Town Board Leaves Issues On The Table
Michelle Van Horn
The monthly board meeting was kicked off with a presentation highlighting the benefits of joining the community solar project, a New York State program. Columbia County’s Environmental Management Council liaison Cara Humphrey and New Lebanon’s Climate Smart Task Force liaison Jill Henck explained that anyone who receives their energy through a utility company can support community solar projects, which will save money each month on utility bills. What is community solar, you ask? Ever see lots of solar panels all lined up facing the sun as you drive down the road? That is more than likely a Community Solar project, sometimes referred to as a ‘solar farm,’ which can be seen across the countryside. Humphrey tells us that there is a big push to get renewable energy fed back to the grid in the United States-something that other developed nations have done for over 20 years now. Community solar does just that-distribute energy generation locally while being sold back to utility companies. Community Solar is not an ESCO (Energy Service Company), and as a state program, New York citizens are encouraged to take advantage of the monthly savings that appear on their utility bill while supporting clean, sustainable energy. There are no up-front costs to subscribe to community solar, and no solar panels are placed on your roof. As a Climate Smart Community, the town of New Lebanon will participate in NYSERDA’s Clean Energy Community Program, which supports the Community Solar project. Both residents and businesses have the opportunity to subscribe to a Community Solar project if they so choose. As a municipality participating as a Climate Smart Community, the town will receive points for incorporating renewable energy, which oftentimes turns into grant opportunities and funding, which Henck alluded to with a new program that will be rolling out in the near future. On the resident-based movement, it takes at least 10 residents to subscribe to a Community Solar project in order to receive points, which Superintendent Tistrya Houghtling thinks they can easily swing. Houghtling wants to be perfectly clear that residents are not obligated in any way to do a thing if they are not interested in participating. A resolution for the Community Solar campaign will be prepared by next month to pass.
Local Law # 2 of 2020
The law needs revisiting on a number of accounts, one namely the short-term rental regulation debate. A public hearing concerning short term rentals took place earlier in the evening on October 13, before the town board meeting, with residents opposed to Local Law #2’s proposed regulations for short term rentals speaking out. B&B’s are used to being regulated, and local law #2 apparently further agitates an already regulated industry. With Airbnb and Vacation Rental By Owner (VRBO) now a thing here to stay, New Lebanon, like most towns, has had to create new regulations befit for the needs of the town, its residents, and business owners alike. Council member Norman Rasmussen emphasized the importance of understanding the issues and questioned the cost to the town, as well as business owners, of short term rentals.
Another issue to rework is defining short term rentals versus long term rentals and managing them differently. One argument for this distinction is that long term rentals are usually rented by people who are more invested in their community, which puts the length of a rental in different categories.
Superintendent Houghtling expressed her discomfort with the discussion coming to a halt without taking action. Speaking of the cost, Houghtling also mentioned that the town lawyer has been paid several times over to re-write proposed Local Law #2. “In light of the amount of time it has taken, I don’t feel good about tabling it without some sort of movement,” said Houghtling. Council member Trainor concurred with council member Rasmussen’s sentiment, which is to give the situation time, relaying that “tabling it for a while could be something good,” and the board thusly decided, for the time being, to table the discussion while further information and research are gathered.
New Business
The New Lebanon Farmers Market has requested to hold two winter markets in Shatford Park at the pavilion on Sunday, November 15, and Sunday December 13, which has been approved by the town board. Given the unknown weather, the Farmers Market would be responsible for plowing the park if it snows.
Also, NL Farmers Market is accepting your vegan (no animal or dairy products, fats or oils) compostables at the Community Garden! Another tip of the hat to New Lebanon’s Climate Smart Communities Task Force for supporting the composting cause. Composting is super simple-you need a bucket/big bowl and a lid/plate on top. Then, bring it to the Community Garden. Check out the New Lebanon Farmers Market Facebook page for more detail.
Special Event Permitting
Cissy Hernandez, Code and Zoning Enforcement Officer, reminds the board that tent-like temporary structures need a permit for certain square footage, and asks the board to weigh in on hashing out specific rules and guidelines. Special Event Permitting maintains safety during such events, with fire codes, placement, head-count and such accounted for. A Halloween party that took place last year at M & M’s was mentioned, although the owner took the right steps by contacting Ms. Hernandez, who found no clear rules were spelled out. Enforcement Officer Hernandez did the best she could with what information she had to work with and hopes to ensure more clear and direct regulations in the near future. Superintendent Houghtling and council members deliberated on what the need is moving forward and came to the conclusion that more information and research is necessary before assigning clear guidelines and rules.
Tool Time
The Town Tools Policy turns out to not actually be a town policy at all. Superintendent Houghtling was asked to write up the policy-not policy back when she was Town Clerk. The gist of the tool not-policy is geared toward the parks and highway department employees who use town tools with the hopes that town tools don’t go home with said town employees. Council member Newton made an argument that although those department employees have use of town vehicles sometimes they use their own vehicles to get the job done with a non-issue, which he relates to this issue. The sentiment of the small town value of trusting your town employees wins over the question of making the Town Tool not-policy an actual policy.
Committee/Liaison Report
Cynthia Creech from the Conservation Advisory Council (CAC) reports that the committee requests the town board’s approval to participate in New York State’s Department of Conservancy’s program ‘Trees for Tribs,’ short for tributaries (aka a river or stream flowing into a larger river, lake, or stream). The CAC hopes to apply for and receive a grant from the ‘Trees for Tribs’ sub-agency of the NYS’s DEC to plant trees along creek beds, and waterway beds, which seeks to prevent soil erosion, slow down and protect water from runoff and floodwaters, and provide homes and food for wildlife, which all ultimately protect and support waterways. The CAC is looking at the town’s Shatford Park stream bank as a viable option for planting. Though the scenery would change a bit in the park, the CAC is not looking to create an impenetrable wall, which would prevent park goers from accessing the water. Town board members will walk the stream bank to determine the best possible spots.
Also, the CAC requests the town board’s approval to participate in the Columbia County’s Land Conservancy round table discussion in which the county invited the New Lebanon CAC to take part in.