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Councilwoman asked to refrain from Alden Terrace voting

By Dollie Gull

CAIRO — Donald Zee, attorney for Charles Maggio’s proposed $50 million mixed use project of housing and retail has sent two letters to the Cairo Town Board suggesting that Councilwoman Janet Schwarzenegger recuse herself on Alden Terrace matters.

Zee’s letters were made public Wednesday at the board’s regular meeting by Town Supervisor John Coyne.

Zee cited a conflict of interest due to a previous business association Maggio had with Kaaterskill Associates, of which the councilwoman’s husband, Ewald Schwarzenegger is one of two founders of the Cairo-based company.

The letters to the Cairo Town Board were dated Aug. 1 and Aug. 2.

In response to the letter Coyne called the town board into executive session to discuss Zee’s complaints and discussed the matter with town board members including the councilwoman.

Schwarzenegger’s response was to write a letter dated Aug. 12, thanking the supervisor for giving her the opportunity to respond to Zee’s complaints.

In her letter, she stated that her husband was one of five Kaaterskill Associates owners and, in effect, that she had no conflict of interest.

She also stated that while indeed Kaaterskill Associates had been involved in a business dealing with Maggio, the matter had concluded satisfactorily and that the company had been paid.

She wrote that it was not the company’s policy to refer to any business dealings, but noted that their work had been accomplished, while Zee’s first letter noted that Maggio had “fired” Kaaterskill from a surveying job.

Coyne noted that he had contacted the New York State Association of Towns, which suggested that the matter be referred to the town’s ethics committee. Coyne had, in a previous board meeting, recommended updating his board’s ethics guidelines, which are several years old.

At Wednesday’s meeting, Coyne noted that the association suggested formation of an ethics committee and he asked his board’s approval for such a committee, whose members would be chosen from among members of the community.

Councilwoman Alice Tunison suggested making the board up of seven members and the board approved Coyne’s recommendation to advertise for public representatives to serve on the committee.

Coyne noted that advertising for ethics committee members will be undertaken and he indicated he hoped the committee would be formed within short order.

In other business at the meeting, Coyne informed both board members and a meeting room packed with Cairo residents that there is a website up and running for the Town of Cairo.

He said he had enlisted the technical abilities of 19-year-old Eric Maassmann, who has put the town’s website on the Internet with an address of www.townofcairony.com.

Coyne urged everyone to look for the website which is now functioning, noting that the town had tried earlier without success to have it up and running with current information.

Coyne noted that links to town service groups such as the American Legion, Rotary, Girl Scouts and Boy Scouts should be included at a future date.

Greene County Legislator Harry Lennon suggested that links should also be made to the Greene County website and others with which Coyne readily agreed should be done.

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