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Wallkill Valley Times, Wednesday, March 16, 2016
Gardiner halts distribution
at transfer station
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THIS WINTER
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Gardiner Councilman Michael Reynolds and Supervisor Marybeth Majestic listen to a presentation at last week’s meeting.
By TED REMSNYDER
The Gardiner Town Board has decided to temporarily halt selling or giving
away goods from its Transfer Station in
a precautionary measure after the town
received a foreboding letter from its insurance company. The New York Municipal
Insurance Reciprocal has warned the
town that it could be held legally responsible for any faulty merchandise that is
distributed at the site. At its March 8th
meeting, the board decided that Trustees
Michael Reynolds and David Dukler will
investigate the matter further and report
back to the committee before the Transfer
Station resumes giving out donated items.
Under the normal Transfer Station
protocol, town residents can come to the
recycling center and buy or take certain
items that have been donated instead of
dumping the goods in the landfill. The
site utilizes a system of cash and tickets
to distribute goods to those in need.
“It works out well for the environment and the Town of Gardiner,” Town
Supervisor Marybeth Majestic said.
While the town has yet to run into any
legal problems related to the Transfer
Station, the insurance company’s letter
has raised awareness that the town could
be held accountable if someone is harmed
as a result of donated merchandise.
“They came and did an annual inspection
and we got a report that there’s different
areas that need to be addressed,” Majestic
said. “The Transfer Station was one and
there’s a minor issue at the Town Hall
with storing Christmas decorations near
an electric outlet. Then they needed some
additional signage at a fuel oil shutoff
system up at the highway garage.”
During the meeting, Majestic noted
that she was particularly worried about
child protection items or baby goods that
could be dropped off at the recycling
center and handed off to another unsuspecting parent. While a well-intentioned
citizen could donate a car seat for another
family to use, the town has no idea if the
item could be faulty, even if it looks sturdy. “I’m concerned with any liability the
town would be open to as a result of anything coming from the Transfer Station,”
Majestic said. “I’m not sure that the Good
Samaritan law applies to a municipality
or not.”
Mattresses that are donated at the center could also be infested with bed bugs,
although numerous local families have
been grateful to receive the clean units
that have been dropped off over the years.
The board also voted to keep the Transfer
Station open for three days a week during
the summer season, as locals can visit the
recycling center and drop off their goods
on Wednesdays, Fridays and Saturdays.
After decades of flooding along
Dusinberre Road, the town is finally prepared to move forward with a plan to fix
the drainage system along the roadway.
Gardiner is sending the project out to bid
in the coming weeks. “For the past 25 to
30 years, it’s had a flooding issue when
it rains,” Superintendent of Highways
Brian Stiscia said. “The underground
drainage has failed. It floods the road,
goes on the other side of the road and it
floods people’s property. Basically, we
have to repair it. It’s a hazard in the winter because you get rain and snow that
melts, and it runs back into the road.
Then you’ve got an icy, slick spot for a
good quarter of a mile. So it’s dangerous
and we just have to take care of it.”
The town hopes to get the bids back
later in the spring, and will then move
forward with the repairs if they find the
Continued on page 5
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