Christopher P. St. Lawrence

Orange & Rockland Rate Increase Proposal

Ramapo Going Green

Zero Town and Unincorporated Town Tax Increase in 2009

New Water Tower in New Hempstead

The new water storage tank constructed by United Water in the Village of New Hempstead is now fully operational  This new tank has twice the water capacity of the one it replaced, and will greatly improve water pressure to homes and hydrants in Hillcrest and New Square.

Over the past few years, the Town of Ramapo was the only municipality to proactively intervene in both the Orange & Rockland and the United Water NY rate increase cases.

Working together with the Rockland County Fire Chiefs, we were instrumental in the NYS Public Service Commission mandating that United Water invest $16 million in infrastructure improvements, including:

• construction of the new water tank in New Hempstead
• development of a fire hydrant service maintenance plan
• upgrading of sewer lines in several areas of the Town

If you are experiencing higher than usual water pressure, United Water will install a pressure relief valve in your home at no cost.  Please feel free to call my office at the Town of Ramapo (845-357-5100) if you need assistance.

Christopher P. St. Lawrence
Supervisor, Town of Ramapo

Ramapo Declared Safest City in the US

A national study released today has named the Town of Ramapo the Safest Community in the U.S.”  The Annual City Crime Rankings 2008-2009 published by the CQ Press looked at 397 municipal areas having populations of at least 75,000 residents.  Crime rate rankings were calculated using six crime categories:  murder, abductions, robbery, aggravated assault, burglary and motor vehicle theft.  Ramapo earned the lowest city crime rate ranking with only 688 incidents of reported crime in 2007.  Joining Ramapo among the safest places to live are Mission Viejo, Lake Forest, Chino Hills and Thousand Oaks, California and Newton, Massachusetts.
 
“Community safety, culture, recreation, education and the mutual respect that our residents have for each other are the cornerstones of the high quality of life in Ramapo” stated Supervisor Christopher P. St. Lawrence.
 
The Town of Ramapo has also received national recognition twice in the past several years, being ranked by Money Magazine as one of the Best Places to Live in America.
 
“Our ability to maintain a secure environment is testament to the benefits of good planning and the Town Board’s steadfast commitment to invest in public safety and the professionalism of our Police Department” stated St. Lawrence.

View a Fox 5 News interview with Supervisor St. Lawrence and Police Chief Brower on youtube here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8mhoq__2lTs

The entire list can be viewed here: http://os.cqpress.com/citycrime/CityCrime2008_Rank_Rev.pdf

420 Acres Protected in Rockland

Friday, November 14, 2008

BY JAMES M. O'NEILL

STAFF WRITER

The Record online (NorthJersey.com)

 

The town of Ramapo is finalizing the purchase of 420 acres of woodlands for $5.25 million as part of a push to protect the Ramapo River watershed, a key source of drinking water for North Jersey and Rockland County, N.Y.

The New York town has spent more than $35 million in the past few years to purchase open space, including 262 acres on High Mountain near the New Jersey border.

At the same time, the town is spending $125 million to replace up to 4,000 faulty residential septic systems in Hillburn and Sloatsburg with a sewer system and a $45 million wastewater treatment facility that will produce effluent clean enough to meet drinking water standards.

The 420 acres, which abut the southern edge of Harriman State Park and provide habitat for timber rattlesnakes, had in recent years been the location for a proposed power plant and stone quarry. To prevent such use, Ramapo rezoned the land in 2004 from industrial to residential use.

"The town's current administration has made a conscious decision to obtain as much undeveloped land as possible," said Michael Klein, Ramapo's town attorney.

Keeping the various tracts undeveloped will be a boon to the region's drinking water supply, said Geoff Welch, the Ramapo River Watershed Keeper. "This is a critical area of the New York and New Jersey Highlands," he said. "It's a big relief to have it protected."

Ramapo Town Supervisor Christopher St. Lawrence said the town has sought to keep a healthy balance between development and preserving open space. "This land purchase and the sewer project are all good for the watershed and for New Jersey," St. Lawrence said.

St. Lawrence is chairman of the Ramapo River Watershed Intermunicipal Council, a group of 26 communities in New York and North Jersey.

Welch said deep gravel and sand deposits under the Ramapo Valley form an aquifer that provides drinking water to Rockland as well as Mahwah, Oakland and Pompton Lakes. Water from the Ramapo River itself is also pumped into the Wanaque Reservoir system, which serves many other communities in Bergen and Passaic counties.

"The mountain slopes that drain down into the river and aquifer need this protection," Welch said.

Braen Stone Industries of Haledon had purchased the 420 acres, along with 80 more, from the Ramapo Land Co. in 1998.

After Ramapo rezoned the land in 2004, the company sued, arguing the zoning change was inappropriate and that the town's environmental review contained errors, Klein said.

The two sides negotiated a settlement, which includes purchase of the 420 acres, leaving 80 acres in the company's hands and zoned for industrial use. That portion abuts a Rockland County recycling facility and sludge plant.

The settlement has been on hold for about a year while the town surveyed the land, secured bond money and talked with New York State about joining in the agreement.

The state provided $2.4 million, and the town will turn a portion of the land over to the state, which will add it to Harriman State Park.

The town of Ramapo is finalizing the purchase of 420 acres of woodlands for $5.25 million as part of a push to protect the Ramapo River watershed, a key source of drinking water for North Jersey and Rockland County, N.Y.

The New York town has spent more than $35 million in the past few years to purchase open space, including 262 acres on High Mountain near the New Jersey border.

At the same time, the town is spending $125 million to replace up to 4,000 faulty residential septic systems in Hillburn and Sloatsburg with a sewer system and a $45 million wastewater treatment facility that will produce effluent clean enough to meet drinking water standards.

The 420 acres, which abut the southern edge of Harriman State Park and provide habitat for timber rattlesnakes, had in recent years been the location for a proposed power plant and stone quarry. To prevent such use, Ramapo rezoned the land in 2004 from industrial to residential use.

"The town's current administration has made a conscious decision to obtain as much undeveloped land as possible," said Michael Klein, Ramapo's town attorney.

Keeping the various tracts undeveloped will be a boon to the region's drinking water supply, said Geoff Welch, the Ramapo River Watershed Keeper. "This is a critical area of the New York and New Jersey Highlands," he said. "It's a big relief to have it protected."

Ramapo Town Supervisor Christopher St. Lawrence said the town has sought to keep a healthy balance between development and preserving open space. "This land purchase and the sewer project are all good for the watershed and for New Jersey," St. Lawrence said.

St. Lawrence is chairman of the Ramapo River Watershed Intermunicipal Council, a group of 26 communities in New York and North Jersey.

Welch said deep gravel and sand deposits under the Ramapo Valley form an aquifer that provides drinking water to Rockland as well as Mahwah, Oakland and Pompton Lakes. Water from the Ramapo River itself is also pumped into the Wanaque Reservoir system, which serves many other communities in Bergen and Passaic counties.

"The mountain slopes that drain down into the river and aquifer need this protection," Welch said.

Braen Stone Industries of Haledon had purchased the 420 acres, along with 80 more, from the Ramapo Land Co. in 1998.

After Ramapo rezoned the land in 2004, the company sued, arguing the zoning change was inappropriate and that the town's environmental review contained errors, Klein said.

The two sides negotiated a settlement, which includes purchase of the 420 acres, leaving 80 acres in the company's hands and zoned for industrial use. That portion abuts a Rockland County recycling facility and sludge plant.

The settlement has been on hold for about a year while the town surveyed the land, secured bond money and talked with New York State about joining in the agreement.

The state provided $2.4 million, and the town will turn a portion of the land over to the state, which will add it to Harriman State Park.

.

 

Ramapo keeps pledge on open space

October 28, 2008
by Phil Tisi

At each upcoming Ramapo Town Board meeting, Supervisor Christopher P. St. Lawrence will follow through on his pledge and formally dedicate and celebrate the preservation of an open-space property acquired by the Town of Ramapo. Likewise, he intends to continue his pursuit of flood relief for the beleaguered residents of the Squires Gate area of Suffern.

The Journal News' Oct. 21 editorial, "Liberty Rock solid," makes reference to Preserve Ramapo slamming St. Lawrence for not formally dedicating properties acquired by the town. Missing from the editorial is the fact that Preserve Ramapo has steadfastly opposed the town's purchase of open space period.

Regarding the observation in the editorial that "much work needs to be done so the town can function properly," governing a suburban community having a diverse constituency will always be challenging. However, in this day and age, concern over internal political party squabbles, religious observance days for police officers, formal dedication of open-space parcels, etc. pale in comparison to residents struggle to cope with deteriorating economic conditions.

Recently, the Town of Ramapo received an exemplary bond rating from Moody's Investment Service, which is a reflection of prudent budgeting practices and adherence to fiscal discipline. Having our fiscal house in order has resulted in Supervisor St. Lawrence proposing a 2009 budget that meets two main objectives:

- The continuation of our outstanding town services and programs.

- A zero tax increase to help our hardworking taxpayers cope with the current economic state of emergency.

The real priority in Ramapo, in Rockland and in the United States is immediate tax relief for individuals and families struggling to make ends meet.

Supervisor Proposes ZERO Tax Increase

Supervisor Christopher P. St. Lawrence announced today that he is proposing a ZERO Town Tax Increase in 2009.

“There is no single power of government that impacts the lives of people more than the power to tax, therefore, I have proposed a 2009 Budget which meets two major objectives: the continuation of our outstanding Town services and programs and a ZERO tax increase to help our hardworking taxpayers cope with deteriorating economic conditions” stated Supervisor St. Lawrence.

The proposed ZERO tax increase was achieved by reducing:

• The General Fund Expenditures by $2,719,963
• The Police Fund by $860,389
• The Town “B” Fund by $392,958
• The Highway “A” Fund by $536,000
• The Highway “B” Fund by $556,350

TOTAL EXPENDITURES CUT - $5,065,660

Ramapo Makes the Grade in Bond Sale

by James Walsh, August 19, 2008
Reprinted from the Journal News

RAMAPO - Bonds totaling $19.98 million go on sale today for projects ranging from building upgrades to open-space preservation.

The bonds were assigned an Aa3 - high grade -rating by Moody's Investors Service.

Before it set the rating, Moody's conducted an analysis of Ramapo's financial standing, which showed a "sizeable tax base, an improved financial position with healthy reserve levels and a manageable debt burden," the bond rating company reported to the town last week.

The rating also applied to Ramapo's outstanding debt of $73.9 million. It was equal to a rating given last year to Clarkstown and is considered to be high-grade for investment purposes.

In part, Moody's considered Ramapo to be financially sound because of budgeting priorities and a willingness to raise property taxes. Over the past eight years, annual tax rate increases ranged between 2.2 and 5.5 percent.

Moody's also noted that the town has amassed a surplus of $12.9 million.

"There are people who might say, 'Why not just return that money to the taxpayer,' " Supervisor Christopher St. Lawrence said. "But when you have a good bond rating you pay less (interest) for your bonds, which saves money over a period of years."

The surplus and the town's reduced reliance on revenue from sales and mortgage taxes were also seen by analysts as protections during economic downturns.

A negative issue that the town has been dealing with was a deficit in its Workers Compensation fund.

The deficit was more than $3 million in 2000, a figure reduced to $450,000.

Ramapo carries a cash fund of $2.5 million for active Workers Compensation cases with a liability of $2.95 million.

In July, the town hired an administrator for the fund, PMA Management Corp.

"We're looking to resolve cases and will start off 2009 with a positive balance," St. Lawrence said.

Likewise, the town this year moved away from a self-insurance program to coverage by the state's Empire plan, a step that could save more than $1 million annually.

Recent budgeting by the town has also anticipated higher health care costs, instead of dipping into the general fund to pay them.

The Moody's rating also considered the town's "relatively rapid" payment of debt - 65 percent within 10 years.

Debt payments represent 13 percent of the town's operating expenses, compared to 8.5 percent, the median for municipalities with similar bond ratings.

The bonds to be issued today include $6 million for preservation of 481 acres in the Torne Valley and Sloatsburg, $5.5 million for road reconstruction, nearly $3 million for renovations to the Ramapo Senior Center in Montebello, Camp Scuffy in Airmont and the Equestrian Center.

Another $2 million is to be spent for an irrigation system at Spook Rock Golf Course, and $900,000 for other park-related projects.

Two facilities, Camp Scuffy and Rustic Swim and Tennis, generate nearly $1 million in income. That pays the principal and interest on $15 million loans taken for open space.

The interest rate on the new bonds will be determined after competitive bidding starts this morning, Moody's spokesman Conor McEachern said.

Crow House Rising

© 2007 AMERICAN CRAFT MAGAZINE

72 Spring St, 6th Flr, New York, New York 10012

From the June/July 2008 issue

STORY BY Caroline Hannah
PHOTOGRAPHY BY Elizabeth Felicella

In the late winter of 2007, a remarkable rescue occurred in New York’s Hudson River Valley. After nearly three years of existing on the precipice of demolition, Crow House, the hand-built home and studio of the once-renowned painter and potter Henry Varnum Poor (1887-1970) ultimately was saved by Christopher St. Lawrence, Town Supervisor of Ramapo, New York. And though St. Lawrence quietly acknowledges his role in this feat, he might also be tempted to tell you his mother made him do it. After all, it was his 88-year-old mother, Marguerite, who first read of the historic home’s plight in the New York Times in June of 2006. The feature that prompted action told of the stalled efforts of an ad hoc preservation group (Friends of Crow House) to keep Henry’s son, Peter Varnum Poor, from selling off the family home to a local businessman, ostensibly as a teardown. Fearing the worst, she showed the article to her son, telling him, as St. Lawrence recalls, “Christopher, this [house] is a piece of artwork and you have to do something to save it.” As supervisor, St. Lawrence, aided by preservationists in Rockland County and New York City, found a way to do just that—despite the fact that the New City residence falls under neighboring Clarkstown’s jurisdiction.

An arresting mix of tools and inspiration—including an early sketch of Crow House—remains undisturbed in Poor’s pottery studio.   Photos/Funded by Center for Craft, Creativity & Design.

Flow Control

Click here to read the US Supreme Court decision on flow control. (requires pdf reader).

Demanding accountability from United Water

Letter to the Journal News March 25, 2008 by Phil Tisi It is quite unusual for the head of a private corporation to publicly attack a local elected official. In a March 14 Community View, "Politics puts damper on Suffern water deal," United Water New York Vice President and General Manager Michael Pointing's strident criticism of Ramapo Supervisor Christopher P. St. Lawrence is much more deeply rooted than the supervisor's opposition to the sale of Suffern water to United Water. Pointing attempts to create the impression in his missive that the organization he runs is being victimized by political expediency, while in reality just the opposite is the case. St. Lawrence has spent the last several years: - Fighting against a proposed 51 percent rate hike by United Water in 2006. - Fighting against United Water releasing more water from Lake DeForest to New Jersey than its state permit allowed. - Fighting against United Water drilling wells that were drying up private wells of local homeowners. - Fighting for timely notification of residents and testing of wells that contained detectable levels of arsenic. - Fighting along with the Rockland County fire chiefs to have United Water conduct ongoing inspections and upgrades of fire hydrants and transmission lines throughout Rockland County, which was not being done. In Hillcrest, the lack of water pressure threatened to jeopardize public safety. - Fighting to have a new water tank constructed in New Hempstead to improve water pressure in New Hempstead, Spring Valley and Hillcrest. Mr. Pointing conveniently omits two major facts concerning the 2006 Water Rate Case Agreement that he alludes to in his critique of the supervisor. First, United Water received a double-digit rate increase and second, if United Water fails to meet long-term and short-term water supply goals, the company is subject to penalty payment of up to $750,000 annually. It is much cheaper to purchase water at bargain prices from a local municipality than to pay exorbitant fines or develop new water sources. Several years ago, the Town of Ramapo took legal action against United Water in an attempt to prevent the company from taking water out of Potake Lake in Sloatsburg. The implication that Supervisor St. Lawrence is objecting to a humanitarian gesture on the part of United Water to save money for Suffern taxpayers is ludicrous. In 2001, the president of American National Power Co. attacked St. Lawrence publicly for putting a damper on plans to construct the largest power plant in the United States in the Town of Ramapo. St. Lawrence was right in 2001, and he is right now in demanding accountability from United Water. The hardworking residents of Rockland County deserve no less, especially with plans being developed by United Water to build a $72 million desalination plant

Housing for Monsey Wal-Mart Site

Originally posted by the Neighborhood Retail Alliance
http://www.momandpopnyc.blogspot.com
March 21, 2008

In a press conference held by Ramapo Supervisor Chris St. Lawrence to thank the Alliance and its labor and community allies for the successful effort to defeat Wal-Mart in Monsey, the supervisor announced that he was looking at putting housing in the vacant 27 acre site. As the Rockland Journal News reports "Town Supervisor Christopher St. Lawrence is promoting a mix of residential and retail development at a former drive-in theater in Monsey. The 22 acres was proposed as the site for a Wal-Mart Supercenter until two weeks ago when the developer pulled out, citing Ramapo's concerns about traffic and sewage disposal."

Crow House Purchase

The Town of Ramapo will hold a special press conference on Monday Feb 25, at 1pm, in the Town Councilroom, which will feature a contract signing conveying ownership of one of the most important Historic homes in the metro-area, Henry Varnum Poor's renowned Crow House - to the Town of Ramapo.  The press conference will be streamed live on the Town of Ramapo website, www.ramapo.org.

I am very proud of our Open Space, Historic Preservation, and Park Enhancement Program -- echoing the sentiments of what people like Betty Hedges have been saying for years -- open space preservation must become a priority at every level of government in Rockland county.

Acquiring greenspace protects water, reduces sprawl, preserves the native habitat, and greatly enhances quality of life.  Our next purchase will be 500 acres in the Torne Valley where, six short years ago, two powerplants and a stone quarry threatened to destroy our quality of life -- especially those of us who live in the Sloatsburg/Hillburn area .

Phil Tisi, Asst to Supervisor Chris St Lawrence

Smart Growth Better Tactic than 'Stop The Building'

Below is the full text of a Community View published in the Journal News 10/29 from John Maraia, president of the Rockland County Central Labor Council. 

While the real estate industry in Rockland County is being adversely affected by national trends such as a tightening credit market, increased oil prices and volatile stock prices over which we have little direct control, it appears that an even greater threat is emerging on the local political level. Signs with the slogan "Stop the Building" have been placed in many locations in the Town of Ramapo by a group known as Preserve Ramapo and its political candidates. While this slogan may seem to some as an effective political cliché, it is instead an ominous threat to the livelihood of the thousands of Rockland residents involved in the building trades, and to the economic health of our community.

Instead of this simplistic and reactionary "no build, no growth" mentality, we should take the advice given by two well-respected not-for-profit metropolitan New York regional planning organizations - the Regional Plan Association and the Citizens Housing and Planning Council - which, in a 2006 joint report, urged that we "aggressively adopt a 'smart growth' approach to development, not only for environmental and preservation reasons, but to satisfy housing needs as well."

Ramapo is implementing many of these "smart growth" policies.

It is pursuing the complementary land use goals of buying and protecting open space while permitting townhouse and condominium development in certain designated areas; it is converting an old industrial brownfields site into affordable housing; it is encouraging mixed use (combined commercial and residential development) in main street areas; and it is encouraging developers to set aside housing units for emergency service workers and moderate income households.

For our local businesses to prosper and for our union workers including plumbers, electricians, carpenters, steamfitters and masons to have good jobs, we must support policies and local leaders such as Ramapo Supervisor Christopher P. St. Lawrence, who recognize the need and plan for such "smart growth." A "stop the building" plan is no plan at all.

The writer is president of the Rockland County Central Labor Council.