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General News: Town Votes on NYMA Offer, Building Moratorium
August 11, 2010
By Brendan G. Coyne
The Cornwall town council meeting passed two resolutions regarding the New York Military Academy on Monday night, but the most riveting moment came during the public comment session when NYMA 2.0 investor Wayne Corts walked in behind the open railing separating the public from the council, sat in the empty chair and proceeded to hold court in the packed chambers. He criticized councilman Randy Clark, who now sits on the NYMA board, for remarks he'd made at the town's Aug. 2 work session, and explained why he'd joined the NYMA 2.0 effort.
Earlier in the evening, the town board had unanimously passed two resolutions dealing with New York Military Academy. The first resolution notes that the town of Cornwall has obtained an appraisal of the New York Military Academy property and wishes to acquire that property if certain hurdles are passed, including a public vote on the deal. It authorizes supervisor Kevin Quigley "to execute the correspondence offering to purchase the said property subject to negotiation of a mutually acceptable purchase contract, securing financing, a favorable opinion on the borrowing from bond counsel, and a referendum."
It has been previously noted that making an offer to purchase NYMA would facilitate the town obtaining the property through eminent domain.
The second resolution set a September 13 public hearing regarding a building moratorium for the entire town, including NYMA. A committee chaired by town councilman J. Kerry McGuinness, will soon start reviewing the town's master plan. McGuinness has said that the process will take a few months. Municipalities often impose moratoriums before review their master plans so that they won't be inundated with proposals to be considered before any zoning changes are put into effect.
During the public comment period, residents asked many questions about NYMA. Former town supervision Richard Randazzo once again exhorted the board to have NYMA trustees confirm in writing that they would agree to have the property annexed by the Village of Cornwall-on-Hudson. He also asked the board to have NYMA trustees confirm in writing the town's right of first refusal to purchase the property.
And when Corts sat down next to councilman Al Mazzocca, saying he was tired, he questioned Clark's understanding of the NYMA 2.0 agreement. He flipped his briefcase on the board table, saying here's everything you need.
The audience peppered Corts with questions: Where did he live? Between Kirya Joel and Cornwall, he said. Was he representing the entire NYMA board? He was representing himself, he said. What about ACE Farm? Corts simply grinned and repeated, "ACE Farm." (See more about Corts and his business relations here.)
Cornwall-on-Hudson resident Neil Drislane asked the board if the entire town could become a village. Randazzo later commented on Drislane's question, referring to the process as "coterminous." According to New York State's Office of General Counsel, a coterminous town-village is a consolidated municipality, where both the town and the village have the same boundary; the town and village may function together as a single unit of government.
Cornwall resident Sue Lennon asked what the land-use law firm that Nixon Peabody had recommended. Quigley, continuing the annexation discussion, said the village would have to annex and "they've been very quiet."
When Mazzocca asked the benefit of annexation, Randazzo again commented, saying it would prevent another village from being created on the NYMA property.
Near the end of the meeting, Mazzocca turned to Corts and said, "We'd like to see NYMA work out, but if it doesn't, we have to have a plan."
Comments:
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"The audience peppered Corts with questions: Where did he live? Between Kirya Joel and Cornwall, he said."
That sounds to me like,"I stand between KJ and Cornwall, a middle man." Just my opinion here but, that sounded really scary. ACE Farms all over again.
posted by J Klein on 08/12/10 at 5:50 AM
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Mr. Corts serves on the Board of NYMA?
There may be a conflict:
Here is language from nonprofitexpert.com a legal resource center on line, which provides legal guidance for non profits.
http://www.givingforum.org/s_forum/bin.asp?CID=2713&DID=6602&DOC=FILE.PDF.
It discusses at length what constitutes a disqualified member of a BOT and also what constitutes self dealing.
It was written by: John Edie (he) is a Director with the Exempt Organizations Tax Services division ofPricewaterhouseCoopers in Washington, DC and is the former General Counsel ofthe Council on Foundations
posted by barbara lee on 08/13/10 at 5:34 PM
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Based on the review in the local newspaper and what I read here, Mr. Corts doesn't really pull off the trustworthy grown-up act very well. If he is disrespectful like that at a public meeting you know he will be disrespectful in his private dealings.
posted by Kate Benson on 08/15/10 at 7:48 PM
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