MONTICELLO – Policy is changing in the Village of Monticello as the board adopted Local Law Number 5 of 2026 during their Wednesday night meeting. The local law establishes a mitigation fee intended to support the maintenance and improvement of local infrastructure systems.

Village Attorney Michael Sussman explained that the proposal came about following extensive discussion between village officials and attorneys, aiming to create a more sustainable way to fund infrastructure upkeep. 

The fee for residential buildings is $500 per new bedroom and for retail, commercial and industrial developments, the fee is based upon the projected average daily water usage of the proposed development.

Sussman clarified that the fee does not replace infrastructure costs developers already must cover for individual projects.

“To be clear, this is not the same as what any one developer may invest in property, so as to ensure that its property can plug into the village system, so to speak,” explained Sussman. “It is to ensure that those village systems exist and are viable for some of the plug-in.”

The proposed local law establishes a capital reserve fund for infrastructure related to water, sewer, highways and stormwater systems within the village.

Sound complicated? Sussman agreed that while the proposal is complex, it aims to address infrastructure needs on a long-term basis.

“It’s a complicated piece of legislation, but I think it’s very worthy of your support,” Sussman noted, as he gave thanks to Deputy Mayor John Barbarite and Village Manager James Snowden for their contributions to the proposal.

During the public hearing session, Monticello resident Joel Kohn voiced his support for the proposal, citing years of limited infrastructure upgrades within the village.

“I do want to thank the board and manager and the attorneys for the Village Planning Board and Village Board for proposing this,” Kohn stated. “I think this will help keep the village’s infrastructure up to date.”

Kohn also noted that water system improvements currently underway could be complemented by additional funding for broader infrastructure maintenance.

“I think it has been decades, which not a lot [of work] has been done to the infrastructure, and hopefully this … is a step in the right direction,” stated Kohn.

However, Trustee Theodore Hutchins sought additional clarification. He asked how the proposed fee would be applied, particularly when it comes to developments that might require new infrastructure connections.

Sussman affirmed that the proposed fee has a broader scope, addressing system-wide infrastructure needs rather than project-specific improvements.

“That’s why I tried to make that distinction,” Sussman reiterated. “[So] it’s not intended to replace project or site-specific needs. It is intended to address the systemic issues that Mr. Kohn just inferred to.”

He stressed that the separation was important, because unless the village raises funds for systemic issues, there’s “going to be nothing to plug into.”

With no further comments for or against the proposed local law, it was unanimously adopted by all present board members with a motion by Hutchins and a second by Trustee Gordon Jenkins.