Latest News
MILLBROOK — Heavy rain fall flooded the Millbrook Middle School, underscoring a need across the Central School District for leaky roof repairs and delaying school operations by several hours Thursday, Dec. 12.
“Our primary focus is always to maintain a safe and secure environment for students and staff,” said District Superintendent Caroline Hernandez Pidala.
Supintendent Hernandez Pidala reported that on Wednesday evening, there was rain falling inside the middle school building and somewhat less severe infiltration in two other school buildings.
“With hours of rain ahead and the potential for conditions to worsen, we called a two-hour delay. This allowed the storm to pass and provided needed time to reassess the situation in drier conditions during daylight hours. We had crews on campus until 11 p.m. and they returned at 4 a.m. to optimize containment and remediation efforts. With this additional time, we were able to salvage the school day for all students,” Hernandez Pidala said.
The Middle School had been the hardest hit. There were 27 affected areas throughout all levels of the Middle School including classrooms, the gymnasium, fitness lab, auditorium, corridors and bathrooms, Hernandez Pidala said.
The Dutchess BOCES Safety & Risk Coordinator was called in to inspect current conditions and advise school officials of any necessary additional precautions. Testing will determine damaged building materials for the presence of asbestos and any other hazardous materials that may have been disturbed as a result of the history of leaks. Samples will be taken to monitor indoor air quality.
Due to the potential presence of asbestos-containing materials in the auditorium ceiling, that area will remain closed until school officials have a full assessment of the structural integrity of that roof and the related ceiling system beneath, Hernandez Pidala said.
The issue of roof remediation was expected to be included on the agenda of the next meeting of the Central School District Board.
Amenia takes tea
Growing in popularity, the monthly meeting of the Amenia Library Tea Society on Saturday, Dec. 14, attracted participants eager to sample Indian teas, traditional dishes and culture. The society meets monthly on the second Saturday at noon. The January meeting will feature teas and treats from Africa, including a purple tea, said to be delicious.
MILLERTON — During a board meeting on Thursday, Dec. 12, the North East Town Board discussed the new emergency medical service contract with Northern Dutchess Paramedics, building department fee schedule changes, and a dispute between neighbors.
With respect to emergency services, the Town of North East, Dover and Amenia will be entering into a new three-year contract with EMS provider Northern Dutchess Paramedics. The three towns previously had a five-year legal agreement with the same provider that will expire on Tuesday, Dec. 31.
As part of the agreement, the Town of North East will receive ambulance services starting at $511,558 for 2025. The cost will increase to $696,345 for 2026, and will rise to $746,345 by 2027. In the previous contract Northern Dutchess Paramedics had increased their service fees by 2% each year.
While costs are concerning, the length of the contract is flexible. “We can terminate it at any time,” said Warren Replansky, the town’s attorney. “We’re not bound for the increases for next year and the year after. We’re hoping that something will happen in the interim, if there’s some relief. It’s a real problem that all municipalities are suffering from … the cost of ambulance service to communities has skyrocketed, part of it due to COVID, part of it due to inflation.”
The town negotiated with Northern Dutchess Paramedics over the originally stated cost of services, which would have started at $646,345 and increased its budget by 71% compared to the EMS budget during 2024.
“I certainly don’t want to be the one board member to say we won’t have an ambulance service because you just don’t want that to happen,” said Councilman Ralph Fedele, who pointed out North East’s unique needs. “A city like Poughkeepsie that has a high population and a lot of turnover, they don’t have the problems that we have,” he said. “The state has got to realize that, and there has to be some help coming. There has to be because it isn’t fair for a town like ours to start taking money out of our reserves.”
Another item discussed during the meeting centered on the approval of changes to the Town of North East building department fee schedule, which would have been effective beginning Wednesday, Jan. 1. It has been tabled until the next town board meeting.
“I don’t agree with increasing the burden of any resident to increase the fee of $25 to $60 because, personally, I’d like to encourage folks to make improvements or to build and there’s things in this about improvements to food trucks, and we don’t have food trucks in the town of North East,” said councilwoman Megan Winkler, “For those reasons, at this moment in time, I can’t support an increase.”
Two concerned residents on Cooper Road also attended the meeting with concerns regarding an illegal dwelling in the area during the public comment portion of the meeting. In addition to their comments, a brief video was played which apparently recorded an altercation with some of the involved parties.
A. Gregg Pulver
POUGHKEEPSIE — Outgoing Dutchess County comptroller A. Gregg Pulver will be taking on the role of assistant county executive. He was appointed to the position by county executive Sue Serino on Dec. 13.
The appointment comes after Pulver lost his bid for the comptroller’s office to Dan Aymar-Blair in a tight race in the November 2024 election.
His new responsibilities will include oversight of several county government departments, management of county operations, acting as a liaison between the Dutchess legislature and the county executive’s office and supporting the executive’s initiatives and proposals.
In accepting the appointment, Pulver emphasized his continuing commitment to county residents in a non-electoral post, saying, “Having made the decision to not pursue future elected office, I’m excited to be able to continue to serve in helping ensure Dutchess County is a place where families thrive, businesses grow, and our agricultural roots remain strong. I look forward to collaborating with our community to address challenges and seize opportunities that benefit our neighbors.”
Pulver’s term as comptroller will conclude on Dec. 31. His new role will begin on the first day of 2025.
Pulver’s starting salary as assistant county executive will be $125,000. As comptroller, his ending salary was $115,854.
He will replace outgoing assistant county executive Chris Baiano, who is slated to retire in the first quarter of the New Year.
