BERNE — The Berne Conservation Board wants its work to mean something.

At a meeting last Wednesday, members of the conservation board asked the town board to clarify the conservation board’s role in making recommendations to the planning board.
"For the most part, we are not consulted," said conservation board member Patricia Rexinger, who works for the state as an environmentalist.

Other times, said conservation board member Harold Lendrum, the conservation board is asked for a report but the planning board makes the decision before the report is finished.
"Out time is wasted," Lendrum said.

The planning board is supposed to consult with the conservation board on the environmental impact of a proposed project, the board members said.
"Ideally, we should go out with them on a site review," Rexinger said.

However, Rexinger said, nothing like that is happening.
"There needs to be an understanding on their part that we have a formal role," she said.

The town board agreed with the conservation board. Supervisor Kevin Crosier said guidelines should be set down so the planning board knows when to consult the conservation board.
"You should be a box on their checklist," Councilman Joseph Golden told the conservation board.

Councilwoman Carol Crounse, who serves as the town board’s liaison to the planning board, agreed to arrange a meeting between the planning board and the town board. The boards will discuss the conservation board at the meeting, along with some other topics.

In other conservation-board news, Chairman Doug Fraser has submitted a letter of resignation, citing other obligations. The conservation board has submitted a list of six candidates to replace Fraser, and the town board will advertise for more. The board has five appointed, unpaid members.
"There might be some real experienced people that we’re unaware of out there," said Councilman Mark Huth.

The town board also discussed reinstating a program in which a student from Berne-Knox-Westerlo High School is appointed as a non-voting member of the conservation board. The program was discontinued because the student would change every year due to graduation, said town Clerk Patricia Favreau.

Crosier said the program is a good idea and Rexinger said someone from the conservation board will talk to the school.

Other business

In other business at its Nov. 9 meeting, the Berne Town Board:

—Discussed high-speed Internet access. Golden has been researching the issue since a complaint was heard at last month’s meeting by James Cooke, who runs an Internet-based antiques business. Cooke told the board it should work to ensure everyone in town has access to high-speed Internet.

High-speed broadband, not the much slower dial-up, is becoming the standard for which most web content is created. However, in rural areas where cable and DSL (Digital Subscriber Line) service is sparse, it’s hard to get.

Golden asked for, and was given, permission to use the town’s letterhead to send letters to Berne’s state and federal representatives asking for information on the topic. Golden said he thinks the Farm Bureau or the United States Department of Agriculture might be the most helpful.
Also, Golden said, "I would really like to sit down one more time with Time Warner and ask them if they have any more options on this." Time Warner provides cable service to parts of Berne;

—Continued a discussion on creating a park-and-ride lot in the town. The town would plow a parking lot in exchange for a central location for commuters to meet and carpool.

Highway Superintendent Raymond Storm said he spoke to the vice president of the Elsmere Rod and Gun Club and was told the club will discuss the possibility of lending its parking lot at its next meeting.
"He doesn’t think it will be a problem," Storm said.

Others suggested using parking lot of the overlook at Thacher Park. The town board asked Storm to contact the park, though it isn’t in the town of Berne;

—Passed Local Law Number Two of 2005, a tax exemption for a parent’s or grandparent’s living quarters attached to a tax-paying residence;

—Passed a $1.9 million budget for 2006;

—Declared seasonal roads. The list is the same as last year’s and is available on the town’s website; and

—Assigned Golden to oversee the drilling of a well for the town park.