HomeMy WebLinkAboutKaufmann, Karen.PDFI'm Karen Kaufinam, 110 Nforthway Road, in the village. I',m here at no small personal cost to
register my strong opposition to proposed Local Law J, and to remind the Board of their weighty
public trust as they move ahead with their plan to install hired guns in our neighborhood
backyards.
This is ciearly not a matter t;o be treated lightly, oI as a matter of coutse, as the Board's
explanation for the precipitous and inconvenient scheduling of this hearing suggests' Rather' it
involves a controversial, risky, and untested plan that will change the character and qualrty of life
of our communitY for Years to come.
So why rush to judgment on Local Law J? Why schedule the only "public hearing" on this
ordinance at a time that is rnost inconvenient for the public? The Board has had three years of
o,remediation"planning to prlace this ordinance change before the public; while the remediation
plan itself-- the one subject to environmental review and embodied in the DEC deer-kill permit--
calls fbr up to two more years of sterilization before the shooting starts, surely offering ample
time for a full and timely public hearing. So whose timetable and agenda drives the rush? And
what does it say about our community, or the Board, that we have spent two years haggling over
the height and color of fen,ces, yet can give less than two weeks- and in the midst of the busy
holiday season atthat--to public scrutiny of the legal framework for a backyard slaughter
program that appears to gi've the Board sole discretion in the selection of sites, parameters for
shooting, and provision for notice- if any- to non-consenting neighbors?
Proposed Local Law J clearly raises more questions than it answers.
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sharpshooters, or wh.o consent to their presence, from liability for effor or damage? Who will
hear or respond to complaints of loss, trespass, personal injury or property damage arising from
sharpshooting or slaughter? Of course, the hired guns claim all shots are to the brain and all
kills are clean, but you need only look at U-tube clips of their work to know that's not the case;
and if you believe them, you might recall a lot of like promises from deepwater oil riggers and
the hydrofracking industry.
So is it moral numbness, or tunnel vision, or wishful thinking that impels the Board to rush this
amendment toward passage!' However you justi$r it, passage will place our community, its
safety, and its character at rirsk. I, for one, hope there are second thoughts. Thank you.
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