Other business conducted at village meeting
At the January 23 meeting of the Village Board, the resignation of five-year Highland Falls police officer Richard Santiago, was accepted with regret. In a letter to the board Santiago said it has been a “great honor and privilege” to serve the residents of Highland Falls.
With regard to the leadership of the department since the resignation of former Chief Tamara Dreyer, Mayor Joe D’Onofrio said Sgt. Jason Torpey has been named officer-in-charge, with a stipend of $1153 per pay period. The mayor said the village has the current Orange County Police Chief’s list and is working on hiring a new chief.
In another personnel matter, the board approved a new member of the Highland Falls Fire Department, Jason Stroppel, upon the request of Chief Erik Smith.
In other business:
— A repayment of $178 in travel fees was paid to Water Department employee Pablo Pulido.
— There was a comment from resident Michael Joyce about the resignation of Police Chief Tamara Dreyer, calling the lack of a chief “a safety issue for the village”. Dreyer, per the board, ended her work for the village prior to her actual resignation date (of February 15). Joyce called the move ‘cloak and dagger’. Attorney Alyse Terhune reminded the board that it was a personnel matter the board members could not talk about; although Deputy Mayor Dr. Melanie Guerrero argued that Joyce had a right to know why … “I want to know why too,” she said.
— Former Mayor Pat Flynn spoke about both Dreyer’s and Santiago’s resignations; calling it both a “safety issue” and “money issue” for the village, and saying Santiago was “pushed out”. The mayor disagreed that there is a safety issue, noting “police officers come and go”. Flynn also called the recent appointment of John Jones as DPW supervisor instead of Pulido “taking care of friends and family”. And, he called the move to give elections to the Board of Elections a needed one.
— Resident Ron Malecot asked the board how many lawsuits there are currently against the village, Village Clerk Gina Taylor said one. Malecot also wondered if Chief Dreyer’s resignation will result in a lawsuit. Terhune said lawsuits against municipalities are public record and can be obtained on the state’s court system website. Guerrero said while there may be just one lawsuit, the village has spent over $112,000 on lawyer fees.
— With regard to a ballot proposition approved earlier in the meeting to ask the county board of elections to take over local elections, a long-time election worker for the village, Kathleen Gnazzo, told the board she was disappointed in the proposition, noting that in her opinion, village elections are run very well. “I felt like my honestly and integrity were a little bit insulted”, she told the board.
— Trustee Brian Aylward noted that the Department of Public Works continues to pick up bagged leaves and brush from village residents, and because of good weather has been able to have both the leaf vacuum and street sweeper out this winter.
— Guerrero said she continues to work to get additional electric vehicle chargers in the village, “without putting the burden of the cost on taxpayers”.
— The board meets again on February 6, at 7 p.m. at Village Hall.
