Middletown board approves routine transfers, grants, contracts and a 2% pay increase for Civil Service secretary

The Middletown Board of Estimate approved a series of budget transfers, contracts and grants, and authorized a 2% pay increase for the secretary to the Civil Service Commission during a meeting where members moved quickly through routine and emergency items.

Council President Rodriguez and Mayor DeStefano moved and seconded many of the items; votes were taken by voice and recorded as "Aye" in the meeting transcript. The board approved transfers within the water department budget to cover shortages, an emergency $35,000 transfer to cover boiler repairs for the recreation department, a contract to IWS for municipal solid waste hauling and disposal with a per-ton increase, and an agreement with the Humane Society of Port Jervis in Deer Park.

Specific approvals included: transfers from the water meters line to materials and supplies to cover a shortage, a $2,163 transfer from latent heat to contractual services in the 2024 water department budget, and transfers to cover payroll shortages and compensatory-time payouts. The recreation department received authorization to transfer $35,000 from account A60 health to repairs for emergency boiler work. The board authorized acceptance of a $30,000 Orange County Youth Bureau grant, split into three $10,000 allocations for youth leadership, a junior police academy and youth community outreach. The board also accepted a $10,000 DCJS grant for National Night Out supplied through Senator James Skoufis; Police Department representatives confirmed the grant is the third year of this funding.

The board accepted a SNUG grant award for $150,000 to support an anti-violence initiative for the period 06/01/2025 through 05/31/2026; the transcript notes the funds are to be used for operating expenses, travel, equipment, property utilities and related services for gun-violence-prevention work. When asked whether the SNUG funds would be used for gun buybacks, a police department representative said, "No. Not at all. We got buybacks that have been done in the past, but not through the county, to the DA's office," and added that buybacks likely would not qualify under the grant.

The board also approved a 2% pay increase for the secretary to the Civil Service Commission (amending the agenda to correct the title from "executive administrator"), authorized an agreement with IWS for 2025 municipal solid waste hauling (a per-ton rate increase from $87.54 to $89.92 with an estimated $30,000 budget impact), and authorized an agreement with the Humane Society of Port Jervis in Deer Park. A single water-account adjustment was approved for a Monhegan Avenue single-family residence, reducing chargeable usage to 5,000 gallons after the owner reported a one-time spike and a prior highest usage of about 5,000 gallons. The board tabled a more complex lien-sale item until staff (Leonora) is present to explain details at the next meeting.

Most votes were passed on voice approval during the meeting; recorded descriptive details above are taken from the agenda items and the transcript discussion.