by Thaddeus Flint
It’s only January and already the Town of New Lebanon is getting complaints from the Governor’s office because the roads are too muddy.
Actually the road in question, West Hill Road, was too muddy on Christmas, the New Lebanon Town Board heard at its January meeting Tuesday; the complaints are still coming in from last year. Apparently somebody had a muddy Christmas, and the first thing they did was complain to the Governor’s office. They also complained to the Columbia County Sheriff’s office and the Columbia County Emergency Management services as well just to keep the ball rolling.
[private]The complaints, as complaints will, then trickled down the governmental mud chain ending in the inbox of New Lebanon Town Supervisor Mike Benson.
During the years that the road has been there somebody put down some material that had a high clay content. As such, this clay comes back now and then to remind everyone of administrations past. Benson, preferring not to be remembered in the same way, wants to make sure that future purchases of road materials do not elicit calls to him from Albany and Hudson.
“We should know that the gravel that we buy and use meets Town specs,” he said, proposing that the recent gravel contracts awarded be the first to undergo a sieve analysis to ensure that clay is kept to a minimum.
“I think that’s ridiculous,” objected Town Highway Superintendent Jeff Weinstock, who knows a thing or two about gravel. He said that the gravel that caused the muddy Christmas “didn’t come from our current source.” It was done years ago, and he didn’t even want to name the problems that are coming back years later on several other roads in New Lebanon. They are being dealt with, but there is only so much the Highway Department can do each year. “Some roads you couldn’t drive through with a 4-wheel drive or a bulldozer,” he pointed out. “They are nice roads now.”
Nevertheless, Benson wants to make sure taxpayers are getting what they are paying for. “We shouldn’t be accepting contracts that don’t meet Town specs,” he said.
Weinstock pointed out that you can analyze the gravel “until the cows come home,” but it’s not going to give you a scientific conclusion in the end because it all depends on where in the gravel you take the sample from. The gravel with the clay in it appeared “because the Town Board sat there poking their noses into it and said you have to take the lowest bid,” said Weinstock, who maintains that he keeps an eye on the gravel quality, no sieve test needed, and at no extra cost to the taxpayer. The muddy matter will be discussed further at a special meeting on January 26.
Old Town Gravel Pit
As if that wasn’t enough dirt for one meeting, the sale of the old Town gravel pit on West Hill Road was brought back to the table.
A few months back the Board discussed if it would be prudent to sell the pit, return it to the tax rolls and be rid of a plot of land that seems to have taken the place of the Town’s closed garbage dump.
The Town’s attorney, Andy Howard, had the firm of Holden and Associates from East Greenbush come up with a fair market value for the approximately 2.3 acres of land. The appraisal they arrived at was $7,000. This figure seemed rather low to some, especially Councilman Bruce Baldwin, who said he would like to try to get closer to $20,000 for the plot. Strangely, Holden and Associates arrived at their price by assessing the parcel as one with normal access to a road when in fact the land is completely landlocked. Unless someone could come to an agreement with the neighbors, a homeowner there would need a helicopter to bring in the groceries. Baldwin still felt it offered some value as a gravel pit and that someone could recoup their expenses by mining limited quantities from it each year. Apparently, mining under 750 cubic yards per year does not require a permit. No mention was made as to whether or not the gravel there would pass a sieve test.
A motion was made and accepted by all, with the exception of Benson, who abstained, to advertise the $7,000 lot at $20,000 and see what happens.
Cable TV Contract Renewed
Residents who have access to cable will be happy to know that the Town has renewed its contract with Charter Communications. Television will continue for those lucky few who live close enough to Charter’s lines to get programs sold to them at a premium. The Town however is going to cross out the ten years cited in the contract and change it to five years if they can, the feeling being that nobody knows what will happen in five years; technology is changing so fast, cable might not even exist in the near future.
According to Benson there are few complaints now from residents in regard to Charter. There used to be plenty, but many seemed to have given up on the company and gone over to DishTV. Complaints about broadband, or the lack thereof, are however “unending” according to the Supervisor. Charter, though, has nothing to do with the internet, that’s carried by Fair Point.
Behold!
While New Lebanon might lack decent broadband, it does now have a real live living museum in itself. Behold! New Lebanon’s creator, Ruth Abrahams, informed the Board that the NY Board of Regents has approved Behold! as an actual museum. In anticipation of a second season this upcoming summer in New Lebanon, Behold! has applied to the USDA for a grant which could be worth up to $99,000. Behold! needs the Town to agree to be the pass through for that money because it does not yet have five years of museum experience. The Board seemed worried that by backing Behold! they would be on the hook for a lot of forms and regulations. “I don’t want any more paperwork,” sighed Benson. It was decided that Abrahams, who was not at the meeting, should be contacted to see exactly what responsibilities the Town would face if the museum is backed by the Board.
Reval In Process
The Town Assessor, Kim Cammer, will soon be sending out a notice to each property owner in New Lebanon in regard to the recent re-assessment of all the properties in the Town. The last re-assessment was done in 2007. The notices will tell residents if their assessment is going up, down or will remain the same. Those who disagree with their new assessment will be allowed to present their case at dates before grievance day.
A Pissing Match?
In other news, the seemingly never ending case of whether or not the Court Clerk is salaried or exempt from overtime will continue on January 27. Few on the Board, and in the audience of townspeople, seem to believe that the case has anything to do with how State Law would classify one court worker. Councilman Baldwin was visibly disgusted with the whole process, saying its “a waste of time,” and “a pissing match between the Supervisor and an employee.”
The night ended with the Board voting 3-2 against (Councilmen Dan Evan, Chuck Geraldi and Supervisor Benson against, and Councilmen Baldwin and Matt Larabee for) continuing the medical coverage of Town Clerk Colleen Teal’s daughter who will turn 26 in February. The Town policy does not have a young adult rider. Teal’s daughter will have the option to continue coverage under COBRA, but at a cost of $450; no small amount.[/private]