Rensselaerville in 2006
Packed halls, split votes, and a Field of Dreams



RENSSELAERVILLE — Residents packed the town hall almost every month as a town board, split along party lines, was divided on nearly every issue. But townspeople came together at times — once to build a baseball field in Preston Hollow, and again, when one of its residents needed help.
The baseball field, called "The Field of Dreams" by locals, was spearheaded by volunteers. Bob Bolte, Steve Wood, Ken Cooke and many other citizens put in new dirt, backstops, bleachers, and a sound system – all paid for with private funds.
"A lot of people have said it’s the best little league field in Albany County," said Supervisor Jost Nickelsberg; baseball is the "love of his life," he told The Enterprise this week.

After her home was flooded by torrential June rains, Sheila Whiteford contacted many government agencies, which failed to act, so Whiteford sought the town’s help. Supervisor Nickelsberg, Wood, Bolte, and Ralph Berwegan, came to her aid — Nickelsberg contacting the Department of Environmental Conservation and Wood, Bolte, and Berwegen using their own equipment to redirect the stream that had escaped it banks.

A resident in need

Volunteers came to Sheila Whiteford’s rescue in August. Whiteford’s home, located near Potter Hollow Creek, had been flooded four times since 1997; she made multiple phone calls and had sent letters and e-mails to several government agencies and organizations, asking for help.

Bolte, Wood, and Ralph Borwegen, Rensselaerville area residents, came to Whiteford’s aid with a permit issued by the state’s Department of Environmental Conservation and two bulldozers. Moving a considerable amount of dirt, the volunteers redirected the stream’s path, which had shifted in recent years and flooded after heavy June rains.
"This whole thing had to start and be blessed by the DEC," Nicklesberg told The Enterprise. He had stated his concerns earlier about the flooding creek washing out Route 81, the evacuation route recently posted by the state.
The permit, issued by the DEC on Aug. 21, was to "restore the stream to its pre-flood conditions."
"Nicklesberg," Bolte said, "was certainly instrumental" throughout the process of obtaining the permit — including getting in touch with the proper people, obtaining signatures from Whiteford’s neighbors, and having DEC inspectors evaluate the work site.
"The work took about a day and a half," Bolte said. "The stream, which had moved over 75 to 80 feet in June, made a bend, and was cutting a chunk out of Route 81."

The work was done at no public cost. Nicklesberg had estimated earlier that it would cost $50,000 to $100,000 to return Potter Creek to its original cost.

While trying to find relief, Whiteford’s frustration mounted.
"Over a month ago, I sent a letter, an application, and pictures to the Department of Labor. I haven’t heard back from them. Rural Housing wouldn’t help, because my home is in a flood zone"Because we’re in Albany County, we’re ignored," Whiteford said in September.

She was referring to FEMA (Federal Emergency Management Agency) not designating Albany County for aid after the June flooding; neighboring Schoharie County was designated.

She told The Enterprise there was mud throughout her house and said, "Everything is ruined."

Whiteford rebuilt her house in 1974 after it was destroyed by fire. Flooding didn’t occur, she said, until 20 years later. The house was flooded four times since 1997.

She had just finished paying out-of-pocket for tens of thousands of dollars in repairs from the last flood when June rains caused more flooding. The estimate for mud-removal alone was $4,000, she said.
"These guys did it for nothing," Whiteford said of Bolte, Wood, and Borwegen.

Bolte, as well as providing one of the bulldozers, was also instrumental in obtaining the necessary signatures from Whiteford’s neighbors. Before any work began, and before the DEC could grant the permit, Bolte had to have permission from surrounding residents.

Bolte said he saw a great deal of understanding and generosity from Whiteford’s neighbors throughout the process to obtain the permit and during the day-and-a-half project.
"When we were working, people from Potter Hollow and Preston Hollow came up to us and gave us money. I didn’t want the money," he said. "If people would help people, this would be a better place," he said.

The money, Bolte said, was given to Whiteford.
Nicklesberg said he hadn’t before seen a case of a homeowner having such extensive flood damage and said the process of helping out a member of the community was "gratifying."

In September, at the town board meeting, Whiteford commended Bolte and Wood and presented them with plaques for their efforts.
"I don’t have the words to describe how I feel about you guys"You’re the best," Whiteford said. "I salute you."

First year as supervisor

After running on a tax-reducing campaign, Nickelsberg was sworn into office on Jan. 1.

In his first town board meeting as supervisor, Nickelsberg made changes right away.

For years, the town used Kevin Catalano, a Rensselaerville resident. Nickelsberg wanted to use a firm from outside the town — Tabner, Ryan, and Keniry of Albany — and partner William Ryan attended nearly every town board meeting.

The change, which Nickelsberg said saved the town nearly $1,000, was not approved by the board’s two Democrats — Gary Chase and Sherri Pine. The vote was carried by the Republican majority — Nickelsberg, Myra Dorman, and Robert Lansing.

Nickelsberg said the change would prevent any conflicts of interest. Assessor Jeff Pine, husband of Councilwoman Pine, didn’t agree with the change, saying the change resulted in the town’s losing a good man in Catalano.

Nickelsberg also changed the time for town board meetings from 8 to 7 p.m., saying the change would help with residents’ schedules, and prevent older residents from having to brave the later time of night.
"We really had a great year. We’re running the town like a business for the first time. We reduced our taxes in a very tough environment," Nickelsberg told The Enterprise this week. Nickelsberg formerly worked on Wall Street; the supervisor’s post was his first elected job.
"It’s been very difficult at times, and there’s been some resistance along the way," he said of his first year in office.

Nickelsberg listed the town’s accomplishments — eliminating conflict of interest, full accountability of town workers and officials, and doubling the town’s surplus.
"We have had total transparency, for better or for worse," he said. Nickelsberg cited the town’s website, which has town-board minutes, updates from the land-use committee, and the town’s office hours and contact information.

In 2007, he said, the town will look to create a bicycle lane path, connecting the town’s five hamlets; work on consolidation and collaboration; and look to send its young people to the Young Men’s Christian Association in Bethlehem.
"We’re looking at everything," Nickelsberg said.
"What do we have to do to get people to stay here"" he asked, adding that the town’s goal is for "greater efficiency and greater services."

Moratorium

In late April, the town board narrowly passed a one-year moratorium on new major subdivisions in the town.

Split along party lines, Republicans Nickelsberg, Dorman and Lansing voted for the moratorium, while Democrats Pine and Chase voted against it.

The moratorium, lasting one year, halts subdivisions of over three lots in the town. A previous draft called for a stop to developments along ridge lines and non-residential developments over 2,000 square feet, but the town board changed those requirements after it met with harsh criticism from residents.
"We haven’t revisited the comprehensive plan since 1992, which is a long way ago," Nickelsberg said.

Though some residents, particularly large landowners, vocally opposed the moratorium, Nickelsberg said he believed the majority favored it.
"At the end of the day, the majority has to rule," he said.

Chase told The Enterprise he voted against the moratorium because petitions and comments at meetings indicated to him that more people in the town were against the moratorium than for it.

Moratoriums, Chase said, should be enacted only when there is intense pressure for development in a town, and he did not believe that pressure existed.

To aid the planning board in its work, the town formed a comprehensive-plan committee of residents from each part of town, large and small landowners, and local business people.

In August, a townwide survey was sent out to residents, which nearly 35 percent returned. The surveys revealed the community’s desire to stay rural and protect its open spaces. Visioning workshops were held at the three firehouses, and 104 residents attended.

Last month, Tom Mikulka, a volunteer on the land-use committee, updated residents and the board of its progress.
"We’ve taken your ideas and formulated a vision," he said. Mikulka said that the meetings, held on Tuesday evenings, are open to the public.
"No one ever comes," Mikulka said of the weekly meetings. Mikulka invited anyone to come, and added that the committee is concerned that "all their work will be for naught."

Mikulka said that no board members attend the meetings. Becky Lewis, also on the land-use committee, corrected him, and said that Nickelsberg has been to a few.

At its December meeting, the land-use committee reported that it was on schedule, and was expected to complete its work by Dec. 21.

Cass escapee

A November escape from the Cass Residential Center re-awakened fear in Rensselaerville residents, and led to officials re-examining policies and procedures.

A 15-year-old Cass resident broke into the nearby home of Robert Johnston, destroyed property, and stole money and a vehicle.

The Albany County Sheriff’s Department and State Troopers pursued him. The fleeing youth made it to his home in Poughkeepsie (Dutchess County) before being turned in to authorities by his father the next day.

The incident was the seventh reported to authorities from the correctional facility in a two-year span. The facility is run by the state’s Office of Children and Family Services.
"I was pissed. There’s no question about it," Robert Johnston told The Enterprise.
The escape led to re-examination of procedures due to a "reverse 911 call" — a computerized county notification system that calls neighboring residents in emergencies. Many residents near Cass didn’t receive the call, telling them a youth had escaped. Others reported the inaccuracy of the message, which said that "a 15-year-old boy was last seen on Cheese Hill."

Albany County Sheriff James Campbell told The Enterprise that the system prints out a report of who is called, who received the reverse 911 call, and who did not.

According to the report, approximately 2,000 locations were in the database and supposed to be called the evening of the escape; the system reported 420 successful notifications.

Campbell added that some people were not home and some hung up. The system, he said, is capable of leaving messages on answering machines.

If a phone is busy, the emergency notification system calls the number once more.
"I will be the first to say it’s not a perfect system," Campbell said.

Campbell also said that the sheriff’s department hadn’t seen problems to this extent before, and that the system for issuing an emergency notice to neighbors has been in place for about three years.
"The message was an error on the part of my personnel," Campbell said.

The escape in November also prompted a woman who had been a kitchen worker at Camp Cass to action. The Enterprise is withholding her name because she is the victim of a sex crime.

The woman was raped in 2004 by resident Michael Elston. Elston then forced her at knife-point into her car; she escaped when he stopped to make a phone call, police have said.

This summer, she said, she circulated a petition that, she said, asks for more accountability at the facility, added locks, and a fence. On Nov. 15, she told The Enterprise, 30 people signed the petition that morning.
"Public safety is the first thing we need to worry about," Nickelsberg said at the December town board meeting. He said security at Camp Cass is "a joke."
Tim Kelso, director of Camp Cass, Nickelsberg said, will be at the January town board meeting to "tell us what he’s done."

Nickelsberg told The Enterprise this week, "How do I allow neighbors to be at risk""Three of our citizens work there, but we can’t put our citizens at risk."
"We dodged a bullet this time," Nickelsberg said.