Residents Urge Transparency on Red Hook Boat Club Eminent Domain; FOIL, Referendum Requests Raised

During public comment at the May 27 Town Board meeting, several residents pressed the board to reconsider the planned eminent domain acquisition of the Red Hook Boat Club and demanded transparency about legal costs. Roxanne Fischer said the town "will exceed $500,000" in legal fees and that the acquisition would eliminate "$24,000 a year from the tax base." Lisa Pullaro said her FOIL request produced no retainer agreement or invoices for Keane & Beane in the matter and asked where the invoices are and "how the costs are being buried." Teddy Blank urged the Supervisor to hold a public referendum on the acquisition and criticized moving public comment late in the agenda as an apparent attempt to silence dissent.