The Town vs. The County
Putnam County Executive Kevin Byrne likes to hold his annual State of the County address in different parts of the county to highlight thriving local businesses. This year it was Putnam Valley's turn, but unfortunately the venue that was chosen wasn't allowed to hold that kind of event. And now Joe Palumbo's soccer camp is facing serious financial repercussions from having participated. The Palumbos are going to receive a violation that will trigger the loss of the permit to use their indoor soccer field until such time as they can persuade the town's Planning Board to issue a new one. And that could take months.
The trouble started Friday, February 27th, when Putnam Valley's Code Enforcement Officer Richard Quaglietta says he first learned of the county's plan to hold its special legislative meeting the following Monday at the soccer camp. He says he immediately contacted James Palumbo and Jacqueline Annabi, the town's former supervisor who is now Byrne's chief of staff, to let them know the event would be illegal and that if they proceeded, he could shut it down.
Quaglietta says he explained to both Palumbo and Annabi that the soccer camp's 2017 permit only allowed its indoor facility to be used for instructional and competitive purposes by the athletic club's members. The permit states that there could be no more than 50 people in the indoor facility on that day, no more than 50 cars in the parking lot, and no on-street parking. The call with Annabi got heated; she hung up on him.
Some county officials view the dispute as petty and political. The town says it is merely upholding the rules on the books and that there shouldn't be one standard for the county and another for everyone else. If any health or safety issues were to occur and the code enforcer was found to have looked the other way, the town would have been liable. Quaglietta says Annabi was well aware of the town's permitting process, given her 13 years on the Town Board, including four as supervisor. He also notes that other venues were available that would have been legal.
Once Quaglietta realized the event was going ahead no matter what, he agreed to let the county's code enforcement officer assume responsibility for the event. In exchange for that assurance, he asked the county to send him proof that the town had been added to the event's insurance policy and a floor plan that would show the points of egress. The county sent the insurance certificate without the town being added, and the floor plan, such as it is, can be viewed below.
In an email, Christopher Formisano, the county's communications director, stated that all the town's conditions were met. The county's fire inspector and code enforcement officer insured that "all exits were safe and accessible, elevator was in working order and there were no trip hazards. Basically oversaw the overall safety of the building."
At least 100 people attended the event and cars were parked along Peekskill Hollow and Bryant Pond roads. Fortunately, the only mishap involved a vehicle that needed to get pulled out of a snowbank. But to the town, that's beside the point. If there are no consequences when illegal events are held, it sets a bad precedent. Quaglietta insists that politics played no role in his actions: "Rules are rules," he said. Residents who have had dealings with Quaglietta in the past would not be surprised that that was his stance.
It is understandable why the Byrne administration would consider Putnam Valley a good location for an event showcasing the county's success. Generally considered a Republican stronghold, Putnam Valley nonetheless elected a Democrat as its town supervisor last November by just 23 votes. In eight months, Supervisor Jolicoeur will face re-election against Republican candidate William Gouldman, who is being forced by term limits to leave his position on the county legislature. Meanwhile, Republican PV town board member Christian Russo is running for Gouldman's seat and Republican Byrne is up for re-election.
Supervisor Jolicoeur says she initially RSVP'd for the event and wanted to attend, but after being informed by Quaglietta that it was an illegal event, she let her fellow board members know she no longer planned to go. Russo was the only town board member who attended.
While there may be bad blood between the town and the county resulting from this event, it is JP Soccer that will feel its lingering effects. According to its website, the spring line-up for its indoor facility includes two tournaments, a seven week youth development program, strength training classes, plus any birthday parties that may have been scheduled.
Whether the Palumbos understood that holding the event would put their permit in jeopardy or whether they were encouraged by the county to stay the course even after being apprised of the risk is unclear. They did not respond to requests for comment. A Freedom of Information Law request to the county for any contract that might have been created for the event was denied on the grounds that "we are not in possession of any records responsive to your request." Formisano did not respond to the question of whether the county would use taxpayer money to reimburse the Palumbos for this misadventure.
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