Topics at the forum, which was co-sponsored by the Enterprise and the Lake Placid News, included the region’s affordable housing crisis, town zoning codes, the Ironman triathlon and the local tourism industry.

People can watch the archived forum recording on the Enterprise Facebook page under the “Live” tab. The LPN and ADE will also publish questionnaires answered by the candidates next week.

Town Councilor Richard Cummings, who is running for reelection, declined to participate in the forum. In attendance were Fred Balzac, Edward “Andy” Borden and incumbent Emily Kilburn Politi. The four candidates are vying for two open seats on the town board, each carrying four-year terms.

Also on the ballot will be town Supervisor Derek Doty and town Highway Superintendent Ken Porter, who are running for reelection unopposed; one state Supreme Court justice seat, between Carl G. Falotico or Paul E. Davenport; and the race for Essex County clerk — Chelsea M. Merrihew and Stephanie DeZalia are running to fill the position.

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Affordable housing

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Izzo, acting as moderator, asked the candidates what the town — and they as individuals — could do to address the area’s lack of affordable long-term housing.

Borden said the town has already been taking steps to address the housing crisis, but it is still a widespread issue. He said that the best approach to increasing North Elba’s long-term housing stock is “working together … with developers and businesspeople.” Borden also said he supported the MacKenzie Overlook apartments on Wesvalley Road, an affordable housing complex that opened earlier this year, but voiced reservations about the housing system.

“I like the idea that they put that apartment complex on Wesvalley Road,” he said. “Unfortunately, it’s filling up with a lot of people that, are they even working in our community? Are they families? Are they doing — you know, what’s their purpose?”

Politi highlighted her past work on the town board to address this issue, including creating the position of community development director, “whose main focus is housing,” and the new economic development director, “who is charged with the diversification of housing.” She also said the town’s short-term vacation rental regulations are helping to restore the stock of long-term housing, and called MacKenzie Overlook a “success story.” Politi said that, in the future, the town should also work with private developers to create a range of long-term housing options.

“We need a whole spectrum of housing and a diversity of housing,” she said.

Balzac said that developers who want to build high-end housing developments should be required to “set aside a percentage for low to moderate income.”

This provision is already included in the town’s zoning laws. For every 10 units a developer builds, developers are required to set one “affordable” unit aside for a household that earns 120% of the area median income. If the developer chooses not to do that, they are required to make a payment instead to a housing fund held by the Adirondack Community Housing Trust.

Balzac later clarified that he would like developers to be required to provide more than just one 120% AMI unit per 10 units. He also said he supports a public housing system similar to those used in Europe, where households with different levels of income live in the same building.

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Other challenges

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Izzo asked the candidates to share the other challenges they believe North Elba currently faces and how they would address them.

Politi said that a lot of the challenges “go back to housing,” including aging infrastructure. She said that the town’s impending modeling project — which will analyze the stresses and capacities of the town’s infrastructure — will help with future development. Politi also said that staff retention and fair pay within the town government is a concern for her.

Balzac said that a “big” challenge in town is “quality of life for year-round residents,” which he tied back to short-term rentals. He felt the town board created and passed STR regulations too slowly. He said that climate change will be a local challenge in the coming years, proposing that the town board should study the environmental impact on “any significant resolutions or bills that they pass.” Balzac also said that the local economy should be diversified so that it does not depend so much on tourism.

Borden also cited infrastructure as a challenge, as well as safety — especially pedestrian safety. Borden, who was a police officer in Lake Placid for 20 years, called for safer sidewalks and intersections throughout town, especially if new housing developments are constructed. He also said that the emergency room at the Lake Placid Health and Medical Fitness Center should be re-opened. It was closed by Adirondack Health, which operated the facility, on Aug. 20.

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Sense of community

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Izzo asked the candidates if they agreed with the growing sentiment that there has been a loss of a sense of community in North Elba and, if so, how they proposed to change that perception.

Balzac said that North Elba spans multiple communities — including the hamlet of Ray Brook and part of the village of Saranac Lake — and this sentiment may vary by community. However, he pinpointed the village of Lake Placid as a place that may feel this way, citing the large amount of tourism within the village. He felt that residents’ concerns about the Ironman triathlon “were not really heard” by local governments and that the 2023 FISU Winter World University Games were “a bust” for the local economy.

“We just need to make sure that we are prioritizing our year-round residents so that, when proposals come before the town board, we have to think hard about it,” he said.

Borden said that he disagrees that North Elba has lost its sense of community, though Lake Placid has changed in recent decades — he cited smaller graduating classes at Lake Placid Middle/High School and families moving out of the area as examples.

“Sense of community, in that sense, has deteriorated,” he said. “The new community is sports-driven, it’s events-driven, it’s a lot of vacation people-driven.”

Borden said that Lake Placid could become a “family … community” again with diversification of the economy and more affordable housing.

Politi also disagreed that North Elba has lost a sense of community.

“The community is different, but I still feel such a sense of community when I’m here,” she said. “I wouldn’t do this if I didn’t. I listed all of the boards I’m on; I wouldn’t do that if I didn’t think there was a community here. I have two young children; I wouldn’t raise children here if I didn’t think there was a sense of community and a sense of belonging.”

She said that to change this sentiment, people need to accept that community can “start to look different.”

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Zoning code

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Izzo asked if the North Elba zoning code was sufficient and what changes should be made to it.

“I think that our zoning codes need to be looked at,” Borden said.

He added that the town needed to “get input” and “have some serious discussions” to identify potential problems with the code.

Politi said that the town started to clean up and “revamp” the zoning code in 2020, though there are still changes that can be made. She said that, as the town creates an updated comprehensive plan with an outside consultant, they will be able to identify parts of the zoning code that aren’t working well and should be altered. Two aspects of the code that she would like to revisit, she said, were density and height, as they affect the area’s options for affordable housing.

“You need more density and you need more height,” she said. “We know we’re running out of land, and so that’s one thing that the zoning code will look at in terms of housing.”

Balzac said that he has not read North Elba’s zoning code, but is “a bit familiar” with the village of Saranac Lake’s code. He said that, in the past, he found that Saranac Lake’s code was “rather inadequate.”

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Sporting events

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Izzo asked the candidates how they propose to balance the needs of large-scale sporting events such as the Ironman triathlon with the needs of the community.

Politi said that opening a dialogue with event organizers and local residents can help to keep the events in the community without inconveniencing the town. She cited work by the town’s Ironman Task Force.

“I think it’s about conversations and making sure that you’re always listening to both sides,” she said. “I mean, there is an economic generator effect from major sporting events, and they support our local businesses and they are weather-proof.”

Balzac said that the traffic closures that have come with Ironman in the past “are really disregarding the will of the people.” He also restated that the 2023 FISU Games were “not … the success they were touted to be.” He said that North Elba residents needed to participate more in their local government in order to have their concerns heard.

Borden said that working as a police officer during Ironman in the past was “quite an ordeal” and that both sides of the argument surrounding events like Ironman need to be represented in task forces and during meetings. He also said that large sporting events “keep us going.”

“It’s something that you can look forward to,” he said. “Weather doesn’t affect them. You know, they’re here. Our community’s biggest income comes from people coming here.”

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Young residents

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Izzo next asked a question about young residents in the area, many of whom are struggling to find housing and make ends meet. She asked what the town government could do to help young locals.

Balzac said that he is “aware of the impact of the local economy and the lack of opportunity for young people in this area.” He said that more interaction between the town board and the local schools could help the local government identify youth issues, as well as diversifying the local economy to bring in more job opportunities and affordable housing.

Borden said that his four adult sons experienced firsthand the lack of affordable housing and job opportunities in the area. He said that young people should “get as much education as (they) can … to land a better-paying job in the future.” He also said that the affordable housing stock should be increased in the area.

Politi agreed with Balzac and Borden that the town board needs to work toward creating more local job opportunities and affordable housing. She pointed to the economic development director position as one tool in the town’s arsenal, saying that as the economy diversifies, “better-paying and better-skilled jobs” and “a diversity of housing” will become available.

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Civic engagement

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Izzo asked how important it is to get young residents involved and engaged in local government, and how the candidates could encourage young people to get involved in local politics.

Borden said that civic engagement “starts through schooling and parenting.” He said that he would like to see more interaction between local school districts and local government.

“How many board meetings are there and the schools don’t have anybody there even covering the board meetings somethings, you know? Why?” he asked.

He suggested that student governments be represented at town and village board meetings.

Politi expressed support for the Lake Placid Central School District’s recent Community Schools initiative. A community school is a school that not only provides education for local adolescents but also provides holistic support to the community, which may include extracurricular learning opportunities throughout the year, social services and family engagement. Politi also proposed holding a “Civics Day” at local schools, where elected officials can interact with students and talk to them about how local government works.

Balzac said that the local economy should take more advantage of the “amazing concept” of the Adirondack Park. He also suggested instating a student representative or delegate to school and town board meetings and said that the town board committees should be opened up to citizens. He agreed with Politi that there should be a Civics Day in local schools.

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Candidate strengths

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Izzo asked each candidate to tell the audience why they were the right person to sit on the town board.

Politi said that her educational and employment background prepared her to sit on the town board.

“If you could ever go to school to be a politician, that’s literally what I went to school for,” she said. “My education basis has set me up for public budgeting and public administration and everything that I do every day when I go to the town hall.”

Politi also said that she is “passionate,” a “team player” and knows “a lot about housing,” citing her experience in both non-profit and private housing development.

Balzac said that he has “a record of fighting for people,” citing his involvement in the campaign to restore the covered bridge in Jay. He said that he has also been involved “in a number of groups and efforts” including the Concerned Citizens to Protect Lake Placid and Residents for a Sustainable Community.

Borden said that he is a strong communicator, which he attributed to his former career as a police officer and his current work as a business owner and pastor.

“Communication is a two-way street,” he said. “It’s what it’s all about, is being able to talk to people and being able to hear people and to be able to understand what they’re saying and being understood.”

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Voting

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Early voting is being held in Essex County between Oct. 28 and Nov. 5 at two locations: the Mirror Lake Beach House, 31 Parkside Dr. in Lake Placid, and the Essex County Public Safety Building, 702 Stowersville Road in Lewis. Hours are 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. every day except Oct. 30 and Nov. 1, when the hours are noon to 8 p.m.

Election Day is Nov. 7. Polls will be open at the Shipman Youth Center (Districts 1, 3, 4 and 5) and at the North Elba Town House in Saranac Lake (District 2) from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. The North Elba Town Hall in Lake Placid is not a polling station this year.