Pammer to leave Sullivan

MONTICELLO, NY — Dr. William Pammer, commissioner of the Sullivan County Division of Planning and Community Development for the past 16 months, will be leaving county government to teach at Marist College.

Pammer is currently teaching marketing classes at Marist and was offered a full-time position to teach graduate public administration and other courses related to planning and marketing. He won’t be leaving right away, however.

“Maybe this spring,” Pammer said. “I wanted time to transition out of the county.” He said he wants to make sure the next commissioner is adequately advised of Sullivan 2020, the proposed county strategic plan Pammer initiated when he was hired.

“There are two reasons why I am leaving,” Pammer said. “I want to spend time with my children and I enjoy teaching. It was really a hard decision. I really love this job.”

Court won’t hear Cayuga decision

WATERLOO, NY — A federal appeals court will not reconsider its dismissal of the Cayuga Indian Tribe’s 25-year-old land claim, a county official said September 8. The Cayuga Indian Nation of New York and the Seneca-Cayuga Tribe of Oklahoma had asked the court for a rehearing following its split decision in June that the tribe was not entitled to a $248 million land claim judgment awarded them by a lower-court jury.

The decision puts another roadblock in the way of constructing any kind of casino deal directly related to Cayuga land-claim settlements. However, the Cayugas and other Native American tribes can still pursue casino deals through other avenues under the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act of 1988.

Funding for terrorism, not disaster

MONTICELLO, NY — Since September 11, 2001, the federal funding pendulum has swung toward preparing local governments for terrorist attacks, leaving local officials without adequate resources to plan for natural disasters, according to Sullivan County Emergency Services Coordinator Richard Martinkovic. He said the county has received $1 million in Department of Homeland Security funds since 2001.

“If you ask me what we have for natural disasters, it’s very little,” he said. “We’ve lost the focus of what to do with natural disasters.” Martinkovic said: “I feel pretty confident we’re in pretty good shape. What I’m not confident in is if something happens in the city of New York,” which he said would bring thousands of evacuees to the Catskills.

Visitors center site moved

NARROWSBURG, NY — The National Park Service has decided to change the proposed location of a new visitors center from a site off Route 97 in the Town of Deerpark to a site owned by the state, on the other side of the Mongaup River, along Decker Road in the Town of Lumberland. Upper Delaware Council (UDC) representative Charlie Wieland made the announcement at the September 12 Tusten Town Board meeting.

The location was changed after officials discovered that the area in Deerpark is a habitat for bald eagles. Officials will meet at the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation access in Lumberland on Saturday, September 17 at 10:00 a.m. to tour the new location. For more information call 845/252-3022.

Finances strain local governments

ALBANY, NY — Costs for local governments have been growing faster than inflation, revenues have grown sluggishly, and debt is increasing sharply, according to the latest report on local government released last week by New York State Comptroller Alan G. Hevesi. Between 1998 and 2003, the increase in costs, at 30 percent, was twice the general rate of inflation, largely due to Medicaid and health costs, wages and salaries, and employee benefits. Revenue growth during the same period trailed at only 26 percent, with property taxes comprising the fastest growing revenue source. Average property tax levy increases ranged from six to nine percent in 2004 and 2005—much higher than the growth rates generally seen in the years from 1995 to 2003. Local governments are also increasing their reliance on debt during the five-year period by 46 percent, a number that Hevesi termed “alarming.” The bulk of this debt can be attributed to school districts.

Mohawks want raceway, Harrah’s

ALBANY, NY — The St. Regis Mohawks want to partner with Harrah’s, the world’s largest gambling company, to manage their proposed casino at the Monticello Raceway.

The tribe had aligned with Harrah’s earlier in an attempt to speed up approval of their proposed project at Kutsher’s, which suffered many delays.

Two of the tribal chiefs, Lorraine White and Chief Barbara Lazone, have recently shifted focus to the proposed raceway casino, while Chief Jim Ransom remains a proponent of the Kutsher’s site.

Route 52 closed for a month

MONTICELLO, NY — State officials announced that Route 52, between Briscoe Road and DeWitt Flats Road, near Jeffersonville, will be closed from now until the middle of October. A section of the roadway that is one of the county’s main arteries will be affected.

“There’s a culvert located near the Smith Farm that’s collapsing,” said Dean Smith, assistant resident engineer at the Monticello office of the New York State Department of Transportation. The detour will take drivers down Briscoe Road (also County Road 144) to County Road 143, which will lead them back out to Route 52 in White Sulphur Springs.