Harpersfield Sets Trio of Public Hearings for Nov. 11, Including Moratorium on BESS Facilities

HARPERSFIELD – The town of Harpersfield will hold a trio of public hearings at their November 11 meeting: One to override the tax cap on the proposed budget, one to hear public comment on the proposed budget and one to establish a six-month moratorium on battery energy storage facilities in the town. Board members also adopted a resolution objecting to the state Department of Environmental Conservation Department's proposed revisions to Solid Waste Management in the state (see separate story). The reason -  millions in increased operating costs at landfills for leachate management.

The budget is available on the town's website. The proposed budget totals $1,808, 903. The figures are up nearly $87,000 from the current budget, which exceeds the allowable tax cap. It represents a 3.9 percent increase of the current budget. Therefore, the board will hold a public hearing to exceed the tax cap, prior to the budget hearing next month.

Board members discussed a 5 percent increase over last year, then decided to use a portion of the fund balance to leave a 3.9 percent tax increase.  The budget is now up $47,000 from the current budget.

The town supervisor, town justice, town assessor and code enforcement officer have asked for an increase and town employees will also receive an increase.

The major areas of increase are health insurance, fuel and retirement, with costs increasing on just about everything else.

The town clerk and deputy clerk are working with the town building inspector to weed out those properties that never received certificates of  occupancy in an attempt to prevent future problems. They have researched back to 1986 and letters will be going out to homeowners to explain the situation and to try to rectify the issue of unfiled COs. For whatever reason, a number of people never obtained a valid CO after work was done on their homes. The process has now been changed to payment at the beginning of the process and when work is satisfactorily completed, a CO will be issued.

The town sold its backhoes for a total of $8,420.

One of the doors on the town highway garage needs to be repaired and something needs to be done with the overhead door at the transfer station. Highway Superintendent Russ Hatch said he is working on the Comprehensive Highway Improvement Program paperwork and work on Gunhouse Hill Road will be contracted out next summer.

The town of Harpersfield intends to draft a comprehensive local law to regulate Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESS) and believes it is in the public interest to maintain the status quo while those regulations are being developed. To that end, they approved a six month moratorium.

BESS facilities are being proposed in other areas and without a moratorium, applications could be submitted and approved without specific or effective standards tailored to the town, creating vested rights and irreversible land use impact.

A local law entitled "A Local Law to Enact a Temporary Moratorium on Battery Energy Storage Systems which would enact a temporary moratorium prohibiting any town official from accepting, processing, reviewing or approving any application for a BESS in the town.

A public hearing will be held at 7 p.m. on Nov. 11 in the town hall to hear all persons interested in the matter of the adoption of the proposed local law introduced on Oct. 14, 2026. This local law is classified as a Type II action, exempt from review under SEQRA. 

The intent is to develop regulatory provisions governing the facilities that present an evolving risk, including thermal runaway events, prolonged fires, toxic emissions and explosion hazards. The  town relies on a volunteer fire department with limited staffing, training and equipment to respond to such incidents, states the resolution. The town lacks regulations addressing setbacks, hazardous material separation, emergency access and fire suppression planning. Therefore the town board intends to develop a comprehensive law to maintain the status quo while this work progresses. Without a moratorium, applications could be submitted and approved without specific or effective standards that are tailored to the town, creating vested rights and irreversible land use impacts. This moratorium is necessary to perverse the status quo and allow sufficient time to adopt proper regulations, states the resolution.