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Southern Ulster Times, Wednesday, March 14, 2018
Plattekill thanks highway crew for cleanup effort
By MARK REYNOLDS
[email protected]
Supervisor Joe Croce opened last
week’s Town Board meeting by thanking
Highway Superintendent Bobby Wager
and his entire crew for the exceptional
job they did clearing the roads during the
recent heavy snowfall.
“I just think the highway guys did an
outstanding job with the roads in this
storm. We all know how hard and heavy
it came down and the town roads were
in great shape,” he said. “They worked
straight through until 12:30 plowing. It
was a difficult storm to deal with and they
did a heck of a job.”
Library Purchase Update
Croce said after the town had sent
an asking price for the present library
property to the Plattekill Library Trustees
a month ago, they had their attorney send
a counter offer to the town’s attorney
that was received on February 28. Croce
said negotiations are ongoing and the
figures are not subject to the Freedom of
Information Law.
“It’s supposed to be something very
confidential and it’s something the five
board members will discuss in executive
session tonight,” he said. “There was also
a proposal in the letter about having two
of their [library] board members meet
with two of our board members to see if
we can move negotiations along.”
Assessors Pitch In
Croce said the town has not received
many responses from their posting to
hire a new Town Assessor “and we
are approaching some deadlines when
certain paperwork has to be filed and
recorded. We have to start thinking about
Grievance Day.”
Croce contacted two former Plattekill
assessors, Mike Dunham and Matt Sabia,
“and they have both offered to do what
needs to be done to keep us up to speed.”
The two have agreed to each work 8 to 10
hours a week at the rate of $30/hr. and
would submit a voucher each month.
Croce said the two Assessors expect they
would cover 16 to 20 hours combined.
Croce said if the town does not have a
new Assessor in place by Grievance Day
they may have to move it from Wednesday,
May 30 to Thursday, May 31 just for 2018 to
accommodate their temporary Assessors’
schedules.
Both Assessors sent a list of their
responsibilities to the Superintendent:
collect and value new construction,
review assessments requested by
residents, review exemption applications,
process sub-divisions, review all sales
Winter lingers
Mark Reynolds
A train snakes its way through Highland just days after a massive snowstorm blanketed the
area bringing life to a near standstill.
state funding for programs and assistance
when needed.
“As of right now we are current and
we will trudge right through the whole
thing,” he said.
1st Lt. Mark Dooley was Killed in Action in
Iraq in 2005.
prior to processing, order and pick up
assessment rolls and sign both tentative
and final rolls as well as the assessor’s
annual report.
Croce said both men are very
competent “and it is something that needs
to be done.” The Town Board approved
the two men to assist the town with their
Assessment needs.
The Town Board suggested if a resident
wanted to grieve their assessment they
should file paperwork indicating their
intent before Grievance Day in order
to allow time for the board to review
their case. If a resident cannot attend
Grievance Day they may send someone in
their place to appear on their behalf.
Census Update
Board member Dean DePew said
the town has filed a BAS report as part
of their obligation to comply with the
upcoming census in 2020. According to
the U. S. Census Bureau’s website the
“BAS is used to update information
about the legal boundaries and names
of all governmental units in the United
States. The Census Bureau uses the
boundary information collected in the
BAS to tabulate data for the decennial
and economic censuses, and for annual
estimates and surveys such as the
American Community Survey (ACS) and
the Population Estimates Program.”
DePew said the town will soon be
receiving and completing the Local
Update of Census Addresses program
[LUCA] form that is aimed at improving
the accuracy of census address lists.
DePew said accurately accounting
for every person in Plattekill will allow
the town to receive proper federal and
Scouting Camporee
Croce introduced Donna Lucas, who
will again be running the Boy Scout
Jamboree at the big field on the western
side of the Town Park from May 4 through
May 6. There are approximately 75 to
100 people who will attend, with Scouts
participating from different troops.
DePew said the Camporee is a “great
thing. It was successful last time and the
kids all had a great time. I think that’s a
positive thing and I’d be very willing to
make the motion to allow that to happen.”
Lucas said she does not anticipate any
issues, promising, “the land will be left
just like it was given to us.”
The Town Board unanimously
approved the use of the park by the Boy
Scouts for their Camporee in May.
Mark Dooley Race
Croce received a letter from Becky
Dawes, Secretary of the Rotary Club of
Southern Ulster, informing him that the
club will be holding their annual 1st Lt.
Mark Dooley Veteran Memorial 5K Run/
Walk on Sunday, April 22, 2018. The race
will be held at the Thomas Felton Park,
with check-in starting at 8:30 a.m. The
local Fire Department and the Ambulance
Corps will assist in running the race.
“We appreciate your continued
support of our efforts to carry out the
good works of our community,” Dawes
wrote. “Sponsorship from last year
allowed us to award two, 1st Lt. Mark
Dooley Memorial Scholarships to Wallkill
High School students, to give a sizable
donation to Rolling Thunder and other
Veterans organizations [and] provided
help to local food pantries, financial help
to local families in need and help Rotary
International’s ongoing successful fight
against polio in third-world countries.”
The Town Board approved the use of
the park and its facilities for this year’s
race. 1st Lt. Mark Dooley was killed
in action supporting Operation Iraqi
Freedom in Ramadi on September 19,
2005. He was 27 years old.
Website Search Engine
Councilman DePew said he is looking
to add a search engine to the town’s
current website that would allow for the
input of a name or a project and every
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