The Seneca County Board of Supervisors adjourned its Oct. 8 meeting after a larger-than-expected crowd exceeded the capacity of the historic Three Bears complex in Ovid, where the annual meeting is typically held. The decision to adjourn was made by Board Chairman Michael Enslow to comply with building codes and open meetings laws.
The surge in attendance followed the distribution of a flyer to local residents, which encouraged citizens to attend due to two key issues on the agenda. The flyer, which was not sent by the county, highlighted a public hearing on the county’s solid waste management plan and a resolution regarding Seneca Meadows Inc., a controversial landfill in the region.
The resolution in question, proposed by the county’s Agricultural and Environmental Affairs Committee, would designate Seneca County as an interested party in the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation’s decision-making process related to Seneca Meadows. The issue sparked significant public interest, resulting in a crowd that exceeded the legal limit for the meeting venue, with about 20 people waiting outside.
Chairman Enslow explained that holding the meeting under these conditions would have violated safety regulations and restricted public participation. “Continuing the meeting would have prevented many from participating, which I do not believe is fair,” Enslow said in a statement. He emphasized that the decision to adjourn was made to ensure that everyone who wanted to address the board would have the chance to do so in a future session.
The public hearing on the solid waste management plan has been rescheduled for the board’s Nov. 12 meeting, which will take place at the Seneca County Office Building in Waterloo. The board will also hold a special meeting on Oct. 22 to handle the business that could not be addressed during the adjourned session. Committee meetings will begin at 5:30 p.m., with the full board convening at 6:30 p.m.
Seneca County Board of Supervisors
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The board’s decision to reschedule has drawn mixed reactions from the public, some of whom were disappointed by the adjournment but understood the necessity for a more suitable venue. The upcoming meetings are expected to draw continued community interest, particularly regarding the Seneca Meadows resolution.
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