Jaycox Welcomes NY Commissioner of Motor Vehicles to County Clerk's Office

On Tuesday, March 18th, Barbara J. Fiala, the NY State Commissioner of Motor Vehicles, came out to Schoharie to see first-hand the restored County Clerk’s Office and Department of Motor Vehicles. A former County Clerk herself, from Erie County, Commissioner Fiala has toured many Counties across the state and likes to stay in touch with those Clerks whose DMV offices are truly the “face-of-the-DMV” for so many customers across New York.

Commissioner Fiala was unable to attend the Open-House which Schoharie held last year, and County Clerk Indy Jaycox has kept an open invitation to the Commissioner to visit our scenic valley. “I am so glad to come back to Schoharie and see this beautifully renovated DMV office, particularly after witnessing the devastation wrought by Hurricane Irene,” said DMV Commissioner Barbara J. Fiala. “I commend County Clerk Indy Jaycox, her staff and everyone else who was involved in this amazing recovery. You should all be tremendously proud of your perseverance over this disaster.”

Commissioner Fiala (middle) with Assistant Commissioner
Omarr Evans (left), and County Clerk Indy Jaycox (right)

Accompanying Commissioner Fiala was her Assistant Commissioner DMV/County Clerk Liaison, C. Omarr Evans, pictured here with the Commissioner and Indy Jaycox, the Schoharie County Clerk. Jaycox had over 19 years of service in the Schoharie Department of Motor Vehicles before becoming Schoharie’s 37th County Clerk.

Blenheim Considers Dissolving Town Judgeship

After serving thirteen years on the local bench, Town of Blenheim judge William Kniskern has handed in his resignation, effective March 31, to town officials. Kniskern, who was first elected as a write-in candidate in 2000 with only five votes, submitted his reasons for stepping down to Supervisor Shawn Smith earlier this month. 

At a special board meeting held on March 14 to announce the resignation, members of the Blenheim town council weighed their options moving forward. Initially the consensus was to advertise the vacancy and accept resumes for the board to consider, but upon further discussion town officials voted to explore the possibility of consolidating the court with an adjoining town.

Supervisor Smith, who made the adopted motion, told the Schoharie News that, "if we can do this it should save tax payers in both towns money." He would go on to add that in addition to Blenheim shedding the cost of the court, "the other town should be able to increase their revenue without any additional costs."

It remains to seen how Blenheim handles judge Kniskern's resignation and whether the town will consider dissolving his position altogether. Answers to that question may be available at the small community's April 7th town board meeting. 

Lots of Finger Pointing, But No Action on Stream Bank Project

Hours of discussion yielded no action, but afforded Supervisors and AECOM the ample opportunity to throw plenty of blame around in the wake of last week's report detailing the county's stream bank remediation project is facing a significant budget shortfall amid allegations of unapproved contract alterations by county officials. 

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Upon learning the project was approximately $2.6 million in the hole Friday afternoon, Chairman of the Schoharie County Board of Supervisors Tony VanGlad sounded a conciliatory tone that, "somehow the board has to find the ways and means to get this project going." He would later go on to add, "hopefully by the end of this month, we'll have an answer."

Chairman VanGlad's comments came after an hour of contentious back and forth between supervisors, AECOM representative Patty Flores, and County Treasurer Bill Cherry over the project's unexpected budget shortfall facing the county and how exactly events unfolded as they did to get them to this point. 

Supervisor Milone kicked off debate by questioning the contract's alleged alterations made past the term of then-Chairman Harold Vroman, a concern that was forcefully addressed by County Attorney Mike West who stated that, "it was signed well before the end of his term." Unmoved, Mr. Milone and others questioned why the contract was altered to begin with from a fixed percentage to a work based fee. 

Ms. Flores, speaking on AECOM's behalf, blamed both a lack of communication between interested parties and the board's lack of knowledge in the original rfp as to how the project reached this point in the first place. She would later state that her firm never proposed lump sum figures for projects of this nature, upon which she conceded there were additional costs added in the aftermath of last spring's flooding.

Visually frustrated over Ms. Flores statements, County Treasurer Bill Cherry rose to defend the county board's actions by stating supervisors had voted to enter into the contract with AECOM at 15% of costs, or $3.2 million, and that both the county board and himself have, "been under this impression that it was 100% covered." The project's original cost was estimated at $23 million and was expected to be completely reimbursable by the federal and state governments. 

Supervisor Skowfoe then expressed his disappointment over AECOM's lack of communication and at one point addressed Ms. Flores directly and stated, "shame on you for not being straight forward." Seconds later, Supervisor Jordan would go on to allege the county's project contacts have known of the shortfall longer then the board has.

Stating AECOM was assured all of the funding, Ms. Flores placed the project's future in the county board's hands by commenting that her firm could only be as effective as the county enabled them to be. She would conclude her statement by adding that regardless of how they had gotten there, "at the end of the day, we need to be paid."

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The Board of Supervisors would not publicly address the issue again after recessing for lunch. They did enter into executive session with co-project managers Alicia Terry and Dan Crandall, in addition to County Treasurer Bill Cherry, to presumably discuss more sensitive aspects of the issue. No action was taken, but Ms. Terry was reportedly seen smiling as she left the session. 

Poll: Majority Back Caverns Casino

In Schoharie County's current economic climate, a casino is an acceptable deal to most, according to the latest Schoharie News poll. In our unscientific poll, over the last week, a clear majority back a casino going to the Howe Caverns complex. This comes just two weeks after rejecting a general idea of a casino by a narrower margin.

Would you support a casino at Howe Caverns?

Yes: 204 - 66%

No: 103 - 33%

Undecided: 4 - 1%

Total: 311

By an almost two-to-one margin, readers back the project, coming after the County Board made an initial step to support such a project.

Cobleskill Police Blotter (March 24, 2014)

The Cobleskill Police Department submitted the following press release concerning recent arrests by their officers in the Village of Cobleskill:

Monday, March 17, 2014

    

    At 10:51 a.m. Cobleskill Police arrested Philip Ruckdeschel, 50, of Cobleskill, NY, for Harassment.  He was arraigned in Cobleskill Town Court and released.  He is to return to Cobleskill Town Court on March 25th at 5:00 p.m.

     At 1:04 p.m. Cobleskill Police arrested Kevin J. Pierce, 24, of Cobleskill, NY, for Unlawful Possession of Marihuana.  He was issued an appearance ticket and released. He is to appear in Cobleskill Town Court on April 1st at 5:00 p.m.

Wednesday, March 19, 2014

     At 2:10 a.m. Cobleskill Police arrested Jacob I. Armlin, 20, of Blenheim, NY, for Unlawful Possession of Marihuana.  He was released and is to appear in Cobleskill Town Court on April 1st at 5:00 p.m.

Friday, March 21, 2014

     At 2:30 p.m. Cobleskill Police arrested Michael P. Wilson, 27, of Cobleskill, NY, on an Arrest Warrant for Assault 2nd.  He was arraigned in Cobleskill Town Court and released.  He is to appear in Cobleskill Town Court on March 25th at 5:00 p.m.

           

Saturday, March 22, 2014

     At 10:05 p.m. Cobleskill Police arrested Sarah E. Harbison, 19, of Cobleskill, NY, for Unlawful Possession of Marihuana.  She was released and is to appear in Cobleskill Town Court on April 15th at 5:00 p.m.

Sunday, March 23, 2014

    At 5:33 p.m. Cobleskill Police arrested Aboubakare Kakord, 22, of Corona, NY, for Criminal Trespass.  He was issued an appearance ticket and released.  He is to appear in Cobleskill Town Court on April 8th at 5:00 p.m.

County Fire Fighters Complete Training Course

Members from multiple fire departments from across the County and outside have undergone training. In a post on the Schoharie County Fire Wire Facebook  page, the group successfully completed the NYS Scene Support Operations class. Firefighters from Carlisle, Cobleskill, Esperance, Jefferson, Richmondville, West Fulton and Stamford Heights participated.

Photo credit Schoharie Fire Wire.

6th Easter Bunny Photo Shoot to Support Local Wildlife

The New York Wildlife Rescue Center is sponsoring their sixth annual Easter Bunny Photo Shoot fundraising event on Saturday, March 29th at Middleburgh Hardware located on 316 Main Street in the Village of Middleburgh. 

Activities will start at eleven and last until two, during which you can have your photo taken with a bunny or lamb and learn something new about our local wildlife. Live Birds of Prey will also be on location for viewing and question/answer sessions. 

In addition to cute family photos, the event is a wonderful opportunity to support the Middleburgh based non-profit animal rescue, which relies on private funding to support all of its releasable and non-releasable wildlife. For more information call 518-827-7760.

Volunteers Help in Three Flood Projects

Volunteers in Middleburgh helped fix up three projects in town. The cooperation between the SALT, the Village of Middleburgh, and the Phi Kappa Psi fraternity brought together over a dozen volunteers. This group assisted in fixing up three office spaces on Railroad Avenue.

Photo credit Sheila Donegan, SALT Community and Business Development VISTA.

With MOSA Dissolution Looming, County Approves Casella Resouce Solutions to Operate Transfer Station

Following the New York State Senate's vote to dissolve MOSA on Thursday, the Schoharie County Board of Supervisors approved a five year contract with Casella Resource Solutions to manage the county's transfer station in Cobleskill with unanimous support from the county board. 

The contract, which is still under negotiation, would have Casella managing the daily operations and regular maintenance of the facility, while the county would maintain the operating permit and perform major repairs; such as roof and foundation work. 

There will be little to no change for local customers as the contract will neither alter existing operating hours nor limit any form of waste management. Casella has already set minimum operating fees, but the final rates will be determined by the county when the insurance companies issue their quotes.

In addition, according to Schoharie County Treasurer Bill Cherry, tipping fees are expected to remain the same and cover, "most, and perhaps all, county costs associated with owning the former MOSA facility."

The State Assembly is expected to vote on MOSA's dissolution early next week, which could come as early as April 30th if Otsego County has their way. In other action, the Board of Supervisors voted unanimously to enter into a five year landfill post-closure contract with neighboring Montgomery County. 

In Reversal, Board Supports Local Casino

One week after representatives of Howe Caverns briefed local legislators, state officials, and others on their plans to compete for one of New York State's seven recently approved casinos, the Schoharie County Board of Supervisors reversed their close February decision against the concept of hosting one in county with a 13-3 vote in favor of the idea Friday morning. 

Cobleskill Stone General Manager Chris Tague spoke on behalf of Howe Caverns, telling board members that, "we're not solely here... to sell Howe Caverns, but to open up development of Schoharie County," many supervisors, however, questioned the resolution's original language that offered county support for a specific site. 

Among those questioning the original language were Supervisors Buzon, Milone, and Skowfoe, all of whom supported last month's casino resolution but felt it was inappropriate for the board to support one potential location over another, with Mr. Milone stating that he did not believe the county should, "be interested in earmarking for one specific entity."

After almost an hour of prolonged discussion, supervisors voted down the resolution in support of Howe Caverns' project and moved to reconsider last month's failed measure that simply expressed the county's willingness to New York State to host a casino in principle. In response, several lawmakers personally opposed to the concept proposed a public hearing be held on the matter to salve their uneasiness.

The result of which was a confusing trio of votes that saw the county board include a public hearing in the resolution, followed by a motion to set a public hearing for next month, and then finally they moved to take the public hearing out of the resolution altogether. The crowd of public officials and residents alike grew restless over this fifteen minute period of dysfunction. 

In the end, despite the confusion and different viewpoints, only three supervisors voted against Schoharie County hosting a casino for a second time: Barbic of Seward, Bradt of Carlisle, and Federice of Conesville. When asked why he opposed the resolution, Mr. Bradt said that he based his vote on his town's opposition to last year's statewide ballot referendum, and that he, "had to vote to represent the people of Carlisle."

A public hearing will be held next month on the matter.

Flood Grant Applications Due April 11

Anyone interested in applying for aid through the NY Rising program has about three weeks left to do so. The program, which aims to give grants to homeowners and business owners to pay for previous or current damage from 2011's flooding is closing its window. The program has supplied assistance to residents across the state, including those of Schoharie County.

If you or someone you know is interested in applying, call 1-855-697-7263 or visit www.stormrecovery.ny.gov.

Middleburgh, SALT, College Team Up to Repair Flood Damage

SALT, the Village of Middleburgh, and a SUNY Oneonta fraternity are teaming up to fix up flood damage in Middleburgh's business district. In the collaboration organized through the Mayor's office, the three groups have agreed to fix up two office spaces along Railroad Avenue that remain gutted since the 2011 flood. SALT is providing the materials, worth up to $5,000, Phi Kappa Psi fraternity of SUNY Oneonta is providing labor, and the Mayor's office is coordinating the efforts.

The repairs will start on Saturday, March 22nd at 10 until 4pm. Multiple volunteer days are expected before the offices are completed. Anyone interested in volunteering can contact Mayor Matthew Avitabile at 763-6854.

This comes after similar arrangements with the Village, building owners, and SALT to work on three other projects in the business district over the last year.

Local Villages Elect New Trustees Amid Low Turnout

With turnout failing to reach fifty in either local community, a small number of residents in the Villages of Middleburgh and Richmondville came out Tuesday afternoon to vote in their respective municipality's unopposed trustee elections.

Village of Middleburgh

Lillian Bruno - 44

Sheryl Adams* - 43

Write-in votes - 1

Village of Richmondville

Milan Jackson* - 29

Stephen Shore - 26

Neither Village Board is expected to be significantly altered, as both political newcomers (Bruno, Shore) have already served their respective communities in various ways, while the incumbents (Adams, Jackson) were both appointed to fill vacancies by the existing board's before seeking the position in their own right.

*- Denotes incumbent

State Senate Approves MOSA Dissolution

ALBANY, 03/20/14 – State Senator James L. Seward (R/C/I- Oneonta) today announced senate approval of legislation he sponsors, allowing the dissolution of the Montgomery, Otsego, Schoharie Solid Waste Authority (MOSA).  Senator Seward’s bill (S.6181) follows a home rule request from the three member counties and the authority.

“MOSA was created following a home-rule request.  Now, after a quarter-century, it is appropriate to honor a similar request to dissolve the authority,” said Senator Seward.  “With the service agreement governing the authority scheduled to expire in April 2014, the time is now to take this step.”

Along with formally ending the solid waste authority, the bill also includes a plan for the distribution of the authority’s assets and liabilities among the three member counties.

“Each member county has put in a great deal of time and effort planning for the future solid waste disposal needs of their residents.  This state legislation will allow them to move forward,” Seward concluded.

The bill has been sent to the assembly where companion legislation, A.8406, has been introduced by Assemblyman Bill Magee.

AECOM, Casino Likely to Dominate County Board Meeting Friday

The Schoharie County Board of Supervisors will have its plate full during tomorrow's regularly scheduled legislative session, in which board members are expected to both vote on whether to throw county support behind the Howe Caverns casino proposal, and to address the emerging AECOM scandal publicly for the first time since the Schoharie News and the Times Journal broke the story earlier this week.

Supervisors will convene at nine in the morning and the meeting will last as long as necessary. As of Wednesday evening, no official agenda has been published on the county website. 

Vote in Our Poll: Would You Support a Casino at Howe Caverns?

Schoharie News readers may have turned down the general idea of a casino in our poll two weeks ago, but with an actual project making a pitch, the calculus may have changed. Make sure to vote in our sidebar and let us know-- would you support a casino coming into the Howe Caverns complex?

Gallupville Fish Fry this Saturday

The Gallupville Fire Department Auxiliary is holding a fundraiser fish fry this Saturday, March 22nd. The event, from 5-7pm is a take-out meal for just $9. All proceeds assist the School House Refurbishment Fund.

Photo Credit: Schoharie Count Fire Wire Facebook Page

Seward Meets With Schoharie County American Legion to Discuss Jobs for Veterans, SAFE Act

ALBANY, 03/18/14 -- State Senator James L. Seward (R/C/I – Oneonta) met Tuesday afternoon in Albany with American Legion representatives from Schoharie County during the American Legion Department of New York annual legislative day.

“Our proud servicemen and women make great sacrifices defending our rights and freedoms,” said Senator Seward.  “I was pleased to discuss their concerns and learn more about legislation supported by the American Legion and our 1.7 million New York State veterans.”

From left, Senator James L. Seward, Schoharie County Commander Gary Schacher, Schoharie County Veterans’ Service Officer Eilene Fisher, Michael Saccento (Middleburgh Post 248), Myron Kniskern (Cobleskill Post 57), Paul Todd (Sharon Springs Post 1269).  

Senator Seward is a co-sponsor of the “NY Jobs for Heroes Program” which passed the senate overwhelmingly earlier this year.  The legislation, which is among the American Legion’s priority bills, creates a state contract preference for service-connected disabled veteran owned small businesses.

“The ‘NY Jobs for Heroes Program’ will mean careers and new opportunities for our returning disabled veterans and their families.  After sacrificing to protect and secure the American Dream our brave servicemen and women should be able to realize that dream themselves,” Seward added.

The American Legion is also calling for the repeal of the NY-SAFE act.  Senator Seward is a co-sponsor of multiple senate bills that would repeal the NY-SAFE Act and additional legislation that would repeal the anti-gun provisions of the law, but leave in place stricter penalties for crimes committed with firearms and measures to deal with the dangerously mentally ill.

“I voted against the NY-SAFE Act because it is an extreme measure which punishes law abiding citizens like our veterans while failing to confront the root causes of gun violence.  I proudly stand with the American Legion in opposition to this act which infringes on the very rights they fought to defend,” Seward concluded.

AECOM Bombshell: Forged Contract Could Cost County Millions, Imperil Stream Remediation

For fifteen months the Schoharie County Board of Supervisors has been operating under the impression that the county's $23 million stream bank remediation project being administered by the engineering firm AECOM was on track, both financially and construction wise, based on regular monthly briefings provided by the company's on-project representative Patty Flores.

Until last week, that was.

County officials learned in a closed door meeting that not only has AECOM requested anywhere from $1.2-$3 million in additional payments on top of the county board's already-approved $3.2 million agreement with the global design and construction firm, or else they will walk off the project, but that the official contract they came to terms with and signed in early 2013 no way reflects the board's original motion.

The revised version, which was never filed with the county board and may not have been approved by the county attorney, was altered without legal authorization to base the contractual agreement on works performed rather than a fixed percentage of costs. Changes were allegedly made by co-project manager and county Director of Planning and Development Alicia Terry and then initialed by former Board Chairman Harold Vroman.

AECOM's bombshell admission, which paints an unfavorable picture of two county leaders working outside the parameters of the board's approved decision of December 11th, 2012, moved by Gilboa Supervisor Tony VanGlad, has sent local officials scrambling to fill the money gap left by the unauthorized contract. The original $23 million price tag was carefully structured to ensure the county would be reimbursed for all costs by federal and state offsets on a 75/25% basis, a framework that is now imperil.

In addition, Schoharie County Treasurer Bill Cherry told the Schoharie News that the county could face even more financial heartache if the stream bank project's bondholder reneges and demands full payment. Cherry explained that because the original bond was constructed under false pretenses, the county could be saddled with millions in debt, which would then probably be pushed on property owners byway of significant tax increases.

With the project's construction phase set to begin within the next few weeks, supervisors will have their hands full at the upcoming county board meeting on Friday as they will have to decide both how to respond to the allegedly questionable actions of Ms. Terry and Supervisor Vroman that led to this growing scandal, and how to ensure its completion without adding potentially millions in debt. 

Summit Fire Department Spaghetti Dinner March 30th

The Summit Fire Department and Summit Conservation Club are holding a spaghetti dinner on Sunday. March 30th to benefit a local family. The event, that starts at 1pm costs just $10 for adults and $5 for children.

Photo credit: Schoharie County Fire Wire Facebook Page