The Stanford Town Board on April 9 introduced two local laws, one to reorganize the town’s zoning code without changing its substance and another to expand the allowable size of the Conservation Advisory Commission from seven members to as many as nine. Public hearings on both measures are scheduled for May 14.
Town Supervisor Julie Descoteaux said the zoning proposal, Local Law 1 of 2026, is intended to improve the structure and readability of Chapter 164 of the town code and make future revisions easier. She said the reorganization follows recommendations from the Zoning Commission and would move sections of the code into a more logical order, but would not rewrite the law itself. The Zoning Commission is expected to discuss the proposal at its April 30 meeting.
The board also introduced Local Law 2 of 2026, which would give the town more flexibility in staffing the Conservation Advisory Commission by allowing between seven and nine members. Board members said the change would help broaden expertise and maintain continuity.
In other business, town officials said Stanford will seek bids through a formal request-for-proposals process for transfer station services after the town’s prior contractual arrangement expired and the station’s compactor broke beyond repair. Board members said the compactor is currently out of service and residents are temporarily using a dumpster while the town evaluates options. Officials said they are committed to keeping the transfer station open, calling it an important and cost-effective service for residents.
The board also approved moving forward with a redesign of the town website to bring it into compliance with accessibility standards ahead of a state mandate that takes effect in April 2027. Descoteaux said the selected vendor, Civally, will redesign the site for $6,600 and add features intended to improve usability for both staff and residents.
Separately, Descoteaux said the town plans next month to introduce a local law formally adopting the Greenway Compact, which Stanford signed in 1998 but never officially enacted. She said formal adoption would improve the town’s eligibility for grants supporting trail improvements, planning work and heritage projects, while preserving local control and allowing the town to withdraw from the compact at any time.
The board also adopted Dutchess County’s 2025 Hazard Mitigation Plan, proclaimed April as Grange Month, approved permission for the Stanford Garden Club’s annual May 9 plant sale at Town Hall and accepted the resignation of Doreen Brown from the Zoning Commission.
The next Stanford Town Board meeting is scheduled to take place at 7 p.m. on May 14.