RESOLUTION TO CREATE A WETLAND REHABILITATION AND VITALIZATION COMMITTEE

Resolution #26-2026 — 2026-06-08

WHEREAS

• the Village Board acknowledges that wetland vitalization is an important element in storm water management and the overall ecological well-being of the Village
• the Village has several wetlands within its boundaries
• the wetland on the parcel where the Wastewater Treatment plant sits and into which it discharges has a history of unhealthy activity that led to a New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) cleanup on or around 2007
• this WWTP parcel houses a pond that historically has been called Massonneau's Pond. The Massonneau Family is important to the history of Red Hook. Among other things, Robert Massonneau was President of the National Bank of Red Hook whose building is now Village Hall. The pond is part of the wetland there and thus will be called the Massonneau Wetland

RESOLVED

• by the Village Board of the Village of Red Hook hereby creates the Wetland Rehabilitation and Vitalization Committee with the following membership structure: Wetland Committee members will be appointed by the mayor and approved by the Board; Committee Chair will be appointed by the mayor and approved by the Board; Committee must be made up of a majority of Village residents; A Board member, appointed by the mayor, will serve as liaison to the Board, responsible for reporting on the actions of the Committee; Committee members will serve two (2) year terms; There shall be a minimum of three members and a maximum of 10 members; Volunteers are welcome to attend and assist at any time under the direction of the Chair
• the Committee shall be open to the public when a quorum is present; Agendas and Minutes of all meetings shall be kept and filed with the Village Clerk; A meeting schedule shall be established by the Chair and all meetings shall be posted at least one week in advance on the Village website and open to the public; A virtual option may be made available unless the meeting is outside
• the Village Wetland Rehabilitation and Vitalization Committee is charged with: Initially focusing on the Massonneau Wetland beginning with understanding the DEC easement conditions for the site so they will be appropriately respected; Develop a plan for determining the overall condition of the wetland including actions and possible costs; Identify possible funding sources for the site assessment plan; The ultimate goal is to provide the Village Board with an actionable plan for the Massonneau Wetland; Future wetland projects may be presented and approved by the Board