The planning board of the Town of Montezuma is still intact, as its seven members wait to hear whether or not the Town Board will change its January decision to dismiss the entire board.

“We hadn't met under advisement of the board,” said planning board chairman Joe Verdi. “We were under the assumption that we were going to reappoint a planning board at February's meeting.”

In fact, a public hearing had been scheduled in February to address the issue of the planning board's dissolution, when it was postponed because the town attorney was out of town. At that meeting, Verdi asked William S. Saroodis, town supervisor, whether or not the planning board should continue to meet as it was in the process of working out a comprehensive plan for the community that might also affect the establishment of a controversial pig farm in the town. It is also working on the Auburn biodiesel issue.

“Does any of this stuff matter?” Verdi said he asked Saroodis. Verdi said Saroodis responded that the town doesn't need a planning board.

Planning board member John Malenick said that the town cannot operate without a planning board because there are subdivision regulations.

“The only government body that can review subdivisions is the planning board,” Malenick said.

As the planning board meets the first Tuesday of every month, it has now foregone February and March meetings. Verdi said the planning board would wait until they see how the town board reacts.

“I would like to continue meeting as chairperson,” Verdi said. “I'm planning on a meeting the first Tuesday of April.”

Verdi said the planning board had consulted with two different legal counsels and was told that their dismissal was illegal.

Saroodis could not be reached for comment.

In a letter to The Citizen, planning board members said they wanted Montezuma residents to know that they were still ready to work on behalf of the town.

“The Town Board acted illegally when it decided to dismiss us without benefit of a public hearing, and without any just cause,” the letter reads. “Since their actions were illegal, they have no effect at all on our status as planning board members.

“This is great news, since we have been working very hard to prepare a comprehensive plan to assist the Town Board in protecting the interests of our town's residents while still allowing new businesses and residents to move in. Of course, in order to develop a plan, we need the Town Board's cooperation. We sincerely hope that they will be willing to put their differences aside and work together with us to make Montezuma an even nicer place to live than it is already.”

The planning board would like residents to attend the next Town Board meeting to show support for its continued efforts in the community.

“We are looking forward to solving the problem,” Malenick said. “We just want them to come in on Tuesday night to say, 'Look, we made a mistake,' Then we can all get back to work.”

If the planning board is allowed to continue, its next meeting will be on Tuesday April 1.

Staff writer Kathleen Barran can be reached at 253-5311 ext. 238 or kathleen.barran@lee.net

If you go

What: Montezuma Town Board meeting

When: 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, March 18

Where: Town Hall, Dock Street