NEW WEBSITE ADDRESS FOR THE TOWN OF STARK, HERKIMER COUNTY, NEW YORK

The Town of Stark has a new website. It is similar to the old address. The new website address is “townofstarkny.org”. we hope you find this to be more helpful and easier to navigate than the old one. Thank you for your patience.

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Next Town Board Meeting August 13, 2024.

The Next Town Board Meeting for the Town of Stark will be held on Tuesday August 13, 2024.  The meeting location is moving back to the Town of Stark Courthouse on Elwood Road in Starkville. The address is Town of Stark, 703 Elwood Road, Fort Plain, NY, 13339.

Discussion on New Leaf Wind Project Postponed.

The August Town Board Meeting of the Town of Stark will not have the New Leaf Wind Project application on the meeting agenda. The Final Environmental Impact Statement (FEIS) is not completed and is not anticipated to be publicly available before the July meeting.

Town of Stark Planning Board meeting on Monday July 8, 2024

The Town of Stark Planning Board will meet to discuss the erection of a wireless Cell Tower for the Town of Stark. The Cell Tower will be located on Puskarenko Road. Verizon is proposing the tower. People from Verizon will be attending the Town Board meeting on Tuesday July 9 to present their plan to the Town Board. The Planning Board meeting will take place at 7:00 PM at the Town of Stark Courthouse building.

Adopted Local Law # 1 of 2024. A Local law establishing a Temporary Land Use Moratorium Prohibiting Commercial Wind Energy and Solar Energy Systems within the Town of Stark.

A LOCAL LAW ESTABLISHING A TEMPORARY LAND USE MORATORIUM PROHIBITING COMMERCIAL WIND ENERGY AND SOLAR ENERGY SYSTEMS WITHIN THE TOWN OF STARK

BE IT ENACTED BY THE TOWN BOARD OF THE TOWN OF STARK AS FOLLOWS:

SECTION 1. PURPOSE AND INTENT

This local law is intended to establish a temporary moratorium to prohibit the creation or siting of Commercial Wind and Solar Energy Systems within the Town of Stark for a period of up to nine (9) months, pending the anticipated development of local laws to regulate and govern such installations.

It is deemed necessary to enact this moratorium to allow the Town Board adequate time in which to consider, and to draft any additional land use provisions to address the changes in the development and regulation of commercial wind and solar systems and state law regarding renewable energy system since the adoption of the existing Town of Stark Wind Energy Facilities Law adopted in 2006 and the adoption of its local law regulating Solar Energy Equipment and Systems in adopted it 2020. The Town Board may also review and amend the town comprehensive planning document adopted in 2000. It is the objective of the Town Board to provide for the benefit and the health and general welfare of the citizens of the Town of Stark.

SECTION 2. TEMPORARY MORATORIUM

A)  There is hereby adopted in the Town of Stark, a nine (9) month moratorium on the consideration, receipt or granting of any new land use application, and zoning changes or amendments to permit the siting or creation of “Commercial Wind Generating Systems” or “Commercial Solar Generating Systems” after the effective date of said moratorium.

“Commercial Wind Generating Systems” are defined for the purposes of this local law, as any individual or collection of wind turbine generators designed to convert the kinetic energy in wind to a usable form of electricity and any related infrastructure, electrical line, substations, meteorological towers, access roads and accessory structures, which are designed and intended to produce electricity to be consumed primarily off-site or for commercial purposes.  Any installations by, or undertaken on behalf of individual landowners, householders, businesses or farmers, primarily for the purpose of off-setting their own electric energy use not shall be considered a Commercial Wind Generation System and shall be specifically exempted from this moratorium.

“Commercial Solar Energy System” are defined, for the purpose of this local law, as a utility scale solar energy system which is intended to be utilizes for any purpose other than direct private residential or agricultural use including community-based systems. Any installation undertaken on behalf of individual landowners, businesses or farmers, primarily for the purpose of off-setting their own electric energy use, shall not be considered a Commercial Solar Energy System.

B.)  During the term of the moratorium, the Town Board intends to develop, consider and adopt changes to local laws so as to regulate Commercial Wind Generation Systems and Commercial Solar Energy Systems. Such moratorium shall be effective as of the date set forth herein below.

SECTION 3.  APPLICABILITY

The provisions of this local law shall apply to Municipal Home Rule Law and all new land applications for the siting or creation of Commercia Wind Energy Systems and Commercial Solar Energy Systems within the Town of Stark after the effective date

SECTION 4.  STATUTORY AUTHORITY; SUPERSESSION

This local law is promulgated and adopted pursuant to municipal Home Rule Law and the State Environment Quality Review Act, and its implementing regulations.  It expressly supersedes any provisions of the Land Use Regulations of the Town of Stark and sections 267, 267-a, 267-b, 267-c, 272-a, 272-b and 276 of Town Law of the State of New York.

This local law shall supersede and suspend those provisions of the Town Code and New York State law which require the Planning Board and the Town Code Enforcement Office to accept, process and approve land use applications within certain statutory time periods. 

This local law shall supersede and suspend the application of Local Law #1 of 2006, known as the Town of Stark Wind Energy Facilities Law. This local law supersedes the application of Local Law # 2 of 2020, as to the regulation of utility scale solar energy equipment and systems in the Town of Stark.

SECTION 5. SEQRA DETERMINATION

The Town Board hereby determines that the adoption of this local law is a Type II action under 6NYCRR617.5(C) (36) environmental review under the NYS Environmental Quality Review Act is not required.

SECTION 6. SEVERABILITY

The invalidity, if any word, section, clause sentence, paragraph, part or provision of this local law shall not affect the validity and any other part of the local law which can be given effect without such invalid part or part or parts.

SECTION 7. EFFECTIVE DATE

The effective date of this local law shall be immediate upon its filing with the Secretary of State, or upon an actual submission of a copy of the adopted local law to any individual, person or applicant.

After the Public Hearing held on April 30, 2024, the Town Board adopted said local law and was duly filed with the Secretary of State. The moratorium is now in force and will be in force until February 2025.

Civil War Volunteers

A Little history of the Town of Stark.

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Census Data

Civil War Soldiers

A little history and may you may locate an ancestor from the neighborhood.

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Dog License

Dog License application can be shown by clicking on “Read More”

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Building Permit

Building permit applications can be obtained by calling the Town Clerk at 518-993-3506.
Regular Office hours are Monday, Thursday and Friday from 10:00 AM to Noon. You may also call codes officer Phil Green, for more information, at 315-534-2232.

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Town of Stark Highway Department

The Town of Stark Highway Department has been working on keeping the Town of Stark’s town roads up-to-date and has  replaced the culvert on Jordan Road, which is a two-piece culvert pipe and one section has been crushed through years of use. The replacement will be taking place in the near future. Be mindful that there will be delays and perhaps detours while the culvert is being replaced. The replacement of the culvert was completed in 2023. Final completion will be made this construction season, after the road has had a chance to settle over the winter.  This is being paid for by the NYS ChiPs road improvement program for local governments.

As was mentioned in last years newsletter, the Town of Stark has ordered a new Mack 10-wheel dump truck equipped with snow fighting apparatus. Delivery of the new truck is expected in 2024. The Town recently purchased a used single axel truck with a plow, wing and sander from the Town of Mohawk in Montgomery County. The cost of the vehicle was $13,000.00 and was paid from 2022 unexpended fund balance in the Highway Department.

The Town sold some un-used equipment at Auctions International. The 1989 International truck, the 1993 White GMC were sold at this auction.

The Town has applied for a $500,000.00 grant to construct a sand/salt barn for the Highway Department to store the town and county sand pile undercover. This building will help to prevent run-off from the sand pile. The grant award, if received, will be announced later this year.

Helplines and Emergency Numbers

911
Medical Emergency


911
Police Department


911
Fire Department

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