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Supervisors Beat Jail Issue to Death - Again

Written By Michael on 7/7/15 | 7/7/15

By Timothy Knight

SCHOHARIE - Holding a special county board meeting last Monday evening to learn by what criteria the site selection process for the Public Safety Facility was conducted, supervisors came looking for answers, but left with more questions.

Held before a packed room of almost seventy residents, Wright Supervisor Amber Bleau questioned Flood Recovery Coordinator Bill Cherry on how the Seebold Farms site was selected over the others, considering the cost of the property is nearly double the assessed value.

Answering that, unlike the other potential sites, Cherry said Seebold Farms had a Century 21 Market analysis completed that pegged the property's value between $395,00-$425,000. Schoharie County is currently contracted to buy the site for $375,000.

Unsatisfied, Bleau further asked for justification of the site when taking into account that Seebold's was the most expensive site in the selection process.

Cherry responded that after a year of evaluations were conducted by two separate engineer and recovery representatives, Schoharie County DPW Commissioner Dan Crandall, and himself, "eventually all of us came to a universal conclusion" on selecting the site in question.

Concluding that Seebold's was the most cost effective and the best possible site, Mr. Cherry - in light of the heightened tension surrounding the selection of the location - offered the supervisors two choices moving forward.

"Your choices: do you put confidence in that joint decision...or not," Cherry commented before adding, "and if you don't; no hard feelings, but there is a risk involved."

That risk being the potential for the county to lose FEMA reimbursements for the cost of housing prisoners at Albany County jail, which the coordinator had alluded to at the previous county board meeting the Friday before.

Commenting "When I look at the numbers they're not lining up," Ms. Bleau questioned how the site could be scored when there was no assessment.

Explaining that the scoring was done through a series of ratings, Cherry said "there was four people who did the scoring independently," and, "we compared our sheets and in the end Seebold was the one we all agreed on."

Chiming in that he believes this "needs to be done in the right way," Summit Supervisor Harold Vroman further chimed, "there should have been a public hearing."

Opposed to the selection of the Seebold Farms site for a variety of reasons, an at-first small contingent of town residents that has steadily grown in size since May, has become a force to be reckoned with in Schoharie.

Concurring with Vroman's sentiment, Jefferson Supervisor Sean Jordan argued "this is a very large project that will effect a lot of people," and continued, "a lot of people feel like they weren't engaged with a little or at all."

After additional remarks, Mr. Jordan motioned for a public hearing to be held on a later date to afford the community the opportunity to comment, despite the public having commented on the facility's location twice before at regularly scheduled meetings.

Jordan's motion was approved 11-3 and a public hearing has been set for Monday, July 6th at 6:00 pm. Supervisors Shawn Smith of Blenheim, Bill Federice of Conesville, and Carl Barbic of Seward were opposed; the rest of those present were in favor of an additional meeting.

Numerous residents, despite a public hearing being officially set, addressed the county board in opposition to the jail's placement at the Seebold Farms property.
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6 comments:

Norie61 said...

So the rest of Schoharie County should pay for the consequences if it didn't go through, I think not. You Supervisors had none of these questions when it was voted on, so now you have to appease some of the public opinion and ask the questions that were never asked.I have never seen a bunch of phonies in all my life. Didn't Schoharie's own Supervisor vote for this place? Why didn't he ask these questions? I'm sorry if this messes up their landscape but we can no longer keep footing the bill when we could be earning some money for all taxpayers! Live and deal with it people.

SchoharieMike said...

Wondering why this story appeared AFTER the July 6 hearing along with the Bounty of the County story being posted 7/6 when the event was 6/27?

SJ said...

Part 2
Don't get me wrong I have a great respect for these emergency responders but I know we are in need of funds throughout the entire county and perhaps we could have even invested in some "upscale" jobs!

Something it seems not our elected politicians nor our supervisors have thought placing in Schoharie!

Definitely we would not have to be "beggars" and lower ourselves to large corporations
that "own" us!

Why is it that other towns get the growth of jobs and fruitful businesses but not all of our county or town of Schoharie?

I am still waiting and counting on the head of our agricultural division, our own carrot barn
owner to help build up our agriculture here!

Where are our cider mills or wineries or beer breweries or any off-shots of agriculture?

Perhaps there are some out there that don't know how to write a grant....and you would think that someone who did might contribute their time for a good cause....

We are just running out of time and out of steam to drag us out of the "mud" that our flood had caused us!

I wish people would look at the roads as they by and see, TRULY SEE what lines our main thoroughfares!

We "reap what we sow" .and I guess Schoharie just has a very low esteem of itself after allowing our tourism to be tainted by a " prison"and eventual pipelines to greet them at our front door.

Guess it's "each man to themselves" because we are not working as a team and no one seems to be working together for the better.

I use to really care about my town, village and county even more than some of those that took for granted what they had here.

But now I see without those tinted glasses that it's as clear as a bell and no longer worth crying over the past.

It's the past and we can never get it back!

Our politicians never did create wholesome tax bearing jobs in all these decades while in office but somehow seem to think they are ready for bigger challenges....imagine what would happen to this state!

It's a shame because Schoharie was one of the most beautiful places on earth just 20+ years ago and many years before I was even born.

























SJ said...

Part 1

I am guessing you don't live near the "jail" site...maybe you don't have a home or property to be de-valued?

it's a new selfish and destructive mentality here in Schoharie.

"It is what it is"and so the "jail" will be placed where it is so desired by the supervisors I use to have a great deal of respect for!

And Now our "dirty laundry" will be on display because I am sure they will do a shabby job on camouflaging it!

Treating those who did not want the "jail" there to help with planting like kindergarteners was just a slap in the face telling us you considered us nothing but tools to do your "dirty" work!

Did they not realize the further insult they were placing on THEIR PAST SUPPORTERS!

This is not a "jail"...it is treated and I suspect is actually is a prison.

Barbed wire?
Bright lights?
Sirens?

This is where they can place our "safety force" as well...can save us a lot of dollars and actually protecting those of us that are going to need it with its presence....makes sense too ...don't you agree?

It's bad enough FERC TREATS US as if we are INVISIBLE..but just like FERC THE SUPERVISORS INVITE THE PUBLIC TO VOICE THEIR OPINION AND ONCE MORE THEY DONT CARE WHAT THE PEOPLE WISH THEY JUST DO WANT THEY WANT.

It seems the ones we voted to protect us and develop or restore us to our past historic pride have abandoned us.

And some were asking for permission to "prostitute" ourselves to the "terrorists"...for monies for the "jail" ...the pipeline companies that are buying up Schoharie to totally destroy it with explosives right next to our homes, schools and playgrounds.

Even our streams, creeks and in our forests....oh wait...the trees will be going away...replaced by easements and our creek and streams water along with another county's waterway has just been promised to the pipeline companies reminding us everyday that at anytime a greater catasphophe can come to us; as so many other states have had happened to them!

However, on the other hand our Firehouse will become a masterpiece in historic architecture!

6.5 million to create it architecturally with stone...why couldn't they have found a more appropriate space as they did the jail saving us some monies to be able to pass it on to so many other projects, such as the steam project...we the taxpayers will be paying a chunk of tax money on....where was your crying on that one?

SJ said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
SJ said...

Part 3

It only a few thoughtless, uncaring people to destroy it...all the good of banding together when we flooded are long since gone now and a county "divided will fall!"

I now realize that those big money hungry gas companies used their "psyc-opps" on the people here knowing how gullible and naive some of the "followers" here are!

Most of you never even researched the dangers of pipelines never mind compression stations nor the "accidents!"

And "if you build them,..they will come!"

Are you all still naive enough to believe they are just going to use us for their pipeline exports?

And then raise our prices to meet those they can get overseas...nope THEY WANT
MORE....ALL OF THOSE "terrible" fossil fuels we were told we didn't want from those "foreign" countries are now coming from our own and now different foreign countries!

They will want and if we keep letting them do what they and only about a hundred others that have no respect for the masses
properties get their way...they will frack!

Just ask your elected district officials.

They don't hide the fact as a matter of fact they use the people to disguise why they really want it.

They say YOU need jobs! Not safe jobs or viable ones...just any ole job!

Well the promised "jobs" are nothing more than "pipe dreams!"

Just look to see and go find out where the Surveyors for the pipeline companies come from....they will tell you...sure not here!

And even if the unions laid the pipes....when an accident occurs who do you think will take the blame and who will pay for the repairs....you can rest assure it wouldn't be the pipeline companies!

Instead of just listening to others go and educate yourself....then make a rational decision even if it differs from my opinion.

The difference is I don't mind being wrong and I even wish To be!

Make it a challenge...

Or you just keep believing in "fairy tales!"

They aren't going through with this cost of pipelines for nothing!

Guess it's "each man to themselves" because we are not working as a team and no one seems to be working together for the better.


I wish nothing but the best for the people of Schoharie but most of all wisdom!

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