The Enchanted Birthplace of Margaret Thatcher

A Land of Miracles

Me thinks the Chairman of Hamlin’s Planning Board has been reading one too many Arthurian legends. He keeps harping about a mythical development in England which is his icon for the alleged success of low income housing projects.

He has outlined this story several times, notably twice during Thursday’s Public Hearing. The yarn goes something like this: After Margaret Thatcher “replaced the Labor government” she took over a low-income housing project somewhere and made it Rent-to-Own. Supposedly, the tenants were allowed to build equity and this miracle of financial creativity transformed the character of the tenants and the quality of the development.

Does anybody know what the hell he’s talking about? Is this story even real? Where did it come from- a back issue of Time Magazine, discovered in the dentist’s office?

It should make the residents of Hamlin very nervous that the Chairman of the Planning Board seems predisposed to approving the “Millstone Village” plan based on an aging fantasy about Margaret Thatcher! It should give everyone opposed to the local development a deep chill to think that Emens compares this old story from England to the realities of America in the 21nd century.

Equity? When did that become the cure for the myriad social problems that low income housing projects have? What about poverty, inequitable education, divorce, job loss, domestic violence, etc, etc. If equity was such a cure-all wouldn’t there be a huge federal program to underwrite mortgages for the poor? I think our Planning Board Chairman has fallen for some slick Brit PR.

If this tale is even true, what are the details? What does the place look like today? How was the crime rate through the years? Did it actually work past the time of dramatic public relations for Maggie?

We need a Planning Board rooted in reality, oriented on the needs and concerns of the ordinary Hamlin resident. The future of our town is in jeopardy if decisions are made based on indiscriminate myths from foreign lands.

Ty Chadwick, Attorney for Baldwin Management, purses lips at last night’s public hearing.

Silent Night

The Hamlin Planning Board kept intact it’s record for stupidity and contempt toward the public at last night’s Public Hearing on the DeMarco “Millstone Village” subdivision proposal. In an incredible display of naiveté and ignorance the Planning Board was duped by the developer into hosting a hearing in which the developer could learn all the objections to their plan, without the obligation to respond to even a single one!

What an amazing way to conduct a “public hearing.” Imagine going to Las Vegas and sitting down to play poker, head to head with another player. The game is Seven Card Stud, which unfolds step by step, card by card. If the Hamlin Planning Board was dealing you would get all your cards face up, while the other guy got all his down. That’s what the geniuses in local government did to the citizens last night. They made us put all our cards on the table, while the other guy played his close to the chest.

Bravo! Thank you Planning Board for looking out for our best interests!
Bravo! For making it appear that the project has already been bought and paid for!
Bravo! For giving DeMarco all the advantages while setting the opposition back!

Can there be any doubt that these East Side Developers see Hamlin as an easy mark? They must be laughing their ample behinds off today, snickering about how easily they manipulated the Planning Board and the hearing. They are aglow, with champagne toasts all around, about how they strolled into this burg and with a few whiny letters and phone calls cajoled the Supervisor and the Planning Board into getting every advantage for themselves!

If DeMarco/Baldwin had any doubts that Hamlin was Hillbilly Town, they vanished the instant the lawyers negotiated a public hearing at which the developers not only didn’t have to defend themselves, they didn’t even have to say a word!!! Ca-ching! Bonus time!

DeMarco hits da marko.




The Supervisor falls for the Second Time.

Holy Night

AND... a special Crown-of-Scorns must be placed on the head of Our Supervisor who’s utterly transparent and dull-witted scheming put this meeting in a church. His church! You can almost hear him, “Duhhh, if it’s in a church, people wont shout or get upset. I’ll get Fr. Ryan to talk to everybody to try to make them all feel churchy. Ain’t I smart?”

Hey Warner, ever hear of the separation of church and state? Is it really your job to try to intimidate or humiliate or suppress public expression at a legitimate governmental meeting? Who’s side are you on? Are you that afraid of the public? Are you really so scared of somebody besides you raising their voice?

Speak up!

Hearing the Public

Some of the ideas in Mike Marchetti’s letter in the 12/15/03 Hamlin-Clarkson Herald (Help Keep Meeting Productive) sound like they were composed by the Hamlin Planning Board!

Marchetti has been instrumental in organizing the resistance to this awful proposal, so it's a mystery why the letter is so conciliatory. He states that the public will have to: 1) Sign in, 2) Write down their questions (to “try and help the Planning Board secretary”) and 3) Not feel bad if, “you don’t get a chance to speak.”

There is a wonderful scene in the movie “Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid.” A member of the Hole-in-the-Wall Gang, Harvey, who is a great big man, challenges Sundance to a knife fight for leadership of the gang. Harvey draws a huge Bowie knife and yells at Sundance to hurry up. Sundance replies, “Not ‘till we get the rules straight!” Harvey stands up and shouts, “Rules? In a knife fight?” Where upon Sundance kicks him in the family jewels and ends the matter.

“Rules? In a Public Hearing?” The rule is: if you are a member of the public you have a right to be heard. This meeting isn’t just about questions, it’s also about opinions. The Town or Planning Board is not permitted to invent or impose filters or limitations on our freedom to ask or say anything. This hearing is for the PUBLIC, not the Planning Board.

The public does NOT have to submit written questions and we do not have to wait for a secretary to call our names. It seems like the Town and the Planning Board would like to “tame” the public, first by holding the meeting inside a church, then by a stratagem of asking us to write our questions down in advance. Will the secretary throw out all the difficult or uncomfortable ones? Will the list be stacked so that only the "nice" or "friendly" questions get asked for the first hour? Will the unfriendly questioners be held off until the end?

Don’t be fooled. You may have to write your name and address, and they may limit our time frame for speaking (it must be uniform for everyone!) but they cannot impose filters or limit the number of people who wish to be heard. If everyone who attends wishes to speak, they must be allowed to do so. You may also speak more than once, because information which evolves in the course of the hearing may raise additional issues. You cannot be denied the right to be heard. If there is not enough time then the hearing must be left open until everyone has had an opportunity to be heard.

Contrary to the letter, the developer and the Planning Board should do their best to answer any and every question put to them. It's a cheap political tactic to tell the public, “Oh, please come back next month, when we'll start discussing that issue.” No! The public has a right to get answers now, at the public hearing stage, not when it is too late to register a complaint. Remember, this is the only public hearing the Planning Board is required to hold at this stage!

Mike notes that a lot of people were angry at the last public meeting and urges them not to bring that anger to this hearing. Why not? People are mad about the proposal, and mad about how they were treated. It’s OUR government, if we’re mad, LET them know it!

I don’t know why anybody would urge the public to act sheepish. That doesn’t work in this town! A small group of residents was extremely outspoken 18 months ago when they fought the Planning Board’s decision to grant Harry Bower (of the recent hostage event) a permit to breed attack dogs. Outspoken did not make a very strong impression then, I don’t think sheepish will now.

If you are angry let them know it. If you are still mad at being treated like goats two weeks ago, tell them. If you don’t think the Planning Board hears you, maybe you should speak louder.

Contestents for Miss Conception, 1957

One of the most arrogant and offensive elements to emerge from the aborted Public Hearing on the DeMarco subdivision was the attitude of some members of the Board that Hamlin residents were suffering from “misconceptions” and didn’t “understand the issues.”

These comments were made by both the Chairman, Dane Emens and the Vice Chairman, James Brezlawski- in print. It is an aspect of the governmental culture in Hamlin that public officers seem to think that the public is ignorant and incapable of understanding issues. The truth is, residents of Hamlin are very aware. There is a strong network of communications throughout the public, residents do read the paper and do talk to each other. The people who are out of the loop are the public officials!

For the chair and co-chair of the Planning Board to claim that we don’t understand the DeMarco issues is stupid. We have seen the map, we attended the Baldwin presentation. Further, there are residents who have built these types of housing, have lived near them and have witnessed their decay first hand. These people talk, they communicate, they share their experiences with one another. We don’t misunderstand. We know.

We didn’t misunderstand when Harry Bower came before the Planning Board in 2002 asking for an SUP to breed aggressive attack dogs. We begged and demanded that the Planning Board deny the permit. The Board thought we didn’t understand then, as they assume we don’t now.

The citizens of Hamlin are not a bunch of dumb children that don’t know what’s good for them. It was the Planning Board which didn’t get it about Harry Bower. They aren’t getting it now about DeMarco either!

There is a message here. A message to the Town Board. It’s this: If the Planning Board continues to believe that the public “misunderstands” important issues effecting them, then it is time that the members of the Planning Board be changed.

Want to learn about the person involved in the stand-off on Church Road? Click on the link and you will read the article from the Hamlin-Clarkson Herald from July of 2002. It details the public outcry about granting a Special Users Permit for the breeding of the large attack dogs which are raised at this residence. Nearby residents were very concerned that something bad might happen with these dogs. Questions were raised about the character of the applicant when it was learned that he had a felony conviction.
Neighbors were worried that the applicant had a "bad character" and demanded that the Planning Board deny the SUP. The Planning Board approved the SUP and now the dogs, their owner and his young children are holed up in the house, creating a very frightening and dangerous situation for law enforcement.

What kind of "bad characters" will be moving into the DeMarco subdivision? Will there be new SUP applications to raise Pit Bulls? These are good questions for the Planning Board.

Link to story: Harry-HC Herald.jpg

Another Open Letter to the Planning Board

December 11, 2003

Open Letter to:
Hamlin Planning Board

Dear Planning Board Members:

Although I plan to attend the public hearing on the DeMarco subsidized housing project on December 18, I feel that my written input may be more effective at this point than during what portends to be an emotional hearing, which will be attended by many residents.

As evidenced by the active efforts of a local, grass-root organization, a large number of Hamlin residents, including myself, oppose this project as currently presented. My opposition is based on the following concerns:
a. Timing: The Town is currently engaged in rewriting its Comprehensive Master Plan (CMP). As part of that effort a survey was just conducted to obtain the residents’ input. A major housing development at the proposed location may or may not be a part of the Comprehensive Master Plan. There may or may not be a need for more low-income rental property. In any case, it would be highly detrimental to scuttle the work in progress on the CMP – the blueprint of Hamlin’s future – by allowing this significant development now.
b. Environmental Impact: There has been much discussion as to the unknown and possibly adverse environmental impact of this project, specifically, drainage. In addition, there is reason to be concerned about other potential environmental and archaeological impacts, e.g., endangered species, historical digs. What is the impact of the increased traffic in an already congested and potentially hazardous area? No development should be allowed until all of these concerns have been properly researched, reviewed and adjudicated.
c. Property Tax: What will property tax be based on? Will it be sufficient to support the anticipated increase in services provided by the Town?
d. School Tax: Same concerns as with the property tax.
e. Property Maintenance Regulations: What regulations are currently in effect or will be implemented to regulate such things as: number of cars allowed along the curb, number of cars in driveway, storage of recreational vehicles outside residence, routine maintenance (mowing, snow removal) and how will they be enforced?

As members of the Planning Board, you are in the unenviable position of trying to support the desires of the residents you serve by denying a project, which is proposed to be constructed in a properly zoned land area and which will probably result in legal challenge, if denied. You are definitely facing a lose-lose proposition! However, you do have some extremely useful and powerful resources available to you and I urge you to take full advantage of them.

The first relates to my concern about timing. As you probably know, NYS Department of State provides many local government support services, including publications. Pertinent to this issue is the publication entitled “Land Use Moratoria.” I quote from its introduction, “A land-use moratorium is a local enactment which temporarily suspends a landowner’s right to obtain development approvals while the community considers and potentially adopts changes to its comprehensive plan and/or its land use regulations to address new circumstances not addressed by current laws. A moratorium on development therefore preserves the status quo while the municipality updates its comprehensive plan. . .The objective of municipal land use controls is to promote community planning values by properly regulating land development.”
This publication can be found at www.dos.state.ny.us/lgss/pdfs/moratoria.pdf.

The second resource relates to my concern over environmental impacts. In his “open letter” to you, which appears publicly at http://hamlin-ny.blogspot.com, Mr.
Peter Tonery suggests your judicious use of the State Environmental Quality Review (SEQR) process as a method to “defeat this project.” Whether your intent is to defeat the process or, perhaps just as important, to ensure that all adverse environmental impacts have been identified, reviewed and mitigated, the SEQR process is an essential and valuable tool at your disposal.

I urge you to seek qualified and competent counsel (someone other than the current Town legal advisors) to successfully guide you through this process. This investment will certainly pay dividends in the end. Speaking only for myself, I would not hesitate to pay my fair share to retain legal counsel for this purpose. Finally, I request that you insist upon a straight-forward and honest statement from the developer in defining the tax base attached to this project. I further request that this be confirmed with the Town’s Assessor. Hamlin property owners deserve an assurance that they will not be confronted with higher property taxes in the future because of this project.

It’s regretted that we continually must react to these issues (e.g., radio tower). Hopefully, the Comprehensive Master Plan will provide the proper community planning values and visionary qualities to preclude these attempts by outsiders to take advantage of this Town.

Thank you for your efforts on our behalf.

Sincerely,
Denny Roach
Martin Road

Color Guard for Public Hearing

Rules For The Public Hearing

• Upon entrance and exit all attendees should genuflect and make the Sign of the Cross, using the provided Holy Water.
• The Pastor will lead the congregation in an opening “meditation.”
• The Pastor will open the public hearing with special comments entitled, “Why the Pope Loves Lutherans.”
• The only shouting permitted will be limited to : Halleluiah!; Thank You, Jesus!; Amen, Brother!; and Praise the Lord! (SEAS ushers will remove anyone who sins against this rule!)
• Men should wear hats into and out of the Church. Women must keep their heads covered at all times.
• Rosaries are permitted. All other religious icons must be pre-approved by the Parish.
• Those wishing to receive Communion are reminded to fast for three hours prior.
• Robert’s Rules of Order will waived. The format will follow the “Rules for Congregations” as listed in the back of the Baltimore Catechism, 1999.
• There will be a 15 minute intermission at 8:15 PM. Austin Warner and Al Campbell win perform a demonstration entitled, “Proper Parade with Sword and Tri-Cornered Hat.” Applications for membership to the Knights of Columbus will be available after the demonstration.
• Meeting agendas can be found inside the provided, St. Joseph’s Missiles.
• The collection plate will be passed after the Homily. Please bring cash or good check.
• Deacon Ray Datz will moderate. He, and He alone, will select who shall speak, when they shall speak and for how long. The Deacon has been selected by Divine Intervention to determine who will be heard. (Supervisor Warner promises that Religious and political affiliation will not be a consideration. “This is Hamlin, ‘Where All People Matter!’ ”)
• Seating: Front rows- SEAS members, followed by other Catholics; then Lutherans, Other Christian Denominations, Seventh Day Adventists, Jews (North end), Muslims (South End.) Standing- Agnostics, Darwinists, Nihilists, Existentialists, Astrologers, Hindus, Buddhists, Spiritualists and Healers, Members of Spiritus. Vestibule- Atheists and Fallen Catholics.
• Exit Hymn will be, “Straight To Hell, All Ye Unfaithful.”
• Mass baptism for the converted will be held immediately following at Route 19 and Sandy Creek.
• For further information, please see the Church Bulletin from SEAS.

An Open letter...*

Dear Planning Board Members,

I hope local government understands that the DeMarco low-income housing project would be bad for our community. I trust that town officials now know how strong the opposition to the plan is, and that the public knows, and fully understands, the proposal. There is no "misunderstanding."

The purpose of my letter is suggest a way to defeat this project. The method is in your authority, is fairly simple and, if done properly, very strongly defensible in court.

There is no doupt that whatever your decision it will be challenged in an Article 78 action in Superior Court. Since you and I have some history in these matters I hope you will give some credibility to my suggestions.

The essential idea is that under SEQR the ONLY thing the court will review is the process, not the decision itself. Under SEQR, courts will not interfere or judge the decision, pro or con, but will only examine whether the Planning Board took a "hard look." The Court will only examine the question of thoroughness and whether the process was,"arbitrary and capricious."

Given that, you as a Board should set out to very carefully review the many, and serious, impacts that this project will create. I suggest that you hire and outside expert attorney to guide you and contract for an experienced SEQR review agent. Ken Licht is tainted in that he represented the town in 1981, against the public, regarding the Hamlin Terrace issue. Apparently, John DeMarco was the town attorney then, and retained Mayberry and Licht to help defend the Planning Board decision. Further, the Planning Board should have little confidence in the knowledge or experience of Charles Hungerford, who I am told, has been re-appointed as the town=s SEQR officer. Being as carefull, methodical and professional as possible is the best approach here.

I believe that if this Board examines this proposal in great depth and detail you will conclude that the combined environmental impacts will be so negative, and so overwhelming, that it will not be possible for you to approve any permits. Environment impact can be cumulative, and so severe in their totality, that they cannot be mitigated.

Questions such as traffic, drainage, endangered species (there are some sensitive species behind the VFW,) archeological (this was a heavily traveled Native American are,) and many other issues will effect this proposal. I think the developer should be asked to provide data, in detail, on these issue to such a degree that the town is satisfied it has all necessary information to make a decision.


I would remind the Board that under NYS 617, SEQR Law, there are specific time frames for decisions. The Planning Board does not have to hurry any step, no matter what the perceived urgency of the developer is. For example, the Board does not have to act to name itself Lead Agency immediately after closing the Public Hearing. In fact, it can decline to be Lead Agency and cast about to see if another involved agency would prefer to do that. It may take up to a month to determine who involved agencies might be and canvass them for their interest. These time frames are both generous and restrictive. The Board may use all of the time alloted, but will be in great jeopardy if it exceeds them. That is one reason experienced counsel will be so important. I suggest that one of the first steps the Planning Board take is to sit with counsel and block out the time frames to create a chart of deadlines.

I hope this letter proves to helpful to you and the community. Hamlin is already saturated with low income housing. The 2000 census points out that up to 20% of our housing is low income rental. We do not need any more. We do not need an "English Village" in our midst either.

Please consider my suggestions, and if you have any questions please do not hesitate to contact me.

Sincerely,
Peter Tonery


* The Author submitted this letter to The Blog rather than mailing it individually.

A replica of the throne of King Louis XIII

Tales From The Constipation Board

Hamlin’s Town Board has once again shown its contempt for the public. They have insulted the Conservation Board, violated their own precedents and proven that childish, petty politics are more important than the well being of the community.

Last Monday night the town held interviews for candidates for a vacancy on the Conservation Board. There were three applicants, and one was Ed Evans the retiring Town Board member (and former challenger to the Supervisor in last September’s primary.) After the interviews, Ed was selected by the members of the Conservation Board, by a vote of 5-0, to be the new member.

Ordinarily, the process that follows is this: The support Board meets with the Town Board and presents their recommendation. The combined group discusses the candidate and, in all previous cases, the Town Board supports the recommendation and they vote to appoint the candidate.

This time no vote was permitted. The Supervisor would not allow it. This bureaucratic act effectively defeated Evans’ appointment, essentially slapping the Conservation Board in the face.

The reason Evans was denied is obvious. Austin Warner will not tolerate Ed Evans’ presence in the Town Hall. He is not mature enough to see beyond the past political challenge. Instead, he must bully his own Board while insulting the CB. Never mind the good of the community or the desires of the Conservation Board- Warner is intent on smacking down Evans for the effrontery of having challenged him. I’ll show him who’s boss!

“To hell with the community. To hell with the Conservation Board. I’m petty, and I’m angry- and I’m going to push Ed’s face in it!”

What this incident reveals most clearly is the new complexion of the Town Board. Retread Rose sat silently as did George "Wake Me Up When It's Over" Todd. Good, silent soldiers obediently following the orders of their Oberfeurer. However, Shirley Hollink, who has despised and tangled with Evans for years, was gleeful in her attack on Evans’ credentials. [Their animosity stems from Evans’ anger and frustration about the “do-nothing” character of the Board. In the past, he has pointed out the fractional degree to which Ms. Hollink contributed to the Town. Ultimately, it was the Primary battle to defeat Evans which brought her into the Warner camp. Before that, she held both Evans and Warner equally in contempt!]

Unbelievably, Holloink’s attack on Evans was because he “didn’t have enough experience and didn’t get enough training.” These are truly amazing statements! Hollink thinks she is entitled to claim this because SHE just started taking the Monroe County Planning and Zoning training. She has served in local government for years and years and only recently began attending this basic program. Apparently she gets to lord it over others on the basis that she finally got off the stick. [It should be noted that this basic training was to be a requirment for all Board Members under the Democratic Platform! Very original Shirley!]

Was Hollink right? What are Evans’ credentials for the Conservation Board?

*He was a founding member of it under Charlie Mayer. He served for four years before he was kicked off for being a Democrat!

* During this time, he also helped create and establish the LWRP (Local Waterfront Revitalization Program.) He is still head of that committee, and has recently completed a major overhaul of Hamlin’s LWRP Plan {A two year project!)

* He is a retired Science teacher with a Master’s degree. He taught Earth Science and Biology at Hilton HS. Evans was practicing the very knowledge necessary to for a potent contribution to a Conservation Board.

* He rejoined the CB in the early ‘90s and eventually became Vice-Chair. When he became a member of the Town Board he automatically became liaison to the Conservation Board. ***

*He has been the liaison to the Conservation Board ever since. That means he has attended every meeting and reported the issues and concerns of that group to the Town Board. He has, effectively, been a member of the CB for nearly a decade.

* Equally as important, Evans has also attended all meeting of the Zoning and Planning Boards as well! Evans is the only person in local government who attends the meetings of ALL THE BOARDS!. As he states,” I just don't see how you can do a good job at any one of the Boards without going to all of them. All of the issues cross over to the other boards at some point!” Evans is the only person who does this, he’s the only person with true perspective.

* Need more? Here is what Evans recently wrote about his environmental, educational and political service: “During this time, my school classes came into play too. I have used the lake erosion and town maps I had access to every year. When the spring storms started to overcome Yanty Marsh in 1996, (and the barrier was
reduced to a few feet in width which became a few inches in width by the spring of 1998!) I made tapes of the process of decline for my classes and sent copies of them to TV stations, various agencies in Albany, to the Park Service, the Army Corps of Engineers, newspapers, etc. During the summer of 1998, the media caught on and the government departments began to pay attention and work together. Soon a plan to save the marsh by constructing a new barrier wall was developed. Then when the money appeared, I helped quiet the last opposition (Fish and Game people and the Department of State.) After that, I made a video and photo record of the construction of the barrier wall during November and December of 1998. Now, both the DOT and the Army Corp use these materials to promote other mitigation projects throughout the sate!

During the Yanty Marsh project, I got close to the County EMC (Environmental Management Council) and the Army Corps. Several times I have put on programs for the EMC, and State Park sends me out to give tours of the wall to all kinds of groups!

But the connection to the Army Corps of Engineers (ACE) has been the best bonus for our community. Several times their trust in me has saved Hamlin projects from being shut down. They refer to me as “their eyes in Hamlin."

ACE representative came to Hamlin the day before Thanksgiving and asked me to show them three projects in the works. The benefit to Hamlin is that it really cuts down on the time needed to study local projects. (The Army Corp wrote a letter of recommendation for Evans for the Conservation Board seat!)


So, as you can see, Evans has no “experience” that would be meaningful to Hamlin residents as a member of the CB. Who could possibly disagree with Ms. Hollink?

By the way, during this time Hollink has fought funding for the Town library while managing the lovely, but costly, “Hamlin- Where The Heart Is!” signs. She is also local curator of the “Monroe County in Bloom” project- which plants flowerbeds at intersections. Additionally, she is in charge of Hamlin's “Cultural Affairs.” As such, she has coordinated the Free Fishing Day and Children’s Luau in the Park, and our prestigious, non-political, Heritage Day.

Given this monumental body of accomplishment, how could Hollink not be furious with Evans for his accusing TB members of being “do-nothings?” Is it any wonder she would support Austin Warner in blocking Evans’ appointment?

Surely, keeping Ed Evans from contributing is best for the community. After all, betterment of the community is the only thing the Town Board ever thinks about.

*** Naturally, Ed became a Republican during this time- a requirement for public service in Hamlin! 24% of local voters are independent; 22% are Democrats. That leaves a LOT of people off the contributors list! ed.

Some Emails about the Public Hearing...

* I felt that I had to vent about tonight's hearing or lack of one. It was completely inexcusable that the planning board let us sit there for an hour and a half before telling us that there were too many people in the room. They said that it would be irresponsible of them to allow the hearing to go on with the room being over capacity but it didn't seem to bother them that it was just as full for the hour and a half before they entered it. It was no secret how many people were there. Several times I saw people stick their heads in and see the crowd. This only shows how inept these people are in handling the positions that the hold!
CM, Hamlin

* You're right - the meeting last night was a joke. I think the meeting in
the gym starting at 8:30 is more like it (not 8:15).

I'm surprised no one on the PB knew this meeting would generate a large
amount of interest. Surely at least one of them got Marchetti's mailing
last week. Surely one of them took note of the 100 people who showed up for
the informational meeting two weeks ago.

I liked the comment someone made to open up the boat storage and move the
meeting there!

Over in Parma a couple of months ago - they made advance arrangements for
one of the Hilton school auditoriums in the event of a large crowd for the
planned development in the southeast corner of town (you know the whole RIP
campaign in Parma for this year's election). When the meeting at the Parma
town hall started, the court room / board room was packed asses to elbows.
With the partition open - both rooms have a 130 person capacity combined. I
estimated there were about 150-200 people there. The town board said (at
the start of the meeting - not 1-1/2 hours into it) that they would move it
to the West Avenue school and told everyone to meet them there. Someone
from the RIP group stayed behind to redirect latecomers. A few people got
mouthy about it - but the meeting was able to continue without undue delay.
LW, Hamlin

Can there be any doupt that this is representative of the feelings of the entire crowd?

Hamlin, Hamlin, Hamlin! Some days you just snooze peacefully, and on others you overflow with news. Today is one of the latter.

There are stories to tell, mainly of ineptness- and incompetence too. Some, simply stupid. I’ll try to get them all in over the next few days.

Obviously, the most important story is the aborted Public Hearing on the federally subsidized housing project at last night’s Planning Board meeting. The event was a fiasco.

The public was so well informed, and angry, about the proposal that they showed up in force to speak. One fireman estimated the crowd at over 350 people. Ed Evans declared that in all his years of public service he had never seen so many people turn out for a public hearing. It was grassroots Democracy in action. Unfortunately for all the attendees, it was simply a waste of ninety minutes out of their lives. (90 min. X 350 people = 525 man hours = 13.1 work weeks! That is one quarter of the work year! Wasted!)

Most people arrived before seven PM and were crowed in the hallway. At seven, Dane Emens Chairman of the Planning Board, told those gathered near the door of the Town Board meeting room that they would hold the hearing for the housing plan in the gym. He also told them that the PB would be holding the other scheduled public hearings first, in the Board room. Many people, who had already moved into the gym, didn’t hear him.

The crowd was polite but charged. People spoke to one another sharing details of the proposal. It was a well informed group. Informed and impatient. By 7:15, most had moved down into the gym, filled all the seats and were crowded into every available space. The sign on the wall said that the maximum, occupancy was 149 people- there were more than twice that many present.

The public continued to chat but was growing restless. After waiting about thirty minutes, someone began to stomp their feet, and it quickly caught on. It was to no avail, nobody from the Planning Board appeared to address the delay.

Finally, at 8:15, an hour and fifteen minutes later, the Planning Board came into the gym and set up. They were greeted with mild jeers. One woman, very upset at the long delay, demanded to know why they were so late, expressing the sentiment of most of the crowd. The Board’s cold and thoughtless reply was that they were doing things that were “all on the agenda.” (There were perhaps twenty copies of the agenda printed. Most of the public had not heard Emens’ explanation at 7PM.)

Almost at once the PB attorney, Charles Welch, sought out the Town Attorney, Kenneth Licht, to conference on the liability of overcrowding the room. It was decided that the meeting would have to be adjourned and reconvened at another time and place, to be announced.

However, in a bazaar twist, some of the Public Hearing was permitted to happen! For some reason Chairman Emens allowed one of the representatives of the project to speak. This man was an attorney representing the management group, Baldwin Associates. He made some preliminary descriptive remarks, including several outrageous and false claims about the review process. He briefly addressed, and confused, the serious issue of taxation on the development. While he was allowed to speak, no one else was. 350 residents, taxpayers all, turned out to be heard and only a lawyer for the developer was permitted to say anything! The public was not amused.

The meeting was adjourned and the public will have to read the Hamlin-Clarkson Herald this weekend to find out when and where the meeting will be held. It will probably be in Brockport since Hamlin, a town of almost ten thousand residents, doesn’t have a meeting space large enough to accommodate more than 150 people.

On the way out, Chairman Emens was harangued by the public. Residents wanted to know why, if they were in violation of the fire code, had they been allowed to stand around for 75 minutes wasting time. The public wanted to know why they could be in violation for so long but only be in danger when the Board showed up. They wondered why the developer was allowed to speak if the meeting was to be canceled. They wanted to know why it took so long for a town official, any town official, to see that there was a problem and propose a solution. Likely, it wasn’t a pleasant exit for Mr Emens.

**********************************************

Commentary

There is something wrong in the Town Hall that goes beyond poor management. It is the “culture.” This term came to be used extensively throughout the 1990's to describe how people behaved in various work environments.

The culture in our Town Hall can be summarized simply as dysfunctional. There is constant, belligerent internecine warfare among employees in various offices and departments. The Supervisor micro-manages issues and events that are irrelevant to his office, at the same time that he neglects what is important. There is no sense of service to the community rather, residents feel a blend of hostility, resentment and indifference. Ordinary people feel unwelcome.

This is not how it should be. Last night’s episode where hundreds of people were essentially ignored for an hour and fifteen minutes should not have happened. It was a disgrace that it did. I have great respect for the people who serve on our support boards. It is a rather thankless and invisible service they deliver, but everyone who serves the taxpayer should be trained to be courteous, attentive and helpful toward the public. When it became apparent that there was a large crowd of people waiting SOMEBODY should have done something. If there was a fire hazard, then the room should have been closed immediately. If the Planning Board thought there was a problem (and if they didn’t know, SOMEBODY should have told them) then they should have delayed the agenda, dealt with the issue and returned to their meeting.

It was thoughtless, it was clumsy and it was disrespectful to the community to waste the time of so many people. It’s the culture. It needs to change.

Ex-Candidate Tonery(Photo courtesy Hester Prynne)

Ask The Loser


The election is over. The public has spoken and now local government faces its first crisis- the subsidized housing development planned for Brick Schoolhouse Road.

There is no evidence of the Warner administration having been pro-active about any problem in Hamlin. Indeed, today’s dilemma is a result of thirty years of lazy, careless Republican administrations staring blankly at their zoning maps, never thinking to reclassify this parcel. Thirty years of warning, and they didn’t act! That’s normal. Of course, during this time they were busy wrestling with issues such as the Wheel Fest, Heritage Day, redesigning the parking lot and the ubiquitous new sign for the Town Hall.

In fact, the Comprehensive Plan and Zoning Codes were completely rewritten in 1996! Nobody involved thought to rezone the DeMarco property back to RVL (they were all preoccupied contriving a way to permit Commercial Zoning for Moscow Road, next to the State Park!)

Austin Warner campaigned on two issues: his record and his opponent’s “negative attacks.” He ran a newspaper ad saying that the opposition had no plans (despite a dozen pages of plans posted on the web!) With this in mind, The Blog sought out Warner’s challenger and asked him: “If you were Supervisor, what would you do about the subsidized housing project?” This is Peter Tonery’s reply:

“The first thing would be to retain the best lawyer available. I’d hire a real-property specialist like Allen Knauf or Leon Sawyko, as counsel to the town and Planning Board in the matter. I’m certain that any challenge to this project will end up in court. The most prudent action is to retain high quality legal counsel as early in the process as possible.

Next, assuming this was what was advised. I would help the Planning Board to lay out a comprehensive environmental review process. A Planning Board has little authority to deny a project if it is appropriately zoned. However, it does have an important mandate to protect the environment. It is my belief that the proposal, with all of it’s phases, will have such a significant impact on the environment that it should be denied. This is what I would ask the Planning Board to examine.

With our attorney, and the Planning Board, we would schedule a thorough and detailed review process. Each step of the review would be charted. Steps such as: Determining a Lead Agency; Identifying Involved Agencies (Including Interested Agencies, Local Agencies, etc.); Making a Determination of Type; Seeking a Full EAF; Reviewing the EAF; Determining significances; Scoping; Segmentation; Naming Companies or Consultants for Data collection (including bidding if needed); Assembling data; Production of a full EIS; Distribution and discussion of potential mitigation; Public Hearings; Determination and acceptance or denial of permits. Many of these stages are time consuming, often the law allows up to 60 days for a particular stage to be examined. This is only a partial listing of steps and actions which should be undertaken.

I believe that there are many, and extensive, impacts to the local environment from this project. There is a significant change in character to the neighborhood; there are complex issues of drainage; nearby, in the parcel donated to the VFW, environmentally sensitive flora has been identified; the area may have an archeological importance- the list of impacts is quite long.

The town is obligated, under the law to “take a hard look” at all potential environmental impacts. I would, with legal guidance, undertake to accomplish that.

I would add that, according to my understanding, the developer of this project may already be in violation of NYS Environmental Law in that they have begun clearing land without first undertaking the SEQR process. If I were Supervisor, I would have required the Building Inspector to examine the property and directed the developer to cease any actions upon it if the process was not being followed. If the developer has undertaken any actions which are not permitted without SEQR approval, then I would also require the Building Inspector to issue citations and seek to prosecute those violations to the fullest extent possible.”

Of course, that’s just how I would do it.”

The Blog invites Supervisor Warner to respond to us via Email (we will publish the response in full, without editing,) or in a letter to another publisher. While the election is over, the community might still like to see the differences between the candidates and their approaches to confronting difficult problems.

The Blog thanks citizen Tonery for taking the time to share his ideas and expertise with the community. We look forward to seeing how the reelected Supervisor will handle the situation. The Blog will work follow this situation carefully to access whether the campaign allegations of “incompetence and mismanagement” were “negative attacks” or legitimate assertions of the obvious.

Sports Center Closed 'till Further Notice.

Welcome to Hamlin!

No Answers From Developer

Politeness mixed with hostility at last Monday’s informational meeting for the proposed subsidized-housing development to be built on West Fork and Brick Schoolhouse Roads. The gym at the Town Hall was full as residents turned out to hear the presentation made by representatives of Dimarco Builders and their management company, Baldwin.

Much of the anger about he plan stems from the belief that the development will have a profound negative impact on the community. One resident after another questioned how Hamlin’s tax base will be impacted. They wanted to know if the proposed units would be taxed the same as ordinary homes, or if they would be exempt. Baldwin was either unable or unwilling to answer the questions. Other residents took issue with the potential impact on the Brockport School District. More than one hundred “low-income” starter-type homes will bring a significant increase in school and transportation demands. Residents wanted to know if the community will be left to pay for this increase in services if the houses are subsidized and not taxed normally. Again, Baldwin could not or would not say. They were clearly unprepared for the issue.

Other residents were upset about the proposed six acre “pond” the developer plans to create to hold the water run-off from this normally wet land. Dimarco wants to “donate” this retention pond to the town. Many residents wondered why the town should assume the responsibility, and liability, for such a large, artificial body of water. No satisfactory answers were offered as to why the Hamlin taxpayers should assume the liabilities. Others wondered how this huge development (about 135 acres in total) was going to drain, and the impact on homes in Lake Breeze where the water must eventually travel.

Residents also raised questions about the impact on other kinds of community services. People questioned how the ambulance, fire and police demands will be affected. Baldwin was asked to identify if the ordinary renters in this type of property would be employed. They wanted to know how services ordinarily billable to insurance companies, such as ambulance use, would be paid for if the residents were unemployed and without insurance. Baldwin declined to say if they or Dimarco would help underwrite the increased demands.

Most residents who attended the meeting left disappointed and frustrated by the lack of answers and detail. They went into the meeting hoping to hear something positive about the proposal and left fearing that its “negative impact” will be even greater than they had imagined. Other residents felt that they, and the town, had been treated very poorly. They were upset that they had come out to a meeting where the presenters were unprepared to answer questions. The overwhelming feeling was that the developer and management company were absolutely determined to build this subsidized housing with or without the approval of the community. (This report was based on interviews with numerous Hamlin residents who attended the meeting.)

Go Wolvies!

Michigan named “Official College Football Team” of Hamlin.

Hamlin Supervisor, Austin Warner III announced yesterday that Michigan State had been selected as the "Official College Football Team" for the town.

"I am always on the lookout for ways to bring in extra income for the community, “ explained Warner. “I saw how there was ‘Official this’ and ‘Official That’ and I thought-‘Hey, maybe we could do something like it.’”

Asked why he selected Michigan as opposed to, for example SUNY Brockport or the University of Rochester, Warner exclaimed with a hearty laugh and crooked smile, “Oh that... oh that’s a funny story!”

Still chuckling he explained. “ I met Dan Dierdorf on a plane a few months ago and we exchanged business cards. When I got the idea for an official team, I just called him up!”

And?

“Well, I didn’t get to speak to him, he was traveling, but I explained it to his office.”

And?

“Well, a few days later, I got a check in the mail for fifty bucks!” exclaimed the Supervisor. “Believe me, it was the easiest fifty I ever made!” Laughing and spraying he continued, “I think Dierdorf probably thought I wanted money for a charity or something. I doubt he even knew what it was for!”

Did the Supervisor think that there might have been a better offer out there somewhere? “Oh no, I don’t think so. I mean, ‘Official College Football Team of Hamlin?’ Who would actually be dumb enough to do that?!’

The smile vanished from Warner’s face and he muttered, “Well, wait a minute, who do I know from Ohio State?” (EDITORS NOTE: The Blog is aware that the school is not Michigan STATE!)

Where is Everybody?

The story in this week’s Brockport Post about Hamlin’s town budget for 2004 was very interesting. It revealed that Supervisor Warner has once again raised taxes, but he’s not quite sure why. It discussed the confusion of both the Town Board and the public about the accounting. It exposed the fact that our budget is managed by Warner’s secretary, not himself. It suggests that Warner doesn’t understand the mechanics or legal processes of budget administration. The reporter spoke to several ordinary taxpayers who were active in the process and quotes their concerns.

The number of residents greatly outnumbered representatives from our support boards. Meaning, the support boards in Hamlin don’t pay much attention to either our budget, or any other aspect of town governance. To their credit Jim Brezlawski from the Planning Board and Mark Reeves from Conservation were present.

But where was Norm Baas Chair of the Zoning Board. Where were any other support board members? Why are the people who preside over our interests in process (Zoning, Planning, etc) absent from budget hearings? Do they think they are disconnected from the budget?

One of the major problems Hamlin has suffered for decades is communication. Supervisor Warner claims he has “improved communications.” The fact that few people. elected or otherwise, can understand his budget decisions, and the lack of interest by our support boards, shows that the opposite is true. Maybe keeping the public in the dark is strategic. An ignorant public is a complacent public- good planning in a town with so many line voters.

Please bring Police dogs and trash bags.
Refinancing for your depreciated property will be available.

IMPORTANT NOTE!!!!!

As advertisied this is an "Informational Meeting." That means two things: 1) The Developer will tell the public about the plan and 2) The Developer will try to find out what the Public's problems and issues are!

Developers often host these meetings as "fishing expeditions," intended to uncover problems. The developer learns what the problems are and then their laywers and consultants bring answers and rebuttals to the Public Hearing that comes later.

The public doesn't have to speak at this meeting. Nobody has to tip off the developer to issues they will have to defend later on. The Planning Board has a relationship with the taxpayer. The Planning Board is legally obliged to consider public input. The developer is not.

Rath Wrath

Our Supervisor continues to demonstrate his ignorance of both the municipal budget process and the town’s finances. And, his rudeness too.

If that sounds extreme, ask anyone who attended the public hearing or the Town Board meeting on the budget. They’ll tell you that Warner doesn’t understand fiscal questions and it is his secretary who is the true “Budget Officer” for the town.

During Monday’s regular Town Board meeting, where the budget was passed, Paul Rath persisted in seeking answers to questions he’d been asking for several weeks. Questions Warner couldn’t, or wouldn’t, answer.

For his efforts, Rath was attacked by both Warner and George Todd. They both attempted to bully Rath, not about the questions themselves, but because he was asking them! Todd repeatedly attacked Rath asking, “Why are you asking these questions now? Why now? Is it because of someone’s web site?” The purpose of the attack was to deflect Rath from the issue and try to make him defensive about his motive. The tactic failed. Rath stuck to the issues.

For his part, Warner both badgered and belittled Rath for persisting in clarifying fiscal problems. Warner kept claiming that he’d already answered Rath’s questions. However neither Rath or the public knew what the alleged answers were. Then Warner launched into a childish, mocking tirade about how Rath had missed a budget meeting. In a nasty display of his true temperament, Warner taunted and ridiculed Rath for missing the meeting because he had to care for his children while his wife was out. It was an embarrassing display of immaturity and unprofessionalism by our Supervisor.

For people who carp on “unity” and “working together,” it was an excellent display of the true pettiness and fraud of the local Hamlin Republican party. They’d just as soon slice you up than hear an alternate idea. It was an interesting glimpse into the fascist underpinnings of their closed, oppressive organization.

A clear example of Warner’s ineptness and lack of comprehension about his budget responsibilities was in his response to a question from Rath about changes to the Recreation Committee Budget. Rath wanted to know why funding in the “Playground and Rec” category was so different from last year. Warner couldn’t explain it, neither could Macintosh. When Rath asked what would happen if the “Youth Program” money, which had shrunk from $13,500 to $8500, needed additional funding, Warner replied, “We can just take it from ‘Playground and Rec.’”

Rath’s insistence that it is the obligation of the Town Board to produce an accurate and comprehensive document fell on deaf, unconcerned ears. Warner’s perception of a budget is, “If we need money, we’ll just take it from someplace else.”

This is wrong. It is amateurish and a failure of public trust. The budget is supposed to be proof that the town has been diligent and professional in expending our tax dollars. The “Oh, we’ll get it from someplace else!” philosophy articulated by Warner is proof of his incompetence and carelessness.

Taxpayers should be grateful that there is a Paul Rath on the board who will confront the threat of ridicule and harassment in pursuit of his obligation to protect our money. After Evens leaves, Rath will be doing it alone.

An Open Letter To Town Councilmen


November 8, 2003

Dear Mr. Rath and Evans,

All of us in attendance last Wednesday night witnessed the fiasco know as the annual Public Hearing on our town’s budget. It was a fiasco because it is terribly obvious that our chief executive, the person responsible for producing the budget for the Board’s approval, knows next to nothing about its contents or mechanics.

Both of you asked specific questions which the Supervisor managed to evade answering. Members of the public asked questions with the same results. Ninety per cent of the questions were routed to the Supervisor’s secretary. It quickly became clear that it was she, and not the Supervisor, who was in charge of the budget. She was not elected to the responsibility.

When Supervisor Warner does not like a question, or the pursuit of an answer, he responds in a hostile manner. He will get angry and raise his voice. He will belittle. These inappropriate behaviors seem to be effective. I urge you, as elected officials, not to be intimidated but to pursue answers to the end. There is no real danger, it’s just hollow bluster.

Despite all three of us asking Warner the same question regarding the use of income from the Cable TV tax, no one is any more enlightened then when we began. It appears that this money is simply income, and must be treated in the same way as any income. It must be merged into the general funds. How and why Supervisor Warner views it as "special" and outside normal processes is a mystery. Despite his assurances that the money will be treated as a special fund that the entire Board will vote to use, I don’t believe him.

The money is not “special” and should have no such designation. You should challenge the Supervisor to produce evidence that he is empowered to treat this money in a fashion different from other revenue sources. You should demand that he reveal the accounting practices he claims he is following which have created the notion of “special” monies.

Warner called this money by several terms and none of them seem correct. He called them "surplus" during his campaign. He referred to them as "reserve funds" and "special funds" during the meeting. I don't believe he knows the differences. You should educate him. It is a lot of money, almost $100,000!

You have the public trust. You are separate and individual from the Supervisor. You were elected by the public, you are not employed by the Supervisor. It is your duty, your obligation to clarify any issue with regard to how our tax dollars are managed. Not insisting, or retreating from questioning, is a failure of that responsibility.

Mr. Rath, you have an additional burden in this matter. As a professional accountant your oversight on the budget process must have been a consideration of the voters when you were elected. Your expertise is important to the taxpayers. When the Supervisor begins to invent new or aberrant accounting practices, we depend on you to intervene. You cannot escape this obligation. You are our best oversight.

I ask you Councilmen to assert yourselves in the upcoming vote on the 2004 budget. I ask that you refuse to approve the budget until you, and the public, are satisfied that all accounting, policy and practices questions are answered unwaveringly. You must get the policies on the record, and on paper.

I ask too that you do not vote to pass the budget until and unless the chief executive agrees to implement a new, modern and comprehensive accounting method. The flimsy ten page document the State insists on is nothing more than a summary, it is no substitute for detailed, professional accounting. Establish a deadline for implementing and, to the degree you are able, indicate some action you will take in the event the Supervisor fails to meet this obligation.

A new professional accounting method will enable transparency in the spending processes of the town. This is desperately needed and long overdue. Can either of you honestly claim to have a sufficiently intimate knowledge of the Supervisor’s spending to guarantee the public that it is done within professional and legal standards?

In this week’s Brockport Post George Todd and the newly elected Board member, Dave Rose, pledge of “unity” and to “pull together.” What we, the public, have learned from the past is that “unity” means silence and “working together” means predetermined unanimity. The citizens deserve better. You are obliged to deliver the best public service you as an individual can, not subservience to another elected official. The public is often best served through dissension and debate than blind obedience.

Don’t support what you know to be wrong.

Sincerely,
Peter Tonery

"It'll create jobs in Brockport! (Minimum wage with no benefits!)

Received by Certified Mail 11/08/03

Dear Ken,
Please evaluate the SLAP suit statutes while you're at it.
PT

News From Trash Town!

Ed Evans has graciously supplied The Blog with this story. It is a letter he wrote to the paper way back in the early 1980"s about the history of the development we know as the Hamlin Terrace Apartments. It provides some important insight into the evolution of the project. The project which is now poised to ruin Hamlin forever.

It does not explain why the parcel was not rezoned in 1996 when the Comprehensive Plan and Zoning Laws were rewritten. It does not explain why the parcel has not been rezoned in the 10 months that Austin Warner's closed Zoning Committee has been holding meetings.

The explaination for these failure is the same as before Tuesday. The local government is asleep at the wheel. Warner likes to cry about his hurt feelings, but if he, and the tired old retreads the Republicans keep electing to office, had some brains, some forsight, some energy, some VISION- then this 140 acre parcel would have been rezoned to R-VL years ago.

(Where was Dave Rose at the time of these stories?)

I suggest that if Trash Town gets built, we rename Hamlin Stupidville, not just in honor of those who keep getting reelected, but for those staunch supporters who keep casting the votes.

I hope the property owners living near Trash Town who sported Republican signs on their lawns this year enjoy their new neighbors- and their new property values. Good job folks!

The link below is to the .jpg of the opinion letter.

HamlinTerraceStory.jpg

**************************



Seven bucks to get in? That's Highway robbery!

Revenue Sources Revealed; Speeders Relieved

I believe in giving praise where praise is due. Kudos to Justice Richard Moffet.

During the recent Town budget hearing, I asked how the town could project a 20% ($5,000) increase for the budget category - “Fines and Forfeitures.” Being the skeptic that I am, I thought that must have meant an increase in tickets and arrests! Thus my comment, "Better watch your speed buddy!" When I asked how the money would be reaised I was told that, “One of the Justices has increased the amount of fines," or words to that effect.

Somehow, Justice Richard Moffett found out I had asked the question and made the comment. He also learned that I had been given the wrong explanation. Justice Moffett called me not once (I was at work and he left a message) but twice! He wanted to ensure that I understood where the increased revenue was originating. Moffett, a retired Monroe County Deputy, knew that a portion of the revenue generated by fines from violations issued by the State Park Police, belongs to the Town! Apparently, this fact was not previously known by Town officials.

Fortunately, thanks to Justice Moffett's knowledge and expertise, this added revenue is now being correctly funneled into the Town's coffers, and not the State’s. Well done Justice Moffett. It's reassuring to know that some elected officials have their act together!

Fair winds and following seas!
By D. Roach

The author used to drive fuel tankers. Large ones.

A Message to Our Loyal Readers- Disaster is On The Way!

A great deal is happening in Hamlin right now. In fact, there are developments which will, if they go through, change the character of our community forever. Our town is just about to be ruined. I am not exaggerating. There is a plan to build a HUGE low income housing project right in the center of town which will destroy any possibility for Hamlin to become an upscale, prosperous suburb. This plan is so bad, so detrimental to the future and existing community, that I find it hard to describe.

And, you can be assured, our town leaders- the Town Board, the Planning Board, the Zoning Board and town attorneys- are completely unprepared to deal with it. Unless the public acts immediately, Hamlin is going to turn into “Trash Town,” and FAST! Everyone who reads this story should call at least five friends and ask if they are aware of the planned low-income housing development- which is already breaking ground behind the Hamlin terrace apartments! Ask them what they know about it. Then, every one of you should call the Town Supervisor at 964-8981 and demand an explanation. You can also get further information from Mike Marchetti at Burke's Hardware, he has a copy of the plan, and was at the Planning Board meeting last Monday.

This is a huge project, the area is zoned “Residential-High Density,” or the same lot sizes as Huntington Park! There are hundreds of units planned. It will be located on the south side of Brick Schoolhouse Road, in sight of Saint Elizabeth’s Church. Unlike Huntington Park, where homes cost from $75,000 to $100,000, these units will sell, NEW, for $30,000 to $39,000! That’s because they will be SUBSIDIZED!

There is a whole lot to this story, and the Blog must get all the details to report in depth, and that might take a day or two. This is a real threat to the future of the town. The development is being built by DeMarco’ Builders and, here is the most unbelievable part- THE TOWN HAS BEEN AWARE OF THE PLAN SINCE THE 1970'S!!! When we complain about a “do-nothing” town board here is extraordinary proof of it!

The very, very sad part is this: because the TB is so inept, they will not know how to react and prevent this disaster. They won’t hire experienced outside specialist attorneys; they won’t demand that the Planning Board block the construction, they won’t do anything. They don’t know how to deal with an issue with this level of urgency and sophistication. Just watch.

My regrets to any home owner living within a mile of this development. Your property values just fell through the floor. Time to move.

I will have much more on this topic as I collect the data. I promise!

Warner the Berserker

The tales of the Supervisor’s anger management problem continue to mount. Anyone who works in the Town Hall can tell stories of Warner’s many, hostile tirades. He has verbally abused virtually everyone who has worked there. Current employees will describe these outbursts, but only off the record.

If you want details, you have to go outside. Ask Larry Gursslin, he was subjected to frequent explosions. Ask Jack Prince. Ask Ed Evans. It is well known, and documented, that Warner blames other people for his own mistakes or poor judgement, but what the public isn’t so aware of is that he goes back and verbally assails those who he blames. They are almost always people who work under him.

When this blog reported that hundreds of public records were put out in the parking lot for anyone to help themselves to, the Supervisor “flipped out” on the worker who had been instructed to put them out. Warner refused to accept personal responsibility for a policy or procedural failure, he looked instead for the weakest and most vulnerable employee to blame and berate. A leader would have stood up, apologized to the public, explained the new policy and shouldered the public reprobation. Not Warner, he sought out the poor soul who carried the documents outside and faulted him! [By the way Austin, this story DID NOT originate with that employee. It was reported by a third party with specific knowledge of it! Please, don’t jump on the guy again!]

He screams at outside people too. Salespeople, vendors, reporters, ordinary residents- pretty much anybody who disagrees with him.

To the media, Warner is a joke. Virtually every reporter who has covered Hamlin has at least one story to tell of Warner calling them (or their Editor) and yelling about what they wrote! As you can imagine, this doesn’t do much for the public image of the community. The town of “Angry Man.”

The latest story involves Warner’s tirade over a recent story in this Blog. Warner called a friend of the Blog Editor and was furious about the “Wonder Warner” picture and story below. He wanted this friend to use their influence to have the story taken down. Angry-Man claimed that he wasn’t upset for himself, but because his secretary, Pat Macintosh was included in the story. If that’s true, it will be the first time anybody can remember that Warner has rushed to defend an employee about anything. (Remember, he tried to blame his failure to ask for any ATM money on the Town Clerk!)

The fact is, Macintosh is in the public eye because it became perfectly clear to everyone in attendance at Wednesday’s Town Board meeting that she, and not the Supervisor, is responsible for our Town’s budget. Warner failed to accurately or thoroughly answer ANY question put to him. The entire discussion was deferred to Macintosh. The Supervisor doesn’t know much, if anything, about the budget. It’s Macintosh who runs the finances. Ask any witness to the meeting.

On one hand, Warner pounces on an employee who simply did what he was instructed to do. On the other, he rushes to protect another employee who hadn’t been accused of anything but competence greater than his own? What is the difference?

Inside every bully is a coward, and Angry-Man is no exception. He knows the phone number of the Blog editor but he didn’t have the brass to call himself. He may have guessed, correctly, that his answer would have been laughter.

What's a Few Million Bucks Between Friends?


Having attended my first public hearing to discuss the
Town's 2004 preliminary budget, I wanted to make a few
observations (some, obviously tongue in cheek):

If the discussion and justification of the Town's
Preliminary 2004 Budget can be taken seriously, Hamlin
residents are in for a difficult year. Here's a few
examples:
a. The cost of electricity for the Highway Building
is projected to increase by $5700 (up 54% from the
previous year) and the cost of heat for the same
building is projected to increase by $8500 (up 81%
from last year)! The Superintendent of Highways
justifies this increase because of last year's cold
winter! We apparently are facing a frigid 2004.
b. While we're inside our homes trying to stay warm
and watching our cable TVs this winter, we must
realize that our cable franchise fee (TAX) is being
increased by $10,000. Yes, that's the same fee (tax)

that paid for new carpeting and rennovation of the
Town Supervisor's office. (On the positive side, if
you are a library supporter, you'll be pleased to know
that the Town will give the library $13,158.57 from
that special fund - let's applaud that. The library is
probably the best managed public agency in Town and
certainly one of the more valuable assets.) The
unanswered questions are who has access to that
special cable slush fund, how do projects get
submitted for consideration and who approves them???
c. Revenues from fines and forfeitures are projected
to increase 25%! Better watch your speed buddy!

The budget hearing revealed the following which I've
labeled as "funny, if you didn't know better:"
a. The budget category listed as "Personal Services"
is not what might be inferred (chauffeurs, valets,
concubines) but according to the Supervisor, "labor
costs." I found that to be a relief. Wouldn't a
better label be "Personnel Costs?"

b. The cost of printing is going up 56% and the cost
of mailing is going up 14%. But the good news is that
the increase reflects the cost of printing and mailing
that extremely popular "Hamlin Xpress."
c. The budget category "Publicity" has not been
decreased. Thank goodness we can continue to enjoy
the same level of publicity that we have in the past.
d. The budget category "Ethics" has been decreased
from $1000 to zero. (Come to your own conclusion on
this one)
e. Refuse and garbage collection is up $1000 (what
files?)
f. No increase in revenue from our cell tower - do
you suppose Verizon isn't making any more money?
g. $7,000 revenue from ESL ATM (but I couldn't find a
category under expenses to tell us how much
electricity it is costing us - however, if everyone
experiences the same electric rate increase that the
Highway Dept. projects, the ATM is going to be an
expensive little convenience)

About 20 interested citizens attended the hearing.

Several, including myself, asked questions. I
probably asked more than I should have but it appeared
otherwise we would have just skipped right through the
budget with little being asked. I have to be careful
because I even asked more questions than Peter Tonery
and I may end up with a reputation. Peter's questions
(all
intelligent and pertinent) were quickly waved aside or
even ridiculed, if he pushed too far. Of course we
all know how negative Peter is! On the serious side,
I was very surprised that only one Town Board member,
Paul Rath, questionned any of the items. Ed Evans
attempted to question parts of the cable tax but was
quickly squelched by the Supervisor. But,is Paul Rath
the only
councilperson with questions or with enough gumption
to ask them? Do the other members just accept budget
inputs (and increases) without question or did they
even look at the budget in advance? Why does the
Supervisor defer most questions to Mrs. MacIntosh?

Finally, in this age of easy-to-use budget software
and spreadsheets, is this the best we can do for a
budget format? Where is the detail? What are the
increases for? Where's the historical data. Why are
only the small percentage increases (2% for board
member salaries) listed and not the significant
percentages (81% for building heat)?

Unfortunately, my overall impression is that this
process mirrors many of the Town's other managerial
efforts - lacking in attention to detail,
conscientiousness, interest in input of citizens, and
professionalism. But hey, we're only talking about
$2.6 mil in appropriations (of which only $1,009,498
needs to be raised from our taxes).

Fair winds and following seas!

This email was sent to the All Hamlin web site from a guy that knows how to drive aircraft carriers.

Hamlin's New Supervisor


Supervisor Genetic Experiment Project a Success!

Hamlin Republicans acted quickly today after realizing that Supervisor Warner was totally ignorant about the town budget, and that our finances are actually controlled by his secretary, Pat Macintosh.

“We contacted Dr. Evil (Steve Minarik) and explained the problem,” said Al Campbell, Chair of the Republican Committee. “He told us to bring both the Supervisor and Pat downtown immediately and he would fix the problem.”

What happened then is a closely guarded secret. “Dr. Evil is a genius, everyone knows that, but even I wasn’t prepared for these results!” gushed the ebullient Campbell.

The new person, tentatively named Patricia Warner the First will be sworn in as Supervisor on January 2. In the interim, he/she will be acting Supervisor. Asked about the legality of installing an unelected person in the highest local office, Campbell just grinned and said, “You heard about Bush, didn’t you?”

Millard Rathbone III, relaxing.

Yantee Creek Yacht Club Endorses Supervisor Candidate

The owner/operator of the Yantee Creek Yacht Club, Millard Rathbone III, has broken a long traditon of silence on political issues in his hometown and has endoresed Independent and Democratic Candidate Peter Tonery for Supervisor.

"I love their signs!" said the fabulous Rathbone. "Blue and green are my favorite colors."

The flamboyant millionaire, who is well know for festooning his club with garlands and tissue paper animals throughout the year, was a little light on political details. "Oh, you know me, I don't pay much attention to that stuff!" he giggled. "I just saw how that 'other' club had endorsed some people," he stated while frowning and making air quotes, "and I thought I would too!"

Known as the "Commodore" by his "dear friends" Rathbone has been a fixture on the fringes of Hamlin's social scene. "They won't even let me in to the Hotel anymore!" he squealed as he poured a fresh Absolute martinti. "Something about 'getting fresh' or something." Informed that the Hotel had burned down nearly twenty years ago he looked sad and forlorn saying, "Oh, that's too bad. I liked it there." He brightened quickly however, "Oh well, Life goes on doesn't it!"

Asked if he would support his candidate in this year's election, the Commodore replied, "I think so. What do I have to do? No parades I hope, I haven't done one since Mardi Gras in '89, and THAT was a most wicked event!" he exclaimed waving his hands. Told that the reporter meant would he contribute and vote for the candidate he replied, "Well I don't even know the man! Though he does look dashing in that Van Dyke beard. I'm certain I'll vote for him! Where does one do that by the way?"

Executive Committee of the Hamlin Yacht Club


Yacht Club Endorses Candidates

The lesser know of the Sandy Creek Yacht clubs today endorsed candidates for local office in Hamlin.

Selected were: James Martin for Town Board; Nancy Pierce for Town Board; Mathew Turcotte for Town Justice and Kathi Rickman for Town Clerk. They declined to endorse a candidate for Supervisor.

In a statement to the press Lovey Howell, present Chair of the committee, said, “We believe these candidates are the most qualified by virtue of their education, world experience, management experience in the private sector and their deep knowledge of the community.”

The Skipper added, “Speaking for the crew, and I think I can speak for the crew, these are darn nice people!” “Yeah, they are!” chimed in a beaming, but red-eyed Gilligan.

“We believe it’s time for a change!” stated the Professor. “Hamlin has been stuck in the doldrums for too long. We need some bright, modern people, with energy and enthusiasm to bring our town up to speed with the others in the county.”

“They’re all cute too!” squeaked perky Mary Ann.

When asked why they hadn’t endorsed a candidate for Supervisor, Thurston Howell III spoke up, “In the first place this town isn’t big enough for two III’s! “

“Yeah, two thirds is almost a whole!” quipped the Professor.

“Well, that one fellow has had his chance, and he’s made a mess of things, hasn’t he?” Lovey asked.

Gilligan jumped in, “Yeah, just look at the Building Inspector mess, then there’s the ATM and the cell tower money we lost and the…” At that point the Skipper pulled off his cap and began hitting Gilligan on the head with it. “I told you not to talk, Gilligan!” The contrite sailor fell silent, with a silly, sheepish look on his face.

“How about the other guy, Tonery?” a reporter asked.

“Oh, he’s too mean!” a bosomy Ginger cooed. “I heard he made fun of Santa Claus!”

“Here, here!” Howell barged in, “We can’t have a Supervisor who might be tough on anybody! What kind of a town would we have if somebody was ever told ‘No?’ I’ve got investments here!”

“The entire structure of cronyism and ignoring regulations might collapse.” Added the Professor.

“Anyway, I like the big one, he’s cute! Right Skipper?” chimed in a sparkling Mary Ann as she gave the Skipper’s arm a squeeze.

With that, everyone had a fine laugh , music started playing and the press conference ended.

Bogus Survey Results? Shocking!

This is a real, unsolicited e-mail received at the AllHamlin.com website.

Dear Sirs:
I live at 30 Huntington Parkway in Hamlin and recently received a master plan
survey. I am writing to tell you the survey is invalid because of serious
flaws in the instrument. I would request that the master planning committee
please redo the survey in a correct manner. They likely should hire a
consultant to compose a valid survey instrument to collect accurate and usable
data.

The committee, the town board, and supervisor should be embarrassed that such
a defective document was circulated. If this is an indication of their
competence, we may be in for some trouble.

I would be happy to discuss the issue with any of the candidates, either
republican or democrat.

Sincerely,

Rob Blair

Robert Blair
SUNY College at Brockport
Office of Campus Life
Union Operations
Seymour College Union

Mr Blair, who is recognized as having an expert level education in statistics will be sharing his conclusions with local newspapers.

Additionally, it has been reliably reported that certain interest groups have been stuffing the survey "ballot box." These groups, who's interests will best be served if the survey results support their ambitions, have had their members complete multiply copies of the survey, sometimes 10 each, and submit them to the town! Since there is no way to determine if a survey document actually belongs to a property owner, this process works. If the administration is dull enough to believe that there is an "honor system" out there protecting the results, somebody should tell him that when it comes to money, there is no such thing.

How could the town be so naive? Maybe it isn't naive, perhaps stuffing the ballot box was the plan all along. After all, if the "majority" of survey respondents say that a certain group or issue should be financed by additional taxes, you better believe that the Town Board will move through hell and high water to get that issue funded!

Do they think that the average taxpayer is so dumb that we can't see through a faulty, rigged process?

If Warner had wanted a fair, blind survey then he would have hired an outside company to produce and tabulate it. A professional company has the means to identify fake submissions, protect anonyminty and tally the results accurately.

Do you, the taxpayer, want to know where the surveys go when they are returned to the Town Hall? They go into a box on Supervisor Warner's desk!

Hmmm. What's that count again?

Goll-ee, Mr. Editor, I dint' know Hamlin was in the 3rd world!


Stop the presses!

Scorned and embittered supervisorial candidate Tonery has submitted this open letter to the venerable Democrat & Chronicle for the edification of his prospective consituency. (NOTE: We at Blogspot are not responsible for the opinions, facts, details or veracity of what we print.)
***
October 21, 2003

The Editorial Staff of the Democrat & Chronicle


Dears Sirs and Madam,

In the interests of setting the record straight: When Austin Warner came into office in 1999 he inherited a surplus of about $320,000. Over the next two years he worked it down to $12,000. By raising taxes the following two consecutive years he managed to pull the revenues up.

However, nearly 50% of the “surplus” comes from the Time-Warner cable TV franchise tax imposed exclusively on local cable subscribers. This “sin tax” was refused by all previous administrations as being unfair. Warner embraced it and promoted it, saying publicly, “Hamlin is the last town in the county to have it!”

The D&C declares, “he is doing a solid job of handling its finances.”

The $82,000 Warner “recovered” was identified under Kruger’s administration by an outside company for a finders fee. Kruger left office, and the dept was on the books for two years until and audit pointed it out. Only then did Warner contact NiMo and ask for the payment. The D&C notes Warner’s, “attention to detail.”

Hamlin’s involvement in the Sweden/Clarkson/Brockport Recreation Center is anything but a “cost saving” strategy. It would cost residents $85,000 a year to belong! In a survey done two years ago by the Hamlin Recreation Department, more than 90% of respondents said they wanted local facilities and supported our own Community Center. Warner was the solitary advocate for membership in Sweden, and formed a clandestine committee to explore the issue, one which excluded the Recreation Committee Commissioners.

Hamlin is a town of about six square miles. The Sweden Recreation Center is about eight miles away from the center of Hamlin. To get there, a resident would have to drive through Clarkson, cross the two-lane canal bridge, drive through the Town of Brockport, and cross Route 31, about two miles away. The Recreation Center is opposite the Wal-Mart in Brockport! It is a ridiculous proposal.

Would the residents of Fairport be willing to drive to Webster for their recreation services? That is what you suggest we should do.

If you assume the responsibility for political endorsements then you are obliged to confirm the facts underling your decisions. It is not enough to read someone’s campaign flyer. The D&C suffers a false authority born out of a lack of competition. The Editorial Board knows practically nothing about Hamlin, but determines itself qualified to recommend a leader. What can be worse for the local political process than lazy journalism?

Sincerely,
Peter Tonery


PS: For the record: The D&C sent an email to me at 3:16 PM on 10/20/03 (yesterday) asking, “What line(s) are you running on?” Now that’s research!
They still got it wrong.
***
NEW STUFF BELOW
***


Getcha Free New Identity Here!


A new kind of “Open Government”

In these days of rampant identity theft homeowners are urged to protect themselves. Experts suggest that you shred bills, returned checks and bank statements so they are not plucked from your trash. They even advise that you remove subscription labels from old magazines before they are recycled.

But, here in Hamlin, that might not help.

The reason is the Warner Administration has adopted a new form of “Open Government” which puts many of us a risk.

The attached photos show several containers outside the Town Hall. These wer put outside yesterday. Outside for everyone to enjoy! Outside for the public to casually page through, or if you like, take a handful of files home for yourself to enjoy later.

What are in the piles? Town records. Specifically, old Building Department records. Documents which include: Building inspection reports on people homes and businesses; site plan maps, correspondence between the Building Department and various governmental agencies; letters from attorneys; copies of deeds; transfers of property. Your basic stuff.

What is the matter with this town? At a time when there is a legitimate risk of identity threat, the municipality puts hundreds upon hundreds of records out in the parking lot for all to share. The files are filled with people’s names, addresses, phone numbers and correspondences. It is mind boggling.

Setting aside the horrific breech of customer confidentiality, there is an equally troubling question as to why these records are so suddenly being dumped.

We all remember the events at Enron and Global Crossings when incriminating documents were destroyed to prevent their discovery. Why are these records, some of them dating back to only 2002, being thrown away now? Is there a relationship between the sudden firing of the Building Inspector and the rush to destroy documents from his department?

Gursslin has said that he was never confronted with charges or allegations of wrongdoing so he believed his dismissal was arbitrary and capricious. If it is true that there is no evidence of any wrongdoing, then it might benefit the town to destroy hundreds of records in anticipation of litigation. Is this possible?

Whatever the motivation, the sudden public dumping of a large number of documents- into the public parking lot for all to grab- is a distinct violation of public trust and government responsibility.


Helpy Selfy

Clarification

The D&C said that, “Warner’s administration favors farmers and farming issues.” That is true, but it oversimplifies a complicated issue. There are only about eight farmers who live and work in Hamlin as full time businessmen, and that is the only true measure of a farmer. Having been one in the past, or doing it as a hobby, will keep you off the list.

However, some of these part timers have an undue influence over both political thinking and political decisions in Hamlin. The Chairman of the Zoning Board, Norm Baas, is the prime example. He is retired from farming yet is relentless in lobbying local government about ideas and issues that are based on an old, out-dated perception of Hamlin. Baas, who has served on the Zoning Board for 25+ years, promotes the notion that ours is a little farming community. He can’t accept the real composition of the town as a commuter suburb.

Besides Baas there are two full time farmers who serve on other support boards. One of them, Jim Brezlawski, in partnership with his brother, owns perhaps the second largest farm in Hamlin. Jim has served on the Planning Board for close to ten years. Jim also lives in Hilton, not Hamlin.

There is nothing necessarily wrong with having 25% of Hamlin’s farmers serving on our support boards even though they represent only .5% of the workforce. However, it is realistic to think that their issues will be well promoted in local government. Perhaps at the expense of the interests of the other 99.5% of the population.

************************

The second clarification regards the All Hamlin Party. The Part was not, “created by the Democrats.” While some Dems, like Jim Martin were involved, it was organized primarily by independents. The All Hamlin Party is a political organization whose entire focus is on and about Hamlin. We have no larger agenda, our goals are to make the community a better, by having a smarter, more responsive local leaders. It should be known that the All Hamlin Party made overtures to several local Republicans to enlist them to run for public office. In some cases, they declined for fear of the backlash from the Hamlin Republican Committee. The All Hamlin Party is Independent and open to everybody.

Outing The Supervisor

It was a relief to see that Supervisor Warner has finally come out of the closet about his secret government. He states in this morning’s D&C, "the Land Use Committee meetings were closed because Tonery, who was invited to attend the meetings, had two letters published in the Suburban News, criticizing the committee's actions after each meeting."

You bet I did, and the actual letters may be found on our web sites: hamlindems.com or allhamlin.com, link to "Opinion Letters," (Click on, "Is This Representative?" and "Secret Government.")

The first letter challenged the composition of the committee. Originally, there were NO farmers and NO representatives from Huntington Park or Hillcrest or Lake Breeze in the group! As a direct reaction to the letter, Warner expanded the enrollment to include representation for these people!

At the same time, he closed the meetings to the public. That’s what the second letter was about.

As usual, Warner has tried to change the debate- he says that I criticized, " the committee's actions after each meeting." That's not even possible since, beginning with the second one, they were closed to the public! What I actually criticized was Warners's poor decision-making. Nobody knows anything- to this day- about what has happened in those meetings!

Perhaps what is most disturbing is that Warner believes he is justified barring both the public and the press from participating in such an important process, "without the fear of being in the paper next week."

What are they doing? What are they discussing that it has to be hidden from us? What exactly does Warner "fear?"

Maybe it's us who should be afraid.




Twice as funny!

The funniest statement in all of this morning's D&C article has to be the one from George Todd, "Todd wants to stay in office to continue the work of the town's recreation committee..."

Why is that funny? Because he rarely, if ever, attends the Recreation Committee meetings! He doesn’t go even though he is the official Town Board liaison. Anybody who knows about local government, knows that Todd has a very poor record as a liaison to anything! As far as advocacy on behalf of Recreation, the record is even worse.

For example, the Recreation Department has been trying for over two years to get dugouts built for our baseball players- and it never gets done! The town board never discusses it, never presents a resolution, never approves funding or never does anything. Why? Because George is the liason and he doesn’t go to the meetings! Todd's job is to report and advocate for the issues and concerns of the Recreation Department, but it's hard to do that if you don’t attend their meetings!

As noted elsewhere on this blog, Mr Todd did offer one solution for the dugout problem. He suggested that Hamlin accept some discarded bus shelters that his company was throwing away. Dirty, damaged and out of date- they'll look perfect on the Hamlin ballfields! Our kids will love 'em!

Thanks but, no thanks.

A local contractor has even offered to build the dugouts, for free, in exchange for a sign acknowledging the gift. The town is hung up on a regulation prohibiting advertising on public property! Come on! It's not an ad, it's a notice of a gift!

These are the people who claim they have "experience" in local government and want to stay in office. Thanks, but no thanks.




A Rose by any Other Name...


...will still smell the same. Stale.

Dave Rose has done everything in his power this election season to keep his head down, his name out of the public eye and his record as far from Austin Warner as possible. Dave's campaign strategy seems to be to hide, and hope nobody will notice him slip into office.

And really, who would notice? After all, Dave has been a fixture in Hamlin government for what seems like a 100 years. Pretty much his entire career has been spent drinking from the trough of the Hamlin taxpayer. If you care to look at the record, Mr. and Mrs. Rose have been the biggest earners, and enjoyed the most perks, from local government for decades. When he retired, Dave saw an opportunity to stick to the payroll by running for Town Board. While he denies it, most observers think it's the Supervisor's job he really wants.

While this Rose has been hiding in the shadows, insiders know there is a very prickly point about his candidacy: He was the reason there was such a public and divisive primary!

Ed Evans, saturated with the antics of Austin Warner and weary of the do-nothing town board, decided to retire. Dave rose up, said that he would run for office if nobody else wanted to. (A reassuring statement about the quality of candidates from the Hamlin Republican Committee!) Rose also assured everyone that if someone else wanted the seat, he would step aside.

Apparently, anyone except Evans! When Evans had a change of heart, based upon his supporter's encouragements, he went back the HRC and asked for his ballot spot back. Rose wouldn't give it up. Rose and Warner, who saw Evans as a traitor, were intent on composting Ed.

Here's the point: If Rose had stepped aside, as he claimed he would, Evans would never have run a primary. A primary he came close to winning, despite the fact that he didn't campaign!

Warner, as committed as ever to shooting himself in the foot, told Rose to block Evans. Rose agreed, wanting to nurse off the taxpayers for at least a few more years. It was a brilliant strategy!

The flower that is Dave Rose will soon be emerging from the shadows. Keep watching.