The Herkimer Village Board on Monday decided there is only one way to truly be heard on the issue of locating a new county jail within village boundaries, and an unanimous vote to apply for lead agency status served as the statement of that belief.
The vote comes a week after county officials appealed to the village board to step aside. It also follows another village vote that resulted in a delay in county efforts to be designated lead agency for a State Environmental Quality Review Act study on the impact of building the jail at the former P&C site, off state Route 28.
County officials had planned on presenting the SEQRA results in either January or February of 2010.
Now the state Department of Environmental Conservation has a little more to think about before answering an important question: Just who does building a jail really affect the most?
The DEC’s answer could have major implications on the project’s future, as a lead agency gains authority over everything from public input to weighing any negative impact.
Based on the county’s handling of the jail issue so far, Trustee Gary Hartman feels the village is the clear choice.
“How can we trust them with any part of the process,” he said at Monday’s board meeting.
Hartman said the county had ample opportunity to involve village residents and officials in the process of potentially locating a jail at the P&C site.
But, despite being able to discuss lead agency status from the start, county officials waited until 80 percent of the study is complete, Hartman added, referring to comments made by the firm conducting the study, LaBella Associates.
While a representative of LaBella Associates argued the state tends to side with the “broadest” agency, citing Herkimer town official’s failed attempt to act as lead agent related to the Burrill site on Farber Lane, Hartman argued the village has more at stake.
Trustee Katie Nichols, along with Hartman, outlined the village’s argument for being designated lead agency.
Main issues they highlighted included:
• The village being required to provide sewer and water services.
• Declaring another parcel in the village tax-exempt.
• Village residents being the most directly impacted by any negative impact.
“How can we stand to take another property off the tax rolls,” Nichols said, adding, the village already has 52 percent of its parcels declared as tax exempt.
All of the village board members said the decision to pursue lead agency designation does not equate to support of locating a jail in the village. It is an attempt to gain control they said.
“We need to start getting this out in the open,” Mayor Mark Ainsworth said.
As the project also has a potential to require costly improvements to the already “overloaded” wastewater treatment plant, Hartman said the lead agency is inevitably involved in decisions on providing any financial compensation to village taxpayers.
“Who would you trust,” he said, “the county or the village.”
Herkimer, N.Y. —
