2 • OCTOBER 20 - 26, 2016
Down in the dumps Fate of Cochecton transfer station uncertain By LINDA DROLLINGER
L
AKE HUNTINGTON, NY — Before recycling centers, there were landfills. And before landfills, there were old-fashioned town dumps. At one time or another, 433 Mitchell Pond East Rd. has been all of these. Currently a trash and recycling station is operated there by Sullivan County Department of Public Works (SCDPW); its future is uncertain. At the October 12 meeting of the Cochecton Town Board, Supervisor Gary Maas said the county may choose to discontinue its operation of the transfer station, effective December 31, 2016. The county says the transfer station is a money-losing operation. But anyone who uses it knows it does a landoffice business every Wednesday and Saturday, its regular operating days. SCDPW Commissioner Edward McAndrew says the county collects, on average, six tons of trash and recyclables daily from the site, more in peak tourism months. McAndrew says it costs the county $130,000 to $140,000 annually to operate the station. Contributing to the operating costs are a lease agreement with the town of Cochecton at $15,000 per year, salary and benefits packages for site management and trucking staff, and the cost of transport and disposal at Seneca Meadow Landfill in the town of Seneca Lake. Asked if revenues derived from sale of recyclables offset the cost of trash transport and disposal, McAndrew said, “No.” He added that recycling revenues fluctuate wildly, driven largely by global markets. And he said further that the county’s single-stream recycling makes it difficult to gauge profitability of individual recycling streams. Some streams are less profitable than others, electronics, “escrap,” especially so now. At present, the county has no electronics recycling, although McAndrew expects that to change when the county contracts with a new e-scrap vendor. Western Transfer Station, the official name for the Lake Huntington facility, is one of six transfer stations currently operated by SCDPW. The other five are Monticello, Rockland, Ferndale, Mamakating and Highland. As its name implies, this station serves all of western Sullivan County and part of northeastern Pennsylvania as well. In addition to trash bag charges, out-of-state residents pay approximately $130 per year for residential use and $300 per year for commercial use, the same amounts county residents are charged via their tax bills. Meeting spectators protested that bag fees are not routinely enforced, which led Cochecton Deputy Supervisor Ed Grund to say, “The transfer station operates on an honor system.” Maas offered some tentative solutions to the dilemma: the town is willing either to renegotiate current lease terms or sell the site to the county; the county could increase dump fees by $1 per bag and/or increase fees for out-of-state residents; and there should be strict enforcement of dumping privileges and practices. But as McAndrew noted, the sign on the transfer station gate reads “Temporary Solid Waste Disposal Facility.”
THE RIVER REPORTER
Bushkill man sentenced for shooting daughter with BB gun
IN BRIEF Highland budget approved ELDRED, NY — After pertinent public hearings, the Highland Town Board at a rescheduled October 13 meeting approved a local law to exceed the state budget cap, and also approved the 2017 budget and a zoning amendment that incorporated a state modelpermit application for small (12kw) solar-power units. The budget cap exception was necessary because the town’s preliminary budget called for 1.85% tax increase, while the state ceiling was set at 1.67%. However, the exception may be a moot issue, as Supervisor Jeff Haas said the new assessment roll shows a $1.87 million increase in taxable properties. “I don’t foresee any change at all on taxes at the town level,” Haas said of the budget. The new taxables could provide a small decrease in town taxes in the January town and county property tax bill. The 2017 budget calls for general and highway appropriations totaling $2,309,325, an increase of $38,300 or 1.69% from the current year. It will require a tax levy $1,843,622, an increase of $33,527 or 1.85% above the current year. The board also approved a local law amending town zoning to include a three-page “Expedited Solar Permit Process for Small-Scale Electric Systems” application provided by New York State’s NY-Sun solar initiative. In addition to being the town’s first zoning law reference to solar energy, the permit application was said to be the town’s first step in taking advantage of financial incentives associated with the state solar initiative.
Man arrested in Wallkill shooting TOWN OF WALLKILL, NY — New York State Police have arrested Jaylin Smith, 18, for being involved in an incident on August 31 in which he and another man allegedly robbed five people at gunpoint. During the robbery, one victim, Myles Morales, 19, of Middletown, was shot four times. He has been hospitalized since the attack. Smith was arrested on October 14 during a traffic stop on Route 9 in the Town of Wappinger. He was charged with robbery, assault and possession of a controlled substance. Smith possessed 47 small bags of heroin on his person at the time of the arrest. He was sent to jail without bail. The investigation into the shooting is continuing. Anyone with information regarding this incident is asked to call state police in Middletown at 845/3445300.
MILFORD, PA — Sean Franklin Brown, 41 of Bushkill, was sentenced to state prison for up to six years for assaulting his 14-year-old daughter. According to Pike County District Attorney Ray Tonkin, on March 31 Brown shot his 14-year-old daughter 17 times with a BB gun. He did not provide her with any treatment for the wounds. When the child arrived at school following the weekend, she reported the assault to the school staff. The school nurse observed multiple small open wounds on the child’s body. The Pennsylvania State Police traveled to Brown’s residence, where he initially denied shooting the child with the BB gun. Police were able to locate metal BBs throughout the child’s bedroom and located the BB gun concealed outside the home. The child was immediately removed from Brown’s care and placed into protective custody by Pike County Children and Youth Services. Brown is the first individual convicted in Pike County under the new law making it a crime to obstruct investigators conducting a child-abuse investigation. Tonkin said that his office is committed to pursuing prosecutions against individuals for this new crime, when evidence shows someone is deliberately acting to obstruct, interfere, impair or impede the investigation of child abuse. Senior Deputy District Attorney Sarah Wilson prosecuted the case on behalf of the Commonwealth. Following sentencing in Pike County, Brown was remanded to a state correctional facility to begin serving his prison sentence.
Warren endorses Teachout MILFORD, PA — Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren has endorsed Democrat Zephyr Teachout in her race against Republican John Faso for Rep. Chris Gibson’s congressional seat. Warren said in a statement, “Everyone from billionaire hedge fund managers to the Koch brothers’ corporate PAC is pouring money into defeating Zephyr Teachout. Why is she one of the biggest targets in the country? Because Zephyr isn’t for sale. They know Zephyr will fight to protect social security from Wall Street. She’ll take on bad trade deals. She’ll help hold big banks accountable and get them lending to farmers, families, and small businesses again. “I want to serve in Congress with Zephyr so we can put people before powerful interests. Zephyr has the kind of truly independent voice we need.” MEMBER NYPA • MEMBER NNA
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