Wife's employment with Gitter not a conflict, town supervisor says

By Jay Braman Jr., Correspondent Daily Freeman February 10, 2006

ALLABEN - Shandaken town Supervisor Robert Cross Jr. said this week he will not abstain from voting on matters pertaining to Crossroads Ventures, even though his wife works for a company owned in part by the development firm's managing partner.
During the public comment period of Monday's Town Board meeting, local newspaper publisher Brian Powers related a private conversation he had with Cross in which the supervisor said he would recuse himself from voting on or participating in matters involving the Belleayre Resort at Catskill Park, a large golf resort proposed by Crossroads Ventures.
Later that evening, the Town Board was to vote on a resolution asking the Ulster County Legislature to hold off on plans to consider a resolution that, if adopted, could delay the progress of the resort project.
Powers asked Cross to publicly reiterate what was said in the conversation. The supervisor agreed, but offered a different interpretation of the meaning of that exchange.
Cross said his wife, Vicki, is employed by a company owned by Dean Gitter, the managing partner of Crossroads Ventures. But the way Cross sees it, that would not prevent him from being involved with Crossroads business. He said the company his wife works for is Emerson LLC in Mount Tremper, which he said has no legal affiliation with Crossroads.
Furthermore, Cross said, he spoke to a lawyer who told him he could vote on issues that come before the board pertaining to Emerson LLC as long as those issues were not significant. A non-binding resolution, for example, would be something he could vote on, Cross said.
"I'll do nothing that would jeopardize the Town Board," the supervisor added.
Cross said the misunderstanding began last fall, when it was incorrectly reported that Mrs. Cross worked for Crossroads Ventures.
On Thursday, Gitter tried to clarify matters further.
"Vicki Cross works for Kaatskill Kaleidoscope Ventures LLC," he said. "There is no such thing as Emerson LLC. Emerson Place is a trade name for the underlying real estate upon which Kaatskill Kaleidoscope Ventures operates. No employee of Kaatskill Kaleidoscope Ventures derives any benefit of any kind whatsoever from Crossroads Ventures LLC."
Following the exchange between Powers and Cross, an member of the Town Board audience asked if Councilwoman Jane Todd would abstain from voting on Crossroads matters. In 2000, just a few months after Gitter unveiled the resort plans, it was revealed that Todd owned property within the footprint of the location proposed for the resort.
Cross said that matter was brought before the town's Ethics Committee, which determined Todd had no conflict.
Todd and Cross both voted Monday to urge the Ulster County Legislature not to entertain a resolution to support an alternative resort plan offered by U.S. Rep. Maurice Hinchey, D-Hurley.

©Daily Freeman 2006

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