ELDRED, NY — A year and a month after the Town of Highland suspended its constable force, it has signed away that former force’s equipment. 

The Highland Town Board agreed at its May 9 meeting to authorize a transfer of vehicles and equipment to the Sullivan County Sheriff’s Department. 

The town will get the fair market value of $22,000 for the equipment, according to the town’s attorney, Michael Davidoff. The lot included the constable cars, the lights and sirens and other equipment—all surplus because the town no longer has constables to use them. 

The town suspended its constable force in April of 2022, pending an investigation into allegations of misconduct against the force. Rather than bring the force back, the town contracted with the sheriff’s department to provide a deputy in the town on Fridays, 4 p.m. to midnight; on Saturdays, from 8 a.m. to midnight; and on Sundays during the summer, from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.. 

The resolution to transfer the vehicles and equipment will go before the Sullivan County Legislature for final approval. 

Marc Anthony

While the constable equipment will soon be sold, a lawsuit against the town by former constable Marc Anthony remains pending. 

Anthony sued the town in March, alleging that the town did not act properly when it suspended the constables, that board member Kaitlin Haas released information about Anthony and the investigation to the Sullivan County Democrat and that the town discriminated against him as the only person of color on the force. 

The town’s response, filed on April 21, asks the court to dismiss Anthony’s motions, largely on procedural grounds. 

Attorney Sarah Wilson, representing the town board and Jeff and Kaitlin Haas in the suit, argued that Anthony did not file his claims in time, or filed them while also seeking relief from other sources without the go-ahead to also file a lawsuit; a discrimination complaint from Anthony is pending before the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. 

Anthony’s claims that the board did not suspend the constable force correctly hinge on a mistake, said Wilson; Anthony relies on laws “which govern the establishment of town police departments and the discipline of members of a police department,” but Highland’s force was a constable force, and “there is no requirement in the town law that the appointment or suspension of constables be subject to a hearing, notice or permissive referendum.” 

The town’s response also claims that if Kaitlin Haas released the information Anthony alleges, that release is protected by privilege because she was executing town duties. 

According to the documents filed, the matter is scheduled to be heard in Sullivan County Supreme Court on Friday, May 26 at 9:30 a.m.. 

Reporting on the Reporter

River Reporter publisher Laurie Stuart provided the board with additional information to clarify a resolution passed the month before. 

The town board passed a resolution “amending designation to one of the town’s official newspapers,” according to the draft meeting minutes from the April 11 meeting. 

Kaitlin Haas said at the April 11 meeting that because of the River Reporter’s deadlines, the town was paying for notices that weren’t printed until after the business had occurred. The resolution kept the River Reporter as an official newspaper, but made it so the town isn’t obligated to print notices there if they would be printed late. 

The town’s other official newspaper is the Sullivan County Democrat. 

Stuart gave the board a packet of information at its May 9 meeting, noting that all the legal notices Highland had printed in the paper in the last year had run on time. 

Davidoff emphasized that the resolution only made it optional to print notices in the River Reporter, and that it didn’t change the River Reporter’s status. The written resolution designates the paper as “alternate.”

In other news

The town board authorized the replacement of blacktop at the Barryville Firehouse, to be done by the highway department. 

Kaitlin Haas, reporting from the board’s personnel committee, said that it had completed interviews for the town’s open positions, and that it had provided a report to the board. 

“Very soon, right?” said supervisor Jeff Haas. “Very good.”

The board agreed to raise the compensation of Monica McGill, clerk of the planning board and the zoning board of appeals. She will receive $125 for attendance at planning board meetings, $75 for attendance at zoning board meetings and an extra $135 for any meeting with a public hearing. 

Many recent issues have increased McGill’s workload, including the public hearings for short-term rentals and the Camp FIMFO project, according to Davidoff. 

“The workload per public hearing is about five hours for one public hearing, with all the background she has to do as far as finding addresses and stuff, so it’s still a bargain,” said Haas. Additionally, the board is seeking an alternate representative to the Upper Delaware Scenic Byway.