NORTH EAST — The Town Board held a special meeting on Thursday, April 18, to discuss a few housekeeping matters. Much to the board’s surprise, no one from the public attended.
The board approved four different resolutions that night: the Monroe Balancing Test, which allows the town to forgo a Planning Board review for the town highway garage project; the short form Environmental Assessment Form (EAF) in the State Environmental Quality Review Act (SEQRA) process for that project’s review; the Municipal Innovation Grant (MIG) jointly applied for with the town of Milan for a road grader; and an MIG with the towns of Clinton and Milan for a dirt roller and trailer. All four resolutions passed during the less-than-one-hour-long meeting.
Town Supervisor George Kaye said he was especially surprised there was no public comment about the Monroe Balancing Test, which had drawn some criticism and a number of phone calls to Town Hall. For more on the Monroe Balancing Test, read last week’s April 18 issue of The Millerton News or go to www.tricornernews.com.
“There was nobody there to protest,” he said. “I was very surprised seeing there had been comments before from the Planning Board and different individuals. But nobody was there to say anything or do anything.”
Kaye noted that for the resolution regarding the Monroe Balancing Test, the Town Board “did take comments from the Planning Board.” Those comments asked for the town to communicate with the Planning Board where it can, and when time permits.
“We’ll certainly take their suggestions into account in the process of doing this,” he said. “Their comments were more concerned about signage, lighting and elevation differences.”
The supervisor said that although the front and rear of the Route 22 property where the garage will be constructed “look flat,” there’s a 30 foot elevation difference.
“But since it’s a deep property, it’s a gradual incline,” he said. “We knew that to begin with. Each phase of the garage, the storage building, etc., will be on a slightly different elevation.”
Kaye added the Planning Board also noted it’s concerned with buffers, landscaping details and redirecting the course of the stream.
“It all will be covered in the process of how and when we proceed and will be taken into account,” he said.
Justine and Victor Valla in their studio with a painting of Victor’s,”Jonah and the Whale.” Robin Roraback 
A ceramic vase by Kathleen Heidemann.Provided 
Joy Brown’s delightful ceramic sculptures.Provided 
Hundreds of items at Stateline Auctions, including a candy-apple-red Crosley pickup truck.D.H. Callahan
