New Castle Fire District to Allow Absentee Ballots in Commissioner Vote

The New Castle Fire District No. 1 Board of Commissioners agreed Tuesday night to allow voters to use absentee ballots in this December’s commissioner election, rescinding last month’s resolution against the practice.

The board agreed in a 4-0 vote to reverse its Sept. 14 vote “based upon the recent vote in Millwood and in an attempt to unify the town with respect to the two fire districts located within its boundaries,” according to the resolution read by Interim Board Chairman Anthony Oliveri.

Following the Sept. 14 vote, several outspoken residents urged the board to reconsider its position. Then on Sept. 25, the Millwood Fire District’s Board of Commissioners agreed to make absentee ballots available for the first time in that district’s history for the upcoming election.

As part of the resolution read by Oliveri Tuesday night, he said the New Castle Fire District was one of the first fire districts in the state to use absentee ballots 18 years ago. However, last year, the district’s former attorney advised commissioners against the ballots because of the “potential for abuse amongst other issues.” Based on the attorney’s advice, the board voted against their use, Oliveri said.

Fire districts in New York State are not required to provide absentee ballots for their elections, he said.

Chappaqua resident Gary Murphy, one of the residents who was critical of last month’s vote, complimented the board for reconsidering their decision and doing what’s right.

“In my belief, attempts to reduce any accessibility to the polls should be a concern,” he said.

Murphy said he also hopes the commissioners will extend voting hours beyond the customary three-hour window of 6 to 9 p.m. on Tuesday, Dec. 12, the date of the board election. Although turnout for the vote is often extremely light, there are enough community members willing to volunteer as poll watchers to cover voting from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m., the customary hours for voting in most other elections in New York, Murphy said.

Commissioners said the voting hours will be determined at their Oct. 12 meeting.

Former Animal Hospital Demolition Work

The commissioners also announced Tuesday that they have awarded the bid to the WCD Group for the asbestos abatement work at the former Chappaqua Animal Hospital structure in the parcel adjacent to the New Castle firehouse at 495 King St. in Chappaqua. JMC Consulting has also been awarded a bid to oversee the project.

Bids to find a firm to demolish the building are also ready to go out. After a bid is secured and remediation work is complete, the district will apply for a demolition permit from the town and the building will be removed, said Commissioner Brian Jabloner. All work is expected to be complete by the end of the year, he said.

The money to pay for the work is being derived from the approval of last February’s $2,674,444 referendum. Although a $12.6 million proposition failed last October to complete this work and expand the firehouse, the February re-vote to buy the animal hospital land, treat the asbestos and demolish the building passed easily more than three months later.

Jabloner said as part of the project, the contractor will also treat the soil around the building that has been contaminated with a pesticide because there are neighbors near the site and a preschool across the street.

“We want to go above and beyond and make everybody feel that they’re safe, that we’re taking care of them,” Jabloner said. “That is our number one goal.”

Purchase of the land accounted for $1,620,000, with the remediation and demolition accounting for the remainder of the cost.