Warwick schedules public hearings on battery-storage law; resident urges election-site protections

Supervisor Jesse Dwyer told the board on July 9 that a public hearing on Local Law No. 5 (a comprehensive local battery storage law) will be held July 23 at 1 p.m., and that the town has published a website page where residents can read a summary of the law and submit comments that will be recorded in the public record.

"The public hearing will be held July 23. It is a 1PM meeting," Dwyer said, and he added that the hearing will be continued at the next evening meeting to provide more opportunity for public comment.

During the meeting’s privilege-of-the-floor period, resident Mary Makoski asked what preparations the town is taking to protect elections from interference, expressing concern about the presence of ICE agents or other people near polling stations. "We do not want to have ICE agents around polling stations, nor other groups of people in or near polling stations trying to intimidate voters," Makoski said.

Dwyer responded by describing local security arrangements: Warwick is an early-voting location with cameras monitored 24/7 by dispatch and the police department is able to respond rapidly. "We would not tolerate any form of voter suppression," he said, and added that the town has been in timely contact with the Board of Elections and has local points of contact to coordinate during elections.

The town invited public comment on the battery storage law via its website (townofwarwickny.org) and scheduled at least two hearings to gather resident input before the board advances the local law.