|
Recycling Center Portrayed as a Win-Win Situation for County and Taxpayers
Center projected to generate substantial income for County
by Margaret Sternberg
Conceptually, the county-wide recycling program appears to be in place, but the actualization of the idea has a bit further to travel.
That topic and a discussion of preschool/early intervention programs comprised the greater part of the May 8, 2007 meeting of the Putnam County Legislature's Health Committee.
Recycling Coordinator Gordon Maxwell told the committee that Carmel Town Supervisor Connie Munday had expressed interest in partnering with the County in opening a "state of the art" recycling center on the site of the town's landfill.
Costs would be equally split between the town and county, and there would be 50 percent grant funding for certain equipment and buildings. Although, Maxwell said, the fiscal impact for the County would be "minimal," he said that because of the budget issues, it would be "difficult."
Some of the benefits of the center include it being open to all county residents and that it would be "about as central [centrally located within the county] as we can get it with the site." Maxwell also noted that there is anticipated to be no resistance to the center from neighbors.
The center would be available for "dropoffs," which Maxwell said would serve "to keep the private sector in check." Maxwell also said that the county currently funnels tens or even hundreds of thousands of dollars each month to Danbury through use of their private haulers, and these monies translate into city and state revenue for Connecticut. These funds would go to Putnam if the recycling center opens. Maxwell opined that his department could pay for itself and possibly show a profit with the implementation of the recycling center.
Maxwell also suggested that once the center is open that it be allowed to take in regular garbage at the cost of $3/bag as an alternative to curbside pickup. Maxwell said that County Executive Bob Bondi had supported him "verbally" on that idea, which he emphasized would not be implemented immediately and would involve daily removal of the "regular" trash from the center so that odors and other issues would not be problems. Maxwell said he thought this might be the "highest revenue generator in the county."
Chairman Sam Oliverio praised the cost savings for homeowners as an alternative to employing private carters and asked when the idea might be implemented but did not get a definitive answer. Oliverio added that even if someone comes from the western side of the county to the site, the cost savings could be substantial.
Maxwell expected recycling to increase if regular trash is accepted since recycling would be free. He said that people would then be more careful about what they threw away versus what they recycled.
Maxwell said he thought that the idea had not yet received attention from the County Executive because Mr. Bondi had been dealing with the budget. Maxwell also noted that about $100,000 would be needed for start-up costs during a time when cutbacks were being made.
The committee decided to formally request that the County Executive attend the June meeting of the Health Committee in order to discuss the recycling plan.
In the other discussion that evening, the Health Department's Fiscal Manager, Bill Orr, and the Department's Administrator of Children's Health Programs Norine Durkin both spoke on projected increases and enrollment costs for the preschool/early intervention programs.
Durkin described the program as involving a lot of in-house work that had required more staff because of an increase in cases. Staff members are then able to see more cases. Durkin said staff members are able to more effectively interact with the families in what is now family-centered outreach and teach the parents or caregivers to do deal with the issues and to give them ideas on coping with various matters.
Durkin said the purpose of the program is to maximize the potential of the child. Over the four years of the program, she said that the number of children actually in early intervention and receiving services had been reduced and that the children in the program received services for a shorter period of time than previously. Once the child enters pre-school, the county is less involved, and the child falls under the aegis of school-based services. Durkin said the children are now tending to transition out of the program and into pre-school sooner because of the program's effectiveness.
In a brief discussion, Orr related expenses for the programs for the last three years as well as expectations. His discussion was somewhat abbreviated when Legislator Tony Hay, who was filling in on the Committee that evening, requested that Orr and Durkin compile a list of their needs and suggestions, some of which they discussed but cautioned that they needed to be implemented at the state level. Hay, amid uproarious laughter, said the suggestions, "what we want from our leaders," would be forwarded to Assemblyman Greg Ball, who had recently ballyhooed the idea of finding new, creative ways to deal with looming budget issues
The date of the June meeting of the Health Committee will be posted on the PCN&R's website when it becomes available.
Providing local news, information and opinions from
Philipstown and Putnam Valley, NY
Encompassing the Villages of Cold Spring and Nelsonville,
and the hamlet of Garrison, Putnam County, NY.
This site is a publication of The Putnam County News and Recorder, the source for news and information of the Philipstown
and Putnam Valley area. The PCN&R is 139
years old, published in hard copy every Wednesday, and circulated throughout Putnam
County, NY.
The PCN&R prints LEGAL NOTICES
for: Putnam County, The Town of Philipstown, The Town of Putnam Valley, Village of Cold Spring, Village of
Nelsonville, the Haldane Union Free School District and the Garrison Union Free School
District.
Deadline for printed press releases, advertisements and classifieds is Monday at noon for
Wednesday publication. This site is updated on an as-needed basis with a minimum update
weekly on Thursdays. For further information or to request a subscription to the paper, please
contact us with your name and mailing address at:
(845) 265-2468 PO Box 185, Cold Spring, NY 10516, or e-mail us at editor@pcnr.com
If you see an advertiser on line, tell them! | 
