Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Environment Lake Management topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Lake-property owners urge county to join lawsuit, push for centralized Chautauqua Lake authority
Summary
A lake-property owners’ leader told the legislature the county failed to join a lawsuit and urged creation of a centralized lake authority, criticizing the Jefferson Project and calling for immediate action rather than further studies.
Jim Warfritz, president of the Chautauqua Lake Property Owners Association, used the legislature’s second privilege of the floor to urge county action on lake management and to criticize the county for not joining a lawsuit against New York State and the DEC.
"We can think of no reason that you, individually or as a group, did not act and join us and hundreds of our supporters… You owe us an explanation," Warfritz said, describing the county’s failure to join an amicus brief. He urged the legislature to renew its commitment to a centralized Lake District or authority, a formal New York State entity that would be accountable to lakeside residents and municipal leaders.
Warfritz also criticized the Jefferson Project, saying that roughly $5 million has been spent with limited actionable recommendations and urging the county to prioritize implementation over further study.
He requested the legislature consider a county-led authority to coordinate lakeside towns and villages and to provide transparent management, arguing prior band-aid measures have not solved the problem. The legislature did not take immediate action on the request during the meeting.
Next steps: Warfritz said the CLPOA will hold additional public meetings and encouraged legislators to review the group’s materials and consider formal county involvement in legal or governance actions.
