In a move that is expected to save some $59,000 in Fort Montgomery’s Water Districts, the Town Board has hired VRI Environmental Services – the same company that runs the Highland Falls Water and Wastewater Treatment Plants – to run its water distribution system.

The contract, Supervisor Bob Livsey said, is at a “very reasonable price”, of $3250 a month. They’ll monitor the water system, flush hydrants, read meters and file all the required paperwork, among other tasks, he said. But most of all, he said, it allows the town’s Highway Department to focus on its work other than water.

“Overseeing the water system really takes time away from the rest of their jobs,” Livsey said at the November 25 Town Board meeting. It was Livsey and Deputy Supervisor Rich Sullivan who approached VRI looking for a price to contract with them. While Sullivan wasn’t at the meeting, he had asked Councilman Joe DeWitt to read some comments from him. Among them was a statement which said: “VRI is a good fit for the management of our water system,” also noting it “releases the Highway Department the burden of handling water”.

The motion, made by DeWitt, was seconded by Councilman Tyrone King and unanimously approved.

In some other departmental matters from the meeting, Livsey said that he’s received paperwork from the Town of Highlands Ambulance Corps employees asking to be allowed to be represented by United Public Service Employees. He could not comment more on that except to say that the request had been received on November 4, and “we are in conversation with them”.

Regarding the Town of Highlands Police Department, three new part-time officers were hired – Alexis Espada and Victoria Rivera, both officers in the City of Newburgh Police Department, and Joseph Mesaris (pending state okay) who recently retired from the New York City Police Department. “All three of them interviewed very nicely,” the supervisor said.

Also from the THPD, Chief Joseph Burns said in October his officers responded to 741 calls, 426 of which were directed patrols. They had 12 cases, made four arrests and 103 traffic stops, wrote 48 tickets and handled 22 motor vehicle accidents.

In other business:

•  The board acknowledged the payment of $582,249 in bills, including $309,739 to the NYS Retirement System, $57,016 to All States Construction for Dry Creek Rd. work, and $14,343 to Rockland County Solid Waste.
• Livsey read a letter from Encore Origination LLC, a company looking to lease space at the town’s Highway Garage for an “energy storage system”. While the letter promised “significant income” if it were to happen, the supervisor said he did not believe there was any room on the property.
• Councilwoman Nancy Sporbert encouraged volunteering for the Ambulance Corps, noting that in October they to turn over five calls to other agencies, and in most cases that was due to a lack of a second crew to go on a call.
• DeWitt again thanked Town of Highlands Environmental Conservation Advisory Committee chairperson Olga Anderson for continuing to find grants for the town, saying that so far, they have qualified for $80,000 in state funds to “upgrade our 124 year old building”.
• County Legislator Laurie Tautel was at the meeting and commended the board for the work they have done in getting FEMA reimbursements for the town after the July 9, 2023 flooding. She also spoke about mental health initiatives Orange County is undertaking, and said the Orange County budget is complete and will be voted on in December. In the proposed budget, she said, local taxes do not increase.