codes now on these and there
are new safety features that go with
this. Um, and there's also an inverter
that's going to be replaced. Let me see
if we can get to his communication on
that.
>> But it says it's 2025 building code
compliant. Has the rapid shutdown. I
think that was one thing that was
described in the
>> right was the shutdown. Mhm.
Module grounding modules have increased
inside power density. Module level power
electronics are now required on roof
systems for rapid shutdown and safety.
We did not have that because that was
not required back in 20 12 I believe was
this system. Maybe 2013.
>> Good thing to have
>> um new 25-y year warranties and their
increased power density would open up
more room for system expansion. Um we
will reuse almost all of the existing AC
wiring and utility interconnection that
is already in place inside the building.
So just to be clear, this is this would
give us the same amount of output but
with half the amount of panels. If we
wanted at a later date to expand, we
it's very easy and modular to to throw
more up. Now we can take a look at what
our needs are to do that. Um, but
the question was before we go ahead and
pay for 2 or 3 days of having 43 panels
that are, you know, half or a little
better than half efficient, do we want
to do something that seems to be a
no-brainer?
>> How much do we give back to the to the
grid on the
>> Oh, you're not going to ask me to set
like that off the top of my head. How
much?
>> No, but you're the solar you're the
solar guy. Are you supposed to know
these things?
>> All I know is what I was told. I'm not
an engineer. And I was told that in the
town of Hera that we have
so much solar
that during the best days, sunny days in
the middle of the summer that there's a
possibility we're producing townwide
more electricity than we are using
because of the solar. Okay.
Um but on each you know system don't
forget we have a whole bunch that we've
gotten much of which was with grant
funding. Town hall highway garage
uh firehouse I remember being a part of
that uh project 2009 I think we got the
grant to that one. Um then the the the
big community solar one then obviously
the cooking solar one now. Um,
so
what what do we think before we tell
them to put the old ones back on that we
want these on? Kenny, your thought?
>> No thoughts.
>> No thought.
>> It's not expensive.
>> New or old for the same amount of money?
>> New?
>> No.
>> What happens to the old ones?
>> That's I asked that question. Do they
have value? And guess what it comes down
to? Not really because it costs. This is
the hard cost, soft costs, right? So the
hard costs have declined dramatically. I
mean, the cost of the solar I don't even
want to tell you what we paid for these
systems 20 years ago because it's
embarrassing. I mean, it's like 10% or
less now for the actual panels. But do
they are there recyclable materials like with spark plugs for
>> they can be used but you have to weigh
the just like we are we like and
certainly with the roof we're never
going to take up the value of the space
now. He says there's very little value
to them. But we can
ask to see if we can
>> I'm just I'm just I was thinking about
it in the context of the like the fridge
the you know the freon cuz
>> the dollar spark plug spark plugs for
airplane engines have platinum in them.
Um and catalytic converters have gold in
them. And there are companies and
businesses whose job is to harvest these
precious metals. And I believe that
there I think it's silver where it used
to be used. Uh it's a highly industrial
metal silver might have been used in
solar panels at some point. I don't know
if they still are.
>> So when they're not being if you can't
use them anymore, how do you
>> get rid of them?
>> Yeah,
>> they'll they'll get rid of them. You
actually have to pay to have you know
there's with these bigger projects
there's a decommissioning cost and so
that has to be put in a proposal that
Christina knows what it cost.
for time and you maybe also have a
planning board that you have to have a
decommissioning plan to take them down
and to uh appropriately recycle them
>> or whatever use them but you know
totally of very little value because
they are
the
not necessarily worthy of the
installation. Does that mean somebody
wouldn't want to be interested in it?
There's going to be a lot that expire in the coming decade or so.
>> You know, I think they are recycling
panels now.
>> We should we should question for Jeff.
>> Sure.
>> Yeah. Yeah. Yeah.
>> Okay. Uh,
>> are we voting on this or is this
>> I I think we should because this was an
emergency and we've taken this off and
they've been off and so it's costing us
more money each and every day not having
those panels on there. So, uh,
who would like to to
» Okay, next one. um to approve the
proposal as described in replacing the
panels on the roof that had to be
taken off because of the
Okay. Uh we have a motion. We have a
second.
>> Second.
>> Thank you, Jacob. Further discussion.
All in favor? Christina? I
>> Jacob. Marcel. I William.
>> Kenny. Hi.
>> Thank you very much. Right. Uh uh
>> you skipped the um the bridge.
>> Yeah. Can we can we come back to that
since there's nobody there's nobody here
waiting on us. Would would you mind if
we come back to that? I'd like to just
tackle
>> cannabis expo.
>> Yeah. So we got we got some more
communication on cannabis.
Uh it doesn't
sound like a
big thing that they're shooting for.
They want to fit within the
footprint. Now, we did refer to our
building in Zo. We'd have to to make
sure that it's allowed. I think, you
know, well, I know I expressed I have no
reservation about something like that
happening. um the state
um
I think has some guidance when it comes
to the cannabis expos and some rules and
regulations associated with that. So
unfortunately we haven't heard back from
uh our CEO on that. I think he's waiting
for some legal guidance on that.
I think it's quite possible we might be
in a position where we
>> can't.
>> No. Well, I wasn't suggesting that that
we might have to have a special meeting.
And I bring that up because typically
the second meeting in August because
it's fairly we don't have a meeting
because many of the public are with the
fair or at the fair.
>> Oh, that's right.
>> Otherwise engaged. Um, so I would
propose we we do what we did in July,
which is we go ahead and cancel that
August 20some meeting and leave
ourselves available to have a special
meeting so we could tackle this or we do
have one or two other matters under
negotiation now and if there's a
movement there
>> 26
would it make sense for us to approve
this with a condition
>> or like what are we reviewing? Well, we
need to
>> Well, we need to know if it's allowable.
We haven't heard from our CEO whether or
not this is allowed. Um I certainly
would be happy that I have expressed in
previous meetings that I no problem uh
with this type of an event
>> because it seems to me like we were last
time when we were talking about this, we
were asking a question like why is this
before us? And it's because um Office of
Cannabis Management requires that the
town board take an action.
>> Yeah.
>> But if if we were to approve this
contingent on
>> the zoning review,
>> I understand and I want to say this
respectfully, but I mean this is this is
where I sometimes get confused is
sometimes you won't vote on something
because you don't have the last little
detail signed off on. That's a great
trait for an architect. And then there
are times where what
>> we are generalists.
>> Right. Right. But and then there are
other times like we don't even get from
our CEO whether it's legal or allowed
and you're okay voting on it. Um I'm
just saying
I think we need to make sure that we're
voting on something that is allowed
under our code or under New York State.
And so we were supposed to like all
these referrals were supposed to go to
him and come back to us. I'm happy to go
on record and say provided.
>> Did he I'm sorry to interrupt. Did he
get all the information? Remember we had
asked for that additional information?
>> He did.
>> And and and uh before we even had a
chance to ask upstate Pines, they sent
it like in uh 48 hours or something like
that. He had to watch the meeting or
something like that. He was thankful
that we were um gener sounded generally
supportive. Um
>> I guess my point the reason that I would
suggest that is because
we're not generally
um involved in zoning decisions, right?
So like what
why is OCM referring it to the town
board to say that we are
generally supportive
>> requirement by the law. It's in their
law,
>> right?
>> You know, I think because this is not a
dispensary. This is like an expo,
>> right?
>> So, think about what an expo is. Um,
sometimes it's
a little fun, right? We heard about a
car show that happened on that two acre
property that is so tiny. And you know,
some of us went this spring down to
Jacob Javitz where there was another car
show at Expo and that was hundreds of
thousands of people. So I think the idea
is that we're supposed to gather
information as EU supposed to take a
look at the state law. We're supposed to
look at our own local code and make sure
it conforms. I'm perfectly comfortable
with this. I'm perfectly comfortable.
We've done this maybe not while you've
been on the board. Um, but we certainly
have on shorter order called special
meetings for either grant purposes or
purposes to accommodate this. Um, and
I'm happy to make myself available to uh
to call a special meeting to approve it,
but I I I want somebody to tell me that
it's a while before we do that. And only
the CEO can make those determinations. I
don't want to stand in the shoes of the
CEO.
>> Understood. But my my only point is just
saying that like because we the the CEO
is day in day out determining whether
things are allowed or not. And so if if we were to say like we're we are
comfortable with this as long as it
conforms with our zoning, I I would be
comfortable saying that because I think
that's the that's the the intent of us
weighing in on it.
>> I think it serves a purpose. Yeah, I was
say sort of like sort of saying we're
waiting to hear that back if we get that
information that says yeah, good to go.
>> Yeah.
>> Like why have a separate meeting for
>> to approve it if we feel like if the
answer is yes,
>> right? Like if if it if
>> you're okay on the hypothetical,
>> well, I think if the answer is no, then
we don't. I guess the question is
are we if say and I'm generally flexible
about those kinds of things but are we
sending something to the state saying
contingent on this and they get it and
they go oh
>> this is I think we wait to sign off on
the form until we hear from
>> I see but could we could we pass it
tonight saying it is it is up to the CEO
to make sure that that the zoning
conforms we're okay with it if he signs
off on it and then it goes to the
We delegate Robert's work with the CEO
to
>> sure
>> get that answer and then sign off on it
if the answer is yes.
>> The fair starts on the 23rd, right?
>> 25th.
>> Oh, the 25th.
Okay.
>> Yeah.
>> I was just trying to think about it in
terms like if we had run in here in the
morning and
>> Oh,
>> you only need three of us to do it. So,
I'm not going anywhere else. I'll be
available.
Did they get uh this temporary extension
of their license dispensary that that
that's an approval thing from the state?
>> It says here they
the rented space that uh there's a
temporary extension of our licensed
retail dispensary.
>> Do we have to get approval or is that
something
>> that's coming from the state? I would
think.
>> Right. But you see where I'm saying that
>> Upstate Pines is going to be selling
cannabis. They're going to be the only
ones out of these.
>> That's right. They're the only ones
selling it,
>> right? But they're saying uh the rented
space will operate as a temporary
extension of our license.
>> Okay. I Yeah, I read that. I think what
they're saying
>> to get approval from the state to get a
temporary extension.
>> Uh I think what if we approved if we
approved it, I think that's what the
state's waiting for.
>> Hang on. Hang on. Just to be clear, but
just to be clear because I I want to
make sure that we're not giving the
wrong person. We don't approve it.
>> No, I know
>> the state regulates.
>> The state approves it,
>> but but the form is asking us to
approve.
>> Exactly.
>> For the state to consider.
>> Exactly.
>> Yeah. Okay. And and I think the what
they was what in this additional
information that they provided us are
saying is that they're going to be the
only actual seller
>> of cannabis. It's just that not it's not
across the street. It's going to be at
the farm. Well, I'm just wondering is it
legal for them to
>> that's up to
>> sell after the sprinted I think that's
up to the state and so when they make
their approval they're that's what
they're part of what they're approved
>> that's why I feel uncomfortable voting
on it right you know until we get
>> all the facts
>> yeah I think that this showcase event
application is meant to account for
those showcases happening at places that
are different from right
>> the typical location that they're doing
their business at
>> is There is there a compromise here
where maybe we as a board can convey
just for their planning purposes but
provided
without voting on it but letting letting
them know that our inclination is to
support this effort if we get
>> yes
>> you want more information we need
>> okay
>> we shouldn't do anything
>> so I think it's it's not it's not a vote
to send for
>> what's that a balloon Okay. Okay. So,
um, would would I then ask you for
permission to communicate with Upstate
Pines to say that while there's still
the outstanding
question and um, legality um that, you
know, as a board we we did not see a
problem with it and for planning
purposes, provided we get the
information,
we intend to convene a meeting, a
special meeting, even if for a few
minutes to approve the form when
compromise.
>> You don't like it? I
>> I don't like it cuz I just I It's a
matter of principle to me. I mean, like,
we're not in the business of of of
doing the zoning review. So, I look at
it.
>> That's why I don't want to vote on it. I don't want to vote on something that
>> right,
>> you know, somebody hasn't told me.
>> So, the language would be something like
we appoint Robert.
>> Doesn't have to be language. It's just
you're authorizing me to communicate
with them that as a board we have no
problem conceptually with doing it and
what they've described sounds great
>> but we need to hear back from the ZU
>> but they need to conform with our zoning
law
and
>> if it does we will convene a special
meeting.
>> Well, not only zoning law but state law.
>> But we're not um we're not weighing in
on the state law. We should weigh in on
our zoning law. That's town law, but
then it's going to go to the state.
>> Okay. Well,
>> somebody in our municipality needs to be
up on and and actually Brandon offered
to take a look into that as well, you
know, the state law to make sure that
we're
um
you know, being cognizant of that.
>> And the whole idea of this discussion is
we all think about one thing, liability.
So
>> yeah,
>> it's just like what was happening at
Hard Means with the
>> right
>> uh you know with the
>> the festival and the alcohol. It's it's
you know there's liability on our part
you know
>> in some ways.
>> Well yeah you you you were around uh the
gathering in the body.
>> Yeah. Well that
>> right where somebody died.
>> No that was big. Yeah,
>> but Robert, I think, you know, your
point is interesting to me. I don't I
didn't actually think about it that way,
but is the authority having jurisdiction
for OCM, the town or the state?
>> No, we have we don't have authority. No,
I just pointed out that it's not our
decision. Um, we just we just need to do
our due diligence, which is to have our
CEO says, "Yes, it's okay that they do
that." And yes, what they're proposing
conforms.
>> Mhm.
>> See, what we're not anticipating is that
they Brandon comes back and says, "Well,
they can do it, but they have to do A,
B, C, and D, and this part of it they
can't do or whatever." And we're like,
"Okay, well, wait, now what do we do?"
And so that's why I'm saying I think we
should convey our sentiment if we
haven't already. And then, you know, I
did ask Brendan about it today because I
reminded him that it was on the agenda
and he said he was still waiting to hear
back on certain matters, you know, the
legal I think legal stuff cuz this is
all new to us. I mean, could be could be
really one of the worst rollouts in
state history um was cannabis and here
we are trying to figure it out. I mean,
I guess I guess that the the form,
right, is saying what it's asking for
us, right, is that the individual
authorized to approve events on behalf
of the belon municipality approving of
the events taking place in the location
and the dates and times, right? I think
that the discussion we had tonight is if
we hear back from Brandon that yeah,
there's not an issue with this under our
zoning, we're all like, yeah, go ahead.
We approve it. No problem. I don't say
we need to call another meeting. I think
we can authorize you as the person to
sign off on this if that's the answer we
get.
>> If we get a different answer, I think
then maybe it's prudent to call the
meeting and have that discussion, but I
don't see the need to call the meeting
just to say, "Yeah, the thing we all
agree on."
>> But I would call a meeting if Brandon
comes back and says he has there's a
different is anything other if there's a
qualification where the answer's no.
That's fair.
I
>> think we can live with that plan to hold
the time that I can live with that.
Yeah.
I think McKenna brings up a good point
which is the liability. Well, you all
agreed you didn't ask to see is there
first aid is there, you know, whatever.
Is there the normal things that you
would have at an expo?
And this is Brandon's job is to
>> yeah,
>> you know, is this allowed by the site
plan? You know, all of those things.
It's a one time
maybe some decent insurance.
The state's going to the state's going
to review the application as well,
right? We're just saying yes, you can
have an event. I don't think we need to
over complicate it.
>> I'll make that motion.
to authorize Robert
>> to authorize Robert to
» um
» approve the
>> to approve the to approve um pending
zoning review.
>> Um
wait, can we just backtrack a little
bit? So the motion is to authorize the
town supervisor if I may um not name the
town supervisor to
um submit the form
to OCM
under the condition that
the um
>> zoning officer
approves of the event as described.
Beautiful.
That's my motion.
>> All right,
>> I'll second that.
>> All right, further discussion.
>> All in favor? Okay.
>> I
right. Um
» Deanna.
>> Oh, yes.
It's it's near it's near heresy that we
left the pets to the la to the near
last.
>> We'll get to the bridge again.
>> We'll cross that bridge.
>> All right.
» So, just a very quick explanation. This
is new. This is
>> the law was passed like last year, but
um
>> we I already updated my system, but um
on renewal, dog renewal license, um we
have to add an option for people to
contribute to a shelter of our choice,
>> um whatever we choose. And then annually
it'll show up on my report but annually
um it'll show up on my report as people
contribute monthly but annually we will
pay the shelter whatever has been
collected right
>> is the is the amount uh like a fixed
amount
>> they have a choice
>> you have a choice whatever you want when
you go to a restaurant and they say
would you like to contribute to the
hungry and then you pick a whatever 10.
>> Yeah. But does the state set those
amounts? Okay.
>> That's up to I mean I I was just going
to do five 10 and then a blank to put
what Yeah.
>> Um you know or whatever if you think it
should be less. But I feel like people
if they're going to do it if they're
going to do it
>> but we do have to name a shelter
>> um they can't they can't do a write in.
>> So um
>> so okay
» no that's so The ask is yeah the ask is
for you to to come up with a
recommendation in talking with uh maybe
Patricia and maybe
you know take a look at I know the ASPCA
is going through the transition
a lot of dogs.
>> What's that?
>> Olster SPCA takes a lot of dogs.
>> I know. Yeah, that's that was my
thought.
>> Um, so maybe come up with a
recommendation of a couple of places we
might consider because we do have to
identify the shelter,
>> right?
>> Like not for profits that you I I just
don't know any off the top of my head. I
didn't really
>> She would probably know.
>> Yeah. So maybe if you could have a
conversation with her.
>> Did you phone me her number?
>> I did.
>> It's on the website. I can do it's on
the website but I can also
>> but the question I have is on the form
is it going to be fixed let's say we
come up can come
>> it's going to be fixed
>> it's just going to be one
>> there's only one choice
>> they can't do it right in it's just that
and it's going to say it on the license
on the renewal there's a spot where I'm
going to be having that printed in the
you know
>> donation optional donation to
>> such and such and the the resolution
shows that too. And then it'll be like 5
10 or other.
It's just an option. Like I I don't know
why they're doing it, but we have to um
follow.
>> But the shelter doesn't have to be in
Duchess County.
>> No. No, it doesn't. I mean, it it
doesn't have to be. It's it's local.
Some people are doing Duchess County
SPCA like south of here, but others I
think have done like like Hudson Valley
Rescue like I don't remember the names,
but like Hudson Valley.
>> There's a few choices. I'll find
>> the local like Yeah. shelters.
>> Okay.
>> But it does not be in the county.
>> All right.
>> Just local.
>> Okay.
>> Um
>> so that would be Thank you. Resolution.
Yeah, there are a couple of blanks in
that. Okay, if you want to take a look
at them, maybe come back to us in
>> September. So, yeah, we're not having a
meeting.
>> Well,
>> in September,
>> let's we'll handle that after the
bridge.
>> You know what? We already sent out our
renewals for this past month. So,
>> yeah,
>> if they go out in September, as long as
we're working on this, we're we're in
compliant. you know, we're not I mean, I
already have it updated on my system, so
it already has a a blank there. So, you
know, I'll just finish it off once we
decide once you decide what shelter one,
you know, decide.
>> Okay.
>> To donate to.
>> Do you know if we have the ability to
change that option at some point after
we set it or is it something that the
question before?
>> I think so. I think you can designate a
will. It's just you have to have
identified,
>> right? Maybe like after a year.
>> Yeah.
>> The concept is
>> we're going to want to change if we make
a decision. It's more just a question
of, you know,
>> Yeah. Maybe you decide to change it at a
different time.
>> Yeah. The concept is that before
somebody
donates, they need to know who they're
donating. That's
>> okay.
>> Yes. So, September.
>> Okay. Good.
>> September for the pets.
>> Well, I'll probably get two before that.
Yeah, that's fine. But for like the
resolution to choose because then my
renewals will go out September or we can
do it for October.
>> Resolution number.
>> Well, we're not going to do it tonight.
>> Oh, we're not doing this.
>> No, cuz you got you got to come with a
recommendation. We got to fill in the
>> blank.
>> No, the whole thing.
>> Oh, yeah. Yeah, I know. I know.
>> I'm sorry about the bridge. I'm moving
on.
>> Yeah.
You're tired.
So, we're not we're not going to take
action on the bond resolution cuz
there's no numbers in the bond
resolution. The reason there's no number
is because we still have to resolve that
one question which is are we going to um
maybe change any of the materials and
subsequently to the discussion
um that we had on this I've been in
touch with do
and so I'm pleased to report it to you
all but I'm going to report it to the public that we are going to get uh
another allocation of 5 $17,000
towards this bridge project.
So, we will be in a better position
to entertain.
>> We're going out to bid again in
September, right? We decided that at a
previous meeting,
>> we were advised to do so by those
engineers, HVEA. They sent us some
alternatives which
>> um
>> like value engineering alternatives.
>> Well, you saw the stamp concrete stuff
and all that stuff.
>> Um
>> so, you know, I don't know how others
felt. I wasn't all excited about that
block. I mean, I think I would prefer
actually just continuing the the uh
open part of the bridge before that. Um,
>> guard rail is not so attractive.
>> So, I uh
wonder now that we have $57,000
and more if we want to keep the specs
the way they are, if we want to make
some value engineering changes. So, what are your what are your thoughts?
>> Um,
>> I mean knowing that we need to decide by
September
>> by September, right?
>> By the first September meeting. the
timing, right?
>> Well, you got time to design something.
>> Well, no. I mean, I looked I looked at
>> Well, we've been talking about this for
a few months again, so I want to I want
to remind everybody that, right?
>> Valid.
>> I mean,
>> if there's no difference between making
a decision now and making a decision in
September, then I would say let's make
the decision in September. If it's I
mean, I looked at it. It's an important bridge. It's like it's
going to be very sensitive to to
>> Yeah, we have public info sessions with
our neighbors.
>> Believe it,
>> right? All that stuff. Um
>> I think it should be nice.
I agree. I mean,
>> that's what the neighbors have asked.
Now,
>> now you know this is the considerations
the the the joy of being in these
positions and we heard about you know
groups of taxpayers, groups of
residents, these paying for those and so
on and so forth. And so the argument on
the other hand, again I'm not siding one
way or the other, is hey this is a small
bridge used by just a portion of people
in London acres primarily and why should
the whole town pay for a stone facade,
right? That's the other argument I've
heard.
>> It's a through. It's a through road
though. It's not like a dead end street.
And
>> there's a couple ways to go around.
Look, I I side I side with with
>> Kenny on this one. Yeah, of course. by
side with, you know, we did a lot of
work getting input from the public and
the community.
>> And um to the extent we can afford to
honor that, we should. And with another
half million dollars, I'm not so sure
that that's going to be a problem. I
mean, I you know, um
>> from your mouth,
>> too. I No, I mean, listen, you we put it
out for bid. The bid we got before was
acceptable. It's just I mean in
moneywise but not it didn't meet certain
>> but we only got one
>> and we only got one but I I I guess my
point is
>> well I hope we get good bids.
>> Yeah. I mean I want more bids but I I I don't have a high concern
>> especially now that we have more money.
Uh
>> I don't know. I don't
>> you know the cheapest day to build
anything yesterday. It
>> was yesterday. Yeah. But we're not
asking for a we're not ask for a
goldplated bridge right you know. Yeah.
>> Is there anything preventing us from uh
putting the alternative into the RFP the
>> putting putting an alternative
>> the stamp concrete as alternative to or
something like that?
>> I wouldn't I think it's going to be bad.
I mean
>> yes there's a downside
>> which is tot
has to approve any changes that we made.
What about a design like, you know, not
stamped concrete, but you know, a nice
finished concrete with a nice slate cap
on top
>> instead of the whole thing being stone.
At least it's not this guard rail, but
it's a, you know, you know, like 2 in.
>> I do the same thing. Yeah. So my opinion
is is my opinion is that the the design
like I was looking at it not from a
perspective of like critiquing the
design because I believe that that has
already gone through its process and
that's very important but like are there
any other aspects like are the culvert
sized right? Are the are the footings
like is it is it overengineered in a way
that we could pull back on any on
anything that wouldn't affect the design
intent. It would take more time to go
through that and a lot of times it costs
more in in engineering fees to make the
revisions than you're gonna get in
savings. So,
>> you're going to push it a whole another
year.
>> I mean, when we when we received that 6
ines of rain a week or so ago, what did
it look like there?
>> Funny you should mention it because your
town supervisor drives around town and documents all the flying and it was
such a hyper local event, you know. I'm
sure you read that Kinder Hook broke
records with 11 in and whatever. I
believe had more than whatever.
>> So, what did you drive by that bridge?
>> I have pictures of the bridge.
>> Oh,
>> I have pictures of the bridge. That
bridge. I have pictures of Stony Brook.
I have pictures of Sound.
>> Okay.
I have all that because that's
>> what that particular
>> and interestingly enough the bridge that
we were placed on Stonybrook was having
a hard time keeping up and we had
widened it.
>> Remember that bridge
widen it
>> the Stony Brook Bridge
>> Stony Brook
took feels like it took forever.
>> The old Peter hanging out there right by
the Stony Brook and Sang St.
S. Oh,
>> I basically had to read the the the
supports.
>> Um, that was a having a hard time
keeping up the amount of water that cuz,
right, the Stony Creek comes from the
north.
>> Right. Right. Right.
>> And there was all that water from the
north, German town, right? And our
boater had lakefront property. Couldn't
get out. She needed somebody to pick her
up. Um,
>> the salt kill bridge. And that one was
keeping up for the moment.
>> The one in
>> Yes. But but you have to remember, you
know, you know, soils and hydro soils
and water, you know, as as good as
anybody. Um, we had tremendous amounts
of rain. Not nearly what Tiboly had, not
nearly what Germans had, not nearly what
Kinderhook, but what we did have was
dryness previous to that. So, it was
able to absorb a fair amount, right?
>> So, it really wasn't a good indication.
Let's see in April if we get one of
those rains what that's like.
>> What it look like when Harvard kind of
Irene hit.
>> Yes.
>> Cuz that dumped like 14 in.
>> Well, it was it was Irene and late and
that was why we had the devastation.
>> Sandy.
>> Well, Sandy was south. I'm talking
>> Danny came up the Hudson though, didn't
>> Yeah, but Irene put dump my water then.
>> Oh, he did.
>> Yeah.
Sandy. What what was your what was your bottom line though?
>> That way it held up. You said
>> that it held up but I think it it held
up
because remember the sawill comes from a
very different place than where the
stony comes from. So that hyper local
event
>> was a huge difference between well you
saw the damage photos in Germantown
right?
So, um,
>> so don't think
>> if I understand where we are, consensus
is we're going to continue with the
specs the way they are unless somebody
has a better idea that they want to
propose at the September meeting. Better
get me that idea quickly because it'll
need to be reviewed by DOT. And let me
tell you, you're talking realistic. It's
not realistic. It's not realistic. We
should just approve it.
>> We should just send it back out.
>> Okay. So, we're going to let HVA know.
We're going to go out back to bid, same
specs, fingers crossed, hopefully more
contractors. Look, if we have to just
continue to reject bids till we get a
reasonable quote, then that's what we'll
have to do.
» Is that a motion?
uh uh a motion to direct the supervisor
to communicate to HVA that we are not
going to change the specs and that we
are prepared to go out for rebid at our
September
18th.
» Did you make that motion?
>> Uh well I can't have a motion that
directs me. So moved.
>> What would you think?
>> Second.
>> Thank you.
>> Further discussion not all in favor?
Kenny.
>> Hi,
>> William.
>> Hi.
Christina.
>> Hi.
>> Thank you. Okay. Uh, I think we have
correspondence on her, but we got
that was the housing committee stuff.
>> That was the housing stuff. We went
through that.
>> Did you have um before we go,
>> don't forget to address the record on
there.
>> So, I don't have historic re on the
agenda, but I sent that to you. Um,
I work on budget stuff year round and
I'm preparing the tenative budget
worksheets with the bookkeeper for the
departments. We'll be meeting with the
departments looking over all that stuff.
I need to do all of that in context of
any and everything that we might
consider having in the budget so we
understand what's available to us.
Historic Red Hook has asked for um some
funding support and it seems to me in
year 250.
It's surprising that this is the first
year that they've done that
and they're a real asset to the
community, the Elmanorf
um
and so on and so forth, describing their
programs, their history series, their
speakers and whatever. Um, for folks at
home, a reminder, we provide the funding
for the community center. We provide
funding for other entities, senior
services,
Red Hook response,
>> and it's just like 10 grand that they're
looking for between 10 and 13,000. So,
if you would review that and let's come
back to this because I would like to if you are supportive, I would like to
create a budget line for this um because
I think it's such an important
institution
um in our community
>> and the budget is
in September, right?
>> Well, there's a whole series of
deadlines, but I prepare the tenant of
each and every year for your
consideration and budget workshop and
then we do move to preliminary that's
the public you'll get all that schedule
once you get your packet your booklet um
all will be laid out for you for the
timeline but it's good for me to know
which brings me to the next point which
is the camp rising sun pool is going
really well people are finally like
knowing about it coming and do you know
there's no Canadian smoke there's no
terrible storms MS although we could
probably have had better weather. Um so
it's people love it. Um they're starting
John and his reporter I think noted
they're starting to use the trails as
well. It's it's been working out quite
well. So um I did uh ask Jill if it's an
option. Jill from uh the foundation if
it's an option for next year and she
said yes we'll always keep you in mind.
So that was kind of a non-committal but
um
>> it's not right for fiesta. No, it's not
that's not right. A first refusal, but
um so uh
you know, give me some guidance on that
if you would please because you know I
would put the budget line in for that if
that's something you consider and then
if it didn't materialize, it did
materialize and the money would go uh in
a budget adjustment towards something
else. I'm sure. Um
I think that's all I've got for now
before we leave. I'm standing up.
>> Stand up before we leave. It's not even
11:00.
>> Before we leave, um we do need to make a
motion, make ourselves available should
we need a special meeting, but a motion
to cancel the uh scheduled meeting for
August 26th. Did we get that right?
>> Yes.
>> Did I get that wrong?
>> No, that's the correct date.
>> It's 26th. Y
>> Wednesday, August 26th.
>> Okay. Right.
It was on the 25th. I probably would
meet miss that meeting wasn't me.
» Okay.
>> Who's moving it?
>> Well, we're talking.
» Thank you.
>> Cuz we've done these.
>> Thanks, Jacob.
>> All in favor?
>> Discussion. All in favor?
>> Yes.
I I I
have a motion.
>> Have a good night.
>> Good night.
>> Motion to adjourn.
>> Motion to Before we make a motion to
adjourn.
>> Uh good night all. Stay healthy. Enjoy
uh what's left of summer. We'll see you
back here on September 8th, if not
sooner. Um,
with that being said, uh, this future
grandpa wishes you all good evening and
a motion to close the meeting.
>> Second,
we're on the same page on that. Good
night all.