MONTEZUMA - The Montezuma Planning Board has a new chairman.
Current chairman Joseph Verdi told the board, whose members were all present at their meeting Tuesday night, that he would like to resign and pass the position along to another board member.
John Malenick was voted in unanimously after he volunteered to chair the planning board. He had resigned as a planning board member after the town dismantled the board at a reorganizational meeting last January.
The Montezuma Town Board is expected to make this year's planning board appointments at its reorganizational meeting at 7 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 20.
One seat, just expired in December, has two possible candidates: incumbent Robert Smith, who said he told Town Supervisor William Scott Saroodis that he would like to continue, and Steve St. Martin.
Current planning board members and their terms, all ending in December on different years, include: Smith, 2008; Gwen Ellinwood, 2009; Marion Ellinwood, 2010; Verdi, 2011; Barb Culotti, 2012; Malenick, 2013; and Craig Cook, 2014.
Malenick was originally slated for the 2012 slot, but after he resigned, he was re-appointed with the stipulation that he could postpone training sessions until his health improved.
Last May 20, the town almost finalized 2008's planning board appointees after four months of negotiations. Two seats still open in May 2008 were subsequently filled by Malenick and Cook in July.
In the interim, the planning board and town board had disagreed on the tenure of planning board members. Saroodis said the town had appointed planning board members on a yearly basis. Verdi, then planning board chairman, said he had submitted a plan to the town board with seven-year terms and one seat vacant each year.
In limbo, the planning board could not function legally, delaying its ability to work on the town's comprehensive plan, which included the possibility of a moratorium on Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations.
All of this played to a backdrop of a rumored 2,000-head pig farm possibly to be established in the town.
Added to the moratorium issue was the possibility of a biodiesel plant taking root in Montezuma.
So, the comprehensive plan was shelved, leaving the present planning board with the task of reviewing and amending subdivision laws. They are simultaneously working on the zoning code, which is usually formulated in accordance with a comprehensive plan.
Malenick said he's been working on the code and has a preliminary version 80 percent done.
Procedural issues have been the bane of conducting government smoothly in the town. Malenick was about to work on procedures for a variety of planning issues prior to the board's dismantling.
A case of confusing procedures was a proposal brought before the planning board Tuesday by Cheryl and Stan Longyear to to give a home on their property to their son, Jeffrey, subdividing and adding a small portion of that parcel to their own to accommodate a garage built on the line.
Cheryl was under the impression the matter could be handled all in one step after Stan had spoken to one of the planning board members.
Malenick told her that legally the planning board can wait 62 days to make the recommendation.
“Prior to this meeting we weren't aware of anything,” Cheryl said. “Had we known, we would have been prepared.”
The board had to search for a SEQR (environmental) form to give the couple so that they could submit it with their map.
Verdi explained that the town is held legally responsible for any errors in the application.
“I'm just telling you how frustrated I am, ” Cheryl said.
Because their issue involved a minor subdivision, the planning board was able to forego the formality of a public hearing and the SEQR form was filled out on the spot, with the board voting to recommend their subdivision to the town board for acceptance.
The town itself doesn't have subdivision laws, so the board bases its handling of the issue on state law. It is referring to laws already on the books in other towns to use as models in planning its new subdivision laws. There is no town engineer.
The board agreed to meet twice a month in order to get the subdivision laws finished and Malenick said he would have a preliminary draft of the zoning code done by the next meeting. A paper explaining the procedure for making application to the planning board will also be available from the town clerk.
Staff writer Kathleen Barran can be reached at 253-5311 ext. 238 or kathleen.barran@lee.net
John Malenick was voted in unanimously after he volunteered to chair the planning board. He had resigned as a planning board member after the town dismantled the board at a reorganizational meeting last January.
The Montezuma Town Board is expected to make this year's planning board appointments at its reorganizational meeting at 7 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 20.
One seat, just expired in December, has two possible candidates: incumbent Robert Smith, who said he told Town Supervisor William Scott Saroodis that he would like to continue, and Steve St. Martin.
Current planning board members and their terms, all ending in December on different years, include: Smith, 2008; Gwen Ellinwood, 2009; Marion Ellinwood, 2010; Verdi, 2011; Barb Culotti, 2012; Malenick, 2013; and Craig Cook, 2014.
Malenick was originally slated for the 2012 slot, but after he resigned, he was re-appointed with the stipulation that he could postpone training sessions until his health improved.
Last May 20, the town almost finalized 2008's planning board appointees after four months of negotiations. Two seats still open in May 2008 were subsequently filled by Malenick and Cook in July.
In the interim, the planning board and town board had disagreed on the tenure of planning board members. Saroodis said the town had appointed planning board members on a yearly basis. Verdi, then planning board chairman, said he had submitted a plan to the town board with seven-year terms and one seat vacant each year.
In limbo, the planning board could not function legally, delaying its ability to work on the town's comprehensive plan, which included the possibility of a moratorium on Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations.
All of this played to a backdrop of a rumored 2,000-head pig farm possibly to be established in the town.
Added to the moratorium issue was the possibility of a biodiesel plant taking root in Montezuma.
So, the comprehensive plan was shelved, leaving the present planning board with the task of reviewing and amending subdivision laws. They are simultaneously working on the zoning code, which is usually formulated in accordance with a comprehensive plan.
Malenick said he's been working on the code and has a preliminary version 80 percent done.
Procedural issues have been the bane of conducting government smoothly in the town. Malenick was about to work on procedures for a variety of planning issues prior to the board's dismantling.
A case of confusing procedures was a proposal brought before the planning board Tuesday by Cheryl and Stan Longyear to to give a home on their property to their son, Jeffrey, subdividing and adding a small portion of that parcel to their own to accommodate a garage built on the line.
Cheryl was under the impression the matter could be handled all in one step after Stan had spoken to one of the planning board members.
Malenick told her that legally the planning board can wait 62 days to make the recommendation.
“Prior to this meeting we weren't aware of anything,” Cheryl said. “Had we known, we would have been prepared.”
The board had to search for a SEQR (environmental) form to give the couple so that they could submit it with their map.
Verdi explained that the town is held legally responsible for any errors in the application.
“I'm just telling you how frustrated I am, ” Cheryl said.
Because their issue involved a minor subdivision, the planning board was able to forego the formality of a public hearing and the SEQR form was filled out on the spot, with the board voting to recommend their subdivision to the town board for acceptance.
The town itself doesn't have subdivision laws, so the board bases its handling of the issue on state law. It is referring to laws already on the books in other towns to use as models in planning its new subdivision laws. There is no town engineer.
The board agreed to meet twice a month in order to get the subdivision laws finished and Malenick said he would have a preliminary draft of the zoning code done by the next meeting. A paper explaining the procedure for making application to the planning board will also be available from the town clerk.
Staff writer Kathleen Barran can be reached at 253-5311 ext. 238 or kathleen.barran@lee.net
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