William J. Kemble reports in The Daily Freeman that Rosendale Town Board members hope other state legislators support a resolution by Assemblyman Frank Skartados that would give towns the same approval authority currently held by cities and villages. “It’s out of sync with municipal home rule in New York state,” Councilperson Jennifer Metzger said. “That authority should be extended to towns, and it’s particularly important right now because there’s a proposal to build a crude oil pipeline through our communities,” she said. “Towns should have the same authority that villages and cities do.” Rosendale is concerned about the proposed Pilgrim Pipeline that would put two parallel pipelines between Albany and Linden, N.J., carrying unrefined crude south and refined fuel products north. The pipeline would largely shadow I-87, but has small detours near Athens and Catskill. “It goes through the entire town, from north to south,” Metzger said. “It’s a significant length, and it’s about as long as it could possibly be in the town because of the shape of the town.” Read the full story in The Daily Freeman.