Developers are not the only ones Hartwick has been after for reimbursement of consulting fees.

During Monday's public hearing, the Glimmerglass Coalition's unpaid bill came up briefly when developers mentioned the group's failure to pay.

Vincent Rozella complained that he has to pay his bill for the planning boar's review of his project, but the Glimmerglass Coalition doesn't and that in turn his taxes go up as the cost is shifted to taxpayers.

In May, the town sent the coalition a bill for more than $10,000 for costs associated with the town's consideration of participating in what, at that time, was a proposed generic environmental impact study, or GEIS. The Glimmerglass Coalition had lobbied local governments to participate in the study which it believed "would allow for more informed assessment of the impacts of added tourism development in the region during the summer season."

The town board ultimately decided not to participate in the study with the towns of Otsego and Middlefield and the village of Cooperstown, but ran up a bill of over $10,000 with its consultants while reaching that decision.

Glimmerglass Coalition spokesperson Martha Frey replied to the town's billing by stating that they are not an applicant and therefore not subject to the site plan review law.

But, according to town supervisor Carol Niedzialkowski, the town was told by Julie Sharratt, former leader of the Concern Citizens of Hartwick and a member of the Glimmerglass Coalition advisory board, that the coalition would pay the cost of looking into participating in the study.

"But that has not happened," Niedzialkowski said Monday night. "They're not applicants. That's how they squeak by."

In an article in the February 17 issue of the CoopersTown Crier, Sharratt is quoted as saying the coalition will reimburse the town in response to concerns Niedzialkowski expressed about how much it was costing Hartwick.

In a June 12 follow-up to Frey's letter, Jim Bernegger, chairman of the coalition steering committee, stated that he had spoken with Frey who confirmed there had been discussions about grant assistance from the coalition to "help defray the cost incurred by the town as it reviewed its role in the proposed inter-municipal GEIS..."

"We are prepared, however, even at this date and given the course you have regrettably chosen regarding the inter-municipal GEIS, to entertain a grant request from the town," he wrote.

Niedzialkowski said Tuesday that the town has been "swamped" and they have not had a chance to address the matter further, but that following Monday night's hearing Concerned Citizens of Hartwick president Keith Parr said he would be willing to act as a go between.

"It was his opinion the Glimmerglass Coalition would be willing to negotiate. He's hoping to open up talks," she said, adding that the town plans to resubmit a detailed bill to the coalition.

However, later in the day, Parr disagreed with the characterization of his role as that of a "go between."

"I would like to see the matter resolved," he said, adding that he would prefer not to discuss it further and that it need not be in the newspaper.