Orangetown Board Approves Operation Graduation Funding

Budget concerns dominated much of Tuesday's Orangetown Town Board meeting, including charge-backs from the county and a resolution calling for reforms in pensions and the use of arbitration in contract negotiations. 

There was more on Tuesday's agenda, including the approval of town contributions to project graduation at five high schools. 

The breakdown by school was as follows:

• Tappan Zee: $1,500
• Pearl River: $1,500
• Nanuet: $750
• Nyack: $750
• Albertus Magnus: $200

The amounts were the same as 2011, but Councilman Denis Troy asked Orangetown Director of Finance Charlie Richardson to send the schools letters informing them that they should not count on the funding to remain at that level for next year. A similar letter was sent out last year.

"Hopefully everybody understands the importance of organizing alcohol-free graduation celebrations at the high schools," Supervisor Andy Stewart said. "It is a small amount of money ($4,700 total), but it symbolizes (the discussion) if we should give money to certain projects which are wonderful thins. As a town board, we are constantly facing these things."

"I've gone to these over the years," Troy said. "To me, it's a very worthwhile event."

The town board also set two public hearings for June 26. One is to for an amendment to the town code regarding Bureau of Fire Prevention hours and inspection fees. The other is to discuss a request from developers of The Point at Lake Tappan to change the plan for the units from sales to rentals.

"I agree it is a good project," Councilman Tom Diviny said. "There is a market for senior rentals as opposed to senior sales. They can sell their houses and afford to live in town. It is affordable compared to having to buy a condo and pay common charges and taxes."

That left a short time to get the legal notice of the hearing posted (it must be up 10 days before the hearing), but the council members felt it was important to do it before getting too far into the summer.

The board did not vote on the proposed five-year contract with Orangetown police, but that could happen as early as the town workshop meeting June 19.  

All items on Tuesday's agenda passed with a 4-0 vote. Councilman Paul Valentine was absent. Those items included:

• Award bid for a light utility vehicle to be used by the Orangetown Highway Department to Shultz Ford in Nanuet for $56,595, which was the lower of two bids submitted. 
• Approve a settlement between the town and the outgoing vendor at Veterans' Memorial Park in Orangeburg, Veterans Park Batting and Food Corp. VPBF will get back $5,000 of the $26,000 in security deposits it gave the town. 
• Approve up to $5,000 for maintenance of the property at 75 Mountainview Ave. in Pearl River, which has repeatedly been found in violation of the town's property maintenance revisions. The owner has not responded to attempts at contact from the town, but he does pay his taxes on it. The cost of any work done to clean up the property is added to the owner's taxes. Stewart joked that it was a very expensive way to get landscaping done.
• Approved the appointment of Andriy Turchyn as a volunteer firefighter with the Blauvelt Volunteer Fire Department. 
• Approved a resolution to ensure the town will retain right of first refusal to purchase land at Rockland Psychiatric Center and children's center. There will be a special town board meeting to discuss home rule legislation regarding RPC 1 p.m. Friday at the town hall.