NEW BERLIN – In a special meeting Monday night, the New Berlin Village Board met to discuss finalizing a deal with Milford Academy over the sale of 10 acres of public property.
Board members debated the proposed deal with Unadilla Valley Little League Baseball President Keith George, who said he and Milford’s Director Bill Chaplick were unable to come to a final agreement over roughly 45 feet of disputed property that the two programs lay claim to.
The board has been negotiating the details of the sale through Board Trustee Terry Potter and George.
Potter and George reported that they visited with Chaplick on March 24 and went over the disputed lines. Of the three little league fields along the proposed Fish Field sale, only one was in dispute. George said he had three possible solutions to the issue, but Milford was only interested in one. The only option George said was acceptable to Chaplick was having Milford buy all the disputed land and lease it to the league. “I discussed it with the Little League Board, and they didn’t like the idea. There’s no long-term guarantee,” he said.
Many of the board members criticized the method of using liaisons to negotiate the deal and requested that Chaplick come speak to the board directly.
“He needs to come to meet with us instead of having board members fictionalize over a he said, she said kind of arrangement,” said Trustee Robert Starr.
“I don’t think he’ll come. I know he won’t,” said Mayor Carol Riley, who said she had spoken with Chaplick over the issue.
“If he’s a businessman and wants to buy land from the village, he should come to us,” said Trustee and mayor-elect Wade Schrag, who also pointed out his frustration over being only able to negotiate through a mediator. “If he’s here, he can tell us, the people who actually vote on the deal, what he’d like. And we could work it out with him,” he said.
“Your idea of getting him down here is a good one,” said Trustee Michael Conroe to Starr’s proposal.
George also took part in the discussion, adding, “That’d be like me sending one of my teachers here to speak for me. It might be a good idea to have him here.”
Riley sad she had decided to appoint Potter as a mediator in the arrangement because there were hard feelings between Milford Academy and the board, but she did not explain what they were.
“Right now we’re dealing with hard feelings, and I thought a diplomatic thing to do was send you (George) and Terry (Potter) up there to talk to him,” said Riley.
“I think we should talk about it a little more. This is a sensitive issue we are dealing with here. I don’t want our approach to the situation to set a negative tone. I want a positive tone for the relationship with Milford and for any business in the community or looking to come into New Berlin. It seems like we’re splitting hairs over the issue, and it may not be in our best interest to do so,” said Potter.
“I see it as a poor message to other potential business. We need to proceed carefully. I mean, we’ve got the number two preparatory school in New Berlin. That’s incredible,” he said.
Riley told the board members that if they alienated Milford, they could risk the school relocating to another area.
“I don’t want to think that he’d pull up and leave our offer or New Berlin over such a small strip of land. After all these years and in the larger picture, I can’t imagine that’d be the case,” said Starr to Riley.
“I wouldn’t want to take that chance, because it might just happen,” responded Riley.
“Well if that is the case, maybe he should leave,” said Starr in return.
The board fell silent for a moment after the remarks before proceeding with the discussion.
“Carol was right, there’s hard feelings there, tension. You can’t shame or guilt someone into coming to a meeting,” said Potter.
Schrag again said he’d like to have Chaplick come speak with the board.
“No offense to you, but I don’t want to take anyone’s words but from him. I don’t want to see the matter held up over this little strip of land, and I doubt Mr. Chaplick will either,” he said.
“Everyone has to give a little for a deal, a compromise,” said Riley.
“It is a sensitive issue and we should leave it at that,” said Potter.
“I don’t have an easy solution. I wish I did,” said George.
“We’ve been talking in circles. We could go on all night like this. I suggest we send Terry and Keith back up there to see if they can’t work it out, and you can decide whatever you like at the next meeting,” said Riley, who is retiring from the mayoral post after losing the recent election.
The board agreed and no motion was put to the floor for a vote regarding any issue at Monday night’s meeting.
The board will meet again April 14 at 6:30 p.m. in the village office for their regularily scheduled monthly meeting.