SENECA FALLS — A representative of Waterloo Container took a Town Board member to task Tuesday over comments she made at the board’s March meeting.
Mark C. Pitifer, without calling out Councilor Wendy Crane by name, said the board member insinuated an encounter between representatives of the bottle manufacturer and Gov. Kathy Hochul might have triggered a letter from the Department of Environmental Conservation. In it, the DEC assured the town that it was monitoring the Seneca Meadow Inc. landfill closely to make sure it was in compliance with all environmental rules while the SMI application for a new permit was pending.
Crane had implied at the March meeting that the timing of social media posts showing Pitifer and Bill Lutz, the company’s owner, shaking hands with Hochul might have influenced the timing of the letter.
“I would like to address statements made at the last board meeting by a sitting member of this board regarding myself and Waterloo Container. It is astonishing that these comments were made without research, without verification, and without a full understanding of the facts,” Pitifer read from a prepared statement. “When assertions are introduced into the public record by an elected official in this manner — particularly those that question the integrity or intentions of a local business — they carry weight. That is precisely why they must be grounded in fact. In this case, they were not. The statements were uneducated, unprovoked, and ultimately inaccurate.”
Pitifer said he and Lutz were in Albany with the Seneca County Farm Bureau during the organization’s annual Lobby Days at the beginning of March. They were there “advancing New York’s agricultural and wine & craft beverage industries — an industry generating billions annually and supporting tens of thousands of jobs across this state including Seneca County and Seneca Falls. That work involved direct engagement with stakeholders, policymakers, and industry leaders, with over 15 scheduled in-person meetings focused on economic development.”
Although she did not speak in response to Pitifer at the meeting, Crane later provided a statement to the Finger Lakes Times explaining her comments and offering an apology to Pitifer.
“I want to start by thanking Waterloo Container for their continued support as a business and taxpayer in our town. We value our local businesses, and I fully support the role they play in keeping our community strong,” Crane wrote. “I think it’s important to address how this disagreement has evolved.
“At our last meeting, I made a comment regarding the timing of a few things I had seen — specifically social media posts showing Mark and Bill taking photos with Gov. Hochul, along with a letter from Mark to the town and a letter from the governor’s office, all within about a two-week period.”
She said she connected those pieces based on what she had seen publicly.
“That was my interpretation at the time,” she continued. “If I misinterpreted that situation or made an incorrect assumption, I sincerely apologize. That was not my intent. My role here is to ask questions, stay informed, and represent the residents of this town to the best of my ability.”
In his statement, which Pitifer also provided to the Finger Lakes Times, he accused Crane of ignoring the “obligation for members of this board to ensure that what is presented publicly reflects diligence, accuracy, and a commitment to truth. That standard was not met.”
He also said that Waterloo Container never contributed to Hochul’s campaign and they weren’t in Albany for any campaign-related activity.
“What’s interesting is that Responsible Solutions for NY — a PAC funded almost entirely by Waste Connections, the company that owns SMI, ran dozens of advertisements naming some of you specifically in the ads during recent elections,” Pitifer told board members. “These ads ended up benefiting several of your primary and general election campaigns. Although you never received donations, your campaigns benefited since your candidacies were promoted.”
Specifically, the PAC’s ads and mailings spoke in favor of Crane, who was elected in November, and Councilor Dawn Dyson, who was reelected in 2023.
“If you take a deeper dive into the campaign finance database on elections.ny.gov, you’ll see that Waterloo Container has never made a single donation to support Kathy Hochul’s re-election as suggested by a member of this board,” Pitifer said. “On the contrary, Waste Connections — the same company that funded the PAC that supported some of your campaigns — did make two separate donations to ‘Friends of Kathy Hochul’ in support of her re-election. So, those who supported her election, supported some of your elections. These are simply the facts.”
He also noted that Waterloo Container, while complaining about odors and other issued at the landfill across Route 414 from the bottle plant, “respects and appreciate the hard work and professionalism that the men and women of Seneca Meadows perform daily. They have remained kind, attentive and polite to us and our workforce and they do a difficult job each and every day.
“Our issues have always been with and remain with the out-of-state multi-billion dollar corporation Waste Connections, which owns and operates SMI, and has tried to influence and manipulate our local free and fair elections and who have ignored our fears and concerns for almost a decade now.”
He said Crane’s “public insinuations regarding connections between our activities and routine correspondence from the (DEC) were equally unfounded. Waterloo Container had no involvement whatsoever in that communication. This is a matter that could have been clarified with even minimal due diligence. Yet, it was stated that it was somehow shady that after meeting (Hochul), which we do periodically, this letter arrived to the town. For a sitting member of this board to blatantly be able say whatever they want without question is both dangerous and counterproductive.
“So as we move forward, I would respectfully ask this board to refocus on facts, on law, and on the responsibility that comes with public service.”
Crane said she hopes that the rift can be healed so everyone is on the same page for wanting what’s best for the town.
“Moving forward, I hope we can keep communication open, respectful, and focused on what’s best for Seneca Falls,” read her statement. “With that being said, I would welcome the opportunity to sit down with Waterloo Container at any time to have a conversation and gain a better understanding.”
