editorial, Fri, July 24th, 2009

Last week, The Spotlight brought you news of some flap over the makeup of the Town of Guilderland’s zoning review committee. (A story, by the way, in which the last line was dropped somehow during production. Our apologies. For those of you wishing to satisfy the cliffhanger ending, Garry Robinson is the owner of Robinson’s Ace Hardware.)
The issue is this: Councilmen Mark Grimm and Warren Redlich — The Republican minority of the Town Board — are upset because they were only allowed to handpick one of the two registered Republicans on the zoning committee. Democratic Supervisor Ken Runion, who has no obligation to compose the committee in any fashion, had the nerve to reach across the aisle and pick his own Republican. For shame.
Regina DuBois was picked to sit on the zoning committee by Runion, and although Grimm and Redlich said they do not object to her selection, Redlich said “one out of eight” members chosen by the Republican minority on the board is not enough. Their preferred Republican: Party Chairman Ted Danz. The two tried to add Danz, but a motion to add another member failed 3-to-2 along party lines.
Grimm and Redlich accuse Runion of having an agenda for the committee — an accusation that begs a few observations:
If Ken Runion is trying to successfully push an agenda by manipulating the makeup of the committee, he is the worst mathematician ever. As it stands, the eight-member committee has three Democrats, two Republicans, a Conservative, an Independent and one member with no party affiliation. No party represents a majority of the board.
And speaking of agendas, if Grimm and Redlich tell us they feel the two Republicans on the committee are competent, what is the effort to crowbar their party chairman onto the committee, if not a political scheme?
Now, we at The Spotlight aren’t so naïve as to think that laws are apolitical. But we’re hesitant to think that more party representation on this committee, designed to address zoning issues and bring the town’s comprehensive plan and zoning laws into sync, is likely to make it easier for any Guilderland resident to dig a swimming pool.
What will make it easier — and this is where Grimm and Redlich have a valid point — would be to more clearly define what is expected of the committee. Runion told us he would rather keep the committee’s direction broad — tightening its scope would “tie their hands,” he said.
He’s wrong. The committee serves at the town’s pleasure, not their own. And having a clear plan never tied anyone’s hands.

CATEGORY: General Society

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