Ellenville needs to file three more years’ worth of accounting information with the State Comptroller’s Office. At the village board’s May 13 meeting, Interim Village Manager Elliott Auerbach said this is a matter of some urgency: “The last full financials filed were for 2019.” The village needs to get up to date and file its accounts so that it can go before the State Financial Restructuring Board for Local Governments. That board can offer any municipality in fiscal distress up to $5 million in aid to assist in getting back to a position of financial health.

But the deadline for applying to the FRB is June 30. At this point, Auerbach said, the village has accounts completed for 2020 and almost completed for 2021, but not completed yet for 2022, 2023 and 2024.

To help the village accounts team, which now has Casey Hovis as treasurer working with Auerbach and Pam Buchwalter as internal accountant, Auerbach suggested that the village get assistance from RBT CPAs, which is one of the largest accounting firms in the Hudson Valley. “We would lean into RBT for advice,” Auerbach said. “We would not ask them to do the work.” Auerbach said he envisages between 30 and 60 billable hours from RBT for the job. Mayor Evan Trent said the village budgeted up to $25,000 for this kind of assistance.

The Financial Restructuring Board for Local Governments has ten members. It is chaired by the state budget director and includes the state comptroller, the attorney general, the secretary of state and six other members appointed by the governor. Of these six appointees, one is recommended by the Senate majority leader, and one is recommended by the Assembly speaker. At least one of the governor’s appointees is required to have significant municipal financial and restructuring experience. The board can undertake a comprehensive review of a municipality and use that information for recommendations to that municipality on how to restore financial stability. In addition, the board can offer grants or loans of up to $5 million through the Local Government Performance and Efficiency Program.

Zoning Change Put on Ice

A proposal to turn half of a parcel on Berme Road from a R1 residential single-family zone to the industrial I2 zone provoked discussion at a public hearing and was then left in limbo with no decision taken.

Paul Lozito, who has extensive experience with planning and zoning in New York City, asked the board if they had considered the implications with this proposed change. Could Berme Road, or the nearby sewer plant handle possible intensive industrial use, he asked.

The parcel lies close to a former industrial site, but it is zoned R1. Transforming it to I2 was thought to be in pursuit of a project for the site. However, nothing related to that project has come to the village for planning review. That leaves the request to change zoning on its own, with unforeseeable end results. Mayor Trent confirmed that no application had been received in regard to this property.

Trustees Raymond Young and Samantha Ellis had questions that closed in on that problem. Ellis asked what would be allowable in the I2 zone. Village Code Enforcement Officer Dan Pollan noted that any application would be reviewed by the planning board. The suggestion was made that the zoning change was to make it easier to market the property.

Paul Lozito pointed to an auto repair shop on the other side of Berme Road not far from the parcel in question. One possibility would be for that business to expand across the road. The question of whether the sewer plant could handle effluent from an industrial use in that location returned.

Eventually, Ellis and Trent wondered why the board was changing the zoning with no projected use in mind for the parcel. Trustee T.J. Briggs suggested that the board take no decision and close the public hearing. The board took that suggestion.

Shipping Container Ban?

The issue of shipping containers being parked in people’s yards in the village came to the fore briefly. Pollan is pressing for a ban on these less-than-attractive metal boxes. “Of course, there could be temporary exceptions to a ban,” he told the Shawangunk Journal. “For contractors who need to store equipment during a construction project, or in the case of an emergency following a fire, but beside those uses these containers should not be allowed in the village.”

The board asked Pollan to research the issue and he will deliver his recommendations for consideration.

Kids Will Dash On Sunday May 19

Nilsary Lewis-Rivera, recreation director for Wawarsing and Ellenville, has stepped in after the Ellenville Cooperative Nursery School gave up control of organizing the annual running races for children formerly called Run Like The Breeze, held on the same day as the Run Like The Wind. A set of races will take place on the usual block between Liberty Square and Ann Street on Canal Street. Canal Street will be blocked for that period, beginning at 10:30 a.m. Lewis-Rivera has named this event the Wawarsing Kids Dash.

Run Like The Wind will use a new course this year for its 42nd iteration. The runners will depart from outside Aroma Thyme Bistro on Canal Street, head down to Edward’s Place where they will turn left and proceed all the way to the wastewater treatment plant, and then enter the O&W Rail Trail and proceed north. They will return on the same route.

Antoine Lewis appeared before the board to seek approval for a basketball tournament to be held at Berme Road Park on June 2. A potential stumbling block arose when Trent explained that any organized event of this kind requires full insurance to protect the village on liability matters. However, board member Sue Nibe stepped in to say Lewis should contact her. She represents the Kiwanis organization in the area and believes the Kiwanis could take the proposed tournament under its umbrella for insurance coverage.

Movies on the Mountain

Trent left his seat as mayor and took to the petitioners’ lectern to request board permission for a program of six movies to be shown outdoors, weather permitting, starting at 8 p.m. and running no later than 10:30 p.m. on weekend evenings, dates to be decided on. Trent made the point that should there be another event, such as celebrations at the Christ Ministry Church just up the block on Market Street, the movie schedule would adjust.

The next village board meeting will be on Tuesday, May 28 at 6 p.m. since the 27th is Memorial Day.