Village Board meets: Planning Board chair sworn in, no decision on zoning map

MILLBROOK — The Tuesday, May 28, meeting of the Village Board began at 6:30 p.m. The first order of business was the swearing in of Kay Vanderlynn as chair of the Planning Board.

The public hearing on the zoning map was opened, but discussion was held until Building Inspector and Code Enforcement Officer Kevin McLaughlin arrived.

Mayor Rodney Brown reported that the enhanced GI software project is going forward as planned. The current system is complicated, larger than need be and expensive. The new software will be $8,000 up front and $1,000 per year, and is expected to save the village approximately $7,000 to $8,000 per year. Rhinebeck Village Treasurer Karen McLaughlin is working with Village Clerk Sarah Witt and Deputy Clerk Nicole Zeko on the new software training process.

The village’s ambulance contract with Northern Dutchess Paramedics (NDP) was approved and signed. Due to a loss of volunteers, the village has been trying to find solutions to its Emergency Medical Services (EMS) coverage problem. Working with NDP, the village and town will now have 24/7 coverage between the paid service and volunteers.

In new business items, Brown said the village is working with the town of Washington and the village police for an officer to be present during court sessions as security for the justices. The officers would be on a paid, contractual agreement, which would augment current hours for part time officers.

Upon arriving, Ken McLaughlin took to the podium and the zoning map discussion began. There are at least four zoning maps, and they are all inconsistent. McLaughlin said that the county will not change maps without documentation and laws that address the changes. 

The zoning within the village is also inconsistent. He said that there should be a schedule of uses for zoning and that land parcels should be looked at one at a time, seeing what is or is not allowable. 

He used the proposed laundromat as an example. There have been laundromats, he said, and people want a laundromat. But parcels and zoning should be looked at individually. McLaughlin stressed that this is a huge undertaking.

Additionally, the laundromat application must go through the county, as well as the village’s Planning and the Zoning boards, therefore no decision was made at the meeting regarding that specific issue.

Trustee Kevin McGrane continues to work on signage and speeding trucks on Franklin Avenue. One idea, he said, is to create a school speed zone near Cardinal Hayes — though that isn’t possible as the school in question must be a public school and Cardinal Hayes is not.

McGrane and Trustee Mike Herzog are working with the Shade Tree Commission; trees will be planted in the village after the first of June.

The mayor announced that he and some board members attended a sheriff’s appreciation event on May 16 and a New York State Police Troop K event on May 24.

There was no public comment at the meeting, but an executive session was called to deal with a personnel issue, which was followed by an auditing of the bills and then adjournment.

The next Village Board meeting will be held on Monday,  June 10, at 6:30 p.m. at Village Hall.