Susan Cockburn's Accomplishments - Restart The Progress

Committee to Restart the
Progress Headquarters

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RE-ELECT

SUSAN COCKBURN

Town Supervisor

Vote Nov.3rd Vote Row "A"
for Competent Honest Government

My Accomplishments	Go to: My Opponents Lies and Distortions
Go to: Letter to The Sentinel	Go to: My Opponents Donors and Deals
Go to: My Record in Office
Go to: Interview Questions and Answers
Go to: Facts About Police Consolidation

Under my leadership residents of the Town of Montgomery were given the opportunity to actively participate in our local government through the following volunteer programs:
Senior Independence Project – Workforce/Affordable Housing Committee – Conservation Adv. Council – Tree Preservation Program – Televised Town Meetings on Public Access TV – Economic Development Committee and Action Plan – Annual Farmer’s Outings at Benedict Park

List of Accomplishments from 2004-2007 (abbreviated)

Affordable Housing Committee: 3 ½ years and we have completed a baseline Affordable Housing Needs Assessment for the Town of Montgomery with the assist of Federal, State and County Funding. The Town Affordable Housing Committee drafted a local law to target the crisis populations of the youth and elderly by way of an accessory unit local law. This AU Local Law allows for the adaptive reuse of barns, outbuildings, gate houses, carriage houses etc. that usually fall into neglected conditions and eventual demolition. The AU Law legally allows the primary homeowner to put in the expense of refitting the house to accommodate a renter to live independently on the property of the homeowner. The homeowner may also choose to live in the smaller AU and rent out the larger primary home. This allows for the struggling homeowner to gain an income and at the same time preserve their residence and recoup the expense. It also prevents land from being cleared for new builds as it is “reusing and recycling”. This local law was adopted by the town board and the town has seen 11 successful applications of it so far. The first was on the December 3rd 2007 front page of the NY Times. Our next phase of Affordable Housing Legislation, posted on the town website and ready to noticed for a public hearing and adoption, mandates a range of housing sizes into every subdivision of 10 units or more. This will prevent the present run of “Oversized, overpriced, McMansions only” from proliferating across rural Montgomery.

Industrial Development Agency – Has been re-appointed with individuals willing to meet monthly instead of annually. All State mandated policies, filings and updates have taken place including training of every appointed individual. The IDA has researched and closely followed the State requirements for a local town IDA and follow it closely. The premise is to promote and encourage local businesses, encouraging and bringing in industry and jobs that the community has an expressed interest in accommodating with in their Town. Business incubators are presently being discussed and methods of incorporating marketing and agricultural economic assist to our local farmers to enhance the business that we most rely upon, has sustained the community the longest and that has a minimal impact on the cost of community services.

Retree Montgomery Committee – Tree City USA status has been attained, a tree preservation commission has been appointed, and programs involving local nurseries replanting town owned parcels with indigenous and native plant species is underway.

Farmland Protection Board – has been appointed with active members meeting monthly and focusing not just on the practice of purchase of development rights but to support and promote our active farm operations:, Dairy, Organic and standard Agriculture, Beef, Equine, Tree Nurseries, Garden Centers, Fruit Orchards, etc. towards the goal similar to initiatives such as Glynwood.org’s “Keep Farming Programs”. The Farm Pres Board is also actively involved with preserving open space/farms with organizations such as the Open Space Institute, Orange County Land Trust, Orange County Open Space Alliance, Orange County Open Space Planning, NYS Ag & Mkts, and Hudson River Greenway Alliance amongst others. Zylstra, Menendez, Hoekstra, Hodgson, Henry Luck’s Deerfield Farms, Brach and Hawkins Farms, Miller Farm are all under protective conservation easements by way of the purchase of development rights.

The First Annual Farmer’s Outing in several decades, was started by Cockburn and held in September of 2007. Through Cockburn’s ongoing attendance at and relaying communication between the Historic Preservation Commission, the Farmland Protection Board and the Economic Development Committee the re-introduction of the Annual Montgomery’s Farmers Outing at Benedict Farm Park brought together The Buy Local Sustainable Economy Approach, Local Farms Local Produce were showcased and available for sale and the recreation of an important local family and agricultural event, from the region’s farming history, was brought to life in a free and open to the public venue. It is now in its third year.

Wetlands Review Committee – After a joint meeting between the Town and Planning Boards a three member team consisting of two planning board members, CAC members, and local residents assembled to informally evaluate the wetland protection needs specific to the Town of Montgomery, and to draft with professional consultant assist, a local law with all the requirements necessary to protect local aquifers, feeder streams etc. to be forwarded to the Town Board as Wetland Law recommendations. The Board could then work to legislate some or all of these recommendations into Town law.

Benedict Farm Park, A 120 acre Dairy Farm being converted with SHPPO funding into a town park for mixed recreational uses is simultaneously undergoing environmental restoration with the planting of many hundreds of wetland appropriate saplings, native plant species, and a project to plant warm season grasses. An Audobon Society bird study and evaluation of the property was undertaken first to plan the park from that point on. Also, 2 Phases of Archeological Review and Study were completed. The invasive plant species were removed all along the river bank and replanting of native plant species is completed seasonally. The goal is to restore the wetlands and river banks and encourage the return of native fish and local wildlife. Training is authorized and paid for out of the Supervisor’s Budget to any and all who will pitch in. Many have done so and the park has truly come around. Several years of installing blue bird houses has increased the population of these creatures considerably at this location. The other aspect to build out of the park is to have green technology implemented and MS4 model designs incorporated as the park amenities are put in place. By doing so the Park will have reduced maintenance costs as well as reduced construction costs and it will retain its beauty as a farm with sustainable amenities in place. The all purpose recreational fields will drain properly and facilitate greater use and more varied uses.

Senior Independence Commission – A volunteer committee charged with coming up with a network to facilitate seniors being able to age in place, comfortably with in their own homes. Through not for profit funding and County assist, we have trained volunteers and a coordinator to answer calls and match volunteers with the needs of our seniors. We have a special phone line established and promotional materials are publicly available. The goal is to have a system that functions much the same way that a Parks and Recreation Dept. does for the youth of a community but in this case for our seniors. A Senior Liaison position was created and an appointment of an individual was made to the Town Board, it was from this initial act that the Senior Independence Project came to be. Through the minutes of the liaison’s regular and thorough reporting the essential needs of seniors are now identified and can be fulfilled. (* See write up in CHRONOGRAM publication.)

Animal Control - The Town was switched from “Dog Control” to “Animal Control” and the officer is encouraged to attend training as necessary. Additionally the position is based on a contract for shared inter-municipal service with a village within the town. The position is now incorporated into the Police Dept with the Chief of Police as Department Head.

Town Website – The Town website has been thoroughly updated and expanded to keep the community up to date on all the functions, activities and projects underway in the town. Participation is encouraged and facilitated by posting dates and contact numbers and providing links to sites with more background information. All proposed and adopted local laws are posted on this site as well.

Ethics Law, Ethics committee – A local law was drafted and created by local citizens, modeled after the pre-eminent example by State attorney Mark Davies, the local town law incorporates an Ethics Review Board into the working of the local law. Civil penalties can be levied if the Ethics Review Board deems fit. The law was passed by the Town Board in May 2007. Ethics board was appointed and is active.

Grants coordinator/writer – Ongoing searches for funding pertaining to: Shared intermunicipal services, open space preservation, historic preservation, education, information technology systems, environmental protection, farm preservation, planning updates and studies and financial/accounting/archiving initiatives are underway and coming through. Many hundreds of thousands from Hudson River Estuary Program, Congerssman Hinchey’s Office, Senator Larkins Office, Orange County Community Development, Orange County Open Space, Orange County Planning Dept.; HUD; OCty Office of for the Aging; Open Space Institute; Orange County Land Trust, NYS Shared Municipal Services Incentive Funding; NYS Office of Parks, Rcreation and Historic Preservation; Library of Congress; Orange County Historian; Preservation League; Environmental Protection Fund; Hudson River Greenway; Hudsonia; the list goes on.

New Standards - Throughout town planning and zoning regulations, new subdivision regulations are being brought up to date. Commercial franchise architecture is ruled out with design guidelines in place to promote building within regional architectural parameters. The percent planting of tress and shrubbery has been increased and the requirement for native plant species included.
Our adopted MS4 Local Law was re-written and enhanced with the assist of Barbara Kendall author of the NY State DEC law so that our local version would be stronger and more proactive as she originally intended it to be.

Town Hall Utility - Completed review for energy savings and recommendations for change with NYSERDA. UV Blocking Solar Film was installed on all windows through out Town Hall as a first start. Completed HVAC analysis for estimate to replace system, completed analysis of the ongoing expense of leaving the system as is. Cost itemized recommendations by the HVAC consultant.

Infrastructure - Chazen Engineering has completed a Town Wide Waste Water and Water Balance Study for the town and planning board and future infrastructure planning. This is an up to date review for the entire town not just a small quadrant of it. The commercial sewer treatment plant on Neelytown Road has been completely documented and evaluated by Chazen to determine if the plant should be scrapped or enlarged and once ascertained, what projected capacity would be required to service full commercial build out along Neelytown Rd and 208. The directive is to utilize environmentally acute standards and plan for the future with best practices in place, not just to the specifications that we are required to meet by the NYS DEC which are lagging behind the industry. Therefore other plants upstream and downstream of us may be polluting more then Montgomery, but Montgomery will be setting the standard of absolute best practices available to protect the river and the health of the environment. Technology that will recharge the groundwater will be utilized wherever possible and the practice of exporting waste water into streams and rivers will be curtailed. Tertiary treatment will be required of all effluent leaving the Town.

The Town is continuing with the development of a Rail Trail (appx. 4 miles) with funding from the NYS DOT and matching funds, this is an intermunicipal endeavor with the Town acting as lead agency with two towns and one village, presently $343,980 in funds is before the Senate for approval.

Taylor Recycling Expansion Proposal – Presently Taylor Recycling is before the Town Board with a proposal for a unique sorting and recycling operation followed by an onsite gasifier with the end product of renewable energy in the form of electricity fed into the electrical grid. A team of highly qualified consulting engineers and attorneys were retained to undertake an independent review of the Taylor Process before the matter goes before the Town’s Planning Board. By doing so this has removed the project from the potential mess of misinformation circulated by individuals reviewing the project but lacking the knowledge and technical experience to make a fair and just evaluation and recommendation on the project based on it’s potential positive and negative effects on the environment and the community. Mr. Taylor agreed to fund the review by creating a financial escrow account. This expedited the project review in a fair and upfront manner and provided factual information to make sound decisions and choices in direction. In the past Mr. Taylor’s project reviews have resulted in extensive litigation due to the eventual disintegration and lack of coordination during the review process.

Sustainable Montgomery – A committee was formed to undertake a search, study what is missing most in our community, and then derive methods of getting what we need here so that residents are not so consistently automobile dependent. The malls that provide the majority of absolute necessities are about 12 miles away. We aim to keep the local dollars local and promote the smaller struggling businesses. We have shown independent films, such as “Independent America, The Search for Mom and Pop”, at Town Hall at no charge, to educate and inform the public of the adverse affects of huge big box conglomerates on a towns economy. This effort segued nicely into the development of an Economic Development Committee involving all the villages and the town as well as local businesses and major stakeholders to create an economic development plan that will be put into action so the town is self determining in its local economy.

Open Government – Town Meetings are now filmed by volunteers and out on Public Access TV at no cost to the taxpayers. Meetings are all well noticed and publicized and public participation and comment is allowed throughout the town meetings as long as it is productive and positive in contribution. The press has access to any and all documents that are within the parameters of the FOIL laws in NYS. All proposed local laws are posted promptly on the town website.

Historic Preservation – The position of Town Historian was appointed with a highly qualified individual who regularly attended training, has acquired books and literature to enhance this very important aspect of our community. The Town’s Historic Preservation Commission was re-appointed and now meets monthly instead of annually, is highly visible and proactive, both with suggesting local regulations and local laws and its diligent review of projects before the Planning Board. A Town wide Historic inventory was completed by a professional consultant and is instrumental both as an educational and a planning tool. Grants for an Oral History Project were secured from the Library of Congress and from the New York State Dept of Education: recordings will be made of local farmers, veterans and former operators and workers from the old local rail road industry. Funding from the Preservation League of NYS supported an inventory and documentation of farms and farm houses with in the community and guidelines for the protection, preservation and restoration are to follow. The County has funded a grant to undertake a one room school house inventory with scale models built by local students with materials and supplies provided. The HPC has facilitated the preservation of several historic sites including the Cadwallader Colden Mansion which was left to ruins during the previous administrations. A thorough Phase I & II archaeological survey was conducted at the Town Park at Benedict Farm. This survey turned up Ice Age era relics. The directed approach has been to preserve as much of the park in its natural state, while preserving the relics as specified by New York State.

Human Resources – The employee hand book was brought up to date and into compliance with labor law, removing the potential for liabilities against the town. All job descriptions were re-written and well defined in keeping with County Civil Service requirements. All positions in town were compiled into a uniform employee pay rate and wage scale so that upon consideration for hire a potential employee has a career outlook available to them. All wage rates were brought into compliance with the County average.
Hand scan time clocks were installed for Police, Highway and Town Hall employees. The town retirement package was revisited and brought into the present with regards to both GASB45 requirements as well as the future tax burden on the populace.

Police Department - A Town Police Review Committee was established and appointed with qualified local and County individuals to asses the status of the department and make recommendations to the then Town Board which was long out of touch with this department. The Town of Montgomery now has 24/7coverage and a full time accredited Chief of Police. For the first time the Town of Montgomery now has signed inter-municipal agreements with its three villages identifying protocol for calls for service and removing the town from potential liabilities. Shared Municipal Services Grants are underway for the conglomeration of dispatch services amongst the Town and its villages.

The NYS Police and I have worked closely for two years and their new facility is scheduled to be built in the Town of Montgomery. Dialogue between the residents, the Town Police and the Village Police was encouraged and has taken place regularly to facilitate cooperation and compatible operations within the municipality.

The accomplishment I am most proud of is the fact that when I first decided to run for office I ran because I was aware that the town needed to become well prepared for the explosion of development that was about to take place. I was prepared to take on new subdivision regulations and town building code updates as well as the incorporation of protections into these codes for natural resources, historic sites, cultural view sheds, pedestrian and safe routes to school paths, buffers between industrial/commercial & residential uses and community character.

What I did not expect to discover was financial disorder beyond imagination. The books were hand written ledgers, the use of computerized technologies unheard of. There was a total absence of segregation of duties and the Special Districts for water and sewer were running deficits for many years. Additionally the General Fund A was retaining an unrecorded $2.5 million surplus while the B Fund was $0.5 million in debt. Essentially, I am now leaving an office where the books are in order, taxes levied and water rates are now structured and updated so that the districts are no longer at risk. For example, billing for water and sewer is now done electronically and by one Billing Control Clerk, a civil service protected position. Previously billing was in the hands of highway dept. maintenance workers, the engineer for the town, the assessor’s office and then on to the Transportation Program Assistant.