Town of Barrington

HISTORIAN RESIGNS OVER CONDOS:

The proposal to build luxury condos along East Lake Road has prompted the town historian to resign.

Steve Knapp submitted an e-mail letter of resignation to town board members, who received it after last Wednesday’s regular meeting.

Knapp had begun organizing opposition to the project while still historian but decided he should do it as a private citizen instead to avoid causing legal problems for the board.

“I believe this is necessary to allow me freedom to freely advocate and organize opposition to the Sturdevent Road Project. Ironically, up until now, I have seen this opposition as an annual expression of my concern for historic preservation within the town.

“It has been brought to my attention, however, that to advocate and even organize such opposition as town historian may subject the town board to legal jeopardy beyond which it already faces,” Knapp wrote in his resignation.

He offered to help whoever is named to the unpaid job and would consider reappointment “after this particular storm passes.”

The main reason for posting this article is just to point out that the resignation of a town officer must be made by a writing delivered to the Town Clerk in her office, not to the Town Board, and not by e-mail. The relevant statute- Section 31 of the Public Officer's Law- provides, in part:

1. Public officers may resign their offices as follows:
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g. Every town officer, to the town clerk;
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2. Every resignation shall be in writing addressed to the officer or body to whom it is made.
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3. A resignation addressed to an officer shall be delivered to him at his place of business or filed in his office.