Levine: Meetings With Otsego Town Board
Informational, Not Aimed To Guide Outcome
COOPERSTOWN – Harry Levine, the Otsego Land Trust board chairman, met with Otsego Town Board members “to answer their questions,” but not to influence them one way or another on whether to pursue a town park at Brookwood Gardens, he said today.
“We told them facts,” said Levine. “We repeated what’s in the RFP (request for proposals). Why we‘re doing it. Why we submitted the RFP. What our goals were.”
He said he explained that the RFP – the proposals are due Sept. 30 – “is structured to guide people toward the purchase of the north 11 acres.” But, he said, “If the town or another government agency proposed taking over the whole, our board would consider that.”
The town board is meeting at 5 p.m. today to discussed possible creation of a town park. “We’re not going to be there,” said Levine. “It’s their meeting.”
Who is Harry Levine and why is he holding private meetings with public officials? He is intentionally skirting the state’s open meetings law. All discussion, all information and all debate should be in public.