Thirty-four residents in Fort Montgomery who have old, probably non-functioning, water meters received a letter last week telling them that if they didn’t respond immediately, they would face having their water turned off. As of Monday, all but 14 of those folks did respond.

The letter was from the Town of Highlands Water Department, as directed by the Town Board. It told those who receive them that if they don’t let Water Department employees into their homes to change out their old radio-read or early digital meter, their water will be turned off.

“The people receiving these letters have non-functioning meters and, while we understand that people work during the day, we need to get into these homes,” Supervisor Bob Livsey said at the September 9 meeting of the Town Board.

Because their meters haven’t been working, the residents have been receiving estimated water – and sewer – bills. It takes a Water Department employee “no more than 15 minutes” to swap out an old meter for a new one, Deputy Highway Superintendent Tiffany Montellese said.

In other matters of business from the most recent board meeting, the board agreed to purchase, for $1, a piece of property on the south side of Mine Dock Rd. from resident John Rodway. The land, which borders Palisades Interstate Park property, has a large ditch running through it since the July 9, 2023 flood, and that ditch makes it unusable for Rodway. He’s the one who brought the offer to the board.

Supervisor Livsey said the parcel “only generates a hundred dollars or so” in property taxes. With the board’s approval, Town Attorney Justin Rider will now obtain title insurance on the property, he said, and make the ‘legal transfer’. He estimated it would cost $1000-$2000 to get that done.

Also, Livsey also read a letter from visitors to the area commending THPD Officer Rhonda Wallach for help she gave them earlier in the month when they ended up on the Palisades Interstate Parkway (following GPS) in their RV. In addition, from the THPD, Chief Joseph Burns gave the department’s monthly statistics: his officers responded to 688 calls, of which 382 were directed patrols; they made one arrest; handled six cases; make 119 traffic stops and wrote 82 tickets; and responded to seven motor vehicle accidents.
The board okayed the hiring of two EMTs for the Town of Highlands Ambulance Corps, as recommended by THAC Captain Jeff Gathers. Nicholas George and Kim Tellez were both on the county’s Civil Service list for the position.