March 15, 2022 - Village of Warwick Mayoral Election
Candidates for Village Mayor respond to Sustainable Warwick’s ‘Green Screen’
WARWICK. The group asked the three candidates for Mayor for their views about the Village and sustainability.
Sustainable Warwick focuses on issues of of sustainability and the environment as they play out in Warwick. As part of that effort, the Green Screen interviews candidates running for local office — Town Council, Village Board and School Board — so that their views on these important issues can be shared with the voters.
The questions posed to the Mayoral candidates were:
On a scale of 1 - 10, how would you rate the importance/threat of climate change?
What sorts of changes, if any, should the Village be making or considering as the threat of climate change becomes more and more apparent?
The Village of Warwick is generally considered to be a true “success story,” both by residents and neighbors, a village of attractive tree-lined streets with a vibrant Main St and local economy. Still change and improvement is always needed. As Mayor, how do you feel that the Village can grow and still retain the things that make Warwick “sustainable” in every way as the special place it is?
Do you support the Village’s efforts to strive for the New York State Climate Smart Communities certification? If so, which specific actions would you endorse?
Michael Newhard
Intro: I grew up in this magnificent Valley and I am awed daily by its natural beauty and hidden treasures. Its protection is part of what I live and breathe.
Responses to the Questions:
1. 10 - In the past 2 decades I’ve served as Mayor I’ve seen an acceleration of climate related occurrences and issues. Large events such as Hurricanes Irene, Lee and Sandy which created tremendous physical damage and a threat to public safety but also continual events that include intense precipitation leading to water and sewer systems being overwhelmed, high heat, intense cold, heavy wind and considerable fluctuations in temperature and air quality.
2. The Village has made and continues to make considerable changes to deal with these weather related impacts. The 3 Villages and Town created a Multi Jurisdictional - Multi Hazard Mitigation Plan in 2014 This was a direct result of Hurricane Irene, Lee and Sandy.
On a local level the Village continues to be involved in many activities that will, in the larger picture, have an impact to reduce our carbon footprint. These include participating in the Clean Energy Program - we have completed 3 of the 4 tasks required for designation which include the Unified Solar Permit, Code Enforcement Training and Clean Fleets, the Village will be completing its final task this year with LED Streetlight Conversion. The Village Hall has had an energy audit which resulted in LED conversion. We were one of the first communities in the Hudson Valley to install charging stations.
3. Yes, the Village is a success story and is beloved by its residents and many visitors. This success, I believe, has been in part due to a strong planning foundation, its historic roots and the ability to work with the many groups that have over time created a strong and vibrant community. Two important items that were undertaken by the Village in my tenure were the coordination with the Town to create a pioneering Annexation Policy and Inter-Municipal Agreement and a new Cluster Overlay Zone to protect open space and environmentally sensitive areas at its edges
Growth in the Village is limited, but to insure it happens with as few impacts and with the environmental oversight that's needed it’s important to re-evaluate our zoning ordinance. This is a direct result of a Master Plan revision. With two subdivision plans that have been approved, the Village has made steps to hire a part time code enforcement officer so that we will have the ability to carefully watch new building projects.
4. The Village is beginning to pursue the Climate Smart Communities Certification. A Board resolution which will be forthcoming this winter. The next step is the creation of a Climate Smart Community Task Force. The Village has already begun working with Orange County Planning to work towards CSC certification. Trustee Corey Bachman has taken the lead by working on the Community Solar Program which was a partnership with Sustainable Warwick. He’s now begun the process of benchmarking Villages initiatives, activities and action items. Once this is done it will give us a clear idea of what has been completed and what we will need to work on towards the certification.
Under Action items, I feel we have already accomplished many of the CSC items. The efforts were done because I believe the Board shares the belief that it’s our responsibility to be Environmental Stewards and that municipal leadership is a key ingredient.
Eileen Patterson
Intro: In my 20 years of living in Warwick with my husband Jim and our 3 children here, I have become passionate about this wonderful village, my family’s home. I served 3 terms as Village Trustee, I own a small business and have made friendships that I treasure!
Responses to the Questions:
1. Globally, the threat is an absolute 10. Locally, for Warwick, the threat is a serious 7 or 8.
1a. What happens with climate events in other areas of the country and the world will impact our community. Residents should be more informed about our procedures to protect our water, sewer, and landscape.
2. If elected, I plan to reach out to the community on a regular basis via social media and newspaper columns to raise awareness of many of the issues related to climate change and how the residents can share in water conservation. I want to talk about how we are protecting our water supply, are the roads being built with the right materials to ensure they can survive climate fluctuations, to increase awareness of the role of the Shade Tree Commission and ensure that all building applications are approved before building starts so we provide permission and not forgiveness when it comes to changes made to the landscape. I believe we are as good as the staff and counsel we hire. We should hire outside counsel who specifically have climate change preparedness in their wheelhouse.
3. The Village of Warwick is a success story, thanks to many organizations and a long cast of characters. The Chamber of Commerce’s memberships numbers have increased tremendously over the last 10 years. The support among the fraternity of local business owners is so valuable. We have an amazing variety of businesses and services to offer residents and visitors. It’s that creative thinking that makes Warwick a destination. Credit is also due to the excellent nonprofits and community organizations in Warwick. Looking at the community calendar, you will always find an artisan market or other activity that gathers folks and celebrates the talent within our community. Our Historical Society has been reactivated in ways that didn’t seem possible. I plan to make the rounds to these folks and find out how the Village can help them continue to thrive.
I want to address the on-going question of the walkability of/accessibility to the Village. Bike routes are a must. The feasibility of funding new sidewalks, so we have safe routes around the Village and for our school students, will be high on my list of goals. A walkable Village will improve commerce because fewer cars means fewer parking issues. And this will help those who do not drive (or do not drive yet). Dial A Bus is relatively untapped resource as well. I think most people think it’s just for seniors and that’s certainly not the case.
We must avoid over development and make sure that any projects that request annexation are not too taxing for our services. I believe the zoning code is written in a way to incorporate our goals for a vibrant village and it addresses environmental elements such as street trees and sidewalks where necessary/possible. Again, we need to make sure the village representatives tasked with applying the rules of SEQRA and the zoning code are trained and well versed.
4. I support the CSC. We need to get back on track with benchmarking our progress towards a carbon free village. I will ask each trustee to take charge of a CSC action item each year. In addition, we need to make sure that the staff will provide the CSC support that we need. I specifically support expanding resources for electric vehicles, better and safer sidewalks, continued efforts towards LED light conversion, and an upgrade to the sewer system. We need be conscientious about keeping the gateway to the Village green.
Matt Sullivan
Intro: Matt is a mayoral candidate who loves the Village, raised his children here and wants to bring communication, safety and fiscal stability to the Village. Taking care of our environment is a top priority.
Responses to the Questions:
1. The threat of climate change is not measurable on a scale of 1-10 since, in my opinion, currently there is no objective way to know the reality of climate change. The fact is that climate has always changed. I do not believe even climate change, no less man-made climate change is settled science. While the supposed threat of climate change is not measurable, for Warwick, the potential effects to our climate are a 10. No matter the cause, we will have to deal with the effects of climate change.
2. A clean and safe village is key. You can debate if climate change is caused by man or not but we have to deal with what happens. Flooding, hurricanes, tornadoes must be dealt with efficiently. We need to ensure reliable water and sewage. We need to improve catch basin maintenance, for instance. They need cleaning regularly. They get clogged up and then cause flooding. Communication is key, and we should ask the public what they want to improve.
3. We have a great village and Main Street is looking good, with beautiful countryside, but underneath, it is falling to pieces. Basic things like the sewage, infrastructure and water system are very outdated, neglected and in urgent need of repair. We have heard that the water system might cost in the region of $47 million to bring this up to date. The sidewalks are a disgrace and urgently need repairs. The village is nearly built out. We can add a little to the village, but must be very careful about how we might grow. We need better communication between the village Mayor, Trustees and the residents. We should have a twice-a-year presentation on the state of the Village’s sidewalks and sewers and all mother important systems of the Village so we can monitor progress.
4. We should explore the New York State Climate Smart Communities certification to see where the needs of the village can mesh with the goals of this program. We must find every bit of State and other grant funding that might be available to help us. We are going to need it.