Bethel board split on five-casino position

By DAVID HULSE

KAUNEONGA LAKE, NY — Relying on a 2002 local law prohibiting the construction of casinos in the town, the Bethel Town Board last week decided not to make any resolution for or against Governor George Pataki’s proposal for five casinos in the county.

The subject arose after resident Susan Brown made a presentation on behalf of Casino-Free Sullivan County and asked that the board reconsider its abstaining position in the current controversy.

Brown’s remarks prompted pro and con comments from the audience. One man said 75 percent of those opposing the casinos are not long-time county residents and didn’t see the volume of traffic in the early 70s when the hotels were still strong. “How could you be against jobs?” he asked.

“I was here in the 70s and I worked in the hotels for $1.74 an hour. The hotels weren’t all that great for everybody…. Five casinos is completely insane,” a woman replied.

Supervisor Victoria Vassmer-Simpson eventually cut off the discussion, saying that the board has a local law in place. “We do not intend a resolution on this,” she said.

But Councilman Harold Russell noted that only two of the current board members served on the board that approved that law. “I was never asked,” he said, adding, “It’s not fair to say that’s the board’s position.”

“You should take a stand,” a woman in the audience said.

But Simpson stuck to her guns saying, “I don’t feel we need to do that.”

“We did,” Councilman Robert Blais said, referring to the earlier local law.

The board’s three Democrats remained united as Councilmen Daniel Sturm and Blais (who was on the board in 2002) agreed with Simpson’s position.

However, Russell disagreed, saying the casinos would have a widespread impact on schools and highways.

“Everyone has a right to gamble, but we should have a right to vote on it. Five or none is wrong…. If you ask me about five, it’s no,” he said.

The board’s other Republican, Richard Crumley, agreed that the casinos would affect the whole county. “Personally, I think it should be put to a referendum. How do nine legislators know what people want? You can’t get people to go out to meetings to tell them,” he said.

When Crumley asked Simpson about having a referendum, she said, “It’s not clear whether we can or not.”

In other business last week, the town board scheduled a 7:45 p.m., February 24 public hearing on local law number one of 2005, which according to the planning board, will clean up ambiguities in the town’s zoning ordinance and allow construction on lots pre-dating town zoning, which are less than 40,000 square feet and currently non-conforming.