MONTICELLO — Legislators finally bit fully into the construction of a new county jail on Thursday, unanimously selecting The Pike Company of Rochester to be the general contractor at a low bid of $72,240,000.

They also agreed to pay approximately $829,000 more to architect LaBella Associates, now that a relocated Sheriff's Office is included with the jail.

The jail will be completed in about two years off Route 17's Exit 104 in Monticello. A groundbreaking is expected later this year but has not yet been set.

Edwards reconfirmed

An anticipated split vote never materialized Thursday, and Democratic Elections Commissioner Cora Edwards was unanimously reconfirmed by the Legislature.

Absent were legislators Joe Perrello, Nadia Rajsz and Mark McCarthy, the latter of whom had repeatedly stated he would vote against Edwards' confirmation, as he did back in March when she was first installed in the position to replace Ann Prusinski.

Edwards will now serve a full four-year term alongside Republican Elections Commissioner Lori Benjamin.

Ethics holdup

An effort to revamp the rules which govern the Sullivan County Board of Ethics stalled Thursday after legislators balked at the time limits (or lack thereof) on the board's decision-making process.

They also heard former Legislator Kitty Vetter reiterate the argument that the Board, as currently constituted, should be disbanded.

Vetter, ironically, was one of the legislators who brought about this current iteration of the Board of Ethics.

“I state now that was a mistake on my part,” she remarked to legislators Thursday, inferring the existing method is prone to grudges and a lack of transparency. “I believe we are much better served by disbanding this committee, and I further recommend we return to the state committee and its guidelines.”

Some legislators seemed to agree, with Scott Samuelson asking the County Attorney's Office to compare the local ethics rules with that of the state's in order to make them the same.

Both Cathy Owens and Alan Sorensen stated support for that, as well, and legislators ultimately unanimously tabled the currently proposed changes.

“Some of the wording I'm really concerned about, and I want to have more time to discuss it,” affirmed Legislature Chairman Luis Alvarez.

CDL site approved

Legislators on Thursday unanimously agreed to execute a contract with the NYS Dept. of Motor Vehicles to move the Commercial Drivers' License (CDL) testing site from Wasser Way near the Government Center to the entranceway to the county landfill in Monticello.

New federal rules disqualified the current site from being used in the future, threatening to force license-seekers, employers and equipment to trek to Newburgh, Kingston or Binghamton.

Thanks to the help of local transport companies, County Clerk Dan Briggs' office was able to secure state approval for the landfill location.