Recently Plattekill Supervisor Dean DePew received suggestions from the town’s fee committee on the amounts that are collected at the transfer station. Councilman Wilfrido Castillo, who serves on the committee, said the town is currently losing money with the fees that are currently in place.

 

Castillo said there is no weight scale at the transfer station, “and we should tell all who come there with pick-up sized amounts of construction debris to go to New Paltz where they have a weighing machine.” He noted that from 2022 to 2024 the tipping fees have almost doubled and there is also a fuel charge. In addition, the town charges $3.00 per used tire and the town has to pay $4.50 to haul them away, which is done several times a year.

 

DePew said, “those costs are real and they are absolutely going up. We appreciate that folks are cleaning up the town and we are trying to be respectful and keep it [fees] affordable.” Board members have copies of the current fee schedule on the suggested increases  from the committee.

DePew asked the board to review this and if they are in agreement, a resolution will be put before the board for a vote at their next meeting.

 

DePew announced that Sgt. John Rafferty and Police Chief Oscar Lopez recently received a grant through the Criminal Justice department for $115,800. DePew said this a technology grant for a License Plate Reader, mobile and fixed, an unmanned aerial vehicle (drone), several software applications and a few pieces of equipment.

 

“That’s outstanding and kudos to them for constantly making that department stronger and better for our community,” DePew said.

 

DePew also touched upon the possibility of establishing a fee of $300 for the Planning Board to do conceptual reviews of proposed projects. He said recently the number of proposals coming before the Planning Board for conceptual review has increased, which is taking up a significant amount of their time. He noted that when questions arise they are often referred to the Building Department inspector, which costs the town money.

 

DePew announced that the DARE graduation ceremony is scheduled for May 30 at 7 p.m. at the Plattekill Elementary School and all are welcome. In addition, the Memorial Day Parade steps off at 11am on Saturday, May 25 and will culminate with a ceremony at the Veterans Memorial at the town park.

 

DePew received quotes through Sourcewell, an approved vetting company, for a Volleyball court with two nets at $140,772. He said this is quite expensive and believes it can be done cheaper in-house.

 

A quote for a basketball court came in at $215,706, which DePew said, “again, a very, very large number.” The board decided instead for the town to rehab the basketball court that is next to the town hall.

 

DePew said Pickleball courts, “seems to be what everyone wants and people have been requesting this for several years.” The board decided to move forward with installing two courts surrounded by a chain-link fence at the town park at a cost of $181,014. DePew said this project would be supported with funds the town received through the American Rescue Plan Act [ARPA]. A formal resolution will be approved at the next meeting.

 

DePew said last week representatives from the New York State Comptroller’s office started a Risk Assessment Audit on the town that will take from 4 to 6 weeks to complete.

 

“They are going through everything, all of our books and interviewing some of the town employees and doing their due diligence,” he said. “I appreciate that they have come down; most people are afraid of them but I think it’s a good thing. They allow us to know what we’re doing right and also allow us the opportunity to correct what we’re doing wrong.”

 

DePew thanked Councilman Stephen O’Flaherty for working on the bonding requirements that will replace the bridge on Old Mill Road. O’Flaherty said this is the first phase on the bridge replacement project.

 

“Last week we received the BAN note and set up accounts specifically for that bridge. The BAN [Bond Anticipation Note] will support the design and the right-of-way for the bridge project and that will also be reimbursed through a grant we received. The money will come back to us in about 4 weeks after we submit the payment, so that BAN note will have money going out but will consistently have money coming back in. That project is expected to take about two years to complete,” DePew said.   

 

As part of the bridge project, the board passed a resolution concerning the Equitable Business Opportunities [EBO] System user agreement for the NYS Department of Transportation. This commits the Town of Plattekill to satisfy the Civil Rights Reporting requirements for federal aid and locally sponsored contracts. The board approved Highway Superintendent Robert Wager Sr. as the town’s responsible local official, who is authorized to access the EBO System” for this project.