MONTICELLO – The Village Board of Monticello approved a resolution in support of this year’s Monticello Bagel Festival at their regular Town Board meeting on January 17.

Jaime Schmeiser, President and CEO of the Sullivan County Chamber of Commerce, was in attendance at the meeting.

She brought forth an important proposal for the Board. She requested for their support by presenting them with a resolution to endorse and back the annual Bagel Festival. In her address to the Board, Schmeiser expressed her strong desire for a formal resolution from them. 

She stated that this year’s Bagel Festival is set to take place on August 11th, and highlighted its significance to both local businesses and community members alike. Furthermore, she shared that last year’s festival saw an impressive turnout of approximately twenty-thousand individuals. 

Schmeiser acknowledged that it may seem too early to discuss the upcoming planned festival, she emphasized the importance of being proactive and prepared. She further explained that her swift request for a resolution is driven by her intention to “get her ducks in a row” so that when presenting to the Department of Labor andTraining (DLT), everything will be in order and well-organized.

SEQR for Water Project

During the meeting, Village Mayor George Nikolados made a point to inform those in attendance that the State Environmental Quality Review (SEQR), which was thoroughly evaluated with the assistance of a legal representative, pertains specifically to matters under the jurisdiction of the Department of Environmental Conservation.

During the discussion, Nikolados provided a detailed explanation that the Village of Monticello currently maintains a water plant situated on Kiamesha Lake. As part of the project under review, it has been proposed to replace the existing water intake pipes with newer ones to enhance functionality and efficiency.

“This is for them to know in our Environmental Review that we’re not disturbing the environment,” Nikolados said. 

“We do have pipes that pull the water out of [Kiamesha Lake] and put new ones in. But there won’t be much of a change in the impact of the environment or to the lake.”