Letters to the Editor, Jan. 31

New town board member, Namasha Schelling, is smart and caring 

To the Editor:

I was happy to read Thane Grauel’s article, “Town to tap federal funds for water pipe” in the Jan. 24 edition of The Recorder.

Our newest town board member, Namasha Schelling, is smart and caring and has a much wider world experience than anyone else on our town board. I am proud to have gone door-to-door with her to help her get elected. This article shows that she is no “rubber stamp.” She has the thoughtfulness and courage to think and ask questions about the excess estimated pipe cost of $3 million which currently has no funding.

The federal landscape is changing, and, even in the best of times, I know that federal grant funding is hard to get. The federal grant proposals may state a “disadvantaged component” as the consultant Laberge Group posits, but it seems disingenuous to say that Pound Ridge is a poor place compared with most of America and needs special help from the federal government. Yes, the residents of the water district may have lower incomes than others in Pound Ridge, but they are also the ones who worked hard to get a permissive referendum to stop the implementation of the water district. At least three of them already installed water systems at their homes and stores in compliance with the Westchester County Department of Health and EPA recommendations for treating PFAS. Will they be paid back for doing the right thing?

Three million divided by the 36 entities in the water district, is about $83,000 each. We’ve been promised that no one outside of the water district will pay, but I don’t see how these people can pay that.

I’m glad that Namasha Schelling is on the Pound Ridge Town Board. America needs people of integrity with the guts to ask questions.

Ellen Kearns

Pound Ridge

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Pound Ridge writer: Don’t find reason to complain, help out

To the Editor:

Starting out a letter concerning the Pound Ridge Town Board I will admit they are friends of mine. I will also attest to being a Democrat. Like them. I don’t think this disqualifies me from making the following observations: 

1. They’re good at what they do. Compare a list of their many accomplishments to the last three town boards and their achievements are staggering. 

2. The opposition has a list of complaints. Petty non-starters that they should be embarrassed to raise. Start with the dispensary. 

3. Our town is currently … great. Drive through, walk around, take a look. Things look great, feel good, are positive. It’s a good place to live. 

Still, the opposition finds reason to complain. The glass is half-full. I’d argue it’s even more than that. You guys on the right, you want something to do? Help. Help us out. Volunteer. Join a committee. Participate. Make the town board friends of yours. Join the club. It’s your club, too. It’s our club and we’re lucky to have it.

Robbie Everett 

Pound Ridge

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A sewage treatment system to nowhere

To the Editor:

The 2017 Pound Ridge Water/Wastewater Task Force Report (Appendix A to the 2019 engineering report commissioned by the town from Pio Lombardo engineers) described problems with Scotts Corners’ septic systems: “[p]roperties are likely to fail if current standards are applied” and “Area required for seepage fields based on estimated future [sewage] flow of 54,000 gpd ... is not available in Scotts Corner.” (Appendix A, Page 17). 

The Lombardo Report priced installation of sewage piping and a treatment system at approximately $17,500,000 (Lombardo Report, Page 161). (Now that would be over $21,000,000 per the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics’ inflation calculator). For that treatment system, the town subsequently took soil samples along Westchester Avenue leading uphill from Scotts Corners to the general vicinity of the town park but never publicly reported the results.  The notion that raw sewage could continuously and safely pumped uphill to a treatment plant for $17,500,000 (or even for much more) was fanciful although no alternative has been proposed.

In 2024 the town board, led by Kevin Hansan, pushed for a water district, applied for and apparently obtained a state grant that will bring Stamford-sourced treated water to Scotts Corners. Once the well pumps on Scotts Corners’ properties are turned off in favor of the piped water, well water will no longer be drawn from the water table. Yet the newly piped-in water has to go somewhere, that is, into the existing water table. Thus, the already antiquated septic systems in Scotts Corners will be further stressed and the town may be forced to implement a $21 million plus sewage treatment system to nowhere. Hansan and the town board ignore that risk as if it will somehow magically disappear. It won’t. In 2025, it’s “time for a change.” 

Ronald Asaro 

Pound Ridge

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Capital markets don’t share Kevin Hansan’s view 

To the Editor:

I’ll keep my rebuttal to Kevin Hansan’s letter in the Jan. 17 Recorder (“Hansan says letter writer’s allegations misleading”) below the 721 words he used to say in effect that there is nothing to be concerned about the multiyear delays with financial statements. That includes those required by law to be filed with the state within 90 days after the end of each year.  The high rate on the bond anticipation notes, or BANs, is solely because the town can’t access the municipal bond market with 2- and 3-year-old financial statements. The current 10-year municipal bond rate is 3.2 percent, which is 2 to 3 percent lower than the rate on the last two one-year BAN’s. Capital markets don’t share Hansan’s view that financial statements are less important than his personal assurances.  The only meaningful cash the town has available to put in CD’s is the Open Space Fund that should be $5.3 million now but any interest earned must stay in the fund and is not available to the town to mitigate its BAN interest costs.I accurately stated that the 2022 financials showed the auditor’s fee exceeded budget by $38,840 (Exh. 1). The 2021 and 2022 audits were not completed in 2022 as neither were disclosed until 2024. No or very little work was done on those audits in calendar year 2022.  While I now see the 2021 financials show no fee, that is not GAAP (generally accepted accounting principles) which is based on accrual accounting. Just as the 2022 fee was accrued in 2022, the 2021 fee should have been accrued in 2021. The double entry corrected the error but results in total expenses being too low in 2021 and too high in 2022. The only basis under GAAP for not accruing the auditor’s fee in 2021 was if the town was uncertain if it would even have the financials audited.Actual annual fees after 2022 are unclear, but the 2025 budget shows $43,900 for 2023, $57,350 YTD through October for 2024 and $55,000 budget for 2025 (Exh. 2). All confirm my point that tardiness increases auditor’s fees.Two present board members including Alison Boak, who championed TEP, have overseen it since 2013. Funds were spent each year and $188,585 had been spent prior to June 2019 board meeting (Exh. 3). The minutes of that meeting referred to $370,000 or 20 percent as the engineer’s estimate of local cost (Exh. 4). It is incontrovertible that the local cost went from $370,000 or 20 percent of a total $1,850,000 project to $821,959 or 36.9 percent of a total $2,227,959 project.All of the cost overrun went to taxpayers. The town got $1,406,000 in grants (Exh. 3) or $74,000 less than awarded.  There is no indication the board explored getting more grants or scaling back the project to stay at 20 percent local cost.The 2022 financials show and the town confirms that the major 80 percent grant funding of $1,217,415 wasn’t actually received until three years after 125 percent of that amount had been spent. Similar cash flow mismanagement on the five-times larger drinking water project would have the town unable to pay its bills.

John McCown

Pound Ridge

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Waccabuc Country Club decision needs scrutiny

To the Editor:

At the zoning board’s monthly meeting held Wednesday, Jan. 22, the ZBA took less than one minute to unanimously vote down 50-plus Lewisboro residents petitioning for a rehearing on the Waccabuc Country Club’s recently revealed waterfront expansion plans. 

Obviously, we’re disappointed, but if we needed confirmation that the fix was in, the ZBA certainly provided it. It was almost comical. Our attorney was at the podium, and they not only refused to let him or any of us speak, they wouldn’t even establish eye contact. Fifty residents petitioned to be heard — for the first time — on the egregious expansion and intensification of a nonconforming commercial dining and entertainment complex on a private, exclusively residential lake, and they slammed the door in our face … in a matter of seconds. I do not understand how it serves their interests to dismiss our reasonable requests for conditions on use again … and again … and again.

From our perspective, it was a badly wrapped gift as it resets the clock on challenging their blanket approvals. They gave the Waccabuc Country Club everything they asked for — without seeing site plans — in one fell swoop. It begs closer scrutiny. And for anyone interested in taking a look, everything is laid out for your review at: https://sites.google.com/view/save-our-serenity/home.

Two days later, the town board released their agenda for Monday’s meeting.  On it was a request by the WCC to suspend the 30-day community notice requirement with regard to their liquor license application for the lakefront.  The application stipulates that the club is applying as an outdoor establishment planning to offer live bands, recorded music and disc jockeys for “patron dancing” … this in a residential zone. Any resident living on a Lewisboro lake should take heed.

Tara A. Owen

Lewisboro

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Writer says accusations about town are misleading

To the Editor:

Nick Cianciolo Sr. in his Jan. 24 letter to the editor (“Financial transparency: the town of Pound Ridge deserves better”) makes several misleading claims about the town of Pound Ridge.

A recent college grad and lifelong Pound Ridge resident, I have recently begun attending town board meetings. While I am new to local politics, I feel compelled to address the misleading claims made by Cianciolo.

The call for residents to attend town board meetings is one I strongly endorse. Doing so has given me new found hope for civil governance. If you choose to attend you’ll find this town board (Hansan-Boak-Briggs-Paschkes-Schelling) possesses transparency, honesty, and accountability in droves. Every subject is open for discussion, and policies are explained in detail, even down to the fine print.

Claims made about delayed financial audits causing excessive interest rates or a “$40 million-plus wastewater facility” are not rooted in reality. These have been debunked repeatedly, and attending meetings reveals the truth. Such assertions are put forth either with an interest in deceiving, or without proper knowledge of New York State law, failing the standards of transparency and honesty Pound Ridge residents deserve.

The Jan. 24 letter offers no solutions or improvements for the town. Instead of undermining the board’s efforts with libel and falsehoods, I challenge those on the other side to propose constructive solutions. The board welcomes respectful debate and diverse perspectives, as I’ve witnessed firsthand. There is no cronyism here — I’ve observed open, respectful debate among board members, demonstrating that all voices are welcomed as long as they adhere to the values we seek: transparency, honesty, and accountability.

Trevor Velez

Pound Ridge