Credit: Will Maitland Weiss
Gallatin is one step closer to having a Natural Resource Conservation Plan. The Town Board unanimously approved a contract with JN Land Trust Services to develop the plan at its meeting on Tuesday, May 21. Earlier that day, the town’s Conservation Advisory Council took a four-hour hike through various town environments with Jim Nordgren, the principal of JN Land Trust. Nordgren, who holds a master’s degree in environmental management from the Yale School of the Environment, will lead the planning project.
In an email sent in advance of the town board meeting, the Gallatin CAC emphasized the importance of developing a Natural Resource Conservation Plan. “The Town of Gallatin possesses an extraordinary concentration of unusual and regionally important habitats, clean streams, active farms and most importantly a huge portion of our town is located in the Berkshire Wildlife Linkage zone, meaning that our forested land is part of a larger wildlife corridor that stretches all the way up to Maine,” read the email, which was signed by every member of the CAC: Eli Arnow, Carol Smillie, Harry Franklin, Nancy Kuster, Stixxx, Benjamin Maron, Annabel Roberts McMichael and Tara Silberberg.
“The Natural Resources Conservation Plan [NRCP] will identify these and other resources throughout the town,” the email said. “Ultimately the NRCP will provide guidance for land use planning, land development, and conservation that will help the town sustain the most important resources for generations to come.”
The conservation plan will be funded by a green fund supported by the Gallatin Climate Smart Task Force. This town-appointed task force meets monthly to address climate change issues. Collaborating with the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority and other agencies, the task force raises money through grants and educates residents on programs, rebates and incentives to reduce carbon emissions and fossil fuel reliance.
The board, having just completed a Comprehensive Plan last year, expressed urgency to coordinate the NRCP with a planned revamping of Gallatin’s zoning regulations. Nordgren noted that his fieldwork and data-gathering would typically occur in spring and summer, with analysis and documentation over the following six months. In response to a board inquiry about whether he would be able to share major findings that might impact zoning by October, Nordgren confirmed he could.
Board members offered assistance, ensuring access to appropriate private properties, existing maps — of forest, farmland, waterways, wetlands and other habitats — and “narration” to enhance the conservation plan’s utility. Several audience members expressed interest in enriching the inventory by acting as “citizen scientist extensions” of JN Land Trust’s work, which Nordgren and the board enthusiastically supported.
In related discussions, Town Supervisor John Reilly outlined the town’s approach to managing short-term rental properties within the new zoning regulations. Gallatin will use Granicus, a consulting firm that says its software “empowers modern digital government,” to monitor current STR activity, notify property owners of the need to register with the town, and bill for and collect STR property taxes. Columbia County will retain a portion of this revenue and distribute the rest to individual towns, which Reilly anticipates will be done on a per capita basis similar to the current distribution of sales tax. All STR regulations will be set by the town, not by the county. The board will invite public input on STR and other zoning decisions at regular board meetings over the next year.
Town Hall Rebuild Delayed
The board also faced a decision regarding the rebuilding of Town Hall. In a split vote, the board rejected the three bids received for the project. The bids ranged from $3 million to $3.5 million, approximately $1 million more than the town had budgeted and was prepared to spend.
Reilly outlined the options for moving forward: increasing the town’s bonding authority from $500,000 to $1.5 million, seeking additional private funds through the Gallatin Residents Association or redesigning the project and initiating a new bidding process to reduce costs. After extensive discussion among board members and input from the dozen residents present, the board decided to pursue the third option.
According to Reilly, two factors contributed to the higher-than-anticipated costs: rehabilitating the existing schoolhouse structure (especially the foundation replacement) and proposed site developments, including EV charging stations and solar panels.
Board members Sara McGhee and Michael Moran expressed discomfort with increasing the bond authority. McGhee suggested a simpler design, while Moran proposed completing the project in stages over a longer period. Board member Jeff Jorve cautioned that redesigning and rebidding could result in unchanged costs and a lack of contractor interest. Reilly noted that even if a new $1 million bond was approved, it might take six to 12 months to implement, during which time contractors could not be held to their current bids and availability.
Residents, both in person and via Zoom, voiced concerns over increased bond debt. Reilly said that it would not necessarily raise property taxes, and some residents suggested putting the bond to a referendum. There was skepticism about private fundraising and questions about whether the engineering firm that designed the plan should have more clearly alerted the board to the possible $3 million-plus cost. Residents also requested more opportunities to provide input on a new design.