FREE GRANTS COST TAXPAYERS PLENTY

Several months ago, the Town Board, led by Supervisor Zatz and his grant hungry board (with Nadine Lemmon being the grant guzzling ringleader) made a huge ballyhoo about "winning" a grant from the DOT/TEP for the hamlet sidwalk project. Most people at first blush would think that this is a "good" thing for Gardiner. And it could be....except for two facts that were never made public by the town board. They are 1) ot;free" grant tota thREQUIRESe &qulling $445,000 a share to be spent by the town in the amount of $89,000! and 2) the grant would directly benefit several town board members, including Supervisor Zatz and Councilman Bialecki. This projects would directly impact and benefit businesses owned by them in the hamlet.

. The DOT/Transportation grant "resolution" was the very first item on the agenda for the 2/13 town board meeting. Howevernd never, it was skipped over, a even brought up by one board member. Could it be that they RAN OUT OF MONEY IN THE GENERAL RESERVE FUND...and couldn't figure out where they could come up with the $89,000K, or how they could justify this expenditure when they had to borrow money to fund the completion of the town hall project?

Town Supervisor Lays Bombshell on Town

Memo From Carl Zatz to Town Board about Town Hall Overruns

Incomplete numbers about Town Hall - from Zatz to Board

At the 1/2 Gardiner Town Board meeting things started out benignly, with the required organizational details routinely taken care of one by one. Then, with little warning, the Town Supervisor Carl Zatz let off the bomb that will have lasting repercussions for town taxpayers for many years to come. He made a public announcement that was made earlier that day to the Town Board, in which he acknowledged that the town hall building project was facing an overrun of anywhere from $100,000 to $150,00, and possibly more. The announcement was made by memo to the town board only that morning.

Over a year ago, Zatz had declared himself “clerk of the works” in spite of some consternation on the part of several town board members. At the time, he promised that regular updates would be made at each town board meeting, alternating between financial updates and construction news. Although there were a few general comments made at a few meetings, detailed public updates on town hall construction were never forthcoming. As late as the October budget meetings, when Zatz was asked why there was no budget allocation for rent on current town hall temporary offices, he replied with assurance that it was because they planned on “moving in” by January.

Now, only a few short weeks later, the supervisor is appearing before the town citizens, simultaneously asking forgiveness and wanting approval to borrow the needed money to finish the project, using a short term bond. It was suggested that the town use some of it’s unexpended reserve funds, of which there was almost a $1,000,000 balance when Zatz first took office 3 years ago. However, he explained that there is not enough left in the general reserve fund to pay for the finished construction on the Town Hall project.

The supervisor has left the town folks with little choice but to cough up the money. When asked by Janet Kern how and why this shortfall could happen, he was vague, and blamed the overage on inflation and made light of the situation by saying that these construction overages are common. He even vaguely suggested that it was the taxpayers fault that the project ran over, because they didn’t allocate enough money in the first place! In truth, it is because of the hard work and dedication of many of those same taxpayers who contributed pro bono work that the town isn’t in a worse financial fix.

However, these disasters should not be “common” in Gardiner. We have only one town hall project, and it was up to Zatz to supervise both the financial and construction details. The people put their trust in him, and he failed. There are two possible scenarios to explain what hatz trulappened: 1. Zy didn’t know that the project was going to cost so much and that it would be over budget. In this case, it shows either a stunning naivete' or stellar ignorance of the construction process. He should have asked for help when he needed it. 2. Zatz knew many months ago that there was not enough to build the building he wanted for the town, but proceeded anyway, knowing that when push came to shove, he would just do what he is doing now, and ask for more money from taxpayers.

Either way, it’s not a pretty scenario. We, the taxpayers end up once again as the villains and the “chumps”. The other town board members are equally to blame, as they allowed him to proceed without question or any oversight. After the fact, almost each and every one defended his actions, and Joe Katz even commented that it’s “not a big deal.” Well, we think it’s a big deal, Joe. This is why we urgently need stong candidates for local government to replace those who are now steering our town’s future in the wrong direction.

A few short years ago, Gardiner was a financially stable and vibrant town, with the lowest taxes in the area. Today, the town is in the way of being “broke”, with a need to borrow money, and the results of a state audit still looming in the wings. For the first time in memory, Gardiner residents are facing double digit tax increases from the town.

Not only is there a need to “take back our town” from financial ills, but from this attitude of applauding inept governance, and allowing the taxpayers to be walking doormats. It’s time for a change…it can only get better.

At the second January meeting, the Town Board voted to borrow $150K to finish the building. However, Zatz refused to give any written accounting of what still needs to be done and how much it will cost. It's a shame that the town board doesn't champion fiscal responsibility, but it shows.

The "documents" that were promised by Zatz at the previous meeting were not there. Once again, he failed to deliver. His memo promised that he would turn over the responsibility for town hall project to a citizen committee....and we wonder if that is done. After all, there is a history of empty promise here.

Master Plan History

If you would like some interesting reading, here's the original 1992 Master Plan document for Gardiner, along with the Environmental Impact Statement, and public hearing/meeting by the Planning board. One of the more interesting letters is from Joe Katz, who complained that the Master Plan threatened his property rights...of course this was before he "saw the light". Also, the "scare" part of the plan depicting the "build out" by 2010, of course, is a non starter because of the current zoning laws we have.
Click here to read the 1992 Plan and associated documents."1992 Master Plan and Documents

Cell Tower Trouble

The Town Board had already signed a contract with J N S (it was a 5-0 vote) to have a cell tower built at the Transfer station. However, because of the cell zoning law enacted in 2000, and the excessive height of the proposed tower, the town wo varianculd have to get a zoningto not be from the ZBA in order e in violation of it's own zoning laws. It appears that the ZBA is not inclined to issue a cell tower variance for anyone, including the town. Now, the town either has to get of the contract and face a financial penalty (more of your tax dollars at work!), or change it's own laws to suit. Stay tuned as the town board tries to get itself out of this mess!
UPDATE ON APRIL 10 TOWN MEETING - It appears that the town is now between a rock and a hard place. The cell tower construction, along with the service providers, appear to be determined to move forward, with or without the town. The board voted to create a draft law exempting them from Zoning regulations and allowing them to move ahead. A public hearing will be on May 1 at the town meeting.
April 11 2008 Update: the town board has now enacted very restrictive new zoning laws...with one execption! Instead of making the cell town restriction more rigid...the town changed the maximum height for any cell town from 85 feet to 145 feet....just enough to allow JNS to go ahead with the construction! Once again...there are double standards and two sets of laws in this town...one for the people in power, and one for the average citizen. However, there is sure to be more to this story from the folks who don't want it built (NIMBY!). Can you spell article 78?