MONTEZUMA - The Montezuma planning board is now complete. At its regular meeting Wednesday night, the Montezuma Town Board unanimously approved the appointment of the two remaining members of its now seven-member planning board.

John Malenick, who had earlier indicated his intention to resign from the planning board, was re-appointed with the stipulation that he would not have to attend required training sessions because of health issues.

Once he gets better, he can sign up for the sessions. Malenick's term will expire in 20013.

“The board has no problem letting him stay on

without the schooling in light of his medical issues,” said William “Scott” Saroodis, town supervisor.

Other planning board members attending the meeting said a couple of the training sessions that planned to attend were cancelled. The board said it would be willing to fund a carpool if necessary to get them to the training site.

“We'll be glad to have John back,” said Marian Ellenwood, planning board member. “He knew a lot of things about dealing with the DEC that none of the rest of us do.”

Malenick was earlier involved in researching a moratorium for CAFO (Concentrated Animal Feeding Operation) farming. The issue was raised when Richard Snyder, a dairy farmer on East Loop Road, expressed a desire to open a 2,000-head swine operation on property that he has since purchased near the intersection of East Loop and Denman roads. Snyder has not yet begun the CAFO permitting process with the state Department of Environmental Conservation.

Dan Randolph, who heads a group of residents called Environmentally Concerned Citizens of Montezuma, opposes the concept of “factory farms,” and isn't just concerned with the impact of one hog operation but the possibility of other CAFOs that could follow.

Since the town was in the process of working on its comprehensive plan, the idea of a moratorium on CAFOs was raised to allow that plan time to be developed. Subsequent work on a zoning ordinance would follow, reflecting the town's projected plans for Montezuma.

Craig Cook was also appointed to a planning board position scheduled to expire in 2014. Cook was selected to represent the agriculture sector, which was not represented on the previous planning board.

That became an issue as the planning board was dissolved at the last reorganizational meeting, raising all kinds of legal issues. In the interim, the planning board could not function legally, delaying its ability to work on the comprehensive plan and culminating in Malenick's intended resignation.

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