BERNE — Months after he and another tenant were told to leave their home, Nelson Kent will be returning to the retreat house at Switzkill Farm in Berne, this time as the property’s caretaker.

Kent was appointed the Switzkill Farm caretaker by the town board at its June 13 meeting. The board also authorized the town’s building inspector, Chance Townsend, to inspect the retreat house and ensure it is usable as a residence for Kent.

Three board members — Supervisor Sean Lyons, Councilwoman Karen Schimmer, and Councilman Joel Willsey — voted in favor of Kent’s appointment; Councilman Dennis Palow abstained because he had not attended the interview, and Councilwoman Dawn Jordan was absent.

Kent told The Enterprise on Monday that he will be living at the retreat house rent-free in exchange for caring for the property without pay — he and the other tenant had previously each paid $200 a month. Kent said that his duties will include some light maintenance of the facilities and some management of events, such as ushering in guests.

“I’m just more of a presence here,” he said.

Kent expects to be able to return to living at the retreat house around the beginning of July. The town intends to allow other people to stay at the retreat house, too, he said, but that it is not yet ready for that.

Kent and another retreat-house resident, Diane Poole, both Buddhists, lived in the single-story building, which has seven rooms and two communal bathrooms. Poole had lived on the property for years; Kent lived there since January 2017. On Feb. 27, Townsend inspected the retreat house and reported that smoke detectors and sprinklers weren’t working, and issued the tenants an order to vacate, saying that it wasn’t safe to stay overnight at the property.

The property had been visited a week earlier by Supervisor Sean Lyons and Palow — who had taken office the month before — along with Highway Superintendent Randy Bashwinger — all Republicans who ran together last fall. Palow said the three went there to address questions about plowing the property and observed a number of issues. Lyons said he consulted the town’s insurance carrier and then federal guidelines before deciding to ask Townsend to inspect the property.

The incident was a flashpoint in Berne, bringing back ire over the initial $112,000 that the town paid to purchase the 350-acre property, a former Buddhist retreat with several buildings and scenic views from field and forest. The farm purchase had become a campaign issue last November. In February, supporters of Lyons and Townsend’s decision suggested that the land is a liability and should be sold.

Meanwhile, members of the Switzkill Farm Board and others were shocked that the town had instructed two people to leave their home with only a few hours’ notice. While Kent seemed to remain calm in the situation, and has stayed with a friend during his time away, Poole was reportedly upset and said she would not return to the town at all. She had lived there since before the town purchased the property from a group of Tibetan Buddhists in 2014.

Kent is a member of the Switzkill Farm Board, as is Townsend. Kent said that living on the property allows him to be even more involved in the board’s work.

“It’s just a good opportunity for me,” he told The Enterprise.

Kent is also the director of the Buddhist center Albany Karma Thegsum Chöling, and also does some engineering work part-time. He previously managed facilities at the Buddhist monastery Karma Triyana Dharmachakr in Woodstock, and, before that, he worked in construction for 15 years. His experience was noted by board members upon his appointment at the June 13 meeting.

“I like the feeling of the place,” Kent said. “The natural beauty of it.”

He hopes that the knowledge that a caretaker is present will calm some concerns about Switzkill Farm being unsecured or unmaintained.

Other appointments

At the June 13 meeting, the board made several other appointments, including Dennis Ryan as a part-time laborer, and Darryl King as a paid, part-time, temporary landscape intern at Switzkill Farm.

The board stalled on appointing a new member to the zoning board of appeals. Lyons and Palow, Both Republicans, voted in favor of appointing Ian Guarino, a member of the youth council and the husband of the council’s chairwoman, Jean Guarino; the vote was tied with council members Schimmer and Willsey, both Democrats, opposing the appointment.

The vote tied again when Schimmer and Willsey voted in favor of appointing Timothy Doherty, with Palow and Lyons voting against the appointment. Lyons then made a motion to appoint the third candidate — former town building inspector Tim Lippert — but no one seconded the motion.

The vote was tabled until the next board meeting, where Jordan, also a Democrat, will likely make the deciding vote.

Other business

In addition, the board also:

— Discussed the New York State Energy and Research Development Authority’s Clean Energy Communities program, which could award the town a grant if it completes four tasks to save energy. The board voted to submit its unified solar permit as one of the tasks, and Willsey was appointed the board’s liaison to the program; and

— Approved a rent-to-own purchase of a gradall excavator for the highway department for $50,000, and authorized Bashwinger to sign off on forms for state reimbursement of paving costs.