Town of Crawford
County of Orange
State of New York
PLEASE TAKE NOTICE that the Town of Crawford Town Board will hold a public hearing for the purpose of discussing the Town of Crawford Consolidation Plan on Thursday, August 15, 2024, 7:00pm at the Crawford Town Hall, 121 State Route 302, Pine Bush, New York. A copy of the Consolidation Plan may be examined on the Town of Crawford website and at the following locations: Town Clerk Bulletin Board in Town Hall, Pine Bush Post Office Bulletin Board, Thompson Ridge Post Office, and Bullville Post Office Bulletin Board.
The Town of Crawford will make every effort to assure that the hearing is accessible to persons with disabilities. Anyone requiring special assistance and/or reasonable accommodations should contact the Town Clerk.
Date: June 20, 2024
BY ORDER OF THE TOWN BOARD
TOWN OF CRAWFORD
Jessica M. Kempter, Town Clerk
CONSOLIDATION PLAN
The stated goals of the Petition for a Consolidated Town of Crawford is to establish a village with the same boundaries as the Town of Crawford in order to give the Town government greater authority, flexibility and efficiency to provide services to its residents without increasing costs by authorizing the Town government to exercise the powers of a village while continuing to operate a single government as a town. The electorate voted to establish a new village having boundaries coterminous with the Town’s boundaries and to consolidate the new village and the Town of Crawford.
The State Comptroller’s office (OSC) subsequently informed the Town’s attorney that such consolidation would create a single government and would not accomplish the goals of the petition and that incorporation of the village with coterminous boundaries alone accomplishes the goals of the petition. Therefore, having established the new village having coterminous boundaries with the Town, the goals of the petition are accomplished, and proceeding with consolidation of governments would not achieve the goals of the petition.
Since the voters approved a consolidation, the state General Municipal Law §760 requires the Town Board to prepare a consolidation plan. In order to accomplish the goals of the petition and the voters, the plan is to maintain the status quo of a village having coterminous boundaries with the Town of Crawford.
The plan, in response to each of the items set forth in General Municipal Law §760(2), is as follows:
(a) Governments. The two government entities are the Town of Crawford and Village of Crawford, which, in order to achieve the goals of the petition, shall not be consolidated.
(b) Name of Governments. Town of Crawford and Village of Crawford, to be known as the “Town of Crawford”.
(c) Rights, Duties and Obligations. The Town/Village of Crawford will be principally operated as a town. The Town of Crawford shall possess all the rights, powers, duties and obligations of a town, together with the rights and powers of a village. In the case of conflict between the rights and powers of a town and a village, the Town Board may determine which shall be applicable. If additional rights, powers or privileges are granted in the future by New York State to towns and/or villages, the Town shall have such rights and powers.
(d) Territorial Boundaries. The territorial boundaries of the entities each shall be the boundaries of the Town of Crawford.
(e) Type and/or Class. The type of the local government entities shall be a town and a village.
(f) Organization and Officials. The Town of Crawford and Village of Crawford shall remain organized as a town and shall have the same positions for officials and employees, both elected and appointed, as the Town of Crawford. The role of each elected official shall not change. Officials shall possess any additional powers of corresponding village officials, with the exception that the Town Supervisor will not possess the chief executive powers of a village mayor. If there is a conflict between the powers of a town official and corresponding village official, the Town Board shall determine which powers are applicable.
To the extent that Town officials are required to also act as Village officials, the Town Supervisor shall act as a village mayor (except the Town Supervisor shall not have the chief executive powers of a village mayor), Town Board members shall act as Village trustees, and the Town Clerk shall act as a Village clerk. There shall be no separate elections for village officials, except to the extent required, in which case the same person shall seek election for the town office and corresponding village office. There is no need for a transitional plan and the schedule for elections and appointments of officials will be retained.
(g) Costs and Savings. There will be minimal transition costs. The intention is for the government to operate more efficiently and with increased powers.
(h) Assets. The Town’s assets are set forth in its annual report, incorporated herein by reference and publicly available in the Town Clerk’s office. This plan will not affect Town or Village assets.
(i) Liabilities and Indebtedness. The Town’s liabilities and indebtedness are set forth in its annual report, incorporated herein by reference and publicly available in the Town Clerk’s office. This plan will not affect Town or Village liabilities and indebtedness.
(j) Terms of Disposition. The Town will retain its assets, liabilities and indebtedness. The Village will not have independent assets, liabilities or indebtedness.
(k) Laws, Rules and Regulations. The Town’s laws, rules, regulations, orders and the like, as may be amended from time to time, shall remain in full force and effect in the Town and Village, and shall be administered and enforced accordingly.
(l) Effective Date of Consolidation. In order to achieve the purposes and goals of the petition, there shall be no effective date of consolidation.
(m) Descriptive Summary of Plan. This Plan shall also constitute a descriptive summary of the Plan.
(n) Notice of Hearing on Plan. A public hearing on the Plan shall be held on August 15, 2024, at 7:00 PM at the Town Hall, Route 302, Pine Bush, New York 12566.
The Town of Crawford Justice Court is the local justice court in Pine Bush, NY with jurisdiction over many different types of cases including Penal Law, Vehicle & Traffic Law, Parking, Town Ordinances, Evictions, as well as Civil and Small Claims cases. The courts monetary jurisdiction in civil and small claims cases is up to $3,000.00.
The Court Clerks public office hours are Monday through Friday 8:30am-4:00pm.
COURT HOURS:
Criminal Matters are heard on the 3rd Monday & 1st Tuesday of each month at 6:00pm.
All other matters are heard on the 1st, 2nd, & 4th Monday at 6:00pm and the 2nd, 3rd, and 4th Tuesday at 6:00pm.
NOTE: Do NOT call the court while court is in session, the telephones are not attended. Please do not leave messages on the court telephones, they are NOT monitored.
PROPER ATTIRE IS REQUIRED IN THE COURTROOM AT ALL TIMES. NO T-SHIRTS, SHORTS OR SIMILAR ATTIRE IS PERMITTED. NO CELL PHONES OR COMPUTERS ARE PERMITTED IN THE COURTROOM. THEY MUST BE LEFT IN YOUR VEHICLE.
PAYMENT OF FINES:
The Court accepts payment in either cash, postal money orders or bank checks as well as credit cards. Cash must be exact change. Credit cards can only be MasterCard or VISA. To pay by credit card at the window there is a service fee of 2.99% assessed. NOTE: Personal checks are NOT accepted.
To pay by mail: Town of Crawford Justice Court, 121 Route 302, Pine Bush NY 12566 and indicate the case number or your full name and date of birth.
TO FILE A SMALL CLAIM:
The person you are suing must reside or have a place of business in the Town of Crawford. The filing fee is either $10.00 (claim under $1,000) or $15.00 (claims $1,000 to $3,000). To file a claim you must stop by the court office during the hours indicated above. Claim amounts are up to $3,000.00 only.
EVICTIONS: See the new "DO IT YOURSELF" website at www.NYCourthelp.gov
MARRIAGES:
To be married by either of the Town Judges see the Court Clerk to fill out the necessary paperwork and to schedule a date and time to be married. You must show proof of marriage affidavit prior to scheduling ceremony.