Shouting match

By DAVID HULSE

KAUNEONGA LAKE, NY — The combination of the supervisor’s last meeting before leaving office and some residents’ reaction to a controversial resolution being passed in what they claim was a secret meeting led to a heated dialogue at the August 28 meeting of the Bethel Town Board.

Allan Scott, supervisor since 1988 and headed for a new position with the county industrial development agency, was presiding over his final town board meeting last week.

A group of residents from the Smallwood Civic Association have been battling for more than a year to get and then maintain public access to Toronto Reservoir. A complicated issue involving private property intervening between the end of a town road leading to the public access has been debated repeatedly. Woodstone Development’s upscale Chapin Estate owns the intervening property.

Earlier last month, following a closed executive session, the town board passed a resolution empowering the supervisor to evaluate the feasibility of consolidating the two existing, federally mandated accesses to Toronto Reservoir. The resolution had not been on the board’s agenda and civic association representatives claimed the board was in collusion with the development company to shut down the public access.

After hearing charges about failing to publicize the resolution and holding a secret meeting from an association spokesman, Scott replied, “We didn’t close any road and there was never any attempt to circumvent federal requirements for the access areas. I think you’re doing the same thing you’ve done for a year. You’ve harassed and bullied the entire town staff, the clerk, the highway superintendent and the building inspector. You’ve written 10 or 15 [letters] to criticize and cause trouble,” he said.

Councilman Bob Bonnaci said the resolution gives the supervisor the power to authorize recommendations, nothing about closing a road. Bonnaci said the recommendations would be for the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) to decide upon. The reservoir is part of Mirant’s Mongaup Valley hydroelectric facilities and licensed by FERC. The license calls for two separate accesses to Toronto.

“We have no power to close anything. We’re talking about FERC doing it,” Scott said.

“FERC doesn’t want it, you do,” said Jeryl Abramson.

“We don’t have money to pave that eight-foot wide road,” Scott said referring to the access way.

“How come everything around Hurd Road [Bethel Woods access] gets paved?” someone asked.

Harold Saltzman, vice president of the Smallwood group, apologized that “our ancestors didn’t come over on the Mayflower.”

“I can’t afford a multi-million-dollar home from Woodstone, but aren’t we all entitled to use that beautiful body of water? …God put it there for people, not for [Woodstone owner Steve] Dubrovsky. The issue is for the people of Bethel to be able to use something God put there and not to give it away to the high and mighty,” he said.

The Smallwood contingent maintained an adversarial banter throughout the discussion, prompting some criticism from other residents. Admitting it was his first board meeting, Chapin Estates resident David Picker said he was stunned by the lack of respect shown the town board. “In my experience, you get the best from people by talking to them. Should we feel guilty because we’re so happy here?” he asked.

Following the meeting Dubrovsky, who had been attendance, said the board had not been treated fairly. “This board, this supervisor has supported a project that has seen 200 acres go from real estate taxes of $1,800 a year to $13.5 million in a year and a half. You think somebody in [the Smallwood] group would acknowledge this? No, never a word, only self-interests, selfish positions,” Dubrovsky said.