Plastic companies move forward

Over 100 new jobs will be created

By FRITZ MAYER

MONTICELLO, NY — Francine Lavoie has big plans for her water bottling company. They include investing $4.2 million in new technology and hiring 60 new workers over the next three years. They will be added to the payroll of the Boreal Water Collection in Kiamesha Lake, formerly Leisure Time Spring Water. Boreal purchased part of Leisure Time in March.

During remarks at a public hearing at the government center on October 15, Lavoie, who is president and CEO of Boreal, told lawmakers that the company sells private-label bottled water to restaurants and hotel chains and the like. Her long-term plans include marketing a product she called “secure ice,” which would consist of small portions of water in sealed plastic containers to be sold to facilities in places like Mexico, where visitors are often reluctant to use ice made from local water because of the possibility of becoming ill.

Also speaking at the public hearing was Robert Fougere, CEO of Shelburne Plastics, which is set to open a new bottle manufacturing plant in Bridgeville. Fougere also has big plans for his business, which include 50 new jobs and a $4 million investment. His company sells bottles to the dairy, water, food and juice industries, and incidentally, sells some of its bottles to Boreal.

Alan Scott, CEO of the Sullivan County Industrial Development Corporation, noted that the jobs come with healthcare and retirement benefits, and said that the projects are a great opportunity for the county at a time when there are hardly any opportunities anywhere because of the recession.

Both projects were warmly received by the lawmakers, who later voted to move forward with the process of amending the Empire Zone boundaries to enable the two companies to take advantage of tax incentives.

The county jail

At the same meeting, lawmakers voted to approve a $1.3 million bond for the purchase of a parcel on Old Route 17. Before the vote, however, several residents who live near the site outside of Monticello urged lawmakers not to go forward with the plan because it would bring down the value of their properties. They presented lawmakers with a petition with more than 300 signatures opposing the jail.

Resident Tom Manza said that the details of the jail’s location had been worked out behind closed doors, and that residents in the area had not been given adequate notice about the jail’s location.

Lawmaker Leni Binder who, along with lawmaker Kathy LaBuda, has been working on the jail project for several years, said that everything had been done in the open. She added some residents were bound to be angered regardless of where the jail is located.

Lawmakers voted seven to one to approve the bonding with legislator David Sager voting no.