LAKE HUNTINGTON - The Cochecton Town Board meeting this month focused on ways to keep Cochecton residents content and finding new ways to provide for the community.

The town discussed getting rid of unsafe buildings, the creation of a park on Town Hall premises, better zoning for summer camps next year and a renegotiation with Sullivan County on the Transfer Station.

The Western Sullivan Transfer Station is located in Cochecton. The transfer station is where residents of five towns in western Sullivan County get rid of their waste and recycling, according to Town Supervisor Gary Maas. This renegotiation is not just important for Cochecton residents but for any resident from the five towns that utilize the facility.

Supervisor Maas explained that the County uses the Cochecton site to provide a transfer station for recycling and waste, even though the property is owned by the town. According to Maas, the county does not believe it needs to pay rent for using this land.

“It's the same as being a landlord of the property. The tenants must pay rent to pay for the expenses of the property,” Maas said.

He explained the Town of Cochecton is the landlord in this scenario and Sullivan County is the tenant.

Maas went on to say that Sullivan County does not want to pay for the transfer station or only pay very little. He believes Cochecton deserves to get its “rent”.

When asked further about the details of the negotiation Maas said, “I can't say much more as the negotiation is still in progress.”

The transfer station has been an ongoing discussion at the Town Hall Meetings.

“The Legislature is pleased to announce that is has made the decision to continue providing transfer station service to the residents of Cochecton and wester Sullivan County,” said Legislature Chairman Luis Alvarez in a prepared statement. “The Sullivan County Division of Public Works will now be entirely responsible for snow removal required at the site. We will take over this function to completely eliminate any burdens created by the operation of this facility on the town. It is our commitment to keep this facility open as long as the town permits the county to operate. This commitment comes with the understanding that this will occur at no cost to the county beyond the cost incurred through operations.”

Funds are being directed towards building a park for Cochecton residents. While this will be great for the Cochecton youth, it provides some entertainment for the older residents as well. This project is expected to begin in Spring of 2018. The Park will be on Town Hall property and will consist of a Basketball Court, Pickle Ball, Ball Field and Exercise Park.

There is also an ongoing discussion on better zoning for summer camps. The Town of Cochecton is working on zoning to better protect its residents from noise pollution, density and parking issues. This will keep the summer camps in a delegated part of the town.

There are currently five old structures in Cochecton that need to be either maintained or demolished as they haven't be in use for a while. The Town is bringing it to the attention of the owners and will make sure the structures are either safe or taken down.

There will be a Budget Meeting on October 25th and the next Town Hall meeting will be on November 8th.