Village eyes highway equipment, police vehicle

By KAITLIN LYLE

kaitlinl@millertonnews.com

MILLERTON — Opening the floor to discuss local business, the Village Board  received reports from both the Highway Department and the Millerton Police Department during its regular meeting on Monday, July 20.

The entire board met via Zoom at 6 p.m.; the meeting was live streamed on the “Village of Millerton VOM” Facebook page due to the COVID-19 pandemic. After approving the latest vouchers, the board opened the floor for a report by Highway Supervisor Coleman Lawrence.

Highway update

Lawrence reported that the village’s roller recently needed to be serviced again as it needed a new fuel pump and had a pretty substantial hydraulic leak. He said the roller has been used all summer for patchwork, small painting jobs and similar tasks, adding while the roller is village equipment, the town of North East also uses it. Seeing as the roller is almost 20 years old, Lawrence said he thought it makes sense to replace the roller, adding that it would cost the village $15,000 to do so. Since the equipment is still working at this time, he explained that, instead of replacing the unit right away, he is looking to replace it some time in the 2021-22 fiscal year.

“It’s an item we need and use,” Lawrence said.

Mayor Debbie Middlebrook suggested that Lawrence provide the board with information regarding the cost of a new roller to consider the cost as part of the 2021-22 village budget.

Lawrence also raised the idea of purchasing a hot box for the village. Describing it a fairly new device, he explained that the hot box could be used for any of the village’s water repairs or blacktop jobs by taking material used for the job (such as asphalt) and putting it in the hot box, thereby recycling the material for another job. In response to questions about what the Highway Department currently does with the asphalt it rips up, he reported that it places it in a landfill. Priced at around $15,000, Lawrence said the hot box could be used all year long and shared with the town. Middlebrook considered whether there could be county funding for the shared services.

Police update

After delivering a report on the latest number of calls from the village and town, Millerton Police Officer-in-Charge Mike Veeder reported that on Wednesday, July 15, the department underwent in-service use of force training, which, in addition to use of force, covered taser-related training and de-escalation training. Clarifying what use of force training and de-escalation training involve, he explained that de-escalation training refers to how the officers would present themselves in a situation while use of force refers to what techniques they can and can’t use if a hands-on approach is necessary.

Keeping the board updated on Dutchess County’s efforts in creating a countywide plan for modernizing police strategies, procedures and protocols, Middlebrook reported that the county will be hosting meetings with police personnel in the near future. In addition to its Criminal Justice Council, she said the county has gotten the Dutchess County Sheriff’s Office, the Chief’s Association, community activists, faith-based leaders and others involved in the effort. Middlebrook also commended Dutchess County Executive Marc Molinaro for taking the lead in moving this countywide effort forward “because they really have the resources to do this and to do a good job.”

At this time, Middlebrook said the county is hopeful about having a draft of the plan by the end of October. Once the draft is completed and revised, she said the Village Board will receive an updated version and will hold a public hearing prior to adoption.

“The hope is that all of the law enforcement agencies within the county will be on the same page with the same guidelines,” she said.

Responding to Trustee Matthew Hartzog’s question about whether there will be a municipal or countywide public hearing on the plan, Middlebrook said she believes the county wants each municipality to hold a public hearing, and that the county will help each municipality implement the public hearing, whether it’s done in-person or remotely.

Veeder raised the upcoming purchase of a new police vehicle, reminding the board that it talked about the vehicle’s color at its previous workshop on July 6. After talking with a couple of auto body shops, he reported that Pine Plains Autobody gave him a $7,480 quote to paint the car while Jim’s Auto Body offered to paint the car for $3,000 to $3,500. Veeder also received a verbal quote from Martinez Auto Body Shop for $3,000. 

With regard to its color, Veeder said he’d like to see a black police car as it would stand out and wouldn’t be the same color as state or county vehicles. Middlebrook agreed with ordering a black police car and asked where the village budget stands before getting another police car painted.

When Middlebrook asked her fellow trustees how they felt about having a black police car, the majority indicated a preference for a black and white police care instead of solid black. Hartzog said it would make the car “look more menacing,” while Trustee Jennifer Najdek suggested that the board purchase a new black and white police vehicle now, and then send the older police vehicle out to be painted to match. 

Middlebrook said she and Village Clerk Kelly Kilmer must decide whether painting the vehicle would impact the $52,000 bond anticipation note (BAN). She comfirmed the board prefers black and white.