Deerpark Gets Deputy Police Chief and Festival
Michael Worden will fill the new position.
By David Ofshinsky
Dr. John Bell, Superintendent of Port Jervis School District, opened the Presentations portion of the May 12 Deerpark Town Board meeting on a positive note.
“For the fifth year in a row, the budget will not require a tax increase,” he announced.
Bell said that while there is an overall budget increase of $7 million, it’s for capital projects that are covered by bonds and paid for with state funds. He noted that the Port Jervis district is different from other districts in the county in that 70% of the budget is covered by the state, leaving only 30% to come from local taxes. Bell said that an increase in Medicaid funds that pay for special education from $100,000 to $500,000 is a significant help in keeping the budget in line.
Bell listed some of the upcoming capital projects. The Hamilton Bicentennial school is slated for a new roof, HVAC and electrical upgrades and classroom air conditioning. The high school and middle school will get new HVAC systems. Eventually all classrooms in the district will have air conditioning to meet the challenge of increased warm weather during the school year.
The School Board election and budget vote is on Tuesday, May 20.
Under New Business, Town Supervisor Gary Spears proposed the addition of the position of Deputy Chief for the Police Department and the acceptance of Michael Worden for the job. Spears said that the part time position is needed because of the growth of the department, which currently has seven full time officers, four part time officers and a school officer. The position will be primarily administrative and will be paid on a per diem basis. The hours and rate were not specified. Since it is part time and Worden is a retired police officer, he will not be eligible for health benefits. The motion was unanimously approved by the Board.
Under Old Business, Jin Pang, representing New Century Festivals, requested a change to the Mass Gathering Permit that was granted in March for its America the Beautiful Festival. Originally approved for Saturday and Sunday June 14 and 15, the addition of Thursday and Friday June 12 and 13 was requested to accommodate a carnival.
The carnival will feature 20 rides along with games on those days. It’s the same carnival company that came to the town years ago. The main part of the festival, featuring live music, historical reenactors and a celebration of the US Army’s 250th birthday takes place on Saturday and Sunday.
Pang said that past issues with traffic and parking have been resolved and that there were no problems last year. She noted the popularity of New Century’s annual Moon Festival and said that the America the Beautiful Festival is to celebrate the history and culture of their new home. Members of the Board stated that the Town has not had a carnival in many years and that it would be great to have one again. The request was unanimously approved by the Board.
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