MAMAKATING - The new master plan for Mamakating will soon be presented to the public. Meanwhile, town supervisor Bill Herrmann says he has big plans for the town all his own. He introduced the idea of a farmers' market to begin hopefully this year, and to be held out on the front lawn of town hall where it will be most visible and most accessible to travelers on Route 17.

In addition, Herrmann reported on a conversation he had with Assemblywoman Aileen Gunther, who suggested the possibility of a $100,000 grant to the town for the purpose of including an information kiosk for Sullivan County tourism at the proposed farmers' market.

The creation of such a venue fits right in with the vision for Mamakating to become a tourist destination, a direction that is supported in the new master plan for the town. The idea is to capitalize on the many outdoor recreational opportunities that the area has to offer — such as the Basha Kill, the Shawangunk Ridge trail, and the newly restored D&H Canal Linear Park — while supporting restaurants, art galleries, local crafts, and shopping.

The new owner of the Homowack properties is also hoping to promote increased tourism in the area. He has expressed plans to create an eco-resort on the site of the old hotel. On the downside, however, Herrmann reported that someone had broken into the Homowack and had done some extensive graffiti tagging. In spite of such setbacks, though, he said he remained enthusiastic about the future potential of Mamakating.

For a second time in as many months, there has been a security breach at town hall. In the first incident, someone took over the town website and posted advertisements for sneakers. More recently, the town credit card information was compromised, possibly through a second computer hacking attack. Two computers were ordered using this credit card (one on December 23 and one on December 24, 2014), and were shipped to an address in Long Island. This incident is currently under investigation. Herrmann reminded the public that a purposeful hacking attack is a federal offense. Meanwhile, councilman Matt Taylor said he is continuing his efforts to upgrade the town's computer security, and the board authorized a training program for town employees in IT security.

At the behest of planning board member Rich Morris, Herrmann wrote a letter to the state Attorney General requesting clarification about the issue of incompatibility of offices, specifically in regards to councilman Russ Wood, who is also a fire commissioner in Bloomingburg. In a letter dated January 9, 2015, the AG responded that his office does not give formal opinions to municipalities about local governance. Furthermore, it said it issues informal opinions only at the written request of the town attorney. In spite of these caveats, the letter went on to state that the two offices held by Wood are indeed incompatible, and that when he accepted the second office, he should have resigned from the first. Wood was not present at the town board meeting where this non-opinion from the AG was announced, but Herrmann said he had been told about it. In addition, town attorney Ben Gailey has been tasked to contact the AG's office for clarification as to a remedy for this situation.

Following the public hearing on the matter, the board passed a new local law requiring planning board, ethics board, and zoning board of appeals members to attend at least 75 percent of scheduled meetings, as well as four hours of approved training each year.

Herrmann reported on a call he had received on Saturday, January 10, from a resident of Twin Lakes Village, where the water supply had been cut off due to freezing and broken pipes. About 125 mobile homes were affected. Maintenance personnel from the village were working on the problem, and the town also did what it could to help out, even though the "village" is private property. Despite everyone's best efforts, the water was not returned to the residents until the following Thursday.

In response to a request from Herrmann, an extensive audit of the town for 2013 will begin on January 23, and will probably last about two weeks. FEMA also wants to audit the books for 2011 in regards to checks issued for sand, gravel, and other highway supplies, as well as employee time cards.

On behalf of Unison, a wireless investment company, Andrea Armstrong presented a proposal to the board involving a lump sum buyout deal of the cell tower the town owns. Herrmann explained that there is less money in the buyout deal than the town could potentially earn in twenty years at the current leasing rates. However, technology may change dramatically in that time period, and Unison would assume all risks. The board will continue to look into this proposal.