Dayton Town Supervisor Tom Chupa on hot seat over asphalt
by Karen Blake
There was considerably more excitement than usual at the Dayton Town Board meeting Monday as a number of town residents demanded an explanation from Town Supervisor Tom Chupa over his use of asphalt road millings from the New York State Department of Transportation’s Route 62 reconstruction project ongoing in the town.
The sequence of events in question began when Chupa was approached by the pastor of the East Leon Church to see if some of the millings could be used for the church parking lot.
Chupa asked the contractor on the Route 62 project (as a church member, not as town supervisor) and was told, according to Chupa, to “go ahead and take as much as you want,” telling him to take the millings from the contractor’s stockpile on Route 353, forgetting to mention the NYSDOT also had a stockpile on 353. Chupa inadvertently took the millings from the DOT stockpile.
What compounded the problem and raised the ire of many town residents was that Chupa took more millings than were needed for the church and used them in five driveways to repay or thank those who had helped with the church parking lot.
Town Councilman Gordon Bentley read a copy of the letter sent to Don Krotz of the DOT by the contractor from Nichols Long & Moore Construction Corp., explaining what had happened. The contractor verified they were pleased to be able to donate millings to the church and apologized for the confusion, stating the DOT stockpile would be replenished by them. He said Chupa has agreed that he (Chupa) “overstepped his bounds” by doing the driveways, and has “squared up” with them, stating that “it was a simple miscommunication that has mushroomed into something more.”
The town residents had no problem with helping out the church, but took Chupa to task over the private driveways, saying it was “unethical,” a “conflict of interest in his position as town supervisor,” and that some people received a privilege no one else did, as other residents would have liked millings for their driveways.
Chupa apologized, saying he was “sorry it came to all this,” but residents said he needed to understand they “hold Chupa on a higher plane” because of his office. Some even called for his resignation.
Councilman Bentley said there was a mistake made, and residents made valid points, that “most things needed to be said.” Bentley stated the board has to make certain of all the facts, but they felt the letter was sufficient to verity what had happened.
Some residents also brought up past grievances with the town and with former town officials.
In other business, the board approved a new ambulance contract with South Dayton for 2005 at the same rate as last year, 158 people at $5 each.
The court reports for July 2004 noted Town Justice Jeffrey Beightol had nine vehicle and traffic cases and one ABC, and Justice Josephine Beightol had 12 vehicle and traffic cases and one environmental law, for a combined total of $1,425 collected.
Town residents again brought up roadway sight-distance problems - a “blind spot” at the end of Allen Street and Route 62, and when going north on Route 353, making a left turn on Gabel Street. The State DOT representatives did not come to the board meeting as had been expected, but those problems will again be looked into, Chupa said.
In other matters:
• The town will send a thank-you letter to the Pine Valley Schools for their donation of a decorative park bench to the town; it is being used at the town hall.
• Voter registration days will be on Wednesday, Oct. 6 from 5 to 9 p.m. and Saturday, Oct. 9 from 2 to 9 p.m. at the village hall in South Dayton. Oct. 9 is the last day to register for voting in the November election.
• Town Clerk Ruth Bennett said she will be available, in addition to her regular hours, on Monday and Tuesday evenings from 7 to 9 p.m. for issuing hunting and fishing licenses. The exception will be for the regular town board meeting night, the fourth Monday of the month.
The next town board meeting is scheduled for Monday, Sept. 27 at 7:30 p.m. at the town hall.