Gordon Boyd and the Planning Process
It is essential that the City planning process enjoy the trust and confidence of the general public and the development community. The process must be immune from political machinations and influences which would inappropriately attempt to compromise or corrupt it.
This is particularly true here in Saratoga Springs where we have witnessed a surge of development activity over the last several years. Consider this: since 2000 the city has issued permits for the construction of nearly 1400 new dwelling units. During the same period 460,000 square feet of new construction – valued at $55 million - has taken place in our central business district.
And in our form of government - which in part distributes executive authority among the various departments without a corresponding system of checks - it is even more vital that the planning process be immune from the political intrigue that Boyd and those whose water he carries (the Mctygues and big money developers) would bring. Every applicant and every member of the public must have faith in the integrity of the system.
This is why Gordon Boyd cannot serve as mayor.
The planning board is an autonomous review authority and the ZBA is a quasi-judicial body. Both are bound by state law, the conflict of interest prohibitions in the General Municipal Law, the city’s Code of Ethics and the boards’ own standards.
Further, it is state law [General City Law] which prescribes how these boards are established, how their members are appointed and the length of their terms.
Boyd told us in his January 30 Reader’s View that state law allows the terms of planning board and zoning board members to be reduced from seven years to five. But - as is his custom – he told us a half truth. In order to do that, the total membership of each board must be reduced from seven to five. In the world according to Boyd fewer members of the community should be allowed to participate in the life of the city.
The same section of General City Law specifically prohibits members of the city council from serving on the board [GCL Sec.27 (3)], and also prohibits appointment of any “municipal official or employee” in the “…event that such officer or employee cannot carry out the duties of his or her position without a conflict in the performance of his or hers duties as a member of the planning board.” [GCL Sec.27 (10)]. As an aside, this provision alone not only justifies, but arguably mandates, Mayor Keehn's decision at the beginning of her first term not to reappoint Bill McTygue to the Planning Board. He should have never been on the board.
All of this, of course, is designed to buffer against unwarranted influence and to ensure integrity. Thus Boyd’s attacks on the city’s three review boards, his characterizations of them as a ‘Houses of Lords’ and his publicly stated interest in ‘reigning them in’ suggests his willingness to politicize boards and use them to dispense and withhold favors.
This is dangerous at best and certainly contrary to General City Law and the City Charter. Boyd’s past attempts (December 7, 2002) to compromise the required environmental review of the then proposed Excelsior Park development suggests a predisposition to act outside the constraints of state and local law. His joined-at-the-hip (and wallet) connection with Tom McTygue, the subject of ongoing Federal and State criminal investigations, doesn’t give any comfort on this front.
It is essential that the City planning process enjoy the trust and confidence of the general public and the development community. The process must be immune from political machinations and influences which would inappropriately attempt to compromise or corrupt it.
This is particularly true here in Saratoga Springs where we have witnessed a surge of development activity over the last several years. Consider this: since 2000 the city has issued permits for the construction of nearly 1400 new dwelling units. During the same period 460,000 square feet of new construction – valued at $55 million - has taken place in our central business district.
And in our form of government - which in part distributes executive authority among the various departments without a corresponding system of checks - it is even more vital that the planning process be immune from the political intrigue that Boyd and those whose water he carries (the Mctygues and big money developers) would bring. Every applicant and every member of the public must have faith in the integrity of the system.
This is why Gordon Boyd cannot serve as mayor.
The planning board is an autonomous review authority and the ZBA is a quasi-judicial body. Both are bound by state law, the conflict of interest prohibitions in the General Municipal Law, the city’s Code of Ethics and the boards’ own standards.
Further, it is state law [General City Law] which prescribes how these boards are established, how their members are appointed and the length of their terms.
Boyd told us in his January 30 Reader’s View that state law allows the terms of planning board and zoning board members to be reduced from seven years to five. But - as is his custom – he told us a half truth. In order to do that, the total membership of each board must be reduced from seven to five. In the world according to Boyd fewer members of the community should be allowed to participate in the life of the city.
The same section of General City Law specifically prohibits members of the city council from serving on the board [GCL Sec.27 (3)], and also prohibits appointment of any “municipal official or employee” in the “…event that such officer or employee cannot carry out the duties of his or her position without a conflict in the performance of his or hers duties as a member of the planning board.” [GCL Sec.27 (10)]. As an aside, this provision alone not only justifies, but arguably mandates, Mayor Keehn's decision at the beginning of her first term not to reappoint Bill McTygue to the Planning Board. He should have never been on the board.
All of this, of course, is designed to buffer against unwarranted influence and to ensure integrity. Thus Boyd’s attacks on the city’s three review boards, his characterizations of them as a ‘Houses of Lords’ and his publicly stated interest in ‘reigning them in’ suggests his willingness to politicize boards and use them to dispense and withhold favors.
This is dangerous at best and certainly contrary to General City Law and the City Charter. Boyd’s past attempts (December 7, 2002) to compromise the required environmental review of the then proposed Excelsior Park development suggests a predisposition to act outside the constraints of state and local law. His joined-at-the-hip (and wallet) connection with Tom McTygue, the subject of ongoing Federal and State criminal investigations, doesn’t give any comfort on this front.
3 comments:
Actually posting in response to you Metroland article blog, which has no "post response" function:
To call that Matroland piece an honest work of investigative journalism would be a slap in the face to anyopne who has every asked a question in their in their lifetime.
That article mentions about six sources and only ONE of them is attributed--The mayor. And she has a partial quote in the story.
David King describes the relationship between Thom McTygue and the mayor as though he has seen it first hand.
(eg. "He has a reputation for ruling his department with an iron fist, while making friends with residents, businesses and developers with his tree-planting program, by repaving sidewalks and providing developers with water hookups...McTygue’s relationship with Keehn has been venomous."0
How many City Council meetings are you willing to bet he attended? My money's on none. I'm not sure if the young Mr. King has even set foot in Saratoga Springs.
This is a case of for-hire journalism at its worst. Someone told David King what to write and he did so without question.
What is even more unfortunate is that the article will serve as a tool of circular logic for those out to get McTygue:
"We told the Metroland that McTygue was crooked and he must be because there is an article in the Metroland about McTygue being crooked."
I am concerned that Boyd chose the Bankers daughter to run his "Junior Campaign". Same girl that was arrested for DWI. Is that the right face to front a conservative line? And why this young woman? She is not interested in politics, does not attend any board meetings, and is not interested in the runnings of our city in any way. Politics make for strange bedfellows.
Yeah, right--like the Keehn Mafia has any right to bitch about the shaky qualifications of appointees.
Maybe if she were the just-out-of-school daughter of a real estate developer that happens to be a large capmaign donor to Mrs Mayor would be a better choice?
Come to think of it; no. She'd be better suited for a more important board position than a useless feel-good campaign title.
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