The attorney for the Village of Kiryas Joel maintains there are “shortcomings” in the CGR report commissioned by Orange County to study potential impacts of annexation of land from the Town of Monroe into the village.

Before the report is released as “final,” attorney Michael Sterthous told County Planning Commissioner David Church in a letter that the consultant should correct “identified inaccuracies [and] full information is acquired.”

Specifically, the attorney listed seven “shortcomings” in the summary report prepared by CGR.

• “The report makes an unsubstantiated conclusion that the village fails to comply with the New York State Open Meetings Law by failing to provide notices to news media or conspicuously posting such meeting notice.
• “Regarding sewer treatment capacity, the summary states that the village has pushed the capacities of sewer infrastructure to its limits.
• “Regarding water supply, the summary erroneously concludes that the additional well fields owned by the village have limited capacity only through 2023.
• “Regarding Section 8 vouchers, the report mischaracterizes the use of this program by village residents as disproportionate with the village population as compared to the rest of the county.
• “Regarding sewer treatment issues, the summary inaccurately states the village does not comply with the Clean Water Act based, apparently, on the fact that the Kiryas Joel Poultry entered a consent decree with EPA to rectify issues related to its private commercial operations.
• “Regarding land use laws, the report summary makes the bald conclusion that the village does not comply with state land use laws.”
• “Regarding the issue of ‘mutual aid,’ the report reaches an unsubstantiated conclusion that the village ‘relies heavily’ on mutual aid and identifies this as a ‘problem’ which will be exacerbated by annexation.”

Two annexation proposals are on the table – one for 507 acres and the other 167 acres.

(Source: MidHudsonNews)