MARTY IRWIN APPOINTED TO NEW PALTZ TOWN BOARD ...PAGE 3 Rosendale Highland Rosendale New Paltz Getting festive for Pool Fund Republicans pick slate Rosendale Theatre unveils Susan Zimet will not seek with new Mermaid Parade for Lloyd town races new stage, drop-down screen re-election as town supervisor 21 4 6 3 THURSDAY, JULY 2, 2015 One dollar VOL. 15, ISSUE 27 New Paltz Times newpaltzx.com NEWS OF NEW PALTZ, GARDINER, HIGHLAND, ROSENDALE & BEYOND Tassels turned and caps fl ew New Paltz and Highland graduates ready for new opportunities...pages 10-11 New Paltz High School graduates perform in the choir at commencement PHOTOS BY LAUREN THOMAS ceremonies last Friday evening. New Paltz High School grads stop to pose for a photo before the ceremony last Friday evening. Highland High School grads smile for the camera last Thursday evening at commencement ceremonies. Highland High School graduates. PLUS: ALMANAC WEEKLY INSIDE 2 • July 2, 2015 New Paltz Times Headline news NEW PALTZ | VILLAGE BOARD The big muddy Village Board member Don Kerr urges reconsideration of Wallkill River drinking water option by Frances Marion Platt is any way that all required per- mits could be granted in time for HE NEW PALTZ Village the fi rst shutdown in spring of Board’s June 24 meeting 2017. The sole dissenting vote was was the fi rst for newly trustee Tom Rocco, who said, “I T elected trustee Don don’t see the virtue in repeating Kerr, and he immediately made what has already been done. This good on his campaign promise is not an investigation, but build- to be the “water guy” by push- ing an argument in favor of an ing to have the option of using alternative proposal.” “I thought the Wallkill River as an alternate the reason was just to understand drinking water source during the permitting process,” Rogers Catskill Aqueduct shutdowns put responded. back on the table. Much of the The board also voted -- unani- meeting was devoted to Kerr’s mously this time -- to authorize a arguments in favor of reviving request to Brinnier & Larios for consideration of the Wallkill as a a quote of what it would cost to “Plan B” to be used if Plains Road draw up a detailed price estimate residents opposed to the use for a treatment system, pump- of the aquifer underlying their ing station and piping for using neighborhood succeed in block- Wallkill River water for drinking ing the creation of a new Water during shutdown periods, based District via permissive referen- LAUREN THOMAS on the new information provided dum. At last week’s meeting, the Village Board again discussed the option of using the Wallkill River as an by the Pall Corporation. Citing alternate drinking water source during Catskill Aqueduct shutdowns. Kerr cited communications concerns about the costs to tax- that he has had with representa- payers, Mayor Rogers cautioned, tives of the Pall Corporation, a company that is bid- water from the Plains Road aquifer during the shut- “I’m not interested in pursuing this unless we get an- ding for the contract to upgrade the village’s water down periods, “is not interested in funding a tem- swers to the permitting question.” treatment plant, claiming that they “should have no porary surface water source.” “The DEP has been Kerr also urged the board to prepare an offi cial problem treating water from the Wallkill at no ad- driving this,” Kerr countered. “There has not been written response to the independent hydrologist’s ditional cost…The belief is that it can be done with enough emphasis on the village’s perspective.” report on the Plains Road aquifer prepared at the no additional equipment.” He provided copies of He proposed that the village request engineering initiative and expense of residents there who oppose an e-mail exchange in which Pall sales representa- consultants Brinnier & Larios to estimate the costs the project, raising the specter of legal liability if the tive David Glovinsky wrote, “Based on our current of pumping water from the Wallkill up to the village neighbors’ association should sue the village. Rocco understanding of the water quality of the alternate reservoir on Mountain Rest Road for fi ltration before stated that the hydrology report “has no legal stand- source, we do not anticipate any additional costs to being sent back down to the renovated water treat- ing and requires no legal response on our part.” the membrane system equipment.” ment plant. Kerr ventured a guess that the modifi ca- Deputy mayor Rebecca Rotzler pointed out that dis- New mayor Tim Rogers countered that he had tions to the system would cost less than one million cussions of potential legal actions should properly attended the same presentation from the Pall Cor- dollars, which he said was an amount that the vil- take place in executive session, and the board ended poration that Kerr had, and pointed out that it was lage could manage on its own if DEP refused to pay. up tabling the motion until the town attorney could questionable whether the treatment system being Rogers disagreed, saying that he had heard from the be consulted on the matter. proposed could fi lter “emerging contaminants” in village’s various engineers and hydrologists that the In other matters before the board last week, a the river for which there are as yet no federal stan- cost of pumping river water up the mountain and resolution to authorize an intermunicipal agree- dards, such as discarded pharmaceutical products. back down again and treating it would be “very ex- ment with the Town of New Paltz was unanimously Kerr dismissed that concern as merely a “yuck fac- pensive projects.” approved, shifting full responsibility onto the village tor with a fancy name,” noting that Pall “treats river Kerr then went on to urge that one last attempt for management of the Mill Brook Preserve lands, water all over New York State” and is prepared to be made to communicate with the various permit- which lie partially within village boundaries and par- conduct pilot tests necessary to determine whether ting agencies whose approval would be needed to tially within the town. “Ongoing maintenance would the equipment already proposed for the treatment utilize river water for drinking -- among them the fall squarely on the village,” said Rogers, adding that plant renovation can indeed cope with water from New York State Department of Health, Department leaders of both municipalities had agreed that “the the Wallkill. of Environmental Conservation and US Army Corps most prudent thing would be to have one entity re- Rogers reminded the board that the New York City of Engineers -- to fi nd out if there was any way that sponsible.” Department of Environmental Protection (DEP), the permitting processes could be expedited. After Although development of a trail system is envi- which manages the aqueduct system and has agreed considerable discussion the board voted to conduct sioned, the mayor characterized plans for the Pre- to pay all the costs of accessing and distributing “timely outreach” to the agencies to fi nd out if there serve as a “very low-tech,” “undisturbed natural area” requiring “as little maintenance as possible.” Village planner David Gilmour agreed, saying that the Preserve would be a “low-impact hiking envi- ronment -- not a playground or a park.” If a parking lot were to be established at a trailhead, the Village ¡©¤ ¦£­¡¡¤ၼၸ­¡£န Department of Public Works would have to plow and otherwise maintain it, but according to Rogers, “Bleu [Terwilliger] is comfortable with that.” CUSTOM HOMES • DESIGN SERVICES Gilmour and Clean Water & Open Space Protec- HISTORIC RESTORATIONS tion Commission former chair Marty Irwin are work- ing on an application for a New York State grant that 46 North Chestnut St. • New Paltz, NY 12561 could potentially pay for development of a plan for 845.255.5988 • www.seakill.com the Preserve’s trail network, plank walkways through marshy areas, bridges, benches and other basic ameni- ties, according to Rogers. He said that he also “spoken with someone who might be interested in becoming a ENERGY STAR® qualified products. benefactor, in creating an endowment” to help pay for New York ENERGY STAR® Certified Homes — maintenance of the Preserve. ++ Built for superior performance, comfort and health. New Paltz Times JuneJuly 14, 2, 20122015 •• 3 NEW PALTZ | TOWN BOARD al attacks” on town offi cials that have been prevalent of late, Barry said, “nobody wants to serve.” Susan Zimet will not Irwin, who will fi ll the position until the end of Gallucci’s unexpired term on December 31, 2015, seek re-election as New Now we quickly proved his value as the board launched into a discussion of the 63-acre Mill Brook Preserve, which Paltz town supervisor has long been one of his pet projects as CWOSPC USAN ZIMET ANNOUNCED on Tuesday that are fi ve chair. He reported on the action that the Village she will not seek re-election for a third term as Board had taken the night before, agreeing to take New Paltz town supervisor. “I am proud of the Marty Irwin appointed to open the lead on maintaining the property and develop- S work we have accomplished on behalf of the ing its trail network. people of New Paltz, despite the diffi cult political envi- New Paltz Town Board seat Zimet added that she had made an off er to new ronment that we were forced to work in,” said Zimet. village mayor Tim Rogers to contribute fi nancially “I love this community and wish the Town Board by Frances Marion Platt to the Preserve’s upkeep in proportion to the per- and future supervisor much success.” centage of property owned by each municipality, as During Zimet’s administration, taxes were re- UNNING ON ONLY four cylinders since the long as the “decisionmaking” is in the hands of the duced by over eight percent.