A months-old vacancy on the Ulster Town Board was filled last week by the appointment of Michael Schatzel, who will complete a term that runs through the rest of the year.
Schatzel is the owner of Michael T. Schatzel Building and Excavating Contractors, Inc., a Saugerties-based business at 923 Ulster Landing Road. Schatzel is a member of the Kingston High School Class of 1983.
A registered Republican, Schatzel was sworn in during a meeting of the town board held on Wednesday, May 15 to complete the remaining 7 1/2 months of Democrat Rocco Secreto’s current term. Secreto left in February to spend more time with family. He previously served a three-year term starting in 2006, then returned to the board in 2014 and remained until earlier this year.
The decision to appoint Schatzel was not only a unanimous 3-0 vote, but also illustrative of a potential issue brought forth earlier in the evening by Town of Ulster Republican Party vice-chairman John Iannotti, who noted that with councilwoman Maryann DeGroodt absent that evening, the five-member town board was already, among other things, on the razor’s edge of failing to produce a quorum.
“Frankly, the basis for the board’s inaction is difficult to appreciate,” Iannotti said, noting that in recent years the relationships on the town board have become strained — particularly between supervisor James E. Quigley, III and councilman and former deputy supervisor Clayton Van Kleeck — and even in not filling the seat there was division, with some preferring it remain vacant until filled by voters in November, others believing it should be filled immediately.
“My rejoinder is that these arguments are insubstantial, imprudent, and that they leave the good governance of the town in peril,” Iannotti said. “The voters have already spoken. They have chosen you and invested in you the powers and responsibilities of council members. Among your charge is the ethical mandate that the board be fully complimented.”
Keeping the seat open, Iannotti said, means a quorum is always one step closer to being unrealized.
“Life happens. Illness. Family problems. Issues at work. Vacation,” Iannotti said. “It is not unreasonable to imagine two members of the board being absent from the meeting. Should that be the case, there is no quorum. The board cannot meet. The board cannot act. As town boards were intended to be energetic, working dependently and regularly for the good of their constituents, they were intentionally organized as odd configurations. This would facilitate the formation of majorities. Boards aren’t meant to act with four members. The possibility of a two-to-two tie is a lingering threat. Should a tie occur, this board can meet, but this board cannot act.”
Iannotti said that both the Republican Party and possibly others in the town had recommended candidates in the hopes of facilitating a move.
“Filling the vacancy will bring aboard new eyes and ears with which to perceive the temper of the town,” Iannotti said. “It will see someone with unique experiences from both work and life. It will make the board more flexible, more attentive to the concerns of its constituents. It will enliven discussion and debate.”
“I am confident that Mike Schatzel is a man that is a proven member of our work community and he is a valuable citizen,” said Van Kleeck after the appointment. “It’s worth noting that this appointment required bipartisan cooperation. As a non-enrolled member, my vote was essential for the Republican Party to move forward with this nomination. I have no problem doing this because I am confident that Mike Schatzel will as he has promised be a councilman for all members of this town, so I vote yes.”
Ulster development proposal
The Town of Ulster’s planning board voted to refer a 200-unit housing development in back of Adams Fairacre Farms to the town board at its May 13 meeting. The multi-family town-home-style apartments are proposed for a 69.34-acre property at 1530 Route 9W. The existing structures will be demolished.
Per town law, any project totaling more than 2500 square feet must be referred to the town board. The project was reduced in size from the 298 units originally proposed last year, when Adams and members of the public expressed concerns about traffic and interruptions to customer flow during construction.
Because of its location, access to the site will not be easy.
— Nick Henderson
Join the family! 
