Year Two of managing a municipal government under the strictures of a pandemic was only slightly easier than Year One, it would appear – although in Gardiner, there were some slight benefits: “Sales and mortgage taxes exceeded the budgeted revenue amounts for the year, and expenses staying within or under budget,” says town supervisor Marybeth Majestic. “COVID certainly made running a town interesting.”
In most ways, Majestic’s coping strategies in 2021 were similar to those adopted in 2020, although by late in the year, meetings had become live/remote hybrids rather than purely livestreamed. “Procedurally, accommodations were made in the meeting room for more effective Zoom meetings for all committees, commissions and boards to increase transparency in government. A drop box was installed for information, applications and payments to be dropped off at Town Hall; a doorbell and glass partitions were installed to limit contact with the public to help prevent the spread…. Certain employees continued to work remotely in 2021, which limited the number of people in Town Hall.”
Getting things done continued to be more difficult this past year, though social distancing wasn’t always the main sticking point. The Town Board’s campaign to enact a Short-Term Rental Law dragged on much longer than proponents ever imagined, as opponents got tightly organized, lawyered up and turned out in droves for a seemingly endless series of public hearings. Majestic calls the short-term rental issue “the most frustrating topic since I have taken office,” and has her fingers crossed that a much-amended final draft of the law will be approved at the January 11 board meeting.
The year was not without its milestones, however. One notable success already completed was a collaboration with cable provider Spectrum to “bring broadband to areas that did not have access prior to the pandemic, using monies in the Town’s construction fund,” the supervisor notes. Perhaps her most satisfying accomplishment was the commencement of work in October 2021 on reconstruction of the Clove Road Bridge – a structure that was intended as a temporary fix when it was built more than three decades ago.
“It has been a quest of mine to replace this bridge since I was first elected six years ago,” Majestic says. “Construction should be complete late winter/early spring…. Once completed, we will have a much safer two-lane bridge that will better accommodate emergency vehicles and snowplowing.”
Considerable progress was made in 2021 on the mammoth task of updating Gardiner’s Comprehensive Plan; efforts to incorporate meaningful public input despite the limitations on gathering in person included “a townwide mailing and meeting with numerous small groups of residents and businesses representing different areas of concern.” Looking ahead to the early months of 2022, the supervisor has made completion of this process a top priority.
“We hope to have the draft ready to send to the County by February; then we can schedule the public hearing. Depending on the feedback from the public hearing, we could adopt the updated Comp Plan the same night as the public hearing or in the following month. That being said, we should have an updated, adopted Comprehensive Plan by April of 2022,” Majestic says. “Once adopted, the Comprehensive Plan will need to implement new laws and policies to help implement the recommendations to be addressed in the coming years.”
Other urgent matters include “adopting short-term rental legislation…the need to make improvements to our Sewer District, our financial management system, code compliance and property inspections, monitoring of our conservation easements and working to enact a Community Preservation Plan. We will also need to review and update our zoning based on the results of our updated Comp Plan.”
Asked to peer into her crystal ball and project a timeline for when other ongoing projects might reach fruition, Majestic was able to offer likely or feasible completion dates for a few:
Kennel Law
“A public hearing is scheduled for the Kennel Law for January 11; hopefully, the law will be adopted after the public hearing is closed at that meeting.”
GIS mapping for Natural Resources Inventory
“This project is nearly complete. The Town Board had a presentation at our December meeting by Claire Pfister, a Vassar College student. It is my understanding that there are a few tweaks to be made and that this should be completed within the next month or two.”
Lazy River Campground special zoning
“Lazy River has submitted an application to become a Campground Floating District under the new Campground Law that was adopted…. This application is very complicated since it addresses what currently exists that is approved, what currently exists that is not approved and what they propose for future development on the site. Currently this application is before the Planning Board; once their review is complete, the Town Board will begin deliberating on the waivers requested, approving the floating district and issuing the license. It is difficult to give a time frame, since the Planning Board is currently waiting on information for the applicant to complete their review. It would be ideal if this was completed before the campground opens this spring, but that may be optimistic.”
Benton Corners traffic control
“It is my understanding that flashing beacon signs indicating a dangerous intersection ahead should be installed on Route 44/55 within the next few months. This is part of an incremental response by the New York State Department of Transportation; the second improvement will be the installation of a traffic light, which I have been told will happen by 2023.”
Highway Garage property cell tower
“Wireless Edge has submitted an application and is currently working through the process with the Planning Board. Once SEQRA is reviewed and the site plan is approved, the applicant needs to appear before the Town Board for a Special Use Permit, being that this cell tower will increase the coverage for first responders on the mountain where extreme sports (bouldering, rock climbing, hiking) take place. Added coverage for our residents, many of whom rely solely on cellphones, will be a great improvement. It is difficult to estimate, but I would think this project will be completed in the coming year.”
Hamlet Sewer District upgrades
“Town engineers Pitingaro & Doetsch have begun working on the engineering the repairs needed to correct the deficiencies identified in the Inflow & Infiltration report. Improvements will include upgrades to manholes, septic tanks and repairs to certain segments of piping throughout the collection system. These improvements will complete the work required through the Department of Environmental Conservation consent order and reduce I&I into the collection system and to the treatment plant. This work would likely be completed later in the summer and into the fall of 2022.
“Our engineers are also suggesting that the Town begin work on the design of improvements to the sewage pump treatment stations later this year, since neither is in good shape and one seems to be undersized and not functioning properly. This work would be scheduled for construction sometime in 2023.”
Cannabis dispensaries open
“It is difficult for me to suggest how long it will take the State to issue these licenses, but I have been told that it would probably be 2023 before any dispensaries were to be licensed. The Town Board needs to consider where they would like dispensaries to be located in town and adopt zoning regulations to address this, so we are ready when an application is presented.”
A number of municipal projects are in the works, some high-priority, as well as private developments that will impact Gardiner residents, for which Supervisor Majestic is as yet unable to estimate a completion date. Here are a few:
Community Choice Aggregation
“The Town Board authorized me to sign contracts with the New York Power Authority and Central Hudson Gas & Electric. The signing of these documents triggers a 90-day review process with the Public Service Commission. I would like to be able to give a completion date on this, but I am not equipped to at this point in time.”
Solar farms
“Approvals have been given for a solar farm to be constructed out on Libertyville Road near the Fairgrounds. The Town is currently negotiating the PILOT agreement, and I am not certain of the project completion date.”
Awosting Club campground licensing
“The attorneys (Town and Awosting Club) are currently working on addressing the Awosting Club. We will continue to work with the attorneys, code enforcement officers, county Health Department and others to bring the Awosting Club into compliance, recognizing the ecological and economical impacts of this private property. An insufficient application was submitted to the Town, and we are waiting for an updated application to review.”
Riverbend Trail
“The Town Board has given their support to the Parks & Recreation Committee for the Riverbend Trail project, located on property around the Transfer Station. This property has incredible views and frontage on the Wallkill River. At present, volunteers are working on this project. The work is phased into two stages. Progress made will be shared with the Town Board and we in turn will share with the public.” Majestic added that the Town Board is “keeping in mind the potential for installing solar at this location as well.”
Community Preservation Plan
“This is when homebuyers pay an additional tax that is set aside for expenses affiliated with open space, such as monitoring or any legal needs. This plan will take time to develop, and once developed it needs to be voted on as a resolution as part of Election Day. I need to confirm which election we are anticipating the resolution to be on the ballot.”
Affordable housing initiatives
“One of the actions to be taken as a result of the Comp Plan update is to create a Housing Action Committee. This will be the first step the Town Board needs to take to address this important topic. It is a complicated matter and could result in changes in our zoning, which the Town Board has not begun to address as of yet.”
All of that hardly exhausts the list of what’s on Marybeth Majestic’s drawing board for the remainder of her term as supervisor. “We are also working with our Environmental Conservation Commission to assess the quality of our drinking water with assistance from the New York State Rural Water Association. The Town Board will also need to discuss how to invest the American Relief Plan funding to best benefit all of Gardiner’s residents,” she says. “The bottom line is that we have a great deal to do in 2022 and years beyond.”
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