Town board meeting Feb 19th (cont’ed)
The concern about the lack of information given to town officials and local property owners came up initially early in the meeting, after Supervisor Collins finished his monthly Town and County Report. Town Board member Werwaiss asked Collins for information on the general process that allows property owners to have their property designated as part of a NYS Agricultural District. Werwaiss also asked for any known specifics on the process as it applied to a property on Bashford Road in the Town of Chatham, and on Collins’ role in any part of that process.
Collins listed the steps in the process, including (1) the annual calendar window to apply to the County Planning Board to have a property designated as a part of an Agricultural District, (2) referral for a recommendation of approval by the Columbia County Agriculture and Farmland Protection Board (CCAFPB), followed by (3) a referral back to the County Board of Supervisors for a public hearing and vote to send the application to the NYS Department of Agriculture and Markets for final review and approval.
Collins said that he had recused himself from voting on a recommendation regarding the property in question by the CCAFPB and from a vote to send a positive recommendation to the NYS Department of Agriculture as a member of the County Board of Supervisors. In response to a question about the reason for his recusals, Collins said that he hays fields and grazes cattle on the Bashford Road property that is now recommended to NYS AG &Mkts for inclusion in a local agricultural district.
During public comment, a speaker requested that Collins clarify what notification is required by law for County and Town government officials (as part of the process to apply to be part of an Agricultural District) and report back to the public. Board member Wapner asked Collins to research and provide more information regarding how local property owners might be involved in the next step in the process, i.e., the NYS Agricultural and Market process to finalize a designation.
In a related concern, public comments were directed to the Board expressing opposition to the current “tasting room” application by the Bashford Road property owners that has been under review by the Planning Board and the ZBA. Comments included concerns about the traffic and safety issues that could arise, especially since the property is located on a narrow, unpaved road; increased traffic and noise; potentially environmental damage posed by agricultural activity and run-off in the area; and the general disruption that it might bring to the neighborhood that has developed in that section of the town.
Supervisor Collins said that decisions on this matter will be addressed by the Planning Board and/or the Zoning Board of Appeals, and the Town Board is not permitted to be involved with either board as they review and process applications.
There was also discussion about how FOIL requests are handled by the town, and whether citizens advisory committees are subject to FOIL. The town attorney advised that citizens advisory committees that only advise and make recommendations to town boards and committees and have no decision-making authority are not considered “agencies” subject to NY’s FOIL law, and that this needs to be evaluated on a committee-by-committee basis. Werwaiss noted that citizens advisory committees are specifically not given authority to make decisions for the town. Public comments included the importance of transparency to root out improper conduct. Board Member Simonetti agreed with the importance of transparency and also noted the importance of encouraging citizen participation on advisory committees and managing abusive requests and undue administrative burden. She said that the town has not reached that point and that current FOIL requests should be handled promptly, but that the Board should endeavor to review its procedures in light of these considerations and current rules.
The meeting also included monthly updates from Citizen Advisory Committee Chairs.
Chair of the Solar Law Committee Eaton gave a detailed report on the Committee’s work to draft a proposed overlay zone for solar development in areas with proximity to power lines, avoidance of priority agricultural land, and attention to the Community Preservation Plan, among other criteria.
Eaton also reported that the solar panel installation on the Town Highway Garage has been completed, inspected, and is expected to be in use within the next 30 days. The Town has already received partial payment from grants to support this new infrastructure and will be finalizing paperwork to secure additional awarded monies related to the project.
Patrick Owen, a member of the Financial Planning and Economic Development Committee, said that the committee continues contact with local businesses and non-profit organizations to devise strategies to promote what Chatham has to offer. He reiterated that many local businesses believe that tourism will be a driver of economic growth, and cited the current week-long festival, The Dark, which reported over 1000 visitors to the area on day one of the festival and the creation of 120 jobs for the duration. He said the committee is continuing to collaborate with the Columbia County Economic Development Corporation and CABA, and expects to survey local farmers and members of the local agricultural community in coming months.
Board Member and Chair of the Housing Committee Lisa Simonetti advised that the Housing Committee has two new members and is now planning to hold its first meeting on Monday March 2. Interested parties may attend in person at 6:30 at Town Hall, or online through theGoogle Meet link.
Parks & Recreation Committee Chair John Wapner reported ongoing work to prepare for Crellin Park Day and other weekend events that are anticipated to occur at Crellin Park. The Committee continues to work on the second segment of the Park Plan and is working to formalize a volunteer system that will be predictable and available for future Park needs.
Conservation Advisory Committee Chair Kate Butler reported the committee is continuing to complete habitat mapping in the town and is branching out to work on water and water quality in the town. Butler said that the Town developed a 2017 Water Source Protection Plan but never implemented it.
In resolutions, the Board approved standard items related to bookkeeping, budget balancing, and payment of bills.
In other resolutions, the Board:
Voted to extend the Solar Array Moratorium for an additional six months to allow for the completion of the Town’s Solar Law by the Solar Law Committee. The vote to extend the Moratorium, which was put into effect approximately two years ago, followed a public hearing on the matter. There were no public comments about the extension. In the same resolution, the Board renewed an exemption to the moratorium for solar arrays on projects under the threshold of 75kW DC.
Funded the position of Grant Writer until the end of 2026 and appointed Brian Zweig to that contracted position; monies available to Town government entities to expend on grant writer services are capped at $7500.00.
Tabled resolutions related to:
proposed modifications of the Citizens Advisory Committee Protocol
a resolution related to the establishment of a new subcommittee that will address specific zoning law issues, specifically Special Use Permits and site plan reviews
Approved 2026 expenditures for highway work for Pond Hill Road, Little Loop Road, White Mills Road, Shufelt Road, and Daley Road.
Approved the appointment of residents Kevin Leak and Jenna Dodge to the Conservation Advisory Board, each for a one-year term, effective immediately.
Approved the purchase of a Building Department computer.
The next regularly scheduled Town Board meetings are:
Town Board Workshop meeting – March 5, 2026, at 6:30 pm
Regular Board Meeting – Thursday, March 19, 2026 at 6:30 pm
FYI, the agendas for these meetings will be posted on the date of the meeting on the Town calendar, available here.
A video of the meeting summarized in this article is available here.