LAKE HUNTINGTON, NY — Most of the discussion and action items at the January 14 Cochecton Town Board meeting were centered around two topics introduced by code enforcement officer (CEO) Greg Semenetz: a marked increase in new construction building permit applications that includes multiple subdivision requests; and his recommendation that the town amend its existing junkyard ordinance to include an ad valorem clause.

Semenetz, who also serves as CEO for neighboring towns, said that he sees Cochecton’s building growth spurt as part of an area trend, to which Supervisor Gary Maas replied, “Yes, the casino!” But Semenetz said, “I don’t think so. The two reasons cited for most of the building permit applications are the statewide fracking ban and lower gasoline prices.”

Acknowledging that new construction makes for a busy planning board, it was remarked that this is a particularly inopportune time for the planning board to be without an attorney. Maas said that the town board will work with the planning board to appoint a new attorney at the earliest opportunity.

Semenetz noted that Callicoon is the first town in Sullivan County to adopt a junkyard ordinance as part of its public health and safety code, prompted by that town’s longstanding legal battle with a property owner who refused to remove junked vehicles from his property. Callicoon’s former ordinance, similar to Cochecton’s current one, allows the town to fine and/or imprison a violator but cannot force the violator to remove the vehicles; to do that, the town must seek a court-ordered injunction, usually a long and costly legal proceeding. The new Callicoon ordinance permits the town to remove the vehicles and charge the cost of removal back to the property owner via a real property tax bill. Semenetz and town attorney Karen Mannino will together draft an amendment mirroring the language of Cochecton’s unsafe building ordinance.

In other business, the board voted to adopt a facility-use policy for the new town hall, the resolution soon to be available on the town’s website. And the sewer system’s excessive grease discharge problem has apparently been solved. (Maas said there have been no grease discharges into the system in over two months). Although the sewer plant has been in operation since 1937, it has only recently come to the attention of the Delaware River Basin Commission, which will now exercise regulatory oversight of its operation as an integral part of its mission to safeguard the waters of Delaware River tributaries.

Highway superintendent Kevin Esselman followed up on his presentation to the board at its last regular monthly meeting regarding comprehensive highway department accounting software. Having since obtained additional information on its capabilities and operation, Esselman told the board that the purchase price is $2,600, plus an annual fee of $750 for file backup and technical support services. He acknowledged that initial setup will be labor intensive, requiring hours each day, but he thought that it would be worth it in the long run, enabling a more complete and accurate accounting of materials inventory, fuel consumption, labor, equipment, and work completed on the 55.06 miles of town highway.

For complete meeting minutes, full text of resolutions, and additional information on Cochecton government, see townofcochectonny.org.