New Lebanon Ethics Board Will Stay Put

by Thaddeus Flint
What happens in New Lebanon stays in New Lebanon – at least for the moment. A vote at Tuesday’s Board meeting on the enactment of proposed Local Law #1, which would have sent allegations of ethical impropriety to the Columbia County Ethics Board and dissolved the local ethics board, failed to pass.
“The matter is effectively dead,” said Town Clerk Colleen Teal. Although it could be brought back at a later time, she noted. With such a close vote – a tie in fact – it would be only a small surprise should the item re-appear on some future agenda. [private]Town Supervisor Mike Benson and Councilman Doug Clark voted for the law. Councilmen K.B. Chittenden and Bruce Baldwin voted against. Councilman Matt Larabee was absent Tuesday night.
The surprise vote was that of Baldwin’s. The New Lebanon Ethics Board investigated, and found valid, two complaints regarding Baldwin’s use of Town email for personal reasons. The outcome of that investigation was presented by Larabee in August 2011. Larabee was on the Ethics Board before he started sitting across from Baldwin as one of his fellow Councilmen on the Town Board. Baldwin had questioned the fairness of the findings then because the Ethics Board had never contacted him during their investigation to find out his side of the story.
The failure of Local Law #1 to pass also allows the Ethics Board to continue doing whatever it is they do. For the most part the Ethics Board seems to exist to argue about the Ethics Board, hold meetings half the Board is not informed will be held and elect officers to positions which might or might not exist. Then they come to Town Board meetings and argue about how the Ethics Board holds meetings half the Board is not informed will be held and elects officers to positions which might or might not exist. It’s a dog chasing its tail which Benson and Clark have grown tired of watching. No doubt the other Councilmen are tired of the show as well. But last month’s public hearing on the matter found that some residents questioned the prudence of sending the Town’s dirty laundry down to Hudson for “Big Brother” to take care of.
No Smoking In The Park
“Laws, laws, laws, laws, laws…,” sighed the Town Highway Superintendent, Jeff Weinstock, just before the Board added a new one to its books. Well, actually it’s an ordinance. Smoking in the Town’s Shatford Park was officially banned with a vote that found all in favor. “Everyone’s going to want to jump out a window when I’m done reading this,” stated Benson before reading out the resolution on smoke-free parks and Town properties. Smoking is responsible for the deaths of 430,000 Americans a year. Another 50,000 die from second hand smoke. Health problems and even suicides are linked to the habit as well. Also, smokers are notorious litterers. They do however pay a lot of extra taxes, but that wasn’t mentioned.
“There’s a million other things out there,” pointed out Weinstock, that are dangerous as well. “Horses trampling kids” poses more of a risk to life and limb at Shatford Park than does smoking, he said.
“It’s trying to encourage good behavior,” stated Clark. “Nobody will enforce it.”
The ordinance actually covers the Park and “any other Town properties where children can play.” As children can play pretty much anywhere, it would appear smoking is unenforcedly banned on all Town property now.
Other Business
The Board approved the request for a speed zone study for the Mountain Road School. The school is no longer on a mountain, but at the corner of County Route 9 and Adams Road, where, according to Weinstock, they went about installing their driveway cuts without bothering to consult the Highway Department first. The Columbia County Safety Board will now determine whether the current speed of 30 m.p.h. is excessive for that rural location and pass their findings on to NYSDOT.
A request by the Recreation Commission to increase the Commission membership size from five to seven was voted down. The original Commission size was seven members, but then interest waned and with low attendance a quorum could rarely be reached. The number was reduced to five in 2011. Interest in the Commission is apparently once again on the rise. “But what if we go to seven and interest wanes again?” pondered Chittenden. “I don’t see the need.” Neither did anybody else on the Town Board, and all voted no.
Residents who would like to see if their $400,000 is actually building a “two-car garage,” as was the implication at last month’s Board meeting, or an actual new Town Hall will have the chance to form their own opinions this Saturday, October 13, at 9 am. Councilman Baldwin, who has been managing the project, is holding a community walk-through of the addition to the existing Town Hall.
“It’s not a two-car garage,” laughed Baldwin, who added, “generally, things are going great,” for the project which could be completed by the end of the year.
A project to get some kind of supermarket for the Town is also moving forward. According to Clark, the Lebanon Valley Business Association is studying the possibility of creating a micro-credit corporation, called a SHARE (Self-Help Association for a Regional Economy), which will help create collateral for a loan needed by the businessman Ming Chou to open a 4,500 square foot grocery store at the Midtown Mall, perhaps even by spring.
“It’s not as great as a brand new Hannaford’s rolling into town,” conceded Clark, “but you do what you have to do.”
Clark also pointed out that the last Farmers Market of the season will be this Sunday, although there will be two other special markets right before Thanksgiving and Christmas.
Budget Workshops
The dates for the budget workshops were also announced. Workshops will be held at the American Legion Hall at 7 pm on October 15, 22 and 23. All residents are invited. A final public hearing on the budget will take place on November 8.[/private]