On August 18, the Mamakating town board covered extensive ground during its final August voting session, tackling everything from data centers to building security.

Data Center Moratorium Hearing Set

Following a review, the council voted to hold a formal public hearing to consider a municipal moratorium or an outright ban on data centers, the massive buildings full of computers used for compute-heavy tasks like cloud storage, machine learning, and artificial intelligence models.

Officials noted that while the New York State Legislature previously approved a one-year freeze on any data centers that consumes 20 megawatts of power or more, Governor Kathy Hochul altered the restriction to target only massive "hyper-scale" facilities working above 50 megawatts.

"I'd like to find out if we want to tone that down a bit and if we want them here at all," one member of the board explained. "Do we want to limit the size, or just outright ban them?"

Local resident Frank Coviello backed the move, adding, "Now I'm seeing some proactive response to what's going on in Sullivan County in general."

The hearing will be held on September 15, 2026, at 6 p.m.

Burglary Stirs Security Debate

The board also addressed the ongoing state police probe into a targeted burglary at the Bloomingburg Restoration Foundation Museum at 112 Main Street.

Thieves bypassed security with “no sign of forced entry,” stealing rare Civil War relics, an 1832 sword cane, and historic currency. Foundation President Adrienne Jensen urged community vigilance and questioned those that have building access. Councilman Michael Robbins reassured the foundation that the town enforces strict key control, holding just two keys — one with him and one in the supervisor's office.

Robbins added that no town workers had entered the site since fixing a water issue last year.

Tax Receiver Attendance Questioned

Board member Chris Leser opined that Karen Beissel, the town tax receiver, needs to make an appearance at local public workshops.

Since her elected office processes all property levies and incoming town revenue, board members stressed that having her attend at least one meeting or active budget session per month is vital for public fiscal transparency. Moving forward, the board intends to request regular leadership presence from the tax department during legislative assemblies.

Paving, Salt, and Tree Bids

Highway Superintendent Tom Morrow delivered an operations update, highlighting that major regional paving projects will officially kick off next week on Monday the 24th. Highway crews will continue road prep work on Pine Kill Road and Upper Pine Kill Road. Once the current contract is up, crews will move onward up the local hills and camps to complete the seasonal paving schedule. Morrow noted that this final push will conclude the summer road season and exhaust allocated funds.

In preparation for winter operations, the town returned to the formal New York State bid system to secure more rock salt after shortages last winter when a private vendor ran out.

The town accepted a local bid from John's Tree Service of Wurtsboro at $2,200 per day for an 8-hour shift for immediate regional arbor clearance. A secondary bid opening for remaining 2027 tree clearing contracts is scheduled for September 10 at 2:00 p.m.

A September 9 deadline at 2:00 p.m. was set for seasonal material quotes, including gasoline, heating oil, diesel fuel, calcium, and sand.

The board passed a strict 10-ton weight limit for Ferguson Road in Summitville. The steep shortcut saw a major accident recently when a concrete pumping truck suffered total brake failure.

Environmental Concerns

During public comment, Coviello, on behalf of the Bashakill Area Association (BKAA), announced the self-funded purchase of a specialized air quality monitoring system. They will place monitors around town to establish a baseline of current air quality in the Town of Mamakating.

Coviello also detailed proactive wildlife tracking initiatives under the BKAA, noting that half a dozen bird monitors and a few bat monitors are now active around the Bashakill area. The association has already identified two endangered bats: Indiana bats and long-eared bats. Coviello urged the board to protect the town’s character, rather than allowing a "battery energy storage system, incinerator, or compost plant site to take root.”

Additionally, Patrick Kluiki of the Skylark Road Neighborhood Association protested a proposed 41-acre, 8-home subdivision on the Shawangunk Ridge. Kluiki warned that seven adjacent households have wells that are failing or dry, with one neighbor drilling 1,200 feet for water. Residents also cited a steep decline in local migratory bird populations as proof of habitat loss, calling for an immediate development freeze.

Facility Upgrades

The board has received multiple vendor bids to tackle severe echoes in the main meeting room. Lead board members will conduct site visits to evaluate sound suppression systems before determining the structural direction.

The town is also actively working on upgrading the air conditioning grid at the local state trooper facility, coordinating with Orange and Rockland utilities regarding active rebates and corporate discounts to offset the installation costs.

Village of Wurtsboro Updates

Board member James Post, who attended the recent Village of Wurtsboro meeting, shared updates. The village is prepping to completely redo the local sidewalks extending from the Stewart’s Shop down to the Horizons property.

Additionally, a pending lawsuit was noted regarding recent clear-cutting operations next to the Royal Diner. The new owner of the Royal Diner’s lot is facing a town-issued stop work order because they started building a structure without permits. They also crossed the property line when they were clearing land for that same project and chopped down trees on the neighbor’s land.

The town is penalizing them for the zoning violations on the diner site while the neighbor is suing them separately for removing the trees.

Parks, Recreation, and Seasonal Events

The board celebrated a highly successful 7-week summer season at the town park last Friday, culminating in a sold-out “duck race” fundraiser. “A fantastic turnout,” said board chair Peter Goodman.

With camp concluded, the local park has opened up registration for late-season swim lessons. Interested residents should contact Anthony or Donna at the recreation office at (845) 888-3000 Opt #0.

Outdoor flea markets and the weekly farmers market will remain ongoing through October.

Due to the Labor Day holiday, the town board will skip its early September meeting slot and officially reconvene for the data center public hearing on September 15.