Sullivan opposes city dam request

By FRITZ MAYER

MONTICELLO, NY — A whole lot of water goes through the dams at the New York City reservoirs, and the city would like to install hydraulic power plants at the base of some of those dams to generate electricity. The dams would be placed at the bases of the Pepacton, Cannonsville and Neversink reservoirs.

In an effort to hurry the project along, the city’s Department of Environmental Preservation (DEP) has applied to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission for an abbreviated application process, which would limit the amount of input that Sullivan County residents and officials could provide, as well as providing flexibility with some deadlines.

Sullivan County lawmakers didn’t think much of the idea of reducing the amount of public input. At a meeting at the government center on September 10, the lawmakers voted unanimously to pass a resolution opposing the DEP’s application for the abbreviated process.

After the vote, which came just after the lawmakers had discussed the ongoing problem of flooding in the area, county manager David Fanslau said, “With regard to flooding, the DEP has not necessarily been a very good neighbor. They’ve made comments in the past, to Senator Bonacic’s office, that they’re in the water business and not in the flood mitigation business, and that statement is very offensive to areas that deal with floods. And last year, during New York City’s budget crises, they wanted to defund most of the flood gages in the area. So we become very concerned when New York City asks for waivers from a process that would allow for significant public review and comment.”

In other developments at the government center, lawmakers once again had a lengthy discussion on whether to reduce penalties for property owners who repurchase their foreclosed properties once the county takes possession. If an owner wants to repurchase after the county takes possession and before the county tax auction, a five percent penalty is levied.

Two of the legislators, Leni Binder and Ron Hiatt, expressed the view that it is wrong for the county to penalize property owners during the severe economic downturn the county and the nation is experiencing. “This hurts people we should be trying to help,” said Hiatt.

County treasurer Ira Cohen pointed out that 99.5 percent of the property owners in the county manage to pay their taxes on time. Moreover, last year, the county collected $600,000 in late fees and the five percent penalty didn’t prevent anyone who had planned to do so from repurchasing their property.

This was a repeat of an argument held in April as lawmakers considered killing the five percent penalty. At the time, the vote was seven to two in favor of keeping the penalty. Hiatt said he plans to broach the subject again as the legislature works to create the budget for 2010.