Watching Putnam Valley

Government

There's a New Assessor in Town

Building on her promise to make Town Hall more open and transparent, Putnam Valley's new supervisor, Alison Jolicoeur, has arranged a "Meet the Assessor" session this Saturday, May 16th, from 10am until noon. Why might you want to devote part of what looks like it will

Environment

The Town Acts

At a recent "Meet the Building Inspector" session with residents, Richard Quaglietta said he wasn't able to do anything to stop people from living in homes where there were serious septic issues because he hadn't received the necessary paperwork from Putnam County's

Environment

Lake Peekskill Septic Issue Update

Another administrative hearing took place at the Putnam County Department of Health yesterday regarding septic issues at 64 Lake Drive in Lake Peekskill. Eileen Myers, a partner of Jemab Family Limited Partnership, which owns the property, attended along with Jemab's attorney Heath Gurinsky. Seven members of the county&

Events

School Board Candidates Forum

The room was full last night at the Putnam Valley Free Library for the "Meet the Candidates" forum showcasing the two candidates for the Board of Education: Crystal Hernandez and Jay Lee. The questions were well conceived, the answers were thoughtful and the crowd was attentive. None of

Environment

Attorney for Troubled Lake Peekskill Property Responds

The attorney representing Jemab Family Limited Partnership, which owns homes in Lake Peekskill that have been subject to violations of septic systems, sent a letter to Watching Putnam Valley. It is being reproduced in its entirety below. Dear Ms. Bartlett, I am the attorney for the Jemab FLP and I

Government

Richard Quaglietta, Unleashed

For more than two hours today, Richard Quaglietta answered questions from about a dozen residents at a "Meet The Building Inspector" session at Town Hall. Several residents had nuts and bolts questions about home improvements at the Three Arrows Cooperative Society and there was some discussion about raccoons

Government

Gearing Up for the School Board Election

In less than three weeks, residents of Putnam Valley's central school district will decide whether to approve the district's budget for next year and will choose a trustee to represent them on the school board. The town library's budget will also be on the

Government

Palumbo Soccer Camp, Round 2

The Palumbos took an important step at yesterday's Planning Board meeting towards resolving their legal jeopardy with the town stemming from their decision to host the State of the County meeting at their soccer camp in early March. The board voted to "stay" the violation on

Events

May Events (curated)

May 2nd at 10am - Meet Your Building Inspector, a Q&A with Richard Quaglietta at Town Hall May 8th at 7:30pm - The Madison String Quartet at Tompkins Corners Cultural Center. Tickets are $30 May 16th from 1pm to 4pm - Repair Cafe at Putnam Valley Library,

Government

PV News Brief

• Eileen Myers, a partner in Jemab Family Limited Partnership, whose rental properties in Lake Peekskill have been cited for septic violations, appeared at an administrative hearing at the county's Department of Health today representing Jemab. Through Jemab's attorney, she agreed to admit to seven of the

PV News Briefs

• The first results of the Putnam Valley Library's strategic planning process are coming into view. Its newly renovated community room is now open for business, enabling it to offer a more conducive setting for local groups to hold meetings. And it has just launched the first of what

Environment

Whoops, Not So Fast!

It looks like Christian Russo jumped the gun when he announced at Wednesday's Town Board meeting that Lake Peekskill and Barger Pond had been added to the state's list of water bodies eligible for septic replacement funding. In that meeting, he attributed the information to Rian

Environment

Some Help From the State

Putnam Valley homeowners are finally about to get some help from the state to combat environmental problems many have been contending with. New York's Department of Health has begun offering free testing of private wells for PFAS in six counties, plus rebates for up to $5,000 if

Government

The Fire Dept.'s Woeful Tale

Read it and weep. That's the only way to foreshadow the detailed report the Putnam Valley Volunteer Fire Department provided to Town Supervisor Alison Jolicoeur following her tour of the construction site of its new headquarters at 216 Oscawana Lake Road. The litany of mistakes, bad luck and

Government

The Town vs. The County

Putnam County Executive Kevin Byrne likes to hold his annual State of the County address in different parts of the county to highlight thriving local businesses. This year it was Putnam Valley's turn, but unfortunately the venue that was chosen wasn't allowed to hold that kind

PV Celebrates Earth Week

In a sign of growing interest in the environment, this year Putnam Valley residents will have an extensive array of events to choose from to celebrate April's Earth Week. As can be seen from the calendar of events on the town's website, there is something for

Government

Senior Tax Exemption Preserved

Putnam Valley's Town Board dodged a bullet. At last month's meeting, they approved a resolution that was supposed to support an increase in the tax exemption level allowed to certain seniors. Unfortunately, due to sloppy drafting, the resolution stated the opposite. The board unwittingly voted to

Environment

Septic Issues at Lake Peekskill

There's trouble in Lake Peekskill. Residents have been growing alarmed by reports on Facebook of homes with septic runoff coming out of properties and leading into storm drains, and ultimately, their lake. To quell the concerns, on February 13th the town issued a public statement: "The Town

Environment

Why Zoning Matters

If ever Putnam Valley needed an example of why zoning matters, the case involving Citywide Automotive & Towing on Peekskill Hollow Road is it. Last May, the owners of that well-regarded auto repair company submitted an application to the Planning Board for permission to construct a 100 ft. by 51

Government

Town Board Update

At yesterday's monthly meeting, the Town Board voted to withdraw its resolution to rezone sections of Putnam Valley to make them more hospitable to commercial development. Instead, Supervisor Alison Jolicoeur said she would task a working group with creating a new comprehensive plan for the town that would

Events

New Public Hearing Date

In order to provide sufficient advance notice, the public hearing to review the Putnam Valley Volunteer Fire Department's next contract has been moved to January 28th at 6pm at Town Hall.

Government

Jolicoeur Hits the Ground Running

Hints of how Alison Jolicoeur intends to define her administration as Putnam Valley's new supervisor were revealed yesterday as she put her stamp on the Town Board's first meeting of the year. Despite dealing with a long list of housekeeping resolutions at the required "reorganization

Government

Supervisor Annabi Reflects

As Jacqueline Annabi prepares to leave Town Hall at the end of the year after four years as Town Supervisor and another 11 as a Town Board member, she offered these written responses to questions. The exchange has been lightly edited for clarity and conciseness: As you look back over

Government

Supervisor-Elect Gears Up

Since her victory by 23 votes was finally certified on November 26th, Alison Jolicoeur has been busy preparing to take over as the next Town Supervisor for Putnam Valley. She faces a unique challenge: Most supervisors get a two-year term to prove their mettle and had already served on the

Government

Democracy At Work

If it ain't broke, don't fix it! That was the overwhelming sentiment expressed at last night's jam-packed hearing about the Town Board's zoning proposal to encourage more small business activity in Putnam Valley. For more than an hour, speaker after speaker spoke