North East Town Board considers law to curb gunfire noise after resident complaints

MILLERTON — North East Town Board members are considering a potential local law to curb gunfire noise after complaints from residents in both the town and the Village of Millerton.

North East Town Clerk Tilly Strauss read complaints from resident David Decker regarding gunfire at the Millerton Gun Club near his home in Millerton at recent board meetings. Town Supervisor Chris Kennan referenced those complaints at a special meeting of the board on Wednesday, April 1.

Kennan said the town regularly hears complaints from residents about noise from the gun club, which Strauss reads into the record at board meetings.

He went on to say the town also occasionally receives complaints from residents regarding neighbors firing guns. "We live in a part of the world where that is — you know, there are large properties and where the right of people to do that has been historic."

The discussion centered around fact-finding, with board members consulting town attorney Warren Replansky about the town's powers in limiting gunfire noise and how such rules would be enforced.

Replansky explained the town has wide latitude to regulate noise, and the law could be written to impose criminal penalties that would be handled by law enforcement or as a violation handled by the town's zoning enforcement officer. He clarified that laws that limit excessive volume are more difficult to enforce because those regulations require enforcement officers to measure the sound. Councilwoman Meg Winkler responded by proposing limiting all shooting activity during certain hours of the day or days of the week, eliminating the need for measuring volumes.

"It's not about the noise level," Winkler said. "If the rule is you can't shoot after 6 p.m. on Sundays and someone's shooting, the person's in direct violation."

Board members concluded the discussion by asking Replansky to research how other municipalities regulate gunfire noise, with plans to revisit the issue at a future meeting.

Grant opportunities

Councilwoman Rachele Grieco Cole outlined two grant opportunities for the town — the Dutchess County-sponsored municipal investment grant and the New York Forward grant. Grieco Cole said applications for the county municipal investment grant are due in May, and NY Forward applications would likely be due in November.

The municipal investment program is a competitive grant that supports safety upgrades to municipal buildings or projects addressing homelessness through services and infrastructure. Dutchess County provides matching funds of between $20,000 and $25,000, requiring municipalities to contribute an equal share.

Supervisor Kennan praised the municipal investment grant program, saying funding from the county helped pay for town projects in the past.

The NY Forward program would constitute a much larger grant — likely more than $10 million — though projected award amounts aren't expected to be released until September. Awards for six rural communities last year totalled more than $100 million, Grieco Cole said.

New Town Hall update

Kennan also drew attention to the town's proposed new Town Hall, planned to occupy the former Jehovah's Witnesses hall on Route 22/Route 44 near Millerton Nursery & Garden Shop. The supervisor sought to ask for a demolition list from architects LAN Associates and get a start on interior demolition work.

Kennan proposed the town could begin removing bathroom fixtures and walls within the structure.

"It is something that can be done locally," Kennan said. "Potentially at a very different cost than putting it into the big project."

Board members said they expect further conversations with the architects to determine which portions of the demolition the town can begin with.