OpenGov Homer

08/27/2026

Notes from yesterday's special town board meeting:

☀️ 𝗦𝗼𝗹𝗮𝗿 𝗟𝗮𝘄

The Town Board spent considerable time reviewing the first draft of a proposed local law regulating solar energy systems. Supervisor Park emphasized that this is still a work in progress and asked members to review the 44 page draft (https://townofhomerny.gov/download/81/8-august/12228/draft-solar-law-town-of-homer) and provide comments before the next meeting.

Planning Board Chairman Mike McMahon, who is also on the county’s task force that drafted the template law that the town is using, went over some specifics and possible changes, particularly regarding which responsibilities should fall to the Planning Board versus the Code Enforcement Officer, or outside engineers or consultants. He also proposed protecting agricultural soils in categories 1–5 rather than 1–4, which would still leave approximately 21,000 acres in Homer potentially available for solar development. You can see the NYSERDA map of agricultural soils in categories 1-4 here: https://arcg.is/KjzyP0
The board discussed the scope of the proposed law, which would apply to projects up to 24 megawatts; larger projects are subject to state-level regulation. There was also discussion about the significant limitations of the Town’s authority over larger solar projects under NYS law.

Code Enforcement Officer Kevin McMahon, who also works with solar projects in neighboring towns including many in Cortlandville, shared some of the issues Cortlandville has encountered with existing solar installations, including noise from inverters, maintenance of vegetation and screening, and compliance with approved site plans. He emphasized that the Town should view the law as a “living document” that can be updated as the community gains experience with solar projects.
The board also discussed whether there is a point at which the Town could reach a “saturation” level of solar development. The discussion ultimately focused on electrical infrastructure as a significant limiting factor, since solar projects need adequate transmission capacity to connect to the grid.

The board plans to continue reviewing the draft and potentially revise it before taking further action. Residents were encouraged to read the proposed law and submit comments to the Town.

🛣️ 𝗦𝗲𝗮𝘀𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝗥𝗼𝗮𝗱𝘀

The board then returned to the issue of converting seasonal roads to year-round maintained roads. Two proposals were discussed side by side: a proposal submitted by landowner Larry Jones (https://townofhomerny.gov/download/81/8-august/12226/seasonal-town-roads) and a draft developed by the Town’s committee (https://townofhomerny.gov/download/81/8-august/12229/draft-2-local-law-seasonal-road-conversion). Side note- the town’s committee was originally board members Sarah Head and Caleb Leach, and although it was not specifically stated, it seems that Leach may have been replaced by board member Branden Brown.

The fundamental difference between the two proposals is who gets to decide whether a seasonal road is converted. Jones's proposal would establish a dedicated fund for road conversions. When a property owner wants to build on a seasonal road, the proposed process would determine the cost of bringing the road up to the required standard and compare that cost with the funds available. If there is enough money, the process could move forward without the Town Board having to make a case-by-case discretionary decision. Jones said his goal is to establish a predictable process rather than having decisions depend on the makeup or preferences of a particular Town Board.

The Town's proposal takes a different approach. It would formally establish a process under which the Town Board retains discretion to approve or deny a conversion after considering factors such as road conditions, emergency access, anticipated development, estimated costs, available funding and recommendations from the Highway Superintendent. The draft also recognizes that some roads or portions of roads may require substantial improvements before they can safely receive year-round maintenance.

A significant portion of the discussion focused on safety, not simply cost. The board questioned whether every seasonal road—or every section of every seasonal road—could actually be upgraded to a standard that would allow safe year-round access for emergency vehicles. The Highway Superintendent will be brought into the committee's further discussions to help evaluate the condition and potential cost of upgrading the various seasonal roads.

The board also discussed whether a property owner could be required to pay some or all of the cost of upgrading a road needed to access a new home. The Town Attorney indicated that mechanisms such as a performance bond may be available under state law to protect the Town from being left responsible for the cost of improvements.

The two proposals will be sent back to the committee for further consideration, with the board asking the committee to work toward a revised proposal before returning to the issue.

🏡 𝗠𝗶𝗻𝗶𝗺𝘂𝗺 𝗟𝗼𝘁 𝗦𝗶𝘇𝗲

Planning Board chairman Mike McMahon provided some historical context, explaining that Homer previously allowed smaller lots and that the current 2.4-acre standard was largely driven by concerns about groundwater, septic systems and protecting the aquifer.

There was considerable discussion about whether 2.4 acres is still necessary. The board discussed the possibility of reducing the minimum lot size, potentially to one acre or 1.5 acres, while maintaining additional protections in areas over the aquifer.
One of the most significant pieces of information discussed was the experience of local agricultural and water-quality monitoring. A long-term water sampling project was described that monitored wells along Route 41 for more than two decades. The discussion raised concerns about the relationship between residential development, septic systems, lawn chemicals and groundwater quality, particularly over the aquifer.

The board also discussed the possibility of establishing different minimum lot sizes in different areas of the Town, depending on factors such as soil conditions, proximity to the aquifer and availability of municipal water and sewer.

There was also discussion about road frontage requirements. Homer historically had a minimum road frontage requirement but the current zoning code instead focuses on lot width at the front setback.

The board did not make any final decisions on minimum lot size. To be continued.
https://youtu.be/mGwOcmeswog?si=oadF3WB14Ci8gIBV

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08/26/2026

Reminder: Special Town Board meeting at 6:30 tonight. To be discussed is a draft solar law, draft seasonal road law, and reducing the minimum lot size to 1 acre.

08/25/2026

☀️ 𝗔𝗹𝘀𝗼 𝗼𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗮𝗴𝗲𝗻𝗱𝗮 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘀𝗽𝗲𝗰𝗶𝗮𝗹 𝗧𝗼𝘄𝗻 𝗕𝗼𝗮𝗿𝗱 𝗺𝗲𝗲𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗪𝗲𝗱𝗻𝗲𝘀𝗱𝗮𝘆, 𝗮 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗽𝗼𝘀𝗲𝗱 𝘀𝗼𝗹𝗮𝗿 𝗹𝗮𝘄. ☀️

There’s a lot of understandable frustration in Homer about large-scale solar projects being developed on our hillsides. These are very different from someone putting solar panels on their home: they can involve large areas of land, tree clearing, and significant changes to the landscape.

New York State has also significantly limited the Town’s ability to regulate large-scale solar projects. It’s understandable why there is pressure on the Town Board to do something.

But after reading through the draft solar law that will be discussed at Wednesday’s special Town Board meeting, it’s concerning where this law actually puts the burden.

𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗽𝗼𝘀𝗲𝗱 𝗹𝗮𝘄 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗮𝗶𝗻𝘀 𝗮 𝗻𝘂𝗺𝗯𝗲𝗿 𝗼𝗳 𝗿𝗲𝗾𝘂𝗶𝗿𝗲𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘄𝗼𝘂𝗹𝗱 𝗮𝗽𝗽𝗹𝘆 𝘁𝗼 𝘀𝗺𝗮𝗹𝗹 𝗿𝗲𝘀𝗶𝗱𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗮𝗹 𝘀𝘆𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗺𝘀. Among them:

• Solar systems must be installed by a “qualified solar installer.”

• Ground-mounted systems may only be installed in side or rear yards, meaning a homeowner could not put a ground-mounted system in their front yard—even on a large rural property where that might be the best location for sunlight.

• Above-ground portions of a solar system cannot be located within 100 feet of a public highway right-of-way. This would 100% exclude many homeowners from ever being able to install solar, if they have a smaller lot without this kind of distance from the road.

• Solar construction and site-plan documents must be signed and stamped by a New York State licensed professional engineer or registered architect before a building permit or final Planning Board approval.

𝗧𝗵𝗲𝘀𝗲 𝗿𝗲𝗾𝘂𝗶𝗿𝗲𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁𝘀 𝗿𝗮𝗶𝘀𝗲 𝗮 𝗯𝗮𝘀𝗶𝗰 𝗾𝘂𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻:

Why should a Homer homeowner face professional-installation and engineering requirements for putting solar on their own property when we don't impose comparable requirements on homeowners who build other structures or perform other types of work on their property?

I (Michael) built a house on my property. Homer did not require me to hire a professional contractor or have a licensed architect or engineer stamp my house plans. I did my own electrical, HVAC, and plumbing. Everything had to pass inspections. There were specific professional engineering requirements for the septic system (completely understandable), but generally, Homer, like most small towns in NYS, allows residents a fair amount of latitude to build and improve their own property.

That seems especially important in a rural community where people are accustomed to doing things themselves. And it's aligned with conservative (100% of the Town Board and Supervisor) principles.

𝗔𝗻𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲'𝘀 𝗮𝗻𝗼𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿 𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘀𝗼𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗱𝗲𝘀𝗲𝗿𝘃𝗲𝘀 𝗮 𝗰𝗹𝗼𝘀𝗲𝗿 𝗹𝗼𝗼𝗸: electricity and gas isn't getting cheaper. Residential solar can allow homeowners to substantially reduce—or in some circumstances eliminate—their electric bills, including the cost to heat their homes or fuel their vehicles.

It’s fair that Homer should have reasonable standards for solar installations. Safety, aesthetics, drainage, setbacks and impacts on neighbors all matter.

𝗕𝘂𝘁 𝘄𝗲 𝗻𝗲𝗲𝗱 𝘁𝗼 𝗯𝗲 𝗰𝗮𝗿𝗲𝗳𝘂𝗹 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁, 𝗶𝗻 𝗿𝗲𝘀𝗽𝗼𝗻𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗼 𝗹𝗲𝗴𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗺𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝗰𝗲𝗿𝗻𝘀 𝗮𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝗹𝗮𝗿𝗴𝗲-𝘀𝗰𝗮𝗹𝗲 𝘀𝗼𝗹𝗮𝗿 𝗱𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗹𝗼𝗽𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁, 𝘄𝗲 𝗱𝗼𝗻'𝘁 𝗶𝗻𝗮𝗱𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘁𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗹𝘆 𝗺𝗮𝗸𝗲 𝗶𝘁 𝘂𝗻𝗻𝗲𝗰𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗮𝗿𝗶𝗹𝘆 𝗱𝗶𝗳𝗳𝗶𝗰𝘂𝗹𝘁 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗛𝗼𝗺𝗲𝗿 𝗿𝗲𝘀𝗶𝗱𝗲𝗻𝘁𝘀 𝘁𝗼 𝗽𝘂𝗿𝘀𝘂𝗲 𝘀𝗺𝗮𝗹𝗹-𝘀𝗰𝗮𝗹𝗲 𝘀𝗼𝗹𝗮𝗿 𝗼𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗶𝗿 𝗼𝘄𝗻 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗽𝗲𝗿𝘁𝘆.

If you have solar on your home, are considering installing it, or simply have thoughts about how the Town should approach residential solar, the town board needs to hear from you.

08/24/2026

𝗦𝗽𝗲𝗰𝗶𝗮𝗹 𝗧𝗼𝘄𝗻 𝗕𝗼𝗮𝗿𝗱 𝗠𝗲𝗲𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴: 𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗵𝗮𝗽𝗽𝗲𝗻𝘀 𝘄𝗵𝗲𝗻 𝘀𝗼𝗺𝗲𝗼𝗻𝗲 𝘄𝗮𝗻𝘁𝘀 𝘁𝗼 𝗯𝘂𝗶𝗹𝗱 𝗼𝗻 𝗮 𝘀𝗲𝗮𝘀𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝗿𝗼𝗮𝗱?

The Town Board will hold a special meeting Wednesday to discuss a proposed local law that would formalize the process for converting Homer’s seasonal roads to roads maintained year-round.

This is an interesting policy debate because there are two very different approaches on the table.

𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗧𝗼𝘄𝗻’𝘀 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗽𝗼𝘀𝗮𝗹 would leave the decision largely in the hands of the Town Board. If someone wants to build on a seasonal road, the road would first have to be authorized to be converted to year-round maintenance. The Board could consider factors including the condition of the road, public safety, anticipated development, estimated costs, available funding and recommendations from the Highway Superintendent.
But the draft goes further: those factors are explicitly described as “advisory only,” and the decision to convert a road remains a “legislative determination committed to the sole discretion of the Town Board.”
In other words, there would be no automatic right to have a road converted simply because someone is willing to pay the cost. The Board would consider each request individually and could decide whether or not to proceed.

𝗔 𝗹𝗮𝗻𝗱𝗼𝘄𝗻𝗲𝗿 𝗵𝗮𝘀 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗽𝗼𝘀𝗲𝗱 𝗮 𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘆 𝗱𝗶𝗳𝗳𝗲𝗿𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗮𝗽𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗮𝗰𝗵
His proposal would create a dedicated escrow fund for seasonal-road conversions. When someone wants to build, an initial “intent to build” permit would reserve enough money from that fund to cover the estimated cost of converting the road. The Highway Superintendent would then develop a rough estimate, and if there were a funding shortfall, the landowner could potentially make up the difference through a PILOT or similar arrangement (PILOT is “payment in lieu of taxes”, this begs the question, is it a good idea to reduce someone’s future tax payments because they paid some amount for their road to be converted?)

Under this approach, the Town Board would have much less discretion to simply approve or deny a conversion. Instead, the availability of funding would largely determine whether development could proceed.

𝗧𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝘀 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝘀 𝘁𝗼 𝗯𝗼𝘁𝗵 𝗮𝗽𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗮𝗰𝗵𝗲𝘀.
The Town's proposal gives the Board flexibility to consider the long-term cost and impact of each road. But broad discretion also raises questions about consistency: what criteria would determine whether one request is approved and another isn't? Could favoritism or personal relationships in this small town come into play?

The escrow proposal creates a more predictable process and could protect the Town from taking on unexpected costs. But there's another question: how large should that fund be, and what happens when one expensive road conversion consumes most or all of it? Homer has several seasonal roads, including two that are more than a mile and a half long. A single conversion on one of the longer roads could potentially use a very large portion of the available funds.

𝗧𝗵𝗲𝘀𝗲 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗶𝗺𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁𝗮𝗻𝘁 𝗾𝘂𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀 𝗯𝗲𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗧𝗼𝘄𝗻 𝗮𝗱𝗼𝗽𝘁𝘀 𝗮 𝗽𝗲𝗿𝗺𝗮𝗻𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗽𝗼𝗹𝗶𝗰𝘆.

How much should taxpayers be expected to contribute toward making private development possible? How much discretion should elected officials have over individual requests? Should the process be predictable for every landowner, or should the Board have the ability to consider the unique circumstances of each road?

Those are the questions we'll be watching closely at Wednesday's meeting.
Town draft law:
https://townofhomerny.gov/download/81/8-august/12229/draft-2-local-law-seasonal-road-conversion
Landowner's proposal:
https://townofhomerny.gov/download/81/8-august/12226/seasonal-town-roads

08/13/2026

𝗔𝘂𝗴𝘂𝘀𝘁 𝗧𝗼𝘄𝗻 𝗕𝗼𝗮𝗿𝗱 𝗠𝗲𝗲𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 — 𝗛𝗶𝗴𝗵𝗹𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁𝘀
Lots going on at tonight’s Town Board meeting.

𝗧𝗼𝘄𝗻 𝗕𝗼𝗮𝗿𝗱 𝗠𝗶𝗻𝘂𝘁𝗲𝘀
When it came time to approve the draft minutes from July, Councilmember Williams asked that they be corrected to more accurately reflect his comments about the town’s business with Homer Iron Works.
Mr. Williams’ comments were mentioned in the July minutes, but they were abbreviated and combined with my comments during Privilege of the Floor about the availability of meeting documents. The minutes currently say:
“A resident acknowledged the new improvements on town’s website and requested documents for town board meetings be made more available and Councilmember Williams requested future clarity on procedure to audit invoices from Homer Iron Works and discussion occurred on the process.”
The board approved Mr. Williams’ motion to accept the minutes “with a correction.” We’ll see how this is reflected when the final version is posted.
This also brought to mind a larger concern that has been raised before. OpenGov Homer contacted the board and supervisor in July about a significant error in the June minutes — the attendance list appeared to have been carried over from the previous month. We did not receive a response.
Mistakes happen, and we’re not particularly concerned about one incorrect attendance list. What concerns us more is the process: these minutes are part of the town’s official public record, yet they are routinely approved with very little discussion.
I would encourage the board to take a few minutes to actually review the documents they are being asked to approve. Residents rely on these records to understand what happened at meetings they may not have been able to attend. Accuracy matters.

𝗣𝗿𝗶𝘃𝗶𝗹𝗲𝗴𝗲 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗙𝗹𝗼𝗼𝗿
A resident of Limerick Lane asked the town to reimburse him for damage to his driveway caused by town snowplows. The board decided to look into the issue and revisit it at next month’s meeting.

Village Mayor Pat Clune provided an update and mentioned that the Village Trustees will have a table at Magic on Main where Town and Village residents can discuss the Village’s Comprehensive Plan update, which is underway.
Mayor Clune also mentioned that the NYS DOT’s plans for roundabouts at two intersections along Route 281 in the village have been abandoned.

County Legislator Reed Cleland discussed a change he is proposing to the county’s Privilege of the Floor policy. Currently, residents may only comment on items appearing on the agenda at county legislature meetings. Reed would like to allow residents to comment on any topic.

𝗭𝗼𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗕𝗼𝗮𝗿𝗱 𝗼𝗳 𝗔𝗽𝗽𝗲𝗮𝗹𝘀
There is currently a vacancy on the Zoning Board of Appeals, and interested residents are encouraged to contact the Town if they are interested in serving.
The Town has an application available here:
https://townofhomerny.gov/download/38/planning-board-documents/11480/member-application-form

𝗗𝗲𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗾𝘂𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗚𝗿𝗮𝘀𝘀 𝗟𝗮𝘄
Code Enforcement Officer Kevin McMahon has asked the Town Board to consider a local law requiring grass to be maintained at a height of no more than 8 inches. No action was taken tonight.

𝗚𝗲𝗻𝗲𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗼𝗿 𝗦𝗲𝗿𝘃𝗶𝗰𝗲
The board approved a $1,367-per-year service contract for maintenance of the Town Hall generator.

𝗦𝗲𝗮𝘀𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝗥𝗼𝗮𝗱𝘀
The draft local law concerning seasonal roads generated considerable discussion.
A resident expressed concern that the proposed law could give the town board significant discretion over whether a seasonal road may be converted to year-round maintenance when someone wants to build on the road.
Our understanding is that the town currently prohibits building permits from being issued on seasonal roads. If the town approves converting a road to year-round maintenance, however, there appear to be requirements governing how quickly the road must then be improved and maintained.
It wasn't entirely clear how the proposed law would change the existing process beyond formalizing the application process for converting a seasonal road.
A larger question remains about whether the town board would have the authority to approve or deny individual requests to convert roads. An alternative proposal discussed tonight would establish an escrow account for these conversions and approve requests that the available funds could support.
Supervisor Park decided to schedule an open meeting to further discuss the proposed law.

𝗖𝗼𝗺𝗽𝗿𝗲𝗵𝗲𝗻𝘀𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗣𝗹𝗮𝗻 𝗨𝗽𝗱𝗮𝘁𝗲
The contract associated with the state grant awarded to the town for updating its comprehensive plan is being reviewed. Until that contract is finalized, the town cannot move forward with forming the committee or hiring a consultant, so both remain on hold.

𝗖𝗿𝗲𝗲𝗰𝗵 𝗥𝗼𝗮𝗱
The board will review a request from two Creech Road residents to prohibit truck traffic on Creech Road, with exceptions for deliveries and similar uses.

𝗜𝗻𝘀𝘂𝗿𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲
The Town’s insurance costs are expected to increase by approximately 8%. The increase was attributed in part to increased property coverage for Town Hall.
https://youtu.be/NtpZlc2IgsA

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08/11/2026

Lots on the agenda for the upcoming Town Board meeting this Wednesday at 6:30pm.

Looks like yet another ZBA (Zoning Board of Appeals) resignation and appointment.

A proposed law to require grass be kept to 8" tall or less.

Approval to sign a service contract for the emergency generator installed on town hall for $1,368/yr. Between the original purchase cost, the alterations the generator required to the natural gas service to the building, moving the building's electrical mains to accommodate the generator, and now this, the generator is turning out to be quite the expense. The generator was an add alternate on the town hall renovation project and was not discussed by the board, including all these additional expenses, when they accepted the bids for the renovation, just simply approved.

A vote to move forward with the seasonal road local law. Looking at the draft law, it essentially says a building permit won't be issued for new construction on a seasonal road until the town board first votes to approve conversion of the road to year round maintenance. Seems reasonable.

Finally an update on the town's comprehensive plan update. Not to be confused with the Village of Homer comprehensive plan update, which is well underway.

A vote to move forward with a local law to prohibit truck traffic on Creech Rd.

All the relevant documents were posted to the town website on Friday of last week after we raised the issue of the documents only being distributed to select individuals at the July meeting. They are also available in the OpenGov Homer Google Drive here:
https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/17QEgWMGXxTtx0SpWbGIesa38m_88nF0V?usp=drive_link

07/11/2026

To be clear, this survey is for the Village of Homer's comprehensive plan, not the Town. Not sure what the status is of the Town comprehensive plan yet, last we heard there was some delay with NYS.

Please help us create an effective and responsive Smart Growth Comprehensive Plan by taking 10 minutes to complete this short survey. Your responses will help shape the vision for Homer’s future. Your responses will be anonymous and confidential.

07/09/2026

At tonight's town board meeting, Councilmember Williams raised questions about the Town's process for purchasing services from Homer Iron Works, a business owned by Supervisor Park. Williams referenced conflict of interest concerns raised in the Town's 2022 audit and said he wanted clearer documentation and guidance so current and future board members understand what procedures should be followed.

Supervisor Park explained that work performed by Homer Iron Works is typically priced and then compared against quotes from other vendors when possible, with Highway Superintendent Kyle Bean ultimately deciding which vendor to use. Park stated that some of the work is specialized and difficult to obtain from other suppliers.

The exchange was notable. Williams said he felt uncomfortable "finding and passing" a voucher which included such a purchase last month, and continues to feel uncomfortable with the board "just doing what we're doing": https://youtu.be/LCc7tAuuX2o?si=ISvHfDT2Uqxj4YBV&t=175

Later in the meeting, I (Michael) used the Privilege of the Floor to raise concerns about the availability of meeting agendas and supporting materials before Town Board meetings.

To the Town's credit, the new website contains a great deal of useful information and agendas are often posted in advance. However, that did not happen this month.

The meeting materials are routinely emailed to a select group of recipients on the Friday before each Wednesday meeting, including local media outlets, town and village officials, and the Republican county legislator representing Homer (but not the Democratic one). While it's great that the materials are shared with the press, those documents are rarely republished or reported on unless a particularly controversial issue is on the docket.

OpenGov Homer is calling on the Town to post agendas and supporting materials on its website the same day they are distributed by email. If transparency is truly a priority for 2026, this would be a simple and meaningful step toward making government information equally available to all residents. My remarks here: https://youtu.be/LCc7tAuuX2o?si=fctRxnSeaJ3DVuZo&t=448

The remainder of the meeting consisted primarily of routine business. The board appointed Jean Swisher to fill a vacancy on the Zoning Board of Appeals.

https://youtu.be/LCc7tAuuX2o

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07/07/2026

The July Town Board meeting will be held tomorrow, Wednesday, at 6:30pm. So far only a preliminary agenda has been obtained. There will be a "planning board overview" and "ZBA board overview", and a ZBA appointment.

06/19/2026

Today we recognize Juneteenth. On this day in 1865, enslaved people in Galveston, Texas were informed of their freedom, more than two years after the Emancipation Proclamation. Juneteenth stands as a powerful reminder of freedom, resilience, justice, and the ongoing work of building a more equal society.