Town Board Special Meeting Minutes- September 22, 2025

TOWN OF FORESTPORT
SPECIAL TOWN BOARD MEETING
COMPREHENSIVE MASTER PLAN, BUCKHORN WATER INCREASES AND OVERRIDING THE TAX CAP
FORESTPORT TOWN HALL
10275 State Route 28, Forestport, NY 13338
September 22, 2025 @ 6:30PM

PRESENT: Supervisor Entwistle
Councilman Addison
Councilwoman Verschneider
Councilwoman Abrial
Councilman Scouten

ABSENT: No members of the Town Board were absent

PLEDGE OF ALLEGIENCE:

CALL TO ORDER:
The meeting was called to order by Supervisor Entwistle.
LEGAL NOTICE:

NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that the Town Board of the Town of Forestport will be holding a Special Meeting on Monday, September 22, 2025, at 6:30 PM at Forestport Town Hall, 10275 State Route 28, Forestport, NY. The Special Meeting is being held to review public comments regarding the Comprehensive Master Plan, Buckhorn water increases and overriding the tax cap. Voting will take place for all three.
Tracy M. Terry – Forestport Town Clerk

DATED: September 18, 2025

PUBLIC COMMENT:
• Supervisor Entwistle started the meeting off by saying the Public Hearing was closed at the last week’s regular Town Board meeting. Jonathon Deworitz, with LaBella stated he appreciated the comments from the public, largely grammatically. They have all been corrected. There were tweaks made to the CMP as there were 10-12 comments from the public regarding the White Lake Association. The plan now has a call out to acknowledge the Wildlife Association and they can be a strong partner. Those were the only changes except for designs.
• Mr. Cuccaro, from the Gallery, stated the plan needs to recognize the importance of the environment to the town. There’s a ton of exposure because of the boats that are brought into White Lake.
BOARD COMMENTS:
• Supervisor Entwistle thanked everyone for their comments with the Comprehensive Master Plan and the plan is a tool to be used towards sustainability and White Lake was not left out. Everyone on the Comprehensive Master Plan Committee lives on White Lake, so they are thinking about the community as a whole.

REQUEST TO APPROVE RESOLUTION TO ADOPT THE TOWN OF FORESTPORT COMPREHENSIVE PLAN UPDATE AND ISSUE A NEGATIVE DECLARATION
RESOLUTION: #11
INTRODUCED BY: Councilman Scouten
SECONDED BY: Councilwoman Verschneider
WHEREAS, the Town of Forestport Town Board established a Comprehensive Plan Committee to prepare an updated Comprehensive Plan for the Town; and
WHEREAS, with much public input and with much time and effort, the Comprehensive Plan Committee prepared a draft Comprehensive Plan Update and held a Comprehensive Plan Committee Public Hearing on the draft plan on August 20, 2025; and
WHEREAS, the Comprehensive Plan Committee recommended to the Town of Forestport a Comprehensive Plan Update to replace the current Comprehensive Plan; and,
WHEREAS, said draft Comprehensive Plan Update was made available on the Town’s website for examination and review by the public; and
WHEREAS, the Town Board provided public notice and held a public hearing on August 20, 2025 and left the hearing open through September 22, 2025 to hear and consider all public comments on a Final Draft Comprehensive Plan; and,
WHEREAS, the Comprehensive Plan was referred for comment to the Oneida County Planning Board consistent with NYS General Municipal Law 239 and the Oneida County Planning Board determined that the plan will not have an adverse effect on County Property; and,
WHEREAS, the Town Board has final review and approval authority for adoption of the Comprehensive Plan as per New York State Town Law 272-a; and
WHEREAS, on August 20, 2025, the Town Board declared their intent to be SEQRA Lead Agency and circulated a Lead Agency Intent notice to all interested and involved agencies; and,
WHEREAS, all interested and involved parties agreed that the Town Board was the appropriate Lead Agency for the Comprehensive Plan Update adoption.
NOWTHEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, the Town Board as Lead Agency finds that this proposal is a Type 1 Action under the New York State Environmental Quality Review Act (SEQRA) and makes a negative declaration that the adoption of the Final Comprehensive Plan Update will not have the potential for significant, adverse environmental impact; and,
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, after full consideration of all public comments received and a review of the record of documents and research for this Action, and inclusion of White Lake in the Plan where other Town lakes are described, the Town formally adopts the Final Comprehensive Plan Update, dated September 2025; and,
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the graphics and photography within the Final Comprehensive Plan Update, dated September 2025, may be revised but in no way will the text of the Plan be amended during these revisions; and,
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED; the Town Board directs the Town Clerk to make the Final Comprehensive Plan Update available online at the Town website as well as available for review at the Town Clerk’s office.
STATE OF NEW YORK )
) SS:
COUNTY OF ONEIDA )

I, Tracy M. Terry, RMC, Clerk of the Town of Forestport, New York, do hereby certify that I have compared the foregoing copy of this Resolution with the original on file in my office, and that the same is a true and correct transcript of said original Resolution and of the whole thereof, as duly adopted by said Forestport Town Board at a meeting duly called and held at the Forestport Town Hall on September 22, 2025 by the required and necessary vote of the members to approve the Resolution.

WITNESS My Hand and the Official Seal of the Town of Forestport, New York, this 7th day of October , 2025.

A motion was made by Councilman Scouten and seconded by Councilwoman Verschneider to pass Resolution #11 of 2025, subject to mentioning White Lake changes.
5 ayes/ 0 nays/0 absent MOTION CARRIED

• Supervisor Entwistle read the following Local Law aloud:

A motion was made by Councilman Scouten and seconded by Councilman Addison to pass Local Law #2 of 2025: An increase in water rates for the Town of Forestport Buckhorn Water District #2.
5 ayes/ 0 nays/0 absent MOTION CARRIED

• Supervisor Entwistle read the following Local Law #3 of 2025 aloud:

A motion was made by Councilwoman Abrial and seconded by Councilman Addison to pass Local Law #3 of 2025: To override the Tax Levy limit established in Municipal Law 3-C.
5 ayes/ 0 nays/0 absent MOTION CARRIED

ADJOURNMENT:

A motion was made by Councilman Scouten and seconded by Councilwoman Verschneider to adjourn the meeting.
5 ayes/ 0 nays/0 absent MOTION CARRIED

There being no further business, the meeting was adjourned at 6:47 P.M. by Supervisor Entwistle.
Respectfully submitted,
Tracy M. Terry

Forestport Town Clerk