JEFFERSONVILLE — Sullivan County's acting district attorney may be new to herjob but when Meagan Galligan showed up at the Town of Callicoon board meeting this week, hers was a familiar face to the community.

Galligan started her work with the District Attorney's office working in the Callicoon justice court, and Monday she was back in Jeffersonville. This time it was to talk to board members about New York State's new bail reform law.

Passed by the state legislature last year, the law banned bail for defendants charged with most misdemeanor and nonviolent offenses. It's been loudly criticized by law enforcement and prosecutors alike throughout the state, and Galligan is no different.

Calling the law "sweeping" and "overbroad," the new acting district attorney told board members it was likely appropriate for cases in New York City where the accused could be stuck sitting in a jail cell for years awaiting trial if they couldn't afford to post bail.

"It's just not a concern in Sullivan County," Galligan said.

The DA's office works directly with the Sullivan County Sheriff's Office to review cases and ensure people are granted a speedy trial.

Meanwhile, Galligan says the law has taken the power away from judges and prosecutors to make decisions relevant to the safety of the citizenry.

That's why she was in Jeffersonville Monday evening, to tell board members and the community that she's joined efforts to lobby legislators to pass reform to the bail reform law, restoring some of the power of judges and prosecutors.

Callicoon looks to county to replace bridge

In other news, the Town of Callicoon is hoping the county doesn't leave $300,000 in road funding on the table.

That was the word from Callicoon Supervisor Tom Bose at the the township's first meeting of the year.

According to Bose, vehicle limits on a bridge on Dewitt Flats Road in Youngsville have been cut from 10 tons to 4 tons by the county, and the width of the driving lane has been limited due to its deteriorating condition. That's put a strain on the road's residents.

"It's inhibiting emergency response because of the weight limit, and now it's quite narrow," Bose said.

Although Dewitt Flats is a town road and maintained by the Callicoon Highway Department, a longstanding agreement has put bridges over 20 feet of length in the county's purview. That means replacing the bridge is up to the county.

Partial replacement funding has been secured by Assemblywoman Aileen Gunther, Bose said, to the tune of $300,000.

The only problem? The bridge is not on the county's replacement schedule until 2024.

While the town board continues to lobby the county to move up the replacement date, the money sits in limbo. Meanwhile travelers should be advised that nothing larger than a pick-up truck can traverse the bridge.

In other highway news, the state has denied an application to reduce the 55 mile per hour speed limit on Shandelee after completing a traffic study.