At its July meeting, the Gallatin Town Board honored Jeffrey Higham, a civilian who rescued an elderly woman and her dog from a burning home — and unanimously signaled its opposition to dissolving the town’s fire district amid a potential leadership shortfall.
The heroism occurred on April 25, when Columbia and Dutchess County 911 centers received calls reporting a house fire on Jackson Corners Road. According to a report from Milan Fire Department Public Information Officer Jeff Galm, read aloud by First Assistant Chief Al Sardaro, “Callers reported flames were shooting through the roof. At 5:43 p.m., the Milan Fire Department was dispatched, along with mutual aid from Livingston and Pine Plains. This location was one mile from Milan Station #1. Luckily, a few members had stopped at the firehouse after work to work on a truck bracket and were on the scene in just three minutes from the alarm.”
Before emergency crews arrived, however, a passerby forced entry into the building and carried an elderly woman and her dog to safety.
Milan Fire Chief Kurt Mizgier presented a plaque to that bystander, Jeffrey Higham of Stormville, N.Y. “Sometimes we’re called crazy for running into a burning building — with all of our equipment,” Mizgier said. “It’s even crazier for a citizen driving by to take this action.”
Higham told the Herald he was on his way to visit his daughter, who lives on East Camp Road. Asked why he intervened, he said, “I just hope someone else would do it, too.” The audience responded with a standing ovation.
Though the meeting opened with applause, the board soon turned its attention to the uncertain future of the Gallatin Fire District. None of the fire district’s commissioners were present. Earlier this year, they informed the board they were considering dissolving the district due to a lack of candidates for the December election. But Town Supervisor John Reilly announced that at least four residents had since stepped forward to run for commissioner seats: two firefighters, one EMT, and one longtime resident with administrative experience.
Reilly acknowledged that neighboring towns would likely continue to provide fire services if the district dissolved, but warned that Gallatin residents might face varying fire tax rates depending on location. He asked board members to weigh in on whether they would support a potential dissolution request.
Michael Moran raised concerns about the legal and administrative burden of adjusting fire tax assessments for each parcel. Jeff Jorve said, “Better the devil you know. Let’s keep it the same.” Dan Quinn agreed, noting, “The district seems to be working, and I think uniform payment for everyone in town is the fairest solution.” Reilly concluded the discussion by affirming the board’s consensus: “If they want to step down, we have enough people to step up.”
That same evening, the board continued its months-long conversation about overhauling the town’s zoning regulations — a process aimed at clarifying rules, modernizing enforcement, and addressing housing, business, and land-use concerns. Town Attorney Andrew Howard, who is spearheading the redraft, said he had already met with the Planning Board and asked for additional guidance from the Town Board. “We need to be clear about regulation, administration, and enforcement,” he said.
Among the priorities discussed was the regulation of short-term rentals (STRs). Columbia County recently retained the firm Granicus to manage STR registration and tax collection, and has identified 42 STRs operating in Gallatin. Board members considered whether to require one-time or annual registration, encourage on-site management, and impose limits on the number of STRs or the days they may be rented per year. There was broad support for requiring annual re-registration.
Town Clerk Lisa DeLeeuw and Zoning Enforcement Officer Jake Exline both supported mechanisms to reevaluate properties each year. Board members also debated whether STR regulations should be integrated with existing bed-and-breakfast policies. Howard noted that keeping the two categories separate — with more rigorous review for B&Bs — could encourage on-site upgrades that would exempt those properties from STR tax obligations.
The conversation then turned to the town’s rules for commercial and industrial development. Gallatin currently allows site-specific commercial and industrial approvals through its Floating Commercial/Industrial District (FCID) designation. The town’s only existing industrial operation is a lumber mill.
Reilly suggested that the FCID process, as currently written, may discourage entrepreneurship. “Our current FCID and other regulations pose an onerous process and are a drag on promoting small-scale entrepreneurship,” he said. Jorve echoed the sentiment: “In general, having more small businesses start in Gallatin will have a positive effect on the town.”
Moran proposed a new approach that would allow the Planning Board to evaluate proposals based on their impact — including employee numbers, hours of operation, customer traffic, and equipment — rather than trying to predefine all allowable uses. “Instead of trying to figure out what businesses we want in Gallatin, let’s decide what impacts we want,” he said.
The board also discussed Gallatin’s zoning districts and minimum lot sizes. Howard asked whether development zones should be revised to permit smaller or larger parcels. Planning Board member Larry Brody noted that the town’s current 2- and 3-acre minimum lot sizes are based on 1970s-era soil analysis and stated, “The 2-acre and 3-acre districts work.”
Reilly questioned whether the existing zoning serves the entire community. “I think maybe the zoning works for people who don’t want any change,” he said. “I believe we need to rethink blanket zoning districts. We have nowhere in town where more affordable housing is encouraged.”
He floated the concept of allowing cluster housing — for example, developing 5 acres with 10 cottages while preserving the remaining 95 acres of a larger parcel. Moran said the board should aim to balance conservation with targeted development. “Do we want to preserve farmland and the contiguous forest overlay, with larger lot sizes in those zones to protect natural resources, and find places in town where it would be suitable to have some smaller lot sizes as well?”
Jorve, emphasizing economic feasibility, added, “Can we make it easier — economically possible — everywhere else, outside of farmland and forest overlay zones, for a property owner or developer to build a 1,200-square-foot house on a half-acre or quarter-acre lot?”
Howard responded that zoning incentives could be designed for cluster development both within and beyond conservation areas. He also recommended reexamining hamlet boundaries, lot sizes, setbacks, and road frontage requirements.
Additional topics included regulations for solar arrays and accessory dwelling units, as well as concerns over the condition of private roads. Reilly said the board is awaiting feedback from the Conservation Advisory Council and its Natural Resource Inventory consultant. Zoning discussions are expected to continue at the board’s September meeting.
The meeting concluded with a community update: resident Tara Silberberg announced that Gallatin’s annual town picnic will be held from noon to 3 p.m. on Saturday, July 26, at 365 West Pond Lily Drive. The event will feature live music by board member Dan Quinn and the Original Quinn Brothers, children’s activities, lawn games, a coffee truck, tarot card readings, and a community potluck. Residents are encouraged to bring a side, salad, or dessert to share.