Credit: Claire Gunning
On Thursday, April 18, the Pine Plains Town Board held a public hearing before formally ousting three out of four members of the Conservation Advisory Council (CAC).
The board unanimously approved the removal of Jayelle Hoffman, Chris McNeil and Vikki Soracco. It voted to keep one member, Joan Franzone, for the new council, which the board indicated would increase from four to seven members.
“We’re not here to find fault or blame, we just want the CAC to be active again,” said Town Board member Kevin Walsh. “What we need is a good, strong CAC.”
The primary function of the CAC is to advise the Town Board on issues related to environmental conservation through scientific knowledge and research of Pine Plains’ natural resources such as lakes, streams and forests.
“I was advised that the CAC has not fulfilled its duties for the last five years,” said the town’s attorney, Warren Replansky. The last recorded activity on the CAC page of the Town of Pine Plains website was a 2018 water quality report of Stissing Lake.
“We’re not dissolving the CAC, we’re removing the current members,” Replansky said, noting that the four members were provided with due notice via certified mail and invited to attend the public hearing.
Franzone did attend. “Many of you know how active I was with the CAC,” she said. Franzone suggested that a lack of communication following COVID was the primary reason for the inactivity of the council. “I’d love to stay,” she said.
“We’re looking for people who are interested,” said Walsh, who called for six volunteers. “Everybody knows a little about nature, and anybody can learn.”
The board will vote to approve new members at their next meeting, which is scheduled for 7 p.m. on May 18.
“I think that the council should be made of Pine Plains residents,” said recreation director Brian Coons, a former Town Supervisor, during the public hearing. “You want people that want to be there, and you want people who are positive.”
As a former member of the CAC I firmly believe that the CAC cannot function as long as Joan Franzone is a member. Her behavior is disruptive and her thinking seriously flawed.