Most years, the meeting before Christmas in Woodstock is full of good cheer. People are looking forward to spending the holidays with friends and family.
Not this year. Tidings of great joy were in short supply. Critics were ready to give town supervisor Bill McKenna lumps of coal.
Members of the audience at many times shouted over the board, demanding immediate removal of embattled police officer Phil Sinagra. Councilmember Bennet Ratcliff for a second time proposed a formal resolution demanding the immediate remediation of the contaminated fill on Church Road.
Ratcliff took six minutes to read his lengthy resolution, which noted the fill was in violation of the town’s solid-waste law prohibiting dumps of any kind. The state’s court invalidated the building permit for so-called Plan E, which involved the removal of four truckloads of larger debris.
McKenna moved to table the resolution pending communication from attorney general Letitia James’ office. His resolution carried 3-2, with Ratcliff and councilmember Maria-Elena Conte opposed.
“The attorney general already sent the letter and said what they were going to say,” Ratcliff countered.
“Actually, the attorney general sent a letter that I’m happy to post and share that says that they are further investigating this,” councilmember Anula Courtis said, “and they’re looking about like how they’re going to bring Woodstock into this matter.”
Ratcliff argued that wasn’t what the letter said.
“They did not say they were looking at how they are going to bring Woodstock into this matter,” he replied.
“We can talk about this, but we got a response,” Courtis countered. “It’s not a dead matter. It’s an active matter,” “We don’t need to wait for the attorney general,” Ratcliff said.
“The longer the town waits, people are going to start getting sick. It’s our responsibility to clean it up,” Conte added.
“If and when our office is able to collect on the judgment against the Karolyses and/or obtain monies from the action against the haulers, our office will review the facts associated with all sites impacted by the Karolyses’ activities — including the 10 Church Road site — in determining how and where any monies should be spent,” wrote Lemuel Srolovic, environmental protection bureau chief for Attorney General Letitia James on November 20.
Action urged on Sinagra
“Remember when Woodstock was associated with the words peace, love and music?” asked part-time dispatcher and former longtime officer Carol Sas during the public-be-heard session. “For convenience, we can keep those first letters in the words, but now it seems more like politics, lawsuits and mayhem are appropriate.”
She accused the women on the board of not urging action.
“I don’t know any strong women that would support this nonsense,” she said.
Linda Lover criticized McKenna for requiring Sinagra to come in and sit at a desk while he was on paid leave from the police department.
“The answer as to what this town should do is very simple and very clear,” Lover said. “This town board and you, Bill [McKenna], should have taken the necessary steps to fire him when these allegations first came to light years ago. It was not enough to pay him to sit on a couch and do nothing else. You should have acted, and you must act now,” she said.
Stephanie Kaplan asked what precluded the town from holding a disciplinary hearing “which would surely result in his dismissal.”
She asked how Courtis, who was on the police reform committee, could allow Sinagra to come back. “Hold the damned hearing,” Kaplan urged. “Get rid of this danger to women and to people of color and to his fellow officers, and frankly everyone in Woodstock. Fire Sinagra now, and then get a new chief.”
McKenna explained his position. “I never did I say that we couldn’t have a hearing,” he said. “I have stated we have to have a hearing in order to fire him, and that’s what I told you the other day. So you’ve totally taken what I’ve said out of context.”
Courtis backed McKenna up. “You are flat-out wrong,” she told Kaplan. “If members are telling you something else, I’d like for them to speak up now.”
A shouting match ensued. McKenna shouted, “No, no” to break it up.
So many issues in town
“This town board has not been unified. Absolutely not. You are not correct,” Ratcliff said.
McKenna told Ratcliff he was talking inappropriately out of school.
“How come Anula can talk and Bennet can’t talk?” asked Alan Weber.
“Because Bill is the supervisor. That’s the only reason,” Ratcliff answered.
Ratcliff clarified his position after the meeting. While the entire board was in agreement that Sinagra should resign, he said, only he and Conte believed Sinagra should be terminated immediately.
McKenna recently said the town is working with Sinagra’s attorney to schedule the hearing and he hopes it will be in the beginning of the coming year. Sinagra was placed on paid administrative leave May 2023 after allegations he made threatening, sexually and racially charged comments toward female officers. Since August, McKenna has required Sinagra to report to the town supervisor’s office every Friday from 8-4 to sit at a desk and do nothing.
“Bloody hell. I don’t know what to say to all of this. I’m so overwhelmed. There are so many issues in this town. There’s so much corruption on this town board, over and over and over and over,” Lisa Grandelli said.
“That’s for sure,” Ratcliff said, backing her up.
Grandelli referred to the tale of “Father Christmas” by The Kinks.
“When I was small, I believed in Santa Claus, though I knew it was my dad and I would hang up my stockings at Christmas, open my presents, and I’d be glad,” Grandelli said, recalling the lyrics. “But the last time I played Father Christmas, I stood outside a department store. A gang of kids came over and mugged me and knocked my reindeer to the floor and said, Father Christmas, give us your money. We got no time for your silly toys. We’ll beat you up if you don’t hand it over. We want your bread. So don’t make us annoyed. Give all the toys to the little rich boys.”
Mike Mulvey cautioned against grandstanding. He pointed to Ratcliff’s long resolution.
“If the intention is to get something done, then the language that’s inflammatory in the grandstanding of the motion presentation would be removed,” Mulvey said. “So once again, all I can say is this obviously to me signals the beginning of the 2025 elections.”
“You’re a shill,” Ratcliff shouted in reply.
More civility, please
Anna Womack expressed disappointment in the tenor of meetings and called for more constructive dialogue.
“I understand that it might seem like I’m making a mountain out of an ant hill, but I do think it points to larger issues that sharp commentary towards each other in this way detracts from efficiency, escalates tension, and it’s a misuse of public time,” she said.
“We have more that unites us than divides us. There’s enough that folks are tense about.”
Womack said there was a lot of tension in the public. A good portion of it comes from a lack of clear communication.
“I understand not all information can be shared,” she said. “I understand the board can’t control everybody’s behavior, and I understand that these things get really difficult. But I think updated minutes is a good starting point. I also ask that our leadership in all capacities set the example for how to appropriately and gracefully communicate with each other.”
Join the family! 
