SAUGERTIES, N.Y. — Councilperson Mike Ivino took issue with several people during a Town Board meeting after hearing remarks he considered to be an affront to his credibility on whether fires at a proposed Key Capture Energy lithium-ion battery facility could be properly contained.

During the Wednesday, Oct. 21, session, Ivino said comments made by a couple — apparently between themselves — required him to respond with a forceful defense of the Centerville Fire District, which he oversees as chief.

“I’m gonna bring you up to speed on the fire district that will oversee this project if it comes to fruition,” he said. “We are the best fire district in this town, OK? We have 60 members that provide service to the largest district in the town, OK?”

Ivino questioned the couple, who left the meeting without identifying themselves, about where they live and then said they need to study details of the district. One of the two people said they felt the questions were inappropriate.

“My question to you is: If you don’t live in the Centerville Fire District, I think you should start doing your homework on the fire districts that you might live in and see what their response times are, see what their membership is, what they respond to versus what we respond to,” he said.

“I’m speaking to everybody, not just you,” Ivino added. “You kind of gave me a snide attitude when we were discussing or (a consultant) was discussing some facts about fire districts.”

Key Capture Energy is seeking to construct a 100-megawatt lithium-ion energy storage system on 11 acres of a 59.8-acre parcel owned by KMP Realty Holdings adjacent to the village. The project continues to be controversial, with Ivino forcefully responding to criticism at several meetings since the 629-page application was filed last December.

The Oct. 21 meeting included a discussion over how well the district could cover a battery fire. After mentioning that the Key Capture plan calls for 2.5 million gallons of water to be available at the site, Ivino said, “We’re not up here (on the Town Board) to be treated like a punching bag.”

Resident Josepha Gutelius drew Ivino’s ire when she responded with statistics from the state Division of Homeland Security that stated that up to five million gallons of water would be needed for a major fire event at a lithium-ion battery facility.

“That’s if every box is on fire and it’s catastrophic,” Ivino responded. “I recommend that you set up an appointment with me or one of my other officers and we can give you a rundown of … our equipment,” he said.

After the meeting, resident Gaetana Ciarlante said Ivino’s approach to comments he perceived as adversarial was not reassuring.

“We are not reassured that the current fire chief, who is also on the Town Board is taking a mature, unemotional, sensible look at this project, leaving many of us residents wondering why he is behaving in such a way,” she said.

© 2026 Daily Freeman, Kingston, N.Y.. Visit www.dailyfreeman.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.