The Pine Plains Town Board recognized a union for town police officers and backed a proposed 15-year tax agreement for the Hudson Company at its meeting Thursday, Aug. 20.
The board approved recognition of International Brotherhood of Teamsters Local 294 as the exclusive bargaining representative for Pine Plains Police Department employees, including patrol officers, the sergeant, and officer in charge.
Town Attorney Warren Replansky said a majority of department employees had signed authorization cards designating the union as their bargaining agent. The resolution will be forwarded to the state Public Employment Relations Board before the town enters into an agreement with the union.
The board also approved a resolution supporting a proposed payment-in-lieu-of-taxes agreement, or PILOT, for the Hudson Company’s planned mill, manufacturing, and showroom facility for reclaimed and recycled wood products at 2436 Route 83.
The Dutchess County Industrial Development Agency is considering a 15-year property tax abatement for the project, longer than its standard 10-year PILOT schedule. Because Pine Plains is an affected taxing jurisdiction, the IDA sought formal approval from the Town Board. The Pine Plains Central School District must also approve the proposed schedule.
The board opened two public hearings that will remain open until its Sept. 17 meeting.
One concerns proposed changes to the town’s regulations governing farm markets. The other would amend the zoning code for certain properties of five acres or less that are split between zoning districts, allowing the less restrictive zoning provisions to extend to the rear of the property. The board took no action on either proposal Thursday.
Board members also continued discussing the town’s adult swim area after the Dutchess County Department of Health mandated its closure over concerns about its compliance with state regulations governing bathing beaches.
Replansky said an Aug. 12 county letter indicated that the area must remain closed until the town meets the applicable requirements, which could include an engineering plan. Board members questioned whether the site could instead be treated as a lake access point or whether the town could amend its existing beach approval rather than undergo a more extensive review. Officials plan to seek further guidance from the county.
The town’s Conservation Advisory Council reported receiving a $54,000 grant for a natural resources inventory of Pine Plains. Hudsonia, an environmental research institute based at Bard College, is expected to conduct the inventory, a process estimated to take about 18 months to two years. The funding will remain available through August 2028, and the council plans to seek volunteers and survey residents about their environmental and conservation priorities.
In other business, the board appointed Hélène Marsh as chair of the Climate Smart Community Task Force and Peter Klebnikov as a member.
The next Pine Plains Town Board meeting is scheduled for 7 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 17.