Afton still waiting on road use law
AFTON – A special committee tasked with recommending a road use law for the Town of Afton did not report to members of the board last week.
The law is supposed to regulate trucking as it relates to natural gas exploration.
Town Supervisor Robert Briggs appointed the committee after the board created and passed local law in December that would have prohibited all trucking from within 1,000 feet of schools, residential neighborhoods consisting of five or more houses, hospitals and health care centers. In April, 11 people spoke from the podium during a 30-minute hearing of a new law, recommended by the committee, that threw out the measure due to procedural errors. The first law lacked variance procedures for trucking related to fuel, septic, garbage, propane or other industries.
Several town residents claimed that gas drilling is hazardous to the environment and public health and have called for Briggs’ resignation on conflict of interest grounds. Briggs sold his farm to the natural gas company Norse Energy Inc. three years ago; however he does not receive nor would receive royalties from any future natural gas production.
Those in favor of natural gas drilling in the region said those supporting road use laws aren’t interested in road preservation, but rather in keeping Afton out of the gas business.
The town board put a road use agreement in place with Norse Energy in 2009, according to Briggs. The agreement would have placed a minimum of $30,000 in an interest bearing account to repair road damages that may result from trucking natural gas related vehicles on town roads.
“The gist of the problem was that people didn’t think it was enough,” he said.
Town of Afton Clerk Rosemarie A. Klatz said the special committee is hoping to have some recommendation to present before the board in July.
“There were people who couldn’t understand why it wasn’t finished, but it takes some time to properly research something like this,” she said.
According to Lisa MacSpadden, deputy secretary of state for the New York State Communications and Community Affairs, Vehicle and Traffic Law 1660 authorizes local municipalities to regulate certain traffic matters such as a vehicle’s gross weight and the exclusion of certain types of vehicles. However, town road use law cannot supersede state road use laws.
The law is supposed to regulate trucking as it relates to natural gas exploration.
Town Supervisor Robert Briggs appointed the committee after the board created and passed local law in December that would have prohibited all trucking from within 1,000 feet of schools, residential neighborhoods consisting of five or more houses, hospitals and health care centers. In April, 11 people spoke from the podium during a 30-minute hearing of a new law, recommended by the committee, that threw out the measure due to procedural errors. The first law lacked variance procedures for trucking related to fuel, septic, garbage, propane or other industries.
Several town residents claimed that gas drilling is hazardous to the environment and public health and have called for Briggs’ resignation on conflict of interest grounds. Briggs sold his farm to the natural gas company Norse Energy Inc. three years ago; however he does not receive nor would receive royalties from any future natural gas production.
Those in favor of natural gas drilling in the region said those supporting road use laws aren’t interested in road preservation, but rather in keeping Afton out of the gas business.
The town board put a road use agreement in place with Norse Energy in 2009, according to Briggs. The agreement would have placed a minimum of $30,000 in an interest bearing account to repair road damages that may result from trucking natural gas related vehicles on town roads.
“The gist of the problem was that people didn’t think it was enough,” he said.
Town of Afton Clerk Rosemarie A. Klatz said the special committee is hoping to have some recommendation to present before the board in July.
“There were people who couldn’t understand why it wasn’t finished, but it takes some time to properly research something like this,” she said.
According to Lisa MacSpadden, deputy secretary of state for the New York State Communications and Community Affairs, Vehicle and Traffic Law 1660 authorizes local municipalities to regulate certain traffic matters such as a vehicle’s gross weight and the exclusion of certain types of vehicles. However, town road use law cannot supersede state road use laws.
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