by Kieron Kramer
In an extremely brief meeting, the Rensselaer County Legislature passed only three resolutions that directly related to eastern Rensselaer County. They began the meeting by honoring Wesley Edwards for his 50 years as Town Justice in Stephentown. They also approved a contract with the Agricultural Stewardship Association which manages Rensselaer County’s Farmland Protection Program in which a number of local farms are involved. And it re-appointed David Huskie of Petersburgh to the County Health Board for a term to expire December 31, 2019.
[private]A large percentage of the resolutions were financial in nature – many rolling over unspent federal and State grant funds into the 2014 budget from the 2013 budget. These amounts range from $639 to $214,658. Two resolutions were passed to expedite the procedure by which a tax roll is corrected and the subsequent refund paid. The resolutions authorize the County’s Chief Fiscal Officer to approve the refund without Legislative approval when the refund does not exceed $2,500. The Chief Fiscal Officer will submit a list of the corrections made during the preceding month to the tax-levying body. For the curious, the Legislature authorized monitoring service agreements with two Colorado companies for a total of $100,000. They will monitor felons serving their convictions at home and test drivers convicted of DWI. Chairman of the Legislature Martin Reid said he thought it was ironic that the companies are from Colorado. It also authorized a contract for ice cream estimated at $27,021.40 for a period from February 1, 2014 to January 31, 2015.
Commending Wesley Edwards
The resolution commending Wesley Edwards for his 50 years as Town Justice in Stephentown begins, “As it is the sense of our unique society to recognize the contributions and achievements of the citizens of Rensselaer County, this Legislative Body acknowledges with profound respect and admiration a milestone in the life of Wesley Edwards…it is the intent of the Rensselaer County Legislature to convey its compliments to Wesley Edwards upon the occasion of completing fifty years of service as a Town Justice.
According to the resolution, Edwards was born and raised in Berlin and graduated from Berlin High School in 1947. He served six years in the United States Army and about half of that time he was in Heidelberg, Germany. After his military service Edwards was employed by General Electric in Pittsfield, MA, retiring in 1992.
Wesley Edwards met Janet McClintock at the Bridgeway in Cherry Plain, and they married in 1955. Together they raised three children, Greg and wife Doreen, Dwight and wife Anne and Carolyn and husband Patrick, seven grandchildren and five great-grandchildren.
When Edwards took office in 1964 as a Justice of the Peace he was also automatically a member of the Town Board. This dual role lasted until 1977 when the State decided that it was a conflict of interest for a local judge to sit on the Town Board, a decision with which Edwards agreed. He was only challenged in three elections – 1963, 1967 and 1971.
When he started out as a Justice of the Peace he held court in his home on Route 43 across from the Stephentown School. Court was later moved to the Town Hall. As time went by there was more paperwork and an increase in cases. So, approximately twenty-three years ago, the Town Board appointed a Court Clerk who took much of the stress off of the judges.
As an active member of his community, he now serves as Secretary of the Veterans of the Stephentown area, is a longtime member of the Empire State Masonic Order at the Unity Lodge No. 9 in New Lebanon and was an active member of the Stephentown Volunteer Fire Department for over forty years. He and his wife are both active in the Stephentown Federated Church.
In 2008, Edwards received Special Recognition from the New York State Magistrates Association for his 45 years of continuous service in the local justice system. The Association, at their Annual Conference, awarded Edwards a medal with his name, “Hon. Wesley R, Edwards,” and “Town of Stephentown” engraved upon it.
The resolution says that although Edwards is not the longest serving judge in New York State he is the longest lasting judge in Rensselaer County.
The Clerk of the Legislature was directed to transmit a copy of this resolution, suitably engrossed, to Wesley Edwards.
A Resolution Authorizing A Contract With The Agricultural Stewardship Association
This resolution says, “The Agricultural Stewardship Association (ASA) has provided assistance with project development for the Purchase of Development Rights (PDR) program and management and administrative services for PDR on selected farms in the County” and this contract will allow ASA to continue to provide management and administrative services for Rensselaer County’s Farmland Protection Program. The total amount to be expended over the life of the agreement is $20,000.
Supporting A Casino In Supporting Communities
In the only resolution that engendered comments from the Legislators, the Legislature, in a 16-2 vote, supported the siting of a commercial casino in Rensselaer County based on the positive economic and fiscal benefits, provided there is stated support from the host municipality in Rensselaer County.
On November 5, in a referendum as part of the 2013 general election, State voters approved the development of seven commercial casinos, with Rensselaer County voters as a whole also voting in support of the commercial casino referendum. Siting for the commercial casinos approved by State voters is now underway across New York State.
Two legislators from District 4, which voted against the casino siting, spoke against the resolution of support. Other legislators, although they voted in support, had qualms about it. There is some moral objection to gambling, a socio-economic argument against it, the feeling that the economic benefits are too good to be true and the worry that unforeseen consequences, like crime and infrastructure upgrades, may counteract the predicted increase in jobs and tax revenues.
According to the resolution, the Legislature has received numerous calls of support for property located along the Hudson River waterfront in the City of Rensselaer known as DeLaet’s Landing as a suitable site for a casino. It has also received calls from other entities, including the Capital District Off Track Betting Corp., of which Rensselaer County is a member county, indicating other potential locations in Rensselaer County for a casino in different municipalities.
The resolution says, “In recognition of the potential economic benefits, this Legislative Body is supportive of a commercial casino being located in the County, provided there is stated support from the host municipality. One such host municipality, the City of Rensselaer, has previously declared support for location of a commercial casino on property known as DeLaet’s Landing, and this Legislative Body recognizes [that] the DeLaet’s Landing property in Rensselaer has numerous positive attributes, including location directly across the Hudson River from downtown Albany, close proximity to the Rensselaer Train Station and busy state and interstate roads and highways.
“This Legislative Body further recognizes the positive attributes of other locations proposed as possible locations for commercial casinos, including proximity to other populated communities and major transportation roads and outlets.”
In an interview after the meeting, District 5 Legislator Stan Brownell said that the cities of Rensselaer and Troy voted overwhelmingly in favor of the casino siting in the County. Brownell and District 5 Legislator Lester Goodermote voted in support of the casino even though the November vote was a close call in District 5. Brownell said that Stephentown, Petersburgh and Grafton voted against the casino by margins of about 10 votes; Berlin voted for the casino siting by one vote, and Hoosick was in favor by a large margin.
T.V. Shows Plugged
At the end of the meeting Brownell urged his colleagues to “tune in and check out” Building Wild – The Cabin Kings on the National Geographic Channel in which Hoosick resident Pat “Tuffy” Bakaitis builds a hunting cabin in Cambridge, and American Pickers on the History Channel on Wednesday night which visited Kyle Seifert’s barn in West Hoosick.
Brownell and Goodermote said they would attend the Eagle Scout ceremony for Kyle McCune of Boy Scout Troop 63. The ceremony is on Saturday at 6 pm at the Immaculate Conception Church Hall in Hoosick Falls.[/private]