To the Editor:

I realize we are in a disaster resulting from the COVID 2019 pandemic. I am, however, concerned that, during this critical time, rollbacks may be pushed through governmental agencies that may be harmful, such as we see with the Environmental Protection Agency loosening the rules on toxic pollutants such as mercury.

While we are distracted by the COVID crisis, an assault on the environment is underway. On a local level, I tried to view the Guilderland town meeting on April 21 via the internet as per the town website. I do not have access to television.

I also called in for the public comment that was on the agenda prior to the meeting. I am a taxpayer in Guilderland.

I was the first caller and alerted Supervisor Peter Barber that there was no sound from the live webstream. I said I would call back to comment publicly. The issue was not corrected and web viewers could not hear other callers comments nor the town board members’ responses.

I expressed this concern to Mr. Barber during my comments. I later learned that the sound was muffled on the TV as well. The webstream went down completely and did not restart.

I was calling with ongoing concerns about the Pyramid corporation and its push to build Costco, a gas station, apartments, office buildings, and who knows what else, despite an economic crisis, proximal to a globally rare habit, and threatening the jewel of Guilderland, the Pine Bush Preserve.

Pyramid, according to The New Yorker, can no longer afford the salaries for two new town police officers [part of an agreement that was to have expanded hours for patrols at the mall]. Yet Pyramid clear cut the lot for Costco prior to approval and it appears this project is recklessly speeding forward.

Will Crossgates be able to pay the taxes, fill new apartments, and find shoppers with spending money? Too bad public comments could not be heard.

What was said? I tried to call back in to ask if this malfunction of the meeting live stream was a violation of the Open Meeting Law.

This is from Governor Andrew Cuomo’s executive orders in this time of disaster: Executive order #202.1: Suspension of law allowing the attendance of meetings telephonically or other similar service: Article 7 of the Public Officers Law, to the extent necessary to permit any public body to meet and take such actions authorized by the law without permitting in public in-person access to meetings and authorizing such meetings to be held remotely by conference call or similar service, provided that the public has the ability to view or listen to such proceeding and that such meetings are recorded and later transcribed.

More pollution and deforestation are contributing to ill health, worsening the COVID morbidity, and worsening global warming. Why the rush to cut and pave?

Let’s support the businesses already here, leave someplace for nature, and have open meetings when the technology is worked out.

Wendy Dwyer, R.N., B.S.

Altamont

Editor’s note: The town is keeping the two full-time police officers on its payroll, Supervisor Peter Barber told The Enterprise earlier, and Pyramid Management Group had already made one quarterly payment of a little over $30,000. Barber says the town has had recent retirements in its police force and can weather the short-term financial fallout of the coronavirus pandemic with its savings. 

Barber said this week that a component of the technical system used by the town for web-streaming meetings was copyrighted so no sound was heard during the April 21 town board meeting; that part has been replaced so the meeting can now be heard, as well as seen, on the town’s website.

See related story on clear-cutting for Costco.