It would be hard to make this up but tonight's Planning Board meeting exposes more conflicts of interest than one could imagine in Congress.
The Planning Board meets to schedule a Public Hearing on Building Department head Michael Miner's 15 home subdivision tonight. Neither the Planning Board or Miner is not waiting for the Ethics Board to meet and render an opinion on the town's Ethics Law which even a casual reader would agree, prohibits him from building houses in North Greenbush while running the town Building Department.
S13-4 Conflicts of interest. “No Town employee shall have any interest, financial or otherwise, direct or indirect, or engage in any business or transaction or professional activity or incur any obligation of any nature which is in substantial conflict with the proper discharge of his duties in the public interest.”
To be fair, they are not approving the project tonight, rather it's a meeting to consider the subdivision of the parcel. However, proceduraly they could vote on the project tonight if they choose. Apparently some on the PB do not see any conflict as the project is being presented by others on the applicant's behalf. That's nonsense.
The Ethics Board Chairman is also on the Planning Board. If he fails to recuse himself from this project he will be unable to be impartial in any decision he might make on the Ethics Board.
And it does not end there, The Planning Board attorney is also the Ethics Board attorney. Look out, it's an ethics traffic jam with no Town Board leadership with the will or brains to have prevented it from happening in the first place. The confusion and mess they have created reminds us of an old comedy skit by Abbott and Costello. Who's on first?
The Planning Board meets to schedule a Public Hearing on Building Department head Michael Miner's 15 home subdivision tonight. Neither the Planning Board or Miner is not waiting for the Ethics Board to meet and render an opinion on the town's Ethics Law which even a casual reader would agree, prohibits him from building houses in North Greenbush while running the town Building Department.
S13-4 Conflicts of interest. “No Town employee shall have any interest, financial or otherwise, direct or indirect, or engage in any business or transaction or professional activity or incur any obligation of any nature which is in substantial conflict with the proper discharge of his duties in the public interest.”
To be fair, they are not approving the project tonight, rather it's a meeting to consider the subdivision of the parcel. However, proceduraly they could vote on the project tonight if they choose. Apparently some on the PB do not see any conflict as the project is being presented by others on the applicant's behalf. That's nonsense.
The Ethics Board Chairman is also on the Planning Board. If he fails to recuse himself from this project he will be unable to be impartial in any decision he might make on the Ethics Board.
And it does not end there, The Planning Board attorney is also the Ethics Board attorney. Look out, it's an ethics traffic jam with no Town Board leadership with the will or brains to have prevented it from happening in the first place. The confusion and mess they have created reminds us of an old comedy skit by Abbott and Costello. Who's on first?
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