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Spring Valley fails to provide public documents under FOIL, lacks transparency

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SV Mayor Alan Simon Photo: Journal News file

Mayor Alan Simon’s administration has failed to produce dozens of public documents under state law, creating a lack of transparency about salaries, meeting agendas, policy votes and how taxpayer money is spent.

During Simon’s first year in office in 2018, the village has missed deadlines or failed to provide The Journal News/lohud with agendas of government meetings, votes during those meetings, and minutes about who spoke during the sessions.

The Journal News/lohud made about a dozen requests for information, and follow-up reminders, with the village responding several times, but always in violation of the legal deadlines.

Simon and Village Clerk Diana Montgomery, who is the village’s public records officer, have not responded to requests for comment. Simon, a former judge, prosecutor and defense attorney, once worked with the state Freedom of Information Law as the Ramapo town attorney under two town supervisors. [Read more…]

Important Chestnut Ridge Zoning Change Public Hearing Tonight: Tuesday 11/20 7:30pm Chestnut Ridge Middle School

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From CUPON Chestnut Ridge

PLEASE TAKE NOTICE that a Special meeting of the Village of Chestnut Ridge Board of Trustees shall be held on the 20th day of November, 2018, at 7:30 pm at the Chestnut Ridge Middle School, 892 Chestnut Ridge Rd, Chestnut Ridge, New York 10977.

The agenda item for the Special Meeting shall be Resolutions to Conduct a Public Hearing on proposed amendments to the Zoning Law of the Village of Chestnut Ridge with regards to regulations pertaining to establishing Houses of Worship within the Village of Chestnut Ridge.  [Read more…]

Fonvil sentenced, but Spring Valley still seeks responsible governance

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Vilair Fonvil at his sentencing Photo: Ricky Flores/The Journal News

The following editorial from Nancy Cutler appeared in Thursday’s Journal News.

“Another public official in Ramapo — Spring Valley this time — got time for abusing the public trust.

Former village Trustee Vilair Fonvil was sentenced on Sept. 17 to a year in the county jail — he faced up to 15 years in prison — for pocketing some $11,000 in precious village taxpayer dollars. He spent two days there until he was released pending an appeal.

A conviction is another stumble along the troubled path of Ramapo and Spring Valley’s ruling class: Remember when the village’s former mayor and deputy mayor got popped for taking separate, unrelated bribes on the same development project? Or when the state installed a monitor to ensure the local school district, East Ramapo, provide even the most basic education for children? Or when former town Supervisor Christopher St. Lawrence’s securities fraud trial was closely watched in hopes it would shed some light on the town’s mysterious and sinking finances? [Read more…]

Chestnut Ridge: Lawsuit ends, synagogue vs. garage debate remains

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Hilda Kogut of Chestnut Ridge CUPON Photo: Peter Carr/The Journal News

“Neighbors are infuriated by the dismissal of a lawsuit over a three-car garage they claim is a being used as a synagogue.

A lawsuit filed by the religious educational center has been dropped with the village’s support that challenged a Zoning Board Appeals ruling voiding the building inspector’s original certificate of occupancy for the structure on Spring Hill Terrace. [Read more…]

Tartikov seeks $5.2M in legal fee reimbursement from Pomona

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“The Congregation Rabbinical College of Tartikov is seeking $5.2 million in reimbursement for its legal fees, based on a federal judge’s ruling that the village’s zoning discriminated against it.

The village, which has a 2018 budget of $2.8 million, already has spent more than $5 million since 2007 trying to prevent the congregation from building a dormitory-style school in a wooded area along the Route 202-306 corridor. [Read more…]

Chestnut Ridge Zoning Hearing Tuesday

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Special Chestnut Ridge Board Meeting, Tuesday July 24 at 7:30 PM Spring Valley High School, 361 NY-Rt 59 Spring Valley.

This meeting is the continuation of the June special hearing on proposed large scale zoning changes.

We want to thank everyone who attended last month, we had a tremendous turnout at the June meeting, almost 1000 people showed up to express our concerns about this poorly conceived zoning law. [Read more…]

Chestnut Ridge homeowners can say ‘no’ to real estate solicitations via state list

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“CHESTNUT RIDGE – As residents and officials debate zoning ground rules for houses of worship, they can say “No” to real estate sales people soliciting homes to sell.

Under a state law that took effect Sunday for Chestnut Ridge alone, residents can put their names and addresses to the state cease and desist list.

Those who sign up are telling real estate brokers that under penalty of fines and loss of license, they can’t send mail, call, knock on doors, email, text or in anyway communicate an interest to sell the person’s home. [Read more…]

Airmont moves closer to zoning code update, lifting building moratorium

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June 12, 2018 “Village officials are nearly ready to pull the trigger on approving an updated zoning code and lifting a thrice-extended building moratorium that some Hasidic Jewish residents find restrictive to their plans to expand their homes.

The final step in the process that began in October 2016 starts Tuesday night with a public hearing on the proposed zoning code changes before a subcommittee of the Comprehensive Master Plan Review Committee. [Read more…]