Village of Saugerties trustee Terry Parisian reported at a recent Saugerties Village Board meeting that the town board is concerned about water shortages in the future and is considering possible new sources. The Glasco Water District is considering buying its water from the Town of Ulster, Parisian said. Ulster Supervisor James Quigley is in favor of this idea. “He told me a long time ago he would be interested in that,” Mayor Bill Murphy said.
With several large-scale projects approved or under construction in the Glasco area, “it takes the burden off us,” he said. One of the village’s concerns has been the town exceeding its limit of 650,000 gallons per day. “With these new developments coming on, they’re not notifying us, and part of the new agreement was that they need to notify us prior to taking any more water.”
An increase in water usage by the town increases the costs, with chemicals, dredging and other work involved in increasing the capacity of the water supply, Parisian said. “If they take out that district, it buffers us.”
Parisian said he does not know how much the Glasco Water District would be paying for Ulster’s water, but it would help Saugerties to have this potential heavy water user out of Saugerties’ water supply.
Village board praises new police chief
Village of Saugerties trustee Terry Parisian said he is satisfied with the choice the town board made in hiring Robert Nuzzo as the new Saugerties police chief. Parisian represented the village in the process of selecting the replacement for Joe Sinagra, who retired while under fire for his handling of an officer who was accused of harassing women, including a female Saugerties police officer.
“He’s an excellent, excellent candidate; there was going to be no question of that,” Parisian said.
Nuzzo, a retired New York State Police Lieutenant Colonel was the unanimous choice of the board members, Parisian said at a recent meeting of the village board.
“I’m going to invite him to our meeting in January,” Mayor Bill Murphy said.
Sewer plant odors are an ongoing problem
Strong odors from the Village of Saugerties sewer plant have been an ongoing complaint from neighbors of the plant. Over the past several months, the odors have been reduced, village trustee Vincent Buono has reported, but at the village board’s regular meeting on Monday, December 18, Buono said the odors were again stronger.
“There were some pretty strong odors coming from the plant this weekend,” he said. “I don’t know why, or what changed.”
“It’s been the last couple of weekends,” trustee Terry Parisian said. “But it’s only on the weekend.” Buono agreed that “during the week it’s been pretty good. Do what you’re doing during the week and keep doing it on weekends.”
Plans for a Woodstock anniversary celebration moving ahead
Saugerties businesses and individuals are enthusiastically offering to join in a celebration of the Woodstock music festival, which took place at Winston Farm in Saugerties on August 12-14, 1994. The Saugerties event was actually the second Woodstock Festival; the first was in Bethel in August of 1969.
Deputy mayor Jeannine Mayer said the event will feature music, art and other forms of entertainment. “We had a meeting regarding Woodstock and a lot of people are working on different aspects and incorporating their events into it, like the car show, Opus 40 — everybody’s doing something.”
Village board discusses possible locations for cannabis sale
The Village of Saugerties could accommodate a cannabis shop, but only in a very few places. The law requires a minimum distance from a church or a school, limiting the possible sites, Mayor Bill Murphy said at a recent village board meeting.
Murphy was approached by a local businessman who was interested in possibly setting up a cannabis shop; he explained the limitations and suggested a site on Ulster Avenue, which has ample parking and is the required distance from schools and churches.
The village is now complying with New York State law, but Murphy and former police chief Joe Sinagra were working on setback requirements, which he may continue to pursue with the new chief.
At this point, it appears to just be an inquiry, Murphy said. He was not sure the questioner would go through the process of getting licensed to sell cannabis, but the possibility is there.
Murphy said a marijuana outlet would need ample parking, and he would not be happy about seeing one in a place where kids would be walking by, he said.
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