The Seneca Falls Town Board held their regularly scheduled meeting on Tuesday in a session that felt like a quick mover for those in attendance.
Several signed up to address the board, which drew a testy exchange between one speaker and Supervisor Greg Lazzaro. The exchange occurred when Kenneth Garee, one of those speakers, offered a harsh assessment of Town Attorney Patrick Morrell.
While Lazzaro objected to the criticism, Garee continued — even as the gavel was pounded repeatedly. Morrell has been criticized for taking sides in the debate around landfilling in Seneca Falls.
Other speakers highlighted the importance of preserving Seneca Falls, as well as the County in the long-term through recycling measures. Allison Stokes, a frequent speaker at the Seneca Falls Town Board meetings this year, discussed the long-term impact of a landfill on a community with a rich history of fighting for what’s right.
While the public hearing on Local Law #7 was not discussed at Tuesday’s meeting, the board did go into executive session to talk about the host community agreement, which remains on the table to be modified, according to members of the board.
The board concluded the regular session by moving into executive session to discuss the host community agreement. Lazzaro stated that he did not know if any action would be taken after the session concluded.
In other action on Tuesday:
– A number of water main breaks were reported over the weekend. Supervisor Lazzaro thanked those members of the water department for working tirelessly to correct those outstanding issues.
– A special meeting will be held on Wednesday, September 14 at 6 pm. How much of that meeting will be spent in executive session was not made clear during the meeting.
– A public information meeting on water and sewer updates will be hosted by the Seneca Falls Town Board on Wednesday, October 12 at 7 pm.
– Department heads will need to submit budgets for the 2017 calendar year by September 20, which has been an issue intensely debated along with the landfill issue. If Local Law #7 is passed, some have contended that spending would need to be significantly cut within each department.
– Katie McIntyre and Menzo Case presented Chief Peenstra an award on behalf of the entire team organizing the Women’s Right to Run 19K for the Seneca Falls Police Department’s efforts during that event.
– Gerald Macaluso spoke about the importance and effectiveness of the United Way in Seneca County. While the board was not asked for any additional contribution, Macaluso spoke to address the statistical effectiveness of the United Way. He said that there is tangible evidence to show that the organization has a positive impact on the community.
