Chatham Stands Up for 250 Years of Democracy

As we mark America’s 250th birthday, many of us are wondering if we’ll make it another 50 years… another two, even. The answer is up to us.  It comes down to one simple question: do we care enough about this democracy of ours to be inconvenienced by participation?  

The most immediate way to participate is to attend Town Board meetings. If you’ve never been to one, the layout is a bit like church: seating on either side of a main aisle up to the front, where our representatives sit at a long table. And, as at a wedding, the congregants are divided by loyalty: right and left.  The  right side is usually filled with regular attendees, who often come with an agenda. Turnout on the left side is generally sparser and folks are more inclined to listen than to talk, depending on the evening’s proceedings.

One thing guaranteed to rile the right side of the aisle is any suggestion that national issues are also relevant to our town. County issues are possibly acceptable on account of the Supervisor’s role in that body, but only barely.  The prevailing sentiment is that the only topics under discussion should be those directly affecting the town.

With that in mind, let’s take a peek at local governance. Whatever we care about: affordable housing, the environment, solar law, zoning — who can build what and where — and a host of other issues — all of it is subject to Town regulation, much of it complex. As local as it gets. Citizen committees work diligently to accomplish the many things the Board could not tackle on their own.  As the Town grows and becomes more diverse, so do the issues Town government needs to address.

As residents — new and established — we have many things to consider. Do I want to live next to a pig farm? If not, best not move to an ag district. Do I want to start a party venue? Don’t move to a residential-only district! Care deeply about solar laws? We are in the thick of deciding what those are right now — with feelings sometimes running high over what is acceptable and what is not. For or against spending money on a skating rink? Want to preserve or pave dirt roads?  Want to read what your fellow citizens have to say in their letters to the Town Board? All this and much more is debated at these meetings.

Here’s where you come in: If you want to make sure that your tax money is spent wisely and on things you care about; that the Board considers issues you find important; that the Supervisor is representing our best interests at the County level; and that the Town Clerk is fulfilling her duty to post letters, agendas, meeting minutes and respond to FOIL requests in a timely fashion?  Come to Town Board meetings.

Right now the Town Board is drafting a revised Code of Ethics. There are strong feelings on both sides, so if THAT is something you’d like to weigh in on, your participation will be invaluable. The Agenda from the Town Board meeting of July 2 is available on the Town website, and will get you up to speed. In a nutshell, the Code of Ethics we now have provides no ready mechanism to hold someone accountable if it’s violated. The new code seeks to remedy that, and more.

The first and third Thursday of every month is your chance to attend (in person or remotely), to ask questions, and to be heard; to be at the very heart of this 250-year-old experiment in democracy.  It can be boring, fiery, informative, and interesting—sometimes all in the same night! But it’s how we keep the light of democracy burning.

Are you willing to show up?  

We hope so.

 “Mr. Ramirez and the Kindergarten Flag”

If you found it difficult to celebrate this year, you’re not alone. It’s a fraught time for democracy and patriotism, but we mustn’t let the bad news swamp our capacity to love this country. 

Here’s a piece from the excellent Charlotte Clymer that may lift your spirits. She writes about her first engagement with patriotism while still quite young, and it encapsulates what’s good about America.

May it bring you hope, and even joy. We are, still, that America.

OLD BUSINESS

• Town Board member Lisa Simonetti announced that the June 29, 2026 draft of a revised Ethics Law, which would establish a Town Ethics Board of local residents, was available in the July 2, 2026 agenda packet for public review (after the current Code of Ethics). Simonetti asked that any public comments on that law be provided in writing prior to the next meeting, as a board discussion on the draft law will be on the agenda.

• Town Board member Angus Eaton reported that approximately $25,000 of grant monies the Town has received from New York State Energy Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) is still available for use on energy-saving projects. Eaton said that a close look at allocations could maximize the grant benefit to the Town. Discussion highlighted two specific projects currently underway to utilize more efficient energy options (the Town Highway Garage and the Town Hall project), both of which are eligible for other funding/grants. Eaton suggested that if such funding is obtained for those projects, the NYSERDA grant could be used for other projects, such as LED replacements in local lighting districts. Further discussion to follow.

• Town Board member Rick Werwaiss said that he is asking the Board to review the Town’s procedure as it relates to how Freedom of Information Law (FOIL) requests are processed. He said that there had been problems with the process with two recent FOIL requests. Werwaiss said that he is considering submitting a resolution to replace the Town’s current Freedom of Information Law officer in the near future, and is recommending a review of the process the Town uses to respond to FOIL requests.  

• Town Board member John Wapner asked that the Supervisor provide board members with more information on a regular basis so that all board members could have ongoing input to the annual budgeting process, especially as it relates to the amount of money allocated to fund balances as recommended by the Town Accountant. He also asked for more information on costs associated with different plans to improve the efficiency and functionality of the Town’s highway garage.

• Wapner also asked the Board for some preliminary feedback on the level of interest in a potential ice skating facility at Crellin Park. He said he did not want to pursue gathering extensive information on options and costs if there was insufficient interest on the Board.  The impetus for the project came with the board’s decision to close the two Crellin Park tennis courts due to disrepair and unsafe conditions for play.  

  To date, the Parks and Recreation Committee, the Supervisor, and Chatham Recreation Director Mike West have discussed several potential next steps for that area of the park. Due to costs and other factors, replacement of the tennis courts is not a favored option. To date, other choices include: (1) moving the basketball courts to the tennis court area and protecting those courts with a pavilion/roof protection; and possibly repurposing the current basketball court area as a new playground for younger children; or (2) using the footprint of the tennis courts as a foundation for a seasonal ice skating rink. This idea would introduce a seasonal recreation option at the park and has the potential to garner grant funding that would lower the cost significantly.  There is a possibility too that this option would draw sponsorship and support from other resources, including local not for profits and the Village of Chatham.

  The board asked that Wapner provide some preliminary information on the types of rinks and estimated costs of different rink models that could be built at the park to allow the Board to gauge whether additional exploration is a reasonable option. 

• Wapner reported that the Communications Committee has received good and substantial feedback from the public and the Town Clerk on the New Neighbors Brochure the Committee recently developed and posted for comment. The Committee will be reviewing and incorporating additional material at an upcoming meeting so that a final product will be available for Board review and approval. 

• Town Board member Eaton reported that he has identified an alternative vendor to replace electric vehicle charging stations in the Town. He said that his research to date shows that costs of installation and maintenance of the EV stations, as well as customer service by the identified vendor, is markedly better than that provided by the current vendor. He will be providing more information to the Board at an upcoming meeting.

Accountability as a Safeguard to Democracy

Accountability is the bedrock upon which we built our system of government: the rule of law, free and fair elections, protection against corruption by our elected representatives, and confidence that all the protections afforded to us by the Constitution will, in fact, be ours. When actions have consequences, we all benefit.  Without accountability, leaders are free to become despots.

So when Gerald Ford pardoned Richard Nixon, accountability took a hit. Every time we allow a powerful person to do wrong without paying a price, accountability suffers another blow. There is a through line from Nixon to our current national crisis, and it can’t be ignored…when boundaries are made to be trampled, what good are they?

It is with this in mind that our Town Board has decided to craft a new code of ethics specific to Chatham. The proposed code is included in the Town Board meeting agenda of July 2, available for you to read. It is based loosely on comparable codes in neighboring towns and includes a Board of Ethics to look into allegations of wrongdoing, and to report its findings and recommendations to the Town Board. The existing Code of Ethics was based on that of the County, and is lacking in both detail and any real enforcement mechanism. Additionally, it stipulates that any review board would be composed of people appointed by the County Board of Supervisors rather than the Town itself.  

It should go without saying that the proposed new Code would apply not only to the current Town Board, but to all future public servants of the Town, and so ought to be a non-partisan issue.  However, given the current political climate, that is not the case. Those opposed claim that a committee made up of their fellow townspeople would be unable to rule objectively and fairly when presented with an allegation of wrongdoing — even though that is a responsibility taken on by jurors every day across the county, state and country.  

While we hope, and even expect, that everyone serving the Town will behave in an ethical manner, we are all human — subject to temptation or simple lapses of judgement — and so it is prudent to have a well-defined code of ethics with consequences plainly laid out for failure to comply.  Clarity is always helpful when it comes to the law.

Finally, we trust the people of Chatham to do the right thing, should they be part of a Board of Ethics, and we support the creation of a Code of Ethics for our town.  

If you agree, after reading the proposal, that a Code of Ethics is desirable, please attend Board meetings and speak in defense of it. 

The Chatham Dems and Ghent Democrats are jointly hosting a booth at Summerfest.

Come say hello!