Millerton mayor: We can keep Rudd Pond open this year

MILLERTON — In response to Gov. David Paterson’s proposed 2010-11 executive budget, the state Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation has released a recommended list of closures and service reductions.

Under the agency’s proposal, the Taconic State Park site at Rudd Pond would be closed completely.

The state office’s announcement comes on the heels of an announcement by the state Department of Environmental Conservation that water quality levels had significantly improved at the pond since the federal Environmental Protection Agency had placed it on the list of “impaired waters.� The problem with the water was high phosphorous levels.

This is not the first time the state, faced with looming budget deficits, has threatened to close Rudd Pond. In 1975, John Hermans was mayor of the village of Millerton and Frank Perotti was the supervisor of the town of North East. Robert Trotta, then the town’s attorney, said in an interview this week that he helped work out a fairly straightforward agreement at that time with the state that left operations at the pond to the town of North East.

At the end of the first year, the agreement stipulated that the town provide the state with an account of the park’s activities. While operated by the town, the park made about $4,000 in profit; the following year, the state reclaimed control.

“The reason [the state] gave was that it was losing money and they couldn’t afford it,â€� Trotta said. “We proved otherwise, and we were prepared to continue on with it [into the  next year]. It was not only popular, but profitable.â€�

Hard facts for Rudd Pond

Dan Keefe, a spokesman for the state Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation, was contacted about the park’s performance and how those numbers affected the plan to close the park.

Keefe reported that park attendance in 2009 was around 17,000. Rudd Pond brings in about $15,000 in revenue, but closing the park would save the state about $40,000 annually, he said.

The agency looked at a number of criteria before determining which of the 178 parks and 35 historic sites in the state to cut funding to, including attendance, revenue, operating costs and geographic distribution.

“Each park is different,� Keefe said, though he did not offer specifics when asked for details about how Rudd Pond’s operating numbers compared to other candidates for closure in the state.

“Some of these areas have a huge number of visitors but don’t generate revenue. So that wasn’t the sole criteria; it was among many different things,� he said.

Keefe also wouldn’t speculate as to where Rudd Pond stands in comparison to other parks that might be closed. If the state budget ends up allowing for more funding than is currently proposed for the Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation, the agency would reevaluate its list of reductions and closures at that time, he said.

“The budget year starts April 1,� Keefe said. “That’s when we would start looking at it.�

Mayor: Save the pond

John Scutieri is the mayor of Millerton, which is a village in the town of North East.He feels the town (whose top municipal officer is Supervisor Dave Sherman) and village should once again step in and take over operations at the pond.

The people that will be most affected if the park closes, Scutieri reasoned, would be the village’s business owners, who benefit from traffic coming down from the pond and accompanying campgrounds.

After hearing that the park might be closing, Scutieri did some research into the circumstances surrounding North East’s 1975 agreement with the state. John Hermans, he explained, was a major factor in getting the town to take over operations at Rudd Pond. Scutieri said he feels a similar responsibility to the village today.

“Twenty-five years ago, John Hermans felt he needed to do something,â€� he said,  “and now I feel like I need to do something to help.â€�

The mayor said he wants to hold a small meeting with a select group of interested people in preparation for a larger public meeting. Eventually, ideas about preserving the park could be suggested and debated and local municipalities could determine what role they might play in Rudd Pond’s future.

The mayor said that while he was in favor of getting local congressmen and legislators involved (state Assemblyman Marc Molinaro has offered to help, Scutieri reported), he felt that a local petition might not be enough to save the park.

“If Rudd Pond is going to be open this year, it may have to happen through the municipalities,� he said.

A grassroots campaign

Scutieri said he will be working to compile solid numbers and ideas about what direction to head in, which will be presented to the public at a meeting that could be held as early as next week. The mayor explained that it won’t necessarily be a formal municipal meeting but more of a community gathering. He said he hopes the area will get behind any efforts to save  the pond and support taking action.

It’s crucial to act fast, the mayor stressed. Having the park closed for even a year would make it much harder to reopen it at a later date.

Though the town took over management of the park in 1975 on its own, without the village of Millerton, Scutieri said he believes the village can play a larger official role this time around, and he hopes the Village Board will be very involved in the process moving forward.

“You can look at this as a burden, or you can look at it as exciting,� the mayor said. “I think it’s pretty exciting.�