New trees donated by Townscape for Main Street, agreements approved for MPD

MILLERTON — From the new trees proposed for Main Street to a variety of municipal agreements, the Village Board was plenty occupied at its workshop meeting on Monday, April 5, at 6 p.m. The meeting was live streamed to the “Village of Millerton VOM” Facebook page due to the COVID pandemic. 

Townscape to donate trees

After unanimously adopting its public employer health emergency plan, the board turned its attention to the new trees proposed for Main Street. As the village is planning to take down the existing trees that have overgrown branches, Mayor Debbie Middlebrook said Townscape of Millerton and North East has generously agreed to purchase new trees. 

While Townscape originally suggested honey locusts, the mayor said it found with further research that honey locusts grow too high and have issues with their branches. Looking to plant flowering pear trees on Main Street, Middlebrook said Townscape was waiting for the board’s approval to go ahead and purchase the trees to have them ready for when the village’s sidewalk replacement project is underway. The board gave Townscape its approval to buy the trees.

Police news

Bringing Millerton’s Driving While Intoxicated (DWI) contract with Dutchess County for the 2021-22 fiscal year up for discussion, Village Clerk and Treasurer Kelly Kilmer reminded the board that Millerton signed a five-year contract with the Dutchess County Sheriff’s Office and that an extension agreement for the contract is signed by the village annually. Millerton is now in its second year of that contract. 

Kilmer asked the board for a motion to sign the agreement with the understanding that the cost of Millerton’s DWI Patrol dropped by $1,100. In addition to the extension agreement, she said the village can send out its updated insurance liability policy to the county. The board unanimously approved the extension agreement.

Kilmer also reminded the board that Millerton signed an agreement with the county last year through the Dutchess County Crisis Intervention Training Program. In essence, she said it gives the Millerton Police Department (MPD) extra training hours at no cost to the village. The training offers overviews of how to deal with mental health and substance abuse disorders; community resources and partners; and de-escalation techniques. Kilmer explained the additional training hours are on top of what the MPD already spends on training. The board authorized Middlebrook to sign the agreement so the village can continue the program.

Next, Kilmer said the MPD currently has a cell phone and a pod device that its officers carry around in their police vehicles so they can get WiFi services without using their own personal WiFi on their phones. This agreement, she explained, is through Verizon; the bill comes to $80.02 every month. 

Since the bill has been renegotiated and the services have gone down by $5, Kilmer said the monthly bill will be $75.02. She said the board needed to sign this agreement with Verizon to continue the services, adding the amount will come out of the MPD’s budget as usual. The board signed the agreement.