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Residents press Selectboard to act on Syndicate Road dumping and nighttime fires
Summary
Multiple residents urged the Brandon Selectboard to address persistent dumping, illegal burning and nighttime activity on Syndicate Road, proposing gates, cameras, boulders and neighborhood patrols; the board described jurisdictional limits and enforcement constraints.
Residents who spoke during public comment urged the Selectboard to take more decisive action to stop persistent dumping and dangerous nighttime activity on Syndicate Road, proposing gating, cameras, physical barriers and neighborhood patrols to deter offenders.
Patrick Fitzsimmons, who raised several questions during public comment, asked why Pittsford's agreement is required to gate the road if much of the dumping occurs on Brandon's side. Board members and staff explained that the road is treated as a single unit between town lines and that any change to classification or closure typically requires both towns' agreement. The chair said a gate within Brandon's line might still require Pittsford's buy-in if the roadway connects across the town line.
Several residents described the scale of the problem and proposed both low- and higher-cost deterrents. Jim Leary said the area could be reclaimed for recreation and education, and credited recent community cleanup work: "The numbers that John gave me for our Greenup Day efforts this year reflect several 7,000 pounds of garbage removed from our roads," Leary said. Speakers suggested boulders or Jersey barriers at common pull-offs, fake or real cameras and increased patrolling as possible deterrents.
The town manager cautioned that prosecution depends on the state's attorney and local resource limits and noted operational constraints on overnight policing: "We found that 80 of the calls for service happened between 8 in the morning and 8PM. 80% of all the requests for police happen in the 12 hours that are between 8AM and 8PM," he said, adding that the town can sometimes provide overtime or on-call responses but that state police coverage and long response times after midnight are factors.
Board members acknowledged the problem is long-standing, described prior outreach to Pittsford that produced little progress, and encouraged renewed intermunicipal conversations and neighborhood-led deterrence such as watch patrols or targeted barriers. The manager said the town would re-open discussions and try to balance access, safety and landowner concerns.
The board did not take a formal vote on gating or enforcement at the meeting; residents were urged to follow up with staff, and the board noted the issue requires further investigation and coordination with Pittsford and the landowner.
