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Ullman resigns from Town Board, named tax receiver

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Councilman Yitzchok Ullman Photo: John Meore/The Journal News

“Councilman Yitzchok Ullman resigned Monday night from the Town Board and was immediately named the town receiver of taxesto succeed the retiring tax collector.

Ullman, a board member for a decade who served as acting supervisor for six months in 2017, will succeed 88-year-old Nathan Oberman, who submitted his retirement papers on Friday, according to town officials. Oberman’s retirement takes effect Tuesday after 21 years on the job.

Oberman, a former Ramapo Democratic Party chairman named in a U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission legal action, had been one of several holdovers not reappointed by the Town Board. His health and personal issues led him to retire, officials said. The SEC case is continuing. [Read more…]

Anthony Mallia resigns, Board approves moratorium on temporary modular schools

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Anthony Mallia Ramapo Director of Building and Planning

Anthony Mallia arrest photo

Anthony Mallia, indicted on 188 felony and misdemeanor counts, has resigned his position as the Director of the Ramapo Building Dept., and the Town Board voted to accept his resignation at tonight’s regular Town Board meeting (June 28). The three questions that now remain are: will Mallia plead to the charges before the trial; will he cooperate with the DA’s Office and/or federal authorities to mitigate his sentence; or will he be before Judge David Zuckerman on July 24, at 10 am watching as jury selection begins for his criminal trial? [Read more…]

Ramapo board changes mind, names Ullman interim supervisor; Brinn appointed to board

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“Musical chairs continued Tuesday afternoon for members of the Town Board.

When the maneuvering stopped, the Town Board rescinded its Monday night appointment of New Hempstead Mayor Fred Brinn as interim supervisor and returned to the original plan: Deputy Supervisor Yitzchok Ullman as interim supervisor and Brinn as a board member, effective June 26, Ullman said. [Read more…]

Brinn named interim Ramapo supervisor

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New Hempstead Mayor Frederick Brinn

At a special meeting of the Ramapo Town Board this evening, New Hempstead Mayor Frederick Brinn was named as the interim Ramapo Town Supervisor, beginning Monday June 26 through December 31, 2017. The vote was 3-0 approving the appointment. Those voting were Yitzy Ullman, Brendel Logan-Charles, and Michael Rossman. Councilman Patrick Withers was absent.

Brinn will begin next Monday, temporarily leaving his position as New Hempstead Mayor.

Michael Castelluccio
Preserve Ramapo

Ramapo’s 1st meeting post-St. Lawrence: 5 things to know

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“The Town Board has an ambitious agenda for its first meeting since Supervisor Christopher St. Lawrence’s removal from office following his conviction on federal securities fraud charges.

Wednesday night’s agenda does not include replacing St. Lawrence on the five-member board. The Town Board, which is composed of four Democrats, can leave the decision to town voters in the November election. No candidates have officially entered the race by filing nominating petitions, and a September primary is possible for the Democratic Party nomination. Petition-gathering starts June 6. [Read more…]

Ramapo residents can’t afford another bond rating decrease

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At the last Ramapo Town Board meeting, Bill Weber spoke during the public participation portion of the Ramapo Town Board meeting. He questioned Supervisor St. Lawrence about the most recent Moody’s report which indicated that the Town of Ramapo was at risk of having its bond rating withdrawn or lowered due to the fact that they have not completed and filed their 12/31/2015 audited financial statements. Weber reminded St. Lawrence and the board that the town’s current bond rating is A3 and any further reduction would most likely put the bond rating somewhere in the B category, which would be a terrible outcome for the taxpayers of Ramapo. [Read more…]

Former Ramapo Councilman Daniel Friedman presumed dead after bridge jump

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Daniel Friedman

Former Ramapo Councilman Daniel Friedman died Friday morning after he reportedly jumped from the Bear Mountain Bridge. He was 30 and worked for the Rockland Legislature.

State police continued to search for his body in the Hudson River on Friday.

A car registered to Friedman was found at the entrance to the bridge and video surveillance camera shows a man walking to the middle of the span and jumping, state police Senior Investigator Brian Hoff said. [Read more…]

Resident fights Ramapo law allowing schools without final approval

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Peter Katz Photo: John Meore/ The Journal News

Peter Katz has become the first Ramapo resident to take the town to court for permitting the conversion of a single-family house into a school without approved site plans and other permits.

Katz argues in his legal action that Chief Building Inspector Anthony Mallia arbitrarily issued a temporary building permit for Congregation Yeshiva Zera Yakov to open a school at 101 Carlton Road and the Ramapo Zoning Board of Appeals incorrectly upheld Mallia’s decision as valid under town zoning law. [Read more…]

State shows up 13 years late

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New York Department of State

The headline in last Monday’s The Journal News read “Ramapo: State’s powers over building, fire inspections detailed.” Ramapo and Spring Valley now have State watchdogs “assigned to monitor the Ramapo Building Department [with] access to department records and [the power to] direct inspectors to address critical threats to life and public safety.” A proper subhead for the story could have been: “It’s about time.” The effort by local firefighters to get someone to step in and enforce the fire code regulations in the Town of Ramapo has been going on, literally, for decades. Standing in the way have been the federally indicted Christopher St. Lawrence, the Ramapo Town Board, and the bloc vote that keeps all of them in Town Hall.

To understand this sorry legacy of neglect requires a brief review of the history of tension between fire officials and numerous Ramapo and State politicians. [Read more…]