Did vernal pool protection evaporate?

MILLBROOK — After the Town Board had gone through the agenda and before the board signed off on bills, town Supervisor Florence Prisco recognized resident Howard Schuman, who commented on the newest version of the wetlands legislation that will be considered in a public hearing on Friday, July 16 (see story on right).

Schuman asked where the protection for vernal pools had gone.

In the newest version under consideration, Shuman said a 100-foot barrier is required only for vernal pools of one acre or larger. By definition, vernal pools are small, isolated, seasonal bodies of water that have hydrological benefits in filtering and storing water, as well as providing amphibian habitats.

According to Schuman, there are only four vernal pools in the town of Washington, which would be protected by the minimum 100-foot buffer. The 59 pools located within the town that are under one acre but over one-quarter acre would be protected by only a 50-foot barrier, which most ecologists view as insufficient.

Schuman said that the 140 vernal pools under one-quarter of an acre are left completely unprotected by the new version of the regulation. Schuman mentioned other changes to the document including diminishing the authority of the Conservation Advisory Commission.

Prisco said she “hadn’t picked up on this change.�

The regular town meeting included a public hearing on a local law to permit the Town Board to appoint an alternative to the Zone Boarding of Appeals (ZBA) and the Planning Board. All members of the Town Board remained in support of the action and no members of either the ZBA or the Planning Board appeared to give their comments.

According to board member Mike Murphy, two members of the Planning Board have reservations about the new law. They reportedly feel that things are fine the way they are now and that there is no quorum problem. According to Murphy, the members fear that an additional person might prolong meetings and intimidate applicants.

The public hearing on this issue remains open while Town Board members discuss the law with Planning and ZBA board members.

Councilman Robert Audia said alternates would be a “big plus.� Attorney for the Town Rebecca Valk pointed out that the new law would give the board the ability to appoint alternates, but not the obligation. Drawing from her experience with other municipalities which have adopted similar laws, Valk said “it allows people to get their feet wet,� before they accept a full term appointment to a board.

Bookkeeper to the Supervisor (and current Millbrook mayor) Laura Hurley reported that the town’s finances are in good shape with mortgage tax revenues in the first half of the year at $82,000, only $8,000 shy of what was budgeted for the entire year. Revenues for the park and pool are also up. Hurley recommended that the board consider issuing a bond of $200,000 to cover the gap between the fund balance for the park’s improvements and anticipated expenses.

After discussion the board instructed Valk to draw up the appropriate documents, which the board will review at the town meeting on July 16 after the wetlands public hearing.

In other matters, there was no update on the comprehensive plan because Co-Chairman of the Comprehensive Plan Review Committee Tom Beaumont was ill, although Prisco observed that the event was “well covered in the newspapers.� Work on the emergency plan is continuing and the camp building in the park has been completed.

Prisco relayed a commendation to Town Board member Willie Murphy for his direct involvement in the park construction project.

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