Some might call it bad form, others initiative, or even something a bit more salty. But a trio of Village of Suffern Trustees appears to have taken their policy-making Village Board quorum on the road.
The Rockland County Times reported in early August on a July sit down meeting between Suffern Trustees Ed Markunas, Frank Hagen and Bob Morris and the county’s new Rockland Codes Initiative group leader Catherine Johnson, who is co-ordinating the effort to crack down on illegal and unsafe housing in the county by unifying and expanding the county’s inspection team and increasing penalties for property-owners who do not follow code.
The Village of Suffern Police Department and Building Zoning Code Enforcer have been working in tandem in the village to investigate and curb unsafe, illegal apartments and houses.
The Town of Ramapo’s illegal housing issue has received public attention due the conversion of single-family homes into multiple-family units, often for religious purposes, such as setting up yeshivas in residential neighborhoods or establishing “student” housing.
The meaning of a meeting
On the surface, the Markunas and company meeting with the Rockland Codes leader indicates Village of Suffern buy-in and co-operation with the initiative. But put into Suffern’s current political context, it looks a lot like the execution of political disruption — capture the flag of leadership by driving the village policy narrative and vest voters with causes they didn’t know they even had.
Recent special Suffern Village Board meeting with Trustees Frank Hagen (seated at the table left center with light shirt), Ed Markunas (center at table with long sleeve shirt) and Bob Morris (to right of Markunas).
New York, of course, is no stranger to the most Machiavellian political maneuverings, where success is measured by voice and votes. The bigger, the better. But smaller village municipal governments often try to avoid publicly divisive issues because the local community is small and things can get uncomfortable fast.
The trio of trustees meeting with a county agency was lauded by Rockland County Executive Ed Day, who also happens to lead the county Republican party. Seen one way, it would appear that there might be an organized effort by Day and the county Republican party to dabble in Suffern politics, with the elevation of Trustee Ed Markunas’ brand awareness and political standing as the endgame.
Then there’s the matter of New York State’s open meetings law, including public notice and the idea of exactly what constitutes a meeting — see §108. Exemptions.
With a five member village board, if three members of the board meet together to discuss village policy and governance, it’s quite possible that the gathering constitutes quorum. Any village board policy decisions are then binding.
According to the Digital Meeting Law Project:
A gathering may constitute a “meeting” even if a public body takes no formal action — it applies to any gathering where a quorum is present to discuss or deal with a matter of public business, regardless of what the gathering is called. The term applies to information-gathering and fact-finding sessions, as well as deliberations and debate about policy and proposed decisions. It does not apply to chance social or ceremonial gatherings.
Disrupt the narrative
The county agency meeting certainly qualifies as a gathering for policy purposes, according to the RCT reporting, as the Suffern Trustees reportedly “came away from the meeting with a plan to promote the (Rockland Code) initiative through the Village’s own website by including a link to the Health Department’s confidential complaint form. A future round of talks will include Suffern Mayor Patricia Abato, village building inspectors, code enforcers and emergency personnel.”
The Markunas and company county code initiative was another in a series of Suffern public policy initiatives that appeared to bypass Mayor Trish Abato.
Mayor Trish Abato won the board’s support for her deficit reduction plan in a bruising series of budget meetings, which Gov. Andrew Cuomo just signed off on via legislation that will allow the village to issue serial bonds to pay down a $5 million deficit over 10 years.
As the winner of New York’s 2014 most fiscally stressed village and due to the budget reduction plan, Suffern’s budget and finances will fall under the state Comptroller’s Office — where the village must report quarterly.
At the end of July, LoHud reported on the Suffern Village Board capital request of $150,000 to buy flood barriers to be used in Squires Gate and other flood zone areas. Suffern Mayor Trish Abato voted against the barrier funding request due to her reported on-going study and consultation with other village agencies about alternative flood-prevention options.
Mayor Abato said the requested flood barriers were prone to flood water up-swells and could easily float away in a flood.
Disruption. As Suffern continues to confront its budget and quality of life issues, voters will determine which voice gets the most votes. And in the process clarify the Suffern story as the village teeters towards the future.
