Mburgh, Cobleskill to Meet on New Agreement Over Road Controversy

COBLESKILL - M'burgh Town Seeking $ from Cobleskill for Repairs on Oak Meadows

MIDDLEBURGH - Middleburgh and Cobleskill town officials should be meeting soon on the maintenance of Oak Meadows Road.

Middleburgh town officials have complained for months about the lack of payments from Cobleskill for road maintenance on Oak Meadows, going back to 2013.

The issue came up again at the Middleburgh town board meeting on January 11. On Tuesday, Supervisor John Youmans said the two sides have not yet met but they are working on setting up a meeting.

Town highway Superintendent Steve Kowalski told board members at their meeting that they have to "sit down with Cobleskill and revisit the agreement." Mr. Kowalski, who has spoke about the agreement several times over the past few months, called it "totally unfair."

He said that Middleburgh should be getting between $1,200 and $1,500 per year to "cover what we put in" to the road.

Mr. Youmans supported the changes, saying he was "on board to make this right." A meeting is being set up with the Cobleskill town supervisor and highway superintendent.

If Cobleskill wants to part ways, Mr. Kowalski said, Middleburgh could "take our losses and go separate ways."

He doubts this will happen.

"If they want to come all this way to fix that small portion, they can."

Middleburgh town officials are seeking back payments from the Town of Cobleskill for roadwork done in the Oak Meadows development since 2013.

The towns of Cobleskill and Middleburgh came to an agreement in 2013 to have Middleburgh maintain the road in the Oak Meadows development off of Route 145, in exchange with yearly payments.

That plan lasted for one year as Cobleskill paid Middleburgh $900 in 2014, according to Middleburgh town officials.

After some discussion, Middleburgh officials last month agreed to extend the agreement for another five years and ask for back payments.

The agreement states, "The Town of Cobleskill shall pay the Town of Middleburgh on an annual basis, no later than February 1st of each year, a sum equal to the amount levied from that portion of the annual tax bill for 'Highway outside of Village' on each of tax parcels hereinbefore listed and any lots which may be subdivided from said parcels, based on the prior year's assessment...the parties have agreed that during term of this agreement, Town of Middleburgh shall be responsible for all year round maintenance, upkeep and repair of said roads, including salting, sanding and plowing, and in consideration thereof, the Town of Cobleskill shall pay the Town of Middleburgh on an annual basis, all sums levied from that portion of the annual tax bill for 'Highway outside of Village' on each of following tax parcels and any lots which may be subdivided from1said parcels."

At that time, there were seven parcels, and only two had homes on the land. Only two parcels, in 2013 were assessed at more than $200,000. The rest, unimproved properties, were all assessed at $26,500 or less. Now, with homes on each parcel, the assessments are much more than $200,000, Middleburgh officials said.

Middleburgh officials will ask the town attorney, Mike West, to redraft the agreement with the extension.

The road maintenance and upkeep will continue.

The Town of Cobleskill, Mr. Kowlaski said has not put their section of the road in Oak Meadows in their road inventory meaning that the town cannot receive CHIPs funds from the state. The Town of Middleburgh cannot get CHIPs funds for the road, despite maintaining it, since the road is in the Town of Cobleskill. The funds would gave amounted to about $25,000, he said.

In addition to redrafting the agreement, the Town of Middleburgh will ask the Town of Cobleskill for back payments and future payments for roadwork and maintenance.