The Plattsburgh Common Council reviewed a number of diverse issues during its latest meeting.
In 2021 the city reestablished a climate task force to lead efforts to attain Climate Smart community status. A year later the city passed a limited food waste policy, but it has not been enforced.
During the latest work session, councilors discussed not only enforcing, but expanding the initiative.
Senior Planner and Task Force Coordinator Elisha Bartlett said task force leadership has met with the mayor to coordinate task force and city priorities.
“So we could make sure that we are as much in alignment as possible," Bartlett noted. "The task force has actually been working on another sub-action of Climate Smart Communities. So not the internal operations waste reduction policy that’s already been adopted. But towards a greater community roll out and expansion of an existing system that the county already has in place and looking at ways we can further partner with them under the grant that the county has.”
Later in the meeting, Ward 3 Democratic Councilor Elizabeth Gibbs noted that councilors need to act on a charter requirement.
“Our charter is clear that we need to have a five-year plan in June. The charter says ‘plans should be adopted and modified by June 1st each year.’ We didn’t do one last year, which should have been done but it wasn’t. I think that we should be spending work sessions, maybe the end of, the rest of April and into May talking about how we’re going to build that five-year plan," suggested Gibbs. "We would need to understand what our role in the five-year plan is, understand what the charter says our role and responsibilities are and how we could go forward on that.”
The council has pondered the idea of a resolution to support No Mow May, a global initiative to let yards grow freely in May in order to aid pollinators.
Retired science teacher and Clinton County Master Gardner John Haubner says it’s a feel-good concept and there are better alternatives that help pollinators all summer.
“The idea is to support the pollinators, the bees, the butterflies, the other insects, the birds and other types of things. A very noble thing to do and I’m not going to dispute that we should not be doing that. It’s just whether or not you should approach the No Mow May idea," Haubner said. "The grass will outgrow flowering weeds. They will block them out from the bees and the other insects, etc. Instead of having a No Mow May, first of all have pollinator gardens to go all summer long. They’re excellent. Mow lawns less frequently in May. Have a permanent area of your lawn let it grow and just go all summer long. It’s good for the bees. And also wildflower lawns, we can grow them throughout.”
The Police Department has been a focus of concerns for months and the city is still seeking a new chief.
Resident April Wood lambasted city leaders, claiming a series of FOIA requests yielded responses that there are no records related to a consultant’s review of the department.
“It has become clear that Mayor Hughes intends for Lieutenant Jarrod Trombley to become the next chief of police. Given the lack of transparency surrounding the current investigation and the public’s demand for accountability, this decision raises even more questions about the integrity of this process and whether it serves the best interests of the community and its officers," Wood said. "Why has the public been kept in the dark about the findings of this consultation? Why are there no records of its progress? Why does it seem that our city leadership is actively avoiding accountability? This lack of transparency raises serious concerns.”
At an event Friday, Mayor Wendell Hughes said the city has not gotten any information from the consultants yet.
“She basically said she keeps FOIAing information and we don’t have anything. We have nothing," Hughes stressed. "I haven’t received any report back yet. I’ve spoken to them a couple times. They say it should be within the next month. But I mean I can’t make them work at a faster pace. They don’t work for the city of Plattsburgh. But I’m sure we’ll get a quality report.”
As for the search for the new police chief, despite extending the deadline, Hughes said there have been few applicants.
