MONTICELLO – Confirmed through a grouped item approval at their regular Wednesday night meeting, the annual fall cleanup for the Village of Monticello is scheduled to take place from Saturday, Oct. 24 through Saturday, Oct. 31, allowing village residents the chance to discard unwanted material from their properties.

The scheduled times are 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. Monday through Friday and from 8 a.m. to noon on Saturdays during the week-long cleanup. Additionally, residents with disabilities who require assistance and senior citizens will be able to access curbside pickup during this time.

The curbside pickup period will begin at 8 a.m. Monday, Oct. 26, and continue through 2 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 29. Residents who need curbside assistance are encouraged to contact the village so arrangements can be made.

Deputy Mayor John Barbarite brought up offering passes for residents wishing to bring their materials to the landfill themselves, which the board confirmed would happen.

During public comment, the board was asked about the general scope of the cleanup effort and whether a property located outside the village could participate. A meeting attendee who owns a property in Kiamesha Lake wanted to know if that property could still participate, despite it not being his main residence.

Trustee Theodore Hutchins confirmed that since the property is outside the village limits, it wouldn’t be eligible to participate in the cleanup. However, he added that the Town of Thompson holds its own cleanup program for properties within its limits.

Jenkins encourages Monticello youth to get involved in community

In what he commended as a good turnout from Monticello High School students attending for their government class, Trustee Gordon Jenkins took the opportunity to deliver a message about the community’s youth and the role they could eventually play in village government.

Addressing the students who lined and filled the opposite wall, Jenkins encouraged them to view the village board meeting as more than a simple classroom requirement, but as a stepping stone toward taking an active role in the village itself.

“You guys should get involved,” Jenkins urged the students. “I mean, you come just for government class, you should get involved with your community and try to run for a seat.”

Having been involved with village government as both mayor and trustee, as well as in local politics for roughly four decades, Jenkins said he believes the responsibility of leading Monticello will ultimately fall to the community’s youth.

“I’m in my 60s—when the torch drops, who’s going to pick it up? There’s no one,” stressed Jenkins.

Although he noted that he plans to serve for approximately two more years in village government before retiring, Jenkins affirmed that he’ll continue attending meetings while reminding the students that it will be the younger generation taking the reins of village leadership.

“You guys are going to run the show,” Jenkins told the students.

He cited the ever-growing cost of living and similar challenges facing the community, reminding students that they’ll eventually have to take responsibility for the village’s next steps.

“You should be wanting to be … a part of this village,” Jenkins urged.

During public comment, one of the students present inquired about opportunities to complete community service hours through the village. Hutchins confirmed that students could assist with the village’s litter cleanups, while clerical work was also suggested by Jenkins as another possibility.

Hutchins stated that students could work for several hours toward the 25 community service hours required for their class, with the possibility of lunch being provided during their work.

During his own remarks, Jenkins also offered his helping hand to students interested in eventually securing a spot on the board.

“If anyone’s interested to be around the village, or the community, and they want to take this seat, I’ll help,” Jenkins said, gesturing to the open seat next to him. “I will help you get elected.”

Hutchins invited the students to provide their names and contact information to the board so the village could follow up regarding possible community service opportunities.