JEFFERSONVILLE – An unsafe building on 1678 Gulf Road, the old Callicoon Center Fire building, has been a topic of discussion for over a year at the Callicoon Town Board meetings. At their first meeting of the year on Monday, January 8, the board ordered for the building to be demolished by the owner, the Callicoon Center Fire Department. 

In the November meeting, the board had given part-time resident Mike Donohue two months to get the title into his name and provide Code Enforcement Officer Kris Scullion with the engineering plans to restore the building. 

Town Supervisor Tom Bose reported that nothing had happened over the two months since and that Donohue nor his attorney had made contact with the Fire Department. Donohue was also not present at the meeting. 

“According to [the Fire Department’s] President, they want the building gone,” Bose said. “They told Mr. Donohue to remove whatever he had - tools or any possessions he had located in the building - to get it out. At this point, we just have to take action and order it [be] demolished.”

After some discussion, the board gave the Fire Department until the Town Board meeting on March 11 to demolish the building and clean up. If it is not demolished by then, the board will put it out for demolition bid themselves. However, Bose stated that the Callicoon Center Fire Department does plan on taking it down.

Re-Organization

Monday was also the town’s annual re-organizational meeting. Among official appointments made, Scott Gaebel was named as Deputy Supervisor. 

The Callicoon Town Board will continue to meet on the second Monday of each month at 7:30 p.m. at the Callicoon Town Hall at 19 Legion Street in Jeffersonville.

Other business

Bose reported the NYCLASS investment ending balance was $203,982.11. 

“So the interest earned from NYCLASS for the year of 2023 for all of our accounts was just slightly over $111,000,” Bose said. “So that’s a huge plus from what we had been seeing.”

The town also approved Highway Superintendent Mike Haff to purchase a new plow truck, which he said is on state bid. The town currently has two plow trucks, a 2005 and 2020, and will sell one of them to replace it with the new one. The price of the truck to be purchased is not to exceed $104,000 as decided by the board.