Peddler Law To Take Affect — This Time
The Wawarsing Town Council held a public hearing to rectify an oversight regarding the 1992 amendment to the 1955 Peddler's Law by voting on a resolution to repeal the law. Town Attorney William Collier III states that the amendment was never made, and the law was not included in the published ordinance. Voting will clear the way for Local Law #7 of 2007 now called Peddlers and Solicitors, Chapter 85.

Licenses will now be required. The intent is to regulate people who are transient, selling goods to the community that might be harmful, so as to easily locate them, and to generate revenue.

"We want to know who those people are," says Collier. Licenses will be available for as long as a year for $150, or as short as 7-days for $50. Both can be obtained at the town clerk's office, which has the final determination on both licenses. Additionally, the town clerk is authorized to conduct investigations to ascertain whether the applicant has a criminal record. If the applicant is denied, that person will have the right of appeal to the town board.

Exemptions to this local law include veterans as well as nonprofit, religious, charitable, educational, and civic organizations.

Violators can be fined up to $250 and/or sentenced to 15 days in jail for each violation. The resolution was passed. The law will be in effect when filed with the New York Secretary of State (roughly a month from now) and a copy can be obtained at the town clerk's office.

Road Rally Returns?
The return of the Road Rally will be discussed at the next meeting on December 20. Dolaway says that he is in favor of signing a three-year lease with Rally New York, arguing that it is beneficial for the town.

Board Approves Provisional YMCA Contract
The town board voted to allow Supervisor James Dolaway to execute the 2007 contract between the Village of Ellenville, the Town, and the YMCA of Kingston and Ulster County. The amount of the contract is not to exceed $45,601. This would assure the continuation of activities scheduled for early next year while the village trustees are deciding what to do with their contribution to the area's youth programs.

Board Approves Airport Engineering Firm
By a vote of 3 to 1 with one abstention, the Board has authorized Dolaway to execute a Lump Sum Fee Consultant Agreement with Passero Associates, Inc., regarding the Joseph Y. Resnick Airport. This agreement is for the engineering, design and construction administration service for the Ulster County Sheriff's substation construction project. This also authorizes Dolaway, and/or incoming Supervisor Ed Jennings, to execute all further documents concerning this project.

Construction Troubles
The work on a bungalow on Continental Road, in Napanoch, is causing concern to the adjoining property owner Carol Shamro as she spoke to the board claiming that the project is overlapping her property line ruining her fence, and wonders how a permit was given that puts the work so close.

She states also that the bungalow was built on beer kegs, which are now visible. Collier suggested that she could sue if damage has occurred, and Councilman Terry Houck has said he would look into the issue further.

Building Department head Jack Kessel has said that he's heard that Shamro has called the office, and that several permits were issued over the last several years for repairs and renovations which will be looked into.

Other Items
The town awarded the bid for the chain link fence removal, disposal and replacement at the Joseph Y. Resnick Airport to Bruce Fence Co., Inc. of Cohoes, NY, in the amount of $31,585. This is per the recommendation of the airport engineering firm, Passero Associates of Rochester, NY.

The board also approved to have Supervisor Elect, Ed Jennings, attend the 2008 Training School for New Elected Officials at the Desmond Hotel in Albany, New York on January 7, 8, and 9, 2008. Total cost for training course, meals, and hotel, are not to exceed $600.

Organizational Appointments
The village board performed its reorganization duties on Monday as reelected Mayor Jeff Kaplan was sworn in by Noreen Dechon and Kaplan swore in new village trustees Francisco Oliveras and Patricia Steinhoff.

Mayoral Appointments With Board Approval:

• Jeff Kaplan will be liaison to the Ellenville Police Department and the farmers' market.
• Trustee Raymond Younger was appointed as Deputy Mayor with liaison responsibilities for Cable TV and Municipal Buildings.
• Trustee Efrain Lopez was given liaison responsibilities for Parks and Beautification and Street Department.
• Trustee Patty Steinhoff was given liaison responsibilities for Youth and Recreation, and the Arts.
• Francisco Oliveras was given liaison responsibilities for Sewer and Water.
• Kaplan and Steinhoff will share liaison responsibilities for the village's Inter-Municipal Committee.
• Village Manager Elliot Auerbach was appointed liaison to the Hunt Memorial Preservation Committee.
• Noreen Dechon was appointed as Village Clerk and Registrar of Vital Statistics.
• Traci Jeter was appointed as Deputy Village Clerk, Deputy Receiver of Taxes, and Deputy Registrar of Vital Statistics.
• Linda Pulkowski was appointed as Village Treasurer and Receiver of Taxes.
• Harvey Levine was appointed as Acting Village Justice.
• Teri Minick was appointed as Court Clerk.
• Collier and Berger has again been appointed town attorney.
• The Ellenville Journal was named as the official newspaper for the village.

Skate Park In Ellenville?
Sohaib Saeed, representing some 25 area youths in attendance at the meeting, asked the board for help and/or donations for the building of a skateboard park. Saeed said that some 340 students are behind this initiative, and the effort has already received a pledge of $1,000 from Stewarts Shops.

"They want something for their town," says Saeed, "They want to go somewhere, hang out with friends, have some fun."

Saeed also said that Skate Time 209, located in Accord, has skateboarding but it's too expensive and the youths would prefer something here at home.

The group claims to have schematics, which the students themselves contributed ideas to, and a proposed $60,000 budget. Saeed requested a chance to come back to the board with those drawings, and the budget for the board's perusal. The board was agreeable.

Vehicle Storage
A public hearing was held on the Local Law 171-8 Vehicle Storage and Procurement Policy. An amendment was attached to the Local Law to prohibit cars from parking on property that has frontage on two or more public roads. The amendment came about due to properties in the Center and Canal Street areas, and it suggests that a fence, wall or hedge be raised between six to eight feet in height, to start within five feet of the parking area to the length of the parking area. With the possibility that the cars might have moved from those offending areas, the board decided not to vote on it, but instead will wait to see if it's still an issue to avoid over regulation of the local law.

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