Village of Liberty

Key discussions included a proposal from the American Legion Post 109 to hang Hero Flags, which was taken under advisement. The matter of Smart Parking Meters was tabled pending review of all parking lot issues. Several resolutions were approved concerning the CDBG Project (Grant #642PW106-25), including the designation of a Labor Standards Officer and a Section 3 Compliance Officer, both assigned to Mark Blauer dba Blauer Associates. The Board also approved a resolution committing $60,000 in Village funds for the Phase 2 Water System Improvements Project and approved an administrative services contract with Blauer Associates not to exceed $60,000. Event permit requests for two campaign rallies were tabled pending cost explanations from the Police Chief. The Board voted to send a letter of support for the County of Sullivan's FY2026 BUILD grant application. A resolution was passed authorizing spending from the Opioid Settlement Fund to purchase a vehicle for the Quick Response Team expansion. A request for water credit was denied. Local Law #1-2026, rezoning a specific tax map parcel to R-2 Zoning District, and Local Law #2-2026, requiring adjoining landowners to repair and maintain sidewalks, were both approved after declaring the Village as lead agency and issuing a Negative Declaration. The Clerk's Office hours for the public were adjusted to 8:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. The Board discussed updating the water billing program, and payment for post audit vouchers was approved. An executive session was held to discuss the employment history of an employee in the Code Enforcement Office.

The meeting included public hearings and discussions on several agenda items. For Yoel Weiss's request for a special use permit to open a professional office building with 9-10 offices, a public hearing was opened, neighbors voiced concerns which the proposer addressed regarding the existing structure and parking, and subsequently, the board voted to issue a negative declaration and approve the application. For Gezinite Kinder Daycare's request for a special use permit to open a daycare, the board approved the application contingent upon following the requirements outlined in the May 6, 2025 letter from the DOT. Under New Business, an applicant, Mortdecai Loeffler, requested permission to convert a single-family home at 7 Jeane Street into a two-family home, which required a motion to declare lead agency, and the board subsequently set a public hearing for July 10th to discuss the matter further, contingent on obtaining an updated surveyor's map showing correct parking dimensions.

This Reform and Reinvention Collaborative Plan for the Village of Liberty Police Department outlines strategies to enhance community trust and cooperation, address racial bias, and improve policing practices, as mandated by Executive Order 203. Key areas of focus include increasing departmental diversity through recruitment and advocating for civil service reform, improving the transparency and legitimacy of the personnel complaint process, and strengthening community-police relations through procedural justice, implicit bias training, and increased positive interactions. Additionally, the plan aims to enhance the handling of mental health and substance abuse crises through specialized training and diversion programs, with an overarching goal of creating a safer community.

The meeting included public hearings for two applications: 7 Jeane Street and 133 Chestnut Street. The hearing for 7 Jeane Street concluded with the issuance of a negative declaration and approval of the application, contingent upon the applicant providing a survey detailing parking space dimensions. The discussion for 133 Chestnut Street determined that the applicant must first submit a survey before any formal action could be taken, and due to required state review (239-m), the matter would likely be postponed until September or scheduled for a specific later date if a quorum was reached sooner. The application for J.W. Didado Electric, LLC, regarding the placement of Conex boxes and an office trailer on two parcels, required technical amendments, including clarifying acreage, ensuring compliance with 10-foot setbacks from side and rear lines, and initiating a 239-m review, leading to a contingent public hearing date being set for August 21st or September 11th. The application from Abraham Mizrahi regarding the conversion of 112-7-15 from an auto dealer to a restaurant was tabled until December to allow the applicant to address numerous deficiencies in the application and receive input from the Department of Public Works regarding water/sewer lines. A final application concerning the subdivision of 6 North Main & 19 Chestnut (SBL# 108-11-14/108-11-15) was withdrawn by the applicant after legal counsel advised that subdividing the combined lots would necessitate variances for non-conforming building setbacks.

The meeting began with a swearing-in ceremony for a new Police Officer and recognition for a promotion to Detective. Correspondence reviewed included updates on CGDG Grant Funding, Comp Alliance, and a Water Department Boiler Loss Prevention Report. The Board tabled a Delaware Engineering update and noted no new developments on smart parking meters. Two public hearings were scheduled for February 5th: one regarding a proposed local law to rezone a specific tax map parcel (124.-2-24.1) into the R-2 Zoning District, and another concerning a proposed local law to mandate adjoining landowners to repair and maintain sidewalks. The Board discussed adopting an "alternate lot parking" system for municipal lots during winter months to aid snow removal, with Attorney Silver tasked to draft the local law. The Board authorized the Mayor to execute a Memorandum of Agreement with Cornell University Cooperative Extension (Sullivan County). Finally, the Board approved several bill payments across general funds, the Sullivan 180 Grant, and the CARES UP Grant, and authorized new rates of pay for two Clerk's Office employees.