Town of Red Hook Town Board
Public Hearing
May 10, 2005

Senior Citizen Exemption

Supervisor Blum Bump called the Public Hearing to order on May 10, 2005 at 7:15 p.m. by reading a copy of the legal notice and a copy of Local Law No. 2 of 2005 amending Local Law No. 1 of 1992 which is Section 126-2 of Chapter 126 Taxation Senior Citizens Exemption of the Code of the Town of Red Hook.

Councilwoman Crane explained that seniors in 1992 up to present day in order to qualify for the 50% they had to be making less than $15,000. With this new law they can make up to $24,000 to qualify for 50%. Hopefully this will help some of the seniors. To qualify for this you must apply by March 1st of 2006.

Councilman Ross said this puts the Town on the same scale as the County for exemption the school has an exemption that is slightly higher.

Motion by Supervisor Blum Bump, seconded by Councilman Ross that the Public Hearing is closed at 7:30 p.m. on the Senior Citizen Tax Exemption.

Conservation Easement Law

Supervisor Blum Bump opened the second Public Hearing on the Local Law Conservation Easement at 7:30 p.m. by reading the legal notice and a copy of the Local Law.

Robert McKeon Chairman of Agricultural and Open Space Committee explained this local law would give owners of large parcels a tax break if they don't develop their open lands for at least 5 years.

Research was done in other towns, Clifton Park and the Town of Perinton had this program since 1976 where they had a little over 200 signed up for the program and now 29 years later they have a little under 200, we would have 122 eligible.

The Town Board would allow those who own at least 10 acres of undeveloped land to place a conservation easement on that property for a specific length of time.

Marcy Appell...would placing a conservation easement on our property would it lower reducing town, school and county property taxes for the life of the easement is the way I interpret this law.

Attorney Trezza replied that is correct.

Becky Thorton of the Dutchess Land Conservancy not for profit organization ... Red Hook has been the model for all the other Towns in Dutchess starting with the passage of your bond to protect Agricultural land. It was a step in keeping open space her in Red Hook. Happy to see Red Hook still in the forefront making proposals to put more tools in place to preserve the rural character. We need to provide an incentive to keep the land open so we need to assist land owners who want to keep open space and allow future growth of the Town.

Scenic Hudson representative who works through the Hudson Valley and focus on River front properties like the Town of Red Hook to promote environmental issues, land conservation, smart growth development and other things along that line. Red Hook is a precedent setter of its own through the valley. It's just the general rural character that draws people to a place like this. It takes a lot of tools to make these things happen. The term easement would be just another tool for someone to help hold their land open and preserve the rural character.

At this time Supervisor Blum Bump opened the floor for comments.

Betty Mae Van Parys said she came from the Rochester area and knows Town of Perinton is a very rich community so they didn't mind doing it. I think you should do a twenty to thirty year easements not five years we would benefit more. How much land is available for these easements?

Robert McKeon said that 4,000 acres are eligible.

Lou Dondero... after studying Robert McKeon's figures he has more inaccuracies that accuracies.

Terry Schaff said I am very interested as I feel it would cost more if we allowed development.

Lee Ann Hanson... if you have all this acreage people aren't going to develop it anyway I don't feel I should pay other peoples share of taxes.

Resident Richard Franklin said he spoke to the Assessor in Perinton who gave him comparison figures. Perinton has the base to put a program like this in place, we do not. No one is doing their homework checking out all these facts and figures.

Paul Fredricks resident who thinks the Zoning and our zoning code are doing a good job protecting open space and would like to see more effort done in that direction than have the poor people take up the taxes. You were just offering the seniors a tax break and now you are asking them to pay more taxes.

Thomas LeGrand resident feels that we not only have to think of the farm landowners we've got to think about the crippling effect our taxes are having on the elderly and you people who can't afford a home here.

Rosemarie Zengen of the Save Our Town Committee... we are vehemently opposed to the Conservation Easement Plan because we feel there is a lack of information concerning the plan and also there appears to be a shift of the tax burden from those residents who own 10 or more acres of land to those less land rich.

We want the Red Hook Town Board to veto any action for this Conservation Easement Plan.

I wish to submit to the Town Board 55 signatures which I obtained in approximately 2 hours.

Lisa Griffin questioned if Mr. McKeon took into account the school tax at all or was it just land tax.

Robert McKeon replied it would affect the overall valuation.

Charles Laing ....could be a useful tool for those who are interested.

Marcy Appell... I feel guilty taking a rebate on my taxes. The Town Board will hold the easement. It is going to cost the landowner just to get the easement.

Resident Ralph Douglas said that before this program is adopted we need a lot more detailed information on the affects on the rest of us.

Linda Keeling resident suggested that at the next public hearing people should sign up and use a microphone. There is one person here who is hearing impaired and under the American Disability Act they need to hear.

Marc Molinaro, Legislator...development brings new taxes, open space brings new taxes and at what rate do we expect it and at what pace do we except it. I just want to offer the County endorses the conservation easement through development rights through the transfer of development rights and also through contract easements further the department of management growth that we identified and adopted. We also called for comprehensive approach. One measure we ought to consider everything we do shifts burden from one tax payer to another, question is what are we willing to accept and what rate are we willing to accept it and I am glad that residents are out and willing to accept it.


Supervisor Blum Bump said we will not close the public hearing and will continue on June 7, 2005 at 7:15 p.m.

Town Clerk
Margaret E. Doty