Preserve Ramapo

www.preserve-ramapo.com

You are here: Home / Archives for Uncategorized

Ramapo mulls future for multiple properties amid deficit, development issues

by

The Suffern Quarry Image courtesy Rosspilot

“Town officials continue to wrestle with the future of properties once bought for profit and for green and historic preservation as part of an ambitious plan to prevent development.

With the town facing an estimated $8.5 million deficit, officials are contending with new financial realities as demands for more housing clash with demands for open space.

On Monday night, five of those dozens of properties were discussed during a public hearing that lasted several hours and was attended by dozens of residents who packed Ramapo Town Hall. [Read more…]

State pulls monitor overseeing Ramapo building inspectors; says minimum requirement met

by

Rockland County Executive Ed Day and Assemblyman Ken Zebrowski announce plans to immediately inspect private schools for building code and fire safety on May 26, 2016. (Photo: Ricky Flores/The Journal News)

“A state monitor assigned nearly two years ago to oversee the town fire and safety inspections and building department administration has been pulled from Town Hall.

After assigning the oversight in response to years of complaints about Ramapo’s deficient enforcement of fire safety and building codes, the state has determined the Ramapo Building Department has shown improvement and now meets the minimum standards.

“”As far as I am concerned, they signed the death warrant for residents and firefighters.” Justin Schwartz

FINAL REPORT: State removes building department monitor

LETTER: State releases Ramapo monitor

LETTER: Zebrowski, Jaffee and Carlucci write the state concerned about safety of residents

[Read more…]

Ramapo judge signs order supporting move to close illegal school

by

“A state Supreme Court judge has ordered the closure of a Route 306 private school operating without town approvals, but town officials said the school’s appeal will stall emptying the modular classrooms of students.

Congregation Bais Chinuch Ateres Bnos — which has been subject to fire and safety code violations — has been teaching more than 300 students for more than a year at 261 Route 306 without town permits and site plan approval.

The school’s two-year temporary certificate of occupancy expired Sept. 30, 2017. [Read more…]

Feds Arrest Seven, Including some Rabbis, in $14M Monsey/Kiryas Joel Funding Scam

by

Shield of the Dept of JusticeBy Jonathan Dienst  NBC 4 New York

Published 46 minutes ago | Updated 9 minutes ago

Seven Monsey and Kiryas Joel residents – including some rabbis – were arrested Wednesday in connection with an alleged $14 million dollar rip-off of a federal school technology funding program, federal prosecutors said. The FBI arrested the seven for allegedly stealing money meant to help underprivileged children.

Prosecutors said the suspects lied to claim they were serving as independent consultants and vendors to help obtain and provide telecommunication services to private religious school students across Rockland County. Federal dollars would come from the federal E-Rate program which is funded by the FCC. But investigators said the services were never provided with the seven allegedly stealing much of the money from 2010-2016. [Read more…]

Ramapo contaminated soil case heads to trial

by

Massive piles of dirt from the Rockland Sewer District No. 1’s decade-long expansion project that were placed in Sloatsburg’s Community Field nearly a decade ago have been removed.
(Photo: Michael D’Onofrio/The Journal News)

If the high-profile contaminated soil case goes to a jury trial, jurors will have to decide if Ramapo removed any contaminated soil as it was contracted to do and if it billed the local sewer district for the work regardless, a judge ruled this week. [Read more…]

CUPON Chestnut Ridge meeting Monday Nov 6

by

The monthly meeting of the Chestnut Ridge CUPON will be Monday November 6 at 7pm at the South Spring Valley Fire Department, 26 Red Schoolhouse Road. There will be updates on all ongoing issues and more. And don’t forget to vote Tuesday Nov 7, and make some phone calls to friends and relatives–this election is critical.

Ramapo ex-inspector Anthony Mallia gets no jail time, won’t pay restitution in plea deal

by

Judge David Zuckerman Photo/The Journal News

“Anthony Mallia, the former Ramapo building inspector charged with 188 counts of undercharging contractors for permits and shortchanging taxpayers by $150,000 in the process, won’t serve jail time and won’t have to make restitution, a judge decided today.

Mallia, 53, pleaded guilty to two counts. He pleaded guilty to first-degree tampering with public records, a felony, and was promised by the judge a sentence of five years probation. He also pleaded guilty to official misconduct and will received three years probation. The sentences will be be served concurrently when Mallia is sentenced Oct.  31. He waived his right to appeal. [Read more…]

St. Lawrence trial: Moody’s, the Ballpark, Withers tomorrow

by

St. Lawrence trial day four: Steve Lieberman  The Journal News

“On the stand: Thomas Myers, a private attorney who worked with the RLDC and the town on the stadium bond completed his testimony this morning. Next up was Lee, who worked for Moody’s on their ratings on Ramapo bonds from 2010-2012. The latter part of the afternoon was mostly taken up with the testimony of Ken Lehner, managing partner and president of Bottom 9 Baseball, the corporation behind the Rockland Boulders baseball team. The last witness of the day was Councilman Patrick Withers, who had only just begun testifying when court broke for the day.

Key testimony: Lehner described efforts to build the stadium, which he said was dogged from the start by a challenge by Preserve Ramapo, and later faced funding and financing problems. [Read more…]