River council to adopt public comment policy, 03-10-1988

Top Stories
Headline News

TRR Archive
the Rue Morgue

Editorials
Editorials
Columns
Letters

Arts & Leisure
Reviews &
Schedules

Outdoors
Fishing/Hunting
Outdoor Magazine

Sports
Local Scores
& Standings

Food
Recipes for culinary delights

Bridges
Bridges of the
Upper Delaware

Back Issues

Search

Links

Commerce
Sponsors

Classified Ads
Find it here

Staff Pages

Masthead

Design Studio

Subscriptions
Get your copy delivered

Thursday, March 10, 1988, p. 3.

River council to adopt public comment policy

By TOM RUE

NARROWSBURG -- A draft public comment policy was submitted to the Upper Delaware Council (UDC) by chair Phil Fitzpatrick at the March 3rd meeting in Narrowsburg. The new procedures will be discussed and voted upon at the next meeting.

"Rude comments or questions will not be tolerated, nor will acts of physical intimidation, insults or threats. Running commentary and intentionally disruptive comments made at other times (than during designated periods) will not be tolerated. Such actions will be grounds for removal from the meeting," the draft policy states.

Fitzpatrick noted that all comments should be directed to the chair, adding that "personal references, especially of a derogatory nature, will not be tolerated."

At the start of the meeting, Town of Delaware representative Ed Sykes, St. read a letter critical of behavior by some members of the audience at the group's February 22nd organizational meeting.

"Near the beginning of the meeting, I seconded one of the motions that was made and the motion was carried. Mr. [Noel] van Swol was sitting in the front row of the audience and made a statement to the effect, 'Ed Sykes seconded that motion -- we will all have to cancel our business with his son's insurance company.' This is a flagrant attempt to intimidate me, along with his threats to sue each member of the council," Sykes said in the letter.

The March 3rd meeting was not marked by any disruptions, with all remarks from the public reserved to the end of the meeting.

During the meeting, the UDC organized itself into four committees, each to meet once per month in addition to meetings of the full council. All meetings will be announced in the press and open to the public, Fitzpatrick said.

The following committees were organized:

Project Review: Lumberland supervisor Tom Hill, Roger Fickes of the PA Department of Environmental Resources, Dick Guttzeit of Cochecton, George Frosch of Hancock, and Frank Hartmann of Deerpark.

Resource Management: Hill, Fickes, Guttzeit, Hartmann, and Bruce McMillen of the NYS Department of Environmental Conservation.

Water Use: Bruce Selneck of Shohola, Fitzpatrick, Bob Everest of the Delaware River Basin CommisSion, McMillen, and Sykes.

Operations: Fitzpatrick, Frosch, Selneck, Sykes, and Lackawaxen supervisor Ed DeFabo.

Project Review and Resource Management committees will meet at the UDC Narrowsburg off.ice on third Tuesdays starting at 7:00 p.m.; and Water Use and Operations committees on fourth Tuesdays at the same time. Fitzpatrick noted that National Park Service (NPS) and Upper Delaware Citizens Advisory Council representatives are invited to attend "any or .all" of the committee meetings.

The UDC voted to hire an executive director, an office manager, and a clerk-typist. "From talking to everyone, I think everyone is concerned that the staff be kept as small as possible, number one. And,-number two, that they be kept directly accountable to the council so these people don't become independent operators," Fitzpatrick said.

NPS Mid-Atlantic regional director James Coleman agreed, noting, "You don't want to have a situation where you have the staff leading the council".

The council also voted to retain an accountant. The organization will operate on an annual budget of $286,000.

In another matter, a letter from DEC planner Charles Morrison was distributed to council members, claiming that New York State owns the area along the river between high and low water known as the strand. Attached to the letter were 42 pages of legal cases and statutes.

Saying that he already had the letter, Frosch announced "I was directed by my town board to make note of the fact that the Town of Hancock, County of Delaware, rejects it."

Frosch said he owns 10 riverfront parcels with deeds granting title of the land to him. DEC representative McMillen gave his opinion that the Morrison comments were "not legally binding statements by the State of New 'York."

"Personal references, especially
of a derogatory nature, will not be
tolerated."

Morrison's letter was referred to the Water Use Committee for further study. "I think the strand issue has been here a long time and this council isn't going to solve it in the next few months," Fitzpatrick said.

During public comment, Ethel Poley of Cochecton, was told that the UDC's designation as a "charitable" organization was a legal term mainly for tax purposes.

In response to a question by The River Reporter, Fitzpatrick said the council's open records policy, modeled after that of the DRBC, will be formally adopted shortly. However, he noted that the council has agreed to be bound by terms of the draft until formal adoption.

Bertha Swendsen of Milanville questioned the council about alleged NPS activity in the Town of Bethel. "What's the National Park doing way over there? That's a long way from the rived" she exclaimed.

A Sullivan County official responded privately that the National Guard is considering renting office space in the industrial park there, but denied knowledge of an NPS presence in Bethel.

Damascus resident Eugene L'Hernault asked each member of the council to identify themselves by name. Trudy L'Hernault flashed photographs of the panel throughout the meeting.