Following the quick adjournment of Tuesday night’s Seneca County Board of Supervisors meeting, County Clerk Amanda Vavra released the following statement to the media on Wednesday:
“It is important for citizens to understand the reasons behind what would have normally been our annual meeting at the historic Three Bears complex in Ovid, New York. I personally enjoy holding our meetings at that complex, though the building does present some challenges.
Leading up to the meeting, a flyer was mailed to thousands of residents, encouraging attendance due to two key decisions being made. This resulted in a larger-than-usual crowd at the complex. Seneca County did not mail out these flyers to residents.
Given these circumstances, we decided to move the public hearing on the solid waste management plan to the November 12 meeting instead of holding it on October 8 in Ovid. Despite this change, we learned that citizens were still encouraged to attend due to a resolution scheduled for discussion at the meeting.
The flyer advertised that this resolution was a key decision for the future of Seneca County. Titled “Regarding the Application of Seneca Meadows Inc. with the New York State DEC,” the intention of this resolution was to designate Seneca County as an interested party in the decision-making process. This proposal was brought forward by our Agricultural and Environmental Affairs Committee and became controversial, drawing a large crowd wishing to address the board.
It is never the intent of the board or myself to avoid conducting business for Seneca County. However, as the start time for the meeting approached, we quickly exceeded the legal capacity of the room due to the building’s limited egress. This placed me in a difficult position, as continuing the meeting would violate building codes and open meetings laws by not providing an adequate venue.
Once I was informed that we were over capacity, with approximately 20 people waiting outside to enter, I made the decision to begin the meeting, read my statement, and then make a motion to adjourn. I understand this decision may have disappointed some, but I aimed to ensure everyone had the opportunity to voice their opinions. Continuing the meeting would have prevented many from participating, which I do not believe is fair. I felt it was better to reschedule the meeting to allow everyone who wished to address the board that opportunity.
Key points to note: the public hearing on the solid waste management plan has been rescheduled for the November 12 board meeting at 6 PM at the Seneca County Office Building. Additionally, the business that could not be conducted last night will take place at a special board meeting on October 22 at 6:30 PM at the Seneca County Office Building. This will follow committee meetings starting at an earlier time of 5:30 PM, rather than the usual 6 PM. Michael Enslow, Chairman Seneca County Board of Supervisors.”
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