GET IT DONE - WOODSTOCK, NY

There is an expression that if you are going “to talk the talk, walk the walk”.  For the past three years I have been writing to the Woodstock Times about the various ills suffered by Woodstock and its residents for one reason or another.  Even though I spent 15 years as a volunteer, both as a member and Chairman of the Woodstock Zoning Board of Appeals, I feel there is still more for me to accomplish. Therefore, I am running for councilman on the Town Board.  There are too many projects which have yet to be started, issues which have been placed on the back burner and projects which have not been completed that with the right people in place, can be accomplished.

I was once told that “Woodstock is overrun with intelligence but not run with intelligence”. Success comes to those individuals who seek the assistance of others because they realize that they are not always right, and they do not have all the answers.  Fortunately, Woodstock has many "successful" people who are willing to work together; we should utilize their skills and knowledge.

AGENDA

An updated Comprehensive Plan, based upon a Town wide survey, would present a more accurate picture of what should be done to ascertain what Woodstock should look like and its needs.

BUDGET:  In the forefront is the financial state of this town and its citizens.  People on fixed incomes should not be forced to move out of town because they can’t afford to live here, nor should they have to sacrifice many of the daily necessities to survive.  Expenses (such as pensions, health care, salaries, deferred maintenance, town hall debt) are projected to rise faster than revenue received from sales taxes, mortgage taxes, fees and other similar sources which may require paying higher property taxes. This is why we should use Woodstock’s tax dollars wisely, not frivolously.   The budget should be scrutinized to keep it below the 2% target. Smoke and mirror tactics or the "Peter to pay Paul" tactic only puts off the inevitable; one day you will have to pay the piper.  Find grant writers. This has been talked about for years. There are thousands of dollars available to subsidize many of the needs of Woodstock. I have a commitment to eliminate wasteful and unnecessary spending and seek cost efficiencies, regardless how small, in order to maintain a level tax base. Each department would be responsible to examine and make recommendations to make this commitment a reality. To this end I will urge the Town Board to consider using zero based budgeting where department budgets are not just based on last year's numbers.  Again I promise that there will be no frivolous or unnecessary spending or “padding” of the budget.  

ECONOMY: Sons and daughters are leaving this town because of a lack of job opportunities, and seniors and those on pensions are struggling. The Hamlet and Neighborhood Commercial Districts as well as Home Occupations have to be looked at as potential places to create additional jobs.  This would require participation of both the public and the business communities and it should balance the needs of both groups while maintaining the integrity of Woodstock.  My thought is to increase the allowed uses (Special Use Permit* would be required) in the Hamlet and Neighborhood Commercial Districts and of Home Occupations all of which would provide additional employment opportunities.  I will use my experience and the knowledge I gained as chairperson of the Zoning Board of Appeals to work with the Building Department, The Planning Board and The Zoning Board to institute the new policies which allow for the additional sources of employment that would increase Woodstock’s tax base. 

Special use permit* It allows for community input and specifically relates to issues such as lighting , parking traffic, etc. and is used to protect neighboring properties.

CELL SERVICE: Cell service throughout the entire town is more than a convenience, or a means to conduct business, it is a life line in times of emergencies. One of my priorities is the pursuit of accomplishing this goal.

ZONING LAWS: Uphold them, fairly and equally, or change them, but do not violate them.  Having been on the Zoning Board of Appeals for 15 years, I feel I have a good grasp of the effect the zoning law has on the entire town.  The law is in place to protect both our property values and our quality of life.  It may not be your neighborhood that is affected today, but perhaps tomorrow it will be.  Look around the town.  The way things are going, one day you may look out your window and see a factory, an apartment building, a funeral home, or a hotel staring back at you.  As I did as a member of the ZBA, I will continue to make sure that all our neighborhoods are protected from unwarranted and disrupting changes.

Here too I will use my experience and knowledge to work with the Building Department, The Planning Board and The Zoning Board to institute the new policies which would allow applicants to get through the process in a timely manner and yet avoid lawsuits.

ENVIRONMENT: Fulfill the 2007 carbon neutral initiative resolution and the go green tenor of the town. Install the reed beds at the Waste Water treatment plant, buy that hybrid vehicle, which I believe was budgeted for in 2008, to be used by town personnel to use for all off-site meetings, replace equipment, when needed, with equipment that is energy efficient; use alternatives to petroleum based lubricants for maintenance of vehicles. Years ago the town did energy audits of its buildings I think the end result was changing the thermostats. How about a cost analysis to ascertain the cost effectiveness of greening (such as insulation of the attic and wall spaces; hot water “blankets”; storm doors; on demand hot water units, etc.) versus the reduction in costs of heating both the buildings and water.

Going green will be difficult though, but not impossible, since it would involve real change on the local government level. One idea is going for carbon neutral or even carbon negative*. Becoming carbon neutral can be done through incentives or through mandates. Incentives would be like waiving all building/review fees for new construction that is carbon neutral, getting rid of zoning restrictions of alternative energy systems (i.e., Woodstock has height restrictions that essentially prohibit wind turbines) and giving some sort of density bonuses for alternate energy/carbon neutral development. On the mandate side, the Town could adopt a green building code specifying that construction over a certain threshold require energy alternatives/green building techniques, etc.

Carbon negative* relates to the construction of buildings that produce more power than they use.