THE RECORDER
Amsterdam, NY
January 14, 2004

District attempts to address public concerns

By CRAIG CLARK

Recorder News Staff

ALBANY - The Hudson River-Black River Regulating District Board of Directors is taking steps to give the public a voice during its meetings.

The public's attempts to scrutinize the operations of the Great Sacandaga Lake's governing authority have been ongoing now for several months.

Despite the effort, some of those interested in the regulating district's affairs still feel frustrated with the flow of information.

Although interaction with the attending public is not par for the course for such boards, this week the regulating district instituted an interactive question period for the public.

At the board's December meeting, some among the approximate 150 people in attendance asked the board to institute a question-and-answer period so people could have more immediate satisfaction for their concerns.

That Q&A session was formally introduced Monday.

Although the Q&A took place after the meeting officially adjourned, the entire board, with the help of its counsel and chief engineer, remained at the table and answered, or attempted to answer, the questions raised by speakers. Board members said minutes of the session were taken. The regulating board and staff fielded questions for about an hour and a half.

Some said the session was a step in the right direction but some would still like to see more change.

"This meeting is secret in the open," Sacandaga-area resident Marilyn Sargent said Monday.

Sargent criticized the board for not being more clear and definitive in its discussions at board meetings.

"I was thrilled when we first started these meetings that you were going to run business in front of us," Sargent said. "Of course we don't have page 15, section 2, paragraph 1 in front of us so we don't know what the heck you're talking about," she added, referring to a staff member's report to the board which referenced material distributed solely to board members.

"And you know that's the very problem," she said. "All of that stuff affects us. That's why we're here."

Sargent said the meeting was not an open meeting, as much of the discussion was so vague.

When advised of the Q&A period, Sargent asked about the people who couldn't or just wouldn't stay for the extra session.

Providing informational sessions with increased use of props and presentation software was one goal the district's new executive director, Richard Lefebvre, mentioned Monday.

Although it was last year's proposal to drastically increase the fees for access permits on the Great Sacandaga that first made regulating district meetings so well attended, the regulating district's busy agenda for the coming year could keep attendance high.

This year the board has a great deal of unfinished business to attend to, including the independent audit that was approved for the Sacandaga's access-permit system. The board has yet to release, despite requests, and discuss publicly the erosion study for the Great Sacandaga that has been performed.

A reassessment for the downstream beneficiaries is coming, district officials say. That reassessment could see the downstreamers paying as much as an extra $1.6 million a year for flood protection and water use and may see some interest when it comes up for board discussion in public.

The board has also yet to discuss openly the much criticized reapportionment study performed by Gomez and Sullivan under order of the Offer of Settlement.

Members of the public Monday discussed their irritations concerning the complexities that are often encountered when permit holders wish to perform work along their shorelines.

District officials said some of those concerns could be cleared up this year.

The district is in the process of working with the state Department of Environ-mental Conservation and other agencies and hopes to soon institute one standard work permit for basic jobs like rip rapping.

District officials said the new permit won't cover all possible work on the Sacandaga. They said, for instance, if wetlands are involved, then residents may need to contact the Adirondack Park Agency and possibly the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.

The next regulating district meeting is Feb. 9 in Fulton County.

As the regulating district's arm stretches over a large area of New York, its meeting is rotated from place to place, such as Mayfield, Watertown, Old Forge and others.

Due to recent interest in the affairs of the Great Sacandaga, the district's recent meetings have all been held in the Sacandaga or Albany area.

Board members said Monday, however, the district still governs areas in the Black River region and meetings will have to be held there as well.