by Alex Brooks
Prior to the regular Petersburgh Town Board meeting, there was a Public Hearing on proposed amendments to the Town’s 1992 Right to Farm Life Law. The amendments added are primarily administration and enforcement provisions.
Farming activities regulated under the law include elevated poultry cages, commercial pig farming and high density livestock. To engage in any of these practices, a farmer would need to submit a plan for approval to the Planning Board with input from the Rensselaer County Cooperative Extension and the USDA Soil Conservation Service. The application fee is $250 and an annual inspection by the Town Code Enforcement Officer is required, at a cost of $100. There are fines for violation of the law, which can be set anywhere from $100 to $500 per week. The amendments also establish a minimum acreage for subsistence farming of two acres.
The first to comment on the proposed amendments was Terry Lamphere. He said that while he recognizes the need for this legislation, he does not “fully agree” with it as presented. He was looking for some provision that would allow very small scale raising of pigs. He said he usually raises two pigs in a year, and his family eats one, and he gives the other to his kids. He would hate to lose the option of selling the second one. He said he realizes that if he were to sell one pig a year probably no one would say anything, but it would make him an outlaw, and he doesn’t like that. Lamphere also objected to the provision in the law which allows the Code Enforcement Officer or any member of the Planning Board or Town Board to make unannounced inspections of regulated farming operations. “I’m against inspectors being able to come on someone’s land without notice,” said Lamphere.
Lamphere summed up his thoughts by saying, “It seems like an aggressive action that isn’t really working with us.”
Planning Board Chairman Dave Miller reminded everyone that this law was originally designed to protect farming activities, not to push them out. He said they had to include regulations about commercial pig and elevated poultry operations because those are the things that are being abused. He said the thing that spurred the Planning Board to propose these amendments was the guy who bought Erwin Greene’s old place and was raising pigs there, and it was a real mess. There were a lot of large rats being attracted, and they were turning up at the neighbors’ properties, and something had to be done. It was then that they realized the original law needed some provisions about administration and enforcement. He said people like that fellow put the Board in the position of having to legislate common sense and decency.
Lamphere said he recognizes the need for the law, but he thought there should be some kind of appeals process for someone who wants to do subsistence farming on a parcel of less than two acres. Someone else suggested there be some kind of exemption for very small pig raising operations so that they could sell a pig or two. Miller was amenable to suggestions of this kind and agreed to make some revisions along these lines and have another Public Hearing next month on the revised version.
One other comment was made at the hearing, by a man who pointed out that high density livestock operations require Planning Board approval, but the law has no definition of exactly what high density livestock operations are.
The Board agreed to hold another Public Hearing on the Right to Farm Life Law amendments prior to the next Town Board Meeting on March 16.
Regular Meeting
Deputy Supervisor Peter Schaaphok chaired the Town Board meeting. Supervisor Mason Hubbard has been released from the hospital and is back in town recovering from his surgery, but he was not yet up to leading a meeting.
Schaaphok announced that the leak in the water system has been found and repaired. Usage has returned to normal and the level of water in the tank is back up to where it should be. The leak was in the service line running into Zeegie’s store in the middle of town.
Superintendent of Highways Ray Harrison was sick, so his report was read by Town Clerk Barbara Snyder. It said the new truck arrived on February 9. The 1998 International that broke down in Prosser Hollow last month is still at Delurey’s and needs something close to $10,000 worth of work to get it back on the road.
The Shirt Factory
Town Code Enforcement Officer Ed McGuire said the “Shirt Factory” building in the Mill Yard does not have a functioning roof on it and it needs to be taken down. McGuire said he will issue a formal condemnation of the building by the end of the week. Peter Schaaphok said he was given an informal estimate of the cost of taking it down of $15,000. He wanted to research the matter further before proceeding with such a costly demolition. The owner, who was said to have bought the property at a tax auction for very little money, was sent a registered letter in September, which was undeliverable, and appears to have no intention of taking responsibility for the property.
Ambulance
The ambulance agreement was on the agenda, but because Town Attorney Kevin Engels was not present, it was not taken up. At public comment time Dave Green said he thought the Ambulance Squad should look more thoroughly into trying to repair the existing ambulance before going after a new one.
Brandon deWaal said the problem is the electrical system. “It keeps leaving us stranded.” They have gone through quite a few batteries and alternators, but the system seems to have a problem staying charged up. So far it has not died with a patient in it, but it did come close to doing so on the way to Pittsfield one night. DeWaal said they have taken it to several mechanics in the area but no one has been able to repair the problem. Green said he would like a mechanic he knows to have a look at it to see if it can be fixed so it works properly. DeWaal said he’d be glad to have another try at fixing it.
DeWaal mentioned another problem with the purchase of a new ambulance. He said money that the Squad saved was put in a mutual fund which, like all mutual funds, has lost some of its value. The Squad’s original plan was to have the Town pay $100,000 while the Squad picked up the other $30,000 or so, but now there is less than that in the fund.
The Board scheduled a Public Hearing on the Charter Cable Franchise renewal for March 16, prior to the regular Town Board meeting.