Levy down but tempers flare up

By Katie Chaffee

The frustrated opposition to Troy's new farmland preservation program rose up and took a swipe at the Board of Supervisors at Monday night's meeting.

By a vote of 21-18, residents at the meeting voted against the proposed 2000 budget. Although some residents mentioned objections to excessive money in the park and highway maintenance budgets, the real stickler turned out to be the $2,000 budgeted for farmland preservation law administration.

Supervisor Mary Kay Wusterbarth defended the amount, saying supervisors had added the money in an effort to be above board about what is spent on the controversial program. Money could have come from miscellaneous funds in the budget, she said.

"This is not a hidden item. We wanted to show actual costs," Wusterbarth said.

After the $681,350 budget was rejected, Chairman Dean Albert asked residents to provide an acceptable figure.

"If that's not OK, then tell us what is," he said. He got no response.

Supervisor Fritz Anding finally moved to delete the offending amount. The new budget amount of $679,350 was approved by residents.

The Troy board adopted new rules governing rezoning of farmland for residential use and established a Purchase of Development Rights (PDR) program at last month's meeting.

According to Farmland Preservation Committee Chairman Dan Pearson, the money will be needed over the next year to pay for informational mailings, attorney fees and for a recording secretary to take minutes at the meetings.

A committee will be formed to weigh the merits of each piece of farmland in Troy and set up a priority list for possible purchase of development rights, Pearson explained. Then, as farmers apply for the program, they will go on a waiting list. As funds become available, development rights to farmland will be bought by the town. The land will then be closed to development permanently.

Because people had demanded all such meetings be carefully recorded, a secretary is needed. Because some felt there is not enough information available to residents about this program, the committee intended to mail out information, Pearson said.

Pearson said he wasn't surprised by the opposition.

"I don't want to make too much of this," he said. "People were upset they didn't get to vote at the public hearing."

At the hearing held last month, the board listened to opinions, both pro and con, and then voted to adopt the new zoning rules and PDR program. Following standard practice, residents at the meeting were not allowed to vote directly on the proposals.

Pearson said the vote will not prevent the committee from operating. Each time money is needed, a request will be made to the board, he said.

Highway maintenance

Residents approved budgeting $350,000 for highway maintenance and crew wages. The increase of $20,000 over 1999 is for an additional part-time snowplow driver.

As the town grows, the added miles of road require more plowing time, Albert said. He said the subdivision roads added this year alone will increase plowing time by two hours.

This amount doesn't include the $1,250,000 that will be needed to resurface Glover Road, Albert said. The full 4-mile length of Glover Road between CTH MM and CTH FF will be rebuilt next year using some state and federal money, in addition to local tax money.

The project will include a shared-shoulder bike path. The town received a federal grant for $260,000 to pay for 80% of the cost of the path. That cost is included in the estimate of the Glover Road project, Albert said, bringing the amount before other federal and state funding down to around $1 million.

"It looks like we would be further ahead to hire plowing and mowing done," noted resident Bert Day.

The board has considered and rejected that option, Albert said. By employing its own crew, the town retains control of the operation, both cost and time-wise, he said.

"That one year when it snowed so much, the town of St. Joe got a bill for $85,000 for one snow storm," Albert noted. "If we have the county plow, they do their roads first before they get around to ours."

In addition, the cost of regular upkeep is so prohibitive is simply doesn't get done, Albert said.

Other matters

Residents voted to add $3,738 to the budget to cover the cost of joining the Hudson Ambulance Association. The Hudson ambulance will respond to calls from the portion of Troy in Hudson, but residents who use the service are charged $100 over and above the usual fee because Troy is not a member.

Wusterbarth recommended supporting the association because it seemed the right thing to do, not necessarily because it is more financially advantageous.

Albert told those in attendance the tax mill rate will be down this year. The levy is up, but so is the value of property in Troy, he said.

Increased valuation, now over $218 million, will produce an additional $30,000 in revenue, Albert added.

The board approved a preliminary plat for the fifth and final addition to Glover Station. The new portion will include 32 home sites.

The Park Board reduced Glover Park hours to daylight hours, only during the winter month. The park will be closed during deer gun hunting season, Nov. 20-28.