The Village Board started its August 5 meeting with a moment of silence for longtime Highland Falls resident Doris Sabel, and then spent about three hours conducting village business. The public portion of the meeting was about two hours and 45 minutes; a short, apparently contentious executive session took place in the midst of it, pertaining to a personnel matter.

The agenda item was accepting the resignation of Wastewater Treatment Plant employee John Walter, noted repeatedly at the session as Mayor Joe D’Onofrio’s nephew. Walter’s resignation – and relinquishment of accrued time in his employment – was accepted after the executive session by D’Onofrio. Prior to the executive session, Trustee Dr. Melanie Guerrero started talking about the reason for the resignation, but was reminded by Attorney Alyse Terhune that personnel matters aren’t to be discussed in executive session. Guerrero replied “it’s already out in the public”, but the move to the back room of the Senior Center then took place.

In several other personnel matters, the board removed HFPD Sgt. Emmanuel Vasquez from his probationary period and made his job ‘permanent’. “He’s been a great hire,” D’Onofrio said. The board also approved a new part-time dispatcher, Rocio Torres. As well, Michael Jones was promoted from laborer to maintenance worker.

Treasurer Gabrielle Ferrier and Village Clerk Heidi Johnson were approved to attend the Fall 2024 NY Conference of Mayors Conference.

In other matters from the meeting, the board approved bills and claims of $97,432 for fiscal year 2023-24, and $1,182, 274 for fiscal year 2024-25. Guerrero voted no; Trustee Jim Ramus noted that $72,000 of the money spent was for a significant water main break repair recently. In another money matter, the board amended its budget by $50,000, received as a grant from the state’s Division of Criminal Justice.

In a matter much discussed in the community recently, the mayor introduced a resolution that, once a public hearing is held and it is adopted, amends the zoning law in the village. Copies of the law are now on the village website (highlandfallsny.org) and the public hearing was tentatively set for October 9. The matter pertains to lowering minimum lot area and building heights and slightly modifies some business and residential districts in the village.

There was brief discussion of the proposed changes, but Deputy Mayor Jim DiSalvo reminded both board members and audience members that the point of the matter being on that evening’s agenda was simply “to move it forward; not to talk about the substance of it”.

Several events were approved for the weeks ahead – including two back-to-school parties for local children (on August 23 and 31).

There were seven property maintenance hearings held, for homes on Cedar Lane, Schneider Avenue, Fort Putnam Street, Mountain Avenue, Parry Avenue and Main Street – no one was on hand to speak about any of the projects. The needed “longstanding violation” corrections will be contracted out by the village and the property owners will be billed.

A license agreement was authorized for D’Onofrio to sign regarding a private wall repair at 3 Graziano Lane, where several inches of village property will need to be used.

In his comments at the end of the meeting, D’Onofrio thanked the HFPD and other state and county agencies for being responsive to community members pertaining to the recent ‘raids’ of two local smoke shops. He also said he and Supervisor Bob Livsey continue to discuss moving some of the sewage that currently goes to the Fort Montgomery plant to Highland Falls. “It would help us both,” D’Onofrio said. “The village gets a new customer, and the town plant will be relieved of about one-third of their capacity.”