TOWN BOARD MEETING OF MAR. 6

Councilman Edwin Edwards attended via Zoom; Councilman Peter Devantier was absent.

Public Hearing: Councilman Andrew McRell was appointed hearing officer for a hearing about the unsafe building at 549 Old Rte. 17. Miriam Calderon, wife of the owner, was present via Zoom. Code Officer Glenn Gabbard reiterated that the owners have been contacted many times over a three-year period. Ms. Calderon, representing her husband, requested additional time to make the structures habitable. Gabbard stated that the condition of the structures is too unsafe to ever be habitable again, and the town needs to demolish them. McRell concurred. Supervisor Rob Eggleton said the owner’s engineer was supposed to give the town a plan a year ago. Since there were no other comments, the hearing was closed.

Resolution Required: The following resolution was required and passed by the board.

Move forward on the demolition of the structures on the property at 549 Old Rte. 17.

Minutes: The minutes of the previous meeting were approved.

Correspondence: Flood plain alerts were received from the NY State. With cuts pending to FEMA, the federal agency that helps prepare for, respond to and recover from disasters, municipalities are urged to check out other avenues for help.

The second annual cemetery clean up day will be held on Saturday, Apr. 26. Volunteers are needed. The 19th annual Trout Parade will be held on Saturday, June 14. Livingston Manor Central School is now issuing a newsletter. NYSEG has announced it will be increasing its rates.

Old Business

Supervisor Eggleton will meet with Bill Brown of Delaware Engineering, DPC, to review all sites being considered for acquisition by the town, and to discuss the possibility of obtaining grant funding for their purchase.

An ad will be placed in the Sullivan County Democrat for a position in the parks department. The town will also advertise for a Grievance Board member. The town has closed on the Creamery Road property. There was a lot of material in the shed on the lot, and several workmen labored for several days to clean it out.

New Business

Discussion of the building on the Meadow Street property was postponed until a later meeting.

Resolutions Required: The following resolutions were required and were passed by the board.

Modify the water and sewer budgets for Roscoe and Livingston Manor as outlined.
Allow the Building Department to attend fire abatement training on Mar. 18 and 19 for extra credits.
Accept the holiday schedule as presented, moving the June town board meeting to Wednesday, June 18, so there is no conflict with the Juneteenth holiday.
Approve a waiver of the noise ordinance requested by Antrim Streamside in Livingston Manor for eight events lasting until 11 p.m.
Hold the annual municipal clean-up on Saturday, May 19, from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Keep the annual Grievance Day the last Thursday in May, which will be May 29 this year.
Change Ruben David’s rate of pay to $26.30 per hour. It was stated incorrectly as $26.03 in the reorganization schedule, and his shortage since January will be prorated.
Approve a street name change for addresses at 79, 81 and 83 Grooville Road to Rock Cut Drive.
Hire A & Son Home Builders of Livingston Manor to repair water damage to the court house in the amount of $5,005.
Accept the Town of Rockland’s New York Municipal Insurance Reciprocal proposal for Mike Preis Insurance in the amount of $96,196. The cost is $8,000 more than last year.

Department Heads: Roger Decker, Highway: The department is waiting to see what the merged school districts bus routes will be. With routes from Willowemoc to Roscoe, plowing work may have to start earlier and could cause more overtime. The thawing out of frozen culvert pipes is a concern. Chris Bury, Water and Sewer: As mentioned earlier the shed on Creamery Road has been cleaned out. Glenn Gabbard, Code Enforcement: The department is conducting fire safety inspections.

Approval of Bills: The bills on Abstract #5 were approved.

Details of all dollar amounts, etc., can be found on the town’s website at townofrocklandny.com under the minutes of Mar. 6.

TOWN BOARD MEETING OF MAR. 20

Missing from the meeting were Supervisor Rob Eggleton and Councilperson Christine Routledge. The meeting was chaired by Deputy Supervisor Andy McRell.

Public Hearing: Glenn Gabbard, Code Enforcement officer presented the board with photographs of the home at 32 Miller Heights Road in Roscoe. He described the dilapidated single-family structure in some detail. The owner was notified of its poor condition in February 2024, but there has been no response and no one representing the property in attendance at this hearing. McRell appointed Councilman Peter Devantier hearing officer and called for a motion.

Resolution Required: The following resolution was required and passed.

Set a date for the demolition of the property at 32 Miller Heights Road.

Gabbard then described the condition of the building at 711 Hunter Lake Road in the hamlet, which the town describes as unsafe and a serious hazard to the community. The owner was notified back in 2024. A representative of the owner was present and said that they have someone under contract to demolish the building, but the road is unsafe at the moment. Gabbard stated that the town would need to see a signed contract with the demolition firm in 30 days.

Resolution Required: The following resolution was required and passed:

Move to proceed with the demolition of the property at 711 Hunter Lake Road if the owner does not produce a signed contract.

Minutes: The vote on the minutes of the last meeting was tabled, as some council members were absent. The vote will be held at the next meeting.

Correspondence: The newsletter from County Manager Joshua Potosek contained the new Move Sullivan bus route schedule that will include Livingston Manor. The county’s 2023 tax redemption date is Apr. 30. Payments must be made to the county treasurer.

Old Business

Resolution Required: The following resolutions were required and were passed by the board.

Approve surveying work done by HVEA Engineers for the O&W Rail Trail extension from Parksville to the Manor and pay the two fees of $7,800 for four maps and $12,000 for the second phase.
Have 16 Meadow Street appraised in preparation for its sale.

New Business

Resolutions Required: The following resolutions were required and passed by the board.

Hire Ed Walsh to the Board of Assessment review for a term of three years, from 2020 to ’28, replacing Robert Lee. Send a letter thanking Lee for his service.
Revert the property at 50.-1-5, where a test well had been drilled, to its owner. Town has abandoned all rights to the property.

Department Heads: Chris Bury, Water and Sewer: The generator has been fixed so the one lent from the county is being returned. Roger Decker, Highway: The new mechanic has started. The sander truck is at Robert Green Chevrolet. Glenn Gabbard, Code Enforcement: The department is very busy. The two possible demolition cases were discussed in the public hearings earlier in the meeting and there are several court cases that are ongoing.

Approval of the Bills: The bills on Abstract #6 were approved.

Details of monetary expenses can be found on townofrocklandny.com under the minutes of Mar. 20.