Germantown NY Democrats Organization

Town Board Members Present:

Supervisor Dave Helsey

Council Member Austin Sullivan

Council Member Kaare Christian

Council Member John Kukon

Council Member Sarah Suarez

Staff Present: Town Attorney Corinne Smith, Town Clerk Joyce Vale

Others Present: Tom Shannon (Town Historian), Tony Albino (Fire Commissioner), Community Members

Old Business:

• The Kellner Activity Building is nearly ready for full public use after two years of renovations. The Board is working to accommodate increasing community interest. Already there has been plenty of positive feedback after the hosting of two birthday parties and a successful kickoff of the “Big Towel Sauna” project.
  • A Draft rental agreement and fee structure were introduced and it was agreed that a policy would be drafted to differentiate between non-profit, community, and for-profit (not allowed) rentals.
  • Final inspection is pending installation of one exit sign and a relocated outlet. Parking in front of the building (a fire lane) remains an issue to be resolved.
  • A review of insurance and occupancy limits is planned after which Supervisor Helsey will finalize the draft agreement and review legal language.

• The Bard Parcel Purchase is moving forward. The 23-acre parcel, located adjacent and north of the 1767 Parsonage on Maple Ave. is being acquired by the town using a $239,000 state grant with a $27,000 match requirement. It was historically farmed by black families and will be conserved for public use.
  • During the meeting the board confirmed that the permissive referendum period ended without objections and authorized the Supervisor to sign the contract and place a $1000 deposit pending DEC approval.

• The Local Waterfront Revitalization Program (LWRP) is meant to outline long-term goals for Germantown’s waterfront development, balancing public access with environmental protection. The plan includes two new local laws, one addressing Harbor Management and the other Shoreline Protection. Both are currently under legal review.
  • The focus has remained on shoreline access, development guidelines and harbor management with a Town Board workshop in March dealing with these issues.
  • A budget review with consultant EDR is anticipated in April with a final legal review of the proposed laws by the town attorney before public hearings begin.

• Filming Permit Application Fees for Local Law #2 of 2025 – There was discussion about what the fee structure for film permits should be based on, with crew size and impact being mentioned as two obvious parameters. It was decided that further research would be undertaken and a draft revised appendix could be ready in May.

• Recreation Committee Update The first meeting has been held.  Sandra Osborne was formally added to the committee. It was agreed that Committee Chair Tatiana Carayannis will coordinate future meetings and provide the Town Board with calendar invites.
   
•  Fire Alarm Law – The Germantown Fire District has submitted a revised draft of a proposed Fire Alarm Law which aims to reduce false alarms and ensure emergency services can respond efficiently. In answer to concerns raised by board members, the Town Attorney has returned the draft with comments and clarifications. For simplification purposes educational materials were also elided from the law.  A workshop was considered to address further questions but is on hold to allow Tony and the Fire Commission to review and respond to Corinnes’s recommendations.

New Business:

• Website Domain Transition – New legislation requires municipalities to adopt a .gov domain by 2025.
  • The Board is considering domain redirection to the existing .org domain email addresses as a simpler step.
  • Concerns were raised by Board members about link security and public trust. Corinne will confirm if redirect from .gov to .org is legally acceptable.
  • A Technical workshop will be scheduled.

• Town’s Northern Boundary – Historic maps from 1858 place Germantown’s northern border on the southwest edge of the Roeliff Jansen Kill, but county maps show it incorrectly in the center of the kill. State maps corroborate the historic documentation and during LWRP mapping Council Member Christian flagged this issue. It was decided by the Board that a letter will be drafted to the county GIS requesting correction.

• Amtrak Right-of-Way Survey – Amtrak is surveying its rail corridor between mile markers 75.7 and 107.95. Landowners adjacent to the right-of-way have received letters requesting deeds, surveys, or any other available boundary info. The Town has not been contacted regarding parcels it owns. Affected community members have expressed concern about the lack of clarity regarding this program.

• Supervisor Helsey said he will reach out to Amtrak for more information.
  • The Town Attorney also suggested an indemnification agreement to protect the town interests if surveyors enter town land.

History Advisory Committee Report

• Harriet Tubman Scenic Byway

• The Board received a draft resolution from the committee to support Germantown’s inclusion in the byway.
  • Some concerns were raised by Board members over language limiting new signage.
  • The Committee recommended adding references to local African-American history.

• Naming the Bard Parcel – The Committee made a proposal to name the newly acquired Bard Parcel the Theodore Robinson Community Forest after the town’s only known Black Civil War Veteran.

• Parsonage Roof RFP – A draft RFP was submitted for a $30,000 roof repair based on a 2023 building condition report.

• The Board will review this and the other above HAC proposals and vote in May.