Red Wing Mining Proposals

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Newspaper Links
Poughkeepsie Journal 85 Civic Center Plaza Poughkeepsie, NY 12601 (845) 454-2000 WEBSITE Kingston Daily Freeman 79 Hurley Ave., Kingston, NY 12401 845-331-5000 WEBSITE

Red Wing Mining Issue

Red Wing Mining

Milan Ends 2008 by Opening the Door to Gravel Mining

At the year-end Board meeting and reorganization meeting held by the Milan Town Board on December 30, 2008, the Republican majority once again demonstrated not only their fundamental incompetence and laziness but also their fundamental moral corruption.

Your intrepid correspondent couldn’t attend this meeting, but I’ve reviewed the video and I can tell you without hesitation that I have rarely seen such lack of cooperation, such obtuseness, and such partisan malice as was displayed by the Republican majority that night. We can’t give you the full video—the meeting ran for almost two hours—but you can see excellent reports about them in these two articles from the Register Herald. > Milan Meeting >Reorganization MetingAlthough this was supposedly the year-end Board meeting, followed immediately by the year-end reorganization meeting, very little year-end preparation or organization was seen. The most glaring deficiency of the year-end portion of the meeting is that year-end financial reports were not available. How can the Board go into a new fiscal year with no idea of where the Town’s finances stand at the end of the 2008 fiscal year? Why is it so hard for Supervisor Barrett to grasp this basic concept? And why is that even though the town is now on its third bookkeeper of the year, basic year-end reports can’t be generated? For that matter, why can’t any financial reports be generated in a timely and accurate manner?

Similarly, the town’s escrow accounts appear to be in disarray. Supervisor Barrett doesn’t seem to grasp the problem and doesn’t seem to understand how to resolve it, despite Democratic Board member Diane May’s attempts to explain it to him.
READ MORE

He’s Baaack—and He’s Bringing a Gravel Mine with Him

The evening did include a major bombshell: The Republican majority appointed Republican former Town Supervisor Jim Jeffreys to a seven-year term on the planning board. A worse appointment is impossible to imagine. To understand why, simply look at the “Three Amigos” video below. In the clip, taken at the March 10, 2008 Town Board meeting, Jim Jeffreys is seen palling around with his good buddies Paul Doherty of Red Wing Sand and Gravel and Dennis Murphy, husband to Republican Town Board member Bobbi Egan. As the lawyers say, and I hope they will in this case, Res ipsa loquitur—the thing speaks for itself.

3 AMIGOS	That's Paul Doherty of Red Wing Sand and Gravel (left) and Dennis Murphy (center), husband to Republican Town Board member Bobbi Egan. Jim is the one at right.

This shot was taken at the Town Board meeting of May 12, 2008—while the Board members were in executive session with the lawyers defending the town in a lawsuit brought by none other than Red Wing Sand and Gravel.

What makes this cynical appointment even more outrageous is that Jim Jeffreys will be taking the planning board seat held by Dan Miller, whose term expired. Mr. Miller, a biologist with the DEC, is highly knowledgeable about the many environmental issues the planning board faces. He has done an outstanding job during his term—so much so that planning board chair Peter Goss wrote a letter to Supervisor Barrett requesting that Dan be reappointed. (You can see Peter’s letter here and Dan’s letter requesting reappointment here.) His wishes, and the good of the town, were ignored in favor of a clearly political appointment obviously designed to bring gravel mining to Milan. Democratic Board members Ross Williams and Diane May strenuously objected to this appointment. Mr. Williams stated that the appointment was “an affront to the board, an affront to the town.” Ms. May stated, "I think it is not a wise choice. This is a man who in my opinion did not fulfill his obligations as supervisor and to put him on something as important as the Milan Planning Board is an absolute mistake." Mr. Williams also stated, Williams added, "This is a guy that almost sold the town down the river and you're going to put him on the planning board." Bobbi Egan thought Mr. Jeffreys would be an asset to the planning board due to his supposed knowledge of planning and zoning laws. (How she can believe this while also having to deal with digging the town out from the wreckage of the zoning changes Mr. Jeffreys instituted while supervisor is beyond your correspondent’s understanding.)

The Republican majority on the Town Board has been opening the back door to gravel mining ever since they took office a year ago. On December 30, they cynically and deliberately decided to open wide the front door and invite gravel mining in.

The Red Wing NEWS Archive
(NOTE: The Poughkeepsie Journal does not offer free access to their archives)

State will help Milan battle mining project
Greenway act offers indemnity
The state attorney general's office has decided to take on Milan's legal battle against Red Wing Sand and Gravel.The office informed town officials of its decision last week. The state will represent the town through an indemnity - a type of security against hurt, loss or damage - the Hudson River Valley Greenway Compact offers to all its communities.Milan will become the first community in the compact to take advantage of the indemnity.
Poughkeepsie Journal (August 13)

PoJo Editorial Urges Greenway
Legal Support
An editorial in the Poughkeepsie Journal on May 16 urges the Greenway Compact to provide Milan with legal support in the fight against gravel mining...
Greenway gets legal support test
Read more

Milan will continue mine fight
On Monday, the town board voted to appeal the ruling state Supreme Court Justice James Brands made last month, which voided the town's comprehensive plan and many of the laws it generated. Officials are hopeful the state will pick up the tab in the town's ongoing legal dispute with Red Wing Sand and Gravel.
Poughkeepsie Journal (May 1)
Deadline looms to appeal court decision; Board to decide Monday on action regarding comp plan, local laws.
Two local laws passed in 2007, Local Law No. 6, which eliminated a floating light industrial zone, and Local Law No. 7, the town's wetlands law, were also declared "null and void."
Register Herald (April 24)

Milan, group appeal ruling on mine hearing
Town wants to testify on community character
A recent decision by a Department of Environmental Conservation judge has town officials feeling left out, an activist group feeling its arguments have been cut short and Red Wing Sand and Gravel officials feeling they may be wasting their time.
Poughkeepsie Journal (April 7)

Judge tosses Milan town master plan
Red Wing Properties Inc. has gained a resounding victory in state Supreme Court in Dutchess County, as a judge threw out Milan's comprehensive plan and two local laws enacted by the town last year.
As a result of the ruling, Red Wing is a step closer in its quest for a mining operation in Milan, and it appears that the town will be taking a large step backward.
Daily Freeman ( April7)

State judge strikes Milan land-use plan, laws
Remember the controversial comprehensive plan that passed in the Town of Milan two years ago? Well, town residents can forget about the plan and a few of the laws it spawned for the time being.

State Supreme Court Justice James Brands has issued a ruling that voided the comprehensive plan along with the town's wetlands law and the town's decision to end its floating light industrial zone.
Poughkeepsie Journal (April 2)

Board to appeal Red Wing ruling; town denied full party status by DEC
Members of the Milan Town Board recently decided to appeal a decision by the state Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) regarding a mining permit requested by Red Wing Properties Inc.
Register Herald (March 27)

Milan planner switch raises concerns
Some fear change could alter soil mining stance
"They (Morris Associates) have been known for engineering and they've been more involved in the development side than they are the planning side."
Poughkeepsie Journal (Jan 11)

New Milan officials plan their goals
"Our platform during the campaign promised common sense legislation," said Byrne. "We're going to take care of the people of Milan, but also take care of the environment."
Register Herald (Jan 10)