Letter To The Editor – Voting With One’s Feet

Dear Editor:
I sat down to read the Eastwick Press this morning and found the story about the petition to have the Berlin Lumber site purchased by the Town of Berlin. In that story Town Board Member Richard von Schilgen is cited as stating that the opposition to this purchase outside the group that was attending the Board meeting is quite strong. In my view, Mr. von Schilgen is absolutely correct.
As a small business owner here in Berlin, as a regular voter, as a taxpayer, I believe the proposed purchase of the Berlin Lumber site by the Town of Berlin is unbelievably short-sighted and without fiscal merit. While the purchase price may now be less than what it once was, the costs to update the structures on site and the costs to simply maintain the site are not adequately being taken into account. It is my fervent belief that this purchase, if made, will result in an increased tax levy at a time when this community can hardly afford it.
Over the years of being in business I have had the good fortune to learn from some exceptional businessmen and women. One thought that has been repeatedly expressed through this time and from multiple people is this; if the deal is too good to be true and we have to hurry up to make a decision, step away from the table. In other words, if you are approached by someone selling something (including an idea or agenda) and they are pressuring you to buy because this deal is simply not going to last, then let it pass because there are going to be hidden costs/problems that are simply not going to be addressed until it is too late.
One issue I have with the site is it’s location within the flood plain of the Little Hoosick River. From first hand experience in living in the flood plains of both the Susquehanna and Chemung Rivers as a child, I can tell you about the severe losses which can be incurred when that 100 or 500 year flood occurs. In 1972 my great-grandparents’ dairy farm was literally washed down the Chemung River. In multiple years, but most recently and most memorably in 2006, my home town of Conklin, NY, was catastrophically flooded. There are still FEMA trailers in the area where my father lives.
I believe that some on the Town Board, while believing fervently they are operating in the best interest of the Town, are under the misapprehension that purchasing the Berlin Lumber site is too good a deal to pass up. I strongly disagree with this assessment and will continue to voice my personal and professional objection to the purchase of the Berlin Lumber site by the Town of Berlin.
Due to the state of affairs in the Berlin Central School District and the apparent lack of fiscal responsibility expressed by the current administration of the Town of Berlin, I will forthwith begin the search for property outside this area. That process is called voting with one’s feet (and tax dollars).
Sincerely,
Morgan E. Hartman
Hartland Designs, Inc.
Black Queen Angus Farm, LLC