Maybrook is looking for some volunteers to serve on a Collaborative Action Committee to address police reform and reinvention.

In June, Governor Andrew Cuomo issued an executive order directing localities to establish these committees to discuss ways to “rebuild the police-community relationship” and the public safety needs of their community. Each locality must adopt a plan for police reform by April 1, 2021, to be eligible for future state funding.

At Monday’s Village Board, Mayor Dennis Leahy appointed the State-required committee members: Maybrook Police Dept. Sgt. Michael Maresca and Officer Matt Hughes (also police union president); Robert Conflitti of the Orange County District Attorney’s Office; local public defender Gary Abramson; Maybrook Trustee Daryl Capozzoli; and the Mayor himself.

Now Leahy is looking for any community members and non-profit faith-based community groups who want to participate on the committee. A form will be available on the village website (www.villageofmaybrook.com) for those interested.

According to the State, the committee will review the needs of the community and evaluate the Maybrook Police Dept.’s current policies and practices; establish policies that allow the police to effectively and safely perform their duties; develop policy recommendations resulting from this review; offer a plan for public comment; present the plan to the Village Board to adopt; and certify adoption of the plan to the State Budget Director by April. 1.

In other business, the village board voted to join a class action lawsuit New York Rural Water Assoc. has filed, seeking money for testing and treatment, along with other damages and penalties, from chemical manufacturers of Perfluorooctanoic acid and perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOA and PFOS). These chemicals have been used in firefighting foam and have contaminated water supplies throughout the state.

Maybrook DPW Chief Matt Thorp urged the board to join the class action suit, noting New York State will soon require regular testing of municipal water supplies for these chemicals and it is expensive. Thorp said there is no cost to the village to join the suit.

Village Attorney Kelly Naughton warned there is no guarantee the village will get much, if any, proceeds from the lawsuit, but since there is no cost to join, the village has nothing to lose.

In other business, Mayor Leahy promised the village is still planning to offer its annual Christmas tree lighting program, with details to come. Trustee James Barnett promised the Boy Scout Troop 236 Band has its Christmas music all ready to go. What form the tree lighting ceremony will take will be determined by COVID-19 safeguards.