THE HAPPENINGS TO PAY ATTENTION TO
Help Identify Invasive Species in Chatham
Help Identify Invasive Species in Chatham
Help Identify Invasive Species in Chatham
Help the town get funding to eradicate invasive species!
The Invasive Species Awareness Committee needs your help!
We have more invasive species creeping up everywhere, and if we're going to eradicate them, we need to know the true depth of the problem.
The following are the invasive species to be aware of:
- Toringo crabapple (tier 2 invasive species) - see images here.
- Honeysuckle (tier 4)
- Oriental bittersweet (tier 4)
- Phragmites (tier 4)
One thing the Capital Region PRISM Crew Assistance Program wants us to provide is a map of our area, showing where the invasive species are. This is where you come in.
How is A.I. Doing? FOIL Request Submitted
Help Identify Invasive Species in Chatham
Help Identify Invasive Species in Chatham
How is Artificial Intelligence Doing?
One of our group's volunteers has requested, via FOIL, a copy of the audio recording of the latest Communications Committee meeting, as well as the A.I. summary of that meeting.
Our goal is to witness for ourselves how A.I. is doing in creating accurate and helpful summaries prior to the Committee recommending this service to the Town Board to use to create summaries of the official Board meetings.
We have many concerns about the Town using A.I. for official communications with the public.
Accuracy matters, and we've yet to see an A.I. program deliver accuracy.
What's Legal? Fiduciary Duty Concerns
Help Identify Invasive Species in Chatham
Transparency and Communication - First Board meeting concerns.
Town Board Workshop Meeting Summary:
First, why is fiduciary duty so important?
The role of an elected official is to put the citizens' needs ahead of their own.
If they take actions that are potentially illegal or reckless, those actions open the town up for a lawsuit, which costs the taxpayers a lot of money ... and time away from the actual governing of our town.
We expect our leaders to follow the law.
Concerns:
- Not understanding Open Meeting Law
- Voting for resolutions they are aware might be illegal
- Ignoring the law of advisory board composition
Read the full report here.
Put the people of Chatham first.
That's all we ask.
Transparency and Communication - First Board meeting concerns.
Transparency and Communication - First Board meeting concerns.
Transparency and Communication - First Board meeting concerns.
Town Board Organizational Meeting Summary: Transparency and Communication appear to be an issue on Day 1.
99% of the meeting was rubberstamping and simple, but two concerning issues arose:
- The Councilpersons want to conduct business via email instead of in public at Board meetings or Workshop meetings, which is a potential violation of Open Meeting Laws.
- The Board proposed to terminate the Communications Committee.
We created as short a summary as we could, as well as included a shorter version of the video recording so you could see the highlights.
Please read and watch here.
If you have thoughts, contact Town Supervisor Donal Collins.
Office: (518) 392-0044
Email: supervisor@chathamnewyork.us
Short-Term Rental Law Passed
Transparency and Communication - First Board meeting concerns.
Short-Term Rental Law Passed
A new short-term rental law was passed by the Town Board.
Permits are now required.
Existing short-term rental owners have a 120-day grace period from the November 2, 2023 adoption date to register.
Grace period ends around March 1, 2024.
Template for "Good Neighbor" Document
Contact Town Supervisor Donal Collins, if you have questions: chatham@chathamnewyork.us.
DO YOU HAVE A PLAN TO VOTE?
Every single vote matters!
VOTE EARLY!
First, if you are not registered to vote, you can now do it online here. It's easy!
Please don’t sit this one out. We have two AMAZING local men—who, collectively, have 100+ years experience living in and serving the community of Chatham.
These are the Town Board members we need for common-sense zoning, housing options for young and old, to protect farm land from massive solar arrays, and be the voices that will represent YOU—ALL of you.
Vote in person at either of these locations:
401 State Street, Hudson, NY
or
3211 Church Street, Valatie NY
Or request an Early Mail Ballot here.
