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Sneaky Attempt to Dissolve a Committee
To the Editor:
The way in which Putnam Valley's new supervisor, Bob Tendy, attempted to dissolve the Comprehensive Plan Committee during the reorganization meeting on January 2nd is suspicious enough to make me think it would be a good idea to keep the Committee functioning.
The item on the agenda that appeared at the actual reorganization meeting had not been placed on the one posted in the Town Hall hallway before the meeting, nor had it appeared on the Town's website. Though apparently newly-elected Eugene Yetter and Bob Cinque, Mr. Tendy's fellow Republicans, knew about his plan to ax the Committee, it was a surprise to Councilwomen Wendy Whetsel and Priscilla Keresey, to Karin Greenfield- Sanders, who is chair of the Comprehensive Plan Committee (and who received the Virginia Connelly Award in community service last fall for the enormous effort and amount of time she dedicated to the project), and to almost everyone attending the meeting.
Earlier in the evening, when Mr. Tendy had apportioned the various Town programs to Board members, he assigned the Comprehensive Plan to himself, instead of to Mr. Yetter, an engineer, who served on the Comprehensive Plan Committee.
I admit that my concern is colored by seven years of watching Republicans dismantle environmental protections - like their "Clear Skies" program which dramatically weakens the original Clean Air Act, for one. So when I see our Supervisor sneaking through an attempt to dissolve a committee that should absolutely be involved in the Comprehensive Plan's implementation, I smell a rat. The Committee doesn't cost the taxpayers any money, Mr. Tendy, so why not keep it going? The members are all volunteers, and dedicated ones at that.
The Comprehensive Plan, as unanimously voted for last December by the Town Board, is a good thing. Mr. Tendy is going to have a full-time job as Supervisor without putting himself in charge of it. Mr. Yetter should be the liaison with the Comprehensive Plan Committee and the Committee should remain intact to insure that the Plan's vision is implemented for the best future of Putnam Valley.
Judy Allen
Putnam Valley
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