By DIANE VALDEN
ANCRAM—The Town Board decided not to reappoint the chairmen of town’s Planning Board and the Zoning Board of Appeals at its 2025 organizational meeting, January 2.
All other resolutions concerning appointments (with some updates because members have moved away, resigned or their terms have expired), designations, authorizations, policies and procedures with some rewording were approved in routine fashion. The complete list of the organizational resolutions, when updated, will be available on the town’s website: www.ancramny.org.
At the start of the January 2 meeting, Councilmember David Boice proposed a change to the chairmanships of the Planning Board and the Zoning Board of Appeals. He did not want to reappoint Planning Board Chair Joe Crocco, whose term expired at the end of 2024, but instead wanted to appoint Steve Olyha, who is chairman of the Zoning Board of Appeals (ZBA) to chair the Planning Board. He proposed appointing John Ingram, a former chair of the Planning Board as chair of the ZBA to replace Mr. Olyha. Mr. Ingram is willing to take the ZBA chair position if appointed.
Mr. Boice said he had heard “complaints from people who feel we are not paying attention to our laws” and “from workers, surveyors and engineers who don’t feel like they are getting a fair shake from our Planning Board and building department.”
He said it is “incumbent upon the Town Board to make changes to maybe help ourselves out in those areas.”
He said the two chairmen he proposed “would follow the direction of what our regulations are rather than going off on their own.”
Councilmember Bonnie Hundt asked if Mr. Crocco had been spoken to about the matter. Councilmember Colleen Lutz said Mr. Crocco wants to remain in his position as Planning Board chair.
Town Supervisor Jim MacArthur said he had also heard complaints but received “nothing in writing.” He said the gist of the complaints are that Mr. Crocco “goes above and beyond his position by asking questions that don’t really pertain to the Planning Board.”
Ms. Lutz said, “Either one of the individuals is capable” but that traditionally “each board is asked who they want for a chair—give them a chance to weigh in. That’s the way things functioned in the past.” She said it is good to allow the people “who are going to work directly with that person to weigh in on if they want that person to be the chair.”
Ms. Hundt said, “We need to go through the proper process” suggesting that if there is a vacancy on a board it should be advertised. She called the proposed replacement of Mr. Crocco “without him even knowing it—a strong arm kind of a move.”
Mr. Boice said the move “is protecting the interests of the town.”
Ms. Hundt agreed that the Town Board picks the chairs of other boards “after the proper process” is followed.
According to Town Law, the Town Board votes on the appointment of chairs of the Planning Board and ZBA, not the boards themselves, though they can give a recommendation, Supervisor MacArthur said.
When asked for his input, Mr. Olyha, who was present at the meeting, said he is favor of the change and would bring “a discipline” to the position and a belief that boards should “stay in their lanes.”
Mr. Crocco was not present at the meeting. The Planning Board’s January meeting was to take place at 7 p.m. following the organization meeting, which started at 6 p.m. and ended at 6:30 p.m. In the absence of the appointment of a Planning Board chair, it was noted that Deputy Chair Erin Robertson could run the meeting.
Supervisor MacArthur told The Columbia Paper in a phone call after the meeting that he stayed at Town Hall after the organizational meeting and advised Mr. Crocco of the board’s decision not to reappoint him and that the board would take up the matter again at its January 16 meeting.
Mr. Crocco did not return a call for comment by press deadline.
To contact Diane Valden email dvalden@columbiapaper.com
