Plattekill Town Board members mourned the loss of Councilman Larry Farrelly at the April 20 board meeting.

Farrelly, who died on April 14, was the senior member of the five-person council. The 84-year-old Farrelly was re-elected to serve his third four-year term in 2019.

An Army veteran, Farrelly was employed at Grumann Aerospace Corp. on Long Island and later at the New Paltz Golf Course.

Supervisor Jennifer Salemo, who took office in January, said Farrelly often would stop by the Town Hall to offer advice and encouragement in her first few months on the job.

“He was a good man,” Salemo said. “He came in a couple of times a week, maybe even more. He was a very personal man. It wasn’t all business with him. It’s very sad to lose him.”

Councilman Darryl Matthews said he’ll always remember Farrelly’s calm demeanor when discussing issues with town residents.

“Larry was always willing to talk to anybody no matter what was going on,” Matthews said. “Even if someone started screaming at him because they were so excited about something, he’d just try to calm them down and say, ‘I’ll work with you, but I at least have to be able to talk calmly with you.’”

Matthews said Farrelly’s business experience was helpful in negotiating contracts with the Plattekill Police Department.

“He enjoyed trying to help the town and make it a better place,” Matthews said. “He was also on the Veterans’ Committee. He did everything he could do for the town and then some.”

Councilman Wilfrido Castillo Jr. said he first met Farrelly when the two served together on the town’s Zoning Board of Appeals.

“He was a very good member there,” Castillo said. “Then he wanted to become a Councilman. He was a very honest and upfront person. He’s going to be missed.”

Board member Dean DePew Sr., who first came on the Town Board in 2013, served the longest with Farrelly among current board members.
“He brought stability and common sense to the board,” DePew said. “He was always involved in every aspect of the board. He would light up any room he walked into. He loved his family. He loved fishing. He loved to camp. He was a very outgoing guy.”

Salemo said following the board meeting that she’d like to respect Farrelly’s passing before discussing a possible successor. Farrelly’s term extends through 2023.

In other news, the board set another public hearing on the proposed towing law for May 18.

The board has been reviewing changes to the law made by Town Attorney Paul Kellar after former Supervisor Judy Mayle offered a number of recommendations at a Dec. 1, 2021, public hearing.

The town board began working on a new towing law last August. The proposed ordinance will establish regulations that include rotating four towing companies from Plattekill and the surrounding area to handle accidents in the town. In the past, it was divided between two Plattekill towing companies.

The board voted 4-0 to approve $67,204 from ARPA (American Rescue Plan Act) funding for bonuses to current town employees “based upon their job performance” during 2021.

The bonuses will be paid from the $1,046,150 the town is expected to receive under the ARPA Coronavirus Local Fiscal Recovery Fund. The town has received half of that payment and is expected to receive the rest later this summer.
The annual Red, White and Blue Celebration will be held on July 9 with a rain date of July 10.

Salemo said she expected the cost for the fireworks to increase $2,000 from the previous year.

DePew said the Music in the Park Series will be held again at Thomas Felten Park. The musical events will be held on Tuesday evenings on July 12, 19, 26 and Aug. 2.

DePew said the town will announce the musical groups that will perform at a later date.

Following a public hearing, the board voted 4-0 to establish a drainage district for the Innovation Homes Subdivision. The approval was contingent upon review by Highway Superintendent Robert Wager.

Pending Wager’s approval, project engineer Steve Burns said seven homes will be built on 19.7 acres between Prospect Hill Road and Quaker Street. He said the developer hopes to break ground this summer.

Town residents Elizaveta Temidis of 12 Cathy Court and Bill Kras of 14 Cathy Court complained that one of their neighbors recently opened a day care center, which they said was not allowed under a 2002 agreement signed by homeowners in the development.

The homeowners said they had contacted Building Inspector Scott Mandoske about their concerns earlier in the day. Board members urged the homeowners to share their concerns with the Town Planning Board.