Town Clerk Ousted in Yorktown Parks and Rec Commission Shakeup

The longtime chairperson of the Yorktown Parks and Recreation Commission was ousted last week by the Town Board in a vote that overturned a decision made in the final weeks of former Supervisor Ilan Gilbertâs administration.
Town Clerk Diana Quast, who was appointed to a new six-year term on the commission on December 17 in a 3-1 Democratic partisan vote, was subsequently removed February 4 in a 3-1 Republican partisan vote after the December 17 reappointment was ruled invalid.
According to the resolution, since Quastâs previous term expired on December 31, and the vacancy on the commission didnât occur until January 1, the deciding vote cast by Gilbert, whose two-year term also ended December 31, to reappoint Quast canât stand.
âWe appointed someone to a position that wasnât open,â explained Councilman Ed Lachterman, who was not in attendance at the December 17 meeting but has spearheaded an effort to ensure no elected officials or department heads serve on any town volunteer committees. âIâve been very vocal on this. Iâve been very consistent on this.â
Lachterman, who made the motion to replace Quast on the Parks and Recreation Commission with Richard Romanski, president of the Yorktown Soccer Club who has served as an alternate on the commission, was supported by Supervisor Matt Slater and Councilman Tom Diana.
With Councilwoman Alice Roker absent due to illness, Councilman Vishnu Patel was unsuccessful in trying to convince his GOP colleagues to delay the vote for two weeks until Roker could weigh-in. Quast served as deputy clerk for most of Rokerâs quarter century of time as town clerk in Yorktown and has been town clerk since 2017 after Roker retired.
âWhat is so urgent?â Patel argued. âNothing has stopped. Conflict of interest is what bothers me. They canât have any other interests or personal gain.â
Marcia Stone, resident of Shrub Oak, questioned Romanski being appointed to the commission since he owns a for-profit business called Kiids Sports, Inc., which offers soccer programs for youths ages three through 19 and adult soccer and basketball programming. The business also operates summer camps in conjunction with the Yorktown Parks and Recreation Department.
Stone said anyone on the commission should ânot have a financial interest in that position and instead represents the town taxpayers in general.â
Resident Mark Lieberman also wondered why the board would not reappoint Quast, saying, âWhy would you not reappoint an MVP to the winning team?â
Lachterman, Diana and Slater all maintained the decision was not driven by personalities or politics but a change in policy.
âIt has nothing to do with if youâre a Republican or a Democrat or Marvin Martian,â Diana remarked. âWeâre just trying to correct a wrong. I have no ill feelings towards anyone. Everyone knew this was coming. This was going to happen at one point or another. I donât think this should have been a surprise.â
âItâs a very sensitive situation because at the end of the day we still have to act professionally,â Slater said. âWeâre doing our best to ensure that happens.â
Quast could not be reached for comment.
At the same December 17 meeting, Town Comptroller Patricia Caporale was reappointed to the Parks Commission for a term set to expire December 31, 2025. However, after the actions taken by the board last Tuesday night, Slater said Caporale resigned from the commission Wednesday morning.
Meanwhile, Highway Superintendent Dave Paganelli, who was appointed on December 17 to the commission to fill the unexpired term of James Martorano, Jr. after Martorano became Parks and Recreation Superintendent, remains on the commission as the only elected official or department head.
That has been somewhat of a sore subject when it has been brought up at Town Board meetings with Paganelli not taking too kindly too remarks made mostly by Lachterman.
âIt doesnât matter who the official is. Thereâs just a problem with the blurring of lines,â Lachterman said at last weekâs meeting.
Slater said he met with the Parks and Recreation Commission last Thursday night and talked about the need for a âclear delineation of responsibilitiesâ of the commission.
âI think itâs a professionalism of how we operate,â Slater said.
At that meeting, Al Avitabile was named chairman of the commission and Patrick Cumiskey was named vice chairman.

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