The Plattekill Town Board has hired J&G Law to represent it in any future legal matters regarding the possible siting of a county landfill in the town.

The board voted 5-0 at its April 5 meeting to hire the full-service Walden firm, which had been known for many years as Jacobowitz and Gubits.

Supervisor Jennifer Salemo explained that the town needed a firm with more experience in dealing with landfill issues rather than relying on the town’s legal counsel.

The cost would be $250 an hour for the legal work.
After learning that a report commissioned by the Ulster County Resource Recovery Agency (UCRRA) had recommended two sites in Plattekill for a countywide landfill, the town board approved a resolution opposing any landfill in the town.

J&G Law lists land use and environmental and zoning law as one of its specialties on its website.

Salemo announced that the town was looking for a new bookkeeper after Ben Wiliamson recently resigned. He was appointed as the bookkeeper to the Supervisor at the board’s Jan. 4 reorganizational meeting.

In other business, the board voted to extend the public hearing on a local law that would grant property tax exemptions for volunteer firefighters and ambulance workers.

Town residents will have four weeks to submit written comments about the tax exemptions before the board votes on it at its May 3 meeting.

The board voted 5-0 to hire the Walden firm July 4 Ever Fireworks Inc. for the town’s July 8 fireworks display. The Walden company was chosen over Fireworks Extravaganza of Paramus (NJ), which produced the town’s most recent fireworks display.

Although both firms bid $10,000 for the work, Salemo said the switch was made to the Walden firm because working with Fireworks Extravaganza “was more difficult than usual last year. I believe there’s a new owner. It went corporate and it was more difficult trying to get some things done.”

The board voted to replace Councilman Darryl Matthews with Councilman Wilfrido Castillo Jr. on the town’s towing committee.

Recreation Director Kim Way said registration is open for the town’s summer camp, which will run from June 26 through July 28. Camp hours are 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Monday through Friday

The camp will include activities, games, crafts, sports, theme days, music, art and field trips.

Camps will offer three- and five-week options. The cost for the five-week camp is $600.

The three-week option costs $360 and campers have the option of choosing the first three weeks or the last three weeks of the camp.

Registration fees for the camps include pool days and a camp T-shirt.

Space is limited to the first 100 campers. After that, names will go on a waiting list.

Campers must submit a copy of current vaccination records at the time of registration.

Camp registration forms are available on the Town of Plattekill website under Recreation.

For more information, email Way at topreck.way@yahoo.com or call her at 845-883-7331, extension 14.

Way said she already had 21 campers signed up.

“We had 82 last year and we’re hoping for 100 this year,” she said.

The Town of Plattekill Memorial Day Parade will be held May 27.

Participants will line up starting at noon in front of the Town Hall and step off at 1 p.m. The parade will proceed along Route 32 South, ending at the Town of Plattekill’s Veterans Park.

After the parade, there will be a brief ceremony paying tribute to all who served in the Armed Forces and gave the ultimate sacrifice.

Refreshments will be served afterwards at the town pavilion.

The board will begin interviewing candidates for one vacancy on the Planning Board and one on the Zoning Board of Appeals (ZBA) on April 17.