Town of Shandaken Government FAQ
Our committee members have found that a few questions concerning town government recirculate in a lot of voters' minds. In an effort to support good governance we are offering our best answers to these common questions.
What exactly is the town government?
Philosophically, our town government is the mechanism for our community to make decisions and take actions together. The types of actions we take range from the more basic, like maintaining our roads and taxing property, to the more abstract, like applying for grants or deciding on neighborhood zoning. Legally, our town is a New York State municipal corporation, which confers certain powers and responsibilities to it within the borders of Shandaken and within New York State.
Our town government has changed over time, and will continue to change into the future as our collective wants and needs evolve. At the moment our government composition is as follows:
Elected Offices:
Town Supervisor
Town Council Member (4 positions)
Town Clerk
Assessor (3 positions)
Highway Superintendent
Town Justice (2 positions)
What sort of things does the town government do?
Our town has the ability to engage in a wide range of activities, the key determent being what our elected officials have consensus on. Below is a list of our elected officials' areas of responsibility:
Supervisor: the person elected to this position chairs and is a member of our Town Board, serving as the board's executive and administrator. This official also serves as our town's fiscal officer, somewhat like a treasurer. Supervisor is the most general-purpose position in town government, for those less familiar with the position it’s overall duties are somewhat similar to that of a mayor, and like-wise, they will generally represent the town in political, financial, and legal affairs.
Town Council Member: the Town Council (or Town Board, these are interchangeable) is our town's primary decision-making body. The office holders here write and vote on town law. They also appoint all volunteer board positions and are responsible for the hiring and supervising of most town employees. Town employees range in responsibility from Police Chief to Town Historian. If you want the town to offer more, fewer, or different services, these are likely the people responsible for changing that.
Town Clerk: the person elected to this position is responsible for recording the business of town government and also serves as a repository for a wide variety of town documents. Our clerk is also our Tax Collector and our Registrar of Vital Statistics, issuing most official documents, licenses, and permits. The Clerk oversees a small staff.
Assessor (3 positions): our Assessors are responsible for determining the value of real property in town. This position is important as multiple entities rely on these value assessments when they levy property taxes. Our Assessors also administer our town's available property tax exemptions. Our Assessors do not levy taxes, they just determine property values that those who do levy taxes (like our Town Board) can use.
Highway Superintendent: this official is responsible for maintaining all town-owned roads and bridges. They have their own staff and a semi-independent budget.
Town Justice: our justices are responsible for administering proceedings at our Town Court, sometimes referred to as Justice Court. This court has jurisdiction over a broad range of affairs, including vehicle and traffic matters, small claims, evictions, civil matters, and some criminal offenses.
What are all the other boards and positions I hear about, such as the Planning Board?
As I'm sure you can already tell from this FAQ, our town's business is vast. Our Town Board (with only 5 members), can only do so much. Subsequently, many responsibilities are delegated to volunteer boards (members appointed by the elected Town Board) that take up jurisdiction for certain work areas. Examples include, but are not limited to:
Planning Board: responsible for approving/denying sub-divisions, site plans, lot-line adjustments, and special use permits.
Zoning Board of Appeals: responsible for approving/denying area variances and use variances along with making official interpretations of Town Code.
Board of Assessment Review: responsible for hearing disputes concerning property assessments.
Ethics Board: responsible for determining the presence or lack thereof concerning conflicts of interest related to town governance and operations.
Is the school a part of town government?
In Shandaken, we are lucky to be served by the Onteora Central School District. Our school district is distinct from our town in both governance and geography. Onteroa serves not only Shandaken, but also the towns of Olive, Woodstock, West Hurley, Marbletown, and Lexington. The school district is run by its own board, which is elected in separate elections and has its own taxing authority.
Does my hamlet (Phoenicia, Pine Hill, etc.) have a government?
None of Shandaken's 12 hamlets are incorporated, or have governments or supervisory boards. The most local level of government for all of Shandaken is our town-wide government. (For you history buffs: Pine Hill was previously incorporated, but has since been dissolved.)
How often does the Shandaken Town Board meet?
Normally Shandaken Town Board meetings are held on the first Monday of the month. There may also be special meetings during the year that are set by the board, mid-year, to cover any issues that come up and require extra attention.
For background, every year, at the Shandaken Town Board's first meeting of the year, the board undergoes a process called organization. This first meeting, (the organizational meeting), essentially sets-up town government for the year. This set-up includes setting all the regular meeting dates.
Our Town Clerk maintains a schedule of all the meeting dates on our town's website once they've been set at that fist meeting.
Do I have to go to town meetings in person?
If you want to participate, outside of extenuating circumstances, yes. However, if you just want to stay informed, you can watch board meetings live on Spectrum Cable Channel 23. Additionally, afterwards our wonderful town staff uploads all meeting videos to our Town Youtube page and meeting's minutes are available on the Town Website.
I have an issue that I think the town is responsible for. Where do I go?
While the town may or may not be responsible for helping with your issue, the best way to determine this is to speak with someone who works in the area of your concern. Try checking the Town Website to see if there's a town office that works on your issue.
If there isn't an office that seems relevant, you can try reaching out to the Town Supervisor or Clerk (both can often be found working at Town Hall or can be reached via emails found on the Town Website). You can also come to a Town Board meeting and raise your issue during the section of the meeting for open comments.
What other levels of government support Shandaken?
Many! This list of FAQs has already touched on our town government and some of our special districts, but Shandaken is also a part of Ulster County, New York State, and the US Federal Government, all of which support our quality of life here in Shandaken.
Who is responsible for maintaining my street/sidewalk?
This is more complicated than one might think. Roads in Shandaken can be privately owned, town-owned, county-owned, or state-owned, and the owner holds the responsibility for maintenance. If a road is a county or state responsibility it will have a numbered sign along the roadside. In Shandaken, county roads include Routes 40, 47, and 49A. State roads include Routes 28, 212, 214, and 42. All other roads are either privately owned or town-owned.
Differentiating between town and privately owned road can be more difficult. Most roads with standard road name signs will be town-owned. However, there are a few roads in town with standard road name signs that are privately owned. If there is a road that's not being maintained, and you suspect it to be town-owned, you should reach out to the town's Highway Superintendent. The Highway Superintendent will know if the road in question is town-owned and should be able to tell you what is going on with its maintenance.
Sidewalks are more complicated. Within Shandaken there is a lot of historical happenstance that explains who is responsible for a particular sidewalk. Sometimes it's the road owner and sometimes the property owner. The easiest way to find out if you or another entity (town/state/county) are responsible for a sidewalk is to ask your neighbors or to reach out to the Highway Superintendent or Town Supervisor. They can look into your particular situation.
I want to add an addition to my house. Do I need a building permit?
Most likely yes. There are some finer details to who needs a permit and what set of permits for construction work in Shandaken. The best way to learn if you need a permit is reach out out to our town office that covers Building Inspections, Code Enforcement, and Zoning.
Does New York City have authority over us here in Shandaken? I've heard conflicting things about the watershed, and I sometimes see NYC government vehicles.
As most of New York City's drinking water is sourced and stored in the Catskills, New York City is the largest non-state landowner in the Catskill Region. They are involved in many things locally, and you will see the city's presence regularly at events. They invest in public and private economic development projects as well as many environmental protection efforts.
New York City does not, however, have any special legal authority in Shandaken. NYC cannot make laws that are enforceable anywhere other than on the land it owns.