Deerpark Requests Ethics Committee and Police Commission Applications Despite Conflicts
The Ethics Code has not been revised as requested by residents, and a Police Commission member was ousted for an insubstantial reason, then replaced by a councilmember's brother.
By David Ofshinsky
Following the December 2 Deerpark Town Board meeting, Town Clerk Flo Santini announced she will be accepting letters of interest for open positions on the Ethics Committee and Police Commission.
The Town Board had accepted the resignation of Bernard Flannigan from the Police Commission at the December 2 meeting. This followed the removal of Burt Thelander from the Police Commission at the November 18 Town Board meeting, which Town Supervisor Gary Spears explained as the result of Thelander not signing a form. Thelander said he had not been notified about the form. Thelander was replaced at that meeting by Luke Schock, brother of Deerpark Councilmember Alan Schock.
The request for Ethics Committee applicants followed a number of actions related to the Ethics Code and the Ethics Committee during the past year.
In March, Councilmember Christa Hoovler attempted to revise the existing half-century old Ethics Code. The Town Board nixed her efforts in July when they voted not to make any changes. In September a petition that was signed by 97 residents called for an update of the code and was submitted to the Town Board.
At the September 16 Town Board meeting, because of the petition, the Board passed a motion to hold off on any appointments to the committee until it was decided at the following Town Board meeting whether or not to make another attempt at revising the code.
At the October 7 Town Board meeting Spears announced that they would have no discussion about updating the Ethics Code. Spears said this decision resulted from a complaint received on or about September 23 by him, Deerpark Town Board members, the Orange County Ethics Board, the Orange County District Attorney, the NYS Comptroller and NYS Attorney General. The complaint reportedly detailed possible unethical and/or illegal conduct by one or more Deerpark officials.
The complaint was attributed to the Deerpark Rural Alliance (DRA). However, Grace Woodard, leader of the organization, publicly disavowed that the DRA had crafted it.
Town Supervisor Gary Spears said that, because the Orange County Ethics Board (OCEB) is involved, the town will not take any action on the Ethics Code and defer to the OCEB. He said he asked the OCEB to investigate and make a determination on the matter. Consequently, the Town Board would not discuss the Ethics Code until the OCEB report is received. However, the OCEB website states that “no verbal or anonymous requests or complaints are considered, and no action will be taken to follow up on such matters.” So the OCEB may decline to review the complaint.
Town Supervisor Gary Spears, contacted via email, was asked how the request for letters of intent for the Ethics Commission related to both the motion to hold off on appointments until there was a decision on updating the Ethics Code, and the response from the OC Ethics Board, since there have not been any public updates on these issues.
Spears responded, “We are requesting letters of interest for the Ethics Committee in planning for the future formation of a new Committee.” He did not address either the previously stated need for response from the OC Ethics Board or whether a decision has been made about updating the Ethics Code. Thus, after almost a year of effort, the 50 year old Ethics Code remains unchanged, and the Ethics Committee is still inoperative, as it has been for many years.
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