Town Highway Superintendent Wayne Kelder recently sent out this public notice:
June 17, 2008
Open letter to the owners of property that have frontage on Town of Rochester Highways.
As is stated in the Highway Town Law of the State of New York, the Highway Superintendent is responsible for the removal of obstructions including brush from the Highway.
Please accept this letter as notification that the highway department will be complying with this law and doing brush cutting thru out the town on all of Rochester owned & maintained Highway.
Thank you,
Wayne F. Kelder
Highway Superintendent
This notice was the result that Mr. Kelder made to the community in response to a number of complaints (and lawsuits) against the time that came about as a result of the Highway Departments aggressive use of a machine affectionately called the "Slash Buster." Road crews use the machine to indiscriminately cut brush that is near the road, frequently leaving a path of destruction in its path. As a result of these complaints, Mr. Kelder promised the community that he would notify people on the roads where clearing was to take place. This first started out as promising to put signs up on the roads so that residents could more carefully clear brush themselves. There was also talk about sending written notice to people on the affected streets by mail. Evidently, Mr. Kelder has stepped back from the intent and spirit of the notice and resumed his arrogant stance of "I'll do what I want and no one will stop me."
The general notice posted above, serves little purpose and does little to assuage or prevent the very high emotions that residents will suffer when their sometimes prized landscaping is devastated by the Slash Buster and the indiscriminate cutting of larger trees without notice. The Town has had to defend many lawsuits and has settled a few, costing untold taxpayers untold $thousands. There has been no issue in any neighborhood that has created so much ill will toward our town officials.
We fully understand the need for cutting back brush and of pruning trees that are in danger of obstructing roads. Recent power failures resulting from violent storms underscore this point. The Highway Department workmen on Mr. Kelder's staff do an excellent job on all aspects of road maintenance in our town.
The point we're making is that there should be a GOOD FAITH effort by the Highway Superintedent to notify residents of upcoming work on their streets. So the next time you see Mr. Kelder, ask him about it. In the meantime, keep an eye out on your own road frontage.
Saturday, June 21, 2008
Tuesday, May 27, 2008
Round and Round
It’s a common saying that the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting a different outcome. If that’s true, we should be getting some good mental health specialists to visit some people in town hall.
Take for instance the Town Board’s temporary reappointment of former assessor Sharon Hornbeck to the assessor’s position after the Town Board’s choice for her replacement, Mike Sommer, had to resign temporarily because he was unable to meet a legal requirement of the job. The terrible condition of the Assessor’s Office during Ms. Hornbeck’s tenure was documented in a report to the Town Board issued by the town’s tax grievance committee, again in a written report by Dan Baker, the assessor hired to replace Ms. Hornbeck, and also by Mike Sommer himself to the Town Board. Yet, Ms. Hornbeck got her job back. Fortunately, it’s only for a week.
Another instance is the appointment of Antoinette Sindone to the Youth Commission after she wasn’t reappointed by the old Town Board. Sindone was arrested in 1999 for child neglect. At the time, she operated a child care business and was arrested for leaving a child in her car in 20 degree weather while she was having her hair done. The parents declined to press charges, but the state Office of Children and Family Services revoked her child care license. The old Town Board adopted a law requiring background checks on all volunteers and employees who would work with children on the Youth Commission. Supervisor Carl Chipman apparently didn’t think the background check or the law were that important, so he did a quick “internet check” rather than contacting local law enforcement authorities. Supervisor Chipman said he “didn’t find” anything, so he got his colleagues to appoint her. What confidence should our Town’s parents have knowing that their children are under the supervision of someone who’s no longer allowed to take care of children. What type of legal liability does that give the Town?
Past performance is usually an indicator of future results. In this case, our Town Board seems to be on its happy merry go round, going around and around and around making the same bad decisions over and over again. When are they going to realize that the only way to bring the improvement they promise is to change a few of the faces they appoint?
Take for instance the Town Board’s temporary reappointment of former assessor Sharon Hornbeck to the assessor’s position after the Town Board’s choice for her replacement, Mike Sommer, had to resign temporarily because he was unable to meet a legal requirement of the job. The terrible condition of the Assessor’s Office during Ms. Hornbeck’s tenure was documented in a report to the Town Board issued by the town’s tax grievance committee, again in a written report by Dan Baker, the assessor hired to replace Ms. Hornbeck, and also by Mike Sommer himself to the Town Board. Yet, Ms. Hornbeck got her job back. Fortunately, it’s only for a week.
Another instance is the appointment of Antoinette Sindone to the Youth Commission after she wasn’t reappointed by the old Town Board. Sindone was arrested in 1999 for child neglect. At the time, she operated a child care business and was arrested for leaving a child in her car in 20 degree weather while she was having her hair done. The parents declined to press charges, but the state Office of Children and Family Services revoked her child care license. The old Town Board adopted a law requiring background checks on all volunteers and employees who would work with children on the Youth Commission. Supervisor Carl Chipman apparently didn’t think the background check or the law were that important, so he did a quick “internet check” rather than contacting local law enforcement authorities. Supervisor Chipman said he “didn’t find” anything, so he got his colleagues to appoint her. What confidence should our Town’s parents have knowing that their children are under the supervision of someone who’s no longer allowed to take care of children. What type of legal liability does that give the Town?
Past performance is usually an indicator of future results. In this case, our Town Board seems to be on its happy merry go round, going around and around and around making the same bad decisions over and over again. When are they going to realize that the only way to bring the improvement they promise is to change a few of the faces they appoint?
Monday, May 12, 2008
Assessor's Office... the fix is in
It looks like the fix is in for a new assessor. After not being able to hire their first choice first, it looks like they are going to have to hire her second. Here’s the background.
After having an assessor with unconvincing qualifications for 20 years, the old Town Board decided not to re-appoint Sharon Hornbeck last year, giving her plenty of free time to enjoy her full retirement.The old Town Board appointed a qualified person who had several years of experience as an assessor in Rosendale for the six year term in the fall of 2007.
After he took over the job in October and saw what a mess the office was, he took to the hills and found another job, but not after telling the Town Board and the town of all the shortcomings, including dozens of properties that weren’t on the tax roll, including $2.3 million of the Mohonk Mountain House!In January 2008, the newly elected Town Board appointed Michael Sommer as a full time acting assessor at the magnificent salary of $5,000 per month. Not a bad gig considering he also collects assessor paychecks from Ellenville, Wawarsing and Denning.
Now the first choice all along was Trish Kortright, who ran the successful campaign that swept the Republicans into office in November 2007. She's also a member of the family that owns the most land in town, including a lot of underassessed rock mines. The new Town Board had to give her some type of reward and the highest paying patronage job available was Town Assessor. As a member of the audience at a Town Board meeting said, “You owe her!”
Problem is, Trish didn’t have any qualifications. Solution? Hire her as a temporary “data collector” so she can get some “experience.” It was a job created especially for her and the Town Board ignored its own hiring rules and didn’t post the job or even think about looking at any other candidates. Not only that, the job wasn't in the budget so the Town Board is going to have to search through some cigar boxes or do some budget tricks to keep the budget balanced.
Then in May, the Town Board appointed Michael Sommer as the “permanent” assessor for the rest of the six year term. We'll get a quarter of the man's attention while paying the full salary despite the fact that there were other well qualified job candidates. Perfect solution. Trish gets her training working for Mike in the Assessor’s office, Mike gets a little extra money for less than a full time schedule. But how does Trish get the job they promised her?
No worries. We’re offering 100 to 1 odds that Mike will quit within a year and that Trish will be appointed to the job with her new found “experience.”
The Town Board's flim flam thank you ma'am charade deserves a medal for creativity. Question is, how much is the lack of a full-time qualified assessor really going to cost taxpayers in Rochester? Aside from the money, it's already costing the Town Board its credibility.
After having an assessor with unconvincing qualifications for 20 years, the old Town Board decided not to re-appoint Sharon Hornbeck last year, giving her plenty of free time to enjoy her full retirement.The old Town Board appointed a qualified person who had several years of experience as an assessor in Rosendale for the six year term in the fall of 2007.
After he took over the job in October and saw what a mess the office was, he took to the hills and found another job, but not after telling the Town Board and the town of all the shortcomings, including dozens of properties that weren’t on the tax roll, including $2.3 million of the Mohonk Mountain House!In January 2008, the newly elected Town Board appointed Michael Sommer as a full time acting assessor at the magnificent salary of $5,000 per month. Not a bad gig considering he also collects assessor paychecks from Ellenville, Wawarsing and Denning.
Now the first choice all along was Trish Kortright, who ran the successful campaign that swept the Republicans into office in November 2007. She's also a member of the family that owns the most land in town, including a lot of underassessed rock mines. The new Town Board had to give her some type of reward and the highest paying patronage job available was Town Assessor. As a member of the audience at a Town Board meeting said, “You owe her!”
Problem is, Trish didn’t have any qualifications. Solution? Hire her as a temporary “data collector” so she can get some “experience.” It was a job created especially for her and the Town Board ignored its own hiring rules and didn’t post the job or even think about looking at any other candidates. Not only that, the job wasn't in the budget so the Town Board is going to have to search through some cigar boxes or do some budget tricks to keep the budget balanced.
Then in May, the Town Board appointed Michael Sommer as the “permanent” assessor for the rest of the six year term. We'll get a quarter of the man's attention while paying the full salary despite the fact that there were other well qualified job candidates. Perfect solution. Trish gets her training working for Mike in the Assessor’s office, Mike gets a little extra money for less than a full time schedule. But how does Trish get the job they promised her?
No worries. We’re offering 100 to 1 odds that Mike will quit within a year and that Trish will be appointed to the job with her new found “experience.”
The Town Board's flim flam thank you ma'am charade deserves a medal for creativity. Question is, how much is the lack of a full-time qualified assessor really going to cost taxpayers in Rochester? Aside from the money, it's already costing the Town Board its credibility.
School District Vote... the annual ritual
With the blooming of the forsythias comes the annual event called the school budget and school board vote. Each year voters are presented with the chance to say “yea” or “nay” to the school district budget number put on the table by the school board for the following school year. Take this number and subtract the amount of state aid and other revenues, which are never known for sure, and the ending result is the amount of money that we taxpayers must pick up and pay through our property taxes.
If the budget doesn’t pass, the school board always comes back for another bite at the apple, even if local taxpayers have nothing more to give. This year, when a separate capital expenditure budget wasn’t approved, the school board took out its pencils and made a few changes and put it up again for another vote. Keep putting it up for a vote until it passes…because you know if you vote against the budget it only means you hate kids.
This year’s Rondout Valley Central School Budget is $59,062,343. It’s hard to say how this compares to prior years because the district doesn’t put the information on its website www.rondout.k12.ny.us/ in an easy place for people to see. But that’s part and parcel for the way our school district’s administration operates.
Along with the budget vote is the annual vote to put people on the board of education itself. Unlike elections for other offices, the candidates never really make an effort to campaign or let voters know what they stand for, so most voters have no idea who they’re voting for or what their qualifications are.
It’s time for a little more transparency from our school board and for the candidates who want our votes. Property owners in small districts like ours that don’t have a large tax base pay a lot more in school taxes that in other richer parts of the state. Every child deserves a good education, unfortunately property owners in some places like ours have to pay a lot more for a lot less. It’s time to re-think the way education is paid for and the way small districts are managed.
Polls are open from 6am to 9pm at the high school gymnasium. This year’s candidates are Kent Anderson (incumbent), James Ayers (incumbent), Imre Beke, Jr., Pamela Longley and Annette Ludwig, Vote for up to three or none of the above.
If the budget doesn’t pass, the school board always comes back for another bite at the apple, even if local taxpayers have nothing more to give. This year, when a separate capital expenditure budget wasn’t approved, the school board took out its pencils and made a few changes and put it up again for another vote. Keep putting it up for a vote until it passes…because you know if you vote against the budget it only means you hate kids.
This year’s Rondout Valley Central School Budget is $59,062,343. It’s hard to say how this compares to prior years because the district doesn’t put the information on its website www.rondout.k12.ny.us/ in an easy place for people to see. But that’s part and parcel for the way our school district’s administration operates.
Along with the budget vote is the annual vote to put people on the board of education itself. Unlike elections for other offices, the candidates never really make an effort to campaign or let voters know what they stand for, so most voters have no idea who they’re voting for or what their qualifications are.
It’s time for a little more transparency from our school board and for the candidates who want our votes. Property owners in small districts like ours that don’t have a large tax base pay a lot more in school taxes that in other richer parts of the state. Every child deserves a good education, unfortunately property owners in some places like ours have to pay a lot more for a lot less. It’s time to re-think the way education is paid for and the way small districts are managed.
Polls are open from 6am to 9pm at the high school gymnasium. This year’s candidates are Kent Anderson (incumbent), James Ayers (incumbent), Imre Beke, Jr., Pamela Longley and Annette Ludwig, Vote for up to three or none of the above.
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