Delaware passes
anti-littering law

By TOM KANE

HORTONVILLE — People are putting air conditioners, garbage bags and tires in public garbage containers in the hamlet of Callicoon.

“This has to stop,” said Town of Delaware Supervisor Bill Moran.

The town board passed an anti-littering law for the entire town at its meeting on August 15. The penalty for littering is $250 or 15 days in jail, or both.

The problem isn’t limited to Callicoon. According to Moran, people are also dropping bags of garbage along the roads in the town. “This law is also directed at property owners who dump junk on their property,” he said.

Councilman Arnold Baum abstained from voting on the anti-littering law, saying it “cannot be enforced.” The other members of the board did not agree.

Earlier in the meeting, a couple residing on Fremont Street in the hamlet presented a petition signed by 13 neighbors. The petition was submitted in opposition to two groups living on the street, who the signers allege to be responsible for loud noises during the night.

“We called the Sullivan County Sheriff’s Office and they said they it would be difficult to send a deputy out just for that purpose,” said Jennifer Stimpson, one of the petition presenters.

The town has a noise ordinance but the problem is enforcement, Moran told her. He ensured the couple that a sheriff’s deputy is often in the town during the summer months. “I will alert the deputy about your problem.”

Moran said he had another answer but the other members might not agree—a town constable. “Other towns have constables, why not us?” he asked.

The board offered no public reaction to Moran’s suggestion.