Town Seeks To Avoid Squatters

Request for Records Archive, Crosswalk

By Elizabeth Barr

COBLESKILL — At the Cobleskill Town Board meeting on Monday April 8th, the Town Historian, Peter Lindemann stated he wanted to put the record archives in the library when they have completed the annex improvements. He said there would be a designated room to put the historic documents. He wants to make the documents accessible and keep them secure. An agreement needs to be made to make the records secure between the town and the library. Peter Lindeman wants to put this on the Town’s radar and is hoping to make this one-of-a-kind information available to researchers and anyone who wants to know more about the Town’s history.

Tina Ward, Town Clerk for the Town of Cobleskill, wants to digitize the information so things don’t get destroyed by oils on people’s hands and by them going through it. She feels some of it can be done in-house and some of it may be available through a grant.

Bruce Stacey, a local resident, addressed the Town about squatters' rights laws for the Town. He hopes the Town will adopt home rule to strengthen the law so squatters don’t have a right to do this type of thing. He is hoping to get a law done locally to prevent this. Werner Hampel, Town Supervisor said he will research it more and discuss it with the Town Attorney.

Rebecca Stanton-Terk, Mayor of the Village of Cobleskill, addressed the Town Board to discuss painting a crosswalk on Mineral Springs Road from the adjacent parking lot where the overflow of traffic parks when there is access court traffic. Mayor Stanton-Terk said the County agreed to put up crosswalk signs due to the traffic. Dan Crandell, the County Representative, gave Mayor Stanton-Terk his blessing to do it if the Town wants this to happen. Supervisor Hampel said he will discuss this with Dan Crandell.

A public hearing is scheduled for May 13, 2024 for the Grievance Day local law.

A public hearing on regulating large solar energy systems and wind energy system and a decommission of said will be on April 25, 2024, at 10 am at 378 Mineral Springs Road, downstairs.

The Town is opposed to Part O of the Governors Article 7, also known as, the Rapid Act. The Rapid Act will allow major electrical transmission facilities to eliminate private property rights and extend the power of eminent domain and easements to be put anywhere in NY. Part O of Article 7 will eliminate home rule and will undermine sound major review. Significant deprivation of property rights and the government bill of rights are a part of this bill. We want to maintain home rule for projects in our Town. A copy will be available on the Town’s website.