Highland announces cleanup opportunities

By SUSAN WADE
Posted 3/25/20

ELDRED, NY — The early spring weather turns some people’s minds to spring cleaning, and that thought seemed prevalent at the Highland Town Board meeting on March 10.

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Highland announces cleanup opportunities

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ELDRED, NY — The early spring weather turns some people’s minds to spring cleaning, and that thought seemed prevalent at the Highland Town Board meeting on March 10.

The board approved Saturday, May 16 as the spring cleanup day when residents can bring items for disposal. As in past years, a pass must be obtained from the Town Clerk’s office where a complete list of the items that are and are not acceptable for collection will be provided. The collection will occur at the new Town Highway Garage on Route 55 behind the Highland Senior Center from 8 a.m. to 12 noon.

For residents who are clearing their home of unneeded paperwork, the town, in partnership with Jeff Bank, the Town of Lumberland and the Greater Barryville Chamber of Commerce, is sponsoring a shredding day on Saturday, May 2. An industrial-sized shredding machine will be parked in the upper lot of the Eldred High School from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. The service will be free to users.

A River Sweep will be held April 22 to 25, marking the 50th anniversary of Earth Day. Residents along the Delaware River and feeder streams are urged to take the time to join with others to clean up litter from their properties. Other volunteers will be charged with picking up litter along feeder streams and roadsides where trash can make its way through culverts and into the river. The effort, the first of its kind in the Upper Delaware, is being modeled after cleanup efforts along the Hudson River. This cleanup is a dry-land effort. The project manager for this endeavor is Dan Paparella. He can be reached at paparelladan@gmail.com for information on how individuals or businesses can assist.

Code Enforcement Officer Dave Preston reported on a property in Barryville which has long-standing citations for rubbish violations. The elderly owner’s grandson has reached out to the town to see if it could offer some assistance in effecting the cleanup. The board agreed that public funds cannot be used for private ventures. The cleanup date is scheduled for Wednesday, April 15 and the board agreed to try to reach out to local businesses and organizations to see if any help could be procured. It was reported that the assistance had been offered at the county level, but when the family member stepped forward to help, that offer of assistance was withdrawn.

Supervisor Jeff Haas reported on a coronavirus conference call that was held with town and county officials and legislators, the emphasis of which included admonishment to not invoke fear. A state-level hotline has been established at 1-888/364-3065. He also said that provisions were in place to keep the essential functions of town business operating in the event of any shutdown.

In other business, the board authorized contracts for alarm systems at the highway maintenance facility and senior center as well as a camera system at the highway facility.

A spirited conversation ensued regarding electric power outages. Haas said that the town has been working diligently with NYSEG, which has tried to answer most of the questions that have been raised. NYSEG says that it is moving forward with infrastructure improvements which could take up to 10 years. Residents can expect to see NYSEG or contractor trucks working to clear right-of-ways, which are measured 10 feet on both sides of and 15 feet above power lines. Haas said that the brush will be chipped but the large trunks will remain in their right-of-way.

Councilman Jim Hanson said that NYSEG has also stated that they will eventually complete a feeder loop from Barryville to Minisink but gave no indication of when this would occur. Councilwoman Kaitlyn Haas stated that NYSEG intends to staff its Liberty office to have a semi-local response crew in the area.

Highland, river, clean up

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