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Sorry Yorktown. The Tree Committee of Yorktown Together hasn’t been able to make any headway with the Town. It’s not for want of trying.
After the strong show of public support for strengthening the existing Tree Law at the June public hearing, I asked to meet with the Town Board in a work session format so that members of our committee, one of whom has been an environmental consultant to Westchester municipalities, could share our suggestions for a
stronger law tree law.
My initial calls and emails finally bore fruit and I was told we’d be on the agenda for an August meeting. But, as that date approached, we were removed from the agenda and told there were more important items for the board to discuss, like a wetlands permit for a homeowner who wants to build a swimming pool next year.
When I asked for 10 minutes on the September agenda, I was told that the board had other more important items to discuss.
When Supervisor Grace finally returned my many calls about an October meeting and said we would not be included in the October work session because there were more important items on the agenda, I explained to him that many, many people in Yorktown thought that strengthening the current tree ordinance and preserving our woodlands was an immensely important issue. He then told me, “No one was holding a gun to his head on this issue.” I responded by saying, “I guess our group knows what we have to do next,” and with that, Supervisor Grace accused me of being “a bully.”
Well Supervisor Grace, this is what I meant by “what we have to do next” - letting the people of Yorktown know how some Town Board members operate, who they see and what they think is important. If writing this letter makes me a bully then so be it.
Elise Graham
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