Local group urges Millerton officials to publicly condemn ICE tactics

“I urge you to be public in showing our community your moral compasses,” Millerton resident Eliot Ramos said. “Please show us that we have elected people who really do care.”

MILLERTON — Immigration enforcement became a central focus of the Village Board of Trustees meeting Tuesday, Jan. 27, which drew a group of residents who called on officials to take a public stance in support of vulnerable community members.

Following routine agenda items, community members used the public comment period to urge the board to publicly oppose Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) activity and affirm protections for local residents. It marked the fourth time in eight months that residents have appeared before the village board to urge action on immigration enforcement, with no significant action or policy change to date.

Mayor Jenn Najdek declined to comment following the meeting and would not say whether the board plans further discussions or next steps. Other trustees — Deputy Mayor Matthew Hartzog, Matt Soleau, and Daivd Sherman — did not respond to requests for comment at the time of publication.

In contrast, Trustee Katie Cariello — who is several months into her first term on the board — made her position clear during the meeting and in a follow-up statement, saying she appreciated the group for holding local leaders accountable.

Cariello also acknowledged Joe Olenik’s dual roles as police chief and highway superintendent.

“This week's been really tough for lots of reasons,” Cariello said. “I just want to say, I hope we can keep snow out, and hopefully keep ICE out.”

In a statement, Cariello invited residents to continue the conversation by emailing her at katie.cariello@millertonny.gov.

“I heard our Police Chief say that he will uphold the law, and I believe that to be true,” Cariello said of the dialogue that occurred between Olenik and residents. “And I heard all of us say that we care about our neighbors and want everyone to feel safe.”

The village is not required to respond to public comments, but members of the board and the police chief engaged in a conversation with attendees and answered questions about hypothetical scenarios that could play out in Millerton.

Olenik said it is highly unlikely that ICE would notify the Millerton Police Department of their plans or request assistance given its part-time status and lack of involvement in immigration enforcement.

“If our police officers are present and another officer — whether federal, state, or sheriff’s department — was breaking the law and abusing somebody against the law, we would have to take action,” he said, though it was unclear whether that action would be through force in the moment or through a report and investigation.

“We treat all our people in this community with dignity, respect, and compassion,” Olenik added. “I won’t accept anything less than that from my officers.”

Calls for village board to take a public stance

Nine residents used the public comment portion of the meeting to voice their concerns about what they described as increasingly violent and deadly immigration enforcement nationwide.

Resident Eliot Ramos, who has previously addressed the village board on the issue, read from prepared remarks, explaining that she was "extremely distressed and emotional.”

She asked the board and police department to take action, adding that she feels ready to lose faith in local elected officials if they do not commit to protecting the human rights and safety of all residents.

“I urge you to be public in showing our community your moral compasses,” Ramos said. “Please show us that we have elected people who really do care.”

Laura O'Loughlin also read prepared remarks that were co-written by what she described as a large group of Millerton and North East residents.

“We just want to keep naming that immigrants are not outsiders in our village,” O'Loughlin read, adding that they are coworkers, neighbors, business owners and friends who contribute to the strength of the community. “When they are targeted with fear, intimidation, or violence, it harms us all.”

O'Loughlin went on to express concerns about the national pushback on protesters by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). “Peaceful protest is a cornerstone of our democracy,” she read. “Responding to it with force, especially against communities that already face disproportionate scrutiny and harm, is unacceptable.”

North East resident Bill Kish spoke to the importance of civic responsibility.

“I feel that if there's one thing I can do — and that others can do — at this point in time, it's to speak to power at every level, starting with the people who are here in this room,” Kish said, gesturing toward the board.

He urged trustees to recognize that “people are sad and angry and scared,” asking them to carry those concerns up the chain of command.

Kish concluded the final 30 seconds of his allotted time with a moment of silence for the lives that have been lost at the hands of federal officials.

Other regular business items

Police Chief Joe Olenik shared highway and police department reports, with trustees expressing thanks to the short-staffed highway crew, which continues to operate without its full fleet of vehicles. The department has been working with the Town of North East to borrow equipment as needed.

“Bob Stevens has been fantastic,” Olenik said of the town’s highway superintendent.

The board voted to amend its fee schedule for fire inspections, doubling the cost for commercial properties from $50 to $100, a change that Najdek said aligns with other municipalities.

Trustees also approved the village’s annual agreement with Dutchess County to participate in its DWI control campaign, which aims to prevent people from driving while under the influence.

Village budget discussions are expected to be held throughout February, following the circulation of an initial draft to trustees on Tuesday night by Lisa Cope, village clerk and treasurer.

The board once again delayed its State Environmental Quality Review (SEQR) — a state-required process to evaluate potential environmental, social or economic impacts — related to planned upgrades at Veteran’s Park. The village is awaiting final designs from the engineer based on recent minor feedback from the county. Once those revisions are complete, Najdek said the project will be “ready to roll” and can go out for bid, adding that she hopes it won’t push back the targeted completion by Memorial Day.

The village is also expected to submit a letter of intent to apply for this year’s Community Development Block Grant funding, with the application deadline approaching on March 3. Trustees said the most likely use of the funding would be to complete additional sidewalk work, possibly on North Center Street.

Trustees spent a significant portion of the meeting discussing a proposed local law that would formally establish a new tree committee and allow Millerton to pursue national recognition as a Tree City USA. Village legal counsel attended the meeting to outline the requirements of the program.

Under the proposal, the village would be required to pass a local law designating responsibility for all public trees, adopt a formal tree management plan, set aside at least $2 per capita annually in the budget, and hold an Arbor Day observance each year.

The committee would consist of five volunteers to be appointed by the village board, with potential oversight from the town board or a town employee. Members will likely be able to join from throughout Dutchess County, though the hope would be to limit members to the village and town. Once the committee is established, the village could then apply for various funding and grants.