Sheriff’s substation coming to Eldred

By DAVID HULSE

ELDRED, NY — The Town of Highland is getting a new Sullivan County Sheriff’s Department sub-station, but Sheriff Dan Hogue says residents shouldn’t go looking for a deputy there on any regular basis.

Hogue and County Legislator Kathy LaBuda, who is the newly appointed chair of the legislature’s Public Safety Committee, appeared before the Highland Town Board on January 14 to explain the proposal.

The new substation, in the Eldred Emergency Services Building, would be the fifth substation for the Sheriff’s Road Patrol officers. Half of the building has been vacant since the Eldred American Legion Ambulance moved to their new building on Collins Road.

Hogue said these are not staffed stations like state police satellite offices. Instead deputies would use the space to do paperwork and processing that now requires an additional trip to the jail in Monticello. Staffing could change in future, if needs and department staffing change, Hogue said.

Hogue said Highland’s Constables favor the sub-station and it should not impact their duties “You need them. They do a hell of a fine job,” he said.

The sheriff said he expected to have the new station functioning by mid-February.

In other business, the town board held a lengthy discussion on the possibilities for posting the names of private roads.

The issue arose after Charles “Chuck” Myers of the Legion Ambulance complained that 911 emergency callers provide addresses on private roads that are often very obscure, even for him. Myers is a lifelong resident and a former county highway commissioner.

Town Attorney Andrew Boyar said he would research the problem.