Op-Ed: Woodbury Trustees Fabbro and Freiband Should Be Expelled From Office

The two village trustees are hellbent on lifting a building moratorium despite an ongoing water shortage.

I’m waiting on a FOIL request sent to the Village of Woodbury. The request covers emails sent by Village Trustee James Freiband to other members of the Village Town Board concerning alleged new sources of water that he claims to have found.

I’ve also FOIL-ed emails sent from Woodbury Village Mayor Andrew Giacomazza to the other Board members concerning the ongoing water shortage in the Village, and the search for wells that would be worth drilling.

I’ll share everything I find soon.

But today, we’re going to focus on what I feel is a larger problem concerning the Woodbury Village Board and its two newly elected members.

I want to first take you back to the February 22nd, 2024 Woodbury Village Board meeting. Because there was an important moment that occurred. It begins at 18:47.

In the video, you’ll see a lengthy question and answer session where Village Trustees Freiband and Fabbro pepper Water Superintendent, Michael Phillips, with questions about when the building moratoriums can be lifted.

It gets a little technical, but it’s worth a watch for reasons I’m about to share with you.

The key line to focus on is what Michael Phillips says at 26:37:

“You can only take so much water out of the ground where you find it.”

After being told this, both Fabbro and Freiband continue to discuss when the moratorium can be lifted.

If you’re told there’s not enough water, and your only concern is “when can we start building again?” you don’t represent the people.

You represent wealthy business interests.

Why Does That Line Matter?

Climate Change and its impact on New York State is paradoxical.

According to documents prepared by the Environmental Protection Agency, in the Winter and Spring, we’re going to get way more precipitation than we currently know what to do with.

And in the Summer and Fall we’re going to see longer, more severe heatwaves and drought.

At the moment, our rain water capture systems and water recycling efforts on the local level are … not great.

(If they even exist at all.)

Until we’ve addressed that, we have to be mindful about how much water is left in the ground. That’s because, as Mr. Phillips said, there’s only so much there to begin with.

According to the United Nations, access to safe and clean drinking water — along with proper sanitation of that water — is a human right.

With the way Trustees Fabbro and Freiband talk about lifting the building moratorium, you would think that the water issue would be solved just by drilling new wells.

But it won’t be.

I’m not saying those two are committing a human rights violation, but I am saying there are few issues more important than your water supply during a climate emergency.

Who Do They Work For? Not You.

Wealthy real estate developers. That’s who these two work for.

Particularly those eager to build housing for the Satmar in the Haredi community.

Under normal circumstances, I wouldn’t have a problem with this. There is a nationwide housing shortage. The problem is particularly acute in New York City, where the Satmar and other Haredi have long made their homes after World War 2.

We all need an affordable place to live.

But these aren’t normal circumstances.

Woodbury is under water restrictions.

Southern Orange County doesn’t know what to do with all the rain water we’re getting.

And the Summer heat is only going to get hotter and last longer than it did just a few years ago.

What is BADLY needed is for the municipalities of Orange County to get together with interested real estate developers, representing all people, and figure out where we can safely build affordable, high density housing for everyone.

But. Trustees Freiband and Fabbro are alleged to have shared sensitive village information with a developer linked only to the Satmar community.

If that claim is true, that’s enough alone to get the two of them kicked out of office.

But I don’t depend on gossip. I look at the facts. And the facts are clear these two have a vested interest in lifting the building moratoriums as quick as possible.

For that reason, I think there are grounds for an ethics violation to be submitted to the Village Board based on their eagerness.

It’s clear the water situation isn’t being treated with the seriousness it deserves, and your health and safety is now being put at risk in order for real estate developers to continue making money at the expense of everyone, Haredi and non-Haredi alike.

The Code of Ethics

I’ll finish with this. The Village of Woodbury has a code of ethics which can be found here.

There are three points in the Village Code that are worth noting as it relates to Trustees Fabbro and Freiband.

1. No board member, Village employee or Village consultant shall engage in, solicit, negotiate for or promise to accept private employment or render services for private interests when such employment or service creates a conflict with or impairs the proper discharge of his official duties. [Emphasis added]

Trying to lift a building moratorium in the middle of a water shortage, along with federal and state warnings about worsening heat and drought, falls clearly under this one.

2. No board member, Village employee or Village consultant shall disclose confidential information acquired by him in the course of his official duties or use such information to further his personal interests or the private interests of others.

If it’s true that Trustees Fabbro and/or Freiband shared information known only to the village to a real estate developer, then they are in violation of this rule.

3. Misuse of authority. No board member, Village employee or Village consultant shall use or attempt to use his official position to secure unwarranted privileges or exemptions for himself or others. [Emphasis added]

Advocating for the real estate interests falls squarely under this rule.

4. Misuse of privilege. No board member, Village employee or Village consultant shall by his conduct give reasonable basis for the impression that another can improperly influence him or unduly enjoy his favor in the performance of his official duties or that he is affected by kinship, rank, position or influence of any party or person. [Emphasis added].

The last time I talked about the building moratorium, I asked, “What’s the rush?” I believe a reasonable basis for the impression that Trustees Fabbro and Freiband can and have been improperly influenced by real estate interests has clearly been demonstrated.

Again, there is a water shortage. What is the rush for lifting the building moratorium when Woodbury residents don’t have adequate access to the water supply?

5. Discriminate or cause involuntary segregation, directly or indirectly, based upon creed, color, national origin, sex or disability [Emphasis Added.]

This is the controversial point, but I’ll share it with you anyway.

According to PEW, 3 in 10 American adults identify as being secular or non-religious.

Having Village Trustees exclusively working for wealthy business interests, who may represent the Satmar community, is discriminatory against the non-religious residents of Woodbury.

Since the 1950s, the Satmar in the Haredi community have become a powerful political machine, and that’s not a bad thing. In America, the squeaky wheel gets the grease. It’s enviable how savvy my friends in the Satmar community have learned to navigate America’s political infrastructure.

But.

In that time, the powerful political machine has also created instances where due process is denied to the non-Haredi residents of the surrounding communities because of this influence.

Just ask the people in South Blooming Grove how things are going.

Favoring a realtor who will build housing marketed exclusively to the Satmar community, who will only advertise this housing in Yiddish media outlets like Der Yid or The KJ Weekly, is exclusionary.

Especially at a time when housing is needed for everyone.

For these reasons, and I’m sure there will be more provided in the future, I think Trustees Fabbro and Freiband should be expelled from the Village Board.

And I also urge the mayor to get together with the other municipalities, and as quickly as possible, help to develop a housing plan that will provide affordable housing that’s accessible for everyone while preserving and protecting what we can in terms of the environment.

We don’t have a choice.

The now regular flooding on Lakes Road has already demonstrated the cost of doing nothing when it comes to Climate Change.