The Pompey Town Board held their regular monthly meeting on Tuesday, August 8, 2023 at 6:30pm. A video of the full meeting can be viewed on the Town of Pompey Facebook Page.
Highlights of the meeting are as follows:
Accountant’s Report
The Town accountant reported that there is a balance of approximately $683,000 remaining in the ARPA funds account. A special committee is currently drafting plans for the expenditure of these funds before they expire.
He also noted that the Town brought in approximately $81,350 in mortgage tax last month, which he states is down about $40,000 from last time.
Budget Items
The Board held a discussion on holding a budget workshop for Board members, which they agreed to schedule for September 25.
The Board approved a travel request for Highway Superintendent Br. Way to attend a multi-day highway conference at Turning Stone. The Board denied Way’s request for overnight lodging for the event.
The Board also approved authorizing Town Clerk Nikki Reid and Highway Superintendent Br. Way to become authorized users of the Town credit card, for which the Board recently drafted new regulations for use.
Public Comment
Prior to opening the public comment session, Town Supervisor Renee Rotondo offered compliments to the organizers of the Empire Farm Days that took place the week/weekend previous, noting that the event was well organized, well-attended, and that there were no injuries or incidents throughout the entire event. She also noted that Farm Days is a main fundraising event for our local non-profit organizations.
Two other Town residents — Alma Hartnett and Republican Town Council candidate David Angello — spoke in praise of Dan Palladino and the Empire Farm Days, commenting on the community spirit and the support the event lends to local non-profit organizations.
A number of Town residents — and one resident of the Town of Fayetteville — spoke in support of locating solar farms in the Town of Pompey, reiterating that we all must “do our part” to halt climate change. When a member of the audience questioned why a non-resident was allowed to speak at a Town of Pompey Board meeting, Town Supervisor Renee Rotondo stated that any member of the public can attend public meetings and speak during the public comment segment, citing the free speech amendment in the U.S. Constitution.
Other Town residents spoke out once again about their concerns over the noise and activities taking place at Palladino Farms and Heritage Hill. They expressed frustration over filing numerous complaints — formal and informal — with the Town and being told by the Codes Officer that “there’s nothing he can do.” Town resident Jim Gosier questioned why the Town of Pompey has never been willing to entertain a noise ordinance when all other surrounding towns have such ordinances in place. He noted that he and other concerned residents are not disputing noise typically generated by farming operations, but they want the Town to address the music and other disruptions coming from non-farming activities.
Town resident Dan McClung then read a written statement addressed to the Board while about a dozen members of the audience stood in a show of solidarity as it was read.
Following is the statement verbatim (note that the last section was inadvertently skipped by Mr. McClung and subsequently read by Town resident Dan Hoefler):
“I am here this evening with other residents in a last-ditch effort to request that you act to stop Mr. Palladino at his Heritage Hill site from pursuing activities which wrongfully disturb our reasonably comfortable use and enjoyment of our residential properties. We are prepared to commence legal proceedings against Mr. Palladino for private nuisance and also against the Town and Mr. Palladino for violation of his promise to the Planning Board of no outside music as a zoning law violation.
Before you adjourn your meeting tonight, we ask you adopt 3 resolutions.
First resolution is to direct the Town Code Enforcement Officer to issue a Notice of Violation to Mr. Palladino to immediately stop all outdoor music which he agreed to in his prior applications to the Planning Board.
Second resolution is to call for a Public Hearing at your next Town Board meeting to consider adopting a six-month moratorium on the approval of any nontraditional farming activities by the Planning Board in the Farm Business Overlay District and prohibit the issuance of any building permits for nontraditional farming activities.
Third resolution is to create an ad hoc committee to review and suggest proposed amendments to the Farm Business Overlay District and a noise limitation law. This committee should include 2 members from the Town Board, 2 members from the Planning Board, 1 resident whose home is contiguous to Heritage Hill, 1 resident whose home is contiguous to Mapstone Farm, and 2 farmer owners owning separate farms.
We recognize that farming is an important economic activity in our Town, however with the expanded definition of farming in the State Right to Farm Law there needs to be in our local law reasonable safeguards to insure that the peace and tranquility and bucolic nature of our Town is preserved for all of the Town residents.
If you do not adopt these 3 resolutions, you may expect that our attorney will be serving lawsuit papers by this Friday.
One final note, we strongly oppose Mr. Palladino’s application to build a meat processing plant on the Heritage Hill site and will also commence an Article 78 Proceeding should the Planning Board approve that new activity.”
The Town Board declined any comment at the conclusion of the reading of the statement and the meeting was adjourned.
by Nancy Furdock for Discover Pompey
