MONTEZUMA - Montezuma's town planning board can go back to work.

Using advice from Town Attorney Norman Chirco, the Montezuma Town Board told the planning board Tuesday to continue holding meetings.

“My suggestion is to let the planning board continue on with its work, let it continue what it's doing,” Chirco said before a group of more than 50 people. “There are obviously important issues that need to be talked about, and since this town board has not abolished, dismissed, let anyone go, terminated anyone at all, there is no reason why they can't meet.

“I don't think this town board did anything wrong,”

Chirco said that, while the words “abolish” and “dismiss” were used and recorded in the official minutes of the Feb. 19 meeting, the town board never disbanded the planning board during the Jan. 15 meeting. Using the January minutes, he said the town board decided to not reappoint planning board members and asked people interested in serving on the planning board to submit letters of intent or resumes.

Joe Verdi, chairman of the planning board, denied this, maintaining the town board officially dissolved the board two months ago.

Going forward, both town councilors and planning board members must comply with the law, Chirco said, which calls for staggered terms for planning board members and four hours of board training per year.

“If we're going to do it, we need to do it right,” he said.

Verdi said he proposed in January 2007, the idea of having planning board members serving seven-year terms staggered so that one term expires every year.

Town Supervisor Scott Saroodis said he did not recall any discussion last year of staggered terms.

Verdi also said that some members have participated in the planning board training and some haven't. While Saroodis couldn't say whether the training would immediately translate into a reappointment, he said he wanted to see certificates showing successful completion of it.

The town board and attorney called an executive session at the end of the meeting after previously alluding that it would be regarding the planning board.

Verdi said the town board made the right move.

“The planning board and the town board need to work together,” he said. “We have to be a team for the betterment of the town and the county.”

Earlier in the meeting Saroodis responded to a column written by Cayuga County Legislator David Axton in The Citizen last week, which dealt specifically with the conflict between the two boards.

Axton represents District 3, encompassing Montezuma, Mentz and Thoop

“I wasn't happy that Mr. Axton as a county Legislator used the media as a means to address this issue,” Saroodis said. “It's a town problem, matter, not a county. Not once did he try to get a hold of me for my side of the story ... I think it was way out of bounds by not contacting myself or the town board.”

Axton, who arrived at the meeting later on, said he tried to contact Saroodis four times since October and never had any of those calls returned.

Voices were raised as the two men sparred for more than two minutes, at one point arguing over what either of them have accomplished during their respective terms of office.

“I'm not afraid to stand up to these people whereas you run away,” Axton said to Saroodis.

Saroodis said he is at town hall every night. He said once again that this is a town, not a county, issue.

“You can leave and cannot speak here anymore,” he said.

Axton responded, “I don't have to speak here but I can be here.”

Councilor Anoinette Smart interjected by saying that she nor anyone else on the town board, to her knowledge, was contacted about the planning board issue.

Axton said that he spoke to a town board member, whom he would not identify.

He said he stands by what was printed in The Citizen, and added the “proper resolution happened.”

“I certainly think everyone's voices were heard,” he said, “and the right thing happened.”

Staff writer Alyssa Sunkin can be reached at 253-5311 ext. 239 or alyssa.sunkin@lee.net