Civic Issues
Topics getting the most attention in Sullivan County public meetings, ranked by how frequently they are discussed.
50 issues with medium priority
Office for the Aging resolution amendments
The Office for the Aging delivered thousands of meals, rides, and benefits applications in March, and the committee moved its annual plan update to the full Legislature. Volunteers are needed for the food security coalition, and a new senior volunteer recruitment campaign is launching.
Fire Loss Investigation and Community Risk Reduction Grant
The county wants to tap a three-year state grant program for fire investigation and community risk reduction work. Accepting the award could expand fire prevention and investigation capacity without local dollars.
Fort Delaware Museum operations agreement
The committee will consider an agreement with The Delaware Company to keep Fort Delaware Museum of Colonial History running and to provide programming and events at Minisink Battleground Park. It's about keeping a historic site open and active for visitors and locals.
Resort Facilities LDC dissolution
The IDA filed dissolution paperwork for the Resort Facilities LDC with the Attorney General's office. Officials emphasized no public money was spent on the failed casino-bond effort — all costs were Resorts World's.
Countywide community calendar
Fresh off a Bagel Festival that drew an estimated 20,000 people, the Chamber wants to build a countywide community calendar that generates revenue and a Local Business Alliance uniting chambers and business groups countywide.
I Love New York tourism matching funds application
Sullivan Catskills was ranked the #4 DMO in the country and won a rare platinum state tourism award for the county-backed grant program. A new story-driven video campaign aims to lift hotel occupancy, which sat at just 40% in July.
Youth Bureau funding contract dates
State OCFS funding for youth programs was advanced unanimously, with a warning that these preventative programs need protection during the tough budget season ahead.
Budget document readability and transparency
A resident called out budget document pages that are impossible to read — tiny type, portrait-format org charts, unreadable tables — and asked legislators to require corrected, revised versions posted online ASAP.
Broadband Expansion Update
Sullivan County is giving a public update on its broadband expansion in Narrowsburg on Nov. 5. If your home internet is spotty, this is a chance to hear what’s planned and when. The source doesn’t include funding or timeline details yet.
County investigation services spending oversight
Members clashed over an open-ended agreement for outside investigations, calling it a blank check, before capping one pending case at $50,000 and promising a deeper policy review next month — including how much has been spent and whether investigations should be in person.
Opioid settlement fund spending
The committee advanced two resolutions adopting the 2026-2027 opioid settlement spending plan and made the public safety wellness coordinator full-time using those funds.
Human Rights Commission activity
Commission Co-Chair Margaret Gans defended the commission against claims it's been 'weaponized,' explaining only the executive director handles complaints — commissioners never see them. The committee also advanced a lease for new commission office space on High Street in Monticello.
Mobile Home Park Management
Sullivan County’s troubled mobile home park could soon get a temporary manager, a move that matters for residents living with bad conditions. If you care about housing oversight or live nearby, this is one to watch.
Motor vehicle use tax increase
A request to triple the vehicle registration use tax from $5 to $15 a year barely survived — a motion to kill it failed 2-3, with members questioning what other counties charge and seeking more data.
District Attorney's Office salary adjustments
The DA's Office is shifting $10,000 from a vacated assistant position to boost pay for two veteran prosecutors, staying within budget. Some legislators worry the county will face pressure to add funding when it next hires a new ADA, while supporters say experience-based pay tiers are key to retention.
County Route 370 joint bridge project with Orange County
A joint Sullivan-Orange County deck replacement on the Bloomingburg Main Street bridge — a public meeting is set for August 20 at 6:30 p.m. at the Mamakating town park.
Short-term rental room tax enforcement
Treasurer Lara outlined a new online registration portal and enforcement tools through vendor Deckard, with 300+ unregistered rentals identified and Airbnb/Vrbo now requiring the county's certificate of authority number at signup. Enforcement powers and penalties drew questions from legislators.
Government Center accessibility deficiencies
The county hired Accessibility Innovations Inc. to audit its websites and apps and draft a compliance plan — federal rules require compliance by April 24, 2027. This phase is assessment and planning only, not the fixes themselves.
Search and rescue of two missing juveniles
Deputy Commissioner Ryan Fridlich described a rapid multi-agency search — sheriff's deputies, fire, 911, canines from neighboring counties and State Police — that found two missing girls in the Lumberland woods about two hours after teams deployed, both returned home in good health.
Airport fixed-base operator RFP
The airport RFP is out with site visits planned, and officials questioned whether two fuel trucks at $900 a month are still needed. Staff defended the redundancy — one truck down means no fuel sales — but the chair wants a closer look.
Winter heating and warming center support
HEAP's clean-and-tune and heating repair component opened October 1, with regular HEAP starting November 2 and the emergency component January 4. The committee also advanced agreements for warming center operations — both matter with fuel and utility costs still climbing.
COSSUP agreement for public safety funding
The county signed on to a COSSUP agreement, a federal program that funds drug-related public safety and public health work.
County Care Center Operations
A judge says the Sullivan County Care Center can’t close yet, so operations will continue while the legal fight plays out. If you have a loved one there—or work there—the next steps matter a lot.
Road resurfacing program funding increase
Paving is 60%+ done, striping finished a month early, guide rail work is in year three of ten, and bridge projects in Swan Lake, Callicoon Center and Cochecton are moving forward — with a June 17 public meeting on Bridge 51.
Foster care provider agreements
The county will execute agreements with State-approved foster care service providers, moving to the full Legislature on September 17.
Rabies response after two positive bats
Two rabid bats were confirmed within a week, prompting extra rabies clinics. Residents were told to capture any bat found in a bedroom, keep it for testing, and call public health's 24/7 line.
Public comment rights and legal advice
Ken Walter blasted prior advice from the county attorney's office that led to a speaker being silenced for criticizing an employee, calling it constitutionally unsound. Martha Scoppa asked for written rules on when speakers can name officials. Legislators acknowledged the county needs clearer decorum rules.
County Clerk revenue and DMV improvements
Phase two of the DMV counter renovation will be installed over election day weekend, with sound-dampening panels and a testing booth planned. Legislators praised the work so far.
Accessibility improvements at Lake Superior
About six miles of trails are planned on the backside of Lake Superior, requiring renewal of a permit from the Palisades Interstate Parks Commission. Construction hit a beaver-related bridge issue that has been resolved.
Clear-cutting and buffer zones in new development
Legislators voiced frustration that developers clear-cut lots instead of keeping tree buffers along roads. The county can't require buffers on 239 reviews — that's town zoning — but will send letters and raise it at the Council of Governments.
Agricultural District 4 additions and public hearing
The committee advanced resolutions adding parcels and viable farmland to existing Certified Agricultural Districts, which protects farmland and supports county agriculture. A quiet year with few parcels and no negative comments received.
$160,900 Grant for Field-worker Safety Training
The Division of Public Safety is expanding its health and wellness program to full-time with new funding, awaits a body camera grant decision, and trained its search and rescue team on a new awareness kit.
IDA closes on special-education preschool project in Liberty
The IDA closed financing last week on a special-education preschool outgrowing its White Sulphur Springs facility that will move to Liberty, retaining about 45 jobs and adding a few more in a high-need sector.
County-Town Communication Breakdown
Supervisor Scott Mace, speaking for Fallsburg, Liberty and several villages, asked the county to communicate earlier and more consistently about projects like fiber installation, homeless shelter siting and a waste-to-energy proposal. Chair Rajsz agreed and proposed monthly council-of-government meetings instead of the required quarterly ones.
Solid waste fee increase delayed to 2027
Haulers asked that the already-approved fee hike wait until January 1, 2027, so customers' annual contracts aren't hit mid-cycle. Meanwhile, tonnage is at record levels and cardboard volume is up 20%.
Flow Control Ordinance penalties increase
The board amended its solid waste rules with new fees effective October 1, 2026, and scheduled a July 23 public hearing on a flow control local law that would direct waste to county facilities.
Senior Care Center Closure
Sullivan County residents are fighting a plan to close a local senior care center. For families who depend on it for elder care, the closure could force them to scramble for alternatives farther away or pay more. The pushback signals this is becoming a local political issue.
Public health data access agreements
The county can now sign onto state and federal health data platforms faster after a refugee resident's communicable disease case exposed the gap. Every county is required to serve refugees; this just removes the approval delay.
School nutrition and youth health initiative
Sullivan 180 is partnering with the Chef Ann Foundation to improve school meals for the nearly 10,000 students served two meals a day, with a free public event August 20 featuring Chef Ann Cooper.
Meeting decorum and treatment of county employees
Parliamentarian Sharon Jankiewicz issued a formal statement that county employees giving reports should not face personal attacks from legislators or the public, and chairs should call timeouts. Later commenters echoed the theme, urging direct engagement with department heads over public confrontations.
SUNY Sullivan student internship program for the legislature
A resolution to partner with SUNY Sullivan was pulled and will return as a permanent work-study program placing students in county government roles.
Airport security fencing and gate project
New fencing and controlled gates at the county airport, including on both sides of the 911 center — a long-planned security upgrade.
Planning Department succession planning and reclassification
The county is restructuring Planning Department jobs to promote from within — a planner moves up to senior planner and a part-time account clerk becomes a research assistant, funded by eliminating the part-time position. It's being pitched as a retention and career-pathway model other departments could copy.
Charter Review Commission remote attendance dispute
The volunteer Charter Review Commission wants to meet by Zoom so members with jobs or health issues can participate. The board asked the County Attorney to review the rules and bring a resolution to the June 18 Executive Committee; open-meetings public comment requirements are a key sticking point.
Nurses association labor agreement ratified
The county locked in its agreement with the New York Nurses Association, including updated per-diem pay rates — a commitment to the nurses working at county facilities.
Veterans Festival and Stand Down
A veterans-only festival with 18 vendors, VA professionals, and live music runs Saturday, Aug. 8, 11–3 at Loch Sheldrake Firemen's Park on Route 52.
Direct Support Professional micro-credential program
A free, grant-funded program at SUNY Sullivan trains direct support professionals who care for people with disabilities — 24 free college credits, a $750 stipend per tier, and national certificates. It has more than doubled in size in a year and works with local employers like New Hope and the Center for Discovery.
Small-business pressures
The Chamber reported that local businesses are squeezed by combined costs — wages, insurance, workers' comp, utilities, taxes — and need infrastructure, workforce housing, childcare and streamlined processes to survive and grow.
Ten-year lease of county land for private school
A proposal to lease 19.3 acres of county land behind the Sheriff's building for $750/month for ten years failed after legislators flagged the low rent, the site's emergency access road and communications tower, and the loss of future county options.
Potential purchase of property from Saint Peter-Saint Anne of the Lake
The Legislature authorized a letter of intent to potentially buy real property from the Roman Catholic Church of Saint Peter-Saint Anne of the Lake Saint Joseph and Saint Joseph. A public commenter complained the letter of intent wasn't in the meeting packet and demanded transparency.