Stormwater Committee meeting, Monday, September 26, 2011 starting at 7:00 p.m. in Butler Hall. Open to the public.
Town Board Meeting, Wednesday, September 28, 2011 starting at 7:00 p.m. in Butler Hall. Agenda now online.
Sunday, September 25, 2011
Tuesday, September 13, 2011
Eminent Domain...The Vote
As required by law, a Public Hearing was held on August 11, 2011 giving the public a chance to voice their opinion on the use of eminent domain to secure the Yager property. At the hearing, a show of hands clearly indicated that everyone in the room, except for Larry Adler and some town board members/officials, was opposed to the use of eminent domain.
A week later, at the August 17, 2011 town board meeting, the vote was taken as to whether to invoke eminent domain to acquire the property needed for the Clinton Street extension.
Even though, in the end, it would appear that the Yagers managed to come out "smelling like a rose", not everyone on the town board voted in favor. Woodland and Backman both voted no; each with their reasons that can be heard on the videotape below.
Voting for the eminent domain was Reynolds, Krupa and Tyksinski.
According to the discussion that evening and Observer Dispatch accounts, the negotiations to obtain the property without the use of eminent domain have been ongoing for the past eight (8) years.
To believe that to be true, one would have to believe that the negotiations to secure the Yager property for the Clinton Street extension were ongoing during the Ralph Humphreys administration. That is highly doubtful since it was during Humphreys administration that the town stopped paying a yearly option to purchase the business park [Beckerman] property. [Note: It may seem longer, but Tyksinski has only been in office less than two (2) years and Earle Reed the prior four (4) years.]
Perhaps they meant to say that the negotiations have been on and off for about the last four (4) years due to "bad feelings" between some prior town officials, a school administrator, a developer and the Yagers.
At any rate, we thought you might be interested in the town board discussion that was tense at times; it will give you an idea of how your council person might vote on the next eminent domain proceeding that may be closer than everyone might guess. The phrase was already mentioned in this same video regarding another property.
In fact, eminent domain was discussed at the Planning Board level during the Earle Reed administration and is mentioned as a possibility within the Southern GEIS that has yet to be adopted by the town board.
With the recent flooding of Sauquoit Creek in Chadwicks, one has to wonder if the possibility will once again be put on the table; that is, if the town is able to figure out how to "eliminate the potential elitist Persephone" regarding the use of eminent domain in Chadwicks.
At any rate, here is the segment of the August 17, 2011 town board meeting where the use of eminent domain to secure the Yager property was discussed and voted on:
The next town board meeting is scheduled for Wednesday, September 14, 2011 starting at 7:00 p.m. in Butler Hall. The agenda is now online.
A week later, at the August 17, 2011 town board meeting, the vote was taken as to whether to invoke eminent domain to acquire the property needed for the Clinton Street extension.
Even though, in the end, it would appear that the Yagers managed to come out "smelling like a rose", not everyone on the town board voted in favor. Woodland and Backman both voted no; each with their reasons that can be heard on the videotape below.
Voting for the eminent domain was Reynolds, Krupa and Tyksinski.
According to the discussion that evening and Observer Dispatch accounts, the negotiations to obtain the property without the use of eminent domain have been ongoing for the past eight (8) years.
To believe that to be true, one would have to believe that the negotiations to secure the Yager property for the Clinton Street extension were ongoing during the Ralph Humphreys administration. That is highly doubtful since it was during Humphreys administration that the town stopped paying a yearly option to purchase the business park [Beckerman] property. [Note: It may seem longer, but Tyksinski has only been in office less than two (2) years and Earle Reed the prior four (4) years.]
Perhaps they meant to say that the negotiations have been on and off for about the last four (4) years due to "bad feelings" between some prior town officials, a school administrator, a developer and the Yagers.
At any rate, we thought you might be interested in the town board discussion that was tense at times; it will give you an idea of how your council person might vote on the next eminent domain proceeding that may be closer than everyone might guess. The phrase was already mentioned in this same video regarding another property.
In fact, eminent domain was discussed at the Planning Board level during the Earle Reed administration and is mentioned as a possibility within the Southern GEIS that has yet to be adopted by the town board.
With the recent flooding of Sauquoit Creek in Chadwicks, one has to wonder if the possibility will once again be put on the table; that is, if the town is able to figure out how to "eliminate the potential elitist Persephone" regarding the use of eminent domain in Chadwicks.
At any rate, here is the segment of the August 17, 2011 town board meeting where the use of eminent domain to secure the Yager property was discussed and voted on:
The next town board meeting is scheduled for Wednesday, September 14, 2011 starting at 7:00 p.m. in Butler Hall. The agenda is now online.
Thursday, September 8, 2011
Audited Financial Statements...
are now available for 2009 and 2010.
These reports were prepared by D'Arcangleo & Co. and are qualified opinions:
These reports are very thorough regarding the financial situation of the Town of New Hartford; we urge everyone to read through them and/or listen to the videotape of the discussion from the August 17th board meeting.
The video of that discussion:
These reports were prepared by D'Arcangleo & Co. and are qualified opinions:
Auditors that deem audits as qualified opinions are advising whomever is reading the document that the information within the audit is not complete or that the accounting methods used by the company do not follow GAAP.The auditors issued a qualified opinion because:
1. The auditors were unable to audit the fixed assets because the town has not kept their records up-to-date.
2. The New Hartford Library is a component of the town; however, the town has not included them in their annual audit reports.A representative of D'Arcangelo & Co., the accounting firm that conducted the audit, discussed the audit at the August 17, 2011 town board meeting.
These reports are very thorough regarding the financial situation of the Town of New Hartford; we urge everyone to read through them and/or listen to the videotape of the discussion from the August 17th board meeting.
The video of that discussion:
Tuesday, September 6, 2011
OCIDA and PILOTs for New Hartford...
According to the legal notices in the August 23, 2011 Observer Dispatch, Oneida County Industrial Development is holding a Public Hearing on Thursday, September 8, 2011 in Butler Hall at 9:00 a.m. regarding a PILOT for Affordable Senior Housing Opportunities of New York, Inc. who proposes to construct a three-story building comprised of approximately 126 one- and two-bedroom independent living units at 4752 - 4756 Middle Settlement Road, Town of New Hartford, Oneida County, New York for the purpose of providing affordable independent senior housing.
Affordable Senior Housing only asks that Oneida County Industrial Development provide:
A representative of OCIDA will be on hand at the Public Hearing to "hear and accept written comments from all persons with views in favor of or opposed to either the proposed financial assistance to the Company or the location or nature of the Facility."
This is the same property, you may recall, that the Zoning Board of Appeals turned down the request for a zoning variance. At that time, numerous residents in the Middlesettlement Road area attended the ZBA meeting to speak out against the project.
However, shortly after the ZBA turned the application down, the town board voted to amend the zoning to allow the building of a senior housing complex.
At the last town board meeting on August 14, 2011 Supervisor Tyksinski was videotaped saying [in reference to the construction of the right-in/right-out and the Clinton Street extension in support of the business park]:
Hooray for us...[sarcasm intended]
Here is a copy of the Legal Notice for the Public Hearing on the PILOT for the senior housing complex on Middlesettlement Road as it appeared in the August 23, 2011 Observer Dispatch.
By the way, OCIDA held a Special Board meeting on August 12, 2011 to consider a final authorizing resolution for several PILOTS...to include two (2) more in New Hartford....Burrstone Energy Center, LLC and New Hartford Office Group [Hampton Inn - NH Business Park].
The August 14th town board meeting was over 3 hours long...we will be dissecting the videotape and bringing you the highlights over the next few days.
Affordable Senior Housing only asks that Oneida County Industrial Development provide:
...financial assistance in the form of issuance of a lease term of approximately (5) years;According to the notice the benefits of this PILOT represents a deviation from the Issuer's [OCIDA] Uniform Tax Exemption Policy.
...exemptions from mortgage recording tax and;
...abatement of real property taxes for a period of (5) years.
A representative of OCIDA will be on hand at the Public Hearing to "hear and accept written comments from all persons with views in favor of or opposed to either the proposed financial assistance to the Company or the location or nature of the Facility."
This is the same property, you may recall, that the Zoning Board of Appeals turned down the request for a zoning variance. At that time, numerous residents in the Middlesettlement Road area attended the ZBA meeting to speak out against the project.
However, shortly after the ZBA turned the application down, the town board voted to amend the zoning to allow the building of a senior housing complex.
At the last town board meeting on August 14, 2011 Supervisor Tyksinski was videotaped saying [in reference to the construction of the right-in/right-out and the Clinton Street extension in support of the business park]:
"...New Hartford is the Number One area in Upstate New York that developers are looking to put commercial and retail into!"
Hooray for us...[sarcasm intended]
Here is a copy of the Legal Notice for the Public Hearing on the PILOT for the senior housing complex on Middlesettlement Road as it appeared in the August 23, 2011 Observer Dispatch.
By the way, OCIDA held a Special Board meeting on August 12, 2011 to consider a final authorizing resolution for several PILOTS...to include two (2) more in New Hartford....Burrstone Energy Center, LLC and New Hartford Office Group [Hampton Inn - NH Business Park].
The August 14th town board meeting was over 3 hours long...we will be dissecting the videotape and bringing you the highlights over the next few days.
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